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CHAPTER II.
EARLY INHABITANTS-MOUND BUILDERS-INDIAN POSSESSION-EARLY SETTLEMENT BY THE
WHITES-ORIGIN AND ORGANIZATION OF MORROW COUNTY-COUNTY
BUILD1NGS-THE PRESS-JOHNNY APPLESEED.
The earliest history of Morrow County, in common with that of the State, is veiled in mystery, and what share it had in the pre-historic times can be only guessed. It is the opinion of antiquarians that three distinct races have inhabited North America prior to the coming of the present inhabitants. Of these, the builders of those magnificent cities the ruins of which strew for miles the plains of Central America were the first. "The mind is startled," says an eminent writer on this subject, "at the remoteness of their antiquity, when we consider the vast sweep of time necessary to erect such colossal structures of solid masonry, and afterward convert them into the present utter wreck. Comparing their complete desolation with the ruins of Baalbec, Palmyra, Thebes and Memphis, they must have been old when the latter were being built." Of this race, no trace has been found within the limits of this country, and whether Ohio ever shook under the step of their marching, or its wilds ever echoed to their cries, is still an open question. "The second race," continues the same writer, " as determined by the character of their civilization, were the Mound-Builders, the remains of whose works constitute the most interesting class of antiquities found within the limits of the United States, Like the ruins of Central America, they antedate the most ancient records; tradition can furnish no account of them, and their character can only be partially gleaned from the internal evidences which they themselves afford. They consist of the remains of what were, apparently, villages, altars temples, idols cemeteries, monuments, camps: fortifications, etc. The farthest relic of this kind, discovered in a northeastern direction, was near Black River, on the south side of Lake Ontario. Thence they extend in a southwestern direction by way of the Ohio, the Mississippi, Mexican Gulf, Texas, New Mexico and Yucatan into South America." Some of the most interesting and extensive of these works are found in Ohio. At the mouth of the Muskingum, on Licking River near Newark, at Circleville on the Scioto, and on Paint Creek, near Chillicothe, are found some of the most elaborate of these mounds, stored with some of the most important relies ever discovered. But with all the discoveries and investigations made thus far, but little progress has been made toward a knowledge of their origin, civilization or destiny. They existed here, and built the works over which the archaeologists spend their efforts in vain but what was the nature of their stay here, or the character of their civilization, is as far from comprehension as ever. Col. Whittlesey, writing Of this race, says: "There is no evidence that they had alphabetical characters, picture writing or hieroglyphics, though they must have had some mode of recording events. Neither is there any proof that they used domestic animals for tilling the soil, or for the purpose of erecting the imposing earth works they have left. A very coarse cloth of hemp, flax or nettles has been found on their burial hearths, and around skeletons not consumed by fire." The more important of these mounds are found in the southern part of the State, and it is conjectured that the remains found in the northern part may have been built by portions of the race not contemporary with the builders of the southern structures. The difference in the extent and importance of these northern structures seems to indicate a people far
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less in numbers as well as industry, and whose principal occupation was to war among themselves or against their neighbors. Along the watershed in this State, which lies along the southern line of Wyandot and Crawford Counties, extending irregularly east and west, there is a space where but few of these ancient earth works appear. It is conjectured, therefore, that this space was the " debatable ground " of the war-like tribes of the Mound-Builders, and that the works that are found on either side of this line were the outposts of opposing forces. Whatever the truth may be in regard to these fanciful theories, the fact that Morrow County was the scene of the busy activities of this strange people is beyond question. The traces of their occupation are abundant in all sections of the county, but they have, unfortunately, failed to awaken an interest in the present inhabitants when it would have availed most in behalf of arcbeological information. During the centuries of Indian domination in this country, these mounds were left undisturbed. They bad no tradition of a preceding race, and, unvexed by the goading of inquiring science, left these relics of a curious people undisturbed until the white man wrought the mighty change. Three of these works have been found at or near Chesterville. A mound located near the old schoolhouse was plowed down in 1837, and scraped into a hole near it, from which it was undoubtedly thrown up. When within about two feet of the level, a quantity of greasy muck was uncovered which had a strong rancid smell, but no relics or bones were found.
In 1829, when the hotel was built in Chesterville, a mound near by was made to furnish the material for the brick. In digging it away, a large human skeleton was found, but no measurements were made. It is related that the jaw-bone was found to fit easily over that of a citizen of the village, who was remarkable for his large jaw. The local physicians examined the cranium and found it proportionately large, with more teeth than the white race of to-day. The skeleton was taken to Mansfield, and has been lost sight of entirely. Some trinkets were found in the. mound, but anything like an accurate description of them cannot be bad. One article was something like a mortar, holding about a half pint, made of blue clay. This was kept in the bar-room of the hotel as a curiosity, but has long since been lost sight of. Just west of the village is a small earthwork, surrounded with a trench. Upon this structure are growing trees of a large growth, which have evidently sprung up since the mound was made. Some investigation has been made there, but with no rcsult. Other mounds are found in the township of Troy, Canaan and Washington. In the former township, a circular mound of about twenty-five feet in diameter is situated on Section 7. No attempt has been made to learn of its contents. In Canaan Township, there are two that were formerly connected by an embankment, and were evidently used as a fortification, but the demands of the farm have greatly obliterated their outlines, and they are rapidly disappearing. In Washington, situated in the northeast corner, is a conical shaped mound, about twenty feet high, with a circular base covering upward of a quarter of an acre. Near it is a horseshoe-shaped aped fortification, some two and a half feet high, inclosing an area of about a quarter of an acre.
In the southern part of Lincoln Township is the remains of a mound of considerable interest. A cone about sixty feet in diameter was found in the center of a circle of about one hundred and twenty feet in diameter.. Messrs. T. C. Cunnard and A. G. Emery at one time made some effort to investigate this relic, and employing workmen dug into the cone. In the center was found a circular wall, made of loosely laid freestone. On the outer side of this wall the dirt taken from the sur. rounding trench was thrown, and within the space was filled with a clay that was thought to be foreign to that locality. Considerable quantity of charcoal and ashes were found, but no relics or bones, save a fragment that was pronounced metal, but so badly disintegrated that it fell to powder on
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exposure to the air. The earth wall which encircled the mound, it was thought, contained more material than could be got from the trench at its and an examination seemed to confirm their that much of the material had been brought this place. On the surface of the mound a ash-tree was found growing, its roots striking through the supporting wall in every direction. When cut down, some two hundred and forty concentric rings were counted, indicating an ancient for the mound. The largest result from is investigation has been lost, from the fact that the judgment of experts has not been had upon it.
It is to be regretted these splendid specimens of the relies of the Mound-Builders have attracted the attention of scholars in the county. It is hardly to be doubted that, with patient investigation, some valuable relics might be discovered in some of these mounds ,which would add valuable information to the fund of information on this subject. These earthworks .are on the territory where archaeologists have long thought there were no traces of that ancient people, and a stray relic might do something toward establishing or refuting the various theories that have been entertained in regard to the Mound Builders on the Ohio watershed.
The coming of the red Indian is equally obscured. They were found in full possession of the whole country so far as the first white explorers could determine, but the character of their customs and bits of life, and the uncertainty of their vague traditions, have left but little material for the use of the historian. The first explorers in Ohio found the State divided in latitudinal sections, which reoccupied by the Iroquois, Delawares, Shawnees, Miamis, Wyandots and Ottawas. These nations were all subject to the warlike Iroquois or 'Five Nations, and occupied the territory assigned to them by their conquerors. In 1684 and 1726, the dominant nation ceded to the English all their claims west of Lake Erie, and sixty miles in width along the south shore of Lakes Erie and Ontario, from the Cuyahoga to the Oswego River. In 1774, the same nation ceded to the Americans all the country claimed by that tribe west of Pennsylvania, and on January 21 in the following year, by a treaty with the Wyandot, Delaware, Chippewa and Ottawa nations, the former subjects of the Iroquois, a new boundary was fixed. In the transactions with the English, the Iroquois lost their hold on the subject nations of Ohio, and the Delawares, upon whom had been heaped the greatest indignities by their savage conquerors, suddenly assumed their former warlike prowess, and became the most powerful enemies of the whites. During the Revolutionary war as the allies of the British, and at the head of the Northwestern Confederacy of Indians to oppose the cessions made by the Iroquois, they became the terror of the whites, and defeated some of the best Generals of colonial times
In the spring of 1794, an effort on the part of the State was made to retrieve the disasters in the Northwest, and Gen. Wayne, with about three thousand five hundred troops, assembled at Greenville, to subjugate the Delawares and their allies. In August of that year, the hostile forces encountered each other at the foot of the rapids in Maumee, when, after a short, but deadly conflict, the Indians were completely defeated. They were not conquered, however, and it was not until their whole country bad been overrun., their cornfields destroyed, and forts erected in the very heart of their domain, that they would sue for peace. On August 3, 1795, a grand council was held at Greenville, with representatives of eleven of the most powerful tribes of the Northwest. In this council, by far the larger representation was from the tribe of the Delawares, numbering 381 braves. The treaty concluded at Fort McIntosh fixed the line of boundary, beginning "at the mouth of the river Cuyahoga, and to extend up said river to the portage, between that and Tuscarowas branch of the Muskingum, thence down that branch to the crossing place above Fort Laurens, then westerly to the portage of the Big Miami, which runs into the Ohio, at the mouth of which branch the fort
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stood which was taken by the French, 1752; then along said portage to the Great Miami, or Omee River, and down the south side of the same to its mouth; then along the south shore of Lake Erie to the mouth of the Cuyahoga River, where it began." At Greenville, this boundary line was confirmed, and extended westward from Larimie's to Fort Defiance, and thence southward to the mouth of the Kentucky River. This territory thus set off was given to the Delawares and Wyandots. The line is now known as the Greenville treaty or Indian boundary line, and passes through Morrow County, forming part of the northern boundary of Westfield, Lincoln and Harmony, and cutting through Cardington and Franklin Townships. In 1805, the different tribes relinquished their claims on all lands west of the Cuyahoga, as far west as the western line of the reserve, and south of the line, from Fort Laurens to Laramie's Fort. At the close of the treaty at Greenville, Bu-kou-ge-he-las, a Delaware chief, addressed Gen. Wayne as follows: " Father, your children all well understand the sense of the treaty which is now concluded. We experience daily proofs of your increasing kindness. I hope we may all have sense enough to enjoy our dawning happiness. Many of your people are yet among us. I trust they will be immediately restored. Last winter, our king came forward to you with two, and when he returned with your speech to us, we immediately prepared to come forward with the remainder, which we delivered at Fort Defiance. All who know me know me to be a man and a warrior, and I now declare that I will, for the future, be as steady and true a friend to the United States as I have, heretofore, been an active enemy." The promise of the warrior thus voluntarily given was faithfully maintained by the people. They resisted all the solicitations of Tecumseh's agents, and through the war of 1812, remained the stanch friends of the Americans, and frequently rendering valuable service as scouts and sharpshooters. The main body of this tribe, however, removed to the White River and its branches, after the Greenville treaty, and were not seen here in any considerable numbers afterward. The treaty of 1807 had opened up the larger portion of the territory within the present territory of Morrow County to the whites, but the Indians, loth to leave the land of their fathers, still had their camps in the territory that they had ceded to the Government. The principal camps were at Greentown and Jerometown, both then in Richland County. In Marion and Crawford Counties, then a part of the Indian reserve, were villages of minor importance, but the events which ushered in the war of 1812 wrought their removal as early as August in the latter year. There is no record of there ever being a camp or village in Morrow County. It -as a rich hunting ground, and the Indians had resorted here from the earliest recollections, but had found a home in the surrounding counties. -They continued to come here in quest of the game that was to be found in the woods in great abundance as late as 1819. A hunting party for some years kept a permanent camp in Lincoln Township, the members coming and going, as their fancy moved them. Large parties were attracted to the eastern part of the county on trading trips to Mt. Vernon or Chesterville, while smaller parties visited all the settlements with pelts and wild fruits to exchange for food; but in all their relations, they maintained the friendliest attitude toward the whites. During the war of 1812, some stories of their attempts to intimidate women and children are related, but nothing more hostile, and this was probably done by such members of the tribes as were beyond the peculiar government of the Indian nations. The rapid settlement of the country, with the consequent extinction of the game, however, gradually made the country less attractive to the savages, and they, with the more willingness, accepted the propositions of the Government to remove to more suitable habitations.
