USA > Ohio > Fairfield County > History of Fairfield County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 29
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From this road, as it grew in usefulness, other roads were made to reach other points. The famous "Bull-Skin Road," leading from the Pickaway Plains to Detroit, was an ex- ample. This road was so named from the large number of dead cattle to be found along the long rough route.
It will be remembered that, by Act of Con-
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gress a ferry was to be established at the cross- ing of the Muskingum, the Hocking and the Scioto, and that the ferriage was to be regu- lated by the federal judges. The Court of Quarter Sessions met at Adamsville, in Adams County, December 12, 1797, and fixed the fol- lowing as the legal rates of ferriage across the Scioto and the Ohio.
SCIOTO RIVER.
Man and horse $0.121/2 cts.
Single . .061/4 cts.
Wagon and team
.75 cts.
Horned cattle (eachı) 0614 cts.
OHIO RIVER.
Man and horse $0.1812 cts.
Single .091/2 cts.
Wagon and team 1.15 cts.
Horned cattle .091/4 cts.
Thus we see that it cost something in the early days to ferry a stream and no doubt the cost was about the same for the Scioto and the Hocking.
One of the means of support for the roads in the early years was a toll rate per each mile traveled-a long since abandoned; an- other was the "road-tax" which was to be worked out by each male citizen. It was a question, however, as to the amount of real work done, as is indicated by some rhymnster of the day :
"Oh, our life was tough and tearful, and its toil was often fearful,
And often we grew faint beneath the load; But there came a glad vacation and a sweet alleviation,
When we used to work our tax out on the road.
"When we used to work our tax out, then we felt the joys of leisure,
And we felt no more the prick of labor's goad ; 16
Then we shared the golden treasure of sweet rest in fullest measure,
When we used to work our tax out on the road."
(From Hulbert's Historic Highways.)
As has already been explained, the lots laid out at the direction of Ebenezer Zane in 1799, "at the place where the Trace crossed the Hocking near the Standing Stone," were put on sale and the town, in honor of the German settlers, was called Lancaster, in memory of the old town and the rich county of. the same name in Pennsylvania. The modern Lancaster may well be proud of her name, for the county of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is said to be the richest agricultural county in the world. This ancient path is still the most used highway in the county. If we had the exact number who pass over some part of its course each 24 hours the results would startle us, as does the num- ber of those who pass London Bridge.
This road is intensely interesting in yet an- other way. It was the cause of a test case to determine whether or not the government had the right to aid in the building of state-that is, purely local-roads by taking or buying shares in local turnpike companies. This ques- tion was raised by the fact that a "bill author- izing the subscription of stock in the Mays- ville, Washington, Paris and Lexington Turn- pike Road Company" was passed by Congress in 1830. This was the name of the Kentucky end of the Maysville Pike. This opened up the whole question of internal improvements, and thousands wanted the government to help the individual states. President Andrew Jackson thought otherwise, and witli a vigorous argu- ment against the measure, he settled the ques- tion once for all with his veto. This had a bad effect on the development of the country, for the veto applied alike to the Baltimore & Ohio railway, then under construction, and to canals
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY
as well. (See Reizenstein's "The Economic History of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.")
AS A POST ROAD
As soon as the "Trace" was opened post- offices and mail routes were established by the government. In Lancaster, in 1799, say the old records, a postoffice was opened, and with Samuel Coates Sr. as first postmaster. Boys were usually employed to carry the mails. General George Sanderson, the historian of those early times, was, when a lad of fourteen, employed as mail carrier between Lancaster and Chillicothe. Along this forest path the meager news of the outside world was carried on foot and on horseback, mule-back and ox- back, between Wheeling and Maysville and on to Lexington. Then followed the days of the rumbling stage with its four fleet horses, mail- pouches, and tired passengers. In the same age came the "Conestoga Freighter," with its six stout horses and tremendous load, carrying the product of the soil and the fruit of the vine to market, returning with the much needed articles from the centers of civilization. Thus it is seen that the old Zane's Trace, carrying the blessings of art, religion, industry and life, through the ten counties of Belmont, Guern- sey, Muskingum, Perry, Fairfield, Pickaway, Ross, Pike, Adams and Brown and adjacent territory, formed one of America's greatest roadways, deserving to be classed with the great National Road from Cumberland to Wheeling, or the Appian Way. But the "Trace" became even a greater road than the Appian Way, for the latter was built largely to gratify the vanity of Roman emperors and did not, like the former, meet the wants of a great, free, and progressive Republic. This old path truthfully illustrates Emerson's noted observation: "When the Indian trail gets widened, graded and bridged to a good road,
there is a benefactor, there is a missionary, a pacificator, a wealth-bringer, a maker of mar- kets, a vent for industry."*
STAGE COACH DAYS
William Neil of Columbus was a partner in the firm of Neil, Moore & Co., with principal offices in Columbus. This company carried the United States mail throughout Ohio, gener- ally in four-horse stage coaches, that were built to carry from nine to twelve passengers. Their longest route was from Buffalo, New York, to Detroit, Michigan, it being about the same as that of the Lake Shore Railroad. Next the line between Wheeling, West Vir- ginia, and Cincinnati, Ohio, diverging at Xenia through Dayton to Indianapolis, Indiana. Also from Columbus to Sandusky, Cleveland and other points. Many cross lines north and south were in the same manner occupied and operated by them.
