USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Groveport > History of Madison Township, including Groveport and Canal Winchester, Franklin County, Ohio > Part 11
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The following interesting history of some of the entertainments of Groveport was gathered up by Mr. A. M. Senter. Back in the sixties some of the young men organized a reading club, rented a room upstairs in the old frame building that burned down about where Vogle's grocery now stands. The members were: John Wallace, Chas. Wallace, John Byrne, Luke G. Byrne, F. M. Senter, A. M. Senter, W. C. Gill, Wm. Schockley and Geo. Rowland. They gave a series of theatrical entertainments each winter for two or three years. The proceeds were used to fur- nish the reading room with furniture, carpet, books,
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etc. The reading room was nick-named "the Loafers' Lodge." These entertainments were the first in the way of amateur theatricals that were given in Grove- port. John Wallace did Irish comedy, A. M. Senter Dutch comedy, Wm. Shockley took the "heavy" parts. The boys dramatized a novel and produced a play called "Villainy Foiled." At one time the re- hearsals were held in the reading room. "Mrs. Grundy" had too much to say about the ladies who were to assist meeting there for rehearsals, and the consequence was that a short time before the date given out for the play the ladies left. But the boys were not to be balked, so rewrote the play, cut out some characters, dressed Shockley and Gill in women's attire and gave the show.
In March, 1873, another company was organized, with the following persons as members: B. Frank Winzell, James Corbett, Frank Champe, Elliot Adel, John Wallace, Chas. Wallace, Thomas Byrne, Wm. R. Smith, Wm. Bright, Chas. Williams, Oscar Kramer, Jas. K. Price, Wm. Gares, and Misses Vic. Campbell, Ella Wallace, Mell Dildine and Georgia Campbell. On March 25, 1873, they played "Nick of the Woods" and "The Irish Tiger"; March 26, "The Last Loaf" and "Do You Know Me?" March 27, "The Irish Yankee" and "No one Round the Corner"; and on March 28, "Nick of the Woods" and "The Last Loaf." The re- ceipts were $115. These entertainments were given in the Baptist church. April, 1876, two amateur theatri- cal companies were organized, The Excelsiors and the Thespians; the members of the Excelsiors were: Misses Vic. Campbell, Georgia Campbell,. Ella Wal- lace, Deaze Senter and Mrs. F. M. Senter, and John Wallace, Chas. Wallace, Chas. Williams, E. E. Wil-
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liams, Frank Champe, D. Fisher Karnes, A. M. Sen- ter, James Corbett and F. M. Senter. April 15, 1876, they gave the first entertainment ever given in the Town Hall. Entertainments were given July 14, 1876; August 28, 29 and 30, 1877; and August 3, 1878. Assisted by W. N. Compton, of Columbus, Ohio, they again appeared at the Town Hall, and also one night at Canal Winchester, and one night at Lith- opolis. Some of the plays rendered were "The Dutch- man's Ghost," "Idiot Witness," "The Persecuted Dutchman," "Ten Nights in a Bar Room," "Toodles," "The Limerick Boy," "Bread on the Waters," "The Irish Broom Maker," "Rum, or the First Glass," and "The May Pole Dance."
The "Thespians" was organized by Prof. N. H. Garner, then principal of the schools, and assisted by W. N. Compton, of Columbus, they played "Black- Eyed Susan," which was Mr. Compton's favorite. On April 26, 1876, the members of the company were N. H. Garner, W. N. Compton, Wm. R. Smith, John Decker, Chas. P. Long, Geo. Smith, E. V. Adell, Will Weaver, Misses Addie Clelland, Myrtle Kelly, Ida Smith, Ella Coble, Jennie Guerin and others.
Hodge and Williams Minstrels was organized in the fall of 1876 and appeared November 15, 1876, and quite a number of times thereafter; their last appear- ance being on November 11, 1879. The company was. composed of Thomas and Geo. Hodge, E. E. Williams, Chas. Hunter, B. F. Angle and others. Some of the leading features were Thos. Hodge and Williams' double clog, B. F. Angle's song and dance, Thos. Hodge's essence, E. E. Williams, female impersonator,. Chas. Hunter, vocalist ; Ned Williams, great burlesque orator ; G. M. Hodge, negro comedian; M. P. Sandy,.
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negro impersonator. It is said of them that they were always sure of a full house, and that they sent their patrons away well pleased.
"Shortie's" Minstrels was the Hodge and Williams Company, with a few additions, under the management .of Marion Corwin, alias "Shortie" Corwin. They gave entertainments on December 30, 1878, and Feb- ruary 26, 1880.
