USA > Ohio > Champaign County > History of Champaign County, Ohio, Its People, Industries and Institutions, Volume I > Part 87
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but the saw-mill was operated year after year until a few years ago, when Pearl Bennett, the son of Barnett Bennett, who had run it for many years. sold it to parties in Georgia. It is now doing duty in the cypress swamps of that state.
Another woodworker of former years was Lester Smith, who had a small shingle factory in the basement of his house. He produced handmade oak shingles, but history does not record how many he could make in a day or how long he continued in the business. As has been stated, the first black- smiths were generally woodworkers, and divided their attention between iron and woodwork, but later the demands of the time called into existence special wagon makers. Thus, in 1856 it is recorded that Charles Marsh and N. P. Hewitt had a wagon shop and in 1872 this same Hewitt was still listed as a carriage, buggy, spring and farm wagon manufacturer. He was the last one to conduct such an industry in the village.
The first drain tile factory in the village and in the county as well was opened for operation by David Kenfield in 1857 about forty rods south of the railroad track. This factory passed through a number of hands and eventually became the property (about 1875) of W. H. Miller, who operated it until Ralph Burnham took it in 1880. It closed about 1885.
Another industry dating back more than half a century was the tannery business. On lot No. 7 of the Sylvanus Smith plat there is indicated a tan- nery standing in 1872. This industry had been operated by Thomas Archer and was discontinued in the seventies.
The history of the way Woodstock came to get the railroad which went west from Columbus to Indianapolis is one of intense interest. . It was pre- sumed that the road would go through Mechanicsburg to Urbana, a more direct route and consequently less expensive, but Woodstock had one man who was more than a match in diplomacy and financial ability for all of the citizens of Mechanicsburg. This one man was Erastus Martin. He made up his mind to have the railroad come through his village and he left no stone unturned and no pocketbook untouched to bring about this desired result. With his own means and with such money as he induced his neighbors to subscribe, together with the subsidy voted by his township, he was instru- mental in raising one hundred thousand dollars-a sum which was sufficient to induce the railroad company to put Woodstock on its right-of-way. The coming of the first train into the town in 1853 was made the occasion for a great celebration. For several years the railroad engines burned only wood and a shed was erected at Woodstock which would hold five hundred cords of four-foot wood for use in the engines. There was also a watering tank at
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Woodstock, the water coming from a dug well and being pumped into the large tank by the hand of Richard Linehan, who lived until about 1910. Old residents recall that a blind man by the name of John Moody, now deceased, was employed by the railroad company for years sawing wood with a buck saw.
PHYSICIANS.
A brief account has been given of the first exponent of the healing art- the woman with the healing apparatus, white horse and undertaker husband. The first real physician in the village was Dr. Daniel Delaney, who came to Woodstock with his wife in 1834 and built a house in the little village. He was a well-educated physician and soon built up an extensive practice. His wife was a cousin of Henry Ward Beecher, was a well-educated woman, and for many years was a teacher in the community. So excellent was the char- acter of her teaching that many school teachers completed their work under her schooling and went out to take charge of schools in Champaign, Logan and Union counties. In fact, there was a greater demand for Woodstock teachers trained in Mrs. Delaney's school than could be supplied. Her hus- band spent a few hours each day in the school room, long enough to "hear" the lessons in arithmetic.
The second physician to locate in Woodstock was Dr. Benjamin Daven- port, who settled there in 1836 with his wife, four boys and one girl. Within four years he had one of the most extensive practices of any physician in the county, and, until he left in 1859 for Oregon, he had all he could attend to. It is said that he never collected a bill for his services if he had to go after it; if his patients paid him they did so of their own volition. He seemed to have no care as to how he should live, but when his boys grew to maturity. the family home took on a very comfortable appearance. He was really a very competent physician despite the fact that he seldom gave any medicine.
It is not possible to go into details concerning the careers of the many physicians who have come and gone in the village. Following Doctor Daven- port came Dr. L. Swaine and he was succeeded by Dr. J. S. Crawford, who came to the village in 1854 from Logan county. Doctor Crawford practiced in the village until his death in 1889. The physicians since that year have included C. O. Johnson, L. C. Herrick, W. J. Green, D. W. Sharp and How- ard Sharp. L. C. Herrick was one of the best trained physicians Champaign county has ever had. A summary of his career is given in detail in the medi- cal chapter. Dr. Howard Sharp is now the only practicing physician in the
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village. He and his father had the only drug store in the village for many years. His mother now owns the drug store. The village is the birthplace of W. C. Hewitt, a homeopathic physician, who practiced in his native town for a few years, and then located at Xenia, where he is now practicing.
