USA > Ohio > Richland County > History of Richland County, Ohio, from 1808 to 1908, Vol. I > Part 7
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The next morning I rode into Columbus and made my deposit in the Franklin bank and remained there until the next morning looking around the city and through the first statehouse built in Columbus.
The first stage line through Mansfield was established by Marsh & Barney. Mr. Marsh kept the first hotel in Sandusky and Mr. Barney lived in Mt. Vernon. They ran road wagons with canvas covers and carried all kinds of merchandise and passengers. They ran from Sandusky through Norwalk, New Haven, Mansfield, Mt. Vernon to Delaware and made a round trip once a week. About 1831 Neal, Moore & Company established a daily line of stages from Columbus through Mt. Vernon, Mansfield and Norwalk to Sandusky. About two years later a line of stages was established from Pittsburg through New Lisbon, Canton, Wooster to Mansfield and a few years later was extended to Bucyrus. i
The old main line of stages was from Philadelphia through Lan- caster, Harrisburg, Carlisle and Bedford to Pittsburg. On the National road from Baltimore to Wheeling, Columbus and continued on west and from Albany to Buffalo. They ran day and night. The driver carried a way bill with the names of every passenger.
In those days the only mode of travel was by water, stage and horse- back. The first steamboat on Lake Erie was called "Walk in the Water." She was a medium sized boat with a stern wheel. In those days there were no commercial travelers and we were compelled to go to eastern cities to buy our goods. Such articles as iron, nails and glass we bought in Pitts- burg. John T. Creigh and Jerry Jaques each ran a reguiar line of big wagons of six horses between Mansfield and Pittsburg and supplied all the towns on their route.
Before the days of canals and railroads I used to take the stage through to Philadelphia and buy our goods and load them up in big Pennsylvania wagons, six horses to a wagon and have them hauled to Mansfield. We had to pay from five to six dollars for every one hundred pounds. Upon
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the return trip we would load the wagon with cranberries, ginseng, beeswax, butter, flaxseed and furs.
At that time a great many swamps produced cranberries. There was a large one a short distance west of Plymouth in this county. Ginseng was in great demand for Chinese trade. There was great difficulty in those days in having freight transported to the West from the Eastern cities.
The first railroad in Pennsylvania was from Philadelphia to Columbia. The first railroad from Baltimore, the Baltimore & Ohio, was built to Eli- cott's Mills, then we had to take the stage to Wheeling, then continue on to Mansfield. The first railroad in the state of New York was from Albany to Schenectady. There was a stationary engine to haul the cars to the top of the hill at Albany and another to let them down to Schenectady on the bank of the river.
After the opening of the New York canal I would take a steamer at Sandusky to Buffalo, quit the steamer at Buffalo and then take the canal. At Weedsport I would take a hack to Auburn to buy carpenter tools made at the Auburn penitentiary. Returning to Weedsport I would take the canal to Albany thence by steamer to New York city.
At one time I took a steamer at Buffalo for Sandusky in the evening. It was in the spring of the year and the ice was not all out of the lake. In the morning we found the steamer was anchored at the head of Grand Island in Niagara river. During the night a lot of floating ice had carried the boat down the river and we had to remain there until the ice had suffi- ciently passed to let the boat go up stream. At another time I left Buffalo in the evening for Sandusky. During the night the steamboat encountered a very severe storm. The passengers were all put down in the cabin. They could neither walk nor sit without holding to something. Every article of furniture that was not nailed fast kept rolling from one side of the cabin to the other. After daylight it was ascertained that the vessel was lying off Erie, Pennsylvania, and it was several hours before the boat could get into port. As soon as the boat reached the dock the passengers all disembarked and procured wagons to take them to Conneaut from which place the Lake Shore road had just commenced running to Cleve- land. The passengers all rejoiced when they got on land.
On another trip to New York in the spring I took a steamer at San- dusky. We found a large amount of floating ice and the further we went down the lake the more it increased until we got entirely blockaded and could not go any further and the ice followd the boat. Next morning we found we were about a mile from the Canadian shore and opposite Buffalo. The captain sent two men to the shore to let us know whether it was safe. As soon as they reached the shore they hoisted a flag, all right. Then the passengers gathered up their baggage and started for the shore. The trunks they hauled on the ice with ropes. Then we had to hunt up farmers enough to haul us to the Niagara river opposite Buffalo.
