|
CHAPTER XXXIV.
THE WHISKY ROAD, AND A
DESCRIPTION OF THE MANNER IN WHICH IT WAS
MADE - NEW SETTLERS ABOUT SUGARTREE RIDGE -
CONTRACTS GIVEN FOR THE ERECTION OF A JAIL -
A GOOD BEAR STORY - THE FIRST CASE OF
IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT - CONCORD TOWNSHIP
LAID OFF AND NAMED.
Pg. 184
In the spring of 1809
Edward Earls emigrated with his
family from Virginia, and settled about one
and a quarter miles south of what is now
known as Sugartree Ridge in Highland county,
on the farm afterward owned by Mr. Stacey
Storer, on the road leading from
Hillsboro to Maysville. During the
same spring Jeremiah Grant
settled about half a mile south of Earl’s.
With the exception of John Emery,
who settled near Samuel Hindman
about 1801, these two families were the
first settlers within the present limits of
Concord township.
In July of this year Samuel Whitley with
his family emigrated from Rockbridge county,
Virginia, and settled on the farm afterward
owned by George Dederick, on the road
known as the “Whisky Road,” where he lived
many years a much respected neighbor and
worthy citizen.
The Whisky road is worthy of further mention entirely
on account of its name.
Page 185 -
There is more than one story as to the
origin of this. That now given, is,
perhaps, as worthy of credit as any, and it
happens just now to be the only
authenticated history of it in our
possession. It is furnished by an old
resident of much intelligence and high
standing, not only in Concord township, but
throughout the county, and is therefore
worthy of confidence. This road was
open as early as 1809, and leads from New
Market to West Union and the old Marble
Furnace. No official authority was
obtained prior to the location of it.
The spontaneous act of the people originated
it from the survey to the completion, and
they chose at the time the name above given
for it, for the following reasons:
Whisky was the great inducement for making
the road, and the labor of cutting it being
free and voluntary, a barrel of that much
prized commodity was the first article of
trade carried on it.
The small log cabin distilleries in the vicinity of New
Market in 1809 were found totally inadequate
to the demands of the people and as a
natural consequence, they cast about for a
more abundant and satisfactory supply of
that indispensable fluid. Early in the
progress of this inquiry it was ascertained
that Hemphill, an old virginia Dutchman of
considerable wealth for that day, had
established a pretty extensive manufactory
of whisky, in Adams county, a few miles east
of the present town of Winchester, and the
fame of his whisky promised a much better
article than Highland then produced.
It was believed that his distillation was
equal, if not superior, to the celebrated
Monongahela, so early and so long a favorite
in southern Ohio. The men of New
Market in view of this determined to supply
themselves with his whisky. To do so,
however, much hard labor had to be undergone
and many obstacles removed. But what
will not thirsty mortality endure when the
hope of drink, and good drink in satisfying
abundance, is presented! The hardy and
drouthy New Marketers, after brief
deliberation, determined to, not only
penetrate the thick and continuous forest of
fifteenth miles, which shut them out from
the promised joys of Hemphill's
still-house, but actually open a
thoroughfare between the ancient capital of
Highland and that attractive spot. It
was a bold, though not hazardous
undertaking, and they set out for a New
Year's frolic the last day of December,
1809, from their rendezvous at Barrere's
tavern, in a most imposing
procession. First was G. Barrere,
Esq., acting Justice of the Peace for
New Market township, and Senator for the
counties of Highland and Ross, with his
compass and jacob staff in had. No
chain was needed and the surveying corps was
completed by the presence of one marker to
"blaze" the route after the surveyor.
Next came some thirty men and axes on their
shoulders, and last a "slide," (two whiteoak
poles, three inches thick at the butt, lower
side sloped to run or slide on the ground,
and inch pins two feet long in the upper
side of each, three feet from the lower end
- holes bored in the upper end through which
"tugs" were passed by which this primitive
vehicle was fastened to the hames on the
horse, which was placed between the poles as
in shafts - this is the slide of fifty years
ago) on which, supported by the two pins,
was a full barrel of Jacob Medzker's
newest whisky tapped and ready for use.
Two or three tin cups attached to each other
by a string, dangled from one of the pins,
and a side of bacon from the other. A
boy bestrode the horse, under whom was a
tow-linen bag partly filled with corn
dodgers. Some of the party carried, in
addition to their axes, rifles and shot
pouches. To complete the train a large
number of dogs followed, and a few of the
most enterprising and ventursome of the
village boys hovered in the rear and ran
along the sides of the coterie, but were
wisely driven back at the edge of the town.
All the population who remained at home,
were out to witness the departure of the
road cutting party.
