USA > Ohio > Historical collections of Ohio in two volumes, an encyclopedia of the state, Volume I > Part 6
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Ohio to-day is in the very heart of the nation ; and, being on its great high- way, over which its commerce and travel flow, and where its people must mingle for an interchange and broadening of ideas, she must infallibly be national and broad in her policy and character. Her soil is of the richest, and there is no preponderating industry to give to her citizens a one-sided development. Agriculture, manufactures, mining, and commerce, the four great pursuits of man, she has in remarkable equipoise. To this should be added prominence in education.
The unusually large numbers of small colleges, cheap and accessible every- where, have given multitudes the prime requisite of the higher education, that is, mental discipline, and the uses of the instruments of knowledge. These, with natural capacity, will ever enable their possessors to attain to the very summits. In instructors in learning she has produced a host, and to-day, in the department of religion, she shows an unsurpassed spirit of Christian enter- prise and self-sacrifice, leading all the States in the number of missionaries to heathen lands.
The noble history of the State, the heroic character of her sons and daugh- ters so signally shown therein, the many eminent leaders she has produced in every department, remain an imperishable inspiration to the young now born upon her soil to further advance the commonwealth in everything that will .int ure to her moral and material grandeur
·
A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF OHIO.
BY FRANK HENRY HOWE.
NOTE .- In compiling this article the writer has drawn from the following sources of information : " Topographical and Historical Sketch of Ohio," Whittlesey; "Ohio Archaeological and Historical Quarterly," Vol. I; "Geography and Geology of Ohio," Orton; "History of Ohio," Ryan ; "Ohio, A Sketch of Industrial Progress," Short; "Ohio, A Century's Growth," Graham; "United States Census, 1880; " "Ohio Statistics, 1887."
OF TH Primitive Races .- Evidences of the existence of man in Ohio previous to the glacial period have been found, and evidences of a civiliza- STATE tion in Ohio after the glacial period are JEAL abundant. The works of that race of people popularly called "the Mound-builders," con- sisting of earthworks, such as mounds, forts, effigies, etc., are said to number more than ten thousand in Ohio, and are more numer- OF ous in this State than in any other equal area GREAT in the world. The most important of these THE OTHO are the Serpent Mound, in Adams county, which in its convolutions is more than a thousand feet in length; Fort Ancient, in Warren county, length of surrounding en- bankment about five miles and estimated to contain 628,800 cubic yards of material ; Fort Hill, in Highland county, enclos- ing an area of thirty-five acres; Graded Way, in Pike county ; fortifications at Newark, covering over 1000 acres. The largest mound in the State, at Miamis- burg, is sixty-eight feet in height and 800 feet in circumference at the base.
In the mounds are found portions of human skeletons, frequently partly con- sumed by fire, with ornaments of shells, bone, stone, mica and copper. Along the water-shed in the central part of the State the works are not as numerous as in other parts and indicate that this was neutral ground between two tribes or races. The works in the northern part of the State, which extend eastward along Lake Ontario, by their character indicate a more warlike people than those in the southern part, whose works are largely altars, effigies, pyramids, etc., sacred in character and indicating a more numerous and industrious people.
A marked difference exists in the shape of the skulls found in these mounds. Those in the north are generally low and long, while in the south they are mostly high and short, which furnishes additional evidence that there were two different tribes or races. The latest conclusion in regard to these Mound-builders is that the northern, or long-headed, conquered the southern, or short-headed, people ; that the two intermingled, the result of the amalgamation being the North American Indian. The Indians, however, have no knowledge of the origin of the mounds and earthworks and no traditions in support of this theory. The principal In- dian tribes of Ohio were the Delawares, Shawanese, Miamis, Wyandots, or Hurons, Ottawas, Senecas and Mingoes. It has been estimated that their entire popula- tion at the beginning of the Revolutionary war was only about 6,000, which was about one Indian to every seven square miles.
Historical .- The first explorations by Europeans in what is now Ohio were made by the French, La Salle's discoveries dating from 1667. Its territory was in dispute between the French and English until by the treaty of 1763 the French
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52
DESCRIPTION OF OHIO.
assigned the "Great West " to the English. In the spring of 1779 George Rogers Clark, in behalf of Virginia, wrested control of the region afterwards known as the Northwest Territory from the English by the defeat and unconditional sur- render of Gov. Hamilton at Fort Vincennes.
