History of Medina county and Ohio, Part 26

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Battle, J. H; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926; Baskin & Battey. Chicago. pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1014

USA > Ohio > Medina County > History of Medina county and Ohio > Part 26

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The school system of the State may be briefly explained as follows: Cities and incorporated vil- lages are independent of township and county con- trol, in the management of schools, having boards of education and examiners of their own. Some of them are organized for school purposes, under special acts. Each township has a board of edu- cation, composed of one member from each sub- district. The township clerk is clerk of this board, but has no vote. Each subdistrict has a local board of trustees, which manages its school affairs, subject to the advice and control of the township board. These officers are clected on the first Monday iu April, and hold their offices three years. An enumeration of all the youth between the ages of five and twenty-one is made yearly. All public schools are required to be in session at least twenty-four weeks cach year. The township clerk reports annually such facts concerning school affairs as the law requires, to the county auditor, who in turn reports to the State Commissioner, who collects these reports in a general report to the Legislature each year.

A board of examiners is appointed in each county by the Probate Judge. This board has power to grant certificates for a term not exceed- ing two years, and good only in the county in which they are executed; they may be revoked on sufficient cause. In 1864, a State Board of Examiners was created, with power to issue life cer-

tificates, valid in all parts of the State. Since then, up to January 1, 1879, there have been 188 of these issued. They are considered an excellent test of scholarship and ability, and are very credit- able to the holder.

The school funds, in 1865, amounted to $3,271,- 275.66. They were the proceeds of appropriations of land by Cougress for school purposes, upon which the State pays an annual interest of 6 per cent. The funds are known as the Virginia Mili- tary School Fund, the proceeds of eighteen quar- ter-townships and three sections of land, selected by lot from lands lying in the United States Military Reserve, appropriated for the use of schools in the Virginia Military Reservation; the United States Military School Fund, the proceeds of one thirty-sixth part of the land in the United States Military District, appropriated "for the use of schools within the same ;" the Western Reserve School Fund, the proceeds from fourteen quarter- townships, situated in the United States Military District, and 37,758 acres, most of which was lo- cated in Defiance, Williams, Paulding, Van Wert and Putnam Connties, appropriated for the use of the schools in the Western Reserve; Section 16, the proceeds from the sixteenth section of each township in that part of the State in which the Indian title was not extinguished in 1803; the Moraviau School Fund, the proceeds from one thirty-sixth part of each of three tracts of 4,000 acres situated in Tuscarawas County, orig- inally granted by Congress to the Society of United Brethren, and reconveyed by this Society to the United States in 1824. The income of these funds is not distributed by any uniform rule, owing to defects in the granting of the funds. The territo- rial divisions designated receive the income in proportion to the whole uumber of youth therein, while in the remainder of the State, the rent of Section 16, or the interest on the proceeds arising from its sale, is paid to the inhabitants of the originally surveyed townships. In these terri- torial divisions, an increase or decrease of popula- tion must necessarily increase or diminish the amount each youth is entitled to receive; and the fortunate locatiou or judicious sale of the sixteenth section may entitle one township to receive a large sum, while an adjacent township receives a mere pittance. This inequality of benefit may be good for localities, but it is certainly a detriment to the State at large. There seems to be no legal remedy for it. In addition to the iucome from the before- mentioned funds, a variable revenue is received

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from certain fines and lieenses paid to either county or township treasurers for the use of schools; from the sale of swamp lands ($25,720.07 allotted to the State in 1850), and from personal property eseheated to the State.

Aside from the funds, a State school tax is fixed by statute. Local taxes vary with the needs of localities, are limited by law, and are contingent on the liberality and publie spirit of different eom- munities.

The State contains more than twenty colleges and universities, more than the same number of female seminaries, and about thirty normal schools and academies. The amount of property invested in these is more than $6,000,000. The Ohio University is the oldest college in the State.

In addition to the regular colleges, the State controls the Ohio State University, formerly the Agricultural and Mechanical College, established from the proceeds of the land scrip voted by Con- gress to Ohio for sueh purposes. The amount realized from the sale was nearly $500,000. This is to constitute a permanent fund, the interest only to be used. In addition, the sum of $300,000 was voted by the citizens of Franklin County, in consideration of the location of the college in that county. Of this sum $111,000 was paid for three hundred and fifteen aeres of land near the city of Columbus, and $112,000 for a college building,

the balance being expended as circumstances re- quired, for additional buildings, laboratory, appa- ratus, ete. Thorough instruction is given in all branelies relating to agriculture and the mechanical arts. Already excellent results are attained.

