Richmond Palladium (Daily), Volume 40, Number 245, 25 September 1915 — Page 10

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THE RICmiCND PALLADIUM AND SUN-TELEGRA1I. SATURDAY," SEPT. 23, 1915

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Off Freefcni - Lrai

Dr. O. N. Huff, Long Resident of "Old Newport," Relates How Levi Coffin and Other Citizens Helped Slaves Escape Southern Bondage and Make Their Way to Freedom in Canada Characters of "Uncle Tom's Cabin" Lived at Fountain City Whole Community Helped Colored People Escape Brought Sacrifices For Betterment and Liberation of an Oppressed Race Home of Early Temperance Society -Private Subscriptions Financed "Protectionist," Organ Devoted to Fight Against Human! -Slavery and ... to Free, the Negro.

BY. DR. O. N, HUFF. F. B. Macauley, the great English essayist and historian, once said that "A people which takes no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors, will never achieve anything worthy to be remembered by their descendants." , . . . Edmund Burke expressed about the same sentiment when he said. "Those who do not treasure up the memory of their ancestors do not deserve to be , remembered by posterity." . The citizens of old Newport were men and women of sterling character and stood boldly and fearlessly for what . they believed to be right. What .i a. i -l t a ill lUCjr VUU'.PIIUCU IUI UBQ pfclVWU OUU Will continue to grow in the estimation of the Christian world, and who can say that they lived in vain? We are all more or less a species of hero worshipers and ready always to applaud the work and achievements of men and women who have stood by a principle at whatever cost, and particularly Is this true when .their work and sacrifices were for the betterment and liberation of an oppressed humanity. Honest work for a noble principle is never lost, even in the face t annavanr A A t a o ,T)mit1i tfu ah aA il earth will rise again," and others will tie found ready to battle for the right --Until the victory Is won. "Eternity alone will reveal how eternal truth widens Its sweep and reaches out to the farthest shores of time." The town of Newport, now Fountain City, was platted and laid out by Redden Chance and Solomon Thomas . Sept. 6. 1818. 97 years ago. Forty acres of land was the original town site. This forty acres was part of the land entered by George Shugart. Sr.. who umiirotoH from TC P In IROfi. rilirlne the administration of James Madison. The first streets were those north and south, Water street, on the east, ' Main, Walnut and Green street on the west. Streets running east and west were Cherry on the south, Main Cross, Mill and Davis on the north. Main and Main Cross streets were originally three rods wide, but later by common consent became 60 feet wide. The lots were numbered and 51 and 52 were donated to Zadoc Williams for the purpose of making brick as it was thought no doubt there would be a treat demand for such material. Hcugh. Green, Baldwin, Parry and Cowgill additions were laid out later. In 182a George Shugart Sr., built the first grist mill aB they were called, on the east end of Mill street. It was not a speedy affair, but very Industrious and it was said when it got through grinding one grain of corn it immediately jumped on to another one. Some years after this mill was bought by Levi Coffin and converted into an oil mill which was operated as such. for a number of years. In 1835 Eli Osborn, Isaac and Jesse Reynolds built a five story steam flour and corn mill and connected with it a woolen mlli; which did carding, coloring, spinning and weaving. This building stood on the east side of the river northeast of the Iron bridge and was the largest and best equipped mill in the county at that time. People came to this mill from a radius of 50 miles. In 1848 William Moses and Hiram Hough built ah adjoining building and engaged in the manufacture of Btoves and other castings, but the expense of hauling by wagon, the ore and coke from Cincinnati, was too great and the venture was given up after one year's experience. In 1823 Jonathan Hough built the first saw mill in the townBhip. It stood near the bridge over Nolan's fork just south of town. In the early thirties. David Willcuts built a saw mill half a mile northeast of town afterwards owned by Aaron Reynolds and Benjamin Pitts. Thomas Nicholson built a gunshop adjoining the mill and his guns were noted for fine workmanship and shooting qualities. In 1847 Job Reynolds built a large and well equipped flour mill south of town in which was installed the first turbine water wheel ever . used as a motive power. Mr. Reynolds was the inventor of this wheel but was tardy in proving up. After he had been operating the new water power for some months, a stranger came ot the mill one day and said he had heard of the wheel and requested to see the won derful invention ana wr. neynoias luun great pride in showing the man over the mill. Several months afterward Mr. Reynolds was notified by an attorney that he was infringing on his client's patent turbine wheel, and he must pay at once a royalty for its use or suit would be brought against him, and there was no other course but to pay for the right to use his own invention. The patent laws of those days were very different from those of today. . During the first 25 years there were a number of struggling Industries and manufactures more or less successful. Blacksmithing was a great industry in those days. Several shops and each one employing 4 or 5 men. They made all the horse shoes, nails, bolts, chains, Ironed all the wagons and carriages. In fact everything m ueir ime as there was no ready made hardware on the market at that time. There were a number of wagon and carriage shops. Two potter shops as they were callted, made earthenware. As early as 1R35 there were two hat shops owned

