,^ -^> ,^-^ ■% ^\^- '•'::,. .<■■ '^^ ^A v^ -^^^" A^^' v-< ^^ "^^ t'i^ >^^. .^>^^■ ■<^' V- > ^0 o^ s^-^^. '■^ V*' .*^ x\^- ;5 -^^ ,0O^ / CENTENNIAL HISTORY ~- Troy, Piqua and Miami County, Ohio AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS EDITED AND COMPILED BY THOMAS C. HARBAUGH CASSTOWN, OHIO Lilerary Journalist. Secretary o( the Maryland Association of Ohio. "History is Philosophy Teaching by Examples. PUBLISHED BV RICHMOND-ARNOLD PUBLISHING CO. c H I c .A ( ; o \Mfk'^( '\ PREFACE HE aim of the publishers of this volume and of the author of the history has been to secure for the historical portion thereof full and accurate data respecting the history of the county from the time of its early settlement, and to condense it into a clear and interesting narrative. All topics and occurrences have been included that were essential to this object. The reviews of resolute and strenuous lives which make up the biographical part of this volume, and whose authorship is for the most part independent of that of the history, are admirably calculated to foster local ties, to inculcate patriotism, and to emphasize the rewards of industry dominated by intelligent purpose. They constitute a most appropriate medium for perpetuating personal annals, and will be of incalculable value to the descendants of those com- memorated. These sketches, replete with stirring incidents and intense ex- periences, are flavored with a strong human interest that will naturally prove to a large portion of the readers of the book its most attractive feature. In the aggregate of personal memoirs thus collated will be found a vivid epitome of the growth of Miami County, which will fitly supplement the historical state- ment, for its development is identified with that of the men and women to whom it is attributable. The publishers have endeavored to pass over no feature of the work slight- ingly, but to fittingly supplement the editor's labors by exercising care over the minutest details of publication, and thus give to the volume the three-fold value of a readable narrative, a useful work of reference, and a tasteful ornament to the library. We believe the result has justified the care thus exercised. Special prominence has been given to the portraits of representative citi- zens which appear throughout the volume, and we believe that they will prove not its least interesting feature. We have sought in this department to illus- trate the different spheres of industrial and professional achievement as con- spicuously as possible. To all those who have kindly interested themselves in the preparation of this work, and who have voluntarily contributed most useful information, or rendered other assistance, we hereby tender our grateful acknowledgments. THE PUBLISHERS. Chicago, July, 1909. NOTE All the biographical sketches published in this volume were sub- mitted to their respective subjects or to the subscribers, frdm whom the facts were primarily obtained, for their approval or correction before going to press ; and a reasonable time was allowed in each case for the return of the typewritten copies. Most of them were returned to us within the time allotted, or before the work was printed, after being corrected or revised: and these may be regarded therefore as reasonably accurate. A few, however, were not returned to us; and, as we have no means of knowing whether they contain errors or not, we cannot vouch for their accuracy. In justice to our readers, and to render this work more valuable for reference purposes, we have indicated these uncorrected sketches by a small asterisk (*), placed immediately after the name of the subject. They will all be found on the last pages of the book. THE PUBLISHERS. Contents CHAPTER I. PAGE Introductory and Descriptive 21 Introductory — First Lords of the Soil, the Mound Builders — Speculations and Traditions as to the Mound Builders — The Indians not the Aborigines — Coming of the White Man — Resistance of the Indians — Area of Miami County — Its Division into Twelve Townships^-Topography, Elevation, Drainage — Fertility of the Soil — Disappearance of the Forests — Conditions Favorable to Agriculture — Tributaries of the Miami — Geological Foundations — Prehistoric Remains— Indian Occupancy — Early Abundance of Game. CHAPTER II. First White Man in the County, 29 The Call of the West — The Pioneer Settler — De Bienville's Expedition of 1749 — Attack on Pickawillany — Expedition of Christopher Gist — Location of Pickawillany — Washington's Journey — Expeditions of George Rogers Clarke — Experiences of Abram Thomas — Battle on the Johnston Farm — Beauty of the Country at the Time of Clarke's Expedition — Coming of John Knoop, 1797 — Pioneer Settlers. CHAPTER in. Formation of the Country ; The Home in Wilderness 43 Pontiac's Conspiracy — Bouquet's Expedition — Block Houses Built at Cincinnati — New York and Virginia Relinquish Charter Claims — Fort Harmar Erected — The Settlement at Marietta — Quick Settlement of the Ohio Valley — Ordinance of 1787 — Slavery Forbidden — St. Clair Made Governor — Formation of Hamilton and Montgomery Counties — Formation of Miami County — .Abrogation of the Indian Title — Wayne's Vic- tory of the Fallen Timbers and Treaty of Greenville — The Miami Indians — The Symmes Purchase — School Districts Reserved — Sale of Public Lands on Time Payments — The First Court — Homes of the Pioneer Settlers — Pioneer Habits and Customs — Domestic Industries — Early Circulating Medium — Militia Musters — County Officials. CHAPTER IV. Thrilling Incidents of Pioneer Life 55 Contrast of Past and Present — Emigrant Trails — Encounters with Wild .Animals — Pioneer Reminiscences — England Pays Bounty on Scalps — Indian Murders — Adoptions into the Tribes — The Moffit Boys — Col. Johnston. CHAPTER V. Early Transportation 68 Corduroy Roads — First Gravel Road — The National Road — Braddock's Road — Early Stage Lines, Stages and Stage Drivers — Famous Taverns — Water Transportation — Freighting on the Miami — To New Orleans by River in 1819; an L^nfortunate Voyage — Dr. Dorsey's Recollections of Flat Boat Navigation — Canal Construction — The Miami and Erie Canal — Benefits of the Canal — the Old Mail Service — Postal Rates in 1816 — Postoffice Established at Piqua — The Early Postmaster — A Mail Carrier's .Adventure — A Century's Progress. CHAPTER VI. The Townships (Western) 82 Washington, Concord, Monroe, L'nion, Newton and Newberry Townships; Their Boundaries and History — Early Settlers — Heroes of the Revolution and War of 1812 — Development of Natural Resources — First Mills, Founding of the Villages; Tippecanoe, Etc. 12 CONTENTS CHAPTER VII. PAoE The Townships (Eastern) •.•••■ 98 Brown, Springcreek, Staunton, Lostcreek, Elizabeth. Betliel. CHAPTER VIII. Trov. the County Seat 114 Establislimcnt of the County Seat — Rivalry Between Staun.ton and Piqua ; Troy Enters the Contest — First Survey by .\ndrew Wallace — Absence of Graft — Description of Troy in 1815 — Log Court House Built — Brick Court House Built in 1S16 — Overfield's Tavern — Queer Real Estate Transactions — William Barbee — "Squire" Brown and Otlier Early Settlers — The "Broadford War" — I'irst Railroad — Opening "of the Canal — The Cholera Scourge in 1850 — First Court of Common Picas — Troy Merchants in 1828 — The Jackson-Adams Campaign — Runaway Apprentices — .\ppearancc of tlie County Seat in 1853 — Mayors Since 1840 — Early Schools and School Teachers — Ch\irches — The Postoffice — City Government — Corner Stone of tlie Court House Laid, 1885 — Masonic Teaiiple Erected. CHAPTER IX. Piqua, the Border City 131 Origin of the City — Its Historic Associations — An Indian Legend — Piqua Formerly Called Washington — Coming of Job Gard — Reminiscences of Josepli HiUiard — Piqua a Place of Rendezvous in the War of 1812 — Land Office Established in 1819 — Piqua Becomes a Town in 1S43 — First Election L'nder the Charter — Early Mayors — Amusing Ordinances — Population in 1826 — The Act of Incorporation — The Ewing Tavern — Early Merchants and Leading Citizens — Piqua Benefited by the Canal — Coming of the Railroad — The Hydraulic Canal — Business Statistics — The Town Hall — Tlie John Vail .-Xcademy — Early Schools — Educa- tional Progress — Religions Institutions — Relics, of tHie Mound Builders — Military Spirit of 1861-65 — Soldiers' Aid Societies — War Memorials — Postmasters — Fire Department — City Government. CHAPTER X. Miami in the Wars 14S The War of- 1812^-EmploytTient of the Indians by England — Battle of Tippecanoe — Tecumseh — Services of Col. John Johnston — Results of Perry's Victory on Lake Erie — ■Miami Heroes of the War — The War of the Rebellion — Prompt Enlistments — The Gravity of the Struggle Realized — Miami Soldiers on Many Battle- fields — Eleventh Ohio Volimteers — Forty-Fourtih Infantry and Eighth Cavalry — The Seventy-first Ohio Volunteer Infantry — Ninety-fourth Ohio Volunteer Infantry — One Hundred and Tenth O. V. I. — The One Hundred and Forty-seventh Regiment — Spanish-American War Volunteers — Roster of Veterans. CHAPTER XL The Bench and Bar: Famous Trials. Etc 169 First Court Session, 1807 — First Grand Jury Impanelled — First Case Docketed — Early Lawyers — Manner of Holding Court in the Late Forties — Some Famous Cases — The Present Bench and Bar — Court Officers in ]!)08 — .Amusing Incidents. CHAPTER XII. ElllCATIONAL 180 The Log Schoolhousc Early Teachers — First Te.xt Books — Methods of Discipline — Advent of the Salaried Teacher — Cojning of the Graded Sch.ool — Latter Day Improvements — Schools of Troy and Piqua — Educa- tional History of the Townships — Parocliial Schools — Teachers' Examinations — Results .\ccomplished. CHAPTER XIII. The Press: Literary .Vchievements, Etc 195 Early News Conditions— F.arly Newspapers Destitute of Local News— Their Contents — Presses in Use— The Old Time Compositor— First Newspaper in Miami Count}', The Piqua Gazette — The Intelligencer — The Miami Reporter— Troy 'i'inies— The Miami Union— Tlie Troy Sentinel — The Troy Democrat — The Daily Record— Tile Buckeye— The Enquirer and Piqua Journal^Miami Countv Democrat — The Helmet— The Daily Call— The Piqua Leader-Despatch— The Miami Post— The Reflector— The City Item— The Herald— The Stillwater Valley Gazette — Gre«nville Advocate — The Covington Gazette — The Covington Tribune— The West Milton Record— The West Mihon Buckeve— Local Literature and .Authors. CONTENTS 13 CHAPTER XIV. PAGE Agriculture 202 Primitive Farm Macliinery of Pioneer Days — Lack of Transportation Facilities — The Early Farmers With- out Wagons — Improvements Gradually Introduced — The First Crops Grown in Miami County — Livestock Easily Raised — Orchards Planted— The First Agricultural Society— Miami Represented at the State Pomo- logical Exhibition in 1851 — The Miami County Agricultural Society — Fair Grounds Purchased — Present Condition of the Society and Roster of Officers — The Grange Movement— The Farmers' Institute— The Miami County Horticultural Society — Farm Products of Miami County — Stock Breeding. CHAPTER XV. Public Institutions , 211 The Children's Home — Benevolence of John H. Knoop — The Schmidlapp Free Public School Library, Piqua — The Troy Free School Library — The Young Men's Oiristian Association — The Woman's Christian Temperance Union — The Young Woman's Christian Temperance Unions — Colored People's Temperance Union — Woman's Christian Association of Troy — The Ball Memorial Hospital at Piqua — The Altrurian Club of Troy — The Civic League— Regimental and Other Military Organizations — The Maryland Associ- ation. CHAPTER XVI. Banks and Banking 321 Early Currency; Its Instability — The Old State Bank^s— The First National Bank of Troy Organized — The Miami County Bank and Troy National Bank — The Piqua National Bank — The Citizens' National Bank of Piqua — The Piqua Savings Bank Company — The Tippecanoe National Bank— The Citizens' National Bank of Tippecanoe City— Banks of West Milton. Covington, Pleasant Hill, Bradford. Etc.— Stability of Miami County's Financial Institutions. , CHAPTER XVII. The Medical Profession. P.x.'iT and Pre.sent 226 The Pioneer Doctor— Crude Methods of a CenturyAgo- Home Remedies— Charm Doctors— Bleeding the Main Reliance of the Old-Tmie "Regular" — Devotion of the Pioneer Physicians — Diseases Prevalent in Early Days— The Charlatan of Former Days — Some Early Physicians— The Medical Profession of the Present Day — The Miami County Medical Society. CHAPTER XVIII. The Pioneer Preacher 23.5 Charles Frederick Post, the Missionary — The Presbyterians. Baptists and Catholics Early Represented — Controversialisni — Salary of the Backwoods Preacher — Hardships Endured — His Devotion — Stories of the Itinerant Preachers — The Results They Accomplished. CHAPTER XIX. Present Religious Denominations of the County 242 Local History of the Baptists. Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans. Friends or Quakers. Episcopalians- German Baptists — Christians, Roman Cafholics, Etc. CHAPTER XX. County Politics Old and New 2,55 Smallness of the Voting Popu.lation in Early Days— First Elective Officers— Political Parties — Methods of Electioneering — Local Issues — Some Political Editorials— The .^dams-Jackson Campaign — Coming of Gen- eral Harrison in 18^7 and 1840— The Campaigns of 185r> and 1860— The Campaign of 1864— Later Presi- dential Campaigns — Congressional Battles — Humorous Incidents— Present Day Politics. CHAPTER XXL Some County History Not Generally Known 264 The General Harrison Land— The Randolph Slaves— Last Indian in Elizabeth Township— Revolutionary Pensioners— The July Fourth Celebration of 1827 at Troy— Prominent Miami County Lady— John Mor- gan's Raiders — A Lincoln Letter. CHAPTER XXIL Manufacturers of the Past and Present 272 Early Mills and Distilleries— Brick and Tile Making— Present Industries of the County. CHAPTER XXIII. Fraternal Orders, Building and Loan Associations, Population, Etc 278 Representative Citizens 231 Tndcx Biograpbicai PAGE Albaiigh, Albert 831 Albaugh, B. F S22 Albaugh, C. M 822 Albaugh, John 831 Albery. Richard M 662 Alexander, Henry 515 Alexander, Melville W 515 Alexander, VV. H 396 Allen, Henry W 363 Allison, S. M 503 Allison, Rev. William H 459 Anderson, Charles F 681 Anderson, J. Frank 590 Anderson, Robert 590 Anthony, John 540 Anthony, William 540 Apple, George S 711 Apple, Henry D 669 Apple, Peter 320 Apple, Solomon 718 Apple, Uriah S 718 Arnold, David 699 Arnold, John 699 Arnold. John T 699 Atlas Underwear Co., The.. 772 I Babb, Capt. Joshua L 377 Baker. John H.. M.D 354 Baldwin, William 393 Barker, Dr. J. B 611 Earnett, C. H 635 Barnhart, Elias 308 Barnhart, Tobias 308 Bartmess, James T 450 Bashore, John M 456 Bashor, S. B 359 Bausman, Dr. Charles W... 685 Bechtol, Joseph 853 Bechtol. Samuel C 853 'Beerv. Prof. Jesse . . 7''0 Bell, Elbert M ,[[ 695 Bennett, Prof. L. J 617 Bennett, Prof. R. F '. . 616 Benson, Austin 291 Benson. Mrs. Fern 290 Berryhill. Francis M 521 Berryhill. Samuel F 482 Billett, Charles A 314 Billingsley. John E ' 775 Billingsley, Thomas 776 Boal, Stanhope .... 535 Boal, W. K ■.;;■. 536 P.AGE Boehringer, Charles 628 Bohlender, Peter 359 Bosserman, W. W 658 Bousman, Mrs. Abigail W. .. 740 Bousman, John 740 Bowman, Joseph 464 Bowman, Joseph W 464 Bowyer, Walter E 611 Boyer, Daniel 631 Brandon, James W 456 Brandt, Joseph B 759 Branson, DeWitt C 469 Branson, John H 469 Brant, .\lfred M 751 Breidebach, Conrad W 511 Brown, Augustus S 64S Brown, Cyrus T 362 Brown, Daniel 363 Brown, John 451 Brown, John W 365 Brown. John W 648 Brown, M. K ^451 Brown, Dr. Richard L 324 Brown, S. K 669 Brown, T. C 802 Brown, William B 669 Brubaker, Henry J 305 Brubaker, J. A. & Son 305 Brubaker, James A 305 Buchanan, A. C 290 Buchanan, Col. George 371 Buchanan, W. W. V 289 Burkett, Jesse 321 Burivell, R. N '. 614 Cady. N. W 436 Campbell, A. B 379 Campbell, Angus C 56.1 Campbell, Hon. Thomas M . . 408 Cantwell, W. F 824 Carroll, A. C 764 Cassel, Jacob 723 Cassel, John 723 Cassel, Joseph A 621 Caven, Georee B 714 Caven, James M 593 Caven, John F 714 Caven. John M 719 Chaffee, Charles 349 Clark, Harvey 292 Clark, John H 292 Class, C. F 440 PAGE Class, Jacob 440 Clemm, Daniel P 539 Clemm, H. E 539 Clouse, August S 506 Coddington, A. L 628 Coddington, James H 628 Cofield, W. 577 Coleman, Dr. Hoirace.... 449 Coleman, Dr. Warren.... 443 Coles, W. H 568 Combs, Jefferson S 789 Compton, G. L., D. D. S.. 808 Compton, Isaac 808 Conrad, George W 376 Conway, Capt. John 447 Conway, J. Nelson 446 Conway, L. E 836 Coombs, George V 477 Coombs, Harry E 477 Coon, John H 636 Coon, William H 636 Coppock, Allen 707 Coppock, Allen 762 Coppock, C. Roy 696 Coppock, David C 807 Coppock, Hon. David M.. 735 Coppock. Elwood 696 Coppock, F. M 807 Coppock, Rev. Jacob 395 Coppock, Joe F 762 Coppock, Joseph C 707 Coppock. Samuel 395 Corwin, I. A 673 Cottingham, Joshua E.... 433 Cottingham, Joshua H.... 432 Cottingham. W. A 522 Courtcr, Aaron B 470 Courier, William 470 Covault, Erastus 566 Covault, William A 565 Covington Roller Mills, The 337 Covington Woolen Mills, The 772 Co.x, Edward S 668 Cox, Dr. W. S 668 Croft. David 568 Croft, Sherman D 568 Cromer, Elnathan 491 Cromer, William H 491 Crowley, Rev. James J.... 466 INDEX 15 PAGE Curtis, Martin A 584 Curtis, William 584 Cushwa, Benjamin 585 Cushwa, Frank A 585 Darner, John L 474 Davis, Benjamin 771 Davis, David 771 Davis, Dr. E. B 664 Davis, Elwood, U 763 Davis, Frank G 737 Davis, Henry 354 Davis, J. W 431 Davis, Stephen 391 Davis, Thomas C 391 Davy, Henry D 401 Davy, Jacob A 401 Deaton, Nathan 498 Deaton, Dr. Van Shears.. 498 De Bra, William M 644 Decker, Valentine 741 Deeter, Aaron H 765 Deeter, Daniel H 765 Deeter, Samuel R 748 Deeter, William F.v 748 De Frees, John K 407 Deitzer, Jacob D 549 Detrick, Benjamin 330 Detrick, William H 330 De Weese, A. W 419 De Weese, Franklin A.... 491 De Weese Henry G 492 Dick, Alva E 728 Dick, Robert 728 Dickson, Robert M 834 Dickson, Samuel M 834 Diehl, Justus 403 Divens, Levi 777 Divens, Samuel 777 Dodd, John 750 Doll, Conrad 555 Doll Frederick 314 Doll, Fred. Sr 555 Doll, Jacob P , .. 314 Douglass, H. F 590 Douglas, R .L 635 Downs, Capt. William J 354 ^rake, Daniel 547 Drake, John C 739 Drake, John J 731 Drake. Jonathan 731 Drake, Theodore A 547 Drake, Thomas L 778 Dress, George 448 Drees, Henry 448 Driver, Moses 726 Driver, William H 726 Drury, Eli H 538 Drury, James 504 Drury, John C 530 Drury, John, H 529 Du Bois, Alexander H.... 687 Du Bois, Benjamin 1 552 Du Bois, George L 671 PAoE Du Bois, L. T 798 Du Bois, Rolland R 798 Du Bois, William T 671 Duer, John 657 Duer, Joshua A 658 Dunrider, Isaac 381 Dunrider, John 381 Durr, Fred 687 ^ Eagle, Dr. P. F 598 Eby, William 302 Eby, W. S 302 Echelbarger, Dr. J. R 642 Edgar, E. E 311 Edwards, Ogden 586 Eidemiller, A. G 848 Elliott, William G 811 Ely, W. R 542 Enyeart Family 304 Enyeart, John L 304 Estey, Bert 489 Estey, James H 437 Estey, Jotham 489 Estey, M ichael 437 Estey, Grin A 489 Etter, J. F 646 Evans, Albert G 323 Evans, Henry 323 Evans, Dr. John R 324 Evans, Robert 553 Evans, Robert M 553 Eyler, Hon. Robert X 451 Face, David L 823 Falknor, David C 790 Falknor, Levi 790 Favorite, Daniel 517 Favorite, George 517 Favorite Store & Range Co., The 536 Fecker, John H 353 Felger, Bernard 825 Felger, Martin 825 Fenemore, John 446 Fergus, John S 289 Fergu5, Samuel R 288 Fessler, Charles .A 647 Fetter, Jacob 855 Fetter, Samuel M 855 Filbey, George 821 Filbey, Josiah 821 J'infrock, Charles M .582 Fink, Joseph M 782 Fiish, John 408 Fish, Rufus 561 Flesh, Henry 566 Flesh, L. M 773 Flory, Eli 682 Flowers. Forrest 322 Ford, B. J 775 Ford, Orlando 775 Foster, William H 556 Frame, Dr. A. B 596 Francis, W. H 513 Free, Henrv 582 PAGE Freeman, Frank E 405 Freeman, George 405 French, A. W 770 French Oil Mill Machinery Co. 770 Freshour, Solomon B 528 Frey, George A 424 Fry, A. M 805 Furrow, Alonzo J 412 Furrow, Jeremiah 412 Furrow, John K 650 Furrow, Oscar F 650 Funderburg, Dr. Jesse 509 Gahagan, William 632 Gaines, Dr. Charles E 494 Gangloff. Felix 850 Gantz, Martin L 584 Garver, Abraham R 572 Gerstmejer, J. A 527 Gessaman, George J 484 Gessaman, Lewis C 484 Geyer, Frederick 570 Geyer, Hon. John C 570 Gibson, Ralph H 497 Gilbert Henry 457 Gilbert, William H 457 Gould, S. S 763 Goodrich. F. C 717 Graham. Robert F 672 Gray, Francis 285 Greer, John M 569 Greer, Mrs. Mary A 569 Greer, William 569- Grubb, Joshua 698 Grunert, Herman 547 Hageman, C. H 725 Hageman. Christian 725 Hager, George 456 Hager, LeRoy 456 Haines. W. A 379 Hall, Augustus C, D.D.S... 612 Hall, Dr. Ernest 612 Hall. Dr. George Y 612 Hall, James 612 Harbaugh, John C 410 Harbaugh. Losh O 410 Harbaugh. Thomas C. ...... 419 Harshbarger. Alba L 293 Harshbarger, Charles A 783 Harshbarger, George 794 Harshbarger, George K 70S Harshbarger, Harry J 353 Harshbarger, Isaac D 294 Harshbarger, John C 708 Harshbarger, Lloyd 794 Harshbarger, Lorain 828 Harshbarger, William 833 Hart, Samuel 648 Hartle, O. L 518 Hartle, Peter 460 Hartle, Warren 459 Hartley, Alonzo 774 Hartley, Dr. Charles A 3.54 Hartman, Dr. S. D 594 16 IXDEX PACE Hartstein, John 333 Hawn. Elias G 336 Hawn, John 336 Hawn, John 5"-4 Hawn, William B 5T4 Haworth, Clarindon A 789 Haworth, Harvev 789 Headlev, John 424 Heffner, Henrv 390 Heffner, John M 390 Hellmer. William H 485 Helmer, William J 485 Hcmm. Frank X 788 Henderson, J. C 787 Henderson, William E 348 Henne, Jacob 587 Hcnne. John E 349 Henne. Joseph 587 Hctherington, Dr. C. E 359 Hetzler, Amos M 423 Heywood, .Alexander M 297 Hickory Grove Church 395 Hildebran, .A.nson 786 Hildebran, John 786 Hill. Isaac N 784 Hill, John W 784 Hill, Nathan 281 Hill. Samuel 683 Hill. Samuel T 521 Hill. Uzal E 681 Hilliard, J. Clvde 646 Hilliard, James G 646 Himes, R. W 843 Hobart, C. C 541 Hoefiich, Samuel 295 Hoffert. A. J 693 Hogan. John W 849 Hogan, Dr. William E 849 Holfinger, John 750 Holfinger, John B 750 Holfinger, Will H 684 Holloway, Irwin A 329 Honeyman, Davis M 357 Honeyman, Michael 357 Hoopes. George W 654 Hoover, Charles P 625 Houser, James B 848 Houser, John 604 Houser, ilartin V 604 Howe, John A 416 Howe, John V 416 Huber, A. A 847 Huebschmann, Rev. Henry Jr. 535 Hughes, Hon. James C 306 Hughes, Rev. Thomas L 345 Hunt, C. M 382 Iddings, A. J 781 Iddings, Benjamin 749 Iddings, benjamin 781 Iddings, Myron 749 Iddings, Nathan 313 Irvin, John W 737 Irvin, William 737 PACE Jackson, Elva A 455 Jackson, Ira 855 Jarvis, Francis 564 Jay, Dorsey W 597 Jay. William 597 Jennings Dr. Gaino"- 824 Johnson, D. C 671 Johnson, Eugene 433 Johnson Joseph 671 Johnston, Andrew J 734 Johnston, Frederick W.... 734 Johnston, H. L 433 Jones, Albert B 796 Jones, B. W., D. D. S.... 475 Jones, John 670 Jones, Hon. M. H 558 Jones, Samuel 802 Jones, Hon. Walter D 746 Jones, William 663 Jones, William J 802 Katherman. Jacob C 632 Keiser, Nathaniel 771 Kelch, H. 1 83.". Keller, William 760 Kemp, Benjamin F 617 Kemp, Hiram 617 Kendell. Dr. Jacob 562 Kendell, Dr. H. W 563 Keplinger. Frank E. D.... 437 Kepner, Absolom 530 Kepner, Samuel B 530 Kerr, Albert 599 Kerr, E. H 565 Kerr, J. A 637 Kerr, James 598 Kerr, James. Sr 59S Kerr, James S 599 Kerr, Raymond A 565 Kessler, A. H 785 Kessler, William B 803 Kessler, Wirt 803 Kessler. W. S 827 Keyt, Gideon 843 Keyt. James 697 Keyt. James W ,843 Kindell. Ezekiel 837 Kindell, James B 837 Kinder, Albert 502 Kinnison, George 700 Kinnison, George E 700 Kirk, Harry K 620 Kiser. Benjamin 717 Kiser. Charles W 548 Kiser, Dr. I. C 717 Kloeb, Joseph A 557 Knick, Isaac 516 Knick, William 516 Knoop, Albert 510 Knoop, Daniel 510 Knoop. Daniel C 573 Knouflf. George 667 Knouflf, John M 667 Krayer, Jacob 394 PAGE Kreitzer, Charles E 534 Kreitzer, I saac H 533 Kreitzer, John 533 Kreitzer, Ray 533 Kunkle, Dr. Robert L 523 Lambert, H. S.. D. D. S.. 826 Lamka, John 503 Landis, Daniel 828 Landis, David B 630 Landis, Henry 838 Landis, John 630 Landman, Louis &94 Lape, E. W 308 Lee, D. L 550^ Le Fevre, Cyrus H 605 Le Fevre, Frank E 605 Leonard, A. M 635 Leonard. Morgan 724 Lewis. .Alfred J 772 Lewis, C. E 773 Lewis, W. J 772 Little, Hon. Albert F 829 Little. John M 829 Long, George S 471 Longendelpher. Casper 296 Longendelpher. Daniel .... 296 Longnaker, Ephriam .... 728 Longnaker, Hon. Frank M. 728 Lorimer, C W 452 Lnughman, Henry 723 Loughman. Thomas M.,.. 722 Lo.xley, Benjamin F.. Jr... 819 Lo.xley. B. F., Sr 661 Lyle, John W 512 Lytle. W. E 406 McAlpin, Jcihn F 347 McAlpin. John H 348 McCandliss, James 499 McCandliss. James Jr 409 McCandliss. James R 409 McCandliss. John 499 McClain, John 499 McClary, James 368 McColloch, Seth 311 McConnell. George R 430 McConnell. L. H 742 McCoole, J. B 398 McCoy, Clifford D 615 l\rcCullough, Charles H 595 McCullough, D. M 581 McCuIlough, George .... 578 McCullough, Dr. G. E 736 ^IcCullough. John .595 McCullough. William 579 McCune, Albert W «08 McCurdy, John A 391 McCurdy, Samuel 439 McKee. John T 376 McKnight. Joseph 709 McKnight. S. G 709 McKnight. William J.... 708 McMacken, Charles S 683 INDEX 17 PAGE McMacken, John 683 Magee Bros. Company, The 4(iri Magec, Charles W 46:! Magee, Edwin R 41;:! Magill, Fred B ■. . . 63.) Maier, Charles B 649 Maier, Eberhart W 686 Maier, Michael .51)9 —Makepeace, S. S 394- Manning, Clarkson 427 Manning, David C 427 Manson, David 635 Manson, Martin 63.5 Martin Abijah 523 Martin, Charles E 463 Martin, Joseph 53:! Martin, William P 523 Martindalc, Davis 486 Martindale, John, Jr 486 Mathews, John 663 Mathews, William 663 Maurer, D. B 791 Maurer, John 796 Maxwell Spaft'ord W 478 Maxwell, Thomas 478 Means, Dr. Joseph W 811 Meek, David 510 Meeks, D. C 510 Mendenhall, Isaac 538 Mendenhall, Joseph E 528 Menge, Rev. Goswin B.... 483 Mentink, Rev. Anthony J.. 315 Meredith, John L 515 Meredith, William J 515 Mikesell, A. F 833 Mikesell, John 338 Miles, D. M 642 Miles, Morris 643 Miller, Dr. John D 567 Miller. John H 830 Miller, Melville, W 446 s^Miller, W. F 455 v,^MiIlhouse, Jacob 735 Millhouse. Madison 735 Minton, Dr. W. A 705 Minton. Dr. W. H. H 705 Mitchell. C. W 538 Mitchell Milton G :291 Afohler, E. S 765 Montgomery. C. W 352 Moon, James 661 Moon, William B 661 Moore, John 418 Moore, William 418 Morris, J. W 769 Morrow, Daniel 526 Morrow, George B 756 Morrow, Harry 1 815 Morrow, R C 7.56 Morton, Charles 722 Morton, Samuel 722 Morton, Simon C 814 Morton, William C S15 Mote, Daniel 797 PAGE ■Mote, O. C 797 Mott, James 645 Moul, Daniel 690 Moul, Samuel A 690 Moyer, Perry H 404 Miwnford, George 403 Mumford, George Jr 403 Mmiiford, iWilliam R 410 Mummert, John 783 Murphy, George 644 Murray, Charles 728 Murray, Owen 745 Murray, Samuel 727 Musselman, Jacob 719 Musselman, John 719 Myers, John G 754 Myers, M. D 701 Myers, Michael 754 Neal, James K 363 Neal, Samuel \ 361 Neth Brothers 439 Neth, George 429 Neth, J. B 429 Nettleship. C. W 513 Newby, L. C 747 Newman, Daniel ,.. 766 Newman, Charles E 766 Nolan, Cory H 444 Nolan, John E 388 Nolan, Michael 445 Nolan, Michael 288 Norr, T. H 540 Norris, J. William 477 Nunlist John A 435 Nutt, Albert 473 Oda, John 775 O'Donnell, J. Guv 556 O'Ferrall. Dr. Jolin 351 O'Ferrall, Dr. R. M 350 Orbison, David 615 Orbison, David W 615 Orr, A. Morrison 466 O'Roark, J. A 337 O'Roark, W. L 337 Palmer, Capt. Samuel D 656 Parsons, George F 326 Passage. Peter 816 Patterson. I. B 460 Patty. Albert R 705 Pearson, E. E 641 Pearson, Frank W 333 Pearson, George 333 Pear.son. Horatio 641 Peckham Coal and Ice Co., The 497 Peckham, Chas 477 Peckham, David 497 Peckham, Frank J 497 Peckham, George W 690 Pence, George W 741 Pence, John N 741 Pence, Thomas J.. V.S 396 PAGE Pennv, David B 814 Penny, D. \V 814 Penrod, E. B 506 Penrod, Levi 506 Perkins, Charles F 700 Peters, August 654 Peterseim, Martin A 647 Petrv, C. S 773 Philiippi, Frank H .524 Phillippi, Jerome .534 Pierce, Samuel 852 Pierce, Zenas 853 Piqua Handle & Manufactur- ing Co 634 Pleasant, George W 755 Pleasant, William 755 Poling, G. W 847 Prince, Will J., M.D :i66 Prugh, Jesse 444 Prugh, John L 444 Purdy, James L 306 Purdy, Thomas L 474 Racer, John H 303 Rake, Amos 697 Rake, WilliaiTi J 697 Rannells, Chas F 407 Reaver, Jacob 378 Reaver, Ora 378 Reed, Bert A 854 Rehmerth, Henry 779 Rehmerth, William J 780 Reiber, Jacob 711 Reiber, John 712 Rhoades, Arthur C 685 Rhoades, Oiarles D 677 Rhoades, George C 656 Rhoades, John 656 Richardson, O. W 503 Ritter, Hon. Harrv J 606 Ritter, Harry W 607 Robbins, .^Ivernus 841 Robbins, Wilham F 841 Roberts, F. C 331 Robinson, .-Mexander 689 Robinson, Charles A 557 Robinson. John 689 Robinson, Michael 557 Rogers. Charles P .537 Rogers, Theodore L 536 Rogers. William C 635 Rollin Familv. The 341 Rollin. Horace J 341 Rosenberger, Dr. A. S 551 Rosenberger, Isaac J 813 Rosenberger, Israel H 463 Ross. John Wilson 386 Roszell, O. T 488 Routson, Absalom 305 Routson, David J 697 Routson, George W 420 Routson, Tsreal 684 Routson. Reuben 698 Rover, Samuel D 631 Rli'dv, John C 8.54 18 IXDEX PAGE Rudv, Joseph M ■ 602 Rudv. Levi 854 Rudy, S. J 505 Rudv. Solomon A 601 Rulii. Josiah W 7S8 Ruhl, Dr. L. A 360 Rundle. G. H 41T Rusk, Edwin X 573 Rusk, William 573 Sando, Samuel 643 Sando, W. W 643 Savers, E. F 389 Savers, Ezekiel 614 Savers, Harry L 613 Schmidt, Joseph J 380 Schnell, Charles A 810 Schram, George 835 Schram, John 835 Schuesselin, Charles F 776 Schuesselin, Fred 776 Schuhz, Charles C 812 Schultz. William 813 Scott, George W 291 Scott, H. E 521 Scott, John 291 Scott, Robert S 434 See, Jacob 450 See, William E 449 Senour, Dr. John G 385 Shade, J. A 577 Shaffer, David C 600 Shaffer, John 601 Shanks. Daniel 655 Shanks, William T 655 Sharp, Calvin 041 -Sharp. Levi 641 Sheets. Elizabeth 430 Sheets, John K 421 Sheets, Isaac S 421 Sheets, -Mary 415 Shellabarger, William E 660 Sliepard, Ezra 851 Shepard. George W 851 Sherman, Henry 589 Sherman, Louis 589 Shilling, David 514 Shilling, Dr. Harry 474 Shilling. Jesse 500 Shilling. Louis 514 Shilling. T. C 801 Shipman. L. H 417 Shook, Isaac 526 Shook. John N 526 Shroyer. Jacob 373 Shroyer, John W 374 Shroyer. Oscar 373 Siegel. George 783 Siegel, Joseph E .•.331 Siegel. William 783 Simes, Edward D 488 Svmes, James E 473 Simes. Lewis E 488 Simes. Thomas J 473 Simon, Otto 404 PACE Simmons, B. F 627 Simmons, Charles 760 Simmons, George 760 Simmons, John 493 Simmons, J. W 493 Simmons, Peter 627 Sinks. A. E 561 Smith. Alexander 678 Smith, Benjamin F 678 Smith. Claude C 804 Smith, Cloyd 713 Smith, Cortez M 778 Smith, Daniel W 329 Smith, Enoch 618 Smith, H. W 804 Smith, James 346 Smith. Hon. J. Harrison.... 753 Smith. Lawson D 422 Smith, Dr. S. D 713 Smith, William 422 Smith, Wilham H 618 Smith, W. J 372 Snell. Daniel 483 Snell, Rev. John H 483 Snook, C. G 294 Snovvberger, David R 667 Snowtyerger, Oliver H 664 Snyder, Anderson 693 Snyder, C. E 523 Snyder, E. N 756 Sotherland, Richard H.. Jr... 851 Sowers. John 301 Sowers, William H 301 Spencer, J. M 347 Sproul, Robert S 471 Stahl._J. W 809 Staley. Andrew 325 Stanfield, Maurice E 374 Stauffer. James W 812 Steil. Frederick 367 Steinlage, Rev. George P 361 Stewart. J. F 635 Stewart, Thomas B. 542 Stichter. Jacob 806 Stichter. Jacob B •. . 806 Stilwell. Morris T 856 .Stockstill, Elias D 476 Stockstill, John P 476 Stouder, A. G 422 Strock. Adam M.. V.S 513 Suber. George W' 746 Suber, J. C 710 Suber, Orel M 835 Suber, William D 710 Sullivan, Hon Theodore.... 298 Swearingen. Franklin S 333 Swearingen. John L 334 Swisher. W. V 341 Switzer, Edward L 316 Switzer, Jacob 801 Switzer, J. M 801 Switzer. Levi 60S Svler, Sherman D 411 PAGE Telford, James 595 Tenney, Dr. Eli 552 Tenney, Frank W 738 Tenney, W. Irving 551 Thoma. Albin 335 Thomas, Charles H 732 Thoanas, David E 732 Thompson, Elmer E 393 Thompson, H. S 474 Thompson, Joel T 393 Thompson, Josephus 676 Thompson, Samuel 676 Thompson, Dr. W. R 472 Throckmorton. George 427 Tobev, Charles W 381 Tobey, Nathaniel 381 Tobias, David W 439 Tobias, Elias 439 Tobias. Jonathan 525 Trostel, Charles E 397 Ullerv, David 816 Ullerv, David E 816 Ullery, Dr. G. C 816 L'pdike, Gideon G 461 Updike, Wilbur D 320 Vandergrift, William A 358 Van Horn, E 752 Van Horn. Oscar 351 Van Horn. William 351 Vinnedge. Clinton 366 Vinnedge. George 365 Vinnedge. Lewis D 365 Wagner, Jacob G 524 Walker. H. J 406 Wialker. Josiah 406 Warner. Albert 695 Warner. David 688 Warner, Jacob 688 \\'ashing. George 501 Weaver, Dr. Adam D 586 Weaver. J. D .684 Weaver, Wesley D 470 \\'eddle. Darius W 625 Weddle. Rev. John B 626 Wehneraan, John A 745 ^^'ehneman, John H 745 \\'ellbaum, Aaron 821 Wellbaum, David 822 W'enger, E T 819 Wetzel, John G 310 Wharton, Oliver 435 Wheeler. Leonard A 726 Wheeler. T. B 726 White. Jeremiah 038 WHiite, J. C 638 Whitman. Edward 675 Whitman, Frank L 675 Whitmer, Abraham 826 Whitmer, Henry C 826 Whitemr, John 501 Whitemr, William W 501 Whitmore, David J 659 INDEX 19 PACE Whitmore, Harry INI 639 Widener, Jacob 'i'02 Widener, R. Hayes 733 Widener, William D 733 Wilgus, J. F 602 Wilgus, John H 603 Wilgus, Thomas 794 Wilgus, William, Sr 794 Wilhelm, Eno 588 Wilhelm, Percival 588 Wilkinson, J. B 541 Wilkinson, Joseph E 317 Wilson, John 309 Wilson, Robert F 791 Wilson, Robert M 309 Wilson, William G 401 Wilson, William W 792 Winters, Warren N 364 PAGE Wirrig, John A 621 Wise, Moses B 674 Wolcott, Benjamin L 629 Wolcott. Lewis F 629 Wood, Charles A 293 Wood, Charles L 295 Wood, H. K 763 Woodward, Col. John R 606 Wood, Shovel and Tool Co., The 763 Wood, William W 781 Worley, Aiken 706 Worley, John 706 Yates, S. Frank 649 Yerty, Jacob 713 Yerty, Samuel 713 Young, C. O., V. S 725 PACE Young, David D 761 Yount, E. W 819 Yount, S. K 805 Yount, P. A 805 Ziegenfelder, James B.... 338 Ziegenfelder, Thomas 338 Zimmerlin, G. Jacob 759 Zimmerman, Charles 773 Zimmerman, Charles 793 Zimmerman, Charles 797 Zimmerman, Fred 797 Zimmerman, John 773 Zimmerman, Joseph 793 Zink, W. A 780 Zollinger, John 487 Zollinger, Henry 593 Zollingrcr, John Wm 521 inoex OT UTeois PAGE Ball Memorial Hospital, Piqiia 215 Brethren Church, Pleasant Hill 103 Cabin Built in 1798 ; Staunton Township 47 C. H. & D. Depot, Troy 267 Christian Church, Covington 87 Christian Church, Piqua 103 Christian Church, Pleasant Hill 229 Christian Church, Troy 245 City Building, Troy 117 County Infirmary 215 Covington Woolen Mills, Covington 155 Edwards School, Troy 173 English Lutheran Church, Troy 125 Episcopal Church, Troy 245 Favorite Stove and Range Company's Plant. Piqua. 237 Fireplace in Home of Horace J. Rollin, Staunton Township 155 First Baptist Church, Troy 103 First National Bank, Troy 125 Forest Scliool, Troy 173 Greenville Creek Falls. Near Covington 73 High School, Bradford 187 High School, Casstown 187 High School, Piqua 187 High School, Troy 173 High Street, Piqua ; Looking West from North Plaza 135 Hobart Electric Manufacturing Company, Troy. Plant of the 125 Horse Shoe Bend, near Troy 47 Hotel Troy, Troy .' 257 Indian Mound on Wolverton Farm 47 I. O. O. F. Building and Post Office, Troy 215 Knoop Children's Home 215 Looking North on High Street, Covington 73 Ludlow Falls 59 McKinnon Dash Works, Troy 275 Main Street, Piqua; Looking North from Ash 135 Main Street, Tippecanoe City S7 Main Street, Troy ; Looking West 257 Market Street Bridge, Troy 267 Masonic Temple, Troy 125 May's Opera House, Piqua 135 M. E. Church and Parsonage, Covington 73 M. E. Church, Piqua 143 M. E. Church, Troy 245 Miami River, Troy 73 Miami River Below Troy 47 PAGE ^liami County Court House ll'i' Miami County Jail, Troy 267 Mother's Spinningwheel 155 Old Canal Locks, Troy 59 Old Gault House, Troy 125 Old Court House 117 On the Banks of the Canal, Troy 205 Orr Felt & Blanket Company, Troy, The 275 Pioneer Pole and Shaft Company, Troy, The 275 Presbyterian Church, Covington 229 Presbyterian Church, Piqua 143 Presbyterian Church, Troy 245 Public School, Covington 187 Public Square, Troy 257 Public Square by Electric Light, Troy 257 Residence of John Sohrani, Newton Township 1.55 Residence of L. M. Flesh, Piqua 87 Residence of Oscar F. Furrow, Lost Creek Town- ship 47 Residence of W. P. Orr, Piqua 87 Residence of E. N. Snyder 756 Schmidlapp Free School Library, Piqua 229 Schoolhouse, West Milton 187 Site of First Fort and of First Birth in Miami County 87 Site of Fort Piqua; Confluence of the Miami and Loramie Rivers 135 St. Boniface Catholic Church, Piqua 143 St. James Episcopal Church, Piqua 103 St. John's Lutheran Church, Troy 229 St. Patrick's Catholic Church, Troy 103 St. Paul's Evangelical Protestant Church (German), Piqua 143 Stillwater River, Pleasant Hill .59 Soldiers' Monument, Forrest Hill Cemetery, Piqua.. 135 South Plum Street, Troy 87 South Street School, Piqua 187 Sugar Loaf, Swift Run Lake 237 Troy Carriage Sunshade Company, Troy 155 Troy Club, Troy 117 Troy Electric Works, Troy 125 Troy Wagon Works, Troy 275 The Tumbles ; Swift Run Lake 237 Water Works Plant, Troy 267 West Charleston Falls 47 Y. M. C. A. Building, Piqua 103 Y. M. C. A. Building, Bradford 155 A l)j$tory of nijami County CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY AND DESCRIPTIVE Introductory — First Lords of the Soil, the Mound Builders — Speculations and Tradi- tions as to the Mound Builders — The Indians not the Aborigines — Coming of the White Man — Resistance of the Indians — Area of Miami County — Its Division into Tivelve Townships — Topography, Elevation, Drainage — Fertility of the Soil — Disappearance of the Forests — Conditions Favorable to Agriculture — Tributaries of the Miami — Geologiccd Foundations — Prehistoric Remains — Indian Occupancy — Early Abundance of Game. In the preparation of this work the au- thor will incline to the narrative rather than to the technical style. He will give the princiijal facts as the}' appeal to him, clothing them in language easily under- stood, leaving to the close student the dis- puted points and those which border on tradition. There is nothing in local his- tory so confusing as that which borders on the obscure, and history, to be intelli- gible, should be stripped of the mistiness which sometimes surrounds it. The true history of a country is that of its people, for they are the makers of historj'. After the discoverer comes the pioneer, who is the avant courier of trade, com- merce, the arts and sciences. The sound of his axe is succeeded by the music of countless wheels of industry, and from small beginnings in the wilderness spring the myriad avenues of civilization which, diverging like the spokes of a wheel, com- plete in time the upbuilding of a commu- nity or the glory of a nation. That this is the case locally I will endeavor to show in the following pages. There exists no doubt that the tirst "lords of the soil" embraced within the present borders of Miami County were a race of people known as the Mound Build- 22 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY ers. Of this race, wliicli vanished before the coming of the Indian, we have traces in the shape of mounds, fortifications, and relics of earth and stone. ^Vhence came the Mound Builder and whither he went is to this day a subject for speculation. J. F. McLean, who is an authority on the Mound Builders and their works, calls them "an ancient and unknown race of peoi)le, possesing a well-developed type of civilization, who once inhabited the Valley of the Ohio." It is but fair to say that his opinion of the attainments of this peo- ple is disputed l)y other writers. "This race," continues Professor Mc- Lean, "has left us no written history, but the testimony of its existence and advance- ment in the arts and sciences is attested in the stupendous structures consisting of mounds, walled enclosures and domestic implements, which have long attracted the attention of observers, scientists, and the public generally. The ethnologist has been intensely interested as to the type of man- kind that constructed the remains. Manj' are the theories that have been propound- ed, but certain testimonies exist which en- able us to arrive at plausible conclusions." It is no longer believed that the Indian erected the squares and parallelograms found in different parts of Ohio nor the mounds which exist in various parts of this country. "The North American In- dian," continues the authority above quot- ed, "has no habits of progressive industry. There is not one scintilla of evidence that he built these mounds. His own testimony is against it. To say the least, he was in- capable of the task. For instance, one In- dian tradition avers that the primitive in- habitants of Kentucky perished in a war of extermination waged against them by the red tribes, and the Indian chief To- bacco informed George Eogers Clarke of a tradition in which it was stated that there was a battle at Sandy Island which decided the fate of the ancient inhabitants. Chief Cornplanter affirmed that Ohio, and this local section as well, had once been inhabited by a white race who were famil- iar with the arts of which they (The In- dians) knew nothing. There is no doubt that the Indians had such traditions. The}' saw the various mounds and, being unable to account for them, they invented traditions which, to their romantic minds, would suit the case. The red man was a born story teller. Every campflre had its I'omanticist, and the wigwams that dotted the vast region through which the Miami flows heard more than one fanciful story of the vanished races. There is no definite history that all the stone implements and weapons which are found to this day within the bounda- ries of ]\riami County came from the hands of the Indian. In regard to the makers of these relics there is a large amount of speculation. Dr. Abbott and others have discovered a paleolithic man and another whom they link kindredly to the Eskimo. Then we have also the Mound Builder and the pre-historic Indian, and the latter day "Lo." That the Indian manufactured stone weapons, implements, etc., there is not much doubt. From diggings made within the Ohio Valley in 1884 the follow- ing conclusions as to how the arrow-head was formed may here be given: "The primitive man first removed the outlying stratum of earth. On reaching the flint a large fire was made on it which caused the rock to shatter; water i^rob- ably being thrown on it to hasten the AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 23 work. Removing such pieces as could be detached, the process was repeated, if necessary, until the limestone below was reached and a hole made large enough to work in. The burnt portions being all taken off and thrown out of the way, clay was plastered along the upper half of the flint to protect it from the heat, and a fire built in the bottom of the hole against the larger and lower part. "With the large boulders he broke off the ujDper imburned portion and carried it to some convenient level spot, where, with smaller hammers, the blocks were liroken into suitable size for working. It is a sin- gular fact that no arrow-heads or other si^ecimens were made where these blocks were broken up, but the small pieces were always carried to another spot — sometimes only a few yards away. In making large or heavj' articles, as axes, pestles, etc., that did not require careful or delicate work from the beginning, he used a hard, tough, pebble, preferring diorite or some form of quartz. "With this he could knock off chips and spalls from his inchoate im- plement until he had removed as much of the useless portion as he could in this way; then, witli light l)lows, he pecked over the entire surface until he had brought it to the correct outline on every side. AVith a piece of gritty sandstone he ground away the marks of the hammer and finally rubbed off all rough places and scratches with a softer, finer-grained stone than the first, and thus gave the specimen a smooth surface with more or less polish. All instruments for cutting or splitting had the edge made sharp and smooth by rubbing as soon as the form admitted — often before the hammer marks were ef- faced from other portions ; and if a groove was needed it was made as soon as pos- sible." I have been thus particular regarding the manufacture of the stone relics of the vanished races, as gleaned from the con- clusions of archa'ologists, for the informa- tion of the school-boy who to-day searches the farms of this county for these interest- ing relics. He is the coming arclKrologist and must take the places of those who go before him. The Mound Builder has occu- pied and ever will occupy the mind of the antiquarian, and his sojourn in the Miami A'alley need not 1)6 enlarged upon in a work of this nature. He was the true ab- origine — a term which applies only to the first inhabitants of a country. Many writ- ers speak of the Indians as aborigines, which term, according to the makers of our dictionaries, is incorrect. The Indians, following the vanished races, became the second occupants of the soil, and henceforth when reference is made to them they will be called Indians, which is their rightful title. In tins county relics of early occupation have been found everywhere. They are numerous in some localities and infrequent in others. On the Col. Johnston farm, near Piciua, great numbers have been found, and in certain jilaces tlu'oughout the Stillwater region. These relics are the only implement legacies left us by the races which once tenanted this section. In all probability some of the tumuli to he fovmd within our borders would yield re- sults if opened, and on several occasions this has been done. Some gravel pits have lirought to light many skeletons, but the skulls when measured have inclined sci- entists to the opinion that they were the remains of Indians. Not long ago a pit 24 HISTORY OF :MIAMI COUNTY on the eastern side of the county produced a perfect skull faced with a flattened cop- per plate, which gave credence to the as- sertion that the remains were those of an Indian chief of distinction. In some of these "finds" no weapons or implements were brought to light. The Indian, as a rule, buried the weapons of the dead with them, unless the hasty abandonment of a field of battle prevented. In one pit on the Joseph Stafford farm in Lost Creek Township more than fifty skeletons were uncovered in one spot, which inclines one to the belief that the early inhabitants fell victims to an epi- demic which carried them off in great num- bers. It is well known that at various times the red races that inhabited Ohio were decimated by smallpox, a disease for which they had no cure, and consequently they died rapidl}^ Few Indians were actu- ally killed in battle in Miami County, for, so far as is known, no inter-tribal wars occurred, and the numbers slain by the whites were not great. Summing up every- thing, there remains no doubt that this county saw in its primitive state the vil- lages of the Mound Builder. "While he left behind him comparatively few traces of his occupancy of our soil, he must have lived here, to vanish in the mists of the past and become one of the euigTQas of the ages. The space that exists between his disappearance and the coming of the In- dian is indetermiualile. Whether it should be counted by decades or ceutui-ies no one can tell. If the Mound Builder was the sentient being some have called him, it is strange that he should leave behind him no hieroglyphics by which the learned could arrive at the time of his habitation. The Indians speculated over him; as has been said, they had traditions of him, but the forests of this vast and now densely populated region are as silent regarding him as are the rivers of the Old World of the first people who looked upon their waters. The Indians of Miami County had their own history to make, and they made it. Too often that history was made to the sorrow of the first settlers. They disputed the ground with the white man; they re- mained here as long as possible. The white man saw that the land was fair and he wanted a new home west of the Alle- ghanies, and the forests of Ohio beckoned him irresistibly. The dawn of civilization broke with the vanishment of the savage. The settler came here to remain, and not all the red tribes were strong enough to dispossess him. There could be no peace between the two races. The settler was ready to extend the olive branch, but the Indian rejected it. The warrior saw in the vanguard of civilization a menace; he stood ready to resist everj^ encroachment and it is to his credit that he did it with all his might. There remains among us to-day nothing to mark the Indian occu- pation of this county. The fertile fields were destined to receive a new race of people, and with the disappearance of the scarlet tribes the whites began that era of prosperity which exists to the present day. The area of Miami County approximates four hundred scpiare miles. It is divided into twelve townships, six on each side of the river, which, rising in Hardin County, flows southward and enters the Ohio near Lawrenceburg, Indiana. The surface of the county is undulating and the soil pro- .ductive. The land in the western part of AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 25 Newberry Township is the most elevated iu the county. lu the Stillwater region, especially iu Union Township, the eleva- tion is again marked, and precipitous banks in some places friuge that historic stream, but these acclivities lose themselves in gentle undulations until they become level plains. Newton Township, also on the west side, is mostly level, though blutfs are found along Stillwater as it courses through that particular section. In the northern part of the comity, or that por- tion embraced by "Washington Township, in which is the City of Piqua, the laud is again undulating in the eastern and south- ex'n portion, but rather flat in the northern part. East of the Miami River there is but little high ground excej)t in Bethel Township, whei'e the land attains consid- erable height ; but all these elevations are tillable and produce good crops. The course of the Miami lies through a region particularly adapted to agriculture, and this fact no doubt attracted the early settler and decided him to locate here. The many small streams which enter the Miami ^head largely in natural springs, and it is noticeable that they are generally free from contamination, the water beiug clear and healthful. These creeks, for the most part, flow through farm lands, and nearly all have low banks which afford stock easy access to the water. Spring Creek, so named on account of contiguous springs, courses through a fine farmiug region. Lost Creek and Honey Creek, also on the east side of the county, enter the Miami in Bethel Township and not far ai)art. Indian Creek, heading iu Lost Creek Township, flows iu a southwesterly direc- tion into Lost Creek. The various small tributaries of the Miami form a perfect network of drainage throughout the coim- ty. Nearly all of them are subject to sud- den rises, which help to enrich the land and stimulate fertility. On the whole the topography of Miami Couuty is conducive to agriculture in all its forms. There is little waste land; the forest area is grad- ually disappearing, many farms being^ en- tirely treeless — a striking