CITY OF WAVERLY

A RAPID RISE, A GLORIOUS PRESENT, AND A FUTURE OF GREAT PROMISE.

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THE BEAUTY OF ITS SURROUNDINGS.

     Waverly, the county seat of Jackson County, is situated on a beautiful plain in the valley of the Scioto River, one mile northwest of that stream, and twenty-nine miles from its mouth.  The Ohio Canal was built along the edge of this plain, just where the ground begins to rise into a series of rolling hills which cover the western part of the county, in 1829-'30.  In 1829, along the south bank of this canal and parallel to it, Water street, then the main street, was laid out, and also two rows of lots south of it, which extended back to what is now Second street.  At that time this wide and fertile plain, and, in fact, nearly all of the Scioto Valley, was covered by a heavy growth of large oak, elm, sycamore, poplar and other forest threes, and thickly underlined with hazel and other small underbrush.  There was a small interruption, however, to this unbroken wilderness on the plain where Waverly now stands, caused by the log dwelling and small clearing of Mesheck Downing who came and settled here at a very early day, at least prior to the war of 1812.  The house stood nearly where the livery stable back of the Emmitt House now stands, and is known to have been a recruiting point in the war of 1812.  This man, his son Joseph, and James Emmitt, then a young man who had begun building a small house here a month before the town was laid out, were the only residents in the near vicinity at that time.  The first sale of lots was Aug. 24, 1829, and on that day James Emmitt bought the one on which he had commenced his house, which, which turned out to be lot No. 11, the one on which now stands the Rosenfelt House.  This was the first lot sold, and Emmitt was to pay for it $36 - giving three notes of $12 each, payable in one, two and three years, and receiving in turn a title bond to the property.  The house he was building had to be moved about twelve feet to bring it out on the street.  When completed he kept a small store in part of it, and also kept travelers and workmen on the canal as boarders.  This was the first business established in Waverly.  Mesheck Downing's house had been an inn for travelers for many years.  It was situated on the old road from Chillicothe to Portsmouth, which was called Yoakum's trace, a portion of which forms the diagonal cross street between North and Walnut streets.  It crossed the canal about half way between Market and High streets.  South of the canal at this point and east of this road, which ran north and south, stood a small field of growing corn at the time the town was laid out.  Emmitt, in preparing to build his house, cut away a small patch of it to lay the foundation.
     Settlers came in rapidly, drawn by the construction of the canal, so that by 1831 there were several families living on and about the town plat.  In 1830 the inhabitants had petitioned for a postoffice, to be called Uniontown, by which name the village was then

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known.  The authorities had put them off, suggesting that they adopt a different name. While the people were casting about for a suitable new name the question was submitted to Captain Francis Cleveland, who was chief engineer on the canal, and was boarding at the house of Mr. Emmitt.  He at that time was reading one of the Waverly novels of Sir Walter Scott, and suggested the name of Waverly.  Under this name the postoffice was established, and kept by James Emmitt in his store.
     The town was laid out so as to cover lands owned by Mesheck Downing, Allen Barnes and Richard Chenoweth.  The original twenty-five lots were in the course of time sold and others added by successive additions until the town has reached its present dimensions.
     The superior water-power furnished by the canal at this point invited the early erection of manufacturing industries, and it was not many years before a mill, tannery and distillery were in full operation. These have been followed by a second tannery, a second mill, a stone saw-mill and other establishments, including planing-mills, woolen-mills, etc.
     Mesheck Downing built a new two-story frame hotel in 1833, on the spot now occupied by the Emmitt House.  His son, Joseph Downing, opened the house and ran it for several years, after which it went into the hands of strangers.  This house was burned down in about 185S, in one of the two fires which in that year swept out the best part of the town.  The other fire consumed Emmitts frame hotel, on the site of the Rosenfelt House, and a tannery just above, owned by Thomas Howard.  The present Emmitt House was built by James Emmitt in 1861.
     The old frame warehouse of James Emmitt, on the south side of Market street, just west of the canal, was built in 1837, and used by him as a store, warehouse and office, until the completion of his new, magnificent brick block, on the opposite side of the street, in 1878.  The court-house was built in 1865, the Catholic church in 1861.  Most of the other large buildings in the town, including the McKenzie block, on the corner of North and High streets, were built or completed within the last few years.
     In Henry Howe’s History of Ohio, published in 1847, the author says of Waverly: “It contains one Presbyterian church, one Methodist church, four stores, and had in 1840, 306 inhabitants.”  Since that time the growth in population has been as follows: In 1850, 678; in 1860, 1,057; in 1870, 1,202; in 1880, 1,539.
     In 1875 a local census showed Waverly to have 1,279 inhabitants, of which 763 were Americans and the other 516 descendants of other nationalities, as follows: Germane, 474; English, 26; Swiss, 7; Welsh, 6; Irish, 2, and Scotch, 1.  It will be seen that the fact of Waverly’s not having a single colored resident is a rare mark of distinction for a town of its size.  And what makes the fact more remarkable,  there never has been a negro or mulatto resident of the place.  In the fall of 1829,the year in which the town was laid out, a free negro settled here, with the intention of making it his home, but the prejudice against his race was so strong among the other people that he concluded not to remain.  The attempt to make this his home has never been repeated by a descendant of Africa.
     The German element of Waverly is remarkably strong as compared with other Ohio towns. They came in rapidly in the years between 1840 and 1860, and now most of the small mechanical industries, shops and saloons are in the hands of these Germans and their descendants. Three of the six church es and Sunday-schools use the German language, but in the schools all the children meet together, where the English language prevails.
     The race prejudice which so strongly char

