New Philadelphia, the county seat of Tuscarawas County,
is a beautiful, quiet little city of
3,500 people, situated on the spreading plains above the Tuscarawas
River, in the western
part of Goshen Township. Its streets are broad, level,
and finely shaded; its lots are large
and are generally occupied by spacious residences and cozy cottages,
which gives an air
of comfort and plenty to the place and bespeak the thrift and prosperity
of the inhabitants;
its public buildings would be creditable structures to any county of
the State. The newly-built
court house, overlooking the center of trade and traffic, is a model
of solid and imposing
workmanship. The schoolhouse, located in a retired part of the
town, is ample in size and
conveniences to accommodate the pupils of the growing population for
many years to come.
The city hall, churches and industrial buildings scattered in various
portions of the county
seat are further indices of wealth and prosperity.
The village was laid out in 1804, and its proprietor,
John
Knisely, from the systematic
structure and size of its plat at that time, evidently expected it
to become an important city.
Four years later, upon the erection of Tuscarawas County, New Philadelphia
was selected
as its county seat by a committee appointed for this purpose by the
State Legislature. The
early records of the county show that Elijah Wadsworth and Eli
Baldwin received $32
from the county for locating the seat of justice. Dover, which
was laid out in 1807,
contested unavailingly for the prize. The growth of New Philadelphia
has been commensurate
with the progress of the county. Its population, as given in
as many of the census reports as
are now accessible, has been as follows: In 1820, 236; in 1840,
531; in 1850, 1,414; in 1860,
2,360; in 1870, 3,143; in 1880, 3,070. The apparent decrease
during the last decade is not
real, for in 1870 the population of Lockport, amounting to several
hundred, was included in
the returns of New Philadelphia, while in 1880 it was enumerated separately.
The first settlement in the county seat, occurring
nearly eighty years ago, is involved in some
obscurity. When laid out, the site of the village was covered
with brush and trees, and the lots
and streets indicated only by small stakes. Broadway and High
streets were first cleared, and
for years were the only thoroughfares. One log cabin rose
slowly after another as time rolled
on, and were gradually displaced by larger and more substantial dwellings.
Mr. Knisely, the
proprietor, did not build him a cabin within the limits of the town,
but dwelt a short distance
east of it. John Hull, who accompanied Knisely
from Pennsylvania, is said to have built the
first house in New Philadelphia; he remained a resident there but a
short time.
In the spring of 1808, the population of the town
consisted of four families. Peter Cribbs
had built his cabin and potter-kiln on the east side of Broadway, between
Front and High,
and conducted the pottery business there for many years. George
Leininger had erected a
large, rude cabin, which he used as a tavern, on the southwest corner
of Broadway and Front
streets. Christian Stout lived in a house on Water street,
and followed carpentering. He
came from Washington County, Penn., and his son Joseph is said
to have been the first child
born in New Philadelphia. The year of his birth was 1807.
Henry Laffer was also here.
He was a Pennsylvanian, had assisted in surveying the lands of Ohio,
and in 1809 opened a
tavern at his dwelling house in New Philadelphia and kept it for several
years. He was Sheriff
of the county from 1810 to 1813, and soon after founded Sandyville
and removed thither.
In May, 1808, a party of five persons, consisting
of David Fiscus, old Mr. Geiger and son,
Daniel Williams and Peter Williams started afoot from
Greensburg, Westmoreland Co., Penn.,
with New Philadelphia as their objective point. A few days' traveling
along indistinct trails or
paths blazed by the woodman's ax, brought them to their destination.
John Knisely lived on
his farm adjoining the town on the east, across Beaver Dam, and his
house was the stopping
place of all new-comers. After resting from their tiresome journey,
the party was conducted
by Mr. Knisely to the town. Reaching the forks of the
road at the east and, where now the
roads to New Cumberland and Cadiz separate, he told them that they
were now in town, but
only and expanse of bushes and small trees met their vision.
At what is now High street, a
mere foot-path wound along, and around the bushes and saplings to the
next square, where
the enthusiastic proprietor informed them the court house was destined
to be built. A few trees
had been cleared from the square, and Broadway, crossing it, was the
only street partially cleared.
Several days later, Gabriel Cryder arrived
with several teams, on his way to settle in what is
now Dover Township. Besides his household effects, he had an
assortment of goods which he
had received in exchange for a house and lot in Pennsylvania.
Having no house or barn yet
erected, and finding no room at the village where he could store them,
Mr.
Cryder was desirous
of selling his goods. The settlers in and about New Philadelphia
were anxious to have a store
started here, Gnadenhutten being then the nearest trading point, but
there was no one to buy
them. When the Greensburg party were making preparations
to return, Mr. Cryder was
informed that Peter Williams had clerked for several years in
a store. Cryder and several
others urged young Williams, who was then but sixteen years
of age, to purchase the stock.
He possessed no means, but two men agreed to become his security for
the amount, and
Williams was induced to remain. One of the men afterward
declined to assume responsibility,
and the goods were given to the lad for his own notes. Peter
Cribbs offered half his little cabin,
and in it a store room wa rudely fitted up. The goods were
rapidly sold, and replenished, and
the first mercantile venture thus resulted in the establishment of
a store which was carried on
successfully for many years.
New Philadelphia was incorporated by act of Legislature
passed February 12, 1833. The
first election for officers was held on Monday, May 6, following.
Thirty-seven votes were
polled, and the following citizens were elected to office: B.
M. Atherton, Mayor, or President,
as it was then called; Andrew Seaton, Recorder; John Coventry,
Treasurer; Samuel W. Kenrick,
Marshal; Francis D. Leonard, John W. Taylor, Peter
Cribbs, Sr., Thomas Sargent and David
Baltzly, Town Council. The election was held in the court
house, and the officers conducting it
were Joseph Talbot and Henry Stiffler, Judges; George
M. McConnell, Clerk. At the second
annual election, held May 5, 1834, forty-one votes were cast, and B.
M. Atherton was re-elected
Mayor. He continued in this office until 1838, and his
successors, with the dates of their first
election, were the following: George N. Allen, 1839; Peter
Williams, 1840; David English, 1841;
Isaac Hartman, 1842; Benjamin W. Morris, 1844; John
J. Camp, 1846; Thomas J. Sargent, 1848;
John English, 1849; Seymour Belden, 1851; George W.
McIlvaine, 1852; James Simpson, 1853;
William M. McPherrin, 1854; O. P. Taylor, 1855; W.
L. Robb, 1858; Morgan Butler, 1860;
J. H. Barnhill, 1861; Asbury Insley, 1862; J. H. Collier,
1864; John N. Ferrell, 1865;
D. W. Stambaugh, 1866; Daniel Korns, 1868; J. P. Chapin,
1872; Daniel Korns, 1874;
T. C. Ferrell, 1876; William Campbell, 1880, present
incumbent.
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