USA > Ohio > Montgomery County > Dayton > History of the city of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio, Volume I > Part 13
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As the tavern sign read "entertainment for man and beast," the log barns must not be forgotten. Newcom's barn with its large feed-yard and its racks, troughs and cribs, stood south of the tavern just back from Main street. Grimes' large yard and barn were back on the abutting alley. Reid's barn was back of the inn on the adjacent alley. The large feed-yard was the place where gymnastic entertainments and exhibitions of wild animals were held. McCullum's feed-yard
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and barn were on Second street back of the tavern. All of the taverns had colored men for hostlers.
THE PRESS.
The story of the founding of the press is a short and characteristic one-a venturesome early effort, failure, and renewed attempt. In 1806, Noah Crane, of Lebanon, began the publication of a newspaper in Dayton. The enterprise was not successful and Mr. Crane, being taken down with chills and fever, re- turned to Lebanon. No files have been preserved and even the name of the paper has not been handed down.
A second effort was made two years later. September 18, 1808, the first num- ber of the "Repertory," published by William McClure and George Smith, ap- peared. This new claimant for favor was a weekly of four pages, eight by twelve and a half inches, two columns to the page. October 21st, when five numbers had been printed, on the occasion of the removal of the office, publication was suspended for several weeks. February 1, 1809, it appeared as an eleven by nine- teen, four columns to a page, sheet, Henry Disbrow and William McClure being the editors. The files closed December 14, 1809. The paper had no editorials and no column for local news. It contained mostly foreign news, chiefly French, several months old. The present interest to us is mainly in the advertisements. The publisher advertised for sale, for cash or clean rags, the following articles- stationery and school books, Kentucky Preceptors, Webster's spelling books; Mur- ray's first book for children, and primers.
MARRIAGES AND DEATHS.
As if to head the long list of marriages announced in the many issues of Day- ton papers, the second number of the Repertory places above the first marriage notice the following lines :
"The altar we with rapture greet, The chain is light, the bondage sweet."
The wedding notice is, "On Thursday the 22d inst., Mr. William Irvin to the amiable Miss Jean Gordon of Warren county."
The same issue presents a different side of the picture in the following :
"Why mourn? the throbbing heart's at rest, How still it lies within the breast, Why mourn? since death presents us peace And in the grave our sorrows cease.
"Died-On Tuesday last, Mrs. McClure, consort of William McClure of Greene county."
The Repertory notes the drowning of an unknown man in Mad river June 30, 1809.
The first marriage after the formation of the county was that of Isaac West- fall to Sarah Gullion, July 26, 1803. Beginning with this marriage, there were seven marriages in 1803, twenty-one in 1804, and thirty-nine in 1805. The cere- monies were for the most part performed by justices of the peace. The first
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ministers authorized to solemnize marriage, were William Robinson, of the Pres- byterian church, and Jacob Miller, of the Brethren or Dunkard church. Mar- riages were entered into at an early age, as a rule, males of eighteen and females of fourteen being allowed by law to enter into that relation, the consent of parents, however, was necessary for females under eighteen and males under twenty-one.
CEMETERIES.
The first recognized burial place was on the ground surrounding the Pres- byterian church, at the northeast corner of Main and Third streets though in 1805, it was provided that after that time the ground should not be used for that purpose. In 1805, it was provided that the eight lots bounded by Fifth and Sixth streets and Wilkinson and the street next west should be the grave yard, the Presbyterians to have two lots, the other lots being for other denominations and for strangers. A transfer was subsequently made so that the burying ground began at the second lot west of Ludlow and extended a short distance across Wilkinson street. The trustees of the Presbyterian church sought in 1812 to have other denominations assist in fencing and improving the burying ground. A committee reported, "That they had called upon the leading characters of the different congregations, and that the leading characters of the Methodist church would join in fencing all of the lot intended for the burying ground; but there being no leading characters of the Baptist congregation, they had no report as to them." In consequence of the changes and dilatoriness indicated, some burials continued to be made at the original burying ground till 1812, some of the soldiers of the War of 1812 being buried there. The bodies of many who were buried in this first burying ground were never transferred to another place. The coffins first used were made out of a roll of bark cut the right length, the ends being closed with pieces of clapboards or of rough slabs fastened together with wooden pins.
ROADS, FORDS AND FERRIES.