By the provisions of the act of March 14, 1853, township boards are made bodies politic aud cor- porate in law, and are invested with the title, care and custody of all school property belonging to the school distriet or township. They have control of the central or high schools of their townships ; preseribe rules for the distriet schools ; may appoint oue of their number manager of the schools of the township, aud allow him reasonable pay for his serviees; determine the text-books to be used ; fix the boundaries of districts and locate schoolhouse sites ; make estimates of the amount of money re- quired ; apportion the money among the distriets, and are required to make an annual report to the County Auditor, who incorporates the same in his report to the State Commissioner, by whom it reaches the Legislature.

Loeal directors control the subdistriets. They enumerate the children of school age, employ and dismiss teachers, make contracts for building and furnishing schoolhouses, and make all necessary provision for the convenience of the district sehools. Practically, the entire management rests with them.

CHAPTER XV.

AGRICULTURE-AREA OF THE STATE-EARLY AGRICULTURE IN THE WEST-MARKETS-LIVE STOCK -NURSERIES, FRUITS, ETC. - CEREALS-ROOT AND CUCURBITACEOUS CROPS-AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS-AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES --- POMOLOGICAL AND HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES.

" Oft did the harvest to their sickles yield, Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe has broke ; How jocund did they drive their teams afield ! How bowed the woods beneath their sturdy stroke."

TI VIIE majority of the readers of these pages are farmers, henee a resume of agriculture in the State, would not only be appropriate, but valuable as a matter of history. It is the true basis of national prosperity, and, therefore, justly oceupics a foremost place.

In the year 1800, the Territory of Ohio eon- tained a population of 45,365 inhabitants, or a little more than one person to the square mile. At

this date, the admission of the Territory into the Union as a State began to be agitated. When the eensus was made to aseertain the legality of the act, in conformity to the "Compact of 1787," no endeavor was made to aseertain additional statis- ties, as now ; henee, the cultivated land was not returned, and no account remains to tell how mueh existed. In 1805, three years after the ad- mission of the State into the Union, 7,252,856 aeres had been purchased from the General Gov- ernment. Still no returns of the cultivated lands were made. In 1810, the population of Ohio was 230,760, and the land purchased from the Gov-

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ernment amounted to 9,933,150 acres, of which amount, however, 3,569,314 acres, or more tlian one-third, was held by non-residents. Of the lands occupied by resident land-owners, there appear to have been 100,968 acres of first-rate, 1,929,600 of second, and 1,538,745 acres of third rate lands. At this period there were very few exports from the farm, loom or shop. The people still needed all they produced to sustain themselves, and were yet in that pioneer period where they were obliged to produce all they wanted, and yet were opening new farms, and bringing the old ones to a productive state.

Kentucky, and the country on the Monongahela, lying along the western slopes of the Alleghany Mountains, having been much longer settled, had begun, as early as 1795, to send considerable quan- tities of flour, whisky, bacon and tobacco to the lower towns on the Mississippi, at that time in the possession of the Spaniards. At the French set- tlements on the Illinois, and at Detroit, were being raised much more than could be used, and these were exporting also large quantities of tliese materials, as well as peltries and such commodities as their nomadie lives furnished. As the Missis- sippi was the natural outlet of the West, any at- tempt to impede its free navigation by the various powers at times controlling its outlet, would lead at once to violent outbreaks among the Western settlers, some of whom were aided by unscrupulous persons, who thought to form an independent Western country. Providence seems to have had a watchful eye over all these events, and to have so guided them that the attempts with such objects in view, invariably ended in disgrace to their per- petrators. This outlet to the West was thought to be the only one that could carry their produce to market, for none of the Westerners then dreamed of the immense system of railways now covering that part of the Union. As soon as ship-building commenced at Marietta, in the year 1800, the farmers along the borders of the Ohio and Musk- ingum Rivers turned their attention to the culti- vation of hemp, in addition to their other crops. Ina few years sufficient was raised, not only to furnish eordage to the ships in the West, but large quan- tities were worked up in the various rope-walks and sent to the Atlantic cities. Iron had been discovered, and forges on the Juniata were busy converting that necessary and valued material into implements of industry.

