Stark County, Ohio - Chapter 3 (2 of 2 so headed), 1881

House And Children'S Home

rOST AND HECKEWELDKR S MISSION - EARLY SETTLEMENT BY THE WHITES - EARLY HUILDINGS - COIRT HOUSE AND JAIL - DIVISION OF THE COUNTY - POOR HOUSE AND CHILDREN'S HOME.

STAEK COINTY can proudly boast of being the site of the earliest white settlement in the State of Ohio. In about the year 174U, large numbers of Moravians had established themselves in a beautiful section of country at Bethlehfm, Penn. Here they (juietly worshiped Gcd and increased in numbers, and at last instituted an association, the object of which was the establishment of missions among the Indians, that these wild people mi^ht learn more of Jesus Christ, and their children be taught to read and write. Great inflxiences were brought to bear by the Moravians, to induce grave and capable men to dare the dangers which would possibly result frcm cc.nstant ccmmunicaticn with the Indians. This course, calculated, as it was. to bring to the front the courage, intellect and religious manhood of the Moravians, resulted in the creation of a vast system of pioneer missions, whose holy achievements have beet me embalmed forever in the history of this country. Under the influence and protection of the systtm, the sturdy ministers of this sect penetrated unmolested far into the wilderness, where no white foot had before pressed, and where the wild forms of nature were as yet untouched by the fashioning hand of man. Hemes with the savages were not always secured without a stniggle. as is evinced by the historical fact that many failed to secure the longed and prayed for results - some eflbrts, indeed, resulting in bloodshed, others in brief and un- happy periods of continuance, while a few were hopefully successful tlu'ough a long, bright period of years. One of the chief designs of the Moravians was the creation of a friendly feeling betwein thduselves and the Indians, that a basis might be formed by means of which the foimer might induce the latter to refrain frcm bloody wars upon the white pioneer settle ments. This design was effectively accomplished in some instances; in others, it utterly failed.

Sometimes the Moravians sent their missionaries to the Indian villages; but the most noteworthy missions known in history were established by men who immured themselves amid the dangers of the wilderness from choice, and quite often in opposition to the wishes of the Directors of the Moravian Association. The early settkment in Stark County referred to above has been recorded in detail by many writers, all of whom seem capable of throwing some new light on the subject. One thing is certain: The results accomi)lished by the settlement have been greatly overdrawn. Kev. Christian Frederick Post, a regularly ordained minister of the United Brethren Church, of his own choice, and indejiendent of the Moravian Association at Bethlehem. Penn., came to Stark County some time during the year 17(>1, and erected a log cabin, after which he immediately returned to Pennsylvania, to seek an associate who could teach the Indian children to read and wTite, while he preached to tho adxUts. How long Mr. Post remained in Stark

County at the time the cabin was built is probably not known: yet it could not have been longer than about a month, and might have been but two weeks, as nothing of consequence was accomplished save the erection of the cabin. The cabin was located on the north bank of the Tuscarawas River, on Section 25, Bethlehem Township, and within a short distance of the confluence of the river and Sandy Creek. In early years, the stones which had probably formed the chimney, and a quantity of rubbish, marked the spot, although at present scarcely a trace of the old cabin is left remaining. The important point for the reader to note is, that, while Mr. Post's design was to establish a mission among the Indians, the jjlan was abandoned before that result was accomplished. It was an unsuccessful attempt to found a mission, as no mission was really founded, save an imperfect one, and that but for a few months. Almost directly south of Mr. Post's cabin, distant about two-thirds of a mile, was the Delaware village, Tuscaroratown, which comprised forty wigwaiiLs, and could place on the war path 1 80 warriors. On the opposite side of the river fi'om Post's mission, and a few rods farther down, but above Tuscaroratown, was a rude cabin occupied by a white trader named Thomas Calhoun, a moral and religious man. Below the village, a few wigwams were scattered for a distance of several miles, while above it, and distant about seven miles, was another Indian village, the size of which is not known. These were the surroundings. Mi'. Post, upon tis return to Pennsylvania, was not long in discovering a suitable associate in the person of John Heckewelder. who, of his own choice, and independent of the association, signified his willingness to accom|)any Post into the wilderness to teach the Indian children. Heckewelder was but nineteen years old, and, for the purpose of accompanying Post, was released from an a])i)renticesliip to a cedar cooper. Other accounts than the one above followed state that Heckewelder joined Post with and under the consent of the Association. This is prol>abl}' true, for Heckewelder states as much in his memoirs, which were afterward published in trermany. According to the ac count given in these memoirs. Post and Heckewelder left Bethlehem, Penn., early in March, 1702, and, after a harassing joiu'ney of thirtythree days, through spring floods and snows, reached the log cabin in Stark County. They passed through Fort Pitt, and were warmly welcomed there by Col. Bouquet and Capt. Hutchins, then on duty at that point. It is said that two missionaries entered their log cabin singing a hymn. Immediately after their arrival, and early in April, Post and Heckewelder liegan clearing a small piece of ground for a garden, but were ordered to desist by the Indians, who were jealous of such acts without authority. A council was held, which resulted in Capt. Pijje's stejjping off a small piece of land for the missionaries" garden. Here Post and Heckewelder remained until about August, at which time Post was required by the Grovernor of Pennsylvania to bring the principal Delaware Chiefs to the treaty that was io be held at Lancaster, Penn. Post did as required, and Heckewelder was left alone at the mission. Here lie remained until October, when, fearing a border war, he retiu-ned to Pennsylvania, and neither he nor Post afterward retm'ued to their mission. It appears, then, that Post remained at the mission about foiu- months, and Heckewelder about six months. But little in respect to the object of the formation of the mission could possibly have been accomplished in that brief space of time. Post's mission receives its greatest credit from the fact that it opened the way to important missions which succeeded it. It was was the beginning of a series of missions on the Tuscarawas that did a ! great deal to prevent the Delawares. at least, I fi'om engaging in the bloody border wars, i Loskiel has this to say of the Post mission, in j his " History of the Missions of the United Brethi-en among the Indians of North America:"

"On the Ohio River, where, since the last war, some of the Ohio Indians lived who had been baptized by the Brethren, nothing could be 1 done up to this time. However, Brother Frederick Post lived, though of his own choice, ' about one hundi'ed English miles west of Pittsburgh, at Tuscaroratown, with a view to commence a mission among the Indians. The Brethren wished the blessings of the Almightv uixjn his undertaking, and, when he asked for an assistant to help him in his outward concerns, and who might, <hu'ing the same time, learn the language of the Delawan^ Indians, they (the Brethren) made it known to the con gregatiou of Bethlehem, whereupon Brother John Heckewelder concluded, of his own choice, to assist him." And then, to explain tlie above somewhat, he goes on to say : "We know of Post that he was an active and zealous missioniu-y. but had man-ied an Indian squaw, contrary to the wishes and advice of the Directory that had the oversight of the Moravian missions: and this act had forfeited so much of his standing that he would not be acknowledged as one of our missionaries in any other manner than under the guidance of another missionary. Whenever he went further and acted of his own accord, he was not opposed, but had the good-will of the society of which he continued a member, and of its Directory, and even their assistance so far as to make known his wants to the congi-egation ; and they thi-ew no obstacles in the way of any person inclined of his own choice to assist him. But he was not then acknowledged as their missionary, nor entitled to any fmiher or pecuniiUT assistance."

