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CHAPTER XXXI

HARRISON TOWNSHIP.

ERECTION AND BOUNDARIES - FOUNDING, GROWTH, BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIAL, INTERESTS, AND MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT OF HARRISON - CHURCHES..

HARRISON TOWNSHIP occupies the extreme northwestern part of Hamilton county, and was erected from territory formerly embraced in Whitewater and Crosby. The date of its organization is 1853. The township is one of the smaller subdivisions of the county, being six miles in length from north to south and three in breadth from east to west. The Whitewater river crosses its southwestern corner diagonally, and the Dry Fork of that stream passes through its territory on the east. The only other stream of any importance is Lee's creek.

HARRISON.

The village of Harrison is the most important town in the Whitewater valley within the territory to which this work relates. It is situated in the States of Ohio and Indiana, State street coinciding with the boundary line. The founder was Jonas Crane, and the original plat was surveyed in 1810. That part of the town situated

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in Indiana was laid off by William Hand and a Mr. Allen. and antedated Crane's plat. Crane was a farmer, and resided half a mile south of the town site, which, at the time of the survey, was covered with forest. The first improvements were rude log cabins, built for temporary occupancy by frontiersmen, who vacated them and removed further west when civilization began to encroach upon this region. The oldest house now standing is on the northwest corner of State and Broadway; it was originally erected in 1812 and is partially incorporated in the present structure upon this site. The first frame building on the Ohio side was built by Thomas Breckenridge and William Pursel in 1816 as a hotel. These gentlemen were proprietors of a sawmill on Whitewater, the first in this locality. The first hotel keeper at this place was Isaac Morgan, who, in 1818, built a brick house diagonally opposite (at the site of Tebbs' store) and opened therein a dry-goods store, one of the first in the village. Mr. Morgan was father-in-law to Hendricks, vice Presidential candidate with Tilden.

Other early residents were James Wilson, who resided in a frame house oil State street and was in the mercantile business prior to 1818;---- Jones, a gentleman of means, well advanced in years when he located here, whose principal business was buying and selling real estate, and whose residence was a frame building on State street; Henry Lincoln, a farmer who lived in Broadway; John D. Moore, a merchant on Market street, at the frame house still standing, in which Tunis' Bank was conducted in 1820-21, and where Uwehlan Fuller opened the first drug store in the village; Fritz Juerles, a baker on Broadway, where he occupied a brick house; William Hale, a saddler ou Broadway ; Joseph Barben, a blacksmith opposite Juerles; -- Lockwood, who lived in a frame house adjoining the town-hall; William Keene, a shoemaker on Market street; Joseph Gof, a hatter on State street; John Moore, wagonmaker; Richard Penny, undertaker on State street; Jesse Dochterman, cigarmaker; Washington Ferris, farmer on Market street; George Waldorf, hotel and store keeper, site of "Central Hotel;" Harrison Seften,wagon maker and subsequently sawmiller; Henry Wiles, hotel keeper on State street, now the corner of Water, at a frame building that was one of the first in the village; David Jarrett, a successor of Morgan at the Breckenridge and Pursel hotel; Hamilton Ashby, merchant on State street; Dr. Cruikshank, the first resident physician.

The growth of Harrison in population and business importance has been parallel with the agricultural development of the surrounding region aud the opening of trade and transportation facilities. The turnpike from Harrison to Cincinnati was opened in 1836. This well-known thoroughfare passes through Miamitown and Cheviot, and is one of the most important in the county. The Whitewater canal was constructed in 1836-40. This was originally an Indiana enterprise; it was found impossible, however, to reach the Ohio river without entering the territory of Ohio, and the legislature of that State granted this privilege only upon condition that permission be granted to tap the canal and construct a branch to Cincinnati. This was reluctantly granted; its effect was to deflect traffic to Cincinnati almost to the utter exclusion of Lawrenceburg, the Indiana terminus. The canal was opened to Lawrenceburg in 1840 and to Cincinnati in 1842. A daily omnibus line to Cincinnati, aud to North Bend, on the Ohio & Mississippi railroad, were among the conveniences of the place prior to the opening of the Whitewater Valley railroad, which occurred January 1, 1864.