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acterized Waverly in its early history created some bad feeling which has since died out.  Thus, happily, all tendency to race war in Waverly is a thing of the past.  The different races now represented have become blended into a peaceful and harmonious community, the foreign element having acquiesced in a measure to the prevailing strength of American life, and to that extent have become Americanized.  Although the traditions of hostility toward his race keeps alive the fears of the black man, yet with the new order of things the people here, as elsewhere, have changed in their prejudices and it is altogether probable that now a negro could take up his residence here in perfect freedom.
     Geographically, Waverly is laid out in squares, something over 300 feet each way, intersected by an alley twelve feet in width, and each original to is 150 x 63 feet.  The direction of the streets is north by forty-five degrees east, in conformity to the direction of the canal, and the cross streets crossing it at right angles.  The character of the streets is of the very best.  With the vast deposits of gravel in the near vicinity, and a local pride, good and level streets have marked the town for many years as one of superior driving advantages.  The streets are well shaded in many parts and kept in good order.
     The town is supported by its manufacturing establishments, by the trade in the farm products of the surrounding country, the superior character of which has been such as to make many of the farmers of the county immensely wealthy, and the traffic of the two railroads and the canal, the revenue of the latter here amounting between $5,000 and $6,000 a year.
     The village records prior to 1866 have been lost in a fire.  Sicne that date the Mayors and Recorders have been as follows:

     Mayors. - D. Armstrong 1866; W. D. Jones, 1867; G. D. Cole, 1868; E. Haden, 1869; L. D. Bunch, 1870-'73; John F. Moore, 1873; John F. Masters 1874-'76; Louis Weiss, 1876-'78.

     Recorders. - R. A. Nesmith, 1866-'72; G. C. Rayer, 1872; W. L. Allison 1872; John B. Leuk 1873; Philip Gableman, 1874-'80; John H. Ware since 1880.

ADDITIONS.

     The first plat of Waverly, or Uniontown as it was then called, contained twenty-five lots, all laid out south of the canal and bordering on Water street on the south side.  Not long after the original proprietors laid out the town farther back from the canal and a few lots on the north side, but the exact date of these extensions to the town of Waverly are the following:

     Howard's Addition, which consists of twelve lots lying north of Walnut street and near its western end, was laid out and became attached to the town in 1850.

     Emmitt & Co's Addition was made by James Emmitt and others in 1848.  It lies on the south bank of the turnpike below Third street, and comprises several blocks.

     James Emmitt and Others' Addition was made in 1862, and consists of the lots in the vicinity of James Emmitt's present residence on Walnut street.

     Emmittb's Second Addition was also made in 1862.  It consists of seven lots on both sides of Lock street, immediately south of Third street.

     Clough's Addition, located on both sides of Walnut street, in the northern part of the town, was made in 1867.