There is a tradition, quite generally believed, that Col. Crawford's command passed through Morrow County in 1782, on its way to the Wyandot village, near Upper Sandusky. So firmly be-
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lieved is this tradition, that his line of march is pointed out with great particularity, the site of one of the army's camps, and the description is frequently embellished with the account of the capture of several of his men during the retreat of the army through this county. It is a thanklea task to dispel the illusion, but the facts will not warrant our passing over this tradition without suggesting its unreliability. The admirable history of "Crawford's Campaign Against Sandusky, in 1782," makes this fact perfectly plain; and as many who cherish this tradition as a rich historical heirloom may not have access to Mr. Butterfield's valuable work, we give a condensed description of the line of march and retreat on that memorable occasion. The rendezvous was at the Mingo Bottoms, in Steubenville Township, Jefferson County, in this State. Setting out from this point on the 25th of May, the little army passed through the present townships of Cross Creek and Wayne, to the western boundary of Jefferson County, as at present defined ; crossing thence into what is now Harrison County, in German Township; thence across the summit to the spot where the town of Jefferson now stands." From this point, the expedition made a slight detour to the south, reaching the Tuscarawas River at a point "about a quarter of a mile from Lockport, in Goshen Township, Tuscarawas County,", at noon of the fourth day's march. From this point, "the guides, taking a northwest course through the wilderness from the Muskingum (Tuscarawas), brought the army to the Killbuck, some distance above the present town of Millersburg, county seat of Holmes County." Crossing the river, the line of march lay along the west bank of the stream to a large spring, near the line of Wayne County, ten miles south of Wooster, and known now as the Butler's or Jones' Spring. " From this point, the army moved westward, along the north side of what is known as Odell's Lake." Thence they passed northwesterly through the present township of Green, in Ashland County, Mohican, "up which stream they traveled until a spring was reached, near where the city of Mansfield now stands, in Richland County; thence a little north of west, to a fine spring five miles farther on, in what is now Springfield Townshipa place now known as Spring Mills, on the line of the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railroad, eight miles east of the town of Crestline, in Crawford County - where, on the evening of the 1st of June, the army halted and encamped for the night. On the following day, "the army crossed into what is now Crawford County, at 1 o'clock in the afternoon, and, about an hour after, reached the Sandusky River at a point immediately east of what is now the village of Leesville." This is, perhaps, the point nearest the boundaries of Morrow County that the line of march touched. From this point, the army passed through the township of Whetstone, near the village of that, name; through the townships of Bucyrus and Dallas, in Crawford County, into what is now Antrim Township, in Wyandot County. Crossing the Sandusky River, "Crawford's course was along the east bank of the stream, following the Indian trace in a direction a little west of north, in what is now Pitt Township." From this point,
the army marched into what is now Crane Township, where they met the enemy. The line of retreat was over the same trail that they had come until they reached the Tuscarawas River, when the army took a wide detour to the south in the Williamson trail, passing through what is now Cadiz, in Harrison County, thence northerly through the site of the present town of Smithfield to the place of departure. The story of the prisoners captured in this county is equally unfounded Crawford, Dr. Knight, Paull, Slover, and all of whom any account is given, were captured north of the line of march and principally in what are now Crawford and Wayne Counties.
The early settlement by the whites followed close upon the retreating red man. The treaty of 1807 was followed by the immediate surveying of and from here passed to the Rocky Fork of the this country by the Government, a large part of
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the county being surveyed in the same year. Purchasers came upon the ground very soon after and warrants having been issued at once to soldier, of the Revolution for some of this land, the tide of emigration at once set in. The Ohio fever took strong hold in many of the older communities, and no sooner was the "new purchase " heard of, than hundreds, anxious to secure a home with plenty of land, flocked to the new country. The early pioneers of Morrow County came close after the surveyors, and in many places found the bark still fresh on the stakes that marked the different sections. The great avenues of travel lead up from the south and east, naturally resulting in first settling the south and east sections of what is now Morrow, County. The site of Mount Gilead was then near the outlying portions of Knox and Delaware Counties. These were erected in the same year (1808), and divided the jurisdiction of the territory north of them to the lakes. In 1813, Richland County was formed, though it had at that time but a sparse population, which was principally near the center of the county. The earliest settlement made upon territory within the present limits of Morrow County was probably made in Chester Township. The lands of the Owl Creek valley constituted some of the finest in this part of the State, and the early settlers did not hesitate to purchase where the land suited them the best, without reference to the location of the older communities. The first squatter in Knox County did not come long before 1803. In 1805, Mount Vernon was laid out, and in 1807 the first settler (Evan Holt) came to Chester. The nearest point at which these adventurous pioneers could transact their legal business was at Lancaster, in Fairfield County, and some were obliged to go this distance from Chester to pay their taxes. The bold adventurer who bad pushed so far beyond the farthest boundary of civilization was not long alone. In the following year came others, and every year additions were made to the little settlement in increasing numbers, building up one of the most vigorous and enterprising communities to be found in the present county. Most of the emigrants were from the Middle States, with a few from Maryland and Virginia, and later quite a colony of Welsh from the old country, by way of Philadelphia and Baltimore. At that time, Franklin Township had no separate organization, but its settlement was quite distinct, and was made in 1810. The Shaws came first, and young Peoples a few weeks, later, both locating in the southern central part of the present township. Following these families came the Cooks, Blairs and Leverings, locating in the northeast part of the township in 1811-12. Bloomfield, though quite as accessible to immigration did not settle up as rapidly as its sister townships from Knox. The first settlement, however, was made as early as 1808, and the central point of settlement, early called "Clark's Cross Roads ," was admirably situated, being equally distant from Berkshire, Mount Vernon, Chesterville and Johnstown, the important villages of that time. The village of Sparta, situated on the old State road from Mansfield via Frederick to Sunbury and Columbus, became in late years a trading-point of considerable importance, and, about 1840, added mechanical and manufacturing enterprises to some extent. The community was made up of emigrants from the older counties of Ohio, from Pennsylvania, with a large admixture of Connecticut people. The territory drawn from Delaware County, though lying farthest from the channels along which emigration flowed into that section, had the advantage of being part of the oldest settled of any of the frontier counties in this part of the State. Delaware County was first made the permanent home of the white man in 1801, and in 1804 an enterprising and wealthy resident land speculator founded a colony at Berkshire, and spared no pains that ample means and intelligent purpose could command, to stimulate emigration. The natural consequence was that all parts of the county felt the influence of this vigorous effort, so that even the outlying portions were settled as soon as the central portions of many other counties of equal natural advantages. Of the portion set
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off to Morrow County, the earliest settled was probably Peru Township. Here, in 1809, Cyrus Benedict, anxious to find land for his growing family and a quiet place to establish his faith, come and took up a large tract of land. He was a Quaker, and each year brought an accession of those of like faith. This settlement formed a nucleus for a community that wielded a powerful influence upon that part of the country. They were the first to oppose the use of whisky at the public gatherings for house raising. log-rolling and husking bees; they early espoused the cause of "free soil," and were a power in politics after the organization of the county of Morrow. The larger part of the settlement came from Clinton County, N. Y., but the subsequent additions came largely from Pennsylvania and Connecticut.
The Shaw settlement, in Westfield, was an important and early one. It dates back as early as 1808, and contributed largely to the settlement of the townships near by it. Harmony and Lincoln were settled later, principally by the overflow emigration of Chester, Peru and Westfield. A part of Harmony was kept out of the market for some time, and was settled by emigrants from the counties of Knox, Perry and Muskingum. The contribution from Marion County was settled somewhat later, the southern portion profiting by the general circumstances that affected the tide of emigration. Cardington, then known as Morrow Township, was not settled until about 1821. It drew its pioneers from Peru Township and the Middle States principally, though the older counties of Ohio contributed no small share to building up the community. Gilead Township drew its settlement from Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania and the older settled parts of Ohio, the first settlement being made in 1817. A year later, the first settler, Benjamin Sharrock, came to Washington Township from Guernsey County, Ohio. In 1820, the first settler made his appearance in Canaan Township, from Fairfield County, Ohio. The settlement of this township was made principally by Pennsylvanians, who,by their industry and frugality have made it one of the most prosperous townships in the county. Richland County was first settled about 1807, and for some years was attached to Knox as Madison Township. In 1813, it was organized as a separate county, but with very few settlers. The oldest township in the territory which was derived from that county is Perry. It was settled about 1810, and drew principally from Pennsylvania for its community. It was a vigorous settlement and took an important position as a commercial center in that early time. The later accessions have evinced the same advanced ideas, and the school and church are of a high character, both as regards development and efficiency. Troy, settled in 1814, drew its early settlers from Pennsylvania and New Jersey; North Bloomfield, settled about 1818, is in the hands of Pennsylvanian emigrants, and Congress, drawing its early pioneers from the same State, was settled about 1821. The organization of Marion County in 1824, and the establishment of the county seat at Marion, was the cause of the first inception of the project to erect a new county out of the territory which is now known as Morrow. Mount Gilead was laid out in the same year, and formed a nucleus about which the discontent with the location of the seat, of justice gathered. Some of the more radical ones said at once that a new county would be formed to accommodate the large population which was situated in the outlying corners of the four counties, but it was some twenty one years before this project bore the fruit of act, an then not without a struggle that consumed the energies of the whole community, the time for years of its best citizens, and not an inconsiderable sum of, money for that time. The early history of this struggle is but imperfectly known. The project awakened at the very start a determined opposition, and the operations of the active partisans in this movement were necessarily known to but a few of the leading spirits of the time. These have long since passed away, and we have but vague traditions from which to glean information in regard to this, interesting event. From all
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the information at our command, it appears that the early efforts were confined principally to gathering petitions setting forth the case of the petitioners, and asking the Legislature for the obvious relief. Unfortunately for the early success of the project, there were a number of conflicting interests to be conciliated, some of which eventually commanded nearly as great strength as the Gilead claim. It was proposed by the original movers in this project to erect a county out of the outlying portions of Marion, Richland, Knox and Delaware Counties, with Mount Gilead as the county seat. The movement was strongly opposed by the Richland County people, save the few to be especially favored by the change, and the erection in 1846 of Ashland, which took a large portion of its ter ritory from Richland, did not make this opposition any the less determined. To this was added, about this time, the opposition of the conflicting claims of Chester and Bennington. The necessity for the erection of a new County on this territory was now generally conceded, and the contest turned on the question of the location of the county seat. The Gilead claim, as it was known in lobby parlance called for the erection of a county to be bounded by a line beginning at the northeast corner of See tion 1, in Tully Township, Crawford County, thence east with a slight variation, taking the larger part of Bloomfield Township, then turning south on the section line of Troy Township near its northern boundary, it diverged from a straight line to take in the whole of Perry, Franklin, Chester and Bloomfield, thence west, taking the whole of Bennington, Peru, a little of the north part of Oxford (Delaware County) and all of Westfield, then, by deflecting to the east, took in only the townships of Morven, Canaan and one half of Tully. This left Mount Gilead the central point and the obvious county seat. The Chester claim proposed to erect a county out of the territory bounded by a line beginning in the southeast corner of Tully Township (Crawford County), passing due east to a point about a mile east of the west line of Jefferson, dividing Washington and cutting a little portion off the southern part of Bloomfield and Troy, thence south, taking about a mile off the western side of Jefferson (Richland County), passing around the whole of Middleberry (Knox County), and taking in the west half of Wayne, Liberty and Milford (Knox County); thence west on the southern line of Milford, Hillier (Knox County) and Porter (Delaware County), the line followed the western boundary of the last-named township to Peru; then passing so as to take in the whole of that township, it passed due north to the boundary line, deflecting to the east to the eastern boundary of Morven and Canaan to the place of beginning, leaving Chesterville the obvious place for :the county seat. The Bennington claim made Marengo the central point, and ran its lines about it, taking territory from Knox, Licking, Delaware and Marion. It was an era of county-making, and the number of projects of this nature pressed upon the attention of legislators by hired lobbyists is astonishing. The number which more or less antagonized the interests of a county to be formed on the territory now known as Morrow reached as high as nine at one time. At that time, the names of Walhonding, Bennington, Chester, Ontario, Center, Taylor, National and Johnston were the names of aspiring counties, not one of which ever crowned a successful issue, though some of the counties they introduced were established. The state of affairs at Columbus at this time is well expressed by a letter from one of the lobbyists to his principals. He writes, "The committee on new counties have not yet reported, and we have all been waiting anxiously, expecting a report every morning this week, without coming to any definite conclusion as to who would get the report. I tell you, gentlemen, there are a great many ups and downs in this brown town, and about three downs to one up, for there are so many. conflicting intere rests are on the subject of new counties, and so much jealousy existing, that if you get a member favorably impressed, some one, for fear your tale will interfere with his interests, will go and tell
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him that it was all false, and the claim that has the least prospect of success has the most friends among the lobbyists." This was as early as January 14, 1846, and it was not until February 24, 1848, that these alternations of hope and fear were put to rest by the erection of Morrow County. The session of 1845-46 was about the first that the different claims were represented by lobbyists. During this session, Gilead was represented by Dr. Geller, John Young, Christopher Lindsay and S. T. Cunnard; Chester delegated her interest to W. Hance, E. B. Kinsell, William Shur, Enoch and Davis Miles, and Bennington was represented by Thomas Freeman, a Mr. Morehouse and Hiram Randolph. These men were on the ground as early as the candidates for legislative offices, and did not retire until the last struggle of the session.
