(RETURN TO THE TITLE PAGE) AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 111 CHAPTER IX. THE MILLS OF THE PIONEERS. The Early Grist-Mills and Sawmills Went Hand in Hand—Small Streams in County Furnished Much Water Power—Advent of Steam Power—Decimation of the Virgin Forest—Many Woolen-Mills in the Past—Tanneries Were Numerous in the Early Days—The First Paper-Mill in Ohio—Attempt at Cotton Manufacture Abortive— Distilleries Furnished "Old Rye" to Retail at 25 cents a Gallon--Old Gauge's" Daily Ration—Some Statistics.. The pioneers in course of time, here and there, built mills and factories, albeit they were crude and sometimes inefficient. Oxen and horses, and sometimes even men in some of the early days supplied motive power where streams did not abound, or where the water failed to give requisite force. But fortunately streams were numerous, and generally a sufficient water power could be secured to furnish power necessary to operate these primitive industries. The grinding of grain, to furnish food for man and beast, was naturally among the first needs of the early settlers. "Hand mills." says an old history. "were sometimes made and used for that purpose; and then, in Columbiana County, as in that far off land of sacred memories, 'two women might he seen grinding at the mill.' These mills were very rude of construction, and their effect upon the grain was little more than to crush it. without any provision for bolting." The horse or ox power Was furnished by the animals tramping on a tread-wheel. But these were soon superseded v water power, and this later by steam. Elevators in grist-mills in those early days were practically unknown, the brawn of the miller making up for the defect. The grain must needs be lifted into the hopper, and when it was ground and fell into a chest in a story below, the miller would put it into a sack in quantities proportionate to his strength, carry it upstairs and pour it into another hopper from which it was run into the bolt, and through it into a chest below, ready to be divided and sacked for delivery to the customer. "The stones used for grinding in most of the earlier mills were very imperfect grits obtained from some of the western ranges of the Alleghanies, and with some of the fragments of millstones to be seen on the banks of some of the streams upon which mills used to stand, are to be found multitudes of fossil shells." Flour ground by the stones of the early days would hardly pass inspection in the markets to-day ; but it had the advantage of being even more wholesome and nutritious than the fine brands of the modern mills, where it is claimed by many "the life is ground out of the grain" by the fine modern bolting and "patent processes." EARLY DAYS OF THE GRIST-MILL. While in those early days the streams which were so important a factor in furnishing mill power. were far from perennial. yet they "went dry" less frequently than they were wont to do in the later days when the hillsides and valleys were denuded of the primeval forests. 112 - HISTORY OF COLUMBIANA COUNTY Ensign's "History of Columbiana County," referring to the first grist-mill built in Columbiana County, says : "The first grist-mill in the county was built by Joseph Fawcett, on Carpenter's Run, just below the present site of East Liverpool. The second grist-mill was built by John Beaver on Little Beaver Creek, one and a half miles from the river. Opposite the grist-mill Beaver built a sawmill, which was the first sawmill in the township. The second sawmill was built by Joseph Fawcett at Jethro, just below East Liverpool. A steam sawmill was erected about 1830 by William Scott and John Hill on the Ohio River, about where Manley & Cartwright's pottery now stands. The mill was, not long after destroyed by fire." About 1805 John Emerich, having built his log cabin in Butler township. where later the settlement of Valley was located, built a small grist-mill and started the busy wheel. From that time up to 1905 a grist-mill has been in constant operation on or near the same site, passing through many hands. John H. Stanley is said to have carried his grist five or .six miles to this mill for over 30 years—for many of these years on horseback—which was in the early days the more usual means of conveyance of wheat, corn and rye to the mill, to be returned, in the form of flour, corn-meal and bran, by the same means of conveyance. So inadequate were the milling facilities at certain periods in those early years, and so irregular the running at times from a shortage of water power, that it was sometimes necessary for a customer to keep a grist at the mill constantly. that he might be sure to get his turn. Among the earlier grist-mills in Center township was the one