History of Coshocton County, Ohio, its past and present, 1740-1881, Part 72

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 72

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The gas works were built in the winter of 1873-4 by a stock company, representing a capi- tal of $25,000. The contractor was B. Van Steen- berg, now of Logan, New Jersey, and was also at the outset the heaviest stockholder. He soon after disposed of his interest to Houston Hay. The company was organized in 1872, with F. E. Barney, L. Demoss, John G. Stewart, H. N. Shaw and W. E. Hunt as directors. At this time the directors are Houston Hay, James Wilson, Jo- seph Rue, L. Demoss and James R. Johnson. J. G Stewart is president, and Henry Herbig sec- retary and treasurer. Isaac McNary has been superintendent of the works from the start. The amount of gas furnished by these works has been steadily increased since the works were estab- lished.

Carriage and wagon manufactories are now carried on by E. McDonnald, V. O. Jeffries and James Stewart. In 1857 Mr. MeDonnald and Al- exander Manner erected a carriage manufactory on lot 209 West Walnut street. Two years later McDonnald purchased his partner's interest in the works, at the same time selling to Mr. Man- ner his interest in a hotel, which had become their property. He remained in possession of the factory, except during a few months, when Judson Ifughes, of Zanesville, controlled it, until 1869, when he erected the extensive shops now standing on lot 140, Third street, near Main. He has since continued the manufacture of carriages at these shops. During the last ten or eleven years he has built, on an average, about sixty ve- hicles a year.

The works of V. O. Jeffries are located on Sec- ond street, between Chestnut and Locust. He has had possession of the shops for several years, succeeding Jeffries & Van Allen.

James Stewart built his wagon shops a few years ago near the south end of Water street, and is still operating them there.

A carriage shop was built on Sixth street, be-

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

tween Main and Walnut, by G. A. Pieffer & Sons. of Dresden. In 1873 Alexander Manner bought these premises at assignee's sale, and operated here for a while, but has since ceased manufac- turing. George Schley, at one time, was an ex- tensive wagon maker, and subsequently J. Glover, C. W. Frew, A. Fritz and others have also at one time or another been engaged in this business.

The Coshocton Foundry, located on North Fifth street, was built about 1871 by Edward Kirk. It afterwards passed into the hands of T. C. Ricketts and was operated by Kirk and Robert Hay, then by Ricketts & Evans, and still later by Hirt, Palm & Evans. After standing idle for two years it was purchased in January, 1881, by W. H. King, who is now carrying on a general and extended line of business here.

Probably the first foundry in Coshocton was the one started by George E. Conwell and Morris Burt. The building used was the one now oceu- pied by Mr. Jeffries as a carriage shop, on Second street. It afterward came into the possession of J. C. Maginity, who afterwards entered into a partnership with the Roses. owners of the Roscoe foundry. The Roscoe foundry soon became the principal, and after a time, the only one operated by the firm. Another foundry was started about 1868, by Hiram Taylor and W. H. King, near the Tuscarawas river bridge. After a time they re- moved to Roscoe and it was abandoned.

The first tannery was started about 1808, by Andrew Lybarger, on the northwest corner of Second and Walnut streets. This yard after- wards passed into the hands of John and Joseph K. Johnson, who operated it for a series of years. At a still later date it was owned by Andrew J. Wilkin and James Dryden. It was abandoned quite a number of years ago.

There is now a tannery, located on Water street between Main and Walnut, operated by McClain & Koontz. John Taylor erected a ma- chine shop at this place about 1845, and carried it on for many years. The shop then stood idle for some time and was purchased by Cassingham & Shaw, who converted it into a tannery. It was sold to Mr. Loose, and from him passed into the hands of the present owners.

A small soap factory was built about 1850, near the Tuscarawas bridge by J. Mayer. In 1871 the

establishment was bought by W. II. Robinson, Jr., and C. Skinner, torn down and replaced by a larger building known as the Coshocton Soap Works. For a short time it was owned and ope- rated by D. Adams, but was repurchased, and is now conducted by C. Skinner & Co.

T. Ilager manufactures cigars, on Main street. G. F. Palm began the manufacture at this place in 1878, and a year or two later, sold out to Mr. Ilager. - Gaumer is also engaged in this busi- ness, on Second street. J. K. March was the first to manufacture cigars to any considerable ex- tent, beginning in 1870.

The first brewery in Coshocton was started in a building on the west side of Second street, be- tween Locust and Sycamore, about 1852, by L. Mayer. In 1866, Lewis Beiber built the brewery on North Fourth street, near the river. It was afterward operated by Charles Boes, but has since been discontinued.

