Century history of Delaware County, Ohio and representative citizens 20th, Part 15

Author: Lytle, James Robert, 1841- [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing company
Number of Pages: 926

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attention of his own to the founding of the city. He came from a family noted for their intellectual qualities and attainments and was himself one of the distinguished men of his time. Born in 1779. and graduating from Yale in 1797. he went to Pittsburg, where he became a noted lawyer. He was a representa- tive in Congress from 1817 to 1822. He was appointed by President Jackson an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, in which capacity he served for many years. Though brilliant intellectually, he is said to have been a man of somewhat dissi- pated habits, through which he ultimately lost a considerable portion of the large fortune of which he was, at one time, possessed. He died in 1844.

With the shifting of Byxbe's interest from Berkshire to his newly acquired possessions in Delaware Township he immediately set to work to secure for them the advantages which the settlers of Berkshire had all along expected to enhance the value of their own property. The first matter of concern was the location of the county seat. As no town as yet existed in their territory it was necessary for Baldwin and Byxbe to establish one. The first location chosen by them was on the east bank of the Olentangy. Here they platted a town and recorded the plat in Franklin County, although it was never recorded in Delaware County. Byxbe, with all the resources at his command, at once began his efforts to secure the location of the county seat at his newly founded town. As might have been expected, his efforts met with bitter opposition from the Berkshire set- tlers, who had relied on his former promises and had just reason to accuse him of disloy- alty to their interests. Byxbe had a consider- able following, however, among those who were under obligations to him in various ways and whose interests were largely involved with his, and this, together with the natural ad- vantages of Delaware itself. terminated the controversy in his favor, the special commis- sioners locating the county seat at Delaware in March, 1808.

Fox reasons which are not now definitely known, but probably owing to superior ad-

vantages on the other side of the river, the first site chosen for the town on the east bank was soon abandoned, and on May 9, 1808, a new site on the west bank was selected and a town platted which was the real beginning of the present city of Delaware. The following extract taken from the plat as recorded, will indicate the original location and extent of the town. "This town is laid off into 186 lots, containing, by estimation, 777/2 square poles each, be the same more or less, 614 rods by 121/2 rods, excepting lots Nos. 53, 54, 55. 56, 89. 90, 91 and 92, which by the variation of William Street from west 17 degrees to the north, from Washington Street to Liberty Street. The streets which run from north to south are Henry. Union, Sandusky. Franklin, Washington and Liberty Streets and those running from east to west are North, Winter, William. Abraham. Tammany and South Streets, which cross the other streets at right angles. All the streets are four poles wide ex- cept William, Abraham and Sandusky Streets, which are six poles in width. The lots or squares including Delaware Run, or which are not numbered, extending from east to west through the town, are reserved for future dis- posal, or for the benefit of the town, as the pro- prietors may think proper hereafter." There was included in this plat that part of the pres- ent city of Delaware bounded by Central Avenue. Henry, South and Liberty Streets, South Street at that time running through to Liberty. It is apparent that patriotic impulses evidently inspired the founders in the naming of the streets of their newly created town, and it is said that it was the purpose of Byxbe. originally to call the town itself Warrentown in honor of General Warren. Some of the streets were named after those who were connected with the early history of the town. Most of the original names remain to the present time. although North Street is now Central Avenue, while Abraham Street has become University Avenue and Tammany, Park Avenue. Abra- ham Street was named for the original owner of the property ; Henry, for one of the proprie- tors; William, for a brother of Henry Bald- win, who had an interest in the property, and

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Winter, developed from a corruption of Wit- ter, the maiden name of Mrs. Moses Byxbe. Delaware Run then flowed in its natural course, and William Street deflected to the north after crossing Washington Street to avoid it. The square bounded by Union Ave- nue, Washington Street, Park Avenue and Liberty Street, was reserved for a parade ground, and was used for that purpose for years. About the time the city was or- ganized, it was converted into a park, and Dr. Merrick, who was then president of Ohio Wes- leyan University, was instrumental in having hundreds of shade trees planted here. Another square bounded by Abraham, Franklin and Sandusky Streets and Delaware Run was set aside for public buildings. The square bounded by Central Avenue, Sandusky, Frank- lin and Winter Streets, was given by the pro- prietor for a burying ground, and for religious purposes. The little town remained as thus originally laid out for a period of nearly thirty years, no additions being made until the year 1836. On the occasion of his final visit to Delaware in 1824, Judge Baldwin presented the parade ground and the sulphur spring property to the village.

