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

Author: Rockel, William M. (William Mahlon), 1855-1930, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1086

USA > Ohio > Clark County > Springfield > Century history of Springfield, and Clark County, Ohio, and representative citizens 20th > Part 15

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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Dixon. To the on-looker this mob ap- peared to be composed of boys and a class of men that would not go to much risk in a matter of that kind. None or scarcely none of the citizens of the better type were at all engaged in its work. It was composed of mechanics and a set of hood- lums who had a natural antipathy to the colored man, together with a desire to be mixed up in a rumpus should one occur. The officers at the jail attempted to pro- tect the prisoner, however, not escaping criticism by reason of their failure so to do. The sheriff made repeated requests to the crowd to desist, but finally about 11 o'clock, a more determined set of men seemed to take charge of the proceedings. Taking a railroad iron, they burst open the door and secured the prisoner. Half dead, he was dragged up to the corner of Fountain Avenue and Main Street, where he was hung to a telegraph pole and his body riddled with bullets.

The next morning everything seemed quiet and the mob seemed to have expend- ed its force. However, in the evening the crowd gathered again, and this time with the purpose of destroying the disreputa- ble saloons, set fire to a row of buildings on Washington Street facing the railroad, east of Spring Street, and they were burned to the ground, the fire department being powerless to save them. Other places were likewise threatened and the situation became serious. In this condi- tion of affairs the militia was called out, and on March 10th there were about 600 troops in Springfield, the city being placed under martial law. The loss by this fire was about $14,000. The militia was in the city about a week, when things calmed down and business went forward in it usu-

al way. At no time was there any danger to the ordinary citizen, except such as might result from fire caused by some hoodlums. An attempt was afterwards made to convict some of the persons en- gaged in this riot, but it was not success- ful.

THE SECOND RIOT.

After the "levee" was burned by the rioters in 1904, a large number of disrep- utable people who had lounged about that thoroughfare took up their quarters in the neighborhood of what was known as the "Lone Tree Saloon" on East Columbia Street, which locality became the "bad lands" of our town for a while.

On February 26, 1906, two negroes named Ed. Dean and Preston Ladd got into a difficulty at this saloon, which was termed the "Jungles," and cut a fellow by the name of Sulkins. They then went over into the railroad yards and because M. M. Davis, a brakeman, did not reply to a question they asked him just as they thought he should, shot him. Davis did not die immediately, but it was stated at once that his life was in a precarious con- dition. The mob gathered together the next evening, and before it could be con- trolled set fire to the disreputable build- ings surrounding the "Jungles" on East Columbia Street, and again the militia was called out to protect the property in the City of Springfield. While both of these riots were to be deplored, they were not nearly so bad as they were reported to be by some of the outside papers. At no time was the life of a reputable citizen in danger and at no time was there a general disposition on the part of the people to violate the law.

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These manifestations of the mob spirit were probably due to the manner in which a large number of our people regarded the enforcement of the laws. Many of our citizens had expressed sentiments favor- able to the methods of Judge Lynch. Fre- quently it could be heard said, when mob law was spoken of, that if the accused par- ty were guilty, that was the best course to be taken.

After this last riot a number of the riot- ers were arrested, but because some of them were young, or by reason of the sickly sentimentality exhibited by some of our best citizens, they were not punished; nothing was done after either of these ri- ots that resulted in the punishment of the participators. However, since that time there has been a more strenuous enforce- ment of the ordinary police laws in regard to crimes, and at this writing the record of the county promises soon to be broken and at least one person will pay the pen- alty of his crime in the electric chair.

STORMS AND CYCLONES.

So far as we are able to learn at this time, Clark County has been visited by a few cyclones or tornadoes. Frequently there is a high wind in certain localities, which may unroof a few houses or destroy frail buildings. In some parts of the county there is a growth of timber, indi- cating that at one time the older growth might have been destroyed by cyclonic in- strumentality, but of this there is no cer- tainty.

In 1833 a cyclone passed near Enon, completely demolishing the house of Mr. Ezra D. Baker, likewise the house of Dr. Bessey, which stood near the former resi- dence of David Shellabarger, and several

other houses in the community suffered likewise.

