The History of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, Part 63

Author: Warner, Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1884
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1017

USA > Ohio > Tuscarawas County > The History of Tuscarawas County, Ohio > Part 63

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Nature had done but little to make the new town attractive or desirable as a place for living; the ground was low, and, in some places, swampy, and in wet seasons mud was the most common article to be found on streets, side- walks and lots. But the disadvantages of nature must yield to the onward march of progress. What was lacking in natural surroundings and helps to the advancement of the town has been supplied by money, industry and perse-

Digitized by Google

596

HISTORY OF TUSCARAWAS COUNTY.

verance. From an open waste of field and swampy bottom, from mud and dis- couragement at the beginning, Dennison has become a pleasant, well-built and attractive town, with good streets, solid business blocks and elegant resi dences, and a system of drainage seldom surpassed by towns of its age and size. It is now a very healthy and desirable place in which to live, and its earliest settlers and oldest citizens point with pride to its achievements and progress, and their attachment for Dennison, rising as it has from nothing to its present position within their recollection and the time of their residence in it, is very noticeable and remarkable.

As a matter connected with the early history of Dennison, it may be of in- terest to note here that when the town was laid out a part of its territory was in Union Township, the line between that township and Mill passing along about where the railway square shop now stands. In order to have the town and school district all in one township, the line was changed soon after the town was laid out, so as to include the entire town plat within the territory of Mill Township.

The shops of the P., C. & St. L. R. R. at Dennison are among the most complete and extensive in the country. Both new work and repairing are carried on to an extent hardly to be realized by outsiders. New locomotives and cars are constantly being built, and the repair work in both the motive power and car departments of the entire line from Pittsburgh to Columbus is done here, besides considerable work for other divisions of the Pan Handle system. The main buildings consist of square shop, blacksmith shops, boiler shop, tin shop, carpenter shop, car shops, round house and brass foundry. Connected with these are several smaller departments, such as paint shop. draughting and pattern rooms, engine and boiler rooms, store room, tool room, oil room, together with a comfortable office for the general foreman and his assistants. Extensive ice and sand houses, lumber yards, coal yards, transfer tables, etc., are also to be found in close proximity to the main shops. The whole forms a perfect hive of human industry. and contains some of the finest machinery operated by some of the most skillful mechanics to be found in the world. The great works move forward under a system as near perfect as a master mind can make it, and all the officers, machinists and employes seem to take pride in rendering faithful service to the company, and performing such labor as will demonstrate the highest skill. About 700 men are em- ployed the year round in these shops, and so great is the amount of work to be done that very often the employes are required to put in extra time, for which they are well paid, of course. The company contemplates building large additions to the shops in the near future, when the working force will doubtless be increased, and the facilities rendered adequate to the work re- quired without employes being obliged to put in extra time. The shops are located on the south side of the track, while on the north side is a large, two story brick building, occupied by the Master Mechanic's office, Train Master. and telegraph departments, with their corps of clerks and attaches. On the same side of the track, also, are several smaller buildings, occupied as offices for the yard dispatcher of trains, superintendent of water works, etc. The railroad company with its shops, offices and tracks, occupies forty acres of the original town plat. The road runs through the center of the town, the popu- lation being at this time nearly equally divided between the north and south sides.

The first Master Mechanic in charge of the Dennison shops was Mr. Thomas Denmead, for many years a faithful servant of the company. He was succeeded February 1, 1872, by Mr. Elbridge Pierce, who held the office until his death, June 30, 1875; Mr. Ross Kells, general foreman, was then pro-

Digitized by Google

597

MILL TOWNSHIP.

moted to Master Mechanic, and held the position until September 1, 1882, when he resigned, and was succeeded by Mr. Charles B. Street, present in- cumbent, who is a very pleasant gentleman, and has few, if any, superiors as a Master Mechanic. The railroad company has been very fortunate in the se- lection of its officials at Dennison. They have uniformly been first-class men, popular with the employes under their charge, always taking a deep interest in the advancement and prosperity of the village. The friendly feeling of the railroad company for the town of its creation, exercised through its officials, has done much to make Dennison what it is.

Being the middle of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati & St. Louis Division of the Pan-Handle, all passenger trains change engines here, and it is also the terminal point for all freight trains, Dennison to Pittsburgh forming the east- ern division, and Dennison to Columbus the western division, or east and west ends, as they are more commonly called. This gives the town an additional importance, making it of necessity the residence of most of the engineers, freight conductors, and other road men.

