100 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY in Brown Township. John L. Malloy laid it out in 1830. The first store in the village was kept by Samuel Dougherty and a queer store it was. His shelves were laden with every species of merchandise required by his customers. It was a miscellaneous stock, from shoe pegs to liquors, and what Dougherty didn't sell could not be found in any store in the county. Samuel Crane soon appeared as a rival of Dougherty 's, probably to prevent him from getting all the money there was in the neighborhood, and later an Isaac Dukemineer put up a brick store and Fletcher put on the airs of a metropolis. The village was named Fletcher in 1814. To-day this pretty little village has a population of about 400 and is officered as follows : Mayor—R. E. Berryhill ; clerk—W. 0. Shreve ; treasurer—I. C. Kiser ; marshal—W. D. Kiser ; council—Joel Carter, Bent Erhart, Daniel Kiser, Barna Ralston, James Gayhart, John Moore ; board of education—W. L. Mumford, Joseph Coppock, W. R. Doub, James T. Hartley, Charles Morton. Fletcher is the home of a progressive public school, several good church edifices, a town hall, and several fraternal societies. It also contains a grain elevator and its shipping facilities are of the best. Conover is a small town lying four miles east of Fletcher on the Pittsburg, Cincinnati & St. Louis Railway. It was laid out in 1856 and was named for A. G. Conover, one of the surveyors of the county. It contains several stores, shops and a church, the latter of the Universalist order. Its entire population is perhaps 100 souls. Lena, also in Brown Township, is situated a short distance north of Conover. It was founded in 1830 by Levi Robbins. The town was first called Elizabeth, but the name was afterward substituted for that of Lena, but the postoffice was called Allen's. It is not on the railroad. While it remains but a village, after the rather lengthy period of its existence, it is a busy little place, containing several stores, good houses and a prosperous lodge of Free Masons. Brown Township is the banner Democratic township of the county and can always be relied upon to roll up a large majority for that party. SPRING CREEK TOWNSHIP. Spring Creek Township, lying west of Brown, is bounded northward by Shelby County, westward by Washington Township and south by Staunton. It contains no incorporated towns, though a large collection of shops and houses within its borders ; across the Miami River opposite Piqua has been called East Piqua. There was no more inviting prospect to the early settlers than Spring Creek Township. Well watered and well wooded, it seemed an ideal place for a home, and thither the discriminating emigrants flocked. It was chosen as the permanent abode of the first white settler of the county, John Hilliard, who came from New Jersey in 1792. Hilliard first located somewhere in West Virginia, but, not liking the locality, turned his face towards Ohio and after a brief residence in Hamilton County, not far from where Cincinnati now stands, he finally took up land in Spring Creek Township. The latter move he made in 1797. At that time the whole region embraced by this township was an unbroken forest. Game of every kind roamed wild through the sylvan solitudes and roving bands of Indians sought the region as a hunting ground. About the time of Hilliard's com- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 101 ing, a busy little Frenchman, named Latour, put up a trading store and dickered with the Indians for furs, etc. The trader, who was a sort of human will-o'-the-wisp, did not make his residence permanent, so it was left for Hilliard to become the first permanent white settler in the township. He put up his cabin and cleared the land, bringing up his family in the new home. John Hilliard's first house was a bark affair, rude and not altogether comfortable. This called for a more substantial home, and one was built from round poles. It was an improvement on the first attempt at house building. " The roof of this house was of rude clap-boards and the chimney a most inartistic pile of mud and sticks ; the floor was partially covered with puncheon plank, while, in lieu of a door, a large old quilt hung, curtain-like, over the aperture, which answered the purposes of ingress and egress." In this primitive house, if house the structure may be called, the Hilliards made themselves as comfortable as possible. The family was almost entirely shut off from the real comforts of life. The nearest mill for some time was at Dayton, then but a collection of cabins, and the grinding of the grist necessitated a long and toilsome journey through the wilderness. It is believed that the unremitting toil of this pioneer shortened his life, for after a few years of labor he was carried to his grave by his few neighbors who had followed him into the Spring Creek wilderness. It was one of the most pathetic and strangest funerals in the forests of the Miami. The white mourners were accompanied to the grave by a number of friendly Indians, who gazed with awe upon the burial rites, something entirely new to them. After the burial the Indians collected in little groups and for a while discussed the affair, then stole silently into the forest and disappeared. Not until several years had passed did the Hilliards possess any white neighbors. At last, in 1804, the Dilbones came. This family met with a tragic ending so far as its heads are concerned, Mr. Dilbone and wife being killed by the Indians during the War of 1812, an event narrated in another part of this work. The Dilbones were Pennsylvanians and were an industrious class of people. Mrs. Dilbone was one of the first flax spinners in the county, and she was famous for her dexterity in this direction. It will be remembered that the couple were attacked while laboring in a flax field near their humble home. William Frost left North Carolina in 1805 and settled in Spring Creek Township. He brought with him some of the habits peculiar to the region from which he emigrated. He was fond of hunting and was celebrated for his skill with the rifle. His son Ebenezer is said to be the second white child born in Spring Creek Township. In the same year that witnessed the coming of the Frosts, John R. _McKinney entered the township. McKinney was a bachelor, who after a while became tired of living alone and, without much effort on the young lady's part, he was captured by Miss Jane Scott. This was probably one of the first matches made in Spring Creek Township and doubtless one of the happiest, for McKinney's log cabin was soon exchanged for a more pretentious house, and the love and skill of his wife made life pleasant for him. From Maryland in 1808 came John Mill-house, and the same year Gardner Bobo 102 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY cleared some ground for a farm. These, settlers were followed by Mathias Scudder, Uriah Blue, James L. McKinney, Dennis Lindley and Henry Millhouse. These people settled, not in one locality, but scattered out and established themselves in different parts of the township. The better homes of the settlers were to be seen in every direction. They took pride in the building of their homes ; they patterned after one another and soon had dwelling places supplied with not a few conveniences for the times. A writer speaking of this period of the settlement of Spring Creek Township says : At this period domesticated animals were quite numerous, especially hogs were raised by the farmers in considerable abundance. The markets being distant and no railroads in the country, the hogs were driven through to Baltimore, Pittsburg and Philadelphia, and much of the way being through miry woods, many weeks were required to make the journey and return. Owing to the fact that fences were not kept up by the early settlers, their stock roamed the woods at large and hogs, especially not being easily distinguished from others of their own kind, became at times mixed with those belonging to a different herd, and in attempting to separate them it was necessary to put an end to numerous disputes which arose over the ownership of the stock. A system of marking was agreed upon, so that every man had his own mark by which he could distinguish his stock from that of his neighbor, which always bore a different mark from his own. These