USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County, Ohio: its people, industries and institutions, Volume I > Part 41
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Doctor Winans remained the village postmaster for a number of years, and was followed by Peter Dingess. The latter was in turn succeeded by his son, Charles Dingess, who was in charge until the opening of Lincoln's administration in 1861. Since that year, and up to April 1, 1917, when the office was placed under civil service regulations, the office has been a political plum. J. L. Quinn became postmaster in 1861 and filled the office with entire satisfaction until he gave way in 1874 to W. J. Galvin. Galvin served until September, 1885, when J. B. Christopher took charge of the office. Since that year the succession has been as follows: Capt. John R. Crain, Dr. Charles Clark, George W. Mclaughlin, who only served a few days, until he was killed, accidentally, by Edward Ginn, one of his best friends; then Capt. John R. Crain was again commissioned and served until W. O. Custis was appointed, and served until the present incumbent, Henry J. Lierance, was appointed. The location of the postoffice has been quite a "bone of contention" in the village for many years. When Johnny Quinn had it, he took it to his home, down where the Hellriggle carriage factory was. located for so many years, about three blocks from the center of town. When W. J. Galvin had it, it was like a Methodist preacher's location, in several places, and folks coming to town one week would find the office in some other part of the town than it was the week before. When Charles
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Dingess first had it, it was in his store, in a small room built especially for that purpose, on the lot known for over a half century as the Dingess lot and where Samuel Brown and Arch McFarland now ( 1918) have built their elegant new home. Samuel T. Baker built a room especially for the office on East Main street, now occupied by W. G. Watson's tailor shop. When rural free delivery came into use, this room proved too small and it having no rear entrance, which the postoffice regulations required, the office was then moved to the opera house corner at Limestone and Xenia streets, where it was thought to be a fixture. It was soon ascertained that the law under which the opera house or city building had been built specifically provided that the building should never be used for other than village and township offices; then again, the distance from the railroad being more than four hundred feet threw the cost of carrying the mail upon the government, which was quite an item. About 1902 W. A. Paxson contracted with the government for the erection of a special building, in accordance with plans and specifications furnished by the government, to be used for a postoffice for the village, on a lease for ten years. Mr. Paxson then sold his lot, with the contract to W. O. Custis, who owned the adjoining property, and he built the present postoffice building. It is heated with a furnace and lighted by electricity, and especially well lighted in day time, and is one of the most commodious postoffice buildings in a town of this size to be found anywhere.
The office now employs two clerks in addition to the rural carriers. Rural free delivery was established in 1902 and there are now five carriers making daily trips from the office. There are no other postoffices in Silver- creek township, the establishment of rural delivery being followed by the discontinuance of the offices at New Jasper, Paintersville, Grape Grove, Lut- trell and Edeville, the latter two being in Fayette county. J. O. Flax was the last postmaster at Grape Grove and George Slusher was officiating at New Jasper when the office there was discontinued.
When rural free delivery was established from the Jamestown office in 1902 there were five carriers appointed and four of them are still in the service : W. Denman Turner, Ottis Brown, Walter Shigley and Albert Glass. Mac Miller was appointed in 1902, but was killed in a railroad acci- dent in 1917, his route now being in charge of Carl Robinson. All of the carriers but Shigley use automobiles when the roads will permit.
TOWN HALL.
Jamestown has a fine public building for the officials of the town and township. This building also contains a good-sized auditorium, fitted with a stage and the necessary stage equipment for producing plays, the build- ing being usually referred to locally as the opera house.
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TOWN OFFICIALS IN 1918.
The officials of the town for the year 1918 are as follows: Albert Mercer, mayor; A. D. Walker, clerk; George H. Spahr, treasurer; Albert Zeiner, marshal; C. N. Smith, assessor; Daniel Adsit, Granville Bramlett, S. A. Brown, J. D. King, L. C. Walker and W. G. Watson, councilmen.
BUSINESS DIRECTORY FOR 1918.
