USA > Ohio > Seneca County > History of Seneca County, from the close of the revolutionary war to July, 1880 > Part 37
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During 1828 Mr. Hedges retained Mr. Rawson to manage his legal business, which agreement continued nearly twenty years.
In March, 1828, Mr. Rawson was appointed by Platt Brush his deputy to
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take charge of the United States land office for the Delaware district about to be removed to Tiffin. There was no bridge across the Sandusky river. and in April. 1828, Mr. Rawson left Fort Ball and opened his law office in Tiffin. Mr. Rawson was then postmaster at Fort Ball. and Milton MeNeal his deputy. During a temporary absence of Mr. Rawson. one Neal MeGaffey made an attempt to have him removed for the reason that Mr. Rawson's office was in Tiffin, which place was supplied from Fort Ball, and the high- way and mail route from Columbus to Lower Sandusky ( Fremont ) was on the west side of the river. After many shameless expedients made by McGaffey, Jolm MeLean, then postmaster-general. informed Mr. Rawson that he should be no more annoyed. Soon after MeGaffey was dismissed from the offices of clerk and of recorder by the court of common pleas. and Joseph Howard was appointed their clerk, and Mr. Rawson recorder.
September 28, 1828, Mr. Rawson was married to Miss Sarah Ann Clark. at Royalton, Cuyahoga county, Ohio, and they returned to Tiffin about the middle of October following. Miss Clark was born February 14. 1506, at Hancock. in Addison county, Vermont. She had been well educated. but was mainly dependent upon her own exertions for support. This mion contributed largely to the assistance and happiness of Mr. Rawson.
Governor MeArthur issued his commission to Mr. Rawson. dated June 12. 1832. as notary public for three years. but he declined to qualify. At that period he rose at or before 5 o'clock in the morning, chopped his own wood before breakfast. which was at 6 o'clock, and also prepared fuel for his office. Amid other cares. Mr. Rawson acted as school examiner for more than ten years. without compensation.
In the spring of 1834 Joseph Howard resigned his offices of clerk of the supreme court and court of common pleas, and a certificate for those offices was issued to Mr. Rawson from Judges Wright. Lane and Collett, of the supreme court. dated April 24th. 1834. with that of the court of common pleas, but he declined. and in mion with others recommended Luther .A. Hall. a young man well qualified, who succeeded to the office and held it with credit during the ensuing seven years.
March 4th, 1528, congress granted 500.000 aeres of land in Ohio to aid in the construction of her canals. February 12th, 1829. one land office was lo- cated at Tiffin. and on December 19th. 1530, Mr. Rawson was appointed reg- ister by joint resolution of the legislature, which position be retained more than six years.
The office was removed to Maumee City in the spring of 1537, and John Brough (since governor) was elected receiver. Mr. Rawson was reappointed register by Governor Vance, and commissioned April 15th, 1537. but de- clined.
Jannary 5th. 1832, the Mad River and Lake Erie railroad company was in- corporated by the legislature of Ohio, and in the following spring the com- pany was organized and Josiah Hedges elected one of its directors .. The road was constructed to Bellevne prior to 1536, but then suspended until 1:39. Meantime the depot was established in Fort Ball, which aroused severe vituperation against Mr. Hedges, a director, and Mr. Rawson. the . attorney for the road. and led to several snits at law before the excitement abated.
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January 11th, 1836, Mr. Rawson was re-appointed recorder until the next annnal election. Contrary to his wishes, he permitted the annonncement of his name as an independent candidate for recorder, but which he had cause to regret. since it was the means adopted by Joseph Howard for his own election to the state senate. The election was held October 11th. 1536. wherein Mr. Howard was defeated; Mr. Rawson received 654 votes: Marens Y. Groff. the Whig nominee. received 236 votes; Daniel Dildine. Jr .. the Democratic nominee, received 592 votes, and Gabriel Keen, a Democrat. but independent candidate, received 150 votes, leaving Mr. Rawson elected by a plurality of ninety-two votes.
In the spring of 1834, Mr. Rawson purchased the Seneca Patriot, an old _ printing establishment. in aid of his brother Alonzo, who, for the ensuing two years, published the Independent Chronicle, of which the first number was issued April 26th, 1534.
