USA > Ohio > Montgomery County > Memoirs of the Miami valley > Part 81
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The Sugar Grove mills, two miles south of town on the Still- water, have a capacity of fifty barrels a day and the company is proud of the fact that two carloads of their product a month went to Belgium during the period of the war. Their output of cornmeal is of such a quality they are called the "cornmeal kings of the val- ley." The president of the present company is Jacob B. Kendall and this company succeeded Ezekiel B. Kendall & Co .; J. N. Arn- dell is the manager.
The Covington Flour mill on Bridge street, owned by W. L. O'Roark, formerly of Covington Roller mills, is noted for its prod- uct, "The Pride of Covington flour." This mill was first built seventy-five years ago by D. E. Fall and later was owned by Neer & Cossell, and entirely rebuilt in 1909. It has a capacity of 100 bar- rels a day and during the World war operated for ten months solely on government orders.
The Westville Creamery company has been in business for twenty years. R. R. Johnson is the president, William B. Johnson, secretary and general manager. A main plant is located at Wester- ville, a few miles out of Columbus. When the plant at Bradford burned January 1, 1919, it was decided to build at Covington. This fine new plant for butter making was completed May 31 of the same year and is one of Covington's important institutions.
Being the center of a fine tobacco raising country, there are four tobacco warehouses located here, owned by the National Leaf To- bacco company, Gill Trembly Tobacco company, Huffman Tobacco company and the Hoeflich warehouse.
Newspapers. The Covington Tribune Gazette is now being published by F. J. Little. The first paper issued here was the Still- water Valley Gazette, brought out in 1870 by S. W. Ely, and later came under the control of William A. Brown, now editor of the Greenville Advocate, who changed the name to the Covington Ga- zette. In May, 1883, W. F. Cantwell bought the Gazette and it en- joyed a very good circulation in the Stillwater valley. The Cov- ington Tribune was established in 1898 by J. H. Marlin and O. W. Yount and the control of this paper was assumed in 1905 by A. L. Marlin and his son, W. L. Marlin, now Col. W. L. Marlin of World war fame. These two papers, the Gazette and Tribune, were con- solidated and published by A. F. Little, who also publishes the Bradford Sentinel.
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The Armory. Much pride is taken in the armory, erected in 1916 on High street, directly across the street from the traction office. It is an impressive structure of pressed brick and had just been completed before the troops left for the border. After the declaration of war with Germany the local companies were sta- tioned awhile in the armory. Lieut. Colonel William Marlin's ef- forts were instrumental in obtaining this armory from the state, and it is now used for the meetings of the Grand Army of the Repub- lic, Boy Scouts and Camp Fire Girls, of which Covington has a growing organization, and will be headquarters for the members of the A. B. Cole Post of the American Legion.
Lodges. Among the lodges established in Covington are F. & A. M., Covington Lodge, No. 168; Knights of Pythias, Stillwater Lodge, No. 233; Junior Order United American Mechanics, No. 221 ; Independent Order of Odd Fellows; Amokee Tribe, No. 132; Inde- pendent Order of Red Men; Covington Chapter, No. 275; Order of the Eastern Star, Demoiselle Council, No. 53; Mildred Rebekah Lodge.
Fletcher.
Fletcher has only been an incorporated village for the last fifty years although laid out back in 1830 by John Molloy. The original plot of the village consisted of forty-six full and four frac- tional lots. Since then the place has been added to by Parrot's ad- dition, Moses' addition, Clark's addition, Eickelberger's addition and Kiser's addition. John Kiser, a Virginian, was the first settler coming in 1806 and his son Isaac was the first white child born within what are now the corporate limits of Fletcher. He also built the first tavern, Samuel Dougherty kept the first little shop in a log cabin he built in 1830. Samuel Crane started a second store in 1835 and Isaac Dukemineer came along in 1850, building a brick store room.
Farming land near Fletcher was purchased at $1.25 an acre in those days and farm laborers were paid $8.00 a month. Isaac Kiser went into the general merchandising business with Michael Dun- can; they also bought and sold horses, riding horseback and leading perhaps a half dozen horses all the way to Philadelphia where they purchased their supplies to be shipped via Cincinnati by canal to Fletcher. Alonzo Montgomery and Solomon Brecount were con- temporaries of Isaac Kiser, known for years as "Squire Kiser," as he was township justice and personal adviser to many.
