USA > Ohio > Montgomery County > Dayton > History of Dayton, Ohio. With portraits and biographical sketches of some of its pioneer and prominent citizens Vol. 1 > Part 16
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The meetings of the Sabbath-school Association were held in the new Presbyterian church. Any one could become a member by con- tributing twenty-five cents annually. Donors of five dollars or more became life members. The society was managed by ladies, the officers consisting of a first and second directress, a secretary, treasurer, and five managers. The managers appointed the superintendent and the male and female teachers. The first board of managers consisted of the fol- lowing ladies: Mrs. J. H. Crane, Mrs. Ayres, Mrs. Dr. Haines, Mrs. Hannah George, and Mrs. Joseph Peirce. Mrs. Sarah Bomberger was the first superintendent and held the position nearly twelve years. Mrs. George served as secretary for some years and was very efficient.
Mrs. Bomberger was the daughter of Judge George, who came to Dayton about 1805. In 1810 she was married to William Bomberger, an excellent citizen, who held the office of county treasurer for fourteen years. Their children were George W .; Ann, who married Peter P. Lowe; and William, who removed to Colorado and died there.
In July, 1818, the Methodist Sunday-school Society was organized. Their meetings began in August and were held in the Academy building. Adults and children were taught to read and were instructed in the Bible and catechism.
In 1817 there were but two pleasure carriages in Dayton; one owned by D. C. Cooper and the other by H. G. Phillips. In July a tobacco factory, the first started in Dayton, was opened by Simeon Stanisfer on the corner of First and St. Clair streets.
Blackall Stephens re-opened the old Newcom tavern, "pleasantly situated on the bank of the Miami River," in December. The tavern was now called the Sun Inn, and a large picture representing the sun was painted on the sign. The advantages of the inn, its comforts, sufficient supply of bed linen, furniture, and other necessaries, are set forth at length in an advertisement in the Watchman, with the sun flaming at its head.
A stock company was incorporated January 20, 1817, which began in April, 1818, to build the red toll bridge across the Miami at Bridge Street. The following gentlemen were the incorporators of the company :
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DAYTON FROM 1813 TO 1825.
Robert Patterson, Joseph Peirce, David Reid, HI. G. Phillips, James Steele, George S. Houston, William George, and William King. Nathan Hunt, of Hamilton, was the contractor. The bridge was opened for use in January, 1819. The toll house stood at the west end of the bridge. The Ohio Watchman for January 28, 1819, contains the following description of the new bridge, the first built across the Miami at Dayton: "The bridge across the Miami at this place is now finished, and presents to the eye a useful and stately structure, highly gratifying to all who feel in- terested in the improvement of this part of the country, as it is little inferior in strength and beauty to the best of the kind in the State, and renders the Miami no longer an obstruction to the free intercourse with our neighbors on the other side. It is supported by a stone abutment at each end and a strong stone pier in the center. It measures upwards of two hundred and fifty feet in length, and is well roofed and weather boarded."
During the summer, 1818, a Mr. Lyon drove a passenger coach to and from Cincinnati, beginning his trips in May. Previously there was no public stage. The Cincinnati and Dayton mail stage, owned by John H. Piatt, of Cincinnati, and D. C. Cooper, of Dayton, commenced run- ning between the two towns June 2, 1818. They left Cincinnati on Tuesday at five in the morning, passing through Springfield ( now Springdale ), Hamilton, Middletown, and Franklin; passengers arrived at Dayton Wednesday evening, spending the night at Hamilton. They were two days en route from Cincinnati to Dayton. They left Dayton on Friday at five in the morning and reached Cincinnati on Saturday evening. The fare was eight cents a mile with an allowance of fourteen pounds of baggage.
John Crowder, a Dayton , colored barber, and his partner, Jacob Musgrave, also a colored man, drove a coach and four that carried twelve passengers to Cincinnati and return in 1820. The trip cach way took two days and the passengers spent the night at Hamilton. In 1822 Timothy Squier ran a stage to Cincinnati. The stage line to Columbus was owned by Worden Huffman. It connected at Columbus with a stage line to Chillicothe. In April, 1825, the mail route, which previously lay through Chillicothe, was changed, and on the 6th the first mail from the East, carried by a coach, arrived by way of Columbus. A regular weekly line of stages was established on the 13th of April between Dayton and Cincinnati. Passengers left Cincinnati on Monday at four in the morning and arrived here Tuesday evening at six o'clock.