In 1851 I was going from Boston to New York and I took the cars to Newport, Rhode Island, at which place I took passage on the steamer Bay State. They left Newport in the evening and shortly after they got under
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way supper was served. My attention was attracted to a family sitting opposite me at the table. The family consisted of father, mother and seven children, four girls and three boys. After supper I got engaged in con- versation with the gentleman and learned that he and his wife were natives of Connecticut but had removed to Wisconsin soon after their marriage and that this was the first time they had been back to visit their old home. The boat seemed to be well filled with passengers. About the middle of the night there was a great explosion which awakened all of the passengers. This was followed by cries. I got up as soon as I could to ascertain what had happened and there beheld one of the worst sights I ever saw. There lying on mattresses on the floor were three of the Wisconsin young ladies and two large men. The boiler had exploded beneath their state rooms and scalded them with steam. They covered their faces and hands with sweet oil and flour and the skin and flour would all roll off together. The cap- tain shot off rockets to call other boats on the Sound to our assistance. About daylight there came alongside a boat and took us all to new York. On arrival they took the three ladies and the two men direct to the hospi- tal. The next morning the city papers gave a full account of the disaster and said that the three young ladies from Wisconsin and the two men were dead.
During the years from 1825 to 1835 the Wyandot Indians used to come to Mansfield to do their trading. They made very fine maple sugar and made bark buckets that held about fifty pounds. They would strap them together and put them across their horses and bring the sugar to Mans- field to trade for goods.
Judge N. M. Wolfe spoke on Patriotic and Civic Pride. The Judge said he felt unfit to speak at a centennial celebration, especially to follow Hiram Smith. He said it was unnecessary for him to name the ancestry of the city.
Judge Wolfe gave several good definitions for civic pride. He said that every citizen should foster civic pride in his own city. "Our first and best city is Mansfield," he continued. "Our first duty is to it. This civic pride should extend to our neighbors." Judge Wolfe then went back to the civic pride of the pioneers of Mansfield. He paid a tribute to the patriotism of the pioneers of Richland county.
Professor C. L. Martzolff of Athens University, the oldest college west of the Alleghenies and north of the Ohio, spoke on Ohio in History. The professor is an orator and delivered a very finished address. He first turned the attention of his hearers to the geological history of the state, telling how natural resources lured the emigrants to happy homes along the fertile rivers. In developing the resources of the state, the pioneers did not forget to raise men who were to be worthy to develop the state.
The professor gave his audience an instructive history of the cosmo- politan life which produced so many great men. He paid due tribute to cach nationality which settled within the borders of Ohio and cited the in- fluence each left on the state. The intermingling of this blood puts Ohio to the front with great men and women.
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Professor Martzolff gave a most instructive talk on the history of the state and gave it in such a comprehensive way that it will long be remembered.
James P. Seward gave a practical talk on Mansfield in History. He first spoke of the humble birth of Mansfield and said the village grew in wisdom and ability with years. After giving a brief history of Mansfield, Mr. Seward said he was not gifted in prophecy enough to foretell the future. But he spoke of the happy homes and the contented people. He said the future of Mansfield or any city must depend upon the soil. It was cus- tomary to boom the city, but he thought it better to boom the country on which the city depends. It is to the country, he said, to which we must look for future prosperity.
Mr. Seward then gave the legislature a sharp rap for burdening the citizens with unnecessary laws. The laws of the municipality, he declared, are one thing today, another tomorrow.
Hon. W. S. Kerr spoke on the noted men of Richland county. He said the really great men of the county were the first settlers, though their names might not appear on the pages of history. Mr. Kerr had a limited roster of noted names which he gave with reasons why he considered them great men. These men are M. Bartley, a member of the legislature; Judge James Stewart, one of the ablest jurists of the state; Thomas W. Bartley, at one time governor of Ohio; Judge Jacob Brinkerhoff, the great legislator ; Sam J. Kirkwood, who studied law in this county, afterward governor of Iowa, a United States senator and also held a cabinet portfolio; General Wil- liam Mclaughlin, the warrior; Thomas H. Ford, lieutenant governor of Ohio; William Logan Harris, who became a bishop in the Methodist church; George W. Geddes, Barnabas Burns, A. M. Burns, M. D. Harter and Hon. John Sherman.
Mr. Kerr then selected M. Bartley, Judge Brinkerhoff and John Sherman as the greatest of the list. He gave in a forceful manner the serv- ices each did for his country.
