The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county, Part 37

Author: W.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago, W. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1214

USA > Ohio > Montgomery County > The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county > Part 37

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March 29, 1822, eighteen hunters of Dayton and vicinity joined in a squirrel hunt, which they kept up until noon the next day, and counted 1,000 scalps of squirrels that they had killed.

Thousands of coon-skins were brought in every winter.

In 1822, the Sheriff's salary was fixed at $50 per annum; Clerk, $50; Auditor, $150. Of course, there was a schedule of fees that the officers were entitled to, in addition to their salaries.

A certified copy of field notes of all land surveys and lands in Montgomery County, was obtained from the United States Surveyor General's office, and placed in the County Auditor's office in December, 1823.

In 1824, it was estimated that there were fifty flour-mills and one hundred distilleries on the Miami River, in Montgomery County and above.

In March, 1825, in order to get equitable valuations and tax rates, the power to appoint County Assessors was given to the Common Pleas Courts. John H. Williams was appointed for this county, and made return, as liere given, in November, 1825:

Total acres of land in the county. 257,251

Value.

Value of improvements in the townships.

$1,137,817

Value of improvements in the towns. 179,993

73,155

Value of horses.

Value of eattle. 164,400

Value of carriages. 47,816

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Mercantile capital.

132,500

Total valuation. . 1,736,031

In February, 1827, the office of County Collector was abolished, and in March, the power to appoint Assessors was transferred to County Commis- sioners.

SUNBURY.

Jacob Beard and Daniel Gunckel, Sr., as proprietors, laid out the town of Sunbury, German Township, in March, 1825, and had the first sale of lots on the 15th of. April. It was at the " cross-roads," leading to Dayton, Cincinnati and Lebanon, and there were three grist-mills, six saw-mills and a carding machine within a mile and a half of the town.

Michael

DAYTON

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

CLAY TOWNSHIP.

June 8, 1825, the original surveyed Township 6, Range + east, then in I'ndolph Township, was set off as a new township, and named Clay. The first e ction was held on the 4th of July, at which thirty-three votes were cast.

Phillipsburg, ten lots, was surveyed January 30, 1836, by James Hanks; poprietors, Philip Studybaker, John John, John Thomas and Nehemiah Thomas. Arlington was platted July 8. 1839, by Slingsby L. Barnes, proprietor of t: sixteen lots.

West Baltimore, near the northwest corner of the township, one-half lying i, this county and the other half in Preble, was surveyed June 22, 1852, by Job Frees. The proprietors of the land in this county were Peter Snyder, Tac Shauff, Rhinehard Bens, William Read and D. K. Boyer and Fritchey.

Brookville was surveyed April 13, 1850, by Jacob Frees, for Jacob Flory, poprietor of the fifteen lots. The town was incorporated September 9, 1874.

COUNTY INFIRMARY.

December 6, 1825, the Commissioners advertised for a " site for a poor bise." In April, 1826, they bought, of James B. Olivers, his farm, the south- vst quarter of Section 2, Township 3, Range 5 east, at $10.50 per acre. Gen. I mund Munger, Abraham Darst, John Folkerth, John C. Negley. Abraham Toxell, Henry Oldfather and John Ehrstine were appointed Directors. Gen. Junger was chosen President of the Board. The institution was ready for i nates in July. The expenses for the first year were $329.81 1.

MIAMI TOWNSHIP.

Miami Township was formed from Washington Township. December 9, 129; the division line to commence at the point where the section line between Sations 3 and 9 intersects the south county line; thence with said section line t the north boundary line of Washington Township; thence west to the Miami Iver; down the river to the county line, and along the county line to the place · beginning. March 7, 1831, fractional Sections 19, 20, 29, 30, in Township 1 Range 6. the southwest corner of Dayton Township, west of the Miami River, vre attached to Miami Township: and at the same time. a large tract west of t, Miami, described as follows, was added to the new township: That part of (rman Township included within the following boundaries: Beginning at the I ami River, on the line between Montgomery and Butler Counties, at the south- est corner of German Township; thence along the county line to the southwest c'ner of Section 28, Township 2, Range 5; thence north by the section line to te northwest corner of Section 4, Township 2, Range 5 ; tlience east on the le between Jefferson and German Townships to the northeast corner of frac- t nal Section 2, Township 2, Range 5; thence with the Miami River to the lice of beginning. August 21, 1841, Section 34 and fractional Sections 35 ¿1 36 were added from Jefferson Township. The first election in the new tvnship was held April 21, 1830; 219 votes were cast ; William Sawyer was t'cted Justice of the Peace.