Coaches commenced running twice a week between the three places in June. When this line was first established, it was thought by many
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that all interested in it were throwing their money away. It was not long, however, before it became necessary to increase the number of trips from one to two, then to three a week, and at length a daily stage was established. The Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus and Portland on Lake Erie (now Sandusky ) tri-weekly line of mail coaches began run- ning through from Cincinnati to the lake in four days in 1827. Daily coaches cach way were started June 25th. They connected at Sandusky with steamers for Detroit and Buffalo, and at Mt. Vernon with a stage line for Cleveland. The fare from Cincinnati to Dayton was three dollars, six dollars to Columbus, and twelve dollars to the lake. H. G. Phillips and Timothy Squier, of Dayton; Jervis Pike and William Neil, of Columbus; C. Barney, of Mt. Vernon; K. Porter, of Portland or Sandusky, and F. Fowler, of Milan, were the proprietors. Four hun- dred and ninety-seven passengers by stage passed through Dayton in 1825. Stage lines in every direction were in operation in 1828. Every week twenty coaches arrived in Dayton.
In 1818 George Grove and Judge George were elected members of the legislature. Warren Munger was elected recorder.
Friday, June 26, 1818, the first Dayton camp-meeting was held at the small prairie three quarters of a mile south of Dayton, now the foot of Ludlow Street. Three thousand people are said to have attended. A camp-meeting was begun on September 10th, of the next year, at the same place, under the leadership of Rev. James B. Findley, presiding elder, assisted by Rev. Joseph Strange, of the Mad River circuit. The prairie was entirely encircled with tents. Meetings were annually held at the foot of Ludlow Street till the canal was located. Afterwards they were held at the big spring, north side of Mad River, near the abutment of the present railroad bridge. From the first settlement of the county it was customary to hold religious services in the woods, but there were no regular camp-meetings till 1818.
The advertisement of Dr. William Blodget appears in the Watchman for the first time in 1818.
On the 15th of July Mr. D. C. Cooper died.
This year John Collins & Co. advertise a stone saw mill, worked by water power.
In 1819 George Newcom was elected State senator, and II. Stoddard and J. Harries representatives. The number of voters in Dayton in 1819 was seven hundred and sixty-five, and the number in Montgomery County two thousand, seven hundred and eighty-five.
Shows in Dayton were few and far between at this period. In 1819 an African lion was exhibited in the barnyard of Colonel Reid's inn for
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four days from nine in the morning to five in the afternoon. Patrons were assured that they would be in no danger, as the lion, "the largest in America and the only one of his sort," was secured in a strong cage. Twenty-five cents admittance was charged; children half price. In April, 1820, Columbus, a large elephant, was on exhibition in the carriage house at Reid's inn; admittance thirty-seven and a half cents, children half price. An animal show, consisting of a single wild beast, was the only entertainment which visited Dayton in the first quarter of the century till 1823, when the advertisement of a menagerie containing an African lion, African leopard, cougar from Brazil, Shetland pony with rider, ichneu- mon, and several other animals, appeared in the newspaper. A band composed of the ancient Jewish cymbal and other modern instruments accompanied the show. This was a beggarly array of wild animals compared with the magnificent collections which Barnum yearly trans- ports across the continent by steam. One wonders how they managed to transport even this small menagerie before the era of turnpikes, railroads, or canal boats. The show at Reid's inn in 1824 contained but one elephant. The first circus, which appeared in Dayton, exhibited in Reid's barnyard on July 19, 20, and 25, 1825. No more circuses arrived till July, 1829, when two came and both had their exhibitions on July 5th and 6th.
A New Year's ball was given on the evening of Friday, the 29th of December, at Fielding Gosney's inn, on the alley on the cast side of Main, between Monument Avenue and First Street, formerly kept by Colonel Grimes. The following gentlemen were managers of the ball: William Griffin, Benjamin Brewbecker, E. W. Leveret, and John H. Reid.
This year sixty-four lots opposite the Bridge Street bridge were platted by Joseph Peirce, agent of Samuel W. Davies and Thomas D. Carneal, of Cincinnati. The plat was called Pierson, but was soon vacated.
In 1819 St. Thomas' Church, the first Episcopal church in Dayton, was organized by Bishop Chase with twenty-three members.
