USA > Ohio > Fairfield County > Lancaster > Centennial history of Lancaster, Ohio, and Lancaster people : 1898, the one hundredth anniversary of the settlement of the spot where Lancaster stands > Part 7
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THE DUKE OF SAXE WEIMAR, 1825
The Duke of Saxe Weimar's Travels gives the fol- lowing: - "New Lancaster has its name from the city of Lancaster in Pennsylvania, and was founded by
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Pennsylvania Germans, who were joined by many Ger- man emigrants, particularly Würtemburgers, and some Switzers. Shortly after my arrival, I received the visits of several of the German and half German inhabitants; among the latter I remarked Judge Deit- rick, a native of Philadelphia, an agreeable, plain and well-informed man; he offered to be my guide through the town, which I thankfully accepted. He introduced me to several of the merchants, whose well-furnished stores I visited. . We saw an English and Ger- man printing office; the latter was under the direction of a German, Mr. Hermann, who publishes a German newspaper under the title of Der Ohio Adler, (The Ohio Eagle), the English printing office likewise published a paper. The type for the German paper is from the foundry in Philadelphia, and cannot be said to be ele- gant; it is true there is generally but little elegance to be observed in German type. I read in Mr. Hermann's office about twelve German papers, published in the United States; they were mostly written in corrupt German; the only well written one was edited in Phila- delphia by Mr. Ritter. Judge Deitrick con- . ducted me to a cloth manufactory belonging to Mr. Rice, (Ring and Rice) whose machinery is moved by the waters of the Hockhocking. Mr. Deit- rick introduced me to a Mr. Sherman, judge of the Supreme Court, who is one of the most respectable in- habitants of the place. He invited me to tea, and I met with very agreeable society."
HENRY CLAY
Henry Clay frequently passed through Lancaster on his way to Washington City. He was the idol of the old Whigs of Lancaster and they were always ready
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to do him honor. The leading citizens of Lancaster regardless of party were always glad to see him in Lan- caster; and for years they had a desire to show their regard for him in some complimentary manner. In the year 1825 the long desired opportunity occurred. It was known that he would pass through Lancaster in the month of August of that year. A meeting of citi- zens was called and a committee appointed to extend him an invitation to partake of a complimentary dinner to be tendered bv the citizens. The letter of the com- mittee reached Mr. Clay at Lebanon, Ohio, where he was detained two or three weeks on account of the sick- ness and death of a young daughter. The following is a copy of a subscription paper signed by the citizens :
LANCASTER, JULY 25, 1825.
WE, the undersigned, agree to contribute our proportion of the expense of a public dinner to be given to Mr. Clay, when he shall pass through Lancaster on his way to Washing- ton City.
WILLIAM W. IRVIN,
NOAH S. GREGG,
HUGH BOYLE,
ADAM WEAVER,
BENJAMIN CONNELL,
R. M. AINSWORTH,
HENRY STANBERY,
GEORGE MYERS,
ISAAC CHURCH,
T. TENNY,
JOHN NOBLE,
HENRY ARNOLD,
JAMES WHITE,
R. STURGEON,
SAMUEL EFFINGER,
ABRAM PITCHER,
G. D. CAMPBELL,
ELNATHAN SCHOFIELD, JACOB SHAEFFER,
WILLIAM HANSON, HOCKING H. HUNTER, GEORGE SANDERSON,
E. B. THOMPSON,
MICHAEL GARAGHTY,
JOHN HERMAN.
ROBERT MCNEILL,
Mr. Clay performed the sad duty of burying his young daughter and proceeded on his way to Wash- ington. He arrived in Lancaster late in August and
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the dinner took place according to program. The men who participated in that enjoyable occasion are all dead.
