History of Delaware County and Ohio, Part 44

Author: O. L. Baskin & Co; Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 818

USA > Ohio > Delaware County > History of Delaware County and Ohio > Part 44

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noted, the road has been completed 118-% miles, fully equipped and provided with all the necessary and proper terminal accommodations in Columbus and Toledo, and at a cost of $3,338,507.54, being $28,244 per mile. Included in this amount, how- ever, is the cost of certain real estate, dock property, and other items, summing up $328,- 397.65, which, if deducted, gives the true cost per mile at $25,466.

President Greene winds up the introduction to his report, with the following, in reference to the earnings and expenses of the road for its first year, which is very good : "Considering the ad- verse circumstances under which the road has com- menced operations, great encouragement is to be derived from the results shown in Statement B. From this it appears that the net earnings for the year were $119,000, and the expenses only 63,85 per cent of the gross earnings, after deducting all expenses, including those incident to the prema- ture operation of the road before it was completed, as above stated, which may properly be styled ex- traordinary. This result, and especially the indi- cations of improvement during the last six months, afford gratifying assurance of sufficient earnings in the coming year to meet all operating expenses, including rentals, and the interest on the entire debt, as well as strong evidence that the Company is in a sound condition, warranting the belief that, with a general revival of business, reasonable re- turns upon their investment may be realized by the stockholders.

In conclusion of the history of this road, we give the following from the last annual report, re- ferring to its earnings :

Freight earnings. $379,702 89

Passenger earnings 115,889 25

Express earnings.

7,378 15

Mail earnings.

6,043 90

Telegraph earnings. 391 17

Miscellaneous earnings.

8,515 87

Total.

$517,871 23

Road expenses $ 68,818 55

Locomotive expenses ..

12,793 74

Transportation expenses.

143,612 51

Car expenses. 15,612 83

General operating expenses 54,840 76

Loss and damage.

434 20

$295,612 59

$222,258 64 Net earnings for 1878.

The Cleveland, Mount Vernon & Columbus Railroad was completed through, and trains put

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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.

on late in the fall of 1872. It enters the county at the northeast corner of Trenton Township, runs in a southwesterly direction, through it and a corner of Berkshire, and enters Genoa Town- ship near the center of the north line, where the course changes to almost due south through the latter township. The road was begun at Cleve- land and built south toward Columbus, and oc- cupies a portion of the old Springfield, Delaware & Mount Vernon road-bed. This road was pro- jected in an early day, but, after its completion to Delaware, was sold, and became a part of the Cin- cinnati Division of the C., C., C. & I., as noted in the history of that road. In 1870, a part of the Eastern Division of this old road was sold, and bid in by John W. Russell, George W. Potwin, Henry D. Curtis and others of Mount Vernon. They sold it to the Cleveland, Mount Vernon & Colum- bus road for a mere pittance, and thus it was util- ized by this road. In the Delaware Gazette of March 1, 1872, we find the following, which that paper credits to the Mount Vernon Republican: " Last Saturday, the grading of the entire line from Mount Vernon to Columbus was let to Messrs. Cassil & Israel, the firm being Col. Alexander Cassil and Samuel Israel, Jr. The work is to be completed by the 1st of September. The stone- work on the bridge over Owl Creek, near John Cooper's foundry, and the bridge over Dry Creek, have been let to R. S. Mckay, of this city, the balance of the stonework was let to Mr. Fish, of Columbus. It is the purpose to have the trains running over the road before next winter."

The Gazette of November 15, 1872, has the following in reference to the completion of the road : " The Cleveland, Mount Vernon & Colum- bus Railroad is pushing forward from Oxford, in Holmes County, connecting with the Pan Handle at Dresden. This will make a new route to Cin- cinnati via Zanesville. Through trains are now running from Cleveland to Mount Vernon, and several new cars and locomotives have been con- tracted for by President Hurd." Soon after this, the road was finished through to Columbus, and from there to Cincinnati, thus opening up another line between Lake Erie and the Ohio River. While it is a road of no special benefit to this county, except a very small portion of it, it is a valuable road, and through line between the north- ern and southern sections of the State.

