Transcription contributed by Martie Callihan 22 January 2005

The History of Warren County Ohio
Part IV Township Histories
Franklin Township by W. C. Reeder
(Chicago, IL: W. H. Beers Co, 1882; reprint, Mt. Vernon, IN: Windmill Publications, 1992)

Page
535

Mr. William A. Van Horne, the eldest child of Maj. Thomas B. Van Horne, was born in Warren County, Ohio, December 23, 1808. Until fifteen years of age, he worked on his father's farm. In 1824, he went to Piqua, his father being in Government employ there. From 1826 to 1830, he had entire charge of the land office, his father being on his farm near Lebanon, and making a visit of supervision once in three months to the office. He studied medicine,

Mr. Van Horne had for many years contemplated the building of a hydraulic at Franklin. With this in view he purchased land, until he owned on both sides of the river, and could thus be enabled to build a dam without hindrance. In 1850, he succeeded in organizing a hydraulic company, but was unable to get anything done for nearly twenty years. In 1869, the company failed, and then Mr. Van Horne, by his own efforts, and against the secret workings of many who are now benefited, built the hydraulic, put in a pole dam and secured to Franklin a water-power, with a head of seventeen feet. His dam was built about two miles north of town, just south of the old Vanderveer dam. Having watched the greatest height of the water in the two great freshets of 1847 and 1866, he built his embankments so that the river could by no possibility cover them, and, although they are near the river, they are yet intact

The hydraulic was built in 1870, and1 soon after its completion, Mr. Van Horne and John H. Schenck put up a large frame building on the tail race, just below the tail gates. This building was used as a planing-mill, the power being obtained from the waste water. After some years, Mr. Samuel Thompson entered the firm, which was known as Schenck & Thompson. A few years later, Mr. Thompson moved away and Mrs. Van Horne purchased the mill from Schenck, and put her son, John S. Van Horne, to manage the business. Since his management commenced, the business has been very prosperous. The firm is now John S. Van Horne and Charles H. Weaver.

After the sale of power to Perrine, Forgy & Co. and the Harding Company, Mr. Van Horne found it necessary to construct a tail race. There was a natural depression which gave evidence of being an old bed of the river. Mr. Van Horne scooped off a little of the surface soil, and, having constructed gates by which to control it, turned the water of the hydraulic into this hollow, letting it follow the hollow to the river. In about a week, washing by day only, he had a tail race extending from the river almost to the mills. Here an obstacle was met with in the shape of a stone dam or dyke. It was noticed by the workmen who were taking out the stone, that they were disposed in regular layers, and that about every ten feet a new layer was discovered. Mr. Van Horne finding this out, drove a stake where he thought the stone would cease, and, at the very spot they disappeared. Prof, Orton visited this and thought it the work of water, but the fact that in several places boulders were found standing in a position which could not have been regularly taken in nature and imbedded in a very fine clay, seemed to point it out as a work of man. The dam, if a section could have been made, would have shown that it was the shape of a pyramid. Above this, and also at the river, were found what appeared to be ovens, having at the bottom a layer of charcoal and above this calcined muscle shells.

In 1872, Perrine, Forgy & Co. leased power of the company and erected a mill for the manufacture of manila paper, and soon after, January 1, 1873. commenced its manufacture. They have since enlarged the mill, and have now six tubs, a double set of boilers and a sack factory. The firm name has been changed by death and purchase to Friend & Forgy Paper Company.

During the summer of 1872, the Harding Paper Company of Middletown leased power, purchased ground and put in foundations for a mammoth writing-paper mill and foundations for the stack. Early in the summer of 1873, brick work was begun and completed in the fall The building had a length of 300 feet, a breadth of fifty feet and an addition in the northwest part of fifty feet; was three stories high besides the cellar; had a stack 130 feet high, and contained several million bricks. Millwrights worked during the winter of 1873

In the year 1837, the Franklin papers contained an advertisement for wheat to be delivered at Balentine's mill at the lock south of Franklin. How long before this date Mr. Balentine did business there, we are not informed; the old mill of that date was abandoned for a new one, about 1848 or 1849. and Mr. Balentine having plenty of this world's goods, took as partners H. J. Death and Levi Croll. who, by their industry and integrity, had shown their worthiness. At the time of his death, in 1852, the share of Mr. Balentine was bought by Messrs. Death & Croll, who continued the flour and saw mill business for several years. Mr. Croll finally withdrew and was succeeded by Ben Morgan, and he in turn by D. H. Clutch. In 1873, the Franklin Paper Company, consisting of H. J. Death, D. H. Clutch, J. F. Gallaher, D. Adams, E. B. Thirkield and C. Thonsen was organized. Into this firm Henry Lane was afterward taken. A mill was erected for the manufacture of book and news paper. The mill was 250x100 feet, with a machine room on the south. The mill ran successfully for some time, and was then almost destroyed by the explosion of the rotary boiler, by which one man met his death. Rebuilt again with a brick stack, replacing the iron formerly used; the machine room was lifted several inches by a severe wind; again repaired. The company have succeeded in making so good, an article of paper that the demand is greatly in excess of the supply. Mr. L. E. Fales was at first foreman, but leaving, to accept a position in the East, he was succeeded by Mr. Charles Mickle, who still has charge. Their success being so great, the company concluded to enlarge their facilities, and did so by purchasing of Death & Clutch the old flour-mill, and, by building additions, made of it a large mill for the manufacture of paper from wood-pulp. This was done in 1880, and the two mills being connected by means of a tunnel, they are enabled to make either rag or wood-pulp paper in either mill. In order to prepare the wood, chemicals must be used, and so great is the amount of soda-ash required that an evaporator was built for the purpose of reclaiming the ash. By means of this about $75 per day is saved. This involves the laying of a great many pipes, and it is stated by one of the firm that over a mile of piping has been used

