Ashland County, Ohio - Chapter 37: Newspapers, Benevolent Societies, and Banks, 1880

Chapter 37: Newspapers, Benevolent Societies, and Banks

Tite Mohican Advocate. - The Ashland Herald, - The Ohio Globe. - The Western Pliccnix, - The Ashland Standard. - The Ashland Democrat. - The Ohio Union. - The Ashland Times. - The Independent. - The Ix>udonville Advocate. - Masonic Lodges, - Odd ' Fellows.- The First National Bank. - The Farmers' Bank. - The Loudon ville Bank.

The Mohican Advocate and Hanover Journal is believed to have been the first newspaper published within , the present, limits of Ashland county. The office was established in Loudonville, in October, 1834. The editor and proprietor was a Mr. Rogers. The paper failed after the issue of the sixth number, and further opera- 1 lions were suspended. The sparseness of the settlement and the limited number of subscribers no doubt contributed to the failure.

The Ashland Herald appeared December 30, 1834, some three months after the Loudonville Advocate, and | was published by J. C. Gilkison. It was neutral in politics. The Herald continued some eight or nine months, and suspended. It seems to have had a fair share of advertising. We find in its list the names of I,. M. Pratt,

The Ohio Gbbc was established by Joshua II. Ruth, j in Ashland, a few weeks after the suspension of the Herald. It was the advocate of Democratic principles.

The Ashland Democrat was established by William A. Hunter and Jonathan Moffett, in the spring of 1S46. The Democrat was the advocate of the most ultra, or hard currency, wing of the Democratic party. A bitter and protracted personal warfare was at once initiated, between the editors of the Democrat and Standard. Mr. Kennedy was a racy and accomplished writer, and a practical printer; while Messrs. Hunter &: Moffett were attorneys, and had no knowledge, of the printing business. They were unaccustomed to the duties of editorial life. The editorial department of -the Democrat, therefore, failed in ability and polish. Mr. Hunter, in his best moods, resented, with a good deal of strength, the ironical assaults o! his neighbor. In rebruary, 1.848, Mr. Hunter sold his interest in the Democrat to Mr. Moffett, and removed to Williams county, Ohio.

In April, 1848, Mr. H. S. Knapp, of the Halida Venture, purchased from Mr. Moffett the Democrat , and from William T. Jackson, the Standard; and, having blended the material, changed the names of the papers to the Ohio Union. He continued to edit and publish | the Union until the tall 01 18531 "hen the paper was purchased by Dr. John Sheridan, and Mr. Knapp took charge of the Ohio Slate Democrat , at Columbus, Ohio.

In November, 1855, Collins W. Bush noil purchased the Ohio Union, and changed the name to the Ashland j Union, and continued to edit and publish it until his decease, in 1856.

In January, 1857, Mr. H. S. Knapp, having returned from Columbus, re-purchascd the establishment, and continued its publication until May 3 ® > i860, "hen it was purchased by John J. Jacobs. Mr. Knapp declined to support the nomination of Stephen A. Douglass, p'e ferring the platform and principles upon which John ( . Breckenridge was nominated. Not tl -siring to enter the j campaign, and having many tears as to the future pc.ae of the country, Mr. Knapp preferred to '.'liter, lor the time being, the ranks of private life.

S. Jacobs for about two years, and John W. McCord became part proprietor. In the fail of 1S64, John W. McCord, Benjamin F. Nelson, and John M. Landis, became the proprietors, J. J. and F. S. Jacobs retiring, j McCord and Nelson soon after retiring, the paper became the property of John M. and James FI. Landis, j brothers, who continued to edit and publish the same until April 1, 1868, when the concern was purchased by Dr. George W. Hill.

Dr. Hill continued to edit and publish the paper, under the name of the States and -Union, until August r, | 7872. During the stormy political contests of 1868 ! to 1872, the question was, "Shall we have such a j Union as was intended by the instrumentality of the constitution bequeathed us by our fathers, or shall the j old Union be ignored and exchanged for a military gov- j eminent, subject to the whims of future military despots?" Pending reconstruction, after the conquests of the war of 186 [-'5, the States, and Union was the advocate of the equality of the States, the liberty of speech, the freedom of the press and the maintenance of the Union.

August 1, 1872, the States and Union was purchased by Messrs. Benjamin F. Nilson and William Id. Gates, of Ashland. These gentlemen again changed the name of the paper to the Press. Alberson &: Heltraan are the present proprietors. The paper has a large list of subscribers, and is well supported. It is Democratic.

