The History of Miami County, Ohio, Part 57

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

USA > Ohio > Miami County > The History of Miami County, Ohio > Part 57

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The Masonic Order has very fine rooms in the third story of the large build- ing on the southwest corner of the public square. The order was early introduced into the town, while yet only a small village, and Warren Lodge was established about 1835. Ward Lodge was established several years later ; both occupied the same hall for many years, and have finally been united as one body. A large and elegant Chapter is also in the same building.

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows has two large and well attended lodges, and, as a beneficiary institution, exerts a widely extended influence for good. Their hall is in the upper story of the town house, in the public square. There are also several other orders or societies actively engaged in benevolent

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work in the city-the Very Ancient Order of Druids, the Benevolent Order of . St. Patrick, connected with the Roman Catholic Church, and also the Order of the Royal Arcanum which meets in Odd Fellows' Hall.

The Young Men's Christian Association has been organized for several years. .They have excellent rooms in the basement of the opera house building-a read- ing room and library, and an active membership exerting a very decided influence for good among the young men of the city. The reading-room is open every day, and also in the evening, is well supplied with newspapers and periodicals, and affords a most excellent place of resort to those who desire to spend an hour in reading or examining books or papers.

NEWSPAPERS.

The first paper published in Miami County was issued at Piqua, July 6, 1820, under the name of the Piqua Gazette. The publisher, being printer and editor, was William R. Barrington, of Philadelphia, a gentleman of culture and a very able and forcible writer. Mr. Barrington continued the publication until 1837, when the paper was sold to Jeremiah A. Dooley, and the name was changed to the Intelligencer. It afterward passed through several hands, and was for a time very ably conducted by John W. Defrees, Esq., now the editor of the Miami Union, at 'Troy ; it was sold by him to Messrs. Writer & Brading, the former of whom be- came afterward sole proprietor. On the breaking-out of the rebellion, Col. Writer went into the army and served reputably during the war, but the paper, being left without any responsible head, in a short time ceased to be published. The paper, when started by Barrington, was the advocate of the principles of the old Whig , party, and, under Mr. Defrees, passed to the Republican party, and continued to support this cause during the remainder of its existence.

No Democratic paper was published until 1847, when a party of gentlemen, of that party, formed a stock company, purchased a press and materials for an office, and employed D. M. Fleming, Esq., one of the stockholders, as editor. The paper was issued under the name of Piqua Enquirer. The stock was afterward pur- chased by Mr. Fleming, under agreement with the company, and the paper has since been under his control. In the autumn of 1860, Mr. Fleming left the Demo- cratic party, changed the name of his paper to the Piqua Journal, which it still bears, and became an earnest advocate of the doctrines of the Republicans. In this faith, the paper was steadfast, except for a short time, when the devotion of the editor led him to the support of Andrew Johnson, then President of the United States. This was, however, only temporary, and it has continued since entirely firm in its adherence to the Republican party.

The Miami County Democrat, was first published by Messrs. Horton & Tever- baugh, in 1860 ; but, both these gentlemen entering the service of the country, on the breaking-out of the war, the paper was for a time discontinued, but was revived after the cessation of hostilities, under the editorial management of the Messrs. Smiley, who still continue to conduct it as an active and unswerving sup- porter of the doctrines of the present Democratic party.

The Miami Helmet was commenced in 1874, by the Miami Publishing Co., and placed under the editorial management of I. S. Morris, Esq. It is devoted primarily to the support of the temperance cause, and has labored zealously and successfully in this field. It has not, however, been an extremist in the support of the political party known as the Temperance or Prohibition party, but has been always willing to throw its strength to the aid of good and honest and tem- perate men, who stand by the cause of the country, of morality and of religion. The Miami Publishing Co. has a fine office, a good steam printing press, and under the direction of Mr. M. Rouzer, is rapidly becoming one of the most flourishing corporations of the city. The President is Mr. S. McWilliams ; Secretary and Treasurer, Mr. Lewis Leonard.

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BANK8.

There are two National banks in the city. The Piqua National is the suc- cessor of the Piqua Branch of the State Bank of Ohio, which was organized in 1847, with a capital of $100,000. President, *William Scott ; Cashier, Joseph G. Young; Teller, Henry Greenham. In 1865, this was changed to a national bank, and the same officers were continued. On the death of J. G. Young, in 1875, Henry Greenham was appointed Cashier, and continued until his death, in 1877. The capital was increased to $200,000, when it was organized as a national bank. The present officers are President, William Scott ; Cashier, Clarence Langdon ; Assistant Cashier, John H. Patterson ; Teller, Frank Roe.

