History of Muskingum County, Ohio ; with illustrations and biographical sketches of prominent men and pioneers, 1794, Part 58

Author: Everhart, J. F; Graham, A. A., Columbus, Ohio, pub
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: [Columbus, O.] : F.J. Everhart & Co.
Number of Pages: 600

USA > Ohio > Muskingum County > History of Muskingum County, Ohio ; with illustrations and biographical sketches of prominent men and pioneers, 1794 > Part 58

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Day, C. J., and White, Brinkerhoff and Scott, J. J., concurred.

McINTIRE CHILDREN'S HOME .- The inception of this institution dates back to a time in June, 1865, when Mrs. Van Buren, Mrs. James. Mrs. Captain Hazlett, Mrs. D. Brown, Mrs. Louisa Brooks, Mrs. General Leggett, and Mrs. Joseph Black, convened, in one of the small rooms of the Second street M. E. Church, at which meet- ing Mrs. Van Buren was chosen President, and Mrs. James, Secretary. The result of this meet- ing was, that it should be ascertained what money could be raised for the purpose of caring for des- titute children, to accomplish which, committees were appointed to solicit funds in each ward.

On July 24, 1865, a second meeting was held, in the same place, and a committee was appoint- ed to prepare a suitable Constitution and By- Laws. The meeting also decided to invite the co-operation of Rev. Mr. Platt, Henry Blandy, C. W. Potwin, John Taylor, Jr., Joseph Black. General Leggett, Rev. Levitt, Alexander Grant, and others. July 31, of the same year, they met and perfected an organization. and adopted rules to govern the Home. The name selected was significant of their intent, viz. : "The Musking- um County Children's Home." The officers elected were :

President-Henry Blandy.

Vice Presidents-Joseph Black and C. W. Potwin.

Treasurer-John Taylor.

Secretary -- H: D. Willard.

Board of Control -- Mrs. Van Buren. Mrs. Captain Hazlett, Mrs. Dr. Brown, Mrs. D. M. Leggett, Mrs. Benjamin Wheeler. Mrs. Brooks. and Mrs. Maginnis.

Matron-Miss Mary Flood.

The first "Home" was opened in Mrs. Flood's brick dwelling, on Market street, east of Block- som alley. In the spring following, these rooms were found insufficient for the accommodation of the children, and the Board of Control contract- ed with Stephen Harper for his five-acre lot, sit- uated on the old Wheeling road, one mile east of the Court House, opposite Harris's brick-yard. upon which was a one-story, frame house, con- taining four rooms, for which property. was paid two thousand one hundred and fifty dollars.

Rules Governing the Institution .- Parents or guardians, or, if none, the Trustees of town- ships, or Infirmary Directors, are required to sign a paper of indenture, giving the child to the Trustees of the Home, to be placed in their care and protection, to feed, clothe. school, and care for, as their own children ; the Home to provide suitable homes for the children, among good and respectable people.

Requirements from those who receive children from the Home :

Such persons are required to enter into bond to take care of the child. or children, as though their own. The child is required to be industri- ous and obedient, and, when of age. the adopt- ing parents are required to furnish two suits of clothes, one of which is to be new.

The Trustees reserve the right to the child. so

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HISTORY OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY, OHIO.

far as to see that the contract, on the part of those who adopt children, is complied with.

The importance of such an institution as the Children's Home having been demonstrated, as fulfilling the desires expressed in the will of John McIntire. who bequeathed his property for the benefit of poor children, the administrators of his estate generously came to the aid of the Board of Control, by paying the expenses, and affording such other assistance as was necessary to place the Home on a permanent basis.

September 4th, 1867, Mrs. Highfield resigned her Matronship, and Mrs. Ely (her daughter), was appointed to fill the vacancy, and Miss Kate Duross was appointed teacher.

