Memoirs of the Miami valley, Part 30

Author: Hover, John Calvin, 1866- ed; Barnes, Joseph Daniel, 1869- ed
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Chicago, Robert O. Law company
Number of Pages: 684

USA > Ohio > Montgomery County > Memoirs of the Miami valley > Part 30

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THE STORY OF LOGAN COUNTY

of Peter Leister and the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Jo- Hantgen. She is one of Bellefontaine's foremost musical artists.

Transportation

Like the first villages of the new country, the earliest roads were natural growths of expediency and necessity, seldom the re- sult of scientific survey. Without entering into the minutiae of the present complete system of public highways and its develop- ment, it may be said broadly that the first main traveled roads followed the lines of the old Indian trails, which in fact were used without change, at first, and were mere bridle paths at most, the settlers "blazing" other similar paths, as circumstances de- manded, which were later re-surveyed and opened as roads. The Ludlow Line, on which the timber was cut in 1800, made the basis of the first surveyed road, and the "trace" of Hull's march to Detroit in 1812, crossing the county from West Liberty to the northwest, discovered routes of which the road builders availed themselves. Other roads were cut to meet the demands of the growing popula- tion, and to connect settlements for purposes of commercial inter- course, until the county is now traversed by unsurpassed pikes and roads which make possible the transportation to market by the twentieth century motor truck method, of every variety of farm produce, regardless of railroad facility. The bottomless black mire of swamps and wet seasons, bridged in the early days by "corduroy" pavements, is now a thing of the past, and the fifty years of floun- dering, through seas of mud varied with chuck-holes, is forgotten in the fifty years of progress since the first issue of bonds for road building, inaugurated by Bellefontaine in 1867. Formerly impas- sable swamps have been drained by the extensive ditching, and road- ways straightened and shortened by building solid pikes across those old barriers to progress. Logan county's wealth of gravel and limestone has been a wonderful factor in pike building, and with due attention, now that the war with Germany is over, the future expense of maintaining the road system which has cost the county fully a million and a quarter in money, should be comparatively light.

There was a time, even in the midst of transportation difficulties, when the first rumors of the coming of a railroad were listened to dubiously by the rural population, and even protested against with open animosity or alarm, as something subversive of the old and reliable order of things. It was many years before Logan county learned all that was to be learned from the railroad method of building road beds.

Through Logan county, from Sandusky on Lake Erie down to Dayton at the mouth of Mad river, was built the first railroad pro- jected in the state of Ohio. Beginning at the northern terminus in 1832, it took seven years to reach Bellevue, and eight years more to reach Bellefontaine. An opportune financial assistance stretched it as far as Springfield in 1848, but it was 1850 before Dayton was finally attained. The route, known locally as "The Mad River rail- road," was built by local subscriptions along the way, and the scarcity of actual money with which to pay stock subscriptions had

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as much or more to do with its slow progress as the engineering difficulties encountered. Only painstaking economy and patient courage made the ultimate success of the investment possible. R. E. Runkle and Robert Patterson of Bellefontaine were, respectively, the second vice-president and secretary-treasurer of the road. In General Robert P. Kennedy's "Historical Review" is given a minute description of the method of road-bed construction and track-laying used, the details being taken from the old contracts made by William G. Kennedy for the timbering and laying of the track from Belle- fontaine to West Liberty. The method, complicated and expensive, was soon supplanted by the better, cross-tie, mode still in use. The Lake Erie and Mad River railroad, long since extended to Cincin- nati, forms a part of the "Big Four" system.

From 1849 to 1851 the C. C. C. & I. (or, as it was at first called, the Bellefontaine and Indiana) railroad was built from Union City, Indiana, to Bellefontaine, giving rise to the towns of Quincy and DeGraff in Logan county. Stephen Quigley, the engineer of the construction train during the building, and his son Brock Quig- ley, a conductor later on, were familiar figures on the route for over fifty years. In 1852 this route was extended through to Crestline and Cleveland, opening the way to eastern markets, and benefiting the towns of the northeastern quarter.

