USA > Ohio > Richland County > History of Richland County, Ohio, from 1808 to 1908, Vol. I > Part 10
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96
HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
Marshal M. H. Gilkison, who is mentioned in some of the records, had the distinction of being the first male white child born in Mansfield, having first seen the light of day in a log cabin here.
The records show that there were other times when the Richland county courthouse was being repaired, being the cause of some enactments by coun- cil, when the courthouse stood in what is now Central Park.
The description of the boundaries of the three school districts as given in the journal under date of April 10, 1846, is a puzzler to most citizens of today, though probably some of the older citizens might explain it.
The council records are full of enactments regarding the construction of culverts, the grading of East and West Diamond and Market streets, the instructing of citizens to fix their gutters and put down sidewalks. There must have been lots of trouble in those days with animals running at large for a number of enactments appear regarding this.
COMPULSORY VACCINATION.
Compulsory vaccination in Mansfield is no new thing for the old records: show that the board of health was instructed to have the medical students vaccinate everybody in town who hadn't been vaccinated previously.
One can spend many hours in reading the old records and find lots of interesting things.
CENTRAL PARK TREES.
An ordinance passed April 16, 1834, signed by John H. Hofman, mayor, and C. T. Sherman, recorder, provides "that it shall be lawful for any in- habitant of the town of Mansfield to set a row of locust trees on each side of the public square of said town, said trees to be set at least twenty-five feet apart from each other, except where Market street passes through said square, there to be eighty feet from the front of the lots on the north and south side of said square and one hundred feet apart from the front of the lots on the east and west side of said square."
An ordinance to prevent persons from leading or riding horses on the sidewalks in the town of Mansfield was passed April 16, 1834, and at the next meeting an ordinance "to restrain the running at large, of Hogs, Dogs and Geese," passed April 8, 1830, was repealed.
INSPECTOR OF HEARTHS AND FIRE PLACES.
An ordinance for the appointment of inspectors to examine every chim- ney, stove pipe, fire place, hearth, flue and stove at least once a month was passed May 14, 1834.
MARKET HOUSE STALLS.
In the record under date of March 10, 1840, is an ordinance providing "that on the third Monday of March annually the stalls in the Market House in Said Town shall be sold by the Market Master at public vendue for the term of one year." This is signed by C. T. Sherman, mayor; H. Humphrey, recorder.
97
HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
HITCHING HORSES TO TREES.
At the next meeting an ordinance was passed making it an offense to hitch a horse to the trees planted on the public square.
In this record appears the indenture of apprenticeship between Uriah Gregg and James P. Baker and Elias C. Gregg, the latter binding himself as an apprentice to James P. Baker from February 28, 1844, to February 28, 1846, to learn the trade and occupation of making, painting and furnishing "Comm" Winsor chairs.
TOWN COUNCIL JOURNAL.
The records of the town council were for the most part brief back in 1846. The journal for Thursday, January 29, 1846, is as follows :
"Council met pursuant to notice. Present Mayor T. H. Ford, Recorder William McBride, Council, James Cantwell, A. L. Grimes, G. W. Carothers, Eli Teegarden.
"On motion ordered that the mayor and recorder be appointed a com- mittee to settle with John Crall his Bill against the Corporation for services &s Market Master and Marshal in full. On motion ordered we adjourn to meet on Saturday Week."
Evidently the "dads" didn't have much business to record for the next entry is under date of March 6, 1846.
At the meeting March 26, 1846, among the bills allowed is one to "P. P. Hull for One Dollar as rent for Council room, Wood, Candles and Paper for the past year."
Rent and supplies were cheaper in those days.
AN OLD ANNUAL REPORT.
The report of the receipts and expenditures of the Town of Mansfield for the year ending April 1, 1848, is appended :
RECEIPTS.
Amount in Treasury 1st April, 1846 $ 10.06
Received from Pavements Made 65.55
Received from Show Licenses 24.00
Received from Taxes 421.00
Total $549.67
EXPENDITURES.
Amount paid for teams and men clearing streets
after Wiler's fire $ 19.62
Smart, paving East Diamond street. 5.00
Merrill, services (Market Master) 12.00
Crall, services (Marshal) 21.00
Repairing Hay-Scales 17.00
One crossing Making 10.00
Six Crossings, each $4 24.00
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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
EXPENDITURES.
Witness fees (Town vs. Stewart) 4.50
Hesser, timber for Culvert
5.25
Cook, plank for cistern
Plank for culverts 6.00
10.75
C. Wise, surveying
5.00
Jeffersonian, printing
5.40
Shield and Banner, do
7.25
Cleaning Market House
3.50
Timber & Plank & Making Culverts, &c.
