A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 51

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 51

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

Churches.

McKendree Chapel, M. E. Church was built in 1884. It is located on the south side of the Portsmouth and Buena Vista turnpike, near McGaw. The church is prosperous and growing. Rev. S. A. McNeilan is pastor. The trustees are: A. F. Givens, William Stockham, Lafayette Jones, Samuel Thatch- er and David Metzger. It has 70 members and the Sunday School averages 60. A. F. Givens is serving his twenty-seventh year as superintendent.

Asbury Chapel M. E. Church is located on Pond Run and has a mem- bership of 60, an average attendance at Sunday School of 30. Services are held every two weeks.

Wesley Chapel, M. E. Church at Friendship was built in 1897, at a cost of $2,500. It is a modern frame structure with a capacity of about 2,000 sittings. The Trustees are: C. E. Worley, Mitchell Evans, James Pyles, Henry Cuppett and George Vaughters. Rev. John C. Chandler is the minister. Its mem- bership numbers 60, and its Sunday School averages 35. Mitchell Evans is superintendent.

Cemeteries.

There are three township cemeteries in Nile Township. The Friend- ship Cemetery contains two acres, purchased of George Vaughters.

The Mitchell Cemetery is on the Morrison Farm, and is noted for con- taining the remains of three of the old Associate Common Pleas Judges, Mitchell, Moore and Givens. Hon. Joseph Moore died October 28, 1884, aged 95 years; David Mitchell, Sr., died November, 1805, aged 72 years; David Mitchell, Jr., died November 19, 1883, aged 59 years, 8 months, 15 days; David Morrison, died March 23, 1863, aged 55 years, 6 months, 7 days; Martha, wife of David Morrison, died March 18, 1886; aged 73 years, 27 days; Sarah Mitch- ell, died September 19, 1801, aged 68 years; William Givens, died June 26, 1863, aged 80 years, 9 months, 8 days.

Loughry Lands.

These lands embrace 745 acres in one body, lying partly in Scioto and partly in Adams counties in the state of Ohio. There are 254 acres in Scioto County and the remaining 491 acres are in Adams County. The tract is made up of no less than 12 surveys and parts of surveys in the Virginia Military Dis- trict of the state of Ohio, numbered as follows:

Survey No. 1,623, containing (part) 168.75 acres; survey No. 14,249, con- taining (whole) 35 acres; survey No. 13,103, containing (whole) 10 acres; sur- vey No. 9,689 containing (whole) 12 acres; survey No. 10,846 containing (whole) 21 acres; survey No. 14,890 containing (whole) 40 acres; survey No. 15,584 con- taining (part) 30 acres: survey No. 15,521 (part) 33 acres; survey No. 15,871- 15,881 containing (part) 10 acres; survey No. 13.119 containing (part) 120 acres; survey No. 2,459-2,558 containing (part) 145.33 acres; survey No. 15,- 572-15.633 containing (part) 124 acres; total, 745 acres.

These lands are now described, conveyed and embraced in two tracts (formerly described in twelve tracts) of which 168.75 acres in survey No. 1623 is the first tract and the remainder is the second tract, and contains 576.33 acres. The entire two tracts as one body, front for about one mile along the Ohio river on the north or right bank, beginning at the western line of the village of Buena Vista in Scioto County, Ohio, and extending thence westerly to the village of Rockville in Adams County, Ohio. The steamboat landing for the village of Buena Vista is upon this land and parties using it pay the present proprietor a rental. There is deep and good water along the entire river bank and between that and the foot of the hill.

The bottom land varies from 6 to 20 rods in width, and is separated from the hills by a county road, leading from Buena Vista in Scioto County, to Rome in Adams County.

Three small streams form in the hills and pass through the bottom lands to the Ohio river. First of these is Flat Run which flows along at a height of 375 feet above the river to the brow of the hill just in the rear of Buena Vista, is precipitated 300 feet down the hillside to the bottoms and then flows gently to the river. A broad valley extends from either side as it, flows

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through the hills which rise 200 feet above it. A half mile west of Flat Run, a smaller stream, Grog Run, tumbles over the face of the hill. after finding its way through the hill which runs parallel with the river and having its source in two small forks which form in the valley to the rear of the hill. A quarter of a mile further on we come to what is known as Rock Run, and this is the largest of the three streams. It heads in the hills to the north of the Loughry property, tumbles down as it flows on this property over 300 feet and winds through a deep gorge a distance of two or three miles before emerging finally on the broad bottom land just east of the village of Rockville.

