USA > Ohio > Franklin County > History of Franklin County [Ohio]: > Part 6
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privilege of extending it to Newark. The capital may be extended to $100,000, divided into shares of $50 each. The road was located and constructed with one good plank track, in 1852, from Columbus to Walnut Creek, a distance of about seven miles, and a gate erected. The affairs of the Company are controlled by a Board of five Directors. The present Board consists of Samuel Brush," Pres't; Gates O'Harra, Wm. A. Platt, F. C. Sessions and Wm. G. Deshler.
Columbus and Groveport Turnpike. By an act passed 19th of March, 1849, William Harrison, Nathaniel Merion, Wm. H. Rarey, William Darnell, Edmund Stew- art, Wm. W. Kyle and their associates were incorporated by the name of " The Columbus and Groveport Turn- pike Company," to construct a turnpike road from Columbus to Groveport, with the privilege of extending it. The capital stock to construct it to Groveport to not exceed $20,000, to be divided into shares of $25 each. The actual amount subscribed was about $12,300, and the road was completed in the fall of 1850. The cost somewhat exceeded the amount of stock subscribed, but the balance was soon paid from the earnings of the road,
* Mr. Brush has been President from the first organization of the Company. Hence it is generally called " Brush's Plank Road."
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HISTORY OF
and it is now out of debt and paying fair dividends. There are two gates on this road, and it is governed by a board of five directors. The present board are Amor Rees, President ; Dwight Stone, Secretary ; William Merion, Treasurer ; Jacob Arnold, and John H. Earhart.
Cottage Mills and . Harrisburg Turnpike. On the 20th of March, 1851, an act was passed, incorporating Adin G. Hibbs, Levi Strader, Solomon Borer, Isaac Miller and William Duff, and their associates, by the name of the " Cottage Mills and Harrisburg Turnpike Company," to make a turnpike road from the Columbus and Ports- mouth turnpike, opposite to the Cottage Mills, to inter- sect the Columbus and Harrisburg pike.
The road was made in 1852; is about seven and a half miles in length, and has one gate on it, which was erected, and the first toll received in October, 1852. The road cost about $13,000, which being considerably over the amount of stock subscribed and paid, left the . Company in debt for its construction. . The directors have not yet made any dividends, but applied the earn- ings of the road toward the payment of the debts.
The first Board of Directors were S. B. Davis, A. G. Hibbs, Isaac Miller, Levi Strader and Solomon Borer. The contractor who constructed the road was A. Poul- son, Esq. The present acting officers of the Company
FRANKLIN COUNTY. 81
are Dr. S. B. Davis, President ; A. G. Hibbs, Esq., Treasurer.
Franklin and Jackson Turnpike. By an act, passed 20th of March, 1851, Samuel Landes, John Moler, Adam Miller, Jacob Huffman, John Stimmel, John Cherry, Wm. L. Miner, Gersham M. Peters and Michael L. Sullivant were incorporated to make a turnpike road from the Columbus and Harrisburg turnpike, or from Franklinton, at the option of the Directors, to the south line of Franklin County.
The Company organized, and in 1852, the road was constructed from the Harrisburg turnpike down the river to the Cottage Mill and Harrisburg pike, a dis- tance of nine or ten miles. The amount of stock sub- scribed and paid was about $6,000. The cost of the road was between $7,000 and $8,000, leaving the Com- pany between $1,000 and $2,000 in debt on the con- struction. The Directors have not made any dividends to stockholders, but applied the earnings of the road towards the discharge of the debt, which is not yet all paid. They have two half gates, one at the south end of the road and the other near the north end.
Present Board of Directors-Robert Seeds, Pres- ident ; George Huffman, John Moler, Adam Miller, W. Brackenridge.
6
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HISTORY OF
The Columbus and Lockwin Plank Road. This Com- pany was incorporated in the spring of 1853, under the general law, authorizing such incorporations, and the evidence thereof filed with the Secretary of State. The road commences at the intersection of the old Harbor road with the Columbus and Johnstown Turnpike, and extends seven miles. The first five miles were made in 1853, and the remaining two miles, the next year. The charter authorizes the extension of it to Lockwin, Dela- ware County. The original stock was $14,000, which was nearly all paid. The cost of the seven miles was about $16,500, a fraction less than $2,400 per mile ; plank eight feet long and three inches thick, laid on two stringers four inches square. The deficiency to meet the cost of construction has been paid by tolls col- lected from the road ; and the road being now out of debt, is paying fair dividends.
The acting officers of the company now (1858) are G. S. Innis, President ; H. C. Noble, Secretary and Treasurer.
