History of Delaware County and Ohio, Part 58

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

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339

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.

and the Council from time to time was forced to borrow various sums of money, occasionally as trifling in amount as $10. From the nature of the records, it has been found impracticable to undertake an investigation of the various loans negotiated, and the indebtedness of the village, but a report of the Mayor to the Council on this sub- ject, February 22, 1859, gives the financial status at that time. The report proceeds, after a few prefatory remarks, as follows: "On the 1st of April, 1858, the debt was about $7,000, as near as could be ascertained, of which there was on bonds bearing 10 per cent, the sum of $4,150, the remainder in orders. A tax of five mills was levied last year, amounting to $6,100. Of that amount about $2,900 was collected in December last. Over $1,500 of that amount was paid in orders, leaving about $1,000 in orders issued here- tofore, and about $1,400 in the Treasurer's hands. The Council this year have issued orders for about $2,900, including the bond of $517 for the hose. After paying that bond and the orders for the cisterns, the Treasurer has about $600 on hand. The Treasurer has received and paid out, per bal- ance and contingent fund, during the year, about $500. Supposing all the money in the treasury to be paid out in orders, there would be left about $2,500 in orders to be met by the June collection, which in all probability will not exceed that amount, leaving nothing to apply on the bonds. A balance on one bond of $105 has been paid, leaving a bond debt of $4,050, at 10 per cent, to be provided for by the taxes to be assessed in 1859, unless a loan can be affected. Depend upon taxes, and the same burdensome tax of five mills must be levied. The latest bond was issued in 1856, some of them in 1853. To show how it operates take the past two years. Each year orders have been issued for 10 per cent on $4,150, or $415. These orders have been presented, not paid, for want of funds, and then they have borne 6 per cent interest, so that the corporation has been pay- ing interest on interest, and on $4,150 has paid, instead of $415, the sum of $439.99. There have been about $2,500 in orders at 6 per cent-$150 -which with the interest on bonds of $439.99 makes $589.99 in interest each year, or $1,179.90 for the past two years on about $6,500, less than two-thirds of which originally bore 6 per cent.

" We propose to borrow $5,000 for ten years at 6 or 7 per cent interest, pay off these bonded debts now bearing 10 per cent, and leave the orders to be paid by the taxes to be collected in June. In 1856, three and one-half mills were assessed ; in 1857, five mills, and in 1858 the same, upon the supposition that it would pay the debts; rely upon taxes, and the same must bc again assessed. Taxes are now oppressive, town property is a burden. The present high rate is a perfect clog to sales and exchange of town prop- erty. It drives off investments and makes high rents. Adopt this plan, and the taxes can be re- duced one-half. Three thousand dollars will pay the current expenses of the corporation, the inter- est on $5,000, and should leave $500 as a sinking fund toward paying the debt. Let $500 be set apart each year, sacred to this purpose; let it be invested each year at, say, 6 per cent, and at the end of ten years, the corporation will receive inter- est to the amount of $1,650, and pay on the $5,000, $3,500 at 7 per cent, or it will pay a difference of $1,850 in ten years, or $185 a year. This plan would give immediate relief. The debt in such a shape would be no disadvantage, but rather an advantage, in operating as a check upon extravagant expenditure. Another advantage would be that those who hereafter reap the benefit of the improvements that have been made, will have to bear a portion of the burden of paying for them."

. At the time of this report the financial affairs of the village were in a bad state. Orders were discounted on all hands, laborers netting but little more than one-half of their nominal wages. It was this state of affairs that led to the investigation and the report, the recommendations of which were at once adopted by the Council. A shorter method, however, was afterward found, and the indebtedness cleared off. The data for making an exhibit of the receipts and expenditures for a series of years, are only obtained at a considerable expense of time and trouble, and, from the character of the records, must, even then, prove incomplete. We have, however, been at great pains to make as complete a showing as the material at command would afford, in the table on the following page.

340

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.

Year.

Tax on a Dollar.

Collection on Duplicate.

Received from Other Sources.

Total Receipts.

Expenditures.

