The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county, Part 84

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 84

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HEBREW CEMETERY.

Situated south of Dayton, and nearly opposite Woodland Cemetery. the burying-ground of the Hebrew Congregation. We failed to find the d at the court house, or from other sources to learn of whom and when ground was purchased; however, it is evident that, from interments made th the ground must have been purchased and used for burial purposes soon a the organization of the congregation in the city. There are several acres ground in the yard, which is partially surrounded by a high stone fence wall. Many tasty and beautiful stones dot the grounds, which are kept in fect order.

DESCRIPTIVE REVIEW OF THE CITY OF DAYTON.

This city, from its favorable location; its advantageous surroundings; commercial facilities, natural and acquired; its business opportunities; manufactures; its solidity; its advantages as a shipping and distributing pc its wealth; the intelligence, culture, taste, refinement and moral advancen of its people; its public and private enterprise; its excellent sanitary condit its metropolitan advantages-in short, the thousand and one things that ; to make a city a desirable place for residence or for business, are beginnin attract the attention of people from abroad, who have learned of the p! As a result, a tide of capital and business industry and enterprise is gradu settling in this direction, and which will assist very materially in building at this point a city destined at no distant day to take a prominent place am the important inland cities of America. Dayton now numbers about f thousand inhabitants, comprised very largely of those belonging to the wor! or industrial classes, mechanics, tradesmen-the " sons of toil." Dayton is sentially a busy city. There are few drones residing here. That is to there are few, indeed, who do not labor in some useful sphere. There ar course, many men of wealth-capitalists-but they generally are actively busily engaged in business. Perhaps no city in this country, of the same can boast of its wealth being so equally distributed among its citizens as is case in Dayton. Among all its wealthy citizens, there is not a millionaire, then none in abject poverty. It has many wealthy men, and but few ro poor ones.

The importance of Dayton as a business center is, perhaps, not prop appreciated, except by those who have made the city a residence for a gre or less length of time, or by those who have maintained business relat with her merchants, which would afford them fair opportunity of judg Situated in the midst of the beautiful and fruitful Miami Valley, at the . fluence of the Stillwater and Mad River with the Miami, and surrounder all sides, far and near, by the most populous, wealthiest and best agricul country to be found in Ohio, Dayton enjoys a local or domestic revenue beyond her limits unequaled anywhere. The surrounding country is peo with a class of farmers who have grown wealthy, and are as valuable to chants of Dayton as they would be if residents of the city. From Dal radiate roads or pikes graded and graveled, and all of them free of toil, t parts of this wealthy, agricultural region, or grand garden, we might ca, and along these roads pour into the city continuous streams of farm prod which here find ready sale at good prices, owing to the splendid shipping distributing facilities afforded by the canal and numerous railroads going to all points of the compass. The estimated value of farm products ann brought to Dayton and disposed of for cash is $3,000.000. The solidity o

759

CITY OF DAYTON.

it of Dayton in point of healthy growth, socially, morally, as well as archi- uchrally is perhaps not so fully estimated by the general public as it should e. The business of the city has steadily increased. It has been a healthy oroth, speaking well for the prudence and foresight of its capitalists, mer- chats, manufacturers and others engaged in business pursuits. The volume f usiness has kept steady pace in growth with the increase in population, hh, for the past forty years, has been on an average about seventy-five per · of for each decade.

