A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 13

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 13

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He went to the War of 1812 and was in Hull's surrender. He managed to escape when the surrender was made and showed such mil- itary ability that he was made a Captain in the regular army, and is said to have been made a Colonel, but he was out of it in 1814, and in that fall was elected to the Ohio senate, in which he served contin- uously until 1822. In 1820, he appears to have been a Presidential elector for Monroe, and in 1828, for Jackson. He was again in the Senate from 1824 until 1830, except in 1829. From 1832 to 1836, he was Governor of Ohio. In 1832, he was chairman of the Demo- cratic National Convention.

In 1824, he removed from Scioto to Pike County, where he re- sided until 1838, when he was appointed Governor of the Territory of Iowa by President Van Buren. In his youth he was a boisterous fel- low, fond of all kinds of mischief and deviltry, but when he reached Iowa he joined the church and favored religion and morality. He worked for temperance and against gambling and associated vices.

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

His influence is said to have made lowa a prohibition state. In 1841. President Tyler removed him, and he took up his residence on a farm near lowa City. He was a member of the Constitutional Con- vention, which met in lowa City in 1844, from Johnson County. He was made Chairman of the Committee on Executive Department, and a member of the Committee on Boundaries. He was the first gov- ernor of Iowa Territory. He was the first Brigadier General of Mil- itia in Scioto County. He delivered the oration at the farmers' cele- bration held July 8th, 1808, on Major Bonser's farm on Little Scioto. Ilis private secretary in lowa, Theodore Parvin wrote and published a sketch of his life in pamphlet form.

He died February 7th, 1853, and his grave is suitably marked in the cemetery at lowa City. While territorial Governor of Iowa no one who was a gambler or drinking man could receive an appointment from him. He stood for all that was good and true with all the ar- dour of his intense nature. He was a man, very much the same kind as General Jackson whom he admired and followed. He was a. shrewd politician or else he could not have remained in the Ohio Sen- ate eight years successively representing such counties as Pike, Gallia, Scioto and Jackson, and from 1824 to 1828, he represented Pike, Scio- to and Lawrence. He never failed to make the most of a political sit- uation, and he knew when to be silent, a faculty rare in political life. He was a true blue Democrat all the time and was never a trimmer or changing. When he once adopted a policy he would go through fire and water to carry it out. He resolved to stamp out intemper- ance and gambling in Iowa Territory and he did it. In that territory he became a Methodist exhorter and was always pleased to exercise his functions.

He died at the age of 72, but his work was done and well done. It will reward the student of history to study the story of his life in a much more extended form than can be given in this work.

General William Kendall

was of Revolutionary stock. His father, Jeremiah Kendall served in the Revolutionary War and the following is his record from the War Department : "Was a private in Captain William Washington's Com- pany, Third Virginia Regiment, commanded by Colonel Thomas Mar- shall. Ile enlisted February 23rd, 1776, to serve two years. He was transferred in August, 1777, to Captain S. B. Wallace's Company, same Regiment. He was wounded at Brandywine and was discharg- ed on January, 1778." His wife was Rhoda McIntire, and their home was in Fauquier County. Virginia. There on November 23rd, 1783, our subject was born. His father moved to a farm in Pennsylvania directly after the close of the war of the Revolution.

Jeremiah Kendall made a trip to New Orleans on a flat boat di- rectly after his arrival in Pennsylvania, and was accompanied by Sam- uel Lewis and Lewis Wetzel. They were attacked by Indians in ca-

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BIOGRAPHIES OF STATE SENATORS.

noes below Louisville, but they drove them off with a blunderbuss loaded with 36 rifle balls. He served with General Anthony Wayne in his campaign against the Indians in 1794 and was wounded sev- eral times in the battles and skirmishes. He was at the treaty of Greenville.

Our subject was his oldest son and settled on Paint Creek in Ross County, but visited the site of Portsmouth and was there with Henry Massie, before the town was laid out. He stopped with Cap- tain John Brown, the first inn keeper in Portsmouth and fell in love with his daughter Rachel and married her, May 29th, 1806. Robert Lucas, a Justice of the Peace, who had married another daughter of Captain John Brown, performed the ceremony. There were eight children of this marriage.

General Kendall kept a dry goods store in Portsmouth, the first of its kind. He at all times did surveying whenever called upon, and during almost the whole of his life in Scioto County, was deputy sur- veyor of that part of the Virginia Military District in Scioto County, Ohio. His books as Deputy Surveyor are still extant and are in the possession of Mrs. John W. Overturf. In 1809, he was appointed Associate Judge, but the place was too slow for him.

