History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present, Part 84

Author: Hill, N. N. (Norman Newell), comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A.A. & Co., Mt. Vernon, Ohio
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Mt. Vernon, Ohio : A. A. Graham & Co.
Number of Pages: 1096

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From the half-way house to the foot of the hill known as the Bishop's back-bone, was an unbroken forest of oak timber. Near the present residence of W. S. Wing was a cabin, with a few acres of cleared land and a small orchard. This place was occupied by Mr. Owen Lane, the father of James and P. C. Lane, of Mt. Vernon. Mr. Lane died at this place some forty years ago. The next improvement was what was after-

ward nick-named Frog hall, a comfortable log house near the foot of the hill, a few hundred yards northwest of Bishop Bedell's present residence. At the time the writer came to Gambier this house was occupied by Mr. W. K. Lamson from Columbus, head clerk in the college store. Not long after a daughter of Mr. Lane married the Rev. Mr. Preston, of Columbus, and some years later another daughter of Mr. Lane married the great war secretary, Hon. E. M. Stanton, of Pittsburgh. A short distance south of Frog hall was a cabin, previously oc- cupied by Solomon Shaffer, one of the well-known pioneers of Knox county, the father of Mrs. Andrew Miller, now living at an advanced age at Monroe Mills. The Shaffer cabin was afterwards, for many years, occupied by Morris Grimna, a very good man, well known in the early history of Gambier. Our next step forward brings us to the top of the hill in what is now the classic village of Gambier. The road east at that time did not pass over the hill as now, but wound around the hill, near where stands the pleasant residence of William Wright, thence easterly near where now stands the depot, thence on to the Troutman ferry. There were two or three cabins along this road west and south of the college, one occupied as a school- house, where Mr. Owen Lane taught for one or two winters after the writer came to Gambier. This same school-house had been used previously by Philander Chase Freeman, a nephew of Bishop Chase, from New Hampshire, now deceased, who gives a vivid idea of what Gambier was at the time referred to in a communication, from which the following is taken :

" When I first entered Kenyon, then located at Worthington, Ohio, was in its infancy, and its inhabitants not much advanced in knowledge or civilization. My first years at Kenyon were spent in a long cabin for my study. I went to Gambier before the college was erected, and before any improvements were made on the college hill. The first night I spent on the hill was in a cabin of boughs covered with English blankets, the donation of English liberality, while the foundations of Kenyon were being laid. In the winter of 1827 I was engaged in teach- ing the first rudiments of the English language to the original settlers, in a log cabin situated about forty rods west of the college building, on the banks of Owl creek, alias Vernon river, alias Kokosing. I spent three months of the winter of 1827 in Perry township, Coshocton county, teaching the good peoples' children. My terms of tuition were two dollars per scholar for the three months, payable in corn at ten cents per bushel, and wheat at twenty-five cents per bushel. I had a school of eighty scholars or upward. My recompense in corn and wheat all went to Kenyon to pay for my board and tuition. The college building was not completed to receive occupants till about three months before I received my degree, consequently during all my college course I lived in temporary buildings, ex- cept three months."

The charge in college for board, tuition, room rent, lights, fuel and washing, in those days, was only sixty dollars for the year of forty weeks.

The village of Gambier, at that time, consisted of five two- story houses with four rooms on each floor, built of green oak lumber from the college saw-mill, for the use of the students until the college building should be ready for use. Four of these buildings are yet standing where originally built. One of them is a part of Mr. Scott's store ; another a part of the hotel (Ken- yon house). The two others, Mr. Waugh's house, and the Lurkin house, now partly occupied by the shoe shop of Mr. Joseph R. Brown. Besides these houses there was a log build-

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ing used for a store till 1834, near where Mr. French's store now stands. This store house was built in 1828 by the late Warner Terry, and was intended for a blacksmith shop. The Bishop and Mr. Terry fell out in regard to a title to the lot, and Mr. T. removed to Mt. Vernon. There was also near where the Church of the Holy Spirit now stands, a double log cabin, one part used as the Bishop's "palace," the other end for a kitchen, where provisions were cooked for the students. A frame build- ing nearly forty feet long, attached to the kitchen, was used for a dining-room and chapel. The cooking department was under the charge of Mrs. Russel, a niece of the Bishop, so well known to the students in those days. The allowance for each student- at that time for his Sunday dinner, during the winter and spring, "was a large buiscuit and a piece of dried apple pie." Near the college building was a one-story stone house, occupied by Dr. Sparrow as a family residence. Soon after Bishop McIlvaine came, a brick front was added to it, and was for many years occupied by the late Professor Trimble. Near it was a frame building used as a printing office, where was issued in 1830 the first Episcopal paper west of the Alleghany moun- tains, and which has been continued uninterruptedly to the present time under different names and different publishers and editors. For some two or three years it was published and edited in Mt. Vernon by Mr. Muenscher, afterwards removed to Cincinnati, and is now published under the name of the Stand- ard of the Cross at Cleveland.