The autumn of 1836 and the year 1837 witnessed an unprecedented monetary pressure and crisis which prevailed through several years. The reputation of Mr. Rawson insured him an immense amount of business, which extended to almost every Atlantic city from Bangor to New Orleans, and convinced him of the necessity of a partner. Early in 1838 he took Manly Chapin into partnership, which lasted two years. Robert G. Pem- ington succeeded Mr. Chapin, and continued as partner until Mr. Rawson retired from business.
Prior to 1842 several young men had studied law under the tuition of Mr. Rawson; John P. Connell, R. G. Pennington. W. H. Gibson. Warren P. Noble, and afterwards. Edson Goit, Frederick Lord, Luther A. Hall. John K. Gibson with others.
In the spring of 1844 Mr. Rawson felt the necessity of relaxation, and. at the Whig convention held at Baltimore May 4th, 1844, which nominated Henry Clay and Mr. Frelinghuysen, was delegate from the 9th district of Ohio; and in the same year was nominated for congress, but after an excited contest was defeated.
April 19th, 1547, Samuel Waggoner. Alfred Johnson, Benjamin Tomb, R. G. Pennington, with others. prepared their certificate for the Seneca county branch of the State Bank of Ohio, to be located at Tiffin. with a cap- ital of $100,000, and recorded May 4th, 1847. in Seneca county records.
June 26th, 1847. Rezin W. Shawhan, A. Tuller, W. N. Montgomery, Jesse Stern, R. M. Shoemaker, and others, prepared their certificate for the Bank of Tiffin as a branch of the State Bank of Ohio, and recorded June 2sth. 1847. These proceedings led to an unenvious strife, in which Mr. Rawson was nn- wittingly implicated.
July 12th, 1847, the application for the Seneca county branch was with- drawn, and a certificate recorded July 15th. 1847, for the Seneca County Bank of Tiffin, with a capital of $50,000. as an independent bank.
This was followed July 20th, 1847, by similar action on the part of the Bank of Tiffin, as an independent bank, with a capital of $100,000.
Angust 20, 1847, the stock of the Seneca County Bank of Tiffin was in- creased to $100,000, which was followed August 7th by an increase in the stock of the Bank of Tiffin to $120.000.
Mr. Rawson was substituted for Hon. E. Lane as bank examiner, July
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16th, 1847. without his knowledge, which led to violent opposition and an attempt was made to impeach his report by the Bank of Tiflin.
The final result fully sustained Mr. Rawson, and the Seneca County Bank of Tiflin was chartered August 9th, 1847.
February sth, 1848, B. Tomb resigned as president and Mr. Rawson was appointed to fill the vacancy. but on May 25th, 1848, he also resigned.
The death of an only daughter, Anrinia II., February 10th, 1848, was a severe blow to an invalid mother, and on June 6th, 1849, Mrs. Rawson sud- denly expired.
Thereupon Mr. Rawson abandoned his profession, and for several years devoted himself to out-door pursuits and the improvement of real estate.
In 1850 Mr. Rawson consented to become a candidate as a member for - Seneca county of the convention to revise the state constitution, the election being on the first day of April. Excepting a printed address, Mr. Rawson took little interest in the canvass, and was defeated by E. T. Stickney with a majority of eighty-two votes.
In October, 1851, his name was used in the canvass for state senate during his absence in Iowa, of which, with his defeat, he was ignorant until his re- turn; and also, in 1858, he was urged to accept the nomination for judge of common pleas, and in 1860 that for state senate, both of which he declined.
During this period Mr. Rawson devoted much of his time to closing pro- fessional business, and also to the education of his two sons, Allen A. and Homer C. Rawson, both of whom graduated at Rush Medical College, in Chicago, Illinois, in the spring of 1855, and in the following autumn and spring, settled in Adams county, Iowa, where they still reside ( 1850).
September 25th. 1856, Mr. Rawson married Mrs. Maria MeNeal, widow of Milton MeNeal, who had died in September. 1534, with whom he afterwards enjoyed domestic qniet in declining years.
Especially during the last three or four years of his life did Mr. Rawson feel that his physical nature was yielding to the infirmities of age. This did not interfere with his cheerful recollections of the past, and regard for the friendly ties of the present, nor with his bright view of futurity. Conscious of a life of integrity and of honor, he said: " Let us always seek and abide the right, leaving consequences to the dispensations of Providence."
As the evening of Thursday, August 24th. 1871, was drawing a life of sev- enty-three years to a close, peacefully and gently the soul of Abel Rawson departed to the endless visions of eternity.
JOSHUA SENEY.
