History of Greene County, together with historic notes on the northwest and the state of Ohio, Part 41

Author: R. S. Dills
Publication date: 1881
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1037

USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County, together with historic notes on the northwest and the state of Ohio > Part 41

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The first winter buckskin was worn a great deal, which did very well in dry weather; but when it became wet it was entirely too affectionate, and when the breeches were hung up to dry they be- came so stiff that they required a goodly amount of beating before you could persuade them to go on, and then much coaxing to allow you to navigate without responding in many a pinch between the folds. Mr. Andrew says he was very anxious to have a buckskin suit, and persuaded his brother-in-law to get him two skins, and he hired a tailor to make them up. He was very proud of them until they got wet, and then he wished he had never seen them. One of the first houses in Xenia was next door east of the present site of the First National Bank. The first court in Xenia was held in it. Mr. Andrew remembers it the more distinctly because an enter- prising merchant had a bag of peaches at the root of an oak tree, and it was here, he says, he got his "first good fill of peaches in Greene County."

In 1805 Major Morrow settled about eight miles east of Xenia, in the neighborhood of the Kyles. William and Robert Kendall settled about two miles east of Xenia. A shoemaker named Alex- ander Ruff was the first man buried in - Cemetery. Another man, by the name of Stephen Winters, built a cabin on Oldtown Run, and in company with his brother James, lived there for some time. In the following year James Andrew came from Nashville, and settled about one-half mile from the powder mills, on this side of Yellow Springs.

Here there occurs a hiatus in Father Andrew's memory, and we pass over to 1812, when John Jacobi came from Pennsylvania, and bought the Oldtown mill. About this time, also, came the Ken- dalls. The little settlement now received accessions from South Carolina, in the Fergusons, who settled on the Clifton road. The settlements after this, as the Indian troubles abated, increased too rapidly, both by accession and internal growth, to be followed spe- citically.

LOCATION OF XENIA-A PREDICTION.

"Between the years 1825 and 1828," says Captain Ben Nesbitt, "I was walking along the road leading to the present village of Alpha, on the Dayton pike, when I saw a man approaching, mount- ed upon a flea-bitten, gray horse, whom I soon recognized as one

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Lewis Davis. Mr. Davis was on one of his annual visits from Cincinnati, to see his son Clabourn, who bore the amphibious sur- name of Shingledecker and Davis. Being well acquainted with the captain, then quite a boy, the old gentleman entered into a familiar conversation upon topies of general interest, among which was the improvement, growth, and future prospects of the sur- rounding country, and its great development since he first visited it. Growing enthusiastic, the old gentleman climbed down off his old horse, and sitting down by the roadside, and in the course of his conversation upon the early settlers and their individual peculiari- ties, Jonathan Paul was mentioned, who, he said, in an early period entered land and built a cabin.

Upon one of his previous trips to see his boy, 'Claib,' he chanced to meet Paul, who told him that on his tract of land he purposed laying out the county seat, backing up his assertion by illustrating the feasibility, advantages of location, etc. Davis, who was a large land owner and veteran pioneer, and seemingly possessed of an in- tuitive knowledge as to the direction of greatest development in a country, disagreed with Paul's opinions, and informed him that there never would be a county seat there. Taking his map from his pocket, and spreading it upon the ground, he proceeded to demonstrate the grounds of his dissenting. Premising by the re- mark that county seats naturally located themselves upon thorough- fares between points on the Ohio on the south, and Lake Erie on the north, the southern point manifestly Cincinnati, and Sandusky the northern. Then placing the butt end of his riding-whip on Cincinnati, he dropped the small end on Sandusky, which, upon examination, cut the county at the forks of Shawanoes Creek. Placing his finger upon the spot now occupied by Xenia, he said, 'There will be the county seat.' He then pushed on to see his boy ' Claib.' After remaining a week or so, he returned to Cin- cinnati ; but upon approaching the cabin of his friend Paul, he found it vacant and locked. A few days subsequent he learned that Paul had, immediately after the conversation above mentioned, gone to Cincinnati and entered all the land in the vicinity, and upon which is located now the city of Xenia. Thus it would seem, from the conjunction of facts and prediction, that Xenia was lo- cated in the above manner."

