A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 90

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 90

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In his prime, he could have been a Bishop, but discouraged all advances of that kind. All the honors he ever held came to him. He sought none. He had very few, if any enemies, and yet a man more positive in his convictions never lived. He had a way of en- forcing his ideas on all subjects, which convinced those about him that he was right and his way was best. Everyone conceded he was the best man in the city. His life was pure and noble. It was set to high ideals, conscientiously followed. He was modest, sincere, sympathetic, and his type of Christianity was the best. He died in perfect peace December 19, 1891.

Bishop Boyd Vincent conducted his funeral, and the Masonic bodies and the teachers of the Public Schools attended in a body.

Samuel B. Burt

was a prominent citizen in Scioto County in the early times. He was a Supervisor in Wayne Township in 1810. In 1812, he was a Lister in Wayne Township, and in 1813, 1814 and 1815 a Trustee. He was one of the first nine city fathers and drew a three years' term. On May 1, 1815, he and William Kendall were on a Committee to bring in a bill on executions. In 1815, he built a school house. In 1817, he removed from the city into the country on the West Side. He was elected a County Commissioner in 1818, 1821 and 1826. He was a Lister in Nile Township in 1818. In 1829, he was elected County Commissioner for three years, but removed from the County in 1830. Nothing further is known of him.

Thomas Burt

was born in 1803 in Scioto County, near Sciotoville, Ohio. He was a Health Officer of Portsmouth in 1836. He was one of the Execu- tive Committee of the Portsmouth Clay Club which was organized May 23, 1844. He was elected Wharfmaster April 5, 1844 and served until December 1, 1855, when he resigned. He was County Com- missioner from 1861 to 1867. In 1826, he was married to Ann Buf- fington. She was born at White Post, Loudon County, Virginia, March 13, 1809. She came to Portsmouth with her parents in 1814. Thomas Burt had six sons and five daughters. The four surviving sons are: William, John, Charles and Henry. Lewis and Thomas are deceased. Thomas Burt died February 26, 1871, in Vicksburg,

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Mississippi, while on a visit there. His wife died February 13, 1892, in Chillicothe, Ohio, at the residence of her son, Henry, and was brought to Portsmouth for burial.

Abraham W. Buskirk

was born in Bedford County, Virginia, in 1820. He was brought up there until he was eighteen years of age. His mother was a sis- ter of Col. T. J. Graham. At the age of eighteen, he came to Green- up County, Kentucky, and became a clerk in a store. He became ac- quainted with J. V. Robinson there and by him, was induced to come to Portsmouth, Ohio, and engaged as a clerk for him. He re- mained with Mr. Robinson for a number of years. In 1846, he en- gaged in the wholesale grocery with Frank J. Oakes as a partner, under the firm name of Oakes and Buskirk. This firm continued un- til 1868 when Frank J. Oakes retired and George Davis took his place in the business. Mr. Buskirk remained with Mr. Davis until he sold out to William R. Stricklett in 1872. Mr. Buskirk then went in partnership with Sam Hempstead at Hanging Rock. In 1878, he started a Stove and Tinware House in Portsmouth, and in 1883, he retired from all business. He was married to Josephine Oakes, June 4. 1845, by Rev. Gould, in Gallipolis. They had six children. His son, Frank Whitney, was born March 24. 1846. Harry Hender- son was born May 22, 1848: Floyd Oakes, born May 1, 1850 and died November 21, 1879. They had one daughter. Aileen, now the wife of George Gilliland. of Washington, D. C. They also had a son, Charles Tracy, who died when he was about thirty years of age, and Fred, now residing in Cincinnati. Mr. Buskirk resided in Ports- mouth from his retirement until his death on the 6th of July, 1898. His wife survived until August 4, 1891. Mr. Buskirk was a member of the City Council of Portsmouth for a number of years, also a member of the City Board of Equalization, and had been for sev- eral years prior to his death. During the entire Civil War he was a member of the County Military Committee. In his business ca- reer, he was noted for his integrity and fair dealings. He is a val- uable citizen and highly esteemed in every relation of life.

