History of Greene County, Ohio, Part 17

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

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After Mr. Scott's return from his last term in the legislature he moved with his

family to the John Ewing farm, just east of Xenia, and there followed the occupation of farming. The farm residence was a log house, which stood near where the brick house stands in which Adam Rader used to live. Mr. Scott remained there for two years and then moved to the Hivling farm. on the west side of Nenia, and lived in the house which has since been enlarged and im- proved and is now ( 1899) occupied by Mrs. Jerry Parkhill. Here he continued farming for about two years, when he was elected to the office of county recorder.

It was about this time that the great and disastrous Puterbaugh fire occurred. The fire was first discovered by John Crumbaugh. William McDaniel, and Jacob Bazzel, who. being out very late that night, were pro- ceeding toward home, when they stopped at the corner of Main and Detroit streets for a moment's chat. While there their atten- tion was atttracted by peculiar sounds of some one in great distress, and in proceed- ing in the direction from which the sounds came, they discovered that they were the groans of some one within the Puterbaugh storeroom. and the building was on fire. They gave the alarm and soon hundreds were gathered around the terribe scene, whose revelations of murder and work of de- struction stamped a picture so indelibly upon the minds of all who witnessed the scene that time will fail to erase it. The date of this sad occurrence was August 3. 1845. Two young men in the store were murdered, William Steele and James Kinney. The lat- ter is buried in Woodland cemetery. Mr. Steele was buried in the northeastern cor- ner of what is now known as the West Mar- ket street school yard, then known as the Associate graveyard.

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While recorder, Mr. Scott introduced a new system of indexing the records, which has ever since aided greatly in facilitating the business of the office. He was continued in this office for nine years. After his third term expired he was elected to the office of county auditor, and filled that position one term. Not many years afterward he was elected township trustee, and was continued in that office for many years, and until he de- clined to serve longer on account of his de- sire to relinquish the labors and responsi- bilities of active life, in order to live in a more retired manner during his remaining days.

lle is now in the eighty-sixth year of his age, and has retained the natural faculties of mind and body to an unusual degree. Ilis father died at the age of eighty-six years at the residence of his son, John, near Troy. Ohio, in 1834. His mother died in Pen- sylvania some years before. John Scott, his brother, died near Troy, Ohio, after having passed his eighty-second year. And another brother, William Scott, now lives in Troy, and is in his eighty-second year. This sim- ilarity in the longevity of the father and the three sons and only children is somewhat re- markable. Mrs. Scott was, at the aforesaid date, in the eighty-third year of her age, and has been blessed with a continuation of health and strength of both body and mind to an extent equal to that of her husband's. . They have been married for over sixty-two years. They have survived six of their chil- dren, and have but three living : Mrs. John W. Manor, of this city: David Scott, who lives in Indiana; and James, who resides with his parents on East Second street, this city. Mr. James A. Scott, the subject of this sketch, after a long and useful life, died

at his residence on East Second street, Xe- nia. Ohio. August 12, 1881, aged eighty- seven years, and is buried in our own beau- tiful Woodland.

HISTORY OF THE GALLOWAY CORNER.

We find that away back in 1798 it was a part of what is known as survey No. 2243. in the name of Warren and Addison Lewis, patented to Robert Pollard on the 24th of December. 1798, calling for one thousand acres. On July 6, 1801. Robert Pollard and Jael, his wife, conveyed the same to Thomas Richardson and wife. Elizabeth. On the 27th of June. 1803. John Paul. the founder of Xenia, became the owner of the aforesaid one thousand acres, of which lot No. 37, the Galloway corner. was a part. On the 14th of Novem- ber the honorable court of the county of Greene had decided that the forks of Shawnee creek was to be the permanent county seat of Greene county, Ohio. Jo- seph C. Vance had been employed to survey and lay out the county seat and had been selected to act as director for said county seat. Mr. Vance served in that capacity until September, 1805, and at that date re- signed and William .A. Beatty was chosen as his successor in office. On the 13th of September. 1810. James Galloway. Jr., pur- chased of William A. Beatty lot No. 37. ninety-nine feet on Chillicothe, or Main. street, and one-half the distance of the square running north en Detroit street, con- sideration for the same three hundred dol- lars. Prior to this on the 11th of Septem- ber. 1807. William .A. Beatty had conveyed to Henry Phenix, lot No. 38. immediately west of and adjoining Mr. Galloway's lot,