     Hibbens' Addition consists of twelve lots between East and Mullen streets, and located on both sides of Second street.  It was platted in 1879.

     Emmitt's First Addition to East Waverly consists of a large tract lying between the town and the depot of the Scioto Valley Railroad.  Lock street passes through near the

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center.  It was made in 1883 by James Emmitt.

POST OFFICE

     As already stated, the postoffice was established at Waverly after the second application, the first being for the name of Uniontown, in 1831.  James Emmitt was appointed first Postmaster, keeping it in his store.  At that time the mail was carried on horseback from Chillicothe to Portsmouth once a week.  The mail carrier was James Rowe, afterward Major-General Rowe.  To give an ideal of the amount of business done at first, when the Postmaster made his settlement with the department at the end of the first quarter, he was owning the Government, after deducting his commission, just 75 cents.  Mr. Emmitt was succeeded by a Mr. Tomlinson, who kept the office but a short time, or until his death in September, 1845.  He was succeeded by D. Stratton, who took the office Oct. 1, 1845, and held it for about one year, when Jacob Row was appointed to succeed him.  He remained Postmaster until his death in 1872, keeping the office in the brick drug store oposite the Emmitt House.  He was succeeded by S. F. Wetmore, the editor of the Pike County Republican, who received his commission in April, 1873.  Robert Robinson filled up the few months of interim as acting Postmaster.  Wetmore remained in the position until John Daily, the present Postmaster, came in possession, October, 1875.  Since that date it has been kept by Mr. Daily in his store on Second street,  opposite the court-house.  At the time Mr. Daily took the position the gross receipts of the office for one year were about $1,200.  The yearly receipts now exceed $2,200.
     The first letter sent from the office was mailed by Henry Jamison, an engineer on the canal, and the first letter brought to the office came for him, a reply to his from Circleville.
     The first postal card received through the office was by Joseph Straley, on Saturday, May 17, 1873.

SANITARY.

     The sanitary condition of Waverly was for a period of about twenty years, between 1840 and 1860, extremely bad.  It was known to be intensely malarial, the malaria being generated from the ponds of stagnant water in the vicinity and from the filth of the hog pens in connection with the distillery.  Five thousand hogs, which were being constantly kept to consume the slops from the distillery, were fed in inclosed pens, located between the canal and North streets, below Market, and from the filth therein is believed to have come the poison which told so fatally in the black tongue sickness of 1845, and the cholera epidemic in 1852.  So rank was this putrid filth that the atmosphere for considerable distance around was constantly charged with its stench, and as it flowed from the pens into Crooked Creek, thence into the Scioto River, the water of that stream was colored, and the fish all killed for miles down the stream.  This nuisance as, however, abated prior to 1860 by removing the hog-pens to a more distant point, and since 1861,when this became the county seat, great pains have been taken to keep the town in a clean and healthy condition.  The ponds have all been successfully drained, the streets and alleys carefully kept clean, making the sanitary condition as good, probably, as will be found in any town in the State.  Although the canal passes through the town, it has a lock within the corporate limits, and its current is nearly as strong as that of a living stream.
     In about 1845 erysipelas of the throat, or black tongue, as it was commonly called, became prevalent ehre and resulted in a large number of deaths.

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     This, however, was only a slight forboding of what was to follow a few years later.  In 1852-'3, when the cholera became general throughout the Ohio Valley, Waverly was the scene of

A MOST FATAL EPIDEMIC

     The dreadful disease must unavoidably be introduced, as the canal was then doing a large business, thus connecting it with the outer world.  Once introduced, the malaria from ponds and the poison from these terrible pens gave it such headway that it numbered its victims almost as a scythe does its stocks of grain.  No stranger came near from very fear of the fatal spot, but it was generally talked and believed in neighboring towns that Waverly was being swept of her inhabitants.  There were about 600 inhabitants in the town then and it is said that fully one-half of that number perished.
     Small pos has visited Waverly several times but has never numbered more than two or three deaths at a time.