1853

1} mills

$2,097 47

$ 681 31

$ 2,778 78

$ 2,408 74

1854

2 mills

3,472 85

482 81

3,955 66

4,029 31

1856

3} mills

5,759 01

77 96

5,886 97

6,034 34

1857

5 mills

2,965 87*

576 80

8,542 67

8.338 01

1859+

5 mills

8,772 79

1,576 80

10 349 59

10,222 39

1860

4 mills

5,177 23

837 75

6,014 98

5,510 33

1861

5 mills

5,220 22

328 21

5,548 43

2,404 21

1862

22 mills

4,157 68 .

3,123 97|

7,281 65

5,906 44

1865

33 mil's

5,862 18

2 583 89

8 446 07

4,697 03

1866

24 mills

4.856 24

2,330 80

7,187 04

4,005 66

But, outside of the facts expressed in a formal array of figures, the village enjoyed a vigorous growth. Time was, within the memory of citizens now living, when Delaware rejoiced in all the adjuncts of a frontier country town. The lots were spacious, houses did not stand in each other's light, and the domestic stock of the community picked up a generous living on the commons and in poorly protected gardens. Sidewalks were things only dreamed of, and the pedestrian, lured out by pleasure or driven out by business into the dark night of the unclement season, was buoyed up, as he picked his way along the muddy path, by that faith in the future that supplies " the sub- stance of things hoped for." The streets were simply regularly built bogs, over which, in certain seasons of the year, it was nearly impossible for the lightest vehicle then known to pass, and travelers on horseback were frequently obliged to dismount and make their way on foot to relieve the efforts of their animals. Society had outgrown the rustic pleasures of the husking and quilting parties and were now given to the seductive pleasures of tea- drinking and dancing, and encouraged such literary pursuits as were supplied by a debating society, where such thrilling topics as the relative curse of war and intemperance engaged the unbridled elo- quence of ambitious youths. This society had its inception in an article which appeared in the Patron of December 10, 1821, and before the end of the following year there was a thrifty organiza- tion known as the Delaware Literary Society, which held weekly meetings with a full attendance. Its discussions were announced in the papers, and occasionally the vanity of some speaker was tickled by one of the papers consenting to publish his speech in full. This society kept up its organiza- tion until 1825, when it was merged into the Del- aware Public Library. This latter project never

attained any great degree of success, and gradua ly passed from public interest. A year or two later, another society was formed, combining literary and histrionic features in its programme. It was known as the Thespian Society, and during the year 1827 and 1828, gave a number of successful public exhibitions. A building was put up by M. D. Pettibone, on the court-house lot, near where now runs the alley north of the premises, and became known as the Thespian Building. The lower rooms were used for lawyers' offices, and the upper room furnished the only public ball that the town pos- sessed for years. Here the society held sway until it lost its interest for the young people, and a school usurped its place. The teacher believed in light gymnastics, and the movements of the scholars as heard below sounded like dancing, and the exercise became known as " Methodist dancing." The singing school was a powerful rival of these more intellectual entertain- ments, and young and old used. to gather in the ball room of the old hotel, on the southeast corner of Sandusky and William streets, where Micah Spaulding and Carlos Curtis held the baton. Here the young folks found an attraction not set down in the bills, and the young men, as they settled their subscriptions for tuition, doubtless considered the chance of " going home with the girls," alone worth the price they paid. The advancement of society showed itself in its demand for public improvements, not less than in its entertainments and home adornments. As the people built better houses, and put more care and expense upon their yards, it was natural that they should demand public surroundings in keeping with their im- provements, and the first demand for redress was in relation to the unrestrained liberty of stock and fowls. It was quite as natural that this demand should develop a wide difference of opinion, based largely upon the interests affected. An ordinance was passed at an early date, making it unlawful for stock to run at large, but there was such an

* December duplicate, half-tax.

+ From May 6, 1858, to March 8, 1860.

Į June and December duplicates.

| Includes a balance of $3,054.22.

