History of Coshocton County, Ohio, its past and present, 1740-1881, Part 49

Author: Hill, Norman Newell, jr., [from old catalog] comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A. A., & co., Newark, O., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Newark, Ohio, A. A. Graham & co.
Number of Pages: 854

USA > Ohio > Coshocton County > History of Coshocton County, Ohio, its past and present, 1740-1881 > Part 49

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Micajah T. Williams and Alfred Kelley were the acting commissioners, and proved themselves faithful public servants. They were often pass- ing up and down the line, and saw the evil effects of the "jigger" of whisky. They left notice at cach contract station that they would not pay estimates monthly if the contractors furnished whisky on the work-an order that caused much grumbling among a certain class of the men, but it was promptly obeyed by the contractors. A jigger was small, not a jill in measure, but fifty or sixty men taking four of these per day-at sun- rise, at ten o'clock, at noon, at four o'clock, and be- fore supper-would exhaust a barrel of whisky in four or five days. Men from Fairfield, Hock- ing, Gallia and Meigs counties, and all the coun- try around, came to work on the canal. Farmers and their sons wanted to earn this amount of wages, as it was cash-a very scarce article-and they must have it to pay taxes and other cash ex- penses.

Before the canal was finished south of the Sum- mit, the north end from Dresden to Cleveland was in operation ; and wheat sold on the canal at seventy-five cents per bushel. Corn rose in pro- portion, and the enemies of the canal, all of whom were large land hoklers, or large tax payers, began to open their eyes. One of these, a Mr. Shoc- maker, of Pickaway county, below Farlton, was a rich land owner, and had opposed the building of the canal, as it would increase his tax and then be a failure. This gentleman, for such he was, said that his boys, with one yoke of oxen and a farm cart, hauled potatoes to Circleville and sold them for forty cents per bushel until they had more money than sufficed to pay all his taxes for

a year. This was an article for which, before this, there was no market, and he was now a convert to improvement. Wheat raised from twenty-five cents to one dollar per bushel before the canal was finished.

The contracts for building the canal were made soon after breaking the ground at Licking Sum- mit. The first embraced all the section from the point of breaking ground, south, including the embankment of the Licking Summit reservoir to the deep cut, so called, and there was one section at the south end of the cut let about this time to Colonel Noble. At these lettings, statements were posted up for the information of bidders, of the quantity and different kinds of work in each section, and also their estimates of the value of doing the same. Bidders from New York were present, and obtained some of the heaviest jobs- as the reservoir job, and some others. The price of excavation and embankment was from nine to thirteen cents per cubic yard; grubbing and clearing, per chain, two to ten dollars, according to circumstances. But little masonry was let in this division; and the work here was let about ten per cent below the engineer's estimates. Colonel Noble probably took his contract on the engineer's estimates, as it was deemed necessary that that section should be finished, in order to afford drainage when the deep cut should be put under contract. It is said that the colonel was at considerable expense in procuring machinery to pull down the large elm trees, of which there were many on the section, and that the attempt to get them out that way was not a success. His contract, therefore, did not prove a profitable one.

The next letting at Newark included the deep cut, so called. and the South Fork feeder. The length of this ent was about three miles. At the deepest place it was about thirty-four feet, de- scending gradually in either direction to about eight feet at either end, so that it would average about twenty-four feet the whole length. It was divided into two sections, and the whole was let at fifteen cents per cubic yard ; the north half to Scoville, Hathaway & Co, of New York, and the south half to Osborn, Rathburn & Co., of Cohim- bus The first named party sub-let their job to Hampson & Parkinson, of Muskingum county, who carried it on for a time and abandoned it at

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

very considerable loss, it is said. The other party, under the firm name of Osborn, Williams & Co., prosecuted their work to final completion, and undertook the unfinished part of the north sec- tion ; but they obtained, at different times, of the commissioners, an advance on the price originally agreed upon, so that at the close they were paid about thirty cents a yard for the work. Probably the average was twenty-five cents per yard cost to the State.

It is somewhat singular, that on the highest part of the cut there was a swamp of a few acres, where the water stood in the spring of the year, and as it was raised by heavy rains, the waters flowed from the swamp north to the waters of the Licking, and south to the tributaries of the Scioto.

