USA > Ohio > Scioto County > A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record > Part 65
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479
THE WEATHER.
In 1883 and 1884, the thermometer was below zero six days in January, and yet the river was open from Pittsburg to Cairo.
September 19, 1884,-At 2:45 p. m, there was an earthquake in Ports- mouth. It lasted five seconds.
July 4, 1897 .- Was the hottest day in Portsmouth for sixty-seven years. The thermometer reached 105 1-5 deg. Fahrenheit. The record had been kept since 1830. From July 9th to the 18th, 1859, there was a long hot spell, when it ranged from 92 deg. to 103 deg., having the latter figure for two days. The observing station in Portsmouth is the second oldest in the United States, and there are but two older stations in the world. It was established in 1830, two years after the station in Philadelphia. All the above from Doc- tor D. B. Cotton. July 16, 1879 and July 18, 1887 were the next hottest days, the mercury going to 101 deg. The following are recent ones:
1893, June 19,-100 degrees.
1894, June 23,-102 degrees.
1895, June 23,-102 degrees.
1896, July 29,-100 degrees.
1897, July 4,-105 1-5 degrees.
1898, July 2 and 3,-101 degrees each.
1899, June 23,-98 degrees.
1900, July 15,-99 3-4 degrees.
1901, July 22,-102 degrees.
February 9, 1899,-The thermometer was 10 degrees below zero.
February 10, 1899,-The thermometer was 171/2 degrees below zero.
February 11, 1899,-The thermometer was 4 degrees below zero.
February 12, 1899,-The thermometer was 11 degrees below zero.
Rainfall.
July 20, 1896,-3.27 inches of rain fell in Portsmouth in twenty-four hours, the greatest rainfall ever known in the meteorological history of the county. It began the afternoon of the 20th. From 11 p. m. on the 20th until 6 a. m. on the 21st it poured. Chillicothe street was full of water from curb to curb. The Third street sewer could not carry off the water. Carey's Run broke all records. Turkey Creek and Pond Creek were out of their bonds. The east end was all under water. The canal was broken in a dozen places. There were washouts on the C. & O. and C. P. & V. Railroads.
February 22, 1897,-For twenty-four hours previous to 7 a. m. this day 2.42 inches of rain fell. The river rose twenty feet from 7 p. m. on the 21st to daylight on the 22nd.
February 23, 1897,-The river was 53 feet and 9 inches high.
February 24, 1897,-The river was 58 feet and 9 inches.
February 25, 1897,-The river reached 59 feet and stopped. March 26, 1898,-The river at 3:30 p. m. was 56 feet 3 inches.
March 28, 1898,-It reached 57 feet and 9 inches, the highest point.
March 16, 1899,-The river was 53 feet and 8 inches.
April 28, 1899,-Electric storm and cloud burst at Lucasville. There was a high wind, a great down pour of rain and hail stones, some were as large as a hen's egg. Lightning struck a former house of John Kline and it was fired and burned down. The families occupying it escaped. The con- tents were burned. George Cook was struck by lightning at home and was unconscious for an hour. While hailing, the thermometer dropped 30 de- grees and overcoats were in demand. Creeks all rose and bridges and tres- tles near by were swept out.
[The above data is intended to supplement that found under the tables of temperature and rainfall on the pages preceding and following this.]
--
480
THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH.
Rainfall, in Inches and Hundredths, at Portsmouth, from Ob- servations Furnished by D. B. Cotton, M. D.
Year.
January.
February.
March.
April.
May.
June.
July.
August.
September.
October.
November.
December.
Annual.