When they struck the woods on the south-east of the
town a halt was called and the compass set
and the course fixed with care, then the
supercargo of the slide, Mike Moore,
was called to his post. Whisky was
freely drawn by him and passed round the
company in the tin cups. After thus
refreshing themselves the company proceeded
with much vigor and determination of
purpose, to strike the first sapling on the
route to the still house. They wrought
vigorously most of the day, a large portion
of the party keeping pretty passably sober,
though it is but just to say that some
zealous laborers being, perhaps more
constitutionally thirsty than others, fell
by the way, and were thus deprived of the
glory of seeing the end of the great work.
The party camped out that night on Buckrun.
Some of the hunters managed to kill some
game, which, with the bacon and corn bread,
furnished the supply for supper.
Mike Moore happened to be a fiddler and
had fortunately taken the precaution to
sling his instrument on his back. He
gave them music
Page 186 -
at the camp fire to their heart’s content,
and all who could, danced till a late hour.
In the morning they were up by times. The
whisky barrel, on examination, was
unfortunately found almost empty—merely
enough for “bitters” all round. This
discovery greatly accelerated the progress
of the work and by eleven o’clock the
company, slide, dogs, and all, reached the
haven of their hopes. A “good dinner”
all round was the first thing in order.
Next they purchased a barrel of Hemphill’s
best, put it on the slide and started home.
On the return route more speed was made,
and, in view of the wonderful shrinkage of
the fluid on the slide the the previous day,
more stringent regulations were adopted, by
which all hands succeeded in reaching New
Market before bed time, with considerably
more than half a barrel of whisky —all safe
and sound, on the slide. Thus was
opened the road, now not much used it is
true, for the still house has long since
gone the way of all things human, and the
place of its interesting whereabouts is
known only to the aged, but which is known
by no other name than that which we have
given, though it has by no means been used
for exclusive whisky purposes. It
passes through an intelligent, refined and
Christian community, who are quite as
ambitious of a reputation for temperance,
and as loud in the denunciations of whisky
as the most zealous, noisy and short-sighted
advocates of reform, in the favorite and
exclusive subject of the quenching of
thirst, apparently peculiar to frail man the
world over. The road was, however, too
thoroughly baptised in whisky at its
opening, ever to lose the name,
inappropriate as it may now seem to the
people of the vicinity who pass soberly over
it.
No further accessions to the
Sugartree Ridge neighborhood took place till
the summer and fall of 1809, when
James Rotroff,
Henry Nace and St.
Clair Ross settled immediately on
and near the Ridge, which was early named
from the beautiful and abundant growth of
the Sugartree. Most of these early
ornaments of that locality have been
destroyed, a few, however, yet remain to
speak, like the cedars of Lebanon, of the
grandeur of other days, when their fallen
companions were standing by their sides,
thus rendering complete one of the most
beautiful forests in Ohio.
In regular succession, during the two or three
following years, the Sugartree Ridge
settlement was enlarged by the arrival of
Oliver Ross and Robert Huston,
from New Market—the Ridge then being a part
of New Market township.
In September, 1809, the Highland Battalion muster was
at the farm of Jesse Lucas in
Paint township. Nothing of unusual
interest occurred at this exercise of the
military of the county. Major
Franklin still held the command, and
deported himself on this occasion with his
accustomed display and dignity. Of
course the novelty of this annual meeting of
the six companies of the legally organized
militia, had not in the least abated since
the last grand parade at Billy
Hill’s, and a larger number of
spectators, chiefly boys, were early on the
ground. Gingerbread, whisky and
watermelons were present in considerable
abundance and, altogether, the exercise and
amusements of the day went off pretty
satisfactorily, with the usual number of
foot-races, fights, &c.
On the first Monday in January, 1810, the Board of
Commissioners for the county met at the
house of Levi Warner, corner
of Beech and High streets, and issued orders
to sundry citizens to the amount of some
fifty dollars for wolf scalps. They
also transacted such other business of an
ordinary character as was necessary, and
after appointing Walter Craig
their permanent clerk, adjourned on the
third day till the 17th day of the month.
This appointment of a permanent clerk
outside of the Board, was the first step
towards establishing the office of County
Auditor in Highland.
The adjourned meeting of the Commissioners was chiefly
for the purpose of selling out the work of
the new jail, and on the next day in
pursuance of their former order, the work
was cried off. Gus Richards
was the auctioneer, for which he was ordered
to be paid three dollars. Caleb
Reynolds bid off the mason work of
the jail and jailor’s house at $139.50, and
John Wily, of Chillicothe,
took the carpenter work of the same at $175.
Joseph Dryden and William
Barnett took the contract for the
blacksmith work at five and three-fourth
cents per pound. George
Richards was engaged to furnish the
necessary amount of iron for the work for
which $100 were ordered to him, after which
the Board adjourned to the 27th of February,
when they met and issued more orders for
wolf scalps and transacted some other
ordinary business, when they adjourned to
the first Monday of March.
At this session the location of the new jail was
settled as follow’s, to-wit: “Twelve
poles from the east side of the
Page 187 -
<
CLICK HERE to RETURN to TABLE of CONTENTS
> |