He declined the honor. In 1812 his public career began. He took a company of horse into the war. The muster roll of that com- pany is still preserved. The same fall he was elected to the Legisla- ture as the Representative of Scioto County and was re-elected in 1813. He was re-elected to the House in 1821, 1825 and 1837. He was elected to the Senate in 1822, 1828, 1834 and 1847. He was al- ways a Whig. He was Treasurer of Scioto County from 1815 to 1818, and again in 1841. He was the first Auditor of Scioto County, 1820 and 1821. He was one of the first nine city fathers in 1815, and drew the three years term. He was re-elected in 1818, and in 1821 and served until 1824. About his first official act as councilman was to con- tract for a public school house in 1815. In the same year he was on a committee to bring in a bill on executions. In 1816, he was allowed $9.00 for printing corporation bills. In the same year he brought in a bill in regard to keeping hogs. In 1819, he was on the commit- tee on streets. In 1820, he was appointed town surveyor. He served in this capacity until June Ist, 1838, and again in 1849, just prior to his death.

In township matters he was prominent and useful. He was Township Treasurer in 1812. In 1810, he was Overseer of the Poor. In 1845, he was a Justice of the Peace. In 1831, at the famous 4th of July celebration, he responded to a toast. In 1835, he took the con- tract to erect the present court house of Scioto County at $12,650.00. He began it September 18th, 1835, and finished it September 11th, 1837.

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

In 1825, he made a map of Scioto County. In the same year he assessed the entire County of Scioto in 57 days at $2.00 per day. He was public spirited in every way.

After the death of his wife, Rachel Brown, November 26th, 1820, he married Christina, eldest daughter of William Lawson, October 12th, 1821, and by her he had seven children, or fifteen in all. His second wife died August 2nd, 1840, and he married Mrs. Ruth Clay- pool of Chillicothe, for his third wife and she survived him.

Serving as long as he did in the Legislature he could not escape the fate of being a Major General of Militia by joint resolution of the Legislature and he was compelled to take this title.

Nothing went on, in or about Portsmouth, unless he had some- thing to do with it. He had a saw mill and grist mill on Brush Creek and built steamboats at its mouth. He was Postmaster in Ports- mouth from February, 1842, to September, 1845. He was a direc- tor of the Commercial Bank for several years. He was popular and was always available as a candidate for office. After being nomina- ted, he took care to be elected. He was a safe and sure man. He was large hearted and hospitable. He was active in his habits. His disposition was mild and he was always calm and deliberate. He nev- er sought to obtrude his views on any one, but was tolerant of the views of others and a good listener. He had uncommon equanimity. He was seldom disturbed in mind or conduct and possessed a sound judgment. He was tall and spare, nearly six feet high, complexion between light and dark, blue eyes, and active in his movements.

He took hold of many enterprises and was very popular. No more active or energetic citizen ever lived in Scioto County, and none was more intimately connected with public affairs. He did not profess any form of religion. He died August 2nd, 1849, of con- sumption, but held office and served the public up to the time of his death.

He was the father of fifteen children, and here are their names, the dates of their births and whom they married, if married :

Jefferson, b. May Ist, 1807 ; m. Elizabeth Fenton, December 9th, 1830; d. September 16th, 1862.

Rhoda, b. December 9th, 1808; m. Conrad Overturf, July 20th, 1826.

Stephen, h. February 27th, 1800; m. Rebecca Riggs, August 6th, 1839; d. January 13th, 1877.

Milton, b. June 16th, 1812; m. Ruth Lawson, the sister of his father's second wife, January 23rd, 1833; d. August 16th, 1882.

Thomas, b. July 16th, 1814; m. Ann Glover, November 16th, 1836; d. December 16th, 1889.

Eliza, b. September 16th, 1816; d. October, 1823.

William, b. January 2nd, 1819; m. August 26th, 1839.

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BIOGRAPHIES OF STATE SENATORS.

Rachel, b. September 21st, 1820; m. Conrad Overturf, August 23rd, 1838; d. October 30th, 1874.

The above were children of Rachel Brown.

The following were children of Christian Lawson.

John, b. January 5th, 1823.

Jeremiah, b. February 12th, 1825.

Susannah, b. June 6th, 1827; m. Samuel Baldridge.

Maria, b. November 23rd, 1829; m. James Salsbury, 1851 ; d. March IIth, 1880.

Joseph, b. October 20, 1832; died 1851.

Franklin, b. December 31st, 1834; m. Marietta Hall.

Lavinia, b. February 24th, 1837 ; m. Louis Dent Adair. .

Joseph died of yellow fever at Rio Janeiro, Brazil, while on his way to California.

