A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 147

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 147

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He left quite a large family. His oldest son, William Kepner was born Dec. 14, 1870, and had grown up to be one of the finest young men in the county. He was taking care of his father's farm, and was conducting it in the very best, manner. He was an active, energetic, enterprising, young man, respected and admired by all who knew him. On July 8, 1894, he was accidentally shot in the head by a farm hand with a Flobert rifle and died within twenty-four hours. At the time of his death he was engaged to Miss Alwena Caden. Our subject had one other son, his youngest, Roy, who died Jan. 28, 1897, aged ten months and fifteen days. His other children were daughters as follows: Martha Bell, widow of Dr. Charles Adams of Vanceburg, Kentucky; Susan Beard, wife of Mor- ris Coe, residing in Nile township; Blanche, wife of Dr. Joseph C. Williamson of Sciotoville; Fannie, Annie and Bessie, residing at home with their mother.

James H. Morrison,

the third son of David and Martha Mitchell Morrison, was born at Covington, Kentucky, June 18, 1851. When he was six years old the family returned to the old Mitchell home in Nile township, Scioto county, Ohio. He attended school at Elm Tree school house and obtained his education there. He was a traveling salesman, and began as such in 1880 for J. L. Hibbs & Company, of Portsmouth. He traveled for them two years, then with McFarland, Sanford & Company, of Portsmouth, Ohio; for Vorheis, Miller & Rupel, of Cincinnati, Ohio; for Jacob & Sachs, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and for Sanford, Storrs & Varner.

JAMES H. MORRISON.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

James Morrison was a republican, but took no active part in political af- fairs. On November 3, 1874, he was married to Miss Ara B. McCall, daughter of Henry McCall, of Nile township, Scioto county, Ohio. There are two children living: Louise, aged sixteen and James Hines, aged twelve. His son, Henry McCall, volunteered iu the Spanish War in April, 1898, in Company H, Fourth O. V. I. The regiment was sent to Porto Rico and when about to return, he was taken sick and died on board the Hospital ship Missouri October 26, 1898, and was buried at sea. He was but nineteen years old at the time of his death. Our subject was attacked by Bright's disease in September, 1899. He suf- fered with it for two years and died September 23, 1901. He enjoyed the fullest confidence of all his employers. He was one of the best salesmen who ever fol- lowed that vocation. He was a good father and a good neighbor and his death was a great shock to all his friends and a great loss to all connected with him.

Andrew Jackson Morrow

was born in Brown county, Ohio, five miles north of Georgetown, December 25, 1853. His father was John W. Morrow, and his mother was Marilla Staten, daughter of George W. Staten, the mother of sixteen children, of whom our sub- ject is the eldest. She is living yet in Brown county. His grandfather William Morrow came from Ireland. His paternal grandmother was a native of this state. His father was a farmer and died in 1901. Andrew was educated in the Georgetown schools up till he was twenty-one years of age. He was married July 18, 1813 to Elizabeth Ellis, daughter of Duncan Ellis. There were three children of this marriage, Carrie, the only one living. She was married to a Mr. Gould, near Feesburg, Brown county, Ohio. His first wife died on June 2, 1889 and he was married again to Miss Mary Ellen Wilson, in Scioto county. Since 1891 he has been in the livery and cattle business at Georgetown, Ohio, also at Otway and Rarden. He moved to Portsmouth, February, 1901, and went into the livery business at 531, Gallia street. He was in business there for one year and then went into partnership with Thomas Haley under the firm name of Morrow & Haley. In his political views, he is a democrat. He is a member of the Methodist church, of the Red Men and Odd Fellows.

Edward Mulligan

was born at Blessington, county Wicklow, Ireland, January 21, 1834. His father, Edward Mulligan, was educated for the priesthood and was a student at Maynooth College. He was a very intelligent man and gave his son a taste for reading and good literature. Our subject was the third of six children, one son and five daughters. He received his education in Ireland. In 1847, he came to the United States and landed at New Orleans. He went to Cincinnati and his father went into a stove factory there. In 1852 he and his father came to Portsmouth and secured employment in R. Bell's shoe factory and worked with him as long as he run the factory. He was then in business with Ed Kenrick for a short time. He worked in the shoe factory Henry Padan started and from there went to work for Drew, Selby & Company and worked there until 1892 when he stopped all work on account of bad health.

