USA > Ohio > Knox County > Past and present of Knox County, Ohio, Vol. I > Part 27
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The many changes in location being immaterial to this generation, it may be recorded that the office was removed to its present place in Masonic Temple building, in September, 1897.
The sixth postmaster appointed was Benjamin F. Smith, who was chosen by the people, who petitioned the department, after the following exciting contest : A wire was stretched between two trees, quite high, and the man who could throw a coon's tail over the wire was considered qualified for the office of postmaster at Mt. Vernon. A man named Jones was the first to throw the coon's tail over the wire; he accomplished the feat by buying a few shot of a neighbor, and attaching them to the tail, thus giving it weight. Jones did not care for the office, but gave it over to his friend, Benjamin F. Smith, the son of James Smith, a Methodist preacher and justice of the peace for many years. It may be said that the postoffice was kept in the near neighborhood of the corner of Vine and Main streets for a half century.
The subjoined is a list of all postmasters having served in this postoffice, the same having been carefully compiled and verified by the department at Washington, by William Silcott, a local historian of accurate and painstaking methods, who has materially aided in various ways in the compilation of this work :
Gilman Bryant, appointed December, 1809, served eight years ; Alexander Elliott, appointed January, 1818, served six years, ten months; James Mc- Gibney, appointed November, 1824, served three years; Eli Miller, appointed December 27, 1827, served three years, seven months ; Isaac Hadley, appointed August, 1831, served nine years, eleven months ; Benjamin F. Smith, appointed July, 1841, served two years and two months ; William H. Whitton, appointed September, 1843, served four years, six months : Daniel McDowell, appointed April, 1848, served eleven months ; Johnston Elliott, appointed March, 1849, served four years; Frederick J. Zimmerman, appointed March, 1853, served four years ; William J. Morton, appointed April, 1857, served three years and eleven months ; C. Sherman Pile, appointed March, 1861, served five years, four months; William H. Mefford, appointed August. 1862, served eight months ; Maria L. Hood, appointed May, 1867, served two years; Noah Boynton, appointed May, 1869, served four years, ten months: George B. White, appointed April, 1874, served eight years, one month : John G. Steven- son, appointed May, 1882, served four years, two months ; John D. Thompson, appointed July, 1886, served three years, four months ; James Israel, appointed December, 1889, served four years ; Charles E. Critchfield, appointed January, 1894, served four years; George E. Canning, appointed February 5, 1898, served ten years, three months ; Sheridan G. Dowds, appointed May 17, 1908. still serving.
(18)
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The above shows that the average length of time which the postmasters in Mt. Vernon have held the office is four years, four months and sixteen days.
Rates of postage were then as follows: On single letters, for any dis- tance not exceeding thirty miles, six cents ; over thirty, and not over eighty miles, ten cents : over eighty and not over one hundred and fifty, twelve and one-half cents; over four hundred miles, twenty-five cents. This was from 1809 to about 1840, then a trifle lower.
Mt. Vernon was made a free delivery station among the Ohio postoffices on March 1. 1891. The first carriers were Robert F. Blythe, W. D. Bell and Ed C. Mahaffey. There are now seven carriers, as follows: Ed C. Mahaffey, W. D. Bell, Guy H. Stimmel, Fred S. Craig, H. H Hildebrand, Clarence W. Kost and Edison J. Breece.
The balance of the office force in the autumn of 1911 were the following persons : Sheridan G. Dowds, postmaster ; Charles C. Dowds, assistant post- master ; R. Melvin Davis, postal money savings and money order depart- ments : Alfred C. Coile, general delivery ; Sumner S. Pierce, mailing division ; John C. Wood, same: Noble E. Weir, city distributer: Frank P. Haymes, mail messenger.
There are now five mails each way by rail daily. Amount of business transacted, other than money order business, in the year ending June 30. IQII, was twenty-seven thousand dollars. The postal savings deposit system went into effect here July 15. 1911. The office has had no defaulters or rob- beries.
There are now eight rural routes from Mt. Vernon office. The first four were installed November 15, 1900: the average route's length is twenty-five miles.
MUNICIPAL HISTORY.
Mt. Vernon was made a "town" incorporation by act of the Legislature, dated February 26, 1845. the same being entitled : "An Act to Incorporate the Town of Mt. Vernon. in Knox County." The only special provisions of such legislative act were the following: "That all grounds hereafter laid out and recorded as town lots, or additions to said town by name or otherwise, if con- tiguous thereto, shall, from the time of being recorded, be included within the corporate limits of said town and constitute a part thereof."