The Citizen's National was organized in 1866, by William and M. N. Megrue, the former being President, and the latter Cashier, with a capital of $100,000. In 1867, it was bought from these gentlemen, by G. Volney Dorsey and Robert B. Moores, the former becoming President, and the latter the Cashier. The pres- ent officers are President, G. Volney Dorsey ; Vice President, M. Friedlich ; Cashier, Henry Flesh ; Teller, Walker McC. Dorsey. In 1879, the capital stock was reduced to $60,000.

MANUFACTURES.

Though Piqua stands to-day among the best manufacturing towns in the State, yet the commencement in this line was very feeble and progressed slowly. We have already mentioned the erection of the first mill. Benjamin Leavell, who came to the village in 1805, was the first carpenter and millwright who opened business regularly. One of the earliest, if not the first blacksmith, was Joseph Defrees, and Nathaniel Whitcomb opened the first shop for making shoes. The earliest cooper's shop was by a Frenchman named Porquette, on the bank of the river nearly opposite Ewing's tavern, where Porquette kept also a small drinking house, and close by stood the blacksmith-shop. The commencement of the linseed oil manufacture, which now forms so important a part in the wealth and activity of the city, was made by John McCorkle in 1824. He built a small oil-mill on the Miami River, on the west bank, just opposite to what is now Patterson's mill, half a mile south of the town. The mill was run by water, and the machinery used in crushing the seed and pressing out the oil was of the most primitive description. The crusher was an immense block of limestone perfectly circular, about fifteen inches thick and five feet in diameter, this large stone was placed on its edge in a circular trough, formed of strong oak plank fitted closely and capable of holding any liquid put into it. Into this trough a certain quantity of flax-seed was poured by hand, and the large stone revolved in the trough by means of a large wooden lever passing through the center, and attached to the horizontal shaft of the the water-wheel. When the seed was sufficiently crushed, it was taken out and put in strong linen bags and subjected to the action of a screw press, similar to that frequently used at present in the manufacture of cider. The oil was probably not very thoroughly extracted, and the oil-cake, though no doubt richer in nutritious matter than that now coming from the powerful hydraulic press, was of little value, as a very limited demand was found for it.

The earliest cabinet-maker was Joseph Bennett, who, for many years, had his shop and residence on the northeast corner of Main and Green streets. Bennett was a good workman, an excellent citizen and a man of some enterprise ; he grad- ually enlarged his business with the growth of the village, and was at length a considerable manufacturer. Specimens of his handiwork are still found in several of the houses belonging to the old inhabitants. The first chair-maker was James Hughes, who manufactured the old-fashioned solid wood-bottomed chair, and the splint-bottom, formed from splints of the white ash. Hughes also manufactured spinning-wheels, at that time an important article in every family. The small wheel was used in spinning tow and flax, was turned by a treadle or foot-piece attached to the crank passing through the center of the wheel, by a strong string, *Died June 1, 1880. His son, John M. Seott, is now President.

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sometimes of cord but more frequently of leather or raw-hide ; the flax was wound on a distaff inserted into what was called the arm of the wheel. The female oper- ator sat in a chair while spinning. But the large wheel, the glory of the young and active girls, was used by the operator standing, who put the wheel in active motion by means of a short stick or roller, the rapid motion of the wheel turned the spindle still more rapidly, and to this the maiden attached the end of the long woolen roll, brought from the carding-mill, or formed more slowly at home with the hand cards, and, having secured the hold of the roll to the spindle, she walked rapidly backward twenty or thirty paces, drawing out a lengthened thread of the woolen yarn, which, when sufficiently twisted, she allowed to be more slowly rolled on to the spindle. This was continued by successive whirls of the wheel, until the spool was filled, when it was taken from the wheel head and replaced by & new one.