There were no improvements at the time we speak of east of Gambier hill, until you reach the ferry at Troutman's. The intervening space was heavily timbered with walnut, hickory, sugar and oak. This track was cleared mostly during the agency of Mr. Odiorne, between 1835 and 1840. President Bodine has stated in some of his publications, that nearly all the bottom lands were cleared by squatters as early as 1812. This is a mistake. At the time Bishop Chase purchased the lands, there were but few openings; those usuaully where there was a spring, generally at the foot of the hills. The bottoms were considered unhealthy and avoided on that account. A short distance across the river was the stone house now owned by T. R. Head. It was built and owned by Solomon Welker, a well-to-do farmer, and who was engaged also in running a big Pennsylvania wagon, hauling goods, etc., for Bishop Chase and others. Not being satisfied with doing well, he was am- bitious to do better-sold his farm and purchased the Hawn- mill property at Millwood. He also engaged in merchandizing, and in a few years failed utterly, and found himself a poor man. He supported himself and family during the last years of his life by jobbing about Millwood with a team, whenever he could find employment. The contrast between the career of Mr. Welker and the present owner of the stone house farm is singu- larly striking.

Near the residence of Mr. Walker were three or four fam- ilies, old pioneers, who have long since passed away, among them John Troutman, Alexander Ream, George Lybarger, and Mr. Hull. The homesteads of Mr. Troutman, Mr. Ream and George Lybarger, are owned and occupied by their descend- ants. Mr. Hull sold his farm to the present owner, Jonathan McArtor, and moved many years ago to northern Indiana.

In another communication, Mr. Putnam writes as follows regarding Bishop Chase's first mill-race :

The need of a saw-mill to supply lumber for the new college building was apparent from the start. The first plan was to use

whip saws, but this was slow work, and a saw-mill became in- dispensable. The first business was to select a site for the mill. The Bishop selected the spot where the present mill now stands. In his reminiscences he says, "The whole stream of Vernon river (Owl creek,) makes a bend almost equal to a circle, or rather resembles an ox bow-the canal to be cut across the neck of this bow is called the race. The force of all the teams, - with many earth scrapers, had been employed for several weeks, but the work was more tedious than anticipated and went on but slowly, when a storm of rain, usual at this season (Septem- ber), but seldom so copious, commenced. It poured down for several days almost incessantly. The river rose to an uncom- mon height, and being stopped by the mill-dam (already built), inundated the whole surface of the low lands." The Bishop gave up all as lost. The dam could not be seen, and the water rising and carrying everything before it. The assuaging of the waters brought to view the fact that the dam was safe, and had stood firm-and as the flood drew off its force a channel was found in the commenced race, and the whole race was nearly all excavated, thereby saving an expenditure of several hundred dollars. This mark of providential goodness was of signal service in building Kenyon college.

As before stated, Bishop Chaseinsisted upon con- trolling absolutely the college grounds, and during his control of them would allow no business to be transacted, either in the way of farming or mer- chandizing, without his especial supervision, and without securing a large share of the profits of such business for the use of the college; and in ad- dition he insisted on considering all who settled on the grounds as tenants-at-will, liable to be ejected at any hour whenever his "Royal Highness" pleased. Of course such arbitrary rules were a detriment to the settlement and development of the college lands. He would have no town laid out, nor would he have the land divided into farms, but allotted his tenants such portions as he desired. Quite a number of people undertook to do business, under these circumstances, on the Bishop's premises, but nearly all failed.

The village of Gambier was not laid out until about 1845, long after the bishop departed; but prior to that several parties attempted to carry on mercantile business near the college under such arbitrary restrictions as the bishop chose to allow. The first store, as has been before stated, was the supply store started by the bishop himself, in a log building that stood about where Mr. French's store now stands. The first clerk in this store was Robert Burnside, who was followed by A. W. Put- nam, above mentioned. These gentlemen man- aged the business for the bishop until 1833, when