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and on which he had erected a cabin on the present site of what is now ( 1900) known as the Drees and Thornhill building, and was keeping tavern. On the 14th of November, 1808, Mr. Phenix sold to Dr. Andrew W. Davidson, Nenia's first physician. lot No. 38. On that lot, present site of the John J. Knox saddler's shop, Mr. Davidson erected a two-story brick house. March 11, 1813. Mr. Davidson conveyed to James Galoway, Jr., the lot, which extended west to what is known as the Crumbaugh line. The same year, 1813. that Mr. Galloway purchased lot No. 38, he commenced to build what has been known for almost three-fourths of a century "The Galloway corner," which gave rise to the subject of this sketch. Mr. Hugh Andrew says that a Mr. Hartsook did the mason work, and that it was the largest brick building, in Xenia at that time. The other corners at this time were vacant. and many of the inhabitants of Xenia got their fire wood from the lots on which they lived. The streets at that time were full of stumps and everything presented a wild appearance. Mr. Galloway had previous to this time completed a large brick house in 1809 on his farm, six miles north of Xenia, on the Fair- field pike, known as "Ramblers' Retreat." The old home is yet standing and owned by William H. Collins. Four of Mr. Gallo- way's children were born at this place. The father of Major Galloway had come from Pennsylvania, and had removed and settled in Kentucky, during the most perilous times of Indian warfare, and had participated in the dangers along with Boone, Simon Ken- ton and others, in their struggle to reclaim the land from the savage foe. He was also along with Gen. Roger Clarke, in 1782, in his second expedition to Old Chillicothe, on

the Little Miami, and other points. In the year 1797 he removed from Kentucky to his home in Ohio, and located on land west of the Little Miami, opposite the present Miami Powder Mills. About nineteen years previous to his coming to Ohio, November 23, 1778. he had married Miss Rebecca Junkin, in Cumberland county. Pennsylva- nia. Maj. James Galloway, his eldest son, and the builder of the Galloway corner, had an eventful life. . At the age of twenty years, accompanied by his father, he made a trip back to his old Kentucky home. in 1802, and through the influence of his father, James Galloway, Sr., who had known Col. Rich- ard Anderson in the war of the Revolution. and his uncle, George Pomeroy, he succeed- ed in getting the appointment of deputy sur- veyor of the Virginia military district of Ohio. And one is filled with surprise and wonder to-day ( 1900) as he looks at and examines his large ledgers, books of sur- veys, field notes, and the hundreds of let- ters pertaining to his business in his various transactions, and the thoughts will come. and questions will arise, how could one man accomplish so much, and do it so neatly. And in addition to this work, his home du- ties, duties to his country in the war of 1812. in which he took part. sometimes as .1 private soldier, other times as captain of a company, and as major of a regiment, and in all the work that was essential to making the conditions of his fellow men better, we find Major Galloway did his part and did it well. But we will return to our subject. "The Galloway corner." John W. Shields, along about 1877. says: "In 1814 Major Galloway removed from his place, 'Ramb- lers' Retreat.' to Xenia, and into the corner aforesaid, where spacious rooms had been

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prepared for the family, in addition to the storerooms on the corner. It is with feel- ings of regret that a complete list of the par- ties that transacted business in that corner can not be given. The first to sell merchan- dise was the firm of George Townsley & Co., in 1814. The next to occupy the corner probably was the firm of Dodd. Parkison & Lowry. Jir. John Dodd, the senior mem- ber of the firm, had been to Philadelphia, and had brought home with him among other articles, which he had purchased, the first lucifer matches that had been brought to Xenia. They were a great curiosity, and were stared at by his customers who thought they would be a great thing, enabling them to start a fire without taking a shovel and going half a mile to a neighbor to borrow, but no one thought how universal they would become, and what a help they would be to young boys learning to smoke, and how convenient they would be to incendiaries. A few yet living perhaps still remember Mr. Dodd, his personal appearance in his best days, his energetic, animated face, short neck, and his right shoulder carried higher than the left. Of these old-time merchants only two ( 1877) remain on our streets, John Ewing and Gen. Casper R. Merrick, who are still noted for their quick step and vi- vacity. Mr. James E. Galloway has in his home a photograph of the old corner which he was thoughtful in securing, and it is a valuable picture, and will become more so as time rolls on. In the old building there was a hall entering from Detroit street, and north of this hall were the parlor and sit- ting room, with dining room and kitchen in the rear. The second story afforded the family chambers, and were more spacious and comfortable than was common in that