The Clinton and Blendon Plank Road. This Company organized under the general act, in 1853; and in '53 and '54 they constructed their road. It commences at the Lockwin road, about four miles north of Columbus, and extends to the county line half a mile north of
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FRANKLIN COUNTY.
Westerville, its whole length being a fraction over eight miles. The capital stock subscribed was about $16,000 about $14,000 of which was promptly paid, the balance being as yet unpaid. The whole cost of the road was about $16,600, averaging a little over $2,000 a mile. The earnings of the road necessarily had to be applied for a time to pay the balance on the cost of construction. There are two gates on this road. From the southern terminus the travel to Columbus passes on the Lockwin road. This road is of decided public utility ; but whether it will remunerate stockholders is another question that time must determine.
The officers of the company are G. W. Schrock, J. W. Jamison, W. L. Phelps, D. L. Holton, and Z. Jackson, Trustees ; G. W. Schrock, President; J. C. Vance, Sec- retary ; H. M. Phelps, Treasurer.
CHAPTER VI.
THE COLUMBUS CANAL.
Celebration at first Breaking of Ground - Contractors, etc. - Names of Interested Citizens - Arrival of first Boats, etc. - Names of Collectors.
ON the 30th of April, 1827, was the commencement of the first manual operations upon this part of the Ohio Canal. The citizens of Columbus and its neighbor- hood, to the number of eight or nine hundred, assembled at the State House, and at two o'clock formed a proces- sion, marshalled by Colonels McDowell and McElvaj and preceded by General Warner and his suite. and parts of Captain Joseph McElvain's company of Dra- goons, Captain Foos's company of Riflemen, Captain A. McElvain's company of Riflemen, Columbus Artillery, and State officers, and marched to the ground near where Comstock's warehouse now stands. Joseph R. Swan, Esq., then delivered a short, but pertinent address ; and at its elose, Gen. McLene, then Secretary of State, and Nathaniel McLean, Esq., then Keeper of
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FRANKLIN COUNTY.
the Penitentiary, proceeded to remove the first earth from the lateral canal, which was wheeled from the ground by Messrs. R. Osborn and H. Brown, then Auditor and Treasurer of State, amidst the reiterated shouts of the assembly. The company then retired from the ground to partake of a cold collation, prepared by Mr. C. Heyl, on the brow of the hill a few rods north of the Penitentiary square. After the cloth was removed, the following among other toasts, were drank :
" The Ohio Canal-The great artery which will carry vitality to the extremities of the Union."
" The Citizens of Columbus - Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. Who envies this day, let him slink back to his cavern and growl."
This branch of canal was over four years construct- ing. The heaviest jobs were the canal dam across the Scioto and the Columbus locks, Messrs. W. McElvain, A. McElvain, B. Sells and P. Sells, contractors ; the four-mile locks, Aaron Lytle, contractor ; and the eight locks at Lockbourne, the Granville Company, consisting of Messrs. Monson, Fasset, Taylor and Avery, contract- ors. The first mile from the Scioto was excavated by the Penitentiary convicts under guards. Such men were selected by the keeper as would have least induce-
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HISTORY OF
ments to break away ; and they generally received a remitment of part of their sentences for faithful ser- vices.
The farming and producing part of community were watching with great anxiety the progress of this work, pretty correctly anticipating the new era that the com- pletion of the canals would introduce in the Ohio markets. Of the substantial farmers along this short line, who were thus watching its progress, might be named William Merion, Moses Merrill, William Stewart, R. C. Henderson, Joseph Fisher, Andrew Dill, Percival Adams, Michael Stimmel, Fergus Morehead, Samuel Riley, James German, Thomas Morris, William Bennett, Jacob Plum, Luke Decker and . Thomas Vause. Of whom Messrs. Adams, Stimmel and Riley are the only survivors.
On the 23d of September, 1831, the first boat arrived at Columbus by way of the canal. About eight o'clock in the evening the firing of cannon announced the approach of the " Governor Brown," a canal boat launched at Circleville a few days previous, and neatly fitted up for an excursion of pleasure to this place, several of the most respectable citizens of Pickaway. County being on board as passengers. The next morn- ing at an early hour, a considerable number of ladies and gentlemen of Columbus repaired to the boat in order to
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FRANKLIN COUNTY.