In September, 1885, a cyclone visited the northwestern part of the county near Dialton ; houses were unroofed and grow- ing corn was blown down in every direc- tion and forests were destroyed.

The course of the cyclone was not very wide; a short distance east of Dialton it seemed to go up and spend its force in the heavens.

In 1892 a cyclone visited the southern part of Springfield, having its greatest force in what is known as the Tibbetts Addition, from Grand Avenue south. About fifty houses were injured more or less. No one was killed in any of these cyclones, some having a miraculous es- cape.

On July 27, 1906, a hail storm visited Springfield and to the northwest in Ger- man Township, in some places complete- ly destroying the corn and oat crop. Some fields of corn were mown down as if cut with a scythe, this appearance being notably so with respect to that of Will- iam Hyslop in German Township.

FRESHETS.

In September, 1866, and March, 1867, Mad River rose higher than it was ever known to do before. It swept across the National Road west of the city to the depth of three feet or more. A person whose name is not now remembered at- tempting to cross on horseback was swept off of the road and lodged in some trees below, and was rescued with some dif- ficulty. The horse swam on down to the Big Four Railroad and was pulled up with ropes onto the railroad embankment. Another extraordinary freshet of Mad

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River occurred in 1897, when the water became as high, or very nearly so, as in 1867 and 1868, and again an accident hap- pened on the National Road west of the city, when a young man, in attempting to cross the National Road on horseback, by reason of a hole being washed out at the edge of the road, lost his horse's foot- ing and they were both rescued with great difficulty. By this last freshet, the east- ern part of town along Columbia and North Streets became flooded, some houses having as much as three and four feet of water in them.

In the spring of 1886 the citizens of Springfield were somewhat startled when they took up their morning paper and saw the announcement that the bridge across the Big Four Railroad on East High Street had been washed away during the previous night. It was more than could be realized by those who were acquainted with the surroundings, how this bridge, situated on high land, crossing no stream and not being in proximity to any very large stream, could possibly be washed away, but the facts showed that, while the bridge itself was not washed away, the west end embankment was so undermined as to become unfit for use, and a large amount of the railroad track had been washed away. During the night before there had been a cloud burst or something of that nature and Mill Run having been tent, could not carry away the water in its ordinary channel and it was therefore di- verted, following the Y, in the Big Four under this bridge, coming down with very great force. Once since the same thing has occurred, the damage, however, not reaching such a serious extent.

While not in the nature of freshets or cyclones, it might not be improper to here mention the fact that in 1889, while quite a number of persons were being baptized by immersion in Buck Creek, the bridge on North Limestone Street gave away and quite a number of persons who were stand- ing on the bridge were precipitated into the creek and some seriously injured. A number of suits were brought against the city, but no recovery was had in any of them and none of the injuries resulted fa- tally.

THE GREAT EAST STREET SHOPS.

From 1870 until 1880 the manufactur- ers of the Champion reapers and mowers enjoyed very great prosperity. Within this decade, three mammoth establish- ments were making this machine exclus- ively. The Lagonda Manufacturing es- tablishment, which was founded early in the fifties, was now controlled by Mr. Ben- jamin F. Warder and Asa S. Bushnell, and through royalties paid to the Whitley, Fassler and Kelly Company was now making this machine.

Shortly prior to 1870 the new Champion machine company was organized, the mov- ing spirits in which were Amos Whitley, Robert Johnson, W. W. Wilson and Dan- iel P. Jeffreys. This company likewise was engaged in manufacturing the Cham- sewered through the city to a certain ex- ' pion Machines. The old company of

Whitley, Fassler & Kelly, which began the manufacture of this machine back in the fifties, was located where the Arcade building now stands. This firm was com- posed of Wm. N. Whitley, Oliver S. Kel- ly and Jerome Fassler. The machines that they put on the market principally

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were the reaping machines of the self-rak- ing and dropping attachment kind, and mowers of various styles. The outlook for the future for the Champion machines was bright and it seemed that the old plant, located where the Arcade now stands, was entirely too small and that a larger plant should be erected. The partners, however, could not agree on this matter, so William N. Whitley purchased the interest of the oth- er partners, and in the deal the old shops were taken by Mr. Kelly, who soon there- after began tearing them down and erect- ing the Arcade Building. This was in 1881. Mr. Whitley bought a large tract of land between the Big Four Railroad and what is now Eastern Avenue, extend- ing from East Street to the Burnett Road. Immediately east of East Street was a. considerable elevation. This was leveled down and erection of the Great East Street Shops was begun.

