USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > Columbus, Ohio, city directory.. 1843-4 > Part 2
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The State offices were erected the next year, (1815;) Thompson was contractor for laying up the walls, but died before the job was done, his contract, however, was completed under the control of his widow; M. Patton was undertaker of the carpenter
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work, and Leightenaker and Heyl of the plastering and painting. All these public improvements were made under the superintendence of William Ludlow, the agent of the State, appointed for that purpose; although no architect, nor much acquainted with building, he was a faithful servant, a man of some talent, and unquestionable integrity-a democrat of the old school, with strong prejudice against the very name of federal, as may be observed in the alteration of the word "federal" to union, in the quotation from Barlow's poem, on the stone over the west door of the State House. The workman had (following the copy from the book) cut the words, "Federal Band," before observed by Mr. Ludlow-but this would not do, although applied only to the union of the States- the word was objectionable; and, hence, the engraving was filled up as well as could be done, and the word "union" cut over it, so as to read, "Union Band."- Over the east door is an inscription bearing Mr. Lud- low's own name. He now slumbers with the dead. Peace to his ashes, and respect to his memory.
On the 10th of February, 1816, the town was in- corporated as "The Borough of Columbus;" and on the first Monday in May, following, Messrs. Henry Brown, Michael Patton, Jarvis Pike, Robert Arm- strong, John Kerr, Jeremiah Armstrong, John Cut- ler, Caleb Houston, and Robert W. McCoy, were elected the first board of Councilmen; the last named gentleman has been continued by re-elections
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a member of the Council, ever since, and is now President of the board under the city charter.
March 3, 1834, the present city charter was grant- ed by the Legislature, which divides the town into three wards, and grants four members from each ward; and on the second Monday in April following, the following gentlemen were elected the first board under the new charter, to wit:
FIRST WARD. SECOND WARD.
THIRD WARD. !
Joseph Ridgway, Sen.,
Jonathan Neereamer,
Robert W. McCoy,
Francis Stewart,
John Patterson, Christian Hey!,
Otis Crosby,
Noah II. Swayne,
Wm. Miner,
Henry Brown.
William Long.
W. T. Martin.
The succession of Mayors and Marshals, from the first organization as a borough, to the present, (1843,) has been as follows:
MAYORS.
1816 Jarvis Pike.
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1817 same,
1818 John Kerr.
1819
same.
1820 Eli C. King.
1821 same.
same.
1822 same.
1823 John Loughry.
1824 W. T. Martin.
1825
same.
1826 same.
1827 James Robinson.
1828
William Long.
1629
same.
1830
same.
1831 same.
1832
same.
1333 Philo H. Olmsted ..
MARSHALS. Samuel King.
same. James Fisher. Wm. Richardson. Samuel Shannon.
same. same. Benjamin Sells. Samuel Shannon. same. John Kelley. Benjamin Sells. same. Julius G. Godman. John Kelley. Benjamin Sells.
George B. Harvey.
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UNDER THE CITY CHARTER.
MAYORS.
MAKSHALS.
1834 John Brooks.
1835 John Bailhache.
Abraham Stotts. same.
1836 Warren Jenkins.
George B. Harvey,
1837 same.
same.
1838 P. H. Olmsted.
same.
1839 same.
same.
1840 John G. Miller.
same.
1841 Thomas Wood ..
same.
1842 A. I. McDowell.
same.
1843 Smithson E. Wright.
George Riorden.
The Franklin Bank of Columbus was incorporated by an act of the 23d of February, 1816; and on the first Monday of September, in the same year, the first election for Directors was held, when the follow- ing gentlemen were elected, to wit: Lucas Sullivant, James Kilbourne, John Kerr, Alex. Morrison, Abram I. McDowell, Joel Buttles, Robert Massie, Sam- uel Barr, Samuel Parsons, John Cutler, Robert W. McCoy, Joseph Miller and Henry Brown.
The following are the names of the Presidents and Cashiers, with their times of appointment:
ELECTED. PRESIDENTS.
ELECTED. CASHIERS.
1816 Lucas Sullivant.
1816 Abraham J. Williams.
1818 Benj. Gardiner, alias Bar-
zilla Gannett.
1818 William Neil.
1819 John Kerr.
1826 Josiah M. Espy.
1823 Gustavus Swan.
The charter of this institution expired on the first day of January, 1843.
The Columbus Postoffice was established in 1813. Matthew Matthews was the first Postmaster, appoint-
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ed in the fall of 1813; Joel Buttles, second Postmas- ter, appointed in the spring of 1814; Bela Latham, third, appointed in 1829; John G. Miller, fourth, ap- pointed in 1841.
