USA > Ohio > Franklin County > History of Franklin County [Ohio]: > Part 14
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" SEC. 5. That said Mclaughlin, Kerr, Starling and Johnston, shall, on or before the first day of July next ensuing, at their own expense, cause the town aforesaid to be laid out, and a plat of the same recorded in the Recorder's office of Franklin County, distinguishing therein the square and the lot to be by them conveyed to this State ; and they shall, moreover, transmit a cer- tified copy thereof to the next Legislature, for their inspection.
" SEC. 6. That from and after the first day of May next, Chillicothe shall be the temporary seat of govern- ment, until otherwise provided by law."
And by an act amendatory to the above act, passed February 17, 1816, it was enacted :
" That from and after the second Tuesday of October next, the seat of government of this State shall be es- tablished at the town of Columbus, and there continue, agreeably to the provisions of the second section of the
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act entitled " An act fixing and establishing the perma- nent and temporary seats of government," passed Feb. 14, 1812.
" That the Auditor, Treasurer and Secretary of State, shall, in the month of October next, remove, or cause to be removed, the books, maps and papers in their re- spective offices, to the offices prepared and designated for them severally, in the town of Columbus; and the Treasurer shall also remove any public money which may be in his office ; and the said public officers shall there attend and keep their offices respectively, from and after that time, any law to the contrary notwith- standing."
On the 19th of February, 1812, at Zanesville, the proprietors, Starling, Johnston, Mclaughlin and Kerr, signed and acknowledged their articles of association, as partners, under the law for laying out, etc., the town of Columbus. In this instrument, it was stipulated that a common stock was to be created, for the benefit of the firm ; that Starling was to put into said stock half sec- tion number twenty-five, except ten acres previously sold to John Brickell ; Johnston was to put in half sec- tion number nine, and half of half section number ten ; and Mclaughlin and Kerr (who had previously been partners, and were jointly considered as one or a third
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FRANKLIN COUNTY.
party to this agreement,) were to put in half section number twenty-six; on which they were to lay out the town, agreeably to their proposals to the Legislature,- the proceeds of the sales to remain in common stock, until they should complete their contract with the State.
They were to have a common agent, to make sales and superintend their whole business. Each party was to pay into the hands of this agent the sum of $2,400 annually, on the first Monday of January, for five suc- cessive years, and such further sums as might be neces- sary to complete the public buildings. Each party was to warrant the title to the land by such party re- spectively put into the stock, and each to receive a mutual benefit in all donations they might obtain on subscription or otherwise. And when they should have completed their contract with the State, and be released from all obligations on account thereof, a final settlement and adjustment of their accounts was to take place, and the profits or losses to be equally divided between them.
John Kerr was appointed the first agent for the pro- prietors, in April, 1812, and continued as such until June, 1815, when he declined serving any longer, and Henry Brown was appointed, and continued their agent until the close of their business, in the spring of 1817.
18
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The agreement of the proprietors having been faith- fully abided by, and their undertaking completed, was finally canceled in April, 1817, when a division of the unsold property, and of obligations for lots sold, etc., took place, and each party released the other from all the obligations of their articles of association, and also released and quit-claimed to each other all the remaining parts of their several tracts of land originally put into the common fund, that remained unsold.
The amount of the donations obtained on subscrip- tions, is variously stated at from fifteen to twenty thou- sand dollars. And, pursuant to an agreement with Rev. James Hoge, now known as Doctor Hoge, he deeded to the proprietors eighty acres of land off the south end of half section number eleven, in order to enable them to complete the plat to the size and form desired. Of the lots laid out on this grant, the proprietors retained one- half, and deeded the balance back to the Doctor. And, pursuant to a similar contract with Thomas Allen, and for the same purpose, he deeded to the proprietors twenty acres out of the south-west part of half section number ten, they deeding back his portion of the lots, and retaining the balance as a donation.
Thus the town plat, including out-lots and reserves, (which reserves have many years since been laid out into additions of in-lots,) covered the whole of half sec-
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tions numbers twenty-five and twenty-six, and parts of half sections ten and eleven.
