History of Pickaway County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 4

Author: Aaron R. Van Cleaf
Publication date: 1906
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 923

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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

lieved to have been Louisa (Leiby) Myers, whose birth occurred in June, 1811. Her father, John Leiby, a Pennsylvanian, came to Circleville from Chillicothe, and established here the first dry goods store. The first grocery in town was kept by Joe Strouse. Soon after the location of the town, Rev. William Swayze, a Methodist minister, preached what is thought to have been the first sermon in the town. The first church edifice was a Presbyterian meeting- house of brick, whose corner-stone was laid September 2, 1826, by Rev. Burton. The Olive Branch was Circleville's first newspaper, the first number appearing on August 9, 1817.

CIRCLEVILLE IN 1827.

In an issue of the Olive Branch and Picka- way Herald, of September 15, 1827, a writer under the caption, "Circleville in 1827," gives a description of the city as it was then. The com- munication, which was addressed to the editor, William B. Thrall, and signed by "Justice," is given in full as follows:

"As our neighboring towns have been rep- resented in some essays published in the Scioto Gazette, relative to the Scioto Valley, as hav- ing a decided superiority over our village, 1 thought it would be well to give the public a true, statistical account of the town so much depreciated by the writer of those essays.

"By this it will appear that he was jealous of our prosperity and growing importance and disposed to prop up the declining fortunes of the town in which he wrote, at our expense. Though we might be ready to smile in con- tempt at his impotent efforts, yet justice to ourselves requires, that our pretensions and standing should be fairly stated, lest. some might be deceived by the manner in which he speaks of us.

"Circleville is situated on the east bank of the Scioto River, 25 miles south of Columbus, and 20 miles southwest of Lancaster, in north latitude 39 degrees and 38 minutes and west longitude 5 degrees and 55 minutes from the meridian of Washington. It is on the most direct route from Philadelphia and Washing- ton City to Cincinnati, and Illinois; on which

route the public mail destined for those parts now passes in stages to and fro three times per week and is soon expected to pass daily.

"The traveler in passing on this route from Lancaster to Cincinnati, or to central and southern parts of Indiana, Illinois and Mis- souri, saves at least fifteen miles in distance and obtains a much better road than by taking the Chillicothe route .. It is the direct road, too, from Portsmouth and Gallipolis to Columbus and Sandusky Bay. On this road a mail passes to and fro thrice each week in stages. The Ohio Canal is surveyed and considered located on the western borders of the town, between the in-lots and the river.

"The town contains one hundred and two dwelling houses, besides twenty-two building this season. Thus it is increasing, by an addi- tion of one-fifth to its size in a single year. Several of the buildings erecting are substan- tial brick and frame buildings of spacious di- mensions. Preparations are making for the erection of a still greater number next season.

"Rents and the value of property have been increasing at the rate of twenty-five per cent, for the last two years, and bid fair to increase in the same ratio for several years hence. The public buildings are a court house, jail, a build- ing containing six public offices, an Academy, a public schoolhouse, a Presbyterian church, and a market house, all of brick, except the jail; which is stone.

"The population of the town consists of one hundred and seven families, containing seven hundred and twenty-five inhabitants, fifty-five of whom are persons of color.

"There are nine mercantile stores employ- ing a capital of about forty-three thousand dollars; three druggists and apothecary shops; three groceries and bakers, employing a capital of five hundred dollars.

"Of mechanics there are seven carpenters, six cabinet makers, four chair makers, three wheelwrights, two coopers, two wagon makers, six shoemakers, four tanners, two saddlers, five tailors, two weavers, one clothier, four hatters, four blacksmiths, two silversmiths, one clockmaker, two watchmakers and jewel- ers, four masons, three brick makers, one tin-

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HISTORY OF PICKAWAY COUNTY

ner, one printer, one rope maker, two butchers, one distiller, one potter, and one barber. There are also four attorneys, five physicians and two teachers. There is also one rope walk, and ad- jacent to town two woolen establishments and three sawmills.

