USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > Columbus, Ohio: its history, resources, and progress : with numerous illustrations > Part 2
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SELECTION OF THE STATE CAPITAL.
It was not of its own seeking that Columbus became the capi- tal of Ohio. That was its destiny from the beginning. At the time the law was enacted that made it the state capital, its site was covered by an almost unbroken forest, and not a human being was resident within its original limits.
Ohio wanted a capital at or very near the center of the State. Chillicothe was originally the seat of government. In order to make this seat more central and permanent, the legislature, in February, 1810, appointed five commissioners-James Findlay, W. Silliman, Joseph Darlington, Reisin Beall, and William McFarland-to examine and select the most eligible site. The commissioners were to meet at Franklinton, on the first of Sep- tember following.
Franklin county was organized in 1803, with Franklinton for its county seat. This town was situated in a bend of the Scioto river, south of the point of its confluence with the Olentangy or Whetstone, and about one mile west of the site of the present state-house. The town was laid out in 1797, by Lucas Sullivant, a young man from Kentucky, engaged in surveying lands and locating land warrants in the Virginia military district, west of
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STUDER'S COLUMBUS, OHIO.
the Scioto. Its settlement began soon afterward, and it grew apace. From having been made the county-seat, and from other causes, it soon became, for that time and country, a place of con- siderable importance, and was talked of as the future capital of the State. But the plan upon which it was laid out, and espe- cially its low situation, were, by many, deemed objectionable.
The five commissioners met at Franklinton as directed. They examined that and several other places proposed as sites for the state capital. In their report to the legislature, dated September 12, 1810, the commissioners recommended a site twelve miles above Franklinton, on the west bank of the Scioto river, where the town of Dublin, in Franklin county, was afterward located. Here the subject rested until the next session of the legislature. At that session, in February, 1812, a company composed of Lyne Starling, John Kerr, Alexander McLaughlin, and James John- ston, proposed that, if the legislature would establish the seat of the state government on the high bank, east of the Scioto river, nearly opposite Franklinton, in township five, range twenty-two, of the refugee lands, and would, on or before the first Monday of December, 1817, begin to hold its sessions in a town to be laid off thereon by the company, and continue to hold the same there until the year 1840, the company would :
First. Lay out a town on the lands mentioned, on or before the first day of July, 1812, agrecably to a plan presented to the legislature.
Second. Convey to the State by general warranty deed, in fec simple, such square in the town, containing about ten acres, for public buildings, and such lot of ten acres for the penitentiary and dependencies, as a director or such person or persons as the legislature should appoint, might select.
Third. Erect and complete a state-house, offices, and peniten- tiary, and such other buildings as should be directed by the legislature to be built, of stone and brick, or of cither-the work to be done in a workmanlike manner, and of such size and dimensions as the legislature should require ; the penitentiary and dependencies to be completed on or before the first of Jan- uary, 1815, and the state-house and offices on or before the first Monday of December, 1817.
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HISTORY, 1812 TO 1822.
When the buildings should be completed, the legislature and the company were, reciprocally, to appoint workmen to examine and value the whole buildings, which valuation should be bind- ing : if it should not amount to fifty thousand dollars, the com- pany were to make up the deficiency in such further buildings as should be directed by law ; but if the valuation should exceed fifty thousand dollars, the legislature were, in such way as it might deem just and equitable, to remunerate the company for such excess.
Annexed to these proposals was the penal bond of the com- pany, dated February 10, 1812, conditioned for the faithful per- formance of the agreements and obligations therein set forth.
An act was passed, February 14, 1812, accepting the proposals and bond of the company, and permanently establishing the seat of government of this State on the lands named therein, the legislature to "commence their sessions thereat on the first Monday of December, 1817, and there continue until the first day of May, 1840, and from thence until otherwise provided by law." The act provided for the appointment by the legislature of a director to superintend the surveying and laying off of the proposed town-to direct the width of its streets and alleys and select the square for the public buildings, and the lot for the penitentiary and dependencies. It was also provided that Mclaughlin, Kerr, Starling, and Johnston should, before the first day of July, at their own expense, cause the proposed town to be laid out, and a plat of the same recorded, distinguishing thereon the square and the lot to be conveyed to the State.