He was married August 27, 1867 to Miss Mary Ann Bannon. He and his wife made a trip to Ireland in May, 1894. The people at his old home in Ireland were amazed at the memory he had of the events of his childhood. He was a communicant of the Roman Catholic church from boyhood. He and Mr. Stan- ton purchased the cemetery for the Holy Redeemer church. He cast his first vote for Abraham Lincoln, but afterwards was a democrat. He died December 31, 1895. He was a very witty man and a great reader of politics and history. He was a good and true friend, wherever he made one. He was intensely pious and greatly devoted to his church. To know him was to like him. He was very tender hearted and his sympathies were easily roused and interested. He was single-handed and simple-minded. Such a matter as overreaching a neighbor would never occur to him. He was plain and straightforward with every one. To him all things were pure and good and evil never had any place in his mind. His life was an example of what a Christian's should be.

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

Leonidas H. Murphy

was born in Green township, Adams county, October 16, 1847, son of David Whit- taker Murphy and his wife, Cynthia McCall. In 1849, his father moved to Buena Vista, in Scioto county. He attended the district school until he was fifteen years of age, and had the advantage of the township library. kept at his father's home, and he read all its books. In 1851, he took his first lesson in merchan- dising in the store of Major W. C. Henry. In 1862, he worked on a farm for six months. In 1863, he was employed as a foreman by Caden Brothers for six months. On September 16, 1863, he came to Portsmouth and entered the house of C. P. Tracy & Company, wholesale shoe-merchants, and for thirty-six years, from that time to December 1, 1901 was connected with it. From 1868, he was a partner in the same house until December 1, 1901, when he retired and formed the Murphy Shoe Company with a capital of $60,000, of which he is the presi- dent, Arthur Murphy, his son, vice president and John M. Wendelken, secretary and treasurer.

Mr. Murphy has always been a republican in his political views but has steadily declined to be a candidate for any office. He never served in a public ap- pointment, but that of jury commissioner of his county from 1894 to 1897. He has been a member of Bigelow M. E. church since his residence in Portsmouth. He has been a steward of that church for thirty years and superintendent of its Sunday school for four years.

He was married February 2, 1870, to Mary Katharine, daughter of the late Daniel McIntire, who in former years was a prominent contractor and builder in Portsmouth. He has four children, Laura, wife of Louis D. McCall, of Chicago; Dr. Charles T. Murphy of the same place; Arthur Lee, now in busi- ness with him, and Julia Alice, residing at home.

Mr. Murphy, while confined closely to his adopted city by his business, yet finds time to read much and keep thoroughly abreast with the times. He is a steady and hard worker in his business and in the activities of his church, but every summer he takes a vacation of two to four weeks in which he rests himself by following the pursuit of fishing. He is an enthusiastic disciple of Isaac Walton.

Mr. Murphy believes that the highest duty to man is to perform well, every day, and from day to day, the obligations before him in business, in so- ciety, in the church and in municipal and state affairs. In following this guid- ing principle for over thirty years, he had aided in building up one of the most substantial business houses in the state. In following up this principle in the church, he has been an important factor in maintaining one of the most flour- ishing Methodist Episcopal churches in the country, and for himself has estab- lished a character in business circles and in the state, of which both he and his associates in business, his friends in the church and his fellow citizens may well be proud. In all matters, his word is as good as his bond and the latter is equal to the gold standard all the time. [Since the above was written Mr. Murphy has been compelled to retire from active business life on account of failure in his health caused by overwork. He still retains his former interest in the Mur- phy Shoe Company which is managed by other members of the company. 7

Filmore Musser

son of John C. Musser and Isabel E. Jones, was born September 28, 1856, and has resided all his life in Portsmouth. His grandfather, John Musser, came to to this city from Pennsylvania in the early part of the century. The subject of this sketch was educated in the public schools of Portsmouth, graduated from the High School with the class of 1875. At the age of nineteen, in the winter af- ter his graduation he began teaching school, his first year's work being in Greenup county, Kentucky. The two years following he taught in Green town- ship, Scioto county, and the next year, 1878-9, he taught at the historic "red school house," just east of Portsmouth in Clay township, closing his career as a teacher in 1880 as principal of the High School, at Hamden Junction, Vinton county.

