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From: "Maggie Stewart" <>
Subject: Fw: A Brief History of Columbus...Taken from Columbus City Directory 1852 - Part I
Date: Sat, 12 Feb 2000 20:14:52 -0500


----- Original Message -----
From: Ruth Ficarra <>
Sent: Thursday, February 10, 2000 10:05 PM


A Brief History of Columbus...Taken from Columbus City Directory 1852

The Legislature during its session in 1810-11, held in Zanesville, in order
to establish a more central and permanent seat of government, received
proposals from various places offering inducements for the location of the
seat of government at the points designated in the proposals. Among the
proposals of Lyne Starling, James Johnston, Alexander McLaughlin and John
Kerr, the after proprietors of Columbus for establishing it on the high Bank
of the Scioto River opposite Franklinville."which site was then covered with
its native growth of timber"...

The proposals of Starling and Company were accepted by an act of Legislature
passed Feb 14, 1812., and the proprietors , Lyne Starling , James Johnston,
Alexander McLaughlin , and John Kerr laid out the town in the spring
following. The lots are 621/2 by 1871/3 feet . The streets cross each other
at right angles , varying 12 degrees to the right of the cardinal points.
High Street running 12 degrees east, crossing Broad Street at the north west
corner of the Public Square, (the principal street ) is 100 feet wide and
extends from the northern to the southern limits of the city. Broad Stret ,
which runs east and west 12 degrees south is 120 feet wide, and extends from
the bridge on the National Road to the eastern limits of the city, passing
the northside of the Public Square. All the other streets were laid out
881/2 feet wide and the alleys 33 feet wide......

On the 18th of June 1812 the first public sale of lots at auction
commemenced and continued three days. The lots sold were principally on High
and Broad Streets, and were generally struck off at from two hundred to a
thousand dollars. The only cleared place at this time, within the limits of
town plat , was a small spot on Front Street, a little north of State Street
, and a small spot and cabin on the bank of the river about where the Jewett
buildings now stand. Some time after laying out the town plat, and eastern
out- lots, the proprietors laid out some forty or fifty out-lots north of
the town, represented on the record by a separate plat, containing a trifle
over two acres each, and from part of two of these lots they conveyed to
the town an acre and a half for a grave yard. Immediately after the sale of
lots , improvements commenced rapidly-By the erection of small log and
frame houses and shops, the frames were generally enclosed with
split-clapboards........

For some years but little attention was paid to improving the streets or
alleys-gradually however they were cleared by the inhabitants for firewood
and building materials. Abouth the year 1816 a subscription of some two
hundred dollars was raised by the citizens and apporpriated for the removal
of the remaining obstructions out of High Street........

Among the first houses erected, was a brick building( in the fall of 1812)
on High Street, on the second lot south of State Street, west side by John
Collet. In 1813 it was opened by a John Payne as a tavern. Mr Collet took
possession of it , and kept a very nice tavern for a new place, until about
year 1818, when he sold it to Robert Russell, who continue to keep it as a
tavern until 1847 when the building was fitted for store rooms, and is at
present occupied by Sessions and Harris's Dry Goods Store; Oriman's Boot and
Shoe Store, and Samuel Buck's Jewelry Store. Other taverns were opened about
the same time of Mr. Collet's-One by Daniel Kooser, on the east side of
Front Street, corner of Sugar Alley, in a log building. One by Mr.
McCollough on the north-west corner of Front and Broad Streets called "The
Black Bear" . Another at the northeast corner of High and Rich Streets was
kept by a Wm. Day. ,( who had been a boatman) called a "Grocery"-it was the
common consort of all boatmen engaged in boating stone, and those who came
up the Scioto,( at which time a large amount of the heavy articles such as
salt, iron etc. for the supply of the town and surrounding country were
brought up the river by boats")and so frequent were the broils between the
citizens and boatmen and the boatmen themselves that the House was called
"The War Office". On some occasions as many as ten to fifteen men might be
seen at one time stripped of all clothing , but pants and a girt around
thier waist, preparatory for a regular fight. After the excitement had
cooled down the constables, would venture to hunt up the combattants and
take them in before Esquire Shields to receive Justice according to
law-sometimes agains; the loudly expressed disapprobation of the delinquent
receiving it. The Squire, however never suffered the equanimity of his
temper to be disturbed by abusive words, but disposed of the business before
him by a go aheadative short hand system. He done the principal part of the
business belonging to justice of the peace, for the township , and with two
constables , was generally known as "Pontius Pilot and his two bull dogs".
Mr Shields was a native of Ireland , endowed with a full share of mental and
physical abilities. he had become fully Americanized and was a progressive
Democrat in politics and equality. As a bricklayer he coulkd do two common
days work in one-in surveying and platting he was equally expeditious and
although actively engaged during the week in business- he generally
appropriated Sunday to preaching in town and country,-his sermons always
gratis, and probably discoursed as eloquently(or he was a good speaker) as
any of our $1000 clergymen. He was also a poet and frequently wrote his own
hymus. He was generous and philanthropic having little of the love of money
"for the sake of money"-consequently he never accumulated much
beforehand-after a residence of some fourteen years in this place he
emigrated to the south and has since deceased...........

Among the first settlers, or as early as 1813 were George McCormick, Geo. H.
Harvey, John Shields, Michael patton, Alexander Patton, William Altman, John
Collet, William McElvain, Daniel Kooser, Peter Patham, Jacob Hare, Christian
Heyl, Jarvis Pike, George Pike, Benjamin Pike, William Long, A. Meneley, Dr.
John Edmiston, John Kerr, and Jeremiah and Robert Armstrong.........

More later......

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