After a lapse of some years, "Shortie" concluded to arrange for an entertainment, which at the same time should be a reunion; so written invitations were 'sent to each of the former members to be present on January 1, 1886. He engaged the Lithopolis Glee Club and the Madison Brass Band, and before the doors ·opened a grand street parade was given, led by "Shor- tie" himself. Immediately after the entertainment a banquet and reunion was held at M. Corbett's.
The Juvenile Minstrels were organized by Pat. Cavinaugh, El Hunter and others, and were pupils of Hodge & Williams; they were boys from 14 to 16 years of age, and apeared March 23, 1878, and March 19, 1881, to full houses. February 28, 1886, "The So- cial Glass" was rendered by G. Mac. Rarey, E. P. Dil- ·dine, Chas. Pattrick, E. G. Peters, C. D. Rarey, T. L. Peters, Minnie Parker, Nettie Rarey and Zoa Mans- field. On January 17, 1891, "The Border Land" was given by Chas. D. Rarey, O. P. Crist, Phil C. Tussing, B. F. Dildine, T. L. Peters, Geo. Willie, E. A. Swisher, Cora Tussing, Alice Swisher, Eva Pontius and Flor- ence Gares, and on February 21, 1891, "From Sumpter to Appomattox" was played by C. D. Rarey, P. C. Tus- sing, O. P. Crist, B. F. Dildine, E. G. Peters, T. L. Peters, Cora Tussing and Florence Gares, and was re-
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peated at Ashville, Ohio. This was the last of the amateur theatricals in Groveport.
In the spring of 1889 the members of the W. R .. C. of Groveport concluded to render a play entitled, "The Crowning of the Queen of Fame," and they ap- peared in the Town Hall February 23, 1889, and re- peated it on March 28 at Winchester; the trip was. made on a canal boat. The group picture is made up. of such of the individual photographs in costume as- we were able to secure. Several of those taking part did not have pictures taken at the time. The "cast" was as follows, viz: Goddess of Fame, Miss Lena Rarey ; Page, Master Fred Rarey; Queen Isabella of Spain, Mrs. James K. Chaney ; Caroline Hershel, Mrs. O. R. Mansfield ; Pocahontas, Mrs. T. C. Thompson ; Martha Washington, Mrs. Peter Reeves; Jeanne de Arc, Mrs. M. W. Darst; Ruth, Miss Lizzie Long; Martha Goose, Mrs. W. P. Seymour; Xantippe, Mrs. L. F. Powell; Mary Queen of Scots, Mrs. W. H. Hut- son ; Mrs. Browming, Mrs. Rachel Huffman; Mrs. Partington, Mrs. W. H. Zinn; Ike Partington, Mr. C. D. Rarey ; Sister of Charity, Mrs. R. A. Shaw; Mir- iam, Moses' Sister, Mrs. J. L. Chaney ; Elizabeth Fry, the Quakeress, Mrs. J. D. Reed; Sappho, the Greek Poet, Mrs. C. A. Williams; Queen Elisabeth, Mrs. J. B. Duzan; Jennie Lind, Mrs. J. O. Rarey; Fanny Fern, Mrs. J. D. Rarey ; Rosa Bonheim, Miss Florence Gares; Madam Sontag, Miss Jennie Denton; Miss Francis Willard, Mrs. D. M. Willie; Harrict Hasmer, Mrs. C. Black, Jr .; Florence Nightingale, Mrs. A. M. Rarey ; Hypatia, Mrs. Ed. Gares; Tabitha Primrose,. Mrs. C. L. Pontius.
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Groveport Lecture Course.
1894-1895, "Chas. T. Grilley Concert Co.," "The Harvards," "Col. L. F. Copeland," "Smith Sisters," "Howard Saxby," "Jules Levy Grand Concert Co," "Dr. A. A. Willetts," "F. D. Losey"; 1895-1896, "Lovett's Boston Stars," "Major H. C. Dane," "Col. L. F. Copeland," "English Hand Bell Ringers," "Dr. A. A. Willetts," "John B. Koehne"; 1896-1897, "Nash- ville Students Concert Co.," "H. H. Barbour," "John Thomas Concert Co," "- - Weaver," "A. W. La- mar"; 1899-1900, "Chas. H. Frazier," "Spellman Riggs," "Uncle Josh Picture Play Co," "W. T. S. Culp," "Apollo Quartette"; 1900-1901, "Parker Con- cert Company," Dr. J. T. Hedley, DeWitt Miller, Dr. H. C. McGowan and Oxford Music Club; 1901-1902, Melvin Robinson, Richie Novelty Co., The Swiss Bell Ringers, Leonard Garber and Hungarian Orchestra.
