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50 - HISTORY OF CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO. The first settlements in the county were made in the years 1795 and 1796, immediately following the Greenville treaty with the Indians, made by General Anthony Wayne after his decisive defeat of the savages in battle, and were made in Miami, Wiiliamsburgh, Washington, and Pierce townships,—in Miami by Col. Thomas Paxton* and Thomas Beck (born in 1764, and who while a boy of sixteen gallantly served under the Continental Congress on the ship " Ranger" until victory crowned the Revolutionary hailers and perched upon the young republic, and who a few years after coming to Clermont moved to Caldwell Co., Ky., where he died, in 1854); in Williamsburgh by Gen. William Lytle,* James Kain, wife, three sons David, John, and Thomas), three daughters (Elizabeth, Mary, and Sarah), and Archibald McLean ; in Washington by John, David, and Jeriah Wood (with families), and .John, Nathan, and Elisha Manning,—three brothers who had all married Wood girls,—William Buchanan and wife, and John Gregg ; and in Pierce (then Ohio) by Isaac Ferguson and his three sons.* Other emigrants the same or succeeding four years came into these townships, and that of Ohio and Pleasant, the latter now in Brown County, so that by the year 1800 there were settlements on the Little Miami and Ohio Rivers, and on Stonelick, East Fork, Bullskin, Indian, Bear, and Twelve-Mile Creeks, besides on many smaller streams or runs tributary to them. From the first year of the century emigrants poured in from different parts. Cabins were put up in every direction, and women, children, and goods tumbled into them, as rt were, in the haste to enter land and get a start in the new “Ohio Eldorado." The tide of emigration began to increase, and flowed like water through a breach in a milldam and everything was bustle and confusion, and each and every member of the settlements was busy in his or her sphere, and ready for duty in beginning the journey of life fresh in the clearings. THE CABINS The first dwellings were built of round logs, just as they were found in the primeval forests ; but occasionally a settler would construct a palatial residence by hewing the logs on the outside. They were notched near the ends with an axe, for the double purpose of holding them firmly and bringing thew nearer together, and the spaces were filled with split sticks and clay. When the logs were cut in proper lengths they were dragged to the spot selected for the cabrn, and the neighbors for wiles around were invited to the " house-raising," and with handspikes and skid-poles the logs were raised to their position, and a man with his axe, on each corner, prepared the notches, in which way a cabrn one story high was soon erected. The gables were firmed by leveling each end of the logs, making them shorter and shorter until the ridge-pole was laid on, the logs in the gable being held in place by poles extending across lhe house from end to end, which also served as rafters on which to lay the clapboard roof. These clapboards were carved out of a straight-grained white- or black-oak or ash, sawed into lengths of five or six feet, and were laid beside * See sketches of their lives in smother part of this book.   each other and the joints covered with another, so as to effectually keep out the rain. Logs were laid upon these shingles to keep them in place, blocks of wood between them keeping them in position. The cross-cut saw was put in requisition to make openings for the doors, windows, and fireplace, and the logs, where cut off, were held in place by priming split sticks on the ends, which served also as lintels. The doors were made of clapboards fastened with wrought nails upon cross-pieces, which, being bored near the end, constituted the hinges, arrd were hung upon wooden pins fastened upon the lintels. The door was fastened by a wooden latch on the inside, and was opened from without by a string passing through a gimlet-hole in the door and hanging outside,—from which originated the old saying when hospitality is tendered : " You will find the latchstring always cut,"—but at night the door was securely locked by pulling in the string. The loft above was reached by inserting one's toes in the openings between the logs in one corner of the house, or on a rude ladder made of a straight sapling of linden-wood or poplar, split into halves, with rungs for steps, making it convenient to draw up or for its removal from the cabin, the rounds or rungs passing through auger-holes in the sides and made secure by wooden wedges. A small hatchway was left in the upper floor or a window cut in the gable for ingress and egress. The process of mounting the ladder was called " cooping it to bed," as the children usually slept there and also company when visitors came, as the lower room answered the purpose of kitchen; sitting-room, parlor, and bed-chamber. The cabin fireplace was always ample, often extending more than halfway across the house. The chimney was built on the outside, sometimes of stone and mortar, but more commonly of split sticks laid crossways and then daubed with " eat and clayo" an admixture of mud and straw. The large green back-log and the ample log-fire heap imparted both light and warmth to the family group about the old hearthstone not equaled in solid comfort by the stoves, furnaces, and grates of the present age. The site of the cabin was chosen with reference to the accessibility to water; and if there was no spring, a well was often dug before the building-site was determined. Sometimes two cabins were built near together and connected by a rude hallway between them, which was called a double cabin, only owned by a few of the wealthier settlers. PIONEER FURNITURE. The furniture was simple and easily inventoried. The bedstead sometimes consisted of dogwood forks passing through the puncheon floor into the ground ; small saplings were placed in the forks for a bed-rail, and upon these clapboards were laid for a bottom. The pots and kettles usually were placed opposite the window (old paper pasted over the hole, and on which hog's lard had been applied,—a kind of glazing which shed a most beautiful and mellow light across the cabin when the sun shone, as all other light entered at the doors, cracks, and chimneys), and the gun hung on hooks over the door. These, with a few split-bottorn chairs, three-legged stools, a clumsy shovel and aged pair of tongs, and a small looking-glass sloping from the wall over a large towel and comb-case, about comprised the listo PIONEER LIFE - 51 save the spinning-wheels,—the pianos of the pioneers. The large one was used for spinning the woolen rolls, and the small one for the flax, and their music was heard through the day, and often far into the bight. A woman spinning upon the large wheel, stepping backward as she drew and twisted the thread from the roll, and forward as she wound it upon the spindle, placed her in a more graceful and charming attitude than was ever exhibited in a ball- or drawing-room. It may be that her feet were bare and her dress of "linsey-woolsey," but her symmetry of form and her graceful motion were better shown than when clothed in costly and fashionable attire. When the spindle was filled the reel was put into requisition, and with what exultation the good woman tied the knot when the snapping of the reel announced that the last of twelve cuts (a good day's work) were ready for the loom ! We can appreciate the beauty of Solomon's description of a virtuous woman when he says, "She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh wilhngly with her hands; she layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff." In one corner of the cabin stood the loom for weaving the cloth for shirts, pantaloons, frocks, sheets, and blankets, and the outer walls of the cabin were often nearly covered with the skins of rabbits, raccoons, minks, bears, deer, wolves, panthers, and foxes, stretched to dry, to be con- verted into articles of dress or exchanged for "store-tea," calico, or " boughten goods." A green handspike rested against the side of the chimney, with which to roll in and adjust the logs. A similar stick passed through the chim- ney above the blazing fire, called a "lug-pole," and sus- pended on which was a forked stick, having a wooden peg in the lower end, which served as a crane to hang on the pot or kettle. The andirons were large stones. Stoves were unknown, and cooking utensils few. The beef or mutton roast, the pig, the opossum, or the turkey was suspended by a string fastened to a wooden peg over the fireplace and cooked before the blazing fire. The gravy as it oozed from the meat was caught in an iron pan resting on the hearth, and ever and anon the attendant turned the meat around, basting it with the dripping fat. In the cor- ner near by was the covered skillet, filled with biscuit, with the glowing embers above and beneath, or a corn-pone upon a clapboard at an angle of forty-five degrees: Persons may boast of their stoves and cooking appliances and fancy dishes, but give us the corn-bread baked upon a board be- fore the cabin-fire and the barbecued opossum or pig in preference to all the scientific cookery of modern times. The best table-dishes were of pewter, and the bowls and spoons, of that material, were kept as bright as the polished silver of the modern kitchen. "The old oaken bucket that hung in the well," fastened to the well-sweep by a wild grape-vine, and the gourd, tied to the curb, were among the pleasant recollections of our early homes. Our inventory of furniture would be incomplete did we omit to mention the flint-lock 'rifle or musket, with powder horn, shot- or bullet-pouch, all of which were placed upon wooden forks fastened to the joists, and generally over the door. In the loft, and around its walls of logs and pendent from the roof, in sacks and bunches, were sarsaparilla, ginseng, snakeroot, catnip, tansy, garlic, sage, dog-fennel, pennyroyal, wormwood, clecampane, and boneset, gathered in their season. These constituted the materia medico of the pioneer, and apothecary's medicine was not in much de- mand, and patent medicines of rich quack advertisers had not come in vogue to deplete the pioneer's pocket or blood. Strings of dried apples, peaches, and pumpkins hung in graceful festoons from the rude rafters, while the winter's store of hickory, hazel, walnuts, and butternuts covered the upper floor. To guard against the ague, a jug of bitters composed of dogwood-bark and prickly-ash berries was pro- vided, and to ward off attacks of worms among the children tansy or wormwood bitters were regularly administered. THE WARDROBES. The clothing was mostly of domestic manufacture, and the early settlers were clad in home-spun and home-made linen and woolen apparel. The flax-patches were the places where half the courting used to be done, and when the flax got ripe all the boys and girls far and near gathered and pulled and spread it. It was called a frolic, and often ended with a regular "hoe-down, double-shuffle dance." After the fibre was softened by the dews and rains,— which was called " rotting the flax,"—it was taken up and bound, and either stacked, or broken on a machine called a brake, then spun on a wheel and run off on a reel and woven on a loom. Many yet remember the new tow shirt with its pricking " shives," and there are old Clermonters yet living who as boys and girls raised the flax, broke and swingled it, and then hetcheled, spun, and wove and made it up into garments of pantaloons, frocks and aprons, and shirts, and into toweling, tablecloths, and bed-linen. The winter garments of both sexes and all ages were made generally of wool shorn from the settlers' sheep, carded, spun, colored, and then woven on their own looms. The mother who could not take care of her children, do the cooking, washing, ironing, and attend to other house- hold duties, and spin twelve cuts of yarn per day was not considered extra smart. After the yarn had been spun it had to be dyed and prepared for the loom. Some they would dye a copperas color, and some blue, brown, green, and red, and the more fastidious and tasteful wore checks and stripes. Our Clermont pioneer mothers and daughters, like their maternal ancestor, Eve, had a taste for a variety of colors and beauty of combination, and yet they attired themselves in dresses of their own spinning, weaving, coloring, and making, and used but six yards of linen or homy, instead of from fifteen to thirty as in the present day. In the manufacture of cloth the ladies, at a later date, were much assisted by the carding-machine, before the in- troduction of which they carded all the wool by hand. After placing a small lock of wool between the cards and drawing them briskly backwards and forwards until it was properly carded, they would make the roll on the backs of' the cards. The spinning-jenny was invented and came along, which spun one hundred threads to the wolnan's one. Soon the daughters of Eve began to talk about it at little gatherings, the gossip goes, and resolved that Miss Jenny was a trump-card, and that it was cheaper to buy 52 - HISTORY OF CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO. than to run the old wheel ; and so woman's spinning-days were over. The old wheel was carried out and the piano carried in, the music of which is perhaps sweeter, but it brings less wealth, health, and happiness to the household. DOMESTIC LIFE OF THE PIONEERS. Spring-time brought work, hard and steady, to the womsn of the cabin, spinning and weaving the summer linen. Rising in the morning at four, she built the fires, made up her own beds, awoke and dressed the children, made up the trundle-bed, shoved it under the "big bed," put on the tea-kettle, and mixed the Indian meal for the johnny-cakes and corn-dodgers. This done, she prepared the frugal meal and set the table ; after which she blew a merry peal on the tin horn to call the men to breakfast. Next she nursed the baby, but that could be done while she was knitting the socks and stockings. The men came in, and, springing up, she laid the sweet smiling little baby in the trough-cradle, and with one loving kiss she set the victuals on the rude table, and jogged the cradle with her foot each time she passed to keep the baby calm. Breakfast over, the rustic dishes put away, the children sent to school or out to play, she sprinkled the linen on the grass, and now spinning is resumed. She takes the wheel out on the puncheon floor, takes her darling babe from the cradle, and, while her foot is busy with the treadle, it serves as a motion to quiet the little beauty, while singing and musing. She can sing right merrily too : " Home, sweet home,"—my own home, be it ever so poor, is home. But it is time to prepare dinner, and greens must be picked, potatoes washed, meat put on to boil, and venison or bear-meat to be broiled or baked ; and if the husband is a good shot, a turkey is swung up before the large fireplace to broil. Then down to the wheel or into the loom, banging away as she sends the swiftly-flying shuttle through the double-threaded web. The horn is blown again, the victuals taken up, and the meal is eaten with the baby on the lap. The pewter dishes washed and put away, the floor must be scrubbed,—for she has no carpet,—and the bleaching cloth is to be watered again. Then back to the wheel till time for supper ; which over, she goes to the pasture to milk the cows, puts the children to bed, and takes again to the ever-busy wheel until the husband retires to his couch. She must stop now, for he does not like the buzzing noise, nut no bed comes to her relief yet, for the children's clothes are to be mended and stockings darned; and thus she toils on until late in the night. Such was the life led by most of Clermont's pioneer mothers. But few of the grandmothers remain who participated in such life, and in a few short years they will have become pioneers to another country, to be followed by a ceaseless stream of emigrants as time rolls its changes in our fleeting world. Among the common articles of food which the pioneers had, mush and milk was greatly esteemed, and the methods of eating the same were various, Some would sit around the pot and every one take therefrom for himself; some would set a table and each have his tin cup of milk, and with a pewter spoon take just as much mush from the dish or pot, if it was on the table, as he thought would fill his mouth, then, lowering it into the milk, would take some to wash it down. This method kept the milk cool, and by frequent repetitions the pioneer would contract the faculty of correctly estimating the proper amount of each ; but others would mix the mush and milk together. The earliest, settlers had no candles, and cared little about them, except for summer use. Sometimes seasoned sticks, then again the bark of shelly hickory, was used for light, and the common rag-dips of cloth in grease and the various like styles were always at hand. Salt was a luxury,-very scarce and at a high price,— and sold from three to four dollars per bushel up to 1808. Whisky-toddy was considered luxury enough for any party, the woods furnished abundance of venison, and corn-pone supplied the place of every variety of pastry. MANNERS AND CUSTOMS. In the early period of the country's history the people were in a condition of complete social equality. No aristocratic distinctions were thought of in society, and the first line of demarkation was to separate the very bad from the general mass. The rich and the poor were costumed alike, many of the men being dressed in buckskin pants, and the women of all families wearing coarse fabrics, produced by their own hands. Some of the men wore coonskin caps with the fur on the outside and the tail dangling down the back of the wearer. Sometimes the material of the buckskin pants was not well tanned, and when dried after being thoroughly soaked became hard and inflexible. When thrown on the floor they bounded and rattled like tin kettles, and the pioneer, on a cold morning, in drawing on a pair, was about as comfortable as if thrusting his limbs into a couple of frosty stove-pipes. The settlers subsisted principally on corn-bread and wild meats. Flour, tea, and coffee were scarcely to be had, except at prices which placed them beyond the reach of very many. At weddings a puncheon formed like a bench, bare of a cloth, was covered with refreshments of a plain nature. Wild turkeys that but a few days before had gobbled in their native woods, coon that had grown on the creek-flats, pone as wedding-cake, with metheglin and whisky, comprised the bill of fare. A dance was the finalc of the wedding festivities, and they made merry on the puncheon floor to the music of the fiddle in jigs, four-handed reels, and the old-style double-shuffle and breakdown. The next day the party repaired to the house of the groom for the " infair," where the mirth was kept up with renewed feasting and dancing. Almost all of the first inhabitants of the county were of upright character, bold, daring, somewhat restless, but generous minded. Although often enduring great privations and living in primitive simplicity, they always entertained an unbounded hospitality. They did not observe the heartless formalities of modern society, but their welcome WAS plain and outspoken. " Bring your knitting and stay a week" was an oft-expressed invitation; and when one did come, he was expected to feel perfectly at home and help himself. Were an unexpected visit made, the hostess was still pleased to see her neighbors, and immediately began the preparations for giving them the ordinary treat, serving PIONEER LIFE - 53 them a meal of the best the house afforded, including, if possible, a cup of tea. As she had but one fireproof vessel in the cabin,—the conventional bake-kettle, some time must be consumed in preparing the meal. First, some meat had to be tried in the kitchen to get lard ; second, some cakes were made and fried in it ; third, some short-cakes were made in it ; fourth, it was used as a bucket to draw water ; fifth, the water was put in, and a very sociable cup ofsi tea they had indeed. The pioneers were self-reliant and comparatively independent. Every family did a little of everything, and made their own garments out of their own raw material, manufactured their own soap, and dipped their own candles. When they killed a sheep or calf they sent pieces to their neighbors; and they, in the future, performed the same kind office in return. In this way the settlers had a full supply of this kind of meat without the aid of a professional butcher and without the outlay of money. The shoemaker and tailor, with their kits of tools, made their semi-annual rounds to make or mend boots, shoes, and clothing, the material for which had been provided beforehand by the head of the family. Manners, customs, and habits have changed, but the memory will cling with fondness to those of other days. It gratifies our pride to have all the adventitious aids in preparing and serving our food and securing our clothing ; it is pleasant to have a house of eight or ten rooms, each supplied with its own appropriate furniture and adornments; but we very much doubt whether these things make us happier, or contribute more to our family or social enjoyment, than the plain simplicity and surroundings of three quarters of a century ago. FRONTIER AMUSEMENTS. Those who suppose that pioneer life was one of continual hardship—" all work and no play"—are very greatly mistaken. They had their amusements, which, if not as refined as those of modern times, were as exciting and enjoyable. The pursuit of game with the faithful dog and trusty gun relieved the monotony of daily toil, and the forests abounded with squirrels, wild turkeys, and deer. They trapped the rabbits, quails, and other small game ; and at night " coon- and 'possum-hunting" were favorite diversions. Them were elements of a pleasing nature in the life of the early settler not found in the dull routine of ordinary work en improved farms. Visions of bear-, panther-, deer- and raccoon-hunts, corn-huskings, monster log-rollings, house-raisings, wrestling-matches, and fishing-parties, and last, but not least in true sport and enjoyment, the ancient fox-chase. The rec011ections of the gay dance and the wild frolic come softly over the aged pioneer's memory like the low whisperings of the summer breeze, like the gentle mur- murings of the rolling waters as the long swell breaks upon the shore, like the far-off sound of church-bells mel- lowed by time, softened by distance, but a:so hallowed by many a pleasant thought and fond remembrance. Pleasure was often combined with business, resulting bouse-raisings, log-rollings, and corn-huskings, frequent and attended by young and old, especially the latter. In the fall the ears of corn were torn from the stalk unhusked and deposited in a long row upon a plat of grass; and when the company assembled in the evening, captains were chosen, who divided the heap as near the middle as possible. They selected their men alternately, and being arrayed under their respective leaders, the contest began. The husks were thrown backward and the ears of corn forward, and the company that finished first was the winner, and had the first swig at the bottle and the chief seats at the royal feast that followed. Oftentimes daylight revealed the fact that unhusked corn was found both among the shucks and in the corn-heap. Young people in the fall and winter evenings were often assembled at a quaing or apple-cutting party. When the quilt was finished or the apples peeled, quartered, and cored, and a sumptuous feast was disposed of, all united in a dance or some play. The old pioneer who reads this chapter will remember with what spirit and enthusiasm they marched with their partner and sang: "Oh, sister Phebe, how merry were we The night we sat under the juniper-tree, The juniper-tree, the juniper-tree, Hei oh !" etc., etc. or "We are marching forward to Quebec; The drums are loudly beating; America has gained the day, The British are retreating." And then, reversing the order, with the arms crossed, sing "The war is o'er, and we'll turn back To the place from which we started; So open the ring and take one in Which you think will prove true-hearted," etc. Seldom were those joyful occasions marred by any unpleasant incidents or by excesses in eating or drinking, but at an early hour in the morning each young man went home with his girl, ̊lily to repeat the enjoyment at some other cabin on the next moonlight night. Horse-racing, turkey-raffling, and many other kindred sports that obtained in many settlements, found few votaries in Clermont, whose pioneers were of a type of settlers not addicted to gambling and other vices that beset so many frontier localities. Some twenty years after the settlement of the county a few rough, coarse, and vicious characters came in,—principally as adventurers,—but they were soon weeded out, and the county arose rapidly to great numbers in population, owing, in a great degree, to the industry and good character of the hardy settlers. PIONEER BELLES. As illustrating the character and social status ofsi the good old days, Judge Read said that there was not a single case on the Clermont docket where a divorce was asked for or granted where the courting was done in a flax-patch, sugar-camp, quilting, or corn-husking. The pioneer girls, dressed in their linseys, made the young men bow as low and smile as sweetly as do the ladies of our day in the cities, with their rustling silks, satins, or muslins. Then the young lady could ride to a quilting on an ox-sled or a " saphng-jumper.' and dance merrily to the music of a single violin and such dancing! —a real double-shuffle, in which there 54 - HISTORY OF CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO. were grace, activity, life, spirit, and the genuine poetry of action, with none of your sliding, languishing, die-away motions of the belle of the fashionable ball-room at this date. When the dance was over the girls could walk home, a distance of five or ten niiles, unless their beaux (and they all had beaux, and some of them a score or more) had a horse with saddle and pillion, when they would mount a stump or climb upon the fence and spring on the horse behind the rider and ride home. If they were engaged to be married and the day fixed, she would clasp her plump, well-muscled arm around him, he clasping one hand in hers. There was one great objection a beau had to his lady-love riding behind him, it was difficult to kiss her in that position, though it could be done. How all the young men enjoyed riding over hills and rough places ! as it made their sweethearts clasp them tightly ; and how their hearts swelled and beat as they felt the electric squeeze of the angelic creatures by starry moonlight ! Girls were in demand ; they were scarce, and the young men outnumbered them two to one. We fear the gentler sex has not improved in health and true unalloyed happiness since those days of innocent romps and jollity, though they may have extended their home spun skirts of two yards to twelve yards of silks and furbelows ; and we are of the opinion that the sleep of modern girls is no sounder nor their dreams more pleasant than were those of their rustic grandmothers. A bevy of young damsels on their way to a spinning and log-rolling, on coming to a creek, would pull off their yarn stockings and shoes, and, with spinning-wheels on their shoulders, wade the stream, regardless of snakes, and with a determined air that would put to the blush the sickly, canting, and insipid conventionalities of the present day. We remember, as though it was but last autumn, a rosy, sweet, angelic girl that came and spun on the big wheel each day in a certain neighborhood of the county. Her laughter was sweeter and more musical than the songs of the birds. She had been reared in the depth of poverty, -a sweet, wild flower of the forest, and the artist that could have painted her on canvas true to life would have been worshiped. Here was a picture a fit feast for the artist's eye,-a wonderful and happy combination of ease, grace, and elasticity of step at once to be distrnguished from anything bordering on plebeian birth. In our mind's eye we see her as she appeared, her head slightly in shadow, her body lighted up, all beaming with beauty and grace. She was of medium height, but beautifully symmetrical in form. Her shoulders were exquisitely rounded, her hips developed, her foot incomparably fine, and what a beautiful head on this handsome body I large, soft eyes of dark blue; dark chestnut hair, silky and naturally wavy ; the nose of perfect form, with open nostrils always in motion ; a small mouth, with red lips, and teeth fine, closely set, and pearly. One was perfectly conquered by the expression of this beautiful face,-its distinction, its brilliancy, the supreme charm that emanated from it,-and so was a subsequent Governor of Missouri, to whom afterwards this pearl of Clermont was married, and reigned in the West as the " Belle of the Mississippi." EARLY MARRIAGES. We give below the official list of marriages in the county for the first seven years after its organization, by whom solemnized, and the dates thereof: 1801.--September 20th, John Earhart and Sally Wood, by William Hunter, J. P.; October 25th, James 1rvin and Ciuthy Anna Dilliner, by William Hunter, J. P.; September 5th, Michael Hildebrand and Mary Ann Harper, by Moses Frazee, M. G. * Ootober 29th, Wiltiam South and Phebo Frazee, by Moses Frazee, M. G.; December 9th, Archibald Hosbrook and Phebe Osborn, by Moses Frazee, M. G.; December 6th, Stephen Frazee and Hannah Beak, by Moses Frazee, M. G.; Ootober 29th, Tobias Hunter and Barbara Sheak, by Owen Todd, J. P.; December 24th, Isaac Manning and Christena McColin, by Moses Frazee, M. II; December 24th, John York and Betsey Murfey, by Alexander Martin, J. P. 1802.-January 4th, Jonathan Bragdon and Sally Bradberry, by Moses Frazee, M. G.; January 11th, Benjamin Sills and Katuren Baum, by Houton Clarke, J. P.; January 16tb, Jahn Dimmitt and Lydia Gist, by Philip Gatch, M. G.; January 30th, Arthur St. Clair (son of the Governor of the Territory of the Northwest) and Frances Stall, by William Hunter, J. P.; May 21st, Joseph Moor and Mary Mefford, by Amos Ellis, J. P.; May 24th, Samuel Kinnett and Elizabeth Rogers, by Amos Ellis, J. P.; March 7th, John Ross and Rebeckah Frazee, by Moses Frazee, M. G.; Aprit 4th, Aaron Leonard and Sarah Rounds, by Moses Frazee, M. G.; April 17th, Moses Bradberry and Agnes Hunt, by Moses Frazee, M. G.; May 23d, Aaron Osborn and Eloner Musgrove, by Moses Frazee, M. G.; May 1st, James Boothby and Abigail Rounds, by Moses Frazee, M. G.; June 3d, Elijah Strong and Submit Miller, by Philip Gatch, M. G.; April 8th, Timothy Conner and Mary Dickinson, by William Buchanan, ,r. P.; August 5th, Charles Steward and Mary Tate, by William Buchanan, J. P.; September 3d, Josiah Boothby and Mary Rounds, by David Loof bourrow, M. G.; Oclober 19th, John Read and Jane Simonton, by Philip Gatch, M. G.; Christy Apple and Katuren Polender (date not given of the month and day), by Houton Clarke, J. P.; November 19th, Peter Emery and Etizabeth Apple, by John Hunter, J. P.; November 22d, Robert Bradley and Elizabeth Lytle, by Sylvester Hutchinson, M. G. 1803.-January 2d, Daniel Kidd and Mary Buntin, by William Hunter, J. P.; February 18th, Roger W. Waring and Martha McClellan, by William Hunter, J. P.; April 23d, Levi Fryberger and Rachel Custard, by Owen Todd, J. P.; March 29th, William Smith and Susannah Light, by Elisha Bowman, M. G.; February 4th, John Gest and Martha Gatch, by Elisha Bowman, M. G.; February 19th, Edward Tat- man and Amy Milts, by Houton Clarke, J. P.; April 19th, James Arthur and Anne Osbourn, by Philip Gatch, M. 0. ; April 21st, John Vanneton and Mary McDonna, by Philip Gatch, M. G.; July 12th, John Williams and Anna Tee- garden, by Morris Witham, M. G.; November 1st, Andrew and Ana Perine, by Roger W. Waring, J. P. 1804.-January 24th, John Lucas and Peggy Harp, by Alexander Martin, J. P.; January 24th, Isaac Lucas and Phemy Harp, by Alexander Martin, J. P.; January 28th, Reuben Lea- cock and Sarah Jordan, by Alexander Martin, J. P. ; February 19th, John Vanner and Catherine Spence, by Roger W. Waring, J. P. April 3d, James Bunting and Sally Doughty, lay Roger W. Waring, J. P.; July 4th, James Perine and Polly Kain, by Roger W. Waring, J. P.; September 4th, John Hill and Elizabeth Monahan, by Alexander Martin, J. P.; December 2d, Ezekiel Howard and Betsey Shinkle, by William Fee, J. P. 1805.-March 4th, Robert Allen and Martha Work, by Alexander Martin, J. P. ; October 9th, Thomas Glaze end Rebecca Jones, by Alexander Martin, J. P.; October 4th, John Lytle and Dorcas Waring, by Roger W. Waring, J. P.; June 14th, Solomon Hedges and Polly Jenkfns, by William Foe, J. P.; * M. G., minister of the gospel, EARLY MARRIAGES - 55 July 6th, James Hunt and Nancy Shotwell, by Moses Frazee, M. G.; September 15th, Isaac Coulthar and Mary Holmes, by Moses Frazee, M. G.; September 23d, James Thompson and Margaret Burget,fty Henry Chapman, J. P.; September 24th, John Smith and Jane Wishard, by Jacob Slight, M. G.; September 22d, Benjamin Clark and Lucusso Garland, by Francis McCormick, M. G.; April 25th, John Pollock and Polly Stillow, by Philip Gatch, M. G.; January 1st, Joseph Calvin and Jane Wardlow, by William Hunter, J. P.; November 21st, John South and Nancy Burnet, by (name too defaced to be made out); November 7th, Reuben Fights and Sally Waits, by William Hunter, J. P. ; November 5th, Edward Sargent and Anna Sargent, by George Brown, M. G. (Mrs. Sargent was living in 1880, and resided on the same farm, and in part of the same house, where she went three.quarters of a century ago on her wedding-day, and her wedding was one of the grandest in the county for an early day); November 7th, Josiah Warton and Peggy Utter, by George Brown, M. G.; November 17th, John McGraw and Susan Miller, by William Fee, J. P.; August 14th, Samuet Wood hnd Alice Richey, by William Fee, J. P,; November 10th, John Shinkle and Barbara Skinkle, by William Fee, J. P.; November 28th, John Day and Catharine Hendrix, by William Fee, J. P.; March 14th, John Pitser and Catharine Leeferry, by Henry Chapman, J. P.; March 7th, Thomas Jennings and Polly Parker, by Henry Chap- man, J. P.; June 6th, James Kirkpatrick and Hannah Pulience, by Henry Chapman, J. P. ; June 20th, Joseph Wood and Polly Hodges, by George Brown, M. G,; July 16th, Absalom Brooks and Isabel Coulthar, by Roger W. Waring, J. P. ; July 4th, James Fox and Peggy Berry, by Francis McCormick, M. G.; July 7th, John Armstrong and Sarah Sly, by Francis McCormick, M. G.; November 28th, John White and Veighty Church, by Henry Willis, J. P.; September 19th, John Knott and Nancy Dumford.by Francis McCormick, M. G.; September 19th, Joseph Brunk and Polly South, by Francis McCormick, M. G.; December 1st, Daniel Rain and Nelly Foster, by Roger W. Waring, J. P.; November 29th, Hugh Ferguson and Mary Arthus, by Francis McCormick, M. G.; November 17th, Samuel Beck and Hannah Morris, by John Morris, J. P. 1806.