Claudius Cadot

was born February 17. 1793. His father was Claudius Cadot, and his mother Jane Bastine, both of France. They were married in Paris in 1790. Right after their marriage they started as emi- grants to Gallipolis. They arrived there in the fall of 1790. Three children were born to them. The first was Maria Louise, born Jan- uary 28, 1791 she married Francis LeClercq, October 21. 1809. They had two children, a son and a daughter. Claudius Cadot, our subject was the second child ; the third was Lemuel Cadot. who was born two years subsequent to Claudius. In 1795. Claudius Cadot, senior. fell a victim to the climate and died. In three months his

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

widow married Francis Charles Duteil. They located in the French Grant in 1797. Duteil first came down alone to the Grant and built him a pole cabin, on lot number 32 in the French Grant which he had drawn as one of the emigrants. Three months later he brought his wife and step-children down. Young Claudius worked on his step- father's farm and learned the art of distilling fruits and grains. He had altogether about eleven months schooling. In the spring of 1812 he volunteered in Capt. John Lucas' Company for one year to go into the war of 1812. He went as far as Urbana, and there his Com- pany joined Col. Duncan. McArthur's Regiment, Ist Ohio Volunteers. General Hull took command of the army and marched to Detroit where he surrendered on the 16th of the August following. Before Hull surrendered our subject was engaged in the battle of Brownsville and after the surrender he and his companions were sent to Cleve- land. From there they walked to near Pittsburg, and then floated down the Ohio river. Cadot got off at Gallipolis to visit his sister. Af- ter that he engaged in keel boating on the Ohio river, in connection with the celebrated Mike Fink, and earned about 50 cents per day at first and afterwards 62 1-2 cents per day. He followed this four years and saved enough money to buy a quarter section of land. On March 24. 1818, he had patented to him from the United States, the southwest quarter, Section 15. Township 3. Range 21, and after- wards bought 57 acres out of the northwest part of the northwest quarter of the same section, township and range from his brother Lemuel for $150.00.

On December 17. 1819, he married Nancy Ball and in 1820, he moved onto his land. In 1820, he built him a commodious frame house. June 9, 1835, he lost his wife who was born December 30, 1799. He afterwards married Cynthia Stockham whom he survived. After the death of his second wife, he broke up house-keeping and resided with his daughter, Mrs. Mary Hayward, first in the vicinity of Wheelersburg and afterwards in Wheelersburg. He was the last survivor of his Company in the War of 1812, and drew a pension under the law of 1878.

His children were, Mary, born May 1, 1821, married Eliphaz Hayward, and is now his widow : Charles F., born October 12, 1822; Eliza J., born March 4, 1825. married Peter F. Boynton ; John Claud- ius, born June 20, 1828, married to Mary A. Winkler, who died July TI, IQOI: Sophronia. born July 27, 1829, died young; Juliet, born April 1. 1830; Madeline, born May 1, 1832, married Asa Boynton, and is deceased. Ruhama, youngest daughter, married Charles Pix- ley of Ironton.

The following is an estimate of Mr. Cadot from one who knew him best : In Claudius Cadot the elements which most contrib- ute to the thrift and general prosperity of the French people as a nation were pre-eminently united. He had great industry, untiring

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energy, a rare capacity for good management, and the ideas of fru- gality which had been inbred in the French colonists who located on the Ohio. These qualities, united with a frame of iron, insured for the little man the success which his life exemplified. By good for- tune, too, he invested the hard earnings of his youth, made at keel- boating and other laborious pursuits, in land located near the iron fur- naces of the Pine Creek country in the Hanging Rock region, and thus realized a ready market for all his produce and Claudius Cadot always had something to sell. If his neighbors-who also lived on farms-ran short of feed, or fruit, or truck, or young stock, Cadot could nearly always supply them. As he continued to prosper he added to his holdings until his farm grew to comprise hundreds of acres. He was prudent and cautious withal-and came to be widely recognized as a solid, safe, substantial, reliable man. At the end of life, when his surplus securities were unrolled and were found to net nearly $60,000, in addition to his real estate holdings, it presented a valuable object lesson as to what the young man in this country, starting with his bare hands, and working without speculative meth- ods, may achieve, if he is animated by the right spirit. And be- sides his worldly accumulations. he left not only a worthy example to the community, but the record of a pure life and honorable name to his family.

