History of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio; their past and present, Part 64

Author: Nelson, S.B., Cincinnati
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Cincinnati : S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1592

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The population of Harrison was 173 in 1830; 940 in 1850; 1,343 in 1860; 1,417 in 1870; 1,550 in 1880, and 1,690 in 1890. These statistics apply only to Harri- son village, Hamilton county. The total for Harrison village, Hamilton county, and the town of West Harrison, Dearborn county, Indiana, was 2,010 in 1890.

The Harrison town hall has an interesting history. The site was reserved for this purpose by Jabez C. Tunis, by whom this part of the town was platted in 1817, but the deed was never recorded. Joseph Barben subsequently purchased it and obtained a deed. The ownership now depended upon priority in having the deed recorded. Frank Looker was commissioned to take the deed to the village of Cin- cinnati and have it recorded, while Barben intrusted his deed to Daniel H. Hart- pence for a similar purpose. Looker and Hartpence left Harrison on the same night, but the latter had the best horse and reached Cincinnati at 3 A. M., roused the recorder, and had the deed entered, thus securing Barben in his title. When this intelligence reached Harrison a meeting of citizens was at once called, and after a thorough discussion of the matter it was decided to reimburse Barben for the amount of his purchase, which was accordingly done. This occurred in 1841. The erection of a market-house was agitated at different times, but no effort to erect a town hall was made until 1849, when Uwehlan Fuller, George Keene, Sr., James Campbell and Allison Looker took the matter in hand, secured subscriptions, and began the erection of the building. It was a frame structure, supported by pillars, the ground floor subserving the purposes of a market place. Considerable difficulty was experienced in effecting its completion, however, and this led to the incorpora- tion of the village in 1850. In 1877 this structure was replaced by the present substantial brick building, which contains a public hall, public reading room, muni- cipal and township offices, and offices of the building association and school board. A tragic event occurred here March 8, 1878, when several persons were killed, and others severely injured, by a gas explosion.

Incomplete village records render it impossible to give particulars regarding the municipal government with such completeness as would be desired. It is known, however, that the first council was composed of Richard Penny, Joseph Sawyer, Dr. Swaney, W. W. Davison, and James Campbell. William F. Converse was the first mayor, but resigned after a brief term of service, and was succeeded by William Keene. The first marshal was John Disberry. Among the mayors in recent years have been Ambrose Williams, Dr. A. E. West, Dr. W. H. H. Willette, S. Z. Brack- enridge, W. W. Davison, George Shoobridge, James A. Graft, and George W. Ar- nold, Jr.

CHURCHES,

The Presbyterian Church of Harrison was organized in the winter of 1811 at the house of John Allen, by Rev. Samuel Baldridge, with the following members:

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John Allen, Mrs. Charity Allen, Mrs. Susan Wycoff, Mrs. Grace Ford, Mrs. Phebe Marvin, William Pharris, Mrs. Margaret Wakefield, Mrs. Mary Havens, Mrs. Jane Johnson, Mrs. Rachel Bonnell, John Ewing, Mrs. John Ewing, William Pharris, Mrs. Naomi Pharris, John Pharris, Andrew Wakefield, and Wallace. Mr. Baldridge served as pastor until 1814. In 1820 a division of the congregation occurred, a considerable number of its members withdrawing to organize the Pres- byterian church at Providence, Indiana. The following is a list of pastors, the date given being the year in which each incumbent assumed the duties of his office: Sylvester Scovel, 1829; Thomas E. Thomas, 1836; Peter H. Golladay, 1839; W. H. Moore, 1856; John Stewart, 1857; Samuel C. Kerr, 1863; Peter H. Golladay, 1865; O. L. Thomson, 1870; H. P. Pharris, 1871; O. L. Thomson, 1873; E. J. Brown, 1877; William Carson, 1883.

