USA > Ohio > Coshocton County > Historical collections of Coshocton County, Ohio : > Part 7
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Joseph Burns, of Coshocton, was the next judge, taking the office in 1870. He died in May, 1875, and Governor Allen appointed F. W. Thornhill, of Coshocton, to serve until the fall election, and at that he was elected to fill out Burns' unexpired term. Alex. Hanlon, of Mill Creek township, at the same time was elected for the full term, and is the present incumbent.
THE BAR.
Wright Warner was the first lawyer resident in Coshoc- ton, coming to the place in the spring of 1811. At the September term of the court in that year, he was appointed prosecuting attorney for the county. In a little time he incurred the displeasure of Colonel Williams, and there was a rencounter, followed by several lawsuits for assault and battery, slander, etc., and in 1814 he left the place, re- moving to New Philadelphia, where, for a number of years, he was in practice, serving also as prosecuting attorney of Tuscarawas county. Nearly cotemporaneous with him was Aaron M. Church-a New Englander and protege of Dr. S. Lee. He died very suddenly with the " cold plague " in 1815. Neither the amount of business done by these gen- tlemen (Warner received sixty-five dollars for his year's service as prosecuting attorney, and Church left property valued at forty-five dollars), nor their experience was very encouraging to other lawyers to settle in the place. In- deed, for several years the little legal business done seems to have been attended unto by "foreign lawyers," chiefly from Zanesville, such as Lewis Cass, Alexander Harper, Wyllis Silliman, E. B. Munroe, S. W. Culbertson, and Ebenezer Granger .* The next resident lawyer seems to
* One lawyer set up in 1819, but the poor fellow was driven, by dull times, to picking up a little in a merchant's store, and soon "lit out." He may have done better in later years, and so his name is withheld.
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have been Wm. G. Carhart, in practice about 1821. His practice does not seem to have absorbed his time, and other matters increasingly received his attention. He was of the Carhart family, still well represented in the county. He was born near the mouth of Little Miami river; studied law in Louisville, Kentucky ; came to Coshocton county in 1821 ; was a partner in a store, in a tannery, in the " Union Flouring Mill;" went to California, and is now living in Ottumwa, Iowa.
About 1825, Samuel Rea commenced practice. He was from Harrison county ; was elected county treasurer ; con- tinued to practice more or less until his death, which oc- curred (by drowning, as detailed under head of county offi- cers,) in 1834. The next resident lawyer was Noah H. Swayne, coming primarily from Virginia, but directly from Belmont county, in 1827. He was prosecuting attorney for several years ; in 1832 removed to Columbus, and is now on the bench of the United States Supreme Court, in Washington, D. C.
James Matthews, born in Columbiana county, read law with Hon. H. H. Leavitt, of Steubenville ; came to Coshoc- ton in 1829 ; was in the Legislature and in Congress ; re- moved to Knoxville, Iowa, in 1855.
Geo. Willys Silliman, native of Muskingum county, ed- ucated at Ohio University and at West Point Military Academy; studied law and was admitted at Zanesville; came to Coshocton about 1830. Soon went to Spain as bearer of dispatches from United States government to C. P. Van Ness ; returned to Coshocton in 1833 ; served several years as prosecuting attorney, holding the office till his death. Went to Europe in summer of 1843, and died at sea on the return voyage .*
The lawyer next becoming a resident was David Spangler. He was born in Sharpsburg, Maryland ; came to Muskingum county in 1802 ; studied with Alexander Harper ; admitted in 1824; came to Coshocton in 1832; was two terms (1834-38) in Congress ; died in 1856 .*
* See " Biographical Sketches " in this volume.
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T. S. Humrickhouse, born in Fayette county, Pennsyl- vania ; graduated at Washington College ; studied law with T. M. T. McKennan, of Washington, being admitted in 1832. In November of that year came to Coshocton ; abiding a year to acquire citizenship, was admitted at Lan- caster in 1833; served a few terms of court as prosecuting attorney for G. W. Silliman ; disabled by accident in 1847, and soon gave up practice ; now in the nursery and sheep business.
