USA > Ohio > Champaign County > History of Champaign County, Ohio, Its People, Industries and Institutions, Volume I > Part 91
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EARLY BUSINESS CONCERNS.
The first tavern in the village stood where the Anderson Inn is located at the present time. Charles Joiner was the owner and proprietor and con- ducted a tavern that was well worthy of the name. He was one of the first business men of Mechanicsburg and also served the town as marshal and con- stable for many years. It is said upon good authority that his father was one of the wealthiest men living in Champaign county during the pioneer days. However, Charles was not as successful as his father and not many years passed until he was forced to give up his tavern. He then engaged in the mercantile business across the street from the old tavern and was in busi- ness there for many years. The second tavern was located on the present site of the Knights of Pythias building, but the name of the proprietor is not now recalled.
The first drug store in town was located on the site of the present tin- shop. The owner and proprietor was Doctor Owens, who employed a man by the name of Keyes, who lived at Woodstock and was a tinner by trade. Keyes had been so unfortunate as to break his leg, and had called upon
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Doctor Owens to set the fractured member. Doctor Owens explained to him that he would never be able to follow his vocation again, and suggested to him that he come to Mechanicsburg and clerk in his drug store. Although he knew absolutely nothing about drugs, he performed his duties to the satis- faction of the Doctor and the store's customers.
The first bank of Mechanicsburg, according to tradition, was kept by one of the early merchants, who had a little spare money. In connection with his store he loaned money to such of his customers as had need of the accom- modation, and the idea occurred to him of calling his place of business a banking house as well as a grocery. As the story goes, the "vault" of his bank was a stocking leg, the money being placed in one of his wife's stock- ings at the close of each day's business and hidden in some obscure place. But this pioneer banker was of the dishonest variety, and when he thought that he had in his possession as much money as it would be possible for him to secure, he made his escape, leaving his wife with the empty stocking and the "bank's" depositors without their money.
What in reality may be said to be the first bank was started in 1816, with John Owen as president and Samuel R. Miller as cashier. The bank issued its notes for small amounts, which passed among the people for a short time. However, the institution was not in existence any length of time. At one time, when sixty dollars of the bank's notes were presented for pay- ment, a panic almost ensued, greatly to the embarrassment of the managers, as it was a serious drain on the bank's capital.
The first blacksmith to set up a shop in the village was a man of the name of Worley, and his shop was located on the site of the brick house owned by George Bumgardner, on South Main street. The next man to operate a shop was the father of Henry Tullis. The father and son ran the shop for several years, or until the son become dissatisfied with the trade, when the shop was given up, the owner moving into the country, where he became a prosperous farmer.
MECHANICSBURG GAS COMPANY.
For many years prior to 1879 the village of Mechanicsburg had been lighted, if at all, by coal oil lights. As the town grew larger the people demanded a better lighting system and this desire led to an election held on September 18, 1878, for the purpose of voting on the question of permitting a gas-light company to lay pipes in the streets. The vote was almost unanimous in favor of allowing the gas company all of the usual priv-
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ileges. Thereupon the Mechanicsburg Gas Light Company was formed, with a capital stock of fifteen thousand dollars and the village was lighted for the first time about the middle of February, 1879. A. L. Mckaig was the first secretary and manager of this company. The town was lighted with gas until the time of the installation of electric lights in 1904. Gas is still used, however, for all of the usual purposes. The present organization of the gas company is made up of J. C. Sceva, president ; C. R. Hunter, vice-president. and J. D. Burnham (the largest stockholder), secretary-treasurer.
A BIT OF REMINISCENCE.
