History of Preble County Ohio: Her People, Industries and Institutions, Part 29

Author: R. E. Lowry
Publication date: 1915
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 985

USA > Ohio > Preble County > History of Preble County Ohio: Her People, Industries and Institutions > Part 29

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).

About the year 1901 a bedstead factory for the manufacture of brass and iron bedsteads was started by D. J. Miller. After a donation by a number of citizens of a bonus of some four thousand dollars, buildings were erected and the business seemed to be prosperous for some years. In 1908 Miller concluded he could do better elsewhere and moved the business to McAllister, Oklahoma. I am informed that he has now suspended operations there.

The steam grist-mill at Eaton was built by Kinzie & Reynolds in 1870, after a donation by citizens, and later passed into the hands of J. R. Mccleaf, then to W. H. Boner, and finally. a few years ago, to H. C. Robinson, who refitted it and installed electric motors, and it is yet turning out as good flour as it ever made.

In 1880 there was a company formed to manufacture wind engines,

- 1 1

- 1 --

Digitized by Google

3II

PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO.

for pumping water and grinding feed. This plant occupied the buildings just south of the railroad and west of Barron street, and for a time was prosperous, but after about six years it suspended.

L. Gable & Company, in 1870, erected and for a number of years oper- ated a planing-mill and lumber-yard, but sold out and removed to the Pacific coast. The business then passed through a number of hands, until some years ago it fell into the hands of Hiestand & Company, and is now in successful operation.

In 1848 John P. Acton established the steam saw-mill on the Richmond turnpike, west of Eaton, and at his death it passed into the hands of his grandsons, who, under the name of Hiestand & Company, are yet keeping it going, although the available saw timber is getting scarce. There have been several other saw-mills started, in and around the town, but all now are silent, and some of the sites forgotten.

About 1898 the Fox Brothers started a glove factory for the manu- facture of cheap gloves and mittens for workmen, and erected a substantial two-story, brick building, adjoining the railroad, about one-half square west of Barron street, and it proved so successful that some years ago they sold it to the Indianapolis Glove Company, which is now operating it, employing from sixty to one hundred hands, mostly women.

THE FIRST TELEPHONE.

In 1897 a man named J. A. Brooke, from Attica, Indiana, secured a franchise from the council for a telephone company and built an exchange, installing many phones in business and private houses. In about two years a home company was formed, called the Eaton Telephone Company, which bought him out and proceeded to extend its lines, until now, by connections with local lines, all parts of the county may be reached, and, by connections with long-distance lines, our neighboring cities and states are within call. This company now has over sixteen hundred phones.

In 1886 John R. Cook, manager of an electric-light plant that had been in operation a year or more, contracted to light the streets of the town, and for some dozen years the town was lighted by arc-lamps, on two skeleton- iron towers, one hundred and twenty-five feet high, one at the court house corner, and one near the depot, with some three or four arc-lamps, suspended in the streets. In 1897, on account of the heavy shadows cast by the lamps, and the cost of operating enough arc-lamps to properly light the town, the council decided to install the present system of an incandescent lamp in the

Digitized by Google

312

PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO.

center of each street, at the street and alley intersections, which has thus far proved satisfactory. The electric company several times has changed hands, and for a while operated an artificial ice plant in connection with the lighting, but the latter proved unprofitable and was abandoned. Finally, some four years ago, the whole plant was sold to the Eaton Lighting Company, which has been operating it since that time.

In 1913 the Ernest Nursery Company started a nursery plant at Eaton, with its office and rooms in the old bedstead factory. This company seems to be doing a good business and has many acres now in nursery stock.

In 1909 H. M. Young formed the Eaton Cement Tile Company, for the manufacture of cement tile, and buildings were erected on Garrison branch, about one-half mile southwest of Eaton. Improved machinery was installed and the company has succeeded in building up an extensive business, both at home and in shipping tile to neighboring counties.

There have been several large tobacco warehouses in Eaton, where the tobacco was stored, handled, sweated and sold, J. L. Quinn's warehouse, built in 1862, being the first. Then followed the Musselman, Glick, King- bush and Christman warehouses, which for a time furnished considerable employment. but now all but one or two are used for other purposes, and these are simply shipping stations for the buyers, the tobacco generally being handled elsewhere. J. L. Quinn continued in the business until his death. after which his son. Nelson Quinn, continued the business for a number of years, and still buys some tobacco, but not as extensively as formerly. The tremendous extent and amount of the tobacco business of the county at the present time may be noted by turning to the agricultural statistics for the county.