By the year 1805, two ships, seven brigs and three schooners had been built and rigged by the

citizens of Marietta. Their construction gave a fresh impetus to agriculture, as by means of them the surplus products could be carried away to a foreign market, where, if it did not bring money, it could be exchanged for merchandise equally valuable. Captain David Devoll was one of the earliest of Ohio's shipwrights. He settled on the fer.ile Muskingum bottom, about five miles above Marietta, soon after the Indian war. Here he built a "floating mill," for making flour, and, in 1801, a ship of two hundred and fifty tons, called the Muskingum, and the brig Eliza Greene, of one hundred and fifty tons. In 1804, he built a schooner on his own account, and in the spring of the next year, it was finished and loaded for a voyage down the Mississippi. It was small, only of seventy tons burden, of a light draft, and intended to run on the lakes east of New Orleans. In shape and model, it fully sustained its name, Nonpa- reil. Its complement of' sails, small at first, was completed when it arrived in New Orleans. It had a large cabin to accommodate passengers, was well and finely painted, and sat gracefully on the water. Its load was of assorted articles, and shows very well the nature of exports of the day. It con- sisted of two hundred barrels of flour, fifty barrels of kiln-dried corn meal, four thousand pounds of cheese, six thousand of bacon, one hundred sets of rum puncheon shooks, and a few grindstones. The flour and meal were made at Captain Devoll's floating mill, and the cheese made in Belpre, at that date one of Ohio's most flourishing agricultural dis- tricts. The Captain and others carried on boating as well as the circumstances ofthe days permitted, fear- ing only the hostility of the Indians, and the duty the Spaniards were liable to levy on boats going down to New Orleans, even if they did not take it into their erratic heads to stop the entire navi- gation of the great river by vessels other than their own. By such means, merchandise was car- ried on almost entirely until the construction of canals, and even then, until modern times, the flat-boat was the main-stay of the shipper inhabit- ing the country adjoining the upper Ohio and Mississippi Rivers.

Commonly, very little stock was kept beyond what was necessary for the use of the family and to perform the labor on the farm. The Scioto Valley was perhaps the only exception in Ohio to this general condition. Horses were brought by the emigrants from the East and were characteristic of that region. In the French settlements in Illi- nois and about Detroit, French ponies, marvels of

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endurance, were ehicfly used. They were impractie- able in hauling the immense emigrant wagons over the mountains, and henee were comparatively unknown in Ohio. Until 1828, draft horses were chiefly used here, the best strains being brought by the "Tunkers," "Mennonites," and " Ormish,"-three religious seets, whose members were invariably agrieulturists. In Stark, Wayne, Holmes, and Riehlaud Counties, as a general thing, they congregated in eonununities, where the neat- ness of their farms, the excellent condition of their stoek, and the primitive simplicity of their manners, made them conspicuous.

In 1828, the French began to settle in Stark County, where they introduced the stock of horses known as " Selim," "Florizel," "Post Boy" and "Timolen." These, erossed upon the deseents of the Norman and Conestoga, produeed an exeellent stoek of farm horses, now largely used.

In the Western Reserve, blooded horses were in- trodueed as early as 1825. Jolin I. Van Meter brought fine horses into the Seioto Valley in 1815, or thereabouts. Soon after, fine horses were brought to Steubenville from Virginia and Penn- sylvania. In Northern Ohio the stock was more miscellaneous, until the introduction of improved breeds from 1815 to 1835. By the latter date the strains of horses had greatly improved. The same could be said of other parts of the State. Until after 1825, only farm and road horses were required. That year a raee-course-the first in the State-was established in Cincinnati, shortly followed by others at Chillicothe, Dayton and Ham- ilton. From that date the raee-horse steadily im- proved. Until 1838, however, all raee-courses were rather irregular, and, of those named, it is difficult to determine which one has priority of date over the others. To Cincinnati, the prece- dence is, however, generally given. In 1838, the Buckeye Course was established in Cincinnati, and before a year had elapsed, it is stated, there were fifteen regular raee-courses in Ohio. The effect of these eourses was to greatly stimulate the stock of raeers, and rather detract from draft and road horses. The organization of companies to import blooded horses has again revived the interest in this elass, and now, at annual stoek sales, these strains of horses are eagerly sought after by those having oeeasion to use them.