-March 19th, Benjamin Osburn and Ruth Dusket, by Moses Frazee, M. G.; March 29th, Stacy Brown and Betsey Wilson, by Levi Rogers, M. G.; June 5th, Robert Lain and Martha Witham, by John Hunter, J. P.; January 2Ist, Hutson Marter and Martha Leacock, by Alexander Martin, J. P.; June 5th, William Fletcher and Ann Williams, by William Hunter, J. P.; March 20th, Mr. Vanosdol and Amy McCollum, by Henry Willis, J. P.; April 3d, William Gold and Mevarcum Rounds, by Henry Willis, J. P.; June 5th, Frederick Councilman and Leah Rodonnel, by Henry Willis, J. P.; April 10th, Andrew Gray and Elizabeth Logan, by Morris Witham, M. G.; September 18th, George Jones and Elizabeth Hamilton, by William Fce, J. P.; September 20th, William Smith and Mary Richardson, by William Fee, J. P.; October 21st, James Dye and Nancy Ellis, by Bernard Thompson, J. P.; October 28th, William Collerham and Rachel Smith, by Bernard Thompson, J. P.; October 6th, Jesse Hilt and Fanny Miller, by Jacob Light, M. G.; November 16th, Perry Garland and Margaret Davis, by Philip Glitch, M. G. ; December 19th, Michael Swing and Ruth Gatch, by John Collins, M. G.; December 4th, Jonathan Wier and Liza Bottinghouf, by George Brown, M. G.; December 13th, Benjamin Rue and Gents, by John Pollock, J. P.; August 20th, Josiah McKinney and Eleanor Thom, by William Hunter, J. P. ; January 2d, Nicholas Christ and Barbara Teagarden, by Itoger W. Waring, J. P.; January 4th, Thomas Foster and Abigail Davis, by Francis McCormick, M, G.; January Id, William Richey and Sophia Miller, by William Fee, J. P. ; January 6th, Michael Baum and Elizabeth Richey, by William Fee, J. P.; December Rh, John Woodruff and Polly Harper, by Henry Chapman, J. P.; December 25th, James Foster and Eliza- beth Burget, by Henry Chapman, J. P.; February 27th, John Cancade and Mary Johnston, by George Brown, M. G.; February 15th, Hugh Rankin and Betsey Light, by Roger W. Waring, J. P.; March 1st, Joseph Davis and Rachel Fowler, by Roger W. Waring. J. P.; February 6th, William Mastin and Barbary Shikely, by Philip Gatch, M. G.; March 6th, Ebenezer Osburn and Fanny Elston, by Philip (latch, M. G. 1807.-January 15th, Thomas Berry and Mary Wright, by Henry Chapman, J. P.; March 20th, Thomas McIlroy and Sarah Christy, by Roger W. Waring, J. P.; March 23d, John Chambers and Mary Miller, by Roger W. Waring, J. P. March 27th, William Ackles and Mary Long, by Roger W. Waring, J. P.; March 27th, John Hall or Hill and Hannah Moore, by Roger W. Waring, J. P.; March 7th, Abraham Myra and Polly Miller, by James Sargent, J. P. ; Sears Crain and Anna Nuth (day and month blank), by Moses Hutchings, M. G.; March 23d, Isaac South and Deborah Hutchings, by Moses Hutchings, M. G. ; the following three couples were married by John Pollock, J. P., but date of days and months not given : Joseph Clements and Mary Wiggons, Jonathan Eldridge and Mary Ramsey, William Donnels and Magdaline Simonton ; July 8, Jacob Borstler and Sarah Robbins, by Roger W. Waring, J. P.; January 5th, John McCollum and Assigning Winning, by John Col- lins; M. G. ; January 16th, William Bartlett and Betsy Evans, by James Gilliland, M. G.; January 22d, Christian Husong and Elizabeth Chapman, by Morris Witham, M. G.; January 22d, William McKibben and Susannah Prather, by William Fee, J. P. ; February 2d, Conduce Gateh and Margaret McGrue, by Benjamin Lakin, M. G.; February 28th, Ambrose Ransom and Susan Roye, by Benjamin Lakin, M. G.; March 20th, Joseph Lemming and Margaret Latnbert, by Levi Rogers, M. G. ; March 10th, John Lattimore and Margaret Homer, by Philip Gatch, M. G.; April -, Samuel Shumard and Elizabeth Conrod, by Philip Gatch, M. G. ; May 14th, Jonathan McGrew and Ruth Crawford, by Philip Gatch, M. G.; March 19th, Abel Frazee and Elizabeth Brown, by John Morris, J. P.; April 30th, Isaac Hartman and Polly Daughters, by Levi Rogers, M. G.; March 12th, John Wil- son and Betsey Leeds, by Roger W. Waring, J. P. The foregoing list embraces all the marriages from the organization of .Clermont, in December, 1800, to the year 1808, that were returned to the clerk of the court by the ministers and justices solemnizing them, and, of course, many returns of licenses issued and marriages performed were never returned. It will be seen that Roger W. Waring, the clerk of the court, who issued marriage licenses, was also a justice of the peace, and thus was able to do a large business in the marriage line. LIBRARIES AND SCHOOLS. The library of the intelhgent pioneer consisted of the Bible and hymn-book, Bunyan's " Pilgrim's Progress," Fox's " Book of Martyrs," Baxter's " Saint's Rest," Her- vey's " Meditations," JEsop's " Fables," William Riley's "Narrative," " Gulliverls Travels," and " Robinson Crusoe." The school-books were very few, and none were illustrated that for beginners was a paddle, with the alphabet and words of two letters pasted on one side, and "baker," "brier," "cider," etc., on the other, which answered the double purpose of instruction and punishment. The school-house, like the dwelling, was built of logs, with a window, one Dane of glass wide, extending the whole length of the house, but generally, in place of glass, paper greased with hog's fat afforded the light, and slabs or "puncheons" served as seats for the pupils. Steel pens were unknown, and one of the chief qualifica- tions of the teacher was to be a good penman and expert in 56 - HISTORY OF CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO. making quill pens. Sometimes, in later days, the log school-house was so constructed that openings were left in the logs to serve as windows, and in summer they were left without sash, in winter sized newspapers subserved the double purpose of sash and window-glass. A mode of punishment, equally primitive, called for another opening of six inches in the rude door, and into this offenders were required to thrust a bare foot and keep it there till released by the stern pedagogue of harsh aspect ; and, as snakes were numerous in summer and the ground under the house open, the discipline was amazingly effective. The schools were sustained by subscription, and the teachers, learned in knowledge, dextrous with the old-fashioned goosequill pen and expert—particularly so—with the heavy ferule and Solomon's rod, received from eight to twelve dollars per month for their services, and " boarded 'round" with their patrons. On certain festive days, especially Christmas, the custom prevailed—as positive as the common law and immutable as the laws of the Medes and Persians-of " barring out" the teacher, the scholars not permitting him to enter the school-room until he treated to cider, apples, gingerbread, or candy ; and sometimes, on the pedagogue's refusal, he was taken to the nearest creek and immersed in its flowing waters or ducked in the snow till he succumbed and complied with the terms dictated by his pupils, usually led on by the biggest and most rawboned boy,—one often superior in size to the teacher. The old-fashioned schools were excellent in many respects, and the boys and girls obtained a good, practical primary education and a wholesome discipline specially adapted to those early times. On account of the sparseness of the population and the work to be done at home, in which the young of both sexes had to lend a helping hand, there were usually but " two quarters" of a school per year. MEETING-HOUSES. In the early days of pioneer life religion assumed a dramatic form, and the out-door meetings were the natural result, both as accessories of scenery and also because " God's first temples" were the only temples our worthy ancestors were able to secure. Then here and there a rude structure was put up, like the " Old Bethel Meeting-House," " Hope- well," and Ten-Mile Creek churches, and soon many log houses were erected in the county for the preaching of the Lord's word. Services, too, were often held in the residences of zealous members of the church, and very frequently in the woods, where large camp-meetings attracted hundreds and thousands from many miles around. It was near fourscore years ago that " the voice of one crying in the wilderness" first began to be heard in Clermont, into which poured preachers on the circuit ; and they were men who had not graduated with the honors of their class at a fashionable divinity school. They were as guiltless of original Greek as they claimed it was possible to become of original sin, and they came among an honest, impulsive, uncultured (in a collegiate sense) people, knowing how to touch the strings of every heart; and the work they did was gradual, formative, but enduring in its happy results, as we find in our excellent churches and Christian families the fruits of these first fathers' teachings. CLEARING THE LANDS. To the robust and hardy pioneers of Clermont there was a certain kind of fascination—a species of romance—about the clearing of their heavily-timbered lands. Their trials were severe, their privations great ; but it was a gratification to see the lofty trees that had withstood the storms and fierce howlings of the mighty tempest for hundreds of years bow before the strong arm of man. It was grand to see the heavy volume of smoke roll up by day, and at night to watch the curling red flame lighting up the dense, mysterious forests, It was hard work, but healthy and exciting, amid the winter's snow, to go into the silent woods to draw the logs to mill and split out rails to build fences. It was pleasing, year by year, to see how steadily the field of vision around the ̊lc: log cabin was enlarged and new prospects opened, until, at length, the eye could glance over miles of clearings and behold large, well-filled barns and granaries, a comfortable home full of happy and contented boys and girls, with a loved wife in charge of the domestic duties, while the head of the family was wielding the axe in the woods or burning brush or log-heaps preparatory to the cultivation of a new field the ensuing season. FARMING UTENSILS. The farming implements were few and simple. The axe was in constant use, and was always kept in good order. Its inseparable companions were a maul and a few iron wedges, which were supplemented with others made of green dogwood, and were much used in making rails. A wooden mould-board plow ; a harrow with iron, and very often wooden, teeth ; log chains; a wagon and sled ; a crosscut saw ; a few augers of different sizes and a gimlet ; hose and grubbing-hoe ; rakes; a flax-brake and swinging board ; a couple of flails for thrashing grain, made by fastening together two pieces of wood with a string of raw hide, constituted the principal outfit. The grain was at first cut with a sickle or heavy Dutch scythe, at the rate of about an acre per day ; then came the cradle, and still later the modern reaper. For thrashing grain, besides the flail, horses were very often used to tramp it out, being driven round and round on a circular bed, which was kept in condition by a man following with a shaking-fork. It was cleaned first by hand, but later the neighbors combined to purchase a winnowing-machine for general use, and still later every farm was supplied with improved and labor-saving appliances. DOMESTIC AND WILD ANIMALS. Nearly every farmer had a team of horses, and some were supplied with a yoke of oxen, which were preferred in drawing logs in a clearing and breaking up new ground. A cow or two was indispensable, and droves of hogs of all ages, gathering the mast, filled the woods. Sometimes they were allowed to roam at large such a length of time that they became wild, and it afforded much sport to hunt them. A small flock of sheep was of great service to furnish wool from which the winter clothing was made, and shearing- time was looked upon as a great occasion by the farmers' sons, who enjoyed the sport of washing the sheep in the creek a few days beforehand. Geese were kept principally for their feathers, as a feather-bed in an open cabin was a REMINISCENCES - 57 great luxury in a winter's night. A great variety of dogs abounded, sometimes as many as six claiming the same master and having a common kennel under the cabin-floor. To protect the sheep and cattle from the wolves which prowled about, the settlers were compelled to " corral" them in a rail pen about the house ; the stealthy and vagrant pests were afraid to venture near the light of the cabin-fire. The fowls were often captured by the minx, the opossum, or the raccoon, while the sheep-folds were sometimes invaded by hungry dogs, the ravening whelk and the half-starved yel- low dog ahke playing havoc with the farmers' flocks, and incurring the death-penalty, which was bestowed in such cases if the enraged settler overtook them. In some places it was found difficult to raise hogs and sheep, on account of the wolves, which committed many mischievous depredations. A reward for their scalps had the effect of stimulating those who engaged in hunting them, which formed quite a lucrative business. Many expedients were resorted to by the hunters to more suc- cessfully capture their game. Some of them would take the ovary of a female wolf at a particular time and rub it on the soles of their boots; then, circling through the forest where the wolves were most plentiful, the male wolves would follow the track of the hunter, who had secreted himself in some suitable place, and as soon as they came within reach of his rifle he would dispatch them. This method, while very effective in alluring the wolves, had also the effect of maddening them, and the utmost caution had to be observed to prevent them from attacking the hunter. On one occasion, while Charles Waits was thus hunting in Williarnsburgh township, he was so closely pursued that he with difficulty reached a low tree, into the branches of which he sprang, and it was not until he had killed four of the enraged animals that they fell back. Many of the first settlers for several years paid their taxes with the funds they received as bounties for scalps, paid for their ammunition, and laid in a stock of store-goods besides. To better elude the watchful eyes of the wild animals, especially those of the deer and the turkey, bunting-shirts were colored to suit the season. In the fall the shirt most resembled dead leaves; in the winter they used a garment whose color resembled the bark of trecs ; and when snow was on the ground they frequently drew on a white shirt over their other garments. Many of the most noted bunters of Clermont County are named in the chapter pertaining to the proceedings of the county commissioners. PIONEER MILLS. It is curious to follow in the track of the early settle- ment of a country and notice how it advances,—feeble in the beginning, as a child in the cradle, but time and care develops the maturity of manhood ; so, at first, the early settler had to grind his corn by pounding it in a mortar, or hominy-block, as it was called, which was made by burning a hole into the end of a block of wood. He pounded it in these mortars with a pestle, which was made by driving an iron wedge into a stick of suitable size. After the corn was sufficiently pounded it was sieved, and the finer portion thereof taken for meal to make bread and mush, and the coarser part boiled for hominy. Next came the hand-mill, and for this convenience most of the settlers had to go miles through the woods to some neighbor who was able to furnish himself with such an article. William and John Brown, who came from Kentucky and settled about a mile north of Bethel, brought with them one of these hand-mills, which they and their neigh- bors used until something better could be had. It was one of the first in Clermont, and was made of some hard stone, —perhaps limestone only. The bed-stone was fastened in a frame about three feet high, and was dressed after the manner of mill-stones, with furrows, the runner or top- stone being kept in its place by a rim, and a stick let into a hole in one edge gave the handle, by which it was seized and forced around upon the nether-stone, with the grains of corn between them, and thus ground into meal. One strong man could grind very well, and two persons could make it perform with ease. Next came the "sweep horse-mill,"—a great improvement upon the mortar and the hand-mill, its two predecessors,- and soon every considerable neighborhood had its "horse- mill." They have all gone out of use, and hence we will describe them : A large square frame, say forty feet square, was erected of pretty stout timbers, sometimes the posts let into the ground two or three feet, with plates framed into them to support the roof and well braced. In the centre a driving-wheel was placed, with a large shaft passing through it having an iron gudgeon or pinion at each end, the lower end set in a block firmly planted below, and the upper one secured by a framework overhead. So this shaft stood perfectly upright, and the wheel branching out from it by arms mortised into it, and extended about eight or ten, or even twelve, feet from the shaft, thus giving the driving-wheel a diameter of twenty to twenty-four feet. On the outer edge or rim of this wheel were cogs, set sometimes on the top, sometimes below, and not unfrequently in the front or tread of the wheel, as we say of a wagon-wheel, just to suit the plan of the mill. From this shaft, at about two and a half feet from the ground, projected two long levers, as long as the building would admit, and at the outer end of these levers was a place for bitching a span of horses ; and when in motion the horses would describe a circle of about forty feet diameter, being about the full capacity of the building or shed. The wheel, thus moved by the horses, worked its teeth or cogs into another wheel and so by other wheels, properly arranged, the power finally reached the runner-stone and performed the grinding process. Another building, adjoining the shed, was constructed for the mill, and was large or small as the wants of the business required. Being all under cover, the milling could be done comfortably in all kinds of weather, and two teams, one to each lever,—or sweep, as they were called,—would give abundant power and enable the miller to expedite the work readily and satisfactorily. Each person bringing his grist brought also his team, and generally two would splice, as the saying was, and run out their grists in that way. Bethel was the centre of an early and numerous settlement, and the milling-business there required two mills, both located on Main Street. For the privilege of a ride boys 58 - HISTORY OF CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO. would sit upon the end of one of the sweeps, behind the horses, and drive them through the grinding of a grist. In those early days everybody drank whisky, and all regarded it as a harmless indulgence, except in cases of great abuse, and these were not matters of any special concern to any save the unfortunates themselves. Taverns were plenty, and liquor pretty good and cheap, and the farmers, by the use of a little copper-distilled whisky while waiting at the mill for their turns, could make the time pass off pleasantly and rapidly. Sometimes a song or a story helped to relieve the tediousness of the waiting, and somementimes a wrestle, a foot-race, jumping, pitching quoits, a game of checkers, and not unfrequently a regular old-fashioned fight, added to the interest of the occasion. At night a fire would be kindled in a sheltered place, and, sitting around it, smoking, chewing tobacco, and drinking, would cluster all who were waiting their turns. Then was the time for the telling of marvelors stories of bears, wolves, and panthers,—how they deprecated on the stock of the farmers; how the farmer hunted them in great peril, running them up trees, into caves, thickets, finally overhauling them with dogs, and then the fight, escape, or death. Many a little boy would sit and listen to those wonderful, and to him terrible, stories, night after night, until his brain would be so full of them that he was afraid to go home, expecting a panther or a bear to come upon him at every step he had to take, and which, when he did go, was taken at high speed, and his dreams, of course, would be full of the same awful stories the rest of the night.. The mother of such a boy could not see, of course, what should interest him at the mill, with a parcel of old men, to stay till late at night, as was often the case, and would threaten him with severe correction, or, what was more alarming, to inform his father ; but still a bear-story or a wolf-hunt was too much of a charm for the average pioneer boy to lose through fear of corporeal chastisement. The sweep horse-mill gave way to the tread-wheel, which is still in use,—not so much for grinding as for carding wool. The water-courses not affording reliable waterpower for all seasons of the year, steam has become the great agent in moving machinery for all purposes. Such is the progress made in Clermont in eighty years: from the old mortar to the hand ; then horse-sweep ; then treadmill ; then the water-mills on the little streams ; and now the fine steam-mills in full operation all over the county. STORES. The first stores were not in brick, stone, or iron-front buildings, as stern history tells us they were in log houses and had a rough bench counter, on each end of which it was the common practice to set a decanter or bottle of whisky for customers to help themselves gratuitously to liberalize their minds and enable them to purchase advantageously. Flour could not, for several years, be obtained nearer than Cincinnati, or Washington, Ky., and other goods were very high, and none but the commonest kind were brought into the county. Tea retailed at from two to three dollars per pound ; coffee, seventy-five cents; salt, four and five dollars per bushel ; the coarsest calicoes were one dollar a yard ; whisky, from one to two dollars a gallon, and as much of the latter was sold as of all other articles. Spices and pepper were worth a dollar per pound ; domestic shirtings, sixty-two and one-half cents per yard ; brown sugar, from twenty- five to thirty cents per pound ; loaf sugar, from forty to fifty ; butter, twenty-five ; corn, a dollar a bushel ; and, as to wheat, there was scarcely a price known for three years, till the completion of the mill at Lytlestown (Williamsburgh). There was no market for several years, beyond the wants of the settlers, which were sufficient to swallow up all the surplus products of the farmer ; but when such an outlet was found, it was through the Ohio River by keel-boats to the Southern States. From 1825 to 1830 there were opened many large stores all over the county, doing a large business ; and, glancing over a daily journal (day-book) of the business done, we get and present a view of the markets, customs, and exchange of that period in Williamsburgh Woolcards were in good and frequent demand at sixty-two and a half cents apiece. Then the nimble fingers of winsome lasses handled those more zealously than do their granddaughters their piano, organ, or guitar. Stern necessity, not frivolous fashion, dictated the exercise, for their calicoes, of not over- neat patterns, closed scarce at thirty-seven and a half cents a yard, while butter ruled from five and a quarter to eight cents per pound ; so that a gown of one was a fair exchange for forty or fifty pounds of the other. Honey was preserved in half-gallon jars, at twenty-five cents each. Powder, at fifty cents a pound, and lead, at twelve and a half, were in constant demand, for your hunter of that day was a great executioner of the denizens of the forest. Young spendthrifts were curbed in extravagance by the ruinous rates of twelve and a half cents per hundred for cigars. Shirting that was neither white nor fine was firm at eighteen and three- quarters cents per yard, and washings were cleared with indigo at twenty-five cents per ounce. Our ancestors of that day drank their coffee at twenty-five to twenty-eight cents per pound, and occasionally sipped tea at one dollar and fifty cents, and chewed tobacco unceasingly at twelve and a half cents per pound. Their pepper cost them fifty cents a pound, and their salt one dollar and a 'half per bushel. Corn sold for twenty cents, oats twenty-five, and potatoes fifty cents a bushel, while nails were twelve and a half and iron eight cents per pound. The girls, for one momentous occasion in life, deemed two hundred and forty-six eggs a fair barter for one pair of white cotton stockings,—an extravagance as reckless as their simplicity was admirable. Very frequent charges, such as " Dr." to cash loaned six and one-quarter cents, " Dr." to cash loaned twelve and one- half or eighteen and three-quarters, and sometimes as much as thirty-seven and one-half cents, teach us that even then there was a stringency in the money circulation. And, alas for human credit ! not all these charges are balanced. One item that commands attention, if not respect, is " Cr. by twelve hundred gallons of whisky, at twelve and one- half cents per gallon," and the same book shows where it went, and More too. The exceptions are rare when in a bill of goods the item " Dr. to whisky" does not occur. Nor was the vender without his profit, for the charges on sales are at the rate of twelve and one half cents per quart (the REMINISCENCES - 59 same bought at that figure per gallon), and seems to have been the one thing needful. Often the item stands, like Napoleon, " solitary and alone," but generally it heads the list, proving that it was first in war, first in peace, and first in the mouths of our countrymen. The demand appears to have been regular, subject to occasional violent expansions, which we fairly presume to have been caused by the exi- gencies of harvest, log-rolhngs, house-raisings, corn-husk- ings, sheep-shearings, and (there is no disputing the fact: the day-book shows it) quillings  Dr. to ½ gal. whisky - 25 " ½ lb. tobacco - 6 ½ “ salt - 6 1/4 = 37 ½ is a fair specimen of hundreds of similar entries. The effects in the town where the store was kept (Williamsburgh, now the banner temperance town of Clermont) were obvious, and it is idle to deny them. No wonder that we have momentarily to rescue from oblivion the fate of a little girl in that town,—a tender little girl whose mangled form and crushed and broken bones long since mouldered away in a forgotten grave, whither she was sent by a father's drunken frenzy ; nor need we feel surprised that the jury gave the wretch an acquittal, for drunkenness was very common, and "a fellow-feeling makes us wondrous kind." The day-book and journal from whose pages we have gleaned is quite as noteworthy in what is not shown. Silks have no notice, the perfumes and powders of the modern toilet are not mentioned, and embroideries were absent, as our grandmothers won their suitors without such surrep- titious aid. " Our best respects to thee, Old Ledger, with thy faded letters and yellowed leaves ! for we feel that thou bast taught us a lesson ; and, however much men may sigh for the good days of old,' we know for a truth that, our farms are better tilled, and our homes are better filled ; but that our wives are better willed stands for argument."* The old village store was a grand theatre in which to study human nature, for there centred the voluminous "chimney-corner law," expounded by the solemn but constitutionally lazy wiseacres who loafed and talked, discussed politics and gossip, and attended to everybody's business and affairs but their own. The heads of many barrels have been worn through by the everlasting sitting of these persevering gentry, who wore out the patience of the good storekeeper, his customers, and the underpinning of their trousers in solving great constitutional questions of govern- ment or finance and tariff, and in retailing the faults and foibles of people "the latchets of whose shoes they were unworthy to unloose." TAVERNS. The first hotels in the county were quaint hostelries, generally double log cabins, called taverns, and kept by generous-hearted landlords and presided over in the culi- nary department by the best cooks in the country, the landlord's wife, a tidy woman who kept every nook and corner of the rustic inn in perfect order, and with her own hands prepared all the viands for the table. The first was opened in Williamsburgh ; then at Bethel ; near Batavia ; then at Milford ; then at New Richmond ; then at Point  * Prof. Byron Williams. Pleasant ; and then at Felicity. They had to pay annually a license fund into the county treasury, regulated according to their rank and business; and the landlords in those days were notable personages and men of consequence, distinguished for their good cheer and ability to tell a good story, and, in short, knew how to keep a hotel. The taverns then all had a " bar," and the signs read " entertainment for man and beast," and not unfrequently the entertainment of the bar was so good and extensive that the former was turned into the latter. As the roads were bad,--hardly roads, but "traces" and " blazed ways,"--most of the traveling was done on horseback, and even the judges and the lawyers traveled thus from county to county, and at these old-time taverns many a spree occurred and great were the yarns told by those collected in after a long day's ride, fording creeks and swamp-lands. MUSTERS. Many of our readers will remember the musterings under the old system that prevailed in Ohio, the township trainings, and the general musters by counties or military districts, and what screaming farces they were in a military sense. They were great days for the captains, majors, colonels, and brigadiers who had never smelled powder and were barely versed in the manual of arms to give orders and perform the simplest evolutions. It was a big sight to see, though, when a multitude of farmers and boys assembled in a big meadow, some barefooted, some in tow breeches and straw hats, some with old flint-lock muskets and smooth-bore rifles or shot-guns, and some with hoe-handles or sticks, cut in the most convenient patch of woods, going through the evolutions and marching and countermarcliing about the field. But the greatest sight was when a hollow square Was formed, and the gauntleted brigadier, with vast and shining epaulets and chapeau with plumes a foot long, rode haughtily and stately in to harangue the men on their duties before dismissing them. The picture of one of these gorgeously gotten-up brigadiers is photographed in the memories of thousands as the most impressive and ponder- ous military figure they ever saw or ever will see. APPRENTICES. In olden times it was the custom to bind out by letters of indenture such boys or young men as desired, or their parents or guardians wished to learn some trade or occupation. Then, in order to be a good workman or mechanic in any department of industry, one had to serve a term of years, and the result was the country had No. 1 workmen and men of good character. It was not considered degrading to be thus bound out or to thus be apprenticed to a master, and many of the best men in after-years were, when boys, indentured to some one to learn their trade by serving a long period as an apprentice. Sometimes a boy would be apprenticed to learn the art and mystery of farming or husbandry for a term (depending on his age when he began) of ten, twelve, or fourteen years, and the articles of indenture would stipulate "that his said master he should faithfully serve, his lawful commands everywhere readily obey, and should not absent himself from his said master's service without leave. And further, that he would 60 - HISTORY OF CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO. not play at cards, dice, or other unlawful games, and should not waste his master's goods, neither commit fornication or intermarry during his apprenticeship." Then, on his part, the master agreed in solemn instrument, under seal, that " he would furnish his apprentice good and sufficient meat, drink, lodging, and clothes, and that he would teach, or cause him to be taught, the art of husbandry, and also to read, write, and cipher so far and quite through what in arithmetic was commonly called The Single Rule of Three." And often the master agreed to give the apprentice, on his arrival at his majority (twenty-one years of age), a certain amount of land by a deed of general warranty, and invariably it was one of the terms in the original stipulation to give him, at the termination of his apprenticeship, a good suit of clothes, a saddle, or a horse. Frequently the agreement called for the master to train the apprentice in habits of obedience, industry, and morality, and at the close of service give him two good suits of wearing-apparel,—one of which should be suitable for Sundays and the other for working-days,—and also a new Bible. It was very common, up to the year 1840, to bind out boys to learn the trades of blacksmithing, carpentering, boot-and-shoe making, and other branches of industry so honorable and necessary in all countries, and particularly in our land. In the articles of indenture to a carpenter the apprentice agreed, or it was stipulated by his parent or guardian for him, " to learn the trade, art, mystery, or occupation of a house carpenter and joiner, and to dwell with and serve his said master in all such lawful business as he should be put to the best of his abilities and powers." The master in turn agreed to teach and instruct him, or cause the same to be done, in all the arts and mysteries of the occupation to which he had been bound, "and to furnish him with meat, drink, washing, lodging, and apparel for summer and winter, and all other necessaries proper and convenient for such apprentice during the term of his apprenticeship, and when he arrived at twenty-one give him two suits of wearing apparel, one of which should be new, one hand-saw, one hammer, one jack-plane, one fore-plane, one smoothing-plane, and a new Bible,"-a book all received when they had finished their trades and started out in life. OLD WILLS. No better index can be found to the tone and culture of a country than is discovered in the wills of its dying