By the treaty of 1788 Great Britain relinquished her right and interest in the Northwest Territory, and the United States assumed control, acknowledging the claim made by Virginia to 3,709,848 acres, near the rapids of Ohio, and a similar claim by Connecticut to 3,666,621 acres, near Lake Erie, which became known as the " Western Reserve." These claims were admitted as to ownership, but in no way as to jurisdiction. In 1787 Congress passed the ordinance creating the Northwest Territory, the first commonwealth in the world whose organic law recognized every man as free and equal. The first permanent settlement made under the ordinance was at Marietta, in 1788, by officers of the Revolutionary army. Gen. Arthur St. Clair was appointed by Congress the first Governor of the Northwest Territory. The early years of the Northwest Territory were har- assed by Indian warfare until, in 1794, when Gen. Anthony Wayne, at the " Bat- tle of Fallen Timbers," defeated them with terrible loss. The first territorial Legislature was organized in 1797 and chose Wm. Henry Harrison delegate to Congress. In 1800 Congress divided the Northwest Territory into two govern- ments, the seat of the eastern government being fixed at Chillicothe. November 29, 1802, a constitution of State government was ratified and signed by the mem- bers of a convention authorized by act of Congress. February 19, 1803, the con- stitution was approved by Congress and Ohio recognized as a State, the seven- teenth in order of admission. Edward Tiffin was elected the first Governor of Ohio.
The seat of government was at Chillicothe until 1810, in Zanesville till 1812, and again in Chillicothe till 1816, when Columbus was made the permanent capital.
Geographical .- Ohio is bounded on the north by Lake Erie and the State of Michigan, on the east by Pennsylvania and West Virginia, on the south by the Ohio river, which separates it from West Virginia and Kentucky, and on the west by Indiana. It is situated between 38° 27' and 41º 57' north latitude, and 80° 34' and 80° 49' west longitude. Its greatest length from north to south is about 210 miles, and the extreme width from east to west about 225 miles. The area of Ohio is 40,760 square miles. In 1886 the number of acres cultivated was 9,705,735 ; in pasture, 6,180,875; woodland, 4,854,473 ; lying waste, 604,699.
The Ohio river extends along half of its east front and the whole of the south- ern boundary, bordering the State for a distance of 436 miles. The lake shore of the State is 230 miles, giving a total navigable front of 666 miles. The sur- face of the State is that of an und ulating plateau, with an average elevation of about 200 feet above Lake Erie, which is 565 feet above the sea-level. The highest elevation, 1550 feet above mean tide, is near Bellefontaine, Logan county, the lowest land at the mouth of the Great Miami, a little less than 440 feet above tide. The main water-shed extends across the State from its northeastern corner to about the middle of its western boundary, dividing the State into two unequal slopes, of which the northern, much the smaller, drains into Lake Erie, and the southern sends its waters through the Ohio into the Gulf of Mexico.
The northern part of the State gently slopes to Lake Erie; the central part is nearly a level plain, and the southern part uneven and hilly, caused by the excavative power of the streams flowing into the Ohio. The larger part of the State was originally well covered with timber.
The Ohio River is formed by the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers at Pittsburg, in the western part of Pennsylvania. Its entire length to the Mississippi, following its meanderings, is about 950 miles, while an air-line from Pittsburg to Cairo would only measure about 615 miles. Through a large part of iis course it flows in an excavated trough from 400 to 600 feet below the adjacent hills. Its average descent is less than five inches to the mile. Its current ranges from two to five miles an hour, according to the season of the year. The average be- tween high and low water (times of freshets or droughts) is generally about sixty feet. At its lowest stage the river is fordable in several places between Cincin- nati and Pittsburg. The river has many islands, some of which are valuable for their fertility and very picturesque, while others, known as tow-heads, are sandv.
53
DESCRIPTION OF OHIO.
The streams flowing south into the Ohio are the Muskingum, Scioto, Hocking and Little and Great Miamis.
