USA > Ohio > Franklin County > History of Franklin County [Ohio]: > Part 5
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In 1812 this paper (then the Western Intelligencer)
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supported James Madison for the Presidency ; in 1816 and 1820 it supported James Monroe (in 1820 there was no opposition to Monroe); in 1824 it supported Henry Clay ; in 1828, John Q. Adams ; in 1832, Henry Clay ; in 1836, Wm. H. Harrison ; in 1840, Harrison ; in 1844, Henry Clay; in 1848, Zachariah Taylor; in 1852, Winfield Scott; in 1856, John C. Fremont.
The second paper in Franklin County was the Free- men's Chronicle, published in Franklinton, by James B. Gardiner. The motto was-
" Here shall the Press the people's rights maintain, Unaw'd by influence and unbrib'd by gain ; Here Patriot truth its glorious precepts draw, Pledg'd to Religion, Liberty and Law."
Its publication was commenced in the summer of 1812, and was continued between two and three years. The writer is under obligations to Wm. Domigan, Esq., for the examination of a bound volume of this paper - perhaps the only one extant. It was a small sized sheet, and the paper bad; it bears quite an ancient appear- ance, but was rather a spicy affair. Its publication was during the war with Great Britain, and a large propor- tion of the matter consists of news from the army, and matters connected with the war. But it also contains much of the local news and business of the county. The official advertisements of Lyne Starling, as Clerk
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of the Court; of Samuel Shannon, as Sheriff; and of Adam Hosack and James B. Gardiner, as successive Post Masters, are quite frequent. And amongst the candi- dates for office, appear conspicuous, the names of James Kilbourne, Joseph Foos, Arthur O'Harra, Thomas John- ston, Wm. Shaw, Wm. McElvain, David Jamison, Michael Fisher, Alexander Morrison, William Reed, and Joseph Grate - all once prominent men in this county, but now all passed off the stage. Amongst the business men of the day, we find the frequent advertisements of R. W. McCoy, Henry Brown, Starling & Delashmut, L. Goodale, and Samuel Barr, merchants ; Archibald Ben- field, saddler ; Richard Courtney, nailor; Samuel Cul- bertson, hatter; George Skidmore,* blacksmith; Mat- thew Bailey, shoemaker; Samuel King, tanner; David F. Heaton, tailor, etc .; and of Orris Parish, lawyer, and of Doctor John Ball, physician. And amongst the mili- tary advertisements, are those of Joseph Foos, Brigadier General ; Edward Livingston, Colonel ; Gustavus Swan, Brigade Inspector; Jacob Reab, Ist Lieut. of Franklin Dragoons, (Capt. Vance's company) ; John McElvain as 3d Lieut. 26th Regiment U. S. Infantry, advertising de- serters, etc.
After the discontinuance of the paper by Mr. Gardi-
* Mr. Skidmore died in July, 1855, in the 83d year of his age.
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ner, the materials passed into the hands of John Kil- bourne, who removed them to Columbus, and published two numbers of a paper called the Columbian Gazette ; but his enterprise was not likely to succeed to his satis- faction, and the materials were sold out by parcels, and the paper and office discontinued.
The third newspaper was the Ohio Monitor, com- menced and published in Columbus, by David Smith and Ezra Griswold, jr., in 1816. Griswold, however, soon sold out his interest to Smith, who remained sole proprietor and editor until the summer of 1836, when he sold out to Jacob Medary, and the Monitor was dis- continued, or merged in the Hemisphere. During three years of. this time, from 1831 to 1834, Judge Smith was State Printer.
In the political contest of 1824, the Monitor supported John Q. Adams for the Presidency. In 1828, it sup- ported Andrew Jackson, and from that time was a supporter of the Democratic party and measures.
The fourth paper published in this county, was the Franklin Chronicle, published at Worthington, by Ezra Griswold, jr., and Caleb Howard. It was commenced about the year 1818, or 1819, and continued, probably, a couple of years only.
In July, 1829, the Ohio State Bulletin was commenced in Columbus, by John A. Bryan and John A. Lazell.
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At the end of about three years, they sold out to George Kesling, and John H. Wood became connected with Kesling, and they changed the title of the paper to the Columbus Sentinel, and advocated the claims of Judge McLean to the Presidency. In 1835, it was sold and transferred to Scott and Wright, who merged it in the Ohio State Journal, as before stated. For some time previous to this transfer, Jonas R. Emrie was also con- nected with the publication of the Sentinel.
