The History of Warren County, Ohio, Part 33

Author: W. H. Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1882
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1081

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The medical system of Hahnemann was not introduced into the United States until 1825, and it did not have practitioners in Warren County until twenty-five years later. Thomas W. Cuscaden, M. D., who died at Lebanon in 1861, aged thirty years, was probably the first resident homoeopathist in the county. Of recent years, there have been six or seven homoeopathic physicians practicing in the county.

The Eclectic School of Medicine has never had numerous representatives in Warren. Mrs. R. L. V. Anton, M. D., of this school, who commenced the practice with her husband, James Anton, M. D., at Lebanon in 1859, was the first female physician with a diploma in the county.

THE LEBANON MEDICAL SOCIETY.

On the 28th of October, 1837, in pursuance of a call addressed to the scientific practitioners of Warren and adjoining counties, the following per- sons met in Lebanon and organized the Lebanon Medical Society, viz., Henry Baker, John Van Harlingen, John P. Haggott, Otho Evans, John Cottle, Alvin McAllister, Joshua Stevens, William M. Charters, David Baird, J. P. Compton, Lewis Drake, Elias Fisher, Jesse Harvey, S. M. Ballard, W. B. Strout, Lucius A. Cottle, Benjamin Erwin, Moses H. Keever, Aaron Wright and R. Roach. Dr. Joshua Stevens was elected President, and Dr. John Van Harlingen, Re- cording Secretary. The society resolved to abide by the rules and regulations adopted, and to use all honorable means to discountenance quackery, and rec- ommended a general attendance at the meetings of the State Medical Society.

The second meeting of the society was held January 30, 1838, when a constitution and by-laws, a code of ethics and a bill of prices were adopted. A committee was appointed to prepare a memorial to the Legislature for the repeal of the law taxing physicians. The society was incorporated by an act of the General Assembly passed in 1837. Within two years after its organiza- tion, the society numbered twenty-eight members. The meetings were held semi-annually, and were generally well attended, from twelve to twenty mem- bers usually being present at each meeting. An attempt was made to enforce attendance by fines. The minutes of 1839 show that a member was fined $5 for absence and failure to read a dissertation, and memberships were forfeited for non-payment of fines. The society early secured a seal to be affixed to diplomas granted to the members. The diplomas were printed, not in Latin, but in English. Standing committees were appointed on the subjects of "Quack- ery," "Collateral Sciences " and "Improvements in the Science of Medicine." Besides reports on these subjects, there were papers read at early meetings as

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follows: On "Geology," by Dr. Aaron Wright; "Phenomena, Characterizing the Separate and Independent Existence of Mind," by Dr. D. Baird; " Dele- terious Effects and Chemical Tests of Arsenic," by Dr. John P. Haggott; " Con- gestive Fever," by Dr. Joshua Stevens; "Diseases of Harveysburg," by Dr. Jesse Harvey, and "Sanguineous Congestion," by Dr. William M. Charters.

In 1838, the society passed the following:

Resolved, That no applicant who has not acquired a competent knowledge of chemis- try, natural philosophy, botany and comparative anatomy, shall receive the diploma of this society.

Resolved, That it is the opinion of this society that no medical school ought to confer the degree of Doctor in Medicine on any candidate who has not attained to a competent knowledge of all those branches of learning usually termed with reference to medicine, "the Associate Sciences."

The Corresponding Secretary was instructed to open a correspondence with other societies, both medical and scientific, in the State, urging them to join in endeavors to have the geological survey of the State continued.

In October, 1839, it was resolved that "the society appoint three members, whose duty it shall be to procure and preserve specimens of plants-including the whole plant-and specimens of minerals, each of whom shall deliver an address or lecture, one on Botany, one on Mineralogy and one on Geology, at three successive meetings-one addressing each meeting; said committee to be authorized to procure, at the expense of the society, such means for the safe keeping of whatever may be collected." In pursuance of this resolution, Dr. J. G. Paulding made reports at subsequent meetings on Botany and Dr. Jesse Harvey on Geology. Dr. Paulding exhibited a blank-book procured for the society for the preservation of botanical specimens. The members were ear- nestly requested to prepare and present to the society skeletons of different animals for the purpose of facilitating the study of Comparative Anatomy.

