History of Union County, Ohio; its people, industries and institutions, Part 51

Author: Curry, W. L. (William Leontes), b. 1839
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind., B. F. Bowen & Co.
Number of Pages: 1322

USA > Ohio > Union County > History of Union County, Ohio; its people, industries and institutions > Part 51

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).

536

UNION COUNTY, OHIO.

The Perfect Cigar Company was organized by C. C. Perfect and now manufactures five thousand cigars daily. Twenty-five cigarmakers are giv- en employment in the factory.

The Union Bottling Works were established by Edward L. Dillon and E. H. Keller and has a daily capacity of two hundred cases of soft drinks.

The United States Brass Company was established here in 1912 and has turned out many hundreds of tons of superior brass castings for gen- eral manufacturing purposes.

The hoop mill of Peel Brothers was established here in September, 1907. It burned later, but was rebuilt on a larger scale. Here are made train loads of elm hoops known as slack barrel and keg hoops. Forty to sixty men are employed in this single industry. The material used is chiefly elm from the forests of Union county.

E. G. Adams, of Jerome township, invented a corn husking machine, which has proved a success and finds a sale in every part of the great corn growing belt of this country and foreign lands. A stock company was formed and a factory put in operation for assembling the various parts which have been made in other cities. The plant suffered a loss by fire but again got on its feet and is now one of the paying industries of the city. This is said to be one of the best corn huskers or shredders in use. Job- bers of farm implements all over the country take them in large invoices. They retail at one hundred and fifty dollars.

What was known as the Foerster Cigar Company was established here in 1910, in the Gray cement building. The company employed scores of girls, but after a short time the concern was removed to Columbus.

"Uncle Joe" Cooper, a shoemaker, ninety-two years of age, born in 1816 in Virginia, commenced shoemaking at the age of sixteen years, and in 1907 had worked at his trade seventy years and was still "pegging away." He boasted of having made fine calf boots for Presidents Andrew Jack- son, Martin Van Buren, Stonewall Jackson, Gen Winfield Scott. Gen. Hous- ton and old Santa Anna.

In 1907 Marysville had a man in the cigar making business who had followed it for fifty-four years and was the oldest business man in Marys- ville at the time. He formerly made seven hundred cigars a day and in later years averaged three hundred. He was then seventy-three years of age.

The Standard Stamping Works of Marysville came from Columbus in 1901. They make a specialty of hardware novelties, in metal stamped

WILDI EVAPORATED MILK PLANT, MARYSVILLE.

537

UNION COUNTY, OHIO.

goods, mail boxes, and a hundred and one useful devices, which they sell all over the United States by traveling salesman. For a time they made a patent window and door screen with metal frames. They do a large busi- ness and help swell the weekly pay roll in Marysville. The company is largely made up of home capitalists. C. C. Armstrong is the manager. Their plant occupies more than 210,000 square feet of floor space, and em- ployes from forty to fifty men. In 1910 they sold their interests in the window and door frame business and it was moved to Chicago.

The Robinson & Curry Company commenced in a modest way in 1883 in the old handle factory. The originators of the business were W. C. Ful- lington, C. L. Robinson, Col. W. L. Curry, Col. William M. Liggett, all of whom remained until 1891 when it was incorporated with W. C. Fullington as president. E. G. McCann is the general manager. The institution has grown to immense proportions and now ranks among the highest of any in central Ohio. Their manufactured products go all over the eastern and cen- tral part of the United States. They have furnished numerous government buildings with their hard wood finishings. They have plants on both the Big Four and Toledo & Ohio Central railways at Marysville. They have sheds capable of holding seventy-five car loads of materials. They make a specialty of doing work from architects' plans and specifications.

Perhaps the largest industry of Marysville is its condensed milk fac- tory. This is the home of the popular brand known as "Every-day" evap- orated milk, and is made by the John Wildi Evaporated Milk Company, es- tablished here in October. 1907, by John Wildi, who had operated a large concern in Illinois before coming here. The company purchased seven acres of land in October. 1907, when it was a branch of the great "Helvetia" factory of Illinois. The plant is situated in the southwestern part of Marys- ville, on the Big Four railway tracks. The first building was two hundred by four hundred feet, all of fine brick. Work was begun on the factory in October. 1907, and since then many additions and improvements have been made. The plant was opened for business in June, 1908, when forty people were employed. At first they used ten thousand pounds of milk daily, but had a capacity for handling one hundred and fifty thousand pounds. They have their own water and light plants. In August, 1908. they paid farmers one dollar and twenty-five cents per hundred weight for milk, which was mostly from Union county dairies. In May, 1910, the pay- roll of this factory was $15,000 monthly and they paid to six hundred farmers $12,000 for fifty thousand pounds daily. In 1914 they shipped ont two car loads daily of canned milk, each case and can marked "Made in

538

UNION COUNTY, OHIO.

