History of the Ohio falls cities and their counties : with illustrations and bibliographical sketches, Vol. II, Part 74

Author: Williams, L.A., & Co., Cleveland
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : L. A. Williams & Co.
Number of Pages: 680

USA > Ohio > History of the Ohio falls cities and their counties : with illustrations and bibliographical sketches, Vol. II > Part 74

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Utica township has seven and three-quarters miles of railroad of the Ohio & Mississippi branch. It is part of that system of roads which has been described elsewhere. There are two stations in the township-Watson, which is also a post-office, and Gibson. Both are of little im- portance, except the former, from which are shipped large quantities of cement, manufactured by the Louisville Cement company.

MILLS AND STILLS.

Ferguson & Yeocum's horse-mill, which stood on the Charlestown and Jeffersonville road, was in operation as early as 1815. It was used for more than twenty-five years. Corn was ground principally, though wheat was often put through a kind of crushing machine or cracked so as to make tolerable flour. The farmer came to Yeo- cum's mill with his corn, hitched to the long sweep his own horses, and bolted the flour or meal with his own hands.

One of the oldest mills in the township was put up sometime between 1802 and 1804, by John Schwartz, on Six-mile creek. At first a flouring mill was erected of the overshot pattern. In a few years a saw-mill was attached to the grinding department, of the undershot style, which continued to run with different degrees of velocity until 1821, when it was discontinued on

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account of the scarcity of timber. The flouring- mill was run for twenty-five or thirty years. It long since passed away, with other things of an- tiquity.

Aaron Prather was a miller in the vicinity of Utica at an early day; also William Prather, whose mill stood on Six-mile, three miles below Schwartz's. The style of the mill was undershot. It was used altogether for grinding corn. After changing hands a number of times, it finally came into possession of Mr. John Prather. He made various changes in the old structure, so many as to leave it almost unrecognizable by those who knew it best. Mr. Prather also at- tached to it a saw-mill. For a number of years he did a very large business, but at last the old mill was abandoned. It is yet standing, but looks deserted.

Straw's mill, on Silver creek, was erected by Rezin Redman. When first built, it was an overshot mill. It has been repaired a number of times, and has also changed proprietors often. A large business is done there now. Both water and steam are used. This is the principal mill for the western side of Utica. It is in Silver Creek township.

The Prathers were evidently men of a me- chanical turn; for we find Samuel Prather en- gaged in milling on Middle run with the old- fashioned horse-power mill, quite early in the first quarter of this century. Prather's mill-site was one mile and a half from the river. He also had a still-house-the famous copper still and its corresponding parts-in connection with the mill. The capacity of the distillery was about one barrel of whiskey per day. From two to three gallons were obtained from each bushel of corn. There is nothing left to mark the old site of the mill. A large spring furnished water, which escaped from a cave near by.

Perhaps the first still-house erected in the township was built by the Woods family seventy or more years ago. The house was of stone, and is now standing. It was about 20 x 30 feet. Water was furnished by a spring close to the house. A few more years and this distillery will also be named as belonging to the past.

Mr. Adam Coons was one of the first and most successful tanners in the township. His tannery was situated on the east branch of Battle creek. It was in operation for eight or ten

years. The leather was of superior quality, and was shipped to Louisville.

To many of those who have no acquaintance with the management of mills and still-houses, they appear simply as money-making establish- ments. But to the pioneers they were something more-real necessities. Corn had to be ground into meal before it could be used even for mak- ing whiskey. As to meal, we let a writer on the first settlements of this country tell its worth. What he says is so fittingly true of the Utica bottoms that none can read it, we trust, without thanking our Creator for furnishing a grain so admirably suited to the prime wants of the fore- fathers.

On the frontier the diet was necessarily plain and homely, · but exceeding abundant and nutritive. The "Goshen of America" furnished the richest milk, the finest butter, and the most savory and delicious meats. In their rude cabins, with their scanty and inartificial furniture, no people ever en- joyed in wholesome food a greater variety or a superior qual- ity of the necessaries of life. For bread, Indian corn was exclusively used. . .

