A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 105

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 105

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JOHN PEEBLES. PIONEER OF PORTSMOUTH. BORN 1769-DIED 1847.

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years. Fanny Denny died at 16 months at Shippensburg, Cumber- land County, in Pennsylvania, November 1I, 1804. Jane Finley, wife of Robert Wood, died November 1, 1875, aged 69 years. Richard Rodgers, died Angust 8, 1893, aged 83 years. Margaret Rodgers died at Portsmouth, Ohio, September 17, 1822, aged II years. Joseph Scott, died at Portsmouth, Ohio, July 8, 1893, aged 73 years. John Geddes died October 30, 190I.

John Peebles was a cabinet maker by trade. He followed that and a commission business and conducted a hotel.

In 1819 and 1820, he was engaged in making iron nails. They were made by hand, and sold from forty to sixty cents per pound.

In 1822, he was Overseer of the Poor of Wayne Township.

In 1824, he was Supervisor of the East Ward in Portsmouth, and a health officer of the town the same year.

The first Board of Health in the town of Portsmouth was com- posed of John Peebles. Jacob Offnere and Ebenezer Corwin. In 1824, he was appointed by the County Commissioners as Custo- dian of the Standard Measures of the County. He was appointed by the County Commissioners House Appraiser of Wayne Township, and was allowed $3.75 for his service.

In 1825. he was Assessor of Wayne Township. and was al- lowed $4.00 for his services. The taxes collected in that year were $205.48.

In 1826, he was Overseer of the Poor and a Trustee of Wayne Township.

In 1828 and 1833, he was also a trustee of the Township.

On July 17, 1828, he was one of the jury in the celebrated case of Jackson vs Clark, reported in Ist Peters, 666. This case was heard in Columbus before Judges Robert Todd and Charles Willing Byrd. Mr. Peebles' business often took him to Columbus during the sessions of the United States Court there, and he was frequently called as a juror. The verdict in the case was sustained by Chief Justice Marshall.

In 1828, he was Secretary of the County Agricultural Society,

In 1830, he was conducting a hotel in Portsmouth, which he called the Portsmouth hotel, at Glover's old stand, corner of West and Waller streets.

In 1832, he was a director of the Columbus and Portsmouth Turnpike Company.

In 1836, he was a Commission Merchant in Portsmouth and agent of the Protection Insurance Company of Columbus. He kept his office in with his son-in-law, Dr. Hempstead.

He died at Hanging Rock, Ohio, October 22, 1846. His wife died at the same place, August 28, 1847.

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

William Peebles,

the eldest son of John Peebles and Margaret Rogers, his wife, was born November 16, 1796, in Pennsylvania and came with his father and mother to Ohio in 1807. When they located in Portsmouth in ISI9, he was twenty-three years old, and the hotel business was carried on by him in his name in Portsmouth for some time.

In 1826, he was fence viewer of Wayne Township with John R. Turner as his colleague.

In the same year he received one vote for Justice of the Peace and John Noel had 32. He died unmarried July 24, 1829, and was the first person interred in Greenlawn cemetery. His remains were taken up when Mr. John G. Peebles purchased his family lot in Ever- green cemetery and now repose in the family lot with an appropriate headstone.

John Geddes Peebles

was born on a small farm on Lick Run, five or six miles from Chil- licothe, Ohio, November 30, 1813. His father, John Peebles, one of the pioneers of Portsmouth, has a sketch herein. His mother was Margaret Rogers, fully mentioned in the sketch of her husband. His parents located in Portsmouth, Ohio, April 3, 1819.

Our subject, John G. Peebles, attended the primitive schools of the village of Portsmouth until he was fourteen years old. He then entered the dry goods store of his uncle, John McCoy, at Chillico- the, Ohio, in 1828, and continued there in a clerical capacity for eigh- teen months, when he returned to Portsmouth to assist his father in his hotel and commission business. In the summer of 1831, his fath- er was appointed Deputy Marshal and sold his hotel. Then young Peebles clerked on the steamboat "Hermit" and was afterward in the employ of A. B. Ellison and Charles Scarborough. In 1836, he took two flat boats loaded with stone to New Orleans for Lemuel Moss, whose employ he had entered in 1833 as clerk and manager at the quarry mills. Moss was engaged in the manufacture of sawed stone. In 1836 he left this position and started a store on the West Side with Captain Francis Cleveland. He closed his store when the panic of 1837 came and moved his stock to a flat boat and traded along the river for about a year and then sold out what goods he had left and returned to Portsmouth, where he worked for Colonel John Row until 1842.