With the location of the town and its selec- tion as the county seat, the active settlement of Delaware began. Indeed even before this the first settler had made his appearance. In the fall of 1807 Joseph Barber erected a log house just southeast of the sulphur spring on the ground now constituting a part of the uni- versity campus. He did not remain in the neighborhood for any great length of time, however, and his influence on the further growth of the village was slight.

As soon as his efforts to have Delaware made the county seat had proved successful, Mr. Byxbe began preparations to transfer his residence from Berkshire, there. He erected a frame dwelling on the north side of William Street, between Henry and Union Streets, re- serving the whole square on which his house stood for his own use. Having sold his house and farm in Berkshire, in the early part of May he removed his household goods to his new residence and with his family came to

Delaware to reside. In the settlement of nearly every community there has always been some one man who, through superior energy and ability, as well as through firmer faith in the future development and passibilities of the place, has taken the lead in all the various enterprises necessary to insure its success. Col. Byxbe certainly bore this relation to Delaware in its early history. His fertile mind was con- stantly planning for the future of the town; his indomitable energy was constantly expend- ing itself, both in inducing new settlers to take up their abode in the village, and in providing for the establishment of the various en- terprises which were necessary for the comfort and prosperity of the incoming settlers. Self interest, no doubt, was his ani- mating motive. He seems never to have had the genuine respect of the community, even though they were ready to follow him as their leader and recognized the great value of his ability in shaping the early progress of the town.

Along with Byxbe came a number of other settlers who were to have a prominent part in the early history of the community. In Berk- shire were a number of families who were closely attached to the Byxbe interests who had just recently come to that settlement from Pennsylvania, and who, as soon as the interests of Byxbe himself had shifted, followed his for- tunes likewise in the newly established settle- ment. Among them may be mentioned Solo- mon Smith, Azariah Root, Nathan Messenger. Reuben Lamb and Rev. Jacob Drake. The lat- ter built the first brick house to be erected in Delaware, on the southwest corner of William and Franklin Streets, it being notable for the fact that his wife laid all of the inner wall her- self, masons being a scarcity in those days. Drake was a Baptist preacher and a surveyor as well, and he also served as the first treasurer of the newly established county, and as the first mayor of Delaware. His resignation addressed to William Little is now in the possession of Robert Powers, of The First National Bank. It was he, too, who, in connection with the Rev. Joseph Hughes, established the first paper in Delaware. Azariah Root built a house of

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hewed logs on the corner of Abraham and Henry Streets. He was the first county sur- veyor. Nathan Messenger was the son-in- law af Colonel Byxbe, who erected a house for him on the southeast corner of Sandusky and William Streets. Solomon Smith was the first sheriff of the county and came from Chilli- cothe where he had been a teacher. Aside from Byxbe himself, few persons, perhaps, occupied a more prominent position in the early life of the community than Reuben Lamb. He prac- ticed medicine for a number of years and was also the first county recorder.

Among other settlers who came in a short time may be mentioned Silas Dunham, who came from the Berlin Settlement: Noah Spaulding, from .Berkshire: Joab Norton, from Orange: Aaron Welch and Ira Carpen- ter, from Liberty; Nathaniel and William Lit- tle, Paul D. and Thomas Butler, from Worth- ington, and Jacob Kensell. The settlement soon took on a vigorous growth. Colonel Byxbe was the guiding spirit in all its various activities. He was constantly devising and putting into execution plans for the prosperity of the community. He was an associate judge of the newly created court. He promoted the building of the new road which should unite the settlement with the older communities al- ready established. He established the first store, in which he placed his son, and he also erected the first saw mill and grist mill within the limits of the town. In addition to this he was the first postmaster, and later he was pro- prietor of a tavern. He was his own sales agent in the disposal of the large tracts of land which he owned jointly with Baldwin. It is easy to see the stimulating effect the restless activity of such a one must have had on the life of the village.