PROMINENT MEN AND EVENTS
A list of the early merchants of Lancaster from 1800 to 1825 is herewith presented: James Converse, Wil- liam and Christian King, Rudolph Pitcher, Thomas Hart, Simon Converse, Andrew Crockett, John Creed, Matthews and Scofield, Jacob Green, Creed and Cush- ing, John Graham, John Woodbridge, Archibald Car- nahan, N. S. Cushing, Samuel F. Maccracken, John Black, Jesse Beecher, Lucas B. Wing, Henry Darst, O. W. Rigby, Emanuel and Samuel Carpenter, Robert Smith, F. A. Foster, Latta and Connell, Henry Arnold, Christian Rokohl, King and Rodgers, Henry Van Pelt and Company, Campbell, Rudisill and Company, Browning and Noble, Miller and Retzel, Owings and Thompson.
The prominent tavern keepers were Thomas Stur- geon, John Sweyer, Rudolph Pitcher, Jacob Green, F. A. Shaeffer, Gotlieb Steinman, John Noble, John U. Giesy, Jacob Beck, Christian Niebling, Dr. Ezra Tor- rence, E. G. Pomeroy, and Peter Reber.
As early as 1806 the tax list of Lancaster was no small sum. Rudolph Pitcher had one property val- ued at $2,500, other lots valued at $1,407, his taxes were seventeen dollars and seventy-two cents. Others paid as much as ten dollars each.
The prominent physicians for the first twenty-five years of Lancaster were Dr. Amasa Delano, Dr. Wil- liam Irwin, Dr. William Kerr, Dr. Ezra Torrence, Dr. John M. Shaug, Dr. James Wilson, Dr. Wilcox, Dr. Daniel Smith, Dr. Robert McNeill, Dr. James White.
The attorneys of Lancaster for the first twenty-five
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years were Alexander White, who died early, William Creighton, who moved to Chillicothe, E. B. Merwin, who moved to Zanesville, Robert F. Slaughter, Phile- mon Beecher, Wm. W. Irvin, Charles R. Sherman, Thomas Ewing, Henry Stanbery, and H. H. Hunter.
The early settlers of Lancaster came from England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, France, the New England States, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsyl- vania, Maryland, Virginia, and Kentucky. Pennsyl- vania, Maryland, and Virginia contributed the largest number. Lancaster was noted from the start for the number of its intelligent, enterprising, and distin- guished men and fair women.
The families married and intermarried and a race of native Buckeyes was the result, combining all that was good in the different races. Beecher, a Connecticut Yankee, married a daughter of Irish parents. William W. Irvin, a Virginia gentleman, married a sister of Mrs. Beecher. Creed from Rhode Island married a daughter of Virginia parents. Foster of Rhode Is- land, a Maryland girl. Ewing married the daughter of Irish parents. Kauffman, a Baltimorean, married a Yankee girl. Dr. White, a Pennsylvanian, married Mrs. Kauffman's sister. Scofield, a Yankee, married a Maryland girl; and John T. Brasee, a New Yorker, married their daughter. This list might be extended indefinitely. The population soon became a homo- geneous one composed of the many elements named. The pioneers were noted for rearing large families, and they seemed to do it as easily and as well as the parents of the modern family of one or two children; and their children were as successful in life.
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Centennial History of Lancaster
THE PROMINENT MERCHANTS
The prominent merchants doing business in 1826, as given by John G. Willock in his manuscript, were William and Christian King, Creed and Cushing, S. F. Maccracken, Latta and Connell, F. A. Foster, Henry and George B. Arnold, Jacob Green, Campbell, Rudi- sill and Company, Matthews and Company, Browning and Noble, George Kauffman, Wm. Townsend, and James Gates, jewelers.
The leading society people in Lancaster in 1826, by the same authority were, the families of Judge Sher- man, Judge Irvin, Judge Scofield, Thomas Ewing, Philemon Beecher, Hugh Boyle, Michael Garaghty, Christian King, Henry Arnold, Samuel F. Maccracken, John Creed, Rev. John Wright, and Mrs. Gen. Wil- liamson, afterwards Mrs. Col. Sumner. From 1826 to 1830 there were young men in the society of Lancaster who afterwards became prominent.