In the selection of a county seat, the preference seemed at first in the direction of Caesarsville; but upon due deliberation the

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present site of Xenia was determined upon, and on the 4th day of August, 1803, Joseph C. Vance was, by the court, then sitting at the house of Peter Borders, appointed to survey the seat of justice. Giving bond in the sum of fifteen hundred dollars for the the faith- ful performance of his duties, with Joseph Wilson and David Hus- ton as sureties, he proceeded to lay out and survey, in the autumn of the same year, the present city of Xenia. The surrounding country then was a wilderness, in which the native denizens of the forest held high carnival. John Paul had previously bought this tract, and donated for public buildings, it is said, that portion bounded by Main, Market, Detroit, and Greene streets.

ORIGINAL SURVEY.

As we have seen, Joseph C. Vance was appointed to lay off and survey the town of Xenia. In the late case of Wright vs. Hicks, it has been shown, from evidence based upon the testimony of Levi Riddell (county surveyor), Hugh Andrew, a citizen ever since 1804, David Kline, C. L. Merrick, T. Drees, and Alfred Trader, that there was a stone set in the central point of junction, at the cross- ing of Main and Detroit streets, which said stone was about five inches square, with a cross cut on its crown at right angles, and a hole drilled in the center of the cross; that this said stone was the center of the corporation of the town of Xenia, and the starting point and governing monument for all subsequent surveys and lines run, or to be run, in and through said town.

In 1804, John Marshall purchased one of the lots, and erected a small log cabin. This little cabin, standing alone in the forest, was the nucleus of the present city of Xenia. The second log house was put up soon after, but we are unable to learn by whom. It is said that John and James Stephenson assisted in raising it. The town seems to have increased rapidly, for in 1805 there was a log school house erected for the education of the town children. The first hewed log house was built for Rev. James Towler, a Methodist preacher from Virginia. As the population increased, the refine- ment of taste discarded the old log cabin, with its rude, puncheon floor, and soon we see the frame standing proudly among its more humble log companions; its owner David A. Sanders.

The fact that Xenia was to be the county seat drew many citizens

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of the county to it as a future commercial center, and as a natural sequence its growth in the beginning was very rapid.

Among the earliest settlers here, we are able to record the fol- lowing : John Paul, the first county clerk, and original proprietor of the town; Josiah Grover, the second county clerk, recorder, and auditor (these offices, in early times, residing in the same person). William A. Beatty was the first tavern keeper. Henry Barnes moved here and followed the carpenter trade. To be sure, there was not much elaborate walnut and ash finish, but the corners had to be carried up true, and the roof well put on, and all things sub- stantial, if not fancy; and we find that the characteristics of the people in those days were in harmony with their surroundings- plain, honest, artless, substantial, unassuming. Now, in mansions of tinseled blazonry, they are artful, cunning, deceitful. James Collier next opens up another tavern. With the increase of popu- lation dissensions arose, and we find a ponderous representative of the law in John Alexander. As legal suasion failed to bring about complete social reformation, moral and spiritual influences were in- troduced, in the person of Rev. John Towler. By this time, too, the settlers had worn out all the clothes brought with them, and the keen eye of John Stull, seeing an opportunity to make money, moved in and set up a tailor shop, where he mended buckskin breeches and manufactured jeans and linsey. In those days "spring bottoms," Prince Alberts, and ulsters were not known, but the pants were made with one seam, and the coat of the wamus style, or hunting shirt.

As the children grew up, the necessity of an education was felt, and the services of Benjamin Grover were rendered in this direc- tion as the first school teacher in Xenia. Logs were hauled, and wagons used and broken; plows among the roots and stumps did not last long; and soon we observe the village " smithy" in John Williams, son of Remembrance Williams, and father of Mrs. David Medsker. In those primitive days, when people raised flax, and made the material of their own clothes, spinning-wheels were an indispensable piece of furniture. This drew a wheelwright, in the shape of John Mitten, who also was a maker of chairs, when the time came for these articles to supersede the three-legged stool, that alone would stand upon the uneven puncheon floor. While Mr. Stull prepared material for the body, Mr. Wallace and Captain Stull converted the skins of animals into leather for the feet; and that

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both extremities should be protected, we observe Jonathan Wallace making hats. The wants of the sick were relieved by Dr. David- son. James and Samuel Gowdy were the first to gladden the eyes of the ladies with pioneer calico, which was worn on Sunday, and at weddings, and other serious occasions. About this time another lawyer appears, named William Ellsbury. More carpenters are re- quired, and Abraham LaRue is seen with his kit. James Bunton was an early resident, and excellent carpenter and cabinet maker.