heads of families, and the musty volumes of the county and the antique parchments of the last wills and testaments of the pioneers show the high religious sentiment that existed in the early days. They most invariably point to humanity's brightest side, though occasionally the testator has cut off a wayward daughter with a shilling or a willful and wicked son with a dollar, and his curse. The first wills on record usually begin something like this : "In the name of God, amen. I, A. B., being in a sick and low condition, but of perfect mind and memory, thanks be to God for his mercies, calling to mind the mortality of my body, and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die, do make and ordain this my last will and testament; and, principally, and first of all, I recommend my soul to the hands of Almighty God that gave it, and my body I recommend to the earth, to be decently buried in a Christian manner; and as touching such worldly estate wherewith it has pleased God to bless me in this life, I give, dismiss, and dispose of the same in the following manner." Then follows the distribution of his real and personal property. What volumes of sound theology and deep- hearted piety, of Christian philanthropy and noble manhood, are contained in these simple but kind words ! Again, another would begin and continue till the distributing clauses were reached something like the foregoing, in these words : " In the name of the Almighty Father, amen. 1, A. B., being very weak in body, but in sound mind and memory, and knowing it is appointed for all men once to die, and being desirous to settle up any worldly affairs, and thereby be the better prepared to leave this world when it shall please the Lord to call me from it, do make and publish this my last will and testament, and desire that it may be received as such by all whom it may concern. And first, I commit my soul into the hands of Almighty God, and my body to the earth, to be interred in a decent Christian burial at the discretion of my executors, hereinafter named, and so on." To perfect the titles and pass the fee, certified copies of all wills of non-residents of the county who had lands in its limits had to be admitted to record in the county and spread upon its records. Hence there are many wills of old Virginians and Kentuckians recorded to pass the title to real estate entered by them, at an- early date, on land- warrants issued to them or their fathers for services in the Revolutionary war in the Virginia line, on the Continental Establishment. Of these is the curious will of Joseph Carrington, who entered and owned Carrington's survey, No. 631, including the present town of Loveland, made and signed April 2, 1802, by the testator, in the county of Cumberland, State of Virginia. In this instrument, Carrington willed and directed that his faithful negro woman " Tiller" be emancipated after his death, and that his executors convey to her, to become her attribute and indefeasible property, her husband, his (Carrington's) negro man York, and her two female children, Betty and Chloe, and, whenever it should be her desire, to assist her in the emancipation of the above York, Betty, and Chloe. Carrington further devised to her during her natural life one of his best tracts of land in his home county, ordered his executors to pay her £20 English sterling, give her a good feather-bed, some furniture, a fine bay horse, a saddle and bridle, three good milch cows, and small cattle to make the number seven, one good brood-sow, and other hogs to make the number ten. Then the residue of his slaves—a very large number—he divided equally among his children. Samuel J. Cabell, of Nelson Co., Va., died, leaving a will dated June 4, 1818, and a codicil thereto attached of the 6th of July following. He owned two surveys, each of eighteen hundred and thirty-three and one-third acres, Nos. 5229 and 5230, in Clermont (Wayne township), Brown, and Clinton Cos., and which he devised to his daughter, Mildred M. Cartwright, and he further ordered his executors to purchase two male slaves between the ages of eighteen and twenty-three, and one female slave about the same age, whom he devised to the aforesaid daughter. The executors were directed to select sixty-four of his (testator's) most valuable slaves, out of which (?) his daughter Paulina was to have ten ; his daughter Peggy, ten; his daughter Em- FORMATION OF THE COUNTY - 61 meline, twelve ; the residue of the said sixty-four, as also all his other slaves, were to be equally divided between his three sons,—George Washington Cabell, Patrick Henry Cabell, and Samuel J. Cabell, Jr., except that the latter was to get and have " Old Simeon," "Old Tom," and " Old Harry," over and above the equal division as to the rest, for which he was to pay a reasonable value. These two are but slight specimens of many of the old slave-code wills of men who once owned large posses- sions in the county. But, thanks to kind Heaven I the traffic in human flesh is among the things of the past in our country, now happily relieved of the accursed system that disgraced our flag and brought our boasted free institutions into disrepute. But the old pioneers—veteran patriarchs and sainted mothers—are fast passing away. Death is striking them down one by one like deer from the herd, and soon we must feel the force of the poet's beautiful lines : "Where are the hardy yeomen Who battled for the land? * * * * * * * * * * Oh, know ye where they slumber ? No monument appears For Freedom's pilgrims to draw nigh And hallow with their tears; Or were no works of glory Done in the olden time And has the West no story Of deathless deeds sublime ?" Yes, the everlasting monuments of our sympathies with the pioneers are reared in our beautiful towns and villages, our fine farms and cosy residences, our manifold improve- ments, schools, and churches, secured by their valor and labors. and we, their descendants, can hardly turn our eyes without being reminded of the good works of our forefathers, whose strong arms and honest hearts gave us this rich heritage. Then lot us be true to their memory and transmit to our successors the noble institutions which their patriotism, endurance, and virtues have given us, and hope, as one generation passes away and another conies, that each succeeding one may attain to a higher degree of excellence, become wiser, better, and happier in all that constitutes State, founded on the broad basis of justice, equality, truth, and virtue. CHAPTER VIII. CLERMONT COUNTY FORMED — ITS ORIGINAL AND PRESENT BOUNDARIES, AND SUBDIVISIONS 1NTO TOWNSHIPS. IN the present limits of the State of Ohio, part of the Territory of the Northwest, the first seven counties were created by the proclamation of Governor St, Clair In the following chronological order : Washington, July 27, 1788 ; Hamilton, Jan. 2, 1790 ; Wayne, Aug. 15, 1796 ; Adams, July 10, 1797 ; Jefferson, July 29, 1797 ; Ross, Aug. 20, 1798 ;' and Trumbull, July 10, 1800. Up to the early part of the year 1799 all the country between the Little Miami River and Elk River (Eagle Creek) was a part of Hamilton County, and called Anderson township; but in the latter part of that year it was divided into two townships, called Washington and Deerfield, the latter embracing the northern part of the present county, with the southern portion of Warren County, and the former including the southern and central parts of all the territory, now in Clermont and Brown Counties, between the Little Miami River and Eagle Creek. The first Territorial Legislature, consisting of a council of five, appointed by President John Adams, on March 22, 1799, to wit,-Jacob Burnet and James Findlay, of Cin- cinnati ; Robert Oliver, of Marietta ; David Vance, of Vanceville, Jefferson Co. ; and Henry Vandenburg, of Vincennes (Indiana), and a House of Representatives of twenty-two members, elected by the people from the counties of Washington, Hamilton, Wayne, Adams, Jefferson, and Ross (in Ohio), and Knox, St. Clair, and Randolph (in Indiana), met and organized at Cincinnati on Sept, 27, 1799. This body passed the following act : . " An Act to establish a new County on the Ohio between the Little Miami River and Adams County. "SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the Legislative Council and House of Representatives in General Assembly, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That from and after the first day of February, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred, so much of the county of Hamilton as is hereinafter mentioned shall compose a new county, that is to say: Beginning on the Ohio River at the mouth of Nine-Mile Creek, otherwise called John's Creek ; thence running in a direct line to the mouth of the east fork of the Little Miami River; thence up the main branch of said Little Miami River until it shall intersect the fine drawn east and west on the north boundary of the first entire range of townships in the Miami purchase; thence east to the line of Ross or Adams Counties; thence on the said line or lines of Ross or Adams Counties to the river Ohio; thence down the said river Ohio to the place of beginning,—all that of said county con- tained within the above boundary lines shall be a new county, and known by the name of Henry. "SECTION 2. And be it further enacted, that Richard Allison, Samuel C. Vance, William Buckhannon, Robert Higgins, ilezekiali Conn, Alexander Martin, William. Perry, and Peter Light shall be, and are hereby, appointed commissioners for the purpose of fixing on the most eligible place in said county of Henry for the permanent seat of justice; and the said commissioners, or a majority of them, are hereby authorized to select and point out a place in the said county of Henry at which the permanent seat of justice shall be established, and to receive as a gilt, or to contract and purchase of any person or persons, the quantity of two hundred acres of land, and to cause the same to be laid off in town lots; one-half thereof in half-acre lots, with convenient streets, and the other half in lots of two acres, allowing suffi- cient streels; and the said commissioners, or a majority of them, shall within three weeks after the laying out of said town convey the same in fee to the commissioners of the said county of Henry, and their successors in office, in trust for the use of the said county ; and the said county commissioners shall proceed to sell the said lots for the use of the county, reserving two acres of the lots as near the centre of the in-lots as may be, to be conveyed to the justices of the court for the said county, and their successors in office, for the purpose of erecting such public buildings thereon as by the laws of this Territory are di- rected. And the said county commissioners shall cause the money arising from the sale of said lots to be paid into the county treasury for the use of the said county, and the county treasurer shall pay the original purchase-money of the said two hundred acres of land and the expenses attending the ascertaining the most eligible place afore- said, with the charges for laying out the said town-lots, and also the sum of two dollars per day to each of the commissioners herein above named during their attendance out of the first moneys that shall be paid into the treasury not otherwise appropriated. " SECTION 3. And be it further enacted, That the sheriff of the said county, within four weeks after he receives his appointment, shall give notice to each of the commissioners of their appointments, and direct the time the said commissioners shall meet at the temporary place for 62 - HISTORY OF CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO. holding their courts, which shall not exceed three weeks from such notice, to execute the duties required of them by this law. " SECTION 4. And be it further enacted, That until such place for holding the courts for said county be fixed by the commissioners, the justices of said county are hereby authorized to hold their respective courts at Denham's Town, within the said county. "SECTION 5. And be it further enacted, That it shall be lawful for the sheriff of the aforesaid county of Hamilton to collect and make dis- tress for any taxes, forfeitures, public dues, or officers' fees for which the inhabitants of the said county of Henry, or any other person or persons holding property in the said county, are liable, and which shall remain unpaid at the time this act shall take effect, in like man- ner as if this act had not been made. "SECTION 6. And be it further enacted, That the courts of the afore- said county of Hamilton shall have jurisdiction in all actions and suits in law which shall be depending therein on the said first day of February, and shall try and determine the same, issue process, and award execution thereon. "SECTION 7. And be it further enacted, That it shall be the duty of the county commissioners of the said county of Henry, at the first meeting next after their appointments, to levy and cause to be col- lected, in the same manner as other coonty rates are levied and col- lected, a sum of money not less than one thousand dollars, nor more than two thousand dollars, and sufficient to buitd a substantial county jail containing two commodious apartments at least; and the said commissioners are hereby directed to cause the said jail to be erected and completed at the permanent seat of justice in the said county of Henry within the term of two years next after the passing of this act. " EDWARD TIFFIN, "Speaker of the House of Represeutatives. " H. VANDERBURGH, President of the Council." The above act was lately discovered among the papers of Governor St. Clair, and is not printed in any of the early annual volumes of laws or other published archives or an- nals of Ohio. It never became a law, but the present county of Clermont had a narrow escape from being called Henry, and Denhamstown (now Bethel) came very near becoming the shiretown. The first session of the territorial Legislature passed thirty bills, but the Governor vetoed eleven of them, of which six were for the erection of new counties, including Henry, and these acts he did not return to the Legislature, because, as he said in his speech of Dec. 19, 1799, pro- roguing and terminating their session, the two houses were under no obligation to consider the reasons on which his vetoes were founded ; and, at any rate, as his negatives were unqualified, the only effect of such a return would be to bring on a vexatious and probably fruitless altercation between the legislative body and the executive. The eleven vetoed bills were disapproved for various reasons, but mainly because the Governor, St. Clair, a stern old Federalist, claimed that the power exercised in enacting them, and particularly those relating to the creation of new counties, was vested by the ordinance of 1787, not in the Legisla- ture, but in hithself; hence he pocketed and retained every act that he considered as infringing upon his authority, and those he did approve were grudgingly signed, and thus a running war was kept up by the Governor and legislators till the fifty-fifth day of the session, when the arbitrary executive dismissed them in high dudgeon, and Henry County existed only as a vetoed law, stuck away among the rubbish of the dingy gubernatorial office. On Dec. 6, 1800, Governor St. Clair created by proclamation the county of Clermont, the name taken from the Department of Clermont, in France, and derived from two French words originally signifying "a clear mountain," with the following boundaries : "Beginning at the mouth of Nine-Mile, or Maddy, Creek, where it discharges itself into the Ohio, and running from thence with a straight line to the mouth of the east branch of the Little Miami River ; thence with the Little Miami River to the mouth of O'Bannon's Creek ; thence with a due east tine until it shall intersect a line drawn due north from the mouth of Elk River, or Eagle Creek ; thence with that line south to the mouth of said Elk River or Eagle Creek ; and from thenoe with the Ohio to the place of beginning." After Clermont only two counties were created by proclamation under the territorial government,—to wit, Fairfield, Dec. 9, 1800, and Bela out, Sept. 7, 1801,—and Scioto was the first one erected under the State organization,— to wit, March 24, 1803. The first court of the justices of General Quarter Ses- sions, held at 'Williamsburgh, Feb. 25, 1801, fixed on that town as the temporary seat of justice, which so remained till the Second General Assembly of Ohio, at Chillicothe, on Feb. 18, 1804, passed an act providing for the fixing of the permanent seat of justice in Clermont ; under which law William Patton, Isaac Davis, and Nathan Reeves, all of Ross County, were appointed commissioners to choose and designate the place, and who reported against its re- moval to Bethel and in favor of its being permanently located where it was. An act of the territorial Legislature, approved Jan. 23, 1802, provided that the boundary-line between the counties of Adams and Ross, west of the Scioto River, the dividing-line between Clertuont and Adams, the one between Clermont and Ross, so inuch of the dividing-lines between Hamilton and Clermont as lies between the Ohio River and the mouth of the east fork of the Little Miami, and the division-line between Ross and Hamilton, should be ascertained by the surveyors of the said counties, with the proviso that the line commencing at the mouth of Eagle Creek, between Clermont and Adams, should be run and completed before the 1st of May following, as the inhabitants of the new county of Clermont were anxious to know as speedily as possible the exact eastern limits of their county. The Justices' Court of General Quarter Sessions, at its first term, Feb. 25, 1801, divided the new county of Clermont into five townships,—Williamsburgh, Ohio, Washington, Obannon (a year or so later changed to Miami), and Pleasant (now in Brown),—but the records of the court preserved fail to give the boundaries of said town- ships. At the regular session of the commissioners (Amos Ellis, Amos Smith, and George Conrad), on June 12, 1805, a petition of sundry inhabitants of Williamsburgh and Ohio townships was presented and read, praying for the erection of a new township, to be composed of a part of each of said townships, which was laid over for further consideration until next meeting. At their next session, on August 5th, the board ordered said new township of Tate to be laid off and created agreeably to the boundaries prescribed and filed (which cannot be found), and which were ordered to be recorded, but were not. Roger W. Waring, for himself and others of that part of Williamsburgh township which remained, gave notice that he would file a bill of exceptions and take an appeal to the board's act in estab- BOUNDARIES AND TOWNSHIP SUBDIVISIONS - 63 lishing this new township ; but the fiat had been issued, and from that day henceforth Tate was a sovereignty by itself and an integral part of the Clermont body politic. June 2. 1807, the journal of the commissioners shows that a petition of a number of inhabitants of the east end of Washington township was presented, praying to be set off as a new township • and the same being thought reasonable the prayer was granted, to extend from the east end of Washington township as far down as Bullskin Creek or the Denhamstown road, said township to be recorded and known by the name of Lewis in Brown County). Clark township now in Brown County) was created by the commissioners, Oct, 18, 1808, with the following boundaries: Beginning where the State road from Denhamstown to West Union crosses Whiteoak thence running with the State road to Adams county line ; thence north with said line to Highland County; thence west with said county-line to the corner. of Highland, and continuing west so far as to include Aaron Leonard and Moses Moss; thence south to Lewis township-line thence with the same to the place of beginning." On Feb 18, 1805, the Legislature passed an act that all that part of Clermont, Adams, and Ross, with the following boundaries, be laid off and erected into a separate county, to be known by the name of Highland, to wit : "Beginning at the twenty-mile tree, in the line between Clermont and Adams Counties, which is run north from the mouth of Eagle Creek, on the Ohio River, and running thence east twelve miles: thence northeastwardly until it intersects the line which was run between the counties of Ross and Scioto and Adams, at the eighteen-mile tree from the Scioto River; thence northwardly to the mouth of Rocky Fork of Paint Creek ; thence up main Paint Creek, by the bed thereof, including John Watt's survey of one thousand acres, on which the town of Greenfield is situate, to the south line of Franklin County; thence with the said line west to the east line of Greene County ; thence wilh said line south to the southeast corner of said county ; thence with the south line thereof west to the northeast corner of Clermont County, and from the beginning west to the north fork of Whiteoak Creek ; thence north to the south line of Warren County ; thence with said line east to the corner between Clermont and Warren Counties." Dec. 4, 1811, a petition of a number of inhabitants of Ohio township was presented to the commissioners of Clermont County, praying for a new township, to be established agreeable to the following bounds, to wit : "Beginning at the east fork, at the corner of Tate township ; thence with the line of Tate township until it meets the State road leading from West Union to the mouth of Clough Creek ; thence with that road until it meets the county-line thence with the coanty-line to the east fork: thence up the east fork to the beginning." The board laid off and established the foregoing bounds into a new township, to be known by the name of Union, with the following changes in the boundaries : "The said new township of Union to extend and border upon the south side of the State road from Tate township-line to Daniel Kirgan's; thence to border upon the north side of said road to the county-line." Whereas a number of the inhabitants of the settlement of Stonelick Creek had filed a petition praying to be set apart into a separate township, the commissioners, on March 4, 1812, set apart the following boundaries into a new township, to be known as Stonelick, to wit: "Beginning at the mouth of Dry Ran, in Minna's% the out fork ; thence northerly so as just to include Lewis Coddle to the county. line ; thence east with sard line to Highland county-line; thence south with sard line to the State road, known by the name of Anderson's road . thence with the said road to where the Xenia road crosses; thence a straight courser the mouth of Whetstone's Run, on the east fork ; thence down the same to the place of beginning." But on April 13th following the line between Williamsburgh and Stoneliek was changed by making the line of Stonelick begin on the east fork, at the mouth of Killbreath's Run, near Dimmitt Ford ; thence runmng northerly so as to strike John Long Christian Long, and Joseph Brunk (and including them 1 , thence a straight line to where the Xenia road crosses the Anderson State road.' On Sept 5, 1815, Batavia township was created by the commissioners with the following boundaries; "Beginning at the mouth of Slab Camp Run. where it empties into the east fork thence up the run one mile northerly to intersect the road leading from Williamsourgh to Cincinnati, near the house of Daniel Kidd from thence northerly to John Davidson's arm thence the same course to the first branch of the waters of Lick Run, thence down the same to the mouth thereof: thence crossing the east fork - thence down the bank of salt fork to David Dimmitt’s lower ford of said fork thence along the lower edge of the river-hill of the fork to Townsley's Mill road thence along said road. leading towards Daniel Kirgan's, leaving the road to the northeast corner of John Brazier's land thence, to a place known by the name of Nash's crossroad; thence on the road leading to Denhamstown to Tate township-line; thence down the line of Tate township to the east fork ; thence up the creek, and crossrng the same opposite to the mouth of Slab Camp Run to the place of beginning." On June 6, 1815. the township of Perry (now in Brown) was established by the commissioners, with following boundaries "Beginning on Clermont count, line at the corner of Warren and Clinton Counties; thence a straight course to Samuet Ashton's old place, on Andersonls State road; thence east by south to the line between Clermont and Highland Counties; thence north with Clermont county-line to Clinton county-line; thence with Clermont and Clinton counties-line to the place of beginning." On Dec. 27, 1817, Clermont lost the townships of Pleasant, Lewis, Clark, and Perry by the legislative act passed that day creating Brown County, and which provided that so much of the counties of Clermont and Adams as comes within the following limits should be and was erected into a separate and distinct county, to be known by the name of Brown (after the gallant officer of the war of 1812), to wit : " Beginning at a point eight miles dae west from the court-house, in the town of West Union, in Adams; thence runnrng due north to Highland county-line; thence west with Highland county-line to Clermont county-line; thence north with Clermont county line to Clinton county-line; thence west with Clinton county-line so far that a line running south will strike the Ohio River two miles above the mouth of Bullskin Creek, thence up the Ohio River and with the same so far that a line running due north will intersect the point of beginning." The courts were ordered to be held at the house of Alexander Campbell, in Ripley, until the permanent seat of justice was located, and which not long afterwards (Jan. 19, 1821) was fixed at Georgetown. May 5, 1818, Franklin township was established by the commissioners, in response to a petition signed by citizens of the fractional part of Lewis and the upper part of Washington township, the boundaries of which were as follows : 61 - HISTORY OF CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO. "Beginning at the upper corner of Clermont County, two miles above the mouth of BeHokin Creek, on the Ohio River; thence with the county-lino between Clermont and Brown to the original line of Lewis township : thence westwardly with the lino of Tate township to where the State road crosses Indian Creek, about eight poles south of William Winter's; thence with the line of Washington township two miles; thence in a direction that will strike the Ohio River twenty poles below the house where Dr. R. W. Hale now resides; thence with the meanders of the Ohio River to the Brown county-line." March 15, 1819, Wayne township was created, on the application by petition of a number of inhabitants of the southeast part of Stonelick township, with the following boundaries : " Beginning at the crossing of the Xenia and Anderson State road; thence crossing the road leading from the mouth to the head of Stonelick at a bridge next above the farm of William Cowan; thence to the line between Miami and Stonelick townships where the same crosses the Indian Camp Run." It was ordered that the electors of said new township of Wayne hold at the house of Jt >eph Smith their first election for township officers on the first Monday in April following. Next day, March 16, 1819, Goshen township was organized and established, on the petition of a number of citizens of the northeastern part of Miami, with these boundaries: "Beginning at the county-line, northwest of Joshua Cox's; thence along the northeastern side of the road leading from Lebanon to Williamsburgh to within one mile of Jesse Smith's, on the roud afore- said; thence crossing the said road to the southern side; thence atong the southern side of said road to the line between Miami and Stone- lick townships; thence with the line of Stonelick. to the county-line; thence with the county-line to the beginning." Monroe township was created June 9, 1825, with the following boundaries (petitioned for by citizens of Ohio and Washington townships): "Beginning at the corner of Ohio township, near Jacob Ulrey's; thence south ten degrees east till it intersects or strikes the Tate township-line, one hundred and ten poles from Peter McClain; thence south forty-four degrees west to the mouth of Little 1ndian Creek; thence with the Ohio River to the mouth of Boat Run ; thence north twenty-eight degrees east until it strikes the State road from Cincinnati to Bethel; thence with said road to the beginning. On June 3, 1834, the commissioners, having had under consideration the petition of Ebenezer Hadley and other citizens of Wayne, Williamsburgh, and Stonelick townships for the erection of a new township, found it to be to the public interest to erect one, which they did, and called it Jackson, with the following boundaries : " Beginning at the point where the line dividing the counties of Brown and Clermont crosses the Anderson State road; thence south and with said line to Foar-Mile Run, near the farm of James Waits ; thence a westwardly course to Isaac Hartman's saw-mill, on the east fork ; thence a straight westwardly course to John Bridge's old place, on the Deerfield road ; thence north and with said road, or Batavia township-line, to &Quonch township-line; thence northeaatwardly and with Stonclick township-line to the new county road running from the cross-roads to Obadiah 1reton's; thence to the Anderson State road, at the farm of James Barr ; thence a northeastwardly course, including said Barr, Schobard Willis, and Arthur Clark, to the line dividing Stonelick and Wayne townships, near Frederick Everhart's; thence northwest and with said line one mile; thence an easterly course to the line dividing the oounties of Brown and Clermont, three miles north of the Anderson State road; thence south and with said line to the place of beginning; to contain the legal quantity of square miles, and so as to leave John Marsh and John Needharn in Stonelick township." On Dec. 8, 1852, the board of county commissioners took up and considered the petition of J. C. Smith and others for the division of Ohio township into two town- ships, and it was thereupon ordered that said Ohio township be divided according to the prayer of the petitioners, to wit.: "Beginning at the mouth of Twelve-Mile Creek, and running with the meanders of said creek to the Monroe township-line; thence with said line to the Ohio turnpike; the division or township in which the town of New Richmond is situated to be known and designated by the name of Ohio township, and the other division or township to be called Pierce foronehip, in honor of Franklin Pierce, President-elect of the United States." The boundary-line between Hamilton and Clermont Counties was run again in 1858 and permanently settled, and since then the lines dividing Clermont from Warren, Clinton, and Brown have been run and more accurately determined and fixed than before. The line between Cler- mont and Hamilton begins at a stake on the bank of the Little Miami River and opposite the mouth of the east fork ; thence on a bearing of south two degrees thirty- three minutes west by the magnetic needle course, and in a straight line to the mouth of Nine-Mile Creek, where it empties into the Ohio River, said Nine.Mile Creek being called in the earliest days John's or Muddy Creek. This line is exactly nine miles in distance. CHAPTER IX. THE COUNTY BUILDINGS, PAST AND PRESENT— COURT-HOUSES—JAILS AND INFIRMARIES—THE THREE SITES OF TRE COUNTY-SEAT—THE ANCIENT WHIPPING-POST, INCLUDING MANY IN- TESTING FACTS IN THEIR HISTORY, WITH NAMES OF PERSONS JUDICIALLY FLOGGED. The Court of General Quarter Sessions made Williams- burgh the county-seat in 1801, on the fourth Tuesday of February, by entering into an agreement with Thomas Morris, whereby he agreed to furnish the court with a convenient house, tables, benches, fuel, etc., for the purpose of holding court, for the term of four years, at twenty dollars per year. Mr. Morris kept a log hotel, adjoining which was another log building, which was the jail, and adjoining it still another log building, which was the court-house, and the first in the county, and one in which many men who afterwards sat in Congress, on the State Supreme nench, and on the Supreme Court bench of the United States pleaded cases before the frontier juries, and discussed law with Quarter Session justices fresh from the clearings and newly-opened fields of their pioneer homes. The man who owned the log hotel and kept it, who rented to the new county of Clermont a log jail and a log court- house, in six years' time was on the Supreme bench of Ohio, and in less than a third of a century was in the United States Senate, the idol and the stay of thousands—soon to be millions—of hearts looking to the overthrow of that accursed system that kept three millions of human beings in bondage. John McLean spoke as well in the log court- house of Clermont in 1803 as be did when announcing COUNTY BUILDINGS - 65 decisions in the Supreme Court of the land at Washington City twenty-seven years later, and Jacob Burnet pleaded the case in that old and diminutive log court-house, in 1801, of the poor squatter with as much warmth as when he spoke for his country in the United States Senate or delivered his able judicial opinions from the Supreme Court of Ohio but a few years later. The old log jail contained no desperate criminals, occasionally a horse-thief,—but it and its prison-bounds often held many a poor unfortunate debtor, and one of these was technically its owner,—Thomas Morris,—there for a brief period till released by a supersedeas from the General Territorial Court. The Second General Assembly of Ohio passed an act on Feb. 18, 1804, providing for fixing the permanent seat of justice in the town of Williamsburgh, and then the county authorities and the good people of that town began to bestir themselves about the erection of the necessary buildings for holding courts, transacting the public business, and executing the laws of the State by having suitable prison accommodations for unlucky offenders of the law's stern decrees. The contract with Thomas Morris, in February, 1801, for use of a room for court-house having expired, the county commissioners, on June 12, 1805, entered into an agreement with Nicholas Sinks, " who agreed to furnish a room with convenient benches, tables, and seats for the purpose of holding courts in the house that said Nicholas Sinks resided in, together with a room or rooms for the grand and petit juries to