CHURCHES AND CEMETERIES.
The village has had two churches for more than seventy years. As has been stated, most of the first settlers were members of the Christian church, but a few years later most of those in the immediate vicinity of Woodstock became identified with the Universalist church. The Christian church was definitely organized on April 13, 1839, by Amos Stephens, Harrison Lines, Gardner Thomas. Elias Smith and others. They bought a lot of Sylvanus Smith in 1844 and built a brick church the same year, dedicating it on November 19. This same building is in use in 1917. The Universalists also erected a brick building in 1844, the trustees at the time being Jonas Miller, Eliphas Burn- ham and John McDonald. This church was in use until replaced by the pres- ent brick building in 1893. The Catholics have never been sufficiently strong in the community to have a building, but are served by the priest fronj Urbana at regular intervals. For many years mass was said at the home of Mrs. Michael Sullivan, but services are now held in one of the town halls. A complete history of the Woodstock churches may be seen in the church chapter. The first village cemetery was laid in 1846 and stands at the west side of the town. Richmond Sibley was the first person buried in the ceme- tery and during the seventy years of its existence it has acquired a population considerably in excess of the village by which it stands. The cemetery is one of the finest and best-kept cemeteries in the state for a village of the size of Woodstock, and the people are justified in being proud of it. A handsome vault was built in the cemetery in 1887. The most striking monument in the cemetery is the Cushman family monument. It was designed and sculped by Warren Cushman, now a resident of Zanesfield, Ohio. It contains the names of the various members of the family, a group of standing figures and busts of several other members of the family. The accompanying photograph gives a good general view of the monument.
THE FIRST SCHOOL BUILDING.
The first school building in the village was a rough log affair built in 1823, followed in 1829 by a brick structure. The latter structure was added
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to in 1843, and this building continued in use until 1860. In that year the school trustees erected a two-story brick building in the western part of the village. the grounds occupying the space between the highway and the railroad. The next building appeared in the latter part of the seventies and was made possible by a legislative act passed in 1877. Joseph Chamberlin was respon- sible for the passage of the act and, despite vigorous opposition on the part of many farmers, Woodstock saw its fourth school building. This building cost nine thousand dollars, and was first in charge of J. W. Freeman, who was at the head of the schools for nine years. He was followed by Stephenson Mc- Conkey, George Waite. Alonzo Smith, J. W. Cross. Thomas F. Johnson, M. A. Brown. I. L. Mitchell, C. C. Kail, - -- Miller, H. C. Cusick and R. A. Conrad. In March, 1893, the school building erected in 1877-78 was com- pletely destroyed by fire and the present building was erected in the summer of that same year. The high-school building was erected in 1915, and the Woodstock school district is now as well supplied with buildings and equip- ment as any school district in the county. Among other teachers prior to the nineties was Evan P. Middleton, now the common pleas judge of the county, who taught in the village during the seventies.
COLLEGE MEN AND WOMEN OF WOODSTOCK.
The state of Ohio is noted for the number and excellence of its colleges and universities. No statistics are available to show the number of Cham- paign county people who have attended college ; but a list of the young people of Woodstock who have attended college within the last few years has been compiled by one of the graduates of the Woodstock high school and later a graduate of Ohio State University. This list is not complete, but it indicates in a striking way that the present generation firmly believes in higher educa- tion. While this record is only for the Woodstock community, there are many others of the county which can doubtless furnish similar records. Not all of the appended names of Woodstockians were graduates, but they have at least attended college one or more years. In the following list, the names of those who graduated are indicated with an asterisk.
Ohio State University -* Raymond H. Smith, *Marion Carter. * Ernest Kimball, *Christine Kimball, *Clifford Briney, George Lincoln, Edward Kim- ball. James Miller, Frank Miller, Herbert Clark. Mrs. Herbert Clark ( Ruby Smith), *Howard Sharp (medical department ). Leroy Briney, Jared Cush- man, and Byron Hawley.
Miami University -* Vivian Crawford, *Frederica Crawford, *Kenneth
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Crawford, Sarah Martin, Robert Lincoln, Ruth Fox, *Mabel Briney (later attended Columbia University), *Helen Lincoln.
