USA > Ohio > Shelby County > History of Shelby County, Ohio, and representative citizens > Part 9
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"Since so soon I am done for, I wonder what I was begun for ;"
but everything has to have a beginning and Hardin, the peaceful hamlet on the Indian trail portage, between the Miami and Maumee rivers, was a suit- able place as a starter.
* Named for Col. Hardin, of Kentucky, who was killed by Indians there.
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
A permanent location for the county seat was sought and the general assembly of Ohio appointed Thomas Van Horn and James Steele to view the different sites and make a report. After an extensive looking-over of sites, they settled upon Sidney, five miles east of Hardin, on the beautiful Miami, and named in honor of Sir Philip Sidney. Their report was as follows :
To the Honorable the Court of Common Pleas of Shelby County.
The undersigned commissioners appointed by the legislature of Ohio at their last session, to fix on the most eligible site for the seat of justice for the county of Shelby, met at the town of Hardin, in said county, on the 22d inst., agreeable to appointment-previous notice having been given as the law directs, said notice being acknowledged and having been duly qualified -proceeded to examine the different sites pointed out by the inhabitants of said county ; and after traversing the county to ascertain the most proper place, have selected part of a fraction number 36 in township 8, range 6, west of the Great Miami river, belonging to Charles Sterrett; commencing at a creek or run of water southeastwardly of a house in said fraction, occupied by a Mr. Cannon, running east of north with the bank, and westwardly for the quantity of seventy acres, offered as a donation by the said Charles Ster- rett, as will appear by the inclosed bond, proposal, etc.
Signed, THOMAS B. VAN HORN, JAMES STEELE.
Dayton, September 26, 1819.
The donation referred to in this report is fully explained by the sub- joined article of agreement, made by Charles Sterrett, proprietor of the plat chosen as the site of the county seat :
I, the undersigned subscriber, proprietor of fraction No. 36, in township eight, range six, east of the meridian line, and on the west bank of the Great 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 legis- lature see proper to locate the seat of justice for said county ; provided the commissioners for fixing the said seat of justice see proper to fix said seat permanently in said fraction ; provided that I do receive one-half of the pro- ceeds 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.
September 24, 1819. CHARLES STERRETT.
N. B. I also bind myself to give the privilege of all the springs within the bounds of said fraction as above described, for the use of the town, and the privilege of conveyance to the town. C. S.
Reserve Clause
I, the said Charles Sterrett, do make the following reserves out of the seventy acres proposed to the commissioners for the seat of justice for the
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county of Shelby to wit: One acre for the public square; two half acres for two different denominations of religious societies; one acre for each of two different denominations of religious societies for graveyards ; and one acre for use of schools.
CHARLES STERRETT.
ROBERT MCCLURE,
JOHN WILSON.
W'M. BERRY, Commissioners.
In accordance with the provisions of the articles of donation, Charles Sterrett executed to the commissioners a bond in the sum of $3,000, dated September 25, 1819.
In consideration of securing the seat of justice at Sidney other donations than that of the proprietor were made by several citizens, who were favor- able to the project. These are exhibited by the following certified agreement :
We the undersigned bind ourselves to the county commissioners of Shelby county, to pay the several sums annexed to our names, provided the seat of justice for the county of Shelby is established on the above tract of land as described, and the conditions as above are complied with :
D. Henry $20 00
Win. Richardson
20 00
Peter Musselman, in plank 50 00
George Chiles, in plank
20 00
Wm. Robinson
10 00
Samuel Marrs, in carpenter work.
Francis Rorack, one barrel of whiskey.
Otho White
10 00
Charles Johnson
25 00
John Johnson
20 00
John Gilbert
10 00
Arch. Defrees
30 00
Thomas W. Ruckman, in sawing.
50 00
Isaac Parks
50 00
Benj. Brandon
50 00
Alex. McClintock 100 00
Edward Jackson 50 00
Mm. Marrs subscribes his big bull, price untoldl. 20 00
Rodham Talbott
George Pool
10 00
Wm. Johnston 50 00
John Lenox 75 00
State of Ohio, Shelby County, ss. December Term, 1819."