In 1907 the Young Brothers, D. A. and Ed. Young, started a tobacco warehouse just south of the railroad on Cherry street, which they later turned largely into a plant for the manufacturing of "stogies," which busi- ness they are still operating successfully.

HISTORY OF EATON SCHOOLS.

About the first public institution installed in Eaton was the public school. About the year 1807 John Hollingsworth is said to have started a school in a log cabin on Wadsworth street, west of Barron street. Of course it was a subscription school, the school house probably being built in much the same fashion as was the primitive school house described elsewhere in these pages.

About 1809 or 1810 a school house was built on lot B, dedicated to

Digitized by Google

----- -----

1 1

1 1 1

Google

Digitized by

SOUTH SCHOOL BUILDING

NORTH SCHOOL BUILDING

EATON SCHOOL BUILDINGS.

Digitized by

Google

313

PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO.

school uses by William Bruce, and in 1811 an act was passed by the Legisla- ture appointing three commissioners to divide up and sell lots B, C and D, the proceeds of the sale to be used in carrying out the purposes for which the lots were dedicated. Lot B was divided into four lots, which were sold for four hundred nine dollars and sixty-six cents, and thirty dollars was paid for another lot, the balance being used to build a frame school house, which building was also used one year for holding court. There were, of course, schools, more or less each year, but no records of these pioneer seats of learning have been kept.

In 1826 Abner Haines came to town and taught subscription school for a term or two, the terms being of three months' duration. During the next four years the school was taught by George D. Hendrix, who said that at one time he enrolled one hundred and twenty pupils. He taught the "three Rs," and spelling and grammar, teaching eight to ten hours a day all grades from "A, B, C" up. The pens used in the school were made by the teacher from goose-quills, for all the writing pupils and copies were painstakingly set for a pattern.

In 1849 the Legislature passed an act authorizing villages to organize graded schools, giving the board entire power over the school, with the proviso that there should be eight months of school each year.

Eaton was organized into district No. 4, one and one-half miles square, the directors being given power to levy a tax on the entire district for money for the school, up to three mills on the dollar. George D. Hendrix and Felix Marsh were both in the Legislature, and by voice and vote helped pass the act. Of course a "howl" went up from a certain class, but the mass of the people were for the law.

A contract was let for the building of a new school house on the lot at the southeast corner of Barron and High streets. The old buildings were sold, and a building was erected at a cost of three thousand six hundred dol- lars, in which school was opened on December 2, 1850, with four teachers, David M. Morrow being the superintendent. In 1858 it was decided to build another school house, one not proving sufficient, and four acres of land were purchased of Hardin Bruce at the southwest corner of Israel street and Franklin road, and on this tract in 1864 a fine two-story building was erected, which since has been locally known as the South school building. In 1870 the board set out many trees on the grounds, the same today gen- erally being regarded as the finest school grounds in the county, many of the trees having grown to good size, making the campus an ideal play ground.

Again the school facilities proved inadequate and about the year 1880

Digitized by Google

314

PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO.'

it was decided to erect a large central building on the old lot on Barron street. A three-story building, containing sixteen school rooms, basement, and other necessary rooms, was built, the same being finished and furnished in 1884, at a cost of something over fifty-five thousand dollars. This is called the North school building.

The organization of the Eaton schools into a graded system really began with the act of 1849, but it was nearly twenty-five years before the plan was completely worked out to success, the first class to be designated as high school graduates having been graduated in 1872, since which time there has been a graduating class each year.