COLUMBUS LOCATED.
Under this act, Joel Wright, of Warren county, was appointed director or agent of the State; and Joseph Vance, of Franklin county, was selected to assist him. Under their joint superin- tendence was platted a town destined to be the capital of Ohio, and the thriving metropolis of the central portion of the State.
The refugee lands, upon which our state capital was located, comprised a narrow tract four miles and a half wide, from north to south, and extending forty-eight miles eastwardly from the
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STUDER'S COLUMBUS, OHIO.
Scioto river. It took its name from the fact that it was appro- priated by Congress for the benefit of persons from Canada and Nova Scotia, who, in our revolutionary war, espoused the cause of the revolted colonies. The lands in this tract were originally surveyed in 1799, under the authority of the general govern- ment, and divided, as other public lands, into sections of six hundred and forty acres each. But in 1801, they were divided into half-sections, and numbered as such. Patents were issued for half-sections, designating them by these numbers.
On the recorded plat of the town, the streets and alleys crossed each other at right angles, bearing twelve degrees west of north, and twelve degrees north of east. High street, run- ning north and south, was one hundred feet wide ; and Broad, an east and west street, was one hundred and twenty feet in width. The other streets were eighty-two and a half feet wide, and the alleys generally thirty-three feet. The in-lots were sixty-two and a half feet front, and eighty-seven and a half feet deep. The out-lots, east of the town plat, each contained about three acres.
On the 18th of June, 1812, the same day on which the United States declared war against Great Britain, the first public sale of lots took place. It had been extensively advertised. The terms of sale were extremely liberal. Only one-fifth of the purchase-money was to be paid in hand; the residue in four equal annual installments, without interest, unless default was made in prompt payment. The lots sold were principally on High and Broad streets, and brought prices varying from two hundred to one thousand dollars each. Immediately after the sale, improvements began to be made rapidly. The first build- ings erected were small frame-houses and shops, inclosed with split clapboards, instead of sawn weather-boards which were not easily obtainable.
THE INFANT CAPITAL.
Thus we see Columbus, in the summer of 1812, started on the career of development and future greatness. At the time of the public sale of lots, its prospects were by no means enticing. The streets and alleys marked on the plat had to be traced
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HISTORY, 1812 TO 1822.
through a dense forest. Its site and immediate surroundings presented but few evidences of the former presence of civilized man. There was a small spot of cleared ground on Front, a little north of State street; and a small field and cabin on the river bank, at the western terminus of Rich street. John Brickell lived in a cabin and cultivated a small garden in the old Indian encampment in front of the site of the present penitentiary, being part of the ten-acre lot conveyed to him by Lyne Starling, long before the town of Columbus was located. The site of the first water-mill in Franklin county, erected by Robert Balentine, was on a small stream, near the spot where Hayden's rolling mill now stands ; and near the location of Hayden's (formerly Ridgway's) foundry, was the site of a small distillery, built by one White, in which was distilled the first whisky ever made in this county. The mill and distillery were put in operation about the beginning of the present century, but soon became of the things that were, but are not. South of the noted Indian mound, from which Mound street took its name, was a small cleared field, on a tract of land which, in 1814, was made by John McGowan an addition to the original town plat, and designated as " South Columbus."
The proprietors, some time after they had laid off the new town and the eastern out-lots, caused to be recorded a separate plat of forty or fifty out-lots, north of the town, each contain- ing a little over two acres. From a part of two of these lots, they conveyed to the town an acre and a half for a graveyard.
For the first three or four years after the decree had gone forth that Columbus was to be the future capital of Ohio, immi- grants sought homes within its borders. Improvements and general business went forward with the increase of population. Frequent sales of lots were made by the proprietors-usually by title bond. A third, fourth, or fifth of the price was paid in hand, and promissory notes given for the payment of the resi- due in annual installments-without interest, if punctually paid when due ; otherwise, bearing interest from date. The proprie- tors then executed a bond conditioned for the execution of a deed to the purchaser of the lot upon the punctual payment of the rates. It often happened that after a payment or two, and
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some improvement had been made, a default in subsequent pay- ments would cause the lot to revert to the proprietors. The prices of lots, for seven or eight years after the public sale in June, 1812, ranged from two to five hundred dollars each.