sit in, and also a room for the county commissioners to sit in during the time they may be sitting as such, and to keep the necessary fires for the comfort and convenience of the court and commissioners while sitting as aforesaid," all for eight dollars for each term of court,—that is, twenty-four dollars per year, as the court and commissioners then sat quarterly. At the August and September terms of court the year before, it seems, the associate judges had appropriated at each of said terms one hundred dollars, under the act of Feb. 18, 1804, ordering a new court-house, and under other special laws giving them that power, and of this money; William Perry (the first sheriff) got one hundred dollars in June, 1803, for hauling stone to build a new courthouse; and John Kain and Archibald McLean got together the same in November (19), 1804, for. same services. On June 12, 1805, the commissioners decided to erect a court-house, and appropriated a sum not exceeding one thousand dollars for that purpose, to be paid out of the taxes of the non-resident land-owners of the county, in addition to the appropriations, heretofore made by the court, and to let out the contract at the next meeting of the board. On Aug. 1, 1805, the board proceeded to sell out the contract to the lowest bidder, and John Wright and John Charles were the undertakers thereof as the lowest bidders, at the sum of fourteen hundred and ninety-nine dollars, to be paid as follows, to wit : " One hundred dollars as soon as the walls of said house are raised one foot above the ground ; and the further sum of one hundred dollars as soon as the walls are raised up to the second four hundred dollars on the first day of December next, provided the house is at that time under cover (or so soon thereafter as said house shall be under cover) ; and the further sum of two hundred dollars to be paid on the first day of May next ; and lastly, the further sum of six hundred and ninety-nine dollars on the first day of January, which will he in the year eighteen hundred and seven." The contractors gave bond in two thousand nine hundred and ninety-eight dollars to do the work as they agreed, and the commissioners also gave bond in two thousand dollars to meet the payments promptly as they fell due. In August the contractors drew one hundred dollars, and two hundred dollars in November, and the sum of five hundred dollars in January, 1806, and in June, 1806, two hundred dollars. In December, 1806, they received three hundred dollars more ; fifty dollars in August, 1807, and fifty dollars more in September following, and twelve dollars in September, 1808. In February, 1809, they were paid eighty-seven dollars, the balance due of the fourteen hundred and ninety-nine dollars, the contract price, but the commissioners allowed them fifty-seven dollars twenty-two and a quarter cents for extra work done. The delay in finishing the court-house—it being nearly four years in its erection—was occasioned by the lack of funds and various other causes that postponed its completion beyond the stipulated time. It was built on the public square, specially set apart for that purpose by the original proprietor of that town, Gen. Wm. Lytle, in his plat and deed of dedication, and in 1858 was taken down to give way to the magnificent school-edifice that adorns the lot where for fourteen years stood the old two-story stone court-house as the county's temple of justice,—from 1810 to 1824.. The Legislature, on Dec. 27, 1817, passed an act creating the county of Brown, thus taking away from Clermont the extensive territory comprised in the then four very, large townships of Pleasant, Clark, Lewis, and Perry, and leaving Williamsburgh, the shiretown of Clermont, only about two and a half miles from the boundary-line of the new county. This led to discussions and propositions for changing the county-seat from Williamsburgh to some more central point in the county, as that town, since the organization of Brown, laid on the extreme eastern part of the county, and in the then condition of the roads and bridges and limited facilities of traveling was very inaccessible to a larger part of the people of Clermont. But the inhabitants of Williamsburgh, alive to the interests of their good town, the first laid out in Clermont,—saw the storms encircling around and about them, and quieted the matter and agitation for a brief period by taking snap judgment in getting the Seventeenth General Assembly of Ohio to pass the act of Jan. 28, 1819, providing and fixing the permanent seat of justice where it was,—in their town. But this did riot settle the place for the shiretown, and led to renewed strife and agitation, and the Twenty-first General Assembly of the State, on Jan. 25, 182B, passed a law removing the county-seat to New Richmond ; which act was obtained mainly through the influence of Thomas Morris, then a State senator,—a man of great influence in the Legislature, and strongly opposed to the interests of Williamsburgh, from 66 - HISTORY OF CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO. which town he removed, in 1804, to Bethel. The contest now became warm and stirred up the whole county, leading to violent harangues, discussions, and several street encounters and affrays. The law of Jan. 25, 1823, did not, in words, change the county-seat from Williamsburgh to New Richmond, though its effect was to do so, for it appointed three commissioners, —Anthony Banning, of Mount Vernon, John C. Wright, of Steubenville, and James Clark, of Wooster (three distinguished men of the State, but close personal friends of Thomas Morris, so opposed to Williamsburgh), whose duty it was to examine so much of the county as would enable them to determine what place in said county would be most eligible and best calculated to promote the general interests of its inhabitants as a permanent seat of justice, having regard to the present and future population thereof and the advantage of placing the same as near the centre of said county as possible, or on the 01 to River. These men came and went casually over the county, and determined that it was not contrary to justice to remove the county-seat from Williamsburgh, and that a removal therefrom would be conducive to Clermont's best interests, and that, in their opinion, it was not necessary that the boundary-line between Clermont and Brown should be altered (a step necessary to be done to keep the county-seat at Williamsburgh), and that, having good policy and justice in view, they decided for the permanent seat of justice a point on the pubhc square easterly of lots 105 and 106, in New Richmond, where, in great solemnity and amid the hurrahs of the good people of that town, they drove and placed a stake as the proper place, in their opinion, for the centre of the front of the court-house, and thereupon selected lot 460, in said town of New Richmond, and near to the court-house, a lot, as a site for the jail, jailer's house, and such other buildings as might be necessary. These three wise men then proceeded to determine and assess the damages which the several owners of lots or buildings in Williamsburgh would sustain in consequence of the removal of the seat of justice from their town ; in making which assessment, they inquired how much the value of the property of such persons would be reduced by the removal below its cash value, and did assess and find the said damage to amount to the sum of six thousand three hundred and sixty-seven dollars and fifty cents. They also took a bond from John Emerson and others interested in favor of the New Richmond site, so selected, with good and sufficient security in double the amount said damages assessed, and payable to the county treasurer, conditioned for the payment of aforesaid damages in four years. They also took a deed of conveyance from Thomas Ashburn for said jail lot 460, and one hundred feet of the avenue, and also one from Jacob Light for other parts of the said public avenue, and likewise a bond from Thomas Morris and George C. Light for a future conveyance for part of lot 105 to thus complete the title of all of said avenue in fee-simple to Clermont County. They also received from Peter Turner and others a bond for erecting a court-house and jail on the aforesaid sites for a seat of justice, or to furnish materials and labor towards public buildings to the amount of two thousand dollars, at the option of the county commissioners, and also to provide a place for holding courts in said county, and for a clerk's office free of rent for one year from July 4, 1823. These three men (honorable and good men though they were) were the recipients of a perfect storm of indignation from a vast majority of the people of the county, and which found vent in the public prints and memorials to the ensuing Legislature by the bushels. How the new county buildings progressed at New Richmond is attested by the proceedings of the county commissioners, at whose session on Nov. 10, 1823, the memorial of Peter Turner, David Dickinson, Daniel Light, and James Robb was received, setting forth that they had complied with their contract for the erection of public buildings and asking to be discharged from their bond ; but the commissioners, being satisfied that the parties aforesaid had not complied with the conditions of their bond in the erection of court-house, jail, and public offices of equal value of those at Williamsburgh, resolved that, inasmuch as the said parties have not completed the public buildings aforesaid agreeably to their bond, they cannot with propriety be received at this time. This backset to the new county-seat at New Richmond was soon followed by an act of the Legislature, passed Feb. 24, 1824, making Batavia the shiretown of Clermont, and where ever since the county-seat has remained. In the General Assembly that finally settled upon Batavia as the county-seat, the members from Clermont were Owen T. Fishback (senator) and William Williams (representative). The only terms of the Common Pleas Court held at New Richmond were the August and November terms of 1823, and the March term of 1824, and the first court held at Batavia, now the shiretown by legislative enactment, was a special one of two days, convened May 14, 1824, consisting of Associate Judges Alexander Blair, John Pollock, and John Beatty, and which assembled at the Methodist Episcopal church (the old stone structure, still standing), and where all the courts continued to be held until the present court-house was fully completed. The first regular court in Batavia was at the July term of 1824, with Judge Joshua Collet as presiding judge. On Dec. 9, 1826, at a regular meeting of the Clermont County commissioners, consisting of Samuel Perin, John Boggers, and James Blackburn, Andrew Foote being auditor and clerk of the board, it was determined to build a court-house in the town of Batavia. An order was then made that notice be given that the labor to be performed and the materials to be furnished necessary for the erection of said building be offered at public auction to the lowest bidder on the 11th day of January, 1827. At an adjourned meeting on the 30th of the same month, the board proceeded to the selection of a plan for building, agreeably to their determination of their last meeting. On the next day they investigated further as to the cost and description of the contemplated house, and it was resolved that one of their number (Samuel Perin) procure at Cincinnati a complete draft of the most approved plan ; whereupon the honorable board adjourned until Jan. 5,1827, for further proceedings. At the adjourned day the board received and accepted said plan, to wit : Said building to be of brick, erected on a foundation of stone, size of forty-five feet square, with a cupola or COUNTY BUILDINGS - 67 steeple annexed thereto, and finished in suitable style, agreeably to said draft. It was further resolved that Samuel Perin, taking to his aid John Charles (who, in 1805 to 1809, had built the Willianosburgh court-house) and such other assistance as he could obtain, should draw a profile and description of said building on or before the day of sale. On Jan. 11, 1827, the advertised day of sale to the lowest bidder, Ezekiel Ditnmitt agreed to furnish all the materials, erect, finish, and complete the said court-house for the sum of three thousand four hundred and eighty-three dollars, and, no other person offering to do it for less, he became the purchaser and contractor, and went into a contract and bond for the faithful performance of this undertaking with Holly Raper, Wilham A. White, Daniel Duckwall, and John Dinilnitt, Jr., his securities, conditioned as the law directed, which was immediately approved by the commissioners. At the following March session of the board an advance- ment of five hundred and eighty dollars and fifty cents was made to the builder as per agreement. At the June sitting of' the board, with the consent of the Common Pleas Court, there was levied one mill on the dollar, to be exclusively appropriated to the court-house in process of erection, and a second advancement given to Ezekiel Dimmitt, the contractor, of seven hundred dollars. At the September meeting the board, after inspecting the progress of' the work, and with great satisfaction thereat, as its journals indicate, made a third allowance, of eight hundred dollars, to the builder, and also ordered John Jamieson to dig a well on the public square in pursuance of a contract, and further ordered a board fence to be constructed around two squares of the jail, such fence not to cost over twenty-six dollars. At the December session another order was given Mr. Dimmitt for five hundred and fifty-two dollars and fifty cents in part payment of the new temple of justice. At the April sitting of 1828 the board examined the progress and status of the tabernacle of law with feelings of great satisfaction at its most excellent condition, and at the succeeding June meeting made another order to the contractor for four hundred dollars, and again made a like allowance at the following September sitting. At the December session of the commissioners the balance, of fifty dollars, due Ezekiel Dilnniitt was voted him. On "New Year's Day," 1829, the board met (no change had occurred in its members since the project was first started), and after a most thorough and minute examination of the edifice it was unanimously, and with proud satislitction, decided that it had been constructed and completed by its maker according to the contract in every detail and letter of the agreement, and it was formally received as finished from him, and an order was voted the builder for three hundred and twenty-seven dollars and fifty-three and three- fourths cents in full of his account for extra work and extra materials furnished. Mr. Ezekiel Dimmitt lost money, some fifteen hundred dollars, on his contract, as he did an honest job and more than filled the stipulations of his bid,—too low for the splendid work he so honestly made for the county,—and the Legislature, by an act of Feb. 7, 1829, authorized the commissioners to settle and adjust his accounts in that special enat tment for his relief. At the March sitting of the board, in 1829, Mr. Dimtnitt presented his accounts, in pursuance of the above-mentioned law, but the journal entry of the board states that, not producing satisfactory evidence as to the correctness of his said accounts, nothing was then allowed him, nor subsequently, owing to the ill-feeling produced in the neighborhoods of New Richmond awl Willialnsburgh on the location of it in Batavia. While the court-house is not an imposing structure, and does not conform to modern style of architecture, it has ever been the testimony of all the judges who have held court in its sacred temple that in the matter (and the most essential and important requisition) of acoustics, and for ease to the speakers in the delivery of their arguments, it has no superior in the State. It has been the theatre of many hard-fought legal battles, its old walls have resounded with many able and eloquent speeches, but its full history cannot be written—its bygone scenes and incidents, its secret associations and deliberations—until the future historian shall write the lives of the individual actors who have participated in the acts that have rendered it so famous in the county's history. A few years subsequently the two offices now occupied by Judge S. F. Dowdney and his law partner, J. S. Parrott, and by Col. William Howard and his son, John J, Howard, were built for the offices of the clerk and auditor ; and in 1842 and 1813 was erected, by James and Newton Carter, for the treasurer, the office next to the jail, and now occupied by Judge George L, Swing and his son, James B. Swing. Several years later was put up, by John Finley, the office now used (by R. J. Bancroft)—next to the court-house—for special benefit of the clerk. These were called " Rat Row" in popular parlance, and were the regular county offices until the year 1864, when was completed the new "Public Building,' on the public square and partly on the site of the old jail. The contract for erecting this was let out, on March 25, 1863, and was awarded to Robert Haines (of New Richmond) for four thousand three hundred and fifty dollars, who took the contract for furnishing the materials and doing and performing all the labor necessary for its erection. On November 4th, he was allowed fourteen hundred and fifty dollars ; on Jan. 16, 1864, two thousand and thirty-six dollars and sixty-seven cents ; and on March 7th, six hundred dollars. This structure contains offices for probate judge, recorder, surveyor, clerk, auditor, and treasurer; is of brick, two stories high, with a good cellar under the whole building, and, like the court-house, is on the public square donated for public uses by the original proprietors of the town, George Ely and David C. Bryan, as for- merly dedicated in their plat of Oct. 24, 1814. The court-house was well repaired in May, 1879, its inside greatly beautified, and the old wooden fish weather vane, high above the cupola, replaced by a metallic arrow of modern style. JAILS—WHIPPING-POSTS—PERSONS WHIPPED; WHEN AND BY WHOM. As heretofore stated, the first jail in the county was a log building, situated just between the log court-house and the log hotel, all really connected together and under one 68 - HISTORY OF CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO. roof, and built and owned by Thomas Morris. This was the jail legally made so in February-4th Tuesday—of 1801, and so continued for some time, till the authorities built one—still of logs, but larger and stronger—on a site by itself; concerning which, the records and history are silent as to the precise time of its construction. It contained at various times many luckless debtors, but its chief offenders were horse-thieves,—the terror of the early set- tlers, and on whom the law had no mercy, and, like in all new countries, it was visited on them sternly and promptly, —with occasionally parties held for larceny, and sometimes for robbery or burglary. In front of this jail stood the whipping-post, or, rather, posts. Two sticks of oak about six inches square were planted about five feet apart, and projected the same dis- tance from the earth. To the top of these the culprit was tied by the extended hands, while the " cat-o'-nine-tails" was applied on his naked back Ah cruel vigor. There several unhappy offenders satisfied the majesty of the law for misdeeds of the body, principally horse-stealing, the most heinous of crimes in early days. At the October term of Common Pleas Court, in 1808, John Clark, for stealing a horse of John Gaskins, was found guilty, and sentenced to be whipped twenty-five stripes on his naked back that afternoon at three o'clock ; pay said Gaskins fifty dollars (the value of his horse), also a fine of ten dollars and costs ; to be imprisoned three days in jail, and not to be let out till the restitution, fine, and costs were all paid. On the same day this same culprit, John Clark, for stealing a bell of Conrad Hersh, was sentenced to be whipped with five stripes, make restitution to said Hersh of the value of the bell (one dollar), pay a fine of one dollar, and be imprisoned twenty-four hours, and not to be released till restitution-money, fine, and costs were fully settled. On same day Mordecai S. Ford, who in 1801 bought, in Washington township, some seventy-five acres of land from Philip Buckner, was up before the court for stealing a horse from James Johnson. He was found guilty, and sentenced to pay said Johnson, the owner of the stolen horse, twenty dollars as restitution, pay a fine of ten dollars and costs, be imprisoned three days, and not discharged till restitution-money, fine, and costs were all paid, and be whipped twenty-five stripes on his naked back that after- noon at three o'clock. A big days work in court,—three trials and three convictions, with two public whippings in the afternoon as early as three o'clock ; but justice did not sleep on horse-thieves. The hour came, and Sheriff Levi Rogers--or rather his deputy and court constable, the stout and quick William Stout—administered the two judicial whippings, to the complete satisfaction of the court, bar, public officials, town- people, and, in short, all save the two downcast and back- sore offenders. John Clark took the other five stripes for purloining the bell the next week, and soon after Ford died between Felicity and Calvary meeting-house, in the grave- yard of which he was the first person interred. Three men, Brown, Ferguson (both flogged by Sheriff Oliver Lindsey), and another man, name unknown, were tied to the whipping-post and whipped, being all non-residents and all guilty of the same then terrible crime of horse-stealing. After Brown was whipped he said, in a spirit of braggadocio, t'sat he was a much better man than the sheriff or any of the spectators, and no one felt like disputing the assertion. At one time two horse-thieves, named Killwell and Joseph Knott, were confined in this old log jail, when Killwell slipped off his handcuffs and fled. Pursuit being instituted, he changed his appearance as much as possible in a success- ful disguise, and joined in the effort to recapture him, ask- ing the people, in his going through the sparsely-settled country, whether they had seen anything of or beard of the whereabouts of the notce ions outlaw and horse-thief, Kill well, and succeeded, by his coolness and daring, in escaping for good, and excelling "Dick Turpin" for his bold effrontery. Joseph Knott, tried for horse-stealing, escaped thus : When the jury returned their verdict, "Joseph Knott, (not) guilty," his attorney exclaimed, "Joseph, not guilty ! Put, Joseph 1" and before the court recovered itself or the sheriff had collected his wits, Joseph had "put" for the woods, and escaped for that time, but was afterwards shot on Stoneliek by the infuriated citizens in a posse who had suffered from his continual depredations. In that jail an unoffending man, a traveler and a stranger, was once confined for long weary months through the machinations of wicked parties, and his misfortune destroyed his reason, and when released he was a raving lunatic, and so died. This man, whose name was Sharton, came from Kentucky, was looking over the country to purchase lands, and stopped at the Stockton tavern, where were wont to congregate the usual loafers and tough customers of the new frontier town. It always, in their opinion, being in order to drink, they asked the stranger to join them. He declined to do so ; whereupon they said, "It will cost you the think-money anyhow ;" whereupon he started to go out of the room, when he was followed by the assembled roughs, and, to defend himself, stooped down to pick up a rock. His assailants also picked up rocks, and, hurling them at the fleeing and frightened man, struck a Mr. Smith, who was coming up the street, severely injuring him. The rowdies then charged the stranger with having inflicted the wound and caused him to be lodged in jail. For a number of days no complaint was made against him, and brooding over his troubles caused his reason to weaken, and finally to fail altogether. His brother came over from Kentucky and took him home to that State, but he never fully recov- ered from the shock his nervous system had received, and wasted away, a hopeless and broken-minded man. A German, imprisoned in the jail for some trivial offense, in its midnight gloom calmly adjusted his fate, and in the morning was found hanging,—dead. By using some loose boards he was enabled to suspend himselfsi from the joists, and thus the life of the rashly-unfortunate man—far from his native land, and held for some alleged light offense— went out into eternity, and, according to an ancient custom handed down as traditional law, his body was sacrilegiously buried in the forks of the cross-roads near the town of Williamsburgh. This old jail had become an eyesore to the autborities from its inefficiency, the many prisoners escaping therefrom JAILS - 69 and the heavy costs of guards to keep with safety its inmates, and the many and continued sums expended in locks, irons, and other articles for the safekeeping of offenders. Therefore, at the March term, 1809, of the commissioners, they resolved to build a new one, of stone, and to advertise its sale to the lowest bidder on the 10th of April ensuing, at which date the sale was adjourned to the June meeting, then again to October 17th, when its erection was sold to John Charles for two thousand nine hundred and eighty-six dollars, who gave bond and security for its building. On March 5, 1810, seven hundred and ninety-five dollars and thirty-three and one-third cents was allowed John Charles on his jail contract ; in June, sixty-three dollars and thirty-one cents ; in September, seventy-two dollars and ninety-three cents; in December, one hundred and eighty dollars and seventy-seven and one-third cents; in April, 1811, five hundred dollars; in September, one hundred dollars ; and on Dec. 3, 1811, two hundred and thirty-nine dollars and thirty-three and one-third cents,--being in all two thousand and twenty-seven dollars and eighty-nine cents. The balance to make up the contract price was paid along at different periods to sundry parties on orders from the contractor for materials, labor, and the like. So the jail was finished in two years from its beginning, and in time for the important December term of 1811. There was another whipping by judicial decree in the old jail not yet mentioned by us. One William Thomas, at the August term of the Common Pleas, 1810, was found guilty of horse-stealing, although ably defended by his attorney, David C. Bryan, who tried .to get a new trial, but which was refused. The court then asked the prisoner if he had anything to say why sentence should not be pronounced against him ; and, having nothing to offer, the court said, " William Thomas, it is your sentence that at seven o'clock to-morrow morning you receive seventy-five stripes on your naked back, pay a fine of five hundred dollars and costs of prosecution, and be imprisoned twenty days." The record shows that next morning the jolly sheriff, Oliver Lindsey. (lately inducted into office), administered the judicial flagellation and charged it up promptly in his fees, which the county had to pay, as the execution against Thomas was returned "nulla bona" but a sore and stiff back, The new jail was finished in December, 1811, and the first man whipped by order of court in its yard was one James Lewis, who on the 7th—four days after the new jail was opened—was found guilty of an assault with intent to murder, by a jury composed of the following then well-known citizens : William Megrue, John Ross, James McCall, Jesse Fee, Samuel Wardlow, George Little, John Kite, William Ross, James Ralston, Stephen Medaris, Wilham Judd, and Allen Woods. All the eloquence and ingenuity of Thomas Morris could not get the prisoner a new trial or arrest of judgment, and the prisoner, James Lewis, was sentenced to be whipped at four o'clock that afternoon on his naked back with fifty stripes save one, be imprisoned in the common jail of the county sixty-five days, pay a fine of five hundred dollars and the costs of prosecution. Sheriff Lindsey attended to this flogging, and well, too, for Lewis was the most notorious criminal in the State,—a regular outlaw. But before giving the whipping Lewis was tried on another indictment for robbing Michael Weaver of six hundred and seventy-five dollars and eighty cents in silver coin, and was found guilty ; for which the court, John Thompson presiding judge, sentenced him to receive thirty-nine stripes saving one on his naked back at four o'clock Monday evening three weeks, pay a fine of five thousand dollars, be imprisoned two months, pay costs of prosecution, and makc restitution to Michael Weaver of the six hundred and seventy-five dollars and eighty cents stolen from him. It will be seen how merciful Judge Thompson was in letting three weeks and a few days elapse after the first flogging before the second was administered, But the fellow Lewis richly deserved his fate : he attempted murder and committed a heavy robbery. It is not known that he ever paid his fine, the largest ever assessed in, the county, nor can it be learned what became of the hardened offender,. Lewis, on his discharge from jail. The county commissioners, at their session in December, 1825, resolved that it was necessary to erect a county jail in Batavia, and therefore ordered a notice to be published in the Western Patriot, printed in Batavia by Z. Colby & Co., that on Jan. 2, 1826, they would sell out to the lowest bidder its construction. Therefore, on Jan. 2, 1826, agreeably to the aforesaid advertisement and resolution, the sale took place; whereupon Ezekiel Dimmitt offered to build it for nine hundred- and forty-nine dollars, and no person appearing and offering to construct it for a less sum, it was struck off to him, and he entered into a bond, with John Mitchell and Daniel Duckwall as securities, for the faithful compliance of his contract. This jail was on that part of the public square cornering on the alley, and now occupied by the county treasury, and was completed on Jan. 12, 1827 ; on which day, on application of Ezekiel Dimmitt, its buildcr, the commissioners proceeded to an examination of the same, and found the contractor was entitled to receive, for extra work thereon, after deductions for commissions and bad workmanship, the sum of twenty-four dollars, sixty-four and one-half cents ; whereupon they received it, and ordered the auditor to draw an order on the county treasury in his favor for that amount, together with a balance of the original contract of one hundred and twenty dollars and seventy-two cents, in full discharge of the said contract for the erection of the first jail in Batavia. The county commissioners, seeing the necessity for a new jail,—one that would meet the demands of justice in size and safety for the accommodation of the prisoners,-at their June session in 1836, resolved to erect one and to sell out to the lowest bidder, on July 7th, the excavating and erecting of its foundations, the excavation to be sold by the cubic yard and the masonry by the perch. On July 7th the excavation was sold to Benjamin R. Hopkins for ten cents per cubic yard, and on the 16th the laying of the foundation (the sale having been adjourned from the 7th) was sold to John W. Robinson at six dollars and seventy-five cents per perch of twenty-four and three-fourths cubic feet per perch. The commissioners, with the assistance of the well-known surveyor, John Hill (who was allowed seventy-five cents for his services), on July 22d laid off the foundation for the proposed jail on the site of the present one. August 16th the bonds of Hopkins and Robinson, the contractors, were 70 - HISTORY OF CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO presented and approved for the faithful compliance with their agreements, and it was ordered that the sale of the crection of the jail-building be sold out at public vendue on the 16th of September ; on which day it was continued over to the next, when was struck off to the lowest and best bidder, Brice K. Blair, at two thousand three hundred and ninety-nine dollars ; whereupon John W. Robinson came forward as the person for whom the bid was actually made, and he, together with Robert McFarland, Samuel Maham, and Daniel Kidd, entered into a bond, payable to the State of Ohio for the use of Clermont County in the penal sum of four thousand six hundred and one dollars and ninety-eight cents, for the faithful construction of said jail on or before Dec. 25, 1837, agreeable to the conditions of said sale and specifications placed on file. William Curry was allowed three dollars for crying the above sale, and Benjamin R. Hopkins five dollars and fifty cents for removing dirt from the foundation of the jail. October 14th the commissioners received the foundation of the jail from the contractor, John W. Robinson. June 7, 1837, the commissioners settled with John W. Robinson for the erection of the foundation of the jail, which was found to contain one hundred and forty-three perch and seventeen feet, at six dollars and seventy-five cents per perch, equal to nine hundred and sixty-nine dollars and eighty-eight cents, which was allowed him. October 20th the board examined and inspected the progress of the work in the erection of the jail, and gave sundry directions. April 21, 1838, the commissioners received the jail from its builder, John W. Robinson, having found it completed according to contract, and gave him an order for two thousand three hundred and ninety-nine dollars, the stipulated contract price, and canceled his bond. Edward Frazier, elected sheriff the previous October, now assumed control of the new jail,—a worthy and safe structure for those days. On June 6th the old brick jail building, with ten feet of ground on its south and ten on its east, was leased to Thomas J. Buchanan for a term of twenty years at an annual rental of thirty-five dollars, and Thomas S. Bryan for crying the sale or lease was allowed one dollar. In March, 1841, Mr. Buchanan released and relinquished to the county forever all his right and title to the old jail and lot for fifty dollars, thus giving up his lease. While Edward Frazier was sheriff; the jail having burned down in the spring of 1841, the commissioners on June 18, 1841, began arrangements for the erection of a now one, and on July 1st completed their plan. On July 24, 1841, the building of the new jail was sold out to William