USA > Ohio > Historical collections of Ohio in three volumes ; an encyclopedia of the state : with notes of a tour over it in 1886 contrasting the Ohio of 1846 with 1886-90, Vol. III > Part 10
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Another writer gives some additional facts. Writing in 1834, he says :
On the southwest side of the circle stands a conical hill crowned with an artificial mound. Indeed, so much does the whole elevation resemble the work of man, that many have mistaken it for a large mound. A street has lately been opened across the little mound which crowned' the hill, and in re- moving the earth many skeletons were found in good preservation. A cranium of one of
them was in my possession, and is a noble specimen of the race which once occupied these ancient walls. It has n high forehead und large and bold features, with all the phrenological marks of daring and bravery. Poor fellow, he died overwhelmed by num- bers; as the fracture of the right parietal bone by the battle-axe and five large stone arrows sticking in and about his bones, still
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PICKAWAY COUNTY.
bear silent, but sure testimony. The elevated ground a little north of the town, across Hargus creek, which washes the base of the plain of Circleville,. appears to have been the common burying-ground. Human bones in great quantities are found in digging away the gravel for repairing the streets and for
constructing the banks of the canal which runs near the base of the highlands. They were buried in the common earth without any attempt at tumuli, and occupy so large a space that only a dense population and a long period of time could have furnished such numbers.
Circleville is a thriving business town, surrounded by a beautiful, level country. Opposite the town, the bottom land on the Scioto is banked up for several miles, to prevent being overflowed by the river. Circleville has 1 Presbyterian, 2 Lutheran, 1 Episcopal, 2 Methodist, 2 Baptist, 1 Catholic, 1 Evangelical and 2 United Brethren churches; an elegant court-house, recently erected; 1 or 2 acad- ·emies, 3 printing offices, about 20 mercantile stores, 1 bank, 9 warchonses on the canal, and had in 1830, 1,136, and in 1840, 2,330 inhabitants ; it has now over 3,000. The business by the canal is heavy. Of the clearances made from this port in 1846, there were of corn, 106,465 bushels ; wheat, 24,918 bushels ; \ broom corn, 426,374 pounds ; bacon and pork, 1,277,212 pounds; and lard, 1,458,259 pounds .- Old Edition.
CIRCLEVILLE, county-seat, is twenty-six miles south of Columbus, on the cast bank of the Scioto river, which is crossed at this point by the Ohio canal. Cireleville is on the C. & M. Division of the P. C. & St L. and the S. V. Rail- roads. It is in one of the richest agricultural regions in the State and is noted as shipping more broom corn than any other point in the United States, and hav- ing the largest straw-board manufacturing concern, it is claimed, in the world. This is one of the finest agricultural sections of Ohio ; so Circleville's industries are principally devoted to working up the products of the soil. Pork-packing, sweet-corn canning and drying, tanning, and milling are conducted here on a large scale. It has the largest straw-board and straw-paper mill in the world, employ- ing a capital of about half a million dollars and a large force of employees.
County officers, 1888 : Auditor, S. W. Miller; Clerk, George H. Pontius ; Commissioners, George Betts, Alexander C. Bell, Cyrus Purcell ; Coroner, Mack A. Lanum ; Infirmary Directors, John G. Haas, Daniel Myers, Jacob B. Rife; Probate Judge, D. J. Myers ; Prosecuting Attorney, Clarence Curtain ; Recorder, John McCrady ; Sheriff, James T. Wallace ; Surveyor, Cyrus F. Abernethy ; Treasurer, Joseph C. Harper. City officers, 1888 : J. Wheeler Lowe, Mayor ; R. P. Dresbach, Clerk ; R. C. Anderson, Marshal ; Daniel Brown, Commissioner ; John Schleyer, Solicitor. Newspapers ; Herald, Democratic, Murphy & Darst, editors and publishers ; Democrat and Watchman, Democratic, A. R. Van Cleaf, editor and publisher ; Union Herald, Republican, Harry E. Lutz, editor and publisher. Churches : 1 United Brethren, 1 Baptist, 1 Episcopal, 1 Methodist, 3 Evangelical, 2 Lutheran, 1 Catholic and 1 Presbyterian. Banks : First National, J. A. Hawkes, president, Otis Ballard, cashier ; Second National, S. H. Ruggles, president, E. E. Winship, cashier; Third National, S. Morris, cashier.
