USA > Ohio > Erie County > History of Erie County Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 30
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After the abandonment of the plan of building to Fremont it was still nec- essary to have a western outlet for the Junction Road, and the idea was con- ceived of crossing the Sandusky Bay and running to Port Clinton, and thence west to Toledo ; but in this several obstacles must be overcome. There was much opposition to building across the bay, that being navigable water; then, again, the charter did not call for a road over that route. This led to the char- ter granted the Port Clinton Railroad Company, and under it the road was built, though not without many difficulties and much litigation, but at last it was accomplished and put in operation.
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But the difficulty at Cleveland was not satisfactorily adjusted, and the Junc. tion Road was eventually "frozen out," and being so unfortunately conditioned, the two divisions, the north and south, were finally consolidated under the name of the Cleveland and Toledo Railroad. That part of the old Junction Road be- tween Cleveland and Elyria was practically abandoned, though never entirely so, and the two branches joined again at Milburn, a town west of Sandusky, and near Toledo.
Under the consolidation of 1869 the Cleveland and Toledo systems, both divisions passed to the control of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Com- pany, and is by that company managed at the present time.
The former line of this road through Sandusky lay along Water street, bu' the Lake Shore people needed more room for the transaction of their largely increasing business in the city ; therefore, a part of the line was changed to pas- through the south portion of the town over which the bulk of their freight busi- ness passes, the Water street line being used only for accommodation purposes. Another part was sold to the I. B. & W. Company, and is now used by them.
In 1870 the revenue from passenger traffic at Sandusky on the Lake Shore Road was $8,858, while in 1886 it amounted to $39,892. In 1870 the freigh: forwarded amounted to over twenty-six thousand tons, and freight received to more than eighteen thousand six hundred and forty-four tons. In 1886 the shipment of freight was four hundred and eighty- four thousand six hundred and eighty-six tons, and freight received one hundred and forty-eight thou- sand one hundred and seventy-four tons.
THE WHEELING AND LAKE ERIE RAILROAD COMPANY
The main points touched by this road in Erie county are Huron and Milan. It starts from the former and follows the general course of the Huron River t Milan, and thence passes it.to Huron county on the south.
The company was chartered by an act of the Legislature, passed April 6. 1871. By June 30, 1873, ten miles of its line were graded. In 1876 the road was completed from Huron to Norwalk, a distance of twelve and one-half miles, and thirty-five miles more of the road were graded. In the spring of 1878 the company passed into the hands of a receiver.
Toward the construction of the Wheeling and Lake Erie Road the citizen- of the city of Sandusky were invited to contribute, and for that purpose sub- scription books were opened. It was promised, and generally understood th ..: Sandusky should be one of the points touched by the road, but at a time when the company were seriously in need of funds, several prominent residents of Huron came forward with liberal contributions, and the road was built to th ..: place. An attempt was afterward made to secure the subscription books 2: Sandusky for the purpose of collecting the amounts by the several persons sub- scribed, but they were not secured, nor was the money paid. The road was
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not, therefore, particularly friendly to the Sandusky people or interests. The road is easily reached by way of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Road a: Huron.
THE LAKE ERIE AND WESTERN RAILROAD.
This is the youngest of its class of corporations now in full operation in Erie county. The company was chartered about 1879, and the road went in- to operation some two or three years later. The line runs from Sandusky to Fremont ; thence via Findlay, Lima and Nuncie, to Bloomington, Ill. From the latter point the road will soon be fully completed to Peoria, Ill.
As an encouragement to build the Lake Erie and Western road, the City of Sandusky in 1881, issued its bonds to the extent of sixty thousand dollars, the avails of which were given to constructing the road
THE SANDUSKY, ASHLAND AND COSHOCTON RAILROAD.
No part of the corporation erection of this company is now in operation except official organization. The company was chartered in 1883 and was formed for the purpose of tapping the vast coal and iron regions of the south- ern counties of the State and elsewhere, and for the purpose of bringing those products to Sandusky for consumption and manufacture. The line of the pro- posed road is one hundred and thirty-nine miles in length.
It is a well known fact that there exists in Coshocton county a bed of the finest quality of cannel coal, and this road will bring this city of Sandusky in direct communication with that region and afford a desirable outlet for its most valuable product.
