USA > Ohio > Shelby County > History of Shelby County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 18
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98
Their homes were rude but the spirit of hospitality pervaded them, bring- ing to mind the beautiful words of Goldsmith's Traveller :
But they were men of thought, of enterprise, of resolution. Such traits of character were necessary to bring the young man of strong purpose, or the head of a family, to break up the old associations of life, and.dare the hardships and privations of a new settlement in the wild woods of the West. Of such qualities were the early pioneers of our noble state. They were the men of nerve, of intellect, and strength of purpose that led the way over the Alleghenies to the borders of our beautiful streams and teeming valleys. Nor were they ignorant or uncultured in the rudiments of a fair education. They had been brought up in a land of schools and churches, and brought with them their education and religion. The early settlers were worthy of the land, they were not Goths and Vandals seeking conquest but our own countrymen speaking our own Anglo-Saxon language. They came from Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Virginia and Pennsylvania. What a grand combination!
Well might General Washington in his eulogy upon our first settlement say, "No other colony in America was ever 'settled under such favorable circumstances as that which has just commenced upon the Ohio river. Infor- mation, property and strength will be its beginning."
165
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
ROSTER OF COUNTY OFFICIALS
Any apparent discrepancies in the length of terms of service of the differ- ent county officers are due to changes in the law affecting the same.
AUDITORS
David Henry, 1819-1821; James Wells, 1821-1824; David Henry, 1824- 1825: Thomas W. Ruckman, 1825-1833; William Murphy, 1833-1840; Sam- uel Croy, 1840-1844; Milton Bailey, 1844-1848; Andrew Waucoys, 1848- 1852; William Murphy, 1852-1856; Samuel Leekey, 1856-1862; E. M. Green, 1862-1868; Harvey Guthrie, 1868-1873; J. P. Forsythe, 1873-1875; O. O. Mathers, 1875-1880; H. S. Ailes, 1880-1886; J. K. Cummins, 1886-1892 ; J. S. Loughlin, 1892-1898: R. B. Dill, 1898-1904; J. C. Rosser, 1904-1907; H. T. Ruese, 1907 -.
TREASURERS
James Lenox, 1819-1820; Jonathan Beatty, 1820-1826; James Forsythe, 1826-1835; Elijah McGrew, 1835-1839; Richard Hathaway, 1839-1840; Benjamin Brandon appointed to succeed Hathaway, 1840-1841; William Murphy 1841-1853; John Duncan, 1853-1855; Milton Bailey, 1855-1855; Guy Relsey appointed to succeed Bailey, deceased, 1855-1857; John Duncan, 1857-1861; Daniel Bush. 1861-1865; Hubbard Hume, 1865-1869; A. J. Robertson, 1869-1873; Ferdinand Amann, 1873-1877; Joseph Loughlin, 1877- 1881; Peter Goffena, 1881-1885; William Kingseed, 1885-1889; Charles Timeus, 1889-1893: John Heiser. 1893-1897: Ben. B. Amann, 1897-1901; Oliver Staley, 1901-1905 : J. B. Trimpe, 1905-1909: Elmer Kiser, 1909 -.
SHERIFFS .
Daniel V. Dingman, 1819-1820; Thomas Ruckman, 1820-1825; Adam Hull, 1825-1829; A. Defrees, 1829-1831; A. D. Kennard, 1831-1837; Rich- ard Hathaway, 1837-1839: J. H. Kirkendall, 1839-1841; A. D. Kennard, 1841-1847; J. H. Kirkendall, 1847-1851 ; J. R. Francis, 1851-1853; J. C. Dry- den, 1853-1857 ; J. F. Skillen, 1857-1859: J. C. Dryden, 1859-1861; Matthew Ensey, 1861-1863; Benjamin McLean, 1863-1867; Isaac Harshbarger, 1867- 1871 ; Charles Eisenstein, 1871-1875: Alexander Ramsey, 1875-1879; H. M. Lehman, 1879-1883: L. M. Hussey, 1883-1887; G. E. Allinger, 1887-1889; Joseph Ratterman, 1889-1893 ; E. P. Ailes, 1893-1897; W. H. Fristoe, 1897- 1901; A. Braudewie. 1901-1905; D. J. Snow, 1905-1910; E. E. Gearhart, 1910 --.
