Dayton City (part 50 of 50)

The second suit against D. C. Cooper was a case in equity, brought by Arthur St. Clair, Jonathan Dayton, Abijah Hunt, Ralph Phillips, William P. Meeker, Samuel Denman and Thomas Hunter, the petition being dated December 3, 1807. The petition begins with naming the original proprietors, purchasers of the seventh and eighth ranges east of the Great Miami and Mad rivers - St. Clair, Dayton, Wilkinson and Ludlow. Wilkinson sold his fourth interest, January 25, 1797, to Abijah Hunt, Ralph Phillips and John Phillips for three thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars. Whether Wilkinson made or lost money depends on how much he had already paid out. John Phillips sold his part to Hunt. St. Clair sold one-third of his interest to Hunt and two-thirds of his interest to Samuel Meeker, who, in turn, sold interests to others. Dayton and Ludlow sold to Denman one equal one-third part of their rights, Denman later selling the interest thus acquired to Ralph Phillips. It is averred that Ludlow, who was made agent, made Cooper, in the fall of 1796, his deputy, that Cooper did not make reports to the proprietors as required and later entered in his own name lands that should have been entered by or for the proprietors. They asked, therefore, to have these preemption rights transferred to themselves and for other relief. Cooper replied that he had been given in 1795 a contract by Ludlow entitling him to purchase four thousand acres of land at a stipulated price and that when he went to Cincinnati to make preemptions, the proprietors, some of whom were present and authorized to act for the entire number, consented to his making entries as he did. Apparently they could not afford to pay two dollars per acre for the land and fulfil their contracts to those who had bought land of them. The strength of Cooper's case

The sales by the proprietors continued till November 12, 1804. The prices came to be very small, being based on the chances to recover from Cooper or on what available land would be worth above the government price of two dollars per acre. Wilkinson received, in 1797, three thousand seven hundred and fifty dollars for his right to fifteen thousand acres, and in 1804, Hunt received four hundred dollars for his right to three thousand acres. Dayton seems to have become hopelessly involved, as June 10, 1803, he assigned in trust to Elias B. Dayton and Isaac H. Williamson all his interest within the so-called Symmes* purchase. With all these distracting questions as to titles and the direct loss of purchase money, labor and improvements, is it any wonder that the village of Dayton dwindled rather than grew and that the surrounding country suffered as well? Survival in the circumstances showed the value of the location and the tenacity and sterling worth of the people.

Sketchks Of First Settlers

The first settlers of Dayton will ever hold a place of special interest. This chapter may well be brought to a close with sketches of these pioneers.

William Hamer was a native of Maryland. In 1792, he, with his wife and children, came west, descending the. Ohio river to Cincinnati in a flatboat, built by himself and his son, Solomon, then sixteen years of age. The lumber in the boat was used in constructing a house, in which the family lived until they started to their place on Mad river, in March, 1796. The children in the family were Solomon, Thomas, Nancy, Elizabeth, Sarah and Polly. Mr. Hamer was a Methodist local preacher, and at family prayers could be heard a great distance. Religious meetings were early held at his place. He located on section twenty-nine, the section which under Symmes' contract was to be devoted to the support of religion. He derived no advantage, however, from this fact. In this home, a son was born, December 9, 1796, and out of regard for the new settlement was given the name Dayton. In 1827, Mr. Hamer died as the result of an accident while on his way to Cincinnati. Of his children, Nancy married William Gahagan, who came on the pirogue, and Sarah married, in 1801, David Lowry, who had previously settled on Donnel's creek in Greene county.

Jonathan and Edward Mercer settled on Mad river, eight miles from its mouth and there established what was called Mercer's Station, then an exposed place which they twice were compelled to abandon because of danger from the Indians. Jonathan Mercer died prior to 1810.

George Newcom was born in the north of Ireland, of Presbyterian stock in 1 77 1, and in 1775 was brought to this country by his parents. His father died in Dayton about 1805. George Newcom married Mary Henderson of Washington county, Pennsylvania, and moved to Cincinnati about 1794. A daughter born in 1794 in Cincinnati, died before the family left that place. The next child, John W., was born September 9, 1797, near Hamilton, married Martha Grimes, November 20, 1820, and died July 7, 1836. A daughter, Jane, was bom April 14, 1800, being the first girl child born in Dayton. She married. May 20, 1819,

Nathaniel Wilson. The two next children, George Alexander and Charles Grimes, died in infancy. The next child, Eliza Jane, was born April 17, 1825, married John Comly, and died March 5, 1873. The next child, Mary Ann, was born January 9, 1827, and died May 18, 1854. The wife of Mr. Newcom died in 1834, and two years later he married Elizabeth Bowen, a widow. George Newcom was a soldier in Wayne's army. He also served in the War of 1812. He was the first sheriff of Montgomery county, holding that office five years. He was later state senator, filling that position eight years. He was a member of the lower house five years, and filled many other positions of honor and trust. His name, however, will always stand most closely connected with the old tavern, the center of every form of activity when Dayton was at best an experiment. He died February 25, 1853.

