USA > Ohio > Scioto County > A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record > Part 74
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PHYSICIANS.
It is always easy to name the first physician in Portsmouth, Dr. Thomas Waller. He had the field all to himself until 1816, when Dr. G. S. B. Hemp- stead came.
Dr. Jacob Offnere came in 1805 or 1806. but located and practised at the mouth of the Little Scioto. He bought the present Damarin farm of the United States and moved on it. when he gave up the practice of medicine in 1816. He then went into the practice of making money, in which he was very successful.
From 1811 to 1817 Dr. Claudius Dufligne was a resident of Portsmouth and held himself out as a physician. He was very learned, or had the reputa- tion of being so He had an extensive collection of medical works mostly in the French language. He had more surgical instruments than any doctor in Portsmouth, but whether he had any practice of consequence is not known. The medical fraternity of his time regarded him as a learned physician.
In 1818 there was a Dr. De St. Leger. He advertised as a French physi- cian, surgeon. midwife and dentist. He was a bird of passage, and did not re- main long. Dr. Thomas Hersey was in Portsmouth in 1820, and for some years after. In 1821 a Dr. M. Snow was associated with Dr. Hersey. The latter pulled out in 1822.
Dr. James B. Prescott was one of the early physicians, a very respectable member of the profession, with standing sufficient to have been a member of the Hempstead Academy in our day. had he lived in it. Dr. Prescott, however, liked hotel keeping better than the practice of medicine.
A Dr. James Ellis came in 1822, but soon flitted away. Dr. Nathaniel An- drews came in 1823, and remained until his death in 1841. He was a good physician and an excellent citizen. He was a devout Methodist, and Dr. Hemp-
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PHYSICIANS.
stead admired him very much. Dr. Arthur Farquhar came, in 1827, but soon engaged in other pursuits.
Dr. Robert Rogers came in 1832. and was associated with Dr. Hempstead for two years. The two Doctors Pattillo came in 1833. They were from "tide water" Virginia. The older doctor did not practice and the younger one was associated with Dr. Hempstead for one year.
In 1837, Drs. Pattillo and Hall were in partnership. In the same year there located a Dr. Thomas Sim.
In 1838, Dr. G. G. Wood advertised himself as of London, England. There was also a Dr. Petrie came in the same vear.
In 1839, Dr. B. Work came in; he was of the Botanic school.
In 1842, Dr. Sonderegger advertised. On February 4th, 1842, Dr. James M. Shackelford came. In the same year Drs. Pattillo and Voglesong were in partnership.
In 1844, Dr. Joseph Corson came to Portmouth.
In 1846, Dr. J. W. Dennis located. He sometimes practised medicine and sometimes kept a grocery.
In 1845. Dr. William J. McDowell began practice.
On November 7, 1847. Dr. T. Garwood began practising. He was a water doctor, or in medical phraseology, a hydropath.
In 1848, Drs. Hempstead and Corson were partners.
On May 26, 1851, Dr. Hiram G. Jones located in Portsmouth. He con- ducted a drug store a part of the time. and afterwards went to Evansville, Ind., where he died. On October 17, 1851, Dr. G. St. Clair Hussey located in Ports- mouth. the first homeopath.
On January 17. 1853. Dr. Henry Edgar, another homeopathist, located in Portsmouth. In 1853, Dr. Hiram G. and Andrew Barry Jones advertised as physicians.
On November 8, 1854, Dr. E. Seguin, a French physician, advertised.
In 1855, Drs. Corson and Mussey were in Portsmouth. November 14, 1855, Dr. J. A. Wakeman, another homeopathist. located, and on the same day Drs. Z. H. Sanders, Neel and Philo advertised.
August 17, 1859. Dr. E. Arnold advertised. March 4, 1857. Dr. M. L. Barr published his card. May 16. 1857. Dr. David B. Cotton advertised. He stated that his office and lodging were with Dr. S. B. Hempstead.
On February 24. 1858. Drs. Shackelford and McDowell were partners.
