Historical collections of Ohio in two volumes, an encyclopedia of the state, Volume I, Part 51

Author: Howe, Henry, 1816-1893
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Cincinnati : Published by the state of Ohio
Number of Pages: 1006

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gentleman handed it back, saying : "You will please read it; I am not much of a scholar." "No matter," I replied ; "talk- ing was done before printing ; I will talk." I passed an hour there, during which he gave me some of the incidents of his early life, as related. He is rather a small man, but fresh- looking and compactly built; just after the war he fell in a coal-boat and broke his hip, from which he still suffers.

Although an unlettered man, he is of the quality that poets are made. While one's risibilities are affected by the singular original demonstration of his regard for a brute, the tenderness of the sentiment touches the finer chords. The highest, the celestial truths are felt through the poetic sense ; and true wor- ship is that which demonstrates a yearning desire for the happiness of even the humblest of God's creatures. "Love me, love my dog," was a thought in Paradise before it was a proverb on earth.

BARNESVILLE, ninety-seven miles east of Columbus, and twenty miles west of the Ohio river, is on the O. C. R. R., and famous for its culture of strawberries and raspberries. Newspapers : Enterprise, Independent, George McClelland, pub- lisher ; Republican, Republican, Hanlon Bros. & Co., publishers. Churches : 1 Methodist Episcopal, 1 Presbyterian, 1 Christian, 1 African Methodist Episcopal, and 1 Friends. Banks : First National, Asa Garretson, president, G. E. Bradfield, cashier ; People's National, J. S. Ely, president, A. E. Dent, cashier.

Large Manufactures .- Barnesville Glass Company, 131 hands ; Watt Mining Car-Wheel Company, 42; George Atkinson, woollen-mill, 13; Heed Bros., cigars, 90 ; George E. Hunt, tailor, 18 ; Hanlon Bros., printing, 17 .- State Report 1887. Population in 1880, 2,435. School census in 1886, 823 ; Henry L. Peck, super- intendent.

The distinguishing feature of Barnesville lies in the quantity and quality of its strawberry production. Twenty-five years ago very few strawberries were grown in this community. In the spring of 1860 the late William Smith introduced, and with C. G. Smith, John Scoles, and a few others, cultivated in limited quan- tities for the home market the Wilson Albany Seedling. The demand was small at first, but steadily increased, until shipments are now 1,000 bushels per day, of which 800 go to Chicago, the balance divided among a number of points East and West ; and the fame of the Barnesville strawberry has extended not only over the entire country but into foreign countries, even " so far as Russia." The shipping trade opened about 1870 ; first to Columbus and Wheeling, and later to other near points. In 1880 James Edgerton tried the experiment of shipping to Chicago, but not until two years later did that trade assume large proportions. There are about 275 acres devoted to strawberry culture, the average yield about ninety-four bushels per acre. The Sharpless, the favorite variety, is a large, sightly fruit, well colored, fine flavored, and will stand transportation to distant cities. Other popular berries are the Cumberland, Charles Downing, Wilson, Crescent, and Jaconda ; but the Barnesville growers say, "The Sharpless is our pride." The care, commendable rivalry, and pride of the Barnesville growers, which, with a soil and climate specially adapted to the growth of a large, hardy berry, has devel- oped this great industry.

The first settlement of Warren, the township in which Barnesville is situated, was made in 1800, the last year of the last century. The first settlers were George Shannon (the father of Gov. Shannon), Jolin Grier, and John Dougherty ; soon others followed. The great body of the pioneers were nearly all Quakers from North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. In 1804 they built a log meeting- house, and a woman, Ruth Boswell, preached there the first sermon ever delivered

325

BELMONT COUNTY.

in the township. This spot where the Stillwater church now stands has been occupied by the Friends from that day to this, and over 7,000 meetings for wor- ship have been held there; and the entire 7,000, we venture to say, breathed nothing but "Peace on earth and good-will to man."