To understand the contest between these claims, it must be remembered that according to the laws upon the subject, no county could be formed containing less than four hundred square miles, and no county could be reduced below this constitu constituional minumum. The problem then was, to map out a county that would answer these two requirements and receive the support of a majority of the people living within the territory thus eluded. It will be observed that in a spirited contest, these requirements gave plenty of work for the partisans of the different claims to do. Committees were formed to solicit signatures to petitions ons or remonstrances, to secure subscriptions for expenses of the lobbyists, and to keep close watch and counteract the efforts of the committees for other claims. An opponent of the Ontario or Gilead claim writ writes, to his principals, concerning the operations of the friends of that claim, "I do not think there can be one solitary exception; they have got their own signers, and they have every one of ours whom they could torture, tease or beg into submission. They have a great many signers who have signed our petitions. They must have nineteen hundred or two thousand petitioners in all, and some three or four hundred memorialists from Marion, Delaware and Crawford Counties. I think they have traveled land and water to make proselytes, and verily they have made them."
The sessions of 1845-46 passed without prejudice to either of the claims. By the illness of two Whig Senators, the Democrats had a majority in that branch of the Legislature, and being opposed to the erection of new counties, the matter made but little stir save among the anxious lobbyists. In the following session, the forces were early on hand. The Gilead claim had been put in the hands of a committee during the previous session, but not acted upon, and early in this session Chester submitted its claim, with a good prospect of seeing the matter brought to a vote. But they were all doomed to disappointment by the death of Mr. Horr, the representative from Marion and Delaware, which deferred all consideration of county claims taking territory from this district. The Governor appointed a new election to fill the vacancy, and Messrs. Eaton and Reynolds were nominated. This election was of vital importance to the new county lobbyists, and one writes that M------ has seen Eaton and he signified that he would be in favor of new counties. Now, my boys, go into Harmony and get them to vote for Eaton. " It is hardly necessary to add that he was elected.
The Bennington claim was introduced late in the session, and although it gained no prominence to the fears of the lobbyists or discussions of the Committees, it served to balk the hopes of the other contestants. During the previous session, the Gilead claim was decidedly in the lead; at the present, the prospect had changed, sending Chester to the front and its supporters had strong hopes of bringing it to a favorable vote when Eaton took his seat. But Bennington was thrust forward and disturbed all their well laid plans. The bill to erect this county was brought to a vote, but it was indefinitely postponed, January 29, 1847, and though strenuous efforts were made on the part of its friends to resuscitate it by a vote to reconsider, it was effectual ly laid out. Gilead came before the House, and at the request of its friends was referred to a select committee, and Chester, after passing
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two readings successfully, was postponed by the request of its friends to the first Monday in December of 1847. Thus another winter of anxiety had passed and the county of Morrow was no nearer completion than at the beginning of the session. One thing had been gained ; the members had become disgusted with the whole subject and were in a mood to finish the business one way or another, if it ever came before them again.
The final campaign opened in December, 1847. The lobbyists were in full force, early on the ground. A letter dated December 8, 1847, from William Hance, at Columbus, to the Chester committee, gives the outlook at the beginning of the session, as follows: "Judging from present appearances and circumstances, the contest will be between Chester and Gilead, and in it Gilead has an advantage. The chairman airman of the committee in the House is believed to be a friend to that claim. The two Democrats, Smith, of Hamilton, and Coe, of Sandusky, voted for it last year, hence they may have a majority report in their favor, which will be an advantage to them, as the dereliction of Gilead seems not to be thought of only when we mention it; and many members appear anxious to settle the matter in some way. On the other hand, we have Mr. Parks, of Lorain, and Mr. Taylor, of Franklin, on the committee, from whom we expect anything but a report favorable to either Bennington or Gilead. The Chairman, Mr. Hurdisty, is from Carroll, and appears to be in the keeping of Mr. Watt, who has been engaged here for Gilead, for two or three years past, and is from Carroll County. In the Senate, the committee is composed of King, Horton and Beaver; King is a Democrat and is Chairman, the other two are Whigs. Horton was last year in the House and voted for the indefinite postponement of both Bennington and Gilead, and I think was favorable to Chester." It became generally understood that this session would bring the matter to an issue, and most strenuous efforts were made on all hands to place their claims in the most favorable light. The Gilead claim had changed in name from Ontario to Gilead, and then to Marshall, to conciliate the various prejudices. Chester had secured the services of the man that had successfully engineered Ashland's interest, and the -lobbies were everywhere strongly re-enforced. One of the Chester lobbyists writes : "It is doubtless the fact that more lobbies are employed at this time in Columbus than ever before since the formation of the State." With these preparations mad-, there was nothing left but to hope for the rest with an anxiety that few, who have not had the experience, can well comprehend. It is almost distressing, at this late date, to read these letters from the lobbyists to their friends at home, informing them of the progress of affairs. Letters are written twice a week and they present a picture of shifting shad ows where the scene changes in a breath, with alternations of hope and despair.
On December 13,1947, the House Committee is informed that "Gilead, at least, if not Bennington, is moving heaven and earth to accomplish her purpose, having all the doorkeepers and clerks in both branches, and many others employed in her behalf." Notwithstanding this array of opposition, the writer has great confidence that the Chester claim is likely to succeed. He adds that "there is a strong repugnance with the Whigs to make Bennington, and, also, to a considerable extent, against Gilead. Chester, in all that should be looked at as requisite in making a new county -such as remoteness from old county seats, contiguity of territory to the new county seat as compared with the old ones, compactness of territory, and consequent accommodation of the inhabitants taken into the new county-is a much better claim than either Bennington or Gilead. We have the direct expression of a number of members of a preference for Chester. We are satisfied beyond doubt that at least one member of each committee is decidedly in our favor ; and no reason to doubt the friendship of one other member of each committee, making a majority in one committee, with strong hopes that the other Whig and Democrat will go for us on the other committee."
A week later comes the intelligence: "Wal
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honding (another new county project) is playing the deuce with all our new counties, and whilst she cannot be made herself, will do much toward preventing all others being made." In another letter of about the same date, the same writer says "We thought we bad two of the Senate Committee safe, and were disposed to push our claim with them, but the Chairman declined calling the committee together until all the petitions from the conflicting claims were in. We then turned our attention to the House, where we felt pretty sure of two members of the committee, but to-day there seems to be an undercurrent at work, which, I fear, renders it uncertain whether we shall have a single one on the Senate, and but one on the House Committee. If I am correct in my suspicion relative to the committees, it is all owing to the influence of the foreign friends of Walhonding." A letter of December 23, 1847, brings news of a re-action. It says "A majority of the committee has reported Gilead. Johnstown is gone by the board-scarcely a grease-spot left. National and Cumberland reported. The committee goes on rapidly this winter, disposing of five claims at one sitting. To-day a bill was reported by the committee for the erection of Gilead. Chester, of course, was reported against by the majority, but we have two fast friends (Park and Taylor), who will make a minority report. The majority is one Whig and two Democrats; the minority is two Whigs. We have high hopes yet; we have now 1660 petitions, all told. Gilead has only 1259 legal ones within the territory, and 280 out of the territory, with 77 illegal ones. We expect the minority report will tear the report of the majority all to pieces. Bennington, once proud and lofty Bennington! How are the mighty fallen! Poor fellow! (referring to the gentleman who headed that claim) he sold his birthright for a mess of pottage."
Notwithstanding the favorable action in favor of the Gilead claim, there was a very strong feeling on the part of all that it was likely to be finally defeated. The Whigs manifested considerable opposition to it on the ground that it would strengthen their adversaries, and unless the Democrats could be induced to forego their party opposition to all new counties, there was, indeed, no hope for its success. The Chester adherents strongly urged that the Whigs of the western part of Knox County were the only ones that had increased their majority, and that they should be encouraged. All this was not without its effect, and the prospects of Chester, though not ostensibly so bright as Gilead, were in reality much more hopeful. On December 27, 1847, the minority of the House Committee on New Counties presented the grounds of its dissent from the finding of the majority. The report of the majority we have not been able to secure, but as that of the minority, as a matter of necessity, goes over the same ground, we shall trespass upon the patience of the reader so far as to give this paper, trusting that the importance of preserving a document of such historical value may be found a sufficient warrant for its introduction here.
Mr. Park, from the minority of the Standing Committee on New Counties, made the following report:
The minority of the Committee on New Counties, dissenting from the majority in their recommendation of the Gilead and rejection of the Chester claim-both claims occupying, to a considerable extent, the same territory-submit their views:
The minority cannot assent to all the general principles laid down by the majority, in regard to the erection of new counties, as they do not feel in duty bound, constitutionally or otherwise, to erect new counties, unless the general good requires it, and that by so doing the rights of others are not impaired. And they are not willing that, by any act of theirs, censure should be cast upon any preceding Legislature for not granting new county claims, which they believe were not meritorious.