marks were deposited with the township clerk, so that afterwards all disputes were settled by referring to his book, which contained such declarations as the following: "This is to certify that the marks used by Uriah Blue for the year 1815 will be two slits on the upper side of the right ear." Another reads: "The mark used by Gardner Bobo for the year 1815 will be a notch cut in the tip of the left ear." This usually settled the matter and from that time no trouble was experienced from this source. This same system was in vogue in other parts of the county, as the old Clarke's books will show, especially in those divisions which lie east of the river. During the Indian troubles which grew out of our second war with England one or more block-houses were erected in the township. One was built on the Hilliard farm and in after years was used by the farmer as a barn. The close of the war was followed by added immigration into this locality, which had been checked by hostilities. Samuel Wiley came from Maryland with one of the largest families that emigrated to the county. It consisted of sixteen children, an emphatic declaration that the Wileys were not partial to "race suicide." Following the Wileys came the Kearns, Furrows, Hendershots, Gateses, Webbs, Jacksons, Floyds, Deweeses and many others whose family names are household words in the township at the present day. The township was formally instituted in 1814, with the following duly elected officers : Trustees—Henry Orbison, James L. McKinney, Uriah Blue ; clerk—Lewis Deweese ; treasurer—David Floyd; constables—John Wilson and Jacob Gates ; lister (assessor)—John Webb. Business was light for the township officials for some years and they had little or nothing to do. However, as the population and general business increased, the needs of the township augmented until now it is regarded as one of the busiest and most important rural divisions of the county. Spring Creek Township, owing to its natural water supply, became the site of many of the first mills, grist and otherwise, of the county. These mills were much needed by the people, as the nearest even were miles away and necessitated long journeys, which broke into the daily farm work. James McKinney put up a corn-cracker mill on Spring Creek and Silas Manning operated another. A Mr. Ross combined a grist-mill with a carding-mill about 1830 and operated it successfully. Samuel Wiley erected the first saw- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 105 mill on Spring Creek in 1815 and sawed lumber for the first frame houses in the township. His example was followed by Elias Manning and Dr. Jackson. Several small distilleries also were erected and their output was either shipped out of the county or consumed within its limits. Shawneetown, opposite the northern limits of Piqua, and Rossville, to the east of the same city, both separated from it by the Great Miami, are the only towns in Spring Creek Township. Neither is incorporated. Rossville dates back to 1840, and Shawneetown was laid out about the same time. Both towns have been overshadowed by the growth of Piqua, of which city they are now suburbs. Spring Creek Township has long been noted for its excellent and well cultivated farms, its graded turnpikes, good country schools, a good class of citizens, intelligent and progressive, and in fact for a thousand and one other things that go toward keeping it in the front rank of township governments. STAUNTON TOWNSHIP. Staunton Township, the longest of the twelve divisions of the county, extending from the southern line of Spring Creek to the northern boundary of Monroe, has a history peculiarly its own. Its elongated appearance on the county map has brought forth numerous comments, being wide at the top and running wedge-like southward till it seems about to dart arrow-like into the domain of Monroe. Its western boundary is very uneven, owing to the windings of the Miami, which separates it from the western part of the county. It has not a cluster of houses which can be called by the name of town, though, if history can be relied upon, it had a narrow escape from becoming the county-seat township. The few houses which form what is known as the hamlet of Staunton became the first official hahitation of the county, for here the first court was held, in the house of Peter Felix, the trader, and here primitive justice was first dispensed to the evildoers. Staunton much desired the county seat, but lost out in the deal, and when the seat of justice and otherwise crossed the Miami and was established at Troy, much to the chagrin of Piqua, Staunton henceforth lost much of its importance. To-day it has not so much as a recognition on the map. But when one looks back upon the genesis of the county and notes the early struggles that preceded the establishment of the county seat he is prone to give Staunton her just dues. It has been narrated in a previous chapter how the Knoops and other hardy pioneers established themselves at "Dutch Station," which occupied the site of the present hamlet of Staunton. It is not necessary to refer to them here. Besides the initial settlers at Dutch Station there were others who came across the rugged barriers of the mountains and found homes among the forests that stretched eastward from the banks of the Miami. Perhaps the names of some of these men have been lost, but all were worthy members of that advance guard of civilization which made the woods of the Miami blossom like the rose. It is a fairly established fact that the early explorers of this region reached the lands of Staunton. Peter Felix—shrewd little Frenchman that he was—was one of the first white men to settle in Staunton Township and the hard bargains he drove with the Indians over his 106 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY counter enabled him to erect at Staunton the first tavern, where he entertained all with the natural eclat of one of his race. Simon Landry was probably contemporaneous with Felix. In 1807 Amariah Smalley put up a blacksmith shop, though he did not shoe many horses till later in life. Levi Martin was another of the Staunton pioneers. His wife was scalped by the Indians and left for dead, but she eventually recovered and lived many years to exhibit to the younger generations the scalp mark on her cranium. Henry Marshall and John Defrees came into the township in 1806 and lived upon their farms till death claimed them at a green old age. A Virginian, named William McCampbell, entered the township in 1807, and subsequently became one of the first justices of the peace elected in the county. About the same time the Staunton colony was increased by the arrival of Jacob Riddle, William and James Clark. A few years afterward John Gilmore built his house near the Miami, but previously Uriah Blue, Richard Winans, John Julian and Rev. William Clark had come. The early pioneers of the township had more than their share of Indian troubles. Situated as many of them were along the banks of the Miami, which afforded abundant waterways for the little canoes of the red prowlers, there were many alarms, some of them fortunately false. A story showing the perils and annoyances to which the Staunton settlers were put is told of the Carver family. At one time when Mr. Carver was hauling wood on a sled, an Indian, well loaded with the white man's "fire water," proceeded to make the woods resound with his heathenish yells. These so frightened Carver's team that it was all the settler could do to restrain his horses. He begged the drunken brave to desist, but as he exhibited no intentions in that direction, Carver proceeded to lay him out with a cudgel, whereupon the hilarious red man, upon recovering, betook himself to a less dangerous locality. Quite frequently bands of drunken Indians kept the women and children of Staunton Township in a state of terror, and at times the settlers, when forebearance had ceased to be a virtue, took the law into their own hands and visited the drunken warriors with well merited thrashings. I cannot refrain from going back to the reminiscent days of Dutch Station. A whole volume might be filled with the story of the men who erected it after casting their fortunes in the Miami wilderness. It has aptly been said, as showing the prominence of this township, that "the Dutch Station" was the