The portion of these lands on the river front were located first as early as 1801 by General Nathaniel Massie. The late Judge Joseph Moore, in early life, was a stone cutter and he purchased two of the tracts on the river from Massie, prior to 1814, and in that year he built the famous stone house pre- viously mentioned. He resided on these lands until 1830, and between 1814 and 1830 he made rafts of deadened poplar trees, loaded them with freestone from the foot of the hills and shipped them to Cincinnati for building stone, where was then and ever since has been a good market. There has not been a year since 1814 to the present that the Waverly stone has not been shipped from these lands or from adjoining lands to the Cincinnati market. The late John Loughry went to Rockville in 1831, Judge Moore having retired to his farm four miles above Buena Vista in 1870. Mr. Loughry brought with him 16 yoke of oxen and 60 or 70 men to get out stone with which he built ten locks in the Miami canal at Cincinnati.

Judge Moore got his stone from the bottom of the hill, from those that had broken off in ages past, but John Loughry began his work at the top of the hill and there got his stone for the canal locks which he built, and which are perfect to this day and have stood the test of water, air and frosts for sixty years without any signs of disintegration. The foundation of the house he re- sided in, built of this same stone, is as perfect this day as it was 59 years ago when it was built, ,and the marks of the bush hammer upon the stone are as fresh as though made but yesterday. Cincinnati is full of business and dwelling house fronts made of this stone and is largely used, when properly sawed, for paving sidewalks, for making steps and for window caps and sills, and for the latter purposes, in brick houses, its use in Cincinnati and surrounding cities is universal. Loughry first dragged the stone with ox teams to the river, after- wards built immense skids or chutes on the hill sides. down which the stone was run to the bottom of the hill, but finally built well graded roads down the hillsides and hauled the stone down on wagons. In more recent years, how- ever, an incline railway was built near Buena Vista and locomotives were em- ployed to haul stone from the quarries to the top of the incline and they were lowered to the bottom by endless cables, the loaded cars hauling up the empty ones. Stones were first loaded on decked scows by means of rollers and crow- bars, but later great hoisting machines capable of lifting the largest stone were built in such a manner as to carry the stone from the land to the barges, greatly facilitating and cheapening the output. The decked barge for trans- porting stone down the river was a great stride above Judge Moore's log raft and these went down the river never to return. being sold to produce merchants at Cincinnati, and then after being loaded with produce were run to Louisville and New Orleans markets. Timber, however, got to be scarce and towboats were brought into use, towing loaded barges to Cincinnati and returning the empties to be again loaded.

A certain ledge of stone seemed more popular with the stone workers of Cincinnati than the others, because of the evenness of color and the ease with which it could be worked, and to this ledge John Loughry gave the name "City Ledge" and by this name it is known to the present day throughout all mar- kets where this stone is sold.

The "City Ledge" is a light drab or gray in color. For special orders, stone containing 300 cubic feet and weighing about 22 to 24 tons have been quarried and shipped away, but ordinarily blocks containing 50 to 70 feet are quarried. John Loughry in his day did not confine his work to any single ledge, but quarried ledges above and below the "City Ledge;" but since 1843, the work has been principally confined to the "City Ledge." For the con- struction of the locks in the canal at Cincinnati, Loughry used the yellow ledge

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

on the top of the hill, and when the Trust Company Bank was built at the southwest corner of Third and Main streets in Cincinnati, a fine white ledge below the "City Ledge" was selected, and to this was given the name "Trust Company Ledge." Twenty-five years ago the old Trust Company building was pulled down to make way for a larger and more modern building, and when the new building was constructed the famous "City Ledge" was used. However, the stone taken out of the old building was in excellent state of preservation and the Trust Co. Ledge is really harder and more durable than the City Ledge, being older and having been subject to a greater pressure than the City Ledge, which lies some distance above it.

John Loughry died in 1862, and is buried in the Sandy Springs church- yard, three miles from the family residence, in what is known as the Irish Bottom. For his monument, three great blocks of stone were taken out of as many different ledges, were dressed and placed one on the other, making a lasting and appropriate monument to the memory of one who developed the stone industry here.

