Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1869-01-22
! COLUMBUS.
.IANOIe g As gE3O
Its History, Rusiness, Rusfness
.ZEsEF ~
IL u Houses and Failure.
u sRrrs HISTORY OF col uMBus.

Oh a BRIEF HISTORY OF col uMBUs.
Columbus is situated in latitude 80 degs.
IS min. north, and longitude degs. west
from Washington city, Is 106 miles sorth-
erly from Sandusky city, 139 southwest
from Cleveland, lzs southwestwardly from
Steubenville, 1s4 in the same direction
from Pittsburgh, Pa, 126 miles west from
Wheeling, Va, about 100, northwest from
Marietta, los northwest from Gallipolis, As
north from Cbillicothe, 80 in the came d.
rection from Portsmouth, at the mouth of
the Scioto river, 11S northwardly from
Maysville, KY, lilo northeast from Cincin-
natl, 6S eastwardly from Dayton, 104 south.
wardly from Lower Sandusky, and l75 due.
south from Detroit, Michigan. 1t is situ-
ated exactly on the same parallel OF lati-
tn ie with Zanesville< Philadelphia,
from which latter place il is 450 miles DIS
rant; and ON the same meridian with De-
troit, Michigan; and Milledgevllle, Georgia.
The Legislature during its session in
1901, held In Zinesville, in order to es-
tablish more central and permanent seat
of government, received proposals from
various places offering inducements for the
location of the seat If government at the
points designated In the proposals. Among
the number were the proposals OF Lyme
Startling, James Johnston, Alexander
M'Laughlln and John Kerr, the after pro-
prietors of Columbus, for establishing it on
the 8. High Bank of the Scioto river oppo-
site Franklinton," which site was then
,;ft, Ire MT Of froh
The proposals of Startling and Company
were accepted by an act of the Legislature,
p ,ssed Feb. IA, 1872, and the proprietors,
L ne Startling, James Johnston, Alexander
Mclaughlin and John Kerr, laid out the
town in the spring following. The lots
are 62L by 1871 feet The streets cross
each other at right angles. varying II de-
grees to the right of the cardinal points.
High street, running north II degrees east,
crossing Broad street at the northwest
corner of the Public, Square, is 100 feet
wide, and extends from the northern to the
southern limits of the city. Broad street,
which runs east and west IL degrees south,
Is l20 feet wide, and extends from the
bridge on the National Road to the eastern
iituibS VI thC CitJs PdosihS biS hoieu siuS Va
the Public Square. All the other streets
were laid out ss1k feet wide The alleys
are 80 feet Ia width.
4On the 18Th of June, 1872, the first pub
lie sale of lots at auction was commenced.
II continued three days. The only cleared
place at this time within the limits OF the
town plat, was small spot on Front street,
little north OF State, and small spot
with cabin on it near where DIR. Ide now
resides. lmmediately after the sale of lots
commenced rapidly, by the
erection of log and frame buildings for
dwellings, shops and stores. 1,le ~
= For some years but little attention was \
paid to Improving the streets OF alleys
Gradually howevsr. they were cleared by
the nhsbitants Tor irewood and building
In 1878 a subscription of 5000
was raised among the citizens and appro-
priated for the removal of the remaining
Instructions out Of High street. Our read
ers will r. member that some of the ohstruc-
tions. in shape of huge stumps, were found
in the street year since, when the Nicol-
son pavement was laid on that street.
Among the first houses erected was
building with brick front on the west
side OF High street, next lot south of State.
This was built In 1872 by John Collet-
The next spring it was opened by Mr.,
Payne as tavern. In 1914 Mr. Collett
took possession of 1t, and kept very good g
tavern for a new place, until about the
J rear 1918, when he sold out to Robert Rus
sell, who continued to keep it as q tavern
until ls47, when the building was fitted
up for store rooms. Other taverns were
opened about the same time as Mr.. Collects
lone by Daniel Kooser, on the west side
Of Front street, in log building. One by
Mr.. r.McCullough.on the northwest corner of
Front and Broad streets, called the '.Black
Bear" Another at the northeast corner
Of High and Rich streets, was kept by
VIM. Day (wbo had been boatman), CALL
I'd "Grocery,"-it was the comlnonar re-
sort of all boatmen engaged in boating
stone, apd those who cam6up the Scioto
lat which time large amount of the heavy )
articles, such as salt, iron, &C., for the sup
ply of the town and surrounding country
were brought up the river In .boats,) and
70 frequent were the broils between the
citizens and zboatmen, and the boatmen
that the house was called '.The
War Gffice"E On some occasions as many
IS ten or fifteen men might be seen at a
lime. il front OF the house, stripped of all
,Iothing out pants and a girt around the
waist, preparatory for irregular fight. Af-
sr the excitement and passions of the |
rowd had cooled down, the .constables
would venture to hunt up the combat
Its and take them before Esquire
Shields to receive Justice according to law
sometimes against the loudly expressed
lisapprobation Of the delinquent receiving
q The Squire, however, never suffered ]
he equabimity, of his temper to be dis
urbed by abusive words, but disposed of
he business before him in sort OF double
,uick" style peculiarly his own. The l
part Of the business of Justice of
be Peace for the township, was taken to
,is office. There are many stories told OF
lin and his two cons ables. The wits OF
hat day called the three, IS Pontius Plate
md his two hull dogs" Mr.. Shields was
native of Ireland, and was progressive
Democrat in politics. he wonld lay brick,
II do job of surveying and plating on
week days, and usually preached in town
II country on Sundays, His sermons were
always gratis. He was, also q sort OF poet' 4
md frequently wrote his own hymns. sai'
Among the settlers of Columbus in 1913,
we're George Mccormick. George B. Har-
'ey, John Shields, Michael and Alexander
Pattons Wm. Altman, John ColJet, VIM.
W. Elvain. Daniel Kooser, Peter Putnam.
Jacob Hare, Christian lHeyl, Jarvis and |
Benjamin Pike. VIM. Long, A. Meneley.
md DR.. John Edmiston. Dr.. Edmiston
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