RECORDERS
H. B. Foote, 1819-1824; August Richards, 1824-1825 ; James Wells, 1825- 1835: Amos D. Kennard, 1835-1838; James Wille, 1838-1844; William Skil- len, 1844-1856; James A. Irwin, 1856-1859; George L. Bush, 1859-1868; A. L. Marshall, 1868-1874; A. J. Rebstock, 1874-1880; Hudson Gartley,
166
HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
1880-1886; Louis Pfaadt, 1886-1892; Charles C. Johnson, 1892-1898; Frank Lucas, 1898-1904; William Wenger, 1904-1910; Hudson Flinn, 1910 ---
PROBATE JUDGES
Vincent Guerin, 1852-1854; W. W. Skillen, 1854-1860; N. R. Wyman, 1860-1869; John G. Stephenson, 1869-1875; W. C. Wyman, 1875-1881 ; David Bowersoc, 1881-1887; A. J. Rebstock, 1887-1893; John M. Staley, 1893-1899: E. L. Hoskins, 1899-1905; I. A. Eshman, 1905-1911; I. A. Esh- ina11, 1911 -.
PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS
Henry Bacon, 1819-1822 ; Harry Brown, 1822-1828; Robert Young, 1828- 1832; Patrick Goode, 1832-1834; D. G. Hull, 1834-1836; J. S. Updegraff, 1836-1840; W. J. Martin, 1840-1846; Jacob S. Conklin, 1846-1848; Edmund Smith, 1848-1850; Hugh Thompson, 1850-1854; John E. Cummins, 1854- 1856: Silas B. Walker, 1856-1858: Jacob S. Conklin, 1858-1862; John H. Mathers, 1862-1868; A. J. Rebstock, 1868-1870; N. R. Burres, 1870-1874; B. L. Martin, 1874-1880; Jacob S. Conklin, 1880-1883; George A. Marshall, 1883-1889: James E. Way. 1889-1895 : Joseph D. Barnes, 1895-1901 ; Harry Robison, 1901-1907 ; Charles Marshall, 1907-1911 ; Charles Hall, 1911 -.
CLERKS OF COURT
Harvey Foote, 1819-1826; James A. Wells, 1826-1839; James Wells, 1839-1847: Charles Wells. 1847-1849; S. B. Walker, 1849-1850; Jonathan Counts, 1850-1854: Samuel Cowan, 1854-1857 : Jonathan Counts, 1857-1860; James A. Irwin, 1860-1863 : James Harvey, 1863-1869 : H. H. Sprague, 1869- 1874: Dennis Mulvihill, 1874-1880; Frank Hunter, 1880-1886; Jolin Hussey, 1886-1892; Hugh Dorrley, 1892-1899; McVay Lindslay, 1899-1904: John Duncan, 1904-1911 ; Fred Counts, 19II -.
SURVEYORS
Benjamin S. Cox. 1819-1822; Joseph Stewart, 1822-1825: Daniel Hop- kins, 1825-1828; N. F. Broderick, 1828-1834; B. K. Brandon, 1834-1837; Jonathan Counts, 1837-1840 ; J. A. Wells, 1840-1841 ; Jonathan Counts, 1841- 1850: Harrison Maltby, 1850-1853; W. J. Sherman, 1853-1865 ; D. W. Pam- pel. 1865-1871; A. M. Weaver, 1871-1877; C. H. Flinn, 1877-1883; Philip Ratterman, 1883-1889: Charles Counts, 1889-1895 : James E. House, 1895- 1901 : Charles Counts, 1901-1907 ; Walter Looker -.
STATE REPRESENTATIVES
James Miles, 1820-1821: Jacob Miller, 1821-1822; James Miles, 1822- 1823: James Riley, 1823-1824: John McCorkle, 1824-1825: James Fergus, 1825-1827 : William Fielding, 1827-1828: John McCorkle, 1828-1829; William Barber, 1829-1832; Amos Perry, 1832-1833: Patrick Goode, 1833-1835;
167
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
Stacy Taylor. 1835-1837; James Cook, 1837-1838; Robert Skinner, 1838- 1839; Edmund Fisher, 1839-1840; Hiram Bell, 1840-1841; Isaac N. Gard, 1841-1842; Jacob Counts, 1842-1843; James Bryson, 1843-1844; Isaac Hos- tetter, 1844-1845; Ezekiel Thomas, 1845-1846; John S. Purviance, 1846- 1847; Jacob S. Conklin, 1847-1848; Luther Montfort, 1848-1849; George Ward, 1849-1850; John Lenox, 1850-1852; R. C. Poland, 1852-1854; Levi Houston, 1854-1856: W. V. Cowan, 1856-1858; Hugh Thompson, 1858- 1860; A. E. Cary, 1860-1862 ; Charles T. Wells, 1862-1864; William Fielding, 1864-1866; Benjamin F. Lefevre, 1866-1868; William Fielding, 1868-1870; John McVay, 1870-1872; Jonathan Counts, 1872-1874; E. M. Green, 1874- 1876; J. M. Carson, 1876-1878; Hubbard Hume, 1878-1882; E. M. Green, 1882-1884; Phannel Hunt, 1884-1888; Jachomeyer Counts, 1888-1892; H. N. Harshbarger, 1892-1896; C. R. Hess. 1896-1900; W. E. Partington, 1900- 1904; Cliff McGinnis, 1904-1909; Charles Wyman, 1909-1913.
