A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 150

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 150

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Whistler and bought a flour mill at Otway. In 1899, Charles Nort took the place of Whistler in the firm and in 1901, Nort dropped out and Dr. J. F. Gor- don took his place. The mill is now run under the name of L. Pieper & Com- pany. He is a member of the Christian Union church at Otway, and has been a trustee since the church was built. He is also a member of Smith Lodge, No. 387, K. of P. He was married December 8, 1891, to Mrs. Anna Jackson, daugh- ter of Jefferson Mossbarger and Eliza (Johnson) Mossbarger. They have one child, Charles Herbert, born March 10, 1893.

John J. Pieper

was born November 1, 1842, at Jackson Furnace, Ohio, son of John F. and Henrietta (Small) Pieper. (See sketch of his brother Lewis Pieper.) He was reared on a farm and received his education in a country school. He came to Scioto county in 1887 and settled on Brush creek where he farmed until 1886. That year he went to Otway and with his brother Ed and Frank Gilfilian built a planing mill. Later Pieper brothers bought out the other members of the firm and assumed control and operated the mill until 1891, when they sold out. Pieper Brothers were then engaged in the buying of timber in tracts and having it sawed for market. From 1892 to 1894 Pieper Brothers and John F. Paeltz bought and shipped leaf tobacco. In 1900, he formed a partnership with John F. Paeltz in the saw mill and timber business. Their plant manufactures chair-stuffs, rim-strips and all kinds of plain and quartered lumber. Pieper and Paeltz own a large stone quarry near Otway and receive a royalty from Bode- mer Brothers who operate it. Mr. Pieper is a democrat, but voting is the ex- tent of his activity in that line. He is a member of the Otway M. E. Church and has been a trustee of the church since its organization in 1898. He was married November 18, 1880 to Eliza Bradney, daughter of James M. and Eliz- abeth (Peters) Bradney. They have the following children: Daisy, married Dr. J. F. Gordon and is deceased; Forest Pearl, aged 13; Mamie Olive, aged 11; John Dale, aged 3.

Francis Marion Powell

was born Oct. 22, 1852, in Adams county. His father was William Henry Powell, and his mother's maiden name was Mary McGowan. His father was a native of Pike county, Ohio. His grandfather, John McGowan, was a native of Big Sandy. Our subject had a common school education, and was brought up a farmer, and has been one all his life. He started out for himself at six- teen years of age as a farm hand. He was married August 29, 1872 to Dru- silla White of Brush Creek township, a daughter of Paul White. He came to this township in 1863, and worked for different ones, and has made his home in the township ever since. He bought the Isma Freeman farm in 1882, and has lived on it since 1887. He has one child living, James Edmund, and one daugh- ter, deceased at three years. Mr. Powell is a democrat in his political views, and a member of the Christian Union church.

Ezekiel Powers, Jr.,

was born October 9, 1828, on Bonser's Run, Scioto county, Ohio. His father was Ezekiel Powers, Sr., and his mother's maiden name was Jane Simpson. He received his education in Wheelersburg, Ohio. He learned shoe-making and the trade of brick-laying and plastering, and followed the latter for many years.

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He owned 200 acres of land in Porter township and two houses in Sciotoville. He lived in Wheelersburg until 1889, when he removed to Sciotoville. He was elected township trustee of Porter several terms. He was instrumental in pro- curing an act of the legislature for taxation to purchase and sustain township cemetery property. He had the Wheelersburg cemetery surveyed, with his own hands planted many trees therein, and did much to beautify the place. He was always active in furthering the school interests of his township and was at one time a member of the Board of Education of the township. He at one time was treasurer of the special district. In October, 1875, he was the Democratic candidate for County Treasurer. The vote stood Powers, democrat, 2,794 and Benjamin R. Miles, republican, 3,483, majority, 689. Mr. Miles and he were warm personal friends and traveled the county in the same buggy. Their friendship continued during their lives.

On November 30, 1851, he was married to Sarah Jane Dean, in Wheel- ersburg. She was born June 7, 1829, near Wait's Station, Scioto county, Ohio. She died October 6, 1868. They had three children: Frank, Horace and Kate. Frank is a resident of Grayson, Kentucky. Mr. Powers married Mary Bagby, May 25, 1873, in Wheelersburg. One child was born to them, John W., March 26, 1874, who joined the United States Regular Army, 16 Regiment, Company F, and went to Cuba in the Spanish-American war. He contracted malarial fever during the Santiago campaign and died from same, February 14, 1899, in Sciotoville. He was buried in Wheelersburg.

