USA > Ohio > Adams County > A history of Adams County, Ohio, from its earliest settlement to the present time, including character sketches of the prominent persons identified with the first century of the country's growth > Part 71
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Scioto, Dr. Alexander Campbell, Andrew Ellison and Phillip Lewis, Jr., voted the ineligibility of Meigs. That vote made Thomas Kirker Gov- ernor from December 8, 1807, for another year. Massie might have had the honor himself, but preferred that it should go to Thomas Kirker, who was Governor of the State almost two years without having been elected to the office, by filling two successive vacancies.
General Massie's activity in public affairs largely ceased after his race for Governor. He had a national reputation and was known as well in Kentucky and Virginia as in Ohio. He resided in the Virginia Military District and was better acquainted with it both as to the manner of locat- ing lands and the lands in it that any man of his time. He was employed in locating warrants wherever he could or would accept employment. Of course he could not serve all and had to refuse many, but his friends were numerous and some he could not deny. Besides, he had a large private business of his own. The large tracts of real estate which he owned required most of his time. He made sales, subdivisions for pur- chasers, perfected titles, made deeds, paid taxes and made leases. He built saw and grist mills, paper mills, and, at the time of his death, was making ready to build an iron furnace.
He was full of the activities of this life, but his career was cut short. In the fall of 1813, he was attacked by pneumonia, the result of exposure. The doctors of that day believed in heroic treatment and the result was that he was bled profusely and the disease carried him off. He died November 3, 1813, at his pleasant home and was buried there in a field in front of the house, between it and Paint Creek. His wife survived him until 1837, when she died and was buried at his side. There their re- mains rested until June, 1870, when, by request of the citizens of Chilli- cothe, they were removed to the beautiful cemetery of Chillicothe and reinterred on a lot which overlooks the entire city.
General Massie was a lover of fine scenery. He enjoyed the view from Buckeye Station many times, in all its primitive wilderness. He en- joyed the view from his home in the picturesque Paint Valley, and in life he has stood on the spot where his ashes are laid and viewed the beautiful Scioto Valley, and could his spirit visit the scene of the last resting place of his body, it would no doubt be satisfied with the honor shown his memory by the people of Chillicothe.
His son, Nathaniel Massie, was for the greater part of his life a citizen of Adams County. He was born February 16, 1805, in Ross County. He married a daughter of the Rev. John Collins and reared a large family. He made his home in Adams County from 1854 until 1874, when his wife died. He removed to Hillsboro in 1880 and resided there until his death in March, 1894. He and his wife are interred in the old South Cemetery at West Union in a spot which has as fine an outlook as the spot where his distinguished father reposes.
We have refrained from giving a more extensive account of General Nathaniel Massie because his life has recently (1896) been published by his distinguished grandson, the Hon. David Meade Massie, of Chilli- cothe, Ohio, and we could only copy from that most interesting work. To all who desire to read up the founding of our State, we recommend the persual of this work. General Massie was the founder of Adams County and of its largest town, Manchester, and his memory should be held in affectionate remembrance by every citizen of the county.
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Thomas Williamson Means,
iron manufacturer, son of John and Anne ( Williamson) Means, was born November 3, 1803, in Spartansburg, South Carolina. He spent six years in a select school established by his father, which was chiefly for the education of his own children, and he acquired, not only a fine English education, but also a respectable knowledge of the classics. His father moved to Ohio in 1819, when he was sixteen years of age. He labored upon his father's farm and clerked in a store for several years in which his father was interested in West Union, and in 1826 he took a flat- boat loaded with produce to New Orleans. In the same year he became storekeeper at Union Furnace which his father and others were then building four miles from Hanging Rock. This was the first blast furnace built in Ohio in the Hanging Rock region, and he had the pleasure of first "firing" it. The old Steam, Hopewell, Pactolus and Argillite were the only furnaces previous in existence in that region and they were in Ken- tucky. Since 1885, the old Union has not been in operation, but the lands belonging to it are yet, in part, owned by his heirs. In 1837, he and David Sinton became the owners of Union Furnace and rebuilt it in 1844. In 1845, they built Ohio Furnace. In 1847, he became interested in, and helped build Buena Vista Furnace in Kentucky. In 1852, he bought Bellefonte Furnace in Kentucky. In 1854, he became interested in and helped build Vinton Furnace in Ohio; in 1863, in connection with others, bought Pine Grove Furnace in Kentucky, and the Hanging Rock coal works, and in the following year, with others, bought Amanda Furnace in Kentucky. In 1845, he and David Sinton built a tram-road to Ohio Furnace, one of the first roads of its kind built in Ohio, and now a rail- road five miles in length runs from the river to Pine Grove Furnace. The Ohio was the first charcoal furnace in the country which made as high as ten tons a day and was the first that averaged over fifteen tons. This furnace also produced iron with less expense to the ton than had then been achieved in any other. In 1832, when the Union had been worked up to six tons a day, the Pennsylvania furnaces were averaging but two tons. He, in connection with the Culbertsons, built the Princess, a stone- coal furnace, ten miles from Ashland, in Kentucky, and also, later with Capt. John Kyle and E. B. Willard, built another at Hanging Rock. In the first year of Union Furnace, three hundred tons of iron were pro- duced; in the last year, 1855, it reached twenty-five hundred. Three hundred in 1837 was as large a yearly production as had been reached in the United States, and this rate was fully up to that of England. The largest furnaces now reach fifteen thousand tons a month in this country.