In July, 1868, the McIntire trustees agreed to purchase and hold the mortgage debt of said Children's Home Association, and to contribute two thousand dollars a year to support the Home, the name being changed (May 16th, of the same year, ) to McIntire Children's Home. After sup- porting the "Home" for eleven years, in the old frame building, in the fourth ward, the trustees became satisfied that a building ought to be con- structed specially adapted for such purpose. The McIntire estate, having become the owner of "Woodside," a site containing some eight acres, and familiarly known as the homestead of Judge Richard Stillwell, and, subsequently, of Mr. Kaemmerer, the executors, by virtue of their of- ficial power, and in obedience to the intent of the testator, whose estate they control, set this tract apart for the "John McIntire Children's Home." Under legislative authority. the ground aforesaid was annexed to the city of Zanesville, and open- ed Kaemmerer avenue, which leads from the Home grounds to Adair avenue, thus bringing it into direct communication with the public high- ways of the city, while it is retired from the an- noyances of a common public thoroughfare, and enjoys the delightful advantage of a suburban home, on a commanding eminence, amid the shade and beauty of luxuriant forest trees.

"And cloudless brightness opens wide and high, A home aerial, where Thy presence dwells. The chime of bells remote, the murmuring- The song of birds is whispering, copse and wood, The voice of children's thoughtless glee, And maiden's song, are all one voice of good."

The executors made a contract with the Coun- ty Commissioners, through a joint commission, consisting of Jeff. Van Horne, on the part of the Commissioners, and C. C. Russell, M. M. Gran- ger, and D. C. Converse, for McIntire Children's Home, as follows :

First-Said Association will build, during the year 1879, on lots 32, 33, 34, 35, 44, 45, and 46, Woodside (Kaemmerer's subdivision, recently annexed to Zanesville), a brick building, for said Home, suitable for the accommodation of one hundred children, and the necessary officers and attendants of the Home, which building shall be the property of the McIntire estate, for the use of said Home.

Second-The Commissioners of Muskingum county, pursuant to act of February 11th, 1869 [Volume 66, Ohio Laws, page 11], will aid said association in and about the erection of said build- ing, pay to said association the sum of six thous- and dollars, ($6,000.00), payable as follows, to wit: On or before the first day of May, A. D. 1879, the sum of two thousand dollars, ($2,- 000.00) ; on or before the first day of January, 1880, the sum of three thousand dollars, ($3,- 000.00) ; and the balance on or before the first day of July, 1880.

Third-Said association will receive into said Home, in the same manner as other children are, and have been, received, children within the ages fixed by the Statutes regulating the Children's Home, children from the County Infirmary, and keep, and maintain, and instruct them in like manner as they do unto and for other children admitted to said Home, and will maintain a school in said Home, as required by the State of Ohio touching said Home.

Fourth-Said County Commissioners will use all legal power of taxation that is, or may be, given them, (by law), for the purpose of raising money to fulfill the following stipulations, and will pay it, from time to time, to said association, as raised, to wit : For salaries of Superintendent, Matron, and other necessary officers and attend- ants, not exceeding their pro rata share of said expenses, properly belonging to the children ad- mitted from said Infirmary, not exceeding the sum of three thousand dollars, ($3,000.00), a year, for furnishing books, school apparatus, etc., their proper cost for said children so received from said Infirmary Directors.

Approved by Commissioners Simms, Tanner, and Van Horne .- [Commissioner's journal, pa- ges 405-6.

The new Home building was begun in June, 1879, and finished in August, 1880 ; the opening was celebrated, and it was dedicated by appro- priate religious ceremonies, and a sense of relief came, lifting the shadows that over us roll.

The structure is one of the most beautiful in this vicinity ; the entire length is one hundred and twenty five feet, by ninety in width ; the base- ment is built of limestone, with range-work above the window sills. The east and west wings are two stories high; the central portion is three stories high ; the roof is Mansard ; the walls are of brick, with handsome stone trimmings. I1 the architrave, over the main entrance, the name of the institution, "McIntire Children's Home," is cut in bold, stone lettering. The building fronts south, and the stone steps at the doorways are neat and remarkable for easy ascent and de- scent. The building contains thirty-five rooms. There are several avenues of escape in case of fire. The building is heated throughout by steam, from the boiler room, in the basement, and so perfect is the system that no accident can occur. The structure is to be lighted by gas, furnished from the pipes of the Zanesville Gas Light Com- pany.