H, Robinson and Alexander Stark, the lowest bidders, for thirteen hundred and ninety-four dollars, who gave bond in two thousand dollars for compliance with the contract in the rebuilding of the burned jail, the foundations and part of the old jail building being preserved and in tolerably good condition. The contract, by alteration, called for the side walls of the building to be built up two thicknesses of a brick above the tops of the upper joists, with wall plates and four girders, the fire-walls to be the same height above the roof that they were in the old building ; in consideration of which alteration, made on August 21st, thc builders were to be granted an additional twenty-five dollars. Jan. 10, 1842, the rebuilt jail was received, and the contractors allowed fourteen dollars for extra work not stated in the original contract or subsequent alterations. Michael Cowen, elected sheriff the previous October, was the first sheriff to occupy the rebuilt jail, which, with various improvements and repairs, has remained the common jail to this day. The experience of thirty years, as shown from the many escapes, has demonstrated that it is insecure, and its location poorly adapted to secure prison discipline, as its inmates have too free communication with persons on the streets, which enables them to plan to secure their liberty. THE INFIRMARIES—WHEN BOUGHT OR BUILT, AND THEIR SUPERINTENDENTS. Up to July 21, 1854, there was no county infirmary, at which date the then commissioners, Benjamin Brown, Henry Chapman, and Andrew J. Thompson, purchased for four thousand three hundred and twenty dollars, of Jacob and Henry G. Duckwall, their farm of one hundred and eight acres, in Batavia township, on the Williamsburgh turnpike, in Gray's survey, No, 1116, and about one and a half miles east from the court-house. This farm had a large and long two-story brick building, in which the paupers from the different townships were collected and placed under charge of Andrew J. Sherman, its first superintendent, who was succeeded the next year by James Wilson. This was a splendid farm, but the accommodations of the building were insufficient to meet the required wants in comfort, health, and safety ; hence the authorities in two years began to look about for better quarters. On Sept. 1, 1856, Reader W. Clarke entered into a contract with the commissioners, Holly R, Perine, William P. Daughters, and A. F. Morrison, whereby he agreed to sell to the county one hundred and twenty acres on the east fork, just above Townsley's mill, a mile from Batavia, for eight thousand four hundred dollars, and take in part payment, to the ,amount of four thousand one hundred dollars, the infirmary farm then occupied by the county, which was to pay him four thousand three hundred dollars cash to boot,--one-half January 1st, and the remainder Nov. 1, 1857, with permission to the county to retain possession of the old infirmary place till Dec. 1, 1857. Clarke's deed to the commissioners for the one hundred and twenty acres aforesaid was executed Oct. 26, 1856, when the commissioners in turn conveyed their one hundred and eight acres to him. The county now had a most eligible site, but no buildings; and at the October election of 1856 the question of building a new infirmary on the lands purchased of Clarke was submitted to a vote, but, owing to the animosities engendered by the sale to and purchase from Clarke, largely influenced by political feeling, the proposition was voted down, the votc standing,—yea, 1595 ; nay, 1716 ; not voting, 2015. Still, under the then existing laws, the commissioners had the power to construct buildings for infirmary purposes, not to exceed five thousand dollars in cost, without submitting it to a vote of the electors. Therefore, on Dec. 11, 1856, the board entered into an agreement with George A. Miller, of Cincinnati, who for four thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine dollars agreed to COUNTY OFFICERS - 71 build the proposed infirmary buildings according to the specifications and plans of the architects, Rankin and Hamilton, of Cincinnati, and to be finished and completed by Dec. 1,1857. Miller was to receive five hundred dollars as soon as he gave bond, one thousand dollars when the first tier of joists was laid in said building (built of brick), five hundred dollars when the second tier was laid, five hundred when the third tier was put in, five hundred dollars when the roof was finished, one thousand dollars when the plastering was finished, and the remainder of the contract price in thirty days after the commissioners were satisfied the building had been completed in full compliance with the stipulated contract. Dec. 10, 1857, the commissioners examined the infirmary building, and declared it completed according to the original agreement, received the same from its contractor, canceled his bond, and settled in full for the balance due him. In 1867 the necessity arose for building a house on the infirmary grounds for insane people, and an order was made that sealed proposals would be received for the construction of a brick asylum till noon on June 27th, when the following bids were opened: Edwin House and Theodore Nichols, for seven thousand nine hundred and ninety dollars ; Sylvester Binkley, for seven thousand eight hundred dollars ; Tice & Hannold, for nine thousand eight hundred dollars ; John B, Wheeler, for seven thousand four hundred and ninety dollars ; and William Hawkins, for seven thousand dollars ; and to the latter was awarded the contract, who entered into a written agreement in regard to all particulars of said building and its materials, and gave bond to the satisfaction of the Board, and who in January, 1868, had it finished ; on the 24th day of which month he received thirteen hundred and ninety-five dollars in full payment of the balance due him on the contract. The annual report of the infirmary directors made in December, 1856, shows the entire outlay and expenses for all purposes of the infirmary for that year to have been nineteen hundred and thirty-two dollars and twenty-two cents, being the second on the first infirmary farm. In the summer of 1877 the infirmary, including the asylum building for insane persons, caught fire and burned down just after its inmates had finished their dinner, and has never been rebuilt to this day. The county received seven thousand eight hundred dollars as insurance money from the Etna Insurance Company, in which, fortunately, the authorities had all their public buildings insured. The commissioners immediately built temporary frame buildings in the bottom of the infirmary farm, on the road, which are in use at this date, and a standing disgrace to the county. The commissioners submitted a proposition to the electors at the October election in 1877 to build a new infirmary, but, not having stated the amount required, the project was voted down by a small majority. The following are the superintendents of the infirmary since. December, 1857, when, the building was finished on the east fork, on the land bought of R. W., Clarke : In December, 1857, and till March, 1858, Samuel Blcking, who had been a few months in the old one as superintendent; March, 1858-61, Eben McGrew; 1861-64, John Fowler; 1864-65, B. F. Acra; 1865-68, William J. Rust; 1868-72, Rev. Joseph D. Hatfield ; 1872-78, Benjamin F, Acra ; and 1878 to present time, Zebulon Dickinson, the present efficient incumbent. This institution has generally been well conducted, and with humane efforts for the comforts of its inmates as far as its limited accommodations in buildings would permit. CHAPTER X. COUNTY OFFICERS OTHER THAN THOSE IMMEDIATELY CONNECTED WITH THE JUDICIARY. COMMISSIONERS. THE First General Assembly of the Northwest Territory, at its first session, at Cincinnati, Sept. 16,1799, passed an act on December 19th providing that in every county in the Territory a board of commissioners, composed of three able, respectable, and discreet freeholders living in said county should be appointed in the following manner : The justices of the Court of Quarter Sessions, in their respective . counties, at the next term of said court after the first day of January annually, should appoint three commissioners, as aforesaid, the first named on the list to serve for one year, the second for two years, and the third for three years; and that said justices should at the same term in every year nominate and appoint one new commissioner to supply the place of the outgoing officer, as aforesaid. The Second General Assembly of Ohio, which was held at Chillicothe, and began its first session on Dec. 5,1803, created the first 'boards of county commissioners under the new State government by an act passed Feb. 13,1804, providing that the first election for the same should be held on the first Monday in April succeeding, and that the officers thus elected should at their first meeting determine by lot for what time they should severally continue in office ; one whereof should continue until the first annual October election, one until the annual October election next succeeding, and one until the annual October election next following. The justices of the Court of Quarter Sessions at their first regular term, on the fourth Tuesday of February, 1801, made their appointments, and the first elected as commissioners were at the election on the first Monday in April, 1804, and the following is a list of those appointed or elected, with place of residence, dates of appointment or election, and the time in years or months of their service : 1801.—Amos Smith, Williamsburgh township, six months. Samuel Armstrong, Williamsburgh township, six months. John Wood, Washington township, two years and nine months. Amos Ellis, Pleasant township, one year. 1802.—Ambrose Ranson, Miami township, two years and three months. Samuel Ellis, Pleasant township, one year and three months. 1803.—George Conrad, Miami township, one year and three months. Amos Ellis, Pleasant township, three months. 1804,—Amos Ellis, Pleasant township, three months. Robert Townsley, Ohio township, six months. George Conrad, Miami township, one year and six months. Amos Smith, Williamsburgh, two years and six months. Amos Ellis, Pleasant township, three years. 1805.—William S. Jump, Washington township, three years. 1806.—Amos Smith, Williamsburgh township, three years. 72 - HISTORY OF CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO 1807.-Amos Ellis, Pleasant township, three years. 1808.-Henry Chapman, Pleasant township, throe years. 1809.-Amos Smith, Williamsburgh township, three years. 1810.-Amos Ellis, Pleasant township, three years. 1811.-Gideon Minor, Washington township, three years. 1812.-Amos Smith, Williamsburghtownship, two years. 1813.- Levi Pigman,.Washangton township, three years. 1814.-Gideon Minor, Washington township, two years. Amos Ellie, Pleasant township, one year. I 815.-John Shaw, Ohio township, three years. 1816.-Levi Pigman, Washington township, throe years. Amos Ellis, Pleasant township, one year. 1817.-Andrew Foote, Williamsburgh township, three years. 1818.-Shadrach Lane, Union township, three years. 1819.-Levi Pigman, Washington township, two years. 1820.-George J. Troutwine, Tate township, three years. 1821.-John McWilliams, Goshen township, one year. 1821.-Shadrach Lane, Union township, two years. 1822.-Daniel Kaie, Williatnsburgh township, three years. 1823.-James Blackburn, Tate township, three years. John Boggess, Tate township, one year. 1824.-John Boggess, Tate township, three years. 1825.-Samuel Perin, Miami township, three years. 1826-James Blackburn, Tate township, three years. 1827.-John Boggess, Tate towtship, three years. 1828.-Samuel Perth, Miami township, two years. 1829.-David White, Ohio township, three years. 1830.-Zebinc, Williams, Stonelick township, six months. John Randall, Goshen township, three years. 1830-31.-Samuel Hill, Stonelick township, three years and six months. 1832.-Robert Denham, Ohio township, three years. 1833.-Dowty Utter, Washington township, two years. 1834.-Samuel Hill, Stonelick township, two years and six months, 1835.-Robert Donhatn, Ohio township, three years. 1835-36.-Abram Teetor, Goshen township, font. years. 1837.-William Roudebush, Stonelick township, three years and six months. 1838.-David Moreton, Washington township, three years. 1839.-Robert Temple, Union township, three years. 1840.-William Roudebnsh, Stonelick township, three years. 1841.-David Moreton, Washington township, three years. 1842.-Robert Temple, Union township, three years. 1843.-Abram Teetor, Goshen township, three years. 1844.-Jonathan Johnson, Batavia township, three years. 1845.-John G. Gilfillen, Washington township, three years. 1846.-Peter Anderson, Stoneliok township, three years. 1847.-Jonathan Johnson, Batavia township, three years. 1848.-Henry Chapman, Franklin township, three years. 1849.-Peter Anderson, Stoneliok township, three years. 1850.-Thomas Hitch, Batavia township, three years. 1851.-Henry Chapman, Franklin township, three years. 1852.-Benjamin Brown, Gosten township, three years. 1853.-Andrew J. Thompson, Union township, three years. 1854.-John Conner, Ohio township, one year. 1855.-William P. Daughters, Washington township, two years. A. F. Morrison, Wayne township, three years. 1858.-Holly R. Perrine, Williamsburgh township, three years. 1857.-William Shaw, Monroe township, three years. 1858.-Joseph P. Molen, Franklin township, three years. 1859.-Francis J. Rondebush, Stoneliok township, three years. 1860.-William Shaw, Monroe township, three years. 1861.-Peter M. Snell, Williamsburgh township, three years. 1862.-Francis J. Roudebush, Stonelick township, three years. 1863,-William Hawkins, Ohio township, three years. 1864.-Silas R, FIutehinson, Miami township, three years. 1805.-Joseph P. Molen, Franklin township, three years. 1866.-Charles Burkhardt, Ohio township, three years. 1867.-Joseph Trump, Goshen township, two years and three months. 1868.-John J. Snider, Washington township, three years. 1869.-Charles Burkhardt, Ohio township, three years. Peter Anderson, Sionelick township, nine months. 1870.-Francis X. Inert, Stontelick township, three years. 1871.-John J. Snider, Washington township, three years. 1872.-Samuel B. Smith, Tate township, three years. 1873.-Francis X. Iuen, Stonelick township, three years, 1874.--Thomas Hodges, Monroe township, three years, 1875.-Samuel B. Smith, Tate township, three years. 1876.-J. V. Christy, Jackson township, three years. 1877.-Thomas Hodges, Monroe township, three years. 1878.-Michael R. Rybolt, Miami township, three years. 1879.--J. V, Christy, 'Jackson township, three years. COUNTY TREASURIES. Under the territorial government, by act of Dec. 19, 1799, the county treasurers were appointed by the Goya- nor, but under the State government, by an act passed April 16, 1803, they were selected by the associate judges, and continued thus to be chosen till the second Monday in June, 1804, when, by the act passed on February 13th preceding, they were appointed by the county commission- ers up to the law of Jan. 24, 1827, which made the office an elective one and abolished the office of county collector, who till then had collected all the taxes, and thtts making the treasurership previously a simple ditibtuting institution. The treasurers appointed by the Governor, associate judges, and commissioners served for a term of one year, and those elected were for two years. 1801-Amos Smith,Willitimsburgh township, one year and six months. 1802.-Roger W. Waring, Williamsbargh township, six months, 1803-19.-Nieholas Sinks, Williamsbutigh township, seventeen years. 1820-26,-John Rain, Williamsburgh township, seven years. 1827-John W. Robinson, Batavia township, two years, 1829.-Thomas Rain, Batavia township, two years. 1831-33.-John W. Robinson, Batavia township, four years. 1835.-Daniel Buckwall, Batavia township, two years. 1837.-John W. Robinson, Batavia township, two years. 1839-41,-William Thomas, Batavia township, four years. 1843-45.-Moses Elston, Union township, four years. 1847-49.-Abram Teetor, Goshen township, four years. 1851-53.---John Ellsbery, Tate township, four years. 1850.-Alexander Glenn, Tate township, two years. 1857.-Benjamin Archer, Pierce township, two years, 1859.-Shadrach Dial, Batavia township, two years. 1861.-Darlington E. Fee, Franklin township, two years. 1863.--Elbridge G. Ricker, Pierce township, two years. 1865.-Darlington E. Fee, Franklin township, two years. 1807-69.-Jonathan R. Corbly, Ohio township, three years. 1871.-Alfred N. Robinson, Miami township, one year. Joseph Ricking, Batavia township, two years. 1873-75.-Alfred N. Robinson, Miami township, three years. 1877.-W. F. Roudebush, Batavia township, one year. Joseph Bicking, Batavia township, two years. 1879.-E. J. Denham, Ohio township, two years. COUNTY COLLECTORS, Up to the year 1827 the taxes were collected by collectors, the county treasurer being simply an officer having charge of the funds for safekeeping, and of disbursing them on the proper orders of the lawful authorities. Under the terri torial government, and to the year 1806 under the State government, the sheriff was the collector in every county; when provision was made for county or township collectors; to be annually appointed by the commissioners, who in Clermont County appointed township cellectors-one for each-until, in the year 1814, they began appointing county collectors, who generally had a deputy in each township, who in many cases was the township lister. 1802.-Peter Light, Williamsburgh township. 1803.-John Boude, Pleasant township. 1804-5.-Daniel Rain, Williamsburgh township. 1814.-Joseph Wells, Tate township. COUNTY OFFICERS - 73 1815,-Elijah T. Penn, Washington township. 1816.-Amos Ellis, Pleasant township. 1817.-Shadrach Lane, Union township. 1818.-John Earhart, Williamsburgh township. 1819.-Lemuel Stephenson, Washington township. 1820.-John Earhart, Williamsburgh township. 1821.-Elijah T. Penn, Washington township. 1822.-John Beatty, Goshen township. 1823-24.- -Robert Tweed, Williamsburgh township. 1825.-Thomas Rain, Williamsburgh township. 1828.-Silas Hutchinson, Miami township. RECORDERS. The deeds, mortgages, leases, patents, surveys, powers of attorney, and other instruments affecting titles were recorded by the clerk of Common Pleas Court, acting as ex- officio recorder, by acts passed June 18, 1795, under territorial, and April 16, 1803, under the State, government, and so continued till the laws enacted Feb. 11, 1829, and Feb. 25, 1831; under which the sole and separate offrce of recorder was astablished, and in this county the first recorder was elected in October, 1832. 1832-38.-Benjamin Morris, Tate township, nine years. 1841-44.-Edmond Spence, Miami township, six years. 1847-50.-Learner B. Leeds, Batavia township, six years. 1853-56.-Henry V. Kerr, Williamsburgh township, six years. 1859-62.-William B. C. Stirling, Pierce township, six years. 1865.-Jacob P. Clark. Pierce township, three years. 1868-71.-Royal J. Bancroft, Franklin township, six years. 1874-77.-Marcellas A. Wood, Washington township, six years. AUDITORS. This office was created by an act passed Feb. 2, 1821, making the office an appointive one by the commissioners till the law passed Feb. 23, 1824, which defined the duties of this office and made it elective. Before the creation of the office the commissioners made out the tax duplicates, and sometimes had a clerk to assist them, either of their own number or some other person. 1821-28.-Andrew Foote, Williamsburgh township, seven years. 1828.-Alexander Herrrng, Jr., Batavia township, one year and nine months. 1830.-John McWilliams, Goshen township, three months. 1831-33.-Samuel Medary, Batavia township, three years and six months. 1833.-Jacob Medary, Batavia township, six months. 1835.-James Ferguson, Monroe township, two years. 1837.-John Beatty, Goshen township, two years. 1839-44.-Joshua H. Dial, Union township, six years. 1845-48,-John Ferguson, Pierce township, four years. 1849-51.-Charles M. Smith, Batavia township, four years. 1853.-Noble M. Proble, Ohio township, two years. 1855.-Moses S. Dimmitt, Franklin township, two years. 1857.-David C. Bryan, Batavia township, two years. 1859-61.-Noble M. Preble, Ohio township, four years. 1863.-Harris Smethurst, Miami township, two years. 1865-67.-William Nichols, Batavia township, four years. 1889-72.-Alonzo M. Dimmitt, Batavia township, four years and eight months. 1874-78.-Charles Harrison, Stonelick township, four years. 1878.-M. J. W. Hotter, Batavia township, three years. SURVEYORS. This office was created by an act passed April 15, 1803, authorizing the Common Pleas Court to appoint some qualified person to fill it, and was an appointive position till the passage of the law of March 1, 1831, making it elective triennially ; and in pursuance of which, the first election was held on the second Tuesday of October, 1834, after John Bruggess' term under judicial appointment had expired. 1804.-Peter Light, Williamsburgh township, ten years. 1814.-George C. Light, Ohio township, five years. 1819-29.-John Boggess, Tate township, fifteen years. 1834-40.-Squire Frazee, Washington township, nine years. 1843-46 -William S. McClean, Williamsburgh township, six years. 1849-52.-James C. Moore, Monroe township, six years. 1855.-Thomas W. Rathbone, Pierce township, three years. 1858-61.-George W. Felter, Batavia township, six years. 1864.-Christopher W. Page, Washington township, three years. 1867.-George W. Felter, Batavia township, three years. 1870-73.-Napoleon B. Ross, Monroe township, six years. 1876.-Charles S. Miller, Union township, two years and three months. 1878.-Homer McLean, Williamsburgh township, nine months. 1879.-John Ayer, Union township, three years. There was no county surveyor under the territorial government, and those appointed were for a term of five years, till 1834. CORONERS. Under the territorial government acts were passed, Dec. 21, 1788, and July 16, 1795, creating the offrce of coroner and defining his duties ; and under the first Constitution of Ohio, adopted in convention on Nov. 29, 1802, this and the sheriff's office were the only two county offices especially recognized, and both were made elective. 1804-6.-Jeremiah Beck, Williamsburgh and Tate townships, three years. 1807.-James Kain, Williamsburgh township, one year. 1808.-Allen Wood, Pleasant township, two years. 1810-12.-Jeremiah Beck, Tate township, four years. 1814.-Samuel Lowe, Williamsburgh township, two years. 1816.-Samuel Shaw, Williamsburgh township, two years. 1818-20.-Thomas Kain, Williamsburgh township, four years. 1822.-Daniel Everhart, Williamsburgh township, two years. 1824.-Robert Tweed, Williamsburgh township, two years. 1826-30.-Moses Dimmitt, Batavia township, five years. 1831.-Jacob Hewitt, Tate township, two years. 1833.-Jacob Stroman, Batavia township, two years. 1835.-Isaac Potter, Batavia township, two years. 1837-39.-Joseph Wyatt, Monroe township, four years, 1841.-Hiram Simonton, Miami township, two years. 1843.-John Page, Washington township, two years. 1845-51.-Andrew Buchanan, Washington township, eight years. 1853.-John Phillips, Washington township, two years. 1855.-Edward Hughes, Washington township, two years. 1857-61.--Joshua Sims, Ohio township, six years. 1863.-Pannel T. Cox, Washington township, two years. 1865.-Dr. Adolph Shroen, Ohio township, one yeas. 1866.-J. A. Perrino, Tate township, two years. 1868.-William B. Fitzpatrick, Union township, two years, 1870-75.-John B. Fleming, Ohio township. six years. 1876-78.-Elijah V Downs, Washington township, four years, INFIRMARY DIRECTORS. Under the act of the Legislature passed March 5, 1842, providing that where a poor-house had been provided and completed for the reception of the poor, and the commissioners deemed it right and proper, the management of the same should be placed under a board of infirmary directors prior to the then next annual election, the Clermont commissioners, on July 21, 1854, appointed a board of infirmary drrectors, who organized and immediately took control of the infirmary and general care of the poor. 1854.—Henry Winder, Tate township, three months. Lewis Terwilliger, Goshen township, three months, Peter S. Jones, Union township, one year and three months. Edward Sinks, Williamsburgh township, two years. Jacob Ebersole, Pierce township, three years. 1855.—Dr. A. V, H. Hopkins, Batavia township, three years. 1856.—Thomas W. Abernathy, Jackson township, one year and six months. 1857.—Elisha J. Emery, Miami township, 2 years. Peter M. Snell, Williamsburgh township, six months. 1858.—Thomas Marsh. Batavia township, one year. Dr. A. V. H. Hopkins, Pierce township, three years. 1859.—Hezekiah Mount, Batavia township, three years. John White, Batavia township, one year. 1860.—Moses Long, Stonelick township, three years. 1861.—Jonathan Johnson, Batavia township, three years. 1862.—D. M. Hay, Batavia township, three years. 1863.—John Conner, Ohio township, three years. 1864.—Daniel Roudebush, Batavia township, three years. 1865.—Thomas Marsh, Batavia township, three years. 1866.—D. M. Hay, Batavia township, ono year and six months. 1867.—Joseph Bicking, Batavia township, six months. Peter Dean, Tate township, three years. 1868.—William Y. Potter, Miami township, one year. Thomas IL Phillips, Monroe township, three years. 1869.—William Y. Potter, Miami township, three years. 1870,—Benjamin Behymer, Pierce township, three years. 1871.—John White, Batavia township, three years. 1872.—Zebulon Dickinson, Wayne township, three years. 1873.—Benjamin Behymer, Pierce township, three years. 1874.—John White, Batavia township, three years. 1875.—Zebulon Dickinson, Wayne township, three years. 1876.—Meacom Gardner, Pierce township, three years. 1877.—John White, Batavia township, one year. A. R. Scott, Tate township, three years. 1878.—Benton Medary, Williamsburgh township, three years. 1879.—Samuel L. Witham, Union township, three years. LAND ASSESSORS AND MEMBERS OF THE STATE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION. In 1852, Clermont County was divided into four districts, in each of which a land assessor was elected, whose business it was to view every piece ofsi land in his territory and appraise or assess its actual cash value for taxation. The assessors elected were Ira Ferguson, for the district composed of Ohio (then including Pierce), Union, and Miami townships ; Richard Pemberton, for that of Tate, Williamsburgh, and Batavia; A. D. Fagin, for that of Monroe, Washington, and Franklin ; and J. M. Barr, for that of Wayne, Jackson, Stonelick, and Goshen. In 1860 the law provided for decennial appraisements of realty, and now began the election in each township of an assessor to value the lands, and the following were elected : Pierce, Joseph D. Hatfield; Tate, Richard Pemberton; Wayne, William McKinney; Jackson, J. K. Hartman; Franklin, John Miller; Stonelick, Moses Long ; Monroe, E. G. Brown; Ohio, William B. Fitzpatrick; Washington, Jared Lemar ; Williamsburgh, S. G. Peterson; Goshen, Lewis Terwilliger ; Union, John S. Jenkins; Batavia, Abram Miley ; Miami, Elisha J. Emery. In 1870 the following land assessors were chosen : Batavia, Daniel Kidd; Williamsburgh, H. Hardin; Monroe, L. D. Purkiser ; Jackson, W. T. Hartman ; Ohio, William B. Fitzpatrick ; Wayne, Charles Jones; Union, Burroughs W. Teal ; Goshen, N. F. Luckey ; Tate, Samuel Callen ; Washington, W. W. Manning; Stonelick, Jacob Burns; Miami, A. M. Gateh; Franklin, Enoch Reed; Pierce, Nathaniel Temple. In 1880 the following were the land assessors (elected in October, 1879): Batavia, Thomas Brown; Williamsburgh, Joseph Jenkins; Tate, W. W. Burk ; Washington, Nathan S. Delano; Monroe, Abraham Bushman; Ohio, William B. Fitzpatrick ; Pierce, Fernando C. Butler ; Union, William Prickett ; Miami, H. P. Brown; Goshen, David R. Irwin; Wayne, Silas Muchmore ; Stonelick, Hezekiah Hill; Jackson, William Hunter. The first State board of equalization, consisting of one member from each Congressional district, elected by joint ballot of both Houses of the Legislature, assembled Dec. 17, 1825, and was in session until Feb. 3, 1826, John Bigger president. The member from the First District (Clermont and Hamilton) was Elijah Hayward, afterwards a judge of the Supreme Court. State librarian, and several years private secretary of President Jackson. In 1836, on January 26th, the next State board met, and was in session three weeks, Samuel Caldwell president, and the member of the Fifth District (composed of Clermont, Adams, and Brown) was Benjamin Evans, of Brown County. On Jan. 25, 1841, the third board, consisting of one member from each senatorial district, appointed by the Governor, convened, and the member from Clermont was Thomas J. Buchanan. The session lasted twenty-nine days, David T. Disney president. The next State board met Oct. 26, 1846, with ex-Governor Allen Trimble president, and sat twenty-two days. The member from the Clermont and Brown senatorial district was James Loudon, of Georgetown. The next State board assembled Nov. 7, 1853, with James B. King, president, and on December 23d adjourned sinc die. The member from the Clermont and Brown district was Andrew L. Powell, of Felicity. The next State board were in session in the winter of 1860 and 1861, and the member from Clermont and Brown senatorial district was Jesse Dugan, of Higginsport. The last State board convened on Nov. 7, 1870, and adjourned March 9, 1871, its president being William S. Groesbeck, of Cincinnati. This was a session of great importance to the real-estate owners of the State, and its action was marked by careful scrutiny into the valuations returned by the township and ward assessors. The member from Clermont was William Roudebush, representing the Clermont and Brown senatorial district, who was one of its leading workers, and, being a large land-owner—the largest in Clermont—and a practical agriculturist, was enabled to havc great influence with the board. Col. Roudebush's labors proved of incalculable importance and benefit to the property-holders and tax-payers of this county in not only preventing the board making additions to the valuations returned to them, but in causing a reduction of a million dollars on them. CHAPTER XI. COMMISSIONERS' EARLY PROCEEDINGS—ESTABLISHING THE FIRST ROADS—BUILDING BRIDGES —HOW MATTERS WERE MANAGED THREE- QUARTERS OF A CENTURY AGO. UNDER the State government, which went into operation in March, 1803, the board of county commissioners took the place of the justices' Court of Quarter Sessions in the management of the county's internal affairs, such as levy- COMMISSIONERS' EARLY PROCEEDINGS - 75 ing taxes, paying and allowing bills, establishment of roads, building of' bridges, and, in short, all business pertaining properly to the county's domestic affairs not specially confided to the township authorities. The first meeting was held on the first Monday of June, 1804, at the house of Nicholas Sinks, in Williamsburgh, then the usual place ofsi holding the Courts of Common Pleas in and for the county, and consisted of Robert Townsley, George Conrad, and Amos Smith, elected at a special election held in April previous. They appointed Roger W. Waring their clerk, and then determined by lot the time for which respectively they should continue in office, which resulted in fixing the term of Robert Townsley until the ensuing October annual election, that of George Conrad until the second succeeding annual election, and that of Amos Smith until the third annual election, to wit, in October, 1806. The commissioners at this session allowed William Perry, ex-sheriff, one hundred dollars payment in part of his contract made with the associate judges for hauling stone to build a court-house in Williamsburgh, to be paid out of the money appropriated at August term ofsi 1803 by the asso- ciate judges for that purpose, Daniel Kain was allowed thirty-six and one-half' dollars as deputy sheriff and jailer for diet, etc., furnished John Rowe one hundred and four- teen days while in jail charged with murder, and for one tub and one padlock for the use of the jail ; Daniel Kidd, one dollar and fifty cents for killing an old panther on the 21st of October, 1803. Roger W. Waring, as clerk of Common Pleas Court, in cases where the State failed in prosecutions, where the criminals were insolvent, and for fees in establishment of three public highways, received twenty-four dollars and a half. John Dunham got three dollars and scventy-five cents for services as supervisor of part of Ohio township. Five dollars were appropriated to buy a book for their proceedings, and twelve and a half to Deputy Sheriff Daniel Kain for advertising William McKinnis, who was committed to jail on suspicion of horse- stealing, and also for taking and guarding said McKinnis (on a writ of' habeas corpus) from Williamsburgh to Lebanon and attending the judge there. William Hughes had killed an old wolf, Dec. 31,1802, and was paid three dollars. The following supervisors were given allowances for services in charge of the highways : John McMeans, of Miami township, for year 1802, eleven dollars and eighty-seven and one-half cents ; Edward Hall, of Pleasant, five dollars (Fielding Feagans, of same township, failed to get his bill for like services allowed) ; Ezekiel Dimmitt, of Ohio, three dollars and seventy-five cents. Thomas McFarland killed an old wolf on January 22, 1804, and was granted one dollar and fifty cents. The sheriff was appropriated twenty dollars, his annual allowance named by law in cases where the State failed in prosecution and when the criminals were insolvent. Peter Light, for keeping an estray horse given up to him by Joseph Jackson to sell while said Light was sheriff, and for selling said horse,—it appearing that the said Light had paid into the county treasury the whole amount for which said horse was sold, without retaining his fee (a thing never since heard of on the part of an official),—got three dollars. This was the entire doings of the first session. Board again met July 23,1804, and William hoes was grantcd fourteen dollars and twenty-nine cents, the amount (deducting the treasurer's fees) which was paid into the county treasury by the sheriff for an estray horse sold to Jasper Shotwcll, which turned out to be the property of said Holmes. Thomas Frost, supervisor of Miami, and Adam Snider, of Williamsburgh, were respectively paid four dollars and thirty-seven cents and ten dollars. There were granted to Henry Chapman for returning poll-book of Pleasant township, and Jeriah Wood that of' Washington, one dollar each. They bought for five dollars a book to keep the accounts against the treasurer and collector, and made their