Lemuel Cadot, Sr.,

was born in Gallipolis, Ohio. July 4, 1794, the son of Claudius Cad- ot, one of the 500 French who formed the settlement at Gallipolis. His father died in 1795 when he was but a year old and his mother took him and his brother Claudius and his sister Mary to the French Grant to live. His sister who afterwards married Francis Le Clercq was the first child born in Gallipolis. When a boy our subject work- ed at keel-boating. From 1817 to 1827, he was thus engaged and would go with a keel-boat from Pittsburg to Nashville, Tennessee, and sometimes walk back. In 1827, he purchased a farm from the government and followed farming until he died. still residing on his original farm. He was married July 28, 1828, to Catherine Baccus. daughter of James S. Baccus. To them were born nine children, six sons and three daughters. Mary Jane, wife of Harrison H. Ful- lerton, died in 1873. One daughter died in infancy. Nancy M., wife of Dr. Thomas McGovney, died some years ago at Ironton, O .; William Henry Harrison and C. S. Cadot of Portsmouth, John Ju- lius and Lemuel Zenas, both deceased; Seymour Sydney of Fred- ricksburg, Virginia, and James Claudius, deceased. Our subject was a township officer for a number of years, but held no other of- fices. He was industrious and an honorable citizen, a good neigh- bor and a careful and close business man. In charitable matters he was liberal. He died June 6, 1875.

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

George Washington Calvert

was born in Prince William County, Virginia, September 15, 1805. When he was a child his father died and his mother came to Ohio with her family and located in Scioto County in the vicinity of Ports- mouth. For many years young Calvert was in the employ of the late Captain Cleveland, as manager of his farm, now known as the "In- firmary Farm." He was also engaged for a time as a contractor on the Ohio canal, having charge of a section between Portsmouth and Jasper. When the canal was finished, he purchased some land in the neighborhood of Portsmouth, to which he afterwards added as his circumstances permitted; and at the time of his death he was the owner of a very large and valuable farm in the Scioto Valley. In' the latter part of his life he was engaged in farming.

Our subject's early education was meager, but he was quite a reader and student and acquired a great fund of general knowledge.

In 1833, he was married to Miss Mary Emma Dent Hoskinson, daughter of the Rev. Josiah Hoskinson, of Scioto County, but for- merly of Virginia. Mrs. Calvert died April 1, 1852, of lung fever, at which time Mr. Calvert was very sick with the same disease. They had six children, five of whom survived; Frank W., formerly a groceryman in Portsmouth, now deceased; Robert A., attorney-at- law, Portsmouth : Thomas E., farmer of Scioto County, and Eva A., wife of Silas Clark.

For some years prior to his death, Mr. Calvert married a second time to Miss Jane E. Reed, who survived him. He died August 5. 1874.

In 1868, he established the Calvert dairy farm and conducted it until the spring of 1874.

Mr. Calvert was a Whig during the time of that party and after the death of that party, he became a Democrat.

He was an advocate of progress at all times and was noted for his integrity and kindness of heart.

Phineas Bean Chaffin

was born December 7. 1823. in Porter Township, Scioto County, Ohio. His father, Phineas B. Chaffin, was a brother of Shadrach. Reuben and Daniel Chaffin. His father came from New Hampshire in 1812, and married his mother. Almira Wheeler in 1820. She was a daughter of Nathaniel Wheeler. a Revolutionary soldier, whose rec- ord as such will be found in the article on Revolutionary Soldiers in this work. Levi and Luther Wheeler, and Nathaniel Wheeler, Jr., well known in Scioto County, were her brothers. Of the children! of Phineas Chaffin, Sr., there were: Lovina and Vilena; Lovina married Reuben Lamb in the French Grant and had a family ; Vilena married Horace T. Hall, and had a family. Phineas B., our sub- ject, was the next child, and then there were two who died in infancy.

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He had a brother John who married Rebecca Patton, and reared a family. Another brother Frances M., married Susan Perry, and reared a family. Another brother, William Brackett, married and. has two sons living in Huntington, W. Va. Their names are Clar- ence and William. Another brother, Thomas B., is married, has a family, and lives in Portsmouth, and George a brother also lives in Portsmouth, and has a family. Abigail, a sister, married Francis Andre. Both are deceased. Another sister, Calphurnia married Au- gustus Andre, and lives in Huntington. Our subject married Persis

Lamb, January 18, 1848. They have five children living, two sons and three daughters. The sons, Albert Byers and Frank Morey, re- side in Morgan Township. Of the daughters, Ruby married Thomas Hartman and resides at Wheelersburg; Ida May and Ina Belle are unmarried. Our subject lived on the Lamb farm, one and one-half mile below Franklin Furnace. from 1848 to 1875: and then bought the Montgomery Mill on Pine Creek and lived there until April 5, 1882, and then moved to Crabtree, Morgan Township, where he has since resided. He was a Whig until the Republican party came into existence, and acted with them until 1896, when he voted for Bryan. He learned the shoemakers trade, but never followed it after his marriage. The Lamb family came from Vermont and the Chaffin family came from New Hampshire. His wife died the Ist of September, 1890.