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Manufactures and Employees .- George HI. Spangler, carriages and buggies, 4 hands ; C. B. Tyler, doors, sash, etc., 20 ; Delaplane & Parks, grain elevator, 2; Roth Brothers, oak harness leather, 15; MeEwing & Oliver, engines and repairs, 10 ; Bell & Caldwell, meal and elevator, 5; Jacob Young, flour and feed, 3; HI. A. Jackson, grain elevator, 3; Heffner & Co., Saginaw corn meal, 19 ; Circle- ville Union Herald, printing, 7; Pickaway Machine Works, machine work, 4; William Heffner & Son, flour and feed, 7; J. P. Strahm, cigars, 6 ; Democrat and Watchman, printing, 7; Portage Straw Board Co., straw boards, 210; Con- rad Richards, barrels, 10; Edison Electric Light Co., electric light, 4 .- State Report, 1888.
Population, 1880, 6,046. School census, 1888, 2,285; M. H. Lewis, school superintendent. Capital invested in industrial establishments, $511,000.
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PICKAWAY COUNTY.
Value of annual product, $609,500 .- Ohio Labor Statistics, 1887. Census, 1890, 6,556.
Circleville, having derived its name from being built around a circle, in process of time has changed its nucleus spot to a square ; and hence claims that it has per- formed that impossible feat to mathematicians, squared the circle.
REMINISCENCES.
Circleville is noted from having long been the home of Ohio's earliest historian, CALEB ATWATER. His life was long, and he had a national reputation. It in- cluded many things-minister, lawyer, educator, business man, legislator, Indian Commissioner, anthor and antiquarian.
He was a direct descendant of David Atwater, one of the wealthiest of the . original settlers who founded New Haven, in 1638, and these were the richest body of colonists in America. This David Atwater was the progenitor of all the Atwaters on the Continent. One of my four great-grandfathers was a Caleb Atwater ; so I have some of the same blood in my veins.
But all of that old New England stock is nearly related. Almost the entire emigration to New England was in fourteen years, from 1628 to 1642, when in all 20,000 people came over. After that there was no emigration, only as the seattering snow-flakes after a snow squall. These 20,000 married young ; had large families, often a dozen of children in each, so that at the beginning of this century they had increased to over a million. The result is, as genealogists ascer- tain, they are about all in some degree of cousinship to the rest. This, by some lines, is often near and others remote. Often a genealogist may ascertain for a man such a fact as this, that his wife is his third cousin by such a line, and by another the sixth consin.
Caleb Atwater, Ohio's first historian, was born on Christmas Day, 1778, at North Adams, Massachusetts, was educated at Williams College, taught a ladies' school in New York, and at the same time studied theology ; was ordained a Presbyterian minister, married and then quickly lost his wife, which event greatly affected his health and spirits. He later studied law, was admitted to the bar ; and finally paid the best compliment in his power to the charms of wedded life that any poor, forlorn soul can-married the second time. Went into business, and failing, anticipated the advice of the sage of the New York Tribune " to go West," and got an early start.
The attractive point was Circleville, the year, 1815, and he remained until his death in 1854, at the patriarchal age of eighty-nine. He opened a law office to engage in the practice of law. The people sent him to the Ohio Legislature, where he became prominent as the friend of public schools, and as one of the original minority to advocate the introduction of canals. At the close of his legislative duties he was sent by General Jackson as Commissioner to the Winnebago Indians, at Galena, Illinois.
