USA > Ohio > Greene County > History of Greene County, together with historic notes on the northwest and the state of Ohio > Part 42
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Going immediately to town himself, Mr. Cline met two of the councilmen on the street, and told them that he had come to get their measures for their graves. They answered in great surprise, " Why ! what's the matter, Cline ?" Mr. Cline retorted that any councilmen who would employ a set of drunken men to bury the dead in such a trying time, ought to be buried themselves. Then explaining the matter to them, the worthless fellows were dis- charged.
As the cases increased, people became frightened, and it was very difficult to procure grave diggers. Sometimes four or five men would be required before one grave was finished.
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On one occasion, a man came from Spring Valley, in great haste, and left the measure of a person who had died there in the morn- ing of cholera, and urged him to hurry up, as the procession was then on the way. Although this was about 11 o'clock, the grave was ready by 1 o'clock, and Mr. Cline waited, expecting every mo- ment to see the procession, till sunset. He then went to supper, and when going up town he met a man in advance of the hearse, at the corner of Main and West streets, whom he questioned as to the cause of delay. " Why," said this individual in astonish- ment, " the fellow didn't die till this evening. I was talking with him until 4 o'clock this afternoon, myself."
One young man-a blacksmith-went to the cemetery in the afternoon, selected a half lot, and ordered a grave for his wife's sister, who had died at his house, and who was accordingly buried that evening. The next morning Mr. Cline received an order to dig a grave for the young man himself, who was then dead, and whose remains were interred before 10 o'clock the same day.
Such were the terrible ravages of this fell destroyer. After the disease had somewhat abated, and the excitement subsided, while going one day towards the cemetery he was accosted by an old acquaintance with, " Halloo, Cline! is it possible this is you ? I thought you were dead." "No; guess I am not dead yet," was the answer. " Well, I heard that while digging a grave for another fellow, you took suddenly sick, died within a few hours, and was buried in the same grave you had been digging."
Mr. Cline took charge of the cemetery when it existed only in name; not laid off; only inclosed by a rail fence; no house for a sexton; no place for tools; and when the individual notes of the board were outstanding to pay for the grounds. He assisted in lay- ing out the lots and avenues, set out the pine tree in the center of the mound, and planted the others along the avenues; set out the hedge fence around the grounds, and improved them generally. Besides attending to his duties as sexton, he rendered great assist- ance in selling lots, and in overcoming an existing prejudice against purchasing them, and disinterring the bodies at the old grave-yard and re-interring them in the new. He exhumed many bodies from the Methodist, German Reformed, and Beall burying-grounds, and placed them in Woodland. To such an extent, indeed, did he pur- sue this occupation, that Medsker used to call him the "old resur- rectionist." After resigning the charge of the cemetery, Mr. Cline
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was elected street commissioner for two years. With one brief ex- ception, Mr. Cline has been a permanent citizen of this county for over fifty years, and a citizen of Xenia over forty-five years.
OLDTOWN.
The village of Oldtown is located about three miles north of Xenia, on Oldtown Run, not far from its confluence with Massie's Creek. As has been previously observed, its original name was Chillicothe. To prevent confusion with other towns of the same name, it was first called Old Chillicothe, and finally Oldtown, by which it is now known.
The original proprietors, we are informed, were Daniel Lewis and David Monroe. In a previous chapter we have treated some- what of its early history, and shall, therefore, confine ourselves to a cursory view of it here. The original plat, by Moses Collier, the first surveyor, was received for record February 6, 1839, although it had existed some time prior to this. Its population in 1870 was over two hundred, and in 1880 about the same. In 1870 it had one shoemaker, one blacksmith, one distillery, one grocery, two wagon makers, one firm, dealers in flour, etc.
It seems that the first house was built by William Thorn, be- tween the years 1812 and 1815. The next one was built by Amasa Reed, in 1815. In 1817, Orrin North and Joseph Bullard came from Connecticut here, and started a blacksmith and wagon-mak- ing shop. Caleb West built in about 1817, and in connection with Reed, carried on a cabinet shop on the premises now occupied by a barn, formerly owned by William North. Up to the year 1830, or 1835, there were but six houses, owned respectively by Joseph Bul- lard, Orrin North, David Strathen, Malen Strathen, and John Jacobi.
