USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County, Ohio > Part 14
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Was one of the first to come into the North- west territory in the year 1796: stopped first at what was called Holes Station ( Mi- amisburg ), from there to the Wilson set- tlement, thence to the farm of Capt. Na- than Lamme, and to Xenia, in the early summer of 1805. In that year he erected his cabin on lot No. 60, about the present site of Rall's meat shop, on Detroit street. When
he first built his cabin in 1805 he set it back about twenty feet from the in-line of the sidewalk so that in 1813 when he erected his noted tavern, that was in the rear and became the kitchen. When in later years the march of improvement made way with the old to be replaced with the new, that old hewed log cabin home, weather-boarded. was moved to East Market street, first house east of the East Market Street High School, and was still standing in 1899. but has since, in 1900, been torn down.
HON. JOIIN ALEXANDER,
Grandfather of the late William J. Alex- ander, at this time owned a whole square on West Market and Church streets, bounded as follows: Where the present residences of H. H. Eavey and Rev. J. G. Carson stand. thence westerly to Galloway street. He had emigrated from South Carolina in 1804 and was the first lawyer to settle in Xenia_ Ir 1811 his house had been appraised at seven hundred and fifty dollars, and is still (1900) standing on North King street, the property of Judge C. C. Shearer, a relic of the past, and when moved to its present site was as good as when first erected.
JAMES BUNTING
Arrived in Nenia in 1805. He was a good carpenter, and we find that he was a man of enterprise. In 1806 he purchased lots 124 and 130, upon the former he erected a two- story log structure on West Second street, better known as . the McWhirk property. where David Hutchison later built two brick cottage houses.
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ELI ADAMS.
Mr. Adams came to Xenia in 1808. In 18to he purchased of William .A. Beatty, then director of the town of Xenia, lot No. ito, on the corner of Second and Collier streets, now ( 1900) owned by Davis Fi- fer's heirs, and on the western side of said log house, which was weather-boarded. This house was still remembered in after years by many oldl citizens as the home of Tillbury Jones, marshal of Nenia in the early 'fifties.
HOME OF WILLIAM A. BEATTY.
In addition to his tavern on Main street. and which also was the place of holding the courts of Greene county, Mr. Beatty was the owner of lot No. 165. on the southwest corner of Second and Collier streets, now ( 1900) owned by Rev. Samuel Hutchison, and on this lot he had built his cabin home. This home was valued for taxable purpose in 1811 at one hundred and sixty dollars.
WILLIAM GORDON
Was the owner of lot No. 33 in the year 1807. This lot was situated on the north- east corner of Main and Whiteman streets. on which now stands the clothing house of Robert Kingsbury. George Gordon, his brother, came up from Warren county with his team to assist in hauling the logs for this building, which was a two-story log structure, forty by forty feet, and was for many years used by Mr. William Gordon as a storeroom. Major Gordon previously had moved his brother, William. from War- ren county to Xenia in the year 1805. His 7
brother had at that time purchased lot No. 176, situated on the corner of Third and Whiteman streets, and is at the present time ( 1900) owned by the heirs of Marjey Mc- Farland. Mr. Gordon had erected on this lot a small log house, the
FIRST BREWERY OF NENLA.
This property was once owned by Mr. James Brown, and the older persons can yet remember when this part of Nenia was known by the name of "Brown Town." He was killed in the gravel pit west of Xenia. June 4. 1849, aged seventy-three years. Ilis (leath was caused by the caving in of the surface dirt. When dug out he was dead.
IIUGHI HAMILL
Came to Xenia from Preble county in 1810. and purchased lots No. 197-198-199-200. These lots fronted en Third street, and were situated between Barrett and Maxwell streets, running thence south to the bank of Shawnee creek. He erected his cabin near the brow of the hill, overlooking Shawnee. on the south end of lot No. 200. In the rear of his cabin on this lot extending west to Barrett street was his tanyard. The brick house yet standing was erected in 1845. and is occupied by his daughter, Mrs. Lydia Bigger.