In 1894, the first grist mill in the township was built at Fletcher by Benjamin F. Shattuck, destroyed four years after it was built by fire. On this same location on Walnut street and the railroad, now stands the grain elevator and feed mill operated by the Fletcher Grain & Supply company, an incorporation of farmers since 1915. The officers are John Caven, George Pence and Francis Willard, and La Verne Berryhill is the manager. This is the most important business of Fletcher and it is understood they buy and sell more grain than any firm between Columbus and Indianapolis.
The citizenship of Fletcher is composed of retired farmers and it has a population of 375. The present mayor is Herbert Harbaugh
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and Mrs. Maude Carter is the postmistress. It is a station on the Pittsburg, Cincinnati, Columbus & St. Louis railroad, seven miles east of Piqua, with a passenger service of four trains a day, two east and two west, and three mails. Two paved roads run through the town, the Piqua and Urbana State road and the Fletcher and Casstown road. Main street is part of the Urbana road, this street being a mile in length, and well paved.
The village is now being poled for electric lights by the Day- ton Power & Light company to do away with the present oil lamps lighting the homes and streets. J. C. Suber has a general merchan- dising store, there are one drug store, four groceries and two black- smith shops and the Sunlight creamery does an active business in collecting cream for shipment. Forty homes in this little village are occupied by widows, the majority of whom have pensions.
There are three churches in the village. The Methodist church in Fletcher was the first church built in the township, and was erected in 1820 on land donated by Alexander Oliver. The present church building is of brick and located on Main street in the center of the village. As early as 1809 the Baptists held services in the home of John Kiser. The present church is a frame building on East Main street that was built in 1862 at a cost of $1,500. In 1837, the Presbyterian church was organized in Fletcher by the Presby- tery at Sidney. The Presbyterian church today stands on Walnut and North Presbyterian streets and is a substantial brick structure. A new centralized school house is under construction just west of Fletcher, this village being in the township school district. Until this is completed the school house on Walnut street is being used. This present school house was built in 1874 when the special school district of Fletcher was organized. The first log cabin school house in the Brown township had been built in 1810, the second school house was put up on William Mason's farm in 1818.
Georgetown.
Georgetown or New Lebanon was sponsored by George Hat- field and laid out in about 1840. At one time it had a thriving in- dustry in oak shingles but the scarcity of timber in that locality put a complete end to that business. Its postoffice title is Pottsdam and the present population is little over a hundred. The German Baptists have a church there but it is without a regular pastor.
Laura.
Laura is situated near the North branch of Ludlow creek in Union township, on quite rolling ground. It was laid out about 1840 by Wesley Sharp and Riley McCool. It is now quite a thriv- ing community of about 400 inhabitants, incorporated as a village some thirty years ago. It is a station on the Big Four road. Ander- son & Coppock's grain elevator is one of the most important indus- tries. A tobacco warehouse has been established by Andrew J. Schaurer, and The Laura Lumber company does a flourishing busi- ness. In its precincts are an excellent graded school and two churches, the Christian church and The Friends (Quaker) church.
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Lena.
Lena was laid out by Levi N. Robbins in 1830 and was first named Elizabethtown in honor of his wife. This was subsequently changed to Lena, because there was another town in the state called Elizabethtown. Strange to say, after the new name was selected, there was found to be another postoffice in the state by the latter name. It was eventually decided to call the postoffice at Lena, Allen's postoffice, in honor of Sylvanus Allen, the first postmaster in the township. The first store in the village was built by Joseph Beck. William Graham operated the first blacksmith shop in the village after it was laid out. The postoffice has been discontinued and Lena is served by rural route from Conover about a mile away. The Lena Conover High school located here is a credit to the com- munity. The Masons established Fidelity Chapter O. E. S., at Lena, August 6, 1897, and the Odd Fellows, Silver Star lodge, June 28, 1896.
Ludlow Falls.
Ludlow Falls has been an incorporated village since 1910 and has a growing population of about two hundred. It was built on Ludlow creek at the point where Ludlow falls makes its descent of thirty feet over jagged rocks into the canon below. Prosperity is contributed by the fact that Ludlow Falls is on two railroad lines, the Peoria division of the Big Four and the old Delphos division of the C., H. & D., now owned by John Ringling, and also a station on the Dayton, Covington and Piqua Traction. The grain elevator operated here by Meyers & Patty company is one of the best known in this part of the country. A very good township school is located in the village. There are two churches in Ludlow Falls, the Christian and the Friends (Quaker) churches.