The court appoints David Henry director of the town of Sidney, to be laid off upon the ground selected by the commissioners, for the seat of
20 00
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
justice of Shelby county, who gave bond with Rodham Talbott, Edward Jackson, and Thomas W. Ruckman, his sureties, in the sum of $6,000. The court further order that the director proceed to lay off a town upon the premises aforesaid in lots of five rods by ten. in blocks of eight lots each, with alleys one rod in width, running through the center of each block at right angles with each other and with the streets; the alleys to divide the blocks into four equal parts. The streets be laid out six rods in width, and that a public square be laid out in said town by striking out the center block of lots.
That the director, as soon as the said town shall be laid out, shall, after giving one month's notice thereof, in six of the most public places in this county, and in the Gasette, printed in Dayton, shall proceed to sell at public sale one-third of said lots upon the following terms, to wit :
One-fourth in ninety days; one-fourth in nine months; and one-fourth in fifteen months, and the residue in two years; to be secured by a lien upon the lots, until the whole shall be paid: reserving one lot upon or adjacent to the public square, to be selected by the commissioners, for the purpose of erecting temporary buildings for the county.
I certify that the above is a true copy of the minutes of the court.
HARVEY B. FOOTE, Clerk.
In accordance with the instructions of the court, the director of the town procured the survey of the plat by Benjamin S. Cox, who, after making the survey, submitted the following report :
Survey of Sidney.
I do hereby certify that, being called on by David Henry, Esq., director of the town of Sidney, to survey said town plat, I executed the same under his directions, by running the exterior boundaries agreeably to the following courses and distance, to wit. :
Beginning at a stake-the northwest corner of said town-standing four rods due south of the northern boundary line of the fraction witnessed by a small white oak standing north - east, 7 links distant ; then south 5 east. 27 poles, to a stake in the cornfieldl; then south 85 west. 2612 poles, to a stake witnessed by two small buckeyes; one bearing due north, at 6 links distance ; the other south 4712 west, 6 links also; thence south 5 east. 108 poles, to a stake-the southwest corner of said town plat-witnessed by a large blue ash tree standing north 64° west, 8 poles and 161/2 links distant ; thence north 852 east, 80 poles, passing Abraham Cannon's house and corner- ing at a stake, the southeast corner of said town; said stake standing a few rods south of a run, and witnessed by a large blue ash standing south 5812 east, 181/2 links distant : thence north 5° west, 81 poles, to a stake at the upper end of the cornfield: thence north 85° east, 14'2 poles, to a stake standing 22 links north of a large beech, and 34 links east of a smaller one; thence north 5° west, 27 poles, to a stake having for witnesses a blue ash, standing north 68° east, 21 links and a small buckeye, south 55° west. 12 links distant :
VIEW SOUTH FROM WELLS HILL, SIDNEY, O.
SCENE IN WAGNER CONSERVATORY PARK, SIDNEY. O.
WAGNER PARK CONSERVATORIES, SIDNEY, O.
ENTRANCE TO CEMETERY, SIDNEY. O.
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thence north 853 east, 1314 poles, to a stake witnessed by a large white oak standing south 75° east, 4 links and a blue ash north 82° west, 17 links dis- tant ; thence north 5° west, 27 poles, to a stake-the northeast corner of said town-witnessed by a beech standing south 40° west, 271/2 links distant; thence south 85° west. 811/4 poles, to the beginning : containing by calcula- tion 70 acres and 2514 poles. The above courses were run for a supposed true meridian, and at right angles to the same; believing the true meridian, when running north, to be five degrees west of the magnetic one.
In testimony of which, and for the truth of the above certificate, I here- unto affix my signature, this 24th day of February, 1820.
BENJAMIN S. Cox, Surveyor.
State of Ohio, Shelby County, ss. :
Personally appeared before me, a justice of the peace for said county, the above-named Benjamin S. Cox, who qualified the above town plat of the town of Sidney to be a true survey made to the best of his ability.
Given under my hand and seal the 24th day of February, 1820.
[SEAL]
D. HENRY, J. P.
The next action was an order of sale directed by the court to David Henry, director of Sidney, and providing as follows :
State of Ohio, Shelby County, ss. Court of Common Pleas, April Term, 1820:
It is ordered by the court that the director of Sidney offer for sale at public vendue, giving one month's previous notice in six public places in the county and in the newspapers published at Troy, one-third of the lots now remaining unsold in Sidney, on the following terms, viz .: One-fourth of the purchase-money in hand; one-fourth in nine.months ; one-fourth in fifteen months; and the remaining fourth in two years; the purchaser giving bond and approved security for the payment of the last three instalments, and to receive from the director a certificate for the lot or lots purchased, stipulat- ing that a deed shall be executed on the completion of the payments ; and the director is further authorized to dispose of at private sale any lots remain- ing unsold at the public sale hereby ordered in the terms prescribed by this order.
