DARKE COUNTY
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DARKE COUNTY
was formed from Miami county, January 3, 1809,
and organized in March, 1817. The surface is generally level, and it
has some prairie land. It is well timbered with oak, poplar, walnut, blue ash,
sugar maple, hickory, elm, and beach, and the soil is exceedingly fertile. It
is a granary of corn, oats; and wheat—the yield immense and the quality
excellent—and it is a first-class agricultural county, a large proportion
of the land being a deep black soil and apparently inexhaustible. Area unusually large 600 square miles. In 1885 the acres
cultivated were 214,522; in pasture, 23,247; woodland, 72,333; lying waste,
7,207; produced in wheat, 996,331 bushels; oats, 472,201; corn, 3,066,476;
broom brush, 36,545 pounds; tobacco, 3,152,425; butter, 867,560; flax, 91,457;
potatoes, 215,809 bushels; sorghum, 49,559; largest in the State; eggs, 867,493
dozen; horses owned, 13,548 ; cattle, 25,517; hogs,
36,977.School census 1886, 13,881 ; teachers, 255. It has 158 miles of railroad.
Township And Census. |
1840. |
1880 |
Township and Census |
1840. |
1880. |
Adams, |
689 |
2,826 |
Monroe, |
|
1,400 |
Allen, |
194 |
1,246 |
Neave, |
635 |
1,082 |
Brown, |
293 |
1,909 |
Patterson, |
|
1,280 |
Butler, |
1,116 |
1,739 |
Richland, |
589 |
1,252 |
Franklin, |
291 |
1,871 |
Twin, |
1,047 |
2,724 |
German, |
1,173 |
1,809 |
Van Buren, |
421 |
1,512 |
Greenville, |
1,851 |
6,807 |
Wabash, |
|
1,135 |
Harrison, |
1,666 |
2,174 |
Washington |
898 |
1,612 |
Jackson, |
304 |
2,850 |
Wayne, |
727 |
2,762 |
Mississinewa, |
124 |
1,506 |
York, |
371 |
1,000 |
Population
in 1820 was 3,717; in 1840, 13,145; 1860, 26,009; 1880, 40,496, of whom 3,3,062
were Ohio-born, 1,846 Pennsylvanians, and 1,208 in Germany.
Gen. William DARKE, from whom this county derived its
name, was born in Pennsylvania, in 1738, and removed at the age of five years
with his parents to near Shepherdstown, Va. He was with the Virginia
provincials at Braddock’s defeat, taken prisoner in the Revolutionary
war, at Germantown, commanded as colonel two Virginia regiments at the siege of
York, was a member of the Virginia Convention of ‘88, and was repeatedly
a member of the Legislature of that ancient commonwealth. He distinguished
himself at St, Clair’s defeat, and died Nov. 20, 1801. Gen. Darke was by profession a farmer. He possessed a herculean frame, rough manners, a strong but uncultivated
mind, and a frank and fearless disposition.
This county is
of considerable historic interest. The defeat of St. Clair, November 4, 1791,
took place just over its northwestern border, near the Indiana line, on the
site of the village of Fort Recovery. Under the head of Mercer county, a very
full account of’ this event is given, with individual narratives and
incidents.
On his march north from Cincinnati St. Clair built a
fort five miles south of the present site of Greenville, which he named fort
Jefferson. His army left on the 24th of October, and continued their toilsome
march northward through the wilderness, which in less than two weeks was brought
to its disastrous close.
To the summer of the next year a large body of Indians
surrounded this fort. Before they were discovered, a party of them secreted
themselves in some underbrush and behind some bogs
near the fort. Knowing that Capt. SHAYLOR, the commandant, was
passionately fond of hunting, they imitated the noise of turkeys. The captain,
not dreaming of a decoy, hastened out with his son, fully expecting to return
loaded with game. As they approached near the place the savages rose, fired, and
his son, a promising lad, fell. The
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captain turning, fled to the garrison.
The Indians pursued closely, calculating either to take him prisoner or enter
the sally-gate with him in case it were opened for his admission. They were,
however, disappointed, though at his heels; he entered, and the gate was closed
the instant he reached it. In his retreat he was badly wounded by an arrow in
his back.
GREENEVILLE IN 1846.Greenville, the county-seat, is ninety-two miles west of Columbus,
and ten from the Indiana line. It was laid off August 10, 1808, by Robert GRAY
and John DEVOR, and contains 1 Baptist, 1 Episcopal, 1 Methodist, and 1
Christian church, 16 mercantile stores, 1 flouring mill, 1 newspaper printing
office, and about 800 inhabitants.
Greenville is a point of much historical note. In December, 1793, Wayne built a fort at
this place, which he called Fort Greenville. He remained until the
Fort
Greenville.
