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 MADISON COUNTY

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MADISON COUNTY was organized in March, 1810, and named from James Madison, the fourth President of the United States. The soil is clayey, and the surface level. Almost one-third of the surface is prairie land. It is largely a stock-raising county.

 

Area about 470 square miles. In 1887 the acres cultivated were 106,169; in pasture, 97,489; woodland, 19,118; produce in wheat, 429,299 bushels; rye, 2,763; buckwheat, 755; oats, 103,205; barley, 720; corn, 2,288,745; broom corn, 34,000 lbs. brush; meadow hay, 20,910 tons; clover hay, 3,083; potatoes, 19,544 bushels; butter, 377,235 lbs.; cheese; .600; sorghum, 474 gallons; maple sugar, 300 lbs.; honey, 3,752 lbs.; eggs, 460,915 dozen; grapes, 18,100 lbs.; wine, 50 gallons; apples, 3,565 bushels; peaches, 334; pears, 383; wool, 362,386 lbs.; milch cows owned, 4,540; stallions, 108. School census, 1888, 6,046; teachers, 169. Miles of railroad track, 53.

 

 

Population of Madison in 1820 was 4,799; 1830, 6,191; 1840, 9,025; 1860, 13,015; 1880, 20,129, of whom 16,398 were born in Ohio; 754, Virginia; 397, Pennsylvania; 273, Kentucky; 196, New York; 90, Indiana; 917, Ireland; 195, German Empire; 103, England and Wales; 37, British America; 11, Scotland; 7, France. Census of 1890; 20,057.

 

This county is a high table land between the Miami and Scioto rivers. The railroad surveys show London to be 389 feet higher than Columbus. Early in the century about half the surface was covered with water. Ponds were numerous, the resort, of cranes, ducks and other water-fowl. The land was then considered worthless; by cleaning and draining it has become highly valuable.

 

About half the county is clay soil. Sheep, swine and bulls are largely raised. Formerly the farms were very large, going sometimes into thousands of acres. By deaths and the subsequent divisions of estates they are rapidly diminishing. The larger farms are generally sub-let to tenants, largely Irish, who are generally thrifty.

 

Deer Creek, in this county, was so called by the Indians, because of the many deer that used to frequent it to eat the moss that grew plentifully upon its banks. It was considered by the Indians the best hunting-ground for deer in this whole region of country.

 

The first court in this county was held in a cabin, Judge THOMPSON, of Chillicothe, presiding. The grand jury retired to deliberate to an oak and hazel thicket that stood near. The principal business, for the first year or two, was to try men for fighting.

 

 

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families. The view shows on the left the court house, and in the distance the academy. London contains 1 Presbyterian and 1 Methodist church, a classical academy, 1 newspaper printing office, 8 stores, and by the census of 1840 its’on was 297.-Old Edition

 

LONDON, county-seat of Madison, twenty-five miles west of Columbus, and five miles northeast of Cincinnati, is on the P. C. & St. L. and I. B. & W., Railroads. The county is a rich agricultural district, and London is a wheat-shipping centre and famous for its cattle sales.

 

County Officers, 1888: Auditor, William C. WARD; Clerk, M. Francler DUNN; Commissioners, William E. BEALS, Alfred C, WILLETT, John P. BOWERS; Coroner, Daniel T. FOX; Infirmary Directors, Patrick McGUIRE, James C. Peck, Valentine WILSON, Jr.; Probate Judge, Oliver P. CRABB; ; Prosecuting Attorney, Corwin LOCKE; Recorder, Samuel TRUMPER; Sheriff, John T. VENT; Surveyor, William REEDER; Treasurer, William M. JONES. City Officers, 1888: Geo. H. HAMILTON, Mayor; W. M. FEGUSON, Clerk; Charles MAGUIRE, Marshal; John E. LOTSPIECH, Chief Fire Department. Newspapers: Enterprise, Republican, John WALLACE, editor; Madison County Democrat, Democratic, M. L. BRYAN, editor and publisher; Times, Republican, CARSON & GUNSAULUS, editors and publishers; Vigilant, Prohibitionist, F. A. TAYLOR, editor. Churches: 1 Methodist Episcopal, 1 Baptist, 1 Presbyterian, 1 African Methodist Episcopal, 1 Catholic, 1 Episcopal and 1 Lutheran. Banks: Central, Thos. J. STUTSON, president, William FARRAR, cashier; London Exchange, Robert BOYD president, A. C. WATSON, cashier; Madison National, Stephen WATSON, president, B. F. CLARK, cashier.