The same act also divided the town into five wards and prescribed the manner of holding the first election and named the offices to be filled.
Eight years later, 1853. the Legislature enabled the town to become a "city of the second class."
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In 1870 the city council passed an ordinance, defining and establishing the corporate limits of the city of Mt. Vernon.
With the completion of the Sandusky, Mansfield & Newark railroad, now known as the Baltimore & Ohio road, the city took to itself new life; several additions were made to the platting, especially was this made necessary by the building to the city of the other railway, the Cleveland, Mount Vernon & Columbus (now Pennsylvania system).
But long years before that Mt. Vernon had a village (borough) gov- ernment, with its mayor, recorder and a board of trustees. This village gov- ernment, under the then existing laws of Ohio, was established February 22, 1830, but the author regrets to state that the records for all the years of the "village," as well as the "town" governments, were in some manner mislaid or destroyed, hence but little is to be learned of the earliest movements as village and town between the years 1830 and 1845, other than who some of its officers were.
The following is supposed to be an accurate list of the mayors and mar- shals of Mt. Vernon for all years to 19II :
MAYORS AND MARSHALS OF MT. VERNON.
Mayors.
Marshals.
1830-Samuel Mott.
1831-William P. Burgess.
1832 -- William P. Burgess.
1833-S. W. Hildreth.
1834-John W. Warden. 1835-S. W. Hildreth.
1836-Henry B. Curtis.
1837-Henry B. Curtis.
1838-Johnson Elliott.
1839-Elliott and Smith.
1840 --- Benjamin F. Smith. 1841-Truman Ward. John Phifer. John Phifer.
1842-Truman Ward.
1843-Truman Ward.
John Phifer.
1844-Isaac Davis.
John Phifer.
1845-Isaac Davis.
Clark L. Bennett.
1846-Jacob B. Brown.
Clark L. Bennett.
1847-Jacob B. Brown.
Clark L. Bennett.
1848-C. P. Buckingham.
Clark L. Bennett.
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1849-John S. Davis.
1850-John S. Davis.
Joseph H. Martin.
Russell Crandall.
Squire McDonald.
Jacob Cable.
1854-Jacob B. Brown. 1855-R. Lockwood.
H. K. Robinson.
1856-Thompson Cooper.
1857-Thompson Cooper.
1858-Thompson Cooper.
Charles B. Church.
1859-Thompson Cooper.
Ephraim Hogle et al.
1860-Thompson Cooper.
Timothy Bartlett.
1861-Thompson Cooper.
Johnson and Axtell.
1862-Thompson Cooper and son William. 1863-William C. Cooper.
George W. Steele.
Calvin Magers.
1864-Edmund V. Brent.
Calvin Magers.
1865-Edmund V. Brent.
Calvin Magers.
1866-Edmund V. Brent.
Allen Ingram.
Calvin Magers.
Calvin Magers.
1869-John S. Davis.
Calvin Magers.
1870-John S. Davis.
Calvin Magers.
John A. Mitchell.
John A. Mitchell.
Calvin Magers.
Calvin Magers.
1875-Thomas P. Frederick.
Calvin Magers.
1876-Thomas P. Frederick. 1877-Thomas P. Frederick. 1878-William Burr Brown.
Calvin Magers. Calvin Magers.
Calvin Magers.
Calvin Magers.
Calvin Magers.
Calvin Magers. Calvin Magers. Henry Copper.
Henry Copper.
Henry Copper.
Henry Copper. Robert Blythe.
1879-William Burr Brown. 1880-William Burr Brown. 1881-William Burr Brown. 1882-John D. Thompson. 1883-John D. Thompson. 1884-William C. Culbertson. 1885-William C. Culbertson. 1886-William C. Culbertson. 1887-William Burr Brown.
Abraham Emmett.
1851-John S. Davis.
1852-Joseph W. Vance. 1853-E. S. S. Rouse.
Jacob Cable.
H. K. Robinson.
Thomas S. Jacobs.
1867-John S. Davis.
1868-John S. Davis.
1871-John S. Davis.
1872-John S. Davis. 1873-John S. Davis.
1874-Thomas P. Frederick.
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1888-William Burr Brown. 1889-William Burr Brown.
Robert Blythe.
Robert Blythe.
Robert Blythe.
1890 -- Charles E. McManis. 1891-Charles E. McManis. 1892-Charles E. McManis.
Leroy Cochran.
Leroy Cochran.
1893-Charles E. McManis.
Josiah G. Bell.
1894-Charles F. Colville.
Josiah G. Bell.
1895-Charles F. Colville.
Josiah G. Bell.