28th of July, 1794, when he left for
the Maumee rapids, where he defeated the Indians on the 20th of the month
succeeding. His army returned
to Greenville on the 2d of November, after an absence of three months and six
days. Fort Greenville was an extensive work, and covered the greater part of
the site of the town. The annexed plan is from the survey of Mr. James
M’BRIDE, of Hamilton. The blocks represent the squares of the town,
within the lines of the fort. Traces of the embankment are plainly discernible,
and various localities within the fort are pointed out by the citizens of the
town. The quarters of Wayne were on the site of the residence of Stephen
PERRINE, on Main street. Henry HOUSE, now (1846) of
this county, who was in Wayne’s campaign, says that the soldiers built
log-huts, arranged in rows, each regiment occupying one row, and each
hut—of which there were many hundred—occupied by six soldiers. He
also informs us that Wayne drilled his men to load while running; and every
night, when on the march, had good breastworks erected, at which the men had
been so well practised as to be able to construct in
a few minutes.-Old Edition.
GREENEVILLE is ninety-four miles west of Columbus,
on the C. St. L. & P. R. R., and seventy miles north of Cincinnati. It is
on Greenville creek, also the C. J. & M. and D. & U. railroads. County
officers in 1888: Probate Judge, Samuel L. KOLP; Clerk of Court, Patrick H.
MAHER; Sheriff, David E. VANTILBURG; Prosecuting Attorney, James C. ELLIOTT;
Auditor, Cyrus MINNICH; Treasurer, Henry M. BICKEL; Recorder, Daniel SNYDER;
Surveyor, Elliott M. MILLER; Coroner, George W. BURNETT; Commissioners, William
M.. SMITH, Reuben K. BEAM, Samuel J. STAPLETON. Greenville has five newspapers:
Darke County Democratic Advocate, Democratic, W. A. BROWN, editor; Democrat, Democratic, Charles ROLAND, editor; Journal, Republican, E. W. OTWILL, editor; Die Post, German
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Democrate, George FEUCTINGER,
editor; Sunday Courier, Republican, A. R. CALDERWOOD, editor. Banks: Farmers’ National G. W.
SUTDABAKER, president,
Drawn
by Henry Howe in 1846.
VIEW ON THE PUBLIC SQUARE, GREENVILLE.
[The
public square was included within the area of the fort. The old court-house which is see in the
center of this view, with and addition and changes, is now the two-hall; the
latter is the building shown in the distance, in the new view taken by
photograph. The street on the right
is Broadway. The building is the rear of the tavern sign is the site of the
Farmer’s National Bank. The
dwelling on the extreme left is now standing, and residence of J. Riley KNOX.]
T. S. WARING, cashier; Greenville
Bank Company, W. S. TURPEN, president, G. H. MARTZ, cashier; Second National,
A. F. KOOP, president; R. A. SHUFFLETON,
J. Harper,
Photo, Greenville, 1886.
VIEW ON BROADWAY, GREENVIEW.
[The court-house is shown on the left, the town-hall
in the distance.]
Cashier. Churches: 1 German Reformed, 1 German
Methodist Episcopal, 1 German Lutheran, 1 German Evangelical, 1 Baptist, 1
Methodist Episcopal, 1 Christian, 1 Catholic, 1 United Brethren, 1
Episcopalian, and 1 Presbyterian.
The
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largest industries here are machinery and moulding, the lumber business, and wagon making. Population in 1880, 3,535.
On the 3d of August, 1795, Wayne concluded a treaty
of peace with the Indians at Greenville. The number of Indians present was
1,130, viz., 180 Wyandots, 381 Delawares,
143 Shawnees, 45 Ottawas, 46 Chippewas,
240 Pottawattamies, 73 Miamies
and Eel river, 12 Weas and Piankeshaws, and 10 Kickapoos and
Kaskaskias. The principal chiefs were TARHE,
BUCKONGEHELAS, BLACK HOOF, BLUE JACKET and LITTLE TURTLE. Most of the chiefs
had been tampered with by M’KEE and other British agents; but their
people, having been reduced to great extremities by the generalship of Wayne,
had, notwithstanding, determined to make a permanent peace with the
“Thirteen Fires,” as they called the federal States. The basis of
the treaty of Greenville was that hostilities were to cease and all prisoners
restored. Article 3d defined the Indian boundary as follows:
The general boundary line between
the lands of the United States and the lands of the said Indian tribes shall
begin at the mouth of the Cuyahoga river, and run thence up the same to the
Portage, between that and the Tuscarawas branch of the Muskingum, thence down
that branch to the crossing-place above Fort Laurens, thence westerly to a fork
of that branch of the Great Miami river running into the Ohio, at or near which
fork stood LOROMIE’S store, and where commenced the portage between the
Miami of the Ohio and St. Mary’s river, which is a branch of the Miami
which runs into Lake Erie; thence a westerly course to Fort Recovery, which
stands on the branch of the Wabash ; thence southerly in a direct line to the
Ohio, so as to intersect that river opposite the mouth of Kentucke
or Cuttawa river.