There are now employed in the Eaton schools twenty-one teachers and a superintendent. The list of superintendents, since 1850, as far as known, follow: D. M. Morrow, 1850; James Long, 1860; J. N. Lake, 1861-65; A. C. Messenger, 1862 ; S. S. Dix, 1863-66; M. L. Holt, 1864; C. C. Feather- ling, 1867; W. L. Shaw, 1867-69; Peter Sellers, 1869; W. C. Barnhart, 1870-73; B. F. Morgan, 1873; W. L. Shaw, 1875-79; J. M. Withrow, 1879; L. D. Brown, later state school commissioner; C. C. Miller, 1884; J. P. Sharkey, 1885; J. H. Gibbons, 1901 ; H. S. Hippensteel, 1904; R. J. Beach- ler, 1906; F. B. Bryant, 1908; John O'Leary, 1910. Enrollment now five hundred and seventy pupils.

EATON'S WATER-WORKS SYSTEM.

Up to 1890 the water used in the city came from wells, but there had been an agitation going on for better potable water, and in that year the question of issuing bonds for building a municipally-owned water-works was submitted to the people, and it passed by a great majority. The plant was built in 1891 and 1892, with a pumping capacity great enough to supply the town for many years to come, the supply being obtained from driven wells in the valley of Seven-Mile creek, just northwest of town, driven to a depth ranging from eighty-five to one hundred and twenty feet in depth, from which is obtained an ample supply of the finest quality of water.

In order to complete the system another issue of bonds had been voted, the total first cost of the system being seventy-five thousand dollars, to which some twenty thousand dollars has since been added for extensions, machin- ery and improvements. The water-works plant soon became self-supporting and now for many years the income from the water rents, which are very reasonable, has been ample to keep the plant up-to-date. Since the plant's

Digitized by Google

315

PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO.

construction no fire has been allowed to spread beyond the building in which it started.

The water-tower, at the northwest corner of the town, consists of fifty feet of stone foundation, surmounted by an iron water-tower, twenty feet in diameter by eighty-five feet in height.

SANITARY SEWER SYSTEM.

In 1907 a vote was taken to issue bonds for a complete sanitary-sewer system and a partial storm-sewer system, which propositions were carried by a majority so great that it may be set down as overwhelming. The sys- tems were built in 1908-9, under A. L. Reid, civil engineer, who had pre- pared the plans. A sewage-disposal plant was erected in the valley, about two-thirds of a mile south of the town, to which all sewer pipes lead, while the storm sewers find an outlet in both Seven-Mile creek and Rocky run. Since the construction, repairs on the sewer system have amounted practically to nothing.

The total cost of the whole sewer system and disposal plant was about one hundred and thirty thousand dollars. So successfully have the water- works and sewer plant been operated, both in points of efficiency and econ- omy, that there is a growing demand that the town build and own and operate its own electric-lighting plant in connection with the waterworks plant, and thus control all its public utilities. The growth of the agitation probably will depend upon the continued success of the operation of those public utilities now owned by the city.

STREETS AND ROADWAYS.

From the earliest times down to about 1888, the making of the streets of the village was entirely with an inferior quality of gravel, because a good quality was not readily obtainable in that locality, but in the year named a movement was started for better streets, and the council decided on crushed limestone from the quarries in Seven-Mile creek, which, at various times, for several years was used, but the stone proved too soft. A change then was made to crushed boulders for a number of years. In 1912 the council paved Main street, east of the railroad crossing, with McAdam and Tarvia. Then, after a petition thereto, the council, in 1914, paved Main street from the railroad crossing west to the Richmond pike, and North Cherry street to Mechanic street, with what is called cement asphalt, from curb to curb,

Digitized by Google

316

PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO.

except nine feet wide, in the center of Main street, which is of brick; this being the first paved street ever built in the county. Like all improvements, this measure was won only by the determined efforts of the public-spirited citizens, backed by their determination to have a better town.

There are ten county roads leading into the town from different direc- tions, all of which are of good macadam or gravel for from seven to fifteen miles from Eaton.

THE TOWN'S FIRE-FIGHTING FORCE.

In 1835 a fire engine and hose company was organized to fight fires. The council purchased a hand-engine, called "Water Witch," and the company, composed of many of Eaton's best citizens, regularly drilled and practiced with the engine, being incited thereto for two reasons : the fear of fires in a village composed mostly of wood houses, and because, as members of such company, they were freed from militia duty and from working out their poll tax.

