ecodev_ch08

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MIDDLETOWN HISTORICAL SOCIETY
"Linking the Past with the Present for the Future"

The Economic Development of Middletown, Ohio
1796-1865
by
George C. Crout

Chapter 8

A Hydralic Furnishes Power

Middletown grew, and the need for power became apparent. The industrialists of the town looked enviously at the water power controlled by Mr. Enoch at Manchester.

Abner Enoch knew that his water concessions were of great value. He owned the right to the water taken from the river at the dam which was on his land and which he had first erected. When the canal was built, the state erected a feeder dam on his property, and he, in turn, was to have the right to all the excess water not needed by the canal. This water privilege became more and more important and valuable. Vail had seen that the town would some day need it. Enoch did not want to give up the site, and when he sold part of his lands, he made certain reservations. When he sold part of his land, he took care that he maintained the water right of way. In 1829 he sold one hundred twenty acres of ground and had written into the deed that there was to be excluded from that tract "the mill race or channel in which the water is conveyed from the Miami River to the mills of the said Abner Enoch" and also "a strip of land of two poles in width through which the surplus water is conveyed from the channel or mill race aforesaid into the Great Miami River." When he sold five hundred and forty-two acres to George Wrenn and F. J. Tytus for $20,000 he reserved "the right of way through said tract of land to convey all his power from his present head race to the town of Middletown for hydraulic purposes, and the right to construct through the same the necessary races and waterways." The reservation was made general and would cover any route through the land.

In 1848 Enoch sold William Young his property., consisting of 26.67 acres in section 24 with all the mills, distilleries, houses and buildings thereon and the machinery, appurtenances and fixtures of the same in any wise pertaining, and all the water power from the state dam across the Miami River, and the right of taking the same from the state dam to the tract of land aforesaid, and also the right which said Enoch reserved in his conveyance to Tytus and Wrenn, to convey a tract of land about one-half acre, situated on the Miami Canal near the bridge, at the crossing of the turnpike.

William Young paid $15,000 for the property and water rights.

In September, 1851, the mill and distillery at Manchester owned by William Young were entirely destroyed by fire. Two dwelling houses, a cooper shop, about 250 cords of wood, grain, flour, and whiskey were destroyed. The loss was valued at $15,000, and there was no insurance. William Young then sod the land to the firm of Cooper, Erwin, and Henderson, who gained the rights Mr. Young formerly had at the dam, and the right to conduct the water through the property of Tytus and Wrenn. These man knew the value of the water rights. Erwin, Thomas, Cooper, and Sherlock, through deeds, transfers, and conveyances of land and water privileges, gained the necessary right of ways. By 1852 the Middletown Hydraulic Company had been formed by these men, as a partnership. Arrangements were made with Tytus and Wrenn so that the race could be constructed. For this purpose some land was bought from Martin Robinson.

Stephen Vail, as early as 1800, had constructed a brush dam across the Miami River. The owners of the Vail’s dam and races said that they should have the use of the water from the river on grounds of priority. When the hydraulic was opened, the water was taken from above the dam and lessened the head of the brush dam. After litigation, the hydraulic company acquired all water privileges which had been claimed by some of the flour mills. The races and the primitive dam wasted away. The hydraulic and the canal furnished Middletown with water power; the industrial career of Middletown began in earnest with the completion of the hydraulic.

The Hydraulic Company next had to secure the privilege of constructing a canal through the town. On April 3, 1852, an agreement was made and entered into by the mayor and trustees which provided that the company be authorized "to construct a canal or race from the Northern limits of said Corporation through said Water street...as far South as the Southern aide of Lebanon Street, for the conveyance of water for Hydraulic purposes." The company, however, had to construct and keep in repair bridges and culverts cover its canal or race wherever a street was crossed. The citizens of the town were permitted to use the water from the canal for domestic purposes, and the town was to be permitted to pipe the water from the canal for use in extinguishing fires.

