History of Hamilton County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 56

Author: Ford, Henry A., comp; Ford, Kate B., joint comp; Williams, L.A. & co., Cleveland, O., pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio, L. A. Williams
Number of Pages: 590

USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > History of Hamilton County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 56

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1790. Road laid out from Cincinnati, northwest along Ludlow's trace to Mill creek, two miles ahove its month, thence towards the Ohio and on to the city Miami. Surveyor, Darius Orcutt.

1790. Road from Fort Miami, by Captain Mercer's to Little Miami river, by William Flinn's house, along Turkey bottom to Wickersham's mill.

1790. Road reported completed from North to South Bend.

I790. Streets improved in Columbia. Ephraim Kibby; Joseph Reeder, James Matthews, assistants.

I790. Road out through western Cincinnati. Supervisor, James Goudy.

1790-I. Cincinnati streets cleared and improved. Isaac Martin; Jacob Reeder, James Cunningham, assistants.

1792. Road from Cincinnati up Mill creek, by Ludlow's station (now the north part of Cumminsville) thence to White's station at the third crossing of Mill creek (upper Carthage now), and on to Cunning- ham's, and thence to Runyan's improvement. John Wallace; John Vauce, Daniel Griffin, assistants.

[This track has been marched over by parts of four armies-Clark's in 1780 ; Harmar's left wing, 1790; St. Clair's main body in 1791, and Wayne's center and left wing in 1793.]

1792. Road from Wickersham's mill to Mercersburgh (Newtown). Ichabod B. Miller; James Flinn, Captain Benjamin Davis, assistants.

1792. Road from, Cincinnati to the mouth of the Little Miami river. John S. Gano; Hon. William McMillan, John Ludlow, assistants.

1792. Road from Nine Mile run, on St. Clair's trace, to Fort Ham- ilton, by Dunlap's station. John Dunlap; John Shaw, Mr. Barrett, as- sistants.

1792. John Wallace's time extended on the road to Runyan's, till February, 1793.

1792. Improvement of the road from Columbia by Crane's tan- yard, by Kibby's saw-mill, in the direction of White's trace to Mill creek, and along St. Clair's trace to Fort Hamilton. Ephraim Kibby ; Daniel Griffin, Jacob White, assistants.

1793. Survey of a road from near John Ludlow's and Samuel Robertson's, in Cincinnati, up Front street to the Little Miami. JohnS. Gano; William McMillan, John Ludlow, assistants.

1793. Streets cleared in Cincinnati towards Gordon's inn and James Wallace's place, in the western part of the town.

1793. Road ordered from Kibby's draw-well, in Columbia, to Craw- fish creek, thence to Duck creek, thence to a run in Samuel Bonnell's section, thence to the " great road" (now Lockland avenue, Carthage) thence northeast to White's ford, a distance of six miles from Colum- bia to White's station. John Reily; William Brown, Aaron Mercer, as- sistants.

1793. Road laid out from "the Garrison," at Mercersburgh (New- town), to Dry run, thence by Broadwell's clearing to the Little Miami, three miles and thirty-six poles. Ichabod Miller; Moses Broadwell, Isaac Morris, assistants.

1793. Road improved from the month of Mill creek west to North Bend. James Goudy; David E. Wade, Samuel Dick, assistants.

1793. Road corrected and improved from Cincinnati up to Colum- bia. Ephraim Kibby; Francis Dunlavy, William Brown, assistants.

1793. Road surveyed and reported, "beginning at the meeting- house in Cincinnati," thence towards Mill creek, thence to the fifth mile tree at Ludlow's station, thence northeast to Mill creek (second cross-

ing), thence to the seventh mile tree, to the eighth mile tree, thence to White's ford, thence to the tenth, eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth mile trees at Runyan's. John Wallace, John Vance,

1793. Survey of road from Cincinnati to the mouth of the Big Miami. Aaron Caldwell; John Brasher, Ephraim Brown, assistants.