The laundry is located in the rear of the kitch-

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HISTORY OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY, OHIO.

en, and is a substantial brick building, thirty-two feet square, and supplied with all the appliances necessary.

The school house, seventy-five yards east of the Home, is a handsome two-room edifice, with a capacity of one hundred children.

The Home farm comprises one hundred and four acres of land, and is in charge of two farm- ers, for whom neat tenement houses have been erected. Two new frame houses have been built, one for the janitor of the Home, the other for the overseer of the farm. They were constructed from the material of the large frame building which formerly occupied the site of the Home, built by the late Judge Stillwell. The barn and stables have been newly repaired and painted, new board fencing around the farm, picket fence around the Home building and grounds immedi- ately attached, the lawn laid out in walks, and ornamented with evergreens, and, all in all, the new Home is a charming place.

Arrangements have been made with the In- firmary Directors, under authority vested in them, [see Section 976, Revised Statutes], to take into the Home the children that now are, or may here- after, come to the Infirmary, and care for them as other children.

The present officers are :

Trustees-Moses M. Granger, Daniel Apple- gate, D. C. Convers, R. S. Granger, Edward J. Brush, Charles C. Goddard, Charles H. Abbott, John R. Stonesipher, Charles C. Hildreth, Alex- ander Grant, and George W. Thompson.

The officers of this Board are :

President-Alexander Grant.

Vice President-Charles C. Goddard.

Secretary-George W. Thompson.

Board of Managers-Mrs. Stanberry, Mrs. G. N. Guthrie, Mrs. Robert Fulton, Mrs. James R. Peabody, Mrs. Laura Taylor, Mrs. Alexander Sullivan, Mrs. Thomas Griffith, and Messrs. A. Grant, Charles C. Goddard, and George W. Thompson.

Matron-Mrs. Ann W. Ely.

Teacher-Miss Kate Duross.

CHAPTER XXVI. MUSKINGUM IMPROVEMENT.

NAVIGABLE CANALS-THE CANAL FUND-COMMIS- SIONERS OF-POWERS-WHAT THE COMMISSION- ERS DID-COST OF MAKING THESE IMPROVE- MENTS-CONNECTION WITH THE NAVIGATION OF THE OHIO RIVER-REVENUE DERIVED FROM THE IMPROVEMENT - TOLL RECEIPTS - TON- NAGE TABLE-THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS.

February 4th, 1825, an act was passed by the Legislature of Ohio, "to provide for the internal improvement of the State of Ohio, by navigable canals," which is as follows :

SECTION 4. "That there shall be a Board of Commissioners, to be denominated the Commis- sioners of the Canal Fund, which Board shall

consist of three members, each of whom shall take an oath, or affirmation, well and faithfully to execute the duties required of him by law, who shall continue in their appointment six years, and until their successors are appointed and qualified, which Board shall continue until the stock which shall be created, as hereinafter provided, shall be wholly paid and redeemed, and that the terms of service of the three persons first appointed, shall be so arranged that one of their terms of ser- vice shall expire at the end of two years, and one at the end of four years, and one at the end of six years, to be decided by lot, so that one of said Commissioners shall be appointed every two years, and should a vacancy happen in said Board by death, resignation, or otherwise, during the recess of the Legislature, the Governor, for the time being, shall appoint a person, or persons, to fill such vacancy, until the Legislature shall act in the premises ; provided, that any of said Commis- sioners may be removed by joint resolution of both branches of the Legislature; and that the following persons and their successors shall con- stitute said Board, to wit : Ethan A. Brown, Eb- enezer Buckingham, and Allen Trimble ; that a majority of said Commissioners shall be a quorum for the transaction of business ; they shall super- intend and manage the canal fund, and shall re- ceive, arrange, and manage, to the best advant- age, all things belonging thereto ; they shall bor- row, from time to time, moneys on the credit of the State, at a rate of interest not exceeding six per centum per annum, and not exceeding, in the year eighteen hundred and twenty-five, the sum of four hundred thousand dollars, and in any suc- ceeding year, during the progress of the work hereby contemplated, a sum which shall not ex- ceed six hundred thousand dollars, for which moneys so to be borrowed, they shall issue trans- ferable certificates of stock, redeemable at the pleasure of the State, at such time, between the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty and the year one thousand eight hundred and seven- ty-five, as the said Commissioners of the Canal Fund may determine, to be paid out of said fund. and transferable at such place, or places, as, in the opinion of said Commissioners of the Canal Fund, shall best promote the interest of the State ; they shall pay the sums so borrowed to the Canal Commissioners, or their orders, for the purpose of making the canals hereinbefore described. un- der such regulations and restrictions as the Com- missioners of the Canal Fund may deem neces- sary and proper, in order to secure the applica- tion of the money to the making of the canals. * ** * * *