The county commissioners were largely occupied in establishing roads through various parts of the county. These mainly centered in Dayton. Land values were so low and the people were so anxious for roads that right of way, running in any direction or at any angle, was readily granted. The two fords across the Miami river and the roads leading from them have already been described. The road from the town to the ford at the foot of Sixth street led out from First or from Third street by what is now Perry street. The ferry corresponding to this ford was at the foot of Fourth street. It was established in 1805 or 1806 by William King, whose land lay west of the river. A strong rope was stretched across the river and well secured to large trees on each side. A small platform, large enough to carry a team and wagon, was held to this rope by ropes and pul- leys. The platform was propelled across the river by putting poles to the bottom of the river and pushing as the operator of the ferry walked from the front to the rear of the platform. Later, the platforms were so made and so adjusted that, by a
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change of angle to the current, the platform was carried back and forth by the force of the current.
In 1806 a ferry was established from the foot of First street directly north to a landing between where the two breweries on River street now are. A county road still is located between this point and River street. The ferry was established by Dr. James Welsh, one of the purposes being to enable him to reach his land north of the Miami river.
The annual license for ferries was placed at three dollars, some of the time at four dollars. Ferry rates as fixed by the county commissioners were for a time as follows: Loaded wagon and team, seventy-five cents; empty wagon and team, fifty cents ; two-wheeled carriage, thirty-seven and one-half cents ; man and horse, twelve and one-half cents ; persons on foot, six and one-fourth cents. In Decem- ber, 1814, Charles Tull established a ferry across the Miami at the head of Ludlow street. There was a ford across Mad river near the present intersection of Tay- lor and Water streets, the course of Mad river then being that far south. To avoid the ferry rates, and later to avoid the bridge toll, the fords across the Miami river continued to be used to a great extent for many years. When the railroad bridge at Sixth street was built in 1851, the people demanded that an arch be built in the western abutment so that a passage would be made from the ford to the north side of the bridge. Thus the road west was saved from crossing the railroad tracks.
RIVER TRAFFIC.
The use of the Miami river for navigation purposes was one of the most prized assets of the Dayton community. Upon the United States charts the river was and still is recognized as a navigable water-way. Before the whites came, the Indians had constant water connections between Lake Erie and the Ohio river by the Miami river and its Loramie branch to Loramie, and thence by a portage to the St. Mary's river twelve miles distant, and a portage to the Au- glaize river a few miles more distant, and by these rivers to the Maumee and Lake Erie. General Wayne took advantage of these water-ways in provision- ing his numerous military posts.
Notice has already been taken of the flat-boat of David Lowry that was loaded at Dayton for New Orleans in 1800. Flat-boats were made of green planks fast- ened by wooden pins to a wooden frame and caulked with tow or like substance, and were inclosed and roofed with boards. They were used in descending the streams, being guided by long oars fastened at both ends of the boat. The boats were loaded with pork, venison hams, flour, pelts, whisky and other products. usually for the New Orleans market. Having arrived at New Orleans and dis- posed of their cargo, the flat-boatmen sold their boats and, buying a horse, re- turned home by land. The Dayton Repertory for May 24, 1809, contains the first published notice of the traffic as conducted from Dayton in an account of the departure of a "flat bottomed boat owned by Mr. John Compton." In August of the same year, nine flat-boats loaded at Dayton were reported as reaching the Ohio river in safety. The river channels were much obstructed by fallen timber and brush, and by dams and fish-baskets. Fish-baskets were made by building
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dams on the ripples of streams in such a way as to throw the water to the middle, where an opening was made into a box constructed of boards and slats and placed at a lower level than the bed of the stream above the dam, so that the fish gathered into it could not escape. There was now a general demand that all of these ob- structions should be removed, not only from the Miami, but also from the Still- water and Mad river. In the summer of 1809, Paul D. Butler gave notice in the Dayton Repertory of his intention to navigate the Miami from its mouth to Stony creek, and warning all persons against obstructing in any way whatever the free use of the river. Before this, dams had been lowered after much con- tention, or during high water the boats were able to clear them. Paul D. Butler and Henry Disbrow, two of the leading citizens of Dayton, proceeded to build two keel-boats. They were built in the winter of 1809-10, in the street in front of the court house, and when finished, were moved up Main street on rollers and launched. A keel-boat was shaped much like a canal boat, and could be operated up stream as well as down. These two boats were poled up the Miami river and Loramie creek to the mouth of Stony creek. One of the boats was then hauled across the portage twelve miles to the St. Marys river, where it began its regular trips back and forth on the St. Marys and Maumee rivers, exchanging freight across the portage with its sister boat on the Miami. Some accounts say the longer portage to the Auglaize river was used and that freight was carried by the Au- glaize and Maumee rivers. Thus these boats did a good business between Dayton and Lake Erie for many years. In 1811, nine flat-boats left Dayton on two suc- cessive days for New Orleans. Broadwell's red warehouse at the head of Wilkin- son street was the place of receiving and discharging cargoes. At times, a large number of boats were anchored in the vicinity. Supplies from the east and south were for the most part brought up from Cincinnati in wagons or on pack-horses.
