HISTORY OF HAMILTON

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Hall, Isaac Moss, James Ross, Archibald Talbert, the ferryman,
Moses Conner, Leonard Garver, Samuel Spivey and Samuel
Ayres.
The population of Hamilton, as shown by census in 1810, was 242, and of Rossville 84.  At the next decennial census, in 1820, it was all included under the name of Hamilton, and the population numbered 660 souls.  In 1830, at the next census, the population of Hamilton had increased to 1,072, and Rossville again appeared with 629 inhabitants.

THE MIAMI CANAL

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probably have delayed it for months.  As soon as filling up the neck was commenced, a report that the work was in progress spread like wild-fire throughout the city, and it was not many minutes before a crowd of two thousand people was collected on the basin banks.  The men worked well, and a little after 12 o'clock the job was completed.

THE HAMILTON HYDRAULIC CO.

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     The Hydraulic Company passed the first water through their lower level from Fourth street down Stable street to the Miami river, on Monday the twenty-seventh day of January, 1845.  This lower level of the canal was three feet in depth, turning the water-wheels of Messrs. Erwin & Hunter's flour mill, and the Tobias Brothers' machine shop, near the east end of the Miami bridge.  The first work done by water power was done by the Tobias Brothers, January 31, 1845.

THE ROSSVILLE HYDRAULIC CO.

THE RESERVOIR.

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THE LANE FREE LIBRARY.

FIRE DEPARTMENT.

    Hamilton and Rossville had fire companies as early as

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THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

     This historical sketch should have been written at an earlier period, as part of our school history has been lost
— beyond recovery, and no future writer on the subject will be able to supply this missing link.
     The first school house was erected in Rossville.
At a special election, held April 13, 1851, the schools of Hamilton passed under the control of the "Akron School Law." In 1852, the work of grading and classifying our school was begun.
     The Ohio school law of 1853 bore fruits, and put an end to private schools thereby furnishing the youth of the commonwealth an avenue to secure an excellent common school education.
     In 1854, Hamilton and Rossville were annexed.  By the articles of confederation, it was stipulated that a high school building should be erected at an early date, in the First ward, and the High school should forever remain on the West Side.  Thomas L. Rhea offered to donate a two acre site for the building on Prospect Hill.  The proposition was not accepted nor the building ever erected as specified in the compact between the two villages.
     In Hamilton early attention was given to the important subject of education, and in our infancy the first school was established by Mr. Richie in 1809, on Front street, near the

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Scott residence. He afterward removed to a log house, near the corner of Front and Court streets.
     Rev. M. G. Wallace, in 1810, opened a school on Court street, opposite the United Presbyterian church, which was continued until 1814.
     In 1815, Benjamin Pardee came to Hamilton as an educator and taught on Second near Heaton street.
     Alexander Proudfit, in 18 15, organized a school on the north side of Heaton, between Second and Third streets.
     In 1818, the Hamilton Literary society erected the old Masonic building at the corner of Third and Dayton streets.  Privilege was granted Rev. Thomas McMechan and Henry Baker the lower story for school purposes.
     Miss Ellen A. McMechan was our first female teacher.
     In 1819 she taught at the corner of Third and Buckeye streets.  She was an accomplished instructor.
     In 1821, Rev. Francis Monfort taught school in a frame building on the corner of Third and High streets.
     Benjamin F. Raleigh was an educator from 1825 to 1830.  He was a native of the state of New York.  In 1853 he removed  to Highland county.  Mr. Raleigh died in Wilmington, Ohio, in 1866.
     The Hamilton and Rossville academy was opened in 1835.  Miss Maria Drummond was the first teacher.  The last teacher in this academy was Nathan Furman.
     On February 21, 1849, the legislature passed an act "providing that cities and towns may be formed into one district, to be governed by a board of six directors and three examiners."
On April 19, 1851, an election was held under this law.  The act was adopted and the members of the board and examiners were elected May 1st.  On June 21, 1851, the first school levy was made, it being one and one half mills on a dollar.
     In 1852, F. N. Slack was appointed principal of the Third ward school, and F. Jenkins assumed charge of the Second ward building. In 1859, on an overland trip to California, Mr. Slack died on the plains.

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