A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 69

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 69

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In 1856, at the age of eighteen, she became a teacher in the publis schools, and was such thereafter until 1891, a period of thirty-five years. The best part of her life she gave to the cause of public education. She was born with a gift for teaching, and it

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never failed her. When she began she had one hundred and thir- teen pupils. E. E. White, Superintendent, visited her room when she had that number, and supposed she could do nothing but keep order, but he found that she taught them and did it well. She never had any trouble with her pupils. While in her early years she used the rod, but she did it with such judgment that her pupils, now men, are thankful she did. In no case of discipline did she ever have to call in the Superintendent.

She began her teaching in the Lower Fourth Street Building. and was promoted from time to time, without any solicitation on her part, until 1867, when she reached the "A" Grammar, in which grade she taught until her retirement.

On August 27, 1867, she married Edward Mulligan and fully intended to retire from the schools. Prof. John Bolton had just ac- cepted the Superintendency of the Schools and felt that her school would be disorganized if she retired. He prevailed on her to re- main, and she did so at his urgent entreaty. She remained until June, 1891.

All those who have been her pupils have an affection for her amounting to reverence. None of them ever speak of her except in terms of the highest regard. She always had the highest con- fidence and regard of the different Superintendents and of her fel- low teachers.

Her husband died on December 31, 1895, much regretted, and since then she has lived on Gay street in dignified retirement. honor- ed by all who know her.

The editor of this work is glad and proud that it is his privi- lege to write of her worth as a woman and a teacher, though he has not the command of language sufficient to do the subject justice. His only son, now long deceased, was one of her pupils, and he speaks from his heart.

The question is often asked "What can a woman do?" Mrs. Mulligan's whole life is one of the best answers to that question.

The greatest work any one can do is for the young, to teach them so they will make excellent men and women. Who has given more of her life to that work than Mrs. Mulligan ?

Mrs. Mulligan is a devout communicant of the Church of the Holy Redeemer, and the writer believes she is as true and devoted a Christian woman as has ever lived. From childhood to the present day, when in the city and well, she has attended matins at the church every day in the year, and expects to do so as long as she lives. She has lived a life of usefulness and duty and her history is an object lesson to all who know her.

She tells many interesting reminiscences of her early days of teaching. During the early part of the civil war, Col. J. H. Allen was Superintendent of the Schools. He was a Union man but his

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wife was a rebel. One day, his daughter, a pupil of Mrs. Mulli- gan's, and a most beautiful girl, lovely as a dream of heaven, came into the school room, with a tiny rebel flag pinned to her breast. The other girls saw it at a glance, flew at her and tore it off. She remembers Deborah Chandler was foremost in the fray. Mrs. Mul- ligan relates that when the news came of the surrender of Vicks- burg, she had the bell of the Fourth street school house rung con- tinuously all day.

When she entered the corps of teachers, Mrs. Eliza Glidden was still among them as well as Mrs. Thompson, mother of Mrs. Henry Hall, her daughter, Julia and Mrs. Rigdon, mother of Mrs. Thomas S. Hall, and grandmother of Miss Lucy W. Hall, a teacher in the High School.

Mrs. Mulligan has lived to see the results of her labors in the men and women about her, and long may she enjoy on this earth, the satisfaction and comfort of all duties well done.

Mrs. Mary T. Ashton.

Her maiden name was Hartzoff, and her native place was New Castle, Pa. Her husband was William J. Ashton, a member of the Tooth Pennsylvania Infantry, known as the "Roundheads" in the Civil War. Soon after the Civil War, he went South and died there. His father was Edwin Ashton of Edinburg. Pa., a brother of Joseph Ashton of Portsmouth, Ohio, and a son of Major Joseph Ashton of the Revolutionary War, who has a sketch herein.

Mrs. Ashton came to Portsmouth, Ohio, in 1863, and taught nine years in the Portsmouth schools; three years of this time, she was the Principal of the old Second street school building. She went to Cleveland in 1874, and was made Principal of the building in the Iron ward of that city. She served five years and four months in that position and accepted the work of training teacher in connec- tion with the Normal Training School, where she is occupied now, after 22 years of continuous work. Her two children were born in Portsmouth, and were ten and eight years of age, when she left there. Her daughter, Martha Bolton died when 28 years of age. and her son, Edwin Percy Ashton, is in Detroit, Mich., in an exten- sive business in electric supplies.

