The History of Miami County, Ohio, Part 25

Author: W. H. Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1880
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1051

USA > Ohio > Miami County > The History of Miami County, Ohio > Part 25

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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY.

implicit confidence his fellow-citizens reposed in him. For twenty-one years he was Director and President of the Dayton & Michigan Railroad Company ; Presi- dent of the Miami County Branch of the State Bank of Ohio, and various other offices of trust and responsibility were largely represented by him.

Gen. Fielding Loury was a pioneer to this county shortly previous to 1806, and with the aid of John Smith, his father-in-law, laid out the town of Staunton, and superintended the sale of lots. Smith owned a large amount of land in this county at that time, and employed Loury as his agent. Loury was a man of note, and was the first Representative of the county to the State Legislature.

Born in Spottsilvania Co., Va., March 13, 1781, came to Cincinnati in 1802 ; in June 1811, married Ann only daughter of John Smith, the first United States Senator from Ohio. Gen. Loury owned great quantities of land in Ohio, and in. the capacity of surveyor he spent much time in this county in laying out towns, and surveying his own and his father-in-law's lands. In character he was cour- ageous, courteous, energetic and industrious, ever alive to the interests of the community in which he lived. He is represented as a true type of the fine old- fashioned gentleman. He was married twice, taking for his second wife the widow of Daniel C. Cooper, original proprietor of Dayton, Ohio. Mr. Loury was the projector of the first ferry in this county, an account of which will be given elsewhere, a member of the early Legislature of Ohio, when it convened at Chilli- cothe, and subsequently at Columbus ; also a general officer in the State Militia, and was stationed at Detroit, as Indian agent, during the war of 1812. His powers of physical endurance and activity remained almost unimpaired until his death, caused by falling down stairs. About the year 1807, John Peck came from Kentucky to Concord Township, in this county. Mr. Peck was born Oct. 21, 1800; his grandmother was captured during the French and Indian war by a band of savages, and was only saved from burning, through the interference of the squaws, into whose good graces she had, by her amiability, ingratiated herself.

At the age of twelve, Mr. Peck was orphaned, and from that time till his seventeenth year, he found a home with relatives after, which, he hired out at brickmaking and farming, performing the labor, and receiving the wages, of a man. In later years, he became a farmer, which honorable avocation he followed till his death. He was a man of high moral character, and shed a beneficial influ- ence throughout the community in which he lived.

Isaac Peck, brother to the above, came to Miami County with John, when the county was an almost primitive wilderness. From the well-settled homes in Kentucky, he came to the rude pioneer hut in the woods. Left an orphan at the tender age of seven, he was bound out to learn the saddler's trade. Becoming dissatisfied with his employer, he left, and subsequently accompanied Judge Barbee, to assist in driving cattle to Green Bay, on Lake Michigan, for which he received $28.50, the first money he ever possessed.

Although of a very retiring and unobtrusive disposition, his well-known integrity, and steady business habits in later years, secured for him, unsolicited, many important local positions of trust.

OLD SETTLERS UP TO 1807.

Having now brought the settlements up to the year of 1807, at which time the county was organized, we will recapitulate, by giving a list of a few of the old settlers here, previous to and at that period, with, perhaps, mention of a few addi- tional facts concerning the biography of some. Beginning on the east side of the river, south, we have Samuel Morrison, David H. Morris, William and Mordecai Mendenhall, Robert Crawford, John H. and Cunningham Crawford, William Ellis, Benjamin Lee, Daniel Agenbroad, Christain and Daniel Lefevre, John, Andrew, Stephen, Benjamin, William and Andrew Dye, Jr .. John Christian and Benjamin Knoop, Cornelius Westfall, Fielding Loury, Thomas Sayers, Peter Felix, John Gerard, Simon Laudry, Uriah Blue, Barnabas and James Blue, Jonathan Rollins,

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Shadrach Hudson, John, Samuel and Lewis Winans, Abner, Henry and Nathaniel Gerard, Richard Winans, John Orbison, Joseph. Charles and Samuel Hilliard, Benjamin Hamlet, William Knight, John, Joseph and John Webb, David and John Knight, Richard Palmer, John Wallace, William Brown, Joseph Coe, Ste- phen Winans, Abram Hathaway, William Carter, Bennett Langley, Caleb Hatha- way, William and James L. Mckinney, John and Jacob Mann, Lewis and Obadiah Winters, Philip Sailor, George Williams, Jacob Sailor, Christ Prillman, John Batterall, Peter Harmon, John Flinn, James McCambell, Ralph French, Samuel, James and Lewis Deweese.

