History of Preble County, Ohio, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Part 29

Author: H. Z. Williams & Brothers
Publication date:
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 559

USA > Ohio > Preble County > History of Preble County, Ohio, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches > Part 29

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In Eaton was built a "Harrison log cabin," at the cor- ner of Main and Barron streets, where the store of C. W. & W. C. Bruce now is. Among a number of relics presented by Mr. Chambers is the original hand-bill ad- vertising the raising. It reads verbatim as follows:

"LOG CABIN RAISING."

"In accordance with a resolution of a public meeting of the Whig citizens of the different townships in the county of Preble, there will be a log cabin raised in Eaton, Saturday, the sixteenth inst. Dimensions of the cabin, twenty by twenty-four feet-eight feet story-timber to consist of buckeye.

"This is, therefore, to invite all the Harrison Democrats in the counties of Preble, Butler, and Darke, to attend the ' Tippecanoe Rais- ing' on Saturday next, at nine o'clock A. M., at Eaton.

"LEVIN T. MCCABE,

"ROBERT THOMPSON,

"WILLIAM TALBERT,

"SAMUEL CAMPBELL, "GEORGE WAGGONER, "DAVID GROFT, "ISAAC ALBRIGHT,

"Log Cabin Committee.

"N. B .- North Bend refreshments, to-wit: 'Hard cider ' will be provided for the occasion, and we promise all who may give us a lift that they shall not find the barrel beyond their reach or the vent plug driven in.

"May 13, 1840."

Only two of the committee whose names are affixed to the above advertisement are now living, viz .: Levin T. McCabe and George Waggoner, both residents of Eaton.

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The "raising" took place in conformance with the an- nouncement, and quite a large crowd was in attendance. The logs had all been collected and prepared previous to the Saturday appointed as the day for putting them to- gether, and as the labor was divided among many willing workers, it occcupied but a short time. The logs were all of buckeye timber, and the cabin was clothed with green all the summer, twigs starting out and unfolding leaves on every log.

In the latter part of May the Congressional conven- tion for the district composed of Preble, Butler, and Darke counties, was held at this cabin, or rather in front of it. A great crowd congregated and the utmost en- thusiasm prevailed. The streets in each direction from the corner of Main and Barron were thronged with peo- ple, and an immense demonstration of public feeling was made. Mass meetings were held by the people of the three counties, and each chose delegates to represent them in making nominations. The persons thus chosen assembled late in the day, and held a convention which resulted in the naming of Lewis Campbell and John M. Millikin, both of Butler county, respectively for Con- gress and the State senate. Dr. James Paramore was president of the convention and T. J. Larsh secretary. As the convention had been the occasion of a great po- litical meeting, nearly all of the farmers of Preble county who were of the Whig party came into town. A proces- sion was formed which reached from the court house southward to Mr. Bruce's house. In various localities the people had clubbed together and came into town with six and four horse teams, bringing huge canoes and even log cabins on wagons. Major Joseph Smith, and the Longneckers-Eli and William-with some of their friends from the vicinity of Sugar valley, had a log cabin of good size mounted on wheels and adorned with bunt- ing, forest tree boughs and appropriate devices, while John Woods, who had been in Congress at that time, and who was afterwards State auditor, came into town in a canoe mounted on wagon wheels, and it is remembered received a fall which cut short temporarily his somewhat impassioned speech-making. From Camden a ball twelve or fifteen feet in diameter was rolled along the road to town and received with a great deal of applause. The expression "keep the ball rolling" was then in vogue and was one of the slogans of the Whigs. George D. Hendricks was at that time living in Camden and was one of those who had started and kept the ball rolling. The Pottengers and Bennetts were also interested in this novel illustration of Whig activity. The mass meeting on the day of the convention was one of unbounded enthusiasm, and even a hard rain was not sufficient to put a damper on the ardor of the speakers or audience.

