EARLY DAYS AND WAR OF
1812.
[Pg. 72]
The
first brick building erected in Lancaster is
the one now occupied by John S. Brasee
as a law office. The second was the
Court House. The third was built by
the Rev. John Wright and now forms a
portion of E. B. White's residence;
all three were built previous to 1810.
In that year GEneral Beecher built
his brick office, which stood on what is now
the Rising corner, Columbus and Main
Streets.
In the early days transportation was out of the
question, and everything required by the
settlers was made by hand in Lancaster, and
mechanics were numerous.
Bodenheimer and Spogle were wheel
wrights; Miller, Tong,
Luman Baker, Thos.
Dawlin and Joseph Grubb
were cabinet makers; William Duffield,
Christian Weaver, John Leonard, J.
A. Weakley, Henry Johns,
W. Latimere and John K. Myers
were carpenters; Jno. Foglesong and
Samuel Blazer were blacksmiths;
Samuel Effinger and Scipio
Smith were tin smiths; Thomas
Sturgeon and John Townsend were
silversmiths; John Stallsmith,
Jacob Embich and George
Canode were shoemakers; John
Beemen and Colonel George
Sites were gunsmiths; John Shurr,
Gotlieb Steinman, John U.
Giesy and Daniel Keltner were
bakers — all in business prior to the year
[Pg. 73]
1825. Philemon Beecher,
W. W. Irvin and Charles R. Sherman
were the three ablest attorneys
practicing at the Lancaster bar previous to
1830, and each was called to fill public
positions of high honor.
The declaration of war with England by the United
States Congress in 1812, created great
excitement in Lancaster. A public
meeting was called at the Court House.
Major Charles R. Sherman read the
Governor's proclamation and delivered a
thrilling patriotic speech. George Sanderson
volunteered to raise a company, which he did
in a few days — was elected Captain and
marched his company to the Northern frontier
and joined General Hull's army. They
were all surrendered at Detroit. Sanderson
returned to Lancaster and in violation of
his parole given at Detroit, raised the
second Company and joined General
Harrison's army and served through the
war. The risk Sanderson ran in
violating his parole and his gallant conduct
as a soldier, gave him a lasting reputation.
Feb. 17, 1815, a letter was received by the Post master
of Lancaster from the Postmaster of
Wheeling, Va., announcing that peace had
been declared between the United States and
Great Britain.
Dr. James Wilson, President of the Town Council,
at once issued a proclamation requesting all
citizens of Lancaster to join in a general
celebration of the event and an illumination
of the town. He also directed
Captain Wm. Sumner of the Lancaster
Artillery to fire a national salute in the
afternoon.
COLONEL
JOHN NOBLE
Colonel John Noble came to Lancaster
about the year 1815, as a tailor. He
was a brother-in-law of year 1815, as a
tailor. HE was a brother-in-law of
Samuel Effinger For many years he
owned and was
[Pg. 74]
landlord of the Union Hotel, on the spot
known successively as the Phoenix, Tallmadge, and
Kirn. From
here he moved to Columbus and kept the old
Neil House. He was popular both as a landlord and
a
citizen. He was the father of the late
Henry
C. Noble
of Columbus and of John W. Noble of St.
Louis, Mo. Henry Clay was more than once his guest. He
entertained General Taylor, President-elect, at
the Pearl
Street House in Cincinnati. Colonel
Noble's
daughter
married Dr. Loving of Columbus, and his
adopted
daughter was the second wife of Dr. W. M. Trevitt,
Ohio's Secretary of State. Another daughter
married Henry T. Myers.
In the year 1840, he entertained James G. Blaine and
Thomas Ewing's boys — then lads of eleven
and thirteen years. The boys remained until they
supposed
the hotel bill would exhaust their cash. They ordered
their carriage and called for their bill.
Col. Noble told them that he did not charge
Mr. Ewing's
boys —
that their entertainment was free. They,
with one accord, proposed to stay another day and
ordered their
horse back to the stable, greatly to the
amusement of Col. Noble.
On this trip, as the boys approached Greencastle,
they noticed a hickory pole with a
Democratic flag.
As they passed it, Tom Ewing and
Jim Blaine,
as the
boys were called, took off their hats and
gave three
cheers for General Harrison.
Hugh was the
oldest
and the driver, he reproved them, saying:
"Your conduct is insulting to these people and you
must not repeat it as they all know father's carriage."
On their
return trip, they did repeat it, and Hugh
stopped the
carriage, put them out, and drove off,
leaving them to
walk to Lancaster a distance of nine miles.
[Pg. 75]
Col. Noble kept a hotel in Lancaster from 1819
to about 1832. In company with Captain
Jno. A. Dubble he kept hotel ten years
in Cincinnati. Returning to Columbus, he
built and opened the old Buckeye House on
Broad Street. He was a partner in a
general store in Lancaster and in two
manufacturing establishments. He was a
public-spirited citizen and alive to the
interests of the town. He was the
official representative of Fairfield County
at Hebron when the canal was commenced; and
escorted Governor DeWitt Clinton to
Lancaster.
THOMAS EWING.