On the west side of the Miami, on the north, we have John Johnston, Indian agent, Frank and James Johnston, Benjamin Leavel, Hugh Scott, Mr. Hendershot, . Armstrong Brandon, John and Enos Manning, Alexander Ewing, Joseph McCool, Matthew Caldwell, the Statler family, Beedle family, father and several sons, James Brown and William Mitchell, Alexander Mccullough, Robert Mackey, William Barbee, Sr., father of Judge Barbee, James Orr, Reuben Shackelford, Aaron Tullis and his sons, John, Aaron, William, David, Joel, John T. and Stephen, Henry and Peter Kerns, Samuel Kyle. Thomas and Samuel Kyle, Jr .; William Adams, Abraham Thomas, Robert McGimsey, William, Adam and Samuel Thomas, sons of Abraham, William Gahagan, John Peck, John Orbison, James Knight, Jesse Gerard, George Kerr, James Yourt, George F. Tennery, Joseph Layton, Frederick Yourt, Jesse Jenkins, Andrew Thomson, Amos and David Jenkins, and David Jenkins, Esq., Samuel Freeman and his sons, Samuel, Daniel, John, Noah and Shrylock, Samuel and Enoch Pearson, Peter Oliver and sons William and Thomas, Arthur Stewart, Andrew Wallace, James Yourt, Will- iam Brown, Thomas W. Williams and Joseph Furnas, Joseph Evans, John Mote, Jonathan Mote, Benjamin Pearson, Robert and Joseph McCool, William, Thomas and John Coppock, Samuel, Jesse, John and Moses Coates, Thomas Hill and his sons Nathan and John, Michael and George Williams, William Long, Robert Leavel, Samuel Jones, Jacob Ember, Jonathan Mills, David Patty, Abiathier Davis, Caleb Neal, John Mart, James Nayton, Samuel Davis, Jonathan Jones, Samuel Teague, Samuel Peirce, Robert McConnell.

The following were living in 1868: Christian Lefevre, aged 83; Elisha Webb, 93; John Webb, still living, 90 ; John T. Tullis, 74; Samuel Thomas, 73; Robert McCool, 87 ; Samuel Coat, 96; David Patty, 83; Samuel Davis, 84 ; Jona- than Jones, 87 ; Robert McConnell, 89.

In this connection, we beg to note a few additional facts, in regard to Gen. Fielding Loury. He was elected to the State Legislature, October, 1809, and re-elected in 1810. The number of votes cast in the county, then more extensive than now, was 393; in 1810, 250. The wife of Loury, as has been said, was a daughter of John Smith, who resided near Cincinnati, on the Ohio. Smith was a merchant, preacher and politician, and a man of great wealth, having at an early period entered about 16,000 acres of land in the eastern part of this county, for the sale of which Gen. Loury was the agent. Smith was suspected of being an accomplice in the celebrated Aaron Burr conspiracy, for which he was tried. Though acquitted, it proved his financial and political ruin in Ohio, which State he soon left, and moved to Louisiana. At the close of the war with England, in 1815, there were large arrearages due the volunteers and drafted men, who had served on the frontiers. The Government being very slow in paying them, one Jesse Hunt, of Cincinnati, who was paymaster, conceived the idea, in conjunction with Mr. Loury, then a merchant, of buying up the claims, which they accordingly did, for fifty cents on the dollar, paying for the same in merchandise, at an enor- mous profit. This, though perhaps legal, caused a strong impression that the brave men who risked their lives on the frontier, had been unfairly dealt with, and created a strong and settled prejudice against the principal actors in the transac- tion. By reason of Smith's political downfall, he failed to meet the second payment on his lands, and they reverted to the Government. At this juncture, Loury and Hunt re-entered a great portion of it, the former representing Hunt's

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interest in the sale of it. Loury was elected Colonel of Militia, in April, 1815, Brigadier General in 1817; engaged in merchandising in Troy, and, in conse- quence of misfortune in down-river trade, failed in 1819.