Many considerations should be brought into view in deciding upon the merits of any new county that it might be proper to erect, which it is the duty of such Legislature carefully to weigh, before such question is settled. For instance, in the very case now before the commit there are remonstrances from Knox County against any division of the same, because of that county having,
210 - HISTORY OF MORROW COUNTY.
by an overwhelming majority, incurred a heavy responsibility for the construction of a railroad, which responsibility, it is supposed, will devolve upon that portion of the people who may remain in that county. The minority believe that if said result would necessarily follow dismemberment, it would be an act of injustice which this minority could not sanction. But, whether those who might thus be severed from Knox would be legally released from their proportionate share of the debt thus incurred, the minority do not feel competent to decide.
There are, also, many reasons of a general nature which have an important bearing against the making new counties, and which ought to have their proper influence in the decision of a question of this kind, but 1 which the minority do not deem it necessary now to enumerate.
It is, perhaps, true, as is asserted by the report of the majority, that Gilead is an old applicant, but, in view of all the facts of the case, this should weaken rather than strengthen its claim to the favorable consideration of the Legislature, as, had it possessed ordinary merit, with the advantages it has employed-having been before the Legislature without competitors, and having had representatives from its own territory who were especially charged with its interests-it ought long since to have been erected into a county. But it would appear that past Legislatures, which have evinced a favorable disposition toward the erection of new counties, have never been impressed with the advantages of this claim; and the undersigned confess that they are unable, after a full investigation of all the facts touching it, to dissent from the conclusion arrived at by previous Legislatures. One reason, as we learn, for these repeated failures, is the fact, that during the time above referred to, the citizens residing in the territory taken by Gilead from the counties of Knox and Richland, have been constantly opposed to being thus out off from their connection with those counties, and attached to one which is, as they assert, directly hostile to their interests and advantages. Those citizens are not entirely opposed to the erection of a new county, of which they might form a part, but they object to being taken into a county which would render their situation worse than it now is, and, hence, they have now united with those whom they have heretofore opposed, and favor the erection of the new county of Chester-a county in which they can enjoy equal advantages with theis western neighbors.
The undersigned are of the opinion that the advantages to accrue to the citizens of a new county would be more equally distributed by the erection of Cheater than by the erection of Gilead. But, before giving their reasons for this opinion, they would state that they are both personally acquainted with the territory out of which it is proposed to make one or the other of these new counties, and can, therefore, speak with more confidence.
The minority will first notice the fact, that the general business of that region tends northeasterly and easterly, to Mansfield, Fredericktown and Mount Vernon non. The first-named place being the present termination of the railroad which is rapidly progressing toward the latter places, and to which points the people are drawn, as well on account of a market for their agricultural products, As for the purpose of milling, and of furnishing themselves with what their wants require, in either the mechanical or mercantile line. And to these points, from a large portion of the country in view, the business must not only continue to flow, but must very much increase, especially on the completion of the railroad to Fredericktown and Mount Vernon.
It is almost needless to say, that the people of any county are best accommodated by having their civil and judicial business transacted where their mercantile and other business concentrates. Gilead, as its location indicates, cannot afford such accommodation. These facts will show that the people of the territory embraced in Chester, or that ought to be embraced in any new county in that region, will be better accommodated at Chesterville, as the county seat, than at Gilead.
But it is not alone on arguments such as these that the minority rest their views of the propriety of erecting Chester instead of Gilead.
It will be perceived that the proposed county of Gilead requires so much territory from Marion as to reduce that county below its constitutional area-a fact not noted in the report of the majority. As the constitution of the State declares that "no new county shall be established by the General Assembly which shall reduce the county or counties, or either of them, from which it shall be taken, to less extent than 400 square miles" a declaration to which no two constructions can be given-the minority of the committee, in common with others, are of the opinion that it would be doing violence to that instrument to erect Gilead, or any other new county, which does so reduce an existing county. Aside from this constitutional view of the matter, the expediency of thus reducing a county below its constitutional area, and attaching fragments of territory taken from its neighbor to restore
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what was thus lost, maybe seriously questioned. Upon this point the minority -do not deem it necessary to enlarge.
But, however this may be, it is an objection which can be easily obviated by the erection of Chester-as there is contiguous territory enough in the counties of Delaware, Marion, Richland and Knox to make a new county, without cutting Marion down below 400 square miles. Then why resort to a doubtful measure, when the means are not only ample for avoiding it, but the people interested might at the same time be accommodated much better thereby.
When to all this is added, what the minority believe is a fact, that the territory detached from Union and attached to Marion County reduces Union below its constitutional area, there no longer remains a doubt with the minority that Gilead can not-ought not-to be made.
But there is another fact which should not be overlooked in comparing the merits of the two claims; and which, as the minority think, places beyond controversy the question as to which of them ought to be made. According to what the minority believe to be a correct estimate, there are about thirty-six square miles of territory in Chester which is nearer the county seats of the counties in which said territory now lies than it will be in Chester, if that county is erected. This seems to be a sufficient amount of territory to be thus incommoded by the making of any new county. But in Gilead there are within its advertised bounds seventy eight square miles of territory similarly situated. To this may also be added six miles in the parts proposed to be attached to Marion, making a total of eighty-four square miles incommoded on account of increased distance from the county seats. This is equal to one-fifth of the whole territory embraced within the bounds of Gilead. And when to this is added the fact that many of those who may be brought nearer to the new than they now are to the old county seat, but would nevertheless be incommoded by having to transact their civil and judicial business in one direction and their other business in another, there will probably be two-fifths of the population of Gilead who would feel themselves injured by the erection of said county.
The minority also deem it proper, in conclusion, to notice a few points made by the majority in their report.
In alluding to the petitions, the majority say that they are "from citizens of Richland, Crawford, Marion, Delaware and Knox.." The minority on examination find petitions from Richland, Marion, Delaware and Knox, but none from Crawford. This may by some be regarded as a matter of small moment. Be it so; but in all things, especially official matters, everything, however unintentional, calculated to deceive, should be carefully avoided.
The majority also say "that there is in the counties from which the proposed county is to be taken an abundance of territory out of which to erect a new county without reducing either of the counties from which territory is taken below the constitutional amount." The minority, not having seen the bill reported by the majority for the erection of Gilead, do not, of course, know its provisions; but judging from the terms of the petition, it cannot be doubted that provision is therein made for attaching to Marion territory for the purpose of restoring it to its constitutional area.
The majority further say, that in making Gilead, there is left in the county of Richland four hundred and eighty square miles; in the county of Crawford, four hundred and five square miles; in the county of Delaware, four hundred and sixty-six square miles; in the county of Knox, five hundred and twenty-four square miles;" but most singularly omit to tell how much is left in the county of Marion, which, it will be borne in mind, is reduced below the constitutional limits.
The minority will next notice the comparison made by the majority of the number of petitioners with the number of voters in the territory embraced by Gilead. The report says that the number of voters amounts to about three thousand-a large majority of which number have petitioned for the erection of the proposed new county."
The minority have made a hasty estimate of the number of votes polled at the gubernatorial election in 1844, and find they amount to about three thousand five hundred. It is well known that more or less voters in all elections do not attend the polls. These, added to the natural increase since that time, would doubtless swell the number to nearly or quite four thousand. The minority have also carefully counted all the petitioners for Gilead, and find that the number of those within the bounds of that claim amounts to one thousand four hundred and thirty-six-being only a little more than one-third of the estimated number of voters in said territory.
In addition to the foregoing petitioners, the minority find of those out of the Gilead territory, ninety-four in Marion County and one hundred and eighty-six in Delaware County, making in all two hundred and eighty. To such petitions, however, coming from persons not
212 - HISTORY OF MORROW COUNTY.
residing in territory included in the new county, the minority -attach but little weight-knowing, as they do, how readily many persons sign petitions for objects in which they have little or no interest.
The majority say further in their report that they have taken into consideration the various other claims which conflict with this (Gilead), and find that the largest number of legal petitioners are in its favor." The minority have also been attentive to this matter, but have arrived at a different result. The petitioners which the minority think should have any influence in the case, being those only who are within the territory of the proposed county of Gilead, amount, as before stated, to one thousand four hundred and thirty-six, while those for Chester number one thousand six hundred and thirty five, all of whom are within the territory, and all are strictly legal.
ELAH PARK,
GEORGE TAYLOR.
This attack was followed up by the presentation of a bill to erect the county of Chester, and both bills passed successfully to the third reading in the House. In the mean while, Gilead had narrowly escaped utter defeat, and was saved from a hostile vote only by recommitting it to the committee. On the other hand, the lobbyists of that claim bad, after an unsuccessful attempt to buy out Chester for $1,000, purchased the aid of the Bennington champions-Freeman for cash, and Randolph by a promise of office in the new county, and thus re-enforced were making up in shrewd management what they were losing in popularity. A letter from Dr. Hance, early in January, 1848, gives the status of the rival claims as follows:
"Just before adjournment, the new county committee reported back the Gilead bill with some amendments, when Mr. Blake moved its recommitment to a committee of one, which finally resulted in recommitting it to a committee of three, to wit, Blake, McWright and Cotton. A division being called for, thirty-seven members arose in favor of its recommitment, being a majority of the whole House, two, at least, of the enemies of Gilead being absent, who, bad they been present, would have voted for recommitment. This vote, I think, decides the vote of Gilead. The Gilead folks feel a good deal excited about the result of this vote. Well, I wish they were worse crippled than they are -, though I think they will be killed when they come up again. Since the report of the committee, 170 petitions have been presented for Gilead. These I examined to-night, and find 57 of them from Harmony, 89 from Marlborough and 24 from Marion Township. At the time of the report, Gilead had 1,436 petitioners, to which add the above 57 from Harmony, being the only ones within the territory, and they have 1,493, while we have now here 1,85 1, being 358 more than they have within the territory. They had, at the time of the report, 280 out of the territory, to which add the above 113, and it makes them 393, being in all, in and out of the territory, 1,886. Counting what we have out of the territory, being about 60, and we have 1,911, being 25 more than they have."
On the 4th of January, the Gilead claim was reported back to the Committee -of the Whole House, and was indefinitely postponed. On the following day, this vote was reconsidered and the bill recommitted, and, by one of those freaks of fortune, "that no man can find out," the fortunes of Gilead began to pick up. A letter from the lobby at Columbus writes on January 5., 1848:
"I have no doubt that the Walhonding demonstration has made friends for Gilead among the Democrats, and this indirectly injures Chester. A wonderful change has certainly taken place among the Democrats in regard to new counties. Heretofore, they have, as a party, been opposed, but the vote on Gilead shows a different feeling. On the vote to indefinitely postpone Gilead, there were for it 26 Whigs and 8 Democrats; against it, 21 Democrats and 12 Whigs."