The work was carried on with great en- ergy. Cellars were dug and walls put in for the entire front and the north wing in a very brief time, and much of the brick work was laid during the cold weather. This building had a frontage on East Street of 624 feet, and was four stories in height, with a basement. Enormous wings extended off from the main build- ing toward the east, the north wing being the warehouse part, 1,140 feet in length, with a basement under the entire length. Four other wings were built toward the east of various lengths. A mammoth mal- leable plant was erected on Eastern Av- enue covering more than two acres of ground space. A pattern shop four stor- ies in height was erected east of this mal- leable shop. North of these were placed

buildings designed to be rolling-mills; so that, taking it all and all, it constituted the largest shop in the world devoted ex- clusively to the manufacture of reapers and mowers. At one time there were two thousand people employed. It had not been open long, however, until Mr. Whit- ley had some trouble with the labor organ- izations, and that was in 1886. In 1887 occurred the great Harper failure of Cin- cinnati. It seems that Mr. Whitley had indorsed some of Harper's paper and Harper had indorsed some of Whitley's paper in return. When Harper went un- der through his speculations, Whitley was called on to pay these indorsed notes. This, together with the trouble caused by the labor unions, compelled an assignment in 1887. General Keifer was made as- signee and proceeded to close out the bus- iness. Before he had been thus engaged very long he aroused the antagonism of Mr. Whitley, and finally gave up the du- ties of assignee. Afterwards George H. Frey was appointed, and the great East Street shops, costing $1,200,000, were put up at auction and bid in by vice-president Fairbanks for the sum of $200,000.

Hard times had arrived and the works stood idle for some time. There having been some discord in the Krell-French Pi- ano Company, manufacturers of pianos of Cincinnati, one of the partners came to Springfield and through the efforts of our local capitalists was finally induced to locate here and purchased the north wing of this East Street establishment for the purpose of manufacturing pianos. The en- tire building was renovated and fitted for its new use. A ceremonious opening was held and citizens were invited to an ex- hibit of the company's product, the Krell-

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French Piano. A few days afterwards, on February 9, 1902, from some unknown source, the building caught fire and the entire north wing, which the Krell-French Piano Company had purchased, together with the whole front and some other por- tions immediately attached thereto, burned to the ground and has never yet been rebuilt.

In other parts of this mammoth estab- lishment there have been located the In- dianapolis Frog & Switch Company, the Fairbanks Tool Company, and the Kelly- Springfield Road Roller Company.

It can hardly be said that the building of this great shop was of any material benefit to the city of Springfield. For a long time it was idle and it seemed rather to be a hindrance than a help to real prog- ress. However, its burning was a matter of sincere regret to every citizen of Springfield, and all were obliged to sym- pathize with Mr. William N. Whitley, who viewed the burning structure with tears streaming down his face.

THE CRUSADES.

For many years the saloon traffic has been a source of comment, contention, argument and persuasion among the peo- ple of Ohio. The evil of the traffic was presented in such strong terms by its ad- versaries that the Constitutional Conven- tion in 1851 provided that no law should ever be passed licensing the traffic in this state.

In 1870 a call for a new constitutional convention had been made and soon there- after members were elected to that body. It was well known that the question of li-

cense or no license would again be sub- mitted to the people.

Springfield, while not worse than other cities of its size, had its fair portion of saloons and the influence of the men who had become connected, as workers, with our vast and increasing manufacturing plants, tended, if anything, to augment the ranks of the liberal element in the community. The churches were alive to the existing conditions. The temperance element throughout the state had invited Dr. Dio Lewis, of Boston, a very distin- guished and eloquent advocate of temper- ance, to make addresses in various places in Ohio, and in the winter of 1873-1874 there arose in the southern part of this state the novel campaign against the whis- key traffic, which was termed the "Wo- man's Crusade." It began in Hillsboro, the last of December, and in a few months had extended to other states. In the large cities it was not very successful, but in small villages results were sometimes summary, in some cases the crusaders closing almost every saloon.