contrast to the physical geography of the country a few years back. The fertility of our soil is equal to that of any county in the State. The bottom lands on both sides of the Miami are high- ly productive, and the uplands bring forth abundant crops. The lands cleared by the first settlers now constitute the best farms in the county, which proves that the pio- neer was a person of discrimination. He came from an older countrj' east of the Al- leghanies and sought among the forests of the Miami a home which promised to rival the one he had left. While the soil of tliis county varies in depth and produc- tiveness, there has never been anything to discourage the farmer, and this accounts for the small numbers who have emigrated from this regiou. There is to-day no farm within our borders that is not convenient to market, and the numerous good roads that spread in every direction facilitate the delivery of our agricultural products. A few years ago a piece of land in Staunton Township, known locally as the "Shaking Prairie," was considered wholly untillable, but to-day it produces excellent crops. To- bacco of late years has become a staple crop in the county, which still further dem- onstrates the fertility of the soil. Usually the character of the surface de- pends upon its geological formation. To a large extent the development of natural 26 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY conditions is dependent on the drainage. The farm lands of Miami County are gen- erally supplied with good water, which is furnished by natural springs and creeks. In the early days homes were built at or near springs, and running water was a desideratum. The larger waterways of the county have numerous "arms" or tribu- taries, which flow into them from various directions. These creeks are the natural drainage of the localities through which they flow. The Stillwater is the largest of the streams that enter the Miami. It finds its source in Darke Coimty on our northern border and, after traversing Union, Newton and Newberiy Townships, debouches into the Miami a short distance north of Dayton. This important tribu- tary of the parent stream takes its name from the tranquillity of its current, which cannot be called rapid at any place. Still- water is the drainage of the western side of the county. It is noted for the absence of abrupt banks on the west side, while on the east for nearly its whole course through Union Township the land slips level from the bed of the stream, receding like the trend of a prairie. Stillwater has many tributaries, chiefest among which is Ludlow Creek, which is celebrated for its "Falls," one of the most romantic places within the borders of the county. Other creeks of less importance to the Stillwater region are Greenville, Trotter and Panther. The main tributaries of the Miami enter it from the east. These are Lost Creek, Spring Creek and Honey Creek. Flowing into these are a perfect network of lesser streams, some of which have local names, while others are too small to have an ap- pellation. The natural water system of the county is most excellent, supplying as it does the needs of agriculture and enrich- ing the several communities in more ways than one. The larger streams alford sites for mills, but the introduction of improved milling machinery has of late years done away with the old system. The Miami eventually receives all the drainage. The county itself has a slope from north to south. In regard to the drift, as mani- fested within its borders, I quote from the State Geological Survey: "The entire surface of Miami County is covered with loose material, composed of gravel, sanded clay, with a great nimi- ber of granite and other rocks of similar origin. The commonly received opinion is that these materials have been drifted hither by the agency of water, either fluid or ice, and the facts observed all tend to point to the north, mostly beyond the chain of the great lakes, as the source from whence it has been brought. The Miami, which enters the county at the north, cuts through a perpendicular thickness of about seventy-five feet of drift clay, gravel and bowlders, and all the water courses which intersect the northern por- tion of the county cut through the drift to the depth of thirty feet." The foregoing gives one an idea of the understratum of our soil. In some places the drift is composed of sand and gravel, with a sprinkling of clay, in others the clay is absent. The fine gravel for which the county is noted affords material for the excellent roads that bisect it every- where. The gravel supply seems exhaust- less and much of this material has never been uncovered. I shall not go into details concerning the various strata of rock that underlie our surface. It is sufficient to AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 27 say that we have withiu the conuty three distinct geological formatious. These are the Niagara, the Clinton Kock and the Blue Limestone of the Cincinnati group. The Niagara formation is exposed at vari- ous places, notably along Greenville Creek, at the Piqua aud other quarries. From the Niagara most of our quarried stone comes. The Clinton Kock is seen in the Honey Creek region and is prominent along Lost Creek. The builders of the Troy hydraulic found between that city and Piqua several hundred feet of solid Clinton Eock, through which they were obliged to cut. The Blue Limestone lies below the base of the Clinton. It is thus observed at the base of the Charleston cliffs, as well as on the Stillwater near "West Milton. It would only weary the general reader to detail the numerous classes of rock which enter into the geolog- ical history of the coimty. The descrip- tion would prove interesting only to the student and he is referred to the various surveys which have been made of this region. Again recurring to pre-historic relies, it is well to say they are not abundant in this county. True, some have been found at various times, but the arch.Tologist has not been paid for his researches. We have within our borders no particular earth- works such as are found at Newark and in other parts of the state. Since several discoveries of mastodon remains have been made in the county, it is natural to suppose that the mastodon was co-existent with early man. Scientists place the pre- historic man in advance of the "Mound Builder, yet beyond some pottery and im- plements of the latter race we know noth- ing of them. It is therefore not unlikely that in this county, ages before the first moccasin crinkled the leaves, the two strange races referred to lived and van- ished. The coming of the Indian is well known. He appeared along the banks of the Miami and in the adjacent region. He made this locality his hunting ground. He drifted hither from the Miami of the Lakes or from the fastnesses of Kentucky, south of the Ohio. It is said that the Shawnee came from the far South, moving gradu- ally northward till he established himself in the Valley of the Miami. The Indian considered the land he inhabited his own. He erected his wigwam, planted a little maize, and where to-day are farms and cities of this county, he hunted the wild game or engaged his red rivals in battle. It is useless to attempt to locate all the red tribes that frequented this locality at different times. They will be referred to further along in this work. Fortunately the pioneer, who was a person of wide ob- servation, has left us many accounts of the Indian. He had excellent opportunities for seeing the red man at home, on the warpath and in the chase. It was the rich- ness of this region, not only in natural beauty, but in game of every description, that tilled the Indian with a desire to tight for it. He had nothing in common with the palefaces, and from the moment the first white settler penetrated the forests of the ]\Iiami he had a natural and vin- dictive enemy in the Indian hunter. During the Indian occupancy of Miami County and for years thereafter, game was abundant. There was sustenance here for wild animals of every description. The streams were stocked with fish and the forests afforded shelter for birds and 28 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY beasts. The Indian, who was a natural hunter, spent much time in the chase. Be- fore the advent of the settler he killed with the arrow or by laying snares for the wild tenants of the woods. Throughout the country deer, bears, wolves, wildcats, turkeys, pheasants and wild pigeons were to be found. There is authority for the statement that in 1749 buffalo were seen along the Miami. Bears were plentiful. They grew fat on berries and wild honey, which abounded in the Miami forests. It is stated as a matter of record that David Loury during his lifetime, killed one thou- sand bears on Mad River, which is an in- dication of the numbers to be found within the confines of this county. In the autumn of 1816, nine years after the formation of the county, Henry Kerns killed a bear whose quarters weighed four hundred pounds. As the bear vanished deer seemed to increase. The cool water courses and the wild and luxuriant pasture lands, im- touched by the hand of man, formed their favorite habitat. John Kuoop, one of the first settlers of the county, saw nine deer at one time where the hamlet of Staunton now stands. In fact, deer were so numerous at one time that they could be shot from the doors of the cabins, and more than one pioneer woman brought down the antlered lord of the forest from her window. The wolf was for a long time the sneaking, sleep- disturbing element of the county. He roamed the forests in bands, ever on the alert for the sheepfold and the unpro- tected lamb. His long howls awoke the echoes of the night and he became the set- tler's most annoying enemy. At last the Legislature offered a bounty of three dol- lars for his scalp, and thereafter he was pursued untiringly and at last destroyed. Of the smaller game, squirrels inhabited the county in vast numbers. In a few years they became great pests, destroying whole fields of corn in a short time. Their depredations resulted in the formation of organized bands of squirrel hunters and special days were set apart for the destruc- tion of the litle pests. During one of these famous "hunts," which took place a few miles south of Troy, one hundred and fifty bushels of corn were awarded to Elias Ger- ard, who within six days brought in 1,700 squirrel scalps. A like amount of corn was given Charles AVolverton, whose tro- phies numbered 1,300. The great squirrel migration took place in this county in 1828 when thousands of the little animals traveled from west to east permitting noth- ing to swerve them from their course. Countless numbers were killed with clubs by the pioneer youth during this strange hegira. Such was the great game preserve of this county at the dawn of its history. The large game which survived the skill and rapacity of the Indian hunter suc- cumbed to the settler. "War was made on the wildcat, wolf and panther on account of their destructiveness, and the wild tur- key was killed for food. The boys of the pioneer families were early taught the use of the rifle and became skilled with it. They could bring down the squirrel from the topmost branches of the oak and did not fear the panther. It was the descendants of these young pioneers who in after years became the marksmen of the armies of Grant and Sherman. CHAPTER II. FIRST^WHITE MAN IN THE COUNTY The Call of the West — The Pioneer Settler — De Bienville's Expedition of 1749 — At- tack on Pickaicilhnuj — Expedition of Christopher Gist — Location of Pickauillany — Washington's Journey — Expeditions of George Rogers Clarke — Experiences of Abram Thomas — Battle on the Johnston Farm — Beauty of the Country at the Time of Clarke's Expedition — Coming of John Knoop, 1797 — Pioneer Settlers. It is an interesting fact that the trend of discovery, invasion, and immigration from the earliest times has been westward. The adventurous prows of the Columbian fleet pointed toward the Occident; the call of the western wild lured the ill-fated De Soto to his grave beneath the waters of the Mississippi; Coronado marched toward the setting sun in search of the "Seven Cities of Cibola," and the Chevalier La Salle carried the sacred symbol of the Nazarene to the forests of the Illinois. The virgin woods, reflected in the limpid waters of the Miami, echoed only to the howl of the predatory wolf and the battle-cry of the contending tribes. Long before the coming of the white man the skulking In- dian, decked in the paraiihernalia of the warpath, sought his red rival within the present boundaries of this county, or hunted wild game through its primeval thickets. The trading-post, that forerunner of civ- ilization, had not yet set up its stockade. The only craft that cut the western waters were the lithe canoes of the scarlet legions. From the ]\Iiami-of-the-Lakes to the shores of the Ohio the only pathways of the woods were the Indian and buffalo trails. It was the age of shadow and savagery. No axe awoke the echoes of the forests and every- where, unbroken and in its pristine beauty, lay the vast hunting grounds of the red man. "SAliat must have been the thoughts of the Boones and Kentons when for the first time they beheld a scene like this! One naturally wonders if they dreamed of the opening up of the region of the Miami by the hand of civilization, of the day, not far remote, when the cabin of the settler should rise upon the wigwam's site and trade and traffic send up their clarion calls where ran the woodland trails. It seems a far cry back from the busy present to the distant past. Yet a century is but a milestone on the highway of Prog- ress. It is man and man alone who makes history. The song of the first pioneer women has not been wholly lost in the noise of the myriad wheels of trade. The 29 30 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY hand that reared the first cabin on the banks of the Miami builded better than it knew. Let us turn the early pages of history and trace from the beginning the oi^ening up of this county. It is well that reliable records of our birthright have come down to us. The settler who first penetrated the wilderness of the Miami has left for ug his footprints so that we can trace him unerringly. As a rule he was not a man of scholastic lore. He was a person of brain and brawn who, deterred by no diffi- culties, came from beyond the Alleghauies and passed with high hopes the portals of the "new Canaan." All hail the memory of the little band of pioneers who scaled the mountain barrier and saw the wolf flee from the light of his campfires! I shall not deal with tradition, which has been aptly termed "the unwritten or oral transmission of information," and it is not reliable. As early as 1749 Celeron de Bienville was sent out by the Marquis de la Gallissouiere, Governor of Canada, to take possession for France of the Ohio Valley and prevent the English Ohio Com- pany from acquiring it, by right of settle- ment. Gallissouiere was governor of Can- ada when the peace of Aix-la-Chapelle was signed. He was a naval officer and, like all the early governors of that province, had a very exalted opinion of his abilities. Despite his physical deformity — he was a hunchback — he was animated by a bold spirit and strong and penetrating intellect. Parkman says that "he felt that, cost what it might, France must hold Canada and link her to Louisiana by chains of forts strong enough to hold back the British col- onies and cramp their growth within nor- row limits." The treatv had reallv done nothing to settle the boundaries between France and England. Slowly but surely the English had been crossing the Alle- ghauies, seducing the Indian from his alle- giance to France and ruining the fur trade which even then flourished in the Ohio Valley. Something had to be done to coimteract the aggressions of the English in this par- ticular locality aud this determiued Gallis- souiere to send Celeron de Bienville west- ward with the region embraced within the borders of Miami County as his objective point. De Bienville was a loyal officer of France, but a man of haughty, disobedient character. As the first Frenchman who entered the forest in this locality at the head of an anned force he deserves a brief mention. In some ways the Governor of Canada could not have entrusted the expe- dition to a 1)etter man, but De Bienville had ideas of his own and was inclined, when beyond the power of his superior, to exercise them. He was thoroughly famil- iar with the Indian character, and his in- tense hatred of the English led Gallisso- uiere to expect great things of him. Bred among the frivolities and corruptions of a licentious court, Celeron brought his gay habits into the wilderness, and these, with his innate stubbornness, threatened to clothe the expedition with failure. The expedition left Lachine on the 15th of June, 1749, aud having ascended the St. Lawrence, swept across Lake Ontario aud from Niagara skirted the southern shore of Lake Erie and at last gained the head- waters of the Alleghany. Celeron descend- ed that river and the Ohio. Already the English trader had penetrated this wilder- ness, but the Frenchman claimed it in the name of his king. At different places De AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 3] Bieuville buried six leaden tal)lets upon ■wliicli he described bis acts. The tirst of these plates which marked his route was buried at the foot of a tree immediately after crossiug the Allegiiauy. A great ceremony preceded the burial, calculated to impress the French and Indians with the importance of the expedition. Four leagues below French Creek, by a rock covered with Indian inscriptions, they bur- ied another j^late, and at the mouth of the Muskingum two more were jilaced. Fifty years later a party of boys, bathing in the river, discovered one of these plates pro- truding from the bank, and, after melting half of it into bullets, they gave the last half away and it is still in existence. Cel- eron or "The plate planter," as he is called, buried still another plate at the mouth of the Great Kenawha and this plate was found by a boy in 1846. Three of Celeron's plates have been found. One which was never buried was found in pos- session of some Indians who brought it to Col. Johnson on the Mohawk and the scheming Colonel interpreted the inscrip- tions in a manner to incense the savages against the French. The last plate was buried at the mouth of the Great Miami, after which the little band crossed to Lake Erie and gained Fort Niagara October 19th, 17J-9. Celeron reached the old Indian town of Pickawill- any on the site of the state dam two miles north of Piqua. In order to show the as- surance and pomposity of the French I transcribe the inscription of the tablet buried at the mouth of the Great Miami : "In the year 1749 — the reign of Louis XV, King of France — we, Celeron, eoninianrlant of a iletacliment sent by Monsieur the ilarquis of Gallissoniere, Commamler in Chief of New France, to establish tranquillity in certain Indian villages in these cantons, have hurietl this plate at the confluence of the Ohio and of To-Ra-Da-Koin, this 2£)th July — near the river Ohio, otherwise Beautiful river, as u niouunieut of renewal of possession, which we have taken of the said river and all its tributaries and of all the land on both sides, as far as the source of said riveis — inasmuch as the preceding kings of Fnuice have enjoyed and maintained it by their arms an.l treaties, especially by those of Kyswick, I'treeht and Aixla- t'hapelle. ' ' Parkmau avers that Celeron was ordered to attack the English who had established themselves at Pickawillauy, but he was loath to obey. At this place the English traders had often gathered to the number of fifty and Lougueill, Governor of Can- ada, characterized them as "the instiga- tors of revolt and the source of all our woes." De Bienville was charged with disobedience and forced to attack. A French trader named Langlade, who had married a squaw, led a force of 200 Ojibwa war- riors from Michillimackinac and advanced through the fore.st to attack Old Britain of the "Demoiselle," who was the controll- ing spirit of the English at Pickawillauy. This force of savage furies burst upon the English in the month of June, 1752. The Indian women fled from the maize fields to the protection of the traders. There were l)ut eight traders in the fort at the time. Old Britain was killed with fourteen of his Miamis and the cliief was eaten by his cannibalistic enemies. The traders cap- tured at Pickawillauy were cruelly treated. They were plundered of everything; even their clothes were taken from them and Langlade carried them in triumph to Du- quesne, the new governor, who recom- mended him to the Minister for reward, saying: "As he is not in the King's serv- ice and had married a squaw, I will ask for him only a pension of two hundred francs, which will flatter his vanity." It was not much of a battle, but it was the initial clash of the two great nations whose supremacy on these shores was aft- 32 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY erwarcl to be settled on the Heights of Abraham. It is rather notable that on the borders of Miami County should be fought out one of the early disputes between Celt and Gaul. Prior, however, to the assault on the trading post at Pickawillany, the region of the Miami was invaded by a little force intended to spy out the land in the interest of France's great rival, England. In 1750 an association consisting chiefly of Virgin- ians and called the Ohio Company, was formed to settle the western wilderness. In this association were two brothers of "Wash- ington. The governing committee placed at the head of the exploring band a hardy scout and guide named Christopher Gist, one of the most noted backwoodsmen of the early days. A grant of 500,000 acres was pi'ocured from the king on condition that one hundred families should be established upon it within seven years, a fort built and a garrison maintained. The committee un- der whose instructions Gist was to operate in the exploring and selection of the land stipulated that "it must be good, level land. We had rather go quite down the Mississii^pi than take mean, broken land." Gist turned his face toward what was aft- erward to be the county we now inhabit — Miami. He was beset with dangers from the first. The Scotch-Irish traders told him that he would never return in safety, and it was not until the old backwoodsman declared that he was the bearer of a mes- sage from the King that he was permitted to proceed. Gist had with him as inter- l^reter a companion named Andrew Mon- tour, who was a character of those times. His mother was the celebrated half-breed, Catherine Montour, who had been carried off by the Iroqiiois and adopted by them. Her son Andrew, who became of much service to Gist, is thus described by one who knew him: "His face is like that of a European, but marked with a broad Indian ring of bear's grease and paint drawn completely around it. He wears a coat of fine cloth of cinna- mon color, a black neck-tie with silver spangles, a red satin waistcoat, trousers, over which hangs his shirt, shoes and stockings, a hat and brass ornaments, something like the handle of a basket sus- pended from his ears." A real forest dandy of the olden time ! After leaving the Muskingimi Gist jour- neyed to a village on "White 'V^'oman's Creek, so called from one Mary Harris, who lived there. She had been captured when young by the Indians, and at the time of Gist's visit had an Indian husband and a family of young half-breeds. Mov- ing west through the vast solitudes of the unbroken forest the little band reached a Shawnee town at the mouth of the Scioto, where they were well received. Soon after leaving this village they struck the trail leading to Pickawillany. The old guide was delighted with the country and in his report to the Ohio Company he says that "it is rich, level land, well timbered with large walnut, ash, sugar and cherry trees ; well watered with a great number of streams and ri\nilets, full of beautiful meadows, with wild rye, blue grass and clover, and abounding with game, particu- larly deer, elks, wild turkeys and buffaloes, thirty or forty of the latter being seen on one piece of land." Such, no doubt, was the condition of this county at that period. Gist crossed the Miami on a raft and was hailed bv Old Britain, the chief at AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 33 PickawillauY. x\.t liis time the station uum- bered 2,000 souls, and the traders were se- cure in a fort of pickets, protected with logs. Here was held in Gist's honor the first wild dauoe ever performed for white men iu this region. It was called the "feather dance" and what it was like let the journal of the old frontiersman say: "It was performed by three dancing mas- ters, who were painted all over of various colors, with long sticks in their hands, upon the ends of which were fastened long- feathers of swans and other birds, neatly woven in the shape of a fowl's wing. In this disguise they performed many antic tricks, waving their sticks with great skill, to imitate the flying of birds, keeping exact time with their music. An Indian drum furnished music and each warrior, striking a painted post with his tomahawk, would recount his valorous deeds on the warpath and the buffalo trail." As there was a "confusion of tongues" at Babel so there is a confusion of state- ments concerning the exact site of Picka- willany. Some writers jDlace it in Shelby County and others confuse it with Lora- mie's Store, and vice versa. Let us sift the different assertions for a moment and settle, if we can, the location of this impor- tant frontier post. Parkman, who is a very authentic historian, in his "Montcalm and Wolfe," says that Celeron de Bien- ville in 1749 "reached a village of the Miamis lately built at the mouth of Lora- mie Creek," and again refers to it as "the Indian town on the upper waters of the Great Miami." Howe, in his account of Shelby County, locates Pickawillany "about a mile south of the Shelby County line," and adds, in the interest of accuracy, that its exact location was "on the north- west side of the Great Miami, just below the mouth of what is now Loramie Creek in Johnston's jirairie." This would locate it in Washing-ton Township and nine miles southwest of Sidney. But in the first edi- tion of his "Historical Collections" Howe says, "The mouth of Loramie 's Creek is in this (Shelby) county, sixteen miles north- west of Sidney." Loramie 's Store or post could not have occupied the site of Picka- willany. The two sites are entirely differ- ent. In the "History of Fort Wayne" is given a speech of Little Turtle, chief of the Miami 8, made at the Treaty of Greenville, 17!'5, iu which he locates Pickawillany within the present boundaries of Miami County. Dr. Asa Colemau of Troy, one of the earliest and most intelligent of the juoneers, in his "Historical Eecollec- tions," remarks: "Howe places the trad- ing post (Pickawillany) here described in Shelby County northwest of Sidney, evi- dently confusing it with Loramie 's Store and Fort Loramie, a point located sixteen miles distant from the Miami Eiver up Loramie 's Creek when the trading post of the Tewightewee towns and the trading establishment here described was a mile southwest of the Shelby County line in Miami County, below the mouth of Lora- mie 's Creek in Johnston's prairie." Gen. George Rogers Clark attacked Pickawillany in 1782, as will be described later, and he locates it at the mouth of Loramie 's Creek, nine miles south of Sid- ney, while Loramie 's Store was nearly fifteen miles northwest between the waters of Loramie 's Creek and the head waters of the St. Mary's. This is in-oven by the fact that Clark, after attacking Pickawillany, marched fifteen miles to Loramie 's Store and burned all the buildings. 34 HISTORY OF .^lIAill COUNTY That the Indian Piqua stood on what was called the Johnston Prairie is attested b}- the fact that the gronnd to-day when freshly plowed shows discoloration, "jirob- ably from the disturbance of the soil in digging the trenches and the well." Many old time relics have been found on the site of this historic old fort. Summing up everj'thing presented by different writers the conclusion is reached that the trading- post of Pickawillany was situated within the borders of this county, which conclu- sion places the first settlement here thirty- nine years before the coming of the whites to Marietta. Of course the settlement at Pickawillany was not a permanent one, but our county should have all the credit it is entitled to. It is rather perplexing to read the accounts of writers who should have written with more care than they have done. Some of the early maps are also confusing, l)ut the Evans map made in 1755 places Pickawillany at the mouth of Lo ramie's Creek, and this map is undoubt- edly right. One of the most important events connected with this old station is the fact already mentioned that there occurred the first conflict, small though it was, in the "Braddock" or French and Indian War which established English supremacy on this continent and l)voke the sway of the French. The beauty, fertility and worth of the Ohio valley early excited the grasping pro- pensities of France and England. Each wanted what the other had, and each was ready to take by force that which promised to enrich her rival. The fifur de lijs could not float where the banner of Saint George kissed the breezes and vice versa. The two ruling courts of Europe, each corrupt, balked at uotliing tliat would advance their interests and fill their coffers. Long be- fore "Washington shed the first blood in the French and Indian War through the death of Jumonville, the land which lies to-day within the borders of Miami County was a bone of contention between the con- tinental rivals. The story carried back by Gist, his flowery description of the coun- try he had seen, acted as a spur to the Eng- lish. The two kingdoms girded their loins for the conflict. The first step or among the first was to warn the French from the Valley of the Ohio. This delicate and important task was assigTied to a youth of twenty-one, who was destined to be known in time to the whole world — George "Washington. Clothed with the proper authority by Gov- ernor Dinwiddle of Virginia, Washington in 1753 turned his face toward the Ohio wilderness, accompanied by Gist as guide. While the future chieftain of the Amer- ican armies did not reach the banks of the a\Iiami, there is no doubt that his report stimulated immigration and started the wave which was soon to top the Alle- ghanies in its westward course. The French were loath to give up their posses- sions along the Ohio. They knew that each surrender but strengthened their adver- sary. The previous wars on this continent had permanently settled nothing. There could be no peace while the two nations faced each other this side the Atlantic. The prize was not only Canada, but that vast and, as yet, unpeopled region which stretched southward to the Ohio, and west- ward to the banks of the Mississippi. This tract included the lands watered by the Miami. The Treaty of Paris, which was the con- cluding event of the French and Indian AND REPRESENT ATI \'E CITIZENS 35 War, saw the Gaul with Init n limited foot- hold ou the North Amerioau ooutiueut. The feur de lys was hauled down and the ban- ner of Saint George took its place. Sul- lenly the French withdrew from the re- gions they had held and AVilliam Pitt stood forth as the great diplomat of his day. With the gigantic struggle at an end, the tide of immigration, interrupted by the war, turned westward. The time wa.s near at hand when the foot of the white man should crinkle the leaves of the Miami for- ests and when the sound of his axe should startle the foxes in their coverts. Previous to the expedition of George Rogers Clark, which penetrated to the present domain of Miami County, as I shall show, in 1782, the Indians had been unusu- ally troublesome. They were constantly crossing the Ohio from the Kentucky wil- derness, carrying the war among tlie unpro- tected white settlements. Previously, or in 1780. Clark struck and destroyed the Indian towns on Mad River, and the Shaw- nees, to which people lielonged the great leader Tecumseh, abandoning their burn- ing wigwams, souglit the banks of the Great Miami, where they built another town, naming it Picjua. From this point of vantage they swept viciously in every direction carrying torch and tomahawk even into Kentucky. The intrepid Clark once more took the forest trail and in 1782 led 1,000 Kentuckians northward. He commanded a force of resolute men ar- rayed in buckskin and homespun, and all were iunured to fatigue of every kind and at home with the rifle. The leader of this foray had gained fame by his capture of the British post at Vincennes and was in every way calculated to head just such a bodv of men. He was the friend of Wash- ington who had followed his career with interest and had complimented him for his bravery. The first Clark expedition had forced the Indians northward and they were now firmly established in the Miami country. Eager for vengeance and never forget- ting their chastisement in 1780, they again took up the hatchet and swept the wilder- ness far and wide with the ferocity of tigers. In short the destruction of every white settler in Ohio and Kentucky seemed imminent, and if not given a salutary les- son the lauds just opening up to civiliza- tion would for a number of years remain in the hands of the red man. It was this terrible state of affairs which led to Clark's second expedition. He crossed the Ohio at a point where Cincinnati now stands, but where at that time there was nothing but a fort and a stockade. The wily Clark was well accjuainted with the Indian char- acter and threw out scouts to guard against surjirise as he progressed through the wil- derness. People living at the present day cannot estimate the trials of a march like that made l)y Clark and his little band. They were headed for the Indian towTis on the Miami. The forest was then unbroken, its trails were those made by the red hunt- ers and the wild animals. The branches of the great trees overlapped, casting the whole ground in shadow and the long howl of the wolf was the only sound that broke the silences. Roads had to l)e cut through this lonesome tract of country, roads for the pack-horses, the teams and the men and all the time the latter had to be on the alert against an Indian surprise such as had overwhelmed Braddock ou the Monon- gahela. At night the camp was well guard- 36 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY ed and the little armj^ slept ou its arms. The inmates of the solitary cabins scarcely dared retire at night for fear of attack, and nightly the darkness was illuminated by the llames of burning homes. The sparse settlements were ever in the shadow of the tomahawk. The warcry of the Indian was liable at any moment to fall upon the set- tler's ears. There was fear by day and dread by night. The babe was taken from its mother's arms and dashed against the nearest tree. Crops were destroyed and the blossomed-f ringed pathways of the for- est became scenes of massacre. Where to- day stand the cities and hamlets of this county and where the industrious farmer follows his plow in peace, the Indian struck with the ferocity of a fiend and left desola- tion in his wake. Language cannot ade- quately depict the dangers and horrors of this period. Not long before Clark's invasion the In- dians, during a foray into Kentucky, cap- tured a white woman named Mrs. McFall. She was compelled to accompany her cap- tors into Ohio and the band was headed toward the Piqua settlements. A grand pow-wow was about to be held and savages from every quarter were flocking to the place of rendezvous. Warriors hurried thither afoot and on horseback and the for- est seemed to swarm with them. As the red marauders reached the river they were astounded to behold the advance guard of Clark's little army. Instantly there was consternation among the Indians. They stood not on the order of their going but scattered in every direction, terror-stricken at meeting the rifles of the resolute bor- derers. Mrs. McFall and the squaws were abandoned to their fate and fell into the hands of Clark, who carried them with him. When the Piqua towns were reached they were found to be stripped of nearly everything portable, but many bits of In- dian furniture were left behind by the frightened warriors. Upper as well as Lower Piqua was found in the same condi- tion. Clark halted for the night. AVith his usual precaution he threw out his guards to prevent surprise, and silence set- tled over the forest. Suddenly the woods rang with shots, for the wily foe, creeping through the underbrush, had opened fire on the sentries. In a moment the whole army was aroused and firing was kept up till the break of day. Notwithstanding the disadvantages under which the border men labored five Indians were found dead on the leaves, the survivors, satisfied with their punishment, having decamped. Dur- ing the previous evening a detachment sent out by Clark had burned Loramie's Store a few miles away. The total loss on the part of the army was Capt. McCracken and a man whose name is unknown. The chastisement inflicted had for a time a salutary effect on the Indians. They dis- covered that the whites were determined to put an end to their depredations, cost what it might, and the scattered settle- ments in this region enjoyed a brief rejiose. Among those who accompanied Gen. Clark was one of the first settlers of Miami County, a courageous man named Abra- ham Thomas. He afterward published an account of the expedition in the Troy Times from which I make the following extract : "In the year 1782 I again voluntceretl in an expedi- tion under General Clark, with the object of destroying some Indian villages about Piqua on the Great Miami River. On this ooeasion nearly 1,000 men marched out of Kentucky by the route of the Licking River. We crossed the Ohio at the present site of Cincinnati, where our last year's .stockade had been kept up and a few GEN. GEORGE ROGERS CLARK GEX. ANTHONY WAYNE GEN. ARTHUR ST. CLAIR GEN. JOSLVH HARMAR AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 39 people resiileil iu Jog cabins. We proceeded immediately onward through the woods without regard to our former trail and crossed Mad River not far from the present site of Dayton. We kept on the east side of the river — the Miami — and crossed it four miles below the Piqua towns. Shortly after gaining the bottoms on the west side of the river, a party of Indians with their squaws on horseback came out of a trace that led to some Indian towns near the preseut site of Greenville. On arriving at Piqua we found that the Indians had fled from their villages, leaving most of their effects behind. During the following night I joined a party to break up an encampment of Indians said to be lying about what was called the French Store (Loramie's). We soon caught a Frenchman on horseback, tied him to a horse for our guide and arrived at the place iu the night. The Indians had taken the alarm and cleareil out. We, how- ever, broke up and burned the Frenchmau 's store, which for a long time had been a place of outfit for Indian marauders, and returned to the main body early in the morning. Many of our men were stocked with plunder. After burning and otherwise destrov-ing everything about upper ami lower Piqua towns we commenced our return march. ' ' In this attack five Indians were killed during the night the expedition lay at Piqua. The Indians lurked around the camp, firing random shots from the hazel thickets without doing us any injury; but two men who were iu search of their stray horses were fired upon and severely wounded. One of these died shortly afterward and was buried at what is now called 'Coe's Ford,' where we recrossed the Miami on our return. The other, Capt. McCraeken, lived until we reached the site of Cincinnati, where he was burieil. On this expedition we had with us Capt. William Barbee, afterward Judge Barbee, one of my primitive neighbors in Miami County, a most worthy and brave man, with whom I have marched and watched through many a long day and finally re- moved with him to Ohio." Since the first bloodslied in the French and Indian "War occurred within the limits of Miami County, one of the hist battles between the rival nations took place within the same territory. In 1763 the adherents of France and England came together on the Col. John Jolmstou farm at Upper Piqua. Here the Tewightewee towns in- habited by the Miamis were then estab- lished. The Indians, with the AVyandots, Ottawas and kindred nations, espoused the cause of France. They were assisted by Canadians and French, the whole forming a motley confederacy against the common enemy. 1 may premise by saying that the French by their lenient treatment of the red man had drawn to their interest some of the most powerful of the northern tribes, whereas, on the other hand, the English were not so fortunate. They (the English) were aided by the Shawnees, Delawares, Munseys, Senecas, Cherokees and Catawbas, and these war- riors with a sprinkling of traders laid siege to the fort. For a whole week, ac- cording to the most authentic records ob- tainable, the siege went on with all the at- tending incidents of border warfare. The besieging army suffered severely. The re- sisting force was also badly crippled and lost such property as was exposed. Black- hoof, one of the Shawnee chiefs, with his accustomed exaggeration, informed Col. Johnston after the siege that he could have gathered baskets full of bullets. The allies of France, discouraged and shut off from further active warfare by the peace which had been signed, turned their footsteps from this part of the country and, retiring to the region of the Maumee, came back no more. In their place came the Shawnees, the parent race which produced Tecumseh, the most formidable of the many leaders of the scarlet legions. For some years comparative peace reigned about Upper Piqua, yet the boats which plowed the waters of the Miami were not always out of danger at the hands of the restless savages. In 1794 Capt. J. N. Yischer, the last commandant at Fort Piqua, was compelled to almost witness the massacre of the officers and crews of two freight boats which he was powerless to aid. It is believed that the boats were at- tacked for the purpose of drawing the gar- rison from the fort, but the discreet com- mander was not to be drawn into the snare. At the time of Clark's expedition the country of the Miami was a primitive par- 40 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY adise. The first beauty of the woods came with the spring. At first the landscape looked bare and desolate, but before manj' days the air was sweet with the blossoms of the wild grape, plum, cherry and crab- apple and the whole land beautiful with the contrasting red and white of the dog- wood and rosebud, or of elder and wild rose, and the fresh green of the young leaves. The country on both sides of the Miami was for many miles unbroken for- est or a thicket of hazel bushes and wild fruit trees. Pioneers could in the summer step out of their back doors into a bound- less wild park of garden. Delicious per- fumes, sweet as attar of roses, delicate, pungent, aromatic, and countless flowers, pink, white, purple, scarlet, blue, and bend- ing with every shade of yellow and green delighted the senses. Gist, in his description of the forests of the Miami, has spoken of the great variety of trees that covered the groimd. Many of these were of the lordliest kind and bad stood for ages before the foot of man pressed the soil about their roots. Oak, hickory, walnut, beech and butternut stood everywhere in the greatest profusion. Their nuts afforded food for the settler as well as for the wild hogs that roamed the woods. Everywhere on both sides of the Miami stretched the great woodlands which to-day are things of the past. In smnmer the air was mild and pleasant. The winters were cold but the forests acted as "breaks" and kept the icy blasts from the inmates of the cabins. A pioneer writer in the Troy Times thus refers to the aspect of this country a century ago : "The country around the Kettlements presented the most lovely appearance. The earth was like an ash-heap and nothing could exceed the luxuriance of primitive vegetation. Indeed, our cattle often died from excess of feeding and it was somewhat difficult to rear them on that ai'count. The white weed or bee-harvest, as it is called, so profusely spread over our bottoms and wood- lands, was not then to be seen, the sweet annis, nettles and wild rye, and pea vine, everywhere abounded — they were almost the entire herbage of our bottoms. The two last gave subsistence to our cattle and the first with their nutritious roots were eaten by our swine with the greatest avidity. In the spring and summer months a drove of hogs could be scented at a considerable distance from their flavor of the annis root. Buffalo signs were frequently met with, but the animals had entirely dis- appeared before the first white inhabitant eame into the country, but other game was abundant." Among the first white settlers to estab- lish themselves in Miami County was John Knoop. He came from Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, in 1797. In the spring of that year he came down the Ohio to Cincinnati and cropped the first season at Zeigler's stone-house farm, four miles above the post. During the summer he ventured into the Indian country north of the Ohio. At one time he made a journey with a surveying party and selected land not far from the banks of the Miami. At that time the forest swarmed with Indians, principally of the Shawnee nation, but there were others here at the time, roving bands of Mingoes, Delawares, Miamis and Pottawatomies. These bands were peace- fully inclined and made no efforts to dis- turb the first settlers. In the spring of 179S Knoop moved to near the present site of Staunton where, with Benjamin Knoop, Henry Gerard, Benjamin Hamlet, John Tildus and others, he established a station for the safety of the pioneer families. It was the victory of Clark that gave to the first settlers in this county a sense of security. Fear of the whites kept the red men in abeyance and those who first awoke the echoes of the woods with their axes were ]iermitted to inhabit the land in peace. The inmates of "Dutch Station," as the settlement was called, remained within it two 3'ears, during which time they were oc- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 41 cupied iu clearing aud buildiug on their respective farms. Here was born iu 1798 Jacob Knoop, tlie son of John, the first civilized native of Miami County. At this time there were three young men living at the mouth of Stony Creek and cropping out on what was known as Freeman's prairie. One of these was D. H. Morris, for a long time a resident of Bethel Town- ship. At the same time there resided at Piqua Samuel Hilliard, Job Garrard, Shadrach Hudson, Josiah Eollins, Daniel Cox and Thomas Rich. All these, with the tenants of Dutch Station, comprised the inhabitants of Miami County from 1797 to 1799. From this time all parts of the county began to receive numerous immi- grants. In the fall of 1796 Benjamin Iddings came from Tennessee in search of a new home and located in the Weymire settle- ment within the limits of Montgomery County, but after one winter there he re- moved with a family of six children to Newton Township, where he located on the east side of Stillwater. "When Judge Sjonmes made the extensive "SjTumes Purchase," which embraced many thou- sands of acres between the two Miami s, he offered inducements to settlers. Immigra- tion thus given an impulse, began to push northward and some of those who had al- ready bought land of S^^nmes entered the present limits of ]\Iiami County and estab- lished themselves near the mouth of Honey Creek as early as 1797. These peo])le, among whom were Samuel Morrison and David Morris, established the first perma- nent settlement in the county. They laid out opposite the mouth of the creek a town called "Livingston," which name long ago disappeared. Rollins and Hudson already mentioned located near the mouth of Spring Creek, perhaps a few months prior to the settlement at Dutch Station. The various "stations" so called, erected by the first settlers were formed by erecting logs in a line and the cabins were all joined together, forming one side of a square with the remaining three sides enclosed by i^alings eight feet high, firmly driven in the ground. All the openings inside the square were secured by a strong gateway. On Gerard's and Gahagan's prairie near Troy, which had once been tilled by the Indians, the tenants of Dutch Station re- mained two years. In 1799 their numbers were increased by the arrival of John Ger- ard, Uriah Blue, Joseph Coe, Abram Hath- away, Nathaniel Gerard and Abner Ger- ard. These were the first actual settlers of the county. From whence did our first pioneers come? Nearly all the states that comprised the original Union furnished their quota. Those from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Virginia were perhaps most nimierous, but Georgia aud the Carolinas sent a goodly number. Tliere were a few from New Eng- land and New York and even little Dela- ware contributed to the settlement of the coimty. All the pioneers were men of nerve and determination. They did not shrink from the arduous task of carving out new homes iu the unbroken wilderness. Some were of hardy Scotch-Irish stock, while German l)lood flowed in the veins of others. All had traversed leagues of wild land to the homes they found in the beau- tiful region of the Miami. Nothing daunt- ed them. They met dangers seen and un- seen in order that they could raise their children in a new land and give them a heritage enriched by toil and self sacrifice. CHAPTER III. FORMATION OF THE COUNTRY; THE HOME IN WILDERNESS, ETC. Pontiac's Conspiracy — Boquet's Expedition — Block Houses Built at Cincinnati — Neiv York and Virginia Relinquish Charter Claims — Fort Harmar Erected — The Settle- ment at Marietta — Quick Settlement of the Ohio Valley — Ordinance of 1767 — Slavery Forbidden — St. Clair Made Governor — Formation of Hamilton and Mont- gomery Counties— Formation of Miami County — Abrogation of the Indian Title — Wayne's Victory of the Fallen Timbers and Treaty of Greenville — The Miami Indians — The Symmes Purchase — School Districts Reserved — Sale of Public Lands on Time Payments — The First Court — Homes of the Pioneer Settlers— Pioneer Habits and Customs — Domestic Industries — Early Circulating Medium — Militia Musters — County Officials. The genesis of Miami Coimty begins with the formation of what is known as the Northwest Territorj^ I have briefly traced the struggle of France and England for the soil embraced within the present limits of onr domain. The last engage- ment of the French and Indian War took place in 1763 at Fort Piqua. Although the Treaty of Paris settled the claims of the continental rivals to this particular region, in which England was the gainer, it did not put an end to the Indian troubles. In the year last mentioned Pontiac, the great sachem of the Ottawas, formed one of the most stupendous conspiracies ever known. He drew into it the various tribes scattered throughout Ohio, and the design of this scarlet Napoleon was the destruction of the British jDosts in the northwest. In this he was secretly and, at times, openly aided by the French, who still chafed under the overthrow which they had experienced at the hands of England. Pontiac and Te- cnmseh stand forth as the most astute In- dians ever connected with the history of Ohio. Tlie plans of Pontiac came to naught, most notably in liis failure to capture De- troit, and after the allied tribes had sus- tained their final defeat at Fort Pitt (Du Quesne), they were forced to make jDeace by Bocjuet, who led an expedition into their country and liberated a number of white captives. Not until then did the opposi- tion to British rule end on the part of the Indians. Royal proclamations had hitherto prevented settlements beyond the Ohio, but grants of land south of that river were HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 43 obtained by companies formed in Virginia and elsewhere, and hunters and traders, ignoring the boundary lines, pushed into the new territory, taking up lauds under the very noses of the French. In 1774 the "Quebec Act" passed the English i^arlia- ment and the Mississippi and Ohio Elvers were made the western and southwestern boundaries of Canada. During the Amer- ican Eevolution a majority of the Indian nations espoused the cause of England, but the Delawares were kept neutral by the Moravians who had established villages of Christian Indians on the Muskingum in 1772. Two block houses wei'e built at Cincin- nati in 1780, the year of Clark's expedi- tion, New York relinquished her charter claims to the Northwest Territory and the following year Virginia did the same ; but at the same time obtained by way of com- promise a tract of land between the Scioto and Little Miami which received the name of the "Virginia Military District." Mas- sachusetts and Connecticut yielded their claims in 1785 and '86, but gained land like Virginia, which was called the "West- ern Reserve." Congress, in 1783, caused to be sui'veyed the public lands west of the Ohio, and Fort Harmar was erected at the mouth of the Muskingum and the Ohio. Under direction of Gen. Eufus Putnam, a brilliant officer of the Eevolution, the "Ohio Company of Associates" was formed in Boston and this eventually led to the settlement at Marietta. The settling of the Ohio Valley quickly followed the expedition led by Putnam. Im- migrants poured through the passes of the Alleghanies all headed for that vast and beautiful region which stretched westward. These bands of hardv souls crossed or floated down the Ohio, stopping here and there as the different places pleased them, and the sound of the pioneer's axe awoke the solitudes of the forest. Congress, July 13th, 1787, passed the celebrated ordinance for the government of the Northwest Ter- ritory. This act provided for the forma- tion of not more than five states out of the immense tract, and slavery and involun- tary servitude was forbidden therein, oth- erwise than in punishment for ci'imes. On July 17th, the regular government of the Northwest Territory was installed with Gen. Arthur St. Clair as governor. On the 26th AVashington County, Ohio, was estab- lished and on September 17th the first court was held. The inauguration of Governor St. Clair still further stimulated settlement. Ee- ports sent back by those who had settled in Ohio caused a perfect stream of pioneers to flow in this direction. They were uu- daimted by reports of restless Indians, for it was believed that the red man was by no means pacified ; but this did not impede immigration. The white man considered himself capal)le of coping with the Indian and the lands of the Ohio were too great a prize to be permitted to slip from his grasp. Year after year the tide of civiliza- tion rolled westward, breaking through the mountaiu barriers in a resistless torrent, and filling the forests with a new race which would not brook threatened dispos- session. In January, 1790, Hamilton County was organized, "beginning on the banks of the Ohio Eiver at the confluence of the Little Miami, thence up the same to the Standing- Stone Fork, or branch of the Big Miami, and thence with a line to be drawn due east to the Little Miami and down same to the 44 HISTOEY OF MIAMI COUNTY place of begiuuing." In March, 1803, a part of Haniiltou Couuty was laid off aud called Montgomery. January 16, 1807, in an act which took effect March first," ' ' All that part of ilontgomerv County be ami the same is hereby laid off ami created into a separate and distinct county which shall be known by the name of Miami, to-wit : Beginning at the southwest corner of Champaign County aud southeast corner of section 1, township 2 aud range 9; thence west with the line between ranges 9 and 10 to the Great Miami Eiver, crossing the same in such direction as to take the line on the bank of the said river, between townships 3 and 4 in range 6, west of said river. Thence west with the said line to the state line, thence north with the same to the Indian boundary line; thence east with the same to the Champaign County line; thence south with the said county to the place of beginning. "From and after the 1st day of April, 1807, said county of Miami shall be vested with all the powers, privileges and immunities of a separate and distinct county. Jan. 7th, 1812, all that part of Montgomery County lying north of the county of Miami shall be and the same is hereby attached to the said county of Miami and all that part lying north of the county of Darke shall be and the same is hereby attached to the said county of Darke. ' ' In this manner according to law came into being the county we now inhabit. Prior, however, to the legal establishment of the county the Indian title had been ab- rogated. The county's name is derived from the Miami Indians whose place of residence, as a tribe, has long been a sub- ject for dispute by local and state his- torians. I have before me a letter secured especially for this work from Col. Charles C. Royce, for many years a resident of the county and a compiler of Indian data for the General Government. Col. Eoyee is an authority on Indian affairs and his con- clusions which follow settle once and for all the disputes concerning the Indian oc- cupation of this county. He writes as follows : ' ' At the close of the Revolutionary War and for a number of years thereafter the territory now comprised within the limits of Ohio was occupied and claimed by a number of Indian tribes, the respective boundaries of each tribe being specifically differential. As early as 1749 an English trading-post was established called Loramie's Store, or Pickawillany, within the present limits of Shelby County, and one or more villages of the Twightwees, or Miami Indians, existed for a time in the vicinity. When the French, with the assistance of the Ottawas and Chippewas, destroyed the trading- post in 1752 in the face of a vigorous protest from the Miamis, the latter were disturbed in their occupation of this territory and withdrew further to the north and west in the vicinity of Fort Wayne. "After Wayne's defeat of the allied Indian forces at the Battle of Fallen Timbers, in 1794, he made a treaty with them at Greenville, in 179.5, whereby they ceded all the land south of a line beginning at the mouth of the Cuyahoga Eiver, thence up the same to the portage between that and the Tuscarawas branch of the Mus- kingum ; thence down that branch to the crossing place above Fort Lawrence; thence to a fork of that branch of the Great Miami running into the Ohio at or near which fork stood Loramie 's Store and where commences the portage between the Miami of the Ohio and St. Mary's Eiver, which is a branch of the Miami which runs into Lake Erie; thence a westerly course to Fort Recovery, which stands on a branch of the Wabash, thence southwesterly in a direct line to the Ohio so as to intersect that river opposite the mouth of the Ken- tucky River. ' ' This treaty was made jointly with a number of tribes, of whom the Miamis were one. The laud ceded to the United States included the present boundaries of Miami County, but at the time of the cession there was no Miami County. Indians resided therein and the region including Miami. Clarke, Champaign, Logan and a number of other counties was claimed and occupied by the Shawnees who had a number of villages in this section. "By the treaty of October 6, 1818, the Miamis ceded to the United States a tract of country beginning at the Wabash Eiver, near the mouth of Raccoon Greek; thence up the Wabash to Fort Wayne, thence to the St. Mary's Eiver; thence up the St. Mary's to the Portage; thence with the line of the Wyandot cession of 1817 to the reservation at Loramie's Store; thence with the Indian boundary line to Fort Recovery, and thence with said line to the beginning. This tract at its southwestern extremity included a part of the present Shelby, Au- glaize and Mercer Counties and marked the southern and eastern lines of the territory specifically claimed by the Miamis. ' ' It can be aflSrmatively stated that within the period since the organization of the Federal Government the Miami Indians neither occupied nor claimed any land within the present boundaries of Miami County. On the contrary the L^nited States, by a treaty concluded January 31, 1795, at Greenville, definitely conceded the claims of the Shawnees to the ownership of certain ter- ritory which included the present boundaries of Miami County. ' ' It will be seen from Col. Royce 's state- ment that "within the period since the or- ganization of the genei'al government," the Miamis claimed no land within the boundaries of this county. That this tribe of the great Algonquin family at one time were in these parts is undisputed. As early as 1658 the French found the Miamis in the AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 45 neighborhood of Greeu Bay, Wis. In 1683 they carried on a war with the Sioux and Iroquois and, in 1705 the French brought about a war between them and the Otta- was. Tlie Miamis, many years later, united with Pontiac in his conspiracy for the de- struction of the whites, and during the Revolution they assisted the English. As late as 1790 they were able to put in the field fifteen hundred warriors and were a nation not to be despised. They were ivar- like and energetic, but idle life and intoxi- cants so led to their downfall as a great savage nation that they were easily over- come by the whites. They gradually ceded all their lands to the General Government and in 1846 removed to the Fort Leaven- worth agency. At the present time this once powerful nation is almost extinct and its members are dissipated and wretched. I have been thus particular in giving an account of the Miamis from the fact that this coimty owes its name to them. It is one of the few coimties in Ohio that per- petuates the memory of the tribes that once roamed the forests. The Miamis pro- duced no celebrated leaders like Tecumseh and Pontiac, but they had within their ranks warriors whose deeds for many years left their im^jress on the localities they inhabited. Prior to the formation of the county one of the hindrances to settlement was the manner in which the land could be ob- tained. In most of the states and terri- tories lying west of the Alleghanies the United States collectively and as a nation owned or did own the soil of the country after the extinction of the Indian title. This vast domain, which comprised mil- lions of acres, was to be sold at moderate prices to the settlers, but even at this many could not comply with the terms, for the average settler was poor in this world's goods and had nothing but his strong arm and his determination. The ' ' Sj-mmes Pur- chase" included land between the Great and Little Miami Rivers. It was patented by John Cleves Symmes in 1794 for sixty- seven cents per acre. Every sixteenth sec- tion or square mile in each township was reserved by Congress for the use of schools. This tract is now one of the most valuable in the state. I extract from a valuable work the disposition of the lands which attracted the early settlers of this county : "Up to 1799 Congress lands could not be sold in quantities less than 4,000 acres ; but through the efforts of General Harrison a law was passed authorizing the sale of half of the public lands in sections and the other half in half sections. In 1800 land offices were established by Congress for the sale of these lands in sections and half sections on the following terms : Two dol- lars per acre, applicant to deposit $6 for surveying a section, or $3 for half section and $5 for a patent for a section, or $4 for a half section; also he was obliged to de- posit one-twentieth of the price, all of which was to be forfeited if within forty- nine days one fourth of the purchase was not paid, another fourth within two years, another fourth within three years and the residue within four years with 6 i)er cent interest on the deferred payments from date of sale. Subsequent acts, however, gave great relief to the purchasers by ex- tending the time of payments and in 1804 the fees for surveying were abolished and an act for the sale of lands in quarter sec- tions was passed. In 1820 lands could be 46 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY bought in forty acre lots and the price was $125 cash." The last act was a great blessing to the early settler. He was enabled by it to pur- chase lands in quantities that suited him, but many purchased sections and half sec- tions, forming from these tracts some of the best farms that exist in the county at the present time. "When it became known that land in any quantity desired could be obtained in this section there was a great influx of immigration. The locality drained by the Miami and its tributaries offered excellent inducements to the pioneer, and he was not long in taldng advantage of them. He saw that in the valley of the Miami there was everything needed for a home, and the reports he sent back over the mountains to friends and relatives jiro- duced amazing results. With the legal establishment of the county in 1807 a new era was to begin. The first court was held at Staunton, primitive it is true, but a court nevertheless. The log court-house witnessed the first opera- tion of law within the limits of the coimty, and if the old records could be consulted, an interesting and amusing chapter might be included in this work. It is stated that coi;rt was first held in the house of one Peter Felix, who was a character of the early day. He was a Frenchman and somewhat of a trader and he dwelt for years at Staunton carrying on his business. Around the first county seat arose the cabins of the settlers. These early homes, which long ago gave way to more preten- tious ones, were simple in the extreme. The wants of the settler were also simple in the extreme. He was easily satisfied. The cabins were, for the most part, constructed on a imiversal plan. They consisted, as a rule, of one large room. Overhead was a garrett, access to which was had by means of a ladder in one corner of the cabin. The young folks used the upper room for a sleeping apartment. There thej" were lulled to sleep by the pattering rain on the clapboard roof which was all that sepa- rated them from the outer world. How often in the winter time on arising in the morning — never later than four o'clock — did they find their beds covered with snow, driven through the crevices by the piercing winds. The cracks between the logs were filled with clay in which was mixed the dry grass of the near-by meadows. This held the clay together and kept it from crack- ing and falling out. The fire-place was broad and deep, constructed of large stones obtained from the bed of a creek near by, and would accommodate a back-log six feet in length which was rolled into posi- tion with handspikes and would last for days. The floors were constructed of ))oarcls split from long straight logs, gen- erally oak and were smoothed on one side with the axe, laid rough side down and made fast to the joists by wooden pins driven in holes made with an augur. This was called a puncheon floor and an old song recalls it in this manner : "Oh, Jennie, my toes are sore, Dancing over tlie puncheon floor. ' ' The windows were merely openings made by cutting out a portion of one of the logs, to be closed by a sliding clap- board. Loop-holes were sometimes pierced in the sides and ends of the cabins through which to shoot when attacked by Indians. The doors were heavy and strong and were often fitted with stout barricades to resist outside pressiu-e. The beds were made .1 U t M '1L''_'''_ I^^OB CABIN BUILT IN 179S. STAUNTON TOWNSHIP (Still Standing.) RESIDENCE OF OSCAR F. FURROW Lost Creek Township MIAMI RIVKR BELOW TROY INDIAN MOUND ON WOLVERTOX FARM WEST CHARLESTON FALLS HORSE SHOE BEND NEAR TROY AND REPRESENTATI^^E CITIZENS 49 upon boards resting ou a frame attached to the side of the cabin. The table from which the meals were partaken was se- cured in the same manner and three-legged stools took the place of chairs. Now and then in a cabin was seen an old split bot- tom arm-chair that had been brought across the mountains. It was too dear a bit of furniture to be left behind, for the grandmother in it had sung sweet lullabies to all her children while in her protecting arms she rocked them to sleep. These cabin homes, humble as thej' were, afford- ed the i^ioneers comfortable and pleasant places of abode. One of our old settlers has left on record his exi^eriences in a wilderness home which is particularly interesting: "My father's family «as small and he took us all with him to the Miami wilderness. The Indian meal which he brought was expended six weeks too soon, so for that time we had to live without bread. The lean venison and the breast of the wild turkey we were taught to call bread. I remember how narrowly we children watched the growth of the potato tops, pumpkin and squash vines, hoping from day to day to get something in place of bread. How delicious was the taste of the young pota- toes when we got them! What a jubilee when we were permitted to pull the young corn for roasting ears! Still more when it acquired hardness to be made into johnny-cakes by the aid of a tin grater. The furniture of the table consisted of a few pewter dishes, plates aud spoons, but mostly of water bowls, trenchers aud nog- gins. If these last were scarce, gourds and hard-shell squashes made up the deficiency. ' ' I well remember the first time I ever saw a tea cup and saucer. After the death of my mother, which sad event took place when I was seven or eight years of age, my father sent me awaj- to school. I stopped at a tavern which was plastered on the inside, both as to the walls and ceiling. I had no idea there was a house in the whole world that was not built of logs — the tavern was a stone affair — but I looked around and could see no joists. Whether such a house had been built by the hands of man or had grown up of itself I could not con- jecture. I had not the courage to inquire anything about it. When supper came my confnsion was worse con- founded. A little cup stood in a bigger one with some brownish stuff in it which was neither milk, hominy or broth. What to do with these little cups and the spoons belonging to them I did not know and I was afraid to ask anything concerning them." In the winter evenings aroimd the fire blazing on the hearth would congregate the family, the mother engaged in making or menchng the clothes of the household, while the father was shaping an axe handle, a hickory broom, or perhaps repaii'ing the moccasins for himself and boys. The chil- dren cracking nuts or studying their les- sons, while at their feet stretched out upon the hearth quietly slept the faithful watch- dog, the guardian of the place, an indis- pensable acquisition to the pioneer home. A lurid flame from the long-nosed iron lamp, filled with melted bear's grease, min- gling with the bright firelight, made cheer- ful the surroundings of this happy group. In these pioneer homes there was always a cheerful welcome for the new comer. There was little room for envy, jealousy aud hatred, which are the cause for so much human misery in the older commu- nities. As a natural consequence the pio- neers were, as a rule, true Christians. It was this abiding confidence in an all-wise Providence that enabled them to bear up under the many trials and tribulations through which they were called upon to pass. The early settlers of Miami County were plain in their attire. Their garments were manufactured at home and from flax and wool, as cotton then was comparatively scarce. The immigrants from the South wore goods of cotton, but those who came from the East could not be so favored. The latter had to depend ou wool and flax. A lady's linsey dress would often last through the second summer for then style seldom changed. The pioneers were con- tent with what they had. The making of the family clothing gave emplojTneut to the female portion of it and led to habits of economy among them. Men in the winter time wore light Indigo blue linsey, and now 50 HISTOEY OF MIAMI COUNTY and then was seen a hunter in buckskin and moccasins. As has been said, the girls of the pioneer families were industrious. They were early taught industrious and economical habits l)y careful mothers. In this connection a page from the diary of a pioneer miss is given to show what could be accomplished by the willing hands of the grandmothers of the past: ' ' Fixed gown for Prude — Mended moth- er 's riding hood — Spun short thread — Fixed two gowns for the Welsh girls — Carded tow — Spun linen — Worked on cheese basket — Hatchel'd flax with Han- nah; we did 5 lbs — Pleated and ironed — Eead a sermon of Doddridge's — Spooled a piece — Spun a piece — Milked the cows — Sjjun linen, did 50 knots — Made a broom of wheat straw — Spun thread to whiten — Set a red dye — Had two scholars from Mrs. Taylor's — Carded two pounds of whole wool and felt nationally — Spun harness twine — Scoured the pewter." Girls of this sort made excellent wives. The young miss also tells of washing, cook- ing, knitting, weeding the garden, picking- geese, etc., and of visits to neighbors. She dipped candles in the spring and made soap in the autumn. This latter was a bur- densome business, but the soft soap was important for home use. Even before they could spin the pioneer girls of Miami County were taught to knit as soon as their little hands could hold the needles. Some- times girls of six could knit stockings. Boys often had to knit their own suspend- ers. All the stockings and mittens for the family were made in large numbers. To knit a pair of mittens was a sharp and long day's work. A story is told of a pioneer boy in Spring Creek Township who came home one night and said that he had lost his mittens in the woods while chopping wood. His sister ran to a bundle of wool in the garret, carded and spun a big hank that night. It was racked and scoured the next morning and in twenty- four hours from the time the brother an- nounced his loss he had a fine new pair of double mitts. Another occupation which obtained among the girls of pioneer days was that of quilting. There was not then the variety of colors to be had now and it took no little ingenuity to make the product of the quilt- ing frame a showy one. There was one satisfactory condition in the work and that was the quality of the cottons and linens of whfch the patchwork was made. They were none of the slimsy composition- filled, aniliue-dj'ed calicoes of to-day. A piece of "chaney," "patch," and "copper plate" a hundred years old will be as fresh to-day as when woven. A sense of the idealization of quilt piecing is given also by the quaint descriptive names applied to the various patterns. Of these the ' ' Ris- ing Sun," "Log Cabin," and "Job's Trou- ble" were perhaps the most favored. There were many "quilting bees" during early times and they were great affairs, looked forward to with much interest. More than one resident of the county has heard his grandmother describe them. Not only were the girls taught to cjuilt, but thej' were ini- tiated into the mysteries of the spinning- wheel. Their deft fingers were ever busy and all became experts at the various occu- pations that pertained to the comforts of the family. If such were the useful occupations of the girls, what did the boys do ? Like their sisters they were raised to habits of indus- try, frugality and self-reliance, and were AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 51 iudepeiidout aud fearless. At an early age they were instructed in the use of the rifle aud were taught to imitate the call of bird aud beast. Hidden in a thicket or behind a log, they would call like wild tur- keys, drawing whole flocks of these gamey birds within reach of their rifles. Bleat- ing like fawns they would lure the timid mothers to their death. Then, barking like squiri'els, the treetops would become alive with the little rodents. And packs of wolves far away in the forest or on the prairie would howl in answer to their calls. They also rivaled the Indian in throwing the tomahawk, and in handling the bow and arrow. They assisted their fathers in opening up the farms and in cultivating the soil. At night in the cabins the wonderful jack-knife would be brought forth and all sorts of things, useful as well as orna- mental, would be fashioned from the pliant wood. They learned how to repair every sort of farm machinery and became adepts at it. There was no idleness in the boys and girls of pioneer days. Previous to and during the period that witnessed the establishment of the county- seat at Troy — an event which will be treat- ed in a future chapter — the currency of the settlers- was poor and peculiar. Coon- skins and other pelts became a circulating- medium and were accepted at the early stores in exchange for the simple neces- saries required by the neighborhood. There were no established banks, as the State Bank was not instituted till later. About the only "monej"" in circulation was a sort of coin known as "sharp-shins." It is said to have come from Kentucky. It was not received in payment for public lands and had little value in business trans- actions outside certain localities. The dol- lars in circulation were the Spanish milled and in order to have change, the pioneers took them to the nearest blacksmith, who proceeded to cut them into two, four aud quite often Ave pieces, on the anvil, with the assistance of a cold chisel. If cut into Ave pieces the workman kept one for toll, leaving the owner of the original coin four quarters. These smaller jjieces became "bits" and "flips" and the terms "two-penny bit," "five-penny bit," "two-pence, flip and a bit," were in every day use. The cut pieces were called "sharp-shins" on account of the jagged edges which arose from the cut- ting, aud as they wrought havoc with the pockets of their possessors leather bags were called into use to hold them. With this sort of outlandish currency the early settlers seemed to get along })retty well until better came into use, when the "sharp-shins" were relegated to the rear and eventually disappeared. One of the most inq)ortant functions connected with the opening up of the county were the frequent musters. These were great, not to say gorgeous events. The fear of Indian invasion and the protec- tion of the settlements brought the muster into being and it held its j^lace for many years. As early as 1788 a law which was passed for "regulating the militia" was approved by Governor St. Clair. All male citizens between the ages of sixteen and fifty were required to furnish themselves "a musket, bayonet, cartridge-box, pouch and powder-horn and bullet pouch, with one pound of powder and four pounds of lead, priming wire and six flints." There were company musters once every two months, except December, Januar}% February aud March. The rules of the old 52 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY militia kept the settlers familiar to a cer- tain extent with miltary discipline and they were ready at all times to respond to any call. As a sample of the orders issued for a general muster I ajjpend the following : "Regimental Orders. "The cominLssioneil officers of the 3ril, E, 2d B, 10th D. O. M. are liereby notified to appear armed and equipped according to law, at the court-house in Troy, on the 29th instant at 10 o 'clock A. JNI. of said day and continue under the command of the Brigadier General of said brigade until three o 'clock P. M. of the succeed- ing day, for the purpose of muster, inspection and drill. ' ' By order of the Brigadier General. "D. Grosvenor, Col." The regimental and company musters were important events. The occasion was often made a holiday and the whole neigh- borhood flocked to witness the affair. The brigadier genei'al decked in ' ' all the pomp and panoply of war" was a sight worth seeing, and Solomon "arrayed in all his glory" would have cut a sorry figure be- side him. General John Webb, one of the pioneer settlers of Lost Creek Township, was a noted commander of the old militia. The ranking officers in blue coats, glitter- ing with polished brass buttons, waving plumes and gorgeous epaulets were the ob- served of all observers and created much suppressed merriment among the poor pri- vates and the concourse of spectators. Among the old county musters whose glories long ago departed the following major generals were conspicuous : Robert Young, Hiram Bell and J. "W. Frizell. Then came such brigadiers as James Fer- gus, J'ielding Loury, John Webb, Dr. Kei- fer, and S. J. Hensley, while a lot of colonels vied with the generals in their brilliant yet grote.sque uniforms and "mili- tary discipline." The generals were chosen by a vote of the county and it is natural to suppose that a good deal of "log roll- ing" was indulged in to secure the coveted places. General John Webb was once elected to this position and after-ward, ac- cording to his personal narrative, became acting major general of the Tenth Division of Ohio i\lilitia, which division embraced the counties of Montgomery, Darke, Shel- bj', and Miami, and consisted of teii regi- ments of infantry, riflemen, cavalry and artillery. Nearly all of the participants in the old musters had seen service against the Indians and not a few took j)art in the War of 1S12. When the county became well settled the musters went out of vogue, but their memories remauied for many years. They were excellent things since they taught the manual of arms and prepared the militia for any emergency. Some of the old com- pany rolls are said to be extant to-day, and upon them are to be found the names of many who in later years became prominent citizens of the county, distinguished in various walks of life. EOSTEK OF COUNTY OFFICERS, 1807-1908. After the formation of the county in 1807 its official life began. Officers were chosen, some by appointment, others by election. After a few years they were chosen at regular elections, a system which has extended to the present day. Follow- ing is a complete list of the officials of Miami County from 1807 to 1908 : Treasurers— Andre'w Wallace, William Brown, John G. Telford, Jacob Knoop, William C. Knight, Andrew Patterson, George S. Murray, George C. Clyde, M. D. ]\Iitchell, A. L. McKiuney, S. D. Frank, Theodore Sullivan, John A. McCurdy, I). W. Sinks, S. N. Todd, George H. Bundle, J. C. Ullery, John Prugh, E. J. Eby, Jesse Burkett, C. W. Kiser, R. N. Burwell. Of the above Wallace and Brown were ap- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 53 pointed, the latter serviug tbirtj'-eight years. Auditors — H. W. Culbertsou, David Grosvenor, Thomas S. Barrett, Jacob Kuoop, B. F. Powers, Thomas B. Kyle, James Nesbitt, C. N. Hoaghind, J. W. De- frees, E. J. Douglass, George C. Clyde, N. C. Clyde (filled a vacancy), Eli Tenney, W. I. Tenney, C. C. Barnett, Horatio Pear- son, Boyd E. Furnas, Elmer E. Pearson, Albert E. Sinks. Sheriffs — Stephen Dye, T. W. Furuas, Levi Hart, Leander Munsell, Robert Cul- bertson, John Shidler, Joseph Defrees, Stephen Johnston, Thomas Jay, Joseph Pearson, James M. Roe, Daniel Ellis, John Hart, C. T. Bear, S. D. Frank, William Ev- ans, David L. Lee, D. C. Miller, John M. Campbell, xVlexander M. Heywood, T. M. Ashworth, E. M. AY;lbee, F. E. Scobey, W. E. Rogers, Ralph H. Gibson. Clerks of the Court — Cornelius West- fall, John G. Telford, Thomas J. S. Smith, Benjamin W. Leavell, Barton S. Kyle, Charles V. Eoyce, Smith Talbott, J. ^Y. Cruikshanks, John B. Latchford, J. B. Fonts, Abbott E. Childs, E. A. Jackson, J. H. Laudis, Cloj^d Smith. Prosecuting Attorneys — -E. Adams, Will- iam I. Thomas, Thomas S. Barrett, R. S. Hart, Ebenezer Parsons, H. G. Sellers, M. H. Jones, James T. Janvier, AValter S. Thomas, W. F. Ross, H. H. Williams, C. D. Wright, Moses B. Earnhart, Saumel Jones, Thomas B. Kyle, J. Harrison Smith, Alva B. Campbell, William E. Lytle. Surveyors — Armstrong Brandon, Field- ing Lonry, Andrew Wallace, David Hoov- er, B. S. Cox, John Devor, James Cregan, William E. Flinn, J. T. Tullis, Simon Loop, James Hanks, John H. Wolcott, Jacob Knooj), William GiiJtin, John B. Fish, J. E. Alexander, John N. Rouzer, A. C. Buchanan, E. P. Kellogg, H. 0. Evans, R. F. Walker, John W. Dowler, Harry J. Walker, H. E. AVhitlock. , At the beginning surveyors were ap- pointed, but not until a number of years after the formation of the county were they chosen at the regular elections. Commissioners — Joseph M c C o r k 1 e , Henry Gerard, James Naylor, William Barljee, Alexander Ewing, Thomas Cop- pock, Alexander ]\IcNutt, James Fergus, John Wilson, William Mendenhall, James Orr, James Johnston, AVilliam Barbee, Oliver Benton, Hugh Scott, William Wiley, Robert Alorrison, Michael Williams, James Brown, E. P. Davis, Samuel Pierce, Rich- ard Morrow, Jacob Knoop, Sr., Samuel Kelley, AV. C. Knight, William Elliott, D. H. Morris, Isaac Sheets, William Scott, J. N. AVolcot, Jacob Knoop, Thomas B. Rose, Abner Jones, Ralph Peterson, B. F. Brown, Howard Mitchell, Jeremiah Fen- ner, Jacob Rohrer, J. C. Coate, James Sims, Jr., D. M. Rouzer, Nathan Jackson, James Saylor, D. M. Coate, Isaac Clyne, W. H. Noi-thcutt, D. C. Branson, William Johnston, Edmund Lewis, John W. Wld- ney, John C. Henderson, John T. Knoop, David C. Statler, B. B. Scarff, S. D. Frank, W. H. Alexander, Robert Martin- dale, Havilah Coppock, Ira T. Jackson, B. F. Smith, J. B. Studebaker, W. G. Wil- son, W. B. Segner, J. E. Anderson, Thomas C. Brown, Joe M. Fink. Infirmary Directors — There seems to be no official roster of this office jirior to 1853, but the following is the roster of the In- firmary Board since that time: James C. McKaig, Jacob Coimts, Asa Coleman, George Throgmorton, David 54 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY Huston, S. M. Dickson, William H. Ga- liagan, James H. Pea, John D. DeWeese, George B. Frye, Jacob Knoop, "William Hamilton, S. A. Cairns, Stephen Gens- linger, Joseph Bains, B. N. Langston, Samuel Bowerman, John E. Anderson, Harrison Gear, T. M. Aspinall, E. E. Thompson, E. F. Savers, L. L. Speagh, William E. Foster, Frank Beck, Havilah Coppock, J. W. Underwood. Since 1853 the following citizens of the county have been superintendent of the Infirmary: George A. Murray, Jonathan Batson, Samuel Robinson, James Foster, Price Duncan, Cornelius N. Bowne. Probate Judges — Joseph Pearson, Sam- uel Davis, AV. N. Foster, A. L. McKinney, William C. Johnston, William J. Clyde, John C. Geyer, William B. Freshour, J. Harrison Smith, Eberhart W. Maier. Representatives — Arthur Stewart, the county's first representative in the Ohio Legislature, took his seat at the session commencing December 8, 1808. In the years following, his successors have been : Fielding Loury, Joseph Evans, James Blue, T. W. Furnas, Samuel Kyle, Robert Montgomery, Asa Coleman, James Fergus, John P. Finley, William Menden- hall, Leander Munsell, William Fielding, John McCorkle, William Barbee, Amos Perry, John Wilson, Thomas J. Smith, Stacey Taylor, Hiram Bell, John Briggs, Justin Hamilton, Thomas Shidler, John McClure, David Alexander, James Bry- son, J. W. Riley, David H. Morris, Stephen Johnston, Joseph Potter, W. A. Weston, Tanzy Julian, Joseph Worley, Henry S. Mayo, Augustus Fenner, Levi X. Booher, Eli Tenney, M. H. Jones, W. B. McClung, S. E. Brown, J. H. Randall, David Alex- ander, J. C. Ullery, J. P. Williamson, George C. Clyde, Joseph E. Pearson, Sam- uel Sullivan, M. W. Hays, D. M. Murry, Noah H. Albaugh, James A. Sterrett, Van S. Deaton, John A. McCurdy, W. I. Ten- ney, H. J. Ritter. Prominent among the senators elected from the counties comprising the sena- torial district of which Miami has been a part were William I. Thomas, John W. Morris, A. Curtis Cable and George S. Long, citizens of the county. Common Pleas Judges — The Court of Common Pleas was not instituted till many years after the birth of the county. The following is the roster of the Common Pleas Court to date : R. S. Hart, Ebenezer Pearson, Ichabod Corwin, Robert C. Ful- ton, George D. Burgess, H. H. AVilliams, Calvin D. Wright, Theodore Sullivan, Wal- ter D. Jones. Congressional — Below are found the dis- tinguished men by whom the county has been represented in the National Congress to date: William McLean, Joseph H. Crane, Patrick G. Goode, Robert C. Schenk, M. B. Corwin, B. Stanton, M. H. Nichols, William Allen, J. F. McKinney, William Lawrence, J. AVarren Keifer, Benjamin LeFevre, Robert M. Murray, Charles M. Anderson, Elihu S. Williams, Martin K. Gantz, George W. AVilson, AVal- ter L. Weaver, Thomas B. Kyle. Coroners — Dr. J. W. Means, Dr. J. AV. Calvin, Dr. J. Funderburg, Dr. Charles Gaines, Dr. John Beamer, Dr. A^'an S. Deaton. Recorders — Cornelius AVestfall, AA'illiam Barbee, Z. Riley, George D. Burgess, J. Widener, J. P. Williamson, Hiram M. Lukens, George Green, Isaac A. Landis, E. J. Eby, J. 0. Davis, J. C. Moore, Clark- son Coate, Perrv Mover. CHAPTER IV. THRILLING INCIDENTS OF PIONEER LIFE. Contrast of Past and Present—EmigrantTrails — Encounters tvith Wild Animals — Pioneer Reminiscences — England Pays Bounty on Scalps — Indian Murders — Adop- tions into the Tribes — The Moffit Boys — Col. Johnston. During the settling up of the county and the region adjacent tliere occurred many thrilling incidents which have come down to us in personal narratives and otherwise. If all were to be described, many pages would be taken up, but some of these events are worthy of telling in a work of this nature. The traveler of to- day, seated in the comfortable railroad coach, speeding away at the rate of fifty miles fii hour, along the banks of broad rivers and the shores of inland seas, upon whose waters float the palatial steamer, and the many white-winged crafts of com- merce ; through a country made up of high- ly cultivated farms and beautiful rural homes, where contentment and thrift pre- vail — a country studded with flourishing towns and populous cities, where the smoke is seen curling from the towering chimney tops of the great workshops and factories, and hundreds of spires gleam in the sunshine — finds it difficult to realize that within the space of one hundred years these ships of trade and pleasure have taken the place of the bark canoe of the red man, and these mansions stand upon the spot where stood the Indian wigwam; and that where now burns the fires of forge and furnace, blazed the council fires of the painted sachem and his dusky braves, around which they danced the wild war-dance, their tomahawks glittering in the lurid light and their demoniacal shouts reverberating throughout the silent and unbroken forests; and that here occurred the gigantic struggle of the pioneer, with both the wild beast and the Indian, cul- minating in the successful contest of white man's skill with Indian cimniug, civiliza- tion with savagery. There is nothing to be found in the an- nals of chivalry to equal the acts of hero- ism performed by these people in braving the dangers that beset them on every hand in the accomplishment of the great work they had undertaken. And now before the obliterating liand of time erases from the tablets of our memories the recollec- tion of those perilous times, I shall en- deavor to perpetuate the heroic records of the pioneers. It must be remembered that the first settlers of this region en- tered it poorly equipped for the struggle 56 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY before them. The lumbering wagon had transported across the mountains their scanty belongings. They were not rich in this world's goods, and theirs were the "annals of the poor." Yet they brought from beyond the barriers of the Allegha- nies healthy bodies and strong wills. They knew what lay before them. They knew that the wilderness of Ohio, vast in extent and joractically unknown, a veritable tena incognita, stood ready not only to welcome, but to bury them within its vastness. Many of these people had left more comforts than they could expect to find in the new land. Babes in arms were trans- ported from the newly fonned states into the Miami wilderness, their lullabies often being the long, lone howl of the wolf or the grinding of the wheels of the pioneer wagon against the rocks that fringed the forest trail. No doubt there were adven- tures a-plenty between the old home and the new, but history is silent as to this. The lone watches of the campfires on the way, the attacks by the wolf and wildcat, the battle against the forest storm and many other perils served to keep the im- migrants on the qui vive. The smaller children rode in the wagons, while the larger ones tramped alongside. Thus the long and lonesome journey was made. Not infrequently a child sickened and died on the way. Then came the saddest and most pa- thetic part of the trip. The little body was habited for the grave by the sorrow- ing mother, a rude coffin of bark was fur- nished by loving hands and a grave made in the forest. Sometimes the grave was made in the trail and after the simple funeral the wagons were driven over it to obliterate all traces from the eye of the Indian and the scent of the wild beast. Often on these mournful occasions the comforting words of the Burial Service were read: "I am the resurrection and the life," and a hymn sometimes floated heavenward from the grave of the little one. The long trail westward those days was actually dotted with little mounds. The boughs of the forests waved mourn- fully over them, and when spring came wild flowers bloomed profusely over them. One can imagine the grief of the pioneer mother when she turned from the grave of her child, knowing that never again would she drop a tear upon it, for the new home beckoned her on and on, and trials almost as great as the separation lurked among the forests of the Miami. Not all the adventures of the pioneer families were had with Indians. Many of them were encounters with wild beasts, the bear, the wolf and the ferocious wild- cat. Bears, panthers and wolves were quite numerous. The latter at times were very troublesome and dangerous. Collect- ing in large packs, they would at night roam the forests throughout the settle- ments. Stock of all Ivinds had to be kept housed at night during the winter sea- son. Bears, when hard pressed for food, would approach the settlements, looking for a stray pig or calf. I trust I may be permitted to quote from the narrative of an early settler who tells in graphic lan- guage an adventure which overtook him when he was a boy within the limits of this county : "One of the many duties that devolved upon me after the death of my father," he says, "was that of providing meat for the family, which I did with my rifle. I was then aliout sixteen. I was a good marks- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 57 ruau aud tlie couutry abounded in all kiuds of game. I never bad to go far to get a deer — have often killed them in sight of the house. I remember of having one morning shot a large buck from the door- steij. Wild turkeys were numerous. We often caught them in large numbers, in pens, or traps, made by scooping a large hole in the ground, over which we built a covering by laying rails across each other, as in building a log cabin, or as the boys build their quail trajDS, then digging a trench or sloping passageway from the surface outside down into the pit. In this passageway and pit grains of corn were scattered, which led them down into the trap. Once in, they were perfectly secure, for a turkey never looks down, only when feeding. Whole flocks were often caught in this way. "One morning, finding one of the bee- gums overturned and rifled of its contents, I saw at once that a bear had been there and concluded that he would be back the next night for more honey. That night I loaded an old musket with several bullets to make sure work of it. I did not have long to wait, for about ten o'clock bruin made his appearance. I saw him sniffing about the hives, which were onlj' a few yards from the house. It was pretty dark, but I could distinguish him very well from a window, or rather an opening covered with a curtain (we had no glass windows until long after that). While my brother held back the curtain I took deliberate aim and let him have it. When the smoke cleared away we saw a large black ball bouncing up and down on the grass for several minutes, when it became quiet. On approaching we found the bear stretched out at full length, dead. It was the largest and fattest bear I ever saw. We now had plenty of meat to do us for a long time. "During the winter following the death of my father an incident occurred which to me proved a thrilling adventure, and came very near winding up my earthly ca- reer. As it will serve to show the dan- gers to which we were exposed, I will tell it. One evening mother informed me that our stock of corn meal was about ex- hausted. 