Marysville." They also make their own tin cans by a unique machine process. This has now grown to be recognized as one of the most prodig- ous plants for exaporating milk in the world-at least fully equal to any.

MARYSVILLE POSTOFFICE.

The Marysville postoffice was established March 28, 1823, and there have only been seventeen postmasters in the ninety-two years of the exist- ence of the office, or a fraction more than five years average for each. The list is as follows :

Silas G. Strong, March 28, 1823. William W. Steele, October 15, 1839. George W. Cherry, November 23, 1839. John Cassil, May 26, 1846.

G. A. Cassil, October 6, 1848.

William H. Frank, July 31, 1849.

William M. Smith, October 20, 1853.

William P. Anderson, May 11, 1861. Celinda Turner, November 27, 1863. David Edwards, February 3, 1865. Alvin Thompson, March 2, 1867. Dwight Webb, December 16, 1879. S. N. McCloud, July 20, 1885. J. C. Guthrie, March 7, 1890. S. N. McCloud, March 20, 1894.

C. M. Ingman, May 5, 1898. E. A. Mullen, August 27, 1906.

The office is now in the second class, having been made such July I. 1003. It has been kept in its present quarters since July 1, 1909. The statement recently issued shows the amount of savings deposits on Decem- ber 4, 1914, to have been two thousand four hundred dollars. The busi- ness transacted for the last year, ending July first, was $15.004.97. There are now six rural routes extending out from this office. The city delivery was established November 16, 1909; there are four deliveries in the busi- ness districts and two in residence sections, each day, except Sunday, when there is no delivery. There are ten incoming and nine outgoing mails daily, except Sunday when there is one incoming and one outgoing mail.

The subjoined is a list of all employes at this office in December, 1914:

539

UNION COUNTY, OHIO.

Postmaster, Ed A. Mullen ; assistant postmaster, Burleigh P. McLaugh- lin ; clerks, Philip A. Baker, Chester E. Rosette, Erwin A. Rothley, Mary I. Otte; city carriers, John P. Schoenleb, Frank F. Beck. George V. Terry and Jesse McAllister; rural carriers, James A. McCann, Lee N. Hamilton. John W. Anderson, Delmer D. Hamilton, Walter H. Graham, Pearl M. Galloway; substitutes, Neal McCann, Christ Meder, Belle Anderson and Frank M. Gilcrest ; mail messenger, Fred Wilcox.

CHURCHES AND LODGES.

The history, in detail, of the numerous churches and lodges of Marys- ville, has been given in chapters on such topics, and embraces all within the county, hence here it only need be said that at Marysville the churches rep- resented are: The Congregational, the Methodist Episcopal, the Presby- terian, the Catholic, the Lutheran, the Episcopal, the colored Methodist Episcopal.

The lodges consist of the Masons, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Woodmen of the World, Woodmen of America, the Maccabees, Improved Order of Red Men and Benevolent Protective Order Elks.

IMPROVED ORDER OF RED MEN.

The Improved Order of Red Men, No. 94, was organized at Marys- ville, February 1, 1905. It now has about fifty members. The present officers are : Sachem, Albert Carr ; senior sagamore, C. P. Beightler ; prophet, L .. P. Shaw : chief of records, J. L. Richey ; keeper of wampum, S. D. Boyd: guard of forest, C. Wilcox. The present representative to the great coun- cil of the state of Ohio is W. H. Sheneman ; the alternate is W. W. Shober.

The Pocahontas lodge of Marysville has a membership of about forty- five. Minnie Barker is the present presiding officer.

KNIGHTS OF THE MACCABEES.

Tent No. 247, at Marysville, has a membership of about one hundred and fifty-five. They meet in a hall over the Marysville Bank. L. A. La- Dow is record keeper and Clarence Clapham is commander. There is also a ladies auxiliary.

There are also tents established at Plain City and Richwood.

540

UNION COUNTY, OHIO.

THE BENEVOLENT AND PROTECTIVE ORDER OF ELKS.

The Marysville lodge has a membership of about seventy-five. Their hall is in the Union block. The 1915 officers are as follows : J. H. Schonc- berger, exalted ruler; Chester Rosette, esteemed loyal knight ; Clinton Croy, esteemed leading knight ; Morey Liggett, esteemed lecturing knight; F. M. Demorest, secretary : Clayton Jarvis, esquire ; W. P. O'Brien, inside guard ; W. P. Peppard, chaplain ; Fred Ell, tyler ; W. F. Brodrick, treasurer.