Aaron Clark

was born at Piketon, Ohio, June 18, 1808. He came to Scioto County in 1834, and settled in Washington Township, where he spent the remainder of his life. He was married April 3, 1836, to Eliza Orme, daughter of John Orme, who with his sons, Silas and John, and daughter, Mrs. Lovey J. Carlin survive him. He was a Democrat all his life. At one time he was was worth considerable money. but three Scioto floods in five years lost him all he had. In 1878, he was the candidate of his party for sheriff, and was defeated. He died June 15, 1899. Uncle Aaron, as he was generally known, was always willing to do everything for everybody, even to the neg- lect of his own affairs. He was an easy going citizen and a good neighbor, but utterly lacked the talent of accumulation. His widow, the youngest child of John Orme and the only survivor of his family is living near Dan Harwood's in Morgan Township. She was born September 12, 1817, in a log house near the great mound which for- merly stood on the Heinisch lot on Gallia street.

George Crawford

was born in Ireland, County Tyrone, near Fintona, November 6, 1829. His father's name was John Crawford, who came to this country in 1840, landed at Manchester, and went from Manchester

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HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.

to West Union. He bought a little farm on Brush Creek and moved out there. He resided there until his death, August 23, 1873 at the age of eighty-five. His mother's maiden name was Jane McClung She died November 7, 1855, aged 63 years. His parents had ten children, all of whom they brought to the United States. They came over in the ship, Napier to Philadelphia, and were six weeks on the ocean. The youngest child, two years old, died on the ocean and was buried at sea.

Our subject received his education in Ireland, but attended pay schools all the time, as they had no free schools there in his time. He helped to build the Maysville & Zanesville Turnpike through West Union to Aberdeen. His father, his oldest brother Samuel and him- self worked on the pike. In the spring of 1841, his brother Samuel and he went to Bloom Furnace and worked there. In 1842, they went to Jackson Furnace and part of the time at Junior Furnace. They dug ore and filled the furnaces. In the spring of 1843, Joe Smith put him in the store at Junior Furnace, as storekeeper, and his brother Samuel worked in the coal mines. In addition to keeping the store, he attended to taking up the charcoal. In 1844, he was put in the office at Junior Furnace, as book-keeper, and remained there until March 1, 1851. He was married December 26, 1849, to Mary Young Glidden, daughter of Samuel Mills Glidden. They went to housekeeping at Junior Furnace, but moved to Clinton Fur- nace in March, 1851, where he still resides and expects to die.

Joseph W., Charles N., O. H., and Daniel H. Glidden, four brothers, bought Clinton Furnace in 1848. Our subject went in with them first as a book-keeper. Then Stephen Glidden, his brother-in- law and he rented the Furnace, and operated it until 1854. At the end of three years, he bought the interest of Stephen Glidden and bought 1-24 from each of the other owners. The furnace contin- ued under the firm name of Glidden, Crawford & Co., until the fall of 1867, when Mr. Crawford bought the entire property. He took in with him Wm. J. Bell. They operated the Furnace as Crawford & Bell, until the fall of 1870, when he sold out to Wm. J. Bell, who operated the Furnace individually. Our subject then moved to Portsmouth, and after ten years lawing about the title of the Furnace. Mr. Crawford bought it back. The Furnace went out of blast in the fall or winter of 1873 for good. There were 5,000 acres of the Furnace property at that time. Mr. Crawford sold about 3,000 acres of the land to G. W. Kelley. His son owns 2,500 acres around the whole furnace site and Mr. Crawford resides there.

His wife died April 22, 1891. Their children are as follows: Mary Ellia, died at sixteen months; George W., formerly Mayor of Portsmouth ; Charles M., died at the age of eight years; Dr. John N. W., residing in New York City ; Doctor Mrs. M. A. G. Dwight, at Boston.

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Mr. Crawford was a Whig while that party lasted, and since then has been a Republican. He is a typical Irishman. Though the infirmities of age have worsted him somewhat, he is hale and hearty for his years. He is as full of business as he was at the age of twenty. Care acts on him like water on a duck's feathers. Time was when he was in a sea of troubles in the business world, but now he is a spectator and enjoys seeing the procession go by. He has outlived all his contemporaries in business, but yet life is sweet to him and he disagrees with the poet who wrote the hymn, "I would not live always.'