SECTION 8. "That it shall be lawful for the said Canal Commissioners, aud each of them by them- selves, and by any and every superintendent, agent, or engineer employed by them, to enter upon, and take possession of, and use all and sin- gular, any lands, waters, streams, and materials necessary for the prosecution of the improvements intended by this act ; and to make all such cau- als, feeders. dykes, locks, dams, and other works and devices, as they may think proper for mak-

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HISTORY OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY, OHIO.

ing such improvements, doing, nevertheless, no unnecessary damage : and that in case any lands, waters, streams, or materials taken and appro- priated. for any of the purposes aforesaid, shall not be given or granted to this State, it shall be the duty of the Canal Commissioners, on appli- cation being made to them by the owner, or own- ers. of any such lands, waters, streams, or materi- als, to appoint, by writing, not less than three, nor more than five, discreet, disinterested persons as appraisers, who shall, before they enter upon the duties of their appointment, severally take an oath, or affirmation, before some person author- ized to administer oaths, faithfully and impartially to perform the trust and duties required of them by this act, a certificate of which oath, or affirm- ation, shall be filed with the Secretary of the Canal Commissioners ; and it shall be the duty of said appraisers, or a majority of them, to make a just and equitable estimate and apprais- al, of damage, if any, over and above the bene- fit and advantage to the respective owners and proprietors. or parties interested in the premises, so required for the purposes aforesaid, and the said appraisers, or a majority of them, shall make regular entries of their determination and appraisal, with an apt and sufficient description of the several premises, appropriated for the purposes aforesaid, in a book, or books, to be provided by the Canal Commissioners, and cer- tify and sign their names to such entries and ap- praisals, etc.

"M. T. WILLIAMS, "Speaker of the House of Representatives. "ALLEN TRIMBLE. "Speaker of the Senate."

"In pursuance of this act, the Board made ar- rangements for taking levels, and making sur- veys and examinations necessary to ascertain the best plan, and probable cost, of improving that important river -- the Muskingum. Mr. Jo- seph Ridgeway, Jr., was accordingly directed to proceed to the performance of this service. In this gentleman's skill the Board feels great con- fidence, and entertains no doubt but that his lev- elings and surveys are substantially correct. In adopting a plan for improving the size of the river, the nature of the valley, its banks and bed, and its connection with the Ohio river, have been taken into view. As the improvement of the Muskingum is designed, among other advan- tages, to connect the navigation of the Ohio river with that of the canal through the valley of the Muskingum, it is of primary importance that the improvement should be such as to afford a commodious navigation, either for boats of the canal, or the steamboats of the Ohio. The char- acter of the valley, and the channel of the Mus- kingum, render it much cheaper to make a steamboat navigation in its channel, than a canal along its margin.

"The plan of improvements, therefore, which has been adopted, is to create, at all places in the channel of the river, by means of dams, a sufficient depth of water to admit the passage of

steamboats of the size found most profitable for navigating the Ohio river, and construct the locks, and side cuts around the dams, of suffi- cient dimensions for that purpose.