LIBRARY.

In a paper read before the Pioneer Association in 1894, Hylas Sabine, of Marysville, said in substance: "It is fifty years since I saw something of a circulating library that had been for a long time used at Milford Center. It was a surprise then, and is to me now, as I was delighted with the solid quality of the books. Of the few remaining at that time I noticed the Fed- eralist, the Letters of John Quinn, The Spectator, Goldsmith and other works of that ilk. The organized library dated before the organization of Union county. It was led in the work by the old Connecticut Colony that settled the southern portion of this county. Andrew Keys, now in his nine- ties, is the only man now living who can give any account of this ancient Union county library. I well recall the early library of James A. Curry, Esq .. to which I was kindly invited by that gentleman. I accepted and for hours he sat before me explaining this book and that. He was well versed with the contents of every volume he possessed. His thorough knowledge of the books and his great knowledge in the history of the country was surprising to me. I do not know where to go today to meet with such a devotee of good books. His books were free to the use of his neighbors. He heart- ily invited me to take such of the books as interested me most."

The school board took up the matter of library interests many years ago, and have worked in conjunction with other citizens of the place. Fin- ally correspondence was begun with Andrew Carnegie, the greatest library founder in all the world, which in time resulted in his donating the sum of ten thousand dollars toward the library interests of Marysville. The date of this donation was January, 1909, the same being made with the public school board of this city. The building was placed on the northeast corner of the West school grounds, and the cornerstone was laid with ceremonies, July 5, 1909. When the dedication took place a liberal donation was fur- nished in the person of that grand character, Hon. R. L. Woodburn, who

541

UNION COUNTY, OI1IO.

gave his own large law library, and cash to the amount of seven hundred and fifty dollars to be expended in the purchase of histories, especially those pertaining to the great wars of this country. This section is by itself and is named "The Robert L. Woodburn Memorial Library." The present number of volumes in the library is about five thousand. The present num- ber of periodicals and papers is twenty-three. The present officers of the library boards are as follows: James McCampbell, president ; L. B. Demo- rest, vice-president ; H. J. Nichol, treasurer; Christine Houston, secretary : other members are Elizabeth M. Wood, George C. Whitney and Harriet G. Scott. The librarian is Lillian Robb.

THE CITY HALL.

In the month of August, 1864, the city purchased property at the south- east corner of Main and South streets, on which to erect a city building. In 1877 it was voted to erect a city hall. The buildings on the site were torn away and work was commenced in the fall of 1877, and finished in the spring of 1878. Its contract price was $12.495. A Seth Thomas clock of the eight-day type was purchased and suspended in the high tower surmount- ing the building. It cost almost a thousand dollars and the weight of its bell was a half ton. The city building was supplied with a steam heating plant and its walls finely frescoed. The hall was opened to the public, Oc- tober 21. 1878, when the drama "Two Orphans" was presented by home talent. The total cost of the building and fixtures was about $13,200. At the day it was built it was designed for council chamber, fire department, jail, public library and mayor's office. In 1908 the structure showed signs of weakness, and finally it was condemned by the authorities as unsafe, and closed as a public hall. Experts looked it over, and errors in construction were corrected and many improvements were made on the property, making it safe and creditable to the city.

LIGIIT AND WATER PLANTS.

The first light and water plant was situated on South Plum street, near the Big Four railroad tracks. It was commenced in March, 1888. It is a private company operating under a franchise of the city. It first lighted the business streets with five arc lamps in November, 1888. The electric light and water works merged and a company was formed by John F. Zwerner, Walter C. Fullington, George M. McPeck and Jeronie E. Davis.

542

UNION COUNTY, OHIO.

The people voted on a water plant proposition and it carried. There were then seven miles of mains put in on various streets and seventy-five street hydrants. The company was incorporated January 1, 1890. January 8, 1891, the electric light plant was removed from Plum street to its present location north of the city proper and Mill creek was dammed for reservoir purposes in case of emergency. A 320-horse-power engine was procured and there were soon in operation about seven thousand lights in the city and power was being furnished to numerous factories and offices. There are now over nine miles of water mains and eighty-eight hydrants. Water is furnished from a one hundred and forty-seven foot well. It is excel- lent water, and is the same as was formerly known as the "magnetic spring water." The capacity of the works is one million, five hundred thousand gallons daily. In the autumn of 1903 an ice plant was added: this has a daily capacity of ten tons of pure distilled water ice. This plant commenced to produce ice in the spring of 1904.