In 1838 it became a distributing Postoffice, and now affords employment for about six or seven hands.
The first Market House was erected in 1814, by voluntary contributions of property-holders, in the vicinity of its location. It was a substantial frame, of probably fifty feet in length, and proportionable width and height. It was situated in the middle of High street, immediately south of Rich street. It continued there until after the town became incorpo- rated. Immediately after the incorporation, the sub- ject of a Market House and its location was agitated. Rich street, Town street, State street, and Broad street, were all proposed as sites. Property-holders on Broad street were strenuous in favor of it, arguing its greater width than any other street, and drawing the inference therefrom, that it must have been de- signed in the plan of the town, as the place for the market house. Joseph Miller, who bought and erected the front of the building now occupied as the "Buckeye House," as early as 1816, it is said, was influenced in his purchase, and made large im- provements in the confident belief that the market house would be established nearly in front of his house. But about the year 1817, the present site was deter-
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mined on; and, pursuant to contract with the town council, John Shields erected a new market house, on the site occupied by the present one, something larger than the old frame, and smaller than the present. It was a two story building-the under story of brick for a market house for the town, and the second story was a well-inclosed and furnished frame, divi- ded into two good rooms, and belonging to Shields. Thus he furnished a market house for the town, for the privilege of having rooms of his own over it, which rooms he rented out for various purposes. One was occupied as a printing office, and the other was for a time used to hold preaching in. After some years he sold out to John Young, and by him the rooms were appropriated to amusement. The first Billiard Table kept in town was in the upper part of this market house. About the year '29 or '30, the council bought out Young's interest, and the building was removed. The present one was erected by Elijah Ellis, pursuant to contract with the council.
As the bridge over the Scioto is included in the city limits, and owes its existence to the liberality and public spiritedness of the citizens of Columbus, it may not be amiss here to observe, that, about the year 1815, a wooden toll-bridge was erected across the Scioto, on the road to Franklinton, by Lucas Sullivant, under a charter from the Legislature; which bridge fell to the share of Joseph Sullivant, in the division of his father's estate. When the National Road was con-
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structing, some ten or twelve years ago, upon the superintendent agreeing to erect a good free bridge, at the expense of the government, provided Sulli- vant's right under the charter was extinguished; but not feeling himself authorized to apply the govern- ment funds for other purposes than making improve- ments, the citizens, principally of the north end of the town, aided by a few subscriptions west of the river, raised by contribution, $8,000; and the county; (through the Commissioners,) gave $2,000, making $10,000, which was paid to Joseph Sullivant for his right; and we now have one of the best bridges to be found in the United States.
As already observed, the original town was laid out in 1812. In the summer of 1814, McGowan's addi- tion, called "South Columbus," was laid out.
In 1830, wharf lots were laid out by the Town Council.
In 1831, a few lots were laid out by John Young, called "Young's addition."
In 1832, a five acre lot of land near the Canal, own- ed by John McElvain and others, was laid off into lots, and called "McElvain's addition."
In February 1833, Crosby's first addition (between Town and South streets) was laid out; and,
In November, 1833, Crosby's second addition (be- tween South street and South Public Lane) was also laid out,
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About the years 1831-2, Robert Brotherton and John M. Walcott, who owned a few acres of an original reserve, sold out some building lots on Town street, which is called "Brotherton & Walcott's addi- tion." they did not have their lots platted, but sold by metes and bounds, as land is conveyed. These lots have, however, subsequently been platted and re- corded.
In 1835, Judge Heyl and Dr. Parsons had a small addition of lots laid out in the southwest corner of the town, called "Heyl and Parsons' addition." This ad- dition is not included in the charter limits, though there is no good reason why it should not be; as it is nearer the centre of the town than some other parts that are included, the form of the city limits would be much better shaped, if it were.
In 1835, Gilbert's addition was laid out, and in 1839, included in the charter limits. 4
In 1838, Alfred Kelley, Moylen Northrup and John Kerr's heirs laid out into lots what they call, on their recorded plat, "the allotment of the central reserva- tion," but which is more commonly called "Kelley and Northrup's addition.".
Of the four original proprietors, John Kerr died in 1823, leaving a young family, and a large estate.
