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     Hamilton, lying in the midst of the far famed and historic garden spot of America - the Miami Valley, surrounded by the best country that the world affords stands second to none.  A city which claims for its children, many of the greatest men the American nation has produced.  Men who sat in the highest tribunals, men, whose patriotism led them to shed their blood on many a field in the holy cause of liberty.  Men whose war cry was "for God and native land," and whose deeds of valor made tyrants tremble on their throne.
     From such ancestral stock came the first residents of this city.  Is it any wonder that with such example to emulate, that the town of Hamilton has produced such good citizens?
     Looking backward, let us examine some of the "footprints on the sands of time" delve into our history and traditions that have gone to mingle with the years beyond the flood.
     The route of General St. Clair in his disastrous campaign in 1791 passed through Butler County.  In September of that year Fort Hamilton was built.  It was a stockade, with bastions and platforms for two cannon.  Barracks were constructed with a guard room also, and two store houses for provisions.  It is a remarkable fact that the fort was completed in about fourteen days.  The cross cut saw, the augur and the axe were pressed into service and Fort Hamilton was a reality, and St. Clair's orders had been obeyed.

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     Major Rudolph was placed in command.  He was a tyrannical officer.  His cruel treatment of six deserters has been published so often that we shall not touch upon it.  There are no facts substantiating the hanging of John Brown and Seth Blinn.
     Fort Hamilton remained occupied as a garrison until the year 1796 when the public stores were sold at auction, and the fort abandoned.  After the treaty of Greenville in 1795 many of the officers and soldiers of Wayne's army were disbanded and returned to Hamilton about the first of June, 1795.  James McBride in his valuable manuscript history of Hamilton, written in 1831 makes the following reference to the old fort: "Part of the line where the pickets stood can yet be traced, and some of the buildings of the garrison remained standing after 1811."
     The ground on which the town of Hamilton is laid out within the tract of land sold by the congress of the United States to John Cleves Symmes in 1787 and afterwards conveyed to him by patent bearing date the 30th day of September 1794.  The third entire range of six miles wide within this purchase extending from the Great Miami to the Little Miami was conveyed to General Jonathan Dayton by John Cleves Symmes as appears by a deed bearing the date of Oct. 30, 1794. On July 27, 1795, Johnathan Dayton conveyed the fractional section No. two in township one, range three in said purchase to Israel Ludlow, by whom the town of Hamilton was laid out on said fractional section.
     In the year 1794 a few lots were laid out by Mr. Israel Ludlow in the lower part of the town in the immediate neighborhood of the garrison, and some of them were sold to different parties.  The lots in the upper part of the town were laid out in the years 1796 and 1797.
     The town of Hamilton being laid out under the government of Northwest Territory there was at that time no law requiring town plats to be placed on record, consequently the plat of Hamilton was not recorded at that time.  However, on the 28th of April, 1802, Israel Ludlow placed the town plat

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on record in the county of Hamilton, at Cincinnati where it may be found in Book E, No. 2, page 57.  The most northerly block of lots on the town plat are not laid down from 222 to 242 inclusive, hence the presumption that they were laid out after the plat was placed on record.
     As early as 1795, but few settlers were to be found at Hamilton.  Among the very earliest pioneers were John Greer, Andrew Christy, Benjamin Davis, David C. Orcutt, Isaac Wiles and Benjamin Randolph.
     In the April following in 1793, General Wayne arrived at Hamilton with his main army.  He has been represented as an arbitrary despotic man.  However, he was much displeased with the conduct of Major Rudolph, and gave him his choice, either to be cashiered, or to resign his command.
     The first court for the county of Butler was held in Hamilton on the second Tuesday in July, 1803, the calendar date being July 12.  Subsequently its sittings were held in one of the old buildings of the garrison, which had been erected for a public store house, the Torrence Tavern, corner of Water and Dayton streets.   The building remains in tact to-day the same as it did in 1803, the property of G. A. Rentschler.  The magazine was converted into a jail, and another of the old buildings fitted up for a clerk's office.  The house erected for the accommodation of the commandant and officers was occupied as a tavern for the entertainment of the court and bar, and other persons attending.  The artificers and barracks were used for stables, etc.
     The first presiding Judge was Francis Dunlavey, with James Dunn, John Greer, and John Kitchel as associate Judges.  Daniel Symmes was prosecuting attorney, James Blackburn, sheriff and John Reily, clerk.
     In a few years a stone building was erected on the ground set apart for a public square, designed for a jail and jailers house.  The upper part of this building was finished for a court-room and the sittings of the court were transferred from the barracks to this building.