I hereby certify that the above is a true and correct copy from the minutes of the court.
April 24, 1820.
HARVEY B. FOOTE, Clerk C. C. P. S. C.
The State of Ohio, Shelby County, ss. September Term, 1820.
The director of Sidney having represented to the court that certain lots in said town, ordered to be sold in December term last, have reverted to the county, in consequence of the failure of the purchasers to comply with the terms of sale, it is, therefore, ordered by the court that the director sell the said lots which have so reverted on the following terms, viz .: One-fourth of the purchase-money in hand; one-fourth thereof in nine months; one- fourth in fifteen months; and the remaining fourth part in two years from the day of sale. The purchaser giving bond and approved security for the
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
payment of the last three instalments, and to receive from the director a certificate for the lot or lots purchased, stipulating that a deed shall be executed to the purchaser, his heirs, or assigns, on the completion of the payments. The said sale to take place on the 6th instant, public notice having been given thereof heretofore in the newspapers printed at Piqua; and the director is further authorized to dispose of at private sale any of the said lots remaining unsold at the public sale hereby ordered in the terms prescribed by this order.
I hereby certify that the above is a true copy of the minutes in my office this sixth day of September, 1820.
H. B. FOOTE, Clerk, C. C. P. S. C.
To the director of the town of Sidney.
In pursuance of these instructions, the director offered the designated lots for sale; after which he submitted the subjoined statement in account with the county :
David Henry, Director of Sidney, in Account with Shelby County :
1820 Dr.
Cr.
March. June and September sales :
By receipts in bundle No. I $2,437 69
To.his receipts for moneys received for lots sold at
different times, and to different persons $3,094 25
By notes due. 538 961/4
To lot No. 57 .
25 00
To lot No. 68. 50 00
To lot No. 98. 23 691/2
To lot No. 104 25 00
To lot No. 77. 50 00
To lot No. 81
100 00
To lot No. 32.
IIO 00
To lot No. 53
36 50
To lot No. 93.
37 50
$3.551 94/2 Balance $3.560 07
$8 121/2
Conditions of a Supplemental Sale of Lots in the Town of Sidney.
The conditions of the sale of lots to be sold this day in Sidney, agree- able to an order of the court of common pleas for Shelby county, last term : Article ist. The highest bidder is to be the buyer.
Article 2d. The purchaser agrees to pay one-third of the purchase- money in hand; one other third part in six months; and the residue in one year from this date.
.Article 3d. On payment of the first third part, the purchaser will be entitled to a certificate, conditioned to make a deed, on completing the above payments, at the end of one year, as aforesaid: still it is fairly understood and agreed that if the purchaser, or his assigns, fails to make payment at the end of one year. as aforesaid, then the lots thus sold is to revert back to the county, and money paid to forfeit.
By lots 13, 88, and 91, forfeited 185 061/4
By accounts not due, Wm. Felding 60 00
E. Evans 137.50
B. Mapes 25 00
Daniel Hopkins 36 50
T. W. Ruckman 37 50
By orders
IOI 851/2
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Any person buying a lot, and not making the first payment on this day, shall forfeit ten per cent. for disappointment, and lose their bid.
June 1, 1820. DAVID HENRY, Director.
ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWNSHIPS
Four townships in Shelby county retained the name and area when a part of Miami county. They are Clinton, Turtle creek, Cynthian and Loramie.
Clinton, in which Sidney, the county seat, is situated, was reorganized by the commissioners in 1825. It is irregular in outline, being bounded on the south by the tortuous Miami river.
Turtle creek township, named after a creek which traverses it, was reor- ganized in 1825. The Big Four railway is its southern boundary. Its cen- ter is the hamlet of Hardin, the seat of Justice in 1819, one year, and named after Mr. Hardin, who was killed by the Indians.
Washington township was organized in 1825 under the name of Gray- son, but the name was soon changed. It was watered by the Loramie, Turtle creek and by the canal feeder. Its principal town is the village of Locking- ton through which runs the Western Ohio electric line.
Loramie township was reorganized in 1825. It was named after Lora- mie, the French trader, who had a store at the mouth of the creek at Lock- ington as early as 1752. It contains four villages-Mt. Jefferson, Houston, North Houston and Russia. The last two are Big Four railway stations. The principal streams arc the Loramie, the Nine-Mile run and the Miami and Erie canal.