The Christian Church of Harrison originated in 1834 in the labors of Daniel Baldridge, a resident of Oxford, Ohio, who, during a visit to George Waldorf at Harrison, preached at the village schoolhouse. His first converts were Henry Wiles and wife and a German named Meeker. Walter Scott, John O'Kane and others subsequently conducted a meeting at the barn of Isaac Mettler, two miles north of the town. In July, 1834, twenty or thirty persons were immersed, and in the fol- lowing month the number of members had increased to 126, and $600 were sub- scribed for a church building. In this enterprise Mayor Brackenridge was espe- cially active. Henry Wiles, John Snyder, G. L. Rude, George Waldorf, Lewis Jolly, the Garners, and A. Hartpence, were among the prominent early members. A reorganization of the church was effected in February, 1853, with Rev. B. K. Smith, pastor, and Roswell Judd, William E. Daubenhyve, A. A. Fairchild, William Kincaid, John Snyder, and William Sanderson as elders, and Robert A. Keene as clerk. The first church edifice now constitutes the town hall in West Harrison. The present place of worship is situated at the corner of Water and Sycamore streets; it is a substantial brick building, erected in 1867. Among the pastors in recent years have been Revs. J. M. Land, Carter, W. H. Kern, L. E. Brown, and W. H. Kraft, the present pastor.

The Methodist Church at Harrison was originally organized by Rev. Daniel D. Davison, D. D., at the residence of George Bowlby, Sr. Ground for a church edifice was donated by John D. Moore, and a place of worship was erected thereon in 1835. The present two-story brick church edifice was erected at the same site in 1866.

St. John's Catholic Church at Harrison. - The first baptismal entry occurs under date of April 17, 1849, the officiating clergyman being Rev. Nicholas Wachter, O. S. F. There were twenty or thirty Catholic families at Harrison and in the vicinity at that date, and they met for worship at the house of John Goebel, where mass was celebrated by Father Wachter and other priests of lis order. A small brick church was erected in 1852, and dedicated November 28th in that year. The first resident pastor was Rev. Desiderius Rombouts, and his successors have been Revs. French, A. Boers, G. Egger, Herman Johanning, and Bernard Moeller. The pastoral resi- dence was built in 1872, the church in 1876, and the school in 1877. All are sub- stantial brick structures.

St. John's Evangelical Protestant Church, Harrison, was organized in 1864 by Rev. Louis Richter. The first trustees were Frederick Fischer, Valentine Weber, William Hahmann, and Michael Gnahn. This church was distinctively Lutheran at its organization, but became Evangelical Protestant some eight years later. Prom- inent among the pastors have been Revs. H. N. Kreuter, Eugene O. Miller, Theodore Bauck, Edward Frommer, Richard Buecklers, and Oscar Wegener, the present incumbent. A frame church edifice on Broadway is the place of worship.

The German United Brethren Church of Harrison was organized in 1877 by Rev. J. F. Albright. John Pfotzer, Frederick Sieffermann, George Gimple, Louis Wike and their families composed the first membership, and the Presbyterian church was

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY.

the first place of worship. In 1882 the brick schoolhouse on Hill street was pur- chased and adapted for church purposes. This church is united with Green Bush, and London, in Butler county in the formation of a pastoral charge. The present pastor is Rev. August Pittka.

The English United Brethren Church of Harrison was organized by Rev. Allen Dunkelburger in 1890. Louis Gimple was the first class-leader and Sunday-school superintendent, and Sydney Joyce was the first steward. The place of worship is located on Sycamore street, and was originally built as a Universalist church.

CHAPTER XXXII.

MIAMI TOWNSHIP.

INTERESTING HISTORIC ASSOCIATIONS-NORTH BEND-CLEVES-ADDYSTON-FERN BANK- CHURCHES.

M IAMI TOWNSHIP is one of the smallest in the county and also one of the oldest, having been erected in 1791, at the same time as Cincinnati and Columbia. It then included parts of Delhi, Green, and Colerain in addition to its present area. The Great Miami separates it from the State of Indiana and from Whitewater township; it adjoins Colerain for a short distance on the north and Delhi on the south, while Green lies adjacent on the east. The township borders upon the Ohio river on the south.