In 1830, the Ohio Register and Anti-Masonic Review was removed from Milan, Huron County, to Columbus, and was published here about three years, by Warren Jenkins and Elijah Glover, and in 1833, the Masonic Lodges having generally disbanded, and the anti- masonic excitement ceased, the paper was discontinued.
About the year 1832, the publication of the Western Hemisphere, a weekly, Jackson Democratic paper, was commenced, in Columbus, by Gilbert and Melcher. Afterward Melcher's interest passed to Russel C. Bryan, and subsequent to that, Gilbert and Bryan sold out to Jacob Medary and George W. Manypenny. It then passed to Sacket Reynolds for a while, and then back to the Medarys, Samuel Medary having been elected State Printer, and the title was then changed to the Ohio Statesman. During the winter of 1833-4, while Gilbert and Melcher were proprietors of this paper, they
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issued from the office the first daily paper published in Columbus. It was very small, and was entitled the Daily Advertiser. It only continued a few months. About the year 1845, the Statesman office was sold and transferred by Col. S. Medary to the Haswells, who con- tinued the paper without any material change in its character for perhaps a year or two, and it then passed back to Col. Medary, who continued its proprietor and senior editor until about the year 1853, when he sold to S. S. Cox, who continued as editor and proprietor until 1855, when Mr. Cox sold to Mr. Derby of Cincinnati, and Mr. Derby conveyed it back to Col. Medary again, who subsequently conveyed it to James H. Smith, who still continues the publication of the paper. It has always been, through all its changes of editors and pro- prietors, a thorough Democratic paper.
In 1836, a paper entitled The People's Press, was published in Columbus, by James B. Gardiner, for six months during the Presidential contest. It was zealous and efficient in the support of General Harrison for President, and, at the same time, supporting Robert Lucas, the Democratic candidate for Governor.
In the summer or fall of 1838, John G. Miller com- menced the publication of the Ohio Confederate, a pro- fessed Democratic, State rights paper, which finally went with the popular current in support of General
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Harrison for the Presidency. In the spring of 1841, about the time Mr. Miller obtained the appointment of postmaster, he sold and transferred the paper to Doctors L. J. Moller and N. M. Miller, and they changed the title of it to Old School Republican, and continued its publication as a Tyler paper about two years, when it died out and was discontinued.
The Cross and Journal. This was a Baptist weekly paper, started in Cincinnati in 1831, removed to Colum- bus in 1838, and published there until the close of 1849, when, having united with a Baptist paper of Indiana, it was removed again to Cincinnati. During the first nine years of its publication in Columbus, it was edited and published by Geo. Cole, Esq., now of the Journal and Messenger of Cincinnati. It was sold by him to the Rev. D. A. Randall and the Rev. J. L. Batchelder, who continued it for one year and then by Mr. Batchelder alone, until it was removed to Cincin- nati.
About the year 1850, the Capital City Fact was com- menced by some five or six journeymen printers, when out of employment, as an experiment to make work for themselves, and succeeded as well as they expected ; but they, one by one, sold out their interest in the con- cern, until it is now owned, and the publication con- tinued by John Geary and son. Mr. Geary is a
5
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foreigner, from Ireland. His paper was professedly neutral in politics until 1854 and '55, when Know Nothingism reigned rampant, the Fact came out bold and strong, as might naturally be expected, against this new party or order in politics. But in 1856, after the Know Nothing party had nominated Mr. Fillmore their candidate for the Presidency, the Fact changed its position and became the zealous supporter of the Know Nothing nominee.
The Ohio Press was a Democratic paper, commenced by Eli T. Tappan, in 1847, rather as a rival to the Ohio Statesman. It was a respectable paper, published weekly, semi-weekly and part of the time, daily. It did not, however, continue more than a year or two.
The Ohio Cultivator, a semi-monthly paper, devoted to Agriculture, Live Stock, Fruits, Gardening, and Domes- tic Affairs, was commenced in Columbus, in 1845, by M. B. Bateham, Esq. About the first of January 1856, he sold and transferred the entire establishment to Col. S. D. Harris, the present editor and proprietor.
In the summer or fall of 1848, after the Buffalo con- vention that nominated Martin Van Buren for the Pres- idency, a Free Soil paper, under the name of the Ohio Standard, was commenced in Columbus by E. S. Hamlin and Israel Garrard. In the month of February, 1849, it was suspended. In November, 1849, Franklin Gale
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and Thomas Cleveland commenced the publication of the Ohio Standard again, and continued it until Septem- ber, 1850, when they sold out to O. Glover ; and he continued its publication until the spring of 1851, when its publication closed.