Several minor fires gave them practice. On the night of Saturday, June 4, 1859, a great fire started in the building immediately east of the Minor block and swept east to the fire wall of the Longnecker grocery and west to Barron street, thence north nearly to the alley, and the little engine did effective work in staying the fire. The loss incurred was estimated at about fifty thousand dollars and the fire generally has been attributed to safe robbers, who are supposed to have set the fire to hide their robbery, which probably was the work of local talent.

Just one month later, on the night of July 4, 1859, a fire started in a bakery about two doors east of the present court-house grounds. This fire burned two buildings east and worked west, destroying the town hall. a three-story building. situated on the east fifty feet of what is now the court- house grounds and stopped because there was nothing else to burn. The Masonic fraternity owned the third story of the town hall, twenty-six by sixty feet. and saved its furniture and records. The buildings were all frame and their places were taken by substantial brick buildings. the new block being styled Commercial Row.

After this latter fire the county commissioners took over the town hall lot and added it to the court house yard. As the Masonic lodge had no rebuilding clause in its title to the third story, it found itself the owner of a space twenty-six by sixty feet, twenty-four feet off the ground. and no foundation, literally "up in the air" and unavailable as a title.

Digitized by Google

317

PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO.

In 1872 the council purchased an Ahrens steam fire engine, which has been kept in perfect working order ever since, as a safety measure, but since 1892 entire dependence has been placed on the hose wagon and fire plugs of the waterworks. The hose wagon is still drawn by horses, but the council already has taken action and, by the time this account is in print, the town will be equipped with one of the best auto fire trucks. Thus horseflesh will have lost another job.

There have been other fires since 1859, but, as compared to the de- struction wrought by the two above described, they were of minor import- ance. The volunteer fire company is still maintained and holds regular meet- ings on the second Tuesday evening of each month.

DREAD VISITATION OF CHOLERA.

The most fearful calamity that ever befell the town was in July and August, 1849, still styled in local annals the cholera year. The disease seemed to come into this county as an epidemic from Boston, Indiana, which was on the stage route from Cincinnati to Richmond. Eaton at that time had a population of about twelve hundred. On July 9 John Ulery, a five- year-old boy, died, and almost daily thereafter from one to nine died, until there was a reign of terror. Half of the people deserted the town and stores were closed until only the store of L. T. McCabe was kept open. The sextons could not provide graves rapidly enough and were helped by some of the town's most prominent citizens. Doctors and preachers remained on duty and some fifteen or twenty men banded themselves together and pledged each other to stay and do what they could. Of this plucky band only one, Andrew Mikesell, fell a victim to the terror that walketh in the night. When September came the disease abated. It then was found that about one hun- dred of the townspeople had fallen, besides many in the country, of all ages and conditions of life. In two months nearly every tenth person had died; sadness was in every house. and the memory of that awful year is yet like a nightmare to our people. In 1854 cholera again appeared, but claimed but few victims.

I am indebted to "Uncle" James V. Acton for the above description of that cholera year. He lived in Eaton and stayed there during the plague, losing father and mother by the scourge.

Digitized by Google

318

PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO.

EATON'S TOWN HALL.

In 1869 the council decided to erect a town hall at the southwest corner of Barron and Somers streets, on a lot there purchased. Bonds were issued for the purpose and in September of that year the project was started, the township of Washington, having no building or office for township purposes, uniting with the town, the township to have the southeast room on the first floor, fifteen by thirty feet. The building was completed in 1870, at a cost of twenty-one thousand five hundred dollars. About 1888 an addition was erected at the rear of the building for the use of the fire engine and to in- crease the capacity of the room on the second floor. The building is now too small for the purposes of the village, and a movement is being agitated for a new and larger building at some central location.

INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL.

The first coal for fuel purposes was probably shipped to the town by G. H. Eidson during or very soon after the Civil War, and he continued in the business as a coal dealer until his death, more than thirty years later. The business proved very remunerative and, wood becoming scarcer each year, others entered into competition, until today there are three or four coal yards. each seeming to have a good business, the old Eidson yard being yet in operation under Nelson Quinn and son, with the firm style of Quinn & Company. It is not my purpose to advertise the business of any one, hence I shall content myself with giving the number of the business houses in the town engaged in the various occupations. There are sixteen groceries, five dry-goods stores, three notion stores, two bakeries, five hardware stores, three drug stores, four butcher shops, one book store, one dairy, one cream- ery, three livery stables, four garages, one canning factory, one ice company, two grain elevators, two lumber yards, three monument shops, three plumb- ers, four or five blacksmiths, four barber shops, three places where furniture may be purchased, three jewelers, three milliners, three shoe stores, three clothing stores, two agricultural machinery stores, one candy store, one bowling alley, two poolrooms, one tailor shop, two harness shops, one florist, one gardener, two hotels, four restaurants, one express office and a number of small shops of various trades that supply a local demand, besides nine churches and two banks. These do the business of the town and surrounding com- munity.