built in the first decade of the past century—almost on the site where the old stone mill which was still standing near Lisbon at the beginning of the new century— by Edmund Hays, and to the northeast and adjoining the corporation William Harbaugh built a grist-mill about i8t ;. This in later years was converted into a distillery. The mill built by Edmund Hays was destroyed by fire in 1843. At that time it was owned by Daniel Harbaugh, who, a few years later rebuilt the structure, and in 1870 sold it to John S. Hunter. This mill was still, in 1903, being operated by the firm of Hunter & McCord. About 1830 James Culbertson started a grist-mill in section 17, which he later disposed of to Abram Brandeberry and Stephen Hendricks. Joshua Bowman purchased it in 1870 and removed it to a site on the State road, adding steam power in 1874. This mill, and a sawmill a little farther up the stream, were still being operated near the close of the century by Joshua Bowman. On the middle fork of the Beaver, in the southwestern corner of Middleton township, Samuel Conkle erected a grist-mill in 1830, and later a sawmill. These were later the property in turn of James Gaston, Thomas Whitacre and Philander Gaston. Philander Gaston still owned and operated them in 1905. The well known Moultrie flour-mill at Moultrie, in West township, was built in 1873. by John Widle and George W. Newmacher. THE THUNDER-GUST MILL. At a very early date in the past century William Laughlin built on Brush Run, section 13, what was popularly known as a "thunder-gust mill," most of the work upon which he dial with his own hands. In this mill a hand-bolt did duty for some years. It may not he amiss to explain the signification of the term "thunder-gust mill." In many streams the water would get so low in dry seasons as to keep the grist-mill idle much of the time. So when a "thunder-gust" or a heavy rain-fall would come, the swollen stream. which would be one result. would start the mill for a time: and then there would be a scramble among the patrons to see who would get their grists attended to first. Edward Whitacre and sons built a saw and grist-mill in 1808 .on the narrows of the west fork of the Little Beaver. south of where Guilford now stands. In 1810 Nicholas Miller built one just below that point. Hugh Hillis and Joseph Bailey purchased Whitacre's mill. and ran it until 1846 when it was abandoned. George Brown put up a grist-mill in 1810 on AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 113 the site later occupied by Grim's mill. In 1808 James Craig, who laid out Hanover, built a saw and grist-mill, which in 1817 was purchased by William Kennedy and Arthur Lockard, who put into it the first buhrstones seen it those parts. In 1811 Amos Frost located in Hanover township. and in 1814 built a saw and grist-mill on the west fork of the Little Beaver. As early as 1811 William Crawford built a combined saw and grist-mill below Williamsport, in Madison township. Aaron Brooks built a grist-mill on the west fork of the Beaver, and in 1847 sold it to one Hamilton. Later still it was removed to Wellsville and changed to a steam mill. The first grist-mill of any sort in Middleton township was one built by John Leslie, in which corn was ground by hand power. The first grinding by water power was done by Benjamin Wright, about 1801. He had a small corn-mill on Brush Run, near the west line of section 24. About 18o2 Aaron Brooks erected, on the Little Beaver, what was the first grist-mill in St. Clair township. The water power on the Little Beaver was good and lasted most of the year; and so, at different periods, many saw-mills and carding-machines were built and operated along its tortuous course. Of one of the substantial old mills of the County, Ensign's history says : "Jonathan Fawcett built in 1841 the stone mill which stands on a branch of the middle fork of Beaver Creek (Salem township). The mill is 4o by 61 feet in size: and five and a half stories high. The foundation is laid 25 feet below the level of the road. The walls are four feet thick. for 12 feet of its height. and thence decrease to three feet and two feet in thickness. The property was leased in 1836 for 99 years, with privilege of renewal. It is now (in 1879) in possession of B. Raney." In 1804 Levi Blackledge built a grist-mill n the middle fork of Beaver Creek, in Salem township where the mill of Uriah Teegarden stood 100 years later. The following, year he built a sawmill just below the grist-mill, which in 1816 was replaced by a larger and more permanent mill, which did duty for three-quarters of a century. Near the beginning of the century—earlier than 1810—owing to the excellent water power of Bull Creek, grist-mills were built above and