Mr. Neil himself concluded to take the stage lines south of the National Turnpike, travers- ing the center of Ohio east and west. Mr. Darius Tallmadge was employed at a salary of $400 per year, with all expenses paid while he was on duty, and was placed in charge of southern routes throughout the state, the prin- cipal one being from Maysville, Kentucky, via Chillicothe and Lancaster to Zanesville. This route was the one necessary for travelers to take from Kentucky east. Henry Clay always passed this way from his home in Lexington to Washington. One of the eating-points was Tarlton, Ohio, where Mother Nye and her husband kept the hotel. Their chicken and waffles were famous.
*References-The editor desires to acknowledge his indebtedness to Hulbert's "Historic Highways," Vol. II ; Martzolff's "Zane's Trace," "Johns Hopkin's Studies in Historical and Political Science;" various county histories cited in the text, and General Morris Schaff's "Etna and Kirkersville."
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
Mr. Tallmadge had proved himself such a capable man that his salary at the end of the year was increased to $1,200. Mr. Neil pro- posed a partnership early in this agency and gave Mr. Tallmadge exclusive possession of his individual lines. They were operated in the name of D. Tallmadge, which name was inscribed in gilt letters on the door panel of every coach. Drivers always sounded a long mellow-toned horn when they approached a postoffice. In those days these stages were re- garded as a most important feature of the age and owners were conspicuous, as now the railroad magnates are. The drivers were con- sidered as almost the biggest men in the coun- try and were always given the best to eat and drink. It was unknown to local people that Mr. Neil was equal partner in the stage line.
In 1847 this partnership was closed-the lines being Zanesville to Maysville, Zanesville to Marietta, Hillsboro to Cincinnati, Columbus to Athens, Columbus to Portsmouth, Lan- caster, via Wilmington to Cincinnati, Lan- caster to Newark. For settlement Mr. Tall- madge proposed to give or take $25,000, the one paying the money to be sole owner of all the property, real or personal. Mr. Neil chose to accept the money for his share and Mr. Tall- madge became the sole owner. Not more than five persons knew of the partnership, although it had existed for twelve years.
While Mr. Tallmadge was managing his own stage lines he was relied upon as the su- perintendent for the great "Ohio Stage Com- pany," in which the lines of Neil-Moore & Company had been merged. Mr. Neil was president, succeeded by William Sullivant, and at last D. Tallmadge purchased the entire stock of the Ohio Stage Company, which he owned when it went out of existence, being driven to the wall by the encroachments of the railroads. Mr. Tallmadge was one of the "Western Stage
Company" which extended its operation throughout Indiana, Illinois and Iowa.
Mr. Tallmadge in 1854 sent to San Fran- cisco by ocean around Cape Horn a large num- ber of coaches to be sold.
It was customary for mail contractors to bid on routes for carrying United States mail in any part of the country, expecting to sell out at a profit to the company that had the line already stocked. In this manner D. Tallmadge was the successful bidder for a route of about eighty miles from Elmira to Ithaca, New York. The old contractor refused to buy the mail contract, compelling Mr. Tallmadge to stock the line and carry out his own contract with the government. Hence it was necessary to send his stage and horses for that purpose. The result was that when the old contractor saw the line stocked he purchased the equip- ment and carried out the contract as awarded to Mr. Tallmadge.