1830
1.10
1.40
6.00
1.10
2.50
3.80
0.30
0.90
2.90
0.10
4.10
0.10
24.30
1831
0.30
1.80
3.90
1.00
3.30
6.60
9.40
4.70
2.70
3.40
0.40
1.90
39.40
1832
3.00
4.00
1.80
5.80
2.20
2.30
4.50
7.30
3.30
3.20
2.00
6.20
45.60
1833
2.65
3.20
2.05
1.40
3.10
7.00
3.10
0.30
3.10
3.10
2.80
3.55
35.35
1834
6.70
1.60
2.60
2.20
1.20
4.10
1.40
1.05
1.40
3.70
4.30
3.20
33.45
1835
2.50
1.50
1.90
3.00
2.90
2.60
2.90
2.60
2.80
3.60
6.10
2.10
34.50
1836
1.30
3.15
4.20
3.10
6.80
2.70
3.10
6.00
3.80
2.00
2.20
2.20
40.55
1837
0.96
3.65
2.50
1.10
4.70
8.60
8.20
3.90
5.90
4.80
1.70
3.28
49.29
1838
1.50
3.20
3.20
4.50
5.10
5.12
5.00
1.80
1.10
3.50
3.10
1.60
38.72
1839
2.20
1.90
2.60
2.22
3.12
3.00
0.60
1.10
4.91
0.30
2.90
0.97
25.82
1840
2.02
2.75
2.34
5.50
6.40
10.66
1.35
3.15
2.20
3.30
0.30
2.12
42.09
1841
5.04
1.70
3.52
5.62
6.30
2.42
4.00
2.70
2.52
5.20
5.50
3.42
47.94
1842
4.30
3.04
2.94
4.20
6.02
8.20
3.14
2.21
0.90
1.20
3.85
2.32
42.32
1843
3.54
1.22
3.47
6.00
4.04
6.38
6.70
2.85
5.07
4.74
5.20
2.37
51.58
184-1
2.92
0.20
2.57
1.64
5.21
4.00
4.60
4.00
2.80
3.00
2.60
0.64
34.18
1845
1.94
1.60
2.24
1.30
5.10
5.85
2.92
5.30
3.80
3.00
3.80
3.20
40.05 45.39
1847
2.85
2.62
5.55
1.12
3.12
3.06
4.19
2.06
4.94
6.19
1.50
11.10
48.30
1848
3.91
2.38
2.75
0.25
6.81
3.25
6.94
5.06
0.25
2.56
1.50
5.48
41.14
1849
4.38
3.76
5.38
1.74
2.00
3.50
8.75
2.50
0.50
4.25
1.75
5.05
43.26
1850
8.22
3.56
8.96
3.60
3.81
3.52
4.00
8.00
0.75
2.62
2.75
8.12
57.20
1851
0.50
6.78
1.50
1.69
3.75
2.50
3.00
2.12
[2.75]
1.31
2.15
3.00
[30.97]
1852
2.00
4.12
3.75
5.56
2.44
6.19
1.12
2.88
1.88
1.56
2.62
5.50
39.62
1.32
4.08
1.50
5.19
1.00
2.00
1.50
1.88
3.00
5.12
1.75
0.40
28.74
7.25
2.69
4.75
2.00
0.25
1.00
2.00
1.50
0.56
3.56
3.19
2.58
31.33
1855
0.75
0.20
3.00
1.25
2.94
7.31
4.94
7.44
4.56
9.81
2.81
[3.50]
[45.51]
1856
......
0.95
0.75
0.15
1.00
2.12
3.62
1.00
0.25
2.00
....
...
