USA > Ohio > Franklin County > History of Franklin County [Ohio]: > Part 3
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" Ordered, that Jacob Grubb be appointed County Treasurer for the County of Franklin.
" Ordered, that four dollars be appropriated for the purpose of com- pleting the election boxes in this county, agreeably to the requisitions of law.
" Ordered, that the copies of the laws passed at the last session of the General Assembly of the State of Ohio which were appropriated for the use of Franklin County, be distributed through said county on demand to the persons following, to wit : To Robert Culbertson, Representative, one copy ; to Zachariah Stephen and James Marshall, Justices of the Peace in Franklin Township, each one copy ; to Joshua Ewing, a Justice of the Peace in Darby Township, one copy ; to William Ben- nett, a Justice of the Peace of Harrison Township, one copy ; to Joseph Hunter and Ezra Brown, Justices of the Peace in Liberty Township, cach one copy ; and one copy to be deposited at the house of election in each township; to the Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas, one ; to the Sheriff of the county, one copy ; to the constables in the several townships, each one copy; to the clerks of the several townships, each one copy ; to the county Treasurer, one ; to the county Surveyor, one of the copies of the laws above mentioned, and the balance to lie in the Clerk's office until otherwise disposed of.
" Ordered, that there be allowed for wolf and panther scalps as fol- lows, to wit : For every wolf or panther scalp any person shall kill under six months old, one dollar ; for every wolf or panther that is above six months old, two dollars. The proceedings respecting any wolf or panther scalp to be particularly and pointedly regulated by the law passed by the Legislative Council and House of Representatives in General Assembly of the territory of the United States north-west of
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the River Ohio, entitled, An act to encourage the killing of wolves and panthers, passed 9th of January, 1802 ; said law to be complied with in every respect except the price given for scalps, which shall be as before mentioned in this order ; and the holders of any certificate for such scalps shall be paid out of the county treasury so soon as the tax for 1804 shall be be levied and collected, and not before."
" At a session of the Associate Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of Franklin County, held at the seat of justice in said county, on the 7th day of January, 1804 - present John Dill, Chief Judge, and David Jamison and Joseph Foos, Esquires, Associate Judges as afore said -a return of the view of road from Franklinton to Newark was made by the surveyor and viewers that were appointed at September session, which return of survey and report were received and ordered to be recorded.
" Ordered, that the supervisor in Liberty Township proceed to open said road thirty-three feet wide, and prepare and make it passable for loaded carriages or wagons.
" A petition was presented by the Reverend James Kilbourne* and
* Afterwards more familiarly known by the title of Colonel Kilbourne. In early life the Colonel was regularly ordained a preacher in the Episcopal Church, and officiated in that capacity for some time ; but on entering public life, he resigned his clerical office. He was a native of New Britain, Connecti- cut. and was the projector and main agent in getting up the Scioto Company. He made his first trip of exploration to Ohio on behalf of the Company, in the spring of 1802, and after traveling over 1000 miles through the territory, on foot, he selected 16,000 acres of land for the Company, one half of which lies in a body where the town of Worthington was afterwards laid out. He returned in the fall to Connecticut, and in the spring of 1803, he led a part of the Com- pany to his new purchase. The rest soon followed. On the 5th of May, 1803, he cut the first tree on the new purchase. By the 4th of July, 1804, the little colony numbered about 100 persons, and they celebrated the national anniver- sary by Col. K. delivering an oration, and by the falling of seventeen large trees, (instead of firing so many cannon,) by way of national salute. The Col. was a man of ability, and a good deal of originality of thought, with a jovial, light-hearted disposition, and was very conspicuous and useful in the settle- ment of the county. The tabular part of this work will show many of the public stations to which he was called, and filled with credit and ability. He died at Worthington in the month of April, 1850, in the eightieth year of his age.
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others, praying for a view of a road to lead from Franklinton to the town of Worthington, from thence to the south boundary of the fifth tier of townships, etc. It is ordered, that the prayer of said petition be granted, and that Michael Fisher, Thomas Morehead and Samuel Flen- niken be appointed viewers, who, or any two of them, shall view and make report of the same. And it is further ordered that Joseph Vance be appointed surveyor to attend said viewers, and make a correct survey of the same and return it to this court.
