MS-108
DANIEL ASHTON COLLECTION
INTRODUCTION
The Daniel Ashton Collection was found during attic construction work at an unknown location, and brought to the library in the late 1990’s by an anonymous donor. The collection contains letters and documents relating to Dr. Daniel Ashton, a Piqua physician and druggist in the 1840’s. Also in the collection are materials (newspapers, pamphlet) relating to the Second Advent or Millerite Movement of the 1840’s and reference to the Adventist movement is made in one of the letters. The documents in the collection date from 1842 to 1846. The collection is housed in one Hollinger box and consists of 20 files. There are no restrictions on the use of the materials in this collection
SCOPE AND CONTENT
The Daniel Ashton Collection is divided into four series:
Series I – includes business papers: receipts, bills, and a bill of lading for a canal boat, etc.
Series II – includes advertising handbills for patent medicines.
Series III – includes letters, both business and personal to Ashton.
Series IV – includes Second Advent newspapers and pamphlets
HISTORY
ASHTON FAMILY.
Dr. Daniel Ashton and his wife, Olivia, came to Piqua, from Cincinnati by way of Dayton, in 1834. Dr. Ashton and his wife would ultimately have six children: William, Daniel, Asa, Mary, Esther, and Jane. Dr. Ashton established a drug store with his cousin and partner J.A. Coburn. Dr. Ashton purchased a house at 502 N. Main Street (Northwest corner of Main and Greene Streets) (1st brick house built in Piqua). The drug store was, by 1840, located in the 400 block of N. Main Street, east side. Rayner states that Dr. Ashton’s drug store was the third such store to open in Piqua.[1] It was preceded by M.G. Mitchell in 1832 and John P. Finley in 1834 with Daniel Ashton opening in 1935. However, the obituaries of his sons state that Dr. Ashton came to Piqua in 1834. Therefore it is possible that his was the second drug store in town. The practice of a physician owning and operating a drug store was quite common in the 1800s.
By 1838, Mr. Cobourn had returned to Cincinnati where he engaged in business for many years. He served at the business agent for Dr. Ashton. Dr. Ashton then entered into partnership with a Mr. Ewing, which continued until after 1843, at the corner of Main and Canal Streets. Dr. Ashton became ill in 1845 and died between July 1846 and the beginning of May 1847. The 1850 census lists Olivia Ashton, age 48, as a widow. Various directories from May 1847 through 1853 list Olivia Ashton as a druggist. She was assisted by her sons, William and Daniel. According to William’s obituary[2], he took charge of the business for his mother in 1863. Later, with his brothers, Dr. A.S. Ashton, and Daniel T. Ashton, he founded Ashton Brothers Drugs at 110 Main Street.
EARLY ADVENTIST MOVEMENT
The early 1840s was a period of renewed religious fervor in the United States. Many Christians of mainline protestant denominations came to expect the immediate return of Christ or, as it is known, the Second Advent. This belief was based on the study of the prophecies of Ezekiel, Daniel, and Revelation. One such student was the Baptist lay leader William Miller. Miller was convinced that there was coded information in the Bible concerning the end of times and the second coming of Jesus. He began to preach and publish the results of his studies and at the height of his popularity, in March 1844, attracted some 200 ministers and 50,000 followers to his beliefs. In 1844 Miller predicted Christ would return on October 22, 1844. When that date passed without event there occurred a period of falling away and reflection, which among Adventists became known as the Great Despair. From the two newspapers and the pamphlet found in the collection it is possible that Dr. Daniel Ashton was involved in the Second Advent movement. He may have been a follower of Enoch Jacobs, a Cincinnati Adventist publisher and speaker who came to represent the more moderate side of the “shut door” view of the advent. This view held by Jacobs and others initially led to the formation of a group of Baptist, Methodist, Congregational, and Presbyterian believers in Washington, New Hampshire. On 21 May 1863 this group formally organized itself as the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
In Cincinnati, there were meetings of those protestant believers who expected the immediate Second Advent of Jesus as early as 1843. These meetings came to involve the leadership of Mr.’s Himes and Jacobs. However, there was no formal creation of a Seventh-day Adventist Church until after 1863. The current congregation in Piqua traces its history back to Bertha Beaver [baptized in 1914], the first Adventist in the Piqua area who held meetings in her home. The first pastor of the Piqua congregation was Mr. French who served several congregations until he was transferred in 1940.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON:
- Dr. Daniel Ashton and his family see Vertical File Folder #15.
- The Adventist movement and the origins of the Seventh-day Adventist Church see Vertical File Folder #3108.
CONTAINER LIST
SERIES I: BUSINESS PAPERS
File 1 – Receipts for payment for merchandise purchased by Dr.