In 1840, the society resolved "that hereafter applicants for admission shall present to the Censors either a diploma from some respectable medical college, or a certificate of membership in a respectable society of scientific physicians, or submit to an examination by the Censors."

In October, 1842, it was resolved "that it shall be deemed a breach of medical ethics for any member of this society to attend, in consultation with any physician, who has had an opportunity of becoming a member of this asso- ciation, and has refused or neglected to embrace it." But, at the next meeting, in May, 1843. the resolution was rescinded and the following adopted in its place: "It shall be deemed a breach of medical ethics for any member of this society to consult with any person who has not evidence of such qualifications as would entitle him to membership in this society."

In 1846, two members were expelled from the society for engaging in the sale of nostrums, the society being of the opinion "that such traffic is de- cidedly prejudicial to the public welfare, and when in the hands of a physician, calculated to hinder the advancement of true science and depress the character of the medical profession."

At the October meeting of 1848, the society expressed its confidence in the purity of the pharmaceutical preparations of the Shakers at Union Village, and heartily commended them to the profession, especially the extracts of the narcotic plants and sarsaparilla. And, in May, 1849, it was resolved "that this society, so far as practicable, will make no purchases from druggists engaged in the sale and manufacture of patent medicines." In the same year, by & unanimous vote, a member was expelled for compounding and vending certain medicines, which the society regarded as secret nostrums.

The meetings of the society were held regularly for a period of about thirty years. From various causes, about 1859 the profession began to lose interest

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in the organization. There are no minutes of any meetings for the four years following 1859. On December 8, 1863, a meeting was held pursuant to a pub- lished call for the purpose of resuscitating the society. The organization was again placed on its feet, and from that time the meetings have been held with regularity. At times, it has been proposed to change the name to that of the Warren County Medical Society, but the charter has induced the members to retain the old name. Of recent years, the minutes give full abstracts of the discussions. Written essays have been read and verbal reports made of im- portant cases treated by the members. The prevailing diseases and local epi- demics have been considered and the leading questions connected with the progress of medicine discussed. In 1875, the number of members was twenty- four. The Presidents of the organization have been: Dr. Joshua Stevens, from 1837 to 1848; Dr. William M. Charters, 1849; Dr. Moses H. Keever, . 1850; Dr. Elias Fisher, 1852; Dr. William L. Schenck, 1854; Dr. Joshua Stevens, 1856. Since the re-organization, in 1863, the Presidents have been Dr. John Van Harlingen, Dr. Adam Sellers, Dr. L. A. Cottle, Dr. J. L. Mounts, Dr. Isaac L. Drake, Dr. James McCready, of Monroe, Butler County; Dr. S. R. Voorhees and Dr. S. S. Scoville.

THE NEWSPAPER PRESS.

In the summer of 1806, John McLean, afterward Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, determined to establish a weekly newspaper at Leb- anon. This was a hazardous enterprise, as Lebanon was as yet a small village, with the trees and bushes still growing upon most of its streets, and the whole county did not contain probably eight thousand souls. John McLean was married in the spring of 1807, and admitted to the bar in the autumn of the same year. The exact date of the issue of the first paper is unknown. The paper was called the Western Star. Nathaniel McLean, a younger brother of the editor and proprietor, who had learned the printing business in the office of the Liberty Hall, at Cincinnati, was one of the first printers who worked on the Star at Lebanon. George Denny, father of William H. P. Denny, and Noah Crane, were also early printers on the Western Star.

The first printing-press in Lebanon was of the Ramage pattern, with a frame of oak and a bed of stone. This press was purchased by John McLean in Cincinnati, and there is reason to believe, although it is not certainly known, that it was the first printing-press brought to Cincinnati, in 1793, and which was used in printing the Liberty Hall, and, about 1806, was superseded by a Stanhope press, imported to Cincinnati from England. The old wooden press purchased by John McLean remained in the Star office long after it had ceased to be used; but finally it was sold, about the time of the close of the civil war, and removed to a Western State, and its whereabouts are now unknown. This press was worked with a bar, and it was a hard day's labor to work off with it 300 copies of a small-sized newspaper. Thin splits of wood, similar to those used for the seats of chairs, were used in place of leads to separate the lines, and the type was inked with pelt-balls in place of the modern rollers.

