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From: "Maggie Stewart, OH Archives" <>
Subject: Fw: Tid-Bits - part 76
Date: Thu, 20 Apr 2006 23:11:19 -0400

----- Original Message -----
From: "Darlene & Kathi kelley" <>
To: <>
Sent: Saturday, March 11, 2006 9:50 PM


Contributed for use in
USGenWeb Archives
by Darlene E. Kelley
March 11, 2006

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Historical Collections of Ohio
And Then They Went West
Know Your Ohio
Tid-Bits - part 76
by Darlene E. Kelley
notes by
S.Kelly [ ]

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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.

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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." ]

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Tid-Bits continued in part 77.

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• Fw: Tid-Bits - part 76 by "Maggie Stewart, OH Archives" <>