" It is further ordered that the prayer of the petition presented by the Reverend James Kilbourne and others, praying for a road to lead from the town of Worthington to intersect the road which leads from Franklinton to Newark, be granted on the conditions that the said petitioners defray at their own expense the viewing, surveying and opening the same.
" It is further ordered, that Maj. William Thompson, Ezra Griswold and Samuel Beach be appointed viewers of said road, and report the same to this court at their next session ; also, that the Reverend James Kilbourne be appointed surveyor, who shall attend said viewers, make a fair and correct survey, and return the same to this court at their next session.
"On application of Ezra Griswold for license to keep a tavern in Liberty Township, he being recommended to the satisfaction of this court, and he also paying into the clerk's hands the tax required by law, it is ordered that license be granted him accordingly.
" On application of Nathan Carpenter of Liberty Township for license to keep a house of public entertainment, he being recommended to the satisfaction of this court, and he having also paid into the hands of the clerk the tax required by law, it is ordered that license be granted him.
" Usual Osbourn, having given bond with approved security for the collection of the county tax in Darby Township, it is ordered that he be appointed collector of the same.
" Ordered, that Lucas Sullivant be appointed Recorder for the County of Franklin, pro tempore, who shall proceed to provide the necessary books for the office, who shall, if he is not continued per- manently, be paid by his successor the necessary costs of the same at
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the time of delivering up the records, ete., to his successor, which he shall do whenever a Recorder shall be permanently appointed.
" Ordered that this court adjourn until Tuesday next.
" Test, LUCAS SULLIVANT, Clerk."
" Tuesday, January the 10th, 1804. The court met according to adjournment - present David Jamison and Joseph Foos, Esquires, two of the Associate Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of Franklin County.
" On application of William Harper of Harrison Township, for license to keep a house of public entertainment, it is ordered that license be granted him, he having produced a certificate signed by a number of signers satisfactory to this court.
" On application of Mrs. Elizabeth Whitaker, by petition for license to keep a house of public entertainment, which petition is signed with a number of signers satisfactory to this court, it is ordered that license be granted her.
" Ordered, that there be paid unto James Ewing, out of the treasury of Franklin County, the sum of eight dollars and seventy-five cents, it being the compensation due to him for seven days services in taking the list of taxable property and the enumeration of white males in Darby Township for the year 1803.
" Ordered, that there be paid unto Adam Hosack, Sheriff of this county, the sum of one dollar and fifty cents for summoning the grand jury for January term, 1804.
" Ordered, that there be a jail built immediately for the use of this county, on the following plan, to wit : Of logs twelve feet long and eighteen inches diameter, with two sides hewed so as to make a face of eight inches, and to be let down dovetailing so as to make the logs fit close together ; to be seven feet at least, between the lower and upper floors, which floor is to be of timbers of like thickness, with three sides hewed so as to let them lie entirely close, and to be smooth on the face of the lower floor, and the upper floor to show an even face in like manner on the lower side, and to have two rounds of logs at least, of like timbers above the upper floor ; then to have a cabin roof well put on, a door cut out two feet eight inches wide and prepared in a work- manlike order, to hang the shutter of the door, which shutter is to be made in a strong and sufficient and workmanlike manner of plank two
-
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inches thick. There is to be two windows, eight inches by ten inches wide, made in said prison house, which windows are to be secured by two bars of iron one inch square sufficiently let in, in each window, the corners closely sawed or eut down.
" Ordered that this court be adjourned without day.
" Test,
LUCAS SULLIVANT, Clerk."
" At a session of the Associate Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of Franklin County, begun and held at Franklinton, in the county aforesaid, on Thursday the 15th of March, 1804. Present David Jamison and Joseph Foos, Esqrs., two of the Associate Judges of said county.
" Was presented the report of Thomas Morehead and Samuel Flen- niken, who were appointed viewers at a session of said court held on Saturday, the 7th of January, 1804, of a road leading from Franklin- ton to the town of Worthington, from thence to the south boundary of the fifth tier of townships, together with the plat of survey of said . road made by Joseph Vance in compliance of said order, which report and survey was received and ordered to be recorded.
" It is ordered that the supervisor in Liberty Township proceed to open said road and make it passable for loaded wagons.
