USA > Ohio > Fairfield County > History of Fairfield County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 12
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Lancaster's fame as a merchant tailoring center is known all over the South and West, thousands of dollars worth of made-to-order clothing being shipped from here during the spring and fall months each season. W. H. Radebaugh & Son are the heavy shippers of clothing in the far Southern States, having a representative in that part of the country the year round. H. G. Trout, Harry Vorys, Ger- hard Miller & Co. are also large shippers of. terests, giving employment to twelve hundred clothing to other states.
This city has also several up-to-date ready- to-wear clothing establishments, which enjoy a large patronage, foremost being Joe Mat- tox, Al Wittekind, Highland & Fricker, Ger- hard Miller & Co., Peter Miller Sons, H. G. Trout and John Miller. All carry stocks that are equal to those of large city stores.
The dry goods stores have made wonderful progress in the last ten years. C. W. Woodin & Co. have one of the finest rooms in the southern part of the State. Foremost in their line is their carpet department in which they are one of the largest wholesalers in the State. They make shipments to the largest cities in Ohio and many other States, this being a cen- tral point for a branch of the large carpet in- dustries. George M. Hickle and McFee & Miller also do a thriving business in the dry goods and ready-to-wear lines.
The manufacturing interests have made wonderful advancement in this city in the last twenty years, when the Hocking Valley Manu- facturing Company and the Eagle Machine Company were the only plants of any conse- quence here. They have both enlarged their plants in recent years and now turn out large quantities of farm implements.
Foremost along the manufacturing line are the shoe factories controlled by H. C. God- man of Columbus. The first shoe factory was established in this city during the gas boom back in 1889 -- the Getz factory-which has grown largely and now occupies a two-story building on Forest Rose avenue. Three other plants belonging to the Godman interests- The Fairfield Shoe Company, The Ohio Shoe Company and The Lancaster Shoe Company -are immense concerns situated on North Columbus street. These factories are the mainstay of Lancaster's manufacturing in-
people the year round, including men, women,
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boys and girls. These factories when run- ning full time, which they do the greater part of the year, turn out twelve thousand pairs of shoes a day. Mr. John Schmidt is the efficient superintendent, while Mr. Charles Hutchison looks after the business affairs.
The glass factories furnish employment for hundreds of our laboring people. We have two factories that turn out several car loads of table glassware per day and there are also two window glass plants. They are The Cole Glass Company, The Columbus Plate and Win- dow Glass Company, The Hocking Glass Com- pany and the Lancaster Glass Company, the former two being the window glass plants. An- other feature of the window glass business is that glass is now made at the Columbus Plate and Window Glass plant by machines, the first concern of this kind in Ohio making win- dow glass exclusively by machines.
Other manufacturing interests in this city are the Carbon Works, Leather Board Works, Pennsylvania Railroad shops, Lancaster Lens Company and the Pyrometer Works, all of which give employment to a large number of men.
The several Building and Loan Associa- tions that we have, have made it possible for Lancaster people to own their own homes in great numbers, and it is authentically stated that at least seventy-five per cent. of our peo- ple are possessed of a home that they can call their own.
Lancaster has three hardware firms that have no superior in any city of her size. The Martens Hardware Company and The Frank Winter Hardware Company are the pioneers, with also J. H. Goldcamp & Company, who entered the field some years ago. They all enjoy a large patronage in this and adjoining counties.
mention in a history of this kind, not hereto- fore mentioned, who are always working for the best interests of their home town are E. H. Bininger & Sons, Chris Keller, Charles Tow- son, E. P. Schleicher, George Zink, C. F. Kirn, A. J. Kesinger, Jolın Mayer, James Davidson, James McManamy, John Gardner, A. Bau- man, George Matt, H. R. Boving, Edward and Will Bletzacker, Sexauer Bros. and B. F. Antill." (W. D. Nothacker).
THE BOARD OF TRADE
The Board of Trade has assisted very largely in the growth and prosperity of Lan- caster. The object of the Board of Trade is to foster and encourage and develop the mer- cantile and manufacturing interests of Lan- caster and its suburbs; to inculcate just and equitable principles in trade; to establish and maintain uniformity in commercial usages ; to collect, preserve and circulate useful infor- mation concerning the city, its trade, indus- tries and advantages; to study the workings of the great system of transportation, upon which our commercial and industrial prosper- ity so much depends, and to endeavor to rem- edy by all proper means the defects and abuses therein, so far as they injuriously affect our interests ; to obtain fair and equable rates of freight to and from Lancaster, and prevent, if possible, discriminations in favor of other cit- ies ; to secure the abatement of unjust charges and insure prompt settlement of damages on goods shipped ; to encourage wise and needful legislation and oppose the enactment of laws which might injuriously affect our manufac- turing and commercial interests; to forward the improvement of Lancaster by the erection of needful public buildings; and generally to strive with united effort to increase the wealth, industries, influence trade and population of
Business men of Lancaster who deserve the city of Lancaster and suburbs.