'I had hoped,' said she 'that it would hold out until the heavy snow had passed away. You aud Charley had bet- ter shell euougli corn to fill two sacks, which will do us until winter is over. This you can take to mill on horseback.' " 'All right,' said I. Brother and my- self went to work, and soon had the corn shelled. Bright and early the next morn- ing, throwing the bag of corn across 'Old Doll's' back, with a kiss aud a 'God pro- tect you,' from mother, I started on my lonesome journey. The mill was one of the few in the Spring Creek region, and not a house on the entire way, the route being the usual blazed one. The snow was deep and the weather intensely cold. My clothing was light, being made of linsey- woolsey. As a substitute for an overcoat, mother had wrapped her old woolen shawl about my shoulders. "So slow was my journey that it was late when I reached the mill, where I found several persons ahead of me, waiting for their grists. It being a horse mill and a poor one at that, I found that I would not be able to get back for two days. This to me was a great disappointment, as I had expected to return the next day. I knew mother was expecting me. After I had looked after the comforts of the old mare and eaten my lunch, I turned in for 5S HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY the uight with the others, three of whom were boys near my own age — boys gen- erally had to do the milling. Our bed was the bare earth, the gromad floor of the mill, in front of a large fire-place. Whoever awoke in the night was expected to look after the fire. The lunch I had brought with me consisted of corn dodgers and boiled venison, to be washed down with cold water. Having to remain much longer than I had calculated on doing, I ran short of eatables, and might have gone hungry had it not been for a generous-hearted boy who divided his lunch with me. This poor lad had been made an orphan by the last Indian raid. During our stay at the mill, with sobs and tears he told me the heart- rending story of the massacre of his family. "I did not receive my grist until about four o'clock of my second day at the mill. It was then snowing hard and had been for several hours. I saw it would be far in the night before I could reach home, but nevertheless I was determined to start, contrary to the miller's advice. As he said, I would have to travel so slow, on ac- count of the great depth of the snow, I might become chilled through and perish on the way. And, then, the country was infested with wolves that by reason of the severity of the long winter were in a fam- ishing condition and had become bold and dang^erous. But having made up my mind to see mother that night, I started, making hut slow progress through the deep snow. "The snow had now ceased falling, and the full moon was shining brightly, mak- ing the night as light as day; an oppres- sive stillness prevailed and an unusual feeling of loneliness possessed me. How I wished for the company of our dear old dog, 'Pomp'; anything to break the death- like silence would be a relief. Just then I heard a sound that sent a chill to my heart. Checking the mare for a moment, I again heard the unmistakable howling of wolves in the distance ahead of me. I knew the sound came from a large prairie or marsh which they always infested, a neck of which I would have to cross two miles from home. "It would not do to hesitate now, so I urged the mare on and soon reached the prairie. I foimd that the wolves, with a few exceptions, were a great ways off, in the direction of a red-brush thicket. As I started across the opening one sent out a peculiar howl just ahead of me. On pass- ing it, it did not retreat, but sulked along behind me, stopping frequently to give a howl, as if calling the others, and in a short time was answered by a hundred. As I believe to this day, they understood each other, for they were evidently draw- ing nearer to me; before this they had re- mained stationary. "On emerging from the prairie to the higher ground and looking back, I could see several of them i^lunging through the snow on my track. Until then I was con- fident of reaching home before they could overtake me, but now I saw that it would be impossible to do so. I therefore con- cluded to dismount and climb the first de- sirable tree I came to. By this time I could hear the infernal pack coming, and riding up under a large tree, I hastily threw a bag of meal over a convenient limb, for I knew they would tear it to pieces if they could get at it. The mare, comprehending the situation, had become very restless, and just as I threw the bag over the limb, she jumped to one side, o < c o c •A c z C2 z c J s z < < B J 73 o Q AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 61 throwing me to the ground, and at once started for home, making fast time, being rid of her load. I saw that I could not get into the tree very readily, so I ran to a small dogwood tree near by, and just as I drew my last leg up a wolf snapped my foot, holding on for an instant, doing me no harm. I was now out of their reach and safe, if I could only keep up the circu- lation of my blood. I was chilled through and through, but by whipping my arms against my body I soon got all right. My perch was a frail one, requiring consider- able effort to keep it. ' * On looking down I beheld about twenty of the brutes leayjiug towards me, snarling and gnashing their teeth in mad frenzy. They were of the large grey variety. Num- bers kept coming; in an hour's time the pack had increased to at least fifty. They finally got to fighting among themselves; when one got wounded they would tear it to pieces, devouring it, so nearly famished were they. A terrible stench from their fetid breaths and damp bodies assailed me. It was almost unbearable, I being only twelve feet above them. I saw a number leaving on the trail of the mare, but they were too late; she would reach home before they could overtake her. On seeing the mare returning without me, mother could not help but think that I had been devoured or at least might be perish- ing with the cold in a treetop, the only possible chance for my escape, and I feared that in the anxiety and excitement of the moment she might start out in search of me and be herself destroyed. I fervently ])rayed to God that she might not; and that He would protect me as He did Daniel of old when in the lion's den. "Finally I became calm and hopeful. waiting for the night to pass away; but how slowly the hours dragged! At last I noticed streaks of light shooting up in the east; the welcome sun would soon shine again upon the world, and then I would be relieved. The wolves by this time be- gan to leave. Some of them, after going a short distance, would sit upon their haunches and look wistfully at me, reluc- tant to give me up, but in a short time all were gone. "Just as the sun, in all its refulgence, burst through the treetops what did I see but mother coming up the trail mounted upon 'Old Doll.' I will not attempt to de- scribe my feelings on that joyous meet- ing. Suffice it to say that I mounted the mare, taking mother behind me, and we were soon warming ourselves before the roaring fire that brother Charley had pre- pared for us. After drinking a bowl of strong coffee — real coffee — I felt as good as new. Had I been a minute later in mounting the dogwood tree, in all proba- bility the world would never have known that I ever existed." The foregoing is only one of the many incidents that crowded the lives of the boys who lived in the Miami wilderness. Theirs was a strenuous life, beset with dangers from wild beast and savages, but all acquitted themselves bravely. Their adventiares, coupled with the work they did in clearing the land, hardened their muscles and kept them ever on the alert. The writer has heard more than one thrill- ing story from the lips of the first set- tlers and the narration of all would tax the capacity of a large volume. Before proceeding to give several thrilling inci- dents that took place within the county during the war of 1812 I hope I may be 62 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY pardoned foi- telling the story of a Mrs. Davis, who at one time was a resident of the county in an early day. I had often heard the story from her descendants and its authenticity is not to be doubted. Mrs. Davis was a widow with three small children and occupied a home in the wild wood region on the west side of the Miami River. About the only serious annoyance and drawback to peace was the immense number of wildcats which prowled through the woods and decimated the poultry. Stumpy-tailed, green-eyed, they strolled through the clearing and sunned them- selves on the limbs of neighboring trees, blinking calmly at the clucking hens, which they marked for their prey, and even ven- turing to throw suspicious glances at the infant sleeping in its cradle. Sociable in their disposition, they appeared to even claim a kind of proprietary interest in the premises and in the appurtenances there- of. Shooting a dozen and trapping as many more made little appreciable differ- ence in the numbers of the feline colony. Mrs. Davis at last constructed with much labor a close shed within which her poul- try were nightly housed. This worked well for a season. But one evening a commotion in the hennery informed her that the depi-edators were again at work. Hastily seizing an axe in one hand and carrying a light in the other, she hurried to the scene and two wildcats were found feasting sumptuously on her plumpest pul- let. The banqueters were evidently a mother and her well-grown son, whom she was instructing in the predatory art and practice. The younger animal clambered to the hole where it had made its entrance and was about to make a successful exit, when the matron, setting the light on the ground, struck the animal with the axe, breaking its back and bringing it to the ground. Without a moment's warning, the mother cat sprang upon the widow, and fastening its powerful claws in her breast, tore savagely at her neck with its teeth. The poor woman, shrieking with terror, strove with all her might to loosen the animal's hold, but in vain. The ma- ternal instinct had awakened all its fierce- ness, and as the blood commenced to flow in streams from the deep scratches and bites inflicted by its teeth and claws, its ferocity redoubled. It tore and bit as if nothing would ap- pease it but the luckless victim's death. Mrs. Davis would doubtless have fallen a prey to its savage rage but for a happy thought which flashed across her mind in her desperate straits. Snatching her light from the ground she applied it to the hind- quarters of the wildcat. The flame instant- ly singed off the fur and scorched its flesh. With a savage screech it released its hold and fell to the ground, where she succeeded in dispatching the creature. It proved to be one of the largest of its species, meas- uring nearly three feet from its nose to the tip of its tail, and weighed over thirty poxmds. For many years this colony of pioneer wildcats continued to "make things hot" for the settlers in that region, but most of them were Anally exterminated and the remnant emigrated to some more secluded locality. Mrs. Davis had a grown daughter named Nancy, as winsome a lass as was to be found in the Miami wilderness. Nancy Davis had a score of admirers among the voung men of the settlements and was the AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 63 accredited belle of the region. She was a good rider aud an expert shot with the frontier rilie, and on several occasions had carried off honors at the "shooting matches" in vogue in pioneer days. While she was one day wandering through the forest not far from home she was suddenly startled from her reverie by a hoarse, deep, cavernous growl, and as she lifted her eyes they were opened wide with dismay and terror. Not twenty paces from her, rising on his huge-clawed iron feet, was a wide-mouthed, vicious-looking black bear of unusual size, who had evi- dently been "worked up" and was "spoil- ing for a fight." That the bear meant mis- chief was plain, but the girl was a pio- neer's daughter and her fright produced no symptoms of anything like fainting. Bears could climb, she knew very well, but then, if she got out of his way quickly enough he might not take the trouble to follow her. It was the only chance, and she sprang for the nearest tree. It was of medium size, with a rough bark and easy to climb. All the better for her, if none the worse for the bear, and in an instant she was perched among the lower l)ranches. For two or three minutes the shaggy monster seemed puzzled and as if it doubted what course he had best pursue if he wanted the pioneer belle ; then he came slowly up and began smelling and muzzling round the roots of the tree as if to obtain the neces- sary information in order to enable him to decide the important question. The young woman in the tree was no coward, but little as was her hope of be- ing heard in that forest solitude, she let her fears have their own way and screamed for help. As if aroused and provoked by the sound of her voice, the bear began to try the bark with his foreclaw while his fierce little eyes looked up wistfully into the face of the maiden and his little tongue came twisting spirally from his half opened jaws, as if he were gloating over a choice titbit. It happened that a neigh- bor young man, and by the way, one of the girl's admirers, soon reached the scene of action. Though completely unarmed, he did not hesitate to come to close quarters with bruin, and seizing a heavy stick, he commenced to vigorously belabor the hind- quarters of the brute, who, however, only responded to these attentions by turning his head and winking viciously at his as- sailant, still pursuing his upward gym- nastics in the direction of the treed girl, who on her part was clambering towards the ujoper branches of the tree. The young man redoubled his blows, and for a moment bruin seemed disposed to turn and settle matters with the party at his rear, but finally, to the dismay of both the maiden and her champion, the bear, evidently deeming his readiest escape from attack would be to continue his ascent, re- sumed his acrobatic performance and was about to place his forefeet on the lower limbs, when his foe, dropping his futile weapon, seized the stumpy tail of the lieast with his strong hands and, bracing his feet against the trunk of the tree, pulled with all his might. The girl, seeing the turn that matters had taken, immedi- ately broke off a large limb and stoutly hammered the bear's snout. This simul- taneous attack in front and rear was too much for bruin, and with an amusing air of bewilderment, he descended in a slow and bewildered manner and galloped ot¥ into the forest. 64 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY It is not on record whether Miss Nancy rewarded the courageous youth with her hand or not, but he certainly deserved some consideration at her fair hands. The foregoing are some of the thrilling inci- dents that enlivened pioneer days among the wild beasts that infested the lands of the Miami a century ago. At times it was not safe to go far from home for fear of the savage four-footed denizens of the for- est. During certain seasons of the year, when food was scarce, it was dangerous to venture far, for the wild beasts were ravenous and did not hesitate to attack the settlers. It is not believed that any of the pioneers fell victims to the rapacity of the wild animals, but narrow escapes were numerous and would thrill the reader if all of the personal encounters could be recorded. With the breaking out of the War of 1812 the pioneers were thrown into a new peril, which discounted anything that they had hitherto experienced. The British did not hesitate to turn loose ujjon the isolated settlements bands of savages, who swept the forest like a besom of destruction. Not only this, but they placed a bounty on scalps, and many were actually sold by the red fiends at the English posts in Canada. There is extant an old song which had for its refrain a stanza like this : "Scalps are sold at stated prices, England pays the price in gold. ' ' This atrocious bargain on the part of the mother country with a lot of blood- thirsty fiends who carried in their hearts no attributes of mercy cannot be condoned. It is no wonder that the settlers along the Miami lived in terror of this red war cloud which hovered over them throughout the whole period of that war. It seemed as if the entire border would be decimated by the tomahawk and scalping knife, and there was a constant fear everywhere. Block houses were established in various parts of the county, and to these the in- habitants would flee at every alarm. When one observes the present state of happi- ness and prosperity in our midst he can scarcely believe that such a state of affairs as I have described ever existed here. The wild beasts of the forest were outdone in their ferocity by the wilder Indian. The savages, egged on by the English, stopped at no cruelty, and all the time the settler was in the direst peril. Small war parties of Indians reached this locality. Raids were made by them within our borders, but strange to say, but little murdering was done. The settlers were constantly on their guard and the savages feared their murdering rifles. A number of cattle were killed or carried otf by the marauders, and several people were slain and scalped. One of the most notable of these killings within our bor- ders was that of the Dilbone family, which occurred in Spring Creek Township. The killing of the Dilbones, which oc- curred in August, 1813, was preceded by the Indian assault on David Gerard, who lived four miles north of Troy. Gerard, in company with a neighbor named Eoss, was cutting timber. They were not ap- prised of the nearness of the Indians until a shot was fired from ambush and Gerard fell. Ross turned and fled for his life and succeeded in outstripping the redskins, who soon came back to their victim. When the nearest neighbors reached the scene of the attack it was found that Gerard had been scalped and not an Indian was in AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 65 sight. But for the alarm spread by the terrified Eoss, the entire Gerard family would have been massacred, but, as it was, only one victim had succumbed to the fury of the savages. The Dilbones resided two miles north of the Gerard home. They were among the earliest settlers of the county and were well known people. Dilbone and his wife were found at work pulling flax. As they had heard nothing of the killing of Ge- rard, they were unsuspicious of danger, and therefore were not able to make any resistance to their enemies. It was a beau- tiful summer day and the sun was sinking slowly behind the distant hills, the last rays flooding the flax fields with a shower of golden light. At the first volley by the Indians Dilbone fell with a bullet in the breast, being unable to render his wife any aid. He was mortally wounded, but managed to secrete himself in the corn and was overlooked by the enemy. From liis hiding place he saw the fiends shoot and scalp his wife, after which they cleared out with the bloody trophies of their foray. There were only two Indians engaged in this killing, and one was only a half-grown boy, who in all probability was taking his first lessons in warriorship. The twain carried but one rifle, which was lost, but was picked up the following day. Dilbone survived his wound till the next day, but his wife died. It was afterwards ascer- tained that these same two Indians were seen along Spring Creek the day previous to the killing, but they disappeared so mysteriously that their whereabouts could not be traced. Of course this incursion into the county created the greatest excitement. The whole border was thrown into a state of alarm, and it was for a time feared that a large body of Indians was about to be precipitated ujion the Miami settlements. The fact that the two Indians concerned in the murders on Spring Creek went north after their bloody work gave rise to the belief that they were taking the scalps to their white employers for the promised reward. About this time a woman named Martin was scalped by marauding Indians, but she survived her wounds and lived for many years afterward in this county. There came into the county previous to General Clarke's expedition against the Piqua towns, two boys by the name of Moffit. They had passed through the most exciting experiences. Their home was in Greenbrier County, Virginia. One day while hunting squirrels they were sur- prised by a foraging party of Indians and made captives. John, who was the eldest, presented his gun to the redskins, but the Indian made proffers of good intentions and the brothers were deceived and se- cured. From the date of their unlucky experi- ence began a long captivity. John was forthwith adopted into the tribe and given an Indian name. His brother, whose phy- sique was more delicate, was marked for death, but a squaw who had recently lost a son interceded for the boy and he was handed over to her. The ceremony of In- dian adoption was somewhat peculiar and may be given here. George Moffit was first required to run the gauntlet, after which his Indian mother took some dry ashes which she placed on a square bit of bark. She next rubbed the ashes on her fingers and proceeded to pluck from the boy's head every hair but enough which formed a scalplock after the manner of the 66 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY the Miami. Firmly held by several red Indians. This ceremony was not to young Moffit's liking, but he had to submit to it, which he did with no good grace. The conclusion of the adoption cere- monies was an immersion in the waters of Amazons, the bewildered boy was dragged to the banks of the river and was repeat- edly soused in the water till he was de- clared to have no white blood in him. For a year or two afterward he remained to all intents and purposes an Indian. He was still iu the hands of his captors when Gen. Clarke entered the Miami country in 1782. During the night battle waged by Clarke's little band against the Indians George Moffit made his escape and fled in the direction of the Stillwater. He did not care to go back to the whites, so ac- customed had he become to the wild habits of his tribe, and he looked upon the whites as invaders who were unjustly persecut- ing the Indians. But the time was coming when George, or "Kiterhoo," as he was called by the Indians, was to leave his cap- tors.' His father, who still resided in Vir- ginia, heard through other Indian captives that his boy was alive and with the red tribes. This information eventually brought about young Moffit's return to his home. John remained a cajitive nearly two years after his brother's restoration to the old home, when he was ransomed by French traders, so that both boys saw the family roof again, with exciting experiences that would fill a whole volume. Years afterward the Moffit boys became residents of this county, in 1808, and pur- chased land not far from Piqua. George Moffit died in 1831 and John survived him a few years. Both married and raised families and became substantial citizens of the county. Singular to relate, the two brothers for mauy years after their re- turn to civilization retained some of their Indian habits. They were familiar with forest life and could track a deer when the knowledge of a settler was in this par- ticular utterly at fault. Auother pioneer of the coimty who had a large and vivid experience with the In- dians was Col. Johnston, who during the War of 1812 was an Indian agent, and by his excellent management and coolness kept a large number of Indians on his land near Piqua and prevented them from tak- ing up arms against the Americans. Among the Indians thus managed by Col. Johnston were Shawnees, Delawares, Wy- andots and Senecas. At one time he had six thousand red men under his charge. The Indians hostile to Col. Johnston fre- quently plotted against his life, for they realized that while he lived he would keep his charges neutral and thus prevent them from deluging the frontier in blood. All these murderous plots failed. At one time it was designed to kill him where he was expected to pass on a journey. Not far from the Indian camp at Piqua, which Col. Johnston visited daily, grew a wild plum thicket. A lot of hostiles secreted themselves among the underbrush and pre- pared to end the career of the white man whom they so cordially hated. Col. John- ston had not the remotest suspicion of the plot. The day came and the death hour was near at hand. Fortunatelj', just be- fore the culmination of the scheme some Delaware women warned the agent, and the would-be assassins fled. Pui'suit was instituted as soon as possible, but the vil- lains escaped and, it is said, were later on concerned iu the killing of the Dilbones. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 67 At auotlier time Col. Jolmston proved the stiitf he was made of aud showed what sort of men it took to keep down the tur- bulent characters that threatened the Mi- ami frontier. It seems that two mem- bers of the militia, in a spirit of pure malice, fired upon a party of friendly In- dians protected by a flag of truce furnished by Col. Johnston. Two Indians were killed and the remainder were taken to Green- ville as prisoners, a most shameful and unwarranted act. Changing their minds, the militiamen brought the prisoners to Piqua and turned them over to Col. John- ston. He decided to take them back to Greenville aud restore them to their people. As the journey at that time from Piqua to Greenville was one full of danger, Col. Johnston applied to the commander at Pi- qua for an escort. The cowardly militia refused to go. Then Col. Johnston said he would accept the responsibility himself and conduct the Indians twenty-five miles through the forest alone. It was indeed a dangerous journey, for the Indians had recently committed several murders in the region through which the trip had to be made. Col. Johnston saddled his horse, bade his wife farewell, scarcely exjjecting to see her again, and set out with his charges. He made the journey immolest- ed, and having delivered the Indians back, set out on his return trip alone. Great was the surprise of the militia at Piqua when they saw the brave old agent safe again in their midst, but not one of the dastardly fellows could look him in the eye without quailing, and the reader can imagine, for we cannot describe, the opinion Col. Johnston had of them. I have not space in this book to narrate all the thrilling personal incidents con- nected with the settlement of the county. I have given onlj' a few of the many, but from them the reader will form a good idea of the whole. It took courage and perse- verance, hardihood and untiring watchful- ness to wi-ench from the wild beast and the wilder Indians the rich and beautiful lauds of the Miami. The people who now inhaltit the county, while thej' honor the memory of the pioneers, can never fully appreciate the suffering and heroism which were required to make this region what is is to-day. CHAPTER V. EARLY TRANSPORTATION Corduroy Roads — First Gravel Road — The National Road — Braddock's Road — Early Stage Lines, Stages and Stage Drivers — Famous Taverns — Water Transportation — Freighting on the Miami^To New Orleans by River in 1819; an Unfortunate Voyage — Dr. Dorsey's Recollections of Flat Boat Navigation — Canal Construction — The Miami and Erie Canal — Benefits of the Canal — the Old Mail Service — Postal Ratesinl816 — Postoffice Established at Piqua — T]}e Early Postmaster — A Mail Carrier's Adventure — A Century's Progress. Transportation and travel in the early days of the county bordered on the primi- tive. For a long time there were no roads at all, only the buffalo trails, and these zig-zagged in every direction. They were at first used by the men who opened the wilderness and were followed by the blazed ways from one settlemuet or town to an- other. As early as 1806 a road was blazed to Greenville through the forest, and was for a time the main thoroughfare, so to speak, in this region. As the various set- tlements grew and the people increased in numbers by accessions from other locali- ties, better roads became necessary, and the settlers began to construct them. Long before the days of the turnpike came cor- duroy roads, which for a while seemed to fill a "long-felt want." J. M. Thomas, one of the early pioneers, has written as follows of the corduroy road: "The best roads were the corduroy roads. The man- lA'r in which they were constructed was to get together the men and boys of the neighborhood with their axes and oxen, ' Buck and Berry, ' as the oxen were almost always called. The men who drove them had a stick about six feet long with a leather strap tied to one end of it, with which he would guide his team. The men would cut down trees, split them into rails and haul them with the ox-teams to the worst places in the road. They would first lay brush in the road to support the rails and prevent them from sinking too deep in the mire; then lay the rails on top of the brush and shovel mud over them. This was the best road we had in those days. We did not dream of steam or electric railways. ' ' I remember when the only road from my father 's house to Troy was the old Indian trail. We lived south of where the Peters ' nursery now is, about two miles south of Troy. When I was about ten years old I recol- lect seeing the men surveying the route for the road now called the Northcutt or Westlake Pike. It was then made a corduroy road, laid with brush and rails to give us a better road to Troy than the old IniUan trail, which was only a path running through the woods. This path led from my father 's house along the route of the present pike till it reached the point where Henry Wil- son's house stands, then it struck off through the bottom lands now owned by John and Henry Wilson, coming into Troy about the south end of Market Street. Woods all the way, no canal to cross, no hoisting bridges and no locomotive whistles to frighten our ponies. About the only noise we heard along the old corduroy road was the barking of the squirrel, the drumming of the pheas- ant on an old log, or the hoot of an owl." 6S HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 69 The early road leading from Troy to Covington was mud almost all the way. Mr. Thomas says that frequently, when traveling between these two places on horseback, he was compelled to dismount and lead the horse for fear the animal would swamp and tumble him off. He would have to go out in the woods and get on the old logs to keep out of the water. Not infrequently a misstep would throw him into the water, where he would be treated to a first-class ducking. After the first Troy-Covington Eoad had been given a trial, a few Trojans concluded to build a better one. They constructed a plank-road, but alas ! the plank soon rotted in the swampy ground, and gravel was next tried in road building. The last ex- Ijeriment proved a success. It was prob- ably the first gravel road in the county. The lack of good roads was a detriment to the settlement of the county. True, neighbors were few and far between those days, but milling had to be done, and this necessity, to some extent, brought about the construction of better roads than the primitive ones. Intercourse between the towns was another inducement to road building, but many years elapsed before the first rude county roads gave way to the magnificent turnpikes which now reach in every direction. As early as 1806, however. Congress took a hand in road building in Ohio. In that year it passed an act "To regulate the laying out and making a road from Cumberland, in the State of Maryland, to the State of Ohio," and it was this act which enabled Thomas Jefferson to be- come the official father of the National Road. It is interesting to note that this famous thoroughfare passes through a portion of Miami County. The old Na- tional Road enters Bethel Township at its southeast corner, and after crossing the township in a southeasterly direction, passing through Brandt and Phoneton, crosses the Miami at Tadmor and de- bouches into Montgomery County. This road was to the early "West what the Ap- pian AVay was to Rome. It was the first great highway from the East to the "West, and maintained its prominence until the canal and the steam roads came into vogue. Since the National Road did much to open up the Miami "N^alley and its adjacent territory, let us briefly consider some of its history and characteristics. It was conceived in the brain of Albert Gallatin, a Swiss, who came to this country in 1780 and afterward became secretary of the treasury under Jefferson. Gallatin broached his project of a great National highway to many distinguished peojile, and in 1806 President Jefferson appointed a commission to look into the matter. The National Road, as originally designed, was to cost $7,000,000 and was to reach from the Potomac to the Mississippi. It passed through the states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois and was "one of the most important steps in that movement of National expansion which followed the conquest of the "West." Undoubtedly its construction was one of the influences which secured and held the "West to the Union, for the population which by the opening of this highway rushed into the Ohio Valley saved the embryonic western states from threatened perils and hastened their settlement and subsequent pros- perity. Everybody — pioneers, traders, adven- 70 HISTORY OF ^illAMI COUNTY turers — hailed the National Eoad with de- light. Before the building of the road west the routes of travel followed the zig- zagging buffalo trails or the winding path- ways of the Indian. These, of course, were not satisfactory. It has been said that the course of the buffalo through Mary- land and Pennsylvania is the most historic route in Aiaerica, and one of the most fa- mous in the world. The old Braddock Eoad may be called the genesis of the Na- tional Turnpike. The blazed trees which marked this route for many years pointed out the ti'ail of the unfortunate British general to the battlefield of the Mononga- hela. Washington, however, previous to Braddock 's expedition, had blazed a way to the Ohio Valley, and this route, strange to say, afterwards became the marching ground of the British army. For seventy-live years Braddock 's Eoad answered all the imperative needs of mod- ern travel, though the journey over it at most seasons was a rough experience. Dur- ing the winter the road was practically im- passible. All that was needed to turn the current of inuBigration towards the Ohio was a good thoroughfare. Many times was the question asked, "When will it be built?" Not until the nineteenth century was the question answered. It may be said that the creation of Ohio is directly responsible for the building of the Na- tional Eoad. On December 30, 1806, the commission- ers appointed by Jefferson to lay out the National Eoad made their first report. These commissioners were Thomas INIoore, of Maryland; Joseph Kerr, of Ohio, and Eli AVilliams, also of Maryland. After the first report came another, in 1808, and in this it was annoimced that the contracts had been made for clearing the surveyed road of brush and trees. Contracts for the first ten miles west of Cumberland were signed in Api'il and May, 1811, and the following year they were completed. In 1817 the road was brought to Union- town, and not long thereafter United States mail coaches were run from Wash- ington, D. C, to Wheeling. The next year it was proposed to open the road to the Ohio Elver. The cost of the eastern divi- sion of the road staggered many. It ex- ceeded the estimate by $3,000 per mile. No sooner had the first division of the National Eoad been completed than travel across the Alleghany Mountains into the Ohio basin began. Hundreds, aye, thou- sands of people, faced westward, looking for homes, and the new highway presented an animated scene. It was not until 1825 that Congress authorized the extension of this great road into the State of Ohio, and this act was greeted with immense enthu- siasm by the western people. Nearer and nearer the National Eoad was creeping towards Miami County. In 1837 Lieuten- ant Dutton, of the United States Engi- neers, with headquarters at Springfield, ad- vertised for proposals for road building in which he said: "Notice is hereby given to the proprietors of the land on that part of the National Eoad lying between Spring- field and the Miami Eiver to remove all fences and other barriers now across the line, a reasonable time being allowed them to secure that portion of their present crops which may Ue upon the location of the road. ' ' As this highway stretched westward, travel over it became tremendous. In a short sjjace of time vehicles of every de- scription from the smallest wagons to the creaking "mountain ships" crowded the new thoroughfare. It was almost blocked with herds of cattle and gaily-painted four AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 71 aud six-horse coaches rumbled over its broad bed. Kude taverns sprung into be- ing every few miles, with gaudily painted signs denoting entertainment for man aud beast, and, in short, everywhere along the road the scenes were lively and unceasing. The National Road was a toll one from the first. The toll takers were appointed by the governor and there were some lively scrambles for the places. All persons "go- ing or returning from worship, muster, common place of business, on farm or woodland, funeral, mill or place of elec- tion, common place of trading within the county in which they resided," were per- mitted to travel free. School children and clergymen were also on the free list. Peo- ple who made lengthy trips over the road had the privilege of paying toll the entire distance and receiving a certiticate guar- anteeing free passage to their destination. The gate keepers usually received a salary of $30 per month. The opening of the National Road, which was the first linking of the "West to the East, gave rise to many stage lines which competed with one another for the traffic. These cumbersome vehicles, which disappeared long ago, were marvelous things in their day and were "fearfully and wonderfully made." Many were dec- orated and richly painted, the linings be- ing often silk plush. They usually had three seats inside and could comfortably carry nine passengers. Some were long, unsightly affairs, without springs or braces, and the harness was heavy and im- couth. There were fifteen-inch backhands, and hipbands of ten inches, and the traces were little less than loads of chains. Nor were the old stages the only vehi- cles that rattled over the National Road through this county. There were greater ones called "freighters." These were "broad treads," with four-inch tires, and some of the loads they carried were little short of marvelous. One of these freight- ers crossed the mountains in 1835, carry- ing eleven hogsheads of tobacco, or a net weight of ten thousand poimds. As to sjjeed over the new roads, ten miles an hour was considered ordinary. The old way-bills which the drivers received were often inscribed, "Make this time or we will find someone who will." Competition in stage line travel was always at fever heat and the rival drivers had their amuse- ments. They were a jolly set of drivers on the "Old National Road," great lum- bering fellows, yet active as panthers. They "jollied" one another with all sorts of pleasantries, and even the advertisements of the competing lines dropped into humor. Couplets were often conjured up contain- ing some brief story of defeat with a cut- ting sting for the vanquished driver : "If you take a seat in Stockton's line You 're sure to be passed by Pete Bodine. ' ' "Said Billy Willis to Pete Bodine: You'd better ^vait for the oyster line." These witticisms were always taken in good spirits and were often posted in the taverns, where they caused all manner of amusement. Fares in the old passenger coaches were not considered extortionate. Two dollars were charged from Columbus to Spring- field, and intermediate points five cents per mile. Mails were carried over the National Road. It took three days and sixteen hours to get the mail from Washington to Columbus, which fact provokes a smile nowadays when the "mail flyers" annihi- HISTOEY OF MIAMI COUNTY late distance and deliver a letter at our doors almost before the ink is dry. The first old taverns that dotted the road were built of logs, but these, later, gave way to more pretentious ones of wood and stone, with conmiodious wagon yards and sheds for horses and cattle. They had the most pretentious names, such as "Temple of Juno," "The Sign of the Green Tree," "The Lion and the Eagle," and so on. The signs that swung at the doors creaked in the wind and were often elaborately decorated by the backwoods artist. "Billy Werdeu's Tavern," in Spring- field, was well known to the early settlers of this county. There were hilarious times in the celebrated taverns of the National Road, buildings which long ago crumbled away as the traffic of the thoroughfare sought other channels. Whiskey cost a "Plippenny bit" at the old bars and there was no adulteration, as nowadays. In some of the best taverns mulled wine, toddy and cider were dispensed. Such, in outline, was this famous thor- oughfare of early times. First came the buffalo trail, then the Indian paths, to be followed by the National Road, and later by our splendid system of turnpikes, steam and electric lines. Over the National Road passed some of the most distinguished men our country has ever produced — Jackson, Monroe, Polk, Harrison, Tyler, Clay, Ben- ton and Lafayette. The old stages are things of the past, and such practiced drivers at Jim Reynolds, Billy Armour, and Davy Gordon have been gathei-ed to their fathers, but the famous pike, though shorn of its pristine glory, still exists, and to-day the farmers of Miami County haul their grain to market over the same thor- oughfare which in its day was considered, as indeed it was, one of the wonders of the United States. The forests and sparse clearings that fringed its line have become fertile farms or teeming cities. In many places its eighty feet of road bed has been encroached ujDon by property owners. An act passed by the Ohio Legislature in 1870 cites that ' ' the proper limits of the road are hereby defined to be a space of eighty feet in width, forty feet on each side of the center of the graded roadway." Notwithstanding this, in some places ten feet of the ground of the National Road has been included within the fences, but since the State does not, or can not, show quit claim deeds for the land, the present holders are not molested. For years prior to the opening of the National Road, freighting on the Miami was a source of considerable income to many of our people, and became quite an industry. The river was navigable both above and below Dayton during the great- er part of the year for keel boats — which were built like canal boats, only slighter and sharper — as well as for flat boats, till about 1820. These boats were often loaded with produce taken in exchange for goods, work, or even for lots and houses; for business men, instead of having money to deposit, or invest, were frequently obliged to send cargoes received in place of cash south or north for sale. Cherry and walnut logs were frequently sent down the Miami on flat boats. The trip to New Orleans was frequently made and the boat was sold in that city, its owner returning on horseback. As early as 1819, Fielding Loury con- ceived the idea of opening up a river trade with the southern cities. Lourv was one o O z > o o a H OJ O S o a: O z o z o o z o o z o o Z e o H J J > z H B OS O o a > < i z o Eh o z > o o h" o < z o to < Q z o o AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 75 of the iirst settlers of the county. Eager tu put his plans into effect, he loaded three boats with desirable cargoes for the times. One of these boats was commanded by Capt. Gahagan, a well known citizen of early Troy. It was then a long and peril- ous voyage to New Orleans. There were dangers by river and not a few by land. Some distance below Troy was a place called the "Ninety-nine Islands" where the flat boats were likely to ground. Ill luck would have it that Capt. Gahagan 's boat should meet with just such a fate at this spot. When Gahagan was in these straits, the second boat, commanded by Capt. Hunter (it was great to be a boat captain those days), came along, and in trying to avoid the first boat, ran into her, inflicting such damage that she sank cjuick- ly, with all her cargo. One can imagine the exciting scene thus witnessed by the two captains. Capt. Hamlet's boat, the third one, safely landed. The screams of the women on the first boat and the em- phatic language of the men made up a per- fect Bedlam, but all were rescued, though much of the cargo was lost. It took three days to save that part of the loads taken out, and the whole, thoroughly drenched, liad to be spread out on the floors of neigh- boring l)arns to dry. Captain Gahagan 's unlucky boat was re- paired, after which the voyage was re- sumed. On one of the boats was Mrs. Loury, wife of the owner of the cargoes, with her two young daughters. The voy- age was painfully slow. AVhen the little Miami fleet floated into the broad waters of the Mississippi, Mrs. Loury was taken sick and, despite the care of her com- panions, died. The scene was an imusu- ally sad one. Far from home, in the midst of a region comparatively unknown and amid strangers, the little Loury girls were bereft of a good mother and were obliged to see her buried in a rude coffin on the bank of the great river. Loury 's trading adventure proved disastrous, for not only had it cost him his wife, but the cargo was spoiled by the accident in the Miami and he found himself practically a bankrupt. For six months he did not learn of the death of his wife. The late G. Volney Dorsey, of Piqua, has left on record some interesting notes of flat-boating on the Miami, from which I make a few extracts : "After the development of the country about Piqua," says Dr. Dorsey, "when exportation became a necessity in order to get the sight of a little money, flat boats were constructed and loaded with flour, bacon, corn in the ear, cherry lumber, fur- niture and other products. The boats were built at Piqua on the bank of the Miami River, with two parallel gunwales, from sixty to seventy feet in length, and the boat about twelve feet wide. They were built bottom side up, the plank in the bot- tom running crosswise and spiked to the gunwales, with the ends imbedded in a rabbet, cut to the gunwales deeper than the thickness of the boards, so as to se- cure the bottom from catching when float- ing over shoal places. "Some of the men engaged in this river commerce were Joseph Bennett, a cabinet maker, and one Tinkham, of the same trade, who would ship by this means bed- steads in large quantities, and coast along the Mississippi, retailing out to people along the river whatever was in demand. The risk in navigating the Miami required great skill and pi'esence of mind, espe- 76 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY cially in passing over mill dams and fol- lowing the channel of the river through the 'Ninety-nine Islands,' as they were called, located a few miles below Troy. The pilot of notoriety was Eobert Logan,. a very large man, and when in com- mand of one of these boats about to start on its journey, and standing upon the deck disciplining his boatmen to use the oars, he was looked upon with as much consideration as the greatest admiral who ever commanded a fleet. To see one of these boats pass through the channel of the river at these islands was indeed a most thrilling sight and it required the most consummate skill and quickness of action to wind the unwieldj' craft through its tortuous route to a safe passage. After l^assing into the Ohio, the jDilot and other men not wanted to coast were discharged. "Along the banks of the Mississippi are frequently foimd eddies, or whirlpools, into which the boat is liable to be drawn, and when once fairly in the circuit it was difficult to cross the circuit and reach the straight current. An anecdote is told of one of these early eddies in the Missis- sippi. On one occasion a green hand was called to watch in the darkness of the night, and shortly after taking his posi- tion on deck the boat, without his observa- tion, was drawn into one of these eddies, opposite to which, on the bank of the river stood a brick church, and the boat con- tinued making a circuit during the whole of his watch. When his turn was up he awoke the man to take his place on deck, and upon being asked how he got along, replied, 'First rate, but it is the darndest place for brick churches I ever saw in my life.' "In connection with this history of flat- boating," our narrator continues, "it was common for boatmen returning from New Orleans to walk all the way home, passing- through the wilderness north of that place and through what was called the Indian Nations, Chactaws and Chickasaws. Jacob Landis and David Hunter, both of whom died at Piqua after a long residence, made this journey on foot. Ajiother fact in con- nection with this primitive commerce was the building of a large keel-boat by John Chatham on the public square in Piqua, directly west of Orr & Leonard's ware- house. This boat was built (the hull) and hauled to St. Mary's, the bow resting on the wheels of a wagon, and the stern on sled runners, with eight horses, two teams belonging to James Johnston and John Campbell. It was launched in the St. Mary's Eiver and was used on that stream to freight to Fort Wayne and on the Maumee River. It was about eight feet wide by fifty- five or sixty feet in length." Flat-boating on the Miami continued for some years. It was attended with a good many risks, but there were those who were willing to take them for the profits prom- ised by the ventures. The journey to New Orleans was considered a long one, as in- deed it was, and the return trip often- times afoot was not without its perils. As the county opened up and other methods of transportation came into vogue, flat- boating was abandoned and eventually dis- appeared. It was superseded by the canal. It is not generally known that George Washington was among the first to advo- cate canal building. He conceived the idea of linking the Ohio with the Potomac by a canal, and for this he received the thanks of the Virginia House of Burgesses. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 77 The famous Erie Canal, upon which tlie initiatory work was begun iu 1819, was the predecessor of the canalwhieh runs through Miami County. It was opened through to the lake in 1825. During the period of set- tlement iu the Northwest, roads, such as we know them now, were quite as little known to the widely separated commimi- ties iu Ohio as were railroads. With very few exceptions the roads were only widened bridle paths, imioroved in swampy places by patches of corduroy construc- tion, but well nigh impassable in the spring and fall. Thus, in the absence of roads, overland transportation for trade was im- practicable and productions of any kind were of no value so long as they could not be shipped cheaply to the consumer by water. The need of cheaper communica- tion was keeuly realized from the time of the first settlements west of the great bar- rier, the Alleghanies, and most keenly by those situated some distance from any river or stream, and thus cut off from the usual modes of transportation by canoe, flatboat, "keel-boat," or "ark." The beginning of canal agitation in Ohio, which culminated in the building of the artificial waterway through the coun- ty, was contemporaneous with that in New York state. In 1817 the first resolution relating to Ohio canals was introduced into the State Assembly, and the friends of the project entered actively into the fall cam- paign to elect men pledged to vote for in- ternal improvements, and not without suc- cess. Governor Brown in 1818 referred in his inaugural address to the necessity of providing cheaper ways to the market for the Ohio farmers. As the years went by interest in the canals increased. In 18.30 the question was debated in Congress when that body was asked to grant government lands in Ohio for canal purposes. Not all the states could view this internal improvement in Ohio as one of national interest. In the "great debate" of that year the Senate discussed the value of a canal in Ohio to the nation. AW'bster in his famous reply to Hayne declared "this very question, What interest has South Carolina in a canal in Ohio? is full of significance." This discussion took place nineteen months after Congress had granted the lands to aid the Ohio and Indiana canals, a fact which shows the continued interest of the nation. In 18ol the Miami and Erie Canal was completed to Dayton, which place remained as the head of navigation six years, when the canal was completed to Piqua. This afforded cheap transportation to Cincin- nati. It was found to be the very thing the people needed and they were not slow to take advantage of it. The cost of the Miami and Erie Canal — 250 miles, and 32 miles of feeders — was $6,762,458.00 — a large sum — but the benefits arising from this waterway have been incalculable. It was not until after the completion of the reservoirs or feeders that the canal entered upon the era of its greatest pros- perity. For many years it was the means of transportation and travel. At every lock there was always a string of boats above and below, patiently waiting their turns to reach the other level. The sono- rous and far reaching blast of the boat horns and the "Lo-o-ow bridge" calls echoed continually from the river to the lake. Hundreds of sixty- and eighty-ton boats plied up and down between all points, while regular passenger packets, accom- HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 4 1 modating fortj- to sixty passengers, con- nected with the stage and steamboat lines. Not being affected by the bad roads, bad weather or breakdowns of the old stage, nor by the wind, high or low water of the steamboats, the canal packets were seldom delayed. The packets which at the time of their greatest popularity were much used by the people, are often described as the Pullman cars of the 50 's. Thej' bore more resem- blance to the limited train, as each packet was " diner, " " sleeper, " " smoker, " " par- lor car," "baggage" and "mail coach" combined. They created a good deal of excitement in the adjacent country as they passed up and down the canal. The worth of the canal was soon apparent to every- one. Shortly after it was put in operation wheat advanced in price. Firearms, cloth, shoes, coffee, tea, chocolate, rum, salt, g^'p- sum and sugar came south from the lake ports, while wheat, corn, flour, butter, beef, cheese, tobacco, and whiskey found their way more easily to the eastern markets. In 1829 merchandise was brought from New York City to Dayton by the all-water route of 1,100 miles in twenty days at a cost of $17.25 per ton. The route followed the Erie Canal to Buffalo, the lake to Cleveland, the Ohio Canal to Portsmouth, the Ohio Eiver to Cincinnati, and the Miami Canal to Dayton. The "Canal Counties" at once took the lead in indus- trial and agricultural growth, a lead they never lost, as today these thirty of the eighty-eight counties contain fifty-two per cent of the state's population. The speed of the canal packets was never great. They seldom exceeded a four mile per hour schedule. Leaving Piqua at 8 a. m. they would reach Cincinnati the following- morning in time for breakfast. This was considered a wonderful feat in those days. The captain of a packet was considered a person of distinction. His word was law on his boat and passengers who became familiar with him were called "lucky fel- lows." The menus of these boats was something worth discussing in a gastro- nomic sense, for the tables were supplied with the fat of the land and the meals were enjoyed to the full. In 1844 the ^Miami and Erie Canal was opened to the lake for business and this gave a new impetus to commercial enter- prise in the county. Piqua then had nearly five thousand inhabitants and Troy was no inconsiderable place. The county owes much to Messrs. Stephen Johnston, W. J. Jackson and J. F. McKinney, of Piqua, who as a committee contended with the un- friendly legislation aimed at the canal and who in a great measure were instrumental in securing its successful operation. Piqua was at the head of navigation from 1837 to 1845, which gave it great impetus. It was intended originally to take a feeder out of Bosson's dam above town (Troy), but that failed, the Messrs. Bosson de- manding more for the privilege than the commissioners would give, and by that fail- ure the head of navigation was transferred from Troy to Piqua, a circumstance fatal to the pro.sperity of Troy and a godsend to her northern rival. The transportation of the mails in the early days of Miami County was poor and primitive. "When one considers the mail service of the present day, the fast mail trains, the free rural delivery, the commo- dious post offices and other mail facilities enjoyed by the people, the mere mention of the old mail service provokes a smile. AND REPEESENTATIVE CITIZENS 79 There was but little correspondence before the introduction of steam, and letters were few and far between. It required days to get a letter to a friend in another state and then there was a long wait for the answer. Postage stamps had not come into use, but the amount of postage due was written on the outside of the letter. Envelopes then were unknown, nor had the day arrived for the sweetly-scented billet doux and the deli- cate linen paper. Steel pens had not yet come from the inventive brain of a Gillot and the old-fashioned quill held sway. •Nearly all the social letters began, "I take my pen in hand to inform you that we are all well and to hope that you are enjoying the same blessing," — a style which is still extant in some parts of the Union and among certain classes. When the writer of a letter had fiuished his task the sheet was simply folded and addressed on the blank page. This done a stick of red sealing wax was held over the flame of a candle and a bit of the heated substance dropped upon the fold and al- lowed to cool. Now and then the writer, if she were a young lady, would stamp the impression of her ring on the wax, if she possessed one, and the letter was ready for the post. Mucilage then was unknown. I have seen a uumljer of these old letters, the ink of which is as dark as the day when it flowed from the nib of the quill. In 1816 the rates of postage were fixed as follows: Thirty-six miles, six cents; eighty miles, ten cents; over oue hundred and fifty miles, eighteen and three-fourths cents; over five huudred miles, twenty-five cents. The blowing of a horn announced to the people of the neighborhood the ar- rival of the mail, which was carried horse- back. The mail bag was never filled to overflowing and the few recipients of its contents were indeed the lucky ones. Not until 1811 was a post office estab- lished at Piqua and then the weekly post- route was extended from Dayton. In a copy of the Miami Reporter pub- lished at Troy in 1828 I find the followiug advertisement of the postmaster : MAILS. The mail arrives from Dayton by the direct route on Tuesday and returns on Friday. It arrives from Day- ton by Jlilton on Saturday and returns on Monday. The mail also arrives from Columbus by Urbana and Piqua on Saturday morning and passes directly on to Columbus and Urbana. It arrives from New Carlisle on Tuesday morning and returns on Wednesday morning. Levi Hart, P. M. Now and then one of these old time post- masters trusted liis patrons, sometimes, no doubt, to his own sorrow, and he was called upon to nag them up a little by inserting in the newspapers a "call to delinquents," which read something like this : ' ' nie postmaster, having been in the habit of giving unlimited credit heretofore, finds it his duty to adhere strictly to the instructions of the postmaster general. He hopes, therefore, that liis friends will not take it amiss when he assures them that no distinction will be made. No letters will be delivered in future without pay, nor papers without the postage being paid quarterly in advance. ' ' Now that postage for all distances is equal and very low — we can now send a letter to the Philippines for two cents — we can hardly realize the burden and incon- venience the high and uncertain postage rates imposed upon the pioneers. Money was very scarce and difficult to obtain ; and to pay twenty-five cents in cash for a letter was no easy matter and worked a hardship on the writer. Nor was the transmission of the early mails, no matter how they were carried, conducted in safety. The mail robber was abroad in the land then as now. Some of the mails brought to this country seventy- 80 HISTORY OF illA^lI COUNTY five years ago came by post riders to Wheeling, and thence down the river to Cincinnati in mail boats, built like whaling craft, each manned with four oarsmen and a coxswain, who were often armed, thence by postroads to the Miami region. The voyage from Wheeling to Cincinnati occu- pied six days and the return trip up stream in twelve days. The early post offices of the county were generally log structures, but they answered the needs of the times well enough. The postmaster was frequently merchant, cab- inet-maker and government official all in one. His salary was not large and he never retired with a competence. Old records in the Postoffice Department show that he was never a defaulter and he always squared up with the Government to a penny. When there were floods or heavy snows the mails were delayed and the pat- rons of the office waited till the toot of the postman's horn announced that he had overcome the obstructions. A story is told of one of the early mail routes in the county, which will bear repeat- ing to show the dangers that beset the mail carrier of nearly a century ago. This car- rier, one of the very first who brought the mails into this locality, was riding through a lielt of timber when he heard a wild cry which seemed to chill his blood. Looking up he espied a female wild cat squatted on a limb with blazing eyes and vicious mien. His horse seemed paralyzed with terror and a23i3eared to have lost his senses for the moment. Before the horrified postman could collect himself, the ferocious animal leaped downward upon him, lauding squarely upon his shoulders and burying tooth and claw in his flesh. At this mo- ment the horse plunged forward, carrying his double burden away at breakneck speed, snorting out his terror at every bound. In vain for a time did the post rider attempt to relieve himself of his determined foe. The wild cat clung to her victim with the tenacity of death, biting deeper and deeper all the time, while the unfortunate man was in constant agony. At last, in passing under a limb, the rider ducked and the bough loosened the grip of the ferocious beast, tearing her loose and throwing her to the ground stunned. As soon as the man could check the speed of his horse he hastened back and with a heavy stick belabored the wild cat till life was extinct, then, half faint from loss of blood, the earlier threw the carcass over the saddle before him and re- sumed his journey. "When he reached the Ijostoffice he fell fi'om his saddle uncon- scious, and the old postmaster, adjusting his spectacles, picked the wildcat up with the remark: "I guess there is no postage due on this package." I have tried to give in this chapter a brief accoimt of early transportation with- in the limits of the county. The reader can compare it with the splendid facilities we have today. In looking down the vistas of a century, back through the mists of the past, we can observe our progress and wonder at it. The glories of the National Road have faded before the steam and elec- tric lines that belt the county, and in the shadow of the handsome and commodious post offices that dot the county today we can, with little stretch of the imagination, see the log ones which received and dis- tributed the primitive mails. Then the people trudged miles to send and receive their scanty mails, but now well-dressed servants of the government deliver the AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 81 mails at their very doors, no matter how isolated they are, aud the daily newspaper is one of the burdens of the faithful "rural router. ' ' From the old letter with its waxen seal we have advanced to the convenient stamp and the fashionable letter paper, and the l^ostmaster no longer calls upon his jsat- rons to settle for little accommodations of trust. If some of the old keel boats that cut the limpid waters of the Miami could be resurrected they would become the great- est curiosities imaginable and the calls of the ancient boatmen would make uniciue records for the modern phonograph. One must remember that within the space of one hundred years this country has devel- oped from the primitive into the modern stage of its existence, making a i^rogress that is little short of the marvelous. For instance, when Cornelius Westfall, who kept the first Troy post office when much of this country was a howling wilder- ness, and when, in 1811, Arthur Brandon received from President Madison his com- mission as postmaster at Piqua, little was thought of the future of our great common- wealth. Yet from these early experiences in transportation sprang the civilization now enjoyed by the country, though, as has been said, it is difficult to realize the ad- vance that has been made. It has been re- marked that if the old pioneer could revisit the scenes of his abode he would be as much astonished at the progress of the country as are its citizens of the i^resent day. CHAPTER VI. THE TOWNSHIPS (WESTERN) Washington, Concord, Monroe, Union, Neivton and Newberry Townships; Their Boundaries and History— Early Settlers — Heroes of the Revolution and War of 1812 — Development of Natural Resources — First Mills, Founding of the Villages; Tippecanoe, Etc. Before giving in detail an account of Troy and Piqua, which are the largest municipalities of the county, I shall devote two chapters to the history of the town- ships and the towns which are found within their limits. Prior to 1807 the county com- prised but two townships. The division west of the Miami was called Eandolph Township, while the eastern section was named Elizabeth. The genesis of these titles as applied to the divisions is obscure and not traceable. Randolph Township be- ing too large, was not permitted to retain its name very long. In fact it disappeared within a year and the territory therein em- braced was divided into more townships. In the same manner, that portion of the county which had been given the general name of Elizabeth, was divided until the six townships lying east of the river had been formed. WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. Washington Township, though the small- est in area, is the most populous division of the county. It is named for General Washington and justly so since to the "first great American" we owe much con- cerning the opening of the Miami country. The boundaries of AVashington Township are as follows: On the north by Shelby County, on the east by Springcreek and Staunton Townships, on the south by Con- cord and Newton and on the west by New- beriy. To Washington Township belongs the credit of some of the first settlements in the state. It was the" home of some of the Indian tribes so closely identified with the history of the county and it witnessed not a few stirring events in early history. It has aptly been said that "hei-e was the last home of the red man in the county and here the earliest white settlements. ' ' From the Indian cantons in Washington Town- ship, the Indian forayed into Kentucky and when loaded with the spoil of his depreda- tions, he returned to the banks of the Miami and at Piqua told to attentive listen- ers around the forest fires the story of the bloody raid. The county had been a legally organized commonwealth about seven vears before 82 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 83 Washington Township came into existence. Prior to this time (1814) several settle- ments had been made within its present limits. One Job Gard, who had been a soldier in Wayne's army, taking note of this particular region when the army passed north to punish the Indians on the Manmee in 1794, returned after the cam- paign and built for himself a cabin out of timber which had been used in the con- struction of old Fort Piqua. Gard's settle- ment is supposed to have been an event of 1798. This first pioneer of W^ashington Township remained in his habitation for three years when he sold out to John Man- ning, a man closely identified with the early history of the county. From this date the tide of settlement in the northern portion of the county can easily be traced. The cabins of the settlers, hitherto far apart, were to be found in little groups which formed a protection from the Indi- ans and stimulated neighborly intercourse. The needs of the little colony in Washing- ton Township increased. Hand mills for the grinding of corn were erected, but these failing to sufficiently provide for the wants of the community, regular mills came into use, and in 1804 Manning erected one near what is now the south end of Harrison Street in Piqua. It was the first real mill in that section of the county. With the organization of the township the first trustees were elected. They were John Widney, Benjamin Brandon, and William Mitchell. The Mitchells came from Tennessee and were hardy, honest and en- terprising people. It is noticeable that many of the first settlers of the county came from the Southern states. This fact may be traced to the Boones and others who had i^enetrated to this region years before to carry back to their friends flatter- ing reports of the fertile valleys wliich lay north of the Ohio, a veritable "land of promise." It is somewhat remarkable that but little is known of the actual settlement of Washington Township outside of the City of Piqua. One of the first inhabitants of the township was the celebrated Col. John Johnston, the Indian agent. Others were James and Frank Johnston, Hugh Scott, Benjamin Leavell, John and Enos Manning, Armstrong Brandon, and Mat- thew Caldwell. Another well known char- acter was Joseph Porquette, who kept about the first liquor store in the county. The late Dr. Dorsey, in his reminis- cences, has this to say of Porquette, who, from his name, was evidently French: ''At that time there was ciuite a broad strip of land between the east side of the street in Piqua and the west end of the river bridge. This was claimed by Porquette. Ewing, a local trader, kept a tavern, in which he had a few articles of traffic which he sometimes exchanged with the Indians for skins and furs. As the village grew, the consumption of liquor naturally increased, and Por- quette kept some whiskey on his side of the street, which was not a little frequented from the fact that the first blacksmith shop stood hard by, and hence it happened that occasionally little disturbances arose in this vicinity, somewhat to the disgust of the good and sober people in the other houses. As the nmnbers year by year in- creased and these outbreaks became more marked and frequent, Porquette 's little piece of ground was at length called by the distinctive appellation of the 'Devil's Half-acre,' that it might be known that it was believed that this was all the territory to which it was believed His Satanic Maj- 84 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY esty could rightfully lay claim witliiu this locality. This name continued for many years, and it was only after the larger por- tion of the ground was buried in the canal and the evil spirit properly laid beneath its waters that the name was lost and is now only remembered by a few of the old inhab- itants." Much of the improved land in Washing- ton Township today was cultivated by the Indians in corn. It was this fact which induced George Eogers Clark to invade this particular locality in 1782 when, as has already been narrated in this work, he dev- astated these fields, laying them waste and depriving the red men of their sustenance. The Indian corn fields stretched along the bank of the Miami in Washington Town- ship and were cultivated by the women of the various tribes. When the whites came they found some of these fields in a fair state of cultivation, but the Indian method was very primitive. The pioneers of Wash- ington Township at once improved on the Indian's work and before long their own fields were the wonder of the early days. As the village of Piqua grew in importance a little market for grain was established and later on the boating industry enabled the settlers to reach the outside world which lay beyond the forests of the Miami. No other township in the county fur- nished a sturdier group of settlers than Washington. They came of a hardy race, immigrants from beyond the barriers of the AUeghanies, men who made that long journey alone, looking for the new land of which they had heard and longed to pos- sess. If the docket of Mathew Caldwell, who was the first justice of the peace of Washington Township, could be unearthed, its few entries would show how peaceably its first inhabitants got along together. There was little litigation and nearly all the cases that came up before Justice Cald- well were settled by the advice of friends or of the Justice himself. In shoi't the neighborhood was not disturbed by quar- rels, and it was not until Piqua became a large town that the dockets assmned visible proijortions. Since it is designed to give the history of Piqua in a separate chapter we will turn our attention to another town- ship. CONCORD TOWNSHIP. The organization of Concord Township is contemporaneous with the formation of the county. It is located centrally, being bounded on the north by Washington, on the east by the Miami, on the South by Monroe and on the west by Newton. Its name means "peace," though at various times since its promotion and during i^o- litical years it has swung away from that appellation. It does not contain much In- dian history, as no Indian villages seem to have been built within its borders. Among the first whites to settle in Concord Town- ship were: Arou Tullis, William Barbee, Reuben Shackelford and Alexander Tel- ford. These came about 1804. In 1806 came John Peck from Kentucky with four sons, Jacob, John, Joseph and Isaac and four daughters. This family located on the Boone place south of Troy. Peck ar- rived in the winter season and paid $100 for 160 acres of excellent land, only one acre of which was cleared. His little cabin of simple construction contained but one room, 16x18, and this housed the entire family. Peck drove all his cattle through the wilderness from Kentucky, guarding them by day and by night from Indians AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 85 and wild beasts. It was a long aud peril- ous journey, but the pioneer was undaunt-- ed and was at least rewarded for his trou- ble by finding a home near the waters of the Miami. In the second year of his resi- dence in Concord Township all his stock died save one mare, three cows and a few sheep, and with this remnant he was com- pelled to begin life anew. It was a gigantic task which confronted John Peck and his famil}', l)ut all went to work with a will aud before long found themselves well sit- uated with all the losses recovered and good prospects ahead. In 1805 Abraham Thomas joined the little colony in Concord Towushii). Thomas had had some experience in war, as he had been a soldier in the Eevolution, and an enlisted man in both of Clark's expedi- tions against the Indians in the Miami country. Like Mr. Peck, he made the jour- ney from Kentuclvj" with his family, con- sisting of his wife and four children. The emigrants reached the Staunton settle- ment, where they remained for a few hours, then forded the Miami at the "broad ford" as it is yet called. From the river bank Thomas and his sons were obliged to cut a road through the forest to their farm not far south of Troy. On this piece of land these pioneers first cut the brush out and built what was called a "camp." This was not the comfortable cabin, a few of which may still be foimd standing at the present day. It was a structure still more modest in its pretensions. Instead of logs, the sides were hastily built up with poles, the cracks between them were stuffed with moss and the roof and floor were made of bark. The front side of the structure was left entirely open and a huge fire built in front of it. Here there were no troubles with rats in the cellar, cats in the garret, smoky chimneys, slamming doors or lack of ventilation. The good housewife cooked her ))ear-meat, venison and wild turkey at her primitive range and spread a board which epicures might envy. The family lived in such a camp for a few weeks until a more substantial log cabin could be com- pleted. The cracks of this were chinked with mud and daubed with mud and a door and chimney were not forgotten. One little aristocratic feature of the new structure will readily be forgotten nowadays — four panes of real glass were used in the win- dows instead of greased papier. When the cabin, one of the first erected in Concord Township was finished. Pioneer Thomas and his sturdy sons went into the woods, which soon resounded with the sound of their axes. The first task was the planting of an orchard, trees for which they had thoughtfully brought from Kentucky. In time these trees bore lus- cious pipins, and but few years have elapsed since the last of these pioneer or- chards disappeared. Across the river from the Staunton set- tlement lay what was known as the Ga- hagan Prairie. Mr. Thomas rented ten acres of this rich bottom land, which he planted with the necessaries of life, while he and his sons cleared the homestead. On this farm Mr. Thomas ])assed the remain- ing years of his life, dying in 18-13, and was buried by the famous La Fayette Blues, a Troy military organization commanded by Lieutenant Pettit. Abram Thomas is a fair sample of the early pioneers of the county. It is said of him that his charac- ter was unimpeachable, that he possessed a daring spirit, aud being of a robust and hardy constitution, he was often detailed 86 HISTORY OF MIA:MI COUNTY for the most important and hazardous service in time of war. He took part in the Eevolutionary AVar and in many a hard fought Indian skirmish before and since that period. Among the other early settlers of Con- cord Township were Foust, McGimpsey and Steward. These settled near the Peck place, and in 1807 the small colony was in- creased by the addition of David Jenkins, of South Carolina, and James Knight of Pennsylvania. The Concord colony was increasing. Gahagan's Prairie was giving forth crops that cheered the heart of the pioneer and made him satisfied with his change. In fact this tract, having once been "farmed" by the Indians, was easily induced to yield to the industry of the set- tler. Such was the fertility of this ground that the first year with its primitive uten- sils Mr. Peck got forty-one bushels of corn to the acre. Through the woods of Con- cord, over the winding trails, the settlers went to mill on horseback. No wagons were theirs. Up to about 1814 only two wagons were to be found in this whole re- gion and they were not accessible for use. While the Pecks and Thomases were the first pioneers to break ground in Concord Township, there were others who were contemporaneous with them. There were James Orr, James Youart, A. McCuUough, James Marshall, John .Johnson, Henry Or- bison and Joseph McCorkle. The majority of these men came from Kentucky, which section sent into Miami County some of its foremost citizens. When one looks back over the history of Concord Town- ship, much of which belongs to the history of Troy which is to be related hereafter, he must give unboimded credit to the men who overcame the difficulties of the wilder- ness and brought order out of chaos. Let us consider for a moment a few items plucked at random from the early chapters of this township. Soon after the first settling of the town- ship came the war of 1812 with its attend- ant Indian horrors. The panic which grew out of the threatened danger spread along the Miami and for a season paralyzed the pioneer settlements of Concord. They were believed to be in the shadow of the toma- hawk, but fortunately the danger passed and peace once more hovered over the Miami frontier, guarding it as a mother guards her young ; the tide of immigration, halted by the war, revived and returned to its former sweep. The progressive agriculture of the pres- ent day as seen in Concord Township was in its infancy a century ago. There was scarcely any market, not even for the small amount of grain raised by the settlers. Teams were almost unknown, fences had not come into vogue, and mills were few and far between. It did not require much corn to fatten hogs, as the woods furnished them with sustenance. Owing to a scar- city of fences all cattle were belled and hogs marked. The only market was across the river at Staunton and the produce, which consisted mainly of butter and eggs, was taken thither. Groceries were con- fined to those of the most simple descrip- tion and the pioneers of Concord Town- ship were often put to their ingenuity to supply their wants. Sugar was made from sap of the maple tree, sage and sassafras took the place of "Oolong," and browned rye was a substitute for coffee. Doctors had not invaded the neighborhood and home-made medicines, tansy and penny- royal, were the "cure alls" of that day. SOUTH PLUM STREET, TROY MAIN STREET, TIPPECANOE CITY CHRISTIAN' CHURCH, COVIXGTOX SITE OF FIRST FORT AND OF FIRST BIRTH IN MIAMI COUNTY (STAUNTON TOWNSHIP) RESIDENCE OF W. P. ORR, PIQUA RESIDENCE OF L. M. FLESH, PIQUA AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 89 The harvests were cut in the simplest manner with the sickle. Corn huskings, which were great and jolly affairs, came into vogue in Concord as they did in other parts of the country. They put the corn in piles, with a rail in the center. Then two members of the party were selected to "choose up" and the huskers were chosen. At a given signal all hands went to work and amid much merriment the work was completed. This was but one of the recre- ations of the first settlers of Concord Township. Everything was cheap then but the clothing which the pioneers were forced to buy. Fine shirts were not known, because muslin was too high — 75 cents per yard. The housewife spun for the family and linsey-woolsey dresses were the first seen iu Troy. The Concord pioneers cut cord- wood and got it into Troy, where it brought thirty-seven and one-half cents per cord, which he could exchange for half a yard of muslin. Corn brought eight cents a bushel, wheat seldom more than twenty- five and oats six and one-fourth cents. The fanner of today will smile at these prices, but they were considered "pretty fair" by the men who broke ground here one hundred years ago. The history of Troy will form a chapter by itself, hence nothing more concerning Concord Township need l)e written here. It is today one of the foremost of the twelve divisions of the coimty. It is richly supplied with turnpikes which enter Troy from every part of the county and steam and electric roads add to its wealth. Troy is the only incorporated town within the limits of Concord Township. Eldean is a hamlet on the Troy-Piqua turnpike and the 1). tfc T. electric car-line, about two miles north of Troy. MONROE TOWNSHIP. The most interest seems to cluster about the early or pioneer history of any place. This is not only true of nations, but of smaller commonwealths, towns and cities. The coming of the fii'st settlers has a charm which later history cannot take away. There is something in the early mi- grations to this county that is still unex- plained. Several townships, notably those in the Stillwater region, were largely set- tled by people from the far south, from North and South Carolina. AVhy they se- lected one part of the county and not the other is still a mystery. Monroe Township was settled to a great extent by people from that section of the Union. Monroe is found in the southern tier of townships, bounded on the north by Concord, on the South by ;Montgomery County, on the west by Union Township, while the Miami sepa- rates it from Bethel and Elizabeth, which stretch away to the east. Its first settlers came from South Carolina and when they reached the fertile lands of Monroe they found the Indians in possession, living in the primitive villages that sheltered the red tribes of the forest. Samuel Freeman seems to have been the first white man to break ground in Mon- roe, which he did in 1801. His habitation was the beginning of house building in the township. From North Carolina in 1802 came John Yount, who entered a choice piece of land at $2 per acre. Next came Michael Fair, who emigrated from Fredei'- ick County, Maryland, the home of Bar- bara Freitcbie, and he was followed a little later on by John Clark, also of Maryland- 90 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY The Clarks were of good stock, sturdy and industrious, and produced a long line of descendants as notable as themselves. David Jenkins left his South Carolina home to begin a new life among the woods of Monroe and with him came Elisha Jones, another son of the Palmetto State. Jenkins being a man of some culture, filled various township offices, all of which he discharged faithfully, winning the respect of his neighbors. Among the other pioneers of Monroe are to be found Thomas Pearson, his three sons Enoch, Jonas and Thomas, Jr., Sam- uel Pearson, John Jay, Paul Macey, George North, George Kerr, the Laytons, Ferguses, "Westlakes, Puterbaughs, Sliaf- ers, Furnaces, and a numljer of others whose name at this late day are not ob- tainable. The Maceys were from Tennes- see, the Norths from Georgia and the Kerrs from Virginia. All these hardy pioneers brought families with them, and these increasing as the years went by, pop- ulated Monroe Township with an excellent class of citizens. In Monroe the settlers found laud to their liking. Many settled on Freeman's Prairie, which was situated southeast of Tippecanoe City and opposite the mouth of Honeycreek on the west side of the Miami. The mills to which the pioneers had access were few and far between. They were very i)rinutive as compared with the mills of the present day. Dr. Asa Coleman in his reminiscences describes one of these mills as follows: "These early erected mills were quite primitive in their struc- ture and material. The mill-stones were generally manufactured in the county, often in the immediate vicinity of the site where they were to be used, of single stones worked out of the large boulders which are to be found on the surface in various parts of the county. Very little iron except the spindle gudgeons and a few bands were used, wood being exclusively used for all other inirjioses; iron being too expensive and difficult to obtain. These mills from these circumstances were very simple structures, calculated principally for the grinding of corn. The first grinding of wheat for flour was very imperfectly done. In some at first the bolt was turned by hand, a somewhat laborious operation, but wheat bread being a rarity the labor was willingly performed. At the time of the organization of the county there were six or seven of these milling establishments in operation. There were Mordecai Men- denhall's on Honeycreek, Henry Gerard's on Springcreek, John Freeman's and John Manning's on the Miami, Moses Coate's on Ludlow Creek, Mast's, AYeddle's and Empre's on Stillwater." A number of these sawmills sawed lumber for the first frame houses erected in Monroe Town- ship. Tippecanoe City, the principal town in Monroe, dates its incorporative origin in the year 18-10. It was named for "Tippe- canoe," the sobriquet given President AY. H. H. Harrison for his defeat of the In- dians at the battle of Tippecanoe in 1811. It lies in the eastern part of the township, its northeastern boundary being formed by the ^liauii Elver. For some years Tip- l^eeanoe City had no market facilities, but the Imilding of the Miami and Erie Canal supplied this want and later the shipping facilities were further increased by the Dayton & Michigan Railroad and the D. & T. traction line. Tippecanoe City's first post office was called Hyattsville and AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 91 Heury J. Hyatt was the tirst postmastei'. Hyatt lived in a log cabin, where he was merchant, tailor and postmaster all in one. It is said that a division of sentiment prevailed over the naming of Tippecanoe City. A Mr. Jay, who pnrchased the first lot, wanted the place to bear the appella- tion of Jaytowu, while Mr. Clark wanted it called Sharjisburg after his home in Maryland, but the present name was se- lected and the discussion ended. The first tavern in the now prosperous town was built by Thomas Krise, who for some years furnished entertainment for man and beast, and he is said to have been an en- terprising landlord. From the very first Tippecanoe City seemed to prosper, owing to the energy of its inhabitants, until now it has a popula- tion of almost 1,800. Its first official ros- ter is as follows : Mayor — Levi N. Booker ; recorder — E. F. Shields; marshal — Eli Snell; treasurer — I. L. Wilcox; coimcil- men — Thomas Jay, Michael Shellabarger, Henry Krise. From that time to the pres- ent the mayors of Tippecanoe City have been I. K. Gilbert, H. H. McCabe, C. W. Wheeler, John J\fann, E. T. Shields, T. Kibby, A. H. Wesler, Levi Jay, A. E. Kerns, Ellis H. Kerr, W. G. Fritz, L. A. Sheets, S. E. Smith, B. B. Scarff, G. J. Smith, R. N. Eyler. Messrs. Shields, Wes- ler and Kerr filled the mayor's office at difTerent times. The present city officers are: Mayor — R. N. Eyler; clerk— S. O. Mitchell; treas- urer — J. S. Pohlman ; solicitor — W. E. Ly- tle; marshal — C. J. Frost; councilmen — W. H. Clark, E. T. Davis, G. O. King, Will H. Long. D. W. Prill, L. L. Youart; street commissioner — S. S. Westfall; police — Crist Eickhoff, J. H. Fenner. Tippecanoe is a noted manufacturing center, but this industry will be mentioned in a special chapter. It has two banks (see "Banks and Banking"), a fine public school, and excellent churches. Ginghamshurg, a village of some local importance, is situated in Monroe Town- ship, with FredericktoHii {Fidelity P. 0.) and CoivlesvUle, the latter a cluster of houses on the Dayton & Troy Traction line. UNION TOWNSHIP. In writing the history of Union Town- ship one must go south to discover its fountain head. The tide of emigration that flowed northward from the Carolinas l)roke upon the shores of the Stillwater and populated Union. When that vast area lying west of the Miami and which for a time was known as Randolph Town- ship was cut up into five smaller divisions, Union became one of these about 1807. It is bounded on the north by Newton Town- ship, on the south by Montgomery County, on the east by Concord and Monroe Town- ships and on the west by Monroe Town- ship in Darke County. It is traversed by the Stillwater in the eastern part, while two branches of Ludlow Creek and other streams water its large area. There being no finer land "out of doors" it is no wonder that the first white men who penetrated to this region concluded to make it their home. In the year 1801 Henry Fonts and the two Filers, Leonard and Adam, settled in Union Township in the very heart of the "forest primeval." They had looked at other land, but found the region of the Stillwater to their liking. The next year came Caleb Mendenhall, with his family of six, and he was followed bv John Mast and Frederick Yount. The 1 92 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY last named located a mill site and for a jvliile supplied the settlers with flour and ground meal. lu 1804 David Mote, Sr., with five stal- wart sons, settled in Union. They chose the western jjart of the township, while east of the river received Leonard and William Fincher, "William Neal, Benjamin Pike, Jacob Bj'rkett and others. The ]\Iotes led the vanguard of Quakers who settled in Union Township, a class of peo- ple who have given to this coimty much of the stability and prosperity it now enjoys. These j^eople, quiet, unobtrusive and strict- ly honest, are found all over Union Town- ship, forming within themselves a class noted for its integrity. The descendants of the first Quaker residents have filled many positions of trust and are numbered today among the foremost citizens of the county. The year 1805 found Samuel Jones in Union Township. He emigrated from Georgia, as did Abiather Davis, who brought with him to the fine lands on Still- water four sons and three daughters. In the same year Newberry District in South Carolina sent a little colony of Quakers into the township, among whom were Isaac, James, George and Nathan HoUingsworth. Elisha Jones, a chairmaker, came in 1807, having been preceded a year previous by Joel HoUingsworth, another Quaker. Joel was a man of both ingenuity and business, for he l)uilt flatboats upon Stillwater and transported his own produce to New Or- leans, making quite a little sum by the operation. It is stated that upon one re- turn trip Mr. HoUingsworth brought home a telescope, a wonderful thing in those days. Neighbors came from far and near to inspect the wonderful instrument and for months it was the "newest thing under the Sim." One cannot help noticing the stalwart- ness of the first settlers of Union Town- ship. They were men of powerful phy- sique and people of more than the average culture and perseverance. For instance Isaac Ilasket rode horseback from South Carolina, accompanied by his wife and child, and many others followed his exam- ple. He was a blacksmith whose forge was always aglow and his hands and skill turned out all sorts of farming imple- ments, including sickles in profusion. There were no keener sickles in the Still- water Valley than those he fashioned and the bearded grain went down before them in a marvelous manner. So rapid was the settlement of Union Township that it is asserted that two large Friends or Quaker settlements in Georgia and South Carolina were almost depopulated to furnish inhabitants in this section. The tide of immigration rolled resistless this way for several years or until Union Township was almost entirely populated with Quakers. "When the township came to organize itself into a body politic it chose Samuel B. Edwards as clerk. He was a man not calculated to make the best possible offi- cer, but something had to be done and he was selected. He served but one term and the people seemed glad to exchange him for another elector. John Coate is said to have been the first duly elected clerk. Settled as it was by people of decided worth, Union Township soon became a rec- ognized branch of the coimty 's existence, a position which it holds today. It is noted for its liberality in everything, for thrift and industry. Its principal town is "West AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 93 Miltou, or Milton, as it was first called. The towu was uamed for Joliu Miltou, the English poet, and it is said that "Paradise Lost" held such a sway over the mind of a fair daughter of Union Township that she managed to have its chief town named for her favorite author. AV'est Miltou, with a present population of over 1,000, is situated on the west bank of the Stillwater. The site of the town was selected by Joseph Evans, who came from the Newberry District, South Caro- lina. He was so pleased with the location that he resolved to establish a village at this point. The first lots were sold in 1807. For years the village had a slug- gish growth, and as late as 1825 but three families occupied the site, but in course of time the village took on new life and began to assume considerable proportions. Oliver Benton became the first postmaster of West Milton and added the occupations of merchant and justice to his other one. He owned the only store in the towu and wagoned his produce to Cincinnati. As the town grew, manufactui-e was encour- aged, a carding machine was set up, and a woolen mill followed. Samuel Kelley was the proprietor of the mill, but in 1820 he sold out to David Thayer, who wove blankets there. In 1824 a scythe factory was established at AVest Milton and the manufacture of linseed oil became an in- fant industry there in 1819. Not until 184:0 did the town get an out- let by turnpike, when the one from Dayton tapped the place. Years afterward the railway came and now, besides this con- venience, "West Milton is tapped by the Dayton, Covington and Piqua Traction Line. About 1834 the prospering town took out papers of incorporation and C. A\'. Beebe was called to fill the fir.st may- or's chair. To-day the town of West Mil- ton has two prosperous banks, a number of manufactories, a fine school, excellent and commodious churches, well paved streets and handsome business blocks and dwellings, all of which go to make it one of the foremost towns in the county. Its future is bright, for its citizens take an interest in everything that goes to make it prosperous and influential as a town. The present official roster of West Mil- ton is as follows: Mayor — W. 0. Martin- dale; clerk — Charles E. Fox; treasurer — Philip Yount; marshal — Cyrus Long; councilmen — David Stoltz, E. M. Crew, Oren Coates, A. G. Eidemiller, Smith Gas- sett, Cyrus Folkerth; board of education — Gaiuor Jennings, John Henderson. The villages of New Lebanon and Laura are situated in Union Township. The former has a population of 250, the latter, 400. The picturesque hamlet of Ludlow Falls, near the beautiful cascade of the same name, is a promising place. New Lebanon, or Georgetown, was laid out in 1840. It has a German Baptist Church, and the postoffice is Potsdam. Laura, named for the daughter of its first post- master, was incorporated in 1892, and is a well conducted, thriving towu. It is offi- cered at present as follows : Mayor — Rob- ert Wylie; clerk — Arthur Hess; treasurer — George Swisher ; marshal — M i 1 1 o n North; councilmen — Ellis Lowery, Will- iam Coate, Charles Hall, Urias Netzley, Benjamin Welbaxmi, Hervey Cassell. NEWTON TOWNSHIP. Newton Township, the second of the three known as the "Stillwater town- ships," occupies the extreme western part 94 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY of the county. Newberry and Washing- ton bound it on the north, Union on the south, Concord on the east, and Darke County on the west. It is watered by the Stillwater and tributary streams, and the land is fair and fertile. There is no town- ship in the county that has better roads than Newton. These pikes, running in every direction, reach every section of the township, giving every inhabitant an ex- cellent outlet everywhere. The history of* Newton Township is con- temporaneous with the greater history of the county. The same class of people that poured into other parts of the Stillwater Valley gave Newton her share and estab- lished the division which bears her name. They came, many of them, from the South, from the Carolina s, from Georgia and ad- jacent states, and not a few had seen serv- ice under the banner of Washington. Hardy sons of the new republic were they, men inured to every danger, strong willed and capable of making a home north of the Ohio. The first of these immigrants to Newton Township was Michael Williams, who had heard of the laud from General Harrison. He came about 1799, and with his four sons, proceeded to build the new home in the Miami wilderness. In 180-1: Marma- duke Coate, in spying out the Stillwater Valley, entered Newton Township and be- came its second pioneer. This family be- gan at once to make an opening in the for- est which rang with the music of their axes and before long the sunshine kissed soil it had never kissed before. There was determination in everything the Coates did, and Newton Township owes much to- day to tliis enterprising family. Thomas Hill seems to have been the third settler to invade the township, which he did about 1805. Among other things, he is noted for having erected the tirst copi^er still ever seen in the township, and it is on record that he made the best of whiskey. After Hill came Thomas Cop- pock, the progenitor of one of the most noted families of the county. He, too, came from South Carolina. Coppock might be called one of the first abolition- ists, for he was opposed to slavery and was not loath to leave a section where the crack of the slave diiver's whip rang con- tinually in his ears. He was a blacksmith by trade and obtained coal for his forge by burning charcoal. He was one of the first men in the county to be elected county commissioner. One year after Coppock 's arrival Sam- uel Teague, Benjamin and AVilliam Furnas took possession of Newton Township land and cleared the same. Jacob Embree fol- lowed the first newcomers, and William Long left Virginia to find a home in New- ton. Long was another good citizen, and his household, it is said, furnished the third preacher in the county. In 1807 Alexander Mills arrived to swell the little colony in Newton; then followed the Idd- ingses, Balliugers, Mileses, Leavells, Per- rys, Dicksons and others. Newton was in- creasing slowly but surely in poi^ulation and it was of the best quality. There wasn't a drone in it. The Falkners, Renches, and Freshours added to the New- ton colony, and the Teeters and Deeters estal>lished themselves near the Stillwater. Industries soon began to spring up, primitive, it is true, but it was a laudable beginning. Embree erected a saw-mill with a corn-cracker attachment and the people rejoiced. Next Robert Dickson put HISTORY OF :\1IAMI COUNTY 95 up a saw-mill ou Pauther Creek aud George Freshour went iuto the same busi- ness. Newton Township was surely "mov- ing along." In the midst of these growing industries the War of 1812 broke out, and for a time business was stifled. A dark cloud hung over the township, but when it was dissi- pated by the sunshine of peace, business flourished again. There were now numer- ous openings in the townshiiD where the forest had been and on every side was heard the hum of prosperity. Homes sprang up in every direction, farms were cultivated throughout the township aud villages began to spring into existence. Newton Township bid fair to outstrip some of her neighbors. Pleasant Hill, or Newton, as it was first called for Sir Isaac Newton, the philoso- pher, was surveyed by James Hanks in 1843. I. K. Teeter laid it out. The town which now has a population of 700 souls is the only one in the township. AVhen the postoffice, which was first kept some dis- tance from the town, was moved into it, John Whitmore became the postmaster. In 1866 the village was duly incorporated, its first officers being: Treasurer — Fred Deeter; marshal — J. CI. Ritter; trustees — William Patty, M. D., John H. Williams, D. Minnich, John Whitmore and Joseph Pearson. The present official roster of the town is as follows : ^Mayor — D. M. Cop- pock ; clerk — C. Eoy Coppock ; treasurer — D.E.Rothermal; marshal — Sidney Strong; council — H. H. Coppock, president; J. C. Kriegbaum, Henry Martindale, ]\rartin L. Gates, Daniel Hayworth, Jesse Berry; board of public service — Dr. A. J. Baus- man, G. P. Hoffman, Samuel Berger. In August, 1908, council passed an ordinance authorizing the sale of $16,000 worth of bonds for waterworks, which sold at a premium. Council also granted a fran- chise to a Covington firm to furnish elec- tricity for lighting purposes. Pleasant Hill has shown its loyalty and public spirit in numerous ways, among these be- ing the erection of a handsome nioniuuent in her public square to the memory of the heroic sons of Newton Township who went forth to do battle for the Union in 1861 and 1865. The township has one good bank situated in Pleasant Hill, where there are also one newspaper, several handsome churches, and up-to-date school building and several factories. NEWBERRY TOWNSHIP. Last but not least of the western tier of townships is Newberry. It occupies the northwest corner of the county and is bounded by Shelby County on the north, by Darke on the west, by Washington Township on the east and by Newton ou the south. There is no exact data giving the organization of Newberry Township, but historians place it about 1810. The •nomenclature of the name Newberry is also undiscoverable. It is watered by the Stillwater and Greenville Creek, into which flow numerous tributaries that afford it excellent drainage. In the early days of the township's existence it was the abode of many poisonous reptiles which infested the stony banks of its streams, but the set- tlers made war on them and they were finally exterminated. South Carolina has the distinction of leading the way into Newberry. In 1806 one McDonald settled on Harrison's Creek near Covington, and in the following year ^lichael Ingle erected a cabin at the mouth - 