Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1873-11-27
For the Herald.l
WASHINGTON c. H., OHIO.

Washington c. H, the County seat
of Fayette County, is seventy five
miles east of Cincinnati, and 81 south
west of Columbus, on the G. d5 NJ V
Railroad. It is surrounded by rich
and prosperous population. The entire
body of land in the County is amongst
the best in the State. The town is the
most lively and growing in south
eastern Ohio, and is noted for the bust
ness enterprise of its citizens. Real
estate in the town rates very high and
will probably increase in value for
years to come, as there are no other
towns orvillages in the County to com
pete with or divert the trade of the
County from the County seat.
The business of the town may be
said 10 be immense, considering its
size and location. Dry Goods stores
and groceries are abundant, and keep
large stocks. of the best qualities of
goods constantly on hand for the &C
commodation of customers.
The town has been substantially and
beautifully improved this summer by
the erection of elegant business rooms
and fine residences. The population
is rapidly increasing, The only draw
back to its growth is a want of dwell
lng-houses for mechanics and others,
who would become residents of the
town on account of its general health
mess and beauty of location, were
houses or building sites more easily
obtained, but that disadvantage is
being removed by the opening of new
streets and the laying out of town lots
within the corporation, the lots find
ready buyers at fair prices by persons
who intend to erect residences, and
all around the busy masons and noisy
carpenters are engaged in crushing
up" buildings which rear their beauti
tul proportions as if by magic, adding
70 the extent, population and appear
ance of the town. More handsome
buildings for business and residences
nave been erected this season than fol
ten years past, ard 1.-The cry is still
they comet
TIE land of the Cbunty is exceed
ingly fertile, admirably adapted to
grazing, or agricultural purposes
Many of the farmers are large land
owners and devote their attention to
stock raising The County is noted
Ia Eastern markets for fine cattle ano
famous hogs, while it is competing
with older and more populous coun
ties for the honor of producing the
finest thorough breds in horned cattle
and sheep.
So much in a general way for the
County. 1t might be profitable and in
structive to write up some of the
largest land owners, describe tl1eil
beautiful farms, stock, &c, but per
haps your space would not permit.
An interesting chapter could b5
furnished of the business men of the
town, with a description of their
stores, rise and progress, but you
space would not probably permit tha
either, SO iC must be dispensed will
until further advised Now for thC
town in general.
In 1915, Washington c. H. con
sisted of but few scattering log huts
there being only one brick building il
the village-the Court house. Thee
were two taverns-One kept by Will
liam Harris, in the house now occupied
by Mrs ParVin, on Main street. nortI
of the Jail; the other on the corne
now owned by Henry Dahl, corner O
Court and Main streets, kept by Jacol
Jones. They were but cabins with clap
| board roofs. That winter, Thoma
Mcdonald opened q fine hotel wit
a shingle roof, on the lot now bein,
built up by Col. Yeoman. There wer
three Dry Goods stores, kept by Mi
likau & Snyder, Evans & Sons an
Ronk d Patterson. Their entire stoc
of Dry Goods could almost have bee
carried in peddler's pack. The cul
rency was coon-skins, fax and cul
stlUer, dollar furnishing nine three
cornered pieces, half dollar foul
representing 121 cents, and quartz
four, representing 81 cents. Some
times fellow having an economics
disposition, cut his halves and quar-
ters into five pieces and made profit
indeed this practice became so CON
mon that merchants and dealers mad
it rule to weigh suspicious lookin
three cornered silver pieces.
There crossed Court street, whe,
the new building of Messrs. Robinso
d Herbert now stands, a run, calle
Plug Rum it was bridged on th
> street with puncheon bridge; heav
rain would send the waters down liE
"a wolf on the fold" destroy tt
Fridge and play the deuce generally,
the infinite disgust of the inhabitant
, who would, after the waters had abateC
assemble together, reconstruct tt
puncheon bridge and waitfor anotht
rise" to compel them to do the
work over. On the west side of ii
: run there were but three buildings
saddler and gun smith shop on Il
south side, and a cabin, where D
Rush now resides, on the north sid
The town extended on Court stree
east to the corner now owned by MI
Evans-on the corner where Mr. W
h lett resides there was tan yard al
d two cabins, On Main street the
were buildings as far north as the co
- ner where Judge Priddy now resides
q beyond that was woods. On Mark
street, to the corner now occupied
the NJ. f. Church, there were a ft
scattering cabins and also on the san
street as far west as the creek, Nor
. Of Market street, was dense thickC
and old Mother Hubbard, a color
woman, frequently went there to sho
: rabbits and quails-she handled
shotgun with great dexterity, equal