Of all the farinacea, corn is best adapted to the condition of a pioneer people; and if idolatry is at all justifiable, Ceres, or certainly the goddess of Indian corn, should have had a temple and worshipers among the pioneers of this country. Without this grain the pioneer settlements could not have been formed and maintained. It is the most certain crop, requires the least preparation of the ground, is most con- genial to a virgin soil, needs only but little labor in its culture, and comes to maturity in the shortest time. The pith of the matured stalk of the corn is esculent and nutritious; and the stalk itself, compressed between rollers, furnishes what is known as corn-stalk molasses.

This grain requires, also, the least care and trouble in pre- serving it. It may safely stand all winter upon the stalks without injury from the weather or apprehension of danger from disease, or the accidents to which other grains are sub- ject. Neither smut nor rust, nor weevil, nor snow-storm will hurt it. After its maturity, it is also prepared for use or the granary with little trouble. The husking is a short process, and is even advantageously delayed till the moment arrives for using the corn. The machinery for converting it into food is also exceedingly simple and cheap. As soon as the ear is fully formed, it may be roasted or boiled, and thus forms an excellent and nourishing diet. At a later period it may be grated, and furnishes in this form the sweetest bread. The grains boiled in a variety of modes, either whole or broken in a mortar, or roasted in ashes, or popped in an oven, are well relished. If the grain is to be converted into meal, a simple tub-mill answers the purpose best, as the mea least perfectly ground is always preferred. A bolting cloth is not needed, as it diminishes the sweetness and value of the flour. The catalogue of the advantages of this meal might be extended further. Boiled in water it forms the frontier dish called mush, which is eaten with milk, honey, molasses, butter, or gravy. Mixed with cold water it is at once ready for the cook; covered with hot ashes, the prepar- ation is called the ash cake; placed upon a piece of clap- board and set near the coals, it forms the johnny-cake; or

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managed in the same way upon a helveless hoe, it forms the hoe-cake; put in an oven and covered over with a heated lid, it is called, if in a large mass, a pone or loaf; if in smaller quantities, dodgers. It has the further advantage over all other flour, that it requires in its preparation few culinary utensils, and neither sugar, yeast, eggs, spices, soda, potash, or other et ceteras, to qualify or perfect the bread. To all this it may be added that it is not only cheap and well-tasted, but it is unquestionably the most wholesome and nutritive food. The largest and healthiest people in the world have lived upon it exclusively. It formed the principal bread of that robust race of men, giants in miniature, which half or three-quarters of a century ago was seen on the frontier.

The dignity of history is not lowered by this enumeration of the pre-eminent qualities of Indian corn. The rifle and the axe have had their influence in subdning the wilderness to the purposes of civilization, and they deserve their eulo- gists and trumpeters. Let pæans be sung all over the mighty West to Indian corn ; without it the West would still have been a wilderness. Was the frontier suddenly invaded ; without commissary, or quartermaster, or other sources of supply, each soldier parched a peck of corn ; a portion of it was put into his pockets, the remainder into his wallets, and throwing it across his saddle and his rifle over his shoulder, was ready in half an hour for the campaign. Did a flood of emigrants inundate the frontier with an amount of consum- ers disproportioned to the supply of grain, the facility of raising corn and its early maturity gave promise and guar- anty that the scarcity would he tolerable and only temporary. If the safety of the frontier demanded the services of every adult militiaman, the boys and women themselves could raise corn and furnish ample supplies of bread. The crop could be gathered next year. Did autumnal intermittent fevers confine the family or the entire population to the sick- bed (as it often did in the Utica bottoms), it mercifully with- held its paroxysms till the crop of corn was made. It re- quired no further care or labor afterwards. The frontiersman can gratefully say : "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures, He leadeth me beside the still waters. Thou pre- parest a lable before me in presence of mine enemies."

SCHOOLS.