Cynthian township was reorganized in 1825. Newport is the only vil- lage. Its streams are the Loramie, Lick run and Lawrence run and the Miami canal.
Orange township was organized in the year 1820 and is very fertile. It is bounded on the north by the Miami river. It has one village, Kirkwood, which is a station on the Dayton and Michigan railway.
Green township has two small villages, Palestine and Plattsville, which were laid out in the early thirties. The name of Palestine has been changed to Tawawa. It is watered by Mosquito creek and the Leatherwood.
Perry township was organized about 1824 and has a very productive soil. Pemberton, a small village, which is a station on the Big Four railway, seven miles east of Sidney, is its largest town. It is bounded on the north by the Miami river.
The township of Salem was stricken from Perry in 1826. Port Jeffer- son, a pretty village, and being at the head of the feeder, nine miles in length, of the Miami and Erie canal, had brilliant prospects before the day of rail- ways, but collapsed upon their advent. The Miami river runs through the town. The township has one other village, Maplewood, a station on the Lima and Northern railway.
Dinsmore township was organized in 1832 and the board of commission- ers ordered the election to be held in the house of Joseph Green on Christ- mas day. The township contains the village of Botkins and one-half of 5
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
Anna, both flourishing towns on the Cincinnati and Dayton railway. The water courses are the Loramie and Hull's creeks.
Jackson township was organized in 1833 and is one of the most fertile in the county. It contains the thriving village of Jackson Center, a railway station and the hamlet of Montra.
McLean township was organized in 1834. It has a large German element of excellent farmers who vote wet when local option is before the people. McLean is watered by the Loramie which heads in Dinsmore township and contains Loramie reservoir of 6,000 acres. Being on the summit it is a feeder to the Miami and Erie canal. It also contains Mile creek and Second run. The land is very fertile
Van Buren township was organized in 1834. Rumley was settled .by a colony of negroes but is now owned by white people. The land is very fertile and productive.
Franklin township was organized in 1835 and contains one-half of the village of Anna. The principal streams are Turtle creek and Plum creek.
COURT HOUSE AND JAIL
As soon as the first court of justice was established at Hardin in 1819 in an old block house it was evident that a provision must be made for a suitable building. As the county seat was removed to Sidney after one year the county commissioners held a session February 1, 1820, and action was taken for the erection of a court house and jail, the latter being necessary when the court found culprits guilty of criminal misdemeanors.
The following plans were adopted and recorded: The court house to be of frame. 24 by 30 feet, roofed with joint shingles, and weatherboarded : two doors through the middle of the first story: four eighteen-pane windows ; the story ten feet between floors: a place for two fireplaces six feet wide : second story eight feet high with six fifteen-light windows; window frames and doors underpinned with stone eighteen inches above the ground.
The jail was to be 16 by 18 feet, with two stories of seven feet between the floors, and to be built of timber 12 inches square, laid completely close.
The first and second floors to be made of square timber, laid close, the same as the wall: one window. 18 inches square in each story, well grated with iron bars: one door in each story sufficiently ironed and locked; third floor to be of hewed timber : roof of joint shingles ; a chimney at one end with a fireplace in each room.
These building contracts were ordered to be sold in Sidney on the 22d of February. On June 16, 1821, an additional contract was sold to John Snyder for $130.
On March 4. 1822, the commissioners convened at the new court house on Ohio avenue, west of the public square.
This building served its purpose until 1831, when, on June 22, the com- missioners met for the purpose of adopting 'a plan for a new court house. to be built in the center of the public square. The building was to be of
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brick 44 feet square and two stories high, and a belfry. The foundation was to be of stone, the lower story to have 16 windows of 15 lights each and the upper story 20 windows of 12 lights each, 12 by 16 inches in size. It was further ordered that the old court house be sold in May, 1832 and the pro- ceeds be applied to the new building. On July 25, 1831, the contract was let to Charles Bush, William Dock and George D. Leckey. The building was completed and accepted March 30, 1833.
The building, viewed in the light of the present day, as it was neither Ionic, Doric, Corinthian nor Composite, had all the artistic beauty of a store box, but it served for 50 years and the ablest legal arguments and most eloquent appeals and stirring political speeches ever made in Sidney were echoed from its walls.
