USA > Ohio > Darke County > History of Darke County, Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time, Volume I > Part 33
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the rear of the children's reading room. In the rear of the lobby is the librarian's office. Large, plate-glass panels sep- arate these rooms from the lobby, but give excellent vision from the librarian's desk over the whole of the library. Cases are arranged around the wall with alcoves in stack room. The St. Clair room is elegantly furnished in walnut, has a beautiful Shakespeare memorial window separating it from the adult's room, a stained memorial window of the donor, a beautiful marble statuette from Paris, besides heavy and cost- ly furnishings and a tile floor. The whole interior is taste- fully and appropriately frescoed, the librarian's office being done in quaint Egyptian design and colors, while the lobby shows portraits of distinguished literary men and appropriate mottoes.
The first floor is occupied by the public museum, stack room for government reports, etc., heating plant and janitor's work room. Toilet rooms, finished in marble and tile are on both floors.
The corner stone was laid with impressive Masonic exer- cises on October 30, 1901. and the new building was dedicated March 19, 1903, the books having been transferred from the .Mc Whinney building by the school children. Miss Isabelle M. Rosser and Miss Lucy Gard Arnold served as librarians for several years. Miss Minnie J. Routzong has been librar- ian and Miss Minnie Bertram, assistant librarian, for some time. Besides the two librarians, a janitor and museum at- tendant are employed with a monthly pay roll of $145.00. The library and museum are under the control of the city board of education, being regarded as an adjunct to the city schools. and are maintained largely by a local tax levy. The librarian's report for the year ending December 31. 1913, shows a total of 13,731 volumes, of which 11.631 are for adults and 2,100 for children. Besides these books sixty-five current periodicals are received. Two thousand one hundred and twelve patrons have cards on file. A charge of one dol- lar per year is made for non-residents and twenty-one cards are held by country borrowers. The pupils in the public schools are the largest patrons and probably derive greatest benefit from this institution, although professional men. club women and the public generally constantly patronize it also.
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The Public Museum.
The building of the Carnegie library in the county seat suggested the propriety of establishing a public museum wherein might be gathered and properly exhibited the relics of Indian occupancy, and the St. Clair and Wayne campaigns, pioneer implements, minerals, manuscripts and other mate- rial of an educational nature. For probably thirty years pre- vious to this time, Messrs. G. Anthony and Charles Katzen- berger had purchased and secured a large number of the most valuable stone and iron implements of early days, firearms, coins, and curios which they kept displayed in a room above their brick grocery on the public square where the new post- office building is now located. Upon the death of Anthony Katzenberger in 1894, the collection became the property of his brother Charles, who in response to public sentiment, agreed to transfer the same to the new library building upon its completion, where the public might have free access to same. The Greenville city board of education gladly ac- cepted the generous offer of this public spirited citizen and in the fall of 1901 appointed three trustees to take charge of this collection, solicit and receive other similar collections and objects and provide for their proper exhibition. These trus- tees organized in October, 1901, by electing Frazer E. Wilson, president : George A. Katzenberger, secretary, and A. C. Robeson, treasurer. These trustees petitioned and secured from the board appropriations for constructing and securing neat and substantial oak and glass wall cases, flat cases and tables from time to time in which the collections were neatly arranged according to kind and classification so that upon the . dedication of the library in March, 1903, a fine exhibition was made of articles collected at that time. Since that time the museum has grown steadily. New collections have been added, new cases installed and the collections arranged and rearranged many times by the hand of the veteran collector, Mr. Charles Katzenberger, who has constantly donated his services for that purpose without charge. Among the rarest and most valuable collections added was that formerly belong- ing to John Slife, an old citizen of Mercer county, who lived a short distance out of Fort Recovery near the site of the encampment of the Kentucky Militia on November 3, 1791. This man had been an energetic and tireless collector for years and had assembled the largest and most valuable col-