As soon as the township had made a few steps in clearing off the forest, arrangements were made to educate the children. The pioneer system of schools was very imperfect. Teachers were in most instances from New England. They often came to their calling quite unprepared to meet its obligations. Some teachers, however, were ad- mirably adapted to their work. The growth of the public schools in this township, as well as in the county, is a subject of very extended and variegated aspect. In I811, on the farm now owned by James Spangler, a log school-house was erected, the first, no doubt, in the township. This was a time, says an old citizen, when treats were extorted from the teachers on any legal hol- iday. Treating was customary with most of the teachers; but a penurious, ill-tempered sort of man would often decide that customs were other-

wise and refuse to furnish the necessary eatables and drinkables for the big and little boys and girls. The reader must imagine the teacher sur- prised some frosty morning, on his arrival at the school-house, to find doors barricaded and the pupils in possession of the house. The latter were generally successful in these sieges. Teach- ers recognized the importance of having the good will of their scholars, and as a matter of course usually yielded to their demands. Among the first teachers in this old school-house were Messrs. William Crawford, Blackburn, and Scantlin. These men had for some of their scholars John Epler, a son of Abram Epler, the first nurseryman in Clark county, and John Fle- harty, a relative of Miss Rachael Fleharty, well and favorably known throughout the central and southeastern portion of the Grant. The old house was worn out by constant service, and it has altogether disappeared from the face of the country.

On the Charlestown and Utica turnpike, sixty- odd years ago, a private dwelling was converted into a school house. It stood near the present residence of Peter Henry Bottorff, a very excel- lent gentleman in this locality. A Mr. Kincaid was a teacher in it. The house was finally torn down and the logs used for other purposes.

Perhaps the next school-house in the township was one put up on E. B. Burtt's place sometime in the '30's. The teachers who taught here were Messrs. Brown, Fellenwider, John Randolph, Jonas Raywalt, and George Ross, though not in this order of succession. For scholars they had the Espys, Patricks, Jacobses, Schwartzes, Spanglers, Ruddles, and Prathers-names now familiar to nearly every household in the county, The old building, after fifteen or twenty years' of use, was removed, and is now used in part as a stable. Its style of architecture was much like that of other similar structures in the county at that day.

RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS.

Churches, like schools, have an interesting history in this township. The date of the New Chapel Methodist Episcopal church is not pre- cisely known, but the best authority places the year of its organization as early as 1800. It is also known as belonging to the oldest circuit in the State.

As early as 1793 a preaching-place had been

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maintained about one mile above Utica; and several Louisville Methodists, as Judge Prather, William Farquar, and John Bate, in the absence of a church, or even a class at home, had their membership here.

The "oldest circuit," above mentioned, is the Silver Creek circuit, formed in 1808, in the "Kentucky district." The Rev. Moses Ains- worth was first placed in charge of it. An ac- count of the Rev. Mr. McMillan, another early preacher to it, is given in the history of Silver Creek township. The organization of the Utica class was effected at the residence of Basil R. Prather, whose house for a number of years be- fore had furnished a place of worship. Bishop McKinley was the minister in charge on the day of ordination. About 1804 a round-log house was erected on an acre of land in tract number thirty- seven, deeded to the Methodist Episcopal church by Jeremiah Jacobs and Walter Prather. It was built by subscription, and worth when completed about $250. It had but one window, clap-board roof, and the oldstyle of stone chimney. In 1811 the house was torn away, and a new hewed-log house erected 22 x 36 feet, one and one-half stories high. It had four windows, a shingle roof, stove, pulpit, comfortable seats, and so on. This house was built also by subscription, and cost $200. In 1836 the hewed-log house was torn away, and a third, built of brick, 45 x 55 feet, took its place. It had eleven windows, was one and one-half stories high, had three doors, and an altar and pulpit. This house was also built by subscription, and cost $1,382. The building is yet standing in good condition; the class is out of debt, and the church machinery in good running order. In 1867 the chapel was repaired, at a cost of $1,400.

Among the first preachers at the new chapel of the Methodist Episcopal church were Revs. Josiah Crawford in 1808, Silas Payne in 1809, Isaac Linsey and Thomas Nelson in 1810-11, William McMahan and Thomas Nelson in 1812, James Garner, Elijah Sitters, Shadrick Rucker, Joseph Kincaid, Joseph Powel, John Shrader, David Sharpe, C. W. Ruter, Robert M. Baker, and William Cravens, all before 1820.

The Utica Methodist Episcopal circuit was formed in 1843, with William V. Daniels as the first presiding elder. Rev. Charles Benner was the first traveling preacher. He was followed by

Emmaus Rutledge in 1845 and James Hill in 1846; Rev. Elijah Whitten was in charge in 1847, and then for one year each the following per- sons: Revs. Lewis Hulbert, John A. Brouse, Jacob Myers, and Jacob Bruner. These men were all here before 1852. Rev. Mr. Daniels served as presiding elder until 1850, when he was succeeded by Rev. John Herns, who acted for one year. Revs. C. R. Ames and William Dailey were presiding elders in 1851-52.