day. When the family removed to their present mansion the old parlor and sitting room were converted into a storeroom for Philip Lauman. After the removal of the family the second story was used for sey- eral years as a tailor shop by Andrew Hutchison, as genial and clever a man as ever lived in Nenia. He was the father of Clark Hutchison, yet conducting business in Xenia near the site where his father used to be. The Galloway corner is occupied by the present Steele building. The present Galloway mansion ( 1877) was erected in 1830; the materials were all carefully se- lected; Gen. Daniel Lewis was the mason, with his two apprentice boys. Aniel Rog- ers and William C. Robinson, better known as "Bud" Robinson; his carpenter was the late Robert Nesbitt. The family moved in- to their house in 1831, and there they have remained ever since. It is seldom that any family has remained in one place so long. forty-six years in the same house, and sixty- three on the same lot of ground. But fa- ther and mother have passed away, and also brothers and sisters, and now the family is reduced to two. Under those circumstan- ces the old mansion was converted into busi- ness purposes. Major Galloway had the sa- gacity to foresee in the fertile soil of Ohio and its rapid settlement a fine opportunity for acquiring independence and, perhaps. wealth, he became, as we have seen, a sur- veyor and pursued his calling diligently for several years. He acquired large tracts of land in what is known as the military dis- trict that had been set aside for the soldiers of the Revolution. We are informed on good authority that Mr. Galloway after hav- ing secured the position as deputy surveyor. under Col. Richard C. Anderson, supplied

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himself with all the necessary implements, books, etc., that were required for his busi- ness, by taking his trusty rifle and going to the woods hunting, and by the results of such efforts made money enough to pay for all that was needed to perfectly supply his wants in regard to the aforesaid articles. A loft in one of the out buiklings at "Ramb- lers' Retreat" was his office, which he fitted up. It is no wonder that success crowned his efforts. The rapid rise in the value of those lands enabled him to sell and reinvest. His success was, I suppose, much greater than he had at first anticipated. The conse- quence was, that he was able to support a style of life in Xenia that no other family here has ever maintained. His Glady farm of one thousand acres was the Egypt from which he drew his supplies. Ilis stables were stocked with fine horses, and he kept his carriage and coachman. His sons were graduated from Miami university, and his daughters were graduates of the best schools in Cincinnati. He was a lenient creditor, an indulgent landlord, and it gave him pleasure to help a poor man to independence, if he thought him worthy of assistance. He was an elder in the Associate church, under Rev. Francis Pringle, away back in 1811. And his home was ever open, as his father's had been, to the itinerate ministers of that church as well as to all of his friends.

THOMAS STEELE.

Thomas Steele came to the United States in 1812. lle was a native of Ireland. Sometimes but a trifle settles the destinies of man, and, it is said. that the ship on which he sailed was stopped at sea by a British man-of-war. in order to press young

men in the naval service. Mlr. Steele being quick and active hid himself in the hold of the ship so securely that John Bull could not find him, and by this circumstance Great Britain lost a good sailor, but Xenia gained an excellent teacher. Mr. Steele resided at first in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for about two years, then went to Lexington. Kentucky, where he remained one year and in the winter of 1815 came to Xenia. Ohio.

In the spring of 1816 he commenced his school in Xenia, which he continued until about 1848, being sustained by his merit as a teacher. His old pupils well remember his modest and humble dwelling and school house, on the site now occupied by our Cen- ter school building, also the thoroughness of his teaching. He was a devout Christian. religion being with him a calm and abiding conviction and through all his life he re- mained firmly attached to the Covenantor church.

Soon after coming to Xenia Mr. Steele was united in marriage October 9. 1818. to Miss Maria Gaff, of this county. His eldest daughter, Martha Jane, widow of the late Dr. Adams, of Waynesville, Ohio, in 1876 resided in Kansas City, Mo., with her sis- ter, Mrs. Louise Trumbull. His son. Dr. Ebenezier Steele, was assistant surgeon of the Seventy-fourth Ohio Infantry during the late Civil war. He died at Nashville. Tennessee. His second daughter, Margaret. was the wife of the late R. F. Howard, one of Xenia's best lawyers, while his daughter. Mrs. Mary A. Patrick, now a widow, re- sides with her sister, Mrs. Elizabeth Tor- rence, at Belle Center, Ohio, and his son, William, is now ( 1876) in the state of Texas. In 1848 Mr. Steele moved to Ad- ams county, Ohio, but his change was un-