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lections of firearms and military relics of St. Clair and Wayne armies ever gotten together on the site of St. Clair's defeat. Upon the suggestion of Mr. Calvin Young and Mr. F. E. Wil- son, Mrs. F. M. McWhinney generously agreed to donate $125.00 for the purchase of these relics which are now con- sidered worth many times the price as they represent prob- ably the most disastrous conflict that ever took place on Ohio soil. On Tuesday, January 10, 1905, Mr. George Katzen- berger, Mr. Wilson and Mr. Allen Murphy drove to Fort Re- covery and secured this priceless collection which comprises several flint lock muskets, separate locks, musket barrels, bayonets, knives, tomahawks, musket balls, small shot, can- non balls, military buttons, stirrups, a camp kettle, United States steel vard, besides many small but intensely interest- ing pieces. One of the most highly prized objects in this collection is a United States officer's sword, said to have been found in an old log in 1859, and having the name Arthur But- ler scratched on the blade. Dr. George I. Gunckel, an oral surgeon in the United States army, formerly of Greenville, where he married Miss Rome Turner, a descendant of Dr. Gabriel Miesse, the veteran collector, has made valuable loans of local relics from time to time, besides a wonderful collection of implements and curios from the Philippine Islands, largely pertaining to the Spanish-American war. This is said to be one of the most valuable collections of the kind in the United States, and occupies some six or eight of the three by eight foot cases. In addition Dr. Gunckel has loaned a Revolutionary cannon and numerous relics of the Civil war, including the cannon from Mobile harbor, four large pointed shells fired at Fort Sumpter and a large mortar shell fired from Fort Pickens, the latter objects now being mounted and displayed on the library lawn.
In the Katzenberger collections are included a very select case of rare polished stone implements, a case of iron imple- ments and relics of the St. Clair and Wayne expeditions, a fine case of old and new firearms, a case of old books and manuscripts. a case of rare and old coins, besides mixed col- lections of rare and interesting objects. Portions of the re- mains of various mastodons discovered in recent years in various localities in the county and the tooth of a mammoth are shown, besides a large and representative assortment of pioneer implements, selected mineral specimens, collections of local insects, and bird nests, collections from Mexico and
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the Holy Land, etc., etc. On the walls are exhibited various interesting pictures and prints including fine oil paintings of St. Clair, Wayne and Little Turtle, painted and donated to the Historical Society by Kitty Matchett Vaughan, a photo- graph of the original document of the treaty of Greenville, and a deed for the townsite of Greenville. The museum now occupies three of the largest rooms besides the wide hall in the basement of the library, and probably contains three or four thousand separate articles exhibited in some forty glass cases. It is probable that this is the finest local museum operated by any city of the size in Ohio or even in the United States. Its value to the students in the schools of the county and to the public generally as a stimulant to the study of local history and traditions is almost inestimable. For its educational and sentimental value it should continue to re- ceive the hearty support and patronage of our citizens for many years.
At this time Mr. Charles Katzenberger is still acting as Curator, in which capacity he exhibits decided talent and a fine enthusiasm. Prof. Frank M. White, for many years in- structor in German and Latin in the high school, is acting as usher in the afternoons, and Messrs. George A. Katzenberger and F. E. Wilson are trustees.
Henry St. Clair Memorial Hall.
Through the kindness and public spirit of the late Henry St. Clair, the people of Greenville and the citizens of Darke county have received one of their most valuable public insti- tutions in the way of a fine modern building in which are housed the new departments of the public schools and in which is provided a large, finely constructed and equipped auditorium for all sorts of public gatherings. For some years prior to his decease, Mr. St. Clair had in mind the construc- tion of just such a building as this, which he hoped to com- plete and present to the city of Greenville during his life- time. His untimely death on October 7, 1908, however, in- terfered with these plans as far as his personal participation was concerned. When his will was read, among the many benefactions therein contained was the following:
"I will and bequeath to the board of education of the city of Greenville, Ohio, and its successors in office perpetually, the sum of $100,000.00. to be used by said board of education
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and its successors for the purpose of erecting a memorial hall for the use of large and small assemblies and for the use and betterment of the public schools in any manner in which said board may think most practicable and beneficial to the public."