Carrollton was platted April 27, 1830; Horatio G. Phillips, Alexander ( imes and Moses Smith were proprietors of the thirty-six lots.

MIAMI CANAL.

The demand for puplic improvements resulted in the passage of a bill, in Ibruary, 1825. authorizing the construction of the Ohio and Miami Canals. the first week of April, 1827, the engineers began the survey, to locate the iami Canal from Mad River to Middletown. May 17, the Canal Commission- 3, in session at Dayton, opened 600 bids for construction contracts, and then

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

made the awards by sections. The contractors near Dayton, and along the lin generally, began work about June 1. Monday, September 3, excavation wa commenced at the basin between Second and Third streets, Dayton; and in th evening the event was celebrated by an artillery salute. which attracted a larg assembly of people to the commons.

Water was let into the canal from the mill-race near the corner of Fift. and Wyandot streets, Dayton, Friday evening, September 26, 1828. Most of i leaked through the embankment along the river at the bluffs in Van Bure Township ; and a break was made in the embankment there November 24 Wednesday, December 17, the packet Alpha, with a party of Dayton ladies an gentlemen, made a trip to Hole's Creek. With another Dayton party, she mad her next trip to Miamisburg, Monday, the 22d, and returned to Dayton on Wec 'nesday; and made a second trip to Miamisburg on Christmas Day, returnin Friday.

The water at that time was making slow progress toward Franklin. Th canal was opened through to within four miles of Cincinnati, January 1 1829.

Work on the aqueducts over Mad River and the Miami commenced in 1838 but construction north of Dayton was not pushed with vigor, for the canal wi not opened to Piqua until in 1837, and to Toledo in 1845.

The opening of the canal from Mad River south was the beginning of new era of prosperity and improvement in the county, also marked with an i crease of trade in all the branches. The men who had lived in the log cabin had won a competence in the wilderness. Horses and other stock, so long on footing of social equality in cabin life, were to be shut up in the barn-yards, turned into the fields to graze. Squatters had long before been crowde from the hills and valleys of the county. After a few years in the deadening evidences of comfort and thrift shone through the log heaps and corn patche The county was dotted with comfortable farmhouses and clean little village The streams, large and small, were taxed to gather power to run the mills th occupied every " site." The aggregate value of taxable property in the coun in 1831 was $1,894,433; the total tax assessment for that year was $13,151.2;

EVENTS-1833 TO 1841.

Although the cholera in 1833 created a big scare in the United States, did not prevail to any considerable extent in this county.

Schools were in successful operation in the townships after 1830, and we with but few exceptions, held in log houses. After 1835, the number of buil ings was increased, and in 1837 every neighborhood had its own school. Bridg were built and the roads improved, but not macadamized until after 1838.

In 1837, log, frame and brick taverns were doing a successful business different points along the Franklin and Staunton roads, and on the roads Springfield, Xenia, Lebanon and Eaton. The brick tavern on Greencastle H in Dayton has been but recently torn down, to connect Summit street with Ge mantown street. Another brick building, formerly used as a tavern, stands the north side of West Third street, west of Summit street.

Dayton Township was divided into two election precincts, by act of t Legislature, March 12, 1839; all north of the Eaton road, Third street and t Springfield pike, to be the First Precinct, and elections held at the court hour all south of that line to be the Second Precinct, and elections held at Hou) tavern, Market street. The first county fair was held in the barn-yard, Swaynie's Hotel, in Dayton, October 17 and 18, 1839.

" The Washington Social Library" was organized as a banking concern Miamisburg in October, 1839: President, John Treon; Vice President, Ed

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

Jhes ; Directors, John Treon, E. L. Jones, William Huff, William L. Smith al. C. P. Huber, of Miamisburg; Christian Taylor, of Germantown; and John Money, of Franklin. The bank ceased business in January, 1841.

The limits of the city of Dayton and Dayton Township were made one and th same by act of the Legislature, granting to Dayton the new charter to take ef ct March 8, 1841.

From the territory thus taken from Dayton Township, Harrison, Mad River a. Van Buren Townships were formed by the County Commissioners.

May 17, it was ordered that all that part of Dayton Township lying west of the Great Miami River should be formed into a separate township, to be wn as Harrison Township. It was ordered that the first election be held at Shuel Puterbaugh's blacksmith-shop, on the road leading from Dayton to Union, Mnday, June 28, 1841, to elect the following officers, to serve until the next uual election: Township Clerk, Treasurer, three Trustees, two Overseers of từ Poor, three Fence Viewers and two Constables. The result of that election s ot given; but at an election held at the same place September 11 following, tcelect two Justices of the Peace, Cyrus Carpenter and David Clark were el'ted; 249 votes were cast.