Cooper's mills were burned on the 20th of June, 1820, and four thousand bushels of wheat and two thousand pounds of wool destroyed. They were soon afterwards rebuilt by James Steele and II. G. Phillips, executors of the Cooper estate. This was the first fire of any importance that occurred in Dayton, and led to the organization of the first fire company. Council provided ladders, which were hung in the market- house on Second Street, and also passed an ordinance requiring cach householder to provide two long leather buckets, with his name painted thereon in white letters, and keep them in some place easily accessible in
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HISTORY OF DAYTON.
case of an alarm of fire. Before this no public provision for putting out fires had been made.
In 1820 appeared the first number of the Dayton Watchman, printed and published on Main Street, a few doors south of David Reid's inn, by G. S. Houston and R. J. Skinner. The publishers offer to receive, in payment for their paper, the following articles at market prices: Flour, whisky, good hay, wood, wheat, rye, corn, oats, sugar, tallow, beeswax, honey, butter, chickens, eggs, wool, flax, feathers, country linen, and cotton rags. Mr. Houston was editor-in-chief of the paper till 1826, when it was discontinued. George S. Houston was the son of William Churchill Houston, of New Jersey, who was professor of mathematics at Princeton. G. S. Ilouston came to Dayton in 1810, and was at first in partnership with his brother-in-law, H. G. Phillips. In 1815 he married Miss Mary Forman. From 1814 till his death, after a long illness, in 1831, he was cashier of the Dayton bank. From 1822-1831 he served as postmaster of Dayton. He was a man of high character and noted for his benevolence and public spirit. To everything that conduced to the prosperity of the town, or the comfort and pleasure of his fellow-citizens, he gave his hearty support, both in his paper and in every other way in his power. Whenever in his day a public meeting was held or a society formed for the promotion of any worthy object, the name of George S. Houston, secretary, is usually signed to the printed report of the proceedings. Mr. Houston was an active member of Grace Methodist Episcopal Church and was appointed steward in 1815. Two children survived him-George S., who removed to Philadelphia, and Eliza, who married David K. Este, son of Dr. Charles Este, of Dayton.
H. G. Phillips was president of the town council in 1820, and G. S. Ilouston recorder. The population of Montgomery County this year was sixteen thousand.
The Montgomery County woods were at this period still full of game, and during 1821 Mr. H. G. Phillips frequently advertises " a few hundred raccoon skins for sale." They were used for caps.
The flush times during the war of 1812 were followed by a serious and general depression in business throughout the United States. Gold and silver were withdrawn from circulation to the great injury of business in this region, where good paper currency was scarce. During 1820, 1821, and 1822, so little money was in circulation that purchases and sales of all kinds were made by means of barter. Wolf scalp certificates, called log cabin currency, were sometimes taken in pay instead of cash. It is stated in the Watchman that there was some talk of supplying the deficiency in coin by a return to cut money; dividing silver dollars into
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five quarters, and Mexican quarters into three dimes. The Dayton bank was forced to suspend specie payment several times during this period.
A fever prevailed in Dayton during the summer and fall of 1821. There were seven hundred cases, but only seven adults and six children died. The population of Dayton at this time was one thousand, so that about two thirds of the people were ill during the epidemic. On account of illness and death, the Presbyterian Sunday-school was suspended till the spring of 1822. Several valuable citizens died of the fever, among the number Benjamin Van Cleve and Joseph Peirce.
Joseph Peirce was born March 6, 1786, at Newport, Rhode Island, and was the son of Isaac and Mary Sheffield Peirce. His father emigrated to Marietta in 1788, removing to Belpre in 1789, and spent the last five years of his life in Dayton, dying August 28, 1821. During the Indian war Isaac Peirce took refuge with his family in the Belpre stockades, Farmers' Castle, and Goodale's Garrison, and here Joseph Peirce spent four years of his childhood.