The following reminiscence, penned by Mrs. O. C. Hupp, April 1, 1917, is herewith reproduced for the purpose of presenting a vivid picture of Mechanicsburg as it existed during the later pioneer days :
On this beautiful Sunny afternoon, I am busy with reminiscences of the early days in this little burg. Starting with the Staley homestead ou South Main street, a visit to the old place itself is one of the happy milestones, with its basement kitchen wherein Mary Mulcahy reigned supreme and its old enclosed porch. with brick floor and rope swing and the kindly hospitality of "Aunt Em" and "Uncle Stephen" and white-haired Grandpa Staley, nud. oh yes! we must not forget the drink of cold milk and the bubbling cold spring water from the old spring house. Across the road was the old homestead of Rev. Parsons. The writer remembers when the brick residence now owned by Calvin Hunter was being built. The creek had to be crossed on a log. The old homestead of Colonel Dye came next, and afterwards owned by Mr. Wilkinson, where Tully Mckinney and wife now reside. Across the railroad was the old Big Four depot, a long wooden structure that was pretty nearly as good as the one still used as a station. Billie Abbot had a grocery on the west corner of South Main, and oh! yes, we must not forget the little old one-story house occupied by Mrs. Abbot and her parrot. friends of all the children in town. Our pennies went to buy things to get "Poll" to talk. Sometimes she was pleasant and again her words would be pretty black. She would say "Pretty Poll" and "Polly wants a cracker" and then maybe some youngster would shake the old cedar tree that she always perched on and then she certainly could make the atmosphere blue with the words that smelled of brimstone.
And the old pond. what grand times we had Ice skating there; all the places are rebuilt on the west side of Main street, but the old house occupied by Ed Taylor. From the Layton home up to the corner were little old frame buildings, part of them with wooden steps, several in number, occupied by G. W. Hupp. Taylor's drugs and some there I do not remember: Robert Jones' store, Sammy Mann's old picture gallery, where you could look pretty by being as stiff as it was possible and have your tintype taken: also the old Mann home; then the old hotel. a long low wooden structure on the corner where the present hotel stands. Where Doctor Ogden lives was an old livery barn and Joiner's hat shop where the men had their hats blocked over. Across on the opposite corner where the I. O. O. F. building now stands was Newcomb's lum- ber yard. The whole corner from William Saxbe's present home up to the blacksmith
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shop on the alley was towering stacks of lumber, fine walnut and all kinds of boards that he made coffins of. This was the play ground of the children.
Who is there that lived in those days that does not remember the postoffice; the games of hide and seek and tag. Across Main street was the vacant lot with a board fence around it; where we used to sit on the fence to see the circus parades and torch-light processions with Unele Jesse Bates In command, and hear "Bates Silver Cornet Band" play, where the telephone exchange and ('al Armfield's barber shop now stands, Doctor Lawler's home was then considered one of the show places of the town, now owned by T. J. Davis Fred Owen's home was Doctor Lawler's old apple orchard ; and the little old shop on the corner of the orchard-how we used to hold our breath and tiptoe up to the window to peep in at the woman's head in alcohol. I guess the task is too large for one afternoon. so will have to skip to the old school house. We had four rooms on the same site the present school house stands, but we had a board fence clear around it with a stile at the corner next to the A. L. Shaw place, the land being owned then by Major Baker, with a little low house stauding back in the trees, great towering trees, large cedar trees and vines and flowers; and oh! we don't want to forget the "Ware woods," beginning where William Osborn lives and' extending to the Stacy home where we had our May Day picnics, and the old grapevine swing where we swung down the hill at the back part and made the older ones hold their breath.
"Swinging in the grapevine swing. Laughing where the wild birds sing; O, breathe and sigh for the days gone by- Swinging In the grapevine swing."
FIRST JAIL AND CITY HALL.
The first jail was a log structure of two rooms and stood on the site, a little back from the street, just below the Farmers Bank. The story is told that when the jail was not occupied by prisoners that it was used by a certain lady in the town as a smoke house, and there were times when she had to make haste to get out her meat to make way for prisoners.
On March 11, 1878, the town council decided to submit the question of the erection of a city hall to the voters of the village. At that time there was no place of sufficient size in the village to accommodate a public gather- ing and there was a strong sentiment in favor of such a hall. An election was held on April 2, 1878, and the question was carried by a large majority. A lot had already been purchased, at a cost of nine hundred and seventy-five dollars, and by a special act of the Legislature, the town was authorized to issue bonds to the extent of eight thousand dollars with which to pay for the building. Afterward the Legislature authorized two thousand five hundred dollars more for the furnishings, etc. The building when completed and fur- nished entailed a cost of thirteen thousand dollars. The building contains a hall, jail, a council room and an assembly room.