"From this, some idea may be formed of the business done in the town. In several of the trades there are young men employed as journeymen who are not enumerated in the above list. Several more carpenters and house joiners and several more masons and brick lay- ers might find profitable employment. A cop- persmith, a brewer, a dyer, a fancy painter, a carriage maker, a stone cutter and several other trades might find a good situation here for their business.

"Since the autumn of 1823, the town has been more healthy, it is believed, than any of the neighboring towns. There has been but one death by fever in this season, and very few cases."

THE CIRCLE "SQUARED."

It has often been a matter of regret to the citizens of Circleville of the present day, that the original conformation of the town was ever changed. The most unique feature about the place, from which the town derived its name, was obliterated in order that the streets might be in checkerboard fashion, running at right angles to each other. Not many years elapsed after the town began to be built up, before dis- satisfaction with the circular arrangement of the streets showed itself in certain quarters. Some thought that the original design was a piece of childish sentimentalism, while others advanced the idea that the shape of the lots was awkward and inconvenient. One of the most important reasons advanced for the change was that the open circular space about the Court House presented a very poor ap- pearance, as it was the custom of the people from the country to hitch and feed their teams there, thus attracting to the place hogs and other domestic animals, that were then allowed the freedom of the city. However sincere these objections might have been, and however

important they may have seemed to those who urged them, it is not at all likely the change would ever have been made, had it not oc- curred to somebody that, by laying out the circular portion of the town in a square form, quite an amount of waste ground-in the cen- ter of the circle as well as in the four angles where the square portions joined the circle and in some of the avenues and alleys-would become available for building lots and yield a fair profit over and above what the county would charge for it. It was, no doubt, a fair business transaction and not to be censured, except upon esthetic grounds. It first became necessary to secure enabling acts from the Legislature and then to obtain the consent of all the property owners within the space af- fected.

On March 29, 1837, the first enabling act was passed by the General Assembly of Ohio, which authorized an alteration of the town plat of the town of Circleville. For some reason nothing was done that year, perhaps because it was found difficult to obtain the consent of all the property owners in the entire circle. So on March 1, 1838, the General Assembly was induced to pass a supplementary act, au- thorizing the friends of the measure to proceed with the alterations as soon as the consent of all the owners of any part (meaning probably any fourth part) of the circle should be ob- tained.

On March 23, 1838, the first steps toward the squaring of the southeast quarter of the circular portion of the town were taken through the application of Andrew Huston, Thomas Huston and Dr. Edson B. Olds to the Court of Common Pleas. Daniel Dreisbach, director of the town, was ordered by the court to convey to the said parties all the interest of Pickaway County in said part of Circleville, for the con- sideration of $750. The next day they filed their plat in the recorder's office; and on the 30th of the same month the interest of the county was conveyed to them by deed. The same parties took similar steps on the 15th of September, 1838, for squaring the northwest quarter of the circle. They received their deed from the county on October 4th, for the same

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consideration as obtained in the first transac- tion:

The northeast quarter was squared by the Circleville Squaring Company, which was com- prised of John Cradlebaugh, Dr. Edson B. Olds, Francis Kinnear and others. This did not take place however, until II years after the southeast and northwest quarters were squared. After making a satisfactory arrangement with the property holders in this quarter, they ob- tained a deed from the county for its interest in the same for $75, the deed being dated August 17, 1849.

Five years later, W. W. Bierce undertook the squaring of the southwest quarter, securing an order from the court for this purpose and filing his plat in the recorder's office on Sep -- tember 1, 1854. He received his deed on March 6, 1856. No consideration was named.

The actual work of rearranging the streets, which made necessary the removal of many buildings and the erection of others, went on very slowly, and it was doubtless some years after Bierce received his deed that the work might be termed completed. The work of grading the streets and the building lots grad- ually effaced every trace of the ancient en- closures.