Josephus Ricketts, born in Muskingum county; read with N. H. Swayne ; succeeded him as prosecuting attorney ; resigned, and soon gave up practice; removed to Millers- burg and went into real estate operations ; now in Toledo.
Thomas Campbell, born in Jefferson county (Steuben- ville) ; came with his father's family to Adams township, Coshocton county, in 1831; studied at Franklin College ; came to the town of Coshocton in 1835 ; taught school and read law with James Matthews; commenced practice in 1841 ; has been prosecuting attorney and probate judge.
Thomas W. Flagg was born in Rochester, New York ; came to Coshocton in 1838; commenced practice in 1840; gave up practice and was chiefly engaged in newspaper work; died May 16, 1863.
J. M. Love, from Virginia, was engaged in engineer's department on the Muskingum improvement; read law in Zanesville; came to Coshocton in 1842; was in military service (Mexican war), 1846-7; removed in fall of 1851 to Iowa ; now judge of United States District Court.
Lewis Lewton, practiced from 1842 to 1845 ; removed to Cadiz, Ohio.
Wm. Sample, born in Crawford county, Pennsylvania ; studied law in Steubenville with Oliver C. Gray ; admitted March 3, 1843; came to'Coshocton November, 1845; was prosecuting attorney one term (two years) ; elected judge of Court of Common Pleas, 1856, and served two terms (ten years) ; in 1866 removed to Wooster, and subsequently to Newark, returning to Coshocton in 1873.
A. R. Hilyer, born in Essex county, New Jersey ; came to Coshocton in 1837 ; clerked, taught school, studied law,
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The Courts and the Bar.
and was admitted in 1847 ; was editor of " Coshocton Age" for two years ; removed to Iowa ; now publishing a paper.
James Irvine, born in Wayne county ; studied law with Sapp & Welker, of Millersburg, and admitted there in 1846; went to Mexican war in 1847; came to Coshocton in 1849; taught school and posted up, and in 1850 went into partnership with J. S. Love ; was in military service in late war in 1861, and also 1863-65.
John C. Tidball, born in (now) Lawrence county, Penn- sylvania ; graduated at Jefferson college; labored as a Presbyterian minister some seventeen years at Island creck, Jefferson county, and at Morriston, Belmont county ; stud- ied law with C. C. Carroll, of Belmont county, and was admitted in 1843; came to Coshocton in 1848; died in 1863 .*
John T. Simmons, a native of Maryland, resided for a time in Belmont county ; came to Bedford township, Cosh- octon county, 1842; taught school and farmed, being the champion tobacco raiser of the county ; studied under Wm. Sample, and was admitted in 1850; was prosecuting attorney two terms, also probate judge two; prompted by tastes, and driven by necessities of family, turned to farm- ing for a few years during the war.
B. S. Lee, born in Genessee county, N. Y., September 12, 1812; came to the county (Newcastle township), in 1838; studied with William Sample; admitted September 26, 1850; moved to Coshocton about 1859; died August 2, 1874.
C. C. Leonard, from Knox county ; practiced a few years, part of the time in partnership with J. D. Nicholas, about 1855 ; removed in 1857 to Illinois, and was, a few years later, killed by being run over by a locomotive.
E. T. Spangler, born in Muskingum county ; was brought to Coshocton when one year old; graduated at Kenyon College ; studied with father (David Spangler), and admit- ted in 1853; by United States Supreme Court at Washing- ton in 1860.
* See " Biographical Sketches."
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Historical Collections of Coshocton County.
A. H. Spangler, born in Coshocton county ; graduated at Kenyon ; studied law with father (David), and admitted in 1853; practiced a few years ; gave attention to other mat- ters ; now in banking business at Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
John E. Irvine (brother of James), admitted in 1853; went to Mississippi to teach; returned to Coshocton in 1859, and in 1866 removed to Monmouth, Ill., where he continued to practice until his death.