He early turned his attention to anthorship, and his first book grew out of his coming to a town which was built around a circle, laid out by the Mound Builders. " They had arranged their dwellings around it as a nucleus, put their Temple of Justice, i. e., the Pickaway county court-house, in the centre, and radiated their streets from the circumference line. He, therefore, became interested in Archiæ- ology and issued his "Archeologia Americana upon Western Antiquities." This work attracted great attention among savans at home and abroad, and made him widely known. Beside this he published "A Tour to the Prairie du Chien," "An Essay on Education," " Writings of Caleb Atwater," and in 1838, his " History of Ohio."
Ile was the associate of the first men of Ohio and the country at large from the nature of his pursuits and objects of public interest.
I made the acquaintance of Caleb Atwater, in 1846, at Circleville. He had
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PICKAWAY COUNTY.
the Atwater physique-a large, heavily-moulded man, with dark eyes and com- plexion, and a Romanesque nose. He was a queer talker, and appeared to me like a disappointed, unhappy man. One of his favorite topics was General Jackson, whose friendship he greatly valued. He had visited him at the Her- mitage, where Old Hickory, who was a genial personage, had entertained him, talking, I presume, between the whiff's of his corn-cob pipe, which he smoked even when in the White House. ITis life appears to have been a struggle with penury. He did but little, if any, law business ; he had a large family, six sons and three daughters, and his books were but a meagre source of support, and these he sold by personal solicitation. He was, however, blest with an excellent wife, and that is the all-important point with a struggling man.
In my recent visit to Circleville, Mr. Henry S. Page took - me out to the Forest Cemetery, and there I found a beautiful monument, a cube about fourteen feet in height, of Italian marble, and surmounted by a figure of Christ asking a blessing. Upon it was this inscription :
JOHN CRADLEBAUGH, born at Circleville, Ohio, February 22, 1819. He was a Judge of the District Court of the United States for Utah Territory. He distinguished himself by his great courage in attempt- ing to bring to justice the persons who were guilty of that horrible curse, the Mountain Meadow Massa- cre. He was a Delegate in Congress for Nevada Territory. He took part in the Siege of Vicksburg, where he commanded the 114th Regt. O. V. I., and was severely wounded. He died in Nevada, February 19, 1872.
Judge Cradlebaugh graduated at Miami University, practised the law in Logan and then in Circleville, was in 1850 and in 1852 a member of the Ohio Senate from Pickaway and Franklin counties. In 1858 he made a speech in Circleville strongly sustaining the policy of Buchanan in his policy in regard to the Missouri Compromise, which led to his appointment as one of the judges of Utah by Buchanan. After he left Utah he removed to Nevada, from which territory he was sent a delegate to Congress. He had expected to be Senator when Nevada was admitted as a State, but finally saw and predicted that " some rich man would come up from San Francisco with a pile of money and buy the Legislature," which proved true.
While residing in Nevada the war broke out, he returned to Pickaway county and raised the 114th O. V. I., which he commanded. He was badly wounded by a bullet passing through his mouth, which compelled him to retire from ser- vice. He returned to Nevada, but could not practise his profession, his mouth being so badly lacerated that he could not speak distinctly. So he became very poor. He died in 1872, and his remains were brought home and laid beside the beautiful monument he had erected in 1852, to the memory of his wife.
Judge Cradlebangh greatly distinguished himself by his heroic conduct while acting as Judge in Utah. He tried to bring the Mormon murderers to account : boldly defied the power of the Mormon church, and in vain appealed to President Buchanan for aid to bring the authors of the Mountain Meadow massacre to
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PICKAWAY COUNTY.
account. The details are given in the Circleville Union Herald of January 29 and July 2, 1889.
OHIO BIRDS.
A remarkable literary and scientific enterprise was that of Genevieve E. Jones and Eliza J. Schultze, in the projection of the " Illustrations of the Nests and Eggs of Birds of Ohio." In the course of the work Miss Jones died and her mother completed the illustrations. After eight years of untiring industry the work was published by Dr. N. E. Jones, with Mrs. N. E. Jones as illustrator and Dr. Howard Jones writer of the text. It consists of 68 plates, 15} x 174 inches, accurately colored by hand, representing the nests and eggs of one hundred and thirty species, all the birds known to breed in Ohio, with over 300 pages of text from original field notes.
