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��HISTORY OF RICHLAND COUXTY.
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��spring just east of town, his camp being located j where the Mennonite Churcli now stands. From ! the public square to the creek on the east, was, at that time, one of the finest sugar-tree groves in all this region. Old settlers remember the wooden bowl which he always kept well filled with sugar, free to all comers. After the return of Gov. Bartley from Coii^ress, he and AVeldon engaged in the drj'-goods business together. He was in the mercantile business nearly fort}^ years. The St. James has been remodeled and added to from time to time. Al)out 18G0. it was purchased b}' its present owner and i)ro- prietor. Mr. Lewis Yonhoff. and some time after its name changed to St. James. It is first class in every particular.
The Phwnix Hotel, which occupied the corner of North Park and East Diamond streets, was one of the oldest in the city. It was destroyed by fire on the night of November 23, 1866. some of its inmates barely escaping with their lives. It had not been used as a hotel for some years before it was destro3'ed, but had, just he- | fore the fire, been repaired hy its owner, H. C. Hedges, and generally been made over into storerooms and offices. After its destruction, Mr. Hedges built a brick block on its site, which was also destroyed by fire soon after its com- pletion, and in 1872 he erected the present sub- stantial and roomy structure.
The old ^Mansion House was among the earli- est hotels. >t occupied the corner of West Market and Walnut streets — was erected and kept l)y JacoV) Lindley, the first Mavor of the town. The Baptists purchased it. pulled it down, and erected the present substantial church.
��Among the later buildings, for hotel purposes, is the Atlantic House, foot of Main street, erected in 1864. by the Atlantic and Great Western Railroad Company, and was opened for l)usiness in January, 1865, by C. C. Town- ley, its first proprietor. Four years after, in 1860. Barnard Wolf erected a fine brick hotel, on the corner of East Diamond and Fourth, which he called the Barnard House. It is brick, four stories, and will accommodate about 150 guests. It now bears the name of the Sherman House. In addition to these, there are the Euro"i3ean. Tremont. North American, and sev- eral other hotels, of more or less importance. Next to the Wiler, the North American stands without a rival in age. It is a question which is the older of these two. but the probability is. the first " tavern " stood on the site of the North American. This building has been added to. from time to time, until it is quite spacious. Aliout 1873. it was purchased by Mr. Jabez Cook (since deceased) and Mr. Rit- ter. These gentlemen remodeled and rebuilt it in its present shape. It is still an excellent hotel, kept, at present, by Homer Wright. Mr. Ritter. one of the owners of it, and his brother, came to this countr}- in 1818, landing at Baltimore. William died. Novemlier 8. 1873, aged sixty-one ; Joseph lived nearly a j'car longer, dying October 2<». 1874, aged seventy- nine. They came from Brakerl. Westphalia, Germany. Joseph worked at his trade (tanner), in Baltimore, until 1822. when he removed to Canton. Ohio, and from there to ^Mansfield, in 1833.
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