History of Richland County, Ohio : (including the original boundaries) ; its past and present, containing a condensed comprehensive history of Ohio, including an outline history of the Northwest, a complete history of Richland county miscellaneous matter, map of the county, biographies and histories of the most prominent families, &c., &c., Part 40

Author: Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Mansfield, O. : A. A. Graham & co.
Number of Pages: 968

USA > Ohio > Richland County > History of Richland County, Ohio : (including the original boundaries) ; its past and present, containing a condensed comprehensive history of Ohio, including an outline history of the Northwest, a complete history of Richland county miscellaneous matter, map of the county, biographies and histories of the most prominent families, &c., &c. > Part 40

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).

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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

and quarrels, but the verdict invariably was, " the whisky was to blame." Where stood those six seething still-houses, near beautiful springs and never-failing fountains, now stand churches and schoolhouses. and the pure waters are not pol- luted to base nses.

Singing schools were a source of enjoyment in early times-healthful, pleasurable and in- structive. The music was better, no doubt, than it is now. judging from the pioneer's stand- point. although fine culture was wanting. Those stalwart lads with sound lungs, and the rosy girls with strong, sweet voices. untrained as now, made excellent music. As with spell- ing schools, the young people went far and near, night after night, some of the young men following the singing master through his week's round of appointments and not missing a week- day night in a month. Some of them went eight miles and returned home the same night. The rivalry at spelling schools went beyond all bounds. Brothers, proud of their little sisters, took them on horseback behind them, eager to "show off sis;" parents studied the spelling- book with their children, and pronounced to them, encouraged them by cheering words, and were strong incentives in their laudable and zealous efforts.

Dances and dancing schools were one of the sources of entertainment in the long ago. In very early pioneer times, and quite before the heroic and enthusiastic Methodist preacher had pushed his way into the wilderness of the Far West, heads of families sometimes hurried through with their day's work, made a kettle of mush for the children. gave the elder one his orders about caring for the little ones, told him to bury the embers carefully at bedtime, and, if remiss, would give him a good scutel- ing, and then mounted the same horse from a stump at the door, and hied away on lively gallop to the dance, perhaps five miles dis- tant. But, when the "still, small voice of conscience whispered of a wiser and a better

way, and of the mysteries of life and death. and that-

"There'll come a day when the supremest splendor Of earth, or sky, or sea,

What e'er their miracles sublime or tender. Will make no joy in thee,"

then the men and women were ready and will- ing and eager to seek and find that pearl of greatest price.

These people had all the warmth and fire in their souls of which to make active Christians. At their camp-meetings in the beautiful wild- wood, with their frank, honest, unstudied man- ners, their native intelligence, and their cordial. winsome ways, religion was attractive and lovely, and they could not help being zealous workers.

One poor woman, in giving her experience, years afterward. unconsciously drew an exquisite picture for the pencil of the beauty-loving artist.

She said she was working near the roadside, poorly clad, when the sound of singing came to her ear-sweet singing of men's and women's voices mingling together. It came nearer, and her surprise increased, when. in glimpses among the dense branches of the trees, she saw a pro- cession on horseback. Abashed, she hid her- self behind a tree and peeped around. It was a company of men and women returning home to the southern part of the county (Richland), from a great Methodist camp-meeting that had been held at "the springs." The class-leader and his wife rode foremost ; her bonnet hung by the ribbons down her back, her light brown hair lay in loose curls on her shoulders. Her face was lighted up beautifully. it seemed the glorified face of an angel : all their faces glowed with a joy such as she had never known in her life. and, as they rode. some horses carrying double, in and out among the low hanging branches, their voices blent in harmony and sweetness as they sang that old hymn :

" What is this that casts you down, What is this that grieves you ? Speak, and let the worst be known, Speaking may relieve you."

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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

As the music died away in the grand arches of the wildwood cathedral, the poor woman cried alond from the great burden of unrest that filled her poor soul, and she sank upon her knees and wept out her first prayer. She wanted to walk in the light, to know the joy of a soul redeemed, to share in the blessedness with those who love the Lord, and, loving Him, find peace. Religions meetings were held in groves and barns and beside woodland springs, and the hospitality of Christian people was heavily taxed, but they were never cognizant of the fact. They enjoyed it; they longed for it ; they were the gladdest when the brethren lay crowded in a great "field-bed," on the floor, so crowded that perhaps the host and hostess had to sleep sitting with their backs against the jambs all night, each holding a restless, slumbering child, while the sisters lay in the "loft." on the loose, clattering clapboards. What must the few remaining pioneers think of nowadays, when the mistress of the house keeps a caller waiting while she arranges her clothing or the dear bangs on her pretty fore- head !