The Bellefontaine and Delaware railroad, projected in 1852 by Robert Patterson and William G. Kennedy, was eagerly promoted by investors, railroads having attained popularity by that time, but the panic of the fifties caused a collapse in railroad building, and much money was lost. A revival of the project in 1885 also failed. The Detroit, Toledo and Indiana railway, built in 1892-3, passes through the southwest corner of Logan county, touching but one town, Quincy. The same year, the Toledo and Qhio Central railway built a line to Columbus, which enters the county at Ridgeway, and, passing south through that fertile district to West Mansfield, has given an impetus to progress invaluable to the communities on the Scioto slope.

In 1897 the St. Mary's branch of the "T. and O. C." took up the old Bellefontaine and Delaware franchise, and by re-locating the "deep cut" across the Mad river hills, successfully crossed the county from the northwest, through Lakeview, Lewistown, Bellefontaine, Zanesfield, East Liberty and on to Columbus, the Ohio Electric road, passing through the county from the Reservoir district, through Huntsville, Bellefontaine and West Liberty to the south, is another incalculable transportational advantage, the railroad map of Logan county now resembling a great wheel of fortune.

Logan County in the War

Now, during the closing scenes of the world war, comes a season when a backward glance over the various patriotic activi- ties occasioned by its grim necessities has become possible, because of the lull in the work, which, with the exception of Red Cross benevolence, will soon be laid aside, it is hoped, forever. From the first the best effort of the highest executive talent of Logan

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county has been enlisted in the ranks of "war workers," and in no case is there a more signal instance of efficiency than in the conduct of the Liberty Loan campaigns. Chairman William Wallace Riddle, appointed in 1917, for the first Liberty Loan, has, with the committees then named, served throughout the four campaigns ensuing. Few changes have been made in the personnel of the committees, which follows with reasonable accu- racy : Executive, R. B. Keller, Fred W. Arnold, Fred C. Spittle, John D. Inskeep, Alfred Butler, and Isaac Zearing, all of Bellefon- taine. County Advisory (chosen from the bankers of the county), William B. Ramsey, Bellecentre; T. M. Cooper, Lewistown ; A. B. McIlvain, West Liberty; Harry E. Clapper, Huntsville; Harry Koogler, DeGraff; Harrison Clay, Quincy; A. L. Votaw, West Mansfield ; Fremont C. Hamilton, East Liberty ; H. O. Huber, Lake View; J. W. Ansley, Rushsylvania ; J. D. Headington, West Mans- field ; William T. Haviland, Bellefontaine. Publicity (chosen chiefly from the editorial ranks), J. G. Morris, chairman; John M. Hare and Edwin M. Colton, secretaries; Donn C. Bailey, J. C. Martin, E. M. Day, Ralph English, LeRoy Blessing, Minnie Liles, Frank G. McCracken, S. P. Pond and H. A. Shoemaker. Township chairmen were: Union, H. B. Harner ; Bokes Creek, W. F. Knight; Perry, Pearl J. Humphreys ; Zane, Roy Aspinall; Rush Creek, J. E. Shaw ; Monroe, Oren Outland; Jefferson, Zachary Dougherty; Liberty, Henry Foust; Lake, north, Jonah K. Meredith; Lake, south, T. D. Chester ; City of Bellefontaine, Herman K. Horn; Harrison, George Detrick ; McArthur, J. H. T. Gordon ; Richland, P. R. Healy ; Wash- ington, D. A. Hamer ; Miami, DeGraff, W. E. Harris ; Quincy, N. P. Swank; Pleasant, Marco W. Long; Bloomfield, Eber Hodge ; Stokes, Frank W. Kerr. Committee of Bellefontaine sales: Anson B. Carter, William H. Hamilton, George W. Cronley ; clergy, Dr. W. L. Barrett ; lodges, Harry N. Kennedy ; "Flying Squadron," O. L. Jo- Hantgen, J. T. McIntosh, W. Clay Huston, A. Jay Miller, Rev. F. M. Swinehart.