Joseph Peirce settled in Dayton soon after the incorporation of the town. He entered into a partnership in 1807 with James Steele for "retailing all sorts of goods, wares, and commodities belonging to the trade of merchandising," which continued during his life. November 10, 1810, he married Miss Henrietta Elliot, daughter of Dr. John Elliot. Their four children settled in Dayton. Mr. Peirce was elected in 1812 a member of the legislature. The following extract from a letter addressed to a relative by Mr. Peirce, while serving in the house, reflects the feeling in regard to the war of 1812: "Great unanimity prevails among the members so far. You no doubt have seen Governor Meigs' message. You will in a few days see the patriotic resolutions approbating the general government that have . been passed. I doubt we haye promised more than most of us would be willing to perform should we be put to the test. To-day I think we shall pass a law furnishing our militia on duty with about five thousand dollars' worth of blankets." In 1813 Mr. Peirce was elected a trustee of the Dayton bank, which was just established. In 1814 he was elected presi- dent of the bank and served till his death, September 21, 1821. He received from his fellow-citizens "many and various marks of their respect and confidence," and faithfully discharged the duties of all the public positions to which he was called. The Journal mentions in an obituary notice the fact that Mr. Peirce was endeavoring to secure a canal to Lake Erie when he died. "He fully appreciated," the notice says, "the importance of a canal from Lake Erie to the Ohio River, and was making every exertion to have this great work commenced as soon as it should be consistent with the circumstances of the State." Mr. Peirce's
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HISTORY OF DAYTON.
eldest son, David Zeigler, married Eliza Johnson, daughter of Charles R. Greene; Mary Ann Peirce married Edward W. Davies, of Dayton; Jeremiah Hunt Peirce married first Elizabeth Forrer, and second Mary Forrer, both daughters of Samuel Forrer, of Dayton; Joseph Crane Peirce married Louise, daughter of Dr. Edwin Smith, of Dayton.
John Compton began to keep the tavern at the corner of Main and Second streets June 19, 1821. This was the fashionable hotel.
In spite of the hard times people were not discouraged, but looked forward hopefully, anticipating an improvement in business, now that canals were projected and capitalists were talking of building manufac- tories on Mad River and of improving the navigation of the Miami. A contributor to the Watchman February 13, 1821, writes in the following sanguine vein: "The Miami and Mad rivers, which meet at Dayton, are very advantageous to it and to the county. The former river is suited to navigation, and the latter to machinery to be propelled by water. Mad River is superior to most rivers, and is second to. no one in the State for the facilities it offers for water works. The current of this river is uniformly rapid. A factory established on this river for the making of such articles as are adapted to the wants of this country, and supported by sufficient capital, would meet with certain success. At this time, it would be difficult to find a more profitable investment for capital. ; The articles manufactured in such an establishment would circulate through- out the western country, and would be found on the shelves of the stores of the Atlantic cities."
This year the town council advertised in the Watchman for proposals for draining the three ponds southwest of town; the first two to be drained into the tail-race and the other into the outlet from Patterson's pond to the river; the ditch to be six feet wide at top and four at bottom and a sufficient depth to draw the water entirely out of the ponds.
There were several fires in town during 1822 which led to a complaint that the council had not provided a fire engine, but nothing was done, and the leather buckets carried by the members of volunteer companies were still used.
The Watchman notices a squirrel hunt in Montgomery County in April, lasting a day and a half, in which one thousand squirrels were killed, and their scalps produced in evidence.
A heavy fall of rain early in April raised the river on the 13th and 14th higher than it had been for four or five years. The water was two or three feet deep on the lower floors of the mills, but the loss was small.
On April 23d appeared a long, communication urging the construc- tion of a canal between Cincinnati and Dayton, and proving that freight,
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which it cost ten dollars to carry by wagon, would cost but one dollar if sent by water; that a barrel of flour, for which fifty cents freightage was charged by land, would be but five cents by canal. The value of land, the writer urges, would be nearly doubled if a canal were built; Dayton farm and garden produce would find a market at Cincinnati, and above all a large trade in potash might be established. Potash, worth at Cincinnati one hundred dollars per ton, could be sent from here by water in large quantities, and instead of paying nine dollars per acre for clearing land, owners could burn the timber for potash and receive at the rate of thirty dollars an acre for it!
Mrs. Julia Crane, first directress of the Dayton Sabbath-school Association, reports in the spring of 1822 that they had distributed one hundred and sixty-five books during the past year; had one hundred and twelve tracts and five miniature histories of the Bible on hand and nine- teen dollars and seventy-five cents in the treasury. The school, which had been closed during the winter on account of illness and death from fever, was now re-opened.
In 1822 Charles Russell Greene was appointed clerk of the Mont- gomery County court, to succeed Benjamin Van Cleve, and held the office till his death. Charles R. Greene was the son of Charles and Phebe Sheffield Greene, and was born in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, December 21, 1785. The Greenes emigrated from Rhode Island to Marietta with the members of the Ohio Company in 1788, and C. R. Greene removed from Marietta to Dayton before 1806, and was for some time in business with his brother-in-law, D. C. Cooper. In 1813 he married Miss Achsah Disbrow, of Dayton, daughter of Henry Disbrow, who had for a number of years been engaged in business here. In 1809 Mr. Disbrow was one of the editors of the Dayton Repertory, and in 1810 he and Paul D. Butler established a line of keel-boats on the Miami and Maumee rivers from Dayton to Toledo.