WILLIAM WINDOM, who was Secretary of the Treasury under Garfield, and has twice represented Minnesota in the United States Senate, is a native of this county, where he was born May 10, 1827.

Meyer & Outland, Photo., Barnesville, 1886. FRIENDS' YEARLY MEETING-HOUSE, BARNESVILLE.

Antiquities .- In the vicinity of Barnesville are some extraordinary natural and artificial curiosities. About two miles south of the town, on the summit of a hill on the old Riggs farm, is a stone called "Goblet Rock " from its general resemblance to a goblet. Its aver- age height is nine feet, circumference at base fifteen feet nine inches, mid circumference eighteen feet, and top circumference thirty- one feet four inches. The whole stone can be shaken into a sensible tremble by one standing on the top.

A few miles west of Barnesville are two ancient works, on the lands of Jesse Jarvis and James Nuzzum. On that of the latter is one of the largest of mounds, it being about 1,800 feet in circumference and 90 feet in height.

Among the most interesting relics of the mound-building race are the "Barnesville track rocks" on the sand rock of the coal measure located on the lands of Robert G. Price. They were discovered in 1856 by a son of Mr. Price. The tracks are those of birds', animals' and human feet, and other figures, as shellfish, serpents, earthworms, circles, stars, etc .: these indentations vary from two to over twenty inches in length. The depths of the impressions are from three . fourths of an inch to a scale hardly percepti- ble. These are evidently the work of a mound race sculptor. The track rocks are described and pictorially shown in the U. S. Centennial Commission Report for Ohio.

MARTIN'S FERRY is on the west bank of the Ohio river opposite Wheeling, W. Va. The site of the city is a broad river bottom over two miles in length and extending westward to the foot-hills a distance of a mile and a half at the widest point. The adjacent hills rise gradually and afford many beautiful building sites overlooking the river, giving a view not excelled at any point on the Ohio. The city is underlaid with an inexhaustible supply of coal. A bountiful supply of building stone and limestone is found within the corporation limits, and natural gas has been struck in ample quantities for the town's needs.

The first settlement was made and called Norristown in 1785, but, upon com- plaint of the Indians that the whites were encroaching on their hunting-grounds, the settlers were dispossessed and driven to the other side of the river by Col. Harmer, acting under the orders of the United States government. In 1788 the ground upor. which the town is built was granted by patent to Absalom Martin, and in 1795 he laid out a town and called it Jefferson. But, having failed in his efforts to have it made the county-seat, Mr. Martin purchased such town lots as had been already sold and vacated the town, supposing a town could never exist so near Wheeling.

326

BELMONT COUNTY.

In 1835 Ebenezer Martin laid out and platted the town of Martinsville, but afterwards changed the name to Martin's Ferry, there being another town in the State named Martinsville. As no point on the Ohio presented better facilities for manufacturing, it grew and prospered and in 1865 was incorporated as a town.

Martin's Ferry is on the line of the P. C. & St. L. R. R. Newspapers : Ohio Valley News, Independent, James H. Drennen, editor and publishe ; Church Herald, religious, Rev. Earl D. Holtz, editor and publisher. Churches : 1 Presby- terian, 1 United Presbyterian, 1 Baptist, 1 Lutheran, 1 Catholic, 2 Methodist Episcopal, 1 African Methodist, 1 Episcopal. Banks : Commercial, J. A. Gray, president, Geo. H. Smith, cashier ; Exchange, John Armstrong, president, W. R Ratcliff, cashier.

Manufacturers and Employees .- Novelty Glass Mould Works, 9 hands; Elson Glass Works, tableware, etc., 330; F. McCord & Bro., brick, 25; Laughlin Nail Co., 375; Martin's Ferry Stove Works, 27; Spruce, Baggs & Co., stoves, 26; Dithridge Flint Glass Works, tumblers, etc., 194; L. Spence, steam engines, etc., 25 ; Martin's Ferry Keg and Barrel Co., 65; Buckeye Glass Works, 200; Branch of Benwood Mills, pig iron, 55 ; J. Kerr & Sons and B. Exley & Co., doors, sash, etc. ; Wm. Mann, machinery, 24 .- State Report, 1887.

