History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 31

Author: Andrews, Martin Register, 1842-; Hathaway, Seymour J
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1490

USA > Ohio > Washington County > Marietta > History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 31

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mill which consisted of two boats fastened near each other, side by side, with a water- wheel between them which was turned by the current of the river. Thus power was secured for putting in motion the mill which stood in the larger of the two boats. It is said that from one to two bushels of corn could be ground every hour after the boats had been an- chored in the channel between Farmers' Castle and what is now called Blennerhassett's Island.

A mill of similar construction was built for the use of the settlers at the Campus Martius in the time of the Indian war but the current of the Muskingum was hardly sufficient even when the boats were taken to a riffle above the fort. For a time they depended on hand mills, when they could not spare a large party to take the corn to the Wolf Creek Mills. As for wheat, no considerable amount was raised before 1796.

In 1790 Robert Potts began a dani and

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grist mill at Mill Creek, two miles up the Mus- kingum, but the work was interrupted by the war of 1791-95.

While the settlers at Plainfield ( afterward Waterford, now Beverly) were planting and building, Col. Robert Oliver, Maj. Haffield White, and Capt. John Dodge, began to erect a water mill on Wolf Creek about a mile from its mouth, thus with wise forethought provid- ing a very important utility for the second as- sociation which had moved out from the main colony. This mill was so necessary to the set- tlers that even in the time of the Indian war armed parties would go to the mill, and while one party would grind the corn the others would stand guard against the enemy.

CLOTHING.

For clothing, they early learned to make use of deerskins, which, when well dressed, proved comfortable and durable. Flax was raised almost from the first and this the house- wives of that day knew how to spin and weave. Even a little cotton was raised for clothing but the summers proved too short for its success- ful cultivation. Soon the few sheep that had been brought over the mountains increased into little flocks. The wool was carded, spun, and woven at the homes for a number of years un- til woolen mills could be built at the streams. In the second decade of the last century these had sprung up at different places in the county as will be seen by those who look over the list of advertisements found in the succeeding chapter. As early as 1701 a tannery was erected by. Col. Ichabod Nye, on the Plain some distance northward from the Campus Martius.

For many years hemp was raised in consid- erable quantities, and rope-makers were busy in supplying the ships that were built at this place.

SALT.

In 1794 the scarcity of salt prompted Grif- fin Greene, Robert Bradford and Joel Oaks to start out from Farmers' Castle under the guid- ance of Peter Anderson, John Coleman, and Joshua Dewey, in quest of a salt spring which

was said to be on the waters of the Scioto. They found such a spring about 25 miles from where Chillicothe now stands, and saw abund- ant evidence that it had often been visited by the Indians. A rumor about the existence of this spring had caused the Ohio Company to pass the following resolution to prevent the formation of a salt trust :

Whereas, It is believed that the great "salt springs" of the Scioto lie within the present purchase of the Ohio Company : therefore,

Resolved, That this sixth division of land to the proprietors is made upon the express condition and re- -erve. that every salt spring now known, or what shall hereafter be found within the lands that shall fall to the lot of any proprietor, they he and are hereby re- served to the use of the company, with such quantity of land about them as the agents and proprietors shall think proper to assume for general purposes, not ex- ceeding three thousand acres ; the person on whose land they are found, to receive other lands of equal value.

Later surveys proved that this spring was not within the Ohio Company Purchase, but the settlers found another supply not far from Duncan's Falls, as noted in another chapter.

BOAT-BUILDING.

One industry, boat-building in one form or another, begun with the settlement, has con- tinued until the present time, and although there have been seasons of depression, is now a prosperous business. The progress of this industry is described by Maj. Jervis Cutler, one of the 48 pioneers, in a book published in Bos- ton in 1812, but probably written by him in 1809 or 1810.

MARIETTA IN 1809.

(As described by Maj. Jervis Cutler.)

Passing down the Ohio from Wheeling to Muskingum, there are only scattering settle- ments on the rich lands near the river.