The Loans. The First Liberty Loan totaled $232,750.00, from twelve hundred and eighty-two subscribers. The second amounted to $301,100.00, from nine hundred and fourteen subscribers-an apparent falling off in subscribers, which is explained by the cir- cumstance that in the tabulation of the Second Loan the subscrip- tions from the Big Four railway's office and shop contingent were not permitted to appear as a component part of the county's total -- which was, in fact, far "over the top." The Third Loan, that of April, 1918, was over-subscribed, reaching the figure $665,650.00, from three thousand five hundred and twenty-six subscribers. The fourth and latest Liberty Loan was the first drive in which the work of the Logan county women was recognized as a factor, and the results, which exceeded expectations, furnish some interesting study. The Women's committee, headed by Mrs. Nell Garwood Armstrong, included a large corps of able women already promi- nent in Red Cross work. The scheme of the canvass was thorough and only four of the townships failed to respond with a sub-commit- tee. The women were allotted by the National Women's com- mittee with the task of raising fifteen per cent of the entire county

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quota, or, $116,647.00. They responded with $227,150.00, or over twenty-eight per cent. Bellefontaine women raised seventy-seven per cent of the city's allotment ; Belle Center women raised $1,000.00 more than the city's quota; DeGraff women raised over seventy per cent; West Liberty women over sixty-six per cent; Quincy women nearly fifty per cent ; Zane township and Rushsylvania women each raised about one-third of the local allotments.

The city of Bellefontaine, men and women together, raised nearly two-thirds of the entire county allotment, going "over the top" of their own apportionment by $304,300.00, or over three times what was required of them. Huntsville and DeGraff were close behind with nearly three times the amount of their apportionments. Two thousand, two hundred and fifteen men, and six hundred and three women subscribed in Bellefontaine, one thousand four hun- dred and sixty-seven of the total number being Big Four railway employees. Of the city's total subscription of $453,900.00, the Big Four men took $139,200.00.

Women's subscriptions in the whole county, one thousand five hundred and forty-five; amount, $227,120.00. Men's subscriptions, four thousand eight hundred and fifteen ; amount $742,950.00. Total subscriptions, six thousand three hundred and sixty-one; total amount, $976,100.00. Over-subscribed, $197,450.00.

The four loans aggregate $2,175,600.00. For the grand result of the campaign in Bellefontaine the meed of credit is divided between, first, the magnificent response of the railroad employees ; second, the work of the women's committee; and third, the Belle- fontaine chairman, Herman K. Horn, and his corps of earnest, patriotic workers.

The draft board for Logan county opened, officially, August 1, 1917, and its work being now officially closed, a complete report has been made as to the number of men included in the draft who were called to the service of the nation in the war with Germany. The entire registration resulted in the induction of five hundred and seventeen men, of whom four hundred and eighty-two were accepted. The total registration was two thousand three hundred and eighty- · two men, of whom two thousand three hundred and thirty-three were white, and forty-nine colored. Fourteen were aliens. Only thirty-five were rejected, while twenty-one were delinquent. En- listments after the draft totaled, through the local board, one hun- dred and sixteen, making the total number of soldiers passing through the county draft board, five hundred and ninety-eight.

This, however, does not represent the man power furnished the nation from Logan county, for, previous to the declaration of war with Germany, enlistments both in the army and navy had been going forward rapidly, through the government stations; while before the draft board was organized a rush of enlistment followed the announcement of war. Also, Logan county lads who threw off parental restraint and enlisted at other points swell the total service of the county to nearly double the number reported by the board. From a carefully collected list of names obtained from parents and friends of Logan county soldiers and sailors, the service flag at the canteen headquarters displays the equivalent of one thousand and

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fifteen stars, which is granted to be, if anything, an under-estimate of the actual number. The personnel of the draft board is : Newton Archer, president; Dr. E. R. Henning, medical examiner ; George W. Guy, secretary ; Ray Miller, chief clerk.