William Newcom, a brother of George, was about twenty years of age when he came to Dayton. He married Miss Charlotte Nolan, of Kentucky. For a number of years he lived on a farm near Dayton. He served in the War of 181 2, and died a few months after his enlistment as the result of exposures in the army. A son, Robert, was a prominent carpenter and builder, and a grandson, Milo G. Newcom. at present (1909) lives on Wilkinson street.

Thomas Davis was a native of Wales. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. He settled on the bluffs, south of Dayton. He brought with him a large family. tTis son, Owen Davis, was in business for himself and a taxpayer in 1798. He operated for many years a mill five miles west of Xenia, on the Big Beaver creek. About the mill a few houses were built and here the first Greene county court was held in 1803.

John Davis, a brother of Thomas Davis, is said to have settled on the west side of the Miami river. He was killed by an accident at Cooper's mill in 1799. This is said to have been the first death that occurred at Dayton.

William Chenoweth brought his family with him from Kentucky. He was a blacksmith, but did not work at his trade as shown by an advertisement in a Cincinnati paper, stating that there was no blacksmith within twenty miles of Dayton. His home on Mad river was, in 1803, included within the limits of Greene county.

John Dorough, a married man, was a miller by trade. He owned a mill on Mad river, later known as Shoup's mill and later still as Kneisley's mill.

James Morris came from Pennsylvania and served in the expedition of General Harmar, in 1790. He was a farmer. He was twice married, after coming to the new settlement, but left no children.

Abraham Grassmire, an unmarried German, was a weaver by trade. He was handy in the construction of household articles and helped to make the first looms for the settlers. He moved to Honey creek about 1802.

Samuel Thompson came from Pennsylvania to Cincinnati where he married Catherine, widow of John Van Cleve. He was the leader of the party coming by water. With him were his wife, Catherine, their little daughter, Sarah, two years old, and Matthew, two months old, and Mrs. Thompson's daughter, Mary Van Cleve, nine years old, and her son, Benjamin Van Cleve. Mr. Thompson held a number of offices in the new community. He was drowned in February, 1815, in Mad river just below the Staunton road ford. His wife died August 6th, 1837.

William Gahagan, a young Irishman, came to Cincinnati with General Wa>Tie's army, in 1793 and served through 1794 and 1795. He afterward made his home with William Hamer whose daughter, Nancy, he married. In 1794, he and Benjamin Van Cleve assisted in conveying army supplies on the Ohio river and later he assisted Captain Dunlap in surveying expeditions. About 1805, he moved to what came to be the territory of Miami county, where he died in 1845. He and Benjamin Van Cleve were the twin screws in propelling the pirogue up the Miami.

Mrs. McClure joined the party of settlers, bringing with her her children, James, John, Thomas, Kate, and Ann. Her husband was killed in St. Clair's defeat. The family after living in Dayton four or five years, moved to Honey creek.

Benjamin Van Cleve, and the family to which he belonged have great interest to every citizen of Dayton. John Van Qeve, the founder of the family in America, came from Holland to Long Island about 1650, later settling in New Jersey. Benjamin Van Cleve was the son of John and Catherine Benham \'an Cleve, his father being the son of Benjamin and Rachel Van Cleve. John Van Cleve was residing in Monmouth county. New Jersey, when four of his children were born, Benjamin, born February 24, 1773; Ann, born July 30, 177S, married to Jerome Holt; William, bom in 1777; Margaret, born in February, 1779, married to George Reeder; Mary, born February 10, 1787, and Amy, bom in July, 1789, were born while the family were residing in Washington county, Pennsylvania. The family determining to move west, came down the Ohio river in a boat arriving at Cincinnati, January 3, 1790. Here John Van Cleve followed the trade of blacksmith, engaging, likewise, in farming. In 1791, while at work in an out-lot in Cincinnati, he was killed by the Indians. Benjamin, the oldest child, now eighteen years of age, at once took, as best he could, the place of a father in the family. Mrs. Van Cleve later married Samuel Thompson and to them were born two children, Sarah and Matthew, before they moved to Dayton. Much of the time between 1791 and 1794, Benjamin was employed in the quarter-master's department in connection with Fort Washington. Among other duties he accompanied brigades of loaded pack horses to the headquarters of St. Clair's army, was present at his defeat, furnishing a vivid account of the same. In 1795, he accompanied Captain Dunlap's surveying party to the Mad river country, was present when Colonel Ludlow surveyed the plat of Dayton, and in 1796 was one of the first settlers of Dayton. His marriage to Mary Whitten, August 28, 1800, was the first marriage in the new settlement. In Dayton he was the first postmaster, the first school teacher, the first clerk of the court, serving with a slight break till the close of his life, which occurred November 29, 1821. He was the father of five children, John Whitten, born June 27, 1801, died September 6, 1858; William James, bom October 10, 1803, died October 30, 1808; Henrietta Maria, born November 16, 1805, married Samuel