MARYSVILLE'S FIRST FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION.

Eighty-seven years ago, or in 1828, Independence Day was first ob- served at Marysville by the little settlement of patriotic citizens. How it was observed is best told by reference to an article on the subject, published in the Marysville Tribune July 10, 1878, which reads as follows :

"The first Fourth of July ever celebrated in Marysville was in 1828. The surrounding country was at that time a wilderness indeed, and Marys- ville was an insignificant point with apparently no future other than an ob- scure village. There were only seven families residing in it, viz: Silas G. Strong. Newton Hicks, George Snodgrass, Stephen McLain. George Win- ters, Daniel Miller and a widow Kiger-making, with their families, a pop- ulation of about twenty. It was customary in all Fourth of July celebra- tions in almost every part of the country to get up a big dinner, and all who could raise enough money to pay considered it a patriotic duty to partake. Uncle George Snodgrass and Aunt Hannah, who were married the Febru- ary before, got up the dinner for the pioneer celebration. The place where it was served was in the woods on the next lot west of that on which Judge Woods' residence later stood, and on the spot where his grape arbor was planted. Silas G. Strong owned the lot on which Mr. Woods' residence was subsequently located. He had a log house erected on it in which Uncle George and Aunt Hannah kept hotel. This was the first hotel ever opened in the village and Mr. Strong and wife boarded with them. About seven-

543

UNION COUNTY, OHIO.

ty-five persons sat down to the table, each paying seventy-five cents for the repast. A Mr. Hubbel had a short time previous carted a few goods from Springfield to this point, and the groceries needed for the occasion were pur- chased of him. The dishes to set the table were obtained in Milford Cen- ter, there not being enough in this village and surrounding country to fur- nish the table. The cherries, currants and vegetables were purchased of Anson Howard, who resided south of Woodstock, on the farm later owned by his son Pearl Howard. The speakers for the occasion were James Biggs and John H. James, the latter still living and a resident of Urbana, Ohio. Toasts were given (but were not drank in 'old rye,' as was not infrequently the case in that day ) and responses were made at the table-a custom that has almost entirely died out. In the intervals between the reading of the toasts, a cannon was fired, or in lieu of a cannon, a few rifles answered, and the patriotic crowd would add to the fervor by hearty hurrahs. A few are still living who were guests at that Fourth of July dinner."

GRAND CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION.

July Fourth, 1898, was a red-letter day for Union county and Marys- ville. It was celebrated in all that could be thought interesting and valu- able to its citizens. One hundred years before that date the county was first settled by white men. The president of the day was Hon. F. T. Ar- thur, and the orator for the occasion was one of the county's honored sons 一 -Hon. Charles W. Fairbanks, later vice-president and United States sena- tor from Indiana. The superb music was in charge of the pioneer musician, Prof O. H. Evans and the celebrated Marysville Choral Club. Other fea- tares of the day included a timely speech by Samuel A. Hudson on "Union County Statistics"; an address "Our Soldiers" by Col. W. L. Curry; an 'address on "Our County's Growth" by Robert McCrory. No such attend- atice has ever been seen at Marysville : people came from all over the county and from distant counties and some from other states.

OLD HOME WEEK.

This happy thought took root in the minds of the citizens of Marysville in 1903, when the first gathering of people who had lived here but long since removed to distant parts of the country took place. Twenty thousand peo- ple were present on this occasion. The chief speaker was ex-Vice-Presi- dent Charles W. Fairbanks. Page after page in the local press for weeks

544

UNION COUNTY, OHIO.

before this gathering was filled with brief notices of acceptance on the part of hundreds of men and women residing in all parts of this country all telling of the pleasure they anticipated in returning to their old home in Union county, Ohio. The citizens of Marysville treated their honored guests in a royal and truly hospitable manner.

STATE REFORMATORY FOR WOMEN.

An act was passed in the Ohio Legislature in 1911 creating a reforma- tory for women to be located at Marysville. Construction commenced the following year. The buildings are finished, and have cost the state $290,- 000. The present buildings only represent a part of a series of the same kind to be added later.

In connection with the receiving and correctional building are a num- ber of special service departments which are of sufficient capacity to accom- modate the demand for a much larger number of inmates than can be housed in the buildings now erected, which only provides for one hundred persons. It is expected that sufficient provisions will be made to accommo- date at least five hundred women. The extra capacity will be provided by cottages accommodating about thirty-five each. These will be arranged so as to give plenty of space about each building. When completed the insti- tution will have the appearance of a small village. The institution is locat- ed about two and a half miles southwest of the city of Marysville.