below what was later the town site of New Waterford. Must of these had gone out of business prior to the close of the 19th century but some of the old structures stand, as do others in other parts of the county, monuments to the industry and thrift of past generations. Christ & Roos about 1848 built a waterpower grist-mill in New Waterford. A few years later it passed into the hands of the Sillimans, who added steam power. In August, 1865, it was destroyed by fire. In 1873 James Scott, who had owned and operated a mill on Big Bull Creek from 1867 to 1873, erected on the old site of the burned mill the "Tip Top Mills." Three runs of stones were installed in the new mill, the motive power being both water and steam. Samuel C. Scott, son of James Scott. was proprietor of and still operated the "Tip Top Mills" in 1903. Their capacity was then 6o barrels per day. Steam power was generally introduced, at least in the larger mills of the county, about 1838. To go back a little—the great-grandfather of Samuel C. Scott had built, in 1808, the stone mill at Mill Rock, which was still running in 1905, "almost as good as new" after nearly a century of service. An Italian named Fishel, who settled in Washington township in 1804, built the first grist-mill in the township on the site now known as Clark's Mills. In this primitive the Hour was sifted through a cloth tacked upon a box frame. The first grist-mill of any importance, however, in Washington township, was built in Salineville in 1838 by James Farmer and Isaac Kirk. In the '70's and '8o's it was owned by J. G. Lacock & Company, and later by other parties. This old mill was still being run, in 1905, Strabley & Faloon. The mill in its timehas done a large business, having a capacity of 16,000 barrels a year. In 1877 McGarry. Black & Company built a gristmill near the Cleveland & Pittsburg Railroad station. It had a capacity of about 23 barrels a day, and was still being run in 1905 by McGarry & Black. "The Ohio Flouring Mill" was started by 114 - HISTORY OF COLUMBIANA COUNTY Faloon Brothers, also in 1877. They operated two runs of wheat buhrs and one chopping buhr, having a capacity of over 20 barrels of flour a day. It went out of business about 1900. In 1806 Daniel Swearingen built a gristmill on Little Yellow Creek upon the farm of his son, E. Swearingen. In aim. higher up on the same stream, Joseph Ritter built a grist-mill, on the site afterwards occupied by John C. Smith's "California Mill." Lindsay Cameron built the grist-mill in St. Clair township in 1837, which still stood and bore his name in 1905. C. Metsch bought it in 1862, and operated it until 1891. In 1856 Josiah Thompson, S. Frederick and S. Jackman built a mill at East Liverpool, which in 1870 they sold to C. Metsch, which the latter ran until 1892. when it was destroyed by fire. A grist-mill was built in 1827 by Gwinn & Neff. on Front (or Water) street, Wellsville. near where in 1905 stood the residence of Gen. J. W. Reilly. But this mill never achieved great success. and was run but a few years. Cameron's mill and Hibbett's mill, on Little Yellow Creek, near Wellsville, the former built in the first half, the second in the last half of the 19th century. were still old landmarks in 1905, but both of these. with scores if not hundreds of similar mills throughout the country, had long since gone out of the business, which the big trust mills of the country had largely monopolized. The Jenkins mill. a small one, built in Wellsville in the early '50's, did a good custom work for many years. In the Ms B. M. Allison & Brother built a small model grist-mill in Wellsville, which in 1905 was still run by J. W. Russell. SAWMILLS OF THE PIONEERS. The sawmill was from the early days intimately associated with the grist-mill. About 1815 one of the pioneer sawmills of the northern part of the county was built on the farm of Henry Wintrobe, who entered section 8 in Butler township. On the Wintrobe farm, later owned by Joseph Lynch. was an orchard occupying the highest farming land site. by actual survey. between the Ohio River at its nearest point and Cleveland. In 1815 William Wells, founder of Wellsville, with his son James—who died when past 90 near the close of the century—built on Little Yellow Creek, near where the big sheet steel mill later stood, the first sawmill in Yellow Creek township. But the sawmill which, of all those in the township, made and held the record for long service and large output. was that built some time before the '50's on the river bank near the foot of Ninth street, Wellsville, and operated for many years by Smith & McGregor, and later by Giles McGregor. It, however, was torn down about the beginning of the new century to give place for tine