The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1899-03-23
LONG TIME AGO
Continued from First Page

ago, having stood only about twenty six
years, during most Of which time it was
not worthy the name Of prison. The
Grand Jury at term Of court, October
1908, held their sessions in Charles
Lang's tailor shop on Beech street and
found one indictment against Francis
Kuott, innkeeper. for larceny. A jury
was called, he was put upon trial. and
verdict Of guilty brought in with the
following sentence 1t is considered by
the Court that he be whipped eleven
stripes on the naked back and fined ten
dollars and pay the costs. Kuott was
accordingly whipped by the Sheriff OF
the county in the public square in the
presence of crowd Of spectators, 1t be
ing the first punishment Of the kind in
ficted in the county. There was no
whipping post then erected for the pur
pose and the Sheriff had to tie him to
q beech tree while he executed that part
of the sentence of the court.
A large number OF women came from
the surrounding country to witness the
punishment. They were all in house
together, and the Sheriff aware of the
purpose and not liking that addition to
the disgusting exhibition, purchased a
peck of green apples from a man who
had just arrived from Pennsylvania with
a wagon load, which he sold at four dol
lars per bushel, and took them into the
house and poured them out on the floor
among the women. Apples at that early
day we're not only rarity, but to many,
. curiosity, aud the women, of course,
scrambled for them. While thus diver
ted, the Sheriff went out and whipped
Knott, and greatly disappointed the
women.
In the spring of 1908 the work of build.
ing up the town commenced with much
spirit and vigor. The sound of the axe
and saw, mingled with the crash of fall
ing trees, was heard on all sides. Houses
were in demand and great disposition to
settle in the town was manifest. Those
who came from distance lived in camps
until better arrangements could be made.
One lot was converted into brickyard,
where during the summer the brick for
the Court House was made, and the
foundation was commenced abeut the
first of August. No ceremonies, as is
usual this day, marked the beginning of
the erection Of the first Court House in
Highland. It was, however, . large
building for that day, by, far the most
important - well q the largest, and first
brick house erected in the county and,
- matter Of course, attracted much At
tention far and near. In size, it was
about forty feet square. The Commis-
sioners fixed the locality of the building
on the public square, at thirty. three feet
distant from Main and High streets, the
walls parallel to the lines of these streets.
There was large door fronting each of
these the sills Of these doors were of
sandstone brought from Sinking Spring.
Two large, old ld.fashioned fire places in
which burned immense wood piles in
cold weather, were in the Court room,
one on either side of the bench the bar
was psrtitioned off between these, di.
rectly in front Of the Court. Some years
elapsed before the public square was
fenced in with any degree of permsncy,
and the Court House and Jail stood out in
the commons. Very frequently the
doors of the former were left open for
weeks, and then it was occupied by the
sheep of the neighborhood as place of
rest and refuge from dogs and wolves at
night. This house, however, stood and
served the people of the county for a
quarter of century, being taken down
after the completion of the present Court
House in 1884
1t may be subject of interest to know
that the first couple married in the town
of Hillsboro was Amariah Gossett and
Lydia Evans, daughter of Evan Evans,
Q Virginia Quaker. He was q neighbor
and friend to Wah.Will-a-Way, the
Shawnee chief, the old and faithful
huuSOA Va NOns 3AaooA0 OuIluk u1o Bur
veying tours and an unwavering friend
of the white man. This marriage was
solemnlzed by Squire Smith, August 21,
1908, in the little log cabin which then
stood on the lot on which the Parker
House now stands. On the 14th of Oc.
tober of the same year the first divorce
case in Highland county came on for
hearing. The cause assigned, willful alb
sence.
The first county election for Highland
was held in the several townships, Octo.
Der, 1905. In October, 1905, the first
Supreme Court for the Highland county
was held at New Market. The annual
election for State and county officers was
held October II, 1908. The election for
Liberty township was this time, for the
first, held in the town of Hillsboro, at
the tavern of VIM. Barnett, on Beech
street. At this election Q most laudsble