WAVERLY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

     The first school house in the vicinity was built prior to the eyar 1820, and stood near the canal, south of G. W. A. Clough's residence, one mile east of Waverly.  Hon. James Emmitt was one of the pupils of that school, and there received most of his education under a Mr. Perkins.  The second school-house was built in 1822, on the farm of Major Kilgore, one-half mile southeast of Waverly.  The third was built about the year 1824, on the Chillicothe pike, one-fourth mile north of Waverly.  Judge James Hibbens taught in this school-house in the year 1828, and was paid partly by public funds and partly by subscription.  This house was afterward moved into town and now forms part of the residence of C. F. Smith.
     These three school-houses were log buildings of the ancient pattern, having the historic fire-place filling one end of the house, the greased paper window and the split-log floor, benches and desks.
     About the year 1833 a frame school building (now used as a dwelling) was erected on East second street.  It was two story, had board flors and ceiling and glass windows.  Among the teachers who presided in this house, the names of Samuel Reynolds, F. S. Dexter, Hon. J. J. Green, Warren Dewey and Dr. William Howard are still remembered.
     In the year 1844 a brick school house was erected on Second street, where the jail now stands.  It was two stories high, with four rooms, two rooms on each floor.  It cost only $1,800, and was but poorly finished.  It was not made ready for occupation until the autumn of 1846.  Of those who labored here previous to the reorganization of the schools in 1854 little is known beyond their names.
     The Principals were: Messrs. McFarland, I. B. Allen, Thomas York, Delplain, Joseph Spence, Hon. J. J. Green, Joseph Williams, J. C. Freeman and Samuel Bartley.  The assistants were: Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Lanius, Mrs. Freeman, Miss Lanius and Miss Row.  An assistant was first employed with Mr. York in about 1851.  The only statistics now to be found of all these years are those of 1853, which show an enrollment of 114 pupiles, with an average attendance of forty-five.

ADOPTION OF GRADED SYSTEM.

     In the year 1865 the schools were reorganized under an act tntitled "An act to provide for the reorganization, supervision and maintenance of common schools," section 32-3, passed Mar. 14, 1853.
     It is not now known who were most active in bringing about this reorganization, nor what were the difficulties encountered, if any, but it may be inferred that there was no very active opposition, from the fact that no remembrance of it remained.

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     The brick school-house built in 1844 still continued to be used, but a third teacher was added in this year (1854) and three of the rooms were brought into use as school-rooms, the fourth serving as a luncheon room for those who brought their dinners with them.  This continued until 1863, when a fourth teacher was added, and all the rooms were occupied.
     In this first year of the graded system the instructors were: Samuel Bartley, Principal; C. G. Evans, first assistant; Mary E. Lanius, second assistant.  The enrollment was 198; average attendance, 101.  The population of the village then was about 700.
     The village grew rapidly for a few years, and the schools became so crowded that the need of a new school-house was plainly apparent.  In 1865 a special election was held to decide whether or not the school board should be empowered to purchase a suitable site and erect a school building thereon.  It was decided almost unanimously in the affirmative.  But when the location came to be discussed, it developed an almost equal and very bitter contest, which has hardly yet been forgotten, and which has been greatly injurious to the success of the schools.  The canal running through Waverly divides it into two almost equal portions, and each of these was clamorous for the location of the school-house on its own side.  The matter was to be decided by the choice of the director, for which each side presented a candidate and labored for his election.  The north or upper side of the canal prevailed by a small majority.  A lot of about four acres was procured in the northeastern part of the town, the most elevated ground in the corporation, and commanding a fine view of all the adjacent country.  Three and three-fourths acres of this was purchased from G. W. A. Clough, for $1,130.63, the remainder donated by the owner, Hon. James Emmitt.
     A fine brick building was erected on this lot at a cost of about $28,000.  It is 83½ feet in length, by 47½ feet in width, and three stories high.  The basement story is divided into three rooms for the first, second and third primary departments.  The first floor contains four rooms for schools; the second, two rooms for schools and a hall for public meetings.  The furniture, supplied principally from the home factories, is plain, but substantial; the supply of apparatus is yet small.  For health and beauty of location this school is situated admirably, eliciting the favorable comments of almost every stranger.

SUPERVISION.