STATE SENATORS
William Henderson, 1820-1821 ; Walter Buell, 1821-1822; Thomas Fur- nas, 1822-1824; Robert Young, 1824-1826; D. M. Workman, 1826-1828; William Fielding, 1828-1830; John Shelby, 1830-1832 ; Robert Young, 1832- 1833; James Johnston, 1833-1835; John E. Hunt, 1835-1837; Curtis Bates, 1837-1839; John E. Hunt, 1839-1841 ; William J. Thomas, 1841-1842; Joseph S. Updegraff, 1842-1844; John O'Farral, 1844-1846; William Wilson, 1846- 1848; J. S. Conklin, 1848-1850; James H. Hart, 1850-1852; Rankin Walkup, 1852-1854; John McClure, 1854-1856; William H. Lawder, 1856-1858; Isaac N. Gard, 1858-1860; Hardesty Walker, 1860-1862; William McClung, 1862- 1864; Jonathan Cranor, 1864-1866; John E. Cummins, 1866-1868; John L. Winner, 1868-1872; John W. Morris, 1872-1876; N. R. Burress, 1876-1878; J. M. Carson, 1878-1880; George Moore, 1880-1882; Jennison Hall, 1882- 1884; A. C. Cable, 1884-1886; Curtis A. Cole, 1886-1888; A. J. Robertson, 1888-1891; H. W. Thompson, 1891-1891; J. O. Amos, 1891-1892; T. A. Burns, 1892-1894; McPherson Brown, 1894-1898: George S. Long, 1898- 1902; Orla Harrison, 1902-1906; J. E. Russell, 1906-1909; H. L. Yount, 1909-1913.
COMMISSIONERS
Robert McClure, 1819: William Berry, 1819; John Wilson, 1819; David Henry, 1820-1823: Joseph Millinger, 1821-1830; John Wilson, 1822-1825; John Lenox. 1823-1826; John Hathaway, 1825-1831 ; Charles Johnson, 1825- 1827; Peter Musselman, 1827-1832; Samuel Marshall, 1828-1834; John Francis, 1830-1833 ; Samuel Gamble, 1832-1835 : Robert Houston, 1833-1836; John Houston, 1834-1837; A. K. Hathaway, 1835-1841 ; James G. Guthrie, 1836-1842; William N. Flinn, 1837-1845; Andrew Waucop, 1840-1843 : Har- vey Houston, 1841-1844; George Clancy, 1843-1846; Stephen Blanchard, 1844-1847; Jeremiah Layman, 1845-1851 : Richard C. Dill, 1846-1849: Sam- tel Marshall, 1847-1850: Joseph Mendershall, 1849-1858; John C. Elliott, 1850-1856; William Millinger, 1851-1854; Curtis Kelsey, 1854-1857; Cor-
168
HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
nelius Arbogast, 1856-1859; Isaac Short, 1857-1860; D. K. Gilleskie, 1858- 1864; Samuel E. Maxwell, 1871-1874; H. H. Dressman, 1860-1869; John C. Elliott, 1862-1865: E. Ludlum, 1864-1870; William L. Woolley, 1868-1871 ; William M. Baker, 1869-1875; M. J. Winget, 1870-1874; Samuel Maxwell, 1871-1874; John Walkup, 1873-1879; William Johnston, 1874-1880; John Hale. 1875-1878; W. R. Jackson, 1878-1881; John Linker, 1879-1885; C. Kingseed, 1880-1886; John E. Bush, 1881-1887; Jeremiah Miller, 1885-1892; Jacob Paul, 1887-1893; Thomas Hickey, 1888-1894; Frank H. Turner, 1892- 1895; George Cleckner, 1893- 1899; Martin Quinilisk, 1894-1900; John P. Brown, 1895-1898; William C. Baker, 1898-1904: B. J. Wuetker, 1899-1905 ; T. M. Hussey, 1900-1906: J. H. Peltier, 1904-1910; John Lochard, 1905- 1911; Alex Fisher, 1906-1911; John Sherman, 1910 -; Charles Windle, 1911 -; John C. Stangel, 1911 -.