A. M. Williams, born in Culpeper county, Va .; came to Coshocton county November, 1833; was a "forty-niner" in California ; studied with Matthews and Stone; admitted in 1853; clerk of court in 1855-58; gave up practice in 1867; since connected with Coshocton Planing Mill Com- pany.
John D. Nicholas, born in Howard county, Md. ; read law under direction of William Sample; admitted in 1854; was in military service some time in 1861 and again in 1864-65 ; was prosecuting attorney one term.
J. C. Pomerene, born in Holmes county ; studied under William Reed, of Millersburg, graduating at " Ohio State and Union Law College ;" admitted in 1859, and came that year to Coshocton.
R. M. Voorhees, born in Harrison county ; studied law with Barcroft and Voorhees, of Millersburg; admitted July 6, 1860; came same month to Coshocton, and went into partnership with Thomas Campbell ; was in military service in 1861-65 ; spent the summer of 1866 at Independ- ence, Mo. ; was post-master at Coshocton in 1866-67 ; pros- ecuting attorney 1868-1872; admitted to United States District Court at Cleveland in 1875.
Gilbert H. Barger, born in Coshocton county ; studied with B. S. Lee; graduated at Cleveland Law School in 1861; commenced practice in 1862; same year went into army; returned to practice in 1868; served as clerk of court from 1870 to 1876.
L. L. Cantwell, native of Coshocton ; studied law under Charles Hoy, being admitted by Supreme Court January 9, 1867 ; has been justice of the peace ever since; served two terms as mayor of Coshocton.
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The Courts and the Bar.
E. W. James, born in Coshocton county ; studied with Nicholas and Williams ; graduated at Law School of Mich- igan University ; admitted in 1867 ; spent a few months in practice at Kansas City, Mo.
J. M. Compton, a native of Coshocton county ; studied with Lee and Pomerene; admitted in 1869; has been mayor of Coshocton two terms.
A. H. Stillwell, born in Holmes county ; studied with C. Follett, of Newark; admitted in 1874; practiced for a time in Muskingum county ; came to Coshocton Decem- ber, 1874.
W. R. Gault, native of Coshocton county ; graduated at Wittenberg College ; studied profession with Nicholas and wis Jones; admitted July 20, 1875.
T. H. Ricketts, native of Tuscarawas county ; studied with A. Neeley, of New Philadelphia ; graduated at Albany (N. Y.) Law School; practiced in Iowa and in Chicago, Ill. ; was recognized as an attorney by District Court at Coshocton in July, 1876.
A. E. Creighton, of Coshocton county ; studied at Woos- ter University ; read law with William Sample, of Coshoc- ton ; was admitted by District Court July, 1876.
A. J. Wilkin, from Washington county, Pa .; was an ad- mitted attorney in 1856, but soon turned to other avoca- tions; was in legislature ; now resides in New Comerstown.
Asa G. Dimmock and Richard Laning were about the same time recognized attornies. Each was prosecuting at- torney, but not otherwise much concerned with court prac- tice.
Josiah Given, from Holmes county, entered upon practice in Coshocton county in 1857 ; he gave up practice to enter the army in 1861 ; removed to Iowa, where his name now floats at the head of a county paper as its candidate for next president.
William Humrickhouse studied with his brother Thomas, and was admitted in 1853, but soon found more congenial employment ; now merchandising.
W. N. Cochran, a native of the county ; studied his pro- fession at Newark; practiced a few months of 1874-75;
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Historical Collections of Coshocton County.
he gave up practice to become a partner (financial and legal man) in an extensive live-stock dealing firm in Pittsburg, Pa., where he now resides.
B. F. Church, having read law with Leonard and Nicho- las, practiced at the Coshocton bar, residing in Monroe township from 1857 to 1875; he removed in the latter year to Holmes county.