A. C. Enochs, Photo., Martin's Ferry, 188".

MARTIN'S FERRY.

Population in 1880, 3,819. School census in 1886, 1,813; Chas. R. Shreve, superintendent.

The cultivation of grapes is an important and growing industry of Martin's Ferry, the warm valley and sunny eastern slopes west of the town being espe- cially adapted to their perfection ; not less than 350 acres are devoted to their cultivation. The grapes are made into wine by the Ohio Wine Co., which has recently erected a large building for this purpose.

The dwellings at Martin's Ferry are mostly on a second plateau about 600 feet from the Ohio and 100 feet above it. The river hills on both sides rise to an altitude of about 600 feet, making the site of the town one of grandeur. On the West Virginia side the hills are very precipitous, leaving between them and the river bank but little more than sufficient space for a road and the line of the P. C. & St. L. Railroad. The upper plateau at Bellaire is a gravel and sand bed. The gravel is about eighty feet deep in places, cemented so strongly that the excavation for buildings is very expensive, being impervious to the pick, and often, from the porous nature of the soil, blasting fails; the cost of ex- cavating for the cellar of a building often exceeds the price of the lot. The west part of the upper plateau is depressed, and it is supposed was once the bed of the Ohio. The country back is very fertile and rich in coal, iron and limestone.

327

BELMONT COUNTY.

Annexed is a view of the cottage at Mar- lars per week, which was the first money he earned and received as his own. This he turned into the uses of the family to help fight the wolf from the door. While there, conjointly with a brother compositor, John J. Piatt, he put forth a volume of poetry. tin's Ferry in which, March 1, 1837, was born WM. DEAN HOWELLS, who is considered "America's Leading Writer of Fiction." The structure was of brick and was destroyed to make way for the track of the Cleveland and Pittsburg railway. It was drawn at our de- . Later he contributed poems to the Atlantic

EFEE

BIRTHPLACE OF WM. DEAN HOWELLS.

sire from memory by the venerated father of the author, who built it and is now living in a pleasant old age at Jefferson, Ashtabula county.

The Howells away back were of literary tastes, of Welsh stock and Quakers. When the boy was three years of age the family re- moved to Butler county, where his father published a newspaper, the Hamilton Intelli- gencer, and William while a mere child learned to set type. From thence they re- moved to Dayton, where the elder Howells purchased the Dayton Transcript and changed it into a daily. His sons aided him in the type-setting, William often working until near midnight and then rising at four o'clock to distribute the paper. The enterprise illus- trated industry against ili fate. After a two- years' struggle Mr. Howells one day an- nounced to his sons the enterprise was a fail- ure, whereupon they all went down to the Big Miami and took a good swim to freshen up for another tug with fate.

In 1851, when fourteen years of age, he got a position as compositor on the Ohio State Journal at Columbus. His pay was four doi-

WM. DEAN HOWELLS.

Monthly, was a newspaper correspondent, wrote a campaign life of Lincoln : from 1861 to 1864 was consul at Venice ; from 1866 to 1872 was assistant editor of the Atlantic Monthly, and then until 1881 editor-in-chief. Mr. Howells works in a field which is pre- eminently his own-that of social life. He has a happy home, wife and children in Bea- con St., Boston, where he devotes his mnorn- ings to writing, usually completing at a sitting a trifle more than what would make one-and- a-half pages as this in which our printer scts these lines-say 1500 words a day.

Flushing and Morristown are villages, containing each from sixty to eighty dweilings, in this county.

328

BROWN COUNTY.

BROWN.