From 1862 to 1868, Ezekiel Powers was a partner with Stephen Patten- gill and John McAleer, in the flat boat business between Ashland and Louis- ville, principally shipping pig iron. November 21, 1863, he was appointed Quar- termaster of the First Regiment, O. M. in Scioto county, with rank of First Lieutenant by Governor David Tod. He was sworn in the service January 21, 1864. Mr. Powers was a prominent Odd Fellow, a member of Orient Lodge No. 337 of Wheelersburg, which he joined in 1866. He was also a member of the Orient Encampment No. 26. When quite a young man, he joined the Methodist church in Wheelersburg. He was a very strong democrat, well-informed and fair-minded, always earnest, but free to concede to others what he demanded for himself. For many years he was a member of the County Democratic Commit- tee. He was a temperate, upright, honest man, highly respected by all. He was kind, extremely charitable, and thoughtful of the poor and needy, whom he constantly helped in an unostentatious manner. He died at Sciotoville, Oc- tober 14, 1894, aged sixty-four years.

Frank Powers

was born September 17, 1852, at Wheelersburg, Scioto county, Ohio, the son of Ezekiel Powers, Jr. and Sarah Jane Dean, his wife. He attended school at Wheelersburg, till 1868, when he began as a clerk in the store of Horace T. Hall, his uncle. In 1871, he was a salesman for Mullins and Hunt, of Maysville, Ky. In this year he also represented the Grover & Baker Sewing Machine Company. In 1872, he helped in building a telegraph line from Columbus to Ironton. In 1873, he went to Riverton, Ky., to construct a telegraph line and in the same year became agent of the Eastern Kentucky Railway Company, at Grayson, Ky., and held the position until 1878. In the latter year he became a special agent for the company, as a freight solicitor. In 1879, he engaged in making pig-iron at Charlotte furnace, in Kentucky, and continued that until 1881, when he became traveling agent for the Eastern Kentucky Railway Company. On July 1, 1882, he became general agent of the Eastern Kentucky Railway Company. He re- signed this position in 1883.

July 2, 1879, he was married to Miss Juliet Lansdowne, daughter of Dr. A. J. Lansdowne. Mr. Powers has always been a democrat and on August 22, 1884, he was made the democratic candidate for Congress in his district against General W. H. Wadsworth, of Maysville. The district was composed of four- teen counties, and Mr. Powers was defeated by 102 votes. He was chairman of the democrat committee of his county for fourteen years. He has been dis- trict and state committeeman of his party.

In 1892, he was admitted to the bar and formed a partnership with Judge James R. Botts, as Botts & Powers, in the practice of the law. In 1895,

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the Governor appointed him City Judge of Grayson, and he served one year. Mr. Powers comes of a long line of honorable ancestry. His great-grandfather, John Powers, served in the Revolutionary war and in that of 1812. His grandfather, Ezekiel Powers, Sr., served in the war of 1812. The Powers family settled in Massachusetts in 1665. From there they emigrated to the James river in Vir- ginia, and from there to what is now West Virginia. His mother's grandfather, Ebenezer Dean, served in the Revolutionary war. His name first appears on the records of the War Department at Washington on a return (not dated) of officers in William Heath's Massachusetts regiment without remark; again on a return (not dated) of vacancies in Gen. Heath's brigade. In the latter return he is reported as being a Lieutenant in the 36th Continental Regiment of foot soldiers, commanded by Col. John Greaton. The records show that Col. Greaton was a Lieutenant Colonel in Colonel William Heath's Massachusetts regiment. The Dean family settled in Massachusetts in 1635.

Mr. Powers is noted for his faithfulness to all duty and responsibility and is an excellent lawyer as he was an excellent business man. He pos- sesses indomitable courage, tireless energy and a will strengthened by obstacles. He makes friends wherever he is known and retains them when made. He is useful and valuable in any servic and does all he undertakes well.