first place of settlement, Staunton was the first town in the county, and the first seat of justice. Jane Gerard Deweese was the first female white child, and Jacob Knoop the first male white child born in Staunton Township, dating back to 1800. Peter Felix, as I have already said, was a man who could drive a cool, hard bargain. He frequently sold needles to the unsophisticated Indians at one dollar apiece and when the would-be purchaser demurred to the price Peter without the semblance of a smile on his bland face would inform his customer that the needle maker was dead and that he (Peter) was offering the last of his stock dirt cheap. This bit of craft generally closed the deal, and the Indian would walk off congratulating himself on the bargain, AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 107 while Peter's white witnesses of the transaction playfully observed that the needle maker had a knack of dying that was astonishing, not to say commendable. The full history of Staunton Township, especially that interesting part which comprises its early chapter, in all probability will never be written. Some of this history has been merged into that of other townships. Upon the establishment of the county seat at Troy, Staunton lost some of its prestige, though she still deserves the appellation of "The Mother of the County." A few years ago Miami Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, marked with a huge boulder the site of the old Dutch Fort at Staunton. This memorial appropriately inscribed is one of several which have been placed within the boundaries of Miami County to mark historic spots. It is said that General Wayne's army passed through a part of Staunton Township in 1794. It was also the scene of several animated scouting expeditions during the War of 1812. Situated in Staunton Township is the County Infirmary, with the buildings pertaining thereto. The land was purchased by the county in 1838, the buildings erected the following year, and opened for the reception of inmates in 1840. In 1853 a storm demolished the Infirmary buildings, injuring a number of the public charges, but a year later new buildings were ready for occupancy. Since then additional buildings have been added, especially one for the proper care of the insane. To-day the Miami County Infirmary is one of the best institutions of the kind in the state and has been well conducted from the first. The inmates are well cared for, the build- ings well kept up and the finances of the institution satisfactorily managed. The Miami County Infirmary is the largest public institution on the eastern side of the river, the other being the Knoops Children's Home in Elizabeth Township. LOST CREEK TOWNSHIP. There is a tradition to the effect that the term "Lost Creek" originated back in the days of the red man. It is asserted, with what degree of truth none can say at this late day, that an Indian once lost his bearings along the stream now called Lost Creek. When accosted by a friendly settler who observed the Indian's state of mind, the brave replied that not only was the Indian lost, but the creek as well, hence the name Lost Creek, which the stream bears to the present day, as well as the township through which it flows. The county commissioners at their session on December 10, 1818, decreed that a certain area bounded on the north by Brown Township, on the south by Elizabeth and on the east by Jackson Township in Champaign County should be called Lost Creek. Prior to this time, in fact as early as 1804, Willis Northcutt and John Rogers had settled within this area. Later General John Webb and Alexander McDowell, Sr., two men who had taken part in the War of 1812, entered the township and permanently located there. Some of the early records of Lost Creek have been lost, but enough is known to say that John Lenon, George W. Green, and James Buckles were the first duly elected trustees, and that J. K. McFarland acted as clerk. The first township election was held at the home of George Puterbaugh, near the site of the now demolished Lost Creek 108 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY Baptist Church. Very few votes were polled. There was no "log rolling," as now, and the ballots were bits of white paper, the names of the candidates being written in ink. From this first election, almost a century ago, sprang the government of Lost Creek Township. Among the old settlers of Lost Creek Township—not in the order of their arrival, for that is impossible to give—were Elisha Webb, Asa Rogers, Abram Cromer, James Buckles, Timothy Green, James Frazee, George Green, Willis Northcutt, John W. Martin, Willis Hance, Benjamin Hance, Giles Johnson, Allen Ralston, William Babb, Daniel Knoop, John Wilson, William Burton, Thomas Shidler, Henry Whitmore, William Wallace, Richard Palmer, W. C. Knight, William Saunders, John Lenon, David Archer, Jonathan Yates, Reuben Westfall, John Darst, Thomas Stretch, Joseph Webb, Joseph Layton, James Fordyce, Jonas Sutton, D. H. Knoop, Thomas Long, Barnett Rapp, Samuel McDowell, John Shanks, Levi Martin, Jacob Youtsey, Jonathan Covault, Josiah Martin, Peter Clyde, Levi Trimmens and Andrew Egnew. These were the men who cleared the Lost Creek forests and opened up that township. They came from various parts of the Union. They made long and perilous journeys to the new homes, and by their perseverance made the woodlands put on new beauty. All were hardy, honest, God-fearing people, who raised large families where they settled. Lost Creek Township is peopled to-day by many descendants of its first pioneers. There is nothing exciting in the history of this township. It saw none of the border troubles which during the War of 1812 kept some of the other townships in a state of ferment. The only event of that war which belongs to the township is the march of General Isaac Hull's army on its way to Detroit. Hull came through the Miami wilderness from Dayton and crossed Lost Creek Township. He found a blockhouse near where the George McDowell homestead now stands, and halted there to rest his men. The march from Dayton had told severely on the little army the men were almost shoeless and on the occasion above referred to the pioneer women of Lost Creek bound up the bleeding feet with blankets and gave of their provisions to refresh the army. The early enterprises of the township were few. In 1814 John McFarland erected a carding-mill and fulling-mill near where Casstown now stands, and Green and Frazee put up a couple of grist-mills which were badly needed. Gen. John Webb was elected justice of the peace in 1819 and served many years in that capacity. One of the other early justices was Thomas Shidler, who became a member of the Legislature. General Webb, who lived to a good old age, came from Kentucky. He moved with his parents to Ohio in 1797 and settled first near the site of Dayton. General Webb volunteered in 1813 to take part in the war with England. He was not permitted, however, to see any arduous service, as during the greater part of his enlistment lie was stationed at Greenville. He afterwards became a major-general in the Ohio militia and upon the breaking out of the Rebellion in 1861 he drilled a company of Home Guards, which afterward went to the front. During the Civil War Lost Creek Township furnished more than two hundred men to AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 109 the Union armies, and these took part in some of the most desperate conflicts of that war. Casstown. The only municipality within the boundaries of Lost Creek Township is the village of Casstown. It was laid out in 1832 by Levi Trimmens. It was first called Trimmensburg, but the name not suiting the first inhabitants it was changed to Casstown, being the only postoffice of that name in the United States. Casstown now contains about 300 people. The first brick house erected in the village was built by Daniel Knoop, who for many years engaged in the merchandising business there. The village is four miles east of Troy, on the Springfield, Troy and Piqua Railway. It has several stores, a grain elevator, three churches, an Odd Fellows Lodge, good cement sidewalks, and is quite a business center. Some of its early mayors were John T. Webb, Abram Merritt and Henry Jackson. Others were J. B. Geisinger, Charles P. Young, H. P. McDowell, James M. Stuart, John