The following are the reservations
within the limits of Ohio granted to the Indians by this treaty:
1st One piece of land, six miles
square, at or near LORAMIE’S store, before mentioned. 2d. One piece, two miles square, at the head of the navigable
water or landing on the St. Mary’s river, near Girty’s
town. 3d. One piece, six miles square, at the head of
the navigable water of the Auglaize river.4th. One piece, six miles square, at
the confluence of the Anglaise and Miami rivers,
where Fort Defiance now stands. 8th. One piece, twelve
miles square, at the British fort on the Miami of the lake, at the foot of the
rapids. 9th. One piece, six miles square, at the mouth
of the said river, where it empties into the lake. 10th. One piece, six miles
square, upon Sandusky lake, where a fort formerly
stood. 11th One piece, two miles square, at the lower rapids of the Sandusky river.
These, with the other tracts, were
given for the same considerations, and as an evidence of the returning
friendship of the said Indian tribes, of their confidence in the United States,
and desire to provide for their accommodation, and for that convenient
intercourse which will be beneficial to both parties. “
A second treaty was concluded at Greenville, July
22, 1814, with the Wyandots, Delawares,
Shawnees, Senecas, and Miamies.
The commissioners on the part of
the United States were Gen. William Henry HARRISON and Gov. Lewis CASS By it these tribes engaged to aid the United States in the
war with Great Britain and her savage allies. The prominent chiefs were TARHE,
Capt. PIPE, and BLACK HOOF. Both of the treaties were held on the same spot,
within the present (1846) garden of Abraham SCRIBNER, in Greenville. On the 22d
of July, 1840, just twenty-six years after the last treaty, there was a great
celebration at this place, called “the Greenville Treaty
Celebration,” at which the many thousands present were addressed at length
by Gen. Harrison.
From the year 1805 to 1808 the
celebrated TECUMSEH, is brother, the PROPHET resided at Greenville. It was the
point where they formed their plans of hostility to the whites. During their
residence at this place they were visited by many Indians, who were wrought
into the highest excitement by the eloquence of TECUMSH and the cunning of the
prophet.
On the plan of Fort Greenville is
laid down “Tecumseh Point,” at the junction of the rivulet with
Greenville creek, about a quarter of a mile from the court-house. At this place are some Indian graves; here Tecumseh had a
cabin, and formerly near it was a spring, called “Tecumseh’s Spring.” In 1833 the remnant
of the Shawnees, then moving to their new homes in the far West, from their
reservation on the Auglaize, took this place on their route, instead of
Cincinnati, as desired by the United States agents. They encamped on
Tecumseh’s Point to the number of several hundred, and remained a day or
two to take a final farewell of a place so
dear to their memories.
In the graveyard at Greenville lies
the remains of ENOCH BERRY SEITZ, one of the greatest mathematicians of his time on
the globe, and withal a man of
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singular modesty and amiability of character. He died in Missouri
in 1883, aged thirty-seven, and was brought here for burial, because he had
been a teacher here for a number of years, was
endeared to the people, and this was the home of his wife. He was born near
Lancaster, Fairfield county, the son of a farmer, and
early displayed great aptness for mathematics. He graduated at the Ohio
Wesleyan University in 1870. His friend, Prof. John S. Rover, wrote of him:
“Having a special fondness for mathematics,
he devoted his leisure hours to the broad fields and hidden beauties of its
higher branches, delving deep into the mine of original investigation, and
astonishing the world by the aptness with which he unfolded the beautiful and
mysterious relations of numbers.
Years ago he was a subscriber to the School-day Magazine, which had a mathematical department, edited by the
great mathematician, Artemus Martin. He displayed
great ingenuity and ability in solving difficult probability problems, and when
asked what works he had on that difficult branch of mathematical science,
ENOCH BERRY SEITZ.
Mr. SEITZ, to the great astonishment of his friend,
replied: ‘I have no books on that subject, but what I know of it I
learned by studying the problems and solutions in your magazine.’ Here was the secret of his success. He
first studied the principle laid a sure foundation, upon which he afterward
reared the magnificent edifice. He furnished over 500 model solutions. to the School Visitor, which evinced those striking characteristics of his
mathematical work—originality, accuracy, and beauty. Many readers have
gathered inspiration and taste for the science by his labor of love and this
behalf. He was also a regular contributor to the Analyst, the Mathematical Visitor, and the Educational
Times, of London, England.
The latter has a department sustained by the
greatest mathematicians in Europe and America. In this everything is found
starlight, but our lamented friend represented a most brilliant star, standing
upon the eminent plane side by side with Woolhouse,
England’s acknowledged mathematical champion, and in his especial
‘Average’ and ‘Probabilities’—Prof. SEITZ had no
superior in the world.” In 1880 he was elected a member of the London
Mathematical
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Society, being the fifth American
so honored. At the time of his
decease he was Professor of Mathematics at the State Normal School, Kirkersville, Mo. He died young, but the work he
accomplished remains, an endearing monument of fame and honor.