Kev. David Zeislx-rger, who afterward formed a pennauent mission a few miles down the river, also refers to Post's mission. Maj. Robert Rogers, sent on an expedition to the Western coiuitry from Montreal, ci'ossed the river at the fording ])lace at Tuscaroratown in the year 17()]. and afterward stated that there were at that time some 3.00(1 acres of land, cleai'cd and under cultivation, at the Indian village. The chief of the Delawares at this time was Beaver, and their principal war chief was Shingcss, wlio is su])posed to liave been the same as Buckimgahelas. This noted warrior was living in ISO-I. In 17()1, when Col. Bouquet marched to this village with his iurny of l,r)00 men, it was found deserted. It will thus be seen that the only im- I>ortant result of the Post mission was the founding of a series of missions- on the Tuscarawas. Did not Heckewelder do even more than Post to insiu-e a continuance of the work founded by this mission ? And yet Post led the way, even against the wishes of the

It is not the design in this chapter to enter into the details of the fii'st settlements made in the different townships in the count}'. That task falls upon the township writers. It is pro[)er, however, at this point, to give a summary view of the general early settlement, for the pm-pose of giving a connected account of the growth of the county. The earliest settlers throughout Ohio, and, in general, throughout all new countries, were a coiu-ageous class of men, known as squatters, whose occupation was hunting and trapping, upon which they almost or quite wholly depended for subsistence. These men usually thought the country was becoming too thickly settled when a dozen families lived within as many miles, and, in such cases, ordinsu-ily moved farther out into the unex])lor<Mj wilderness. In their places CcUne the advance guai'd of the gi'and army of settlement and ])i-ogress. It is always the case that the enterjirising, the energetic and ambitious are the ones who tirst brave the hardships of a new country, and who thereljy write their names on the most prominent page of the history of their country. It is always the ventvu'esome, the diu'ing sjiirit, th.it swings ort' from the gi'eat army and strikes in a new and surprisingly effective manner at the object to be attained. Such men are not imitators; they ai-e imitated. They do not follow; they lead. They do not wait like Micawbor for something to turn up: they turn something up. They are the initiators of genuine progress. Stai'k County had its share of these men. Their faces are yet familiar to the old settlers, altliough their riHes and traps have l)een laid aside long ago. Every stream knew them ; every hill and dah; had felt the pressm-e of their feet; every grove had re-echoed with their shouts, and with the repoi"ts of their rifles. Their nido dug-out canoes swept silently across the lakes l)eneath the strength of their sturdy arms. All this is now gone. Waving fields of grain stand upon the hills and line the slo])ing dales; (lie stealthy footfall of the hunter is no more; the busy hum of human life has taken the place of silence and shadow. As nearlv as can ))e ascertaim^d, the townsliips were iirst settled as follows: Canton. March. 180,"): Plain, summer, 180-">; Nimishillen, autumn, 1805; Sandy, autumn, 1805; Osnabur^;, autumn, 1805; Paris, autumn, 1805; Marlborough, autumn, 1805; Washington, autmuu, 1805; Lsxington, spring, 180(i; Lake, summer, 1806; Perry, summer, 18015; Pike, summsr, 1806; Jackson, 1807; Bethlehem, 1807; Tuscarawas, 1808; L-iwrence, 180S; Sugar Creek, 1808. These dates are not far fi'om correct. The settlers were largely from the Keystone State, though mam- were fi'om the Old Dominion, and from the Empire State, and a few were Yankees. Perhaps f our-tifths of the early population were of German descent. Localities in the county were colonized by Yankees and by French Catholics. Later years have served to reduce, greatly, the German characteristics. The English language is principally spoken, though there are places where the German prevails, or where the vivacious French may be heard. Settlers were careful to locate on the outskirts of the settlements, as in that case thej' could have choice of land, and could also be near schools, churches, stores, mills, etc. These were important items to be taken into consideration, as many a settler who disregarded them learned to his sorrow. It was important, also, to locate near some good highway. Milling was a fashionable and profitable emjiloyment The extensive immigration prior to 1820 created an enormous demand for native lumber. Houses, barns and other Imildings were erected by the thousands; but. as the demand for building lumber increased, the number of saw-mills to supply that demand increased. The early saw-mills were, of course, operated by water-power, and hence the selection of farms having excellent mill sites occujiied the attention of many an early settler. Grist-mills sprang into existence to supply the demand for bread. Every township had one distillery or more. There was an enormous demand in eai'ly year's for liquor. Whisky was upon every sideboard, and chilch'en and adults daily took a pull at the bottle. It was the custom, just before eating, to take a horn, as the liquor was thought not only to aid digestion, but to ftirnish a positive noiu"ishment to the system. Workmen really thought they could not get along without it, and fi'equently left the field when it was not f m-nished. The best of whisky could be Ixjught for from \2 cents to 30 cents per gallon. It is said that every house was a public house in early years. The latch-string hung out to all, and no one was turned away without a bed or a meal, such as they were. Little villages sprang up like mushrooms, from all quarters. Every owner hoped that his village would be favorably smiled upon by fortune. Some hopes were realized, some were blasted. Stores were opened with sm ill stocks of goods, that were slowly increased as the patronage extended, or was auctioned off as the owner saw that his effort was abortive. People were without money, yet extensive commerce was carried on by means of exchanges, with some temjjorary measure of value. There arose two prices - the "trade price" and the "cash price." This state of things often wrought great hardships, but was finally outgrown. Schools and religious meetings were first held in the settlers' houses. Finally, the old log schoolhouse was erected. Here the meetings were also held, until at last log churches were built. TUiese oldsehoolhouses and chm-ches have been rej)laced by many others, each an improvement on the one preceding it. Thus settlements and imjirovements have multiplied, with their attendant blessings.