1896-Leroy G. Hunt.
Josiah G. Bell.
1897-Leroy G. Hunt.
Josiah G. Bell.
1898-Leroy G. Hunt.
Josiah G. Bell.
1899-Leroy G. Hunt.
William J. Dennis.
1900-George S. Harter.
William J. Dennis.
1901-George S. Harter.
William J. Dennis.
1902-Orren Peppleton.
William J. Dennis.
1903-Samuel R. Gotshall.
Lawrence Dermody.
1904-Samuel R. Gotshall.
Lawrence Dermody.
Lawrence Dermody.
Lawrence Dermody.
Lawrence Dermody.
1905-Samuel R. Gotshall. 1906-William H. Clarke. 1907-William H. Smith. 1908-William H. Smith.
1909-Charles A. Mitchell.
1910-Charles A. Mitchell.
19II-Charles A. Mitchell.
The officers at the head of the city government in 1911 were : Charles A. Mitchell, mayor: Stephen J. Dorgan, auditor; Howard C. Gates, treasurer ; James L. Leonard, solicitor; Rollin R. McIntire, clerk ; Charles M. Fairchild. director of public service; A. F. Stauffer, director of public safety ; chief of police, Rollin S. Clements. The city council is made up as follows: President. Edward Dever; members, Charles K. Salisbury, Fred G. Taylor, Fred H. Farrison, William Appleton, Sr., Jacob Dubinsky, John D. Weaver and Robert L. Cole.
WATER WORKS, PAVING, ETC.
The first attempt at supplying the city of Mt. Vernon with a water sup- ply was in 1881, in the spring of which year, on April 18th, occurred a dis- astrous fire which destroyed the warerooms and a large amount of property of one of the leading industries, others narrowly escaping. Immediately the
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better class of business men circulated and had signed a petition which was forwarded to the state Legislature asking for a special charter by which the city might obtain water works. At the time Hon. Lecky Harper was in the Senate, while Hon. William M. Koons was in the House. The bill presented became a law April 19, 1881. The provisions of the act were that not more than fifty thousand dollars should be issued in bonds for such purpose, the same not to run longer than twenty years, and not more than four mills per annum was to be raised by tax levy. The bond issue was made on August 29, 1881, for fifty thousand dollars. The matter of securing a suitable supply of pure water was no small problem, and this caused much discussion and the work was delayed some by reason of this question and difference of opinion on the part of the city council, which after several tests in different sections settled on the present, well known and beautiful site for the water works plant, coupling with it the idea of what is now known as Riverside Park. The matter of water supply being decided, it was then easy to locate the stand-pipe, which is located on the highest part of the city in Mound cemetery, one hundred and eighty feet above the level of the floor in the power house.
The actual building commenced March 20, 1882, and on June 30th the same year, one hundred and two days later, the work was finished and water let into about five miles of mains. Collin W. Koons, engineer of the fire department, acted as construction superintendent. This system was put in commission largely for fire protection, but soon the people clamored for more water for domestic uses and the city then secured another special act by which twenty-eight thousand dollars more in bonds were issued at six per cent., the Knox County Savings Bank taking the bonds. The first officers of the water works were C. W. Koons, superintendent ; Nathaniel McGiffin, sec- retary : Jacob Gaines, engineer.
The power house and pumping plant is located on West High street. near the banks of Kokosing river, and there a system of wells go down to living water, filtered through the white gravel found at that point. The original two wells were eight feet in diameter and with the conduit gave a daily capacity of one million five hundred thousand gallons.
The system has been materially changed for the better, both in capacity and up-to-date equipment. There are now the following wells of never-failing pure water : One dug well, fourteen feet deep by twelve feet in diameter ; thirty-five two-inch artesian wells, eight four-inch and two six-inches in diam- eter. Direct pressure and gravity is the force now employed, amounting to about ninety-five pounds per square inch. The total pumping capacity is four and a fourth millions gallons daily. The standpipe capacity is 210,000
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gallons. Average daily consumption is a million and a fourth gallons. Number of consumers, sixteen hundred. The works supply for the public good seven horse troughs, four fountains and twelve sewer flush tanks.
The fire department is in connection, the fire chief now being the superintendent of the water works, and he is assisted by four paid firemen. The city building, a two-story structure on Gay street, has engine and hose rooms, teams and two thousand nine hundred feet of workable hose. The fire department is sadly lacking in strength and organization.
The total cost of the water works has been about one hundred and eighteen thousand dollars. The present superintendent is U. G. Pickard.
STREET PAVING.
