The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1876-02-18
COMMUNICATIONS.
Somerset Forty Years Ago.


Mr.. EDITOR As matter of curl
osity to your readers, particularly to
those residing in your town-one-half
of whom, strangely enough, believe that
Somerset IL the center of the world, and
that the parallels,of latitude and longi-
tude begin at that place, and that the
sun rises and sets within the corporate
limits-I herewith send you some sta
tistics by which you can compare the
growth of your village for the last forty
years.
In number of the " Western Post" of
February 10. 1886, published by DIR.
LOUIS J. MoELLER, ] find an article.
giving the population and business in
terests at that period, which l transcribe
in full, and reads as follows:
according to an enumeration of the
inhabitants taken'a few days since, SOM
suburbs, consisting of l65 families, and
for the information of the curious, the
various trades and professions are sub
joined, as follows:
"Hattprs, 4; Saddlers, 4, in three shops;
Watchmakers, 2; Chairmakers and Turn
ers, 2; Weavers, 4; House painters, 2;
Blacksmiths, 5; Wagon makers, 5, united
in 8 shops; Coach maker, 1; Cooper, l:
Cabinet-makers, 4, in 8 shops; Plaster
ers, 5; Tobacconist. l; Wool carders, 3,
Tanneries, 2; Brickmakers, 2; Stone
cutters, 2; Timers, 2; House Carpenters,
Il
makers, 8. united in 6 shops; Gunsmith, !,
L; Butchers, 2; Tallow chandler and
rope maker, ]; Grocery, /; Drug Store
les, 8; Inns, 2; Wagoners, 6; Carriers, 2;
Dav- iahorers, II; MiIIiners, 4; Surveyor.
L; Stage driver, ]; Gentlemen, 4; Consta-
bles, 2; Lawyers, 4; Doctors. 6; Minis
tiers, a; besides Sheriff, Recorder, Treas
urer, Auditor, and Clerk of the Court
"Of the ministers of the Gospel res
dent, l is Catholic, Methodist, and
Lutheran; besides whom there are sew
eral of the Catholic denomination as-
sisting occasionally in town, also of the
Methodist. An EpiscoPalian holds ser
vice every two weeks in the Lutheran
church, and Presbyterian in the Meth
odist church, who il is also expected will
ter, az the old Methodist meeting house
has been obtained for the purpose.
ain our population the extraordinary
fact exists of there being 80 widows,
most of whom are dependent upon their
own resources for maintenance of them
selves and families; and the happy cir
cumstance of there being only 3 blacks,
and one of them is of bdrberous pro-
fession."
The reader will be able to ses from
the above the contrast between Somerset
Of 1886 and Somerset of 1861 period
of just 40 years to the day in which this
is written.
The question very naturally arises
here: Where are your hatters, your
chairmakers and your turner's? Where
| your coopers, your tobacconist and your
weavers? These village occupations
have been superseded By the introduc
tion of labor-saving machinery. Oh
all the persons who carried on busines.
in that early day in the village, but few
are living to-day.
OF the hatters, who were then in act
i've business, we remember James John
son, Adam Fink, Jesse MCGOWAN and
Joseph Brown. These constituted tht
4. OF the Raddlers there were the firm
of Law & Meller, and Billy Wright
chair makers, Benjamin Huff and JohT
Robey; weavers, Andrew Bird; black
smiths, Zadoc Wilson, Jacob Noles
David Church, and Daniel Mohler
plasterers, the three Smiths - Ben,
Stewart and Charles; wagon-maker
William Musselman; cabinet max er
George Jackson; tobacconist, GeorR'
Brunner, sr.; tanners, Law & M9lleE
and George Beckwith; wool carder. ia
cob Mains; timer, Frederick Mains
druggist, o. II. Meller; shoemakers, ia
cob Drummer, and Christian L. Greiner
tailors, Adam Miller and james w
Shirley; carriers, Thomas Keenan, ant
John Smith. James Brown was tn
Surveyor; Rev. N. d. Young was tn
Catholic priest, and Rev. Charles Hen
kel had charge of the Lutheran church
OF the lawyers. we remember John B
Orton and Josiah Lowell. Our recol
lection OF this period is too indefinite 4
name more of the men who were in bu