James Nicholson was a commodore of the United States navy in 1775, when he had command of the Trumbull, a frigate of thirty guns, and fought in her an action with the British man-of-war Wyatt, which, next to that of Paul Jones, with the Serapis, was the most desperate of the war. Eighteen members of the Nicholson family served in the navy of the United States. Commodore Nicholson had four daughters, who were all famous for their beauty and their accomplishments in both Washington and New York societies. Mr. Albert Gallatin, while a
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member of congress, married one of the girls; the second daughter be- came the wife of Colonel Few, the first senator from Georgia; the third married John Montgomery, a member of Congress from Maryland and mayor of Baltimore. Frances married Joshua Seney, a member of congress from Maryland also. This Seney family had two sons: Joshua was born November 20, 1793, in New York city, where he was raised and educated. He was a graduate of Columbia College and the Uni- versity Law School. Before he entered upon the practice of law he was the private secretary of his uncle, Albert Gallatin (who in his day filled so conspicuous a place in the public esteem), for more than one year in Washington, where he mingled with the first men of the coun- try' who frequented the house of his uncle, and grandfather, Nicholson.
At a visit to Uniontown, Pennsylvania, he made the acquaintance of his wife, as noticed in a sketch of her life. He then practiced law in Uniontown ten years, when in 1831 he moved with his family to Tiffin, where he spent the rest of his days, and raised a large and highly re- spectable family.
Mr. Seney was one of the pioneer lawyers of Tiffin, and if his indus- try had been equal to his capacity, he would have been very successful as a practitioner. He had a natural aversion to anything that looked like labor. He was all politician, however, and a more shrewd, more calculating and far-seeing politician than Mr. Seney, Seneca county never had in any party. He was not selfish, nor sought office for him- self. When he liked a person that aspired to office, he would do all in his power to aid him. He was severe on a political opponent. He enjoyed political agitations. Raised in the lap of wealth and luxury, he. knew nothing about labor nor the value of money. He had very little taste for or appreciation of the practical part of life. His language was chaste and polished; but his manners were peculiarly his own. He often would pass his best friends on the street without noticing them; when at other times he was affable and friendly to everybody.' He was perfectly at home in an office, however, and discharged every trust with ability and fidelity. He was clerk of the supreme court and treasurer of Seneca county. In 1840 he was one of the electors on the Demo- cratic ticket of Ohio.
He wrote the finest hand of any lawyer that ever lived in Tiffin, and his records shame every clerk that has succeeded him. Mr. Seney was of medium height, but somewhat corpulent and compactly built. He had a large, well developed head, an expressive countenance, a pierc- ing black eye, and a pleasant voice. He had the smallest hand of any
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man of his size that ever was known, and it was noticed by everybody that saw him
During the last few years of his life he had several attacks of heart disease that troubled him for a short time. One night he got out of bed, walked to the window and opened it, to let fresh air into the room, and, returning towards the bed, fell dead on the floor.
This was on the night following the 10th day of February, 1854. Mr. Seney was fifty-nine years, two months and ten days old when he died
His three sons are lawyers of note: George E. Seney and Joshua Seney, the former in Tiffin and the other in Toledo, and both common pleas judges, and Henry Seney is in the practice at Kenton, Ohio, and when Judge McCauley was nominated for judge, Henry Seney gave him a very close chase for the nomination.
LUTHER A HALL
Was born August 30th, 1813, in the township of Spafford, in Onondaga county, state of New York. He is the son of Luther Hall, who was a farmer by occupation, a native of Berkshire county, state of Massachu- setts, and who died in 1849, at Freeport, Illinois.
Luther A. Hall was raised on a farm, working during the summer and attending district school during the winter until he was fourteen years old, when he became a pupil in a select school kept by Mr. Thomas W. Allis, at Skaneateles, where he remained two years. He then en- gaged as a clerk in a store and served in that capacity some three years. In the spring of 1833 he started on a trip to Ohio with a small stock of goods in a one horse wagon, from the sale of which he paid his expenses as he went along. He arrived in Tiffin on the 5th day of . May, in the same year, and was first employed asclerk in the recorder's office at fifty cents per day, boarding himself. Soon after he entered the store of John Park as clerk, where he received ten dollars per month and boarding. The old settlers will remember the two-story brick building, fronting west, that stood on the corner of Washington and Market streets, where the National Exchange bank now stands: that was Park's store. During the time Mr. Hall was clerk for Mr. Park, he was appointed clerk of the supreme court of Seneca county and of the court of common pleas pro tem., to which position he was appointed first as deputy in 1833, and permanently in 1834, May 5th. In 1835 he, in company with Josiah Hedges, engaged in the mercantile business, which was carried on until 1837, when the financial storm induced them to discontinue the business. The stock was closed out, the good debts collected, and liabilities paid. There were many losses from bad debts.