In the early settlement of the country, it was not at all uncommon for the young girls of eighteen or twenty summers to take their wheels on their shoulders, and, carrying in their hands a sufficient supply of wool or flax, to assemble at a neigh- bor's house, and in a long porch with ground or puncheon floor, or even, in pleasant weather, in the open dooryard, the wheels were set down and the spinning began, each striving to excel the other in dexterity, in rapidity, and excellence of the thread produced, and thus the day was passed in work and friendly gossip, and when the evening came, the lads gathering in from the neighboring fields, the dance began to the music of the violin, which, with some sufficiently artistic per- former, was sure to be found in every settlement.

Covering for the head was necessary as well as for the feet, and hence the hatter-shop was an important part of the manufacturing business of every new town in the West. The earliest hatters were John Brown and Lewis Webb. Hats were made of wool or fur of the raccoon or opossum, musk-rat or, more rarely, of the beaver. Men and boys went to the shop and left their measure for a hat of whatever description wanted, the proper block was selected, and in due time the proper article appeared. A hat that would not last at least five years was a bad production, and by care, and keeping an old one to wear in bad weather, the Sun- day hat was often made to do duty for double that period of time.

Few towns in the State of the size of Piqua can now boast of better and more flourishing manufacturing establishments. The first improvement on the canal was made by using the power from the lock at the south end of Main street in 1839, where a flouring-mill was erected by Mr. Beall, of the city of Baltimore. The mill was small but was sufficient for the demands of business for a short time, but in a few years a much larger establishment was demanded, which was built by Messrs. Young & Yager. These buildings were of frame, but in 1872 a fine brick mill was erected by O'Ferrall & Daniels ; this burned in 1879, and the present very large and excellent mill was erected by Conrad Amendt, which is in every respect a model establishment, and does work not inferior to any mill in the county.

On the same water-power is located the extensive woolen-mill of F. Gray & Co., one of the finest factories in Western Ohio. Originally started as a woolen- mill for the manufacture of cloths, blankets, fine flannels, etc. ; the enterprising proprietors about four years ago turned their attention to the manufacture of paper maker's endless felts, which are produced by not more than five establishments in the United States, most of the paper-mills both East and West formerly importing their felts from England. By skill and perseverance, however, Messrs. Gray & Co. have developed an immense trade in this line, their felts are now recognized as not in any respect inferior to the best English productions, and are in use throughout the United States from Maine to Georgia, and from New York to California ; they are sent even to South America, to Germany and to Japan. Connected with this mill are also extensive knitting works for the production of yarn socks.

The machine-shops of John O'Ferrall & Co. are situated on the west end of Water street, near the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis railway."They manufacture thrashers and separators, sugar-mills, corn-drills, hay-rakes, tile machines, etc. An

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iron foundry is connected with the establishment, which is doing a large and flourish- ing business. Their machines are extensively sold through the West, and their threshers are considered among the best in the market In the corporation, are also two of the largest linseed oil mills in the State. That of Wood, Farrington & Co., stands near the west end of Water street, on the hydraulic canal, just beyond the point where the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis Railway crosses what was formerly the old Covington road. The capacity of this mill has been doubled in the last two years. They now crush 500 bushels of flax-seed daily, and manufacture from four to five thousand barrels of linseed oil per year. The mill is run principally by the water-power furnished by the hydraulic, but can also be run by steam if there is a deficiency in the supply of water. A side-track con- nects the mill with the railroad, and cars are loaded and unloaded directly from the doors of the mill. All the modern improvements in crushing and the best hydraulic presses for pressing out the oil are in use at this establishment. The mill of Orr, Leonard & Daniels is also a very extensive and elegant work, situated at the south end of Main street, directly on the railroad, built with all the modern improvements and employing the best machinery, operated entirely by steam. This mill was erected in 1879, but is already doing a very heavy business. It will, probably, be enlarged during the present year, rendering it the largest oil- mill in the State. The older members of this firm have also a very fine oil-mill two and a half miles below town, on the Miami River, where they have carried on an extensive business for many years. In the mill in town, this firm crushes from 450 to 500 bushels of seed per day, making from 700 to 800 gallons of oil; and in. the mill below town, about 400 bushels of seed are crushed, yielding about 600 gallons of oil. If to this we add the product of the Wood & Farrington mill, using, as above stated, not less than about 400 bushels of seed per day, and yielding 600 gallons of oil, we have from these three large mills a consumption daily of 1,200 bushels of seed, and a yield of from 1,800 to 2,000 gallons of oil. It is safe to say that no city outside of Chicago in the Western country is so largely engaged in the manufacture of oil as Piqua, all brought about by the activity and business energy of a few men.