In January, 1852, the editor of the Middletown Emblem wrote: "A new era, and new prospects are about to open in the history of Middletown: A long-looked for and most important event has come at last...Middletown is to have an Hydraulic:" The ground work of the project was commenced. Water was brought from the feeder near the state dam. It was predicted that the hydraulic would make Middletown "one of the most prosperous and flourishing towns in Western Ohio." Real estate took an upward movement, for the prospect of cotton mills, foundries, and paper mills increased the value of property.

The Fourth of July was a gala occasion in the fifties; July 4, 1852, was celebrated not only as the anniversary of our independence, but also as the first time water was let into the new hydraulic. The people were very much excited about this event, for it gave Middletown a vast source of water power to run new mills and machinery. People from neighboring towns were invited to the celebration. At 3 o’clock in the afternoon water flowed into the hydraulic. Cannons and guns announced to the surrounding country the great event, which was witnessed by hundreds of citizens. Middletown looked forward to a prosperous future with this water power, and expected to become the "Lowell of the West." The hydraulic laborers each wore a green ribbon around his hat, and they carried a banner on which was represented the harp of Erin, and above it were the words, "the Sons of Liberty," and below, "The Hydraulic Boys." They were escorted into the town in military style and were received with cheers by the crowd. To commemorate the occasion, C. C. Mitchell gave a Hydraulic Ball in the U. S. Hotel.

The hydraulic was not completed as projected at that time, but the work had been completed fro the town to the Miami Canal, which the hydraulic intersects. When finished the canal was to be two and one half miles long. At the point of intersection with the canal the gates were built so that loaded canal boats could pass to and from the mills on the hydraulic, saving time and expense in transportation of goods to and from the mills. The hydraulic itself was thus used as a canal. The water surface of the hydraulic and the canal were to remain the same; each received water fro the same source. When the hydraulic owners completed their race to the canal feeder near the state dam, they had a continuous canal of their own.

The water in the hydraulic was twenty-five feet above the low water line of the river, and it was displayed along a part of nearly six to eight thousand feet on lots ranging in depth from one hundred and fifty to four hundred feet. After the Miami Canal was supplied, the minimum discharge of the river was estimated to be equal to 150 run of four and one-half feet mill-stones, or capable of driving 60,000 spindles with a fall of twenty-five feel. Since the hydraulic was not subject to floods or freshets of the river, the cost of upkeep was to be low. The canal varied in width from fifty feet top water line and six feet in depth to a width of one hundred feet and ten feet in depth. The race of the hydraulic at the mills was thirty feet wide and seven feet deep. The embankment was to answer as a road and towing path. Draw bridges were erected; boats were able to receive and unload freight at the doors of all the mills.

The water wheels, which had all been erected under the supervision of Mr. Erwin, were of the improved over -shot type, and were on the same plane. The hydraulic had been constructed very economically, and the company was able to sell power at about half what it cost in Dayton.

John W. Erwin, the engineer who built the hydraulic, was born in Delaware; he walked across the mountains in 1828 and came to the Miami Valley, where he became an outstanding engineer. He located several turnpikes, and supervised the building of Hamilton, Franklin, Troy, and Middletown hydraulics, as well as several others in Michigan and Indiana. In 1838 he was employed by the Board of Public Works to superintend and the construction of drains to reclaim large tracts of land in Butler County. He planned mills and railroad lives. In 1842 he was appointed resident engineer for the Miami Canal. In Middletown he was known as the builder of the hydraulic, surveyor of the C. H. and D., and the builder of one of he first paper mills.

When the articles of association of the Middletown Hydraulic Company were adopted at Waverly House, Cincinnati, on September 4, 1854, John Erwin was made the general agent of the company. He was given the authority to make leases and collections and to represent the company. Mr. Erwin, however, obtained another engineering job, and in 1855 William B. Oglesby, who owned stock in the company, was made agent. He kept this position until his death in 1885. In 1857 the company became a corporation under the laws of Ohio.