A few years after Columbiana County had been created, and after a number of the first settlers had located in what is now Stark County, the territory embraced within the limits of the latter county, and other territory of about the same extent, were included in the former county for election piu'poses. It must be imderstood that, when speaking of Stark County in early years, not only the present territory embraced within the county limits is meant, but also Franklin and Green Townships in Siuiimit Coimty, and Brown, Rose and Harrison Townships in Carroll County. These townships, at the early organization of Stark County, were a part of the latter. While under the jiu'isdiction of Colmnbiana Coimty, the Stark Coimty of early years was divided into two townships by a line passing east and west thi'ough the county, on the northern line of the present Canton Township. The territory north of this line was called Lake Township, and that south of the line. Canton Township. These two townships included the whole of Stark County. Soon after the Indians' title to the land west of the Tuscarawas was extinguished, the ])resent Wayne County, and portions of the townshij>s of Lawyonce, Tuscarawas and Sugar Creek, lying west of the river, were attached to Lake and Canton for election and judicial })iu'j)oses. As soon as the last two townships were created by Cohuubiana County, which was done in liSIMi, an election of the necessaiy township officers was ordered. AVho these officers were is not now known : but Jacob Loutzenheiser was commissioned Justice of the Peace of Lake Township, and James F. Leonard the same of Sandy Township. No other important alterations were made until the county was created. The following is the full text of the creating act, j)assed by the Sixth General Assembly of the State of Ohio, begun and held in the town of Chillieothe. on the 7th of December, 1807:

Section 1. Be it enucted by the Gtiural Assembly of the «rt<e of Ohio. That the following tract of couiitrj' be and the same is hereby erected into a separate county by tlie name of .Stark, viz.: Beginniujronthe soiitliern boundary of the Connecticut Reserve, at the northeast corner of township luimber nineteen in the si.xlji range: theuee runningsouth between the tiftli and sixth ranges, to the scut lieast corner of the tifleentli township of said sixth range: thenee west witli the township line until it intersects the eastern boundary line of the United States Military District: thenee with the said eastern boundary line north to tlie northeast corner of the tenth lownsliip. in the tirst range of said military district: thence west with the township lines until they intersect the Indian bounthiry line; thence with said Indian boundary line to the t northwest corner of fractional tow nsliip niunber ten of the tenth range, in the new i)urehase. south of the Connecticut Reserve: thenee north, with tile line running between the tentli and elevenlh ranges.

I from and after the first day of January, one thousand eight huinlred and nine, be and tlie same is hereby declared to be a separate and distinct coun-

I ly. and entitled to all the rights and privileges . appert;iining lo the same: Prociilid. That all ;u:tions and suits which may be |>endinjr in the ';ounty of Columbiana on the tirst day of January, one thousand eight hundred and nine shall be prosecuted and carried on to final judgment and execution, and all taxes, tines and forfeitures, which

Sec. 3. That all that tract of country lying wisi of the tenth range and cast of the sixteenth range in the said new purchase, and south of the Connecticut Reserve, and north of the United Stales Military District, shall be a separate and distinct county bythe name of Wavne: Init, with the county of Stark, shall be attached to and made a part of Columbiana Countv, until the said county of Stark shall be organized, and shall thereafter be and remain a part of the .said county of Stark until otherwise directed by law.

Sec, 4, That there shall be appointed by a joint resolution of both houses of the present General Assenilily. three coininissioners to tix the seat of justice inUie said county of Stark, agreeable to the' act estalilishing ^eats of'justice. who shall make report of their prncniliiiirs tii the Court of Common Pleas of Coluniliiana ( .mnty, and who shall be governed by the provision^ of the aforesaid act.

The three Commissioners appointed by a joint resolution of both Houses of the Sixth General Assembly to locate the county seat of Stark Coimty were Elijah Wadsworth, Eli Baldwin, and another, whose name does not appear ujion the Columbiana County records. On the 14th of Jime, 18(IS. Daniel Harbaugh, Joseph Richai'dson and George Alterholt, Commissioners of Columbiana County, issued an order, in accordance with Section T) of the above enactment, upon the Treasiu'er of that county. ])aying to each of the constituted Commissioners appointed to locate the county seat of Stark Coimty the sum of 5^1;^ for his services. These Commissioners, after cai-efully considering the claims of the tlu-ee villages, Canton, Osnttburg iind Nimishillentown, for the location of the county seat, unanimousljselected the former. An electitin of county

I County met at Canton for the transiiction of business. These men were John Bower, James Latuner <ind Jolm Nichols. They met at the residence of James Campbell. ;ind aj>pointed

Ordered hi/ the Board. Tlutl I Ik- of Sl:irk be divided into town.sliips or election districts as follows, to wit: Canton Township (election to be held at the residence of Saninel Coiilton. in Canton) beginning at the southeast corner of the ninth township in the eighth range; thence north with the line between the seventh and eighth ranges to the northeast corner of the tenth township in the said eighth range; thence west with the township line to the west boundary of the county; thence sotith and east with the county line to the place of beginning. Plain Township ("election to be held at the residence of George Harler), beginning at the northeast corner of the twelfth township in the eighth range; thence south to the southeast corner of the eleventh township in the eighth range; thence west with the township line to the west boundary of the county; thence north and east with the county line to the [ilace of beginning. Nimishillen Township (election to be held at the residence <if Heiuy Loutzcnhciser). to include the eighteenth and nineteenth townships in the sixth range, and the nineteenth and twentieth townships in the seventh range. Osnaburg Townslii|i (election to be held at the residence of William Xaylor), to include the seventeenth townshi]) in tin- sixth range and the eighteenth township in the seventh range. Sandy Township (election at the residence of Isaac Van Meteri. to include the tifteenth and sixteenth townsliiiw in llic sixth range, and the sixteenth and s('\ inli' iilli townships in the seventh range. Fvrllnr ,.r,i.i;,l. That the clerk do ascertain' Df the A>^o(iatr .ludircs of Stark Ccnnitv, how manv Justices of the Peiice will be necessaVy in each o"f the town.sliips in the county, and thai be, having got the certificate of said Associate .Tndges, do proceed to adverti,se an election in each of the sai<l townships, to be held on the first Monday in April ne.xt (1809), for the election of the number of .Justices agreed on by the As.soeiate .Tndges, and for all other necessary town.ship officers.