8
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Their efforts along these lines have been uniformly successful, as is shown by the num- ber of new industries secured directly by their efforts. Four glass factories, four shoe fac- tories, a carbon works, a cement works, a new government building and many small indus- tries have been added to Lancaster because of the systematic efforts of this body. The or- ganization of this board was effected through the zealous efforts of Mr. Gust A. Kraemer, who canvassed the town and secured the co- operation of the leading business men. The first officers and board of directors were Gen. J. G. Reeves, president ; B. F. Dum, vice presi- dent; James Griswold, secretary; F. C. Whiley, treasurer. W. B. Maccracken, A. Bauman, Peter Miler, P. Rising, J. B. Orman, Gust A. Kraemer, S. J. Wright, Samuel Whiley, Theo. Mithoff, Sr., E. L. Slocom were the board of directors.
MEMBERS OF PUBLIC BOARDS
Officers of Board of Trade-Chris. Keller, president, and D. B. Tidd, secretary. There are about fifty members, among whom are the following : George Matt, E. H. Bininger, J. G. Reeves, H. B. Peters, J. A. Davidson, Frank Raitze, George Rising, C. H. Towson and others.
All cities the size of Lancaster are under what is known as a Board of Control. This board is made up of three members. The Mayor who is the president and has the power to appoint two other members. C. H. Sexaur is the president, R. F. Brown director of serv- ice, Ira B. Bumgardner is director of safety.
The members of the Board of Health are W. S. Eckert, C. L. Fultz, G. M. Bell, C. H. Towson and F. P. Welty, of which the Mayor is the president, W. S. Eckert, vice president, George Cunningham, secretary, and Dr. J. P. Hershberger, health officer.
The Lancaster Water Works is owned by the city and comes under the management of the director of service. D. E. Hoffman, su- perintendent ; George Cunningham, secretary.
Lancaster owns her Natural Gas Plant which is managed by the director of service. C. M. Rowlee is superintendent ; E. W. Moss- man, secretary, and Wenzel Helwig, assistant secretary.
The Lancaster Electric Light Plant is owned by a company of which George Matt is the president and treasurer. Mr. Ed. Matt is secretary.
THE COMMERCIAL CLUB
This organization now takes the place of the Board of Trade and does the work usually done by that organization. The officers and executive committee are as follows : Dr. F. P. Barr, president; J. L. Denny, Ist vice presi- dent; C. H. Sexauer, 2d vice president ; J. H. Littrell, secretary; W. E. Joos, treasurer ; J. H. Goldcamp, E. R. Bletzacker, J. T. Ober- derfer, O. L. Ballinger, J. H. Tobias and B. F. Antill. The above named eleven compose the executive committee that performs the same duties that would devolve on a board of directors.
WATER WORKS
The Water Works plant is owned by the City of Lancaster, and the system is under good supervision and well managed. It. is operated under the direction of Superintend- ent of Water Works, D. E. Hoffman, a com- petent official who has served in his present capacity since 1903. The water works come under the management of the director of serv- ice, who is R. F. Brinn. The secretary of the Water Works is George Cunningham.
. The original installation was made in 1878; the cost to date is $136,976.58. The cost of
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operation in 1909 was $5,880.25; receipts wells. The new supply being inadequate $16,128.90, of which $6,000 was for the sale of the West Side Pump House.
In 1878 a pumping station was erected on West Chestnut street near the Hocking Canal and a stand-pipe constructed at the corner of East Chestnut and High streets. Water was used for fire purposes only, being drawn from the canal. This water supply was abandoned in 1882 when the present pump-house on West Wheeling street was erected and a spring at the station was enlarged to make a well fed by a tributary infiltration gallery, which was ex- tended north to West Fifth avenue in 1894. In 1898 the present reservoir, a 2,500,000 gallon storage basin, size 100 feet by 210 feet with a maximum depth of 19 feet located on Walter's Hill one and one-third miles north- east of the pump-house and congested district, was constructed, and at this time the stand- pipe was abandoned. The city owns a tract of three acres on this hill, which is about as high as Mount Pleasant and here is the reser- voir and a keeper's dwelling. The basin is very substantial, being of heavy masonry and concrete in sand rock excavation. A four- foot-nine fence, to keep out small animals, surrounds it. The reservoir is connected to the distributing system by a 16-inch water- pipe on North High street. The reservoir is connected with the system at all times, except when being cleansed, which is done once in four years ; it was cleaned in 1909. The res- ervoir has no overflow pipe, the keeper being paid to care for it and to notify the engineer at the pumping-station when it is full.