C. Knoop. The present official roster is as follows : Mayor—W. W. Baker, clerk—F. G. Main ; treasurer—Samuel Knoop ; marshal—John H. Harbaugh ; council—J. W. Fuller, Charles Conner, Alexander Long, Frank Simmons, Thomas Lewis, W. R. Wilgus; board of education—George M. Boak, Joseph Burton, Jesse Davis, Samuel Porter, W. W. Baker. Casstown has a well-graded high school, conducted by F. G. Main as principal and Horace Motter and Miss Pear Main as assistants. In the center of the township lies a collection of houses known locally as Sodom of Pencetown. It has never advanced beyond the dignity of a hamlet.. ELIZABETH TOWNSHIP. Elizabeth Township is the only one in the county which retains the name originally given to the area, or a part of it, which was first embraced within the county limits. The western part of the county, known as Randolph Township, lost its name when it was broken up into townships. There is no record of settlements in Elizabeth Township prior to 1800, the settlers, seemingly not having penetrated that far eastward. The states of Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Virginia furnished some of the first white men who came to Elizabeth Township. These were Michael Shidaker, John and Jacob Mann, George Williams, John Flynn, John Gearhart, and the Cecils. They found the forests of Elizabeth unbroken by the work of the settler, and they at once set to work to flood the ground with sunshine and establish themselves on farms. It took a good deal of energy for these men to bring order out of chaos, but they were equal to the emergency. All day long their axes rang in the wildwood, and cabin homes began to appear in every direction. They were installing a little commonwealth of their own. John Shidaker, one of the first settlers, was a shrewd man. He purchased a whole section of land from the government and walked to Cincinnati to make the payments, carrying his gun on his shoulder. Fearing that the Indians or some desperate white man might rob him, he carried his money in his gun. It is stated that he got through safely, completed his transaction and tramped back to his cabin home. Samuel Kyle was another of the early settlers of Elizabeth Township. He 110 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY was a Pennsylvanian. He was one of the first pioneer preachers of the county, having joined the Christian Church with his parents. He organized the Cove Spring Church in a log schoolhouse that stood on or near the Kyle cemetery. He served as pastor of the church for many years, and at one time was a member of the state Legislature. In 1813 Robert Sproul came from Ireland and settled near the Cove Spring Church. He was a pronounced Presbyterian. Jacob Harter, another of Elizabeth's pioneers, served in the War of 1812 and took part in the siege of Fort Meigs and the battle of Perrysburg. Harter, while reared in Kentucky, was a native of Virginia. A number of the settlers of this township took part in the war. John Williams and Jacob Mann both bore a captain's commission, and Philip Sailor, William Mitchell, William Shearer and John Shidaker were privates. It is narrated that all these men were fearless and faithful in the discharge of their duties and were a credit to the community which they represented. For some time after the settling of the township the Pottawatomies gave the whites no little trouble. The Indians committed no depredations, but they had the habit of lurking around the settlements, frightening the women and children and keeping them always in a state of alarm. The people of the township were greatly relieved when the last Indian took his departure and the frontier saw him no more. With the Indian were the wild animals. Wolves were plentiful in the township, even as late as 1820, and it required the utmost exertions of the settlers to exterminate them. Sheep, which had been early brought into the township, the first flock by the Knoops, were visited by wolves and numbers of them destroyed. They were the ferocious grey wolves and their predatory excursions in packs forced the settlers to keep large dogs capable of doing battle with the invaders. More than one desperate conflict took place between wolf and mastiff. John W. Dye built the first mill in Elizabeth Township. It stood on Lost Creek near the stone house which stands on the John Lefevre farm. It was a wonder of the early days, as it was built in 1813. In order to accommodate the people, a road was built from the Dye mill to Troy, an innovation which was much appreciated. In 1823 Michael Carver put up the second grist-mill, and others followed. Distilleries, saw-mills, turning-lathes, and other industries followed one another until Elizabeth Township became one of the most progressive of the east side divisions. For years good roads were unknown, but at last came the Troy and Springfield Pike, which runs through the township from east to west, and other efforts in good road building became successful. To-day the township is well supplied with good roads. Alcony. Having no incorporated town, Elizabeth Township is in this particular a little behind some of her neighbors. The village of Alcony, or Miami City, as it is sometimes called, is the only settlement within her area. Carr, Hart and Vandeveer laid it out in 1858, and Philip Dick erected the first house. The village has now a population of 200 and lies in a beautiful region. Some years ago a postoffice was established there and the people are now served daily by the rural route sys- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 111 tem. Alcony has a good church, good pavements, and her people are among the most progressive in the county. Elizabeth Township contains the Knoop Children's Home, an account of which will be given in another chapter. In this township are found numerous small cemeteries which mark the last resting place of many of the first settlers. It seems that in the early days families buried their dead on the farms instead of in a general graveyard, and this probably accounts for the many small God's acres. Not a few soldiers of the Revolution are buried in this township. These men, after serving in the Continental army, sought a home beyond the Alleghanies and were laid away among the growing settlements of the Miami country. It would require too much space to enumerate the full history of Elizabeth Township or to record the strides she has made since the coming of her first settlers. The township now has a population of 1,400 and can boast of one of the best country school systems ever devised. This is shown by the class of scholars turned out by the annual examinations. BETHEL TOWNSHIP. The southeastern most division of the county, called Bethel Township, will finish this account of the twelve little commonwealths that make up the body politic of the county proper. The boundaries of Bethel as formed by the county commissioners at their first meeting have never been changed. The first settlement of the township goes back to the life of the Dutch Station at Staunton. One Thomas Stock-still, a Tennesseean, who became disgusted with the system of slavery which prevailed in the South at the close of the eighteenth century, left his father's roof and finally settled in the northeast corner of the township. It was probably the first actual settlement in the county, as it was made in 1797. Stockstill came north as a youth; growing to manhood among the woods of Bethel and lived to become one of the township's most useful citizens. After Stockstill's coming, others, attracted by the beauty of the land in Bethel, erected homes there and opened up the region. Among these were David Morris, Sr., a New Jersey man; Robert and John Crawford, Samuel Morrison, Mordecai Mendenhall, John Ross, Daniel Agenbrood, the Saylors, Puterbaughs, Claytons, Ellises, Studebakers and Newcombs. Some of these people were of the Dunkard persuasion, a class of inhabitants noted for their honesty, good habits and worth. This little colony soon made Bethel Township one of the most desirable in the county, and their presence there induced other immigrants to share their fortunes. They represented several of the original states of the American Union. Bethel Township experienced certain hardships which were not visited upon her neighbors. Lost Creek Township suffered during the famous cholera