By his first marriage he was the brother-in-law of General Robert Lucas, to whom he was unalterably opposed in politics. Kendall was a Whig and Lucas a Democrat. They often contested against each other for the Legislature. Some of the old families of Portsmouth have disappeared, but the Kendall family is still well represented in the third and fourth generation from General Kendall.

David Mitchell

was born April 4th, 1774, in the State of Pennsylvania. His father, David Mitchell, was born in 1733 and was a soldier in the Revolu- tionary war. He or his father came from the north of Ireland where his ancestors had high standing. His father's record in the Revolu- tionary War will be found under the title of Revolutionary Soldiers. He came to the Northwest Territory as early as 1797, and located in what is Nile Township, Scioto County, Ohio. In 1798, he was a Col- lector of Union Township, Adams County, Ohio, appointed by the County Commissioners, for Union Township, which extended on the river from Salt Creek in the present Adams County and ran up the river east to the mouth of Little Scioto and north about twenty miles, the same width. David Mitchell, Senior, was an important citizen as early as 1798. His wife Sarah Mitchell died September 19th, 1801. aged sixty-eight years. He died November Ist, 1805. Both are buried in the Mitchell cemetery on the Morrison farm in Nile Town- ship, Scioto County, Ohio. The following can be said of the chil- dren of David Mitchell, Senior. Sarah named for her mother, mar- ried a Mr. Tucker ; Mary, married a McBride. His son David mar- ried Mary Stockham. No others of the children of David Mitchell, Senior, can now be given. Judge David Mitchell, our subject, must have been married prior to coming to the Northwest Territory. His wife was Mary Stockham, said to be a sister of Colonel Aaron Stockham. It is said he went to the Salt Licks at Jackson, Ohio, and made considerable money there, but if he remained there anytime, it was after his father had located in what is now Nile Township in Scio-

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

to County, Ohio. From December 5th, 1814, to February 27th, 1816, he represented Scioto County in the House. In 1818 he was a Justice of the Peace in Nile Township. From December 6th, 1819, to February 26th, 1820, he represented Scioto and Lawrence in the House. From December 4th, 1820, until February 23rd, 1821, he represented Scioto, Pike and Lawrence in the House. On February 18th, 1820, he was appointed one of a commission to locate the County Seat of Meigs County. Elnathan Scofield of Fairfield County and John J. Martin of Pike County were his associates. After this he submitted to the usual fate allotted to prominent laymen retiring from the Legislature. In 1824, he was made an Associate Judge of Scioto County and served until 1831. In 1829, on July 18th, General William Kendall resigned from the Senate on account of private business. On August 15th, David Mitchell became a candidate for the Senate; Doctor G. S. B. Hempstead, also became a candidate. Each thought he was the best man for the place, and neither would give up for the other. Both were Whigs and depended on Whig support for election. The district was composed of Lawrence, Scioto, Pike and Jackson Counties, and had a Whig majority. Up to this time the contest for office had been free to all. There had been no party convention. If the Whigs had but one candidate, the Demo- crats could not hope to elect. There was a newspaper controversy ; there was pulling and hauling, but neither of the two Whigs would retire for the other, and General Robert Lucas stood for the Demo- crats. The following was the vote :

Scioto County

Lucas. 311

Mitchell.

Hempstead.

280

233

Lawrence "

191

211

Pike

323

108

153

Jackson

253

281

Totals.

1078

688

441

This was an object lesson the Whigs never forgot. After that the candidates were nominated by the Whig Central Committee, or a County Convention. Judge Mitchell had a large farm in Nile Town- ship, lately owned by Albert R. Morrison, his grandson, and resided there. In 1831, he had a great craze about silk culture, and published many articles in the newspapers but nothing ever came of it. His daughter Martha, born in 1813, married David Morrison, from whom comes the well known Morrison family of Nile Township. Judge Mitchell died November 19th, 1833, aged 59 years, 8 months and 15 days. He is buried on the hill overlooking his farm. Judge Joseph Moore and William Givens, also Associate Judges, are buried in the same spot. Judge Mitchell's widow survived until September 5th, 1852, when she died in her 73rd year. Judge Mitchell was what the late Homer C. Jones of McArthur, Ohio, would call a "knowledge- able man." He knew a great deal more than his neighbors, and thought he knew more than any of them. He was an investigator

JAMES TRIPP. [PAGE 88.]

JAMES M. TRIPP. [PAGE 89.]

MARTIN CRAIN. [PAGE 150.]

HOMER WILSON FARNHAM. [PAGE 306.]