The capital of Ohio had its birth and passed its carly infancy on a rough, wild, and secluded portion of the now beautiful and productive valley of the Scioto. It had scarcely any road or mail facilities. The travel, east and west, left Columbus to the north, passing through Zanesville, Lancaster, and Chillicothe. The mails came in on cross lines, and were carried on horse- back. The first successful attempt to carry them in any other manner, was made in 1816, by Philip Zinn, under a contract to carry a mail once a week between Chillicothe and Columbus. About 1819, Mr. Zinn carried the mail in coaches to and from Delaware. The Columbus post-office was established in 1813, with Matthew Matthews for the first postmaster, who, in the spring of the next year, was succeeded by Joel Buttles.
Notwithstanding its small population and its comparative isolation from the outside world, Columbus could not do without that great modern necessity-the newspaper. There was one published weekly at Worthington, the first ever started in the county, and called the Western Intelligencer. It was removed to Columbus in 1814, and the title changed by adding to it the words "and Columbus Gazette." The first part of the title was afterward dropped ; and it was issued for many years under the name of the Columbus Gazette.
MANY FIRST THINGS.
Having mentioned the first newspaper, we proceed to notice many other first things in and about Columbus. All enterprises of " great pith and moment " have their small beginnings, and Ohio's capital had hers. And first, we find it recorded that the first marriage in Columbus took place in February, 1814, and was that of George B. Harvey to Miss Jane Armstrong. The second wedding, that of Joseph Dillo to Miss Polly Collett, soon followed.
The first saw-mill was built on the Scioto, by John Shields
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HISTORY, 1812 TO 1822.
and Richard Courtney, in 1813, a short distance below the site of the present penitentiary. Three years afterward, Mr. Shields built a flouring mill on a run in the southwest portion of the town.
In 1815, or 1816, the first jeweler's shop in Columbus was opened by William Platt.
The first stores opened in Columbus were these : One belong- ing to the Worthington Manufacturing Company, in charge of Joel Buttles, in a small brick building, on the west end of the lot afterward covered by the Broadway Exchange building ; and one owned by McLean & Green, kept in a cabin on the south side of Rich street, just cast of the corner subsequently occupied by the Mechanics' Hall building.
The first tavern was opened, in the spring of 1813, by Volney Payne, in a two-story brick house crected by John Collett for that purpose, on the west side of High street, where the " John- ston Building" now stands. Several other taverns and houses of entertainment were soon afterward opened.
The first school opened in Columbus was in a cabin on the Public Square. To this, in 1814-15, succeeded numerous private or subscription schools-the free-school system not having been then introduced.
The first census of the infant capital was taken by James Marshall, in the spring of 1815. It showed a population of seven hundred. In 1820, it had more than doubled, having increased to fourteen hundred and fifty.
About 1815, lawyers began to locate in the new town. The first of these were David Smith, Orris Parish, David Scott, and Gustavus Swan. These were soon followed by many others.
The first market-house was erected in 1814, in the middle of High street, near its intersection by Rich street. It was built by the contributions of citizens in the vicinity of its location. Three years afterward the town council declared it a nuisance ; and a new market-house was built on State street, immediately west of High.
The first bridge over the Scioto river was built by Lucas Sullivant about 1813, under a charter from the legislature. It crossed the river at the west end of Broad street, on the road to
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STUDER'S COLUMBUS, OHIO.
Franklinton, where now stands the present National Road bridge.
William Lusk, in 1817, published his first almanac in Colum- bus. It continued to be published annually for about thirty- five years.
The first physician who located in Columbus was Dr. John M. Edmiston. In 1815 or '16, Dr. Samuel Parsons removed from Franklinton to Columbus, where he fixed his permanent resi- dence.
