The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1867-01-17
Historical Sketches of
Highland County.

BY THE EDITOR.

IhTlUeS-NdlneS Of Settlers in January,
lSOO-Pioneer "BW Of F'dre"-A "Teq
Party" under Di0icttlties-NeU Trace
Opened TO Ciacinnah-A Post Office Es-
taJli8hed-A Pioneer "Nasby"-Gov. st.
clair Visits the To,0n, and Stops ,Oih
Landlord Ross WIShart Indignant Cor.
ST. Clair Commissions Ross a Justice Of the
Peace Wisbart, unlike "Na8by'') Re-
signs his p. O.-Frst Wedding in the
Co,1ity-Johu Enl,ie Murries Margaret
Ross, The Sq1ire's oldest Daughter-Ner
Settlers, Improvements, &c. &c.
"Durlng the fall of 1899, " (says Mr. Scott |
"New Market improved considerably, and |
before cold weather set in six or seven
cabins were visible from the. tavern door.
The permanent settlers of the town on the
first day Of January, 1900, were Eli Col
Inns and family, Isaac Dillon, Jacob Ever
sole, John Eversole, Christian Bloom,
Robert Boyce, Jacob Beam, John Emrie,
and the enterprising landlord Of the log
cabin hotel, VIM. Wishart. Jonathan Ber.
ryman lived on his farm adjoining the
town, several acres of which he had clear
ed out and brought into cultivation, and
was regarded the principal farmer in the
neighborhood. He that winter had some
surplus corn, for which he found q ready
market at his crib
"Oliver Ross had built house on his
land east of town, the best in the settle
ment. It was a good-sized one story
house, built Of hewed logs, with clapboard
roof, one room in front, with a kitchen
back. He had also cleared and cultivated
some ground, and under special license
Of Gov. St. Clair, opened a tavern. Robert
Huston had also built cabin on his land
adjoining the town and raised small
crop of corn.
"This constituted the New Market set
tlement at this date"
The "bill Of fare" Of the settlers at that
day was exceedingly wholesome, though
not as varied rs modern palate would
demand. Bear meat and, venison instead
of being rarities, as they are now, were the
regular daily dishes, while hominy and
grated meal were the principal substitutes
for bread and vegetables. Bears oil, when
sweet and fresh, answered a -ry good pur-
pose instead of butter, and on this simple
and homely fare the honest settlers en-
Ijoyed themselves better and had keener
appetites than the pampered epicures of
the present day. "Coflee, tea and sugar
were considered supernuOus and unfash-
ionable-chiehy, however, on account OF
the enormous prices they commanded
. Bacon could only be obtained from traders
stone, in Pennsylvania. It sold at 2j
cents pound for sides, and had to be
e. packed from Manchester or Chillicothe."
An amusing account is given of tea
party held by some of the ladies of New
a Market about this time "A small mum.
FIBER of ladies were congrcgated at a neigh.
bor's cabin shortly after New Year, and the
. best the house could afford was of cours,
= put in rcquisition, to which it was desired
= to add cup of genuine Young HysOn.-
? On examination it appeared there was bu
r one fire-proof vessel about the house, al
l. old broken bake-oven. So with this they
E went to work, beginning with the substan
!. tials. In the first place some nice cake,
II were made and fried in bears oil, in thu
q oven; then some short-cakes were bakeC
} in it. Then some nice venison steaks wcr
fried in it, after which it had TO be used t,
= carry water from the spring, about tw,
5, hundred yards distant. The water wa
" then heated in it and the tea made, whicl
. ,,-,e v,r0rDupoaJ o~no1laYt
e In the spring of 1893, Mr.. NIassie mad
a pacI-horse trace from New Market t
= the settlement at the falls at Paint, from
d which point there was already a trac
I down to Chillicothe. During the summe
IT Or the same year, Gen. VIM. LyIIe made
;, trace from Lytlestown, now Williamsburg
to New Market. He had laid out settle
d ment on the East Fork of the Little NIiam
II the fall BEFORE which was called I,ytle'
l. town for several years, Afterwards II
t name was changed to Williamsburg, an
e. it became the eounty-seat ofClermont, an
y continued so until 1920. There was a
y ready pack horse trace from Lytlestow
lg to Cincinnati, so that New Market We
In thus put in communication with Cincinna
on the west, and on the east with Chill
cothe, Zanesville Marietta and the ol
lg States east Of the mountains.
IN "During this summer, (says Mr.. Scott
at improvements progressed slowly in an
lg around New Market. Wishart's Hot
Oh was occasionally honored by an explorin
., guest Or a surveying party, but no add
~ dional houses were erected, though man
% of the trees were cut away and much Of II
u underground cut out, so that the lines
the two principal cross streets we're prett
clearly defined to the eye.
y "A post Office was established in the IA
- T. at New Market, n weekly paek-mRil lir
a between Chillicothe and Cincinnati havin
,, been put in operation, and the enterpriI
ing landlord Of the log cabin hotel appoin
ed postmaster This formed a new an
N important era in the annals Of the place.
k It at once ceased to be a village in tn
IS woods, and though as yet it had but on
z, house in it, and that obscured by the lux
is uriant growth Of butter weeds, which ha
9r lately bloBsomed and now filled the al