Page:History of Richland County, Ohio.djvu/631

 HISTOKY OF KICHLAND COUNTY.

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��on the old tarm where he was born, and where he has liA'ed sixty-four j^ears.

The oldest man living within the bounds of the township is a Mr. Smith, living at Olives- burg, who claims to be ninety-eight years old. He is yet a hale old man, chops his own wood, and to all appearances, he is good for another half century.

There are fifteen persons in the township who have lived therein sixty years, viz., Samuel Pittenger, Nathaniel Pittenger, James Hagerman, William Hagerman. William Fer- guson, John Ward, Samuel Stevenson, John Crabbs, Richard Houston, Robert Houston, Isaac' Council and Francis Porter — twelve men,- and three women, viz.. Mrs. Morgan. Mrs. John Cline and Mrs. Taggart.

The Richland County Infirmary is situated in the center of Weller Township. It is beau- tifully situated on the western slope of the Big Hill, on the Mansfield & Olivesburg road. In accordance with an act of the Legislature, proceedings were inaugurated by the Count}' Commissioners, in the j-ear 184G, toward its erection. William Taggart, William B. Ham- mett and John McPool were acting in that capacity at that time. The farm of one hun- dred and sixty acres, was bought of the heirs of Nathaniel Osbun, and the contract for making the brick and putting up the building was given to Col. Weaver, of Ganges, for $4,500. As Col. Weaver claimed he had lost money in the enterprise, the Commissioners humanely added a little pile to it as extras, but the house was finished, and, the following year, was occupied in accoixlance with its legitimate purpose. The first Board of Directors elected to take charge of its conduct were Richard Con- don, Christopher Horn and Samuel Lind.

These men appointed Lowry Sibbet, of Mans- field, as Steward, and his lad}', Mrs. Sibbet, was dul)"- installed as Matron. The institution was managed as well, perhaps, as the average of such institutions throughout the State, and, as

��a benevolent institution, was a credit to the country. The average number of paupers ac- commodated within its walls was aljout seventy- five or eighty.

In June, 1877, the old building burned down, and great inconvenience was experienced in making temporar}' provision for the inmates till another building could be provided.

Plans and specifications were presented dur- ing the year 1878, and, in the spring of 1879, the contract was let to Sheets & Frayer, and the work commenced. The building is much more elaborate and expensive than the old one, and will cost between $30,000 and $40,000. It is n very handsome building, and makes a fine ap- pearance from the Atlantic & Great Western Railroad. The present officers, under whose di- rections it was built, are William Newlon, J. F. Gerhart and Peter Snapp. Present Steward in charge is William Gates.

There was a school organized about the same time on Jacob Osbun's farm, at that time in Franklin Township (now Weller), adjoining the infirmary, and was taught by John Hagerman, and, in the winter of 1819-20, Joseph Ward taught a school on the south side of the Big- Hill, and the winter following, in a log cabin on the farm of Mr. Hall, on the Black Fork, at which time and place the Hon. Barnabas Burns, of Mansfield, commenced his education, also James Rait, of Mansfield. This rustic seminarj- had greased newspapers for windows. The fire- place extended nearly' across the east end, into which chasm immense piles of beech and sugar logs were rolled b}' muscular students. The master was favored with a splint-bottomed chair for his throne, but the students had seats made of split-rails, placed with the soft side upward.

The first schoolhouse making an}' pretensions to respectabilit}' was built at Olivesburg in the year 1824. This was a substantial, hewed-log house, twent}' feet square, glass windows and good stove in the middle. The above-named gentleman (Joseph VVard) taught the first four

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