 

Manufactures and Employees—G. W. Shank, handles, 32 hands; J. B. Vanwagner, grain elevator, 3 ; F. PLACI

ER, flour and feed, 5 ; Wm. M. Jones & Sons, carriages and buggies, 12; William Holland, carriages and buggies, 17; E. R. Florence, washing machines, etc., 7 ; E. J.. Gould, doors, sash, etc., 6.—State Report, 1888. Population in 1880, 3,067. School census, 1888, 1,048; school superintendent, J. W. MacKINNON. Capital invested in industrial establishments. $49,000. Census, 1890, 3,292.

 

THE LONDON LIVE-STOCK SALES

BY HON. JOHN F. LOCKE.

 

The live-stock sales at London, Madison county, Ohio, have justly obtained a wide distinction throughout the Central and Western States among cattle and horse-dealers. For many years prior to 1856 Madison county had been especially a grazing country, where large herds of cattle were raised and shipped to the eastern markets. There were many large farms, and all their owners were engaged, more or less, in raising, buying and selling cattle. Early in the year 1856 a few of the leading cattle-dealers met in London for the purpose of arranging for monthly sales to occur in London, where buyers and sellers could more conveniently be brought together, and purchases and sales be more easily effected. It was agreed to hold the first sale on the first Tuesday in March, 1856, and thereafter on the first Tuesday of each and every month.

 

 

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Top Picture

Drawn by Henry Howe in 1846.

VIEW IN LONDON.

The Court-House is shown on the left, the Academy on the right in the distance.

 

Bottom Picture

O. C. Hule, Photo, London, 1887

VIEW IN LONDON

 

 

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The method of their operations is simple. On the day before the sale, and often on the day of the sale, various droves of cattle may be seen coming on the several roads to London. Those brought the day before are kept in lots and fed over night, ready for the sale the next day. About 10 o’clock of the day of sale from two to three thousand people have assembled on the streets to witness the sales, see each other and transact business, and do trading which has been put off until “Salesday.” This crowd is unusually orderly, and is about the same every salesday, regardless of the weather or other events. The public square near the Court-house is the market place. A drove of cattle is driven into the square, and the auctioneer announces the number, age and weight of the cattle, and bidding begins and continues until they are sold to the highest bidder at so much per head.

 

The cattle are then driven out, delivered to the buyer by the seller, and another drove is sold in the same way. Often three or four droves are being sold at the same time, and the hue and cry of the noisy auctioneers is strange and amusing to one unfamiliar with it.

 

The chief auctioneer is John C. BRIDGMAN, a man with a strong frame, loud voice, a good judge of cattle and a keen trader, and who, because of his especial qualifications and large experience, is without doubt the best auctioneer of live-stock in the whole country. He has been constantly at the business for over a quarter of a century, and has sold under the hammer at public auction more cattle than any other man living or dead.

 

These sales have been remarkably successful, and have become an established and permanent institution peculiar to Madison county. Attempts have been made to imitate them in various parts of the State and the West, but without success, except in Paris Ky., where there exists its only rival. The chief causes of their success are not attributable to any particular efforts of men, or a set of men, but to the fortunate situation and favorable conditions of Madison county for the establishment and growth of this institution, so especially its own. Madison county lies in the centre of the great blue-grass region of Ohio. This favorite and celebrated territory includes about half of the counties adjoining, and on the dividing ridge between the Scioto and Little Miami rivers.

