OHIO STATEWIDE FILES - Know your Ohio: Tidbits of Ohio -- Part 76 ************************************************************************ 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 March 11, 2006 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Historical Collections of Ohio And Then They Went West Know Your Ohio Tid-Bits - part 76 by Darlene E. Kelley notes by S.Kelly [ ] ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tid-Bits - part 76. Timeline of Early Ohio The Indians, since the treaty of Greenville had been at relative peace, but about the year 1810 they began to commit aggressions upon the inhabitants of the West. The celebrated Tecumseh was particularly active in his efforts to unite the native tribes against the Americans, and to arrest the farther extension of settlements. His efforts, and those of his brother, " The Prophet ", soon made it evident that the West was about to suffer another Indian war. The respective governments were proactive in anticipation of their movements. In 1811 General Harrison, who then was the Governor of Indiana Territory, marched against the town of the " Prophet," on the Wabash River. The Battle of Tippecanoe occurred in what is now Cass County, Indiana. The Indians were totally defeated. This year also marked another occurance of equally immense importance to the Whole West. This was the voyage. from Pittsburg to New Orleans, of the first steamboat ever launched on the Western waters. In June 1812, the United States declared war against Great Britain. The West was a principal theater of this war. Defeat, diaster, and disgrace marked its opening scenes for the Americans, but the latter events of the contest were a series of splendid achievements. Croghan's gallent defence of Fort Stephenson; Perry's victory on Lake Erie; the total of defeat, by Harrison, of the allied British and Indiian forces under Proctor and Tecumseh, on the Thames River; and the great closing triumph of Andrew Jackon at New Orleans, reflected very positively on American forces. Throughout this war, even during the darkest moments, the conduct of Ohio was consistently patriotic and honorable. When the necessities of the national Government forced Congress to resort to a direct tax, Ohio, for successive years, cheerfully assumed and promptly paid her quota out of her state treasury. Her sons enthusiastically volunteered her services in the field, and no troops more patiently endured hardship or performed better service, Hardly a battle was fought in the old Nortwest in which some of these brave citizen soldiers did not seal their devotion to their country with their blood. In 1816 the seat of the State Government was moved to Columbus, the proprietors of the town having erected the Statehouse and other public buildings for the accomendation of the Legislature and the Officers of the State. In January 1817, the first resolution relating to a canal connecting the Ohio River with Lake Erie was introduced into the Legislature. In 1819 the subject again advanced. In 1820, on recommendation of Governor Brown, an act was passed providing for the appointment of three canal commissioners, who were to employ a competent engineer and assistants for the purpose of surveying the route of the canal. The action of the commisioners, however, was made to depend on the acceptance of the United States Congress of a proposition -- on behalf of the State -- for a donation and sale of public lands lying upon and near the route of the proposed canal. As a result of this restriction nothing was accomplished for two years. In 1822 the subject was referred to a committee of the United States House of Representatives. This committee recommended the employment of an Engineer, and submitted various estimates and observations to illustrate the importance and feasibility of the work. Under this act James Geddes, of New York, an experienced and skillful engineer, was employed to make the necessary examinations and surveys. Finally, after all the routes had been surveyed, and estimates made of the expense had been laid before the Legislature at several sessions, an act was passed in February 1825 --- " to provide for the internal improvement of the State by navigable canals." Thereupon the State embarked on this extensive engineering and construction effort. The construction of the canals gave new life to the development of the State. First the construction work supplied funds to the settlers along their routes, and then opened a market for their agricultural products. These products, in many sections, previously had had next to no cash value. This problem, along with extensive sickness related to the opening up the wilderness, had caused settlement to lanquish. The total of the canal mileage in the State grew to 788 miles in 1880's. Related reservoirs covered an area of 32,100 acres, or over fifty square miles. The total cost was about sixteen million dollars. Railroads soon followed. The first railroad was the " Erie & Kalamazoo." which ran to Toledo, Ohio, to Adrain, Michigan. It was opened