USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County, Ohio: its people, industries and institutions, Volume I > Part 37
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83
the town about this time as a result of the railroad reaching the town. The year of 1880 saw the following business and professional interests in the town : General stores, L. H. Starbuck, G. L. Gerard & Son, R. H. Wolfe; dry goods, D. W. Carpenter, Thomas Donaldson; hardware, G. L. Gerard & Son, L. H. Starbuck; drugs, A. F. Plummer; undertaking and furniture, Reason A. Bowermaster, D. W. Carpenter; carriage- and wagon-making, Johnson & Bentley; blacksmith, I. C. Stewart & Co .; saw-mill, C. M. Wil- son, Hussey & White; attorneys, Thomas P. Browder, C. S. Perkins; physi- cians, J. M. Hussey, F. W. Rose. Only one of these men is in business in the town in 1918, Albert White still operating a saw-mill.
ELEVATORS OF BOWERSVILLE.
The history of the elevators of Bowersville makes an interesting chap- ter in the life of the village. The railroad of course is responsible for the coming of the elevators. As before stated, the old narrow-gauge railroad was dismantled in the fore part of the 'Sos and from that time until 1894 the town of Bowersville was without railroad connection with the outside world. When the standard-gauge track was laid in 1894 and the railroad resumed operation the village began to have hopes of better days coming. And they came.
The elevators now made their appearance, a bank was established, and in general the whole town took on new life. The firm of Harrison & Snyder, both men coming from Cedarville, erected the first elevator in 1894, having it ready for operation by June. They continued to operate it until the fol- lowing November, when George N. Perrill and D. C. Lewis leased it. The firm of Perrill & Lewis had not had charge of it quite two months when it burned to the ground, leaving the owners with a loss of twelve hundred dollars.
On January 1, 1895, Perrill & Lewis began the construction of the second elevator in the town, and had it completed by the following May. This firm continued to operate it until 1900, when D. C. Lewis sold his interest in the business to his brother, W. H. Lewis, the firm therefore continuing as Perrill & Lewis. This latter firm remained together only until January I, 1901, at which time the firm of George N. Perrill & Son became owners of the business. The next step in the history of this elevator came on Novem- ber 1, 1903, on which date the local elevator was merged with the Miami Grain Company. This company was headed by George N. Perrill during its existence from 1903 until he became the president of the Xenia Grain Company on November 1, 1910.
The Miami Grain Company had a number of elevators under its man- agement, but Mr. Perrill continued as manager of the one at Bowersville.
359
GREENE COUNTY, OHIO
Business continued good and it seemed that the company was going to avoid the disasters that meet so many concerns of this sort, when another calamity was met. On August 2, 1906, the elevator at Bowersville for a second time was completely destroyed by fire. The loss in addition to the insurance amounted to five thousand dollars. But the company was not discouraged and immediately laid plans for the erection of a larger and still more modern elevator than the one just destroyed. The new elevator was not completed in time for the 1906 season, but was opened for the following year's harvest. The local elevator continued to be managed by George N. Perrill during all these years, the next change in management coming on November I, 1910. At that time George N. Perrill was instrumental in organizing the Xenia Grain Company, and at the same time Foss Zortman, of the Miami Grain Company, disposed of his interests in the company to the Xenia Grain Company. Mr. Perrill became the president of the new company, a position which he still holds. Mr. Perrill continued to manage the Bowersville ele- vator in conjunction with his son until November 1, 1917. He had been elected county commissioner and he felt that he could not give the proper attention to the business and give the county the best service, so the company leased the elevator to D. L. Early, the manager of the other elevator of Bowersville.
The story of the other elevator in Bowersville is short. It was erected in 1895 by Hussey & White who operated it until 1897. W. H. Lewis then became the sale owner, but disposed of it three years later to S. A. Hussey, one of the original owners. Hussey operated the business until 1915, when he sold it to D. L. Early, who now manages it along with the other elevator, which, as before stated, is owned by the Xenia Grain Company.
CHURCHES, LODGES, SCHOOLS, BANKS, ETC.
There are three churches in the village of Bowersville: Methodist Episcopal, Methodist Protestant and Christian. The secret societies repre- sented are the Odd Fellows and Rebekahs. The village has had a school build- ing since 1866, and today boasts of one of the finest school buildings in the state, completed in 1916. The Bowersville Bank was established in 1895 and has been a valuable asset to the community. A complete history of these various factors in the life of the village is given in separate chapters else- where in the volume.