Thomas Ewing was born in Ohio County,
near Wheeling, Va., Dec. 28, 1789. His
father was Captain George Ewing, a
soldier of the Army of the Revolution, who
at the close of the war left his home in New
Jersey for the West. Owing to trouble
with the Indians in the Ohio Territory he
settled temporarily
in Virginia. In a few years the
Indians became peace ful and he continued
his journey to Ohio, and settled on what is
now known as Federal Creek in Athens County.
Young Ewing worked upon his father's
farm until nineteen years of age, reading in
the meantime such books as were to be found
in the cabins of the settlers and in the new
library which they had purchased.
Being ambitious to obtain an education he
prevailed upon his father to permit him to
go to the Kanawha Salt Works and earn the
necessary money. He walked through the
woods to the Ohio River and got aboard a
keel boat and worked his passage to the
salines. This was in the year 1809.
In December of this year he returned home,
went to Athens and spent three months there
as a student. In the spring of 1810 he
went again to the Salt Works to earn more
[Pg. 76]
money. He was successful, returned
home and paid off his father's debts.
The winter of 1810 and 1811 he spent at home
reading the books of the library. In
the spring of 1811 he again went to the Salt
Works and after a summer's work returned
home with six hundred dollars in money.
He immediately entered the Ohio University,
being twenty-one years of age, and continued
a student there until the spring of 1815,
when he graduated with honor. After
graduating he again went to Kanawha and in
six weeks earned one hundred and fifty
dollars. With this sum he returned
home and in July of the same year, 1815, he
came to Lancaster and commenced the study of
law with General Beecher.
During his college term he taught school one
term at "Gallipolis, Ohio; and the Athens
County records show that he occasionally
acted as a surveyor. Before entering
General Beecher's office he
had read Blackstone and after
fourteen months of hard study, sixteen hours
per day, he was in August, 1816, admitted to
the bar, being then past twenty-four years
of age.
His first speech as an attorney was made in the Court
House at Circleville, Ohio. In 1817 he
was appointed Prosecuting Attorney for
Athens County, notwithstanding the fact that
he lived in Lancaster, forty-five miles
distant. He served as such for the
years 1817-18-19 and 20, and again in 1824
and 1825. He was Prosecuting attorney
for the County of Fairfield from the year
1818 to 1830. Three or four years
after being admitted to the bar, Mr.
Ewing married Maria, daughter
of Hugh Boyle, Clerk of the
Court, and one of the pioneers of Lancaster.
In the year 1824 he formed a partnership
with his young friend, Henry
Stanbery, which continued a few years.
They soon became great
[Pg. 77]
rivals at the Lancaster bar and upon the
circuit; but this did not disturb or mar the
friendship of their early years. Mr.
Ewing soon rose to eminence as a
lawyer and Whig politician. He had the
honor to deliver the oration at Hebron,
Ohio, when the first shovelful of earth was
thrown by Governor DeWitt Clinton
upon the surveyed line of the Ohio Canal.
In 1831 he was elected by the Ohio
Legislature as Senator of the United States
and served six years. He soon became
an influential member of the Senate and a
good debater, making for himself a national
reputation. In 1841 he was Secretary
of the Treasury in President Harrison's
cabinet. In 1849 he was Secretary of
the Interior under President
Taylor and organized that department.
Unfortunately for Mr. Ewing
and the country, both presidents died early
in their administration so that he did not
have an opportunity for the display of his
great abilities as a cabinet officer.
In 1851 Thomas Corwin, then
Senator from Ohio, resigned and Governor
Ford appointed Mr. Ewing
to fill the vacancy. Corwin,
wheji nominated for Senator, defeated Mr.
Ewing in caucus by one vote. That
vote was cast by General Joe
Geiger, of Circleville, whom Mr.
Ewing had in some way offended.
Great as Mr. Ewing was as a
statesman, his great fame will rest upon his
ability as a lawyer, a lawyer rooted and
grounded in the fundamental principles of
the law.
In a purely legal argument he was without a rival at
the Ohio bar. In the courts of Ohio,
Henry Stanbery was his most
formidable competitor. They were
opposed to each other on all great cases. In
the great case of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, Mr. Ewing represented
the North, Stanbery the South.
As all the world knows, Mr. Ewing
won the case.
[Pg. 78]
Good judges pronounced his argument a
wonderful production. In the Martha
Washington case tried in the United
States Court at Columbus, Stanbery
appeared for the prosecution, and Ewing
for the defense. Mr. Ewing
submitted the case without argument much to
the surprise of Stanbery who had a
carefully prepared speech, and the jury
brought in a verdict for defendants.
During the trying times of the Rebellion,
when his boys and son-in-law were at the
front, he was in constant communication with
the authorities at Washington. His
advice was often sought by the
Administration and freely given. It
was mainly, (as his friends claim) upon his
advice that Mason and Slidell
were surrendered and a war with England
averted. He left a sick-bed and made
his way to Washington to advise with
President Lincoln on this
occasion. He lived to see peace and a
reunited country. Mr. Ewing
was a man of splendid form, strong and
active, and many good stories are told of
his strength and agility. He could
jump higher than any young man he ever met
and but few, if any, could throw him down.
He is credited with once taking an ax by the
handle and throwing it over the Court House
steeple. After Mr. Ewing
became established as a lawyer, he, in
company with Hon. Samuel F. Vinton,
purchased and operated the Chauncey Salt
Works in Athens County. They continued
the business for twenty years or more and
finally turned it over to Colonel
Steel, Ewing's son-in-law.