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BIOGRAPHIES OF STATE SENATORS.

and student and when he once made up his mind on any subject, he could not be changed. He was a Federalist and Whig in his polit- ical views. He had no use for Democracy. He was one of the charter members of the Sandy Springs Presbyterian Church in Green Township, Adams County. On September 2nd, 1826, when that church was organized, he was made one of the three ruling elders. He was a man of strong will power and great force of character. The same traits have manifested themselves in his grandsons, a most excellent inheritance. He was one of the most influential men of his time. He liked to have things go his own way, and, where he could control, things did so. He was a good business man and was suc- cessful in whatever he undertook.

John Patterson

was born in Pendleton County, Virginia, November 23rd. 1793, and died in Wilkins, Union County, Ohio, February Ist, 1859. His par- ents were James Augustine Patterson, of English descent, and Ann Elizabeth Hull, of Dutch descent. The family lived on the South Branch of the Potomac river. Patterson Creek in Mineral and Hamp- shire Counties, West Virginia, is named for the Pattersons original settlers there. James A. Patterson removed from Alexandria, Vir- ginia, to land now in the heart of the city of Pittsburg. John Patter- son was but eight years of age when his father died, in 1801, and in 1804, he was apprenticed to Z. A. Tannehill for a per- iod of ten years to learn the trade of watchmaker and silversmith. His employer died in 1813, leaving his ap- prentice on his own resources. He enlisted in a Pittsburg infantry regiment, serving in General Adamson Tannehill's Brigade in what is historically known as the "War of 1812." He was made a corporal. In the autumn of 1817, he went down the Ohio river on a keelboat to Manchester, and thence overland to West Union. Here he opened a jewelry store, made and repaired watches and clocks and manufactured articles of silverware. He afterwards established a tannery, and then one of the first wool-carding and comb- ing factories erected in Southern Ohio. He was elected a Justice of the Peace for Tiffin Township, Adams County, on April 13th, 1820, and served for nine years. He was a tax collector for Adams Coun- ty for several years. In 1826, he was elected as Representative from Adams County to the twenty-fifth General Assembly; in 1828, to the twenty-seventh ; in 1829, to be joint representative with Hosea Moore in the twenty-eighth General Assembly. He was always an ardent Democrat. In 1833, and again in 1834, he was for the fifth and sixth times elected as representative in the Legislature. In 1836, he was elected as State Senator from Adams, Brown and Scioto Counties to the thirty-fifth General Assembly. He was a member of the Legis- lature longer than any one member with the single exception of Hon. Thomas Kirker. He was a firm friend of all public improvements,

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

and heartily supported the "National Road" and all the various ca- nal projects which were before the Legislature during his eight terms of service. In 1834 he was one of the three commissioners appointed by Governor Lucas to settle the boundary between Ohio and Michigan. On March 2Ist, 1838, he was appointed United States Marshal for the state of Ohio, to succeed John Patterson, of Belmont County, who, though he bore the same name, was not a relative. He served until July roth, 1841. He took the census of 1840 and 1841. He return- ed to Adams County, living at York Township, Union County, where he lived the remainder of his life. He was married three times. His first wife was Mary Brown Finley, daughter of Major Joseph Lewis Finley. His second wife was Celia Prather, daughter of Ma- jor John Prather of West Union. His daughter, Matilda Ann, of his first marriage, married Mr. John Smith and is the mother of Mrs. C. J. Moulton, of Lucasville. His third wife was Mary Catherine McCrea, a relative of Jane McCrea, whose tragic massacre by the In- dians near Saratoga, N. Y., is narrated in the annals of the Revolu- tion.

John Glover

was the oldest son of Elijah Glover, Sr., and Catharine James his wife. He was born in Portsmouth, Ohio, about 1806, and was the third child born in the town. As he grew up he learned the hatter's trade of his father, and followed it to some extent, but became a deal- er in furs and followed that business extensively. He early developed a liking for trade and merchandising. He had four brothers, Sam- tel G., Elijah B., Nathan and Azel. In 1831, he owned a lot on Sixth street near the site of the present Court House and was asked to donate it for Court House purposes. In the same year he and Jacob P. Noel were conducting a general store in Portsmouth and in the French Grant. In 1831 he and , Jacob Noel undertook to build the upper rolling mill. They completed it in 1833 and carried on a foundry in connection with it. It did not prove a successful venture to them and they sold it out in 1837 to Thomas Gaylord. In 1836 he married Miss Eliza Nourse of the French Grant and she survived him with four children, three daughters and one son. His four brothers were all Whigs, but he became a Democrat. In 1836 he was elected to the Legislature as a Democrat to represent Adams, Brown and Scioto Counties with James London of Brown. The vote in Scioto County stood Glover 488, James London of Brown, 599, Whig, Gen- eral William Kendall 981, James Pilson of Brown 924. Adams and Brown overcame the Whig vote of Scioto. In 1837, he was defeated for re-election in the same district by General William Kendall. 1837 was a year of disaster to the Democracy. General Kendall had 897 votes ard Nelson Barrere 845 votes in Scioto County as the Whig candidates and General James London 427 and Doctor John Glover

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BIOGRAPHIES OF STATE SENATORS.