HOUSES.

The original houses built by the first settlers were rude log struc- tures, with puncheon floors, clapboard roof, held down by weight poles, and doors made of split puncheons hung with wooden hinges, greased paper for window glass, and furniture to correspond. Of these, two are still standing upon their original foundation ; one, a two story log, on the north side of west Main Street, on the first lot west of James M. Cooper's hardware store. This house was built in 1805 by Mr. Bonner, father of Frederick Bonner, for Rev. James Towler, as a parsonage. The other, the first house east of Samuel Holmes residence, was built by James Buntin, in 1806. He shortly afterwards sold it, and left the town. These houses are now both weather-boarded, and would not be recognized as the original cabins.

At this period, 1803 to 1805, the whole country around Xenia was one unbroken forest, beneath whose sylvan shades the timid deer lay down to rest; among whose branches the playful squirrel sported in freedom, the songs of birds made the forests redolent with music, and altogether a scene of natural beauty and harmony presented itself to the senses-delightful and enchanting. But as if nature could not blend in such harmony, the charm is broken by the dismal midnight howl of the wolf, or the blood-curdling whoop of the red man. Amid such surroundings our forefathers hewed a resting place for themselves, and planned for us the beautiful homes we now enjoy.

When the family of Mr. Bonner moved into their cabin, in 1803, there was a family about two miles south of them by the name of Price. Two miles north, on or near, the present villa of the Rob- erts heirs, lived Remembrance Williams and his family, in a small log hut. On the west, from the Little Miami to the crossing at

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Caesar's Creek of the Wilmington and Xenia pike, there was but one cabin. Near Oldtown run, about a mile and a half from Mr. R. Williams' hut, stood a cabin, the only house this side of Massie's Creek, occupied by a family of Stumps.

GAME.

It is said that at this time deer were as plentiful as hogs are now, while turkeys and pheasants made the forest resound with their gobbling and drumming. In the depths of the woods might be seen, at almost any time, the bear, wolf, panther, catamount, and wild-cat, who remained within their sequestered fastness during the day, and at the approach of darkness, sallied out in search of prey.

The valley through which the Little Miami Railroad now passes from Xenia to Cincinnati, literally swarmed with wolves. All the live stock of the early settler had to be driven in at night, and placed within strong enclosures. Even then, the ravenous prowlers had to be driven away by fire-brands, bells, and fire-arms.

Bands of Indian hunters frequently visited this locality when game was abundant. One of their principal hunting camps was . situated on the ridge a short distance west of the present residence of Mr. Wash. Stark. Their sole object was hunting, and they were never any cause of annoyance to the settlers.

Shortly after the arrival of Frederick Bonner, Sr., his son David was seized with a desire to see Xenia, of which he had often heard. Taking, therefore, his little brother Freddie with him, one morning, he started through the woods in the direction of the town ; cutting his way through the underbash as he proceeded. After much labor and very slow progress they arrived at the bank of Shawanoes Creek, where it is crossed by the Cincinnati pike, and Dayton Railroad. After resting awhile, "Freddie's" curiosity being aroused, he insisted on going on to town, as he wanted to see it. But upon being in- formed that there were no houses there, his ardor subsided, and they retraced their steps along the road they had made, the first road into Xenia.

The first public road into Xenia from the south, extended from a village on the Ohio called Bullskin, north, to Urbana, from the former of which it received the euphonious name of the Bullskin road.

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In 1805, William Gordon moved from Warren County to Xenia, and built and ran the first brewery in the town. It was a small log establishment, and stood near the present northeast corner of Water and Whiteman streets.

Mr. George Gordon, brother of William, helped move him here, but did not remain. He was here again in 1806, and assisted his brother in erecting a large log house, 40x40, which then included the site now occupied by the brick business rooms of Aschiem, on Main Street.

COLD FRIDAY.

On Friday, February 14, 1807, in a huge log cabin near the south- east corner of Main and Detroit streets, kept as a tavern by Major Beatty, there was, as usual, quite a crowd; and thinking the green wood was not giving out sufficient heat in the house, they emptied the contents of the fire-place into the middle of the street, declaring they would make it burn out there to suit themselves. While they were carrying the wood out, others stole the fuel prepared by James Kendall to burn the brick for the new court house ; each party actuated, it would seem, by the spirit, called devilishness, in a mild form.