The Ash lander was established by William B. Mc- Carty, in the summer of 1850, and continued two years | under his management. The press and material, after the suspension of the Ashlandcr , at the close of the presidential campaign of 1852, passed into the possession of L. J. Sprengle. The Ashlander was a Whig journal.

1'he Ashland Times succeeded the Ashlander as a Whig organ in July, 1853, L. J. Sprengle being the proprietor, and William Osborn, editor. In 1855 Air. Osborn retired, and was succeeded by Josiah Locke, as editor. He continued to edit the Times until 1837, when Mr. Sprengle became the editor and proprietor, Mr Locke having removed to another part of the State, i Mr. Sprengle, November 15, 1875, sold the Times to T.

The Independent , neutral, of Loudonviile, was estab- I lislied in 1867 by Rev. Robert Lockhart, and continued ! until the fall of 1874, when the paper was transferred to Mansfield, where, in a few months, it suspended publi- j cation. The Independent was the organ of temperance ' reform and prohibition, and was very extreme in its ; ideas;

The Loudonviile Advocate , neutral, was established by ! Joshua H. Ruth in the tall of 1S72, and is still published i hy him as editor and proprietor. It is a neat and handsomely printed journal, and contains a fine selection ot reading matter each week. Mr. Ruth is one of the oldest practical printers in this, part of the State, having cd- ^ ited the Ohio Globe at Ashland in 1835-6.

In the summer of 1875 the Hayesville Journal , neutral, was established, Mr. j. B. Paine, editor, and E. T. Fairchilds, local editor. The paper is owned by 0 joint stock company. It has a patent outside, is neat in appearance, and contains eight pages. The Journal is intended to forward the interests of the Vermillion Institute, and is mainly devoted to literature and news.

Benevolent Institutions Masonic Lodges

Hanover Lodge, No. 1x5, at Loudonviile, was established by a dispensation from the Grand lodge in 1843, George H. Stewart, Adolph Kiemm, Nathaniel Haskell, John Ewalt, W. J. Cullen, P. B. Griffith, Is. B. Fuller, and Jacob Booth, being petitioners. On the evening of October 28, 1844, the first regular officers were installed. They were, George H. Stewart, W. M.; N. Haskell, S. W.; P. B. Griffith, j. W.; W. J. Cullen, S. W.: E. B, Fuller,

Ashland Lodge, No. 151, was established by a dispensation of the Grand lodge, which met at Zanesville October 19, 1846, Charles R. Derning, Lorin Andrews, Benjamin F. Whitney, William A. Hunter, Lather M. Pratt, James McNulty, Bela B. Clark, George W. Urie, Sage Kellogg, and Wells Kellogg being petitioners. Charles

S. W., and B. F. Whitney, first J. W. At a meeting held May 7, 1847, a constitution and by-laws were adopted. The first lodge met in the third story of the county jail until 1S59, when the lodge was transferred to the Miller building, on Main street, where it remained until '8-5. when a new room was completed and occupied jn the Cowan block, on the corner of Main and Orange streets, Ashland lodge now contains about one hundred members.

Ashland Chapter, No. 67, was formed by a warrant of dispensation granted by the M. E. G. IF. Priest, to companions C. R. Fleming, G. W. Urie, R. FI. Chubb, Fl. Flumphrey, Wells Kellogg, Henry Sparford, Andrew Miller, Fi. D. Ruth, and Daniel Campbell, June 13, 1S55. Rev. Rolfa H. Chubb was appointed first. H. P. ; Charles R. Derning, the first K.; and George W. Urie, the first S. The chapter occupied the lodge room in the jail, until it was transferred to the John Miller hall on Main street. The first meeting was held fune 19, 1855. The chapter adopted a constitution and bylaws, which were approved by the Grand Chapter October 2, 1S72. 'Fhe stated meetings are held on the first Tuesday evening of every month.

Sullivan Lodge, F. and A. M., No. 313, was chartered October 20, 1859. The charter members were: Harlow P. Sago, George W. Kilburn, DeWitt Prince, Alexander Masters, Henrv Summers, James Beever, John Campbell, A. 11. Palmer, Thomas Parker, Shadraeh i Calvin Bryan, Leonard Brown, C. B. Houck, Daniel Campbell, jr., and Hiram Thurston. Fhe piescnt mini her of members is about fifty.