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CHAPTER XIII.
MIDDLETOWN.
In 1817 Isaac D. Decker laid out a town on the northwest quarter of section No. I (formerly in Ross county), and named it Middletown, perhaps from the fact that it is located about half way between Lancas- ter and Columbus. What is now the Columbus & Lan- caster pike was then the only road through this section of country, and the travel following along its route in- vited Mr. Frederick Baugher to lay out a town in about 1815, some two miles further east, which he named Centerville, the name no doubt being adopted for the same reason that Mr. Decker's town was named Mid- dletown, the object of each being to establish a half- way station or stopping place. Some few years later the name of Centerville was changed to Lithopolis. It is supposed that Dr. W. W. Talbott, of Jefferson, who was a Greek scholar, suggested or coined the name, which literally translated is Stoney-city. The name of Middletown was also changed in 1830 to Oregon. About the same time guide boards were put up at dif- ferent cross roads directing the travel toward it. Whoever put them up seems to have had an idea that in order to indicate the direction of the town the name on the guide-board should spell towards it. One of these boards on the west side of the Oregon road, at a point near where the Columbus and Winchester pike now intersects it, read Nogero; the supposition being that whoever read it would understand that in order
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to reach Oregon he must travel in the direction of the spelling. The first postoffice in the township was es- tablished here in 1829, and Dr. - - Hersey ap- pointed postmaster. In 1833 Dr. Hersey resigned and Isaac D. Decker was appointed. The postoffice was discontinued about 1842. Only two or three buildings remain on the site of the town, although the place is still known by its original name, Middletowen. Mr. Decker, who laid out the town, built a tavern on the lot now occupied by Geo. Williams.
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CHAPTER XIV.
WINCHESTER.
Henry Dove entered the quarter section on which the village is located, in about 1802 or 1803; prior to his death he divided it and gave his son Reuben the east half and his son Jacob the west half, the center of High street being the dividing line. Jacob after- ward sold his land to John Colman.
The first tree cut on the site of Winchester was a walnut directly in front of the residence of M. C. Whitehurst - now owned by Wm. H. Lane, Esq. - where the Reuben Dove homestead was located (Mrs. M. C. Whitehurst was a daughter of Reuben Dove). The first log cabin was built of poles, on the same site, in primitive fashion, without the use of nails, iron, or glass. Some years later a two-story hewed log house was erected which stood until the present brick house was built in 1865.
When the canal was begun in 1827 Mr. Dove had the field, through which the canal was to be dug, in wheat, and objected to having it destroyed, but to no avail. Finally he threatened to bring suit against the state for damages to his crop. Some of the workmen suggested to him that here would be a good site for a town; being about half way between Lancaster and Columbus, and said: "We believe there will be more money in laying out a town than in trying to collect damages from the state." Acting on this suggestion, in company with John Colman, they employed James
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O'Kane to survey and plat a town, which was named Winchester, from the fact that Mr. Dove's father for' merly lived at Winchester, Va., and accordingly on November 5, 1828, the following description, accompa- nied by a plat, was recorded at Lancaster, in Fairfield county : "The within is a plan or plat of the town of Winchester, laid off in the southeast quarter of Sec -; tion 30, Township 15, Range 20, of the land directed to be sold, by an 'Act' of Congress, at Chillicothe; the lots are four (4) perches in front and ten (10) perches: deep, and contain one-fourth acre each, except the lots. Nos. 9, 10, 17 and 18, they being of a triangular form, as marked on the within plat. The streets are four (4) perches in width; High street runs north and south; Columbus street runs with the bearings of the canal, which is west, 25° north; both are given for pub- lic use. The lots are numbered, beginning at the northeast corner, then west and east until the same are numbered to twenty-five (25). Given under my hand and seal, this 4th day of November, 1828.
