History of Greene County, Ohio, Part 13

Author: Robinson, George F., 1838-1901
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 934

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SAMUEL PETERSON.

In the spring of 1815 Samuel Peterson came from Virginia to this county for the purpose of assisting his brother-in-law, Jo- seph Bootes, on his farm. In company with a Mr. Hegler, he made the long journey on horseback, remaining all summer, then with a few friends returned to Virginia by the same mode of conveyance. In the fall fol- lowing his father came to this county with his family of five sons and two daughters and located on a tract of five hundred acres on Caesar's creek, south of Xenia, which he had previously purchased. Soon after his arrival one of his daughters was married to Jonathan Ketterman, who had formerly lived in this county. When he started back to Virginia with his bride on horseback, his father-in-law sent Samuel to Chillicothe with them to buy the bride a new saddle, which was presented to her as a bridal gift. The father and his five sons, Samuel. Joel. Moses. Jacob and Felix, immediately began a vigorous assault upon the dense forest that surrounded them. the effect of which was soon visible in the sweeping crash of the mighty oak, the burning heap and the crackling brush. When a few acres were

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thus cleared they were planted in corn, for which not finding a ready market in the ear they tramped it out on the puncheon floor, took it to a distillery, had it made into whisky, took the whisky to an iron-furnace, traded it for iron, which they sold, and thus realized a good price for their whisky.

Samuel was a powerful man, and on one occasion lifted a trip hammer weighing seven hundred pounds. Hle cut the timber and made four hundred and fifty rails in one day. When about twenty-one he and Samuel Heg- ler, Colonel Mallow and Peter Price, all young men, cach took a four-horse load of flour from Oldtown mills to Cincinnati for William Beall. Starting early in the morning with ten barrels each, they suc- ceeded. by doubling teams at every hill, in getting as far the first day as the present locality of Spring valley. Camping out all night. the next day they drove within a mile of Waynesville, when Beall hired another team, which enabled them to travel more speedily. Reaching Cincinnati, they were paid one dollar per barrel for hauling. and started for home, making the round trip in eleven days. Beall, not being able to dis- pose of his flour in Cincinnati, shipped it to New Orleans and walked back.

February 22, 1821, Samuel Peterson was married to Miss Hannah Heaton, who had come to this county a few years previ- ous. He lived with his parents for some time, then moved to a tract of one hundred acres given him by his father, upon which he had previously built a hewed-log house. considered in those days one of the most imposing structures in the country. Being entirely alone, the labor of clearing out the forest proceeded very slowly until 1825. when he leased the premises and moved to

Xenia, where he engaged in the wagon- maker's trade. The first year he lived in a log house on Main street, near where the old pottery stood : the second in a house near the northeast corner of Second and White- man streets. The man to whom he had rented proving worthless, he returned to the farm in 1827. where he remained until 1849. in the meantime bringing it under a high state of cultivation, when, leaving it in charge of his son. he returned to Xenia. Bringing a span of good horses and a wagon with him, he followed teaming until 1865. when. having sold his farm to Jonas l'eter- son and bought another of a Mr. Tressler. five miles southeast of Xenia, he removed to it the same year. At this place his wife died suddenly of heart disease. April 22, 18;2. aged seventy-one. After this Mr. Peterson spent the balance of his days with his son-in-law. William Rader, in Xenia. He died June 12, 1882, aged eighty-six, and was buried in Woodland cemetery.

GEORGE MALLOW, SR ..

Was granted a pension for services as a soldier in the war of the Revolution at the rate of ninety-two dollars and twenty-two cents per year. His first rank was as a pri- vate soldier, and he was afterward promoted to the office of ensign or second lieutenant. He was allowed his pension under the act of June 7, 1832. Date of his pension cer- tificate was April 2, 1833. Lewis Cass was at that time secretary of war. He was a native of Virginia, but had been a resident of Greene county sixteen years at the time he received his pension. His place of resi- dence was Caesarscreek township. He died April 17, 1837, and was buried in what is

