History of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio; their past and present, Part 65

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

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The principal additions to the original plat of Carthage have been made by the following persons: Samuel Caldwell, 1826; James N. Caldwell, 1848; Lee, Wilson & Bullock, 1850; Caldwell & Paddock, 1850; Samuel Greenham, 1858; Theophilus French, 1868; Jacob Schmucker, 1869; Eggers & Sprung and T. Col- ling, 1875.

The central location and convenience of access which determined the founding of Carthage also contributed to its popularity as a place of public resort during the early history of the county. Here political meetings were held, and some of the most famous orators of the great national parties of that day frequently addressed them. Of equal if not greater influence in attracting the people were the races and county fairs. Mr. Dill states that "the stables of Belser and VanKirk were always ready for the accom-

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY.

modation of a thousand horses, and the tavern tables, in order the year round, were ready on short notice for as many horsemen or hungry politicians. These races and old-time fairs continued up to 1850-54, when they gave place to the modern expo- - sitions and trotting races on the Hamilton county fair-grounds in northern Car- thage." "The first race track was on the township line, east and west, between Springfield and Mill creek, from Western Carthage, near Dill's, to the hill on the east, where the grounds join Morris's grove. The Miami canal cut this track in two in 1826, when another was laid out from Knowlton's corner, at the Second street bridge, northward to White's Station on Mill creek. After this, Smalley's track, on what is now Maj. Caldwell's farm, became a noted place for races and militia musters. "

Enough has been said to show that Carthage was for many years one of the most important inland towns in the county. Its position on the principal road lead- ing to the city through the Mill creek valley enabled its merchants to intercept an appreciable proportion of the trade from the country districts on the north, while its. hotels profited to the same degree from the extensive travel over this thorough fare. Add to this its importance as a place of public concourse, and we can form some idea of what Carthage was fifty or sixty years ago. But these elements of pros- perity have long since disappeared, to be replaced by others of distinctively modern type. Carthage is to-day a suburban village of 2, 257 inhabitants (census of 1890), with Christian, Methodist, Catholic and Evangelical Protestant churches, several extensive manufacturing establishments, an efficient system of schools, and a well conducted municipal government.

The manufacturing interests of Carthage at the present time comprise the plan- ing-mill of William Cordes & Sons, and the works of the Carthage Wheel Company, the Union Axle Company, and the C. Dodsworth Distilling Company. Wiehe & Cordes established the planing-mill in 1889, and on the 21st of May, 1891, the name- was changed to its present style. The number of operatives is twenty. The Car- thage Wheel Company, of which G. H. Burrows is president, E. J. Burrows, secre- tary and treasurer, and P. J. Kelly, manager, manufactures buggy wheels exclu- sively and employs 185 men. The present company was formed in May, 1892. The Union Axle Company, incorporated August 22, 1889, employes 100 men, and manu- factures axles, springs, and tirebolts. G. H. DeGolyer is president, G. H. Burrows, vice-president, and Morris S. Shipley, secretary. The works of the C. Dodsworth Distilling Company were placed in operation in June, 1893.

The village of Carthage was incorporated September 21, 1868. The first officers. were J. R. Bonnel, mayor; William G. Warman, Jr., clerk; W. W. Winder, Jr., treasurer; J. G. Henderson, marshal; and John F. Colling, Julius Tosso, R. C. Phillips, John Bickers, and John Steptoe, trustees. J. R. Bonnel, R. H. Morten, R. C. Phillips, Smith Stimmel. Calvin S. Johnson, Joseph G. Sextro, Henry V. O' Donnel, George W. Wood, James Broderick, and James L. Orbison, have suc- cessively served as mayor. The corporation owns and controls its own water and electric light plants. The water works were erected at a cost of $25,000, and the electric light plant at a cost of $10,000. Both were constructed under the super- vision of a board composed of Thomas Birch, William Cordes, and Charles E. Mc- Cannon, with Harry Simms as clerk. The village has erected a town hall, compris- ing council chamber, police and prison departments.