DR. ANDREW W. DAVIDSON.
Dr. Andrew Davidson on the 11th day of November. 1808, purchased of Henry Phenix lot No. 38, on which in 1811 he erected a two-story brick house. This lot was on Main street, and the building was on
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ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
the present site of John Knox's saddlery shop. Dr. Davidson came to Xenia in 1805 and was the first physician to locate in the town.
JAMES GOWDY'S STORE.
In the year 1805 James Gowdy first came to Xenia and built his storeroom, the first one in Xenia, on lot No. 34. first lot east of Greene street, on Main, and here in 1806 he commenced selling merchandise.
TIIE FIRST COURT HOUSE.
The first court house for Greene county was let to William Kendall in 1806. Pre- vious to this time the county had been pay- ing rent, first for the house of Peter Bor- ders down on Beaver. second to Wm. A. Beatty in Xenia. This latter house was completed in 1809.
SAMUEL GAMBLE
Had erected a small house on lot No. 144. on the corner of Second and Monroe streets. north side. lot now ( 1900) owned by the heirs of the late John Kyle. Mr. Gamble at this time also owned one-half of lot No. 15 on Main Street.
JOIIN GREGG
Was in ISII the owner of the first lot east of Mrs. Frank MeClure on Second street. On this lot No. 134 he raised and completed a cabin.
CAPT. JOIN IIIVLING,
In I811, was the owner of lot No. 13. upon which he had completed a building on the
corner of Main and Detroit, south side, present site of the Xenia National Bank.
JOSEPH HAMILL,
In 1811, was the owner of lot No. 14. oppos- ite the Court House, and it was here that he kept his noted tavern, or what was known as Hamill's Inn. He was one of the early justices of the peace in Xenia. His build- ing was part of what in later years was known as the Puterbaugh store, where young Kenney and Steele were murdered in the great fire of 1845.
ABRAHAM LARUE,
In 1811, was the owner of lots No. 131-132. comprising about one-fourth of the square on what was later known as the J. C. Mc- Millan corner .. Mr. Larue's lots extending from the corner running west on Second one-half the distance of the square and from the same corner running north the distance on Detroit. His house was erected on lot No. 132. He also owned out lots Nos. 7 and 8.
DAVID LAUGHEAD, SR.,
Ir. 1811 was the owner of lot No. 143 sit- uated on East Second street, better known as the home of Mrs. Newton. the mother of Chancey and Samuel Newton. Upon this lot he erected a one-story house. The ground at this time is the site of the beauti- ful homes of Ben LeSourd and Judge Stewart.
PETER PELIIAM.
Who came from Boston, Massachusetts. ifi 1807, and who was the first auditor of
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ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
Greene county, erected his cabin on lot No. 144, corner of Main and Barrett streets, north side, later known as the old home of William T. Stark ( deceased ) and at this time the home of Mrs. S. K. Harner and family. The house is still standing ( 1900) near Kelley's rope walk.
HEZEKIAH SANDERS
Came to Xenia in 1807. Ile was the owner of lot 133 and erected his house, a two-story frame, on the northwest corner of Second and Detroit streets. When the present resi- dence of Mrs. Frank MeClure was built for a bank building Major John Heaton bought the old Sanders house and had it removed to his lot on West Main street, first lot west of John Lutz's blacksmith shop, where it yet stands in good condition.
JOIN STERRITT
Built his cabin ou lot No. 89. situated at corner of Market and Whiteman streets, northwest corner. This property is better known as the former residence of Colonel John Duncan. It is now owned and occu- pied as a residence by Mrs. Elias Quinn and daughters.
JAMES WATSON
Was in 1811 the owner of lot No. 7. which is situated on West Main street. He had a cabin erected where the office of the Miami Powder Company is now located.
HENRY BARNES, SR.