After the death of President
Harrison, Mr. Ewing did
not remain long in Tyler's cabinet.
Tyler and his cabinet differed
radically on the bank question in
particular, and they were not long in
tendering their resignations. Mr.
Ewing wrote and published a lengthy
letter explaining why he left the cabi-
[Pg. 79]
net, and quoted conversations had with the
President and conversations that took place
in cabinet meetings, that the public might
fully understand his reasons, for this
breach of confidence, as his enemies termed
it. He was roundly abused by all of
the leading Democratic papers of the
country, harsh terms and abusive language
filling their columns. Mr.
Ewing was not injured in the estimation
of his party and, on his return to Ohio, he
was tendered public dinners by the
enthusiastic Whigs of Columbus and
Zanesville. From 1841 to 1860 Mr.
Ewing was engaged in his profession
in large and important suits, both in the
courts of Ohio and of the United States.
The Stoddard case, a case involving
Spanish land titles, he tried in St. Louis
and was successful. He spent four
months or more in acquiring the Spanish
language that he might more fully understand
and prosecute his case. Much of his
time in preparation was spent in Cincinnati.
While there he made the acquaintance of an
intelligent photo graphic artist, in whose
office he was accustomed to unbend himself
when tired of his work. This artist
states that in conversation with Mr.
Ewing he was surprised to learn that
he knew more about the photo graphic art
than he himself. This is not surprising to
those who knew Mr. Ewing, for
he was a ripe scholar, well read and at home
upon any subject that he might be called
upon to discuss. He had assisted his
father to make a new home in Indiana where
the old gentle man died Jan. 14, 1824.
This home was on the Ohio River near
Cannelton and, at the time of which we
write, was occupied by Mr. Ewing's
aged brother George. While at
St. Louis trying the Stoddard case,
he notified his brother that on a certain
day on his way home his boat would pass
Cannelton but would not
[Pg. 80]
stop. The boat reached the point in
due time and the aged brother was in his
chair on the river bank surrounded by his
family. As the boat drew near, Mr.
Ewing stood at the railing surrounded
by the deeply interested passengers; he
greeted his brother and the salutation was
returned. As the boat passed up stream
the old man arose, trembling with age and
quivering with emotion, and bowed a farewell
for the last time, never to meet or see his
brother again.
Mr. Ewing died Oct. 26, 1871, at his home
in Lancaster. His funeral was largely
attended. On his death-bed he said to
a friend, "I have lived a long, useful and
eventful life and I am ready to go."
The honorary pall bearers were:
Governor R. B. Hayes,
Senator John Sherman,
Senator Allen G. Thurman,
Judge Welch of the Supreme Court,
John H. James, of Urbana.
A. B. Walker, of Athens,
W. Marshall Anderson, Circleville,
Charles B. Goddard, Zanesville,
M. A. Daugherty, Lancaster,
John D. Martin, Lancaster,
Darius Tallmadge, Lancaster,
George G. Beck, Lancaster,
Frederick A. Foster, Lancaster,
Charles M. L. Wiseman, Lancaster,
J. F. Vandemark, Lancaster,
Hon. Henry Stanbery,
George Reber, of Sandusky,
Henry B. Curtis, of Mt. Vernon,
Hocking H. Hunter, Lancaster,
John T. Brasee, Lancaster,
[Pg. 81]
James R. Pearse, Lancaster,
Charles Borland, Lancaster,
Samuel A. Griswold, Lancaster,
Samuel Herr, Lancaster,
Jacob Beck, Lancaster,
Dr. T. O. Edwards, Lancaster.
About the year 1818 the southern part of Fairfield
County was infested with a gang of thieves
and counterfeiters, who for months or years
had evaded or escaped from the officers of
the law and defied arrest. Thomas
Ewing, who was Prosecuting Attorney,
be came tired of this and requested to be
sworn in as a special constable; which was
accordingly done. He selected a half
dozen choice spirits, who like himself, were
large, strong, and active men, of known
courage and discretion—Nathaniel
Red, Christian Neibling,
Adam Weaver, Christian King, David Reese,
and Elnathan Scofield. They
proceeded to the rendezvous, surrounded the
house and captured the gang, binding the
leader, who was in charge of Mr.
Ewing. Scofield was about
to be overpowered, when Ewing went to
his relief. The leader seized this
moment for escape, and, though his hands
were bound, jumped out of a second story
window and made his escape in the darkness.
The others were tried, convicted and sent to
prison.
During the years Mr. Ewing was prosecutor
and for many years previous, there were
numerous distilleries in the County; and
merchants everywhere sold or gave liquor
away to their customers, and whisky was a
universal beverage. Along in the
twenties the sale of it was regulated
somewhat by statute. The records show
that Mr. Ewing as prosecutor
procured indictments against Latta,
Connell and Ainsworth,
Christian
[Pg. 82]
King and Henry Arnold
for selling whisky in quantities less than
one quart. They were tried and fined
five dollars and costs each. John
Reber and John G. Willock were
witnesses in two of the cases, being clerks
in the stores.
George Smetters (Smothers) was
indicted for selling three pounds of pepper
at retail to Henry B. Joy of the
value of $1.06. "Merchandise, not the
growth and manufacture of the United States,
contrary to the form of the Statute in such
cases made and provided." T. Ewing,
Prosecuting Attorney.