On October 19, 1859, Dr. St. Leger Rilley advertised. he was from Dayton. O. On December 10, 1859. Dr. C. C. Bronson, a homeopathist, located in Ports- mouth.
On April 4. 1860, Dr. George Washington located in Portsmouth. He married a daughter of Captain Samuel J. Huston, and went to Missouri. He was of the Botanic School.
On June 4, 1861. Dr. F. A. Kneffner. a homeopathist, located.
On June 8, 1862. Dr. O. J. Hall came to Portsmouth. He had practised at Wheelersburg for several years. On August 18. 1860. Dr. George B. Bailey advertised. He came from Aberdeen, O., and gave his life for his country in 1861. On June 28. 1860. Dr. C. C. Brown. another homeopathist. came to town.
On December 5, 1863. Dr. Maurice Kickback came to town. He was a graduate of Berlin University, and was top heavy with learning. January 16, 1864. Dr. D. C. Munn advertised. January 11, 1864, Dr. Lewis Schwab adver- tised as a physician.
Dr. Benjamin F. Coates located in Portsmouth on July 26, 1865. He had been a successful physician in West Union, O., but only practised about one year in Portsmouth. He became Collector of the Internal Revenue and gave up his profession. He preferred the practice of politics, to medicine, and was very successful in the former.
August 4, 1866. Dr. J. J. Wood located in Portsmouth. He was from Iron- ton. November 24. 1866. Dr. Cyrus M. Finch located in Portsmouth. He had previously practised in Wheelersburg.
June 8, 1867, Dr. O. J. Wilson, a homeopathist, located. He left soon. November 30, 1867, Dr. T. T. Garlic began practising in Portsmouth.
1
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THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH.
The ten who signed the fee bill of 1867 were A. B. Jones, D. B. Cotton, J. A. Lair, Wm. J. McDowell, C. M. Finch, J. M. Shackelford, O. J. Hall, B. F. Coates, L. Schwab, H. McCorney; all now ( 1901), deceased, hut Dr. Cotton.
On December 25, 1867, Dr. James Phelps Bing located in Portsmouth.
On May 13, 1868, Dr. J. Haas was located in Portsmouth. He was one of God's "chosen people," but soon departed for fairer fields.
On December 30, 1868. Dr. M. S. Pixley located in Portsmouth.
On May 15, 1870, Dr. John R. McClure began practice.
November 13, 1827, B. A. Taft, and eclectic physician located. Also L. W. Taft, a brother. One of them kept an eclectic drug store.
May 28, 1873, Dr. Theo. F. Davidson came to Portsmouth from Greenup,
Ky. He remained a number of years and then went to Columbus.
On April 23, 1874, Dr. Peter J. Kline, of Ross county, located in Ports mouth. On June 3, 1874 Albert L. Mehaffey a homeopath, located. He re mained but a few months.
H. T. Wilson, M. D., located in 1869. Dr. S. M. Garwood located in 1869, a botanic and eclectic, but death soon took him, November 10, 1870, at the age of thirty-four.
February 11, 1874, Dr. H. C. Beard advertised as a physician. He after- wards went to Lucasville, O., where he died August 21, 1895.
June 28, 1876, Dr. E. C. Peck took the place of Dr. David Crees as a homeopath but did not stay long.
October 3, 1878, Dr. R. M. Gibson advertised as a physician. He died in 1885, at the outset of a promising career. On December 7, 1878, Dr. Andrew B. Richardson located. In 1878 Drs. Richardson and Cotton advertised as part- ners. In the same year Dr. George W. Weyer took up the practice of medicine, and the firm was Kline & Weyer. On May 29, 187,8, Dr. E. S. Ricketts located in Portsmouth, and afterwards removed to Cincinnati.
May 29, 1879, Dr. E. P. Cooke, of Marietta, located in Portsmouth. He remained but a few years.
On June 4, 1879, "petticoats" first invaded the ranks of the profession in Portsmouth. Miss Clara E. Aldrich, of Boston, Mass., a homeopath, located in Portsmouth. She was highly edcuated in her profession and well received. She took cold from exposure; consumption resulted, and she died at her home in Marlboro, Mass. November 6. 1881, at the age of thirty.