Cornelius Westfall was the first Clerk of the Common Pleas Court, Clerk of the Supreme Court, County Recorder, Postmaster, and Director of the town of Troy after the first year. Offices in those days were not so remunerative as now, there- fore not so much sought after, and as a consequence office-seekers were not so abun- dant as now. It is said that while Mr. W. was not a man of much energy, he thoroughly understood the art of wire-pulling. A cotemporary says of him : "It was very marvelous how Mr. Westfall happened to have all the offices in the county. He could not have had a certificate to teach an infant class, as may be seen by the early records. He could not spell the day of the week. In several instances Fri- day is spelled Fryday, and the names of the days of the week and month do not begin with a capital letter. If I were good at a picture I would contrast the sys- tematic arrangement of Mr. Talbott's office with Mr. Westfall's. But he was not responsible for all the difference; he had no bookcase or fixtures for keeping his office in good order. A large store box was the receptacle of præcipe, subpoena, summons, declaration, pleas, rejoinder, et cetera."

We will now endeavor todiscuss briefly the habits, customs, improvements, etc., from 1800 till the organization of this county in 1807.

SOCIABILITY.

It seemed to be a matter of observation that the Miami River was a well-defined dividing line between the social intercourse of the inhabitants on the east and west banks. It can only be interpreted by the fact that nearly all the early settlers who located on the west side were old acquaintances, and had been neighbors in Ken- tucky previous to emigration ; and moreover they were nearly all members of the Christian Church. Whereas on the east side, there were none except Joseph Coe and family, and a Mr. Hathaway, who, though not a member, inclined in that direc- tion. In this chapter we shall follow Mr. Tullis, who, being a participant, writes through inspiration. When it is remembered that most of the pioneers of this val- ley were men in very limited circumstances ; that they had made close calculations as to how much land they could pay for, so as to have enough to form a family colony, and had left but a small margin for et ceteras, it will not be supposed that they indulged to any great excess in luxuries. But few copies of Paris fashions were called for, millinery and mantua-making were rather unpromising vocations, and music teachers on the modern style of piano-forte could hardly hope to succeed. They had a piano-forte, however, upon which all the daughters took lessons under . the instructions of mother. I wish my young lady readers could see one of those instruments, but they are " out of print." I cannot undertake a description. The last one I ever saw was under circumstances I cannot easily forget. I was living in the country ; Mr. - came out one day to see if it would be convenient for me to come to town that evening and perform the marriage ceremony, at his house for his benefit. He was a widower and had two or three half-grown boys. I told him I would try to oblige him. Accordingly, about twilight I drew up at his door and was kindly received. The gentleman and his sons were sitting very cosily by a good fire, and a lady was giving them music on her piano. After we had discussed the weather and the news of the day, the lady rose, put back her instrument, took off her apron, and shook the shives out of it (the leaves lying before her, on which she was practicing, was tow). When all these preparations were made, she said to the gentleman, "I am ready;" whereupon the business for which we had met was consummated. .

HOSPITALITY.

Hospitality was a leading trait. The sick and needy were as well cared for as they have been since Faith, Hope and Charity were organized. Indeed, those

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Christian graces did exist at that early day, though the process of combination came at a later period. There was nothing like aristocracy, or assumed superiority, on account of owning more acres, or being better born "Fustest families of Vir- ginny,"-nothing of caste to mar the free intercourse of all on the common plat- form of equality. It cannot be disguised, however, that there were certain semi- oracles, who commanded more deference on acccount of superior intelligence and culture than others whose opportunities had not been so favorable.

The intercourse among the young folks was of the most agreeable nature. Though they met on the level and parted on the square, there were some of the young men more than others " ladies' men," and some of the young ladies belles of a high order, yet there was nothing of jealousy or envy engendered.

Balls and parties of modern style had not been introduced ; indeed, there was too much work to be done, both in the house and in the field, to think of amuse- ments. There was always meeting on Sunday, and the young folks would go and come together as often as convenient. Meeting was generally held at Mr. Hatha- way's, or Josey Coe's, and Mr. Barbee's was a central point at which to rendezvous, being a pleasant walk from there to meeting. Carriages and buggies, be it remem- bered, had not been introduced, and could not have been easily used on account of bad roads. When the distance was too far to walk, they traveled on horseback ; a boy in the saddle, and a girl behind him. All parties enjoyed that mode of traveling hugely, (the idea suggested itself to us to leave off the "e"). Young gentlemen then were called boys, and young ladies girls. It was but seldom that there would be preaching before Brandon and the Kyles came out, which must have been in 1806, as Thomas B. Kyle and Lucy Barbee were married in April, 1807.