Henry Barnes, a native of Virginia, re- moved to Kentucky in 1799, and came to
Xenia in 1807. He was the father of Henry Barnes. Jr., ex-sheriff of Greene county, and the grandfather of Major George Barnes, vet living in Nenia. Ile was the owner of lots Nos. 29-68. No. 29 was situated on the corner of Main and Collier streets, on which was his cabin home. Lot 68 was in the rear of this, fronting on Market street.
JONATHAN H. WALLACE, HATTER.
Mr. Wallace was at this time the owner of lot No. 180, which was situated on the corner of Third and Detroit streets, south- west corner. He came to Xenia in 1807 and was for many years engaged in the busi- ness of making hats. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, and afterward removed to Clark county, Ohio, where he died at the home of Anthony Byers or ( Hyers ). April 25, 1850, aged seventy years.
CAPTAIN ROBERT GOWDY
In 181I had a tanyard on the corner of Third and Detroit streets, where now is lo- cated the firm of Chandler & Maddux. His currying shop, a long one-story log house. stood near that place. Across Detroit street east, where now ( 1900) is located the lum- ber yard of McDowell & Torrence, was an- other tanyard, carried on under the firm name of
WILLIAM ALEXANDER & RICHARD CONWELL.
Mr. Alexander was a brother of the Hon. John Alexander, a native of South Carolina, and who died June 3. 1824. and is buried on the lot of his brother John in Woodland cemetery.
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ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
And thus was Xenia as far as the house- holders are concerned in the year .1. D. 1811. Scattered here and there, no wonder that Mr. Wright said in describing it that it was a little "stumpy, struggling village."
THE FIRST PUBLIC LIBRARY, ORGANIZED IN XENIA IN 1816 .- CONSTITUTION.
"With all thy getting, get understanding."
To provide the means of diffusing lit- erature and knowledge is an object of the greatest importance to society, and claims the attention of every friend of humaniy. For his purpose we, the subscribers, have determined to establish a public library in the town of Xenia, which shall be open to all under the following regulations :
Ist. Each subscriber shall pay to the librarian five dollars on each share annually.
2d. The subscribers shall meet on the fourth Saturday of March, 1816, and on the same day annually forever and elect by bal- lot nine directors, who shall be a standing committee, five of whom shall form a quorum, to regulate the affairs of the li- brary, with the following powers, to-wit: To appropriate the funds of the library for the benefit of the subscribers; to appoint a president and librarian from their own nun- ber, and to assign them their duties; to call a meeting of the subscribers on matters of importance at any time when they think necessary, and to enact by-laws for regulat- ing the affairs and securing the interest of the library.
3. At each annual meeting a report of the proceedings of the committee, together with a list of the books purchased, shall be laid before the subscribers for their inspec- tion.
4th. Two-thirds of the subscribers pres- ent at any annual meeting shall have power to alter or amend these regulations.
5th. Any person neglecting his annual contribution or any fine imposed upon him, when amounting to the sum of two dollars and fifty cents, shall forfeit his share to the use of the company, and if under that sum he shall not enjoy any of the privileges of a subscriber until such sum shall be paid. 6th. Any manager may be removed from office at any time by a two-thirds vote of the subscribers.
7th. Shares may be transferred on the books of the librarian, and each subscriber shall be entitled to draw books in proportion to the number of his shares.
Sth. The library shall go into operation immediately after forty shares shall have been subscribed.
NAMES OF SUBSCRIBERS.
James P. Espey, Josiah Grover, William T. Elkin. Philip Good, William Ellsberry, Samuel Pelham, Joshua Martin, Moses Col- lier, Stith Bonner, Thomas Hunter, John Gaff. Jolin Haines, Thomas Gillespie, James Collier, John Smith, William Laughead, William Alexander, George Junkin. Jesse Watson, Robert W. Stevenson, Anthony. Cannon, Samuel McBeth, Bratton & Beall, Jacob Haines, Francis Kendall, James Tow- ler, Matthew Alexander. Josiah G. Talbott, Jacob Smith, Henry Morgan, James Lamme, James Galloway, Jr., Lewis Wright, William A. Beatty, Alexander Armstrong. William Richards, Daniel Reece. James Popenoe, William Currie, Robert D. Fors- iran and Thomas Embree.