Alexander McLaughlin failed in business about the year 1820, and never again rose from his fallen for- tune. He was once considered amongst the wealthi- est men of the State. In his latter years he ob-
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tained a support by teaching a common country school. He was a sensible man, with a fine business education and qualification; but he had over-reached himself before the depression of business and prices of real estate, which took place from 1817 to '20; and his large landed estate was sold, (figuratively speaking;) for a mere song. He died about the year 1832 or '33.
James Johnston, commonly called Col. Johnston, failed about the same time, and in the same way as McLaughlin. He left Columbus and went to Pitts- bugh to live, about the year 1820, where he remained the balance of his life, and died in the summer of 1842, at a very advanced age.
Lyne Starling, the only survivor of the four, when not out traveling for pleasure, still makes his home at Columbus. He is a bachelor of about sixty years of age, now very wealthy.
We will now take our leave of the proprietors, and the various additions of lots, and go back again, and trace the rise and growth of the town.
For the first few years, the town improved rapidly. Emigrants flowed in apparently from all quarters, and the improvements and general business of the place kept pace with the increase of population. Colum- bus, however, was a rough spot in the woods-off from any public road of much consequence. The east and west travel passed through Zanesville, Lan- caster and Chillicothe; and the mails came in cross- lines, on horseback. The first successful attempt to
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carry a mail to or from Columbus, otherwise than on horseback, was by Philip Zinn, about the year 1816, once a week, between Chillicothe and Columbus.
John Kerr acted as the general agent of the pro- prietors, for the first, second or third years, from 1812 to 1814 or '15, and was then succeeded by Henry Brown, who continued their agent until the close of their business, in the spring of 1817. The usual way of making sales was to receive a third, fourth or fifth of the purchase money in hand, and take notes for the balance, giving the proprietors' bond to make a good deed when the payments should be completed; and it frequently happened, that after one, or perhaps two payments, and a small improvement had been made, the whole would fall back to the proprietors. The lots for sale all being in the hands of the proprietors, or those who had bought at high prices from them, and their giving time on the payments kept up the prices, from two to five hundred dollars on any part of the town plat; and the prices did not fall much below this until after the year 1820, when, owing to the failure of two of the proprietors, (McLaughlin and Johnston,) as also numerous other individuals, who had possessed themselves of lots, there was such an immense num- ber of lots offered for sale by the Marshal and Sheriff, and so little money to buy with, that after being ap- praised and offered, and re-appraised, and offered again and again, they finally had to sell; and lots which had, years before, been held at two and three
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hundred dollars, were struck off at from ten to twenty or thirty dollars, and sometimes lower; even down to seven or eight dollars, for a lot on the extremities of the plat.
To add to the depression of business, and price of property, about the year 1822 or '23, the title of Star- ling's half section, on which the town was located, was called in question. It had originally been grant- ed to one Allen, a refugee, from the British Provinces, in the time of the American Revolution. Allen had deeded it to his son, and the son had mortgaged it, and it was sold at Sheriff's sale, to satisfy the mort- gage, and Starling was the purchaser.
It was now claimed by the heirs of Allen, who took various exceptions to Starling's title: first, as to the sale from the old man, Allen, to the son; also to the authentication of the mortgage by the son; and, particularly, to the sale by the Sheriff to Starling, on the ground that there was no evidence that an ap- praisement had been had, as required by the statutes of Ohio; and suit was brought by ejectment, against some of the settlers who owned the most valuable improvements, first, in the Supreme Court of Ohio, and then in the United States Court for the District of Ohio; Mr. Starling defended the suits, and first engaged Henry Clay, of Kentucky, who then prac- ticed in the United States Courts at Columbus, as Attorney; but who, owing to his business at Wash- ington City, gave up the case, and Henry Baldwin,
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then of Pittsburgh, now one of the Judges of the United States Court, was next engaged, who conduct- ed the defence with great ability; and about the year 1824 or '25, it was finally decided in favor of Starling's title; and the matter was put to rest as to that half section.
The suits against Starling's half section were scarce- ly decided until a elaim came against Kerr and Mc- Laughlin's half section. They had bought from one Strawbridge, who conveyed, by an Attorney or agent, and the deed ran thus: that the agent conveyed for Strawbridge, instead of Strawbridge conveying by agent, and was so signed.
"J ___ M-, the Agent, [SDAL.]
"Attorney in fact for Strawbridge."
Thus the defect in McLa ighlin and Kerr's title was merely technical; but it was contended that this was not Strawbridge's deed, but the deed of the agent, who claimed no title. And about the year 1824 a quit-claim was obtained from Strawbridge's heirs, by some man purporting to be a New Yorker; upon which suit was brought in ejectment, as in the other case, against one or more of the settlers, own- ing the most valuable improvements. But by a suit in Chancery, about the year 1826, this was all set right, and the title of Kerr and Mclaughlin sus- tained.
