History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 52

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1060

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with a view to settlement in or near Canton. or for business. Among those who came for bns- iness were Philip Kroft, with a stock of goods from Pittsburgh ; Hugh Cunningham, in the tinning business, with which he associated the selling of whisky to the Indians, contrary to law. on the corner of Market and Fifth streets ; John Shorb, with a stock of goods from Balti- more, consisting mainly of tobacco. tea, hard- ware implements. Jeather, some drugs, a small supply of cotton goods, such as - cross-bar " ginghams and a few pieces of calico, in one cor- ner of Leonard's new building. and George Kirkpatrick, who had a blacksmith-shop on the east end of the court house lot. Col. Thomas Gibson, John Nichols, Christian Palmer and John Harris were also about this time identi- fied with the interests of the town. Still other parties made investments, but went East again in the fall. with the intention of returning with their families early during the following year. Philip Kroft's building had but two rooms, the front one occupied by his family and the rear one containing his stock of goods; as there was only one outside door. customers had to pass through the family room into the store. HIngh Cunningham incurred the displeasure of the Indians, and shot himself for fear of falling into their hands. An account of his tragic fate has been given in the preceding chapter. John Shorb also brought his family. consisting of his wife and three children, with him. from Balti- more to Canton. He was a much-honored and highly respectable man : many of his descend- ants are still residents of Canton and the vicin- ity : others are scattered about in different parts of the country. We shall have more to say of Mr. Shorb later in this history of Can- ton. The winter of 1807- was a dreary one for the few residents of the town : there were no mails. no newspapers, and but very few books ; habits of living were changed and many comforts and even necessities, which they had in plenty in the old homes, were searce or on- tirely wanting : the bleak winds from the plains beyond the creek, with not a tree to break their force. came with their fury, penetrating houses and even clothing. and chilling to the blood ; and the only break to the alnost unbearable monotony was furnished by the coming together occasionally of the older settlers from the town- ships round about. and the relation of advent ures in hunting or in dealing with the Indians.

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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

The men, in this way, managed to get through the winter with tolerable composure, but, ac- cording to all accounts, the women, who were to a great extent debarred the comforts of any and every alleviation of their hard condition, became inconsolable and begged their husbands to return at once to their former homes. But the winter passed, and, with the coming of spring. many new arrivals soon cheered up the spirits of the most despondent. Of those who settled in Canton in 1808 and took an active interest in the prosperity of the town, we have the names of George Stidger. Samuel Coulter, Moses Andrews. John Sterling. Dr. Andrew Rappee, Philip Dewalt, James Drennan, Joseph Handlan. John Hunter, Daniel Fasher, and Alexander and John McConnell. Gen. Stidger, one of the most prominent of these, was nat- nrally fitted to become a leader of men in all movements of a publie character. He was a large, portly man, of commanding appearance, agreeable in his manners. attached to his friends, and ready always to do them a favor. but. when opposed, a formidable combatant. lle exerted a great and generally a good influ- ence in the community. Samuel Coulter, a staid Presbyterian. rented Leonard's new brick house and commenced keeping tavern, as the hotel business was then called, with the sign of the " Green Tree." John Sterling, a quick, bustling kind of a man, a sprightly talker, and one popular with the people, came from Wash- ington, Penn., bringing with him a stock of goods from Pittsburgh. He had before bought out Hugh Cunningham, and immediately took possession of the frame building, corner of Mar- ket and Fifth streets, with his family and stock of goods. Mrs. Sterling was a woman of heroic mold. and came with her husband carrying her two little daughters along on horseback Fan- nie (the elder, afterward Mrs. Binkley), and Eliza (a babe. afterward Mrs. Daniel Dewalt). one behind her on the horse. the other in her arms. A brick building was erected on this site in 1819. On the southwest corner of Mar- ket and Tuscarawas streets, now occupied by the First National Bank. a two-story log build- ing, built by John Shorb. had been purchased by Philip Dewalt, and he also commenced keep- ing tavern therein with the sign of the " Spread Eagle." This corner has. from this cireum- stance. always since been known as the Eagle corner, and the imposing brick block upon it