Jamestown's business directory for the year 1918 carries the following names of firms and individuals : D. E. Adsit, florist; W. E. Barnett, hard- ware; G. O. Carpenter, drugs; Carpenter & Frager furniture; J. G. Clark, shoemaker; W. H. Cole, department store; A. Dwyer, grain elevator; Farm- ers and Traders Bank; L. A. Farquahar Company, dry goods; George & Ervin Brothers Company, fuel; Glass & Son, groceries; W. F. Harper, drugs; C. G. Hatch, plumber ; H. F. Heifner hotel : I. H. Hilton, grocery and bakery ; Hopkins & Gerard, cigars and pool room; Jenkins & Turnbull, groceries and hardware; F. W. Jewell, groceries and bakery; W. W. Johnson, groceries; M. H. Klatt, meats; Bert Long, agricultural implements ; C. C. Mauck, hotel and restaurant; Charles J. Mayo, photographer; M. T. McCreight, dry goods; J. O. McDorman, men's furnishings; A. McFarland, cigars; Law- rence Miller, blacksmith; W. A. Paxon, attorney; Peoples Bank; Perry & Thompson, clothing and furnishings; W. P. Shafer, blacksmith; Howard Shane, meats; J. S. Stryker, groceries; W. C. Thomas, hotel and restaurant ; Mrs. M. F. Titus, millinery ; B. B. Vandewort, nursery; J. Waddell, gro- ceries; W. G. Watson, tailor; A. Whittington, groceries; Wilson & Baker, marble; Wickersham Hardware Company, hardware, and Zeiner Brothers, undertaking and furniture.
CHAPTER XXVI.
THE DOOMED TOWN OF OSBORN.
The thriving town of Osborn will soon be no more. The year of 1918 will see the beginning of the end of a town which has had an interesting history since its beginning in 1851-sixty-seven years ago. There are sev- eral citizens of Bath township who were living the year it was born, and, if subsequent events turn out as they now appear scheduled, these same citizens will see the death of the same place. But this story is concerned with the life of the town as nearly as it can be traced from 1851 down to the present time. The next historian of the county may have to tell of the complete dis- appearance of the town, although its fate is not yet definitely decided.
The plat of the town was recorded on May 20, 1851, by its two proprie- tors, John Cox and Samuel Stafford, Cox owning most of the tract, which was divided into ninety-five lots, the lots being platted on either side of the recently completed Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad, which had run its first train through Bath township on January 1, 1850. The village was named in honor of E. F. Osborn, then superintendent of the railroad. The site of the original plat was in the southwest corner of the northwest quarter of section 28, township 3, range 8; the southeast corner of the northeast quarter of section 34, of the same township and range. The proprietors set aside a tract for the railroad, 852 by 130 feet. The total amount of land within the original plat was 42.22 acres, of which 28.4 acres belonged to Cox and 13.82 acres belonged to Stafford.
ADDITIONS TO ORIGINAL PLAT.
The first addition to the site was made by Cox and. recorded on June 23, 1858. It included lots 96 to 109, inclusive. It is not profitable to follow the many additions in detail since that year, but they may be briefly summed up as follows :
Proprietor. No. of Lots. Date of Record.
John Cox
14
June 7, 1859
John Cox
12
May 23, 1866
Jos. Harshman & Bro.
24 August 16, 1866
John Cox
I5 September 6, 1867
John Cox
34
August 3, 1868
J. F. Cox
6
November 10, 1886
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W. H. Cox 14
November 1, 1888
Oliver W. Cox
20
August 17, 1891
J. H. Barkman
12
August 17, 1891
Mary E. Cox
7
August 4, 1891
Oliver W. Cox
24
May 8, 1900
Mary E. Cox
IO
February II, 1902
H. K. Smith
12
August 4, 1891
John J. Whaley 1
IO
October 9, 1900
Oliver W. Cox
25 November 12, 1907
S. F. Woodward 1
3 October 12, 1903
O. H. Neff.
2I
February 1I, 1902
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FIRST HOUSE ON SITE OF VILLAGE.
The year the railroad was built through the township Samuel Hade- wall built the first house on the site of the future village, but it was not until the following year, 1851, that the second house appeared on the site. It was erected by Henry Huskett. About this same time the first store was opened by a man by the name of Holden, who seemed to have run a combined grocery and saloon, with the greater part of his income coming from the sale of intoxicating liquors. The first real merchant of the village was George Massey; the first tavern was opened either by George Styles, or was the joint property of Charles Russell and Henry Goode. The rail- road company put up a grain elevator within the first year or two after the village was established, and somewhat later the Hostetter brothers erected a second elevator.