Many are the interesting tales told of those who used to be passengers in the old coaches. One in particular, told of Tom Corwin, has been handed down and is always enjoyed. It was during the canvass of 1840, when Corwin was a passenger on a coach from Wheeling to Columbus, a stop was made at St. Clairsville, the home of Governor Shannon. A lady car- rying a small baby boarded the coach and someone whispered to Corwin, "That is Gov- ernor Shannon's wife." Corwin looked through his shaggy eyebrows, laid down his book, and with a sly twinkle in his eye, began to talk to the lady, she being ignorant as to who Corwin was. The political situation was freely discussed, Corwin entering into the con- versation with his usual zest. He turned to his fair companion and asked her what she thought of the gubernatorial race. She, of course, praised her husband's party and his chances of success. "I hear," said she. "that
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY
Corwin is a very coarse man-nothing but a wagoner boy." The passengers were all con- vulsed, stuffing their handkerchiefs into their mouths to keep from laughing, but Corwin never winced, and to the amusement of all he joined in his own abuse, until he was painted the most despicable of men. When they reached the outskirts of a small town near Cambridge the stage stopped and Mrs. Shan- non prepared to get out. Mr. Corwin, with his usual gallantry, assisted her out and car- ried the baby into the house and put him down on the bed. Mrs. Shannon thanked him and asked, "to whom am I indebted for this cour- tesy and for the pleasure of this journey." Corwin, with a profound bow and roguish twinkle in his eye, said "To Tom Corwin, Madam," who has just laid your son upon his back, where he hopes to lay his father in the fall. Bowing himself out of the house, he joined his laughing companions in the coach.
Mrs. Ellen Brasee Towt.
RAILROADS
Within the limits of Fairfield County there are three railroads and two electric roads.
The Cincinnati, Wilmington & Zanesville was the first railroad built in the county. It was chartered by the legislature, February 4. 1851. The western terminus of the road was a connection with the Little Miami Railroad at Morrowtown, Warren County, and the eastern terminus was Zanesville in Muskingum County. It was 281/2 miles long. In 1856 the road was completed and regular trains were running between Morrowtown and Zanesville, thus opening communication between Cincin- nati and the eastern seaboards, by connecting at Zanesville with the original Central Ohio Railroad. This road changed hands and the name was changed to the Muskingum Valley Railroad. Afterwards it passed into the hands
of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company and is called the Cincinnati & Muskingum Valley Railroad. The road passes through Clear Creek, Amanda, Hocking, Berne and Rush Creek townships, and has stations at Bremen, North Berne, Lancaster, Delmount, Amanda, Wyandotte and Stoutsville.
The Hocking Valley Railroad has a mileage in Fairfield County of 231/2 miles. The road was first chartered in 1864 under the title of Mineral Point Railroad Company, and was to extend from Columbus to Athens. In June, 1867, the name of the road was changed by the court of Franklin County to that of the Colum- bus & Hocking Valley Railroad-its present name. The road has proved to be one of the wealthiest in the state, chiefly on account of the extensive transportation of coal out of the lower valley. The Hocking Valley passes through Violet, Bloom, Greenfield, Hocking and Berne townships, and has stations at Lock- ville, Carroll, Hookers, Lancaster and Sugar Grove. The Columbus and Southern extends from Wyandotte Junction in Clear Creek township to South Bloomville.
The Central Ohio Railroad was originally projected from Toledo to Pomeroy, being de- signed as a mineral road to run into the coal fields of southeastern Ohio. It was first char- tered as the Atlantic & Lake Erie. During the early struggling days of this railroad, Gen. Thomas Ewing of Lancaster was president of the company. When the road was sold and it had passed into new hands its name was changed to the central Ohio, and it was com- pleted from Columbus to Corning, a distance of 65 miles.
The road is now called the Toledo & Ohio Central and has several branches in Fairfield County. It passes through Violet, Liberty, Walnut, Pleasant and Richland townships, with stations at Pickerington, Basil, Baltimore,
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MURMURING BROOK, SUGAR GROVE
5
MAIN STREET AND POSTOFFICE, THURSTON
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, LITHOPOLIS
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M. E. CHURCH, LITHOPOLIS
FAMOUS Y BRIDGE, ZANESVILLE
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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
Thurston, Pleasantville, Rushville and Bremen. The Toledo and Thurston branch runs from Thurston to Toledo and has two stations in Fairfield County, Millersport and Lakeside Park.
The Zanesville & Western Railroad runs from Thurston to Zanesville, with stations at Thurston and New Salem Station.