All through the season the excitement was unabated. On Saturday, the eighth of September, General Harrison spoke in Eaton to an immense audience, and with great effectiveness. He remained in town over Sunday, re- ceiving an ovation from the citizens, and on Monday proceeded on his way to Greenville, there to attend a great meeting held in his honor. The day, September roth, was the anniversary of his treaty with the Indians

at Greenville, at the close of the War of 1812, and the gathering was a celebration of that event, as well as a tribute to the hero. General Harrison was accompanied upon his journey by hundreds of people from Eaton and the surrounding country. The road was filled for three miles with carriages and horsemen. A detachment of men rode ahead of the general, at some distance, and made a business of burning the effigies, clothed in red flannel petticoats, which had been set up in derision of the hero of Tippecanoe by individuals of the opposing party. Smith Bennett was the leader of this detachment, and took peculiar delight in pulling down and firing the straw-stuffed "paddys." The asperities of the Harrison campaign are softened now by the passing of two-score years. Looking back upon the excitements, and even upon the unpleasant episodes of the contest, the few who can remember them bear no ill-feeling toward those who were then opponents, and so in treating of the "log cabin and hard cider campaign," it scarcely seems as if we were treading upon political ground, and we chronicle these episodes and the result locally, simply as items of history in which all have an interest. In the fall, Preble county gave a majority of seven or eight hundred for the "Tip- Ty-Tom" ticket. The same election which made Thomas Corwin, governor of Ohio, Campbell, member of Congress, Millikin, State senator, and Joseph F. Hawkins, of Eaton, member of the legislature, it may be interesting to know, brought into office the following Whigs on the county ticket, viz .: Hiram Jones, county auditor ; George D. Hendricks, sheriff ; Jacob F. Miller, commissioner; Henry M. Eidson, assessor ; and Jonas Albright, coroner.

THE CHOLERA SEASON OF 1849.

Eaton has been twice visited by that terrible scourge, the Asiatic cholera. The most fatal season was that of 1849. In 1854 the disease was prevalent, but the mor- tality list was not so appalling as it had been in the year previously mentioned. In 1832, which was a cholera year, it did not make its appearance in the village at all. The epidemic came into Eaton and neighboring villages from the west, having originated, or at least first become prevalent to an alarming degree in Boston, Indiana. Making its appearance about the first of July, the dread disease had, by the close of August, almost literally dec- imated the population. A reign of terror ensued, which, happily, has never had a parallel in the history of the town. Many were panic-stricken and left town, some only to fall victims to the disease elsewhere. Scarcely enough people of sound health were left to care for the sick and bury the dead. People living in the country dared not visit the village ; mail matter ac- cumulated to a great bulk at the post office, and business was almost entirely suspended. At one time there was but one store open in the town, that of L. T. McCabe. Those who remained in town and did not contract the cholera, were constantly busied in nursing those who were sick, and many acts of heroism were performed by them. They seemed either to become perfectly reckless of danger or to be borne up by a sense of duty which prevailed over their fears. When the epidemic was at

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its height, the sexton at Mound cemetery could not dig graves fast enough, and was assisted by citizens. Corne- lius Van Ausdal dug several, and other residents as- sisted. The physicians stood firmly at their post and labored incessantly, their efforts being seconded by sev- eral clergymen. The most determined efforts, however, could not stay the progress or the fatality of the cholera. There were deaths daily, on some days two or three, and from that number up to five, six, seven, and even nine. The whole town was shrouded in gloom. Almost every family lost immediate members or near kindred. No one knew how long the ravages of the cholera would last or how sweeping would be its mortality. There were nearly a hundred deaths in Eaton, within less than two month's time, and many more in the country adja- cent. This number was very nearly one tenth of the entire population of the town at that time.