The historic associations of the township are most interesting. Within its limits Fort Finney was built, at the mouth of a small creek, three quarters of a mile above the mouth of the Miami. Here, too, John Cleves Symmes made his first settlement, and projected what he designed to be the metropolis of the Miami country. The Judge left Maysville, Kentucky, January 29, 1789, and landed at the site of North Bend at three o'clock in the afternoon of February 2nd. The river was exceedingly high, which determined him in the rejection of the level lands at the mouth of the Miami, where he had originally designed to found his settlement. At North Bend, accordingly, he had a plat made for a village, comprising forty-eight lots, which were eagerly purchased and improved. Subsequently he had a plat surveyed for a city one mile square. This included the village site, and conflicting claims of ownership at once involved the embryo settlement in legal and social disputes and disagreements. Judge Symmes thus described the place in a letter written about the time it began to assume village proportions: "This large cabin is shingled with nails, has a very large and good stone chimney which extends from side to side of the house, for. the more convenient accommodation of strangers, who are constantly coming and going, and never fail to make my house their home while they stay in the village. In this chimney is a large oven built of stone. Adjoining to this house I have built me a well-finished smokehouse, fourteen feet square, which brings you to a fortified gate of eight feet, for communication back. All the buildings, east of this gate, are set as close to each other as was possible. Adjoining to and west of the gate is a double cabin of forty-eight feet in length and sixteen feet wide, with a well built stone chimney of two fire-places, one facing each room. This roof is covered with boat- plank throughout, and double rows of clapboards in the same manner with the first described cabin. In these several cabins I have fourteen sash-windows of glass. My barn or fodder-house comes next, with a stable on one side for my horses, and on the other one for my cows. These entirely fill up the space of twelve poles. This string of cabins stands-poles from the bank of the river, and quite free from and to the south of the front or Jersey street of the city. The buildings have cost me more

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY.

than two hundred pounds specie, and I cannot afford to let them go to strangers for nothing-the mason work alone came to more than one hundred dollars. There is not another house on the ground that has either cellar, stone chimney, or glass win- dow in it, nor of any value compared with mine.

"I have gone to considerable expense in erecting comfortable loghouses on the three lots which I had taken for myself and two nephews, young men who are with me. The lots in North Bend were four poles wide; we have therefore occupied twelve poles of ground on the banks of the Ohio. This front is covered with build- ings from one end to the other, and too valuable a construction for me to think of losing them in the general wreck of the village. That the proprietors may be more sensible of the reasonableness of the request, I will give you a description of them. The first, or most easterly one, is a good cabin, sixteen feet wide and twenty-two feet long, with a handsome stone chimney in it; the roof is composed of boat plank set endwise, obliquely, and answers a triple purpose of rafters, lath and an under- course of shingle, on which lie double rows of clapboards which makes an exceed- ingly tight and good roof. The next is a cottage, sixteen feet by eighteen, and two and a half stories high; the roof is well shingled with nails. The third is a cabin, fifteen feet wide and sixteen feet long, one story high, with.a good stone chimney in it; the roof shingled with nails. The fourth is a very handsome log house, eighteen feet by twenty-six, and two stories high, with two good cellars under the first in order to guard more effectually against heat and cold."