Connected with the New Chapel church is a handsome cemetery, enclosed by a stone wall on the east side and at both ends. A number of fine monuments are scattered about. The grave- yard looks decidedly neat, more so than any other in the county as far from Jeffersonville. The yard is a rectangle; has about four acres of land, and is in keeping with the church of which it forms a part. There is also a good Sunday- school carried on at this point during the year. This church and Sabbath-school are fair expo- nents of the people in this region. They are located about one mile north of east of Watson post-office.

The Union Methodist Episcopal church, in the northwest corner of the township, was com- posed formerly of members from the Lutheran church, by whom really the Methodist church was formed. Among the first members of the Lutheran church were Jacob Grisamore and wife, and David Lutz, Sr., and wife. Rev. Mr. Fremmer, of New Albany, who traveled the en- tire county, was one of the first preachers. The original church building was a log structure. Some few years after 1830 a brick church was erected by the neighborhood, the old Lutheran members having moved off or died in many instances. This church derived its name from the fact that all denominations worshiped in the first house. After forty-odd years of use and much repairing, a proposition was made to buy or sell by both the Christian and Methodist Episcopal people, who were the leading de- nominations. At the sale the Methodists paid $250 for the undivided half. The church was then repaired and used for a few years more, until it needed repairing again. At last a movement was made to build a new house. Money was solicited, a kiln of brick was burned on the ground, and now a handsome building is situated almost on the old site. The property is worth,

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including the cemetery, $8,000. The land on which the church stands, was originally deeded to the Lutheran denomination by Jacob Gris- amore, but it has since become the property of · the Methodists. Mathias Crum and wife, David Spangler and wife, Charles Ross and wife were some of the first members of the Methodist class. For preachers they had, before 1810, Revs. Josiah Crawford, Silas Payne, Thomas Nelson, and others, who preached at the New Chapel church. This class has now about one hundred members. A Sunday-school is carried on during the favorable months of the year.

After the Methodist and Christian classes dis- solved partnership, the latter erected a house of worship in Charlestown township. Larkin Nicholson and several relatives and others, with their wives, were the most prominent in the Christian church.

Attached to the Union Methodist Episcopal church is a burying ground. People began to bury here as early as 1820, and ever since it has been connected with the church, which was made a place of worship for all classes, regardless of belief. In the ground there are a number of fine monuments. A stone wall encloses the lot.

The first place of interment in the western part of the township is now under cultivation. It was located on the farm originally owned by Abram Epler. There are buried here, of the Summers and Sage families, more than fifty per- sons. No traces of the ground are left. The future must tell the story of those who now sleep here in peace. Many of those hardy pioneers, father and mothers, grandfathers and grand- mothers of the present generation, could they come forth from their graves, would be surprised to see the changes in the Utica bottoms since last they trod upon its soil. Peace be to their ashes !

VILLAGES.

From 1794, the year James Noble Wood and his wife settled at Utica and established a ferry, to 1816, the embryo village formed a part of their hopes and aspirations. It was no difficult niatter to see that the site which had been se- lected for a home would also be a good place for a town, or even a city. Not, however, till twenty years after the beginnings did the founders at- tempt any undertaking which resulted in perma- nence. In the meantime there had been a com-

bination of influences at work, destined at last to result in a village of no little consequence. The tide of emigration which had been pouring into the interior of the State had made Utica a crossing point on the Ohio. No doubt, for ten or a dozen years before the place was laid out, the ferryman was busily at work ferrying passen- gers across the river. On the 9th of August, 1816, the long-anticipated project was carried in- to execution. In the original survey there were two hundred and twenty lots, one hundred feet square. Lot number one was in the southwest corner, from which all the rest numbered. The survey began at the southeast corner, on the Ohio.