Middletown in 1852 had a bright future. She was located with turnpike going in four directions; the Miami Canal ran through the town; the C. H. and D. was on the west side, three-fourths of a mile away. The hydraulic inaugurated a new era. More power meant that more industry would locate in the town. A staff writer for the Cincinnati Gazette commented in regard to the Middletown Hydraulic: "The creation of an additional amount of water power would tend to concentrate capital, to develop the energy and enterprise of the people, and greatly increase the prosperity of the town and adjacent country." The whole town was to experience a boom. The crack of teamsters’ whips, the sound of the carpenters’ hand saws, the marry ring of the mason’s trowel, and the rumbling of wheel barrows and carts could be heard in every direction. The ground was covered with stone, lumber, and brick. Foundations of new mills and homes were being laid. In one year the population increased about two hundred.

Along this new hydraulic many new factories were built. Beginning at the upper end, north, a broom-corn establishment was owned by Mr. Campbell. A small overshot wheel drove the machinery, which took large quantities of broom corn, cleansed it from the seed, and made it ready for use. This was a great improvement over the horse power which had formerly been used.

J. and C. B. Barnett’s saw mill was next along the hydraulic.

Near the bridge was located Martin and Sutphin’s flour mill. It was a three-story brick building with all the latest improvements. It used four run of power and could produce 400 barrels of flour a day; it was one of the largest mills in the Miami Valley. The old wooden factory, which had been operated by the brush dam built by Vail, was to get its power from the water of the hydraulic, as the old races were abandoned. Mr. Martin’s interest in the mill was bought out by the Sutphin flour mill. The shop had a front of one hundred and ten feet on the hydraulic, and was thirty-seven feet deep. On the lot next to the machine shop a large car factory was to be built.

Richardson, Heaton, and Company erected the Globe Paper Mill in November, 1853; this was the second paper mill built in Middletown. In June, 1854 Erwin and Brothers laid the foundations for another paper mill; they had erected Middletown’s first paper mill in 1852. Both of these mills obtained their power from the hydraulic.

A woolen mill was located on the hydraulic. In 1853 the Middletown Hydraulic Factory was remodeled under the ownership of R. F. Deaves, who added to the mill as a spinning jack, 180 spindles, a power loom, and one thirty-strand condenser. Cloths, cassimeres, sattinetts, flannels, blankets, stocking yarn, and other products were manufactured. Carding and spinning were done by the pound. Wool was carded into spools. Felts were manufactured for paper manufacturers. Wool was taken in exchange for work.

The hydraulic made possible the rapid growth of Middletown. In 1850 there were 1,087 people who lived here; in 1860 the population had grown to 2,070. This is a percentage increase of 90.4 per cent, the largest per cent increase ever recorded in Middletown’s history.

The completion of the hydraulic brought a building boom. There was more exchanging and selling of property than at any previous time. The price of real estate advanced rapidly, for since the town was increasing in population, the demand for houses was great. It is estimated that one hundred new houses were needed in the spring of 1853. "Where shall I get a house?" was a frequent question. Jacob Leibee erected a brick building one hundred feet long and three stories high on the South side of Lebanon street.

Large kilns capable of making good brick were put up near the town. Captain J. L. Hilt and many others had gone into the business of supplying the local market. Hilt had a kiln of 250,000 brick.

Middletown grew as a market for farm produce. Here the farmer could find a ready market for his wheat, corn, oats, barley pork, poultry, butter, and potatoes at the highest prices. Middletown’s only competitor between Dayton and Cincinnati was Hamilton. Droves of fat hogs and trains of wagons of grain passed through the streets of Middletown. Joseph Sutphin, a local grain dealer, stated that in 1845 about 20,000 bushels of grain, including wheat, barley, and oats, were purchased and shipped at Middletown. Sutphin and Martin ran a flouring and grist mill. The machinery was new and contained the latest improvements, and a superior grade of flour was manufactured. In 1851, during a five-day period in August, Mr. Jacob Deardoroff received 2,100 bushels of wheat; Oglesby and Barnitz, 6,000 bushels of wheat; Mr. Britton, 1,500 bushels of wheat; Marshall and Barnett, around 1,500 bushels of corn. In 1852 it is estimated that 180,000 bushels of grain were purchased and shipped at this point, and that about 100,000 bushels of wheat were made into flour. In 1846 the produce merchants looked to a distance of four or five miles to purchase grain, but five years later the grain trade was extended to twenty miles west and twelve to fifteen miles east, forming a tract of about three hundred square miles.