In 1791 a garrison of eighty soldiers was stationed here, and with their with- drawal and the establishment of the military post at Cincinnati, the place rapidly declined. The unsuccessful issue of St. Clair's campaign against the Indians has- tened the dissolution of its fortunes. In 1795 the Judge wrote that the cabins were "deserted by dozens in a street." He did not despair of the future of the place, however, but continued to cherish the belief that it would yet become a great city. He continued to reside here until his death. His residence was one of the most com- modious in the State. About a mile southeast of its former location is a cemetery in which his remains are interred. The inscription reads as follows: "Here rest the remains of John Cleves Symmes, who, at the foot of these hills, made the first settle- ment between the Miami rivers. Born on Long Island in the State of New York, July 21, A. D. 1742. Died at Cincinnati, February 26, A. D. 1814." President Harrison, who married the Judge's daughter Annie, also resided at North Bend, and is interred on a mound a short distance southwest of the village. Apart from its historic associations the village possesses few elements of interest or importance. It has a substantial school building and town hall and a fine Catholic church. It was incorporated in 1874, and included considerable territory to the east, but when Addyston came into existence this corporation was dissolved in order to permit that place to secure separate political autonomy.

Cleves had a population of 836 in 1880 and 1,227 in 1890. It was incorporated in 1875. The first mayor was W. B. Welsh; clerk, Joseph M. Balsley; council, W. A. Dick, H. L. Cooper, John Laird, Oliver Matson, Jacob Young, and J. M. Flinch- paugh. The succession of mayors has been as follows: 1875, W. B. Welsh; 1877, R. S. White; 1879, H. L. Cooper; 1881, James Carlin; 1883, W. A. Dick; 1885, William Argo; 1887, W. B. Welsh; 1889, Joseph S. Ingersoll; 1891, A. E. B. Steph- ens; 1893, J. S. Ingersoll.

The village was founded by Gen. Harrison in 1818, and, enjoying advantages of a location in one of the principal highways leading from Cincinnati to the West, it early enjoyed a fair degree of business prosperity. At the present time it ranks with the most important village communities of the county. `Every line of business is represented. The public schools are well sustained. There are two churches, Presbyterian and Methodist.

Engraved by J R. Rice & Sons, Phil 98

Me. I. Bonnell.

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY.

Addyston was incorporated in 1891. The first mayor was Frank Nevitt; clerk, Frank M. Ware; treasurer, Enos F. Kelch; marshal, Sherman McDaniel; council, Charles Glover, Stephen W. Garrison, George Hay, Henry G. Carr, William Conley, and William Guyler. Mr. Nevitt was succeeded in 1892 by Frank M. Ware, the present mayor: The corporate limits of the village include the villages of Addyston and Sekitan, the respective designation of its two post offices and railway stations.

The site was originally owned by C. W. Short. Sekitan is the older of the two villages. The first impetus to improvement here was given by the construction of the Big Four coal elevator, which was removed to this point in 1881 from North Bend. Coal is brought here by water and transferred to the railroad for shipment westward. The Addyston Pipe & Steel Company established their works here several years ago, and employ several hundred men. This is the main industrial support of the village. The Cincinnati Paving Block Company manufactures vitri- fied brick and also constitutes an important local industrial feature. The village has four churches: Protestant Episcopal, Methodist Episcopal and Methodist and Baptist (colored).

Fern Bank is a delightful suburban village, situated partly in Miami and partly in Delhi township. It was founded by C. W. Short, to whose munificence it owes the handsome Episcopal church that constitutes its only place of worship. The vil- lage is incorporated, and has a most efficient local administration. It was incorpo- rated March 27, 1888. The first officers were: Mayor, William G. Miner; clerk, William A. White; treasurer, Perrin G. March; marshal, John Wyatt; council, R. B. Beeson, George A. Fitch, Charles W. Short, George A. Snider, J. F. Thornton, George Tozzer. The succession of mayors has been as follows: 1889, William G. Minor; 1890. William A. White; 1891, William A. White; 1892, E. A. Hill; 1893, Charles W. Short.

CHURCHES.