From the time of giving up school work until the spring of 1881 he was employed in newspaper work as a reporter and compositor. In April, 1881 he be- came deputy under George L. Dodge, County Auditor, serving in that capacity

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

until September, 1887, at which time he assumed the office of Auditor, having been elected the previous year as the Republican candidate over Laban W. El- liott, the Democratic candidate. Re-elected Auditor in 1889 over Wesley Reddish, he completed his second term in that office in 1893.

During his service as deputy and as Auditor, Mr. Musser devised and put into use entirely new systems in the management of that office, and in connec- tion with the County Treasurer, Charles Kinney arranged a system of accounting between the Auditor's and Treasurer's offices. To such an extent was the work of the office systematized by him, that at the completion of his term the Audi- tor's office was regarded as a model for the State, and largely to the methods in- augurated by Mr. Musser, and which have been continued by his efficient suc- cessors, is due the fact that the offices of the County Auditor and County Trea- surer of Scioto county are regarded as probably the most systematic and best conducted offices in the state. In addition to this, in connection with the Coun- ty Commissioners, he devised the plan of funding the bonded indebtedness of the county, making a levy for the annual payment of a portion of the debt, the con- tinuance of which plan to the present time, has resulted in the payment of the entire indebtedness of the county.

In 1893, Mr. Musser was elected to Council from the Sixth ward. Prior to the expiration of his term the Seventh ward was constructed of territory embracing his residence, and at that time, having engaged in newspaper work, he declined a re-election. Immediately after retiring from the Auditor's office Mr. Musser engaged in newspaper work, purchasing the Portsmouth Tribune. This proved an unprofitable venture, and after three years, in January, 1897, the control of the paper was sold to J. E. Valjean. In the years 1897 and 1898, Mr. Musser was employed as expert accountant by the Auditor of State, making an examination of the county offices of Holmes county, which resulted in disclosures causing the County Auditor of that county to become a fugitive from justice.

In 1899. Mr. Musser prepared the maps of the city of Portsmouth, and of the portion of Scioto county east of the Scioto river for the decennial appraise- ment of 1900, and has since followed up the work of map making and preparing abstracts of land titles in which work he has become an expert. In addition to this, he is entrusted with the large property interests, in this city and county, of a number of non-residents. He has a pleasant suite of offices at 48, West Sec- ond street, corner Washington.

On December 29, 1885 Mr. Musser was united in marriage with Elona R. Oakes, the youngest daughter of Joshua Oakes, the drain-tile manufacturer of Haverhill, and now resides with his wife and two daughters, Ethel and Isabel at 135 West Fourth street, Portsmouth, O.

Joseph L. Myer

was born July 9, 1876 in the city of Portsmouth, Ohio. He is the son of Jacob Myer, now deceased, and Rosa (Loeb) Myer, both of whom were born in Rhenish, Germany. His boyhood was spent at Portsmouth attending the Primary, Gram- mar and High Schools there and he was graduated from the last named at the age of seventeen, with the highest percentage ever attained by a student at that school. Immediately upon graduation from the High School, he removed to Cin- cinnati, Ohio, with his mother and sister. He entered the Cincinnati Law School, completing the three years course in two years and was graduated in 1896, receiving the highest percentage of the class, at the same time being the youngest, 19 years of age. Compelled to wait two years before being admitted to the bar, because of his being under twenty-one, during the interval he was associated with Judge Clement Bates of the Cincinnati Bar in editing the Re- vised Statutes of Ohio; and was sole editor of the second edition of the same. He is now practicing law in Cincinnati as the partner of Judge Clement Bates, under the firm name of Bates & Myer. Mr. Myer is a man of extensive reading, both in and out of his profession, with a memory of great retentiveness united with unusual analytical and practical powers. He is already recognized as one of the most thorough lawyers of the younger bar of Cincinnti, of prominent abil- ity and untiring energy, and he is winning ever year a more and more respon- sible class of business and a brilliant future is anticipated for him by his brother lawyers.

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

Robert Curtis Myers

was born April 5, 1866 at Curllsville, Pennsylvania. His father was Miles Ross Myers, and his mother's maiden name was Jane Henderson. His parents had five children of whom our subject was the second. He lived in Pennsylvania until he was sixteen years of age. He attended the common schools there, and at the Ohio Normal University, at Ada, Ohio. He graduated in the scientific course in 1886, and in the law course in 1889. In the year 1888, he taught school in the state of Mississippi. He was married December 31, 1888, to Minerva Parker, daughter of A. C. Parker, of Cambridge, Ohio. She died May 23, 1902.