Death & Clutch also started, in 1872, a hominy-mill in the old saw-mill building, just northwest of their flour-mill; this was afterward sold to Hunt Bros., who carried on the business for several years, but have now discontinued it.

Among the most enterprising business men Franklin has known, was W. S. Burrowes. Mr. Burrowes, who was a son of Eden Burrowes, one of our earliest business men, studied law, and held as lucrative a practice as was possessed by any other lawyer in Cincinnati. In 1858, he commenced in the old Burrowes pork-house on Sixth street, the manufacture of malt, and, in 1868, enlarged the building. It contained, after its enlargement, two malt-kilns, had a frontage on Sixth street of 212 feet, a depth of thirty-eight feet, the

During the war, some young men from the Northern States found, about thirty miles from Chattanooga, and just beneath Lookout Mountain, a large bank of kaolin, or white clay. After the war, they went south and bought the hill containing it, and commenced the manufacture of drain tile and fire brick. Mr. Lawsbee, of Trenton, N. J. (a place famous for its potteries), becoming interested in the different clays, sent an expert to examine the clay. The report being favorable, he, with another gentleman, of Trenton, N. J., in company with Mr. D. H. Clutch and James C. Brown, of Franklin, Ohio, negotiated and bought the bank for $20,000. The first intention was to hold it for speculation, but, although they received an offer far in advance of the purchase price, they determined to hold it for the manufacture of ware. Accordingly, a company was organized with Mr. Lawsbee as President; D. H. Clutch, Vice President; J. T. Bell, Secretary, and James C. Brown, Treasurer. J. T. Bell, D. H. Clutch and J. C. Brown bought the old malt-house building, which had cost Mr. Burrowes between $30,000 and $40,000, for $6,500 and sold it to the company. In the spring of 1880, work was commenced, four kilns were built, an engine-house and stack and other important additions were constructed. The first foreman was Henry Sims, and he, in conjunction with Mr. J. T. Bell, pushed matters so that ware was produced by fall. The first shipment of ware consisted of three packages and was shipped on September 22, 1880. The number of packages shipped to date is about 1,000, besides several car-loads packed in the car. At the end of the first year, Mr. Sims was replaced by Mr. Roden, who soon produced as fine an article of porcelain and china ware as has been produced in this country. Although a ready sale had been found for the granite and C. C. ware made, the company determined to manufacture porcelain and china alone. A salesman was procured, and soon orders came in faster than they could be filled. They employ about 100 hands and have a pay-roll of almost $1,000 per week.

In the spring of 1881, a company was formed for the manufacture of manila paper. This company consisted of James Leary, D. Adams, R. B. Moody, William Michael and others, and is called the Perrine Paper Company. They have purchased the residence and malt-house of J. C. Schenck on the east of the canal and south of Sixth street, have had a spur switch built by the railroad company, and, at present writing are getting ready for their machinery. The building was built many years ago for a pork-house, and, after this business had ceased, was reconstructed into a pork-house by Mr. J. C. Schenck, and the business was continued for several years. The old building formerly occupied by J. Mooney, and which is on the east side of the canal, on Sixth street, has, for a number of years, been deserted as a business house and being occupied by a great number of poor families, is familiarly known as the barracks.

Mr. John L. Rickard during the time between 1850 and 1860, built a business block on Sixth street, opposite the malt-house of Burrowes.

Among the prominent business men of early days was Dr. O. Evans, who, besides the practice of his profession, was engaged in mercantile business of various sorts. He was one of the firm of O. H Schenck & Co., tanners and leather dealers, and, on the death of O. H. Schenck, succeeded to the business, and took as a partner Mr. R. Woolley, who remained in the business until about

The other physicians were David Baird, John Haller and George McAroy. Dr. McAroy was succeeded by his son, William B. McAroy, who still practices. Dr. Haller had a son James who also studied medicine and practiced for a number of years in this place, when he removed to Kansas, where he still resides. Dr. W. L. Schenck, one of Dr. Baird's students, also practiced for many years, when he, too, removed to Kansas. At present, we have as resident physicians R. P. Evans, F. R. Evans, O. Evans, Jr., William B. McAroy, Hugh J. Death, allopathists, and J. D. Harriss, homoeopathist.

The post office was early established in the store of J. N. C. Schenck, who was appointed Postmaster. He held the office for many years and was succeeded by James W. Lanier. Then James McEwen held the office for many years, Joseph A. Brown, James McEwen again, J. E. Kinder, John Kell, John Haller, Jason O. Evans, R. F. Ireland and W. F. Barkalow (who still occupies the office). The latter has had a long experience in the business, having clerked for J. N. C. Schenck over fifty years ago.