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THE FIRST CENTURY OF SUNBURY HISTORY A-FACT-A-DAY MORE ABOUT LINKS |
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WEEK 1, JANUARY 5-8, 2016 1795 Greenville Treaty was signed giving the Native Americans land north of the Greenville Treaty Line and opening the land south of the Treaty Line to settlers. This line runs near the Morrow and Delaware County line. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Greenville 1796 U.S. Surveyors under Rufus Putnam surveyed the U.S. Military Lands. These lands were given to soldiers of the American Revolution in lieu of cash. Sunbury is in Tract 17, Range 4, Lot 4 written at 17-4-4. Williams, James L. Blazes, Posts & Stones, page 241. 1796 In the beginning the area known as Sunbury was a dense forest with a major Indian trial, Walhonding Trail, crossing with a foot path to Zanesville through Granville. Settlers could follow Zane Trace (built in 1796-7) from Wheeling to Zanesville but it was still not good for wagons until 1820. Big Belly’s Creek (named for an Indian Chief with a Big Belly) ran through the forest. The name had been changed to Big Walnut Creek or boys and girls might be going to Big Belly School today. BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/trees/Forest.htm 1800 John Adams, President of the United States, gave Jacob Sebon tract 17-4-4 which was 4,000 acres on February 24, 1800. Delaware County Records: Grantor/Grantee Books: 71, 106 WEEK 2, JANUARY 11-15, 2016 1804 Having purchased 8.000 acres of land in Delaware County from soldiers, Moses Bixbe of Massachusetts traveled to Ohio via Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. and brought the first settlers to eastern Delaware County to what would become Berkshire near the Little WalnBerkshireut Creek. BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/Berkshire/1906.htm 1805 Jacob Sebon sold 4000 acres for $3000 to land speculators Jonas Stanberry and Joseph Constant. Delaware County Records: Grantor/Grantee Books: A, 305 1805 Moses Bixbe hired Azarieth Root to survey a road from Berkshire settlement east through what would become Granville. This road would become 37 and was the best way for settlers to travel to Sunbury. McCormick, Esther: Sunbury's Part in Ohio History, 1966: page 6 1806 Judge Benjamin Carpenter of Sunbury Manor, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, bought two tracts of land in Delaware County from Moses Byxbe. He had the deeds acknowledge by Justice of the Peace Ezekial Brown of Franklin County, Ohio (Brown was also formerly of Luzerne County, Pennsylvania). BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/NameSunbury/BurrerOrigin.htm WEEK 3, JANUARY 19-22, 2016 1807 Jonas Stanberry and Joseph Constant sold 400 acres 17-4-4-10 to Daniel Alden of New York. Delaware County Records: Grantor/Grantee Books: 1, 9 1807 Judge Benjamin Carpenter (a Justice of the Peace in Luzerne
County in 1787) and his brother Gilbert sold large tracts of land in
Pennsylvania and moved to Ohio. 1808 The original Delaware County Commissioners Journal
reveals that, on February 10, 1808, Delaware County was set off from
Franklin County, by act of The Ohio Legislature, and It was directed
that on the first Monday, May 1808 there was to be an election held
to elect Commissioners and other County Officers. A Board to
consisting of John Welch, Ezekial Brown and Avery Power with
Nathaniel W. Little appointed Clerk were authorized to divide the
County into Townships. They divided it into three - Berkshire,
Radnor, and Liberty. Boundaries are not the same as today’s. 1808 Commissioners formed Sunbury Township on June 13, 1808. It
contained Bennington, Harmony, Lincoln & Peru Townships north to the
Greenville Treaty Line, all of Harlem, Trenton and Porter Townships,
east half of Berkshire and Genoa Townships. WEEK 4, JANUARY 25-29, 2016 1809 A mill was built at Alum Creek so settlers did not need to go to Zanesville. McCormick, Esther: Sunbury's Part in Ohio History, 1966: page 7 1810 Columbus to Mt. Vernon Road opens along the Walhonding Indian Trail. Later this would be extended from Cincinnati to Cleveland and known as the CCC Highway (now State Route 3). McCormick, Esther: Sunbury's Part in Ohio History, 1966: page 6 1811 Daniel Alden sold the south half of Lot 10 (17-4-4-South ½ 10) to Gideon Ousterhout. Jr. Gideon paid $950 for the 200 acres. In 1812 Gideon sold half of the land ( 17-4-4-N½ of S½ 10) to William Ousterhout for $550. Delaware County Records: Grantor/Grantee Books: 2, 163 1814 William Ousterhout sold 100 acres for $800 to William Myers (17-4-4-N½ of S½ Lot 10). Delaware County Records: Grantor/Grantee Books: 3,439 1814 Tax papers on 17-4-4 David Armstrong, Seth Billington, Benjamin Carpenter, but Daniel Alden is incorrectly listed as 18-4-4. Powell, Esther Weygandt., Early Ohio Tax Records, 1971 in Burrer Family Memorial Room in Community Library, Sunbury, Ohio. WEEK 5, FEBRUARY 1-5, 2016 1815 Daniel Alden of New York sold the north half of 17-4-4-10 to Lawrence Myers. Myers paid $1600 for the 200 acres. Delaware County Records: Grantor/Grantee Books: 3, 4 (?) 