A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 14

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 14

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In December, 1841, he took his seat in the Legislature as the representative of Gallia, Lawrence and Scioto Counties. He attended the special session July 25th to August 12th, 1842, and was one of the thirty Whig members who left on the latter date, and thereby prevent- ed the passage of the congressional districting bill. In the fall of 1834, he was elected to the Senate, from the district composed of the same counties he had represented in the House, and served one term of two years. At the second session the Senate refused the repeal of the Black Laws, but Mr. Gregory did not concur.

In 1846, he was made a member of the First Board of Infirmary Directors of Scioto County, and served two years. In 1849, he be- came a "forty-niner", and went to California for gold. He returned in a year, but had not made a fortune. In 1851, he took the contract to build several sections of the Scioto and Hocking Valley Railroad, but owing to slow and partial payments by the company was very nearly overtaken by financial disaster. After this venture he retired to his farm on Turkey Creek, and resided there for several years. But he soon tired of rustic life and returned to Portsmouth. But we

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have not told near all the offices held by Mr. Gregory. For several years he was a school trustee and visitor in Portsmouth, and a most efficient one. He was an active and consistent member of the Bigelow Methodist Episcopal Church, and was one of its Trustees as early as 1834. He was for several years a member of the town council of Portsmouth, and one of the Committee on Claims. That meant that he conducted the affairs of the town, and he seemed to have done it with general satisfaction. He was Recorder of the Town from April. 1845 to April, 1846, and again form April, 1847 to April, 1848.

In 1843, he was elected fence viewer of Wayne Township. This was quite a compliment as at that time it was customary to elect the most prominent citizen to that office to remind him that no American Citizen was too high or proud to accept the humblest office.

In 1834, he was President of the Town Council. In 1829, while Sheriff, he was also the County Assessor.

From 1864 to 1870, he was Justice of the Peace of Wayne Town- ship. He retired at the end of the second term on account of failing health, and died of consumption December 15th, 1871.

In Mr. Gregory's case, while he enjoyed the responsibilities of public office, he could not be said to have been an office seeker. He preformed the duties of every office he held on his conscience. He was faithful to every trust. He was as fond of political management as a cat is of cream, and injoyed the manipulations of politics. He was a zealous and ardent Whig and never flagged in his devotion to his party.

He managed to leave the Legislature without being made an As- sociate Judge or a Major General of Militia, the usual fate of retiring Legislators under the Constitution of 1802, and so was plain Moses Gregory all his life; but no man was more useful than he in the many offices he held. As a member of the community, he was aways in favor of progress and improvement. He was a member of the Com- mon Council at a time when all the aristocracy and chivalry of Ports- mouth either held Coffee House Licenses or were in favor of them, yet he and Benjamin Fryer invariably voted against each and every Coffee House License. He did this from high temperance principles, and lived to see the practice of issuing these licenses abolished and condemned.

His first wife was a daughter of Major John Bell, and by her he was the father of Hon. John B. Gregory of Fontana, Ky.

Moses Gregory was a remarkable example of the model Ameri- can citizen ; always ready to serve the State in any way, and doing it to the satisfaction of his constituency.

Mr. Gregory was a member of the Aurora Mosonic Lodge, and one of the charter members of Cavalry Commandery Knights-Temp- lar. Among the Masons he is esteemed as one of their Saints, with Drs. Hempstead, Offnere and Burr.

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

Joseph J. Combs

was born in Clermont County, Ohio, in 1805. He went to Gallia County in 1826. He began to publish the Weekly Journal in 1831, and in 1834, took in Alexander Vance as a partner. He was Clerk of the House of Representatives in 1830 and 1831. In 1833, he be- gan the practice of law. In the Forty-second General Assembly, Dec- ember, 4th, 1843 to March 13th, 1844, he represented Gallia, Lawrence and Scioto Counties in the House. In the Forty-fourth General As- sebly, December Ist, 1845, to March 2nd, 1846, he represented the same Counties in the Senate. In the Forty-fifth General Assembly, December 7th, 1846 to February 8th, 1847, he represented the same three Counties and Jackson in the Senate. He was a Whig in politics. He made quite a reputation as a lawyer in Gallia County. He married a Miss Lesby at Gallipolis in 1846. In 1849, he went to Washington and became a clerk in the Interior Department and was Chief Clerk' under Secretary Thomas Ewing. In Mr. Lincoln's administration, he became a Patent Examiner. Hon. S. F. Vinton secured him the ap- pointment of Chief Clerk of the Interior Department under General Taylor's administration, aided by General Thomas Ewing. He died AApril 29th, 1886, in Washington, D. C., of paralysis. He was one of the best and most successful political managers ever known. His plain practical sense and honesty captivated the people. Hon. Sam- uel F. Vinton had the utmost confidence in his political management.