The foregoing pages have been devoted to railroads that actually exist, while we come now to notice a few that never had much existence

except on paper. One of these paper railroads, was known as the Lebanon & Xenia Railroad, and the proposed route was from Xenia, through Delaware, Mount Gilead and Mansfield, to a point at or near the mouth of the Cuyahoga River. The counties through which it was to pass were Greene, Clark, Champaign, Delaware, Morrow, Madison, Richland, Ashland, Lorain, Medina and Cuyahoga. The cause of its failure is unknown to us. Another of these railroads that were never built, and which created considerable stir in its day, was called the Newark, Delaware & Northwestern. This road at one time seemed in a fair way to be built, the counties and the people along the pro- posed route taking an active interest in it. Del- aware Township alone voted $100,000 stuck by 735 to 56 votes, while other sections did equally as well, and subscribed quite as liberally. The Gazette of September 20, 1872, says : "At a meeting of the stockholders of the Newark, Dela- ware & Northwestern Railroad, held at Ottawa, Putnam County, September 5, 4,150 shares of stock of $50 each was represented. The meeting therefore proceeded to the election of Directors and chose the following : J. C. Evans, Delaware ; A. Ream and Gen. J. S. Robinson, Hardin ; James L. Bierky, William C. Maholm and Waldo Taylor, Licking; J. L. H. Long, Dr. H. Huber and Dr. Day, Putnam. The Directors were sworn in, and organized the Board as follows : J. C. Evans, President ; J. L. H. Long, Vice Presi- dent ; Waldo Taylor, Secretary, and Charles T. Dickinson, Treasurer. Measures were then taken to secure a favorable vote in each township on the proposed route of the road. Why this road has never been built, is a problem we are unable to solve. It seemed to have died out somewhat abruptly, and all interest in it to have-evaporated.

Another of the class of roads last described, is the Atlantic & Lake Erie Railroad, which has been surveyed, located, and considerable work, in the way of grading, done on it .. It clips off a small cor- ner of Porter Township, of this county, and, if ever built, will prove a valuable and paying road. The terminal points of it are Pomeroy, on the Ohio River, and passing through Newark, Mount Gilead and Bucyrus to Toledo. The completion of the road is again, after quite a dormant period, being agitated, and the probabilities are flattering that it may yet be built. The main object in building it is the opening and developing of the coal fields through which it passes. The south- ern division-that south of Newark, is completed

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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.

and provided with rolling stock ; and, with the northern division partially graded, to finish it through will be but a small matter, and we doubt not that a few years will witness its completion .*

And still another monument of railroad enter- prise in Delaware County that has resulted in nothing, and probably never will, is the old grade of the Springfield, Delaware & Mt. Vernon Rail- road, from the city of Delaware to Centreburg. As already stated, a portion of this old road is now occu- pied by the Cincinnati Division of the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis, and a portion

* Since the above was penned, work has actually commenced on this road in such an energetic manner, as to warrant the belief that it will soon be completed.

of the eastern division is used by the Cleveland, Mt. Vernon & Columbus Railroad, the remainder still lying unoccupied. It was graded and finished, all ready for laying down the ties, when the road be- came involved and was sold. The portion now unoccupied will probably never be utilized.

The agitation of a railroad from Delaware to Cin- cinnati-an air line-is another of the enterprises of the day, but whether it will ever amount to any- thing more than agitation, time only will tell. The idea entertained is to run a line to Cincinnati more direct than the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis, and that will be several miles shorter than that road. The project, however, is yet in the future.

CHAPTER VIII.

AGRICULTURE AND AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES-DRAINAGE-DISEASES OF DOMESTIC ANIMALS -HORTICULTURAL-FOREST CULTURE-CLIMATOLOGY, ETC.

" Who doth ambition shun, And loves to live in the sun, Seeking the food he eats, And pleased with what he gets,

Come hither, come hither, come hither, Here shall he see No enemy,

But winter and rough weather."-Shakespeare.

A T the time of the settlement of Delaware County, agriculture was in its infancy. The farmer was contented and happy, if he raised grain enough for his own wants, and a few bushels, per- haps, to spare his newly settled neighbor. There were no grain merchants in those days, with big warehouses, and banks full of money with which to buy up the surplus products of the county. Stock was on a par with everything else. There were no blooded horses, cattle or hogs, but a limited number of work-steers, a few poor, old bony horses and hogs (of the " hazel-splitter " breed) running at large and fattening on the "mast." These comprised the domestic animals of the early settler. Their mode of cultivating the soil was equally primitive. The ground was poorly plowed with wooden plows, slovenly scratched over with wooden-toothed harrows ; the wheat was sown by hand, brushed in by a bushy-topped sapling, cut with a sickle, thrashed on the ground by the tread of horses or oxen. The corn-ground was plowed in the same way, marked off both ways

with a plow, planted with a hoe and cultivated with hoes, and single-shovel plows not larger than a man's hand. Truly, agriculture was in its infancy then, and the great and grand family of agricult- ural implements were not yet born into existence ; neither were the people familiar then with agricult- ural and mechanical associations, and societies for the improvement of stock and farming.

