The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county, Part 49

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 49

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covered with but a shallow deposit of clay, yellow originally, but blackened ! organic matter for a foot or two from the surface. These table lauds hold nearly a horizontal position that the streams that have their sources in the have but a sluggish flow. Indeed, these districts, until they are cleared an ditched, are almost always marshy in their conditions, and, though occupying the highest level of the county, are universally spoken of as low-lying Jand They contain abundant elements of agricultural wealth, but demand a mc painstaking and scientific kind of treatment than our farmers are genera. willing to bestow. In default of this, they are largely dependent on the se sons-favorable seasons bringing a large reward and unfavorable ones bei marked by failures more or less complete. The water supply in these loc tions is generally derived from drilled wells, which it is sometimes necessi to carry to a depth of sixty feet, though one-third of this depth usually suffic In their present condition they constitute the lowest-priced lands of the coun unless, as in a few instances, their contiguity to markets has led to their the ough improvement. In these cases, they show themselves to be possessed admirable qualities for farming lands, and also give examples of what may hoped for from the remainder of this formation. A belt of still more p: nounced character, in which the agricultural relations are still more clos connected with the geological structure, is furnished in the line of junction the blue limestone and Clinton formations, or, what is the same thing, in ! line of junction of the Lower and Upper Silurian.

"It will be remembered that the uppermost beds of the blue limest series consist, for the most part, of unconsolidated clays, while the lower p tion of the overlying cliff formation, viz., the Clinton rock, is largely cc posed of beds of a porous sandstone (lime sand). The result of this order sequence is that the clays of the blue limestone series are the water-bearers the region which they occupy, as was long ago pointed out by Dr. Loc The strongest springs of Southwestern Ohio mark quite accurately this line junction. The clays constitute a gradual slope-sometimes one-fourth o. mile in breadth-from the foot of the cliff. The springs that flow out al the line gave, before the country was cleared, a marshy character to this b as is shown in the black and fertile loam by which it is still marked. T also serve to distribute, to some degree, the waste of the cliff to the slope bel

"The early settlers located their homes in the vicinity of these pereni. springs, and the prosperity which has attended the labor of husbandry un these fruitful tracts is well attested in the comfortable and tasteful hor which mark the lowermost outcrop of the cliff limestones. Perhaps no ot

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

logical boundary of the State is so definitely connected with human interests. I> blue limestones give rise, in limited areas. tosoils of great fertility. The riks of this age, for the most part, are covered deep by beds of modified Aft, lying as they do at a lower level than the other rocks of the county; but ocasionally, a slope is found that is derived directly from the weathering of cl blue limestone beds. The rocks of this series are rich in phosphates, a f& which accounts for their value in agriculture. An analysis by Dr. Worm- de chemist of the survey, give sixteen-hundredths of 1 per cent of phosphoric ad in the bedded clays. This proportion shows that a soil one foot in depth. f(ned from the weathering of these clays, would contain to the acre very orly 7,500 pounds of phosphoric acid-a substance indispensable to the z wth of the higher forms of vegetation. The celebrated blue grass country Kentucky is derived directly from the rocks of this formation, without the a lition of our drift clays and sands.

" A discussion of the drift in this connection would be, under another n ne, a treatise upon the general agriculture of the county, and cannot here by entered upon. Suffice it to say that the character of the drift deposits agely determines for each locality the market value of.its lands, the kinds of mps that can be cultivated with profit, the nature and amount of its water su ply, the quality of its highways, its degree of healthfulness, and, in short. it general desirability for human occupancy.

"Attention will be called to but one more point in this connection: The rier valleys of Southwestern Ohio are known to have been deeper than they a: at present. In other words, they are now partly filled with drift, and the steams no longer flow upon rocky beds. Not only is the absolute depth of valleys diminished by these deposits, but the abruptness of the declivity isgreatly modified by them. Instead of a precipitous descent over the naked aves of the rocks, a well-graded slope, consisting frequently of the best road g vel. leads from the highlands to the river bottoms. The nature and order o the succession of the formations previously described, renders it certain tit were it not for the interposition of the drift, the line of junction of the be limestone and cliff formation would be an impassable belt of miry clay for o -third of the year, unless relieved by expensive artificial roads. A similar site of things would be found throughout much of the blue limestone regions. T's leading points in the geology of the line of junction of the Lower and Up- p: Silurian formations of Southwestern Ohio have now been briefly noticed. Among the points of economical interest may be mentioned the estab- Inment of the limits within which the Dayton stone is to be found, lying as it des at the very base of the Niagara series; the recognition of the fact that the but lime of this part of the State comes from a horizon about 100 feet higher inthe series than that which the Daytou stone occupies, with the consequent kowledge of the areas within which it occurs, and the discovery that certain b'ls of the same series afford hydraulic lime of excellent quality. The great vue of the Dayton stone naturally leads to considerable interest in the dis- c ery of' new deposits of it. A safe guide for all future investigations will be find in the order of sequence of the great formations, an order which prac- tal men, engaged for years in quarrying the stone. have generally failed to r:ognize."