Following is a list of the persons who died in Eaton during those terrible two months, July and August, 1849, together with their ages. It appeared in a newspaper of the period:

July 9th, John Ulery, five years; July 10th, Mary Bruigman, three years; July 11th, Lavina Belts, twenty- five years; July 14th, Phil. Mohan, twenty-eight years; July 14th, William Black, sixty-four years; July 15th, Phil. Emerick, twenty-five years; July 17th, A. Granger, fifty-four years; July 19th, Mrs. Bruigman, twenty-six years; July 19th, A. Mitchell, sixty-six years ; July 20th, Mr. Maas, forty-five years; July 20th, - Rogers, four years; July 20th, Thomas Rogers, forty years; July 21st, William Crouse, twenty-one years; July 21st, James Brooks, twenty-one years; July 21st, James Brown, thir- ty-three years; July 21st, Henry Revel, twenty-one years; July 22d, Jac. Detimore, sixty-four years; July 22d, David Cramer, twenty-four years; July 22d, Lina Mitch- ell, twenty-three years; July 22d, Levi Fleming, forty- eight years; July 22d, Thomas Fleming, twelve years; July 23d, Thomas Holmes, forty-one years; July 23d, George Bates, eighteen years; July 23d, Isaac Eigman, twenty-two years; July 23d, Sarah Mikesell, sixteen years; July 23d, Ed. H. Monfort, sixty-eight years; July 23d, Louisa V. Mitchell, ten years; July 23d, Margaret Kline, twenty-two years; July 24th, Mrs. Monfort, fifty- three years; July 24th, Celia Mitchell, thirty-one years; July 24th, Sev. Rogers, thirty-six years; July 25th, Ann Nation, thirty-five years; July 25th, Mrs. Holmes, thirty- six years; July 25th, Abram Auter, seventy-one years; July 25th, Miss Wilson, twelve years; July 25th, John Acton, sixty-seven years; July 27th, J. D. Steele, twenty years; July 27th, Miss C. Baker, thirteen years; July 28th, G. N. Kilbourn, forty years; July 28th, Isabella Kelley, twenty-two years; July 28th, Miss Auten, seven- ty-five years; July 28th, S. B. Miller, thirty years ; July 28th, Lark Hoffman, forty-five years; July 28th, Mrs. M. Baker, sixty-seven years; July 28th, Sarah Baker, three years; July 28th, Ann E. Stephens, sixteen years; July 28th, L. Detimore, five years; July 29th, N. Baker, seventy-four years; July 29th, Mrs. Patton, thirty-six years ; July 29th, Joseph Acton, fifty-nine years; July 29th, Mrs. Detimore, sixty-three years; July 29th, Mrs.

M. Marsh, thirty-three years; July 30th, Mrs. G. Nation, one hundred years; July 30th, Dr. P. Hayward, eighty years ; July 30th, Mrs. M. Baker, thirty-eight years; July 30, John Cox, nine years; July 31st, Sarah Johnson, three years; July 31st, V. Mitchell, infant; July 31st, Charles McCabe, four years; July 31st, Charles M. Mitchell three years; August Ist, John Keller, twenty- eight years; August Ist, John Steele, forty-nine years; August 2d, Margaret Monfort, twenty-two years; August 2, - infant; August 4th, C. W. Kelley, one year; Au- gust 5th, Hettie Cottingham, sixteen years; August 5th, P. M. Nation, four years; August 6th, F. A. Carr, three years; August 8th, Mary Nation; August 8th, William Killkenny, twenty-five years; August 8th, Susan Kail, fifteen years; August 10th, Robert Stanton, forty years; August 10th, John Wilson, five years; August 11th, James Killkenny, seventy-one years; August 12th, Mrs. S. Eichelberger, thirty-six years; August 12th, Margaret Wheeler, eighteen years; August 12th, George Miller, fifty-five years; August 13th, J. Eichelberger, forty-five years; August 13th, Eliza Hubbard, three years; August 14th, William Staggs, twenty-seven years; August 14th, Lavina Thompson, twenty-three years; August 14th B. F. Boardman, twenty-eight years; August 14th, Mrs. Baurgelt, thirty years; August 14th, Oliver Hubbard, five years; August 16th, Mary Hawkins, seven years; August 17th, Alfred Nation, six years; August 18th, Mrs. Switzer, thirty-three years; August 18th, T. A. Monosmith, five years; August 20th, Martha Wilhelm, fifteen years; August 23d, Andrew Mikesell, forty years; August 23d, John Hubbard, seven years.