1816 Lawrence Myers built a one room house along the Walhonding Indian trail which would become Columbus Street. William Myers built his house on lot 51 at the southwest corner of Granville and Vernon Street.Burrer Family Memorial Room in Community Library, Sunbury, Ohio. 1816 Lawrence and William Myers came from the banks of the Susquehanna River in Forty Fort - Kingston Area of Wyoming Valley, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, to plat the village of Sunbury, Delaware County, Ohio, on November 9, 1816. BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/NameSunbury/BurrerOrigin.htm 1816 The town of Sunbury was laid out in a forest along the Walhondig Indian trail which intersected with an Indian Trail from Raccoon Town (near Johnstown) to Alum Creek. Since the trees provided places for wild animals and Indians to hide they had to be removed. Trees were girded (a trench cut around the tree to break the sap line) which would kill the tree. Crops were planted around the stumps when the sun could reach the ground. BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/trees/Forest.htm 1816 Lawrence and William Myers laid out their town around a commons which is now known as the Town Square. All trees were removed from the commons to prevent Indians from hiding behind them, To protect the settlers’ livestock from wild animals the commons was fenced and one man watched over all the livestock in the area. Each family had a recorded earmark which identified their animals. These are recorded in the first Berkshire Township Trustee book. The Town Square was fenced and one person stayed there to watch over the earmarked animals while the others built cabins or cleared their fields. Delaware County Records: Grantor/Grantee Books: 3, 626 WEEK 6, FEBRUARY 8-13, 2016 1816 About a dozen vegetable drugs were gathered by apothecaries and physicians who made them into powders and mixtures for their patients. 99% of babies were delivered at home. 150/1000 died in the first year of birth. Progress in Medicine by Dr. M. W. Livingston's Office in McCormick, Esther: Sunbury's Part in Ohio History, 1966: page 104 1816 William Myers, co-founder of Sunbury, operated a tannery just across the creek and to the northwest of Manville’s Mill. Manville’s mill was located where Rattlesnake Creek ran into the Big Walnut Creek near St. Rt. 37 at the southeast edge of Sunbury.Trenton Township. Beers Atlas of Delaware County, Ohio, 1866 1817 Major Strong bought the Nicholas Manville Mill (built in 1810). 1866 map shows a still in this area but more has not been found about it. Trenton Township. Beers Atlas of Delaware County, Ohio, 1866. 1818 Lawrence Myers paid $2.16 to keep a tavern in Sunbury then on March 24 of the same year he bought a year’s license for $13. Tavern Licenses in Delaware County Treasurer's Book, 1809 in Delaware County Courthouse WEEK 7, FEBRUARY 15-19, 2016 1819 Methodist Circuit Riders brought services to the community. Baby William S. Rosecrans was baptized by a Methodist circuit rider shortly after his birth. Rosecrans' Biography Part 2 on Big Walnut Area Historical Society website. 1819 Charity Lodge #53 opened in Sunbury on May 28, 1819. This was the first mason lodge in Sunbury. McCormick, Esther: Sunbury's Part in Ohio History, 1966: page 96 1820 Lawrence Myers built a frame two story stagecoach inn at 45 South Columbus Street to take advantage of the Columbus to Mt. Vernon Road becoming a popular Stagecoach Route. www.BigWalnutHistory.org/MyersInn.htm 1820 The first U.S. Pharmacopeia listed 217 drugs worthy of merit. Progress in Medicine by Dr. M. W. Livingston's Office in McCormick, Esther: Sunbury's Part in Ohio History, 1966: page 104 WEEK 8, FEBRUARY 22-26, 2016 1821 State law was passed authorizing the levying of a tax to
support schools. The school tax was not to be greater than ½ the
State and County tax. The proceeds were to be used to buy land,
erect buildings and make up for those unable to pay for their
children’s education. 1821 Schools were set up in homes, sheds or often in log cabins.