Not to go into further tedious details, the excellent management of the Gilead claim was exhibited by its passing one day in the absence of some of its enemies by a majority of one, and went into the Senate. To recover the ground lost, the Chester managers had a new bill introduced in the Upper House, and proposed to contest every foot of ground. Here Gilead found it necessary to
HISTORY OF MORROW COUNTY. - 213
rely more upon the skill of its management than upon its friends in the Senate. As late as the 21st of February, it was indefinitely postponed. by a vote of 17 to 15, a vote that would have been the death of any ordinary project, but the. lobby influence was indefatigable, and the bill was resuscitated and passed February 24, 1848. It is difficult to determine whether its friends or its foes were the most surprised by this denouement, and just how it was done has long been a puzzle. One vote was gained by changing the name of the proposed county. A Senator from Morrow, in the southern part of the State, who had been instructed to vote against Marshall County, said that if the Gilead people would change the name to Morrow, after the ex-Governor of that name, he could vote for it. This was accordingly done. But after waiting in vain for a favorable opportunity to catch their opponents napping, they devised a plan by which they hoped to secure a favorable vote. So, one day, when it was found that the absence of a single adverse vote would give the Gilead claim a clear field, Senator Olds, of Pickaway, who was very fond of a game of cards, was inveigled into a back room by the Gilead retainers, and got so interested in a game that he forgot his interests at the Capitol. To make his absence from the Senate certain, George N. Clark, who was one of the Gilead lobby at that time, slipped up to the door and locked it, the key being on the outside by a previous arrangement. When the bill was presented, the opposition at once sought for the missing member, but without avail, and Morrow County was erected by barely enough votes to insure success. This was done in the afternoon, and, as soon as possible thereafter, George N. Clark mounted Dr. Geller's horse to carry the news to Mount Gilead. He reached Sunbury about midnight, where be stopped to rest until morning. The people here were favorable to the Gilead claim, the cannon was brought out, fires were lighted and an impromptu jollification was held. The next morning, Clark came on to Woodbury, where he lived. Here the cannon was brought into requisition, and after tiring themselves out they turned in and escorted the messenger to Mount Gilead. The news had preceded him along the road, and as the procession passed it gained accessions, so that in spite of the almost impassable mud, the cannon and a large concourse of people came bringing the Dews to the new county seat. That night the little town went wild with excitement. The cannon boomed, fires blazed and the crowds yelled themselves hoarse, while all the oratorical talent of the place was placed under tribute to add to the general cheer. The rejoicing was of a generous character, and the exultation was not so much over the defeat of their opponents, as that the hope, so long deferred, had at last been realized. The Chester people, while regretting the defeat of their own measure, could, and did, heartily join in the general congratulation on the erection of the new county of Morrow.
'The bill as passed provided:
"That so much of the counties of Marion, Delaware, Knox and Richland as are embraced within the boundaries hereinafter described be and the same are hereby erected into a separate and distinct county, which shall be known by the name of Morrow; and the seat of justice within and for said county shall be and is hereby fixed and established at Mount Gilead , to wit - Beginning at the southwest corner of Tully Township, in Marion County: thence east on the township line to the southeast corner of said township, thence north on the township line to the northeast corner of said township, thence north one mile, thence east on the nearest line of lots to the northeast corner of Section 9, in Troy Township, Richland County, thence south on the nearest line of lots with the eastern boundary lines of Franklin, Chester and Bloomfield Townships, in Knox County. to the southeast corner of said township of Bloomfield; thence west with the south line of Bloomfield Township, Knox County, and Bennington and Peru Townships, Delaware County, to the southwest corner of said township of Peru ; thence north four miles, thence west along the nearest line of lots to the west line of Oxford Township, Delaware County; thence north along the township line to the Greenville treaty line; thence easterly along said Greenville treaty line to the southwest corner of Morven Township, Marion County; thence north along the west
214 - HISTORY OF MORROW COUNTY.
line of said Morven and Canaan Townships, Marion County, to the place of beginning, and also attaching to the county of Marion so much of the county of Delaware as is contained in the following boundaries, to wit: Beginning on the Greenville treaty line at the northeast corner of Marlborough Township, Delaware County, thence south along the line between Marlborough and Westfield Townships, Delaware County, to the southwest corner of said Westfield Township; thence west in a straight line to the boundary between Union and Delaware Counties; thence north on said boundary line to the Greenville treaty line."
SEC. 2. Provides that suits and prosecutions pending in those portions of the several counties set off to Morrow or Marion previous to the 1st day of March, 1848, shall be prosecuted to the final judgment and execution in the same manner as if the county of Morrow had not been erected, and that all officers should so act until the first Monday in March, 1848.
SEC. 3. Provides that all Justices of the Peace, Constables and other officers in those parts of the counties set off to Morrow and Marion Counties shall continue to discharge their duties until their term of service expires or their successors are elected.
Sec. 4. That all writs and legal processes issued in the territory recently erected the county of Morrow shall be styled of Morrow County after the 1st day of March, 1848 .
SEC. 5. -That the legal voters residing within the limits of the county of Morrow shall, on the first Monday in April, 1848, assemble in their respective townships, at the usual places of holding elections, and proceed to elect the different county officers (except Sheriff and Coroner, who shall be elected according to the 39th section of an act regulating elections, passed February 18, 1831), in the manner prescribed in the act regulating elections, who shall hold their offices until the next annual election, and until their successors are chosen and qualified."
SEC. 6. Provides that Morrow County shall be attached to the Second Judicial Circuit of the Court of Common Pleas.
SEC. 7. "That no tax shall be levied upon the property, either real or personal, of the citizens of Morrow County, for the erection of a courthouse and jail within and for said county until the sum of $7,000 shall have been subscribed and paid to or expended by the County Commissioners, as donations from the citizens of said county, for the erection of public buildings; provided that if said sum of $7,000 shall not be subscribed and paid within two years from and after the passage of this act, it shall be the duty of the Commissioners of the said county of Morrow, within twenty days after the expiration of said term of two years, to give notice of such fact in some newspaper of general circulation in said county, and the qualified electors of said county may, at the annual spring election then ensuing, determine by ballot the location of the seat of justice for said county, and that place having in its favor a majority of all the ballots cast at such election shall thereafter be established as the seat of justice for the said county of Morrow."
SEC. 8. "Nothing in this act shall be so construed as to exonerate that portion of Knox County, hereby included in the county of Morrow, from any liability on. account of any railroad subscription heretofore made by the said county of Knox, but their due proportion of said subscription shall be levied upon all property within said territory, and collected by the Treasurer of Morrow County, and be by him paid over to the Treasurer of Knox County, or such other officer or person as may be authorized by law to receive the game."
SEC. 9. "And it is hereby made the duty of the Auditor of Knox County, on or before the 15th day of June in each year, as long as the above tax shall be claimed, to furnish the Auditor of Morrow County with the rate per centum of the tax levied in Knox County for the purpose above named; and upon receipt of said rate, the said Auditor of Morrow County shall add such rate to all the property, personal and real, within the above-named territory detached from Knox County, according to the value of said property as entered upon his duplicate."
JOSEPH S. HAWKINS,
Speaker House of Representatives.
CHARLES B. GODDARD,
President of Senate.
February 24, 1848.
It is a carious study to review the history of this straggle for a new county to note the thousand and one influences that affected the general issue, to measure the power of the contestants, and mark the means used to accomplish their purposes. The contest was substantially between Chester and Gilead claims. Bennington, though supported by sufficient funds and adroitly managed by Freeman, Randolph and Morehouse, was intrinsically weak, and ignominiously collapsed when closely scrutinized. Gilead, evidently, had the largest purse, and expended, from first to last,
HISTORY OF MORROW COUNTY. - 215
not far from $15,000. She had the largest force in the lobby, maintaining during the last session of the contest, six hired lobbyists, besides eight of her own citizens. The support of the Gilead claim was steady, and the burden, divided among a comparatively large number, was more easily borne. Money, when necessary, was readily secured, one,or two persons contributing as high as $1,000, and some considerably more. Chester spent much less money, for the very satisfactory reason that there was less to spend. The burden of the contest fell upon a few individuals, and remittances to the lobby were made in sums of $15 to $50, and during the crisis of the contest, it was only by the indomitable courage of the managers of the claim at Columbus that Chester was kept before the Legislature. At no time did the number of their lobbyists exceed ten, and frequently, because of sickness or other causes, their number was reduced to a single representative. While their opponents dispensed a lavish hospitality, they were obliged to scan their outlays with the closest economy to pay their board at $2.50 and $3 per week. In the matter of communication with the home committees at Chesterville and Mount Gilead, during the. season when the mud was almost impassable, the lobby at Columbus was often put to their wit's ends. "The mail went out twice a week, but was often delayed for days at a time. Here the Gilead people, who had horses in waiting, could accomplish what the Chester people were obliged to forego, or take advantage of such opportunities as a chance visitor at the capital afforded. Other things being equal, these facts must have told strongly in favor of the Gilead claim, but it must be conceded that the Chester lobby handled their case with admirable tact, and were finally defeated by other than diplomatic means. Chester undoubtedly had the strongest prima facie showing, and commanded the strongest vote in both Houses of the Legislature, but it failed till late in the contest to get an able champion in the House. On the other. hand, Gilead, though having less friends among the members of the Legislature, had an able manager in the House, who was efficiently supported by the shrewdness of the lobby, and, in the event, this secured the victory.
It would naturally be supposed that, after a contest that exhausted every resource and device of the contestants, the victor would be allowed to wear its prize unchallenged forever after. Since then, however, a new aspirant for metropolitan honors has come upon the field, and has disputed the right of Mount Gilead to sit upon the seat of power. In 1873-74, a considerable agitation was begun by the people of Cardington to secure the removal of the county seat to that village. Petitions were circulated asking the Legislature to submit the subject to a vote of the people. It was claimed by the leaders in this movement that while "Mount Gilead might be a good place for the sale of dry goods, groceries, etc., it could never be made available to the farmer or mechanic as a place for heavy trade, as Mount Gilead bad not got equal railroad advantages with Cardington." It was also represented that Cardington was ready to invest $50,000 in public buildings, should the county seat be moved there. The effort, though gaining considerable notoriety in the papers, fell flat upon the ear of the people, and ambition's labor was lost. The people could not see how "heavy trade" would benefit a "seat of justice," and simply ignored the movement. The new railroad facilities that have recently been brought to Mount Gilead through the enterprise of its citizens have removed even that pretense, and the city ,'set upon a hill" bears her honors with unruffled serenity.
