OHIO STATEWIDE FILES OH-FOOTSTEPS Mailing List Issue 45 *********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 00 : Issue 45 Today's Topics: #1 BIO: Bowman, 1880, Pickaway Co. ["david piatt" To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <002301aa25c5$c4a6f300$9afcb7ce@randalro> Subject: BIO: Bowman, 1880, Pickaway Co. Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" From the book History of Franklin and Pickaway Counties, Ohio, with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, published by Williams Brothers, 1880, page 302. William Bowman and family arrived from Shenandoah county, Virginia, in 1810, and lived for five years in the northwest part of Fairfield county. At the expiration of that time he came to Pickaway county and purchased, in Washington township, the farm now occupied by Ezekiel Morris, then occupied by Conrad Pontius. He died here, October 16, 1823. He was the father of fourteen children, six of whom are living. Joseph, who lives in Walnut, aged seventy-six, made a trip to New Orleans, from Circleville, in 1823, on a flat-boat. The boat was fourteen feet wide and about seventy feet long, and was in charge of Barnard Prebble. ______________________________ ------------------------------ X-Message: #2 Date: Sun, 8 Feb 1981 16:29:13 -0500 From: "david piatt" To: OH-FOOTSTEPS-L@rootsweb.com Message-ID: <001001aa25ca$ebb3f380$9cfcb7ce@randalro> Subject: HISTORY: South Solon, 1915, Madison Co. Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" This is from the book History of Madison County, Ohio, 1915, Chester E. Bryan Supervising Editor, BF Bowen and Company, Inc., Pages 187-188. South Solon. South Solon, the only town within the limit of Stokes township, is located on the Dayton, Toledo & Ironton railroad and is in the west central part of the township. It was laid out and platted on December 23, 1831, by J. K. Hudson and Andrew Douglas. The latter built the first house and was the first blacksmith in the village. John Noland opened the first store, and was the pioneer in the mercantile trade. Doctor Simmerman, a root and herb doctor, and possessed of some Indian blood in his veins, was the first practicing physician, and was quite skillful in treating diseases under his system. The town grew slowly for many years, as it had no railroad or other stimulus to promote its growth or to create business. The entire township was without a railroad for many years after its organization, and all grain, stock and farm products were hauled to some distant market or for shipment. As a result of this, when the farmers were at these foreign markets they made their purchases of dry goods and groceries for home consumption; hence there was little inducement for men of means or business ability to locate or invest at South Solon. Things were at a standstill until 1878, in which year the Springfield Southern railroad, since known as the Dayton, Toledo & Ironton railroad, was built and passed through the village, connecting it with Springfield and the coal fields of southeasten Ohio. This opened a way for shipping the products of the country and made, as it were, a home market for all classes of goods. John Hudson erected a warehouse and grain elevator, after which the farmers hauled their grain there and shipped their stock from the home market. This created quite a business. Men were in demand, and this created a demand for houses. Merchants found an opening for the profitable investment of their capital. From this time the town has experienced a steady growth. The railroad, which at first was a narow-gauge line, was, in 1880, transformed to a standard-gauge road and is doing quite a live and thriving business. South Solon at present has a population of about five hundred. One of the finest centralized school buildings in the state, recently completed there at a cost of over twenty thousand dollars, has eight departments and along with domestic science and manual training it has first-year work in high school. South Solon is a pretty place, having wide streets, cement sidewalks, some beautiful residences and a number of good churches. The Titus Elevator Company located there handles an immense amount of grain every year. R. C. Brant, who has a general merchandise store, has been there for many years. The Farmers & Traders Banking Company does a large business and is one of the best-equipped banks in the county. L. C. Titus is an auctioneer and a general dealer in grain, wool and all sorts of farm implements, real estate, etc. The South Solon Hardware Company, of which H. C. Whitaker and F. W. Knowles are the proprietors, handles general hardware supplies. Smith Jenks & Son are butchers and conduct a meat market. The Park Hotel provides for the needs of the weary traveler. John W. Black conducts an ice cream parlor, lunch counter and confectionery store. Charles Lower, who conducts a barber shop, has been in business for twenty years. J. R. Stroup, mayor and justice of the peace, is the editor of the South Solon News. Mayor Stroup is an old newspaper man. W. P. Bainter has a general repair shop. Clemens' restaurant is one of the popular eating places. There are also a number of other business enterprises, including two good livery barns and one or two garages. -------------------------------- End of OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest V00 Issue #45 ******************************************