Pleasant Hill.
This village, the only one in Newton township, was founded by the late J. K. Teeter (father of U. B. Teeter), who settled here in 1837. Six years later, May 26, 1843, he laid out the original plat, one mile square, and it was surveyed by James Hauk. This plat consisted of eight lots, all west of Main street, lot No. 1 being the lot now occupied by the Whitmer Hardware store. It is well laid out with wide streets and its comfortable homes denote its popula- tion of prosperous retired farmers. The first building was erected by S. T. Coote on lot two; and in 1847 J. K. Teeter put up the sec- ond building as a store room and home for his family.
The citizens first decided to call the village Newton, after the township, which had been named in honor of the physicist, Sir Isaac Newton. The earliest postoffice in the locality had been estab- lished about a mile southeast of Newton, and from the unusually lovely landscape was called Pleasant Hill Postoffice. This post- office was moved to Coppocks mill in 1840 for convenience, still retaining the name of Pleasant Hill. In 1850 when this postoffice was moved to Newton, the name of this village was changed to Pleasant Hill, and John Whitmore was the first postmaster. June 30th, 1866, the village was incorporated and its first mayor was
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Charles W. Davis. The construction of the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton road through here began in 1879, and gave Pleasant Hill her first shipping facilities. Today the Dayton, Covington and Piqua Traction whose cars first came through here in 1902, gives an hourly passenger service, and it is also a station on the Delphos division of the old C., H. & D. road with two passenger trains a day.
Telephone service has been rendered by the Stillwater Tele- phone & Telegraph company of Covington since 1911, and electric light and power has been obtained since 1900 from the Buckeye Light & Power company, also of Covington. The water supply is excellent, from a system of wells, and the present village water works were installed in 1908. The population now numbers fully a thousand and has about doubled in the last forty years. The present mayor is Frank M. Longnecker.
The first place of education was a log cabin just within the vil- lage limits when John Whitmore, father of the Whitmore Brothers who own the present hardware store, taught. A one-story brick was the next school building, on the lot now occupied by the resi- dence of Mrs. Ella Schaffer; and in 1862 that structure was torn down and the two-story brick in which Mrs. Ella Schaffer now lives was erected. Sub-district No. 7, including Pleasant Hill, was or- ganized into a special school district November 3, 1866. Owing to increasing population a new school building was erected in 1874-75, and in 1875 Horatio Pearson became school superintendent.
In the development of the village, religion played an important part. Pleasant Hill now has four churches. The first church build- ing in the corporation was a log house built in 1820 by the Chris- tian denomination just south of the cemetery, and was the second church in Newton township. It has been known as Hopewell church. The next church of this denomination was built in 1868; this structure was torn down in 1910 and a handsome edifice was built. The first church building of the church of the Brethren or German Baptists (originally Dunkards) was built in 1841, just north of Pleasant Hill. In 1853 this denomination came to Pleasant Hill to worship. In 1903 the Brethren church was built on Church street. The church of the Brethren or Progressive have a brick building on Church street. The River Brethren worship in what is called the "White church," stuccoed frame painted white, on South Church street. The original frame building was a Methodist church. For a time the Lutherans also had services in this church, but these have been discontinued.
There is practically no manufacturing done at Pleasant Hill. Myers, Patty & company own the grain elevator on High street and the railroad. This elevator and the other buildings were built in 1890 by Read & company, from whom they were bought eighteen months later. This company also owns and operates a grain ele- vator at Ludlow Falls and one at Rangeville (four miles north of Covington). They buy and sell grain and tobacco and do some grinding of meal and feed. The old grain mill they own on Monu- ment avenue, a square south of their present plant, and which was built in 1879 by Patty, Whitmore & company, they are using now
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as a tobacco warehouse. Myers, Patty & company are incorporated for $25,000 and the officers are: President, G. W. Whitmore; vice- president, J. G. Myers ; secretary and treasurer, W. O. Patty ; other directors, C. N. Patty and N. B. Peter. The Rogers Davis Lum- ber company, incorporated in 1914 for $25,000, is one of the impor- tant institutions, and has its plant located at the foot of Monument street. They do a retail business in lumber, coal and building mate- rial. This was originally the Daniel Moul Lumber company.