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now called the Boot's graveyard. Mr. Mal- iow had purchased two hundred and seventy- five acres more or less, which was a part of military survey No. 2383. situated at the meuth, north fork, of Caesar's creek. George Mallow, Sr., was of German origin. but from what part of the fatherland he came I know not. He had three sons who came with him from Rockingham county, Virginia, namely. George, John and Peter. His oldest son. Colonel George Mallow was a military man and made for himself quite a name in the war of 1812 and afterward. In the breaking out of the war of 1812 he volunteered his services in defense of his country, and during the summer of that year marched to Williamsburg. fifty-eight miles from Richmond, Virginia, and from thence to Hampton, near the bay, both towns of historic interest, where he remained in the service for a term of six months. After peace was declared between the two coun- tries he, with his parents, removed to Ohio. and for some forty years resided in this county. Prior to his settling in Greene coun- ty he had settled in Warren county, near Springboro, and removed to Greene county in 1817. He was emphatically a military man. During his residence in this county he successively hell commissions from the gov- ernor of the state in the peace establish- ment of the state, as first lieutenant and cap- tain of the Volunteer Rifle Companies, and colonel of militia. It was in the latter he acquired the title of colonel.

Ilis kind, social ways made for him many friends. As a citizen and a neighbor he was well respected .. His numerous friends and acquaintances heard with regret of his sud- den departure. On Friday, April 19, 1861. the whole community was shocked by the in-

formation that Colonel Mallow, of New Jas- per township, had died very suddenly. Dur- ing the day of his death he had been on horseback several places in the neighbor- hood, seemingly in as good health as usual. At five o'clock he took supper, as usual eat- ing heartily. After supper he went to the corn crib to feed some hogs. About an hour afterward he was found prostrate on the ground in the yard. and was dead when found. Everything about him showed that he had been stricken down suddenly with disease of the heart. For some time previ- ous he had shown symptoms of this dis- ease, and had to some extent endeavored to fortify his system against it. He has left many honored descendants in this county. Both of these grand old heroes, George Mal- low. Sr .. and George Mallow. Jr., are laid to rest a little way south of what is known to-day as the Boots and Bickett stone quarry. near New Jasper.

STEPIIEN SCOTT, OF CAESARSCREEK TOWN-

SHIP.

In January, 1879, an enterprising re- porter of the "Xenia Torchlight." inter- viewed Mr. Scott. He was at that time sup- posed to have been the oklest man living in Greene county, and the result of that inter- view is worth reading as recorded. He was at that time in his ninety-fourth year, in good health, though totally blind, while his mental faculties seemed unabated. He was born in Bedford county, Virginia, June 5. 1785. He left Virginia at the age of eight years, spent the next twelve years with his parents in Kentucky, from which place he emigrated to Greene county, Ohio, locat- ing on the Little Miami river near what used to be known as the Tresslar mill. His first

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visit to Xenia was on the 8th of January. 1815, the day of the battle of New Orleans. It is scracely necessary to say that Mr. Scott did not hang around the telegraph office to observe the progress of the battle as from time to time it was announced on the bulletin boards: in fact, it was six weeks before the results of that battle were known to the peo- ple of Greene county. Mr. Scott said that Xenia then had but three brick houses, a number of cabins and log houses and one tavern. The tavern was kept by one Con- relly, and was the scene of many a tight just for the fun of it. He spoke of one to which he was an eye witness, which he called a drawn battle, in which a Captain Steele and a man by the name of Tucker were the principals. Both had imbibed rather freely at the tavern bar, and very naturally got into a quarrel, ending in a fight, in which Steele brushed up Tucker badly. Returning to the bar to drink and be friends, Tucker said he guessed it had not been fairly done and would like to try it over. They did, and the result was that Steele was as badly whipped as was Tucker in the first round: and all of this for the fun of it. Don't say that we have not advanced in morals since that day. Mr. Scott was a good man in his day and generation. He was a member of the Caesarscreek Baptist church away back in the year 1820. He con- tinned to live some four years longer from the time he was interviewed, and died in February, 1884, aged ninety-nine years, and is buried near the Maple Corner churchyard in Caesarscreek township.