During the years 1827 and 1828 John H. MARTIN and
Thomas F. CHENOWITH, by the aid of two four-horse teams, transported all of the
products marketed in the county to Cincinnati, and brought back about all of
the merchandise sold in the county. In 1886 they were both living, and at the
age of about eighty years. The following items are from the “County
History:”
Indian Trading—The first permanent white settler in Darke county
was Azor SCRIBNER, who in 1806 or 1807 established an Indian trading-house in Greenville
township. His goods were hauled from Cincinnati along Wayne’s road by a
yoke of oxen attached to a rough sled denominated a mud boot, and a trip
usually occupied from three to six weeks. He exchanged his goods for furs and
did a thriving business. The manner of trading has thus been described: The
Indians, bringing with them their roll of furs, walked into the cabin and found
seats, while each was presented with a small piece of tobacco. Pipes were
lighted, and the residue was placed in pouches. After some time passed in
smoking and talking among themselves, one arose, went to the counter; and
taking up a yard-stick, pointed out the article wanted and asked the price.
Payment being made in skins, there
was to each kind a recognized value. The muskrat was held at a quarter, the
raccoon at a third, a doe at a half, and a buckskin at
a dollar. Payment was made following each purchase, until all exchanges were effected. As each retired another came forward in his burn
until all had traded. No one desired to anticipate his turn, decorum was
observed, and no attempt was made to “beat down,” for, if not
satisfied, another article was pointed out and named. It is reported that
SCRIBNER not only sold the Indians tobacco, but rum, and they generally
reserved some of their furs with which to procure liquor for a final frolic.
In the winter of 1807-8 Samuel BOYD moved in with his family, and in 1810
the three RUSH brothers and some others. A year later the Indians became
hostile and committed some murders. Prior to the war of 1813 several dwellings
and four block-houses were erected in Greenville. Among those who were killed
by the Indians was Andrew RUSH. One day in April, 1812, while going to mill
through the wilderness, he stopped at the cabin of Mr. Daniel POTTER, when Mrs.
POTTER asked him if he was not afraid of the Indians waylaying and killing him.
Upon this he laughed, and running his hand through his hair jokingly replied:
“No, I had my wife this morning cut my hair so short that they could not
get my scalp off.” That afternoon he was shot from his horse, tomahawked
and scalped.
The First
School-House—So slow was
the settlement of the county, that in 1824 there were entire townships that did not contain a single inhabitant.
There were but two meeting-houses, one a Methodist, the other a Hardshell Baptist.
The roads of the county consisted
of the old war traces of St. Clair and Wayne some Indian paths and some few
other traces cut by the early settlers. Educational advantages in town and
county were for many years quite limited. There were a few crude school-houses
widely scattered, and these were occupied three months of each winter by
teachers whose qualifications better adapted them for burning brick than
solving problems in mathematics, and consequently there was little learned.
Schools were taught by subscription.
Settlers built houses as they were
needed. Many settlers had large families—as many as ten children were
found in a single cabin—and to provide for the future of these young
people, the parents came to this county. There was always work to be done, and
the services of all hands were needed; it was only during the winter months
that schools could be attended. At these only the elementary branches were
taught, and the predominant idea of the school-master was discipline first,
learning afterward. No grammar nor geography was
taught. Few studied arithmetic, and these did not proceed
much beyond the rudiments; and when at length grammar was introduced, such
pupils were thought well advanced.
In any locality, whenever sufficient
families had moved in to form a school, the settlers stood ready to build a
house and engage a teacher. Tall, strapping youths attended, school, and the
master had need of decision and courage as well as method and erudition. It was
the custom for the person applying for the school to call upon the parties
within sending distance and canvass for scholars. If enough were secured school
opened. An illustration of the old-time method is given as follows: About the
year 1815 a man came into the Rush neighborhood
and offered his services as a teacher. The settlers located along Mud creek,
West Branch and Bridge creek talked the matter over and concluded to employ
him. It was a light labor for all to turn out with axes, handspikes and oxen,
upon a day appointed; to chop and draw logs to a chosen site for the purpose of
putting up a school-house. The location was near Rush Fort, on Mud creek while some
put up round logs, notched down one layer upon another, until they were of
sufficient eleva-
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tion to form a story, split clasp-boards for the roof, chamber floor and
door, and puncheons for the floor, others drew stone for the fire-place, and
prepared sticks and mud for the chimney. The floor being laid,
next came the desks and the seats. Large holes were bored in a log on each side
of the room, wooden pins were driven in, and a slab or unplaned
plank laid on these pins. For seats, holes were bored
in puncheons and legs driven in, two at each end. Windows were made by cutting
out a log nearly the whole length of the house, leaving a hole a foot wide.
Into this was foiled a sort of lattice-work of sticks, and upon this greased
paper was pasted to transmit the light. Such was the school-house of sixty-five
years ago. It was not much of a structure, but there was no great contrast
between it and the homes of the builders. There was no lack of ventilation, and
the wood was not too long for the fire-place.