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     A postoffice was established in Hamilton, August, 1804 and John Reily was appointed postmaster. 
     In March, 1805, occurred an extraordinary flood in the Miami river, which was ever afterward known as the big flood.  The town of Hamilton was almost submerged and great alarm was felt at the rising water.
     On Oct. 11, 1809, the first supreme court held in Butler county, convened at Hamilton.  Samuel Huntington and William Sprigg were the judges of the court, Arthur St. Clair; prosecuting attorney, John Reily, clerk and William McClellan sheriff.
     The town of Hamilton was incorporated in the year 1810, and police and officers were elected who organized themselves and for four years continued to exercise jurisdiction and adopt measures for the government of the town.  Owing to some irregularities however, in the proceedings or carelessness on the part of the officers, the charter became forfeited in 1814, and so remained until 1827, when the town was again incorporated together with Rossville under the style of The Trustees and citizens of Hamilton and Rossville."  The two towns remained under this one charter until 1831, when the act was so amended as to separate the two towns, and erect each into a corporation by itself.
     It may be well here to give a retrospect of the appearance of the town of Hamilton in 1807, which is graphically portrayed by that eminent historian, James McBride.  He says: "When I first visited Hamilton in December, 1807, the improvements were principally confined to near the margin of the river.  William McClellan, who served eight years as sheriff of the county of Butler, then kept a tavern in the old garrison house, which had been erected for the accomodation of the officers, and which stood on the bank of the river near to where the east end of the bridge is at present (in 1831).  John Torrence and William Murray each kept houses of entertainment at the river on Dayton street.  A store was kept by John Sutherland in the low ground and Joseph Hough and Thomas Blair had a store near the south-west corner of the public

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square.  John Reily, clerk of the court, kept his office in a small log house in the lower part of the town.  Dr. Dan Millikin was the only physician then in Hamilton.  He lived in a house on the bank of the river."
     "William Corry, the only lawyer in the place, kept his office in the same building with the clerk of the court.  Several other lawyers, however, from Cincinnati and Lebanon attended the sittings of the courts, among whom were Jacob Burnett, Arthur W. St. Clair, Ethan Stone, Nicholas Long worth and later John McClean, Joshua Coltet and Elias Glover."
     "In Hamilton at that time, nearly all east of Front street was an impenetrable thicket covered with young scrubby oaks, black-jacks, vines and hazel bushes, a thicket that it was only in some parts that man could make his way through them.  True it is, paths and roads were in some places cut through them to admit of a free passage, but even from the corner where Mr. Sutherland's house now stands to the Hamilton hotel, and where the court house now is, the brush wood was very thick, although this space had been occupied by the garrison as a burying ground.  The grave stones and graves were discoverable all over the tract of ground, and even since the building of the Hamilton Hotel was erected, a paling in closing a grave was taken down, which stood in the street before the house."
     "It was then common, every few days, to meet with Indians in the streets of Hamilton, who came to sell their peltries to the storekeepers.  I recollect once of a company of seventy or eighty Indians who remained encamped in the lower part of Rossville for about a week."
     "The improvements in Rossville were still fewer than in Hamilton.  A log house, near where the west end of the bridge now is, was occupied as a tavern and a ferryhouse.  Michael Delorac's house in the upper part of town, and one or two log buildings in the lower part, comprehended the extent of improvement.  Brush-wood, elder bushes and high weeds occupied the remaining parts of the town."