Flax was raised in this region. In 1853 Oglesby and Barnitz stated that they wished to purchase about 10,000 bushels of flax seed.

The Gephart Mills, one mile south of Amanda, were purchased by Sutphin and Young. This mill had a large country trade, grinding grist and carrying on a general produce trade. The company purchased wheat, corn, barley, oats, flaxseed, clover-seed, and timothy seed. J. J. Barnett was a storaging, forwarding, and commission merchant. Sutphin and Brother carried on a similar trade.

J. M. Milliken reported that in 1858 Butler County had 42,396 acres of wheat, and a yield of 789,569 bushels; 56,383 acres were planted in corn with a yield of 2,696,597 bushels. The 1858 wheat crop was five-eighths of the crop that of the previous year. As the crop varied, so did the produce trade of this town.

The pork trade continued to be important. Oglesby, Barnitz, Jones and Company conducted the business actively. On one day in December, 1852, at the port house owned by this company 498 hogs were received; during that day there were twenty-five wagons in procession all loaded with fine hogs ready for delivery. Mr. Lydia Schenck sent in twenty-one hogs which averaged 309 pounds. During the winter of 1852-1853 Mr. Tytus, another port packer, cut and packed about 5,700 hogs. In 1853 F. J. Tytus sold out to Oglesby, Barnitz, Jones and Company; Mr. Tytus had operated a port house for seventeen years in the town.

Bailey and Beck owned a slaughter house; cattle, sheep, and hogs were bought by them. The editor of the Emblem told a story. As he was walking one night about one o’clock, he turned the corner and saw two men moving about "one with a knife in his hand and the other with a lighted candle. Upon creeping close he found it wasn’t anybody but Bill Buffington and Major Bailey cutting up calves for the morning market."

The distillery by 1858 was no longer important in the economic life of Middletown. In all Butler County there were only three distilleries, which consumed 180,000 bushels of corn, and make 630,000 gallons of whiskey.

The Middletown Tannery was operated by F. A. Smith, who bought hides and bark from the farmers. Around the vats were tan bark walks. P. Mitchell dealt in carriage trimmings and saddlery. He made harness, and sold trunks, carpet bags, satchels, oil and gum cloth, and whips. Oscar Houseworth made trunks.

Carriages, buggies, wagons, and plows were manufactured in the shop of W. R. Walter. Thomas Wilson was a cabinet maker and undertaker. Daniel Smallwood was a cabinet maker and turner, manufacturing articles of furniture, bedsteads, wagon and buggy hubs. He offered to exchange furniture for country produce. Mr. Smallwood was an old bachelor who lived on the western side of the hydraulic. After manufacturing scissors and furniture for a time, he became a skilled wood turner and produced rolls that were used on paper machines. He placed his wood in the hydraulic for curing. He gained wide recognition for this work as well as for the production of beautiful balustrades for stairways and porches; his newel posts were real works of art. Mr. Smallwood invented many paper making devices, among which was a machine for making paper bags. He lived alone in his factory, and the town boys often visited his plant to annoy him.

Other businesses in the town included a lumber yard operated by Cenoweth and Sutphin, a jewelry store ran by D. Olden, a millinery owned by Adalinah Jones. David Bowman kept on hand a "large assortment of fashionable silk, fur, and Buena Vista hats."