341

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.

outcry against the measure, that it was suspended so far as it affected milch cows. These animals were the favored of all brute creation, being allowed, as late as 1860, to run at large from the 1st of May to the 1st of December. If tradition may be believed, hogs were the especial trial of the early townspeople. Of a half-wild nature, they found no difficulty in surmounting such obstacles as a low fence presented. It is related that one of this breed, owned by a townsman, roamed at will through the village, and metaphor- ically laughed at locks and bars. The garden " sass," that proves so attractive to the degenerate hogs of this day, was beneath his notice. One day, while prowling about, he smelt corn, and like the fabulous giant, he would and must have some. He did not stop to consider that he was about to insult the dignity of the venerable founder of the town, but walking through the front doorway, ascended the stairs and began to eat the corn he found in an upper room. Mr. Byxbe heard him, and, armed with a club, went to the scene of action. Hog like, the porcine intruder confronted the difficulty, and finding no better way out of the house, made a flying leap over his pursuer's head, taking his hat as he went down stairs, and out of the door. Such success made him foolhardy, and one day, taking advantage of the front and back doors being open, walked through the hall of his owner's house, which was situated on the south- west corner of Sandusky and Williams street, and reached the garden. This was a fatal indiscretion, and the owner enraged by such callous indifference in his depredations, determined to visit upon his hog- ship all the reproaches the animal had brought upon his owner. Armed with a pitchfork, he closed every avenue of escape, and entered the arena of the garden. The hog finding that his master was taking the joke altogether too seriously, made a lunge for the back door, broke through it and nearly dislocated his snout, by forgetting which way the front door opened. Closely pursued, he made his way by a side door into a bedroom, leaped upon a bed, and thence through a closed window to the street. He was finally hunted down with dogs, and killed. With such an example of the possible development of that animal, it is not sur- prising that the people should seck some measure for self-preservation. What added a more serious feature to the question was the number that picked up a living within the village. A measure in the form of a tax levied on dogs and hogs, was devised in 1842, but the friends of the hog were too power-

ful, and the tax partially collected was refunded. With the growth of the village, the opposition grew stronger, and the hog, shorn of his liberty, has become the portly fellow we now know him. But amid all this advancement, one relic of the past still held sway. The old town bell still rang out the people to business at 8, to dinner at 12, and to bed at 9 o'clock. It hung on the old court house, and served for a long time, but its voice became cracked and quavered with age, and then the bell on the Episcopal church took up the duty. A ringer was one of the regular officers *of the corporation, receiving $25 a year for his services, which were maintained for thirty years.

In 1824, Judge Henry Baldwin, one of the original proprietors of the town, came to Delaware, and was received by the citizens as an honored guest ; he was entertained at a public dinner on Saturday, July 3, when he presented to the town the sulphur spring, with four acres of ground, and the plat now known as the City Park, for a parade ground. His visit to Delaware at this time was, probably, necessitated by business matters con- nected with the final disposition of his property here. In the partnership between himself and Col. Byxbe, Mr. Baldwin represented, by power of attorney, the interests of other heirs that had not sold their share in the original property. A general division had been made some years before Mr. Byxbe's insanity, and in this last visit to the town, Judge Baldwin so arranged his affairs as to be relieved from all personal supervision of this property. Though possessing at one time very large interests in and about Delaware, he, from the first, delegated full control of it to Col. Byxbe, and, fully occupied by his professional and public duties, found no time for frequent visits to Ohio. In the general division of property, a considerable tract fell to Mr. Bomford, who appointed Mr. Sweetser his agent, while M. D. Pettibone managed what remained to Mr. Baldwin.

Judge Baldwin came of a race of intellectual giants. He was born in New Haven in 1779, and graduated from Yale College in 1797. He after- ward went to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and was a representative in Congress from that State from 1817 to 1822. He was a distinguished lawyer, and, for many years, by the appointment of President Jackson, was an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. He was a man of large wealth and dissipated habits-an almost inseparable concomitant of public position at that time-which finally made large inroads upon his

342

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.

property. He died in Philadelphia April 21, 1844.