Love-Making
and Marriage—The arrival of a family
occasioned eager inquiry by the young men as to whether there were any
marriageable daughters of the number. The demand was in excess of the supply.
The same maiden had sometimes several suitors; this involved the delicate
matter of rejection as well as choice.
Sometimes the girls were betrothed
before leaving home, and a knowledge of this fact caused disappointment. For a
long time after the first settlement of the county the people generally married
young. The parties differed little in fortune, and none in rank. First
impressions of love resulted in marriage, and a family establishment cost only
a little labor.
The marriage
ceremony was
arranged to take place before dinner which was a substantial feast of beef,
pork, fowls, and sometimes venison and bear meat, roasted and boiled, with abundance
of potatoes and other vegetables. Dinner was free from formality, and a time
for mirth and enjoyment. There was dancing after dinner. “The figures of
the dance were three and four handed reels or square sets and jigs. The
commencement was always a square four, which was followed by what was called
jigging it off; that is, two of the four would single out for a jig, and were
followed out by the remaining couple. The jigs were often accompanied with what
was called cutting out, that is, when either of the parties tired of the dance,
on intimation the place was supplied by some one of the company without any
interruption to the dance. In this way the amusement was often continued till
the musician was heartily tired of the situation.”
Among marriages in pioneer days
was that of ULLRY to his brother’s widow; they had lived together some
time during the inoperative period before the election of justices, and when a
justice was chosen they were legally married. In a spirit of joviality a party
of young people, being resolved to have a marriage, seized upon a man named
Israel WERTZ and fitted him out with a suit. One of the party furnished leggins, another some other article of dress until he was
properly clothed, and then calling upon a woman named Jane DUGAN, asked her if
she was willing to marry WERTZ. She replied affirmatively, and they all started
for the house of Alexander SMITH, a justice of the peace who lived east of
Greenville. WERTZ repented and broke away, upon which a dog was set after him,
and he was caught and held. The ceremony was then performed and the twain thus
singularly made one lived many years together happily, and both finally died of
old age.
At this date the only article of
export from the county was hoop-poles. During the winter the principal
employment of farmers was wagoning
these hoop-poles to Germantown, Middletown, Lewisburg, etc., and by this means
they were enabled measurably to supply themselves with salt, groceries, leather
and other necessaries. This supplied the people with ready money. The
county-seat had only about 300 people, many very poor finding it hard work to
get a living.
We here make a valuable extract from the pen of
Prof. W. H. McINTOSH, in the “County
History,” relating to the climate when the country was in a wilderness
condition, and the changes which the clearing away the forests have produced in
the health of the people:
Since the early settlement of Darke county occurring changes have greatly modified the
climate, and to a less extent this is still in progress. The original forest,
together with the undergrowth, shut out the sun from the soil and impeded
atmospheric circulation. The almost monotonous level, receiving the winter
snows and spring rains, retained the water through the summer, and thereby caused
a moist, cool air. The forests broke the sweep of the cold northwest winds of
winter, and the freezing of large, partly submerged tracts gave off a
sufficient amount of heat to sensibly mitigate the cold incident to the season.
The soil, bedded 1n leaves and vegetation, was greatly, protected from the
frost, and the warm air of spring speedily awakened the dormant germs of
vegetation. It also, being protected by the overhanging foliage from the heat
of summer, more readily experienced the influences of wind and frost, and
hastened winter.
The forests
being, gradually cut down to make room for cultivation, the land being
thoroughly. drained, these conditions have correspondingly
changed. The earth now receives the sun-rays unobstructed; the air has free
circulation. The tilled lands have been underdrained
with tile and open ditches, thereby carrying away at once the melting
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Snows of winter
and the rains of spring, leaving little moisture to affect the climate by
evaporation.
The effect of this denuding and draining of the soil is seen in the great depth
to which the summer’s sun-rays penetrate, and as these rays are given
off, the arrival of winter is proportionally delayed.
But when the reserve of heat is exhausted
the unprotected earth is deeply frozen, and from these conditions come later
springs, warmer summers and delayed but more severe winters.
An analysis of the climate of Darke county, according to the
previous description, requires a consideration, also, of the situation of its
land, and the direction and character of its winds.
Located about midway between the
Allegheny mountains and the Mississippi river there is
observable a prevalence of’ westerly winds. This is explained by the
enormous area of level lowlands whereon the atmosphere is influenced by the
earth’s rotary motion, causing it to move in westerly currents toward or
from the equator. The west and northwest winds are mainly dry-air currents, so
that although the annual rainfall is considerable, yet under their action the
moisture is rapidly absorbed. Such conditions would inure to
the productiveness of most soils, but in a good, rich soil, such as Darke county occupies, there is almost a certainty
of ample and abundant crops.
