Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/533

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��HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUNTY,

��531

��1863 — the finishing point being eight miles east of Ashland.

In 1853, the town had attained to the dignity- of a street commissioner, and Alexander Mc- Ilvain was the first to hold that office, and was appointed by the Council.

In 1855, the Council began talking about a public hall and market-house, and a committee was appointed to select a site. This committee was finally ordered to purchase part of the Bowland Block, that part on the corner of West Mai'ket and Walnut streets, at a price not to exceed $1,500. They borrowed $1 ,000 of Hugh McFall to make the first payment. Jacob BrinkerhoflT was a member of the Council at that time, and resigned his position, alleging as a reason that the duties of council men were in- compatible with those of Supreme Judge of Ohio, which office he then held. He was paid $33.33 for the good he had done, and let off. Roeliff Brinkerhoff was appointed in his place. The corner-stone of the market-house was laid with much ceremon}' June 24, 1858. In the stone were deposited a gold ke^^stone (a Masonic emblem), a programme of the proceedings, a copy of each of the cit}' papers of latest date, containing a brief history of the city, together with several other articles, such as current coins, etc. All were put in a glass jar, which was placed in a cavity made for the purpose in a solid stone, in the northeast corner of the build- ing, immediatel}' beneath the corner-stone. , Thi s building went rapidly forward to completion. October 3, 1856, Alexander Mellvain was directed by the Council to take an enumeration of the inhabitants of the village, and, Januar}' 5, 1857, Mr. Mellvain stated, over his signa- ture, that the number was 5,121 ; thereupon a resolution was passed asking the Grovernor of the State to declare Mansfield a city. Accord- ingly, February 4, 1857, Gov. Salmon P. Chase issued a proclamation to that effect, and the city of Mansfield sprang into existence. The city was immediately divided by the Council

��into four wards, the line east and west follow- ing the center of Third street, and the line north and south following the center of Main street. The first election in the new city was held April 6, 1857, and resulted in the choice of Stephen B. Sturges for Mayor ; Hubbard Colby and R. C. Smith, Councilmen from First Ward ; J. L. Simmons and J. H. Cook from the Second Ward ; William Mellvain and B. Burns from the Fourth Ward, and F. H. Wise and W. L. Higgins from the Third Ward. Hubbard Colby was elected President of the Council, and Henry P. Davis, Clerk. The office of City Solicitor came into existence with the city, and L. B. Matson (deceased) was the first to hold that office.

The three railroads centering in Mansfield from different points of the compass, stimulated business and building, and caused the city to take a long step forward. Miller's Hall was erected in 1858 ; the brick block on the corner of West Market and the square, where Black's store is, in 1863, and the same year, H. H. Stur- ges erected the brick building on the corner where the first cabin was located. Opera House Block was erected by H. K.. Smith in 1869. Many other buildings of more or less importance were erected during these years of prosperity. The war came in '61 with its all absorbing issues, which, however, only checked for a 3"ear or two the growth and development of the city ; and with the flush times immediately succeeding the war, Mansfield sprang forward with renewed energy and life. No period in her history can compare in interest (and the same may, perhaps, be said of almost every other city in the coun- try), to that embraced between the years 1865 and 1 873. Mansfield went wild with success, and ran up that ladder, so to speak, to such a height that she, in common with the rest of the coun- tr3^ grew dizzy and fell. The history' of the " flush times " immediatel}'' preceding the panic of '73 need not be written here ; it is written on the memory of most people ; everybod}^

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