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by John S. Hunt and Thomas Williams who manufactured all kinds of hats from the soft wool to the slick plug, as well as the wide brimmed white fur with the long nap. worn by the men of the Quaker faith as well as the small boy. These hats weighed "night unto ten pounds," at least the small boy in toto shirt and pants 'thought so. , There were tin shops and tan yards. The first tan yard about 1828 was built ' by a Mr. TJnthank. This was bought by Daniel Huff, Sr., and moved to the south end of Green street. Another one was near the Friends church in northeast part of town, operated at different times by Cyrus -Puckett, Ellas Baldwin and Billy Willcuts. Two chair factories were operated by Alexander Curry and Robert Curtis, and a number of these chairs are in Fountain City and as good as the day they were made. Cooper shops, tailoring shops, harness and saddlery shops. . . Another industry was the making of wooden clocks by one John Hough, who lived near the railroad bridge, south of town. A few houses at this place was called New Liberty and at one time tried to rival old Newport. For a number of years the place was very active in business enterprises. Levi Coffin came to Newport In 1826 to live and started the first general store. His business prospered and he gradually enlarged it. Began cutting pork and shipped to Cincinnati. The only means of shipping in those days was by wagons, and four and six horse teams were common things in those days carrying pork, grain and other products to market and bringing back groceries, dry goods and all kinds of merchandise , in demand at the village. Another very important part of the, village were two hotels and they were well patronized. ' The old stage line from Richmond to Winchester, at one time exchanged horses here. They carried the mail also. For some time they received mail twice a week. Later every other day, going north Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and South Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. One of the hotels mentioned was The Mansion House, S. Nixon proprietor, the other was The Price House, kept by Jediah Price. It may shock the nerves of some good people to know that our town at one time had two distilleries that manufactured the old time "Mountain dew" out of corn. One of them was located a little north of where the Metbddist church stands. The man who operated this one used an open well from which he dipped water with a rope and bucket for use in his still,and in doing so stood upon a broad plank across the top of the well. It came to pass on a certain night that some one who must have been the original "Prohi" in Eastern Indiana, sawed this plank on the under side and the next morning when the "still" man walked out on the plank to dip water he took a sudden plunge and went "wet." No neighbors were near and but for the plank that went down with him he would have drowned for he spent an hour or two yelling for help before any one heard him and pulled him out of the ice cold water. History does not tell whether he remained "wet" or turned "dry," "but the probabilities are that he finally became "dry." As early as 1830 the people became disgusted with the frequent brawls and carousals caused by intoxicating drink. There were 2 saloons in the place. By appointment 3 men . met one evening to discuss the situation. It was agreed that an effort be made to organize a temperance society. Church members, even, in those days were not always abstainers and there was much opposition. It was a grave question whether such an organization could be sustained. It was pioneer work. Advertisements were written and posted, signed by 3 Friends and 3 Methodists and a great public excitement was created. They met in the school house. A committee was appointed to draft constitution and by lawB, but having been previously written, the committee soon returned. On motion for their adoption the fight began in earnest. The opposition was formidable even from some prominent church members, but they were finally overcome, and the society was organized under the name of Newport Temperance Society. There were twelve charter members. At the second meeting there were added 40 new members. The excitement spread to neighboring villages and many were the jeers even by the church against the society. They held a council at Williamsburg four miles west and issued a challenge to Newport to debate the question between 3 members of their choosing and 3 by the Newport society. It was agreed to have the discussion in the school house at Newport. It began at 2 o'clock in the afternoon and continued In great earnestness until 12 o'clock at night, with a final and complete victory for the Newport society. The interest did not abate and- there was a radical change in public sentiment, and before the close of the year there were between 300 and 400 signers of the pledge to the society. .The saloons were put out of business and Newport or Fountain City has never had an open saloon