It is one of the most beautiful and desirable works that has ever appeared in the United States upon any branch of natural history and ranks with Audubon's celebrated work on birds. The two volumes cost about $350.00.
Another noteworthy work on birds of Ohio is that of Dr. J. M. Wheaton, of Columbus, Ohio, which is contained in Vol. IV. of the Ohio Geological Survey.
Dr. Wheaton during his lifetime was a deep student of birds of Ohio and their habits ; he collected and preserved at great expense and years of labor, one male and one female of each species of Ohio birds, many of which are now extinct and others fast disappearing before the changing conditions of increasing population. This valuable collection is now in the possession of his widow, but should be pur- chased. and preserved by the State. An effort to this end was made during the legislative session of 1889, but owing to a clerical error failed.
Still another notable work on birds is "Nests and Eggs of North American Birds," by Oliver Davie, of Columbus, Ohio (1889). It is illustrated with engraved plates. This is the most complete and accurate work on North American birds' eggs and nests that has yet appeared, and is regarded as a standard by the most eminent authorities. Its author, Mr. Davie, is an expert taxidermist, and is now engaged on a work on that subject, which in its completeness and accuracy will equal his excellent work on "Nests and Eggs."
SAMUEL LUTZ was born in Lehigh county, Pa., March 13, 1789, and died at Circleville, Ohio, September 1, 1890, aged 101 years, 5 months, and 19 days.
In 1802 he removed to Circleville, became a surveyor ; served in the war of 1812 under General Harrison. In 1830 was elected to the Ohio legislature and re-elected three times.
On Mr. Lutz's one hundredth birthday more than 1,200 friends and relatives gathered at his residence and in a temporary auditorium erected for the purpose took part in commemorative exercises. Each guest was given a card containing his autograph in a strong round hand, and an ample dinner was served on the grounds.
NEW HOLLAND is seventeen miles southwest of Circleville, on the C. & M. V. R. R. Newspaper : Plain Talk, Republican, E. B. Lewis, editor and publisher. Population in 1880, 478. School census, 1888, 186.
WILLIAMSPORT is nine miles southwest of Cireleville, on the C. & M. V. R. R. Newspaper : Rip Saw, publisher, Homer Cooksey, editor. It has 1 Methodist and 1 Christian church and a fine sulphur spring. The main industry is carriage-making. Population in 1880, 313. School census, 1888, 164.
Asuvias is nine miles north of Circleville, on the S. V. R. R. Newspaper : Enterprise, Independent, Nessmith and Fraundfelter, editors and publishers. Churches : 1 United Brethren and 1 Evangelical Lutheran. Population about 450.
SOUTH BLOOMFIELD is nine miles northwest of Circleville. Population, 1880, 303. School census, 1888, 126.
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PICKAWAY COUNTY.
TARLTON is ten miles southeast of Circleville. Population, 1880, 425. School census, 1888, 148.
WHISTLER is eleven miles southeast of Circleville. School census, 1888, 89. DARBYVILLE is thirteen miles northwest of Circleville, on Big Darby creek. Population, 1880, 262. School census, 1888, 88.
COMMERCIAL POINT is fifteen miles northwest of Circleville. School census, 1888, 82.
PIKE.
PIKE COUNTY was formed in 1815 from Ross, Highland, Adams, Scioto and Jackson counties. Excepting the rich bottom lands of the Scioto and its tribu- taries, its surface is generally hilly. The hills abound with the noted Waverly sandstone. Area, about 470 square miles. In 1887 the acres cultivated were 59,554 ; in pasture, 50,068; woodland, 61,078 ; lying waste, 6,492; produced in wheat, 135,490 bushels; rye, 324; buckwheat, 30; oats, 84,125; barley, 490 ; corn, 500,281 ; meadow hay, 6,608 tous ; clover hay, 1,063; potatoes, 21,327 bushels; tobacco, 1,345 lbs. ; butter, 168,541 ; sorghum, 4,808 gallons ; maple syrup, 1,719; eggs, 201,612 dozen ; grapes, 11,400 lbs .; wine, 15 gallons ; sweet potatoes, 550 bushels ; apples, 14,685 ; peaches, 4,545 ; pears, 271; wool, 21,314 lbs. ; milch cows owned, 2,621. School census, 1888, 6,191 ; teachers, 149. Miles of railroad track, 44.