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but something was left when the final settlement was made. While Mr. Hall was clerk of the courts he read law with Mr. Rawson, when in the fall of 1840 he entered the Cincinnati Law college and graduated in 1841. In the same year he resigned the office of clerk of the courts. and entered upon the practice of his profession, and in which he is still engaged. In 1856 he was elected prosecuting attorney of Seneca coun- ty. In 1858, at the expiration of his office, he formed a copartnership with Mr. John H. Pittenger, of Tiffin. The firm of Hall and Pittenger is still doing business, and is the oldest law firm in the county.
In 1862 Mr. Hall was appointed assessor of the revenues, by Mr. Lincoln, for the ninth district of Ohio. This office he held until he was removed by President Johnson in 1865. In 1868 he was the presi- dential elector for the ninth district of Ohio, and cast his vote in the electoral college for Grant and Colfax. In 1867 he was one of the in - corporators of the Toledo, Tiffin and Eastern railroad, and was elected president of the company, and served in that capacity until the road was completed, contributing largely to the success of the enterprise.
Mr. Hall was married to Miss Cynthia A., daughter of Josiah Hedges. on the 7th day of April, 1835. He is the father of four sons, who are all still living.
Mr. Hall is a little below medium size in stature, weighs about 135 pounds; he has a heavy head of sandy hair and sandy beard, now be- ginning to show the effects of many frosts: prominent nose, large blue eye, regular features, and a clear melodious voice. He is a careful pleader and a close reasoner. A lawyer of the old school, and loves the code, because-because it is the code.
[NOTE .- June 16. 1880-Mr. Hall died this afternoon at two o'clock, aged sixty-six years, ten months and sixteen days.
When the foregoing sketch of his life was written, Mr. Hall was in the full enjoyment of his health, as usual. Hewas never a very stout, robust man, but always was well enough to be about his business. During the last winter and spring especially, he seemed to enjoy better health than for many years. He attended court, which is now in session, every day, until last Saturday, and but very few members of the bar knew that he was complaining. When the news of his death reached the court room, there was a silence in court, a sadness imprinted on every coun- tenance, a scene the like of which the writer had never experienced in the court room, where for forty years he attended every session.
Friend Hall took great interest in the production of this book, and assisted me very much with his clear recollection of past events, and his
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fluent and forcible way of relating them. He is gone, and another tie of friendship that has lasted forty-seven years is broken; an old heart left to mourn.]
OLIVER COWDERY.
Near the end of the Mormon Bible is added the testimony of Oliver Cowdery as to the " Golden Plates."
He was one of the brightest minds amongst the leaders of the Mor- mons, and the history of the order would have been a better one had his counsel and advice prevailed.
Mr. Cowdery was born in the state of Vermont, on the 3d day of October, 1804. After he had acquired a good common school educa- tion, he applied himself with great industry to the study of the dead languages and became very proficient in the Greek and Chaldee. He came to Ohio when he was a young man and entered the law office of Judge Bissel, a very distinguished lawyer in Painesville, Lake county, as a student, and was admitted to practice after having read the requi- site length of time and passed an examination. His unfortunate asso- ciation with the Mormons blasted the high hopes and bright prospects of an otherwise promising career, and planted a thousand thorns along the wayside of a life that was as pure and undefiled as that of the best of men. Cowdery had more to do with the production of the Mormon Bible than its history had ever given him credit for. He was the best scholar among the leaders. While others advocated the doctrine of polygamy, Cowdery opposed it, not only on moral grounds, but also, and principally because it was contrary to the great principles of christianity, and above all, because it was opposed not only to the great demands of civilization but to the spirit of the free institutions of our country. This opposition to polygamy brought Cowdery into con- flict with the other leaders, and especially with Joe Smith; and while Cowdery gathered around himself the better and most intellectual ele- ment among the Mormons, Joe Smith became the leader of the coarser forces, with whom his great force of character soon made him very popular. The conflict came and Cowdery had to flee for his life, leaving his wife and two children behind him. Mrs. Cowdery's maiden name was Whitmer, and a sister of one of the Whitmer's who figured as a leader. She was a beautiful woman, whose quiet nature, sweet temper and kind disposition won her friends wherever she was known.