" The report of Ezra Griswold, William Thompson and Samuel Beach, who were appointed viewers of a road to lead from Worthington to interseet the road which leads from Franklinton to Newark, together with the survey of the same made by James Kilbourne in compliance of the order of review, was presented and received, and ordered to be recorded. 1
" Adjourned."
" At a session of the Associate Judges of the Court of Common Pleas of Franklin County, began and held in Franklinton, on Saturday, March 24, 1804,- present, John Dill, David Jamison, and Joseph Foos, Associate Judges of said court.
" The report of Thomas Morehead and George Skidmore, the viewers appointed by an order granted at September term, 1803, to view a road from Franklinton to Springfield, in Greene County, reported that they had viewed and marked out said road as far as Darby Creek, on as good ground as the nature of eireumstances would admit, and which
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they considered to be of public utility. It is therefore ordered that the report of said viewers of the aforesaid road, so far as it is viewed, be received and recorded as such, and that the supervisor proceed to open said road thirty-three feet wide, and make it passable for loaded wagons.
" Ordered, that there be paid to Joseph Parks and Samuel McElvain, each, three dollars out of the county treasury, for three days services in viewing of a road from Franklinton to Newark.
" Ordered, that there be paid unto David Pugh and John Hoskins, each, two dollars and a quarter out of the county treasury, for three days services in carrying the chain on the view of the road from Frank- linton to Newark.
" Ordered, that there be paid to Samuel Smith four dollars and fifty cents, for three days services in surveying the road from Franklinton to Newark, as per return of survey.
" Ordered, that there be paid out of the county treasury to Lucas Sullivant, eighty dollars, for the building of the jail, in Franklinton, for the county.
" Ordered, that Lucas Sullivant be appointed surveyor, to attend the viewers of the road from Franklinton to Springfield, and to survey and return a plat thereof of that part which has not been viewed.
" Ordered, that there be paid unto John Dill, Esq., eight dollars out of the county treasury, cash by him advanced to purchase a lock for the jail of Franklin County.
" Adjourned.
"LUCAS SULLIVANT, Clerk."
In the years 1805-6-7-8-9, a large number of re- spectable and substantial families were added to the infant county, amongst whom were the Miners,"-Isaac
* Isaac Miner, afterward known by the title of Judge Miner, remov- ed from the State of New York to Franklinton, Ohio, in 1806 or '7, but he was a native of Massachusetts. Jeremiah, his brother, came the next year. They resided in Franklinton some one or two years, and from thence removed to Deer Creek, in Madison County, where they went largely and successfully into the grazing, feeding and driving
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and Jeremiah - Samuel White and sons, the Stewarts, the Johnstons, the Weatheringtons, the Shannons, the Stambaughs, the Ramseys, the Mooberries, the Sharps, the Deckers, the Rarys, the Olmsteds, the Kiles, Jacob Gander, Percival Adams, John Swisher, George W. Williams, and others.
From 1805 to 1811 or '12, a number of young men located in Franklinton, who grew up with the county, and became wealthy and conspicuous ; amongst whom were Gustavus Swan, R. W. McCoy, * Doctor L. Good-
of stock. After a number of years, they purchased and removed to the large and valuable farm - late known as the " Miner farm,"-near Columbus ; where the Judge died in the fall of 1831, aged 53 years. He was an energetic business man, and successful in its pursuits.
Jeremiah lived a bachelor, and died at an advanced age, at Sandusky, Wyandot County, in the spring of 1854, and was brought to Green Lawn Cemetry (on the old Miner farm) for interment. He was an honest, independent minded man, somewhat eccentric in his character, as evinced by the epitaph on his tomb stone.
* Mr. MeCoy died on the 16th of January, 1856, in the seventieth year of his age. He was a native of Franklin County, Pennsylvania. He was reared from boyhood to the business of merchandizing, and in 1811 he removed from Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, where he had been doing business, to Franklinton, Ohio, with a small stock of goods, and there opened a store. About the year 1816, he removed his business to Columbus, where he continued the merchandizing until the time of his death. He was an active and useful citizen of the county about forty-five years, acquired a handsome property by his regular business, and was highly respected by all classes of citizens. He, as the succes- sor of Mr. Buttles, was President of the City Bank of Columbus, at the time of his death.
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ale,# Doctor S. Parsons,+ Francis Stewart, Samuel Barr, Henry Brown, Orris Parish, į and Ralph Osborn ; §
* Doctor Goodale came in 1805.