Odd Fellows

The dispensation for Mohican Lodge, No. £5, of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Ashland, was granted by the Grand lodge of the State of Ohio, to Matthew Clugston, James Sloan, Jackson Wolverton, John Clark, S. and J. Hayes, and John Musser, petitioners, December 26, 1846. The lodge was organized May 10, 1847, by Thomas C. McEwen, D. D. G. M. ; bnt five members were present. The first officers were: John Clark, N. G. ; Jackson Wolverton, V. G. ; John Musser, R. S. ; FI. J. Hayes, ?. S. ; James Sloan, Treas. The lodge room was in the third story of the Boffenrnyre, or Freer, block, on the north side of Main street, below the Miller house, until 1875, when it was transferred to a new and elegant room over the First National bank, on the corner of Orange and Main streets. The present number of members is ninety.

Concord Lodge, No. 325, at Hayesville, was established by a dispensation from the Grand lodge of Ohio, May 14, 1857, J. Kinninger, William L. Smith, William G. Galloway, Nicholas McCool, and M. McLaughlin petitioners. The lodge was instituted July 27, 1857, by R. W. G. Alexander E. Glenn. The first officers were: Joseph Kinninger, N. G.; W. L. Smith, V. G.; M. Mc- Laughlin, recording secretary; W. G. Galloway, treasurer. The present membership is about sixty.

Sylvan Lodge, No. 240, was established at Loudonville, by charter from the Grand lodge of the State of Ohio, April 20, 1854, John Taylor, David E. Stockman, A. F. Mather, C. Hilderbrand, and Aaron Yarnell petitioners. The lodge is in a flourishing condition. The members are mostly of German descent, and number about sixty.

The First National bank of Ashland originated in the "Ashland Bank," an institution of discount and deposit, established in 1S51, under the name and style of Luther, Crall & Co. - the partners then being Hulbert Luther, Jacob Crall, James Purdy, William S. Granger, George II. Topping, and Jacob O. Jennings. The institution was ably managed until 1863, when, under a law of Congress, it was merged into the First National bank of Ashland, with a capital of fifty thousand dollars, secured in United States bonds deposited in the treasury at Washington, it was authorized, under the law, tc issue bank notes to the amount of forty-five thousand dollars, for circulation. Tire First National bank has been wisely managed, and sustains a high reputation as a business institution. Its quarterly statements show that its resources are ample to meet promptly all its liabilities. For the quarter ending December 31, 1875, t'ie total amount of its resources was four hundred and fifty-three thousand five hundred and ninety-two dollars and ninety cents. This sum includes loans and discounts, two hundred and sixty-nine thousand nine hundred and forty dollars and fifty eight cents ; United States bonds, sixty thousand and fifty dollars; due from other banks, thirty-two thousand five hundred and thirteen dollars and foitv'-six cents; due from United States treasury, two thousand two hundred and fifty dollars; banking house, safe, and fixtures, forty thousand dollars; other lea! estate, three thousand four hundred and fifty-seven dollars j and fifty cents: expenses, and cash on hand, forty-five I thousand three hundred and eighty-one dollars and 1 thirty-six cents. The present stockholders ace: Ashland I - Jacob Crall, J. H. McCombs, Jonas Freer, J. O. Jen- J nings, Sherman W. Beer, L. J Sprengle, R. D. Freer, Jacob Cohn, William Osborn; Mansfield - William Bird and Nancy Mitchell; Loudonville - J. H. Sanborn. Jacob O. Jennings, president; Joseph Patterson, cashier.

The Farmer's bank was established in Ashland in the summer of 1875, and is owned by Jonas and Randolph Freer, brothers, the former being president and the latter ; vice-president. The liability of the stockholders is un- | limited. It is a bank of discount and deposit. It is lo- | cated on the south side of Main street, three doors west I of the town hall building. N. B. Dressier is cashier.

!- The Loudonville bank was organized about the year I 1S67, by a joint stock company as a bank of disc ount and | deposit, Nathaniel 1 iaskell being the principal stockholder j and president. At his decease, a nephew, Mr. George C.

I Haskell, by will of Nathaniel Haskell, became the principal stockholder and manager of the bank. At his decease, in January, 1S75, the institution was reorganized under the name and style of the Loudonville Banking company, with a capital and insets of three hundred thousand dollars. G. Schauweker, president; William Garrett, vice-president, and J. L. Quick, cashier.