The next work was also let af Newark. It com- menced at the north end of Licking Summit, thence northward to Nashport, including all the heavy work, and the dam at the lower end of the Licking Narrows. The letting embraced some twelve to fifteen locks, two aqueducts and cul- verts, with the usual excavation and embank- ment. The masonry of the locks was bid in at from two dollars to two dollars and fifty cents per perch of sixteen and one-half cubic feet, which included a lock finished, except the exca- vation of the pit and embankment around the lock. The other masonry was let at proportion- ate rates, and the other work went very low. There was great competition.

. The next letting was at Irville, in Muskingum county; commencing at the north end of the above described work, extending north to Roscoe, upon which there was considerable heavy work let at about the same rates as above, competition being no less.

The next work was let at Lancaster, commene- ing at the south end of Colonel Noble's job, thence southward to Circleville. This included some heavy work, also. There were some twenty or twenty-five locks, a few culverts and aqueducts. a dam at Bloomfiekl, and about the usual amount of earth work. All were let at low prices; the first six locks south of Licking Summit at three dollars and fifteen cents per perch ; the face stone was hauled from the neighborhood of Lancaster, an average distance of eight miles. Lower down,

about Carrol, Lockport and Winchester, the locks were about two dollars and fifty cents a perch. The light locks, just above the junction of the main canal with the Columbus feeder, were let at three dollars and twenty-five cents a perch.

At these prices it required the closest economy to do the work without loss. Some of the jobs awarded were abandoned and afterwards re-let at better prices. The price of labor was very low. Wages did not rise above ten dollars per month for four or five years. There was no " eight hour system ; " the men worked all day. Very few Irish or other foreigners had arrived at that time, and the work was mostly done by native Americans.

It was a great undertaking for the State to build the canal, and although its working has never paid the interest on its cost, yet, it has, without doubt, paid for itself many times over by the increased wealth it brought to the State, and the great increase in values of every marketable thing, covering a large extent of country.

That part of the canal lying in Coshocton county was built in 1827-30. Among the chief contractors were the following citizens of the county, viz : Thomas Johnson, William Renfrew, Matthew Stewart, Solomon Vail, A. Ferguson, Ephraim Thayer and A. G. Wood.

A sad incident in the construction of the canal was the death of Judge Brown, a citizen of Co- shocton, who had a contract, and was killed while superintending his work by a falling rock. An amusing incident was the exploit of one of the M-e girls, who was employed as cook for a gang of hands. Picking up the rifle of one of the boys who was preparing for a Sunday hunt, she de- clared she would shoot a man on the other side of the river, who was only an old bachelor, and, therefore, as she alleged, of very little use, and so saying she fired, and actually hit the crown of the man's hat.

The first boat-the " Monticello"-arrived from Cleveland August 21, 1830. She remained several days at the point of the hill above the aqueduct, attracting wonder-stricken visitors in multitudes from this and even adjoining counties.

The Walhonding canal was commenced in 1836, and finished in 1842. In the engineering corps were William H. Price, Charles J. Ward, John Waddle, Jacob Blickensderfer, Henry Fields and

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

Sylvester Medbery. Several of the gentlemen named above as contractors on the Ohio Canal were also connected with this. In addition to these were John Frew, S. Moffit, Isaac Means, John Crowley, W. K. Johnson and others, This canal lies wholly within the county, extending from Roscoe to Rochester, twenty-five miles. It cost $607,268.99, or an average of $24,290.76 per mile.

The first superintendent of the "Ohio canal, re- siding at Roscoe, was S. R. Hosmer, now of Zanes- ville. Alonzo Ransom, James Hay, John Mirise, James Carnes and William E. Mead also held this office. The first collector was Jacob Welsh, from Boston, Massachusetts, who (and also John M. Sweeny) had been in the engineering corps under Leander Ransom. At his death, E. Bennett was appointed, The following persons have held that position, viz : John D. Patton (now of Wash- ington City), Houston Hay (of Coshocton), Chaun- cey Bassett (now in Illinois), William M. Green (ex-postmaster of Dayton), C .H. Johnson (of Cos- hocton), James Gamble (deceased, of Walhond- ing), and Foght Burt (now in Illinois).

The Superintendents of the Walhonding canal were Langdon Hogle, John Perry, William E. Mead and Charles H. Johnson.

The first canal-boat launched in the county was called the "Renfrew," in honor of James Renfrew, a merchant of Coshocton. It was built by Thomas Butler Lewis, an old Ohio keel-boat- man.