The town of Marietta, situated at the con- fluence of the Muskingum with the Ohio, has greatly increased in population and wealth. Before the settlement commenced, the ground on the eastern side of the Muskingum was laid out in the form of a city, containing one thous-

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and lots of go feet front and 180 feet rear. The squares were oblong, separated by spacious streets, which intersect at right angles. A large square was reserved for a market, and several others, in different parts of the city, for public uses, or pleasure ground. There are now, on the city ground, more than one hundred houses, and about one sixth part are built with brick and stone. Many of the houses are large and built in a handsome style. The form in which the town is built adds much to its elegance, and the gentle rising of the city ground back from the Ohio affords an extend- ed and delightful prospect of the rivers and dis- tant hills, which is greatly heightened and en- livened by the shipping and various kinds of water craft floating on the streams. A part of the town is built on the opposite side of the Muskingum, and the houses not inferior in elegance to those on the city ground.

Marietta is the seat of justice for the coun- ty of Washington, and has a Court House and Jail. There are two religious societies; the largest is Congregational, who have erected a handsome meeting house. It has an academy, which is also improved as a house for public worship.

Within the area of the ground laid out for a city, at the northeast part of it, are a num- ber of the ancient works so frequently found in the Western Country. They consist princi- pally of two large oblong squares and an ele- vated mound, in the form of a cone. The larg- est square contains forty acres, and the small- est, twenty. They are enclosed by walls or ramparts of earth, without any ditches, from six to ten feet in height. and about thirty feet in breadth at the base, with twelve openings, or gateways, at regular distances from each other. From one of the angles of the largest square nearest the Muskingum, is the appear- ance of the walls of a covert way, leading to- wards the river. The highest part of the re- mains of these walls is twenty-one feet, and forty feet in breadth at the base. The mound of earth, in form of a sugar-loaf, is thirty feet in height, and the base 115 feet in diameter. It is situated at a little distance from the small-

est square. These works are included in pub- lic squares and have been carefully preserved ; but a small opening has been made in the conic mound and found to contain human bones. Although these ancient works fill the beholder with astonishment, others have been discov- ered of far greater magnitude. On a branch of the Muskingum, about ninety miles from Mar- jetta, there are these ancient works extending about two miles in length, and the ramparts and mounds of a much greater height than those found here. Vestiges of ancient works of different forms and sizes, and at small dis- tances, are to be found over the whole State, and in many other parts of the Western Com- try.

Marietta is favorably situated for com- merce and manufactories. The depth and gentle motion of the water, in the mouth of the Muskingum, and the cheapness of excellent ship timber render this one of the best places for ship-building on the Ohio river. A number of large ships and brigs were built in a short time, and the employment was rapidly pro- gressing until a stop was put to it by the em- bargo. Three rope-walks, of nearly a thous- and feet in length, were erected, and the num- erous mechanic branches, connected with the highly important employment of ship-building, were established. The Muskingum ( which means, in the Indian language, "Elk's Eye" ) is of immense importance to this town. The current is moderate. rarely overflowing its banks, and may be navigated with keel-boats and other craft, during the summer as far as Zanesville, sixty miles from Marietta. There are falls, but happily formed for erecting water works of every description. Above the falls the river is again navigable, not only in the main stream, but in many of the numerous branches which meander through a rich and level country in their way to the river. The largest branch is the Tuskarawa, which, with only a portage of seven miles and a half, com- municates with the Cuyahoga River, emptying into Lake Erie. The immense quantity of produce which this fertile tract of country is capable of yielding for the market, and the easy

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transportation, cannot fail of rendering Mari- etta a convenient place of sale or deposit, from whence, by ships built here, it may be sent abroad. Materials for many different man- ufactories may be procured here with so much facility, and from the well known spirit of in- dustry and enterprise prevailing among the people, there can be no doubt of their estab- lishment in process of time. A bank was es- tablished here in 1807. with a deposit of 100,000 dollars, from which essential benefits have been derived. There is a post office, two printing offices, and two weekly papers.

Ascending the Muskingum from Marietta at the distance of five miles, is Captain Devol's shipyard, where a number of large vessels have been built, and one of them of more than two hundred tons. The workmanship and timber of these vessels are said not to be inferior to any that have been built in the United States. Their frames were black walnut, which is said to be as durable as the live oak and is much lighter. The plank of these vessels are said to be of an unusual length and firmness. The forests here abound with the best timber, such as white oak, black walnut and locust, and the prodigious height and size of the trees admit of the selection of any dimensions which can be wanted. Excellent masts of yellow pine are easily procured. Iron ore is found, in places, in almost every part of the State and a sufficiency of bar iron can be obtained with- out difficulty. But the want of a greater num- ber of furnaces and forges keeps up the price higher than it otherwise would be. As much tar as can be wanted is brought down the Alle- gheny River. The people can with ease, raise as much hemp and flax as would be sufficient to supply the whole of the United States.

