MAHONING COUNTY OHIO HISTORY: County history (published 1898)
***********************************************************************
OHGENWEB NOTICE:  All distribution rights to this electronic data are
reserved by the submitter.  Reproduction or re-presentation of copyrighted
material will require the permission of the copyright owner.  The submitter 
has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently 
for free access.
***********************************************************************
File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by
MRS GINA M REASONER
AUPQ38A@prodigy.com 
September 13, 1999
***********************************************************************

Historical Collections of Ohio By Henry Howe, LL.D., 1898

                        MAHONING COUNTY PART 4

        THE MINE CHANGES OWNERS. -In the spring of 1880 the Leadville Coal
Company was organized, which bought out Wicks & Wells, the owners and
projectors of the enterprise.
        New and more powerful pumping machinery was put in place, and the
water was lowered to a depth of 136 feet, when the accidental dropping of a
wedge into one of the pumps stopped operations, and the shaft again filled
the water.
        NARROW ESCAPE. -In a few days the work of pumping was again
resumed, and six weeks later the mine was pumped dry, and the miners, after
an absence of five years, ventured down the shaft and commenced mining
operations. The mine having but one opening, and the excavations that had
been made requiring a second opening, as provided in the mining law of the
State, and escape-shaft or travelling way was sunk into the mine, for the
egress of miners in case of accident to the hoisting-shaft. This
traveling-way was completed only two days when the wooden structure
covering and surrounding, the hoisting-shaft caught fire from a spark from
the smoke-stack, and was burned to the ground. The miners found safe-egress
through the second outlet or travelling-way; had there been but one
opening, every soul under ground at the time of the fire would have
speedily and inevitably perished.
        PERSISTENT ENTERPRISE. -The fire, which occurred on the he 21st of
August, 1881, having destroyed all the buildings covering and surrounding
the shaft, and disabled the hoisting and pumping machinery, all the
subterranean excavations were again filled with water. The company at once
commenced rebuilding the works and repairing the machinery, and on the 15th
of October following the pumps were again started up, and a month later the
mine was once more pumped dry. There is an excitement in mining unknown,
perhaps to any other industry; hence, all the misfortunes of this ill-fated
mine have not in the least daunted the courage of the mine-owners, or
alarmed the fearless spirit of the miners, and work was resumed with the
same degree of cheerfulness as in the beginning of the enterprise. The
foregoing account is abridged from Dr. Orton's "Geological Report of 1884."
        DAVID TOD, the second of Ohio's War Governors, was born in
Youngstown, February 21, 1805, and died there November 13, 1868. He was the
son of Governor Tod, an eminent man who was born in Connecticut, graduated
at Yale, and emigrated to the Northwest Territory in 1800. He was Secretary
of the Territory under Governor St. Clair; was a State Senator after the
organization of the State of Ohio. He served as Judge of the Supreme Court
from 1806 to 1809, and occupied other important positions. He rendered
gallant service in the war of 1812 at Fort Meigs, serving as a lieutenant-colonel.
        David Tod, was admitted to the bar in 1827. As a lawyer he was very
successful, and commencing penniless, he soon accumulated a fortune by his
talents and industry. He had a strong love of politics and was an able
campaign speaker. In 1838 he was elected as a Democrat to the State Senate;
in 1840 gained great reputation as an orator while canvassing the State for
Van Buren. In 1844 he was the Democratic candidate for Governor, being
defeated by 1,000 votes; from 1847 to 1852 he was Unitet States Minister to
Brazil, under President Polk's administration; returning to the United
States he rendered very effective service in the campaign resulting in the
election of President Pierce; in 1860 he was a delegate to the Charleston
Convention, was chosen vice-president of that body, and presided over it
when the Southern wing of the party withdrew.
        Whitelaw Reid says in "Ohio in the War:" "The executive and
business talents of Mr. Tod were conspicuously evidenced as the President
of the Cleveland & Mahoning Railroad, the construction of which he was one
of the first to advocate, and with whose success he became identified. To
Mr. Tod more than any other man, belongs the honor of inaugurating the
steps which led to the development of the vast coal mines of the Mahoning valley.
        Before and after the meeting of the Peace Congress at Washington in
February, Mr. Tod warmly advocated the peace measures, and the exhausting
of every honorable means, rather than that the South should inaugurate
civil war. But from the moment the flag was shot down at Sumter he threw
off all party trammels and was among the first public men in the State who
took the stump advocating the vigorous prosecution of the war till every