Charles Hoy, from Ashland county, was admitted to the bar in 1853, and has practiced most of the time since.
W. C. Mayhugh, of Jacobsport, is an admitted attorney, but not in practice.
Robert Beer studied law in his home county (Ashland), and having studied further at Coshocton, was admitted by District Court in 1853 ; in 1857 he entered upon the study of theology, and is now pastor of the Presbyterian church in Valparaiso, Ind.
I. V. Heslip, M. C. McFarland and L. F. Horton, were also recognized attorneys at the Coshocton bar, but not in practice.
Under the old state constitution a specific tax from two dollars and fifty cents to five dollars per year was assessed on each practicing attorney by the county commissioners.
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Agricultural Notes, etc.
ยท
CHAPTER XI.
AGRICULTURAL NOTES-COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY-FAIRS, ETC.
THE agricultural interests of Coshocton county have in all its history vastly exceeded all others in the amount in- vested and the revenue derived. Manufactures, mines, and commerce never have, even combined, borne any imposing proportion to agriculture. There are in the county some- thing more than three hundred and fifty thousand acres of land, and it is estimated that with the exception of some fifty thousand* all have been productive of crops, of fruit, or pasturage.
The number of cultivators of the soil probably reached its limit about 1850; since which time, there has been little increase in the number of acres tilled. From the outset among the crops raised " corn " has been "king." More acres of it have been planted, and more bushels gathered, than of anything else. In 1857, when the cultivation of this crop reached its maximum, when there was much dis- couragement in relation to the growing of wheat in conse- quence of the pests to which it had been for a succession of years subjected, and when the sheep interest had not yet become so great, there were more than a million and a half bushels of corn raised.
The wheat crop has always in Coshocton county ranked next to corn in amount and value. The period of its most successful cultivation may be set down at from 1835 to 1850. The largest crop ever secured was in 1846. The roads to the canal-warehouses and mills were often studded thickly for many rods with wagons waiting their turn to unload. In 1850, there was a larger acreage than in 1846, but the yield was not so great. In 1862, a half a million of bushels was reported as the yield. About 1850, the Hessian fly made its appearance; it was succeeded by the weevil ;
* Taken up mainly by roads, rivers, canals, etc.
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Historical Collections of Coshocton County.
then there was serious trouble about winter freezing, and for twenty years this interest was much depressed. About 1870, farmers began to take good heart again, and in 1874 there was a magnificent crop. The crop of 1875 was very seriously affected by an unusually rainy season just at the harvest time. In earlier and better days the average yield was quite up to eighteen or twenty bushels per acre, but in late years thirteen to fifteen is regarded as good. In the days of high prices, three dollars and twenty-five cents per bushel was paid for good wheat-the lowest price now within the memory of men hereabouts was twenty-five cents.
Rye was more cultivated in earlier days than now, but was never a very big item in Coshocton county. In 1867, the largest acreage for a number of years was put in, viz. : Four thousand seven hundred acres.
In 1862, the barley crop was reported at three thousand bushels, and has never been much above that.
Flax in early days received considerable attention. Dur- ing the war (1861-5), when cotton goods got so high, re- newed interest was manifested in this crop. In 1862, there ' were sixty acres of it planted.
Broom-corn has never been much cultivated in the county.
Sorghum was a considerable item in war times. Three hundred and eighty-five acres of it were grown in 1862, and more still later.
From 1820 to 1835, maple-sugar and syrup were " big things." Even as late as 1865, there were reported as pro- duced in the county four thousand pounds of the sugar, and three thousand gallons of syrup.
In a good season, forty thousand bushels of Irish potatoes are produced in the county. The Colorado beetle, in 1872-5, affected the yield, but not so largely as they increased the labor in caring for the crop.
In 1868, an average season, thirty thousand tons of hay were produced.