May 28, 1841, it was ordered that all that part of Dayton Township lying es of the west bank of the Great Miami River, and without the limits of the eil of Dayton, should constitute a township, to be called Mad River Township. The election was ordered to be held at John Cox's tavern, on the Xenia road, The 28. At the next election, held September 11, John Snodgrass and Au- y tus C. Miller were elected Justices of the Peace; 192 votes were cast.

Van Buren Township was formed June 26, 1841. Sections 16, 22, 28 and 3 in Township 2, Range 6, and Section 4, Township 1, Range 6, between the Mimi Rivers, were taken from Washington Township and attached to the new tonship, described as follows: Beginning at the southeast corner of Section 16, I vnship 2, Range 6, between the Miami Rivers; thence west on the south lines obaid Sections 16, 22, 28, 34 and 4, to the southwest corner of said Section 4; Tl nce north along the west line of said Section 4 to the northwest corner of the seion; thence west on the south lines of Sections 11 and 17 to the Great Miami Rrer and across the river to the west bank; thence up the west bank of the river tohe southwest corner of Dayton Township; thence across the river and east ang the south boundary line of Dayton Township to the southeast corner of tlt township, and along the south lines of Sections 27, 21 and 15, Township 2 Range 7, to the Green County line; thence south along said line to the place o beginning. The election was ordered to be held at the schoolhouse in Dis- tut No. 11, July 10. At the election held September 11, 142 votes were cast. I ac Douglass was elected Justice of the Peace.

Beavertown was surveyed March 18, 1873, by Joseph B. Johns, and platted 1 thirty-four lots, by the proprietors, John Gray, J. R. Sourbray, Michael Ryan, Si Brown, Henry Rike, Hannah Hosier, Mary A. Zink, Richard H. Edwards. Jiathan Rudisill, James B. Dean, David Hennessey, Patrick Delaney and e hteen others.

TURNPIKES.

The building of the National road by the Government created active inter- e in the counties through which it was hoped that the road might be located; ton the towns and townships made great efforts to secure favorable location of th line. Dayton people were especially interested; meetings were held and onmittees were appointed, and every possible influence was brought to bear con the Locating Board and engineers. Having failed to secure a change of rite, a special meeting of Council was held, at which the following resolution s adopted:

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

Resolved, That the Mayor of this town, forward to Joseph H. Crane, Esq., our Rep resentative in Congress, whatever statistieal information can be obtained, with regard to the advantages possessed by this place, and other facts which it may be thought necessary to submit to the consideration of Congress ; to induce them to order a change in the route of the National road, so that it may pass, from Springfield, through Dayton and Eaton te Richmond. Ind.

All of these efforts failed, and the route was fixed west from Springfield to Brandt, in Bethel Township, Miami County, crossing the Miami River int this county at Tadmor, in Butler Township, thence continuing west throug! Vandalia, Harrisburg, Arlington and Bachman, in Butler, Randolph and Cla Townships. Improvements so long needed were now begun on the country roads In February, 1833, three turnpike companies were chartered: Dayton & Covingior Dayton, Centerville & Lebanon, Dayton & Springfield. The last-named compan intended to locate a road built through to Eaton and Richmond, but the Dayto. & Western Company was afterward formed to build the pike west of Daytor

The roads were only partly graveled until after the McAdam invention then the pikes were built by chartered companies; and of late years all importar roads in the county have been macadamized by the County Commissioners. Th Dayton. Centerville & Lebanon Company let the contracts for building that pik at Centerville, April 16, 1838, and work began at once.

The Dayton & Springfield Company opened books for stock subscription January 19, 1838, and the work was put under contract May 12. The road be was built to resemble the National road; bridges, toll-gates and stone culvert were constructed on the same style; mile-stones were made, similar to those o the National road; and the junction with that road was built to, as far as por sible, mislead emigrants coming West. Snug brick taverns were built conver ient distances along the pike.

In May, 1837, a meeting was held at Dayton in the interest of building pike from Dayton up the old military road through Milton to Greenville, bu the project was abandoned; and, March 30, 1838, the Dayton & Covingto Company began taking stock subscriptions, and soon after the contracts wer Iet.

The Great Miami Turnpike Company, to run from Dayton over the hills Carrollton, and on down the valley through Miamisburg, Franklin and Midd!' town to its junction with the Cincinnati Pike at Sharon, was chartered in Marc 1837. Construction was commeneed in the summer of 1838.