The Muskingum is formed by the confluence of the Tuscarawas and Walhond- ing rivers, which rise in the northern part of the State and unite at Coshocton. From this point it flows in a southeasterly direction, about 110 miles through a beautiful, fertile and populous region to the Ohio at Marietta, where it is about 225 yards in width. It is navigated by steamboats as far up as' Dresden, ninety- five miles from Marietta.
The Scioto is a beautiful river, one of the largest streams which intersect the State. It rises in Hardin county and flows southeasterly to Columbus. There it receives its principal affluent, the Olentangy, after which its direction is southerly, till it enters the Ohio at Portsmouth. The Ohio and Erie canal fol- lows its valley for a distance of ninety miles. Its tributaries are, besides the Olentangy, or Whetstone river, the Darby, Walnut and Paint creeks.
The Great Miami river rises in Hardin county, near the head-waters of the Scioto, and runs southwesterly, passing Troy, Dayton and Hamilton. It is a beautiful and rapid stream, flowing through a highly productive and populous valley in which limestone and hard timber are abundant. It is about 150 miles in length and empties into the Ohio at the southwestern corner of the State.
The chief rivers of the northern slope are the Maumee, Sandusky, Huron and Cuyahoga, all emptying into Lake Erie, and all but the first being entirely within the limits of the State.
The Maumee rises in Indiana, but runs for about eighty miles in Ohio, and is navigable as far as Perrysburg, a distance of eighteen miles.
The other three rivers have rapid courses and afford a large amount of valu- able water-power.
Lakes .- A remarkable feature of Ohio is the almost entire absence of lakes or ponds. A very few small ones are only found in the northern part of the State. Lake Erie, which forms the northern boundary of Ohio, next to Ontario, is the lowest in mean elevation of the series of great North American lakes. It is 290 miles in length and 57 miles in width at the widest part. There are no islands except in the west end and very few bays. Its greatest depth is off Long Point, 312 ieet. The shores are principally drift clay or hard pan, upon which the waves are continually encroaching. At Cleveland, from the first survey in 1796 to 1842, the encroachment was 218 feet along the entire city front. The coast is low, seldom rising ahove fifty feet at the water's edge.
Lake Erie, like the other great American lakes, has a variable surface, rising and falling with the seasons, like great rivers, called the "annual fluctuation," and a ;eneral one, embracing a series of years due to meteorological causes, known as the "secular fluctuation."
Its lowest known level was in February, 1819, rising more or less each year, until June, 1838, in the extreme to six feet eight inches. Reducing each year to an average the difference between 1819 and 1838 was five feet two inches, and the average annual rise and fall, obtained by the mean of twelve years, one foot one and one-half inches.
There are several important harbors and ports in Olio, among which are Cleveland, Toledo, Sandusky, Port Clinton, Fairport and Ashtabula. Valuable improvements have been made in some of these harbors at the expense of the general government. By means of the Welland canal, in Canada, vessels not exceeding 130 feet in measurement of keel, 26 feet beam, and 10 feet draught, can pass to and fro between Lake Erie and the Altantic Ocean. The first steam- boat was launched upon Lake Erie in 1818.
The Climate of Ohio is one of extremes. Between the average summer and winter temperatures there is a difference of at least 40º Fahrenheit. In a central east and west belt the average winter temperature is 73º. Southern Ohio has a mean annual temperature of 54°, and Northern Ohio of 49°. Notwithstanding sudden and severe changes, the climate is proved by every test to be excellently adapted to both vegetable and animal life. The rainfall is generous and admir- ably distributed. The average total precipitation of Southern Ohio is forty-six inches ; of Northern Ohio, thirty-two inches; of a large belt in the centre of the State occupying nearly one-half of its entire surface, forty inches.
54
DESCRIPTION OF OHIO.
Natural Resources .- The southern slopes of the water-shed are very fertile, specially adapted for grain, the bottom lands of the rivers growing prolific crops of corn ; the northern slopes are superior for grazing and dairy products, partic- ularly on the " Western Reserve," long famous for the latter. The uplands produce large crops of wheat. Fruit culture is a profitable industry, especially on the shores and islands of the western part of Lake Erie, where grape growing and wine making have assumed large proportions. Berry culture has been a source of much profit in the southern and southeastern parts of the State. The eastern and southeastern parts of Ohio contain about 12,000 square miles of coal- producing strata. In most of the coal regions iron ore and fire clay are mined to a greater or less extent and support extensive furnaces and manufactories. Petroleum and natural gas are abundant and widely distributed. Other mineral productions are cement rock, gypsum, peat, salt, marl, lime and building stone. The sandstone quarries are among the best in the United States.