Socially and morally, Dayton will compare favorably with any city in the yl. Its citizens are in the main a church-going people and, as a result, Meity is adorned with so many elegant and costly places of worship as to t) it to be spoken of by travelers as "the city of churches." All denomina- ) and creeds are represented, whether Christian or Hebrew. The public bols of Dayton are of a character to cause her citizens to speak of them with wie. There are also numerous private schools, academies and seminaries of . e ighest order. As a result of all this, the people are of high moral and vel standard. The arts and sciences are cultivated and fostered, and evi- leres are to be seen upon every hand of culture and refinement. not only of p vate character, coupled with wealth, but of a public character as well. Leribraries and art galleries, her fountains and gardens, all attest the culti- tin of the people of this beautiful city. The city embraces about ten square il of territory, containing nearly two hundred miles of streets regularly cout and finished. The gravel obtained here in abundance is the best ma- ri in the world for street-making, as will be seen by a drive through any of enoroughfares. Most of the principal streets and avenues are very broad, acth, level and lined on either side by flagged sidewalks and rows of thrifty ad and ornamental trees, making them inviting for driving or the prome- d' and they are daily, in fair weather, thronged with elegant turnouts. eoasts innumerable, handsome residences, many of them of the truly pala- Irder. situated both in the city proper and in the suburbs, to say nothing te many elegant villas crowning the hills surrounding and overlooking the y The lawns environing the more elegant mansions make the avenues in portions of the city devoted principally to residences as inviting and at- vacve as can be found anywhere. The business portion of the city is com- @17 and substantially built of brick, stone and iron. Many of the blocks rge and attractive. The celebrated Dayton marble is quarried near the yimits, and as a building material is unequaled for beauty and durability. ¿ dition to the many large blocks now in use, several new ones, large and oantial, are in process of construction, to meet the demands of increasing = ess.

Che public buildings of the city and county are, as well as the private il ugs, of the most costly, elegant and attractive character. In the imme- 21 vicinity of the city are the National Soldiers' Home-the " Hotel de Inval- esof America-the Southern Ohio Asylum for the Insane, and many other like tations of lesser magnitude. The view of the city and valley to be ob- nl from the surrounding hills is indeed grand. Its equal cannot be ob- nl from any other point in Ohio. The city is supplied with an abundance (cellent well water, yet it has in addition Holly water-works, which, by ras of about thirty-four miles of mains, now down, supplies the city with a oarticle of water for culinary purposes and for fire protection The paid FireDepartment of this city is one of the most admirable and efficient in the Cu lufy, and no other city in Ohio can boast of a more thoroughly organized and ficient police force. Well-regulated street railroads extend to all parts of the city.

760

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

Nine different railroads center here. This statement will of itself cles indicate the advantages of Dayton as a point for distribution and shipm The shipping facilities of Dayton, either by rail or by canal, could not well improved; nor could the opportunities for rapid and convenient travel. P senger trains to and from all points of the compass leave and arrive al hourly during the day and night. To points North and South the canal affo very cheap, though rather slow means of freight transportation. The ma facturing interests of the city, which, for many years were neglected, have cently taken new life, and already are rapidly growing in volume and imį tance. The car works, employing many hundreds of men, the many manu! tories, foundries, planing-mills, screw-works, iron shops, turbine water-wl works, tool works, in short, the numberless mills and machine shops afford < stant employment for thousands of industrious mechanics at fair wages, the proprietors are all prosperous. The hydraulic water-power of this plac among the best in the State. The mechanics and laboring men of Day generally own houses of their own, and, as a consequence, houses can be rer at reasonable rates. Shabby or unsightly tenement houses are unknowr Dayton. With her 40,000 population, the populous surrounding country. the innumerable small towns within a radius of a few miles, and all of wl are tributaries to Dayton, her business, both retail and wholesale, already la is rapidly increasing, and affords a splendid field for the capitalist seeking opportunity in that direction. Her manufacturing facilities, with her op! tunities and advantages as a shipping-point, afford the capitalist and manuf urer a brilliant prospect, while her educational, moral, social and sanitary vantages render Dayton a most desirable place for residence.

BOOK III. PART FIRST.

TOWNSHIP HISTORIES.

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.

BY JOSEPH NUTT.

ASHINGTON TOWNSHIP is situated in the southeastern part of the county, and is bounded on the north by Van Buren Township, on the toy Greene County, on the south by Warren County, and on the west by ai Township.

t was organized as a township probably as early as May, 1803, and most taly some time between March and June of that year. It at first extended dinnce of seven miles north and south, and from Greene County to German whip east and west. On December 9, 1829, Miamisburg, with a part of 1 :1)| Township, which at that time belonged to Washington, was stricken off. t 24th of June, 1841. a strip of land a mile in width was taken off the rt. rn end of this township and added to Van Buren Township. These suc- si, spoliations have reduced the township to an area of thirty square miles, stance of six miles north and south and five miles east and west.