The music for the afternoon was furnished by the Arion Singing so- ciety and the high school quartette, composed of Professor Albert Belling- ham, Fred Langdon, Russell Vose and Russell Jelliff. The music was one of the best features of the program. The large crowd showed its interest by remaining throughout the afternoon and paying the closest attention.
The evening meeting, which was presided over by M. B. Bushnell, was held in the Y. M. C. A. auditorium.
Mr. Bushnell made the first address as follows:
I wish to thank the official board of Richland county historical society for the high honor of presiding as chairman this evening-closing the exercises for the centennial celebration of the city of Mansfield, the home of my infancy, childhood, manhood and my present residence.
It is quite probable that no subject at this time is more discussed, and of more interest to the average citizen than good roads. At least the mar- velous advance made in transportation.
Richland county is a border between the hill country of Eastern Ohio,
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and the level land on the Bucyrus plains as they were called by John Chap- man, better known as Johnny Appleseed.
The hills of our country made an elevated dry path for the buffalo and other wild animals, and followed by the Indians across the vast wilderness. The roads from the East were slowly chopped out, and they invariably fol- lowed the old path, winding with the hills thus avoiding the low wet marshy land located in the valleys. This accounts for the public highways being on high ground and being more or less curved.
Early in the present century the cattle were driven through to Philadel- phia. I have heard Robert Bentley, my grandfather, say that on his annual trips he would be absent from home six months. Now with our railroad facili- ties a shipper in Chicago with a full train load of cattle will start on Monday, reach the eastern market on Wednesday, returning to Chicago early Satur- day morning.
We understand the early pioneers were an industrious citizenship. They were a brotherhood of the highest order. There was little money in north central Ohio, some little products of the farm could be exchanged at the village store.
The families lived largely within themselves, but little time could be- given to bridge, building or slightly improving the roads. It has been a long hard struggle to fully open up the roads of our country.
The pioneers of this vicinity were very much elated by an act of the legislature, February 4, 1825, which marks the beginning of the construc- tion period of the Ohio canals. They were hopeful the Killbuck branch, as surveyed would pass up the Rockfork of the Mohican, thus passing through Mansfield to Sandusky. Time goes on apace. They were disappointed. but we discovered that those towns favored by the Ohio canals are but little if any in advance of our beloved queen city.
Our attention was turned to the building of steam railroads. The San- dusky, Mansfield & Newark, now Baltimore & Ohio, the Pittsburg, Ft. Wayne & Chicago, now the Pennsylvania Company, Atlantic & Great Western, now the Erie.
These great arteries of traffic place our city in a position to demand a full share of the business of Northern Ohio.
Our country highways. The main roads with the connecting lateral cross roads have in recent years been kept in the best possible condition, with the material at hand we now have the assurance of a great advance in road making.
Our township trustees are issuing bonds, Mansfield is meeting the town- ship improvements, the county commissioners are paying a certain per cent, the state legislature is appropriating money, and the general government has come forward with a liberal issue of bonds for the betterment of the public roads.
We hope the day is not far distant when it can be said that the streets and roads in Mansfield and Richland county are all in first class condition.
With our steam railroads, with our interurban or electric roads, with
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the highways graded and paved, it will be a joy to do business in any kind of a vehicle, for then all roads will run to Mansfield.
The question of fuel supply during the early march of progress in Rich- land county, was given little thought. The old cabin home with its spacious fire place gave ample place for the back logs, the front log with the center finer wood thus furnishing heat for cooking and warming the home of one room, the kitchen, parlor and bedroom. As the woods yielded to the ax of the pioneer wood for fuel became a commodity of value in the country.
The railroads as a first article of transportation delivered coal in the home market, a new fuel used in factories, public places of business and in the homes of the citizens.
The coal supply in some sections has been mined out, but following close, when our faith was possibly growing a little weak looking into the future for a fuel, the good Lord has given us a natural gas from the earth, in such abundant supply as to meet every condition.
The great increase in population in towns and cities calls for light, heat, and power. Today electricity meets the demand, one small wire entering a home conveys the electric current that is so controlled that it supplies light, heat or power
The old red schoolhouse is passing, but rising in its stead is the modern school building, the ward school, the high school and spacious college building.
Do not be discouraged by the cry of the despondent, but be up and doing what you can for humanity.
The time is at hand for active citizenship, the God of our fathers will aid and strengthen that people who will show an effort to help themselves.
