USA > Ohio > Seneca County > History of Seneca County, from the close of the revolutionary war to July, 1880 > Part 41
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Mrs. O'Connor is still living; the girls are all happily married. D. O'Connor, his son, is attending school.
Dr. O'Connor was an excellent physician, possessed of a finely cu-l tured mind; he was a true friend, a devoted patriot, a christian gentle- man and an honest man.
THE TIFFIN GAS LIGHT COMPANY
Was organized in 1856 as a joint stock company, under the statute of Ohio. The enterprise was originated by Edward Gwyn, of Spring- field, Ohio, who came to Tiffin in that year, and induced several of our citizens here to aid him. The capital stock was $30,000, of one thous- and two hundred shares, each twenty-five dollars. Mr. Gwyn sub- scribed all the stock except about fifty shares, which were taken by others.
The city council of Tiffin granted to the company and its successors and assigns forever, the use of the streets, alleys and public grounds in Tiffin, to lay pipe and all other appliances to distribute and carry gas throughout the city.
The works are built on the old tannery lot near Rocky Creek, on Perry street.
The company contracted with Mr. Gwyn to build the works for the stock he had subscribed and $10,000, to be secured by mortgage on the works, and Mr. Gwyn was virtually the owner of the whole, as the fifty
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THE TIFFIN GAS LIGHT COMPANY.
shares were subscribed more as a donation than for profit, and were soon transferred to him.
The original works were small, having only two miles of pipe laid in the streets, having fifty street lamps, and charging $4.50 per 1,000 cubic feet, 83 per year for rent of meter, and $25 per year for street lamps. In 1860 Mr. Gwyn sold the works to his brother, John Gwyn, who con- tinued to be the owner until 1870. Between 1860 and 1870 less than one-half mile of pipes were laid, and the old prices maintained. In 1870 John Gwyn sold out to George E. Seney and John T. Huss. On the death of Huss in 1875, Judge Seney became and still is the owner. Within the past ten years the works have been greatly enlarged and improved. All that now exists of the purchase from Gwyn is the old building and about one mile of pipe; all else is new.
The capital stock now is $100,000; gas $2.50 per 1,000 cubic feet, and no rent charged for the use of meters, with a prospect further to decrease the price of gas as the number of consumers increase. There are now about ten miles of gas pipe in the streets, and one hundred and seventy-four street lamps. It requires two men and a horse to light and extinguish the lamps, who must travel twenty-four miles to do the work. The works consume from 1,200 to 1,500 tons of the best Youghiogheny gas coal, yearly. Five men and two horses are employed at the works. The annual production of gas is from five to six millions of feet.
Judge George E. Seney is president, and John M. Bate secretary and superintendent.
THE OHIO STOVE WORKS.
Amongst the various industries of the city may be mentioned the Ohio Stove works, a joint stock company, whose works are located near the Baltimore and Ohio depot. The company is now well organized and in successful operation.
THE TIFFIN AGRICULTURAL WORKS
Is a joint stock company. The works are located at the corner of Water and Minerva streets, where they cover an area of about four acres. They have a capital stock of about $100,000, and the institu- tion is under the control of efficient officers, and is in a flourishing con- dition.
THE TIFFIN WOOLEN MILLS
Are also in successful operation, now employing about seventy hands.
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HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY.
THE TIFFIN CHURN FACTORY,
Organized by A. C. Baldwin & Co., is doing a good business; it pros- ecuted its work steadily during the late severe long panic, proving that the institution is in able hands.
LOOMIS AND NYMAN'S FOUNDRY,
Located near the bridge on Market street, started when, in 1847, they bought the old foundry then conducted by Jesse Wolf. They after- wards bought the property where Van Nest's carriage factory stood, and erected valuable buildings on the premises. The firm is now com- . posed of John D. Loomis, Philetus Nyman and George Loomis. They employ about 28 hands and turn out work annually to the value of $50,000.
THE TIFFIN MANUFACTURING COMPANY
Is also a joint stock company, doing a great deal of work, and in suc- cessful operation on Melmore street.
THE TIFFIN WATER WORKS
Were accepted by the council of the city in the fall of 1879. There are about 14 miles of water pipes in the city. The city pays rent for hydrants.