 

Its soil is particularly well adapted for the production of the rich and nutritious blue-grass so necessary in producing the very best quality of live-stock of all kinds. Its farms are mostly unusually large, affording an extensive range for herds of cattle. Most of our farmers keep a few cattle, and many of them keep very large herds. There are over two hundred farms in the county containing from four hundred to four thousand acres. There are two or three sections or neighborhoods in the county containing from twenty to thirty thousand acres in one body owned by ten or twelve men.

 

Cattle brought to this market can always find a buyer who is prepared to buy a herd and turn them at once to graze upon his pastures. In counties where the farms are small the farmer is not prepared to accommodate but a few cattle.

 

This is one reason of success here. Cattle are regularly brought here from all parts of the State, and frequently from Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and other States. They find ready purchasers at the highest market price. The cattle consist mostly of one, two and three-year-old steers, sometimes a few heifers, but never any fat or shipping cattle. These stock cattle are purchased by the large grazers, turned upon their pastures, fattened and shipped to New York, Boston and Liverpool. The cattle sold at these sales by no means represent the amount or number of cattle sold in the county. The fat cattle sold and shipped from here annually equal, if not exceed in value, those sold at the monthly sales.

 

The number of cattle sales and the amount of the annual sales have been gradually on the increase, until within the last few years, when the cattle trade has been dull throughout the country.

 

 

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of sales each year, for the last thirty years, ending March, 1886.  There are only nine sales in 1856 and six in 1886 reported and included in this table:

 

 

 

 

The following table shows the number of different kinds of stock sold during the thirty years, and the average price per head.

 

 

 

During the early years of sales almost all kinds of live-stock were sold, but now there are chiefly only cattle and horses.  Mules were sold at almost every sale until after the war, since which but few are ever offered in the market.  Sheep were also sold until 1868, since which time none have been offered.

 

During the first ten years of the sales but few horses are reported as sold, but since the war the sale of horses has been largely on the increase, and prices are better.  This is undoubtedly owing to the fact that a demand for larger draft horses for use in the East has made their production more general.  Several carloads of horses are sold and shipped form here each sale-day.

 

John M. ROBERTS has reported these sales for the Democrat for many years, and it is from his reports that the report herein given is compiled.  In years to come these reports will be valuable in enabling a correct history of this institution to be written.

 

There is no indication that the sales will cease, nor is there any good reason why they should.  They have accomplished well the purpose intended, and have reflected great credit upon Madison county, and all feel a just pride in them.

 

On my original tour there was then living on the Bid Darby, in Canaan township, JONATHAN ALDER, who, when a boy in the Revolutionary war, was taken captive by the Indians and lived with them many years.  He had dictated to his son Henry the history of his captivity.  It was about one hundred MSS. pages and I copied from it all that was of value.

 

 

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not rich he lived in comfort and was much respected. His name appears among the first juries of Madison county, and his neighbors said he was a very kindly man, “honest as the sun.” We are indebted to Dr. J. N. BEACH, of West Jefferson, who saw him when he was a child of five years, for the following facts, after which comes our original account:

 

Jonathan ALDER is buried at Foster Chapel cemetery, Jefferson township, Madison county, four miles north of the village of West Jefferson. His grave is marked by a plain slab, four and a half by two feet in size, on which is the inscription as given below.

 

His cabin stands one mile north of the cemetery, opposite the residence of his grandson, Seth ALDER, in the southwest angle formed by the crossing of the, east pike by the Lucas pike. An addition, larger than the original cabin, has been built on the east side. This cabin was first built about two hundred yards east of its present location, or a little east of the present family residence. It was removed to its present location by a son of Mr. ALDER and the addition made for residence purposes. I think there is no doubt but that the west half of the present structure located in the angle of the roads is the original Alder cabin, and presents much the same appearance as when it stood farther east when first built.

