History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 53

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

USA > Ohio > Stark County > History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio > Part 53

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early day and for many years, Hats, at that time. were made only of fur and wool, both kinds, a stiff hat with a high crown. When a man or a boy wanted a hat, he went to the hat- ter and had his head measured, and the hat, made over the measure, would be finished in a month or six weeks. It was not a great

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while, however, before the merchants began to bring on hats and shoes from the East. The hatters and shoemakers, of course. considered this an intrenchment upon their prerogative. and they made common cause against the mer- chants : but the oll fight of supply and de mand, and of the right to buy goods in any legitimate way, where they could be bought for the least money, won the day eventually ; the war ceased. the merchants had the trade, and the hatters and shoemakers were obliged to vield. The hatters finally left the field. and those of them who remained in town, went into other business. There have been as many as nine tanneries in different parts of Canton. mostly on or near Shriver's Run. and seven of the nine running at the same time : now there is none. The same might be said of the hat- ters, who. after the first fight with the mer- chants, were only known here by an occasional itinerant coming once in awhile. to brush up and renovate old hats; a year or two since. however. an old and experienced hatter from Philadelphia located in Canton, and though he does not pretend to cope with the older houses East or West, in making new hats, he has sue- ceded in establishing a good business in the renovating line. In the former days, there were Sterling's. Stidger's. Kroft's. Fogle's, Slus- ser's. Hazlett's. Christmas. Dobbs and Kim- ball's tanneries, the last seven at the same time. As this circumstance indicates there was a very nrgent demand for leather, so ur gent indeed, sometimes, that people would take it away before the leather had been fully and properly tanned. V. R. Kimball, who started his tannery in 1832. at the corner of Cherry and Third streets, where Alexander's woolen factory is now located, ground his bark by steam-power, and as his was the first steam engine ever seen in Canton, it was a great curi- osity. and attracted. for awhile, crowds of people eager to see this wonderful substitute of heat and water for horse-power. The engi- heer was named Albert Kugle, and the boys of the period considered him the greatest man in town. The stage driver. up to this time, was the man of most importance in the eyes of the boys, but he had to yield to Kugle. As game was then abundant, and every man and boy considered himself deficient in something essen tial to his manhood. if he had not a gun or did not know how to use one, and as emigrants

going further West brought this part of their outfit here, the demand for guns and rifles was sufficient to keep three shops running. Adam Kimmel. John Clark and Jacob Panner engaged in the business, and they all made money out of it. Associated with the regular gun busi- hess, Mr. F. A. Schneider. the pioneer hardware merchant of Canton, started and kept in opera- tion for some time, a gun-barrel factory on Fifth street, between Walnut and Cherry. The building was afterward diverted into other uses : it is still standing. but has been turned into a number of tenement houses. Among others of those who pursued in former years. what are now entirely or comparatively lost arts in Canton. George Faber, a man of decid- edly inventive turn of mind, and a good citi- zen. manufactured for several years all kinds of cards, such as wool-cards. horse-cards and the like.

Although a distinct portion of the history of Stark County will be devoted to the medical fraternity, in which all the pioneer physicians will receive full notice, we deem it due to the history of C'anton to revert briefly to the earlier doctors, who came here after Dr. Rappe, of whom, as the first one, a fuller notice has above been given. After him, the brothers John and Thomas Bonfield came and practiced in this eity and neighborhood. Dr. John came first. and. though a man of decided ability, was somewhat odd in his manners and dress, and had a penchant for hokling some public office, an ambition, however, which he was never able to gratify. Dr. Thomas S. came shortly after. and was in nearly every respect totally unlike his brother : he was a popular practitioner. a zealous member of the Methodist Church and a noted skater. After these came Dr. Thomas Hartford. who first engaged in the practice of his profession and afterward in merchandising. Highly successful in both callings. he amassed considerable wealth, which by his will. after making liberal provision for his widow during her lifetime. he begneathed as a perpetual poor fund to the city of Canton. Dr. Hartford re- moved to Pittsburgh in 1832. and lived there in case and comfort all the balance of his days. Dr. James Jerow was the fifth physician, a good practitioner, but a very decided and somewhat arbitrary man He died in 1825. of a malig- nant fever. Dr. George Breyscener, the next. came from Germany, and settled in Canton in