We name John G. Willock, R. M. Ainsworth, George Myers, Henry T. Myers, William J. Reese, David Colerick, Gilbert Outcalt, John C. Fall, Wm. King, Thomas Reed, Hocking H. Hunter, Henry Stanbery, George B. Arnold, P. Van Trump, John M. Creed, George Kauffman, and Dr. James White.
COLONIZATION SOCIETY
In the year 1826 there was in active working order a Colonization Society, composed of leading citizens. Judge Scofield was the president. Samuel F. Mac- cracken was the secretary. The managers were Phile- mon Beecher, Joseph Grubb, Dr. Robert McNeill, Jacob Claypool, and John Creed. Judge Irvin was chairman of one of their regular meetings. Coloniza-
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tion seemed to be the only remedy for slavery at this time.
In 1826 there was a Fairfield County Medical So- ciety and regular meetings were held in Lancaster. The Lancaster members were Dr. Robert McNeill, Dr. James White, Dr. J. M. Shaug, and Dr. Ezra Clark. The out-of-town members were Dr. M. Z. Kreider, of Royalton, Dr. Miner, of Lithopolis, Dr. Simon Hyde and Turner, of Rushville, Dr. N. Wait, of West Rush- ville, and Dr. S. S. Goehegan, of Baltimore.
In 1827 David Colerick was Commissioner of In- solvents, an office unknown in our day.
NEWSPAPERS
Der Ohio Adler (Ohio Eagle), a small German paper, was established in Lancaster in 1807. The most reli- able information is that the owner and editor was Ed- ward Shaeffer, a competent and respectable gentleman, and one of the pioneer members of the Lutheran Church. In the year 1812 or 1813 Jacob D. Deitrick came from the East to Lancaster and purchased Shaef- fer's paper. He then commenced the publication of the English edition of the Ohio Eagle, continuing at the same time the German edition. Some years later he sold out to John Herman, who continued both editions of the paper. Both editions were still published in 1825 when the Duke of Saxe Weimar visited Lancas- ter, and were still published in 1829 as stated in Kil- bourne's Ohio Gazeteer. John Herman died in 1833 and the paper passed into the hands of Thomas U. White. In about one year White sold the paper to John and Charles Brough, who came to Lancaster from Marietta. We cannot trace the German edition any farther than John Herman's time, when we pre-
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Centennial History of Lancaster
sume it was discontinued. The Broughs edited with great ability a fierce and aggressive paper. Dr. Casper Thiel, an educated man of German descent, succeeded the Broughs, and in turn was succeeded by Samuel Pike, H. H. Robinson, D. A. Robertson, F. M. Ellis, Newton, Schleich, John L. Tuthill, Baker, Zahm, and Charles Roland. In 1870 Thomas Wetzler took a con- trolling interest and is to-day its successful publisher. The Lancaster Gazette was founded by General George Sanderson and Benjamin Oswold in 1826, and though the paper was edited by others, Sanderson retained an interest until 1836. Reese and Borland had charge of it in 1832 and afterwards Colonel P. Van Trump. Cap- tain Duffey was the able editor in the great campaign of 1840, having been brought to Lancaster for that campaign. Other editors were Moeller, Percival, Weaver, Slaughter, McElroy, Joshua Clarke, R. M. Clarke, Dr. H. Scott, A. P. Miller. Samuel A. Gris- wold was the editor for thirty years, from 1866 to 1896. The paper is now edited by F. S. Pursell.
The Lancaster Democrat, Telegraph, and Journal each flourished for a few years. The Fairfield County Republican was established in 1880 by A. R. Eversole.
The Fairfield County Democrat is owned by a com- pany and edited by Silas W. Rigby.
In 1832 Colonel Van Trump and John H. Wright published a small weekly paper which they in 1833 merged with the Gazette. James Weaver was carrier boy for Colonel Van Trump, and for the New Year's Address sold copies to the amount of twenty-seven dollars. He is still proud of that day's work.