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since that time. We should not fail to mention the newspapers published In the early days of Fountain City. This was ably done a few years ago by Major M. M. Lacey In a paper read before the Wayne County Historical Society. - , "The Protectionist" . edited by Arnold Buffum, was established In 1840. Buffum was a man of fine education, eloquent in speech and a pungent writer, bold and .fearless in his utterances and so radical in his opinions especially on the slavery question that he antagonized and irritated those who did not agree with him. He believed in carrying his principles to the ballot box, and advocated the immediate emancipation of human slavery. Buffum was wholly .without financial resources, so that the real sinews of war were furnished by faithful friends of the cause. He continued as editor for about one year and left Newport for larger fields. After Buf turn's departure it became a grave question to the anti-slavery Friends whether to discontinue the publication or endeavor to secure a new editor.. Those men were heroes. They well knew that it had been a financial loss and would probably continue to be, but they believed that it was , for a righteous cause, so It was decided to keep up the publication and they looked about for. a suitable editor. Benjamin Stanton, who then lived in Ohio, was finally engaged to conduct the paper. He had had no experience as an editor but was a man of fair education and a school teacher by profession. He did not possess the fine personal appearance nor the eloquent tongue of Buffman, but he was a ready , and caustic writer,. and on the whole was a man of ' more tact and common sense. Stanton in assuming charge immediately changed its name to that of "The Free Labor Advocate." He continued as editor a number of years and the paper , created - a sentiment and wielded an influence in the anti-slavery cause. which we have no way of estimating. In . educational matters Newport society has always taken a front rank and has always been noted for her good schools. She can honestly claim today of having the best approved and most beautiful school building of any town of like size in a large territory and her teachers receive the largest salaries of any in Wayne county outside of Richmond. But it is in the cause of human freedom that the early history of this place" shines with brightest magnitude. . As early as 1828 Levi Coffin began to take fleeing slaves into his own home, and it was not long before Newport was widely known as one of the chief depots of the Underground R. R.

Veterans Recall Meredith's Memory

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Indiana veterans attending the national encampment of the G. A. R. at Washington next week : will recall the memory of Solomon Meredith.' who raised a regiment of volunteers in Wayne county at the first call for men. It belonged to the famous "Iron Brigade," and was known as the Nineteenth Indiana. In Oct 1862, ' Col. Meredith was promoted brigadier general. At Gettysburg the famous brigade did heroic, service and Gen. Meredith was so badly wounded that he was never fit for active service again. He died Oct. 11, 1875. . i