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1819. He was reputed a good physician and a very successful hunter. Drs. Gardner and Sim- mons eame here in or about 1820. The former died in Canton. The latter, about the year 1830, removed to Cincinnati, and afterward to St. Louis, where he died only a few years ago. Many of these okler settlers have left histor- ical reminiscenees highly interesting and in- structive. We will give a few of these which we deem of especial interest. John Shorb, who came here in 1807, was a native of Zweibruecken, in Germany, and when yet quite young, he came and settled in Baltimore, where he mar- ried Catharine Gross, a sister of Mrs. Andrew Meyer, from Neiderbronn, Elsass. Mr. Shorb had pursued different branches of business in Baltimore, and had made some money before he came to Canton. He kept store a few years, first in Leonard's building, and afterward in his own building. Giving up the store to his son John, he removed to his farm just northwest of the old city limits, now, however, nearly all within the city. When he went East in after years to buy goods. he invariably made the trip on horseback, accompanied at different times by his wife, a feat of horsemanship that but few women of the present day would dare to attempt. In 1815, he became President of the first bank in the town, called " The Farmers' Bank of Canton." He did considerable busi- ness also in real estate. He took an active part in public affairs, and was always ready to give a helping hand to his neighbors. An example will perhaps give some insight into this part of his character. It was customary in the early times for sea captains to bring over emigrants destitute of means. and. in order to pay their passage and expenses, to sell them out to serv- ice for a number of years. Sometimes whole families were thus sold out into this condition of white slavery. A Swiss, by the name of Imhoff, was one of this kind of emigrants. He eame from Basle, and was a tailor by trade. He was sold to one of these " dealers in human flesh," who was instinctively a tyrant. Soon finding his condition unbearable. Imhoff took the first favorable chance, as many others in like positions did, and ran away. taking his fam- ily along with him. With other parties going West, he came first to Plain Township, and then to Canton. He had been pursued, and on the day of his arrival here, he was caught by his pursuers, together with his family. and they were

in danger of being taken back to their slavery, and to suffer the punishment of whipping for running away. They were almost exhausted with weariness and the want of sustaining food. and the terrible fate awaiting them if they should be taken back to Philadelphia becoming known, many of the then residents of the town took compassion on them. and one of them, John Shorb. being in good circumstances offered to buy their freedom. The pursuers were at first unwilling to make any terms for the release of Imhoff and family, but they were soon brought to terms by the loud mutterings of the anger of the people, and the threats of lynch law if they did not quickly accept their money and leave. One who vouches for the truth of this transaction said : " The scoundrels took themselves off mighty quick when they heard of hanging." Shorb was a zealous member of the Roman Catholic Church. and one of the founders of the first congregation in Canton. Hle was injured while giving a helping hand in the erection of the old Catholic Church corner of North aud Poplar streets. and on the 24th of July, 1824, he died from his injuries, at the age of sixty-five years.

Philip Dewalt was also one of the noteworthy pioneers of Canton, and came here in 1808. His parents came from Germany to America in the year 1761, and Philip was born on the vessel during the voyage over the ocean. The family went first to Hanover. York Co., Penn., next to Center County, and finally, to Stark County in 1808. The parents lived to great old age ; the father, also named Philip, died at the age of one hundred and five years, and the mother at one hundred. Both were buried in the old graveyard on Plum street in Canton. The subject of our sketeh first engaged in making - small beer " and " pepper cakes," but in the winter following. commenced keep- ing the " Spread Eagle " tavern ; he did a good business. From 1809 to 1912, large numbers of people from the East came to look up and locate lands, and Mr. Dewalt had often as many as twenty guests passing the night with him. His son. Daniel Dewalt. now over eighty years old. still resides here and knows more about the early settlement of Canton. from his own knowledge. than any other citizen. At the end of twenty years, Philip Dewalt sold the Eagle Hotel to his oldest son. George, and built another tavern stand on the northeast