0.35
0.20
5.75
2.69
2.44
0.44
1.81
1.64
5.75
2.33
7.20
3.09
8.34
1.43
4.21
1.22
6.70
1.29
2.32
2.09
6.15
46.37
1860
3.94
1.05
1.01
4.24
3.59
1.90
3.96
2.57
3.18
1.58
4.64
2.25
33.91
1861
3.10
2.60
1.81
5.35
5.99
2.15
1.40
5.45
3.19
3.40
5.86
1.64
41.94
1862
7.41
4.48
4.98
6.15
1.56
3.34
1.81
2.50
1.16
1.50
2.26
2.80
39.95
6.42
3.48
4.43
2.02
1.37
1.76
4.32
4.15
1.52
3.16
2.14
2.24
37.01
2.32
1.45
2.69
2.26
3.29
2.94
1.00
4.11
2.35
3.05
5.62
4.69
35.77
1865
2.65
3.55
5.90
3.95
10 59
4.30
6.17
2.00
6.03
1.15
1.15
6.53
53.97
1866
4.61
3.02
3.69
2.82
1.33
2.93
4.72
2.82
9.29
3.41
4.82
1.51
44.97
1867
3.23
5.96
7.11
1.37
4.64
1.46
4.34
4.32
0.72
5.57
2.10
4.47
45.29
1.81
0.95
3.83
4.71
6.26
4.40
2.97
4.45
9.00
1.64
1.85
3.20
45.07
2.82
2.52
4.57
4.22
3.86
4.70
4.20
2.21
3.48
2.28
3.82
3.16
41.84
1870
4.92
3.68
3.87
3.48
1.34
3.17
7.54
4.95
0.75
2.99
2.18
2.04
40.91
1871
2.57
3.96
2.50
2.69
1.80
2.59
3.66
2.26
1.32
2.59
2.02
2.70
30.66
1872
0.78
2.25
1.14
8.37
3.08
1.89
6.10
1.81
1.32
1.20
1.18
2.01
31.13
1873
1.60
4.87
3.01
1.97
4.75
3.48
7.12
4.98
2.58
4.95
1.94
4.94
46.19
1874
4.63
3.71
2.62
5.38
1.18
3.46
6.22
1.94
2.50
0.24
3.64
2.80
38.32
1875
2.12
1.52
5.36
1.99
3.50
5.81
8.76
3.28
1.73
2.26
5.06
4.33
45.72
1876
4.25
2.47
4.45
2.53
1.00
3.69
6.75
3.54
5.60
1.82
3.67
1.45
41.22
1877
5.16
0.36
5.16
2.59
1.97
3.60
5.11
1.39
2.20
1.79
2.44
3.24
35.01
1878.
2.96
1.36
3.90
1.37
1.96
2.39
1.42
2.92
2.73
2.06
3.16
3.66
29.89
1879
3.19
2.73
3.29
0.42
3.14
4.31
1.25
4.79
2.41
1.49
1.53
7.01
35.56
1880
4.05
5.80
4.56
5.94
2.03
4.65
2.85
5.54
3.99
2.90
3.05
3.62
48.98
1881
4.32
2.41
3.82
3.23
1.76
3.60
3.80
2.06
2.45
4.47
3.70
5.17
40.79
1882
8.82
6.28
4.19
3.09
8.49
6.85
3.44
6.69
3.66
1.72
1.30
1.68
56.21
1883
3.54
8.03
3.40
4.50
3.59
4.15
4.13
0.82
1.46
6.47
3.08
5.36
48 53
1884
5.34
6.11
5.55
3.90
4.90
3.47
2.45
1.35
1.87
1.22
1.46
4.70
42.32
1885
6.41
2.41
1.02
4.04
3.72
2.39
2.12
5.52
2.40
3.70
1.71
1.85
37.29
1886
3.70
1.82
3.88
3.28
5.22
6.75
3.82
3.98
3.99
1.25
5.22
2.42
45.33
1887
2.84
9.28
1.94
6.01
1.76
3.46
4.12
1.75
2.09
0.72
2.47
4.24
40.68
Mean
3.38
3.05
3.49
3.33
3.56
4.06
3.93
3.39
2.76
2.85
2.93
3.50
40.23
3.25
1.51
4.25
4.31
5.06
3.81
3.25
5.44
2.00
0.69
6.38
5.44
2.80
1857
1858
1859
1863
1864
1868
1869
1846 ..
1853
1854
481
Monthly and Annual Mean Temperatures in Degrees Fahr., at Portsmouth, from Observations Furnished by D. B. Cotton, M. D.