The averages in the various
seasons are, approximately, 31o for winter, 57o for
spring, 74o for summer, 52o for autumn. The winter is
long, and there are sudden changes from the mildness of spring to the most intense
cold. These cold spells are rarely of more than seven or eight days duration, and are generally preceded by storms of rain
or snow. Rain falls almost nightly and for a day or so at a time during spring,
and the temperature fluctuates from the chill of winter to the warmth of
summer. Following one of these changes summer comes and throughout is one of a tropical
character. As fall draws near; the atmospheric conditions approach uniformity,
and at this period Darke county
is seen to the greatest advantage. Breathing an agreeable atmosphere,
surrounded by healthful conditions, the beholder looks with pleasure upon the
fields, the orchards and the gardens. Turning to the woodlands, he sees the
maples, elms and oaks in holiday attire, preparing for their period of rest.
There is every hue and all shades of color. The winds toy with the branches;
the sunlight is all about them; some are darkened as in shadow, others are
brilliant in the glow of light, and all about there are seen bluish, smoke-like
mists, completing nature’s finest portraiture of the forest in the
fall-time arrayed in splendor.
The health of the settler and of
the later residents has been subjected to the mutations affecting the climate.
In the low swamps miasma1 prevailed; the action of the sun upon the
decaying vegetation opened by the clearing and stirred by the plow, induced
fevers and chills, and there were few that did not, at times, succumb to these
disorders. The healthy and hardy entered into the struggle with nature
courageously and joyously. Labor had its zest, and food and sleep were most
refreshing; but there were many who struggled on under the depression and
hindrances of sickness.
As settlers came in and clearing
took greater sweep, sickness became more general, or at least more apparent,
and when Drs. PERRINE and BRIGGS came to Greenville, they found constant
employment in attending to the calls of the sick. Fever and ague prevailed, and
few, if any, families but had some sick members. Not then, as now, was quinine
available—not even known—and the popular remedies were dog-wood and
wild-cherry bark steeped in native whiskey.
Slow progress was
made for a time, as men became disheartened, left the county and circulated
reports that were not only true, but sadly true, of an irreclaimable wilderness
of morass and swamp, the haunt, of pestiferous agues and consuming fevers. It
is a fact that very few of the pioneers of Darke held
on through all vicissitudes.
From 1820 to 1840 the doctors were
all kept busy attending to the sick, so prevalent were ague, flux and bilious
fever at certain seasons of the year. The years 1836 and 1837 were
comparatively healthy; the year following was more sickly, and 1839 still more
so, and from that time till 1850 there were more or less of bilious complaints
every season. Since that date both towns and country have been generally
healthy.
As an illustration of the desperation to which the
medical treatment subjected patients, we relate an incident in the practice of
Dr. GARD, one of the veteran physicians of the early days. He was called in, as
family physician, to minister to the wants of a sick child. Cold water was
forbidden, and calomel, as was usual, was administered. The doctor then
retired, with promise of a return the next day. Cold water was barred; the boy
begged for a drink, but entreated in vain, as the doctor’s orders were
immutable law. He then resorted to strategy. Feigning a desire for rest and
repose the family retired to permit their indulgence. Soon heavy breathing
announced that all were asleep, and the patient arose from bed; staggered to
the water-bucket, and, to his dismay, found it empty. This discovery would have
been hailed with imprecations that would have roused all in the house had not
the necessity of the case demanded control. Water must be had, although the
spring was at quite a distance. The coffee-pot was found, and the patient set
out to assuage his consuming thirst. He rested several times in the wet grass,
but finally arrived at the spring, drank heartily, and, undiscovered, returned
to his bed, having placed the well-filled coffee-pot at his bedside. This was
two-thirds emptied before this suicidal act was known, when the doctor was
hurriedly summoned and stood with astonished and ominous look, awaiting
____________________
Transcribers Note: Miasma was the
belief that one could become sick by bad smells.
Page 537
serious results that did not happen. In a
few days the patient had recovered. Dr. GARD was as skillful as the best, and did
his duty, but the practice of that day had its rigors.
Rich as the land was, it could not
produce money, and this must be had to meet payments and taxes. Clearing, aside
from small patches, had no stimulus. Of what avail were bins of corn and wheat,
and droves of swine, without a purchaser or market, and of markets there were
none. Having sufficient bread and meat, all were satisfied, and they shared
freely with, each other and with strangers. Wheat was worth about two shillings
per bushel, and corn changed gratification when a newspaper for the first time made
its appearance and obtained general circulation in the county. It was published
at Eaton, Preble county, and subscription was paid in
corn at fifteen cents per bushel.
Pork was sold, when it could be
sold, at two and three cents a pound; beef brought about the same price; maple
sugar was held at six and eight cents per pound, and maple syrup at about two
shillings a gallon. Wages ranged from two to three shillings a day, and this
was regarded as an average of compensation. Had some wealthy man bought large
tracts and taken steps to develop the capacity of the land, there were many who
would have gladly offered their services; but improvement in wages, prices and
health were yet far in the future, and this border life between the civilized
and the savage had few attractions such as society affords.