About the first of January, 1853, another Free Soil paper was commenced, under the name of the Ohio Columbian, by Mr. Rice and others, and in the early part of the year 1855, it was transferred to A. M. Gangewer, who continued its publication until it was merged in the Ohio State Journal, in the summer of 1856.
In 1840, Capt. Elijah Glover, who had for some time previous kept a book and job office, commenced the publication of the Ohio Tribune. Walter Thrall, Esq., was for a time associated with him in the editorial department, and then Gideon Stewart, Esq. It was a Whig paper, and creditably conducted. Some years after, about the year 1848, George M. Swan became connected with Mr. Glover in the publication of the Tribune, and subsequently, in 1849, Glover sold out to Swan. Mr. Glover is a respectable writer, but a little too honest, as well as independent, for a political editor. He is emphatically republican, in the true sense of the word, both in theory and practice ; and by always advo- cating what he considered right, he sometimes found himself out of the popular current, and he finally relin-
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quished the printing business, and is now enjoying the independence of a farmer's life. Mr. Swan, after his purchase of the paper, changed the title to that of Swan's Elevator. It was rather a local and advertising sheet, professedly neutral in politics. About the year 1853, a temperance paper, which had been published some time in Columbus, was united with the Elevator, and the name of the latter changed to the Columbus Ele- vator, and its character changed to that of a temperance paper. In the spring of 1855, Swan sold out and trans- ferred the establishment to Gamaliel Scott, who left the temperance cause to take care of itself, and continued the paper upon the plan it originally started. In the fall of 1856, John Greiner, Esq., was taken in as a part- ner and principal editor, and the title then changed to Columbus Gazette. In the fall of 1857, Scott sold out his remaining interest to Charles S. Glenn, and it is now continued by the firm of Greiner and Glenn.
Amongst the various other newspapers and period- icals, which have been published in Columbus, but which have generally been short-lived, the following are recollected, whilst probably others are forgotten :
National Enquirer, by Horton Howard, and edited by Harvey D. Little.
The Eclectic, by Horton Howard, and edited by William Hance.
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The Thompsonian Recorder, first published by Jarvis Pike & Co., about the year 1832. It was continued under different editors and proprietors until it was removed to Cincinnati by Doctor Curtis in 1842.
The Independent Press, by Hugh M. Espy & Co., a short time about the year 1832 or '33.
Budget of Fun, by the same.
The Straight-out Harrisonian, by Allen, Sage and Beverage, in 1840.
The Tornado, by R. P. Sage, in 1840.
And the Auger, by T. W. H. Mosely, in 1840.
The Ohio Freeman, by Capt. John Duffy, and then the Columbus Herald, by the same, about the years 1842 and '43.
About the years 1833 and '34, there were two Ger- man papers in Columbus, one entitled the Emigrant, and the other Ohio Intelligencer, both discontinued long since. We now have West Bote, which was commenced in the fall of 1843, and is published by Reinhardt and Fieser.
In 1853, the Ohio Democrat was commenced in Columbus by Blake and Osgood, edited by Charles B. Flood. Not long after, it was removed to Urbana, where its publication is continued by Mr. Flood.
CHAPTER V.
TURNPIKES AND PLANK ROADS.
Columbus and Sandusky Turnpike - Columbus and Worthington Plank Road - Columbus and Portsmouth Turnpike - Columbus and Harrisburg Turnpike - Columbus and Johnstown Turnpike - Columbus and Sunbury Turnpike - Columbus and Granville Plank Road - Columbus and Loekwin Plank Road - Columbus and Groveport Turnpike- Cottage Mills and Harrisburg Turnpike - Jackson and Franklin Turnpike- Clinton and Blendon Plank Road.
THE Columbus and Sandusky Turnpike was the first joint stock Company road constructed, any part of which was in Franklin County.
On the 31st of January, 1826, an act was passed by the Legislature incorporating John Kilbourne, Abram I. McDowell, Henry Brown, William Neil, Orange John- son, Orris Parish, und Robert Brotherton, of Franklin County, and nineteen others, named in the act, and re- siding along the line of the road, in and about Delaware, Bucyrus and Sandusky, and their associates, by the name of "The Columbus and Sandusky Turnpike Com- pany," with a capital of $100,000, with power to in- crease the same to $200,000; the stock divided into
1
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shares of $100 each; the company to be governed by a Board of nine Directors.