Acting upon this generous bequest the board of education, of which Mr. St. Clair had been a member, planned a building in conformity to his expressed wish, which, when completed, was one of the most beautiful and best equipped of its type in the state of Ohio. Before erection various sites were dis- cussed and considered, and it was finally decided to place the building near the center of the West school grounds on ac- count of its central location and proximity to the Carnegie library and the high school building, to which latter institut- tion it was to be a valuable adjunct. In order to place it on this site it was necessary to move the three-story brick high school building which had stood partially on this spot since its erection in 1868 and originally contained over seven hun- dred thousand bricks. This building had originally cost $25,000.00, exclusive of the heating plant and gas fixtures, and had recently been remodeled at a cost of some $20,000. The gigantic task of successfully moving this building some dis- tance to the southwest of its original site was accomplished by a Pittsburg contractor in the summer of 1909 at a cost of some $7,000.00. which sum was furnished by Mrs. St. Clair. The school board erected a new foundation on which to place the building and this with other improvements cost probably $10,000.00, making the cost of the high school building with its various improvements from time to time probably $75,000.00. In the spring of 1910 the work of excavation for the memorial hall was prosecuted and on Thursday, June 30, 1910, the corner stone was laid with impressive Masonic cer- emonies. The day was intensely sultry and the services were performed under a canvass canopy in presence of a large throng. Charles J. Pretzman, right worshipful grand orator of the grand lodge of Ohio Free and Accepted Ma- sons, was the orator of the day. Mrs. Clara Turpen Grimes, of Dayton, Ohio, was the soloist of the day and instrumental music was furnished by the National Military Home band. of Dayton, Ohio, under the leadership of Pearl Culbertson, both being descendants of pioneer Darke county families. Work on the building progressed slowly and it was not dedicated until Friday, May 3, 1912, on which occasion the principal
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address was made by George W. Manix, Jr., an orator of the Greenville bar, and vocal music was rendered by the well trained Girls' Chorus of the Greenville high school. The members of the board of education when the construction of the building was begun were: D. W. Bowman, president ; W. T. Fitzgerald, clerk; John Mong, F. T. Conklin, Charles J. Herr and Harry Vance. James J. Martz was superintendent of the public schools. Mr. Bowman was given charge of the construction on behalf of Mrs. St. Clair and carefully watched the progress of the building and insisted that the work be carried out in detail. The original plans were al- tered, a fine stone coping displacing the metal trimmings and a beautiful green tile roof being substituted. Other improve- ments were made and a fine two manual organ with chime attachments installed at a cost of some seven thousand dol- lars, making the total expense of constructing and furnishing this building and moving the high school building approxi- mate $135,000.00, the excess over the original estimate of $100.000.00 being furnished by Mrs. St. Clair. This beautiful building is constructed of Bedford stone and a superior qual- ity of gray pressed brick. The vestibule and lobby are fur- nished with marble pillars, wainscoting and steps with mo- saic tile floor, and are lighted by three large emblematic stained glass windows. On the east side of the basement is located the athletic room; on the west side are two rooms equipped for the manual training department of the schools. On the rear beneath the stage are the boiler room and one dressing room. The main auditorium, which occupies the central portion of the building, and is equipped with a large balcony and private boxes, seats some eight hundred persons. To the left of the auditorium on the first floor are two rooms used by the domestic science department and so constructed that they can be thrown together and be used for a small auditorium with a seating capacity of probably two hundred To the west of the auditorium are the kindergarten and board office rooms. On the east side of second floor are the do- mestic science kitchen. dining room and sewing room. On the west side of this floor are the music room and an assem- bly room constructed for the use of the ministerial association occupies the rear of the building which can be shut off from and the medical association. A well equipped modern stage the main auditorium by an expensive fireproof curtain. With the possible exception of the seating capacity of the main
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auditorium this building carries out the generous designs of its donors and is a very useful and ornamental institution. Besides its utility as a supplementary institution of the Greenville school system it affords unusual facilities for the presentation of plays and musicals of a higher order than can be staged in many cities of the size of Greenville and can be used to good advantage for chautauquas, county institutes, political and religious conventions and large public gather- ings generally. It also contributes much towards beautifying the city and the appropriation of ground from the school lot for its site could be largely compensated for by the purchase and removal of the Matchett house, which now obstructs the view from the business portion of the city, thus making a fine central park with possibilities of future beauty beyond the dreams of the unobservant.