There are now in Tiffin 26 grocery stores, 6 dry goods stores, 5 clothing stores, 8 boot and shoe 'stores, 1 carpet store, 6 millinery and fancy stores, 5 jewelry stores, 4 drug stores, 4 fruit, confectionery and bakery stores, 3 hardware stores, 4 stove and tin stores, 2 hat and and cap stores, 2 china and crockery stores, 2 book and stationery stores, 3 furniture stores, 3 photograph rooms, 5 harness shops, 2 mar- ble dealers, 4 cigar manufacturers, 6 printing establishments, 7 barber shops, 8 meat markets, 5 blacksmith shops, 6 carriage and wagon works, 2 breweries, 3 wholesale liquor stores, 3 music stores, 6 hotels, 5 board- ing houses, 1 plumbing and gas-fitting store, 2 pump shops, about 50 saloons, 2 bent works factories, 2 sash, door and blind factories, I foundry, I stove factory, 1 woolen mill, 1 churn factory, 2 shoe fac- tories, the gas works, agricultural works and water works.
There also three building loan associations in the city.
THE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Is a new creation and fitting up a fine room in the market house build- ing. It was incorporated in March, 1880, and the following named persons are the officers of the institution, viz:
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SENECA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
President-R. W. Shawhan.
Vice-Presidents-Mrs. W. P. Noble, Mrs. John D. Loomis.
Secretary-C. H. Cramer.
Treasurer-J. W. Chamberlain.
Trustees-W. P. Noble, Francis. Wagner, George G. Harriman, Miss Flora Cronise, Mrs. Laura B. Sneath, Mrs. Laura G. Bunn .
There will be a public opening of the library on the 12th of May, 1880.
One thousand, six hundred volumes of books are already collected.
There are also two bent works in the city. One on West Market street, owned by F. Smith, and the other on Water street, carried on by the Fishbaugh Brothers. Both are doing successful business.
There are also a number of brickyards in full operation, and a drain tile factory, carried on by John Heilman.
Tiffin has also two flouring mills; one at the north end of the iron bridge, on Washington street, and the other on Mill street; the former runs by steam and the latter by water power; both in daily operation.
Unable to give the exact amount I feel it safe to say that more than five millions of dollars are invested in the various industries in Tiffin.
SENECA COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
The pioneer legislatures of Ohio comprehended their missions fully and passed laws for the promotion of agriculture, for the protection of stock, to open roads to market, etc., etc. And the manner in which Seneca county threw off her mantle of "native wild " and prepared the way for civilized life, proves the high order of the intelligence of her pioneer farmers First a cabin, then roads, then meeting-houses and school-houses, then mills, and one improvement after another.
On the 7th of June, 1833, the following notice was published in the Seneca Patriot:
TO THE CITIZENS OF SENECA COUNTY-Notice is hereby given that a meeting will be held at the Court House, in the town of Tittin, (they had no court house), in the county of Seneca, on the 25th day of June inst., for the purpose of organizing an agricultural society, to be entitled the Seneca County Agricultural Society, in pursuance of an act of the legislature. passed February 25, 1833. By order of the Board of Commissioners.
DAVID E. OWEN, Clerk for the Commissioners.
Nothing was done under this notice, however, for very many rea- sons, the strongest of which was the fact that the people had nothing to exhibit; fancy stock in horses, cattle, sheep, hogs, poultry, etc., had not been introduced here as yet, and there would have been "no show."
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HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY.
It was not long, however, until the subject was agitated again, and now another notice was published as follows:
GOD SPEED THE PLOUGH.
In conformity with the act entitled, "An act to authorize and encourage the establishment of agricultural societies in the several counties in this state," passed March 12, 1839, notice is hereby given that there will be a meeting held at the court house in Tiffin, on Saturday, the 1st day of Janu- ary next, for the purpose of organizing, etc. G. J. KEEN,
TIFFIN. December, 1841.
Auditor S. C.
The meeting was held at the M. E. church. John Terry, Samuel Waggoner, Abel Rawson, A. Ingraham, W. Toll, Evan Dorsey, Louis Baltzell, Lloyd Norris, Jacob S. Jennings, R. G. Pennington, Andrew Moore, George Stoner, J. W. Wilson and others took active part.