Year.
January.
February.
March.
April.
May.
June.
July.
August.
September.
October.
November.
December.
Annual.
1830
34.6
37.9
49.0
59.5
62.4
70.8
77.0
76.0
68.5
60.9
50.7
36.9
57.0
1831
24.4
32.2
47.2
55.6
61.1
71.6
73.2
71.3
64.3
57.1
42.6
22.9
52.0
1832
31.8
41.7
45.4
54.6
62.5
69.2
72.4
68.7
62.0
56.2
45.7
38.0
54.0
1833
38.5
39.6
43.6
57.9
68.3
70.1
75.8
69.6
68.5
51.8
43.9
39.0
55.6
1834
34.8
46.2
48.7
58.1
63.2
74 1
79.1
77.3
65.4
54.5
46.0
39.3
57.2
1835.
36.9
27.6
42.4
52.9
66.0
72.1
74.1
71.9
62.6
58.6
48.4
38.2
54.3
1836
35.6
34.3
40.5
56.9
67.8
70.8
74.9
72.7
70.8
52.1
42.1
36.4
54.6
1837
34.8
41.0
45.4
50.2
63.5
69.7
75.8
73.6
66.8
57.3
50.2
40 3
55.7
1838.
40.6
26.5
46.8
51.2
56.8
73.6
78.8
78.2
66.1
50.2
39.1
29.3
53.1
1839
37.9
37.2
44.8
58.8
67.8
70.3
76.7
73.4
62.7
60.5
39.0
33.1
55.2
1840
28.3
43.2
48.3
59.0
64.7
72 1
75.0
74.9
62 7
55.8
42.4
34.1
55.0
1841
32.7
34.3
45.1
52.9
62.5
76.6
77.7
74.5
69.3
52.0
45.9
38.4
55.2
1842
41.4
40.8
56.3
61.7
63.4
68.0
74.7
71.4
69.5
59.0
40.0
38,9
57.1
1843
41.4
31.2
33.0
55.0
63.6
72.0
77.2
73.8
72.9
52.7
44.9
38 7
54.7
1844
34.3
39.5
47.6
66.1
69.2
73.5
80.1
75.0
69.0
54.8
48.2
38.7
58.0
1845
42.0
43.5
48.2
64.0
64.4
74.6
78.9
77.7
68.8
55.0
45.1
29.8
57.7
1846 ..
39.3
37.3
48.4
60.5
68.4
71.4
76.3
78.0
73.7
56.1
50.2
44.2
58.6
1847
37.4
41.5
45.1
59.9
65.2
71.3
76.0
73.2
67.2
56.1
48.2
39.8
56.7 57.2
1849
34.5
34.3
50.6
55.9
66.5
77.7
76.4
76.4
69.1
55.8
51.9
36.5
57,1 56.6
1851
47.2
49.5
56.4
68.1
73.2
79.0
76.4
72.1
56.7
44.7
32.6
57,9
1852
29.7
41.0
49.3
53.2
67.8
71.6
79.1
74.4
68.7
62 6
45 0
43.0
57.1
37.6
38.8
45.7
56.4
65.8
79.2
77.9
76.7
70.1
53.1
50.2
35.6
57 3
1854
42.5
48.3
55.3
68.1
75.3
83.0
81.3
77.9
62.7
44.9
38.1
59.3
1855
37.0
29.0
41.1
60.1
66.4
70.7
79.2
76.2
74.2
56.0
52.1
44.1
57.2
1856
...
...
......
...
