History of Cincinnati, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 111

Author: Ford, Henry A., comp; Ford, Kate B., joint comp
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, O., L.A. Williams & co.
Number of Pages: 666

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CHAPTER XLVIII.

ANNEXATIONS AND SUBURBS.

UNTIL nearly within the last decade, Cincinnati's swarming thousands subsisted within a comparatively narrow compass of territory. Upon seven square miles there were, in round numbers, two hundred thousand people. It was the most densely crowded metropolis in America, and few of the venerable cities of the Old World had a greater population to the square mile .. But in 1869 began a process of rapid annexation-not by conquest, except by reason, common sense, and the might of the ballot box-scarcely parallelled in munici- pal history. By the close of 1870 twelve and three-fourth square miles had been added; in 1873 the process was already complete by the addition of four and one-fourth square miles, or seventeen in all, broadening the corpor- ate territory of Cincinnati to twenty-four square miles. A favorable note upon another measure submitted and presently to be mentioned, would have reversed these figures, and given forty-two. But with what was accom- plished, as a result, behold the present magnificent pro- portions of the Queen City, which has "ample room and verge enough" for its teeming population, and probable for all who are to come hither during the next quarter century. The annexations have been as follows. The dates given are those in which the initial steps were taken; in most cases the arrangement was not complete until the next year:

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

Storrs township, except that part of it included within the corporate limits of Riverside ; September 10, 1869.

The special road districts of Walnut Hills, Mt. Au- burn, and Clintonville; September 10, 1869.

The election precincts of Camp Washington and Lick run, from Mill Creek township; November 12, 1869

The west part of Spencer township, by proceedings be- fore the county commissioners; May 9, 1870.

The incorporated village of Columbia; February 10, 1871.

The incorporated villages of Cumminsville and Wood- burn; September 6, 1872.

The desirability of further annexations was very clearly hinted in the following paragraph of Mayor Moore's message to the common council in 1878 :

Within a circle of seven miles of the spot where you are now congre- gated, there are eleven acting mayors, over the same number of cities and villages; which is quite an injury to our city, as they take away from the aggregate of our population, which otherwise would make Cincinnati the metropolis she really is.

His argument further was for the annexation of the re- mainder of the county, after the pattern of Philadelphia; and he made a pretty strong case of it, citing, among other interesting matters, the prediction of an Indian in the early day, that there would sometime be a grand city here, reaching from one Miami river to the other. By annexation, he thought, "the prediction might sooner be verified than any of us had dared to hope for." Mayor Torrence had previously, in 1870, argued for the organi- zation of the entire county into one municipality, as the city of Cincinnati.

FULTON VILLAGE AND TOWNSHIP

came into the city many years before any of these. An ordinance submitting to the voters of the city and of the incorporated village of Fulton, which was pretty nearly, though not quite, co-extensive with the township, the proposition of annexation, was passed by the council Au- gust 23, 1854; in October following both municipalities voted in favor of the measure; and the terms of it were formally approved December 27, 1854, completing the annexation. This village consisted principally of one long street between the hills and the river, above Cincin- nati. Lying as this strip does between the old city and Columbia, the two earliest settlements in the Miami country, it was of course inhabited very early, and in time had a busy and somewhat numerous population en- gaged largely in steamer and other boat building. It

was at the Fulton landing that the awful explosion of the boiler of the Moselle occurred, in 1835, as is elsewhere related. The place had been originally, from the char- acter of the industry which had grown up within it, named from Robert Fulton. In 1830 the "Eastern Liberties," comprising Fulton, contained one thousand and eighty- nine inhabitants .* What was known more strictly as Fulton village, had three hundred and seventeen busi- ness men and heads of families represented in Shaffer's business directory of 1840. The next year it was noticed in the State Gazeteer as containing one thousand five hun-

dred to two thousand inhabitants, and two extensive lum- ber yards, three steam saw-mills, with another in course of construction, and four shipyards, which annually launched steamboats with an aggregate tonnage of five to six thousand. Four-fifths of the Cincinnati built vessels were then constructed there. It was intersected, as now, by the Cincinnati, Columbia & Wooster turnpike, over which passed one-fourth of the marketing of the city.

