The history of Hardin county, Ohio, Part 51

Author: Warner Beers & co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago : Warner Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1076

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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.

The ground embraces 45 and 41-100 acres, and cost $6,811.50. It lies immediately south of Kenton, just across the corporation line. The fol- lowing committees were appointed at the February meeting to superintend the necessary improvements, viz., buildings and wells, Dr. D. H. LeVan, W. A. Kelly and John H. Pfeiffer; stalls and fence, J. C. Marshall, J. L. Clark, W. A. Kelly and Alonzo Lynch; cattle arrangements, Jacob Kenzig, E. H. Allen, and Alonzo Lynch; pig pens and sheep pens, J. D. Cessna, Frank Given and A. Shaw; Supervision of Building the Track, James M. White. The fence cost $890.74; buildings and stalls, $2,645.28; wells, $167.62; clearing $40.92; ditching, $229.49; track, $1.376.04, which, to- gether with the land, made a total cost up to the close of 1882 of $12.161.59, while its total debt is about $2,600. The officers of 1882, under whose ad- ministration the grounds were bought and improved were as follows: J. M. White, President; J. L. Clark, Vice President; O. E. Rhodes, Secre- tary; W. A. Morton, Treasurer. Board of Managers. - E. H. Allen, J. D. Cessna, Frank Given, W. A. Kelly, Jacob Kenzig, Alonzo Lynch, D. H. LeVan, J. C. Marshall, John H. Pfeiffer and A. Shaw. The grounds are new and will, therefore, need much more improvement ere they present a finished appearance; yet they possess one of the best half-mile tracks in this portion of Ohio. The first fair was held thereon October 4, 5, 6 and 7, 1882, and was very successful, showing that the people fully appreciated the indefatigable exertions of the officers and Board of Managers in pro- curing a fair ground worthy of Hardin County. We notice that the books of the Society date its organization from 1855, which was the year the first grounds were purchased, following the fair of 1882, " the 28th Annual Fair of the Hardin County Agricultural Society." We do not know why no no- tice has been taken of the first four fairs held, viz., 1851, 1852, 1858 and 1854; but suppose that upon the purchase of grounds in 1855, the Society was re-organized, and dated its beginning from that year.

It now embraces a membership of 212, with the following officers: J. L. Clark, President; W. A. Kelly, Vice President; Charles Collier, Secre- tary; W. A. Norton, Treasurer; Board of Managers-E. H. Allen, J. D. Cessna, Frank Given, Jacob Kenzig, G. P. Frame, J. C. Marshall, John H. Pfeiffer, A. Shaw, A. S. Ranney and G. S. Binckley. One of the truly creditable evidences of stability connected with the Agricultural Society is that its fairs have been regularly held since 1851, without missing a year. Few county societies in Ohio can say as much, and we feel justified in asserting that it has grown in importance from year to year, until to-day it is one of the most prosperous societies in the State.

ROADS AND PIKES.

With the beginning of the present century, the topography of the terri- tory now composing Hardin County was unbroken by a single road, but early in the war of 1812, a military road was opened through the forest from Bellefontaine to the Maumee River, passing through the center of this county from its southern to its northern boundary line. This road was known as "Hull's trail," being called after Gen. Hull, who then held the chief command of the Western army, but whose career came to an ignomin- ious close through his disgraceful surrender at Detroit. The second road through this county was made by Gen. Shelby in September, 1813, on the line of the "Old Shawnee trail," spoken of in a previous chapter. Soon after the erection of Hardin, in 1820, this old road was occupied by the Cincinnati & Sandusky Stage Line Company, and these two roads were the

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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.

main communications between the settlements south of the Hardin Coun- ty line and those along the Maumee and the shores of Lake Erie.

Throughout the earlier years of the county's history, roads were opened in nearly every portion thereof, and running in every direction; but most of them were little better than wagon tracks through the almost unbroken forest. Many of these highways were wide enough, but as a rule were ex- ecrable in wet weather. The undrained country partly explained the cause. At certain times when the ground was frozen and worn smooth, or dry and solid, no roads were better; but for many years the proceeds of the road laws, in money or labor, were totally inadequate to keep them even in tol- erable condition at the time most wanted, and only within recent years has it dawned into the minds of our road-makers that a good drainage is essen- tial to a good road bed. Thirty years ago, in every section of the county, the "corduroy" was found on every road, which was the name given to the roads made of rails or poles placed crosswise, through the soft and miry places. Occasionally heavy loads at this day will cut through the gravel crust and tear up fragments of the hidden "corduroy." Hardin County was noted for bad roads, and many persons who came with a view of locat- ing in the county would leave in disgust after seeing the roads.