THE NEW COURT HOUSE
For fifty years the squatty and inconvenient building in the public square had withstood storm and fire and flood and seemed to have a charmed hold on life unless human hands should remove the monstrosity which was devoid alike of beauty or utility.
At the April election in 1880 the question of building a new court house was submitted to the people of the county and resulted in a vote of 2,024 for it and 1,786 against the same. The old court house was then sold to the highest bidder, which was $295, he to remove the building by March 10, 1881.
On August 14, 1880, the board of commissioners, consisting of John E. Bush, Christian Kingseed and Jolin Linker entered into a contract with G. H. Maetzel. architect. of Columbus, to furnish plans, specifications, details and working designs for the contemplated building, Maetzel to have sole superintendency of the work and to see that all the materials used were according to specifications. Maetzel's compensation was to be five per cent of the cost, estimated at $140,000.
The original contracts for materials and work were let as follows: Cast and wrought iron work to H. P. Clough & Co., of Middleton, Ohio, for $30,050; brick work to Henry Gucker, $13.623; carpenter work to John Houser, $10,086.30; cut stone work to Wittenmeir Bros .. $35,500; tin, galvanized iron and slating to W. R. Kinnear & Co., $9,998; painting and glazing to Philip Knapf, $4,977: plastering and stucco work to Michael Hayes, $2,900; gas-piping to Andrew Shwartz, $330; plumbing, same, $998; drainage, samne, $392.
The building is located in the center of the public square, which was enlarged from its original donation of one acre, made by Charles Sterrett, to a little less than three acres. The site is a beautiful one, and is richly ornamented by forest trees, while delicate, flowering shrubs of many hardy varieties are massed around the walks, with the four sides of the building furnishing the background, thus making the situation for a public build- ing one of the best in the state.
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
The court house being centrally located in the square, fronts all the cardinal points, is substantially built, very commodious and elegantly finished and furnished. It is heated by air, conducted in pipes from the heating building in the rear of the jail, and is practically fireproof. The four cor- ners rise into towers, while the center tower, about 150 feet in height, looks down upon all other buildings within the city, there being no 55-story sky-scrapers within its limits. It is furnished with a clock which presents a dial on four faces. The contour of the public square was tineven as in a state of nature, requiring over 5,000 loads of dirt to make it perfectly level as it is to-day.
The celebration of July 4. 1881, was made more imposing in Sidney than ever before by the laying of the corner stone and brought a large crowd from the county and surrounding towns, though the death of Presi- dent Garfield cast a gloom over the occasion. No fewer than 5,000 people were present. The display of flags and bunting all over the city was very fine. The arrival of the train and band over the Big Four from Union City was met by Tappe's band and the band from Anna came. The hotels were crowded and a large number took dinner at the Methodist church. Orders of Knights of Pythias and Masons came from Lima, Bellefontaine and other points. They appointed their own marshals, but all were under the direction of Chief Marshal E. M. Green and his assistants, J. S. Laugh- lin, W. H. Taylor, E. E. Nutt, J. B. Edgar and H. M. Lehman, and the order of procession was as follows: The Anna band; county and city offi- cials in carriages ; pioneers and citizens in carriages; Martial band; Grand Army of the Republic: Piqua band; Knights of Pythias; Union City band; fire department ; Odd Fellows; Lima band; Shawnee and Coleman com- manderies ; Bellefontaine Lodge of Masons, with band; Tappe's band; and. Sidney Lodge of Masons No. 73, which included Stokes Lodge of Port Jefferson and Epler Lodge of Jackson Center. The grand marshal pro- claimed as follows: "By authority of the Most Worshipful Grand Master of Masons in the state of Ohio, and in obedience to his order, I do now command and require all persons here assembled, to preserve silence and to observe due order and decorum during the performance of the cere- monies of this occasion."
This was followed with prayer by Grand Chaplain Rev. O. Kennedy, and singing by the choir.
The following articles were deposited in a receptacle made in the corner- stone: A list of the present officers of the county; a copy of the Constitu- tion and By-laws, and a list of the present members and officers of Temper- ance Lodge No. 73, F. & A. Masons; a list of the officers and members of Stokes Lodge No. 305, F. & A. Masons; a list of the members of Summit Lodge No. 50, Knights of Pythias; and the name of the architect, and a list of the names of the contractors and workmen employed on the stone and brickwork of the new court house; a list of the members of Tappe's cornet band; a copy of the Shelby county Democrat ; a copy of the Sidney
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