Ohio Counties
Adams
Historical Collections of Ohio
By Henry Howe
Vol. II
©1888
Page 189
MARION COUNTY
was organized March 1, 1824, and named from General Francis Marion, of South
Carolina, a partisan officer of the Revolution. The surface is level, except on
the extreme east. The Sandusky plain, which is prairie land, covers that part
of the county north of Marion end west of the Whetstone, and is well adapted to
grazing: the remaining part, comprising about two-thirds of the surface, is
best adapted to wheat. The soil is fertile. The principal farm-crops are corn,
wheat and grass, a large proportion of the prairie land being appropriated to
grazing: much live-stock and wool is produced in the county.
Area about 430 square miles. In 1887 the acres cultivated were
118,256; in pasture, 48,900; woodland, 29,570; lying waste, 913; produced in
wheat, 367,801 bushels; rye, 1,188; buckwheat, 446; oats, 400,809; barley,
3,201; corn, 1,193,790; broom-corn, 200 lbs. brush; meadow hay, 18,492 tons;
clover hay, 7,412; flaxseed, 1,788 bushels; potatoes, 42,267; tobacco, 104
lbs.; butter, 437,341; sorghum, 1,256 gallons; maple sugar, 3,647 lbs.; honey,
4,005; eggs, 679,743 dozen; grapes, 7,775 lbs.; wine, 179 gallons; sweet
potatoes, 95 bushels; apples, 7,221; peaches, 355; pears, 619; wool, 323,938
lbs.; milch cows owned, 5,066. School
census, 1888, 7,299; teachers, 279. Miles of railroad track, 161.
|
Township And Census |
1840 |
1880 |
|
Township And Census |
1840 |
1880 |
|
Big Island |
554 |
1,226 |
|
Morven |
976 |
|
|
Bowling Green |
324 |
1,219 |
|
Pleasant |
1,414 |
1,188 |
|
Canaan |
1,027 |
|
|
Prospect |
|
1,724 |
|
Claridon |
1,084 |
1,771 |
|
Richland |
1,138 |
1,210 |
|
Gilead |
1,150 |
|
|
Salt Rock |
607 |
551 |
|
Grand |
605 |
485 |
|
Scott |
854 |
553 |
|
Grand Prairie |
716 |
485 |
|
Tully |
870 |
878 |
|
Green Camp |
361 |
1,362 |
|
Waldo |
|
997 |
|
Marion |
1,638 |
5,151 |
|
Washington |
880 |
|
|
Montgomery |
552 |
1,765 |
|
|
|
|
Population of
Marion in 1830, 6,558 ; 1840, 18,352; 1860, 15,490 ; 1880, 20,565, of whom
16,332 were born in Ohio; 1,057, Pennsylvania; 268, New York ; 202; Virginia ;
133, Indiana; 33, Kentucky; 1,017, German Empire; 450, Ireland; 193, England
and Wales; 69, British America.; 16, Scotland, and 16, France. Census, 1890, 24,727.
Soil, Surface, Climate and Wind.—This county
is on the broad watershed between Lake Erie and the Ohio, about fifty miles
south of the west end of the lake. It is watered by the Scioto and its affluents, and by affluents of
the Little Sandusky and Tymochtee. It is
mostly flat and has a black prairie soil, and its streams are but from four to six feet below the level of the land. Good gravel for road-making is found in the
south part and potters' clay abounds. Good building stone is quarried. The winters seldom keep the ground frozen, and
from; November to April there is a continual strife for mastery between the
cold zone of the north and the hot of the
south. Its yearly average of thermometer is 50o1;
2o warmer than Cleveland and 2o to 5o colder
than Cincinnati. The
average depth of rain, including snow as melted, is forty inches; on the lake
shore, thirty-three inches; Cincinnati, forty-six inches. From May to October the average temperature is delightful. Hail storms and hurricanes seldom occur. June, 1835, a frost killed the wheat and the young leaves of the
forests. In
Page 190
1855 there was
frost every, month. In 1824 the famous
tornado which arose near West Liberty, Logan
county, destroyed a number of buildings in Bellefontaine, carrying bits
of shingle and clothing into Big Island township,
a distance of thirty miles; it there wrestled with the big forest, lost
its breath and succumbed. Another tornado, the year after, began in Scott township and extended beyond New Haven, in Huron county, going northeast, making sad havoc. The cabin of one "old Jake STATELER"
was in its track; he was alone, saw it
coming, pulled up a puncheon from the
floor and darted under. When he crawled
out his cabin had vanished and a clearing made through the forest of a quarter
of a mile wide. He was astonished, but being alone "there was no use of
talking."