The early pioneers in Richland County came from Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York and the New England States. Many of them were poor, and, like Jack in the story, "came to seek their fortunes." A few came with ox teams ; some with horses, two, three or four of them ; some in two-wheeled carts, while others packed all their worldly possessions on a couple of old "eritters." Instances are re- lated of a bag on top, or snugged down in among the bundles, made somewhat after the fashion of a double knapsack, and a couple of babies poked their little bronzed faces out of the slits in this novel conveyance, and rode along like little "possums." The grandfathers will tell how knapsacks were made, if the unin- itiated will inquire, and they will tell how, with their own white-muslin knapsacks slung upon their shoulders, they went back to visit the

old homes of their early boyhood, with hearts aching and sorrowing, and hungry to look upon the beloved scenery that was so indelibly stamped in their memories. This they did, ten or twenty years afterward, on foot, staff in hand, like pilgrims going to Mecca.

From fifteen to fifty-five days were required in making the toilsome journey to the Far West, by the first pioneers. Streams had to be forded frequently. It was not unusual for a team to give out on the way and cause a delay of a fortnight or a month to one of the fami- lies. The joy was very great when the team hove in sight and the family rejoined the party who had found "the end of the road," or stopped until the men looked for a suitable lo- cation. The noisy joy of Paddy in America, meeting Micky. fresh from Ireland, would be a suitable comparison to the welcome given to the new arrival.

The Sabbath day was observed in very early times by the pioneer families. They met at the largest cabin, some one read a sermon, and they had prayer and singing. Whenever a preacher came, an appointment was made and word sent out to all the families for many miles around.

The first marriages were solemnized by " Par- son Scott," a minister living near Mount Ver- non. They were conducted as became the solem- nity of the occasion. There was no fun, no " run- ning after the bottle." and no undne or rude merriment at weddings in one part of the county. at least. An incident connected with one of the first deaths, in 1812, is touching. It was agreed upon that if the sick man was in danger of. death before morning, the musket was to be fired off. Just after midnight the re- port of the gun was heard, its echo reverber- ated among the hilltops until the ominous sound died mournfully away. Men sprang from their humble beds, hardly waiting to clothe themselves entirely, hurried through the thicket path, crossed the creek in the canoe, and when

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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

they reached the cabin on the beautiful hill- side, they found their neighbor, dead.

When the first grist-mills were made the early settlers felt that they would begin to en- joy a luxury in bread made of good ground corn-meal. Going to mill meant riding off from fifteen to thirty miles on horseback, in a path through the woods. not wide enough for a wagon. A boy, bundled up in the spare clothes of his " daddy and mamma," with a chunk of corn-bread in his pocket, generally made the trip in two days. At night he lay in the mill, or in the miller's cabin, on the floor, with his feet to the fire. If it was at Beam's mill, Mother Beam invited the lad to eat mush and milk with her family. The fame of " Mother Beam's good mush " lives yet, and the pioneer boy.remembers how she made it, and he can give no higher meed of praise to that article of food nowadays, than to say, " Oh, it tastes just like Mother Beam's did ! carries me away back to my boyhood ! You must have cooked this three or four hours, slowly, like she used to!" There are instances of the bag of meal falling off the horse, and of the boy crying and de- spairing ; but, like the good ending to Sindbad's stories, a woman. a willing, tender hearted wom- an, with cheery words came bareheaded and bare-armed from the nighest cabin, and flopped the heavy bag back where it belonged and swung the lad in place upon it, and patted his shoulder and sent him on his way thankful and rejoicing

In 1820 Judge Thomas Coulter, of Green Township, devised the plan of constructing a large flat-boat, capable of carrying three or four hundred barrels, and taking produce to New Orleans. This opened a new branch of trade, and was successful, and was a means of exchanging surplus produce for money. The boat was made large and strong, framed to- gether, and the plan was feasible during the early spring months, or the breaking-up of winter, when there was a freshet. This trade

was kept up for several years ; perhaps twenty or twenty-five boats went from Perrysville, though they were nearly all loaded at Loudon- ville, below the dam. The Legislature had de- clared the Black Fork to be navigable to Trux- ville-now Ganges-and some men taking ad- vantage of this decision loaded a boat at Per- rysville and ran over the dam at Loudonville, carrying it with the boat. In the letter of the law it was an obstruction.