The town was incorporated in 1873, and the first borough officers elected at the April election of that year, as follows: Mayor, Thomas McCormick; Clerk, C. B. Willoughby; Treasurer, D. T. Denmead; Marshal, E. W. Show. man; Council-Joseph Healea, H. B. Keffer, John McHattie, Thomas Shipton, J. C. Johnson, F. J. Andregg. The corporate village has always been care- fully managed by its officers, and the people take great pride in bearing tes- timony to this fact. It has been kept free from debt, and the property owners have never been burdened with excessive taxation, as is too often the case with new and rapidly growing villages. The following Mayors have presided over the affairs of Dennison since its incorporation: Thomas McCormick, 1873 to 1875; William Gloyd, elected in 1875, but only served about two months, when he resigned the office; J. T. Mccullough was appointed Mayor pro tem. until a special election could be held, and served about one month; J. W. Yeagley was chosen at the special election, July 14, 1875, to serve until the next regular election in April, 1876, and at that time was re-elected for one year, to fill out the remainder of Mr. Gloyd's unexpired term, ending April, 1877; he was then re-elected for a full term of two years, and was succeeded in April, 1879, by Thomas McCormick, who served another full term, ending April, 1881; E. C. Lingan was then elected for two years, retiring in April, 1883, being succeeded by the present incumbent, Joseph Healea, whose term of office will expire in April, 1885. The incorporated village owns two lots, southeast corner of Grant and Third streets, on which has been erected a small, one story frame building, used as Mayor's office and Council room, ad- joining which, on the alley south, is the village prison. It is the intention of the corporation to erect on these valuable lots, at some future day, a public building which will be a credit to the town, and commodious enough for the demands of the corporation for all time to come.

There have been three additions to the town of Dennison since it was first laid out, viz., Shipton's Addition on the southeast. Mozena's Addition on the southwest, and McKee's Addition on the north.

From the beginning of the town until the year 1874, the territory belonged to the Uhrichsville School District. A commodious school building was erected on the corner of Logan and Fifth streets in 1867-68, at a cost of about $4.000. The first school was opened in the fall of 1868, with Miss Agnes Morgan, of West Virginia, and Miss S. M. Burns as teachers. Prof. John Tucker was at that time Superintendent of the Uhrichsville Schools, and as such had charge of the new rooms opened in Dennison. Miss Morgan, wbo taught the primary department, only remained part of the school year, re_

Digitized by Google

598

HISTORY OF TUSCARAWAS COUNTY.

signing, for some reason, in the spring of 1869, and Miss Maggie Inglebright was chosen to fill the vacancy. Miss Inglebright has remained in the schools ever since, being still the efficient and highly respected teacher of the First Primary Department. With the opening of the school year of 1869-70, Miss Burns was transferred to Uhrichsville and Mrs. Ruth Havener took charge of the Secondary Department of the Dennison Schools. Soon afterward an Intermediate Department was added to the schools, with Mr. Thomas White, Sr., as its first teacher. In the year 1873. a law was passed by the Ohio Legislature, making all incorporated villages sep- arate school districts, and under that law an election for School Directors of the Dennison Village District was held April 7, 1874, resulting in the choice of the following persons: E. Pierce, I. M. Hoover, W. A. Pittenger, Thomas McCormick, J. C. Timmons and John Jordan. Mr. E. Pierce was the first President of the Board, and served until his death in 1875, when W. A. Pit- tenger was chosen President and served until the close of his term in 1876. J. C. Timmons was the first Clerk of the Board and I. M. Hoover the first Treasurer. Prof. William Hill, a well-known educator in the county, a fine scholar and an exemplary Christian gentleman, was the first Principal of the the schools under the new organization. He remained in the position until 1878, when he was succeeded by Prof. A. C. Bagnall, of Newcomerstown. who served three years, being succeeded in 1882 by Prof. Charles Hanpert, A M., the present incumbent. The first graduating class in the history of the schools completed the course of study with the close of last school year, the commencement exercises being held on Friday evening, June 1, 1883, in Library Hall. The class consisted of three young ladies and two young men, viz., Jennie McCurdy, Annie Cummins, Ella Lingan, Oscar McCurdy and W. B. Stevens.

