Historical collections of Ohio in two volumes, an encyclopedia of the state, Volume II, Part 7

Author: Howe, Henry, 1816-1893
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Cincinnati : Published by the state of Ohio
Number of Pages: 916

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Colonel Wright and others, who witnessed its progress, think it advanced at the rate of a mile per minute, and did not last more than a minute and a half or two minutes. The cloud was exceedingly black, and sometimes bore hard upon the ground, and at others seemed to rise a little above the surface. One peculiarity was, that the fallen timber lay in every direction, so that the course of the storm could not be determined from the position of the fallen trees.

Many incidents are related by the inhabi-

LICKING COUNTY.

tants calculated to illustrate the power, as well as the terror, of the storm, among which are the following. A chain from three to four feet long, and of the size of a common plow-chain, was taken from the ground near the house of John M'Clintock, and carried about half a mile, and lodged in the top of a sugar-tree stub, about twenty-five feet from the ground. An ox, belonging to Col. Wait Wright, was carried about eighty rods and left unhurt, although surrounded by the fallen timber, so that it required several hours chopping to release him. A cow, also, was taken from the same field and carried about forty rods, and lodged in the top of a tree, which was blown down, and when found was dead and about eight feet from ground. Whether the cow was blown against the tree-top before it was blown down, or was lodged in it after it fell, cannot be deter- mined. A heavy ox-cart was taken from the yard of Colonel Wright and carried about forty rods, and struck the ground with such force as to break the axle and entirely to demolish one wheel. A son of Colonel Wright, upwards of fourteen years of age, was standing in the house holding the door. The house, which was built of logs, was torn to pieces, and the lad was thrown with such violence across the room as to kill him in- stantly. A coat, which was hanging in the same room, was found, in the following November, in Coshocton county, more than forty miles distant, and was afterwards brought to Burlington, and was identified by Colonel Wright's family. Other articles, such as shingles, pieces of timber and of furniture, were carried twenty, and even

thirty miles. Miss Sarah Robb, about twelve years of age, was taken from her father's house and carried some distance, she could not tell how far; but when consciousness re- turned, found herself abont forty rods from the house, and walking towards it. She was much bruised, but not essentially injured. The family of a Mr. Vance, on secing the storm approach, fled from the honse to the orchard adjoining. The upper part of the house was blown off and carried through the orchard ; the lower part of the house re- mained. Two sons of Mr. Vance were killed -one immediately, and the other died in a day or two from his wounds. These, and the son of Colonel Wright, above mentioned, were all the lives known to be lost by the storm. A honse, built of large logs, in which was a family, and which a number of workmen had entered for shelter from the storm, was raised up on one side and rolled off the place on which it stood without in- juring any one. A yoke of oxen, belonging to Wm. H. Cooley, were standing in the yoke in the field, and after the storm were found completely enclosed and covered with fallen timber, so that they were not released till the next day, but were not essentially injured. A black walnut tree, two and a half feet in diameter, which had lain on the ground for many years, and had become em- bedded in the earth to nearly one-half its size, was taken from its bed and carried across the creek, and left as many as thirty rods from its former location. A crockery crate, in which several fowls were confined, was carried by the wind several miles, and, with its contents, set down without injury.

THE REFUGEE TRACT.

Abridged from an article published in the Newark American, by Isaac Smucker, entitled "A Bit of Important History Appertaining to Licking County."

During the Revolutionary war many of the people of the British provinces so strongly sympathized with the cause of the American colonies that they were obnoxious to their neighbors, and were ultimately obliged to abandon their homes and property, and seek refuge in the colonies, where some entered the Revolu- tionary army. The property of such was confiscated, and they became permanent citizens of the United States.

By resolutions passed by Congress, April 23, 1783, and April 13, 1785, the refugees were, "on account of their attachment to the interest of the United States, recommended to the humanity and particular attention of the several States in which they reside," and informed that, "whenever Congress can con- sistently reward them by grants of land they will do so, by making such reasonable and adequate provision for them on our public domain as will amply remunerate them."