TOWNSHIPS AND CENSUS.
1840. 1,075
1880. 750
TOWNSHIPS AND CENSUS.
1840.
1880.
Beaver,
Pebble,
504
1,594
Benton,
1,474
Pee Pee,
813
2,725
Camp Creek,
299
947
Perry,
565
879
Jackson,
1,096
2,067
Scioto,
921
Marion,
908
Seal,
1,875
1,411
Milllin,
6-45
1,230
Sunfish,
325
976
Newton,
337
1,369
Union,
676
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Population of Pike county in 1820 was 4,253; 1830, 6,024; 1840, 7,536 ; 1860, 13,643; 1880, 17,937 ; of whom 15,620 were born in Ohio; 661, Virginia ; 359, Pennsylvania ; 144, Kentucky; 67 New York; 58, Indiana ; 606, German Empire ; 44, Ireland ; 24, England and Wales; 5, Scotland ; 4, France, and 3, British America. Census, 1890, 17,482.
The Origin of Names is always a matter of interest. It is a tradition that an Irishman whose initials were P. P., cut them in the bark of a beech, on the banks of a creek. This gave its name to the creek-Pee Pee, and later to a township. Waverly is in Pee Pee, and James Emmitt, the founder, had called the place Uniontown until 1830, when the Ohio canal was in progress at that point. An attempt was then made to establish a post-office, when it was discovered there was already an Uniontown in Northern Ohio. In this quandary Capt. Francis Cleve- land, later an uncle of Grover Cleveland (for Grover was then unborn), an engi- neer on the canal who had been deeply engrossed in reading Scott's novels, sug- gested the name Waverly, and it was adopted. The uncle died at Portsmouth in 1882.
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PIKE COUNTY.
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BIOGRAPHY.
ANBULON MONTGOMERY PIKE, from whom Pike county was named, was born in Lam- berton, N. J., January 5, 1779, and died in York (now Toronto), Canada, April 27, 1813. His father was a captain in the Revolution- ary army ; was in St. Clair's defeat in 1791, and was brevetted a lieutenant-colonel in the regular army. His son was an ensign in his . regiment, and while serving as such was an earnest student of Latin, French and math- ematics. After the Louisiana purchase had been made from the French, Pike, who had been promoted to the grade of lieutenant, was given command of an expedition to trace the Mississippi to its source. Leaving St. Louis in August, 1805, he returned after nine months of hardship and exposure, hav- ing satisfactorily accomplished the service.
In 1806-7, while engaged in geographical explorations, he discovered Pike's Peak in the Rocky mountains, and reached the Rio Grande river. He and his party were ar- rested on Spanish territory and taken to Santa Fe, but were subsequently released. He arrived at Natchitoches in July, 1807, received the thanks of the government, and three years later published an account of his explorations. In 1813 he was placed in com- mand of an expedition against York (now Toronto), Canada. His troops had taken one of the redoubts, which had been con- structed by the enemy for defence, and ar- rangements were being carried forward for an attack upon another redoubt, when the magazine of the fort exploded, and Gen. Pike was fatally wounded, surviving but a few hours.