The capital stock of the company is five millions of dollars, but instead of asking for subscriptions to the stock the company have issued bonds and have arranged to build and stock their road with the proceeds of the bond sales. In fact, W. D. Crane, of New York city has agreed to take the bonds and build and equip the road, and construct extensive docks at Sandusky as well.
The present officers of the comapany are Hon. John Mackey, president; P. H. Clark, secretary, and David Brubaker, treasurer.
THE NEW YORK, CHICAGO AND ST. LOUIS RAILWAY.
This road, which is more commonly known as the " Nickel Plate," has its line across Erie county, entering from the east, in the north part of Vermillion township, and departing near the southwest part of Groton township. The road is of no practical benefit to the county, having but an occasional passen- ger train and doing but little other than a through freight business as a part of the " Vanderbilt system."
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CHAPTER XIX.
SOME EVENTS OF ERIE COUNTY'S POLITICAL HISTORY.
E RIE county has never achieved a standing of any special importance in the political history of the nation or of the State of Ohio; but to the county it- self its political history has been as important as that of any county in the State to itself. In the year 1838, at the time the county by Legislative enactment was created, there existed but two recognized political parties, the Whig and the Democratic; but there did exist at that time a strong anti-slavery feeling in the hearts of a few, and but a few men, whose chosen, fearless and out-spoker. champion was Francis D. Parish, who had then had a residence in Sandusky of some sixteen years. At the time of which we speak the cause of the De- mocracy was championed by Colonel Hanies, at one time collector of the port: William H. Hunter, at one time member of Congress; William B. Smith, Horace Alpin, H. W. Conklin, Zenas W. Barker, John S. Campbell, and oth- ers, who, though less active, were none the less zealous in their labors. The Whig principles were advocated by Elentheros Cooke, Oran Follett, Colone! John N. Sloane, Colonel Abner Root, William Townsend, Joseph M. Root. John Weeden, John Wheeler, Philip R. Hopkins, Judge Caldwell, Judge Far- well, Major Camp, David Campbell, and perhaps others equally prominen: whose names cannot now be recalled.
The political complexion of the county at that time was Democratic, and nearly, if not quite all, of the first officers were of that party. Horace Alpin was recorder, H. W. Conklin was auditor, William B. Smith was treasurer. Zenas W. Barker was clerk of the courts, Harvey Long was sheriff, and John S. Campbell was prosecuting attorney, and each was elected on the Democratic ticket. At the next election, however, there seems to have been a decided change in affairs, brought about in part by the increase in the Whig ranks. and in part by the fact that General Harrison was upon the ticket as a candi- date for the presidency, and his personal popularity rallied to his support the entire Whig strength and drew largely from the opposition party. In that year the Whigs elected C. B. Squires for recorder, William Neill for auditor. Zalumna Phillips for sheriff, and Francis D. Parish for prosecuting attorney. Mr. Parish affiliated somewhat with the Whigs, that party coming nearer to his principles than any other.
But during the first ten years of the county's political history the majority for the successful party, which ever it may have been, was very slight and liable easily to be overthrown by the unpopularity of a nominee. Genera Harrison, as is well known, died soon after entering upon the discharge of his duties as president and John Tyler succeeded him. His administration was
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hardly in accord with true Whig doctrines, and resulted disastrously to the party. James K. Polk succeeded by the election in 1844, as the candidate of the Democracy. In the county Ebenezer Merry, Whig, was elected recorder; Orlando McKnight, Democrat, for auditor; Rice Harper, Whig, for clerk ; Ebenezer Warner, Democrat, for sheriff, and S. F. Taylor, Whig, for prose- cuting attorney.
In 1848 the Free-Soil party took shape, and in the campaign of that year Mr. Parish and other anti-slavery men supported the nomination of its candi- date, Martin Van Buren, while Zack. Taylor appeared as the Whig nominee, and General Lewis Cass as the choice of the Democracy. General Taylor, better known as old " Rough and Ready," carried the day, and with it came a majority of the local offices into the hands of Whigs.