The realization of these promises held out to the refugees was a work of time depend- ing upon the passage of the celebrated or- dinance of 1787, which established civil government in the Northwest Territory, and opened the public lands to survey and settle-

ment. On the 17th of April, 1798, Congress progressed t> the point of inviting all refu- gccs who were claimants of land to make their claims apparent to the War Department within two years from the date of said action, by "rendering a full and true account of their claims to the bounty of Congress."

The refugees thereupon made proofs of their respective services, sacrifices and suffer- ings in consequence of their attachment to the cause of the colonies against the mother country, and when the legal limit had ex- pired, within which proof of claims must be made, the Secretary of War divided the refugees into a number of classes, awarding to the first class 2,240 acres, and to the lowest 160 acres.

WILLIAM BURNHAM WOODS, Judge of United States Supreme Court.

ROADTO NEWARK

LOCK

SUNTRIC OHIO RE

CANAL

OTHO

DEEP LAKE

ANCIENT WORKS, NEWARK, OHIO.

LICKING COUNTY.

On February 18, 1801, Congress took action upon the report of the Secretary by appro- priating about 100,000 acres, which they deemed sufficient to meet all the awards. This was a tract four and a half miles wide, and extending eastward from the Scioto river towards the Muskingum, about forty- eight miles, terminating in Muskingum county not far east of Gratiot.

Two and a half miles of this four and a half miles strip, as originally surveyed, belonged to the United States military tract, and the remaining two miles was Congress land.

This line, dividing the military from the Congress land, running through the refugee tract, forms the southern boundary of Lick- ing county, and the northern boundary of Fairfield and Perry counties. Thus all three of these counties have each a strip of the refugee tract.

Although the refugee tract, as originally appropriated, extended into Muskingum county, but few, if any, refugee locations were made there, because it was land in ex- cess of the awards, and so reverted to the government.

The little notch on one and a half by two and a half miles, taken out of the south- eastern corner of Licking county, was also doubtless part of the refugee tract. It is supposed that it was at this notch that the refugee locations terminated, for the reason there were no more refugee claims to satisfy.

The national road runs almost the entire forty-eight miles from the Scioto river to Hopewell township, Muskingum county, within the refugee tract. The southern boundary of Licking county was also the southern boundary of the United States military tract of 1,500,000 acres.

The following is a list of the refugees and the quantities awarded to them, to wit :

To the following, 2,240 acres: Martha Walker, widow, John Edgar, Samuel Rodgers, James Boyd's heirs, P. Francis Cazean, John Alling, Seth Harding.

To the following, 1,280 acres : Jonathan Eddy, Col. James Livington, Parker Clark, John Dodge's heirs.

The following, 960 acres : Nathaniel Reynolds' heirs, Thomas Faulkner, Edward Faulkner. David Gay, Martin Brooks, Lieutenant-Colonel Bradford, Noah Miller, Joshua Lamb, Atwood Fales, John Starr, William How, Ebenezer Gard- ner, Lewis F. Delesdernier, John M'Gowan, Jonas C. Minot, Simeon Chester's heirs, Charlotte Hasen, widow, Chloe Shannon, widow, Mrs. Obadiah Ayer, widow, Israel Rutland's heirs, Elijah Ayer's heirs, Edward Antell's heirs, Joshua Sprague's heirs.

The following, 640 aeres : Jacob Venderhayden, John Livingston, Jacob Crawford, Isaac Danks, Major B. Von Heer, Benjamin Thompson, Joseph Binden, Joseph Levittre, Lieutenant Wm. Max- well, John D. Mereer, Seth Noble, Martha Bogart, widow, John Halsted, Robert Sharp, John Fulton, John Morrison.

The following, 320 acres : David Jenks, Am- brose Cole, James Cole, Adam Johnson, Jeremiab Dugan's widow and heirs, Daniel Earl, Jr., John Paskell, Edward Chinn, Joseph Cone, Jolin Torreyre, Elijah Ayer, Jr., Anthony Burk's heirs, James Sprague, David Diekey, John Taylor, and Gilbert Seaman's heirs. To Samuel Fales alone was awarded 160 aeres.