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corner of Tuscarawas and Plum streets. Ite died in 1844. aged eighty-three years. Ilis wife Eva was called home some seventeen years before at the age of sixty-four years. They had a family of seven children, five sons and two daughters, of whom " Old Unele Dan," tol- erably hale and hearty, alone survives, one of the last links connecting the primitive age of Canton with the present. A history of Canton would be very incomplete without a more ex- tended notice of " Uncle Dan." In the spring of 1809, he went to school to a Mr. George Geisweil, northeast of the present fair grounds, and received instruction in reading, writing and arithmetic, both in English and German. The tuition in this school was 50 cents per month One Andrew Johnson, taught the first English school in Canton, in a log schoolhouse, erected in 1807 on the lot now occupied by the court house. Daniel Dewalt made fair progress in school, and afterward helped his father in the tavern. Hle attended to the horses in the sta- ble and blacked boots for the guests, sometimes assisted by his mother, and frequently did not get done with his work until after 1 o'clock in the morning. Hle, however, pocketed all the cash paid for this service himself, and often drove a profitable trade. He took to horses naturally when quite young, and while yet a boy did some sharp trading, as early as the year 1812. when the last war with Great Britain broke out. About this time he owned, in his own name, a flock of sixty sheep. which found good and abundant subsistence on the rich plains near Canton. One day a farmer came to the Eagle Tavern, with a tolerably good horse, which he wanted to exchange for sheep. Daniel gave him four sheep and took the horse, A few days after, his father sent him on busi- ness to New Philadelphia, and he. of course, took his horse along with him. On the way he saw a very beautiful, dark chestnut horse. which took his fancy, and he traded his own horse and a gold watch, worth $30 or 840, for him. When he came home on his noble charger. he was a wonder to his father and all the peo- ple at the hotel. lle traded this horse again a few days later to the soldiers, at that time en- camped on the court house lot, receiving in exchange two other horses and $75 in money : one of these he sold soon afterward for $100. lle, some years later, learned watch-making and jewelry business, but not finding this his

particular forte, he has spent the greater part of his life in trading. Ile was generally suc- cessful in his ventures. In the summer of 1809, there was a great scarcity in horse feed in this neighborhood, and to meet the urgent demand, Philip Dewalt sent to New Lisbon, a distance of thirty-three miles. His two dangh- ters, Mary and Nancy, aged respectively twelve and fourteen years, made the journey in two days. They rode horseback and leading other horses by the bridle, brought three sacks of oats on each horse. Those days developed hearty and brave women, as well as hardy and daring men, women who were in every respect helpmeets to their husbands in town and country.

Before proceeding to other early reminis- cences it will be well to give a resume of the early settlers which, from a paper published a number of years since, we find ready to our hands, as follows, viz .: " The first white settler, not only in Canton but in Stark County, was James Leonard, who came here in 1805. The first white child was born a couple of miles north of Canton, on the Spangler farm, and was a daughter born to llugh Cunningham, who. however, lived but a short time. The first mar- riage was that of James F. Leonard with Sarah Barber, in 1806. Leonard built the same year the first brick house, on the old Oberly corner. The first death was that of James Culbertson. in October, 1805. The first grist-mill was erected by Philip Stusser in 1807. The first saw-mill was set up the same year on the pres- ent site of Trump's Mill. The first tavern was started by Garret Crusen, on Market street, be- tween Fourth and Fifth streets, in a log house. The first well in town was dug on this lot. The first store was opened by Abraham Kroft, cor- ner of Market and Fifth streets, in 1807. The first blacksmith who did work here was John Bower, who built his shop and commenced bus- iness in 1809, on the court house lot. The first shoemaker was Barney Mayhan, on Poplar street, between Fourth and Fifth, in 1809. The first tailor was Levi Jones, on South Market street, between Seventh and Eight streets, in 1808. The first wheelwright and chair-maker was Joseph Handlan in 1807. The first wagon- maker was Jacob Strine, in 1818. The first cabinet-maker was Peter M. Bainbridge. on West Tuscarawas street, in 1815. The first house joiner was John Hanna. in 1809. The

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first brick-layers were James MeMaban and Stillinger, partners in business, in 1812 ; they also followed stone-cutting and plastering. The first tan-yard was started by Abraham Kroft, in 1808. The first lawyer was Roswell Mason. in 1810. The first Doctor was Andrew Rappee, in 1808. The first teacher was Andrew John- son, in 1808. The first resident minister of the Gospel was Rev. Anthony Weier, in 1812. The first drug store was opened by Jacob Sala in 1820, though drugs were extensively sold in Canton by other parties before this time. The first hatter was George Stidger, on the St. Cloud corner. in 1809. The first tinner and copper-smith was John Buckins, East Tuscara- was street, in 1811. The first saddler was John Read, in 1814, who oceupied a shop in common with a tailor by the name of Parker. The first gunsmith was Adam Kimmel. in 1816. The first watchmaker was Alexander Wilson, in 1814. The first butcher was James Matthews. in 1809. The first brewery was built by Thomas Hartford and Samuel Coulter, near the East Bridge. in 1820, and was operated by John Cake. The first barber shop was started by William Baker in 1820. Previous to this time the citizens of Canton shaved themselves. The first gravestone cutter was Joseph Trout, who came here in 1809. The first printing office was started by John Saxton in 1815; this is still in existence, and is carried on by his son, Thomas Saxton, and is well known as the Re- pository establishment, on Court street. The first portrait painter was John E. Dunbar, in 1827. The first church edifice, a low frame building, was erected by the Lutherans, on the lot upon which the Presbyterian Church now stands, corner Tuscarawas and Plum streets, in 1810. The first regular schoolhouse was built on the opposite corner, where the West school building now stands, in 1811. The first steam engine wss brought to Canton by V. R. Kim- ball, in 1833, and put to service in grinding bark at his tannery on the corner of Cherry and Third streets.'