McLaughlin and Kerr's half section (number twenty- six) was the southern part of the original town plat, bounded on the south by South Public Lane, (the east- ern part of which is sometimes called the " Livingston Road,") and on the north by a parallel (east and west) line, commencing at the river a little south of State street, and crossing High street at the north-east corner of Dr. Goodale's brick block, and crossing Town street at an acute angle between Third and Fourth streets, including all between those two lines, from the river to the eastern boundary of the out-lots. Starling's half section (number twenty-five) also extended from the river to the eastern boundary of out-lots, and included all between the north line of Mclaughlin and Kerr's half section, above described, and a parallel line from a short distance in front of the penitentiary, due east, crossing High street between Long street and Mulberry alley, and intersecting Broad street .at the eastern ex- tremity of the out-lots. Although half section number nine was put into the common fund by Johnston, no part of the town plat was laid out on it. It lies between the penitentiary grounds and Olentangy Creek. The east half of half section ten, put into the fund by him, and on the south end of which lots were laid out, buts
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on the north line of Starling's half section, (number twenty-five,) from Water street to Center alley, bounded east and west by due north and south lines, cutting the lots obliquely. The part conveyed to the proprietors by Allen, also buts on Starling's north line, immediately west of Johnston's, just described, and the part convey- ed to them by Dr. Hoge, also buts on Starling's north line, immediately east of Johnston's land.
The contract being closed between the proprietors and the State, and all the preliminaries now arranged, in the spring of 1812, the town was laid out, under the direction of Joel Wright, Esq., of Warren County, an agent of the State, appointed for that purpose, and Jo- seph Vance, of Franklin County, as assistant.
The streets all cross at right angles; those running northward, bear twelve degrees west of north, and con- sequently those running eastward, twelve degrees north of east. High street is one hundred feet wide ; Broad street is one hundred and twenty feet, and all the others eighty-two and a half feet wide; and the alleys generally thirty-three feet in width. The in-lots are sixty-two and a half feet front, and one hundred and eighty-seven and a half feet deep. The out-lots on the east, contain about three acres each.
Some time after the laying out of the main town and the eastern out-lots, the proprietors laid out some forty
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or more out-lots, north of the town, which are represent- ed on the record by a separate plat. These contain a trifle over two acres each, and from part of these lots they conveyed to the town an acre and a half for a graveyard.
The time and terms of sale being agreed upon, the same was advertised far and near, and in a way calcula- ted to attract bidders from a distance. The following is a copy of the advertisement :
"FOR SALE,
" On the premises, commencing on Thursday, the 18th day of June next, and to continue for three days, in and out-lots in the town of Columbus, established by an act of the Legislature, as the permanent seat of gov- ernment for the State of Ohio.
" Terms of Sale .- One fifth of the purchase money will be required in hand ; the residue to be paid in four equal annual installments. Interest will be required on the deferred payments from the day of sale, if they are not punctually made when due. Eight per cent. will be discounted for prompt payment on the day of sale. The town of Columbus is situated on an elevated and beau- tiful site, on the east side of the Scioto River, immedi- ately below the junction of the Whetstone branch, and
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opposite to Franklinton, the seat of justice for Franklin County, in the center of an extensive tract of rich and fertile country, from whence there is an easy navigation to the Ohio River. Above the town, the. west branch of the Scioto affords a good navigation for about eighty miles, and the Whetstone branch as far as the town of Worthington. Sandusky Bay, the only harbor on the south shore of Lake Erie (except Presque Isle) for ves- sels of burthen, is situate due north from Columbus, and about one hundred miles from it. An excellent road may be made with very little expense from the Lower Sandusky town to the mouth of the Little Scioto, a dis- tance of about sixty miles. This will render the com- munication from the Lakes to the Ohio River through the Scioto very easy, by which route an immense trade must, at a day not very distant, be carried on, which will make the country on the Scioto River rich and pop- ulous. The proprietors of the town of Columbus will, by every means in their power, encourage industrious mechanics, who wish to make a residence in the town. All such are invited to become purchasers.
"JAMES JOHNSTON, " A. MCLAUGHLIN, "LYNE STARLING, " JOHN KERR,
" Proprietors.
" Franklinton, April 13, 1812."
.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY.