From the time he first became interested in that part of the county, it had probably been Colonel Bixbe's ambition to make the town which he should found the capital of the State. Up until 1810 the capital had been at Chilli- cothe, and from that time until 1812 at Zanes- ville. It finally became necessary, however, to (letermine upon a definite location, and a num- ber of places became competitors for the honor.

There seem to have been nine of them in all, and they held out widely varying inducements to the special commission appointed by the Legislature to select the site. The offer of Byxbe and Baldwin was as follows, viz., that they would give the grounds, erect the build- ings, and lay off four thousand acres in town lots. one-half the proceeds arising from the sale of which should go into the treasury of the State. The only other offer which bore any comparison to that of Baldwin and Byxbe was the one made by four parties who were interested in the tract on the Scioto opposite the town of Franklinton. For quite a while the contest was in doubt. At length. however, the special commission reported in favor of the proposition of Byxbe and Bald- win. When the legislature came to act upon it. they rejected the report and decided in fa- vor of the site opposite Franklinton. The loss of the capital was, no doubt. a severe blow to Delaware and its immediate prosperity. The possibility that the capital would be located here had undoubtedly served to enhance the value of property and to attract settlers. With its prospects in this direction suddenly cut off. there could not but result a depression in the general activity of the community, from which it took many years for it to recover.

EARLY MILITARY IMPORTANCE.

Delaware was a place of considerable mili- tary importance during the War of 1812. It was situated on the most practicable route be- tween Chillicothe, the state capital at that time. and the scene of operations around Sandusky and Detroit, and it was, for a time, the head- quarters of General Harrison. "Among the earliest troops to be called out was a company of light horse belonging to the State Militia, on the muster rolls of which were to be found the familiar names of Elias Murray, as cap- tain ; James W. Crawford, as first lieutenant : David Prince as second lieutenant. and Joseph Prince. Robert Jamison, Sylvester Root, Mor- ris Cowgill, Alexander and William Smith. Ralph S. Longwell. John Slack. J. Harter. Forest Meeker, John Wilson, Thomas Dun-

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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY

ham and James Carpenter, as privates. This company was employed as a raiding force, and was called out at different times for a period of service not exceeding at any time over forty days. Each man furnished his own horse and equipments, and over his shoulder was slung the inevitable canteen of whiskey. * The company was ordered to Detroit and made a raid into Canada. Tearing down some fine farm buildings west of the river, they made rafts of the lumber thus obtained and crossed to the Canadian shore. There they destroyed property of all kinds, burning mills, hay and grain, and recrossing without loss. * A company of infantry, raised by Captain Foos in the northern part of the county, drew a number of men from Delaware Township and village. and, among others, Erastus Bowe, who settled in Brown in. 1809. This company went to Fremont, then known as Lower San- dusky, and helped to build Fort Croghan, Mr. Bowe breaking the ground for that purpose. After Hull's surrender this company disbanded and returned to Delaware.

The war, coming as it did so soon after the misfortune Delaware suffered in failing to have the state capital located here, did much to relieve the depression of business conse- quent on that unfortunate event. The forces of General Winchester and others were cen- tered along the line of Urbana, St. Mary's and Fort Defiance, while the troops, artillery and supplies from Pennsylvania came by way of Canton, Wooster and Mansfield to Fort Meigs, the place of rendezvous, while the Virginia and Kentucky re-enforcements came by way of Chillicothe, along the various roads leading through Delaware County. In February. 1813. General Harrison concentrated the greater part of his troops at Fort Meigs and then retired with his headquarters to Delaware, where he occupied rooms in Colonel Byxbe's house. Also Governor Shelby, of Kentucky, came in command of the troops belonging to his state, and made his headquarters in the cabin which had formerly been erected by Barber, heretofore mentioned as the first house built in Delaware. Later the Virginia troops arrived and camped just north of the village.

Naturally the presence of so many soldiers gave a great impetus to the general business activities of the place. As usual. Colonel Byxbe was alert to the opportunities thus pre- sented, taking large contracts for supplying the army with the various necessities required during their stay in the community. The one store in the village, had, for the time being, a great increase in its patronage, and the set- tlers found a ready market for . whatever they had to sell that could be consumed by an army. A recruiting station was opened in Delaware, and many, inspired by motives of patriotism or lured by love of adventure or expectation of gain, joined their fortunes with the troops. General Harrison had sold all of his teams and pack animals to save wintering them, and when the time came for the army to move north- ward all the available teams in the community were pressed into service.