The schools having grown to such an extent that more room and additional teachers had become a necessity, the board erected a large addition to the building in 1876, at a cost of $1,450, and a second addition was built during the summer of 1882, at a cost of about $1,000, making the total cost of the present edifice about $6,450. The people of Dennison take a just pride in their public schools, believing them to be as well conducted and as thorough in their course of instruction as any of their size in the State.

Dennison has three churches, viz., Presbyterian, Catholic and Episcopal. The first church edifice erected in the town was the Dennison Presbyterian Church, commonly known as the "Railway Chapel." Previous to this, how- ever, services were held by some Presbyterian families in a room in Benson's Block, corner of Logan and First streets, and in the school building. The first Sunday school in the town was held in a room in the Benson Building, where the lamented Thomas Denmead, Mr. and Mrs. William D. Robb, Miss Maggie Inglebright, Miss Julia Card (now Mrs. Simpson Harmount), Miss Abbie Card (now Mrs. Rev. Osborne), and a few others, organized what is now the Presbyterian Sunday School. It increased in numbers very rapidly, and by the time a church building was ready for occupancy the school numbered from seventy-five to one hundred attendants. On the 10th of June. 1870, a meeting was held in the schoolhouse, at which time the Dennison Presbyterian Church was formally organized. Twenty members were enrolled, and one Ruling Elder and five Trustees elected. Thomas Denmead was the first Elder of the church, and Messrs. W. W. Card, Thomas Denmead, William D. Robb, J. C. Johnson and E. M. Crigler composed the first Board of Trustees. Revs. A. Swaney, T. A. McCurdy and S. Patterson constituted the Committee of Presbytery to organize the church. Ground having been donated by the Land Company for the erection of a house of worship, work was commenced on the

Digitized by Google

599

MILL TOWNSHIP.

building, on the site selected by the congregation, northeast corner of Grant and Third streets, in the latter part of June or first of July. The corner stone was laid August 31, 1870, Rev. W. Morris Grimes, then pastor of the Uhrichs ville Presbyterian Church, and temporary pastor of the Dennison Congrega- tion. conducting the impressive ceremonies. Among other distinguished min- isters, the venerable Rev. Dr. C. C. Beatty, of Steubenville, was present on 'the occasion. The building was dedicated on Sunday, April 9, 1871, Rev. Joseph F. Tuttle, D. D., President of Wabash College, preaching the dedica- tory sermon. The church edifice is one of the finest in Ohio. Though ordi- nary in size, it is finished in a style seldom seen even in the churches of our large cities. The building is brick, 46x75 feet, including vestibules and choir gallery. The height from floor to square is twenty-four feet; from floor to apex, thirty-three feet; height of tower 110 feet. The roof is slate, the win- dows are of stained glass, and the audience-room is furnished with reversible cushion seats, with upholstered backs, after the fashion of seats in a railway passenger coach. In the choir gallery is a very fine pedal pipe organ of full compass. The railroad company, in their accustomed spirit of generosity toward their employes, lent substantial aid in the construction of the building, as did also Messrs. W. W Card, Thomas Denmead and others, from their private means, and the result was the completion of a most beautiful and com- fortable house of worship, at a cost of about $20,000, it having a seating capacity of 600 persons. A large annex was erected in the rear of the main building in the spring of 1879, which is used for Sunday school and lecture- room, and for socials, official meetings, etc. Rev. C. J. Hunter, D. D., then pastor of the Presbyterian Church at New Philadelphia, was called to the pas- torate of the Railway Chapel, and preached the first sermon within its walls, on the Sabbath preceding its formal dedication. He was installed June 12, 1871, and remained pastor of the church until July, 1880, when he resigned, after nine years of faithful and successful ministerial service. On Saturday evening, October 2, 1880, Rev. S. S. Gilson, of Ligonier, Penn., was elected at a congregational meeting, as the second pastor of the church, and entered upon his labors November 14. Rev. Gibson resigned the pastorate at the end of his third year, October 21, 1883. The congregation owns a comfortable parson- age property on Grant street, near the chapel, valued at $2,500, and is entirely free from debt on both church and parsonage. Two of the Ruling Elders and fathers of the church, Thomas Denmead and Prof. William Hill, have been called to their long home, and by reason of other deaths and the many changes incident to a railroad town like Dennison, but few of the early members of the church now remain, but it is still composed of an active and earnest member- ship, who seem disposed to carry on the work so well begun by the founders and fathers of the church in its early days.