pay their respects to the visitors; and after the delivery of a brief but very appropriate address by Gen. Flournoy, exchanging those friendly salutations and cordial greet- ings which the occasion was so well calculated to call forth, the party proceeded back to Circleville, accompa- nied a short distance by a respectable number of the citizens of Columbus, and the Columbus band of music. On the afternoon of the second day after, two canal boats, the " Cincinnati " and the " Red Rover," from the lake by way of Newark, entered the lock at the mouth of the Columbus feeder where they were received by a committee appointed for that purpose, and proceeded un- der a national salute of twenty-four guns, and music from the Columbus band, to a point just below the national road bridge, where the commanders were welcomed in the name of the citizens of Columbus by Col. Doherty, in a very neat address. A procession was then formed, when the company proceeded to Mr. Ridgway's large warehouse, and partook of a collation prepared in hand- some style by Mr. John Young. A third boat, the " Lady Jane," arrived soon afterward and was received in a similar manner. On the day following, these boats having disposed of their freight took their departure for Cleveland in the same order and with about the same ceremonies as on their arrival, a large number of ladies and gentlemen, together with the Columbus band,
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HISTORY, ETC.
accompanying their welcome visitors as far as the five- mile locks. Here they met the "Chillicothe " and . " George Baker," which took them on board, and they returned home highly delighted with their ride, at the rate of three or four miles an hour.
Joseph Ridgway, jr., was the first collector of canal tolls, and kept the office up at the Ridgway warehouse on Broad street, and nearly all the boats passed up there to put out and take in freight.
M. S. Hunter was the second collector, and the office was removed to the head of the canal, where it has con- tinued ever since; and the freight business has also been nearly all done there since the removal of the office.
David S. Doherty was the third collector, Charles B. Flood the fourth, Samuel McElvain the fifth, and Ben- jamin Tressenrider the sixth and present collector.
.
CHAPTER VII.
POOR HOUSE, OR INFIRMARY.
When Erected - When Removed to Columbus etc. - Names of Offi- cers generally.
ON the 8th of March, 1831, the Legislature of Ohio passed " An act to authorize the establishment of Poor Houses " in any county in the State, at the discretion of the Commissioners of the County. In some counties the Commissioners, without delay, availed themselves of the provisions of the act, and in some other counties they never did.
In 1832, the Commissioners of Franklin County pur- chased the farm in the forks of Whetstone, some three miles above Columbus, now occupied by Robert King, Esq., and commenced the erection of a Poor House building, which was completed and ready for the recep- tion of paupers on the first of February, 1833. The first Board of Directors, appointed by the Commission- ers, consisted of Jacob Grubb, Ralph Osborn, and P. B. Wilcox; and they appointed Captain Robert Cloud, now
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HISTORY OF
of Columbus, Superintendent, and Dr. Wm. M. Awl, 2 physician for the Institution. The Superintendent occu- pied part of the building, and had the use of the farm, which he cultivated with his own team and utensils; and the Directors paid him a specified sum per week for boarding each pauper. Mr. Cloud continued thus in charge of the Institution one year, when he resigned, and William King succeeded him as Superintendent, upon the same terms, and continued until October, 1837 ;* when the Directors, who at this time consisted of James Walcutt, George B. Harvey, and W. T. Martin, concluded to change the policy, and to stock the farm and pay the Superintendent a fixed salary for working it and taking care of the house and inmates. Accord- ingly, John R. Wright, an industrious man, and practical farmer, was engaged at a moderate salary. Wright thus continued farmer and Superintendent until the
In January, 1837, Mr. King reported to the Directors the names, ages, etc., of all the inmates - nine in number-amongst whom was " Mary Sours, aged about 93 years." She lived and remained in the Institution until 1849, when she died ; and must, according to the record, have been 105 years old at the time of her death. She just sank with old age,
"Till like a clock, worn out with cating time. The weary wheels of life at length stood still."
A good portrait of the old lady, taken by Mr. Walcutt, still hangs in the hall of the Institution.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY.
spring of 1840. By this time, additional improvements being needed, the Directors (now consisting of Walcutt, Martin and Wm. Domigan) and the County Commis- sioners seemed to all concur in the opinion, that the location had better be changed; it being too far from Columbus, from whence more than three-fourths of the paupers were sent; and it was both inconvenient and expensive, conveying sick and infirm persons to it; and sometimes in seasons of high water, it was inaccessible, there being no bridge over the creek. Though there was for a time a rickety wooden bridge across the Sci- oto, above the mouth of the creek, which however stood but a few years. Hence, in the fall of 1839, a five acre lot, on which the present Poor House stands, was purchased by the Commissioners, and new buildings erected. The old Poor House farm was then sold, and the live stock and farming utensils were disposed of at vendue, in November, 1839; and the paupers were re- moved to the new Institution the first of May, 1840. Edward Hedden was now keeper or Superintendent, and Dr. Sisson, physician.
