Century history of Delaware County, Ohio and representative citizens 20th, Part 26

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

USA > Ohio > Delaware County > Century history of Delaware County, Ohio and representative citizens 20th > Part 26

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a year, the ladies sally forth into the street and tag every pedestrian they meet, allowing none to escape until he has paid for his tag by contributing to their Hospital funds. $2,000.00 a year is paid by the county toward the maintenance of the Ilospital, there being a legislative enactment making it possible to raise this sum by taxation. The annual meet- ing of the Association is held the last Monday in January of each year.

A number of changes in the personnel of the Board of Trustees have occurred: Arthur H. Jones removed from the city, and Dr. A. J. Willey was elected in his place; V. D. Stay- man resigned, and S. S. Blair was elected to fill the vacancy ; upon the death of Dr. Hague, R. K. Willis was elected a trustee, and is now president of the Board.

From the report issued in January, 1908. we learn that during the seventeen months since the opening of the Hospital, 216 patients have been achinitted. The average cost of car- ing for each patient, not including wear and tear on fixtures and furnishings, was $11.05 per week. Of these cases, 110 were medical and 106 were surgical. There were sixty-three charity cases, whose treatment covered a period equal to 191 weeks for one person.

THE GIRLS' INDUSTRIAL HOME.

The Girls' Industrial Home, one of the benevolent and reformatory institutions of Ohio, is situated upon the west bank of the Scioto River, in Concord Township, about ten miles southwest of Delaware. The nearest railroad station is Hyatts, on the Columbus. Hocking Valley & Toledo road, three and one- half miles distant. There is an excellent pike between the home and the city of Delaware. The telephone between the llome and Dela- ware was the first long-distance 'phone in- stalled in Ohio.

A location more beautiful or better suited to an institution of this kind would be difficult to find. There are 189 acres of land in the property. The campus surrounding the build- ings is covered with beautiful shade trees. many of which are of the original forest. The

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white sulphur spring is practically inexhausti- ble, and is used constantly and almost ex- clusively for drinking. It is unsurpassed by any of the most healthful waters at the most popular public resorts of the country. The property itself has an interesting history, dat- ing from 1820, when Davis & Richards bored a well here, about two and one-half inches in diameter, in the hope of finding salt. The well was sunk 460 feet, the last ninety feet being through solid rock, when the augur suddenly dropped about two feet, and up gushed with great force a stream of strong white sulphur water. The water is pure, and is supposed to be driven by its own gas; it has a temperature of fifty degrees. Davis & Richards considered they had made a failure, and left the well unfinished. Nothing fur- ther was done in the way of development 1in- til about 1842, when a man named Nathaniel Hart, bought the land of the owner, Christo- pher Freshwater, erected a large building and several cottages, and from that time on it became widely known as a watering place and exceedingly popular. Mr. Hart sold the prop- erty to Andrew Wilson, Jr., who conducted the enterprise until 1865. As the patrons of the place were largely southerners, the war badly crippled the enterprise, and the hard times at the close of the war, as well as the feeling then existing between the North and the South, made it impossible for Mr. Wilson to continue the business on the large and profitable scale to which he had been accus- tomed, so in 1865 he sold out to Col. John Ferry. The new owner, at considerable ex- pense, enlarged. remodelled and refurnished the house. besides building an addition to it; but it seemed as if the place were doomed as a resort. and after a year or two the venture was abandoned.

Seeing this fine property going to ruin and decay. a number of public-spirited and bene- volently disposed citizens of Delaware County petitie ned the Legislature to establish here a home for unprotected girls. May 5, 1869, the General Assembly passed an act creating the institution and a Board of Trustees was ap- pointed, consisting of Prof. F. Merrick. Abram

Thomson, M. D. Leggett, Clark Waggener and Stanley Matthews. The Board met and organized at Columbus on the 29th of May. The property was purchased for $55.000.00 on the 21st of July following, and the Home was formally opened on the 15th of October of that year. The institution was then called "Reform School for Girls;" but in 1872, by a special Act of the Legislature, the present name was adopted.