A distillery was opened in 1856 which was operated by water power, but it soon burned to the ground. Then a brick factory was established on the same site, also run by water power, with Samuel Stafford as owner and operator. He opened it in 1857, but the following year disposed of it to John and Joseph Harshman, the mill being usually referred to locally as Harshman's mill. The Harshmans continued to operate the mill until about the middle of the 'zos, when they closed it down. Later it passed into the hands of Tranchant & Finnell, the present owners, this firm now oper- ating two flour-mills in the town, more flour being made in Osborn than in any other town in the county. Tranchant & Finnell acquired the mill erected in 1895 by the Farmers Milling and Shipping Company.
The first cooper was James Baggot; the first blacksmith was James Vannostran; Adam Dager was the first shoemaker and the first barber, combining these two lines of business; H. S. Musser opened the first meat market. The first church was erected in 1853. Doctor Buffenbarger was the first local physician, having the field to himself until 1865, when Dr.
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GREENE COUNTY, OHIO
E. F. Searl appeared. Doctor Searl later located in Fairfield where he was practicing in 1895. Doctor Hoover located in Osborn in 1867. Doctor Powell came to the town in 1882 and bought the practice of Doctor Searl, the latter removing to Fairfield at that time.
In addition to the extensive flour-mills of the town, the next largest industry which the town has ever had was the whip factory. The Ohio Whip Company was organized in 1891, and turned out their first whip on July 4 of that year. This factory was soon doing an immense business, and had its agents in every state in the Union. At the height of their prosperity they made forty gross of whips each week. But this business, like the buggy and carriage manufacturing business, was to suffer from the introduction of the automobile. It gradually decreased its output until it was evident that it was no longer a paying business and it had practically ceased manufacturing when it burned down in 1916.
The town has also boasted of a bed-spring factory, a saw-mill, planing- mill and numerous repair shops of various winds, but these have disappeared one by one. The large lumber company has closed out its business in the town within the last year, and nothing now remains of the many industrial enterprises except the flour-mills. The Conservancy Board seems to have decreed that the town shall be no more, and even if it does allow the town to continue its existence it is not likely that men with capital will venture to invest it in the town, owing to the uncertainty that will follow the creation of the great flood-prevention basin referred to elsewhere. .
THE TOWN DIGS FOR GAS.
During the excitement about natural gas in the latter part of the '8os, a local stock company was organized to drill a well near the town. Drilling began on June 13, 1887, at 11 :30 p. m., and at a depth of seven hundred and seven feet a good flow of gas was reached. On the following day a greatly increased flow was encountered, and the contractor in charge ran a pipe down the well and on the evening of the same day the gas was lighted-the first natural gas to burn in Greene county. It is no wonder that everyone was excited about the finding of gas; people flocked to the well that night from miles in every direction. On July 1, 1887, a gauge was attached to the well and in a short time it showed a pressure of two hundred and fifty pounds. The drilling was continued until a depth of one thousand and thirty-two feet was reached, but no gas was found below seven hundred and seven feet. The pressure gradually decreased until by October 25, 1887, it only registered forty-five pounds, and within a short time the well had to be abandoned.
NORTH RAILROAD STREET. OSBORN.
Under the plans of the Conservation District, this town will be removed.
THE MOUND AT SPRING VALLEY.
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GREENE COUNTY, OHIO
NEWSPAPERS OF THE TOWN.
Owing to the absence of the local newspaper files it is impossible to trace the newspaper history of the town. There is a stray reference to the existence of the Osborn Bulletin, a paper in operation in 1866, but it was evidently a short-lived sheet. Sometime later, the date not being known, the Osborn Star appeared on the newspaper horizon, but it likewise had only an abbreviated career. The Mad River Times made its maiden appear- ance on July 9, 1882, and since that year the town has always had a paper. The Osborn Local is a. lineal descendant of the Mad River Times.
POSTOFFICE.
The first postmaster of the town was George Massey, but it is not known how long he was in charge, although he had the office for several years. The succession of postmasters prior to 1885 is hard to follow, but since that year it is well defined. N. S. Bonham served from 1885 to 1889, and since that time the succession has been as follows: John A. Knisley, 1889-1893; David Hedge, 1893-1897; D. M. McConnell, 1897-1905; John A. Knisley, 1905-1914. C. Leon Barkman, the present incumbent, was commissioned on October 21, 1913, but did not take charge of the office until January 1, 1914. Rural free delivery was established in 1902 and there are now four carriers connected with the Osborn office: John R. Hadder, John A. Miller, John M. Sheets and Oliver W. Cox.
CHURCHES, SCHOOLS AND LODGES.