This list includes ninety-one names. Besides these enumerated, there died in the immediate vicinity of Eaton enough more to make the number fully one hundred. Among them were Mrs. Malchariot Ammer- man, John Ammerman, Mr. Myers, David Williams, Mrs. Bennett, Mrs. Christman, Mrs. Slagle, and James Ryan.

Soon after the close of the cholera season the Rev. Daniel Winder published an article in The New Leaf, a small paper then printed in Eaton, which conveys a good idea of the feeling that was prevalent in the community. We make the following extract:

"On the last day of July eighty-four houses were vacant in Eaton ; we had then but five hundred and seventy-four citizens left, out of a population of one thousand two hundred. The street on which I live (Somers) has twenty-seven houses; twenty-four of them were vacated. Of the above list (mortuary) twenty-seven lived within speaking dis- tance of my door. I have eleven in family, yet notwithstanding the appalling mortality in our immediate vicinity, through the merciful providence of God, we all escaped."

"I am inclined to believe that the comparative extent of our suffer- ing is not fully appreciated by our neighboring cities and towns. It will be seen that on the twenty-eighth of July we had ten deaths when our population was certainly less than seven hundred. If seven hun- dred lose ten, what would be an equal loss at the same ratio or proportion, of one hundred thousand? Answer, one thousand four hundred and twenty-eight. Now imagine, reader, if you can, what the sensation would have been in the city of Cincinnati had her citizens been called upon to witness the sudden death of one thousand four hundred and twenty-eight of her citizens in a day."

"In calmly reviewing the scenes through which we have just passed, and calling to mind the melancholy incidents we were compelled to witness, one is forced to acknowledge the imbecility of human nature.

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HISTORY OF PREBLE COUNTY, OHIO.

Never was man more effectually taught his dependence upon God, and also upon his fellow mortals, than were the people of Eaton. Avarice and worldly speculations were lost sight of ; long cherished animosities were forgotten and buried ; aristocratic, political, and religious destinc- tions all vanished in common struggle for existence ; moral courage, philanthropy, fraternal affection, and devotion were then, as they should always be, the appreciated and valued virtues."

Among those who were active in caring for the sick and burying the dead were thirteen young men who had a kind of an organization, and devoted almost their en- tire time to the cause of humanity. Their names were Thomas Morton, Andrew Mikesell, John Walker, Gide- on McNutt, Franklin Nation, J. B. Miles, Ellis Minshall, George Hendricks, Squire Morton, John Minshall, Ja- cob Mikesell, Daniel Walker and Thomas Auter.

It is a notable fact of this number, all of them expos- ed to the disease, and defying it every day of that terri- ble season of death, only one became a victim to the. cholera. That one was Andrew Mikesell. He died August 23rd, literally giving up his life for others. He was an unmarried man, aged forty years.

INCORPORATION.

But little can be given in regard to the history of Ea- ton as an incorporated town, for the earliest and most in- teresting records were all destroyed in the "Commercial Row" fire of 1859. Eaton came into being, municipally, in 1836, the act incorporating it being passed by the legislature January 31st. Dr. Jesse Paramore is known to have been the first Mayor. The succession of chief municipal officials, as given by an old citizen from mem- ory, is as follows: John Acton, Jesse B. Stevens, Daniel Walker, Solomon Banta, Jesse B. Stephens, John Ballen- tine, Daniel Walker, Benjamin Hubbard, Robert Miller, William Kline, Jacob Foos, Benjamin Hubbard, Jacob Foos, J. E. Freeman, John R. Stephens, J. E. Freeman, ` L. C. Abbott, M. L. Holt, (appointed) John King and William Neal, the present incumbent.

THE TOWN HALL.

The first mention that we find of the project of building a town hall, is under date of May 25, 1869. The coun- cil decided at that time to erect such a building, and, in accordance with that resolution, contracts were made, and on the thirteenth of September, 1869, the council "broke ground" for the sub-structure, on the southwestern corner of Barron and Somers street.