There is not known to be in existence a single copy of the Western Star . while it was edited by John McLean, and we have not, therefore, even one specimen of the editorial writing of the young lawyer whose opinions from the Supreme Bench, in after years, commanded the respect of the whole nation. It is probable, however, that the paper contained little matter written by the editor. Judging from what is to be found in the files of the few other news- papers printed in Ohio at that time, editors thought it more important to select for their readers long columns of intelligence from Europe, six weeks old, than to write concerning what was transpiring around them. Local matters and

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home news seem to have been considered beneath the dignity of newspaper publication. It should be remembered, too, that a little village in the woods did not furnish many thrilling matters for the reporter's pen.

The oldest copy of the Star in existence is dated September 10, 1810. The paper was then edited and managed by Nathaniel McLean. The issue referred to is a small folio, printed on strong but coarse paper, now yellow with age. It contains no editorial matter and no local intelligence whatever, except such as may be gleaned from the advertisements. It has intelligence from Europe more than two months old, and intelligence from New York and St. Louis three weeks old. The only matter aside from the advertisements prepared for the issue is a communication proposing Thomas Worthington for Governor, Jeremiah Mor- row for Congress, John Bigger for the State Senate, and Matthias Corwin, Michael H. Johnson and David Morris for the Lower House of the General Assembly. The advertisements contain nine notices of estray horses taken up, and their appraisement, at from $20 to $35, and a reward of 62 cents for a runaway apprentice. Offers are made to pay 50 cents for wheat, and notice is given that good rye whisky, at 40 cents per gallon, will be taken in exchange for goods at Lebanon.

The first number of the Western Star contained the following lines:

"The Western Star now issues forth From Lebanon the seat of worth."

The controversy concerning the seat of justice of the county had caused considerable strife, but before the Star was first issued, the controversy had been settled in favor of Lebanon, and these lines may have been suggested by the termination of this controversy. It was necessary, at that time, when mail routes were few, that newspapers should be distributed by a carrier, and it is said that the first issue of the Star was distributed to the subscribers by Fergus McLean, the father of the editor, who carried the papers on horseback. It is stated by A. H. Dunlevy that, about 1807, while George Denny was a printer in the Star office, a large book for the Shakers, entitled " Christ's Second Com- ing," was printed at Lebanon. The book contained five or six hundred pages of fine type.

After publishing the paper for about three years, John McLean sold the Star to his brother Nathaniel, who continued the publication, at first in con- nection with Noah Crane, and afterward in connection with Rev. Adjet Mc- Guire, a Methodist clergyman. About 1812, the proprietors were Nathaniel McLean and Samuel H. Hale, afterward of Wilmington, Ohio. Subsequent partners of Mr. McLean in the paper were Henry Lazier, William Blackburn, Samuel Blackburn and Joseph Henderson. About the year 1814, Nathaniel McLean disposed of his interest in the paper to his brother, William McLean, a lawyer of Lebanon, but he did not long remain a proprietor. From 1816 until 1826, Abram Van Vleet, George Smith, John Eddy, William A. Camron and William Sellers were connected with the publication, each for a longer or shorter time. In 1826, Jacob Morris and A. H. Dunlevy became the proprie- tors. In 1834, Dunlevy sold his interest to William H. P. Denny, who was editor and proprietor until 1858. The subsequent proprietors have been Dr. James Scott, Dr. William H. Corwin, Seth W. Brown, Alfred Clements and William C. McClintock. Mr. McClintock began his connection with the paper in partnership with Clements Hardy, in 1870, and, since 1873, has been the sole owner and publisher. In 1870, the first cylinder press was procured, and in 1875, steam-power was first employed in the press work.

It is impossible now to give a complete list of the various newspapers published in Warren County previous to the civil war. Some of them were published for a few months only. Others maintained an existence for some

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years. Among them were the Farmer, the Ohio Argus (which was moved from Lebanon to Franklin in 1834), the American Democrat, the Spirit of Freedom, the Second Sober Thought, the Buckeye Mercury, and the Demo- cratic Citizen. The last-named newspaper was destroyed by a mob at the be- ginning of the civil war. In later years, notwithstanding the increased cir- culation of daily papers, six or seven weekly papers have been published in the county at the same time.

