Ohio History Journal

72       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

The giant which possessed this goodly land, "making it

sickly to a considerable degree," was the fever, which lurked in

the rich acres lying on the banks of the streams, where it waited

to make war upon the settlers living on these low bottom lands

for greater convenience to water supplies.

He quotes Col. Worthington,* Register of the United States

Land Office at Chillicothe, "a gentleman of first rate informa-

tion," as saying that he believed that the country would be as

healthy as any country whatever, when opened and improved.

And so it came to pass, for, as of old, "by little and little, the

enemy was subdued."

The Scioto Company, formed in the winter of 1801-2, orig-

inally consisted of eight families, the number being afterwards

increased to forty. They delayed purchasing the land, until sure

that the new State constitution about to be formed, would pro-

hibit slavery. Then, 16,000 acres were bought at $1.25 per acre,

-8,000 in Sharon township, and 4,000 each in Clinton and Del-

aware townships. When the town was laid out, each man was

entitled to a town lot of 3/4 of an acre, and a farm-lot of 983/4 acres.

*From whom the town was afterwards named.

Historic Worthington.                73

The advance guard of this band of pioneers came to Ohio

in the spring or early summer of 1803. It consisted of Samuel

Kilbourne and family, Levi Pinney, Alexander Morrison, Adna

Bristol, Edward Brown, and Israel P. Case. They were sent to

build cabins for the colony. The remainder started on Septem-

ber 15th. Mr. Ezra Griswold arrived first with his family, but

by the last of October the whole company had completed the

journey.*

The first cabins were built around the public square, and

one well supplied the community. The women were restricted

to bringing the most necessary articles for pioneer housekeeping.

It is told by one of their descendants that three neighbors brought

a brass kettle, a wooden chair, and a sieve, to be exchanged for

mutual convenience, like the eye of the Three Gray Sisters, in

*NOTE:-The delay of a part of the company was caused by the

arrival of a stranger in James Kilbourne's camp. His daughter Orrel,

afterwards the wife of I. N. Whiting, of Columbus, was born in an emi-

grant wagon, in Washington County, Pa., October 15, and was the young-

est member of the pioneer band. Another daughter, Cynthia, born a few

years later, in Worthington, became the wife of Dr. I. G. Jones, of Co-

lumbus, and had the honor of being the first mother in Ohio who of-

fered her son for service in the Civil War. James Kilbourne Jones was

the first man in the State to enlist at the first call of Lincoln for troops.

74       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

Hawthorne's Wonder Books. The partnership was dissolved

when the sieve gave out.

The first Christmas dinner found wild turkey and venison

upon their tables, and maple sugar, obtained from the sap of the

wild forest trees around their new homes. The climate was

much milder than now, and snow was rarely seen.

Before leaving New England, articles had been signed by

the company, providing for the appropriation of town lots for an

Episcopal church and an Academy at the time when each man's

portion should be assigned.

The first tree felled for

building purposes was used

in the erection of a log cabin

which served for both church

and school house. The build-

ing was also to be used as a

fort, in time of trouble with

the  Indians.  Within its

walls, on February 8, 1804,

the first marriage ceremony

in the new settlement

was performed by Zachariah

Stephen, Esq., of Franklin-

ton, the nearest Justice of the

Peace. It was a double wed-

ding, uniting Abner Putnim

Pinney and Polly Morrison,

and Levi Pinney and Char-

lotte Beach, in the holy bonds

of matrimony, amid the rejoicing of assembled neighbors and

friends.

Previous to the erection of St. John's church in 1830, the

oldest Protestant Episcopal church west of the Allegheny moun-

tains, services were held in the academy building, as soon as

it was built. Elnathan Maynard, who recently died in Cincin-

nati, in his ninety-seventh year, was the last survivor of those

who assisted in the building of this historic old church. His

father, Stephen Maynard, gave the lumber for the pews as they

Historic Worthington.                  75

now stand. When in later years, the spire was pronounced un-

safe, that part of the church was rebuilt, with great loss to its

first architectural beauty. In the old records, the founder of this

colony is called "Rev." James Kilbourne, though known in later

years as "Colonel." He combined both titles, having taken

orders in New England. Together with Mr. Erastus Burr, (the

first pupil in the embryo college, and afterwards a Doctor of

Divinity,) he conducted church services for a considerable time.

Philander Chase, "pioneer bishop and educator west of the

Alleghany mountains," was rector of St. John's parish from

1817 to 1822. He built the dwelling house now standing in

Chaseland, and laid the foundation of Kenyon College in a room

which is a part of the house now occupied by Mr. George Cless.

He was closely associated with the educational interests of the

town.

The Methodist Episcopal church was formed in 1811, at a

class meeting conducted by Revs. Mitchell and Sabin, in a log

Historic Worthington.                77

dergarten, some of the methods of which were not perhaps

strictly Froebellian.

Worthington Female Seminary had its beginning in 1838, in

Masonic Hall, where Miss Sarepta Marsh of Chillicothe started

a school for girls. She, with Revs. Heath and Young, soon ob-

tained permission from the Methodist Conference at Xenia, to

open a Female Seminary. The funds were raised by the united

efforts of these friends of education.  Four acres of the land

centrally located were bought, and a roomy building erected.