In 1814, the first two churches built in Columbus were erected. One was a small hewed log-house, used by the Metho- dists as a place of worship. It stood on the same lot upon which was afterward erected the Town Street Methodist Church. The other was a log-cabin built by the Presbyterians, near the corner of Spring and Third streets, and used as an occasional place of worship, until it was superseded, in 1818, by a frame building erected on the west side of Front street, south of Town.
For several years after Columbus had begun to grow, its streets were so obstructed by stumps, brush, and logs, that teams were obliged to move in zigzag directions, in order to get around these obstacles. These impediments were, however, gradually removed by the citizens, who used them for fire-wood and building materials. In 1815 or 1816, about two hundred dollars was raised by subscription and used for removing the remaining obstructions from High street. Soon after the incorporation of the town, the streets were gradually improved by order of the council.
The town was incorporated on the 10th day of February, 1816, as "The Borough of Columbus." On the first Monday of May following, Robert W. McCoy, John Cutter, Robert Armstrong, Henry Brown, Caleb Houston, Michael Patten, Jeremiah Arm- strong, Jarvis Pike, and John Kerr were elected members of the first board of councilmen.
The Franklin Bank of Columbus was incorporated February 23, 1816, and on the first Monday of September following, it was organized by the election of directors, with Lucas Sullivant for president, and A. J. Williams, cashier.
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HISTORY, 1812 TO 1822.
THE FIRST STATE BUILDINGS.
In pursuance of their contract with the State, the proprietors of Columbus set to work with characteristic energy, and in 1813 excavated the ground on the southwest corner of the Public Square for the foundation of a state-house. The building was erected the following year. It was a plain brick structure, sev- enty-five by fifty feet, and two stories high. A two-story brick building, one hundred and fifty feet in length, by twenty-five in width, and fronting on High street, was erected in 1815 for state offices, fifty or sixty feet north of the state-house. Both buildings were constructed under the superintendence of William Ludlow, the agent for the State.
The Public Square, on which these buildings stood, was, in 1815 or 1816, cleared of the native timber and underbrush by Jarvis Pike, generally known as Judge Pike, who inclosed the lot with a rough rail fence, and farmed the ground three or four years, raising upon it wheat, corn, etc. The fence having got out of order, and not being repaired, was at length destroyed, and the square lay in common for a dozen years or more.
Under the direction of William Ludlow, the state agent, the first penitentiary building was erected in 1813, on the ten-acre lot designated for that purpose. It was a brick structure, front- ing on Scioto street, three stories high, on a ground plat of sixty by thirty feet. The prison-yard was one hundred feet square. Another and larger prison was constructed in 1818 on the same lot.
The public buildings having been completed nearly two years before the expiration of the time limited by the contract, the legislature, on the 17th of February, 1816, passed an act estab- lishing the seat of the state government at Columbus, from and after the second Tuesday of October following. The state offices were accordingly removed from Chillicothe to Columbus, and the session of the general assembly, beginning on the first Mon- day of December, 1816, was held in the state-house at the latter place. Columbus thus became, fifty-six years ago, the perma- nent seat of the state goverment of Ohio.
The proprietors of the town having, according to contract,
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STUDER'S COLUMBUS, OHIO.
conveyed by deed the two ten-acre lots to the State, and finished the public buildings, presented their account for the 'erection of the buildings. By an act passed January 29, 1817, the governor was authorized to adjust and settle the account. In the settle- ment that followed, after deducting from the charge for carpen- ter work six or seven per cent., and the fifty thousand dollars the proprietors had agreed to donate, there was found to be due them a balance of thirty-three thousand dollars. This was paid over to them by the State-and thus was amicably closed their large and responsible contract to locate a town for the state capital; donate twenty acres in two separate lots of equal size ; and erect the necessary public buildings thereon, donating fifty thousand dollars to aid in their construction.
THE PROPRIETORS' ASSOCIATION.
Immediately after the acceptance of their proposals by the legis- lature, the proprietors-Lyne Starling, John Kerr, Alexander McLaughlin, and James Johnston-entered into articles of asso- ciation as partners, under the act accepting their proposals and establishing the seat of the state government. In these articles it was stipulated that a common stock should be created for the material benefit of the partners. To this stock Starling was to contribute half-section twenty-five, with the exception of ten acres previously sold to John Brickell; Johnston's contribution was to be half-section nine and the half of half-section ten ; and Mclaughlin and Kerr, who had previously been partners and were considered as a third party to this agreement, were to con- tribute half-section twenty-six. The proceeds of the sales of lots were to remain as common stock, until their contract with the State should be completed.