96 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY of Trotter's Creek. lugle was a tanner, but a farmer as well, and he resided on his farm till 1838. He is regarded as New- berry's first white settler. Following the Ingles came the Coates, William and John, and soon Daniel "Wright put uj) his little cabin. These men were true sons of the soil and labored hard to establish them- selves in their chosen quarters. In 1810 Jacob Uilery purchased hind in Newberry Township and his selection has proven the most valuable within its limits. Newberry Township's prosperity was hampered by the same misfortune that was felt in other parts of the county — the War of 1812. Some of her citizens were the first in the field. They saw the danger and responded nobly. Captain George Buchanan commanded a company in which many of Newberry's citizens served, and his scope was the Stillwater Valley, which was several times threatened by the In- dians. A block-house, which stood near the site of the old Pan Handle Depot in Covington, afforded protection for the in- habitants. It was near the spot where stood "Fort Rowdy," which marked Gen- eral Wayne's encampment in 1794. At the breaking out of our second war with England there were nine families in Newberry Township. These jieople lived in constant dread during the greater part of the struggle, and though Indian dei)re- datious were committed in other parts of the county, Newberry did not experience any of the actual horrors of war. The town of Covington, which is the principal municipality in Newberry Town- ship, was laid out by David Wright and Jacob Uilery in 1816. Benjamin Cox sur- veyed the land for the town, but his work was never acknowledged by Uilery and AVright. There is a tradition that when the town came to be named, "Friendship" and "Newberry" were suggested, and even the name of "Rowdy" was thought of; but the first postoffice was called Still- water, certainly an euphonious name. Aft- erward the name of Covington was given to the beautiful town. When it came to house building, Elijah Reagan distanced all his competitors and erected the first one, Michael Ingle put up a double log cabin and Noah Hanks built a frame store. This is the genesis of Cov- ington. After the house building came various industries until now Covington, for a town of its size, keeps pace with its neigh1)ors. It has now a poi^ulation of 1,800. It has furnished some prominent legislators in the Ohio Assembly and nu- merous county officers. The first election for town officers was held in 1835, at which the following were chosen: Mayor — Gil- bert Adams ; recorder — William Robinson ; trustees — Charles Orwan, Joshua Orr, Thomas McKenzie. Samuel Patterson was elected mayor in 1837. From this date the mayor's record seems to have been lost, but the following persons have filled the office since 1850: B. Neff, Joseph Marlin, C. H. Gross, AVilliam Couffer, T. A. Wor- ley, W. G. Bryant, Isaac Sherzer, David Diltz, J. L. Smart, John V. Griffin, Adam Minnich, D. C. Shellenbarger, J. H. Mar- lin, S. C. Sisson, D. J. Martin, S. D. Palm- er, R. F. Alberry, M. H. Nill. The present roster of Covington is as follows: Ma.yor — M. H. Nill; clerk— Glen F. Shawver; treasurer — John S. Dolliuger; marshal — H. J. Hake; council — W. H. Minton, B. Swisher, R. W. Himes, Charles McAIakin, William Vandergrift, A. S. Rosenberger. Covington is a well situated and well gov- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 97 erned town. It has two banks (see "Banks and Banking"), two newspapers, the Ga- zette and Tribune, many churches, a fine system of waterworks, an electric light plant, a well-graded public school, three railways, two steam and one electric, and numerous shops and stores. There is no more progressive town in the county. Newberry Townshij) also contains a part of the town of Bradford, which has the Pan Handle yards, a bank and numerous industries. Several small clusters of houses which can scarcely be designated as towns dot the township and these show signs of healthy growth. I have given briefly in the present chap- ter the history of the six western town- ships of the county. An unabridged his- tory of the same would fill a whole volume. Some of the industries, etc., of these town- ships and their towns will be treated under proper heads later on. Suffice it to say that the western townships will compare favorablj' with similar divisions through- out the state. They have made wonderful strides since their formation, keeping jjace with the march of progress, and abreast with everything that builds up a commu- nity. Having treated them less briefly than they deserve, owing to our limited space, we will now turn to the six town- ships that lie east of the Miami, for they have a history which will rival in interest that of their neighbors on the west. CHAPTER VII. THE TOWNSHIPS (EASTERN Brown, Springcreek, Staunton, Lostcreek, Elizabeth, Bethel. That part of the county lying east of the Mami and embracing six townships can justly lay claim to the earliest settlement. The whole area was first called Elizabeth Township, but as the county increased in population and a demand was made for smaller divisions, it was cut up into the six townships which form the caption of the present chapter. The early history of these six townsliips is most interesting. While they contain no large municipali- ties, no commercial centers, and are known as the "rural townships," they are no less an integral part of the county. I shall not describe them in their priority of set- tlement and formation, but shall take them up from north to south in their geograph- ical location. BROWN TOWNSHIP. The first settlement in Brown Township was made in 1806 by John Kiser, who was a Virginian. At first he located in the vicinity of Dayton, but leaving his first habitation after a brief sojourn, he moved northward till he entered the forests of Brown Township, where he concluded to build his cabin. His industry enabled him to clear some ground, upon which he put his first crops, and in course of time be- came one of the foremost farmers of the county. Isaac Kiser, son of this first set- tler, was the first white child born in Brown Township, and he first saw the light where the village of Fletcher now stands. The Kisers were well calculated to become the first settlers of a county. They came of a hardy stock of people and were men whom no trials could balk and to them Brown Township to-day owes much of its prosperity. In 3807 John Simmons arrived from Pennsylvania and joined the little colony. He came with ten children to swell the scanty population. He built the first double-roomed cabin in the township and for a long time the structure was an ob- ject of curiosity among the neighbors. What was more, a porch extended the length of this wonderful house and dur- ing the summer the Simmons family dined thereon. Simmons had real glass win- dows, and this excited the envy of the less fortunate neighbors. His squeaking doors had wooden hinges and wooden catches. These catches were raised from the out- side by means of a string and when the family were ready to retire at night they 98 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 99 pulled the string inside and considered themselves secure. Of course there was no patent on the Simmons "safety lock." "William Concannon is credited with be- ing the third man who settled in Brown Township. He, too, was an emigrant from the land of Penn. Concannon came in 1907, as did John Adney. Alexander Oliver was added to the township's population in 1808, but he soon grew tired of the loca- tion and, being of a roving disposition, he sold out and moved farther west. Every- thing went well within the limits of the township till the killing of Gerard and the Dilbones not far off, by the Indians, threw the inhabitants into a state of fear. A block-house was built on the Kiser farm in 1812 and became a retreat in time of dan- ger. But the township was not invaded by the enemy and the block-house finally was put to other uses. In the year 1818 the Munsells were add- ed to the population of Brown Township, then the Malloys came three years later. About the same time John Wolcott and Giles Johnson put up their cabins and Michael Sills exchanged his home in Champaign County for one in Brown Township. It was impossible at this late day to enumerate all those who entered this township at the dawn of its history. Many records of the first settlers hav-e been lost and that, I regret to say, through utter carelessness. Among the first fam- ilies to inhabit Brown Township were those of William Cox, Edmund Yates, Joseph Jackson, Frederick Gray, Major Manning, John D. Cory, Joseph Shanks, AVilliam Manson, John Wilson, William Walkup, David Newcomb, Thomas McClure, Benja- min Sims, and Joseph Rollins, all good men and worthy citizens. Nearly all tlieso families came from the East. They crossed the Alleghanies, taking that well- defined trail which led to the valley of the Miami and, pushing on, at length found a resting place in the county. Not one of them, it is said, ever repented his choice of a home. In 1819 the township was formally or- ganized. At that time it did not contain man}' inhabitants, but it was thought best to be "somebody in the world," as one of the organizers expressed it, so the town- ship proceeded to elect officers as follows : Trustees — Alexander Oliver, William Walkup and William Manson; clerk — Joseph Rollins; treasurer — Levi Munsell; justice of the peace — John Wilson; super- visors — John Oliver and Daniel Newcomb ; lister — Jacob Simmons ; fence viewer — Benjamin Sims ; house a^jpraiser — Thomas McClure; overseers of the poor — John Simmons and Peter Kiser. This was quite an array of officials for a township, but doubtless the exigencies of the occasion demanded it, though in later years some of the officers were lopped off and the busi- ness of the township delegated to fewer officials. Brown Township soon became one of the most progressive of the six east of the Miami. Isolated somewhat from the early markets, it had a slow growth for a few years, but it at last overcame these diffi- culties, uutil now it is accessible to the best markets in the state. It has for years been favored with shipping facilities by the Pennsylvania lines, which now cross the township from east to west, tapping its two towns, Fletcher and Conover, and affording to the farmer a splendid outlet for his products. Fletcher is the only incorporated town 100 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY in Brown Township. John L. Malloy laid it out in 1830. The first store in the vil- lage was kept by Samuel Dougherty and a queer store it was. His shelves were laden with every species of merchandise required by his customers. It was a miscellaneous stock, from shoe pegs to liquors, and what Dougherty didn't sell could not be found in any store in the county. Samuel Crane soon appeared as a rival of Dougherty's, probably to prevent him from getting all the money there was in the neighborhood, and later an Isaac Dukemineer put up a brick store and Fletcher put on the airs of a metropolis. The village was named Fletcher in 1814. To-day this pretty little village has a population of about 400 and is officered as follows : Mayor — E. E. Ber- ryhill; clerk — AV. 0. Shreve; treasurer — I. C. Kiser; marshal — W. D. Kiser; coun- cil — Joel Carter, Bent Erhart, Daniel Kiser, Barna Ralston, James Gayhart, John Moore; board of education — W. L. Mumford, Joseph Coppock, "W. E. Doub, James T. Hartley, Charles Morton. Fletcher is the home of a progressive public school, several good church edi- fices, a town hall, and several fraternal so- cieties. It also contains a grain elevator and its shipping facilities are of the best. Conover is a small town lying four miles east of Fletcher on the Pittsburg, Cincin- nati & St. Louis Eailway. It was laid out in 1856 and was named for A. G. Con- over, one of the surveyors of the county. It contains several stores, shops and a church, the latter of the Universalist order. Its entire population is perhaps 100 souls. Lena, also in Brown Township, is situ- ated a short distance north of Conover. It was founded in 1830 by Levi Eobbins. The town was first called Elizabeth, but the name was afterward substituted for that of Lena, but the postoffice was called Allen's. It is not on the railroad. While it remains but a village, after the rather lengthy period of its existence, it is a busy little place, containing several stoi^es, good houses and a prosperous lodge of Free Masons. Brown Township is the banner Democratic township of the county and can always be relied upon to roll up a large majority for that party. SPRING CREEK TOWNSHIP. Spring Creek Township, lying west of Brown, is bounded northward by Shelby County, westward by Washington Town- ship and south by Staimton. It contains no incorporated towns, though a large col- lection of shops and houses within its bor- ders ; across the Miami River opposite Pi- qua has been called East Piqua. There was no more inviting prospect to the early settlers than Spring Creek Township. Well watered and well wooded, it seemed an ideal place for a home, and thither the discriminating emigrants flocked. It was chosen as the permanent abode of the first white settler of the county, John Hilliard, who came from New Jersey in 1792. Hil- liard first located somewhere in West Vir- ginia, but, not liking the locality, turned his face towards Ohio and after a brief residence in Hamilton County, not far from where Cincinnati now stands, he finally took up land in Spring Creek Town- ship. The latter move he made in 1797. At that time the whole region embraced by this township was an unbroken forest. Game of every kind roamed wild through the sylvan solitudes and roving bands of Indians sought the region as a hunting ground. About the time of Hilliard 's com- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 101 iug, a busy little Frenchman, named La- tonr, put up a trading store and dickered with the Indians for furs, etc. The trader, who was a sort of human will-o'-the-wisp, did not make his residence permanent, so it was left for Hilliard to become the first l^ermauent white settler in the township. He put up his cabin and cleared the laud, bringing up his family in the new home. John Hilliard 's first house was a bark affair, rude and not altogether comfort- able. This called for a more substantial home, and one was built from round poles. It was an imi^rovemeut on the first at- tempt at house building. "The roof of this house was of rude clap-boards and the chimney a most inartistic pile of mud and sticks ; the floor was partially covered with inmcheon plank, while, in lieu of a door, a large old quilt hung, curtain-like, over the aperture, which answered the purposes of ingress and egress." In this primitive house, if house the structure may be called, the Hilliards made themselves as comfortable as possible. The family was almost entirely shut off from the real com- forts of life. The nearest mill for some time was at Dayton, then but a collection of cabins, and the grinding of the grist necessitated a long and toilsome journey through the wilderness. It is believed that the unremitting toil of this pioneer short- ened his life, for after a few years of la- bor he was carried to his grave by his few neighbors who had followed him into the Spring Creek wilderness. It was one of the most pathetic and strangest funerals in the forests of the Miami. The white mourners were accom- panied to the grave by a number of friend- ly Indians, who gazed with awe upon the burial rites, something entirely new to them. After the burial the Indians col- lected in little groups and for a while dis- cussed the affair, then stole silently into the forest and disappeared. Not rmtil sev- eral years had passed did the HilUards possess any white neighbors. At last, in 1804, the Dilbones came. This family met with a tragic ending so far as its heads are concerned, Mr. Dilbone and wife be- ing killed by the Indians during the War of 1812, an event narrated in another part of this work. The Dilbones were Penusyl- vanians and were an industrious class of people. Mrs. Dilbone was one of the first flax spinners in the county, and she was famous for her dexterity in this direction. It will be remembered that the couple were attacked while laboring in a flax field near their humble home. "William Frost left North Carolina in 1805 and settled in Spring Creek Town- ship. He brought with him some of the habits peculiar to the region from which he emigrated. He was fond of hunting and was celebrated for his skill with the rifle. His son Ebenezer is said to be the second white child born in Spring Creek Town- ship. In the same year that witnessed the coming of the Frosts, John R. ]\IcKiu- ney entered the township. McKinney was a liachelor, who after a while became tired of living alone and, without much effort on the young lady's part, he was captured by ]\Iiss Jane Scolt/ This was probably one of the first matches made in Spring Creek Township and doubtless one of the happiest, for McKinney's log cabin was soon exchanged for a more pretentious house, and the love and skill of his wife made life pleasant for him. From ^Maryland in 1808 came John IMill- house, and the same year Gardner Bobo 102 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY cleared some ground for a farm. These settlers were followed by Mathias Scud- der, Uriah Blue, James L. McKimiey, Den- nis Liudley and Henry Millhouse. These people settled, not in one locality, but scat- tered out and established themselves in different parts of the township. The bet- ter homes of the settlers were to be seen in every direction. They took pride in the building of their homes ; they patterned after one another and soon had dwelling places supplied with not a few conve- niences for the times. A writer speaking of this period of the settlement of Spring Creek Township says: At this period domesticated animals were quite nu- merous, esiiecially liogs were raised by the farmers in considerable abundance. The markets being distant and no railroads in the country, the hogs were driven through to Baltimore, Pittsburg and Philadelphia, and much of the way being through miry woods, many weeks were required to make the journey and return. Owing to the fact that fences were not kept up by the early settlers, their stock roamed the woods at large and hogs, especially not being easily distinguished from others of their own kind, became at times mixed with those belonging to a different herd, and in attempting to separate them it was necessary to put an end to numerous disputes which arose over the ownership of the stock. A system of marking was agreed upon, so that every man had his own mark by which he could distinguish his stock from that of his neighbor, which always bore a clifferent mark from his own. These marks were de- posited with the township clerk, so that afterwards all disputes were settled by referring to his book, which contained such declarations as the following: "This is to certify that the marks used by Uriah Blue for the year 1S15 will be two slits on the upper side of the right ear." Another reads: "The mark used by Gard- ner Bobo for the year 1815 will be a notch cut in the tip of the left ear."' This usually settled the matter and from that time no trouble was experienced from this source. This same system was in vogue in other liarts of the county, as the old Clarke's books will show, especially in those divi- sions which lie east of the river. During the Indian troubles which grew ojit of our second war with England one or more block-houses were erected in the township. One was built on the Hilliard farm and in after years was used by the farmer as a barn. The close of the war was followed by added immigration into this locality, which had been checked by hostilities. Samuel AViley came from Mary- land with one of the largest families that emigrated to the county. It consisted of sixteen children, an emphatic declaration that the "NVileys were not partial to "race suicide." Following the "NVileys came the Kearus, Furrows, Hendershots, Gateses, "\\'ebbs, Jacksons, Floyds, Deweeses and many others whose family names are household woi'ds in the township at the pi'esent day. The township was formally instituted in 1814, with the following duly elected offi- cers: Trustees — Henry Orbison, James L. McKinnej\ Uriah Blue; clerk — Lewis Deweese; treasurer — David Floyd; con- stables — John Wilson and Jacob Gates; lister (assessor) — John "Webb. Business was light for the township officials for some years and they had little or nothing to do. However, as the population and general business increased, the needs of the township augmented until now it is regarded as one of the busiest and most important rural divisions of the county. Spring Creek Township, owing to its natural water supply, became the site of many of the first mills, grist and other- wise, of the county. These mills were much needed by the people, as the nearest even were miles away and necessitated long journeys, which broke into the daily farm work. James McKinney put up a corn-cracker mill on Spring Creek and Silas Manning operated another. A Mr. Eoss combined a grist-mill with a carding- mill about 1S30 and operated it success- fullv. Samuel "Wilev erected the first saw- 'TW,^«*5 ' ST. PATRICK'S CATHOLIC CHURCH. TROY FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, TROY ST. JAMES EPISCOPAL CHURCH, PIQUA BRETHREN CHURCH. PLEASANT HILL i)^ Y. M. C. A.. PIQUA CHRISTIAN CHURCH. PIQUA AXD REPRESENTATI^^E CITIZENS 105 mill on Spring Creek in 1815 and sawed lumber for the tirst frame houses in the township. His example was followed by Elias Manning- and Dr. Jackson. Several small distilleries also were erected and their output was either shij^ped out of the county or consimied within its limits. ShawHeetown, opposite the northern limits of Piqua, and Rossville, to the east of the same city, both separated from it by the Great Miami, are the only towns in Spring Creek Township. Neither is in- corporated. Eossville dates back to 1840, and Shawneetown was laid out about the same time. Both towns have been over- shadowed by the growth of Piqua, of which city they are now suburbs. Spring Creek Township has long been noted for its excellent and well cultivated farms, its graded turni^ikes, good country schools, a good class of citizens, intelligent and progressive, and in fact for a thou- sand and one other things that go toward keeping it in the front rank of township governments. STAUNTON TOWNSHIP. Staunton Township, the longest of the twelve divisions of the county, extending from the southern line of Spring Creek to the northern boundary of Moni'oe, has a history peculiarly its own. Its elongated appearance on the county map has brought forth numerous comments, being wide at the top and running wedge-like southward till it seems about to dart arrow-like into the domain of Monroe. Its western bound- ary is very uneven, owing to the wind- ings of the ^liami, which separates it from the western part of the county. It has not a cluster of houses which can be called by the name of town, though, if history can be relied upon, it had a narrow escape from becoming the county-seat township. The few houses which form what is known as the hamlet of Staunton l)ecame the first official habitation of the county, for here the first court was held, in the house of Peter Felix, the trader, and here primitive justice was first dispensed to the evildoers. Staunton much desired the county seat, but lost out in the deal, and when the seat of justice and otherwise crossed the Miami and was established at Troy, much to the chagrin of Piqua, Staunton henceforth lost much of its importance. To-day it has not so much as a recognition on the map. But when one looks back upon the genesis of the county and notes the early struggles that ijreceded the establishment of the county seat he is prone to give Staunton her just dues. It has been narrated in a previous chap- ter how the Knooi^s and otlier hardy pio- neers established themselves at "Dutch Station," which occupied the site of the present hamlet of Staunton. It is not necessary to refer to them here. Besides the initial settlers at Dutch Station there were others who came across the rugged barriers of the mountains and found homes among the forests that stretched eastward from the banks of the Miami. Perhaps the names of some of these men have been lost, but all were worth}' members of that advance guai-d of civilization which made the woods of the ]\Iiami blossom like the rose. It is a fairly established fact that the early explorers of this region reached the lands of Staunton. Peter Felix — shrewd little Frenchman that he was — was one of the first white men to settle in Staunton Township and the hard bar- .H-ains he drove with the Indians over his 106 IIISTOEY OF MIAMI COUNTY counter euabled him to erect at Staunton the first tavern, where he entertained all with the natural eclat of one of his race. Simon Landry was probably contempo- raneous with Felix. In 1807 Amariah Smalley put up a blacksmith shop, though he did not shoe many horses till later in life. Levi Martin was another of the Staunton pioneers. His wife was scalped by the Indians and left for dead, but she eventually recovered and lived many years to exhibit to the younger generations the scalp mark on her cranium. Henry Marshall and John Defrees came into the township in 1806 and lived ujion their farms till death claimed them at a green old age. A Virginian, named Will- iam MeCampbell, entered the t-owushii) in 1807, and subsequently became one of the first justices of the peace elected in the county. About the same time the Staun- ton colony was increased by the arrival of Jacob Riddle, William and James Clark. A few years afterward John Gil- more built his house near the Miami, but previously Uriah Blue, Richard Winans, John Julian and Rev. William Clark had come. The early pioneers of the township had more than their share of Indian troubles. Situated as many of them were along the banks of the Miami, which afforded abund- ant waterways for the little canoes of the red prowlers, there were many alarms, some of them fortunately false. A story showing the perils and annoyances to which the Staunton settlers were put is told of the Carver family. At one time when Mr. Carver was hauling wood on a sled, an Indian, well loaded with the white man's "fire water," proceeded to make the woods resound with his heathenish yells. These so frightened Carver's team that it was all the settler could do to re- strain his horses. He begged the drunken brave to desist, but as he exhibited no in- tentions in that direction. Carver proceed- ed to lay him out with a cudgel, whereupon the hilarious red man, upon recovering, betook himself to a less dangerous local- ity. Quite frequently bands of drunken Indians kept the women and children of Staunton Township in a state of terror, and at times the settlers, when forebear- ance had ceased to be a virtue, took the law into their own hands and visited the drunken warriors with well merited thrashings. I cannot refrain from going back to the reminiscent days of Dutch Station. A whole volume might be filled with the story of the men who erected it after casting their fortunes in the Miami wilderness. It has aptly been said, as showing the prom- inence of this township, that "the Dutch Station" was the first place of settlement, Staunton was the first town in the county, and the first seat of justice. Jane Gerard Deweese was the first fe- male white child, and Jacob Kuoop the first male white child born in Staunton Town- ship, dating back to 1800. Peter Felix, as I have already said, was a man who could drive a cool, hard bargain. He frequently sold needles to the unsophisticated Indians at one dollar apiece and when the would- be purchaser demurred to the price Peter without the semblance of a smile on his bland face would inform his customer that the needle maker was dead and that he (Peter) was offering the last of his stock dirt cheap. This bit of craft generally closed the deal, and the Indian would walk off congratulating himself on the bargain, AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 107 while Peter's white witnesses of the trans- action playfully observed that the needle maker had a knack of dying that was as- tonishing, not to say commendable. The full history of Staunton Towushi]), especially that interesting part which com- prises its early chapter, in all probability will never be written. Some of this his- tory has been merged into that of other townships. Upon the establishment of the county seat at Troy, Staunton lost some of its prestige, though she still deserves the appellation of "The Mother of the County." A few years ago Miami Chapter, Daugh- ters of tlie American Revolution, marked with a huge boulder the site of the old Dutch Fort at Staunton. This memorial appropriately inscribed is one of several which have been placed within the bound- aries of Miami County to mark historic spots. It is said that General Wayne's army passed through a part of Staunton Township in 179-1. It was also the scene of several animated scouting expeditious during the War of 1812. Situated in Staunton Township is the County Infirmary, with the buildings per- taining thereto. The land was purchased by the county in 1838, the buildings erected the following year, and opened for the re- ception of inmates in 1840. In 1853 a storm demolished the Infirmary buildings, injuring a number of the public charges, but a year later new buildings were ready for occupancy. Since then additional buildings have been added, especially one for the proper care of the insane. To-day the ]\[iami County Infirmary is one of the best institutions of the kind in the state and has been well conducted from the first. The inmates are well cared for, the build- ings well kept up and the finances of the institution satisfactorily managed. The j\Iiami County Infirmary is the largest jmblic institution on the eastern side of the river, the other bein,*'- the Knoops Children's Home in Elizabeth Township. LOST CREEK TOWNSHIP. There is a tradition to the effect that the term "Lost Creek" originated back in the days of the red man. It is asserted, with what degree of truth none can say at this late day, that an Indian once lost his bearings along the stream now called Lost Creek. When accosted by a friendly set- tler who observed the Indian's state of mind, the brave replied that not only was the Indian lost, but the creek as well, hence the name Lost Creek, which the stream bears to the present day, as well as the township through which it flows. The county commissioners at their ses- sion on December 10, 1818, decreed that a certain area bounded on the north by Bi'owu Township, on the .south by Eliza- l)etli and on the east by Jackson Town- ship in Cham]iaigTi County should be called Lost Creek. Prior to this time, in fact as early as 180-1-, Willis Northcutt and John Rogers had settled within this area. Later General John Webli and Alexander Mc- Dowell, Sr., two men who had taken part in the War of 1812, entered the township and permanently located there. Some of the early records of Lost Creek have been lost, but enough is known to say that John Lenou, George W. Green, and James Buckles were the first duly elected trus- tees, and that J. K. McFarland acted as clerk. The first township election was held at the home of George Puterbaugh, near the site of the now demolished Lost Creek 108 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY Baptist Church. Very few votes were polled. There was no "log rolling," as now, and the ballots were bits of white paper, the names of the candidates being- written in ink. From this lirst election, almost a century ago, sprang the govern- ment of Lost Creek Township. Among the old settlers of Lost Creek Township — not in the order of their ar- rival, for that is impossible to give — were Elisha Webb, Asa Rogers, Abram Cromer, James Buckles, Timothy Green, James Frazee, George Green, "Willis Northcutt, John AV. Martin, Willis Hance, Benjamin Hance, Giles Johnson, Allen Ralston, Will- iam Babb, Daniel Knoop, John Wilson, William Burton, Thomas Shidler, Henry Whitmore, William Wallace, Richard Palmer, W. C. Knight, William Saunders, John Lenon, David Archer, Jonathan Yates, Reuben Westfall, John Darst, Thomas Stretch, Joseph Webb, Joseph Laj'tou, James Fordyce, Jonas Sutton, D. H. Knoop, Thomas Long, Barnett Rapp, Samuel McDowell, John Shanks, Levi Martin, Jacob Youtsey, Jonathan Covault, Josiah Martin, Peter Clyde, Levi Trim- mens and Andrew Egnew. These were the men who cleared the Lost Creek forests and opened .up that township. They came from various parts of the Union. They made long and peril- ous journeys to the new homes, and by their i^erseverance made the woodlands put on new beauty. All were hardy, hon- est. God-fearing people, who raised large families where they settled. Lost Creek Township is peopled to-day by many de- scendants of its first pioneers. There is nothing exciting in the history of this township. It saw none of the bor- der troubles which during the War of 1812 kept some of the other townships in a state of ferment. The only event of that war which belongs to the township is the march of General Isaac Hull's army on its way to Detroit. Hull came through the Miami wilderness from Dayton and crossed Lost Creek Township. He found a block- house near where the George McDowell homestead now stands, and halted there to rest his men. The march from Dayton had told severely on the little army; the men were almost shoeless and on the oc- casion above referred to the pioneer wo- men of Lost Creek bound up the bleeding feet with blankets and gave of their provi- sions to refresh the army. The early enterprises of the township were few. In 1814 John McFarland erect- ed a carding-mill and fulling-mill near where Casstown now stands, and Green and Frazee put up a couple of grist-mills which were badly needed. Gen. John Webb was elected justice of the peace in 1819 and served many years in that capacity. One of the other early justices was Thomas Shidler, who became a member of the Leg- islature. General Webb, who lived to a good old age, came from Kentucky. He moved with his parents to Ohio in 1797 and settled first near the site of Dayton. General AVebb volunteered in 1813 to take part in the war with England. He was not permitted, however, to see any arduous ser^-ice, as during the greater part of his enlistment he was stationed at Greenville. He afterwards became a ma- jor-general in the Ohio militia and upon the breaking out of the Rebellion in 1861 he drilled a company of Home Guards, which afterward went to the front. Dur- ing the Civil War Lost Creek Township furnished more than two hundred men to AND REPIiESENTATIVE CITIZENS 109 the Union armies, and these took part in some of the most desperate conflicts of that wai". Casstown. The only municipality within the boundaries of Lost Creek Township is the village of Casstown. It was laid out in 1832 by Levi Trimmens. It was first called Trimmensburg, but the name not suiting the iirst inhabitants it was changed to Casstown, being the only postoffice of that name in the United States. Cass- town now contains about 300 people. The iirst brick house erected in the village was built by Daniel Knoop, who for many years engaged in the merchandising busi- ness there. The village is four miles east of Troy, on the Springfield, Troy and Pi- qua Eailway. It has several stores, a grain elevator, three churches, an Odd Fel- lows Lodge, good cement sidewalks, and is quite a business center. Some of its early mayors were John T. Webb, Abram Mer- ritt and Henry Jackson. Others were J. B. Geisiuger, Charles P. Young, H. P. McDowell, James M. Stuart, John C. Knoop. The present official roster is as follows : Mayor — W. W. Baker, clerk — F. G. Main; treasurer — Samuel Knoop; mar- shal — John H. Harbaugh ; council — J. W. Fuller, Charles Conner, Alexander Long, Frank Simmons, Thomas Lewis, W. R. "Wilgus; board of education — George M. Boak, Joseph Burton, Jesse Davis, Sam- uel Porter, W. W. Baker. Casstown has a well- graded high school, conducted by F. G. Main as principal and Horace Motter and Miss Pear Main as assistants. In the center of the township lies a collection of houses known locally as Sodom of Pence- town. It has never advanced beyond the dignity of a hamlet. ELIZABETH TOWNSHIP. Elizabeth Township is the only one in the county which retains the name orig- inally given to the area, or a part of it, which was iirst embraced within the coun- ty limits. The western part of the county, known as Randolph Township, lost its name when it was broken up into town- ships. There is no record of settlements in Elizabeth Township prior to 1800, the settlers, seemingly not having penetrated that far eastward. The states of Kentucky, Pennsylvania and A'irginia furnished some of the first white men who came to Elizabeth Town- ship. These were Michael Shidaker, John and Jacob Mann, George AYilliams, John Flynn, John Gearhart, and the Cecils. They found the forests of Elizabeth un- broken by the work of the settler, and they at once set to work to flood the ground with simshine and establish themselves on farms. It took a good deal of energy for these men to bring order out of chaos, but they were equal to the emergency. All day long their axes rang in the wildwood, and cabin homes began to appear in every di- rection. They were installing a little com- monwealth of their own. John Shidaker, one of the iirst set- tlers, was a shrewd man. He purchased a whole section of land from the govern- ment and walked to Cincinnati to make the payments, carrying his gun on his shoul- der. Fearing that the Indians or some des- perate white man might rob him, he car- ried his money in his gun. It is stated that he got through safely, completed his transaction and tramised back to his cabin home. Samuel Kyle was another of the early settlers of Elizabeth Township. He 110 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY was a Pennsylvaiiiau. He was oue of the first pioneer preachers of the couuty, hav- ing joined the Christian Church with his parents. He organized the Cove Spring Church in a log schoolhouse that stood on or near the Kyle cemetery. He served as pastor of the church for many years, and at one time was a member of the state Legislature. In 1813 Robert Sproul came from Ire- land and settled near the Cove Spring Church. He was a pronounced Presby- terian. Jacob Harter, another of Eliza- beth's pioneers, served in the "War of 1812 and took part in the siege of Fort Meigs and the battle of Perrysburg. Harter, while reared in Kentucky, was a native of Virginia. A number of the settlers of this township took part in the war. John AYill- iams and Jacob Mann both bore a cap- tain's commission, and Philip Sailor, Will- iam Mitchell, William Shearer and John Shidaker were privates. It is narrated that all these men were fearless and faith- ful in the discharge of their duties and were a credit to the community which they represented. For some time after the settling of the township the Pottawatomies gave the whites no little trouble. The Indians com- mitted no depredations, but they had the habit of lurking around the settlements, frightening the women and children and keeping them always in a state of alarm. The people of the township were greatly relieved when the last Indian took his de- parture and the frontier saw him no more, ^^'ith the Indian were the wild animals. Wolves were i)lentiful in the township, even as late as 1820, and it required the utmost exertions of the settlers to exterminate them. Sheep, which had been early brought into the township, the first flock by the Knoops, were visited by wolves and nimibers of them destroyed. They were the ferocious grey wolves and their preda- tory excursions in packs forced the set- tlers to keep large dogs capable of doing battle with the invaders. More than oue desperate conflict took place between wolf and mastiff. John W. Dye built the first mill in Eliz- abeth Township. It stood on Lost Creek near the stone house which stands on the John Lefevre farm. It was a wonder of the early days, as it was built in 1813. In order to accommodate the people, a road was built from the Dye' mill to Troy, an innovation which was much appreci- ated. In 1823 Michael Carver put up the second grist-mill, and others followed. Distilleries, saw-mills, turning-lathes, and other industries followed oue another un- til Elizabeth Township became one of the most progressive of the east side divi- sions. For years good roads were un- known, but at last came the Troy and Springfield Pike, which runs through the township from east to west, and other ef- forts in good road building became suc- cessful. To-day the township is well sup- plied with good roads. Alcony. Having no incorporated town, Elizabeth Township is in this particiflar a little behind some of her neighbors. The village of Alcony, or Miami City, as it is sometimes called, is the only settlement within her area. Can-, Hart and Vande- veer laid it out in 1858, and Philip Dick erected the first house. The village has now a population of 200 and lies in a beau- tifi;l region. Some years ago a jjostoffice was established there and the people are now served dailv by the rural route sys- AND REPRESENTlTn'E CITIZENS 111 teiii. Aloouy has a good church, good pavements, and her people are aiuoug the most progressive in the county. Eliza- heth Township contains the Knoop Chil- dren's Home, an account of which will he given in another chapter. In this town.ship are found numerous small cemeteries which mark the last rest- ing place of many of the tirst settlers. It seems that in the early days families buried their dead on the farms instead of in a general graveyard, and this probably accounts for the many small God's acres. Not a few soldiers of the Eevolution are buried in this township. These men, after serving in the Continental army,, sought a home beyond the Alleghanies and were laid away among the growing settlements of the Miami country. It would recjuire too much space to enumerate the full history of Elizabeth Township or to record the strides she has made since the coming of her first set- tlers. The township now has a population of 1,400 and can boast of one of the best country school sj'stenis ever devised. This is shown by the class of scholars turned out by the annual examinations. BETHEL TOWNSHIP. ■ y ' The southeasternmost division of the county, called Bethel Townshii), will finish this account of the twelve little common- wealths that make up the body politic of the county proi)er. The l)oundaries of Bethel as formed by the county commis- sioners at their first meeting have never been changed. The first settlement of the township goes back to the life of the Dutch Station at Staunton. One Thomas Stock- still, a Tennesseean, who became disgusted with the system of slavery which prevailed in the South at the close of the eighteenth century, left his father's roof antl finally settled iu the northeast corner of the town- ship. It was prol)ably the first actual set- tlement in the county, as it was made in 1797. Stockstill came north as a youth; growing to manhood among the woods of Bethel and lived to become one of the township's most useful citizens. After Stockstill 's coming, others, at- tracted by the beauty of the land in Bethel, erected homes there and opened up the region. Among these were David Morris, Sr., a New Jer.sey man; Robert and John Crawford, Samuel ^lorrison, ^lordecai Mendenhall, John Ross, Daniel Agen- brood, the Saylors, Puterbaughs, Clay- tons, Ellises, Studebakers and Newcombs. Some of these people were of the Dunkard persuasion, a class of inhabitants noted for their honesty, good habits and worth. This little colony soon made Bethel Town- ship one of the most desirable in the coun- ty, and their presence there induced other immigrants to share their fortunes. They represented several of the original states of the American Union. Bethel Township experienced certain hardshi})s which were not visited upon her neighbors. Lost Creek Township suffered during the famous cholera epidemic, but Bethel fell a prey to fever and other dis- eases, owing to a poor system of drain- age in the marshy region in the northeast corner of the township. This state of af- fairs discouraged some of the most hope- ful of the population. There were few doctors those days, and they were of a school not very progressive. Then they were few and far between, and the vari- ous diseases spread so rapidly that for a time the mortality was very great. The 112 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY lanee and calomel were the stock in trade of the old physicians and they were ever administered without stint and to the det- riment of the sufferers. At one time it looked as though a portion of the town- ship would be depopulated. The few car- penters within the disease belt trans- formed themselves into undertakers, and night and day they were busy burying the dead. No system of embalming was known. To the credit of the self-consti- tuted undertakers be it said that they re- fused compensation for their services. At last the low lands were drained, and almost like magic the sickness disappeared, but it had poi^ulated many a little cemetery and tilled more than one community with mourning. Besides this strange death sickness, Bethel Townshiii experienced during her early history some troiible with Indians. The savages found excellent lurking places among the hills that are to be found in some parts of the township, and from these they made frecpient incursions into the neighboring country. On one of these occasions a young girl named Hacker was overtaken, scalped and left for dead on the ground. She was found in an uncon- scious condition after the departure of the ludians and conveyed to her home. The victim of the assault not only recovered, but raised a new crop of hair, and also a family. In course of time the Indian dem- onstrations ceased and the inhabitants of Bethel Township enjoyed a long period of peace. Brandt and West Charleston are the largest villages in Bethel Township. The former is situated on the famous National Pike and contains aliout 200 inhabitants. It was founded in 1839. Being some dis- tance from a railroad, it has not made the growth it otherwise would have done. John Dinsmore was the first tavern keeper in Brandt, which place was at one time fa- mous for a plow factory installed by Wilm- ington and King. "VYhen the building of new pikes became one of the features of Bethel Township, the old National Eoad fell into disuse and much of the former glory of Brandt vanished. It has now sev- eral stores, a postoffice, one or more churches, and several nurseries which have more than local significance. West Charleston is one of the oldest towns in the county and was laid out by Charles Friend in 1807. The town lies on the Troy and Dayton Pike, which road, it is asserted, was originally cut out as a trace by General Wayne. For some years West Charleston maintained considerable importance, but when it came to be missed by the canal and the railroad, it lost much of its former prestige and developed into a quiet village. To-day it contains prob- ably 200 souls. Not far away are found the "Charleston Falls," which of late years have become a summer resort for the contiguous country. The "Falls" pos- sess much natural beauty and are con- nected with some of the most interesting legends of Bethel Township. In conclud- ing the history of the townships of Miami County I have been briefer than they de- serve. Much could yet be told concern- ing them. Some of their statistical his- tory will be foimd in another part of this work. Perhaps in no other coimty in the state is there a history so interesting as ours. During the first century of its ex- istence ^liami County has made prodig- AND RErRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 113 ious strides along the highway of prog- son. Each township within our borders ress, and to this glorious consummation may proudly take for its motto the phrase the several townships have worked in uui- "Imperium in imperio." 1 CHAPTER VIII. TROY, THE COUNTY SEAT Establishment of the County Seat — Rivalry Bettveen Statmton and Piqua; Troy Enters the Contest — First Survey by Andrew Wallace — Absence of Graft — Description of Troy in 1815 — Log Court House Built — Brick Court Rouse Built in 1816 — Over- field's Tavern — Queer Real Estate Transactions — William Barbee — " Squire " Brown and Other Early Settlers — The"Broadford War" — First Railroad — Open- ing of the Canal — The Cholera Scourge in 1850 — First Court of Common Pleas — Troy Merchants in 1828 — The Jackson-Adams Campaign — Runaivay Apprentices — Appearance of the County Seat in 1853 — Mayors Since 1840 — Early Schools and School Teachers — Churches — The Postffice — City Government — Corner Stone of the Court House Laid, 1885 — Masonic Temple Erected. It was about ten years from the time of the appearance of the first white settlers in the county until the establishment of the county seat at Troy. A court of jus- tice had previously operated at Staunton, being held in the house of Peter Felix, the trader; but the need of a permanent county seat was felt and it was determined to set it up. Already a good deal of ri- valry existed between the various inter- ests in the county. Piqua desired to have the honor of being the county town and there were those who considered Staun- ton the best site. Among the latter the pride of first settlement existed. The first settlement had been made at Staunton, and its central situation ap^iealed to many. A good deal of "log rolling" took place. The coimty was formed by an act of the Legislature dated January 16, 1807, but it was not until the following September that the commission aj^pointed to lay out the seat of justice for Miami County made their return to the court. This report was signed by Jesse Newport, Daniel Wilson and Joseph Lamb. They fixed upon Frac- tional Section 21, and the northeast quar- ter of Section 28, Town 5, Eange 6, east of a meridian line drawn from the mouth of the Great Miami River. The site se- lected consisted of forty acres and was owned by Aaron TuUis, who deeded the tract to Cornelius Westfall, town director, on the 31st day of July, 1813, for $120.30, or about three dollars per acre. On the same day William Barbee and Alexander McCuUough deeded to the town director the east part, northeast quarter of Sec- tion 28, containing 144 acres and 77 poles, for $421.50. 