The town -has seen the establishment of four churches: Evangelical Lutheran, Presbyterian, Methodist Episcopal and St. Mary's Catholic church. In the way of fraternal orders, the town has been supporting the Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias. There has also been a post of the Grand Army of the Republic and an organization of the Woman's Relief Corps, these two Civil War organizations having membership both in Osborn and Fairfield. The schools of the town are the equal of any town in the state for its size, the chapter on Education giving the main facts concerning the schools of the town.
MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
The town of Osborn was incorporated in 1867, and the first meeting of the council was held on December 19 of the same year. At that time the following officials took the oath of office and were sworn into their respec- tive positions : Solon W. Massey, mayor; Aaron Spangle, clerk; J. B. Wor- ley, treasurer ; J. B. Massey, Samuel E. Woodward, Henry S. Musser and (26)
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GREENE COUNTY, OHIO
Casper Fisher, councilmen. At that time Solon W. Massey was the leading merchant of the town.
Massey was followed in the mayor's office in 1868 by Aaron Spangler. The town elections have often been fraught with all the excitement of a national election. The town, like all places of its size, has had its local politicians who have attempted to elect a certain set of candidates. It is not profitable to follow through the half century of political contests over local offices. It might be interesting to note some of the early mayors of the town, the following list giving a number of these officials in the order of their incumbency: Solon Massey, Aaron Spangler, M. V. Baggott, O. Judson, F. L. Wood, S. B. Light, William Stephenson, Aaron Spangler ( 1878- 1882), J. B. Massey, C. K. Hershey, D. M. McConnell, D. W. Fortney and David Auten.
The officials for 1918 are as follows: Harry E. Frahn, mayor; J. E. Keever, clerk; R. E. Dunkel, treasurer; William A. Schneider, marshal; J. E. Keever, assessor; C. J. Butt, G. E. Bailey, H. R. Kendig, F. C. Massey, J. O. Staup and A. Stremmel, councilmen.
Doctor Hartman of Peruna fame, practiced at Osborn for some years. BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL DIRECTORY FOR APRIL, 1918.
As has been stated, the future of Osborn is very uncertain. No one seems to know in April, 1918, what is really going to become of the town. There is no question that the Conservancy Board is going to buy all the property in the town, more than three-fourths of the property hold- ers having turned over their property to the Conservancy Board by the middle of April, 1918. The board then rents the property to the original owner, but only one month at a time, and tells the renter that he can rest assured that he may remain for a couple of years. What is then going to happen is a question that can not now be answered, but it is evident that the business of the town is going to be killed, and that most of the present citizens will locate in some other place.
For this reason, the directory of business and professional men which is herewith presented will represent the last group of business and profes- sional men the town will ever have. Already a number of firms have left the town, the most important one being the lumber company. The list of business men as it appears on April 13, 1918, follows: Automobile deal- ers, J. E. Burrows, Frank Massey; attorney, Morris D. Rice; bakery, Carl Kortch; bank, Osborn National Bank; barbers, Howard Sheets, William Stremmel; blacksmiths, William Zellar, William Lansinger; coal dealers, Harry E. Frahn; dentists, C. A. Herr, L. C. Liber ; drug store, C. J. Logs- don; dry goods, H. R. Kendig; elevator, H. E. Frahn; feed store, H. E.
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GREENE COUNTY, OHIO
Frahn; flour-mills, Tranchant & Finnell (two operated by water power) ; garage, J. E. Burrows; grocers, Elwood Dunkle, G. W. Williams, Frank Esterline; harness, Herman Rudolph; hardware, Frank C. Massey, W. B. Kauffman; hotel, W. Scott Lobaugh; implement dealers, Harry McFeely, Theodore Kauffman; jewelry, Claude Barkman ; milliner, Mrs. James Heedal; newspaper, Osborn Local, J. A. Hardman, editor ; meat market, Phillip Diehl; physicians, P. C. Marquart, T. V. Crabill; pool room and restaurants, Frank Paul, John Oster; postmaster, C. Leon Barkman, since January 1, 1914; station agent, Henry Paul; undertaker, Morris Sons, D. E. Coy; wagon maker, M. F. Stabner.
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CHAPTER XXVII.
AGRICULTURE.