The boats were loaded with pork, flour, beef and whisky. One very enterprising young man took a load once of thirty barrels of good whisky pickles, of his own raising and making. He raised the cucumbers on one acre of rough ground, and tended them himself. He took the boat to New Orleans, sold at good figures, sent the money home, went away into the mountains, was abundantly prospered, hired a tutor for his five brothers at home, bought farms in time for all of them, struck into the territories bravely, and at last was shot by the Indians, and, Smith was his name.

" And I shall not deny In regard to the same What that name might imply."

After the Ohio Canal was made, there was a dam at Roscoe, but, previous to this, no ob- struction was found save the dam at Loudon- ville. After boats reached the Muskingum River they could travel all night. In the trib- utaries they fastened to the bank at night. They floated with the current, and men with long poles guided when necessary.

Ninety days were required to make the round trip. The man or men were obliged to walk home. If they had purchased part of the boat load on credit, the notes were given pay- able at ninety days. One man took a boat on to Richmond, Va., sold out there and walked home. Judge Coulter took one to New York once. They were at no expense going down the rivers, and not much on their way back. Judge Coulter was the leading man in the

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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

southern part of the county. He was a good friend to boys and young men ; he was enter- prising, conscientious and a sound, honest Chris- tian. His good deeds live after him. He often remarked to his special friends that he was so ashamed one time during court in Mansfield. when he was Associate Judge. His son-in- law, the Sheriff, lighted candles at mid-day, and went humming around like an old bumblebee. He had been looking " upon the wine when it sparkled in the glass."

The military drill, in pioneer days, was the grand occasion. General muster. or regimental drill, was for a long while held twice a year at Mansfield. At that time, the militia of the whole county came together ; old friends met, and new acquaintances were formed. They assembled in parade on the square. marched through the streets and then went down to the " meadow " to drill. If they had arms, they carried them, if not, they used canes or mullein stalks. If one of the fathers was sick, one of his boys took his place-by permission of the Captain -with gun. cartridge-box and seabbard, answer- ing to the name of his father when the roll was called. The men met at 10 o'clock, and were dismissed at 4, some of them walking to their homes, a distance of sixteen miles. Some- where between the years 1820 and 1822, a very severe storm came up, and the Colonel rode down the lines shouting. " Dismissed ! Dis- missed !" The Captains repeated the order, and the crowd ran for shelter. Some new buildings just roofed gave shelter to a great many, but there was not room for all in town, and many started home. Some rushed to the " taverns " for something to drink after such a wetting. and then a few good fights ensued, as the natural result. Old pioneers remember the funny fights these occasions afforded.

It was common among rude boys, who had disagreements to settle, to fix the time for adjustment on the Fourth of July, the last day of school or next general muster.

The nearest mails were at Mansfield and Mount Vernon. Postage was high, and not many letters were written. Later, the mail was carried to villages once a week by a boy on horseback, who tooted a horn as he rode in on a gallop. The sound of the horn was the gladdest music known to the hills and valleys. A man who took one newspaper was called a large-hearted, liberal man ; generally two or three men joined together and subscribed, and took turns reading it. Some people refused to take a newspaper, for fear of spoiling the chil- dren, and making them lazy. The mail-boy. who rode on the gallop and tooted the horn. was as attractive to imaginative little boys then, as the circus-rider is now, and more than one little man-child looked longingly forward to the time when he could ride, and toot, and carry the mail-bag, and enjoy the delectable freedom and honor of this enviable place.

Some old jokes among the pioneers were really funny, and they still have the pith and point that they had when the old boys in tow shirts and deer-skin breeches laughed over them, sixty years ago. One was of a good- feeling young fellow, who, in singing schools, always sang the line, "Cover my defenseless head," as " Cover my deficient head."

Another was of a woman who prided herself on her systematie housewifely accomplish- ments ; she never did anything slovenly or carelessly, and, one time when making mush, stirring it pompously, she stopped and squinted into the pot, and then, lifting out a little shoe, she said : " Lawful suz ! who'd 'a thought Mandy's shoe 'd got lost in the mush ! But, then, I might 'a knowed 'twan't lost, for I never lose anything!"

And one. too, of an old man whose child was drowned in the creek, and the body not re- covered. The neighbors sought in vain for it many days. One morning, the old man, withi his great red, meaty nose. his fishing-tackle over his shoulder, his trousers harnessed on by

HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

259

one suspender, started off, saying : "Well, I'll go an' sarch, myself, an', if I don't find the body, I'll try un' git a good mess o' fish."