CLIFTON.

The village of Clifton extends from the Miami canal on the south and west to the Carthage pike on the east, it adjoins the city of Cincinnati on the south and west. Mill Creek township on the north, and the village of Avondale on the east, comprising portions of Sections 15, 16, 21, 22, and 27, Range 2, Township 3.

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY.

Almost the whole of Section 21 is embraced within the village limits. Sixty years ago this entire section was the property of Charles S. Clarkson, a wealthy merchant of Cincinnati, who gave it the name of Clifton Farm. Only a small part of it was farmed, however; the principal part of the tract was used for grazing. Mr. Clarkson was unfortunate in his business operations, and this tract of land with other assets passed into the possession of his principal creditor, the Lafayette Bank of Cincinnati. Clifton avenue, then a country road, was at that time the only pub- lic highway within the present territory of the village. The Bank opened Lafayette avenue, and about the same time the county commissioners had Ludlow avenue surveyed as a county road. The Bank subdivided the land adjacent to these thor- oughfares and disposed of the entire section, principally in large lots. This occurred in 1840.

East of Clifton avenue the proprietor, antecedent to Clarkson and contemporary with him, was Nicholas Longworth, a wealthy and prominent resident of Cincin- nati. His tenants were farmers and market gardeners, and before the era of village growth the population upon the village site was located principally upon the Longworth tract.

The principal subdivisions subsequent to that of the Lafayette Bank have been those of James Bryant, Ludlow avenue west of Clifton; Reuben P. Resor, Resor avenue; Lee & Wilson, Lafayette and Ludlow avenues; John and Martin Weighell, Ludlow Prospect, Brookline and Clifton avenues; Frank Lauk, Centre street and Carthage pike; Theodore Cook, Bryant, Cook, Thrall and Middleton avenues; Hil- debrand & Schwegman, Middleton and Central avenues; and Resor Park, east of Clifton and north of Central avenue.

Clifton was incorporated as a village by legislative enactment of March 23, 1850. The charter was proposed by Flamen Ball, an eminent lawyer of Cincinnati, and under its provisions the council is debarred from issuing any license for the sale of intoxicating liquors. At the organization of the village, April 4, 1850, the follow- ing officers were elected: Mayor, Hamilton M. Harbaugh; recorder, Joseph H. McIlvain; trustees, R. B. Bowler, John A. D. Burrows, Charles P. MeIlvain, Jacob Mummert, William Resor; school trustees: W. B. Smith, William B. Dodd, Reuben P. Resor; marshal, John Gentry. The succession of mayors has been as follows: 1850, Hamilton M. Harbaugh, Flamen Ball, vice Harbaugh; 1851-55, Flamen Ball; 1856, C. M. Valleau; 1857, C. M. Valleau, E. J. Miller, Webster Elmes; 1858-69, Flamen Ball; 1869-71, Robert Hosea; 1871-76, James Bugher; 1877-89, Henry Probasco; 1889-93, R. B. Bowler. The following persons have served as village recorder: 1850-51, Joseph H. McIlvain; 1852-55, Robert Reily; 1856, Webster Elmes; 1867, Thomas Sherlock; 1858-60, Webster Elmes; 1860, Webster Elmes, Flamen Ball, Jr. ; 1861-62, Flamen Ball, Jr. ; 1863-68, Thomas Sherlock; 1869-93, S. G. Sterling.

The cloister of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart is one of the most interesting institutions of Clifton. It occupies an elevated location, and is surrounded by grounds of great natural beauty. The school takes high rank among similar insti- tutions, and has a large attendance.

AVONDALE.