THE LANCASTER TRACTION & POWER COMPANY, LANCASTER, OH10
The Lancaster Traction & Power Company owns and operates five miles of street railroad in the city, giving perhaps the best service furnished to the citizens of any city the size of Lancaster, in the United States. They fur- nish seven and one-half minute service; keep their rolling stock and road bed in good repair, and sell 33 tickets for $1.00. They also own and operate a line from Lancaster to the Boys' Industrial School, six miles south of the city. The management of this property has always been in the interest of the city, all of the di- rectors being "progressives" in the best sense of the term. The company has no debt of any kind. The employees are the very best class of men, who are a great assistance in keeping the good will of the citizens. The service is appreciated by the people and the patronage is greater than almost any other place with the same number of residents. The board of directors is composed as follows : H. B. Peters, president and general manager ; Edward Delancy, vice president ; P. R. Peters, secretary and treasurer ; J. R. Smith, superin- tendent ; Julian Griggs, chief engineer.
THE SCIOTO VALLEY TRACTION COMPANY
The Scioto Valley Traction Company, whose general offices are located at Columbus, Ohio, was originally incorporated on the eighth day of September, 1899, for the purpose of
constructing a line of electric railroad from the city of Columbus to the city of Chillicothe. The original authorized capital stock was $100,000. On the nineteenth day of Decem- ber, 1910, the capital stock was increased to $1,000,000. On the seventh day of January, 1901, the company amended its articles of in- corporation and in the amendment provided for the construction of a line of electric rail- road from the city of Lancaster to the city of Columbus.
The Everett and Moore syndicate of Cleve- land were the original owners of the property and started its development. While in the control of the Everett and Moore syndicate, the right-of-way was acquired from Lancaster to Columbus and from Circleville to Colun- bus and contracts were let for the grading, bridges, and for the rails and ties. This syn- dicate actually invested something over $200,- 000 in the development of the property when their affairs became involved and their assets were placed in the hands of a bankers' com- mittee. A new syndicate was then organized, composed in the main of Columbus and Cin- cinnati men, of which the former had about a two-thirds interest in the property.
The new syndicate acquired the right-of-way from Circleville to Chillicothe and built the en- tire property. The entire power equipment of the property, both steam and electrical, to- gether with the power houses and sub-stations were designed by the last named syndicate.
The road from Columbus to Lancaster was completed and placed in operation July 26. 1904. The road to Circleville was completed and placed in operation August 6th of that year. The road from Circleville to Chillicothe was completed and placed in operation August 26, 1905. The property has remained under the same management and substantially in the same control during all of the time that it has
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY
been in operation, although at the present time there is a considerable number of stock- holders in the property in Lancaster and Fair- field County. Mr. Peters, a banker and resi- dent of Lancaster has been a director of the company during the entire period of its his- tory and for several years last passed, has been a member of the executive committee of the company. The road was well built, in many respects materially in advance of any other electric railroad in the state, and throughout its history has been generally well maintained and operated.
The total gross revenue for the last fiscal year of the company was $438,109.45, of which $361,932.52 was passenger revenue and $55,418,16 was revenue derived from freight. The balance is made up of about $20,000 mis- cellaneous items.
During the year the passenger car mileage of the company was 1,025,854; the passengers carried 1,352,691. Freight car mileage was 155,625 and the pounds of freight carried were 63,859,213. The surplus earnings for the last fiscal year ending June 30, 1911, were $15- 253.16, a decrease over the preceding of $5,518.33.
During the current year, on account of in- creased automobile travel and the unsatisfac- tory conditions prevailing as to the employ- ment of labor, the gross earnings of the com- pany have decreased somewhat over the same period of the preceding year.
It is a rather remarkable fact that the vari-
ous modes of travel between Lancaster and Columbus have followed substantially the same line. First, the Indian trail, leading from the conjunction of the Scioto and Whetstone rivers through Lancaster and Zanesville to Wheeling; second, a wagon road substantially on the same line; third, a canal substantially paralleling the line of The Scioto Valley Trac- tion Company from Groveport to Columbus; fourth, the Hocking Valley Steam Railroad, and fifth, the electric railroad. The Indian trail has been obliterated but at the present time the other four modes or highways of travel, in a considerable number of places lie parallel and adjacent to each other so that they are embraced at points within a distance of 200 feet. [See Zane's Trace .- Editor.]