William Salter

was born August Ist, 1786, in Fayette County, Penn. So many stories are told about him, that it is difficult to determine the truth. As a young man, he came to the salt works of Jackson County as agent of a company at Uniontown, Pa., which sold salt kettles. He remained long enough to see that there was money in making salt and engaged in it. He was a regular devil, as a young fellow. He always carried a deck of cards and a bottle of whiskey with him and was very fond of playing cards for money. He was usually a winner. He was such a constant winner that the men with whom he played suspected unfairness and it became dangerous for him to remain there. After many personal encounters and hairbreadth escapes, the place be- came too warm for him, and he went back to Pennsylvania. There he ventured into politics and was elected Sheriff of Fayette County. at a time when the office was paid in fees, and when fees were plenty. In 1829, while he was Sheriff, he escorted Gen. Jackson through the County. The General was traveling in his own carriage on the way to Washington to take the presidental chair. Sheriff Salter had an escort of militia along. Each County through which the President- elect passed, showed him the same courtesy. In 1831, after retiring from the Sheriff's Office in Fayette County, he came to Portsmouth. He invested some of his money in Scioto Furnace. He was a long

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time manager there and was very successful. He was County Com- missioner from 1838 to 1841, while a resident of Scioto Furnace. He removed to Portsmouth in 1847 and built a house where the Bigelow Church now stands. It was burned down before he occupied it. He then owned and occupied the Eustace Ball residence. After that, he bought the High School property and built there. In December, 1813, he married Miss Francis Mason. They never had any child- ren. She died May 27th, 1872. He became a member of the Meth- odist Church in 1839, and continued such during his life. He was always a Whig.

On January 2nd, 1844, he was elected an Associate Judge of the County and served until 1851. From December, 1849, to March, 1850, he was in the State Senate, representing Adams, Pike, Lawrence and Scioto Counties. In 1842, he was one of the Commissioners of the Surplus Fund of the County, and in 1849, he was a Commissioner of Free Turnpikes. He died October 6th, 1876, aged 90 years, 2 months and 5 days. At the time of his death he had $60,000.00 on deposit in one of the City Banks.

He made a great deal of money in the period of his activity. He was successful in all of his undertakings, and kept his own counsel. While a man of great decision of character, he was a pleasant and agreeable neighbor. His talent was for accumulation of wealth, and he exercised it well.

Thomas McCauslen

was of Scotch-Irish descent. He was a native of Jefferson County, Ohio, born March 16th, 1891, the eldest son of Hon. William Mc- Causlen, a Congressman of Ohio. He attended the district schools of his home and Scott's Academy at Steubenville. In the academy he was a good student, and from there he went to studying law in the office of Hon. Edwin M. Stanton, afterwards the great war Secretary. In 1844, he was admitted to the bar by the Supreme Court of Warren County, and located at West Union the same year. He was liked by the young people, and was popular with all classes. As a lawyer, he was diligent and attentive to business and a fluent advocate. He filled the office of Prosecuting Attorney of Adams County, for three terms, from 1845 to 1851, and did it with great credit to himself. In 1853, he was elected to the Ohio Senate from the Seventh District, compos- ed of Adams, Scioto, Pike and Jackson Counties, and served one term. He participated in the election of the Hon. George E. Pugh to the Senate. During his term, the Supreme Court of Cincinnati, was created, and the Judges' salaries were fixed at $1,500, and the circu- lation of foreign bank bills of less than $10.00 was forbidden in the State. This Legislature must have had a sweet tooth, for, by joint resolution, it asked Congress to repeal the duty on sugar and molasses. It also favored the construction of a Pacific Railway. He declined