14.40
Crall, making Cistern
21.35
Removing dead carcass
.50
Arnold, plank
4.00
Recorder's services
18.00
Paid William McNulty
14.96
F. Barker, attorney's fees
5.00
Stationery
1.00
Treasurer
6.00
Mayor and Council, each $5.
30.00
George Hull, Boarding Hands
15.00
Balliett, for Plank
4.00
Cash in Treasury
250.86
Total
$549.67
J. P. DRENNAN,
April 1st, 1846.
Treasurer, Town of Mansfield.
The record for March 30, 1846, shows that "an election was held this day at the courthouse in the Town of Mansfield."
Joseph Lindley was duly elected Mayor, James E. Cox, Recorder, and Samuel J. Kirkwood, P. P. Hull, Levi Zimmerman, David McCullough and Jacob Leiter, Trustees.
Of the men elected that day, Levi Zimmerman is still living and resides in Mansfield
The officers elected were sworn in the same day at the office of Hull & Ford.
On Mayor Lindley's one thousand dollar bond with him were Thomas H. Ford, M. McFall and Ellzey Hedges.
SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
April 10, 1846, in accordance with the prayers of petitioners it was or- dained that the "corporate limits be divided into three separate School Dis- tricts." District No. 1 was described as "commencing at the northeast cor- ner of the incorporated plat of said town, running thence west to the center of Walnut street, thence south to the center of Third street, thence east to the center of West Diamond street, thence south to the northwest corner of the public square, thence east and along the center of the alley to the east boundary line of said town plat, thence north to the place of beginning."
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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
District No. 2 "commenced at the southeast corner of the incorporated plat, running thence west to the center of Walnut street, thence north to the center of Second street, thence east to the center of West Diamond street, thence north to the northwest corner of the public square, east and along the alley to the east line of the town plat and south to the place of beginning."
District No. 3, it was provided, was to be composed of all the territory of the incorporated town not included within Districts 1 and 2.
ENGINE HOUSE.
At this meeting, General Joseph Newman was granted the privilege of removing the Engine House to the back part of his lot and have the use of it for a lime house during the present summer, "provided he make no charge against the Corporation for rent during the time said engine house has stood upon his premises."
P. P. Hull and S. J. Kirkwood were appointed at this meeting to acquire information relative to procuring an engine for the incorporation.
Mr. Hull was also appointed to revise the town ordinances.
July 6, 1846, Isaac J. Allen, Esq., was directed to enter into a contract for the purchase of a fire engine at a cost of six hundred dollars and no more. It was a long time after this before the new hand engine was brought here and cost something like one thousand dollars.
Under date of January 4, 1847, appears the record of the appointment of C. L. Avery, James H. Frost, Eli Teegarden, Daniel Heistand, Jacob Ham- mer and John R. Robinson as fire wardens.
The receipts for the town of Mansfield for the year ending March 15, 1847, were $1,189.21 and the report showed a balance of $865.85 in cash and $30.47 in notes.
P. P. Hull received three dollars for extra services in drafting ordinances and contract.
VACCINATION ORDER.
Under date of February 17, 1848, the board of health consisting of Joseph Lindley, David Wise and A. L. Grimes called the attention of council to the fact that several smallpox cases were existing in the family of Samuel Boyle and asking that means be provided to prevent the spread of contagion. A resolution presented by Mr. Kirkwood was adopted "that the Board of Health of this town proceed immediately and employ the medical students of this place to visit every family in this place, divide the town off into dis- tricts and to vaccinate every person not heretofore vaccinated."
FIRE COMPANY ORGANIZED.
Patrick Purdy Hull seems to have been a moving spirit in those days for' his name is more frequently mentioned than those of the other trustees.
February 24, 1848, he presented a resolution that "Levi Zimmerman, A. L. Grimes, Robert C. Smith, Samuel J. Kirkwood, H. L. Baker, Peter Arbaugh, Samuel Au, Michael Linder, Thomas C. MeEwen, John Rickets, Adam Heldman, Abraham Eminger, P. P. Hull, Alex Mellvaine, David
100
HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
Bushey and James H. Cook together with such persons as they may associate with them be authorized and empowered to organize a fire company."
Under date of March 6, 1848, the bill of Sturges, Grimes & Co. for $21.95 for one barrel of fish oil and forty-two pounds of tallow was allowed and they were given a certificate of the same to apply on the payment of their corporation taxes.