water from the infiltration gallery was also used both pumping stations being used. In 1906, appreciating the need of an adequate supply of pure water, a systematic search was instituted and after numerous test wells had been drilled at different points in and about the city, it was determined to sink wells in the city's property near the Wheeling Street sta- tion. This was done and the present supply opened up in 1907. After having been proved adequate, other sources of supply were aban- doned and the West Side Station dismantled and sold in 1909.
There are six eight-inch wells drilled to a depth of 90 feet located in an acre of ground owned by the city at the corner of West Wheeling and Front streets, the latter being on the filled-in bed of the old Hocking Canal. The Harris Air Lift System is used, with an Ingersoll-Rand duplex air compresser with a capacity to lift 2,000,000 gallons a day. The combined capacity of the wells is 3,000,000 gallons daily and it is considered adequate for all present and future demands. There are 159 public fire hydrants. The system as a whole is considered much above that ordi- narily found in the smaller cities.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
The Fire Department is full paid and under the control of the chief, subject to the general supervision of the Director of Public Safety and the Board of Control. The first organiza- tion was a volunteer organization, which was formed about 1853; it was changed to a paid department in 1899. Charles A. Landefelt, the chief, has been identified with the depart- ment since 1896 and has been Chief since 1900. He is assisted by six men. The ex- pense of the department and the maintaining
Water from the infiltration gallery was used for both fire and domestic purposes until 1903, when for sanitary reasons fourteen six- inch wells were drilled in a tract of land north- west of the western corporation line and a pumping-station built near the site of these of the fire alarm system was in 1909,
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$7,471.26. The greatest need of the Fire De- partment is more stations, more men and more apparatus, for the entire department is inade- quate for a large conflagration.
THE FAMOUS LANCASTER BAR
The old Bar of Lancaster had no equal west of the Allegheny Mountains. In fact there was not to be found in all the courts of this country a Bar of equal numbers that could stand in comparison with that of Lancaster. These nine great names fall naturally into two great divisions, or groups, according to the time in which they were prominent.
First Group
Gen. Philomen Beecher, born at Litchfield, Connecticut; came to Lancaster in 1801 ; died 1839.
Judge William W. Irvin, born in Virginia; came to Lancaster 1801; died 1842.
Judge Charles R. Sherman, born in 1788 at Norwalk, Connecticut; came to Lancaster in 18II; admitted to bar 1810; died 1829.
Second Group
Thomas Ewing, born 1789, near West Lib- erty, Ohio County, Virginia; came to Lan- caster from Athens County, Ohio, in 1815; admitted to the bar in 1816; died in 1871.
Henry Stanbery, born in 1803 in New York City; came to Lancaster from Zanesville in 1824; admitted to the bar in 1824; moved to Cincinnati in 1851; died in 1881.
John Trafford Brasee, born in 1800 at Hillsdale, New York; admitted to the Bar at Gallipolis, 1826; came to Lancaster from Gal- lipolis in 1833; died in 1880.
' Hocking H. Hunter, born in 1801 in Lan- caster, being the first white man born in the county ; admitted to the Bar in 1824; died in 1872.
John Scofield Brasee, born August 19, 1832, at Gallipolis, Ohio; came to Lancaster in 1833 ; admitted to the Bar in September, 1854; died February 23, 1905.
Charles D. Martin, born August 5, 1829, at Mount Vernon, Ohio; came to Lancaster, 1850; admitted to the Bar in 1850; died in 19II.
(See Chapter 11, Bench & Bar.) AN HISTORIC STRUCTURE
(Taken from the Lancaster Gazette, March 23, 1905.)
The old law office of Judge Brasee was the first brick structure erected in Lancaster. It was built by Judge Elnathan Scofield and has been occupied by five generations of the Bra- see family. Attorney Charles D. Brasee is moving his law office from the building on Main street formerly occupied by his father, Judge John S. Brasee, to the Maccracken Block. The building that is being vacated has been occupied as a law office by four genera- tions of the Brasee family. It was erected by Judge Elnathan Scofield and was the first brick building in Lancaster. It was at first occu- pied by Judge Scofield as a dwelling, and his daughter, Mrs. John Trafford Brasee, was born there. Later he built on the corner of Main and Columbus streets and lived there for years. The small brick structure has been used for a law office by Judge Scofield, Judge John Trafford Brasee, Judge John Scofield Brasee, and by John T. Brasee and Charles D. Brasee.