The first account we have of the organization of an agricultural society in Delaware County, we find in the Ohio State Gazette (now the Delaware Gazette) of June 28, 1833. It says: " At a meeting of the citizens of Delaware County, con- vened under an act of the Legislature of Ohio, to authorize and encourage the establishment of agri- cultural societies in the several counties of this State, passed February 25, 1833, Dr. Noah Spald- ing was appointed Chairman, and F. Avery, Sec- retary." A number of resolutions were adopted. The first one, "That a society be formed called the Delaware County Agricultural Society, etc." A second resolution required that " Each member pay 50 cents annually to the society." The officers elected were Milo D. Pettibone, President ; Wilder Joy, Vice President; Frederick Avery, Secretary ; William Little, Treasurer; and John Curtis, David Prince, James Carpenter, Hugh Lee, J. N. Cox, William S. Drake, Forrest Meeker, Amos Potter, A. Root, Jr., and Robert Jameson, a Board of

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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.

Managers. The President, Vice President and Secretary were appointed a committee to prepare by-laws and a constitution. Another meeting was to be held ou the 4th of July, 1834. We extract from the Gazette the full proceedings of this meet- ing, which are as follows :

At a meeting of the Directors of the Delaware County Agricultural Society, held on the 4th of July, 1834, said Board resolved that there be an exhibition and show of domestic animals and manufactures on the first Friday in October next, and that premiums be awarded as follows :

For the best stud horse. $7 00

For second-best stud horse 3 50

For the best brood mare. 5 00

For second-best brood mare. 2 00

For best mare or gelding, not over three and one- half years old. 4 00

For second-best mare or gelding, not over three and one-half years old. 2 00

For best spring colt. 3 00

For second-best spring colt. 1 50

For best bull. 5 00

For second-best bull 3 00

For third-best bull. 2 00

For best cow. For second-best cow 2 00

3 00

For third-best cow 1 00

For best pair of work oxen, on trial .. 5 00

For best pair three-year steers, in yoke. 3 00 For best heifer, not less than three years old. 2 00 For best spring calf. 1 50

For second best spring calf .. 1 00 For best merino or Saxon buck. 2 00

For second best merino or Saxon huck. 1 00

For best pair of pigs. 1 50

For best piece of ten yards, and upward of jeans. 2 00 For second best piece of ten yards and upward of

jeans 1 00

For best piece of ten yards and upward of linen .. 2 00

For second-best piece of ten yards and upward of linen 1 00 For best piece of ten yards and upward of flannel 2 00

For second-hest piece of ten yards and upward of flannel. 1 00

For best pair of woolen socks. 75

For second-best pair of woolen socks. 50

For best cheese of twenty pounds weight and upward. 1 00

Any person offering any animal for premium must give satisfactory assurance to the Board that he is the actual owner of such animal, and that it is his intention to keep such animal in the county at least one year. By order of the Board.

F. AVORY, Secretary.

July 26, 1834.

The meeting was held as set forth in the origi- nal announcement, on Friday, October 3, and David Gregory, H. J. L. Brown, Charles H. Pick- ett, Benjamin Powers and James Eaton were

appointed judges to decide all questions relating to premiums. After a deliberate and impartial ex- amination of the. various objects, premiums were awarded as follows: .

DOMESTIC MANUFACTURES.

Miss Martha Ann Joy, for the best piece of jeans .. $2 00 Miss C. A. Avery, for the best piece of flannel .... 2 00 Mrs. J. Said, for second-best piece of flannel. 1 00 Mrs. J. Said, for best piece linen. 2 00

Mrs. J. Carpenter, for best pair of woolen socks ... 75

Mrs. L. M. Avery, for second-best pair woolen socks .. 50

Mrs. H. S. Jameson, for hest counterpane.

2 00

Mrs. Martha Joy, best cheese ..

1 00

ANIMALS.

John Sherman* for the best stud-horse. 7 00

G. Allbright, for second-best stud-horse. 3 50 Wm. Sweetser for best brood mare 5 00 Forest Meeker, far second-best brood mare. 2 00 Alex. Mccutchen, for best three-year-old mare. 4 00 Moses McElvain, for second-best three-year-old

mare ..