Smetters pleaded guilty and was fined $10 and
costs of prosecution.
George Smetters was the owner of a large
farm near town, but not a merchant. He
drove a six-horse team to a Conestoga wagon,
and carried produce to Baltimore and brought
out goods for Lancaster merchants. It
is highly probable that he carried small
quantities of goods of his own, or for his
own use, and retailed to his friends.
His case was continued for one or two terms
and he finally gave Hugh Boyle,
Clerk of the Court, a power of attorney to
plead guilty for him. This very
unusual proceeding was accepted by the
Court. Smetters was no doubt
absent from home during the sessions of the
Court, which was the cause of his unusual
manner of pleading. This indictment
was brought Oct. 1, 1821, and finally
disposed of October, 1822, Judge John A.
McDowell presiding. The foreman of
the Grand Jury was Samuel F. Maccracken.
The witnesses were George Burkley,
Christian Rokohl, and Henry B. Joy.
The fact is Smetters had no attorney
and he empowered Boyle to plead for
him and submit the matter to the judgment of
the Court.
[Pg. 83]
Kilbourne’s Gazetteer for the year 1818, says of
Lancaster: “It contains between one
hundred and two hundred houses and a
population of six or seven hundred
inhabitants. Here are likewise twelve
mercantile stores, a handsome court house
and jail, a Methodist meeting-house, a bank,
an English and German printing office, from
which are published weekly newspapers in
both languages, and a market-house, with a
market on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Various
kinds of mechanical business are likewise
here industriously prosecuted.”
Edition of 1829, gives this: “The town
contains ten large stores, and seven
taverns, the latter of which may justly be
ranked with the first houses of
entertainment in the United States. It
contains about two hundred and fifty houses,
and one thousand five hundred inhabitants.
The houses are principally brick and frame—a
large number of them brick buildings. * * *
The public buildings are a brick court
house, a new market-house, with a town house
and a Masonic hall erected over it, and four
churches. Lancaster is well supplied
with the means of education. In addition to
an academy, which is now in high repute,
there are several other respectable schools.
* * * Here are also two printing offices,
from which are published weekly a German and
two English newspapers.”
BANKS
The
Lancaster, Ohio, Bank was chartered in the
year 1816, and organized for business August
30th of the same year, with capital of
$200,000. Philemon Beecher
was president for one year and was succeeded
by John Creed.
Michael Garaghty was elected
cashier and served from August 30, 1816,
until the [Pg. 84]
closing up of the bank in 1842. The
first directors were Philemon
Beecher, Elnathan Scofield,
Jacob Claypool, Peter
Reber, Charles R. Sherman, John
Williamson, Jacob Green, Daniel Van Metre,
William King, Richard Hooker, Benjamin
Smith, and S. F. Maccracken.
Probably there was no abler board of
directors in Ohio at that time.
The State of Ohio in 1827 advertised for bids for an
agent to pay contractors on the line of the
Ohio Canal. The Chillicothe Bank bid
one-fourth per cent; the Franklin Bank of
Columbus, one-half per cent; and the
Lancaster Bank agreed to disburse the funds
without charge, provided it could control
all State funds deposited in New York.
The proposition of the Lancaster Bank was
accepted. This was a great financial
stroke. The bank increased its
circulation with this large volume of New
York exchange as security to its bill
holders. This brought on a war between
the banks. The Chillicothe Bank bought
up the circulation of the Lancaster Bank and
made a systematic run upon it.
Creed was aroused and retaliated, and
soon made the Chillicothe concern sue for
quarter.
Jacob Claypool, one of the first directors
of the Lancaster Bank, lived on his farm in
Greenfield Township. He came at an
early day from Hampshire County, Va.
He was a man of rare good sense, intelligent
and honest, and was always in close touch
with the business men of Lancaster, by whom
he was highly esteemed. He represented
his county in the General Assembly for
several years. In his day he was one
of the most widely known and popular farmers
and business men of the county.
In the year 1836, January 25, the Lancaster Bank
[Pg. 85]
had loans and discounts to the amount of
$602,729.00; due from other banks,
$72,291.00; specie on hand, $70,417.00.
The only banks in the State of Ohio outside of
Cincinnati able to make a better showing
were the Bank of Chillicothe, the Franklin
Bank of Columbus, and the Commercial Bank of
Cleveland. The banks of Massillon,
Zanesville, Marietta, Dayton, Steubenville,
and Circleville fell far below it.
The Lancaster Bank building was the first one in
Lancaster to have a freestone front.
This bank for seventeen years declared a dividend of
nineteen per cent to its stockholders,
besides having a large surplus.
Work Galbreath was the teller and
paid- the contractors. In 1837 he
carried to Toledo $100,000 in currency.
This would be considered a risky business at
this day. In 1841, owing to the stringency
in the money market, the bank increased its
capital $50,000 and issued notes for it.
Distrust followed this act and the pressure
became so great that the bank closed in
1842, the Court appointing H. H. Hunter,
Jacob Green and Joseph Stukey
receivers. The outstanding circulation
was called in and redeemed—the last act was
to pay Jacob Green $4,000 to
redeem such straggling notes as might be
still in circulation. This in brief is
a history of the greatest financial
institution known to Lancaster. T. Ewing,
W. J. Reese, H. H. Hunter, H. Stanbery, S.
F. Maccracken and John
Creed were directors in 1841.