One of the saddest sights that comes to the old pioneer now, is to see the old orchard trees that Johnny Appleseed nurtured and cared for, cut down as worthless, and used to fill up ditches at the roadside. This is a common oc- currence in different sections of Richland County. And yet it is a law of Nature ; with her there is no death, no decay, everything lives anew in one form or another.

It is related of an apple-tree planted on the. grave of Roger Williams, the founder of the State of Rhode Island, who died in 1683, that the roots of the tree struck down and spread out into the shape of the man, following his legs, and arms, and trunk, so that learned men declare that Roger Williams passed into the apple-tree, and lived again on this earth in an- other form-that of luscious, red-cheeked apples. Indeed, the question has been asked, " Who ate Roger Williams ?"

The statue of Sir Robert Peel, a very eminent British statesman, was melted over to make one for Lord Palmerston. We need not shudder at these things, for Nature first set the example. When Hamlet spoke of turning the clay of Alexander into the bung of a beer barrel, he spoke the naked truth. The heathen gods vaguely penetrated this great mystery.

A year means a hundred-fold more now than formerly. History is made rapidly in these days. The red men's trail across the valley, and over the hills, and along the river's bank, could be traced by the fewest number in this day ; their favorite haunts and play grounds are shorn of their primal charms in the sweeping aside of the grand old woodland. The cattle upon a thousand hills roam over the land that they loved, and quench their thirst

in the brooks and pools, that long time ago mirrored their dusky features. The plowman with stolid face upturn in the brown furrow the relie that their fingers deftly fashioned, and the mattock and scraper bring forth to the glare of day and the gaze of the curious, the crumbling brown bones of the chieftain and his squaw. And the contents of the Indian's grave, the moldering clay, will live anew in a pavement to he trodden under the foot of men. Ah, these old Indian graves on breezy knolls and reedy river banks-who knows but the site was selected by the sleepers therein ! Who knows but they dreamed in their moody moments that the tide of civilization was slowly coming nearer and nearer, to crowd aside their people and intrude upon, and finally possess, their vast and beauti- ful hunting grounds ?

It is hard to be reconciled to this natural order of things; to see the pioneers passing away; to see them stand leaning on their staves, dim-eyed, and with white locks tossed in the winds, dazed at the change that has stamped its seal upon the wilderness whose winding paths they once knew so well. They beheld it slowly laying off its primeval wildness and beauty, and its grandeur of woods and waters, until now it blooms like unto the garden of the gods. How beautiful the labors of their hands ! How much we owe them! But the olden time is passing away and bearing on its bosom the dear old men and women whose "like we ne'er shall see again." The glory of one age is not dimmed in the golden glory of the age succeeding it. And none more than the pioneers of Richland County can compre- hend its growth and its change, or more fully appreciate the sad words of the poet when he sang in mournful strain --

"And city lots are staked for sale, Above old Indian graves."

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HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY.

CHAPTER XXVI. 5

THE PIONEER SOCIETY.

THE MEETING AT HEMLOCK FALLS-THE ORGANIZATION AT BELLVILLE-THE ORGANIZATION IN 1869-CONSTITUTION -THE CENTENNIAL MEETING-THE MEETING IN 1879-GEN. BRINKERHOFF'S ADDRESS-A LIST OF THE PIONEERS.

F TROM time to time, for many years, efforts had been made to organize a pioneer as- sociation for the purpose of preserving from oblivion important faets connected with the history of Richland County. Meetings for this purpose were occasionally held in different parts of the county. An impetus was given to this movement many years ago by Rev. James R. McGaw, who published an historical romance in the Mansfield papers, and by Gen. Brinker- hoff, who, from time to time, urged the neces- sity of it in the public prints. About the year 1856, one of the first, if not the first, pioneer meeting in the county, was held at Hemlock Falls, in Worthington Township. This meet- ing was probably an informal one, but the mat- ter of rescuing the early history of the county from oblivion was earnestly discussed. The meeting was attended by Dr. Bushnell, Gen. Brinkerhoff, Rev. James R. McGaw, Dr. J. P. Henderson and other influential and interested parties. In 1858, Messrs. Cook and Robinson, manufacturers of axes, offered a certain num- ber of axes to the oldest pioneers then living, and a meeting of these pioneers was held in Mansfield for the purpose of awarding the axes thus offered.