The War Savings Stamp campaign in Logan county, under the leadership of William T. Haviland, of Bellefontaine, made an excep- tional showing, for which the honors truly due may not be paid because each chairman ascribes the honors to the others. The or- ganization of the county was perfect, and received most efficient aid in the canvass from the publicity committee, composed of O. L. JoHantgen, chairman ; Fred W. Arnold, Edward C. Cowman, Frank G. McCracken, J. H. Denman, John R. Hare, W. W. Riddle and Myran LeSourd. The quota for the county was $601,680.00, and the sales amounted, December 1, 1918, to $665,011.00. Of this fine total the "Thousand Dollar club," under the chairmanship of Hon. John C. Hover, rounded up three hundred and thirty-nine members, the largest "club," per capita, of any county in Ohio, and this, too, in a county which has one of the lowest bank deposit totals per capita of any county in Ohio. So much for captaincy and team work! The second prize offered for the highest sales made in the state by a juvenile during the drive, was also won by a little girl, Mary Huston, in Bellefontaine, who trudged on crutches to accom- plish her purpose.

The War Chest Drive opened Monday, September 23, 1918, in a raw cold rain which lasted nearly all the week, but failed to damp- en the ardor of the workers or their chairman, Judge John C. Hover. Figures, while they may not lie, drone monotonously, and except for totals they are not given in this report, but a few interesting points are brought to light, drawn from the published report of the chairman. The organization was complete to the last detail, more than thirteen hundred workers having been banded together for this drive.

Of the total population of the county, thirty thousand and eighty-four, about one-third, or ten thousand and twenty-seven, were expected to subscribe. As a matter of fact, eleven thousand seven hundred and eighty did subscribe. Of the townships, eight went well over the thirty-three per cent of population expected to sub- scribe, and only five fell appreciably below that proportion. Of the two prizes offered, Lake township won both, having over fifty per cent of her population as subscribers, and also the highest per capita subscription, $13.67. Zane and Perry townships came next, with forty-eight and forty-five per cent of population, while Bloomfield and Perry townships follow closest in per capita subscriptions, with $10.13 and $9.28 to their credits. Lake township also had the high- est rate per subscriber, $26.78; DeGraff, $26.54, and Bloomfield, $25.50. The average amount per capita the county over is $8.82, and the average per subscriber is $23.38.

The Agricultural Society donated a percentage of their gate receipts at the county fair, amounting to $241.85, and $18.00 from the fine commission. Subscriptions amounted to $265,182.57, making a grand total of $265,442.42. About $65,000.00 has already been paid in, January 1, 1919, and the disbursements to different depart-

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ments of the field have already begun, being published as made, a policy which will be pursued until the end.

The Logan County Chapter of the American Red Cross. "For- ever must I hold you as the pioneer of the Red Cross in America." With these words, addressed to Judge William Lawrence of Belle- fontaine, by Clara Barton, first president of the American Red Cross, under date of October, 1898, the history of the Logan county chapter may be said to have had its inception.