POST OFFICE.
For seven years after the founding of the Dayton settlement, the people se- cured and forwarded their mail as best they could through the Cincinnati post- office. In December, 1803, a post-office at Dayton was authorized and Benjamin Van Cleve was appointed postmaster. The original bond in the amount of five hundred dollars, bearing date December 12, 1803, and signed by George Newcom as surety, was recently received from Washington and deposited in Dayton. The post-office was opened in the spring of 1804 in a cabin which Mr. Van Cleve had erected and was occupying at the southeast corner of First and St. Clair streets. Mr. Van Cleve continued as postmaster till his death in 1821. The case used by him for holding mail is preserved in the Newcom log cabin. At the first, Dayton was reached by a post-rider going from Cincinnati to Detroit and returning once in two weeks. For two years, the people as far north as Fort Wayne were obliged to come to Dayton for their mail. Not long after Mr. Van Cleve received his appointment, a weekly mail was established. For several years, the mail route was from Cincinnati through Lebanon, Xenia and Springfield to Urbana, thence through Piqua, Dayton, Franklin, Middletown, and Hamilton to Cincinnati. A letter written to Piqua would have first to go south and thus around the circuit
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till it reached its destination. A second mail route was from Zanesville by way of Franklinton and Urbana. The next route from the east was by way of Chillicothe.
An interesting agreement preserved among the papers of William McClure, first editor of the Repertory, indicates one of the early improvements in mail service. The agreement is as follows :
"Witnesseth, That the said George, on his part, binds himself, his heirs, etc., to carry the mail from Dayton to Urbana once a week and back to Dayton for the term that has been contracted for between Daniel C. Cooper and the postmaster- general, to commence Friday, the 9th inst., to-wit: Leave Dayton every Friday morning at six o'clock; leave Urbana Saturday morning, and arrive at Dayton Saturday evening, the undertakers reserving the right of altering the time of the starting and returning with the mail, allowing the said George two days to perform the trip, the post-rider to be employed by the said George to be approved by the undertakers. They also reserve to themselves the right of sending way letters and papers on said route, and the said George binds himself to pay for every failure in the requisitions of this agreement on his part the sum equal to that re- quired by the postmaster-general in like failures. The said committee, on their part, agree to furnish the said George with a suitable horse, furnish the person carrying the mail and the horse with sufficient victuals, lodging, and feed, and one dollar for each and every trip, to be paid every three months."
It will be seen that the agreement was triangular, the post-office department probably paying a certain sum in accord with a contract with Cooper, the com- mittee, rather the undertakers whom they represented, who were to enjoy certain benefits, making themselves responsible for the payments named, and George F. Tennery, who received the contract for carrying the mails, and was to employ a post-rider to perform this part. George F. Tennery was an active attorney in Dayton, receiving license to practice in 1803, but later moved to Troy. De- cember 19, 1808, the Dayton Repertory contained a call for a meeting at the court house of the people of Dayton and the adjoining country with a view to securing a post-route direct from Wheeling to Dayton, New Lexington and Eaton by which they could receive intelligence at least a week earlier than under the former arrangement. It was necessary that those interested should defray the expense, but the postmaster-general agreed to allow the revenue from the service thus es- tablished to be applied on the expense incurred.
In 18II, a bridle path was cut to Vincennes, and the following year, a bridle path was cut to the Western Reserve.