Pursuant to this notice, public sale of the lots com- menced on the 18th of June,# 1812, and continued three days. The lots sold were principally on High and Broad streets, and were generally struck off at from two hun- dred to a thousand dollars each. The only cleared land then on, or contiguous to, the town plat, was a small spot on Front, a little north of State street; another small field and a cabin on the bank of the river, at the western terminus of Rich street; a cabin and garden spot in front of where the penitentiary now stands, occupied by John Brickell; and a small field south of the mound, on the tract which two years after was laid off by John McGowan, as an addition to the original town plat, and called " South Columbus."
Immediately after the sales, improvements commenced rapidly, generally small frame houses and shops, enclos- ed with split clapboards instead of sawed weatherboards, which were not generally attainable. Both proprietors and settlers were too much occupied with their own indi- vidual and immediate interests, to attend much to the clearing off of the streets and alleys; and for several years the streets remained so much impeded by stumps, logs and brush, that teamsters were compelled to make
* The same day that war was declared by the United States against Great Britain.
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very crooked tracks in winding their way through them. Gradually, however, they were cleared by the inhabi- tants, for fire wood and building materials, until about the year 1815 or '16, a sum of about two hundred dol- lars was raised by subscription, and appropriated to the removal of the remaining obstructions from High street. Soon after the town was incorporated, and the streets were gradually improved by authority of the town council.
There are now but two men remaining in Columbus who were here at the sale of the lots, in 1812, and pur- chased property, and have remained citizens of the place ever since, viz: Messrs. Jacob Hare and Peter Putnam, and each one still owns the lot he purchased at that time, over forty-five years ago. Amongst the first set- tlers, however, were George McCormick, George B. Har- vey, John Shields, Michael Patton, Alexander Patton, William Altman, John Collett, Wm. McElvain, Daniel Kooser, Christian Heyl, Jarvis Pike, Benjamin Pike, George Pike, Wm. Long, Townsend Nichols, and Dr. John M. Edmiston. Dr. Edmiston was the first physi- cian to locate in the new town - Doctors Parsons and Ball practiced in Columbus, but resided in Franklinton. About the year 1815 or '16, Dr. Parsons removed over to Columbus, where he resided ever after.
The first stores opened in Columbus were, one belong-
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ing to the Worthington Manufacturing Company, and kept by Joel Buttles, in a small brick building, on the west end of the lot now covered by the Broadway Ex- change building; and one belonging to McLene & Green, kept in a cabin, on the south side of Rich street, just east of where Mechanics' Hall now stands. About where Mechanics' Hall stands, in two or three cabins connected together, Christian Heyl kept a bakery and house of entertainment, where he continued until about the year 1818, when he erected the front part of the tavern building lately known as the "Franklin House," now the "Nagle House," where he kept a respectable hotel until the spring of 1841. The first tavern, however, was kept on the lot where the " Johnston Building " now stands. It was commenced about the spring of 1813, by Volney Payne, in a two story brick house erected by John Collett, for that purpose; and the house was kept successively by Mr. Payne, Collett, John McElvain, and Collett again, until about the year 1818, when he sold out to Robert Russell, and Mr. Russell kept it a number of years, then James Robinson, and then Mr. Russell again, until about the year 1844, when the tav- ern was discontinued.
Soon after the tavern was opened at Collett's house, Daniel Kooser opened a tavern on Front street, south of State, and a Mr. McCollum opened another on Front
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HISTORY OF
north of Broad street, where the "Erin go Bragh House " is now kept. In the meantime, various other establishments, known as houses of entertainment, had sprung up, which were, in reality, little else than drink- ing shops, such as in after years were denominated gro- ceries. At the north-east corner of High and Rich streets was an establishment of the latter kind, kept by William Day, about the years 1815 and '16, that was famous for company drinking and quarreling; so much so that it obtained the appellation of " The War Office;" and from thence the cases of combat were generally carried to 'Squire Shields, to be " disposed of according to law." The 'Squire was rather an eccentric old genius, from the Emerald Isle, and disposed of business in short order. He was a preacher : first of the Methodist, then of the New Light Order, and could preach a good sermon on as short notice as any other man; he could lay as many brick in a day as a common bricklayer would in two; and in surveying and platting of lands, and also in his official business as a Justice of the Peace, he was equally expeditious ; but in all things, rough and careless, apparently disdaining precision.