The first tavern was a log house, still standing, situated nearly in the center of town, about 20x20, low ceiling, only one room, with bar and dining-room at the north end. Many an Indian buck has wet his guzzle here with the fire-water of the pale-face, which ex- citing his frenzied imagination, gory sealps and screaming women danced before his vision.
This was a favorite rendezvous on muster day, and tangle-foot flowed without stint, stimulating the sham soldier into the realities of a sanquinary conflict, that often ended, not in gun-shot wounds, but in harmlessly bloody noses and obstructed vision.
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This village is noted as being located near the spot marking the adventures of the celebrated Simon Kenton. About a mile north- east of town, at the end of the prairie, behind the bluff, on Mas- sie's Creek, is supposed to be the spot where the horses were stolen. The spot upon which the council house is said to have been located is now marked by a house about seventy-five yards southwest of the Methodist Church, and occupied by William Hulbert. The point from which he started on his perilous race is supposed to be near the site of the mill now owned by Francis M. Linkhart, about a half mile from the Methodist Episcopal Church, that being about the distance run.
As we stood upon the spot, and beheld the peaceful security in which the domestic animals were resting, some feeding, some stand- ing in the shade of the trees, our mind ran back to over one hun- dred years ago, when a solitary man was bound to the ground by thongs and stakes, lacerated and bleeding. The scene changing, he is led forth, amid the taunts and imprecations of his revengeful foes. He looks in vain for one friendly eye among the lowering, dusky fiends. Not one glance responds in pity. The aisle is formed, bristling with instruments of torture. With hope and fear alternately chasing each other like tidal waves, he lifts his naked arms above his head, and flies down the angry course.
IMPROVEMENTS.
Having given, in so far as possible, the early settlers of this town- ship, and their place of location up to a date when their great num- bers rendered it impossible to enumerate, we now shall endeavor to note the various improvements developed in the township, as it ap- proached its present state of perfection. In the first place, for the conservation of moral and social equilibrium, it was necessary to organize courts of justice. We shall deal only with the courts that were held within this township, and leave for the county history the first court.
The first court held in Xenia, convened November 15, 1804, at the house of William A. Beatty, a structure previously described as the second house erected in Xenia. It was a double-hewed log house, peculiar to those times. In the west room, up stairs, was held the court. Its owner paid a license of eight dollars, and kept tavern, with a bar room, the first institution of the kind in Xenia.
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It seemed that justice and whisky did not flow harmoniously from the same faucet, and during court many cases were manufactured on the spot through the agency of rot-gut and tangle-foot. For ten or more years it was the grand hotel, until it was superseded by a brick structure, erected by a Mr. James Collier, on Detroit Street. It is said that in the corner of one room a counter or bar was put up, enclosed by upright slats, between which the whisky was pass- ed out in small drinks. In the center was a little wicket for the general delirery. During the war of 1812, this was the headquarters for the recruiting officers, who first inspired their audience to a fren- zied pitch of enthusiastic patriotism by liberal infusions of grog, then with the more tangible inducement of silver dollars, closing up with a fiery speech delivered from the head of a whisky barrel. Court was held in this house until the erection of the new house.
The first punishment for crime was in 1806. The person was convicted for stealing leather to half-sole a pair of shoes. There was a sugar tree in the public square, which was utalized as a whip- ping-post. To this he was tied while he underwent the sentence of the court, which was one stripe on his bare back, administered by James Collier. This tree served as a public whipping-post until 1808. On the 8th of October, this year, a man was convicted for stealing a shovel-plow and clevis. Sentence was passed that he should receive eight stripes on his bare back, "and stand com- mitted until performance." Swallowing a pint of corn juice, he embraced the tree, and despite the anaesthetic vociferated loudly in response to the descending lash. With this, the barbarous cus- tom was abolished, and more humane, if less potent modes of pun- ishment devised.
POWDER MILLS.