At the legislative session held in the winter of 1841 and '42, an act was passed requiring all Poor House Directors to be elected as other county officers - they having previously been appointed by the County Com- missioners. In the fall of 1842, the first election of Di
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HISTORY OF
rectors was had. Up to this time, Walcutt, Martin and Domigan, were continued Directors; and the successive physicians to the Institution had been, Doctors Awl, Sisson, N. M. Miller and Schenck. Mr. Hedden was continued as keeper until the fall of 1844, when Dr. Schenck was by the Directors appointed in the double capacity of keeper and physician, and was continued until the first of June, 1851, when Joseph McElvain was appointed to succeed him as keeper, and Dr. Short as physician. Dr. Schenck's administration of the affairs of the Institution was rather of a showy character, and generally well received by the public, but much com- plained of by the inmates. In December, 1852, Charles Jucksch was appointed to succeed McElvain. In Decem- ber, 1853, McElvain was again appointed to succeed Jucksch. In December, 1854, Daniel Evans was appoint- ed to succeed McElvain ; and the first of March, 1857, Dr. L. J. Moller, being one of the Directors and physi- cian, was appointed keeper or Superintendent also, in place of Mr. Evans. The succession of physicians since Dr. Schenck's time has been Doctors Short, Mæeller, C. E. Denig, Boyle, and Moeller again. The course of pol- icy pursued by the Directors towards transient paupers, and poor families, needing temporary relief, has always been about the same. In fact, there has been no mate- rial change in any respect, since the removal of the In-
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stitution to its present location ; but a constant, gradual gliding into extravagance, with the changes of the times.
In March, 1850, an act was passed by the Legislature to change the name of Poor Houses generally to that of " County Infirmaries," by which name they are now commonly designated.
In 1844, the Commissioners purchased six acres more of land adjoining their other five acre lot, so that there are now eleven acres of the Infirmary grounds, in the south-eastern corner of the city limits. On this six acre lot the City Council have erected a City Hospital, and furnished it for the reception of transient persons who may be infected with contagious diseases. This hospital has, however, always been under the care and management of the keeper of the Infirmary.
In 1854, the County Commissioners seemed to enter- tain an idea of removing the Institution again to a farm; and accordingly, purchased a farm of over a hundred acres, on the Groveport turnpike, about two miles east of the Court House, for which they paid between thir- teen and fourteen thousand dollars. They have not, however, yet made any move toward erecting buildings, or preparing it for the purposes for which it was pur- chased-and it is quite presumable they never will ; for it is quite certain that, with the pauper labor there can-
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HISTORY OF
not be one quarter of the ground cultivated that is already connected with the present building.
The keeper or Superintendent in his report for the year ending first of June, 1856, says :
The number of paupers admitted during the year, 160
66 66 discharged 66
137
66 66 died 66 66 26
Remaining then in the Institution-adult males 17;
adult females 29 ; children 17, - 63
Daily average during the year,
- - 68 Highest number 87; lowest, 54.
The expenses of the same year were - - $9,800
Names and times of election of Directors since they were made electable :
1842. George Frankenberg elected for - 1 year. Augustus S. Decker, - - 2 "
Robert Riordan, - - 3 66
1843. George Frankenberg, reelected
-
3 66
1844. Augustus S. Decker, 66
-
-
3 66
1845. Robert Riordan,
66
-
-
3 66
1846. George Frankenberg, 66
-
3
3 66 1847. A. S. Decker, -
1848. John Walton in place of Riordan.
1849. S. D. Preston in place of Frankenberg.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY.
1849. Arthur O'Harra for two years to fill the vacancy occasioned by Walton's removal from the county. 1850. Decker reelected for - - - 3 years. 1851. O'Harra 66 - - 3 66 - - 1852. Amos S. Ramsey elected in place of Preston. 1853. Rufus Main elected in place of Decker.
1854. Orin Backus elected in place of O'Harra. 1855. L. J. Moller elected in place of Ramsey.
1856. John Lisle elected in place of Main.
1857. William Aston elected in place of Backus.
Present officers of the Institution (1858) and their sala- ries as fixed by the Board of Directors :
DIRECTORS.
L. J. Moller, term expires Oct. 1858. )
John Lisle, 66 66 1859. Per diem pay.
Wm. Aston, 66
1860. J
Mr. Aston is the acting Director-salary - $350
KEEPER.
L. J. Moller-salary -
- - $600
PHYSICIAN.
