A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 102

Author: Evans, Nelson W. (Nelson Wiley), 1842-1913
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Portsmouth, O. N. W. Evans
Number of Pages: 1612

USA > Ohio > Scioto County > A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record > Part 102

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William Maddock, Sr.,

was born in Staffordshire, England, in the year 1803. His father was a manufacturer of porcelain ware and pottery. John B. Mad- dock of the firm of John B. Maddock & Sons, of London, England, manufacturers of the widely known Maddock ware, is a brother. William learned the trade of a foundryman and machinist in Man- chester, England. He was raised a Quaker and when he came to America in 1824, at the age of twenty-one, he wore the conventional Quaker dress. He first landed in Maine, but located in Detroit the liext year and worked for a Mr. Pond in a foundry, but did not stay long.

He came to Portsmouth, Ohio, in 1826, and with money which his thoughtful mother had stowed away in a chest for him, similar to those brought by most emigrants to America, and with $600.00 bor- rowed from Judge William Salter he bought the lots where the Opera House now stands and built a woolen mill with a grist mill at- tached. After operating the mill in this way for some time he pur- chased the balance of the lots between Fourth and Fifth streets, fronting on the east side of Chillicothe and built a foundry and ma- chinc shop. To these as side lines were attached mills for flour and linseed oil, so that he had a monopoly on the manufactures of the town. This foundry and machine shop was the first of the kind in Portsmouth. Maddock and Beverly advertised in 1836 as manufac- turers of sheet iron, and Stevenson and Maddock as foundry. He was connected with the foundry business until his death from apo- plexy. May II, 1865.

He was married in 1826, to Elizabeth Buffington and had nine children. John B., died June 29, 1898: Mary J., widow of Captain Charles A. Barton; Addean E., widow of Captain William Stoner : William H., died December, 1897, was a mechanical engineer in

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

Pittsburg; Emma and James died in infancy; Charles R., United States Inspector of woolen goods for army use at Chicago; Ida C., widow of Walter Mann, now living at Columbus, Ohio; Richard Cotton of Philadelphia, agent for the output of several knitting fac- tories (stockings). Mrs. Elizabeth Maddock, wife of our subject died November 1, 1868, aged fifty-five years and nine months.

Our subject always retained his Quaker ideas, but attended the Episcopal church. He was a Whig and afterwards a strong Repub- lican. When he died he left his business to his sons and $8,000 each to his daughters.

Isaac Malone,

one of the twelve children of Benjamin Malone and Priscilla Guthrie, his wife, was born in Scioto Township, Ross County, Ohio, Nov. 20, 1820. His father was a native of Bedford County, Va., and emi -. grated to Lawrence County, Kentucky, near the Blue Lick Springs and afterwards to near Chillicothe, Ohio, about 1813. Shortly af- ter arriving, he was asked to convey the news of peace to Detroit at the conclusion of the war with England. Three days after being asked, he started and made the journey on horseback. Benjamin Malone was born December 25, 1785, and died January 15, 1881. The mother of our subject was a daughter of William Guthrie, one of the pioneers of Pike County, who emigrated there from Pa. about 1799, and was married March 1, 1816.

Isaac Malone came to Scioto County when about 20 years of age and was married to Mary Ann Utt, daughter of John Utt, Feb- ruary, 1844. He lived awhile on Pond Creek and afterwards moved to Hygean Run and bought 138 acres of Scioto bottoms of George Davis which he continued to own until his death. Of the eight sons born to them, seven are now living : George, Frank, Joseph, Charles. Isaac, Fred and John. All daughters are living: Lizzie, wife of John L. Hinze; Priscilla, wife of Frank Turner; Mary, wife of Carl Huber and Hattie, wife of Charles McMillen.

Our subject was always a Democrat but often voted for the man and not the party he represented. He died November 7, 1884.

Samuel Marshall, Sr.

Samuel Marshall, his wife and four children were the first per- sons to settle permanently in Scioto County. They left Pittsburg in the summer of 1795, and went to Manchester where they remained till after Wayne's treaty. He then took the same boat he came down in and went up the river to opposite the mouth of Tygart creek in Kentucky, where he landed and built the first log cabin in Scioto County. His family consisted of himself, his wife Polly Marshall and her children : Labina Marshall, Jesse Marshall and Samuel Mar- shall, Jr. This was in March, 1796, when he located in Scioto County. His daughter, Nancy, did not come till the next year, and

MAJOR HENRY MASSIE.

FOUNDER OF PORTSMOUTH. BORN 1768-DIED 1830.

