Knox County, Ohio - Mount Vernon, 1881

Mount Vernon

THE PROPRIETORS - NAME- First HouSE - First TAVERN - THE BUTLERS - TOWN PLAT - TORNADO - THE FIRST DOCTOR - COMMISSIONERS FOR SELECTING THE COUNTY SEAT - THEIR REPORT - THE STRUGGLE FOR THE COUNTY SEAT - BEN. BUTLER'S ''TRICK" - THE RIOT - AN INDENTURE OF APPRENTICESHIP - THE HATTERS - JAMES CRAIG

Living Pioneers Say

Joseph Walker, Thomas B. Patterson, and Benjamin Butler. The town was laid out in 1805. One of the proprietors being from the Potomac, and thinking of the consecrated spot on its shores, suggested that the new laid-out town should bear the name of Washirgton's family seat - Mt. Vernon.

Captain Walker's house was the first one within the town plat. The next buildings were two little log cabins, built by Ben. Butler, on the corner now owned by Christian Peterman - Gambier and Main streets - northwest corner. In one of these log pens Butler lived and kept tavern until he built his log cabin on the corner, which for many years continued the principal tavern of Mt. Vernon. Butler moved into it in the fall of 1805, and lived in it until 1809. It continued as the war office under successive administrations.

Among the early settlers of this part of Ohio was the Virginia family of Butlers. They were John, Thomas, Benjamin, Joseph, Isaac, and James, and all made their settlements upon Owl creek (Kakousie) and Whitewoman (Walhonding) at first. In 1800 Ben. Butler settled in the neighborhood ot Dresden. . In 1801 he moved to Lewisville, two miles above Coshocton, and in 1802 settled on Whitewoman, above the mouth of Killbuck. From this place he moved to Mt. Vernon in April, 1805, where he resided until 1809, when the time of his death, in June, 1872. Before he moved to Mt. Vernon he had purchased thirty-six acres of land of Joseph Walker, which he (Walker) had purchased of Matthews and Nigh. Matthews executed the deed to Butler. Patterson, Walker, and Butler conceived the plan of laying out a town on their possessions, and accordingly in July, 1805, it was surveyed by Robert Thompson, and recorded in the Fairfield county records.

Benjamin Butler was born in Monongalia county, Virginia. April 18, 1779, and married May 2, 1799, Leah Rogers, of Crab Orchard, Virginia, then in her sixteenth year.

Clinton - one mile and a half north - was laid out in 1804, Mt. Vernon in 1805, and Fredericktown in 1807. Neither of them amounted to much in 1808, but of the three Clinton was the most promising.

The town of Mt. Vernon is situated in the first section of the sixth township and thirteenth range. The town is laid off in blocks or squares, the streets and alleys intersecting at right angles, bears south one-fourth degree east and north one-fourth degree west, and east one-fourth north, and west one-fourth south. The lots are numbered from north to south, and from south to north successively, beginning at the northeast corner. The lots are four rods wide in front and eight rods deep. The streets are four rods wide, except High street which is six rods wide. The alleys are one rod wide each. The public square at the intersection of High and Market streets is twenty-two rods square, including the said streets at the intersection, and is given, granted and conveyed to the purchasers of the lots and their heirs assigns and successors forever for the purpose of public buildings, etc. The said town of Mt. Vernon is owned and possessed by Thomas B. Patterson, Joseph Walker and Benjamin Butler, in three distinct and separate shares as hereinafter described, viz: Thomas B, Patterson's share or part is all that which lies north of High street; Joseph Walker's share or part is that which lies south of High street and west of Marketrstreet; Benjamin Butler's share or part is that which lies south of High street and east of Market street, all of which shares and divisions are to be held by the said Thomas, Joseph and Benjamin, and their heirs or assigns in severalty forever. The public ground is bounded on the north by lots No. rz and 130; on the south by lots rro and 131; on the east by lots 73, 74, 75, and 76; on the west by lots 164, 165, 166, and 167. Given.

Peter Barrick

under our hands and seals this sixteenth day of July, A. D., 180s. Signed, sealed and acknowl- TuHos. B. PATTERSON, SEAL] edged in the presence of us. EULNATHAN SCOFIELD, PETER BARRICK.

STATE OF OHIO, \ FAIRFIELD COUNTY. Personally appeared before me, ElInathan Scofield, one of the justices of the peace in and for the aforesaid county, the above named Thomas B. Patterson, Joseph Walker and Benjamin Butler, and acknowledged that they signed the above written instrument as their voluntary act and deed for the use and purpose therein mentioned. In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this sixteenth day of July, A. D. 1805. IELNATHAN+SCOFIELD, [SEAL]. July 16, 180s.

The most extraordinary event of those early times was a terrible tornado in the summer of 1808, which played havoc with the early settlers. It came up suddenly, and was very violent. It tore off the roofs of all the houses, killed most of the stock running about, and tore down all the large white-oak trees that were on Butler's thirty-six acre tract, as also many trees on Walker's land. In its course it took in Andy Craig's old stand on Centre run. Butler had nine head of horses; as the storm came up they attempted to run out of its way. Two of them were killed; one of them ran all the way to Craig's and jumped into his garden patch; its skin was torn and its flesh scratched in many places by limbs of trees hurled against it by the storm as it ran to get out of its reach. Walker had some horses killed; also Patterson, and Kratzer, and a little fellow from Virginia, who lived on the hill, named Zinn.

A: little doctor named Henderson was present when the town was laid out. He was from Baltimore, Maryland, proposed the name of the place, and they all sanctioned it.