Thus they remained until 1869, when the Legislature passed a very lib- eral law to encourage the improvement of roads, The Commissioners re- alizing that what Hardin County needed was better roads, took steps toward constructing free turnpikes under the new law. The Commissioners at that time were Samuel Wood, David Snodgrass and Benjamin R. Brunson, the latter of whom was the prime mover in the proposed improvements. They were immediately confronted by a violent opposition, claiming that the taxes would bankrupt the county. The two Commissioners, Messrs. Brunson and Snodgrass, had to shoulder the responsibility, as Mr. Wood protested. It was well known that there was plenty of material in the southern part of the county, but as was supposed, there was none in the northern part, consequently the tax-payers in the northern part, supposing they would be taxed to improve the southern part, without receiving any benefit, were very furious. At one time it was hardly safe for Mr. Brunson to go north. The question arose-How could this gravel, three miles south of Kenton, be transported to the northern part of the county? It could only be done by building a railroad track to the gravel bank, and chartering a train of cars for that purpose. There was no law authorizing the Com- missioners to do this, and the opposition threatened an injunction if the attempt was made. The law authorized the Commissioners to levy a tax of 4 mills for road making to be used as they thought best, also to issue bonds in anticipation of collection. A clamor was made for a division of the funds. This was not deemed advisable by the Board of Commissioners, who then made the following proposition, that where the land-holders would agree to pay one-third the cost they would have an equal benefit of the county tax of 4 mills. This proposition gave general satisfaction, but the work could not get forward until the county had built a half mile of railroad to the gravel banks and chartered trains of cars. There would be no money collected before the following January, and this could not be done without money. How could it be arranged so as to prevent a year's delay ? There had been collected and was lying in the county treasury $10,000 for ditching the Hog Creek marsh. The season had been so wet that no work could be done on the marsh; but the owners of the marsh objected and had instructed their attorney, Judge Bain, to enjoin the Commissioners in

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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.

case they attempted to use the fund for road purposes. The Legislature, however, had passed a law, authorizing Commissioners (where a tax had been levied,and the money was in the treasury,not immediately required), to use that money for another fund if necessary, and replace it when the tax was collected. When Mr. Brunson called the attention of Judge Bain to this law, no further effort was made to prevent the use of the money.

The way was now clear, if the board were willing to assume the respon- sibility of building the railroad and chartering the cars at a cost of $50 per day. The two Commissioners named took the responsibility, besides buy- ing forty acres of gravel land, and from this they took gravel to make 100 miles of pike and then sold the land for cost. Some croakers found fault with the Commissioners for buying the land at a high price, and when they sold it for as much as it cost the county growled because it was sold so low. The following winter the pike law was so amended that it could not be enforced until submitted to a vote; enough had already been done to show the benefits of good roads, that a majority vote was obtained. The next move was to get a law passed to legalize what had been done, and in the face of a strong opposition, with hundreds of names remonstrating against any law to relieve the Commissioners, the law was passed. An in- junction had also been prepared, but when bonds were required for damages if not sustained, they prudently withdrew. The pikes became so popular that afterward land-holders willingly paid one-half the cost on all the pikes they could get authority to make. Few counties in this portion of Ohio have such a complete net-work of gravel pikes as Hardin can now boast of. Radiating from Kenton in every direction, the traveler will find. splendid pikes; and since they were begun in 1869, the population of the county has increased about 10,000 inhabitants, while the value of real estate has "gone up" beyond the most sanguine expectations of its owners. The county now contains about 230 miles of gravel roads, valued at $2.500 per mile. Its streams are spanned by good bridges, and its citizens are proud of the high reputation their county bears as the possessor of these evidences of civilization and progress. The work of building pikes still goes on, un- der the supervision of competent men employed by the County Commis- sioners, and if good roads is a sign of intelligence among the people, as all political economists claim they are, Hardin County may proudly court comparison.

RAILROADS.

On the 5th of January, 1832, the Ohio Legislature passed an act incor- porating the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad Company. This company was " vested with the right to construct a railway from Dayton via Spring- field, Ravenna, Bellefontaine, to or near Upper Sandusky, Tiffin and Lower Sandusky (Fremont), to Sandusky City." On the 25th day of March, 1837, the State of Ohio passed a law loaning the credit of the State to the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad Company to the extent of $270,000.

