Hide Article Text (OCR)
A history nor tradition beautiful site upon which the city of Logan stands wee not the home of thaman race. Far beyond the time for the earliest paleface village and up creek. i the city bears the Name of the Great Mingo chief Logan, who it is até, was reared here and made his home with his family until driven forth to seek a new habitation leav ing his family slain behind him. History recites that the first white man to settle within what is now the incorporated limite of Lo gan was Christian Westenhaver who came from Maryland with his family about 1795. Some months later he was followed by John Pence and Conrad Brien, two prothers-in-law, who joined in forming the settlement. With the passing of time other pronecrs ar e pivde and having traded and pur chased several tracts of land from travel through the new West. In 1816, General Thomas Worth possibilities of the great section of country having been revealed to him, and after a personal tour of inspection made by stage coach he was eg attracted by the surround ings that he purchased a large tract of land, builded a dam at the fails of the Hocking and organized the first mill. The Governor's pur chase was bounded by Hunter Street on the north, Walnut on the east, Front street on the south and High Street on the west. The Gov ernor, it is said, personally super vised the engineering. Let No. 1 was at the corner of Hunter and Walnut streets and in all 118 town lots were platted. The first store and tavern was established by a Mr. Mattenhour. In 1817 came Joh Jonas, William Wallace and Graham Peters. In the same summer cage . Robert Leng, first bridemaker, Abner Hitchcock and Andrew Stewart, who cleared the derbrush ‘and erected log cabins. A same sum mer came Dutton. Lang the first gunsmith, who subsequently, be came first after the President Monroe in 1837. Meade Bowen, who was born in Maryland in 1782, also arrived in 1817. He was a cabinet maker and house joiner. Other early pioneers in cluded John Rochester, John Whipple, James Crooks, Horatio Hatch and William Alexander. Hatch established the first gen eral store, Rochester, becoming a clerk and later proprietor of this pioneer establishment. The first manufactory to be established in the town was a carding machine propelled by oxen. Dr. Whipple was the first practicing physician and Squire Fineheart administered law and justice. The first white child born in the settlement is said to have been Rebecca, Spence, Spence, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Pence. Early in the thirties arrived Lucius Case, a lawyer, who later fostered the first newspaper, the Logan News. Town Incorporated Logan was incorporated as a vil lage by act of the state legislature March 6, 1839, and C. W. James was elected the first mayor. At the time of incorporation Logan had about fifty houses and the census of 1840 gave a population of 436. The court house but re cently replaced by the handsome new edifice, was erected in 1840, which’ also witnessed the opening of the Hocking canal, giving im petus to the growth of the village. ‘The first ballot to come down the canal was thenA. McCaw tm Qope. ber, 1840, bearing a large crowd of visitors et, hear a speech in now delivered by Mon. Thes. Corwin during the famous “log cabin, hard cider” campaign. A stage coach line established from Columbus to Beneas at about the time of the completion of the canal stimulated business in the population centers, and in 1846 John Rochester, then the most prominent merch sected a warehouse at the foot of Alberry street and engaged exten sely in the purchase of grain d produce. The firet bridge was erected across the canal near the warehouse. First School House The importance of schools was a factor in the development of the by years eccupying about any house that was evail able, the Citizenship ‘erected school house at the corner of ‘Hun ter and Walnut and on Market street. tq y9gy = Methodist church on on second purposes. About Hepley was denen a Nee superintendent, J.T. Gann, coming for in education and arranged” r school the school directors for in the F. Case addition on ¢ hill near Market street and erect berth substantial. Brick. ders in valley. C. Fee is present superintendent of the system. Industrial Progress In 1969 the arrival of the rail road marked another epoch in the progress of Logan. The coal fields east of the city were developed and Logan advanced rapidly. New and important additions were laid out and the Culver tract was purchased upon which has been constructed the beautiful eastern residence sec tion of the city. The early Worthington grist mill proved its value to the settlement 90 decisively that in 1868 the re established by Robert This mill forew one of the well known industries of valley owned by Keynes slenten W.W. W. and C. Also in the early his tory of the village there was erect ed the