It was not, however, until September 26, 1860, that a pioneer society was duly organ- ized at Bellville, at a fair held in that place. This organization, of which the temporary offi- cers were John Redding, of Morrow County, President, and Miller Moody, of Richland County, Secretary, included the veterans of

the war of 1812 and the pioneers of Richland, Knox, Erie, Huron, Morrow, Holmes, Wayne and Crawford Counties.

A committee, consisting of H. B. Curtis, T. W. Bartley and William Larwell, was appointed to report a constitution and names of officers for a permanent organization.

The meeting was addressed by Hon William Stanberry, Thomas H. Ford. H. B. Curtis, James Purdy and others.

The permanent organization was effected by the election of ex-Gov. Mordecai Bartley, of Richland, as permanent President; Eli Miller, of Knox; Amos A. Coffer, of Licking; John Shauck, of Morrow ; Nathan Haskill, of Ash- land ; Jabez Cook, of Richland ; Daniel Riblet, of Crawford ; William Larwell, of Wayne ; Abi- jah Ives, of Huron ; Elntherus Cook, of Erie, and D. P. Leadbetter, of Holmes, as Vice Presi- dents ; Miller Moody, of Richland, Secretary, and Fred M. Fitting, of Richland, as Treasurer.

The Executive Committee were : Charles T. Sherman, of Richland ; Henry B. Curtis, of Knox; William Stanberry, of Licking; Gen. E. W. Benson, of Morrow ; Charles Tannehill, of Ashland ; William Musgrave, of Crawford ; Martin Welker, of Wayne; Platt Benedict, of Huron ; George Reber, of Erie, and Joseph Ankeny, of Holmes.

A committee was also appointed to draft a constitution to be presented to the Society at a future meeting ; and those present were re- quested to obtain the names of the pioneers in their respective neighborhoods, and to obtain

THE MOST-ENG. CO

Reuben Tevarts

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and preserve all matters of historical impor- tance.

Even, while this meeting was in progress, the mutterings of civil war were heard all over the land, and this, breaking out soon after, swal- lowed up all thought of everything save the safety of the country.

Upon the return of peace Gen. Brinkerhoff, of Mansfield, and a few others in various parts of Richland County, again urged the forma- tion of an historical society. This was again effected, as far as Richland County was con- cerned, in September, 1869, at the county fair in Mansfield.

This meeting was a success, between two and three hundred pioneers, who were residents of the county prior to 1820, being present.

The meeting was organized by calling Alex- ander C. Welch to the chair. Gen. Brinkerhoff then reported the following constitution, which was adopted :

ARTICLE 1. This Society shall be called the Richland County Historical Society.

ART. 2. Its objects are to collect and preserve in proper form, the facts constituting the full history of Richland County, Ohio.

ART. 3. The officers of the Society shall consist of a President, eighteen Vice Presidents, a Treasurer. one Recorder and one Secretary.

ART. 4. 'The officers hereof shall be elected annu- ally, at the annual meeting, and shall perform the duties usually pertaining to their respective offices.

ART. 5. The annual meeting of the Society shall be held in Mansfield on the last day of the county fair of each year hereafter.

ART. 6. Any person may become a member hereof, by signing this constitution and paying into the treasury the sum cf 25 cents.

ART. 7. This constitution may be altered or amended at any annual meeting hereafter, by a vote of two-thirds of the members present.

The following-named persons were then elected officers for the first year :

President-Alexander C. Welch.

Vice Presidents-John Woods, Butler Town- ship ; Charles Savers, Blooming Grove Town-

ship; J. E. Bevier, Cass ; Michael Keith, Franklin ; Calvin Clark. Jackson ; Reuben Ev- arts, Jefferson ; Calvin Stewart, Madison ; Da- vid Miller, Mifflin ; Daniel Snyder, Monroe ; James Doty, Plymouth ; John Steel, Perry ; John Finney, Springfield; Dr. John Mack. Sharon ; James Reed, Sandusky ; James R. Gass, Troy ; Benjamin Dean, Washington ; Nathaniel Pittenger, Weller. and T. B. Andrews, Worthington.

Recorder-Henry C. Hedges.

Secretary-Gen. R. Brinkerhoff.

Each Vice President was requested to make out a full list of the pioneers of his township. Addresses were then delivered by James Purdy, Mr. Welch and others.

Notwithstanding the intention of the Society to have an annual meeting, for some reason the time went by, and for several years no regular meeting was held. The officers, however, held meetings occasionally, and kept the organiza- tion intact.

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Author: Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848- Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Mansfield, O. : A. A. Graham & co. Number of Pages: 968

Author: Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Mansfield, O. : A. A. Graham & co.
Number of Pages: 968