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Bonds were issued to the extent of ten thousand five hundred dollars, eight thousand bearing eight per cent. interest and two thousand five hundred bearing seven per cent. interest. The remainder of the original cost had already been paid for by means of taxation. The last bond was paid on March 1, 1889.
In the erection of the town hall, in 1878, provisions were made to include the jail in this building, and the first ordinance with respect to this matter was adopted on March 25, 1879; however, the limits of the jail were not definitely established until March 9, 1885. According to the ordinance passed at that time the jail was established in the rear of the right-hand hallway of the first floor and the town marshal was given complete charge. He was to receive fifty cents for committing, and fifty cents for discharging each pris- oner, and was allowed forty cents a day for sustaining each prisoner. In 1885 the council passed an ordinance that had for its purpose the working of prisoners. According to the provisions of this ordinance, all male prisoners upon the non-payment of any fine or costs were to be sentenced to hard labor on the streets and alleys, for which labor they were to have the credit ofseventy- five cents a day. Each prisoner was to have iron chains and balls attached to his legs in such a manner as to prevent his escape. In case he refused to work he was to be kept on bread and water, and this menu to be granted him only twice a day until he was willing to go to work. Although the motive for the passage of this ordinance was for the best interests of the town, yet the instances have been few and far between where the ordinance has been enforced.
ELECTRIC LIGHTS.
A contract was entered into between the Electric Light Company of Mechanicsburg and the city council on January 18, 1904, whereby the Elec- tric Light Company was to furnish thirty two-thousand-candle-power lights to illuminate the streets and public places for the sum of sixty-six dollars per year, and as many additional lights as the council might see fit to install, at sixty dollars. The contract, as drawn up, was to expire at the end of ten years. The village was first lighted by electricity on May 1, 1904. In Janu- ary, 1914, a new contract was made between the Mechanicsburg Light & Power Company and the city council whereby the company was to furnish forty enclosed arc lamps at sixty dollars per year, and as many more as the council might consider necessary, at fifty-five dollars. The company fur- nished day-and-night service, except on Sundays, during the winter months,
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at ten cents per kilowatt, with the minimum charge of ninety cents per month on a sliding scale of ten cents for twenty to forty kilowatts; twenty cents for forty to sixty kilowatts, and thirty cents for sixty kilowatts and over.
EFFICIENT FIRE-FIGHTING FORCE.
The town has a strong and capable fire company, with H. H. Darling as chief. The fire equipment includes a chemical engine, a gasoline-water fire engine, a truck with ladders, several hundred feet of hose and a hand-pump. Scattered about over the town are numerous cisterns that are used in times of emergency.
One of the urgent needs of the town is a system of waterworks. A waterworks system could easily be installed, since in close proximity to the town are unlimited supplies of water that could be utilized without great expense. A proposition to install a waterworks system was submitted to the town council in March, 1917, but no definite action has been taken in the matter.
MECHANICSBURG SCHOOLS. Taken from the Reminiscences of J. S. Magruder.
In 1835 the log school building was located just back of where the first log church building stood, and Sarah Hazel was the teacher at that time. In those days the teachers received about ten dollars per month as a salary, which was made up by subscription by the parents. A few years later a brick school was erected on what was termed "The Green," not far from the old log building and where C. L. Burnham's stable yard is now. The school was maintained wholly by subscription, the cost for each pupil being about three dollars per quarter.
In the early fifties Robert Wilson came in and taught a select sclfool. He first taught in a small house just back of the old Methodist church, but as the interest grew and more pupils came in more room was required. There- upon he built a frame house on the Ed. Barr lot. About 1855, W. D. Henkle came over from Urbana for the purpose of assisting Wilson in the school work.