epidemic, but Bethel fell a prey to fever and other diseases, owing to a poor system of drainage in the marshy region in the northeast corner of the township. This state of affairs discouraged some of the most hopeful of the population. There were few doctors those days, and they were of a school not very progressive. Then they were few and far between, and the various diseases spread so rapidly that for a time the mortality was very great. The 112 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY lance and calomel were the stock in trade of the old physicians and they were ever administered without stint and to the detriment of the sufferers. At one time it looked as though a portion of the township would be depopulated. The few carpenters within the disease belt transformed themselves into undertakers, and night and day they were busy burying the dead. No system of embalming was known. To the credit of the self-constituted undertakers be it said that they refused compensation for their services. At last the low lands were drained, and almost like magic the sickness disappeared, but it had populated many a little cemetery and filled more than one community with mourning. Besides this strange death sickness, Bethel Township experienced during her early history some trouble with Indians. The savages found excellent lurking places among the hills that are to be found in some parts of the township, and from these they made frequent incursions into the neighboring country. On one of these occasions a young girl named Hacker was overtaken, scalped and left for dead on the ground. She was found in an unconscious condition after the departure of the Indians and conveyed to her home. The victim of the assault not only recovered, but raised a new crop of hair, and also a family. In course of time the Indian demonstrations ceased and the inhabitants of Bethel Township enjoyed a long period of peace. Brandt and West Charleston are the largest villages in Bethel Township. The former is situated on the famous National Pike and contains about 200 inhabitants. It was founded in 1839. Being some distance from a railroad, it has not made the growth it otherwise would have done. John Dinsmore was the first tavern keeper in Brandt, which place was at one time famous for a plow factory installed by Wilmington and King. When the building of new pikes became one of the features of Bethel Township, the old National Road fell into disuse and much of the former glory of Brandt vanished. It has now several stores, a. postoffice, one or more churches, and several nurseries which have more than local significance. West Charleston is one of the oldest towns in the county and was laid out by Charles Friend in 1807. The town lies on the Troy and Dayton Pike, which road, it is asserted, was originally cut out as a trace by General Wayne. For some years West Charleston maintained considerable importance, but when it came to be missed by the canal and the railroad, it lost much of its former prestige and developed into a quiet village. To-day it contains probably 200 souls. Not far away are found the "Charleston Falls," which of late years have become a summer resort for the contiguous country. The "Falls" possess much natural beauty and are connected with some of the most interesting legends of Bethel Township. In concluding the history of the townships of Miami County I have been briefer than they deserve. Much could yet be told concerning them. Some of their statistical history will be found in another part of this work. Perhaps in no other county in the state is there a history so interesting as ours. During the first century of its existence Miami County has made prodig- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 113 ious strides along the highway of progress, and to this glorious consummation the several townships have worked in unisom. Each township within our borders may proudly take for its motto the phrase "Imperium in imperio." CHAPTER VIII. TROY, THE COUNTY SEAT Establishment of the County Seat—Rivalry Between Staunton and Piqua; Troy Enters the Contest—First Survey by Andrew Wallace—Absence of Graft—Description of Troy in 1815—Log Court House Built—Brick Court House Built in 1816—Overfield's Tavern— Queer Real Estate Transactions—William Barbee—" Squire " Brown and Other Early Settlers—The "Broadford War"—First Railroad—Opening of the Canal—The Cholera Scourge in 1850—First Court of Common Pleas—Troy Merchants in 1828—The Jackson-Adams Campaign—Runaway Apprentices —Appearance of the County Seat in 1853—Mayors Since 1840—Early Schools and School Teachers—Churches—The Post ffice—City Government—Corner Stone of the Court House Laid, 1885—Masonic Temple Erected. It was about ten years from the time of the appearance of the first white settlers in the county until the establishment of the county seat at Troy. A court of justice had previously operated at Staunton, being held in the house of Peter Felix, the trader but the need of a permanent county seat was felt and it was determined to set it up. Already a good deal of rivalry existed between the various interests in the county. Piqua desired to have the honor of being the county town and there were those who considered Staunton the best site. Among the latter the pride of first settlement existed. The first settlement had been made at Staunton, and its central situation appealed to many. A good deal of "log rolling" took place. The county was formed by an act of the Legislature dated January 16, 1807, but it was not until the following September that the commission appointed to lay out the seat of justice for Miami County made their return to the court. This report was signed by Jesse Newport, Daniel Wilson and Joseph Lamb. They fixed upon Fractional Section 21, and the northeast quarter of Section 28, Town 5, Range 6, east of a meridian line drawn from the mouth of the Great Miami River. The site selected consisted of forty acres and was owned by Aaron Tullis, who deeded the tract to Cornelius Westfall, town director, on the 31st day of July, 1813, for $120.30, or about three dollars per acre. On the same day William Barbee and Alexander McCullough deeded to the town director the east part, northeast quarter of Section 28, containing 144 acres and 77 poles, for $421.50. - 114 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY - 115 From the very outset a relentless warfare began over the establishment of the county seat upon the spot described above. The commissioners had been bothered almost to death by the advocates of the different sites. Piqua seemed to consider herself in line for the county seat and could not realize that it could be placed elsewhere than within her limits. As the controversy over this important matter progressed the county seat campaign waxed extremely warm. Piqua got out a map prepared especially to establish her claims and Piqua was the only visible settlement on the map. Troy, in order to controvert Piqua's assumption, forthwith went into the map business herself and produced a chart which showed Troy in the center of the county and her rival so far away, apparently, that communication with the rest of the county would be well nigh impossible. It was then that the rivalry between the two towns began, and the first "court house war" was succeeded by another many years later by the descendants of those who contended in the first. Not to be left in the lurch, Staunton put in a bid for the county seat. It was claimed that the site of the Dutch Station was the most desirable. The Hathaway and Marshall farms were offered as and Samuel Beedle and Judge Adams were anxious to sell their farms for this laudable purpose. It was therefore a sore disappointment to Piqua and the landed lords of Staunton when it was decreed that Concord Township should hold the county seat. The town which was to be thus honored was first surveyed by Andrew Wallace, who completed his work December 16, 1807. He was allowed $44.50 for his services, and Robert Crawford for his services as director, purchasing the site, laying out and selling the lots, was allowed twenty-four dollars. There was no graft in those days, the whole proceedings were singularly free from all chicanery and everything was honestly conducted. January 13, 1810, the court settled with Robert Crawford and it was found that he had sold lots