Under the superintendence of himself and David Sinton, the ex- periments for introducing the hot blast were first made, and at their Union Furnace they put up the second hot blast in the United States, only a few years after its introduction in 1828. This was probably the greatest step forward that had yet been made in the manufacture of iron. Always favoring the advance in improvements, many changes were made by him in the form of furnaces and in the modes of operating them. Under his patronage, in 1860, at Ohio Furnace, was introduced the Davis hot blast, which greatly improved and modified the charcoal furnaces of the country. He was longer engaged and doubtless more extensively and directly concerned in the growth and prosperity of the iron business than
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any other man in the Ohio Valley. Besides his large interests in the various furnaces, he had a very considerable interest in eighteen thousand acres of iron ore, coal and farm lands in Ohio, and nearly fifty thousand acres in Kentucky. He was one of the originators of the Cincinnati and Big Sandy Packet Company and was its leading stockholder; was one of the incorporators of the Norton Iron Works of Ashland, Kentucky, and one of its largest stockholders ; helped lay out the town of Ashland, was a large stockholder in the Ironton "Ohio Iron Railroad Company;" was one of the originators of the Second National Bank of Ironton, and its president at the organization in 1864, and was also a stockholder of the Ashland National Bank.
In 1865, he purchased a farm near Hanging Rock and resided there several years. He cast his first Presidential vote for John Quincy Adams, and was indentified with the Whig party while it lasted. At its dissolu- tion, he became a Republican, and during the Civil War was an ardent supporter of the National Government. In his religious views, he was a Presbyterian, but not a member of any church. After the organization of the Congregational Church in Ironton, he attended that. ,
He was a man of fine personal appearance and correct business habits; of a strong constitution, able to sustain a long life of incessant activity; with a high sense of social and business integrity, his great fortune was the legitimate result of uncommon business ability and judgment. He possesed a pleasing address, was agreeable in manners and wholly void of ostentation. He had a peculiarly retentive memory as to historical and statistical facts. He could give names, dates of election and length of terms of State and National officers-Presidents, Congress- men, U. S. Justices, etc. Could give dates and other facts as to tariff legislation, and as to treaties with foreign countries; also could give in millions, tons, bushels, dollars, values of the imports and exports and production by the United States, and of many of the States, for instance, of cotton, corn, wheat, hay, iron, wines, etc. He was fond of discussion, and often in argument about protection, etc., surprised hearers at his accurate knowledge of matters. He had always a good general knowl- edge of his business affairs, was good at planning, but poor in detail. Was fearless of man or beast, but careless as to his dress.
Mr. Means was married December 4, 1828, to Sarah Ellison, daughter of John Ellison, Jr., of Buckeye Station, Adams County. She died in 1871 at the age of sixty-one in their home at Hanging Rock. Their children now living are John, of Ashland, William and Margaret. In December, 1881, he bought a residence in Ashland, Kentucky, where he lived until his death, June 8, 1890. No man did more for the de- velopment of the Hanging Rock iron region that he, and in that respect he was a great public benefactor.