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     What a beatiful beautiful pen picture this is of Hamilton in 1807, such a one as only James McBride could write.
     The total population of Hamilton in 1810 was 242.  The census at that time gives the following in detail:
     The first printing press was brought to Hamilton in June, 1814, and the publication of a weekly newspaper, entitled the Miami Intelligencer was commenced by Colby, Bonnel and Co.  The first number of this paper was issued from the press on the 22nd of June, 1814, and it was the first newspaper ever printed in Butler County.
     In the year 1812, a lot was purchased and a building erected for academy purposes by a company of gentlemen who styled themselves the Hamilton Literary society.  Both a classical and a common school was here conducted, and this was the first educational institution established in Hamilton.
     On the 19th of December, 1817, the bank of Hamilton was incorporated with a capital of $300,000, and went into operation on the 30th day of July, 1818.  The capital stock paid in was $33,062.68.  This institution continued to do business for only two or three years, the pressure of the times and depreciating of bank paper in the west forced them to direct their measures towards a close of their business.
     In 1816, John K. Scott was awarded a contract to erect a brick court house, two stories high, near the centre of the public square.  The contract price for erection of this building was $10,000.00.  However, on the application of the con tractor, who pledged that he had lost money on the contract the legislature passed a law authorizing the commissioners of the county to make him a further allowance, of $100, which was paid him making the whole cost $11,000.
     In the year 1816, a company was incorporated by the legislature of the state of Ohio, with a capital of $30,000.00, to construct a bridge across the Great Miami river, at Hamilton.  The stock in said company was soon subcribed and the work commenced in the summer of 1818 and was completed so as to admit travelers to pass over the bridge in December, 1819.  The first tolls were received December 29.  The bridge

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Pork packing was an immense industry in Hamilton up to 1852.  The following pork houses were located on the north and south sides of the basin, when its terminus was at Third street: J. & J. Fisher, Beatty & Tapscott, J. M. & S. Johnson, John S. Gordon and George P. Bell.
     Peter Jacobs & John O. Brown were in partnership in the drug and stationary business late in the fifties.  They occupied the George Rupp room and the one lately vacated by Captain Philip Rothenbush.
     Henry Achey, Martin Mason, Charles Snyder and F. W. Wehrhan kept tavern in the Jacobs' building, on the site of Howald's Hotel.
     The Hamilton House was erected in 1812.  It has been kept by Mr. Kennedy, Thomas Blair, Hubbel & Sweeney, Samuel Cory, James Basey, Charles Fuller, Herman Reutti, D. T. Reily and William Bruck.
     Colonel George A. Van Degriff opened a hotel in the twenties one door west of the Hamilton House, where he did a flourishing business.  He brought the first stove to Hamilton, at a cost of eighty dollars.  An expert was sent from Cincinnati to run it.  Mr. Van Degriff served his friends with a free dinner cooked on this stove.
     The residents in Hamilton in 1810, according to the census, were 210. and those in Rossville, 84.
     John Reily was clerk of the courts, and agent for the proprietors of the town of Rossville; John Sutherland was a store keeper, as were Joseph Hough and Thomas Blair; William Murray kept a hotel, and so did John Torrence and John Wingate; William McClellan kept a public house; Isaac Stanley hept a hotel; John Greer was an associate judge, and James Heaton was the county surveyor.  The other names from this side of the river were George Snider, Anderson Spencer, Oliver Stephens, Captain Azarias Thorn, Daniel Hill, Paul Bonnell, William Riddle, Isaac Wiles, Gardner Vaughn, George Harlan, Mrs. Davis, Barnabas McCarron, Mr. Hagan, and Hugh Wilson.
     In Rossville, there were Michael Delorac, father of Alexander Delorac; John Aston, Robert Taylor, John Taylor, John

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Hall, Isaac Moss, James Ross, Archibald Talbert, the ferry man, Moses Conner, Leonard Garver, Samuel Spivey and Samuel Ayres.
     The population of Hamilton, as shown by census in 1810, was 242, and of Rossville 84.  At the next decennial census, in 1820, it was all included under the name of Hamilton, and the population numbered 660 souls.  In 1830, at the next census, the population of Hamilton had increased to 1,072, and Rossville again appeared with 629 inhabitants.
 

THE MIAMI CANAL.

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THE HAMILTON BASIN.

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probably have delayed it for months.  As soon as filling up the neck was commenced, a report that the work was in progress spread like wild-fire throughout the city, and it was not many minutes before a crowd of two thousand people was collected on the basin banks.  The men worked well, and a little after 12 o'clock the job was completed.

THE HAMILTON HYDRAULIC CO.

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     The Hydraulic Company passed the first water through their lower level from Fourth street down Stable street to the Miami river, on Monday the twenty-seventh day of January, 1845.  This lower level of the canal was three feet in depth, turning the water-wheels of Messrs. Erwin & Hunter's flour mill, and the Tobias Brothers' machine shop, near the east end of the Miami bridge.  The first work done by water power was done by the Tobias Brothers, January 31, 1845.