This year he removed to Pine Grove Furnace where he worked at the carpenter's trade. While thus engaged he studied the iron busi- ness and so well did he learn it that he was made General Manager of the furnace in 1844. Mr. Peebles continued in this position for about ten years, during which time he accumulated a small capital. In 1854, he and his brother, Joseph Scott Peebles, and Samuel Coles, bought a half interest in Pine Grove Furnace and the Hanging Rock Coal Company. In 1864, this interest was sold to Thomas W.

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JOHN GEDDES PEEBLES.

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Means and others. In 1860, our subject became the successor of James Rogers, as president of the Iron Bank of Ironton, Ohio, which position he filled until the bank merged into the First National bank of Ironton, when he became its president, and so continued until his removal to Portsmouth.

During his residence in Lawrence County, he was interested in other enterprises than those mentioned, the most important of which were the Belfont Iron Works Company at Ironton, Ohio, the Ash- land Coal Company, the Ashland Coal and Iron Ry. Company and the Lexington & Big Sandy R. R. Company. Mr. Peebles changed his residence from Ironton to Portsmouth, August 28, 1865. Two years later, in partnership with Sherman G. Johnson and Benjamin B. Gaylord, he built the hub and spoke factory of Portsmouth, the firm being Johnson, Peebles & Company, and later sold his interests to Josiah H. Roads and Sherman G. Johnson. Mr. Peebles was a stockholder in the Portsmouth National Bank from its formation, later he became a director and on the death of George Johnson, in 1875, was elected President. He held that position until his death.

After coming to Portsmouth to reside, Mr. Peebles retired from the more active sphere of business life, in the sense that he did not

engage in new enterprises. He continued, however, to look after the interests that he already had, with the shrewdness and ability

which always marked his business dealings. A large part of his time was devoted to work along charitable lines. As an instance of this, he bore a prominent and influential part in securing the estab- lishment of the Children's Home, and served continuously as pres- ident of the Board of Trustees of that institution for twenty-five years. He avoided all political positions, and, although solicited of- ten, never accepted any position in the gift of the people. He has, however, held appointive positions.

In his political affiliations, Mr. Peebles was a Republican from the time the party was organized, and previous to that time was an old line Whig. He was a faithful and consistent member of the First Presbyterian church of Portsmouth, and contributed liberally to- ward its support.

Mr. Peebles was married June 10, 1835, to Miss Martha Rose Steele, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Nine children were born, five of whom reached maturity : Robert, Secretary and Treasurer of the Ashland Coal and Iron Railway Company at Ashland, Kentucky ; John, formerly of the firm of Reed, Peebles & Company. Portsmouth. Ohio; Margaret J. and Mary E. who reside at the Peebles home on West Second street, Portsmouth, with their mother ; Richard R. who recently died at Wooster, Ohio.

Mr. Peebles was killed instantly on the afternoon of October 30, 1901, by being run over by a trolley car going west on Second street, at the corner of Second and Washington streets.

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

Notwithstanding he was in his eighty-eighth year, his faculties were well preserved and he filled all the positions he occupied with credit and ability to the last. At the time of his death, he was presi- dent of the Portsmouth National Bank, President of the Belfont Iron Works of Ironton, Ohio, and Vice President of the Ashland Coal and Iron Company of Ashland, Kentucky. He took an active in- terest in many matters of public interest. He was deeply interested in the Presbyterian church and in the enterprise of the preparation of this book. Mr. Peebles had not lost his interest in anything going on around him on account of his age or his infirmities. He was not willing to admit that he had any infirmities, at his advanced age, and his unwillingness to depend on others in going about cost him his life.

He was a man of the most positive convictions. When he would investigate a matter and make up his mind on the subject, that end- ed it, but he was always open to conviction and if any one approach- ed him on a matter and it was meritorious, he could interest him in it. He had a wonderfully keen insight in business affairs. His in- tegrity was most strict. He had remarkable executive ability, was a shrewd observer and his acquisitions and knowledge were exten- sive. , In every matter of business or social duty, he was prompt, and never forgot anything incumbent on him to do. As a business man he had phenomenal success, and accumulated a fortune. He made the very best use of it; his charities and beneficences were in- numerable. They were carefully and meritoriously bestowed and were given or made without any ostentation. When Portsmouth lost this prominent and distinguished citizen, it lost one of its most useful and valuable business men. This fact was shown in the at- tendance at his funeral. No larger or more numerously attended funeral was ever held in the city of Portsmouth. Distinguished peo- ple from neighboring towns and cities attended to show their respect for his memory. All who knew him well felt as if they had lost a friend and more than a friend.