Samuel Waggoner was elected president; A. Ingraham, vice-presi- dent; Evan Dorsey, recording secretary; R. G. Pennington, correspond- ing secretary; Lloyd Norris, treasurer; Terry, Moore and Stoner, executive committee. A constitution was adopted Thus the society was put on foot and has flourished ever since. Its county fairs are amongst the best in the state. It owns about twenty-five acres of land near College Hill, between North Greenfield and Portland roads, well provided with halls, race track and stalls. Its present officers are: N 1 .. Brewer, president; Jacob Rickenbaugh, vice-president; H. J. Weller, secretary; John M. Kaull, treasurer. There are eighteen managers, one from each township, two from the city and one from the county at large.
The vast majority of the most successful business men in Tiffin are those who commenced the world with very little capital, or none at all, and I take pride to record the fact, that the leading characters in all branches of industry here, are self-made men.
Some have already been named, and a few more only will now be noticed.
MR. JOHN D. LOOMIS
Was born November 3, 1811 in Osego county, New York and was raised in Cayuga county, same state. He came to Ohio in 1839 and located in New Haven where he remained five years, and then removed to Licking county, Ohio, where he remained two years, and in 1847 re- moved to Tiffin, Ohio, where he has remained ever since. The firm, of which he has been the head ever since its location, has not only con- stantly increased since its location here, but has never been under the necessity of borrowing a dollar.
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HENRY GROSS.
MR. JOHN M. NAYLOR
Was born at Wooster, Ohio, on the 9th of December, 1822. When a boy he became a clerk in a store in Wooster, then carried on by Messrs. Jacobs and Kanke. This was in 1834. In 1847 Mr. Naylor, in com- pany with Mr. Harvey Howard, of Wooster, opened a hardware store in Tiffin, which they carried on here until 1851, when Mr. Howard sold his interest, and the store from that time was conducted in the name of Naylor & Pittenger up to 1855. From that time to 1857 Mr. Naylor conducted the business alone, for three years, when he was joined by a brother, W. W. Naylor, and the firm was called Naylor & Bro. This firm was continued to March 4, 1866, when William W. Naylor died, and the immense establishment has ever since been car- ried on by Mr. Naylor alone.
On the 11th day of December, 1849, Mr. Naylor was married to Cornelia, daughter of Judge Pittenger. In 1857 he built the beautiful villa on Melmore street, where he still resides. The mother of Mr. Naylor was a sister to Judge Musgrave, of Crawford county. An uncle by marriage was Judge Dean, of Wayne county, and my esteemed friend, Judge E. V. Dean, of Ironton, Ohio, is a full cousin of J. M. Naylor.
Mr. Naylor's life is a fine specimen of a self-made, successful career, based upon industry, economy, ability and honesty. Ever busy, late and early, with a friendly word for everybody, it is a matter of perfect wonder where he ever found time to make himself master of history, civil government and universal geography.
HENRY GROSS.
In the outset of this enterprise, the writer intended to say as little as possible about the living, but to recall the past and present it to the reader in its true light. Having unavoidably touched a few of the living, it would wrong the harmony of the work did I not also mention another distinguished Tiffinite, who, by his genius and skill, has won for himself a national reputation.
Seneca county has not been slow in producing men of distinction in almost every department of life. Our farmers are celebrated for hav- ing made Seneca county the first "wheat county " in Ohio; our mechanics are equal, at least, to the best of them; our lawyers and doc- tors are men of note; the nation found a president as near to Seneca county as possible; we have furnished the state with two state treasur- ers, one governor, one lieutenant-governor and came within 29,000 votes of furnishing another; we have sent four of our citizens to con-
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gress and three colonels to the war, with a fair prospect of sending another; the United States sent one of our citizens to represent her in China, and Pere Hyacinthe married one of our fair daughters.
Henry Gross is the second son of Henry Gross, sen., mentioned in a former chapter. He was born July 21, 1813. When a boy he made. himself busy in his father's gun shop and learned the use of tools. As he grew up he formed a great taste for music and the fine arts, and while he acquired and mastered the gunsmith trade, became also an inventor. He secured a patent for a breech-loading rifle, and, in company with Mr. Ed. Gwynn, started a factory. In this, as in almost, all his busi ness undertakings, he allowed himself to be over-reached and proved to his friend that he was more of a genius than a financier. He secured many patents on ingenious steel and iron works, time-locks on safes, etc. While he was in the employ of the " Hall Safe and Lock Co.," in Cincinnati, for many years, he was sent for from very many places in the United States to open safes that by some accident had become fastened and nobody found to open them. Mr. Gross traveled many thousand miles on missions of that nature, and never failed in any case. He often astounded the by-standers in opening safes in a few minutes when others had worked for days. It is safe to say that there is not a safe made anywhere that Mr. Gross cannot open in a very short time without knowing anything about the combinations. Were it not for his high order of character and strict integrity, he would certainly be a dangerous man to run at large.