residences. The water power. furnished by the several streams within the bounds of Elkrun township, was early an important factor in the industrial progress of the people of that township. Ensign's "History of Columbiana County” treats the subject at some length. The quotation following is from this work : "Among the first improvements of the water power of the township for milling purposes were those of Isaac James. on section 2. About 1810 he utilized the power of Little Bull Creek to operate saw and grist-mills which were carried on by the James family many years. The sawmill was abandoned about 1850, but the grist-mill is vet operated. On the same section but lower on the stream. John Snyder had a pioneer grist-mill which was destroyed by a storm and never rebuilt and still lower clown the stream Nathan Heald had a sawmill and roseph Martin a carding-machine, both of which have passed away. These were succeeded by a sawmill, which is now operated by John Raley (1879). On the north quarter of section 12 Joseph and Henry Morlan put up a sawmill in 1826. which, after being operated many years. was allowed to go down : and on the same section. near the township line. Joseph Morlan. Sr.. and his son Stephen erected a grist-mill in-1822. which. in an improved condition, yet remains the property of William Taylor. A sawmill was here built at a more recent period, and steam power has been supplied to operate both. supplementary to the water power. On section 2 a steam sawmill PAGE - 115 - BLANK PAGE - 116 - PICTURES OF VARIOUS BUILDINGS AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 117 has been operated during the past 20 years by Hiram Bell. In the eastern part of the township, on Big Run James Brisbine started a sawmill, a pioneer among mills, which has long since been discontinued, and at a point lower down the stream Joseph Henry erected a mill in 1846. which is vet carried on by him. On the northern part of section 35. John Cannon employed the power of Middle Beaver to operate a grist-mill from r812 to the building of the canal, when the mill site was destroyed. Above this point, on Pine Run. Christian Bowman erected a sawmill some time after 1812, which was discontinued in about ro years. In 1845 he put up another mill, farther up the stream. which has ever since been operated. In 1867 steam power was supplied. The present -owner is 1Villiam Armstrong. "The first to use the power of Elk Run was Samuel Kemble. He built a saw and gristmill on section 0, and successfully operated them for a number of years. Subsequently. the grist-mill passed into the hands of Seth McClure. It is now operated by Isaac Chamberlain. and the sawmill by James Walker, both mills having been rebuilt or repaired a number of times. The manufacture of linseed oil and cement was carried on at these mills at different periods a number of years ago. On the same stream Alexander Rogers built a mill on section 16 about 1825. Which was afterwards operated by Samuel Kemble. and later by Nathan Simpkins. This power and the one below, on the same section. are at present idle. The latter was improved in 1831 by James Clark. who put up a woolen mill 40 by 80 feet. two and a half stories high. In 1840. James Batchelor and Thomas Crook began the manufacture of woolen goods at this point. and after a few years the former was succeeded by William Allaway. From 1851 to 1862 Thomas Crook was the sole proprietor and sold to Joseph Hudd who abandoned the mill two wears later. The building has been demolished. On the Middle Beaver. near Center township line. is a small mill belonging to Gen. Jacob B. Roller. Here Lewis Kinney had a carding- mill and later a woolen-mill. which he operated in connection with Orth and Beaumont. The latter removed his interests to New Lisbon. The power is feeble and but little employed. In the north-western part of the township. on Middle Run. Thomas Hawkins operated a sawmill in 1828, and on this site mills have since been kept up by the Hawkins family. In 1843 Thomas Pike erected a mill farther up the same stream, which was later carried on by William Pike. Nearly all the foregoing indu.