"The channel of the river is sufficiently large for the convenient navigation of the largest steamboats, being, on an average, five hun- dred feet in breadth. The distance from Zanes- ville to the mouth of the river, at Marietta, fol- lowing the meanderings of the river, is seventy- five miles and sixty-six chains. The amount of fall from the foot of the upper dam, at Zanes- ville, to the level of low-water mark at Marietta, is one hundred and four feet, and from the top of the Zanesville dam, one hundred and fifteen feet. To make slack water throughout this whole distance, if not less than four feet in depth, at the lowest stages of water, will require eleven dams across the river. The descent from the lower dam at Zanesville, may be overcome by twelve locks, the aggregate lift of which will be one hundred and four feet.

"The lowest estimated cost of making these improvements, from the lower bridge in Zanes- ville to the Ohio river, including ten per cent. on the net estimate, to cover unforeseen ex- penses, is $353,443.67.

"In order to connect the navigation of the Ohio river with the canal, it will be necessary to improve the river betwen Zanesville and Dres- den, by the erection of one dam across the river between these two places, and the making of a lock, to overcome the fall ; together with a lock and an increase of the breadth of the canal, at Zanesville : the total cost of which is estimated at $56.556.61.

"A side cut, or branch canal, of about two and a half miles in length, from the main canal to the Muskingum, at Dresden, with three boat locks, overcoming a descent of twenty-eight feet from the canal into the river, will be necessary, to perfect the plan. The cost of this side cut will be about thirty-five thousand dollars." The contract for building this side cut was at once let, to be completed September 1, 1829.

The question of this improvement continued to be agitated until 1835, when the contracts were let, and work began. The contractors were: Josiah Spaulding, G. W. Manypenny ; Lyon, Buck & Wolf; Hosmer, Chapin & Sharp, and Arthur and James Taggert. The whole work was under the personal supervision of Da- vid Bates, civil engineer.

In 1841, the work was so far advanced as to allow the passage of boats ; but it was not until a year later that the 'Muskingum Improvement' was entirely completed. The total cost was one million six hundred thousand dollars.

The revenue of the improvement is derived from tolls, similar to those collected on the Ohio Canal. The locks are located as follows : Dres- den, Simms' Creek, Zanesville, Taylorsville, Eaglesport, McConnellsville, Windsor, Luke Chute, Beverly, Lowell, Devolt, and Harmar. There are two locks at Zanesville, and a dam near each of the locks named, except at Dres-

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HISTORY OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY, OHIO.

den, which is obviated by the canal flowing into the Muskingum river.

The lock-tenders at Zanesville have been : Major - Horn, Henry Bridgeman, William Stokes. and George Shrack. The latter, now seventy-five years of age, has performed the du- ties faithfully, during twenty-four years past.

TOLL RECEIPTS .- The receipts during the year 1879, from tolls and water rents, on Divi- sion No. 2, of the Public Works of Ohio, which embraces the Ohio and Hocking Canals, and the Muskingum Improvement, aggregated $35,- 084.99, divided as follows :

Ohio Canal-Tolls $ 8,056 82

" -Water rents. 4,250 72

Total

$12,307 54

Hocking Canal-Tolls. $ 7,129 51

" -- Water rents. 1,056 18

Total $ 8,185 69

Muskingum Improvement-Tolls $10,872 59

-Water rents 3,719 17

Total ... . ..... .... $14,591 76

The expenditures for the same period were as follows :

Ohio Canal

$18,221 72

Hocking Canal.

9,833 13

Muskingum Township

16,059 79

Salary of Engineer

900 00

Total $45,014 64

The excess of the expenditures over the re- receipts was $9,929.64.

TONNAGE TABLE .- The following table shows the amount of business done at the Collector's office in Zanesville-the shipments and receipts -during the year 1879 :

Articles.

Arrived.

Cleared.

Barrels-

Flour ..

2,999

467

Salt

10,313

Bushels ---

Corn.

2,545

Coal, mineral.

5,400

195

Wheat .

284,250

Pounds-

Hides and skins ..

60,000

Iron, pig or scrap

53,872

390,668

Iron, bar.

7,350

555,870

Machinery

28,000

Merchandise.