rebel was cut off or surrendered. From that moment, with voice and with
material aid, he contributed his support to the national government. Beside
subscribing immediately $1,00 to the war fund of his township, he furnished
Company B. Captain Hollingsworth, Nineteenth Regiment, Youngstown, their
first uniforms."
        In 1861 he was nominate for Governor of Ohio by the Republicans,
and elected by a majority of 55,000.
        His administration during the most trying years of the war was
zealous, painstaking and efficient. His continued efforts for recruiting
the army, his fatherly care and sympathy with Ohio soldiers in the field
and their families at home; his vigorous measures to repel invasions of the
State, are the distinguishing features of an able administration. "Ohio in
the War" closes  an account of it with the following words: "He made some
mistakes of undue vigor, and some of his operations entailed expenses not
wholly necessary. But he was zealous, industrious and specially watchful
for the welfare of the troops, faithful in season and out of season. He was
at the head of the State in the darkest hours, through which she passed. He
left her affairs in good order, her contributions to the nation fully made
up, her duties to her soldier sons jealously watched, and her honor untarnished."
        After the close of his term of service he retired to his farm known
as "Brier Hill," near Youngstown, which formerly belonged to his father,
and which he repurchased after he began to accumulate property, from those
who had come into its possession. As a boy, David Tod was always ready for
fun, and many amusing anecdotes are told of his pranks. We give the
following from the "Pioneer History of Geauga Count:" "On one winter day,
when a deep cut had been shovelled through a snow-bank to give access to
the school-house. Tod led some of his schoolmates to fill the cut with
wood, so that when the schoolmaster, returned from dinner he was obliged to
climb the pile to get to the school-house." On another occasion he played a
decidedly practical joke on "Uncle John" Ford, the father of Governor
Seabury Ford. John Ford was an eccentric genius of much sterling worth.
"The spirit of humor overflowed with him, and when Brooks Bradley drove the
cows up the lane at night, they would dash back past him, heads and tails
high in the air, and run clear to the woods.  Brooks, as he chased back
after the frightened cattle, did not see 'Uncle John's' old hat down in
front of his bent form, shaking out from behind a stump in that lane." He
played some trick on David Tod, afterwards Governor of Ohio. David sawed
the top bar over which "Uncle John" leaned when he poured the swill to his
pigs. "Dave" and his companions watched the next time  "Uncle John" fed,
and when well on the bar it broke, and he fell with pail and contents,
among the hogs. A suppressed laugh from an adjoining fence corner hinted to
"Uncle John" how it happened; but he climbed from the mess and said
nothing. He saw only one thing in Tod that he called "mean."
        ELISHA WHITTLESEY was born in Washington, Conn., October 19, 1783,
and died in Washington City, January 7, 1863. He was brought up on a farm,
studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1805. He removed to Canfield,
O., in June, 1806. During the war of 1812 he rose to the rank of
Brigade-Major and Inspector under Gen. Perkins, and was for a time aid and
private secretary to Gen. Harrison. On one occasion he was sent with a
despatch from Gen. Harrison on the Muamee to the Governor at Chillicothe, a
distance of one hundred and sixty miles, part of it through the Black Swamp
and regions invested with hostile Indians; it was a perilous undertaking
but he accomplished it faithfully.
        In 1820-1821 he was a member of the Ohio Legislature. He served in
Congress continuously from 1823 to 1828, when he resigned. His scrupulous
honesty is evidenced by the fact that during this service he would receive
no pay when absent from his seat on private business.
        He was one of the founders of the Whig party; was appointed by
President Harrison in 1841 auditor of the post-office department, resigning
in 1843. In 1849 was appointed by President Taylor first comptroller of the
treasury, from which office he was removed by President Buchanan, but
reappointed by President Lincoln in 1861 and held office until his death.
        As comptroller he was painstaking, watchful and efficient; his
whole time and study were directed to the public good. In 1847 he was
appointed general agent of the Washington National Monument Association,
resigning in 1849, but was shortly afterwards called upon to manage its
affairs as president, which he did until 1855, contributing greatly to the
success of that enterprise. He was a staunch supporter of Christian
doctrines and enterprises, and throughout all his life conduct was governed
by the highest principles. The distinguished Col. Chas. Whittlesey was his
nephew, and it was his pride that he was his nephew, such was the exalted
character of the uncle.
        For many years he kept a diary of current events, a journal or
autobiography, which ought to be complied and given to the public.

        -continued in part 5






-------------OH-FOOTSTEPS Mailing List ----------------------