-- tries were small, and operated only to supply the local demand." HOW MILLPORT GOT ITS NAME. Millport in Franklin township was so named from the early occupancy of a portion of the village site by a grist-mill and a sawmill : and in later years Thomas McKerren operated a steam sawmill in the village. A little northeast of East Fairfield, in Fairfield township, the James family established a sawmill in the early days, which was abandoned before the middle of the century: and farther up the stream. on section 35, a steam sawmill was built in 1856 by J. Allman, Joel Wickersham. David Wickersham and Joel Ritchie. which became the property, in January, 1877, of W. L. English, and was operated by him for many years. (Ensign's "History of Columbiana County."] On the headwaters of Elk Run, on section 32. George Freed, at an early day, started a sawmill and a grist-mill, which were later carried on by B. Dillworth, and subsequently had frequent changes of ownership. Levi Miller established a fulling-mill and sawmill in 1832 just below Hanover. This mill had the distinction of being the first in Hanover township, to use steam power. It continued in operation about 30 years. Ensign's history says of the early mills erected in Knox township: "The first mill erected in the township—a sawmill—was on section 29, and was built by the pioneer John Thomas in the year 18o6. This sawmill was operated by Mr. Thomas until 1815 when he was severely injured by an accident. John Dean succeeded to the ownership. and ran the mill three years. In 1818 the property and 50 118 - HISTORY OF COLUMBIANA COUNTY acres of land adjoining were purchased by Rev. Joshua Beer. This old pioneer structure was long since destroyed, and removed to make room for modern improvements. The old Redmond saw and grist-mill built about 1830; the Georgetown mill built in 1848, by John Dellenbaugh; a steam sawmill on section 16, one on section 30, and another on section 3 ; and the grist-mill owned, by Andrew Whiteleather, at Georgetown, built in 1868-69, comprise the principal industries of the township." In 1811 William Crawford built a saw and grist-mill on the north fork of the Little Beaver below Williamsport, in Madison township. As early as 1803 Aaron Brooks, who had, about 1801, settled on section 14, Middleton township, set up a saw and grist-mill. In the fall of 1804 he sold it to Baltzer Young. In the following year Young brought his family from Pennsylvania, and lived on section 14 until his death in 1846. Quite a number of sawmills were built and operated at different periods on the small streams of Middleton township. One of the principal of these mills was that of James Brooks, built on Rough Run in 1825. That mill and others which succeeded it on the same site were operated in turn by Adam Conkle, Johnson Chaney, John G. Gaston, Samuel Henderson and John Donovan. There is an indistinct record of a sawmill being built in 1803 on section 19 in Unity township, on the bank of Bull Creek, which afterwards passed into the hands of Frederick Roi is : and Richard Beeson, who had entered section 32 in the same-township in 1801 built one of the first grist-mills. Early in the last century the excellent water power to be found on the many streams in West township was utilized for the operation of sawmills and grist-mills. The Davis mill north of East Rochester was built about 1820 by David Davis. whose father, Isaac Davis. was one of the pioneers of the county.. This was considered for many years one of the hest saw and grist-mills in the county, and for a long time supplied a large proportion of the people of West and adjoining townships \vita flour, mill-feed and manufactured lumber. After the completion of the Cleveland & Pittsburg Railroad, some of the product of the mill found its way into the Cleveland market. In 1878 Henry Wilhelm and Owen Stackhouse became proprietors of the mill. Joseph Mil- bourn and Jacob Thomas in 1831 built a sawmill, which in 1878 was rebuilt and became the property of Kelley & Albright. though retaining the euphonious name of "Milbourn's Mill." Sawmills and gristmills were notably numerous on the north, middle and west forks of the Little Beaver, and on Bull Creek and Little Bull Creek. In Center, Elkrun, Fairfield. Middleton and Unity townships. from about 1810 or 1815 to near the close of the century ; and a number of them continued in operation even up to 1905. The sawmill, first propelled by water power and later by steam. has been a great adjunct to advancing civilization; though it has exercise,' a powerful influence in the destruction of the. forests, which, owing to the fact that Columbiana county has always been more plentifully supplied with native forests—and that other fact that her land-owners have encouraged new forest growth—than some neighboring counties, had never been keenly felt up to the first decade of the new century. But in the later years the old stationary mill propelled both by the water-wheel and by steam have been largely superseded by the portable mill. This newer device moved from place to place and did custom work for the farmers and others. The rapidity of its operations soon cast in the shade the slow plodding of the old "mules'' saw ; and picket and board fences in many places superseded the old "worm" or "zigzag" rail fences. even before the days of the wire