Five series of bonds were issued on the fifteenth of November following, numbering in all one hundred and ten, one hundred dollars each, the first falling due in Au- gust, 1871. On the ninth of June, 1870, additional bonds were issued to the amount of four thousand dollars, subject to the same regulations.

April 28, 1870, the formalities of laying the corner- stone were appropriately observed, and on that occasion the late Captain Jesse B. Stevens delivered an interesting historical address.

The total cost of the building, with furnishings, was about twenty-one thousand five hundred dollars. The work was performed by the following persons, at the cost specified :

Jacob Smith, rough masonry . $ 588 00

Kuhn & Brannan, cut stone work 800 00

Jacob Nation, furnishing brick. 2,727 00

Christian Cuppy, performed brick-laying for. 2,136 00

Kugle & Kittridge, of Dayton, the iron and stone work for .. 2,728 00 Morton & Nourse, carpentering and plastering . 7,082 50

Cook & Fulkerson, putting up lightning rods 72 00

T. H. Sheoffer, of Hamilton, painting 450 00

T. H. Sheoffer, of Hamilton, gilding. 25 00

A. Zellars, plastering engine room. 150 00

J. Stover, architect 290 00

Paid for chairs

448 00

Stoves and fixtures. 115 00

Chandeliers and lamps. 190 00

Extras. 2,500 00

The size of the building is forty-two by ninety feet, height to top of tower, eighty-four feet. It contains a public hall forty by seventy feet, with a stage twenty by forty; a council chamber, thirteen by forty; room for township purposes, fifteen by thirty; an engine room, thirty-five by forty; prison, twenty by twenty; marshal's office, ten by twenty, and several other apartments; the whole being very conveniently arranged and well fur- nished.

The town hall was dedicated January 11, 1870, more than six hundred persons being present. Upon the stage sat Abner Haines, esq., the president of the day ; Dr. John P. Brookins and William B. Tizzard, vice- presidents; Mayor Jacob H. Foos, clerk; J. M. Brown and the members of the council, H. B. Van Ausdal, G. H. Eidson, W. A. Swihart, C. P. Thum, Thomas Fulton and M. F. Stephens. The Eaton cornet band was also present, and a large choir, selected from those of the several churches.

The members of the building committee, Messrs. Foos, Van Ausdal and Eidson, stepped forward to the central part of the stage, and Mr. Foos, on their behalf, made a brief speech and handed over the keys of the building to the president. Mr. Haines made an address in response, and Dr. J. W. Scott, of Indianapolis, made a few remarks, after which Mayor Foos delivered the dedicatory oration. The exercises concluded with music, and prayer by the Rev. J. D. Lauer.

ORGANIZATIONS-LIVING AND DEFUNCT.

MASONIC FRATERNITY .*

In the month of August A. D. 1826, a dispensation was granted by R. W. Richard Collins, deputy grand master of the Grand Lodge of Ohio, for the establishment of a Masonic lodge in Eaton, to be called Bolivar Lodge No .. 82. The following are the names of the petitioners for said lodge, viz .: John M. Gray, Joseph C. Hawkins, David F. Heaton, Nathaniel Benjamin, Alexander Mehaffy, Ernestus Putnam, William Edgar, Eastin Mor- ris. At the succeeding meeting of the grand lodge, a charter was granted to these petitioners, etc.

The first meeting held under the dispensation, was on the nineteenth day of August, 1826, at which meeting the following named persons, Master Masons, were pre- sent: John M. Gray, worthy master; Joseph C. Haw- kins, senior warden; David F. Heaton, junior warden ; David Morris, secretary pro tem .; Alexander Mehaffy,

* By Thomas J. Larsh, esq.