Howard & Merriam of Columbus, Ohio, were the archi- tects of this magnificent building and E. E. Bope of the same city, the contractor.
CHAPTER XVII.
RAILWAYS.
From a material standpoint three things have probably contributed more toward the making of Darke county than all other forces and institutions combined, viz .: drainage, roads and railways. We have previously noted the remark- able results accomplished by drainage operations and road building and will consider briefly the effects of railway build- ing. The first means of transportation of supplies of food from the older settlements to Darke county was by means of pack horses over the military trails cut by St. Clair and Wayne. The difficulties and dangers encountered by these pack trains were typified in the sending back of a whole reg- iment by St. Clair to guard a train of supplies advancing from Fort Washington, October, 1791, and in the vicious attack on Lieutenant Lowery and his men while bringing supplies to Wayne's new camp at Greenville in October, 1793. It was a slow, tedious and hazardous process in those early days but the most efficient known. After the trails had been widened and improved, heavy wagons were used. No doubt many of the early settlers came into the county from distant points in large conestoga wagons drawn by from four to six horses whose combined strength was often necessary to pull the cumbersome vehicles over the rough corduroy stretches and through the swampy places. As the roads were improved lighter vehicles were employed. The National road was finished from Cumberland Gap to the Ohio river in 1825 and to the Indiana line in 1830, thus furnishing a valuable out- let for the produce raised within its reach. The Erie canal was opened in 1825 and as a consequence grain soon increased fifty per cent. in price. The first railway in Ohio was finished in 1838 and it is interesting to note that the first railway reached Darke county thirteen years later. The significance of this event. its far-reaching influence and the enthusiasm aroused can scarcely be conceived in these days of many rail- ways. To give an adequate account of the building of this
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road we herewith quote from Beer's History of Darke county published in 1880:
"The pioneer road of this county was known as the Dayton and Union Railroad. The company was chartered February 26, 1846, as the 'Greenville and Miami Railroad Company,' for the construction of a railroad from the town of Greenville to any point on the Dayton & Western railroad, or any point on the Miami or Miami Extension Canal, which the directors might determine. The incorporators were Daniel R. Davis, Hiram Bell, William M. Wilson, Rufus Kilpatrick, John Col- ville, George Ward, John McClure, Jr., John C. Potter, Eras- tus Putnam, Alfred Kitchen, James Hanaway, Henry Arnold, W. B. Beall, I. N. Gard. Abraham Scribner, Russell Evans, John C. Shepherd, Adam Baker, Abraham Studabaker, Charles Hutchins, Joseph Ford and Solomon Riffle, of Darke county : General .H. Bell was the first president : Henry Ar- nold, Esq., first treasurer, and Hon. William M. Wilson, the first secretary. The capital stock of the company was $200,000, divided into shares of $50 each. At the expiration of a year, Dr. I. N. Gard was elected president, succeeded by David Studabaker. During 1848. the enterprise was first fully presented to the people of the county for their sup- port. Among the most active in forwarding the undertaking not only to obtain a favorable vote, but to secure means to do the necessary preliminary work, were Dr. Gard. Judge Wilson, General Bell, Mr. Studabaker, Mr. Kitchen and Major Davis. There was then but little money in the county ; the largest subscriptions that could be obtained were $500, and there were but eight or ten of these.
On January 5, 1848, an act was passed by the legislature, authorizing the commissioners of Darke county to purchase stock in the G. & M. R. R. Co., to any amount not to exceed $50,000, provided a majority of the voters of the county were in favor thereof. On the first Monday of April, the proposi- tion to aid was carried by a majority of 637 votes, and on the 13th. the commissioners subscribed the maximum amount in aid of the road. August 21, the auditor was authorized to issue an order on the treasurer for $110.00, to pay for the sur- vey of the road. February 2. 1849. the town council of Greenville was in like manner empowered to subscribe there- to any amount not exceeding $10,000. Judge Wilson contin- tied secretary of the company from organization to about 1850. that is, during the preliminary work of the company. Iu
960.26
STOCK.
