the extensive tract of land afterwards known as the "Phelps and Gorham Purchase." Although the partners were unable to carry out their contract, owing to the change in value of the paper scrip, yet the methods of division and arrangement planned were so satisfactory that they were afterwards adopted by others who placed land upon the market. The part of the land which was disposed of was sold by Articles, a new device of American origin, which made the farmers owners in fee simple.
      Some of the Granville people were drawn to New York by this firm; and, the population increasing, the younger element began to get restive and to long for fresh fields. A tradition current in Granville, Ohio, illustrates some of the difficulties. When Alfred Avery was a mere child, his father went tot the field to plant corn, and the boy, being ambitious to help, took a hoe along. Pretty soon the father noticed that there were tears in his son'' eyes, and asked him what was the matter. The answer marked an epoch: "I can't get dirt enough to cover the corn." Then the father decided it was time to go where there was more dirt for corn raising, and soon afterward enrolled his name among those who made up the "Licking Land Company."
      In 1803, a company from Granby, Connecticut, emigrated to Worthington, Ohio. Granby adjoins Granville on the south, and many of the families of the two towns were united by friendly ties. The enterprise of the Connecticut neighbors stimulated interest in a similar project in Granville; and in 1804 the "Scioto Land Company" was formed. Samuel Everett, Jr., Levi Buttles and Deacon Timothy Rose being the prime movers. The idea found favor at once, and on April 3 a meeting was held in East Granville, when a company was formed with the purpose of sending agents to Ohio to "spy out the land" for a settlement. An initiation fee of eight dollars was provided; and within three months thirty-five members were enrolled. These sent Levi Buttles, Timothy Rose and Job Case to Ohio, where they located a tract in the United States Military Lands. The enterprise being now an assured success, forty-four new members were admitted, the entrance fee being raised to ten dollars each.
      In September a meeting was held, at which a constitution was adopted, the several articles relating to the future of the organization. A commit-

Broadway, Granville, Ohio -- The Business Section
Broadway, Granville, Ohio — The Business Section.

— page 106 —


These pages are © Laurel O'Donnell, 2000 - 2005, all rights reserved
Copying these pages without written permission for the purpose of republishing
in print or electronic format is strictly forbidden
This page was last updated on 22 Jul 2005