The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-02-04
QUEER ACTS OF THE
COMMISSIONERS
Anxious TO Rid County of Wild
Beasts--Tax on Ferries q nd
Tolls on Passengers
and Cattle.

files at the court house, but none are
more interesting than the first com
Z missioners' report journal in which the
organization of the county into town
ships and its early development can
be noted.
The first meeting of the commits
sioners was on March 16, 1909, and
the entry on the title page of the
journal is as follows:
Record Of the corporate proceed
ings of the commissioners of the coun-
ty of Stark, beginning at the organiza-
tion thereof"
The commissioners were then John
Bower, James Latimer and John Mich
olas. The meeting was held at the
house Of one James Campbell, as there
was no court house or public building
in which they could meet.
About the first work they did was to
organize the county by dividing it
into townships, and calling for cleo
tions for the purpose of selecting town
ship officers The original townships
Osnaburg and Sandy. The election In
Canton was held at the house of Sam.
uel Coulter; in Osnaburg, at William
Nailor's; In Nimishillen, at William
Loutzenhcisers; in Plain, at George
Harter's and in Sandy, at Isaac Van
meters. These are all familiar names
to the older generation. William Rey-
nolds was the first clerk of the com-
missiOnerS and he issued the elec.
tion calls.
FERRIES OVER STREAMS.
The boundaries of the township,
were fixed when they were first Gre
: ated, none of them, however, on tho
lines as now known. There are now
fourteen townships, dome of which
were carved out of the original ones
as the country became more populous
1t became necessary to raise funds
with which to run the county and a
few days after the organization a.
series of licenses was arranged for.
The taverns were first assessed. Can
ton was the metropolis then as now,
and all taverns in the city were re.
Quired to pay an annual license of
50 year. Elsewhere "in the juris-
.diction Of the county" q $5 license
was assessed.
The old residents often talk of the
streams in this county being so much
smaller than in the earlier days. They
account for 1t in several ways, the
principal reason given. however, be-
ing the destruction of the forests.
The records of licenses levied shows
that in those days ferries were MAIN
tained over many streams, and each
ferry across the Tuscarawas river had
to pay So a year, and on Sandy and
other bodies OF water a like amount
was assessed. This would indicate
that the streams were at that time
too deep to ford and were navigable.
Some of them were rope ferries, 1t Is
stated by old residents, while others
were manipulated with paddles.
SYSTEM OF TOLL.
Not only were the ferries licensed
but the tolls they could charge were
fixed by the commissioners. A foot
man had to pay 6 IA cents, a man
and horse shilling, loaded wagon
and team four shillings, or so cents.
Meat cattle, which was a term used
to apply to cows, oxen and others OF
the genus bos, were charged II
cents EACH
Apparently to reward him for the
use Of his house as place of meet
ing, James Campbell was appointed
treasurer of the county. There was
nothing said about his salary, bur
I he was required to give bond in the
rum of $1,000. His bondsmen were
George Bair and Phillip Sluther.
Joseph McGugin was appointed
sheriff on June 8. 1901.
Among the first acts of the COM
sInissiOners was to take measures to-
lward ridding the country of the num-
aerous beasts that made stockraising
almost impossible, and which to some
degree at least endangered human life
A bounty was offered for the scalp3
of wolves and panthers. Fifty cents
was given for each scalp of an animal
under six months old and 81 for tho
mature varmints. A little later these
bounties were doubled.
PANTHER WAS DREADED.
The most dreaded of all the animals
at that time was the panther. or as
It was called in the Allegheny noun
tains, the catamount, Ca cat OF the
(, mountain.) Their childlike cries were
supposed to lure people into the for.
,ests, where they would be attacked
by the vicious beasts. This species
is still found In the Rockies, where
! It Is called the mountain lion. 1t Is
much more cowardly now than then
and less liable to attack human
being. N
In the swamps in this section. not
only were panthers numerous, but
bears. deer and other game We're
i abundant.
Tho first levy OF taxes was made
on horses and cattle. The former were
assessed 81 each, and cattle 40 cents