As connected closely with these varied busi- ness interests of early Canton, we here give a brief history of the first bank. In the year 1815, a meeting of the business men of the town was called for the purpose of organizing a bank. The population at this time was about 500. There were seven stores, and several flour-mills drawing trade to Canton from a

great distance on all sides. At the close of the war of 1812, a new impetus was given to busi- ness ; immigration from the East. which, dur- ing the war, had nearly ceased, set in again, and there soon arose a demand for greater facilities in the way of furnishing an adequate supply of cireulating medium, and in making transfers of funds. Wooster, thirty miles west of Canton, began to loom up as a rival town, and. what at this time appears rather langhable than otherwise, the contest for superiority was almost entirely based upon the relative advan- tages of Killbuck and Nimishillen Creeks for future purposes of navigation. The meeting called, as above stated, was considered a good stroke of policy to gain other advantages. Five Trustees were appointed viz. : John Shorb. William Fogle. Samuel Coulter, Thomas Taylor and James Hazlett. with instructions to take initiatory steps at once to compass the end desired. In the month of April a notice was published in the Ohio Repository for a meeting at the Eagle Tavern, of Philip Dewalt, to hold an election for nine Directors of a bank 1 to be called " The Farmers' Bank of Canton," the word " Farmers " being adopted at the sug- gestion of Dr. Fogle. At this election, Thomas Hartford. John Shorb, John Myers, William Fogle. Winans Clark, James Hazlett, Philip Slusser, Jacob Myers and George Stidger were chosen directors. John Shorb was made Presi- dent. and William Fogle, Cashier. Subscrip- tion books were immediately opened to raise stock for the new bank at Canton, at Tallmadge, at Stow and at Cleveland. In the summer of 1815. a banking house was erected on Lot 28, which is no longer standing, and in the fall of the same year it was occupied as such, and the bank went into operation. They at once issued notes for circulation and sent them out upon their mission for good or for evil. At that time. there was considerable opposition to a paper currency, and. at the February term of court in the year 1816, an indictment was found against " JJohn Shorb, President of the Farmers' Bank of Canton," for " signing and making bank notes without being. by law, authorized to do so." George Tod was Presi- dent Judge, and John Hoover, Samuel Coulter and William Henry, Associate Judges of the Common Pleas Court at the time. At the 1 trial, however, the sympathies of the com munity must have been largely with the bank,

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and that they wanted it sustained, was evident from the fact that the jury, after hearing the case, returned a verdiet of not guilty, without even the formality of retiring to make up their verdict. Jeremiah 11. Halleck represented the prosecution, and Messrs Wright and Tappan the defense. But this decision, prompt and decisive as it was for the bank, did not relieve it from all its troubles in this direction. Dur- ing the same year, Henry Swartz, who owed the bank $800 on his note, resisted its payment, on the ground that the bank had issued paper money in violation of law. This case was argued at length by I. W. Lathrop for the bank, and by John M. Goodenow for the defend- ant. The court, however, again gave judgment in favor of the bank, and the legality of this branch of its business seems to have been thus finally established. The bank also issued frac- tional currency to a considerable amount, of which counterfeits soon made their appearance. The Repository of that date warns the public against them in this wise: "They are from 75 cents downward, printed on deep fancy pink paper, with larger type than the genuine, and dated May 3. 1816." It seems that a publisher of a newspaper near the center of the State, manufactured with impunity a considerable amount of this fractional currency, and escaped prosecution on account of the fear of being able to prosecute him successfully for any penal offense. John Sterling and Thomas Alexander were cleeted Directors of the bank in 1816. James Drennan was Cashier in 1817, and gives notice that "a dividend of | per cent on the capital stock actually paid in. will be paid to stockholders, or their legal representatives." From a bank statement published in December, 1818, there was capital stock paid in. $33,710 ; notes in circulation, $20,398; debts due, $18,- 000 ; deposits. 83,112 ; bills discounted, $75, 162; specie on hand, $1,969 : notes of other banks, $1,406. A financial crisis was approach- ing, and the bank soon began to feel its effects. They struggled on and endeavored to weather the storm until November, 1818, when as many other banks had already been compelled to do, they suspended specie payments, but gave notice that they would continue "to redeem their notes in good chartered paper." In Janu- ary. 1820, in compliance with an amendment of a law then in force, the board of Directors was increased to thirteen. Renewed efforts

were made to sustain the bank's credit and its life ; but the reserve forees were insufficient. and in March, 1821, the bank building and lot. and the office furniture were sold at public auction. The first " Farmers' Bank of Canton " was dead. It was afterward resuscitated, but its later history is not so closely identified with the purpose of our work, and we do not deem it necessary to pursue it any further.