In 1812 and for some years afterwards Mr. Greene was engaged in the business of general merchandizing.
The death of Mr. Greene, who was a highly esteemed citizen, cast a gloom over the whole community, and even the man who, while under the influence of liquor, caused his death, said that he had killed his best friend. A fire occurred here on the night of September 10, 1833. Mr. Greene, who was one of the fire wardens, ordered Matthew Thompson, who was idly looking on, to assist in passing water to the engine. Thompson refused, and offering some resistance when the order was repeated, Mr. Greene was obliged to use force to compel him to obey. The next day, on the complaint of Thompson, Mr. Greene
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was summoned to appear before the squire, and while an examination was in process, Thompson struck Mr. Greene with a club, and the blow resulted in his death in a short time.
The indignation against the murderer, who had killed a citizen whose only offense was faithfully discharging his duty, was intense. Mr. Greene left two sons and four daughters. Luciana Zeigler married J. D. Phillips; Sophia married Egbert T. Schenck; Eliza Johnson married David Z. Peirce; Cooper died unmarried; Harriet married David Junkin; Charles Henry married Adeline D. Piper. Mrs. C. R. Greene died November 3, 1873, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. J. D. Phillips.
In 1821 and 1822 a premium was offered to the best drilled and equipped militia companies in the State. Several light companies of infantry and riflemen were formed in the brigade under the command of General William M. Smith and competed for the prize. As a curiosity the uniforms worn are worth mentioning. One of the infantry companies, commanded by Captain James M. Grimes, wore a yellow roundabout coat, green collar and cuffs, and white pantaloons and red leggins. The uniform of Captain Dodds' infantry company was a white roundabout trimmed with black cord, pantaloons the same, and citizen's hat with red feather. Captain Dixon's company of riflemen wore blue cloth round- abouts trimmed with white cord; pantaloons to correspond. Captain Windbrenner's men were dressed in grey cloth coatees, trimmed with black cord; pantaloons the same.
The Fourth of July celebration in 1822 began by the ringing of bells and firing of cannon at daybreak, and the national flag was displayed on the town flag staff. The procession to the First Presbyterian Church, where the exercises were held, was headed by the light companies of infantry and riflemen in their gay new uniforms. Then came the Ameri- can flag and cap of liberty attended by four veterans of the Revolution- Colonel Robert Patterson, Simeon Broadwell, Richard Bacon, and Isaac Spining. Stephen Fales delivered "a highly interesting and animating oration " and Judge Crane read the Declaration of Independence. The music on the occasion "would have done honor to any place and reflected great credit on the singers." . An excellent dinner at Mr. Squier's tavern followed the exercises. Judge Crane was president of the day; Judge Steele, first vice-president, and II. G. Phillips, second vice-president. After the regular toasts were drunk, the following volunteers were given : By Judge Crane, " De Witt Clinton, the able and persevering supporter of internal improvements;" by Judge Steele, " The contemplated canal from the waters of Mad River to those of the Ohio;" by Stephen Fales, "The memory of General Wayne, the deliverer of Ohio;" by Colonel Stebbins,
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officer of the day, "The president of the day -- a descendant of a Rev- olutionary officer, one of the first settlers in this place, and who has borne the heat and burden of the day with us; as distinguished for his modesty as his worth, his is the popularity that follows, not that which is pursued; " by Judge Spining, "May the cause that first inspired the heroes of '76 to shake off the chains of slavery be ever dear and sup- ported by all true Americans."
An address from the four revolutionary veterans, ending with the following toast, was read: "The heroes of the revolution that fell to ' secure the blessings of this day to us. May their children so maintain them that America may be a republic of Christians on the last day of time."
The Watchman says in July, 1822, when butter was five cents per pound and chickens fifty cents a dozen, that the Dayton price list, pub- lished weekly in the newspapers, had been noticed in Eastern papers under the head of cheap living, and the low prices of marketing here attributed to the scarcity of money in the West. The Watchman assures the people on the Atlantic coast that the great abundance of country produce of all kinds is the true reason that living is cheap in Ohio, and that money "is quite as plenty with us as notions in the Eastern States."
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