Avondale is one of the most beautiful, populous and extensive suburbs of Cin- cinnati. It is situated principally upon Section 9, entire Range 2 and Township 3, which was sold by Symmes in 1795 to Samuel Robinson. "The next year Rob- inson conveyed three hundred acres in its northeast part to John Hardin; in 1797 one hundred and twenty acres in the southwest part to William McMillan, of Cin- cinnati, whose remains were buried here for more than half a century, but now rest in Spring Grove cemetery; in 1798 the tract north of McMillan's and west of Hardin's was sold to John Hunt; and the southeast part, comprising the entire remainder of

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY.

the section, was afterward acquired by the celebrated William Woodward, founder of the Woodward High school. McMillan became a further purchaser here, together with Jonathan Dayton and Elias Boudinot, of the East Jersey company, making the ~ Miami Purchase. After the death of Dayton, a subdivision was made in November, 1846, by Jonathan Bartlett, administrator of his estate on both sides of the Lebanon turnpike (now Main avenue), but mostly east of the road, which he designated as ' a plat of house lots at Clinton, three miles from Cincinnati.' This was the first subdivision made in what is now Avondale. Two years afterward James A. Corry made a plat in the southwest part of the section, upon the McMillan tract, which he- styled the Locust Grove subdivision. About the same time still another subdivision was made by Spencer and Corry. In 1852 Samuel Cloon made a subdivision of about one hundred and fifty acres, covering the 'Clinton' tract, upon which Miles Greenwood, of Cincinnati, had built his suburban residence in 1847. The Cincin- nati & Chicago railroad made a subdivision on the Corry lands in 1854, to which the engineer in charge of the survey gave the name of Avondale subdivision, from which the village-to-be derived its name."

Since this there have been numerous additional subdivisions, as the improvement in traveling facilities and the pressure of population required. The borough was incorporated in 1854.

COLLEGE HILL.

College Hill certainly occupies one of the most romantic and beautiful, as well as one of the most elevated, localities in the county. The following particulars regarding the history of College Hill have been derived from the historical sketch of which F. G. Cary is the author.

" The plat of the village embraces the western part of Section 30, and the east- ern part of Section 36, including the forfeit of the latter. Both of these sections (except the forfeits) were sold by Symmes to Neamiah Tunis, of New Jersey. Nea- miah Tunis sold Section 30 to his nephew, Jabez C. Tunis, who removed to and resided in Cincinnati. In 1813 William Cary purchased of Jabez C. Tunis 491 acres in Section 30, for $7 per acre. David Gray had bought some fifty acres on the east side of the section south of the forfeit before Cary purchased the remain- der of the section, but Gray's deed was given the year following. Moses N. Gray, a son of David, still owns and resides upon a part of the paternal estate. Soon after Mr. Cary purchased seventy-five acres, north of the North Bend road in Spring- field township adjoining his original tract. All of College Hill in Section 30 is embraced in William Cary's purchase, hence all titles come through him. About 170 acres are still owned by his descendants.

"In the fall of 1813 William Cary cut down a few trees, dug a well, and built a log cabin. Its location was a little north and west of the old brick homestead. He built the brick house in 1816. The cabin was used for a tenant house for many years, but all trace of it is gone. In April, 1814, Mr. Cary, with wife and three sons, moved into the log house in the wilderness. The clay of which the brick were made in the Cary homestead was taken from the cellar and burned on the spot. It was one of the most elegant and palatial residences in the country in 1816. In 1814 Mr. Cary sold fifty acres to Cyrus Howard, who commenced a clearing on the north side of Linden avenue, opposite the residence of his son, Stephen F. Howard. In 1815 Roswell Hazeltine purchased fifty acres adjoining Howard on the west, built a cabin, and afterward the small frame house, which is still standing. In 1816 Zebulon Strong purchased thirty-two acres and built a cabin near where his daughter, Mrs. Russell, now lives. Some years later his cabin gave place to the present frame dwelling.