Rev. Marion Morrison
was born in Adams County, Ohio, June 2, 1821. He received his common school education in a log schoolhouse near his father's home. He taught school three winters, continuing to work on the farm in the summer. In 1842, he started to college at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, graduated in 1846, and was licensed to preach the Gospel by the Chilli- cothe Presbytery, April, 1849, and was ordained by the same August 21,
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1858. He was Pastor of Tranquility congregation for six years. He was elected as Professor of Mathematics in .Monmouth College, Illinois, in 1856 and served in that capacity until the autumn of 1862. He was Chaplain of the 9th Illinois Regiment from August, 1863, until August, 1864. He published the Western Presbyterian for several years at Mon- mouth, Illinois; was pastor of Fairfield, Illinois, congregation from January 1, 1866, until December, 1870; of Amity, Iowa, from March I, 1871, until August 30, 1876. He was appointed general missionary by the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church for Nebraska and Kansas and served in that capacity for one year. He was pastor of Mission Creek Church from April 1, 1878, 'intil December 1, 1889; was pastor of the U. P. congregation at Starkville, Miss., for about one and a half years. When there, he broke down with nervous prostration and had to abandon the active work of the ministry. He returned to Mission Creek, Nebraska, and has made his home with his only daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Barr, ever since, preaching only occasionally when able.
He received the degree of D. D. from Monmouth College. He is the author of the "Life of the Rev. David MacDill, D. D.," and of the "History of the Ninth Regiment of the Illinois Volunteers."
Dr. Morrison has been a whole-souled, industrious, active and earnest preacher.
Recompense Murphy.
Recompense Murphy was born in Pitts' Grove, Salem County, New Jersey, in 1774. He emigrated to Ohio in 1805, coming down the river in a flat-boat. He had been married in New Jersey to Catherine Newkirk. Her grandfather was David Whittaker, and he and his wife followed Recompense Murphy to Ohio.
Our subject located the first summer on the Ohio River, at the mouth of Turkey Creek, in Scioto County. After that, he went to Sandy Springs, Adams County, where he bought land and farmed. He built a brick house on his land near the river front, which has long since dis- appeared, having been destroyed by the encroachments of the Ohio River. He had a brother William who came with him from New Jersey, but removed to Illinois, were he died. Samuel Murphy, another brother, located near Franklin, Ohio. Mary, a sister, married Samuel Swing, whose son David, was the father of the celebrated Professor Swing, of Chicago. Our subject had a brother, John, who remained in New Jersey. Another sister, Elizabeth, married a Mr. Ogden and lived at Fairmount, near Cincinnati.
The children of Recompense Murphy were David Whittaker Murphy, born in 1800, of whom a separate sketch appears, Jacob Murphy, who located in Whiteside County, Illinois, and retaining the Presbyterian faith of his mother, became an elder in the church there; Recompense Sherry Murphy, who lived and died at Sandy Springs; Samuel M. Murphy, of Garrison's, Kentucky, now deceased; John Murphy, who resides near Quincy, Kentucky; William, who emigrated to California; Robert, who died at the age of eighteen; Rebecca, wife of Simon Truitt, who resides at Agricola, Coffey County, Kansas, at the age of eighty-seven; Rachel Warring, who removed to Posey County, Indiana; Catherine Cox, widow of Martin Cox, who resides at Rome,
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Ohio, and is the mother of Mrs. Rev. J. W. Dillon, of Portsmouth, Ohio, and Mary Ann Baird, wife of Harvey Baird, who removed to Illinois.
Recompense Murphy's first wife was a Presbyterian, a member of the Sandy Springs Church from 1826 until her death, June 30, 1832. Recompense Murphy was married a second time to Matilda Ives, a widow, whose maiden name was Fuller, a native of Broome County, New York. Her father was at one time a member of the General Assembly of that State. She was a shrewd, keen Yankee. Some time in the sixties, she removed to her home in New York and died there.
Recompense Murphy died November 18, 1844. He made his will February 25, 1837. It was witnessed by Socrates Holbrook, Robert W. Robb, Isaac Carr and J. D. Redden. It was proven December 20, 1844, in Adams County. He gave his mansion house and one-third of his farm to his wife. He mentioned all of his children, but having already pro- vided for four of his sons, he provided in the will for the remaining sons and two daughters. The document indicates that he was a just man. He was a member of the Sandy Springs Baptist Church, joining the same after his second marriage. and died in that faith. He was an excellent citizen and aimed to do his part in every respect in his place in the world and his cotemporaries have left the record that accomplished what he undertook. His descendants are living witnesses that his training produced the best results.
David Whittaker Murphy.