Dr. John N. Crawford graduated in medicine in 1880, and at once located in Portsmouth. He practised there until April 1, 1895, when he left for New York city. He is now residing in the city of Philadelphia.
October 22. 1881, Dr. George M. Marshall advertised at Sciotoville. He afterwards came to Portsmouth, and went from here to Columbus. At the same time Dr. Alexander V. Robinson advertised. He afterwards located in Beatrice, Neb.
February 4, 1882, Dr. Arthur Titus returned to the practice of medicine in Portsmouth. He had left Wheelersburg for Missouri about 1872.
On May 19. 1881, Dr. Andrew B. Richardson was elected Superintendent of the Athens Asylum. On March 28, 1881, Dr. Sarah Ellis, a homeopath lo- cated in Portsmouth. She was an elderly woman (if there are any such), and she did not remain long.
May 24, 1884 Dr. Frank L. Stillman, who had been practising a short time in Portsmouth, was elected Assistant, Physician at the Insane Asylum at Columbus, and since then he has practised in Columbus.
February 16, 1887, Dr. Charles W. Reeder advertised as a physician. He died September 18, 1891.
July 25, 1888, Dr. Edwin M. Ricketts removed to Cincinnati.
October 17, 1891, Dr. C. L. Hudgins advertised.
Dr. Mary H. Cotton, second daughter of Dr. D. B. Cotton, practised in Portsmouth, O., from April, 1894 to 1899, when she removed to New York city, where she is engaged in practice.
June 11 1896, Dr. E. M. Foster advertised.
545
PHYSICIANS.
Practicing Physicians.
PHYSICIANS.
GRADUATED.
LOCATED.
Allard, Lorenzo D.
February 28th, 1879.
May 13th, 1896.
Berndt, Albert.
April 15th, 1896
April 15th, 1896.
Cotton, David B
March 8th, 1856
May 10th, 1857.
Cook, Clara E
March 28th, 1896
February 1st, 1900.
Dixon, W. S.
March, 1886 ..
July 1st, 1896.
Edwards, Frank M.
April 3d, 1895.
July 18th, 1895.
Ellis, W. C.
May 2d. 1899 1893.
October 3d, 1901.
Foster, Ezekiel M
March 3d, 1892
May 28th, 1895.
Fulton, Margaret
April, 1900
July, 1901.
Gault, William E
March 28th, 1897
January 25th, 1898.
Halderman, Stephen S.
March 1st, 1875.
February 18th, 1876.
Halderman, Henri G.
May 7th, 1901
May 8th, 1901.
Hendrickson, Joel W
May 26th, 1894.
May 26th, 1898.
Hubert. Enoch W. (colorcd)
March, 1895.
November, 1896.
Kline, Peter J
March, 1871.
April 1st, 1874.
Lottridge, William M.
March, 15th, 1880
November 15th, 1892.
Micklethwait, William D
May, 1901.
April, 1902.
Moore, Arthur R.
March 28th, 1892
May 6th, 1897.
McCall, E. O.
March, 1890.
April 20th, 1902.
McKerrihan, Sample B
March, 1877
June Ist, 1884.
Pixley. Milton S Rardin, Joseph S ...
March 6th, 1890
April 1st, 1890.
Sellards, Abraham G.
March 11th, 1868.
October 5th, 1893.
Sellards, Howard.
March 1st, 1891
January 1st, 1900.
Smith, William W
March 14th, 1880
May 1st, 1884.
Sulzer, Gustavus A
May 6tl1, 1892.
October 24th, 1898.
Test, A. L ..
July Ist, 1887.
November 16th, 1901.
VanTine, Cochran
March 11th, 1890
March 20th, 1890.
Williams, Frank H
March 1st, 1883
October 2d, 1897.
Watkins, Frank L.
April, 1901.
June, 1901.
SKETCHES OF PHYSICIANS.