The Lebanon Patriot is a Democratic newspaper. It was edited and pub- lished for several years by Edward Warwick, who was succeeded by A. A. Ro- land, the present editor and proprietor. Several unsuccessful efforts had been made to maintain a Democratic journal in Warren County. Among other efforts, Judge Kesling for awhile published a Jackson paper at Lebanon. The Lebanon Patriot was established in 1868, by Gen. Durbin Ward, who not only purchased the press and printing materials, but maintained the paper at his own expense until it was placed on a self-sustaining basis.

The Lebanon Gazette was started in 1877, by William H. P. Denny, who, two years later, sold it to William D. Mulford and J. C. Van Harlingen. It is now published by the Gazette Printing Company, and edited by George M. Johnston. It is a Republican journal.

William H. P. Denny has perhaps been longer identified with the news- paper press of Warren and neighboring counties than any other person. In 1821, when a boy, he went with his father, George Denny, a printer, to Wil- mington, Ohio, and set type on the Galaxy until the fall of 1823. The paper passed into the hands of Hon. J. N. Reynolds, who changed the name to Wil- mington Spectator. He remained a short time in his employ. Next he worked with Griffith Foos and Archibald Haynes, for J. B. Semans, in 1826 and 1827, who published the Wilmington Argus. In 1829, then in his eighteenth year, he commenced the Clintonian, an independent little paper, which created con- siderable sensation. This he published until 1831, when he sold out to John Crichfield, then County Auditor. In the fall and winter of 1823-24, he went to Lebanon to complete his apprenticeship with Camron & Sellers, but, disa- greeing with them, left in the summer of 1824. For twenty-six years he was connected with the Star, as apprentice, editor and publisher. In 1858, he sold the venerable journal to Hon. James Scott, and removed to Dayton, where he published the Dayton Daily and Weekly Gazette until 1871, when he again sold out, and located at Circleville and commenced a new paper, the Circleville Union. This he continued for five years, holding, while resident of that inter- esting little city, the responsible position of Postmaster for seven years. He resigned in 1871, and purchased the Wilmington Journal, which he published for several years, and, in 1877, returned to Lebanon, where he started the Leb- anon Gazette, which he disposed of to Mulford & Van Harlingen. In 1880, he went to Georgetown, Brown County, where he started the Georgetown Gazette. While a resident of Warren County, Mr. Denny represented Warren and Greene Counties in the State Senate in the years 1842 and 1843.

EDUCATION.

The character of the pioneer schools of the county has already been de- scribed. To illustrate the manner in which subscription schools were opened and maintained, the following advertisement from a Lebanon paper is copied. The date of the advertisement is March 7, 1817. Westfield was the name then recently adopted for the town now known as Red Lion:

NOTICE .- The inhabitants of Westfield, together with the adjacent neighborhoods, will please to observe that as soon as practicable the subscriber intends opening a school at the brick schoolhouse at the customary price of two dollars per quarter, one-half in produce

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at market price. Those who may wish to encourage literature may send a short or longer time, discretionally with themselves, of which there will be an accurate account kept, and strict attention paid, by

The public's most obedient humble servant. ANTHONY GEOHEGAN.

There was much opposition throughout the State, in its early history, to the principle of supporting free schools by taxation. The first law in Ohio au- thorizing taxation for school purposes and providing for the management of schools by local officers elected by the people, was passed in 1825; yet, in 1837, there were no free schools in the State outside of Cincinnati, and, excepting in the larger towns, where good private teachers were encouraged, but few schools afforded, even for three or four months in the year, instruction in reading, writing and arithmetic. The country schools in Warren County were perhaps not inferior to those of any other county in the State, yet the greater portion of the children of the county, were under the instruction, for two, three, four or five months in the year, of teachers who were generally young men, and, with some exceptions, were without the education, culture or training to fit them for the proper conduct of elementary schools. In 1838, Samuel Lewis, the first State School Superintendent, wrote in his annual report: " Every pos- sible variety is found in the character of the teachers, and the kind and manner of instruction. There is this encouragement, however: The people are very generally convinced of present defects, and seem determined to remedy the evils. There are but few places where a teacher can be employed who does not pretty well understand English grammar and geography, in addition to read- ing, writing and arithmetic."