When the Akron school law became effective in 1855, the citizens of the village began to cast about in quest of a suitable location for a.school house. Finally some one said that Mr. Ware had made mention of the fact that he would give a lot for such a purpose. We hunted him up and, upon asking him the question, he said, "Yes, I'll give you a lot." With the pre- liminary matters settled we started up West Main street (there were no
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building then west of Darius Burnham's), and when we got in front of George Buffington's he told us that we might have that lot. We asked him how much ground he would give us and he remarked that he was willing to give just enough on which to build a house. We asked him about play- grounds, and he said, "You have all of this country to play on." I told the gentlemen with me that I would not accept his offer as a gift and be com- pelled to build on it and have no playgrounds. Uncle Dick Williams turned to me and said, "What better can we do? We have been all around and cannot find a suitable site." I told him, "Lansdales is the place for it-that has been my choice all the time." He said there was no use spending time about that, because Lansdale would not break in on his farm and sell us a lot. We approached him on the matter and he was very willing to meet our request. Then and there a motion was made that J. L. Magruder and Col. C. H. Newcomb be appointed a committee to buy two acres of Lansdale for school purposes. A satisfactory deal was made and the papers were signed in my home. A few days later he came into town and said that he had decided not to sell the property, but he was duly informed that the time had passed for him to change his mind. In 1856 a school building was erected. To keep pace with the growth of the town, it was found necessary to build an addition to the rear of the original building in 1871, at the cost of eight thousand dollars. The building as it then was, remained occupied until the erection of he present building, which is now entirely too small and inade- quate to serve the growing needs of the present school system.
The high school was established in 1878 by Frank Fuson. He probably did the work during the first year by himself, but at the beginning of the second year he was given an assistant. The first graduating class of the high school was in 1880 and the graduates included Clay Runyon and Marion Abrogast. The class of 1881 included seven members, of which number Charles A. Wood and Will Culbertson are the only ones now living in Mechanicsburg.
The first commencement was held on June 3, 1880. The school board at the time consisted of J. C. Sceva, president ; J. H. Runyan, clerk : E. D. Morgan, William Martin, S. S. Staley and C. K. Clark. The faculty was composed of Frank S. Fuson, Carrie Dalrymple and Millie Owen.
SUPERINTENDENTS AND TEACHERS.
The superintendents who have been at the head of the local schools include the following : Frank S. Fuson, 1878-89; John Marshall Mulford.
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1890-96; S. H. Layton, 1896-99; Charles R. Frankham, 1899-1902; E. A. Hotchkiss, 1902-04; C. C. Kohl, 1904-06; J. W. Bowen, 1906-12; Bert Highlands, 1913-17. Under the direction of Superintendent Highlands the school system has reached a high standard. The school has become accredited by the North Central Association of Secondary Schools and Colleges at St. Louis. As this honor comes to very few schools of this size, the people of Mechanicsburg surely have reason to be proud of their school system and also of the man who is largely responsible for the present condition of things. The school has a library of two thousand five hundred volumes.
The teachers for the school year 1916-17 include the following: Bert Highlands, superintendent; Edna Paschall, principal; Martha Rowinsky, Latin and German; Ella Clemans, English and Latin; J. C. Woodward, science; Bess Hunter, music; W. T. Thompson, eighth grade; Zita DeVe- reaux, seventh grade ; Anne Dorsey, sixth grade; Ada Longbrake, fifth grade; Lenna Morgan, fourth grade; Lottie Hunt, third grade; Blanche Messick, second grade; Donna Colwell, first grade; Rhea Sweeney, district No. 2; Blanche Smelster, No. 4; Ruth Vaughn, No. 7; Warren Talbott, No. 8. The school districts of Goshen township were consolidated with the schools of Mechanicsburg in October, 1915, and are now under one board of edu- cation. The enrollment for the high school is one hundred and one; for the village grades, three hundred and fifty-two; for the rural schools one hun- dred, making a total of five hundred and fifty-three. Following are the members of the present board of education: W. W. Osborn, president; E. WV. Johnson, clerk ; Adolph Lehne, Walter Hupp and Charles Neer.
No teacher has endeared herself more in the hearts of pupils who have attended the local schools than did Ida Bunkers, who began her work here in 1882 as principal of the high school, and taught in the schools for several years. Pupils respected her advice and opinion above all others, no matter on what subjects. During her connection with the high school she was gen- erally regarded as the most proficient Latin teacher in the state.
PRIVATE SCHOOLS OF ANOTHER DAY.