Beery Correspondence School for Horsemanship is a most unusual enterprise, being the only school of its kind in the world. It was founded by Professor Jesse Beery, a native of Pleasant Hill, who had been an expert trainer of horses for 20 years, giving exhi- bitions in all parts of the United States for many years before he started his correspondence school.
There are a number of courses taught by mail, including "colt training, vicious horse training, how to ride and train saddle horses, animal breeding and feeding." Seventy-five thousand students have taken his courses. On the roll now are pupils in New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. This business makes quite a difference in the postoffice at Pleasant Hill, as the Beery mail averages 2,500 letters and inquiries a day in January, February and March, re- ceived from all parts of the world. A special "breaking" bridle is manufactured by this company and a number were sold the govern- ment. New courses have been added for "Practical Child Train- ing" and "School Room Discipline." The Beery school was incor- porated in 1908, with Jesse Beery as president; A. J. Lauver, vice- president; Roy Coppock, secretary. July, 1919, the capital stock was increased to $50,000, and the officers are: President, Jesse Beery; vice-president, A. J. Lauver (also general manager of the Burroughs Adding Machine company) ; treasurer, C. F. Perkins; secretary, Harry Whitmer.
The first bank in Pleasant Hill was not established until 1907; before this time the banking was done in Covington and Troy. This institution is a state bank capitalized first at $15,000 and increased in 1913 to $25,000. Its location in a three-story brick building is at the corner of Main street and Monument avenue.
The present officers are J. G. Myers, president; Chas. Whitmer, vice-president ; C. F. Perkins, cashier ; F. C. Longnecker, assistant cashier ; directors, J. G. Myers, Chas. Whitmer, F. M. Longnecker, C. M. Patty, Chas. H. Jackson. This bank was headquarters for the local Liberty Loan organization, for which C. F. Perkins was chairman. Liberty Loan bonds were sold to the amount of $222,- 350. The Pleasant Hill quotas were oversubscribed in every in- stance. In the Fourth Liberty Loan campaign they had the record of subscribing 315 per cent of their quota.
The Pleasant Hill News, issued first in 1914, is a weekly paper published and owned by H. C. Marlin, a son of J. H. Marlin of Cov- ington. Several newspapers before this had struggled vainly for existence, among them the Pleasant Hill Advocate.
The Grand Army post in Pleasant Hill is strong, as there is no post in West Milton. Their monument, erected in 1895 in the center of the village to Civil war heroes, gives its name to Monu-
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ment avenue. Lodges have been established by the Masons, Odd Fellows and Junior Order.
Staunton township and the settlement called "Dutch Station," which later became Staunton, was the cradle of Miami county his- tory, and many of the early events were enacted in this neighbor- hood. Peter Felix, the little French trader, was in all probability the first merchant of Staunton, and was also the first tavern-keeper. The first official session of court was held at the house of Peter Felix, and here justice was first dispensed in Miami county. It was thought at that time that Staunton was destined to be the county seat, but subsequent events decreed that Staunton should be famous only for its past achievements. The county seat was estab- lished at Troy and this step marked the decline of Staunton, and loss of her early prestige. However, it will always be remembered for its historic interest. Here, in the early days, the best of the first settlers gathered and transacted their business. Around this little village are woven the early legends of the county; the fame of Peter Felix, Simon Landry, the Knoops and Carvers and many of the early pioneers.
Tippecanoe City.
Tippecanoe City, a village in Monroe township is by reason of its uniformly wide streets, the best laid out of any community in Miami county, and with its well kept grounds and homes is a model of sightliness. Located in a fine farming country its industries are equally divided between agriculture and manufacturing. It lies on the West bank of the Miami river, and the Miami and Erie canal, finished to Troy in 1836, gave an early outlet for its products.
Land where the present village now stands was cleared by Robert Evans in 1839, who disposed of it to his brother-in-law, John Clark. Clark's family had emigrated to Miami county from Mary- land. In 1840 Mr. Clark laid out the village but it was not regularly incorporated until 1851. Hyatts village, now a part of Tippecanoe City, was the first location and when the canal came the village moved east. It was the first post village, dating back to 1820, and Levi N. Booker was elected the mayor in 1851. The early settlers came chiefly from Virginia and South Carolina with a sprinkling of the thrifty Pennsylvania Dutch. Some South Carolinians were granted land south of the Cowlesville road for services in the Rev- olutionary war.
