Ghost Stories: The winter of 1873-1874

Ladies and gentlemen, on Jan. 31, 1874 – exactly 141 years ago this Sunday – uptown Hillsboro business owner William Henry Harrison Dunn had had enough of an army of Temperance Crusaders who had been bombarding his store with hymns and prayer.

When a “tabernacle” was erected in front of Dunn’s drugstore to assist the ladies in their mission to overcome and vanquish the liquor-seller, the 33-year-old businessman decided to lawyer up and request a temporary injunction against the ladies and others aiding their cause.

Earlier when we talked about W.H.H. Dunn’s pronunciamento, we detailed his “Notice to the Ladies of Hillsborough,” but didn’t name all the names. Several folks with an interest in Highland County history were a bit disappointed that I didn’t mention all the ladies and gentlemen that Dunn named.

So ... here is Dunn’s injunction in its entirety:

“To William Scott, Mrs. William Scott, John A. Smith, Jane Smith, Mrs. P. Anna Evans, Caroline Miller, William Trimble, Martha Trimble, Charlotte D. Sams, W.O. Collins, Catharine Collins, John M. Boyd, Mrs. John M. Boyd, Reece Griffith, Mrs. Reece Griffith, Jonah Langley, Mrs. Jonah Langley, William Hoyt, Mrs. William Hoyt, Washington Doggett, Mrs. Washington Doggett, W.P. Bernard, Mary Bernard, James H. Thompson, Eliza J. Thompson, Stacey Foraker, Mrs. Stacey Foraker, Mrs. Nancy Van Pelt, William Barry, Sarah Barry, Emily Dill, J.J. Brown, Ella Brown, James Brown, Mrs. James Brown, Richard Evans, Elizabeth Evans, T.S. Cowden, Mrs. T.S. Cowden, W.J. McSurely, J.J. McDowell, Sarah McDowell, Philip Jeans, Sarah Jeans, James Patterson, Ellen Patterson, Samuel Clayton, Asa Haynes, Mrs. Asa Haynes, Jonathan Van Pelt, J.M. Hiestand, Mrs. J.M. Hiestand, Mrs. Van Dokkum, John H. Jolly, Anna Jolly, Marshall Nelson, Samuel Amen, Mrs. Samuel Amen, E. Carson, Mrs. E. Carson, J.L. Boardman, Mrs. J.L. Boardman, George Glascock,
Mrs. George Glascock, Lewis Ambrose, Mrs. Lewis Ambrose, Daniel Murphy, Mrs. Daniel Murphy, Thomas Miller, Mrs. E. Miller, Hugh Swearingen, Mrs. Hugh Swearingen, E. Grand-Girard, Mrs. E. Grand-Girard, H. Foraker, Mrs. H. Foraker, George Stevens, Mrs. George Stevens, Jacob Sayler, Mrs. Jacob Sayler, J.S. Ervin, Mrs. J.S. Ervin, W.H. Glenn, Mrs. W.H. Glenn, J.F. Nelson, Mrs. J.F. Nelson, Benj. Conard, Mrs. Benj. Conard, A.G. Matthews,
Mrs. Margaret Matthews, J.K. Pickering, Mrs. J.K. Pickering, Hardin Rhodes, Mrs. Hardin Rhodes, Burch Foraker, Mrs. Burch Foraker, Lewis McKibben, Mrs. Lewis McKibben, Josiah Stevenson, Mrs. Josiah Stevenson, S.W. Creed, Mrs. Mary Creed, R.L. Seibert, Mrs. R.L. Seibert, Joseph Glascock, Mrs. Joseph Glascock, J.S. Black, Sarah Black, Thomas Barry, Mr. L. Barry, Samuel Hibben, Margaret Hibben, H.S. Fullerton, Mrs. H.S. Fullerton, Thomas Rogers, Mrs. Thomas Rogers, Margaret Van Winkle, John West, Mrs. John West, Mary Fenner, H.S. Scarborough, Emma Scarborough, T.G. Hoggard, Mrs. T.G. Hoggard, W.G. Richards, J.C. Norton, Mrs. J.C. Norton, J. Merkle, C.B. Miller, O.J. Eckley, E.L. Ferris, Lalla Ferris, N.B. Gardner, John Matthews, J.M. Barrere, T.S. Patton, B.J. Harris, J.C. Gregg, Dr. Spees, Warren Johnson, Isaac Bennett, Samuel Wilson, N.T. Ayres, P. Harsha, F.F. Kibler, Maria Stuart, Rachel Conard, Sallie Stevenson, Maggie Bowles, Clara Rhoades, Anna C. Wilson, Jennie Harris, Emma Grand-Girard, Libbie Kirby, Mollie Van Winkle, Emily Grand-Girard, Ella Dill, Laura Rockhold, Aliee Speece, Kate Trimble, Alice Boardman, Fielding Shepherd, R.R. Allen, Flora Ellifritz, Rev. J.H. Ely, Jennie Stockton, Patrick Weaver, L. Detwiler, Amos Evans.”

(Whew! And there you have it, folks, the Hillsboro Temperance Crusaders. See any family names in there? Now, let’s continue with Mr. Dunn’s injunction…)

“You are hereby notified and warned that (Dunn’s attorney) David Johnson and W.H.H. Dunn, plaintiffs, have this day obtained an order of temporary injunction and a restraining order, in an action pending in the Court of Common Pleas, for the said county of Highland, wherein they are plaintiffs, and you, the above named persons, are defendants, and have given an undertaking according to the law. This is, therefore, to command you, the
said above named defendants, each and all of you, from using for praying, singing, exhorting, or any other purpose, a certain plank and canvas or structure or shanty, erected on High Street, in Hillsborough, Ohio, in front of the drug store of said W.H.H. Dunn; and it is further ordered that you, said defendants, are ordered to remove the said structure or shanty forthwith, and each and every part of the same, whether plank or canvas, and you are each and all hereby restrained and enjoined from re-erecting or
replacing said structure, or any similar structure, in said locality or upon said street, to the annoyance of the said W.H.H. Dunn; and it is further ordered that you, the said defendants, each and all of you, are hereby enjoined and restrained from singing, praying, exhorting, or making a noise or disturbance in front of said drugstore of said W.H.H. Dunn, or on the sidewalk, or on the steps thereof, or in the vicinity thereof, to his annoyance, or from trespassing in or upon his said premises, or in any manner interrupting his said business, and this you will in no wise omit under the penalty of law.

“Witness my hand and the seal of said Court of Hillsboro, the 31st day of January, 1874. [seal] J.K. Pickering, Clerk. C.P Pape, Sheriff.”

There was no resistance to the injunction.

In her book, “Hillsboro Crusade Sketches and Family Records,” Eliza Jane Trimble Thompson wrote, “In the dead hour of the night, the structure was taken down by our law-abiding brethren of the (tabernacle) committee, and when Sunday dawned, not a trace of the tent remained.”

Let’s pause for now and we’ll continue next week.

Steve Roush is a vice president of an international media company and a columnist and contributing writer for The Highland County Press. He can be reached by email at roush_steve@msn.com.