Henderson was a clever young man; his father made a regular doctor out of him, and started him out with a good horse and outfit; but he was too lazy to practice. The first time Butler saw him, Patterson came out in the lot where Butler was plowing, and introduced him to Ben, who was out of temper at the beech-roots, which were in the way of the plow. When Patterson said he was a doctor, and Henderson mentioned the fact of inoculating a child with vaccine matter, and wanted to operate on Butler's children, Ben astonished the young doctor by cursing him in very strong back-woods vernacular. Ben said afterwards: ''I didn't then know exactly what inoculating meant, but | was mad, and I threatened to put my knife into him, and scared him so that he would not attempt to 'noculate any more in that town. He stayed about for a time, until he ran away witha woman; and no other doctor dared to show his

In another chapter mention is made of a preliminary report made to the judges of the court of common pleas, at the first session held in the county, May 2, 1808, by the commissioners, to locate the county seat for the county of Knox. There were three contestants for the honor, Clinton, Mt. Vernon, and Fredericktown.

To the Hon, William Wilson, esy., President, and Fohn Mills, William Gass, and William \W. Farquhar, esgrs., associate judges of the court of common pleas in and for the county of

May it please your honors: In conformijy with an act of the legislature of the State of Ohio, passed the twenty-eighth of March, 1803, entitled ''An act establishing seats of justice," we, the subscribers, were appointed by a resolution of both houses of the legislature, passed on the ninth of February, 1808, commissioners for fixing the permanent seat of justice in and for said county of Knox. We do hereby make report to your honors, that having met and attended to the duties of said appointment in said county on the twenty-eighth of the present instant, and having paid due regard to the centre, extent of population, quality of soil, as well as the general convenience, we hereby declare that the town of Mt. Vernon is the most suitable place for the courts of said county to be held at, and we do hereby declare the said town of Mt. Vernon the permanent seat of justice in and for said county of Knox. Given under our hands and seals this twenty-ninth of March, 1808.

The citizens of the two rival towns were not satisfied with the action of the commissioners. Efforts were made to induce the legislature to order a new count, more especially by the Clintonians, who wanted the county seat badly. One thing mentioned by the prayer of the petitioners was that the legislature enlarge the boundaries of Knox county, so as to take from Richland one tier of townships and attach them to the north part of Knox, thus throwing Mt. Vernon out of the centre of the county. If this move had succeeded Fredericktown would have been more eligible than Clinton, yet the people of Clinton would have been perfectly willing that her northern rival should have been made happy at her expense, so the good people of Mt. Vernon be made to chew tbe bitter cud of disappointment. The cry of fraud was raised and reported to the legislature for effect, but that body did not see fit to make any change.

When I moved my family to the thirty-six acres of land which IJ had bought, I had no thought of ever laying out any portion of it in town lots, or of any town ever being laid out here, nor at that time had Walker or Patterson. The idea

Clinton had been laid out by Samuel Smith, and had never been paid out, I believe. It was started chiefly on the donation principle. Those who would put up buildings had their own time to pay for the lots.

When we got word that the commissioners were coming on to locate the county seat, we were greatly stirred up about how we should manage. Kratzer, Patterson and Walker came to see me about it, and we had a general consultation. I thought we had no chance of getting it, for I told them that they had at Clinton Bill Douglass' mill, a lot of good houses, Samuel Smith's big brick house, and plenty of smart Yankees to manage; also they had at Fredérick Johnny Kerr's mill and a lot of rich Quakers around it, and both those places looked better then our little scrubby place. Samuel Kratzer asked me what I would do about it? I said to them that I had studied out a pretty bad trick that I could manage if they would only go into it; if they wouldn't there wasn't a bit of chance for us; they said ''let's hear it."' I told them I would give ten dollars myself and each of them must give ten dollars to make a purse and get liquor for some hard cases we had about town and engage them to go up Clinton and Frederick, get drunk, fight, and raise Cain generally when the commissioners were up there on their tour of observation. As for us we would get two good yoke of oxen to work on the streets, and the rest of the men must take hold and spade, and shovel, and pick, and roll logs, and dig up stumps, and be fixing up the streets right, while the women and girls must get out into their gardens hoeing, and weeding, and working; I would have the best victuals cooked and the best cheer the little old tavern could afford, so as to please the commissioners, and we might then come out first for the county seat selection.

My plan struck their fancy. Samuel Kratzer, although he was a great Methodist, didn't say a word about its being a sin to cheat them in that game, but at it we went. All fell into the plan. We had a clever fellow named Munson, from Granville, and a big fellow named Bixbee, from over about Bigbelly, who agreed to go along and each to captain a gang of the rowdies and see that it was played out right.

It was Thursday afternoon when the commissioners first came to our town. They rode up andasked me if they could stay all night ; I told them it was hard fare we had, but if they would put up with it they could, and they stopped. I guessed who they were at once and passed the word around. Everything went on as we had planned it. The next morning about daylight the busiest set of bees ever collected about & hive were at work, hammering, pounding, digging, hoeing, scraping, and working on the streets and in the lots. Leah (Mrs. Butler) had breakfast bright and early. I had their horses all cleaned up and well fed, and ready, after they had eaten, to start. They wondered at the work they saw going on, and if it was kept up always as they had seen it intown. I told them we were all poor and hard-working, and we never lost any time in our little town. They said they were going up to Clinton and Frederick to sée those places, and were going to fix the county seat, and wanted me to go along; but I tried to beg off - that I was poor and must work, and couldn't lose the time, as it would take them two or three days to determine it. They said no, it wouldn't take them that long, and I knew well if the trick was played out well by the rowdies that they would soon he back, so I hesitated as though I would not go. Finally I told Kratzer if he would go I would, as I would like to see them fix the county seat up there, and then Jim Dunlap, who was a jovial fellow about thirty-five, spoke up and said to come ahead; the other two were sort of gruff, it seemed to me, and didn't say much, but looked solemn. They asked if we didn't expect to get the county seat at Mount Vernon, and I told them no, that we were too poor to try for it; that I felt too poor really to go up with them, for some fellow might come along and stop with me, who would want me to go with him and look at land, and every teilow that I showed land to, gave me two dollars, which helped right smart. There were three sorts of poor - God's poor, the devil's poor, and poor devils, and that we were all poor devils; but Sam Smith was long headed, and Johnny Kerr had lots of rich Quakers to back him; so us poor devils were left out of the question.