(Signed)
"JAMES O'KANE, Surveyor. REUBEN DOVE. (Seal. )
JOHN COLMAN." (Seal. )
On March 30, 1829, Mr. Dove recorded an addi- tion to the original plot, being the lots on both sides of Columbus street, to the east section line and on both sides of Waterloo street, beginning at High street and continuing to the east section line; they each contain one-fourth (¿) acre, and are numbered from one to fifty. Lot No. 17 (Arendt's shoe shop) is given for a basin, lot No. 44 (Vought's) for school purposes and lot No. 2 (Binkley's) for public use. May 3, 1836, David Dixon laid out an addition, being the lots be- tween the canal and West street, and between Wash-
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ington street, and the alley just west of High street, and the lots on the south side of West street and east of Liberty street. On April 25, 1839 John Colman laid out an addition of 22 lots lying west of Liberty street, and between West street and Franklin alley. On November 9, 1839, David Dixon laid out his sec- ond addition, consisting of 53 lots west of Washington street, and between West street and the canal. Clin- ton street then extended to the canal. On November 10, 1869, Wm. P. Miller laid out his first addition, con- taining nine lots, bounded by High, Friend and Mound streets and Cherry alley. July 19, 1870, Wm. P. Mil- ler's second addition was laid out. It consists of 22 lots on the east side of High street, between Railroad street and the alley just north of Waterloo street. July 21, 1871, Wm. P. Miller laid out an amended ad- dition containing 38 lots and bounded by High street on the west, Town alley on the east, Railroad street on the north and the alley north of Waterloo street on the south, reserving a two-acre lot between Cherry, Town and - alleys. December 16, 1870, John Kramer laid out an addition consisting of 10 lots, and bounded by Mound, Oak and Elm streets and Mill alley, and on February 2, 1874, he filed an amended plat, bounded as following: High, Elm, Mound and Oak streets. May 27, 1871, Henry Will laid out an addition consisting of 5 lots, bounded by Friend (now Elm) street on the east, Union alley on the north, and the Columbus and Winchester pike on the south and west. August 31, 1871, Reuben Trine laid out an ad- dition consisting of 27 lots on the west side of Trine street, and between Waterloo street and Railroad street. March 8, 1876, John Kramer laid out his sec- ond addition consisting of 8 lots, bounded by High,
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Oak and Mound streets and Mill alley. On November 10, 1882, the corporation line was extended north of the railroad, taking in the mill and the beer garden. January 20, 1883, Washington street was extended north, across the canal to the Columbus and Winches- ter pike, and on November 9, 1885, Solomon S. Leh- man platted an addition of 4 lots on the south side of West Waterloo street, near High street. That part of Winchester between High street, Cherry alley and West Waterloo street containing two acres, purchased by Daniel Bergstresser from John Kramer, has never been laid out into lots.
John Graham's map of Franklin county, published in 1856, in its plat of Winchester shows a street sixty feet wide, named North street, running parallel with Waterloo street, its center intersecting High street just opposite the alley, between J. S. Stevenson's and J. K. Miller's lots. Lots Nos. 1 and 2 fronted on High street, and Nos. 3 to 19 fronted north on North street. This map also shows a street sixty feet wide at the east side of town called County Line street. No plat of this ad- dition could be found. No alley is shown on this map in the rear of the lots on the south side of Columbus street.
In 1832, when Esq. James B. Evans came to Win- chester buildings had been erected on the following lots: A two-story hewed log house on lot No. 2, oc- cupied by John Boyer, a cooper and basket maker; Mr. Boyer had a family of 17 children, but this was not an unusual number for those days; a two-story hewed log house on lot No. 8. J. L. Vance then kept a store here; later it was occupied as a dwelling, school- room, and when Peter E. Ehernhart came here he occupied it as a residence, and set up his
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coverlit weaving loom in one of the rooms. In about 1860 John M. Schoch removed it to lot No. 6, and some years later he removed it to lot No. 9, where it was used as a pig-pen until the summer of 1896, when it was torn down. The old logs are now doing service as ground-logs at the lumber yard.
Another hewed log house then stood on lot No. 22, and was occupied for many years by Nancy and Sally Hathaway; the latter was an invalid for 30 or 35 years.