In 1839 Thomas Jay built the first store room, a frame structure, and the first tavern was put up the next year by Henry Krise. Among the pioneers of Tippecanoe City contributing to its prosperity were Mordecai Clark, Henry TenEyck, Jacob Rohrer, George Smith, Henry Hawver, Josias Kerr, Isaac Harshbarger, Sidney Chaffee, Samuel M. Morrison, Dr. E. L. Crane, Eli Motter, Rev. John Rutter, Dr. J. Gilbert, Samuel Staley.
The business street of the town is Main, and John Clark's home, a substantial brick, still standing at the east end of this street, was built by him in 1851. John Morrison built a business building on Main street in 1850 and in 1867 the Chaffee business block on Main and Second streets was completed.
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The census of 1910 showed a population of 1881, but the vote of the village in the fall of 1919, numbering 780, would indicate a population of 2,500. Among the contributing factors to this growth of population have been the railroads, traction lines and splendid public utilities. The Dayton & Troy Traction line, with an hourly service from Dayton to Piqua, connects with the Western Ohio traction line at Piqua and with the Springfield, Troy & Piqua at Troy. At Dayton it makes connections with the Ohio Electric line, the Cincinnati & Dayton traction and the Dayton, Springfield & Xenia. The car barns and electric power house for this road are in Tippecanoe city. The Baltimore & Ohio road has two passenger trains a day and five mail trains.
The Tippecanoe Water & Electric Light plant is under munic- ipal ownership, and furnishes water, electric light and power to the village. The power plant is located on East Main street just east of the Canal. A system of wells supplies the purest of water. The Tipp Telephone company was organized in 1898 by H. G. Ritter, B. F. Dietrick, Eli Saunders, E. H. Timmer and J. A. Kerr. It was the first independent company in the United States to obtain connections with the Bell Telephone company. A. R. Garver is now president, and John I. Yount, manager.
There are three Protestant churches and one Catholic church now existent in Tippecanoe city. The first place of worship for the Methodists was a rude log house built in 1820. Twenty years later a more modern church was built on the same ground and this did service from 1840 to 1860. Zion's English Lutheran church, lo- cated on Main street, is a very neat modern structure. This church is especially interested in the Sarah Feightley Home for women over sixty on Main street, established at the death of Miss Feightley, who left her home and estate for its endowment. St. John's Catholic church was first a mission church and it was not until 1858 that their present church was built and a regular priest appointed. The priest also conducts services at St. Paris and Bradford.
The Masons, Odd Fellows, Grand Army of Republic, Women's Relief Corps, Maccabees, Royal Arcanum, Junior Order of Mechan- ics, and Ben Hur's have lodges in Tippecanoe.
With more than $2,000,000 worth of real property on which taxes can be levied the Tippecanoe schools have no reason to suffer from the want of funds. It is a separate school district with a large territory from which to draw. A log cabin in Hyattsville was the first seat of learning, but the first real school house in Tippecanoe City was erected in First street, and its old bell now peals forth in the Baptist church. This property was sold in 1854 and a frame build- ing put up on Dow street between First and Fourth streets. In 1868 a square brick structure was erected to replace the frame build- ing and this served its purpose until 1896. The present school buildings, both the high and grade school buildings, have beauti- ful grounds and are located on the block bounded by Dow, Third, Fisk and Broadway, with very attractive campus and wonderful old maple trees and is most prominently in view from the Traction cars. The present grade school building was finished in 1896 and took care
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of all pupils until 1917 when the handsome high school building was dedicated.
The soundness of their banking institutions is a matter of pride to the citizens of Tippecanoe City. During the World war they were most active in Red Cross and War Loan campaigns and activ- ities. The Tipp National bank was organized March 5, 1883, with a capital stock of $60,000, and was soon doing business in its own brick building on the south side of Main street. The first officers were Samuel Sullivan, president; Jacob Rohrer, vice-president ; A. W. Miles, cashier ; other directors, G. W. Weakly, W. W. Crane, J. W. Bowman, Wm. Ashworth, John Brown. A bronze tablet is in evidence on their office, received from the Federal Reserve bank in recognition of their liberal support in subscribing more than their full quota of Treasury Certificates of Indebtedness, Series Five, before the bonds were put on the market. Present officials are : President, T. C. Leonard ; vice-president, E. L. Crane ; cashier, A. W. Miles; assistant cashiers, M. T. Staley and Harry Fidler ; directors, T. C. Leonard; E. L. Mckinney ; A. L. Harshberger, A. W. Miles, E. L. Cooper, H. D. Kerr.
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