An extensive bed of peat was discovered, some years since, one mile east c| Germantown, Montgomery County, in and directly above the channel of Trin Creek. of which a very interesting account is given in the appendix to. th reports of the Ohio geological survey of 1869. This volume may be found along the books of reference in the public library at Daytou, and to it we Fuld refer all interested, as it is not thought best to extend this chapter to pater length.

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

CHAPTER XVI.

COUNTY BUILDINGS-RAILROADS

IN July, 1845, the County Commissioners paid a premium of $500 Howard Daniels for the best plan of a court house, to be built at the rorth west corner of Main and Third streets, and, in August of the same year, th contracts for building were let. The old jail and court house that ocenpie the ground were sold at auction October 4, 1845, and, in the spring of 1840 were torn down and removed. In the spring of 1847, the foundations for th new building were laid, and, in the spring of 1850. the building was com pleted. court being held in the new court-room for the first time on April 13 1850. The building is constructed of Dayton limestone, fire-proof throughou and covered with a stone roof. From the street, eight wide stone steps lea to the terrace on which the building is erected, and another flight of step leads from the terrace to the floor of the portico, which is on a level with th second story windows of houses on the opposite side of the street. The fror of the building is ornamented with six massive stone pillars, which also sur port the roof of the portico. The entrance to the main hall or corridor is b two massive ornamented iron doors, each of which is of more than 2,00 pounds' weight. The hall leads to the rotunda, which is twenty feet in dian eter and forty-two feet high, ornamented with a dome, the eye of which light

the hall below. Around the rotunda, a circular flight of stone steps leads t the gallery of the court-room on one side and to public offices on the other The court-room, which opens from the rotunda is in an elliptical forni, an occupies the space of both stories, being lighted by a dome, the eye of which i forty-three feet high. The court house is sixty-two feet, fronting on Mai street, by 127 feet on Third street, and forty-four feet high. The estimate cost of the building was $63,000, but the actual cost greatly exceeded tha amount. The house was built after the form of a Grecian temple and is to-da one of the handsomest and most classical-looking buildings in the State.

The County Commissioners authorized the purchase of the brick, etc. fo a new jail, on August 5. 1844, and, on the same day, appointed Horace Peas and John Mills Special Commissioners to procure a suitable site for the build ing. In September following, they purchased Lot No. 276, on the northwes corner of Main and Sixth streets, of Nicholas Longworth, for $2,000. On th 3d of September, the contract for building the jail was awarded to George B Davis and Goodloe Pendry for $8,000. Extra work on the walls, cells and othe parts of the jail increased the cost of the building to $9,322. It is sixty fes wide, fronting on Main street, by 100 feet deep, and is built of hammer-dressed limestone, with walls two feet thick, and a tower at each corner of the front The building is now used by the city for a work-house. It contains a hall and ten rooms. above and below, in the front of the building. In the rear, there are thirty-two cells arranged in tiers, one above the other, with a hall on githe side, one of the latter being used as a dining-hall. On the 31st of July, 1852 the County Commissioners ordered the walls of this jail to be torn down and the building rebuilt; whether or not this was done cannot be gleaned froin th records.