" In 1819 John Strong, a brother to Zebulon, purchased fifty-six acres, embracing the territory between Linden avenue and the south line of the Pierson property and

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY.

east of the turnpike, except a building lot of one acre, situated on the west side, which now forms a part of the Hollenshade lawn. He afterward built a frame near the same spot, which was years later removed, and is now the house occupied and owned by Dr. Johnson. In 1819 Mr. Cary sold to David Thomas for a half-dozen split-bottom kitchen chairs the two acres where John M. Wilson, Esq., resides. The chairs were never delivered. A few years later Mr. Cary sold to Solomon Howard, a Revolutionary soldier, the father of Cyrus Howard, two acres on the east side of the turnpike and north of Linden avenue. He built and occupied until his death in 1834 a small frame cottage, where the Presbyterian church now stands. This cottage was removed to the other side of the turnpike, and is now owned by Samuel Hammett. This was the first frame house erected on College Hill. This embraces all the transfers and settlements made on this hill during the first ten years.

"Section 36. Neamiah Tunis, owner of Section 36 (except the forfeit conveyed by Symmes to Rankins), died in New Jersey, and it was some years after the occu- pation of Section 30 before titles could be obtained. The first conveyance was made by the executors of Tunis to Albert G. Arnold in 1827, being for thirty three acres on the east side of the section from the line of the forfeit to the south line of the section. The residence of Gen. Cist is upon the Arnold tract. Between 1827 and 1832, inclusive, the executors of Tunis sold the remainder of the section in parcels to Roswell Hazeltine, Thomas B. Weatherby, George W. C. Hunter, Nathaniel Ryan, Jesse Jones, Edward Grogan, and David Jessup. Even at that late day the purchase price was small. T. B. Weatherby paid for his fifty acres in 1832 $589. All the original settlers of this section have passed away except T. B. Weatherby, who still lives upon his farm at the good old age of eighty-five.

" William Cary, Solomon and Cyrus Howard, and David Thomas were from New Hampshire; John and Zebulon Strong from Vermont, and Roswell Hazeltine from New York. The Hon. R. F. Howard, Esq., of Xenia, son of Cyrus Howard, was the first-born of College Hill, viz., in July, 1814. Eber P. Strong is the oldest native resident."

Concerning early manufactures Mr. Cary states that in 1820 David Thomas "built a cabin on the spot now occupied by the residence of John M. Wilson, Esq., and a log shop for a chair and furniture factory. It was not a success. About the year 1819 a Mr. Powell leased a lot of William Cary and erected a cabin where the Presby- terian church stands, and started a factory in the valley between the turnpike and Mr. Davey's residence for the manufacture of black salts and pearl ash. He pro- cured his ashes from the neighboring clearings and cabins, leached them in hoppers, and boiled the lye in large iron kettles. A great quantity of maple sugar and molasses was made on College Hill. The troughs were made usually of sassafras, the spills of sumach or elder. Large iron kettles were used to reduce the water to syrup and sugar. They were suspended on poles over a fire or set in a stone arch- way. In the year 1828 Albert G. Arnold established a tannery on the low ground immediately north of the residence of Gen. Cist. He had some thirty or forty vats and a currying shop. He did considerable business for some years, and was quite successful. He had also a shop for making shoes." The looms of Mrs. John Strong and others and William Cary's saw and grist mill are also mentioned.

The first schoolhouse was a brick building on the Colerain road. In 1832 F. G. Cary opened a high school for boys, which ultimately developed into " The Farmers' College of Hamilton County." Over thirteen thousand dollars were invested in grounds and buildings. In 1852 the purpose of establishing a scientific school with a department for theoretical agriculture was formed, a farm of 100 acres was pur- chased, and other preliminary arrangements made, but owing to financial embarrass- ments this design was abandoned in 1866. In 1885 the name was changed to Bel- mont College; the name has since been changed to the Ohio Military Institute.

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY.

In 1843 Mrs. Laura B. Hays opened a high school for girls. She was succeeded by Mrs. Brooks, and she by Rev. John W. Scott, father-in-law of President Harri- son.