Under the act recited above, Morrow County was made up of sixteen townships of irregular shapes and sizes, varying in area from fifteen to thirty-six square miles. In the legislative season of 1848-49, the smallest township was further reduced to thirteen square miles, and the regular line of the county's eastern boundary broken, by a successful effort on the part of a few discontented persons in Troy and Franklin Townships, to be set back to their original counties. The population
HISTORY OF MORROW COUNTY. - 216
of the county, as given in the census of two years later, is 20,280 ; in the following decade, there was a gain of only 155, and in the second decade this gain was turned into a loss of 1,789. The result of the census now being taken, it is believed, will show no appreciable gain on that of 1870. The reason for this retrograde movement in the population is not well defined. A suggestive fact is found in the change in the size of the farms in the county. At an early date, the average farm was very much smaller than now, and a large family was raised on fifty acres. This was especially true of a part of Chester Township, where this fact gave the title of "fifty-acre section" to that part of the township. The county was thus over-populated in the early settlement, and as the Western lands have come into market, the younger part of the people have gone West to find more room. The farms have gradually grown larger, and the numbers less. The census of the various townships and villages for the last three decades ending 1870 is as follows:
|
TOWNSHIP |
1850 | 1860 | 1870 |
| Canaan | 1,223 | 1,231 | 1,109 |
| Cardington | 1,106 | 1,906 | 1,281 |
| Cardington (Town of) | 292 | 920 | |
| Westfield | 1,414 | 1,432 | 1.313 |
| Peru | 876 | 1.070 | 953 |
| Lincoln | 891 | 1,025 | 916 |
| Gilead | 1,034 | 1,154 | 930 |
| Mt. Gilead (Town of) | 646 | 788 | 1,087 |
| Washington | 1,137 | 1,099 | 879 |
| North Bloomfield | 1,443 | 1,300 | 1,194 |
| Congress | 1,651 | 1,563 | 1,448 |
| Harmony | 1,041 | 1,007 | 771 |
| Bennington | 1,265 | 1,075 | 900 |
| South Bloomfield | 1,268 | 1,289 | 919 |
| Sparta (Town of) | 127 | 197 | |
| Chester | 1,213 | 1,427 | 795 |
| Chesterville (Town of) | 407 | 280 | |
| Franklin | 1,456 | 1,256 | 1,014 |
| Perry | 1,150 | 1,127 | 1,044 |
| Troy | 640 | 696 | 696 |
| Total | 20,280 | 20,435 | 18.646 |
The first election held according to the requirements of the act erecting the county resulted in the election of Hiram T. Randolph, Auditor; Dr. William Geller, Treasurer; Ross Burns, Sheriff; William S. Clements, Clerk; William Hanna, John Doty and John T. Creigh, County Commissioners. Messrs. S. T. Cunnard, Richard House and E. B. Kinsell were appointed Associate Judges, and two years later George N. Clark was elected the first Representative from this county. These gentlemen were all prominent in the various schemes to erect a new county, and considering the antagonism between the various claims, there was a very fair division of the honors. The first meeting of the Commissioners was held in Mount Gilead, April 10, 1848, when but little was done save to give notice that several matters would come before the board in their June session, and to instruct the Auditor to settle with the Treasurers of the different original counties in regard to the new county's share of the funds in their several treasuries. The investigation showed a balance in favor of Morrow in only one instance. Marion turned over $350.77, while Knox had the balance on the other side of the ledger. During this first session of the Commissioners, a contract was concluded for the county with the Trustees of the old Baptist Church, standing on the lower square, for the use of the building for the court; the sum of ten dollars being agreed upon for each regular term, and a dollar per day for each special session, the owners to be at all necessary expense of fitting it for the use of the court. In the June session, the Board of Commissioners heard the petitioners of certain householders living in the different fractional townships set off to form Morrow County, and, in accordance with these petitions, erected the half townships of Troy and Perry into separate organizations with their original names. Sections 10, 11 and 12, taken from Polk Township, Crawford County, were incorporated with Washington Township, and sections 7, 8 and 9, of the same township were added to North Bloomfield. The sections that were cut off from Oxford Township, Delaware County, were incorporated with Westfield, and the Shaw sections, of the latter township, 'Were attached to Morven Township. These are all the
HISTORY OF MORROW COUNTY - 217
changes that have been made since Morrow County was formed, save in the case of Gilead and Morven, or, as now known, Cardington. The former township has recently received a large addition from Congress Township, and a smaller addition from Lincoln Township on the south. Cardington has received a small addition from the northwest corner of Lincoln Township, to give the village of that name space to expand. The townships as they now stand, with their villages and post offices, with the date of their establishment, will be found in the accompanying table:
| TOWNSHIP | WHEN ORGANIZED | VILLAGES | WHEN LAID OUT | POST OFFICES | WHEN ESTEABLISHED |
| Marengo | Marengo | June 27, 1848 | |||
| Bennington | April 22, 1817 | Pagetown | (1) Pagetown | April 18, 1859 | |
| Blooming Grove | March 6, 1835 | (2) Corsica | February 16, 1844 | ||
| Bloomfield, North | West Point | Whetstone | May 18, 1850 | ||
| Sparta | Sparta | April 1, 1837 | |||
| Bloomfield, South | June 28, 1817 | Bloomfield | Bloomfield | February 7, 1834 | |
| Canaan | Denmark | Marits | April 19, 1833 | ||
| (3) Cardington | Dec. 1, 1823 | Cardington | 1839 | Cardington | Aug. 17, 1827 |
| Chester | April 10, 1812 | Chesterville | 1829 | Chesterville | May 22, 1832 |
| Congress | Williamsport | Oct 11, 1836 | Andrews | April 23, 1842 | |
| Franklin | Dec. 3, 1823 | Pulaskiville | 1834 | Pulaskiville | Dec. 3, 1838 |
| Levering Station | 1874 | Gilead Station | June 24, 1874 | ||
| Gilead | June, 1835 | Mount Gilead | Sept., 20, 1824 | (4) Mt. Gilead | Jan. 20, 1827 |
| Harmony | June 5, 1820 | ||||
| Lincoln | March 3, 1828 | Johnsville | Dec. 17, 1834 | Shauck's | No Date |
| Perry | March, 1817 | North Woodbury | June 21, 1830 | Woodview | Oct. 27, 1843 |
| South Woodbury | About 1834 | Bennington | May 13, 1823 | ||
| Peru | April 22, 1817 | West Liberty | 1838 | ||
| Troy | Steam Corners | Not Laid Out | Steam Corners | June 30, 1865 | |
| Iberia Station | Not Laid Out | Iberia Station | March 8, 1880 | ||
| Washington | 1824 | Iberia | 1832 | Iberia | Dec. 10, 1832 |
| Westfield | March 6, 1822 | Westfield | 1828 | Westfield | March 17, 1821 |
| (1) Established as Macon; (2) Established as Whetstone; (3) Established as Barcelona; (4) Erected as Morven Township | |||||
Apropos of this table, it may be said that there are now three money-order offices in this county, Mount Gilead, Cardington and Chesterville. In 1831, we find from an old post office directory, that there were but five post offices within the territory that now belongs to Morrow County. These were Whetsone, John Roy, Postmaster; Cardington, Slocum H. Bunker, Postmaster; Shauck's, John Shauck, Postmaster; Bennington, Jacob Vandeventer, Postmaster; Westfield, George Claypool, Postmaster. The rates of postage were, according to the acts of March, 1825 and 1827, then in force,"on a letter composed of one piece of paper," for any distance not exceeding 30 miles, 6 cents ; over 30 miles and not 80 miles, 10 cents; over 80 miles and not exceeding 150 miles, 12 1/2 cents; over 150 miles and exceeding 400 miles, 18 3/4 cents; over 400 miles, 25 cents. "A letter composed of two pieces of paper was charged with double these rates , of three pieces, with triple, and of four pieces, with quadruple. One or more pieces of paper, mailed as a letter, and weighing an ounce, shall be charged with quadruple postage; and at the same rate should the weight be greater." The contrast between that day and this needs no learned homily to set it forth.
The present demands of the county having been accommodated, as recounted above, the Commissioners turned their attention to providing the necessary buildings to accommodate the business of the county. Advertisements, asking for sealed proposals for the building of a brick jail building, were authorized to be inserted in the Democratic Messenger, the only paper then published in the county; and July 7, 1849, a contract was entered into with Auld & Miller. The specifications are not given in the Commissioners' journal, but
218 - HISTORY OF MORROW COUNTY.
the structure itself sufficiently sets forth what was desired by the authorities, as it bad their approval in the various stages of its building. It is a two story, rectangular brick building, standing in the rear of the court house lot, looking very much like a dormitory attachment to a country academy. The barred windows, however, give it an ominous look on a near inspection, but from its general reputation it is not considered, by the experienced rogue, a hopeless doom to be incarcerated therein. In the latter part of 1850, it was ready for business, and has been, more or less, actively engaged ever since. The stipulated $7,000 had been paid in, partly in real estate and partly in cash ; but the Commissioners did not feel prepared to commence the work of building a court house until 1852. In the March session of that year, proposals were advertised for, and later a contract was entered into with Messrs. Auld & Miller for $10,800, the building to be completed by January 1, 1854. Lots 121 and 122, of Ustic's Addition, had been selected, and on this site the building went up. In the mean while, the offices of the court and county were scattered about the town. A long, barrack-like frame building, standing where the probate office now is, accommodated the Clerk and Sheriff, the old town hall others, and a building on. the west side of the upper square the rest. On January 1, 1854, the limit of the contract, the new court house was nearly completed, and in July it was accepted by the Commissioners, the contractors being paid in full the 15th of that month. The same contractors took the job of grading the yard and building the stone wall about it. The iron fence was supplied by Seaman & Benjamin Taber, at $1.25 per foot, and manufactured at their foundry, situated where the Short Line Depot now stands. The court house is a plain brick, rectangular building, standing upon a natural plateau, about four feet above the grade of the street. The end fronts on the main street, and on either side of the ball, which runs lengthwise of the building, are the offices of Sheriff, Auditor, Treasurer, Prosecuting Attorney, Clerk and Recorder. The Probate Judge shared the office of the Recorder, but it proved so inconvenient that, about 1861, the county purchased the brick law office of James Olds, built just east of the court house, where the Probate Court has since been held. The upper story of the court house is reached by a double flight of stairs in the front end of the building. Here, a good-sized court room, divided in nearly equal proportions for the accommodation of the bar and public, takes up the principal part of the building. Over the stairways on either side are comfortable jury-rooms. The accompanying cut shows the court house from the southwest corner, with the Probate Judge's office on the right, and the jail on the left.
The purchase of the "poor farm " and the erection of an infirmary is of a more recent date. The poor were originally cared for by a township tax such care as they had. In 1848, but two townships made any such provision, Congress levying two-thirds of a mill, and Peru levying one-half a mill for this purpose, An agitation was begun as early as 1866, to provide better accommodations for this class of the community, and, under the law then existing, the proposition of purchasing land for a "poor farm " was submitted to a vote of the people. Owing to the natural jealousy or carelessness of the people, this proposition was defeated by a vote of 1612 to 927. This vote can hardly be taken as a fair expression of the people on the subject, as it is almost impossible, when the vote is by"yes " or "no," appended to a regular ticket, to get everybody to register an opinion, It is so easy to say nothing, and, as the blanks count in the negative, thereby save their conscience and money at the same time. The law on this subject was soon after changed, authorizing the Commissioners to purchase land for this purpose at their discretion, and in 1869, the subject was again made prominent. The Commissioners hesitated somewhat, in face of the vote of 1867, although heartily in favor of establishing an infirmary. They finally invited a few of the prominent citizens from each of the townships to meet
HISTORY OF MORROW COUNTY. - 219
at the court house, to confer on the subject. The meeting thus convened, with but a single exception, approved of the proposition, and in January, 1870, the Board bought the farm of W. Smith Irwin, situated two miles northeast of Mount Gilead, in Gilead Township. The farm consisted of 207 acres, situated on high, rolling ground, and admirably adapted for farming purposes. A one story and a half brick house was enlarged by the addition of a mansard roof, and in March, 1870, a contract was made with Miller & Smith, to erect across the end of the original structure a main building of brick, three stories high, 30x50 feet, at a cost of $6,990. The building thus forming a large "T" was further enlarged in 1878, by the addition of an "L " to the original part of the building. Considerable expense has been put upon the farm in the way of repairs, bringing up the gross expense of the institution to about $23,000. The farm has two old orchards, beside a young orchard, containing 200 apple-trees and 100 pear-trees, which have now begun to bear fruit. A plat devoted to the culture of small fruit yields an abundant supply of blackberries and raspberries, while a herd of thirteen grade Durham cows supplies the" home " with butter, milk and cheese. The latter article is obtained from the surplus milk, that is taken to the factory recently started in Gilead. Two years ago, a thoroughbred Short-horn Durham bull was added to the stock of the place, which will prove a valuable addition. The calves are all reared for sale or use on the place. The product of the farm last year was 300 bushels of corn, 278 bushels of potatoes, 1691 bushels of wheat, 367 bushels of oats, 51 bushels of buckwheat, 30 tons of bay, 3,9201 pounds of pork, and 1,873 pounds of beef, besides the fruit, butter and milk. There are about thirty-nine inmates of the infirmary, three of whom are insane, and some seventeen are children, most of whom are natives of Morrow County. Burials from the home have been made heretofore in the "potters" field" in the cemetery at Mount Gilead, but of late the cemetery belonging to the Old School Baptist Church, at Whetstone, has been donated to the county for this purpose, and it is now being put in order by G. E. Miller, the present efficient Superintendent of the Infirmary. It is proposed to make it attractive as a cemetery, and to number each grave to correspond with the number of the deceased on the register, so that the occupant of any grave may be identified at any time.