The buildings consisted of a three-story frame hotel, with a stone basement, situated on the ground now partially occupied by Cottage No. 6, and facing the east (as does the present alignment of brick cottages) ; south of the hotel, and ninety-five feet distant therefrom. stood a two-story frame building known as the Mansion House. A short distance south from this house was the beginning of a row of cottages, which extended south to the pres- ent site of Cottage No. 2. This line of smaller buildings, known as "Cottage Row," was com- posed of eight frame structures; four two- story, and four one-story buildings; all of these, from the hotel to the last cottage on this alignment, were connected by a covered wooden promenade. South of this row of cottages stood a two-story frame chapel. Southeast of this building, and about seventy- five feet distant therefrom, stood another row of frame cottages known as "Southern Row." running east and west and facing the north, consisting of two double frame buildings, lo- cated on the ground which was later occupied by Cottage No. 7. These, together with the bath-house, bowling alley, and the "Burnett House," constituted the tenements that passed to the State.

These buildings were all dressed in white paint, with green blinds, which lent a peculiar charm to the beautiful grounds that had been tastefully laid out and set with groves of young indigenous and exotic trees.

On the 19th of November, the superin- tendent. Dr. John Nichols, made his first re- port. which shows that six girls were enrolled as pupils in the new school. We also glean from that report that the buildings, though beautiful and extensive, did not possess every

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requirement necessary for comfortable winter quarters. This was evidently understood at the time of the purchase, as the whole premises had been designed and the buildings constructed for summer use only; but with hasty repairs on some of the more substantial houses, they were made tenable against the approaching storms of winter. However, just as those connected with the work began to feel secure in the permanency of their plans. the Legislature passed an Act. April 14, 1870, which seemed to transfer to the Board of Man- agers of the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Or- phan's Home, all of the premises so recently purchased by the State for the establishment of the State Reform and Industrial School for Girls, save and except the "Burnett House." and five acres of land adjacent thereto. After some correspondence between the officials of the two institutions, the matter was finally submitted to the attorney-general for his opinion, the result of which left the trustees of the Reform and Industrial School in pos- session of their purchase.

On February 24. 1873. while a deputation from the Legislative Committee was making its annual visit to the Home. and while in the very act of commenting favorably concerning the satisfactory workings and prosperity of the institution, fire suddenly broke out in the old Mansion House, which was soon destroyed, together with the chapel and superintendent's home. The larger buildings were attacked. but enough were saved of "Cottage Row" and "Southern Row" to furnish crowded accom- modations for the officers and pupils of the Home.

During the session of 1872-73. the Legis- lature appropriated $24,000.00 for tlie erection of two new brick buildings, which are now known as Cottages Nos. I and 3. They were the first brick structures erected on the farm. The "Administration," or "Central Building." as it is sometimes called, from its location, was built at a cost of $25,000.00, and was com- pleted, ready for occupancy in May, 1874. Here the business of the institution is trans- acted and the superintendent and his family reside. In 1875. "Cottage No. 2," sometimes | "Honor Cottage."

known as the "Fire-proof" Cottage, was built on the site formerly occupied by the old frame chapel. This was the fourth brick building, including the "Central," in the order of con- struction by the State. It is now being en- larged and remodelled. "Cottage No. 6," al- though the fifth in order of construction, was completed and ready for occupancy in January. 1878. It cost, including gas fittings and water pipe, $12.500.00, and was built on the ground occupied by the old frame hotel which was destroyed by fire in 1873. It is the northerly terminus of the row of brick buildings that face the east.

The buildings now known as Cottages Nos. 4 and 5 were completed and ready for use in the month of June, 1880. They were paid for out of an appropriation of $25,000.00 inade by the Legislature. In order to secure a proper location for them, the three old frame cottages standing between the Administration Building and Cottage No. 2, were removed to the east line of the road running north and south through the farm, where they now stand, the only relics ( except the "Burnett House") of the "beauty and glory" that adorned the grounds of this once famous wa- tering place.