There was a hewed log house on lot No. 13 (Dr. Blake's corner) ; also a log house on lot No. 17, at the south end of High street; a blacksmith shop was also located here, and a road led round to Epply's spring (now Mrs. Hunsicker's). A two-story log house on the town lot. This was then occupied as a store by Carty & Julian, later by Daniel Lecrone as a shoe shop, then for several years as a residence by Jacob Zarbaugh, who had a blacksmith shop just north of this house, but on the same lot. The old town pump just in front of this house "served its day and genera- tion." In 1870 Austin Decker took the house on the town lot down and removed it to lot No. 4 on Oak street, where it is now occupied by Henry Lechliter as a residence. A one and a half story log house stood on lot No. 16, then occupied by James McKelvey's fa- ther. Dr. J. W. Shock tore it down in the summer of 1900; a two-story house then stood on lot No. 6, Co- lumbus street, and was occupied by Widow Todd; a log house on the southwest corner of High and West streets; another, the Coleman homestead, then stood just south of the present residence of Mrs. Margaret Seymour; a one-story log house stood next to the ca- nal, on lot No. 7; Fred Walters kept a saddler and bake
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shop and a grocery here. A log house stood on the site of Gayman's store; it was then used as a boarding house by J. L. Vance, who was the contractor for this section of the canal; it consisted of two rooms; the front was one and one-half stories high and was con- nected by a passageway some eight or ten feet wide, across which the roof from the one-story room in the rear extended. There were only two frame buildings in town then. The first one was erected by Peter Bennadum on lot No. 20, now occupied by the resi- dence of O. P. Chaney. Mr. Bennadum kept a tavern and had sixteen boarders. In 1832 Paul Samsel had built another frame house in which he lived and kept a tailor shop. It was located on lot No. 34, and stood out to the street on a wall some six or seven feet high. It has been remodeled, and is now the residence of Mrs. Sarber. These buildings stood out to the street, as was the custom for many years after. A few years later a part log and part frame was built on the site of Samuel Bartlitt's store building; Samuel Taylor kept a tavern in one part and his son-in-law, Mr.
Sheldon, a grocery in the other part; the frame part still stands in the rear of the same lot, and was Cow- en's cooper shop. In 1833 or 1834 a part log and part frame warehouse - as buildings for the storage of grain were then called - was built on the north side of the Basin by Joseph Wright, and in 1836 he moved to town and built the frame house that stood on the site of Peter Weber's brick house. Mr. Wright owned and had lived on the farm now owned by Isaac Leh- man. In 1837 Almanzar Hathaway and James Clen- dening built the frame warehouse on the east side of the Basin. They erected a tramway from Waterloo street to the top of this warehouse. The corn was
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then drawn up in a small car with a rope which was wound around a big drum, by horse power. In 1847 or 1848 the Wright warehouse was removed (part of it is the frame of P. M. Teegarden's stable), and Samuel Bartlit built the large frame building which stood on the north side of the Basin. In 1834 or 1835 Carty & Rodgers built a frame warehouse on the west side of High street and north of the canal. In 1843 this building, known as the red warehouse, was moved further west and the large frame warehouse, that is now being torn down, was put up. Michael Ebright did the carpenter work. About 1840 Eichelberger and Loucks built a warehouse on the south side of the ca- nal, on Liberty street ; this building was afterwards converted into a tannery by James H. Sommerville, and was torn down a few years since. The yellow ware- house was built in 1842 by Heil Brockway; Johnson and Mathews did the carpenter work; later he sold to Samuel Bartlitt. David Dixon (an uncle of Wm. and John Fry), built a frame store room on the site of the Commercial Hotel in 1832 or 1833. John F. and Samuel Bartlitt afterwards occupied it. Moses Levy also kept a store here. When the hotel was erected in 1860 this building, known as the red store, was moved to where Schoch's barn now stands, and was used for a stable. In 1837 Fred Slough, father of the late Judge Tallman Slough, of Lancaster, Ohio, a cabinet- maker by trade, built a two-story frame house on the south end of lot 7, now owned by Ellen Alspach, and later sold it to Fred Walters, who removed it to the north end of the adjoining lot on the west. Peter Krag purchased it and built a large addition to it, in- cluding a ball room, and kept a tavern; in 1852 Mr. Krag sold it to John M. Schoch, who continued it un-
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der the name of Commercial Hotel, until 1860, when David Sarber, John Kissel and others successively oc- cupied it. After changing owners several times, John Helpman purchased it and rented it; at one time 8 different families occupied it, from which it got the name "Poor House"; it was purchased by Geo. F. Ba- reis in 1876, occupied as a residence for 10 years and torn down in 1898.
In 1852 Peter Krag built the Commercial Hotel, and in 1860 sold it to John M. Schoch. The Hawk stage coach line established a station here from 1860 to 1869; while horses were changed each passenger's "way-bill" was examined and registered. Then, being located half way between Lancaster and Columbus, made it a stopping place for all the travel between these points.
The Merchants' Hotel was built in 1871 by Isaac Ebright, who kept it some three years when he sold to Jonathan Boyer. Aaron Fenstermaker leased it of Mr. Boyer and kept it until April, 1877, when Louis W. Boyer purchased and operated it until in 1884. Al. C. Conn then bought it at assignee's sale, and in the spring of 1896 sold it to Noah Cherry, who still oper- ates it.
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