BROWN COUNTY was formed from Adams and Clermont March 1, 1817, and Lamed from General Jacob Brown, a gallant officer of the war of 1812. He was a native of Pennsylvania, of Quaker origin, and defeated the British at Lundy's Lane, Chippewa and in the sortie from Fort Erie. Excepting the Ohio river hills the surface of Brown is generally level or undulating and the soil fertile ; the northern part more especially is adapted to grassing and the southern to grain. Area, 470 square miles. In 1885 the acres cultivated were 107,803; pasture, 97,015; woodland, 42,553 ; lying waste, 9,666 ; wheat, 72,616 bushels; corn, 1,261,807 ; tobacco, 3,702,512 pounds; butter, 498,153 pounds. School census 1886, 10,328; teachers, 217. It has 113 miles of railroad.

TOWNSHIPS AND CENSUS.

1840.

1880.

TOWNSHIPS AND CENSUS.

1840.

1880.

Byrd,

2,422

1,299

Perry,

1,869

2,838

Clark,

1,290

1,761

Pike,

792

1,339

Eagle,

888

1,249

Pleasant,

1,485

2,940

Franklin

1,199

1,165

Scott,

1,101

1,224

Green,

358

1,916

Sterling,

608

1,662

Huntington,

1,957

3,085

Union,

2,071

5,776

Jackson,

1,253

963

Washington,

848

1,206

Lewis,

2,044

8,188

Population of Brown county in 1820, 13,367; in 1840, 22,715; in 1860, 28,842 ; in 1880, 31,179, of whom 27,383 were Ohio-born.

A short time previous to the settlement of this county a battle was fought at a locality called "the salt lick," in Perry township, in the northern part of the county, between a party of Kentuckians and some Indians under Tecumseh. The circumstances are here given from Drake's life of that celebrated Indian chief.

Battle with Tecumseh .- In the month of March, 1792, some horses were stolen by the Indians, from the settlements in Mason county, Ky. A party of whites, to the num- ber of thirty-six, was immediately raised for the purpose of pursuing them. It embraced Kenton, Whiteman, M'Intyre, Downing, Washburn, Calvin and several other experi- enced woodsmen. The first named, Simon Kenton, a distinguished Indian fighter, was placed in command. The trail of the Indians being taken, it was found they had crossed the Ohio, just below the mouth of Lee's creek, which was reached by the pursuing party towards evening. Having prepared rafts, they crossed the Ohio that night, and encamped. Early next morning the trail was again taken and pursued, on a north course, all day, the weather being bad and the ground wet. On the ensuing morning, twelve of the men were unable to continue the pursuit, and were permitted to return.

The remainder followed the trail until eleven o'clock A. M., when a bell was heard, which they supposed indieated their approach to the Indian camp. A halt was called, and all useless baggage and clothing laid aside.

Whiteman and two others were sent ahead as spies, in different directions, each being

followed by a detachment of the party. After moving forward some distance, it was found that the bell was approaching them. They halted, and soon perceived a solitary Indian riding towards them. When within one hun- dred and fifty yards, he was fired at and killed. Kenton directed the spies to proceed, being now satisfied that the camp of the Indians was near at hand. They pushed on rapidly, and after going about four miles. found the Indians eneamped on the southeast side of the east fork of the Little Miami, a few miles above the place where the town of Williamsburg has since been built. The indications of a considerable body of Indians were so strong, that the expediency of an attack at that hour of the day was doubted by Kenton. A hurried council was held, in which it was determined to retire, if it could be done without discovery, and lie concealed until night, and then assault the camp. This plan was carried into execution. Two of the spies were left to watch the Indians, and ascertain whether the pursuing party had been discovered. The others retreated for some distance, and took a commanding posi- tion on a ridge. The spies watched until night, and then reported to their commander that they had not been discovered by the

329

BROWN COUNTY.

encmy. The men being wet and cold, they were now marched down into a hollow, where they kindled fires, dried their clothes, and put their rifles in order.