BHKDK and Coffin as Its president and chief Supt. When his friends and neighbors saw the fearless manner in which he entered the work, they became more bold and as time progressed Levi Coffin had about him as brave and courageous a band of workers as ever followed a leader. Ready at all times to' suffer . ridicule, r persecutions, . threats, and even social and religious ostracism for the sake of the oppressed in bondage. -: ' . . - , ; . There were three routes from the Ohio river which centered at Newport, one from Cincinnati via West Elkton, another from 'Madison, Ind., and a third from Jeffersonville. From Newport . north there . were two chief lines. One directly north via Winchester or Cabin Creek on to Canada by the Michigan route and the other northeast through Spartansburg and the Greenville settlement to Sandusky, Ohio, thence across Lake Erie to Canada and freedom. These poor fugitives came singly or many together. There have been as many as seventeen in the village at one time. One of my Informants said' she remembered her two oldest sisters getting breakfast for 17 of these escaping slaves. They chiefly traveled at night and remained in hiding during the day. The arrival of a trian was never announced by the blowing of a whistle or the ringing of a bell, but a gentle knock on the door by the pilot or conductor of the road. No matter how many there were in the company or how dirty, ragged and hungry, often times cold and . wet from the storms prevailing without, they were given a cordial welcome and quietly invited into the house and all their present needs supplied. Although there was no public announcement made of the arrival of these silent trains, yet in Borne mysterious way every antislavery worker in the town knew it, and was constantly on the alert for slave catchers and the pursuing masters.Even the small boys became Imbued with the same spirit and often times did good detective work. Many times, were the pursuers in the town while the slaves were in hiding, but no slave was ever captured here, and with a very few exceptions were any overtaken that ever got as far as Newport. We can ; well imagine the Bkill and tact that was shown in this work when we remember that for twenty years the , average number received and cared for and Bent on the way to freedom was annually 100 or more, making a total of over 2,000 slaves that passed through old Newport. Many of these slaves were people of fine character and intelligence. Let us mention only two of the most renowned. The most widely known was Eliza Harris, the story of whom was

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made famous the world over by Harriet Beecher Stowe in her graphic description "Uncle Tom's Cabin." She was brought to Newport to elude her pursuers. She rested at Levi Coffin's ; for a number of days, and her thrilling and daring escape across the Ohio riv- ' er near Ripley on the broken Ice with her two year old boy In her arms touched the hearts of all who heard it. The story told in Uncle Tom's Cabin Is practically true and not exaggerated, and the man who watched her daring feat from the Ohio side and 'helped her up the bank and directed her to a place of safety was Wm. Lacey, a brother of M. M. Lacey. the president of Old Trails Read association at Fountain City. Wm. Lacey was engaged in some sort of cecret service work and happened to be at that place in time to help the fleeing fugitive in her desperate attempt to save herself and child. When she reached the Coffin home she was sick and exhausted from the exposure and excitement and quietly, rested until fully recovered and ready to continue her journey to Canada and freedom. Louis Talbert was another famous slave to reach freedom. He was a very Intelligent negro with great physical powers. After making his own escape he would make an occasional trip south and secretly organize a company of slaves and pilot them through to liberty. He was finally captured at the depot at Indianapolis by his master and was told that he had been the means of losing his master $37,000 worth of slave property and he was doomed to be sold away farther south where it would be almost impossible to escape. His old mistress plead so earnestly for him that he was saved from the physical tortures usually administered in such cases, but to Talbert being sold to the far south was a worse punishment. At one time or another Louis Talbert went to school at the Union Literary Seminary for colored students taught for a number of years by Ebenezer Tucker, a prominent educator and anti-slavery man. Tucker in his history ol Randolph county, a very excellent county history, speaks of one time when the Kentuckians were, after Talbert. He says, "The hunters came to Richmond, got assistance and sixteen men came on horse back in the night to Newport. Louis had been there, but had left. They, found no fugitives. Three men started at midnight on foot to come to the institute to tell Louis to get out of the way. They came just at daylight and asked "Is Louis Talbert here?" "No, Why?" "If he is he must make himself scarce; they are after him. Sixteen men came Into Newport last night and will be right up here." Louis had already gone. They did not find him at that time at all. Tucker in his history further says that after Talbert was captured at Indianapolis and his friends supposed he was done for. It was just eix weeks from that date that his black face popped into the door of the institute. "Why Louis, we thought you were down to New Orleans by this time." "Oh no, I was never born to be sold down the river." One of my informants says she saw Talbert one time at Cincinnati after she went there to teach in the public schools. He appeared at the Franklin street school to see her brother whom Talbert had known as a friend in need. "After this" she says, "We never heard of him again, supposing he had been killed or sold into bondage." And. now my friends can you read between the lines, the character of the early ancestors of Fountain City? Wouldn't you say that it was a noble and proud heritage for the present generation? We want to say to you that Fountain City is still the home of fair women and brave men, of beautiful girls and courageous boys all interested in everything which promotes the betterment of mankind and make worthy history for coming generations. We welcome you here tonight In the interest of the Old Trails Road enterprice. The United States has been so tremendously intent on the development of the country and the mad race after the almighty dollar, that they have already lost some golden opportunities to protect the coming people in some of its vast resources. . We in America have been slow to do things in public affairs which have a proper regard for the beautiful. The vast hard wood forests of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys, the finest in the world, have been nearly destroyed without much reserve for a public domain. We rejoice at this time in the growing interest in the great public highways to be managed and controlled by the government. We hepe to live to see more than one great government highway built from ocean to ocean, and from "away down south In Dixie," to the border of the British possessions on the north. That many historical matters and , facts which have well night been lost may yet be preserved, and that our love for the beautiful may grow and grow until in years to come with all our great natural resources and the work of skillful hands, the United States may become the "mecca" of tourists from all over the world.