1793. Road from Cincinnati by Miller's tan-yard to Deer creek. Levi Woodward; Jacob Reeder, Samuel Martin, assistants.

1793. Cincinnati streets ordered cleared from Front street, near Mc- Millan's and Freeman's, to the hill tops, near Winthrop Sargent's house.

1794. Road laid out from John Ludlow's place in Mount Pleasant, eastward to Griffin's station, on Mill creek (now the western part of Carthage), thence to Tucker's station, thence to the great road leading to Hamilton. John Wallace; John Vance, Henry Tucker, assistants.

1794. Road laid out from near Gano's and Stites's houses, in Col- umbia, to Round Bottom. Ira Dunlavy, John Gerrard.

1794. Fourteen miles of road improved between White's ford and Fort Hamilton. John Wallace; Jacob White, John Winans, as- sistants.

1794. Road granted from Covalt's station, on the Little Miami, to White's station, on Mill creek. Abraham Highly; John Dunlap, Jacob White, assistants.

1795. Road laid out from Main street, Cincinnati, northeast nearly on Harmar's trace (six miles,) "to the road connecting Columbia and White's station."

[General Harrison went out over this trace in 1793, with the right wing of Wayne's army.]

1795. Road established and improved from Captain Benham's lot, in Cincinnati, eastward by Hunt's tan-yard, five miles to Columbia. Levi Woodward; George Gordon, James Cox, assistants.

1795. Road laid out from mouth of Little Miami three miles, to Wickersham's mill. Ichabod Miller; Ignatius Ross, Richard Hall, as- sistants.

1795. Streets cleared for village of Manchester (now in Adams county). Nathaniel Massie; William Ludsom, George Edginton, as- sistants.

1795. Road surveyed from Cincinnati, by Freeman's station, on Mill creek, to the Big Miami.

1795. Road from Fairfield, seven miles, to Colerain. Ephraim Kibby; Benjamin Davis, Charles Bruce, assistants.

1796. Road laid out from the mouth of the Little Miami, up the Ohio river, thirty-two miles. Ichabod Miller; John Whetstone, Igna- tius Ross, assistants.

1796. Road from "Wallace's run on Fort Hamilton road," nine miles, to Morrill's station. Henry Weaver; Joseph Williams, James Cunningham, assistants.

MORE STATE LEGISLATION.

The attention given to roads in this county in the early day and as the county filled up, is further shown by the fact that, of the eighteen acts passed by the State legisla- ture relating to Hamilton county, between the years 1803 and 1846, seven concern the opening or maintenance of wagon roads. The act of February 11, 1829, authorized the county commissioners to levy any sum not exceeding one and one-third mills upon the dollar, on the grand levy, for road purposes, for the permanent improvement of roads leading from the city of Cincinnati; "provided, the taxes levied in said county for road and county pur- poses shall not in any one year exceed three mills upon the dollar, on the grand levy or tax duplicate." Another act, approved February 6, 1832, further authorizes the commissioners to levy road taxes, but modified the act of 1829 so as not to allow the tax to be discharged by labor upon the roads. (There was evidently some shirk- ing more than a generation after Overseer Goudy made his report.) Another, of March 2, 1840, provides that such part of the road taxes as are collected in Cincinnati shall be paid into the treasury of the city, and be ex- pended for the construction and repair of bridges therein

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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY, OHIO.