[Pg. 86]
HOCKING VALLEY
BANK
This bank was a branch of the State Bank of
Ohio, and was organized in 1847, capital
$90,000; D. Tallmadge, president;
C. F. Garaghty, cashier. In 1848
Garaghty resigned and Win. Slade,
Jr. (a Lancaster attorney), was elected
cashier. In 1850 he resigned and moved
to Cleveland, O. He was succeeded by
M. A. Daugherty (a Lancaster attorney).
At the April election in 1855 John Reber
was elected president and C. F. Garaghty
again cashier. Reber was
president but one year, when he was
succeeded by D. Tallmadge. C. F.
Garaghty resigned in 1859 and was
succeeded by H. V. Weakley. The
charter of the bank expired in 1865.
This bank was well managed and was one of
the solid institutions of Lancaster.
The Hocking Valley National Bank was the
legitimate successor of the Hocking Valley
State Bank, capital $100,000. D.
Tallmadge was president, H. V.
Weakley, cashier, and James T.
Willock, teller. In 1866
Weakley resigned and J. W. Farringer
was elected cashier. In 1869 G. A.
Mithoff succeeded Tallmadge as
president and W. D. Kutz succeeded
J. W. Farringer as its cashier.
Upon the death of G. A. Mithoff his
brother Theodore was elected
president and served as such to the date of
his death, except one year of this time,
1883, when H. C. Drinkle was the
president. The Savings Institute was
organized in 1848. Jacob Green,
Samuel Beery, Henry Miers, L. Lobenthal,
Gideon Martin, Wm. Phelan and S. McCabe
were the directors; Jacob Green,
president, and C. F. Garaghty,
cashier. J. C. Weaver succeeded
Green as president
[Pg. 87]
and N. C. Worthington succeeded
Garaghty as cashier. This bank
lost heavily by discounting notes for a
young speculator, the notes proving to be
forgeries, also in the destruction of their
office by fire. The directors
concluded to close up the affairs of the
bank, which they did in 1857, with a loss to
the stockholders.
EXCHANGE
BANK OF MARTIN & CO.
This was not a bank of issue. It
commenced business Jan. 1, 1854, with
John D. Martin, P. B. Ewing and
Samuel Stambaugh as the partners.
S. Stambaugh died in June, 1854, and
the business was continued by his
associates. B. F. Reinmund was
cashier for a few years, and February, 1859,
was succeeded by C. F. Garaghty.
In 1864 this bank was merged into the First
National Bank, and C. F. Garaghty was
cashier for one year. He was succeeded
by Geo. W. Beck, who has held the
position with a change of name and
stockholders for thirty-two years. For
several years it has been known as the
Lancaster Bank. S. J. Wright
was president for a time and Henry Musser
was his successor. John D.
Martin was a banker thirty-two years,
longer than any Lancaster man; Michael
Garaghty came next, serving twenty-six
years; and next in length of time, John
Creed, serving twenty-five years.
COMMERCIAL BANK
This bank was what was called a private
bank. It was established in 1872 by
J. H. Cochran. In June, 1873,
S. J. Wright became a partner, and in
February, 1874, bought the interest of
Cochran. September 14, 1874, this
bank was merged into the Fairfield County
[Pg. 88]
Bank, with Wesley Peters as
president and S. J. Wright as
cashier. These officers were succeeded
by P. Rising as president and H.
B. Peters as cashier.
BANK OF GARAGHTY
AND HUNTER
This bank was organized in 1869, with C.
F. Garaghty as president and Wm.
Noble as cashier. John Hunter
was the partner of Garaghty.
November, 1875, it closed its doors upon its depositors
forever.
Jno. R. Mumaugh and Wm. Noble
closed up its affairs as assignees and paid
forty per cent, dividend. This was a
bank without capital or prestige — and those
who put their faith in it were heavy losers
FARMERS’ AND CITIZENS’ BANK
This bank was organized in January, 1893,
with Samuel Whiley as
president and F. C. Whiley as
cashier. It is a private bank and the
other stock holders are Jacob
Keller, Edward Binninger,
Philemon Binninger and C. B.
Whiley. All well known Lancaster
business men.
THE ERA OF SHINPLASTERS
The panic of 1837 broke many business men
and banks throughout the West. No one
knew when he took money over his counter
whether it would be worth fifty cents on the
dollar on the next day. For want of
currency and for other reasons, individuals
and corporations issued promises to pay in
fractional amounts and this paper was called
the shinplaster. Many of these small
notes were counterfeited and many who issued
them failed in business, and the country was
soon flooded with shinplasters as worthless
as the
[Pg. 89]
bills of doubtful banks. Among others
the City Council of Lancaster authorized
such notes and they were signed by W. J.
Reese, president. It has not been
many years since the council redeemed a few
of these notes.
Julius W. Dumont was one of the merchants who
issued these notes and failed to redeem
them. Mechanics and small traders
issued such notes. Mr. Burkey, a
shoemaker, and father of Lawrence
Burkey, late of Newark, Ohio, issued
notes of this character. Irvin
Schleghm, a cigar maker, issued such
notes, as did many other business men of
small means; and for a time they passed as
readily as any other currency.