Rev. John Covert in 1852 purchased the grounds now occupied by the sani- tarium and erected thereon a three-story brick building, in which he opened and conducted the Ohio Female College. The building was destroyed by fire in 1858, when Mr. Covert sold the grounds to Alphonso Wood and Eli Taylor. A fine build- ing was erected and the college was reopened, but financial troubles beset its fur- ther history. This second building was destroyed by fire in 1868; it was rebuilt by J. C. C. Hollenshade, but was converted into a sanitarium several years later.

College Hill was incorporated June 4, 1866. The first mayor was E. De Lerisy; clerk, E. N. Wilde; trustees, A. D. E. Tweed, S. F. Cary, E. P. Strong, Joel Strong, and Amos Worthington.

WINTON PLACE.

In 1865 Sylvester Hand and Samuel Froome platted the western part of Winton Place, and by subsequent subdivisions, principally those of Dodsworth and McMakin, the village attained such proportions as to justify its incorporation, June 18, 1882. The first mayor was Samuel Hannaford; clerk, John W. Innes; council, Thomas Lovett. William A. Webb, A. B. Lewis, Edward Cook, Henry H. Vail, and F. A. Armstrong, The town hall was purchased by the village authorities in 1893. It was erected by private individuals, and transferred to Theophilus Wilson, Henry Huffman, and Edward De Lerissey, trustees of the voting precinct, September 8, 1877. Winton Place adjoins Spring Grove cemetery, extending from Mill creek to the hills on the west.

MT. AIRY.

Mt. Airy was incorporated as a village October 30, 1865, and comprises territory formerly included in Mill Creek and Green townships. The first village officers were A. Shouter, mayor; John R. Hatfield, recorder; O. Brown, P. Grogan, H. H. Harris and J. M. Memmel, trustees. The succession of mayors has been as follows: 1865, A. Shouter; 1869, Oliver Brown; 1870, W. J. M. Gordon; 1872, B. H. Kroe- ger; 1876, A. Shouter; 1878, E. T. Brown; 1879, E. Jacobs, B. H. Kroeger; 1884, A. B. Hay; 1886, B. H. Kroeger; 1888, John H. McMakin; 1890, W. J. M. Gordon; 1892, B. H. Kroeger.

ELMWOOD PLACE.

Elmwood Place was laid out in 1875 by Frank L. Whetstone and L. C. Hopkins. In 1880 it had a population of 136, which has since increased to several thousand. The village was incorporated in 1890, and on the 29th of July in that year the first election occurred. Emil Heun was elected mayor; John Kindel, clerk; John H. Meyer, marshal; Jacob Kirchner, treasurer, and J. F. Colligan, John H. Bruening, A. J. Hammill, M. Trainor, John C. Singer, and Frank Dieterle, council. The present mayor is P. W. Derr.

ST. BERNARD.

The incorporated village of St. Bernard includes the town of that name and the adjoining village of Ludlow Grove. St. Bernard was laid out in 1850 by Joseph Kleine and J. B. Schroder, to whose subdivision those of Stephen Kemper, Lawrence Schroder, H. J. Witte, and Elwood Alkemeyer have since been added. Ludlow Grove was platted by Brewster, Barton & Foltz, John T. Wright, and Noah Bable. This is the location of the old Ludlow homestead, the residence of a family of much prominence in the early history of the county. It is a station on the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern railroad, and its history as a village dates from the completion of that road. In Ludlow Grove there are two churches, Reformed and Presbyterian.

Allard

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY.

St. Bernard proper is the location of a Catholic church. The population is composed principally of Germans, who find employment in the city and in the works at Ivory- dale and the Erkenbrecker starch factory.