Fulton township, although long since practically abol- ished, is still known in city affairs by the regular election of justices of the peace for it, and within the last year an interesting question has arisen in the courts in regard to the validity and jurisdiction of their office, in which they have been sustained. Some of the gentlemen who have served in this capacity are Bela Morgan and Nathan San- born, 1829; William Friston, 1865 -- 8; E. P. Dustin, 1869; Robert Tealen, Jacob Wetzel, 1874-7; George H. High, 1878 -- 80.

THE NORTHERN LIBERTIES

was, as the name implies, immediately north of the old city limits. It was in Mill Creek township, and in 1825, according to the map of that year, it extended in one line of short, narrow lots from Liberty street along the west side of Vine, and in another line of lots, with a short one adjoining, on the Hamilton road, now McMicken ave- nue. The whole were included between Liberty street and that road. On the west of the lots, parallel to Vine, was New street, which was intersected by Green and North streets. East of the plat, and also parallel to Vine, was Pleasant (now Hamer) street, with Poplar street on the south, near Liberty, Elder street on the north, and Back street, as now, parallel with the Hamilton road, and behind the short line of lots.

The recorded plat of the Northern Liberties bears date much later than this-March 31, 1837. It was known, however, long before this, as a subdivision of Mill Creek township, and in 1830 had a separate population of seven hundred and ten, about thirty per cent. of all then in the township. Ten years afterwards, according to Shaffer's business directory, it had no less than five thousand seven hundred qualified voters, and a German population alone of eight thousand.

MOHAWK

was another of the little old villages on the upper plain of Cincinnati north of the original town site, and west of Vine street. Mrs. Trollope, who took a house here in 1829, describes it in her book as "a little village about a mile and a half from the town, close to the foot of the hills formerly mentioned as the northern boundary of it." The heights back of it were then still covered with an al- most unbroken forest. Mrs. Trollope gives an amusing description of her neighbors here, which we do not care to copy. Her former residence is now occupied as one of the buildings of the Hamilton Road pottery, a little west of Elm street. The name of the writer is still pre- served in Mohawk street and Mohawk bridge in the same locality. Its plat was never recorded, and we have no dates of it, except as to the famous Englishwoman's residence.

* The date of the recorded plat of Eastern Liberties is May 17, 1826.

WILLIAM H. BRISTOL.

William Henry Bristol was born in Canaan, New York, October 3, 1824, son of George and Sally (Hutchinson) Bristol. On his father's side, the family sprang from the Bristols of Connecticut, but his father and mother were married in Canaan, and there brought up their family. The mother is now dead, but the father sur- vives, and is a resident of Oswego, New York. Young Bristol was educated in the Canaan schools, but early launched out in life for himself, and at the age of six- teen or seventeen became a chain-carrier in the survey of the Hudson & Berk- shire railroad. When the road was finished, he be- came a fireman upon it, and then baggage-master ; at the age of about twenty he went on the Saratoga & Whitehall railroad for three years as baggage-master, and then for ten years was passenger conductor upon the same line. His en- gagement for the next three years was as conduc- tor with the New Jersey Railroad & Transportation company. He came to Cincinnati in September, 1857, to take charge of the Cincinnati Transfer company, upon its organ- ization. Wheeler H. Bris- tol, his brother, had been in the Old Omnibus Line, and prevailed upon Wil- liam to come and take the

superintendency of the new company. He is now in Oswego, New York. Mr. Bristol remained with the Transfer company until after the war, during which he did the Government hauling in the city, having at times as many as two hundred and fifty horses engaged. The Transfer company sold out, and after a while the Omnibus company sold to the Strader & Company Om. nibus Line and Mr. Bristol began to take contracts from the city, especially in street-paving. He paved much of Pearl and Park streets and other thoroughfares, and was largely instrumental in introducing the Nicholson pave- ment in parts of the city. He also aided contractors in building the Cincinnati Southern railroad, on sections fifty and fifty-one. In 1872-3, by election on the Demo-

Dr. IF. Bristol.

cratic ticket, he served as city commissioner, in special charge of streets, under direction of the board of im- provements, before the board of public works was con- stituted. It was then the most responsible office in the city, except that of city engineer, and gave him much trouble in securing obedience to the ordinances, as in the matter of removing awning-posts from the side- walks, etc. He triumphed over all, however, and the benefits of his administration are felt to this day. The volume of biographies entitled Cincinnati Past and Present, published while Mr. Bristol was commis- sioner, says of him :

A more suitable choice is sel- dom made by the popular voice, as he possesses the firmness, mod- eration, and excellent judgment to enable him to discharge its duties with credit to himself and profit to the city. He is emphat- ically a self-made man, and dur- ing his residence in the city has so identified himself with its in- terests as to be every way entitled to a place in this industrial his- tory.