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Centennial History of Lancaster
HENRY STANBERY
Henry Stanbery was the son of a physician. He was born in New York City in the year 1803. When but eleven years of age, in the year 1814, he came with his father to Zanesville, Ohio. He was educated at Washington College, Pa., and studied law in Zanes- ville. In May, 1824, he was admitted to the bar by the Supreme Court at Gallipolis, Ohio. In the month of June following, he made his first speech to a jury in the Court House at Athens, Ohio. It was a case of bastardy and he appeared for the fair plaintiff. Among other good points he made, he said to the jury that there were three witnesses in this case in behalf of the plaintiff, the mother and her twin babies, silent though they were. His opponent saw the force of Stanbery's speech and did his best to counteract it. The jury returned a verdict for plaintiff.
" The silence often of pure innocence Persuades, when speaking fails." Winter's Tale.
At the solicitation of Thomas Ewing, he settled in Lancaster and with him formed a partnership. They traveled the circuit together for a few years, when they dissolved partnership and became friendly rivals upon all cases of great importance upon the circuit. From 1825 to 1830 Ewing and Stanbery were the most prominent young attorneys in the State in active prac- tice. And from 1830 to the close of their professional careers they were the foremost lawyers of the State of Ohio. Mr. Stanbery's reputation rests upon his ability as a lawyer. He took no part in politics. In the year 1846 Henry Stanbery was elected Attorney- General by the Legislature of the State of Ohio; in
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which capacity he served the State ably for five years. In the meantime he became a resident of Columbus, Ohio. In the year 1850 he was elected a member of the Constitutional Convention for Franklin County, being one of the ablest members of that body and con- spicuous in debate. From Columbus he moved to Cincinnati, where he practiced his profession until called to fill the position of Attorney-General of the United States by President Johnson in the year 1866. During the impeachment trial of President Johnson, he resigned this office to become his counsel. He returned to Cincinnati, where he spent the declining years of his life. He died while on a visit to New York City in 1883, aged eighty years. Henry Stanbery was a man over six feet in height, straight as an arrow, of commanding presence, courtly manners, and was the most polite and affable member of the Ohio Bar. He was the soul of honor and scorned to do a mean act. He neither misled court or jury, or took a mean ad- vantage of his opponent. He was one of the great lawyers of our time and a model gentleman in every relation in life. His first wife was a daughter of General Philemon Beecher. She died early, in the year 1840, and was buried in Elmwood Cemetery by the side of her father and mother. His second wife was a daughter of Colonel Bond, of Chillicothe. The body of Henry Stanbery was buried at Spring Grove Cemetery at Cincinnati. His son, Judge Philemon Beecher Stanbery, lives in Pomeroy, Ohio.
WILLIAM MEDILL
William Medill was a native of the State of Delaware and was born in the year 1802. He received a college education and studied law. In the year 1832 he came
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Centennial History of Lancaster
to Lancaster, was received into the best society, and was soon one of the promising young men of the town. He was well educated, and refined in his manners and, although he never married, was always something of a ladies' man and popular in society. He gave promise of eminence at the bar, but early embarked upon a political career, thereby neglecting his pro- fession. He became a great and successful politician, and made a reputation both state and national. He was a gentleman of high character and his integrity was never questioned. He was a Democrat and the idol of his party in the State of Ohio. In 1835, 1836 and 1837 he was a member of the Ohio Legislature for Fairfield County. He was elected and served two terms in Congress from 1839 to 1843, where he took a leading position, serving on important committees. Under Polk's administration he served first as an Assistant Postmaster-General, but was soon trans- ferred to the more important office of Commissioner of Indian Affairs. In this position he made some re- forms and added to his reputation as a man of affairs.
He was a member of the Ohio Constitutional Con- vention of 1850, and was elected president of that body. Here he was associated with Henry Stanbery and many other distinguished men. In the year 1851 he was elected lieutenant governor of Ohio, and in the year 1854 was elected governor.