At one time the late T. W. Tallmadge was associated with Judge Trafford Brasee in busi- ness and occupied this office. The building has been occupied by the Brasee family con- tinuously since it was erected, except for a short time when Judge John S. Brasee had offices in the Hocking Valley Bank building.
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During this time the building was used as a gunshop by Herman Peter, who shot and killed Philip Betz directly in front of the building. Peter is serving a life sentence in the penitentiary for the crime. The building is now owned by Rev. Smith, who purchased the property from Mrs. James Stanberry, a daughter of Judge Scofield.
"PICTURES ON MEMORY'S WALLS"
"Lancaster's 'Hall of Fame' bears on its portals many honored names. Gen. Beecher was in Congress for a decade. W. W. Irwin also served his state in a similar capacity, and later was judge of the Supreme Court. Charles R. Sherman was elected to the Su- preme Bench in 1823. William Medill was repeatedly honored by his friends and neigh- bors at Lancaster, not only being a Member of Congress, but as Governor of Ohio, and Comptroller of the U. S. Treasury.
"Dr. T. O. Edwards served in Congress from this district, also C. D. Martin, who later went to the Supreme Bench. H. H. Hunter declined the honor of Judge of the Supreme Court, even after he had been elected to that position. Charles T. Sherman served as U. S. District Judge for Northern Ohio; Ed. F. Hunter, Common Pleas Judge of the State of Washington, and John Hunter was Chief Justice of Utah Territory. Robert F. Slaughter served in the Legislature of Ohio in an early day and was afterwards Common Pleas Judge. The Ewings and the Shermans, of world wide reputation, claim Lancaster as their home. Thomas Ewing, Sr., was twice a United States Senator, besides holding cabi- net portfolios, first secretary of the Treasury under President Harrison and again Secre- tary of the Interior under President Taylor. Gen. Thos. Ewing, Jr., was a most eminent lawyer of New York and one of the founders of the Ohio Society of New York.
"Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman was a Lancaster boy, and old residents recall with what fervor his townsmen applauded his "March to the Sea" and his countless other deeds of daring during the Civil War. To the nation he was the conquering hero, the Great General; to Lancaster he was all this and more, for he was 'born there.'
"John Sherman served his country in al- most every capacity. For a long series of years he was Senator from Ohio and reflected honor on the State, and on his loved Lancaster as well, for he never forgot the friends of his youth. He was twice in the cabinet, was Sec- retary of the Treasury under President Hayes and again Secretary of State under President McKinley.
"The United States Government called for another of Lancaster's sons when John W. Noble was asked into President Harrison's cabinet as Secretary of the Interior; and Henry Stanberry, as Attorney General of Ohio, and later filling the same position for the United States when Jolinson was Presi- dent, reflected credit on himself and his office by reason of his distinguished services.
"Colonel Moore was chosen Governor of Washington Territory. Gen. Hugh Ewing was sent by the United States Gov- ernment to represent this country at the Hague.
"Henry J. Reinmund was Insurance Commissioner of Ohio under Gov. Hoad- ley, C. C. Miller was State School Commis- sioner when President Mckinley was Gov- ernor of Ohio. Governor Nash appointed A. I. Vorys Insurance Commissioner as Governor Bushnell had previously hon- ored George Ewing with a seat on the Board of Pardons.
"The lamented State Librarian, John C. Tuthill, who died when in office, was a Lancaster boy.
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"Richard Outcalt, the "Yellow Kid" car- at Tien Tsien, China, during the Boxer up- toonist of New York, was born at Lancas- ter and his memories of old times and the quaint elders of his boyhood are more than hinted at in some of his best work.
"Judge Sherman's daughter married Gov. Thomas W. Bartley, his granddaugh- ter became the wife of Senator Don Cam- eron of Pennsylvania, and still another granddaughter is Mrs. General Nelson A. Miles, U. S. A .; another married Judge Samuel Reber of St. Louis, while a fifth is Mrs. Judge Granger of Zanesville.
"Others of whom Lancaster is justly proud are John C. Kinkead, governor of Idaho; Charles F. Rainey, Land Commis- sioner of California; A. R. Keller, Indian Agent under President Hayes at Helena, Mont .; Hon. Thomas Ewing, Jr., Governor of Kansas in the days of reconstruction ; Lieut. George Hunter in the Philippines ; Capt. Albert D. King, of the Third Cav- alry; Capt. L. H. Palmer, of Company I, Fourteenth Regiment, O. V. I., U. S. A., who distinguished himself at Porto Rico; Thomas King of the U. S. Treasury De- partment; and Theodore Tallmadge, Pen- sion Agent at Washington, D. C.