Ohio University, Athens, Ohio -* Fauntobelle Lattimer, *Marjorie Kim- ball, Mr. and Mrs. Wist.
Oberlin College-Mrs. Moultin Martin (Grace Carter), Mrs. Than Mad- den (Adah Westfall).
Antioch College-Philo G. Burnham, Mrs. Edna McMullin.
Columbia University-Mabel Briney, Leroy Briney.
College of Osteopathy, Kirksville, Missouri -* Carson Burnham, *Arthur Benedict, *Emmett Benedict.
Cleveland School of Homeopathy -* W. C. Hewitt.
Military Academy, Pontiac, Michigan-C. K. Lincoln.
King's School of Oratory, Pittsburg -* Eva Darrow.
Grant Hospital, Training School for Nurses, Columbus, Ohio -* Nellie Martin.
Harvard University-Rev. Harland Glazier.
SECRET ORGANIZATIONS.
The first settlers of Woodstock were opposed to secret organizations and it was not until the decade before the Civil War that the first fraternal society gained a foothold in the village. The Odd Fellows instituted a lodge on' October 22, 1850, and erected a brick building in that same year. This build- ing was burned in 1871 and was replaced by the present building two years later. There are traditions to the effect that a lodge bearing the peculiar title of "E. Clamups Vitus" thrived in the village years ago, but its history has disappeared along with the men who conceived its unique name. The Know- Nothings had an organization in the village during the heyday of the political party of that name, and the local organizations were genuine secret affairs- with rituals, grips, passwords, and such other paraphernalia, impedimenta. etc., as are usually associated with secret organizations. Then in later years came the famous, or infamous, according as it may be viewed, American Pro- tective Association. Probably no organization in the country has ever aroused as much discussion as the American Protective Association. and while it lasted in Woodstock it was the means of furnishing plenty of conversation for the loafers around the stores during the long winter evenings. No more honor- able organization ever came into existence than the Grand Army of the Repub- lic. and it was but natural that Woodstock should organize a post as soon as the national organization began spreading to the different states. The local
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post was organized in 1886, but its members have been fast answering the last roll call and now there are only a few left. The Junior Order of Ameri- can Mechanics has maintained an active organization since it was established.
BANKS.
The first banking institution in the village was a building and loan asso- ciation formed by L. C. Herrick. A. B. Howard and George Riddle, about 1870. It lasted for about three years and voluntarily suspended business. The village was without banking facilities until April 4, 1877, when the Woodstock Bank was organized with A. P. Howard, president, and George Riddle, cash- ier. These men operated the bank until 1880, when Moulton & Riddle became the owners and operated the same until the spring of 1883. For a brief period of nearly four months the village was again without banking facilities. On October 1, 1883, True Martin assumed control of the banking business and organized the present bank. E. P. Black was chosen the first president, and he was succeeded by D. W. Sharp. After his death H. D. Martin was elected to the presidency and is the present incumbent. True Martin has been the cashier since the beginning.
In May. 1906, the Peoples Bank opened for business with D. R. Kimball, president ; W. C. Fullington, vice-president : and S. F. Burnham, cashier. The bank erected a fine brick building on the northeast corner of the square, containing five business rooms on the lower floor, besides the quarters for the bank, and a large hall for public gatherings on the second floor. The officers of the institution at the present time consist of the following: D. R. Kimball, president; W. G. Fullerton, vice-president ; A. R. Connor, cashier; W. C. Fullington, F. G. Fullington, D. R. Kimball, W. C. Kimball, C. P. Kimball, George Hann and Henry Westfall, owners and directors. The bank has a financial responsibility of two hundred and fifty thousand dol- lars.
INCORPORATION.
The population of Woodstock had reached a place in 1870 where many of the leading citizens of the village felt that it would be advantageous to have it incorporated and to this end circulated petitions in order to ascertain the sentiment of the voters of the village. On March 31, 1870, forty-one voters of the village, representing a total population of two hundred and seventy-five within the limits of the proposed corporation, presented a peti- tion to the county commissioners and on the 30th of the following May
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the commissioners granted the prayer of the petitioners. The official pro- ceedings incident to the incorporation of the village are taken from the official record in the recorder's office, plat book B. p. 32.