 

During his residence with the Indians, he spent one winter in a cabin on the east bank of Darby creek, just opposite where he is buried, on the farm now owned by Knowlton BAILEY. While here he became disabled in someway in one of his feet, entirely incapacitating him from hunting, the only means he had for subsistence, and in consequence was reduced to almost starving condition. Fortunately, however, two Indian boys happened to stumble upon his camp just at a time when the question of food was becoming a serious one, and more fortunately the cry of a deer being torn by the wolves was just then heard. The boys sprang out to take a hand in the struggle, but Mr. ALDER said, “Boys, wait until the deer quits crying and then we will be sure of some venison.” The deer became quiet, when the boys went out and, driving off the wolves, soon, returned with the carcase.

 

CAPTIVITY AND LIFE OF JONATHAN ALDER AMONG THE INDIANS.

 

Jonathan ALDER was born in New Jersey, about eight miles from Philadelphia, September 17, 1773. When at about the age of seven years his parents removed to Wythe county , Va., and his father soon after died.

 

 

 

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The Indians also having taken a prisoner, a Mrs. MARTIN a neighbor to the ALDERS, with her young child, aged about four or five years, retreated towards their towns. Their route lay through the woods to the Big Sandy, down that stream to the Ohio, which they crossed, and from thence went overland to the Scioto, near Chillicothe, and so on to a Mingo village on Mad river.

 

Finding the child of Mrs. MARTIN burdensome, they soon killed and scalped it. The last member of her family was now destroyed, and she screamed in agony of grief. Upon this one of the Indians caught her by her hair, and drawing the edge of his knife across her forehead, cried, “sculp ! sculp !” with the hope of stilling her cries.  But, indifferent to life, she continued her screams, when they procured some switches and whipped her until she was silent. The next day, young ALDER having not risen, through fatigue, from eating, at the moment the word was given, saw, as his face was to the north, the shadow of a man’s arm with an uplifted tomahawk. He turned, and there stood an Indian, ready for the fatal blow. Upon this he let down his arm and commenced feeling of his head. He afterwards told ALDER it had been his intention to have killed him; but, as he turned he looked so smiling and pleasant that he could not strike, and on feeling of his head and noticing that his hair was very black, the thought struck him, that if he could only get him to his tribe he would make a good Indian; but that all that saved his life was the color of his hair.

 

After they crossed the Ohio they killed a bear, and remained four days to dry the meat for packing, and to fry out the oil, which last they put in the intestines, having first turned and cleaned them.

 

The village to which ALDER was taken belonged to the Mingo tribe, and was on the north side of Mad river, which we should limits was. somewhere within or near the limits of what is now Logan county. As he entered he was obliged to run the gauntlet, formed by young children armed with switches. He passed through this ordeal with little or no injury, and was adopted into an Indian family. His Indian mother thoroughly washed him with soap and warm water with herbs in it, previous to dressing him in the Indian costume, consisting of a calico shirt, breech-clout, leggings and moccasins. The family having thus converted him into an Indian, were much pleased with their new member. But Jonathan was at first very homesick, thinking of his mother and brothers. Everything was strange about him; he was unable to speak a word of their language; their food disagreed with him; and, childlike, he used to go out daily for more than a month, and sit under a large walnut tree near the village, and cry for hours at a time over his deplorable situation. His Indian father was a chief of the Mingo tribe, named SUCCOHANOS; his Indian mother was named WHINECHEOH, and their daughters respectively answered to the good old English names of Mary, Hannah and Sally. SUCCOHANOS and WHINECHEOH were old people, and had lost a son, in whose place they had adopted Jonathan. They took pity on the little fellow, and did their best to comfort him, telling him that he would one day be restored to his mother and brothers. He says of them, “They could not have used their own son better, for which they shall always be held in most grateful remembrance by me.”His Indian sister, Sally, however, treated him “like a slave,” and when out, of humor, applied to him, in the Indian tongue, the unladylike epithet of “onorary [mean] lousy prisoner !” Jonathan for a time lived with Mary who had become the wife of the chief, Col. Lewis (see Logan County). “In the fall of the year,” says he, “the Indians would generally collect at our camp, evenings, to talk over their hunting expeditions. I would sit up to listen to their stories, and frequently fell asleep just where I was sitting. After they left, Mary would fix my bed, and, with Col. Lewis, would carefully take me up and carry me to it. On these occasions they would often say—supposing me to be asleep—’Poor fellow we have sat up too long for him, and he has fallen asleep on the cold ground;’ and then how softly would they lay me down and cover me up! Oh ! never have I, nor can I, express the affection I had for these two persons.