The school was opened with Miss Marsh as principal, Misses

Sarah and Maria Tucker, teachers, and Nancy McGill, assistant

tutor. It was highly prosperous for a while as a girls' school,

but was unable to compete with the Ohio Wesleyan University

at Delaware, after that institution had established co-education.

Failing to receive an expected legacy of large amount, its doors

were at length closed, to be re-opened for a time as a Normal

School, by Messrs Mitchell and Ogden. Since then it has been

occupied in turn as a Fresh Air Resort for city children, a sani-

tarium, and a summer hotel, till now, in the hands of private

individuals, as Worthdale, it holds but a memory of former

days.

78       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

The oldest Masonic Institution, after the one in Marietta, is

New England Lodge No. 4, at Worthington. It was organized

on the 28th day of June, A. D., 1808, A. L. 5808.

Royal Arch Chapters: Ho-

reb Chapter No. 3 was or-

ganized at Worthington, De-

cember 18, 1815.

Mt. Vernon Encampment

No. 1, of Knights Templar

and Appendent Orders was

instituted  at Worthington,

March 15, 1818. This was

the first dispensation granted

by the General Grand En-

campment of the    United

States, first encampment of

the Order organized west of

the Alleghany mountains.

After February 24, 1844, the

meetings of the Encampment

were held in Columbus by

virtue of authority derived

from the Grand Encamp-

ment of Ohio.

Independent Order of Odd

Fellows, Ark Lodge No. 270, was instituted in Worthington,

April 16, 1855. Of the seven charter members who first com-

posed it, A. S. Wood, the first officer, is the last survivor.

The first newspaper in Franklin county was published in

Worthington in 1811, by Ezra Griswold. It was called the

"Western Intelligencer."  Col. Kilbourne was the original pro-

prietor, but it soon passed out of his hands. In 1814 the office

was removed to Columbus, and the paper conducted by Ezra Gris-

wold, Joel Buttles and P. H. Olmstead, took the name of "West-

ern Intelligencer and Columbus Gazette." It was the parent of

the "Ohio State Journal." The old printing office is still to be

seen in Worthington.

Historic Worthington.               79

Mr. Griswold was a private banker, and issued paper money

in the form of printed notes of six denominations, varying in

value from six and a quarter cents to two dollars. Some of

these notes were engraved by a Philadelphia firm, others were

printed in Worthington. A gang of counterfeiters broke into the

Worthington office one night, and made money at a rapid rate.

The first date of any of the bills now found, is 1810, the latest,

181₉. The Worthington Manufacturing Company also issued

money of this kind, but the high tax, and the ease with which

it could be counterfeited, soon brought it into disuse.

Orange Johnson, who came to the town in 1812, had a

factory in his own yard, where he made combs of every de-

scription. Some of them, the beautiful, high-backed, tortoise-

shell marvels which ornamented the heads of the fore-mothers of

Worthington, are still preserved by their descendants, as rare

and curious relics.

In a brick building on Main street, but recently taken down,

Potter Wright and his assistants made carding machines from

models of Mr. Wright's own drawing, still preserved, and bear-

ing date, "1811." He was a machinist of great ability. He as-

80       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

sisted James Russell in the early days, to construct an orrery, the

patterns for which were long kept in the old shop.

Mr. Russell, accompanied by George H. Topping, a young

lad whose father, Dr. Josiah Topping, was the first physician in

the colony, - exhibited this machine through the country, from

Worthington to Washington. It was finally destroyed by fire,

and never duplicated, on account of the expense attending its

construction.

The chief industries of the growing town, however, were car-

ried on in the factory village, situated in the west part, on the

banks of the Whetstone river now restored to its original name of

Olentangy. Here may still be seen the ruins of a building erected

by Col. Kilbourne, the first custom grist-mill in the vicinity.

The sites of a lime-kiln, a tannery, a hat-shop, and a dis-

tillery are all traceable.

The "Worthington Manufacturing Company" was incorpo-

rated in 1811, with Col. Kilbourne as President.  It was the

pioneer manufacturing enterprise of Central Ohio, making a

great variety of articles. In the war of 1812, it furnished woolen

fabrics for army and navy. It failed in 1820, sweeping away the

Historic Worthington.                81

entire fortune of the President. The boarding house connected

with this factory is still standing.

There was also a cabinet-makers' establishment which turned

out beautiful pieces of furniture made from the native woods.

Some of these are treasured in the village, as heirlooms beyond

price.

The owner of the hat-shop was assisted in winter by Elias

Lewis, a young man who followed his trade of brickmason in

summer. In later years, when Salmon P. Chase was Governor

of Ohio, Mr. Lewis was proud to say that the chief executive

had worked for him in the capacity of hod-carrier.  "Uncle

Elias," as Mr. Lewis was affectionately called, was one of the

company of emigrants of 1806. Whenever they camped for the

night, he entertained the wayfarers with dancing to the accom-

paniment of a fiddle. After he became a famous Methodist ex-

horter, it is said that in his highest flights of eloquence, he would

unwittingly "cut a pigeon-wing," to the great edification of his

hearers.

Vol. XIII-6.