Thomas Waller
was one of the most prominent citizens of Portsmouth, during the first twenty years after its founding. He was a citizen whom the people delighted to honor, and in whom every one had confidence. He was an old fashioned Virginia gentleman in the strongest sense of the term. He was descended from Edward Waller, the English poet. On his mother's side he was descended from the great English patriot, John Hampden. He was born September 14, 1774, in Staf- ford County, Virginia. He received his education at William and Mary College and attended Medical lectures at Philadelphia, at Jef- ferson Medical College, under the great Dr. Rush. After one course of lectures he went to Bourbon County, Kentucky, as a physician. He was married there, June 14, 1800, to Elizabeth MacFarlane, and he and she took their wedding trip on horse back to Cumberland Co., Pennsylvania, to visit her relatives. While there, Dr. Waller at- tended another course of lectures at Jefferson Medical College. They remained in the east a year and returned on horse back bringing a baby with them. They reached Alexandria, June 21, 1801, and determined to remain there.
March Ist, 1866
July, 1867.
Hall, Lorin.
March 1st, 1880.
July 14th, 1896.
July 7th, 1902.
Fitch, J. W
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THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH.
From 1803 to 1809, he was a Justice of the Peace of Union township, and conducted his court with the highest decorum. His docket is still in existence. On November 21, 1803, he fined John Meirs, a school teacher, $2.00 for using two profane oaths. In 1804. while he was holding court, one William Bennett swore in his pres- ence and was immediately fined fifty cents.
Dr. Waller was first in every thing in Portsmouth and in Scioto County. He was the first physician to locate in the county. He was the first in learning and scholarly attainments until 1816, when Dr. Hempstead came along, then there were two college bred men in the town. He was one of the first councilmen of the town when it was organized March 15, 1815. He was the first president of the town council, and remained such continuously until March 15, 1822, when he declined to serve any longer. He was undoubtedly the first citizen of the town in the estimation of his fellow citizens. He was the first warden of All Saints.
He was the first town surveyor, chosen, May 1, 1816. . On September 3, 1818, the first bank was organized in Portsmouth. He was its president and continued as such until his death. He was the second post master appointed, March 7, 1812, and held the office con- tinuously until his death. He kept the post office, his physician's of- fice and a drug store in his residence on Front street. He was a member of the Legislature, the first which met after Scioto County was organized. It remained in session from December 3, 1804, to February 22, 1805. Adams and Scioto Counties were in one legisla- tive district, and there were three representatives, Abraham Shepherd, who lived on Eagle Creek, ten miles north of Ripley, in what is now Brown County; Philip Lewis, Jr., who lived in what is now Blue Creek in Adams County, and he was the third. He attended but a single session. Finding that it interfered with his practice as a phy- sician, he declined further legislative honors. From 1810 to 1813, he was one of the County Commissioners of Scioto County. In 1818, he was a member of the town school board, and while holding all these offices and positions of trust, he practised medicine diligently and found time to raise a large family of sons and daughters ; and he raised them well.
On June 5, 1811, he purchased of Henry Massie, 104 acres of land for $1,000. The north line was Eighth street, the west, the first alley east of Gay, at Third street, and the east line was Union street. The Peck, Bond and Sinton Addition was laid out on the west side of it ; and the east side was partitioned among his heirs after his death. It was in earlier times known as "Dr. Waller's farm," and the standing timber on it as "Waller's woods."
Dr. Waller was undoubtedly the most useful man in Portsmouth. Aside from his services as a physician, his advice was sought on all sides as a neighbor, friend and good business man. To be the family
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PHYSICIANS.
physician in the early days was a great honor. He not only cured all the family of their physical ills, but was their father confessor, guide, counsellor, and friend. 1822 and 1823 were sickly years in Portsmouth. The doctor did not spare himself in the services of his patients, and when the prevailing disease seized him in June, 1823, he did not have the strength to resist it. He died June 19, 1823, in his 49th year. His death was a shock to the community, from which it recovered only after years. It is said, that at his death he had more friends and fewer enemies than any man in the county. He was always a Whig. He left nine children, William, John, Thomas and George A., sons, and Mrs. Washington Kinney, Han- nah, Elizabeth, Mrs. Francis Cleveland and Mrs. Susan Terry, daugh- ters survived him.