Five lots were given for public purposes by those having the matter in charge-James Noble Wood, Samuel Bleight, and John Miller. The shape of the town is that of a rectangle. The streets run parallel with the river. Front street is seventy feet wide; Walnut street, forty-three feet wide; Mercer and Warren are thirty feet wide; all others are sixty feet in width. The proprietors forbade the erection of any buildings between Front street and low-water mark, unless the town trustees saw fit to allow it. All benefits arising from the sale of land between high and low-water mark were to be appropriated to the use of the town. The first addition was made in 1854 by James H. Oliver on the northwest corner of the town. It resembled a right-angled triangle, with its top cut off two-thirds of the dis- tance from the base. Oliver's second addition extends along the Ohio in the shape of a wedge, and, like the first addition, is separated from the original plat by Ash street. In the centre of the town is a public square 212 x 260 feet; and on the north is a burying-ground 212 X 233 feet. Both.bodies of land were donated by the propri- etors, Wood, Bleight, and Miller, for these pur- poses. It can be readily seen that the founders had planned well for a thriving and populous town; or perhaps they saw in the dim future a city here with her half million of inhabitants. Such things often come into the minds of men, and even to those who first began to make the forest fade away, but who cherished hopes that they thought sometime might be realized.

Pioneer life is admirably adapted to call into vigorous action all the faculties of the human mind. And nowhere were surroundings more

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favorable to the full and systematic growth of the imagination than here in Utica. The first few years of life at the Woods ferry had many accompaniments now wholly or quite forgotten. In referring to them there comes up a train of recollections which awakes the happiest and ten- derest emotions. It seems now, after more than three score and ten, aye, four score years, have passed away, that the every-day transactions at Utica are nothing but legends. All the mythol- ogy of Greece and Rome does not seem half so strange. The cabins, the log-barns, pig-pens, ox-sheds, a few scattering corn-cribs and fodder- piles, were real, not mythical. They had an exist- ence, as much as the jimson-weed, the dog-fen- nel, the rag-weed, and thistle, that lined the roads leading to and from the village. James Noble Wood can properly be called the Pericles, and his venerable wife the Aspasia, of Utica. They were surrounded, too, by men and women no less devoted than the citizens of Greece were to their leaders.

Mrs. Nancy (Wood) Noel, in the Clark County Record, gives some interesting facts of Utica life during the primitive age of that hamlet, from which we make subjoined extracts: James Noble Wood and Miss Margaret Smith were married on the 27th of September, 1794, in Louisville, but immediately came over with the residue of their families and settled on tract number seventeen, where Utica was afterwards laid out. The tract embraced seven hundred acres (two hundred more than was intended by the surveyors) of as fine farming land as the sun ever shone upon. On the east side the beautiful Ohio river, covered with flocks of wild ducks, geese, and brants, crawled lazily off to- ward the "Great Falls"-the name by which they were known throughout the West. At this time there was no settlement in this part of Clark's Grant. From the river bank, opposite Harrod's creek, in Kentucky, west to Silver creek, was one vast and dense canebrake.

Mrs. Noel was born where Utica now stands, on the 3d of August, 1796. Her father, J. N. Wood, with Marston Green Clark, and Abram Huff, was appointed by Governor W. H. Har- rison as justices of the court of general quarter sessions and of the court of common pleas of Knox county, which at that time embraced nearly all the southern part of the State.

There was an Indian chief by the name of Gowman, who frequently visited Utica. Once he made his appearance accompanied by six warriors and as many squaws. It had been rain- ing during the afternoon, and Gowman and his" companions came into the house of Mrs. Wood, and, shaking off the rain, asked for her husband. They also asked for soap and whiskey, and seated themselves around the fire, Gorman next to the wife. At that time the mother and Mrs. Noel were ironing. As the lat- ter stepped backward she accidently dropped an iron on Gowman's toe. The Indian immediately began a series of maneuvers not altogether suited to friendship, which somewhat excited Mrs. Wood. She soon despatched her daughter for two men, who came with butcher-knives and tomakawks in their belts, and guns in their hands, with blankets thrown over their shoulders. One of the men took Gowman by the arms, shook him, and told him to go to his camp, as all the provision had been eaten. In the meantime the remaining twelve had fallen asleep, and the two men for the rest of the night stood on guard.

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History of the Ohio falls cities and their counties : with illustrations and bibliographical sketches, Vol. II, Part 74

Author: Williams, L.A., & Co., Cleveland Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : L. A. Williams & Co. Number of Pages: 680

Author: Williams, L.A., & Co., Cleveland
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : L. A. Williams & Co.
Number of Pages: 680