LOTTERIES
In the early history of Lancaster, lotteries
and the sale of lottery tickets were legal,
and many schemes were managed by very
prominent citizens.
In 1819 S. F. Maccracken advertised lottery
tickets for sale in the Ohio Eagle.
The scheme was for a canal at the falls of
the Ohio River, Jeffersonville, Indiana.
The postmaster advertised lottery tickets for sale in
that year for a New Jersey scheme. In 1819
the Barrett Woolen Mills at the upper
falls of the Hockhocking was built by
lottery. There are still in existence
lottery tickets with the names of General
W. J. Reese, S. F. Maccracken,
and Jacob Claypool, as managers.
This was the canal mill scheme; the drawing took place
sometime in the thirties. Lotteries
had their day and are now illegal. Men
who once engaged in the lottery business
would not think of doing it now; for public
sentiment pronounces it an evil, thoroughly
demoralizing in its tendency; and, like the
universal use of intoxicants, it is a thing
of the past.
[Pg. 90]
[Pg. 91]
HENRY
ARNOLD
Henry Arnold, son of
Frederick Arnold who died on his
farm north of Lancaster, was born in or near
Hagerstown, Maryland, 1776, where he was a
counter pane weaver for a number of years,
and where a majority of his children were
born. Henry Arnold is
mentioned in a history of Western Maryland
as early as 1800 and up to 1805. In a
weekly paper, published in Hagerstown and
preserved in the library at Baltimore, Md.,
he advertises his business, that of counter
pane weaver, and states that his shop is
located on the street leading to the Western
country. Other advertisers locate
their shops on the street opposite Henry
Arnold's place, giving him some
prominence. Henry Arnold
in same paper advertises for a runaway
negro. The records show that he sold
considerable property before moving to Ohio
in 1815. His father, his brother
Daniel, and four sisters, Mrs. Reber,
Mrs. Orr, Mrs. Canode and Mrs.
Weaver, came to Lancaster several
years in advance of him. He came to
Ohio about the year 1810 on a prospecting
tour and was pleased with the country; just
how long he remained or the exact time he
brought his family to Lancaster, is not
known. Mrs. McNeill,
shortly before her death, gave the year 1815
as the time of his arrival here with his
family.
He purchased what has long been known as the Arnold
corner and commenced the dry goods business,
which he continued until about the year
1836, when he retired from the cares of
business. F. A. Foster was his
partner in business from Oct. 30, 1817 to
Oct. 30, 1823.
His son George was a partner from 1825 to 1830.
[Pg. 92]
George moved from Lancaster to Utica,
Ohio, and opened a store. Here Jno.
D. Martin and General W. S.
Rosencrans were his young clerks.
From Utica he moved to Mansfield, Ohio, where he
engaged in the dry goods business and was a
successful merchant.
Here he made the acquaintance of Miss Bartley,
the daughter of Mordecai Bartley,
the future governor of Ohio. Miss
Bartley in time became his wife; and
when his father-in-law became governor
George Arnold was appointed his
secretary. When he left the governor's
office he settled in Mt. Vernon, Ohio.
His grandson, H. B. Arnold, is a
promising young attorney of Columbus, Ohio.
Young Rosencrans went with Mr.
Arnold to Mansfield. From here, on
one occasion, he drove Thos. W. Bartley
to Columbus. He proved to be so bright
and intelligent, and so pleased Judge
Bartley, that in a year or two he
procured his admission to West Point. Henry
Arnold had a family of seven
daughters, all handsome young women.
They became the wives of the best young men
in town, Dr. Robert McNeill, F. A.
Foster, Thomas Reed, Wm. Phelan, Amos Swayze,
Benjamin Reinmund and O. W. Rigby.
Mrs. Swayze married for her second
husband Mr. Wells, and they moved to
Iowa. Mrs. Maria Rigby for her
second husband married a Mr. Bently,
of Mansfield, where they resided. Her
daughter by this marriage became the wife of
General R. Brinkerhoff, now one of
the distinguished men of Mansfield.
Mr. Bently dying, his widow became the
wife of Mr. McNulty, of
Ashland, Ohio, he being her third husband.
Henry Arnold was during his life a very
prominent citizen of Lancaster. In
1833 he was one of the County
[Pg. 93]
Commissioners for Fairfield. He was
the guardian of John Reber,
his nephew, and employed him as clerk in his
store.
For many years of his old age he made his home with
B. F. Reinmund and wife on the old
Arnold corner, where on a pleasant day
he was a familiar figure. He died
September 20, 1858, in his eighty-first
year.
The Arnold connection by blood and marriage is a
very large and highly respectable one.
Henry Arnold married a
Bowman and a sister of his wife married
Mr. Gormly, who at the time of
his death was a wealthy banker in Bucyrus,
Ohio. Gormly's granddaughter is
the wife of F. S. Monnett,
Attorney-General of Ohio.
HONORABLE
DAVID COLERICK
The Hon. David Colerick, late of Ft.