B. Dover; Mary Cornelia, born December 2, 1807, married James Andrews* Sarah Sophia, born November 24, 1809, married David C. Baker. His wife died December 28, 1810, and March 10, 1812, he married Miss Mary Tamplin. Of him, his friend and associate, Colonel John Johnston said: "God never made a better man than was Benjamin Van Cleve." He was an active member in the Presbyterian church.

William Van Cleve was nineteen years of age when he came to Dayton. He lived in Dayton a few years. He later purchased a quarter section of land a short distance southeast of Dayton. He married Effie Westfall, by whom he had several children. His wife died and he married a second time. On the death of his second wife, he again married. His life to 1812 was that of a farmer. In the War of 181 2 he raised in Dayton a company of riflemen, and in June was ordered to guard supply trains and to protect the frontier. After the war he kept a tavern at the junction of Warren and Jefferson streets, where he died in 1828.

Robert Edgar, Jerome Holt and D. C. Cooper came to Dayton as permanent residents in 1796 only a few weeks or months after the coming of the first settlers, all of them having been at the place of settlement with surveying parties the preceding year. They may, therefore, well be called first settlers,

Robert Edgar was born at Staunton, Vinginia, February 8, 1770. He was of Scotch-Irish descent. About 1780, his father moved, with his family, to the location of Wheeling, \'irginia, where in 1792 he was killed by the Indians. Shortly afterward Robert Edgar, with his brother, Andrew, and sister, Nancy, came down the Ohio river to Cincinnati. In 1795 he was a chain carrier in the party of D. C. Cooper in marking out the road to Mad river. When he came to Dayton in the spring or summer of 1796, he ccKnplied with the conditions for receiving a donation in-lot and a donation out-lot. He was soon employed in building the two-story house of hewed logs for George Newcom, which after receiving an addition in 1798-99, became Newcom's tavern. September 17, 1798, he married Mrs. Margaret Gillespie Kirkwood and moved into a cabin that he had erected on the north bank of Mad river. As this was a favorite camping place for the Indians in making visits to the settlement, the family were much in peril and subject to much annoyance from the Indians. A horse's back was their ferry in crossing Mad river. As he was a mechanic, up to 1800, he was constantly employed by Mr. Cooper in getting out timber and building head-gates and mills. The mills were in the village and on Rubicon creek near where the Cash Register works now are. In 1799, he built the tub-mill or "corn cracker" on Rubicon creek for Mr. Cooper. Before this, he may have assisted in building the distillery near the same place. When in 1801 he leased Cooper's mills in the village, he moved into a house at the corner of Water and Mill streets, belonging to Cooper.

He early purchased land a part of which became the Edgar plat on Wayne avenue, and began farming. Later he purchased a quarter-section on w-hich he opened up a fine stone-quarry. Mr. Edgar served in the War of 1812. Mrs. Edgar at home baked bread or hard tack for the army. After the war he returned to his farm. When the canal was being built, he constructed the bridges at Third and Fifth streets. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Edgar living past childhood were: Jane Allen, bom November 24, 1800, married Augustus George; Robert A., bom October 10, 1803, married Catherine Iddings ; Samuel D., born March 26, 1806, married Minerva A. Jones; Mary, born April 8, 181 1, married Stephen Johnston ; John F., bom October 29, 1814, married Effie A. Rogers. Mr. and Mrs. Edgar were zealous Christian workers, being members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Edgar died December 19, 1838, and Mrs. Edgar died November

Colonel Jerome Holt was born Febmary 21, 1763. He was the brother-inlaw of Benjamin Van Cleve, having married his sister, Ann. In 1797, he settled on a farm near Dayton. In 1800 he was appointed constable of Dayton township and from 1808 to 181 1 was sheriff of Montgomery county. He was colonel of the Fifth Regiment of Militia from 1810 to 1812. Colonel Holt died in Wayne township December 28, 1840.