.
"Lancaster and Fairfield County have sent out not a few missionaries and minis- ters of the Gospel in almost every denomi- nation. Bishops Merril, Foster and Mor- ris of the Methodist Episcopal Church and Bishop Young of the Catholic Church were once residents of Lancaster. Rev. Abra- ham Reck established the First English Lutheran Church sixty years ago. Jacob Reinmund, Samuel H. Giesy, Martin Wil- helm, George and William Smith, W. W. Trout, Andrew F. Berry, J. M. Work, of Cincinnati; William Harrison, missionary to Liberia; Miss Mary Shockley, who was
rising ; Judson H. Lamb, Jacob H. Hensel, Geo. W. Miesse, Frank J. Reinhold, Andrew Swartz, Eli B. Shumaker, John M. Turner, Emmanuel Turner, Frank W. Bope. Charles H. Boving and William Spybey."
LANCASTER
(Published by Board of Trade. )
In addition to the above there should be mentioned H. J. Booth, the distinguished attorney of the city of Columbus; T. C. O'Kane, the sweet song writer; Prof. J. A. Bownocker, Prof. of Geology O. S. U. and State Geologist; Prof. Earl Hyde, the dis- tinguished young geologist; Prof. Keller- man, the noted botanist ; Prof. Miller, grad- uated from Yale in 1910 with Ph. D., now engaged as a professor in the State Agri- cultural College, Manhattan, Kansas.
James J. Jeffries one-time champion of the athletic ring, was born near Carroll, Ohio.
REMARKS OF JOHN TRAFFORD BRASEE, SR., UPON THE OCCASION OF THE MEMORIAL EX- ERCISES HELD BY THE LANCASTER BAR; CLOSELY FOLLOWING UPON THE DEATH OF THEIR ASSOCIATE, THE LATE HOCKING H. HUNTER (MARCH 4, 1872.)
HOCKING H. HUNTER
"May it Please Your Honor :
"I was long acquainted with Mr. Hunter. Our acquaintance commenced in the early part of the year 1824, prior to his admission to the bar, and was continued to his death. From 1833 to 1860 inclusive we practiced mostly in the same courts and were frequently en- gaged in the same cases. I may therefore with propriety say that I not only knew him long, but I knew him well.
"Mr. Hunter's advent to the bar was at- tended by circumstances calculated to retard his early advancement in the profession. His
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education was unfinished; his means were limited; he then or soon after had a family dependent upon him for support. But these were not all; there was no opening for him or any other young man at this bar, it was al- ready full, if not crowded. It was filled with men of great ability and experience. First among them in age, was Philemon Beecher, one of Nature's great men-a man who pos- sessed a round philosophical knowledge of the law. Next was William W. Irwin, a good lawyer, a man of pleasing and courteous man- ners, who had been upon the bench of the Supreme Court, and who had a widespread reputation. Next was Charles R. Sherman, a man of great legal learning and fine ability, and who as an advocate had no superior west of the Allegheny mountains. Last was Thomas Ewing, a man of profound compre- hensive intellect, of varied and great energy of character, who, although the junior of the others named, if not their superior, was at least the peer of the ablest of them. These four distinguished men had the good will of the important legal business of this and surrounding counties, and it was obvious that they would possess and enjoy it as long as they desired to do so.
"This remained the condition of things, with varying circumstances from time to time, until 1832. Then there was not only a change, but a revolution in the Lancaster bar. General Beecher, by reason of bodily infirmity, had placed himself upon the re- tired list. Judge Irwin had served a term in Congress, lost his practice thereby and was never able to regain it. Judge Sherman went upon the bench of the Supreme Court and died in that service. Mr. Ewing went to the Senate of the United States, which was in effect a withdrawal from domestic business on his part.
"Then there was an opening for Hunter, for which he had been preparing and waiting for eight years. He was well prepared to fill that opening and in his turn he soon be- came master of the situation.
"From 1832 forward he was never want- ing in clients ; he was crowded and weighted
down with business in disposing of which he labored and toiled as few men have the phys- ical ability to do.
"I have said that at this time Mr. Hunter was well prepared to assume the onerous du- ties of the profession and to conduct busi- ness with credit to himself and advantage to his clients. How and by what means he be- came so under the circumstances surround- ing him, forms the most interesting and in- structive part of his professional life.
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