Greenville & Miami Rail Road Company.
$300,000
THIS IS TO CERTIFY ", Dames Junio
CAPITAL
proprietor of One There FIFTY DOLLARS worth of the Capital Much / ile GREENVILLE & MIAMI RAIL ROAD COMPANY, hand- ferathe only on the Bucks of the said Company on the surrender of this Certifi- cafe. Greenville, Cheese ?. 185/ -
613 Taylor Pres't.
Goinlys Trx Dayton,
1
CERTIFICATE OF STOCK, GREENVILLE AND MIAMI RAILWAY
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1850, a new organization was effected, with E. B. Taylor as president, and an act was passed authorizing the county and town to sell any or all stock to said company, or any other formed to extend the railroad from Greenville to the State line. Mr. Taylor went to New York, negotiated a loan of $150,000, bought iron and other necessaries to equipment. In July, 1850, the first locomotive intended to be used for laying the track of the road from Dayton to Greenville, arrived at Dayton ; it was brought from the establishment of Swinburn, Smith & Co., of Paterson, New Jersey, and weighed fourteen tons. The first installment of iron was shipped from New York for Dayton on the 26th of June. The residue of the iron was then on the way from Liverpool to New York. It was of the T pattern, and weighed about nineteen pounds to the square foot. The bridge across the Miami river at Day- ton was completed and intended for use by three roads, the others being the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton and the Day- ton & Western. The contract for laying the track was let to A. DeGraff. The depot and other buildings were placed under contract, and all the work systematically pushed for- ward. Two additional locomotives weighing eighteen tons each, were contracted for delivery, one in August, the other in October. Two passenger cars were constructed at Dayton, in the establishment of Thresher, Packard & Co., The "burthen" cars were manufactured at the Greenville foundry and machine shops of Messrs. Edmondson & Evans, and Tay- lor Brothers. The grain crop of 1851 was unprecedentedly large, and the road was expected to highly benefit all inter- ests, whether farming, mechanical, mercantile or commercial. It was stated at the time that this event "was an important epoch in Darke couny history," and such it has since proved to have been. It enhanced values and facilitated communica- tion. It was noted that "the running time between Green- ville and Dayton will be less than one hour and a half, and the distance may be performed with perfect safety in less than one hour." On February 19, 1851, DeGraff started out from Dayton with a train to be used for track laving. The train was platform cars with houses built on them-three for sleeping rooms, one for dining room and one for a kitchen. The job of laying the iron was in charge of John Horrien. On May 25th, the main track of the road was finished to the depot buildings, and a meeting was called to arrange for a celebration of the event. The event duly honored, was
(25)
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marked by a large crowd, and made memorable by an emeute at Greenville on part of the roughs. The board of directors, at a meeting held at Dayton, August 30, 1853, declared a ten per cent. dividend from the earnings of the road, from Janu- ary Ist to September 1st. This dividend was declared after deducting expense of repairs, running interest and other ex- penses, and there remained a reserve fund of $5,000. The re- ceipts for August were for passengers $6,261 ; transportation, $4,215 ; mail, $333 ; total, nearly $11,000. The cost of the road was about $550,000. Outstanding bonds, $341,000, and the liberal dividend to stockholders created an enthusnasm which greatly facilitated the induction and completion of the road to Union, and of other roads constructed through the county. Mr. Taylor continued to be president of the road until July, 1855, when he resigned. Meantime, the company had been authorized by the legislature to extend the railroad to the Indiana State line, by such route as the directors might select. within the county of Darke, "and the act had been accepted by resolution of the board of directors as an amendment to the charter of the company. The road was built through to Union City three years after its completion to Greenville, that is, in 1853. When President Taylor resigned, the road went into the hands of the bondholders, by whom it was operated. At length, suit was brought for foreclosure of mortgage August, 1861, but a plan of reorganization and capitalization of stock, and debt was agreed upon, and the road was sold October 30, 1862. to H. C. Stimson and S. J. Tilden for $1,000, subject to the mortgage of $150,000. In 1855, Judge Wilson, secretary, resigned, and the chief office was removed to Dayton. All control of the road passed from the citizens of the county that year."
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