L. J. Moller-salary - - $300
CHAPTER VIII.
AGRICULTURAL AND HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES.
FRANKLIN COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. At a meet- ing of the citizens of Franklin County, held at the City Hall in Columbus, on the 6th of September, 1851, it was resolved to proceed to organize a County Agricultural Society ; and a constitution which had been previously prepared, was reported and adopted. It provides that the officers of the Society shall be a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and five Managers, who together shall constitute a Board of Directors, and shall all be elected annually. That the members of the Society shall each pay one dollar a year into the trea- sury. That there shall be an annual County Fair, etc.
At the same time and place, the following gentlemen were elected the first board of officers :
President - Samuel Medary. Vice President - Samuel Brush. Treasurer - G. M. Peters.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY.
Secretary - Wm. Dennison, jr.
Managers - Pliny Curtis, David Taylor, Joseph O'Harra, Wm. L. Miner, and W. H. Rarey.
A committee of three from each township and ward was then appointed to obtain subscribers to the con- stitution and collect the dues from members.
At the next meeting a set of by-laws were adopted, and at a meeting, on the 27th of September, G. M. Peters resigned the office of Treasurer, and Robert Hume was appointed in his place ; and by order of the Board, soon after, he drew from the county treasury two hundred dollars, in pursuance of a statute of the State, passed 28th of February, 1846, entitled "'An act to encourage agriculture." Soon after, in October, 1851, the first County Fair was held on the State Fair grounds near Franklinton; and in May, 1852, Mr. Hume report- ed the state of the finances as follows :
Cash received of 339 members, - - $339 00
received from treasurer of county, - 200 00
66 received from sale of admission tickets at Fair, -
59 50
598 50
Deduct am't paid for premiums and expenses, 329 36
Leaving a balance in the treasury of, - $269 14
7
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HISTORY OF
At the election of Directors in May, 1852, the result was as follows :
President - Samuel Brush. Vice President - Jacob Slyh. Treasurer - Robert Hume. .
Secretary - Benjamin Blake. Managers - M. L. Sullivant, W. H. Rarey, Wm. L. Miner, E. F. Jennings and Lucien Buttles.
The Directors had now turned their attention to the purchase and improvement of grounds of their own, on which to hold their future Fairs ; and in July, 1852, they effected a purchase of eight acres from Mr. Samuel Barr, upon which they immediately commenced their improvements. And in October of the same year, the second County Fair was held on their own ground.
About this time, the Board passed an order that any person on paying twenty dollars in advance towards the purchase and improvement of the grounds, should there- by be constituted a life member of the Society without any further assessments or charges. The following gentlemen availed themselves of the order, and thereby aided the infant society, and created themselves life members, to wit: Samuel Brush, Benjamin Blake, Robert Hume, M. L. Sullivant, Wm. H. Rarey and Lucien Buttles.
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FRANKLIN COUNTY.
Election of Directors in the spring of 1853 :
President - Samuel Brush.
Vice President - Moses Seymour.
Secretary - Benjamin Blake. Treasurer - Robert Hume.
Managers - Lucien Buttles, Joseph M. Sullivant, C. W. Speaks, Wm. L. Miner and Eli F. Jennings.
The Fair for the year 1853 was held on the Society grounds the last three days in September.
Election of Directors in the spring of 1854* :
President - Wm. L. Miner. Vice President - Benjamin Blake. Secretary - J. W. Baldwin.
Treasurer - Thomas Moodie.
Managers - Messrs. Seymour, Slyh, Sullivant, Burr and Clark.
* At this meeting, Mr. Brush, the President, delivered an interesting address to the Society, and declined a reelection.
The meeting then passed the following complimentary resolutions :
Resolved, That it is with profound regret, the members of the Society hear that their able and efficient President, Samuel Brush, Esq., peremptorily declines a reelection.
Resolved, That this Society have a high appreciation of his valuable labors in their behalf, and hereby tender to him their hearty thanks for the good he has accomplished for the cause of Agriculture in Franklin County.
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The annual Fair for this year was held on the 13th, 14th and 15th days of September
Election of Directors in the spring of 1855 :
President - Lucien Buttles. Vice President - John Clark. Secretary - Henry C. Noble. Treasurer - Thomas Moodie.
Managers - Alex. Mooberry, J. W. Long, Charles Pontius, G. S. Innis and J. W. Parks.
In June of this year, the County Commissioners appropriated two hundred and fifty dollars towards improving the cross road from the national road to the Fair grounds.
The Fair this year was held on the 12th, 13th and 14th days of September.
Election of Directors in the spring of 1856 :
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