KIRKWOOD, MAYOR.
At the election March 27, 1848, Samuel J. Kirkwood had two hundred and forty-four votes for mayor, P. P. Hull two hundred and three, Levi Zimmerman defeated James E. Cox for recorder by nine votes.
FENCING PUBLIC SQUARE.
The proposition to fence the public square was voted upon at that elec- tion, two hundred and eighty-three votes were cast against fencing it and one hundred and fifty-two for the fence, three hundred and ninety votes were cast for railroad tax and forty-seven for no railroad tax.
P. P. Hull was appointed town recorder April 17, 1848, Mr. Zimmerman having resigned. In 1849 Mr. Hull was elected mayor receiving two hun- dred and twenty-seven votes to two hundred and nine for N. M. McMullen. Alexander McIlvaine was elected recorder by a majority of sixteen.
DOG LIST.
At the meeting May 10, 1849, the marshal was instructed to take a list of all dogs and the owners thereof in the town of Mansfield and return the same to council.
At the meeting of July 2, 1849, a resolution was adopted that the Board of Health be requested to procure lime and have jit distributed in such man- ner as they may deem proper for the health of the town. At the next meet- ing J. Rickets was allowed $26.60 for money expended for lime. At the same meeting an ordinance was passed making it an offense punishable by fine to open any of the public cisterns or to take any water out unless by the direction of the trustees or the fire company.
TO DIG A WELL.
In the record for October 1, 1849, P. P. Myers was given the privilege of digging a well on the sidewalk in front of the stable on West Diamond street belonging to the North American at his own expense providing he fixes up the sidewalk and gutter.
RAILROAD SUBSCRIPTION.
The proposition to subscribe $30,000 to the Ohio and Pennsylvania Railroad company voted upon at the courthouse, February 16, 1850, was nearly unanimous, two hundred and ten votes being in favor of it and only one against.
MARKET DAYS.
The market laws were repealed September 23, 1850. Section 1 provid- ing that "the market days for the town shall be Tuesday, Thursday and
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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
Saturday of each week and market hours from one hour and twenty min- utes before sunrise until nine o'clock a. m. during which time no article of produce or meats shall be sold within the limits of said corporation by retail other than at the market house and any person violating the provisions of this section by purchasing or selling any such articles during time at any other places shall be liable on conviction thereof to a penalty not exceeding $10.
In the council proceedings for December 2, 1850, it is recorded that "Mir. Wise who was a committee to have an alley filled up in Frogtown reported the job finished."
REPAIRING COURTHOUSE.
At the extra session two days later an ordinance was passed by which the town of Mansfield released unto the county the use and occupation of so much of the public square in said town as the courthouse on said square now occupies or may hereafter occupy with the improvement thereto, provided the county of Richland will within a reasonable time repair the courthouse by putting the courtroom on the second story thereof and the county offices on the first floor and raise and construct a new roof, build porticos on the north and south sides.
RENTED TO CHURCH.
In the council proceedings May 5, 1851, a motion carried that the "Methodist E. Church shall have the use of the Town House for the sum of $1 per month for the Sabbath Day alone, finding their own wood and light and keeping the House in good order."
CISTERNS OFF HIS HANDS.
The following appears in the record of council for June 2, 1851:
"Mr Shull being present requested the council to take two cisterns off his hands which he claimed he had made according to the agreement."
A. MeIlvaine and J. M. Snider were appointed to examine the cisterns and report. At the next meeting they reported favorable to the acceptance of the cisterns.
General William MeLaughlin had presented a petition to council asking for an appropriation of $300 to be expended on West Diamond street from the railroad north to the mill race. Under date of June 4, 1851, appears the following :
"The committee who was apointed by his honor the mayor to examine the street or public highway from where the Rail Rode crosses the same north of the warehouse of Messrs. Hedges & Weldon to the mill race north of the foundry and recommend that the sum of $200 be donated."
At this meeting Judge Charles Sherman was present and made a few remarks on the subject of selling the pavement belonging to the railroad company on the north end of West Diamond street and a lot owned by him- self on the same street.
DIDN'T WANT TO PAY.
At the meeting February 2, 1852, a communication was read from Marshal M. H. Gilkison as follows: "Having been informed by the mayor
102
HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
that those persons having purchased the market stalls intend trying to be relieved from the payment of said stalls on account of the house having been burnt, I would here say that the time had fully expired for which they rented said stalls some sixteen days before the burning of the house and it was distinctly understood on the day of the sale that the stalls was selling during market hours and that they had no legal right to the house at eny uther time and further I proclaimed to them all at such a time the market would close and it was by me closed at that time."