71.0
74.3
74.6
70 6
53.9
40.9
43.3
53.9
44.5
30.7
44.5
58.1
64.4
74.5
77.6
76.4
68.2
61.9
44.0
44.5
57.4
32.9
40.1
51.0
53.7
69.3
72.1
78.3
73.4
66.8
52.6
46.6
31.1
55.7
36.9
37.7
46.8
57.9
69.0
71.0
77.3
73.7
65.3
57.8
42.0
33.2
55.7
35.2
40.5
44.8
56.4
61.4
73.7
71.7
74.3
64.8
55.4
43.5
37.4
54.9
1862
37.1
36.5
43.5
54.9
66.0
71.2
78.2
77.6
71.4
57.4
44 8
40.5
56.6
39.5
40.4
42.0
54.0
72.3
69.7
75.7
74.3
63.9
52.9
45.8
39.9
55.7
1864
38.3
42.7
52.3
63.8
69 6
78.2
75.8
67.8
51.5
47.3
36.9
54.8
1865.
29.7
38.6
49.1
57.7
62.6
73.2
73.5
70.6
71 2
53.9
43.2
39.0
55.2
1866
33.0
34.2
43.0
59.9
60.8
71.9
77.2
67.2
65.5
56.6
44.2
31.6
53.8
24.7
40.7
39.1
57.1
59.7
75.5
76.8
73.8
70.6
55.5
45.9
35.5
54.6
29.4
33.9
50.0
52.0
61.5
71.2
79.9
72.0
63.8
54 5
43.6
31.7
53.6
38.3
38.9
40.1
52.5
61.4
68.8
74.2
75.1
66.5
46.3
39.9
37.1
53.3
1870
35.4
39.6
53.7
66.9
72.1
77.1
75.0
69 5
58.1
45.4
28.3
54.9
37.7
38.7
51.7
60.3
65.6
75.2
75.2
76.5
65.0
52.2
35.8
32.0
55.5
30.5
32.3
37.2
57.5
66.6
72.8
77 6
76.2
66.1
53.2
40.9
26.2
53.1
30.2
34.4
39.8
52.6
65.3
76.6
72.9
68.5
51.6
43.4
43.4
54.5
1874
39.2
41.3
46.8
52.0
68.4
77.7
75.2
71,0
57.1
45.8
41.6
57.9
1875
29.2
31.4
45.2
53.6
66.8
74.5
78 9
74.5
66.8
54.2
46.6
48.4
55.8
1876
44.6
40.7
45.9
57.7
68.8
76,0
79.3
77.8
68.2
50.7
43.0
26.2
56,6
1877
33.4
42.5
42.9
58.2
63.8
74.3
78.8
76.1
68.9
60.0
47.4
47 4
57.8
37.4
40.8
52.9
53.6
65,0
71.1
82.9
78.8
65,0
56.7
46.9
31.1
56.8
1879
32.3
37.1
48.0
56.3
69.3
74.7
81.6
73.8
64.9
63.9
48.7
44.6
57.9
1880
50.1
43.6
46.8
58.8
71.6
75.5
76.8
76.6
66.6
55 4
39.8
30.7
57.7
1881
31.6
34.4
40.0
50.8
67.1
71.0
77.5
75.2
73.9
60.9
44.8
41.1
55.7
1882
34.8
42.6
47.4
51.6
59.9
69.0
74.8
71.2
66.1
58.6
43.1
33.3
54.4
1883
30.4/
38.7
38.3
55.0
61.1
69.7
73.2
69.8
61.6
57.5
46.6
36.4
53.4
1884
23.3
40,9
42.5
51.6
62.0
71.1
72.2
71.5
69.3
58.1
42.4
33.9
53.2
1885
29.2
26.1
35.0
52.6
62.0
69.0
75.3
71.8
63.6
51.5
41.7
35.8
51.1
1886
27.7
32.3
42.6
55.3
64.5
68.8
72.8
71.8
66.9
53.5
42.5
30.4
52.4
1887
33.0
42.0
42.3
52.5
67.8
71.4
78.0
72 2
65.2
51.6
42.5
35.6
54.5
Mean
35.1
37.9
45.0
57.5
65.1
72.5
76.9
74.4
67.8
55.7
44.7
36.2
55.7
1848
41.6
39.8
46.4
57.1
68.7
72.4
74.8
74.4
64.0
56.5
44.3
46.5
1850
39.4
39.3
43.9
53.3
61.5
75.2
81.8
78.4
69.3
56.1
42.6
38.7
31.3
1857
22.2
46.6
42.5
46.6
60.3
1858
1859
1860
1861
1863
32.9
1867
1868
1869
37.5
1871
1872
1873
75.0 78.2
1878
38.6
1853.