The incidents attendant on this work in Hillsboro gave it wide notoriety. The method pursued by the crusaders was to go to a saloon and offer prayer that the saloonists might repent.

J. C. Van Pelt was the keeper of the saloon "Dead Fall" at the Union Depot at New Vienna, and was said to be the wickedest man in Ohio. He was a tall, solidly-built man, with a red nose and the head of a prize fighter, and was noted for his bull-dog pluck.

When the ladies assembled at the "Dead Fall," he threatened all manner of things against them if they came again, and the next day decorated one of his sa-

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loon windows with whiskey bottles; in an- Pelt, appeared before a Springfield audi- other appeared an ax covered with blood. ence. Prior to this time, in 1873, a peti- tion signed by over 600 women had been presented to our City Council to prohibit the sale of beer and whiskey, and on Jan- uary 6, 1874, a woman's temperance asso- ciation had been formed, a petition for which had been circulated by Mrs. E. I. Stewart, who was afterwards known at home and abroad as "Mother Stewart." Across the door empty flasks were sus- pended, and near them a large jug bear- ing the name of "Brady's Bitters," while a representation of Van Pelt was seen in the act of throwing a club. All this had no effect, however, upon the ladies. About fifty of them began praying, when he seized a bucket of muddy water and threw its contents against the ceiling, from These meetings produced a very intense interest and continued unmolested with- out intermission for about twenty weeks. which it came down on the praying women, the crusaders standing to their post. This conduct on the part of the sa- When Dr. Dio Lewis and Van Pelt were in the city, the first praying band went out and visited the "Lagonda House Sa- loon." All these matters created intense excitement. The crusaders visited other saloons. Their method was to go inside the saloon and pray, if permitted, if not upon the sidewalk outside. Some few sa- loons closed, and the impression made up- on the people was considerable. loon keeper won for the crusaders the sympathy of the people, and Van Pelt was arrested and staid in jail several days. However, his saloon continued running. Upon Van Pelt's release he was more bit- ter and determined. He attended their meetings, publicly argued and disputed with them at length on question after question. Finally, however, he began to weaken and offered to sell his place of Afterwards, in 1877, when the fame of Murphy had reached Springfield, a new impetus was given to the temperance movement, and a number of people at- tended what was then called "The Mur- phy Meetings." A badge of membership was a blue ribbon tied upon the lapel of the coat. These blue ribbons were prom- inent decorations of a number of prom- inent citizens for a considerable length of time and very great good was done by this movement. In 1880 Edward S. Wallace, who became a follower of Murphy, ran in- dependently for mayor and was elected. business, but the feeling was such at the time that no buyers presented themselves. The ladies continued to visit the saloon and he continued to harass them with blasphemous language, calling the women brutes and names of like character, but the women still persisted, and finally, to the surprise of everyone, at one of their prayer-meetings in the saloon, Van Pelt appeared and made a complete surrender of his stock and fixtures, yielding, as he said, on love and the work of these women, and the whiskey and beer were rolled out upon the sidewalk and emptied in the gut- ter and Van Pelt took up the cause of temperance.

On February 11th Dr. Dio Lewis and this reformed saloon-keeper, J. C. Van

Springfield had a number of intensely active, energetic temperance women, but one of whom attained renown above all others-Mother Stewart, by her winning ways and persuasive personality, became

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known all over the world as a most noted temperance advocate. She made ad- dresses in almost every county in Ohio and in a large number of other places throughout the United States, and upon invitation of the temperance people in Great Britain she made a visit to that country and was received with honors never before or since accorded to any American woman. She is still living at this writing, in retirement, at the ripe old age of ninety-one.

Other temperance advocates of Spring- field have been noted in Ohio history and on three or more different occasions fur- nished candidates for governor on the Prohibition ticket.

Dr. M. J. Firey was a strenuous and life-long fighter of the evil of intemper- ance. He took it upon himself as a duty which he could not evade, and whenever

he had the opportunity he did everything in his power against the liquor traffic.

Dr. A. B. Leonard for a time was pas- tor of the Center Street Methodist Church and has since become a Bishop, while a minister here was no less strenuous in his opposition to the saloon than Dr. Firey. He was a very eloquent speaker from the rostrum.