Rev. Eliphaz Perkins Pratt, D. D.,

was a citizen of Portsmouth for thirty-four years, and in that time no man ex- ercised a greater influence on questions of morality, ethics and religion than he. His father, Daniel Pratt, and his mother Julia Perkins, were both from the state of Connecticut. They came to the northwest territory with the begin- ning of the century, and they began their married life together in a log cabin in what is now Athens county, Ohio. Our subject was the eldest of their six children, all of whom were living in 1882. He was born February 17, 1816. He was an active, industrious child, born with a good conscience. He learned his letters from newspapers hung on the wall of the log cabin in which he was reared. He worked in the forest, or on the farm, in daytime and he studied by firelight in the evening. He was born with a thirst for knowledge, which was never quenched. As a child he attended the ministry of Rev. John Spalding, whose sermons greatly influenced his future life.

He attended the Ohio University at Athens and graduated in 1837, under President Robert G. Wilson. He studied for the ministry under different pro- fessors.' He reviewed mental and moral science under Dr. William A. McCaf- fry. studied Hebrew under Prof. Elisha Ballentine, D. D., and Theology under Prof. W. Hall, D. D. During his theological studies he was a tutor in Latin and Greek. He established the Cooper Female Seminary in Dayton, in 1840, assisted by his sister, Mrs. Hay. He was licensed to preach by the Dayton Presbytery in October, 1841. He was called to the New School Presbyterian church at Paris, Ky., in 1842, and accepted. While there he married his first wife, Miss Elizabeth C. Mills, daughter of Judge Benjamin Mills, of Frankfort, Kentucky.

He came to Portsmouth in 1852, to preach for Rev. Hicks, the pastor of the First Presbyterian church. He had expected to return to Paris at once, but as it was winter the river closed and he was detained. There were a series of meetings going on and he was called to preach every day, which he did. The people liked him so well that he was called and accepted. He came at once, but was installed in May, 1852. His first wife died in 1850, and he married Miss Elizabeth Loughry, daughter of James Loughry, Esq., in 1853. He was pastor of the First Presbyterian church from his installment until March 29, 1886, the date of his death, and he died as he had wished, in harness. He was sick but ten days.

He was a preacher of great power and force. He was earnest in all things and enthusiastic in all he undertook. In his own church his word was law, and all acquiesced in his policies. There were never any quarrels or di- visions in his church for he knew how to prevent them. Doctor Pratt was es- sentially a wise man. He possessed remarkable judgment, and when it was once given every one was satisfied. His church was the strongest and most influential in its Presbytery, and he was in his time the strongest minister in

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his Presbytery. He was one of the strong men of his Synod, and was highly esteemed in the General Assembly to which he was a delegate, a number of times. He was a regular and constant correspondent of the Herald and Pres- byter and his initials E. P. P. were always a guaranty that the article so signed was interesting and instructive. Doctor Pratt never wrote anything but what was well worth reading, and never delivered an address but what was well worth hearing. He was not only well appreciated at home but away from home as well. He was a favorite to deliver a dedication sermon at any new church.

He was a director of the Danville Theological Seminary for fifteen years. He was a trustee of Lane Theological Seminary for twenty-two years, He was a trustee of the Western Female Seminary at Oxford, Ohio, for a number of years. He was also a trustee of Marietta College.

The First Presbyterian church of Portsmouth greatly prospered under his ministry. When he took charge it had 169 members, 1,079 were added during the first thirty years of his ministry. The Second Presbyterian church was sent out of his church fully equipped with a church paid for and a minister furnished. His degree of D. D. was given him by his Alma Mater and in 1860, it tendered him a professorship. He also received calls from wealthy churches in the cities but declined, as he felt his life's work was in Portsmouth.

His second wife died in 1870, and in 1876, he married Mary E. Urmston, daughter of Rev. N. M. Urmston, who survived him.

No account of Dr. Pratt would be just and fair to his memory or to the public which is interested in preserving it, without mentioning his great pa- triotism. He was one of the most ardent Union men during the Civil war, and his public speeches during that period were calculated to rouse and fire the pa- triotic heart. For the soldiers he could not say or do too much. He was al- ways the last to say farewell in going, and the first to welcome them in return- ing. His devotion to the cause of temperance and to the interest of the public schools was the greatest, but there never was a public matter in Portsmouth, for the intellectual or moral good of the people, in which he was not at the front of it, aiding it with his powerful influence. He was for thirty years the secretary of the Scioto County Bible Society, and he was for many years a pub- lic school examiner, both for the city and county.