In 1857 Mr. Bristol opened the Empire Sta- bles, at 276 Walnut street, between Sixth and Sev- enth, where he has since re- mained in the livery, feed, and sale stable business. In this he exercises conscien- tious care in the selection of animals for hire and their adaptation for the special trips desired, and never allows horse-trading swindlers to hang about his establishment. For about seven years he has also been president of the Carpet-beating company, with headquar- ters at 87 East Eighth street. In politics he generally sympathizes with the Democrats, but is an independent thinker and voter, as he was trained to be in early life.

Mr. Bristol was married February 20, 1851, to Miss Harriet E. Williams, of Canaan, New York, daughter of Norman and Eliza (James) Williams. Her mother lived with the family in Cincinnati, and survived to the age of one hundred years. They have had three children- Morris Nutting, Mary Cornelia, and Mettie Price, of whom only the first-named is living. He assists his father in conducting the business of the stable.

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

BRIGHTON

names that part of the present city reachin from Mill creek to Freeman street, at the junc ion of ( ntral ave- nue. It came easily by the familiar title of place for cattle dealing, from the former location of he stock- yards here. A railway station and the Brighton house yet keep the name.

TEXAS AND BUCKTOWN

were never incorporated villages, but simp y popular names for local districts-the former at the northwest part of the old city; the latter, which still wears its hon- ors, in the Deer creek bottom, east of Broadway, where many negroes and some of the most depraved whites of the city formerly inhabited.

STORRS TOWNSHIP

was one of the smaller subdivisions of the county, and lay immediately west of the city, between Mill creek and the meridian west of Price's hill, now the western boun- dary of the city. It was erected about 1835, according to the report of former county Auditor McDougal to State Auditor John Brough. It was the first of recent annexations to the city, its annexation being authorized September 10, 1869. A small part of the southwest corner, being within the limits of the incorporated village of Riverside, was not annexed.

The first house built by Ge:, rison in this country, long before his removal to Bend, still stands within the limits of the old Sto ... township, a little west of Mill creek, near Gest street.

Justices of the peace continue to be elected for Storrs. In 1865 John F. Gerke and Colonel Henry F. Sedam, from whose family Sedamsville is named, were justices; in 1866, Mr. Sedam and J. H. T. Crone; 1867-9, Sedam and William Dummick; 1870-80, Mr. Dummick.

This office was formerly, and for many years, held by the father of Colonel Sedam, one of the most noted characters of local history, going back very nearly to the beginnings of white settlement here. Colonel Cornelius R. Sedam was the projenitor of this remarkable family in the Miami country. He was a Jerseyman of Holland stock, and a colonel in the Continental army, receiv- ing his commission from the august Washington himself. He fought courageously in the famous battles in New Jersey, Princeton and Monmouth, and was engaged at

Germantown and on other fields, displaying a bravery and dash that won him marked notice from his com- mander and fellow officers. He was in Losantiville almost at the beginning, coming as he did with Major Doughty and the force that built Fort Washington, in 1789. He rode with St. Clair to the terrible defeat on the Maumee two years after, and received a dangerous wound in the fight, besides having two horses shot down beneath him. Retiring from the army soon after, he invested his means in a large tract of the fertile lands about the mouth of Bold Face creek and extending some way up the valley and adjacent hills, being parts of the sections_ thirty-four and thirty five, below Cincinnati, in the former Storrs township, upon a part of which Se- damsville is built. He fixed his home about a quarter of

