The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1957-12-19

lucky. and by other carriers the mail
went on to or came from them. Soon
after the mail route was extended ov-
er another trail to Cleveland via Can
field Mails came once a week.
In 1899 Ebenezer Zane and John
Mcintyre, his son-in-law, laid out a
town around McCulloch's cabin and
called it Westbourn. 1t kept that
name until regular post office, with
Thomas Dowden as postmaster, was
established there in 1902; it was then
renamed GAINESVILLE, after Zane. The
post office was in frame hut on
Front street near the river. A few
more families had moved in, and
GAINESVILLE then had a couple of grog
shops, one store but no tavern. Trav-
elers ate at the saloons and slept on
the floor there.
1t was then tnat John Mcintyre
turned his log house into a tavern
with his wife helping him run it.
There travellers had better fare and
clean beds in which to sleep. 1t was
Zanesvilles first hotel - on the cor
ner of Market and Second streets,
near the river. 1t was in cleared
maple grove, meaning that the weeds,
bushes and underground had been cut
away.
In 1902 David Harvey opened Sec
ond tavern in the town, on the corner
of Third and Main streets = the
first building in GAINESVILLE with
shingle roof. Then John Mcintyre
quit business.
In 1904 the Legislature created
Muskingum County covering all OF
present Muskingum, Coshocton, most
of Holmes, Tuscarawas and Guern-
sey, and parts of Perry, Morgan,
Monroe and Carroll counties.
Yet, with few houses and its streets
covered with standing trees, stumps,
logs and underbrush, GAINESVILLE was
made the county seat. Anticipating
the honor, residents of the town had
turned out in a body and cleared the
bushes off the public square to make
the town appear as good as possible.
y Coshocton, too, wanted to be county
seat, and some persons preferred the
Cass neighborhood above Dresden.
! But, being nearer Marietta, Zanes-
vile was chosen This would forever
forestall setting up any other county
between the two, it was believed.
In 1903 the unappropriated United
States military lands had been opened
to the market and land office was
established at GAINESVILLE. This
brought many sales and many settle
ments into the big county.
The first court was in Harveys tav-
ern, but shortly afterwards wooden
Jail was built and another wooden
building was put up for court house,
the sheriff and family living on the
ground floor and the court room and
public meetings held upstairs. These
were between the later court house
q and Jail and were finally burnt down
by negro in Jail for larceny.
GAINESVILLE was made the State cap
ital in February, 1910, with head
quarters in brick building especially
built for it in front of the old court
house the year before at their own
expense. If the State moved out, the
place would make good court house
anyway. This actually happened. The
Legislature met there during the ses-
sions of 1810-1811 and 1811-1812, then
the capital was moved permanently
to Columbus.
All the foregoing gave the town
impetuosity, and though in 1909 parts
of the town plat still were covered
with natural growths of timber, dur
ing 1913 much land was entered with.
in three miles of GAINESVILLE and set.
tiers continued to move there despite
the loss of the State capital
Though putting up additional build
ings and adding other improvement:
i for the capital at GAINESVILLE, the coun
ty fell heavily into debt, and its scrip
was long under par, but, ultimatel.
! all debts were paid.
! LEBANON, Ohio, is International,
n