Work on the erection of "Cottage No. 7" was begun early in 1881, but the structure was not completed until the spring of '82. It cost. including pipes for steam heat. $15.500.00. It was located on ground formerly occupied by what was known as "Southern Row." and faced north. This building was destroyed by fire on July 21, 1904. In 1907 it was replaced by an attractive building, known as "Honor Cottage," located just in the rear of the site where No. 7 stood. The building cost about $32,000.00, and the furnishings about $6 .- 000.00 more. It was opened on November 15th and occupied by the sixty-six girls hav- ing the highest rank in the institution.

"Cottage No. 8." which faces south, is lo- cated on an elevated piece of ground about 200 feet northeast of "Cottage No. 6." It was completed in the fall of 1888. at a cost of $13.954.14. and was at that time used as the

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All the buildings described above are two stories in height above the foundations, except one wing on "Cottage No. 8." and the Admin- istration Building, which has a tall mansard roof on the main part of the structure.

A visit to the institution is necessary in order to gain even a fair conception of its magnitude and importance. At present there are 507 girls here, and these together with the officials and employes make a total population of about 550. The pupils of the institution are housed in the eight "Cottages," just described. It should be understood that these "Cottages," so called, are very large and spacious buildings. Those living in each cot- tage are under the direct care of the matron, house-keeper and cottage school teacher.

In the rear of the Administration Building is the chapel, where religious exercises are con- ducted. The Sunday services consist of Sab- bath school at 10 A. M., which is followed by public worship and preaching by Rev. W. F. Whitlock. D. D., who has been chaplain of the institution for many years.

Instruction is given at the "Central School Building," which was erected in 1897, at a cost, including furnishings, of about $25,- 000.00. It contains eleven rooms. Besides the eight grammar grades, there is a two-year high school course. in which such branches, including bookkeeping, shorthand and type- writing are taught, as will be most useful to the pupils when the have left the home. In- struction in vocal and instrumental music is also given under the direction of a competent teacher.

A "Technical and Industrial Building" is being constructed, which will cost, including furnishings and fixtures, about $15,000.00. Domestic science, dress cutting and sewing. fancy needle-work, basketry-in fact. all classes of industrial work, many of which are already taught at the institution, will be taught in this building. The instruction will be under the direction of a graduate of Pratt Institute or some similar school of equal standing. The Home has a library which now amounts to about 2,000 volumes. The ladies' clubs throughout the State have shown much inter-

est in this department of the Home by giving book showers and supplying other valuable literature.

Assembly Hall was built in 1904. for the accommodation of the population of the in- stitution, at a cost of $25,000.00. Besides the spacious auditorium, the building contains a bathing pool, hot and cold shower baths. dress- ing rooms and toilet rooms. It is the intention to equip a gymnasium in the building in the near future.

There are a number of other buildings that should be considered in this connection. In 1878 a brick pump and boiler house was erected for the purpose of supplying the build- ings comprising the institution with water. For this purpose the Legislature had appro- priated $25,000.00. The same year a gas plant was established from an appropriation of $3,000.00. In the winter of 1883. the building and gasometer, with its attachments were destroyed by fire, but were immediately rebuilt from an appropriation of $1.050.00 for this purpose made by the Legislature. This was replaced in 1898 by the present splendid acetylene gas plant.

The next building erected was a boiler house, in which was placed a battery of boil- ers for the purpose of heating the buildings from one central point. This building was completed in 1882, but did not seem to answer all the requirements of the Home. The Board of Trustees, being impressed with the impor- tance of a system of water-works, both for protection from fire and to supply water for domestic purposes, requested in their annual report of 1882 an appropriation of $20,- 000.00 for this purpose, and on April 17. 1883, secured the following: "For change of steam- heating and water-works, $24,000.00." The power or engine and boiler-house was located on the river bank. The boiler and other ma- chinery were transferred to the new location. and the present system of steam-heating and water-works was completed early in 1884. With little expense, the old boiler-house was converted into a general laundry. Recently this has been equipped with the most modern

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laundry machinery for the convenience of the pupils, by whom all laundry work is done.