Of his latest and best invention, the papers are full of praise, and a copy of an article that appeared in the Southern Merchant of Novem- ber, 1879, is here added to show how Mr. Gross' genius is appreciated by other people, and not to have it said that William Lang runs wild with his love for old Seneca and his friends.
But here is the article:
In our occupation as journalists, recording the current events of the times -the affairs of governments and political movements, the evil doings of the criminal classes, the gyrations of society, the theatrical stellar attractions, the condition of the great manufacturing interests, the prospects of the growing crops, and the excitement in the great commercial marts, and the educational, religious, and asthetical interests, it sometimes becomes our duty as well as pleasure to sing the praises of the great geninses and thinkers who overcome the obstacles of nature and utilize her forces for the good, comfort and happiness of mankind- the men who have a keen appreciation of the disadvantages under which sorrowing hinnanity toil, and strive to attain happiness, and put forth their best energies to dissipate them.
As one of this illustrious band we take pleasure in classing Mr. Henry Gross, of Cincinnati, Ohio, with whom we had a delightful and instructive
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HENRY GROSS.
interview, learning of his achievements in the varions branches of the mechanic arts to which he has turned his attention and thoughts. Hisname is familiar to almost every banker throughout the country asa skilled expert and the inventor of the finest time and permutation locks extant, and they will no doubt be pleased to learn that he has again come to their aid, prom- ising them still further protection from the hands of lawlessness.
We have neither time nor space to record all the incidents of his eventful career. devoted as it has been to many fields of inventive researchi, but we wish to speak somewhat limitedly of his later achievements in the construc- tion of devices for the preservation of acenmulated wealth, the reward of industry, from the natural and human enemies which beset the possessor- we meau his improvements in the construction of those trusty safeguards of the merchant and bauker, the fire and burglar-proof safes and vaults. and the locks and bolt-work thereof.
Mr. Gross has had the most intimate and varied experience in the con- struction of safes and locks during the past ten years, and as an expert has been invariably successful in exposing the weaknesses of safes put upon the market by their makers with the false claims to security. As the result of this rich and varied experience, we are not therefore surprised that Mr. Gross has apparently reached the goal of excellence in this particular art, and we will take pleasure in speaking somewhat in detail of his various improvements.
First and foremost he exhibits a burglar-proof safe for bankers' use. the door of which is guarded when closed by the most simple and compart bolt work, so constructed that it presents a resistive strength to fracture equal to five times that of any system of train bolts now in use, and this bolt work, with the Jocks to guard it, is operated by a missive, invulnerable welded steel and iron dise, hung upon inner and outer bearings so truly and perfect- ly that it can be revolved like a top under the slightest pressure, while it is secured so strongly and closely in a corresponding opening in the body of the door that it would require tons of pressure or shock to remove it. The more immediate cause that developed the necessity of this new departure in safe construction lay in certain discoveries made by Mr. Gross in the course of his expert occupation of opening safes whose locks had become deranged or the combinations lost by carelessness.
He found by experimental test that the various spindles or arbors in com- mon use, by means of which the locks and bolt work were manipulated, could be successfully assailed, so that he seldom consumed more than two hours, and usually about half that time or less, in utterly destroying them and entering the safe. Feeling that such safes could not be conscientiously recommended to the public as burglar-proof, he devised the above described improvement, which entirely does away with the use of spindles or arbors, and with this disc arrangement the safe has then nothing passing through it, and the door and walls are solid alike. Mr. Gross stakes his professional reputation on the merits of this invention, which only requires to be seen to be appreciated ; its simplicity is apparent to everyone, and the practical man can readily see that the inventor has simply taken advantage of the best con- struction to seenre maximum strength in the materials used.
