[137] Sinking Springs is in the southwestern corner of Highland County, Ohio.—Ed.
[138] Olympian Springs was in Bath County, Kentucky, a few miles southeast of Owingsburg. Its popularity has declined; in 1880 there were but twenty-five inhabitants at the place.—Ed.
[139] The home of General McArthur was known as “Fruit Hill.” Duncan McArthur was of Scotch parentage, born in New York in 1772. Left early to his own resources, he volunteered under Harmar in 1791, worked at the Maysville salt-works, and in 1793 became chain-bearer for General Massie in the latter’s survey of Ohio lands. McArthur’s industry and capacity soon secured his promotion to the position of assistant surveyor, and by judicious choice of lands he acquired wealth and prominence. Having been major-general of Ohio militia for some years, his services were called for in the War of 1812-15, and he was at Detroit when it was surrendered by Hull. Released on parole, he was elected to Congress, whence he resigned to become brigadier-general in the army, and served in the Western division thereof throughout the war. Later began his political career, consisting of two terms in Congress (1822-26), and the governorship of Ohio (1830). But as an anti-Jacksonian, he failed of re-election, and retired to “Fruit Hill” where he died in 1840.—Ed.
CHAPTER XXXI
The Scioto—Chilicothe—Indian monument—Fine prospect—Colonel M’Arthur’s—Colonel Worthington’s.
Chilicothe, which signifies town in most of the Indian dialects, is most beautifully situated on the right bank of the Scioto, about forty-five miles by land, and nearly seventy following its meanders from the confluence of that river with the Ohio, between Portsmouth and Alexandria. In all that distance the river has a gentle current, and unimpeded navigation for large keels, and other craft for four feet draught of water. It continues navigable for smaller boats and batteaux upwards of one hundred miles above Chilicothe, towards its source to the northward, from whence it glides gently through a naturally rich, level, and rapidly improving country.
{194} The situation of the town, which is the capital of the state,[140] is on an elevated and extensive plain of nearly ten thousand acres of as fine a soil as any in America, partly in cultivation and partly covered with its native forests.
This plain is nearly surrounded by the Scioto, which turning suddenly to the N. E. from its general southerly course, leaves the town to the southward of it, and then forms a great bend to the eastward and southward.
Water street which runs about E. by N. parallel to the Scioto, is half a mile long, and contains ninety houses. It is eighty-four feet wide, and would be a fine street, had not the river floods caved in the bank in one place near the middle, almost into the centre of it. There is now a lottery on foot, to raise money for securing the bank against any further encroachments of the river. Main street, parallel to Water street, is one hundred feet wide, as is Market street which crosses both at right angles, and in which is the market-house, a neat brick building eighty feet long. The court-house in the same street is neatly built of freestone, on an area of forty-five by forty-two feet, with a semicircular projection in the rear, in which is the bench for the judges. It has an octangular belfry rising from the roof, painted white with green lattices, which is an ornament to the town, as is the small plain belfry of the Presbyterian meeting-house, a handsome brick building in Main street; in which street also is a small brick Methodist meeting-house. These are the only places of publick worship in the town, if I except the court-house, which is used occasionally by the Episcopalians and other sects.
{195} The whole number of dwelling houses in Chilicothe, as I counted them, is two hundred and two, besides four brick and a few framed ones now building. I reckoned only six taverns with signs, which small proportion of houses of that description, speaks volumes in favour of the place. There are fourteen stores, a post-office, and two printing-offices, which each issues a gazette weekly.[141]