In the fifties the old Whig party gradually merged into the Republican party, except a few who could not adopt the full platform of the latter party, but this decade saw a majority of the county offices in the control of the Whigs and Republicans. The Know-Nothing party also became developed suffi- ciently in the county to put a candidate in the local field for the several offices, although in part it fused with the Republicans. A. H. Striker became their nominee for the probate judgeship and was elected, but he had also the Dem- ocratic support. They also supported Horace N. Bill for clerk, although he was also the Republican candidate. During this same decade, in 1852, the Democratic and States' Rights parties nominated and elected Franklin Pierce; and again, in 1856, they triumphed by the candidacy of James Buchanan In this latter campaign the Northern, Free-Soil, and Abolition parties supported John C. Freemont, while the Know-Nothings found a candidate in Millard Fill- more. From 1850 to 1860 the office of recorder was held by Charles Wilbur and James W. Cooke, both Republicans; the office of auditor, Foster M. Fol- lett and Charles H. Botsford, both Republicans; the office of treasurer by John B. Wilber, Democrat; John W. Sprague, Thomas S. Fuller, Holly Skinner, Whigs and Republicans, and Thomas S. Fernald, Democrat; the office of clerk by Rice Harper and Horace N. Bill, both Whigs; the office of sheriff by George W. Smith, G. B. Gerrard and Fred. F. Smith, Democrats; the office of prose- cuting attorney by A. W. Hendry, John Mackey and O. C. McLouth, Whigs and Republicans.
In 1860 Mr. Lincoln became the candidate of the Republicans, or united Whig and Abolition parties; Stephen A. Douglass and John C. Breckenridge of the divided factions of the Democracy, and John Bell of the old American or Union party. Mr. Lincoln was triumphantly elected, carrying every Northern State except New Jersey. After this came the secession of the Southern States, followed by four years of civil war. The Union must be maintained and the Republican president and his cabinet must be supported, both in Fed- eral, State and county politics; therefore it is not surprising that the ranks of
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the Democracy became decimated and those of the Republican party largely increased. The office of prosecuting attorney between the years 1860 and 1870, was held by F. W. Cogswell, a Republican ; sheriff by D. S. Worthing- ton and Jesse Davis, both Republicans ; clerk by John J. Penfield, George W. Penfield and George O. Selkirk, all Republicans; probate judge by George Morton and A. W. Hendry, both Republicans; recorder by James W. Cook, John W. Reed and William A. Till, all Republicans ; auditor by George W. Smith and Ebenezer Merry, Republicans, and the office of treasurer, WV. H. Mc- Fall and James D. Chamberlain, both Republicans.
After the close of the war there became a desire to reward with office those who had been in the service. To this end nearly all of the local offices were filled with soldiers, who had no difficulty in obtaining a nomination in the con- vention, and who had to make but little effort to secure an election, as the Re- publican majority in the county reached, on certain occasions, something like seven, eight or nine hundred. But after a number of years many people be- came tired of this and began to realize the fact that a person that had not a soldier record had no chance for a position. This drove many to support the candidates of other parties.
Then, again, after the Republicans had been in power, both in general and local politics, there became a growing dissatisfaction with the party and a de- sire for a change. These things resulted in a gradual diminution of the Re- publican vote and a corresponding increase of the Democratic, until the parties were again nearly equally divided, and not infrequently would the minority party of the county elect a candidate to an important office. The floating vote, as a rule, inclines to a growing party, and as a result of this and other causes, the Democracy succeeding in capturing, not only most of the fat offices, but in a few years had a decided majority. And it is a fact that during the last six or eight years that party has been in the ascendancy in the county, although it is evident that the majority is becoming less with each succeeding year. Of the present officers of the county nearly all are Democrats.
Elsewhere in this chapter reference has been made to the anti-slavery prin- ciples, so strongly advocated by Francis D. Parish. This idea with him was by no means a desire to become conspicuous among his fellow men, but rather the result of deep conviction. The early history of his connection with the anti- slavery party and its few adherents in this county, became an important feat- ure of the political history of the county, insomuch that in compliance with a general request, we feel constrained to enter somewhat into the detail of that history ; and from the further fact that but little, if anything, has heretofore been written upon that subject.