The Population in Ohio in 1790 was 3,000; in 1800, 45,365; 1810, 230,760; 1820, 581 295; 1830, 937,903; 1840, 1,519,467 ; 1850, 1,980,329; 1860, 2,339,511; 1870, 2,665,260 ; 1880, 3,198,062; of which were male, 1,613,936 ; female, 1,584,- 126 ; native, 2,803,119 ; foreign, 394,943; white, 3,117,920; colored, 79,900; Chinese, 109; Indians, 130.
Nativities of the People .- Of the population in 1880, 2,361,437 were born in Ohio ; in Pennsylvania, 138,163; Virginia, 51,647; West Virginia, 12,812; New York, 64,138; Maryland, 20,091; Massachusetts, 10,854; Michigan, 11,403; Indiana, 27,202; Illinois, 10,013; Kentucky, 32,492; New Jersey, 10,487 ; Connecticut, 9,003 ; Vermont, 7,064. Of the foreign population there were born in the Ger- man Empire, 192,597; Austria, 1,681; Bohemia, 6,232; British America, 16,- 146; England, 41,555; Ireland, 78,927; Scotland, 8,946; Wales, 13,763; France, 60,131; Switzerland, 11,989; Holland, 2,455; Hungary, 1,477; Italy, 1,064; Poland, 2,039; Sweden, 1,186.
Emigration from Ohio .- Born in Ohio, resident in Indiana, 186,391 ; in Illinois, 136,884; Iowa, 120,495; Kansas, 93,396; Missouri, 78,938; Michigan, 77,053; Nebraska, 31,800; West Virginia, 27,535; Pennsylvania, 27,502; Kentucky, 27,115; Wisconsin, 20,512; California, 17,759; Minnesota, 15,560; Colorado, 11,759; New York, 11,599; Texas, 7,949; Oregon, 6,201; Arkansas, 5,254; Tennessee, 5,035.
Population of Cities of more than 10,000 inhabitants (census of 1880) : Akron, 16,512; Canton, 12,258; Chillicothe, 10,938; Cincinnati, 255,139; Cleveland, 160,146; Columbus, 51,647; Dayton, 38,678; Hamilton, 12,122; Portsmouth, 11,321 ; Sandusky, 15,838 ; Springfield, 20,730 ; Steubenville, 12,093 ; Toledo, 50,137 ; Youngstown, 15,435; Zanesville, 18,113.
Counties (which number 88) and County Seats .- Adams, West Union. Allen, Lima. Ashland, Ashland. Ashtabula, Jefferson. Athens, Athens. Auglaize, Wa- pakoneta. Belmont, St. Clairsville. Brown, Georgetown. Butler, Hamilton. Car- roll, Carrollton. Champaign, Urbana. Clarke, Springfield. Clermont, Batavia. Clinton, Wilmington. Columbiana, New Lisbon. Coshocton, Coshocton. Craw- ford, Bucyrus. Cuyahoga, Cleveland. Darke, Greenville. Defiance, Defiance. Delaware, Delaware. Erie, Sandusky. Fairfield, Lancaster. Fayette, Washington C. H. Franklin, Columbus. Fulton, Wauseon. Gallia, Gallipolis. Geauga, Chardon. Greene, Xenia. Guernsey, Cambridge. Hamilton, Cincinnati. Han- cock, Findlay. Hardin, Kenton. Harrison, Cadiz. Henry, Napoleon. High- land, Hillsboro. Hocking, Logan. Holmes, Millersburg. Huron, Norwalk. Jackson, Jackson. Jefferson, Steubenville. Knox, Mt. Vernon. Lake, Painesville. Lawrence, Ironton. Licking, Newark. Logan, Bellefontaine. Lorain, Elyria.