The building erected in 1888 as a Hospital, at an expense of $3,000.00, is now used as a Detention Hlouse. It is a two-story frame buikling, located on a delightful elevation in the southeast part of the Home lot. A new hospital is to be erected under the provisions of a special act passed by the Legislature on January 16, 1908, authorizing the Board of Trustees to employ an architect and proceed to construct and equip a suitable and adequate hospital, to cost not to exceed $30,000.00.

In 1891, the Grocery and Cold Storage Plant was built at an expense of $1,200. This will soon be equipped with refrigerating ma- chinery to provide cold storage and to manu- facture the ice used at the instituton, thus ren- dering it independent of the uncertain natural ice supply. There is also a central bake-oven, where all the bread, to the amount of 600 to 1,000 loaves per day, is baked by the pupils at the Home.

There is a spacious barn and other farm buildings. Part of the milk consumed at the institution is produced by a small dairy of about sixteen cows, and most of the vegetables consumed by the present population are pro- cluced on the farm.

The following men have served as super- intendent of the institution : Dr. John Nichols of Geauga County was the first to hold the of- fice ; in 1877, he retired and Dr. Ralph Hills of Delaware was appointed to the position, which he filled until his death in October, 1879. He was succeeded by Rev. Nathan Smith, D. D., who served until 1881, when Dr. D. R. Miller was appointed to the office. Colonel James MI. Crawford was the next superintendent, taking charge December 15, 1884. We are indebted 10 this highly esteemed citizen of Delaware for the data regarding the early history of the institution as given in these columns. In March, 1889, Colonel Crawford resigned. His successor was Captain Albert W. Stiles, who held the position for fourteen months, when Colonel Crawford was reinstated in the posi- tion, which he held for two years, until 1902. He then resigned, and Captain Stiles was

again appointed superintendent, remaining in office until April 1, 1904, when the present efficient superintendent, Thomas F. Dye, was appointed.

Few people have any idea of the great good accomplished by this institution. Ilun- dreds of the girls who have been trained here are now the wives of prosperous men in nearly every walk in life. Many are married to suc- cessful farmers in this and neighboring coun- ties. One is the wife of a prosperous business man in Cleveland, and a very active worker in the Methodist Episcopal Church ; another went to New Mexico, where she married an import- ant railroad official. A young woman who has made for herself a reputation as a writer of poetry and prose, was developed from the ranks of these girls; another married a million- aire and shines in society ; still another has been a successful school teacher for the past nine years in Marion County, having earned for herself the means to pay for her advanced instruction. A superintendent of a large de- partment in an extensive business came from the home, and the number of such young la- dies who hold positions of responsibility and trust in the business world is almost legion.

From the time he was superintendent of the Home, Col. J. M. Crawford and his good wife until her death, has kept in touch with a large number of the girls who came under their care. We wish we could reproduce even a few of the hundreds of letters, many of them of recent date, which he has received from them, but we forbear doing so, as we have re- frained from relating the intensely interesting and romantic experiences of some of the young ladies to whom we have alluded, rather than take any chance of embarrassing them in the present high positions which they hold in the social and business world.

Many of the girls who are brought to the Home, are not, according to the provisions of the Act creating the institution, proper sub- jects for commitment here. In many cases, step-fathers or step-mothers, wishing to shirk the expense or responsibility of caring for their step-children, trump up charges on which they are committed to the Home. One such

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case received considerable publicity during Colonel Crawford's term.