with horse-power [ it was pulled by a horse. ] in the fall of 1836. A locomotive was introduced in July 1837, the first used in the West. The next railroad in Ohio was the " Mad River & Lake Erie," which was incorporated in 1832, with a prospective route from Dayton via Springfield to Sandusky. Construction was begun in 1835, and in 1839 a portion opened-- sixteen miles from Sandusky to Belivue-- and the second locomotive in Ohio was used there. Ten years later, 1848, this road, in connection with the " Little Miami Railway Co." was used there, where which was built from Cincinnati to Springfield, formed the first through line across the State. The second through line from Lake Erie to the Ohio River was opened in 1851 under the name of the " Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Miami Railroad." The next year chronicled the opening of a third line, which ran from Cleveland to Pittsburgh. By 1887, the railroads of Ohio had developed a 9,849 miles of track, on which, along with equipment, nearly 500 million dollars had been invested. In the decade between 1830 and 1840 Ohio made surprising progress, largely due to the development of her canal system. Her population increased 68 percent, and she became the third largest State in the Union with 1,519,467 inhabitants. Cincinnati, then her chief city, had a population of 46,338; Columbus 6,048; Cleveland 6,071, were the three next in order. Her manufacturing and commecial interests were expanding along her agriculture, and mining had also begun. The number employed in mining was about 620. Also the 1835 long dispute between Ohio and Michigan in relation to the boundary line called the " Toledo War" commenced hostilities between Michigan and Ohio. [ mentioned in the previous in Tid-Bits part 75 A & B. ] In 1840 occurred the famous " Hard Cidar and Log Cabin Campaign. " which resulted in the election of Whig candidate General William Harrison to the Presidency. In Ohio, the Whig candidate for Governor, Thomas Corwin, was elected by a majority of 16,000 votes over Wilson Shannon. Two years later Corwin was defeated by Shannon, who thus became the first Governor born on the Ohio soil. For the war with Mexico, declared in 1846, Ohio supplied four regiments of volunteers and a company --- over 5,556 men, more than any other northern State of whom 57 were killed and wounded. One of the regiments, the Second, was commanded by Col. George W. Morgan, of Mt. Vernon, Ohio, later a Brigadier- General in the Civil War. In the same year, 1846, bituminous coal was intrduced in Ohio as a furnace fuel at Lowellville, in Mahoning County. This was an event of great importance to the development of the iron industry of the State and Country. Its initial use in iron production had occurred the year before in an adjoining county in Pennsylvania. During this period the slavery question assumed such importance as soon revolutionize the politics of the State. In the Legislative session 1848-1849, members were nearly equally divided between the Whigs and Democrats, with two Free Soilers--- Messrs N.S. Townsend, of Lorain County, and John F. Morse, of Lake County -- holding the balance of power. The repeal of the Black Laws, which had long marred the statute books of Ohio, and their choice for a United States Senator, were the primary objects with the Free Soilers. Beside the election of a Senator, two Judges were to be elected to the Ohio Supreme Court. Mr. Morse made overtures to the Whigs, but there were several Whig representatives fom the southern counties of Ohio who opposed the repeal of the Black laws and to Joshua R. Giddings -- Morse's choice for Senator-- and hence he failed to build a coalition. Mr. Townsend was successful with the Democrats. They united with the Free Soilers; as a result, the Black Laws were repealed [ in which vote most of the Whigs joined.] Salmon P. Chase -- the personal choice of Mr. Townsend -- was elected to the Senate, and two Democratic Judges were appointed to the Supreme Court. This Legislation provided separate schools for black children. The Legisation, in a certain sense continue the Black Laws, inasmuch as a distinction was shown between races. This distinction was not entirely obliterated until the session of 1886-1887, when they repealed through the eloquent efforts of Benjamn W. Arnett, D.D., member-elect from Greene County. He was the first black man in the United States to represent a constituency where the majority were white and the first to be foreman of a jury where all other members were white. On May 6, 1850, the second constitutional Convention, consisting of 108 members, met in Columbus to revise and change the old constitution and adapt it to the changed condition of the commonwealth. It was in actual sesson for almost four and a half months. It adjourned on March 10. 