Joseph Scott Peebles

was born at Chillicothe, Ross County, Ohio, June 19, 1817. His father, John Peebles, has a sketch herein. Our subject was two years of age when his parents removed to Portsmouth. He attend- ed school till fifteen years of age, finishing at the old seminary that stood on the corner of Market and 'Fourth streets, Davis and Archi- bald being the teachers. After leaving school, he spent a few months with his brother, John, who was bookkeeper and financial manager of Lemuel Moss's flour and stone mill at the Three Locks, and a few months with G. J. Leet, agent for the Troy & Erie Canal boats. He was then a year or two with William Hall, of Portsmouth, where he learned the dry goods business. He next went with his brother-in- law, Robert Wood, who was in the supply business, on the corner of

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Front and Madison streets (the Lodwick corner) ; and afterwards on the corner of Jefferson and Front streets.

In 1836, Mr. Peebles went to Hanging Rock to take charge of the store owned by his brother-in-law, Robert Hamilton, which was connected with Pine Grove Furnace.

During the years 1842, 1843, 1844, after Mr. Hamilton had become exclusive owner of Pine Grove Furnace, he associated with him John Ellison, the manager of the furnace, James A. Richey, his bookkeeper, and Joseph Scott Peebles, under the firm name of Ham- ilton & Company. In 1844, Messrs. Ellison, M. R. Tewksbury and Richey purchased Jackson Furnace, Ohio, and Mr. Peebles, in com- pany with Robert Wood and Thomas Martin, built the Hanging Rock Foundry, and carried on business under the firm name of Pee- bles, Wood & Company. This business proved very successful.

In October, 1850, John F. Steele, the junior partner and book- keeper of Hamilton, Peebles & Company, died, and Joseph was so- licited to take the position thus made vacant, with the promise of an interest at some future day. In 1854 the new firm was formed, con- sisting of Robert Hamilton, John G. Peebles, Samuel Coles and Jos- eph Scott Peebles, the firm name being Hamilton, Peebles & Coles. September' II, 1856, Mr. Hamilton died, and the business was carried on eight years longer under the same name, and in 1864 was sold to Messrs. Kyle & Company.

April 30, 1864, Mr. Peebles removed to Portsmouth, and with his brother John G. and others bought the Ashland coal and railroad prop- erty including a large number of iron and coal mines. They opened the coal banks at Coalton, and built a coal furnace at Ashland. A year later, Joseph Peebles' health becoming impaired, he sold his property to his brother, John G., and traveled a year through the Eastern and Southern states. In June, 1866, he returned to Ohio, and went to Lebanon where he purchased the Corwin property, and remained there till June, 1869, when he purchased a residence at 49 Wesley avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio.

He was married April 8, 1851, to Nancy Finley Lodwick, daugh- ter of Colonel John Lodwick and Hannah Finley, his wife. They had but one child : William, now deceased. September 28, 1874, he went with his son William, who had been appointed vice consul by Hon. James S. Scott, United States Consul to the Hawaiian Islands. On December 1, 1875, he returned to San Francisco and took a steamer for Japan, traveling through the countries of the Eastern continent, and returned to America October 28, 1876.

After his return, he visited all parts of his own country, and has been in thirty-six of the states, of the United States. In 1884, he was a stockholder in the Portsmouth Steel and Iron Works, Ports- mouth, and the Peebles, Foulds & Company flour mills, Cincinnati, Ohio. March 18, 1860, Mr. Peebles united with the First Presbyter-

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ian church at Hanging Rock. His first vote was for Wilson Shan- non, Democratic Governor in 1838. He voted for Van Buren, Polk, Cass, Pierce and Buchanan for presidents. In 1860, he changed his politics and the rest of his life voted for the Republican candidates. He died July 8, 1890, aged seventy-three. His wife died October 23, 1881, aged sixty-one years.

Nathaniel W. Preston

was born near Danvers, Massachusetts, April 17, 1817. His father (lied when he was a babe and his mother in company with eighteen others, emigrated to Ohio, in 1820. They landed at Hayport, near Wheelersburg, Green Township, December 20, 1820. There were nine adults and eleven children in the party, among them were Rev. Daniel Young, his brother, John Young, Joseph and Asa Merrill. Mr. Preston's mother, Mrs. Jane Preston, reared two sons, Nathan- iel and Ira. She lived a long life of great usefulness and died June 22, 1879, aged 83 years. From December 20, 1820, at the age of three years, he lived on the banks of the Ohio river at Hayport, in Porter Township and led the life of a plain and simple farmer.