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treasurer pro tem .; Baltzer Snyder, senior deacon; Will- iam Edger, junior deacon, Nathaniel Benjamin, tyler; Paul Larsh, James Bolens, visitors. Two of the parties named-Eastin and David Morris -- lived in Granville, Ernestus Putnam in New Madison, William Edger on a farm in Darke county, a few miles south of Greenville, and Baltzer Snyder and James Bolens at Lewisburgh. At the second meeting of the lodge, on the fifth day of September, 1826, the following named visiting brethren were present, viz .: Thomas R. Ross, Thomas Corwin, William M. Smith, George B. Holt, Paul Larsh, Dennis Kelly, James Bolens. At this meeting Thomas Corwin served as secretary pro tem. Of all these worthies only Nathaniel Benjamin yet survives, who is enjoying an honored and somewhat vigorous old age at his home, in West Alexandria, and who has the distinguished honor of being a member of the grand lodge of Ohio for a longer time than any other Mason, dead or alive.

At this second meeting of the lodge, the following named persons presented petitions for admission into the order, viz .: First, Asa W. Meloy; second, John M. U. McNutt; third, Jesse B. Stephens; fourth, Frederick Eltzroth. Also, James Bolens, Dennis Kelly, and Paul Larsh, Master Masons, presented petitions for member- ship. These petitions were all favorably reported on, and the candidates elected.

Lazarus Miller, John P. Wilson, Henry Bean, Lewis Evans, Isaac Stephens, Peter Van Ausdal, James H. Buel, Jacob Eltzroth, Judson Jaqua, John Saylor, Ben- jamin Edwards, William Campell, Jesse Paramore, were the succeeding petitioners for admission, in the order here named, previous to the installation of the officers of the lodge first elected under its charter, which event oc- curred on the twelfth day of May, 1827.

On that day the lodge met, about all the members present with many visiting brethren from Dayton, Ger- mantown, Lebanon, and Hamilton. The following entry is copied from the lodge journal, viz .:

"The R. W. George Kisling, of Lebanon, Ohio, appeared and pre- sented the following commission, to-wit: 'I the undersigned deputy grand master of the M. W. Grand Lodge of the State of Ohio, do hereby, ordain, constitute, and appoint our worthy and well beloved brother, George Kisling, whom I hereby certify to be a regular Royal Arch Mason, to install the officers of Bolivar Lodge, No. 82, in the town of Eaton, State of Ohio. Given under my hand and seal, this tenth day of May, Auno Luci:, 5827.

[SEAL}

THOMAS CORWIN, D. G. M. O. G. L.

"Whereupon a procession was formed which moved to the public meeting house, where the hereinafter named officers were, by R. W. George Kisling, proxy for the D. G. M. of Ohio, acting as, and in the name of, the Grand Lodge of Ohio, installed in form, viz .: John M. Gray, worshipful master; Joseph C. Hawkins, senior warden; Lazarus Miller, junior warden; Jesse B. Stephens, secretary; Peter Van Ausdal, treasurer; Asa W. Meloy, senior deacon; John P. Wilson, junior dea- con; Frederick Eltzroth, tyler. The procession moved from thence to their lodge room again, where the lodge was closed in harmony."

Of all the persons thus far named in connection with the history of Bolivar lodge, only two are now alive- Nathaniel Benjamin and Judson Jaqua.

The room first occupied by the Masonic fraternity, as

a lodge room, was one of the upper rooms of the old court house. An arrangement was made with the board of county commissioners, by which the lodge was to fur- nish and fit up the room with suitable furniture, and keep the same in good repair, and said room to be used as the grand jury room, and by the lodge. This arrange- ment was continued satisfactorily to both parties, until the old court house was torn down, in 1848, to make room for the new one. Before that event occurred, the lodge had made a contract with Mr. Cornelius Van Aus- dal, who was about to erect a new three story brick build- ing on Main street (the one now standing west from the store-room), to prepare a suitable lodge room in the second story thereof, on a ten years' lease, at a stipulated annual rent. This room was not quite ready for occu- pancy when the old court house was taken down, and so the lodge met some two or three times in one of the old public offices that then stood upon the public square. About the first of December, 1848, the lodge removed to the new quarters.

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History of Preble County, Ohio, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Part 29

Author: H. Z. Williams & Brothers Publication date: Publisher: Number of Pages: 559

Author: H. Z. Williams & Brothers
Publication date:
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 559