In accordance with Section 3 of the jibove creating enactment, attachin"^ the coitnty of Wayne to the eonnty of Sttirk, the Commissioners, on the 10th day of April, 1809, ordered that the eonnty of Wayne be considered attached to Canton Township, and that the residents of that eonnty vote at the nsttal j)Iace where the citizens of Canton Township do. The Commissioners soon saw that they must levy a tax to secure a revenue for ciirrying on the expenses of the county. Not a road, with perhaps one or two exceptions, had been laid oitt in the cormty; and, as the settlers lieiran to Come in very rajjidly at this tiim-. repeated demands were made for bridges and for better roads. It is said that, diu'ing the winter of i

1805-6, there were not to exceed twelve fami lies in the entire county. The next winter, there were about three times as many, and at the time the county was organized, in 1809, some localities were quite well settled. To meet the ciu-rent expenses of the county in the construction of roads and bridges, and the pay ment of c(iunty officers, the Commissioners, on the 10th day of April, 1809, ordered the fol lowing assessments: Taverns in Canton, a license of $9 per anniuu; in all other parts of the county, 15 per annum. Ferrymen on the Tuscarawas River, $(i per annvini; and the same on all other streams of the coimty Ferrymen were allowed to charge as follows: On footmen, 6^ cents each; man and horse, 12. J cents; team and loaded wagon, 50 cents; all other vehicles, '^1\ cents; team and empty cart, sled or sleigh, H\ cents: cattle and horses, each, Ci\ cents; sheep and hogs, each, '2 cents. The following additional assessments were made by the Commissioners in June, 1809: On all ordinary horses, 25 cents annually; on horses of the masculine persuasion, the season price per annum; cattle, 10 cents; on all other taxable property, a levy of J per cent. For the scalps of wolves and panthers, a bounty of 50 cents was offered, provided the animals were under six iuonths old: if over that age, $1. The following year, this lioiuity was doubled. At the April session of the board, James Campbell was appointed County Treasurer, whereupon he gave bond for $3,000, with George Bair and Philip Shisser, bondsmen. At the June session, Joseph McGuigan was appointed Sheriff. His bond of |4,000 was signed by Thomas Giason, Httgli Cunningham, Samuel Coulter, Andrew Sttckey and James Williams. In September, 1809, the Commissioners ordered the cotuity of Wayne to be detached from Canton Township, and to be organized as an independent township by th(* name of " Kilbuck." The citizens of that county were directed to assemble at the residence of Benjamin Miller, in Wooster, to elect the necessary township officers, which was ac cordingly done. This order of the Commissioners was issued in accordance with the l)rayer of the citizens of Wayne County, who had jietitioned for a separate organization. The first road ordered viewed was a branch of the Steitbenville & Bethlehem road, and was to extend fi'om Jacob Oswalt's to the town of Canton, thence toward the portage of the Tuscarawas Kiver. The second road was to ex tend fi-om the northeast corner of the county to Lexington, thence to Kaleigh Day's Mills, thence to Canton. An application was made for a road extending from Canton to the confluence of Sandy Cre<>k and Tuscarawas River. This was at first refuse<l. but in December the application was gi-anted. In Decemlier, ISOU, the first Coiu-t of Connnon Pleas was convened by Judge Calvin PeasL^. More of this eom-t will be learned in the chapter on th<> county bar. In the aiitumn of ISO'J, Samuel Coulter took the place of John Bower as one of the Commissioners, the latter probably having left the county. It was decided by ballot that James Latimer's tenn of ofiSce should be one yeiU", Samuel Coulter's two years, and John Nichols' three years. The Court of Common Pleas met in the upper story of S. W. Coulter's building, and. as ordered by the Commissioners, the Judge " will be entitled to receive $3 for each court." The following are the dates at which subsetpient townships of Stark County were created: Tu.sc.u'awas. ISIO; Green. 1811; Perry, ISKi; BrowTi, 1815: Jackson, 1815: Pike, 1815: LawTence, 1815; Lexington. 1816. and again in 18'21; Sugar Creek, 181(3; Lake. 181(3: Franklin, 1810; Bethlehem, 181(3: Harrison, 1817; Pai-is, 1818: Rose, 1818; Wa.shington. IM8; Marlborough, 18'21. During the year 1810. the Townshi]) Collectors reported and jjaid into the CDUnty ti'easiu-y about Of this, John Campbell, Treasm-er, turned over to his successor $-18.55. In 1811, James^)rennan was api)ointed by the board to " keep the comity measure." It was about this time that the lirst land tax was collected, Thomas C. Shields being the County Collector. In December, 1811, the lx)ard Cimie to the conclusion that the old com-t room in Samuel Coulter's house shcjuld be abandoned, and a better one entered in the second story of George Stidger's new brick. The contract between the board and Mv. Stidger was as follows: "Stidger is to give for the use of the county the south half of the upper story of said house, and to devote the same to the uses of a court room. The Commissionei-s engage to put up in aaid house such accommodations as they think proper for the court, and to do it with as little injury as |)ossil)le to the house, and to pay the said Stidger the sum of !j!3 for each and every court that may sit in said house, except called courts for transacting administrative business." The board also, at this time, rented the up])er story of the house owned by Daniel Faron. the same to be used as a jail, and Mr. Faron to be paid SI jier mouth for the use of such story. Mr. Stidger's house was used as a court room under the above contract until 1814. when the contract was altered so that the owner was ])aid $-10 per year, and the court continued tt) sit there as before. lu 1814. the tax on personal projierty was raised somewhat. Init that on real estate remained at J per cent. James Williams. County Collector for 1S1:{, turned over to the Treasm-er $789.45. less his commission, etc. Soon after this the tax ou real estate was raised to 1 per cent. This was rendered necessary on account of theenoi'mous pressure brought to bear upon the Conn nissi oners for building bridges, view ing and constructing roads, and the general expenses of the county. The following is the rejwrt in full of John Harris. County Collector, for 1814:

The Collector lor 1812 r.'ported 5;2()5.80, and the one for 1815, Sl,25(3.'28. In 1815, the propriety of building ii comi house was discussed; but the matter did not take shape until the siumner session of 181(5, when proposals for the erection of a lirick cotn-t hoiLse were received. Ou the 28d of July. I81*), the Commissioners entered into a contract with Thomas A. Drayton and John D. Henley for the erection of a brick ci)urt house, the same to cost $().25(), " exclusive of the l)ell, l>ellfi-ame, spire, ball and lightning rod." This building, with some modifications of details and price, was completed in 1817, and was immediately occupied by the county officers. This court house, with various alterations and additions, was used until the present one was built. In December. IS'iy, the Commissioners authorized the Auditor to give notice that sealed pi'oposals for the erection of a county jail would be received: and, at a special session in February, 18H(I, they caused to be recorded: "After a careful examination of the several projwsals laid in for the erection of a new jail, it is ordered that the contract be assigned to Calvin Hobart, he having agreed to furnish materials and comjilete the work for the whole building for the sum of $8,000; and it is further ordered that the said contractor enter into bond with sufficient security for the faithful performance of the work." This building was comjileted in January, 1881, and a settlement made with the contractoz'. In August, 1888, the Commissioners considered the advisability of altering and remodeling the com't house ; whereujion, it was " ordered that Dwight Jarvis, Esq. , be authorized to employ W. W. Knapp, of Massillon, or some other comj)etent mechanic, to go to Ravenna and take a plan of the com't room at that place, and ascertain whether the com't room at Canton can be so altered as to cori'espond with that, and to estimate the cost of such alteration." Nothing further seems to have been done regarding this order, for, in March, 1834, Eli Sowers was authorized to rejiair it in accordance with a plan he had prepared, for which he was paid 184-1.81. In January, 1836, the Coimnissioners called for proposals for the erection of a new court house, to accord with a plan they had at their office; biit, for some unkno%vn reason, nothing further was done in this pailicular. In June, 184'2, it was decided to build a large strvictiu'e for the county offices. The contract was awarded Francis Warthorst in September, the cost to be §4,475. The work was fairly begun in March, 1848, when the Commissioners were petitioned as follows: " Your petitioners, citizens of StiU'k Coimty, respectfully solicit yoiu' honorable body to susjjend the building of the coimty offices imtil after the expression of the will of the tax- paying citizens of this coiuity, to be determined at the election to be held in the spring. Yom' petitioners, in making this request, would respectfully represent that they are desirous of ascertaining whether the tax-paying community of this county feel themselves in a situation, taking into consideration the present depressed state of monetary affairs of this State, to see built, at an additional tax of fi'om 16,000 to $8,000, the said county offices; and your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray." After carefully considering the petition, it was " ordered that, in consequence of the advanced state of the work of the contractor, and also the fact that the additional tax will be necessary to complete the building, the Commissioners deem it inexpedient to comply with the 2)rayer of the petitioners." The buildings were accordingly completed. In December, 1848, the following cm'ious preamble and order was adopted by the Cummi^sidinTs:

AVlIKKi. \>, liiial coniiilaiiil ha^ lici'ii iiuidc in various iHiiiimi^ ol tlir i-ouiity. Unit the public offices, crectod tor the security of the public records and the convenienee of the public, have bi'eu converted into gaming rooms, inducing idleness and immoral habits; therefore, it is ordered by the undersigned Commissioners of iStark County, that, frcmi and after this date, every species of gaming, whetlier for amusement or for wager, is strictly forl)idden and prohibited in the public buildings. And it is further ordered, that the Clerk of the board funnsh a copy of the foregoing preamble and order for each room of the public buildings. .John Bketz, i

On the Kith of May, 1849, the Commissioners, in pursuance of an act of the General Assembly of Ohio, stibseribed 1,^00 shares, or $75,000, in the capital stock of the Ohio & Pennsylvania Railroad Comjiany, the same to be paid in cash, or in the bonds of Stark County at par, at the option of the Commissioners, It was nearly twenty years before the last of these bonds were paid. The old brick coiu-t house erected in 1S17, the jail erected in 1880, and the cottnty offices erected in 1848, served the pttrposes of the county until 18(37, when it was decided to construct new and better buildings. At this time, the laws of the iState did not authorize County Commissioners tolevA^a tax to exceed $15,000 for the purpose of building court houses. It was tlierefore found necessary to secure a special enactment for that purpose. This was (lone as follows:

Skc. 2. To enable the eoiuniissioncrs to carry into effect tlie provisions of this act. they are hereby authorizid to transfer to the building fund and Use for the pm poses of this act any surplus of other funds now in the county treasury, or which in.iy heivaflir accumulate, not needed for the speeitie pm-poses for which said siu-plus was raiseil; and also raise by taxation on the property of the county whatever sum may lie needed for said purpose, not (xceeding in all the aforesaid aggregate amount of ^lOO.dllO; but the ta.ves so leviedshall not in any one year e.\ceed ^2O.(X)0. In anticipation of the collection txf said ta.xes, the said commissioner- shall have power to issue the bonds of said county in such sums and upon such terms, luaring legal rates of interest, and redeemalile at the pleasure of said commissioners, which bonds shall not lie sold for less ijian par value.

Sec. 3. Before dc-trrniining upon a plan of said building, said commissioners may personally examine similar structures anywhere in the .State; and the}- shall call to their assistance a eiinipeleiil archi tect or engineer to )irepare drafts anil speeilicationof the plan iletennincd upon; and the work of the building of said structure may be done either under their own supervision or that of a suiierintendent. to be a|)pointid by them and subject to their control, in accordance with the plan iletermined on by them, or anv inoditications thereof thev mav make.

Immediately after the passage of this l)ill, the Commissionei-s issued an order to the effect that, if the city of Canton would furnish ^2."), (XMI toward the general expense of completing the court house, an order would be issued for the erection of the same. This occtUTod on the '.Ith of April, ISliT; and, on the 7th of May, the City Council of Canton notified the Commissioners that the alKjv(> proviso was agreed to, and !?"25.(M)() woidd hv donated for

On the ISth of October, the Coimuissioners decided U) accept the j)lan proposed by J. C. Hoxie, and issued orders for sealed proposals for the erection of the building according to this plan. The following proposals were received and considered:

After due consideration, the board were unanimously in favor of accepting the proposal of Payser & Cam]ibell. Henry E. Meyer, of Cle^ eland, architect and engineer, was employed, at a salary of S4,S14, to superintend the erection of the building. Soon after this, Hoxie's [)lan, for definite reasons, was abandoned, and one prepared by H. E. Meyer was substituted in its i)laco, the building to cost S9S,0(K). This iilteration of Hoxie's plan was used as an amendment to such plan. The conti'act as amended was signed by Commissioners and contractors March 11, 1 ISfiS. The work on the building was commenced: court house bonds, bearing legal rat as of interest, W(>r(! ordered sold at par, as money was needed to meet the estimates of the architect; loans at rea-sonable rates were effected; and a tax, in pursuance of the above act, was levied. The work progressed rapidly, and, early in 1870, the building was completed and r«>ady for occupancy. Soon afterward, the following settlement was made with Pavser & Campbell:

The '22d of February. 1.S70 (Washington's birthday), was selected for the twofold jmrjjose of celebrating the day in memory of Washington, and of dedicating the new coiu't house. A large assemblage gathered in the court room on that day, where appropriate ceremonies were held in honor of the occasion. Elo<{ttent and extended remarks were made by Dr. Tonner, John McSweeney, Es<i., and others, the addresses of the former two being spread, by order of the Commissioners, upon the county records. The following explains itself:

.Vt a Court of Common Pleas, I.e-mi aud lield at the court bouse in the eitv of Canton, within and for the <-ouiitv of Stark, and State of Ohio, at 10 o'eloek A. M.'. on Monday, the 28th day of Fel)ru ary. in the year of our "Lord one thot'isand eiiiht hundred and seventy, and lieinutlie first term in tin' new court hoitsc.