The years 1819 and '20, to '25 or '26, were the " dullest years of Columbus. But - soon after
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this, Columbus began to look up again. .The location of the National Road, and of the Columbus Feeder to the Ohio Canal, gave an impetus to improvements; and by the year 1830, the price of property and im- provements of the town had very considerably ad- vanced; and from 1830 to '37, improvements, and all kinds of business, was brisk, and the price of real estate run up at railroad speed. Since which time business has been dull, and the price of property on the decline.
In the fall of 1816, the State offices were removed from Chillicothe to Columbus, and on the first Mon- day of December, in the same year, the Legislature commenced its first session in the then new State House, in Columbus. The proprietors having finish- ed the public buildings, and deeded the two ten acre lots to the State, agreeably to their proposals. At this session they presented their account for the erec- tion of the public buildings; and, by an act, passed by the Legislature, 29th January, 1817, the Governor was authorized to settle and adjust the account, and the Auditor required to draw on the Treasurer for the balance found due, after deducting the fifty thou- sand dollars which the proprietors were, by their con- tract, bound to give.
In the settlement, after deducting from the charge for carpenter work some six or seven per cent., and de- ducting the fifty thousand dollars, there was found a balance of about thirty three thousand dollars due the
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proprietors, which was paid by the State; and thus closed the heavy and responsible enterprise of the proprietors.
About the year 1819, the United States, or old Court House was erected. It was done in part by the State appropriating a certain amount of uncur- rent funds on the Miami Exporting Company, then in the Treasury, to that purpose; but the greater amount was raised by donations from the citizens of Colum- bus, and the United States Courts were removed from Chillicothe to Columbus about the year 1820. Harvey D. Evans was then Clerk of said Court, and Dr. John Hamm, of Zanesville, Marshal. After Ev- ans' death, about the year '24 or '25, he was succeed- ed in the Clerkship by Wm. K. Bond, of Chillicothe; and about the year '29 or '30 Bond was succeeded by Wm. Miner. Dr. Hamm, as Marshal, was suc- ceeded by Wm. Doherty, and Doherty by Gen. John Patterson, now Warden of the Penitentiary, and he by a man of his own name, John Patterson, of Adams county; and Patterson, of Adams, by Demas Adams; and Adams by John McElvain.
In 1824, the county seat was removed from Frank- linton to Columbus; and the county courts were held in the United States Court House, until 1840.
The court, then, (in 1824,) was composed of Gus- tavus Swan, President, and Edward Livingston, Sam- uel G. Flenneken and Aurora Buttles, Associates; A. I. McDowell, Clerk, and Robert Brotherton, Sheriff.
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In 1830, G. Swan was succeeded by Frederick Grimke, and in 1834, Grimke was succeded by Joseph R. Swan, as President Judge.
In 1829, Judge Livingston was succeeded by Judge Wm. M.cElvain; and, in 1836 McElvain was succeeded by Judge Heyl. In 1838, Judge Buttles was succeeded by Judge McElvain, who again came on the bench; and Judge Flenniken has remained on the bench since the establishment of the Courts in Columbus, and for some half dozen years before.
A. I. McDowell was succeeded in the clerkship in 1836, by E. Backus, as Clerk pro tem., and in 1838, Backus was succeeded by Lyne Starling, Jr.
In the Sheriff's office, Brotherton was succeeded in 1827, by John McElvain; in 1829, Brotherton again succeed McElvain; in 1833, Andrew McElvain suc- ceeded Brotherton; in 1837, James Graham succeed- ed Andrew McElvain, and 1841, Graham was suc- ceeded by William Domigan. So that the Court and county officers now, (1843,) are Joseph R. Swan, President, Samuel G. Flenniken, Christian Heyl, and William McElvain, Associates, Lyne Starling, Jr., Clerk; William Domigan, Sheriff.
In 1840, the Common Pleas and Supreme Courts, commenced holding their sessions in the new Court House. This is a fine building, the cost of which, appears to have been about fortyone thousand dollars, exclusive of the ground. The two lots upon which the building stands, having been bought by contribu- tions of the citizens of the south end of the town,
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were donated to the county. The County Com- missioners has since purchased the third lot, so as. to have the whole block.
The first Justices of the Peace in Columbus, were John Shields, James Marshall, Michael Patton, Eli C. King, William Long, Townsend, Nichols, Martin, Richardson, Deshler, Wood, &c.