POSTOFFICE.
Peter Bowermaster, the first postmaster, was commissioned on Febru- ary 12, 1848, and held the office until his death on November 3, 1859. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1787 and had been a resident of Greene county since 1810, serving in the War of 1812 with one of the volunteer
360
GREENE COUNTY, OHIO
companies organized in the county. While he was postmaster the office was on a star route running between Jamestown and Reeseville, the mail being carried between the two towns once a week on horseback-or some- times on foot-by Christopher H. Stewart. On the death of Bowermaster, his son, Reason A., applied for the office and was granted a commission on December 12, 1859. He held it a number of years, and gave way to John Haughey shortly after the Civil War. The succession since Haughey has been as follows: Christopher H. Stewart, Samuel Lockhart, R. H. Wolf, Chester Ervin, Clayton Perkins and Ethel Christy, the present incum- bent. Perkins committed suicide and Miss Christy, the daughter of Mil- ton Christy, was appointed as his successor, and has since filled the office. She also handles a line of stationery in the postoffice room. The mail is now delivered to the local office by rural carriers from Jamestown on the north and Sabina on the south. The railroad no longer carries mail to the town, although for a number of years after it was opened in the latter part of the seventies it carried the mail.
BOWERSVILLE IN 1918.
The town of Bowersville presents an attractive appearance. With an abundance of shade trees, macadamized streets, cement guttering and cement sidewalks, with neat and well-painted houses, the town is altogether a desir- able place in which to live. It has electric lights, the telephone, and in other ways has kept pace with the changing years. It does not pretend to be any- thing more than a small town, but it does believe in being a good small town- and it is succeeding admirably.
The business and professional interests are similar to those of other towns of the same size. The oldest merchant in point of years, and in service as well, is N. J. Bowermaster, who is still in business with his son. John Gardner had a drug store for some years, but he sold out in 1916 and since then the town has been without a drug store. A bakery operated by P. M. Palmer closed down in February, 1918. The railroad service is not all that it should be. The road runs about three trains a week, hauling only freight. Most of the merchandise for the different stores of the town is hauled by auto truck from Washington Court House. The town hall is a one-story brick building, with a lock-up in the rear. The present mayor is Edward Story; Abner White is marshal, and Frank Huffman is the village constable.
BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY FOR 1918.
Automobile dealer, Dr. C. E. Ream; bank, Bowersville Bank, A. L. Fisher, cashier; George N. Perrill, president; barbers, White & Reed; black- smiths, I. F. & F. A. Stewart, Charles Ellis; cabinet-maker, George Hussey ;
CETRALIZED SCHOOL, BOWERSVILLE.
THE OLD SCHOOL, BOWERSVILLE.
361
GREENE COUNTY, OHIO
carpenter, Edward Story & Sons; coal, lime and cement, Wilbur Ross; cream- ery, Delma Oliver, local manager; dentist, Doctor Teeters; dressmakers, Audrey Hollingsworth, Fannie Bowermaster; electricity, secured from Wil- mington ; elevators, D. C. Early, Xenia Grain Company, George N. Perrill. president ; garage, F. A. Stewart; grocery, J. A. Smith, Ora McColaugh; general stores, N. J. Bowermaster & Son, Ross Store Company; hardware, L. W. Linton; hotel, Milton Christy; livery, auto service, Sherman Lewis; meat market, C. L. Thomas ; millinery, Chedister Sisters; painters and deco- rators, Granville Jackson & Son; physician, Dr. C. E. Ream; pool room, Fred Love, O. C. Hollingsworth; postmaster, Ethel Christy; restaurant, O. C. Hollingsworth; saw-mill, Abner White; shoe cobbler, Fred Jackson; sta- tion agent, Delma Oliver; telephone exchange, branch of Springfield-Xenia Telephone Company; undertakers, Stewart & Burr; veterinary, Stephen Bowermaster; well diggers, Lewis Hargrave.
CHAPTER XXIII.
THE TOWN OF CEDARVILLE.
The town of Cedarville has an honorable history extending back more than one hundred years, a history replete with the incidents which cluster about any community that has been in existence for a century. Here have lived hundreds and thousands of people, who have been glad to call it home; here have lived scores of business men, scores of tradesmen. of many callings, and other hundreds of citizens who have trodden quiet and unevent- ful lives, doing their duty as they saw it from year to year.