ROBERT LUCAS was born in Shepherds- town, Va., April 1, 1781. His father was a captain in the Revolutionary army and a de- scendant of William Penn. The son removed to Ohio in 1802 and settled near the mouth of the Scioto, where, Portsmouth now stands. He raised a battalion of volunteers for the war of 1812; served as a brigadier-general, and saw considerable service at Fort Meigs and Lower Sandusky. He removed to Pike- ton, and there, in connection with his brother, conducted a general store. Ile was several times elected to the Ohio Senate and House, serving as Speaker of the latter. In 1832 he presided over the Democratic National Con-
vention that nominated Andrew Jackson for a second term. The same year he was elected Governor of Ohio, defeating his opponent, Gen. Duncan MeArthur, by one vote. In 1834 he was re-elected Governor. While Governor the "Toledo war" occurred, and he successfully maintained the Ohio side of the controversy. In 1848 he was appointed by President Van Buren the first Territorial Governor of Iowa .. He died in Iowa City, Iowa, February 7, 1853.
JAMES EMMITr was born in Armstrong county, Pa., November 6, 1806. His career is a striking example of what may be accom- plished by persistent energy, industry and frugality. Ile removed to Ohio when a boy. and before he was 13 years of age was hired out to a farmer for the sum of $6 per month and board. He had the board, but the $6 were turned over to his father to aid him in f his struggle to earn a home. Later he worked at blacksmithing at a country tavern ; again at farm labor, and then as wood-chopper at $4 per month. From 1825 to 1828 he was a teamster between Portsmouth and Chilli- cothe. At 22 he engaged in a partnership with Mr. Henry Jefferds in a small grocery business in Waverly. In 1831 he was ap- pointed postmaster. The next year he bought a mill, and for the next forty years he grad- ually accumulated property interests, until the taxes he paid were one-tenth of the total tax receipts of Pike county, and one-half the population of Waverly was employed in his various establishments, such as a bank, a store, a huge distillery, a furniture factory, a lumber yard and saw and grist-mills.
Ile was the principal factor in the removal of the county-seat from Piketon to Waverly in 1861, and when this was accomplished he presented a fine court-house to the people. He served two years in the State Senate.
His opportunities for an education were meagre, but his force of character, strong common sense and great energy made his success in life something ahnost phenomenal for a small place like Waverly.
Mr. Emmitt is over six feet in height and ahnost gigantic in his proportions. For his recollections, he may be considered a walking history of Pike county, and from this source much herein is derived.
The first permanent settlers in the county were Pennsylvanians and Virginians. From about 1825 and later many Germans settled in the eastern part. The first settlement in the vicinity of Piketon was made on the Pee Pee prairie, by John Noland, from Pennsylvania ; Abraham, Arthur and John Chenoweth, three broth- ers from Virginia, who settled there about the same time Chillicothe was laid out, in 1796.
Piketon in 1846 .- Piketon, the county-seat, was laid out about the year 1814. It is on the Scioto, on the Columbus and Portsmouth turnpike, sixty-four miles from the first, twenty-six from the last, and two east of the Ohio canal. Piketon contains 1 Presbyterian, 1 Methodist, and 1 German Lutheran church, an acad- emy, a newspaper printing-office, 4 mercantile stores, and had, in 1840, 507 in- habitants .- Old Edition.
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PIKE COUNTY.
In 1861 the county-seat was removed to Waverly.
In onr old edition were given these historical items : Piketon was originally called Jefferson, and was laid off on what was called " Miller's Bank." The origin of this last name is thus given in the American Pioncer : "About the year 1795 two parties set off from Mason county, Ky., to locate land by making improve- ments, as it was believed the tract ceded to the United States, cast of the Scioto, would be held by pre-emption. One of these parties was conducted by a Mr. Miller, and the other by a Mr. Kenton. In Kenton's company was a man by the name of Owens, between whom and Miller there arose a quarrel about the right of settling this beautiful spot. In the fray Owens shot Miller, whose bones may be found interred near the lower end of the high bank. His death and burial there gave name to the high bank, which was then in Washington county, the Scioto being then the line between Washington and Adams counties. Owens was taken to Marietta, where he was tried and acquitted."
On Lewis Evans' map of the middle British Colonies, published in 1755, is laid down, on the right bank of the river, a short distance below the site of Pike- ton, a place called " Hurricane Tom's ;" it might have been the abode of an In- dian chief or a French trader's station .- Old Edition.
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