The average amount of butter annually made in the
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Agricultural Notes, etc.
county for the last twenty years has been about half a mil- lion pounds.
There have been several efforts in the cheesery line, but they have not been long persisted in, nor very satisfactory. The most notable cheese factory was one set up, about 1866, in Clark township. The farmers became tired of the cou- stant and regular effort in the matter of furnishing the milk, and competition was heavy, and the factory, after running seven or eight years, was closed.
A considerable amount of tobacco has been raised in Coshocton county. More than forty years ago there was the " tobacco fever." The farmers all went to raising it; the supply exceeded the demand, and there was considerable disgust. In 1858, there were only two and one-half acres raised. During the war, there was a temporary extension of this interest, but not a very wide one.
SHEEP.
The first Merino sheep of thorough blood brought into this county were bought by old Major Robinson and Major Simmons, from old Seth Adams, who, as partner or agent of General Humphries, brought to the Muskingum valley some of General Humphries' importation from Spain, and had them in Muskingum county, near Dresden, as early as 1812. They were not cared for, and no trace is left of them. Fine-wooled sheep, of uncertain and mixed blood, were gradually introduced by farmers from eastern counties, and from the Pan Handle and Western Pennsylvania, between 1830 and 1836 or 1837, when Beaver & Bowman brought out from Washington county, Pennsylvania, about two thousand, and placed them on Bowman's section, adjoining Coshocton. This movement proved a failure, most of the sheep dying the next spring, and the remainder being dis- posed of and scattered so as to leave no trace.
About 1842, S. T. Thompson and one or two of his neighbors brought from Washington county, Pennsylvania, a few sheep, and founded flocks. These were the first really good Merinos that have left their mark, and still exist.
Wm. Renfrew, Sr., soon after brought out from the same
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Historical Collections of Coshocton County:
county flocks a few good black-tops and a few lighter- colored, which he bred separately, and the descendants of which still remain.
In 1846, or thereabouts, Wm. Batchelor and George Wolf brought out a few sheep obtained from General Har- mon in the State of New York ; they were selected by Mr. Batchelor, and, compared with what were here before, were heavier-wooled and stronger sheep. They did well.
In 1850, Howe & Batchelor brought out from Vermont a French ram, of thorough Merino blood, which had been im- ported from France by S. W. Jewett, from the government flock at Rambouillet. After trial, they rejected him, and disposed of his increase. They then, in connection with T. S. Humrickhouse, brought out some thirty head of Humphries' Atwood sheep, obtained from Edwin Ham- mond, of Addison county, Vermont. These are the kind now recognized on all hands as the best, and improving all other fine-wooled sheep. They have been added to from time to time by Mr. Batchelor and others.
In 1834, Isaac Maynard emigrated from England, and settled in this county. He brought with him a small flock of South Downs and a few Lincolnshires. The Lincoln- shires were entirely lost, and most of the South Downs. In 1842 or thereabouts, Wm. Henderson, Dr. Edmund Cone, and James Meskimens furnished old Mr. Bache with money to go to England, and bring back with him some sheep. He brought back quite a number of Ellman South Downs and a few Leicestershires, or, as sometimes called, Dishleys or Bakewells, which were divided among the owners. The Leicestershires soon disappeared, but the South Downs are the source of most of the South Downs now in the county. They have been added to by Bluck and others, who pur- chased rams at different times from various sources. The Cotswolds have been of late tried by various parties-those of Judge Thornhill, Wm. Hanlon, Robert Moore, and J. W. Dwyer having attracted much attention and commenda- tion.
In the times of high prices during the war, one dollar and five cents per pound was paid for a few choice fleeces.
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Agricultural Notes, etc.
Many were sold at one dollar per pound-one fleece brought twenty-two dollars and fifty cents. When prices fell after the war, and the condition of things was unsatisfactory otherwise as to the profitableness of sheep raising, thous- ands of the poorest sheep were killed and fed to hogs, the pelts selling for about as much as the live sheep. Thirty years ago there was some talk in certain localities of the county about the sheep having sore feet, but about 1866 there was much complaint of "foot rot." Remedies were devised, and care was taken in the selection of pasturage, and the evil soon passed away.