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then as the wife of William Rollins. Labina married a Pyles, and she and Samuel Marshall, Jr., were living (August 2, 1873) in Mad- ison Township. The log cabin built by Samuel Marshall in 1796 was, when completed, the only one on either side of the river be- tween Gallipolis and Manchester.

John Lindsey and wife and children soon followed. They came from Manchester also. His children were Beulah who mar- ried George Edgington, John H., William, Oliver, Lemuel, Peter and James. Sallie Lindsey married Samuel Perry. John A. Lindsey and Polly Marshall were the first couple married in Scioto County, but when or where does not appear. They probably went to Ken- tucky. They built a cabin where the Scioto Furnace now stands. Samuel Marshall, Sr., had five children when he settled in Scioto County. A daughter Fanny was the first white child born in Scioto County. She married George Shonkwiler, reared a large family and died at an advanced age.

Major Henry Massie

was a son of Nathaniel Massie, of Goochland County, Virginia, and Elizabeth Watkins his wife, and was born February 7, 1768. His elder brother, General Nathaniel Massie, founder of Manchester and Chillicothe, was born in 1763. His father was said to have been a Colonel in. the Revolutionary War. He was well educated, but the place or extent of his education is unknown. It is certain that among his educational acquirements was the science and art of sur- veying.

He followed his brother, Nathaniel, to the Northwest Territory and became a land speculator. Like all men of his time, he was in the militia, and rose to the position of Major. He married Helen Bullitt, daughter of Colonel Alexander Scott Bullitt, one of the first settlers of Jefferson County, Kentucky. No children were born to them, but they adopted four-two of his own nieces, and two of his wife's nephews. The nieces were Constance Massie, who married Major James Love of Louisville, Ky., and Elizabeth Watkins Mas- sie, who married William L. Thompson, of Jefferson County, Ken- tucky.

The nephews were Henry Massie Bullitt, son of Cuthbert Bul- litt and Scott Bullitt, son of William Bullitt. He owned a large farm of 300 acres eight miles out of Louisville, Ky., which he called Ridge- way. There he built a beautiful home, from which he dispensed a generous hospitality all his life. He was married about 1807. He spent considerable time in Chillicothe, Ohio, and prior to his mar- riage, in Adams County, but Ridgeway was always his home.

He died February 8, 1830, and is interred at Oxmore, the family burial place of the Bullitts.

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

His widow re-married twice-first to Major John L. Martin, and second to Colonel Marshall Key, of Mason County, Ky., and is buried at Oxmore.

Ridgeway is now occupied by Joshua Bullitt, a nephew of his wife whose post office is Buechel, Ky.

Henry Massie came to the site of Portsmouth as early as 1798. He saw what others failed to see, that Alexandria was predestined to failure, and undertock to purchase lands on higher grounds on the eastern side of the Scioto, but he was not the first one to appreciate the site of Portsmouth.

Jeremiahi McLean, Nathaniel Willis, William Lawson, and Thomas Parker had all of them entered the lands he wanted, before him. As four of them were non-residents he did not have much trouble with them, and William Lawson, the only resident yielded quickly. He bought them out in 1802, but the lands were not pat- ented, to him until August 4, 1806, when he received his patent from the United States for fractional sections, 17, 18, 19 and 20, Town- ship 1, Range 21 and fractional sections 1 and 2, Township I, Range 22.

This covers all the land on which the orignial town of Ports- mouth was located by him, in May, 1803, and hence any one who has real estate in Portsmouth and can trace it clear to Henry Massie has a good title. His patent embraced 2,024 and 26-100 acres.

He dedicated in-lots 130 and 143, where the Second street school house now stands, and out-lot 39, where the Fourth street school house now stands, to the public schools. He dedicated lots 3, 146 and 147 on Second and Market streets for public purposes, and they were so used for many years.

On July 10, 1807, he deeded to the County Commissioners -- Samuel Lucas, James Edison and Gabriel Feurt-in-lots 18, 19, 30, 62, 63, 66. 78, 99, IIO, III, 114, 115, 126, 131, 142, 177, 186, 200. 205, 214, 219, 226, 235, 241, 246, 261, 264, 268. 269, 271, and out- lots, 14, 15, 16, 21, 35, 36, 37, 38, 42, 46, 51, 53, 54 to be sold by them and the proceeds used to build a court house and jail.

On March 8, 1809, he deeded in-lot 31 to the Commissioners for . building a court house. It is in the center block, on the south side of Second street, between Court and Market.

When he made the town plat he left all land south of the pres- ent Front street vacant, and made no indications of his intentions in respect to the same.