John Loughry retired from active work in 1856, and was succeeded by his son, John C. Loughry, who continued the work up to 1861, when the civil war came on and quarrying ceased. It commenced again in 1863 and John C. Lough- ry continued to work the quarries until 1865, taking out the stone for John M. Mueller to be used in the piers of the suspension bridge at Cincinnati. In this year, 1865, he sold out to the Caden Brothers who continued the work on a very large scale up to 1873, at which time Mr. Loughry re-purchased the tract.

We find no less than 60 ledges of stone ranging in thickness from eight inches to five feet. Twenty-two of these are below the "City Ledge," the lowest of which is 200 feet above the level of the bottom lands, thus being high enough to afford dump ground for all stripping and refuse matter. They are ot an excellent quality, harder and finer grain than those above the "City Ledge." All these can be worked for more than a mile along the hills fronting on the river, and on both sides of Rock Run for two or three miles up that stream, the wide deep valley of that latter stream affords plenty of dump ground for all refuse matter.

This stone has been in demand for 77 years and there is no apparent indication of that demand lessening, on the contrary, it seems on the increase and the many industries springing up wherever the stone is found and where railroads have penetrated, can but strengthen that belief.

Not the least valuable features of this tract, are the clays found therein. These are as follows: 200 feet of black shale or clay extending from the level of the bottom land up to the lowest ledge of stone. This shale was formerly distilled (before the discovery of petroleum) for lubricating and illuminating oils. Lying above and on the city ledge is a stratum of blue clay which burns to a color of the famous Milwaukee brick and immediately below the city ledge is another vien of ten feet of the same blue clay lying on a sixteen foot stratum of black shale and all of these clays make an excellent grade of sewer pipe.

Sixteen feet above the city ledge and between a twelve inch ledge of stone on the bottom and a thirty inch ledge of stone on top, is a vein of ten feet of red clay which has gained some fame among lovers of pottery, on ac- count of the beautiful vases and other articles made from it. It burns to a rich red-brown and stands fire better than any red clay that has been used at Rookwood Pottery in Cincinnati. Beautiful building brick have also been made from it, and in this probably lies its chiet value.

A two inch cube burned from this clay, on a test at the Smithsonian Institute, withstood a pressure of 110,000 pounds. This clay is adapted to the use in Art Pottery, for building handsome house fronts, and burned a little harder, in paving streets.

In this connection it might be mentioned that several articles of pottery made and decorated by Mrs. Bellamy Storer, from clay taken from these lands and burned at Rookwood Pottery, took a distinguished prize at the recent Paris Exposition, and Mrs. John C. Loughry has some very fine specimens of pottery made from the red clay.

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Buckhorn Cottage.

In 1855, just before the war, under the magic of money, a curious struct- ure arose on the hills near the lines of Adams and Scioto Counties. It was in a beautiful country, some little way back of Buena Vista. The cottage was of peeled white poplar logs, resin-varnished and mortar-daubed, it was there- fore peculiar. It was seventy-four feet long by twenty-two feet broad; in two parts, on the plan of the ordinary double cabin, with a seventeen-foot-wide floored and roofed space between them. A stone kitchen in the rear is out of the view. The chimneys were also of stone. Vines were placed to climb over it, which they accomplished in profusion; the summer breezes fluttered their leaves and the autumnal frosts put on them a blush.

In the Buckhorn lived for a term its owner and architect, Honorable William J. Flagg, and wife, a daughter of the late Nicholas Longworth, of Cincinnati, with occasional guests to share the romance of their solitude. On writing to him as an old friend and schoolmate, how he came to build it, and what he did when there, he gave this characteristic reply: "In 1852, I bought a fifty acre tract of hill land near Buena Vista, on the Ohio, through which the line runs that divides Adams and Scioto Counties, bought it because I supposed

BUCKHORN COTTAGE.

there was valuable stone in it. This purchase led, step by step, to the acqui- sition of something over 9,000 acres adjacent. I cleared off woods and planted orchards and vineyards to the extent of more than 100 acres; opened a quarry; built a tramway, until my operations culminated in a log house on a hill-top, a mile east of the county line and a half mile from the river, where in different broken periods of the time from '56 till '68, we spent about five years. It was mighty like being out of the world, but none the worse for that. In that heritage we managed to lodge as comfortably as in a palace, and feed better

than at Delmonico's. Our society, too, was excellent. William Shakespeare was a frequent visitor; Francis of Verulam was another, he was a nobleman, you know, a baron, so were others; Viscount Montesquieu, for instance, and Sir Charles Grandison. To prove how agreeable these made themselves, I will mention that the two packs of cards I provided myself with to pass away