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

to be a candidate for a second term. In 1856, he was one of the at- torneys who defended William Milligan, indicted for murder, in the first degree. Milligan was undoubtedly guilty as charged, but the jury brought in a verdict of murder in the second degree, and he spent the rest of his life in the penitentiary. In 1857, Mr. McCauslen remov- ed to Portsmouth, where he resided and practiced law until 1865, when he removed to his native county, and located at Steubenville. He continued in the active practice of his profession in Steubenville until 1883, when he retired. He, however, left his business to his eldest son, William, born in West Union, and who has succeeded him. He was married in West Union on February 19th, 1851, to Mary Jane Sparks, daughter of John Sparks, the banker of West Union, and neice of David Sinton, of Cincinnati, Ohio. At his present home, within one-half mile of Steubenville, he spent thirteen years of dig- nified and honorable retirement in the enjoyment of the society of his family and his friends. He had four sons and four daughters, all of whom grew to maturity. He died February 10th, 1896. As a young man, Mr. McCauslen was jolly, good natured, and fond of outdoor sports. In politics, he was a staunch Democrat, but with no particular taste for party work. In religion he was a Presbyterian. As a lawyer he was active and energetic and a fine speaker before a jury. He enjoyed a legal contest, and would throw his whole soul into it. He was an honorable gentleman, an excellent conversation- alist, and a delightful companion. His manners were uniformly cor- dial, and it was always a pleasure to meet and converse with him. While he grew old in years, he preserved the perennial spirit of youth.

"In his years were seen

A youthful vigor and an autumnal green."

George Corwine

was born near Sharonville, now Omega, Pike County, March 18th, 1817. His parents were Samuel Corwine and Mary Wilson. He was raised a farmer, and he had a common school education. He at- tended school at Dennison University, at Granville, Licking County, Ohio. He was Clerk of the Common Pleas Court of Pike County. Ohio, from 1843 to 1854. He was a member of the 53rd General Assembly from Pike, representing the Seventh Senatorial District In 1858, and 1859, he was elected as a Democrat. He was treasurer of Pike County, Ohio, from 1860 to 1864. He was married in 1844 to Lydia McCollister, daughter of Charles McCollister, an associate Judge of the Common Pleas Court of Pike County. He removed to Missouri in 1871, where he resided on a farm until his death in 1898. His wife and seven children survive him. All his children reside at Carthage and Joplin, Missouri.

William Newman

was born at Salem, Roanoke County, Virginia, on the 19th of Jan-

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uary, 1807, the son of William and Catherine Ott Newman, who had removed from Virginia to Pennsylvania.His boyhood years were spent at Harrisonburg. Virginia. He came to Ohio in 1827, and cast his first vote at Newark, Ohio, for Andrew Jackson for President, He returned to Virginia, and on the 20th day of February, 1834, was married to Catherine Ott Williams of Woodstock, Shenandoah Coun- ty. They resided at Staunton until 1838, where Ann M. (now Mrs. Joseph G. Reed), and George O., were born. In March of the latter year, they came to Portsmouth, where they resided ever after with the exception of a brief period of residence in Highland County in 1841. Five children were born to them in Ohio-Wm. H., James W., J. Rigdon, Charles H., and Hervey M., who died in infancy. The others still live, except Rev. Charles H. Newman, who was an ordained minis- ter of the Episcopal Church. He was sent as a missionary to Japan in 1873. For years his health was impaired; he retired from the min- istry and died in St. Augustine, Florida. May 30th, 1887, where he had gone with his wife to try the effect of its mild climate

William Newman was, by occupation a contractor and builder. Many of the larger and finer buildings erected in Portsmouth from 1840 to 1847, were his work, including churches and school-houses. Among these are the First Presbyterian Church, All Saints, the two Catholic Churches, the Massie Block, the George Davis residence and many others.

Mr. Newman served as a member of the Board of Education of Portsmouth several terms and for a number of years, he was an active member of the city council. In 1847, he was a Democratic candidate for the State Legislature from the Lawrence-Scioto district, these two counties then constituting one legislative district. In 1859, he was elected to the Ohio State Senate from the Seventh Senatorial District, composed of Adams, Scioto, Pike and Jackson Counties. He served in the same Senate with Garfield, who afterward became illustrious in the Nation's annals, and although different radically in politics, a warm personal friendship sprang up between those two men, as a correspondence several years after testified. He died in Portsmouth on the twenty-third day of July, 1847, aged 67 years.

William Newman was a man of strong character and earnest con- victions. To any cause that he espoused, he stood true to the end. He believed in the principles of Jefferson, Madison and George Ma- son, of his native state. He was a Virginian in all that the word im- plies, and the doctrines taught by its early statesmen and leaders were planted deep in his heart. He was noted for his honesty. Integrity was the very corner stone of his character. As his old friend, the well known editor, Walter C. Hood, once wrote. "William Newman is an honest man, a strong stocky man of the people. He would rather stand up, assured with conscious pride alone, than err with millions on his side."