 

Jonathan, with other boys, went into Mad river to bathe, and on one occasion came near drowning. He was taken out senseless, and some time elapsed he recovered. He says, “I remember, after I got over my strangle, I became very sleepy, and I thought I could draw my breath as well as ever. Being overcome with drowsiness I laid down, to sleep, which was the last I remember. The act of drowning is nothing, but the coming to life is distressing. The boys, after they had brought me to, gave me a silver buckle as an inducement not to tell the old folks of the occurrence, for fear they would not let me come with them again ; and so the affair was kept secret. “

 

When Alder had learned to speak the Indian language he became more contented. He says: “I would have lived very happy, if I could have had health; but for three or four years I was subject to very severe attacks of fever and ague. Their diet went very hard with me for a long time. Their chief living was meat and hominy; but we rarely had bread, and very little salt, which was extremely scarce and dear, as well as milk and butter. Honey and sugar were plentiful, and used a great deal in their cooking as well as on their food.”

 

 

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O. C. Hale, Photo, London, 1887.

 

CABIN OF JONATHAN ALDER.

 

ALDER was taken captive in youth by the Indians and lived with them many years.

 

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great sport for the youthful marksman.  Occasionally he killed a wild turkey, or a raccoon; and when he returned to the village with his game generally received high praise for hiss skill—the Indians telling him he would make “a great hunter one of these days.”

 

We cannot, within our assigned limits, give all of the incidents and anecdotes related by ALDER, or anything like a connected history of his life among the Indians. In the June after he was taken occurred Crawford’s defeat. He describes the anxiety of the squaws while the men were gone to the battle, and their joy on their returning with scalps and other trophies of the victory. He defends Simon Girty from the charge of being the instigator of the burning of Crawford, and states that he could not have saved his life because he had no influence in the Delaware tribe, whose prisoner Crawford was. ALDER was dwelling at the Mackachack towns (see Logan County) when they were destroyed by LogaN in 1786; was in the attack on Fort Recovery in 1794 (see Mercer County), and went on an expedition into “Kaintucky to steal horses” from the settlers.

 

ALDER remained with the Indians until after Wayne’s treaty, in 1795. He was urged by them to be present on the occasion, to obtain a reservation of land, which was to be given to each of the prisoners; but, ignorant of its importance, he neglected going, and lost the land. Peace having been restored, Alder says, “I could now lie down without fear, and rise up and shake hands with both the Indian and the white man.”

 

The summer after the treaty, while living on Big Darby, Lucas SULLIVANT (see p. 610) made his appearance in that region, surveying land, and soon became on terms of intimacy with ALDER, who related to him a history of his life and generously gave him the piece of land on which he dwelt; but there being some little difficulty about the title, ALDER did not contest, and so Iost it.