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ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
THE FINAL EFFORT TO HIAVE XENIA INCOR- PORATED.
The first effort to have Xenia incor- porated was presented to the legislature by Jacob Smith, at that time representing Greene county, and can be found in the local laws of 1813. For some reason the law had become inoperative, and hence this second effort to have the town incorporated. Joseph Tatman in 1817 was representing Greene county in the house of our state leg- islature, while Jacob Smith was a member of the Ohio senate from the counties of Clin- ton and Greene. Mr. Tatman was a resi- dent of Bath township and Mr. Smith a resident of Beavercreek. So the western portion of Greene county was well repre- sented at that time. This effort also for same reason proved a failure. The petition, however, is interesting, and is deemed worth saving. and will be returned to the new court house to be placed in the relic room, that is to be, in the sweet by and bye.
A COPY OF THE PETITION.
To the Honorable Court of Common Plous for the County of Greene:
The representation and petition of the subscribing inhabitants and householders of Xenia town respectfully showeth that the town of Xenia contains eighty-eight house- holders, and that the town of Xenia is the county seat of Greene county, and is sit- uated on the north side of Shawnee run, about three miles from its juncture with the Little Miami river. It was laid out by Jo- seph C. Vance, Esq., late director of said town, in the year 1803. by order of the hon-
of able court of common pleas for the county of Greene.
That the plat of said town was duly re- corded in the recorder's office of said county in 1804, and is bounded and described as follows, to-wit : Beginning at a stake stand- ing on the northwest corner of Back street, N. 78 degrees, E. 302 poles, to a stake in Remembrance Williams' land, thence S. 83 degrees, E. 61 poles, to the northeast corner of the out lots of said town, fhence S. 12 de- grees, E. 83 poles, to the corner of lot 27, thence S. 7 degrees, W. 30 poles, to a stake on the bank of the Shawnee run; thence down said run with the meanders thereof to the south end of West street, thence with the west side of said street, N. 12 degrees, W. 127 poles, to the beginning, including all the in lots and fractional in lots and all the out lots numbered and marked on the town plat of said town, as recorded in the office of the recorder of said county, containing two hun- dred and seventy acres, be the same more or less ; being comprised in one plat as aforesaid, and being part of a survey for one thousand acres, No. 2243. entered and surveyed for Warren and Addison Lewis, patented to Robert Pollard.
That on account of the late act for in- corporating the said town having become in- operative, many inconveniences have been experienced by reason of disorders, nuis- ances, which have been openly and secretly created by ignorant or malicious persons to the great detriment and annoyance of the peaceably disposed citizens, and that so long as the present state of things continues no appropriation can be made of the money col- lected by taxes for two years, during which the aforesaid law was inoperative, for the
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ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
benefit of the town, by erecting a market house. improving the streets, or any other public or useful purpose by any existing authority competent thereto.
We therefore pray that the said town of Nenia may be incorporated according to law, and that the honorable court will take all due measures for the accomplishment of this desirable object, and your petitioners as in duty bound will ever pray.
