Butler County, Ohio

Ohio Counties

Historical Collections of Ohio

By Henry Howe

Vol. I

©1888

BUTLER COUNTY

Page 342

BUTLER COUNTY was formed in 1803 from Hamilton and named from General Richard BUTLER, a distinguished officer of the Revolution, who fell in St. Clair’s defeat. With his brothers he emigrated from Ireland to America, before 1760, and was for along time an Indian trader. Area, 460 square miles. In 1885 the acres cultivated were 149,560; in pasture, 28,864; woodland, 29,874; lying waste, 8,798; produced in wheat, 233,791 bushels; oats, 542,322; corn, 3,335,595; broomcorn, 176,190 pounds; tobacco, 502,849; cattle, 18,817. School census 1886, 14,234; teachers, 208. It has 77 miles of railroad.

Township And Census	1840	1880	Township And Census	1840	1880
Fairfield	3,580	14,692	Oxford	3,422	3,644
Hanover	1,680	1,352	Reiley	1,758	1,499
Lemon	3,065	6,775	Ross	1,524	1,692
Liberty	1,479	1,458	St. Clair	2,307	1,252
Madison	2,208	2,555	Union	2,118	2,163
Milford	1,868	1,884	Wayne	1,562	1,728
Morgan	1,726	1,884

Population in 1820 was 21755; in 1840, 28,207; 1860, 35,840; 1880, 42,579, of whom 31,530 were Ohio-born.

Butler county has been termed “THE GARDEN OF OHIO.” It is within the blue limestone formation and is one of the richest in the State. The Great Miami, river runs through it. This valley here averages a breadth of twelve miles, and the soil of its bottom lauds are of a deep black and famed for their immense crops of corn, while the uplands are equally well adapted to wheat and barley. The county is traversed by so many small streams that over 1,000 bridges are in use. The uplands are beautifully undulating, forming charming scenes of pastoral beauty. A large proportion of its population is of German descent. “Butler county,” says Professor Orton, “stands scarcely second in productive power to any equal area in the State. No qualification certainly would be required if the valley of tile Great Miami and that portion of the county lying east of the river were alone to be taken into account. This region might put in an unquestioned claim to be styled the Garden of Ohio.”’

It was intended as a place of deposit

Fort Hamilton

References.—A. The old fort built by St. Clair.

B. Addition a. Officer’s Quarters b.

Mess room. C. Magazine. D. Artificer’s shop

c, f, g. Block-houses.

C. Bridge across the Miami shown in the view of Rossville.

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for provisions and to form the first link in the communication between Fort Washington and the object of the campaign. It was a stockade of fifty yards square, with four good bastions, and platforms for cannon in two of them, with barracks. In the summer succeeding an addition was made to the fort by order of General WILKINSON, which consisted in enclosing with pickets an area of ground on the north part, so that it extended up the, river to about the north line of the present Stable street. The southern point of the work extended to the site of the Associate Reformed church.

The plan given of the fort is from the survey of Mr. James McBRIDE, of Hamilton, made by him several years after. The following items upon the early history of Hamilton are from the MSS. of James McBRIDE:

Major Rudolph at Fort Hamilton.—Late in the fall of 1792, all advance corps of troops, under the command of ^-Major RUDOLPH, arrived at Fort Hamilton, where they wintered. They consisted of three companies of light dragoons, one of rifle, and one of infantry. RUDOLPH was a major of dragoons from lower Virginia. His reputation was that of an arbitrary and tyrannical officer. Some time in the spring seven soldiers deserted to the Ohio river, where, procuring a canoe, they started for New Orleans. Ten or fifteen miles below the falls of the Ohio they were met by Lieut. (since Gen.) CLARK, and sent back to Fort Hamilton, where a court-martial sentenced three of them to be hung, two to run the gauntlet, and the remaining two to lie in irons in the guard-house for a stipulated period. John BROWN Seth BLINNS and GALLAHER were the three sentenced to be hung. The execution took place the next day, on a gallows erected below the fort, just south of the site of the present Associate Reformed church, and near the residence of James B. THOMAS.

Execution of Deserters—Five hundred soldiers were drawn up in arms around the fatal spot to witness the exit of their unfortunate comrades. The appearance of the sufferers at the gallows is said to have been most prepossessing. They were all young men of spirit and handsome appearance, in the opening bloom of life, with their long hair floating over their shoulders. John BROWN was said to have been a young man of very respectable connections, who lived near Albany, N. Y. Early in life he had formed an attachment for a young woman in his neighborhood of unimpeachable character, but whose social standing did not comport with the pride of his parents. He was forbidden to associate with her, and required to pay his addresses to another. Broken-hearted and desponding, he left his home, enlisted in a company of dragoons, and came to the West. His commanding officer treated him so unjustly that he was led to desert. When under the gallows, the sergeant, acting as executioner, inquired why the sentence of the law should not be enforced upon him, he replied with emphasis, pointing to Major RUDOLPH, “that he had rather die nine hundred deaths than be subject to the command of such a man,” and was swung off without a murmur. Seth BLINN was the son of a respectable widow residing in the State of New York. The rope being awkwardly fastened around his neck he struggled greatly. Three times he raised his feet until they came in contact with the upper part of the gallows when the exertion broke his neck.