No stamps or envelopes were used. The letter was folded and secured by a wafer or other substance answering the same purpose, and on a blank part of the letter the address and the amount of postage were written. The usual postage on letters was from twelve and one-half cents to twenty-five cents. In 1816, the rates were fixed as follows: letters-thirty miles, six cents; eighty miles, ten cents ; over one hundred and fifty miles, eighteen and three-fourth cents; over four hundred miles, twenty-five cents; newspapers-anywhere in the state where printed, one cent; elsewhere not over one hundred miles, one cent ; over one hun- dred miles, one cent and a half ; magazines-one cent a sheet for fifty miles ; one cent and a half for one hundred miles; two cents for over two hundred miles. Letters and newspapers were seldom prepaid, and those to whom they were ad-
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dressed oftentimes had not the money to meet the postage. Mr. Van Cleve out of the goodness of his heart would at his own risk often extend credit, but later would be obliged to insert in the Repertory such notices as the following :
"The postmaster, having been in the habit of giving unlimited credit hereto- fore, finds it his duty to adhere strictly to the instructions of the postmaster- general. He hopes, therefore, that his friends will not take it amiss when he assures them that no distinction will be made. No letters delivered in the future without pay, nor papers without the postage being paid quarterly in advance."
SKETCHES OF PIONEERS.
JACOB BROWN, who rose to prominence in the War of 1812, occupied before 1799 the cabin on the southwest corner of Water and St. Clair streets and after- ward went to the southwest part of town, where he kept bachelor's hall in a two-story house, the first story of stone, the second of logs. He was made general in the regular army in the War of 1812, and was granted a vote of thanks and a gold medal by congress for his bravery and distinguished services. He gained a victory at Sackett's Harbor in 1813, and in 1814 won the victories of Chippewa and Lundy's Lane. In 1821, he succeeded to the command of general- in-chief of the United States Army, which position he held till his death Feb- ruary 24, 1828. He was born in New York and had there served as general of militia.
AARON BAKER was born in New Jersey in 1773. He made a visit to Dayton in 1894, in 1805, he did the brick-work on McCullum's tavern, and in 1806 he did the brick-work on the court house. In 1807, he located in Day- ton. He was the first Methodist class-leader in Dayton, and was connected with temperance and other reform societies. He was county coroner from 1814 to 1817, and one of the county commissioners from 1825 to 1830 and from 1832 to 1834. He served as a justice of the peace, and in 1818, was president of the se- lect council. He was first married to Hannah Maxwell. They had four children, one of whom, David C., married Sophia Van Cleve, daughter of Benjamin Van Cleve.
LUTHER BRUEN, who came to Dayton in 1804, was born in New Jersey in 1783. He was the son of Judge and Abigail Bruen. His mother was a sister of Judge Isaac Spinning, He was a shoemaker and became a prosperous citizen. He served the community in various capacities. His active career as an abolitionist made him a conspicuous character. His descendants became prominent in later history. He died in 1849 of cholera.
DAVID REID, the proprietor of "Reid's Inn," was much more than a superb host. He filled a number of municipal and county offices. He was county re- corder from 1805 to 1812, and coroner of the county in 1838. As the first presi- dent of the select council in 1805, he might be called the first mayor of Dayton. While the functions of a magistrate were given to the president of the select council with added distinctness by acts of the legislature in 1814 and 1816, some of these functions were included from the first. The name mayor, however, was not used till in 1829. Mr. Reid was an officer of the Presbyterian church and was active in all movements for the public good.
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JOHN FOLKERTI was elected mayor in 1829 and is generally spoken of as Day- ton's first mayor, the legislature in that year bestowing the name in connection with the functions which had in a measure been before exercised. By an act of the state legislature of January 27, 1814, it was declared the president of the coun- cil "shall be conservator of the peace within the limits of said town and shall have the same power as a justice of the peace." By an act of January 6, 1816, the white male freeholders and householders were given the power to elect directly the president of the select council, the president to be "conservator of the peace" as before. Mr. Folkerth served as county treasurer in 1805 and 1806, and as county commissioner from 1807 to 1821. He was a member of the first select council in 1805, and was reelected in 1806 and made recorder. In September of this year, however, he resigned on account of his removal from the town. He located south- east of the town on the Waynesville road. At the formation of the county in 1803, he was made a justice of the peace for Dayton township. He is said to have held this office continuously for fifty-two years, and, after an interval of one year, was again elected. After returning from the country, his office was in a one-story brick building on East First street near Main. He was an incorporator of the library and of the Dayton Academy. He was a great reader and a man of sterling integrity.