This important industry is contributing very largely to the business of the city. Each of these mills, that of Wood, Farrington & Co., and also of Orr, Leonard & Daniels, purchase seed at various points through Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, to the amount of more than $100,000 per annum, which is manufactured at their establishments, and the oil and oil-cake are shipped to various parts of the United States and Europe.

The extensive furniture factory of Messrs. L. C. & W. L. Cron, is one of the most important industries of the city. This establishment, which has been in suc- cessful operation for about ten years, now employs nearly one hundred hands ; their factory is situated across the bridge, at the lower end of Main street, on that part of the street leading to the Dayton & Michigan Railroad depot, where they already have very extensive buildings, but are this year erecting another very large brick factory, in order to accommodate their continually increasing business. Here is also their finishing-room, which, in extent and completeness, will compare favorably with any like establishment in the State. Their extensive show-room is on Main street, nearly opposite the City Hotel, where may at all times be found very large quantities of finely finished furniture. This firm sends also large quan- tities of furniture, in the rough or unfinished state, to the Eastern cities.

The furniture factory of Aug. Fritsch & Son is also deserving of notice. The house has a reputation for the manufacture of excellent and beautiful furniture, and they have a well-filled show-room on Main street, between Ash and Green.

Caspar Brandel, at the south end of Main street, is also an enterprising manu- facturer, and has for many years done a large business.

The handle factory of Gray & Murray, at the north end of Wayne street, is a new establishment, recently commencing business, but already employing a large number of hands, and using up every day eight to twelve cords of ash wood, in

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making spade, hoe and fork handles, which are immediately shipped to various points in the East and West. During the present year, these gentlemen expect to add to their works machinery for the manufacture of ax-helves, and short handles for hammers, etc., which will also consume a large amount of hickory timber.

At the north end of Downing street, and in the immediate vicinity of the last- named works, is found the foundry and machine shops of Messrs. Bowdle Bros, These enterprising gentlemen, who have been long established in the same locality. manufacture steam engines of various patterns, as well as make castings for many kinds of machinery, and are noted throughout this section of the country for their excellent work.

Three extensive carriage and buggy factories are also located here. The largest is that of R. P. Spiker, on Wayne, near High street, which employs about forty hands, and turns out a large amount of very fine work. Mr. Spiker is now merging his factory in a large stock company, known as the Spiker Wagon Works. This company is incorporated by the State, with a capital of $40,000, and has pur- chased extensive grounds on the west end of High street, extending north two squares to Green street, and embracing seven acres, on which they are erecting buildings for their works, and to which the Wayne Street Works will be ultimately removed. This bids fair, from the well-known character of the gentlemen engaged in it, to become one of the most important industries of the city.

The carriage factory of Curtis & Reed, on Water street, near Wayne, is also a flourishing establishment, and is rapidly growing in favor with the community.

The factory of W. R. Crosier & Son, the oldest in the city, is located on Down- ing street, between North and Green, and has, for many years, done a large and lucrative business. These three establishments all manufacture the finest car. riages and buggies, which have repeatedly taken prizes at the fairs in our own and many of the adjoining counties. The Spiker Company will continue the manufact- ure of carriages and buggies, but will add to this the making of road wagons of a superior quality, somewhat after the style of the celebrated Studebaker wagon, so largely manufactured at South Bend, in Indiana. There are already in the city several establishments manufacturing large wagons on a limited scale, but doing a very good business, among which may be named the works of John Reedy, William Keese and Joseph Clouse.

One paper-mill is already in operation on the hydraulic, at the west end of North street. This establishment, belonging to the heirs of Loomis, does a good business in the manufacture of coarse wrapping paper, and consumes a large amount of straw for this purpose. Another mill, on the south end of the hydrau- lic, near the Rocky Branch, is now being erected by a joint-stock company, the leading men being Messrs. Jarvis, Orr, Leonard, Ziegenfelder and Clark. These enterprising gentlemen will invest a large amount of capital in this work, which, it is understood, will be devoted to the. manufacture, principally, if not entirely, of what is known as straw board. A large number of hands will be employed here.