1851. the consitution was ratified by a majority of 16,288 voters. William Medill, president of the constitutional convention, was elected the first Governor under it. On July 13, 1855, Free Soilers, Whigs, Democrats, and Americans, all opposed to the extention of slavery, met at the Town Street Methodist Church in Columbus and held the first Republican State convention. They elected John Sherman chairman and announced in their platform that they would " resist the spread of slavery under whatever shape or color it may be attempted." They nonimated Salmon P. Chase as their Governor. The Whig party subsequently ceased to exist. Mr. Chase was elected by a majority of 15,651 votes. His opposing Democratic candidate was Gov. Medill, Ex-Governor Trimble, the candidate of the American -- or Know Nothing party -- received a total of 24,276 votes. In 1857 Mr. Chase was again re-elected Governor, this time by 1,503 majority over Henry B. Paine, the Democartic candidate. The great accomplisment of Mr. Chase's administration was his suggestion to the Legislature to organize the militia. His vision of coming events would prove prophetic. In 1858 a grand reveiw was held of the newly organized military forces at Dayton, and rules and regulations governing miltary drills were printed and distributed among the militia. These efforts generated a martial and patriotic spirit which burst out almost everywhere in the State. " Slowly the nation was approaching the crisis of its history, and Mr. Chase marched abreast of all events that led to it." In October 1859, John Brown made his famous invasion of Virginia [ Harper's Ferry, West Virginia ] and immediately afterwards Gov. Henry A. Wise, of Virginia, wrote to Gov. Chase, notifying him that Virginia would pursue abolitionists even into sister states to punish them. Mr. Chase dignifiedly replied that Ohio would obey the constitution and laws of the United States and not support unlawful acts, but under no circumstances could military of other states invade Ohio territory. This was his last offical declaration as Governor. In January, 1860, his term closed and a month later he was elected United States Senator. William Dennison, the first of " the War Governors," succeeded Mr. Chase. The legislature was in session when the news was received of the fall of Fort Sumter, which sent a shudder through that body. In the midst of the excitement the shrill tones of a woman's voice resounded from the gallery; " Thank God ! It is the death of Slavery." These were the words of Abbe Kelley Foster. [ See the notes at end about this remarkable woman.] Ohio responded to President Lincoln's April 15, 1861 proclmtion which called for 75,000 militia from the Northern States. From all parts of the State came offers of services from tens of thousands and on April 19,1861, only four days after the call, the First and Second Regimants of Ohio Volunteers had been organized at Columbus and were on their way to Washington. The Legislature simutaneously voted an appropriation of a million dollars for war purposes. In 1861, David Tod, became the " second War Governor " and in September 1862, an event occurred which became known as the " Siege of Cincinnati." Gen's Kirby Smith and John Morgan, with united forces, entered Kentucky, with the Ohio border as the objective point. Cincinnati was defenseless as they aproached toward it. Gov. Tod called for volunteers from citizens, and thousands from all parts of the States responded. They were called the " squirrel-hunters," because many brought their own shotguns. Major-Gen. Lewis Wallace was put in Command. He proclaimed martial law over the three cities of Cincinnati, Covington, and Newport, and fortifications were thrown up on the Kentucky Hills, on all approaches of the city, and full preparations made to meet the foe. The " squirrel-hunters " -- the Home Guards of Cincinnati-- crossed the Ohio on a pontoon, marched out four miles, and there waited four days for the attack of the enemy. There were some slight skirmishing of pickets, when the enemy, seeing the strength of force arrayed against them, withdrew. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Note++ [ Abbey Kelley in the days of the dangerous abolition prior to the Civil War, was a white young woman, who was born in Massachusetts, who became the embodiment of commitment to the cause of antislavery and equal rights for black people. At the time when the popular press demanded silence and submission from women,she spent more than two decades on the lecture platform, bringing her vibrant message to farmers and shopkeepers alike. She was a chief money-raiser and organizer of the abolitionlist movement, believing that the whole nature of society had to be changed in order to eliminate slavery and racism. Although she was labeled a " Jezebel, " she made other women aware of their capabilities. She sought out potential women leaders, bringing Lucy Stone, Susan B. Anthony, and many others into public life. She earned all women the right for free speech. She was married to Stephen Foster, an abolitionist from New Hampshire. They opened their home, " Liberty Farms " to slaves who were escaping through the " Underground Railroad." ] ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Tid-Bits continued in part 77.