One of the Superintendents of the Cleveland Schools says this of Mrs. Ashton's work: "Mrs. Mary Ashton has been in Cleve- land public schools for nearly a quarter of a century. Her work has been strong, broad and efficient. Her influence on her pupils and the teachers she trains is elevating, ennobling and lasting. Mrs. Ashton is a woman of strong and positive characteristics, and at the same time her heart goes out in love and tenderness toward all; and especially toward children who are fortunate enough to be in the school rooms of which she has charge. In the social circles of the

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city, she is highly esteemed and her influence here is far-reaching and always womanly. She stands for the best things morally, spir- itually, mentally and physically.

Miss Emma McFarlin,

now of Topeka, Kansas, was one of the most efficient of Ports- mouth teachers. She began teaching in the fall of 1868 in the "C" Primary in the old Library Building on the corner of Fifth and Court. She was promoted about the middle of the second year following to the "B" Primary in the Second street building. The next year she was promoted to the "A" Primary. She taught in that grade some five or six years and was promoted to the "D" Grammar. From the "D" Grammar she was given the "D" Pri- mary school and taught that until she went to Topeka, Kansas, in 1885, making eighteen years continuous service in the public schools. During all this time, her relations with the Superintendent, the School Board and her fellow teachers were the most cordial. She was very successful in discipline, in teaching and in the promotion of her pupils.

Miss Emily Ball

is a native of Portsmouth. Her father was Wm. Henry Ball, resi- dent on Third street. She entered the schools as a pupil in 1860, and graduated in 1872. For two and one-half months she taught as a substitute in the Portsmouth schools in the fall of 1872; and three months of the following spring, at the Red School House. In the fall of 1873, she began as a teacher in the Portsmouth schools in the "C" Primary on Fourth street. She was three years in that grade, then was promoted to the "A" Primary on Second street, in which she taught the English branches of that grade and the Arith- metic of the "B" Primary for two years. She went into the "D" Grammar on Union street, and taught there three years, and then one year in the "C" Grammar. She was promoted to the "B" Gram- mar, and after teaching there one year was dropped back to the "C" Grammar, on account of the dropping of an extra school. She re- mained in this grade two years and then was appointed to the "B" Grammar and "A" Grammar, but never taught. She went into the High School in the fall of 1885, and has been there since. She was Principal of the Union street building from 1879 to 1885, and Principal of the High School three years, and she was re-elected Principal in 1901, which position she now holds. The most of her labor in the High School has been in teaching Mathematics and As- tronomy, but she has taught English and American Literature, En- glish Composition, English History and Civics. When she began, there were three teachers in the High School; there are now six. At the beginning of her teaching in the High School, she taught 54 pupils out of 108.

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THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH.

Miss Ball enjoys the distinction of holding a High School Life Certificate from the State, and at present the only one in the corps of teachers having such. She is most highly esteemed as a teacher and disciplinarian and enjoys the confidence of the Board of Educa- tion and the parents of her pupils to the highest degree.

Miss Charlotte M. Lewis,

one of the most successful grammar teachers came to Portsmouth in 1854. She was a native of the State of New York. She obtained her entire education in the schools of Portsmouth. She began teaching thirty years ago in the "C" Primary. She was promoted to the "B" Primary and from there directly to the "D" Grammar, and from there was promoted regularly into the "A" Grammar. where she is now teaching. She taught one year under Professor John Bolton, and has been continually in the schools from that time; and has never lost more than a week, and that on account of sick rela- tives.

Mrs. Pauline Ashton Mckeown

was born in Pennsylvania, near Edenburg, twenty-eight miles from Pittsburg. Her father was Joseph Ashton, well known in Ports- mouth, the son of Major Joseph Ashton, of the Revolutionary War who has a separate sketch herein. Her mother was Matilda Kennedy. a sister of Milton Kennedy, a woman of strong mind and active piety. Our subject attended the public schools of Portsmouth, beginning as a pupil under Superintendent E. E. White, and belonged to the High School class which graduated in 1860. Later she went to Parker's Academy in Clermont County and finished her education. She took naturally to teaching and found employment in the schools of Pike, Scioto, Ross and Highland Counties and also in the district schools of Franklin County, Indiana. In 1874, she took up the work of teaching in the Public Schools of Portsmouth under the superin- tendency of Prof. J. F. Lukens. From that time to the present, she has been employed practically continuously in the Portsmouth schools, which fact is of itself a tribute to her ability as a teacher. She was Principal of the Second street building from 1877 to 1882 and of the Union street building from 1882 to 1887. From 1887 to 1889, she was in the latter building and since 1889, she has been Principal of the Union street building. She succeeded Mrs. Mulli- gan in the "A" Grammar grade in 1891, when the latter retired. Mrs. Mckeown is a good disciplinarian and possesses the desirable faculty of being able to get out of a pupil the best there is in him. She is well known in educational circles throughout the state and attends many of the state gatherings and has submitted papers of recognized value. On the 7th of March, 1873, she was married to John H. Mc- Keown, of Brookville, Indiana. He died April 2, 1891. She has a son, Emmitt Mckeown, a well known young man of business, and