     Under this head Samuel Bartley deserves special notice.  He was b rought up in the hills near Jasper, in this county, with no educational advantages except those afforded by the common schools, which were very meager.  He was persevering and determined in his efforts to add to his fund of knowledge, and would economize almost every possible moment to that end.  It is said that while following the plow in his daily labor he would stop and work out problems in the sand.  At the solicitation of friends he took the winter school in his own district, and was thus initiated into the profession of a teacher.  His success there gave him a reputation abroad.  As he continued to teach he continued his studies until his acquirements fitted him for higher and more responsible positions.  In the year 1865, he took charge of the Waverly schools, consisting then of only two departments.  He had charge of the Waverly schools again in 1856, and taught in other localities until the year 1859, when he was again called to take charge of the Waverly schools, where he continued as principal teacher until the year 1871.  In these years his reports show that he taught algebra, philosophy, physiology, geometry, botany, and other of the higher branches.  The school had also increased during his eleven years of supervision, from 187 to 401, in 1870.  He was a rigid disciplinarian, neat in person, gentlemanly in deportment, strictly

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temperate in habits, and his connection with the schools of Waverly has doubtless resulted in more good to them than that of any other one person.  His first assistant teacher during the most of this time was D. H. Bishop.
     D. T. Clover, who had charge of the schools in 1870-'71, with the addition of a sixth teacher to the corps, succeeded in reclassifying the schools to great advantage.  He was here only one year, and a bitter chool fight during that time greatly interfered with his work, but he made many friends, and left behind him the record of an efficient superintendent and teacher.
     W. O. Hopkins succeeded him, and had charge of the schools in 1871-'72.  He was in feeble heath at the time, and scarcely able for the work.  He has since died of consumption.
     J. C. Harper, formerly of the Bucyrus schools, was elected to the Superintendency in 1872.  He only remained four months, when he resigned to accept the Superintendency of the Newark schools.
     T. C. McCoy, of Lancaster, Ohio, was elected to fill the remainder of the year, and continued in the position by re-election until 1878.  In 1874, another department was added, making seven in all.  The departments at this time were Senior Grammar, Junior Grammar, First, Second, Third and Fourth Primary, and the German Department.  German had been a special department since 1867, and was taught by F. W. Bendix, Wm. Hagemann and Charles Ritchie successively up to 1871, when Philip Gabelman was employed, and who has filled the position continuously to the present time.  Mr. D. H. Bishop also continued to be first assistant teacher up to this year (1874), with the exception of the years 1867 and 1869, when Henry Morgan and Hiram Washburn held the position respectively.  In 1874 Lizzie Armstrong was first assistant or teacher of the Senior Grammar Department, and after that year, up to the end of Mr. McCoy's Superintendency, Mr. John W. Higgins held the position.  Messrs. McCoy and Higgins both left the schools in 1879, and have since entered the practice of law, both being located at Waverly.  In 1876, after much time spent in examining the records and obtaining what knowledge could be gained from other sources regarding the schools, Mr. McCoy prepared and published, in pamphlet form, a brief but valuable and correct history of the Waverly public schools, from which the greater part of this sketch is taken.
     Geo. E. Campbell was elected to the Superintendency in 1879, and at the same time James A. Douglas was elected teacher of the High School, that department having been created in the re-classification of the schools at this time.
     The number of departments were increased to ten, as follows:  High School, A, B, C and D Grammar, A, B, C and D Primary, and the German Department.  At the present time the following higher branches are taught in the High School, viz.: Mathematics, algebra, geometry and trigonometry; Sciences - Physiology, chemistry, psychology, natural philosophy, botany, astronomy and civil government; Languages - English, Latin and German, in the German Department.
     The corps of teachers at the present time is as follows:  Superintendent, Geo. E. Campbell; High School, James A. Douglas; A Grammar Fred Leete; B Grammar; Jas. W. Graham; C Grammar, Emma Gruder; D Grammar, Mollie Smith; A Primary, Kate Corcoran; B Primary, Made Frye; C Primary, Florence Ware; D Primary, Hettie Wetmore; German, Philip Gabelman.
     The Board of Directors was, in 1883, increased from three to six.  The board at present consists of Geo. D. Emmitt, President; E. O. Jones, Secretary; Peter B. Hays, Chas. F. Schauseil, James Moore and John Daily.
     The first to graduate was Miss Romain Safford, in 1880.