Captain Francis Cleveland

was born at Norwich, Conn., December 24, 1796. He was a brother of the father of Ex-President Cleveland. He received a very liberal education and when it was complete, he went to New York City and engaged as a Clerk for his uncle. In 1817, he went to Zanesville, O., where he taught schoool one year. Here he married and two chil- dren were born to him, a son and a daughter. His wife died in 1823. His sister, Mrs. Lewis F. Allen of Black Fork, New York, took the in- fant daughter and reared her till she was fourteen years of age, when she died. His son Francis lived in the east with relatives until he was eighteen years of age, when he came to Portsmouth, Ohio, and lived with his father one year or more. He went from Portsmouth, Ohio to Indiana. From there he went to California, where he soon after died.

In 1832, our subject went into business in Zanesville with one. Charles Hill. as jewelers. They bought a large stock of high priced goods in the east and could not sell them. As a result, they failed in business. This was in 1824, and he obtained work on the Miami Canal as an Assistant Engineer. He developed a talent for the work and in 1825 was made an Engineer on the Ohio Canal.

In 1828 and 1829. he located on the Ohio Canal from ten miles north of Chillicothe to Portsmouth, Ohio. Captain Cleveland had complete charge of the building of the canal for this distance. He was given the naming of the new town to be located in Pike County and he named it Waverly, for Sir Walter Scott's "Waverly." The Captain was a great reader of standard fiction and was especially fond of Scott. He possessed excellent literary taste and was a great col- lector of books. When he located in Portsmouth, in 1828, he was the best educated person in the town, excepting Dr. G. S. B. Hemp- stead. He and his assistants worked all winter in locating the canal and the wonder is he did not die from the effects of it. From the spring of 1828 until his death, his home was in Portsmouth. On July 4, 1831, Portsmouth had the greatest celebration of Independ- ence Dav in its history. Captain Cleveland read the Declaration of Independence, after which a salvo of artillery was fired as a defiance to King George. He also responded to one of the toasts at the pub-

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lic dinner on that day. In 1832. he was one of the lecturers before the Portsmouth Lyceum. In 1833, he was overtaken by financial failure a second time by reason of this connection with the New York Company. In 1834, he married Miss Margaret Waller, the daughter of Dr. Thomas Waller. In 1835, he went to Indiana and located the Whitewater Canal. Soon after this he bought what is now the In- firmary farm and built the stone house residence where he resided for some time. 'In 1845, he had a ferry at the mouth of the Scioto river for which he paid $25.00 per annum. In 1844, he edited the Portsmouth Enquirer and continued that till 1852, when he sold out. In 1848 he was the Democratic candidate for Congress and was de- feated. J. L. Taylor was his opponent. In Scioto County, Taylor received 1,530 votes and Cleveland 1,064. In 1851. he was the Dem- ocratic candidate for State Senator in the new Seventh District, against Col. O. F. Moore and was defeated. The vote in Scioto County stood, Moore 1.348, Cleveland 928. He adhered to the De- mocracy till about 1861, when he became a Republican and remained as such the remainder of his life.

On October 26, 1848, his wife died leaving no issue. He never re-married. In 1849 to 1851, he was an Examiner and Inspector of the public schools. From 1851 to 1853 he was City Clerk. He was also City Clerk from April 24, 1865 until November 6, 1872. He was Town Surveyor from 1854 to 1860. In 1855, as a member of the City Council, he offered a resolution to build the first sewer in Portsmouth and it carried. In 1856, he was appointed engineer to construct the Third street sewer and controlled the entire work. From 1852 to 1872, he was Secretary of the Aurora Lodge of Free Masons. He was very fond of Masonry and attained the 33rd de- gree.

In 1870, he was one of the Infirmary Directors of Portsmouth. He was the most efficient City Clerk the town ever had. The Com- mittee on Claims was a great power in its time, but Captain Cleveland was equal to the Committee on Claims, and the whole Council be- sides. He knew every detail and department of the city's affairs. He knew the city's financial condition all the time. The writer knew of his work from April. 1871, to November 4. 1872. On Mon- day morning, November 4, 1872, he was found in his office speech- less. He seemed to be as well as usual in every respect, but his voice was utterly gone. He could not even make a sound, though he could see, hear and understand everything said to him and move about as usual. He could not write, and hence was cut off all communication with his fellows .. His minutes from October were all complete and were in the same firm hand as he always wrote in. A few days after his affliction, the council pass- ed resolutions in regard to his official career, in which it was stated that he was always found at his post of duty and ready to furnish in-

CAPT. FRANCIS CLEVELAND. [PAGE 675.]

CHARLES A. M. DAMARIN. [PAGE 686.]

HUGH COOK. [PAGE 682.]

BENJAMIN FRYER. [PAGE 699.]

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A history of Scioto County, Ohio, together with a pioneer record, Part 90

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