The last report made to the state shows the city has sixty miles of paved streets, thirty of brick and thirty of gravel. But few cities have as good streets and care for the same as well, especially in the business dis- trict. Better outskirt roads and streets are needed, in order to comfortably get to and from the public institutions and factories.
At the public square there stands a large ornamental fountain, many beautiful flowers and the county soldiers' monument, erected in 1877.
POPULATION OF THE CITY. -
In 1820 Mt. Vernon had only a few buildings made of brick and the population was but a few score of souls; in 1826 it had eighty dwellings, a printing office, a brick court house and jail, a merchant mill, a saw mill, a cotton factory and within six miles nine grist mills and saw mills and three carding machines. In 1830 the federal census placed the population at 500; in 1870 it had grown to be a city of 4,876: in 1880 it had reached 5,249; in 1890 it was 6,027; in 1900 it was 6,633 and in 1910 it was placed at 9,087, about equally divided between the four wards of the incorporated city.
In 1880 it was found by actual count and the taking of vital statistics that Mt. Vernon had within her borders fifty men and women who had an av- erage age of eighty-three and two-thirds years. The oldest of this number (all over eighty) was Mrs. Sarah Calkins, aged ninety-five years, while the youngest of this fifty was eighty years and some days of age-really quite a record for longevity, and this record has been kept good to the present date, it is believed, for there are many over the four score mark here today and some past ninety.
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STREET RAILWAY.
Mt. Vernon never had a horse car line, but in July, 1892, it passed an ordinance granting a franchise to Howard Harper and John Short to build and maintain an electric railway system in the city. The line was con- structed and has been in use ever since, but it has changed owners several times, it now being largely owned by capital outside of the county. It has several miles of track, extending as far as Riverside Park on the west and. as far as Hiawatha Park on the east of the city; also to East Vernon. Its fare is regulated by franchise to be not in excess of five cents, with usual transfers. The speed limit was also named in ordinance to be not faster than ten miles per hour on its extensions. The last franchise was granted for twenty-five years in March, 1907. The limit was fixed as to time of making trips, which stipulates that they must run cars as frequent as twenty minutes, each way. This company runs its cars to both depots and to both of the parks, one of which-Hiawatha-it controls itself.
ELECTRIC LIGHTING PLANT.
Mt. Vernon was first supplied with electric lighting facilities under the ordinance passed July 23, 1888, eight years after the invention of such a system of lighting. The Schuyler Electric Company, of Middletown, Con- necticut, was granted a franchise to put in commission such a lighting plant. It was placed in working order October 1, 1888. The company was, in 1889, changed to that of the Mt. Vernon Electric Light and Power Company and later was consolidated with the street railway company and it is so operated at this date.
MOUND VIEW CEMETERY.
The first burying ground in the city was where now stands the third ward school buildings. It contained about three acres of land and was used until Mound View cemetery was established by the city about 1834, to the north of the city proper. This has come to be one of the finest-kept grounds in this section of Ohio. A very accurate system of records are kept of lot owners and burials on the same. Many of the bodies first buried at the pio- neer grave yard were removed to the new grounds, while many others were allowed to remain where buried by the hands of pioneers. In excavating for street and building purposes many years ago, several of the caskets were dug or plowed out of their place. At Mound View cemetery, which was
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named on account of the large, well-preserved Indian or Mound-Builders work at that point, are numerous fine monuments and the grounds are kept in excellent condition. Mr. Frederick, the present sexton, has been in charge many years, and takes delight in keeping all in harmony with the sense of sacredness which should always attach to these last resting places of the dead. Many soldiers of the various wars are here sleeping their last sleep, in grounds where hundreds, if not thousands, of years before were buried people of a race of which we now know but little.
LITERARY SOCIETIES.
It may be of interest here to mention some of the numerous literary societies that have existed in Mt. Vernon, especially in the long-ago days, before theatres and clubs were monopolizing the thoughts of people generally, as they are in these, the first days of the twentieth century. Long before men and women had an opportunity to take car and automobile rides, or talk news and gossip over the telephone lines, they really required some so- cial functions, and wisely the early day people here, the better element, took to putting on plays and forming literary societies which allowed them to while away many an otherwise dull, wintry night.
The first of such literary societies was the Polemic Society in 1815. This lasted for two seasons and was turned into the Thespian Society, which was sustained many years. Money making was not thought of in these so- cieties and lawyers, doctors, merchants and others took part. The exhibi- tions were usually at the court house or at the Golden Swan inn.