Early Friends Held ; ; " Services In Humble

Houses Made

Pious Men and Women Construct First Church Near Richmond in 1807 Rapid Influx of - Friends Reflected in Growth of Meetings and Influence' Exerted on Community's Life and Morals.'

A small plank shed, built on the east end cf the old log meeting house, which was situated on the northeast corner of the old Whitewater burying ground at North Tenth and G streets, was - the . birthplace of the Indiana Yearly Meeting. There is an interesting story woven around the early history of the Indiana Yearly Meeting, which had its Inception at Richmond in Tenth Month. 1821. Whitewater Monthly Meeting was opened in this old building on September 30. 1809. two years after the meeting house had been built. It was the' first monthly meeting of Friends opened in Indiana and the fifth in what, became Indiana Yearly Meeting "in 1821. The families of the two reputed founders of Richmond. Smith and Cox. were then living here, according to history. Both these families were formerly located in Ohio and were members of the Miami Monthly Meeting and the toes pinched with cold of the were charter members of the White-, water Monthly meeting. There were about thirty other families of Friends who were members of the Whitewater Monthly meeting in 1809. when it was founded. ; Whitewater Monthly Meeting was set off from West Branch Monthly Meeting held in Miami county. Ohio, in 1809. The first church to be built in the community near Richmond was in 1807. The first member of the Friends church arrived here in 1S06 and by

Plrt Church in Vicinity of Richmond. Uuili by Friends in I W.) -August 1807 the number was augment- presence, full six feet tall, rather stay ed to eighty-four. . children included, der. with a beautiful and expressive and West Branch (Ohio) Monthly countenance, high forehead and nerMeetlng "Indulged" a subordinate vous. active temperament, fond of meeting here. A log meeting house healthful sports in his younger' days, was erected. It was twenty-four feet and always active and agile. He square and in it the present White- dressed in full Friends' garb, his coat water Monthly Meeting was establish- made of the best broadcloth and he ed bv Miami (Ohio) Quarterly meet- wr broad-brimmed silk hat, he was lng. Dr. Plummer, one of the pioneers conspicuous and prominent object in of the city in his Memoir referring to every company where he moved, this meeting house says: "I remem- WMI always a dignified gentleman ber its leaking roof, letting the rain hw no "scetlc and was a cheerful through upon the slab benches, with and happy man. shedding light on all their pairs of legs and no backs; Its about him. He believed it to be the charcoal fires, kept in sugar kettles, duty of every citUen or a republican for as yet stoves were not procured, government to take a part in political and the ties pincrrd with cold of the " always discharged his duty as young, who sat remote from the ket- J,er; but was himself never a canties, and under such circumstances d,dat for nv elective office.

their attendance sufficiently attested the sincerity of their devotion." , . . . , . w..n tk. rear of the meet ng house mas shrty feet long and Tort y feet wide and was built especially for he accommodation of the Indiana d early Meeting in 1821 John Henley who ni one of the well known Quakers of this community. was a member of the Indiana Yearly le.tJng,!r0.m5 "8P??InL"". " hIS, Z j . '" " 'A T ,v" the old Meeting houe. he said that It mas located about 20O feet due meat of the old brirk Meeting house on North G street.