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fortunate and he returned to Nenia in 1853. where he remained until 1860, when he went to spend the remainder of his days with his daughter at Belle Center, Ohio. Who of the older people of Xenia but remembers Thomas Steele? Among some of his pupils were Abraham Hivling, Alfred Trader, Thornton Marshall, George Mon- roc. Benoni Nesbit, AAlbert Galloway and Thomas P. Townsley, but to enumerate is out of the question. We must take them by families. There were the Starks, Merricks, Roberts, Crumbaughs and from among almost all the old families of Xenia. Peace be to his ashes. Ile died at Belle Center, August 6. 1875, aged eighty-four years.

ROBERT NESBIT

Was a carpenter by trade. Many of the first and best houses were built by him in the county at an early date. He came from Indiana county, Pennsylvania, in 1817, and was married to Miss Nancy Townsley, daughter of Thomas Townsley, Sr., who was one of the first settlers near the pres- ent site of Cedarville. His wife was a sis- ter to Mrs. Major James Galloway, Jr. He was born in Ireland, December 27, 1790, and died in Xenia, Ohio, Jun - 26 1876, at the ripe age of eighty-six years. He is bur- ied in Woodland cemetery.

SAMUEL CRUMBAUGH, SR.,

Was a hatter by trade. He came to Xenia in 1817. He purchased the lot now cov- ered by the wholesale house of Eavey & Co. and westward. He was a man that was highly respected in Xenia, and was the fa- ther of the late Samuel Crumbaugh, sheriff

of Greene county, and other children who were well known and respected. After spending nearly sixty years of his life in Nenia. on September 6, 1876, word came that the old pioneer had entered into his rest. In the year 1833 he assisted in or- ganizing the Reformed church in this city. of which he was a faithful member. He was a native of Maryland, born August 29, 1791, and was eighty-five years of age at the time of his death. He lies in Wood- land cemetery.

ABRAHAM LAREW.

Mr. Larew was one of the carly settlers of Xenia, a carpenter by trade, having lo- cated here in the year 1800. About 1834 he removed from Nenia to Logansport, In- diana, where he resided several years, but for some years previous to his death he re- sided near Cincinnati, with his son-in-law, Stephen Reeder (who was also a former resident of Nenia ), where he died April !, 1858, aged eighty-three years.

Some of the houses that he built are still standing in Nenia, notably one that is being used as a school house on West Mar- ket street. It is on Detroit street. about where the "famous cheap store" of A. G. Hiller now stands, and served as a grocery store of D. A. Dean & Bro., and the upstairs as the office for many years of the Xenia Torch Light. When the march of improve- ment took place it had to go, and was re- moved to its present location.

Mr. Larew was also a soldier in the war of 1812 from Greene county, and was like- wise a soldier of the Revolution. Thus one by one are the old settlers being gathered to their fathers.

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AN OLD LANDMARK REMOVED.

In April. 1857, workmen were engaged in removing the old building that stood on what was called the Jonathan Wallace lot- where now ( 1899) stands the Trebein mill. This was one of the oldest buildings in town, having been erected by Mr. Wallace in 1811. as a residence. It was built of logs, and when first erected was but one story high. A few months later another story was added, and it was then looked upon as quite a stylish affair. Mr. Wallace occu- pied it for more than thirty years. He was a hatter by trade. He removed from Xenia. and died at the house of Anthony Byers. Darke county, April 25, 1850, aged seventy years.

EDWARD WATTS

Died at his residence one mile east of Xenia . June 23, 1859. aged seventy-five years. He was born in Petersburg, Virginia, in 1782, and came to Ohio in 1806. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, serving six months in a tour of duty, and was in the expedition to the Manmee Rapids under the command of General Tupper. He came to Greene coun- ty in 1806, and was married in 1821 to Mrs. Margaret (Snavley) Reece, and settled on his farm one mile east of Xenia, where he continued to reside until his deatlı. He was always true to his country and prin- ciples, and in politics an unwavering, zeal- ous Whig. His last sickness was of several months' duration. He lies buried in the Watt's family burial ground near the Xenia water works stand-pipe.

MAJOR GEORGE GORDON.