34.7
THE WEATHER.
L
482
THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH.
THE STAR SHOWER OF NOVEMBER 13, 1833. By Abraham G. Noel.
Dr. Andrews and Charley Tracy (a lawyer) of Portsmouth, my father and myself, went out hunting the first week in November. The hunt lasted a week or ten days. We took a wagon with a tent, provisions, etc. My home was about six miles northwest of Portsmouth, and we went about twelve miles west of my home to a place near the "Copperas Rock," (a great rocky bluff.) This was at the headwaters of Long Run, a branch of Bear Creek, which is a branch of Brush Creek. The weather was bright and clear, with cool nights, We kept a fire all night in front of the tent. We hunted in the daytime, killing in all, twenty-two deer. The deer seemed stupid during the whole time that we were out. We cooked for ourselves, having the heartiest meals in the morning and evening. Father roasted the meat, Tracy roasted the potatoes, the Doctor made the coffee, and I got water and wood and kept the fire going.
There was nothing unusual about the weather the day and evening be- fore the star shower. On the third or fourth night of the hunt, I got up before three o'clock to make a fire, and saw a number of meteors falling. I called up the other men to see the display. At first, when there were only a few meteors falling, we could see them at a great height. They fell appar- ently to within thirty or forty feet of the earth, then seemed to burst and fragments flew in all directions. The shower rapidly increased until, in a few minutes, the whole atmosphere was full of them, and they fell or flew in all directions like sparks from a burning hickory log. The word "millions" would not tell the number. This lasted until four o'clock, but after that, a few meteors continued to fall until daylight. We could hear them making a crackling sound on the leaves and grass, and the next morning, we found little balls sticking to the leaves, which when crushed resembled a mixture of ashes and iron-rust. Between three and four o'clock it was so light that a man could see to shoot squirrels with a rifle. We were not frightened. Dr. Andrews was a learned man and he explained the phenomenon, saying that it occurred at regular periods of time.
Some of the people in the settlements near by, were so frightened that they prayed all the next day. They thought the end of the world was at hand. The day following, a heavy snow began at nine o'clock and contin- ued till twelve. The snow was in balls from the size of a marble to a hulled walnut. It was soft and soon melted. All the afternoon there was an occa- sional light fall of snow. After that we had bright weather.
[Note .- The above was written by Mr. Abraham G. Noel from personal recollection. He dictated the above in his ninety-third year. He died Febru- ary 5, 1902, at Joliet, Ills. He has a sketch herein.]
Description by James Emmitt.
It was a chilly night in the early winter of 1833. To be exact, it was on the evening of November 13, 1833, and our flat boat was ungracefully slip- ping down the Ohio river to Madison, Ind. At the particular hour in ques- tion, the boat was just passing the point where the little Miami river empties its amber flood into the Ohio.
The night was clear and frosty. Suddenly a great flood of light envel- oped the earth to the uttermost bounds of the boatmen's vision. Earth and sky and river were lurid. The world was ablaze with a wonderful glory, And a moment later the whole firmanent was filled with a terrible display-a de- luge of falling stars, that came down to the earth, or traversed the flaming atmosphere from north to south, from west to east, from south to north, and from east to west They fell in sheets of glorious flames; in groups of hun- dreds, in clouds of thousands. Their light was so intense and glaring that the river seemed a surging tide of blood; the boatmen like chief ferrymen on one of the main seething-hot rivers of hell. No man spoke.