About the year 1846, a powder mill was erected on the Little Miami, near the site of the old scythe factory, by three men named Austin, who immediately began the manufacture of gun powder, under the firm name of Austin Brothers, and continued until 1852, when the firm changed to Austin, King & Co., by the purchase of an interest by J. W. King. About 1855, the Austin interest was purchased, and the enterprise was incorporated under the name of Miami Powder Company. At that time, the country being com- paratively new, the business was carried on in a relatively small
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scale. The company by industry and economy, however, built up a good and prosperous. business, adding in the mean time new machinery, and increasing its capacity as well as capital. Until about 1871, when it attained its present condition, consisting of five mills, for incorporating the material called wheel, or incorporating mills, with sufficiency of other mills, successfully to handle the material. The water power proving inadequate, a heavy steam en- gine was substituted, which has continued in operation ever since.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Carrying on the prominent features of improvement, we learn from statistics gathered in 1874, that in the city, and vicinity with- in this township, beginning with public buildings, one court house, one city hall, now elerated to a beautiful opera house, two fine en- gine houses, United Presbyterian Theological Hall, Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home, Methodist Episcopal Female College, Pres- byterian Union Female Seminary, Greene County Infirmary, Wil- berforce University, five public school buildings, four of which are graded in four departments, the other containing the high school, grammar school, and three other schools. One of these building is devoted to the use of the colored population, and embraces four departments.
It is said that about the year 1824, Roberts & Chaing threw a dam across the river, near the site of the lower powder mill, and erected a seythe factory, which continued for a number of years, but was finally abandoned.
A rope manufactory, agricultural works, and numerous minor establishments.
BANKS.
First National Bank .- In the year 1835 the Bank of Xenia was organized, and began business June 1st of that year. First presi- dent, John H. Hivling; second president, John Ewing; first cashier, Henry Clark; second cashier, E. F. Drake. In 1846 this bank was organized, under the state law of Ohio, as the Xenia Branch of the State Bank of Ohio. President, Abraham Hivling; cashier, E. F. Drake. After continuing until 1848, Mr. Drake resigned, and his place was filled by J. W. Merrick, then acting as teller.
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At his death, which occurred in -, John B. Allen was appointed as his successor.
Second National Bank .- Organized March 7, 1864. Capital, $100,000. Surplus, $30,000. First president, James Allison (died August, 1864); second president, and present incumbent, Thomas P. Townsley; first vice-president, and present incumbent, David Millen; first cashier, and present incumbent, John S. Ankeny.
SECRET SOCIETIES.
Masons .- On December 31, 1818, a petition was presented to the grand lodge, signed by Joshua Martin, William F. Elkins, J. Smith, Caleb West, Abner Read, Amasa Read, Orestus Roberts, all Free and Accepted Masons, praying for the organization of a lodge in Xenia. From the charter, it seems that the seal of the grand lodge was affixed at Columbus, December 17, 1819, and of Masonry the 5819, signed by A. McDowell, senior grand warden; Joseph Vance, junior grand warden ; Benjamin Gardiner, grand secretary ; and on the left signed by John Snow, grand master.
Warner Lodge, No. 410. Organized April 7, 1868. Charter members: W. M. North, J. H. Matthews, R. H. King, S. J. Ride- nour, W. Newton, J. M. Thirkield, J. H. Sharp, and F. M. Shipley. Samuel C. Elwell, worshipful master; Leigh McClung, senior war- den; E. P. Hoover, junior warden.
Odd-Fellows .- Xenia Lodge, No. 52, was instituted November 4, 1845, by Past Grand H. N. Clark, of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, with the following charter members: William M. Stark, John W. Merrick, A. M. Stark, E. S. Nichols, Peter Kepler, C. Wittrim, and L. P. Defrees. It is the parent of Odd-fellowship in this county. It has at present one hundred and forty-seven active members, and about $3,300 of investments.
Tabor Lodge, No. 315, was instituted June 11, 1857, by Right Worthy Grand Master William Chidsey, of Cincinnati, Ohio. Charter members : D. R. Foreman, F. A. Loyed, Levi Rader, J. M. Newkirk, F. E. Hubbard, and W. C. M. Baker. First officers: D. R. Foreman, noble grand; Levi Rader, vice grand; W. C. M. Ba- ker, secretary; John F. Dodds, permanent secretary; F. A. Loyed, treasurer. On the 10th of October, 1862, Tabor Lodge voted to surrender her charter, which was accordingly done. By request,
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the grand lodge, May 10, 1871, restored the charter. The present number of members is eighty.
CHURCHES.