Wayne, Ind., left Lancaster when a young
man. He told the writer, when in his
old age, that he had visited Lancaster but
once, and that was two years after he had
removed to Ft. Wayne. At the time he
left Lancaster he was engaged to Susan
Arnold. He returned to claim
his bride, but her parents told him frankly
that they would rather bury her than send
her to the wilds of Indiana to endure the
privations of a frontier life among the
Indians. He returned to his home and
never saw Lancaster afterwards.
Susan Arnold subsequently married
Wm. Phelan, and Mr.
Colerick married Miss Walpole, of
Indianapolis, a granddaughter of one of the
Gillespies, of Brownsville, Pa.
One of his daughters married John Larwell,
of Wooster, Ohio. Larwell's sister
married John K. Miller, of Mt.
Vernon, Ohio, a grandson of another
Gillespie. General Chas.
Ewing married the daughter of John
K. Miller, who was a brother of T.
Ewing Miller, of Columbus, Ohio.
[Pg. 94]
WILLIAM TOWNSEND
William
Townsend came to Lancaster at an early
date and opened a jewelry shop. He
advertised in the Ohio Eagle as early
as 1817. He ceased to do business in
1826. He was a friend of General
Sanderson. He and the General
with other old friends spent their summer
afternoons in the shade of his sycamore tree
which stood in front of his establishment.
He was quite a character. He died in
the year 1843.
JOHN
LATTA
John
Latta, Benjamin and John
Connell came to Lancaster about the
year 1813 and commenced the business of
merchandising under the firm name of
Latta and Connell. They
were men of integrity, wide awake business
men and popular salesmen, being successful
rivals of Creed, Maccracken
and the "Kings. Their store was
opened at sunrise and their clerks remained
on duty until late at night. John
Connell retired from the firm in
March, 1823, and in the year 1825 Richard
M. Ainsworth became a partner and the
firm was known as Latta, Connell
and Company. In the year 1828
Benjamin Connell sold his
interest and retired to his farm on the hill
west of town. The name of the firm was
then changed to Latta and
Ainsworth. Jan. 22, 1834, John
Latta retired on account of poor
health. R. M. Ainsworth,
John G. Willock, who came to Lancaster
from Scotland in 1826, and James Rice
became the proprietors. Rice
retired from the firm in 1838 and the
business was continued by Ainsworth
and Willock until the year 1847.
Early in 1847 Willock sold his
interest to R. M. Ainsworth.
Ainsworth left for the East to buy goods
on his own account
[Pg. 95]
and died suddenly at a lonely hotel on the
National Road on his return trip. His widow
sold the goods to John Effinger,
and he in 1849 sold out to Little and
Dresbach. Mr. Latta
notwithstanding reverses in business made
some judicious investments and at his death
left his son William a handsome
estate. In January, 1830, Captain
Witte, of Hanover, Germany, came to
Lancaster and purchased the farm now owned
by John S. Brasee and erected a steam
mill and distillery.
Maccracken,
Latta and Effinger, on special
contract, bought his grain and undertook to
dispose of his whiskey. The venture
was a loss to all concerned. Witte
failed and turned his property over to his
agents. They in turn made a contract
with Captain Joshua Clarke to
run the business in connection with
Captain Witte. This arrangement
lasted two or three years but it was not
profitable. The wife of John
Latta was the daughter of the first
Thomas Sturgeon, one of the first
hotel keepers of Lancaster. She was
the widow of Dr. James
Wilson. Latta died in 1846,
aged fifty-eight years.
SAMUEL
EFFINGER
Samuel Effinger was born in Woodstock,
Va., and came to Lancaster in the year 1813.
He began the tinning and coppersmith
business in which he was successful.
In October of 1816 he was married to Mary
Noble, sister of Colonel John
Noble. In connection with his
regular business he purchased horses and
drove them to Virginia and Baltimore, Md.
His skill ful coppersmith was John A.
Shraff. Richard and
Milton Hamson, David Kyner,
Philip Lantz, William Searls, Thomas Durban,
Elias Prentice, Jacob Evans, John McClelland
and John Work received their train
[Pg. 96]
ing in his shop. In 1832 he had just
completed his new house, where Mrs. Dr.
Effinger now resides, when he took sick
and died. His stock of goods was sold
to Maccracken and Cross who
carried on the business for a few years. Maccracken
then sold his interest to David
Reese. Apr. 11, 1837, Reese
and Cross dissolved partnership and
Reese continued the business alone.
In 1838 the firm was known as Reese
and Shraff and in 1839, Reese
and Kreider. David
Reese died in 1840, and his interest in
the firm was sold to Jesse B. Hart
and John D. Martin. In 1842,
John D. Martin retiring, John
McClelland became Hart's partner
and in a year or two bought the interest of
Jesse
B. Hart.
FREDERICK
A. FOSTER.
Mr. Foster was a native of Rhode Island.
He came to Lancaster from Marietta in the
year 1810 and was first employed as a clerk
by John Creed. Nov. 23,
1815, he became partner and the firm was
known as Foster and Company.
Oct. 30, 1817, he withdrew from this firm
and formed a partnership with Henry
Arnold. This partnership continued
until 1823, when Foster sold out to
George B. Arnold. Foster
then opened a store on his own account and
carried on this business until April, 1832,
when he sold out to Benjamin
Connell who bought the stock for his
brother John Connell. This
closes Mr. Foster's mercantile
career. He served as secretary of the
Lateral Canal Company and was clerk for
Mr. Hunter, the receiver of the
Lancaster, Ohio, Bank. F. A. Foster
was highly esteemed, a man of integrity and
good business ability. He was one of the
last of the pioneers whose life continued to
the present generation, his death occurring
in the year
[Pg. 97]
1880. He was one of the honored
pioneer members of the Presbyterian Church.
