Folklore of Highland County
by Violet Morgan
© 1946
Greenfield Publishing Company
 
NEW MARKET  

Page 187

NEW MARKET: Population, about 126; Altitude, 1,137 feet sea level; Location, 6 miles southwest of Hillsboro, on U. S. Route 62, in the south central part of New Market township, Unincorporated.
 
New Market was the first county seat of Highland county; and it is the oldest village.
 
Henry Massie, younger brother of General Nathaniel Massie, had come from Virginia shortly after the founding of Manchester, and had been engaged by his brother as an assistant surveyor. While his brother was busy with the settlement of Chillicothe in 1796, Henry explored and surveyed lands on the headwaters of Brushcreek. In the spring of 1797 he came upon the tract of land upon which New Market is situated and was so impressed by the attractive lay of the land that he decided to found a town. This town, he was confident, would outshine Chillicothe in Ross county.
 
His small party consisting of himself, Oliver Ross and his 15-year-old daughter, Rebecca, Robert and unknown others camped near the site of the proposed town while it was being surveyed and platted. It was planned after Philadelphia, the plot covering 400 acres. Copies of the plat were sent to Massie's friends in Maysville, Manchester, and Chillicothe, with alluring descriptions, with the result of a tide of immigration this way. By the fall of 1799, six or seven cabins had been built.
 
Here, in this land of plenty, where bear, venison, wild turkeys and smaller game abounded, William Wishart kept a tavern in his cabin. He held the first state office held by a Highland countian, that of Justice of the Peace, an office highly respected. He also was postmaster when a weekly pack-mail line between Chillicothe, and Cincinnati was innovated.
 
The Ross and Huston families, Jonathan Berryman, Jacob Barnes, George Barrere, David Hays, and a Mr. McCafferty were among the first New Market citizens.
 
George Barrere and family who arrived in the spring of 1802, came from Anderson's Prairie in Clinton county where they had immigrated from Kentucky. Purchasing a house from Jacob Eversole, Mr. Barrere opened a tavern on the post road. This house was hewed logs, with a cabin roof, and had one room. Mr. Barrere improved his property by adding another room and a sort of attic reached by a ladder. Barrere's Tavern, opposite Wishart's cabin, was the most popular inn round about.
 
 Jonathan Berryman, who selected his home south of the town.

Page 188
 
plat of New Market, had brought with him from New Jersey a careful selection of apple and peach seeds. He lost no time in planting the apple seeds, walking to Manchester for manure from the cow yards there, and carrying it home in sacks on his back to bed the seeds in. His Learing apple orchard bore abundant fruit as did the peach trees he planted. He also began the cultivation of bees. When Wishart quit his commission as postmaster of New Market Berryman was appointed his successor and continued his position for 20 years.
 
Highland county's first tanyard was established in New Market by John Compton from Kentucky, in 1803. That same year Michael Stroup, the unusual hatter and Polly Walker were married. Polly had come with her mother and stepfather, Joseph Myers from the Falls of Paint, to New Market, in 1801. Polly was one of 14 children in the home. That autumn Rebecca Ross, who had come to New Market as keeper of the camp for her father and the surveyors under Massie was married to George Parkinson.
 
The first storekeeper in New Market was Adam Barngruber, from Kentucky, who arrived from Kentucky in 1805, with a four horse wagon and team. With him was a Dutchman named Fritz Miller. It was about this time that James B. Finley the "New Market devil," became a member of the Methodist church and started his career as itinerant evangelist. His father, Robert W. Finley, was a teacher of Latin, Greek, and Hebrew in his cabin school.
 
This was "the year of nuts" when a remarkable abundance nuts thickly scattered the land of New Market and surrounding territory; the time when weary trips were made to the Scioto works for precious salt, the period in which bark-colored linsey wool hats and cow skin shoes were superseded by the leather hunting shirt and breeches moccasins, and coonskin .
 
On May 16, 1805, the first special court held in the county held at New Market. The three associate judges elected by legislature, Richard Evans, John Davidson, and Jonathan Berman presided, with David Hays clerk pro tem. Court was held the woods with the judges seated on a long puncheon. There were many interruptions. One man on horseback rode into the “courtroom" brandishing a bottle of whiskey under the judges noses, invited them to drank with him. Five or six fights took place when court was in session. Dan Evans, Highland county's first sheriff, maintained order with great difficulty.
 
George Barrere was elected Senator and John Gossett, Representative, to the State .
 
Removal of the county seat to a more central location by an act of legislature was favored by some, but there was strenuous opposition by many. John Kerr, who owned large tracts of land about the town, had sold lots to people with the assurance that

Page 189
 
New Market was central and permanent. As "leader and defender of the people's rights," he demanded that the citizens raise money and erect public buildings for the county at their own expense. This he said, would solve the problem.
 
"The great knocking down," described elsewhere was the result. Commissioners appointed by the legislature under the directorship of young David Hays, set about to select a new site. After some deliberation, the town site of Hillsboro was selected. Early in 1807 New Market ceased to be the county seat.
 
The first churches were the camp meetings in the woods, the ministers itinerant evangelists of different faiths. Then the Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians met in the homes of the pioneers an organized the churches. The Presbyterians held church meetings in the first log school until they built their church in 1840. Methodists, who organized soon after 1800, built their church 1853. In 1837, 16 Baptists met under an apple tree to constitute the Baptist church.
 
By 1840, the population of New Market was 212. By 1870 had decreased to 143.
 
Not much of the old New Market remains today. The large brick Grant McConnaughey residence in the southern part of the village was once the "Ohio Tavern." At the northern edge was the "New Market Inn."
 
The well opposite the school building, which was once the first jail in the county, has been filled in. Here during the day prisoners were incarcerated but at night they were taken by officers to their homes for safe keeping.
 
At "Gods Garden," a scenic spot two miles southeast of New Market, are found boulders left by the glacier Indian relics were found in abundance until recent years.
 
New Market is a farming community. There is a modern grade school.*  High school pupils attend school at Hillsboro.

______________
*Local children now attend school in Hillsboro.  The old building is still standing and over the years has served many puposes.