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

the bishop, having more on his hands than he could attend to, sold the privilege of merchandizing to Messrs. M. & G. B. White, of New York. By the terms of the contract, the bishop was to re- ceive one hundred dollars per year rent, and one- half of the profits of the business. This arrange- ment succeeded very well the first year, and the bishop cleared about fifteen hundred dollars. It was a time when a great number of workmen were engaged on the college, and the entire community patronized the store. After the first year, how- ever, the business did not pay, and Messrs. White & Co. soon threw up the contract. Other parties tried it, among whom was Mr. Put- nam, but all failed to make anything. The bishop being inexorable in his determination to adhere to his terms, Mr. Putnam moved his store to Mar- tinsburgh, and for a time Gambier was without a merchant. This did away with the "monopoly," and thereafter stores were admitted to the college grounds free. The new store room that had been erected by Mardenbro White was the finest build- ing in town. It was frame, two stories in height, about fifty feet in length and painted white. It was erected in 1833, and the store opened in 1834. In 1836 Putnam & Topping erected their store- room, similar to the above. Both these buildings are now used as dwellings. The third store was started by Baldwin Norton about 1840. It was first kept in a small building where the hotel now stands, but he afterwards erected the building on the corner now occupied by Mr. Harnwell, as a storeroom. The town was laid out about 1845, but no building of consequence was done until 1851, as there seemed to be a difficulty about get- ting titles. About 1851, the college grounds were laid off into farms, and the town into lots, and the sale of the property was determined upon. The first sold was the "south" section, or that part be- longing to Pleasant township, and the sale contin- ued from time to time until the college grounds, proper, were reduced to their present proportions -- probably five hundred acres or less. A. G. Scott opened a store in Gambier about 1838, which has been continued until the present time, and is now conducted by C. G. Scott & Co. A. B. Nor- ton was for several years engaged in the merchan- dizing and milling business here. H. H. French

is one af the oldest merchants in the place at pres- ent, having carried on the book and drug business many years. Many business men have appeared here from time to time, among whom were E. Pearce, Witt & Mulford, G. J. W. Pearce, Russel Clark, Mr. Clements, A. K. Fobes, and J. Waugh. Mr. Sharp, in early times, was the brewer and baker, in a large stone house in the rear of the main college building, which has long since disap- peared. The present stores, beside those named, are kept by B. Harnwell, S. R. Doolittle, and Wil- liam Oliver. There are two blacksmith and car- riage shops, two shoe shops, a hotel and other minor business establishments. The first hotel was erected by Archibald Douglas, on the spot where the present hotel building stands. It was a small, rough frame building. The present hotel was erected about 1855-6, by Robert Wright, father of the present landlord.

The old college mill, elsewhere mentioned, erected by Bishop Chase, long since went into de- cay, and on its site, many years ago, Daniel S. Norton put up one of the finest mills on the Kokosing. The "Kenyon Mills'" flour acquired a good reputation.

The postoffice, upon Bishop Chase's applica- tion, was established in 1826, and was for a num- ber of years kept by M. T. C. Wing. About 1846 Benoni Elliott, a student from the District of Col- umbia, was appointed. In 1849 Mr. Wing was again appointed postmaster; he was followed in 1853 by James Young; in 1857, by E. J. Riley, and in 1861 by Joseph Leonard. Mr. Leonard was followed by the present incumbent, Mrs. Fearns, who is very acceptable to the people, and has held the office many years.

Following is a list of the justices of the peace of this township: 1839, John Powell; 1839, C. S. Johnson; 1840, A. G. Scott; 1842, A. K. Fobes ; 1843, A. G. Scott ; 1844, E. M. Gwin; 1845, A. G. Scott; 1845, G. C. Johnson; 1847, E. M. Gwin; 1847, B. Elliott; 1848, G. C. Johnson; 1850, N. W. Putnam; 1853, N. W. Putnam; 1853, D. L. Fobes ; 1855, J. H. C. Bonte; 1856, N. W. Putnam; 1856, Norman Badger; 1857, John Cunningham; 1859, George J. W. Pearce; 1860, John Cunningham; 1862, George J. W. Pearce; 1863, John Cunningham; 1863, G. S. Benedict;

RESIDENCE OF CHARLES COOPER, WEST SUGAR STREET, MT. VERNON, O.

HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

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1866, Joseph Leonard; 1866, D. L. Fobes; 1869, D. L. Fobes; 1869, George S. Benedict; 1870, Joseph Leonard; 1872, D. L. Fobes; 1872, George J. W. Pearce; 1875, John Cunningham; 1875, D. L. Fobes; 1878, D. L. Fobes; 1878, George S. Benedict.