now goes by the name of the Eagle Block. Mr. Shorb removed to his farm immediately west of town and lived there until his death. The McConnell brothers were carpenters. and built a frame house on the east side of the square. Dr. Rappe. a German. and the first physician to locate in this county. after his ar- rival in this country, went first to Steuben- ville. Here he made the acquaintance of the Shorb family, and was shortly afterward mar- ried to Mr. Shorh's daughter. On coming to Canton, he erected a building on the southwest corner of the square. the cellar under it having been dug by an Indian squaw. For many years Dr. Rappe was the only doctor in town. Ilis practice, extending over a large area of country, was laborions but great and remuner- ative. He acquired considerable property, and accumulated more means by the legitimate prac- tice of his profession than any physician of C'an- ton has ever been able to do sinee. He was the proprietor of an eye salve. called " Rappe's Invaluable Eye Salve." that maintained a good reputation for its healing properties long after his death.

The boundary lines of Stark County were established February 13. 1808. In June, fol- lowing, the Commissioners of Columbiana County appointed Eli Baldwin and Elijah Wadsworth to fix the county seat. Nimishil- lentown soon backed out of the contest. and was soon lost to the geography of the county forever. The question was narrowed down to a choice between Osnaburg and Canton. Stren- nous efforts were made by the patrons and friends of both places. Osnaburg had the ad- vantage of containing, at this time. a larger population, and of having building material more abundant and more convenient than Can- ton.

James Leeper. the proprietor of Osnaburg, was quite a demonstrative talker, but of somewhat unsteady habits. The bleak winds from the plains were urged with much foree against Canton. But Bezaleel Wells, the pro- prietor of the latter place. a man of few words but of fine personal appearance. excellent rep- utation, impressive in what he did say by his earnest, honest language, a member of the con- vention that formed the first constitution of the State, and liberal in his offers to donate lots, by the sale of which much of the expense in erecting county buildings might be raised. more

CANTON TOWNSHIP.

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strongly impressed the members of the com- mission than Leeper. After a proper inspection of the ground, and hearing the arguments in favor of each place. Canton was chosen as the county seat. In January, 1809. the Legislature completed the action necessary to make Stark an independent county.

After the survey of lands in I808, west of the Tuscarawas River. a land office was estab- lished in Canton, with James Gibson as Regis- ter and John Sloane as Receiver. In January. 1-09. a post office was established here. and James Coulter was the first Postmaster. The mail was carried on horseback. once a week. from New Lisbon to Conton. At the time of the location of the town, and for some years afterward. a lake. covering some thirty acres of ground immediately adjoined it on the north- cast. It was supplied by Shriver's Run. from strong springs north of town. In many places this body of water was more than six feet deep. and. as it was abundantly supplied with fish. it was a great resort for the fishermen of the period. Shriver's Run was also the outlet of this water, but its course was a considerable distance west of the present run, which was changed to accommodate several tanneries in the east part of the town. At the edge of the lake stood a cottonwood tree, which. for nearly two generations, was the meeting-place of the boys when about to engage in their active out- door sports. The lake was drawn off. in pur- suaner of an act of the General Assembly. in 1416.

The first courts were held in the Eagle Tav- ern. kept by Philip Dewalt. and afterward they were held. in 1810. for a short time. in an up- per room at Coulter's. His cellar was used as : jail. The first criminal was that of a man convicted of larceny for stealing corn; he was sentenced by the court to ten days imprison ment in the cellar-jail. At this time whipping was vet considered a legitimate punishment for the commission of crime, and it is said that. in this case, the court hesitated between the usual infliction of " forty lashes save one." for such erimes, and imprisonment : but as it was in evi- dence that the man was moved to steal the corn on account of actual need in his family. the Court mercifully gave the sentence of im- prisonment. A refusal to pay debts was also in those days a crime, and a prominent citizen refusing to a pay a judgment for debt rendered

against him on the ground of its injustice. was put in jail until the matter was adjusted.