On the 3d of March, 1857, the County Auditor was authorized by the

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

Lo missioners to advertise for a vote of the people on the question of building 1w court house, on the north part of the court house lot; the building to be f hick and not to exceed $40,000 in cost. On the 13th of March, 1867, an utvas passed by the Legislature empowering the Commissioners to build a Le court house, but nothing further was done until May 5, 1869, when the o missioners paid Kellogg & Burrows $800 for their plans of a new build- ngand it was agreed that they should receive $400 for superintending the truction of the same, should the Commissioners conclude to build. The u tion of building was again postponed and nothing done until July 14, Sy, when a call for plans was issued, and, on July 17, the plans for three 003, as submitted by Peters & Burns, were adopted. This action was after- al reconsidered, and the plans submitted by Leon Beaver were settled upon, they were not formally approved until November 21. 1879, at which time e'er gave a bond of $10,000 and received a premium of $300 for the best 1:3. The second premium for $200 was awarded to E. E. Myers, of Detroit, uthe third of $100 to Thomas Boyd. Pittsburgh. Bids were advertised for, ne on February 23, 1880, contracts for the work and materials were awarded. Iarch 11, 1880, these contracts were all annulled on account of the esti- as and bills of cost not having been sent in. On the 28th of April, 1880, le plans, specifications and estimates were again approved, and, on June 2, 3 , the contracts finally awarded as follows: Excavations, H. J. Cair, $874; udation, Kramer & Poock, $4,925; brick work, J. Clark & Co., $13,600; proofing, Johnson & Co., $13,500; concreting, Daniel Slentz, $599; floor- lig, Carpenter & Raymond, $2,331.90; plastering, Hollinger & Bro., $2,- )( painting, Thomas D. Hale, $2,864,43; glass, Lowe Bros., $6,324.85; enter work, B. N. Beaver, $14,960; iron work, McHose & Lyon, $30.490; ibing, Gibbons & McCormick, $2, 775; galvanized iron work, George W. . E. Buvinger, $6,121; cut-stone work, Leopold, Cutter & Co., $45,500. h architect's total estimate of the cost of the building was $174,945.21. h excavations for the building were commenced in the summer of 1880, and building soon thereafter commenced; it will probably be completed in The building is to be entirely faced and ornamented with dressed The ground floor only slightly elevated above the street, and easy of (ss, is to be occupied exclusively by those offices which are most frequented, mein which the most public business is transacted, viz., the Treasurer's, the u.tor's, the Recorder's, the Probate Judge's, the County Commissioners', u eyor's and Prosecuting Attorney's. The next floor is to be occupied by court-rooms, with a wide hall between, each connecting with a Judges' (1, and both those, as well as the court-rooms, connecting with the law li- PET . On the same floor and in the front of the building, are the Clerk's and

(Sheriff's offices, witness-rooms and all necessary accessories --- everything 1.ected with the courts. The third floor contains offices for all other county ders, together with grand and petit jury rooms, and a room that can, if nec- ssy, be used for the accommodation of another court.

It being decided that a new jail was needed for the county, J. Hodson, uarchitect of Indianapolis, Ind., was ordered, on the 18th of March, 1869, repare plans and specifications for the proposed edifice. After much diffi- '17, it was finally decided, on November 1, 1869, to locate the jail on the rund west of the court house, belonging to Boyer & Jameson. Accordingly, obe was duly given of the location as above, G. A. Grove, Commissioner, ienting. On April 6, 1871, the Auditor was directed to advertise for bids, an on May 29, 1871, the contract was awarded to Rouzer & Rouzer, for $78,- 0-"the entire building to be fire-proof, the front or residence faced with th pest Buena Vista stone of uniform color, a boiler-house for the heating appa-

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

ratus to be built outside of the jail proper, and the prison walls to be lined will quarter-inch plate iron." This contract was afterward annulled, and, on Ju 25, 1872, new plans were adopted and the contract awarded, July 30, 1872, Marcus Bossler to build the jail, Warden's residence and boiler-room, for $15. 000, he to allow $306 for the work already done on the boiler-house. On t] 12th of August, the contract was ratified and the contractor put under bon The building was to have been completed by the 30th of June, 1873, but w not completed and accepted until February 8, 1874. the cost of constructi having been increased to $190,553. The building is two stories high, with mansard roof, and consists of the jailer's residence, in which there are a dwelling-rooms and two rooms used for the female department, and the prise proper, in which there are twenty-six cells, arranged in two tiers, with a ha running between and a corridor around the whole. The residence part thirty-six feet, fronting on Third street; is faced with dressed freestone, ar has a circular flight of steps leading from the street to the entrance. The ec of construction, including the price paid for the lot and the Superintendent salary. makes the entire cost exceed $220,000.