The council later decided to make no reduction.
No time was lost in taking steps toward rebuilding for at the same meet- ing, on motion of J. Rickets a committee of three was appointed to get a suitable place to erect a market house and report at the next meeting.
SHUTTERS FOR ENGINE HOUSE.
On the same date a committee was appointed to get shutters made for the "lore winders" on the engine house and $60 was appropriated for the use of the fire company.
MAYOR ELECTED ANNUALLY.
In those days they elected mayor, recorder and trustees annually. In 1852 Perkins Bigelow defeated R. C. Smith for mayor by one hundred and fifty-two votes. Alex McIlvaine defeated E. McFall for recorder by one hun- dred and thirty-one votes. H. D. Shreffler, Adam J. Endly, H. B. Green. Abner Wright and Eckels McCoy were elected trustees. At the council meet- ing April 13, 1852, Mayor Bigelow was authorized "to lease or grant the use of the Town Hall at such prices and for such purposes as he may determine, when unoccupied by the Town Council or Fire Company, with the advice and consent of the recorder and trustees."
THEIR OWN WOOD AND LIGHT.
At this meeting on motion of Abner Wright the members of the Second Methodist Episcopal church were given the use of the Town Hall on Sabbath days only for the ensuing year free of charge, " providing they find their own wood and light."
TEMPERANCE PETITION.
At the council meeting December 6, 1852, a petition was presented signed by some three hundred citizens praying council to pass an ordinance prohibiting the sale of intoxicating drinks. This was referred to a committee "to report at some future meeting." At the meeting of January 3, 1853, James Purdy was allowed $9.50 "for Rent of Barn for use of engine in the year 1850."
In the old records of council are found numerous indentures of appren- ticeship, the person taking the apprentice agreeing among other things to teach him to read and write and the first four rules of Arithmetic and at the expiration of the time of service to furnish him with a new Bible and ? "freedom suit."
103
HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
GRANTED SHERMAN'S REQUEST.
In the record of December 5, 1853, the committee appointed to invest- igate the petition of John Sherman reported favorable to granting the request.
The petition of John Sherman, the owner of certain lots in the addition had been filed together with the written consent of John Wood and the trustees of the Mansfield Female Collegiate Institution and the mayor and council being satisfied that there is good cause for the vacation of said
alley * declare the alley running east and west between lots No. 7, 8 and 9 and lots 10, 11 and 12 in said addition and also one alley lying east of said lots between the same and the property of the institution are hereby vacated."
FAMOUS FIRE COMPANY. (Communicated.)
Two carly Mansfield boys, knowing each other over sixty years ago. met in Central Park the other day. As usual the old-time greeting was extended. Seating themselves under the broad foliage of a beautiful elm they began to talk. The more talk the more reminiscences of old times were revived, how things looked then compared with the present.
The cobwebs of memory seemed to be brushed aside and they stood once more on the playing ground of their youth. There stood the old court and market house. The old barnyard of a square seemed to smell as savory as of old. The team horses hitched to the rear of the wagons seemed to be nibbling their feed as leisurely as of yore. Last. but not least, there also was the irre- pressible boy in all his glory deeply interested in his favorite games of "Black Man," "Prisoner's Base," "Town Ball," marbles, anty-ball over the market- house, etc., etc. Those boys are scattered to the four winds-dead and miss- ing are the vast majority, few living remaining with us. The three oldest living born in Mansfield are Mathias Day, William Morgan Roop and Manuel May. the latter being the youngest, is entitled to the first premium as the infant among the trio.
What changes time brings about! The boys of the present have long since hunted up new playing grounds. Progress and culture has changed the old sonare into a park of "beauty and joy forever." Its beautiful shade trees, comfortable seats, sparkling fountain, historie monuments, beautiful surroundings all embellished with plants and flowers, bid welcome to thou- sands of visitors and citizens, who leave with pleasure and good impressions of the taste, thrift and enterprise of the newer Mansfield.
Hoping the above digression will be excused, we wish to speak of what occurred July 4, 1852, just fifty-six years ago. On that day a number of our citizens met and organized Torrent Fire Company No. 2, it being the second volunteer fire company established in Mansfield, Old Deluge No. 1 having been organized some years previously, and both the nucleus of our present and splendid fire department.