Mr. Myers located in Greenup, Ky., in August, 1890, where he was the su- perintendent of the schools in Greenup for three years, and was also County School Examiner for the same time. He was admitted to the bar in Kentucky in 1892. He began his practice in the same year and formed a partnership with Col. W. J. Worthington, afterwards Lieutenant Governor of the State. He was elected to the Legislaure in 1897, as a republican, by a majority of 160 votes to represent Greenup county. He served but two years. He was chairman of the Republican House Caucus. He was on the committee of Judiciary, Kentucky Statutes, Court of Appeals, State Prisons, House of Reform, and the Circuit Court. He left Kentucky in March, 1898, and located in Portsmouth, Ohio, to practice his profession. From May 18, 1902, until September 16, 1902, he was ab- sent from the city of Portsmouth, in the west, and his sketch, not being furnished in that period of time, does not appear amongst the Bar of Scioto County, where it should properly appear, and for that reason it appears here.

General William Holt Nash

was born June 22, 1834, at Gallipolis, Ohio, the eldest son and child of Hon. Simeon Nash and Cynthia Smith, his wife. His father was a native of South Hadley, and his mother was a native of Granby, Mass. They were married in 1832, and he went to Gallipolis, and she followed the next year. Our subject at- tended the public schools in Gallipolis and Gallia Academy until 1849, when he went to Mariette College and remained until the fall of 1852, having completed the sophomore year. His health broke down and he was compelled to leave, and in February, 1853, he went into Derby's book store in Cincinnati, and was there until June, 1856. In October of that year, he started a book store of his own in Gallipolis, and remained there until 1859.

He was married to Sarah S. Forsythe, daughter of James Forsythe, Jan- uary 1, 1857, at Junior furnace, by the Rev. Dan Young. There was but one child of this marriage, a daughter, Catharine, born July, 1858.

In the spring of 1860, he moved to Empire furnace, and taught school there until the spring of 1861. On June 1, 1861, he entered the United States service as telegraph operator at Parkersburg, W. Va. On June 22, 1861 he became a confidential cipher operator for General McClellan, and went to Clarksburg. He served in this capacity until November, 1862. On November 28, 1862, he was commissioned a Commissary of Subsistence of the Volunteers, with the rank of Captain, and served as such until December 15, 1865. He was then appointed as Commissary of Subsistence in the Regular army, with rank as Captain, until July 14, 1890, when he was promoted to Major. He was made Lieutenant Colo- nel June 10, 1896, and was made Colonel and Assistant Commissary General, Feb- ruary 4, 1898. He was promoted to Commissary General of Subsistence with the rank of Brigadier General of the United States army, April 21, 1898.

He retired May 2, 1898, and has been residing in Columbus, at No. 43, Lex- ington Avenue, ever since. During the Civil war he served with Gen. Sheridan and Gen. Crook, in the Army of the Cumberland, in the entire Chickamauga campaign, was ordered to West Virginia, April, 1864, and was in Hunter's Lynchburg campaign. After that he was in the Kanawha valley until No- vember, 1865, when he served in Texas, from March, 1866 until March, 1868. He was chief commissary of the department of Texas. From 1867 to 1869, he was in Washington city. From 1869 to 1870, he was purchasing commissary of subsist- ence in Cincinnati. He also served in New Mexico, Omaha, Nebraska, Louis- ville, Ky., Cheyenne, Wyoming, Boston, Mass., from 1880 to 1881. In Washing- ton city from 1882 to 1884 in New Orleans from 1885 to 1888, in Fortress Mon- roe in 1889. He then was sent to Vancouver Barracks, Washington, and was

GENERAL WILLIAM H. NASH.

JOHN NEILL.

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

there from January 1, 1890, to April, 1897, and then at St. Louis from 1897 to April 21, 1898, and later in Washington city to May 2, 1898. He was then made Brigadier General without his request. When he was at Vancouver, he was chief commissary under General Elwell S. Ottis.

His wife died in 1891, and he was married a second time to Mrs. Mary Maxen Wilson, February 22. 1892. She was the widow of Theodore Wilson, at Gallipolis, and a daughter of Dr. Darius Maxon, of Gallipolis, and a granddaugh- ter of Gen. Louis Newsom.