to the amount of $2,820, that he had paid accounts as per vouchers, to the amount of $2,163, and paid orders on the treasury, $415. It was then ordered that he be allowed in future on the amount of all lots sold five per cent and on all moneys received and paid out, four per cent, and fifty cents for each deed executed to purchasers. The first survey of Troy comprised eighty-seven lots, commencing on Water and Clay Streets, numbered one, extending and comprising all between the river and Back Street to Short Street. I extract from Drake's "Picture of Cincinnati and the Miami Country," published in 1815, the following concerning the new county seat : Troy. on the west side of the Great Miami, twenty miles above Dayton and seventy-two miles north of Cincinnati, is the seat of Justice. It was laid out by the a public library and a post office. The houses are chiefly of wood. No permanent county buildings have yet been erected. The reserves and donations by the commissioners are, a square for the court house; one lot for the jail, another for the cemetery and a square for an academy. The site of this place is handsome, but a bayou is occasionally formed across it in high floods and the plain declines into a swamp at the distance of a mile from the river. This swamp, lying to the southwest of the town, has rendered it unhealthy, but the expense of a drain that would convert it into dry and arable land is not estimated very high. As in other towns on the Miami, well water is easily obtained. Sandy limestone is quarried about two miles distant. Good timber is plentiful. 116 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY Shortly after the establishment of the county seat a log court house was built. It was a double-log house and was well built one end of the structure was used for confining prisoners, the other end comprised the sheriff's living room, while court was held in the upper story. The log court house was occupied until 1816, when it was superceded by one of brick, which was erected in the Public Square. This temple of justice cost $2,500 and stood until 1841, when a third court house, which occupied the present site of the post-office was built at an expense of $20,000. With the establishment of the county seat west of the river the glories of Staunton departed. Piqua started to outrival Troy, and other town sites were laid out in different parts of the county. Beautifully situated on the banks of the Miami, then dressed in the emerald garb of Nature, the new county seat opened its doors to the world. It grew rapidly from the first. There were several additional surveys as new land was added to the town, and there were frequent sales of lots. One of the first settlers of Troy was a Mr. Overfield, who became the first Boni-face of the town. He opened an excellent tavern for that day, and treated all alike. No matter whether his guests came in buckskin or broadcloth, they got the same attention, and Overfield soon became famous as a tavern keeper. This tavern became a great resort for those who attended the first courts held at the county seat. The latest news and the latest decisions were discussed about his fire, and some pretty heated arguments were indulged in. There was good whiskey at the tavern and it is to be supposed that the flowing bowl went round during the dis cussions. When this first Boniface of Troy had a little leisure he was to be found nights on the Miami, fire-hunting for deer for he was a famous Nimrod and loved the sport. More than once the venison he served his guests was of his own killing. To show some of the queer real estate transactions which took place early in Troy, I will give a deal of Overfield's as a sample. The tavern keeper bargained with Cornelius Westfall for Lot No. 2, which was on the corner of Water and Mulberry Streets. The price was $95, which Landlord Overfield agreed to pay on or before a. certain date. He secured the note by a mortgage on the premises and 150 bushels of corn, one barrel of whiskey, one mare and colt, seventy-eight hogs, one cow and calf, one yearling bull, three beds and bed clothes, four bed-steads, two tables, one chest, one spinning-wheel, one corner cupboard, ten split-bottom chairs, three kettles, two dutch ovens, one tea kettle, one pot, one frying pan and all the queens-ware and glass furniture—surely enough to cover the $95 note. Whether business became poor or whether he found himself in financial straits I do not know ; Landlord Overfield failed to "come to time" and indulgence was granted him on his appeal and the note and mortgage were at last satisfied. Another early settler of Troy was William Barbee, commonly known as "Billy." He had been a volunteer under George Rogers Clark and during the expedition against the Indians at Piqua he had seen much of the region where he afterward settled. Barbee was a man of good parts, honest and industrious, and afterward held several offices of honor and trust in the county. He bought a lot on Market AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 119 Street for sixty-five dollars. He became soon after a land owner, for he married a young lady who owned eighty acres of good land while he himself owned about as much. He embarked in the blacksmith trade and shod many horses during the War of 1812. There was a good deal of money in blacksmithing just at this time and Barbee kept everlastingly at it. He went into the dry-goods business, but found it a losing venture when the sheriff seized on the stock. This failure, however, did not discourage Barbee. He began to buy cattle, which he drove to Chicago and with considerable profit. In course of time he amassed a good deal of money and he is said to have been worth a quarter of a million at the time of his death. Barbee was whole-souled and generous to a fault and no alms seeker ever turned from his door unsatisfied. Another early citizen of Troy was "Squire" Brown, who crossed the river from Staunton and opened a saddlery. He was a good saddler and in his shop lie dispensed law as a justice of the peace. He was one of the first postmasters of Troy. Brown took several apprentices who afterward became prominent citizens. Henry Culbertson was one of these and Isaac Peck another. Nearly every person who resided in Troy at this time had a trade. There were shops of every description and stores were springing up on every street. Joseph Culbertson had come to Troy in 1808. He was a poor boy, but he brought to Troy a trade which flourished from the first. He was a hatter and it was not long till Culbertson's hats found a ready market beyond the confines of the town. At the corner of Water and Clay Streets a plain frame house was occupied by Will iam Brown, who started a carpenter shop in conjunction with John Wallace. Wallace was fond of his toddy and lost out in his intercourse with it, but his partner Brown, who was more abstemious, became a prominent citizen and at one time filled the office of County Treasurer. Among the first doctors in Troy was De Joncourt. He was of French extraction and had his office on the corner opposite the Wallace and Brown carpenter shop. De Joncourt lanced and "pilled" his patients for some years and gave place to some other disciple of Hippocrates. Doctors were few and far between those days and when they got established in a community they did a good business, for chills and fever prevailed during certain seasons and "blood letting" was considered necessary. It was not until 1815 that the people of Troy had a house of worship. Mr. Gahagan donated a. lot on the west corner of Main and Clay Streets and soon a log church arose on the site. It was a church edifice renowned for its simplicity. No organ pealed forth its sonorous tones, no frescoes adorned the rough walls, no chimes called the people to worship and cushioned pews and paid choirs were unknown. In this first Methodist Church at the county seat worship was conducted for some years, or until Troy had so increased in wealth and population as to demand a larger and better house of worship. A frame building known as the Clerk's Office was located where the Grunder store now stands. It was a double frame affair, office in front and kitchen in the rear. Later on this official building gave way for a brick affair 12x15 feet square between Mulberry and Walnut. It, small as 120 