Thus the land was divided into sixty-nine parts, amounting to 65,280 acres, to which should be added seven sections. or nearly 5,000 acres more, awarded to the inhabitants by Congress for school purposes. making in all about 70,000 acres. The locations were made by law on the 2d of January. 1802, and patents were promptly issued.

Newark in 1846 .- Newark, the county-seat, is thirty-seven miles, by the mail route, easterly from Columbus, at the confluence of the three principal branches of the Licking. It is on the line of the Ohio canal, and of the railroad now constructing from Sandusky City to Columbus, a branch from which, of about twenty-four miles in length, will probably diverge from this place to Zanesville. Newark is a beautiful and well-built town, on a level site, and it has the most spacious and elegant public square in the State. It was laid out, with broad streets, in 1801, on the plan of Newark, N. J., by General William C. Schenk, George W. Burnet, Esq., and John M. Cummings, who owned this military section, com- prising 4,000 acres.

The first hewed-log houses were built in 1802, on the public square, by Samuel Elliott and Samuel Parr. The first tavern, a hewed- log structure, with a stone chimney, was opened on the site of the Franklin House, by James Black. In 1804 there were about fif- teen or twenty families, mostly young married people. Among the early settlers were Mor- ris A. Newman, Adam Hatfield, Jas. Black, John Johnson, Patrick Cunningham, Wmu. Claypole, Abraham Miller, Samuel H. Smith, Annaniah Pugh, James Petticord, John and Aquila Belt, Dr. John J. Brice, and widow Pegg. About the year 1808 a log building

was erected on or near the site of the court- house, which was used as a court-house and a church, common for all denominations. The Presbyterians built the first regular church, about 1817, just west of the court- house, on the public square. The first ser- mon delivered in Newark, by a Presbyterian, and probably the first by any denomination in the county, was preached under peculiar circumstances.

In 1803 Rev. John Wright, missionary of the Western Missionary Society at Pittsburg, arrived on a Saturday afternoon at Newark, which then contained five or six log-cabins

LICKING COUNTY.

and Black's log tavern, at which he put up. On inquiring of the landlady, he found there was but one Presbyterian in the place, and as he was very poor, he concluded to remain at the tavern rather than intrude upon his hospitality. The town was filled with people attending a horse-race, which, not proving satisfactory, they determined to try over the next day. Mr. Wright retired to rest at an early hour, but was intruded upon by the horse-racers, who swore that he must either join and drink with them or be ducked under a pump, which last operation was coolly per- formed upon one of the company in his pres- ence. About midnight he sought and obtained admittance in the house of the Presbyterian, where he rested on the floor, not without strenuous urging from the worthy couple to occupy their bed. The next morning, which was Sunday, when the guests ascertained he

was a clergyman, they sent an apology for their conduct, and requested him to postpone preaching until afternoon, when the race was over. The apology was accepted, but he preached in the morning to a few persons, and in the afternoon to a large congregation. The sermon, which was upon the sanctifica- tion of the Sabbath, was practical and pun- gent. When he concluded, a person arose and addressed the congregation, telling them that the preacher had told the truth; and although he was at the horse-race, it was wrong, and that they must take up a con- tribution for Mr. Wright. Over seven dollars were collected. In 1804 Mr. Wright settled in Lancaster, and after great difficulty, as the population was much addicted to vice, suc- ceeded, in about 1807, through the aid of Mr. David Moore, in organizing the first Presbyterian church in Newark.

NEWARK contains two Presbyterian, one Baptist, one Episcopal, one Methodist, one Welsh Methodist, one German Lutheran, one Welsh Presbyterian and one Catholic church ; three newspaper printing-offices, two grist-mills, one foundry, one woollen-factory, six forwarding-houses, ten groceries, one book, two hardware, and eighteen dry-goods stores. In 1830 it had 999 inhabitants ; in 1840, 2,705 ; in 1847, 3,406 .- Old Edition.