Cleves Presbyterian Church was organized by Rev. J. Hall, a missionary of that denomination in this section, November 22, 1830. The original constituent mem- bers were Stephen Wood, Catherine Wood, Robert Spence, Hannah Spence, Lewis. Morgan, Ann Morgan, Sarah Morgan, Andrew Porter, Eliza Porter, James Story, Ruth Story, James S. Ogden, Arthur Orr, James M. Martin, Pallas Young, Dorothy Allen, Alice Hodge and Sarah Hodge. The first elders, Stephen Wood, Robert Spence, and James S. Ogden, were ordained March 27, 1831. The church edifice is a brick structure, and was erected in 1850. The present pastor is Rev. C. O. Hastings.

Cleves Methodist Episcopal Church was organized some years ago, the prominent. early members being Jolin Mccullough, David Brown, William Rogers, William Bateman and Stephen Cooper. The first place of worship of the society was the Presbyterian church. The colored Methodists worship in the building first erected for its in dividual use. The present place of worship is a substantial frame building.

Zion United Brethren Church is an old organization. Its place of worship is situated in the northern part of the township.

Addyston Churches. - The Methodist and Episcopal churches of Addyston were built in 1891, the colored Baptist in 1890, and the colored Methodist in 1892. All are frame structures.

St. Joseph's Catholic Church, North Bend. - There was a small Catholic popula- tion here as early as 1860, and mass was celebrated at private houses by priests from the city. When Father Scholl assumed charge at Delhi in 1875 he included this point in his parish, and agitated the erection of a church building. The corner- stone was laid September 19, 1886, by Rev, Albrink, vicar-general of the diocese, and the dedication occurred July 31, 1887.

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

MILL CREEK TOWNSHIP.

LOCATION-EARLY HISTORIC ASSOCIATIONS-CARTHAGE-CLIFTON-AVONDALE-COLLEGE HILL -WINTON PLACE-MT. AIRY-ELMWOOD PLACE-ST. BERNARD-BOND HILL-IDLEWILD -CHURCHES.

M ILL CREEK TOWNSHIP is situated immediately north of Cincinnati, be- tween Columbia on the east and Green on the west. Upon its territory are located the villages of Avondale, Clifton, St. Bernard, Bond Hill, Winton Place, College Hill, Elmwood Place, and the greater portion of Mt. Airy and Carthage. The Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton, the Cincinnati division of the "Big Four," the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern, the Cincinnati, Lebanon & Northern, and the Cincinnati Northwestern railways pass through this township, and the facilities for travel to and from the city which these lines afford explain the growth of suburban communities. The principal roads leading northward from the city also pass through this township, e. g., the Colerain, Hamilton, Carthage, Reading, and Mont- gomery pikes.

As originally erected in 1809, Mill Creek included, in addition to its present area, two adjacent tiers of sections on the south, now embraced in the city limits of Cincinnati, and also Cumminsville. Previous to 1809 the townships of Cincinnati and Springfield included this territory within their boundaries. In 1890, the popu- lation was 20,169.

The early historic associations of Mill Creek are interesting. It was through. this territory that the expeditions of Harmar, St. Clair, and Wayne marched against the Indians. The first settlers were doubtless squatters, who located here during the opening period of the Indian wars and derived a meager subsistence from the cultivation of such small tracts of land as they were able or disposed to clear, depending upon fishing and hunting, however, rather than agricultural pursuits. Among the most prominent of the early settlers were the Ludlows, Israel and John, brothers, from Morristown, New Jersey. Israel became jointly interested with Den- man and Patterson in the founding of Cincinnati. John was the first sheriff of the county, and resided for some years at the site of Ludlow Grove, a village included in the corporate limits of St. Bernard. The crossing of the creek at this point was known as Ludlow's ford. Israel Ludlow established a station at the site of Cum- minsville, and here St. Clair's army rendezvoused preparatory to the expedition of 1791.

CARTHAGE.

Carthage is one of the oldest and largest suburban villages in the vicinity of Cin- cinnati. It is situated on the Miami canal, the Hamilton pike, and the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton and "Big Four" railroads.

