OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Tidbits of Ohio -- Part 6 ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES(tm) NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgenwebarchives.org ************************************************************************** File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Darlene E. Kelley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 February 8, 2005 ************************************************************************** Historical Collections of Ohio And They Went West S.L. Kelly diaries Series of Articles by Darlene E. Kelley Tid Bits - part 6. ************************************************************************** Ohio and Mr. Lincoln. With all the accounts of Historical notes of Abraham Lincoln, the most cherished are the accounts of the ones he made to Ohio. These significant events and facts add a measure to Ohio's history and the States little known lore. Among Ohio's is the contention that most Lincoln scholars classify, was Lincoln's political campaign through Ohio in the fall of 1859, as an extention of the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858. Lincoln followed Douglas in his footsteps through Ohio, the Buckeye State with speeches in Columbus, Dayton, Hamilton, and Cincinnati. Thus, these cities outside the State of Illinois, might be considered " debate towns." Then there is the fact Ohioans can be proud of is that the Greatest President ( as President Elect ) spent his 52nd birthday, Feb. 12, 1861, in Ohio. During his stay he slept in a bed at the Burnet House in Cincinnati. The old bed is preserved at the Abraham Lincoln museum at Lincoln Memorial University. Of all the 139 portraits made of the President, Three reliable accounts of sittings of the picture taking event were in Ohio: one recorded at Columbus, and one in Dayton. The origin of one obscure Lincoln Photo's that have been found shows him, without his famous beard and hat. On Friday, September 16, 1859, Mr. Lincoln had made two speeches in Columbus. At that time many in Dayton were hopeful that he would speak in their town when enroute to Cincinnati. Fortunately, word did come by telegraph in time for inclusion in the Dayton morning papers: " Hon. Abe Lincoln of Illinois will speak in Dayton at the courthouse on Saturday at 1-1/2 o'clock, let the people attend. " Political excitement was running highin the fall of 1859, and it was this ocassion which allowed the opportunity for Lincoln to jot down a few lines between handshakes and socializing. So on Septemeber 17, shortly before noon, Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln arrived at Dayton's Union station from Columbus, and proceeded to the Phillips House in the center of town, near the courthouse. Accounts of the visit appeared in newspapers all through Ohio as follows: " The Hon. Abraham Lincoln of Illinois, who was defeated for the United States Senate last fall by S.A. Douglas, arrived at the Phillips house today and in the company of Hon. Robert C. Schenck of this place, Hon. John A.Gurley of Cincinnati, and our would be Senator F.P.Cuppy, occupied a table all by themselves, enjoying their wine and their jokes extensively. After lunch other dignitaries met at the hostelry, and a Dayton Lawyer, Samuel Craighead, proceeded to show the distinquished visitor around town. A visit to Cridland's Photographic Gallery a few doors to the east was scheduled, and Mr. Lincoln posed for his picture. At ten minutes to two o'clock Lincoln held forth for two hours. After his stirring address on anti-slavery, he rejoined his wife at their Presidential suite at the hotel. After a brief time the party left for Cincinnati on the 4 o'clock train. " While at the Phillips house, Ohio Senator John Williams Harries and his daughter Annie, asked the famed debator for his autograph. Mr, Lincoln obliged on the only paper that was available, the flyleaf of Annie's pocket Bible from her handbag. Under her name he wrote: " Dayton, Ohio Sept 17, 1859 Miss Annie Harries -- Live by the words within these covers-- and you will be forever happy. " Yours truly, A. Lincoln. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Marietta In 1788, a group of Revolutionary War Veterans traded in their Continental Army IOUs for 1.5 million acres in Ohio. They went down the Ohio River in flatboats to the point where it met the Muskingum River and founded Marietta, the first permanent American settlement in the Northwest Territory. Origionally known as Adelphia, meaning " brotherhood, " the company's investors decided to name the community after Marie Antoinette of France, in honor of France's contributions to the American victory in the American Revolution. The first settlers were led by Rufus Putnam, who chose a site along the Ohio River not far from Fort Harmer. Originally, settlers from New England made up the population of Marietta, although eventually people moved from Virginia and Kentucky to the area as well. Putnam and his followers tried to recreate the type of community that they were used to back east, including a school and a church. The town was laid out much as communities were organized in new England, with settlers receiving both a lot outside of town for agricultural purposes. There were four common areas throughout the community and wide streets planted with mulberry trees. The people