Daniel C. Cooper, more than any other man, deserves the credit of being the founder and truest benefactor of Dayton. He was born in Morris county, New Jersey. November 20, 1773. He was educated for a surveyor. An account of his surveying the road to Dayton in 1795 has already been given. Immediately after the first settlers arrived, he became a member of the community and was given a place under Israel Ludlow as a deputy agent for the proprietors. For two years he was a member of the Ohio house of representatives and for four years he was a member of the Ohio senate. When about twenty years old, he came to the west to look after the land interests of Jonathan Dayton. When the proprietors failed in their undertaking, he became titular owner of the town plat. The clearest statement as to Mr. Cooper's right to enter this plat and other lands in his own name is the following declaration from Benjamin Van Cleve's diary : "Mr. Ludlow, who was one of the proprietors, and agent for them, informed me that they relinquished their claims on account of the rising price ; and that they could not afford to give two dollars per acre and he made this known to the commissioners as well as to the settlers and aided them in supporting their claims." In 1801, he married Mrs. Sophia Greene Burnet, of Cincinnati. Only one of his children, D. Z. Cooper, grew up to maturity. From 1799 to 1803, he was justice of the peace. By liberal donations of land, he secured the location of the seat of government for Montgomery county at Dayton. He also liberally set apart lands for a park and for churches and for various public uses. He built mills and was active in the commercial enterprises of the town. In many ways he was connected with the administration of village affairs. He served on the town council many years and was six years its president. He was actively connected with the Presbyterian church. In 1798, he opened up the farm south of Dayton, which he sold to Robert Patterson in 1803. This became his home on his marriage in 1801. Here he built mills on Rubicon creek. In 1805 he built an "elegant mansion of hewn logs" lined inside with cherry boards. In 18 18, he began to "build a large brick house at the southeast comer of First and Wilkinson streets, but did not live to finish it. He died July 13, 1818. According to some accounts his death was caused by overexertion in carrying on a wheelbarrow the bell to be placed in the new Presbyterian church. The contemporary accounts, however, say nothing of this circumstance. Dr. Job Haines in his diary says: "Mr. D. C. Cooper, after a severe illness of about six weeks, died about midnight between the 13th and

14th inst." A published account at the time ascribed his death to a ^'pulmonary disease." Probably the overexertion referred to, which may have occurred some weeks before his death, may have hastened that event. We shall yet have many occasions to take note of Mr. Cooper's part in the development of Dayton. His estate, which, at his death, included a large part of the site of Dayton, was somewhat involved, but under the management of efficient trustees and with the increasing prosperity of the community, soon came to be very valuable. Mrs. Sophia Greene Cooper was a beautiful and talented woman. Her first husband, Mr. Burnet, was a young lawyer of Cincinnati. After the death of Mr. Cooper, she married General Fielding Lowry. She died May 17, 1826.

Daniel Ziegler Cooper, the only one of the six children of Daniel C. Cooper who grew up to maturity, was born November 8, 181 2. He graduated from Princeton College,' married Miss Letitia Smith in Philadelphia, and died in Dayton December 4, 1836. His wadow married a Mr. Backus, a man of wealth, and the estate was managed by E. W. Davies and Alexander Grimes as trustees and contributed much to the progress of Dayton.

Character Of The First Settlers

In taking a general view of the first settlers and those that immediately followed them, we notice the presence of a large proportion of New Jersey people. Judge Symmes, on his application for a grant of land, says that the application is "on behalf of citizens of the United States westward of Connecticut." The company of purchasers represented by Judge Symmes was called the '*East Jersey Company.'* In other connections the name **New Jersey Society," was used. The settlers at Marietta were New Englanders. The settlers along the Miamis were like them in a measure and helped to make Ohio New England in type. Yet they had a character of their own. The people of New Jersey, along witli their English blood had **a tincture of Swedish and Hollander blood." They were noted for their industry, inventiveness and frugality. The Pilgrim and the Quaker, the Dutch, the German and the Scotch-Irish were largely fused under the influence of the War of the Revolution. Nicholas Longworth, who early came from New Jersey to Cincinnati, where he amassed a large fortune, was accustomed to say in answer to the question as to the condition of thrift, "the first condition is that one must have been born in New Jersey." People from Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina, some of them halting for a time in Kentucky, early made their appearance. The Scotch-Irish, a persistent and public-spirited people, were from first to last a large proportion of those coming to make their home in the territory of the Miamis.

Many of the settlers had been soldiers in the Revolutionary war, or the Indian wars and were thus well prepared to brave the dangers of frontier life. The proportion of educated and cultured people was much in excess of what would have been expected. This was true for Ohio in general. The early governors were college-trained men. The tradition of education, and of religion as well, gave to the new settlements an impression that they have not yet lost.