Among the manufacturing establishments that have formerly had a place in Coshocton may be mentioned the fanning mill factory which was operated about 1848, for awhile, by William M. Green, on lot 172 Main street, where W. W. Bost- wiek's jewelry store now stands. Josiah Dewey, for some time, was extensively engaged in the manufacture of chairs, on the northeast corner of Second and Locust streets. Prior to 1850, he sold the establishment to A. Ordway, who con- tinued it sometime longer. James Taylor, about 1840, started a woolen mill, on Walnut street, be- tween Water and Second. He finally went to California, and the mill went down.

Dr. Samuel Lee, about 1826, started a carding mill on the lot which is situated at the southeast corner of Main and Fourth streets. It continued in operation for eight or ten years. A grist mill was for a time attached to it. The motive power was furnished by an ox, the machinery consisting of a tread-mill. Many years before this, Charles Williams built a little tread-mill on the lower part of lot 216, Chestnut street, where the grists of many early settlers were ground. The ma- chinery was removed to a small mill on Cant- well's run, across the river. In 1832, a large steam flouring mill was built at the southwest corner of Main and Second streets, by James and William Renfrew and Robert Hay. It contained four

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

run of buhrs. In 1839, the mill was consumed by fire, but the following year it was rebuilt and operated by different parties, usually with indif- ferent or ill success until 1850, when the building was leased to Robert Hay, Thomas Love and John Hay, for the purpose of carrying on a distilling business. Love & Hay-Samuel Love and Robert Hay at first, but afterward Thomas Love and Robert Hay-had commenced operations in this line at Roscoe in 1837. The loss of their mill there by fire caused its removal to Coshocton, where the business was conducted on a much larger scale than formerly. In 1865, Robert and James Hay retired from the firm, and after a little while the manufacture ceased entirely. In its day this distillery was the most active and ex- tensive industry in the village. Its capacity was 300 bushels per day, which would produce, on an average, 1,050 gallons of whisky.

CHAPTER XLVIII.

SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES OF COSHOCTON.

Early Schools-First School Houses and Teachers-Ereetion of Buildings-Progress and Statistics.

Churches - Early Preaching-Presbyterian-Methodist Prot- estant-Methodist Episcopal-Catholic-German Lutheran -Baptist-Episcopal.

SCHOOL facilities in Coshocton were meager indeed during the formative stages of its growth, and even for many years after. The then great West attracted many settlers who cared little or nothing for the benefits of educa- tion, and made no efforts to provide their chil- dren with even the rudiments of learning, and even had they been so disposed, the demands of pioneer life in other directions were so pressing as to forbid much time or attention being paid to it. There were some, it is true, who brought with them from the East a deep conviction of the necessity of education, and who did what they could to implant it in this community; but their resources were limited, and they made but tardy advancement.

Rev. Calhoun says: "It is worthy of being noted that, according to the best information we can obtain, five or six years after the settle-

ment of Coshocton, it was destitute of a school of any kind." According to his statement, the first school in Coshocton was established in the year 1807, by Joseph Harris, who had the year before taught a school at the Evans settlement, in Oxford township. It was held in the house of Calvin Bobbet, which seems to have been vacated by him shortly after he built it, situated on lot 219 Second street, just north of William Burns' residence. In January, 1808, some difficulty arose between the school master and his pupils, and he was obliged to seek employment, in his vocation, elsewhere. The nature of the difficulty is unknown, but considering the season of the year, it is probable that the teacher was "barred out" for refusing to treat, as was the custom in those times, on New Years Day. However that may be, Coshocton lost its first pedagogue.

In 1809, Charles Roberts taught a school in this settlement a part of the time, in the neighbor- hood of Fulton's or Cartmell's, and another por- tion of his time in a house standing on Second street.

Israel H. Buker is also recollected as one of the early school-teachers. He was a Revolutionary soldier, was quite acceptable as a teacher and taught several quarters in a house standing on the river bank in the southwestern part of the town, on or near the south line of south out-lot number 1.