In the record and proceedings of said Court then and there held, are the followiiif"-, to wit: " Xow comes Col. .S, iteyer. and presents to tlie Coiu't the proceedings and resolutions adopted tit a meetins of the bar and ollicers of the Court, held at the court house on the morning of the 38tli of Februaiy. ])revious to the opening- of Court, tind moved the Court that the .same be entered on the joiu'nal. wliicli was accordingly ordered done." Tlie iiroeeeding's and resolutions are as follows, to wit:

"At a meeting of the members of the liar and officers of the Court, held at the new court house on the 38th day of February. 1870, to celebrate tlie com|)]i'tion of the same and its first occupation for imblic Iiiisiness. on motion of Col. S. Meyer, Hon. .Tose|ili Frease was appointed Chairman, and A. W. Ileidcnliranrl, Secretary, And. on further motion, .1 committee consisting'of Col, S. Meyer, .VIe.xaiider Hierre, Robert 11, Folgcr, .lolin Mi'Sweeney and IIarv(\- Launhlin wa-- appiiiiited to dr;ift resolutions suitalile to the occasi,,ii. The following was offered by till- committee: Tlie committee appointed at a meeting of the bench ami bar and other officers of the Cinirt, to report a preamlile and resolutions approjiriate to the occasion of opening the new ccinrt house to the purposes of jastiee. beg leave to ri'|i(irt as follows:

WuERE,\s. On taking pos.se.ssion of this stalely edifice forthe purposes contemplated by its builders. the people of the county of Stark, who have cheerfully borne great .sacrifices to secure its construction, it is meet and proper that the bench and bar. with the various officers of the Court, who are called upon to exercise their res]>ective functions and ilischarge their respective duties within its sMcrcd precincts, now aijpropriately and solemnly dedicate the same to the iiilministration of justice, therefore,

" - Resolceil. That his Honor. .Judge Frea.se. ou behalf of the bench and bar, and various offices of the Court, formally dedicate the same as a Temple of .lustice. where a ready redress may e\'cr be found for every wrong, and where the cherished rights of jicrsonal liberty, security and right of property will ever be sacredly enforced and secured, while now formally throwing open its portals for tin' adiuinist ration of eyen-handed iustice.

That the t'ourt be [irayed to cans,- the proceedings of this meeting, followed by the respect ive names of the memliers of the bench and bar and officers of the Court, to lie spread on the journal and records of the Court as a perpetual meiuorial of the dedication of the new court house.

Names of the members of the bar. - S. .Meyer, Alexander Bierce, Geor.ge E, Baldwin, .1, .1, Parker, .lames .Vmermau. A. L. .lones, .Vnsoii Pease. A. L. Baldwin, Robert H. Polger, Harvey l^aughlin. William .McKinlev. .Ir, , .lohn Ijalini. William .V, Lynch, W. B. Higby; Ed S. Mever, Ed F. SiJineider, W. C. Pippitt, .James,). Clark, W. W. Clark, Louis Schaefer. .lohn C. Stallcup. Ceorge W. Raft'. .lohn W, .McCord. |

On the motion to adopt the foregoing resolutions, stirring and effective rcniarks were made by Col. S. Meyi'r. Robert H. Pol.ger. Alexander Bierce and John McSweeney, after which the resolutions were unanimously adopted, and, mi niolion, i!ie meeting adiourned .liiu- dii .

Whet-eupon His llnii,,i-, .lu,l-e Frease, ill s,,ine aiijiropriate remarks, formally dedicated the new court room to the transaction of |mblic business; ami, to further signalize the occcasion of the tirst occupation of said court-room. Court adjourned until i''.:!it o'eloij; lo-moriow morning,

Since the erection of the court house, the county has gone to the expense of building a large, strong jail. The county buildings and the lots itpou which they stand have cost the citizens in the neighborhood of §'250,000. But few counties in the State have better court buildings than Stark. They are situated in the business center of the city, and their loca tioir and size render them conspicuous to till who catch a glimpse of Canton. When the court house was built, the citizens of Canton Township, through their representatives, agreed to give $1,000 toward the building of the coivrt-house. provided they might have permanent use of a room in the basement for townshi]) pmiwsps. The Commissioners agi-eed to this, adding, as a proviso, that the citizens would bo ex|iected to pay more toward the room, if necessary.

By special enactment of the Ohio Legislatm"e, on the lioth of December, IHH'I, Carroll County was created, by which act Stark Coimty was robbed of the townships of Brown ( except the northern tier of sections), Hairison, Rose, and two tiers of sections on the western side of Sandy. This bill was stoutly opjK)sed by the Stiirk Coimty Representatives in the Legislatiu'e, and in general by the citizens throughout the county. Those who had chosen the above towushi])s as theu' homes ch-eaded the thought of being sepiu'ated from their love. "Mollie Stai'k." to whom they had become fitrongly attached. Notwithstanding the opposition, howei'er, the division was made, and the citizens soon became reconciled to the situation. On the Kith of December, IS;?:], the Commissioners of Stai'k County, James Hazlett, James Downing and Nicholas Stump, and two of the Commissioners of Carroll Coimty, John Shober and John W. Russell, met at Canton to divide the county fimds. in accordance with the change that had been made in the teiTitory of the coimty. This division of fluids was calculated in the following manner: The total valuation of taxable property in Stark Coimty in 1832 was Sl.'JSLmJl. The valuation of that in HaiTison Township for the same year was .§58,814. That of Rose, §45,- 811. "That of Brown, §52,958. That of the two tiers of sections on the east of Sandy, §13,- 050. That of one tier on the north of Brown, §5,188. Brown, HsuTison, Rose and Sandy, addinl, give §170,085). Northern Brown deducted from this leaves §105,451. Then, as §1,1*8 1,001 is to the amoimt in the county treasury, §1,170.05, so is the vahiation of the ten-itorj' remaining in Stark County, §1,810,- 240, to the portion of the funds the county has a right to retain. This sum is found to be §1,072.35, which, deducted from the funds in the treasiu-y, gives what was paid CaiToll (bounty, the amoimt being §07.70. On the 17th of February, 1834, the surveyors apjwinted by the two counties met at the resi-

1 dence of John Whitacre, in Pai"is, to locate the boundiiry dividing the counties. It may be ti'uthfully said that those townships were better situated as part of the new county than