PEN PICTURE DRAWN IN 1852 OF HON. JOHN FUDGE,

Who at that time represented the counties

of Clinton. Fayette and Greene in the senate of Ohio. He is a Whig, of course, coming from that district. He is physically the largest man in the senate, weighing two hun- dred and forty pounds. His age is sixty- five, has been thirce married, and is by pro- fession a farmer. He resides a few miles east of Xenia. He is a native of Botetourt county, Virginia, but has been a citizen of Ohio most of his life. He is the son of Christian Fudge, also from Virginia. Ile is a robust, hale man, with black hair, carry- ing his age well, looking young and not yet gray. His complexion is dark and his tem- perament bilious. In manners he is courte- ous and agreeable. Indeed he is remarkable for plain old-fashioned bon home. You will always see him in his place in a good humor. and ready to cast a vote intelligently and conscientiously. He has filled a seat in the legislature several times, and has seen ster- ling days in that service. As a senator he is something of a model, attending well to what is to be done, and taking no part or interest in the useless Hourish of legislation. A senate and house of such men would do matters up in a reasonable time, bore no- body with their fancies, vote themselves fair wages, and go home and meet their con- stituents with a good face. As a candidate for office he comes up to the Jeffersonian ideal, honest, capable and faithful. He loves fun, but will not indulge in it at the expense of propriety. You would like him at first meeting and shake hands with him warmly at parting.

DANIEL HAVERSTICK, SR.

Died on the morning of April 10, 1858, in the seventy-fifth year of his age, and was buried in Woodland cemetery. He was a

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native of Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. Fifty years since he was married to Cath- erine Newman. The number of their chil- dren was sixteen, while his grandchildren at the time of his death were sixty-four in number.

ROBERT T. MARSHALL.

The death of Robert T. Marshall oc- curred at his residence in Urbana, Cham- paign county, Ohio, on the 25th day of Oc- tober, 1875. at the age of seventy-two years. Mr. Marshall was the first male born in what is now the corporation of Xenia, Ohio, on the 4th of September. 1804. Here he spent his childhood and continued in the county living on the waters of Massies creek until the last ten years of his life. He united with the Massies Creek church under the pastorate of Rev. James P. Smart. In the spring of 1865 be removed to Champaign county in the vicinity of Urbana, where he continued to live until his death in 1875.

Ile was united in marriage to Elinor Weir, who still ( 1876) remains to mourn his loss. He was the son of John Marshall. who was one of the first settlers in what is now the city of Xenia, and built the first cabin home on lot No. 193. which is sit- uated on the corner of Third and West streets. This cabin was raised April 27. 1804. He also owned the next lot east. No. 1944. The lots when Mr. Marshall pur- chased them faced on Third street and ex- tended south to the north branch of Shaw- nee creek. In the rear of the present resi- dence of Mr. Rudolph Hustmire was the cabin of Mr. John Marshall. where our sub- ject was born. An old pioneer says that he has stood in Mr. Marshall's back yard and

shot wild turkeys at the foot of the hill near the creek.

A BEAR STORY THAT HAS THE VIRTUE OF BEING TRUE.

A short time after Mr. John Marshall, Robert's father, had purchased his two lots, one day while engaged in clearing up a space upon which to erect his cabin and also ground enough for a garden, he was for- tunate enough to capture a "cub" bear, at that time no larger than an ordinary cat. and as neighbors were scarce here was company for John, which he from that time adopted into his family, and it grew up under his care and became the pet of him and his wife. It is said that after it had grown to full size it became as docile as do our com- mon domestic pets. the dog and cat, and would at times follow John to his work while engaged in clearing his land, and would at other times stretch himself near the fire in the cabin and sleep the sleep. if not of the just, of the bear. But there came a time after "Little Robbie" had made his advent into the cabin that John and his good wife came near losing faith in their efforts to tame the bear. and they had good reason to think that their pet, which was now full grown, had assumed and asserted its savage nature, and had destroyed or carried off little Robbie. The mother, in the morning spoken of, had tucked little Robbie up carefully in the cradle, and had put him to sleep. She went to the door. and seeing her young hus- band near engaged in planting the spring garden, and we must not blame her, if on this beautiful spring morning she was tempt- ed by the beauty of the day and a desire to help her husband, and added to that also the