He had a public funeral, which gave the expression of the city of its estimation of his work. The venerable Doctor Burr conducted the rites and the ministers of other churches were his pall bearers. The large attendance showed that the people of Portsmouth fully estimated his work. While Doctor Pratt was a most positive man, always wanted his way, and nearly always had it, he made few if any enemies because of his judgment. He was always right, and any one who took time to think and consider, came around to his view.

He had a son, Prof. D. Perkins Pratt, of Portsmouth, of his first marriage, and three daughters of his second, Elizabeth, Julia and Mary. The first two daughters died in his life time, and the latter still survives, and on November 25. 1902, was married to B. W. Mckenzie, and makes her home in California. His widow resides in Perth Amboy, N. J.

Pat Prendergast

was born in county Kilkenney, Ireland, March 14, 1831. Owing to the fact that his birthday occurred so near St. Patrick's day, his father, John Prendergast, gave him the name Patrick. His mother was Miss Catherine Muhall. He was the eldest of two children, having a brother named Martin. Our subject was educated in the public schools of Kilkenney. He came to the United States, in 1848, at the age of eighteen. His parents remained in Ireland. His mother died there in 1858, and his father in 1875. His brother emigrated to this coun- try, in 1861, located in Newark, Ohio, became sheriff of Licking county, and died at Newark, in 1878.

Our subject remaincd one year after landing in this country at Perth Amboy, New Jersey. He then came to Newark, Ohio. He became a conductor on the railroad running from Newark to Mansfield, Sandusky and Cleve- land, and remained as such for four years, when he became a clerk in the Amer- ican House, at Newark, from 1853 to 1855. His employer was N. W. Bingham.

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

In 1855, Mr. Bingham came to Portsmouth and took charge of the United States Hotel and our subject accompanied him and remained as a clerk there till 1861. On April 16, of that year, he enlisted in Company G, of First O. V. J., and was made second corporal. He was the first man from Ohio to carry a flag of truce to obtain and bury the dead of the battle of Vienna. It was related of him that at one time, in the service he and his company reached a cemetery, after dark, where they all lay down and slept. He pillowed his head a grave and slept soundly until morning. On waking, he remarked, that he won- dered whose grave had furnished him a pillow. He read the inscription on the stone and found that it bore the name of a dear playmate whom he had known in Ireland.

On his return from the army, he went into the wholesale liquor business, in the place now occupied by Michael Stanton. He remained in that business until May 14, 1869, and then he bought the Biggs House lease of W. H. Taylor. He was there at the time of the great fire, on March 6, 1871, and in that lost everything he had in the world. He had just furnishd fifteen rooms new and all his chattel property in the hotel was consumed, but he was not dismayed by the loss, nor did he lose his wonderful courage and energy. He had many friends, as he deserved to have; and they offered him numerous inducements to go into other business, especially Michael Stanton. The latter offered him a full partnership and said it should cost him nothing, but he declined. He said he had lost his money in the hotel business and he proposed to make it back there. Such courage has seldom been displayed in Portsmouth or anywhere else. He waited until the hotel had been rebuilt, took Sanford B. Jennings in with him, and went back in the same business. He remained there with Mr. Jennings until his death.

He was married to Harriet, the youngest daughter of Edward Mulligan, Sr., on June 6, 1866. She was born in county Wicklow, Ireland, but came to America with her parents, at the age of four years. Her father had resided in Portsmouth since 1851.

Mr. Prendergast was a man of fine appearance. He was broad shoul- dered, straight, and with a most firm and determined expression on his face, but nevertheless pleasing. He was a man of great force of character. He made up his judgments very quickly and adhered to them, but could not be called positive. His sympathies were easily enlisted. He was liberal to a fault. His private charities were great, but he made no boast of them. He was always in favor of public improvements, but the dominating element of his character was his wonderful courage in the face of difficulties. There was never a finer example of this trait, than he exhibited at the time of the Biggs House fire, when he determined to go in the same business after having lost all of his prop- erty. He was democratic in his political views, but never a partisan. He was a devout member of the church of the Holy Redeemer. He lived but forty-five years, but he lived them well and left a memory, a precious heritage to his friends.

In the fall of 1874, his health began to fail. He had stomach and bron- chial troubles. He died September 24, 1876, in the Biggs House. He was con- scious and self composed to the last.