In the accompanying table is shown the number of inmates for each year since the beginning, the townships from which they came and the totals. It will be observed that the total for 1877 far exceeds that of any other year. This is accounted for by the fact that the pressure of the hard times had just then reached Morrow County, and there was a general disposition in all parts of the county on the part of each community to rid themselves of every burden possible. The number who have died in the infirmary is twenty-one; the number born, six.
One of the old orchards on this place, tradition has it, was planted by that eccentric frontier philanthropist, "Johnny Appleseed." This tradition is very generally believed and others in Chester and Washington Townships are pointed out to the stranger as originating in that way.
220 - HISTORY OF MORROW COUNTY.
It is certain that he was a frequent visitor in this county at an early, and is well remembered by a number of persons still living in the county.
But little is known of the history of this strange character.* His proper name was Jonathan Chapman, and he was, it is supposed, a native of New England. He was a Swedenborgian in religious faith, and, it seems, became crazy on this subject, his eccentricity consisting in a peculiar gentleness toward all living creatures, and the planting of apple-seeds on the frontier far in advance of the white settlements. It was -his custom to go into the older settlements of Pennsylvania at the time of making cider, and carefully gathering a peck or more of apple-seeds from the pomace, place them in a bag and start on foot for the western wilds. He was familiar with all the trails, and seemed as welcome with the Indians as with the whites. Whenever, in his wanderings, he found a fit opening, he would plant his seed, sometime in the villages of the natives, sometimes in the villages of whites, but more often in some loamy land along the bank of a stream where an open space gave promise of their growing. These plantings he frequently revisited to insure their triumph over the choking influence of grass and underbrush. The traditions of his operations are found from Wayne County in Ohio, to Fort Wayne, Indiana, a space of some two hundred miles long and fifty or sixty miles wide forming the principal scene of his labors. He was quite as earnest in the propagation of his religious views as of his apple-trees. Wherever he went, he carried and distributed books relating to his sect's peculiar tenets, and when his stock ran low he would tear a book in two, giving each part to a different person. His aim was to follow the life of the primitive Christians, taking no thought for tomorrow, and lead a moral, blameless life. "His personal appearance was as singular as his character. He was a small, chunked man, quick and restless in his motions, and conversation. His beard and hair were long
* We learned, somewhat indefinitely, that there is in existence a printed work supposed to be an autobiography of this Man, but we were unable to find it.
and dark, and his eye black and sparkling." This is hardly the picture of him remembered at the present day in Morrow County, but it may be accounted for from the fact that age had probably "dimmed the fire of his eye" before the living generation knew him. He lived the roughest kind of a life, sleeping a large part of the year in the woods with such accommodations as the are ground or hollow log afforded. During the most severe weather of the winter, he usually spent his time in the white settlements, but even then, though barefooted, the rigor of the weather could not restrain him from taking short journeys here and there. In the matter of dress, he carried his eccentricity to the farthest extreme. He exchanged his seedlings for old garments, and donned them without regard to their size or design, and frequently had nothing but an inverted coffee-sack, through which he thrust his head and arms, for an outer garment. In the matter of head covering he was especially careless. At times he wore a cap fashioned from the skin of some animal or cloth, and frequently a cast-off tin can did service in preserving his bead from exposure to the elements.
There are a large number of stories related in regard to his habits, which we reprint from "Howe's Historical Collections of Ohio," and "Norton's History of Knox County." For a time, it is said, Johnny Appleseed wore an old military chapeau, which some officer had given him, and thus accoutered he came suddenly upon a Dutchman, who hid just moved into the country. The sides were ripped, and the loose ends flopping in the wind, made it seem a thing of evil. Decked with this fantastic head-gear, Johnny came noiselessly upon the pioneer, and, without uttering a word, thrust his face, completely covered with a wilderness of black hair, out of which peered the unnatural light of his dark eyes, into the astonished man's presence. The backwoodsman, suddenly confronted by such an apparition, would not have been more disconcerted had he met a painted savage in the act of appropriating his hair, and he
HISTORY OF MORROW COUNTY. - 221
never ceased to relate what a scare he got from Johnny, standing with bare feet and "one tam muscle-shell cocked on his head." His tenderness for all of "God's creatures " was proverbial, and many incidents in this connection are related. In the "Historical Collections of Ohio " is found the following: On one cool, autumnal night, while lying by his camp-fire in the woods, he observed that the mosquitoes flew in the blaze and were burnt. Johnny, who wore on his head a tin utensil, which answered both as cap and mush-pot, filled it with water and quenched the fire, and afterward remarked, God forbid that I should build a fire for my comfort, that should be the means of destroying any of His creatures.' Another time, he made his camp-fire at the end of a hollow log in which he intended to pass the night, but finding it occupied by a bear and her cubs, he removed his fire to the other end, and slept on the snow in the open air rather than to disturb the bear. On one occasion, while on a prairie, a rattlesnake attacked him. Some time after, a friend inquired of him about the matter. He drew a long, sigh and replied, Poor fellow! he only just touched me, when I, in an ungodly passion, put heel of my scythe upon him and went home. Some time after, I went there for my scythe, and there lay the poor fellow dead.'" He was a zealous Christian, and was always to be found where religious services were held, if in the neighborhood. At one time, when he was at Mansfield, an itinerant preacher held an out-door service and Johnny was enjoying the sermon, lying on his back upon a piece of timber. The minister was describing the Christian's way of trial, on his journey to the better land, and had described the tedious journey of a barefooted man through the wilderness. Pausing in his description of such physical difficulties, he cried out, in an elevated tone, "Where is the barefooted Christian traveling to heaven ?" Throwing his feet high in the air, Johnny responded, "Here he is!" It was not quite what the speaker expected, but the audience, doubtless, recognized the fitness of the response. Speaking of his bare feet, it is related that by constant exposure, and the roughness of his way through the wilderness, his feet became incredibly tough and insensible to cold. At one time, he attempted to cross Lake Erie barefooted on the ice in company with another man. Night overtook them before they had completed the journey, and, in the bitter coldness of the night, his companion froze to death. Johnny, by rolling violently about the ice, kept warm, and in after times appeared none the worse for this trying adventure.
In the early part of the war of 1812, he was very active in Richland and Knox Counties, carrying the news of approaching danger to the whites settled along the river courses in these counties. He did not seem to have any fear of personal violence to himself, and often' in the dead of night a settler would arouse his neighbors with the announcement that Johnny Appleseed had brought news of the approach of danger. His word was never doubted, and no further confirmation of the tidings was asked. It was he that brought the news of the Seymour and Copus massacres to the startled settlements in Perry and Franklin Townships, and later the alarm of the murder of Jones at Mansfield. He was faithful to his trusts, and his word was as good as his bond. Norton, in his History of Knox County, relates that, "in 1819, Isaiah Roberts, then on his way so Missouri, finding no boat at Zanesville ready to start on the trip down the river, footed it to Marietta, and on the road met Johnny Appleseed, who promised to call at his father's in Knox County, and tell him when he parted with him, etc. Shortly afterward, Johnny made his appearance one night about dark, and was cheerfully received. He then had on an old tattered coat and slouch hat, with hair and beard uncut and uncombed, and barefooted. After eating some supper, he espied a copy of Ballou on the Atonement, which he took and read for some time by candle light, thinking at first it was good Swedenborg doctrine, and desired to take it with him, but after reading further, and finding the kind of doctrine it inculcated, he threw it down,
222 - HISTORY OF MORROW COUNTY.
expressing his disappointment, and in a few moments after stretched himself out and went to sleep." About 1830, he left this region and went to the newer portion of the West. "The last time he was in this country," says Norton,"He took Joseph Mahaffey aside, and pointed out to him two lots of land at the lower end of Main street, Mount Vernon, west side, about where Morey's soap factory was carried on, which he said belonged to him, and some time be might come back to them. The tail-race of the Clinton Mill Company passed along there, and some of the ground has since been washed away by the water, and upon another portion stands the Mount Vernon Woolen Factory building." In the same work, it is said that the Rev. John Mitchell, when traveling on the Plymouth circuit in 1837, met Johnny wending his way along the road on foot and in his shirt sleeves. He told him then lie was living "out West." The latest account we find of this character, so intimately associated with the early history of this region, dates in the fall of 1843. He was then on his way from the Iowa prairies ping to Philadelphia to attend a Swedenborg convention. He stopped all night with old acquaintances in Whiteside County, Ill. Since then, be has been lost to sight, but his memory will linger in the hearts of the present generation for years to come, and their children will learn to revere the decaying monuments of his industry as the memorials of one whose mind, though unbalanced, swayed to the brighter side of human nature.
In the current number of St. Nicholas (June) we find the following tribute to his character and work, written by Lydia Maria Child, which we copy in full:
Poor Johnny was bended well-nigh double
With years of toil, and care, and trouble;
But his large old heart still felt the need
Of doing for others some kindly deed.
"But what can I do? " old Johnny said;
"I who work so hard for daily bread?
It takes heaps of money to do much good;
I am far too poor to do as I would."
The old man sat thinking deeply awhile,
Then over his features gleamed a smile,
And he clapped his hands with a boyish glee,
And he said to himself, , There's a way for me
He worked and worked with might and main,
But no one knew the plan in his brain.
He took ripe apples in pay for chores,
And carefully cut from them all the cores.
He filled a bag full, then wandered away,
And no man saw him for many a day.
With knapsack over his shoulder slung,
He marched along, and whistled or sung.
He seemed to roam with no object in view,
Like one who had nothing on earth to do;
But, journeying thus o'er the prairies wide,
He paused now and then, and his bag untied.
With pointed cane deep holes he would bore,
And in every hole he placed a core;
Then covered them well, and left them there
In keeping of sunshine, rain and air.
Sometimes for days he waded through grass,
And saw not a living creature pass,
But often, when sinking to sleep in the dark,
He heard the owls hoot and the prairie-dogs bark.
Sometimes an Indian of sturdy limb
Came striding along and walked with him;
And he who had food shared with the other,
As if he had met a hungry brother.
When the Indian saw how the bag was filled,
And looked at the holes the white man drilled,
He thought to himself 'twas a silly plan
To be planting seeds for some future man.
Sometimes a log cabin came in view,
Where Johnny was sure to find jobs to do,
By which he gained stores of bread and meat,
And welcome rest for his weary feet.
He had full many a story to tell,
And goodly hymns that he sung right well;
He tossed up the babies, and joined the boys
In many a game full of fun and noise.
And he seemed so hearty, in work or play,
Men, women and boys all urged him to stay;
But he always said, "I have something to do,
And I must go on to carry it through."
The boys who were sure to follow him round,
Soon found what it was he put in the ground
And so, as time passed and he traveled on ,
Ev'ry one called him, "Old Apple-seed John."
HISTORY OF MORROW COUNTY. - 223
Whenever he'd used the whole of his store,
He went into cities and worked for more;
Then he marched back to the wilds again,
And planted seed on the hillside and plain.
In cities, some said the old man was crazy;
While others said he was only lazy;
But he took no notice of gibes and jeers,
He knew he was working for future years.