fence. . THE WOOLEN FACTORY. Contemporaneous. in the early days, with the saw and grist-mill, although before the close of .the 19th century practically forced our business in Columbiana County, was the woolen-mill. The first carding-machine in New Lisbon— where the working and manufacture of wool was in later years to become an important in- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 119 dustry—was started in 1812 or 1813 by Mr. Hollingsworth. It was located on a site immediately north of the present site of the Canton bridge. Year the same place Caleb Whitacre built a grist-mill and a sawmill—the same site being later occupied by Matthew Elder with fulling-mill and carding machine. These were destroyed by fire about the middle of the century. The New Lisbon Woolen Factory Company was incorporated in 1818. In 1835 John McCook, head of one of the "fighting McCook" families, in company wiLli ethers, built a woolen factory in Lisbon. A few years later it was leased by Godfrey Beaumont and sons. and continued to run for a number of years, but it had, in 1905, been idle for many years. In section 30, Center township, on the west branch of Beaver Creek. about 1830, Abner Moore and Reuben P. McNamee built a fulling and carding-mill, which was run until 1860, when it was razed by Robert McClellan. At the forks of the Beaver. in the same township, a small woolen-mill was put in operation, Nvhic.!1 was run until about 185o, when it was abandoned. On section 6 Uriah Teegarden started a carding-machine about 183o which was discontinued when the Sandy and Beaver Canal was built. A writer in the "History of the Upper Ohio Valley" records this bit of history : "The first mills in the county for the promotion of the manufacture of wool were fitted up for carding the wool or fulling the cloth, or both combined. The carding-machine produced a better and cheaper roll than could be produced on hand cards. These rolls were spun on hand whee1s, and the yarn woven on hand looms, and then returned to the mill to be fulled and dressed. The fulling could be done very much better by machinery—if not cheaper— than by tramping, pounding and kicking—the methods adopted in in the homes for fulling. In time the spinning jenny and power loom were added, and woolen- mills established, which produced an excellent quality of well-finished cloths. Woolen-mills in the county are neither numerous or extensive, but fill important places in meeting local demands. A mill of this kind was started near Kensington. Hanover township, by Samuel Holland. in 1814, and was purchased and continued after his death, in 1837, by William Hicklen, who in 1854 built a larger and better mill and added steam power. and in 1864 sold it to J. Hudd & Sons, who continue to make cloth, blankets, knitting yarns, etc., to the present writing (1891)." The old woolen factory which was a landmark for half a century in the southern part of New Lisbon was built in 1850 by Samuel Thompson. It passed into other hands, and after a checkered history financially, under two or three administrations: it fell into the hands of John Ogden & Company, under whose management a good business was done between the years 1864 and 1874. Then The New Lisbon Woolen Manufacturing Company was formed with John Ogden as president. Originally the machinery was propelled by water power from the canal, but later steam power was put in. After the decadence of the wool business, about 1893, the factory was shut down and about 1900 the building was destroyed by fire. At Elkton, in 1843, William Kemble erected a woolen factory. In this building the Clark Brothers manufactured woolen goods for many years. They were succeeded by David Far-- rand, who operated the factory until 1871,: when it was abandoned. West of Columbiana, on the creek, in section 8 of Fairfield township. William Nichols in the '40's converted a gristmill into a woolen factory, which was operated for many years by J. Early and members of his family. About 1812 David Hanna put up a carding- machine on Little Beaver Creek north of the Georgetown road, and not long after James Cocker erected a similar machine lower down the stream. Of an early Salem industry Ensign's history says "About 1825 John Stanley built a frame woolen factory for custom work where the Pickett House now stands (in 1879). The first engine used in Salem was in the factory and was brought from Pittsburg. The factory was destroyed by fire and the citizens assisted Mr. Stanley to rebuild, which he did on the 120 - HISTORY OF COLUMBIANA COUNTY corner of Lisbon and Main streets where the Baptist Church now stands. A few years lat:Nhe sold to Robert Campbell, who, in 1834, sold to Zadok Street. Mr. Street continued until 1845, when he