NEWARK, county-seat of Licking, is on the Licking river, thirty-three miles east of Columbus, on the P. C. & St. L., C. O., and S. M. & N. Railroads. The Magnetic Springs, a noted health and pleasure resort, are just at the corporation line. Newark is the centre of a prolific grain and wool-producing district, and is also a manufacturing centre. County officers : Auditor, Allen B. Coffman ; Clerk, Thomas F. Lennox ; Commissioners : Henry Shipley, John Tucker, Bar- clay I. Jones ; Coroner, David M. Smith ; Infirmary Directors, Nathaniel Rugg, Benjamin B. Moats, Finley Stafford ; Probate Judge, Jonathan Rees ; Prosecut- ing Attorney, John M. Swartz; Recorder, Jonathan V. Hilliard ; Sheriff, An- drew J. Crilly ; Surveyor, George P. Webb; Treasurer, William H. Davis. City officers : Mayor, Moses P. Smith ; Clerk, William Allen Veach ; Solicitor, William D. Fulton ; Street Commissioner, Albert Daugherty ; Marshal, H. J. Rickenbaugh ; Chief of Police, C. L. Brooke; Treasurer, W. H. Davis. News- papers : Advocate, Democratic, J. H. Newton, editor ; American, Republican, Lyon & Ickes, proprietors; Banner, Republican, Milton R. Scott, editor ; Express, German, F. Kochendorter, proprietor ; Licking County Republican, Re- publican, M. P. Smith, editor and publisher. Churches : one Congregational, one Welsh Congregational, one Lutheran, one German Lutheran, one Advent, one Methodist Episcopal, one German Methodist, one African Methodist Episcopal, two Presbyterian, one German Presbyterian, one Catholic, one Baptist, two Prot- estant Episcopal. Banks : First National, J. Buckingham, president, F. S. Wright, cashier ; Franklin, Robbins, Winegarner, Wing & Co; People's Na- tional, Gibson Atherton, president, J. H. Frankliu, Jr., cashier.

Manufactures and Employees .- Charles Kibler, Jr., & Co., stoves, 45 hands ; Newark (Ohio) Wire-Cloth Co., brass and copper wire-cloth, 22; The Edward H. Everett Co., fruit-jars and bottles, 230; Moses & Wehrle, stoves and ranges, 55 ; Excelsior Rolling Mills, flour and feed ; Londenslager & Atkins, brass and copper wire-cloth ; Nutter & Haines, mouldings, etc .; Newark Paper Co., 21; T. H. Holman, carriages, wagons, etc., 15; Dorsey Bros., flour and feed ; John H. McNamar, traction engines, etc., 35; Bourner & Phillips, doors, saslı, etc., 16 ; Garber & Vance, doors, sash, etc., 25; D. Thomas & Co., flour and feed; R. Scheidler, traction engines, 25; Newark Steam Laundry, laundrying, 9; James E. Thomas, founders and machinists, 45 ; Loudenslager & Sites, flour and feed ;

LICKING COUNTY.

Ball & Ward, carriages and buggies, 22; Union Iron Works, traction-engines ; Newark Wind-Engine Co., wind-engines ; Newark Daily American, printing, etc., 14; B. & O. Railroad Shops, railroad repairs, 550 ; Advocate Printing Co., print- ing and binding, 22; Lane Bros., structural iron works, 25 .- State Report, 1888. Population in 1880, 9,600. School census, 1888, 3,857 ; J. C. Hartzler, school superintendent. Capital invested in industrial establishments, $410,300. Value of annual product, $737,200. U. S. census, 1890, 14,270.

The Newark Earthworks are the most extensive, numerous and diversified in style and character, of any within the State. The purpose of their erection seems as difficult of explanation at the present day as when first discovered in 1800. The first impression in viewing them is, that they were constructed for military purposes ; but a closer examination explodes this theory, and fails to substitute any more rational one. Suffice it to say, that we must consider these works as one of the mysteries of the past, unless the science of archaeology, which has made such wonderful advances in the past few years, shall solve its mysteries for us.