The 'Squire was remarkable for his equanimity of temper, or his ability to control it. On one occasion, when in his office, one of his rough customers very ab- ruptly called him a liar, to which the 'Squire coolly re-
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plied in his broad Irish brogue : " Poh, man, we are all liars-I can prove you a liar !" at which the other bris- tled up as though he was for fight-" Prove me a liar ! prove me a liar ! can you ?" The 'Squire making no further reply, turned to a file of notes that had been sued before him, and picking out one of his hero's notes and presenting the name to him, asked if that was his signature ? to which the man replied : "Yes; and what of it ?" The 'Squire reads: "Three months after date, I promise to pay," etc., " And did you pay ?" "I will pay when I am ready !" was the reply. "There, Sir," said the 'Squire, "I have proved you a liar under your own hand ;" and returning the note to its place, without further ado, sat down to his writing.
On another occasion, being told that he was the d-dest rascal in town, and that he (the speaker) could prove it, the 'Squire replied, with the utmost sang froid : "I dare say, Sir, that you could get twenty men to swear that, but that would not make it so." He removed with his family to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1821, where he died a few years after.
In the year 1815, David S. Brodrick opened a respec- table tavern in frame buildings, at the south-east corner of High and Town streets, with the sign " Columbus Inn ;" and in the spring of 1816, James B. Gardiner opened a good tavern, for that time, in a wooden build-
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ing, fronting on Friend street, just west of High, on what was afterward known as the Howard lot. In the spring of 1818, Brodrick having retired from public life, Mr. Gardiner removed to that stand, and hoisted the sign of the "Rose Tree" in full blow, with the Scrip- ture quotation, " The wilderness shall blossom as the rose." This stand was afterward kept by various landlords, amongst whom was Samuel Barr, whilst owner of the property. It was for a time known as the "Franklin Hlouse ;" afterward as the "City House." The old wooden buildings were removed some years since, to give place to the Deshler building, which now occupies the corner.
When Gardiner removed from Friend street, he was succeeded at that stand by Jarvis Pike, who raised the sign of " Yankee Tavern."
The first school taught in Columbus was in a cabin that stood on the public square, (teachers name not now known;) then succeeded as teachers, in 1814-15, and so on, Uriah Case, John Peoples, W. T. Martin, a Mr. Whitehill, Joseph Olds (afterward a distinguished law- yer and member of Congress), Dr. Peleg Sisson (while acquiring his profession), Samuel Bigger (afterward Governor of Indiana), Rudolph Dickinson (for a num- ber of years a member of the Board of Public Works, and member of Congress), Daniel Bigelow Orange Da-
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FRANKLIN COUNTY.
vis, a Mr. Christie, Rev. Mr. Labare, Cyrus Parker, H. N. Hubbell, Andrew Williams, and a number of others, not now recollected, who were all teachers of common subscription schools, in Columbus, before the introduc- tion of the present free school system.
In the spring of 1815, the census of the town was taken by James Marshal, Esq., and amounted to about seven hundred. By this time, there were some half dozen or more of stores, amongst which were those of Alexander Morrison, Joel Buttles, Henry Brown, Delano & Cutler, and J. & R. W. McCoy ; and a printing office, issuing a weekly paper, which has been noticed under the head of "Newspapers."
The first lawyers to locate in Columbus, were David Smith, Orris Parish, David Scott, and Gustavus Swan, about the year 1815. Shortly after, succeeded John R. Parish,* T. C. Flournoy, James K. Cory,+ William Doh- erty, ¿ and others.
* Mr. Parish died in June, 1829, in the 43d year of his age. He was a man of vigorous mind, and an able lawyer and legislator, and for a time quite popular. But he had his frailties.
1 Mr. Cory died the first day of January, 1827, in his 29th year. He was a promising young lawyer, from Cooperstown, New York, and had resided in Columbus some seven or eight years.
On the same day Doctor Daniel Turney, a popular physician of Co- lumbus, died from the effects of poison.
# Col. Doherty was a native of Charleston, South Carolina, from whence he came to Ohio during the war of 1812, and took up his resi-
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HISTORY OF
The Columbus post office was established in 1813; was made a distributing office in 1838. Will be noticed under the head of " post office."