By the treaty
concluded at the foot of the Maumee rapids, September 29, 1817, Lewis Cass and Duncan McArthur being commissioners on the part of the United States, there was granted to the Delaware Indians a reservation of three miles square, on or near the
northern boundary of this county, and adjoining the Wyandot reservation of
twelve miles square. This reservation was to be equally divided among the
following persons: CAPTAIN PIPE, ZESHAUAU or James
ARMSTRONG, MAHAUTOO or John ARMSTRONG, SANOUDOYEASQUAW
or Silas ARMSTRONG, TEOROW or BLACK
RACCOON, HAWDOROUWATISTIE or Billy
MONTOUR, BUCK WHEAT, William DONDEE,
Thomas LYONES, JOHNNY CAKE, CAPTAIN WOLF,
Isaac and John HILL, TISHATAHOONES or Widow ARMSTRONG, AYENUCERE,
HOOMAUROU or John MING, and YOURDORAST. Some of these Indians had lived at Jeromeville, in Ashland and Greentown, in Richland county, which last village was burnt by the whites early in
the late war. By the treaty concluded at Little Sandusky, August 3, 1829, John McElvain being United
States commissioner, the Delawares ceded this
reservation to the United States for $3,000,
and removed west of the Mississippi.—Old Edition.
Marion in 1846.—Marion, the county-seat, is forty-four miles north of
Columbus. It was laid out in 1821 by Eber BAKER and
Alexander HOLMES, who were proprietors of the soil. It is compactly built; the view, taken in front of the Marion
hotel, shows one of the principal streets: the court-house appears on the left, the Mirror office on the right, and
Berry's hill in the distance. General
Harrison passed through this region in the late war, and encamped with his
troops just south of the site of the village, on the edge of the prairie, at a
place known as "Jacob's well." The town is improving steadily, and has some
fine brick buildings: it contains 1 Presbyterian, 1 Methodist and 1 German
church, an academy, 2 newspaper printing offices, 15 dry goods, 1 drug and 5
grocery stores, 1 saw, 1 fulling, oil and carding
mill, and about 800 inhabitants; in 1840 it had a population of 570.—Old
Edition.
MARION,
county-seat of Marion, about forty miles north of Columbus, is the centre of a
fine agricultural and grazing country. It is on
the N. Y. P. & O., C. C. C. & I, C. H. V. & T. and C. &
A. Railroads, and is noted for its extensive quarries and lime-kilns.
County Officers, 1888: Auditor, William L. CLARK; Clerk, Harry R. YOUNG; Commissioners, Isaac A. MERCHANT,
William L. RAUB, Phillip LOYER; Coroner, James
A. McMURRAY; Infirmary Directors, Horace
W. RILEY, Zaccheus W. HIPSHER, Jacob D. LUST;
Probate Judge, John H. CRISWELL; Prosecuting
Attorney, Daniel R. CRISSINGER; Recorder, Charles HARRAMAN; Sheriff,
Patrick KELLY; Surveyor, James W. SCOTT, Treasurer, George W. COOK. City officers, 1888: C. P. GALLEY, Mayor; A. L. CLARK, Clerk; Chas. MEYERS, Treasurer; W. E. SCHOFIELD, Solicitor;
John WELSCH, Street Commissioner; John CUNNINGHAM, Surveyor; Charles BUENNEKE, Marshal. Newspapers: Star,
Independent, W. G. HARDING, editor; Independent,
Republican; George CRAWFORD, editor; Democratic, Mirror, Democratic, Ned THACTCHER, editor. Churches: 2 Methodist, 1 Catholic, 3 Albright,
2 Lutheran, 1 African Methodist Episcopal, 2 Baptist, 1 Episcopal, 1 United Baptist, 1 German Reformed, and 1
Presbyterian. Banks: Fahey's, Timothy
FAHEY, president, A. C. EDMONDSON, cashier; Farmers', Robert KERR,
Page 191
Top Picture
Drawn by
Henry Howe 1846.
VIEW IN MARION.
Bottom Picture
Wm. H. Moore, Photo., Marion,
1887.
VIEW IN MARION.
Page 192
president, J. J. HANE, cashier; Marion County, James S. REED, president, R. A. JOHNSON, cashier; Marion Deposit, P. WALLACE, cashier.
Manufactures and Employees.—F. Dale,
staves and headings, 13 hands; Marion Malleable Iron Co., 50; Bryan &
Prendergast, planing mill work, 20; B. J. Camp,
turning and scroll sawing, 3; Reiber Flouring Mill
Co., 3; Marion Steam Shovel Co., 80; Gregory & Sears, flour, meal and feed,
6; Huber Manufacturing . Co., traction engines, etc., 179; Huber Manufacturing
Co., boilers, 34; Marion Manufacturing Co., thrashers, hullers, etc., 41; Linsley & Lawrence,
flooring, siding, etc., 6.—State
Reports, 1888. Population
in 1880, 3,899. School
census, 1888, 1,655; A. G. CROUSE, school superintendent. Capital invested in industrial establishments,
$443,200. Value of annual
product, $854,500.—Ohio
Labor Statistics, 1887. Census, 1890, 8,327.