The following description of these works is extracted from an article by Hon. Isaac Smucker, published in the "American Antiquarian : "

The Raccoon and South Fork creeks unite on the southern borders of Newark, and these ancient works cover an area of three or four square miles between these streams and con- tignous to them, extending about two miles up the Raccoon and a less distance up the South Fork. These works are situated on an elevated plain, thirty or forty feet above these streams, the Raccoon forming the north- erly boundary of said plain, and the South Fork its southwestern boundary. The streams come together nearly at right angles, the three or four square miles of land, therefore, cov- ered with these ancient works, situated be- tween said creeks, and extending several miles up both of them from their junction, are, in form, very nearly an equilateral triangle.

The foregoing works consisted of earth mounds, both large and small, in considerable

numbers, of parallel walls or embankments. of no great but tolerably uniform height ; of small circles, partial or incompleted circles, semi or open circles, all of low but well- marked embankments or walls ; of enclosures of various forms and heights, such as large circles-one parallelogram, one octagon, and, others which may have become partially or wholly obliterated under the operation of the plow, or through the devastating action of the elements, their banks having been orig- inally of small elevation, and among them one of the class designated as "effigy mounds." This remains in a good state of preservation, situated within and about the centre of the largest circular enclosure, known as "The Old Fort." It is a representation of an im- mense bird "on the wing," and is called " Eagle Mound."

In the terrible railroad strike and riot in July, 1877, in the West, by which many lives were lost in Pittsburg, Chicago and elsewhere, there was great trouble at Newark, the strikers there resorting to force by side-tracking trains. The acting Governor, Thomas L. Young, called out and assembled at Newark troops from Cincinnati, Dayton and elsewhere, and by persoual consultation with the leaders of the strike, and by his cool, judicious management, restored peace and order without bloodshed.

OPENING OF OHIO CANAL.

The opening of the Ohio Canal was a matter of very great import to the people of Ohio, and although the canal met with its due share of opposition, the people generally expected great things through the canal and were determined that it should be commenced with due pomp and ceremony. Governor Clinton had been invited and accepted the invitation to be present and dig the first shovelful of earth.

The commissioners had decided on the advice of Judge D. S. Bates, of New York, the chief engineer of the work, that the opening should take place on the Licking Summit, in Licking county, about three miles west, on the 4th of July, 1825.

Governor Clinton's Reception at Cleve- the steamboat Superior on the last day of June. Crowds assembled to meet him. Mr.

land .- Governor Clinton entered Ohio on

LICKING COUNTY.

George B. Merwin, who as a boy witnessed the ceremonies of the reception at Cleveland, thus describes them.

"It was a heavenly day, not a cloud in the sky, the lake calm as the river, its glistening bosom reflecting the fierce rays of an almost tropical sun ; the boat soon passed Water street, dressed with all her flags, and came to anchor about a mile opposite the mouth of the river and fired her usual signal gun.

Her commander, Captain Fisk, ordered the steps to be let down and her yawl boat placed along side of them; then taking Governor Chnton by the hand seated him in the stern of the boat, and was followed by his aids, Colonel Jones, Colonel Read and Colonel Solomon Van Rensselaer, who had traversed the State when a wilderness, as an officer under General Wayne, Messrs. Rath- bone and Lord, who had loaned us the money with which to commence the canal, and Judge Conkling, United States District Judge, of New York.

They came up the river, the stars and stripes waving over them, and landed at the foot of Superior street, where the reception committee with carriages and a large con- course of citizens awaited them and took them to the Mansion House, then kept by my father, where Governor Clinton was addressed by the late Judge Samuel Cowles, who had been selected by the committee to make the reception address.

