-----Original Message----- From: J. L. <fmlyfndr@email.msn.com> To: OHBELMON-L@rootsweb.com <OHBELMON-L@rootsweb.com>; OHMONROE-L@rootsweb.com <OHMONROE-L@rootsweb.com> Date: Friday, May 07, 1999 1:03 AM Subject: Stafford, Ohio 1887 Part #2 > In 1850 several notable events in the history of the village occurred. >CARMICHEL's addition was laid out and consists of that part of town on Cross >street north of Main. The road leading to Summerfield was changed from >where it turned to the northward west of the town and run directly east, >making a right angle north of the town, thus joining on the road from the >sourth and forming the Cross street. Lots were laid out on this street and >several of them built on. The Wesleyan Methodists built the church next to >G. W. ROBINSON's store that is now falling into decay. The same year >thirty-six colored people from Rockingham county, Va., on their way to a >more hospitable country fuarther north found themselves so well treated here >that they permanently located. Some of the older of these had been slaves. >These formed the nucleus of the considerable colored population in the >neighborhood. Many of them are in comfortable circumstances and are good >citizens. Several of them served with credit in the army during the war of >the rebellion. > About this time came J.W. BARNETT who was to occupy a prominent place in >the history of the town for some years. He was born at Smyrna, Harrison >county, Ohio, and came to near Stafford with his father John BARNETT. As a >young man he clerked for James SHANKLAND at Lexington, now Novle county, >afterward for John M. ROWND and also for Charles HARE at Summerfield. From >the store of Mr. HARE at Summerfield he went to Lebanon, this county, where >he did business a short time. Comint to Stafford he was at first associated >with HAWKINS. In 1852 he built a part of the storeroom occupiec by G. W. >ROBINSON, and also the two story dwelling next west of it. He also built >the tobacco house. He was very successful in business, accumulating a >fortune. In 1863 he built the large brick north of town now owned and >occupied as a residence by Thos. B. DAY. He died January 10th, 1864, worth >$40,000, before he had removed to his new residence. His widow and some of >the children are still in the village. > In 1850 Steel built the brick building now occupied by ULLMAN & Son and >occupied it as a store room. these cover the principal improvements up to >1854. > > In 1854 the school house was built. It used to stand in the eastern >suburbs amid a grove of oaks near the cemetery. > During the years following this time the population of the village >received considerable additions. Among these was Benj. HUGHES: Mr. HUGHES >was anative of Washington county, Pa., who came to Monroe county, O., near >Woodsfield, in 1837; came to near Stafford in 1848 and lived here aboutthis >time. Died near Stafford in 1879 at some 70years of age. Mr. Hughes was >noted for his strong intelligence, unfaltering integrity and for his >unrelenting hostility to slavery. For many years, both while at Woodsfield >and afterwards near Stafford his house was headquarters for runaway slaves. >He and Steel were co-laborers in the same political vineyard and took active >interest and strong action in the heated political discussions that preceded >the war, doing much to shape public opinion and sowing seeds in that field >that still continues to reproduce men oflike habits of thought. > Mr. STEEL became involved and retired from business, going to Pittsburg, >and leaving some bitterness behind him as a matter of course, butthis should >not obscure his unquestioned merits, or prove his want of honest intentions. >From Pittsburg he went west, finally dying in Portland, Oregon about 1884. >he was succeeded in the brick store by HAWKINS, who soon retired and went >west in 1863. > W. S. WAYthen occupied the same room in 1857 and for two years had with >him Mr. Fred ULLMAN now occupying the same property. Capt. J.W. M. BROCK >was employed with WAY for some years, entering the army in 1861 as Lieut. of >Company "D" 27th Ohio Infantry, where he distinguished himself, returning at >the close of the war a Captain to resume his old place which he held for >many years with WAY and his successors. He still remains a much respected >citizen of the village. > The gathering storm of 1861 raged in Stafford in common with other Ohio >villages and she was not wanting in patriotism when the tug of war came. > Joseph BALL was at the beginning of the war running a harness and >saddler shop just south of ROBINSON's store in the building for some time >occupied by Charles WELLS as a dwelling and grocery, afterwards occupied by >Lewis SHIPLEY, formerly of Woodsfield, as postmaster. WELLS was the third >husband of STEEL's mother-in-law. WELLS & BALL were contemporaries. Ball >was among the first to enlist, a considerable number going with him into the >25th Ohio Infantry. He held a commission as Lieutenant. Three companies >were organized in the town. Milton WELLS being Captain of the one assigned >to the 27th Ohio Infantry. Wm WHEELER who had been the second teacher in >the new school-house was Captain of Co. D, 92nd, and A. G. HUGHES entering >the army as a Private was in a short time promoted to a Lieutenancy. The >neighborhood was represented in various other organizations the enlistments >making in the aggregate all that was asked of them. Capt. Thos. WILSON >still living near town also distinguished himself. > The mention of the officers as an index to the number ofenlisted men who >went forth from the neighborhood and on all occasions the men of Stafford >were equal to the demands made on them. During the war the patriotism of >the village never faltered