ashington Township was one of the first settled points in the county, February, 1796, two months before a settlement had been made at Day- find a company of men from Kentucky, among whom were Aaron Nutt, 1 join Robbins and Benjamin Archer, surveying near the present site of t ville. The first camp struck by these adventurous civil engineers was I farm now owned by William Weller, just on the outskirts of town. vier, they only remained a short time in this place. for, upon the discovery dian signs," the camp was hastily vacated, and.they removed two miles h northeast and took up a position on the farm now owned by Samuel 1. Here they found a secure retreat, just south of the old Pardington ungs, in a ravine, and here they remained in undisputed possession until rad completed their survey. How long this was we cannot say, but they a'ly did not hasten the completion of their work for lack of meat, as a eurkey roost was discovered on what is now 'he farm of Alonzo Mont- e, and the party hunter had an easy time of it, except, perhaps, carrying v feathered denizens of the forest. After the survey had been completed, pt was laid down in the woods, and these primitive surveyors proceeded 1 riz cuts for first choice of land. Benjamin Robbins was the first lucky . nd. influenced by the springs discovered, immediately selected the half r of land which lay on the west of Centerville, and which embraced the sow owned by Benjamin Davis, Mason Allen and others. Aaron Nutt. bn fate ordained the last choice, always maintained that "Benny had 1 e; poor choice," as better springs were afterward discovered on his own loui is Benjamin Archer, who had second choice, selected the half section h wh'st of Centerville, and Aaron Nutt took the same amount of land directly er! c town.

Aber the selection of lands, they mounted their horses and returned to their amilies in Kentucky, well pleased with the country which they were

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY,

soon to make their home. They say of the fertility of the soil at this "that while surveying they found wild rye up to their horses' sides."

Benjamin Robbins was the first to take possession of the land thus obtain and, in the spring of the same year, came with his wife and several child to Ohio, and built a log cabin near where, years afterward, the stone h now occupied by William Davis was erected.

Two years later, Aaron Nutt came to join the fortunes of bis brother law, Robbins, and established for himself a home in the Ohio forest. Rob pressed him to unload and share his cabin until he had erected one of his "No," said Mr. Nutt, "I'll never unload until I can carry my goods into own house." He had to go to Franklin, nine miles away, for assistance, as he was particular to tell every one that he had brought six gallons of } tucky whisky with him, on the day appointed there were many willing h: and kind hearts to give the stranger a lift. Before evening, the logs had cut, the clapboards made and the cabin finished, and that night Mr. Nutt family were securely established in their new home and slept beneath 1 own roof.

It is probable that Benjamin Archer, the last of the three surveyors, out about the same time, but it is not definitely known. There are some pr in the history of Mr. Archer, or Judge Archer, as he was always called, wc of note, and, as he did not remain permanently in the settlement, we will them here.

A native of New Jersey, he removed to Philadelphia, where he was cro Judge of one of the courts. From that city, he removed to Kentucky from there to Washington Township. Here he remained until 182.4, and one of the leading men in the community, at one time being Associate J of the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas. From this State, he to Fort Wayne, Ind., where he seems to have been satisfied to give up travels and permanently locate. Judge Archer was distinctively a progre man, for, besides his pioneer work in this State, we find him engaged in able enterprises wherever he was located. It is generally concededl th made the first brick and built the first brick house in Fort Wayne, whe died in 1830.

The settlement having been established in Washington Township, were soon others to recognize the fertility and advantages of the place. ar the course of a very few years, many families were located in the vicin the present town of Centerville.

Among these was the family of Dr. John Hole, who is believed to been a native of Virginia. In 1796, he was living in New Jersey, and ( mined to penetrate the wilderness west of the Ohio. He first stopped al cinnati, where he remained one year, and removed to this township i spring of 1797. He located three and a half miles northwest of Center where he entered a section and a half of land, on what he named Silver ( but what soon came to be known far and near as Hole's Creek, a name wl retains at the present day. He erected the first two saw-mills in the tow

Dr. Hole was the first practitioner in the township, and was well know his liberality and hospitality. His cabin was always open to traveler. many recipients of his bounty relate that when asking for their bill night's lodging, they were told to "go and do likewise."