STORES AND EARLY INDUSTRIES.

As is always the case in a newly started settlement, the mercantile business for the first few years was one of little importance. There was but one store in Delaware up to the time of the war of 1812, and that was conducted by Moses Byxbe. Jr., a son of Colonel Byxbe. The son, however, seems to have been wholly lacking in the business ability and enterprise of his father and soon came to grief. Various unsuccessful speculations finally landed him in the county jail. One of the earliest merchants in Delaware was William Little. He was a saddler by trade, and, coming originally from Connecticut, first located in Worthington. Later, however, attracted by the outlook for the newly established settlement at Delaware, he came here and shortly went into trade. He bought out a stock of goods which had been sent up from Worthington as a branch busi- ness and established himself in a small brick building on the southwest corner of Sandusky and Winter Streets, where he continued for d number of years. Joseph L. Webb was another of the early store-keepers of Delaware. He came in the year 1819, induced to do so through the representations of Colonel Byxbe.

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who happened to meet him on one his trips east. Webb came of a wealthy family in New York, lured away from the comforts of his eastern home by the apparent possibilities of great wealth in the western frontier. The year after his arrival he set up in business in the same building in which Moses Byxbe, Jr., had conducted his unsuccessful venture, but he seems to have had no greater success than had the building's former occupants. After continuing in business for a time he closed up with a loss of $10,000 and returned to the East. Horton Howard, a Quaker, was an- other of the early store-keepers. He occupied a yellow wooden building on the east side of Sandusky Street. Hezekiah Kilbourn opened a store in 1823 on the northwest corner of Sandusky and Winter Streets but sold out in the following year to Caleb Howard and An- thony Walker, who went into business in his building. After they dissolved partnership Walker went into business with Hosea Wil- liams. Dr. Lamb, the first physician in the community, next occupied the Kilbourn build- ing, and, as was natural, a considerable part of his stock consisted of drugs. In 1831 Alexander Kilbourn erected a frame building on Sandusky Street and started a general store. This building is still standing, having been moved, however, to a location just south of the present office building of Marriott & Freshwater.

The mercantile business in the early day was fraught with difficulties such as can scarce be imagined at the present time. We quote, in this connection, some interesting facts from a former county history: "Philadelphia was the nearest point from which the western mer- chant could buy his goods from original sources, and from there they had to be shipped in huge wagons over a tedious and uncertain journey. Mr. Lit- tle was in the habit of going to Phila- delphia once a year, spending some weeks or two months on the trip, and waggoning his goods home, frequently at a cost of $18.75 per hundred. These invoices included, at a later day, a full line of dry goods, embracing velvets, satins, silks, cassimers and the com-

moner goods. Then there were hats. shoes, crockery, hardware, medicines and groceries. For year after year money was very scarce, and all business became a system of barter, and goods were exchanged almost exclusively for produce. The trade with Indians was very large, the natives coming in for fifty miles around, sometimes fifty at a time. They brought cranberries, maple sugar and syrup, pelts and furs, and bought only the finest goods. The women would take only the finest broadcloths for blankets and petticoats, while the men chose the brightest prints for shirts. The ordinary prints which now sell for 8 cents per yard sold then for $1.00, while the higher priced sold for $1.50 per yard. Every store had upon its counter a flask of whiskey with a glass and it was expected that every one who came into the store would avail himself or herself of the hospitality thus set forth. Sugar made by the Indians or settlers found its way in large quantities to the stores where it was traded off to the Kentuckians, who came with large wagon loads of tobacco every spring to exchange for commodities. This was in large demand among the Indians, who made a mixture of tobacco and sumac leaves, calling it 'Kinnikinic.' "