woolen mille by Jacob Tritech and the Logan foundry by Raymond Belt. Subsequently a brick plant was established by poet Williiam Bowen, later be coming known as the Logan Clay Products Co., among other early industries was‘the tannery of A. Steinman on the site now occupied by the U. B. church. The Logan pottery, Hocking Valley Brick Co., Logan Mfg. Co., and Snider Mts. Co. have been more recent acces sories to the growth of tom. In 1907 Logan acquired the big Hock ling Valley R. A. shops providing employment to many workers. The McGovern Shoe Co., has also been successfully established. The Hocking Valley furnace that flour ished in the early days under the management of A. Magoon con tributed its measure to the pro gress of the community. Banking Institutions The First National Bank was or ganised in 1868 by Chas. E. Bowen, L. A. Culver, G. M. Webb and A. W. Beery. In the summer of,1881 the bank changed its system to rivate barthing business, but was frequently re-chartered as a Na tional bank, and has enjoyed a successful carter. The Peoples Bank organised by J. A. Culver in 1867 was success fully operated until 1892, when its securities going bad, the bank fail ed. Logan passed through a dis tressing financial initiation during that period, and the Union bank established by Wo. England was also forced to close its doors. In 1896 Col. F. F. Rempel estab shed the Rempel bank which was nationalized in 1908 and has com e enjoy prosperity becom ane of the strong institutions the vallley. In 1909 a banking company headed by Winfield Peston estab Mshed the Farmers and Merchants bank which has enjoyed a steady growth. _ Among the financial institutions which have added to the growth of Logan are the Logan Building Loan ssociation and the Citizens Savings association, which are prosperous concerns. The first electric light plant was erected in 1892 by the Citizens Electric Light Co., incorporated by I. Warner, Henry Luts and Lagat Rower Power Co., which is today The city slave works system was loonstructed in 189% Churches Logan *. In the matter of churches Lo many splendid church properties dot the city where great congrega tions assemble for worship. As early as 1817 Logan was con nected with the Fairfield circuit of the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1819 it was on the Hocking cir cuit. In 1831 the society worship ped in a log church. In August, 1851, the present lot on Hunter street was acquired, the south half of lot No. one, where a brick struc ture was built. The church was rebuilt and dedicated in 1910. The First Christian church on ‘Iron street was erected about 1906. ‘church belongs was founded in 1792 when James O’Reily and oth ers withdrew from the first M. E. conference at Baltimore establish ing a new society, first known as Republican Methodists but in 1902 ,taking the name Christian. The sect is entirely different in doctrine from the society more generally known as the Church of Christ. The United Brethers society has a long and honorable history in Hocking county extending back as early as 1825. The present church at the corner of Spring and Hunter streets was dedicated April 1¢, 1911. St. John’s Catholic church edifice and rectory were dedicated in 1898, and the edifice is generally as among the finest in the community. Since then many ‘beautiful and costly improvements ‘have been added. A new parochial school has more recent ly been made a part of the valu ble church property at Logan. The grounds comprise a city block on ‘North Market street. This de nomination was among the early pioneers in the county. The first public meeting of the Presbyterian society was held in chnoed = 1112 and a palMmina was in 1843 and a was ‘completed in 1648. In 1878 the church was entirely remodeled and a cere one of the imposing houses of worship of the city. Trinity Lutheran church on Merth Mulberry street was organ iseed in 1861 by Rev. Henry Henke .In 1911 extensive improvements were added, including pipe organ, electro lights and sew oh It serves a splendid congregation St. Matthews Lutheran church ‘on Hunter street to the oldest day 1886. The tot om Which the Lutheran goctety to Lean and numbers among its members many of the most substantial ¢itigene. The first regular services were held about 1653. In 1872 the congrega tion purchased the present prop erty and in 1872 the congregation purchased the present property and in 1878 a pareonage was erected. The property is valuable and well located. St. Paul's Episcopal church was organized by Rev. A. W. Buckland in 1906. The church edifice was erected in 1918 and dedicated free of all indebtedness.
Newspaper Details
Athens Sunday Messenger
Athens, Ohio, US
Sun, Aug 23, 1925
Page 60
Full Page
Clipped by
Kurt W.
22 Jun 2026
Other Publications Near Athens, Ohio
Athens Messenger
Athens Messenger and Herald
Athens Daily Messenger
Athens Sunday Messenger