The first newspaper published in Columbus, as al- ready observed, was by P. H. Olmsted, Joel Buttles and Ezra Griswold, Jr., commenced in 1813, or early in 1814, and was called the "Western Intelligencer and Columbus Gazette," and it has been continued ever since, under different proprietors and modifications of title. It was the root or original of what is now the "Ohio State Journal." It soon passed from Buttles and Griswold, solely to Olmsted, who dropped part of the title, and published it for a number of years under the name of the "Columbus Gazette;" and after the commencement of the sessions of the Legislature, at Columbus, he did the State Printing, by contract .-- The office of State Printer was not created until the session of 1824-25, when George Nashee was elected the first State Printer, and came in as partner with Olmsted, when the paper was enlarged and the title changed to the "Ohio State Journal and Colum- bus Gazette." At the session of 1827-28, John Bail- hache was elected State Printer, and Nashee, having deceased, Bailhache came in as partner with Olmsted, as Nashee had been; and they bought out the "West- ern Statesman" and merged it in the "Journal." In
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1831, Olmsted sold out to Bailhache, who continued sole proprietor and editor, until the spring of 1835, when he sold out to Scott & Wright, who united with it the "Columbus Sentinel." In 1837, Wright sold out to Scott; and John M. Gallagher, who had some months before started a new paper by the title of the "Ohio Political Register," came in as partner with Scott, in Wright's place, and merged the "Register" in the "Journal," and the title was changed to "Ohio State Journal and Register;" but before long, the "Register" was dropped from the title, and it assumed its present name, the "Ohio State Journal." In the spring of 1839, Gallagher was succeeded by Samuel Douglass, who continued in the concern less than a year, and sold out to Scott, who has since been sole proprietor.
The second newspaper published in Columbus, was the "Ohio Monitor," commenced by David Smith and Ezra Griswold, Jr., in 1816, or early in 1817; Gris- wold, however, soon sold out his interest to Smith, who remained sole proprietor and editor, until the summer of 1836, when he sold out to Jacob Medary, and the "Monitor" was discontinued, or merged in the "Hemisphere." During three years of this time, from 1831 to '34, Smith was State Printer.
The "Western Statesman" was commenced in 1825, by Zechariah Mills and Martin Lewis. In 1826, it passed into the hands of Lewis & Glover; afterwards to Freedom Sever and Elijah Glover. In the spring
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of 1838, they sold out, and it merged in the Journal office.
In 1823, the "Ohio State Bulletin" was commenced by John A. Bryan and John A. Lazell; at the end of about a year, Bryan sold out his interest to Lazell, though he, (Bryan,) continued to edit it, under the title of the "Columbus Sentinel;" and it was subse- quently sold by Lazell, and passed into the hands of George Kesling and John H. Wood; and in 1835 was transferred to Scott and Wright, who merged it in the · "Ohio State Journal."
About the year 1832, the publication of the "Wes- tern Hemisphere" was commenced by Gilbert & Mel- cher; afterwards, Melcher's interest passed to Russell C. Bryan; and, subsequent to that, Gilbert & Bryan sold out to Medary & Manypenny; it then passed to Sacket Reynolds, for a while, and then back to the Medarys, when S. Medary was first elected State Printer, and the title was then changed to the "Ohio Statesman."
The "Ohio Register and Antimasonic Review" was removed from Milan, Huron county, to Columbus, in the year 1830, and then published about three years, by Jenkins & Glover, and then discontinued in 1833.
Amongst the various other newspapers and periodi- cals which have been published in Columbus, but which have generally been short lived, the following are recollected, whilst probably others are forgotten: "National Enquirer," by Horton Howard, and edit- ed by Harvey D. Little, about the years 1827-28.
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The "Eclectic," by H. Howard, edited by William Hance.
The "Cross and Baptist Journal," a religious paper, commenced some three or four years since, and still continued.
The "Thompsonian Recorder," first published by Jarvis Pike & Co., about the year 1832. It was con- tinued under different proprietors, until it was removed to Cincinnati, by Dr. Curtis, in 1842.
The "Independent Press," by H. M. Espy & Co.
The "Budget of Fun," by the same.
The "Straightout Harrisonian," by Allen, Sage & Beveridge.
The "Tornado," by R. P. Sage.
The "Ohio Freeman," by Capt. John Duffy; and now the "Columbus Herald," by the same.
The "People's Press, by James P. Gardiner, pub- lished for six months only, during the presidential can- vass of 1836; also several German Papers, the titles not known.
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