United Presbyterian .- At a meeting of the presbytery, held at Cynthiana, Harrison County, Kentucky, September 28, 1808, a pe- tition was presented from certain persons in Xenia, Ohio, desiring supplies of preaching from the presbytery. In accordance with this petition, Rev. Abraham Craig was appointed to preach at Xenia on the fifth Sabbath of October, and first Sabbath of November, 1808. Mr. Craig also preached four Sabbaths in Xenia in 1809. In 1810 Mr. Steel was appointed to preach four Sabbaths in Xenia, previous to the next meeting of the presbytery. April 24, 1810, Mr. Steel was appointed to preach at Xenia, and preside at the elec- tion and ordination of elders in this congregation. The regular organization of the congregation, therefore, must have taken place in 1810. In 1811, Rev. Adam Rankin and Rev. William Baldridge were appointed to preach in Xenia. In 1813, a petition was pre- sented for the moderation of a call, which was the first call for a pastor. It was made out for the Rev. James McCord, but never presented. Rev. McCord connected himself with the Presbyterian Church, and the call was returned to the congregation.
During the year 1814, Revs. Rankin and Craig frequently preached at Xenia, and on the second Sabbath of that year dis- pensed the Lord's Supper, which is the first account on record of the observance of that holy ordinance in this congregation. In 1815-'16, Revs. Risque, McFarland, and Steel were frequently ap- pointed to fill the vacancy at Xenia. In 1817, a call was made out for Rev. John Steel, which he accepted, removed to Xenia in 1817, and took charge of the congregation, with which he continued to labor until 1836, a period of nineteen years. He was the means of converting many souls to God. On account of his infirmities, and a desire to educate his sons for the ministry, he resigned in 1836, and on January 11, 1837, was called to the great congregation in heaven.
As illustrative of pioneer life, we give an extract from Mr. Steel's journal :
"On the 17th day of April, 1808, we set out from a point near Maysville, Kentucky. After crossing the Ohio, we lay out in the
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woods all night, and reached Chillicothe on the evening of the 20th. Preached at Chillicothe from Romans 10: 4; also, Romans 14: 17; probably the first preaching to the Associate Reformed congrega- tion in Chillicothe."
On the 13th of May he crossed the Little. Miami in a canoe, mak- ing his horse swim by its side, and preached at the house of Mr. (afterward governor) Morrow.
"17th,.preached at the house of Mr. Beckett; 20th, preached at the house of Mr. Shaw, on Clear Creek. On the 21st of May, preached at the house of Mr. MeKnight, near Bellbrook. On the evening of the 22d of May, staid at the house of Mr. Galloway, near Old Chillicothe, who was the father of our worthy and de- ceased brother, Major James Galloway."
After his resignation, in 1836, the organization remained without a pastor for two or three years, when a call was made out for James R. Bonner, and by him accepted. Mr. Bonner continued to preach for about eight years. When he resigned, another vacancy occurred for two or three years. In October, 1845, Rev. Robert D. Harper visited the congregation, accepted their call the next year, and was ordained and installed. In 1870 he was succeeded by Dr. More- head, who served until 1875, when Dr. Thomas H. Hanna was called, who in turn gave place, in 1880, to - Wright, present pastor.
The Second United Presbyterian congregation, of Xenia, is the old associate congregation, continued under this as its name since the union of the Associate and Associate Reformed churches in the year 1858.
It has been claimed, and we suppose correctly, that, though the Associate church had organized congregations in Greene County before the Associate Reformed, still the latter had its organized con- gregation in Xenia before the former. Hence, since the union of these churches, the Associate Reformed has been known as the First United Presbyterian congregation of Xenia, and the Associate as the second.