Doctor Parsons died the 30th of December, 1857, in the seventy- second year of his age. He was a native of the town of Reading, Connecticut. He acquired his profession in his native State ; removed to the west a young and unmarried man, and arrived at Franklinton on the first day of the year 1811, where he located and commenced the practice of his profession. In 1816, he removed over to Columbus, where he continued to practice until the last eight or nine years of his life, when he retired. As a physician, he was attentive and cautious, and acquired a high reputation-and as a citizen was highly respected. In 1843, he was, without solicitation or desire on his part, elected a Representative for this county in the State Legislature, where he served with ability. He also was for a number of years President of the Franklin Branch of the State Bank of Ohio.
# Mr. Parish, afterward known by the title of Judge Parish, was a young lawyer, from the State of New York. He acquired some distinction as a practitioner, and in 1816 was elected President Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for this district. At the legislative session of 1818-19, charges were exhibited against him, calling for an investigation of his official conduct. They were referred to a commit- tee, and the Judge published his address to the committee, in which he says : " To you, gentlemen, I submit my official conduct, and of you I solicit the most rigid inquiry, and the severest scrutiny." And closes with this sentence : "I neither ask or desire any other justice at the bar of my country, or Heaven, than that which I have contributed my best exertions to measure out to those whose rights have been confided to my hands."
The committee reported in his favor, and soon after he resigned, and returned to the practice of the law.
The Judge died in Columbus, in the summer or fall of 1837.
§ Mr. Osborn came to Franklinton in 1806. He was a native of Waterbury, Connecticut, where he acquired his profession of the law. 3
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while a number of others passed off the stage before they had acquired fortunes or public distinction, and have been measurably forgotten.
In June, 1810, there was an old Wyandot Chief, named Leatherlips, executed in this county, about four- teen miles north of Columbus, near the Delaware County line, on the charge of witchcraft. The account of this event is taken from Drake's Life of Tecumseh, where it is abridged from an article by Otway Curry, in the Hes- perian ; and is substantially corroborated by Wm. Sells, Esq., of Dublin, who is, perhaps, the only survivor of the white men referred to, that were present at the exe- cution.
" General Harrison entertained the opinion that his death was the result of the Prophet's command, and
He remained in Franklinton a few years, and when the County of Del- aware was organized, in 1808, he was appointed the first Prosecuting Attorney for that county. Not long after, he removed to Pickaway County ; and in December, 1810, he was first elected Clerk of the House of Representatives in the Ohio Legislature, which place he held for five consecutive sessions - until he was elected Auditor of State, in 1815. He then held the office of Auditor eighteen years in succession - three times as long as it has ever been held by any one, since. He was a popular Auditor, and filled the place with becoming dignity, and with urbanity. In the fall of 1833, he was elected to represent the counties of Eranklin and Pickaway in the Senate of Ohio, which place he also filled to the general satisfaction of his constituents.
He died at his residence, in Columbus, the 30th of December, 1835, aged fifty-five years.
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that the party who acted as executioners, went directly from Tippecanoe to the banks of the Scioto, where Leatherlips was found encamped, and where the tragedy was enacted. The six Wyandots who put him to death were headed, it is supposed, by the chief, Round- head. An effort was made by some white men who were present, to save the life of the accused, but with- out success. A council of two hours took place ; the accusing party spoke with warmth and bitterness of feeling. Leatherlips was calm and dispassionate in his replies. The sentence of death, which had been previ- ously passed upon him, was reaffirmed. The prisoner then walked slowly to his camp, partook of a dinner of jerked venison, washed and arrayed himself in his best apparel, ond afterwards painted his face. His dress was very rich, his hair gray, and his whole appearance grace- ful and commanding. When the hour for the execution had arrived, Leatherlips shook hands in silence with the spectators ; he then turned from his wigwam, and with a voice of surpassing strength and melody, commenced the chant of the death song. He was followed closely by the Wyandot warriors, all timing with their slow and measured march, the music of his wild and melancholy dirge. The white men were likewise all silent followers in that strange procession. At the distance of seventy or eighty yards from the camp they came to a shallow
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grave, which, unknown to the white men, had been pre- viously prepared by the Indians. Here the old man knelt down, and in an elevated but solemn tone of voice, addressed his prayer to the Great Spirit. As soon as he had finished, the captain of the Indians knelt beside him and prayed in a similar manner. Their prayers, of course, were spoken in the Wyandot tongue. After a few moments delay, the prisoner again sunk down upon his knees and prayed as he had done before. When he had ceased, he still continued in a kneeling posture. All the rifles belonging to the party had been left at the
wigwam. There was not a weapon of any kind to be seen at the place of execution, and the spectators were consequently unable to form any conjecture as to the mode of procedure which the executioners had deter- mined on for the fulfillment of their purpose. Sudden- ly, one of the warriors drew from beneath the skirts of his capote a keen, bright tomahawk, walked rapidly up behind the chieftain, brandishing the weapon on high for a single moment, and then struck with his whole strength. The blow descended directly upon the crown of the head, and the victim immediately fell prostrate. After he had lain awhile in the agonies of death, the Indian captain directed the attention of the white men to the drops of sweat which were gathering upon his neck and face, and remarked with apparent exultation,
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that it was conclusive proof of the sufferer's guilt. Again the executioner advanced, and with the same weapon inflicted two or three additional heavy blows. As soon as life was entirely extinct, the body was hast- ily buried with all its apparel and decorations, and the assembly dispersed."