Claudius Dufligne
was supposed to be one of the French emigrants in 1790, but it is al- together uncertain. The first account we have, he was conducting a show in Philadelphia with a great deal of success. While engaged in the occupation he became acquainted with Claudius Berthelot and he went with him to the French colony at Gallipolis in time to be placed on the list for drawing of lots. He drew lot number 28, one of the best, fronting on the river, and he removed his residence from Gallipo- lis to his lot. He was too lazy to clear his lot to any extent, but cleared it sufficient to raise a garden. He also reared fouls and sold eggs to the boatmen, and raised bees and sold their honey. The felling of the forest was entirely too much for his energies. He lived alone a great deal of the time in his cabin, and was famous for his miserly conduct. While in that day it was customary to give meals to visitors, he would avoid it whenever he could, and would be guilty of all manner of meanness to get out of doing so. While living in the French Grant he is said to have married a woman by the name of Peggy Stump, but she could not indure his penurious ways and soon left him. He ap- pears to have been highly educated in France. He possessed quite a number of French medical books and others, and spent much time reading: He also had a very respectable outfit of surgical instru- ments for that time.
On Apirl 25. 1811, he purchased of Henry Massie for $140.00, thirteen acres of land adjoining Portsmouth. The boundaries may be given as follows, which are very nearly correct : On the east, by the premises of Mrs. Julius Esselborn ; on the south by Gallia Street ; on the west by the alley east of the High School property, and on the north by Seventh Street, but in fact the tract extended the depth of one or two lots north of Seventh Street. The Drew-Selby Company and Excelsior Shoe Factories are about the center of it. The Doctor sold this lot to John Young, March 13, 1812, for $240.00. He sold his French Grant lot on March 11, 1816, to Reuben Lamb, at that time
548
THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH.
a resident in Portsmouth. William Kendall and John Brown were witnesses to the deed ; consideration, $800.00.
He died shortly prior to April 21, 1817. Dr. Jacob Offnere, William Swords and John Noel were appraisers of the estate, and the inventory shows that he possessed quite a number of French medical books, surgical instruments and apparel. His whole property was put up at auction and realized $248.00. Doctors Waller and Hemp- stead bought the medical books and instruments. It does not appear what disposition was made of his estate, though Keyes says it was escheated to the state for want of heirs. While a resident of Ports- mouth, he had a second wife; but she could not endure his style of living and left him. It is tradition that the marriage was irregular, and she could not obtain a part of his estate as widow. While in Portsmouth, he did very little in the way of practicing medicine : but spent the most of his time in reading. He had consumption, and when he became bedfast he was taken to the house of John Brown. near Portsmouth and died there. This was on the property after- wards occupied by Milton Kendall.
Giles S. B. Hempstead, LL. D.,
Was the son of Giles and Lucretia Salstonstall Hempstead, born in New London June 8th, 1794. He was the eighth generation di- rect from Sir Robert Hempstead, one of the first settlers in New Lon- don, and who came there with Governor Winthrop. He with two brothers had previously settled at Hempstead Plains, Long Island, New York, in 1630, coming direct from England. The brothers re- turned to England and Sir Robert went to Boston, and afterwards went to New London.
In 1798 and 1799, our subject was a pupil of Samuel Belden at Edgen House with William Ellery Channing.
From 1800 to 1802 he attended a school kept by his cousin Joshua Hempstead. In the latter year, his father and Uncle Hallam Hempstead, with their families, commenced the long and tedious journey to Marietta, Ohio, overland. They arrived at Marietta, Aug- ust 6, 1802, having been on the way sixty-four days. The company consisted of twenty-eight persons. They had twelve horses, four for each wagon, two wagons, two carriages and two saddle horses. The habitations along the way were so scattered they had to camp out two- thirds of the time. Dr. Hempstead in speaking of the trip in after years, said he enjoyed it very much. He drove a two wheeled chaise, and had his mother and a sister two years old with him, and he had it overturned eighteen times on the way. In one of the overturns his sister broke her arm, but his father acted as surgeon and set it at once.