a mile west of the residence now known as the old Sedam house, and built there, of the stone of the region, a substantial and tolerably large dwelling called the Syl- van house. This is still standing in good condition, and occupied as a residence, a little in rear of the great dis- tillery of Gaff, Hischmann & Company. It was built in 1795, and is undoubtedly the oldest stone building in Hamilton county, antedating by thirteen years the Wald- schmidt residence south of Camp Dennison, in Symmes township. He improved a large farm here very success- fully, sometimes sending its produce in flatboats to New Orleans on his own account, instead of marketing it at Cincinnati. He was a very large man, physically, but exhibited considerable energy in personal attention to his extensive interests and the public affairs of Storrs town- ship after it was organized. He was a justice of the peace from the date of his original appointment by Gov- ernor St. Clair, in 1795, to his death in 1824, when his official mantle was taken up by his son and successor, Henry F. Sedam.

One of his fancies is thus pleasantly described by his biographer, Judge Cox, in Cincinnati Past and Present:

He had imbibed a love for military affairs and military men, which adhered to him through life. Especially did he take an interest in the old wounded and crippled veterans of the Revolution. Near his home he built barracks for the reception, to which every one who had lost a limb or an eye, or was unfit to make his living by reason of wounds, was invited and made perfectly at home. But they must conform to discipline. They were called from their couch at dawn by the rattle of the drum, and all lights must be out at "taps." During the day every one must, if able, attend to such duty as was assigned him, and regu- larly be at dress parade in the evening at a given signal; and on all public days they were to be on hand for drill, according to their capac- ity. Many a poor soldier, unable to obtain proof that he was entitled to a pension, served in the corps of the colonel during his life, was comfortably fed, clothed, and housed, and carefully nursed in sickness, and when dead buried by his companions, under the command of the old colonel, in true military style.

His house was the headquarters for all military men passing that way, and also in the latter part of his life especially for all Methodist ministers, to which denomination the colonel adhered. Many instances are given by those who knew him, of his good judgment in and knowl- edge of military affairs; and his children remember distinctly a mem- orable instance which would make a historical painting. It was a day spent by General Harrison with the colonel when on his journey to take command of the troops in the northwest, in the War of 1812. To- gether they consulted maps and interchanged views as to the most feasible method of carrying on the campaign. The back porch of the Sylvan house, extending along the whole length, was the scene of their conference. Here these two military men were seen on the floor on their hands and knees, with each a piece of chalk in hand, marking out the plans and details of march and battle which were to, and which did, decide the supremacy of the Government in the northwest; and ever after the home of the colonel was the favored stopping-place of Gen- eral Harrison on his journey from his home, at North Bend, to Cincin- nati, and at each visit it was a rich treat for the old veterans, the neigh- bors, and boys, to gather around and listen to the war-stories of these two commanders.

The colonel, although a Democrat, was always a stout defender of General Harrison, from whatever point he might be attacked.

Henry F. Sedam was born in the Sylvan house July 18, 1804. When a boy of seventeen he was entrusted by his father with the management of one of the flat- boats, laden for New Orleans with the produce of the farms. At the age of twenty three he was married and left the old home for a new house which he built a few hundred yards cast of that-the dwelling now occupied

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

by his son, Mr. Charles Sedam, near and south of the station of the Indianapolis, St. Louis & Chicago railway. This was the site of an old Indian village, and here the Indians had often encamped for fishing and hunting in the neighborhood, after his father commenced his settle- ment. They were very friendly, and young Sedam be- came so familiar with them and their language that he came to consider himself one of "the Miami tribe." He inherited the tract of his father's estate east of Boldface creek, here laid out the village of Sedamsville, and offered perpetual leases of lots to actual settlers. . He is best remembered in this region as "the chief justice of Storrs," from his long occupancy of the office of justice of the peace. He put up a two story brick building in his orchard, where he held his court room, "dispensing justice by dispensing with law," as he was accustomed humorously to say. In pleasant weather he commonly heard causes under the trees of his orchard, where tables and benches were constantly set out to accommodate the attendants upon his court. His methods of procedure seem to have been in the Carlylean phrase, "indepen- dent of formula." One of his old friends contributed to Cincinnati Past and Present-to which we are indebted for the material of these outlines-the following amusing account of his procedure as a magistrate:

His original and unique manner of disposing of cases was always attractive. He did not hold the office for the sake of making money, for he never in that long time (thirty years) charged any fees for him- self. Did some exasperated creditor or supposed sufferer come in great haste to bring a suit against his neighbor, the 'squire would set him down, carefully get all the facts from him, ascertain the best kind of compromise he would take, fix a day for trial and send the party away; then send for the opposite party, talk with him, urge a compro- mise, and if he found him reasonable and willing to settle on a fair basis, enter judgment, give him such time as he thought proper, go his bail and notify the other party that all was settled, and the parties were told to pay the constable one dollar. Tuesdays and Saturdays were his court days; and often would be found the litigants of half a dozen cases sitting around in the shade, all provided with fruit or inel- ons by the 'squire, and told to get together and try and settle while he was trying the case of some litigious cusses who wouldn't be settled in any other way, in which event the 'squire made what he called a chancery case, in which he didn't give either party a chance to gouge the other. In this high court no legal quibbles were tolerated, and there never was an appeal from his decision. The general principle on which he acted may be well illustrated by anecdote. A young man had just been elected magistrate in an adjoining township. He at once called on the 'squire and acquainted him with the fact and desired that he would give him some advice as to what law books he should read. The 'squire heard him patiently, and then said: "I wouldn't advise you to read any law books at all; my experience is that whenever a county magistrate undertakes to study law he makes a d-n fool of himself. You are elected as a justice of the peace; now all you have to do is to use your common sense and best judgment in trying to do justice and keep the peace among your neighbors-and if they want law let them go to the higher court and be plucked to their hearts' content."

Living on the river's edge, with the constant improvement of a grow- ing country going on all around him, building canals, railroad bridges, steamboats, flatboats, with another State just across the river, he had all kinds of folks to deal with-some very rough indeed, and which would well puzzle the mnost learned brain; but he has managed to work through them, sometimes with good humor, sometimes with roughness and sternness and the invincibility of his strong will. But through all of them it must be said of him that he ever leaned to the side of justice and mercy. A favorite remedy with him for the vagrant class who get drunk and whip their wives was to take all the change found in their pockets, deposit it with some grocery keeper, with orders to give the family groceries in small quantities till exhausted, and then banish the culprit to Kentucky for from thirty days to six months. His strong

and willing constable would take the criminal across the river in a skiff, and as the 'squire would say, "put him in a foreign country without a cent in his pocket, and let him scratch for it." Woe be to the luckless fellow if he ventured to return before the expiration of his term of banishinent; for there was the bastile, the raging canal, the boys with lithe and pliant apple-sprouts, ready to vindicate the high majesty of the court, and he was glad to tarry in foreign parts until the time of his return as prescribed by rule as immutable as the laws of the Medes and Persians, and when he came back it was as a better citizen than before.

A steamboat laden with pork and flour landed near his place. The men had not been paid their wages, and were clamorous for them. A number of suits were brought before him, in all of which the captain proposed putting in security for appeal to court and went to the city for bail. As soon as he started the 'squire, with his constable, took a hatchet and a pair of steelyards, repaired to the boat, broke open some barrels of pork and flour, and weighed out to each one the amount of his judgment; and when the captain returned with his security he found the judgment satisfied and the pleasing injunction to appear and be blessed.

A German living on the road about half a mile from the 'squire kept a ferocious dog, which was very annoying to travellers. One Sunday morning an old gentleman presented himself to the eourt with the whole seat of his pantaloons torn completely off, and sundry marks in the naked hide, and demanded a warrant against the owner of the dog. The 'squire took him in to breakfast, and sent his trusty constable for the culprit, who shortly returned with him, dressed in his best suit for church. The case was soon heard, the defendant chided for his fre- quent acts of carelessness, and the constable ordered to take both par- ties into the bastile, and make them exchange pants. With many bit- ter cursings and strong resistance on the part of the owner of the dog, this was at last done, and the old gentleman went on his way with a good breakfast, a dollar in his pocket, and his nether man clothed in decent garments. That dog never appeared in court again.

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History of Cincinnati, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 111

Author: Ford, Henry A., comp; Ford, Kate B., joint comp Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Cleveland, O., L.A. Williams & co. Number of Pages: 666

Author: Ford, Henry A., comp; Ford, Kate B., joint comp
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, O., L.A. Williams & co.
Number of Pages: 666