It was an hour of terror, and knees quaked and tongues clave to the roof of the mouth. The "oldest inhabitant," seized with a terrible fear that the hour of deserved retribution had come to him, opened not reminiscent head, and related naught of what occurred "when I was a boy," to the dis-
483
GREAT STORM.
paragement of the magnificent, but terrorizing spectacle. It was a pyrotechnic- al display of appalling magnitude, of blinding brilliancy, and astounding characteristics. At times the air seemed absolutely crowded with gyrating and descending sky rockets. Then there would be a magnificent and dazzling burst of light-so bright that it was impossible to look heavenward. Then would come hundreds of luminous stars, chasing others that had gone before them, and streams of rolling fire, that illuminated the northern hemisphere.
And during it all-during one of the greatest meteorological displays that ever startled the world, Emmitt's flat boat, with its alarmed crew, floated down the broad bosom of the Ohio.
THE GREAT STORM OF MAY 21, 1860.
At four P. M. a black cloud was seen coming from the southwest. There was thunder, but nothing unusual was anticipated. It came all of a sudden with the wind. Houses were unroofed, walls blown down, chimneys toppled over and trees prostrated. The air was filled with leaves, torn from the trees by the force of the wind, with shingles, pieces of roof, brickbats, etc. The streets and valleys were filled with rubbish torn from the buildings, and trees. The steeple of the First Presbyterian Church with the bell and clock tower in it, were thrown across the street between two houses and the roof of the church was nearly stripped off. Jefferson and Kepner's large brick store house just about completed, was wrecked, the wind got into it and crushed down every floor with bricks from near the roof. part of the east wall was thrown on the Brown residence, next east, occupied by E. Jones and family, from Elmira, New York. A little girl, a daughter of four years, was crushed beneath the falling walls and instantly killed. The upper floors of the house were crushed through, destroying all the furniture. Men were working to finish the Jefferson building and one Henry McCallister was caught in the wreck and killed. The others escaped. David Price, a dray- man, with his horse, was killed in front of Mr. Tewksbury's residence, by the roof of the Blake building being thrown on his horse and dray. The whole
mass of the roof fell on him, his horse and dray, while the wheel of his dray was caught on a hitching post. A moment more and he would have es- caped. Henry Davis's frame machine shop on Mill street, was totally demol- ished. Many roofs were torn off and the damages were quite extensive. Scarcely a house escaped without more or less damage. William Mckinney, on the west side north of the distillery, was returning home when the storm overtook him. He was killed by a tree falling and crushing him. Everywhere the timber was prostrated and the roads were blocked with it. On this ac- count, the Chillicothe coach, due that evening, did not arrive until the next day at 10 o'clock in the morning.
CHAPTER III.
The Schools-The Press-The Churches The City Hospital-The Park Hospital-The Cemeteries-Memorial Days.
THE SCHOOLS.
There were no schools in Portsmouth supported by the public prior to 1839. That is really the beginning of the school history of Portsmouth. What occurred before that date is largely tradition. There are no public rec- ords to show what the Historian would like most to know. The charter of the town in 1814 said nothing about schools. It was not until March, 1838, the Legislature authorized the town council to provide for the support of the common schools, to create school districts, to build houses and to borrow money for that purpose. The same act authorized a levy of two mills on the dollar for school purposes. The Council was authorized to create the office of Trustee and Visitor of the common schools for one year. The Council was also to appoint five persons as Examiners and Inspectors of common schools for two years who granted certificates to teachers and examined the schools.