The lands on the Muskingum above Mari- etta are rich, thickly settled and well cultivat- ed. At a distance of twelve miles is the town of Adams, and twenty-three miles, by water, is the town of Waterford, within the purchase of the Ohio Company. At a small distance above this purchase, the bottom lands are narrow. and the hills are many of them steep, tufted with pine, for about thirty miles. They then

begin to recede from the river, and bottoms in- crease in width to Zanesville ; at the distance of a few miles west of the river the face of the country is swelling hills, with a rich soil, and the growth principally beech and oak.

The hills on this river abound with coal, and much of it of an excellent quality. It is said a vein of coal has been found crossing the bed of the river, remarkable for its purity. The pieces of the coal have the appearance of varnish, somewhat resembling japan, and when laid on the fire, a kind of fusion is pro- duced, which continues until it is consumed by evaporation, with out disagreeable smell, and deposits scarcely any cinder or ashes. Coal has been sold at Marietta at about three cents the bushel, and is much used by the inhabi- tants for fuel, in preference to wood, when wood can be purchased at one dollar per cord.

Descending the Ohio, at the distance of ten miles below Marietta, is Zelpre. This beautiful village is several miles in length, ex- tending to the Little Hockhocking River. The people are principally farmers. The good management and excellent culture of their farms have been much admired. An early attention is paid to raising different kinds of fruit trees. Orchards of apple trees of large extent have been planted, which are now be- coming extremely productive. The fruit is of various kinds and of the best flavour. Prodi- gious quantities of cider are made, and when the fruit is properly collected and carefully made, the liquor is of the first quality. They have likewise large peach orchards for mak- ing peach brandy. In this part of the State apple trees and all garden fruit trees thrive surprisingly, and the flavour and size of the fruit are considered superior to that of the Atlantic States. The gardens yield all the culinary plants in high perfection. The vari- ous sorts of melons are delicious and grow to a large size.

Opposite to Belpre is the beautiful island owned by Mr. Blennerhassett. The name of this unfortunate man, whom Colonel Burr by his artifices seduced to engage in his nefarious schemes. is well known. This may render

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some description of this beautiful seat the more prospect. The settlements commenced in interesting. The following was written by a . 1797. The town is laid out in regular form; gentleman, on a tour from Philadelphia, and published in the Ohio Navigator .-

"Blennerhassett's Island .- On ascending the bank from the landing ( a quarter of a mile below the eastern end), we entered at a hand- some double gate, with hewn stone square pilasters, a gravel walk, which led us about one hundred and fifty paces to the house, with a meadow on the left, and a shrubbery on the right, separated by a low hedge of privy-sally, through which innumerable columbines and various other hardy flowers were displaying themselves to the sun. The house is built of wood, and occupies a square of about fifty-four feet each side, is two stories high, and in just proportion ; it is connected with two wings, by a semi-circular portico, or corridor, running from each front corner. The shrubbery well stocked with flowering shrubs, and all the vari- ety of evergreens natural to the climate, as well as several exotics, surround the gar- den, and has gravel walks, labyrinth fashion, winding through it. The garden is not large, but seems to have had every delicacy of fruit, vegetable and flower, which this fine climate and luxurious soil produces. In short, Blen- nerhassett's Island is a most charming retreat for any man of fortune fond of retirement, and it is a situation perhaps not exceeded for beauty in the world. It wants, however, the variety of mountain, precipice, cataract, dis- tant prospect, and so forth, which constitute the grand and sublime.'

From Belpre to the Great Hockhocking the country is uneven, and some high hills near the Ohio, but the soil is generally good and the growth is large. Excellent farms are made back from the Ohio on both the Hockhock- ings, and on their branches where there are large Lottoms, and rich swelling hills.