About 1811 he undertook to plat and sell the Front of the town on the river south of Water street, and went so far as to sell one lot to General William Kendall for $80.00. It was opposite lot 280, and was six poles square. About the same time he sold two lots to William Lodwick, opposite his lots on the north side of Front street. The latter bought them for a wood yard. This matter troubled the

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town for years, and was the subject of much public agitation. Dele- gates were sent to him at Louisville, lawyers were employed and tes- timony de bene esse taken. The matter was supposed to be settled on August 7, 1829, when Massie was paid $3,000.00 and he gave the town a deed, but it was not signed by his wife.

In the deal William Lodwick reconveyed his lots to the town, but General Kendall's lot was lost sight of.

After Henry Massie's death, his widow asserted a claim as exec. utrix of her husband and dowress in this land, and the matter was bandied back and forth until 1842, when, on June 19, the city paid her and John L. Martin $1,087.62 for a release of her claim.

It is in tradition that after Henry Massie had purchased the site of Portsmouth, he revisited it and found Captain Josiah Shackford there. The Captain informed him that he had expected to purchase the same land, to plat a town on it and name it Portsmouth. Major Massie then told Captain Shackford, if he would aid him in building up the town, he would name it for Portsmouth, Captain Shackford's native place.

Captain Shackford agreed to Major Massie's proposition, and the town received the name of Portsmouth. Whether the same be true or not, Captain Shackford and Massie became great friends, and Shackford did all he could to promote the town of Portsmouth.

When Massie began to sell lots he usually sold a lot 821/2 feet front by 132 feet deep for $50.00. He was content to sell his land outside of the lots for $10.00 per acre.

In 1807 he vacated all of his town plat of 1803 north of the center line between Second and Third streets, and made the inlots into outlots of about three acres each. This was probably done be- cause he despaired of the town.

Major Massie made his will but two days before his death. He gave to his wife his home estate of 430 acres and his slaves and their increase, his moneys on hand, debts due him in Kentucky, and his stock in the Shelbyville and Louisville turnpike road; also $3,000 and the securities for the same, owing to him but payable to him some time in the future by the corporation of Portsmouth in the State of Ohio. He directed that his debts be paid and the interest on $1,400 be paid to his brother, Thomas Massie during his life, the principal on his death to go to his wife. He gave his nieces, Con- stance Massie and Elizabeth Thompson each $3,000. The residue of his estate he divided between his nephews, Heath Jones, of Louis- ville, Kentucky: Nathaniel Massie of Ohio; Henry Bullitt, son of Cuthbert Bullitt, and Alexander Scott Bullitt. The will expresses a great affection for his wife and his desires to provide for her. She seemed to have been much attached to him, but that did not prevent her marrying twice after his death. The following is a tribute writ- ten by Mrs. Massie in regard to him directly after his death. "He

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fell like a noble tree, after two or three strokes, with all his sap and verdure, with extended boughs and rich foliage, while many were re- posing in his shadow and partaking of his fruits. Seldom has death gained a richer spoil than in the extraction of the earthly existence of this admirable man."

"Take holy earth all that my soul holds dear,

'Take that best gift which heaven so kindly gave."

Benjamin Melcher

was born July 7. 1794, in Rockingham County, New Hampshire. His grandfather was in the Revolutionary War. His father was a far- mer. He lived at home until he was sixteen, when he was appren- ticed to a shoe maker in Exeter, New Hampshire. He served five years. He was in the first company, Fourth Regiment, New Hamp- shire Militia, in the war of 1812. He was in active service for for- ty days. Captain Gilliman commanded his company. After his ap- prenticeship, he worked in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, as a jour- neyman shoemaker. He had an uncle there in New Hampshire, who resided in Marietta, Ohio. He concluded to go west with his uncle. They drove in a two horse wagon all the way from Ports- mouth, New Hampshire, to Marietta, Ohio. Hc remained in Mariei- ta, a month, and not obtaining work, concluded to go further down the river.