Cedarville claims at least two men of national renown, one of whom became a man of international reputation. High on the roll of American journalists and diplomats stands the name of Whitelaw Reid, and this little town of Cedarville claims him as its own. Another illustrious son of the town, who has achieved fame as a journalist and poet, is the versatile Wilbur Dick Nesbit. Appreciative sketches of both of these men may be seen in another chapter. But these two men are only a part of the contribution of this little town to the world, albeit they have brought it more fame than anyone else.
The history of any town of this size is very much like that of thousands of other places of our country. It began in a humble way, with its rude log cabins, unkempt streets, meager business enterprises and general air of humility, but with the passing years it kept pace with the develop- ment of other towns, until today it presents the appearance of a thriving little city. In order to trace its history it is necessary to get back to its beginning.
THE BEGINNING OF CEDARVILLE.
On the 29th day of June, 1816, there walked into the court house at Xenia two substantial citizens, Jesse Newport and William Newport by name, and immediately found their way into the office of the county recorder, Josiah Grover, where they recorded the following document :
State of Ohio Greene County
Personally came before me, Samuel Kyle, one of the associate judges for the county aforesaid, Jesse Newport and William Newport, and acknowledged the within plat of the Village of Milford to be their act and deed for the purpose therein expresed.
Given under my hand and seal, this 29th day of June, 1816.
Recorded on
29th June, 1816.
JOSIAH GROVER, R. G. C.
SAMUEL KYLE, A. J.
for Greene County.
GREENE COUNTY, OHIO
363
Here, then, is the first official notice that such a place as Cedarville was on the map of the world. It should be stated in the beginning that from its platting in 1816 until 1834 it was known by the name of Milford. In the latter year the town was given a postoffice and since there was another office of the same name already in the state it was necessary for the citi- zens to find another name for it. After careful consideration the name of Cedarville was chosen-this was sixteen years before Cedarville township came into existence-and it has since been known by that name. The banks of Massies creek were lined with cedar trees and it was this fact which was responsible for the name of Cedarville.
The original plat shows that the proprietors had a very modest opinion of the future possibilities of the town, since they only platted twenty-four lots, each eighty-two and a half by one hundred and fifty feet. Fifteen of these lots were south of Chillicothe street and nine lots north of it. It was twenty years before the town had grown to a point rendering it necessary to make an addition to the original plat. Since 1836 there have been seven- teen additions to the town, which, with the name of the proprietor, the num- ber of lots, and the date of recording, are set forth in the appended table :
Joseph Y. Alexander
8
January 23, 1836
John Orr, et al.
32
June 3, 1845
Mitchell & Dell
18
May 21, 1850
Samuel Nesbit, et al.
23 April 25, 1851
John Orr
9 August 9, 1851
John Orr
I2 October 1, 1853
Mitchell & Dunlap
26 May 6, 1854
Jacob Miller
14
July 1, 1854
Walker, Osborn & Nesbit.
8
1
October 13, 1854
Harrison Insley
4
1
1
1854
John Orr
3 March 20, 1855 1 1 1
M. M. Gaunce.
5 July 1, 1876 1
Kyle's Addition
1
1
I7
May 10, 1880
S. K. Mitchell
8
April 13, 1889
James Orr and Benoni Cres- well
18
May 18, 1896
Cedarville Realty Company_
22
May II, 1905
Edgmont Subdivision
43
May 13, 1916
1
I
1
1
1
1
EARLY BUSINESS INTERESTS.
With no written records to trace the path from the beginning of the mercantile interests of Cedarville it is impossible to tell who should be credited with being the first vender of salt and sugar in the town. One authority states that Espy Mitchell was the first, another gives the honor
364
GREENE COUNTY, OHIO
to John Orr, still another sets forth the claims of one Hanna. Most of the local authorities state that either Mitchell or Orr was the first, but the fact that Hanna, whoever he may have been, was there at an early date is vouchsafed by the fact that the infant village was often called "Hanna's Store" by the old pioneers. This pioneer merchant came from parts unknown and seems to have left for parts equally indefinite; no one can undertake to say at the present time when he came to Cedarville, when he left, whether he died in the place, or what became of him. His connection with the village is given here for the reason that a shadowy tradition places him here; he may be a fact, or he may be a fiction-the historian does not attempt to say.