JOSEPH PEIRCE was born in Rhode Island in 1786, and in 1788 was brought by his parents to the Marietta settlement. His childhood was spent in stockades and forts. About 1805, he came to Dayton, and in 1807, entered into partnership with James Steele in general merchandizing, the partnership continuing till his death in IS21. In 1812, he was elected to the legislature. On the organization of the first bank in Dayton in 1814, H. G. Phillips was elected its president. Mr. Phillips resigned in November of that year. Mr. Peirce was elected to succeed him and continued as president till his death in 1821. On November 10, 1810, he married Henrietta, daughter of Dr. John Elliot. Their descendants have held an honored place in the city of their birth.
JAMES STEELE was born in Virginia in 1778, and brought to Kentucky by his father in 1788. He came to Dayton in 1805. From the time of his coming till 1807, he was engaged in business with William McClure. From 1807 till 1821, he carried on business in partnership with Joseph Peirce, whose sister he married in 1812. After Hull's disgraceful surrender of Detroit, he raised promptly a con- pany of seventy men to go to the defense of the frontier. The company, not be- ing needed, soon returned, but Captain Steele was detailed by General Harrison to superintend the building of block-houses along the frontier. In 1822, he was elected president of the Dayton Manufacturing Company, whose main business was the conducting of a bank. In 1830, he built the dam across the Miami river known as Steele's dam, and the next year, erected a sawmill, and later, a grist- mill, he being the owner of a considerable tract of land at that point. In 1824, he was a presidential elector, casting his vote for his friend, Henry Clay. Mr. Steele was elected associate judge of Montgomery county by the legislature, in which position he served fourteen years. In 1834, he was elected to the State Senate. He filled this position four years. He was prominent in all public enter- prises. Education had in him an earnest friend and promoter. He was an early
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and faithful officer of the Presbyterian church. He died in 1841. His son, Rob- ert W. Steele, well exemplified and carried out his public spirit and aims.
JOSEPH H. CRANE was born in New Jersey August 31, 1772. He read law and was admitted to practice in his native state. In the spring of 1804, he came to Dayton and opened a law office. July 16, 1809, he married Julia Ann, daughter of Dr. John Elliot. Before the coming of Mr. Crane, only Joseph F. Tennery and Richard S. Thomas had been admitted to the bar, and only one or two other local attorneys were recognized as entitled to appear in the courts. The most of the cases were tried by lawyers from other places, chiefly from Cincinnati. It was therefore a great event when a strong well-equipped and high-minded lawyer like Joseph H. Crane settled down to practice in a pioneer village such as Dayton was. An account of his career will be given in the chapter on the bar.
HENRY BROWN, Indian-trader and pioneer merchant, contributed an import- ant part in the early history of Dayton. He was born near Lexington, Vir- ginia, May 8, 1772. In 1793, he was military secretary to Colonel Preston, who commanded a regiment in General Wayne's army. In 1795, he entered into a partnership with John Sutherland at Hamilton, Ohio, their principal business being in trade with the Indians. In 1799, Mr. Brown assumed charge of a branch store at Fort Loramie. In 1804, he came to Dayton and erected on Main street near Water street a frame building for a store, the first house erected in Dayton specially for business purposes, Mr. Sutherland continuing in part- nership with him. The Indian trade was continued for many years. About 1808, he built a brick dwelling on Main street immediately north of the alley north of the court house, and in 1811, on dissolving his partnership with Suther- land, he opened a store in a front room of his dwelling. Mr. Brown had three pack-trains in charge of agents in the Indian country, two of them on the Wabash and one on the Maumee-the last consisting of fifty horses bringing skins and furs from the Lake Superior region. The extent of his trade may be inferred from the fact that when in 18II, the war-cloud began to appear, he withdrew his traders from the most distant places, stored his goods in his Day- ton warehouses, and the following year, sold two hundred of his horses and many of his supplies to the government, and branched out for trade at Dayton, Fort Greenville and Urbana, which was called "local trade." February 19, 1811, he married Catherine, daughter of Colonel Robert Patterson. Their three chil- dren who grew to maturity were: Robert Patterson, Henry Lindsay, and Eliza Jane, who married Charles Anderson. He died May 19, 1823. He had amassed a large amount of property, mainly by trade and investment in lands.
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