Roswell W. Mason. Canton's first resident lawyer, came here in 1510. lle purchased ton acres of Wells, immediately west of town, and built a two-story frame house just about where the beautiful residence of Mr. Jacob Milker now stands on West Tuscarawas street. so long and well-known as the property of Mr. Samuel Lalun. Law business however, was meager in this new country, and the prospects in the near future were not very, encouraging. Mr. Mason accordingly. after living here somewhat iso- lated for several years, removed to Warren. His house remaining unoccupied for some time. soon presented a forlorn appearance, and on account of the creaking of doors and windows was soon regarded with superstitious eye as a " haunted house " by many of the dwellers in Canton. A family by the name of Burchfield lived in it a short time, but were soon fright- oned away from it by the many strange and unusual noises which disturbed their sleep at night. The ghosts. however. were considerate enongh not to let themselves be seen. and were entirely exorcised some years later by Rev. James Morrow, who by his piety and a little necessary repairing. got rid of them all without much ado. Jerry Lind, who is still living. was engaged during this time in trapping muskrats along the banks of the West Creck, and he avers that the exaggerated reports about the haunted house made it difficult for him to keep his hat on his head when he was passing the house before daybreak in the morning. in going or returning from his traps. But Mr. Lind was no more fortunate in seeing the ghosts than others.

Il December. Is11. the sessions of the court were removed to the Stidger Tavern. newly erected. on the site of the present St. (loud Hotel : the upper story of a house near by. ocenpied by Daniel Faun, was rented for a jail. The second resident lawyer of Canton. Jeremiah Il Halleck, came here in 1812. but soon afterward removed to Steubenville. Ile, some years later. became President Judge of the circuit. and served with great acceptance in this capacity for fourteen years. Many yet living remember him well as a true gentleman. as well as an upright. conscientious Judge. Judge Halleck died in 1847.

William Reynolds was the first flerk of the

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Court in fact. although. until he reached his majority John Harris was nominally Clerk with Ravnolds as Deputy. Mr. Raynolds came here as a young man. and grew up with the town. He was a man of considerable informa- tion and of striet integrity, and exerted great influence in the earlier and somewhat later days of Canton, upon all who came in contact with him. He has the credit of having been in many things a kind of "Sir Oracle" among the people of this vicinity.

The first county jail located on a lot donated to the county by Mr. Wells, corner of Third and Market streets, was completed in the year 1814. The northern part, intended for the jail. was constructed of a double tier of hewed logs, with a partition dividing it into two cells, one for debtors and the other for criminals; cach of these had an entrance from the hall. with a heavy door of two-inch oak plank, covered with plate iron. The south part of this buikl- ing was intended as a residence for the Sheriff of the county. It was a frame. but both parts were weather-boarded together to give it the appearance of being a single structure. Seve- ral sessions of the court were held in the fam- ily part of this building just before the com- pletion of the old court house, on the north- west corner of the square and Tuscarawas street. This was built in 1816. at a cost of nearly $6.000. and was in its day quite a pre- tentious structure.

Among those who settled in Canton previous to the year 1812, were Winans Clark. William Fogle. James Hazlett. Jacob Sowers, James Leeds. Thomas Hurford and Samuel and John Patton. and each of these men exerted con- siderable influence, in his own way. in shaping the destiny of the town. Clark was a butcher, attentive to his business, and made money. He built the brick house on Market street, be- tween Fourth and Fifth. now owned by John R. Miller. He remained here only about ten ; years, and then removed to Arkansas. William Fogle was from Germany. l'pon bis arrival in the country. he first settled at a place called " The Glades." in Somerset County, Penn .. and engaged in the practice of medicine. From some dissatisfaction or other with his profes- - sion. he concluded to go West and change bis business. Ile stopped awhile at New Lisbon. but soon after came on to Canton. Ile pur- chased the lot now owned by Mr. Martin Wiki-