408 votes as the Democratic candidates for the Legislature. From 1839 to 1841, he represented the same counties in the Senate. In 1855 he went to Bennett, Nebraska, with his family. In his old age he lost his eyesight. His children were Mrs. Cora Lytle, Mrs. Anna B. Stout and Ella B. Glover all of Nebraska. His daughter, Mrs. Kate McIlvann, resides at West Liberty, Ohio. He died June 10th, 1885. Mrs. Stout died June 19th, 1887.

He studied medicine in Portsmouth, Ohio, and thereby obtained the title of Doctor, but he never practised either in Scioto County or in the state of Nebraska. He said medicine was a humbug and its practice was guess work. He was a man of fine appearance, tall and slender, over six feet tall, with blue eyes and dark curly hair. As a young man he was quite a beau, and when in the full dress of his time, with cambric ruffles, edged with thread lace on his sleeves and ruffled shirt and all other parts of his dress in the highest style, he was the beau of the town. For awhile he lived the life of a farmer in the French Grant but it palled on him and he returned to town life.

Simeon Nash 4

was born at South Hadley, Massachusetts, September 21st, 1804. In 1825, he entered Amherst College and was graudated in 1829. He studied law two years and, in 1831. located in Gallipolis, Ohio, at the instance of the Hon. Samuel F. Vinton, then the only lawyer resid- ing in Gallipolis. Mr. Nash completed his law studies under the Hon. Samuel F. Vinton, and was admitted to the bar in 1833. He lived in Gallipolis all his life. He was a great collector of the books appertaining to his profession. He was two years in the State Senate, from 1841 to 1843, and represented Gallia, Lawrence and Scioto Counties, as a Whig. After the demise of the Whig party, he became a Republican. He was a member of the Constitutional Con- vention of 1851, and occupied the Common Pleas bench ten years, February 9th. 1852 to February 9th, 1862. He prepared and pub- lished Nash's Pleadings in two volumes directly after the adoption of the Civil Code. It is large a criticism on the Civil Code of Ohio. He also prepared a Digest of the Ohio Reports. He published a work on "Morality and the State," and another entitled "Crime and the Family". He was a fine French scholar. He was never a mem- ber of any church or secret society. He died January 20th, 1879.

Moses Gregory.

Moses Gregory was one of the most active citizens who ever resided in Portsmouth. He was before the public as often and held as many, if not more, offices than any other Portsmouth citizen, ex- cept John R. Turner.

He came in almost with the century. He was born March 24th, 1801, near Chillicothe, Ohio, and never knew the care of a father, for the latter. David Gregory died when he was an infant, and his mother

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

Elizabeth Hays, married Henry Sheeley. He, his mother and step- father, came to Portsmouth from Chillicothe, Ohio, on a keel boat in 1805, when there was nothing but log houses in the town.

His stepfather was a tailor by trade and the first of the craft who located in the place. All Moses Gregory's youthful ideas were acquir- ed in Portsmouth. As soon as he was of a suitable age, he was ap- prenticed to Aaron Kinney, to learn the tanner's trade. However he did not like the confinement and surroundings, and became a keel- boat man and boated salt from the Kanawha Salt Works down the Ohio river.

After some experience in this line he ventured and took cargoes to New Orleans. In 1823, he was back in Portsmouth and carried on the butcher business. He had two stalls in the Portsmouth Market House. In 1825, he became Deputy Sheriff under William Carey. In 1826, William Carey died three days before the October election and Gregory became a candidate for the place. He distributed his tickets over the country and was elected, receiving 689 votes to 2344 given to Washington Clingman. In 1828, he was re-elected without opposition, receiving 887 votes.

The records of the election of 1830, have been destroyed, but he was then elected Auditor of Scioto County, and re-elected every two years thereafter until 1840, when he retired from the office. While this period was the beginning of the county he was undoubtedly the most efficient Auditor the County ever had, as an inspection of his records with the records of those who preceeded and followed him is convincing proof. That the people of his time thought likewise is shown by the fact that he held the office longer than any one ever held it, before or since.

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A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 13

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