but backed the most radical measures for the >suppression of the rebellion with enthusiasm. > After the death of J.W. BARNETT, C. W. HARE occupied his place and >continued the business for some time, when he was succeeded by Hare and >Hughes, the members of the firm being Charles HARE, of Summerfield, and >Capt. A. G. HUGHES. A. G. HUGHES is a son of Benjamin HUGHES. Born in >Jefferson county, Ohio, he came to Monroe county with his father. Before >the war he was a farmer. At the outbreak of the war he enlisted as a >private in Co. K, 92d, Ohio Infantry and a short time afterward was promoted >to a Lieutenancy, coming out of it a Captain. He managed the affairs of the >firm of Hare & Hughes successuflly until about 1871, when he quit the dry >goods business and has since been a successful farmer and dealer in stock >and wool. He has accumulated a competence and is still identified with the >interests of the village. > The town has long had a Masonic Lodge. In 1872 they built the building >at the southeast corner of the cross streets, and occupy the second floor as >a lodge room, renting the ground floor for business purposes. The lower >rooms were for many years occupied by HOGUE & TANNER, the present occupant >being a son of the senior member of the firm he succeeds. > The old school house was burned in October, 1871 and for some time >school was taught in the churches. In 1873 the village was made an >independent school district, and a new school-house erected that year. It >is a building about 60 by 24 feet, tow stories high and stands sough of Main >street, just at the bink of the hill where it begins to drop off to the >east. > In 1872 the Christians built a handsome church in the south part of the >town, east side of the street, close to the beautiful grove that adorns the >southern suburb. It is a frame building and has seating capacity of about >400. > The town has steadily though not rapidly improved. Carmichel's addition >has been pretty well built up in the years since it was laid out. T.G. >HOLLAND's wagon shop has disappeard, or rather buisness as done by him, and >HOLLAND farms in West Virginia. The tan yard has fallen into disuse, which >is to be regretted. The shophas been replaced by a larger one, but there is >not consolation for the loss of the smell from the tan yard. > The planin mill was started about 1872, and has been removed from the >south part oftown to the eastern suburb. > In 1884 the M.E. Church replaced their old sturcture in which they had >worshiped so many years by a more handsome and costly structure. And so the >conservative little village goes on improving year after year slowly, but >with sufficient manifestation of interest in their town to give the >assurance of a determination to stay with it till its future ripens the >furit of its glory still in the bud or the bloom. The town has never been >incorporated because there is no need ofit so far as preserving order is >concerned, but a nervy administration that would build pavements, would add >much to the appearance of the place and to the value of its property at a >small cost. > Looking south from the most elevated protion of the town the hills fall >off somewhat in height and are crowned here and there with farm or tobacco >houses, while the cultivated lands are fringed with blets of timber making a >very attractive landscape in summer. East across the Little Muskingum the >less elevated hills gradually rise above one another in swells that increas >in height in the distance, and are nearly all in cultiviaation dotted with >farm houses and laid off in fields by the old fashioned "worm fence." >Nearer on the gentle slope that leads down to the creek east of the town is >the oak grove where stood the old school-house whose associations come back >to me and many others perhaps, awakening thoughts and the echos of feelings >long dormant and thought to be dead, while through the intervals among the >trees gleams the marble stones that mark the spot where lies buried golden >jhopes unnumbered gone down with the dead of the generations who have on >succession inhabited this peaceful village. > North are the same sort of hills that lie east taken from a different >point of view. Here the view is a leteral one of the divide between Duck >Creek and Little Muskinum. You cannot look down on them for they are as >high or a little higher than your standpoint. Sothe finges of timber to a >great extnet hide the improved land but you can distinguish to the north >west the beautiful grove in which the people were wont to hold camp meetings >and enjoy a good social time. > West the view is down the valley of Road Fork of Duck Creek which finds >its way toward the west between hills aburpt and high. Steep as they are >they are cultivated to the top, and the white houses of prosperous farmers >are to be blundered upon amidst its fastnesses at the most unexpected >points. Looking over rather to the north-west the hills about Mt. Tabor >church are in plain view, and houses five miles away are easily >recognizable. It was not always so. When Stafford was young neither Mt. >Tabor nor any of its surroundings could be seen for the forests that hid >them. Now the hills are bare of trees except orchards, and the destestable >hound no more hunts after the fox amid the hills along Flag. Taking the >whole landscape in at a glance one is lead to reflect that this must be the >home of liberty for "the mountains are always free." > Approaching the town from any direction the most conspicous object is >the landscape is the symmetrical church on the highest gound in the place. >The houses are generally bright and fresh looking and give evidence that the >town is alive and active. > >Part #3 to follow > >