The line of these two enclosures, as de- scribed in an article in the Union-Herald of August 2, 1878, which is herewith given, was marked as follows :

"The center of the circle was the center of the 'square at the intersection of Court and Main streets. The circle and square were joined, or rather the gateway, as the opening between them was called, was in the street a little west of the point where the alley crosses Main street at the Central Presbyterian Church. Starting at this point, the ditch which was the circumference of the circle, ran under a part of the church, under the rear of Mr. Scovil's, house, curving around to McClaren's livery stable and Bauder's carriage shop, crossing the street between Bauder's and the Foresman corner and Pinkney street diagonally to T. K. Brunner's, gh the rear of the Jones lot, through Jesse Ward's on West Mains through the Steele- . and the Tibbs

Jones Block, and the Martin property, and diagonally to Jerome Wolfley's, north of the Court House, crossing to Mrs. Nightengale's residence, through the Brobeck carriage shops, and diagonally across Franklin street, to the rear of Ruggles' lot, and through it to the be- ginning.

"This circuit was the line of the ditch de- scribed above, and which was full of water to a depth ranging from three to ten feet. The banks were very steep and only at a few places was the ditch fordable. The embankment was overgrown with immense trees, and so thickly covered with vines and bushes that it was al- most impenetrable. Here and there the cattle had made trails down to the water and at these places horsemen were in the habit of crossing the path winding down sidewise. Within the circle the growth of timber and bushes was quite dense.

"We now go to the square, the limits of which we can not so clearly define, but suffi- ciently so to give a fair idea. The face next to the circle was on the line of the alley next to the Central Church, extending south to Frank- lin street (lower side), and north to Watt street. The south line ran along parallel with the south side of Franklin street, extending to a point a few rods east of Washington street. The only remains of the old embankment now visible is the elevated ground near which the little . cabin known as Mrs. White's house stands, at the corner of Pickaway and Franklin streets. The north line ran along Watt street east from H. R. Heffner's residence a distance of fifty-five rods. The eastern boundary, run- ning north and south, crossed Main street, a little east of. Washington street, the old elm tree, well remembered by many, which stood in the pavement, being just inside of the embank- ment."

In the succeeding chapter, on "Recollec- tions of Old Circleville," several descriptions of the town, as it stood in the period when the changes were being made, are given. We are indebeted to G. F. Wittich for the greater part of this information, which he has gathered at various times from personal letters and newspaper clippings, as well as for a view of

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HISTORY OF PICKAWAY COUNTY

Circleville in 1836, which appears elsewhere in this book. Soon after he came to Circleville in the fall of 1836, he made several sketches of the old Court House, the old circle and other separate buildings, which assisted him mater- ially in designing this view, which he drew about 1858 or 1860. When he was in doubt as to the correct .location or size of certain buildings, he was able to ascertain the desired information from residents who had lived here from the early years of the town. This view he finished in colors in 1870.

CIRCLEVILLE IN 1843,

According to a short historical sketch of the county, published in that year, had "14 dry goods stores, two hardware stores, two stove stores, two drug stores, three printing offices, two confectioneries and a great number and

WEST MAIN STREET, CIRCLEVILLE, IN 1846. The Foreground was Originally a Part of the Old Circle, Which in Time was "Squared." From Howe's "Historical Collections of Ohio"

variety of mechanic shops, all well supplied with articles in their respective lines. It has two wholesale groceries and nine warehouses on the canal, at which an extensive business is done in the produce line. It has four pork es- tablishments, at which can be slaughtered and packed about 1,500 hogs per day. There are in this town six churches, one academy, one female seminary, eight hotels, a book store and bindery and a jail.

"During the winter of 1843 to 1844 there were slaughtered here forty thousand hogs for export. An idea of the amount of business

done here may be formed from the following statement taken from the last report of the Board of Public Works: Of the clearings made from this port in 1843, viz. : 25,664 bar- rels of flour, 9,666 barrels of pork, 2,480,452 pounds of bacon, 1,436,248 pounds of lard, 98,863 pounds of butter, 20,403 pounds of tal- low, 34,204 pounds of wool, 47,738 bushels of wheat, 49,085 bushels of corn, and 3,229 bushels of clover seed. Much the largest portion of these articles (except wool) were the products of Pickaway County. The quantity of wheat, flour and pork shipped that year was much less than usual, and the shipments of 1844 will no doubt greatly exceed those of any preceding year. There are in Circleville twelve practicing attorneys, nine practicing physicians and seven clergymen.