and the clearing of market spaces ; and for no other pur- pose. March 7, 1842, was approved an act authorizing the commissioners to make a graded road from the town of Carthage to the head of Vine street, Cincinnati-the famous "Carthage road," furnishing perhaps the most pleasant drive out of Cincinnati and one of the most use- ful of wagon-ways for other purposes. The same day another act permitted the taking of stone, gravel and other materials, to make and repair roads in Hamilton county, from any neighboring uncultivated lands, or to make drains and ditches through such lands for the im- provement of the roads; the owner or occupant of the lands to designate the place whence the materials were to be taken, or the commissioner, if he refused or failed to do so; a fair compensation in money was to be paid; and if the parties could not agree upon the same, the amount was to be determined by three disinterested freeholders, mu- tually chosen by the parties. The same day, too-which seems to have been prolific in benefits to Hamilton county highways-the county commissioners were au- thorized by the legislature to contract with the Cincinnati & Harrison Turnpike company to allow the citizens of the western part of the county to use the three miles of their road next the city free of toll, in consideration of the transfer to said company of any or all stock in it held by the city. A similar act, January 10, 1843, allowed the sale to the county of two miles of said turnpike, nearest the city, for six thousand dollars in the stock of the com- pany and the payment of not exceeding two thousand dollars into the bridge fund. February 15, 1844, the commissioners were enabled to make and advertise the public of rules and regulations to prevent the "tight lock- ing" of any wagon carrying wood or stone into Cincinnati, over any of the macadamized roads, if the loads exceeded fifteen hundred pounds; a violator of the law to pay a fine not exceeding one dollar for the first offence or two dollars for subsequent offences. They might also adopt any rules and regulations for the protection of bridges, not conflicting with the Federal and State constitutions- which seems a rather superfluous provision. But enough, perhaps, of legislation in behalf of local roads.

CINCINNATI ROADS IN 1819.

The Cincinnati directory for this year supplies some valuable hints as to the wagon roads tributary to the place just then made a city, by its table of distances- from Cincinnati to Detroit, Vincennes, Pittsburgh, New Orleans via Lexington, Nashville, and Natchez, Green- ville via Dayton, Chillicothe via Lebanon, and the same place via Williamsburgh. It notes of the bridge accom- modations in and about the city, that within two or three years two bridges had been built within the limits of Cin- cinnati-one three hundred and forty feet long, at the confluence of Deer creek with the Ohio, the other a few squares north. One had also been constructed over the mouth of Mill creek, near the west end of the city, by Ethan Stone. It was a toll bridge, and considered one of the finest in the State. Further notice will be given it, together with mention of other early bridges, in the third division of this book.

TURNPIKES.

About 1830 the era of turnpikes, or macadamized and toll roads, set in. Several years previously, however, in 1823, a charter had been granted to the Columbus & Sandusky turnpike company, which, although aided by a Congressional land-grant in 1827, took seven years to build its road; and then it was little better than a com- mon clay or mud road, and was almost impassable at some seasons. So loud were the complaints of the peo- ple concerning it that the legislature unconditionally re- pealed its charter in 1843.

In 1826 only one turnpike road was in operation in the State, though several companies had obtained charters. This was the road from the mouth of Ashtabula creek, on Lake Erie, near which is the present city of Ashta- bula, to Warren. Another was building from Cleveland, through Medina, to Wooster; and still another from Cleveland via Ravenna and New Lisbon, to the Ohio. Three per cent. of the proceeds of sales of public lands in Ohio were paid in those days by the general govern- ment into the State treasury, to aid in the construction of roads.

In February, 1828, the Cincinnati, Columbus & Woos- ter turnpike company was chartered, with a capital of two hundred thousand dollars, in shares of fifty dollars ; and five years thereafter companies were chartered to build macadamized or turnpike roads from Cincinnati to Leb- anon and Springfield, and from Cincinnati to Harrison.

By 1836 the great Cumberland or National road, built on a straight line, with stone set on edge, and culverts of cut stone, at a cost of fifteen thousand dollars per mile, had reached Columbus, and was thereafter rapidly pushed westward to Indianapolis. It intersected several leading roads from Cincinnati, and a great impetus was given by it to turnpike building. Already, by the close of 1835, Cincinnati had the Milford turnpike, by which connection was had with Chillicothe; the Harrison pike, running from the city twenty miles to the State line at Harrison, was in progress, to be finished the next year, and was to be carried on to Brookville, Indiana; and there were also the Cincinnati, Columbus & Wooster, and the Cincinnati, Lebanon & Springfield turnpike compa- nies, not very active, it is true, but still holding in abey- ance their rights to build roads. Covington had also now its turnpike road to Georgetown and Lexington.