In the early days there was no institution of greater importance, perhaps, than the tavern. The most prominent and influential citizens did not hesitate to engage in it, and the number of taverns in existence at that time in the village would now, perhaps, be con- sidered out of proportion to the size of the place. We have, in a former chapter, quoted a description of the pioneer tavern from the pen of Dr. Hills. Barber's cabin, the first to be erected in Delaware, was, likewise, the first building to be devoted to the purpose of tavern keeping, and Barber himself was its first keeper. It was a sort of center for all the various activities of the neighborhood. Here the people gathered to exchange their gossip as well as to hear news of the outside world from any chance stranger that happened along. Here all the public gatherings were arranged, all the notices were posted, and even the first court was held. Barber did not long con-

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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY

tinte in the business, but soon sold out to a occupied as a hotel and printing office, into a brick building erected by Jacob Drake, on the southwest corner of North and Sandusky Streets, where he continued the double busi- ness for many years. man by the name of Spaulding, who, in turn, sold out to Robinson. While it was without a competitor for a time, yet it was not long until Colonel Byxbe joined the business of tavern keeping to his various other activities, On September 9, 1826, Colonel Moses Byxbe died. For two years before his death he had been deranged. During all the early years of the town he had been the prime mover in all her activities. Being a man of indomi- table energy combined with exceptional execu- tive ability, he was remarkably well fitted to successfully combat the difficulties encountered in establishing a settlement on the frontier. The beautiful city of Delaware, as she exists today, is a monument to his enterprise and courage. While he thus possessed these quali- ties so necessary to the performance of the task which he set for himself, yet he seems never to have had the sincere love and respect of the community with which he surrounded himself. Hard and grasping in his disposition, and knowing no criterion but success, his methods were not always such as could com- mand the approval of those who believe in justice and fair dealing at all times and under all circumstances. All his efforts seem to have been inspired solely for the purpose of acquir- ing wealth rather than through the patriotic desire of reclaiming the wilderness for civili- zation for its own sake alone. In his life purpose he was eminently successful, amassing a fortune which, in those days, might well have been called princely. Yet, towards the latter part of his life. he became involved in financial difficulties, largely through the recklessness of his son, who seems to have inherited little of his father's capacity for business; and it was probably owing to this fact that he lost his mental faculties before the close of his life. Byxbe had, beside his son Moses, already men- tioned, another, Appleton, who was an im- becile. Ile also had three daughters who married respectively Hon. Elias Murray, Rev. Joseph Hughes and Hon. L. Il. Cowles, all men of prominence and influence in the com- munity at the time. erecting a brick house for that purpose east of his dwelling on William Street. It was 111- doubtedly of great advantage to Colonel Byxbe to be in a position where he could have the opportunity to early impress every incoming stranger with the possibilities of his newly founded town. "A long wooden building was built at an early date where Solomon Smith first entertained the public, and Mrs. Byxbe, desirous of entertaining those who came to attend court, persuaded Colonel Byxbe to buy him out, and for some time continued the business. He was succeeded in the same busi- ness, after an interval of some months, by Ezra Griswold, in 1821. In the meanwhile Aaron Welch built a tavern opposite the Epis- copal Church, on Winter Street, where he entertained the public several years, and in 1816 built a large brick building on Sandusky Street. Mr. Welch died before it was com- pleted, but it served its purpose for years. Contemporary with the later years of Mr .. Welch as tavern keeper, was Elam Vining, Sr., who occupied for several years the Mes- senger House, on the southeast corner of Wil- liam and Sandusky Streets. Another hotel stood on the northeast corner of Winter and Sandusky Streets. An early proprietor was Major Strong and another was a Mr. Hinton -a distant relative of Otho Hinton, of later fame-who was succeeded by a Mr. Dunbar. It was during the time of the latter gentleman, in 1817, that President Monroe, making a trip through the West, came with a large suite on horseback from Sandusky, and stopped with Dunbar over Sunday. The death of Mr. Dunbar's wife soon forced him to retire from the business and, in 1818. General Sidney Moore and Pardon Sprague bought hun out. Mr. Moore was married on Sunday, February Ist, and the following day the new couple took possession of their new business. In 1822 Mr. As descriptive of Delaware in the early Griswold moved from the building he first . day we cannot do better than quote the larger

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Century history of Delaware County, Ohio and representative citizens 20th, Part 15

Author: Lytle, James Robert, 1841- [from old catalog] ed Publication date: 1908 Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing company Number of Pages: 926

Author: Lytle, James Robert, 1841- [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing company
Number of Pages: 926