On the Great Hockhocking, thirty miles from the Ohio, are the two college townships granted by Congress to the Ohio Company for the endowment of a university. Athens, one of these townships, is beautifully situated on a bend of the river, commanding an extensive

the never-failing springs of excellent water are numerous ; and the soil extremely rich and fer- tile. The number of families in the town is supposed to be about one hundred. An act incorporating the university was granted in 1801. A building has been erected for the instruction of youth, who are at present under the care of a perceptor. The bottom lands on this river are more extensive and of a better quality than those on the Muskingum.

IMPORTS FROM THE EAST.

After all these efforts to make this little community a self-supporting economic unit, there yet remained numerous articles of prime necessity to a community such as that about the Muskingum, utterly unattainable except by importation from the East. Books were indispensable to a colony from New England ; glass, iron and steel in various forms were also necessary; all these must be brought in wagons over the mountains from Philadelphia to Pittsburg and down the Ohio in keel-boats, or from Baltimore by the way of Winchester in Virginia. . \ little later the most important thoroughfare was the National Road from Cumberland, Maryland, to Wheeling.

In payment for these commodities the pio- neers could send to the East furs and ginseng from the forest, and to New Orleans or the West Indies corn, pork, potatoes, lumber and flour. The traces of this Southern trade were seen in the Spanish coins which were abundant in this country until 1859-60. These coins stamped with two pillars, supposed to be the origin of our conventional dollar mark ($), included not only halves and quarters, but also eighths and even sixteenths of a dollar. These last two coins, called respectively the "levy" and the "fip," were often used as the measure of prices. Ilence in the old-time price lists such rates as 614 cents, 121/2, 1834, 3114, etc., were very common. Congress at last got rid of these coins in the years just before the Civil War by "demonetizing" them, or rather, by

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HISTORY OF MARIETTA AND WASHINGTON COUNTY',

making them a legal tender for less than their bullion value. For example, the quarter, which from long wear had lost weight, had an average value of about 23 cents. They were a legal tender for but 20. As a result of this legislation, the Spanish coins were sent to the mint for re-coinage.

So persistent, however, is the force of habit that our grocers still make use of 12] 2 cents as a favorite price, but in practice the buyer usu- ally finds that it means 13.

The products for New Orleans were usu- ally floated down the river in flat-boats which were sold as well as their cargoes. At least two generations of boys in this county used to look forward with eagerness to the time when they would be large enough to go "down the river" on a flatboat. At first the return trip was a long and dangerous one overland through Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky, but a lit- tle later they could come on a steamboat.

STEAM MILL.

It was not alone in ship and boat-building that the pioneers showed enterprise. \ steam mill was erected in 1811 and began work early in 1812 ; apparently the first mill of the kind in this part of Ohio. The following account of this work is given in the American Spectator:

Marietta, December 14, 1811 .-

"We are happy to announce that the build- ing of the Steam Mill Company has been com- pleted, and that the engine, having been put in motion on the evening of Saturday last, was found to operate fully to the satisfaction of the engineers and proprietors. The millstones are not as vet received and some apparatus is yet to be prepared, but we believe the mill is expected to be in operation at no very distant day.

'On Tuesday, the 7th instant, the steam mill was put in operation for the first time, and its success met the most sanguine expectations of the proprietors. It was built by William Green, of Zanesville, and is universally al- lowed, by good judges, to be far superior in workmanship to the one at Pittsburg. There

is 'as yet but one pair of stones in operation, which were taken from the banks of Raccoon Creek, in this State. They will grind a bushel of grain in three minutes. It is said that steam mills of similar construction will be erected the ensuing summer in the towns of Steubenville, St. Clairsville and Cincinnati."

What kind of tracks through the woods were dignified with the name of roads may be conjectured from the following letter to Gen- eral Putnam, giving directions for opening one, which was, perhaps, among thie best of its day ;

.Ilbert Gallatin, Secretary of the Treasury, to Rufus Putnam, Surveyor General.

TREASURY DEPARTMENT, April 16, 1803.

SIR :

As you have taken the pains of having the road froin Marietta to St. Clairsville surveyed, I will thank you to contract with the lowest bidder for opening the same, and making it passable for a wagon, provided that the price shall not exceed five dollars per mile. The amount of that contract and the account of the sur- veyor. being botn certified by you, will be discharged by the Register of the Land Office at Steubenville, who has received instructions on the subject.