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

the time, were never cut or shuffled but for two games in the whole five years. Buckhorn, as we called the place, after the form of the hill and its branching spurs, was indeed an ideal retreat. I have never found a climate equal to it. But even souls at rest in Buddha's Deveghan, after a certain stay there, feel a desire to live again, and so did we, and we returned to earth. Two years later the cabin went up in flames. I am glad it did. No insurance."

Mr. Flagg is the author of several books, as "A Good Investment", "Three Seasons in European Vineyards", "Wall Street and the Woods", etc. This last is a novel description of the wild hill country in the regions back of Buckhorn, while the characters are mainly drawn from the very primitive inhabitants who dwell there, made so because of the inaccessibility of their homes, little or no intercourse being had with the outer world, not even in the way of books and newspapers; while from the slender area of land for tillage, and the want of other industrial occupation, there is abundant leisure for meditation and the practice of a wisdom and morality peculiarly their own.

PORTER TOWNSHIP.

This township has the honor of being the first settled in Scioto County. In the month of February, 1796, Samuel Marshall came from Manchester, Adams County, and built a small cabin just above where New Boston now stands, and within the present limits of Porter Township. In the following month John Lindsey also moved from Manchester, to a point on the Ohio near the mouth of the Little Scioto river. The first white person born within the limits of Porter Township, as well as the first in Scioto County, was Fanny Marshall, one of the younger daughters of Samuel Marshall; and the first person mar- ried within the County and township was a daughter of Mr. Marshall to John H. Lindsey, son of John Lindsey. John H. Lindsey afterward became Captain of the first rifle company organized in the county and was afterward known as Captain John Lindsey. The graves of these two pioneers, Samuel Marshall and John Lindsey, are side by side near where Scioto Furnace formerly stood. In the previous year, 1795, came Isaac Bonser, who had been sent out by a num- ber of persons living in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, to select a site for a home in the North-west Territory. The next Spring, five families, those of Isaac Bonser, Uriah Barber, John Beatty, William Ward and Ephriam Thomas set out to settle on the site selected by Mr. Bonser, the year before. It is claimed by some to be the first attempt at settlement in Porter Township for the reason that Mr. Bonser selected his place of settlement before Marshall and Lindsey came from Manchester in Adams County.

Porter Township was organized December 6, 1814, the part east of the Little Scioto was taken from Green, and the part west, from Wayne Township. The order for forming it is as follows: "Ordered that the petition for a new township by sundry persons of Wayne and Green Townships be granted and that the following be the bounds: To begin at Ira Hitchcock's upper corner; thence on the river up the Ohio to the mouth of the creek; thence up Hale's Creek so far that a due west line will strike the lower back corner of the Grant; thence with the line of Bloom Township and Madison Township so far as to strike a due north line drawn from the place of beginning, called Porter Township."

Later a petition for a change was presented to the County Commission- ers and the following order was made as to boundaries: Beginning at the mouth of Hale's Creek; thence up the creek with the meanders to where it strikes the French Grant, lots Nos. 54 and 66; thence a northeast course on the line of the French Grant to lots 78 and 90 to the southeast corner of fractional section 21, range 20 in township 2; thence north with the original surveyed township line to the northeast corner of section 36, range 20 and township 3; thence west with the original section line to the northwest corner of section 36, range 21 township 2; thence south to the Ohio River; thence up the Ohio River with the meanders to the beginning of the boundaries of Porter Township."

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PORTER TOWNSHIP.

The Commissioners ordered another change made in the boundar- ies in 1836: "Whereas William Montgomery having made application to be attached to the township of Porter, upon examination of the said application and upon due consideration of the same, it is ordered, that the said William Montgomery be attached to the township of Porter beginning on the line be- tween sections 23 and 26 in township 2, range 20 where Hale's Creek crosses said line; thence up the creek with the meanders thereof until it strikes said line mentioned so as to include within the limits of Porter Township the said William Montgomery." December 7, 1836.

Valuation and Rank.