The first election for Directors of the Dayton & Western Pike Compar was held in May, 1839. Construction contracts were let July 8, the samo yes. The Shakertown Pike, from Dayton to Xenia, was chartered in March, 184 The Miami & Montgomery Company built the pike from Dayton throug Vandalia to Troy in 1842.

The Valley Pike, up the north side of Mad River, was chartered in Marc 1843, and the contract for the first twelve miles was let May 29. The pi .. from Dayton to Germantown was built in 1847. The Wolf Creek Pike w chartered in May, 1844, and was built in 1849. The Xenia Pike and the Da ton & Wilmington Pike were built in 1849. The next year, the Salem Pike an the Brandt Pike were under way. Under the provisions of a law recent passed, the 140 miles of toll pikes in the county have been bought from t companies and made free pikes.

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

CHAPTER X.

IG CABIN SETTLERS -- D. C. COOPER-ROBERT EDGAR-MAJ. GEORGE ADAMS- DR. JOHN HOLE-ZACHARIAH HOLE-AARON NUTT- DANIEL HOOVER.

S giving many interesting points and events of the early settlement and

1 history of the county, we include as part of the general history, these bio- giphical sketches of the most prominent and influential men of their times.

Cooper, Edgar, Adams. Hole, Nutt and Hoover, as representatives of tha bedy, thrifty class of pioneers, who led the advance into the dense woods. n de the clearings. established and protected the early settlements.

DANIEL C. COOPER.

Among the most active and shrewd of the young men. who became inter- Ped in Miami Valley lands, was Daniel C. Cooper, of New Jersey, who, when b was about twenty years old, came West to look after the interests of Jona- tun Dayton, who owned lands. and was otherwise interested in the " Symmes Irchase." This gave Mr. Cooper employment in his occupation as surveyor. ad was also a favorable opportunity for observation and selection of lands for I nself.

He was the oldest son of George Cooper, a wealthy farmer, who lived at. ad owned Long Hill. Morris County, N. J .. where his son, Daniel C. Cooper, Is born, November 20, 1773. George Cooper died in New Jersey, leaving to sons, Daniel C. and John.

Of the early experience and adventures of Daniel C. Cooper, for the first jar or two after his arrival in the West, there is but little information. In- chin hostilities kept the surveyors and all others close within protection of the girrisons at Fort Washington and the smaller stations around.

In 1794 and 1795, Mr. Cooper was with Col. Israel Ludlow, in his explor- ig and surveying expeditions through the valley. Such surveying parties nerally consisted of the surveyor and assistant, two chain men, a marker. Unter, cook and spy. In 1795, when peace with the Indians seemed to be as- fred, these. surveying parties were accompanied by explorers, who were look- g for lands upon which to settle.

In September, 1795, immediately after Wayne's treaty at Greenville, Coo- Ir located the road north from Fort Hamilton to the mouth of Mad River, where was proposed to establish the Dayton settlement. Besides liis surveying jrty a number of Kentuckians accompanied him to view the country, the trip 1 and back occupying about ten days' time.

During that fall and the succeeding winter, Cooper located for himself "out 1,000 acres of choice land, and the next year he came up and built his (bin in Dayton, at the southeast corner of Water and Jefferson streets, which probably occupied for two years, then built a cabin on his land, afterward e Patterson farm, south of the settlement. The cabin facing the river, stood st south of Rubicon Creek, where the two large pear trees now are, between e Miamisburg pike and the canal, near which point the next year he built e " corn-cracker " and distillery.

Mr. Cooper married a young widow, a beautiful woman. whose maiden

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

name was Sophia Greene. Her first husband was a Mr. Burnet, a young law, yer of Cincinnati. She was born August 25, 1780.

Mr. and Mrs. Cooper had six children, all of them dying in childhood, ex cept David Zeigler Cooper, who was born November 8, 1812, married Mis Letitia Smith in Philadelphia, and died in Dayton, December 4, 1836.

D. C. Cooper was a very active and influential man in all matters pertain ing to the growth and improvement of the town and county; he aided in build ing the churches, was constant in his efforts to bring new-comers to the county was one of the largest resident land owners in this part of the valley, andowne and operated the only mills that were here for ten years after the first settlement

The failure of Symmes to complete his purchase from the Government, an. the delay in opening the land offices, caused Messrs. St. Clair, Dayton, Wil kinson and Ludlow to abandon their purchase on Mad River, thus causing great confusion and annoyance to the settlers. To remedy the evil, so far as i effected titles. to the town lots, Mr. Cooper by purchase of pre-emption-right: and agreement with lot-owners, became titular proprietor of Dayton, and plat ted it upon the same plan as surveyed and laid out in 1795. From the var: ous interests involved, he was several years in completing the arrangemen The fulfillment of this plan gave the Presbyterians, Methodists and Baptists church lots and burying-grounds; to the county, the court house lot and othe pieces of property ; to the town, the public square and other valuable conces sions.