We find the following interesting biograph- ical sketch of one of the first Board of Directors of the bank. and the last of them all to pay the last debt of man to nature was Mr. Jacob My- ers : " He came to this county in 1810, tinding it only a wilderness. Though they were few and far between. the hearty old-fashioned hos- pitality of the early pioneers was a topic on which Mr. Myers loved to dwell. and he was himself one of its best exponents. In the fall of 1811. he returned to Hagerstown, Mt., and. while there. he built a wool-carding machine. In the spring of 1812, he returned to Canton. where he ever afterward resided. He brought his carding-machine with him, it being the first. erected in this part of Ohio. It was put into operation on the site known as Roland's Mill. Both mill and carding-machine having been burned out, he bought a lot in Canton, south- west corner of Market and Eighth streets, re- built his shop on the same, and ran it by horse- power. Mr. Myers was once the owner of part of the land on which Massillon now stands, near the confluence of Sippo Creek with the Tuscara- was. On this he built a saw-mill and a powder- mill. on a site on Sippo Creek, a short distance above where the Sippo Mill now stands. This was the first and only powder-mill in Stark County. At the time of which we speak, the Indians had a camp on the high bank west of the Tuscarawas River, now partly occupied by the site of West Massillon. In 1815. Mr. My- ers sold his Massillon property, including the land and the saw and powder mills, to Folger & Coffin. He also sold his Canton town property. and. in 1816. leased the tract upon which he built his mill, just south of t'anton, on Cherry street, and where he lived. until his death, fifty- seven years. He leased the land because being school land it could not be sold ; but it after- ward became his by purchase. lle afterward erected a distillery. the foundation of which still remains, though the superstructure has long since disappeared. Grain at that time was a

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drug. as there was more raised than was re- quired for home consumption, and there was no foreign market, at least no means of transpor- tation. Wheat was 25 cents a bushel, and rye from 15 to 20 cents. Much of the surplus crop was converted into whisky, and Mr. My- ers soon had a large quantity on hand. For the purpose of disposing of it to the best ad- vantage. he. in company with Damel Slanker, who had a mill in Jackson Township, and had a lot of flour on hand, built a boat on the Tus- carawas River, at a point known as the - Old Bridge." a short distance above the present stone bridge. This was in 1823, at a time when our forefathers anticipated great results from the navigable qualities of the Nimishillen and Tuscarawas. This boat, loaded with 300 bar- rels of flour, pork and whisky-Slanker furnish- ing the flour and pork. and Myers the whisky- started for New Orleans, where they expected to find ready sale for the cargo. The erew con- sisted of five. In addition to the owners, who accompanied the craft. there were John Brown, of Bethlehem, and Eli Myers, of Osnaburg. who were the steersmen. There was another, whose name is forgotten, who, anxious to see the world. gave his services as a sort of rousta- bout for the passage. They floated with the current and tied up at night. All went along smoothly until near Zanesville, on the Muskin- gum River ; there they ran against a raft of logs, tore off a side plank, and, notwithstanding every effort at the pump, the boat sank. To raise the vessel, it was necessary to unload. After it was raised, repaired and reloaded, the parties engaged a man by the name of Kincaid, who had considerable experience as a river-man. to take charge of the vessel and cargo, dispose of it to the best advantage, and make due re- turn. Slanker and Myers returned home ; Kin- caid. instead of going to New Orleans, went up the Cumberland as far as Mussel Shoals ; there sold out, and vamoosed. Ile was pursued, caught in Kentucky, and lodged in jail at Louis- ville. The parties, finding the trouble and ex- pense of prosecuting him likely to cost more than they could recover, abandoned the suit. The same year, Dr. Andrew Rappee. of Canton, loaded a flat on the Tuscarawas River with like commodities for New Orleans ; but they ran aground near Zoar, and the enterprise was abandoned. During Mr. Myers' long residence of two generations in Canton. he always sus-

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History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 53

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