Pursuant to this law, the town council made three school districts, one of each of the three wards constituting a district. The electors were to meet on the second Friday of November, 1838, and the third Friday in September each year after and elect three Trustees and Visitors of Common Schools. The Treasurer of the town was to take charge of the school funds and the Recorder of the town to keep the school accounts. The first Trustees and Visitors of common schools were elected November 9, 1838. They were: First ward, James Lodwick; Second ward, Washington Kinney; Third ward, J. V. Robinson. This was the beginning of public schools in Portsmouth. We have first to deal with the period prior to 1839. There was a public school house built in Portsmouth in 1806 by John Brown, senior, but whether it was built by a public tax, or by voluntary contributions is matter of conjecture. Wayne Township had no existence until 1809 and the records of Union Town- ship from 1803 to 1809 are lost. They are not even known to be in exist- ence. The probability is, that the school house built by John Brown was built by voluntary labor and contributions. It stood where the "Buckeye House" now stands, or on the same lot.
Henry Massie in platting the town of Portsmouth, dedicated lots 130 and 143 to schools. These are the lots where the Second Street School House now stands. He also donated out-lot 39 which embraces three hundred and fifty-five feet on Court street and four hundred and forty-five feet on Fourth. The Fourth Street School House was built on a part of this lot and the remainder of it was leased out perpetually. Lots 130 and 143 were first rented out and Clark Smith taught a school in a log house there in 1823. The benches were of slabs, with riven legs, and no backs. The desks were rude boards attached to the walls. The house was heated by a fire-place. The books were Webster's Spelling Book, Introduction to English Reader, Pike's Arithmetic, Sequel to English Reader and Murray's English Grammar. In 1829 George Ross Kelsey taught the first public free school in the Philip Young property, on Third near Washington street. It was continued only three months and paid for by the sale of Section 16; and in three months the funds were exhausted. In 1834 a public school house was erected on Lot 215 on Jeffer- son street. In 1836 Mr. Mears taught a pay school, and in the same year Wil- liam S. Morrell taught a free school. In 1836 the school youth were four hun- dred and fifty-four. In 1837 the value of the school building was five hundred dollars. They consisted of a frame shell on Jefferson and a log building on Second street. In 1837 the enumeration was five hundred and forty-five,-two hundred and seventy-eight males, two hundred and sixty-nine females. School funds were $529.80 of which $277 was paid teachers. In 1838 the sums paid
(484)
485
THE SCHOOLS.
teachers per month were: W. K. Scott $37.50, Mrs. M. A. Wilcox $29.16, Miss Thankful Graves $16.33, Miss Harriet Ratcliff $16.33.
William Jones was the first teacher in Portsmouth and he continued to teach from 1806, the year he began, until 1828. He was paid by the parents or guardians, a stipulated sum per quarter and with all due respect to the forefathers, he had a hard time to collect that. He often gave public notice that the tuition due him should and must be paid. All the schools in Portsmouth from 1806 to 1839 were conducted in this manner. The law of January 22, 1821, provided that Township Trustees were to create districts in their townships, of twelve to forty householders; a school committee of nine was to be elected on the first Monday in May in each year and a collector, who should act as Treasurer. The committee was to erect a school house and employ a teacher and the expense was to be assessed on the parents of the pupils sent. The school committee was to have its share of the proceeds of school funds. There is no record to show that Portsmouth, or Wayne Township, ever acted under this law, though the Township, or Town, may have done so. The act of Febru- ary 5, 1825 provided for a state levy of one-half mill on the dollar for a school fund. Three directors were to be elected in each district and to employ a teacher. This law also provided for school examiners. The act of March 10, 1831, undertook to make a complete system of common schools. The school fund was three-fourths of a mill but not to be levied on the property of blacks or mulattoes. This act added a district clerk and treasurer, and the school meetings were to be the third Tuesday in October. By the act of March 7, 1838, the school fund was made two mills on the dollar, district elections were to be held the third Friday in September, and there were to be three directors elected each year. The act of March 16, 1839, made the school age from four to twenty-one. "Cuffee" was still an outlaw and only white chil- dren were to be admitted to the schools. It was not until under the act of March 14, 1853, that the three local directors began to be elected in April of each year, one in each year and for three years' term. This act provided for Township Boards of Education and central High Schools.
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