Mr. Gordon was born in Cumberland

county, Pennsylvania, on the 7th of Sep- tember, 1786. His father decided to move west in 1790. and taking his family, canie in a wagon from near Harrisburg, Penn- sylvania, across the mountain to the river some miles above where Pittsburg now stands. And at that point they proceeded down the river in a flat boat, and landed at a place called Limestone, which has since developed into the extensive town of Mays- ville, Kentucky. Going from there farther back into the state they settled near Lexing- ton, Fayette county, but leaving there in 1802. they came to Ohio, which was then a part of the northwestern territory, crossing the Ohio river on a flat boat at Cincinnati, making their live stock swim the stream. Mr. Gordon said he remembered crossing the Ohio five times in that way during the year. Proceeding then to Warren county. then a part of Hamilton county, they settled near Lebanon, where Mr. Gordon remained with his father until 1813.

Previous to 1808 Major Gordon was afflicted with a severe attack of rheumatism. from which he suffered greatly for many years, though during his later years he was not harrassed with the accustomed pains of the disease. He said the disease was first brought on by sleeping in a "Dutchman's" feather bed. He one day took a load of grain to the mill to be ground, and was forced to remain at the mill over night while the grinding was being done. The miller, a German, slept in the mill and had a bed on the ground floor of the building. This he invited Mr. Gordon to occupy for the night, while he would attend to the mill and have the grist by morning. Being prevailed upon, Mr. Gordon accepted the offer and was soon tucked beneath a huge feather-bed.

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Here he slept soundly, and in a thorough perspiration arose early in the morning and went out into the cold air, harnessed his horses, loaded his wagon and proceeded home, but before he arrived there he was completely chilled, and not long after began to suffer excruciating pains of rheumatism.

In 1808 he went with his mother and a neighbor, also a young man and an invalid, to Yellow Springs, to test the efficacy of the water there as a cure for his disease. The ground around the springs at that time be- longed to Mr. Lewis Davis, and one of the buildings, a rude log cabin, the trio occupied. In this they lived. pro- viding and eating their own food, which Mrs. Gordon prepared. For the use of the cabin and the privilege of the water they paid Mr. Davis seventy-five cents per week. And Mr. Gordon said that life then was far more conductive to com- fort, happiness and health than it is now. with an immense three-story hotel and fash- ionable display, at an expense of ten or twelve dollars per week. He was benefited by the use of the water there, but it did not effect a permanent cure. After Hull's sur- render in 1812 he went with a company of "Light Horse" cavalry from Franklin, Ohio, to Ft. Wayne to relieve the garrison there, who were expecting'a strong attack from the Indians. No attack was made, however, during his stay, which was short, as sleeping on the ground soon caused a re- turn of the rheumatism, with all of its old force, and he was compelled to return home.

Mr. Gordon first saw Xenia in 1805. when he came up from Warren county to help his brother, William Gordon, who was an early settler in Xenia, to move from that county to Xenia. William Gordon pur-

chased lot No. 176, on the corner of Water and Whiteman streets, and there erected and run the first brewery in Nenia, a small log establishment. Mr. Gordon came again in 1806 or 1807, when he came to assist his brother in hauling the timber for a two- story log house, forty by forty feet, which his brother William erected near the house known as the James Gowdy home, corner lot No. 33. Some years ago, during the time M. D. Gatch, of this city, was a member of the state legislature, while reading the Ohio State Journal, to which he was a regular subscriber, he saw several communications which attempted to fix the date of the noted "cold Friday" each giving a different date. Soon after, when sending the subscription money for the paper, he accompanied it with a note to the editor, in which he referred to the communications he had read, and stated that the date of that day was Friday. Febru- ary 14, 1807. He was surprised to see his communication in the following issue of the Journal, together with the editor's remark that Mr. Gordon must be correct, as the 14th of February that year came on Friday, while all dates by others came on some other day of the week. Mr. Gordon said he re- membered that day distinctly : that the even- ing preceding he and his brother, antici- pating rough weather. had hunted up a young calf belonging to William and placed it in what they supposed very comfortable quarters, secure from the cold, but in the morning they found it frozen to death in spite of their care. . Also, that on that cold day the men who had gathered at the huge log tavern, then near the southeast corner of Main and Detroit streets, kept by William .1. Beatty, better known as Major Beatty. growing impatient with the fire which was

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History of Greene County, Ohio, Part 17

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