It is difficult to trace the many business men who have come and gone in Cedarville for the past century. The following paragraphs attempt to list some of the merchants and other business and professional men who have been identified with the town during the first half century of its career. The town was hardly deserving of being so called until the railroad reached it in the fore part of the '50s. A reference to the additions to the town plat shows that the town was enjoying a boom in the '50s and it was the coming of the railroad that was responsible for it.
While there is so much uncertainty concerning the Hanna above referred to, the next two merchants of the village were there many years and left indisputable evidences of their presence. It is not certain which one of the two, John Paris or Espy Mitchell, next appeared on the scene with a store, but both were evidently located here about 1830. Paris was here in 1834 when the first postoffice was established and it was in his small log cabin that the settlers of this community received their first letters, but how long he had been here before 1834 is a matter of conjecture. He seems to have been a man of more than usual ability, a fact attested by reason of his being, at one and the same time, the village postmaster, storekeeper, shoe- maker and watch and clock repairer. All of these duties were carried on in one small room. John Paris is remembered as a great temperance worker, and his was one of the very few early stores that did not retail spirituous liquors. He continued to hold the office of postmaster until the middle of the '40s, and continued to reside in the village until his death on July 22, 1853.
E. Mitchell is credited with establishing a store in the village in 1830, and he may have been the first merchant in the town. He remained in busi- ness here until his death in 1855, at which time his store was purchased by B. McClellan. The new proprietor was in the town only three years, removing his stock of goods to Kansas in 1858, where he continued in busi- ness until in the '80s.
365
GREENE COUNTY, OHIO
Another merchant of the '30s was John Orr, who opened a store in the spring of 1834, and continued in business in the town until his death on January 9, 1882. Orr was one of the leaders in the life of the town for half a century. Born in South Carolina on April 6, 1795, he located in Xenia in 1831 and two years later settled in Cedarville where he lived the remainder of his days. He built the first frame house in the town in 1836, and in 1840 he built the business room which he occupied from that year until he retired from active business a short time before his death.
FIRST FACTORY IN THE TOWN.
The year which saw Orr opening his store, 1834, also witnessed the establishment of the first factory in the town, although it could hardly have been called a factory at that time. The industry was that of furniture- making, or cabinet-making, as it was usually called in those days, and the proprietor of this first industry was one Uriah Jeffries. He started out with nothing but a hand lathe, but in the course of time he added more machinery and introduced horsepower. When he decided to make these improvements he moved his little shop to the west side of the town, near the site of the later furniture factory. Business was good and by 1845 he felt the need of enlarging his little shop. Accordingly, he associated James Jeffries with him as partner, and the new firm at once began the erection of a new plant, the same which was in use as long as the business was maintained. Uriah Jeffries sold his interest to his partner in 1855 and tried farming for a couple of years, but in 1857 he was again back in the firm, remaining until his death in 1870. James Jeffries continued alone until 1873, when Mason, the son of Uriah Jeffries, became associated with his father's former partner. In the following year, 1874, the firm installed steam power and made other extensive improvements. In the early part of the '8os the firm was employ- ing fifteen men and doing a good business. They had established a retail store in Xenia in 1876, which, with the one they maintained in Cedarville, furnished a good outlet for their product. The factory continued in opera- tion until in the later '8os, when it was closed down forever.
The year 1847 brought to Cedarville one of its leading merchants for a long period of years in the person of John F. Frazer. Born in Pennsyl- vania in 1813, he came to Ohio when a youth and learned the tanner's trade, operating a tannery at Decatur, Ohio, from 1836 to 1847, when he located in Cedarville. He at once embarked in the mercantile business and con- tinued to manage a store in the town from that year until he retired from active pursuits a short time before his death on August 12, 1890.
366
GREENE COUNTY, OHIO
CEDARVILLE BUSINESS INTERESTS IN 1874.