settlement with Peter Light, collector of county taxes for the year 1802. There were allowed (at August session of 1804) to Ed- ward Sopp, for killing an old wolf, Oct. 4, 1803, one dollar and fifty cents ; to Laben Ricords,.for killing two wolves, Oct. 3, 1803, and to Alexander Buchanan, for killing two, Oct. 6, 1803, two dollars to each party. The associate judges were allowed for their services two dollars per day, and paid ; and, from the bills allowed, it seems the follow- ing were the listers of lands and taxable property in the various townships: Williamsburgh, Daniel Kain ; Pleasant, William Whitc ; Ohio, Shadrach Lane ; Miami, Joseph Brown ; Willianasburgh, Robert Dickey ; Ohio, David Kelly. Nicholas Sinks got twenty dollars for a year's rent of house in which to hold the courts. There were granted for killing wolves,-to Jacob Burget (on Feb. 12, 1804), one dollar and fifty cents ; Christian Shingle, for an old wolf, Nov. 8, 1803, one dollar and fifty cents ; William Stewart, one dollar and fifty cents ; John Mefford, one killed Feb. 22, 1802, one dollar and fifty cents; Archibald McLean, one killed Dec. 16, 1802 ; George Washburn, an old and vicious one, three dollars; same for another on Feb. 16, 1804; John Lattimore, one killed Oct. 16, 1804, one dollar and fifty cents ; Peter Frybarger, one killed, Feb. 2, 1804, one dollar and fifty cents; and to Thomas Davis, for an old panther killed Aug. 1, 1804, and wolf July 30, three dollars. Daniel Kain was appointed collector of' county taxes, and gave bonds, with James Kain and Samuel W. Davis as securities. Roger W. Waring made out three duplicates of the taxes on the lands of residents within the county,— one for the collector, one for the auditor of state, and one for comrnissieners,—and for all this work received forty- eight dollars. Joshua Collet, for services as prosecuting attorney for September term of 1803 in Supreme Court, got twelve dollars, and Martin Marshal, for like services at June term of Common Pleas, twenty dollars. There was given to Thomas E. Allen seven dollars and fifty-seven cents for conveying, guarding, etc. (all expenses included), John Rowe to jail, charged with the murder of Mary Malone. William Perry, late sheriff, presented a claim of sixty-four dollars and thirty-four cents, it being the amount of a judgment obtained against him by Stephen Frazer in an action for letting a certain Andrew Cotterell escape on mesne process, but said claim laid over. Nov. 5, 1804,—present, George Conrad, Amos Smith, and Amos Ellis,—the latter elected at October election vicc Townaley, whose time had expired,-John Shroof got 76 - HISTORY OF CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO. three dollars for an old panther killed ; Henry Sumalt, same for two wolves; John Anderson, for an old panther killed Nov. 19, 1804, one dollar and fifty cents; and John White, for killing an old wolf, Nov. 14, 1803, one dollar and fifty cents; John Erwin, for guarding William Maginnis four nights in the jail, one dollar (twenty-five cents per night ; the guard probably slept with the prisoner) ; Robert Townsley took Tour dollars and a half for killing three old wolves. February session, 1805, Henry Zumalt, for killing an old wolf in 1805, Nicholas Prickett one in 1804, one dollar and a half each ; and the latter was allowed two dollars for killing two young ones in 1802. June term, 1805, Jacob Miller, for killing an old wolf, Nov. 1, 1804, got one dollar and a half. The rates of tavern licenses for ensuing year were established, to wit: "In Williamsburgh, eight dollars; in Bethel, six dollars ; in White Haven, four dollars ; in Staunton (now Ripley), four dollars ; and all other taverns four dollars. The ferries were priced as follows: at Staunton (now Ripley), across the Ohio per annum, two dollars ; at Waters' ferry (now in Brown), four ; at Samuel Ellis' (now in Brown), above the mouth of White Oak, one dollar and a half; at White Haven, four dollars ; at Bond's and Bolander's, four dollars each ; at the mouth of Bullskin, five dollars ; at Machir's ferry, two dollars ; at or within one mile of Twelve-Mile Creek, three dollars; and at all other ferries that may be established across the Ohio River, two dollars. The rates were fixed,—to wit, the highest rates allowed by law on all the other waters within or bounden on this county,— for a foot person six and quarter cents, and the full amount to the extent of the law for all other ferriagcs. Joseph Wood, for killing one old wolf, Sept. 17, 1804, was allowed one dollar and a half. August term, 1805, Thomas Morris, for services as clerk of the election for sheriff, and as judge of the annual election, was allowed one dollar. Edward Doughty, Stephen Parker, John Latimore, and Andrew Irwin were each allowed one dollar for killing wolves, all killed in May, June, and July. The report of the viewers on the road from Denhamstown to the mouth of Bullskin (viewers, Obed Denham, James South, John Boggess, and John Conrey, with Houton Clark as surveyor) was approved, and the road ordered opened. November term, 1805, William S. Jump now appeared as commissioner, elected n place of George Conrad. Upon a petition of a number of inhabitants of the townships of Pleasant and Tate for viewers to view the way for a road leading from Waters' road and beginning at or near the still-house of Daniel Feagans, running from thence by or near Roney's mill, and from thence along the dividing ridge between White Oak and Bullskin Creeks, and to be continued on until it intersects Waters' road at or near the plantation of Aaron Leonard, it was ordered that Daniel Feagans, Fielding Feagans, and James Rounds (or any two of them) view the way as aforesaid, and Houton Clarke survey the same, and that they make report thereof agreeably to law. On the proposed road beginning at the Indian Riffle on the Little Miami, and running from thence by Silas Hutchinson's to Wilson's mills, on the Obannon, it was ordered that Joseph Hutchinson, Theophilus Simonton, and John Davies be the viewers, and that Owen Todd make the survey. On the projected road from Williamsburgh by the plantations of William Hunter and Christopher Hart- man, to intersect the State road near the latter's residence, William Lytle, William Hunter, and Robert Dickey were selected viewers, and R. W. Waring surveyor. On the road to be built from Denhamstown through the " Yankec Settlement" to Henry Zumalt's, on White Oak Creek, James Rounds, Robert Allen, and Houton Clarke were the viewers, the latter doing the surveying. One large lock and two padlocks, at a cost of thirty-two dollars, were purchased for the jail. David C. Bryan was allowed four dollars and fifty cents for surveying the new road from Williamsburgh to the county-line on a direction to West Union, the viewers of which were William Wardlow, Ramoth Bunting, and John Lytle; chainmen, Roland Boyd, Samuel Wardlow ; and marker, Josiah Osborn ; which road was ordered established. The bond of Levi Rogers, sheriff-elect, was received and approved, and contained the following securities,—William Smith, James Sargent, John Boultinghouse, Abraham Wood, James South, John Sargent, George Brown, William Buchanan, John Wood, and David Wood, all solid men of those days,—and was in the sum of four thousand dollars. Upon a list returned by Alexander Robb, a lister of Ohio township, of a stud-horse belonging to Jacob Light (which said Light refused to list agreeably to law), stating that said horse stood the season at the rate of three dollars, it was ordered that said Light be taxed with the said stud-horse fourfold, amounting to twelve dollars, and that he be proceeded against for its immediate payment. The necessity of laying before the public an account of the receipts and expenditures of the county since June, 1803, was agreed upon. The commissioners stipulated to pay their clerk fifteen dollars per annum, and ordered that all delinquent collectors appear before them by the first Tuesday of the coming January to square up their receipts and make exhibits of outstanding delinquencies. January term, 1806, R. W. Waring, the old clerk to the board, having resigned, Amos Ellis, one of the board, was elected in his place. Settled with the county treasurer, Nicholas Sinks ; found that he had properly accounted for all moneys received by him, and found a balance due him of eighty dollars and thirty-nine cents. Settled with Alex. ander Robb and Benjamin Sharp, collectors of Ohio and Pleasant townships. Tavern licenses fixed as follows: In Williamsburgh, eight dollars ; in Bethel, four and one-half; and in all other parts of the county, four. Ferry licenses put at this schedule : At Waters', White Haven, Boude's, Bolander's, four dollars each ; at Staunton, two ; at Sam Ellis', one and a half; at mouth of Bullskin, five; within one mile of Twelve-Mile Creek, three ; and at all other places that ferries may be established, two each. The following bounties were offered for the killing of wolves for the ensuing year ; for any wolf exceeding six months old, two dollars : and any under that age, one dollar. In pursuance of an act of the General Assembly, it was ordered that the township ]inters collect the State and county tax of 1806. June term, 1806, settled with Andrew Jackson, late col- COMMISSIONERS' EARLY PROCEEDINGS - 77 lector of Washington township, and resolved that the Hsters appear on the 30th and give security for their collections. Joshua Manning, for listing Washington township, received twenty dollars, Josiah Boothby eighteen for that of Tate, and Benjamin Sharp fifteen for that of Pleasant. William Fee was allowed twelve dollars and seventy-two cents for necessary irons purchased by him as county inspector. Oliver Lindsey listed Williamsburgh township, and got twenty dollars therefor ; and Joseph Bowman, Miami, for eighteen dollars. September term, 1806, allowed Henry Fitzpatrick and William Beasley each two dollars for kilhng a wolf, and to William Lytle, postmaster of Williamsburgh, two dollars and ten cents for postage on a duplicate of resident lands in the county for the year 1806 and a letter accompanying the same. Nicholas Sinks, John Erwin, Sr., and Samuel Howell were appointed viewers, and David C. Bryan surveyor, on the proposed road from the court-house in Williamsburgh, crossing the east fork by or near the house where John Erwin, Sr., now lives ; thence on a northwesterly direction on the best ground until it intersects the road leading from the house of James Kain towards Chillicothe. On the proposed road beginning at Johns' mill, at or near the Ohio River, to the Little Miami, at John Smith's mill, John Vaneaton, William Robb, and William Whitaker were viewers, and John Hunter surveyor. An order was issued to the supervisors of Ohio township to open a road from the branch of Shalor's Run to the county-line. Christian Long and William McKinney took an order each for two dollars for killing a wolf, with which they paid their taxes. On the proposed road from the plantation of John P. Shinkle, at the four-mile tree, in the Boude's Ferry and Williamsburgh road, and to run intersecting the same road near the "Yankee Settlement," Samuel Rounds, John P. Shinkle, and Josiah Boothby were viewers, and John Boude surveyor ; and on the projected road from Boude's Ferry to intersect the Cincinnati road at the mouth of Bullskin Creek, Samuel Ellis, Robert Higgins, and Gabriel Aikins were viewers, and Joseph Wells surveyor. December term, 1806, there were allowed for killing wolves: Jesse Gold, an old one, two dollars ; Shadrach Tribble, an old one, two dollars ; Hugh Ferguson, an old one, two dollars; Charles Ramsey, two young ones, two dollars. There being objections to the report On the road from Johns' mill, on the Ohio, to John Smith's mill, on the Little Miami, John Donham, Robert Townsley, Jacob Whetstone, William Christy, and Peter Emery were ap- pointed to review it and settle the matter. Samuel B. Kyle killed an old wolf, and took his two-dollar order. On the road wanted from Jacob Light's residence, on the Ohio River, thence to Daniel Light's saw-mill, thence the nearest and best way towards the " Round Bottom," John Don- ham, William Bennett, and Rodom Morin were viewers, and Peter Light surveyor. John Boggess, Henry Cuppee, and Jacob Whinton were appointed viewers, and Houton Clarke surveyor, to view the road from the Ohio River opposite Stepstone to Bethel, also to view the way for a road the nearest and best way from Bethel, to intersect the Stepstone road near to Alexander Buchanan's, and to see if a nearer and better way from Buchanan's to Bethel can be had. On the road wanted from Bethel to John Harmon's, John Boggess, Waien Williams, and William Winters were viewers, and Houton Clarke surveyor. For killing wolves, Samuel B. Kyle, William Glancy, James Fitzpatrick, and Stephen Calvin were each allowed two dollars. The bond of Jeremiah Beck, Jr., coroner-elect, was presented, being for two thousand dollars, with the following securities,—Kelly Burke and Sears Crane,—and the same approved. January term, 1807, as the reviewers on the road wanted from. Johns' mill, on the Ohio, to John Smith's mill, on the Little Miami, reported the damages of Samuel B. Kyle to be two hundred and thirty dollars to his place, the board considered it too much to pay, and refused to build the road. Part of the Denhamstown road, from a branch of Shaylor's Run to Hamilton county-line, was vacated. The road from Williamsburgh to John Legate's farm by way of Thompson's mills was ordered to be surveyed by Josephus Waters, with John Mefford, Henry Chapman, and Jose- phus Waters as viewers. Absalom Brooks received two dollars for killing a wolf. A road was asked from Tatman's old road, at Henry Wise's improvement, till it inter- sected the road at the cross-roads, and 'William Fee, Con- rad Metzgar, and Benjamin Sells were viewers, and Joseph Wells surveyor. March term, 1807, Peter Light, Isaac Higby, and Jo- seph Dole, as viewers, and the first named as surveyor, were ordered to view the way for a road from or near the mouth of Clover Lick Creek to the mouth of Indian Creek. Upon a petition of a number of inhabitants of the town- ships of Williarnsburgh and Tate, praying that viewers might be appointed to view a way for a road beginning near the house of Dr. Alhson, from thence up the east fork, passing near the house of George Ely, thence the nearest and best way to the house of John Collins, thence passing near McCollum's and Higby's saw-mill on the nearest and best ground until it intersects the road leading from Williamsburgh to the mouth of Twelve-Mile Creek, Ezekiel Dimmitt, Jacob Sly, and Daniel Husong were chosen viewers, and David C. Bryan surveyor. (This is the old, and partly the present, road from Stonelick via Batavia to Bantam.) On the road wished from Isaac Higby's mill to "Goshen meeting-house," Peter Light, Shadrach Tribole, and Absalom Brooks were viewers, with the first named as surveyor. June term, 1807, a road was desired from Williamsburgh to intersect the Cincinnati road at "Two-Mile Tree," with D. C. Bryan, Daniel Kidd, and Adam Snider as viewer's, the first to make the survey. Henry Dunn was allowed two dollars for killing a wolfsi, and James Dunn four dollars for kilhng two wolves. Ferry licenses were regulated, to wit : At White Haven, Baud's, Bolander's, each three dollars; at mouth ofsi Bullskin, four ; at all other places on the Ohio, two ; and at any ferries that are or may be established on the Little Miami, or any others of the waters in the county, one dollar and fifty cents. Tavern licenses were scheduled, to wit : In Williamsburgh seven, and at all other places four, dollars. The bounties on wolves were fixed same as previous year. For killing five young wolves, John Mitchell got five dollars ; Enoch Gest for killing one, 78 - HISTORY OF CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO. one dollar ; and Thomas Allen for killing an old one that had seriously disturbed the settlements, two dollars. Lewis township (now in Brown) was organized, extending from the east end of Washington township, of which it was a part, to Bullskin Creek. John Rowe, who was in jail for alleged murdering of Mary Malone, had escaped, and two dollars were allowed to Nicholas Sinks for taking an express to Cincinnati to the printer's to get posters struck of poor John's escape. August term, 1807, Shadrach Tribble, for killing one old and two young wolves, was allowed four dollars; Jacob Ulrey, for three young ones, three dollars ; James Whitaker, an old one, two dollars; and Edward Doughty and John Miller, the same each. September term, 1807, for killing wolves, William Boydston and Thomas John received two dollars each ; also James Waits. On the proposed road from the mouth of the middle fork of Bullekin towards Bethel, Nathan Tat- man, William Judd, and Joseph Wells were chosen viewers, -the latter to make the survey. Settled with Nicholas Sinks, county treasurer, and found five hundred and five dollars and twenty-seven cents in the treasurer's hands all right. Au order was issued to the supervisors of Tate and Washington townships to open a road from Bethel to or near Alexander Buchanan's, opposite the mouth of Stepstone. Nicholas Sinks, county treasurer, gave bond in sum of three thousand dollars, with William Hunter and Robert Townsley as securities. John Arnold and others, for stand- ing guard at the prison, were allowed three dollars. December term, 1807, a road was wanted beginning on the State road near Bullskin, through the settlements on Bear Creek and Indian Creek, crossing the latter at Brown's mill, till it intersected the State road at Witham's Settlement, and William Barkley, David Colglazer, and John Reeves were appointed viewers, and Joseph Jackson surveyor. On the road wished from Bethcl to Jacob Light's, on the Ohio River, Rhodam Morin, Stephen Frazee, and lElouton Clarke were selected as viewers, the latter to do the surveying. For killing wolves there were allowed : Haley Sapp, two dollars; Shadrach Tribble, four ; Samuel Doughty, two ; Libbeus Day, one ; Jacob Ulrey, two ; Joseph Moore, two ; John Crist, John Wray, two. January term, 1808, Samuel English (who was the fifer in Col. Lewis Cass' regiment in the war of 1812, and died in Chiles of this county, in 1865), for guarding the jail over Caldwell and Handley from December 24th to January 29th, was allowed thirty-nine dollars and thirty-seven cents. March term, 1808, Ezekiel Howard, John Weeks, and Moses Wood were each allowed two dollars for killing an old wolf. Levi Rogers, being re-elected sheriff, gave bond in the sum of four thousand dollars, with the following securities: John White, Henry Willis, Jeremiah Beck, Jr., and William South. Shadrach Tribble, Thomas Pat- terson, and Michael Cowley each got two dollars for killing an old wolf; Jeremiah Beck, coroner, was allowed four dollars and ten cents for services in holding an inquest (the first of record in the county) on the body of a dead child, alleged to have been killed by Jane Hamilton. John Wardlaw, for killing an old wolf, got two dollars, May term, 1808, for killing wolves, there were allowed to William Hartman two dollars; Joseph Glancy, same ; Jacob Burget, four dollars ; William Glone, same. June term, 1808, Moses Wood killed an old wolf, and got two dollars. Tavern licenses fixed for the year : Williamsburgh, eight dollars ; in Bethel, six ; and at all other points, four. A road was wanted from Ferguson's ferry towards Deerfield, by way of Dr. Allison's; Shadrach Lane, Abel Denham, and James Townsley were the viewers, the latter to make the survey. On the proposed road from Zechariah Chapman's, on the State road from Holley's mill through the "Apple Settlement" till it intersected the county road near Mr, Fairchild's, on the met fork, Nicholas Pricket, Henry Davis, and Joseph Shaylor were the viewers, and Daniel F. Barney the surveyor. William Warcllow and Fielding Feagans, each for killing two old wolves, received four dollars, and Jacob and Aaron Burget, for killing an old one, got two dollars apiece. On the proposed altera- tion of the Willianasburgh and Newtown road, beginning -where the Denhanistown road forked near Nathan Sutton's, and from thence to the Hamilton county-line, John Day, Peter Emery, and Samuel Lane were the viewers, and Ja11204 Townsley surveyor. Ferry licenses for ensuing year were fixed as follows: At Waters' or ICeuek's, White Haven, three dollars; Boude's, Balmier's, at mouth of Bullskin, four dollars; at all other places on the Ohio where ferries may be established, two dollars; and at any ferry on the Little Miami, or other waters in the county, one dollar and a half. The rates of bounties on wolves were scheduled as year before. James Perine was allowed twclve dollars, and Thomas Foster a like sum, for guarding the jail over Caleb Wright for twelve days, and Joseph Haines four dollars for iron-work done for the confinement of prisoners. August term, 1808, David Brunk and Thomas Patter- son received two dollars each for killing an old wolf. The associate judges, Philip Gatch, John Morris, and Ambrose Ransom, were each allowed six dollars for a three days' called court in cases of John Clark and Mordecai S. Ford. (The latter was convicted of horse-stealing, and publicly whipped therefor by the sheriff; he died shortly after, and was the first man buried in the Calvary Graveyard, in Washington township.) John Graham and Samuel Glenn, for guarding jail, got a dollar each; also Josiah Osborn and James Wilson, for like services, five dollars each. Horse-thieves gave the authorities great trouble, as we find Amos Smith got one dollar and seventy-five cents for iron- work to secure the prisoners in jail. Sheriff Oliver Lind- sey received twelve dollars and sixty-two cents for diet for Handley, Clark, and Ford at one time, four dollars and seventy-two cents at another, and a dollar for cleaning the jail. Most of these horse-thieves were transient persons, but Mordecai S. Ford owned a farm in the Buchanan Set- tlement. September term, 1808, Timothy Rariden, for killing five young wolves near New Richmond, received five dollars. Ezekiel Bail, for apprehending and delivering to the jailer of this county agreeably to the advertisement of the sheriff the bodies of Mordecai S. Ford and John Clark, seventy- three dollars; so it appeared, after all the guarding, night and day, of the jail, its inmates escaped and put the en- COMMISSIONERS'' EARLY PROCEEDINGS - 79 thorities to great annoyance and costs. On the proposed road beginning where the Cincinnati road crosses Shaylor's Run, so as to intersect the State road two and a half miles eastward of Moses Broadwell's place, Ezekiel Dimmitt, Peter Emery, and James Townsley were viewers,—the latter to make the survey,—who were likewise to view the way for a road from the " Nine-Mile Tree," on the Cincinnati rsad, to intersect the same three-fourths of a mile distant. It was petitioned to build a road beginning in the State road leading from the Little Miami to West Union, near where the Denhamstown road takes off near the " Witham's Settlement," and from thence as near as the truce as was then traveled would admit, until it intersected the State road leading from Cincinnati to Chillicothe, and Jacob Teal, Daniel Kirgan, and Daniel F. Barney were the viewers, the latter to do the surveying. For killing wolves there were paid to John Warren, two dollars ; Nicholas Prickett, four ; and John Bridges, two. John Earhart, for repairing jail, got one dollar ; and Samuel English, for guarding the jail nine days and nights, nine dollars, and for securing the prisoners Clark and Ford in the jail, two dollars and twenty-five cents. On the proposed road, beginning at or near Samuel Ellis', on the road from Williamsburgh to Twelve-Mile Creek, and the road leading from Williamsburgh to Bullskin, the viewers were Joseph Dole, Samuel Nelson, and Thomas Page, and Alexander Blair the surveyor. There was paid James Willson, for guarding the jail over Ford and Clark, twelve dollars, and Amos Smith, for irons made to secure Mordecai S. Ford in the jail, ten dollars. Settled with the county treasurer, and found him indebted to the county in sum of one hundred and fifty-three dollars and fifty-nine cents. October term, 1808, Enoch Gest, for killing an old wolf, received two dollars. Clark township (now in Brown County) was organized, and extended from Washington, Tate, and Lewis townships to the Highland and Adams county-lines. John Charles furnished nine benches for jury-rooms and fixed two jail windows, and was paid nine dollars. An order was issued to Richard Hall, Ezekiel Leming, and David Roudebush to view a way for a road from Milford to intersect the road leading from William Smalley's mill, on Todd's Fork, Conduce Catch to make the survey. Stephen Smith and others, for guarding the jail the night of October 13th, three dollars and fifty cents. John Dennis got two dollars and twenty cents for underpinning the jail and repairing irons to secure the prisoners. Stephen Smith and others guarded the jail the night of the 20th, and were paid therefor the sum of three dollars and fifty cents. For extra guarding of jail, Jacob Ulrey received twenty-five cents, and Josiah Osborn two dollars. December term, 1808, Henry Chapman (of Pleasant township) appeared as commissioner in place of William S. Jump, whose term had expired. For killing wolves there were paid William Fletcher, two dollars ; Joseph Calvin, same sum ; Charles Johnston, same sum ; John Gest, same sum ; James Waits, same sum ; George Sheke, same sum ; Shadrach Tribble, same sum ; Joseph Moore, six dollars (for three old ones); William Fletcher, four dollars (two old ones); Vincent Wood, two dollars ; Thomas South, same sum ; and Josiah Prickett, same sum. February term, 1809, there were allowed for wolf-killing, Ichabod Willis and Peter Waits, each two dollars. March term, 1809, for wolf-killing there were paid John Bridges, four dollars ; John Godfrey, same sum ; Daniel South and Robert Wright, each two dollars. To view the amendment to the road leading from mouth of Bullskin to Cincinnati, near Stout's, or between there and Twelve-Mile, Alexander Buchanan, Hugh Ferguson, and Rhodam Morin were appointed viewers, and Philip Nichols the surveyor. June term, 1809, Allen Wood, coroner-elect, presented his bond in the sum of two thousand dollars, with Nathan Woods, John Arnold, and John Davis as securities ; same was approved and ordered to be recorded. Stephen Smith, for repairing jail, received one dollar and a half. Tavern licenses for ensuing year were priced, to wit : At Williamsburgh, eight dollars ; Bethel and Milford, six ; and at all other points, four. Ferry licenses were put as follows : At mouth of Red Oak (now in Brown County), Waters', Samuel Ellis', White Haven, and Bolander's, three dollars ; at Boude's, six ; at Bullskin, four ; at all other ferries that may be established on the Ohio, two dollars ; and at all points on Little Miami or other waters in the county, one dollar and fifty cents. Same bounties as before continued on wolves,—that is, two dollars for wolves over six months old, and one for those under that age. For killing wolves there were paid John Hall, Christian Long, Benjamin Fisher, two dollars each ; Hugh Ferguson, eight dollars ; and James Fee, and Greenberry Lakin, one dollar each. On the proposed road from Danby's mill to intersect the Williamsburgh and Twelve-Mile road where it crosses the east fork, nearly opposite Clover Lick Creek, the viewers were William Johnston, George Higby, and Isaac Higby, with David C. Bryan as surveyor. September term, 1809, for killing wolves there were paid : John Morris, one dollar ; Andrew Frybarger, one dollar ; Joseph Moore, two dollars. On the proposed road from Harner's Run, in Miami township, across the mill ford to Stonelick, the viewers were Richard Hall, Josiah Prickett, and William Glone, and Zachariah Tolliver the surveyor. John Kain and John Boyd, for guarding jail over John Mureat, June court, received two dollars. Settled with Nicholas Sinks, county treasurer, and found the county indebted to him one hundred and twenty dollars and fifty- seven cents. October term, 1809, James Garland, for killing an old wolf, got two dollars. On the road wanted in Miami township from Christian Waldsmith's mill up Harner's Run to the school-house (the first school-house mentioned in Clermont records), past Jacob Long's, crossing the Williamsburgh road to " the Widow Roudebush's," the viewers were Richard Frazee, Andrew Shederly, and Robert Hewitt, and Conduce Gatch the surveyor. John Charles fixed the fireplaces in the court-house and whitewashed its walls for seven dollars. November term, 1809, paid Dunhem McCoy eight and one-half dollars for guarding the jail over James Black, and eight dollars to. Adam Snider for like services. Oliver Lindsey, sheriff, elected at the October election, presented his official bond in the penal sum of four thousand dollars, with the following securities Thomas Paxton, Samuel 80 - HL$TORY OF CLERMONT COUNTY, OFHO. Bayed, and T. S. Foote,—which was duly approved, and Thomas Morris, of Bethel. then one of the Supreme judges of the State of Ohio, administered to the new sheriff the solemn oath of office, being the only official act on record of Judge Morris, who was the next winter (two months after) legislated out of office. December terin, 1809, the board appointed Daniel Kain its clerk. For killing wolves there were paid : John Bridges, four dollars ; John Hamilton, two ; Theophilus Simonton, two ; John Gest, six ; Peter Fronk, one ; Charles Baum, one ; Joab Woodruff, two ; James Henderson, two ; Jacob Frazee, two ; Charles Waits, two ; Jacob Waits, two. February term, 1810, Levi Rogers having in the summer of 1809 resigned his office of sheriff, the coroner, Allen Wood, filled out the remaining six months of his term, and for extra services was paid twenty dollars. March term, 1810, for killing wolves there were paid: James Ellis, two dollars; Johe Osborn, same ; John Bridges, same. On the proposed road from Williamsburgh to the " salt-works," on the east fork, occupied by Peter Wilson, there were appointed as viewers Daniel Kain, Ra- moth Bunting, and Charles Waits (the great wolf-killer and hunter), with David C. Bryan as surveyor. June term, 1810, for wolf-killing there were paid Peter Harden, two dollars; William Davis, five; William Glone, six ; William Smith, two ; John Waits (panther), two. On the road wanted beginning near Thomas Robinson's, on the State road, near the east fork, leading down said stream past Samuel Fountain's and" Major Shaylor's," and continued on to the county-line near the "Round Bottom mills," the viewers appointed were Jacob Teal, Jacob Voorhies, and Jacob Whetstone (three Jacobs), with Daniel F. Barney as surveyor. August term, 1810, for killing wolves Timothy Raridin got six dollars for six young ones, and two dollars for an old one. John Earhart made the clerk of the court a book- case for twelve dollars, and John Boyd, for iron-work to confine the prisoners in jail, received thirteen dollars and sixty cents. September term, 1810, on the proposed road beginning at John Troy's, on " Stone Run," passing Townsley's and McClelland's mill to the "Deerfield road," the viewers were Conrad Harsh, Robert Lane, and Samuel Kilbreath, with James Townsley as surveyor. To view the way for a road beginning at "old Mr. Apple's lane," thence by "Stony Run," past Richard Doughty's and Charles Robinson's, to intersect the Denhamstown road, the viewers were Richard Doughty, Joseph Dole, Ezekicl Dimmitt, with James Townsley as surveyor. Joseph Leming, for killing an old wolf, rcceived two dollars, and R. W. Waring, clerk, for extra services in a called court on cases of Jane Hamilton, William Thomas, Yanger Priekett, etc,, received fifteen dollars and eighty cents. David C. Bryan, road com- missioner on the road leading from the county-line between the counties of Highland and Clermont, and from thence to Milford, was paid fifty-three dollars and seventy-four cents. November term, 1810, Oliver Lindsey, sheriff, for taking and victualing Wm. Thomas in jail, got twenty-six dollars, and for sundry service in furnishing firewood, candles, etc., at Supreme Court session, three dollars. December term, 1810, on the proposed road from where Apple's road intersects the State road until it intersects the road from Clover Lick Creek to the mouth of Indian Creek, between the six- and seven-mile tree, crossing Twelve-Mile Creek near Jacob Fisher's, the viewers were Nathan Morgan, George Brown, and Joseph Dole, and Joseph Jackson the surveyor. For the road reached from " three forks of Nine-Mile Creek" to William Reece's, the viewers were John Dunham, Isaiah Ferguson, and Rhodam Morin, with Philip Nichols as surveyor. Benja- min Hess (afterwards the notorious counterfeiter of Bear Creek) was paid two dollars for killing an old wolf. On the road prayed for frou near Henry Fitzpatrick's, near the mouth of Ten-Mile Creek, and up same till it intersects the Williamsburgh road, the viewers were Shadrach Dial, Joseph Dole, and Joseph Jackson, the latter acting as surveyor also. March term, 1811, James Kain was allowed two dollars for use of a room, with fires, for the board. Joseph Cal- vin, for killing three old wolves, was paid six dollars. April term, 1811, John Earhart, for making two boxes for the jury-ballots (?), was paid a dollar and a half. June term, 1811, on the proposed road beginning at or near Samuel Beck's, passing Kelly Burk's mill, to intersect the road leading from Williamsburgh to the mouth of "Big Indian Creek," the viewers were John Boggess, Thomas West, and Joseph Jackson, the latter to make the survey. On the road wanted from mouth of Stonelick through " Glancy's Lane" and by Joseph Moore's, and up Stone- lick as far as " McKinney's old improvement," the viewers were William Glancy, Josiah Prickett, and Joseph Moore, with Zachariah Talliafero as surveyor. Settled with county treasurer Nicholas Sinks, and found him indebted to the county three hundred and seventy-two dollars and fifteen cents. The board appropriated thirty-five dollars for the purpose of building a bridge across a branch of "Clover Lick Creek," on the State road, between George and Peter Light's, under the superintendence of George Light, which was the first bridge built in Clermont by the county au- ' thorities, as the records indicate. Tavern licenses for fol- lowing year were thus rated : at Williamsburgh, eight dollars; at Bethel and Milford, five ; at all other points, four. Ferry licenses were priced, to wit : at Red Oak, Sell's, three dollars ; at Samuel Ellis', two ; at Boude's, five; at Bullskin, four ; at all other places, if established on the Ohio, two dollars; and at all places on the Little Miami, one dollar and a half. Daniel Kain was appointed to procure a half-bushel agreeable to the act "Entitled an Act for Regulating Measures." September term, 1811, on the projected road from Bethel passing through the plantation ofsi Okey Vanosdol and by Levi and Benjamin Tingley's "tan-yard" (the first noted on the county records), thence near a school-house (the second noted on the county records), by John Ross' to the east side of Thomas Davis', the viewers were Jeremiah Beck, Jr., John Morris, and Thomas West, with John Bogges as surveyor. On the road wanted from Williamsburgh past John Charles' mill, on Stonelick, to intersect the road lead- ing from Todd's Fork to Milford, the viewers were Josiah Prickett, John Kaiu, and Hugh Dickey, with COMMISSIONERS' EARLY PROCEEDINGS - 81 James Townsley as the surveyor. On the road wished from "Nevillesville" up the river-bottom to " Willow Creek," past James Sargent's mill, and still up the creek between Matthew Boner's and George Botts', by " Hopewell Meeting-House," until on a dividing-line of survey northeast it intersects the State road leading from the mouth of Bullskin to the county-seat at Williamsburgh, the viewers were Jonathan Taylor, Joseph McKibben, and Alexander Buchanan, with James Sargent as surveyor. The foregoing were also ordered to view the way for a road from "Nevillesville" so as to intersect the Stepstone road near Andrew Buchanan's. For the alteration of the road from Milford to '' Smalley's mill" the viewers appointed were Joseph Bowman, Alexander Hughey, and Andrew Erwin. December term, 1811, appeared Gideon Minor, commissioner elected at the October election in place of Henry Chapman, whose term had expired. James O. Flint's bill of sixty-four dollars and thirty-seven and a half cents for repairing the court-house was allowed. The report of the viewers—Frederick Eppert, Edward Chapman, and Joseph Behymer—on the alteration of the Williamsburgh road through the lands of Joseph Fagin was confirmed. James Ralston, as court bailiff for April term, was allowed two dollars and a half, and William Shearer, for like services at the succeeding term, six dollars. John Kain, for apprehending Theophilus Case, was paid three dollars. March term, 1812, William Fee, for procuring the necessary "branding-irons," agreeably to the direction of the court, to be used by him as inspector, was allowed nineteen dollars, and James Herbert, jailer, for boarding David Ferguson ninety-four days in jail, received twenty-three dollars and fifty cents, On the proposed road beginning near the mouth of Indian Creek, thence up the same, passing " Abram's mill," thence near John Lowe's plantation, by that of John Klingler, and between Stephen Frazee and Peter McClain, and passing Thomas Carter, to intersect the county road near Kelly Burk's mill, Thomas Marsh, John Boggess, and John Lowe were the viewers, with Boggess as surveyor. On the proposed road from Nevillesville up Willow Creek, William Fee, Peter Hastings, George Botts, Erasmus Prather, and Zadock Watson filed their statement that they would thereby be greatly injured ; the following were appointed to assess their damages: Joseph Wells, David Miller, and Stephen Bolander.. Samuel Howell, for furnishing a blanket for Graham in jail, was paid one dollar and seventy-five cents. The duplicate this year showed as follows : First-rate lands - 3,501 1/2 acres. Second-rate lands - 125,501 " Third-rate lands - 46,0531 " Amount of taxes in county - $1659.161 Isaac Foster, constable, for attending on the traverse jury at the December term, was allowed two dollars and twenty-five cents. The board believing that James Lewis, confined in the jail, is an unworthy burden to the county, therefore it is ordered that the sheriff discharge him. April term, 1812, the bond of Sheriff Oliver Lindsey, re-elected, and in the sum of four thousand dollars, was presented, with the following securities,-Thomas .Paxton, George Ely, John F. Strother, William Christy, and T. S. Foote,—and was approved. June term, 1812, fourteen dollars and seventy-five cents was allowed jailer Herbert for boarding in jail Benjamin Legate and James Allen. On the application of Andrew Megrue to alter the road leading from Milford, passing Ranson's, and the road leading from Harner's Run to Stonehck, near " Captain Slone's," the following viewers were selected : Ambrose Ranson, Nathaniel Barber, and John Gest. On the Nevillesville and Willow Creek road the viewers gave Erasmus Prather five dollars damages, William Fee eleven dollars and sixty-two and one-half cents, Peter Hasting thirteen dollars and twenty-five cents, but awarded none to Zadock Watson or George Botts. Established tavern and ferry licenses at rates of previous year. August term, 1812, one dollar was allowed for board of Richard S. Sanburn in jail. December term, 1812, on the proposed road in Washington township beginning near Jacob Fisher's, where a road from the State road ends, passing by John Flack's plantation, through Henry Guppy's land and Thompson Gates, thence to " Gilbert's horse-mill," thence to intersect Manning's and Minor's road, thence with said road to intersect the State road between William Watson's and the " Widow Harmon," William Thompson, David Smith, and Peter McClain were chosen viewers, and Joseph Jackson surveyor. On the petition to turn the road leading from the " Middle Fork of Bullskin," the viewers were William S. Jump, David Miller, and Isaac Barkley. March term, 1813, on the alteration of the Neville road past " Hopewell Meeting-House," the viewers were John Prather, Hugh Larkin, and James Sargent. On the proposed road in Washington township leading from or near William Winter's, thence to " Wiley's saw-mill," thence to " George Brown's mill," thence to intersect the road leading from the mouth of Big Indian Creek, near James Abrams, the viewers were John Manning, Thomas Fee, and Robert Brown, with Benjamin Penn as surveyor. On the road wanted from " Clark's mill," on Bullskin, till it intersected the Bolander road between Mark Day's and Michael Conley's, the viewers were Stephen Bolander, William Judd, and Allen B. Hughes, with the latter as surveyor. The rates of lands for 1813 were as follows: For boarding Samuel Henry one hundred days in jail there was allowed twenty-five dollars. The official bond of Jeremiah Beck as coroner was presented, being in amount two thousand dollars, with the following securities : Samuel Beck and James South. June term, 1813, the rates of tavern licenses and ferries were put as in two previous years. The fallowing were the listers of taxable property in the county this year : Miami, Robert Hewitt ; Union, Laban Brazier ; Washington, Henry H. Evans ; Williamsburgh, John Earhart; Ohio, Joseph Evans ; Tate, Samuel Beck ; Lewis, Reuben Baring; Pleasant, Benjamin Griffin ; Stonelick, John Whortman ; Clark, Thomas Myers ; who were also appointed by the commissioners to collect the taxes. 82 - HISTORY OF CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO. July term, 1813, John McBeth, for surveying a road from " Widow Shinkle's" to Chapman's mill," on White Oak, was allowed thirteen 'dollars and eighty cents. September term, 1813, on the proposed roads from Neville to mouth of Indian Creek, and one to the Ohio River at low water from the " Neville public square," the viewers were Hugh McKibben, Nathaniel Bouser, and Alexander Buchanan. On thc projected Stonelick road, Levi Moore, John Fee, and Richard Marsh were chosen viewers, and Samuel Hill surveyor, to begin at John Moore's, at a road running from Townsley's mill to Richard Hall's, down " Brushy Fork," passing down Stonelick by Jonathan Smith's farm, thence to the foot of a bill by David Brunk's farm, there to intersect the Milford road. Samuel Shaw, jailer, for boarding Reuben Darrel, a prisoner, was allowed one dollar and seventy-five cents. Daniel Kain was ordered to raise the chimney on the court-house to prevent the fires from being dangerous, and to secure the floor in the clerk's office with sheet iron and a circular bar to prevent any conflagrations by fire. On the prayed-for roads,—one from Bethel, to a branch that puts into " Poplar Creek" above " Obed Denham's mill-dam," thence down said branch to the creek, thence to " Denham's mill," one from the mouth of " Sugar-Tree Run" up to the State road leading from Williamsburgh to the mouth of Indian Creek, near the mouth of " Thomas Page's lane," and one to begin at Kelly Burk's mill, to intcrsect the first-mentioned road at Den- ham's mill-dam,--the viewers were John Brown, William Brown, and William Smith, and John Boggess surveyor. October term, 1813, Levi Pigman, elected commissioner in place of Amos Smith, whose term had expired, appeared, and was sworn in. Foot & Tweed, for printing the expenditures of the county for year ending June 13, 1813, were allowed six dollars. The following grand jurors were ordered to be paid each two dollars and twenty-five cents: Isaac Ellis, Daniel Light, Jesse Justice, Reuben Leacoek, Benjamin Smith, Abraham Leming, Nathaniel Barber, Jesse Smith, Joshua Davis, Luther Crane, William White, John Morris, Andrew McGrue, and John McLeadder. The official bond of George Ely, sheriff, in sum of four thousand dollars, with Robert Townsley, John Townsley, Thomas Cade, and Oliver Lindsey as securities, was presented, approved, and recorded. December term, 1813, prison-bounds of the jail for debtors were fixed. March term, 1814, fixed the license for ferries over the east fork at fifty cents, and the ferriage rates as follows: For man and horse in high water, twelve and a half cents; for a foot-person, six and a quarter cents. Nicholas Sinks, for building a bridge (the second in the county) across " Little Stirling Creek," ten dollars. On the petition praying for an alteration of the road laid out from Augusta on a direction towards Franklinton (now part of Columbus, Ohio), to begin near " Three-Mile Tree," thence south on the ridge between White Oak and Bullskin, to intersect the Wiiliamsburgh road near " First-Mrle Tree," the viewers were Henry Thomas, Nathaniel Norris, and John Ross, and Joseph Wells surveyor. Jeremiah Beck, coroner, for inquest held on the body of John Edmonds, was allowed fifteen dollars and ninety-three cents,-the second inquest on the county records. On the proposed road from near Zachariah Chapman's, on the north side of the east fork, thence, after intersecting Williamsburgh road, up " Fall Grape Run" to the southwest corner of Jonathan Clark's survey, passing Jones' survey, intersecting the Obannon road from. Milford to Warren County, the viewers were Benjamin Collins, Michael Swing, and Andrew Megrue, and Thomas Gatch surveyor. For the year 1814 the lands were rated, to wit : First-rate lands 3,533 - Acres Second-rate lands 149,391 ½ Acres Third-rate lands 43,189 ½ Acres Amount of taxes $1753.43 May term, 1814, for boarding Joseph Knott nine days in jail, there was allowed two dollars and twenty-five cents. June term, 1814, Nicholas Sinks, county treasurer, presented his official bond in the sum of three thousand dollars, with Jacob Huber and John Norris securities ; approved and filed. Ferry licenses were rated for the year as follows : on the Ohio River, at Staunton (mouth of Red Oak), six dollars ; at Sells', at Samuel Ellis', at Neville, three dollars ; at Boude's, eight dollars ; at Bullskin, four dollars ; at all others to be established, three dollars ; and at all places where ferries are or may be established on the Little Miami or east fork, two dollars. Tavern licenses were rated, to wit : In Williamsburgh and Bethel, eight dollars ; and all other points, six dollars. Ordered the clerk to theboard to make out the levy on the county duplicates at the rate of twelve cents for each horse (studs excepted) and four cents per head of cattle, and on stud-horses at the rate each stands at the season for one mare. September term, 1814, on the proposed road from the mouth of Sugar-Tree Run to the mouth of Boat Run, on the Ohio River, the viewers were Joseph Doly, George Brown, and Josiah Kerns, and Joseph Jackson surveyor. On the road wanted beginning at Ezekiel Hutchinson's, thence until it intersects " Anderson's State road" at the east fork, the viewers chosen were Thomas S. Foote, Amos Smith, and George C. Light, the latter to act also as the surveyor. November term, 1814, five dollars were appropriated to pay the board of Wray and Case, prisoners in jail. December term, 1814, on the proposed road beginning near Duckwall's farm, about six miles from Williamsburgh, thence down the river-hill to the lower fork of the east fork, crossing from George Ely's farm, thence crossing the creek, and from the creek to intersect the road near the house of Joseph Gest, deceased, the viewers were Daniel Kidd, Abraham Hulick, and James Gest, with James Townsley as surveyor. On the wanted road from the mouth of Boat Run to the mouth of " Sugar-Camp Creek" the viewers chosen were John Collins, David White, and George Swing, —that is, to make the prayed-for alteration. March term, 1815, a road was desired from the Little Miami, opposite to " Wallsmith's tail-race," through the lands of William Salter, near said " Salter's warehouse," till it intersects the lands of Jonathan Megrue, so on through his and Andrew Megrue's lands to the line between said Megrue and Thomas Yates until it intersects the road from Milford. The viewers appointed were George Conrad, COMMISSIONERS' EARLY PROCEEDINGS - 83 Thomas Gatch, and Ambrose Ranson, Conduce Gatch to do the surveying. On the proposed alteration of the Augusta and Cincinnati road, as asked by Jacob and George Moyer and Jacob Nofgar, the following viewers were selected : David Hoover, Charles Baum, Jr., and Benjamin Sells. The lands of the county were voted as follows for the year : Acres. First-rate lands - 3,574 ½ Acres Second-rate lands - 257,980 Acres Third-rate lands - 49,948 Acres Amount of taxes - $5264.39 1/20 On the projected road from mouth of Nine-Mile Creek up said stream by "Johns' mill," and so on to " Perins' mill," thence to the Three Forks, thence up the " Blue Lick Branch," to intersect the Denhamstown road where the road commonly called " Nash's" crosses, Isaiah Ferguson, John Brazier, and John McKee were the viewers, and Daniel Bailiff the surveyor. A road was asked from the junction of the road leading from 'West Union to the mouth of Clough Creek, and the road leading from Williamsburgh to the mouth of Twelve-Mile, passing " Bethel Meeting-House," through the lands of John Collins and David White, crossing the east fork at " Slab Camp," thence on until it intersects the Deerfield road near Samuel May- ham, and John Collins, Daniel Kidd, and John Leeds were selected viewers, and Daniel Bailiff surveyor. On the prayed-for road from Kelly Burke's mill to and beyond the plantations of Solomon Wells and Aaron Wells, and there intersect the Bethel and Boude's Ferry road, the viewers were Gerard Parris, James South, and John Morris, with John Boggess as surveyor. August term, 1815, the jailer was allowed five dollars for boarding prisoners,---Isaac Hulings, Morgan Wray, Samuel Kelly, and Thomas. Eldridge. September term, 1815, on the proposed road beginning in the West Union road near James Downey's, to run in the direction of George Ely's on the east fork, and thereabouts intersect the Williamsburgh road, the viewers were Elijah Mattox, John Troy, and James Downey, with Daniel Bailiff as surveyor. On the road projected from Moses Broadwell's to tap the Denhamstown road, the viewers were Henry Apple, William Brunongin, and John Brazier, with Daniel Bailiff as surveyor. On the road from " Two-Mile Tree" on Cincinnati road to " Beckleshymer's mill," the viewers' were Jacob Slye, Frederick Eppert, and Pherochas Thomas, and James Townsley surveyor. On the proposed road from "the town of Batavia" (mentioned for the first time in the county records, except the record of its plat in recorder's offrce), thence down the east fork to " Townsley's mill," thence crossing the " mill-race" and through a lane between the farms of Ezekiel Dimmitt and Robert Townsley, to intersect the Williamsburgh road near said Townsley's house, the viewers were Abraham Hulick, Jacob Vorhies, and Peter Emery, with James Townsley as surveyor. John Archerd, Everard Bottle, and David Brown were appointed to alter the New Richmond and Bethel road, asked for by Nathan Nichols and others. To view an alteration in the Milford and August road John McCollum, William Huling, and George Brown were appointed. November term, 1815, John Shaw appeared as the commissioner elected in place of Amos Ellis, whose term had expired. David Morris was now the public printer, and published the expenditures of the county for a year for six dollars, Oliver Lindsey, re-elected sheriff, presented his bond, of four thousand dollars, with Thomas Cade, John Earhart, T. S. Foote, John Kain, and R. Sharp as securities ; same approved and recorded. On the proposed road from Benjamin Penn's, on Indian Creek, to the Cincinnati road or near " Nathaniel Chapman's saw-mill," and thence up "Chapman's Run" on to the Cincinnati road, Joseph Lakin, Israel Joslin, and Robert Brown were the viewers, and Benjamin Penn the surveyor. A road was asked beginning at the bank of the Little Miami opposite " James Pollock's mill," thence to cross a public highway between Silas Hutchinson and " Avery Riggs' improvement" on so far as Isaac Elstun, thence to intersect a road from John Hughes' to Mr. Sweet's, on the east fork, or to pass by Nathaniel Barber's to the Deerfield road. Robert Orr, Nathaniel Barber, and Alexander Brannon were viewers, and James Pollock the surveyor. On the road asked from New Richmond to intersect the road from " Ferguson's Ferry" to Williamsburgh, the viewers were Jonathan Don- ham, Jacob Ulrey, and Hugh Ferguson, and George C. Light surveyor. March term, 1816, on the road from the forks of Bear Creek, where the road to Neville crosses, thence up the main branch of the creek, past " Jackson's tanyard" (the second one mentioned on the records), past Samuel Holland's, continuing up the creek past Mathew Boner's "sugar camp" (first recorded in the county), and to cross " Lubber Run," where " Manning's old mill" road crosses the same, to pass on between Elijah Wiley's and " Col. Gideon Minor," and so on past Elisha Manning's to intersect what is called " Penn's Head," near " Wiley's sawmill," Joseph Daughters, Elisha Manning, and Joseph Lakin were viewers, and Gideon Minor surveyor. Viewers were sent out to view a way for a road beginning on the road from Bethel to Neville, near the plantation of John Trees, Jr., on between the line of James Hodges and Edward Sapp, thence on or near the line of Christopher Armacost and Frederick Sapp, thence on to intersect the road from Bethel to Point Pleasant. On the road front New Richmond to the State road near David Jernegan's, by way of Mark Stinchfield's school-house (third one mentioned on the records), the viewers were John Donham, Joseph Fagin, and George Brown, with Samuel Herrick surveyor. Eleven dollars and eighty cents was paid for keeping John Allison in jail forty days. June term, 1816, the lands were rated as follows for the year : First-rate lands - 3,596 3/4 acres. Second-rate lands - 103,467 ½ " Third-rate land - 50,933 3/4 " Amount of taxes $4549.94 9/10 Tavern and ferry licenses same as in year 1814. A number of petitioners wanted the dividing line between Washington and Ohio townships better defined, and the town of Point Pleasant attached' to the former, and it was ordered that the line begin on the Ohio River, at the lower corner of Henry Ludlam's and upper corner to Henry Bushman's land, thence on a straight to the corner of Tate 84 - HISTORY OF CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO. and Washington townships (it being near John Clingier's), and that Andrew McLaine survey the same. A road was ordered viewed beginning is Danby's road on the north side of the east fork just below " McCollum's and Higby's saw-mill," to intersect the Twelvc-Mile road. A road from Moses Fountain's, in Union township, to the east fork, and also one from the school-house opposite Dr. Allison's place up the east fork to meet the road from Jacob Whetstone's, were asked, and Zebina Williams, Shadrach Lane, and Thomas Robertson wcre selected to view the same, and Mathew Fountain to survey them. November term, 1816, the jailer was allowed twenty dollars and fifty cents for board of John Moore, William Landen, Robert Sanford Larrimora, prisoners in jail. April term, 1817, Daniel S. Smith furnished irons for jail at one dollar sixty-two and a half cents, and Samuel Cade was allowed three dollars for services as court constable. June term, 1817, the road from Batavia through Gray's and Troy's lands to Charles Robinson's, thence to Catlett's survey, thence to the Twelve-Mile road, was ordered to be viewed by Shadrach Lane, Joseph Dole, and Joseph Jackson, with Samuel Herrick as surveyor. The county paid Samuel Cade, the jailer, eight dollars and fifty cents for boarding the prisoners in jail,—to wit: Samuel Rulings, John Pyle, Isaac Ford, and Jonathan Bullin,—and ferry licenses for the year were rated as follows : On the Ohio River, at Ripley, eight dollars ; at Abraham Sell's, four dollars; at John Boude's, ten dollars ; at the mouth of Bullskin, five dollars ; at all other points where ferries are or may be established, three dollars; for all places on the Little Miami, where they are or may be put up, two dollars; and for Bullskin, over its mouth, one dollar. The tavern licenses were priced as follows : At Williamsburgh, eight dollars ; at Bethel, Milford, Batavia, Ripley, and Point Pleasant, seven dollars ; and at all other points, six dollars. The report of the viewers—Nathan Corbin, Jeptha Moore, and Nathan Nichols—on the alteration of the Cincinnati and Augusta road was confirmed. Samuel Shaw was allowed twelve dollars and ninety-five cents for services as coroner in holding an inquest on the dead body of Joseph Knott, killed on Stonelick by the citizens acting as vigilance committees for the dispersion of' horse-thieves and offenders generally. On the road wanted from Neville beginning at the ferry occupied by Jacob Iler to the foot of the hill, thence to intersect a road leading to " Wiley's saw-mill," near the forks of Bear Creek, the viewers were Lemuel Stephenson, Samuel Holland, and Thomas Jones, with Gideon Minor as surveyor. A road was asked beginning on a road leading from " Benjamin Penn's mill" to William Winter's, crossing the Augusta road, and to intersect the road to West Union, and Thomas Jones, Richard Lamar, and William Coshoe were viewers, with Gideon Minor as surveyor. On the road wanted to begin in the road running from Ferguson's ferry to the Round Bottom, thence past " Durham's improvement," to intersect the road from " Jarret's Station" to the county-line, the viewers were John White, William Robb, and John Hunter, with Daniel Bailiff as surveyor. August term, 1817, on the petition of Martin Pease and others to lay out a road from the West Union road near John Temple's still it intersects the Ten-Mile road, the viewers' were Chapman Arther, Andrew Pinkham, and Charles Robinson, and Daniel Bailiff the surveyor. To lay out a road beginning at the farm of William Harris, near the mouth of a run formerly called " McKinney's Run," thence up Stonelick to the county-line, the viewers were Josiah Prickett, Abraham Leming, and William Sloane. On the road wanted from Mechanicsburgh (now Chilo) to intersect the road from Bullskin to William Fee's, the viewers were Joseph Lakin, Samuel Holland, and William Bartley, and Gideon Minor surveyor. December term, 1817, Andrew Foote appeared as the commissioner elected at the October election. To lay out a road from Jesse Glancy's, on the Williamsburgh road, thence to O'Bannon Creek through the farms of Jacob Stroup and Frederick Doughm, and on to the county-line, the vicwers were Lewis Frybergcr, John Glancy, and Daniel Mangen, and John Hill the surveyor. To lay out the road wanted from Milford up the lane of Andrew Megrue, intersecting and following the road to the Little Miami, thence up to " Kugler's mill" to the mill-dam, thence up to and on Harner's Run to " Abner Hixon's mill," thence through the lands of Kugler and Wallsmith till it intersects the public road between William Havison's and Samuel Potts, the viewers were Thomas Gatch, Robert Orr, and John Stroup, and Conduce Gatch the surveyor. March term, 1818, on the alteration of the Bolanders' road, the viewers—John Logan, Naaman Chapman, and Allen B. Hughes--made their report, and same approved. Samuel Cade, jailer, for boarding William Riley, a criminal, thirty days, John McLean twenty-eight days, and John Williams nineteen days, was allowed sixteen dollars and twenty-five cents. The three associate judges, Alexander Blair, John Morris, and Philip Gatch, each for ten days' services at the March term of Common Pleas Court, were allowed thirty dollars. The lands for the year were rated as follows : First-rate - 3,334 3/4 Acres Second-rate - 181,411 1/4 Acres Third-rate - 55,640 1/2 Acres Amount or tax - $3384.44 1nterest and penalties - $232.74 1/2 Total amount - $3617.18 1/2 May term, 1818, bills for the boarding of Benjamin Moore and John McCaw in jail were paid. The board made an appropriation of a part of the twenty per cent. of land-tax to be laid out in making roads and bridges, as follows: On the road from Point Pleasant through Neville to csunty-line, and known as the river road, one hundrcd dollars, under the superintendence of John Hunter ; on the road from Neville passing Alexander Case's to where it intersects the State road, near William Fee's, the sum of seventy-five dollars, under the superintendence of John Newkirk ; on the road from Neville to Williamsburgh, passing Lemuel Stephenson's and intersecting Pennsis road at " Richards' saw-mill," seventy-five dollars, under the superintendence of Gideon Minor ; on the road from Milford to Williamsburgh, one hundred dollars, under person to be appointed at June term ; on the road from Wiiliamsburgh to COMMISSIONERS' EARLY PROCEEDINGS - 85 Lebanon (or that part that lies between Stonelick and Jesse Smith's), seventy-five dollars, under charge of Ambrose Ranson; a further appropriation of two hundred and fifty dollars towards the erection of a bridge (the third mentioned on the county records) across the east fork of the Little Miami at the town of Williamsburgh, likewise the sum of two hundred and fifty dollars towards the erection of a bridge over same stream at Batavia, under charge of persons to be selected at the coming June term. These were the first regular appropriations for roads in the county, and the third and fourth for bridges, and the total sum appro- priated—nine hundred and twenty-five dollars—was con- sidered a new departure from the old ruts and the harbinger of future and still greater internal improvements soon to follow. June term, 1818, tavern licenses were rated as follows : At Williamsburgh, eight dollars ; at Milford, Batavia, and Bethel, seven dollars ; at New Richmond, Point Pleasant, Neville, and Felicity, six dollars ; and at all other places where inns may be opened, five dollars. The ferry licenses were priced on the Ohio River, to wit : At mouth of Bull- skin, five dollars ; at all other points where ferries are or may be established, three dollars ; on the Little Miami, two dollars ; on the east fork, one dollar and a half; and across Bullskin at its mouth, one dollar. On the proposed road from " Higby's grist-mill" to " Collins & Blackman's saw-mill," thence to Batavia, thence to "Dennison mill," thence to intersect the road from Wilhamsburgh to Milford, the viewers were David White, Daniel Husong, and Malichi Medaris, and Alexander Blair surveyor. The report of James Robb, Robert Donham, and Nathan Nichols on the road, beginning on the Hamilton county-line, thence through New Richmond to Point Pleasant, was presented and approved. Nicholas Sinks was allowed an order for two dollars and twelve and a half cents, that being the amount paid by him to the postmaster of Williamsburgh for postage for the county during the year past. Allen Stevens, jailer, for keeping William Amann, a prisoner, twenty-one days in jail, received five dollars and twenty-five cents. Board reappointed Nicholas Sinks county treasurer ; he had been in this office since 1804. The commissioners made further appropriations of the twenty per cent land-tax collected by law for the use of roads and bridges : On the road from Cincinnati to Augusta, known by the name of the "River road" (on that part that runs from the Hamilton county-line to Big In- dian Creek), one hundred dollars, under the superintendence of Micah Gilbert ; likewise on the road from New Rich- mond to Williarnsburgh, one hundred dollars, under the charge of James Robb. On the Milford and Williamsburgh road improvements, Thomas Gatch was appointed commis- sioner, and Alexander Blair to superintend the building of the Batavia bridge ; on the proposed road from Moscow to the Buchanan Settlement, Gideon Minor was ordered to make the survey. July term, 1818, on the road from " Warren's mills" up to and passing " James Robb's saw-mill," to intersect the Milford road at the lower end of Jacob Fisher's lane, Daniel Bailiff made the survey. An order was issued to the Frank- lin township trustees to open a road from the mouth of Bullskin to " Shinkle's saw-mill." On the road from Chilo (then called Mechanicsburgh) to "Levi and Joshua Pig- man's mill," on Willow Creek, thence to intersect the county road on Bear Creek at or near Samuel Holland's, the viewers were William Botts, William Barkley, and Jo- seph Lakin, and James Sargent as surveyor. The county taxes of the various townships this year were : Ohio, $229.95 ; Miami, $158.22 ; Batavia, $71,87 ; Tate, $120.40 ; Stonelick, $71.44 ; Williamsburgh, $148 ; the amounts in Union and Washington not stated. November term, 1818, Shadrach Lane, elected commis- sioner at October election, appeared, and was qualified. On the road from Milford crossing the Deerfield road near John Glancy's, thence to Stonelick Creek near John Shields', the viewers were Samuel Perrin, John Pollock, and Robert Orr, with Thomas Gatch as surveyor. On the proposed Clover Lick road past Adam Bricker's to Williamsburgh, the viewers were John Shotwell, Isaac Line, and David Light, with George C. Light as surveyor. On the road wanted from Ezekiel Hutchinson's to Williamsburgh, thence crossing Pleasant Run, thence crossing "Stony Run," till it intersects a road near " Grassy Run," the viewers were Ephraim 'McAdams, Jacob Huber, and William Hunter, with Benjamin Ellis as surveyor. A road was asked from Batavia to James Glancy's, then to the Anderson State road, thence to " Glancy's mills," and John Ferree, Isaac Voris, and Daniel Husong were the viewers, with Alexander Blair surveyor. January term, 1819, Thomas Kain presented his official bond as coroner elected, in the sum of two thousand dollars, with the following securities : David C. Bryan, George S. Bryan, Daniel Kain, and John Kain ; same approved and recorded. March term, 1819, on the road from the "tan-yard" of John Richards, on Big Indian, through John Whorton's lane, to intersect the State road at Robert Carr's, the viewers were William Thompson, William Higgin, and Aquila Tay- lor, and John Boggess surveyor. On the road wanted from the State road in Union township, crossing Matthew's survey, thence through the lands of the Days and Broadwell to county-line, the viewers were George Stockton, John White, and Sainuel Lane, and Isaac James surveyor. On the road from Thomas Brunton's by Reuben Crossley, in- tersecting a road up the east fork at Robert Townsley's, the viewers were Christopher Troy, Samuel Lane, and Thomas Robinson, with Alex. Blair surveyor. The road from Batavia to John Brazier's, to intersect the Nine-Mile road, was ordered, with Robert Townsley, Robert D, Lane, and David White as viewers, and E. Chichester surveyor. On the proposed road beginning at the " Upper Cincinnati road" near a schoolhouse, thence by John Marsh to Heze- kiah Bainum, thence to John Trees, thence to intersect the river road near "Isaac Moreton's saw-mill," thc viewers were Leonard Simmons, Thomas Hitch, and Thomas Ashburn, and Joseph Jackson surveyor. Out of the twenty per cent. land-tax for bridges and roads was appropriated: For the Williamsburgh and Cincinnati road, to be used between Christopher Apple's and the farm lately owned by Moses Broadwell, one hundred dollars, under the superintendence of Samuel Lane ; on the road from Williamsburgh to Leba. 86 - HISTORY OF CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO. non, between Jesse Glancy's and James Coombs, fifty dollars, under the charge of Jesse Smith ; on the Cincinnati road, from Nine-Mile to Point Pleasant, seventy-five dollars, under supervision of Levi Moss ; on the road from Williamsburgh to the mouth of Bullskin, seventy-five dollars, under the direction of Joshua Hicks; and on the road from Bethel to the mouth of Clough Creek, one hundred dollars, under charge of Thomas West. Lands were this year rated as follows : First-rate - 1,491 1/2 acres. Second-rate - 135,613 " Third-rate - 45,542 1/2 " Amount of tax - $2866.02.4 Interest and penalties - 179.43.3 Total amount - $3015.45.7 The land-rates above given were for resident proprietors only. June term, 1819, in making out the duplicate the following rates were observed: On all horses, mares, mules, or asses, eighteen and three-fourth cents per head; on each head of neat cattle, six and one-fourth cents; and on all town-lots, one-half of one per cent. on their valuation, exclusive of improvements thereon. Ferry licenses were this year rated : At mouth of Bullskin, six dollars ; at Neville, Point Pleasant, and New Richmond, five dollars ; at all other points on the Ohio where ferries are or may be established, four dollars; at all places on the Little Miami, two dollars ; and on all other waters in the county, one dollar. The rates of ferriage on the Ohio were made the highest the law allows, and on other waters: For each foot-person, six and one-quarter cents; man and horse, twelve and one- half cents ; loaded wagon and team, fifty cents ; for any other four-wheeled carriage or empty wagon and team, thirty-seven and one-half cents ; for loaded cart and team, twenty-five cents; for any empty cart and team, sled, sleigh and team, eighteen and three-quarter cents; for