of Marietta left some of the Indian Mounds in the region intact, including one that became the centerpiece of the town cemetery. The early settlers also built a fortification known as Camp Martius to protect from Native American attacks. The name Campus Martius was given to the fortifications of Marietta, and was chosen as a reference to the civilization of ancient Rome. Located within the settlement, Camp Martius had log walls surrounding the outside of the fortifications and within their confines were four blockhouses. In the early days of the settlement, one of the blockhouses served as the communities school and anoter as a church. Camp Matrius was also the original location for town meetings, the New Englander's form of local government, and the first court in the region. It represented order and a civilized society to the town's residents. Because of its prime location along the Ohio River, Marietta grew quickly. It became a key trading center for the Northwest Territory and eventually for the State of Ohio. The community was one of the earliest settlements in Ohio to have a state chartered bank founded in 1808. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Journey to Marietta With the passage of the Ordinance of1787, in July of that year, events for the settlement of the Northwest Territory moved rapidly. On August 29 the directors of the Ohio Company of Associates met again at " The Bunch of Grapes " tavern where Rev. Manasseh Cutler reported that a contact with the Board of Treasury had been drawn up for a million acres of land north and west of the Ohio River. On Sept 1, the contract was approved and the first payment made. The signatures of the Board of Treasury were affixed Oct 27, 1787. "... At a meeting of the directors of the Ohio Company at Bracket's tavern, in Boston, Nov 23, 1787, it was ordered that four surveyors be employed, under the direction of the superintendent, hereinafter named: That 22 men shall attend the surveyors, that there be added to this number 20 men, incluing six boat builders, four house carpenters, one blacksmith, nine common workmen, in all 48 men: that the boat builders shall proceed on Monday next, and the surveyors rendezvous at Hartford, the first day of January next, on their way to the Muskingum: that the boat builders and men, with the surveyors, be proprietors in the company: that their tools and one axe and one hoe to each man and thirty pounds weight of baggage shall be carried in the company's wagons, and that the subsistence of the men on their journey be furnished by the company..." In pursuance of the above order, 21 men assembled at Rev. Cutler's church in Ipswich, Mass some hours before daylight on Dec. 3, 1787 and there made final preparations for the journey. Rev. Cutler accompanied them as far as Danvers, where he placed them in charge of Maj. Haffield White. After a hard journey of seven weeks, the first party arrived Jan 21, 1788 at Simeral's Ferry, where boats were to be built for the remainder of the journey down the Youghiogheny to the Monongahela and the Ohio Rivers to the mouth of the Muskingum. The men of the second party of pioneers assembled early in January, 1788, in Hartford, Ct. Here they were met by Gen. Rufus Putman, superintendent of the company, and Col. Ebenezer Sproat. Gen. Putman, who before departing for the Western country had business in New York, placed Col. Sproat in charge of the party., which had the same destination as that of the party led by Maj. White. gen. Putman overtook Col. Sproat's party at Sweetara Creek near Harrisburg, PA. The second party, after delays caused by heavy snows in the mountains, reached Simeral's Ferry on Feb. 14. Under the leadership of Gen. Putnam, the men constructed the boats which were to carry them to their new home. The largest of these boats was named the " Adventure Galley " and, afterwards, renamed the " Mayflower " in honor of the first settlers of Massachusetts. March 31 found the boats completed and loaded with provisions which had been procurred in Virginia ( Now West VA ) and loaded on the boats at Buffalo Creek, now Wellsburg, W.V. On April 1, the flotilla departed Simeral's Ferry. After a journey of 6 days, the men on the large boat sighted Fort Harmar and " came to the east point of the fork between the Ohio and Muskingum." The men of the first pioneer party, with very few exceptions, became inhabitants of the new colony. Several of them, and their descendants, became influential in building of the commuity and the new state. Following are the names of the 48 original settlers; Jabez Barlow; Daniel Bushnell; Phineas Coburn; Ezekiel Cooper; Evenezer Cory; Samuel Cushing; Jervis Cutler; Israel Danton; Daniel Davis; Jonas Davis; Allen Devol; Gilbert Devol, Jr.; Jonathon Devol; Isaac Dodge; Oliver Dodge; Samuel Feishaw; Hezekiah Flint; Hezakiah Flint, Jr.; Periegnne Foster; John Gardner; Wm Gray; Benjamin Griswold; Elizer Kirtland; Theophilus Larnard; Joseph Lincoln; Simeon Martin; Wm Mason; John Mathews; Henry Maxon; Return J. Meigs; Wm Miller; Edmund Moulton; Wm Moulton; Joshiah Munro; Amos Porter, Jr.: Allen Putman; Jethro Putman; Rufus Putman; Benjamin Shaw; Earl Sproat; Ebenezer Sproat; Anselm Tupper; David Wallace; Joseph Wells; Halfield White; Pelatiah White; Josiah White; and Josiah Whitridge. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Continued in part 7.