Retiring from the office of governor, he was ap- pointed by James Buchanan comptroller of the U. S. Treasury, an important position, which he filled with distinguished ability.
While comptroller an old claim passed both houses of Congress, involving an expenditure of two or three millions of money, and was approved by the President.
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Centennial History of Lancaster
Medill was satisfied that it was a fraud, and refused to pay it. The appeals of congressmen and senators and of the President himself failed to move him and the claim was not paid. An attempt was made to impeach him; Green,* of Missouri, offering the resolution with that end in view, in the Senate, but the firmness of R. M. T. Hunter, of Virginia, and others who had con- fidence in the judgment and integrity of Medill, pre- vented it.
At the close of Buchanan's term he returned to Lan- caster, broken in health, where he spent his closing years in quiet retirement, dying in the year 1865.
Governor Medill educated his relative, Dr. Robert McNeill, the younger, and was liberal to other friends. The Governor at his death gave his fine estate to his nephew and namesake, William Medill, of this city.
JOSHUA CLARKE
Joshua Clarke was born August 27, 1795, in the State of New York, where he received his education. He came early to Lancaster and was first engaged in the business of a contractor and builder. He built the fine house, now the residence of Judge Brasee, for Captain A. F. Witte and in 1833 became lessee. Here he took his bride, his second wife, to live. She was Miss Adaline Doane, and he first met her at the grand party given in honor of Daniel Webster by Senator Ewing in 1833. Her escort on this occasion was Wm. Medill, afterwards governor of Ohio.
From the year 1825 to 1850 Captain Clarke was a busy man; full of energy and enterprise. After ceas- ing to be a builder, he managed the Witte distillery
* Con. Globe parts 2 and 3. 36th Congress.
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for Maccracken, Latta, and Effinger, and at the same time operated one at Clarksburg. He also, in part- nership with Colonel John Noble, built and operated a carding mill and a large blacksmith shop at the same point. Later, as a partner of Colonel Noble, he rented Barrett's woolen mill at the upper falls of the Hock- hocking River, which they successfully managed two or three years. In 1855 and continuing to 1860, he was the owner and editor of the Lancaster Gazette. During all of these years Joshua Clarke was a promi- nent man in Lancaster, taking part in every public en- terprise which called for the opinion or action of a good citizen.
He was the friend of education and member of a committee, of which General W. J. Reese and Wm. Medill were also members, to inspect and report to the managers, the condition, efficiency and character of Howe's Academy. The report of the committee was favorable. As early as 1833 he was a member of the Lancaster Institute, a famous debating society, and was a prominent participant in its deliberations and debates. In the Whig campaigns of 1836, 1840 and 1844, he made effective stump speeches, and his services were in demand in all parts of Fairfield County. He was a member of the Board of Man- agers of the old Lancaster Library.
In the year 1842 he was chosen to deliver the fourth of July oration at a large celebration of the national anniversary. So well was it received, that he was re- quested to publish it. It may be found in the Ohio Eagle of that year.
When the Whig party became little more than a dissolving view, Captain Clarke allied himself to the American party. He was a delegate to the State con-
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vention of that party (in 1857), held at Dayton, O., and was selected as chairman of the convention, an honor always to be appreciated. At this convention his friend, Colonel P. Van Trump, was nominated for governor.
He supported John Bell for president as against Fremont and Buchanan.
After the downfall of the old Whig party and the collapse of the American party, he seemed to be lost. His convictions were such that he could not consist- ently be a Democrat. He did not fraternize with the Republican party and he ended his days in this unsat- isfactory frame of mind. He was alone, "the last leaf upon the tree."