We then rode together up to Clinton, and there the rowdies were cutting up, the fiddle going, and shouting and cursing being done of the tallest kind. When we went to go into the tavern there was a rush to the doorway, as two men were in they were jammed and scuffed about, and in the din ana confusion, and yells of ''pull them off,'' ''part them," ''don't do it," ''fair play," ''hit him again," ''let 'em fight it out," etc., the commissioners backed out from the tavern, and proposed to go and look at Fredericktown. About that time old Sam Smith came up, and when he found out they were the commissioners, and going, he tried the hardest kind to get them to stop, but it was no go; they had seen enough of that place then, but promised him to call again tomorrow. On the way to Fredericktown I talked much with them, and apologized for the way our people up there had acted. They asked meif they cut up like Indians all the time, and I told them that about Clinton and Frederick there were a great many rich men's sons, who had no trades, and would frolic a little just to put in their time, but I pointed out to them the pretty scenery, and bragged on the land around, but sad not a word for Mount Vernon. When we got to Frederick, they stopped at Ayres' tavern and found a good deal such quarreling going on as at Clinton. I got afraid then that they might see through it, and suspect that we had a hand in getting it up, so I got down about the mill, and sat on the logs awhile with Kratzer and Patterson, and left the commissioners up at the tavern to see the fighting inthe yard. Just before going in to dinner I called one of the rowdies to me and told him it was all working well, gave him more money, and told him to swear the others not to divulge the secret, and we would make it all right with 'em. After dinner the commissioners sauntered around, and I proposed going back and leaving them, as they would want to stay all night there. I had some work to do.and chores to attend to at home before night; but they would have me wait a littlé while longer for them, and I did it. While there sitting on a log, we bet two gallons of wine with Johnny Kerr, as to which place would get the county seat. When they were ready they started, and we rod¢ back to Mount Vernon, where Mrs. Butler had the best kind of a supper cooked up, and it put the

The men about Mt. Vernon were all quiet, and kept so, and when Dunlap asked Coyle's two boys to take a dram with him, they hung back and hesitated, until I told them to come up and take a dram with the gentleman - that there was no harm in it. They poured out the least bit of drams they ever took in their lives. The next morning the commissioners got ready to start, and I had got Knuck Harris (who came here from Zanesville), the only nigger in the country then, to sleek their horses off, and they came out looking first rate. Dunlap was a funny fellow, who thought he could hop, and bantered some of the boys to hop, but they were afraid they would be beat by him, and said it wern't no use to try as they knew he could beat them. I told him to make his hop, and he went out in the road and gavea sample; I went over it justa little, and we hopped several times, until I concluded to show him what Ben could do. I hopped so far over his furthest mark, they all laughed him right out, and he gave it up, saying I could hop some. In those days Inever found the man that could beat me. When they were about starting I asked them if they were not going back to Clinton and give it another look. They said ''no," and the Clintonites never saw them any more. They wanted to go to Delaware, and asked me to pilot them a part of the way, which I did, and when I got out with them back of George Lewis' place, I tried to get something out of them as what they had determined on, but they evaded my questions and gave me little satisfaction. On bidding them good by, I hoped they were not put out with our place on account of the hard fare I had given them - that I had nothing nice to give them, as I kept only a little log tavern, and supplied my table by hunting and butchering, One of them remarked that if they ever came this way again, they were well enough suited to callon me. I then said that I was poor, and felt discouraged, and thought that I would quit and go somewhere else and make a better living for myself and family. Dunlap then said I was doing well enough, and must not get out of heart. And so we parted. When I got back to town all the men gathered around me to find out what was our chance. I told them what had passed between us, and that I was satisfied it would be found that our side was ahead, and | called them all up to take a good drink at my expense on Mt. Vernon being the county seat. That little trick of ours, I am sure, made the scales turn im our favor, and when we knew it was established at Mt. Vernon, you can imagine we had rejoicing over it.

For some time after the settlement of the county seat question, the burdén of the song of the Clintonians and of the Fradericktowners was the refrain of Maud Muller:

Gilman Bryantisdrt of bossed the work, and being a cripple, he tended on them and gave out the whiskey and water, cheering them up as 'the came around, saying: '' Work like men in team, and made them tear up stumps, haul logs, plow and scrape, as necessary. Men never worked better on a road than that force then did. They chopped down trees, cut off logs, grubbed, dug down rough places, filled up gulleys, burned log heaps, and made a wonderful change in the appearance of things. It was the first work ever done on the streets of Mt. Vernon.

Bryant opened a grocery store on the lot where the "Buckingham Emporium" was afterwards erected. It was a little story and a half sycamore cabin, where he kept, powder, shot, lead, whiskey, etc., for sale to the Indians and the few whites in 1807.