Porter received its name from Porter Wheeler, son of Major Porter Wheeler. Porter Township ranks as follows among the townships outside of Wayne; twelfth in area; first in population; second in real estate; first in per- sonal property; second in total of both real and personal property; the valua- tion of real estate in 1900 was $382,800; personal property. $315.292; of both $698,092. The area is 15,709 acres.

Surface, Drainage and Productions.

The surface of Porter Township is very diversified. Most of the low- lands lie between the Portsmouth and Haverhill Free Turnpike and the Ohio River. This belt of lowlands in the west portion of the township is about one-fourth of a mile in width, while in the south it is almost a mile wide and constitutes the most fertile agricultural region in the township. About two thousand acres of the fertile valley of the Little Scioto lie within the limits of Porter Township. The portion southeast of the Portsmouth and Webster free turnpike and included in sections 1, 2, 10. 11, 14, 15, and parts of sec- tions 3, 9 and 12, comprise what is known as "Dogwood Ridge," and is one of the best wheat producing sections in the county. Considerable attention is given to dairying on Dogwood Ridge, and many of the farmers own cream separators.

The hills about Sciotoville contain valuable clays for the manufacture of fire and paving brick. Some coal is found in the eastern part of the town- ship though not in paying quantities. The principal streams of Porter Town- ship are Pine Creek, which flows in a tortuous course across the southern por- tion and the Little Scioto River, which enters the township from the north and flows in a southeasterly direction through to the Ohio at Sciotoville. The smaller streams are Lick Run, Wheeler's Run, Ward's Run and Munn's Run All of Porter Township except the hilly region about Sciotoville is well adapted to farming and dairying. The Pine Creek and Little Scioto valleys are each very wide. They are easily cultivated and yield a bountiful har- vest. Considerable attention is given to fruit growing and gardening. Many herds of fine Jersey cows may be found on Dogwood Ridge, where dairying is an important industry. Much of the milk supply of Portsmouth comes from Dogwood Ridge.

The population of Porter is of English, German, French and Irish de- scent. Many of its inhabitants are of foreign birth.

Wheelersburg

is located near the center of the township and is the oldest village within its boundary. It was first settled in 1820 and was called Concord. It was laid out by Rev. Dan Young and John Young, October 8, 1824, and the survey was made June 15, of the same year by Samuel Cole. The plat consists of forty- two lots covering an area of 14 acres. After two years the name was changed to Wheelersburg in honor of Major Porter Wheeler, an early settler, a noted Indian fighter and a soldier of the war of 1812.

Plats, Industries, Etc.

On March 21, 1842, Reizin Enslow platted an addition of seven lots con- taining 1 4-5 acres. On August 23, 1859, Wheelersburg was re-platted for the purpose of taxation into 105 lots and the total number of acres in the whole was 30 1-2. On March 26, 1898, J. B. and Ella McCoy platted an addition of nine inlots, numbered from 2 to 10 and covering three acres.

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

The machinery for a cotton factory was removed from Greenupsburg, Kentucky, to Wheelersburg in 1822 by Dan and John Young, They erected the factory on the southwest corner of Broadway and Center streets, This factory was sold by the Youngs to Edward Cranston in 1835 and removed to where the flour mill now stands, and changed to a woolen mill. Here it was operated by the Cranstons until 1897 when Benjamin Cranston removed the machinery and put in a flour mill. This flour mill has a daily capacity of 50 barrels,

Another important industry at Wheelersburg is the Fertilizer Factory. A drain tile factory was in operation here from 1871 to 1902, when it was re- moved to Wellston, Ohio.

Wheelersburg has three churches, three general stores, one drugstore, one undertaker, one blacksmith, one shoemaker, one harness dealer, two phy- sicians and one contracting carpenter.

Churches.

The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1822. Among its original members were: Rev. Dan Young, John Young, Hannah Gould, Josiah Merrill and wife, John Hurd and wife. Services were held at the homes of the members until 1838, when the first church was erected. In 1844 this building was replaced by a new one at an expense of $4,000. Rev. Dan Young was the first minister. Rev. Patrick Henry is the present pastor, The membership is 175. The church auxiliaries are the Epworth League and Junior League. The trustees are J. N. Hudson, Thomas Hartman, William Duis, J. C. Cadot and George Reif.

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A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 51

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