Organization .- The immigration into Greene County of Associate Presbyterians, especially from Kentucky, which began near the close of the last century, increased rapidly, and two congregations were soon organized, called, in the minutes of the Presbytery of Ken- tucky, sometimes the Greene County congregations, sometimes the congregations of Massie's Creek and Sugar Creek. Soon thereafter,
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a log building, as a house of worship, was erected by the Massie's Creek congregation, on the lot immediately adjoining what is now called the Massie's Creek old burying ground. About the same time, a log building for the same purpose, was erected by the Sugar Creek congregation, about two miles north of Bellbrook. The members of the Associate church, in and around Xenia, belonging to the Massie's Creek, and Sugar Creek congregations-chiefly the former. In 1804, Rev. Robert Armstrong, who had been the pastor of the great majority of these immigrants while in Kentucky, was installed over them again as their pastor in these congregations in Ohio. These congregations were under the joint supervision of one session. As far back as 1811, this joint session included the following ruling elders. namely: Messrs. Joseph Kyle, (grandfather of Messrs. Joseph and D. M. Kyle, of this congregation), Thomas Simpson, John Gregg, Hugh Hamill, George Galloway and James Morrow, residing in Massie's Creek congregation, and Messrs. James Bain, John Torrence, and William Turnbull, residing in Sugar Creek. On the 2d day of April, 1813, a new minute-book made its appearance, called the minute-book of the session of Xenia and Sugar Creek congregations. This session, like that of Massie's Creek, and Sugar Creek, formerly had joint supervision of these two congregations. The first meeting of this joint session noticed in this book was held on August 2, 1813. Ruling elders present, William Turnbull, John Torrence, Hugh Hamill, and James Bain. Mr. Turnbull shortly afterwards removed into Massie's Creek con- gregation. Whether any meetings of this session were held, pre- vious to this one, we do not know. If there were, the minutes can not be found. This much, however, is certain-this session, as a session, had an existence before that time. In the minutes of the presbytery of Kentucky for October, 1813, we find the following extract from the minutes of the associate synod of May, 1813, namely : "The petition of the associate congregations of Xenia, and Sugar Creek to be disjoined from the Presbytery of Kentucky, and annexed to the Presbytery of Chartiers" was granted. Here we find the con- gregation of Xenia mentioned in May, 1813, as then an organized congregation. Tracing the history still farther back, we find it was in an organized condition on October 13, 1812; also on April 21, 1812, and yet father back still, on the 21st of October, 1811. In the minutes of the Presbytery of Kentucky for October 21, 1811, we find this record, namely: "Two petitions were presented, one
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from Massie's Creek, and Sugar Creek congregations, praying for the moderation of a call, which was unanimously granted." Again in the minutes of that presbytery for April 21, 1812, we find this record, namely : " A call from Greene County congregation for Rev. Wm. Hume, accompanied with two petitions, was presented and read."
Church Buildings .- During the first two or three years of its ex- istence, this congregation ordinarily met for divine worship in the court house of that day. In the year 1814 its first house of worship was built. It was a stone structure, perhaps 50x35 feet, and stood on the lot immediately west of the lot on which the present church building stands. In that house the con- gregation worshiped twenty-six years. In 1840 the present house of worship, 75x57 feet, was erected. In 1857 an improvement was made upon it by the addition of six feet to its hight, two pilasters, standing one at cach front corner, and two towers, standing at proper distances between the pilasters. In 1877 the present lecture room, 40x26 feet, was built.
Boundary Lines .- When this congregation was organized, the principle of elective affinity as regulating congregational connec- tion was not regarded with favor. It was a time of congregational boundary lines. Accordingly, the first thing in order to organiza- tion was, as we have already seen, the establishing of a dividing line between Massie's Creek congregation on the one hand, and Xenia and Sugar Creek on the other. This line ran nearly north and south, and about one and a half or two miles east of Xenia at its nearest point. There was no clearly defined line between Xenia and Sugar Creek congregations until January 14, 1822. Though the session was a joint session, having the supervision of both con- gregations, and all the members of the two congregations took part in the election of members of the session, still it was the un- derstanding that they should have each about the same number of elders and deacons. Moreover, it had always been the understand- ing that each congregation was responsible for its proportion of the pastor's salary. Both these things supposed a tacit understanding of a dividing line. Yet, to guard more certainly against difficulty, it was decided to have this line definitely fixed. This was done at the date above named. This line ran nearly north and south, and directly past Mr. Thomas Ginn's (now Mr. John Ginn's). Again the congregation of Massie's Creek, in 1827, removed the place of
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worship from its old site to the present location, on the farm of the late Mr. William Collins. In consequence of this removal, a num- ber of families of that congregation were nearer to Xenia than to Massie's Creek new church, and therefore petitioned presbytery to be disjoined from Massie's Creek and annexed to Xenia. This petition was granted. The result was the removal of the dividing line from one and a half to two miles further east, and the annex- ation of some fourteen families of Massie's Creek to Xenia congre- gation. Further, the congregation of Sugar Creek, in 1833, removed their place of worship from the old log church north of Bellbrook, and located it on the farm of Mr. Samuel Holmes. This movement removed the place of worship so far from those families of the congregation residing between the Little Miami River and the western boundary of Xenia congregation, that the result ultimately was the transference, by presbytery, of these fam- ilies to the latter congregation, thus virtually establishing the above named river as a new boundary line between the two con- gregations, and it so continues to this day.
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