While studying for his profession, he was appointed Assistant Surge his preceptor at the battle of Bunker Hill, and was afterward one of the r Surgeons in the army of Montgomery and Arnold at the storming of Q

In this battle he says: "I dressed the wounds of the soldiers benea walls of the fort by the flash of the cannon." At one time in the ba

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.

-vier was carried in and laid on the table before the doctor. " I can't do any- chiy for this man; his head is gone," he exclaimed with his usual prompt- Les It was a mistake which might easily occur in the darkness of the night iconfusion of the battle. He was near Gen. Montgomery when the latter r c'ved his death wound, and saw him reel and spin round like a top while dancing on the ice.

Dr. Hole's cabin stood on the spot where David Gephart lately erected a ra e house, just below Eno Belloman's mill. It was a round-log cabin, with aboard roof and loft, puncheon floor and cat and clay chimney, that is, made nall sticks and filled in with clay. He died January 6, 1813, aged ft eight years.

John Ewing, Sr., better known as Judge Ewing, came here in the same with Dr. Hole, and settled on adjoining land. His descendants are still rg in the neighborhood. His son Joseph was one of the first surveyors in Mongomery County, in which capacity he served fifteen years. His son John e January 30, 1882, on the old homestead farm, a few rods from his birth- a., eighty years before. He has a daughter still living in Dayton.

Henry Stansell first came to Ohio in 1801. He built a log cabin and then tined to Kentucky for his family, whom he removed to their new home the living year. Another prominent but later settler was Daniel Wilson, who Unved from Greene County in 1811. Mr. Wilson was born in New Jersey, 21, 1759. He was married to Sarah Sutton, September 23, 1784, and Jizabeth Price, February 17, 1807. He died September 7, 1847. He re- word from New Jersey to Pennsylvania, and thence to Greene County, Ohio. me he built the first house in that county, April 7, 1796. When, in 1799, erst church wasbuilt in Washington Township. the trees were blazed from r. Vilson's to this church, in order that the Greene County settlers might at- i n the Lord's service without danger of being lost in the woods.

Among the other pioneers were the three Baileys-John, Andrew and rl (M. D.). These men, the fruits of whose industry we to-day enjoy with- thinking of the labor it cost to clear and improve the land, had many diffi- l'es to contend with, not the least of which was the matter of moving. We ilgive one or two instances illustrative of this part of this work.

Henry Stansell, assisted by Jerry Allen. and accompanied by his wife and echildren, left Kentucky for Ohio in 1802. Their worldly store was not or very valuable, but part of it was bulky and cumbersome. In addition teir live stock. which consisted of three horses, one hen and a few geese. e brought with them all the household and kitchen furniture and farming pments necessary to set up housekeeping and commence farming in a new utry. One of the horses was detailed to carry Mrs. Stansell, a saddle, a der bed and a baby four months old. Each of the remaining horses carried eof the men, two children, cooking utensils, provisions for the journey, ning implements, etc. The geese were compelled to travel on foot, but the managed to dead-head it on one of the horses. A sad misfortune befell er in Cincinnati. for one of the geese strayed from the flock and was lost te streets of that city. It was afterward discovered, however, and brought nin triumph.

The settlers were not by any means all from the same locality or even Trorthe same State. New England contributed her share, and, in 1797, Jona- Maiand Edmund Munger and Benjamin Maltbie left Middleburg, Vt., with Theifamilies, for the territory northwest of the Ohio River. They traveled to three-horse wagons, the wheel horses being driven with lines and the leage ridden by a boy. While coming through" Pennsylvania and moving alor at a brisk trot. by a sudden jolt. Jonathan Munger, who was riding on

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

one of the wagons, was thrown under the wheels, and, before the horses cou be checked, or he could extricate himself, both wheels passed over him. Su bold spirits were not to be thwarted by a little accident like that, and th moved on to Marietta, where they remained for a time in the stockade. Frc there, they dropped down the river to Belpre, where, in 1799, they raised co siderable corn and transported it to Columbia in pirogues. In 1800, Jonath and Edmund Munger, with the families of all three men, moved down t river in pirogues. Benjamin Maltbie, with some of the boys, brought t horses down by land. The harness and wagons were carried in the boats. some point, one of the pirogues was overturned and a feather bed, containi a baby, floated down with the current. The bed was somewhat dampened, b the pirogue was not injured and the baby was saved. They landed at Cinci nati, harnessed their horses. hitched to their wagons, and, having loaded the. with as much of their goods as they could haul over the unbroken road started for Washington Township. The women and all the children who we able to walk performed their journey on foot.