He was married February 19, 1850, to Mary Ann Holmes, who survived him. He never tried to make money and nev- er did so, but always had enough of this world's goods to be comfort- able. He was always cheerful and always cordial. No man was more attached to his friends than he. He never had a dishonest thought. In fact, he was too honest with his neighbors and gave them the benefit of the doubt all the time, instead of reserving it for

himself. He believed in simplicity in living and lived in that man- ner all his life. He was not a member of any church. He often compared himself with his brother Ira and thought himself very wick- ed. He would sometimes say "damn it" but he possessed all the Christian virtues in an eminent degree. No kinder hearted. nor more sympathetic man ever lived. He was always in earnest in all he did. He loved his country and would have given his life for it on a second's notice. In his political views, he was a Republican and strong anti-slavery. He died May 23, 1901, at his home near Wheelersburg, Ohio.

Rev. Ira Mills Preston

was born in Dedham, Massachusetts, in 1818. His father died a few months before his birth and when he was two years old his mother took him and another son, Nathaniel, thirteen months older, the long and then very difficult journey to Wheelersburg, Ohio, to join her father, who had gone there some time before to secure land for a home. Fra grew up there helping in the farm work, but considering himself not strong enough to be a farmer, he went to Marietta to fit himself for a position as clerk in a store in Portsmouth, Ohio. He very soon became a Christian and his conversion changed all his plans

NATHANIEL W. PRESTON. [PAGE 808.]

REV. IRA M. PRESTON. [PAGE 808.]

EZEKIEL POWERS, SR. [PAGE 809.]

GEORGE SALLADAY. [PAGE 823.]

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for life. He decided that he must preach the Gospel and that he must have a thorough education. He entered Marietta College in 1841, graduating in 1845. He went to Lane Theological Seminary, grad- uating there in 1848. He had some time before this decided to go as a missionary to the heathen, choosing as his field, West Africa. On the 29th of May, 1848, he married Jane Sophia Woodruff of Marietta, and soon after sailed for the Gaboon Mission in Equatorial Africa. After nineteen years of service under the A. B. C. F. M., he returned to this country, broken in health. His health improving, he taught school for several years. He was tutor in Marietta Col- lege for three years. He was a man of great fortitude, bearing hard- ships and trials without a murmur, always a singularly upright, con- scientious man. After years of great feebleness, he died in Mariet- ta, February 7, 1901.

Seymour Pixley

was born July 14, 1801, in New York state. In October, 1830, he was County Assessor of Scioto County and John Peebles, G. S. B. Hempstead and James Lodwick were on his bond. On June 7, 1831, he was allowed $56.81 for his services as Assessor. September 16, 1831, he was a candidate for Sheriff in Scioto County, Ohio. In 1832, he was County Assessor. The total expense was $68.3712 of which his bill was $49.00. 6212 cents was for two quires of ruled paper and $18.75 for Ira Preston for 12 days as deputy. April 3, 184I, he was appointed Assessor of damages on the Portmouth and Columbus turnpike, by the County Commissioners.

September 30, 1827, he was married to Eliza Ann Smith, daugh- ter of Major John Smith. She was born February 15, 1807. Her mother was a sister of Doctor Lincoln Gooddale of Columbus, Ohio, and daughter of Major Nathan Gooddale, who was abducted by the Indians. Their children were: Hezekiah Squire Pixley, born July 8, 1828; Edwin Pixley, born June 10, 1830; Mary Ann Pixley, born November 17, 1832; Susan Gooddale Pixley, born February 20, 1835; Eliza Ann Pixley, born January 7, 1838; Eliza Ann Smith Pixley died January 14, 1838.

June 20, 1838, Seymour Pixley married Elizabeth Orme, wid- ow of Lloyd Orme. Her maiden name was Hayward and she was a daughter of Moses Hayward. Their children were: Charles Lloyd, born May 6, 1839; William Henry Harrison, born August 20, 1840; Milton Smith, born June 2, 1842; Martha Hannah, born February 5, 1850, married Joseph Merrill, January 20, 1874, and died Septem- ber 13, 1901. Elizabeth Orme died August 3 1857, and Seymour Pixley died October 16, 1860, on his farm on the Ohio river near Wheelersburg on which he had lived for many years.

Ezekiel Powers, Sr.,

was born October 11, 1793, in Harrison County, Virginia. His

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father was John Powers, a Revolutionary soldier, who married a daughter of William White, a native of Ireland. About 1802, he went with his father to Butler County, Ohio, where they lived for several years. The family returned to Virginia about 1810, on ac- count of ill health. When the war of 1812 with England commenc- ed, Ezekiel, with his father, joined the First Virginia Militia, in Har- rison County, Virginia and went to the war. He was afterwards granted a pension for his military services.