Hon. O. E. Randall of Columbus spoke on Ohio, past, present and. future. He gave the early history of the races that struggled for supremacy in America. Ohio was the battle ground on which the French, English and the Indians contested for mastery in the Ohio valley. Mr. Randall pointed out the lessons taught by these makers of history.
Mr. Randall then traced the diplomatic mission on which Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia sent George Washington into the Ohio country.
The speaker told of the important part Ohio men played in the Spanish- American war and the Ohio diplomats who negotiated the peace. Mr. Ran- dall said it was impossible to get away from Ohio.
The speaker next spoke of the important part Ohio men took in putting down the Boxer uprising in China. It was an Ohio man, General Chaffee, who commanded the allies. Ohio men also played an important role in re- adjusting conditions after the war and preserved China as a nation.
Peter Bissman, the next speaker, spoke of the business and the business men of Mansfield. Mr. Bissman's talk was short but he had condensed a great deal of the business history of the city into a few terse sentences.
Mr. Bissman divided the business history of Mansfield into four epochs: the first saw the establishment of the retail business. Sam Martin was the first business man of Mansfield. He was succeeded by Levi Jones, who con- ducted a general store on the H. L. Reed corner. Fredericktown was then
FOURTH STREET LOOKING WEST FROM MAIN STREET, MANSFIELD, OHIO
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the market for all the products of Mansfield and vicinity. There was a dis- tillery there and the produce was all taken to this place and exchanged for whisky or other commodities.
The first epoch of Mansfield's business career saw the development of the hotels. John Wiler was the pioneer of this business and laid the foundation. It was for this man that the Wiler House was named. James Purdy was an- other prominent man who belonged to this period.
To the second epoch belong the development of the railroads and the fire departments. Dr. Bushnell raised one hundred and fifty dollars for the first fire department. The completion of the first railroad changed the market of Mansfield's products from Fredericktown to Pittsburg and other eastern cities. The Sturges, Hedges and the Bushnells were prominent in the de- velopment of this epoch.
The third period of Mansfield's history saw the development of the bank- ing system and the last period saw the development of the wholesale industry.
Mr. Bissman said that the early business men could not dream of the business methods of today.
"We do not have to go away to find acres of diamonds. Mansfield never was a boom town, but has always had a steady growth."
The program was shortened by the absence of Verner Z. Reed of Colorado Springs, a former Mansfield man, who was to have spoken on home coming but was unable to get here.
The program was interspersed by selections by the high school quartette which were very pleasing.
This closed the program of the evening. Thus the Centennial celebra- tion was brought to a fitting though not a spectacular close.
The Historical Society, which had charge of the celebration, feel well repaid for their efforts in bringing about this home coming and celebration.
THE MANSFIELD OF FIFTY YEARS AGO.
The first city directory of Mansfield was published in 1858-just fifty years ago. It was compiled by C. S. Williams and contained about one hun- dred pages and one thousand four hundred and fifteen names. Of the per- sons therein named less than one hundred are now living.
The postoffice was on the west side of Main street, between Third and Fourth streets-Wiler House block. The postmaster was Jacob Reisinger, and the office hours were from 7 a. m. to 8 p. m.
THE CHURCHES.
Baptist .- Baptist Church, north side Third between Sugar and Water. Rev. - Pastor.
Disciples .- Disciples Church, southwest corner Mulberry and Bloom. Rev. Andrew Burns, Pastor.
Protestant Episcopal .- Episcopal Church, south side Third between Walnut and Mulberry. Rev. Joseph Muenscher, Rector.
Methodist .- Methodist Episcopal Church, northwest corner Water and Market. Rev. William H. Nickerson, Pastor.
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Presbyterian .- Presbyterian Church, southwest corner East Diamond and Public Square. Rev. J. R. Burgett, Pastor.
United Presbyterian .- United Presbyterian Church, southeast corner Third and Mulberry. Rev. David Paul, Rev. David W. Collins, Pastors.
German Evangelical Church .- German Evangelical Association Church, southeast corner First and Mulberry. Rev. Albert Schorz, Pastor.
Seceders .- Seceders' Church, north side Market, west of Mulberry. -, Pastor.
Roman Catholic .- Roman Catholic, east side Mulberry, between First and Second. Rev. Michael O'Neil, Pastor.
Congregational .- Congregational Church, south side Market, west of Mulberry. Rev. W. W. Woodworth, Pastor.