THE RAILROADS OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

In 1841, there were thirty-six miles of railway in Ohio; in 1880 there we 5,654.62 miles, and still the work goes on. In 1880, Morgan was the on county in the State which had not a railway within its limits. The impo tance of railway communication was early seen by the inhabitants of Mor gomery County, and measures were adopted for securing the benefits thoreof themselves. January 5, 1832, the Ohio Legislature passed an act incorpora ing the

MAD RIVER & LAKE ERIE RAILROAD COMPANY.

This road was " vested with the right to construct a railway from Dayte via Springfield, Urbana, Bellefontaine, to or near Upper Sandusky, Tiffin a) Lower Sandusky, to Sandusky, Huron County."* Acts furthering the interes of the corporation, were passed March 14, 1836; December 19, 1836; Mar 16, 1839; February 19, 1845; February 6, 1847; February 8, 1847; the act February 6, 1847 authorized the town of Springfield to subscribe $20,000 the stock of the company, to be applied on the construction of the line betwe Springfield and Dayton. The contract for the construction of this divisi of the road was let in the winter of 1848-49, and the last rail between ti two cities was laid January 25, 1851. Two days later, an excursion passed ov the road from Springfield to Dayton, and the next day, January 28, 1851, trai began running on regular time. In the following December this road, as we as the C., H. & D., the D. & W .. and the G. & M., suffered heavily by floods. " The Mad River & Lake Erie Railroad Company located and constru ed its road from Tiffin to Sandusky, by way of Bellevue. In 1851, the Sa dusky City & Indiana Railroad Company, which was chartered by act of Fe ruary 28, of that year (49 Ohio L., 434), proceeded to build a road from Tif to Sandusky, via Clyde, and this route being deemed more favorable than ti other, December 1, 1854, the last named company leased the road for t term of ninety-nine years, renewable forever, to the Mad River & Lake Er Railroad Company, which has since operated the same as a part of its line, timately abandoning the other route. The organization of the Sandusky Ci & Indiana Railroad Company is kept up for the purpose of perpetuating tl lease, the interests of the companies being identical, and the road having be built in the interests of and with means furnished by the Mad River & Lal Erie Company, one person acting as President of both corporations." +

* Report of the Commissioner of Railroads and Telegraphs of Ohio, June 30, 1880. +Commissioner's report, 1880.

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

June 1. 1854, the company leased the road of the Springfield & Colum- u Railway, for the term of fifteen years, agreeing to certain provisions. Feb- ruy 23, 1858, by decree of the Common Pleas Court of Erie County, the name of ie company was changed to the Sandusky, Dayton & Cincinnati Railroad c.pany. July 2, 1866, the road having been in the hands of a receiver, and a ecial Master Commissioner since October 13, 1865, a certificate of re-or- a zation was filed with the Secretary of State, under the name of the San- lucy & Cincinnati Railroad Company. October 8, 1866, this company leased ts oad to the Cincinnati, Dayton & Eastern Railroad Company for ninety-nine es, but by mutual agreement the lease was surrendered January 9, 1868. By decree of the Erie County Court of Common Pleas, filed with the Secre- az of State, January 11, 1868, the name was changed to the Cincinnati, San- duy & Cleveland Railroad Company, and June 28, 1870, this company leased hiroad, property, and rights of the Columbus, Springfield & Cincinnati Rail- o& Company (successors to the Springfield & Columbus Railroad Company. or iously lessors of the Mad River & Lake Erie Company), with certain pro- ions to be carried out by the C., S. & C. Company. A perpetual lease of that po ion of the road leading from Dayton to Springfield was made to the Cin- cirati & Springfield Railway Company, by whom it was transferred, togeth- er ith a lease in perpetuity of its own railway rights, priveleges and fran- ches to the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis Railway Com- al. "March 9, 1881, this company and the Columbus, Springfield & Cin- irati Railroad Company leased their roads to the Indianapolis, Blooming- Ik Western Railway Company for ninety-nine years, renewable forever."

CINCINNATI, HAMILTON & DAYTON RAILROAD COMPANY.