The reports of the clerk of court for the year ending June 31, 1912, show business transacted as follows:
Total fines collected, $315.00.
Number of cases pending July 1, 1911 ; common pleas court, 67; circuit court, 3.
Number of cases filed during year: common pleas court, 190; circuit court, 9.
Cases disposed of : 171, common pleas court ; 5, circuit court.
Number of cases carried up to circuit court, 9.
Number of cases pending June 30, 1912 : common pleas court, 77; circuit court, 7.
Divorces brought during the year ending June 30, 1912, 25; pending July 1, 1911, II ; number decided during the year, 24; number still pending, 12; cases brought by the wife, 26; by the husband, IO.
Coroner's inquest filed on II cases during the year : 9 males, white ; 2 females, white.
There have been 8237 civil cases filed in the common pleas court since the organization of the county in 1819; 2320 criminal cases, 6365 cases brought up from justices courts and 302 cases filed in the circuit court.
The report from the recorder's office for the year ending June 30, 1912, gave agricultural lands, deeds recorded, 166, with a valuation of $721,723.24, at an average price per acre of $60.68.
Deeds recorded of city, town and village lots, 376, at a consideration of $313,142.24. Total deeds recorded for the county, 678.
The number of mortgages recorded of agricultural lands, 208, on 15,630 acres, with a consideration of $526,807.00. The number of mortgages recorded on city, town or village lots, 324, consideration, $217,671.96.
Mortgages cancelled on agricultural lands, 264, consideration $357,999.42 ; on city, town and village, 198, consideration, $138,912.52.
The report from the probate judges' office for the year ending March 31, 1912, shows 198 marriages for the year: 183 by license, 15 by bans. Six
169
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
persons were sent to insane asylums, 5 male, I female. Forty-six wills admit- ted to probate; 30 letters testamentary, 24 letters of administration. About 20 cases considered by the juvenile court; all but two held as wards by the judge who keeps a watchful eye on his charges. One boy sent to the Boys Industrial School, one to the Reform Farm.
Population of Shelby county for each decade beginning with the fourth decennial census.
1820 1830
1840
1850 1860
1870
1880
1890 1900
19IO
2,106 3.671
12,154 13,958 17,493 20,748 24,137 24,707 24,625 24,663
POPULATION BY TOWNSHIPS, INCLUDING VILLAGES
Townships
1870
1880
1890
1900
1910
Clinton
3591
4618
5776
6837
8015
Cynthian
I597
1835
1605
I402
1251
Dinsmore
1700
2257
2212
1941
2084
Franklin
889
999
1232
1062
936
Green
1254
1447
I221
1061
961
Jackson
1461
1852
1794
2085
1978
Loramie
.1707
I730
1628
1 528
1464
McLean
I309
1545
1658
1615
1640
Orange
951
984
IO12
935
877
Perry
I 208
12.12
II34
1060
977
Salem
I428
1576
I 569
1427
1181
Turtle Creek
I230
I359
1314
1163
1032
Van Buren
1381
1647
1621
1676
1470
Washington
1092
1046
931
833
797
Per
Urban territory, Sidney, population 1900, 5,688, for 1910, 6,607. cent of increase, 16.2.
Rural territory, remainder of country, population 1900, 18,937, for 1910, 18,056. Per cent of increase, 4.7.
The auditor's report for year ending August 31, 1911, shows the enumera- tion of school youth of the country to be 7.248, 3,694 male. 3,554 female. There are 1, 160 between the ages of 6 and 8, 2,921 between 8 and 14, 1,07I between 14 and 16, and 2,096 between 16 and 21.
Tax vaulation of taxable school property, $37,000,000. Received from state common school fund, $14,150; from other funds $4,482.25.
Amount levied in county for school purposes, $107,650.30; received from other sources, $6,253.65; total receipts, $132,545.20.
Amount paid teachers, $84,015.38; total expenditures made for school purposes. $132,576.38.
PERSONAL PROPERTY VALUATION
The following figures were taken from the abstract of personal property in Shelby county on file at the auditor's office, as returned by the different asses- sors for the year 1912: Horses, 10, 144, value, $1, 153,387: cattle. 14,425.