An agent was to be appointed to make rules and superintend the business of the association. Each of the three parties was to pay to the agent $2,400 annually, on the first Monday of January, for five successive years, and such further sum as might be needed to complete the public buildings. The title to the land contributed to the common stock was to be warranted by the party contributing the same. Each party was to derive a mu- tual benefit from all donations obtained by subscription or other-
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HISTORY, 1812 TO 1822.
wise. Upon the completion of their contract with the State, a final settlement was to take place, and the profits or losses equally divided.
John Kerr was appointed, in April, 1813, the first agent of the associates, and continued until June, 1815, when he declined longer service, and Henry Brown was appointed in his place. The latter continued to serve as agent till the business of the association was closed in April, 1817. A distribution of the un- sold lands, and of the evidences of indebtedness for lots sold, as well as of other property belonging to the association, was then made, and each party released the others from all obligations under the articles of association; and the several parties ex- ecuted to each other quitclaim deeds-so that the lands origi- nally contributed to the common stock, and remaining unsold, be- came the separate property of the different members of the association.
The amount of donations, which the proprictors obtained to enable them to fulfill their contract with the State, has been va- riously stated at fifteen to twenty thousand dollars. Rev. James Hoge conveyed to them eighty acres on the south end of half- section eleven to enable them to make the plat of the town of the size and form desired. Of the lots laid out on this grant, the proprietors retained one-half, and reconveyed the remainder to Dr. Hoge. Thomas Allen, for a like purpose, conveyed to the proprietors twenty acres in the southwest portion of half-section ten. As in the case of Dr. Hoge, the proprietors reconveyed to Mr. Allen his part of the lots, and retained the residue as a do- nation. The town plat, including out-lots and reserves, covered the whole of half-sections twenty-five and twenty-six, and parts of half-sections ten and eleven. The reserves were afterward laid off into in-lots and made additions to the original plat, as were also many of the out-lots as successive years rolled by, and the new capital expanded its limits.
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STUDER'S COLUMBUS, OHIO.
RICHESES
OODALE PARK.
Location-North High Street, West of Capital University.
LINCOLN GOODALE presented to the City of Columbus forty acres of land for a Public Park, by deed dated Nov. 15, 1851, the same to be for the free and common use of the inhabitants of the city.
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HISTORY, 1822 TO 1832.
CHAPTER II.
SECOND DECADE, 1822 TO 1832.
DURING the first eight or nine years of its existence, the infant capital of Ohio improved rapidly. Then came
A PERIOD OF DEPRESSION.
About 1820, owing to the failure of two of the original pro- prietors, Mclaughlin and Johnston, and of many other owners of real estate in the town, numerous lots were offered at public sale by the United States marshal and the sheriff of Franklin county. Money was scarce; and the lots would not sell at the required two-thirds of their appraised value. In consequence of this, they were re-appraised and offered again. This process was repeated until lots which had, a few years before, been con- sidered worth two and three hundred dollars, were struck off at ten and twenty, and, in the less central parts of the town, at even seven and cight dollars. This depreciation of real estate served to depress business in general, and the evil was further aggravated by the springing up of
QUESTIONS OF TITLE.
It was in 1822 or 1823 that the title to Lyne Starling's half- section, on which Columbus was in part located, began to be disputed. The general government had originally granted that half-section to one Allen, a refugee from the British North American provinces in the time of the revolution. The grantee conveyed it to his son, by whom it was mortgaged. It was sold under the mortgage to Lyne Starling.
The heirs of Allen the elder disputed Starling's title. They took exception to the sale of the elder Allen to his son, and to the authentication of the son's mortgage. They especially ex- cepted to Starling's title under the mortgage sale, on the ground that there was no evidence that an appraisement of the land had been made as required by the statutes of Ohio. Ejectment suits were brought, both in the Supreme Court of Ohio and in
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