He landed at Portsmouth, Ohio, August 16, 1816. He took breakfast at Eli Glover's tavern. After breakfast, he took a walk to see the town. He dropped into John H. Thornton's shoe shop and asked for employment. He obtained it and in three months bought Thornton out. He had at this time between $300 and $400. Octo- ber 19, 1817 he married Miss Nancy Lloyd. She was born on Sep- tember 1, 1798. In the spring of 1819, he built a two story brick house on the southeast corner of Second and Washington streets. In 1819, he bought O. F. Moore's lot for $300. In 1820, he built a two story frame, some distance above, on Second street opposite O. F. Moore's. At that time business began to be dull and many left the place. In 1829, Mr. Melcher built a two story brick on the southwest corner of Second and Court streets. It gave way to thic present Elk building. He opened a boarding house in it. He soldi his shoe business and went into the grocery business in the same building. He made money and considerable of it, but hard times and unfortunate speculations overtook him and he was compelled to sell out. He then went back to his trade and worked for his broth- er-in-law, Richard Lloyd until he was unable to work at all. Mr

and Mrs. Melcher were members of the Presbyterian church. They had three children living (in 1874) : Richard Lloyd Melcher, Mrs. M. V. Cropper and Mrs. Jesse J. Appler. When he failed he was several hundred dollars insolvent. He paid it off by working at

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the shoe bench.

He died of paralysis April 9, 1874, aged 79 years

and I month.

Martin Molster

was born in Oldurf, Holland, on November 20, 1805, and died in Portsmouth, Ohio, on November 26, 1879. He was the son of John and Wilhelmina Molster, and grew to young manhood in his native land, where his father was employed at teaming on the construction of some of the Dutch canals. In 1823. John Molster and a brother with their families set sail for South Carolina, intending to settle there. The writer isn't informed whether they ever reached there, or, if so, why they did not remain. At any rate, they settled in and near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where the men found employment in the rolling mills, and there our subject met and married Charlotte Blecker, a native of Lancaster, a Pennsylvania Dutch girl, whose parents were natives of Alsace.

In 1831, Martin Molster who had become a skilled worker of iron, with his young wife and their first child, traveled by wagon over the then great highway the Cumberland road, to Wheeling, West Virginia, and thence by boat to Cincinnati, Ohio, whither he went to assist in the construction of one of the first mills in the west. In the next year they returned to Philadelphia or Phoenixville, Penn- sylvania, and remained about two years when they again went to Cincinnati. In 1836, he came to Portsmouth and with the exception of about one year 1839-1840 when the family resided in Cincinnati, continued to reside in Portsmouth till his death.

For thirty-six years he was employed in the Gaylord rolling mills, and when in 1873 he retired from the mill he had completed fifty years of toil in various iron works. He acquired in that service a splendid knowledge of the building and operation of every feature of the rolling mill, was the wise counselor of his sons and co-laborers in the mills, and enjoyed the highest esteem of his employers, and especially of the late Benjamin B. Gaylord. He had "run with the machine" as a member of the Volunteer Fire Department. Independ- ent Company No. I for many years and in recognition of that ser- vice was elected Chief of the Fire Department in 1876, serving until 1878. At the time of his death, he was Street Commissioner of the city to which office he was elected April. 1879. In politics he was a Republican, though up to the beginning of the Civil War he had been a Democrat.

His was a vigorous mind and body and whatever he undertook was done with enthusiasm, with all his might. So after he took the vows which united him with the First Presbyterian church in 1841, he was over a consistent and faithful member evidenced by attendance on its service, the study of his Bible and his walk in life, where to know him was to love him.

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

During the Mexican war, a company of guards of which the late Peter Kinney was Captain and our subject was a member, was en- gaged in a sham battle north of the court house, and during its ex- citement Charles Kinney, a fellow member let the steel ramrod re- main in the gunbarrel and on being discharged, a piece of the rod was driven through Mr. Molster's neck and into his shoulder. It was removed with great difficulty and the flow of blood checked by some heroic means. A long fight followed, but he eventually re- covered his full strength. At the time of the accident, his son, Hen- ry, then a lad of eight years, was playing nearby and learning of the affair, ran all the way to the family home on Second street, where he fell prostrate in his mother's presence, unable to deliver the news. During the war of the Rebellion, he did service as a member of the Home Guards and did scout duty at the time of Morgan's Raid. He was an expert rifleman and loved to hunt.

Four sons and three daughters were born to Mr. and Mrs. Mol- stor: Mary Ann, John. T., both deceased. Henry, Cornelius, Susan- nah E., wife of Peter J. Monaghan, James M. and Wilhelmina, all of whom together with numerous grandchildren, gathered at the family residence on the evening of Monday. November 24. 1879, to celebrate the golden anniversary of their wedding. It was a joyous assemblage with little thought of what a day might bring forth. Martin Molster was taken deathly sick that night and after intense suffering endured with wonderful fortitude for thirty-six hours, died on Wednesday morning. All the people mourned his death and sypathized with the bereaved household and especially the widow. Mother Molster as she was known to many (as our subject was "Daddy") lived eleven years thereafter till December 8, 1890, and many a sad heart or sick one was gladdened by her visit, generally with some delicately prepared food, always with a sunny smile. The world is better for their living.