170
HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
value, $331,323; mules, 230, value, $25,325; sheep, 6,501, value, $23,550; hogs, 21,134, value, $140,880; automobiles, 391, value, $115,775; watches, 688, value, $8,340 ; pianos and organs, 987, value, $75,995 ; merchants' stock, value $506,330 ; value listed as banks, broker or stock jobber, $600; manufac- turers' stock, value, $581,085 ; value of moneys in possession or on deposit subject to order, $1,282,926: value of credits deducting debts, $628,217 ; value of money invested in stock and bonds, etc., $4,410; average value of property converted into non taxable securities, $3,000; dogs at assessed value, 8, value, $225; money in banks, $347,800; steam railroads, value, $2,328,100; electric railroads, value $523,780; total value of all taxable property, except dog tax, $9,234,540 ; number of male dogs, 2,159, female, 97 ; bonds exempt from tax- ation, $438,170.
CHAPTER VII
SIDNEY, THE COUNTY SEAT
Name of Sidney-Early Settlers-Sidney Made County Seat-First Houses and Roads-Jail and Court House-Benefit of the Canal-Sidney's Growth -Mayors-Police and Fire Departments-Commercial Club-Cemeteries -Wagner Conservatories, etc.
SIDNEY, THE COUNTY SEAT
Sidney, as stated in the preceding chapter, was named in honor of Sir Philip Sidney, and the land on which the city now stands, was a farm owned by Charles Starrett, who donated some fifty acres to be platted into lots in consideration of the county seat being located at this point. Whether there were at that time any houses on the plat is not known, but within a few years after the settlement of the county seat, a number had been builded.
Between 1805 and 1810 the families of James Thatcher, John Wilson, James Cannon, Samuel Marshall, Joseph Mellinger, Cephas Carey, and the McClures came to Shelby county as permanent settlers. Sidney was incor- porated as a village in 1820, as a town in 1834, and received its present char- ter in 1897. The town was laid out on the farm of Charles Sterrett who donated seventy acres to be platted into lots in consideration of the county seat being located at this point, and that he receive one-half the proceeds from the sales of the lots. A copy of the provision is here reproduced and it seems to have been a good business proposition for the donor as the land was used for a cornfield and could be bought for eight dollars an acre, and he received more than $3,000 from the sale of lots.
I, the undersigned subscriber, proprietor of fraction No. 36, in town- ship 8, range 6, east of the meridian line, and on the west bank of the Miami river, do make a donation to the commissioners of Shelby county of seventy acres of land, for the use and benefit of said county, on any part of the above named tract of land that the commissioners appointed by the legisla- ture see proper to locate the seat of justice for said county, provided the com- missioners for fixing the said seat of justice see proper to fix said seat perma- nently in said fraction provided that I do receive one-half of the proceeds of the sales of the lots after the said county commissioners locate, lay off, and sell the lots which may be laid off on said donation.
This was signed September 24, 1819, and some reserves made December 14, 1819, which are here given :
171
172
HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
I. the said Charles Sterrett, do make the following reserves out of the sev. enty acres proposed to the commissioners for the seat of justice for the county of Shelby, to-wit : One acre for the public square, two half acres for two dif- ferent denominations of religious societies for graveyards, and one acre for use of schools.
The sum of $690 was also subscribed by citizens to secure the county seat among whom were Musselman, Johnson, Defrees and Puckman and the glory of Hardin departed when Sidney became the county seat. The town was named for Sir Philip Sidney an English knight.
Abraham Cannon's log cabin on Sterrett's run was used for a court house till one could be built which was done in 1822. The first frame house was built in 1820 by John Blake, with English and Montaney contractors, on the site of Thedieck's store and was later bought by John Carey and changed to the National Hotel where board could be secured at $1.25 a week.
It occupied this lot until 1882, and was used as a hotel, a store, and a meat Citizens Bank now stands, . The Sterrett homestead still stands on Walnut market. The first brick building was erected about 1830 and stood where the street at the west end of South just south of Klepstine's lumber yard.
There was said to have been a swamp four feet deep on the east side of the square. Roads were built from Piqua to Wapakoneta; Troy to Dingmans- burg ; Dingmansburg to Wapakoneta, and the Piqua-Wapakoneta road to Har- din and St. Marys, a road from Hardin to the State Road and many others. After all of these improvements in 1825. the books showed $128 in favor of the county.