The present industries of Harrison are located principally on the Indiana side, and include the following: The flourmills of R. G. Frederick and Dair Brothers; the Harrison Buggy Works, W. O. Winn, proprietor; the Harrison Fruit and Packing Company; the Harrison Creamery, Thomas Bowles, proprietor; the Harrison Furniture Company, H. Ellis, proprietor; the American Furniture Company, Gale Brothers, proprietors; and Kosmos Frederick's Distillery. On the Ohio side are located the Pioneer Corn Drill Works, James Campbell, proprietor, established in

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1830 by James and Alexander Campbell. These works employ fifteen men locally, in addition to which a considerable part of the material entering into the product here is manufactured elsewhere. The Harrison Pottery, William Rupp, proprietor, was originally established in 1829. W. H. Biddinger manufactures picket fence. Luke Clark once undertook a brush factory of some local importance, but was obliged to discontinue it because of competition from goods manufactured by convict labor.

The first local paper at Harrison was the Advocate, established in 1870 by James Fairchild. Walter and William R. Hartpence founded the News in 1871; the latter withdrew several years later, and the paper has since been conducted by the former. It is a seven-column folic,, independent in politics, and enjoys an extensive local circulation. The first issue of the Harrison

Democrat appeared August 21, 1891. D. B. Sherwood is editor and proprietor. This journal supports the political principles indicated by its title, and has already attained a large measure of prosperity.

The population of Harrison was 173 in 1830; 940 in 1850; 1,343 in 1860; 1,417 in 1870; 1,550 in 1880, and 1,090 in 1890. These statistics apply only to Harrison village, Hamilton county. The total for Harrison village, Hamilton county, and the town of West Harrison, Dearborn county, Indiana, was 2,010 in 1890.

The Harrison town hall has an interesting history. The site was reserved for this purpose by Jabez C. Tunis, by whom this part of the town was platted in 1817, but the deed was never recorded. Joseph Barben subsequently purchased it and obtained a deed. The ownership now depended upon priority in having the deed recorded. Frank Looker was commissioned to take the deed to the village of Cincinnati and have it recorded, while Barben intrusted his deed to Daniel H. Hartpence for a similar purpose. Looker and Hartpence left Harrison on the same night, but the latter had the best horse and reached Cincinnati at 3 A. M., roused the recorder, and had the deed entered, thus securing Barben in his title. When this intelligence reached Harrison a meeting of citizens was at once called, and after a thorough discussion of the matter it was decided to reimburse Barben for the amount of his purchase, which was accordingly done. This occurred in 1841. The erection of a market-house was agitated at different times, but no effort to erect a town hall was made until 1849, when Uwehlan Fuller, George Keene, Sr., James Campbell and Allison Looker took the matter in hand, secured subscriptions, and began the erection of the building. It was a frame structure, supported by pillars, the ground floor subserving the purposes of a market place. Considerable difficulty was experienced in effecting its completion, however, and this led to the incorporation of the village in 1850. In 1877 this structure was replaced by the present substantial brick building, which contains a public hall, public reading room, municipal and township offices, and offices of the building association and school board. A tragic event occurred here March 8, 1878, when several persons were killed, and others severely injured, by a gas explosion.

Incomplete village records render it impossible to give particulars regarding the municipal government with such completeness as would be desired. It is known, however, that the first council was composed of Richard Penny, Joseph Sawyer, Dr. Swaney, W. W. Davison, and James Campbell. William F. Converse was the first mayor, but resigned after a brief term of service, and was succeeded by William Keene. The first, marshal was John Disberry. Among the mayors in recent years have been Ambrose Williams, Dr. A. E. West, Dr. W. H. H. Willette, S. Z. Brackenridge, W. W. Davison, George Shoobridge, James A. Graft, and George W. Arnold, Jr.

CHURCHES.