Clinton and Mt. Vernon were the principal competitors for the seat of justice. The former place at that time was the larger. It had more goods, more mechanics, more enterprises on foot, more houses, more people, and more hope for the future. It had more of New England families, more of Yankee spirit and shrewdness; and yet, with all their cunning and craftiness - all their money and management - all their efforts and inducements - Clinton lost the selection. Its generals were outgeneralled - its managers out-manceuvred - its wits out-witted - its Yankees out-Yankeed by the less showy and pretending men from the Potomac and the Youghiogheny, who had settled at Mt. Vernon. The choice of either one for the county seat involved the ultimate ruin of the other. Clinton made a bold effort to keep up against adverse winds. It could not sustain an appeal against the decision of the commissioners, but still it kept on for several years in its improvements, and until after the war jt was ahead of Mt. Vernon in many respects. It had the first and only newspaper in the county for two years; it had the first and only church in the county for many years; it had stores, tanyards, shops of various kinds, and greater variety of business than Mt. Vernon; but pfter the war was over it began to decay, and its rival took the lead. The accredited account The commissioners first entered Mt. Vernon, and were received with the best cheer at the log tavern of Mr. Butler. To impress them with an idea of the public: spirit of the place, the people were very busy at the moment of their entrance and during their stay, at work, with all their coats off, grubbing the streets. As they left for Clinton, all quitted their labor, not ''of love;'' and some rowdies, who dwelt in cabins scattered round about in the woods, away from the town, left ''the crowd," and stealing ahead of the commissioners, arrived at Clinton first. On the arrival of the others at that place, these fellows pretended to be in a state not conformable to temperance principles, ran against the commissioners, and by their rude and boisterous conduct so disgusted the worthy officials as to the apparent morals of the inhabitants of Clinton, that they returned and made known their determination that Mt. Vernon should be the favored spot. That night there were great rejoicings in town. Bonfires were kindled, stews made and drank, and live trees split with gunpowder.

Such is a plausible account of this matter, whicn we have often heard related py our old friend Gilman Bryant, who took great pride in rehearsing a fable calculated to give Mt. Vernon the manifest advantage inthe estimation of moral and temperance men in these later times. But some of those who lived in the county at that early day, give an entirely different version of the subject, and even have gone so far as to aver that the commissioners themselves delighted, as did the rest of mankind, in taking a ''wee dhrap of the crathur,"' and could not have been "' disgusted by rude and boisterous conduct" to which they were accustomed.

And again it is suggested that ''the crowd" at that day was not so great in this locality that men who had sense and observatien sufficient to be selected for commissioners, would not have been able to observe and distinguish ''the rowdies," and class them where they belonged.

Another old settler, whose partiality at that day was for Clinton, avers that the proprietor of Clinton, Mr. Smith, had been very illiberal in his dealings with those who wished to pur. chase lots in his town. - He had adopted a plan of withholding from market the best lots on the plat, and keeping the corner lots to be enhanced in value by the improvements made by settlers on inside lots. At this course many of them became dissatisfied, and some of the number who had bought of him leaguetl with the Mount Vernonities against Clinton. We have been told by another old citizen, that two of the men living north of Mt. Vernon, and considered as in the Clinton interest, proposed to Kratzer and Patterson to help secure the location of the county seat at Mt. Vernon, in consideration of their receiv-. ing two lots apiece in the town, and that their favor and influence went accordingly.

In Mt. Vernon at that time,Main street was full of stumps, log heaps and trees, and theroad up thestreet was a poor crooked path winding round amongst the stumps and logs. Richard Roberts says that it was very rough and broken, where Mt. Vernon was located, and was the last spot onearth a man would have picked to make a county seat.

Another gentleman residing north of Mt. Vernon, and very partial to Fredericktown, thinks that bya little management that place might have been made the permanent seat of justice, when the strife was so great between the othertowns. They might have got a strip thrown off of Delaware county, which might have been attached, and then Frederick would have been alike central; but Kerr and his comrades had not their eyes open to the importance of getting that five mile range with Knox, and they were left out of doors when the location was made permanent.

In the county clerk's office appears the original of a petition to the court of common pleas, to cause the removal of certain obstructions, placed in the streets and alleys of two additions to-the town of Mt. Vernon, laid out by Thomas Bell Patterson, in 1811, and by Samuel Kratzer in the same year. The petition was presented to the court at the February term in 1817. One or both of thé additions had in the meantime become the property of the late Anthony Banning. The town at that time being at a stand still, and no sale for the lots, Mr. Banning concluded "to fence up the town," and turn the vacant lots and adjacent streets into a corn or wheat field, as the occasion might require. This was done, hence the necessity of the petition, hereafter given, the spelling and punctuation being retained as in the original. The territory embraced in these additions commenced at Mulberry street, and embraced all of what was then known as Kratzer's (later as the Banning) addition. West of this addition a few of the citizens resided, and the fences placed across the streets and alleys were quite annoying, requiring the citizens to either climb over the obstructions or go around them; hence the following petition signed by fifty-six of the prominent business men of the village:

To the Honourable William Wilson, Esg., President of the Court of Common Pleas of Knox County, and his associate Judges of the said Court - February, 1817:

The Humble petition of the subscribers, Householders, residing within the Town plat, of the Town of Mount Vernon and the adition Thareto; Containing in all fifty-six Householders; Situate in the first quarter of Town six and range Thirteen in the United States Military District; Laid out by Thomas Bel Paterson & recorded on the 26th of: March 1811. Also the adition of the Town of Mount Vernon, Laid out by Samuel Kratzer on the 20th of March 1811, and entered on record about the same time; on the same page of the record, and agoining the above, all Intended for, and representing one Town, and your petitioners respectfully represent, That we have always Been Impress'd with a Belief that the Streets and alleys of the whole of the above recited Town Plats should be and remain for Ever open for the free use, and Benefit of the Inhabitance thareof, and under that Impression many of your Petitioners Became Purchasors of Lots in said Town; Tharefore in order that we may have all obstructions removed out of Each of the Streets and alleys, Contained in the two above recited Town Plats, and your petitioners be restored to their Just rights, we Pray, That the whole of the above Described Premises may be Incorperated according to Law, and your Petitioners shall as in duty Bound for Ever Pray.