sold the property, including machinery. A woolen factory had been started about 1830 by Mr. Allison. In 1840 it was sold to James Brown, by whom it was used for custom work. The factory was situated in the west end of the town. The business was continued by Mr. Brown until 185o, James Brown, his son, now a merchant on Main street. doing the last carding." James Brown, Jr., was still in the mercantile business on Main street in 1905. AN INDUSTRY ALMOST OBSOLETE IN THE COUNTY. Among the very earliest of what may be called the manufacturing industries of Columbiana County was the curing of raw hides and tanning them into leather. Ensign's old history says : "John Arter and Daniel Harbaugh came to New Lisbon as early as 1805, and established tanneries—the first named at a location where John, a grandson, continues the same occupation, and Mr. Harbaugh on the premises where his successors still reside (1879), the business having ceased there long since. Nearly 60 years ago Joseph Richardson started the tannery on Market street. where it is continued is active operation by Simon Spiker. Daniel Hostetter located a tannery on the northeast corner of the Public Square some time about 1835. It was carried- on by George Garretson afterwards, then by Simon Spiker. and when discontinued was owned by George Nelson." In 1810 John Emery established a small tannery on the place near Hanover. for many years subsequent to 1905 occupied by F. Sheraw, but the establishment never did a large business. Very early in the century—before 1815— Joseph James established a tannery in East Fairfield, Fairfield township. which later became the property of B. J. Ferrall. by whom it was conducted for more than 40 years, when it was discontinued. At "Millport. Franklin township, John Williard started a tannery, which continued in business for almost three- quarters of a century. The Randolph tannery at Achor, Middleton township, which has a record of being in business for almost a century, was established in 1801 by Archibald Scott and William Hamilton. In 1812 it became the property of Richard F. Randolph. who greatly increased its capacity. After the retirement of Richard, the business was successfully continued by other members of the Randolph family. A tannery was built and carried on for many years by Charles Shook and sons, in the village of Unity, Unity township. Henry Nixon was the first tanner in the town of Salineville. He began the business in 1849. In 1866 Lewatd Bright purchased the business, which he greatly increased. Under his management the capacity of the concern was L000 hides annually of the best oak leather. The business was discontinued about 1895. A tannery was established in 1843 at Chambersburg. West township, by J. D. Koffel, which. after many changes in ownership, was still in operation near the close of the century. A case of single ownership and continued operation throughout its existence of almost a half century by one individual, was that of the tannery of J. A. Riddle, Wellsville. This tannery was built by Judge Riddle in 1831. and operated uninterruptedly by him until May 20, 1879, when it was burned. After the tire a leather store was continued by Judge Riddle, and after his death by his son, Maj. J. F. Riddle, for many years. Of the business in the early days of Salem. Hunt's history says : "Tanning was a considerable business in the early days of Salem. John Street was the principal person engaged in the business. His establishment filled nearly one-half the square on the southwest from his store. bounded by what are now Depot. Dry and Howard streets. There was here a large number of tan-vat„ and a house for the dressing of the hides when taken from the vats, and finishing them into various kinds of leather. There was also a mill for grinding tan-bark." AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 121 These mills were in the form of a huge coffee- mill, the big handle of which was operated by means of a horse being hitched to it. the animal walking about in a circle. But as the tanning business was one of the earliest industries of the county and one of the most essential ; and as the establishment and conducting of the business, at least in a primitive way, involved but a comparatively small investment of capital. one or more of these enterprises were usually operated in almost every center of population. A few of them had been continued up to 1905 ; but most of them had gone out of business many years before this date. One and perhaps the main reason of this was the concentration of capital and the adoption of modern improved appliances in the business. But another reason not to be over looked was the growing scarcity in convenient localities of the chestnut-oak, the