INDIANS.

The War of 1812 caused some uneasiness for a time about the Indians as we can see from the following notice .-

Marietta, December 14, 1811 .-

"Some people of our city have taken no small alarm on account of a number of Shaw- nee Indians hunting in this vicinity, some of whom were in town yesterday. . As they have with them their squaws and papooses, we be- lieve there is no cause of apprehension on their account. When asked why they do not go and fight with the Prophet they answered, 'Toh! lie bad man.' A considerable number of them are hunting within 60 or 70 miles of this place."

About the same time Governor Meigs is- sued a proclamation warning the people not to molest the Indians nor sell them spirituous li- Tiors.

In one of these visits to Marietta the In- dians inquired for a boy who had been cap-

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tured in 1790 near Belleville, Virginia, and brought back to Marietta by Colonel Meigs in 1796. They were directed to Joseph Kelly. who then lived in the house which is now No. 1 419 Second street, and were delighted to find their old playmate "Lalaque." as they called him.

The ensuing statement, appearing in a newspaper of that day, shows that the esti- mated number of Indians in Ohio, in 1811, was 2,000 .-

Ottoways 550

Wyandots 300 Seneca - 250

Munceys and Delaware- 200

Shaw anese 700

Total 2,000

The uneasiness was increased aiter Hull's unaccountable surrender of the forces at De- troit : but this was soon quieted by the achieve- ments of Commodore Perry and General Har- rison, who drove the enemy from our borders.

TRADE STIMULATED BY THE WAR OF 1812.

The war furnished a ready market for all our surplus products, not only four, meal, pork and beef, were purchased at good prices but even home-made blankets, if not much worn, were readily purchased for the soldiers and paid for in cash. At that time the wool of the new- ly imported Merino sheep was worth ȘI a pound. The inevitable result followed .- ex- travagance and a desire for articles brought from the East. There was a rapid increase in the number of banks and in the volume of their circulation. Indeed at this time the popular idea of a bank was not an institution for the collection and distribution of credit, but a de- vice for manufacturing what was called money.

WITHDRAWAL OF SPECIE TO THE EAST.

At the close of the war, when our prod- ucts no longer found a ready purchaser at home at high prices, our people continued to import large quantities of goods from the

East and the natural result followed : an unfa- vorable balance of trade. . At first people won- dered why so many wagon loads of specie were hauled eastward from this part of Ohio. In

fact, the banks were transferring their specie reserves to pay the debts which the people themselves had contracted, for goods in the East. At last a day of reckoning came; the paper of Western banks, received for a while at a heavy discount, was finally refused altogeth- er in payment for goods purchased in the East. The bills of Western banks were all sent back and Eastern exchange could be purchased only at exorbitant premiums.

In 1816 the evils arising from importing more than we exported was evident in this con- dition of exchange. Specie or bills which would pass east of the Alleghanies sold at 10 per cent. premium over the bills of local banks. To remove this evil, an effort was made to or- ganize the Commercial & Exporting Company of Marietta, with 2,000 shares of $50 each, four-fifths of each share to be paid for in pro- duce. Little seems to have been accomplished by the attempt although very good men were appointed to solicit subscriptions to the stock -Daniel H. Buell, Sardine Stone. Benjamin Dawes, Asa Cheadle, William Ford. Jr., Cor- nelius Houghland, Ephraim Cutler, William Browning. Daniel G. Stanley, William Dana, and Henry Jolly.

The irredeemable paper currency would not be taken in the Eastern cities. The factories at home were willing to take either Ohio bank notes or produce. If all kinds of factories had been here the circle of trade would have been complete and the paper money would have an- swered every purpose. But there were many articles, such as cutlery, finer fabrics, china and glassware which could not be purchased in Ohio and for these our fathers were not send- ing enough products over the mountains, or down the river.

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History of Marietta and Washington County, Ohio, and representative citizens, Part 31

Author: Andrews, Martin Register, 1842-; Hathaway, Seymour J Publication date: 1902 Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1490

Author: Andrews, Martin Register, 1842-; Hathaway, Seymour J
Publication date: 1902
Publisher: Chicago : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1490