By 1841 the Harrison turnpike had been completed via Miamitown, and likewise the Hamilton pike; the turnpike to Lebanon and Springfield was in operation, running due north to Waynesville, and intersecting the National road at Springfield, so making a continuous . macadamized and paved road to Columbus. The Cin- cinnati and Wooster pike was finished to Goshen, Cler- mont county, about twenty miles out. Several connec- ting turnpikes also brought tribute to the city.

MR. CIST ON ROADS.

In his volume representing Cincinnati in 1857, Mr. Charles Cist has the following notes on the roads of Hamilton county :

Until about 1835, the roads around Cincinnati were of that primi- tive character which is peculiar to all new countries. Many of them lcd

AHMARKLEY.

CHARLES SIMONSON.

Barney Simonson came from New Jersey to Crosby (now Harrison) township in 1818, and settled upon an unimproved tract (except for a small cabin upon it), the same in part as that owned and occupied by his son Charles. Here he spent the remainder of his life, and died here upon the seventy-third anniversary of his birth. He was born in September, 1774, and departed this life the same day of September, 1847. His wife was Catharine Freeman, also a native of New Jersey. She was of English and Holland stock; her husband of Holland and French extraction. Their children are consequently of mixed Dutch, British, and Gaelic blood, with the first predominating. They had eleven children, six daughters and five sons, viz: Nancy, Catharine, La- vina, Eliza, Sarah, Julia Ann, Jesse, Aaron, Barney, William, and Charles. Only Eliza (now Mrs. Joseph Atherton, of Stark county, Illi- nois), Sarah (Mrs. Milton Atherton, of Kewanee, Illinois), Julia Ann (now Mis. James Rinice, residing near Indianapolis), Barney (a farmer in Indiana near Harrison), Jesse (a farmer and formerly a local Metho- dist preacher near Eaton, Preble county), and Charles are now living; and the last named, the youngest, is in his sixty-fifth year. He was born at the ancestral home in Essex township, Essex county, New Jersey, October 13, 1816, and was consequently scarcely two years old when brought by his parents to this county. He received his formal education altogether in the schools of the neighborhood, and shared the labors of the farm with his father until the death of the latter, when he came into possession of the home farm, to which he has since made large additions by purchase, his place now comprising four hundred and forty acres of fine woodland and cleared fields. The elegant man- sion he now occupies was built in part by his father, over half a century ago, to which handsome improvements were effected by him about 1866, making of it a spacious, comfortable, and very sightly residence. All the buildings upon the premises, including two large barns, a car- riage-house, and other conveniences, are painted white, making the group a conspicuous object in the landscape for a long distance in nearly every direction, even from New Haven village, in Crosby town-

MRS. CHARLES SIMONSON.

ship. The residence and part of the ontbuildings appear to advantage in the illustration accompanying this sketch. Mr. Simonson has served as township trustee two or three terms, but has not been much in public life, confining his attention almost exclusively to the legitimate business of a farmer. He takes no very active part in politics, but aims always to vote, especially at elections of importance. He has been a Republi- can ever since the party had a being, and was a Whig before that. His first vote for President was cast for General Harrison, in 1840. He is not a member of any religious or secret organization, except the Pat- rons of Husbandry, which has a society in the neighborhood, called Sand Hill Grange, No. 700. He lives the quiet life of a prosperous farmer, in tranquillity and ease, much respected by his fellow citizens, and bidding every way fair to leave an honorable record behind him.

Mr. Simonson was married to Miss Liscetta Banghman, of the same neighborhood, October 4, 1844. The children by this marriage are two -Jennie, now the wife of Mr. Harry Bowles, a farmer in Whitewater township, married to him May 2, 1866; and William H., married Sally Wright, November 19, 1868, and residing upon his farm, formerly a part of his father's estate, in a dwelling a short distance south of the old home. Mr. Simonson lost his first wife by death December 3, 1849, and was remarried June 25, 1863, to Miss Sarah Jane Gard, of an old Preble county family, her father having immigrated thither in 1812. She is the second daughter of Littlejohn aud Nancy (Wright) Gard, born at the old home in Preble county, February 28, 1830. She was trained in the home schools of that day, and remained with her parents upon a farm at Sugar Valley, between Eaton and Camden, Preble county, until her marriage with Mr. Simonson, as before noted. She is of a family of school-teachers, and doubtless owes much of her in- telligence and quickness of mind to this fact, but she herself never taught school. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Harrison. Since her marriage, which has proved childless, her history has been, of course, identified with that of her husband, in the peace- ful life of the farm and homestead.