The first market house was erected in 1814, by vol- untary contributions of property holders in the vicinity of its location. It was a substantial frame, probably fifty feet in length, and proportionable in width and height. It was situated in the middle of High street, a little south of Rich street. It continued there until after the town became incorporated. Immediately after the in- corporation the subject of a new market house, and the
dence in Columbus in 1816. He subsequently, in 1820, married a daughter of Gen. McLene, and made Columbus his residence the balance of his life. He possessed a turn of mind for public business, and being a man of fine appearance and pleasant address, became popular, and filled some highly respectable and lucrative offices. He was for seven years in succession Clerk of the House of Representatives in the Ohio Legisla- ture - one session at Chillicothe and six at Columbus. The Clerks then received five dollars per day while the members received three dollars. He was also for a number of years Adjutant General of the State of Ohio. He was afterward United States Marshal for the Dis- trict of Ohio four years. He had, however, previous to this, and since his residence in Columbus, prosecuted the study of the law, and been admitted to the practice.
In 1831, he was elected Senator for the District of Franklin and Piekaway Counties, and was at his first session chosen Speaker of that body - a compliment rarely bestowed on a new member. But he was competent to the place, and filled it to the general satisfaction of the Senate.
He died in February, 1840, at the age of fifty years.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY.
proper place for its location was agitated. Rich street, Town street, State street and Broad street were all pro- posed as sites. Property holders on Broad street were strenuous in favor of it, arguing its greater width than any other street, and drawing the inference there- from that it must have been designed in the plan of the town for the market house. Joseph Miller, who bought and erected the front of the building afterward known as the " Buckeye House," as early as 1816, it is said, was influenced in his purchase, and made large improvements in the confident belief that the market house would be established nearly in front of his house. . But about the year 1817, it was determined by the Council in favor of locating it on State street immedi- ately west of High ; and pursuant to contract, John Shields erected the new market house. It was a two story building, something larger than the old frame, the under story of brick for a market house for the town, and the second story was a pretty well finished frame, divided into two large and well finished rooms, and belonged to Shields. Thus he furnished a market house for the town for the privilege of having rooms of his own over it.
These rooms he rented out for various puposes : one was occupied as a printing office, and the other was for a time used by himself, and occasionally others, to hold
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HISTORY OF
preaching in. After some years Shields sold out to John Young, and by him the rooms were appropriated to amusement and gaming. The first billiard table kept in town was in the upper part of this market house.
About the year 1829 or 1830, the Council bought out Young's interest, and the building was removed and a larger market house, without any rooms above, was erected on the same site - Elijah Ellis contractor. This building continued until the erection of the present market house on Fourth street.
On the tenth of February, 1816, the town was in- corporated as " The Borough of Columbus," and on the first Monday in May following, Robert W. McCoy, John Cutler, Robert Armstrong, Henry Brown, Caleb Houston, Michael Patton, Jeremiah Armstrong, Jarvis Pike and John Kerr were elected the first Board of Councilmen.
James B. Gardiner, who was the wit of the day, com- posed the following off-hand, doggerel verse with reference to their occupations, with which he would occasionally amuse himself by repeating to the mem- bers :
I sell buckram and tape, McCoy.
I sell crocks and leather,
· Cutler.
I am the gentleman's ape, · R. Armstrong.
I am all that together, . Brown.
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I build houses and barns, .
Houston.
I do the public carving,*
Patton. .
I sell cakes and beer,
. J. Armstrong.
I am almost starving, · Pike.
I sell lots and the like,
And dabble in speculation, . Kerr.
We and his Majesty Piket
Make a splendid corporation.
Mr. Gardiner was very apt in writing amusing and satirical verse, and was in the habit of using the signa- ture " Cokeley," until he was familiarly known by that name to all his acquaintances, and was frequently so addressed by his jocular friends.
But he also wrote some very fine patriotic and senti- mental poetry, for July celebrations, and such occasions.
He removed from Columbus to Greene County about the year 1823, and while there, represented that county in the State Legislature. He afterward returned to Columbus, and in 1834, was elected State Printer for three years. He died in April, 1837, aged 48 years.
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