"The principal denominations of Christians are Methodist, United Brethren, Presbyter- ian, Episcopalian and Lutheran; all of whom have churches and regular officiating minis- ters."

CIRCLEVILLE IN CORPORATED.

More than four years elapsed before any action was taken to incorporate the town, that had been started in 1810. Late in December, 1814, the following act was passed by the Gen- eral Assembly :

AN ACT TO INCORPORATE THE TOWN OF CIRCLEVILLE, IN THE COUNTY OF PICKAWAY.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, That so much of the township of Washington, in the County of Pickaway, as is com- prised and designated in the plan of the town of Cir- cleville, and recorded in the recorder's office of said county, be, and the same is hereby erected into a town corporate, henceforth to be known and distin- guished by the name of the town of Circleville, sub- ject, however, to such alterations and regulations as the legislature may, from time to time, think proper to make.

Sec. 2. Be it further enacted, That it shall be law- ful for the white male inhabitants, either freeholders or householders, residents in said town of Circleville. to meet at the court-house, on the first Saturday in April, annually, and then and there,' elect by ballot, a

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AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS

president, recorder, treasurer, five trustees, and town marshal, in manner hereinafter provided, which said president, trustees and recorder shall be one body cor- porate and politic, with perpetual succession, to be known and distinguished by the name of 'the president, recorder and trustees of the town of Circleville.'

Sec. 3. Be it further enacted, That the president, recorder and trustees, and their successors in office shall be capable to receive, acquire, hold and convey any estate, real or personal, for the use of said cor- poration : PROVIDED, That the clear annual income of all such property shall not exceed the sum of two thousand dollars, and shall be capable in law, by the name aforesaid, of suing and being sued, of pleading and being impleaded, in any action or suit, in any court in this state; and when any action or suit shall be commenced against the corporation, the service shall be by a proper officer leaving an attested copy of the original process with the recorder, or at his usual place of abode, at least ten days previous to the return of such process, and the said trustees are hereby author- ized to have one common seal for the use of the cor- poration, and the same to be altered at their discretion.

Sec. 4. Be it further enacted, That the electors residing in said town, as is provided in the second section of this act, shall meet on the first Saturday of April next, and on the first Saturday of April, annually, thereafter, and then and there proceed, by a plurality of votes, to elect a president, recorder, treasurer, five trustees and town marshal, who shall each have the qualification of an elector, to hold their office for one year, and until their successors are elected and sworn into office, and each of the said officers, within five days after being notified of his appointment, shall take an oath or affirmation, before some person authorized to administer the same, to support the constitution of the United States and of this state, and also faith- fully to discharge the duties of his office.

Sec. 5. Be it further enacted, That at the annual elections held under the provisions of this act, the polls shall be opened, between the hours of twelve and one o'clock, P. M. and closed at four o'clock, P. M. At the first election, two judges and a clerk shall be appointed viva voce, by the electors present, who shall take an oath or affirmation, faithfully to discharge the duties of their respective offices, and at all subsequent elec- tions, the president and trustees, or any two of them shall be judges, and the recorder clerk of the election; at the close of the poll the ballots shall be counted by the judges of the election, and the statement publicly declared, and a fair record thereof made by the clerk, who shall notify the persons elected, of the several offices to which they have been elected, within five days after the day of election ; and it shall be the duty of

the president, at least five days before the first Satur- day of April, in every year, after the first election, to set up a notice of the approaching election, in three of the most public places in said town.