RE'S. OF CHAS. SIMONSON, HARRISON TP. HAMILTON CO. O.

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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY, OHIO.

over the tops of the highest hills, without any referenceto grades, while all were what are now called mud roads. The invention of McAdam seemed to come as a special remedy for such highways and a great re- lief to a people suffering under such evils. It was not, however, until Cincinnati had attained thirty thousand inhabitants, that the macadam- ized roads were adopted here. Since that time every road of impor- tance leading from the city has been macadamized, generally by char- tered companies, and in some instances by the county commissioners. The following are the principal macadamized roads leading from Cincinnati: The Goshen, Wilmington, Washington and Circleville turnpike, one hundred miles; Montgomery, Rochester, Clarksville and Wilmington, fifty miles; Chillicothe and Hillsborough, only fifteen miles finished; Batavia, twenty-one miles; Lebanon, Xenia and Spring- field, seventy-two miles, continued through Centreville, twenty-one miles; Great Miami turnpike to Dayton, through Monroe and Frank- lin, thirty-eight miles; Cincinnati and Hamilton, twenty-one miles; Colerain, Hamilton and Oxford, thirty-seven miles; Cincinnati, Car- thage and Hamilton, twenty-five miles; Dayton and Springfield, twenty- four miles; Harrison turnpike, twenty miles; Covington and Williams- town, Kentucky, thirty-six miles. Total, fourteen macadamized roads, . five hundred and fourteen miles.

These roads proceed directly from Cincinnati, but many of them are continued, by their connection with other roads, until they extend through the State. Thus the Dayton and Springfield roads, by their connection with the National road at Springfield, go through the State to Wheeling and over the mountains to Baltimore.

Six years after Mr. Cist wrote, there were twenty turnpikes and plank roads in Hamilton county-one hundred and seventy-three miles, covering one thousand two hundred and fifty-seven acres. In 1866 there were but sixteen turnpikes, one hundred and fifty-eight miles, still kept as toll-roads; but in 1868 there were twenty- three, of a total length of one hundred and ninety-five miles.

It would be exceedingly tedious to follow the history of Hamilton county turnpikes down in detail. The county is now full of them, longer and shorter-some near the city but a fraction of a mile in length. Many of them have been made or bought and improved by the county, whose bonded road indebtedness, on the first of January, 1880, amounted to forty-two thousand eight hundred and ninety-five dollars and forty cents. The roads are mostly free; but there still linger at least thirteen of these toll-roads in the county, with an aggre- gate length of one hundred and thirty-two miles, and new companies continue to be incorporated. The in- corporations of this kind for the last two years have been :

The Blue Rock Turnpike company; road from Six Mile House to New Baltimore; capital stock thirty-five thousand dollars; certificate of incorporation filed May 8, 1878.

The State or Cleves Road Turnpike company ; road in Green and Miami townships ; certificate filed June 4, 1878.

THE FIRST FERRY.

As an appendix to this chapter, the document by virtue of which the first ferry was established across the Ohio, from any point in the present southern limit of Hamilton county, will be read with interest.

On the thirteenth of February, 1792, the secretary of the Northwest Territory, then at Cincinnati, and, in the absence of Governor St. Clair, acting governor, issued the following proclamation :

To all persons to whom these presents shall come, greeting :---

WHEREAS, it has been represented to me that it is necessary for the

public interests, and the convenience of the inhabitants of the county of Hamilton, that a ferry should be established over the river Ohio, nearly opposite the month of Licking in the commonwealth of Virginia, and Mr. Robert Benham having requested permission to erect and keep said ferry:

Now, know ye that, having duly considered of the said representation and request, I have thought it proper to grant the same, and by these presents do empower the said Robert Benham, of the county of Ham- ilton, to erect and keep a ferry over the Ohio river, from the landing- place in the vicinity of his house-lot, which is nearly opposite the month of Licking, to both points of the said rivulet and upon the Virginia shore; and to ask, demand, recover and receive as a compen- sation for every single person that he may transport over said

6 cents

Terry .