A. R. Ludlow, an old time citizen of this place, who has since departed from this life, joined in the temperance move- ment and was equally strenuous in his op- position to all matters connected with the saloon traffic.

It is stated in Beers' history, that from the formation of the Murphy meetings in 1877 to December, 1880, 15,621 persons had signed the pledge. At one time the Prohibition ticket of Clark County re- ceived 800 votes.

CHAPTER IX.

COUNTY BUILDINGS, ETC.

Court House-East County Building-West County Building-County Jail-Sol- diers' Monument-County Infirmary-Children's Home-Agricultural So- ciety.

COURT HOUSE.

While Springfield was for a short time the county seat of Champaign County, it did not in that capacity receive sufficient attention to be provided with a court house. Prior to the organization of Clark County in 1806, there was one term of court held in Springfield. A single case was tried-that of Robert Roenick, for killing an Indian. The act was justified by some and condemned by others, but the jury granted a verdict of "not guilty."

For more than four years after the or- ganization of the county in 1818, regular. sessions of the court were held at a tav- ern of John Hunt on Main Street. In March, 1819, the commissioners gave pub- to include the walls and roof.

lic notice that on the 22d propositions would be received for a site on which to erect a county building.

On April 12th, Maddox Fisher and about forty others pledged themselves to pay the sum of $2,115 toward the erec- tion of a court house, provided the same

was erected on the Common, or Square, which Demint had reserved for the public use of lot owners of his plat.

This square includes what is now occu- pied by the Court House, the Soldiers' Monument, the Historical Society Build- ing and the County Officers' Building.

Upon receipt of the pledges of Fisher and others, the commissioners decided to accept the site selected by them, and or- dered Col. John Daugherty, the surveyor, to find the true lines of the square, and not long after the commissioners adopted a plan furnished by Mr. Fisher and John Ammon for the erection of a building for the sum of $3,972, the work to be done by January 1st, 1820. This contract was only

In 1821 a further contract was made for the floors, windows, etc., and through various stages the building was continued until its. completion in 1828, and in ac- cordance with the custom of early days, a bell was hung in the cupola and this gave its first warning to the people of Clark

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County that the court was in session, on amount had been voted to have erected a October 25, 1828. court house large enough to include all the county offices.

This building was used for court pur- poses until 1878, a half century, when it was sold to former Probate Judge J. H. Littler, for $50.00. Long prior to that time it was recognized that the court house finished in 1828 was entirely inad- equate for the need of the people of Clark County.

The building was not more than thirty- five or forty feet square, with hip roof and a cupola thrust up through the center of the roof. A very good picture of the old court house adorns the court room of our present court building.

In 1877 a proposition as to the building of a new court house and its location was submitted to a vote of the people. One of the principal bones of contention con- nected with the erection of a new court house had been, up to this time, with re- spect to where it should be located. As far back as in 1852, the commissioners had acquired the lot upon which the Post Office Building is now located, and had constructed a jail thereon, with the inten- tion ultimately of also erecting a court house there, but the friends of "Sleepy Hollow" would not without strenuous op- position agree that the old court house site should be abandoned; so at the time that the vote for a new court house build- ing was submitted, a question of the site was also submitted to the voters and the champions of "Sleepy Hollow" pre- vailed; but the opposition, probably, made themselves felt in the amount that was voted for a court house.

It would have been a wise policy, and also good business sense, if a sufficient

With the money at the command of the commissioners the present court house was begun in 1878 and finished in 1881. Architecturally it is a handsome building, but its arrangement inside could hardly be worse for the purposes for which it was built, and sooner or later it will require a remodeling to bring it up to the needs of our city and county, and to accord with the modern ideas of buildings and the ar- rangements properly belonging to a court house. For the money expended, no coun- ty ever received a handsomer or a better building. Its stone finish outside and its walnut finish inside are all that could be desired. The court house and the jail, with furniture and $10,000 paid for ground, are said to have cost not more than $115,000.

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

Author: Rockel, William M. (William Mahlon), 1855-1930, ed Publication date: 1908 Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing co. Number of Pages: 1086

Author: Rockel, William M. (William Mahlon), 1855-1930, ed
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Biographical publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1086