114 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 115 From the very outset a relentless war- fare began over the establishment of the county seat upon the spot described above. The commissioners had been bothered al- most to death by the advocates of the dif- ferent sites. Piqua seemed to consider herself in line for the county seat and could not realize that it could be placed elsewhere than within her limits. As the controversy over this important matter progressed the county seat campaign waxed extremely warm. Piqua got out a map prepared especially to establish her claims and Piqua was the only visible set- tlement on the map. . Troy, in order to controvert Piqua 's assumption, forthwith went into the map business herself and produced a chart which showed Troy in the center of the county and her rival so far away, apparently, that communication with the rest of the county would be well nigh impossible. It was then that the ri- valry between the two towns began, and the first "court house war" was succeeded by another many years later by the de- scendants of those who contended in the first. Not to be left in the lurch, Staimton put in a bid for the county seat. It was claimed that the site of the Dutch Sta- tion was the most desirable. The Hath- away and Marshall farms were offered as excellent sites for Miami's seat of justice, and Samuel Beedle and Judge Adams were anxious to sell their farms for this lauda- ble purpose. It was therefore a sore dis- appointment to Piqua and the landed lords of Staunton when it was decreed that Con- cord Township should hold the county seat. The town which was to be thus honored was first surveyed by Andrew Wallace, who completed his work December 16, 1807. He was allowed $44.50 for his serv- ices, and Eobert Crawford for his serv- ices as director, purchasing the site, lay- ing out and selling the lots, was allowed twenty-four dollars. There was no graft in those days, the whole proceedings were singularly free from all chicanery and everything was honestly conducted. January 13, 1810, the court settled with Eobert Crawford and it was found that he had sold lots to the amount of $2,820, that he had paid accounts as per vouchers, to the amount of $2,163, and paid orders on the treasury, $415. It was then or- dered that he be allowed in future on the amount of all lots sold five per cent; and on all moneys received and paid out, four per cent, and fifty cents for each deed exe- cuted to purchasers. The first survey of Troy comprised eighty-seven lots, com- mencing on Water and Clay Streets, num- bered one, extending and comprising all between the river and Back Street to Short Street. I extract from Drake's "Picture of Cin- cinnati and the Miami Country," pub- lished in 1815, the following concerning the new county seat: Trov, on the west side of the Great Miami, twenty miles above Dayton and seventy-two miles north of Cin- cinnati, is Ihe seat of .Justice. It was laid out by the commissioners iu 1808 and incorporated in 1814. It has a public library and a post office. The houses are chiefly of wood. No permanent county buililings have yet I)een erected. The reserves and donations by the commission- ers are, a square for the court house; one lot for the jail, another for the cemetery and a square for an academy. The site of this place is hamlsome, but a bayou is occasionally formed across it in high floods and the plain declines into a swamp at the distance of a mile from the river. This snajnp. lying to the south- west of the town, has rendered it unhealthy, but the expense of a drain that wouM convert it into dry and arable land is not estimated very high. .\s in other towns on the Jliami, well water is easily obtained. Sandy limestone is quarried about two miles distant. Good timber is plentiful. 116 HISTORY OF .AIIAMI COUNTY Shortly after the establishment of the county seat a log court house was built. It was a double-log house and was well built; one end of the structure was used for confining prisoners, the other end com- l)rised the sheriff's living room, while court was held in the upper story. The log court house was occupied until 1816, when it was superceded by one of brick, which was erected in the Public Square. This temple of justice cost $2,500 and stood until 1841, when a third court house, which occupied the present site of the post- office was built at an expense of $20,000. With the establishment of the county seat west of the river the glories of Staun- ton dei)arted. Piqua started to outrival Troy, and other town sites were laid out in different ijarts of the county. Beau- tifully situated on the banks of the Miami, then dressed in the emerald garb of Na- ture, the new county seat opened its doors to the world. It grew rapidly from the first. There were several additional sur- veys as new land was added to the town, and there were frequent sales of lots. One of the first settlers of Troy was a Mr. Overfield, who became the first Boni- face of the town. He opened an excellent tavern for that day, and treated all alike. No matter whether his guests came in buckskin or broadcloth, they got the same attention, and Overfield soon became fa- mous as a tavern keeper. This tavern became a great resort for those who at- tended the first courts held at the county seat. The latest news and the latest deci- sions were discussed about his fire, and some pretty heated arguments were in- dulged in. There was good whiskey at the tavern and it is to be supposed that the flowing bowl went round during the dis- cussions. "When this first Boniface of Troy had a little leisure he was to be found nights on the Miami, fire-hunting for deer for he was a famous Nimrod and loved the sport. More than once the venison he served his guests was of his own killing. To show some of the queer real estate transactions which took place early in Troy, I will give a deal of Overfield 's as a sample. The tavern keeper bargained with Cornelius Westfall for Lot No. 2, which was on the corner of Water and Mulberry Streets. The price was $95, which Land- lord Overfield agreed to pay on or before a certain date. He secured the note by a mortgage on the premises and 150 bushels of corn, one barrel of whiskey, one mare and colt, seventy-eight hogs, one cow and calf, one yearling bull, three beds and bed clothes, four bed-steads, two tables, one chest, one spinning-wheel, one coi'ner cup- board, ten split-bottom chairs, three ket- tles, two dutch ovens, one tea kettle, one pot, one frying pan and all the queens- ware and glass furniture — surely enough to cover the $95 note. W^hether business became poor or whether he found himself in financial straits I do not know; Land- lord Overfield failed to "come to time" and indulgence was granted him on his ap- peal and the note and mortgage were at last satisfied. Another early settler of Troy was Will- iam Barbee, commonly known as "Billy." He had been a volunteer under George Eogers Clark and during the expedition against the Indians at Piqua he had seen much of the region where he afterward settled. Barbee was a man of good parts, honest and industrious, and afterward held several offices of honor and trust in the countv. He bought a lot on Market H {0 O >< o r d a 1^ po O >< y. o ;a H X o a en ■^" O r o o o d ►^ a: o a w H Si o AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 119 Street for sixty-five dollars. He became soou after a laud owuer, for he married a young lady who owned eiglity acres of good land while he himself owned about as much. He embarked in the blacksmith trade and shod many horses during the War of 1S12. There was a good deal of money in blacksmithing just at this time and Barbee kept everlastingly at it. He went into the dry-goods business, but found it a losing venture when the sheriff seized on the stock. This failure, however, did not discourage Barbee. He began to buy cattle, which he drove to Chicago and with considerable profit. In course of time he amassed a good deal of money and he is said to have been worth a quarter of a million at the time of his death. Barl)ee was whole-souled and genei'ous to a fault and no alms seeker ever turned from his door unsatisfied. Another early citizen of Troy was "Squire" Brown, who crossed the river from Staunton and opened a saddlery. He was a good saddler and in his shop he dis- pensed law as a justice of the peace. He was one of the first postmasters of Troy. Brown took several apprentices who after- ward became prominent citizens. Henry Culbertson was one of these and Isaac Peck another. Nearly every person who resided in Troy at this time had a trade. There were shops of every description and stores were springing up on every street. Joseph Culbertson had come to Troy in 1808. He was a poor boy, but he brought to Troy a trade which flourished from the first. He was a hatter and it was not long- till Culbertson 's hats found a ready mar- ket beyond the confines of the town. At the corner of Water and Clay Streets a plain frame house was occupied liy Will- iam Brown, who started a carpenter shop in conjunction with John AVallace. Wal- lace was fond of his toddy and lost out in his intercourse with it, but his partner Brown, who was more abstemious, became a prominent citizen and at one time filled the oftice of County Treasurer. Among the first doctors in Troy was De Joncourt. He was of French extraction and had his office on the corner opposite the Wallace and Brown carpenter shop. De Joncourt lanced and "pilled" his pa- tients for some years and gave place to some other disciple of Hippocrates. Doc- tors were few and far between those days and when they got established in a com- munity they did a good business, for chills and fever prevailed during certain seasons and "blood letting" was considered neces- sary. It was not until 1815 that the people of Troy had a house of worship. Mr. Ga- hagan donated a lot on the west corner of Main and Clay Streets and soon a log church arose on the site. It was a church edifice renowned for its simijlicity. No or- gan pealed forth its sonorous tones, no frescoes adorned the rough walls, no chimes called the people to worship and cushioned pews and paid choirs were un- known. In this first Methodist Church at the county seat worship was conducted for some years, or until Troy had so increased in wealth and po])ulation as to demand a larger and better house of worship. A frame building known as the Clerk's Office was located where the Gi'under store now stands. It was a double frame affair, office in front and kitchen in the rear. Later on this official building gave way for a brick affair 12x15 feet square be- tween ]\Iulberry and Walnut. It, small as 120 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY it was, held about all the offices connected with the town. Cornelius AYestfall, who was clerk, had a monopoly on all other offices, for he was town director and mas- ter commissioner in chancery, besides tak- ing care of the post office. There is no record showing that Mr. "Westfall was not capable of filling a few more offices if they had been thrown in his way. In office hold- ing he was certainly a " Jack-of-all- trades." In 1830 Joseph Skinner built a large brick house on the southeast corner of Main and Plum Streets. The south end of the building was constructed for a jail with heavy brick walls and sills of black walnut. This building was occupied by the following sheriffs: John Shidler, T. W. Furnas, Joseph Defrees, Stephen Johns- ton; Joseph Pearson was the first sheriff to occupy the present sheriff's residence. During the first several decades of Troy's existence there was little to mar the even tenor of its way. In 1842 occurred the famous "Broadford War" or the "Battle of the Broadford" as it was face- tiously called. The late Stephen Johnston of Piqua was sheriff at the time, and Hon. Thomas Corwin looked after the welfare of the State of Ohio from the executive's chair at Columbus. The "war" originated in this wise: Several Trojans, whose names have been lost from the records of fame, conceived the idea of weaning men from the wine cup by preaching a temperance crusade among the rural townships. They may have been good conscientious citizens, but they soon discovered that the ruralites did not need regeneration at that particular time. At several of these temperance meetings the speakers were assailed with all sorts of missiles, especially stale eggs, and this so roused their indignation that they swore out warrants against the offenders, who were arrested and lodged in the old brick jail at Troy. It was thought for a while that this would end the affair, but soon the mutter- ings of a storm reached the county seat. The peojjle of the country were rising in their might and it came to be known that mobs were collecting for the purpose of storming the jail and releasing the prison- ers. The utmost excitement prevailed in Troy. Sheriff Johnston saw his habita- tion a heaji of ruins and himself probably swinging from a convenient pole and he set about to counteract the revolutionists and maintain the peace and dignity of the county. He promptly called out the militia to help him as a posse comitahis to pre- serve peace, especially in Troy. Forth- with there was a gathering of the clans of war and all peaceful pursuits were for the time being abandoned. Captain Ad- ams and Lieutenant Carson put their com- pany of light infantry in motion and Col. Clarke and Captain E. Y. Barney appeared at the head of their dragoons. Piqua, throwing aside her jealousies for a mo- ment, came to help her sister town. The Piqua squadrons were met by the citizens of Troy and the Lafayette Blues, com- manded by Captain Mayo. At any moment the mob might enter Troy and leave wreck and ruin in its track. Those who had gone to the "seat of war" had left weeping families at home and it was expected that blood would flow in pro- fusion in the streets of Troy. At length some wily strategist who had probably studied the Napoleonic campaigns pro- posed that the militia take up a position at AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 121 the Broadford Bridge, where the mob could be intercepted and the battle fought outside the walls of Troy. This proposi- tion was received with delight and forth- with the legions were marched to the Broadford, where they encamped. Here for two days and nights the ut- most vigilance was exercised. Eimior fol- lowed rimior thick and fast. The revolu- tionists, it was asserted, were not far away. Scouts were sent into the woods and the pickets were doubled. The brave militia slept on their arms, some dreaming of the homes they never expected to see again. At last it dawned on the minds on the Miami Spartans that the foe was not coming. Perhaps they had overawed him with their formidable preparations for his reception and at last the recall was sound- ed and the Broadford army broke camp and marched back to Troy. It presented a splendid appearance and doubtless " 'Twere worth ten years of peaceful life One glance at their array." As the valiant soldiers returned to the bosoms of their families from the blood- less campaign they could exclaim triumph- antly — "We routed them, we scouted them Nor lost a single man." Such was the "Broadford War," for a long time celebrated in the annals of the county, and many believed that Sheriff Johnston's promptness not only saved the county buildings but probably prevented the streets of Troy from being deluged in blood. The coming of the canal and the railroad to Troy were events of siapreme impor- tance to it. The foi-mer was finished to the town in 1837 and at once there was great rejoicing. The county seat was thus placed in touch with the outside world and Troy markets were greatly benefited. About this time produce in Troy was com- manding the following prices : Flour, per barrel $2.62 ; wheat, 371/2 cents ; bacon, per pound 31/2 cents; chickens, per dozen 50 cents; eggs, 3 cents; butter, 6i/4 cents; sugar, 614 cents; tallow, 614 cents. The finishing of the canal permitted the ship- ping of all kinds of farm produce from Troy and the farmer took advantage of it. In fact the canal was foimd inadequate for the shipping of grain and the railroad was acknowledged to be the only salvation for the town. In 1850 the first train on the C. H. & D. ran from Dayton to Troy. It was a day long to be remembered by all who inhabited the town and the surround- ing country. A large crowd came to "see the fun" as they expressed it, but it was a different kind of fun from what they ex- pected. The cars were old flat ones with railing around the sides to keep the people from falling off. The crowd that came from Dayton was composed of a rough set of men. They had imbibed pretty freely be- fore leaving the Gem City and by the time the train reached Troy they were ready for anything and some were spoiling for a fight. They went over town in a boister- ous manner and made themselves obnox- ious to everybody. By the time they were ready to start back to Dayton thej" were picking up stones and throwing them at the cars. When finally they got on board they began throwing stones into the crowd composed of men, women and children who had come down to the track to see them oflf. This caused a stampede on a part of the lookers-on, but the men in the crowd returned the volley of stones with 122 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY interest and things looked serious for a time. At last the whistle blew and the cars pushed away from the indignant Tro- jans. Such was the exciting scenes at- tendant upon the arrival and departure of the first steam cars that entered Troy. The opening of the canal was also at- tended with more or less excitement. Soon after the water was let ifito the long basin a party of Troy people hired a packet and took a ride down the canal to where it crossed the river about half way between Troy and Dayton. A Mr. Crumpacker steered the boat and as it was entering the lock he steered it into a waste-way and was compelled to back out again. The occupants on the boat became frightened, thinking they were going over the waste- way. There was much excitement on board and no little screaming on the part of the women passengers; but finally the boat was righted and taken safely through the lock. At that time there was but one house in Tippecanoe and it was owned by John Clark, who was proj^rietor of nearly all the laud in sight. Troy was visited by a cholera scourge about 1850. The dread disease also visited other parts of the covmty and the death rate rose rapidly. The whole town was in a state of alarm, for no oue knew when he might be attacked and it was some time before the epidemic was stayed and the inhabitants got relief. The first Court of Common Pleas held its November session up stairs at Mr. Overfields, commencing November 5th, 1808. Troy was then a small place and had recently been made the county seat. There were as yet no newspapers in the town. As has been mentioned, Overfield kept tavern and his establishment con- tained a bar, as did all the taverns at that early daj-. The late John T. Tullis, one of the pioneer residents of Troy, in his inter- esting reminiscences has this to say of the time of which we write : "There was sometimes a little friction in running a court and bar-room as near neighbors, but Judge Dunlavj' was prompt and allowed no annoyance. On one occa- sion, George Kerr, a wealthy farmer of good repute and ex-Governor Arthur St. Clair were discussing the quality of Mr. Overfield 's beverage, when, getting much interested, they raised their voices an oc- tave above the key note. The Judge sent his respects to the gentlemen ):)y Mr. Dye, I'equesting an interview in the court room. When they came in Judge said: 'Gentle- men, the court assesses a fine of two dol- lars each for contempt. ' Mr. Kerr replied : 'It bears me in mind that you might as well say ten. ' ' Well, I say ten, ' the Judge answered, turning to his associate on the bench, 'What do you say, Mr. Barbee?' 'I say ten for Mr. Kerr,' said Judge Barbee, 'and ten for the Governor.' They put down the dust and Mr. Kerr, being a little excit- ed, retorted : 'Judge Dunlavy, I knew you when you were so poor you had to lie in bed until your wife washed your breeches. ' Though it was very convenient to have the court so near a watering place where there was plenty of good liquor, yet it was not always held there, but in the early days of the county it was held wherever the judges happened to be." For a time the court room at Troy was occupied by the Presbyterians for relig- ious purposes; the same Imilding was not very secure. Joseph Beedle and some of his friends were incarcerated for a few days for uncovering Jimmy Mackey's AND REPRESENTAT1\E CITIZENS 123 bouse and happening to want water, be slipped a log, a part of the Hoor between the two stories, and went up, bucket in hand, to the well to till bis bucket. Before the family could give the alarm be made his ingress through the same aperture through which be bad made his egress. This feat admonished the county function- aries that the jail was not a safe deposit; so Joseph Skinner was set to work about 1828-30 (the date is uncertain) to build a strong jail and a two-story brick house for the jailer on the same lot, which answered a good purpose until the new stone jail was built. Merchandizing in Troy about 1828 was yet in its infancy. The only newspaper then published at the county-seat was the Miami Reporter, published by Micaiab Fairfield. Among the Troy merchants at this period were Mayo & Bosson, and Will- iam Barbee. Barbee had the largest es- tablishment and consequently the best trade. He was a good patron of the ad- vertising columns of the Reporter. He made annual trips to New York to select his stock and upon his return he always announced his selection for the benefit of the public. Some of the goods sold in the stores at that time have long since gone out of date, as the following inventory of Mr. Barbee 's stock will show: "Super- fine Blue steel mixed cloths, satinets, bang- up-cord, Eowen Casimere; black lasting, domestic plaids and stripes, Ticking, checks. Sheeting and skirting, cambric, Jackonet, books, hair-cord. Jubilee muslin, calico; Ginghams, crape robes, satin Le- vantine, blue and black Gros de Na]i ; linen and cotton laces, silk Valencia and Swan- down Vestings, Leghorn and straw bon- nets. Prunella and Morocco shoes, silk and cotton shawls and handkerchiefs," etc., etc. The stores also kept groceries, hard- ware and liquors. At this time T. W. Furnas was sheriff of the county and Daniel Grosvenor, auditor. It was at the time when the famous Jack- son-Adams campaign was at its height and Troy was a center for the foment. Some of her citizens beaded by John "Wi- ley and Dr. Asa Coleman met at the house of Col. Humbert in Troy, on October 11, 1829, and organized what might be called a vigilance committee in the interest of John Quincy Adams. They issued a proc- lamation addressed to the "Friends of Order and Good Government," in which they called upon every friend of Adams to exert bunself for their candidate. "Do, then," the call said, "for the sake of that liberty which you now enjoy and which you will be glad to leave as the most valu- able legacy to your children, turn out on the day of election and secure it while it is yet in your power. A little negligence on your part may prove fatal to liberty with all its concomitant blessings." The com- mittee on the part of Concord Township, including Troy, consisted of John G. Tel- ford, "William I. Thomas, Thomas Bar- bour, "William Tullis, David Tullis, Daniel Grosvenor, Lewis Humbert, James Knight and Asa Coleman. In this year Concord gave a large majority for Allen Trumble for Governor of Ohio. It would seem that some of the citizens of Troy as early as 1828 had to put up with a good many trifling employees. It was the day of apprenticeship and when the young apprentices did not find things to their liking they "stayed not upon the order of their going," but took leg bail and made themselves scarce. Henrv "W". Cul- 12-4 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY bertson, who was a saddler at the time, advertised for one of his runaway hands in the following amusing manner : ONE-FOURTH OF A CENT REWARD. ' ' Ran away from the subscriber an indented apprentice to tbe saddling business by the name of James Gibbs, said boy about 15 years old, dark (romplexion, has large black eyes and black hair, very talkative and a most intolerable liar. Whoever will return said boy to me in Troy, JJiami County, shall receive the above reward, but no thanks. H. W. Cdlbektson. ' ' The result of this advertisement, if any, is not on record, but it is not likely that the subscriber was ever called upon to pay the liberal reward offered. From the reminiscences of Charles N. Burns I cull the following data concerning the appearance of the County Seat about the year 1853. "The schoolhouse was new, as was also the Morris House (now Hotel Troy). Ev- erything else was or seemed to be old. West Main Street beyond Elm, was in the future and the "plank road" began near that point. Main Street east of the rail- road had but few houses, Market Street south of the canal soon become a country road, and excepting at Main and Market, I think there were but two other bridges crossing the canal — at Union (the Dayton Eoad) and the Lover's, beginning at the corner of Oxford and Franklin and run- ning on to between George Streets and the Hafer grocery and meeting the Mc- Kaig Avenue, then a lane. "The mill at the lock on Main Street was owned and run by Hanson Mayo. The entire square west of the school house was vacant 'commons.' At the corner of Water and Oxford were Stockton's car- riage and smith shops. The Gait House (now Masonic Temple) was then as now, except the frame addition on the west. 'Lawyer's Eow' was then one office used by Judge Pearson. ' The Eailroad House, ' George Simmons, proprietor, was a two- story brick where Steil's Store is now, on the north corner of Main and Public Square. Old frame shells occupied space bordering the square on Market Street, both sides except the Morris House ; south of the Square were also frame shells. Franklin Street ended at Union. East of that and south of the canal was 'country' and west of the canal 'swamp.' There were very few stone walks in town and those in front of the stores principally. Mr. Edwards started the planting of trees on the walks. "Little Henry Culbertson was the prin- cipal dry goods man and Evans & Elliott kept a dry goods store in the corner of the Gait House. Joe Youart kept a dry goods store where the Troy National Bank is now and on a big sign in front were paint- ed in large letters these words: 'Joe Youart, Family Grocery, Loafers' Ee- treat. Politics, Beligion and the Fine Arts discussed at all hours.' "The town was dark at night except when the moon shone. There were neither gas nor oil lamps. In fact, I believe, that most of the people used either tallow can- dles, lard oil or camphene in their homes. There was no manufactory in Troy then, except a shop or two for making plows, wagons and buggies for the local trade, and I believe a flax mill above the dam." In later years John Kelly of Troy invented the first corn planter and put it on the market. This was about 1875. The municipal government of Troy dates from among the early days of its exist- ence. It is to be regretted that no list of its mayors prior to 1840 is obtainable. Since that time to the present the list of TROY ELECTRIC WORKS, TROY PLANT OF THE HOBART ELECTRIC MFG. CO. TROY H ^ H pn^ r^H m 1 ^ m vv i r „?..s«s# ^^^H Wfftriy.- 1 ittttttttw ^'^^■^^^HJ - ^ -"■ ^- " ■ -■ ENGLISH LUTHERAN CHURCH, TROY FIRST NATIONAL BANK, TROY ^rlSSICfS OLD GAULT HOUSE, TROY MASONIC TEMPLE, TROY AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 127 mayors is as follows: William B. John- son, George D. Burgess, Joseph Pearson, Henry S. Mayo, S. L. Bayless, Harvey G. Sellers, S. 0. Binkley, Charles Morris, John T. Somerville, H. AV. Culbertson, H. J. Pettit, W. F. Eoss, N. C. Clyde, W. D. Hughes, M. W. Hayes, James Knight, G. T. Thomas, George S. Long, J. F. McCas- key, M. K. Gantz, T. M. Campbell, A. L. McKinney, John W. Morris, J. O. Davis, Thomas B. Kyle. Troy was the first place in the county to inaugurate a good system of public schools. The population of Concord Township in 1804 consisted of but three families. Sam- uel Kyle taught the first school in Troj' in 1813. The log schoolhouse occui^ied the corner of Market and Water Streets. He rarely had more than twelve pupils and the schoolhouse and its surroundings were quite primitive. John G. Clarke presided over the Troy public schools in 1816 and he had a imique way of reaching the hearts, to say nothing of the brains of his scholars. Clarke did not live in local op- tion days, so he gave his pupils whiskey, diluted with sugar and water, and occa- sionally he had some laughable experi- ences with his classes. In 1826 Micajah Fairfield taught in Troy, then Uriah For- dyce. Miss Mary Barney, George D. Bur- gess, afterward judge of the Court of Com- mon Pleas; Robert McCurdy and Irving Giles. Some of the other early school mas- ters of Troy were B. F. Powers, G. A. Murray, E. P. Coles, Minor W. Fairfield. The first board of education consisted of Charles Morris, Rev. Daniel Rice, B. F. Powers, William B. Johnson, Zaehariah Riley and Henry S. Mayo. Salaries were small in the early days of Troy's school system. The first roster of her public edu- cators received the following yearly pay: N. W. Edwards, $800, Jonathan Aruott, $400, Arnold Finner, $400, Miss Susan Linn, $300, Miss Catherine Gaylor, $225, Frances Rice, $225, Miss Louise Thorne, $200, Miss Bishoprick, $200. In course of time the first public school buildings gave way for better ones ; as the school popula- tion increased others still more costly and commodious were erected and these sujjply the city's educational wants at the present day. The public schools of Troy will be treated more at length in the Educational Chapter. The churches of the County Seat, to be mentioned more at length hereafter, have kept pace with the needs of the hour, hav- ing developed from the primitive taber- nacle into the splendid religious edifices that house her present day worshippers. The Methodist Church of Troy was or- ganized in 1815, the Episcopalian in 1831, the Christian in 1856, the Pi-esbyterian in 1818, the German Lutheran in 1841, the Baptist in 1834. All these churches are an honor to the various denominations. The Catholic Church came long after the oth- ers, but it is today one of the most pro- gressive churches in the city. From the time of Cornelius Westfall, the first postmaster of Troy, the mail services of the county seat has shown rapid progression. In early days this service was slow and laborious, but the postal needs of the people were not great. One post office building has followed another until now the service is well housed in the Odd Fellows' Temple. There have been no defalcations in the Troy post office; the postmasters have been faithful and diligent and worthy of the important trusts imposed upon them. It is a matter 128 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY of interest that John AV. Morris still treas- ures a government draft for one penny, which was sent him when he presented his final accounting as postmaster. Follow- ing is a complete list of the postmasters of Troy: Cornelius Westfall, W. I. Thomas, John G. Telford, Levi Hart, John T. Tul- lis, Joseph Pearson, Henry J. Pettit, John Block, Robert M. Barbour, Thomas B. Rose, George W. Bull, Samuel McKee, Harriet E. Drury, John H. Drury, Frank M. Sterrett, John W. Morris, N. C. Clyde, J. W. Davis, S. D. Frank, Walter M. Kyle, Elva A. Jackson. The present roster of the post office, which is one of the best conducted in the state, is as follows: Postmaster — E. A. Jackson; Clerks— T. J. Gibbs, R. H. Wid- ner, George W. Humphreys, J. C. Fuller- ton, W. J. Kingham, Miss Ella "Warner; City carriers — Harry G. HoUis, No. 1; J. W. Robbins, No. 2; Noah A. Ellet, No. 3; Benjamin F. Robbins, No. 4; Arthur May, No. 5 ; Rural carriers — James C. Stratton, No. 1; Charles E. Buckels, No. 2; Calvin Kerns, No. 3; Elijah E. Moore, No. 4; Harry H. Stewart, No. 5; Edmund S. Whitmore, No. 6; Charles W. Peurod, No. 7. The city government, at the head of which is Mayor Tliomas Barton Kyle, has the following efficient roster: President of council — J. B. McCoole; auditor — Charles Rannells ; treasurer — John K. De- Frees; solicitor — T. M. Campbell; mem- bers of council — C. W. Douglas, C. G. Snook, S. D. Frank, John Laufer, C. H. Kramer, George Brauuschweiger, Clar- ence J. Marr; Board of Public Service — John M. McLain. R. H. Southerland, Jr., A. E. Childs; Board of Public Safety— L. H. McConnell, M. K. Gautz; Board of Review — John Henne, William Stephey, C. L. Yost ; Trustees of Sinking Fund and Board of Tax Commissioners — W". E. Boy- er, John Hall, D. W. Smith, C. L. Yost; Board of Education— T. B. Kyle, A. F. Broomhall, AY. E. Boyer, R. W. Crofoot, Horace Allen, E. W. Maier; Chief of Po- lice — John Headly; chief of Fire Depart- ment — Amos Hetzler; City engineer — H. J. Walker. The Board of Health is in the hands of the Board of Public Service and the Public Library is controlled b}' the Board of Education. It is the intention to treat the newspa- pers, the banks, parochial schools and oth- er institutions of the City of Troy imder separate headings, to which the reader is referred. On the 16th of June, 1885, the corner stone of the magiiificent new court house which graces one of the squares of Troy was laid with appropriate ceremonies. The erection of this Temple of Justice forever put an end to the "County Seat War" which originated almost a century ago. AYith blare of brass bands, march of military and civic orders, profuse decora- tions of l)unting and National colors, and display of fireworks, the 16th of July, 1885, passed into history and marked a mem- orable day in the annals of Miami County. There was laid with impressive cere- monies, and amidst a scene never before witnessed in this part of Ohio, the corner stone of a magnificent new court house, which will mark the progress and devel- opment of the Twelfth County in Ohio, and stand for the next century as a monu- ment to the intelligence and public spirit of the taxpayers of today. The genera- tions who come after us will praise the wisdom which selected so beautiful a site AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 129 for tlie county's eapitol, and builded upon it an edifice in harmony with the popula- tion, wealth and intelligence of Miami County in 1885. Those who were active to secure the new court house will soon pass away; those instrumental in its loca- tion will die and be forgotten, but th'fe beau- tiful building will stand for ages, and a county with a population of a hundred thousand, with a tax duplicate of more than a hundred million, will transact its official business in the building erected in 1885. The day was all that could have been expected as to weather in mid-summer, and as pleasant as could have been wished for. A delightful and much needed rain the night before put the streets in splen- did condition, and cleared the atmosphere. The sun appeared brightly Thursday morning as though the Ruler of the Uni- verse were smiling upon the consumma- tion of a glorious project. By afternoon it grew warm, decidedly warm, but all dur- ing the day there was a delightful air, and much of the time a refreshing breeze. The crowd began to come early. Before nine o'clock the side streets were full of vehi- cles, and the walks filled with happy, joy- ous faces. The escort committee from the Grand Army of the Eepublic, Knights Templars, Uniform Rank Knights of Pj^thias, and Odd Fellows, headecf by the G. A. R. Band, marched to the I. B. and W. Railway to meet the delegations from Hollingsburg, Greenville, Union City Arcanum and other western points, several car loads of hu- manity being unloaded at this place. The north bound C. H. & D. train lirought the Tipp Fire Department in uni- form, visiting delegations from Tipp, Daj^- ton, Miamisburg and Hamilton ; the south- bound train brought the Piqua division Uniform Rank Knights of Pythias with Band, the Sidney and Kirkwood bands and a large crowd of 2)eople, and the noon train on the I. B. & W. unloaded the greater por- tion of the inhabitants of the eastern pai"t of the county, and most of Clark living in the neighborhood of New Carlisle. Champaign County from the neighbor- hood of Addison was here in force and the G. A. R. Post of that town brought along their large flag, which was suspended across Main Street, The procession formed at about 1 :30 'clock and moved in the line announced by program, through the principal streets and entered the court house enclosure at the west entrance. A platform had been erect- ed at the northeast corner of the building and this was occupied by prominent Ma- sons and members of the press. The procession was admitted to have been one of the finest ever witnessed in this part of Ohio. The ceremonies pre- paratory to performing the act of formally laying the corner stone began with music. Following this Rev. Mr. VanCleve made a short but impressive prayer. The grand treasurer, Jos. Bains, then placed the cop- per box filled with articles in the mortice of the corner stone, and the ceremony of "leveling," "iihmibing" and "squaring," sprinkling upon it wheat, wine and oil was conducted by Right "Worshipful Grand Master J. M. Goodspeed. The orator of the day was the late Cap- tain Elihu S. AVilliams, who delivered an oration replete with eloquence and his- torical data, which evinced a vast amoimt of research. In summing up the history I 130 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY of the county Captain Williams closed with the following peroration : "In 1807 Miami County had but little over one thou- sand inhabitants. Today she has forty thousand. "In 1807 she cast 208 votes; today she can cast 10,- 000 votes, and her property returned for taxation reaches in round numbers twenty-four millions of iloUars. '"We have a Nation of fifty-five millions of people and. we hold within the limits of our vast domain the line of perpetual snow and the home of perpetual summer. "We stand in the front rank among the nations of the earth in wealth and power, and around our mag- nificent heritage of land and sea is drawn the 'sacred circle of liberty which the demon of slavery will never dare to cross.' "I thank God that I am an American citizen, a resi- dent of Ohio, and that I live in Miami County — a county in which no home is out of sight of a sjhool house nor out of hearing of a church bell. Her farmers stand among the first of the state in wealth and intelligence. Her merchants stand high in integrity and honesty. Her clergy are noted for their pure lives and zeal" in the cause of their Lord and blaster. Her courts stand among the first for judicial knowledge and legal ability. Her lawyers do not hesitate to enter the legal arena and throw down the glove of challenge to the first and foremost of the State. "Then let this court house be built upon the founda- tion the corner stone of which we this day plant and let it rise in its architectural beauty as a sign and a symbol that the protecting arm of the law is around every "home, and that .iustice like the sunshine and the rain of Heaven falls alike upon the rich and the poor, without regard to race or color. 'No man is too high for its reach "and no man is too low for its grasp.' A shield of protection for the innocent, and a swift, strong arm of punishment for the guilty." This splendid building dedicated to jus- tice cost $400,000 and is one of the most imposing court houses in the United States. It is massive in structure and houses all the county offices. That it will long stand as a monument to the progress made by the county during the first hun- dred years of its existence goes without saying. The Troy Masonic Temple Company was incorporated July 31, 1906. Its capi- tal stock is $-10,000 divided into sixteen hundred shares of twenty-five dollars each. The Temple was completed in 1908 and dedicated with imposing ceremonies De- cember 29, of the same year. The struc- ture is one of the finest in the state dedi- cated to fraternal purposes. The Temple Company is officered as follows : E. M. Faulkner, president, H. A. Cosley, secre- tary, F. W. Steil, treasurer. The directors are H. A. Cosley, E. M. Faulkner, C. A. Hartley, T. B. Kyle, L. H. McConnell, F. W. Steil and Walter Duer. CHAPTER IX. PIQUA, THE BORDER CITY Origin of the City — Its Historic Associations — An Indian Legend — Piqua Formerly Called Washington — Coming of Job Gard — Reminiscences of Joseph HilU. Mowry, who resided at Cowlesville, near Tippecanoe City. AVhether Ragan sus- pected his wife's infidelity or not, I do not know, but Mrs. Ragan detei-mined to make herself a widow without the sanction of the law. Mr. Ragan became ill and the services of a ]ihysician were secured. He grew rapidly worse and the circimi stances were suspicious. It was suspected that he was the victim of a slow jioison. When he was improving and gave assurances of regaining his health he was suddenly taken worse and died. In a short time Mrs. Ragan was arrested. The warrant was served by S. B. Garvey, constable, but as his time was about to expire his successor, yh: Goggin, completed the necessary de- tails. The arrest of Mrs. Ragan took place in April, 1855. The accused was brought to Troy and lodged in jail. At that time Judge R. S. Hart was on the bench and M. H. Jones was the iirosecuting attorney. The prose- 172 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY cutor was assisted by Ebenezar Parsons, who afterward became judge. The defense was conducted by John A. Corwin, of Ur- bana, James S. Hart, and S. S. McKinney. The jury consisted of Kobert Johnson, Henry F. Zellers, Paul Pence, Menalcus Crew, Nathaniel Hollingsworth, Eli Pear- son, Erastus Covault, Jeremiah Furrow, Garland Bruce, Joseph Harland, Abner Jones and Jeremiah Thomas. James D. Mowry was arrested with Mrs. Ragan, but as there was no convicting evi- dence against him he was finally dismissed and the whole machinery of the law was put forth for the conviction of the woman. The trial, when it came up, was attended by great crowds from all parts of the county. The coldbloodedness of the crime commanded execration everj'ivhere, for there was no doubt of Mrs. Pagan's guilt. A chemist had found in Mr. Pagan's stom- ach a sufficient amount of arsenic to have killed half a dozen men. What made the case of the accused so black was the fact that she was a member of church and a teacher in the Sunday school, and it was very evident that she didn't practice what she preached. She was a woman who dis- missed for unholy love the religious tenets she professed and hesitated not to take her husband's life because he stood be- tween her and the real object of her affec- tions. There was not the slightest doubt of Mrs. Pagan's guilt. In fact she made a confession, but as it was made to an offi- cer it could not be used against her. While confined in the county jail a child was born to the accused woman and this offspring was nursed in court in order to secure for the guilty mother the sympathy of the jury. Never before had such a spectacle been witnessed in our courts. The trial was full of dramatic episodes. The case for the State was conducted in an able manner while all the elocjuence of the defending attorneys was put forth to save their client from the gallows. The charge of Judge Hart was able and impartial and every one looked for a verdict of guilty. The state had fully proven its case and the de- fense itself had little hopes of securing an acquittal. What, then, was the surprise when the jury filed solemnly into the court-room with a verdict of "Not guilty" falling from the lips of its foreman! It seemed as if' a bomb had fallen through the roof. There was nothing left now but to turn the woman loose. The trial had lasted thirty days and for the State had been time wasted in the end. Slowly Mrs. Ragan l^assed through the press of indignant spectators and went her way. She re- mained not long in Piqua but went west, where she afterwards died. A few years after the trial she was accosted in Indi- anapolis by a person who knew her, but she denied her identity until convinced that she was really known, when she asked the gentleman not to expose her past life. With the exception of M. H. Jones, who prosecuted Mrs. Ragan, every one con- nected with the trial of this celebrated case has i)assed to the Great Beyond, but the memory of the trial is yet one of the causes celeb re of the Miami Bar. THE HOBATTA CASE. It would seem from the outcome of the Ragan trial that the county had been af- flicted enough in the miscarriage of jus- tice. It was soon to have another trial none the less aggravating. In the summer o ?3 H CO -3 X O o O o I c > M O X o O ^jjgajg AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 175 of 1859 two young men reached Miami County on their way home from Califor- nia. One had been unsuccessful in his search for gold while the other had ac- cumulated, if not a competence, enough to give rein to the generous impulses of his heart. These young men were Michael Hobatta and one Manning. The latter 's home was in Kentucky, while Hobatta lived a few miles out of Piqua. They had been friends in the far west and Manning, tak- ing pity on his companion, had generously paid his fare home. "With the blackest in- tentions in his heart, Hobatta invited Man- ning to accompany him to the home of his ( Hobatta 's) parents before proceeding to Kentucky. This invitation was accepted, Hobatta pledging Manning that his father would reimburse him for his kindness to his son. When the pair reached Picjua they start- ed afoot toward the Hobatta home. There were persons who saw them on the road and noted Manning's joyous nature. Little did he dream that he was being tolled to his death by one of the most despicable wretches that ever infested the county. There is no telling at what time the demon, Murder, took possession of Mike Hobatta 's heart. He not only coveted the wealth con- cealed on his companion's person, but he wanted also the very rings he wore. Al- most in sight of the Hobatta farmstead the body of Manning was found. A bullet from a revolver had taken his life and the body had been left on the scene of the crime. At once a hue and cry was raised and as circvmistances pointed in but one direction, the hands of vengeance were laid on Hobatta. Excitement became intense, and it is probable that the swift apprehen- sion of the murderer spared the county a lynching. The late Harrison Gale, of Troy, was constable at that time and he saw that the accused was promptly lodged in jail. Even then there were threats of an attack on that structure by the infuriated populace. After some legal delays the case came up for trial December 9th. Judge Ebenezer Parsons then occu2)ied the Common Pleas Bench and the late James T. Janvier was the prosecuting attorney. Mr. Janvier called James S. Hart, an able lawyer, to his assistance, while Samuel E. Browne took charge of the defense. Not for a mo- ment did the excitement over the case abate. Ithamar McDowell, a returned gold seeker who knew Manning, visited Hobatta in the county jail and identified a ring on the prisoner's finger as belonging to Man- ning. The jury selected to try Hobatta was as follows: J. H. Mitchell', John Wolcott, James Cable, J. C. Mitchell, Henry Cox, John H. Woodward, Rol)ert Buckels, Jo- seph Copi)ock, James K. White, Aaron JR. Murphey, Robert W. South and Levi Cof- field. It would seem from the evidence, which was circumstantial, but without a missing link, that death would surely be the doom of the accused. He demeaned himself both in jail and in the court-room as a merciless wretch, having little to say, owing perhaps to his nature. His attorney presented his case as best ho could and in an able man- ner. The state labored hard to convict the jirisoner, the prosecutor making an able argimient, in which he was seconded l)y the able Hart. All their efforts were, how- ever, in vain. The jury after some hours of discussion brought in a verdict of mur- 176 HISTORY OF MIAJII COUNTY der iu the second degree and Hobatta's life was saved. It is impossible to de- scribe the indignation that possessed the people of the county at this verdict. In Kentucky at Manning's home Hobatta was hung iu effigy and the excitement was in- tense. The jury was hotly censured. The prisoner was taken to the peniten- tiary at Columbus to begin his life sen- tence. He served a term of eleven years when he received the benefit of executive clemency and was set free. Although years had passed since his conviction Ho- batta was ostracised by his former friends and was driven from their presence when he attempted to take up his old life among them. Forsaking the scenes of his boy- hood, he went into an adjoining state, where perhaps the great crime of his life was unknown, and he eventually died in a strange community. It was not the end- ing that he deserved, for the death penalty should have been meted out to him for his atrocious crime. THE BROWN-BOLLMYEK CASE. During the days of the Civil War, a tragedy growing out of the animosities of politics took place in Dayton. A news- paper called "The Empire," antagonistic to the Government, was published there by a man named Bollmyer. Political feeling at that time was high.' It was the home of Vallandigham and his disloyal sentiments had embittered the Union people against what was then known as the Copperhead Party. In Dayton lived one Brown who kept a hat store and who was an ardent Union man. One evening the jiersonal and party quarrel between the two men ter- minated in blood. Brown went to Boll- myer 's house, and, calling him to the door. shot him dead on the sidewalk. This act stirred the city to its very foundations. Brown was placed in jail and a mob was formed among Bollmyer 's friends to take him out and lynch him. Brown was brought to the Miami Cormty jail for safe keeping and, a change of venue being se- cured, he was tried in the old court house in Troy. The bitter feelings engendered by the war made the trial a noted one. There was little question as to Brown's premedi- tation. The court house was filled to over- flowing during the trial, which lasted some days, and resulted in the prisoner's ac- quittal. It was thought for some time that his life was in danger by Bollmyer 's friends, but he was not molested and a few years later he was found dead in a field, his life having been taken by apoplexy. THE MITCHELL TEIAL. After