For a man and horse. 18

For a wagon and team .. IOO

For horned cattle, per head. I8

For hogs, each 6 ª

until those rates shall be altered by law or future instructions from the governor of this territory.

. And he is hereby required to provide good and sufficient flats or boats for the purpose, and to give due attention to the same according to right and common usage, and to govern himself in the premises by all such laws as hereafter may be adopted for the regulation of ferries, as soon as such laws shall be published in the territory.

Given under my hand and seal, at Cincinnati, in the county of Ham- ilton, the eighteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two, and of the independence of the United States the sixteenth-and to continue in force during the pleasure of the governor of the territory.

WINTHROP SARGENT.

CHAPTER XVIII.

EARLY LEGISLATION AND LEGISLATORS.

A CHAPTER may well be devoted here to some notices of the legislators and legislation for the Northwest Ter- ritory, a part of which is quite unique in character and object, and much has a direct local interest in this re- gion, as having been enacted by the governor and judges, or by the territorial legislature, in session at Cincinnati.

THE GOVERNOR AND JUDGES' LAW.

The ordinance of 1787 vested all legislative, execu- tive and judicial powers for the Northwest Territory, in the first instance, in the governor and judges, who were appointed by the President of the United States. This form of government was to continue until the popula- tion of the territory should so increase as to include five thousand free white males of full age, when the second, or more popular form of government, to which alone the people are now accustomed, should come in. The first session of this peculiar legislature, provided for the in- fancy of the territory, was held at Marietta in Septem- ber, 1787, and consisted of Governor St. Clair and Judges Parsons and Varnum only, the remaining judge under appointment (Armstrong) not yet having arrived, and, indeed, never taking his seat at all, but resigning instead, Judge Symmes being appointed to his place, as before noted. At the first meeting a very severe law, "respecting crimes and punishments," was enacted. It prescribed whipping as a part of the penalty for acts committed by a mob of three or more persons, for house-

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HISTORY OF HAMILTON COUNTY, OHIO.

breaking, and for sundry other crimes and misdemean- ors, even for assault upon a parent or master by a child or servant. If the child or servant were simply disobe- dient to rightful commands of his parent or master, he could be sent to jail or house of correction, and be com- pelled to remain there until he should humble himself to the satisfaction of his superior. For certain flagrant acts, as perjury, forgery, and arson, the offender was to be set in the pillory after flogging. August 21, 1792, at Cincinnati, a law was passed in correspondence with the former enactment, entitled, "An act directing the build- ing and establishing of a court house, county jail, pillory, whipping post, and stocks in every county." Binding to labor-a virtual selling to slavery-was provided for certain cases of larceny, and afterwards for debt. Drunk- enness was punished by a fine of fifty cents for the first offence and one dollar for the second, failing to pay which, with costs, the offender must sit in the stocks "for the space of one hour." Various other penalties of a character quite unusual nowadays were prescribed, and the whole wound up with a sort of preamble or string of whereases at the further end of the code, by means of which it was hoped to check, without the infliction of penalties, certain practices detrimental to good order and Christian observances. These sections, as an inter- esting and unique relic of the early legislation, although their origin was not especially associated with this part of the State, are well worth reproduction here:

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History of Hamilton County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 56

Author: Ford, Henry A., comp; Ford, Kate B., joint comp; Williams, L.A. & co., Cleveland, O., pub Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio, L. A. Williams Number of Pages: 590

Author: Ford, Henry A., comp; Ford, Kate B., joint comp; Williams, L.A. & co., Cleveland, O., pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio, L. A. Williams
Number of Pages: 590