For the facts following upon this matter the writer depends upon the au- tobiography of Mr. Parish, written some years prior to the time of his death, and never appearing in print heretofore, although the case at law, growing out
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of Mr. Parish's efforts at securing the liberation of fugitive slaves, has been ful- ly stated in the United States law reports. There were but two suits brought to recover the value of escaping slaves, which arose from transactions in this county. One of these was brought against Mr. Parish and the other against Hon. Rush R. Sloane, and these it is proposed particularly to notice. From the Parish autobiography the following is taken.
" The question arose as to the relative merits and the tendency of the col- onization and the anti-slavery societies, the latter of which was being organized in different localities in the free States. I had hitherto supported the coloniz- ation society, upon the assumed ground that it would lead ultimately to the abolition of slavery. But the discussion worked an entire revolution in my mind. I became thoroughly convinced that the tendency of the colonization scheme was only to add value to slave property by the removal of free labor- ers to foreign lands, and thereby strengthen and perpetuate the slave system in the United States. Consequently I changed to an open and zealous hostil- ity to that society, and became an advocate of the anti-slavery society.
" As the agitation of the question became general, violent opposition de- veloped itself in all quarters. The abolitiontists were not only opposed, but persecuted with great violence, both in church and state. The press, religious as well as secular, and literary institutions of the country, were so entangled and involved in the interests of the slave power of the land, that they at once combined in a general onslaught upon all abolitionists. All heartily joined in a common effort to overwhelm them, and if possible, to silence and suppress all discussion of the subject in compliance with the arrogant demands of the slave holders. Men of the highest respectability in the country were repeatedly subjected to mob violence, stimulated and encouraged by men of property and standing in the cities and in the country generally.
"Elisha Parish Lovejoy, publisher and editor of a religious paper, moder- ately advocating anti-slavery principles, first in St. Louis, then in Alton, Ill., was driven from place to place and finally murdered, and his press destroyed at the latter place. Not the least notice in law was taken of the outrage.
" William Lloyd Garrison, publisher and editor of the Liberator, was at one time dragged through the streets of Boston with a rope around his neck or body, by a furious mob composed ( as was announced in the papers ) of ' men of property and standing' of that city. Examples might be multiplied of sim- ilar mobs in other cities and towns.
"The press of the Philanthropist, early published in Cincinnati, O., was three times destroyed, to replace which I had the pleasure to as often contrib- ute. For some time I stood alone in Sandusky as a known abolitionist, and for a time my person and residence were exposed to and threatened with mob violence.
" Abolitionists and some others helped along fugitive slaves in their flight
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through the free States to Canada, where alone they could find peace and safety. On reaching the southern borders of the free States, by the aid of the north star, they found some one ready to point out the right way, and some often co:1- veyed in wagons and carriages from place to place, till they reached the water- of Lake Erie or the rivers. Sandusky was the general point of shipment of such articles for Canada. Here I was in readiness to see them safely on board a reliable craft. Hence I was often designated as the 'keeper of the depo: or warehouse of the Underground Railroad.' I have helped along hundreds and perhaps thousands. Often the fugitive was hotly pursued, and there were those in and about Sandusky eager to seize him at the beck of the hounds in pursuit. Haste and skill were therefore required to insure the deliverance of the panting victims. It was known to the general public that it was my busi- ness and practice to send forward, by water or otherwise, all such as were for- tunate enough to reach Sandusky ; yet I was never molested but once. In that case I was sued in the Circuit Court of the United States for the distric: of Ohio, under the fugitive slave law of Congress, of 1793, and was finally mulcted in the sum of $1,000 and costs, which were taxed at $500."
The Driscoll Case .- " In the fall of 1844 there came to my house a fugitive slave woman with six children. The oldest was a son of seventeen or eighteen. and the youngest, also a son, about six years old ; one daughter, about fifteen. and three other sons, aged respectively, about sixteen, fourteen, and twelve As they arrived the steamboat for Detroit had just left the dock. It proved : be the last trip as the bay was that night frozen over. It thus appeared proba- ble that they must pass the winter in Sandusky. The two older boys, how - ever, soon made their way to Canada by land and ice. I gave the mother and youngest boy a place in my family, the mother doing work at $1 per week an i board of self and little boy. Places were found for the girl and other two boys to work for their board. These boys were sent on errands through the street -. and one of them was often sent for water to a pump in the street near the Townsend House. It so happened that a Kentucky traveler, stopping at th : hotel, saw and recognized this boy, and so informed the man who claimed t be the owner, Peter Driscoll, of Mason county, Ky. The other boy, who wa- called ' Doc,' was with a family near my own residence (No. 5 Washington Row).