The locks employed to secure this safe are the result of much study, and
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HISTORY OF SENECA COUNTY.
are most admirably adapted to the purpose. The time movement and per- mutation tumblers are closely connected within a space of two inches square, and perform all the functions of the ordinary bulky time and combination locks of ten times the size, while possessing new features of convenience and security that will be readily appreciated by users. Mr. Gross also finally presents a fire-proof safe, of excellent design and calculated per maximum efficiency in the protection of its contents from fire.
All the inventions of Henry Gross. from his first " time lock," show the master's hand of genius, and now that he has practically demonstrated the excellence and invulnerability of the two last efforts of his skill. it is sin- cerely to be hoped that bankers, county treasurers, and those who use safes generally, will look at the merits of his make before they buy the produc- tions of mendacious manufacturers, whose main merits consist in the liberal use of printer's ink.
If Mr. Gross' executive and financial abilities were equal to his genius, he would have been a millionaire long since.
THE PRESS.
The various newspaper enterprises that were established in Tiffin from time to time, the incidents connected with them, the political views they advocated, the questions that agitated the public mind from time to time, and the greater or lesser lights that figured on the affirma- tive and negative sides of these questions, the results obtained by the elections and all that and more, would make a very interesting book, and it is hoped some Tiffinite will some day take up the subject and write up a volume.
A short history of these establishments in Tiffin, without comment, is all that is intended here.
The first newspaper published in the county was the Seneca Patriot, E. Brown, editor and proprietor. The little hand press upon which it was printed was procured from Mr. J. P. McArdle, who claimed for it that it was the first printing press brought to Ohio.
The first number was issued August 4th, 1832. Its motto was, " Con- stitutional Rights, Republican Institutions, and Union Forever."
The paper came out as circumstances would permit. Sometimes the editor was out of paper; sometimes out of ink. Public patronage was not very good, and the notices and work from the county officials formed the principal part of his support. The greatest trouble of all, however, was the triangular fight between the political parties. The Patriot was the only paper in the county, and Mr. Brown undertook to accommodate them all, and secure custom from each. He proposed, therefore, to devote a certain space of each paper to articles suitable to the ideas of each party, and headed them " Clay politics," "Jackson
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THE PRESS.
politics," " Wirt politics." For awhile he abstained from taking any part and remained neutral, but the Whigs blamed him with partiality, sent in one communication after another, and he bore up with wonder- ful courage for a while. Finally the thing got so pressing, and the anti-Masons so boisterous, that Mr. Brown lost all power of endur- ance, and finally, on the 27th of October, 1832, he came out in an edi- torial to declare his true position. He could stand it no longer. He complained of men of the three parties who were so unreasonable as to claim more than their share of the paper, and being refused, threatened to injure the paper, etc. He finally concluded by saying : "Should we be compelled to haul down our tri-colored flag, or to be more explicit, we shall undoubtedly hoist true American colors, and if we are driven from our position we shall assuredly declare for Andrew Jackson and the Democratic party."
Now the Whigs withdrew their patronage; Ebert and Mercer came out in an open card and refused to support the paper because it was no longer neutral. Brown had gone over to the Jackson men.
In the next issue the editor says: "From what has already trans- pired we are convinced we can never give satisfaction while we pursue the course first prescribed. Party feeling is so much excited in this place, that jealousies will arise, and unpleasant measures will be taken, however just our cause may be."
That settled it. Mr. Elisha Brown sometime after took sick and died at Cincinnati. His son, J. H. Brown, carried on the paper for a short time thereafter, and then sold the press and material to Mr. Alonzo Rawson.
Before proceeding further in the history of the press, let us record such evidence as can be secured to preserve the history of this old press, which is certainly very remarkable. It was brought to Washington. Pennsylvania, by a Mr. Colerick, prior to the year 1 800, from some place on the Atlantic coast. It was removed from Wash- ington to Wellsburg, Virginia, about the year 1820, by J. P. McArdle, who was a very polite and intelligent Scotchman, and lived with his family for a long time in Republic, where one of his sons, Ed. McArdle, still resides. Mr. J. P. McArdle moved this press to Mount Vernon, Ohio, where he published the Register in 1816, and the above date of 1820 must be erroneous. From Mount Vernon the press was removed to Clinton, and from there in 1827 to Norwalk. Here it became the property of the Messrs. Browns, who took it to Sandusky City and brought it from there to Tiffin in 1832.
The Seneca Advertiser, speaking of this old press one time, said:
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