The charter was accepted by the Company; and by an act of Congress, passed March 3, 1827, there was thirty-one thousand eight hundred and forty acres of land given to the State of Ohio in trust, for the use of the said Company, to aid them in the construction of the road. Without unnecessary delay, the road was survey- ed and located. Col. Kilbourne was the surveyor, and Orange Johnson, Esq., was one of the locating commis- sioners, and the principal agent for the Company from first to last. The road was near eight years in the constructing, and was finished in the fall of 1834. It is one hundred and six miles in length, from Columbus to Sandusky, and cost $74,376, being an average cost of a little over $701 per mile. The charter required that, at least eighteen feet in width should be made "an artificial road, composed of stone, gravel, wood, or other suit- able materials, well compacted together, in such manner as to secure a firm, substantial and even road, rising in the middle with a gradual arch." Upon a proper construction of this clause has hung all the troubles between the road Com- pany and the traveling public. The Company seem to have supposed that a properly formed clay road would meet the requirements of the charter, while the public seem to have expected a stone or graveled road. The
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charter required that the Governor should, at the proper time, appoint an agent to examine the road, and report his opinion in writing to the President of the Company, whether the same be completed agreeably to the provis- ions of the charter; and Nathan Merriman was appointed the agent for that purpose, and he reported " that he had examined the road, and that, in his opinion, the same was completed agreeably to the provisions of the act incorporating said Company." And thereupon the Com- pany erected their gates, and exacted toll from those traveling the road. The road was quite an important public improvement at that time, but it was only a clay or mud pike ; and in the spring and wet seasons of the year, it was, in places, almost impassable; and to be obliged to pay toll at such times, was grievously com- plained of, and the gates occasionally torn down; but the agent of the Company would immediately reerect them. The subject was finally brought before the Leg- islature, and on the 28th of February, 1843, the act incorporating the Company was unconditionally repealed ; and it was further provided, that it should not be lawful thereafter for said Company to erect or keep up any gate or collect any tolls on the road. At the same ses- sion, in March, 1843, commissioners were appointed for that purpose, who surveyed and laid out a State road from Columbus to Sandusky, upon the bed of the turn-
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pike; and on the 12th of March, 1845, an act was passed establishing the same a public highway. Until this time, the toll gates had been kept up and toll re- ceived, notwithstanding the repeal of the charter. But immediately after the passage of this act, the gates on the road were torn down by an excited populace, and never more erected. There was but one gate on this road within the bounds of Franklin County, and that was about two miles north of Columbus. The Company claim that these acts of the Legislature are unconstitu- tional; that their road had been made according to the provisions of the charter, and rely most particularly up- on the decision of the State agent, who had formally accepted the road; and they have been applying ever since to each successive Legislature, for relief. At the session of 1843-4, a committee, of which Dr. S Parsons was chairman, reported in favor of the Road Company conveying to the State all their rights, inter- ests and privileges in the road, and that the State pay the stockholders, severally, the amount of their stock in State bonds, and that the road be declared one of the public works of the State, and placed under the control and supervision of the Board of Public Works.
In 1847, by a resolution of the Legislature, the sub- ject was referred to the Attorney General, (Henry Stan- berry, Esq.,) and in his report, he did not directly give
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an opinion on the constitutionality of the repeal, but says : "I am of opinion that a wrong has been done the Company," etc. At the session of 1856-7, a bill passed the Senate, to authorize the Company to bring suit against the State for injustice done in the repeal of the charter ; but the bill was lost in the House.
The Columbus and Worthington Plank Road or Turn- pike. By an act of the General Assembly, passed March 23, 1849, Solomon Beers, John Phipps, John B. Piatt, Philip Fisher, and Robert E. Neil, and such others as might associate with them, by subscribing to the capital stock of the Company, were incorporated by the name of the "Columbus and Worthington Plank Road or Turnpike Company," to constrnet a plank road or turn- pike from Columbus to Worthington, with privilege to extend it to Delaware, at the option of the Company. The Company to be governed by three Directors, to be chosen annually. The charter was accepted, and books opened on the 15th of April, 1849, for subscriptions to the stock. On the 5th of May, 1849, the requisite amount of stock being subscribed, the stockholders pro- ceeded to the election of Directors, and B. Comstock, Wm. Neil, and Alanson Bull, were chosen the first Board of Directors. The Company were authorized to con- struct their road upon any. public road or highway; and
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they accordingly constructed it on the bed of what had been the Columbus and Sandusky Turnpike. The road was made in 1849 and '50, and on the first of January, 1851, the first dividend was made and paid to the stock- holders. The capital stock of the company is $27,825, divided into shares of $25 each; but may be increased to $50,000. The present officers of the Company, are W. T. Martin, Pres't; Luther Donaldson, Sec'y; Ansel Phinney, Treas'r; Directors.