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songs of the birds, to step outside and leave the babe in care of their pet, and join her husband in his labor in the garden. Before deciding she turned around, gave one glance at her sleeping babe, and bear, and joined John at his work. Becoming interested in her work, she forgot for the time little Rob- bie, and she toiled away with her hoe and time passed rapidly. All at once the moth- er's thoughts returned to her child that she had left sleeping. She quickly stands her hoe up against a tree and away to her little one. She enters the cabin. her eyes rest first on the cradle. as she sees the covers that she had so carefully tucked around the sleeping child now scattered in wild confusion over the floor. The cradle was empty, little Rob- ert was gone, as was also the bear. For a moment she looked wildly around the room. Her eye is quick to take in the situation; she goes to the door and calls to John. "Oh, John, Robbie is gone, and the bear is gone." John drops his spade and rushes to the cabin, gives one glance at the empty cradle and the disordered state of the cabin. reaches up and quickly takes from over the door his trusty rifle, and followed by his wife they start on the hunt of the bear up Shawnee creek, back of what is now known as the U. P. Theo- logical Seminary, then covered with a dense growth of forest trees and under growth, and back toward their cabin home. John continues the search, while the good wife enters the cabin with the hope that she may find her lost one there. She stoops down and looks under the bed, and sees something away back under the corner of the bed; she creeps under and there was the bear with little Robert hugged closely to its breast, and both bear and little Robert sleep- ing. She gives the bear a cuff on the side

of the head: it opened its mouth and yawned, stretched out its fore feet releasing the baby, which she soon had in her arms. The baby was not any the worse of the kind care of the faithful pet.

Two sons of "Little Robbie" are yet ( 1900) living in Xenia. William Marshall, janitor of the West Market Street school house, and his brother James.

GENERAL C. L. MERRICK.

Casper L. Merrick, one of the pioneer merchants of Nenia, died at his residence at Xenia, Ohio. March 12, 1882, peacefully, and at the ripe age of eighty-one years. Mr. Merrick first came to Xenia in 1824, when the town was young. He landed in Cincinnati with his father. Roswell Mer- rick and family, from Massachusetts, in 1820, and associated with his father he started the first horse ferry boat, it is said. over the Mississippi river at Cairo. He re- turned to Cincinnati and remained for about three years. engaged in the mercantile bisi- ness. He was married, in that city. April 28, 1822. Thence he went to Lebanon, but did not stay long at that place. In 1824, as has been said, he removed to Xenia with his wife and child, and engaged in the dry goods business in partnership with his brother-in-law, L. P. Frazier. In 1828 he took charge of the Hamell tavern, which stood where Allison & Townsley's store used to be on. Main street. In 1832 he removed to the old Hivling House. In 1836 he opened the Ewing House, then Merrick's Hotel, now ( 1900) the Grand Hotel. In 1847 he engaged again in the dry goods trade, in which he remained for nearly a third of a century. A week before he died he was on

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the street in apparent health, but the next day, Thursday, he was stricken with paraly- sis and scarcely spoke afterward. Yet for two days after the stroke he recognized his friends and children with a pressure of the hand. His death was apparently painless and without a struggle. He had been a member of the Methodist Episcopal church since 1848. His military title, "General," he acquired in the service of the state militia.

MERRICK'S HOTEL. 1836.

That was the name of it. In the good old days of stage coaches Merrick's Hotel was a prominent institution. It was there we gathered the news that we could not do without till the issue of the weekly papers. Merrick's Hotel regulated the price of corn. oats and hay ; it was there the stage stopped. How well the writer remembers the self same team of four gray eagles bounding into town, and up Main street : the driver's horn having suggested that food and rest were waiting for them at Merrick's Hotel. Well do we remember with what pardon- able pride of the Jehu of that day bringing his four-in-hand to a stand still at the hotel. When two stages came loaded with passen- gers it was inferred that a convention was to be held at Columbus, or that an epidemic had broken out in Cincinnati.

If bricks could talk, these in the walls of the Ewing House building might describe lively okl times, and detail interesting in- cidents occurring in what was, in the good of days, the pride of Xenia. Merrick's Hotel. Many of the pioneers will testify that in those days Merrick's was the most popular hotel in the state, being the favorite of the

traveling public, as it was the pride of pro- prietor and his fellow citizens of Xenia.

XENIA IN ISI1, REMEMBERED BY SAMUEL . WRIGHT.

Mr. Wright says they had been fifty- seven days on the way from their old Vir- ginia home in Brunswick county to Xenia. Ohio. Of Xenia, at the time he remembered it as they passed through it to the place where they settled two miles out on the Wilmington pike, he says it was a little stumpy, struggling village. The first house in it was built by one John Marshall on the southwest corner lot of the then corporation of Xenia, lot No. 193. It was raised on the 27th day of April, 1804. On Main street there was at that time twenty-three struc- tures; two of those were brick, four of frame, the balance hewed-log houses and four log shops.