 

When the settlers first made their appearance on the Darby, ALDER could scarecely speak a word of English. He was then about 24 years of age, fifteen of which he had passed with the Indians. Two of the settlers kindly taught him to converse in English. He had taken up with a squaw for a wife some time previous, and now began to farm like the whites. He kept hogs, cows and horses; sold milk and butter to the Indians, horses and pork to the whites, and accumulated property. He soon was able to hire white laborers, and being dissatisfied with his squaw—a cross, peevish woman—wished to put her aside get a wife from among the settlers, and live like them. Thoughts, too, of his mother and brothers, began to obturde, and the more he reflected, his desire strengthened to know if they were living, and to see them once more. He made inquiries for them, but was at a loss to know how to begin, being ignorant of the name of even the State in which they were. When talking one day with John MOORE, a companion of his, the latter questioned him where he was from. ALDER replied that he was taken prisoner somewhere near a place called Greenbriar, and that his people lived by a lead mine, to which he frequently used to go to see the hands dig ore. MOORE then asked him if he could recollect the names of any of his neighbors. After a little reflection he replied, “Yes ! a family of GULIONS that lived close by us.” Upon this, MOORE dropped his head, as if lost in thought, and muttered to himself, “GULION ! GULION !” and then raising up, replied,. “My father and myself were out in that country, and we stopped at their house over one night, and if your people are living I can find them.”

 

Mr. MOORE after this went to Wythe county and inquired for the family of ALDER; but without success, as they had removed from their former residence. He put up advertisements in various places, stating the facts, and where ALDER was to be found, and then returned. Alder now abandoned all hopes of finding his family, supposing them to be dead. Some time after he and MOORE were at Franklinton, where he was informed that there was a letter for him in the postoffice. It was from his brother Paul, stating that one of the advertisements was put up within six miles of him, and that he got it the next day. It contained the joyful news that his mother and brothers were alive.

 

ALDER, in making preparations to start for Virginia, agreed to separate from his Indian wife, divide the property equally, and take and leave her with her own people at Sandusky. But some difficulty occurred in satisfying her. He gave her all the cows, fourteen in number, worth $20 each, seven horses and much other property, reserving to himself only two horses and the swine. Besides these was a small box, about six inches long, four inches wide and four deep, filled with silver, amounting probably to about $200, which he intended to take, to make an equal division. But to this she objected, saying the box was hers before marriage, and she would not only have it, but all it contained. ALDER says, “ I saw I could not get it without making a fuss, and probably having a fight, and told her that if she would promise never to trouble nor come back to me, she might have it; to which she agreed.”

 

 

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Year’s. They walked up to, the house and to have their horses fed, and pretending they were entire strangers, inquired who lived there. “I had concluded,” said—ALDER, “not to make myself known for some time, and eyed my brother very close, but did not recollect his features. I had always thought I should have recognized my mother by a mole on her face. In the corner sat an old lady who I supposed was her, although I could not tell, for when I was taken by the Indians her head was as black as a crow, and now it was almost perfectly white. Two young women were present, who eyed me very close, and I heard one of them whisper to the other, ‘He looks very much like Mark (my brother). I saw they were about to discover me, and accordingly turned my chair around to my brother, and said, ‘You say your name is ALDER?’ ‘Yes,’ he replied, my name is Paul ALDER.’ `Well,’ I rejoined, ‘my name is ALDER too.’ Now it is hardly necessary to describe our feelings at that time; but they were very different from those I had when I was taken prisoner, and saw the Indian coming with my brother’s scalp in his hand, shaking off the blood.

 

“When I told my brother that my name was ALDER, he rose to shake hands with me, so overjoyed that he could scarcely utter a word, and my old mother ran, threw her arms around me, while tears rolled down her cheeks. The first words she spoke, after she grasped me in her arms, were, ‘How you have grown!’ and then she told me of a dream she had. Says she, ‘I dreamed that you had come to see me, and that you was a little onorary [mean] looking fellow, and. I would not own you for my son; but now I find I was mistaken, that it is entirely the reverse, and I am proud to own you for my son.’ I told her I could remind her of a few circumstances that she would recollect, that took place before I was made captive. I then related various things, among which was that the negroes, on passing our house on Saturday evenings, to spend Sunday with their wives, would beg pumpkins of her, and get her to roast them for them against their return on Monday morning. She recollected these circumstances, and said she had now no doubt of my being her son. We passed the balance of the day in agreeable conversation, and I related to them the history of my captivity, my fears and doubts of my grief and misery the first year after I was taken. My brothers at this time were all married, and Mark and John had moved from there. They were sent for and came to see me; but my half-brother John had moved so far that I never got to see him at all.”