The history of agriculture as it concerns Greene county is very little different from that of most of the other counties in the state. One hundred years ago the farmer did not have a single one of the labor-saving devices which may be found on every well-managed farm in Greene county today. With his crude single-shovel plow and hoe, his sickle, scythe and cradle, his flail and fanning-mill, his home-made harness and hand-made wagon, he was but poorly equipped to battle with the forests. He looked for the high and dry land, since such a thing as a tile ditch was not then dreamed of. There was no such a thing as a stump-puller ; dynamite was unknown-and the obstreperous stump was left to rot in the field. In short, the meager equipment of farming implements possessed by the sturdy pioneers who first attempted to wrest a living from the soil of this county would not be considered worthy of the poorest farmers of 1918.
It would far transcend the limits of this chapter to go into detail con- cerning the vicissitudes of the early farmer of the county. He managed in some way or another to clear the forests with the aid of ax and fire, and to raise sufficient produce to make a comfortable living for his family. Wants were so few and the few so simple that the two cents he received for a pound of pork and the ten cents that his corn brought him loomed as big in his eyes as fifteen-cent pork and two-dollar corn at the present time. The times have changed; the people have changed; and although we some- times think that "the good old days" were the best, and that our grand- fathers and grandmothers were happier than we are today, yet we would not exchange our manner of living with all its conveniences for the life they had to live with all its inconveniences.
The soil of Greene county has been discussed in another chapter, the same chapter on the geology and topography of the county discussing the climatic conditions, drainage system and allied subjects. It is sufficient to state in this connection that nature has effected such a harmonious combi- nation of sunshine, rainfall and soil that the farmer of Greene county can raise as fine crops of corn and wheat and oats and potatoes as any farmer in the United States, and for the same reason he can produce just as fat hogs, as sleek cattle, as fine horses and as well-bred sheep. An acre of Greene county land has produced a hundred bushels of corn and half that
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GREENE COUNTY, OHIO
many bushels of wheat; it has produced four hundred bushels of potatoes, and, for that matter, it might produce as many bushels of onions; it has produced three tons of timothy hay and six tons of alfalfa. In other words, the farmer of Greene county has every reason to congratulate himself in living in such a county. It is small wonder that the farm which cost his grandfather one hundred and twenty-five cents an acre is now worth as many dollars an acre- and there are hundreds of acres in Greene county today that could not be bought for that amount.
THE DAYS OF OUR GREAT-GRANDFATHERS ON THE FARM.
Let us turn back the pages of history; let us put on the old cowhide boots, the old 'coonskin cap, the "wamus," the old "galluses"; let us get out the old corncob pipe, the old shucking peg, the old dog, if you please, and saunter down the lane of grandfather's old farm. Let us look over his "clearing," or his "deadnin'," as he liked to call it, and see just what he had on his farm.
The barn was always of logs, the corncrib of rails, the fences, if he had any, of the same material. The hay was invariably stacked out; the potatoes, apples, cabbage and other food supplies for the winter were usually buried in the ground, or at least a goodly portion of them were so stored away. The few farming implements were usually homemade, or at best the handiwork of the nearest blacksmith. If he had an ax, a hoe, a shovel- plow, a wagon and a set of harness made out of bark, he was satisfied. Many of the earliest settlers did not have a wagon, and a large number of them did not even have horses. The ox was universally used and continued in use until the time of the Civil War.
Fortunately, the virgin soil was very fertile and grain had only to be planted in order to make a fairly good crop, while with a little attention it yielded abundantly. Corn was always dropped by hand and in the "new ground," a pet phrase of the pioneer, it was always cultivated, in the same way. The ground was first plowed with oxen and a curious plow which is difficult to describe; a crude wooden affair, the only iron about it being the sole and point. It was what would now be called a variation of the single- shovel plow. The modern breaking plow, which is distinguished from its predecessor by having a mold board, did not come into use until a short time prior to the Civil War. They were then called "barsher" plows and were considered a wonderful invention when they first appeared in the county.
In the course of years some Yankee conceived the idea of making a plow with two shovels, and thus came about the widely used "double-shovel," which may still be seen doing duty on the farms of the county. Along
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GREENE COUNTY, OHIO
in the 'zos another genius invented the cultivator, a plow for cultivating more than one row of corn at a time. This was a six-shoveled contrivance, truly a wonderful improvement over the old single shovel. Still later, a plow with twelve shovels made its appearance, but the farmer was com- pelled to walk behind it. Time went on, and finally some ingenious Yankee startled the American farmer by producing a plow which combined the pleasures of a buggy and plow-and the modern riding-plow was at hand. Now the farmer may be seen plowing his corn and sitting on a seat ; he may even have a canopy over him, as many of them do, and actually doing a better job of plowing than his grandfather did with his old single shovel. Truly the times have changed.
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