The party was then divided into three de- tachments,-Kenton commanding the right, M'Intyre the centre, and Downing the left. By agreement, the three divisions were to move towards the camp, simultaneously, and when they had approached as near as possi- ble, without giving an alarm, were to be guided in the commencement of the attack, by the fire from Kenton's party. When Downing and his detachment had approached close to the camp, an Indian rose upon his feet, and began to stir up the fire, which was but dimly burning. Fearing a discovery, Downing's party instantly shot him down. This was followed by a general fire from'the three detachments, upon the Indians who were sleeping under some marquees and bark tents, close upon the margin of the stream. But unfortunately, as it proved in the sequel, Kenton's party had taken " Boone," as their watch-word. This name happening to be as familiar to the enemy as themselves, led to some confusion in the course of the engage- ment. When fired upon, the Indians, instead of retreating across the stream, as had been anticipated, boldly stood to their arms, returned the fire of the assailants, and rushed upon them. They were reinforced, more- over, from a camp on the opposite side of the river, which, until then, had been unperceived by the whites. In a few minutes, the Indians and the Kentuckians were blended with each other, and the cry of "Boone," and "Che Boone," arose simultaneously from each party.

It was after midnight when the attack was made, and there being no moon, it was very dark. Kenton, perceiving that his men were likely to be overpowered, ordered a retreat, after the attack had lasted for a few minutes ; this was continued through the remainder of the night and part of the next day, the Indians pursuing them but without killing more than one of the retreating party. The Kentuckians lost but two men, Alexander M'Intyre and John Barr. The loss of the Indians was much greater, according to the statements of some prisoners, who, after the peace of 1795, were released and returned to Kentucky. They related that fourteen In- dians were killed, and seventeen wounded. They stated further, that there were in the camp about one hundred warriors, among them several chiefs of note, including Tecum- seh, Battise, Black Snake, Wolf and Chin- skan ; and that the party had been formed for the purpose of annoying the settlements in Kentucky, and attacking boats descending the Ohio river. Kenton and his party were three days in reaching Limestone, during two of which they were without food, and desti- tute of sufficient clothing to protect them from the cold winds and rains of March. The foregoing particulars of this expedition are taken from the manuscript narrative of Gen. Benjamin Whiteman, one of the early

and gallant pioneers to Kentucky, now a resident of Greene county, Ohio.

The statements of Anthony Shane and of Stephen Ruddell, touching this action, vary in some particulars from that which has been given above, and also from the narrative in 'McDonald's Sketches." The principal difference relates to the number of Indians in the engagement, and the loss sustained by them. They report but two killed, and that the Indian force was less than that of the whites. Ruddell states, that at the com- mencement of the attack, Tecumseh was lying by the fire, outside of the tents. When the first gun was heard, he sprang to his feet, and calling upon Sinnamatha to follow his example and charge, he rushed forward and killed one of the whites (John Barr) with his war-club. The other Indians, raising the war-whoop, seized their arms, and rushing upon Kenton and his party, compelled them, after a severe contest of a few minutes, to re- treat. One of the Indians, in the midst of the engagement, fell into the river, and in the effort to get out of the water made so much noise that it created a belief on the minds of the whites that a reinforcement was crossing the stream to aid Tecumseh. This is supposed to have hastened the order from Kenton for his men to retreat.

The afternoon prior to the battle one of Kenton's men, by the name of M'Intyre, succeeded in catching an Indian horse, which he tied in the rear of the camp, and, when a retreat was ordered, he mounted and rode off. Early in the morning Tecumseh and four of his men set off in pursuit of the re- treating party. Having fallen upon the trail of M'Intire, they pursued it for some dis- tance and at length overtook him. He had struck a fire and was cooking some meat. When M'Intyre discovered his pursuers he instantly fled at full speed. Tecumseh and two others followed and were fast gaining on him, when he turned and raised his gun. Two of the Indians, who happened to be in advance of Tecumseh, sprung behind trees, but he rushed upon M'Intyre and made him prisoner. He was tied and taken back to the battle-ground. Upon reaching it Tecum- seh deemed it prudent to draw off his men, lest the whites should rally and renew the attack. He requested some of the Indians to catch the horses, but they hesitating, he un- dertook to do it himself, assisted by one of the party. When he returned to camp with the horses, he found that his men had killed M'Intyre. At this act of cruelty to a pris- oner he was exceedingly indignant, declar- ing that it was a cowardly act to kill a man when tied and a prisoner. The conduct of Tecumseh in this engagement and in the events of the following morning is creditable alike to his courage and humanity. Reso- lutely brave in battle, his arm was never up- lifted against a prisoner, nor did he suffer violence to be inflicted upon a captive without promptly rebuking it.