every horse, mule, mare, ass, or head of neat cattle, five cents ; and for every head of hogs or sheep, two cents. Nicholas Sinks, reappointed county treasurer, gave bond, with D. C. Bryan, George Brown, and Benjamin Ellis as securities, Lemuel Stephenson was appointed county collector of State taxes and of the county levies for this year. On the proposed road from the east fork below " Dyer's mill," to intersect the road leading from Williamsburgh to " Beckleheimer's mill," near John Wageman, the viewers were Charles Robinson, Michael Roseberry, and Robert Doughty, with Daniel Bailiff surveyor. Lemuel Stephenson's bond as county collector, with Gideon Minor, Elisha Manning, Absalom Wood as securities, was approved. October term, 1819, the official bond of Holly Raper, elected sheriff in October, in sum of four thousand dollars, was presented with the following securities thereon : John Kain, Nicholas Sinks, Thomas Kain, Israel Foster, Daniel Hankins, Titus Everhart, and David C. Bryan ; duly approved. December term, 1819, on the proposed road from near the mouth of the lane between James Ward and Geo. W. Stockton, till it intersected the West Union road near Gideon Witham's house, the viewers were Nathan Sutton, John Brazier, and Samuel Lane, with Isaac James as surveyor. June term, 1820, appropriations were made, to wit : On the river road from Point Pleasant to Hamilton county- line, the sum of one hundred and twenty-five dollars, under direction of Levi Moss ; on the same road, from Point Pleasant to Brown county-line, the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars, under the control of Joshua Pigman ; on the road from " Feestown" to Williamsburgh, one hundred dollars, under the supervision of John Morris ; on the road from Williamsburgh to Lebanon, one hundred and twenty- five dollars, under the charge of William Glancy ; on the road from Williamsburgh to Cincinnati,-that is, on that part between Batavia and the Brown county-line,--one hundred and twenty dollars, under the superintendence of Henry Kain, and on that part from Batavia township line to that of Hamilton County, ninety dollars, in charge of Samuel Lane ; on the road from Batavia to Milford, one hundred dollars, under direction of' Alexander Blair; on the road from Williamsburgh to Cincinnati,—that is, that part between the east fork and Batavia township line,--forty dollars, under control of Robert Townsley ; and on the road from Bethel to mouth of Clough Creek, fifty dollars, under charge of Martin Pease. John Earhart was appointed county collector of the land-tax, with orders to collect the county levy of such townships where the township listers refuse to accept the collection. The making of a suitable board fence around the public buildings was awarded to Isaac Line, at eighty-seven dollars. On the new road beginning at the mouth of Townsend Thackersis lane, in Wayne township, on the road from Milford to the head of Stonelick, thence by Jacob Binkley's to " Nathan Shumard's grist-mill," on Stonelick, to intersect the road from John Shields to Conrad Hersh's, the viewers were Jacob Binkley, Josiah Prickett, and Samuel Shumard, with John Hill as surveyor. August term, 1820, on the road beginning on the Warren county-line near " William Eaton's grist-mill," thence through Gabriel Kern's lane to the " market-house in Goshen," thence on the nearest and best way to Townsend Thacker's house, the viewers were Mahlon Smith, John Gest, and Silas Hutchinson, with John Hill as surveyor. On the road from Robert Donham's lane to " John Don- ham's mill," on Twelve-Mile Creek, the appraisers were John Shaw, Hezekiah Lindsey, and James Robb, with George C. Light as surveyor. The report of Andrew Pink- ham, Wm. Brown, and Abram Conrey on the New Bethel and New Richmond road was received. October term, 1820, Nicholas Sinks, the county treasurer for sixteen years, having resigned, John Kain was appointed to the vacancy, and gave bond in four thousand dollars, with Daniel Everhart, Titus Everhart, Daniel Hankins, David Light, Stephen Smith, and Daniel Smith as securities. November term, 1820, no business was done save the swearing in the new commissioner, George J. Troutwine. December term, 1820, on the new road from " Glancy's mill," past William Megrue's, to intersect the road from the " Company's mill," on the Little Miami, to Nathaniel Barber's, the viewers were John Gest, Mahlon Smith, and John INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS AND GENERAL STATISTICS - 87 Charles, with Conduce Gatch as surveyor. On the new road from " William Plummer's mill," on Bulkkin, to inter- sect the road from Boude's Ferry to Bethel, the viewers were James Johnson, David Owens, and Samuel Truett, with Joseph Wells as surveyor. On the .new road begin- ning on the Indian road, near Charles Henderson's farm, to intersect the Boat Run road near the school-house, and on the road between Reeves' and Morgan's lane, to intersect the road leading to "John Denham's mill," the viewers were Jesse Justice, Jr., Isaac South, and Jonathan Vandike, with William Lytle as surveyor. On petition of twelve land-owners, a view for a way of a road was ordered, begin- ning where the Nine-Mile road crosses Shaylor's Run to Robert D. Lane's place. Peter Emery, James Thomas, and Robert Townsley were the viewers, and Samuel Ewing the surveyor. June term, 1821, a road was laid out beginning at Jonathan Megrue's " peach-orchard," passing "John Hixton's mill," on Harner's Run, and the viewers of same were Philip Smysor, Bethnal Covalt, and John Leming, Thomas Gatch making the survey. John Kain was appointed county treasurer, and Elijah T. Penn collector of both State taxes and county levies. June term, 1822, the commissioners audited and allowed the accounts of the following listers and appraisers for ser- vices James Fox, Stonelick, eleven days, $11. Benjamin Laymon, Wayne, five days, $5. Elijah Shaw, Franklin, thirteen days, $13. Jacob Webber, Franklin, three days, $3. Joseph F. Bocum, Ohio, nineteen days, $19, John Swem, Ohio, two days, $2. Rezin Hill, Goshen, nine days, $9. Daniel Weaver, Goshen, one day, $1. Laban Brazier, Batavia, eleven days, $11. 1srael Whitaker, Batavia, three-fourths of a day, 75 cenls. 1saac L. Malott, Union, three-fourths of a day, 75 cents. Samuel Shaw, Miami, thirteen days, $13. 1saac Covalt, Miami, two and a half days, $2.50. William Dowdney, Tate, twelve days, $12. John Fasemire, Washington, thirteen and three-fourthi of a day, $13.75. Isaac Mitchell, Washington, two days, $2, John Earhart, Williamsburgh, twelve days, $12. Isaac Foster, Williamsburgh, two days, $2. Thomas Kain appointed county treasurer, and John Beatty collector, and the former gave bond, with Thomas Kain, John Kain, William Waters, and Daniel S. Smith as secur- ities. June term, 1823, the board voted to give the collector of land-tax five per cent on all moneys collected, and the collector of county levies ten per cent. June term, 1824, the following listers and appraisers made their reports, and were paid as follows: Absalom Manning, Franklin, $14.50. Alfred Holland, Franklin, $3. William Dowdney, Tate, $13.25. Aaron Wells, Tate, $1. James Wilson, Washington, $13.50. Jeremiah Woods, Washington, $3. Christian Binkley, Wayne, $6. Reason Hill, Goshen, $7. Gamaliel Hooker, Goshen, $1. Ralph Carnes, Ohio, $20, Seneca Palmer, Ohio, $3. Francis Shutnard, Miami, $13. Henry Shumard, Miami, $2. Thomas Cook, Stonelick, $9. Benjamin South, Stonelick, $1. Isaac L. Malott, Union, $8. John Earhart, Williamsburgh, $12. Isaac Foster, Williamsburgh, $2. Israel Whitaker, Batavia, $9.59. Jesse Ellis, Batavia, $2. The following rates of taxation were levied : On each head of horses, mares, mules, or asses, thirty cents ; on each head of neat cattle, ten cents ; and on all town-lots, one-half of one per cent. on the valuation, exclusive of the improvements. March term, 1825, a further appropriation of one hundred and nine dollars thirty and a half cents was made towards the completion of the Batavia bridge. June term, 1826, Thomas Kain was appointed keeper of the standard measure at the seat of justice, to keep said standard and seal agreeably to an act regulating measures. December term, 1827, made an appropriation of twenty- five dollars and sixty-two and a half cents, balance of the three per cent fund, for the road from Chillicothe to Cin- cinnati, towards repairing the bridge at Batavia, and also an additional sum of twenty-four dollars and thirty-seven and a half cents to be so applied. August term, 1829, the contract for building the new Batavia bridge was awarded to W. H. Robinson, at three thousand five hundred and seventy-nine dollars, but not given to him, it being considered too high, and at Decem- ber term was finally given to James Robb, at two thousand eight hundred and thirty-three dollars. CHAPTER XII. INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS, AND GENERAL STATISTICS FROM 1824 TO 1879. IN the preceding chapter an account is given of the early county roads and by whom located, but the first public road laid out through the county was that from Newtown to Williamsburgh, ordered to be established by the justices of the Court of Quarter Sessions of Hamilton County, Nov. 21, 1797. It had been previously surveyed by John Donnell, assisted by Daniel Kain and Robert McKinney. In the summer of 1798 it was opened for travel, and was for many years the principal east-and-west thoroughfare. Shortly afterwards the road from West Union to the mouth of Clough Creek was established, and in 1804 the General Assembly declared it a post-road. In 1804 was also passed an act authorizing the building of the Anderson State road, running from Chillicothe to Cincinnati through the town- ships of Jackson, Stonelick, and Miami. It was opened for travel in the summer of 1806. In 1808 the Legislature enacted that the road from the mouth of Bullskin to Xenia be ordered to be laid out as a State road. Subse- quently other State roads were located in Clermont and through its territory, the one from Neville to Hillsboro' in 1820. 88 - HISTORY OF CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO. Acts were passed. in 1815 and 1821 under which the toll-bridge over the Little Miami at Milford was built, and in 1822 was constructed the bridge over Twelve-Mile Creek, in Ohio township. In 1838 was enacted the law authorizing the Williamsburgh bridge to be built, over the east fork, on the highway which had been declared a State road in 1834. The first turnpike opened in the county was the Cincin- nati, Columbus and Woostcr, incorporated in 1827. The length of this road was twenty-two miles, or nearly that distance, and it commenced at the corporation line in Cin- cinnati, ran through Milford, terminating at Goshen. This was, and is yet, a fine pike, and as early as 1831 paid an annual dividend of twenty-four per cent. The amount of its capital stock (3032 shares) was $151,600 ; amount of the subscription of the State, $75,800 ; amount of the sub- scription of individuals, $75,800. To show what this road of twenty-two miles did before the full inauguration of railways, we give its amount of tolls received for the year ending Nov. 15, 1847, which were $18,585.22. The total expenses for the same year, includ- ing repairs and salaries, were $6188.18, leaving for divi- dends $13,644, to be equally divided between the State and the individual stockholders. This road had no construction debts, and was therefore a rich mine to its lucky stock- holders and a great benefit to the county. In 1831 the Legislature incorporated the Milford and Chillicothc Turnpike Company, which constructed a road from Milford to Chillicothe, a distance of seventy-eight miles, forty-two and a half of which was splendidly macad- amized, thirty-two and a half graded, and three ungraded. It passed through Perin's Mills, Boston, and Marathon, and was an important factor in building up the north of Clermont, contributing wonderfully to the development of Milford, then the great commercial mart of the county. Its capital stock was $344,000, held in equal portions by the State and individuals, and for many years its president was Governor Allen Trimble, of Hillsboro'. For the year ending. Nov. 15, 1849, its receipts were $10,498.66, and its expenditures $4115.72,—leaving the profits at $6382.63, to be divided between the State and individual stockholders. In 1831 was also incorporated the Ohio Turnpike Com- pany, from Cincinnati to Portsmouth, but the road was built only twenty-one and a half miles in length, commencing at the Little Miami River, at Union Bridge, Hamilton Co., and ending at Bethel. For the year ending Nov. 29, 1846, its receipts were $4294.71, and its profits, after paying all expenses and repairs, $1617.63, which were paid over to the Jeceiver appointed by the Clermont Common Pleas Court. The original charter gave this road the privilege to be built into Cincinnati ; but an amended act, repealing part of its first act, subsequently limited it to running to Union Bridge, where it intersected the Wooster pike. Maurice Witham was its president, and Thomas Sheldon secretary, in 1846 and 1847. The total amount of stock in this pike paid by the State was $55,000 ; by individuals, $50,000. For the year ending Nov. 15, 1847, the tolls received were $5151.24 ; amount expended for repairs and salaries, $2962.18; amount paid William Howard, late receiver, $542.46 ; and amount left in hands of treasurer, John Quinlain (at that time receiver), $1646,60. In 1834 was incorporated The Batavia Turnpike and Miami Bridge Company, whose pike began at Union Bridge and terminated at Batavia. The amount of stock subscribed by the State was six hundred and five shares ($30,250), and by individuals six hundred and fifteen shares ($30,750), Its receipts for the year closing Nov. 3, 1847, were $4513, of which $274.66 were paid to the State treasurer ; $1920.46 to its receiver, S. F. Norris ; and the balance went for repairs and salaries. Its length was thirteen and one-half miles. William Edwards was its president from 1847 to 1849. In 1849 its tolls amounted to $4011.96, of which $1825 went into the receiver's hands for benefit of creditors. In 1832 the Goshen, Martinsville and Leesburg Pike Company was chartered, but never amounted to much ; but in 1836 was incorporated the Goshen, Wilmington and Columbus Pike. This pike was completed from Goshen to Wilmington,—a distance of twenty-five miles. Its total amount of stock was,—owned by the State of Ohio (two thousand and fifty-four and one-half shares), $102,725 ; by individuals, $119,050. In 1849, Isaiah Mor- ris was its president. For the year endieg November 15th its tolls, owing to the cholera epidemic and other causes, amounted to only $1948.95. These roads—while most of them werc not profitable investments financially to the State and individuals—were of great value to the people at large, and aided greatly in developing the resources of this and adjoining counties, affording outlets for agricul- tural productions, and in the improved facilities for general traveling. There have been in the county at different periods other turnpikes than the old ones above noted. The New Richmond and Bethel Turnpike Company was incorporated in 1849, and in a few years was completed to within two miles of Laurel. About four years ago it was turned over to the county, and it has since been used as a free turnpike. The Ncw Richmond, Nicholsville and Williamsburgh Turnpike Company was also incorporated in 1849. It was completed to within one and a half miles of Nichols- ville. It was used as a toll-road a number of years, but in 1876 it was turned over to the county commissioners, who ordained it a free turnpike. The Milford, Edenton and Woodville Plank-Road Company was incorporated in 1851, and its second installment of stock paid June 16th of that year. In a few years it was changed to a turnpike, and it is now in use as such from where it intersects the Chillicothe pike, a little more than a mile east of Milford, to the Dunkard meeting-house, near Edenton. James B. Shaw was the first presi- dent of the company. B. F. Clark is the present president and James Clark secretary of the company. The Ten-Mile Valley Turnpike, running from the point of its intersection with the Cincinnati, Columbia and New Richmond pike to Lindale, was incorporated about 1861, but was never fully completed ; and about three years ago it was turned over to the county and made a free pike. The New Richmond and Ohio Turnpike and Plank- Road Company, from New Richmond to the Ohio pike, ALL IMPROVEMENTS AND GENERAL STATISTICS -89 east of Amelia, was built in 1852-53, and is still in operation as a toll-road. The Cincinnati, Columbia and Ncw Richmond Turnpike, along the Ohio River, was completed about 1865, and is yet maintained as a toll-road. The Union Turnpike Company was organized in 1858 to build a turnpike from Batavia to the Ohio pike, a little east of Amelia. John Johnston was the first president, and the road was completed in 1868. The turnpike is yet kept up, and most of the stock is owned by the heirs of Azariah Davis. The Batavia, Williamsburgh and Brown County Turnpike was built in 1850-51, and on the 1st of July of the latter year its sixth installment of ten per cent. was due. Thomas L. Shields was the first president of this road, which is yet in operation between Batavia and Williamsburgh. The first installment towards the construction of The Moscow, Indian Creek and Point Isabel Turnpike was due June 24,1851, and the first of the Felicity and Chilo Turnpike Oct. 25, 1856, but neither proved a success as a toll-road. The famous and historical JIadisonville, Camargo and Obannon Turnpike, which was built over a third of a century ago through Miami township, is now a county road free from tolls. Ten free turnpikes were constructed in Clermont County under the laws of April 5, 1866, and March 29, 1867, which have 'proved of great benefit to the localities through which they pass. The laws provided that when a majority of the resident and real-estate owners living within two miles on each side of the contemplated road petitioned the county commissioners, a free pike might be built, if deemed a public necessity, by assessing the cost of its construction upon said owners of real estate in proportion to their distances and benefits to be derived from the road. On Dec. 4, 1866, a petition of residents and freeholders within two miles of the projected free turnpike from Bethel to Felicity was received by the commissioners, who appointed Robert Buchanan, Reuben Lanham, and Samuel Buchanan as viewers of the same. They reported it a public necessity and of general utility on March 5, 1867, and estimated its cost at $4250 per mile, including bridges. The commissioners decided to build it twenty-five feet in width, to be macadamized fourteen feet wide, twelve inches deep in centre and eight at each side, of four inches of coarsely-broken stone for foundation, and the balance of stone finely broken. The same viewers, on June 3d, made return of their apportionment of the valuations of the different freeholders to be taxed, which was adopted, and the taxes for building it and the others were put in five annual payments, and bonds were issued by the county and sold to pay the construction debts as fast as they fell due. C. W. Page, county surveyor, was superintendent and engineer of the survey and construction. The petition of the resident freeholders for the Felicity and Utopia pike, by way of Rural, was presented Dec. 4, 1866, and William Richey, Henry Bolander, and Thomas Hurley, as viewers, made their report the following March, and also their assessment valuations of the lands and lots to be taxed. The assessments of taxes on this pike amounted to $22,572.92. The petition for the Felicity and Moscow free pike was likewise filed Dec. 4, 1866, and the persons who viewed and made the land and lot valuations were Williatri Dixon, Enoch Reed, and John Kinney, who estimated its cost as follows : First four miles at $3100 per mile, or $12,400 ; the remaining four miles at $1700 per mile, or $6800 ; in all, $19,200 ; but the assessments on the duplicates footed up $34,030. The Felicity and Chilo free pike was petitioned for April 23, 1867, and the land apportionment of it was made by N. S. Stevens, A. J. Trees, and J. B. Brannen, its view having been made by Peter Camerer, J, B. Brannen, and George Thompson. The petition for the Mount Carmel and Nine-Mile pike was filed March 6, 1867, and the road was viewed and the lands apportioned by Orin Temple, J. R. Corbly, and Moses Elstun. Its entire assessments were $33,182.57, while its estimated cost was $3000 per mile. June 27, 1867, came the petition for the Lyndon and Nicholsville pike, beginning at the junction of the Ten- Mile Valley pike where it intersected. the New Richmond, Mount Pisgah and Ohio turnpike to James Slater's, or to the contemplated road from Big Indian, near Israel Smith's, via Point Isabel, Salt Air, and Nicholsville, to the Ohio turnpike, at Back Run bridge. The viewers and land-appraisers were J. R. Foster, William Eppert, and E. G. Ricker, and Thomas W. Rathbone surveyor. Its estimated cost was $7766, The petition for the Newtonsville and Brownsville pike was presented on June 6, 1867, and its viewers and appraisers of lands and lots were M, S. Pickelheimer, Silas Muchmore, William McKinney, and J, D. Murphy,--the latter in the apportionment taking the place of M. S. Pickelheimer, appointed its engineer. Its estimated cost was $3000 per mile. June 3, 1867, the petition for the Neville and Boat Run pike came in, and it was viewed and the lands appraised by William Padget, N. S. Stevens, and W. C. Page. Its estimated cost was $3500 per wile, but the apportionment and costs amounted to $37,721.13. On Dec. 4, 1867, was received the petition for the pike from Felicity, by way of Laurel, to intersect the Boat Run and New Richmond road, near Carmel graveyard, in Monroe township. The viewers and appraisers were Samuel W. McKinney, James Waterfield, and James Goslin, who estimated it to cost $3500 per mile. It was finished only two miles, to Israel Smith's, and its cost was $10,800. On Feb, 8, 1870, was presented the petition for the pike from Point Isabel to the elbow of the Felicity and Moscow road. Viewers and appraisers on the same were Samuel B. Smith, Enoch Patterson, and M. Winters. Its cost of construction, when fully completed, was only $81,880. The last free pike built in the county was under the laws of April 26, 1871, and Feb. 20, 1872, taxing the freeholders a mile on each side for its construction, and was the Wayne township pike from the Dunkard meeting-house to West Woodville. The viewers were David W. Thompson, Thomas Sloane, and J. H. Prickett, and the road was built in 1874. The Clermont and Woodville Graded Road Company 90 - HISTORY OF CLERMONT COUNTY, OHIO. was incorporated in 1838, but never proved a success ; neither did Thc East Fork Road and Bridge Company, incorporated in 1835. But few counties in the State surpass Clermont in the number and substantial nature of its bridges, The finest is a suspension-bridge at Branch Hill, across the Little Miami, and was built jointly by Clermont and Hamilton. It was formally dedicated and opened for travel July 4, 1872, with a great celebration and speeches by Governor Noyes and Samuel F. Hunt. At Loveland is also a very handsome iron bridge, composed of several spans, and at Remington and Miamiville, also across the Little Miami, a large bridge of modern invention and imposing architec- ture. In fact, all over the county, on its many streams, are found elegant bridges, built in the last twenty years, many of them exceedingly beautiful in design and finish, which have supplanted the common wooden bridges which were first erected. The Little Miami Railroad Company was chartered in 1835 to build a railway from Cincinnati to Xenia,-a dis- tance of 64.61 wiles. In 1840 the road was completed to Milford, and at that town a grand demonstration took place to celebrate the arrival of the first train. John Kugler, then the principal business man of that place, sold to the railroad company the site in Cincinnati on which it built its depot for $60,000, and took his pay in its bonds, ever a great source of revenue to him ; and he also furnished the ties for the track for many miles, all cut off of his noted Tippecanoe farm of nineteen hundred acres in Goshen and Stonelick townships. The road was finished to Loveland in 1844, in the fall, very much against the wishes of many of the people who earned their living as teamsters, and thought they were ruined. This road has a double track running six and three-twentieths miles through this county, with about a mile of sidings, and depots at Loveland, Branch Hill, Miamiville, and Milford, at the latter place on the Hamilton County side. It is now leased to and operated by the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Rail- way Company, and has the reputation of being the best-equipped and conducted road in the State. The Marietta and Cincinnati Railway was built years afterwards, and has five miles of main track in this county, besides one and one-fifth miles of sidings. It passes through Loveland, where it crosses the Little Miami road, and the rest of the road in Clermont is in Goshen township. It was built about the year 1850 as the Hillsboro and Cincinnati Railroad, and is now operated by the Baltimore and Ohio Company. Many attempts were made towards building other railroads running through the county, but without suecese until 1876, when, on Jan. 10, 1876, the Cincinnati and Eastern Railway Company was formed at Batavia, under the name first of The Cincinnati, Batavia and Williams. burgh Railroad Company, but which was changed at the following May term of Clermont Common Pleas Court to its present name. Its corporators were Samuel Woodward, M. Jamieson, G. W. Hulick, William Mansfield, George H. Wilber, W. B. C. Stirling, G. W. Gregg, Peter F, Swing, C. H. Thomas, Byron Wilhams, and W. A. Kain. On May 6, 1876, the stockholders unanimously voted to extend the line from Williamsburgh to Portsmouth, its present projected terminus. Since its organization Samuel Woodward has been president, Milton Jamieson treasurer, and 'William Mansfield auditor, and the following persons direc- tors (those marked with an asterisk still in office) : Samuel Woodward,* George II. Wilber,* Stephen Feike, Peter F. Swing, Azariah Davis, Daniel Turner, Charles H. Thomas,* O. H. Hardin,* W. R. McGill,* James Hulick,* F. M. Smith,* S. E. Carey,* N, R. Thomson,* George W. Gregg, John M. Neeley,* and James P. Duckwall.* Its proposed main hne is one hundred and eight miles long, of which fifty-three miles is in ful. running operation from the Miami Valley Railway junction (three and a half miles from Cincinnati) to Winchester, in Adams County, and beyond Winchester, towards Portsmouth, the grading is nearly completed to the Scioto county-line, about twenty miles. In February, 1880, thc branch from Batavia Junction (on the Little Miami road) to New Richmond—a distance of fourteen and three-tenths miles—was completed and is now in successful operation, making, with the aggregate of sid- ings, seventy miles daily operated by this road, on which the freight and passenger traffic is constantly increasing. At Sardinia it crosses the Maysville and Columbus narrow-gauge road, now completed and running from Sardinia to Hillsboro', and this summer (1880) to be finished from Sardinia, via, Georgetown, to Ripley and Maysville. It is contemplated this year to finish the Miami Valley road the remainder of the way (three and one-half miles) to Cin- cinnati, when the transfer of freight and passengers to the Little Miami road at Batavia Junction will cease. This well-managed narrow-gauge railroad—the best in Ohio— runs through one of the richest and most productive and thickly-populated regions in the State, and was completed to Batavia, Oct. 18, 1876 ; to Williamsburgh, March 1, 1877 to Mount Oreb, April 19, 1877 ; to Sardinia, June 4, 1877 ; and to Winchester in September following. In this county, including its New Richmond branch and sidings, it has thirty-six miles of track, and the stations on the main line are South Milford, Elstun, Cohoon, East Liberty, Batavia, Hulick's, Summit, Afton, and Williams- burgh ; and on the New Richmond branch are New Richmond, Blairville, New Palestine, Ohio River, Pleasant Hill, Tobasco, and Mount Carmel. This road was built by sub- scriptions raised by stockholders along its main and exten- sion lines, and by bonds issued on mortgage securities. Its principal bridges on the main line are over the Little Miami, a Howe truss, wood, three hundred and twenty feet ; east fork at Batavia, wood, one hundred and sixty feet ; at Williamsburgh, one hundred and twenty feet ; west fork of White Oak and east fork of same, each one hun- dred and twenty feet. This was the first railroad built through the heart of Clermont, and the first of any kind to penetrate the adjoining counties of Brown and Adams. The next road—Cincinnati and Portsmouth Narrow- Gauge Railroad—to be built was incorporated in January, 1873, with the following corporators: Thomas Donaldson, Benneville Kline, John Carlisle, Chilton A White, Henry W. Kimball, Joseph Clare, Paul Mohr, Z. D. Kyle, Josiah Kirby, and H. H. Wellman, but its construction did not begin till. three years subsequently. It is a narrow gauge, INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS AND GENERAL STATISTICS - 91 and is finished from Columbia, on the Little Miami road, to Cleveland's, a mile east of Amelia, through which town, Judd's, Centreville, Olive Branch, Willowville, Glen Este, Kyles, and Mount Carmel, it runs and is altogether in running operation a distance of twenty and four-tenths miles. From Cleveland's to Bethel the grading is all completed, and between Bethel and Georgetown over hall finished. It is contemplated by its management to put down the track in the season of 1880 to Bethel and Georgetown. The Cincinnati, Milford and Fayetteville Narrow Gauge Railroad was incorporated a few years ago, and a road-bed graded from Milford northeast, through the northern townships of the county. As yet no track has been laid, but the early completion of the road, possibly as a standard gauge, is confidently expected the coming season. Five lines of telegraph pass through the county,-viz., along the Little Miami, Marietta, Cincinnati, and Eastern (on main line and the New Richmond branch), and along the Ohio turnpike via Amelia and Bethel. The townships of Miami, Goshen, Union, Batavia, Williamsburgh, Pierce, and Ohio are thus afforded telegraphic facilities, and the same townships enjoy railway communication, The wonderful progress and advancement in internal improvements and material prosperity the county has made is most strikingly shown in the following pages of statistical matter, contrasting the old with the new times, and showing the condition of the county at different periods from 1825 to 1879. GENERAL STATISTICS. For the year ending June 8, 1825, the receipts at the county treasury were $6440.97. Of this amount there were apportioned to the several townships for road purposes: Wayne, $45; Williamsburgh, $104.46; Tate, $129.93; Franklin, $31 ; Washington, $31 ; Ohio, $36; Batavia, $37 ; Stonelick, $37 ; Miami, $99 ; Union, $98. A balance of $321.20 for road purposes remained undistributed, and the other balances due the State and for county purposes amounted to $1275.56, showing how moderate were the expenses of the county at that period ; and this amount was largely in excess of thc usual rate, on account of the court-house edifice at New Richmond, the cost of building which was settled on the payment of $1193.28 when Batavia became the seat of justice. The rates of taxation for 1827 were as follows : State tax, 15 cents on the $100 valuation. Canal tax, 15 cents on the $100 valuation. County tax, 30 cents on the $100 valuation. School tax, 5 cenls on the $100 valuation. Batavia township tax, 121 cents on the $100 valuation. Williamsburgh township tax, 31 cents on the $100 valuation. Tate township tax, 11 1/4 cents on the $100 valuation. Franklin township tax, 21 cents on the $100 valuation. Washington township tax, 7 12 cents on the $100 valuation. Monroe township tax, 61 cents on the $100 valuation. Ohio township tax, 10 cents on the $100 valuation. So in Batavia the tax-payer paid on each one hundred dollars, 771/2 cents ; in Williamsburgh, 68 3/4; in Tate, 76 1/4; in Franklin, 68 3/4 ; in Washington, 72 1/2 ; in Monroe, 71 1/4 ; and in Ohio, 75. The smallness of the school-tax strikes every one, but it now began to gradually increase year by year under the acts of 1825, 1826, and 1827, and those subsequently passed by the Legislature. In 1827, Wayne, Goshen, Stonelick, Union, and Miami townships levied no township tax, and in that year the county treasurer, John W. Robinson, spent two days in each of the then twelve townships between August 20th and September 15th to receive taxes, which was the first year the treasurer received taxes, the county collector up to that time doing the collecting. Fur the year ending June 2, 1829, the total receipts of Clermont were $10,866.83.2, and the entire disbursements, covering the State, county, township, and school purposes, $9195.57.4, of which $2.25 was to Thomas Kain for refreshments furnished a jury in a State case. In 1829 the average rate of taxation throughout the county was eighty-four cents on the hundred dollars. For the fiscal year closing June 4, 1833, the receipts of the county for all purposes were $16,368.72, and the expenditures $13,019.86. In 1841 the rates of taxation by mills in the different townships were as follows on the dollar: Batavia, 121 ; Williamsburgh, 11/ ; Tate, 11.a Franklin, 101; Washington, 101 ; Monroe, 91 ; Ohio, 111 ; Union, 91; Miami, 13; Goshen, 101; Stonelick, 101 ; Wayne, 98 ; Jackson, 91 ; which made the average rate in the county 107-19- cents on the hundred dollars. Of the above tax, 5 mills was for State and canal tax ; 41 for schools; 1 of' a mill for Union bridge ; and balance for township purposes. We give some general statistics of three periods.   The duplicate of 1846 shows as follows: State taxes, $18,813.02 ; county and township taxes, $16,296.98 ; lawyers' and doctors' taxes, $17,325 ; delinquencies, $1071.19 ; and for same year the assessors returned 8400 horses, valued at $265,217 ; 52 mules, at $1332 ; 10,732 cattle, at $85,167 ; 26,604 sheep, at $14,829 ; 31,659 hogs, at $64,450 ; 592 pleasure-carriages, at $30,392 ; 799 watches, at $11,169 ; 7 pianos, at $1260. In 1849 the duphcates showed :