Captain Enos Bascom Moore,

the son of Levi Moore and Amanda Gunn, his wife, was born De- cember 27, 1823. His mother was a daughter of Samuel Gunn, one of the pioneers of Portsmouth, who has a sketch herein. His grandfather was Phillip Moore, a native of New Jersey. A fuller statement of the ancestry of our subject will be found under the title of Capt. Wmn. Moore, an elder brother.

Enos Moore grew up on his father's farm, graduated from the country school of his vicinity, and was preparing to enter Delaware College with a view to the study of law. At this time, a flat-boat loaded with flour from New Orleans came down the river and landed at the bank near his father's farm. He was invited to become a part of the crew and take a trip to New Orleans. If he did so he had to give up his project of an education at Delaware. The love of

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adventure was too strong, he decided to make the river trip, gave up the idea of being a lawyer and followed the career of a boatman.

For forty-two years from that time his life was given to the oc- cupation of boating on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. For ten years he served as a pilot between St. Louis and New Orleans, and afterwards as a master. In 1858, hie and Capt. Duvall Young built the steamer "Champion" and ran between St. Louis and New Or- leans. The breaking out of the war compelled the abandonment of the trade and the boat was sold. Capt. Enos Moore has served as master on no less than forty different steamboats, but most of his service has been in the Cincinnati and Portsmouth trade, on the boats of the White Collar line, in which company he was largely interested until his retirement from the river in 1889. In 1863, he and his brother, William, purchased an interest in the foundry and machine business, conducted at that time by Murray and Stevenson. The

firm was originally Murray, Ward and Stevenson. In 1863. the Moore brothers purchased the business, and conducted it under the firm name of Murray, Moore & Company, until 1872, when Mr. Murray sold out his interest to the Moore brothers; and afterwards the business was in corporated as the Portsmouth Foundry and Machine works, and has been conducted as such ever since. Capt. Enos Moore is now president of the company. and has been for a number of years. Capt. Moore has been twice mar- ried, first to Miss Maria Prime Pratt, of Washington County, New York, and second time to Miss Mary E. Switzer. of Dayton, Ohio. There are two children of the first marriage: Mrs. Frances Geiger of Troy, Ohio, and Mary Young Moore at home. Of the second marriage, the children are: Ralph. Lucy, Edith and William. Capt. Moore is a Republican in his political views. He has been a mem- ber of the First Presbyterian church since 1862, and is one of the board of ruling elders.

Capt. Moore is a gentleman of the most agreeable temperament. He is always calin and collected, rever loses his equipoise. As a captain of a large steamboat he was unexcelled. Whatever dan- gers threatened. he was equal to the emergency, and never was taken off his guard. No matter what happened he was always ready for it. He used to claim to the passengers on the old "Bonanza" that they were safer on his boat than they were on land, and they believed it. He is a gentleman of the most excellent judgment in business and in social affairs. He has always been a most pleasant companion and could always entertain the passengers with him on the steam- boats, as well as take care of their safety, and navigate the boat. He looked for the comfort of his passengers with great care, and it was always a real pleasure trip to travel on the "Bonanza" with Capt. Moore as master. He has made as excellent a citizen since 1889, as before that he did a steamboat master. It would be useless to at-

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tempt to inventory his good qualities, he has so many of them. While his life has been mainly devoted to business, he has been very success- ful and all the while, has enjoyed the highest regard of all who knew him.

Captain William Moore

was born October 8, 1815, in Alexandria, Scioto County, Ohio. His father was Levi Moore, born in Fayette County, Pa., February 9, 1793. His mother was Amanda A. Gunn, daughter of Samuel Gunn, who was born in Waterbury, Conn., and came to Portsmouth, at five years of age. Levi Moore was the same age when he came to Scioto County in 1797. Philip Moore, grandfather of our subject, was born at Allentown, Pa. Levi Moore had the following children : our sub- ject, the eldest ; Milton, died in Mississippi, of yellow fever in 1854; Maria, who married Solomon B. McCall; Lora, died when 18 years of age; Mary Ellen, died about the age of twenty-five years; Enos and Samuel.

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A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 102

Author: Evans, Nelson W. (Nelson Wiley), 1842-1913 Publication date: 1903 Publisher: Portsmouth, O. N. W. Evans Number of Pages: 1612

Author: Evans, Nelson W. (Nelson Wiley), 1842-1913
Publication date: 1903
Publisher: Portsmouth, O. N. W. Evans
Number of Pages: 1612