The second church organized in Dennison was the Catholic, known as the " Church of the Immaculate Conception." The history of the Catholic Church in Dennison is characteristic of that denomination. In 1867, there were only three families of that faith in the town. Father Wiseman, of Canal Dover, administered to the spiritual welfare of the few Catholics in the vicinity at that time. Services were held once a month in the dwellings of the parishon- ers, the first mass being said at the residence of Mr. John Lingan. The con- gregation increased so rapidly that it was found necessary to procure a hall for the purpose of holding services. The parish being changed from the charge of Father Wiseman to Father Toomey, of Steubenville, the latter, in 1870, commenced the erection of a church building on the corner of First and Sher- man streets, which was completed the next year. In 1873, the Rev. W. T. Hawe was assigned to Dennison as the regular and permanent pastor. He at

Digitized by Google

600

HISTORY OF TUSCARAWAS COUNTY.

once commenced the erection of the elegant parsonage which now graces the grounds adjoining the church. Rev. Hawe being compelled, on account of ill health, in 1879, to relinquish the pastorate he had so long and ably filled, the Rev. F. J. Campbell, the present incumbent, took charge, who, perceiving that the church building was inadequate to accommodate his largely increasing congregation, proceeded to enlarge it to its present size. The edifice was dedicated on the 21st of November, 1880, by Rt. Rev. John A. Watterson, of Columbus, Bishop of the diocese. Father Campbell has made a great many improvements, and the church property is to-day one of the most valuable in the county. Owing to the zeal and energy of Father Campbell, the congrega- tion is probably the largest in the county, containing a membership of about 100 families, making about 600 souls in charge of the pastorate.

The third church, and the last organized, is "St. Barnabas' Episcopal Mis- sion." This chapel, a frame building. situated on the west side of Sixth, be- tween Grant and Sherman streets, while small and plain in outside appear- ance, offers to view an interior of great beauty. The windows are of stained glass, one in the south side of the house being a memorial of the Rev. W. M. Probasco, deceased, former rector of St. Timothy's Church at Massillon, who performed ministerial services for the congregation at Dennison before the acquisition of a rector. Besides the usual symbolical church furniture of plain walnut, the chapel contains a good pipe organ and seats for 180 people.

This mission was founded in 1876, by a number of Episcopalian gentlemen, mostly connected with the railroad, among them Messrs. A. B. Beach, J. B. Blinn, J. L. Carnahan, I. Denmead, R. G. Galbraith and Col. J. R. Shaler. The last named officiated as lay reader, holding services at his own house un- til a suitable room was obtained and furnished. The chapel building, stand- ing on ground donated by the Dennison Land Company, was constructed at a cost of about $2.000 in the summer of 1877, and at Easter, 1878, Rev. J. M. Hillyar became rector. Mr. Hillyar removed to Boston in January. 1882, when Rev. J. H. Clewell, of the Moravian Church, Uhrichsville, officiated un- til Easter following. In June, 1882, Rev. E. M. W. Hills became rector. In 1879, a comfortable rectory was built adjoining the chapel, also on ground donated by the land company. Both buildings are paid for, and the mission owes no debts.

By reason of death, removals and other causes, very few of the original founders remain; but the number of communicants is still about thirty. The Sunday school, superintended by Mr. J. L. Carnahan, consists of ten teachers and about forty scholars.

The Odd Fellows is the only secret order that has lodges in the town. Of these, there are three- the Subordinate Lodge, the Encampment and Daughters of Rebekah. Jewett Lodge No. 389, named after the late Thomas L. Jewett, the first President of the P., C. & St. L. R., and a member of the Dennison Land Company, was instituted July 4, 1867, by John A. Lee, Grand Master. The lodge was chartered for Dennison; but, there being no suitable room in the town at that time, the meetings were held in Uhrichsville, by special dis. rensation from the Grand Master, for several years, until the present lodge room was ready for occupancy. This lodge numbers among its members many of the earliest and most prominent citizens of the community, among whom we may name Rose Kells, George G. Pickerrell, Thomas Denmead, John Varner, R. C. Adrian, W. A. Bovey, M. C. Sauers, I. M. Hoover, John Hicks, A. J. Trader, William Surgenor and others.