"On one of the last days of February, 1845, the woman of this family came hastily into my kitchen, exclaiming, 'Mr. Parish, what does this mean ? Tu men came into our wood-house, where he was sawing wood, seized Doc, and carried him off, he screaming for his life.'
" Understanding at once what was up, I passed hastily to my front door on opening which I saw two men walking rapidly past my front gate and tur the corner of my lot, apparently to go to my wood-house, which was con- nected with the kitchen. On turning the corner they saw me upon the pla :-
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form of my steps, and one of them exclaimed, ' Oh, here is Mr. Parish !' And both turned and walked back to my front gate. Mitchell (as I afterward 'earned) asked me if there was a colored woman at my house, called Jane Gar- rison. My prompt reply was, 'There is, sir.' He then said he was the agent of the owner of the woman and the family, and was authorized to take and return them to their master. 'Very well,' says I, ' if you have a right to. take her, and pursue the legal course, I shall not resist, but you must pursue the course pointed out by law in such cases, and if you prove your right, very well. I shall, however, see that she has a fair trial.' 'Well,' says he, 'I also am a law abiding man, and ask nothing but what the law gives me.' He asked to see the woman, and I told him I had no objection, if the woman was willing to see him. I stepped into the house and asked Jane if she was willing to see the men. She said not, but on my advising her to do so, she went with me to the front door, and stood on the platform, while the men were outside the gate, ten feet from her. Mitchell spoke to her, calling her by name, but I do not remember that she made any reply. Mitchell asked the little boy, who stood by his mother, to come and shake hands with him, and I said, ' it is not nec- essary.' Mitchell then urged me to have the woman taken before a justice of the peace at Castalia. I objected, saying that there were competent officers in the city, after which they went away, not having been inside the gate. I then took out a writ of habeas corpus, to take the boys whom they held in confine- ment in their room at the hotel, and at the same time lodged a complaint against Mitchell and the other man for assault and battery upon the boys. The proceedings were before the late Judge Farwell, who, after hearing the whole evidence on both sides, discharged the boys, and they departed. Mit- chell and his companion were bound over to court to answer the charge of assault and battery.
"In August, 1845, I was served with two writs of summons from the United States Circuit Court of this State, at the suit of Peter Driscoll, in one case demanding the penalty, and in the other claiming the value of the slaves, under the law of Congress of 1793, for the alleged rescue of the slaves from their owner. The suits were instituted by Henry Stansbury, then of Colum- bus, but later of Covington, Ky., the same man who was attorney-general under Andrew Johnson. Salmon P. Chase, of Cincinnati, and John W. An- drews, of Columbus, were my attorneys, voluntary, that is, they made no charge for their services. The issue was duly made up, and I attended court from year to year, generally with several witnesses from Sandusky, until the final trial in 1849. The cases were twice tried; once the jury could not agree, and once a verdict against me was set aside and a new trial granted. At the term of 1848, at the solicitation of kind friends of the Ohio bar, the Hon. Thomas Ewing volunteered in the defense. In the fall of 1849 Mr. Ewing was called to the cabinet of President Taylor, and could not be present at the
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term of that year ; but at the like solicitation, the Hon. Thomas Corwin vol- unteered assistance in the defense."
Upon the third and final trial of the case, the details of which are deemed unimportant here, Mr. Parish was mulcted in damages to the extent of $2,000, besides costs, amounting to several hundred dollars more. But the judgment for damages was reduced to $1,000, and the costs were likewise reduced to $250. By the generous assistance of personal friends, and friends of the cause to which Mr. Parish was so earnestly devoted, the whole amount of judgment and costs, amounting to $1,250 was paid.
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