As the trade with the farmers grew, the retail grocery business developed. D. H. Peck ran one of the largest groceries, the Eagle Store. The stores began to use large advertisements, and to list the specials they had for the week. Mr. Peck advertised that he had received the following goods which were on sale: seven barrels of molasses, seven sacks of coffee, eighteen casks of Detroit river fish, fifteen barrels of flour, one hundred hams, shoulders and sides, sixty barrels of salt, fifty sacks of table salt, paint, glassware, wooden ware, five hundred pounds of leather, twenty kegs of nails, five hundred pounds of carpet warp, twenty barrels of dried peaches, thirty bushels of dried apples, six boxes of raisins, cordage, etc.

J. F. Howard operated the Farmer’s Grocery, Peck’s chief competitor. Howard stated that he offered the cheapest goods to the buyers; he challenged the county to produce a finer stock of goods for sale at a cheaper price. Howard wrote that he was indeed sorry that he had taken so much of Peck’s trade, and invited him, if he should sell his stock, to come over to purchase new goods at the Farmer’s Grocery. These two stores had much good-natured rivalry.

J. S. Brown, Albert Kennedy, P. Butler, and William Young owned stores; in all, there were ten stores in the town in the early fifties. There were also five dry-goods establishments. One of the largest stock of dry goods was kept by Mr. P. W. Gunckle, who carried ladies’ dress goods and men’s wear of every description. "Ready made clothing" and the "latest fashions" were on sale at S. Goldman and Company, where overcoats were being sold from $3.50 to $13.00. Simpson and Hughes owned the Middletown Hardware Store, which carried everything in hardware and tools.

Hyndman and Peck operated a drug store, and like those of today, all kinds of articles were carried in stock. Books, stationery, pens, quills, copy books, slates, chemicals, glass, paint, varnishes, wall paper, and many other articles were on sale. J. L. Clark sold all the articles mentioned above and also perfumes, spices, snuff, tobacco, cigars, and many varieties of patent medicines.

In the fifties a large ice business developed. In 1848 the canal statistics showed that 142,325 pound of ice were shipped by Canal from Middletown, and by 1850 2,110,000 pounds of ice were exported. Large quantities of ice were used at home, and the rest was shipped to Cincinnati. By February 25, 1853 Mr. H. P. Clough had taken six hundred tons of ice to market in Cincinnati. The editor of the Emblem asked if sufficient quantity of ice were being kept at home, for it would be needed in the summer. He said that ice was "great comfort in health" and "a great remedy in sickness." In 1853 ice sold wholesale for two cents a pound.

The ice which was used in southwestern Ohio was harvested between Middletown and Cincinnati. A pond, which covered from twenty of forty acres, would be dug. The pond was shallow, for the ice was seldom cut deeper than four feet, water was taken from the canal. Often there were 20,000 to 30,000 tons of ice in storage at one time in Middletown’s ice houses. There were several ice ponds in Middletown; two or three were located between Middletown and Amanda. The Sebald ice pond was located south of town; her 3,500 to 4,000 tons were out a year. The ice was packed in saw dust, which was made one foot thick on the outside; straw was then packed around the sawdust. The sawdust came from northern Ohio, and was shipped here by the canal. Packed properly the ice would keep all summer. While the retail price varied, the usual price was twenty-five to thirty cents a hundred. If the winter was not cold enough to cut ice. it had to be shipped from the north by railroad. Ice was used in butcher shops, saloons, and confectioneries, but little was used in the average home, where the housewife kept her food in the cellar or in an open well.

In the winter seventy-five men worked at the Sebald ice pond. At first ice was cut by hand, and later by machinery. With machinery forty to sixty cakes could be put up in a minute. The ice was cut twenty-two inches square and six inches thick. Sebalds owned an ice house and a canal boat for transporting their ice to Cincinnati.

From 1850 to 1900 the ice business was important to the town. As long as ice could be transported by the canal, this waterway still remained of value to the community, but after 1900 the ice business dwindled, and the canal became an eyesore.


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