Here is what a long time friend and intimate acquaintance of General Nash says of him. "He is slightly above average height, spare of person, grey eyes, with a philosophical, argumentative cast of countenance; a man of marked clerical and executive ability; of prepossessing manners, courteous and refined, and with a wonderful fund of information on all sorts of subjects, especially of a political or historical character; of fine education and thoroughly alive to all questions of the moment, whether of church or state; fluent of expression in either writing or speaking; most excellent company, humorous, instructive and entertaining. agreeable in temper, esthetical and tactfully discriminating in all the proprieties and amenities of social intercourse, a true believer in Christianity, a good friend with a good honest heart and stable in general character."

Here is what General J. F. Weston, Commissary General, says of him: "Genial and companionable as a man, he always gave a soldierly deference to his military superiors; vested at times with grave and pressing responsibilities his trust was always discharged with fidelity to the public interests."

He died December 2, 1902, at his home in Columbus, Ohio, of sciatic rheumatism. He was given military honors in his funeral and was laid to rest at Gallipolis, Ohio, among his people.

Green S. Neary

was born March 12, 1844, in Harrisonville, Scioto county, Ohio. His father was Matthew Neary, a native of Ireland, and his mother's maiden name was Ann Vangorder. She was a native of New York. They were married in Tioga coun- ty, New York. and settled in Harrison township, Scioto county, Ohio, in 1834. They had nine children, of whom our subject was the fifth. He received a com- mon school education and was raised on the farm. He enlisted in Company F,. 91st O. V. I., August 6, 1862, at the age of eighteen, for three years, and was mustered out with the company, June 24. 1865. He was not wounded but was captured at Winchester, Virginia, July 24, 1864, and was a prisoner at Libby, Danville, Lynchburg, and Belle Isle, and was then paroled to be exchanged.

For two years after the war, he followed the occupation of farming and then became a foreman for contracting on public works and was that and a turn pike contractor much of the time until 1890, since then, he has been a farmer. He has been a trustee and assessor of Harrison township He was elected county commissioner in 1899, and took the office in September, 1900.

In 1871, he was married to Hester A. Tibbs. He had a daughter Florence, who lived to be two years and eight months old. She died of typhoid fever, Oc- tober 5, 1876. and his wife died on October 9, following. He was married a sec- ond time in 1889, to Lizzie E. Humphreys, a daughter of Benjamin H. Hum- phreys. They have one child, Edna, aged ten. Mr. Neary was a democrat until 1883. when he became a republican, and has been such since. He is a member of the Methodist Protestant church at Shumway chapel. He is a Mason. He is a liberal-minded public-spirited citizen. He is practical in all his ideas, and as a public officer he does the best for the public interests, knowing, as he does, all about the construction of public roads, from having built them, he knows how, as a public officer, to best preserve them.

John Neill

was born June 2, 1823, in the county of Londonderry, Ireland. His father was James Neill, and his mother's maiden name was Jane Gordon. His parents were natives of Ayrshire, Scotland. His father and mother had five children, Thomas who located in Wheeling; James; Nancy, who married James Brown, of Phila- delphia: Jane, who married Arthur Glasgow, of Guernsey county, Ohio; and John our subject. His father died when he was eight months old. At the age of five years his mother took her children and located at Wheeling.

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

Mr. Neill attended school at Wheeling until he was sixteen years of age, when he learned to be a moulder. He was in the apprenticeship for three years under John Woodcock. At the age of twenty, he went to Zanesville, and worked one year. August 18, 1844, he was married in Zanesville, Ohio, to Elizabeth Richardson, daughter of Jeremiah D. Richardson and Rebecca Pritchett Rich- ardson. She was born November 2, 1825. Immediately after they were mar- ried, he bought a foundry at Laurel, Indiana. He remained there two years, and then sold out. He located in Cincinnati and worked in the W. C. Davis foundry, as foreman for five years.

He came to Portsmouth in the spring of 1853, and purchased the Chandler foundry, located on the northeast corner of Massie and Front streets. He formed a partnership with Henry Eberhart, under the firm name of Neill & Eberhart, and they continued the foundry business as partners until 1865, when he sold his interest to Eberhart. At the same time he bought out the business of Harris and Terry, on Chillicothe street, just north of the present opera house. He car- ried on that business until 1870, when he bought the foundry site on Seventh street, and built a foundry there. Mr. Neill bought the Dr. Hempstead property in 1862, and resided there the remainder of his life.

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A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 147

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