While visiting in Switzerland, prior to the Civil War, Miss Barton became acquainted with the international treaty then being entered into, by the nations of Europe, at Geneva. Miss Barton immediately felt the importance of the United States uniting in this treaty, and of the organization of a national society in America, and during the Civil War (when she was a nurse in the Union hospitals, and was permitted, under flag of truce, to visit Confederate prisons and minister to suffering Union soldiers confined therein) and after its close, she continued to urge the secretary of state, William H. Seward, and the national presidents and secretaries of succeeding administrations, to gain the consent of the senate to make the United States a party to the treaty of Geneva. Owing to the precedent of Mr. Seward's opposition, her appeals were of no avail until after the opening of President James A. Garfield's administration, in 1881, when, having engaged the assistance of Judge William Lawrence and Mrs. Lawrence of Bellefontaine, Ohio, a conference was secured with the president, with the hope of persuading him to accept the office of president of a Red Cross society. Mr. Garfield hesitated to assume the responsibility as well as the honor of the position, but the organization, which had been effected, and constitution drawn, May 21, 1881, held a subsequent meeting at which Miss Barton was chosen president and William Lawrence (then comptroller of the United States treasury), vice-president. By Judge Lawrence's advice, the association was incorporated, July 1, 1881, those signing the articles being : Clara Barton, William Lawrence, W. K. Barnes, A. S. Solomons, and Alexander V. P. Garnett. On July 2, 1881, occurred the tragic shooting of President Garfield, his death follow- ing September 29, 1881. After the accession of Chester A. Arthur to the presidency, Judge Lawrence accompanied Miss Barton in calling upon President Arthur with a request, which he granted willingly, to recommend, in his annual message to the senate, the participation of the United States in the Red Cross convention. Acting upon this recommendation, the senate concurred, March 1, 1882, and proclaimed the same July 26, 1882. (United States Stat- utes, XXII, 940.) Miss Barton afterward maintained regular cor- respondence with Judge and Mrs. Lawrence to the end of their lives, a letter written at the close of the Spanish-American war containing the words with which this sketch begins.

Miss Elizabeth Haviland, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William T. Haviland and grand-daughter of Judge and Mrs. William Lawrence, was one of the earliest promoters of the Red Cross, and was a speaker at the initial meeting, held Friday, May 4, 1917, in the Chamber of Commerce.

At this time she elucidated the First Aid work, in which she had

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already finished a course of training. A. F. Rothstein, secretary of Chamber of Commerce, presided, and Rev. William C. Welch, of St. Patrick's church officiated as secretary at this meeting, and Mrs. Frank R. Griffin opened the program with a ringing appeal. A temporary organization was effected on this occasion, and a mass meeting called for Monday, May 7, at the First Presbyterian church. A committee on permanent organization also was directed to report at the mass meeting, which was opened at the appointed time, with the auditorium of the church crowded to the doors. A. F. Rothstein acted as temporary chairman, and upon the report of the organiza- tion committee being read and accepted, the permanent officers assumed their positions, and the Logan county chapter was ushered formally into existence, with Judge Ernest Thompson, chairman ; Mrs. Frank R. Griffin, vice-chairman; Miss R. Eva Byers, secretary ; Alfred Butler, treasurer. In the programme, prepared by Mrs. A. Jay Miller and W. W. Hamer, Rev. William C. Welch delivered the first address, conveying to the meeting his own enthusiasm and that of the previous meeting at the Chamber of Commerce. Miss Joseph- ine Valentine, of Urbana, formerly a nurse in Serbia, gave an outline of the plan of work, and of the purposes and needs of the National Red Cross (under rules of which the local chapter works), explaining also the four courses of training authorized and provided for volun- teer nurses and workers, viz .: First Aid, Dietetics, Preparation of Surgical Dressings and Elementary Hygiene and Nursing. She then sketched the working methods of base hospital units, and re- lated vividly some of her own experiences in the field hospitals in Serbia, where she had assisted in caring for wounded Americans. The meeting joined in the sniging of the Battle Hymn, and Mrs. W. L. Smith sang a popular war song, accompanied on the piano by her daughter. The membership committee, consisting of Father Welch, Dr. Hale, George T. Brandon, Rev. William Barrett, Rev. John Williamson and Rev. Traverce Harrison, reported the acquisi- tion, to date, of two hundred and thirty-two members, Mrs. Char- lotte Hamer, aged 88 years, having been the first to register. At subsequent meetings the work was carried swiftly forward until the organization was complete. Chairmen for the organization of the four classes were appointed June 1, 1917, as follows: First Aid, Miss May Marquis ; Surgical Dressings, Miss Haviland ; Elementary Hygiene and Home Nursing, Mrs. A. Jay Miller ; Dietetics, Mrs. Mary A. Zerbee. The committee on by-laws consisted of (Mayor) U. L. Kennedy, Mrs. Carrie Thompson and Mrs. Frank R. Griffin ; and Mrs. Moselle Butler, Miss Haviland, Mrs. Emil Geiger, Mrs. Harry Goff and Miss Maud Hiatt constituted the supply committee. By the advice of Mr. Charles O'Donnell all temporary committees became permanent. A petition for membership in the National Red Cross was signed by the same members who had made up the organ- ization committee, the honor of the first signature being given to Mrs. Charlotte Hamer, followed by Mrs. Moselle E. Butler, Mrs. Mary Emery Griffin, Miss Elizabeth L. Haviland, Mrs. Carrie Thompson, Judge John C. Hover, Alfred Butler, Mrs. Mary A. Zer- bee, U. L. Kennedy and Charles F. O'Donnell.