In presenting the spring property to the village, Judge Baldwin only carried out the plan that had been early formed by both founders of the place. In 1824, the ground now occupied by the univer- sity buildings was a barren knoll without sod.or trees. The gift was of doubtful value to the vil- lage, as there was no money to expend in improving it and rendering its surroundings attractive. The waters had the indorsement of some of the best chemists, but there seemed no immediate way of making them available, and for years the stock . that roamed at large disputed possession of the spring with the citizens. In 1833, C. W. Kent, a man of inconsiderate, but withal enterprising, turn of mind, proposed to the corporation to improve · the spring and make arrangements to accommodate such as might desire to take advantage of the medicinal qualities of the water. The spring, and the property pertaining to it, was accordingly leased to him for ninety-nine years, renewable forever, with the provision that the use of the waters should be forever free for the use of the citizens of the place. But Mr. Kent's enterprise outran his financial ability, and, in looking about for a partner, after considerable effort, he prevailed upon Judge Powell to unite with him in completing the undertaking. Mr. Kent's intention was to build a hotel near where Merrick Hall now stands, being the most desirable location for that purpose in the leased property. Mr. Powell objected to this loca- tion, foreseeing that, in course of time, the building and spring would be shut off from communication with Sandusky street. Additional ground, front- ing on Sandusky street, was accordingly purchased, and the new firm set about making the proposed improvements, Judge Powell drawing the plans and superintending the construction of the build- ing. The work had scarcely been begun on the structure, when Mr. Kent, after furnishing a few boards and shingles, failed, and threw the whole burden upon Mr. Powell. The project was pushed through, however, and the hotel completed in 1834. About this time, Mr. Kent, whose resi- dence was then in Columbus, went to New York, and, by representing himself as the owner of the spring and hotel, succeeded in getting $10,000 worth of goods on credit, intending to furnish the hotel therewith. Unfortunately, he brought the goods by way of Columbus, where his former creditors levied on them to satisfy old claims. This put an end to Mr. Kent's connection with the proj-

ect, and, Judge Powell desiring to attend exclu- sively to his professional business, the building was left vacant until 1836, when it was leased to a Mr. Calvert, who did a thriving business. In making the improvements about the spring, the old Barber cabin was torn down, and bathing. houses constructed in convenient proximity to the waters, which were abundantly patronized by invalids who had learned of the enterprise. In the following year came the failure of the United States Bank, and the consequent financial crash, prostrating business everywhere. It was such enterprises as the Mansion House, as it was called, that, depending upon easy times for their highest success, felt the blow the most. From that time until 1840, the hotel did a varying business, never reaching any marked success. At the latter date, it was purchased by the citizens and presented to the Methodist Episcopal Church for school pur- poses. Judge Powell was not a man to do any- thing by halves, and, notwithstanding the pressing demands of an increasing law practice, he gave his personal attention to the improvement of the grounds about the hotel, and to his industry and taste are due the fine array of shade trees and the beautiful lawn which render the west front of the campus so attractive. It proved, however, a losing financial speculation to Mr. Powell, involv- ing a loss of some $10,000. In transferring the spring to the college, the town did not lose its right to a free access and use of the waters, and various movements have been made to improve it. A stone bowl was let into the ground over the spring to form a reservoir, for the purpose of drinking, but it proved to be too low, and, in 1869, a peti- tion on the part of a large number of citizens to the Council, on the subject, secured an appropria- tion of $1,000, to be increased by a subscription of $500 from the citizens. This proviso defeated the whole project. A few citizens contributed some money, and a new bowl was put in, but in some way the flow was interrupted, the stream escaping by a fissure below the bowl. Some fears were en- tertained that the damage was permanent, but a gentleman who had faith in a remedy, emptied a quantity of sawdust into the water, which, filling up the fissure, restored the stream to its former channel.

The parade ground, which was presented at the same time with the spring, has proved a burden to the corporation ever since. In the time of the " Peace Establishment," parade grounds were a necessity, and Delaware was full of martial spirit.

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.

343

There was an artillery company, a troop of light- horse cavalry, a company of riflemen, besides a number of general officers and military men of lesser rank. For years, the land bounded by North, Franklin and Williams streets running back to the college grounds, was unoccupied, and used for parade purposes. But a regular parade ground was a part of the regular outfit of every enterprising village of that time, and so Delaware accepted the gift with becoming gratitude. Soon afterward, a bee, with the inevitable liquor accom- paniment in the shape of a barrel of egg-nog, was made, and the whole male portion of the village turned out to clear it up. Thorn-apples and scrub- oaks were the principal obstacles to clear off, and the boys pulled them over while the men grubbed them out. No pains were taken to fence it in, and, after the decay of the " Peace Establishment," its occupation gone, it served to pasture the cows that had the free run of the village. In 1856, the School Board having come in possession of the old building on the corner of Franklin and Will- iams streets, proposed to the Council to exchange property. This the Council was glad to do, re- serving the right to erect an engine-house on the northeast corner of the lot. But, for some reason, this did not satisfy the Board, and, after pasturing the cows for six years, they came before the Coun- cil with a proposition to re-exchange. This the Council did not care to do, and later, the Board of Education made another proposition, reciting that, whereas, they " are owners of what is called and known as the parade ground in South Delaware, and cannot use the said parade ground to advan- tage for school purposes, therefore, the said Board of Education propose to sell the said parade ground to the incorporated village of Delaware, provided that the Council or Trustees of said village pur- chase for the use of said School Board, the college grounds and buildings." The buildings referred to were those once occupied by a female college in South Delaware. The Council finally agreed to this proposition, and issued five bonds of, $300 each for the property, and received a deed for the parade ground. Nothing more was done to make the ground presentable save grading it, until 1865, when the question of improving the park was agi- tated, and the Council appointed a special com- mittee consisting of Prof. Frederick Merrick and H. H. Husted to report a plau to make it attract- ive. The report was exhaustive and. complete, and the Council indorsed it so far as to under- drain the plat, put up a fence, and plant some trees