A man brought a bright, honest-appearing little girl to the Home, who had been commit- ted on a charge of stealing. While the man was being shown about the institution, the Colonel learned the girl's side of the story, and had his suspicions confirmed. The offences of which she was guilty were of the sugar and pie-stealing class, such as most of us have committed during a certain period in our lives. Colonel Crawford confronted the man with the facts, saying : "You are simply this girl's step-father, and you are trying to get rid of her." The Colonel also told him a few things that every such person ought to hear. It de- veloped that the man and the girl's mother were going to Europe, and the man said that when they came back, he would come and claim the child. He was informed that he was un- worthy of the child, and that if he left her at the Home, its authority to keep her until she was of age would be enforced. The man left in high dudgeon, and Colonel Crawford im- mediately commenced an investigation. He found that two brothers of the girl had been disposed of in a similar manner, and also found that there was some property in the family. The Colonel had a friend who was a reporter on one of the Cleveland papers, to whom he told the story, requesting the reporter to try to discover who owned the property. Nothing more was heard of the matter, until, one day. the paper came out with flaring headlines- "An Heiress in the Girls' Industrial Home." The article, which occupied considerable space, told the story and explained that the girl's mother was a property owner. Someone sent copies of the paper to the girl's grandmother in Ballybeen Park, in the north of Ireland, who at once began a correspondence with the super- intendent of the Home. She was entertaining the child's mother and step-father, and had been given the impression that the children were being cared for at boarding-school. Upon learning the facts. the old lady offered to pro- vide a home for her granddaughter. and was told that the institution would be glad to re- linquish the child to her, if she would furnish

satisfactory evidence of her ability to care properly for her. The evidence, together with her formal application, came in the shape of a letter of highest recommendation from a member of Parliament, and another letter from the American consul at Belfast, speaking in highest terms of the grandmother, and offer- ing the services of his son, who was about to return to America, in seeing the girl properly searted on her ocean voyage. Upon his ar- rival in this country, the young man came to the Home after the girl. In the meantime, the developments in the case had made it seem de- sirable for her mother and step-father to cut short their visit in Ireland and return home ; but the girl had no irresistible impulse to call upon them as she passed through Cleveland on her way to New York. There she was placed aboard a steamship by her escort and placed in charge of a chaperone, and safely started for Ballybeen Park, the home of her well-to-do and generous-hearted ancestor. The last that was heard from the young lady, she was at- tending a college, where it would have been embarrassing for her to continue to receive correspondence on the stationery of the "Girls' Industrial Home."

The institution was established as a "school for the instruction, employment and reforma- tion of exposed, helpless, evil-disposed and vicious girls." Girls between the ages of nine and seventeen years may be committed to the Ilome for ( I) committing any offense known to the laws of Ohio, punishable by fine or im- prisonment, other than imprisonment for life : ( 2) any girl leading an idle, vagrant or vicious life: ( 3) or if found in any street, highway or public place in circumstances of want and suf- fering, or neglect, exposure or abandonment, or of beggary, or truancy. Every girl so com- mitted shall be kept, disciplined, instructed. employed and governed until she be either re- formed and discharged, or shall be bound out as an apprentice or servant, or shall have at- tained the age of twenty-one years. All com- mitments to be made by the probate judge of the county having jurisdiction. The object of the institution is to instruct the ignorant, to aid the unfortunate. to reform the erring. to

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lift up the fallen, and to furnish a home for the exposed and friendless of tender age, where they may be kindly cared for, trained to habits of industry and receive such intellectual and moral culture as to fit them for respectable po- sitions in society.

In seeking to attain these aims, the pres- ent management has reorganized the institu- tion in many particulars. All uniformity in matters of dress, etc., such as will be found in many similar institutions, is carefully avoided. So far as is practicable, an effort is made to develop the individual taste of each girl. The pupils have been classified and graded accord- ing to their age and merits, both from the standpoint of conduct and mental ability. It is felt that the girls are at the Home, not for

punishment, but to receive training and correc- tion. Each is therefore placed upon her honor, and made to feel that some responsibility rests upon her. Under this system of classification, the most worthy girls to the number of sixty- six live in the "Honor Cottage." Thus the pupils admitted to the Home have an oppor- tunity to rise to a point of proficiency, where they are recommended by the superintendent to the Board of Trustees for positions, and under his recommendation, some of the pupils are now holding salaried positions in the in- stitution. It is predicted that the time is not far distant when the institution will be entirely self-sustaining, so far as expense for labor is concerned, through the work done by pupils.

CHAPTER X.

THE PRESS.

Newspapers and Editors of the Past and of the Present.

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Century history of Delaware County, Ohio and representative citizens 20th, Part 26

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