On the 2d day of March, 1846, a charter was granted to the Cincinnati & Hailton Railroad Company, its name being changed by an act of February 8. 87, and another of March 15, 1849, the latter being "An act to amend the avral acts relating to the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad Compa- The Dayton end of the road was put under contract in August, 1850. an September 13, 1851, the first excursion from Cincinnati and Hamilton, bap over the road. Trains began running regularly between Cincinnati and Daton September 22, 1851, distance, sixty miles. The Dayton & Michigan Reroad Company was incorporated by act of March 5, 1851, to extend from )¿ton to Toledo, 142 miles, and the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Com- ra was empowered to lend it money, or otherwise aid in the construction of n road. In December, 1851, contracts for building this line were let, and nhe 28th of March, 1853, an excursion train arrived over it, from Troy. de ular trains were put on April 28, 1853. May 1, 1863, the line was leased n'erpetuity to the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Company (lease subse- utly modified), and February 18, 1869. the Cincinnati, Hamilton & Day- Company also leased the road of the Cincinnati, Richmond & Chicago R&road Company-Hamilton to the Indiana State Line. 36 miles-and the et of the latter of the Richmond & Miami Railway extending to Rich- od, Ind. November 26, 1872, the management of this company purchased theline of the Junction Railroad Company, from Hamilton to Indianapolis - 8,0 miles, the purchasers soon after organizing the Cincinnati, Hamilton & nanapolis Railroad Company.

DAYTON & WESTERN RAILROAD COMPANY.

A charter was granted to this company February 14, 1846, its purpose beg to construct a road from Dayton to a point on the State line between Ol and Indiana, such point to be selected by the directors. The railroad

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

commissioner's report for 1880 states that work was begun on this road in Jul 1848 .* and other authority gives April 21, 1849, as the date on which the cor tracts were let. From the junction west, track laying began August 6, 185: the road being consolidated with the Indiana Central on the first of that month The distance from Dayton to the State line is thirty-eight miles. In Indian the road was opened to Richmond February 19, 1853. In September of th same year, trains passed westward to Indianapolis, and October 11, 1853, th entire road was opened for regular business. January 14, 1863, the track fro: Dayton to Dodson, fifteen miles, was leased in common to the Dayton & Unic Railroad Company. "Under date of February 4, 1865, the company lease from the Richmond & Miami Railway Company of Indiana, for ninety-nir years from January 1, 1865, renewal forever, the entire control of its roar right of way, buildings, etc., from its western terminus on the line dividing th States of Ohio and Indiana, to the point of junction or switch where its saj road diverges and runs to Eaton and Hamilton ; also the use of the remainin portion to its western terminus in the city of Richmond, three miles in all, f. the semi-annual payment of $2,750, payable each first of January and July February 4, 1865, the company entered into an agreement to lease to the Litt Miami and Columbus & Xenia Railroad Companies, for ninety-nine years fro January 1, 1865, renewable forever, its road, property and privileges, excep ing certain leased premises and other property in Dayton, the shop, machiner tools, etc., and providing that a contract between the Dayton & Western an Columbus & Xenia Companies of March 12, 1863, be surrendered and settle up to the above date. The lease was made subject to a contract lease betwee the Dayton & Western and Dayton & Union Railroad Companies of Januar 14, 1863, by which the latter have the use of the Dayton & Western track fro. Dayton to Dodson. Also, of a contract between the Dayton & Western and Cir cinnati, Hamilton & Dayton Railroad Companies, relating to the joint use ( tracks of the two said companies in Dayton and the bridge over the Great Mian River. The lease of the Richmond & Miami Railway was also transferred ar assigned. the lessees assuming all the stipulations and conditions of the sever named contracts of the Dayton & Western Company, and agreeing to carry 01 the several provisions thereof. The Dayton & Western Company agreed : procure to be transferred to the lessees a majority of its capital stock, not let than $155,000 in the aggregate. The lease was made subject to a deed of tru dated November 1, 1864, to secure the payment of $738,000, bonds of th Dayton & Western Railroad Company, due and payable January 1, 1895, tł lessees assuming payment of the semi-annual interest thereon as rental for sa property, and also agreeing to indorse and guarantee the payment of the pri: cipal and interest of said bonds, the Dayton & Western Company agreeing upon the full payment thereof and the interest thereon, to convey in fee simp to the said lessees the railroad and property thereby leased. The foregoin contract for lease was duly approved and ratified by a majority of the stock holders of each company party thereto. The Columbus & Xenia Company a signed its interest in the foregoing lease of the Little Miami Railroad Con pany, to take effect December 1, 1868, and it was transferred by that compar together with its own and other leased lines, to the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati St. Louis Railway Company, to take effect December 1, 1869, and the road sind that time has been operated by that company, in connection with its own ar other leased lines." +

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The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county, Part 49

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