It would not be desirable, even if it were possible, to follow up each school that has been taught here. Prior to 1828 there was no school-house of any kind, though quite a number had already been built in the neighboring settlements; and the desultory schools that were taught were held wherever the use of a vacant cabin could be ob- tained, scarcely ever twice in the same place. About 1818, William B. Hubbard, who came here from St. Clairsville, taught a quarter on lot 167 Second street, where James Johnson now resides, in a building which had previously been used by Captain Abram Sells as a furniture shop. Mr. Hubbard, from all accounts, was an excellent teacher; he soon after returned to St Clairsville, and subsequently went to Columbus, where he attained celebrity as a banker. lawyer and rail- road magnate. James Madden, from Virginia, taught in a building near the northeast corner of

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

Second and Chestnut strects. He was crippled in one arm, but excelled as a penman, and taught several quarters. He afterwards moved to White Eyes township where he continued his chosen occupation. A Mr. Jackson also taught here. He is described as a very irascible and stern in- dividual, who wanted but the slightest provocation to exercise his pedagogical right to flog. Hc taught in the fall of 1828, when the hero of New Orleans was a candidate for President. An en- thusiastic young Democrat innocently hurrahed for Jackson one day in the school yard, and the dignified professor, deeming this a reflection upon his name, administered to the offending youth an unusually severe dose of discipline, which rendered him very unpopular to the pre- dominating democratic element of the village.

Moses L. Necl taught for a number of years, probably beginning in 1819 or 1820 in a rough cabin, standing just south of the mill on the south- west corner of Main and Second streets. He was impetuous and brilliant, and gave satisfaction as a teacher. He was a remarkably fine penman.

The court house, too, was utilized for school purposes for a few years. James Matthews taught a term here in IS31. He afterwards represented the county in the State legislature and served two terms in congress, 1841-5. Moses Ncel also taught in the court house. All these were sub- scription schools. The terms, as gathered from several of Mr. Neel's school contracts for the years 1824-5 and 6, were two dollars per quarter for each scholar. Money must have been a rare ar- tiele for the subscriptions were made payable in "common country produce" at the cash price when delivered. The subscribers also agreed to "furnish a comfortable school house, benches, seats, tables, fuel cut and split in good order and proper size for the chimney, and delivered at the door " of the school house. The teachers rarely ventured beyond instruction in "reading, 'riting and 'rithmetic," and usually taught only the first principles of these.

In 1825, the legislature passed a general bill authorizing, on certain conditions, the levying of a tax, not exceeding in amount $300, for building a school-house. Rate (or tuition) bills could be arranged for and relied on where the tax was in- sufficient. The minutes of the commissioners

show that in June, 1823, " Upon application it is ordered by the commissioners of said county that Simuel Lee and his associates have a privi- lege of building a school-house on the southwest corner of the public square, in the town of Co- shockton (as it was then spelled), O.," the build- ing to be "a good, decent brick or frame house not to be less than twenty feet square, or larger if they think it necessary." Accordingly a little brick school-house twenty by thirty feet, con- taining one room, was crected and served as the village school for about twenty years. Among the carliest teachers in the building were Mr. Barnes and Mr. O'Neal, a law student in the office of James Matthews; among its latest teachers were Messrs. Alexander, James Irvine and James Dryden and Rev. H. K. Hennigh.

" In the latter part of this period, say from 1840 to 1850, there was a growing conviction that thorough and extended scholarship had not been attained under the public school system as then ordered by law, and this fact and a higher sense of the importance of the religious element in education gave rise to a number of private schools and academies. In this work at Coshoc- ton were engaged Rev. E. Buckingham, and es- pecially Rev. Addison Coffey, both of the Presby- terian church. The latter built quite a good brick house with the view of making room for boarders, and had for his school-house the build- ing now occupied by W. R. Forker, both build- ings being on south Fourth street." The re- inoval from the county of Messrs. Buckingham and Coffey, involved the discontinuance of these institutions.

The present graded sehools were established under the " Akron law," passed in 1849. William K. Johnson, Joseph C. Maginity, John G. Smith, Joseph Guinther, John Tidball and Jacob Wag- goner were chosen by the citizens as the first board of education. As first established, there were three departments in the schools, two pri- mary and a higher one. William R. Powers, for- merly of New York, then of Utica, Ohio, was employed as superintendent, assisted in the higher department by Miss Sallie Elder (Mrs. George Dewey). Miss Araminta Bodelle (Mrs. H. N. Shaw) and Miss Caroline Stewart (Mrs. Samuel Denman) presided over the two primary

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

schools. Soon after a secondary school was started and taught by Miss Elder, her place in the higher school being supplied by Miss Delia Roberts (Mrs. Houston Hay). The schools at that time held their sessions in a little frame school-house in the southeast corner of the north school lot, where the little white school-house now stands, and in the basements of the Methodist Episcopal and the Second Presbyterian churches. The little brick school-house on the public square had become dilapidated, and owing to the location, objection was made to repairing it.