On June 24, 1917, at an outdoor meeting held at Highest Point,

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Hon. James M. Cox, Governor of Ohio, became a member of Logan County Chapter by formal application.

By-laws were adopted June 26, 1917. The home of Mrs. George Brandon had been previously offered for a regular meeting place until a permanent headquarters could be secured, but the Y. M. C. A. simultaneously offered the use of the old Folsom residence on North Main street, of which they had control, and this offer was accepted, and a house committee appointed with authority to renovate and furnish it for offices, class and workrooms. At the first meeting held in the new chapter house, the house committee, Mrs. Griffin, chair- man, and her able assistants, Mrs. Johnson West, Mrs. Blanche Miller, Mrs. Claire Hover, Mrs. Maurice Carter, Mrs. Hazel Davis and the Misses Gertrude Funk, Lulu Morgan, Marie Kerr, Myrtle Armstrong, Helen Patterson and Elizabeth Haviland were voted thanks for their service and its fine results. Dr. Clyde Startzman was appointed to fill the place of Miss May Marquis, resigned from First Aid Organization. The board of directors was named with the date of expiration of term as follows: For the year ending October 31, 1917, Miss Agnes Pool, Mrs. Frank P. Kerr, Miss R. Eva Byers, Hon. Ernest Thompson, Hon. John C. Hover, Mrs. John Harner, Mrs. Fremont Hamilton, Mr. William T. Haviland and Mrs. Robert Butler. For the year ending October 31, 1918, Mrs. Emil Geiger, Mr. Alfred Butler, Mr. Charles O'Donnell, Mr. LeRoy Blessing, Mr. John Ansley, Mrs. Mary E. Griffin, Mrs. Grace Good- hart, Mrs. F. R. Makemson, Mrs. Mary A. Zerbee and Rev. C. F. Irwin. For the year ending October 31, 1919, Mrs. T. F. Wilson, Mrs. Louisa B. Barr, Mrs. Nora G. Shoots, Mrs. Freeman Jones, Mr. Frank McCracken, Mr. Charles Harshfield, Mr. Harry Koogler, Mr. Walter Stanley, Mr. Job Sharp and Rev. William C. Welch.

Sixteen township branches have been organized in the county, each with its own by-laws, and reporting all work to the chapter, at Bellefontaine. The Lake township branch includes Lake, Harri- son and Union townships, and its by-laws are identical with those of the chapter, with its headquarters in the Chapter House. Chapter committees for 1918 were :

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Memoirs of the Miami valley, Part 30

Author: Hover, John Calvin, 1866- ed; Barnes, Joseph Daniel, 1869- ed Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Chicago, Robert O. Law company Number of Pages: 684

Author: Hover, John Calvin, 1866- ed; Barnes, Joseph Daniel, 1869- ed
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Chicago, Robert O. Law company
Number of Pages: 684