2 00

Forest Meeker, for best spring colt .. 3 00

John Reid, for second-best spring colt. 1 50 Wilder Joy, for the best bull. 5 00 Rodney Smith, for second-best bull. 3 00

Nathan Dustin, for third-best bull. 2 00

Joseph Prince, for the best cow 5 00

Mathias Kensel, for second-best cow 2 00 David Cad wallader, for third best cow 1 00

S. H. Allen, for best yearling heifer 2 00

Joseph Prince, for best spring calf. 1 50 James Carpenter, for second-best spring calf. 1 00 Calvin Woodbury, for best pair of oxen 5 00

Abram Williams, for hest merino buck 2 00

The Gazette thus editorializes on the subject:

"Being the first exhibition of the kind in this county, the Society did not anticipate so large an exhibition, nor so general an attendance, in both of which, we are pleased to state, they were agree- ably disappointed. The show was creditable to the county, in quality and number of manufact- ured articles and animals offered for premiums, as well as in the character of those who encouraged it by their presence and aid."

In 1835, another exhibition was held and many additions made, including " domestic manufactures, fruits, dairy and household productions." The highest premium was $8, and the lowest 75 cents. To the advertisement and premium list, which is published in the Gazette, was affixed the name of Wilder Joy, as President of the Society, and Frederick Avery, Secretary. In 1836, a similar announcement is made through the same channel (the Gazette), of the "Third Annual Cattle Show

* Not the Secretary of the Treasury,

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.

263

and Exhibition of Domestic Manufactures," which will take place in October next. Further additions were made to the premium list of stock, grain, seeds, fruit, farming implements, eto., with half a column of rules and regulations. The highest premium is $8, and the lowest $1. Nathan Dus- tin's name is attached to the premium list as President, and G. W. Sharp, Secretary.

Considerable interest was manifested in the Society by the farmers and business men of the county. These early meetings and exhibitions were held, partly in the public square and partly on the commons. The exhibitions of " Domestic Manufactures " took place in the court house, and the show of animals was usually made on the lot where the Baptist church now stands. The Society flourished for a number of years, and then took a little Rip Van Winkle nap, and from it awoke under a special act of the Legislature, passed at the session of 1847-48. The Society was re-organized under this act, and in May, 1848, a meeting was held, which elected the following officers : David Bush, President ; Wilder Joy, Vice President ; B. Powers, Treasurer; L. Glessner, Secretary, and H. P. Havens, Robert Faris, E. S. Mendenhall, James Carpenter and Sabeers Main, a Board of Managers. The following is from an editorial in the Gazette of September 29, 1848 : " The first fair of the Delaware County Agricult- ural Society will be held in this place on Tuesday next. Since the passage of the law for the en- couragement of these societies, they have been formed in most of the counties in the State, and many of them are in a highly flourishing condition and doing much to add to the science of agricult- ure, and develop the resources of the counties in which they exist. Delaware County is well adapted to agriculture, containing scarcely any land but is susceptible of cultivation. One great object of societies of the kind is the united benefit of the members, produced by diffusing useful in- telligence connected with agricultural pursuits, and emulation in the rearing of stock, raising of grain, fruits, etc., and the production of articles of do- mestic manufacture. Farmers should all become members, and strive to make the Society suc- cessful."

The first meeting held under this act was " far more interesting than was anticipated," etc. About fifty premiums were awarded, ranging in amount from $5 down to 50 cents. The domestic manu- factures were reported by the Secretary as being , " very fine, also fruit ; apples could not be beat in

any county in the State." Jesse Said, of Concord Township, is reported as having exhibited twenty- five different varieties of apples.

The present agricultural association of the county dates from its re-organization under the act of the Legislature above referred to, thus making the last exhibition the thirty-second annual meet- ing. The meetings of the association were held first one place and then another, wherever circum- stances favored, until 1854. In February of that year, a lot of ground was purchased from the heirs of M. D. Pettibone, deceased, comprising seven acres, for which the Society paid $150 per acre." It was inclosed and improvements made to enable the Society to hold its next exhibition upon the newly acquired grounds. Since then the grounds have been enlarged, by purchasing additional land, until it comprises about thirty acres or more, sub- stantially inclosed, and possesses comfortable and commodious buildings. The estimated value of the ground is about $150 per acre, although some of it cost, at the time of purchase, $200 per acre, as we were informed by Thomas F. Joy, Esq., and the additional value of improvements, buildings, etc., is about $1,000. The grounds are beautifully situated on the east side of the river, a con- venient distance from the city, and are well adapted for the purposes for which they are designed. The following are the officers of the association for 1879 : John J. Fleming, President ; L. P. McMaster, Vice President; C. M. James, Secretary, and C. D. Potter, Treasurer. The Board of Manage- ment was composed of James Dyer, Genoa ; Riley Graves, Harlem; James Scott, Kingston ; R. K. Willis, Liberty ;. Rufus Carpenter, Orange ; John McCay, Porter ; Stephen Thomas, Radnor ; Silas Rodefer, Troy; Al Shaffer, Trenton, who were elected for one year ; John Finch, Berkshire ; A. Freshwater, Berlin ; N. T. Longwell, Brown ; E. J. Healy, Concord; John Sanderson, Dela- ware ; Elias Cole, Marlborough; Seth Slack, Ox- ford ; J. S. Jones, Scioto, and Samuel Shoup, Thompson, who were elected for two years. The last report shows nearly 900 members of the Society. Its annual exhibitions have increased somewhat in importance since that first exhibition and cattle show held in 1834. At that meeting there were but twenty-seven premiums awarded ; now it takes quite a pamphlet to contain the differ- ent classes, premiums and awards.