The following petition is here given, as much for the preservation of names of old citizens at- tached to it, as for the interest shown in the cause of education. The petition was presented to the legislature by Timothy A. Condit, then a mem- ber of that body from Coshocton:

To the Honorable, the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, now in session :

The undersigned citizens of the school district composed of the town of Coshocton and vicinity, respectfully represent: That with a desire of im- proving the public school in said district, and of establishing a central county school in which stu- dents from all parts of the county might, on lib- eral terms, enjoy educational advantages superior to those afforded in the ordinary district school, with a view to their employment in the business of teaching, they have established and have now in successful operation in said town a Union School, under the provisions of the "act for the better regulation of public schools," etc., passed February 21, 1849, and that the expenses neces- sarily incurred in the organization and support of said school are so great as to amount to a heavy burden on the taxable property of said district ;

The undersigned therefore pray that by an en- actment of your honorable body, åll fines here- after collected for violations of the criminal law, occurring within the bounds of said district, may be appropriated to the support of said school, to be expended in the same manner as the school fund now provided by law, etc.

COSHOCTON, Ohio, February 11, 1851.

Wm. Sample, Benj. R. Shaw,

. W. K Johnson, David Spangler, Josiah Harris, Henry N. Shaw,

Thos, Campbell, G. F. Cassingham, H. Cantwell, Jacob Waggoner, John F. Traxler,

T. S Humrickhouse, Benjamin Ricketts,

A. R. IFillyer,

II. J. Rahanser,

J. Irvine,

John Waggoner, John Darnes,

Henry Laffer,

Jos. M. Traxler,

F. Factor,

W. P. Wheeler,

A. L. Cass,

A. N. Milner,

J. H. Hutchinson,

Josiah Dewey, W. T. Decker,

G. E. Conwell,

James T. Morris,

James M. Brown,

Robert Southwell,

Jno. G. Stewart,

John C. Tidball,

Jas. Hazlett,

H. Meek, Samuel Moore,

Robert Hay,

Alex. D. MeGowan,

Samuel Love,

Thos. Dwyer,

Edward Maher, Joseph Burns,

F. X. Fritchey,

J. H. Workman,

John Burt,

Wm. H. Robinson,

D. Trueman,

S. B. Crowley,

R. M. Hackinson, Thos. C. Ricketts,

Joseph Evans, Mahlon Richcreek,

J. Medill. W. C. Wolfe,

J. C. Medill,

Thos. Love,

R. F. Baker,

J. W. Rue,

John Frew.

In 1853, it was determined to erect a suitable school-house. A considerable amount of feeling was manifested in regard to the location of it. Some were anxious to have it erected on the quarter block (two original town lots), at the northeast corner of Fourth and Main streets, fronting the public square. Others insisted upon placing it upon the square at the north end of the town, given by the original proprietors of the town for that purpose. The latter carried the day. The building (a two-story brick, thirty by eighty feet, with belfry,) was finished in 1855. A. N. Milner, a merchant and general operator, took the contract at about $4,500. A small allow- ance was subsequently made, but it was claimed that he was out of pocket very largely, whether by proper cost or through want of management, is disputed. The brick work was done by Henry Davis; the carpenter work, et .. , by George Hay. The bell was added six or eight years afterward- purchased by the fines paid in that year by the violators of the liquor law. The shade trees which adorn the large school yard, were planted by superintendent W. A. McKee. When this school-house was built, the board of education was composed of B. R. Shaw, J. C. Tidball, Jacob Waggoner, A. L. Cass, H. Cantwell and William Sample.

There are no accessible records, from which to obtain the complete list of names and periods of service of the subsequent members of the board,

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

but the following persons have served in this ca- pacity since: John Frew, Thomas Campbell, H. N. Shaw, James Dryden, J. G. Stewart, Henry Davis, W. H. Robinson, A. J. Wilkin, J. C. Pom- erine, A. H. Spangler, D. F. Denman, J. M. Compton, J. S. Wilson, C. H Johnson, T. J. Mad -. den and W. W. Walker. The board at this time embraces G. H. Barger, Henry Davis, William Crowell, E. J. Pocock, William Carnahan and W. H. Robinson.

Following Mr. Powers, the superintendents of the Coshocton union schools have been as fol- lows: W. A. McKee, 1854-7; T. V. Milligan, 1857-9; John Giles, 1859-64; C. Forney, 1864-8; George Conant, 1868-78; E. E. Henry, 1878-81.