In 1886-87 there was a natural gas excitement at Marysville. A com- pany was engaged to sink a deep well, which resulted in striking a strong mineral water, of saline and magnesia elements. It flowed twelve thou- sand barrels daily, and was utilized for bath house purposes for a number of years. Many cures were effected by drinking and bathing in the waters. About that time another big gusher of a well was struck at Richwood, the water being also mineral and curative and used for that purpose, too.

"The last log cabin in Marysville will be torn down this week (June, 1888). It stands on the corner of Sixth and Oak streets and belongs to Mrs. John Fogarty. It was built in the very earliest days of Marysville village and has withstood the storms of more than half a century. It is the last pioneer hut to give way and we feel like taking off our hat to its departing ghost."-John H. Shearer in Tribune.

A regular telephone exchange system was installed in the city in 1894. In 1894 a thirty-five-thousand-dollar hotel company was organized and

545

UNION COUNTY, OHIO.

built the present Oakland Hotel. The hotel was thrown open to the gen- eral public, August 7, 1895.

Paving bids were advertised for Sixth street, August 1, 1901.

The city was divided into four wards in 1894, the first of the ward system in Marysville.

The Toledo & Ohio Central railway commenced running its cars to Marysville August 3, 1893, and to Columbus, January, 1894.

After a successful service of many years, the S. N. McCloud Magnetic Springs and Bottling Works burned at the supposed hand of an incendiary in October, 1899. The loss was four thousand dollars.

A Keeley Institute was operated in this city for many years and cured hundreds of the awful drink habit. It was moved to Columbus in 1896 and two years later went into the hands of a receiver.

A sewer system was installed in Marysville in 1912-13.

(35)

h lowry

BIOGRAPHICAL

LOUIS CURRY.

The Curry family have been identified with the history of Union county. Ohio, since 1811. and consequently have been connected with its history from the beginning. Louis Curry, whose history is here presented, is a great-grandson of the first member of the family to locate in this county and his whole life has been devoted to agricultural pursuits.

Louis Curry, the son of John and Tabitha (Gill) Curry, was born in Jerome township, November 16, 1847. His father was born in this same township in 1817 and his mother was born in Darby township. They were married in 1845 and to them were born eleven children, nine of whom are still living: Allen T., born May 18. 1846, and now living in the West; Louis, with whom this narrative deals; T. H. born September 25. 1849: Frank, born September 3. 1852; Olive, born August 11, 1854, the wife of I. Delmore MeCampbell, who died in 1883: Jesse, born November 10, 1857; Stevenson. born July 24. 1860; Phoebe, born October 19, 1862, the wife of Clarke Rickard, of Jerome township; Samantha, born January 7. 1865. the wife of J. A. Cruikshank, who died in 1908; J. E., born January 22, 1868; J. M . born May 21. 1871, and now a farmer of Jerome township.

John Curry was the son of James A. and Phoebe ( Winget) Curry and James A. Curry was born in Harrisonburg, Rockingham county, Virginia, March 30, 1787. In 1798 James Curry came with his parents from Virginia to Ross county, Ohio, where he lived until 1811. On March 18, 1817. James Curry was married to Phoebe Winget, who was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, in 1799. James A. Curry died in this county March 1. 1874, and his widow lived until 1891. Ten children were born to James Curry and wife in this county : John, the father of Louis with whom this narrative deals: Harriett, the wife of William Beard: Nancy, the wife of Samuel Robinson : Maria, the wife of John Woodburn: James, who died at the age of ten: Samantha, the wife of Charles Wilcutt; William, deceased ; Phoebe, the wife of William Williams, of Jerome township; David, who

548

UNION COUNTY, OHIO.

died in California in 1914: and James A., Jr., who died in a hospital at Crab Orchard, Kentucky, during the Civil War. He was the best mathematician ever reared in this county.

Louis Curry was educated in the public schools of Jerome township and after leaving school began to teach in Unioni county. For seventeen years he taught every winter in Jerome township, making a record which has never been equaled in this county for continuous service in one township. Since leaving the school room he has devoted his time to general farming and stock raising. He and his two brothers. J. E. and J. M. Curry, own over five hundred acres of land and they conduct their farm business under the firm name of C. L. Curry & Company, and operate one of the largest and best improved farms 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.

History of Union County, Ohio; its people, industries and institutions, Part 51

Author: Curry, W. L. (William Leontes), b. 1839 Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind., B. F. Bowen & Co. Number of Pages: 1322

Author: Curry, W. L. (William Leontes), b. 1839
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind., B. F. Bowen & Co.
Number of Pages: 1322