ON DETROIT STREET

There were two log currying shops, seven one-story log houses, only two of them har- ing shingle roofs and brick chimneys and two frame houses two stories high. It was in 1856 that Mr. Wright was relating this, he being then ninety years old, and he said that only two houses then remained on De- troit street. One stocd on the present site of the mill south of the upper depot then belonging to Jonathan Wallace, the other stood on the corner of Second and Detroit streets, where Mrs. Frank McClure now lives ( 1900). That house is yet standing on West Main street. the first house east of John Lutz's blacksmith shop. It was bought by Major John Heaton and moved to that place.

ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.

MAIN STREET.

On Main street was the Gowdy two- story frame house, afterward used as a tin shop by James Nigh. In front of this build- ing was the only brick pavement in the place. The streets had no gravel on them. were level from side to side, without gutters to carry away the water, and in rainy weath- er were a mass of. mud, deep at that, from one side to the other. There were two ponds of water on Main street, one opposite, or near where Charley Trader's grocery now ( 1900) is, and the other and larger one op- posite the present residence of Dr. Clark M. Galloway, which extended north and west.

REMEMBRANCE WILLIAMS.

Remembrance Williams erected the first cabin that was erected near what is now the city of Xenia. He emigrated from Vir- ginia to Kentucky in 1790. thence to what is now Greene county, in 1800, cross- ing the Ohio at the mouth of the Licking. He entered a section of land where now is located the "Roberts' Villa," and north of that he erected his cabin and continued to live there until 1814, when he sold the lar- gest part of that land to David Connelly and removed to near Madison, Indiana. He gave to his son, John Williams, a portion of the farm on the east side of said section. That cabin was built three years almost before Xenia was laid out, and he and his family were alone in what is now called Xenia.

JOHN MARSHALL.

John Marshall had the honor of build- ing the first cabin inside of the corporate lim-

its of Xenia. He purchased lots No. 193- 1Q4 and the 27th day of April. 1804. his cabin was raised on what is known on the town plat as lot No. 193. Two grandsons of the old pioneer are living in Nenia at this time ( 1900), William and James Marshall. their father, Robert T., was born in that cab- in on the 4th day of September. 1804. He was the first white child born in the town.

WILLIAM A. BEATTY.

William A. Beatty, who had come from Georgetown, Kentucky, some time previous to 1803, was the first to keep a tavern in Nenia. He was next to follow in the line of improvements, and yet it was a matter of doubt which house would be completed first, his or the one that was being built at the same time for the Rev. James Towler. both of which were two-story log houses. But the evidence seems to be in favor of Mr. Beatty's. One thing we do know that Mr. Beatty was doing all that he could to get his done first. Noah Strong was on hand with his two oxen that he had brought with him from the far away hills of Vermont, namely, "Buck and Brandy," and more than that the honorable court had engaged the west room upstairs in which to hold court. and they must have it by the 15th of No- vember, 1804. The building was finished and opened as a tavern on the first day of October, 1804. on lot No. 14. opposite the public square, on the site that is known as the Leamon block.

REV. JAMES TOWLER.

Mr. Towler did not have long to wait for his new building. He had purchased

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iots No. 39-40. He was a native of Prince Edwards county. Virginia, and emigrated to Greene county in 1803. This house was better known as the Crumbaugh house, and stood on the north side of Main street, pres- ent site of Eavey & Co., wholesale house. He was the first postmaster of Xenia, Ohio.

JOSIAHI GROVER

Was the second clerk of courts of Greene county, accepting that position in 1808, at- ter his brother-in-law, John Paul, had re- signed. His first cabin was erected on lot No. 192, West Third street, on the corner. present site of the home of Timothy O'Con- nell. He came to Xenia previous to 1803.

BENJAMIN GROVER,

Brother of Josiah, was the first school teacher of Xenia. The school house was ou West Third street, and stood on the lot that now is the home of Mrs. James Kyle, moth- er of Charles Kyle. Esq. It was a one- story log house, and was built in 1805. It was used for a school house for some years. Mr. Hugh Hamill, who came to Xenia in 1810, taught in that house.

COL. JAMES COLLIER

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History of Greene County, Ohio, Part 13

Author: Robinson, George F., 1838-1901 Publication date: 1902 Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke Publishing Company Number of Pages: 934

Author: Robinson, George F., 1838-1901
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Chicago, S. J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 934