The first paper started in Gambier was in 1838, when the Gambier Observer made its appearance from the Acland press. In after years the paper was known as the Western Episcopalian. The paper was devoted to the interest of the church, and to the interest of Kenyon college more par. ticularly. It was conducted under different edi- torial and financial managers, its publishers being George W. Myers and R. M. Edmonds. It was ably edited by Dr. Sparrow, Dr. Wing, Dr. Muens- cher, Dr. Cotton, the Rev. Norman Badger, and George Denison, and was favored with many very able articles from the pens of professors of the col- lege and other friends. The paper was first removed to Cincinnati, then to Cleveland, where, under a different name, Standard of the Cross, it is doing efficient work both for the church and for the college, under the able management of the Rev. Dr. French. The Collegian, a monthly magazine was published at Gambier for two years by R. M. Edmonds, and was ably edited by the college professors and students. The Gambier Argus followed the Collegian, and was published by R. M. Edmonds & Daniel Hunt for some four years, and after the death of Mr. Edmonds, Mr. Hunt conducted the paper about a year, when the type and press were sold to a young man named Fant, who, for four months published the Gambier Herald. For the past three years the students have published a monthly paper styled the Kenyon Advance, strictly a college paper. The first year it was published at the Argus office, Gambier, but for the last two years the Advance has been printed at Columbus.

Two very strange dwarfs appear to have had for a short time a residence in this township. Thirty years ago a Mr. Porter, a man of family and in straightened circumstances, came from Tiverton township, Coshocton county, and settled on the Owl creek bottoms, in a little log hut near the res- idence of Lewis White. His wife had been pre- viously married to a Mr. Davis, and besides other

children was the mother of two dwarfs-twins. They appeared to belong more to the monkey spe- cies than the human, having paws instead of hands and feet, and faces and heads shaped like monkeys. They could not speak but possessed some intelligence. Mr. Lyman Warner, an enter- prising Yankee from the Western Reserve, hearing of them, conceived the idea of making a fortune out of them by exhibiting them to the public, and gave them the high sounding names of "Plutano and Vespasinus, or the wild men of the Island of Borneo." An arrangement was made with the Porters, and Mr. Warner travelled several years with the dwarfs making the business a success. After some years Mr. Porter, concluding that War- ner was making too much money out of his chil- dren, concluded to conduct the business himself, and when the twins were brought home on a visit refused to let Warner have them again. Out of this refusal grew a law suit well remembered by some of the attorneys of Mount Vernon. The court decided in favor of Warner, who had taken the precaution to secure a time contract of the Porters, and that gentleman continued his exhibi- tions and accompanied the same with an entertain- ing lecture. He sent the children's share of the money regularly to Mr. A. G. Scott, of Gambier, who held it in trust for the payment on a small tract of land, some thirty acres, which had been purchased for them of Daniel S. Norton, and which was located in Pleasant township on the high ground nearly opposite of what is known as the Half Way house. It is yet occupied by some of the Porter family.

Mr. Warner moved to Farmington, Illinois, and died in 1871, the dwarfs passing into other hands some time before this, since which nothing has been heard of them. They are supposed to be dead. The mother still lives in Pleasant township. Property belonging to the boys in Tiverton, Cosh- octon county, having been sold, and the fact of the death of the children not being substantiated, a suit in the court of common pleas of that county regarding the settlement of this problem is now pending.

The first religious services in Gambier were held by Bishop Chase under the wide-spreading branches of the native forest trees, and his audience was

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

composed mostly of those who were in his em- ploy. Religious services were also held in his cab- in. The first religious organization was known as the Harcourt parish, so named in honor of an English nobleman, who gave pecuniary assistance to the young institution and who was also a min- ister. Harcourt parish was organized in June, 1827. The minutes of the first meetings have not been preserved. The records of 1828 show that Nicholas Trode, senior warden, was chairman, and Charles W. Adams, secretary. The wardens and vestrymen elected on Easter Monday, 1828, were James Glass, Richard Young, N. Trode, David Ash, and Milo Everts. At the Easter meeting 1829, W. K. Lamson and Charles Elliott were elected senior wardens, and John Robinson, Milo Everts, N. Trode, David Ash, and C. W. Adams, vestrymen; George P. Williams and Alva Guion were made delegates to the diocesan convention. Mr. Williams is the only one of the above list now living, and is the . Rev. George P. Williams, D. D., Emeritus professor of mathematics of the Univer- sity of Michigan, aged about eighty years.

At the parish meetings in April, 1831, Bishop Chase made a brief address stating that the pecu- liar situation of the parish as connected with Ken- yon college; the danger of collision between the college faculty and the parish officers, rendered it necessary that the parish organization be dissolved; but as the parish was entitled to representation in the diocesan convention, the meeting would pro- ceed to the election of two delegates for that pur- pose, and Charles Elliott and George Denison were duly elected.