Sec. 6. Be it further enacted, That the said trus- tees, or a majority of them, whereof the president or recorder shall always be one, shall have full power and authority to make and publish such laws and or- dinances, in writing, and the same from time to time, to alter or repeal as to them shall seem necessary, for the interest, comfort, safety and convenience of the said town of Circleville, and of the inhabitants thereof : Provided, no law shall ever be by them enacted or made, subjecting cattle, sheep or hogs, not belonging to said town, to be abused or taken up or sold, for coming into the bounds of said corporation; the trus- tees shall have full power to administer all oaths or affirmations, to impose reasonable fines on all persons who shall offend against the laws and ordinances, made as aforesaid, to levy and cause to be collected, all such fines, by warrant, under the hand of the president, and in his absence of the recorder, and seal of the corpora- tion, directed to the marshal, who shall collect the same, by distress and sale of goods and chattels, as constables do in other cases, & shall pay over all monies, by him so received, to the treasurer; the trus- tees shall have power to regulate markets, and when thought necessary to appoint a clerk of the market : PROVIDED ALWAYS, That all laws and ordinances shall be consistent with the constitution and laws of the United States and of this state.

Sec. 7. Be it further enacted, That the trus es shall have power to fill all vacancies which may happen between the annual elections, if any of the offices here- by established and made elective; and the appointments so made shall continue until the next annual election, and until the officers thus elected, shall be duly quali- fied and no longer; and the trustees are hereby author- ized to appoint such other subordinate officer or officers, as they may think necessary, to fix such fees to the office of recorder and marshal, to impose such fines for refusing to accept any office of the corporation, or for neglect or misconduct therein, as to them may seem proper : Provided, the fines to be inflicted, by virtue of this section, shall, in no case exceed ten dollars.

Sec. 8. Be it further enacted, That the trustees (when in their opinion it may be expedient) shall have power, in the month of July, annually, to lay a tax within said town, for the use of the corporation, on all the objects of taxation for county purposes : Provided, no tax in any one year, so laid, shall exceed one half of the amount of the county tax levied on such objects of taxation for the same year, whereof the town mar- shal shall be the collector, and he is hereby authorized

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HISTORY OF PICKAWAY COUNTY

and required to collect and pay over, to the treasurer, all sums of money levied for the use of said town, within three months after his receiving the duplicate thereof. and the treasurer's receipt shall be his voucher, upon his settlement with the trustees, which shall be whenever thereunto by them required, after the expira- tion of three months aforesaid.

Sec. 9. Be it further enacted, That the town mar- shal shall give ten days notice previous to the collection of any tax and if the tax on any lot on which no prop- erty can be found, shall remain unpaid six months after the same shall have been assessed, the said town marshal shall give notice. by advertisement, in three of the most public places in said town, of the amount of said tax, and the number of the lot or lots on which it is due; and if such tax shall not be paid within three months after the date of such advertisement, the mar- shal shall proceed to sell so much of such lot or lots as may be sufficient to discharge the amount, and in such cases, the part or parts sold. shall not extend further on the front than on the back line of the lot or lots; and it shall be the duty of the marshal, to exe- cute a deed or deeds, to the purchaser or purchasers, for the premises so sold, which deed shall vest in the purchaser, his heirs and assigns, the same title to the premises therein described, as was vested in the person, for whose tax the same was sold, at or after the time such tax became due; the treasurer and town marshal, before they enter on the duties of their respective offices, shall enter into bond, with security to the president, to be approved by the trustees, conditioned for the faithful discharge of their several duties; the treasurer shall also pay over all monies by him re- ceived, for all the use of the corporation, on the order of the trustees, and shall, when thereunto required, submit his book and vouchers to their inspection.

Sec. 10. Be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the recorder, to make and keep a true and accurate record, of all and every law and ordinance, made and established by the trustees, and of all their proceedings, in their corporate capacity, which record shall at all times be open to the inspection of every elector in said town; the recorder is also further au- thorized to administer all necessary oaths or affirma- tions, to the officers of said corporation, and to carry into effect the laws and regulations thereof.

Sec. 11. Be it further enacted, That if any per- son or persons shall think himself, herself or them- selves aggrieved, by any act or judgment of the trus- tees, it shall be lawful for such person or persons, within ten days, to appeal to the court of common pleas for the proper county, who shall hear such com- plaint, and grant such relief as to them shall appear to be proper and necessary: Provided, such appellant

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History of Pickaway County, Ohio and Representative Citizens, Part 4

Author: Aaron R. Van Cleaf Publication date: 1906 Publisher: Number of Pages: 923

Author: Aaron R. Van Cleaf
Publication date: 1906
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 923