Our purpose is to speak only of the early members of Torrent'No. 2. The early records of the company being lost or misplaced, we are obliged to rely on our memories for the few early members found in the list below. Under
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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
such circumstances many names will not appear, because they have been forgotten in the lapse of time, much to our regret and sorrow. Here are the names obtained at this writing, those deceased being designated by *:
*Jud E. Barbour, *Amos Townsend, H. R. Smith, William Morgan Roop, *Ephraim MeFall, M. L. Miller, *Gaylord McFall, *John Ritter, *John U. Wiler, *Thomas H. Ford, *George W. Waring, *Samuel J. Kirkwood, *W. L. Strong, *William Ritter, *P. P. Myers, *Jerry Myers, *Joseph Holmes, *J. S. Crall, *John Krause, *J. B. Netscher, *T. B. Todd, *C. C. Townley, *Eckels McCoy, *S. B. Sturges, *G. F. Carpenter, *John Y. Glessner, Sr., *James Dick- son, *Perkins Bigelow, *Joseph Richart, Jacob Cristofel, James P. McElroy, *Warner Young, *J. H. Cook, *Peter Steinbacker, *C. A. Bowland, *B. F. Blymyer, *John Cary Blymyer, *Jacob Reisinger, *Edward Wilkinson, Sr., *Jerry Bollman, *Foster Coutes, *George W. Irwin, *S. L. Nash, *B. Burns, * Alexander R. Patterson, *Edward Sturges, Sr., *Dr. J. N. Mowry, *B. S. Runyan, *Adam Endly, *Isaac Gass.
The death rate since fifty-six years ago seems appalling, only three living out of the fifty above recalled. "Tis a sad commentary on the uncer- tainty of life.
With sad hearts and sympathetic tears we recall the departed, awaiting our turn to soon join them, fully believing the inspired poet as he sang:
" "Tis the wink of an eye, 'tis the draft of a breath, From the blossom of health to the paleness of death, From the gilded salon to the bier and the shroud; Oh! Why should the spirit of mortal be proud ?" TORRENT No. 2.
EARLY RAILROADS.
The Mansfield Lyceum during the year 1899 gave one evening a month to the consideration of historical topics. The meeting held February 2, being local history night, a paper was presented by A. J. Baughman on the history of the first railroads in Ohio, particularly Mansfield's first road.
Mr. Baughman referred in his preface to the condition of the country prior to the construction of the canals, and stated as the country became more thickly populated and its resources better developed and as its products increased cheaper means of transportation were studied and considered. The question of canals was then discussed and considered, and as these water- ways had been constructed and successfully operated in the older countries, it was concluded to be desirable to have canals in Ohio, and the state under- took the construction of them.
Ground was first broken for the Ohio and Erie canal at Newark July 4, 1825, with imposing ceremony, De Witt Clinton, then governor of the state of New York, throwing the first shovelful of dirt.
The first canal boat passed through Massillon in August, 1828, and the cannon boomed and the people rejoiced over the event.
Canals, however efficacious in their day, were soon supplanted by rail- roads, thereby keeping stroke with American enterprise and progress.
E &K.R.R.
....
برالهـ
FIRST LOCOMOTIVE AND PASSENGER TRAIN RUN IN OHIO
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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY
The first railroad in Ohio, according to the historian Atwater, was finished in 1836, and extended from Toledo westward into Michigan a dis- tance of thirty miles.
The late Hon. E. D. Mansfield, whose historical statements have gener- ally been accepted as correct, claimed that first actual piece of railroad laid in Ohio was on the Cincinnati & Sandusky, better known in history as the Mad River railroad. But, as the charter of the Mad River road was not granted until March 11, 1836, and its history shows that work was not com- menced on its roadbed until 1837, and it is a fact that the Toledo road was in operation in 1836, we must accept Atwater's statement in the matter, and as his history of Ohio was published in 1838, and the railroads were then few and far between, Atwater, no doubt, knew whereof he wrote.
Mansfield's first railroad was the Mansfield & Sandusky City railroad. and extended from this city to Sandusky, a distance of fifty-four miles. This road was a consolidation or conglomeration of several roads, as follows: Mon- roeville & Sandusky City, chartered March 9, 1835; the Mansfield & New Haven, chartered March 12, 1836; the Huron & Oxford, chartered February 27, 1846. The Monroeville & Sandusky City road at first had wood rails and the cars were drawn by horses.
The Columbus & Lake Erie railroad was chartered March 12, 1845, and its construction was commenced a few years later, but consolidated with the Mansfield & Sandusky City, and the new corporation was entitled and known as the Sandusky, Mansfield & Newark railroad, and the line was extended to Newark, sixty-two miles south of Mansfield, making the total line one hundred and sixteen miles in length.
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