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THE LANE FREE LIBRARY.

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FIRE DEPARTMENT.

    Hamilton and Rossville had fire companies as early as

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1837. The Neptune Fire Co. No. 1 of Rossville, was first located in an engine house, occupying the site of Dr. Mallory's residence.  Jacob Staley was president, Jacob Meyers vice-president, and James Mills, secretary; Moses Conner director of engine and John H. Garver, first director of the hose reel.  In 1852 Daniel Smith, succeeded him, and held the position until 1864.  He is a member of the department at the present time, being in continual fire service since 1852.  His record as a fire man is a good one.
     The presidents were as follows: John Mills, Jacob Troutman, Emanuel Morris, William Clements, Jonathan Henninger and Harry Bobenmeyer. Jonathan Henninger was secretary for a number of years.
     List of members: Jacob Staley, John Mills, Jacob Stillwaugh, Samuel Shaffer, William H. Traber, Philip Young, Isaac Shellhouse, John Boose, V. D. Cohee, John R. Vaughn, William Clements, Robert Clements, Joseph Bliss, John Corwin, Joseph A. Fromm, Oliver Traber, John Price, Frank Kite, Asa Corwin, Henry Traber, William Wehr, John H. Garver, Thomas Starrett, William Mills, Joseph Garver, S. Heitzman, J. W. Anderson, George Matthias, James Curtis, John Meyers, Isaac D. Cone, James Jackson, Joseph Nevel, Michael Farhlander, John Stengel, John A. Whitaker, George Kimble, Charles Bittner, Harvey Kimble, Jacob Jackson, Mike Frimpkin, John Vines, Samuel Van Camp, Jackson Garver, Henry Rhea.
     Hamilton Fire Company, No. 1 , was first located on Third street adjoining Dr. Markt's drug store.  The officers of the company were Thomas H. Wilkins, foreman; James Reynolds, assistant foreman; George Seward, treasurer; and Elisha Dalton, secretary.
     The following is a list of its members: John S. Wiles, M. W. Clyne, George Krug, Isaac M. Walters, William Conley, Robert Whitehead, Aaron Woodruff, W. B. Saunders, John Eichleberger, Joseph Durbin, D. G. Rose, John Jewell, F. T. Walton, J. Bayles, Jacob Wayne, Joseph Wallace, A. Rollins, Thomas Fawcett, Otis Brown, Jonathan Conover, Samuel

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Johnson, Andrew Stewart, James O'Conner, Peter Myers, M. L. Serrel, Ralph Nelson, C. K. Smith, A. D. Kyle, James B. Cameron, Ira M. Collyer, Sineas, Pierson, Richard Cornell, H. S. Earhart, G. W. McAdams, J. H. Smith, John Davis, James C. DeCamp, Aaron Potter, John Herron, Philip Berry, John Rinehart, James Albert, J. B. McFarland, James Watson, William Cornell, Benjamin Davis, and Stephen West.
     Later the Washington Fire Company was organized and located in James Everson's livery stable building.  Henry Long was president; Abram Miller, secretary and Adam Laurie foreman.  Subsequently Captain John P. Bruck became president.  The following is a list of members: Henry Beardsley, John Campbell, Adam Laurie, Fred Elzer, Henry Long, Adam Miller, Charles B. Crickmore, S. W. Brock, John Moebus, Henry Overmeyer, Joseph Long, Felix Huber, Henry Traphagan, Oscar Traphagan, David Lingler, Sr., John Bruck, John Fisher, Charles Huling, George Donges, Toney Huber, William Bruck, Henry Fry, Alex Dilg.
     In 1865, the fire department was put on a paid basis.
     The following are the chiefs since that time: Job E. Owens, Jacob Troutman, assistant, Mandes Shuler, Henry Fry, John Boose, William Ritchie and David Lingler.
     The Neptune was a superior engine; it threw a stream sixteen feet, farther than any other engine in town.  Naturally a rivalry existed between the companies.  In the fifties we had a fire two or three times a week.  The "boys" of one company would set fire to an old building and have its engine in position, before an alarm was turned in, so as to throw the first water.  Our citizens became indignant and determined to put a stop to this incendiarism and so informed the fire department.  The burning of the old red house on Prospect Hill, and the row of one-story frame buildings adjoining C. Rothenbush's stable yards ended these fires.