This humble petition the honorable court set aside, denying the prayer of the petitioners. This state of things was not to be endured; so some fifteen of the disappointed petitioners, among whom was the late Hosmer Curtis, then prosecuting attorney, resolved to take the matter into their own hands.

secure justice for themselves. As they came to an obstruction they began levelling the fences to the ground, scattering rails hither and thither with all the glee of schoolboys bent on mischief. From one obstruction to another the "regulators" marched. A tornado could not have made more havoc in its route than did the "laughing and shouting fifteen." This work created considerable commotion in the community. Some took sides with the "raiders," while others condemned their action as lawlessness against the peace and harmony of the town. Mr. Banning entered complaint against the fifteen for riot and trespass, and the case came before the court. As the prosecuting attorney, Hosmer Curtis, was one of those against whom the prosecution was commenced, his honor the judge, appointed the late Charles R. Sherman, special prosecuting attorney. 'The trial caused considerable excitement, and no little amusement, as the argumentof Mr. Sherman was principally aimed against the "tall prosecuting attorney," Mr. Curtis, who had laid aside the dignity of his office, and, for once, assumed that of a "raider" against the fences of the prosecutor, Mr. Banning. 'The result of the suit was a finding of "suilty" against the whole, and a fine of '"'one dollar and cost" rendered against each of the defendants. Thus ended one of the most amusing cases ever brought before the Knox county court.

Another relic of the past, filed away in the clerk's office, is entitled "Samuel Geddes' Indenture to William Smith," and shows some peculiarities of the past that are now obsolete. Samuel Geddes desired to learn the hatter's trade, or at least his father thought that Samuel would make a good hatter, so forthwith the following indenture was drawn up and signed by the respective parties.

This indenture, made the fifth-day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and twenty-eight, witnesseth: 'That Samuel Geddes, aged eighteen years against the twenty-first day of November next, by and with the consent of the said John Geddes, of Knox county and State of Ohio, his father, hath of his free and voluntary will pl.c2d and bound himself apprentice to William Smith, of the town of Mt. Vernon, county and State aforesaid, to learn the trade, mystery or occupation of a hatter, which he, the said Smith, in company with Adam Glaze, jr., now useth, and with him as an apprentice to dwell, continue and serve from the day of the date hereof, until the end and term of three years, three months and sixteen days from thence next ensuing, and fully to be complete and ended, during all of which term the said apprentice his master shall well and faithfully serve, his secrets keep, his lawful commands gladly do and obey; hurt to his said master he shall not do, nor wilfully suffer it to be done by others; but of the same shall to the utmost of his power forthwith give notice to his master; the goods of the said Smith he shall not embezzle or waste, nor them lend without his consent. At cards, dice, or any other games he shall not play; taverns and ale houses he shall not frequent; fornication he shall not commit; matrimony he shall not contract; from the service of the said Smith he shall not at any ume depart or absent himself without consent of said Smith, but in all things as a good and faithful apprentice, shall and will demean himself towards the said Smith and all his, during the said term. And the said Smith his said apprentice in the trade, mystery and occupation of a hatter with all things thereunto belonging shall and will cause to be well and sufficiently taught and instructed after the best way and manner he can; and shall and will also find and allow his said apprentice meat, drink, washing, lodging and apparel (both linen and woollen), and all other necessaries fit and convenient for such an apprentice, during the term aforesaid. And, also, at the expiration of said term, the said William Smith shall give the said apprentice a good freedom suit worth thirty dollars. As witness our hands and seals the year and day first above writtten.

Such were the custom and practice of fifty years ago. In 1848 only two hatter shops were among the trades of Mt. Vernon, viz: the shop of the late Samuel F. Voorhies, and that of the venerable William L. King. 'The jolly old William B. Henderson was an artisan in the shop of Mr. King, and Meigs Campbell, now of Ashland, Ohio, was a workman in the shop of Mr. Voorhies. The shop of Mr. Voorhies is still in existence, but its glory has departed - it has become the dwelling place for

The first election Ben. Butler recollects of attending, the neighbors and himself went down to Dresden and voted in 1803 or 1804. Another election he recollects was held at Bill Douglass'. David Johnson wanted to be constable, and 'lectioneered hard, and agreed to take, on executions and for fees raccoon skins, if he was elected. But when the votes were counted, he was beaten by Dimmick.._ This was the first time he (Butler) voted a ticket. In old Virginia it had always been the custom to vote by singing out the name of the candidate voted for.

One of the greatest fights of that early date was between Ben. Butler and Jim Craig, in which Craig was badly whipped. Butler's hand had been tied up from a hurt, but he took off the poultice and gave hima severe thrashing. The next day Jim,and Ben. met together and took a drink over it; the quarrel was dropped, as Jim said he deserved the whipping and would not fight it over again.

Ben. helped dig the first grave, that of Mrs. Thomas Bell Patterson, the first person that died in Mt. Vernon. He says that Colonel Patterson was a very smart man, much smarter tnan any in the town now.

The old school house stood near where the market house stands, and the public well, with a sweep or pole, was north of it, nearly in the centre of High street. He helped wall the old well.

Gilma. Bryant said when he came to the county in 1807, and landed in Mt. Vernon from his pirogue in March, there were only three families living within the then limits of the town, viz: Ben. Butler, who then kept a sort of tavern; James Craig, who kept some sort of refreshments and whiskey, on the corner, east side of Mulberry and north of Wood street; and another family, who lived south of Craig's on the opposite side of the street. On the west side of Mulberry was a little pole shanty, put up by Jo. Walker, a gunsmith, who had a little pair of bellows in one corner, and tinkered gun-locks for the Indians. Further west, on what is now Gambier street, and beyond the town plat, stood the building occupied by Walker, also a log. 'There was glso at that time a small log house with a roof, but the gable ends not yet filled, standing on the west side of Main street, between the present market house and where the court house stood in 1849, which should be in High street. 'lhere Was at the time living in the neighborhood, and recollected by Mr. Bryant Colville, on his farm east of town, Bob. Thompson, where Stilley now lives; Andrew Craig, at or near the old Indian fields (on Centre run, above Turner's mill); old Mr. Walker, near Banning's mill, on the left hand side of the road; and old Mr. Hains, south of town. Mr. Bryant brought eight barrels of whiskey by water to Shrimplin's mill on Owl creek, and from thence had it hauled by Nathaniel Critchfield's team, Joe driving, to Mt. Vernon. Tradition says that the first log shelter occupied by old man Walker was made of little round poles by Casper Fitting in 1802, but we can find nothing to sustain a claim to its erection at soearly a period. Fitting, doubtless, was the builder, we should think about 1804, though it may have been in 1803; however, as our own recollection does not extend gute that far back, we give it as it has been told to us.