A Coshocton county Wool-growers' Association was or- ganized about 1864. In February, 1876, the National Merino Sheep Brecders' Association was organized at Cos- hocton, in a meeting attended by delegates from Pennsyl- vania, West Virginia, Missouri, and other states.
FINE CATTLE.
In comparatively early times, John Meskimens, Judge Robinson, and Daniel Miller brought some fine cattle into the county. More than thirty years ago, Frank McGuire and Geo. Wolf bought some superior stock in this line from E. P. Prentiss, of Albany, New York, and afterward some from D. D. Campbell, of Schenectady, New York. About 1851, Arnold Medberry and Samuel Brown made purchase of some very fine cattle from Dr. Watts, of Chilli- cothe. In 1855, Thomas Darling imported a lot from Ken- tucky, and not long thereafter Samuel Moore, Frank Mc- Guire, and T. S. Humrickhouse became prominently connected with the same line of work. John G. Stewart, a few years ago, exhibited a very superior herd, and has taken much interest in that kind of "stock." J. W. Dwyer has of late also interested himself greatly, especially in the Jerseys and Alderneys.
HOGS.
The hogs of the earlier day in Coshocton county were all that could be made by an abundance of corn and little care ; but the original stock not being very good, and little
-
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Historical Collections of Coshocton County.
effort being made to improve it, long snouts and blue skins were the rule. The McGuires and the Wolfs were about the first to give attention to improved breeds. Afterward the Lennons, the Burrells, and Matthew Johnson interested themselves in the same line. G. W. Silliman, after his visit to Europe, took an interest in the Berkshires, and brought into the county some of that breed. The Chester Whites became and continued great favorites. The Leicestershires have found many approvers, and are just now with many the favorites.
In early days, one and a half cents per pound was con- sidered a fair price for hogs, live weight. In 1864, Wm. E. Hunt got fourteen cents a pound for a few Chester White hogs, but he must have received the usual " Preacher's favors," inasmuch as farmers McGuire and Moore got only eleven and three-fourths cents for their best specimens.
BLOODED HORSES.
" Blooded " horses have from the first received a good deal of attention in Coshocton county. Old Colonel Williams and his compeers had the Virginia notions about these things. The race-course was not then, as now, circular and leveled and rolled, but they had one from the earliest days down. There was one on the Butler place up the Wal- honding. The road to Lewisville has been used. But the favorite track for years was on what is now Fifth street in Cos- hocton, along which two parallel narrow tracks were cleared. " Tests of speed " were there made-not witnessed by ele- gantly dressed ladies and gentlemen, such as now-a-days throng the county fair-grounds, but by the " homespun " crowd. It is claimed that if the associations of the place were less refined, the honesty was not less than now. They meant square business or simple fun in those days, and were severe on "jockeying." They did not then sell " pools."
Among those actively interested in the horse line, the following may be named : One of the Butlers, in New Cas- tle township, had charge of two horses belonging to Peter Casey, one of the first associate judges of the county,
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brought in before 1812. They were called " Whistle Jacket " and " Highflyer." Colonel Williams, of Coshoc- ton, bought in from Virginia a horse, long famed in this re- gion, called " Medley." Robert Farwell brought from New England to Keene township "Sir Archie." Joseph W. Rue, about 1830, introduced "John of Jersey," and " Patrick Richards," colts by a horse entered for a race against "Eclipse," the famous trotter on Long Island course, but withdrawn on account of lameness. Matthew Stewart is remembered in connection with "Hickory." Lewis Rice and John Johnson had a horse called " Pre- mium," and A. G. Wood one called " Sir Charles." Sam. Baker's horse was " Snowball." ..... + Nailete
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