Cattle were brought over the mountains, and, for several years, were kept entirely for domestie uses. By 1805, the country had so far settled that the surplus stoek was fattened on eorn and

fodder, and a drove was driven to Baltimore. The drove was owned by George Renick, of Chillicothe, and the feat was looked upon as one of great im- portanee. The drove arrived in Baltimore in cx- cellent condition. The impetus given by this movement of Mr. Renick stimulated greatly the feeding of eattle, and led to the improvement of the breed, heretofore only of an ordinary kind.

Until the advent of railroads and the shipment of cattle thereon, the number of cattle driven to eastern markets from Ohio alone, was estimated at over fifteen thousand annually, whose value was placed at $600,000. Besides this, large numbers were driven from Indiana and Illinois, whose boundless prairies gave free seope to the herding of eattle. Improved breeds, "Short Horns," "Long IIorns" and others, were introduced into Ohio as early as 1810 and 1815. Sinee then the stoek has been gradually improved and acclimated, until now Ohio produees as fine eattle as any State in the Union. In some localities, especially in the Western Reserve, cheesemaking and dairy interests are the chief oeeupations of whole neighborhoods, where may be found men who have grown wealthy in this business.

Sheep were kept by almost every family, in pio- neer times, in order to be supplied with wool for elothing. The wool was earded by hand, spun in the eabin, and frequently dyed and woven as well as shaped into garments there, too. All emigrants brought the best household and farming imple- ments their limited means would allow, so also did they bring the best strains of horses, eattle and sheep they could obtain. About the year 1809, Mr. Thomas Roteh, a Quaker, emigrated to Stark County, and brought with him a small floek of Merino sheep. They were good, and a part of them were from the original floek brought over from Spain, in 1801, by Col. Humphrey, United States Minister to that country. He had brought 200 of these sheep, and hoped, in time, to see every part of the United States stocked with Me- rinos. In this he partially sueeeeded only, owing to the prejudice against them. In 1816, Messrs. Wells & Diekenson, who were, for the day, exten- sive woolen manufacturers in Steubenville, drove their fine floeks out on the Stark County Plains for the summer, and brought them back for the winter. This course was pursued for several years, until farms were prepared, when they were per- manently kept in Stark County. This floek was originally derived from the Humphrey importation. The failure of Wells & Diekenson, in 1824, placed

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a good portion of this flock in the hands of Adam Hildebrand, and became the basis of his celebrated flock. Mr. T. S. Humrickhouse, of Coshocton, in a communication regarding sheep, writes as fol- lows:

" The first merinos brought to Ohio were doubt- less by Seth Adams, of Zauesville. They were Humphrey's Merinos-undoubtedly the best ever imported into the United States, by whatever name called. He kept them part of the time in Washington, and afterward in Muskingum County. He had a sort of partnership agency from Gen. Humphrey for keeping and selling them. They were scattered, and, had they been taken care of and appreciated, would have laid a better found- ation of flocks in Ohio than any sheep brought into it from that time till 1852. The precise date at which Adams brought them cannot now be as- certained; but it was prior to 1813, perhaps as early as 1804."

"The first Southdowns," continues Mr. Hum- rickhouse," "New Leicester, Lincolnshire and Cots- wold sheep I ever saw, were brought into Coshocton County from England by Isaac Maynard, nephew of the famous Sir John, in 1834. There were about ten Southdowns and a trio of each of the other kinds. He was offered $500 for his Lin- eolnshire ram, in Buffalo, as he passed through, but refused. He was selfish, and unwilling to put them into other hands when he went on a farm, all in the woods, and, in about three years, most of them had perished.'

The raising and improvement of sheep has kept steady tread with the growth of the State, and now Ohio wool is kuown the world over. In quan- tity it is cqual to any State in America, while its quality is unequaled.