In connection with the above, we append a contribution, with a few changes, from Mr. "I. S. O.," who says that Frederick Bonner, Sr., and John Sale, emigrated from Dinwiddie County, Va., (see county history). The neighborhood of Union derived its name from four surveys of land, upon which the following persons located : In 1803 and 1804, Frederick Bonner, John Sale, and James Butler ; in 1805, T. Perkins, and a Mr. Gary ; in 1806, Tinsley Heath, James and John Loyd, John Fires, Lewis and Isaac Maitland, Horatio and Bennet Maxey, and Peter Pelham; in 1811, Phillip Davis; and about the same time, also, Samuel Wright, father of Thomas Coke Wright, George Wright, and William Owens.

This was a strong Methodist community, and meetings were at once organized, and discourses were held at the house of Mr. Bon- ner, while the stately patriarchs of the forest waved their branches over the heads of these devout pioneers, who thought it not wrong to worship God amidst the profound stillness of his own creation.

In this connection, we reproduce a sketch of David Medsker, who was born in Highland County, in 1807, and came to Xenia

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November 6, 1829, entering into the business of an undertaker.

Mr. Medsker's memory was very retentive, and in his seventy- second year the incidents of the earthquake of 1812 remained vividly portrayed upon his mind. Coeval with this, he remember- ed his father's return from Hull's surrender.

Previous to the organization of Woodland Cemetery, in 1847, of which Mr. Medsker was a director, there existed four ceme- teries, namely : The German Reformed, on Church Street, aband- oned upon the organization of Woodland; the Methodist, on Water Street, sold by order of court; the Gowdy, or Associate Reformed, also on Water Street; and the Associate, corner of Market and West streets, abandoned, and reverting to the heirs of Major Galloway, was by them sold to the Board of Education, who twelve years ago built upon it the first ward school house. The first person buried in the new cemetery was a daughter of Wil- liam Hollingshead, His first experience in lining coffins was in Xenia, in 1835. The material used was white paper, which not pleasing him was abandoned, muslin henceforth superseding it. This coffin was made for Philip Davis, of Union settlement, who was buried in the then fashionable short breeches and knee-buckles. He loved to relate anecdotes about the professional cryers, or hired mourners, in early days, and of a professional contest with them. They endeavored to beat him to the house, in order to put in a sufficient amount of mourning to sustain their reputation. He was as equally determined, and by redoubling his efforts got the .corpse inside the coffin just as the professionals arrived, and before they got under good headway. On another occasion these crying muezzens went without an invitation, entered the room, and began their work most vociforously, when the head of the house laid violent hands on them, and put them out, with the information that the relatives could do the mourning.

IIe once had a comical experience with a clergyman, Dr. Asbury Lowry. We relate it in the original. It appears the old gentle- man was for many years a member of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Xenia, and Lowry was the pastor. Mr. Medsker, on account of his business, was not able to attend meeting or class regularly, and had several times been lectured for his absence by Lowry. Finally Lowry went to him, and had in his hand a large club, or cane, and raising it threatened him that if he did not come to church he would cut him off. Medsker told him to cut and be

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darned. Soon afterwards he again attacked him in a grave-yard, just after a funeral, and within hearing of the persons assembled. Medsker grew to dislike Lowry very much. One day Lowry met Medsker in a store, and dunned him for a subscription to assist in purchasing the seminary. Medsker had intended giving something to what he deemed a good cause, but disliking the parson, in reply to his solicitation he made this proposition : "Look here, Lowry, I'll tell you' what I'll do. I'll give you fifty dollars, if you will agree never to speak to me again." Lowry accepted the offer, and Medsker drew his check for the amount and gave it to him. Not long after, Medsker chanced to go to the front door of his dwell- ing, and saw Lowry stepping (measuring) off the large stone in front of his house. At once Lowry commenced begging him for the stone, saying it was wider than the law allowed on a pavement, but was just the thing they wanted for the seminary. Medsker replied : " Didn't I give you fifty dollars never to speak to me again ?" Lowry bowed his head, walked off, and never made an- other effort at conversation with him.

In his half a century of business life as an undertaker, Mr. Medsker affirms that he has interred nearly as many people as are now composed in the present population of Xenia, or over seven thousand. It is believed that few persons living have buried so many people. Certainly Mr. Medsker's experience has been most remarkable in this direction.