This mas before the city had been opened and taught alone one of the laid out so that the Meeting house nr6l Friends' First-day schools in the must have been located at a place vest. After his removal to Richmond mhich mas later laid out as North ne entered early as practicable Into Tenth street. the m-ork and mas superintendent of Records show that there must have a Friends First-day school up to the been about 200 members of the White- time of his death in 1862. He prepar-m-aV;r Monthly Meeting mithin a fern- ed and published a series of Question veara after its opening. The Meeting Books for use in the First-day schools showed a steady growth as in 1810 the mhich were extensively used among names of 137 additional members mere Friends and did much to help the added to the records. In 1811. 255 teachers. He participated in holding members mere added and in 1S12 there the First State Sunday School Conwere 234 additions to the Meetins venMon at Indianapolis several years roll. before that organization became perThe Friends had settled here and manent. He originated the Central mere holding relizious meetings fif- Book and Tract association of Friends, teen years before any other religious drew the plan for its organization and denomination began reeular work served as its secretary as long as he here. The Methodists in 1822 opened lived. up a church in Richmond although 1:MSBD they had a church located about three mjtrTO mirivn miles from Richmond which had been rAIVlUUo rlvlrjlMJ

opened in about 1S10. In 1810. Jesse Bond mas approved by the church ns a minister of the gospel and as far as can be learned this is the first minister that was recorded by the Monthly Meeting. A fern' years later there is a record of John Morrow, who mas a Quaker minister. Within a few years, however, regularly approved ministers came from other localities and settled in different places among the Friends of this community. William Williams. In 1814 and George Hatton in 1818. located near Richmond as Friend ministers. The records of the Meeting shorn' that frequently. travelling ministering Friends attended the meeting. The Whitewater Monthly Meeting, which was the first meeting to be es tablished in this community mas responsible for the establishment of numerous other meetings in the neighboring counties. Prominent among the early Friends of this community, was Elijah Coffin, who mas clerk of the Indiana Yearly Meeting from 1827 to 1859. fie can really be called the "Father of Earlham College" because he was the first person to propose the establishment

of the Friends' Boarding School, which Clerk of Indiana Yearly Meeting from later came to Earlham college. He 1812 to 1S58. His son Charles F. Cof-m-as active in the management of the fin served from 185S to 1884. '

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institution for the first thirty years of its existence. . Elijah Coffin, who was the son ot Benjamin and Elizabeth Coffin, was born in North Carolina in 1797. and moved to Wayne county with his wife. Naomi, in 1824. They settled in Milton where he was the first postmaster, a position he occupied as long as he resided there. He was appointed by President John Quincy Adams, John McLean being the Postmaster General. The following is a short biography of the man taken from the "Life of Elijah Coffin." by Elbert Russell: ; "He was a well educated man and was a popular school teacher for a year or two, after which he sold goods in Milton until 1833. when he removed to Cincinnati, where he resided until December. 1834.. when he accepted a place as cashier of the Richmond branch of the old State Bank of Indiana, the business of which at that time extended to several of the adjoining counties, and he removed his family to Richmond to reside there until his death In 1862. "He was eminently popular and successful In this position and remained in it' until the expiration of its charter In 1859. . He represented the Richmond branch in the Board of Directors of the State Bank for several years. This brought him In contact with the leading financiers of the state. This Board wis composed of able men. who conducted the State ank with eminent credit and profit, to the state. "Elijah Coffin mas a man of fine "He was clerk of the Indiana Yearly Meeting of Friends from 1827 to 1S59. ana naa mucn 10 ao in connection wun directing its f , He was himself a dll- , t of h BibI! d w among8t lne fir8t to lntro,uce , dJ f , w breakfai!t table. He mas an active m-orker In ,hft - Jb,e Af80clatJon of phmkU and took a deep personal interest In the circulation of the Holy Scriptures. "In connection m ith other young perpons he opened and taught a First-day school before he left North Carolina, and while a resident at Cincinnati IN INDIANA MEETING mm J ELIJAH COFFIN.