The records of the War Department at Washington show that John Powers, Sr., grandfather of our subject and father of John, Jr., served as a private in Capt. Thomas Meriwether's Company of Light Infantry, First Virginia regiment, Revolutionary war, from Septem- ber 14, 1777, to March 4, 1778, when he died.

His son John, Jr., also served in the Revolutionary war in Capt. William Hoffler's Company, First Virginia state regiment, from March 1, 1777 to April, 1780. He and his son, Ezekiel, Sr., our subject, afterward served in the war of 1812. The former was a member of Capt. John E. Brown's company, Ist (Clark's) regiment of Virginia militia, from February II, 1813, to June 25, 1813, when he was killed in action at Hampton, Va. The latter served in Capt. John McWhorter's company of infantry, Ist Virginia militia from September 16, 1812 to March 29, 1813.

Ezekiel and his father escaped from the British at the time of Hull's surrender, and traveled across the state of Ohio, most of the time in the night, to avoid hostile Indians. They sustained many hardships, living upon the inner bark of trees and ground nuts and found their way to the Ohio river at the mouth of Guyan river, West Virginia, where a camp of hunters in Virginia heard them and con- structed a raft on which they were taken across the river. When the raft was near the Virginia side, a band of Indians, who had been in pursuit, came yelling through the willows on the Ohio side and fired at them, but without effect. Their clothing was almost worn from their bodies from struggling through the dense brush at night. their moccasins entirely worn out, their feet bleeding, and they were almost starved. They were well cared for by the hunters who proved to be from near Clarksburg, their home, and with whom they re- turned. Young Powers had hunted about Guyan river before and had met the famous Davy Crockett and heard from him many inci- dents of his career as an Indian fighter. On his second removal to Ohio, he settled in Portsmouth, where he resided but a short time. He then removed to the mouth of the Little Scioto river, where he lived for several years.

In 1815, Ezekiel, Sr., was married to Jane Simpson, daughter of James Simpson and Jane Van Sickle, of Harrison County, Virginia, who wore themselves married on the day of the first battle of the Rev- olution, in Sussex, County, New Jersey.

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His first child, Sarah, was drowned at the age of two years, in 1818, by falling down the steep bank into the deep water. His son, James was born October 7, 1818. He married and lived at Lexing- ton, Indiana, many years, but now resides at Dehesa, California. His second son, John Simpson was born October 13, 1820, and went to California in 1848, and has lead the life of a miner and pros- pector ever since. He now resides in Dehesa, California. He join- ed the First California Regiment, United States Volunteers, war of 1861 and served until its close. A second daughter, Harriet, born March 13, 1823, was married to William Campbell, at Lexington, Indiana, and resided there. She died February 14, 1900. The third son, William Powers was born October 6, 1826, was Captain in the Mexican war of a company of Louisiana Rangers, and in the war of 1861 to 1865 was Captain in the Twenty-second Indiana Vol- unteers. He died May 30, 1901. Ezekiel Powers, the fourth son, was born October 9, 1828, on Bonser's Run. He died at Sciotoville, October 14, 1894. George Read Powers, the fifth son, was born July 27, 1832, near Sciotoville. He went to Indiana when a young man. He joined an Indiana Regiment in 1861, and served until 1865. He resided at Madison, Indiana. Jane Simpson Powers, the wife of our subject, died at Wheelersburg, June 28, 1838.

Ezekiel Powers, Sr., was a stone mason and worked upon the first bridge across Little Scioto river at Sciotoville. He also worked on the Ohio canal, near Chillicothe. He was a Democrat until the war of 1861, when he became a Republican. He was a devout member of the Methodist church and took great interest in the wel- fare of the church. He was postmaster in Wheelersburg from 1839 to 1843. He owned 160 acres of land near Sciotoville upon which he discovered fire clay, which in 1861, he brought to the notice of Mr. Thomas, a fire brick manufacturer of near Wheeling, West Virginia, who soon organized a company, procured the old Wilcox saw mill at the narrows at Sciotoville and converted it into the first fire brick works in Scioto County.

He married again in later life. He died in Wheelersburg, Jan- uary 15, 1876. He was a citizen respected and honored by all who knew him.

JohnWalter Purdum

was born April 15, 1815, in Cumberland County, Maryland. His parents were Zadock, and Matilda (White) Purdum, both of whom were born in Cumberland County, Maryland. His ancestors emi- grated from Wales to America in the time of Cromwell; his mother was of English ancestry. In 1817, his parents, in company with a colony of relatives and neighbors, came to Ohio and located in Ross County, near Chillicothe. His father located and cleared a farm in the Paint Creek Valley, where he spent his boyhood; but upon the

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A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 105

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