With this amount as a basis, the incorporators commenced the construction of the Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad from Dayton to Sandusky City. On the 16th of March, 1839, an act was passed authorizing the Commissioners of Hardin County to subscribe $30,000 to the capital stock of said company. The subscription was made and the road located through Kenton. It was many years in building, and, being the first road proposed through this courty, its advent was looked for with great interest by the citizens thereof. The northern end of the road was early placed under contract, and though the company experienced many financial embarrassments, it was finally

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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.

completed from Sandusky City to Kenton, on the 4th of July, 1846. A grand demonstration was held at Kenton on that day in honor of the ar- rival of the first train from Lake Erie, and every one felt joyous and happy over the completion of this much-needed commercial highway, connecting the Eastern markets with Kenton. On the 30th of July, 1848, the road was completed to Urbana, and, September 2, the first train reached Spring- field. January 25, 1851, the last rail was laid connecting Dayton with Lake Erie. The Little Miami Railroad, which had been completed from Cincinnati to Springfield, in 1846, made an unbroken line of road from the Ohio to the Lake. The road has experienced many vicissitudes of fortune and changes of name. In 1858, its name was changed to the Sandusky, Dayton & Cincinnati Railroad Company. In 1866, it was re-organized un- der the title of the Sandusky & Cincinnati Railroad Company, who leased the road to the Cincinnati, Dayton & Eastern Railroad Company for ninety- nine years, but by mutual agreement the lease was surrendered January 9, 1868. Two days afterward, the name was changed to the Cincinnati, San- dusky & Cleveland Railroad Company. It was operated under this title for something over thirteen years, but on the 8th of March, 1881, the road was leased to the Indianapolis, Bloomington & Western Railroad Company for ninety-nine years, who took control May 1 of that vear. It enters the northeast corner of Hardin County, in Section 5, Jackson Township; thence runs in a southwesterly direction through Jackson and Pleasant Townships to Kenton; thence in the same general course, passing through the corners of Buck, Lynn, Taylor Creek and McDonald Townships, leav- ing the county near the southeast corner of the latter township, in Survey 14,032 It has three stations north of Kenton in Hardin County, viz., Grant, Patterson and Forest, and two south of that town, Silver Creek and Yelverton. The progress of this great thoroughfare since 1881 has been rapid, and to-day it is one of the great lines among the many in this State.

The Bellefontaine & Indiana Railroad Company was incorporated Feb- ruary 25, 1848, and in 1852 the road was built through Hardin County, Hale Township subscribing $15,000 toward the enterprise. It extended eastward from Union City, on the Indiana State line, to Galion, Ohio; and in 1864 was consolidated with the Indianapolis, Pittsburgh & Cleveland Railroad, which ran from Union City to Indianapolis, under the name of the Bellefontaine Railway Company. In April, 1868, this line was consol- idated with the Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati Railroad Company, un- der the title of the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis Rail- way Company, which has ever since been one of the most popular and suc- cessful lines operated in the West. It enters Hardin County in Survey 10,239, Hale Township; thence passes in a northeast direction through Hale, crossing the southeast corner of Dudley Township and on into Mar- ion County, leaving Hardin in Survey 14,910. Mount Victory and Ridge- way are its only stations in this county.

The Ohio & Indiana Railroad Company was incorporated March 20, 1850, and the road was constructed in 1853-54. The contest between Ken- ton and the northern portion of the county for the location of the road was sharp and spirited; but the people of Kenton let the opportunity pass, re- fusing to appropriate the required amount until it was too late, then they regretted their apathy or want of enterprise. It strikes the eastern line of Hardin County on the Section line between Sections 5 and 8, Jackson Town- ship; running in a southwest course, it crosses Jackson, Blanchard, Wash- . ington and Liberty Townships, and enters Allen County near the southwest

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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.

corner of Section 19 in the latter subdivision. The stations on this road inside the boundaries of Hardin County are Forrest, Dunkirk, North Wash- ington and Ada. In 1856, the Ohio & Indiana Railroad Company was consolidated with the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway Com- pany, which corporation has since operated the line. This well-known highway has always borne a first-class reputation for speed, accommodation, convenience and safety.