Three large breweries are carried on in the city. That of J. L. Schneyer, at the south end of Spring street, is a model of completeness and excellence in the way of manufacturing beer. The malting-room, cooling-room, ice house, and every department connected with the business are most completely furnished, and the product of the establishment is said to be of superior quality. The building is about 60x80 feet, three stories in height, and is pronounced by judges to com- bine all the requisites for the manufacture, while extensive cellars are pro- vided, where the beer is laid down until it attains the peculiar qualities which enti- tle it to the name of lager.

The Messrs. Schmidlapp have also a very good establishment immediately across the street from Schneyer, and on the south side of Water street, immedi- ately east of Gray's Woolen Mill. A third brewery is operated by Messrs. Butcher & Freyer, and is situated near the north end of Spring street. This is the oldest establishment for brewing in the city, manufactures largely and has extensive cel- lars on the eastern bank of the Miami River near the east end of the middle

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bridge, for the production of lager beer. There is now in course of construction at the corner of Downing and Sycamore streets, an extensive building for man- ufacturing malt. Messrs. Schmidlapp & Bro., of Cincinnati, and Leopold Keifer, of Piqua, are the proprietors. In addition to all these active manufacturers are to be noticed the flouring-mill of Kinsell & Co., on the river bank, nearly opposite the south end of Harrison street ; the large liquor house of J. D. Holtzermann & Son, on the corner of Main and Water streets, where are also man- ufactured the celebrated Holtzermann Bitters, which are very extensively sold through Western Ohio, Indiana and Illinois ; the gas machine factory of John Stafford, on the west side of the public square, and the truss hoop factory of Messrs. Butterfield, at the north end of Wayne street, on the Miami & Erie Canal. Coopering is not so extensively carried on here as was done several years since, when we were nearer to large supplies of timber, but the shops of Vogel and of Stein and several others still produce large numbers of barrels every year. Messrs. Hardesty & Speelman have a large steam planing-mill and factory for building material at the west end of Water street, and are doing a good business as manufacturers and builders. The planing-mill and factory of Isaac Whitlock is at the corner of Broadway and Broome streets. The proprietor is actively engaged as a manufacturer and contractor.

The extensive and elegant marble works of J. F. Hummel are on the corner of Spring and Ash streets, east of the canal. No fairer monuments are produced in the State than those gotten up by Mr. Hummel, and his work is found in the cemeteries of Columbus, Springfield, Detroit and Cincinnati. The best of Italian and American marbles are used, and large quantities of Scotch granite are also imported for these works. The marble works of McKee & Son are on the corner of Ash and Wayne streets, where much good work is found.

MERCHANTS.

Trade is the natural heritage of the Yankee nation, and that part located at the early site of Piqua was not found wanting in the common characteristic of the race. The Ewings were among the early traders with Indians and with whites, and the first goods sold in the village were trafficked by members of this family. In the old Ewing tavern, located on Main street, on that portion now south of the rail- road, and about where Benkert's saddler's shop is now standing, was the first trading-point in the bounds of the village. This was early in 1809; but, in 1812, Nicholas Greenham, an Irishman by birth and a trader by profession, arrived in town, and, renting a room from Ewing, opened a regular country store. Furs and all kinds of country produce were bought, and goods exchanged for them, and the whisky bottle and pitcher of water, with a glass tumbler or tin cup at their side, invited every customer to partake of the liberality of the storekeeper and sharpen his intellect for the barter which was to come off. This was the universal custom ; every one drank, and almost every one kept sober ; drunkenness was a rare fault, and was regarded with peculiar dislike. About five years later, John McCorkle commenced the business of selling goods and buying whatever was to be sold from the surrounding country. He and Greenham were both successful traders, accu- mulated money and property, and were soon known as the leading business men of the county. McCorkle represented the county in the Lower House of the General Assembly, and was known as an ardent advocate of the canal then located, since 1824, from Cincinnati to Dayton, and which he was very desirous of seeing extended further toward the North. He unfortunately died in 1829, without see- ing his hopes realized. William Scott was the next of the early merchants or traders of the rising town. Then John M. Cheevers, Jacob and Abel Furrow, Byram Dayton, James Defrees, Young & Sons, David J. Jordan (afterward Jordan & Kitchen), William Keyt, L. R. Brownell (afterward of the firm of Brownell & Carn- cross), Demas Adams, William and Lewis Kirk, gradually came in, about in the order of their names here given, and kept up the trade of the village to 1833. Shortly after this time, the various branches of trade began to divide themselves.

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The History of Miami County, Ohio, Part 57

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