Mr. Cowdery came back to Kirtland. In the spring of 1840, on the 12th day of May, he addressed a large Democratic gathering in the street, between the German Reformed church of Tiffin and the present
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residence of Hez. Graff. He was then on a tour of exploration for a location to pursue his profession as a lawyer, having entirely aban- doned and broken away from all his connections with the Mormons. In the fall of the same year he moved with his family to Tiffin and opened a law office on Market street.
Mr. Cowdery was an able lawyer and a great advocate. His manners were easy and gentlemanly; he was polite, dignified, yet courteous. He had an open countenance, high forehead, dark brown eye, Roman nose, clenched lips and prominent lower jaw. He shaved smooth and was neat and cleanly in his person. He was of light stature, about five feet, five inches high, and had a loose, easy walk. With all his kind and friendly disposition, there was a certain degree of sadness that seemed to pervade his whole being. His association with others was marked by the great amount of information his conversation con- veyed and the beauty of his musical voice. His addresses to the court and jury were characterized by a high order of oratory, with brilliant and forensic force. He was modest and reserved, never spoke ill of any one, never complained.
He left Tiffin with his family for Elkhorn, in Wisconsin, in 1847, where he remained but ' a short time, and then moved to Missouri, where he died in 1848.
The writer read law with Mr. Cowdery in Tiffin, and was intimately acquainted with him, from the time he came here until he left, which afforded me every opportunity to study and love his noble and true manhood.
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CHAPTER XXIII. THE BENCH AND BAR CONTINUED.
SIDNEY SEA.
T HE subject of this sketch was the most remarkable character that was ever associated with the Tiffin bar. He was unlike other lawyers in almost every thing, and seemed to avoid assimilation on purpose. In 1833 he had his office in the frame building on the south side of Market street, on in-lot No. 71, now occupied as a saloon. When the writer became acquainted with him he was known by the name of Sidney Smith. It is said that he was a graduate of the New Haven Law school, and that formerly he was a shoemaker by trade. He was married when he moved from Portage county to Tiffin, in 1832, and very soon secured a very good practice. He bought a farm in Scipio township, and laid out the larger portion of Republic. In June, 1836, he published a notice in the Tiffin Gasette, that he would sell his lots in Republic, a valuable farm close by, another farm six miles from Tiffin, and one and one-half lots between the court house and the free bridge, because' he wanted to go to some southern latitude.
Two years thereafter he gave notice that he had left his property in the hands of Mr. Chapin to sell for him, and moved to Cincinnati, where he opened a law office. It is said that he there wore his pants in his boots. The boots had large red tops, on which were painted in gilt letters, " Sidney Smith, attorney-at-law."
About the latter part of 1840 he came back to Republic and opened a law office again in the name of Smith. He took a very active part in the presidential campaign, and made the first speech when the Whigs raised their log cabin on the lot where the Commercial bank now stands. In his political harangue on that day he was exceedingly per- sonal and bitter. This was on the 3d day of June, 1840. He made many more speeches throughout Seneca county that summer and fall, but became so boisterous and abusive that the Whig central committee finally refused to make any further appointments for him.
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The Whigs carried the day, as is well known, and whatever may have been the moving cause, other than that expressed in the petition itself, when the legislature met in Columbus, the following December, Mr Smith sent a petition to that body, praying for the passage of a law to change his name from Sidney Smith to Sidney Sea. The petition was all poetry, of his own manufacture, and being so utterly void of all rea- son, it was defeated in the senate, and on the 15th of January, 1841, on motion of Senator Hasletine, it was reconsidered, laid on the table, and finally passed on the 16th day of March, 1841
The reason assigned in this poetic petition by Mr. Smith was: "That when Adam stood up in Paradise in obedience with the command of the Creator, to name all things, and all the living things had passed be- fore Him receiving names in order, it got to be late in the afternoon. and poor Adam's vocabulary failed to hold out. Then Adam held his hands up to shade his eyes, and saw in a corner of the garden an in- famously looking mob of humanity. He called them up, looked at them awhile, and being half angry and half provoked, called them all Smith." He wanted to get away from that crowd, he said, and the general assembly let him out.
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