The first stock of hogs brought to Ohio were rather poor, scrawny creatures, and, in a short time, when left to themselves to pick a livelihood from the beech mast and other uuts iu the woods, degenerated into a wild coudition, almost akin to their originators. As the country settled, however, they were gathered from their lairs, and, by fecd- ing them corn, the farmers soon brought them out of their semi-barbarous state. Improved breeds were introduced. The laws for their protection and guarding were made, and now the hog of to- day shows what improvement and civilization can do for any wild animal. The chief city of the State has become famous as a slaughtering place ; her bacon and sides being known in all the civil- ized world.

Other domestic animals, mules, asses, etc., have been brought to the State as occasion required. Wherever their use has been demanded, they have been obtained, until the State has her complement of all animals lier citizens can use in their daily labors.

Most of the early emigrants brought with them young fruit trees or grafts of some favorite variety from the " old homestead." Hence, on the West- crn Reserve are to be found chiefly-especially in old orchards-New England varieties, while, in the localities immediately south of the Reserve, Penn- sylvania and Maryland varieties predominate ; but at Marietta, New England fruits are again found, as well as throughout Southeastern Ohio. One of the oldest of these orchards was on a Mr. Dana's farm, near Cincinnati, on the Ohio River bank. It consisted of five acres, in which apple seeds and seedlings were planted as early as 1790. Part of the old orchard is yet to be seen, though the trees are almost past their usefulness. Peaches, pears, cherries and apples were planted by all the pioneers in their gardens. As soon as the seed produced secdlings, these were transplanted to some hillside, and the orchard, in a few years, was a productive unit in the life of the settler. The first fruit brought, was, like everything else of the pioneers, rather inferior, and admitted of much cultivation. Soon steps were taken by the more enterprising settlers to obtain better varieties. Israel Putnam, as early as 1796, returned to the East, partly to get scions of the choicest apples, and, partly, on other business. He obtained quite a quantity of choice apples, of some forty or fifty varieties, and set them out. A portion of them were distrib- uted to the settlers who had trees, to ingraft. From these old grafts are yet to be traced some of the best orchards in Ohio. Israel Putnam was one of the most prominent men in early Ohio days. He was always active in promoting the interests of the settlers. Among his earliest efforts, that of improving the fruit may well be mentioned. He and his brother, Aarou W. Putuam, living at Bel- pre, opposite Blennerhasset's Island, began the nursery business soon after their arrival in the West. The apples brought by them from their Connecticut home were used to commence the busi- ness. These, and the apples obtained from trecs planted iu their gardens, gave them a beginning. They were the only two men in Ohio engaged in the business till 1817.

In early times, in the central part of Ohio, there existed a curious character known as "Johnny

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Appleseed." His real name was John Chapman. He received his name from his habit of planting, along all the streams in that part of the State, apple-seeds from which sprang many of the old orchards. He did this as a religious duty, think- ing it to be his especial mission. He had, it is said, been disappointed in his youth in a love affair, and came West about 1800, and ever after followed his singular life. He was extensively known, was quite harmless, very patient, and did, without doubt, much good. He died in 1847, at the house of a Mr. Worth, near Fort Wayne, Indiana, who had long known him, and often befriended him. He was a minister in the Swed- enborgian Church, and, in his own way, a zealous worker.

The settlers of the Western Reserve, coming from New England, chiefly from Connecticut, brought all varieties of fruit known in their old homes. These, whether seeds or grafts, werc planted in gardens, and as soon as an orchard could be cleared on some favorable hillside, the young trees were transplanted there, and in time an orchard was the result. Much confusion regarding the kinds of fruits thus produced arose, partly from the fact that the trees grown from seeds did not always prove to be of the same qual- ity as the seeds. Climate, soil and surroundings often change the character of such fruits. Many new varieties, unknown to the growers, were the result. The fruit thus produced was often of an inferior growth, and when grafts were brought from the old New England home and grafted into the Ohio trees, an improvement as well as the old home fruit was the result. After the orchards in the Reserve began to bear," the fruit was very often taken to the Ohio River for shipment, and thence found its way to the South- ern and Eastern seaboard cities.

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History of Medina county and Ohio, Part 26

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Battle, J. H; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926; Baskin & Battey. Chicago. pub Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago : Baskin & Battey Number of Pages: 1014

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Battle, J. H; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926; Baskin & Battey. Chicago. pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1014