The Mt. Vernon Literary Society was formed in 1816, having among its brilliant members Joseph Brown, Hosmer Curtis, R. D. Moore, Gilman Bryant, Timothy Burr, Daniel S. Borton, Samuel Mott and Henry B. Curtis. It had a goodly number of standard works, which were finally distributed among its members when the society was abandoned.
Another literary society of the same name was formed in 1821-22 by a number of young bachelors, and survived a number of years, until some were married and had family duties and cares to attend to, while others removed.
The Mt. Vernon Lyceum was formed in 1830 and was well sustained for some years. In the winter of 1833-4 it was incorporated under the state laws. This continued the longest of any of these literary societies and did not dis- band entirely until 1842. Literary essays, orations and discussions were the chief entertainments. It was this society that collected a good library of several hundred volumes.
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In 1830 a Dramatic Association was formed and continued until 1840. In 1834 a Mechanic's Society was formed, which continued until 1840, and this was supported by many of the better class of mechanics of Mt. Vernon.
In 1839, the Franklin Society was organized for mental improvement ; this lasted about four years.
In December. 1849. several gentlemen of Mt. Vernon set about the for- mation of an historical society for Knox county, and in 1850 a constitution was drawn up and signed by "thirty-two gentlemen." It appears that noth- ing ever materialized in this connection, save the constitution and a long list of resolutions and endless numbers of names.
In 1856 Rev. Dr. Muenscher formed a new Mt. Vernon Library So- ciety. This continued in existence until sometime in 1864, and then went down, as did many like societies, during the Civil-war period.
Another amateur dramatic association was formed in 1856 by Dr. T. Eugene Clark and others, it being styled the Atheneum. This prospered for two seasons.
In 1874 the young ladies and gentlemen of the city gave several praise- worthy entertainments in dramatic style, one play being the "Quiet Family :" another being "Down by the Sea," and another "Raising the Wind." In 1876. the same society presented the "Honeymoon." which took well and as it was for raising funds for the erection of the soldiers' monument in the public square, a copy of the play, the cast, etc., were placed in the box beneath the monument.
PUBLIC LIBRARY.
The present public library at Mt. Vernon is not an old institution, but followed several attempts at a much earlier period. As early as 1816 the Mt. Vernon Literary Society commenced the collection of volumes for a library, but when that society disbanded the books were divided among the various stockholders of the society.
In 1830 the Mt. Vernon Lyceum was organized, as has been mentioned before in this chapter. It was incorporated in 1834 and existed many years, during which time it also established a very good library, consisting of sev- eral hundred volumes.
In 1856 Rev. Dr. Muenscher formed a new Mt. Vernon Library So- ciety and this existed and was quite successful until 1864.
Other attempts were made at subscription libraries down to April 23, 1884, when it appears there was appointed a library committee by the city council. which incorporation had acquired the old library by donation. This
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committee was made up of Messrs. Fairchild, Ewalt, McIntire, Holbrook, Larimore and Curtis, with Mr. Fairchild as its president and H. L. Curtis as its secretary. The old United Presbyterian church, at the corner of Sugar and North Main streets, had been purchased and remodeled into the present-day public library building. The minutes show that in December, 1887, Mrs. J. E. Dickson, of Elyria, Ohio, was employed to catalogue the books on hand and in June, 1888, Miss Jennie E. Colville was engaged as librarian at forty dollars per month. The cost of the building and fixtures up to February, 1888, had been five thousand five hundred dollars and one thousand five hundred dollars had been spent for books, while many more came as gifts. In 1884. Hon. L. Harper donated his complete Banner file. of the newspapers of this name, from the time it started to 1884 and the same are held as a priceless gift to this day.
There was an informal opening of the library February 18, 1888. at which several speeches were made. The city council appropriates a certain amount each year for carrying on this library. The present librarian, who has served since June, 1908, is Miss Ethel M. Knapp.
HOME FOR THE AGED.
Among the good things accomplished by the Woman's Christian As- sociation of Mt. Vernon was the establishing of a home for the aged, at the corner of Sugar and North Gay streets, in 1906, in the large brick residence originally owned by Charles Scribner. By gifts and subscriptions the work of caring for the aged ladies of the community has been carried forward. It has an endowment fund which now amounts to about seven thousand dol- lars, which will be increased until the home will be independent. The per- sons who may now enjoy this fine old folks home are required to pay into the institution the sum of five hundred dollars if residents of Knox county, and one thousand dollars if from abroad. Under seventy years of age ladies are admitted for the sum of six hundred dollars. These amounts carry with them the pledge of the home to care for them throughout life. Of the ten ladies now making this their home, one is eighty-eight, while the youngest is fifty-five years of age.
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