David Whittaker Murphy, son of Recompense Murphy and Catherine Newkirk, his wife, was born in Salem County, New Jersey, in 1800. He was brought by his parents to Adams County when five years of age.
This incident occurred when our subject was about twelve years of age. He and another boy near his own age were crossing the Ohio River in a canoe, one sitting at either end. When they had gotton far into the current, they noticed a large animal swimming toward them. It proved to be a bear, nearly grown, and was almost exhausted by its efforts. See- ing them, it made for their canoe and climbel in. The boys, of course, were very much frightened, but nevertheless, continued paddling their canoe to the landing. The moment they touched the shore, bruin sprang out and disappeared. The boys were as glad to be rid of their shaggy companion as he was of their company.
Our subject grew to manhood in Sandy Springs neighborhood, having the advantages of such schools as were there, and having the fun and sports that boys of his time were privileged to have. His first wife was a Miss Julia Ann Turner, whom he married in Bracken County, Kentucky. By this marriage there were two sons and a daughter ; James, William and Anna Maria. The sons both went South before the Civil War, and were soldiers in the Confederate Army. William was Lieuten- ant of a Mississippi Battery.
David Murphy's second wife was Cynthia Givens, a widow, whose maiden name was McCall. The children of this marriage were David A., married to Jennie M. Ball, of Portsmouth, Ohio, now living at Oxford. Ella M. Evans, wife of Mitchell Evans, a prominent citizens of Scioto County, residing at Friendship, Ohio; Leonidas Hamline, a partner in the well known wholesale shoe house of C. P. Tracy & Company, of 38a
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Portsmouth ; John Fletcher Murphy, a clerk in the Auditor's Office of the Baltimore & Ohio Southwestern Railway Company, in Cincinnati, and Miss Tillie M. Murphy, residing at Valparaiso, Indiana. Our subject and his second wife, Cynthia Givens, were earnest members of the Methodist Church all their days. Until 1848, he was a farmer, residing in Adams County, Ohio. In that year he left Adams County and re- moved to Buena Vista, just over the line of Adams County, in Scioto County, where he kept a hotel for awhile. He was postmaster at Buena . Vista from 1868 until 1873. His home in Buena Vista was a delightful one where it was always pleasant to visit. After the death of his second wife, in 1873, he made his home with his daughter, Mrs. Evans, of Friend- ship, Ohio, until his death in 1892. Mr. Murphy had a great deal of dry humor and could express himself so as to entertain his hearers and amuse them at the same time. He was always anti-slavery, and once, a long time before the war, being asked if he would help execute the Fugitive Slave Law, he said, "Yes, if called by the United States Marshal to be part of a posse to catch fugitives, I would help, as I must obey the law, but I would be very lame." He served as a Justice of the Peace in the two counties of Adams and Scioto, for a period of fifty years, and his decisions gave general satisfaction. He could draw an ordinary deed as well as any lawyer. In politics, he was a Whig, until the Republi- can party was organized, when, after 1856, he went into that party and remained a member of it during his life. However, he voted for Fillmore for President in 1856, because he felt that his election would better pre- serve the Union. In 1860, he voted for Lincoln and for every Republican presidential candidate from that time until 1888, his last presidential vote. which was for Benjamin Harrison. He died in February, 1892.
Recompense Sherry Murphy
was a son of Recompense and Catherine (Newkirk) Murphy, who came from New Jersey and settled at the mouth of Turkey Creek, Scioto County, Ohio, in 1805, where the subject of this sketch was born May 12, 1806. Recompense Murphy, Senior, soon after moved to the Irish Bottoms in Adams County, and located on a farm.
Recompense Sherry Murphy spent his early life working on the farm. He was married to Rachel Kelley, August 4, 1831. They lived together in happy wedlock for fifty-three years. To them were born nine children, four boys and five girls, of whom the following are living: Mary Burwell, Troy, Ohio; Emman McCall, Agricola, Kansas ; John R., Wells- ville, Kansas ; Abram K., of Rushtown, Ohio, and Lucy Givens, of Buena Vista, Ohio.
He united with the Baptist Church about 1835 and remained a de- voted member until his death. In politics, he was an unwavering Re- publican. His wife died May 28, 1883, and he followed her January 5, 1891, aged eighty-five years.
Adam McCormick,
died July 3, 1849, aged sixty-five years. His wife, Margaret, daughter of Andrew and Mary Ellison, died March 6, 1845, in the fifty-fifth year of her age. Their only son, Joseph McCormick, was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1814.