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

General Benjamine F. Coates

was born June 23rd, 1827, near Wilmington, in Clinton County, Ohio. His father was Aquila Coates, born in 1799, in Chester County, Penn- sylvania. His mother was Rachel Pidgeon, born in 1801, near Lynchburg, Va. His maternal grandfather, Isaac Pidgeon, was the owner of 1,600 acres of land, about five miles north of Winchester, Frederick County, Virginia, which he divided among his children. General Coates' father and mother, and his grandfather Pidgeon were Friends, and were married according to the formula of that faith at Hopewell Meeting House, near Winchester, Virginia. They came to Ohio in 1823. They had eight children, six sons and two daughters. General Coates was reared on his father's farm, and attended the common school in Clinton County. He also attended an Academy at Wilmington, conducted by Oliver W. Nixon. He studied medi- cine with Dr. Aquila Jones at Wilmington, and took his first course of lectures at the Ohio Medical College, of Cincinnati. His second medical course was taken at Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He began the practice of medicine at Mowrytown, in Highland County, in 1815, and remained there two and one half years. He located in West Union, Ohio, in 1853. In 1857, he was married to Elizabeth J. Patterson, a daughter of John Patterson, a former resident of Adams County, and a prominent politician. In Adams County, General Coates was a Democrat, and as such was elected to the Ohio Senate in 1861, to represent the present Seventh Senatorial District. George A. Waller, of Portsmouth, was his op- ponent, and Coates' majority was twenty-three. In the Legislature he found himself at variance with his party, and acted with the Republi- cans on all questions relating to the Civil War. On August 10th. 1862, he entered the Volunteer Army as Lieutenant Colonel of the 9Ist Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. From Jan. 6th, until April 24th, 1863, he was granted a leave of absence to attend the ad- journed session of the fifty-fifth General Assembly. He was wound- ed August 24th, 1864, at the battle of Halltown, Virginia. He was promoted to the Colonelcy of his regiment December 9th, 1864, and was brevetted Brigadier-General March 13th, 1865. He was mus- tered out of service June 24th, 1865. He made an excellent offi- cer, and was highly esteemed for his ability and bravery by his su- perior officers. He located in Portsmouth, Ohio, July Ist, 1865, as a physician. On July Ist, 1866, he was appointed Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue, under Col. John Campbell, of Ironton, Ohio, and on October Ist, 1866, was appointed Collector in the eleventh district of Ohio, in place of John Campbell, and held the office until July Ist, 1881, when he resigned. He was a trustee in the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphans' Home from 1868 until 1871. He was Receiver of the Cincinnati & Eastern Railway Company from September Ist, 1885, to February Ist, 1887, and as special Master Commissioner, sold

JAMES EMMITT. [PAGE 117.]

BENJAMIN F. COATES. [PAGE 116.]

ELIJAH B. GLOVER. [PAGE 153.]

DR. A. L. NORTON. [PAGE 1089.]

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the road to the Ohio and Northwestern Company. He has served on the Portsmouth City Board of Equlization one or more terms. In 1897 he was appointed a member of the City Board of Elections for a term of four years.

Since 1862, General Coates has been a Republican. He left the Democratic party, on account of war questions. During the time he held the Collector's office, he was the leader of his party in the county and congressional district. He had a wonderful insight of human na- ture, and could tell before hand how the public would form opinions of men and measures. He had great executive ability and always had the courage of his opinions. He was a pleasant and agreeable com- panion, and had hosts of friends. He had been unwell some two weeks prior to his death. On Saturday evening, May 6th, 1899, he went to the Republican primary meeting in his precinct and voted. On returning he lay down for a few moments, and then arose and undertook to walk to his chair. He sank between the bed and the chair, where he breathed once or twice, and then died of heart fail- ure. He left a widow and three children ; his son, Joseph, and daugh- ters Lillian and Sarah. The latter is engaged in Boston, Mass., as a teacher. General Coates made quite a reputation as an officer, and his memory will always be cherished by the survivors of his regiment and by all who knew him.

James Emmitt.