Joseph Walker, sr., of whom we have been speaking, emigrated to this county from Pennsylvania about 1804, and settled near where we now write. Philip, Joe, Alexander, James, Robert and John were his sons, and he had two daughters - Sally, who married Stephen Chapman, and lives three miles south of this town, and Polly, who married Solomon Geller, a Pennsylvania Dutchman, who was one of the early settlers of Mt. Vernon, and subsequently moved into what is now Morrow county. Joseph Walker, sr., and his wife both died many years ago, and their bodies were buried in the Clinton graveyard, with no stone to mark the spot where they lie, and this record, it is hoped, may serve to perpetuate their memory. From all accounts they were worthy pioneers.

James Craig, one of the three men living in Mt. Vernon in the spring of 1807, was grit to the back bone, and was constantly harrassed by peace officers. It became almost an everyday occurrence with him to have a fight; and, if no newcomer appeared to give his fighting life variety, he would, ''just to keep his hand in," scrape up a fight with his neighbors or have a quarrel with his wife - all for the love of the thing, for '' Jamie was the broth of a boy.'' He had as high as four fights in one day with Joe Walker, who was also a game chicken. When arraigned before court for assault, etc., he would always put on his most pleasing smile, and say to the judge: ''Now, will yer honor jist please be good to the boy, for he can't help it."

We have been told by an early settler of a little incident, illustrating the sports of pioneers in 1807, at James Craig's house, after he had moved out to the log cabin, erected and yet leaning, not standing, on D. S. Norton's farm, south of High street extension, on the Delaware road. Craig had tended a few acres in corn, and had the only corn for sale in that part of the county. Mrs. Rachel Richardson sent her son Isaac to buy some for bread, and after spending a short time in the village, he went out to Craig's, got his corn, and stayed all night. The family had just got to sleep, lying down on the floor, when the wild fellows of the town came in to the doors and fired a volley over their heads. Craig at once sprang out of his bed in his night-shirt, grappled with one of them, and in a short time all present were engaged ina lively little fight, just for the fun of the thing. '' Knuck Harris," a ''cul'ed gem'man," the first one ever in Mt. Vernon, and Joe Walker, are recollected as having been among the parties.

One of the most noted fights that ever came off in this county was between James Craig and his son-in-law, Jack Strain, and two of the Georges of Chester township. It occurred in this way: Old Jim was, as he said, in fighting humor, when, in company with Jack, coming along the road home on foot, they met the Georges near Clinton riding sprucely on horseback, and required that they should get off their horses and fight them. Parson George explained that they were in a hurry to go home, and had neither time nor disposition for a fight. But Jim swore that they must get off and fight; and there being no way of getting past them, as they held possession of the road, they reluctantly got off their horses and pitched in. Jack soon whipped his man, but it puzzled Jim to make his fight out, and the conclusion arrived at was that they had taken too large a contract when they undertook to whip the Georges. Jim, in after years, would revert to this one fight with regret, as it was entirely uncalled for, and only provoked by his own*determination for a trial of strength.

After the marriage of Jack Strain into his family, old Jim counted himself almost invincible. Jack was a very powerful and active man, unsurpassed for thews and sinews, bone and muscle.

The great fight of the county might, with propriety, be called that of Strain with Roof. The county pretty much ew masse Witnessed it. It was a regular set-to - a pnize fight not inferior, in the public estimation, to that of Heenan and Sayers. Jack fought with great spirit; he fought, if not for his life, for his wife; for old Jim swore that he (Strain) should never sleep again with his daughter if he didn't whip him.

When Craig was indicted the {last time for fightirg he told Judge Wilson ''not to forget to be easy with him, as he was one of the best customers the court had."

In wrestling with Tucker Jim had his leg .broken, which he often regretted, as he couldn't stand on his forks right. He was not a big, stout man, but struck an awful blow, and was well skilled in parrying off blows. He called his striking a man,giving hima 'blizzard."" He was a backwoodsman from Western Virginia, but of Irish extraction - fond of grog, fond of company, fond of fighting, fun and frolic - kind-hearted, except when aroused by passion, and then a very devil. He fought usually as a pastime, and not from great malice. His wife was an excellent, hospitable and clever woman. We have heard very many anecdotes of Craig, but have space for only one more. One of the last kind acts of the old settler was his endeavor to treat Bishop Chase when he first visited our town. Jim having heard much said of him as a preacher and a distinguished man, met him on the street, and, desiring to do the clever thing by the bishop, accosted him with an invitation to drink. The bishop was somewhat nettled at the offer, but declined going to a grocery with him, whereupon Jim puiled a flask from his pocket and insisted upon his taking a drink there. The bishop indignantly refused, and Jim apologized, if the bishop considered it an insult. ''Bless your soul, bishop, lL think well of you, and have no other way to show that I am glad you have come to our county but by inviting you to drink. Don't think hard of me." that he had no boys to learn how to fight. If the girls did not fight, they did run, and run well, too. One of them, we recollect, was very fleet; many a time did she run races in the old lane, between Norton's and Bevans', and beat William Pettigrew and other of the early boys, notwithstanding the scantiness of her dresses, which then were made of about one-third the stuff it takes for a pattern in these fashionable days of 1862. : At one time old Jim was singing to a crowd, when a smart young man, in sport, winked to those present and kicked his shins. The wink having been observed by him, he instantly drew back his fist and drove it plum between his eyes, felling him to the ground, at the same time exclaiming: There, take that, d - n you, and don't you ever attempt again to impose on 'old stiffer!"