A former popular educational institution of Mechanicsburg was a school for girls that was in operation in 1845 and perhaps a few years after. The school was in charge of a highly educated woman from Massachusetts, and the subjects taught included Comstock's Philosophy, Comstock's Physiology and Arithmetic, Astronomy and other branches. Doubtless the only person
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now living in Mechanicsburg who attended that school is Miss Fannie Wil- liams.
Robert Wilson built a one-story frame school building on Race street about 1851. He was the only teacher for five or six years, but as his school grew larger in numbers he was compelled to seek the assistance of another instructor, whose name was Henkle. As near as can be ascertained, this school was started about 1845 and the purpose was the preparation of men and women for service as teachers. The ages of the pupils ranged from about eighteen to forty years and the average term of school was six months. The school was purely a subscription school, the tuition being five dollars to six dollars the term.
The influence exerted by the Wilson school was not merely local in character but extended over three or four counties, and at that time Mechanics- burg attained quite a name as a center of education, continuing to maintain this distinction as long as the school was in existence. Mr. Wilson, the principal, was an elderly man when he came to Mechanicsburg, and after remaining at the head of the school for about eight years, was forced to retire on account of the infirmities of old age, and the school was discontinued.
Before Mr. Wilson erected a school building he had conducted school for two or three terms in vacant rooms in the village. His quarters became so crowded that he was forced to seek a new location, and in order that he might be more independent he decided to erect a building of his own where school was conducted during the remainder of his stay in the village. When the school was discontinued, the building was transformed into a dwelling house and is now occupied by Joseph Metzner.
THE CURRY SCHOOL.
In the summer of 1895, Rev. E. W. B. Curry, a colored educator, visited Mechanicsburg with the view to locating a school for negroes here. The matter was laid before the city council and, on the approval of that body, the school was located, the following committee being appointed to raise money for the purchase of land for a school building: E. D. Morgan, V. S. Magru- der and Rev. N. S. Merritt.
The school began its work in the basement of the Baptist church on East Sandusky street the latter part of September, 1895, with eighteen stu- dents. The faculty was composed of Rev. E. W. B. Curry, president and pro- fessor of languages, mathematics and natural science: D. N. Kinney, pro- fessor of English literature, history and business; W. A. Kelley, professor
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of music, piano, violin and choral director; Lizzie Hampton, instructor in German and assistant normal teacher. Acting upon the advice of the main supporters of the school, the institution was moved to Urbana the third week in September, 1897.
THE INDEPENDENT CHAUTAUQUA.
One of the most effective mediums for the spread of general culture and information in the United States today is the chautauqua ; and Mechanicsburg is fortunate in having such an institution. The man who is responsible for the beginning of the Independent Chautauqua at Mechanicsburg is Doc- tor Sowers. He came here in the spring of 1910, and broached his scheme, which became a reality, of holding a chautauqua at seven different places ; and in this number was Mechanicsburg. The chautauqua of 1910, although not a success financially, served the purpose of planting the seed which was in the end to mean for Mechanicsburg a strong and enthusiastic annual chau- tauqua. For the second year one of the strong boosters for the chautauqua movement was the Tuesday Night Literary Club, which substantially sup- ported the formation of the Mechanicsburg Chautauqua Association. John N. Mattox was chosen president of the association, and J. W. Magruder, secretary-manager. Upon his removal to the country in 1915, John N. Mat- tox was succeeded as president by H. C. Rogers. For the second year the chautauqua was a success, and the spirit of the organization was well estab- lished. Since the association "got on its feet," it has been a success, much of the credit for this state of affairs being due to the untiring efforts of the officers of the association, especially to Dr. J. W. Magruder, who has acted as secretary, manager and platform manager during the existence of the chautauqua.
The chautauquas have always been held on the grounds belonging to the Matinee Company, an organization composed of forty public-spirited citizens of Mechanicsburg, who, after the land had been offered for sale, upon the discontinuance of the Central Ohio Fair Association, bought the site rather than to let it be purchased by private persons for commercial purposes. At that time the town was badly in need of a public park, and it was only after the proposition to buy the grounds by the city had been voted down that these men took the matter upon themselves to see that such a public place should be provided. The dates of chautauqua for 1917 was August 19 to 26, and an excellent program was provided by the officials in charge.
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