The first schools were primitive subscription schools erected by
volunteer labor. Logs were cut 16' or 18' long to construct the
school. Broad boards made up the roof. There was a fireplace, a
clapboard door and maybe a greased paper window to let in light.
Student benches were fashioned from logs. Families paid $1.50 to
$3.50 per child for a three month session of classes.
BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/SCHOOLS/EarlySchools/Early.htm 1823 Lawrence Myers placed a classified ad on the front page of the newspaper asking those interested in forming a library meet at his home on December 25th. 1838 First Methodist Church was built on North Columbus Street. McCormick, Esther: Sunbury's Part in Ohio History, 1966: page 96 WEEK 9, FEBRUARY 29-MARCH 4, 2016 1839 Baptist began a frame church at the corner of Cherry and Morning Streets BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/churches/SunBapt/Baptists.htm 1842 Samuel Peck and T. P. Myers operated a sawmill along the Big Walnut Creek a the end of Cherry Street. McCormick, Esther: Sunbury's Part in Ohio History, 1966: page 23 1846 Masons Charity Lodge #53 closed in Sunbury.McCormick, Esther: Sunbury's Part in Ohio History, 1966: page 96 1847 Sparrow Lodge #400 opened on Oct 25, 1867 for masons. McCormick, Esther: Sunbury's Part in Ohio History, 1966: page 96 1848 Mr. Bailey acquired the sawmill and added machinery for grinding grists (the name for small batches of grain). McCormick, Esther: Sunbury's Part in Ohio History, 1966: page 23 WEEK 10, MARCH 7-11, 2016 1850 Baptist Church completed. BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/churches/SunBapt/Baptists.htm 1853 Ohio revised it’s education system by law forming a Township
Board of Education for each township. This was the beginning of free
education for all children. These Boards consisted of one
representative from each sub-district and a clerk of the township.
They were responsible for school property, appropriated money among
the sub-districts (usually 6 per township), fixed boundaries and
located school sites. They reported to the County Auditor annually. 1854 One room school houses were built in each sub-district.
Typically these structures were 22' by 36' from outside to outside.
Usually they were brick with more than one window to provide light.
Each had one door, a chimney (usually for stove) and generally a
blackboard as well as benches and tables or desks. 1861 Adaline "Lizzie" Davis was postmistress in Sunbury for 32 years. The Post Office was in her house at the northwest corner of Cherry Street and Vernon Street. Patrons rang a bell which brought Lizzie from her home to the post office. BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/PostOffice/RFD.htm WEEK 11, MARCH 14-17, 2016 1867 Col. Granville Adolphus Frambes formed a board to raise
money to build a private school in the center of the village square.
This school was known as the Sunbury Union Institute. E. Kimball, D.
H. Elliott, J. Armstrong, S. S. Cook and G. A. Frambes were the
trustees. 1868 Col. Frambes raised $5000 for two stories of the building of
simple Georgian design made of bricks sun-dried on the farm just
west of town. In addition to the classrooms on the first floor, the
building held the finest hall for general meetings in the county.
Dedication was on Tuesday evening, December 1, 1868, with an oyster
dinner, speeches and a tableaux for entertainment. 1868 Sparrow Lodge paid $1300 to add the 3rd floor to the Sunbury Institute (known as Sunbury Town Hall) and held their meetings there until 1959. BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/SunburySquare/TownHall/TH.htm 1870 Gottieb Jacob Burrer and Mr. Spraque purchased the water powered ‘Grist Mill’ known as the Bailey Mill in operation at the end of Cherry Street. It had passed through 2 owners from Bailey to Burrer. BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/MILLS/Sunbury/BurrerMill.htm 1872 The Farmers Bank, Sunbury, Ohio, formed and opened in frame building owned by Nathan Marble at about 30 S. Vernon Street. In 1875, Marble raised the rent and Mr. Moore built a frame building on the south side of the square for the bank. BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/NorthSideSquare/FarmersBank/Buttons.htm WEEK 12, MARCH 21-24, 2016 1873 First known newspaper in Sunbury was started by a stock
company owned by a group of local men. It was called The
Enterprise with D.M. Pyle was the editor. It lasted nine months. 1873 C.A. & C. railroad built through Sunbury. The town gave
$22.000 and land for the railroad to go through Sunbury. Galena
contributed $13,500. People gathered at the railroad stations to
meet the trains, stroll around the flower beds and visit with other
residents. Now one could ride the train to Columbus, shop and return
in the same day.
BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/Railroad/RR.htm 1875 Mr. Shrive Gammill operated a sawmill at the northwest
corner of Vernon and Morning Street. 1875 Due to the low water flow in the Big Walnut Creek, Jakie Burrer moved his mill into Sunbury to the northeast corner of North Street and Columbus Street. His father-in-law, Shrive Gammill provided Jakie with scrap lumber to fire boilers and generate steam to operate his grist mill. They ground grain between rotating, grooved stones called ‘buhrs’ using steam power. Sunbury Flour Mill was the home of Tip-Top Flour. BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/Mills/Sunbury/BurrerMill.htm WEEK 13, APRIL 4-8, 2016 1876 Wayman Perfect sold The Spectator newspaper to J. S. Watson who ran it for three years then closed it. BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/SunburyNews/paper.htm 1877 Delaware County Mutual Insurance Company founded at 37 West Granville Street where it remained until more resent years. BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/SunburyBusiness/DelCoFarmers'MutualIns/1929.htm 1878 A two story brick school was built on the south west corner of 3 acres facing Harrison Street to house. BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/SCHOOLS/70HarrisonSt/Sunbury.htm 1879-80 G. E. Sharpe began publishing The Sunbury Monitor. One known copy is dated January 21, 1881 and marked Col. VI, Number 43 BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/SunburyNews/paper.htm 1880 Sunbury Village Council asked Nathan Marble to plant trees on Sunbury Square. He divided the square into quadrants and planted a circle of 8 native hardwoods in each of the quadrants so residents would know the original trees which grew here. BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/SunburySquare/Trees/MarbleTF-1.htm WEEK 14, APRIL 11-15, 2016 1881 The Village of Sunbury was incorporated with village offices
including the marshall’s office and the fire department on the first
floor of the Town Hall. 1882 Farmers Bank built a building of Sunbury blue limestone quarried east of Walnut Street at the end of Cherry Street on the north side of Cherry Street. The old bank became Telephone Central Office until the new one was built at 39 E. Granville Street (It now houses Sunbury, Big Walnut Chamber of Commerce). BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/NorthSideSquare/FarmersBank/Buttons.htm 1886 Sunbury Mill replaced the stone buhrs with steel roller mills. White Loaf Flour was a major product. BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/Mills/Sunbury/BurrerMill.htm 1887 Sunbury Knights of Pythias Lodge was chartered May 25 with
27 members. They met in the Smith building on the East side of the
square 1890 The Sunbury News, Volume 2, No. 3. dated May 1, 1890
with A. R. Letts, editor and proprietor. The masthead stated the
paper comes out every Thursday morning. Subscriptions are $1.00 per
year, 60 cents per half year or 35 cents for three months. The 4
page paper uses boilerplate on pages 1 and 4 and hand-set type on
pages 2 and 3. WEEK 15, APRIL 18-22, 2016 1892 The Boxwell Law gave an opportunity to the aspiring young adult, whose roots were on the farm and not in the city, to proceed with his or her education. The new law, which was passed in 1892, stated in certain terms "that township boards of education are obligated to pay the successful applicants' tuition at the city school of their choice, but the students must provide for their own transportation or living accommodations." 1892 Under the Boxwell law, an examination was given that tested the scholastic skills of the rural students. It set up a sort of qualification standard in which the student could participate through a testing procedure. Passage of these tests made the student eligible for admission to any high school in the County in which the pupil lives, or some neighboring county. 1892 Subjects in which Boxwell testing was given were: orthography (spelling and language study), reading, writing, arithmetic, English grammar and composition, United States history including civil government, and physiology. Two examinations were to be given a year. 1892 Successful applicants, where each student presented an oration, or read an essay, were arranged to meet at regular township commencements. The law also read that a County commencement of all graduates under this act should also be held. The Boxwell Law had clearly done more for the country schools of Ohio than any other law passed previous. 1893 Because postmasters are chosen by the Postmaster General, when the salaries became more lucrative the jobs were actively sought and often given to the party in office. Democrat Arthur Reed Letts became postmaster for four years. This became a trend following the presidential elections. WEEK 16, APRIL 25-29, 2016 1894 M. D. Cring bought The Sunbury News in 1894. BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/SunburyNews/paper.htm 1896 In The Sunbury News issue dated May 1896 shows Cring as editor while Reed Letts and Frank Whittier were printers. Cring sold his interests to Letts and Whittier in 1896. Letts and Whittier published a booklet, Picturesque Sunbury. It is shown The Sunbury News in a frame building, on Cherry Street with the Post Office in the same building. Picturesque Sunbury is on the Big Walnut Area Historical Society website. BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/SunburyNews/paper.htm 1897 First Rural Free Delivery known as R.F.D. was begun in Sunbury, Ohio, weeks before the nation began delivering mail to those living in the country. Postmaster E. L. Gill went ahead because he had already hired the driver and had the routes laid out to serve the residents. Sunbury covered 24 miles of unimproved roads to deliver the mail by horse and buggy. John W. Longwell carried the mail for $400 a year. Many local merchants objected thinking rural residents would not come to town as often to shop. It did not turn out that way. BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/PostOffice/RFD.htm 1898 Baptist moved old parsonage behind church for the janitor and built a new one beside the church facing Cherry Street. BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/churches/SunBapt/Baptists.htm 1898 A ‘company owned water works’ in Sunbury was owned by Charles Wheaton, Dr. J. H. Gerhardt, Nel Ramsey, Otis Kimball, Al Williams, Lace Gill and John Longwell. They got the water from the springs behind Wheaton Hardware on Granville Street and stored it in a wooden water tower near the Baptist Church on Cherry Street. Each lot owner was responsible for the wooden lines running across the lot. WEEK 17, MAY 2-6, 2016 1899 Twenty-five women joined to form a literary club they called The Progress Club. Not only did Minnie Williams name the club, she served as its first president, wrote te club song, and was the last surviving member when she died in 1965 at the age of 100. 1899 Methodist Church in bad repair so it was torn down and they began building a new one. 1900 In the early 1900's Fred Baker and Don Crawford bought
The Sunbury News from Reed Letts and Frank Whittier. Frank.