To the honorable the commissioners of Champaign ocunty, Ohio. The undersigned petitioners, legal voters of the village of Woodstock. Rush township. Champaign county. Oblo, residing within the limits of the territory named in the petition, respectfully petition your honorable body that you organize the following territory Into an "Incor- porated village for special purposes." towit : " the territory lying within the limits of a. quarter of a mile extending in every direction from the center of the public square of said village of Woodstock, said limits embracing one-half a mile square, for fuller par- tleulars refer to map of territory proposed to be Incorporated accompanying this peti- tion. The name proposed for the corporation is the name the village now bears, "Wood- stock." about 275 persons reside within the proposed limits of the corporation and we hereby authorize J. F. Gowey to act as our agent in the matter. Signed by Joseph Chamberlin and forty others. This petition will be heard by County Commissioners at their office In Urbana, Ohio, on Monday, May 30 1870. Woodstock, Ohio, March 19, 1870.
J. F. Gowey. Ageut.
1. Joseph Chamberlin. 15. B. H. Reynolds.
29. J. H. Abbot.
2. C. C. Wait,
16. Samuel Standish, 30. D. H. Hall.
2. J. G. Hoisington. 17. Barnet Bennet. 31. 8. P. Carlson,
4. J. Frank Gowey. 18. David Smith.
5. R. Smith,
19. J. H. Weiser.
33. Jesse Smith.
6. Minard Sessions. 20. I .. Smith.
7. G. W. Clark.
8. George Riddle.
Samuel A. Standish.
36. Cyrus Smith.
9. Miles Standish. George McDonald, 37. J. B. Reed.
10. John McDonald. 24. James S. Foster.
11. W. S. Cushman, 25. John Pampel.
12. Joseph Judy. 2. Charles P. Pollard,
40. T. J. Crawford.
13. D. S. Abbot.
27. N. P. Hewitt.
41. S. W. Painter.
14. C. C. Smith.
28. J. E. Hewitt.
A REMONSTRANCE AGAINST INCORPORATION.
To the Hon: The commissioners of Champaign county. state of Ohio. We, the undersigned residents and property holders of Woodstock. Champaign county. Ohio. do humbly remonstrate and protest against the petition now before your humble body praying for the incorporation of said town for special purposes for the reason that we think the incorporation is not needed and that we can get along under the present laws of Oblo regulating villages, etc .. Woodstock. Champaign county. Ohio, May 2. 1870 :
James Bindon. John Willett,
Dexter Smith.
Thomas Archer.
John Lockwood, F. Cranston.
Nathan Davis.
Jerry Stapleton.
William Casey.
C. B. Jennings,
Michael Morrissey,
G. M. Jennings.
34. Azro Smith.
21. I. C. Herrick.
John Judy.
38. F. I .. Mason.
39. John D. Taylor.
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COMMISSIONERS ORDER INCORPORATION.
In the matter of petition for the organization of the incorporated village of Wood- stock for special purposes, a petition was this day presented to the county commissioners signed by thirty or more legal voters on the territory described therein praying that it may be organized into an Incorporated village for special purposes to be known as the "Incorporated Village of Woodstock for special purposes," which petition is filed in the office of the county auditor; whereup the commissioners fixed a time for the hearing of said petition for Monday, May 30, 1870. at the hourt house In Urbana. On the 30th day of May. 1870, sald petition came on for bearing and after a careful examination of the petition. map and the objectious, the commissioners find that the said petition contains all the matters required, and that its statements are true, that the name pro- posed for said corporation is appropriate, that the limits thereof have been accurately described and that the same are not unreasonably large or small, and that the map or plat thereof is accurately made, that the persons whose names are subscribed thereto are legal voters, residing on said territory, that at least 50 qualified voters reside on said territory, and It is deemed right and proper by the commissioners that said petition be granted. It is ordered that the corporation as named and asked for in the petition be organized. It is hereby certified that the foregoing is a full and complete transcript of the proceedings had by us in the above stated matter.
Attest : J. M. Fitzpatrick, auditor, received the foregoing for record June 10. 1870.
Thomas F. Wood, 7. P. Cayre, E. M. Bennett.
Commissioners of Champaign County. Ohlo.
WOODSTOCK IN 1872.
There has been preserved in an atlas of the county published in 1872 a complete directory of Woodstock, and, what is valuable from a historical standpoint, the atlas contains a plat of the town as it appeared after its incorporation in 1870, with the names of the owners of the various lots printed thereon. Beginning at the east end of Bennet street, on the north side, the following names give the complete list of the owners on the north side of the street to the west side of the incorporation : Lockwood, D. Gifford, E. Cranston, Susan Cushman, C. Cushman, Rian, W. Casey, D. P. Smith, A. L. McDonald, "Tip" Smith, Carlton & Gowey, M. Sullivan, Universalist church, N. P. Hewitt, A. Smith.
