The Early History of Zanesville
by E.H.C.

For the Courier,

    Mr. Frederick Betz moved to Zanesville in the fall of 1804. In coming down the hill east of town he was compelled to lock both hind wheels, so great was the steepness, and in addition he cut a large sapling and fastened it to the hind part of the wagon and let it drag to keep the wagon from pushing too heavily upon the horses. At the bottom of the hill there was at the time quite a large number of small trees which had been used by persons moving west for the same purpose.

    It was quite common it those days when the roads were new and the hills steep, to cut small trees and hitch them to the hind part of the wagon before the descent was commenced, and cut them loose and cast them to one side of the road at the bottom of the hill.

    In the spring of 1812 or 1814, the road east of the town was removed to the south side near the present road, which made the road much longer, but not so steep as the old road. Mr. Betz built a double cabin east of Zanesville, near where the road crosses Mill Run, and kept a house of entertainment for movers and road teams. I find, in examining the old records, that he took out license in 1806 for that purpose. Mr. Betz hauled the first coal into Zanesville. Before that, wood was exclusively uses for fuel, and continued to be used pretty generally for many years afterward. He also hauled wood to the city, with two horses and two oxen attached to his wagon, the oxen being in the lead. One of his oxen died, and being unable to replace it, he harnessed up his remaining ox and drove him in the lead. Mr. Betz moved to a farm on Salt Creek in 1814 or 1815, and to that section of the county, his descendants are still living.

JAMES McGUIRE

    James McGuire and William Stintson moved to Zanesville in 1805. They were induced to come to Zanesville through the influence of James Herron and Robert Taylor. Mr. McGuire purchased the two corner lots on the northeast and southwest corners of South and Sixth streets. On the northeast corner he built a hewed log house, and lived in it a short time, and them moved to his farm on the Marietta road, one mile from town, and opened a coal bank, which was the second bank opened in the vicinity of Zanesville. Mr. McGuire was one of the four gentlemen where were on William Craig's bond, in 1817, when he was the Collector of Taxes for Muskingum county. Mr. Craig collected the taxes and left. The gentlemen on the bond, as securities, were compelled to pay about eight thousand dollars, two thousand dollars each, which was a large sum in those days. Mr. McGuire was compelled, in consequence, to sell his house and lots on the corner of South and Sixth streets, and other city property he owned. He died on his farm, near Zanesville, many years ago.

WILLIAM STINTSON

    As above stated, came to Zanesville in 1805. He followed wagoning for an occupation for many years. He drove a team of six horses, and hauled for the Zanesville merchants to the Eastern cities, furs, skins, ginseng, beeswax, and other commodities, and brought back dry goods, groceries, and other articles in demand in the West. In the fall of 1807, Mr. Stintson lived in a cabin on the ground now occupied by the residence of Mr. John Galigher. he cleared the ground on Blocksom Hill, and around where he lived, and put it in corn. Mrs. John L. Cochran informed me that she, when a girl, picked the brush upon Blocksom hill for William Stinston, her step-father. Mrs. Cochran also informed me that in the fall of 1807, her step-father and mother went to visit, General Green, at his residence on the Marietta road, and her left (sic - left her) and one of the small children at home.

    In the afternoon of the same day, while the child was asleep in the bark cradle, a large bear put his head in at the door and took a view of affairs inside, and then walked past. Mrs. Cochran snatched the child from the cradle and climbed to the loft upon the ladder, with the child in her arms, almost frightened out of her wits at sight of the bear. His bearship soon returned to the door, walked into the cabin, looked around, gave a sniff, and with his nose turned the cradle over, and then went outs. He, however, didn't intend to go away without some booty. He jumped into the pig pen and seized one of the pigs, six weeks old and mode off with it. Mrs. Cochran remained in the loft until her parents came home in the evening.

    The next morning Mr. Stentson got two hunters and two bear dogs and traced the bear to her den, under shelving rocks at Scaffle(?) Lick about one mile from Zanesville. The dogs attacked the bear in her den and the hunters killed her. They found in the den two cubs, which they brought home and kept as pets for several years. They finally became so mischievous, that it became necessary to kill them. Mr. Stentson died here in 1836 or 1840.