Lutheran .- English Evangelical Church, northwest corner Walnut and Second. Rev. Simon Fenner, Pastor.
The names of the then officers of the city government are given. I. W. Littler, mayor; Mansfield H. Gilkinson, marshal; Zalmon S. Stocking, treas- urer; L. B. Matson, solicitor; Jacob Brown, engineer; H. P. Davis, clerk ; councilmen, J. H. Cook, president; R. C. Smith, Hubbard Colby, John Wise, Frederick Wise, George W. Sheets, B. Burns, William McIlvain.
There were three justices of the peace-William W. Smith J. E. Bar- bour and George Armentrout. John Crall and Nicholas Pluck were constables.
There were four assessors-A. H. Shamp, First ward; John Wise, Sec- ond ward; A. Morrow, Third ward, and Hiram Cake, Fourth ward.
The city board of education consisted of B. Burns, president; H. P. Davis, clerk; W. C. Catlin, superintendent; Uzziel Stevens and H. C. Hedges. Mrs. M. E. Catlin was principal, Miss Maria Parsons, assistant and Rev. J. Rowland, classical teacher in the high school, while five primaries, five sec- ondaries and one central grammar school sufficed to furnish school facilities for Mansfield's pupils.
The following are named among the "public buildings and halls:" Bowland's block, Cantwell's building, Commercial block, Melodeon hall. Wilkinson's building, Weldon house building, location or site of which is known only to older citizens today.
The town was rich in military organizations of the 16th Division Ohio Volunteers, James Cantwell, major general; Z. S. Stocking, inspector; Gay- lord McFall, quartermaster general; B. Burns, judge advocate.
There were two banks, the Farmers and Sturges bank, a Mansfield Library association and a Young Men's Christian association, of which the directors were J. M. Cantwell, E. S. Hiestand, M. Bowers, W. Burr, R. Brinkerhoff, Seth C. Hickox, J. Trimble and Thomas McCormick.
The directory lists at that time as engaged in the dry goods trade. Avery & Askew, Henry Endly, E. & C. Hedges, P. Remy & Co., T. J. Robinson. H. R. Smith, Strong, Hetrick & Lang, Sturges & Co., N. Tucker and Weldon & Denman.
The lawyers of that day were Burns & Dickey, Carpenter & Gass, James Cobean, Davis & Smith, D. Dirlam, Ford & Bowles, Jeffries & Hudson, Wil-
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liam Johnston, I. W. Littler, L. B. Matson, J. M. and M. May, William D. McBride, William McLaughlin, James Purdy, Charles T. Sherman, Sherman & Hedges, W. W. Smith and William Stevens.
Niman & Thompson, Couffer & Grove, J. A. Heldman were the cabinet and furniture makers.
The blacksmiths were Andrew Boughton, George Bowers, Thomas Dill, George Herring, Joseph H. Herring, Jacob Leiter and John Secrist.
The physicians were William Bushnell, William Blecker, J. Y. Cantwell, J. M. Chandler, William Loughridge, L. P. Harris, H. O. Mack, John Main, G. Ford, Milton Mitchell, John N. Mowry, David F. Phillips, Julius C. Schenck, John J. Sturges and Alexander Sutherland.
The grocers (wholesale) were E. Clapp, MeFall & Co., W. F. Spice & Son and James Dickson, the latter with the following being retailers: Philip Arras, Timothy Casey, J. & T. Costin, Joseph Huber, John Krause, Jacob Krill, Jacob Krumm, Adam Matthes, Joseph Redrup, Andrew Reman, G. P. Rowley & Co., T. U. Schmid, Christopher Sunkel, Henry Voegele and Louis Vonhof.
The hardware dealers were J. S. Blymyer & Co., A. J. Endly and B. S. Runyan.
The late Senator Sherman with the late David Emminger, under the firm name of Emminger & Sherman, were lumber dealers and had a planing mill which still stands on the east side of Main a little south of Fifth.
The saddle and harness makers were Hiram Antibus, Isaac C. Fair, Mc- Kellip & Johnston and N. S. Reed.
The hotels were the Exchange, the Franklin, the St. Charles, the Phoenix, the Mansfield Junction Dining Hall, the Station, the Wiler, the Weldon and the North American.
In the boot and shoe trade were Peter Ackerman, C. M. Curtis, Philip Denzer, Jacob Drackert, Keiser, Emig & Co., Keiser & Wolford, H. R. Smith, and Robert Weiskotten.
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