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with a fine record as a soldier in the Spanish War. Mrs. McKeown is a member of the Second Presbyterian Church and active in all movements, social, economical and religious, that look to the uplift- ing and betterment of the race. She keeps abreast with the times. She is a reader and observer, a careful thinker, an interesting con- versationalist and her opinions are sought on many subjects. While teaching is her business, while she loves her work and is enthusiastic over it, she does not permit it to absorb her life. She is interested in much outside of her school work, in short in everything that makes for the betterment of herself and all about her.

Margaret Tracy Ricker

graduated from the Portsmouth High School in 1889. In 1889 and 1890 she was a substitute teacher in the Portsmouth public schools. She taught the "C" Primary for one year from September, 1890. For ten years after she taught in the "D" Primary. She was elected a teacher in the Portsmouth High School to take effect September, 1901, and has taught "D" English, "C" History and German and "A" Arithmetic.

Miss Louise Dever

is a graduate of Smith College, now Holyoke, North Hampton, Mas- sachusetts. In June, 1901, she was elected teacher in the Ports- mouth High School and taught Physics, Chemistry and Civil Gov- ernment. She has been re-elected for 1902-3.

Mrs. Ida Frances McColm,

one of the Portsmouth corps of teachers began her career as such in the Union street building in 1887. She taught two years each in the "B" Primary and "A" Primary and "A" Grammar. She taught . three years in the "C" Grammar and has taught to the present time six years in the "B" Grammar. She has done a great deal of permanent valuable work in the schools, and is highly esteemed for her qualities as a teacher.

Miss Mattie Lynn

is one of Portsmouth's most experienced teachers. She was a grad- uate of the Portsmouth High School in 1877, and entered the corps of teachers January, 1882, beginning in the "C" Primary, taking the place of a teacher who was married. She taught in this grade one year and a half, in the "B" Primary two years, "A" Primary two years, "D" Grammar two years, "C" Grammar three years and has taught eight years in the "B" Grammar where she is now engaged. She has taught in the lower Fourth street building, in Second street, in the Union street building and in Sixth street. She has always been successful in the maintenance of discipline and inducing her pupils to study, and has quite a record in grading them in each year. Her per centum of pupils passed each year has been as high as any teacher who ever taught in the schools.

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THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH.

Miss Kate Comins

is a graduate of the Portsmouth High School in the year 1885. She was the valedictorian of her class. After her graduation, she taught at the Children's Home for three years, then after that she was appointed one of the Portsmouth corps of teachers, beginning in the "B" Primary, where she spent two years. She taught in the "D" Primary two years, and afterwards in the "D" Grammar for eighteen months. The test of a teacher's capacity and ability is in an un- graded school, and she was a teacher in them for some time. She spent three years and one-half in the "C" Grammar. She taught seven months in the High School in 1901, and is at present teaching in the "B" Grammar. She has attended the training school for teachers at the Normal University of Michigan and at the Harvard University at Boston, Mass. She is a great student in her profession, and is recognized as one of the ablest and most ambitious teachers ever in the city schools.

Miss Iza Abbott,

now Mrs. William H. Dressler, entered the Portsmouth public schools in 1889, in the "C" Primary grade and remained in the corps eleven years, and at the time when she left the schools in 1891, she was teacher in the "C" Grammar. She was regarded as one of the most faithful and efficient teachers of the City. She was married January 27, 1901, and has one son, Donald.

Miss Kate L. Vigus

is a graduate of the Portsmouth High Schools. She began teaching in the "C" Primary grade and taught there from two to three years. She was promoted until she reached the "D" Grammar grade and taught there three years, and was assigned to the "D" Primary where she taught until 1902, when she was transferred to the "D" Gram- mar. She was made Principal of the Fourth Street Building in 1886. and has held that position ever since. She has written a number of literary articles for magazines which were accepted and for which she was paid. She is the author of two Christmas Cantatas, "The Christmas Waifs" and the "King's Message" for which she was paid, and which have been published in book form with other Christmas matter.