His first wife was a daughter of Henry
Arnold; his second wife was a
Wilson.
REVEREND
SAMUEL CARPENTER
The Rev.
Samuel Carpenter was a native of
Lancaster County, Pa., and came with his
cousins to Lancaster at a very early day.
He was partner of Emanuel Carpenter, Jr.,
in the mercantile business in 1816 and 1817.
Upon the death of his partner a few years
later, he became a suitor for the widow's
hand and they were married.
He was a surveyor, which calling he followed after the
failure of Emanuel Carpenter.
He also preached for the Old School Baptists
the greater part of his life. In 1827,
when the canal was being built, he rode to
Akron, Ohio, on horseback, to solicit
employment of Alfred Kelley,
the Canal Commissioner. He carried
with him an excellent letter of introduction
and recommendation by Charles R. Sherman,
which the Judge very kindly volunteered.
He was also endorsed by Thomas
Ewing at request of Judge
Sherman. Copies of these old
letters are still preserved.
Carpenter was employed by Kelley
and was also employed years afterwards on
the Hocking Canal. He was a
painstaking, honest engineer, polite and
courteous to all in his employ. He was
fond of fruit and flowers and at one time
had a nursery. He lived and died in
the house built by Emanuel
Carpenter on Broad Street.
THE
DUKE OF SAXE WEIMAR, 1825.
The Duke
of Saxe Weimar's Travels gives the
following: — "New Lancaster has its name
from the city of Lancaster in Pennsylvania,
and was founded by
[Pg. 98]
Pennsylvania Germans, who were joined by
many German emigrants, particularly
Wiirtemburgers, and some Switzers.
. . . .
Shortly after my arrival, I received the
visits of several of the German and half
German inhabitants; among the latter I
remarked Judge Deitrick, a
native of Philadelphia, an agreeable, plain
and well-informed man; he offered to be my
guide through the town, which I thankfully
accepted. He introduced me to several
of the merchants, whose well-furnished
stores I visited. .
. . . We saw an
English and German printing office; the
latter was under the direction of a German,
Mr. Hermann, who publishes a
German newspaper under the title of Der
Ohio Adler, (The Ohio Eagle), the
English printing office likewise published a
paper. The type for the German paper
is from the foundry in Philadelphia, and
cannot be said to be elegant; it is true
there is generally but little elegance to be
observed in German type. I read in
Mr. Hermann's office about twelve German
papers, published in the United States; they
were mostly written in corrupt German; the
only well written one was edited in
Philadelphia by Mr. Ritter. .
. . . Judge Deitrick
conducted me to a cloth manufactory
belonging to Mr. Rice, (Ring
and Rice) whose machinery is moved by
the waters of the Hockhocking. .
. . . Mr.
Deitrick introduced me to a Mr.
Sherman, judge of the Supreme Court,
who is one of the most respectable
inhabitants of the place. He invited
me to tea, and I met with very agreeable
society."
HENRY
CLAY.
Henry Clay frequently passed
through Lancaster on his way to Washington
City. He was the idol of the old Whigs
of Lancaster and they were always ready
[Pg. 99]
to do him honor. The leading citizens
of Lancaster regardless of party were always
glad to see him in Lancaster; and for years
they had a desire to show their regard for
him in some complimentary manner. In
the year 1825 the long desired opportunity
occurred. It was known that he would
pass through Lancaster in the month of
August of that year. A meeting of
citizens was called and a committee
appointed to extend him an invitation to
partake of a complimentary dinner to be
tendered bv the citizens. The letter
of the committee reached Mr. Clay at
Lebanon, Ohio, where he was detained two or
three weeks on account of the sickness and
death of a young daughter. The
following is a copy of a subscription paper
signed by the citizens :
Lancaster, July 25, 1825.
WE, the undersigned, agree to contribute our proportion
of the expense of a public dinner to be
given to Mr. Clay, when he
shall pass through Lancaster on his way to
Washington City.
WILLIAM W. IRVIN,
HUGH BOYLE,
BENJAMIN CONNELL,
R. M. AINSWORTH,
GEORGE MYERS,
T. TENNY,
HENRY ARNOLD,
R. STURGEON,
ABRAM PITCHER,
ELNATHAN SCHOFIELD,
WILLIAM HANSON,
E. B. THOMPSON,
MICHAEL GARAGHTY, |
NOAH S. GREGG,
ADAM WEAVER,
ROBERT McNEILL,
HENRY STANBERY,
ISAAC CHURCH,
JOHN NOBLE,
JAMES WHITE,
SAMUEL EFFINGER,
G. D. CAMPBELL,
JACOB SHAEFFER,
HOCKING h. hUNTER,
GEORGE SANDERSON,
JOHN HERMAN. |
Mr. Clay
performed the sad duty of burying hisyoung
daughter and proceeded on his way to
Washington. He arrived in Lancaster
late in August and
[Pg. 100]
the dinner took place according to program.
The men who participated in that enjoyable
occasion are all dead.
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