dal, northwest corner of Fifth and Market streets, upon which a small frame building had been previously erected. In this he opened a store, and, among other things, he kept on hand a general assortment of drugs, which, as a phy- sician, he had selected with a special view to the needs of this new country. Although known as a physician, he did not engage in general practice ; but, upon request, would fre- quently prescribe in cases of sickness, and, upon emergency, he woukl sometimes even visit a patient. Dr. Fogle, as he was familiarly called, was a successful merchant, and accumu- lated some property. He had, as he deserved. the confidence of the people, and, as a man of good judgment, and more than ordinary intel- ligenee, his counsel and advice were frequently songht by others. His great popularity is wit- nessed by the fact that he was for many years cashier of the " Farmers' Bank of Canton." that he was twice elected County Commissioner. and that he held and acceptably filled the office of County Treasurer for eight successive terms. He built the residence on the northwest side of the square where Mr. Wikidal resides ; but not satisfied that this building might not soon be eclipsed in Canton by some more elegant struct- ure. and himself taking great pride in a fine residence, he conceived the idea of building one so grand that no one in town would be able to excel it. He. therefore. engaged Abraham Doughenbaugh, a reputable carpenter with architectural taste. to design and superintend the construction of the colonnade structure on the hill on North Market street. still standing. which was erected without restrictions as to cost. It was, indeed, a noble structure. and honored the public pride of the projector. and the good taste of the architect. But - vanity of vanities " is written of all earthly works, and he who dreams to do what future generations. in a progressive age, will not surpass, has sim- ply the pleasure of his dream and nothing more. The well on this lot is the deepest in the city. being nearly ninety feet deep. While it was being walled. an old man by the name of Rutt- ner fell into it and was killed. The building originally had a platform on the roof of the main part, which gave a good outlook over the surrounding country. At the time of Bachtel's execution for murder, it was crowded with peo- ple eager to see the sight. The grounds around the building were tastefully laid out in walks.

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which afforded fine promenades, and, on this account, evening parties given by the family to the young people of Canton are yet remembered by some of our now older people as very enjoy- able occasions. Dr. Fogle died in 1847, aged eighty-seven years.

Cotemporary with Dr. Fogle, and, like him, engaged in the pursuit of merchandising, was James Hazlett. He came from Ireland while yet in his minority, first settled in Belmont County. Ohio, and, in 1811, came to Canton. Hle commenced business in a frame building on the southeast corner of the public square ; and, having been prosperous in business, he erected on the old site a two-story brick house, which, though materially changed. is still standing, and is now known as the Mckinley Block. Mr. Hazlett was much respected as a friend and neighbor ; in his younger years, in connec- tion with the store business, he was connected with other branches of business, among which may be named a tan-yard, corner of Seventh and Walnut, a forge or bloomary at Sparta, in Pike Township, and a furnace at North In- dustry ; but every one of these has " gone the way of all flesh," and are no more recognized in the land of the living. He was at an early day elected one of the Associate Judges of the County, and held the place until these unneces- sary appendages were done away with by our present State Constitution. An incident oc- curred in the heated " Log Cabin and Hard Cider " campaign of 1840, between tien. Har- rison, of Ohio, and Martin Van Buren, of New York, rival candidates for the high office of the President of the United States, in which, at the election. Mr. Hazlett's vote was challenged. lle had. at this time. exercised the privilege of an American voter for thirty years without challenge : he, of course, acted in good faith, and believed he had the right to vote, but, un- der the naturalization laws. his vote was rejected. His political friends were naturally indignant at the rejection of his vote; but he himself. with a keen sense of justice in the premises. and a high regard for the prerogatives of an American citizen, took no umbrage, and was only sorry that he had so long unwittingly vio- lated the law. Before the next election, with- out opposition from either party. his disability was removed.

The Patton Brothers, Samuel and John, were closely identified with the earlier days of Can

ton. Samuel kept a tavern stand in a frame building on the corner of Court and Tuscara- was streets. Several years later. he took charge of the Stidger House on the ground now occu- pied by the St. Cloud Hotel. Here he died. John was a teacher, and held school in a frame building on Market street, south of the old Oberly corner. lle is said to have been a man of fine personal appearance, and very popular among the ladies. lle afterward removed to Bolivar, Tuscarawas County, where he died some years ago.

Thomas Hurford, father of Alexander, still living among us, was born in Chester County, Penn., where he learned the milling business. lle worked for awhile in a mill belonging to Bazaleel Wells at Steubenville ; then rented the mill and ran it in his own name. During the time, he took a flat-boat loaded with flour to New Orleans, and, on this venture, cleared $2.500. With this money he came to Canton, and entered a quarter-section of land just south of the present city limits ; he was so closely identified with Canton from his social dispo- sition, and the frequency of his visits to town, that he was always considered as one of the early residents. He built the mill yet standing, but for many years no longer in active use, just southwest of Oak Grove. Though the sound of its grinding has for many years not been heard, it is still in the old place one of the remaining monitors of times long past and gone. Mr. Hurford was very fond of company. and particularly fond of discussions on religions matters. He, having been born and reared in Chester County. Penn., a region of country al- most entirely occupied by Quakers. the follow- ers of William Penn, the founder of the State of Pennsylvania, and in the very vicinity of Phil- adelphia, the City of Brotherly Love, was very naturally under Quaker influences in his carlier years. He tells his own story of the reasons which caused him to doff the habit of his religious faith and early training. Having been sent to Winchester. Va., at an early day, on business for his employers, he was assailed, while passing along one of the streets, by a cry from an upper window, as he sup- posed, " You're a Quaker," but looking up he could see no one from whom the insult ing language, as he construed it, had come. lle went on. but after a few steps, he heard the same ery repeated. Naturally indignant at