One of the most, if not the most, important public improvement con- structed in Hardin County during the last thirty years was the building of the Chicago & Atlantic Railroad. This road starts at Marion and runs to Chicago via Lima, so that the route through Kenton is on the line of a di- rect course from one to the other of those places. It strikes the eastern line of Hardin County in Section 13, Dudley Township, and runs in a north- west direction. From a point a short distance north of the old Cape bridge in said township, it follows close along the river to near Nicholas Rarey's in the southeast corner of Pleasant Township, where it crosses by a solid iron bridge to the south side and enters the limits of the corporation of Kenton just at the corner of Gen. Walker's premises and just south of the site of a pottery once located there. Crossing the Marysville pike at that point, it enters the lands of Asher Letson, crossing the west end of the old George Reese outlot lying between the two Steiner lots to the Belle- fontaine pike and through the Hannah Murphy lot to the Indianapolis, Burlington & Warsaw Railroad. Thence across Hiram Kettle's premises and a number of small lots to the Round Head pike, and then cutting off a portion of the old fair grounds, enters the farm of Gen. Robinson and up the Scioto, clipping bends and straightening the stream for nearly a mile, and continuing the course taken from a point on Asher Letson's land, north 69º 45' west, crossing McCoy Run a quarter of a mile above its mouth and the Scioto River in the marsh on a pile bridge 1,600 feet long; thence to the Shadley farms, where a slight change is made in the course that car- ries it across the Ada pike at Jagger's, just north of Section 17, crossing the county line on the Connor farm south of Albert Dempster's, in Section 7, Marion Township, and thence to Lima. The side tracks, water tank and depot in Kenton are located east of the Bellefontaine pike, the side tracks extending to near the Marysville pike. The rails are laid on the entire line and many of the depots, round houses, etc., built. The ballast is on for many miles, the section between Marion and Lima being completed and opened for traffic May 1, 1883. There are two stations in this county east of Kenton, viz., Dudley and Hepburn, and three west, viz., Oakland, Scioto and Preston. Gen. James S. Robinson, Thomas Espy and L. T. Hunt were the prime movers in securing the favorable location of this great thor- oughfare, the building of which has already increased the population of Kenton in a large degree, besides enhancing the value of real estate all along its line. These men are true benefactors of the people, who owe them a deep debt of gratitude for their enterprise and public spirit.

In 1841, the whole State contained thirty-six miles of railroad; in 1882, it had more than 7,000 miles within its borders; while to-day, Hardin County alone possesses about ninety miles, or nearly three times as much as the whole State of Ohio forty-two years ago. Judging the future growth and prosperity of the county by its past history, we can safely conclude that ere the close of this century its internal improvements will have reached a point far beyond the fondest hopes of its present inhabitants.

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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.

CHAPTER XV.

KENTON-LOCATION AND NAMING OF THE COUNTY SEAT-SKETCH OF SIMON KENTON - ORIGINAL TOWN PLAT AND SUBSEQUENT ADDITIONS - NAMES OF ORIGINAL LOT OWNERS-FIRST SETTLERS OF THE TOWN SITE-PIONEERS OF KENTON-POST OFFICE AND POSTMASTERS-REMINIS- CENCES OF KENTON IN 1857.

TI HE legislative act, passed January 19, 1833, organizing Hardin Coun- ty, designated Fort McArthur as the temporary seat of justice, until a permanent location should be selected by three Commissioners, appointed during the same session of the General Assembly for that purpose; and in the spring of that year, said Commissioners made an examination of the several sites proposed, and reported their decision to the Court of Common Pleas, in session at Fort McArthur, September 11, 1833, who ordered the same to be placed on record. The report reads as follows:

We, the undersigned Commissioners, appointed by joint resolution of both branches of the Legislature of Ohio, to locate the seat of justice in the county of Hardin in said State of Ohio, after complying with all the requisitions of the statutes defining the duties of Commissioners, proceeded on the 16th of April, 1833, to make the necessary exam- inations required by law. After mature deliberation, we have unanimously determined to fix the seat of justice for the said county of Hardin on the north side of the Scioto River, on the southwest quarter of Section 33, Township 4, Range 11; and part of fractional Section 4, Township 5, Range 11. The southwest quarter of Section 33, as above described, is now the property of Jacob H. and George H. Houser; and that part of fractional Section 4, above mentioned, is the property of Lemuel Wilmoth.