During the war of the Rebellion Darke
county contributed her full share to the ranks of the Union army. The Fortieth
Ohio infantry, largely composed of Darke county men,
was organized in the fall of 1861.
After varied service, in March, 1863, it joined the
army of Kentucky at Franklin, Tenn., where, a few weeks later, an attack was
made by a strong force of the enemy upon the place, but they were repulsed by
the excellent fighting of some companies of the Fortieth out on picket
line. The story of this fight, with the spicy conversation
between Van Dorn and Serg. Orin of the
Fortieth, who had been taken Prisoner, we copy front the “County
History:”
On the 10th of April, 1863, the
regiment was placed on picket duty in front of the town, with Capt. Charles G.
MATCETT in command. At that time the rebel forces, under Gen. Van Dorn, were
stationed at Spring Hill, Tenn., nine miles south of Franklin. Soon after 12
o’clock P.M. the rebels commenced an attack upon seven companies
of the Fortieth, which had been stationed on and between the Columbia pike and
the Big Harpeth river (a distance of about five
hundred yards), but were handsomely repulsed. The attack was renewed with
reinforcements, and again repulsed. By this time the enemy
were preparing to charge in force, and the situation of the Fortieth was
precarious. Behind them, for the distance of more than half a mile, lay an open field without an obstacle or a shelter on it;
but, momentarily expecting reinforcements, they held their ground, and repulsed
charge after charge, for two hours.
Van Dorn then formed his entire
force for a charge, and the Fortieth fell back in good order to the town,
where, taking advantage of hedges, fences, houses, etc., they repulsed the
enemy and drove them out of town, and, at 4 o’clock P. M., resumed their
former position on picket duty.
The Fortieth’s loss was
three killed, four wounded. and ten missing, and all
afterward were exchanged and rejoined the command.
The enemy’s entire loss is
not known. Two captains and fifteen men killed, one major and twelve men
wounded, and thirteen prisoners fell into the hands of the Fortieth. The
enemy’s entire force was cavalry and two batteries of artillery. Over one
hundred horses, equipped, escaped within the Union lines and were captured by
other commands. The prisoners, when exchanged, reported, Van Dorn’s
entire loss in killed and wounded to be one hundred and fifty men and one hundred
and twenty horses.
An incident connected with this
fight is worth relating:
Among the prisoners captured from
the Fortieth that day was Jesse N. ORIN, a sergeant of Company B, afterward a
distinguished representative for many years in the Ohio Legislature from
Clinton county. The prisoners were taken before Van
Dorn, and questioned by him. Sergt. ORIN answered in behalf of the captives.
“What commands do you belong
to, boys?” said the rebel chieftain.
“Fortieth Ohio, sir,”
answered ORIN. “You don’t, all belong to the same regiment, do
you?”
“Yes sir.”
“What officer was that in
command of the forces you had in to-day’s fight’?”
“Capt. Matchett, of the Fortieth, sir.”
“Have you got down so low that
captains must command your brigades?”
“Brigades? There was no other regiment
fought against you to-day but the Fortieth, and only seven companies of that;
for one company was in the town as provost-guard, and two companies were on the
west of the town, and neither of them were engaged.”
“Then
why in the name of thunder did not your captain quietly surrender when my
brigade of cavalry attacked them?”
Page 538
“I presume, sir, the captain’s orders were to defend
the picket line as long as he could, and not to surrender.”
“But, why were you not reinforced?”
“I do not know, sir; just
before we began to fall back the captain rode along our lines and told each
company that it was evident that we were not to be reinforced, and we could not
successfully retreat over that cotton-field, unless each company implicitly
obeyed his commands. We all understood this; and he concentrated and retired us
in the manner you saw.” How did you boys come to be captured?
“When our regiment had
retreated about half the distance between the picket-line and the town, a
column of your cavalry threatened to pass by our left, and get between us and
the town, and `gobble us all up,” and Capt. Matchett
ordered me and another sergeant, with about twenty men, to a position about
three hundred yards to the left and rear of our regiment, in order to oppose
that threatened movement, with orders to hold that position at all hazards,
until the regiment had retired beyond the cotton-gin., and then make our
way back to town as best we could. We stayed there as ordered, but when your
forces in front, of the regiment were repulsed. they
swept around to our position and took us all in, except a few who started to
run the gauntlet back to
town.”
At this a fine-looking officer, who
was present, broke out into a loud laugh, and said: “Gen. Van Horn, the
joke is on you; you promised to show us how neatly you could take in the
Yankees at Franklin, and it seems that you have been very cleverly repulsed by
seven companies of infantry, commanded by a captain, with his left protected by
a sergeant’s squad.”
At this Sergt. Orin said: “ General, I would like to be permitted
to say one word in your defence; that is—there
is not a private in the Fortieth Ohio who would not make a good colonel, and
not a non-commissioned, officer who would not make a good brigadier, and as to
the captain who commanded us to-day, he could handle an army
“Thank you,” said Van
Horn; and then; turning to the officer referred to above, he said: “How
could you expect me, with my division of cavalry, to overcome a Bonaparte, his
field-marshals, his sixty generals and five hundred colonels?”