Signed by William Kendall. Francis Kendall. James Watson, Enoch Hixson, Robert Gillespie. John Hivling, Jonathan H. Wallace. John Davis, Joseph Culbertson, Eli Harlan, William Richards, Samuel Gow- dy. William Currie, John Flowers, James Popenoe, William Johnson, Henry McBride, Abraham Corson. David Stewart, Joseph Barker. James L. Johnson, James Gill, John Gowdy. Warren Madden, Ryan Gowdy, Benjamin Newkirk, Robert Mckenzie, Sam- ttel M. Good. Joseph Johnson, J. Herdle- son. James Galloway. Jr., John Dorsey, Thomas Gillespie, Joseph Hamill, Samuel Shaw, Jonathan Owens. Moses Collier, Rob- ert True, Robert Casbold, John Milton, Mills Edwards, Josiah Talbert, James Gow- dy, David Connelly, Andrew W. Davidson, James Edwards, Henry Barnes, Sr., George Townsley, James Jacoby. John Deary, Pleas- ant Moorman, Andrew Moorman. George Townley, Josiah Davidson, William Don- nel, Elijah Ferguson, William Ellsberry. John Stull, Lemuel John, William John, David Douglas, John Van Eaton. George M. Smith. John Howard, Stephen Howard, and John Williams, 66. March 24. 1817.
SALE OF PART OF THE PUBLIC SQUARE IN XENIA IN 1817.
The fathers of Greene county's public
interest were said to have been honest and economical men : no one going through their accounts could for a moment think other- wise, quick to plan and prompt to carry out their plans. This was especially true as re- gards her first commissioners. When a new township was to be laid out in answer to petitions from her citizens, it was promptly done and the necessary machinery soon put in motion to bring about that result. When a new road was called for the same prompt- ness marks their every act. Samuel Gamble. John Haines and Thomas Hunter were the commissioners at the time of the sale of that part of the public square. How long they had been planning to save money to the county by the sale of the aforesaid portion is not known. We learn from the records that on the 4th day of January, 1817. they met for the purpose of surveying and mark- ing the different lots that were to be sold of the public square, and to make prepara- tion for their sale agreeable to an order from court. William A. Beatty, director for the town of Xenia, makes his report to them un- der date of February 14, 1817, as follows :
To the Honorable Court of Commission- ers of the County of Greene, Gentlemen: I have proceeded to and have sold the lots in Nenia you ordered me to sell: the persons who purchased and the prices they brought are as follows: John Barber, part of in lot No. 62, $482.00: George Townsley, part of in lot No. 65. $615.00; George Townsley. part of in lot No. 62, $315.00: John Davis. part of in lot No. 62. $482.00: Ryan Gow- dy, lot No. 35, $1.381.00; total amount. $3.253.00. I believe the above statement to be correct. WILLIAM .A. BEATTY. Director of Xenia.
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ROBINSON'S HISTORY OF GREENE COUNTY.
The one marked No. 35, facing on Main street fifty-seven feet and running back one hundred and sixty-five feet along the eastern boundary line of the public square ( Greene street not opened ), has quite a history, and a story of the same might be written.
Ryan Gowdy and James Gowdy vs. Commissioners of Greene county. This action was filed June 17, 1817. This sunt brought by Ryan and James Gowdy against the commissioners of Greene county ap- pears to have settled forever the question of the right of the commissioners to sell or dispose of any of the public square. And to James Gowdy to-day the people of Greene county are under obligations for saving to us intact as it came from the hand of the donor, John Paul, the aforesaid public square. There may have been on the part of Mr. Gowdy something partaking of the nature of selfishness, or what might be called business tact, or shrewdness, that prompted him to this act. He speaks through his at- torney, John Alexander, of the time he first came to Xenia from Kentucky to locate here in 1805. how he had been led to purchase the lot next to the public square, that he was assured that it would be a good loca- tion for a merchant, that no one could en- gage in the same business, at least not west of him, and therefore he located there, and was successful in business, had been engaged there for eleven years or more, when for the first time he learns of the action of the commissioners,-learns of their order to William A. Beatty. the director of the town, to put up at public auction and to sell part of the public square. and knowing one of these lots was No. 35, which would be a good location for some one and which he considered would be an injury to him to