George H. and Jacob H. Houser propose and agree to give to the county thirty acres of land, and Lemuel Wilmoth proposes giving to the county ten acres of land, or so much as will complete the town plat, to be taken off the east end of his part of frac- tional Section 4. Should these donations be deemed insufficient for a town plat, the Director of the town is authorized to purchase any quantity of land adjoining the donations, not exceeding forty acres, at eight dollars per acre. The above-named Lemuel Wilmoth agrees to lay off into town lots, and sell under the direction of the Town Director, ten acres of land in addition to the ten acres given to the county.

Given under our hands the 1st of June, 1833.

IRA PAGE, ABNER SNODDY, EDWARD L. MORGAN, Commissioners.

The following is a verbatim copy of the proposition, as delivered to the court:

We, whose names are underwritten, for and in consideration of the advantage which we will derive from the location of the county seat on our premises, submit the following propositions to Ira Page, Abner Snoddy and Edward L. Morgan, Commis- sioners appointed by joint resolution of both branches of the Legislature of the State of Ohio, to locate the seat of justice for the county of Hardin, viz .: If the above-named Commissioners should locate the said seat of justice on our lands, we hereby bind our- selves, our heirs, executors, administrators or assignees, firmly, to grant the following donations and privileges to the said county of Hardin, and, as soon as a Director shall be appointed to lay off said county seat, we and each of us bind ourselves, our heirs, administrators or assignees, to make good and sufficient general warrantee deeds to and for the use of the said county of Hardin for the quantity of land herein specified, viz .: Lemuel Wilmoth grants as much land, to be taken off the east end of his part of fractional Section 4, Township 5, Range 11, as will include the plat of the said county seat from the east side of the same to the center, but it is understood also that if this

yum de Mathews

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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.

should include more than ten acres, the said Wilmoth is to be paid for whatever is over his donation of ten acres, which he hereby grants at such rates as the aforesaid Commissioners may stipulate; and the said Wilmoth further agrees to lay off into lots, streets and alleys, in conformity with the plan of said county seat, as much of his other land in said fractional Section 4 as may be necessary to complete the said county seat on the south end thereof; and the said lots are to be sold by the Director of said county seat under the same restrictions and on the same terms as other lots in said county seat are sold; and the proceeds, as soon as' collected, or the obligations, as soon as obtained, shall be transferred to the said Wilmoth for his use and benefit; and the said Wilmoth agrees to allow the said Director such compensation as the court may think just and reasonable for said services, which may be deducted from the proceeds of said lots; and George H. and Jacob H. Houser will grant to the said county of Har-

din as a donation, for the sole use of said county, thirty acres of land, adjoining the said Wilmoth's donation, the same being part of the southwest quarter of Section 33 .. Township 4, Range 11; and it is further agreed by the said George H. and Jacob H. Houser that they will sell to the Director of the said county seat, for the use of said county, any quantity of land, not exceeding forty acres, in such situations adjoining the aforesaid donations as the court or Director may think best to complete the plan of the said county seat on the north, at such price as the aforesaid Commissioners may stipulate. In testimony whereof, we have hereunto affixed our hands and seals, this 6th day of September, 1833.

ABNER SNODDY,

One of the Commissioners.

LEMUEL WILMOTH, - By SILAS G. STRONG. GEORGE H. HOUSER, JACOB H. HOUSER. SEAL. SEAL. -

On the second day of this session, and immediately after the reception of the above report and proposition, Charles W. Stevenson was appointed Director of the town of Kenton, and ordered to enter into a bond of $1,000 for the faithful discharge of the duties thereof, with Charles C. Scott, Henry D. Tharp and Robert McCloud as securities. Under date of Sep- tember 12, 1833, the following item is recorded: " Ordered by the court, that Charles W. Stevenson, Director of the town of Kenton, the county seat of Hardin County, be and he is hereby instructed to accede to the propostions made by the proprietors of the land fixed on for the said seat of justice as per proposition filed and entered on the minutes of this court, and proceed to lay off the said land into lots, streets and alleys, designat- ing the public square agreeably to the plan agreed upon by the court and on file in this office; and also proceed, with all possible dispatch, to adver- tise and sell at public auction the said lots, or as many of them as can be sold, on the 15th and 16th days of October next, requiring of the pur- chasers one-fifth of the purchase money in hand, and the balance in three annual equal payments; and the said Director is instructed to discount 6 per cent per annum on the deferred payments if they are paid in hand."*

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The history of Hardin county, Ohio, Part 51

Author: Warner Beers & co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Chicago : Warner Beers & Co. Number of Pages: 1076

Author: Warner Beers & co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Chicago : Warner Beers & Co.
Number of Pages: 1076