The site of the village is partly in Mill Creek and partly in Springfield township, but as the largest and most historic portion is in Mill Creek, it seems most appro- priate to give its history in this connection. The village limits comprise the contiguous portions of four sections-Nos. 1 and 7, Range 1, Township 3, in Spring- field, and Nos. 6 and 12, Range 2, Township 3, in Mill Creek. Samuel Bonnell entered Section 6 in 1789, and on the forfeit corner of this section Moses Pryor located. David Tuttle's warrant for Section 12 was also entered in 1789, and Rich- ard S. Clark located upon the forfeit corner thereof. Other early settlers in this

HISTORY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY. 419

vicinity were James Henry, Israel Shreve, James Mott, Darius C. Orcutt, Samuel Martin, Stephen Flinn, Richard Hawkins, Edward and Amos White, Benjamin Lud- low, Silas Halsey, Joseph Henry, Moses Kitchel, Silas Condit, John Brazier, Caleb Camp, Robert Dill, and James Cunningham. Col. White's mill was situated on Mill creek a short distance from the present site of the village, and was patronized by the inhabitants of a wide range of country. Some of the principal roads of the county converged toward this point. Says Thomas M. Dill: "A wagon road con- nected White's Station with Columbia, crossing Harmar's trace one mile southeast of the present village; another led east to Covalt's Station, on the Little Miami; and another road, on the old Indian trail, passed near Griffin's (Caldwell's mill) westward to the Great Miami, and on to North Bend. This road connected almost directly with Dunlap's or Colerain Station on the Great Miami. Between White's and Griffin's Stations (in Upper Carthage) passed the great road from Fort Hamil- ton southward to Ludlow's Station (North Cumminsville), and thence to Cincinnati."

It is not surprising that a locality enjoying such advantages of location should be favorably regarded as the site of a prospective town. The project was first car- ried into execution by Edward White, by whom in 1815 the northeastern part of Section 12, in Mill Creek township, was platted. The owners immediately prior to White were his father, Capt. Jacob White, and Levi Frazee. Of this original plat the northern boundary was the section line, the Hamilton road formed its western limit, while Deerfield and Dayton streets constituted the boundaries on the south and east, respectively. Mr. Dill states 152 lots were sold to fifty-eight different pur- chasers, and gives an interesting list of first residents of the village. Archibald Burns built a fine residence and a tread-power carding mill at the southeast corner of Sec- ond and Main streets, where, after his death, his son, James Burns, manufactured agricultural implements for several years. John Brecount erected and conducted the "Mansion House," the first hotel of the village. John Evans was the first bricklayer. Sidney and Ephraim Knowlton were engaged in merchandizing and pork packing. They also owned a canal-boat, "The Hannibal, of Carthage," the first boat engaged in local traffic from this point. The first storekeeper was Benja- min Irwin, and his place of business was at the corner of Fourth and Main streets. The first carpenters were Leicester Nichols and James Hefferman. The first wagon- maker was John Shanklin. Isaac, Thomas and Adam Miller were engaged in the saddlery business on Hamilton street. Solomon Rogers, a retired steamboat cap- tain, made the village his residence. Andrew Smalley was the first postmaster, and also kept the "Clifton House," the predecessor of Belser's tavern. The blacksmiths were Joel Tucker and Nathaniel Williams, on Main street. James, John and Perual Townsend were coopers and carpenters. Thomas McCammon & Sons were the first cabinet-makers. They located at the village in 1821, at which date Mr. Dill places the number of houses in Carthage at a dozen, while those of Maj. James Caldwell, Richard Dill, Abram Wilson, and Thomas McCammon were in sight on the west. The "Bull's Head" tavern was situated on the Hamilton road, south of the village.

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History of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio; their past and present, Part 64

Author: Nelson, S.B., Cincinnati Publication date: 1894 Publisher: Cincinnati : S. B. Nelson Number of Pages: 1592

Author: Nelson, S.B., Cincinnati
Publication date: 1894
Publisher: Cincinnati : S. B. Nelson
Number of Pages: 1592