St. Bernard was incorporated in 1878; the first mayor was H. L. Katenkamp; clerk, Bernard Brinkers; council, Lawrence Schroder, Frank Broxterman, Andrew Attermeyer, Henry Boehner, H. Huffmann, and F. Kauffman and J. H. W. Rott. H. L. Katenkamp served as mayor in 1878; Robert Kemper in 1879-86; David Laux- terman, in 1886-88, and William Schulhof 1888-93. A. H. Thaman was clerk, 1880- 88, and John G. Overman has filled the office since the latter date. The town hall is a handsome brick building erected in 1889-90, under the supervision of Will- iam Schulhof, mayor: John G. Overman, clerk, and C. E. Manthey, George W. Dahling, August Riehle, Peter Daley, F. Broxterman, and H. A. Wess, councilmen.

BOND HILL.

Bond Hill was originally platted by the Cooperative Land and Building Associa- tion of Cincinnati, No. 1, organized in 1871. Three additional subdivisions have since been made by F. H. Hellman, south of Oakland avenue, extending from Paddock to Washington avenue; Henry Broerman, south of Hellman's, and Henry Ruffner, west of the original plat. The location is elevated and almost level, with an easy slope toward the south. A considerable degree of uniformity is noticeable in the appear- ance of many of the houses, due to the fact that the Building Association did not fur- nish a great variety of plans for the selection of its members. There are also many residences of a more modern type, representing a great diversity of architect- ural designs. Bond Hill has three churches, Presbyterian, Methodist and Catholic; and in the immediate vicinity is the St. Aloysius Orphan Asylum, one of the most important eleemosynary institutions of the Catholic faith in the vicinity of Cincinnati. It comprises a large and productive farm, and the buildings are ample and commod- ious.

IDLEWILD.

Idlewild is a post-village on the Montgomery pike, between the city line and that of Norwood borough. The site was originally embraced in the farms of James and Jonathan Lyons. The station of this name is situated at the junction of the Cincin- nati, Lebanon & Northern and Cincinnati, Portsmouth & Virginia railways.

CHURCHES.

Carthage Christian Church was founded by Rev. Walter Scott, who first preached at the brick schoolhouse east of the canal, and subsequently at Solomon Rogers house and barn. His first converts were Mr. and Mrs. Stevens, Miss Ross and Will- iam A. Myers, at whose house the organization was effected in June, 1832, with Solomon Rogers as bishop, and Richard Dillons and William A. Myers as deacons. At this time the membership was thirty-two, but it increased to 200 in 1834. Hez- ekiah Wood, John Ludlow, Elijah Brady, James Dill, and Samuel Dill were also prominent early members. Among the early pastors were Revs. Scott, B. U. Wat- kins, Arthur Critchfield, David S. Burnet, James Challen, Dr. R. Richardson, Dr. L. L. Pinkerton, and William Pinkerton. The first church edifice was erected in 1833, and the present upon the same site in 1879.

Forest Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church of Avondale, was founded as Mears Chapel, so named in honor of John Mears, by whom the site was donated. The present edifice is built of native blue limestone, and dedicated in 1889. The chair- man of the building committee was Dr. J. Ebersole.

St. Clement's Catholic Church, St. Bernard, was founded in 1850, by the Order of St. Francis of Cincinnati. The cloister was rebuilt in 1862, and in 1870 the pres-

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HISTORY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY.

ent substantial brick church edifice was erected. The present schoolhouse, also a large and commodious structure, was erected in 1878.

Calvary Protestant Episcopal Church, Clifton. In December, 1855, a number~ of persons residing at Clifton, and in the vicinity, took the initiatory steps in the or . ganization of a parish, and January 5, 1856, at a meeting at the house of H. W. Derby, the first vestry was elected, consisting of R. Buchanan, H. W. Derby, R. B. Bowler, W. B. Smith, B. B. Whiteman, R. A. Whetstone, and S. G. Sterling. The succession of rectors has been as follows: Revs. William F. Lloyd, Samuel Clements, G. D. M. Mortimer, William Johnson, Edmund Rowland, D. D., D. F. Forrest, D. D., and Edwin F. Small. The church site was given by William Resor, and the present edifice was erected thereon in 1867.

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History of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio; their past and present, Part 65

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