An old road ran diagonally across the square, northeast to southwest, till the brick court house was built. A log jail stood on the southeast corner which was burned in 1839 when a brick one was erected on the southwest cor- ner which stood until the seventies. A market house partly filled Poplar.street between Fry's and Taylor's corners. The only school house, though there were private schools, prior to 1857 when the Central school building was erected, was that in a log cabin on a lot given by Sterrett afterwards called the old Schwerer property. The Monumental building was constructed in 1875 on the site formerly occupied by the Farmers' Hotel. The present court house was built in 1881. The town was dark at night in these early days except when the moon shone. There were neither gas nor oil lamps. Most of the people used tallow candles, lard oil or camphene in their homes. There were no matches ; tinder, flint and steel being used to obtain a light. The married women wore caps and all women carried "reticules" which were sometimes adorned with cucumber or muskmelon seeds to "set them off." Every Satur- day night the young men greased their shoes with tallow to look well for Sun- day. When they needed blacking, soot was taken from the under side of the kettle and mixed with water for the purpose. Such an article as a cooking stove was unknown in early Sidney, the wide chimneys affording sufficient space for all cooking purposes. Time was kept without a clock and they were as regular in their habits as we.
173
AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS
The coming of the canal and the railroad to Sidney were events of supreme importance. The former was finished to the town in 1837 and put her in touch with the outside world.
About this time produce in Sidney was commanding the following prices : Flour, per barrel, $2.62 : wheat 371/2 cents ; bacon, per pound, 31/2 cents ; chick- ens, per dozen, 50 cents : eggs, 3 cents; butter, 614 cents; sugar, 61/4 cents ; tallow, 614 cents. In a short time the canal was found inadequate for the shipping of grain and the railroad was heralded as the only salvation for the people. In 1850 the C .. H. & D. began running through Sidney. Shortly after trains on the "Bee Line" as it was then called passed through Sidney from Cleveland to Indianapolis and it was then the town took on an air of importance for in the days of the canal Port Jefferson was the principal town of the county.
Sidney never had a phenomenal growth ; its advance has been healthy. In pioneer days it was a country town dependent upon the country for support. Sidney merchants have realized this and the past quarter of a century her pro- gressive business men are not only taking care of local trade but forging ahead. They have seen the necessity of manufacturing interests and today the varied products of the city's industries find a ready sale in all markets of the civilized world.
The total assessed valuation of all taxable property in Sidney for 1913 is $6,500,000 ; that of Sidney school district over $7.000,000, and of the county approximately $38,000,000.
The old landmarks are fast disappearing with all their sentiment which yielded to the commercial aggression of this hounding age and to the exigen- cies of business life.
In other chapters will be found mention of the banks, schools, churches, the press, and the several industries of the city. I realize that the present chapter does not fully cover the history of Sidney and Shelby county, but its salient features have been given with all the accuracy attainable and is thus submitted to the reader.
The old frame building which, up to 1882, occupied the lot on which Thedieck's store now stands, was one of the first business houses of any con- sequence erected in the village. The first brick building was erected about 1830 on the present site of the Citizens Bank. For some time the place grew slowly, almost the only considerable influx in the population being at the time that some construction work was undertaken, as the digging of the canal, and the building of the Big Four and the C. H. & D. railroads through the village. Though covering a short time, these were periods of great activity and when the work was finished many of those who had been employed, and who had come from other places, remained here and subsequently became some of the most successful mechanics and merchants of Sidney.
But though the growth of Sidney was slow, it was a healthy growth. The surrounding country, with its fertile fields, yielded bountiful harvests, and the village with its progressive merchants, became a popular trading point for miles around. During the last quarter of a century, however, Sidney's progressive
174
HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
men, no longer satisfied to depend entirely upon local trade, have recognized the value of manufacturing interests as a town builder, and have engaged in various lines of manufacturing industry, in general with gratifying success. An account of the principal industries of this nature may be found in a special chapter of this work. Other important interests and activities of the city may also be found under their appropriate heads in separate chapters of the volume.
THE OLD STONE BRIDGE
The old stone bridge over the canal on which many have "stood at mid- night" is doomed and before long will be but a recollection. No structure in this county has served its purpose so well. It was built in the latter part of the forties on honor when that commodity was fashionable, before the age of graft, at a cost of $2,800. This amount was deemed so extravagant by the people of the county that Samuel Marshall, then serving his first term as com- missioner, was not reelected on that account for he put the matter through. He builded better than the people knew or he himself, for there it has stood for over sixty years never crying to be done over again, nor to be repaired, nor clamored for a coat of paint. In spite of the fuss it made it was the best and cheapest structure the people ever paid for public use in the county.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.