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CHURCHES.

     Waverly has six churches representing as many different denominations.  They are not georgeous and costly edifices as may be found in other places, but are all good and substantial structures, which, taken on a whole, in the worldly view of churches, places Waverly in  fair rank.  As to the societies, the devotion of the members cannot be questioned, although with so many church societies, representing as many beliefs, the strength of each must be small.
     Religious work was introduced into this locality with its earliest settlement was common to the early settlements in Ohio.  Such men as the Revs. Peter Cartwright and John Stewart, who spent their lives in traveling through the barely broken forests and preaching wherever a congregation could be gotten together by coming for miles, were here in those days to plant the seeds of Christianity.  Meetings were held in private houses, frequently in that of Abraham Chenoweth, who lived near Piketon.  Notice would be given months or perhaps a year in advance and the event was looked to with the greatest interest.  The preacher brought the news of the other settlements and of the world, and cheer and variety into the monotonous life of the early settlers, and last but not least, the power to solemnize with marriage the plighted vows of young lovers.  He was thus made welcome to all, and if the season of the year was not a very busy one encampments would be made and a season of revival and social meetings would last several days.

     Methodist Episcopal Church. - This church was the first to plant its roots in the vicinity of Waverly.  The first meetings of which anything is known were those held in the house of Mesheck Downing, which stood near the corner of Market and Second streets, but this was in 1815, fourteen years before the town was laid out.  The most frequent minister was James Quinn, who was one among those hardy pioneer preachers that traveled over a large portion of the State.  He came here about once in every four weeks.  Francis Wilson, Jacob Delay, Leroy Swarmstead and John Ferree were others who came and preached later.  A Rev. Mr. Talbert, who hanged himself at Piketon in the fall of 1829, was also one of the first preachers.  The house of Richard Foster four miles above, and Piketon were other points were these first preachers stopped and held meetings.  At this place the Downings, Chenoweth, Howards and Bransons were among the first members.  Private house and a school-house were used up to the year 1838, when a small brick church was built on the site of the present Methodist Episcopal church.  The present building was erected in 1867 and dedicated by Solomon Howard, D. D., LL. D. of the Ohio University at Athens.
     In recent years the church has been prosperous and numbers now in its membership about 200.  The church building on the corner of Second and High streets is valued with the lot of $7,000 and is the finest in the town.
     The corps of church officers is at present as follows:  Pastor, A. B. Shaw; Stewards, John Kent, George Barch, John Daily, H. B. McKenzie, T. N. Barnes and George D. Emmitt; Recording Steward, John Kent; District Steward, H. B. McKenzie Trustees, H. B. McKenzie, John Kent, Abisha Downing, John Daily, T. N. Barnes, E. L. Barch, M. W. Stratton, John W. Higgins and John R. Frye  The entire church property, including parsonage, is valued at $8,500.  No indebtedness.

     Presbyterian Church. - The first society of this denomination was organized as a branch of the old society at Piketon in about 1841.  For a while the society here was dependent, in many respects, upon that at Piketon, but in 1847 a new organization was effected by which this was made an independent society.  The first Trustees of the old organization

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were:  John Howard, John Carolus and Robert Emmitt; the first pastor, Rev. Wm. Burton.  The building, which was erected in the year 1842, stood on the site of the present church on North street, and served the congregation until 1883, when it was torn away and another one commenced, which is to cost when finished about $2,700.  At the time the second organization was formed Rev. F. S. Howe was pastor and John Walker and Luther Whitney, Elders.  The founding members were:  John Carolus and wife, Francis Dexter and Margaret Crow.  For a great many years in its early history Rev. Wm. P. Eastman was the pastor and labored faithfully for the up-building of the church.  Prior to 1875 the pulpit had been vacant for several years, but in that year Rev. John O. Proctor was employed and the church had a regular pastor since that time up to 1880 when the building became unsafe.  Rev. Mr. Gillett and Rev. R. N. Adams have been pastors here in that time.  In 1868 this society, being small, united with that at Piketown in the support of a minister and continued in that relation until 1881 when they again became separated.  The Trustees at present are: Adam Gehres, Eli Potts, B. C. Copple; Elders, T. C. McCoy, rest vacant.