At the exhibition held in the fall of 1856, a melancholy accident occurred, which closed the meeting unceremoniously, and cast a shade of

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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.

gloom over the city and county. A new steam engine, built by Bradley, Burnham & Lamb, of Delaware, was on exhibition, when, from some defect in the boiler, which had been made by Pearsol & Moore, of Sandusky City, it blew up, resulting in the death of Mrs. A. Walker, Thomas Williams, F. Smith, James Nicholson, Wiley Finch, Louis Powers, Hiram Nafus, Henry Stimmel, Tone, Oscar Markle, and an unrecognized stranger. A number of others were wounded, of whom Mrs. Markle, Mr. Wade, and Mr. Newberry died in a few days. A meeting of condolence was immedi- ately called, of which Hon. T. W. Powell was Chairman. Business was entirely suspended, and the most intense sympathy manifested for the sufferers, and resolutions to that effect unanimously adopted. Subscriptions were made, the society declined paying any premiums, but added the funds in its treasury to the subscription, for the purpose of defraying the burial expenses. Welch & Lent's circus, which was to have exhibited in the town on the day of the funeral, at a request from the citizens, postponed their exhibition, and nobly tendered the use of their wagons and horses for the funeral, which was gratefully accepted. The sad occurrence cast a shadow on the com- munity, and left a mournful sorrow behind it that was not soon forgotten.

The people of Delaware County display much interest, and devote a good deal of attention, to the breeding of fine stock. We have the authority of Thomas F. Joy, that his father, Wilder Joy, and Judge Williams, brought the first blooded cattle to the county, about 1826. They purchased them in Pickaway County. Among the number was a short-horn bull, a dark roan, and a very fine animal for that early period, when most of the fine breeds in this section had been crossed until their blood was getting thin. About 1836, Gilbert Van Dorn brought some short-horns into the county, and, in a few years, Mr. Jones, of Radnor, brought in some Durhams, which he had pur- chased from M. S. Sullivant, of Columbus. These were followed by other purchases and importa- tions in different parts of the county. At the present time, there are some half-dozen or more very fine herds of blooded cattle in Delaware County. The largest and finest herds belong to Messrs. Jones, Hills, T. F. Joy, Norman Perfect of Sunbury, John Worline and N. Leonard. There are many others owning smaller herds.

Draft horses also receive their full share of attention, quite a large number having been bred

in the last fifteen or twenty years. The principal breed, and the one seemingly best adapted to this section, is the Percheron, or Percheron-Norman, so called from La Perche and Normandy, in France, where they are extensively bred, and whence they are imported to this country. Without going into a detailed history of these famous horses (which our space will not allow), a few facts in regard to them may not be out of place. The Percherons are noted for their docility, mild- ness, patience, honesty, kindness, excellent health, and a hardy, elastic temperament. They are pos- sessed of great bone, muscle, tendon, and hoof, which gives them immense strength as draft horses. Their color is a fine silver-gray, the best adapted to withstand the burning rays of the sun in the midst of the field or on the highway .: The first Percheron-Norman horse ever brought west of the Alleghany Mountains was " Louis Napo- leon," or, as he was familiarly called, " Old Bob." He was brought to Union County, Ohio, by Charles Fullington, in 1851, and, some time after, became the property of Mr. Lee, of Delaware, and, still later, of Peter Engard. Finally, he was sold to parties in Illinois.

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History of Delaware County and Ohio, Part 44

Author: O. L. Baskin & Co; Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago, O.L. Baskin & Co. Number of Pages: 818

Author: O. L. Baskin & Co; Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, O.L. Baskin & Co.
Number of Pages: 818