at an expense of $397.65. Since then, it has ac- quired by common consent the title of City Park, but looks more like an ordinary pasture lot. The Board of Education, as late as 1869, again asked for a donation of the grounds, and the Council gladly acceded to the request, but after trading and selling it once or twice, it has been discovered that the gift was made for certain purposes and cannot be conveyed for any other, and the conuu- drum still remains to vex coming councils, What shall be done with it ?

The inauguration of the Mansion House proj, ct was the realization of hopes long cherished by the community, and they believed, with that well established. the future was assured. It aroused the enterprise of the citizens, who were desirous of giving the undertaking every aid, and took steps to render the village surroundings as attract -. ive as possible. It was something of this spirit, together with some of that aristocratic feeling which remained an heirloom of the old era, that suggested the building of a market-house. There was some opposition to the proposition, and con- siderable difficulty in suiting all in the matter of its location, but these difficulties were surmounted, and the site fixed in the center of William street, twenty.feet from the west line of Sandusky street, on the west side. The building was 20x50 feet, with stalls on each side and ends, separated by white-oak posts, and was completed in the summer of 1835. The stalls were rented to the highest bidder, save that the two stalls on the east end were held at a minimum price of $5 each for a year's rent. The first sale of stalls was made on the 8th of August, and most of them disposed of, the Marshal " crying the sale," and acting after- ward as clerk of the market. The first regulations were few, relating chiefly to the sale of butter in pound rolls, and that 'the building should be opened from 7 until 9 o'clock in the morning. For a while the market-house was a favorite insti- tution, and satisfied the expectations of its friends, but ten years wrought many changes in the build- ing and in public opinion, and, in 1853, the Coun- cil began to look about for a more eligible site for the market. A proposition to move the busi- ness to the south side of the run, on what is now the university grounds, was strongly advocated ; and another, to occupy the old building on the corner of Franklin and William streets was sug- gested, but neither seemed acceptable, and the old building was made to do service, with more string- ent regulations. A year or two later, however,

344

HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.

the old building had to give way before the combined weight of years and public opinion, and the Cowles House, which stood on the northeast corner of Williams and Sandusky streets, was fitted up to accommodate the business. In the mean- while the corporation had come in possession of the old church building, and, in 1860, fitted it up for market, council-room and lock-up purposes. The pride of the people in a market-house was evidently on the wane, and scarcely a session of the Council was spared the infliction of a petition setting forth some complaint in relation to this topic. This feeling gathered force until a monster petition swept the whole thing away. The Coun- cil seemed to have a tender regard for the institu- tion, and, as a sort of compromise, in 1865, sus- pended the action of the market ordinances for an indefinite time, allowing, however, any who desired to use the house as before. There seems to have been very little disposition to take advantage of this latter provision, inasmuch as it was used im- mediately after as a wagon warehouse. In 1867, a re-action set in, and, in response to a petition of 124 citizens, the Council amended the former laws on the subject, and ordained "that Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays shall be the regular market days, and that, on said days, the regular market hours shall be between 4 o'clock A. M. and 8 o'clock A. M., from the 1st day of April to the 1st day of October. This re-action lasted but a short time, and, in 1870, the former place of worship was converted into an engine-house below, the upper part fitted up for the council chamber, and was used, temporarily, by the court. The lock-up was situated in one corner of the upper floor, and, with the fire department, remains in the building yet.

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History of Delaware County and Ohio, Part 58

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