It may be observed in this connection, that inasmuch as we are upon a grave subject, we may as well continue the strain, and as a cotemporary of Mr. Medsker introduce Mr. David B. Cline, who came originally from Bucklestown, Berkerly County, Virginia, and first settled in Milford, (now Cedarville, Greene County,) in 1827, on the 28th day of April. He subsequently moved to Xenia, in April, 1834, and worked during the first year of his residence for the corporation, grading and improving the streets, and occasion- afly in the capacity of brick-mason, in the employ of Bazil Kiler. We can present this reminiscence in no better shape than it ap- peared in the "Gazette" :

For six years following this, he drove a hack to and from Cin- cinnati, Dayton, and Springfield, and many were the jolts and thumps he received while driving over the old corduroy roads of those days. There was then a very bad piece of road just north of Yellow Springs. Many of the poles had rotted through, and for

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a long distance there was a continuance of chuck-holes, very rough and difficult of passage. It was the custom of the hack drivers, when coming to this place, to start their horses on a lively run, making the passage so rapidly that the wheels of the vehicle would jump from pole to pole, clearing nearly every chuck-hole at a bound.

In the autumn of 1847, Mr. Cline was engaged to assist in sur- veying Woodland Cemetery. In November, the surveyor being absent for some time, he laid out the first lot and dug the first grave in the cemetery. He took charge of it in 1848, as sexton, and continued in the position for many years, and amid all the rage of excitement during the cholera year, he remained faithfully at his post of duty. In the months of July and August, 1848, he buried the remains of eighty-five who had died of that disease. The first victim of the plague here was a stranger, who died at the depot, in June. Mr. Cline had received orders to dig the grave, and with the assistance of an Irishman, whom he had employed, had prepared the grave and was awaiting the arrival of the corpse, when he was called to another part of the grounds to assist the surveyor a few moments, and directing Pat to aid in lowering the coffin, place the boards above it in the order of their number, and fill up the grave, he left him. Pat, who had expressed himself as "devil a bit afraid o' the disaze," stood his ground until he saw the hearse approaching, when he started immediately in an oppo- site direction, and Mr. Cline who was just returning, saw him go over the back fence. He never made his appearance again till the next winter, when he returned for some money due him for work, and urged as an excuse for his sudden departure " that indade he had jist resaved a letter from his brother, and had to be off imma- jetly to avide losin' some money." When reminded that there was no post-office in the cemetery, he was completely dumfounded, and slunk away in silence.

When the body of Hillory Neil, who was the first citizen of Xenia to die with the cholera, was taken to the cemetery, Mr. Cline, not having received notice in sufficient time, did not have the grave ready to receive it. One of the men who accompanied the corpse grew impatient at the delay, and stepping up to Mr. Cline said : "Can't you keep a few graves dug ahead, and not wait till a man dies, and you get an order before you begin the work, and thus keep us waiting ?" " Certainly," replied Mr. Cline,

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" if you will take the measure of the people before they die; and if you think that a good idea, I will just take your measure right here, and when they haul you out, will put you in without delay." This put a quietus upon his enthusiasm, and he did not leave his measure.

The next morning a negro in the employ of Medsker came to the cemetery with the body of Mrs. Neil. The fellow became un- easy when he found the grave not quite prepared, and proposed leaving the coffin on the ground, and returning to town forthwith. When asked why no one came with him, he replied that three had started, but when, on arriving at the cemetery, he looked around for them, " dey was no wha to be found." " Well," said Mr. Cline, " if they all run off I will, too, and you can stay here with that corpse and bury it." At this, the darkey came to terms at once, and agreed to stay and help lower the remains. Shortly after this had been done, the missing trio arrived, so drunk that they had lost sight of the hearse, and gone in some other direction. One reckless fellow, named " Last" George, who stuttered terri- bly, now rendered worse confounded by whisky, informed Mr. Cline that " they ha-ha-had be-been hi-hi-hired by-by the cow- cow-council to lay out the corpses of them tha-that died wi-with the chol-cholera, take 'em to the cem-cemetery, and bur-bury 'em, for fo-four dollars a he-head; think there's a speculation in it." IIe then asked Mr. Cline how many graves he could dig that day, who in reply asked him how many he wanted, and who was dead. He answered that he thought they would need four or five; that no one else was dead yet that he knew of, but that they had stop- ped at Mr. McCune's as they came along, and he thought there would be two or three dead by the time they got back to town.

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History of Greene County, together with historic notes on the northwest and the state of Ohio, Part 41

Author: R. S. Dills Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1037

Author: R. S. Dills
Publication date: 1881
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1037