Lucas, Toledo. Madison, London. Mahoning, Youngstown. Marion, Marion. Medina, Medina. Meigs, Pomeroy. Mercer, Celina. Miami, Troy. Monroe, Woodsfield. Montgomery, Dayton. Morgan, Mc Connellsville. Morrow, Mt. Gilead. Muskingum, Zanesville. Noble, Caldwell. Ottawa, Port Clinton. Paulding, Paulding. Perry, New Lexington. Pickaway, Circleville. Pike, Waverly. Port- age, Ravenna. Preble, Eaton. Putnam, Ottawa. Richland, Mansfield. Ross, Chillicothe. Sandusky, Fremont. Scioto, Portsmouth. Seneca, Tiffin. Shelby, Sidney. Stark, Canton. Summit, Akron. Trumbull, Warren. Tuscarawas, New Philadelphia. Union, Marysville. Van Wert, Van Wert. Vinton, Mc Arthur.
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DESCRIPTION OF OHIO
Warren, Lebanon. Washington, Marietta. Wayne, Wooster. Williams, Bryan. Wood, Bowling Green. Wyandot, Upper Sandusky.
Principal Places .- Columbus, capital, site of prominent State institutions, large carriage and other manufactures, important railroad and centre of great coal- mining interests. Cincinnati, largest city in the State, noted for public spirit and public institutions, great commercial and manufacturing centre. Cleveland, second largest city, most important of the lake ports, notable for commerce and manufactures, specially iron and petroleum. Akron, seat of flour and woollen mills, paint and sewer-pipe manufactures. Toledo, commercial, manufacturing and railroad interests. Sandusky, largest fish-market in the world, wine-making, lime and lumber interests. Dayton, manufacturing centre, agricultural imple- ments, paper machinery and cars. Hamilton, manufacturing city, machinery, steam-engines, paper, etc. Springfield, seat of largest agricultural implement manufactures in the world, centre of productive wheat-growing region. Newark, prosperous mining centre and manufacturing city. Mansfield, centre of agricul- tural region, agricultural implement and other manufactures. Chillicothe, first seat of government of Ohio, centre of rich agricultural region, railroad repair- shops. Bellaire, emporium of farming and mining region, and especially nail and glass manufacturing. Canton, large agricultural implement, and iron man- ufactures, centre of rich wheat region. Xenia, twine and cordage manufactures and gunpowder mart. Findlay, manufacturing, natural gas and oil interests. Lima, petroleum and natural gas interests. Zanesville, manufacturing and espe- cially fire-clay products, mining centre. Youngstown, mining and iron manu- facturing. Ashtabula, growing iron and coal-shipping interests. East Liverpool, centre of great clay goods manufacturing region, next to Trenton, N. J., the greatest in the United States, producing one-third of all the clay goods. Ironton, centre of mining and a great iron manufacturing region. Portsmouth, an old manufacturing town. Steubenville, mining centre, glass, iron and fire-clay manufactures.
Commerce .- There are four ports of entry in Ohio, Cincinnati, Toledo, Sandusky and Cleveland. The total imports for the year ending June, 1886, were $2,531,903, and the exports were $1,363,968. In this aggregate no exports are credited to Cincinnati, the bulk of the amount having been from Toledo, one of the leading lake grain-shipping ports. The entrances at the three lake ports for the year ending June, 1886, were 834 vessels, of 137,171 tonnage; and the clearances were 945 vessels of 180,027 tonnage. The number of vessels registered, enrolled and licensed was 257, of 102,416 tonnage.
In 1880, Ohio had 24,529,226 acres, valuation $1,127,497,353, devoted to agri- culture. Of the population 297,495 people were engaged in farming pursuits. The number of farms was 247,189 ; the average value of cleared land per acre $47.53; and the value of forest land $41.37.
Staple crops for 1885, U. S. Dept. Agriculture :
Classes.
Acres.
Bushels.
Value.
Corn
3,017,464
111,865,000
$35,796,800
Wheat
2,018,952
20,593,000
18,739,630
Oats
1,003,680
37,470,000
10,116,900
Rye.
35,394
389,000
233,600
Barley
40,583
832,000
557,408
Buck wheat.
12,995
182,000
118,255
Potatoes
166,035
12,453,000
4,856,524
Classes.
Acres.
Tons.
Value.
Hay
2,499,000
2,748,900
$31,447,416
Tobacco.
36,703
33,667,000 lbs.