The south side of the same street beginning from the east has the fol- lowing: E. Cranston, L. Park, A. Foster, J. Conner, Burnette Elsworth, R. Smith, Hiram Guy. E. Cerrier, B. E. Fish, Dexter Smith, Erastus Martin, Joseph Chamberlin, David Watson, T. J. Crawford, and school.
Main street beginning at the south and following the east side of the street had the following: The factory, W. H. Miller, R. Linehan,
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D. Smith, C. B. Jennings, A. Cushman, D. Hanley, R. Smith, D. Smith, J. Hicks, Mrs. Flynn, Mrs. Waite, N. Davis, C. Smith, M. Guager (and turning to the right) Geo. McDonald, C. C. Waite and Mrs. Ballon. The west side of Main street beginning at the south line had the following resi- dents : J. A. McDonald, railroad station, W. S. Cushman, J. W. Crawford drug store, Odd Fellow building, Hiram Guy, Carlton & Gowey, Mrs. E. M. Smith, Mrs. S. Fairchild, Mrs. L. Riddle, J. S. Crawford, J. Conway, Mrs. A. Shipley (and turning to the left-now called Flynn Place Avenue ) tannery, A. Smith and P. M. McDougal. The owners of the northwest section of the town were R. A. Smith, Mrs. M. Smith, Miles Standish, A. Smith, Jason Taylor, Mrs. Waite and Mrs. L. Smith. This gives the owner of all lots indicated on the plat of 1872 with the exception of Michael Morrissey who lived on what is now Burnwell avenue, just north of the Universalist church.
In addition to the business interests represented on the map it is known that the following were located in Woodstock in 1872: L. C. Herrick, physician; J. F. Gowey, attorney-at-law; S. A. McAdow, liveryman and Barnet Bennett, saw-mill.
WOODSTOCK LIBRARY ASSOCIATION.
The Woodstock Library Association was organized at the drug store of George Riddle & Company, on the evening of May 19, 1874, by the following persons: J. F. Gowey, Rev. T. N. Glover, Dr. L. C. Herrick, Levi Kidder, George Riddle, N. P. Hewitt, N. W. Chamberlin, Charles Colwell, Samuel Standish, S. D. Fairchild, J. A. McDonald and Miss A. L. McDonald. According to the by-laws and regulations of the organization the number of stockholders was to be unlimited, and each share was to sell for five dol- lars.
The first officers elected by the organization included the following : S. D. Fairchild, president; Rev. T. N. Glover, secretary and treasurer; Dr. L. C. Herrick, librarian. The executive board, composed of the president, secretary and treasurer, decided to call in half of the capital stock and to expend the same for books. The purchasing committee selected and bought thirteen volumes and with this small stock opened the library in the office of Doctor Herrick. The first book was loaned on May 29, 1874. In August, 1874, the association negotiated with several persons who owned collection of books and thus secured thirty-three volumes, taking the shares at a fair valuation on the shares of stock. The library was kept supplied with reading material by means of assessments on the capital stock, made
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at intervals of every three or four months, until the stock was paid up. After all the stock had been paid the library was supported by an assessment of fifty cents on each share for a period of four months, together with rentals, fines and entertainments.
The library continued to enjoy a more or less prosperous career for nearly fifteen years, but about 1888 the interest in it had waned to such an extent that it was deemed advisable by the few remaining stockholders to close the institution permanently. By that time the library had accumu- lated about five thousand volumes, besides a goodly collection of magazines and pamphlets. F. T. Crawford was the last regular librarian in charge. The books were divided among the stockholders and the library was closed forever. Since that time the school authorities have installed a library in the school building, which is to all intents a free library for the community.
POSTOFFICE.
The postoffice was established shortly after the village was laid out but no information is at hand to show when it was established or who was the first postmaster. Among the postmasters who have been identified with the office are H. Poland, John Hoisington, C. C. Smith, James Welch, S. M. Over- field, N. P. Hewitt, Walter C. Gifford and S. M. Overfield, the present incum- bent, who was appointed November 20, 1909. One rural route serves the rural community from this office. The present postoffice is in the township building.
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