Governor Clinton made a eloquent reply. In a part of his remarks he made the state- ment, 'that when our canals were made, even if they had cost five million dollars, they would be worth three times that sum ; that the increased price of our productions in twenty years would be worth five million dollars ; that the money saved on the trans- portation of goods, to our people, during the same period would be five millions of dollars, and that the canals would finally by their tolls refund their entire cost, principal and interest. ' "

The First Spadeful of Earth .- The next day the party departed by stage for Licking county. There they were received on behalf of Licking county by Judge Wilson and Alexander Homes, and on the part of Fair- field by Judge Elnathan Scofield and Colonel John Noble. The latter has described the opening ceremonies in the Columbus Gazette as follows :

"The ceremonies commenced as had been agreed upon. Governor Clinton received the spade, thrust it into the rich soil of Ohio, and raised the first spadeful of earth, amidst the most enthusiastic shouts of the thousands present. This earth was placed in what they called a canal wheel-barrow. Then the spade was passed to Governor Morrow, the then Governor of Ohio, a statesman and farmer. He soon sunk the spade its full depth, and raised the second spadeful. Then commenced a hustle for who should raise the next. Captain Ned King, as we familiarly called him, having the command of an in- fantry company present from Chillicothe,

raised the third ; then some of the guests in Governor Clinton's company, and finally, the barrow being full, Captain King took hold of the handles and wheeled it out to a bank. For me at this time to attempt to describe the scene is impossible-the most enthusi- astic excitement by all the thonsands, and shouts of joy went to the All-Giver. The feeling was so great that tears fell from manly eyes, the strong expression of the heart. Mr. Thomas Ewing, of Lancaster, was orator of the day. The stand for speaking was in the woods. The crowd was so great that one company of cavalry were formed in a hollow square, around the back and sides of the stand for speaking. The flies, after a three days' rain, were so troublesome that the horses kept up a constant tramping, which induced the following remark from my old friend Caleb Atwater, that evening at Lan- caster : 'Well,' says he, 'I suppose it was all right to have the horses in front of the speaker's stand, for they cannot read and we can. ' ">

Wages on the Ohio Canal .- Governor Clinton and friends, Governor Morrow, Messrs. Rathburn and Lord, and many others were invited to visit Lancaster, where they were handsomely entertained by the citizens. They then passed north to Colum- bus. The Lancaster, Ohio, Bank was the first to .make terms with the Fund Com- missioners to receive and disburse the money, in payment of work as estimated every month, on the Roaring Canal, as the boys on the work were pleased to call it. Boys on the work-only think of it, ye eight hour men ! Their wages were eight dollars per 26 working dry days, or 302 cents per day, and from sun- rise to sunset. They were fed well and lodged in shanties, and had their jiggers of whiskey the first four months.

Remarkable Increase in Values -Mon came from Fairfield, Hocking, Gallia, and Meigs counties, and all the country around came forward. Farmers and their sons wanted to earn this amount of wages, as it was cash, and they must have it to pay taxes and other cash expenses. Wheat sold at 25 cents per bushel, corn 12} cents delivered in Lancaster or at distillery, oats ten cents. But before the canal was finished south of the Summit, the North End, from Dresden to Cleveland, was in operation. Then wheat sold on the canal at 75 cents per bushel, and corn rose in proportion, and then the enemies of the canal, all of whom were large land- holders or large tax-payers, began to have their eyes opened. One of these I will name. A Mr. Shoemaker, of Pickaway county, below Tarlton, was a rich land-owner, and had opposed the building of the canal, as it would increase his tax, and then be a failure. This same gentleman, for such he was, told me his boys had, with one yoke of oxen and farm-cart, hauled to Circleville potatoes and sold them for forty cents per bushel, until they had more money than paid all his taxes for the year. This was an article they never had sold before, and he was now a convert

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Historical collections of Ohio in two volumes, an encyclopedia of the state, Volume II, Part 7

Author: Howe, Henry, 1816-1893 Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Cincinnati : Published by the state of Ohio Number of Pages: 916

Author: Howe, Henry, 1816-1893
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Cincinnati : Published by the state of Ohio
Number of Pages: 916