Ashton:
From Pollard & Peebles, 8 July 1845
From G.F. Thomas, 8 July 1845
From Springer & Whiteman, 10 July 1845
File 2 – Bill of sale for merchandise to Th. Creighton, 21 March
1845
File 3 – (a) Bill of sale to D. Ashton from George H. Bates & Co.,
Cincinnati, 1 Oct 1845
(b) Bill of sale to D. Ashton from George H. Bates & Co.,
Cincinnati, 15 December 1845
(c) Bill of sale to Dan. Ashton from George H. Bates & Co.,
Cincinnati, 13 March 1846
File 4 - Account of money received and expended by J.A. Cobourn
on behalf of D. Ashton – 3 March 1845
File 5 - Bill of lading for goods shipped by George H. Bates & Co.
on board the canal boat Monticello from Cincinnati to
Piqua to D. Ashton – 2 October 1845
SERIES II – PATENT MEDICINE ADVERTISEMENTS
File 6 - Ginseng Panacea – T. Salter, Proprietor, Broadway,
Cincinnati O.
File 7 - Dr. Lee’s Patent New-London Bilious Pills – Advertisement
may be as early as c. 1810
File 8 - Dr. Clark’s Anodyne Cordial
File 9 - Grana Angelica Or The True Scots Pills
File 10 - The Hollowayian System of Medicine by Professor Holloway
SERIES III – LETTERS: BUSINESS AND PERSONAL
File 11 - Letter to D. Ashton from William Corry – 20 April 1842 –
The letter concerns a sizable debt Corry owes to
Ashton. Corry states that he paid $600 to J. Cobourn
[Ashton’s cousin and business representative in
Cincinnati] and promises to pay the remainder in two
weeks [a fortnight]. The letter also mentions a court
case involving Mr. Ewing [Ashton’s business partner]
and despairs of its successful outcome.
File 12 – Letter from Biddle & Noll, Cincinnati, to D. Ashton – 17
August 1842 – Letter states that J.A. Cobourn has
placed in the hands of Biddle & Noll, the collection of
the debt owed by William M. Corry to
David Ashton. They promise prompt collection.
[There were collection agencies in 1845.]
File 13 - Letter addressed to Mr. W.B. Ashton [eldest son of Dr.
Daniel Ashton] from J.A. Cobourn – the letter
concern the business affairs of Daniel Ashton. Page 1
of the letter contains the salutation “Mr. Dan Ashton”
and is an accounting of purchases and expenditures
by J.A. Cobourn on behalf of Ashton & Ewing. The
accounting is dated 19 February 1845. Page 2
comments that D. Ashton is in poor health at the time
and Cobourn offers to come to Piqua to see him. Page
3 states that the debt of William Corry is still unpaid.
Pages 2 and 3 are dated 28 January 1846 with a
postscript on 29 January 1846.
File 14 - Letter to Dr. Ashton from ______ Taylor – 20 August 1845
- Taylor promises to come to Piqua to settle a debt he owes to Dr. Ashton.
File 15 - Letter to Dr. Daniel Ashton from J.A. Cobourn – 17
September 1845 – Concerns purchases of goods and
the problem of shipping due to high water affecting
the canal. Talks about the growth of Cincinnati such
as to rival Philadelphia. Ends with a discussion of a
sermon by Mr. Stockton of Philadelphia. He is
greatly impressed with Mr. Stockton.
File 16 - Letter to Dr. Daniel Ashton from J.A. Cobourn – 13 March
1846 – Letter first discussed the purchase of
merchandise and accounts form money spent.
Problems filling merchandise orders are cited.
Pages 3 and 4 of the letter discuss the Second Advent. Reference is made to Mr. Storrs [an evident “open door” adventist]. Cobourn is very critical of Mr. Jacobs [a leader of the “shut door” Adventists]. Dr. Ashton is advised to have nothing to do with Jacobs. It is possible, from this letter and other items in Files 18, 19, and 20 of this collection, that Dr. Ashton is an Adventist and follower of Jacobs.
It is evident from the postscript to the letter
that Dr. Ashton remains in poor health.
File 17 – Letter to Doc. Danl. Ashton from J.A. Cobourn – 23 June
1846 – The letter mentions Dr. Ashton’s continued
poor health and Cobourn regrets that he cannot come
to Piqua due to the press of increased business. The
letter mentions a large increase in the volume of
business due to “the cry of War! War!” This is an
obvious reference to the coming Mexican War.
SERIES IV – ADVENTIST NEWSPAPERS AND PAMPHLETS
File 18 – Spiritual Test of Saving Faith by John Starkweather with an
introduction by E. Jacobs, Publisher – March 1844 –
2 copies – This 45 page booklet speaks to the
immediate Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
File 19 - The Western Midnight Cry!!! – J.V. Himes, Publisher – E.
Jacobs, Editor – Cincinnati, Saturday, April 27, 1844
– a second advent newspaper.
File 20 - The Day-Star – E. Jacobs, Editor and Publisher –
Cincinnati, Tuesday, April 15, 1845 – The Day-Star is
a continuation of the Western Midnight Cry. This is a
“shut door” Adventist newspaper.