Henry Prescott

was born at Bath, Grafton county, New Hampshire, May 19, 1840. His parents were Joseph Johnson Prescott and Phoebe (Page) Prescott. (See Prescott Family.) His grandfather was Joseph Prescott and his mother was a daugh- ter of Asa Page and Phoebe (Noyes) Page of Landaff, New Hampshire. Mr. Prescott spent his early life in Bath on a farm and received his education in the country schools. At the age of twenty-three years, he came to Ohio unat- tended by any other members of the family, and located at Keystone furnace in Jackson county, where he obtained employment as store-keeper at the furnace store. He continued in this position for two years when he was promoted to book-keeper.

After three years more he left Keystone and went back to New Hamp- shire and was married to Mary S. Tewksbury, daughter of N. M. Tewksbury, of Bath, New Hampshire, January 22, 1868. He returned to Ohio with his young

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wife in the spring of 1868, and located in Portsmouth, where he was employed by Murray, Moore & Company, in the foundry and machine shops as book- keeper. He was thus occupied for a period of five years, after which he pur- chased an interest in Keystone furnace, where he had formerly been employed. He managed the store for a year and then became book-keper. He sold out his interest and went back to Portsmouth in 1877, and resumed his former po- sition as book-keeper at the foundry and machine works. He gave up this position in 1881, and engaged in the manufacture of wheel-barrows. After seven or eight years he started a feed store on Second street, Portsmouth, Ohio, where he has since been in business.

Though a firm believer in the principles and policies of the republican party, he works and votes with the prohibition party. He is an ardent sup- porter of the temperance cause and of all things that tend to the bet- terment of mankind. He and his wife have had three children, but lost them all in infancy. Mr. Prescott is as fixed in his ways as the rugged mountains of his native state, are fixed in their places. When he has made up his mind on any subject, there is no variableness with him. He has his views on all subjects and they are well considered, but once fixed, his purposes are un- changeable. He believes in good citizenship and practices it. There is no bet- ter neighbor or citizen than he.

Vinton Price

son of Isaac and Rebecca (Brown) Price, was born January 15, 1829, in a house near the bank of the Ohio a few rods below the mouth of the Little Scioto river. His boyhood and youth were spent in what is now the village of Scioto- ville. He had a good common school education, to which he added a knowl- edge of surveying. Soon after leaving school, he rented a farm in Kentucky opposite Sciotoville, which he afterwards bought. After living there a few years, he moved to Ohio, having bought a farm owned by Jesse Marshall, on the Baltimore & Ohio South-Western railroad near Slocum's station, where he resided until his death on December 11, 1895.

He was married December 28, 1856 to Mary G. Marshall, daughter of Jesse and Mary Gabrielle Serot Marshall. Her mother was one of the first children born in Gallipolis, being born only five months after Marie Louise Cadot, who was the first child born there. She was named by Jean Gabriel Gervais who presented her with two town lots and a set of silver spoons. Her paternal grandfather, Samuel Marshall, was a Revolutionary soldier. His record will be found in the article entitled Revolutionary Soldiers. Her father, Jesse Marshall was a soldier in the war of 1812. She still resides on the home farm where she was born December 1, 1830. Five children were born to this union: G. Frank, who resides at home with his mother; Warren M. of Sciotoville; Mrs. Mary A. Sherman living near Wait P. O .; Mrs. Anna P. Mar- ting, who died August 5, 1892 and Ella R. living with her mother.

James Amos Pryor

was born in Butler county, Pennsylvania, in February, 1847. His parents were Samuel and Agnes Pryor, both natives of Pennsylvania. His paternal grand- father died in the war of 1812. He came with his parents to Ohio, in 1854, and settled in Morgan township, near Sedan. His father enlisted October 21, 1862, in the Eighth Independent Company of Ohio Volunteer Sharpshooters, for three years and was mustered out with the company, July 19, 1865. Our sub- ject has always been a farmer and lived in the same place all his life. He at- tended the schools of Mt. Joy and received a common school education.

When only fifteen years of age, he enlisted in Company G, 7th O. V. C., September 16, 1862, for three years. He was captured March 10, 1864, at Morris- town, Tennessee, by Longstreet's command. He was in prison at Richmond for two months, then at Andersonville, Ga .; and from there was sent to Millen, Ga. and was then taken to a prison at Florence, South Carolina. He was a prisoner for twelve months. He participated in all the battles his command was in until he was captured. He was mustered out June 9, 1865, at Colum- bus, Ohio.

He was Assessor of Union township one term. He is a republican and takes an active part in politics. He is a member of the M. E. church, Singer

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

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A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 150

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