The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1865-03-16
OLDEN TIMES.
NO. IL.

Early History Of the village of Basil
How the I0Un wdS named The first
Notion Store in the Garret-Impor-
tant undertaking in the old log Cabin
Hoo Store uas bought out, DC.
In my last, spoke Of milling, and
mil.going, and the price Of salt, &c.
1t may not be out Of place now to
say something about the early history
or at least of the laying out and nam
ing Of the town, and sale Of lots Of the
town Of Basil, &c.
In the year lS25-just forty years
ago-Mr. Henry Hildebrandt, thee
er ofthe land on the south side of the
canal, (now part of Baltimore,) conclu-
ded to lay out town, which he then
named New Market" Several years
aftcrward, Mr.. George Huntwork laid
out fifty or more lots on the north side
of the canal, which he called Rome
Afterwards both towns were named
Baltimore" Soon after, Mr.. Hide
brandt had his lots laid out. The
friends of old father Goss, who was a
stone cutter BY trade, was persuaded
by his friends also to lay out a town,
giving as a reason, that he had an
equally eligible situation for a town.
Mr.. Joseph Heistand, who was then
II leading man in the township, took
great interest in any improvements
and the welfare of the Swiss families
He would show them where there was
yet vacant land to enter. He wac one
Of the pioneers and had plots of the
surveys. Mr.. Ii. was u very useful
man: he made our first plows, wooden
mould boards. What do you young
Americans think Of that? "Old Joe,'
: as he was often called, could do many
. things besides. He was Justice of the
Peace, and was often called upon to
marry people. Then he did nearly all
the writing, such as clcrking at sales
r writing wills, and articles of agree.
ment, &c.
. But to my subject; Soon, Mr.. ]. Goss
= employed MIR. Jonathan Flattery, then
Q our surveyor, who lived in Greenfield
D township to run out 40 lots; this was
e the first plat. think it was on Satur
: day afternoon when he got through
. his survey, when Mr.. F. asked Mr.
b G0ss, "what are you going to call YOU
! town." The old gentleman not un
b derstanding the English language, be
sides somewhat hard OF hearing, asked
> his son Jacob in the Swiss dialect
n "Was seigter," or "what does he say ?
i His son Jacob then said also in thu
u Swiss dialect, Ter frogt vie der di,
9 stadt hcisa welt, or she asks you wha
:. do you intend to call the town." TC
;, which the old gentleman replied, "Si'
n moga sic hesa vie sio wey," or in En-
: gish, "thoy may call it as they please.
= l was then lad of thirteen, going t.
;. school in an old log cabin on Hiveley'
g farm north Of this place. Il will say
a more Of this school hereafter, how til,
master fogged all the boys in school.
1t was Saturday afternoon on my wa.
l. home from school, and l had my cop,
+ book, pen and ink, with me. 1 too
u went to where the Surveyor and doz
. . en- spectators were gathered together
r on lot No. 8.
u All that was yet wanting was t,
: name the town. Soon two names wcr
proposed, viz: Geneva and Basil.
n was requested by my father to write 1
J. number of tickets with the name o
70 Basil and Geneva. The votes wer,
8; :; cast into hat, ,(all the spectators wer'
= = legal voters.) After counting the vote
n it was found that there was just 81,
a votes for Basil and six for Geneva
:, The American portion nearly all ia
u vored the name of Geneva. All tn,
d Swiss citizens, however, voted for Ba
.. sill. Just as it was announced that i
p was tie vote, my uncle, John Goss
q who now lives in Salem, Fairfield Co.
! = came walking up the hill to see thu
l. new town, and gave the casting vot,
& for Basil Thus it may be said tba