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY it was, held about all the offices connected with the town. Cornelius Westfall, who was clerk, had a monopoly on all other offices, for he was town director and master commissioner in chancery, besides taking care of the post office. There is no record showing that Mr. Westfall was not capable of filling a few more offices if they had been thrown in his way. In office holding he was certainly a "Jack-of-all-trades." In 1830 Joseph Skinner built a large brick house on the southeast corner of Main and Plum Streets. The south end of the building was constructed for a jail with heavy brick walls and sills of black walnut. This building was occupied by the following sheriffs : John Shidler, T. W. Furnas, Joseph Defrees, Stephen Johnston Joseph Pearson was the first sheriff to occupy the present sheriff's residence. During the first several decades of Troy's existence there was little to mar the even tenor of its way. In 1842 occurred the famous "Broadford War" or the "Battle of the Broadford" as it was facetiously called. The late Stephen Johnston of Piqua was sheriff at the time, and Hon. Thomas Corwin looked after the welfare of the State of Ohio from the executive's chair at Columbus. The "war" originated in this wise : Several Trojans, whose names have been lost from the records of fame, conceived the idea of weaning men from the wine cup by preaching a temperance crusade among the rural townships. They may have been good conscientious citizens, but they soon discovered that the ruralites did not need regeneration at that particular time. At several of these temperance meetings the speakers were assailed with all sorts of missiles, especially stale eggs, and this so roused their indignation that they swore out warrants against the offenders, who were arrested and lodged in the old brick jail at Troy. It was thought for a while that this would end the affair, but soon the mutterings of a storm reached the county seat. The people of the country were rising in their might and it came to be known that mobs were collecting for the purpose of storming the jail and releasing the prisoners. The utmost excitement prevailed in Troy. Sheriff Johnston saw his habitation a heap of ruins and himself probably swinging from a convenient pole and he set about to counteract the revolutionists and maintain the peace and dignity of the county. He promptly called out the militia to help him as a posse comitatus to preserve peace, especially in Troy. Forthwith there was a gathering of the clans of war and all peaceful pursuits were for the time being abandoned. Captain Adams and Lieutenant Carson put their company of light infantry in motion and Col. Clarke and Captain E. Y. Barney appeared at the head of their dragoons. Piqua, throwing aside her jealousies for a moment, came to help her sister town. The Piqua squadrons were met by the citizens of Troy and the Lafayette Blues, commanded by Captain Mayo. At any moment the mob might enter Troy and leave wreck and ruin in its track. Those who had gone to the "seat of war" had left weeping families at home and it was expected that blood would flow in profusion in the streets of Troy. At length some wily strategist who had probably studied the Napoleonic campaigns proposed that the militia take up a position at AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 121 the Broadford Bridge, where the mob could be intercepted and the battle fought outside the walls of Troy. This proposition was received with delight and forthwith the legions were marched to the Broadford, where they encamped. Here for two days and nights the utmost vigilance was exercised. Rumor followed rumor thick and fast. The revolutionists, it was asserted, were not far away. Scouts were sent into the woods and the pickets were doubled. The brave militia slept on their arms, some dreaming of the homes they never expected to see again. At last it dawned on the minds on the Miami Spartans that the foe was not coming. Perhaps they had overawed him with their formidable preparations for his reception and at last the recall was sounded and the Broadford army broke camp and marched back to Troy. It presented a splendid appearance and doubtless " 'Twere worth ten years of peaceful life One glance at their array." As the valiant soldiers returned to the bosoms of their families from the bloodless campaign they could exclaim triumph-antly— "We routed them, we scouted them Nor lost a single man." Such was the "Broadford War," for a long time celebrated in the annals of the county, and many believed that Sheriff Johnston's promptness not only saved the county buildings but probably prevented the streets of Troy from being deluged in blood. The coming of the canal and the railroad to Troy were events of supreme importance to it. The former was finished to the town in 1837 and at once there was great rejoicing. The county seat was thus placed in touch with the outside world and Troy markets were greatly benefited. About this time produce in Troy was commanding the following prices : Flour, per barrel $2.62 wheat, 37 1/2 cents ; bacon, per pound 3 1/2 cents ; chickens, per dozen 50 cents ; eggs, 3 cents ; butter, 6 1/4 cents ; sugar, (3 1/4 cents ; tallow, 6 1/4, cents. The finishing of the canal permitted the shipping of all kinds of farm produce from Troy and the farmer took advantage of it. In fact the canal was found inadequate for the shipping of grain and the railroad was acknowledged to be the only salvation for the town. In 1850 the first train on the C. H. R D. ran from Dayton to Troy. It was a day long to be remembered by all who inhabited the town and the surrounding country. A large crowd came to "see the fun" as they expressed it, but it was a different kind of fun from what they expected. The cars were old flat ones with railing around the sides to keep the people from falling off. The crowd that came from Dayton was composed of a rough set of men. They had imbibed pretty freely before leaving the Gem City and by the time the train reached Troy they were ready for anything and some were spoiling for a fight. They went over town in a boisterous manner and made themselves obnoxious to everybody. By the time they were ready to start back to Dayton they were picking up stones and throwing them at the ears. When finally they got on board they began throwing stones into the crowd composed of men, women and children who had come down to the track to see them off. This caused a stampede on a part of the lookers-on, but the men in the crowd returned the volley of stones with 122 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY interest and things looked serious for a time. At last the whistle blew and the cars pushed away from the indignant Trojans. Such was the exciting scenes attendant upon the arrival and departure of the first steam cars that entered Troy. The opening of the canal was also attended with more or less excitement. Soon after the water was let into the long basin a party of Troy people hired a packet and took a ride down the canal to where it crossed the river about half way between Troy and Dayton. A Mr. Crumpacker steered the boat and as it was entering the lock he steered it into a waste-way and was compelled to back out again. The occupants on the boat became frightened, thinking they were going over the waste-way. There was much excitement on board and no little screaming on the part of the women passengers ; but finally the boat was righted and taken safely through the lock. At that time there was but one house in Tippecanoe and it was owned by John Clark, who was proprietor of nearly all the land in sight. Troy was visited by a cholera scourge about 1850. The dread disease also visited other parts of the county and the death rate rose rapidly. The whole town was in a. state of alarm, for no one knew when he might be attacked and it was some time before the epidemic was stayed and the inhabitants got relief. The first Court of Common Pleas held its November session up stairs at Mr. Overfields, commencing November 5th, 1808. Troy was then a small place and had recently been made the county seat. There were as yet no newspapers in the town. As has been mentioned, Overfield kept tavern and his establishment con tained a bar, as did all the taverns at that early day. The late John T. Tullis, one of the pioneer residents of Troy, in his interesting reminiscences has this to say of the time of which we write : " There was sometimes a little friction in running a court and bar-room as near neighbors, but Judge Dunlavy was prompt and allowed no annoyance. On one occasion, George Kerr, a wealthy farmer of good repute and ex-Governor Arthur St. Clair were discussing the quality of Mr. Overfield's beverage, when, getting much interested, they raised their voices an octave above the key note. The Judge sent his respects to the gentlemen by Mr. Dye, requesting an interview in the court room. When they came in Judge said: 'Gentlemen, the court assesses a fine of two dollars each for contempt.' Mr. Kerr replied : `It bears me in mind that you might as well say ten.' 