2,127,306
Other statistics drawn from the Ohio State Reports for 1887 give average wage of farm hands, per month, with board, $15.75; without board, per month, $21.35;
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DESCRIPTION OF OHIO.
without board, per day, $1.05. Broom corn, 1,809,349 lbs. ; flax, 137,112 bushels, seed, 1,951,406 lbs., flax fibre; milk, 15,399,265 gals .; butter, 54,466,355 lbs .; cheese, 19,544,406 lbs .; sorghum, 467,772 gals .; honey, 2,113,479 lbs .; eggs, 41,599,859 dozen ; grapes, 26,649,211 lbs .; wine, 680,620 gals .; sweet potatoes, 130,350 bushels ; apples, 23,609,037 ; peaches, 834,962; pears, 144,145; cherries, 255,487 ; plums, 135,709 bushels ; wool, 19,702,329 lbs. ; number of horses owned, 725,814; cattle, 1,637,130; sheep, 4,277,463; hogs, 1,595,373; mules, 24,378.
Railroads .- For the year 1887 total track mileage of railroads reported to the Ohio Commissioner of Railroads was 18,358, of which 9,849 miles are within the State. The amount of capital stock paid in was $512,344,549, of which $44,642, 612 was owned by 16,389 stockholders resident in Ohio. Total stock and debt of the entire line was $1,105,625,469, of which the proportion for Ohio was $557,- 845,232. Cost of road and equipment of entire line, $1,007,145,278 ; proportion for Ohio, $471,763,561. The entire line had 3,769 locomotives, 130,061 cars, of which 126,205 were freight, 1,597 passenger, and 612 express or baggage cars. The en- tire line transported 34,372,926 passengers, at an average cost per passenger of 2.179 cents per mile, and 85,739,801 tons of freight, at an average cost per ton of .707 cents per mile. The net earnings of the entire line were $18,795,072; operating expenses, $75,275,891 ; interest paid on funded and unfunded debt, $15,- 188,403; dividends paid, $6,481,398.
In 1887 there was in Ohio 49,008 miles of telegraph wire; 1,019 telegraph offices with 1,158 employees. [Electric light and motor and telephone wires not included.]
Canals .- " The Miami and Erie system, being the main canal, from Cincinnati to Toledo, 250 miles, the canal from the junction to the State line 18 miles and the Sidney feeder 14 miles, making in all a total of 282 miles ; the Ohio Canal, extending from Portsmouth to Cleveland, a distance of 309 miles, together with 25 miles of feeders, or a total of 334 miles ; the Hocking canal, 56 miles long, and the Walhonding, 25 miles ; the Muskingum Improvement, extending from Dresden to Marietta, a distance of 91 miles, is now under the control of the Gen- eral Government. So exclusive of the latter there is a total canal mileage of 697 miles owned by the State of Ohio. The reservoirs are: Grand Reservoir in Mercer County, covering 17,000 acres; the Lewistown in Logan County, 7,200 acres ; the Lorain in Shelby County, 1,800 acres; Six Mile in Paulding County, 2,500 acres ; Licking in Licking County, 3,600 acres; and the Sippo in Stark County, 600 acres, making a total in reservoirs of 32,100 acres. The Paulding Reservoir has lately been abandoned. The different canals with their reservoirs were built at a total cost of $15,967,650."
Political .- State, congressional and presidential elections take place on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The number of electoral votes is 23. The Legislature consists of 33 Senators and 108 Representatives, both classes elected for two years. The sessions are biennial, convening on the first Monday in January, without limit of time, but adjourned sessions practically make them annual. All the elective officers are chosen for two years, except the Auditor, whose term is four years, Commissioner of Common Schools, Board of Public Works, Clerk of the Supreme Court, whose terms are three years, and Judges of the Supreme Court, whose terms are five years. The number of voters 826,577, of which 613,485 are native whites, 191,386 foreign whites and 21,706 colored. (Census of 1880.) All males twenty-one years of age, native or naturalized, are entitled to vote, provided they have resided one year in the State, thirty days in the county, and twenty days in the township or ward and have been registered before the day of election. Salary of the Governor $8,000 per year. The legal rate of interest is 6 per cent .; by contract 8 per cent.
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