In 1840, another bill, which was passed by the Legislature, robbed Stark County of two more townships. These were Franklin and Green. This bill, which was for the creation of Summit County, met with the bitterest opposition fi-om Rejiresentatives and Senators whose counties were clipped to form the new. The bill was introduced in the House on the 17th of December, 1830, by the Chairman of the Committee on New (bounties, and, from that time forward imtil its passage, on the 0th day of February, 1840, was fought inch by inch by Hons. John Smith and James Welsh, Stark Coimty Representatives, but without avail, for, at the latter date, it slipped thi-ough the House by a majority of but thi'ce. In January, 1840, the bill was taken up by the Senate, but every possible eftbrt was made to defeat it by Mr. Hostetter, of Stark, and others. The struggle was long and severe, but the friends of the mi^asure were too strong, and at last the bill passed the Senate by a majoritr of foiu-. It became a law on the 3d of March, 1840. On the 15th of May, George Kjreighbaiun, John Bretz and Peter Stemmel, Commissioners of Stai'k Coimty, and John Hay, Jonathan Starr and Augustus E. Foote, Commissioner of the new county of Summit, met at Canton to make an aj)portionment of the county fimds. The valuation of taxable property in Stark in 1830, was §2,0Vt8,773. The valuation of that in Green Township was §100,210, and that in Franklin was §0ti,940. The last two siuns, addinl, give §203,150. There was in the county treasiuy at that time §4,158.10. By computation simihu- to that above, it was found that Siuumit Coimty was entitled to §313, which sum wfus accordingly I)aid. No other notable alterations have lieen made in the original limits of the coimty. The following table shows the [lopulation of the coimty at different periods:

Census. 1870

For a nranber of years prior to 1807, there was considerable talk in the county regai'ding the erection of a hospital for contagious diseases. The idea met the approval of many, and at last the Representatives in the Legislature were instnicted to secure the passage of a bill authorizing the Commissioners of Stark County to appropriate fi'om certain funds sufficient to meet such expense. The following is the bill:

Septton 1. Be it enacted by the Oeneral Assembli/ of till' State of Ohio. Tliat the Commissioners of Si ark County are hereby authorized to seeure, by lease, donation or pureha.se, a suitable lot, lots or piece of land, in or near the incorporated village of Alliance in said county, and to erect thereon a building to be used maiiily as a hospital for contagidu- (lisiases. They may also furnish the same in su( li m.iiiiH'r as to secure the comfort and proper irfaiinciit of those who may become its inmates.

Sec. 2. To enable the Commissioners to execute the provisions of this act, they are hereby authorized to appropriate from the' poor fund of said county an amount sufficient for tlie puqioses named in the foregoing section, not exceeding the .sum of $8,000.

Sec. 3 The Intirmary Directors of said countj' shall have the general nianagement of said hospital when completed, and the same shall be subject to such lawful rules and regulations as they may prescribe. They shall provide for the reception and care therein of paupers chargcalile to said county, who may be afflicted with contagious diseases. Tliey may also provide for the admission of other persons suffering from disease, upon such temis and under such conditions as they may deem propei-. They may al.so place such hospital temporarily under the immediate suiiervision and control of the Trustees of Lexington Township in said county. Sec. 4. This act shall take etfect on its passage. Ed a. P.^RiiOTT. Spea/.-ir of the Ilotise of Hepreaeiitatives. Andrew G. McBitkney. .Vpril 18. 18ti7. Speaker of the Senate.

This bill was passed at the same session as the one providing for the erection of the coiul house, and but a month later. But the people of the county found that they had upon their hands a burden as great as they cared to bear when they began the building of the coiu-t house, and the hospital for the care of those afflicted with contagious diseases was ch'opped then and there, without ceremony, and has not been touched since. The hard times and the heavy taxation immediately succeeding the wiir were sufficiently oppressive without undertaking any additional expense other than that required to erect the court house. Although the erection of such a building has not since been seriously considered by the citizens of the county, yet one having a similai' charitable object in view has been completed in the county, and is now occupied. Reference is made to the "Childi-en"s Home," near Alliance. The following is a portion' of the law providing for the erection of such building;

SEcriON 1. Be it enacted bi/ the General Assembly of the State of Ohio. That for the purpose of establishing a children's home in accordance with the provisions and regidations of the above recited act, so fai' as the_y may be applicable, the Commissioners of any two or more adjoining counties in this State, not to exceed ff)nr in number, may. and they are liereby authorized, wlien in their opinion the public good demands it. to form themselves into a joint board, and proceed to organize their respective counties into a district for the establishment and support of a cliildren's home, and to provide for the purcha.se of a suitable site, and the erection of necessary buildings thereon, for tlie purposes contemplated and specified in the act to which this is supplementar}'.

Sec. 2. That said children's home shall be for the use, protection and benefit of such persons resident of the district wherein located, and of similar persons resident of other counties, who ma\' be admitted under the provisions, requirements and regulations of the act to which this is supplementary.

paid by Ilif counties coinposins tlii' district in proportion to tlic taxable property of (-a<-li <'ounty. as sliowM l>y their respective (lupiicates, and the current expense of niaintaininjr I lie home and the cost of ordinary repairs thereto shall l)e paid by the counties coinprisiiii; the district, in proportion to the number of children from each cimnty maintained in the home during the year.

In accordance with the provisions of the above enactment, the Commissionei's of the comities of Stai-k. Can-oil, Jefferson, Columbiana and Mahoninj^ met at Salem, Ohio, on the '2fith of Jtme, 1874. to consult in reference to the establishment of a children's home. It was here decided that tlie counties of Stark, Columbiana, Portage and Mahoning " would make a compact and suitabh" located district, generally easy and convenient of access." It was fiu-ther decided that such home should not cost more than about .'J40.000, and that Alliance, or near there, would be a suitable place for its location. After the tidoption of these considerations, the President of the meeting declai-ed the foiu' last-named counties foiTined into a district as provided in the enactment. At subsetjuent joint meetings of the Commissioners, dissatisfaction arose, and, after extensive discussion and maneuver. Portage and Mahoning Counties asked the ])rivilege of withdrawing from the compact. This was granted, and the next meeting was held at Canton, by the Commissioners of Stark atid ('Olumbiana Cotinties. The meeting was made public, and was addressed by many prominent men in both coiuities. all of whom were in ftivor of the immediate erection of the home. About this time, an effort was made by a few men to withfh-aw Stark ft-om the compact, but without avail. The following Tnistees were a|)])ointed: C. K. Greiner, five yeai's: James Davis, four yetirs; Joshua Lee, three years: Joseph Oberlin, two years: and William Barber, one year. Two C'ommissioners and two TVustees were appointed to purchase a tract of land near Alliance. A farm of 153 acres.

owned by Thomas Rakestraw, and located about three miles north of Alliiuice, was ptu'- chased for $18,770, and. on motion, was styled " Fairmoimt Children's Home." Plans for the building to be erected were considered, and, in July, 1875. the following proposals were received:

The erection of the building was awarded J. H. Mon-ison & Co. J. F. Buck, of Lancaster, was employed as Superintendent, at a sahuy of §1,000 per yeai'. .John Shirtzer was hired for $400 to work a year on the fann. Contracts were mtide to provide the building with gas and steam-heating ap])aratus. The entire cost of constructing the liuildings was $53,094.02. and the expense of conducting the home for the first year was $9,025.75. The building was formally opened for the rece])tion of children during the spring of 1S77. The following is the report for the six months ending November 1. 1877:

In pursuance of Section 5 of the alwve enactment, it was found that Stark slnnild pay threefifths of the cost of constructing the building, and Columbiana two-fifths. The expense of each cotintv in conducting the home is ascer- tained from the percentage of children from such cotinty during tlie year. The number of children receiving the care of the institution has slowly increased. The erection of the home and its subsequent management ha\e met with considerable opposition and discoiu'agement. yet the institution, at present, is certainly doing good work, and reflects great credit on the eleemosynary spirit of Stark County.