The Presbyterian Church of Harrison was organized in the winter of 1811 at the house of John Allen, by Rev. Samuel Baldridge, with the following members:

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John Allen, Mrs. Charity Allen, Mrs. Susan Wycoff, Mrs. Grace Ford, Mrs. Phebe Marvin, William Pharris, Mrs. Margaret Wakefield, Mrs. Mary Havens, Mrs. Jane Johnson, Mrs. Raehel Bonnell, John Ewing, Mrs. John Ewing, William Pharris, Mrs. Naomi Pharris, John Pharris, Andrew Wakefield, and ---- Wallace. Mr. Baldridge served as pastor until 1814. In 1820 a division of the congregation occurred, a considerable number of its members withdrawing to organize the Presbyterian church at Providence, Indiana. The following is a list of pastors, the date given being the year in which each incumbent assumed the duties of his office: Sylvester Scovel, 1829; Thomas E. Thomas, 1836; Peter H. Golladay, 1839; W. H. Moore, 1856; John Stewart, 1857; Samuel C. Kerr, 1863 ; Peter H. Golladay, 1865; O. L. Thomson, 1870; H. P. Pharris, 1871; O. L. Thomson, 1873; E. J. Brown, 1877; William Carson, 1853.

The Christian Church of Harrison originated in 1834 in the labors of Daniel Baldridge, a resident of Oxford, Ohio, who, during a visit to George Waldorf at Harrison, preached at the village schoolhouse. His first converts were Henry Wiles and wife and a German named Meeker. Walter Scott, John O'Kane and others subsequently conducted a meeting at the barn of Isaac Mettler, two miles north of the town. In July, 1834, twenty or thirty persons were immersed, and in the following month the number of members had increased to 126, and $600 were subscribed for a church building In this enterprise Mayor Brackenridge was especially active. Henry Wiles, John Snyder, G. L. Rude, George Waldorf, Lewis Jolly, the Garners, and A. Hartpence, were among the prominent early members. A reorganization of the church was effected in February, 1853, with Rev. B. K. Smith, pastor, and Roswell Judd, William E. Daubenhyve, A. A. Fairchild, William Kincaid, John Snyder, and William Sanderson as elders, and Robert A. Keene as clerk. The first church edifice now constitutes the town hall in West Harrison. The present place of worship is situated at the corner of Water and Sycamore streets; it is a substantial brick building, erected in 1867. Among the pastors in recent years have been Revs. J. M. Land, Carter, W. H. Kern, L. E. Brown, and W. H. Kraft, the present pastor.

The Methodist Church at Harrison was originally organized by Rev. Daniel D. Davison, D. D., at the residence of George Bowlby, Sr. Ground for a church edifice was donated by John D. Moore, and a place of worship was erected thereon in 1835. The present two-story brick church edifice was erected at the same site in 1866.

St. Johns Catholic Church at Harrison.-The first baptismal entry occurs under date of April 17, 1849, the officiating clergyman being Rev. Nicholas Wachter, O. S. F. There were twenty or thirty Catholic families at Harrison and in the vicinity at that date, and they met for worship at the house of John Goebel, where mass was celebrated by Father Wachter and other priests of his order. A small brick church was erected in 1852, and dedicated November 28th in that year. The first resident pastor was Rev. Desiderius Rombouts, and his successors have been Revs. French, A. Boers, G. Egger, Herman Johanning, and Bernard Moeller. The pastoral residence was built in 1872, the church in 1876, and the school in 1877. All are substantial brick structures.

St. John's Evangelical Protestant Church, Harrison, was organized in 1864 by Rev. Louis Richter. The first trustees were Frederick Fischer, Valentine Weber, William Hahmann, and Michael Gnahn. This church was distinctively Lutheran at its organization, but became Evangelical Protestant some eight years later. Prominent among the pastors have been Revs. H. N. Kreuter, Eugene O. Miller, Theodore Bauck, Edward Frommer, Richard Buecklers, and Oscar Wegener, the present incumbent. A frame church edifice on Broadway is the place of worship.

The German United Brethren Church of Harrison was organized in 1877 by Rev. J. F. Albright. John Pfotzer, Frederick Sieffermann, George Dimple, Louis Wike and their families composed the first membership, and the Presbyterian church was

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the first place of worship. In 1852 the brick schoolhouse on Hill street was purchased and adapted for church purposes. This church is united with Green Bush, and London, in Butler county in the formation of a pastoral charge. The present pastor is Rev. August Pittka.

The English United Brethren Church of Harrison was organized by Rev. Allen Duukelburger in 1890. Louis Gimple was the first, class-leader and Sunday-school superintendent, and Sydney Joyce was the first steward. The place of worship is located on Sycamore street, and was originally built as a Universalist church.