The directors of the company at the present time are as follows: Mr. A. B. Voorheis and Mr. George Eustis of Cincinnati, and Messrs. Frank A. Davis, Edwin R. Sharp, J. D. Ellison, Theodore Rhoads, I. B. Cameron, Wm. N. King, of Columbus, and Mr. H. B. Peters, of Lancaster.
The officers of the company are: Frank A. Davis, president and general manager; Edwin R. Sharp, vice president and treasurer ; E. R. Sharp, Jr., secretary; F. K. Young, auditor ; Calvin Skinner, superintendent; A. J. Wolfe, engineer; N. E. Rees, passenger agent; J. O. Bradfield, general freight agent. Each of the officers, without exception, have been identi- fied with the road in some capacity since it commenced its operation.
CHAPTER IX
MANUFACTURES AND COMMERCE.
Busy Workshops-The Hocking Glass Co .- The Cole Glass Co .-- The Lancaster Glass Co .- The Lancaster Window Glass Co .- The Columbus Plate and Window Glass Co .- The Co- lumbus Window Glass Co .- The Motherwell Iron Works-Lancaster Shoe Factories- Total Daily Output 10,000 Pairs of Shoes-The A. Gets Shoe Co .- The Lancaster Shoe Co .- The Fairfield Shoe Co .- The Ohio Shoe Co .- Hotels-A Classified List of Lancas- ter's Business Enterprises Including the Professions.
"BUSY WORKSHOPS."
Fairfield County has not only a rich soil, but a very rich and diversified field of manufac- tures. In every village and town there are valuable plants that bring wealth to the com- munity, and give employment to many hun- dreds of worthy people. These industries are described in Chapter VI under that township's history, of which they are a part. Baltimore, Basil, Pleasantville, Bremen and many other good towns have a place in this account of the work of men's hands.
The county seat, Lancaster, naturally leads in this field of work, and her list is a long one. There are over 115 different kinds of business, and over 600 different firms at the present time (1912) doing business in Lancaster. This long list of industries, with the army of sturdy toilers constitutes the wealth and power of the community, still illustrating the truth of Lord Bacon's dictum, "There be three things that make a Nation great and prosperous-a fertile soil, busy workshops, and easy communication
from place to place." This county is blessed with all three of these forces, and the power of the factory was never greater than in this in- dustrial age. Men are doing wonderful things with their hands-and they are demanding that their children be taught in the public schools to use their hands.
There is a great awakening in the educational world on the subject of vocational training. Schools are planning for the future of the boys and girls who are to use their hands as well as their brains, and Ohio is in the very front of this race for added power for the youth of the land. There is no good reason why the schools should not equip every boy and girl with the elements of some useful trade or pro- fession. This is the greatest industrial age the world has seen-rivers are bridged and tun- neled; mountains washed and hewn away; stone, iron, steel, brick and cement piled high in the office buildings ; acres covered with busy shops in which millions of spindles do the bidding of trained hands. Lancaster has ever
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HISTORY OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY
had her share of these trained lands, and she has them today.
THE HOCKING GLASS COMPANY
The Hocking Glass Company plant, located in West Lancaster, employs more people than any other glass company in the city and its capacity is about fifteen carloads of manù- factured product per week. Four hundred persons find employment here and many of them are artists of rare skill and its beautifully decorated opal ware, lamps, and splendid vases have attracted attention world-wide in its ex- tent, and its famous product finds ready sale everywhere. They manufacture plain crystal glass ware, also, and do much in a variety of novelties. The company was incorporated and established in 1905. The officers were: T. J. Collins, president ; C. F. Von Stein, vice presi- dent; L. P. Martin, secretary and treasurer. In 1908 the company was reorganized by elect- ing T. J. Collins, president ; E. B. Good, vice president; T. C. Fulton, secretary and treas- urer. The plant in its enlarged equipment oc- cupies some four or five acres.
THE COLE GLASS COMPANY
The Cole Glass Company is one of the many enterprising business concerns of which the thriving city of Lancaster is proud. It is located in West Lancaster, on the Hocking Valley Railroad, and has one of the largest plants of its kind in Ohio. The company is engaged in the manufacture and jobbing of window glass and located in 1898, coming here from Muncie, Indiana, where Mr. C. P. Cole, president of the company, enjoyed the distinc- tion of organizing the first window glass com- pany and erected a plant twenty-five years ago. This large factory has a forty-five blower tank capacity and employs 225 men. It produces a carload of excellent glass per day.
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