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Gen. W. H. Harrison

Spoke in Mansfield in 1840 From a Platform Constructed of

Timbers That Afterwards Were Used in the May House

            The excavation for the foundations for the new brick block on South Park street and for the brick apartment houses on Second street is being made on the Judge May property, recently purchased by a company of Mansfield men. As has been previously stated the new business block will be three stories high and extend the full frontage of the property on South Park St. The apartment houses on Second street will be 3 stories high and will be equipped with all the modern conveniences. The new buildings will be a great improvement to that part of the city. The work of building is to be pushed forward as fast as possible so that the new structures will be ready for use in the fall. While plowing was going on this morning some of the bricks of an old cistern cover gave way beneath the hoof of one of the horses and the animal’s leg went through. The horse’s leg was badly bruised.

When General Harrison Was Here

            “Abner Wright was telling me the other day,” said W. L. Leonard, as the was watching the work of excavation, “that when General Harrison was here in the memorable campaign of 1840 he spoke from a platform erected of timbers that were afterward used in the construction of the May house that was just torn down. Mr. Wright remembers very well when General Harrison was here during the ‘Tippecanoe and Tyler too’ campaign and he recalls that the timbers had just been hewn for the May house and were on the square when the word came that General Harrison was coming here to speak. A platform was thereupon erected of the timbers that afterward became a part of the May residence, and it was from that platform that Harrison spoke.”

Wednesday, November 10, 2010