Whittier became publisher for Delaware County News-Item. In
issue Vol. XI, dated September 28, 1905 the masthead says it is the
Official Organ of the Delaware County Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance
Company and is published weekly on Thursdays. A special booklet
published by Delaware County News-Item, Vol. VII, No. 7 is dated
December 14, 1900. 1901 Sunbury Rural Free Delivery became so popular two additional
routes were added: Douglass C Gorsuch delivered Route 2 and Arthur
M. Culver delivered Route 3. 1901 The second New Methodist Church on North Columbus Street was dedicated October 6, 1901. WEEK 18, MAY 9-13, 2016 1902 Sunbury Post Office added two new R.F.D. routes: John Domigan delivered route 4 and Oatfield Whitney delivered Route 5. BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/PostOffice/RFD.htm 1903 The first butter cow at the Ohio State Fair was made of butter from the Sunbury Co-Op Creamery located on South Columbus Street. 1903 Sunbury Post Office has 5 rural mail carriers; Matthew
Geddis, Douglas Gorsuch, Arthur Culver, Douglas Moore and O.W.
Whitney. 1903 Sunbury Mill purchased a belt-driven "Dynamo" which could utilize the steam power from the Sunbury Mill to make electricity. The strung lines of lights in the mill, to the Burrer house and across the street to the Sunbury Methodist Church which became their first electric customer. At first electricity was only furnished from dusk to midnight. If something went wrong there was no electricity at all. 1904 Logan Gas Company was granted a franchise to provide gas service to Sunbury. WEEK 19, MAY 16-20, 2016 1905 A meeting was held July 26th in the Hopkins House to organize the Pythian Sisters Kimball Temple 276 in Sunbury 1905 Sunbury’s Route 5 was moved to Condit post office. Whitney was offered the position of carrier but refused. BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/PostOffice/RFD.htm 1905 Sunbury Knights of Pythias bought the corner lot on Columbus and Cherry Street from Dr. Kistler. They tore down the store ns doctor’s office and built the new K. of P. Hall. 1906 Oatfield Whitney bought Baker’s share of The Sunbury News.
Whitney had been a postmaster and had to lerarn the newspaper
business. 1906 Knights of Pythias Hall was dedicated May 24th with a banquet served by Sunbury Methodist and Baptist Churches. WEEK 20, MAY 23-26, 2016 1907 Frame Baptist Church was sold and demolished and a new church was begun on the site. BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/churches/SunBapt/Baptists.htm 1907 Lower floor of the K. of P. Hall was converted to an Opera House where plays were often presented. 1908 Baptist Church is completed at the corner of Cherry and Morning Streets for $8,000 and dedicated on May 3, 1908.BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/churches/SunBapt/Baptists.htm 1910 Sunbury Savings & Loan opened on the north side of the Square. At year end they had $3,109.17 in assets and $3,109.17 in liabilities 1912 Oatfield Whitney became Postmaster for four years. Parcel Post was started during his term. BigWalnutHistory.org/Local_History/PostOffice/RFD.htm
THUS ENDS A BRIEF TOUR THROUGH THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FIRST CENTURY OF SUNBURY HISTORY CENTURY TWO WILL BE AVAILABLE AUGUST THROUGH DECEMBER.
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