There are a few old citizens remaining, who were per- sonally acquainted with the old Wyandot, Leatherlips. His character was that of a peaceable and harmless old Indian. A rude pile of stones, on the Kosciusco lands, near the county line, long marked the grave of the un- fortunate old chief.
CHAPTER III.
SKETCH OF THE COUNTRY FROM 1812 TO 1858.
War of 1812 - Execution of W. Fish - Laying out of certain Towns, etc. - John Kilbourne's Works - Wm. Lusk and his Almanac - President Monroe's Visit - Sullivant's Bridge - Squirrel Hunt - Granville Road - Pugh's Bridges - Sickly Seasons, etc. - T. Backus's Poem - H. D. Little's Poem - Road to Worthington - Names of Streams - Silk Factory - Sugar Beet, etc.
IN this Chapter it is designed to give a sketch of the county generally from 1812 until 1858, leaving the several townships and the city to be afterwards noticed in separate Chapters under appropriate heads.
In 1812 the town of Columbus was laid out, which will be made the subject of subsequent Chapters. And in the same year war was declared by the United States against Great Britain. During the war, from 1812 to 1815, Franklinton was a place of much life and business. This was the most flourishing period of that town. Though immediately after the surrender of Hull's army at Detroit, in August, 1812, a general consternation ensued. A descent of the British and Indians upon this
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part of Ohio was feared; and not altogether without rea- son, for Franklin County was then rather a frontier set- tlement, and the Indians had the possession of the entire Sandusky and Maumee country. Frequent false alarms were received, and a few families left the county through fear, and others fain would have done so, but for pride of character. The Governor soon ordered out the militia in mass, and the fears at home subsided. Franklinton soon became a place of general rendezvous, or head- quarters for the north-western army. There were some- times from one to two or three thousand troops there for short periods ; but they were almost constantly on the move, coming and going. There would at other times be but few, or none, except the officers in the commis- sary department, who were busily engaged in buying and collecting provisions and forage.
The productions of the country then found a ready cash market at high prices, and almost every man's pocket was flushed with money. Pork, which had pre- viously sold for $1.50 per hundred, now readily brought $4.00; and flour was $4.00 per hundred; oats and corn, from 50 cents to $1.00 per bushel; hay from $10 to $20 per ton; and other things in proportion. After the conclusion of peace, and when the lavish expenditure of public money necessarily attendant upon a state of war had ceased, Franklinton began to decline, and
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times generally took a turn, and about the years 1819, '20, '21, '22 and '23, the pressure was, perhaps, the greatest. Over a hundred parcels of real estate were sometimes embraced in one advertisement of Sheriff's sales." The productions of the country had now fallen in price to - for pork $1.50 per hundred ; flour from $1.00 to $1.25 per hundred ; corn from 10 to 12 cents per bushel ; potatoes 12 cents per bushel; and other produce in proportion, and dull sales at these prices. Real estate had fallen in about the same proportion. The most rigid economy was now practiced by all grades of society. The wealthiest families used rye coffee ; and the most distinguished public men dressed in blue linsey pantaloons, etc.
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