Immediately after the sentence had been pronounced on these men, a friend hastened to Fort Washington, where he obtained a pardon from Gen. WILKINSON. But he was too late. The execution had been hastened by Major RUDOLPH and he arrived at Hamilton fifteen minutes after the spirits of these unfortunate men had taken their flight to another world. Their bodies were immediately committed to the grave under the gallows. There, in the dark and narrow house in silence, lies the only son of a widowed mother, the last of his family. A vegetable garden is now cultivated over the spot by those who think not nor know not of the once warm heart that lies cold below.

Running the Gauntlet.—The two other deserters were sentenced to run the gauntlet sixteen times between two ranks of soldiers, which was carried forthwith into execution. The lines were formed in the rising ground east of the fort, where now lies Front street, and extended from Smithman’s corner to the intersection of Ludlow street. One of them, named ROBERTS, having passed eight times through the ranks fell, and was unable to proceed. The attendant physician stated that he, could stand it no longer, as his life had already been endangered.

Fate of Rudolph.—Some time after Gen. Wayne arrived at the post, and, although frequently represented as an arbitrary- man, he was so much displeased with the cruelty of Major RUDOLPH, that he gave him his. Choice—to resign or be cashiered. He chose the former, returned to Virginia, and subsequently, in company with another gentleman, purchased a ship, and went on a trading voyage to Europe. They were captured (it is, stated) by an Algerine cruiser, and RUDOLPH was hung at the yardarm of his own vessel. I have heard some of those who were under his command in Wayne’s army express satisfaction at the fate of this unfortunate man.

In the summer of 1792 two wagoners were watching some oxen, which had been turned

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out to graze on the common below the fort shower of rain coming on, they retired for shelter under a tree, which stood near when e sycamore grove now is. Some Indians, who had been watching from under the covet the adjoining underbrush, rushed suddenly upon them, killed one, and took the other prisoner. The latter was Henry SHAFOR, who after his return, lived until a few years past two or three miles below Rossville, on the river.

Arrival of Wayne’s Army.—In September ‘93, the army of Wayne marched from Cincinnati to Fort Hamilton, and encamped in upper part of the prairie, about half a mile south of the present town, nearly on the me ground on which Gen. St. Clair had encamped in 1791. Here they threw up breastwork, the remains of which may yet be aced at the point where the present road strikes the Miami river, above Traber’s mill. A few days after they continued their march ward the Indian country.

Gen. Wayne detailed a strong guard of en for the defence of the fort, the command which was given to Major Jonathan CASS, the army of the Revolution, and father of the Hon. Lewis CASS, of the United States Senate. Major CASS continued in command until the treaty of Greenville.

Hamilton Laid Out.—On the 17th of December, 1794, Israel LUDLOW laid out within Symmes’s purchase, the original plat the town of Hamilton, which he at first, after short time only, called Fairfield. Shortly after a few settlers came in. The first settlers were Darius C. ORCUT, John GREEN William M’CLENNAN, John SUTHERLAND, John TORRENCE, Benjamin F. RANDOLPH, Benjamin DAVIS, Isaac WILES, Andrew CHRISTY, and William HUBBERT.

Previous to 1801 all the lands on the west side of the Great Miami were owned by the United States, consequently side there were no improvements made on that side of the river except by a few squatters. There was on log-house built at an early period near the west end of the bridge now owned by the heirs of L. P. SAYRE. On the first Monday in April, 1801—at the first sale of the United rates lands west of the Miami, held at Cincinnati company purchased the site of Rossville, on which, March 14, 1804, they .laid out the town. Mr. John REILY was the agent for the proprietors.

Early Events.—The first settlers of Hamilton m suffered much from the fever and ague, and being principally disbanded soldiers, without energy, and many of them dissipated but little improvement was made for the first few years. In those early times horse-racing was a favorite amusement, and an affair of all-engrossing interest. On public days, indeed on almost every other Saturday, the streets and commons in the upper part of the town were converted into race-paths. The race-course comprehended the common from Second to Fourth street. At Second street, a short distance north of the site of the Catholic church, was an elevated scaffold, on which stood the judges of the race. On grand occasions the plain within the course and near it was occupied with booths erected with forks and covered with boughs. Here everything was said, done, eaten, sold, and drank. Here was BLACK JACK with his fiddle, and his votaries making the dust fly with a four-handed, or rather four-footed reel; and every fifteen or twenty minutes was a rush to some part to see a “fisticuff.” Among the bustling crowd of jockeys were assembled all classes. Even judges of the court mingled with the crowd, and sometimes presided at the contests of speed between the ponies of the neighborhood.

Soon after the for