Batavia is celebrating its bicentennial this year and The Clermont Sun is publishing a series of historic vignettes.

By Rick Crawford

Oddly enough, Clermont County’s civil war is a well-kept secret, but for those aware of the tale it is legendary. Like last week’s telling of the Milford bridge incident, it is not known how much of the civil war story is factual, but it is fascinating.

If you think the county is experiencing problems with where our new courthouse will be, it was mere frivolity when the seat of the government moved in 1823.

Clermont County was established Dec. 6, 1800, more than two years before Ohio was established as a state. Williamsburg was the first county seat due to its central location. At the time much of present-day Brown County was then within our borders.

On Dec. 27, 1817, Brown County was established placing Williamsburg on our eastern border. The seat of government remained at ‘Burg for another six years when it was finally decided by the state legislature to move the county seat.

Everyone here believed it would go to Batavia since it was the most centrally located community. Central location was most important because it could take people in the outer reaches of the county several hours to get to the courthouse.

At that time the best roads were plank roads — logs split in half with the smoother side facing upward and placed side-by-side. At best, a very bumpy trip.

Ohio governor Jeremiah Morrow sent three men to the county to determine the location of the new seat. Again, most Clermont residents thought it would certainly be designated at Batavia.

Wrong!

It went to New Richmond. Many people felt it was money slipped into the Columbus delegation’s back pockets that swayed the decision.

In 1823, New Richmond was the most prosperous community in the county with the very profitable steamboat trade and construction going on there. “Money talks!” screamed the majority of the county citizenry, especially those who lived in the north and central sections.

On Jan. 25, 1823, New Richmond became the new county seat and public lots were purchased on the east side of Union Street across from the Cranston Memorial Presbyterian Church to build the courthouse. The jail was built on the southeast corner of Elm and Willow streets.

The court terms of August and November 1823 and March 1824 took place in New Richmond. People were having to travel too far, in their opinion, to serve on juries or do any of their legal work. The citizens of Batavia were especially incensed believing that they had been cheated out of having the county seat.

On a dark midnight in April 1824, the citizens of Batavia and supporters from other sections in the northern half of the county attacked New Richmond and burned down the second floor of the temporary courthouse and the courthouse under construction, after removing all of the records, of course.

New Richmond citizens rallied.

Not too many days later, with the support of friends from the southern half of the county, they began a vengeance-seeking trek north to Batavia.

Fortunately, the state militia was sent to quell the civil war, and both groups were stopped from a serious confrontation about where Franke’s Dairy Bar is located in Hamlet today.

While all the disturbance was going on, Dr. Thomas Pinkham of Elklick Valley donated 1,000 acres of his land as a compromise position for the county seat. Upon the donation, Pinkham expressed that he would like to establish a nice, bantam-sized community.

On May 14, 1824, the first court term took place in the new county seat of Batavia. It took very little time to straighten out the mess and reprimand the tainted trio who accepted bribe money.

And Pinkham’s village of Bantam exists somewhat peacefully to the east of East Fork State Park.