The indomitable will of Samuel H. Smith and his associates from New England, among whom we may mention the Nyes, Ichabod, captain of the troop of horse, and his brother Samuel; Henry Smith, Samuel's nephew; Dr. Timothy Burr, the Barneys, Alexander Enos, and others, kept the county in commotion about the seat of justice. No stone was left unturned, no effort untried, to bring about its transfer to Clinton. Petitions were drawn up and runners traversed the country for signers. From the official record we give the following exhibit of the disposition made of them:

''December 26, 1808, Mr. Holden presented to the house sundry petions from a number of inhabitants of Knox county, setting forth that they feel much aggrieved in consequence of the ineligible and very unhealthy situation of the present seat of justice of said county, and for various other reasons therein stated, praying that the commissioners may be appointed to fix the seat of justice for the said county of Knox in some more eligible and healthy situation; which said petitions were read and referred to a committee of Mr. Holden, Mr. Owings, of Fairfield, and Mr. Blair, of Franklin and Delaware, to report their opinion thereupon by bill or otherwise."

Mr. Merwin (Elijah B.) of Fairfield, presented on the next day, a remonstrance from sundry citizens of Knox county against action as prayed for in above named petitions.

The cunning old fox managing the Clinton claim, devised an additional scheme whereby to bring about such increase of territory northward as would throw Mount Vernon farther from the centre than Clinton, and accordingly we find that Mr. Holden presented to the house petitions signed by sundry inhabitants of Knox county, setting forth that it will be greatly to their advantage, and to the advantage of the public in general, to have the county extended so far north as to take in one tier of townships. as it will be perceived, by the map of the State, that the county lying north of them, known by the name of Richland, is much larger than Knox, and by attaching one tier of townships to said county of Knox there will be given a more equal number of square miles to each county than there is at present; which was received and read, and referred to the same committee to whom was committed, on the twenty-sixth inst., the petitions, remonstrances, etc., on the subject of the seat of justice of Knox county. - House Journal, page 93, December 30, 1808.

On the thirtieth of December, on motion of Mr. Thomas Morris, of Clermont, and seconded, Ordered, that Mr. George Clark, of Columbiana and Stark, be added to the committee appointed on the the twenty-sixth inst., on the subject of the seat of justice of Knox county, and the matters to them from time to time referred.

On the twelfth of January, 1809, on motion, and leave being granted, Mr. Holden presented at the clerk's table two remonstrances, of the same purport, from sundry inhabitants of Knox county, remonstrating against petitions presented to this house, praying for a review of the seat of justice of said county, anda removal of it from Mt. Vernon to some more eligible and healthy situation. 'Ihe remonstrants therein set forth that they are fully of opinion that, unless a fraud or neglect be made to appear against the first viewers appointed by the legislature at the last session for the purpose of permanently fixing the seat of justice of said county, that your honorable body will not grant a view barely for the purpose of gratifying self-interest; that, in consequence of the seat of justice being established at Mt. Vernon, a number of lots have been purchased and improved, and also that upwards of four hundred dollars have been appropriated for the building of a jail, and for other reasons, by the aforesaid remonstrants set forth, more particularly praying that the said petition praying fot the removal of the seat of justice aforesaid may be rejected; and the same being received and read,

On page 145, House Journal, January 14th, 1809, the following entry stands: On motion, and by leave of the house, Mr. Holden, from the committee appointed on the twenty-sixth ultimo, presented at the clerk's table a report, as follows: "The committe to whom was referred the petition of sundry inhabitants of the county of Knox, praying that one tier of townships lying south of Richland county be attached to the said county of Knox; also sundry petitions from the inhabitants of said county, praying that commissioners be appointed to review and fix the seat of justice of said county in some more healthy and eligible situation than Mt. Vernon; have, according to order, had under their consideration the said petitions, and are of opinion that the prayer of the said petitions is unreasonable, and ought not to be granted."

Monday, January 16th, said report came up, and it was Ordered, that it be committed to a committee of the whole house, and made the order of the day for Saturday next.

On the twenty-fifth of January (House Journal, page 181), Mr. Merwin moved for the order of the day, whereupon the house, according to order, resolved itself into a committee of the whole house, and, after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the chair, and Mr. Jewett reported that the committee, according to order, had under their consideration a report of the select committee, made on the fourteenth inst., on the petitions of sundry inhabitants of Knox county, and had agreed to the said report; and the same being read was agreed to by the house, viz: that the petitions aforesaid are unreasonable, and ought wof to be granted.

At the ninth session of the general assembly, held at Zanesville, December 3, 1810, the subject of removal of the county seat from Mt. Vernon was again agitated. By the Senate Jonrnal, page 163, we find that Mr. Trimble presented a batch of petitions, praying a review, which was referred to a committee. On page 166, we find Mr. 'Trimble, from committee, reported that, in their opinion, commissioners ought to be appointed to examine and make report to the next legislature the place they think proper for the seat of justice of Knox county. The said report was read. A motion was made that said report be committed to a committee of the whole senate, and made the order of this day; and on the question thereon it was decided in the negative. On motion, Ordered, that the further consideration of said report be postponed till the first Monday in December next.

At the next session it received its final quietus. Mt. Vernon had improved in the intermediate time very much, and thenceforth its star was in the ascendant. Clinton continued but a few years longer as a bnsiness place, and after the departure of its chief worker to other parts, its people moved to Mt. Vernon, Fredericktown, and elsewhere, and not one of the old inhabitants remains to tell that Clinton has been an important townin the history of Knox county.

The following regarding the early days of Mt. Vernon has been gathered from the living pioneers of the city, among whom are N. N. Hill, Isaac Hadley, Dr. J. N. Burr and others.

part of the town was on West Gambier street, between Mainstreet and the railroad. Here the business of the town was carried on, and down near the end of the street lived Joseph Walker, in a large two-story, yellow painted, frame house - the best house in the town. The first brick building in the town was the school-house, which stood on Mulberry street, east side, a little south of the present high school building. It was taken away only a short time ago. Mr. Hill made sugar one spring in the lower part of town, there being quite a sugar grove in the western part of the plat below Chestnut street.