It was intended to have the Walhonding canal extended to the northwestern part of the State, but there was already (1842) much talk of a speedier mode of conveyance. The work had been very expansive, and the members of the legislature from districts where canals were not regarded as practicable, were indisposed to con- tinue the appropriations.

The " Grand Canal," as it was first called, passes entirely across the State, connecting the waters of Lake Erie with those of the Ohio river, It is three hundred and six miles long, exclusive of the lateral canal to Columbus, eleven miles, and the Dresden side cut, together with slack-water navigation to Zanesville, seventeen miles more, making in all three hundred and thirty-four miles, including its various windings. It com-

mences at Cleveland and passes up the Cuyahoga river to the Old Portage, between it and the Tus- carawas river; by the city of Akron, and over to the Tuscarawas, down whose valley it follows to Massillon, Dover, New Philadelphia, Newcomers- town, Caldersburgh, Coshocton and Dresden, where it leaves the Tuscarawas, or rather the Muskingum, as the river is called below Coshoc- ton, and takes a southwesterly direction, passing Nashport, and striking the Licking river just be- yond the eastern line of Licking county, passing up that river to Newark; thence up the south fork to Hebron, Deep Cut, Baltimore, and Carrol, reaching the Scioto river just within the limits of Pickaway county, eleven miles south of Colum- bus. From this point it follows the Scioto valley to the Ohio river, passing the towns of Bloom- field, Circleville, Westfall, Chillicothe and Piketon to Portsmouth. It is owned and controlled by the State, and is under the immediate supervision of the board of public works, who appoint all its officers, and have entire charge of all its affairs, It is divided into three divisions, each of which is in charge of a chief engineer, who looks after repairs and other matters, and makes a yearly report to the board. Collectors are stationed at various places along the canal, whose business is to" collect tolls and water rent. A specified amount of toll is paid by those who run the boats, both upon the boat and cargo, the rate de- pending upon the value or quality of the cargo. It varies from two or three mills to two or three cents per mile. The boats are owned by private individuals, who have the use of the canal by paying the tolls. Before the days of railroads, these boats did a through business, and some of them were "passenger packets," which were lightly and neatly built, and arranged for carrying passengers, and made much quicker time than the freight boats. Since the advent of railroads, however, this class of boats has, of course, disap- peared, and those carrying freight now do only a local business, the railroads doing all through business. The boats will carry from fifty to eighty tons, and draw from two to three feet of water. Their principal business now is to trans- port coal, wheat, builling stone, and any freight that does not require quick transportation.

In 1861 the canal was leased to a company for

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

ten years, and at the end of that time the lease was renewed for ten years, but the company abandoned the lease in 1878, the State taking pos- session again in May, 1879. For several years prior to leasing it, the canal had been a heavy yearly expense to the State, the receipts falling much below the expenditures; since taking pos- session again in 1879, however, the receipts have largely exceeded the expenditures, and the State, probably for the first time in the history of this enterprise, is now making money out of it.

They have not, however, on that part within Coshocton county, been much disturbed by "prows " for many years.

In 1875, a little steamboat was built at Jacobs- port by Mr. Parker, proprietor of the mill, and was running as a pleasure and burden boat for short distances on Wills ereek.

The Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis rail- road is the only railroad now in complete run- ning order through the county. It is familiarly known as the " Pan Handle route " - so called

ETCỦA

MOSSEME CONY

THE NEW PASSENGER DEPOT, NEWARK, OHIO.

CHAPTER XXIX.

RAILROADS.

River Transportation - The Pan Handle - Extracts from Hunt's History and the Zanesville Courier.

F HOLLOWING the canal came that great eiv- ilizer, the railroad, as a means of transpor- tation. Prior to either canal or railroad, steam- boats and small boats and scows were used in business operations on the river. Steamboats occasionally came up to Coshocton. The orig- inal proprietors of the town designated certain lots on the river bank as " warehouse lots," look- ing to shipments by river. By act of the legisla- ture, the Muskingum, Walhonding, and Tuseara- was rivers, and Killbuck, Mohican, and Wills creeks, within Coshocton county, have been de- clared "navigable streams."

from the narrow neck, or section, of West Vir- ginia extending up and along the Ohio river, across which the Pittsburgh and Stubenville road (being a part of this line) passes. The road runs in an eastwardly direction from Columbus to Pittsburgh, one hundred and ninety-three miles, and is the shortest and most direct line between these two cities. That part of the road lying in Ohio is one hundred and fifty miles long, from Stubenville.