Miss Nettie C. Noel

graduated from the Portsmouth High School as valedictorian in 1879. She was first employed as a teacher in the "A" Primary. in 1892. She taught in this grade for seven years and was then trans- ferred to the ungraded schools which she taught for two years. In 1902, she was transferred to the "D" Grammar grade.

Miss Edith Royse

graduated from the Portsmouth High School in 1896. The year after she served as clerk in the office of the Superintendent of the City

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schools. In 1898, she taught in the "B" Primary, in 1899, in the "A" Primary, and in 1900, 1901 and 1902, in the "D" Grammar.

Mrs. Nannie Cookes

was educated in the Portsmouth schools, to the third grade in the High School. At that time she obtained a certificate to teach in Kentucky in the year 1881, and taught there one year. From 1882 to 1884, she taught in Plain City, Madison County, Ohio. In No- vember, 1884, she was married to Charles F. Cookes. In 1890, she began teaching in the Portsmouth Schools with the "C" Primary, and has taught there ever since. She has taught the "A", "B", "C" and "D" Primary, and for the last five years has taught the "D" Primary. She is Principal of the Offnere Street School Building. In her methods as a teacher, she is capable and thorough, and her services are highly appreciated by the Board of Education, the Su- perintendent and by the parents of her pupils.

Miss Mary Bryan

has been teaching in the public schools since September, 1894. From 1894 to 1897, she taught the "C" Primary, from that time on she has been a teacher in the "B" Primary. She resigned in 1902.

Mrs. Ella Gable,

nee Miss Ella Bishop, graduated from the Portsmouth High School in 1876. She taught that fall in Willard, Kentucky. In 1877 she became a teacher in the Portsmouth schools, entering the "C" Pri- mary. From that time until 1894 she taught in Portsmouth. In December, 1894, she was married to Wm. N. Gable, of Hartford City, Indiana. In three years she was left a widow, with one son Paul, now aged six years. She did not re-enter the schools until 1902, when she served as a substitute. She has recently been elect- ed to the ungraded school for 1902 and 1903. From 1877 to 1885 she taught in all of the Primary grades and in the "D" Grammar. She taught the ungraded school for the four years previous to her marriage. Mrs. Gable has shown herself to be one of the most effi- cient and able teachers in the corps, and has been so regarded by all of the Superintendents under whom she has served, and by the par- ents and guardians of her pupils.

Miss Ella Kiefer

is among the most efficient and successful teachers. She graduated from the Portsmouth High School in June, 1889, and began teach- ing in September following in the "B" Primary grade, where she taught two years. She taught in the "A" Primary two years when she was promoted to the "D" Primary where she has since taught. Her work has always been highly commended by the Superintend- ents under whom she has taught.

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THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH.

Presidents and Clerks of the Board of Education.

YEAR.

PRESIDENTS.

CLERKS.

1874

G. S. B. Hempstead

William Waller

1875

Elmer E. Ewing.

William Waller

1876

Elmer E. Ewing.

William Waller

1877

George W. Stacy

William Waller

1878

E. F. Draper

William Waller

1879

John J. McFarlin

J. P. Purdum

1880

Samuel J. Huston.

J. P. Purdum

1881

Samuel J. Huston

James P. Jack

1882

Cyrus M. Finch.

William A. Harper

1883

Cyrus M. Finch ..

.William A. Harper

1884

Theo. F. Davidson

E. F. Draper

1885

Theo. F. Davidson

E. F. Draper

1886

Theo. F. Davidson.

Harry Ball

1890

Nelson W. Evans

E. F. Draper

1892

John Jones.

E. F. Draper

1894

George Padan

E. F. Draper

1895

James M. Dawson

E. F. Draper

1896

Milton S. Pixley

E. F. Draper

1897

John A. Ives

Thos. C. Beatty

1898

B. F. Royse.

B. Frank Lynn

1899

B. F. Royse.

B. Frank Lynn

1900

M. S. Pixley

B. Frank Lynn

1901

Henry Amberg.

B. Frank Lynn

1902

Benjamin C. Bratt.

William L. Reed

THE PRESS. Early Newspapers.

THE PORTSMOUTH GAZETTE was the first newspaper venture in Portsmouth. It appeared August 5, 1818. It was published by Abott & Chan- ey, and continued until March 17, 1819.