It may be an itein of some interest to our readers to know the names of the different post offices in the county, when established, etc. We give below a list of them, as furnished by the Post Office Department at Washington to Dr. Shisser, who has kindly jilaced them at our disposal. They are as follows;

As early as December, 1834, the County Commissioners directed the Auditor to cause to be published in all the newspapers in the county a notice to the effect that the Commis sionere would " pay $!(- for the best jilan for a poor house, or the ])lan which may lie adopted by the board, to be submitted on the 2d of February, 1835." The '2d came, but only two of the Commissioners were present, and the matter was postponed until the next regular session. It seems, however, that this was not the first move in this direction, as on the 17th of December, 1833, it was decided that the county must have a home for the poor. At this time, they bought of John Sliorb and Jolin Saxton a farm of aljout 150 acres, lieing a j)art of the northwest quju'ter of Section 33, Township 11, Range b, paying for the same $2,- 000. Beyond a doubt, the subject had been broached and discussed at earlier meetings of the boai'd, but this was the hi'st decided movement toward the canying-out of the plan. In June, 1835, John Shank was employed to dig a well on the fann, which he did at the rate of .|1.50 per foot. At this time, a tax of \ of a mill was levied on the taxable property of the county, for the purpose of paying for the poor farm and erecting the necessary public buildings. In August, I S:'6, the board borrowed .f 1,000 of the Canton Bank, the same to be used toward the erection of the poor house. After examining several proposals, Abraham Lind was finally employed to constnict the building, and, on the 14th. of July. 1837, it was taken, completed, from his control. The writer of this chapter could not learn the contract price of constructing the building. There was some misunderstanding regarding the cost of the building, as, in July, 1837, the board ordered an e.xtra allowance of §2,000 given to Mr. Lind: Ijut. in September, this order was rescinded, and the whole subject of settlement between the contractor and the board was left to the following committee of arbitrators: Lot Good.speed. Jacob Bahnev, Benjamin Bliler, John Gruble and Peter Troxell. The terms agreed upon are not recorded. Since this early day, various improvements and additions have been made to the farm and building, until at present the institution has quite an imposing appearance. The following is taken fi'oui a late number of the Canton Ripunitory:

The infirmary is situated aljout two miles north of the city, the huildings t)eing several hundred j'ards Ijack from the road. They are reached t)y a neatly kept lane, bounded on each side by white washed fences, and the visitor is first impres.sed by the air of neatness and order that everywhere prevails. The gra.ss along the roadside and the lawn before the building is smoothly cut. and free from any signs of rubbish. The main portion of the building extends from north to south, with a wing at eaeh extremity running backward. The main portion is 100 feet long, the north wing 112 and the Bouth wing UK). It is two stones high, with a large double verandah running along the north and south sides. It was ererted in 1887, and at the time of its completion must have been sufficiently ample in all respects for the use to which it was adopted, as well as a work of merit, from an architectural point of view; l)ut such a length of time has elapsed since then, and the increasing demand for room growing proportionately with the increase in population, now makes it cimtined and inadc<iuate to the demands upon it. The noticeable feature, remarked by all who visit it, is the superior manner in which it is governed and everj-thing relative to it conducted.

The main portion of the building on the first floor is devoted to the private use ot the Superintendent and his family, dining rooms in several departments, public rooms, as the office and room for the rece])tion of visitors, rooms for household work and to other uses. In the basement of the main portion, which is on a level with the ground, are kitchens, storerooms and various other departments. The second floor is devoted to sleeping apartments. The north wing is reserved for the insane, corriders running the entire length of it on both floors, lined on each side bv the various rooms.

On the tirst tloor are the dining rooms, sitting rooms and some sleeping apartments. The wing is not entinOy devoted to the insane, the large number of inmates necessitating a portion of the .space being given to tlie other inmates. It is divided into male and female departments, communicating with each other by an iron door, generally locked, but during the day in warm weather o])en, to create as much draft as possible. The south wing is for the better class of inmates, and corresponds in general to that of the north.

and yields abundantlj-. In addition to the various smaller buildings devoted to their several uses, there is a large, handsome barn, completed last summer, and being 11.5.\.56 feet in size. As an idea of the quantity produced by the farm, the following yield of last year is given: l,i».")0 busliels of wheat, :i,(MK) bushels'of corn, 1,TIM) bushels of oats, 1,.")(X) l)ushels of potatoes and 110 tons of hay.

Throughout the entire building all is neatness and order, the walls and ceilings being nicely whitewashed, and the wood work showing frequent applications of sponge and water. Those who are able among the inmates are assigned work suitable for them; the men being employed on the farm and "out-door work generally, while the females are supplied with duties about the house. The aged and intinn, and those in any luauner disquaUiied for labor, are to be seen sitting around in various places, on the many seats conveniently provided, or slowly walking from place to place,' There are now 172 inmates in the infirmary, while the building contains eighty rooms. The tirst inmate was Samuel Miller, aged twenty-five, from jMassillon, who died in November 1875; the last entered, Mrs, Preast, from Canton. The oldest imnate is Tim Sinunons, iiged one hundred and three, who came from Alliance about two years ago. Mr. Samuel C^romer the Superintendent, has ociaipied that position for the ])ast ten years.

At the Marcli scwsion of the Bosu-d in 1885, iin order was issued approiiriating Sl'JT) to aid in defraying the expense of transporting a lireengine from Phihidelphia to Canton, for use in the latter town. From the fact thiit the uses of steam at that day were comjiaratively unknown, and steam engines at best \vere hnt rude affairs com|)ar<Hl with tliose at present, this movement of the citizens was not only a noteworthy one, but it must have been as much of an experiment as anj^thing else. What the se^juel was cannot be learned.

A. Heldcnbrand.,] Peter Chance. A Heldenbrand,, Peter Chance, A.Heldenbrand.,|B. A, Dunbar, A. Helrtenhrand., R, A, Dunbar, A. A, Dunbar,