The Steubenville and Indiana Railroad Com- pany was chartered February 24, 1848, and under its charter and amendments thereto, commenced work in November, 1851, on the eastern division, opening the road for traffic from Steubenville to Newark, via Coshocton, in April, 1855. This line, with a branch from the main line to Cadiz, eight miles in length, constituted the road of the Steubenville and Indiana Railroad Company.

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

The delay in builling the road from Steubenville to Pittsburgh, the want of proper connections east or west, and the unfinished and poorly equipped condition of the road, gave insufficient earnings to pay interest and current expenses; the company became greatly embarrassed and fell in arrears to laborers, and for supplies, and was annoyed and perplexed with suits and judg- ments which it was unable to fund or pay, and finally proceedings were commenced in the Court of Common Pleas, of Harrison county, Ohio, for the foreclosure of mortgages and sale of the road, and Thomas L. Jewett was ap- pointed receiver, on the second day of Septem- ber, 1859. On the first day of October, 1864, the receiver, on behalf of the company, purchased an undivided half of that part of the Central Ohio between Newark and Columbus, for seven hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars, thus giving the company an independent outlet and direct communication with railroads running west from Columbus.

Meantime the work on the Steubenville and Pittsburgh road was rapidly pushed forward to completion, and on the first of October, 1865, the receiver concluded an arrangement with the lessees of that road for opening the whole line from Columbus to Pittsburgh. The road received the name of Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis, and December 28, 1867, it was reorgan- ized under the name of Pan Handle. Upon completion, it was leased to the Pennsylvania Railroad Company, by which it is now operated. The construction and equipment of this road cost, in round numbers, twenty million dollars.

The following regarding this road is from Mr. Hunt's history of this county :

" The road was originally planned to go from Coshocton up the Walbonding valley, taking much the same direction as was once proposed for the Walhonding canal, and striking for North- ern Indiana and Chicago; but the movement of another company anticipated part of this plan, and the road was built to Newark. A few indi- vidual subscriptions of stock were made, but most of the stock, afterward in the possession of individuals, came through the contractors to whom it had been given for work, or was given to the hollers of it for the right of way, etc.

"The county, in 1850, took $100,000 of the stock of the company, and the townships along

the line of the road (except Oxford), $80,000 more, viz: Lafayette, $20,000; Tuscarawas, $30,- 000; Franklin, $15,000, and Virginia, $15,000, for all of which bonds were issued. Subsequently, in the processes of consolidation and extension, nearly one-half of this stock was relinquished, leaving the remainder in possession of the county and townships. No dividend has ever been paid on it, and it is all regarded as practically lost. The road paid into the county treasury, as taxes for 1875, the sum of $5,578.68.

The citizens now readily recalled as having contracts for builling the road are Samuel Brown (since removed to Illinois), John Few, J. W. Rue, John Ninian and George Ross. Neither these nor any other citizens specially connected with the builling of the road, reaped much benefit from it, but many have gained immensely, and the general advancement of the county through it, has in amount exceeded many times over all that was ever invested in it. Until comparatively re- cent years, one of the board of directors was taken from Coshocton county. Wm. K. Johnson served in that capacity from the inception of the road until his death, and was succeeded by his brother, Joseph K. Johnson, now of New York city.

In 1872, a railroad was located (as a branch of the Cleveland, Mt. Vernon and Columbus Rail- road) through Clark, Bethlehem, Jefferson, Bed- ford and Washington townships, and some work was done on it. But " the panic" of 1873 pre- vented any further progress for some three years. At this writing fresh efforts are being made to complete the work

The Massillon and Coshocton Railroad, branch- ing from the Cleveland, Tuscarawas Valley and Wheeling Railroad near Massillon (Beach city), and running to Coshocton, was located in 1875, and by the hearty assistence of parties along the line, under the direction of R. B. Dennis, W. L. Hollen, and others interested in the C, F. V. & W. R. R., and also in coal-fields near Coshocton, is at this writing being rapidly constructed. A. H. Slayton, J. C. Fisher, E. T. Spangler and J. C. Pomrene, of Coshocton, have been actively and officially connected with this enterprise. Several other railroads have been projected, notably one from Liberty, in Guernsey county to Coshocton, and thence up the Wallonding valley (a part substantially of T. S. Humrickhouse's projected " Lake Michigan and Tidewater " Railroad); but up to this writing no effective measures have been taken in relation to then.