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He was a plain common Irshman, with the strongest emphasis on Irish, as it shone out all about him. He lived on Brush Creek awhile, then moved to West Union. He was a member of the Baptist Church in West Union. He was a strong Whig. He owned a large tract of land near Jacksonville, in Meigs Township. He purchased the Palace Hotel prop- erty of the estate of his sister, Isabella Burgess, and died there. He lived in Cincinnati a good part of his time. He was living there in 1814 when his son Joseph was born. He was also living there in 1831 when his sister married Rev. Dyer Burgess. He was a strong Baptist. He donated the ground where the Baptist Church in West Union stands and built the church. He had considerable improved property in Cincinnati and was at that city to collect his rents in June, 1849, and when he returned to West Union, was taken sick and died. At the time of his death, he was Superintendent of the Baptist Sunday School in West Union.
It is said he came from Ireland a lad and worked about the furnaces in Adams County. He was the architect of his own fortune. He made money, but how, is now buried in oblivion, but he made it honestly and was highly esteemed as a citizen. He was a carpenter by trade, and was the contractor and builder of the first bridge built in Adams County where the iron bridge now stands. James Anderson crossed it with a team and wagon loaded with pig iron from Steam Furnace, and that was the only team which ever crossed it. There was a sudden rise in Brush Creek which undermined one of the piers and the bridge fell. Adam Mc- Cormick lived on the farm on which George A. Thomas now resides. He removed to West Union and purchased the Dyer Burgess property and lived there from 1842 until his death, in 1849.
He was married to Margaret Ellison, April 6, 1813. Andrew Ellison was running Steam Furnace and Adam McCormick was a patttern maker and made patterns at the furnace while his father-in-law run it. James Anderson teamed between Steam Furnace and the river, hauling pig iron, supplies, etc. When the furnace shut down, Adam McCormick went to farming.
Samuel Mccullough.
We have eight letters written by him to his friend, Robert Shaw, in Virginia. The first is dated Raleigh, Buckingham County, June 1, 1809. He acknowledges his of the 20th, in which he finds that his friend had a tedious passage (by water) from Richmond to Baltimore and was sea- sick. He says he has enjoyed a good estate of health since his friend left. He was a merchant and complains that collections were slow. He desires his friend to bring him a Beed plane that will work one-eighth.of an inch and one-half dozen of two-foot rules.
On December 28, 1812, he writes from Raleigh, N. C. He asks how his business with the negroes of Anthony Jones is settled. He says he has been tossed on the wheel of fortune since he saw him. It seems he went to Baltimore and purchased goods, and shipped them to Richmond. intending to take them to Nelson C. H., Virginia. At Baltimore, he met a Mr. Callam, who had purchased goods in Philadelphia, and induced him to go to Raleigh where they put the two stocks together and sold as much as $500. He wants to know if there is any store at Raleigh C. H., Va. It seems they went to Raleigh while the Legislature was in session, and sold goods rapidly until it adjourned.
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His next letter is dated January 10, 1813, acknowledging one of the 4th. He says he boards in the family of Mrs. Burch, a very decent, pious old lady, who has a daughter equally pious as herself and possessing con- siderable accomplishments, having resided in Philadelphia with a Rev. Burch, her brother. Of Raleigh, he says its people are principally emi- grants from Scotland, orderly and sober, but possessing strong prej- udices. He says, that with but few exceptions, they are Federalists. He speaks of the schools in Raleigh and their influence in improving the manners and, in some instances, the morals of the people. He says they are the means of circulating a great deal of money. He further says that the country is poor and the planters have nothing which suits the markets but pork, tobacco and cotton.
He wants to know if he thinks his friend, John Randolph, will be re- elected in his district in Virginia and whether there is any change in political sentiments there-whether the people are pleased with the war, and the manner in which it has been conducted. Also his opinion re- specting the combination of the non-importation law. On January 24, 1813, he is still at Raleigh, but complains of the war affecting the busi- ness. He says there is no demand for cotton or tobacco, and pork is the only article that commands money and that at a low price. He says there are twenty stores in Raleigh, and he intends to remove early in the Spring, probably to Virginia. He says in that country, where wheat is cultivated, is the best place to do business during the war, because it will sell high. He wishes to be informed what effect the war has had in that part of the country, where his correspondent resides, as to sale of goods and the circulation of money.
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