The first tavern, Benjamin Butler's, stood on or near the corner of Gambier and Main, about where Jenning's store now is. This building, during the war of 1812, was converted into a block-house, and used asa place of refuge and safety for citizens. The building stood upon a bank, the door being reached by several steps. It was again used asa tavern after the war, and was known as the "war office" many years on account of the many fights that occurred there.

The Indian chief, Armstrong, from Greentown, came frequently to town and often got drunk at Butler's tavern. On one occasion, while "Abe" Emmett was drilling his company of militia, Armstrong got in his way and annoyed him very much. After telling the chief many times to keep out of his way without effect, Emmett finally knocked him down. 'This had the desiréd effect, but the chief never forgot it. Sometime after this, Armstrong, accompanied by three other Indians, met Emmett and Riverius Newell in the woods, when Armstrong asked, "Is your name Emmis?" "Yes sir, my name is Emmett." 'What for you fight Indian?" said the chief.. "Because you kept getting "You fight Indian now?" said the chief, making a motion to draw his tomahawk. "Yes!" said Emmett, with an oath, and immediately drew his tomahawk, while Newell cocked his gun and brought it to bear upon one of the other Indians. This determined attitude not being relished by the Indians, a truce was called and the parties separated.

When Butler moved to his farm his tavern passed into other hands, and among the landlords about that time, who followed Butler were David Ash

The second tavern in the town was started on Main street, in a log tuilding which stood on the lot next to and north of N. N. Hill's brick block. John Haron kept it awhile and then moved to his farm, located in what is now the northeast part of town, a little beyond the present court house. He turned his tavern over to his son-in-law, Gotleib Zimmerman, who was from Hagerstown, Maryland. Montgomery Brown, another son-in-law, followed Zimmerman, and kept the tavern as long as it was used for that purpose. Upon the sign (which was one of the most important things about all the old taverns), was painted a full sized portrait of General Wayne.

The third tavern in Mt. Vernon was a frame building, and stood on the lot on Main street, where Warner Miller for many years kept store. It was two stories in height, painted white, and was called the Green Tree Tavern, having a green tree painted on its sign. It was kept first by Mordecai Vore, who sold it to Judge Eli Miller, and he in turn sold it to Charles Timberlake, who kept it some years. After him came Constance Barney, who rented it, kept a hotel and run the first stage line from Mt. Vernon to Sandusky. He subsequently continued this stage line to Columbus. After Barney, the hotel was kept by Andrew Plummer and others, until it was taken away to make room for the present brick block.

The Kenyon House was the first brick hotel in Mt. Vernon, and was built by T. W. Rogers, who occupied it some years as a private residence, then remodelled it fora hotel. This became a very popular hotel and was well patronized fer many years. Killin Winne was the first landlord. The first building was a large white frame, which, after some years, was taken down and the fine brick erected. It stood on the southwest corner of Main street and the public square, and was taken down by Mr. A. Wolf, who erected the present large business block in its place.

George Lybrand erected in 1840, the building, yet standing and for many years known as the "Lybrand House." It stands on the west side of Main, between Front and Gambier streets, and is

The Curtis House, on the southeast corner of Main street and public square, was erected in 1876, by Henry B. Curtis, and is a fine building.

Gas works were established in Mount Vernon in 1857; the incorporators being John Ramsey Judge Eli Miller, Henry B. Curtis and others. The capital stock was thirty-five thousand dollars. This company erected the present works on Water Street, at the foot of Mulberry. About 1858, N. N. Hill and Columbus Delano purchased a controlling interest in the works and thereafter managed them until within a few years. About eight miles of pipe were laid under the superintendence of Mr. Hill, who was secretary and treasurer of the company more than twenty years.

The first postmaster in Mount Vernon was Gilman Bryant, who also kept the first store. His little store room stood on "stilts," on the southwest corner of Gambier and Main streets, diagonally across the street from the 'War office," on the lot for many years occupied by Mead's store. It was swampy and muddy in that region and the building stood five or six feet above the surface of the ground on piles driven into the ground, and was reached by several steps, from the street. Bryant and Burr were the merchants and principal men in the new town. Bryant kept the post office a number of years and was followed by Alexander Elliot, Judge Eli Miller and Isaac Hadley - the latter still living in the city. Miller kept the office, the next door north of where the First National bank now stands (northwest corner of Main and Vine streets). Isaac Hadley says the next postmaster after himself was Benjamin Sinith, and was selected in the following manner: A wire was stretched between two trees, quite high, and the man who could throw a coon's tail over the wire, was considered qualified for the office of the postmaster. A mannamed Jones was the first to throw the coon's tail over the wire; he accomplished the feat by purchasing a few shot at a neighboring grocery, and attaching them to the tail, thus giving it weight. Jones did not take the office, but gave it to his friend Benjamin Smith, who was a son of James Smith, a Methodist preacher and justice of the peace many years. For half a century or more

In 1825, when Dr. J. N. Burr came to Mount Vernon, the larger part of the town was still west of Main and south of Chestnut streets, but there were a number of houses scattered along Main street and perhaps half a dozen on Gay street, which is east of and runs parallel with Main. Hazelbrush and timber covered the larger part of There were also half a dozen or more houses on Main street, north of the square. 'The principal merchants at that time were Burr & Bryant, John Moody, Daniel S. Norton, Samuel Moti, Eli Miller, J. B. Rogers and Anthony Banning; all carried general stocks of merchandise, and did business almost entirely by exchange, money being very scarce. Rogers was located on the southwest corner of Main street and the Knox county bank is now located: under the Curtis house, and below Bryant, in the same block, were three or four other stores. Norton was located on the present site of the Woodward block.