He knew that trees would soon abound
Where once a tree could not have been found
That flick'ring play of light and shade
Would dance and glimmer along the glade;
That blossoming sprays would form fair bowers,
And sprinkle the grass with rosy showers;
And the little seeds his hands had spread
Would become ripe apples when he was dead.
So he kept on traveling far and wide,
Till his old limbs failed him, and he died.
He said at the last, "'Tis a comfort to feel ideal."
I've done good in the world, though not a great
Weary travelers, journeying West,
In the shade of his trees find pleasant rest
And they often start with glad surprise,
At the rosy fruit that round them lies.
And if they inquire whence came such trees,
Where not a bough once swayed in the breeze,
The answer still comes, as they travel on,
"These trees were planted by Apple-seed John."
The formation of a county as late as 1848 was a matter that attracted considerable attention in professional and business circles, and a tide of immigration set in toward the county seat, bringing an influx of strangers that made the little town of Mount Gilead take on a considerable importance in its own estimation. Among the first to take possession of the land thus opened was John W. Durable. He came from Marion Village, bringing with him an old Foster hand press and the appurtenances of a printing office. The new county was Democratic by a large majority, and the Democratic Messenger soon dispensed the word of political promise to the faithful, from a home institution. It is not known whether the proprietor of the new paper had formerly conducted a paper or not, but he published the Messenger with fair satisfaction for some years, and was one of the best writers the paper ever had. He was prominent in public enterprises, and was among the first to put the Fair Association on its feet. He was succeeded in the sanctum by George A. Sharpe, and at his death a few years later, his son, George S., took up the editorial pen. During the administration of the Sharpes, father and son, politics changed, and what was once a firm Democratic county, rebelling at the repeal of the Missouri Compromise, went over to the enemy. The younger Sharpe was perhaps not well suited to the profession of journalism, and under the adverse political fortune the paper went down. The county was then for some time without an exponent of Democracy, when Reuben Riblet resuscitated the Messenger under the name of the Union Register. He sold the paper in a short time to William H. Rhodes, who was too dissipated to make the paper a success. Not only did the paper miss success, but it came near a second extinction. At this juncture, Judge Judson A. Bebee came to its support. He was an ardent Democrat, and felt that the party, while not in the ascendant, was sufficiently vigorous to demand an organ, and through his influence sixteen or twenty of the prominent members of that party formed a stock company and revived the drooping Register. Judge Beebe acted as editor, and at the same time continued to attend to his practice at the bar. The result was a confirmation of - the old proverb, "An' two ride a horse, one must ride behind," and finding that one must be neglected, he declined to serve longer as editor. Through his influence, C. M. Kenton undertook the duties of editor, Mr. Beebe lending such assistance as the duties of his profession would allow. This, however, proved un satisfactory, and the company, becoming tired of an enterprise that not only failed to pay dividends, but, owing to the inevitable expense of that way of conducting the paper, failed to pay expenses, became desirous of getting rid of the establishment. Through Mr. Beebe's efforts, the Hon. H. S. Prophet was induced to take the paper off the company's hands, the price being regulated more by the desire of the stockholders to get rid of the
224 - HISTORY OF MORROW COUNTY.
burden than by the purchaser's desire to buy it. Mr. Prophet was more successful in the management of the concern, and for six years made the paper of some power in Democratic councils, and paid expenses. His chosen profession, however, was the law, and he soon began to look about for some one to relieve him of his newspaper work. Samuel Shaffer, now of the Ohio State Journal, undertook the task, leasing the office for one year, but be became satisfied at the end of his term that he was unequal to the occasion, and retired, paying one hundred dollars for his experience. C. S. & W. G. Beebe succeeded Shaffer, the former leaving the office in a few months to give his whole attention to the practice of law. With such a history it could hardly be expected that a paper would be successful, and when the present proprietor assumed control, the paper had barely five hundred subscribers. Confidence in the office had been destroyed, and it failed to get the support of its own party, while the paper, printed on the same old hand-press, and with largely old material, was too forlorn an object to make friends. With' commendable perseverance, Mr. Beebe addressed his energies to building up the character of the paper, a task that he has accomplished with so much success as to command not only the support of his political friends, but many subscriptions -from his Republican acquaintances. Under his administration the office has been completely remodeled. New type has been added, the paper enlarged, and new improved presses supplied. The old hand-press was taken out and its place supplied by a new "Walkup press" in 1876. This press was a new invention, made at Lima, and did not prove a success. In an issue of the Register in July of that year, the editor rises to explain, as follows: "Type and everything but the new paper power press were in readiness for us to issue the paper at the regular time. Saturday evening the press came, and as soon as possible it was put in what was supposed to be in running order. The outside forms were placed upon the machine after one day's delay, and by the time three quires of paper had been run through in a rough style, the manufacturer, Mr. Walkup, who was here in person, discovered a deficiency in the cylinder of the press which caused a great wrinkling in the printed sheets. So the press was stopped, the forms removed, and the cylinder, weighing near three hundred pounds, taken from its position and shipped to the machine-shops at Galion for perfecting. Thus we were 'put out on the home stretch."' The press proved a failure, and a Cincinnati press was substituted. The office of the Register, in the Post Office building, is now one of the most attractive offices in the central part of the State. The machinery is all kept neatly covered with dust blankets, the material is neatly stowed away in convenient and sightly cabinets, and everything exhibits a well-to-do air of neatness and convenience. The Register is an eight column folio, with a circulation put by the proprietor at eleven hundred, and sustains a good reputation as a lively local newspaper.
Following closely upon the establishment of the Messenger came the Whig Sentinel. David Watt was originally from Carrolton, Carroll Co., Ohio. During the struggle for the erection of the new county, he was introduced to the Mount Gilead lobby as the proper man for them to employ in their behalf, and he was engaged. The end justified the choice. He was the main prop of their declining cause, and was largely instrumental at the last in plucking victory out of the jaws of defeat. After the struggle was over, he decided to throw in his interest with the new county, and in the latter part of 1848, established the Sentinel. He conducted the paper about three years, when William P. Dumble bought the office. Mr. Dumble was a brother of the proprietor of the Democratic contemporary, and it is said that the discussions between the two papers were not the less "spicy " from the fact the rival editors were brothers. They were naturally fitted for the literary management of a paper, but both failed in a financial way. In 1855, J. W. Griffith came to Mount Gilead, and- three years late bought the paper, and has
HISTORY OF MORROW COUNTY - 225
Picture of Allen Levering
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Since conducted it with credit to the county and profit to himself Mr. Griffith is a native of Pennsylvania, and early learned the printer's trade. A short time previous to his coming to Mount Gilead, he came from his native State to Shelby, to assist his uncle, who then had an eating house in that town. 'Disliking the business, he went to Mansfield to find a a situation at the case, in one of the offices at that place. There was no vacancy, but, just before he called, a compositor who had formerly been employed in the office of the Sentinel, received a dispatch to the effect that one of the hands was sick, and asking him to come right over. The compositor was glad to delegate this duty to Griffith, who, coming to the office, has stayed ever since. The paper, owing to the frequent illness of the editor and proprietor, had greatly degenerated, and was financially on its "last legs," and in 1858, Griffith bought the office on long time, paying the advance money from his accumulations since coming to the office. The paper was known then as the Mount Gilead Sentinel, the Whig having been dropped with the party in 1854. Since then, the paper has been in the bands of one man, and its progress has been a steady rise, until now it commands the hearty support of two-thirds of the newspaper readers of Morrow County. When the present proprietor took the office, it was a seven column folio, 27x35 inches, set in small pica, brevier and nonpareil type, and commanded the halfhearted support of 350 subscribers. In two years, notwithstanding the discouraging effect of the June frost in 1858, he had increased the circulation to 600 subscribers. In 1860, the paper came out in new dress, and with its name changed from "Mount Gilead" to "Morrow Sentinel'' In March, 1866, the first jobber ever in the town was added to the Sentnel office, in the shape of a quarto medium nonpareil. In the following 'July, the paper was enlarged from seven to eight columns, provided with a new dress and a Cincinnati cylinder newspaper press, bought to accommodate the growing circulation, and in 1874, a half-medium Gordon "jobber " made the facilities for doing job work second to none. This steady application to business, and the quiet, regular issue of each edition, though affording the historian less material for his purpose, has raised the office from issuing a paltry edition, crudely printed on a Washington hand-press, to the present establishment, where there ere are but two articles to represent the old office. The office is over the store of Talmadge's hardware store, in a room it has occupied for some eight years. The weekly edition reaches 1,250 and still receives additions. The current edition is the first number of the thirty-third volume, and in it the editor takes occasion to say:
"The issue of last week rounded to its close the thirty second volume of the Sentinel, and on the threshold of the new year it is befitting that we should look back with our readers over the checkered path we have trod together. Thirty two years! Could the Sentinel speak and tell us of the changes it has witnessed, the trials passed, the triumphs achieved, the friends it has seen pass away, or grown gray as it has grown strong, how the tale would enthrall our breathless attention! But thirty-two is not the age of gushing confession, and we cannot expect to hear of its early loves and disappointments, the frolics and vicissitudes of its youth. A generation has passed since its birth, and while its servants and friends have grown older and fonder of the ease earned by a life of toil, it has just arrived at maturity and rejoices like a strong man to run a race.'
"In public life, what revolutions it has seen Parties have fulfilled their mission and passed away like autumn leaves; the cause of freedom, rising in the cloud of 'free soil' not larger than a man's hand, has spanned the heavens, and equal rights, casting its shadow over a weary land, has delivered that which was holy from the dogs, and set the oppressed free. The public life of the last thirty-two years has been eventful, charged with potencies for weal or woe to the nation, and the Sentinel, in its place and way, has borne its part without wavering and without regret; and standing now on the eve of another conflict between
228 - HISTORY OF MORROW COUNTY.
the old elements of antagonism, it draws fresh inspiration from this birthday retrospection, and renews its faith in the policy of honesty, liberty, and equal rights before the law and at the ballotbox.
"The Sentinel finds another source of congratulation in the fact that its labors have not been without their reward. Its circle of friends have enlarged with every added year, and as these friendships have ripened they have grown more intimate and personal. Though sometimes divided as to means, there has been no division as to sentiment or ends. It is in such an union that strength abides, and glad in the bright auspices of the coming year, the Sentinel sends its response to the happy congratulations of all."
"The Cardington Independent has had a checkered career. It was established in 1856, by Messrs. Hastings & Nichols, under the name of the Cardington Flag. They published it a little less than a year, when they sold it to Charles Maxwell. Under his proprietorship, the name was changed to the Morrow County Herald, It then passed into the hands of James St. John; from him it passed to W. I. Lattridge. In 1863, it was suspended for several months, and in December of that year, it was revived by W. F. and F. L. Wallace. After passing through several hands, it again suspended in 1866, and the material was sold to A. M. Smith and R. M. Weamer, for $300. In the meanwhile, the name had been changed to the Cardington Reville. This name was changed to the Republican by the last purchasers, who conducted the paper for some time. In 1872, it passed from hand to hand in rapid succession, making ten changes in that year. It finally lodged in the hands of Stephen Brown, Esq., who changed the name to the Cardington Independent, and in 1876, sold it to W. L. Ensign, the present editor and proprietor. It is not surprising that a paper should lose character with such a history. The ablest editor and the shrewdest manager in the world would find the task of making such a paper 'pay' an impossibility." In the hands of Mr. Ensign, however, the paper is recovering lost ground, and is beginning to prove valuable property. It is independent in politics, but its columns are principally devoted to local news.