allow some one else to buy, it was no wonder that even though he had doubts of the com- missioners' right to sell, yet he did not want to take any chances, and therefore instructed his brother, Ryan, to attend the sale and to buy that lot next to him at any price. He intimates that some one was seeking to in- jure him in his business and had used un- due influence over the commissioners in hav- ing them include lot No. 35, the one next to him. And now after the lapse of nearly one hundred years we look at the price the other four sold for and compare what he had to pay for lot No. 35, the one next to him, and it does seem as though some one did want that one and wanted it badly. The case as has been said had gotten into court. A little more than one year later, De- cember 27, 1818. James Gowdy, through his attorney, the Hon. John Alexander, in- troduces his amended bill of complaint, and in that he speaks of his ignorance of the law, and had he known that the commis- sioners could not give him a good title to the lot he bought he would not have given one cent for the aforesaid lot. But at the time of the sale he was in doubt, and others with whom he had conversed were also un- certain, and were of the opinion that the commissioners had transcended their power as agents of the company to seil that which had been donated to the county expressly for public buildings for the county. But the time for action was short, and he did not want to take any risk, and had his brother, Ryan, to attend the sale and purchase the lot, and farther stated that if the court thought the action of the commissioners was legal and a clear title could be given he would abide by the sale and pay the three notes that had been given by him, one of
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which would have been due six months after said sale; one in twelve months and the last in eighteen months after date. This had been made a test case, brought, as has been said, a short time before the first note of Mr. Gowdy would have been due. The names of other parties who had purchased lots were not shown in the case. Without pursuing the matter further, the supreme court, May term, 1821, granted a decree in favor of complainants, and the commission- ers were ordered to return the notes to the parties who gave them. John Alexander, attorney for complainants, and Francis Dunlavey, for defendants, before the Hon. Calvin Pease, chief judge for the supreme court. The lot on which this suit was brought has been described as No. 35. The other four lots were on Detroit and Market streets ( then called Third street ), beginning at the northern end of what is now Greene street, beginning at a point on Detroit street one hundred and sixty-five feet south of the northwest corner of the public square. The outer lines of the lots extending thence northerly to Market street, thence easterly tt the east line of what is now Greene street, thence southerly en that line one hundred and sixty-five feet on Detroit street. the two lots being sixty-six feet deep. On Market the lot was one hundred and four and one- half feet deep, and the northeast corner lot was sixty-seven feet on Market street. The public square contains one and one-half acres of ground.
THOMAS COKE WRIGHT.
He was the successor of William Rich- ards as auditor of Greene county ( 1837- 1854),and was followed by James A. Scott.
who filled the office two terms. He was the most eccentric as well as the most beloved man of his time in Greene county. He was nearly six feet in stature, very fleshy, florid face and was very deaf. His voice was light, pitched upon a high key, and he was a complete specimen in his simplicity of a child man, susceptible and quickly responsive to every shade of emotion. At one moment when speaking of something sad his face would put on the most solemn aspect, and his fine high voice crying tones, then in a twinkling. as something droll flitted across his memory which he would relate, there would come out a merry laugh. The expres- sion of his face when at rest was sad, as is usual with very deaf people of strong and social natures. Mr. Wright was indeed what they term a character, one worthy of the pen of a Dickens. He was a native of Brunswick county, Virginia, and was a lad twelve years of age when, in 1811, he first came to Xenia. When a young man he had been a teacher under Father Finley, the mis- sionary to the Wyandots. He had studied law, but becoming too deaf to practice the people gave him the position of county auditor. He was a poor accountant, but he got along with an assistant. His deficiencies made no difference. his superabounding af- fection for everybody was such that the plain farmers, irrespective of party, would have given him any office he wanted. He was such a warm friend of everybody, and so anxious to do everybody some good. He was a Republican, loved his native Virginia, and told some excellent anecdotes illustra- tive of the affection some of the old-time slave holders had for their old servants, with whom they had begun life as children together in play. Mr. Wright was also inter-
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