black-oak and the other varieties of timber from whose bark the tanning liquid was procured, which was an absolute essential in the tanning process. THE FIRST PAPER MILL IN OHIO. Columbiana county is entitled to the distinction of having the first paper mill built in Ohio, and the second west of the Alleghany Mountains. It was built in 1805 or 1806 by John Beaver and John Coulter, on Little Beaver Creek, near its mouth, and about three miles northeast of Liverpool. Here the manufacture of writing paper was begun, but the mill-dam being washed away by a freshet a few years later, the mill was abandoned. AN EARLY COTTON FACTORY. In 1814 a cotton factory was built off Main street, on what was afterwards known as the Wilson property, in Salem. John Strawn, John Antrim, Zadock Street. Nathan Hunt and others were interested in it, Stacy Hunt being manager. Horse power was used to operate the primitive machinery. The project was not a success, and in less than two years the enterprise was abandoned and the factory building torn down. During a period of 25 years. from 1863 to 1888, considerable sorghum was grown in the county, and there were a number of mills for the manufacture of molasses. There is a record of a sorghum mill being built on section 10. Madison township by Eells, George & Company, and for a number of years molasses in large quantities was produced. Between the years of 1850 and 1880, there were a number of flax mills operated in the county ; but soon after the latter year, the raising of flax in the county having been practically discontinued, the mills of course went out of business. OLD RYE AT 25 CENTS A GALLON. Ensign's History (1879) says : "In the early settlement of this vicinity ( New Libson and for some 40 years after, whisky (the real old rye) was a prominent article of manufacture, use and traffic. Twenty-five cents a gallon at retail was long a standing price, and many times it was even cheaper. The early makers of this article were.—George Duck,. Frererick Galehouse, John Thomson, Edward Pettit, Benjamin Hahn, John Reese, William Jacob and Daniel Harbaugh." In Elkrun township alone, in 1825, it is recorded that there were no less than eight distilleries. Among others, Messrs. Ward, Armstrong. Means. Montgomery and Freed were engaged in the business. An old Columbiana County history referring to Fawcettstown (afterwards East Liverpool) says : "The first shingle roof seen in the- town was put upon Robert Boyce's log cabin by 'Old Gauge,' a carpenter, whose. right name was William Hudson. 'Old Gauge' was a fam- - ous character, and the greatest whisky drinker in the county, but never got drunk, could maul. 400 rails a day, and was, despite his drinking ways, a man' ofsikh steady nerve and industrious habits that there was not so excellent a workman for miles around. Incredible as it may appear, he drank a gallon of whisky everyday, so the story goes, taking a pint at a certain hour each day; wherefore he was called 'Old Gauge.' He never made a bargain to work- 122 - HISTORY OF COLUMBIANA COUNTY for a man without stipulating for the regular supply of whisky, and he always got it. Although he was never known to be drunk while in East Liverpool, his early habits told upon .him in his old age, which he passed in Virginia. Returning to the subject of distilleries, passing mention may be made that whisky was cheap in the early days, else 'Old Gauge' would have failed on his daily gallon. Besides Kelley's distillery, there were those of G. D. M::- Kinnon, James Montgomery, William Badders, Benjamin Blackmore, George Hurlburt, Thomas Gaddis, Robert Wallace, John Polk, John Ainsley, Anthony Blackburn and Alexander Young." Early in the century there were many distilleries in Middleton township. Their capacity however, was not very great, seldom exceeding three bushels of grain per day. The first was put in operation at Achor, about 18o8, by Levi Rogers, and at later periods, among the distillers, were George Brown, Job Russell, George Grate, John Grate, Levi Guy, Edward Crawford, William Craige and Peter Myers. In 1841 there were in the county 83 gristmills; 167 sawmills : 7 oil-mills, 2 paper-mills; 2 furnaces ; 8 air-foundries: 37 tanneries ; 6 salt-wells. 2 of which were in operation, turning out 2,800 barrels of salt yearly. The following items were returned for taxation in 1840: Mercantile capital. $108,849: money at interest. $44.265: 213 pleasure carriages, valued at $10,443: 8,619 horses, valued at $344,760: 13,657 neat cattle, valued at $109,256. The growth of 100 years in manufacturing in the county is shown in the State Bureau of Labor's report for 1903. which gives these sta- tistics for the manufacturing establishments of the three principal cities :