FIRST PREACHING.

Perhaps the first preaching in the county took place in Stephen Dye's barn in the summer of 1806, by Rev. Mr. Carmel, a Baptist minister. A company of twenty or more went from west of the river, among whom were James Orr and John Johnston, and Lucy Barbee, who was the acknowledged belle of the neighborhood. Jimmy and John were

RIVAL LOVERS,

and neither dare ride with Lucy in presence of his rival. Coming home, upon one occasion, just as they arrived at Coe's Ford, Johnston's nose began to bleed, and he was obliged to get off his horse and wait till it stopped. During his delay the company had all crossed the river. The river was very high to ford, but, having a large, powerful horse, he started in at a trot. In the center of the stream his horse broke down and landed him in the water. The current was strong, and the river deep, and, being encumbered with heavy velvet wrappers, while he could rise to his feet, he could not navigate. This seemed a favorable opportunity to Jimmy to get rid of his rival ; but he was the first to ride in and assist him to the shore. Rather an amusing anecdote is related by Mr. Tullis, in which John and Lucy were the principal actors, especially the latter. It seems John had a very peculiar gait ; stepped very short and quick, and worked his head and arms vigorously meanwhile. One day when the old folks and John-who boarded there were from home, and some young folks there, she, guided by the spirit of fun, and, without the fear of man, slipped to John's room, put on his clothes, came down into the yard, and began a series of perambulations in imitation of John's peculiar gait ; while in the midst of the entertainment she met John face to face, which caused the show to break up in consternation, and she to retire to female habiliments again.

SINGING SCHOOLS.

Pretty soon after the Marshall and McCullough families came to the county, singing schools were introduced. The neighbors east of the river did not frater- nize with the other side in this enterprise. The first school organized comprised

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HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY.

some of the best singers, and was a success. Among its members were, Peggy Marshall, since Mrs. Barbee, and her sisters, Lucy Barbee and sisters, the Misses Mackey, Miss Caldwell, since Mrs. John Stone, mother of Stephen, and several others.

Mr. Marshall was a scientific singer, and possessed a voice so peculiarly strong that, we are informed, he could be found "among the thousands at Cane Ridge camp meeting by his voice ; " and yet it was soft and musical. The arrange- ment was a little different then : the upper part was called treble, and sung by, the highest female voices ; the next, or counter, was sung by the soft female voices ; the soprano was tenor then, sung by the loudest male voices, and the bass as now. Perhaps the counter was better sung by a voice so low and sweet, than to give it the modern squall it now receives, and call it operatic.

WIVES FOR THE SETTLERS.

In the settlement of a new country, as a general rule, there is a scarcity of females. We remember traveling in South America for nearly a year without see- ing the face of a white woman, and the effect was not at all conducive to our moral elevation. We found our inclinations rapidly drifting towards the genesis of Dar- winism. Fortunately this county did not suffer in this direction. Old Joe McCorckle, as he was familiarly called, came from North Carolina with four buxom daughters, who, on short notice, were appropriated by Rev. Armstrong Brandon, Maj. Leavel, a merchant by the name of Hearse, and the other by a man whose name is unknown to history. Miss Polly Caldwell married Stephen Johnston, killed at Fort Wayne by the Indians. Josey Coe, Mr. Hathaway and Mackey all had marriageable daughters, who were in due time disposed of. Mr. Kyle, like the fox in the fable, took Lucy Barbee from her two contending rivals, and she never got to wear John's breechos metaphorically, as she had literally. As the stock on hand was getting low, Old Robert, alias Long Bob Culbertson came in with four admirable girls, who soon entered upon a dual life with W. H. Gahagan, W. H. H. Dye, H. S. Mayo, and S. Worrel, every one an ornament to society.

WHISKY, CONSCIENCE AND MUD.