On their arrival at Marietta, Giles was placed in the Muskingum Academy and remained there until 1810. when he became a student of law under Governor Return J. Meigs. He studied law one year
GILES S. B. HEMPSTEAD, M. D. LL. D. PIONEER OF PORTSMOUTH. BORN 1794-DIED 1883.
549
PHYSICIANS.
and then gave it up because he had no taste for it, and wanted to study medicine.
In ISII, he entered the Junior class at the Ohio University and graduated in 1813, the first literary graduate north of the Ohio river. He had a fondness for the languages, and studied French, Spanish, Italian and Hebrew, so that he could translate from them with ac- curacy and freedom.
After his graduation he began the study of medicine at Marietta, with Dr. John B. Reignier, a native of Paris, France, and a distin- guished physician.
He remained with Dr. Reignier until 1816 when he went to prac- tice at Waterford, in Washington County, where he attended many patients with the cold plague, or the spotted fever. He remained here three months, lost three patients and cured over one hundred of the epidemic.
In June, 1816, he visited Portsmouth with a view of locating there and found four other physicians were already located. He was informed there was no room for him, so he passed on and visited a number of other places seeking a location. After visiting many towns he returned to Portsmouth, in 1816, and permanently located here.
In 1818, he and Dr. Thomas Waller were appointed by the town to take charge of small-pox cases.
In 1819, he was a charter member of Aurora Lodge of Free- masons, and in 1829, became a charter member of Mt. Vernon Chap- ter. In the same year he was confirmed in All Saints Church.
In 1821, he graduated from the Ohio Medical College, Cincin- nati, Ohio, and received the degree of M. D. in the second class grad- uated from that school. The same year he received his degree as Master of Arts from the Ohio University.
On April LIth, 1821, he was married to Elizabeth, daughter of John Peebles.
From 1821 to 1824, was a sickly season in and about Portsmouth, and he scarcely slept in bed those three years. He often rode fifty miles a day in visiting patients and one day rode seventy-two miles. In 1824, he purchased the John Neill premises and removed there. In that year he planted the great elm which so adorns the lot.
June 3rd, 1825, he was elected a member of the Town Council. He was re-elected in May, 1826.
In 1826, he, Samuel M. Tracy and John Noel revised the ordi- nances of the town, and two hundred copies were printed Not one copy of that publication is now known to be in existence.
In 1827. he was chairman of the Committee on Streets. In 1827. he was on a committee to repair the public or town well, which was done at an expense of $25.00, of which the county paid $10.00. The same year he was township overseer of the poor.
1
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THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH.
In 1828 and 1829, he was called upon by the county to deter- mine on the sanity of persons confined in the county jail.
Dr. Hempstead was a Whig and so was Judge David Mitchell. General William Kendall resigned from the state Senate in June, 1829, and the Doctor thought he had a call to go to the Senate, and so did Judge Mitchell. Each thought the other should decline, and each was too stubborn to retire. The district was composed of Scioto, Lawrence, Pike and Jackson, and was Whig beyond question. When it was apparent that both would stand, Robert Lucas came out as the Democratic candidate, and his party being too shrewd to have another candidate, Lucas was elected. The vote in the district stood, Lucas, 1078; Mitchell, 880; and Hempstead, 441. In Scioto County, the vote was Lucas, 311 ; Mitchell, 280; Hempstead, 233. In Jackson County where Mitchell was best known, the vote stood, Lucas, 253: Mitchell, 281 ; Hempstead 36. This campaign cured the Doctor of the fever of political ambition and was an object lesson to the Whigs. This incident caused the beginning of political County Conventions in Scioto County, and thereafter there was no free for all political race. The County Convention or Committee became the arbiter among the candidates and has since remained. The same year the Doctor, John Noel and Samuel M. Tracy were a committee to lay out the new Cemetery, the present Greenlawn.
In 1830, the law taxing physicians on their supposed income took effect in Scioto County, and Dr. Hempstead was taxed on $600. He and all the other physicians were taxed in the same manner every year until 1851, when the law was repealed.
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