The settlers were greatly troubled by venomous snakes. Benjamin Rc bins discovered a den in close proximity to his house, and called in the neig bors to help exterminate the pests. About a dozen backwoodsmen came in make a day's work of it, and the result of the hunt was 400, mostly rattlesnak and having from sixteen to twenty-four rattles each.

The woods were full of game of all kinds, but bears, deer and wild to keys were most abundant, as well as most valuable, as to these they looked: their meat. Many interesting stories are told of bear hunts, deer chases a big turkey hauls, and a few of these we will give.

One day, Boston Hoblet was paying his friend, Benjamin Robbins, a vis and while at dinner a loud squealing was heard in the direction of the pig-1. Both men sprang from the table and seized their guns, for, as was customa in those days, Hoblet had brought his along. Hoblet led the way, and. nearing the lot, discovered a large bear tearing away at a sow's shoulders. an by a well-directed shot, succeeded in bringing bruin to the ground. "No Boston," said Robbins, who at that moment came up and saw what his friel had done, "I'll give you a pig for that." So he did. "And that pig," sa Hoblet. "was the first one I ever owned." That one lucky shot gave hin start in the pig line and he became a successful hog-raiser.

Shortly after the settlers from New England had established themsely on the head waters of Hole's Creek, some of the younger members of the fam of Jonathan Munger reported to their father that they had seen a "maons black cat" run up a tree. Without waiting for his gun, the father promp climbed the tree, and, with a good stout club, invited the "black cat " down forcibly that he quickly accepted the invitation and descended to the group rather more hurriedly than gracefully, where he was hospitably received by t family dog and the children. In relating the incident afterward, Mr. Mung was free to admit that he would have been in some danger had Mrs. Brt made her appearance on the battle-field; but, as he was unacquainted with be habits at that time, he always wound up his story by characteristically sayit " High, la me; them that knows nothin' fears nothin'."

One fall, after Mr. John Ewing had put up his hogs for fattening, he cal across a large bear in the woods, and, after following him all day to the Lit Miami and back, succeeded in killing him close to his house. This was co sidered an extra good day's work, and he was so well satisfied with the amout of meat thus obtained that his hogs were turned out to be kept for the no year's fattening.

So much for bear stories. The last bear killed in the township was in t.

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.

1.1 of 1826, on the farm of Daniel Hines. Louis Taylor says that this bear T's shot almost simultaneously by Simon H. Douglass and William Russell, I't that he thinks Russell's gun cracked first.

A man by the name of Clawson, who was a celebrated hunter, once went to to shop of Edmund Munger to have some blacksmithing done, but was told by 1 :. Munger that he could not do the work, as his family was out of meat and I must go to the woods and kill some turkeys. "I can kill more turkeys than j can," said Clawson, "and if you'll go into the shop and do my work, I'll into the woods and do your hunting." The proposition was accepted, and (awson, with an old horse and a boy, started into the woods. In the evening, I returned and made good his boast, for the old horse was loaded down with tenty-one fine, fat turkeys.

One night, Jonathan Munger, hearing a noise in the top of an elm which I had felled near his house, fired his rifle in the direction of the sound and r'urned the gun to its place. By the next day, he had forgotten all about the c'cumstance, and did not go near the tree until noon, when he discovered the Igs eagerly devouring the carcass of a deer, which his random shot had killed. Tis was the man who, it is said, has been known to climb a tree, transfer a sharm of bees to a sack and return stingless to the ground.

Gradually, however, the larger animals were driven off or killed, and be- ie the close of the first quarter of the present century, most of them had dis- aneared. The last " porcupine," or American hedgehog, was killed one Sun- d' morning in the summer of 1830, while crossing the street in Centerville. jit below the present residence of Dr. Lamme.

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The history of Montgomery county, Ohio, containing a history of the county, Part 84

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