From the best attainable sources of information-the early school statis- tical reports being incomplete and inaccurate-it would appear that in the year 1840, the average monthly wages of male teachers in Warren County were about $20; of female teachers, about $14. From this time, the wages gradually in- creased, until they attained their maximum in 1870, the average monthly wages of teachers in the elementary schools for that year being reported at $45 for gentlemen, and $34 for ladies. In 1880, they were $39 for gentlemen, and $32 for ladies. In 1880, there were in the county 103 schoolhouses, valued at $114,000, and containing 149 schoolrooms.

The first teachers' institute in the southern part of Ohio was held at Cin- cinnati in February, 1847. The first teachers' institute in Warren County was held in the hall of the academy at Maineville. in the summer of 1852, and was continued five days. Among the teachers of the county who were instruct- ors at this institute were Josiah Hurty, of Lebanon; C. W. Kimball, of Maine- ville; W. T. Hawthorn, J. S. Morris and C. W. Harvey. Lectures were de- livered by L. A. Hine and C. Knowlton. Prof. James E. Murdoch, the dis- tinguished actor and elocutionist, gave an evening entertainment of select readings, which highly delighted the large audience of teachers and citizens present. Resolutions were adopted requesting the court to fill the vacancies then existing in the Board of County School Examiners with practical teachers: favoring the establishment of lyceums and libraries in every town and neigh- borhood, and recommending every teacher to acquaint himself with the phonetic system, with a view to its practical introduction. The report of W. T. Haw- thorn, Secretary of the institute, concludes as follows:

" Thus has terminated the first institute of Warren County. Those only who were present can fully appreciate the rich treat that was there afforded. It is not yet nine months since the association was organized by a few enter- prising teachers, who, 'solitary and alone,' have faithfully attended the regu- lar monthly meetings, while other teachers have looked on. wondering what good a teachers' association could do. Those who attended know, and the community, through them, will soon feel the benefits of this institute. Now

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that the work is fairly under way in our county, we cordially invite those teachers who have heretofore held back to unite in a good cause and aid in re- volutionizing the common schools of our county. The exercises were highly interesting and instructive. The best methods of teaching the different branches was discussed. The attendance of the citizens evinced their interest in the exercises. A respectable number was in attendance all the time, and often a large audience. Each evening, the spacious hall, lighted at the ex- pense of the citizens, was crowded until a late hour."

Since 1852, annual county teachers' institutes have been held, with in- creasing success and widening influence for good as their objects and advan- tages became known. Among the distinguished men not connected with the schools of the county who have assisted at these institutes as instructors and lecturers, may be named Dr. A. D. Lord, Prof. Daniel Vaughn, E. E. White, John Hancock, John Ogden, W. D. Henkle and W. H. Venable. At times, nearly the whole work of conducting the institute has devolved on the three County School Examiners. The institute fund provided by the school law, consisting of two-thirds of the amount received from the 50-cent fee paid by applicants for teachers' certificates has usually been found sufficient to defray the entire expenses of the County Teachers' Institute.

The Warren County Teachers' Association, organized in 1851, has contin- ued in existence until the present. Its meetings are held monthly during the school year. The exercises are generally of a practical character, and mere speech-making is discouraged. Both the annual institutes and the monthly meetings of the association are attended by the most progressive and energetic teachers of the county.

While the common schools of Ohio have always been intended to be strictly undenominational, the question of religion in the public schools is one that has caused considerable discussion. The question whether the Bible should be formally read and the schools opened in the morning with religious exercises has, in portions of the county, caused rancorous animosity. There has never been any legislation on the subject in Ohio, the legal decision of the question being left under the laws to the local Boards of Education, who may prescribe, allow or forbid such exercises. In Warren County, the local boards have sel- dom taken action on the subject, and the matter has been left, generally, to the discretion of the teacher. The question was most vehemently discussed soon after the passage of a resolution, in 1869, by the Cincinnati Board of Educa- tion, forbidding the reading of the Bible and other religious books in the pub- lic schools of that city. This resolution led to a contest in the courts, which lasted four years, and was settled by a unanimous decision of the Supreme Court of Ohio sustaining the resolution. The spirit of the elaborate opinion of the court was averse to Bible-reading and religious instruction in public schools supported by common taxation. Of late years, a large majority of the teachers of Warren County have voluntarily refrained from Bible-reading, re- ligious exercises and religious instruction in the public schools.

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The History of Warren County, Ohio, Part 33

Author: W. H. Beers & Co. Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Number of Pages: 1081

Author: W. H. Beers & Co.
Publication date: 1882
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 1081