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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

what he considered an insult to his religion. he angrily turned round to discover the impudent assaulter, but no one was in sight on the street or at the windows. Several hours after this, as he was passing the same locality, came a third time the cry. " You're a Quaker." when. turning quickly. he discovered the guilty party to be a parrot exposed in a cage at an upper window. This trivial circumstance so much annoyed him. that he took off his Quaker dress imme- diately upon his return home, and never re- sumed it afterward. Upon such little things. sometimes, do the destinies of men and nations hang.

Jacob Sowers, grandfather of Perey Sowers, an attorney of the city of to-day. came in the year 1809. to Canton, from Maryland, and bought with him his two sons. Frederick and Eli. The old gentleman intended to make some investments in his own name, but not finding things in all respects to his taste, and. conclud- ing to defer the matter to some future time. ro- turned East, leaving his two sons here. Fred- erick was bound to George Cribs to learn the trade of a potter. lle liked neither his master. nor the trade. left without ceremony, and went back to his native State, where afterward he became a highly successful Baptist minister, but contracting a severe cold from immersing in the winter season. he died from the effects of it. Eli, the other son. was apprenticed to Alexander Cameron, to make of himself a prac- tical carpenter. Hle served ont his time. mar- ried a daughter of George Dunbar. and. for many years, carried on this business extensively and successfully, until. with the acquisition of a competency, advancing years admonished him to retire from active business. He was elected one of the Associate Judges of the county, and filled the position with credit for a number of years. The Judge often spoke of the great eclipse of 1811. when he. with others, was en- gaged in shingling the old Kaufmann House. corner of Ninth and Market streets. The sun gradually disappeared. darkness soon enveloped everything about them, and the men, one and all. precipitately abandoned the roof with the impression (bred of the want of knowledge and considerable superstition) that the world was coming to an end, or that some other dreadful calamity was immediately impending. The sun. however, soon brightened up again and the world still stands.

In these carlier days, and some of the later ones, people hereabouts, without fixing precise dates, would refer to things which happened before or after the war of 1812 with Great Brit- ain. Hence the references above given of those who were here before 1812. There were. of course, many others, who either made no record, or, following the Westward course of rule and civilization, have entirely passed away from the recollections of men.

Many of the pursuits of former times have passed away. and a few words touching the arts that the improvement of machinery or greater facilities elsewhere have destroyed. are in place In pioneer days, here as elsewhere. those pur- suits which minister to man's immediate com- forts and needs were the first ones started and longest continued. A young lady's outfit, in town as in country. then, always included a spinning-wheel and its accompanying reel. From the first settlement of the county. and for a couple of score of years thereafter. these articles were in great demand ; at one time. there were no less than three establishments in Canton engaged in their manufacture. those, namely, of Joseph landlin, Joseph Musser and Jacob Bacher. Handlin left first, Musser ran away with another man's wife, but Mr. Bucher continued in the business as long as there was anything to do, and amassed a very respecta- ble fortune, But the music of "the one- stringed piano." as some one has facetioushy called the spinning-wheel. no longer enlivens the dreary long winter nights, or the sultry late summer evenings. Tom Marshall, from Steu- benville, where he had previously engaged in the same business, started a nait factory and continued it for a few years. He heated his iron-plate in a forge, and out and headed the nails by machinery. His shop was on Tusea- rawas street, about where the parsonage of the First Methodist Church now stands. lle coukl and did make from fifteen to twenty pounds a day. which sold readily at 50 cents a pound Messrs. Webb. Tofler. Sehroggs. Sweeney and Albert carried on the hatting business at an

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History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 52

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey Number of Pages: 1060

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1060