His grandfather came from Ireland where he had been a merchant. He and his wife emigrated to this country during the Revolutionary War from Dublin. He settled in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania near Kittaning. His grandfather became a miller and a merchant. His father George Emmitt was born in 1804, and when nineteen years old married Addie Stanford, the daughter of a neighboring farmer. James Emmitt our subject was the first child, born November 6th. 1806. In '1816, five families started from the Emmitt settlement to the Ohio Valley. Abram Stanford and wife were among the party, Mr. Emmitt's grandparents. Emmitt, then fourteen years of age. came down the Ohio on a raft with the party. The party stopped at Steubenville, while the elder Stanford went on and bought 160 acres of land near Waverly. In the fall the party left Steubenville and went down the river. They encountered a myriad of squirrels on the way down. The party landed at Portsmouth. From there they went to their land by wagons. A road was made for them in advance of the wagons by cutting trees and filling ruts, etc. They traveled four miles the first day and lodged with Colonel Jacob Noel, all of whose family had the ague. Piketon had only been laid out in 1815, and Abram Stanford met them there and took them to two log cab- ins, two miles north of Waverly. Panther, deer and wild turkeys were abundant and their nearest neighbors were two miles away. Emmitt became a good shot with the rifle. In 1819, he worked out

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at $6.00 per month and board. He wore moccasins in the winter and went barefoot in the summer. His clothing was made of buck- skin. In 1820, he spent five weeks in learning the blacksmith's trade and the knowledge thus acquired stood him well the remainder of his life. In 1824, he was employed as a wood chopper at $4.00 per month. In 1825, he became a teamster for Hugh Cook at $6.00 per month between Portsmouth and Chillicothe. He kept at this till Aug- ust 1828. Freight by wagon was 50 cents per hundred and a full load from Portsmouth to Chillicothe made Hugh Cook $15.00. A round trip between Portsmouth and Chillicothe was made in one week. In 1828 he had the ague so bad he quit Cook's employ. He saved $10.00 in the three years he worked for Cook, became a capitalist and went into partnership with Henry Jeffords in the dry goods bus- iness at Waverly. The store was burned out in January 1849. Jef- fords was a mail carrier at that time. The beginning of the part- nership with Henry Jeffords was the foundation of Mr. Emmitt's fortune. Among other things he bought shoes of Murtaugh Kehoe which had been made by hand, in Portsmouth. Emmitt bought goods on time of Josiah Lawrence in Cincinnati. They were sent to Ports- mouth by boat and wagoned to Emmitt's store. June IIth, 1829, he was married to Miss Louise Martin, daughter of Joseph J. Martin, Clerk of the Courts of Pike County from 1815 to 1822. Mr. Em- mitt's house built in what is now Waverly in 1829, was the first house there. His first cooking was done on a fire outside of the house. In 1831, he was made the first Postmaster at Waverly. He kept a hotel in 1831 and 1832 and took the first canal boat to Ports- mouth. In 1832, the first stages were run between Portsmouth and Columbus and Emmitt had the contract to board the drivers. Neil, Moore & Company owned the line. Mr. Emmitt called his hotel, "The Coach and Four." It was on the site of "the Grand" in Wav- erly. The first freight shipped by canal from Chillicothe was a barrel of whiskey for Portsmouth. Who got it? Mr. Emmitt went to New Orleans with a fleet of flat boats in November, 1833. In 1837, when everyone was breaking up, Emmitt made $10,000 profits in selling corn from the valley in Cleveland. In 1845, he and Chris- tian Schultz started a distillery at Waverly. He very nearly ruined himself in this venture, not understanding the business. He had to pay his partner $20,000 or fail. He borrowed the money of James Davis and saved himself, though at this time he owed $80,000. The firm became Emmitt & Davis and made money. It cleared $100,000 in five years and he bought out his partner for $100,000. Mr. Em- mitt first traveled on a railroad in 1843 from Cumberland, Maryland, to Baltimore. Robert Montgomery and William Hall of Portsmouth accompanied him. In 1856, Mr. Emmitt purchased the distillery just below Chillicothe and while operating it, contributed $20,000 towards building the Marietta and Cincinnati Railroad. In 1861, he secured

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the removal of the County Seat from Piketon to Waverly. In the same year his Chillicothe distillery burned with a loss of $80,000. He rebuilt the distillery in sixty days. Before the war tax, whiskey sold at 15 cents per gallon. When the tax was to be put on the dis- tillers got a stay for 60 days. Emmitt's share of the lobbying to se- cure this was $10,000. Emmitt's distillery ran night and day, dur- ing the 60 days grace and had a great stock of liquors on hand when the tax went on. In 1858 and 1859 was the great County Seat contest. He determined the County Seat should be moved to Wav- erly. He offered to build the Court House and jail and a road to Waverly and donate them all to the County. His petition to the Legislature outnumbered the remonstrants. Alex Sands lobbied for the bill. William Newman then in the Senate from Scioto Coun- ty, favored the bill as did Cockerill from Adams. Will H. Reed,

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A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 14

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