Digitized by Google

319

PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO.

There has been a band organized at different times in Eaton for the last seventy-five years, but men died or moved or dissension arose and these several organizations disbanded, to be reorganized again. Just now the band seems to be in a state of innocuous desuetude. William H. H. Eson and Charles Churchill have pulled it together each time for forty years past, and the community is awaiting expectantly their further announcements.

ANTI-SALOON ACTIVITIES.

The temperance movement in Eaton seems to have begun in 1846, in which year a lodge of the Sons of Temperance was started in that town, which lasted only about three years. This movement was followed in 1850 by a lodge of the Temple of Honor, which dwindled away. In 1867 a lodge of Good Templars was organized and continued actively to urge temperance for several years. In 1877 the Murphy movement began and many persons were induced to sign the pledge. For some three years the movement seemed to prosper and its eventual disbandment has always been attributed to dis- sension in the ranks over the many methods suggested for securing what they wanted, people losing interest in the discussions of theorists. Another long sleep ensued, until about the year 1903 or 1904, when the Anti-Saloon League began to attract attention by its successes, victories secured by ignor- ing all party lines and calling the public's attention to the character of men and measures, regardless of what party the league's advocacy helped or hurt. Under the referendum law, passed but a year or so before, the people, in November, 1908, filed a petition for a vote of the entire county. The elec- tion was held on December 14, 1908, resulting in the voting of the whole county "dry" by over one thousand majority, and on January 13, 1909, the saloons of the county closed their doors. There were saloons at that time only in West Manchester and Eaton, all the other villages having been voted "dry" under the Beall law.

Since the above date no open saloons have existed in the county, but under the repeal of the county unit law, by vote of the state in 1914, saloons may be opened in the two villages that gave a "wet" majority, and before this is in print it is claimed there will be saloons opened in both towns. The agitation is still going on and the end is not yet in sight. On May 1, 1915, after being out six and one-fourth years, two saloons opened and by June I the "wets" promise to have four more.

Digitized by Google

320

PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO.

BLACK PAGE IN EATON'S ANNALS.

There is one black page in the history of the town that all good citizens of Eaton regret. On the evening of December 7, 1886, a man named Will- iam Mussle, a ne'er-do-well, was given a night's lodging by Daniel Christ- man, a well-to-do farmer some two miles northwest of Eaton. Mussle slew the old man with an axe as he was returning from the barn, ransacked the house for money, securing twenty dollars in gold; then beat the old wife over the head with a club, and, leaving her for dead, fired the house to con- ceal his crime and fled. Mrs. Christman, aroused by the fire reaching her, succeeded in quenching the fire, gave the alarm and search was made for Mussle far and wide, but for ten days without success. At last, on account of a picture and description published in the Cincinnati Enquirer, the mur- derer was arrested while working for a farmer in central Illinois. He was later identified by the officers from this county, and brought to the Eaton jail on December 21, 1886. Great crowds filled the streets, excited by the atrocity of the crime, and attempted to take him from the sheriff, but with- out success. After dark, however, word was passed to those wanted and a meeting was held in the engine room, to which only those were admitted who passed inspection of the doorkeeper. Shortly after eight o'clock at night a crowd of some eighty or more men, unmasked, swept down the street in a solid body, overpowered the sheriff, beat in the jail door with a sledge hammer, and took Mussle out and hanged him to one of the arms of the electric-light tower, at the corner of the court-house yard, and then dispersed.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Preble County Ohio: Her People, Industries and Institutions, Part 29

Author: R. E. Lowry Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Number of Pages: 985

Author: R. E. Lowry
Publication date: 1915
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 985