'Well, I say ten,' the Judge answered, turning to his associate on the bench, 'What do you say, Mr. Barbee?' I say ten for Mr. Kerr,' said Judge Barbee, `and ten for the Governor.' They put down the dust and Mr. Kerr, being a little excited, retorted : 'Judge Dunlavy, I knew you when you were so poor you had to lie in bed until your wife washed your breeches.' Though it was very convenient to have the court so near a watering place where there was plenty of good liquor, yet it was not always held there, but in the early days of the county it was held wherever the judges happened to be." For a time the court room at Troy was occupied by the Presbyterians for religious purposes ; the same building was not very secure. Joseph Beedle and some of his friends were incarcerated for a few days for uncovering Jimmy Mackey's AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 123 house and happening to want water, he slipped a log, a part of the floor between the two stories, and went up, bucket in hand, to the well to fill his bucket. Before the family could give the alarm he made his ingress through the same aperture through which he had made his egress. This feat admonished the county functionaries that the jail was not a safe deposit; so Joseph Skinner was set to work about 1828-30 (the date is uncertain) to build a strong jail and a two-story brick house for the jailer on the same lot, which answered a good purpose until the new stone jail was built. Merchandizing in Troy about 1828 was yet in its infancy. The only newspaper then published at the county-seat was the Miami Reporter, published by Micaiah Fairfield. Among the Troy merchants at this period were Mayo & Bosson, and William Barbee. Barbee had the largest establishment and consequently the best trade. He was a good patron of the advertising columns of the Reporter. He made annual trips to New York to select his stock and upon his return he always announced his selection for the benefit of the public. Some of the goods sold in the stores at that time have long since gone out of date, as the following inventory of Mr. Barbee's stock will show : "Superfine Blue steel mixed cloths, satinets, bang-up-cord, Rowen Casimere ; black lasting, domestic plaids and stripes, Ticking, checks, Sheeting and skirting, cambric, Jackonet, books, hair-cord, Jubilee muslin, calico ; Ginghams, crape robes, satin Le vantine, blue and black Gros de Nap ; linen and cotton laces, silk valencia and Swan- down Vestings, Leghorn and straw bon- nets, Prunella and Morocco shoes, silk and cotton shawls and handkerchiefs," etc., etc. The stores also kept groceries, hardware and liquors. At this time T. W. Furnas was sheriff of the county and Daniel Grosvenor, auditor. It was at the time when the famous Jackson-Adams campaign was at its height and Troy was a center for the foment. Some of her citizens headed by John Wi- ley and Dr. Asa Coleman met at the house of Col. Humbert in Troy, on October 11, 1829, and organized what might be called a vigilance committee in the interest of John Quincy Adams. They issued a proc- lamation addressed to the "Friends of Order and Good Government," in which they called upon every friend of Adams to exert himself for their candidate. "Do, then," the call said, "for the sake of that liberty which you now enjoy and which you will be glad to leave as the most valu- able legacy to your children, turn out on the day of election and secure it while it is yet in your power. A little negligence on your part may prove fatal to liberty with all its concomitant blessings." The com- mittee on the part of Concord Township, including Troy, consisted of John G. Tel- ford, William I. Thomas, Thomas Bar- bour, William Tullis, David Tullis, Daniel Grosvenor, Lewis Humbert, James Knight and Asa Coleman. In this year Concord gave a large majority for Allen Trumble for Governor of Ohio. It would seem that some of the citizens of Troy as early as 1828 had to put up with a good many trifling employees. It was the day of apprenticeship and when the young apprentices did not find Things to their liking they "stayed not upon the order of their going," but took leg bail and made themselves scarce. Henry W. Cul- 124 - HISTORY OF MIAMI COUNTY bertson, who was a saddler at the time, advertised for one of his runaway hands in the following amusing manner : ONE-FOURTH OF A CENT REWARD. "Ran away from the subscriber an indented apprentice to the saddling business by the name of James Gibbs, said boy about 15 years old, dark complexion, has large black eyes and black hair, very talkative and a most intolerable liar. Whoever will return said boy to me in Troy, Miami County, shall receive the above reward, but no thanks. H. W. CULBERTSON." The result of this advertisement, if any, is not on record, but it is not likely that the subscriber was ever called upon to pay the liberal reward offered. From the reminiscences of Charles N. Burns I cull the following data concerning the appearance of the County Seat about the year 1853. "The schoolhouse was new, as was also the Morris House (now Hotel Troy). Everything else was or seemed to be old. West Main Street beyond Elm, was in the future and the "plank road" began near that point. Main Street east of the railroad had but few houses, Market Street south of the canal soon become a country road, and excepting at Main and Market, I think there were but two other bridges crossing the canal—at Union (the Dayton Road) and the Lover's, beginning at the corner of Oxford and Franklin and running on to between George Streets and the Hafer grocery and meeting the McKaig Avenue, then a lane. "The mill at the lock on Main Street was owned and run by Hanson Mayo. The entire square west of the school house was vacant 'commons.' At the corner of Water and Oxford were Stockton's carriage and smith shops. The Galt House (now Masonic Temple) was then as now, except the frame addition on the west. `Lawyer's Row' was then one office used by Judge Pearson. 'The Railroad House,' George Simmons, proprietor, was a two-story brick where Steil's Store is now, on the north corner of Main and Public Square. Old frame shells occupied space bordering the square on Market Street, both sides except the Morris House; south of the Square were also frame shells. Franklin Street ended at Union. East of that and south of the canal was 'country' and west of the canal 'swamp.' There were very few stone walks in town and those in front of the stores principally. Mr. Edwards started the planting of trees on the walks. "Little Henry Culbertson was the principal dry goods man and Evans & Elliott kept a dry goods store in the corner of the Galt House. Joe Youart kept a dry goods store where the Troy National Bank is now and on a big sign in front were painted in large letters these words : 'Joe Youart, Family Grocery, Loafers' Retreat, Politics, Religion and the Fine Arts discussed at all hours.' "The town was dark at night except when the moon shone. There were neither gas nor oil lamps. In fact, I believe, that most of the people used either tallow candles, lard oil or camphene in their homes. There was no manufactory in Troy then, except a shop or two for making plows, wagons and buggies for the local trade, and I believe a flax mill above the dam." In later years John Kelly of Troy invented the first corn planter and put it on the market. This was about 1875. The municipal government of Troy dates from among the early days of its existence. It is to be regretted that no list of its mayors prior to 1840 is obtainable. Since that time to the present the list of