     German Evangelical Lutheran Church. - This society was first organized in 1858 by Rev. Charles Sharto, with about fifty families living at Waverly and in the vicinity.  Meetings were held in the old Presbyterian church on North street until 1860 in which year their new brick church on Market street, between Second and Third, was completed.  This building is a substantial brick edifice, 26 x 52 feet in dimensions and of good height.  Rev. Charles Scharto remained until 1851, when Rev. Mr. Kretz took his place and remained till the spring of 1853.  In that year the Rev. Wm. Hagemann took charge of the congregation and has remained their pastor to the present time.
     At the time the church was built, in 1860, George Hoffman, Frederick Best and Ernest Schoersky were the Trustees who superintended its construction.  The present Trustees are:  Philip Schooler, Frederick Best and Adolph Hesse.  The Sunday-school was started soon after the church was organized and has been very prosperous.  The average attendance is now about seventy-eight; superintendents, Jacob Smith and Philip Lorbach, Jr.
     The church was remodeled and enlarged in 1869 making the entire cost as it now stands about $2,500.

     German Methodist Episcopal Church -  This society was organized in 1850 by the Revs. Bier and Dolph.  Revs. Bomiberg and Chimelpenne were preachers who had visited the people here and preached before the organization.  Rev. G. H. Ballinger was pastor in 1855, but he was soon after sent to California as a missionary, leaving his year's work here unfinished.  The first meetings were held in the English Methodist Episcopal church and afterward in the residence of John Barch.  The first regular meeting-house was a brick building near the north end of Third street which now forms a part of the residence of George A. Emmitt.  It was sold by the congregation in 1860 and their present brick church on Market street commenced in the same year.
     Since 1882 there has been no regular pastor.  At first the church at this place was connected with the one at Portsmouth, and later with that at Chillicothe.  Under the ministry of Rev. C. D. Fritsche, in 1856, the church split, and a branch formed the German United Brethren church, which has since built its own church and parsonage.
     The church has now about sixty members and church property worth about $3,000, including a fine brick building and a large lot.  It has a prosperous Sunday-school of about fifty scholars.
 

     The German United Brethren Church has been already mentioned in connection with the above.  It has a small brick church and parsonage, near the corner of Market and parsonage, near the corner of Market and Third streets.  The society is very small, being united with six others in the support of one pastor.  Their spiritual welfare is at present being attended by Rev. Valentine Assel.

     Catholic Church. - The first organization of a Catholic society in Waverly took place in 1863-'4, and in the following year they began the construction of their fine large brick church, on Walnut street, now converted into an opera house.  The building, which was the finest church edifice in Waverly, is 80 x 40 feet in size, very high, and is mounted with an imposing tower and spire.  It was never completely paid for and fell into the hands of James Emmitt, who in 1875 had it converted into an opera house, called Emmitt's Opera House.  The society rallied from this failure and began another church on East Market street, in 1878, completing it in the following year.  It is a fine brick structure, but not so costly as the former, and is fully paid for by the congregation.  The building of both churches was superintended by Joseph Myers, one of the congregation.  The first pastor was Rev. Mr. Felthouse, followed by Rev. Jerry Murry and he was succeeded in 1883 by Rev. Father Winthurst.  It is connected with the church at Chillicothe where the pastor resides.

CEMETERIES.

     The first burying ground at Waverly was located near the corner of Market and Third streets.  At the time of its location this was doubtless thought to be so far from the town that it could lie there forever, and continue to be in the outskirts.  But long since the corporation has gone beyond this spot, which is now being used, or is about to be used, for building purposes.
     In pursuance with an act of the Ohio Legislature, passed in 1860, allowing townships and incorporated villages to establish cemeteries in common, the town council of Waverly and the trustees of Pee Pee Township entered into such an agreement Dec. 16, 1864.  The spot chosen for this new union cemetery was on the east side of the pike, just south of the corporate limit, which has, however, been since extended beyond it.  The site was a most eligible one and the result is a beautiful cemetery.  In 1882, the bodies buried in the old yard, at the corner of Market and Third streets, were removed to this, while the title to the old ground being vested in the village, it is being reserved for city buildings.

BIOGRAPHICAL