At log-rollings, corn-huskings, and other like gatherings, whisky was always an indispensible article. It could only be obtained, at a very early day, at Dayton. When a settler would go in his wagon to mill, he would take his jug, and likely several other jugs also, and return with a supply. In 1807, a man by the name of Henry Orbison, from Virginia, started a distillery at the east side of the river at Piqua. It is said that Piqua absorbed all his manufacture, and he was no relief to the valley. In 1812, he wound up business and went into the army to support his family. Some who were boys at that time say they liked to go to Manning's Mill, for while they were waiting for the grist they would go to Orbison's and drink beer. About the year 1807, Henry Gerard built a still-house on Spring Creek, in conjunction with a corn-mill. Rye whisky was made here, the settlers having their crops made up on the shares. Some of them kept it in the milk- house loft, when the boys would knock out the bung, and with a straw imbibe to their heart's content. Another was erected by Mr. Gahagan, on the bank of the river, back of Mr. Benjamin James'. Copper stills were also used as a kind of family arrangement. Mr. Caldwell had a machine of this kind with which he manufactured quite a good article of whisky for the benefit of his neighbors in Kentucky. Family cares pressing upon him, he came over to Turtle Creek, Ohio, to get a pious young man to superintend it. All things progressed finely for a time, but soon his conscience became disturbed. He could not make whisky without malt, neither could he make malt without stirring the grain on Sunday. When he would go into his malt-house on Sunday to stir his malt, conscience would whisper in his ear, " Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy." So dis- turbed did he become, that he tore down his furnace, discharged the young man,

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and advocated the cause of temperance. Mr. Orbison used to relate a little anec- dote connected with his distillery. One evening after he had shut the fire off of the worm, and was comfortably seated at his fireside, a neighbor called with a pint flask to be filled with whisky, as he was suffering the agonies of total abstinence. Mr. Orbison expressed his sympathy, but he could not fill his flask. It was dark, raining, and very muddy ; and the still-house some distance off. His customer replied : "It's a bad condition of things, I know, but my case is desperate ; come, get on my back, and I'll carry you to the still-house." The task accomplished, and the flask having been filled : "Now, your health," said his customer, "Not yet," replied Orbison. "It was for your benefit that I came here, now you shall go back for mine. I'll carry your bottle, and you'll carry me." Without more ado, the customer picked him up and toted him back.

LADIES' INDUSTRIAL DEPARTMENT.

In drawing a contrast between the past and the present, we are led to inquire, · What have all the refining influences of Christianity and civilization done to elevate the standard of the female sex to a higher position in society ? Suppose a youth of eighty years ago should call to pass an hour or so with his lady love and find her in frizzles, spit-curls, etc., playing on the piano or reading the last novel, while her poor old mother was bending over the wash-tub; conversely, let us suppose a youth of to-day, with his fancy livery turnout, button-hole bouquet, patent-leather boots, gold-headed cane, blue silk rag dependent from his coat pocket, cigar, gold- or plated-chronometer, etc., should call to take his inamorata dulcina out driving, and should find her pulling flax, or in the barn swingling the same, dressed in linsey, her feet uncramped by side lace, her hair unconfined, "wooed by every wind." What would be the result in each case ? Let the reader draw the conclu- sion. In pioneer times, the family had to be clothed, and the clothing manufact- ured from the raw material ; no muslin in the first decade of the nineteenth cen- tury supplied the place of home-made linen. The men generally sowed the flax, gathered and broke it, then left to the women the succeeding steps in its trans- formation into wearing material, viz .: pulling, spreading to water, rolling, taking up, swingling, hackling, spinning, weaving and making into garments. With all this before them, and no hired girl, they kept themselves and their houses neat and tidy.

LOG-ROLLING.

An eye-witness says : Here in front of the cabin is an unbroken forest, ten acres of which must be cleared and fenced for corn next spring. No time to go fishing. The last of April finds it ready for rolling. There are a dozen neighbors in the same condition. The rolling time begins, and at least one hand must be furnished by each neighbor. They meet early in the morning and divide the clear- ing, one-half for the forenoon, and the other half for the afternoon; then they sub- divide the morning half, divide the hands, hang up their hats and jackets, " kiss Black Betty," and go to work with a will. They do not wait to roll, but carry everything. The day's work being done, they return home, and any whose logs · are rolled, fire and mend up log heaps until 11 o'clock, and then are up again at 3 in the morning, to right up before going to the next neighbor's rolling.

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The History of Miami County, Ohio, Part 25

Author: W. H. Beers & Co. Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1051

Author: W. H. Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1880
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1051