To meet the demands of a rapidly increasing enrollment the board in 1870 erected a two-story brick on the northeast corner of Walnut and Seventh streets. In 1874 a small frame was erected on the southeast corner of the north school lot, and the accomodations being still in- sufficient, two primary schools were set up in a private house on Chestnut street, just east of the railroad.

In 1876 an imposing three-story front addition was built to the school-house on Walnut and Sev- enth streets. The plans were furnished by John- son & Kremler, of Columbus, and the work done by the Coshocton planing mill company. Its cost was $15,000.

The growth of the schools during the decade which has just ended has been rapid. For the year 1879-80 there were 681 pupils enrolled and the average daily attendance was 565. Thirteen teachers are employed. The course extends over a period of twelve years, four in each of the three departments, primary, grammar and high. The first graduating class was that of 1879, con- taining six members; the class of '80 consisted of seven members. Several futile attempts have been made to establish advanced educational in- stitutions in this place. "In 1870 the Presbyter- ian Church of Coshocton made a proposition to give the frame church builling for a school-house, and a strip of ground-now occupied by the par- sonage-whereon to erect a boarding house, to a board of trustees appointed by the session, but including representative members of other de- nominations, to the number of two-thirds of the

board, if the community would assist in securing not less than $5,000, wherewith to erect the board- ing house. Over $4,000 were subscribed-all but $300 by members of the Presbyterian Church, but the community manifested so little interest in this movement to secure the 'Coshocton Female College,' that the church, after waiting a year, withdrew the proposition and proceeded to erect a parsonage with the fund so far as it had been contributed within the church.

" A few years later Rev. Mr. Lec, of the Method- ist Episcopal Church, the president of an institu- tion called the One Study University, undertook to start a branch of that university under the name of 'Coshocton College' but the effort also was quite abortive-the concern leading a feeble life for a year or so, and then passing away."

In early days preaching could only be had occa- sionally, and this was usually by ministers either engaged in western missionary work, or passing fortuitously through the county. Prior to 1811, there was probably no preaching in Coshocton. Rev. Calhoun is authority for the statement that, in 1810, " from all we can learn, there was not a praying family in the town, and probably a Christian prayer had never been offered on the town plat."

After Dr. Samuel Lec became a resident of the place in 1811, Rev. Timothy Harris, a Congrega- tional minister, of Granville, who had accompa- nied him from Vermont, used to preach here occasionally Others, doubtless, whose names are now lost beyond recall, conducted meetings in private houses, from time to time, during the decade that followed the organization of the county. The first denomination to effect an or- ganization in Coshocton was the Presbyterian. Its history has been kindly furnished by James R. Johnson, as follows:

The churches of Krene and Coshocton were originally one organization. The date of organi- zation, as gathered a few years later, from the earliest members, is shown by the following entry in the record book, in 1827:

As nearly as can now be ascertained this church was formed in the fall of 1818, by Rev. J. Cunningham, of Richland Presbytery. It was called "The Church of the Congregations of Coshocton and Millereck ;" and at that time was composed of the following members :

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HISTORY OF COSHOCTON COUNTY.

James Renfrew, Timothy Emerson, Dr. Samuel Lee, Jacob Emerson, Andrew Hendersonf, Enos Emerson, William Ford, John Elder, Henry Jewit, Mrs. Jewit, Mrs. Elder, Polly Emerson, Katy Henderson, Catherine Emerson and Mrs. Thayer.

Mr. James Renfrew and Mr. Timothy Emerson were chosen elders, and ordained.

Church services were held in private houses until after the ereetion of the court-house, in 1824, and the brick school-house, in 1828; both on the publie square.

A record was begun July 14, 1827, at which time Rev. Thomas Barr preached, and eighteen additional members were received. From this time the church had preaching more regularly, the services being mostly held at Keene, as the membership there was much greater than at Coshocton.

In 1824, with the assistance of Rev. James Cunningham, the first Sunday-school in the county was started, in Coshoeton, under the superintendenee of James Renfrew. It met for a time in the currying shop of his tan-yard, on Second street; then in the tavern, corner Seeond and Walnut streets; then in the court-house, and later in the school-house. In January, 1829, we find fourteen teachers and seventy-six pupils enrolled. This school has been kept up regularly till the present day.

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History of Coshocton County, Ohio, its past and present, 1740-1881, Part 72

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