Gen. Van Horn then asked Sergt. Orin: “How many men have you at
Franklin?” “I do not know, sir, and if I did I should decline to
answer your question.”
“What is the nature and
extent of your fortifications there?”
General, possibly you had better
obtain that information by another reconnaissance “Well, Sergeant,”
said the General, “you’ll do. When you rejoin the regiment, give my
compliments to your brave comrades and the captain, and say to him that I hope
he may never be promoted.”
“Captain,” said he,
addressing an officer, “see that these men are treated with that courtesy
and respect due brave men.”
The men were then taken back, and
remained prisoners only about three weeks, when they were exchanged. Their
prison life was made far more agreeable to them than they expected.
In 1878 a major of the Confederate
army stopped for a few days at Greenville, Ohio, and called on Capt. Matchett, and said that he had belonged to the staff of the
Inspector-General of the Confederate army; that they, had come west
to look after Bragg’s army, and went to Spring Hill Run about the 8th of
April, 1863, and found Gen. Van Horn a very genial and- social
fellow, who induced the Inspector-General to go with him that day (April 10th),
and see how nicely he would take in the Yankees at Franklin. The major said
that all the officers agreed that they had never seen “such a fighting
regiment” as the Fortieth was; and that he was free to say that he never
met with such coolness and determined bravery since. He detailed the
conversation between Gen. Van Horn and the captured sergeant, substantially as
given above, which, in the wind of’ the writer, continued the statements
made by Sergt. Orin and his captured comrades, oil
their return from captivity.
GETTYSBURG is
on the C. St. L. & P. It. R., 87 miles west of Columbus. It is the shipping point for a very
productive surrounding wheat country. Newspapers: School Visitor, educational, John S. ROYER, editor and publisher.
Churches: 1 Presbyterian, 1 Methodist Episcopal, and 1 German Lutheran. It is somewhat
of an educational centre.
Population in 1880, 202.
ARCANUM, about 80 miles west of Columbus, at the intersection of the D. & U. and I. B.& W. Railroads, is
surrounded by a fine farming district,
and is a point of shipment
for a large part of’ the tobacco crop of the county, of which the crop is generally
immense. Newspaper: Tribune, Democrat, S. M. KEMBLE, editor. Churches: 1 Methodist, I United Baptist,
1 German Reformed. It has two good natural gas wells and more are being put down.
Milling, wood work
and tile making are the main industries.
Population in 1880, 778. School census in 1886, 335.
Page 539
VERSAILLES is on the C. C. C. & T. R. R.
It has one newspaper, Policy,
Independent. Central Bank, J. R. JACKSON, president; J. W.
STARBUCK, cashier. Census in 18S0, 1,163. School census in 1886, 433; W. W. LONG, superintendent. This
village was laid out in 1819 by Silas ATCHISON under the name of Jacksonville.
The Hardshell Baptists, says
the county historian, built here in 1823 the second church erected in the county.
As their rules required every applicant for membership to give in a brief
experience as a test of his fitness for admission, he relates this as an
illustration. A person living up the creek by the name of STONER it appears,
notwithstanding his hard name, was a little soft. Nevertheless, he wanted to
join the church. e rose in the congregation and thus
began : “I got up this mornin’, greased
my shoes, combed my head and started to meetin’. As I was comin’
along I saw a tree; I says to myself,
Kin
one man pull that ar tree
up? No!
Kin
two men pull that ar tree up? No!
Kin
three men pull that ar tree up? No!
Kin
ten men pull that ar tree up? No!
Kin
twenty men pull that ar tree up? No!
Kin
God Almighty pull that tree up ? Yes I feel like suthin’
is going to happen.” He sat down. The
preacher rose and said: “Brethren, extend the right hand of fellowship to
Brother STONER, for this is the true blatin’ of
the lamb.”
ANSONIA,
about 90 miles west of Columbus, on Stillwater creek, and at intersection of the
C. C. C. & I. and C. V. W. & M. Railroads, is in the centre of a
grain-raising district. Newspaper: Mirror,
Independent, Frank H. JOBES, editor and publisher. Churches: 1 Methodist
Episcopal, 1 Christian, 1 German Lutheran. The Ansonia Stave Co., employing 18
hands, is the largest industry. Population in 1880, 542.
UNION CITY is on three railways and in two States,
Indiana and Ohio; two counties, Randolph, Ind., and Darke,
Ohio, and has two village corporations with corresponding sets of officials. In
1880 the population of the Indiana side was 2,478, Ohio side, 1,127; total,
3,605. Union City was platted in 1852, and the place has grown up in
consequence, of railroads. The industries here are wooden-ware, staves, tubs,
pails, clamps, broom handles, trunk slats, shingles, heading, hubs, spokes,
chairs, also drain tile, etc. It is also a prominent point for the manufacture
of flour and the purchase and shipment of grain.