this exciting case the Miami County Court room witnessed no stirring trial till the arrest of George Mitchell, col- ored, who was charged with the murder of his wife. The ^litchell case is celebrated from the fact that it terminated in the only legal execution ever held in the county. This case came to trial in 1880. Judge H. H. Williams presided and Moses B. Earnhart was prosecuting attorney. The late Daniel C. Miller was sheriff. Mitchell was a blacksmith, but was not considered vicious. Claiming that his wife was not faithful to him, he one day attacked her with a corn-cutting knife and inflicted wounds from which she died. After com- mitting the terrible deed Mitchell made his escape and was not apprehended till months afterward, when he was found at work in another county of the state. He AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS- 177 was arrested, bruuglit to Troy and placed in jail. Calvin D. Wright became his at- torney. Brought to the bar of the Common Pleas Court he entered a plea of not guilty and the trial began. The shocking details of the murder aroused puhlic interest and the court room was daily crowded. The jury brought in a verdict of murder in the first degree and Mitchell was sentenced to be hanged. The day for the execution was set, but Gov- ernor Charles Foster permitted a jjost- ponement while the attorneys labored hard for a commutation of sentence. Their ef- forts availed nought, however, and on the 17th of Sejjtember the execution took place amid dramatic scenes in the jail yard at Troy. It was a day long to be remembered throughout the county. The county seat was thronged with people who came from every part of the county as well as from other parts of the state. The streets were patrolled by several companies of militia and scores of deputy sheriffs were sworn in to preserve order. Mitchell met his fate unflinchingly. After the execution the body was handed over to the family for burial and the first and last execution ever had in Miami County was at an end. THE SHANK TRIAX,. In 1893 Jefferson Shank was brought to trial for the murder of his wife. This case became one of the most noted ever tried at the criminal bar of the county. The hearing lasted three weeks. Judge Theodore Sullivan occupied the bench and Thomas B. Kyle was the prosecuting at- torney. He was assisted by ex-Judge Cal- vin D. Wright. II. H. Williams and Ellis Kerr defended the prisoner. The prom- inence of the prisoner's relatives added interest to the case. The evidence against Shank was altogether circumstantial and need not be related here. The verdict was "Guilty of murder in the second degree" and the prisoner was sentenced to the state penitentiary for life. A short time after his incarceration he became a "trusty" and eventually was the recipient of a pardon. The foregoing are some of the famous trials held within the county. There have been others, but they do not merit space at the hands of the historian. Many of them have been forgotten and the record of others are buried in the dust of time. It may be said that while Justice at times has been "side-tracked," her scales have been, on the whole, well balanced at the county bar and that the evil doer has gen- erally received his deserts. The present bench and bar of the county reflect credit upon all concerned. The men who compose it are lawyers of ability and citizens of worth. From Judge Jones down they are worthy successors of the legal lights who brought fame to the county in the years that have passed away. Of the judges who have filled the bench within the last thirty years, Calvin D. Wright, Theodore Sullivan and Walter D. Jones are living. Judge H. H. Williams died a few years ago in Florida. Judge Theodore Sullivan is now judge of the Circuit Court, Second Circuit, and Judge Jones is the present judge of the Common Pleas Court of ]\Iiami County. A century has passed since the first county court was convened. In that time the bench and l)ar of Miami have reached a place lofty in particular. It is noted for its learning and eloquence and celebrated for its legal lore. Its pcrsouiifl will com- 178 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY pare favorably with the personnel of any similar body iu the laud. It can look back upon a history of which its members may feel proud, a history covering the stirring events of ten decades. It is no longer the era of the old circuit-riding judges and the lawyer of few books and fewer cases. It is the day of the scholarly barrister, the day of the law library, of the generous fee and the intelligent client. It is a far cry from the bench and bar of Peter Felix's time to the present organization which dis- jjenses and aids justice in the Temple of Justice, and when one casts a retrosi^ective look across the space that intervenes he is impressed with the advancement made by the courts of the county. That our bench and bar will maintain its high standard goes without saying. Its future is bright and the county is proud of it. Following is the present personnel of the Miami County Bar: Attorneys — Edward H. Allen, Alfred M. Brant, George A. Brooks, A. F. Broom- hall, C. N. Burns, A. C. Buchanan, E. M. Bell, G. W. Berry, A. B. Campbell T. M. Campbell, S. D. Croft, John V. Dagan- hardt, J. A. Davy, A. AV. DeWeese, U. G. Earnest, C. F. Faust, F. V. Flinn, J. S. Forgy, Charles E. Fox, J. C. Fullerton, Jr., Freshour & Freshour, M. K. Gantz, Gilbert & Shipmau, F. C. Goodrich, ^Y. A. Hains, L. 0. Harbaugh, J. C. Hughes, W. E. Harness, E. A. Hiatt, Nate Iddings, C. B. Jamison, M. H. Jones, W. S. Kessler, A. H. Kessler, Kerr & Kerr, E. H. & E. A. Kerr, James Ward Keyt, Lindsey & Lilley, George A. Long, Thomas B. Kyle. "William E. Lytle, J. H. Marlin, W. L. Martindale, Seth'McCullough, J. L. McKinney, J. W. Morris, M. H. Nill, O'Donnell & Billings- ley, Bert Reed, J. Harrison Smith, J. F. Spitler, L. E. St. John, Thomas & Thomas, AV. P. AYalker. Officers of the Court, 1908-9— Ron. Wal- ter D. Jones, judge; J. H. Landis, clerk; B. J. Johnson, Florence M. Fickes, deputy clerks; Eenna E. Spitler, stenographer; W. E. Lytle, prosecuting attorney; R. H. Gibson, sheriff; P. H. Moyer, deputy; R. H. Southerland, bailiff. A volume of anecdotes concerning the county's old barristers might be written and its perusal would be highly entertain- ing. In speaking of the celebrated "Bob" Schenck, Mr. Jones narrates how that old- time lawyer once broke down a witness on cross-examination. "Schenck was once defending a case and the testimony was going dead against his client, and among the witnesses who were strongly against him was one John Mad- dux, of Piqua, a very shrewd, sharp wag, who was equal to Schenck in wit and re- source, and Schenck announced to some of the lawyers that he was going to break Maddux down on cross-examination. So after Maddux was examined in chief, Schenck undertook the cross-examination in a manner that became offensive to Mad- dux, who imagined that Schenck assumed a superiority over him. Schenck led him through a long cross-examination in the details of the case and his testimony be- came harder on Schenck 's client, and in a fit of anger and disgust Schenck, in one of his loftiest moods, turned on the witness and asked him : " 'Now, Mr. Maddux, you have sworn to know a good deal about this case and testified very strongly— will you please have the goodness to tell me and the court how you know these things?' "Maddux raised up and in the grandest AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 179 manner and the clearest voice, assuming social equality with Sclieuck, looking him squarely in the eye said: 'Why, Bob, I saw it with this scrutinizing eye of mine,' at which the whole audience, judge and jury, roared with laughter, all except Schenek, who in an angry manner said, 'The witness can go.' It was the lawyer broken down, not the witness." Mr. Jones was elected prosecuting at- torney in 1851. He defeated the famous Harvey Sellers, one of the oldest members of the Miami County Bar, and was prob- ably the tirst and only Republican who ever carried Brown Towii|;hip, the Gibral- ter of ^liami Democracy. The prosecutor's salary was then $225 per annum. One of the old time legal geniuses of the coimty was R. P. Llewellyn Baber, of Piqua. He was gifted in oratory and his flights of rhetoric are indescribable. At one time he was to deliver a Fourth of July oration at Xenia and in order to cre- ate a lasting impression he prepared a very elocjuent address. It was written to be delivered in the open air and was filled with allusions to the golden glow of the sunlight, the warbling of the birds, and the soft zephyr. As it was written so it was delivered, but the day was cold and dreary. The rain fell in torrents and a public hall held the orator. But undaunted he called upon his hearers to observe the sunshine, etc., which they heroically tried to do amid shouts of laughter. An amusing story is told of "William I. Thomas, one of the first members of the Miami County Bar. It was customary a number of years ago for members of the Supreme Bench to sit in various counties and hear cases. On one occasion one of these high officials was performing this duty in Troy. Mr. Thomas had a case in which he was deeply interested and while absent from the court room the court de- cided it adversely to Mr. Thomas. AVhen he returned to the court room he said to the court: "I would like to have a deci- sion in the case of A vs. B." Thereupon the court replied : "The case has been de- cided, Mr. Thomas, and adversely to your client." "I shall cany it up to the Su- preme Court," retorted Mr. Thomas, with a good deal of spirit. "I want to see how the d case looks in a book." The gist in the old lawyer's retort lies in the fact that all cases carried to the Supreme Court are printed in pamphlet foi-m for consider- ation by the highest tribunal in the state. There is no doubt that not a few cases are taken into the Supreme Court for no other reason than to see how they "Look in a book." The members of the old county bar were men who would have made any bar famous. There was the suave, gentlemanly Janvier, who left the mercantile business for the law, the bright Burgess, who was "care- less in essentials and details," the philo- sophic Grosvenor, the elder Thomas, who possessed a deep legal mind, the reason- ing and thinking Ross, the careful and scholarly Morris and the brilliant Sellers. "The early Bar of Troy, where is it? (lone! gone whence! No response. The heart beats faster, the pulse quickens, the brain grows dizzy, the voice struggles to articulate the answer, but none comes. The early Bar of Troy has passed away; its members are no more; life's journey for them is ended, and that is all we know." CHAPTER XII. EDUCATIONAL The Log Schoolhoiise Early Teachers — First Text Books — Methods of Discipline — Advent of the Salaried Teacher — Coming of the Graded School — Latter Dag Im- provements — Schools of Troy and Piqiia — Educational History of the Toivnships — Parochial Schools — Teachers' Examinations — Results. Accomplished. In the present chapter I shall endeavor to describe the educational progress made in the county from the earliest times. The present splendid free school system is the outgTowth of the rude beginnings that fol- lowed the advent of the pioneers. The genesis of the magnificent educational structures of today was the log school- houses of the backwoods which lined both banks of the Miami. The professors of the present-day schools are the successors of the quaint old teachers who "taught the young idea how to shoot" and who be- lieved almost religiously that to spare the rod was to spoil the child and the rod was seldom "spared." It was not long after the coming of the first settlers that the schoolhouse arose in the forest. It was not the "little red one" used today in song and story, but an affair far less ornate, and in keejoing with the times. The primitive "house of learning" has passed away, but excellent descrip- tions of it remain. As the jiioneers built their cabins in close proximity, they began to look after the education of their chil- dren and for this purjiose selected some central point in the woods for a school site, near a branch, for the convenience of hav- ing water near at hand for the use of the scholars. ' ' This being done the pioneers settled on a day agreed u^jon, turned out with their axes, broadaxes, plow and auger and met early in the morning at the selected site, others cutting logs near by in the woods, some felling a large oak for clapboards and still others cutting a sightly blue ash for puncheons, benches and writing desks. The building of the schoolhouse proceeded as rapidly as possible. The foundation was soon laid and four men were selected as corner men, who took their respective stations and saddled and notched down the corners as the logs were delivered to them on skids. When the structure was eight feet high the joists were laid, then the logs ' were shortened for the gable ends, sloping the ends and inserting the rib pole at the top. The upper log of the basement pro- jected about eight inches to receive the butting or eve-log, against which the slant- 180 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY 181 ing roof rested. As the building was going up tlie cross-cut saw was Iieard iu the woods, the mall and wedge severing the cuts, and the butts were removed to some fork of a tree near by where they were rived into boards four foot iu length. "Logs were next removed from three sides of the hoiise and window styles pre- pared, which were adjusted in their jilaces about sixteen inches apart, to which uews- l^apers were pasted and oiled, with 'coon grease' to render them transparent. The cracks being chinked and daubed, the floor laid, the puncheon door hung on hinges of wood, the writing desks were attached to the wall, resting on standers slightly in- clining toward the scholars, who sat on benches and learned to write in front of the large paper windows. In this way the primitive school-house was reared and iisu- ally completed in a day without a nail or a window glass connected with the struc- ture." In temples of learning like the one just described some of the greatest minds of the country were shaped. Lincoln studied in a schoolhouse like the first that arose within the borders of this county. In the early days there were no contractors, no boards of education, to superintend the erection of the schoolhouse. The day of the graded school and the academy was far in the future. It was undreamed of by the men of the backwoods. The first school- houses of the county were few and far apart. In 1817 there were no schools north of Piqua and pupils were sent there from Fort Wayne, Defiance, Wapakoneta and other distant places. The children of the pioneers haAnng some distance to travel took their dinners to school, which con- sisted of corn pone or Johnny cake, fat meat and some milk. They ate iu the schoolhouse or on the sward that sur- rounded it. "What of the teachers who presided over the first schools of the county? "What of the books used as compared to those of the present day? The teacher of the baek- woods school that rose in the region of the Miami, the Stillwater, and in fact in every township of the county was a character. Very seldom was he American born. He was generally an Englishman, Irishman or Scotclunan, seldom if ever Dutch or French. He was from the first the author- ity of the school room. His word was law and the rule which he exercised was sel- dom tempered with mercy. It has well been said of him that "he entered the primitive schoolhouse with an air of au- thority and woe betide the urchin who crossed his imperious sense of propriety. "With gads and rods stored away in the sight of the school he was a terror to the school. For trivial offenses or small ir- regularities he inflicted corporal punish- ment and the hickory or beechen I'od were never spared." In some cases pupils were tied up by the thumbs and whipped, and the writer's first preceptor was an Irish- man who had the pleasing habit of drag- ging scholars from their seats by the collar and beating oliedieuce into them with a four-foot gad. These old teachers "boarded roimd" among the families of the neighborhood. They were looked upon as prodigies of knowledge. Many of them were supersti- tious. They believed in witches and ghosts and more than one weird tale they communicated to the assembled school. Spelling and arithmetic wei-e the chief ele- ments of their education and they insti- 182 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY tuted the spelling school, which of late years has gone out of date. On Christ- mas and New Year's eve the old-time teacher was "barred out" by the scholars. This was not kindly received by the mas- ter and when admission was refused he sometimes came down the wide chimney or landed in the school-room by breaking the greased paper in the window. Then he would be seized by the scholars, bound hand and foot and threatened with a duck- ing unless he treated the whole school to apple cider and ginger bread, which he generally did, after which the school pro- ceeded as usual. Today "The master sleeps upon the hill All coated o'er with snow," but his method of training the youthful mind has not been forgotten. The school books used at the dawn of education in the county have long since passed out of style. Dilworth's spellers, readers and arithmetics were among the first text books, also the American Precep- tor, Webster's Speller, Pike's Arithmetic, Murray's Grammar and the Testament. Dear old Lindley Murray ! The old inhab- itants of the county still recall this first of grammars, which they pored over years ago. There is a story told of one of the early scholars in one of our backwoods schools who being somewhat dull could not master the jaw-breaking names of the three Hebrew children who were cast into the fiery furnace. AYhen it came his turn to read aloud his Bible verse lie discovered to his dismay that it contained those dread- ed names. The boy hesitated. The Irish schoolmaster stood over him with the threatening gad in his hand. "Read on!" sounded in the boy's ears like the crack of the hazel. "Why don't ye read on, ye spalpeen!" With the expectation of the whip the trembling pupil,_ unable to recol- lect, or repeat anything, burst into tears and sobs and made an effort to explain his inability. "Well," moaned he, "Here are these three fellows again and I don't know them." The old master, not without some kindness in his heart, noticed the sim- plicity and honest effort in the boy, so making an effort to relieve the child's dis- tress, said, "Why, boy, cannot ye mind them? They are Mister Shaderack, Mes- hack and Abed-ye-go. Now ye mought go on with your lesson and don't ye miss 'em again." It is safe to say that the pupil never did. The foregoing incident recalls the story told by Lincoln of his early school days of a fellow scholar who was always "stumped" by the same, to him, unpro- noimceable names. Seeing them in his verse the poor lad turned to Lincoln and whispered, "Abe, here comes those con- foimded Hebrews again." The early pedagogues who jjresided over the primal schools of the county were con- sidered au fait if they were able to teach the three R's, and with this slender educa- tional outfit many a boy went out from these "forest academies" to make a name for himself in the world. In one of our first schools was au Irish teacher whose Milesian face was adorned with a toad- like nose. At this face a little boy of ten burst into a laugh and was promptly called into the frowning presence of the master. "What are you laughing at?" thundered the irate teacher. Tremblingly replied the boy, "You will whip me if I tell you." "And, you little fiend, I'll whip you if you don't," was the rejoinder, reaching for his well-trimmed hickory. With sincerity and a little heart filled with fear the boy an- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 1S3 swered, "Well, master, I was laiigliiug to think how much your nose looks like a frog." It was just after recess and the boy had to stand by the master and at in- tervals received a dozen lashes laid on with all his brawny Irish strength until dis- missed with the school at night. Such, in part, were the schools and pedagogues of the early days. In such schools and under such masters the children of the pioneers were trained. That training, simple as it was, and conducted under adverse circum- stances, prepared the pujjils for the active life that lay around them and transformed them into useful and prominent men and women. AVhen one looks back upon the little log schoolhouses which dotted the hills and valleys of the county he is apt to regard them with feelings akin to rever- ence, though they long ago gave way to the more pretentious academies of learn- ing which stand in our midst today. The early school master was contempo- raneous with the circuit rider, who will be described later on. Notwithstanding his surroimdings, he did a great work and he is not accepted at his real value today. He labored under disadvantages which would have discouraged less i^uiposeful people. The present school system is such a tre- mendous improvement on the primitive one that comparison is not necessary. In early times singing was taught in the schools and the old notes were used. Sing- ing classes were formed and nearly every old-time teacher was considered capable of training the voice. Spelling and singing- schools were held in every district in the county. Paid schools were also in vogrue during the educational growth of the county. This came about for the reason that there was neither school board nor pul)Iic fund. Teachers were paid by sub- scription, which they solicited and collect- ed for themselves, and their patrons were found good pay. Pupils selected studies to suit them and paid i)er term of thirteen weeks as follows: For reading and spelling, $1.00. For reading, spelling .ind writing, $2.00. For reading, spelling, writing and arithmetic, $3.60. A number of years elapsed before the salaried teacher came into existence. Even then the old teachers surrendered their ground with reluctance, for "boarding round" suited them and they looked upon the new regime with disfavor. Later still came the day of the graded school with its improvements we have today. The graded schools and the high schools found now in every part of the county seem to have reached jjerfection and owe their existence and success to the free school system that prevails everywhere. "We will now look at the growth of the •school in various parts of the county. In 1804 there were but three families in what is now Concord Township, including the city of Troy. The town was not laid out until some years later and in 1813 Samuel Kyle opened the first school. This old pre- ceptor was the grandfather of T. B. Kyle, Troy's present mayor. He taught in a log house without floor or windows, on the corner of ^larket and Water Sti-eets. Not more than fifteen pupils tilled his classes. In ISIG John G. Clark taught in the lower l)art of the town near the old railroad dejiot. Clark had queer ideas of punish- ment, as he corrected his pupils by split- ting a quill and flipi)ing it against the nose. It was before the day of steel pens and quills were universally used for writing. It is said that Clark's methods disgusted I 184 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY the citizens of Troy and fuuds were raised to build a small brick schoolhouse where the splendid Edward's building now stands. This house of learning went by the dignified name of "The Academy." Later on, or in 1826, Eev. Micajah Fair- field taught for a year or two and gave way to Thomas Barrett, afterwards elect- ed a county judge, who was succeeded by John Petit in 1831. Mr. Petit afterward went to Indiana, where he became United States Senator. When George D. Burgess taught school in Troy, in 1839-41, his sal- ary was $100 per quarter, which was con- sidered very good in those days. Mr. Bur- gess taught algebra, geometry and Latin in addition to the common branches. The graded system entered the Troy schools in 1849, when Irving Gates was at the head of them. Gates had opposition in his work from a Mr. Beunet, who taught day school in the Wesleyan Church. These two schools were the outgrowth of contending factions in Troy and Bennet's scholars called the pupils of the other school Gates' Hinges." These early schools of Troy have almost passed from memory and scant records are all that remain of them. They brought about the fonnation of a board of educa- tion, which consisted of Charles Morris, Eev. Daniel Eice, George D. Burgess, "Will- iam B. Johnston, Benjamin Powers, Zach- ariah Eiley and Henry S. Mayo. The elec- tion of this board was the signal for better schools. Six thousand dollars were voted for a more commodious school building and William N. Edwards was chosen su- perintendent at $800 Y>ev annum. Mr. Ed- wards was highly esteemed as an educator and many of the prominent citizens of Troy at the present time graduated under his instruction. From 1856 to 1867 there were few graduates from the schools of Troy. The members of the first graduat- ing class were Walter S. Thomas, John W. Morris, Diana Meeks, and Augusta Brand- rilf, of whom three are still living — Walter S. Thomas and John W. Morris, residing in Troy, and Miss Augusta Brandritf, who is living in Washington, D. C. As the needs of educational Troy increased, new school buildings were erected, until now all are commodious and beautiful edifices dedi- cated to learning. Some of the later super- intendents of the Troy public schools are Prof. H. A. Thompson, H. P. Ufford, John W. Dowd, L. V. Ferris, J. F. McCaskey, C. L. Van Cleave, and Ealph Brown. Prof. C. W. Cookson is now at the head of the Troy schools. The first school taught in Piqua was un- der the instruction of Isaac Hendershot in 1808. From that time until 1817 the Piqua schools had quarters in a house that stood on Main Street near the site of the l^resent city hall. It was a log affair chinked with clay to keep out the cold and greased foolscap supplied the place of win- dow glass. This first house of learning had a large fire-place for the back-log, the floor was laid with slabs, and its roof was made of rough, unshaved clap-boards, stayed by poles. The furniture consisted of one row of writing benches, illy suited to the sizes of the pupils, arranged on the sides and one end of the room. They were made of slabs, and hewn-out pins entered into the slabs by a two-inch auger. The famous "Academy" was completed in 1818 and in it the youth of the Border City thought themselves comfortably housed. John P. Finley taught the first school held in the Academy and among those who followed him was Daniel Mitch- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 185 ell, a brother of General 0. M. Mitchell, a noted Union officer during the Civil War. In 1813 an incendiary, probably an oppo- nent of education, burned the Academy, and a log church on Water Street housed some of the pupils for a number of years. In 1845 three district school buildings arose in Piqua and about this time select schools wei'e taught in different parts of the town. These private schools were termed high schools to distinguish them from the common schools provided by law. In them the higher studies were pursued, such as Latin, Greek, higher mathematics, natural sciences and the mental and moral sciences. The year 1856 saw the completion of the high school building. Prof. A. G. Cham- bers was the first superintendent. In 1860 Rev. C. "JV. Fitch, rector of the Episcopal church, succeeded him and Jonathan Fair- banks held the position in 1862. William Richardson, alumnus of Dartmouth Col- lege, followed Mr. Fairbanks, and he in his turn was succeeded by William Carter. Prof. C. W. Bennett, alumnus of the Ohio Wesleyan Universitj^, was elected superin- tendent in 1874 and held the place for thirty-two years. The present superin- tendent of the Piqua schools is J. R. Beach- ler. From early times the system of edu- cation adopted by the public schools of Piqua has been fortunate in the choice of instructors and the schools have reached a merited degree of perfection. A well known writer in summing up the educa- tional growth of Piqua has worthily said : "The people of Piqua deserve commenda- tion for their loyalty to the public schools and for the judicious selections of school boards whose members have labored with unselfish energj' for the good of the schools. Supervision and systematic gra- dation many years ago ceased to be an ex- periment in this city and the common school system has webbed itself into the affections of the people. If the progress of the system be sustained with equal zeal and precaution in years to come we may look to the future for still greater and nobler i)ossibilities." This prophecy has been fulfilled in every particular and today no city of the state can boast of better schools or more compe- tent instructors than those found in the Border C'ity of Miami County. In Monroe Township, which includes Tippecanoe City, the first school was taught in Hyattsville. It was in a log sehoolhouse. This school was followed by another taught on what is known as the "Island," which was a small plot of ground separated from the mainland by a bayou. Beyond the fact that the first teacher here was a young man of the name of Gilbert, but little is known of the first schools in this particular locality. In March, 1853, the first board of education in Tippecanoe City was elected. It was composed of John McPherson, L. N. Boo- her, and D. H. Briukerhoff. This board secured land on First Street and a com- modious school building was erected. N. L. Perry was the first teacher in the town. This building was used till 1868, when it gave way to another, which in turn was succeeded by the present handsome high school building that houses the pupils of the thriving little city. The grading of the Tippecanoe school is the best that can be devised and the instruction which is ever kept iip and maintained by competent instructors gives entire satisfaction to all. The Tippecanoe high school annually turns 186 HISTORY OF MIAxAII COUNTY out a set of graduates well fitted for the emergencies of life. For twent}--four years, or from 1808 to 1832, the schools of Union Townshii? were taught in the old Friends' meeting house. They were conducted after the established manners of primitive schools. John Howe, an Englishman, taught here in 1808 and there remains to this day the recollection that he was a classical scholar and an adept at penmanship. It was customary for the early teachers to fashion quills into pens for the pupils, and as Mr. Howe had nimble fingers he was often called upon to perform this duty. In 1818 Charles Mills came to the fore as an instructor and a year later Daniel H. Jones followed him Davis W. Thayer and David Mote came next with the unspared rod and Thomas Adams brought the early schools of West Milton to a perfection which they for a long time enjoyed. Adams was a man with an excellent education and drew many scholars from a distance, but it is said that he was deficient jn school government and m course of time his school went to pieces and he disappeared. Following Adams came Charles Mills, Jacob Angle and Dan- iel Mote again. The latter had more than one faculty which he tended with assidu- ous care. He could build a house, survey land and write poetry. Some of his poet- ical effusions were long treasured bv his pupils and may still be relics of old times m that locality. Gardner Meudenhall suc- ceeded to the rod in 1827, and while he ^vielded it the authorities came along and hauled off his corn crop to satisfv a muster fine, whereupon he probablv flogged a few pupils as a balm to his wounded feelings During 1828-29 Alexander Wilson presid- ed over the Union Schools and in 1830 James H. Hanks kept the fearsome birch. The last winter school was held at West Branch, where W. B. Jones, who came from South Carolina, inaugurated tickets of reward, an innovation which long ago disappeared from the schools of this county. Since then the schools of Union Township have risen to effectiveness and promise and today, kept in excellent build- ings and with a graded system which seems to have reached perfection, they are well known everywhere. The schools of Newton Township find their beginning in the cabin of Joseph Fur- nas and he was the first teacher. This was m 1808. Mr. Furnas could almost have organized a school from his own family, as he had seven children, and these, in addi- tion to those of his neighbors, made up a fair school for that early day. It was not until 1811 that a real schoolliouse arose in the woods of Newton Township. Eichard Clegg taught there in 1813 and Amos Perry and John Pearson succeeded him. In 1866 Sub-district No. 7, which includes the town of Pleasant Hill, was organized into a special school district, since when a large schoolhouse has been built in which the graded schools are today conducted in an able manner. The early history of education in New berry Township is somewhat obscure. So far as is known, the first schoolhouse was erected about 1815 and it was a rude log affair with the poorest of accommodations. The first schoolhouse stood near the north end of High Street in Covington. The sec- ond one was erected on the St. Mary's road. Andrew Ballard was one of the teachers in the latter structure. This house of learning was burned down. About 1818 John Barbour became the instructor of the HIGH SCHOOL, PIQUA HIGH SCHOOL. BRADFORD SOUTH STREET SCHOOL. PIQUA PUBLIC SCHOOL, COVINGTON - ■ *''' ■- '-^^ try ^*r ^^ ""I ll- -X. I t ym HIGH SCHOOL, CASSTOWN SCHOOL HOUSE. WEST MILTON * AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS 189 youug idea iu the Trotter's Creek locality, and afterward one Benjamin Dunham taught iu a deserted cabin in the same towushi}). These old schoolhouses disap- peared with the advaucing years, giving way for more commodious ones. Among the other pioneers in the art of learning who held forth in Newberry were Moses Mitchell and William Dowler. James Perry was the first teacher to open school iu the town of Covington and he was followed by Amos Perry and James Hanks. Since the very first Newberry Township has been noted for its good schools until today it is well supplied iu that particular. Coving- ton has a fine high school erected in recent years, and the high standai'd set by its ed- ucators years ago is still maintained. A comprehensive sketch of the schools of Bradford, inclj.Tding some early history of the town, will be found at the close of this chapter. East of the river, where there are no large towns, the country schoolhouses fol- lowed rapidly the strokes of the settler's axe. Brown Township built its first log schoolhouse in 1811 and its presiding genius was a maiden lady known as "Aunt Sallie Tucker." She was probably the first female teacher in the county and her successor was "Auut" Patty McQuillan, who is said to have wielded the rod with the vim and hand of an expert. Amos Denman and George Layman followed her and Joseph Rollins was the first teacher in the second schoolhouse erected within the limits of the township. In 1874 the village of Fletcher was organized into a special school district and a well graded school has been taught there ever since. The year 1815 witnessed the l)eginuing of the school in Springcreek Township. The first school held in the townshij* was kei)t by one of the old time teachers named James Laird, who received $5 per month and "boarded round" among his patrons. Laird was an Irishman. Salivation had caused a deformity in his joints, which rendered locomotion i^ainful and he took to teaching. Added to this trouble he was a devotee of the "little brown jug" and the way he laid the birch on the backs of his pupils is still remembered in the town- ship. Between 1815-25 some of the teach- ers of Spring Creek were James Sims, George Lemons, James Cregan, Thomas J. Lash and Patrick Murphy. The rural schoolhouses in this township today are well-built brick structures and the schools conducted therein are the equals of any now kept in the county. One of the earliest instructors of the youth in Lost Creek was Gen. John "Webb. He was a man of considerable learning and became a man of prominence in county affairs. The early schools of Lost Creek were not of a very high order of merit if one is to judge from an item in the annual report of Thomas Long, "superintendent and visitor," of the common schools of Lost Creek, submitted many years ago. He remarks that "The order in the school is not good, too much confusion, but little government exercised l)y the teacher, very little exercise of moral influence, and but very little time is spent to convince the scholars of the projjriety of such measures as would be conducive to their good." Since the filing of this somewhat scath- ing report the schools of Lost Creek have improved until now they are among the most promising in the county. The Cass- town school, now a high school, presided over by F. G. Main, has had a long list of 190 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY teachers, among whom I find the names of Henry Jackson, Mate Scourse, Professor Patterson, Horace Maynard, Martin French, Alfred Knight, "Washington Friz- ell, James Eogers, T. J. Webb, 0. C. Gor- man, Eussell Allen, Kate Knight, Sarah Hamman, J. L. Wright and Warren An- derson. When the pioneers of Elizabeth Town- ship felt the needs of education they erect- ed a log schoolhouse on the Christian Knoop farm near the Staunton line. Here John Enyeart presided and when not teaching he acted as justice of the peace and adjusted neighborhood quarrels. In 1812 John Schell taught on the Lost Creek crossing, when he was sober enough to do so. The school books used in Elizabeth Township were Webster's Speller, Dil- worth's Arithmetic, the Bible, and other books not so well known. In these rural schools elocution was always taught and as Friday was the day set apart for this exer- cise the scholars vied with one another in declamation. AVitli the introduction of the famous McGuffey series of readers the pu- pils found "pieces to speak" more to their liking, and "Bingen on the Rhine," "Casa- blanca," "Eienzi's Address to the Rom- ans," became standard favorites. Prizes were often given to the best declaimers and considerable rivalry prevailed among the rural "orators." Bethel Township has always set a high mark in the conduct of her schools. As early as 1802, years before the county was organized, a little schoolhouse arose on the Rudy farm and two years later a man named Kehan taught in the township. These first schools were carried on by sub- scription after the manner of the times, but in 1830 Bethel was divided into six school districts and the system of educa- tion became more pronounced. Later on the number of districts were increased. Township superintendency becoming nec- essary N. H. Albaugh was appointed su- perintendent in 1866, and in 1874 Hiram Brown was chosen to assist him. Mr. Brown was made superintendent two years later and under his supervision the schools of Bethel advanced to the foremost rank. Since that time they have become an edu- cational power in the county. There is no record at hand giving a his- tory of the early schools of Staunton Township. It is safe to say that they were conducted in the line of adjacent schools, having the same complement of old-time teachers who looked after the growing mind on meager salaries and un- der many difficulties that beset the early highways of learning. When the first schools were established in Troy a number of the youth of Staunton attended, but later on the little schoolhouse came into existence east of the Miami and Staunton Township educated her youth in school- houses of her own. To-day each district is well governed in educational matters and the township can point with pride to efficient schools. Within the last few years township su- pervision has been tried with good suc- cess. The supervisors are hired by the boards of education in the several town- ships and they visit and grade the county schools. Since the introduction of this system a marked improvement has been noticed in the schools. The supervisors, or superintendents, as they are sometimes called, receive on an average $45 a month. Some of them will superintend the schools of several townships. Singing is also AND REPRESEXTATIYE CITIZENS 191 taught in the schools in some special dis- tricts. Teachers of rural schools average $50 per month. In addition to the common and high schools of the county, there are two pro- gressive parochial schools. These are in Troy and Piqua. St. Patrick's Parochial school, of Troy, is under the superivison of Rev. Anthony J. Mentink, the resident pastor. It was founded in 1886, by Eev. P. H. Bene. The addition of the present auditoriimi, with extra class room, was made in 1906 and fills all requirements. To-day there are three Sisters of the Precious Blood in charge of fifty pupils. This school is noted for its efficiency and is ably conducted by those in charge. The parochial school connected with St. Boniface Church, of Piqua, is under the charge of Eev. George P. Steinlage, pas- tor. Its attendance is good and it has been brought to a high state of excellence. It is one of the recognized institutions of the city. The pastor is unremitting in his care of the school and the progress of the pupils is deserving of great praise. The St. Boniface Parochial School is one of the best of its kind in the state. The teachers' examinations of Miami County are conducted by a board of ex- aminers appointed by the probate judge. Two examinations are held each month, and certificates are granted. This sys- tem has prevailed for years and has been found efficient and popular. The exam- iners are chosen from the ranks of the foremost educators of the county. The present ones are C. L. Bennett, Co\'ing- ton ; Charles H. Teach, Lena, and George Eoutzahn, of Staunton. Examinations are also held under the Boxwell law, which permits graduates from the country grad- ed schools to enter the Troy and Piqua high schools, the expenses to be met by the several townships. On the whole, during the first century of their existence the pub- lic schools of Miami County have pro- gressed to an amazing extent. Instituted in the backwoods, while yet the fear of Indian invasion hung like the pall of doom over the sparse settlements, they labored under difficulties that would have discour- aged less worthy enterprises. From these pioneer schools came men and women who have proven the best citizens the county has produced, and to their lasting credit be it said that they left to their children the educational facilities which are en- joyed to-day. The county has taken no backward steps in the education of its youth. Its motto has ever been "For- ward!" and with its large number of school children well housed and well taught, its future is not doubtful. Thousands of dollars are annually appropriated for edu- cation, and new school buildings are being constantly erected for the accommodation of the pupils. Corporal punishment has practically disappeared from the schools. This relic of the old days has fallen into disrepute and Byron's stanzas are for- gotten : "Oh, ye! who teach the youth of Nations, Holland, France, England, Germany or Spain, I pray ye flog them upon all occasions. It mends their morals, n^er mind the pain." HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE SCHOOLS OF BRADFORD. A\D EARLY HISTORY. (Prepared bv Nate Iddings; read at dedication of the new"building, Saturday, Dec. 12, 1908.) In 1861, about the time the Rebellion broke out, the C, C. & I. C. Railway Company saw the necessity of making a connection between the first and second di- visions of their road at Richmond, Ind. Engineers were sent out to look up the best route, and they finally set- tled upon leaving the main track just east of Covington, called the Summit, being the highest point between Piqua and Covington. This line passed Covington on the 192 HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY south, and on through Franklin Township, Darke Coun- ty, to Arcanum, and then on to Eichmond. John Sowers, of Covington, then a contractor, having built a part of the old road, and having considerable influence with the railroad men, took the surveyors in his carriage and brought them west to the Darke County line, and sug- gested that it would be a gooil place to leave the main line anil go to Richmond by way of Greenville, and it is said that he parted with a gold watch, and that Brad- ford was then and there established. The survey was made and the road built. ' From that time on until 1S67, there was nothing here but a wooding station. Trains stopped here in the woods for fuel. William Stump, with a tread horse- power, did the sawing, trains would stop and a half hour was used by all the train men in tilliug up the tender with wood, and if any tramp or wayfarer desired to get a free ride, he only had to throw wood for a few minutes. In 1S68 the bargain previously made was con- summated. Johu Sowers purchased the Hoover farm for the company, and the Round House was built; a box car was set oft' on the north side of the track and was used as a depot. John S. Moore was an early comer, with a grocery store, quickly followed by Nate Iddings, with a general store, Solomon Routsong purchased a farm and laid out his plat, Moses Wise followed with his addition, and Bradford was then placed on the map. The name was suggested by ( 'harles W. Wrapp, and he in the village, and S. B. Christian in the country, can- vassed and had established a post-ofiice, and Wrapp was the first postmaster. He carried the mail around in his hat and delivered to patrons, this being the tirst free delivery of mail matter, perhaps, in the county. The children then attended school in Miami County, in a little brick house located on L. A. Dye's farm east of town, and in Darke County at a log school house, on the same site as is now occupied by the brick, No. 2. These schools were taught by country teachers, who had muscle — with plenty of beech limbs growing nearby. Bradford began to clamor for a school of her own. Perry Marlin, a farmer, was the director for this dis- trict in Newberry Township, and he wanted the town to get along with one room. Bradford wanted four, and they finally comjiromised on two rooms, which was the best that could be done at the time. The two rooms were built the next summer. They are still stand- ing and were converted into a dwelling house by Henry Klinger. The very first year they were found to be inadequate, and the old skating rink at the north end of town was rented, and two grades met in that building. The Rev. Mr. Best was the first principal teacher. He was a very excellent gentleman, but lacked government. Before the holidays his pupils became so unruly that it was necessary for the l^oard to interfere. A new set of rules were established, and school opened the next week with no better success. Some of the larger boys walked into school with their skates on, and while he was trying to maintain order, one of the larger boys struck Mr. Best over the head with a skate, and left the frame hanging around his neck. This was too much for Mr. Best and he resigneil his position. Dr. Renner and his wife, both well educated teachers, were hired to finish the term. They were from Brook- rille, Montgcmiery County, and came well recommended. The second day after he was installed three boys came into school with their skates on their feet. Mr.' Renner looked daggers at them, but they paid no attention to him. When they were called to recite they walked out on the floor with their skates still on. The doctor did not say a word, but went to his desk, drew out a keen switch, and gave them each a complete thrashing, with- out any explanation, and sent them to their seats. The skates were quietly removed and business went on. In- side of two weeks all was harmony. About all he had to do was to pull down his eyebrows — and he had plenty of them — look the boy in the face, and he would wilt in a moment. He was re-hired and held his position as long as he desired, leaving it to take up the practice of medicine. At that time the voting was done at Covington and Gettysburg. Nate Iddings and Frank Gulich organized the voting precincts, and against a good deal of oppo- sition from the two towns — Covington and Gettysburg — had the village incorporated, and established the special school district of Br,idford. Miami and Darke Counties, Nate Iddings making several trips to Columbus for that purposu. At the first election in the special dis- trict for members of the board. Dr. William Commons, i'horaas Marlin, John O'Connors, Peter Smith, L. Van Trump, and Nate Iddings were elected. At their first meeting they submitte<.l a proposition to be voted upon to appropriate ,1^25,000 for the pur- pose of building a new school house, which proposition was carried almost unanimously, and $25,000 in bonds were issued in denominations of ¥500 each and to bear Jj per cent interest. The first $15,000 were handled through the Stillwater Valley Bank, of Covington, Ohio, at a cost of $500. Iddings took the $10,000 at face value. It seemed to be an easy matter to get the money, but we could not build a house without a location. The little politicians had gotten up a strife between the north and south sides of town. All the churches had been located on the south side and they wanted to put the school house on a square below James Street, on what v,e call Oklahoma, near where Dan Evans resides. The Board was divided, three and three. After a long worry one cf our men went over to the other side. Peter Smith moved out of town, and that left another vacancy. A meeting was called to fill it, and Commons and Mar- lin left town to break a quorum. We watched Mr. Mar- lin's house until eleven o'clock at night, when he slipped in and wont to bed. We waited outside until we were sure he had retired, when we knocked at the door and his wife let us in. We organized a meeting and elected a man to suit us to fill the vacancy. The next day Dr. Commons returneil and Marlin told him what had hap- pened. He went to Troy that morning and enjoined us from building the house on the north side of the first division railroad tracks. At this time my companions deserted me and took the other side, with Dr. Commons as leader. I alone favored the present site. The in- junction had not been dissolved, and there were grave doubts as to whether it would be sustained, and I had an equal opportunity to resort to the same line of tac- tics, I propose