One of the Xenia newspapers published in 1874 a summary of the busi- ness interests of the various towns of Greene county and summarized Cedar- ville up as follows: Three dry goods stores, seven groceries, two hard- ware stores, one bakery, two drug stores, one tin shop, five blacksmith shops, two wagon shops, three shoe and boot shops, one steam grist-mill, two hotels, one undertaker, two barber shops, one saddlery shop, two milliners, three butcher shops, two livery stables, one saloon, five firms operating lime kilns, and three physicians. At that time there were five churches: Methodist Episcopal, Baptist, Reformed Presbyterian (Old Style), Reformed Presby- terian (New Style) and United Presbyterian. There was also a graded school with seven teachers The names of the different business firms are not given.
THE TOWN IN 1881.
In 1881 the business interests of the town were reported as follows: Eight groceries, four dry-goods stores, two hotels, two drug stores, three shoe shops, three blacksmith shops, one hardware store, one grain store, one butcher shop, one wagon shop, one furniture store, one bakery, one undertaker, one merchant tailor, two barber shops, two milliners, one tin shop, four physicians-and no saloon.
INDUSTRIES OF CEDARVILLE.
Practically all the industries of Cedarville township have been located in or in close proximity to the village of Cedarville, and may be found treated in this connection. The succession of owners of the various saw- and grist-mills and other factories of one kind or another is difficult to trace, but sufficient data has been preserved concerning these early industries to present a fair picture.
The first saw-mill in the township was erected in 1811 along Massies creek in Cedarville, just below Main street, and the proprietor of this first saw-mill was no other than the man who laid out the town five years later. Newport was a good business man and seized the opportunity to locate a town around his mill site. He threw a dam across the creek to divert suffi- cient water to turn a water wheel, and in this way derived sufficient power to run his mill practically the year around. He built the first bridge across the creek in Cedarville and for several years it was the only bridge across the creek in the township. Newport operated the mill for several years and then disposed of it to John Townsley, who in turn sold it to Fred Beamer in 1835. Beamer had charge of it a number of years and then disposed of it to W. M. Barber, who operated it until the dam was washed out by a freshet
367
GREENE COUNTY, OHIO
in 1868. The mill was later used for general storage by Barber, who was in the hardware business.
It should be mentioned in this connection that there were no fewer than four other saw-mills along Massies creek within a distance of two miles from the village of Cedarville, and all of them did a flourishing business for sev- eral years. There was so much timber to be cut, and since the mills could not operate in the middle of the winter season, they found plenty of work to do during that part of the year when they could operate. After the old Newport mill disappeared in 1868, there was a time when the village was without a mill, but a portable affair was started up and was operated for a number of years.
Isaac and Jacob McFarland opened a combined saw-mill, carding and fulling factory in 1818 along the creek, and they did an extensive business for a number of years The brothers eventually discontinued the carding and fulling end of the business and devoted all of their attention to the sawing of lumber. This mill continued to operate until about the time of the opening of the Mexican war, 1846 or 1847.
The old mill started by the McFarlands eventually became the property of Samuel N. Tarbox and the Tarbox family has been identified with the lumber industry of the town from that day down to the present time. For many years it was the only water-power mill in the township. J. M. Tar- box, the head of the Tarbox Lumber Company, now has the only saw-mill in the township. He is ninety-six years of age.
Peter Mowdy seems to have started the first grist-mill in the township about 1836, operating a distillery in connection with the mill for a num- ber of years. The mill passed through a number of hands and finally became the property of Samuel Charlton about the time of the opening of the Civil War. The war with its attendant high tax on whisky put nearly all the dis- tilleries in the county out of business, and the Cedarville distilleries went along with several others. Charlton improved the mill and gained an envi- able reputation for the flour he made. It was a water-power mill, as had been all the mills up to this time.
The first flour-mill to be operated by steam power was opened for busi- ness about 1855 by George Shigley and Hamilton Clemans. Its proprietors sold in 1858 and the new owners thought they saw a better opening at South Charleston, up in Clark county, and dismantled the mill and removed it to that place.
DEVELOPMENT OF THE LIME INDUSTRY.
W. M. Harbison began the milling business shortly after the close of the Civil War and continued until 1878, when he sold his mill to D. S. and Robert Ervin. D. S. Ervin had located at Cedarville in 1869 and began
368
GREENE COUNTY, OHIO
the manufacture of lime in partnership with S. M. Foster, buying out his partner's interest in 1871. He soon built up a lime business of considerable proportions and in the latter part of the '70s was making six hundred bushels-two carloads-of lime daily. At that time he was making three times as much lime as all of the rest of the lime manufacturers of the town- ship combined.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.