McDonald, in speaking of this action, says :

330

BROWN COUNTY.

" The celebrated Tecumseh commanded the Indians. His cantious and fearless intrepidity made him a host wherever he went. In military tactics night attacks are not allow- able, except in cases like this, when the as- sailing party are far inferior in numbers. Sometimes, in night attacks, panics and confusion are created in the attacked party,

which may render them a prey to inferior numbers. Kenton trusted to something like this on the present occasion, but was disap- pointed, for when Tecumseh was present his influence over the minds of his followers in- fused that confidence in his tact and in- trepidity that they could only be defeated by force of numbers."

nTIT

Drawn by Henry Howe, 1846.

PUBLIC SQUARE, GEORGETOWN.

GEORGETOWN IN 1846 .- Georgetown, the county-seat, is 107 miles from Columbus, 30 from Hillsboro, 46 from Wilmington, 21 from Batavia and West Union and 10 from Ripley. It was laid off in the year 1819, and its original proprietors were Allen Woods and Henry Newkirk. It contains 1 Presbyterian, 1 Baptist, 1 Christian Disciples and 1 Methodist church, a newspaper printing office and abont 800 inhabitants. The view shows the public square, with the old court- house on the left and on the right a new and elegant Methodist church .- Old Edition.

Georgetown, the county-seat, is in the valley of White Oak Creek, on the C. G. & P. Railroad, 42 miles southeast of Cincinnati and 10 miles north of the Ohio river. The town has changed less than many others since 1846. Another and a neat court-house occupies the site of the one shown, and the grounds are ornamented with a fine grove of trees.

County officers in 1888 : Probate Judge, George P. Tyler; Clerk of Court, C. C. Blair ; Sheriff, A. J. Thompson ; Prosecuting Attorney, D. V. Pearson ; Auditor, John W. Helbling ; Treasurer, J. P. Richey ; Recorder, G. C. Reisinger ; Surveyor, J. R. Wright; Coroner, John W. Adkins; Commissioners, Fred- erick Bauer, S. W. Pickerill, R. C. Drake.

Georgetown has 1 Presbyterian, 1 Christian, 1 Methodist, 1 Colored Methodist and 1 Colored Baptist church. Newspapers : Democrat (Dem.), D. S. Tarbell, editor ; News (Dem.), A. B. Fee & Lang, publishers; Gazette (Rep.), Wm. H. T. Denny. Banks: First National, Joseph Cochran, president, W. S. Whiteman, cashier. One woollen factory, R. Young & Co., 19 employees. A great deal of tobacco is shipped from here. Population in 1880, 1,293. School census 1886, 468 ; Isaac Mitchell, superintendent.

The greatest industry of this county is tobacco-raising, of which 3,702,542 pounds were produced in 1885, this amount being exceeded only by Montgomery county. Brown, however, takes precedence in the quality of tobacco. It is raised upon the bottom lands and hillsides by the water courses, the southern part of the county being more especially the tobacco region.

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Historical collections of Ohio in two volumes, an encyclopedia of the state, Volume I, Part 51

Author: Howe, Henry, 1816-1893 Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Cincinnati : Published by the state of Ohio Number of Pages: 1006

Author: Howe, Henry, 1816-1893
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Cincinnati : Published by the state of Ohio
Number of Pages: 1006