The first agent of the S. & I. Railroad at Cosh- octon was John Frew."

None of the above mentioned roads have been finished.

The branch of the Cleveland, Mount Vernon and Columbus road was graded as far as Tunnel

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

Hill, where it ended and remains unfinished. The immense coal fields of the county require, and will ultimately have, additional transportation.

The following regarding prospective railroads in this county is clipped from the Zanesville Courier of a recent date:

Messrs. R. B. Dennis and W. L. Holden, of the Cleveland, Canton, Coshocton and Straitsville Rail- way (Connotton Valley), and Messrs. D. B. Linn and J. P. Egan, returned to the city Thursday from a tour of observation to Otsego and Coshoc- ton, in the interests of the above named rail- way company. The party passed over the en- tire route and minutely examined the country, with a view to determining the feasibility of ex- tending the railroad from Otsego to Zanesville.

It should be observed that Mr. Dennis came here by direction of the directors of the Cleve- land, Canton, Coshocton and Straitsville Railway Company, to examine the route personally, and to report his observation to the board at their next meeting, to be held in Canton next week. Both of the visiting gentlemen are now satisfied, as we are informed, that the route is not only feasible, but that the territory lying between the Pan Handle on the north, and the B. & O. Rail- way on the south, can be divided about the center by the proposed new narrow gauge, and that the country through which the road would pass will furnish a large amount of local traffic.

The gap between the head waters of Salt creek and the White Eyes branch of Wills creek is not a formidable obstacle, and can easily be traversed. It is fair to infer from all the circumstances con- nected with the inspection, that the report of Messrs. Dennis and Holden will be favorable to the construction of the road.

The line is already under contract as far sonth as Coshocton, and gentlemen who have oppor- tunities of knowing whereof they affirm, seem to be confident that the extension to Zanesville will be made this summer.

CHAPTER XXX.

AGRICULTURE .*

Agricultural Features of the County-Present Condition- Crops-Corn, Wheat, etc .- Fruit Culture-Stock Raising- Sheep-Cattle-Hogs-Horses-County Agricultural So- ciety.

"THE topographical features of Coshocton conn- ty are so diversified by hill and valley as to af- ford a pleasing variance in agricultural pursuits

throughout the county. By the junction of the Walhonding and Tuscarawas rivers, forming the Muskingum, three broad and beautiful valleys are formed, radiating in different directions from the county seat. The valleys of Wills creek and the Killbuck are scarcely less marked, and these five, together with many others, of greater or less scope, threading the county in all directions, present an abundance of rich, sandy, fertile bottom lands, well adapted to the growing of corn, wheat, potatoes and kindred crops. The rolling or hill lands are more adapted to growing wheat and grass. The western part of the coun- ty is composed chiefly of limestone lands; the eastern part is more of a sandy nature. The northern part of the county, between the Tusca- rawas and Walhonding rivers, is rolling and well adapted for grass and growing of sheep. Water is abundant throughout the entire county. It is often asserted that the soils are becoming ex- hausted, but this is only partially true. The bot- tom lands, owing to the false notion that they need no return for the generous erops annually removed, are, as a general thing, less productive than when tirst brought under cultivation, but the rich clay lands are constantly improving. For this there are two reasons. In the first place, all good farmers understand that these lands will not produce grain from year to year without some return being made for the crops removed. The general practice here is a rotation of products, such as corn, oats, wheat and clover, followed sometimes with meadow or pasture. Besides the direct benefit from the clover and grass as fertili- zers, the condition of these clay soils is greatly ameliorated by this thorough cultivation. Deep plowing and exposure of the subsoil to the frosts of winter, the cultivation of corn in the summer and the thorough preparation of the soil by the network of clover roots will accomplish a great work in the improvement of these stiff clays. The "plain" lands, which were regarded as valueless by the early settlers, under careful cultivation have been made to yield constant and abundant har- vests.

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History of Coshocton County, Ohio, its past and present, 1740-1881, Part 49

Author: Hill, Norman Newell, jr., [from old catalog] comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A. A., & co., Newark, O., pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Newark, Ohio, A. A. Graham & co. Number of Pages: 854

Author: Hill, Norman Newell, jr., [from old catalog] comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A. A., & co., Newark, O., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Newark, Ohio, A. A. Graham & co.
Number of Pages: 854