1,413,362

5,016,300

Potters' ware

240,760

Sundries 2,770,480

2,356,000

Number -

Barrels, empty.

1,226

2,367

Brick ...

35,450

Hoop-poles

39,090

4,000

Lath ...

209,000

Staves and Headings

420,000

Shingles

1,037,000

Fcet-

Lumber

558,560

188,600

Perches-

Stone ..

828

The Muskingum Improvement is now under control of the Board of Public Works, which is composed as follows :

President-James Fullington.

Secretary-A. C. Williams.

Clerk-J. W. Horton. Chief Engineer-John B. Gregory.

The following are the Superintendents: N. Hoagland, Akron ; Thomas West, Canal Dover ; Samuel Galloway, Newark ; W. E. Mead, Co- lumbus ; H. White, Logan ; E. W. Sprague, Lowell; R. N. Andrews, Hamilton ; Jarvis Landon, Piqua ; George Long, Toledo ; N. C. West, Fremont.

CHAPTER XXVII.

THE RAILROADS OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY.

THE CENTRAL OHIO-CINCINNATI AND MUSKINGUM VALLEY -PITTSBURGH, CINCINNATI AND ST. LOUIS-ZANESVILLE AND SOUTHEASTERN.

The history of the railroads of the county shows them to have been powerful agencies in develop- ing the resources, the growth, and prosperity of the industries and institutions, the march of mind, and the increase of wealth, while the increased facilities for transporting the products of the soil, other merchandise, and easy transit of passen- gers, seem almost too familiar to be duly appre- ciated. And yet, a careful contemplation of this important factor in our present civilization, shows that railways, which have inaugurated the new order of things, have rarely been beneficiaries to a degree commensurate with the outlay of money and brains required to put them in operation and keep them up.

Live and let live, is a wholesome maxim, and, while the railroad remains our best means of transport communication, it should receive a gen- erous patronage, at a living tariff. Of seventy- two companies in Ohio, reporting to the Com- missioner of Railroads and Telegraphs, for the last fiscal year, the operating expenses were 67.45 per cent. of the receipts, and only thirteen of the seventy-two companies report paying dividends to their stock-holders.

The railroads in Muskingum county are :

The Central Ohio, having 32.70 miles of main track, and 6.07 miles of siding.

The Cincinnati and Muskingum Valley, hav- ing 26.61 miles of main track, and 2.90 miles of siding.

The Pittsburgh, Cincinnati. and St. Louis, having 14.09 iniles of main track, and 2.66 miles of siding.

With a total of main track of 73.40 miles, and 11.63 miles of siding, or, 85.03 miles of track in all.

THE CENTRAL OHIO RAILROAD .- On February 8th, 1847, the Legislature of Ohio passed "an act to incorporate the Central Ohio Railroad Com- pany." This was the pioneer railroad of the county, and its incorporators were : Robert Neil. Samuel Medary, Joel Buttles, Joseph Ridgway,

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HISTORY OF MUSKINGUM COUNTY, OHIO.

and Bela Latham, of Franklin county ; David Smith. Daniel Duncan, Adam Seymour, Israel Dille. Albert Sherwood. Nathaniel B. Hogg, Levi J. Haughey, Jacob Glessner, George W. Penney, Jonathan Taylor, A. P. Prichard, and Wickliff Condit, of Licking county ; James Ra- guet. Robt. Mitchell, Daniel Brush, John Hamm, Solomon Sturges, Richard Stillwell, Daniel Con- vers, Levi Claypool, and Solomon Woods, of Muskingum county.

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History of Muskingum County, Ohio ; with illustrations and biographical sketches of prominent men and pioneers, 1794, Part 58

Author: Everhart, J. F; Graham, A. A., Columbus, Ohio, pub Publication date: 1882 Publisher: [Columbus, O.] : F.J. Everhart & Co. Number of Pages: 600

Author: Everhart, J. F; Graham, A. A., Columbus, Ohio, pub
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: [Columbus, O.] : F.J. Everhart & Co.
Number of Pages: 600