Captain Clarke was fond of books and read the best authors. He was familiar with the English classics. Of poetry, "Tam O' Shanter" was his favorite short poem. He died on his farm south of town, March, 1866. He was twice married and the father of fifteen children-Burns, Byron, Willis Gaylord, Robert McNeil, Charles, Joshua, Henry, Thomas, Mrs. Thos. Coulson, Mrs. Robert Slaughter, Mrs. Henrietta Pearse, Mrs. Fannie King, Mrs. H. W. Carpenter, Mrs. J. M. Sutphen, and Mrs. James Ulrick. Joshua and Wm. H. Kooken were his adopted sons. He numbered among his friends, during a long series of years, the leading men of Lancaster. One of his sons, R. M. Clarke, is a distinguished lawyer of Carson City, Nevada.
F. J. BOVING
Mr. Boving was a native of Bremen, Germany. He came to Ohio from Baltimore, Maryland, and first settled in Royalton, Ohio. This was in the year 1830. Here he was engaged in the dry goods business in
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connection with H. H. Westfall. In 1832 he married Miss Catharine Scott, the daughter of a farmer in the vicinity. In 1839 he moved to Lancaster, and in partnership with Mr. Graue he opened up a wholesale and retail grocery and the firm was known as Boving & Graue. This firm conducted a large and profitable business for nine years. In addition to their grocery trade they handled large quantities of tobacco, and shipped it to Baltimore. During five years of this time there was no bank in Lancaster, and they sold exchange to the merchants. In fact they supplied the community with banking facilities. In the year 1848 Graue left the firm and moved to Baltimore, Maryland, and E. Becker became Boving's partner. In 1856 Boving sold his interest to E. Becker, and in 1859 purchased the hardware stock of John Effinger and continued the business until 1864, when he sold out to John C. Weaver, and permanently retired from mer- cantile life. He then purchased one or two farms, superintended the farming and cultivated grapes. Mr. Boving was an honorable man and an influential citi- zen, and one of the most intelligent and capable men in the business circles of Lancaster in his time.
WILLIAM J. REESE
William J. Reese was born August 3, 1804, in the city of Philadelphia. He received a liberal educa- tion in his native city and studied law. He came to Lancaster in 1827 and, after one year's residence as required by law, opened a law office and began the practice of his profession. He was a cultured, re- fined and brilliant young man. While yet a young attorney in 1829, he joined Samuel F. Maccracken in establishing a dry goods store in Newark. This store-
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they placed in charge of Daniel Duncan, one of Mac- cracken's clerks, to whom in 1832 Mr. Reese sold his interest in the store. In this same year he purchased an interest in the Lancaster Gazette in partnership with Charles Borland. One year satisfied him with news- papers, and he sold his interest to Colonel P. Van Trump. In 1832 General Reese purchased the interest of Henry Matthews and Joel Buttles in the dry goods stock of Henry Matthews & Company, of which firm Thomas Reed was a member. The business was con- tinued under the firm name of Thomas Reed & Com- pany. January 30th, 1836, Thomas Reed retired from the firm. In March, 1838, General Reese dis- posed of his goods to Culbertson and Nye. No- vember 13th, 1838, David Rokohl purchased a one-third interest in the business, the firm be- coming Culbertson, Nye & Rokohl. In the year 1843 General Reese moved to Philadelphia. There in con- nection with John Hulan he opened a jobbing house. He followed this business for a few years but it proved a failure, and, losing his health, he returned to Lan- caster, where he lived in retirement the remainder of his days. General Reese was always a prominent and influential citizen of Lancaster. He was the captain of a fine military company at one time. He was Brig- adier-General of the Ohio Militia at the time he de- cided to leave Lancaster. In the days of his pros- perity, he built one of the finest and most commodious houses in Lancaster. He was for several years Secre- tary of the Board of Fund Commissioners for the State of Ohio. He was an enthusiastic Mason and the reputed author of the present ritual. He suc- ceeded Judge Sherman as Master of the Masonic Lodge of Lancaster. For eight years he was the
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Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the State of Ohio. He was one of the original members of the St. John's Episcopal Church and an enthusiastic churchman. He built the first store in Lancaster with what is called an open front. His wife was the eldest daughter of Judge Charles R. Sherman. General Reese was always a public spirited citizen and a polite and cour- teous gentleman. He died December 17th, 1883.
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