 

This county was first settled by the whites in 1796. In the fall of 1795 Benjamin SPRINGER came from Kentucky, selected some land about a mile north of Amity, on the west bank of Big Darby, which stream was named by the Indians from a Wyandot chief named Darby, who for a long time resided upon it, near the line of this and Union counties. SPRINGER having made a clearing and built a cabin, moved his family to the place in the spring of 1796. The next year William LAPIN, Joshua and James EWING, settled in the same neighborhood. The last-named is now living.

 

SPRINGER settled near Alder, and taught him the English language, which much endeared the latter to him. He reciprocated this benefit, by not only supplying him with meat, but others of the early settlers, who, had it not been for him, would have been in danger of starvation. He also, on different occasions, saved some of the settlers from being killed by the Indians.

 

In 1800 Mr. Joshua EWING brought four sheep to his place, which were strange animals to the Indians. One day an Indian was passing by, when the dog of the latter caught one of the sheep, and EWING shot him. The Indian would have shot EWING in retaliation, had not ALDER, who was present, with much difficulty prevailed upon him to refrain.

 

On the outbreak of hostilities in 1812 the Indian chiefs held a council and sent a deputation to ALDER, to learn which side to espouse, saying that the British wished them to go and fight for them, holding out the promise that in such case “they would support their families. He advised them to remain at first neutral, and told them they need not be afraid of the Americans harming their women and children. They followed ALDER’S advice, for a while remained neutral, and eventually became warm friends of the Americans.

 

 

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Universalist. Banks: Farmers’, Z. T. LEWIS, president, C. F. MORGAN, cashier; Plain City, Alvah SMITH, president C. B. SMITH, cashier.

 

Manufactures and Employees—a W. I. Ballinger & Sons, flour, etc., 5 hands; Andrew & Koehler, grain elevator, 4; E. H. Dry, carriages and buggies, 6; Barlow, Kent & Co., furniture, 32; McCune & Beard, lumber, etc., 7; Beach & Dominy, flooring, siding, etc., 4; K. L. Wood, wrapping paper, 23.—Ohio State Report, 1888. Population in 1880, 665. School census, 1888, 294. Capital invested in manufacturing establishments, $68,000. Value of annual product, $137,000.—Ohio Labor Statistics, 1888.

 

WEST JEFFERSON is ten miles northeast of London, and fourteen miles west of Columbus, on the P. C. & St. L. R. R. Bank: Commercial, GREGG & COLLIVER, J. B. HILL, cashier. Population, 1880, 720. School census 1888, 253. At an early day a block-house was built on the east bank of the Little Darby, about twenty rods south of where the national road crosses the creek, near the village.

 

MOUNT STERLING is fifteen miles southeast of London, on the C. & C. M. R. R: Newspaper: Tribune Independent, J. W. HANAWALT, editor and publisher. Churches: one Presbyterian, one Methodist, and one Christian. Bank: Farmers’, William McCAFFERTY, president, J. G. LOUFBOURROW, cashier. Population, 1880, 482. School census, 1888, 244; L. W. SHEPPARD, school superintendent. Capital invested in industrial establishments, $80,300. Value of annual product, $150,500.—Ohio Labor Statistics, 1887.

 

MIDWAY is eleven miles south of London. Post Office is Sedalia. Population, 1880, 284. School census, 1888, 128.

 

SOMERFORD is five miles northeast of London. Population, 1880, 323.