The Columbus and Portsmouth Turnpike. This is a good graveled turnpike road, all the way through from Columbus to Portsmouth, and is properly but one road ; though there were separate books for subscription in each county through which it passed; and the stock- holders of each county made, keep in repair, and control the road, within their respective counties. The capital stock of the Franklin County part is $8,800, divided into shares of ten dollars each. The subscriptions were promptly paid, and the road constructed in 1847, since which it has paid fair and reasonable dividends. There is but one gate in this county, and that is about one mile south of Columbus. The elections for Directors have always been held at Circleville ; the number as- signed to Franklin County is three, and they attend exclusively to the business of the road within their
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county. The present Directors for Franklin County are Eli W. Gwynne, Robert Neil and Adin G. Hibbs.
The Columbus and Harrisburg Turnpike. This Com- pany was incorporated in 1847, and the road was con- structed in 1848 and '49. Uriah Lathrop, Esq., was the surveyor and engineer. The capital stock of the Com- pany is $20,815, divided into shares of $25 each. The construction of the road cost $35,602. The county (through the County Commissioners) donated $4,500 for the erection of the bridge over the Scioto. This, it will be seen, still left the Company largely in debt when the road was finished. During the first two or three years, there were two gates kept on the road, but the western one has since been removed, and there is now but the one, two miles west of Columbus. There has never been any dividend made to stockholders; but all the proceeds of the road have been applied to the defraying of expenses, and the gradual payment of the debts, which are now nearly extinguished. The Company is governed by a Board of five Directors, to be chosen annually. The present Board (most of whom have served from the first organization of the Company), are Joseph Chenoweth, Pres't; George M. Parsons, Treas'r ; Harvey Bancroft, A. P. Stone, and Adam Gantz.
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The Columbus and Johnstown Turnpike Road. By an act passed March 1, 1850, Robert Neil, Windsor Atchi- son, George Ridenour, Jesse Baughman and Walter Thrall, and their associates, were incorporated by the name of the " Columbus and Johnstown Turnpike Com- pany," to construct a turnpike or plank road, from Co- lumbus to Johnstown, passing through New Albany, with the privilege of extending it to Mt. Vernon, in Knox County. The capital stock subscribed and paid, is between ten and eleven thousand dollars, divided into shares of $25 each; but the stock may be extended to $70,000. The Company organized, and in the summer of 1851, constructed about seven miles of the road, ex- tending from Columbus to Walnut Creek, opposite to the village of Bridgeport; and erected two (less than half toll) gates on it. The construction, so far as it is made, is paid; and the Company are receiving moderate dividends. The further extension of the road is consid- ered doubtful. The Company is governed by a Board of five Directors. The present Board consists of Ermine Case, Pres't; Robert Neil, Windsor Atchison, George Ridenour, J. W. Baldwin.
The Columbus and Sunbury Turnpike and Plank Road. By an act passed March 20, 1850, Wm. Trevitt, Chris- tian Heyl, Peter Agler, James Park, Geo. W. Agler,
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John Dill, Peter Harlocker, Timothy Lee, W. G. Edmi- son, John Curtis, E. Washburn, Stillman Tucker, and their associates, were incorporated to construct a turn- pike or plank road from Columbus to Sunbury. The capital stock may be extended to $75,000, divided into shares of $25 each.
This road commences about three miles north-east . from Columbus, where it verges off from the Columbus and Johnstown Road, and extends to Central College. It was constructed in 1852; capital stock taken and expended in construction, is between six and seven thousand dollars. The Company are out of debt; have one gate on the road, and are receiving moderate divi- dends. It is governed by a Board of five Directors, to be elected annually. The present Board consists of C. Heyl, Pres't; T. Lee, Sec'y; Jno. Dill, Treas'r; James Park and Henry Zinn.
The Columbus and Granville Plank Road or Turnpike. On the 8th of February, 1850, Joseph Ridgway, Sam- uel Barr, Gates O'Harra, Wm. A. Platt and Samuel Brush, and such others as might become associated with them, were incorporated by the name of the " Columbus and Granville Plank Road or Turnpike Company," to construct a road of gravel, stone, or plank, at the option of the Company, from Columbus to Granville, with the
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