Centennial History of Columbus and Franklin County. William Alexander Taylor
The reason for this growth between 1820 and 1860 was largely dependent on two causes—facilities for travel and transportation east and west, which were lacking in the earlier days of the state capital. The first important through line east and west was the National road. When it was completed (having been begun beyond the Alleghenies in 1806 and completed thirty years later), it brought a constant stream of travel, traffic and homeseekers into the far-famed Upper Scioto valley. This road gave Columbus its first great impetus, deriving anticipatory benefits from it before its completion to this point.
This great work was undertaken by congress in 1806. It cost thirty thousand dollars per mile and extends from Cumberland Gap, Maryland, to the Ohio river, and thence to the Indiana line. But for the advent of steam roads, canals and steam boats the government would doubtless have constructed more of these national roads, and no better expenditure of public money could have been made for the benefit of the rural mail system of the present day, if for nothing else; but what a boon they would have been for automobiling? And who knows but that in the ages to come there will again be as much or more travel and traffic over the old National road than there was in the palmy days of stage coaching?
It is not too late yet for the government to build turnpikes all over the country, and especially in localities that are almost inaccessible for steam roads. John C. Calhoun, the great states righter, was fl federalist long enough to advocate the National road. And there were grafters in those days! It is said that in repairing some of the bridges in Madison county it was found that the fine cut stone work was merely veneer, back of which was small stones and gravel. However, many of the bridges are yet in a good state of repair. Between Columbus and Springfield the road is as straight as an arrow and level enough for a railroad without making a cut or a fill. In fact, it is being used in some places east of Columbus for traction line purposes, and in other places the road is said to be almost obliterated for lack of repairs.
The Indians in their day had a complete network of trails leading in every direction throughout the country, and many of the pikes and roads of today are over the original old Indian trails that were first traversed by the noble Red Man for perhaps centuries before the advent of the whites.
Growth of population and material wealth are not the absolute and indubitable proof of public virtue and private honesty, with good government as the concomitant, but they are reliable indices in nine cases out of ten. The next great impetus to a forward movement was the advent of the railway system, pioneered by the Columbus & Xenia from the west and the Ohio Central (now part of the Baltimore & Ohio system from the east), which, with the steam lines that came after and electric lines which began to gridiron the whole interior of the state a decade ago, are now cobwebbing the whole of it, all roads converge upon the still rapidly expanding capital.
Two Bases for Comparison.
The year 1843, while not marking the exact point of the half century following the "beginnings" of Columbus, is so proximate, and so clearly marks, historically speaking, a "breathing spell" in the city's progress that it may be taken as the second basis of comparison, in the city's history entire, for the companions whereby the steps of progress became visible to the mind's eye.
The first pause for comparison was when the borough of Columbus was created by act of the legislature in 1816. The then residents compared their then progress with the dawn of a new-born civilization and the retiring horizon of the primeval night of barbarism. To them and to the occasional wayfarers the change and the progress were not only satisfactory, but marvelous. They were able, too, to make a correct estimate because the then doers were the descendants of the original workers in the vineyard or knew of them by daily contact, or, better still, by the oft-told story of the verbal history of the neighborhood told by those, each of whom was a book and some of whom were encyclopedias.
The second basis of comparison, or temporary inventory taking, was in 1843, when the city, as a city, was some ten years old, and the fathers began to turn over to the sons the public affairs, and the newcomers from far and near set themselves to "learning the ropes" and making themselves familiar with the traditions, having almost the force of law.
If you, Mr. Reader, in the multiple form, had been here at that time you would have known personally of the people who then lived and wrought, and the comparison with the present would be made brilliant and scintillant with the star points of that other generation. Some of you were here in the peerless morning of youth, and have the advantage over the great majority.
But suppose we should give you the name and occupation and abode of all the men who did, and most of the women who wrought for future generations, with enough side lights to reveal to you in outline all the other men and women and the smaller folk, would you not feel yourself able to estimate the present coigne of progress at its true value and with emotions of a greater human interest, than would accompany mere columns of statistics?
Herewith are given the introductions, written by the pen of history in 1843 to some twelve hundred of the then residents of Columbus, describing who they were, what they were engaged in, where they lived, in other words a glimpse at the people of the city among whom a very large proportion of you will discern your ancestry, in the direct lines, and a goodly number of you are here present today were also there present, rising sixty-five years ago. This highly entertaining series of introductions from A to Izzard may be comprehensively described as
A Pioneer City Directory.
It is a little duodecimo volume of two hundred and one pages, four and a half inches wide by seven and a fourth long, bound in muslin and printed in long primer type, and is one of the treasures of the Old North West Historical and Genealogical Society. But forty-one of these little pages are devoted to the names of residents, the rest being filled with a brief and interesting history of the city up to date (1843-44) and the remainder illuminated with advertisements of the business houses.
This sub-chapter of names and business places will set many of the older readers agog with memories that have lain latent for years, and will furnish their great grandchildren's grandchildren with their potents of nobility and the hatchments of their heraldry: American Hotel, JN. W. cor. High & State.
Aston, James, cabinetmaker, res. N. W. cor High & Gay.
Aston, Wm., (A. & Son) soap & candlemaker, res. W. S. Front, bet. Gay & Long.
Aston, Thos., (Aston & S.) boards at Wm. Aston's.
Armstrong, Robert, land agent, res. N. S. Broad near Front.
Avaider, John, cupola tender, Frank. Foundry, res. near Foundry.
Ayers, E., tinner, boards at City House.
Ambos, P., confectioner, res. W. S. High, opposite State Offices.
Amos, Walter, merchant tailor, res E. S. 4th, bet. Broad & State.
Andrews, John W., atty-at-law, res. E. S. Third, bet, State & Broad.
Armstrong, John, tavern keeper, W. S. High, bet, Town & Rich.
Acheson, Thos., (Sherwood & Co.) boards at American Hotel.
Adams, Wm., tailor, res. E. S. High, near Town.
Armbruster, John G., brushmaker, res. E. S. High, near Friend.
Andrews. Sam'l C, atty-at-law, res. W. S. High, bet. Mound & Friend.
Asbery. Thos., res. N. W. cor. High & Mound.
Armstrong, Robert, carpenter, res. E. S. Front, near Friend.
Abbott, J. S., clerk at Post Office, res. S. E. cor. Front ft Friend.
Armstrong, John G., carpenter, res. N. W. cor. Rich & Scioto.
Altman, John, wagon maker, res. S. S. S. P. Lane, bet. Scioto & Front.
Auder, John, laborer, res. S. S. South, near High.
Antone, N., gardner, res. High, near College.
Adenton, Simon, carpenter, N. S. South Public Lane, near Third.
Allspiker, George, laborer, res. 3rd bet. 2nd and