Martha Washington Lodge No. 61, D. of R., was instituted February 22, 1871, by Horace Y. Beebe, Grand Master of the State. Dennison Encamp- ment, No. 198, was instituted September 10, 1875, by W. B. Kennedy, Most

Digitized by Google

yours Truly

Canal Collecter

PEB LOVER CANAL STORE

I pay on demand to or Beaver

sum of Six and a fourth Cents, in Current Bank Notes. in the amount of One Dollar is presented.

banal Gover 1837 S Fertig

[Fac-simile of a note which went to the Dead Letter Ofice, Washington, in 1838, and remained there until May 22, 1888, when it was sent to E. Burnet, Postmaster, Dover, and for which I paid $1.00 .- 8. FERTIG.]

Digitized by

Google

Digitized by

Google

608

MILL TOWNSHIP.

Worthy Grand Patriarch. All these lodges are in a growing and prosperous condition. The elegant lodge room of the order in which they meet, located on the third floor of the large brick block corner of Fourth and Center streets, was dedicated February 22, 1871. It is one of the finest and most commo- dious lodge rooms in the State, richly carpeted and furnished in the most com- plete manner throughout. Jewett Lodge owns two valuable building lots on Grant street, nearly opposite the Railway Chapel, on which a fine Odd Fel. lows building will be erected at some future day.

The Post Office .- A post office was established at Dennison, in December, 1869, with Mr. I. M. Hoover as Postmaster. It was located in the office at the Railway Dining Hall, and remained there until the Dennison Store was opened in the large brick building corner of Fourth and Center streets, when Mr. E. S. Kimber, superintendent of that store, was appointed. and the office moved to that place. Mr. Kimber held the position until April, 1872, when he was succeeded by Mr. D. T. Denmead, who held the appointment about eighteen months, being succeeded October 1, 1873, by John Hover. The lat- ter was Postmaster until July 1, 1883, when he was succeeded by Mr. W. A. Bovey, the present incumbent. The business of the office has steadily in- creased ever since it was established, and it is now one of the most important post offices in the county.

The Railroad Station .- A ticket, freight and express office was established at Dennison by the Pan- Handle road in December, 1873, with Mr. J. M. May- lone as agent. Previous to that, all the business for Dennison was transacted through the Uhrichsville office, except such as was required for the exclusive use of the railroad company at this point. Mr. Maylone remained as agent until October, 1875, when he resigned and was succeeded by George H. Bower, a clerk in the Superintendent's office. Mr. Bower resigned in 1878, when Charles L. Riddle was appointed agent, and remained until May, 1881, when he resigned and was succeeded by Thomas Wright, the present incumbent. The company does a large business at this office

Newspapers. - The first newspaper printed in the town was the Tuscarawas Chronicle, which was moved by W. A. Pittenger & Co., from New Phila- delphia about the 1st of March, 1869, the first issue from Dennison bearing date of March 18, of that year. The office was located in a small frame build- ing on the east side of Sixth street, between Grant and Center. This build- ing was afterward attached to the west end of the Railway Hotel, and was de- stroyed by fire on the night of October 23, 1881. There being no post office, freight or express office at Dennison at that time, it was decided by the pub- lishers of the Chronicle, for the sake of these conveniences, to move the office to Uhrichsville, which was done about the 1st of August, 1869. From that time there was no paper in the town until December 13, 1879, when the Den- nison Paragraph was established. The office of the Paragraph was first lo- cated on the second floor of the brick building, corner of Third and Center streets, and was moved to the new building erected for its use on Grant street, in January. 1882. Mr. W. A. Pittenger, formerly of the Chronicle, and now of the Paragraph, is the only newspaper editor who has ever resided in the town.

Physicians .- The first physician in the town was Dr. T. H. Wilson, who located here in 1869. Dr. James Campbell came from Coshocton in February, 1872, and practiced here until 1877, when he moved to the West. The next physician was Dr. J. M. Giffen, who came from Cadiz in May, 1872, and re- mained until the early part of January, 1874. Dr. S. H. Brown located in Dennison, in the latter part of December, 1873, and remained until his death, March 27, 1882. Then came Drs. L. H. Hughes and S. L. McCurdy, who

Digitized by Google

604

HISTORY OF TUSCARAWAS COUNTY.

located here about the same time, in the spring of 1882, and still remain in practice in the town.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

The History of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, Part 63

Author: Warner, Beers & Co. Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1017

Author: Warner, Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1884
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1017