This arrangement did not last but a few months. In September of that year Bishop Chase resigned his office of bishop of Ohio and president of the seminary and college, and in the following year re- moved to Michigan. In March, 1835, he was elected bishop of Illinois, removed to Peoria coun- ty and established an institution called "Jubilee college."

In the spring of 1832 the parish held its regular Easter meeting, and the following officers were elected: Archibald Douglass and Milo Evarts, war- dens; George W. Meyers, John Clements, N. W. Putnam, Owen Lane, N. Trode, John Kendrick, and Charles Elliott vestrymem; C. W. Adams, sec-

retary; John Clements and Herman Dyer dele- gates to diocesan convention. Of these persons three only are now living, viz .: N. W. Putnam, of Gambier; Professor John Kendrick, of Marietta, Ohio, and Rev. Herman Dyer, D.D., of New York. This parish has held its annual meeting every year up to the present time. Most of the professors of the college and seminary, and many of the leading citizens of Gambier, have been members of the vestry at different times during the past fifty years. The wardens and vestry for 1880 were as follows: M. White and E. T. Tappan, Theodore Sterling, John Cunningham, T. R. Head, S. R. Doolittle, and J. D. H. Mckinley; M. White, J. Cunning- ham, and S. R. Doolittle delegates to diosesan convention; T. R. Head, J. D. H. Mckinley and E. T. Tappan delegates from Christ church at the quarry.

Some twenty years ago, a neat, small stone chapel was built at the northeast corner of College town- ship, near the stone quarry of Mr. A. K. Fobes. This chapel was built with money raised by sub- scription and has been under the charge of the ves- try of Harcourt parish-being the only property really owned by this parish. Regular services and a flourishing Sunday-school have been kept up chiefly by the students of the seminary and a few ladies of the neighborhood, who are deserving of much credit for their devoted labors in the good cause. A small cemetery is attached to the church where a few persons of the neighborhood have been buried.

In the summer of 1829 the college dining-room, situated near the bishop's house (a log cabin, near where now stands the Church of the Holy Spirit), was used for a chapel. In September of that year, the college edifice now known as Kenyon hall was nearly finished, excepting the two wings, and the basement was used for kitchen, dining-room, chapel, etc.

In the spring of 1830 the bishop built a large, unsightly frame building a few rods east of Rose chapel, and called it the "Seventy-four;" it being seventy-four feet in length. It was two stories high, with a kitchen in the rear. The large room on the ground floor was used for chapel and school- room; the upper story was a dormitory for the boys, who were under the care of Rev. H. Dyer.

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HISTORY OF KNOX COUNTY.

Three or four years afterwards the fine edifice known as Milnor hall was built, and the school, under the charge of G. P. Williams and Mr. Dyer, was removed to the new building. During this period Ross chapel was built, and the parish had then a commodious place of worship. The build- ing was not completed for several years, and the congregation was under the necessity of using the basement during the winter seasons.

This parish has always labored under a great disadvantage in having no place of worship separ- ate and apart from the college chapel-the vestry having no control of the building. On account of this state of things the majority of the citizens have never taken a very great interest in the affairs of the parish, the election of wardens, vestry and dele- gates to the convention being a mere matter of form.

Previous to 1837 there was really no regular rector of the parish. The preaching and parochial duty was performed by the bishop, Dr. Sparrow, Dr. Fitch, Dr. Meunscher, and others, and without any salary to speak of. Since then the rectors have been as follows: Dr. Colton, 1837-40; Dr. Blake, 1840-43; Dr. Fuller, 1843-45; Dr. Smith, 1845- 47; Dr. J. T. Brooke, 1847-49; Rev. Professor Dobb, 1849-50; Dr. Brooke, 1851-53; Dr. Blake, in charge, 1853-55; Dr. N. H. Schenck, 1855-57; Rev. E. B. Kellogg, in charge, 1857-58; Rev. M. Cracraft, 1858-59; Rev. Samuel Clements, 1860- 62; Rev. W. Newton, 1863-66; Rev. Dr. Brown, in charge, 1867-68; Rev. George A. Strong, 1868- 70; Rev. M. A. Tyng, 1870-71 ; President Bodine, 1871-76; Dr. F. James, 1876.

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History of Knox County, Ohio, its past and present, Part 84

Author: Hill, N. N. (Norman Newell), comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A.A. & Co., Mt. Vernon, Ohio Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Mt. Vernon, Ohio : A. A. Graham & Co. Number of Pages: 1096

Author: Hill, N. N. (Norman Newell), comp; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-; Graham, A.A. & Co., Mt. Vernon, Ohio
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Mt. Vernon, Ohio : A. A. Graham & Co.
Number of Pages: 1096