Morris Seely

History of Dayton, Ohio 1889

                                                                                    (page 159) Morris Seely was elected State senator this year and John Turner representative

                                                                                        (page 160) In 1830 a company was formed to construct a basin connecting the canal at its intersection with Wayne Street and a point at the southern extremity of the city. Morris Seely was the main mover in this project, and great expectations were entertained in regard to it. The supreme court had decided that the water power within the city limits, and furnished by the canal, belonged to the State of Ohio, a decision which was afterwards reversed, and the water power given to the Cooper estate. It was believed that this water power could be leased and utilized along the proposed basin. Land was bought at what was then an extravagant price, and lots laid out. These lots were small in size, and arranged fir factories, warehouses, and docks, such as would be required in a large city, but were unsuited to a place with the pretensions of Dayton. The scheme proved an utter failure, and left consequences that were an annoyance to the city for years afterwards. The lots were unsalable, and the method of platting a serious detriment to that part of the town. The canal, or ditch as. it was afterwards called, bred disease, and the city authorities were called upon to fill it up. Before the controversy was finally settled, the excitement ran so high that the saw mill of Mr. E. Thresher, located on the canal at Wayne Street, which used the ditch as a tail-race, was burned. A large part of the ditch is now filled up, and the lower end used as a city drain

(Page 193) March, 1841: Mayor, Morris Seely

I am working on this for the next few days. 2-14-2008