In 1804, Mr. Cooper sold his farm and mills, south of town, to Col. Rob ert Patterson, and built his " elegant mansion " of hewn logs on the southwes corner of Ludlow and First streets, in Dayton, where he moved with his fam ly and lived until his death, July 13, 1818. Mrs. Cooper married Gen. Field ing Lowry, and died May 17, 1826. Mr. Cooper represented the county in th Third General Assembly of Ohio, convened at Chillicothe, the first Monday i December, 1804.

He was elected to the Sixth Assembly, convened at Chillicothe Decembe 7. 1807; was elected Senator from the district composed of Miami, Montgomer and Preble Counties, to the Seventh General Assembly, convened at Chill cothe December 5, 1808, and was re-elected Senator to the Eighth Assembl; convened at Chillicothe the first Monday in December, 1809.

In 1810, he was President of the Select Council of Dayton.

As representative of the county, he was a member of the Twelfth Assembl convened at Chillicothe December 6, 1813. He was Senator in the Fourteent Assembly, convened at Chillicothe December 4, 1815, and was re elected t the Fifteenth General Assembly, convened at Columbus-the then new capiti of the State-December 2, 1816.

His property in Dayton had not greatly increased in value, until the flus war times of 1812. He was then running the saw-mill on First street, opposit Sears, and the flour and fulling mills at the head of Mill street.

At the time of his death, in 1818, he was somewhat involved, but his e: ecutors relieved the estate from embarrassment, and the large property interes" have always been closely connected with the city's extension and improvemen

ROBERT EDGAR.

Robert Edgar, Sr., came to this country from the North of Ireland in th year 1739, and settled in Pennsylvania, afterward removing to Virginia. H children were two sons and two daughters. His son Robert, who was one d the pioneer settlers of this county, was born at Staunton, Augusta Co., Va February 8, 1770. Ten years later, Mr. Edgar with his family moved Wheeling, where, on the night of Good Friday, 1792, while he was on the wa

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

t warn a neighbor of the approach of Indians, he was attacked by nine of the stages, who killed and scalped him.

| Robert, the son, his mother also being dead, settled up the estate, and vth his brother and two sisters came down the Ohio River in a flat-boat, to Irt Washington.

In 1796, Robert Edgar came to the Dayton settlement, locating an eighty are tract of second-rate land in Section 33, now the southwest corner of I'd River Township, a portion of it being now within the corporate limits of Ityton, at the south end of Wayne street.

He married Mrs. Margaret Kirkwood (nee Gillespie), widow of David Kirk- wod, of Cincinnati, September 27, 1798. She was born in Philadelphia April f 1772.

They first went to housekeeping in the old cabin at the southwest corner Water and Mill streets, in Dayton. He was a farmer, yet being of an in- nious turn. frequently had profitable employment at the Cooper Mills, below Dayton, and at the Robinson Mill, up Mad River. In 1805, while yet living i town, he built for D. C. Cooper the grist-mill at the head of Mill street, ¿d ran it for a short time, but moved back on his own farm before the spring 1806.

The first iron mold-board plow that was brought to this county was owned ! him, and used on his farm at that time. It was a great curiosity to the settlers, and its work a marvel. None of them had ever before seen anything the kind, and they were interested, as farmers are now, in improved farm plements, as this one certainly was over the wooden plows then made by the rmers themselves, from the forks of hard wood saplings.

Of the large family of children born to Mr. and Mrs. Edgar, but five of em lived through childhood.

Jane Allen, their second child, was born November 24, in the year 1800, id was married to Augustus George December 4, 1817. She died March 3, 326.

Robert Andrew, born Octobor 10, 1803, married Catharine Iddings August 1831, and died September 7, 1833.

Samuel D., born March 25, 1806, married Minerva A. Jones August 5, 345; died October 1, 1874.

Mary, born April 8, 1811, married Stephen Johnston May 10, 1831; died uly 25, 1849.

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The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county, Part 37

Author: W.H. Beers & Co Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Chicago, W. H. Beers & co. Number of Pages: 1214

Author: W.H. Beers & Co
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Chicago, W. H. Beers & co.
Number of Pages: 1214