THE PORTSMOUTH GAZETTE AND LAWRENCE ADVERTISER was published in Portsmouth on July 30, 1824, by John and James Carna- han. On March 18, 1825, they took in Ebenezer Corwin as a partner. It was published under the name of Corwin and Carnahan. Mr. Corwin was not a printer by profession, but he was a man of considerable ability and good education. He came to Portsmouth in 1812, and located on the Little Scioto River, but afterwards he moved to Portsmouth. It appears that he was a school teacher. He commenced work to edit the paper March 18, 1825, and continued it about six months; and on the 28th of October, 1825, the paper was discontinued. Mr. Corwin died April 9, 1851, in the 63rd year of his age and is interred in the Wheelersburg Cemetery.

THE WESTERN TIMES was started April 18, 1826, by Ebenezer Cor- win & Co. The "Co." was probably Julius A. Bingham. The paper was pub- lished a year when Mr. Corwin retired, and Julius A. Bingham became sole proprietor, editor and printer.

In the issue of this paper May 11, 1826, Young and Whitcomb adver- tised in Concord in the woolen business.

July 27, 1826, in this issue was announced the deaths of Thomas Jeffer- son and John Adams, twenty-one days after they occurred. The paper was in mourning. January 7, 1827, the paper announced that there was ice in the Ohio River and had closed. It was announced in the paper as being the first closing of the river by ice.

Mr. Bingham continued the publication of the Times until January 20, 1831, nearly four years. On the 4th of July, 1830, he had a difficulty with Eli Glover, who was then an 'apprentice in his office. He determined to start another paper and they did start The Portsmouth Courier, about the 1st of January, 1831. Mr. Glover had secured the county printing for Jackson, Lawrence and Pike Counties. and consequently he drove Mr. Bingham out of business and the Western Times suspended. The Portsmouth Courier was edited by Edward Hamilton, the first year. It was opposed to the adminis-

1887

John W. Overturf.

Harry Ball

1888

John W. Overturf.

E. F. Draper

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THE PRESS.

tration of General Jackson. At the end of the first year, Mr. Hamilton retired from the editorial control of the Courier and Elijah Glover remained as sole proprietor, editor and publisher. He took in his brother, S. G. Glov- er and Wm. P. Camden as printer. In 1832, he sold out to these parties and retired from the business, but in 1834 he bought back his brother's interest and remained in partnership with Camden until December, 1836, when they sold out to Edward Hamilton and changed the name of the paper to "The Scioto Tribune."

THE SCIOTO TRIBUNE was first issued Dec. 6, 1836, Edward Hamil- ton, editor and proprietor; Wm. P. Camden, printer. The name was adopted by Mr. Hamilton. In 1839, Silman Clark bought an interest in the "Tribune" and changed the name to "The Portsmouth Tribune." In 1842, Hutchins and Blinn took charge of the editorial department and published it for a short time. Mr. Hamilton succeeded them in that charge of the paper, and continued to edit it until the breaking out of the Mexican War in 1846.

On November 8, 1837. in "The Scioto Tribune," E. Glover advertises a boarding house. Nov. 18, 1837, the President and Common Council gave notice that they would apply to the Legislature for a new Charter and en- large the boundaries of the town. April 24, 1838, proposals for a Market House was asked, 45x125 feet. May 23, 1838, the river was very low, nearly all of the boats stopped. $1.00 per hundred on goods to Cincinnati; $10.00 cabin passage and $4.00 deck passage. Dec. 29. 1838, it was announced in "The Portsmouth Tribune," that there was a meeting of the citizens to con- sider a proposed bill for a new town charter. Jan. 26, 1839, a meeting to organize a Public Library was called at the Mayor's Office. March 14, 1839, a bill to incorporate All Saints Church was passed. May 17, 1839, the Epis- copal Church Cholr was called to meet for rehearsal. Sept. 28, 1839, it was announced that Kiscadden who killed Bowman was convicted of the murder. He hung himself in the jail Monday morning, the 3rd of September before Court convened. April 15, 1841, John M. Anderson advertised to take daguere- otypes at the American House. July 22, 1842, photographic miniatures ad- vertised by T. G. Simons and A. W. Page at the U. S. Hotel. On the same date, the Mechanics Institute was called to meet on the 19th of August, 1842, to accept or reject a Charter. On April 26, 1846, James Pursell announced that he would have new goods brought from Philadelphia in seven days. July 2, 1846, the New York Company was building a bridge over the Scioto at Portsmouth. April 20, 1846, there was a great sale of lots advertised in Portsmouth by Francis Campbell.

THE SCIOTO VALLEY POST, a Democratic paper, was started in 1840, by Wm. P. Camden. It was published at intervals until 1845.

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A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 69

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