USA > Ohio > Adams County > Caldwell's illustrated historical atlas of Adams County, Ohio. 1797-1880 > Part 14
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39
DAVID HARRIS .- This gentleman's maternal grand-parents, James Morrison and Sarah Morrison, were both natives of Ire- land. They emigrated to America, and first settled in London county, Virginia, where they remained two years. They then removed to Adams county and settled in the Irish Bottom. They came down the Ohio in n boat, which they anchored to the shore, and lived in till they built a cabia on their land. Mr. Morrison bonght 273 aeres in the Carrington Survey, on which he and his wife lived aml died. Ile raised a family of twelve children, niue sous and three danghter :. One of these daugh- ters, named Jane, married William Harris. They were the pa- rents of David Harris, the subject of this sketch. William Ilar- ris was a native of Maryland, and came in early years with his parents to Kentucky. He learned the shoemaker's trade, and lo- unted in West Union. While working there he married Jane Morrison, in 1814. A few years later they left West Union, and moved to Mr. Morrison's, to run the fama and take care of the old folks. After Mr. Morrison's death, William Harris became the owner of a portion of the farm. Mr. Ilarris raised a family of three children, two sons and one danghter, James M., David and Sarah. James is long since deceased. Davil and Sarah still survive. David married Miss Eveline Collier, November 14. 1852. The same year he bought of Mr. Murphy, fifty acres of the old homestead of his grand-father Morrison. Ou this fifty acres his residence is located, thongh he is the owner of a consid- erable quantity of laud besides. Mrs. Harris was born in 1830. She was the daughter of John Collier, a son of Daniel Collier, who was one of the earliest settlers on Brush creek, whose family history is promiachtly identified with the early set- tlement of the county. Mrs. Harris' mother was the daughter of' Thomas Burkett, a namo whose history is also identified with i carly settlements. These parents have had boro unto them :». children, two of them, the second and teath, died in infancy ; two others. Jennie and James M., died in youth. The surviving, children are Edward R., Moses B., Aunie, Oncida, Estella, Mollie. They all remain with their parents and are unmarried. Mr. Harris has a farm of several hundred acres, most of it choice land, in the Irish Bottom, beautifully located on the Ohio river, where he now resides. James Morrison, the grand-father of David Ilariis, raised twelve children, niue sons and three daugh- ters, named Robert, James, William, David, John, Archibald, Richardson, Thomas, Moses, Elizabeth, Sarah and Jauo, tho last of whom was the mother of Mr. Harria. .
GFORGE GILPIN .- The-parents of George Gilpia, Thomas and Nancy Gilpin, were both natives of Ireland. Mrs. Gilpin's frigid- en name was Mullen. A few years after Their marriage, in 1811, they emigrated to America, landed in New York, and settled somewhere in Pennsylvania, where they remained two or three ¿cars, then removed to . Adams county, and located, nety the' Brush Creek Furnace. Mr. Gilpin worked at the Suit celontif his docense in 1832, a victim of the cholera. Ma -. Giles led February 17, 1870. These parents reared a family of time shift- dren, five sons and four daughters. Sarah, Eliza, Mr his, Rachel, George. John, Henry, William and Thomas. Four of these chil- dren, Sarah, Eliza, Rachel and Thomas, are dead. One of the survivors, George Gilpin, who is the subject of this stetous, was born December 19, 1819. He married Miss Mar' a. Edmister, March 15, 1853. Mrs Gilpin was the daughter of Jonn Edmister, of Jefferson townelilp, where she was born, December 19, 1835.
These parents have had horn anto them eleven children ; four of them are deceased, to-wit : Geo. W., who died at 18, and Martha Susan, Gilbert Thomas, t'inrenee Victor, who died In early years. These ali lie in the Sandy Springs Cemetery. The surviving chil- dreu are Eliza A., Jolin M., Thomas, William R., Heury G., Walter 14, Elmer W. ; all yet remmin at home under the parental root. Mr. Gilpin is a man of indomitable energy and industry. Ile made the overland journey to California in 1849, in search of gold. It was a long tedious trip, attended with inexpressible hardships and no little suffering, but nevertheless, there were connected with it many interesting events and incidents, encoun- tered in the wild romnutie sernery through which he passed, Mr. Gilpin, unaided, has by industry, acemulated a fine property. The farm on which he now resides, contains 320 neres, most of it in the Carrington Survey, in the Irish Bottom. It is excellent land, well cultivated, with his pleasant residence overlooking the beantitul Ohio, which flows just in front of it. Besides this farm, Mr. G. owus some 250 acres more. IIe has set an example before future generations, of what industry and perseverance may accomplish without aid, in the humblest beginnings in life.
JOHN LOUGHERY .- John Loughery, the father of the subject of this sketeh, came to the neighborhood of Roekville, ia 1831. IIe was an' enterprising man, and soon openel rp the stone quarries, that have since obtained so much celebrity. From theso quarries he supplied the stone to build the Deer Creek Locks, near Cincinnati. After they were built, he furnished stone for some of the best houses in Cincinnati. The Post Office in that city, and the Catholic Cathedral on Plum street, are constructed of these stoue. He built two boats adapted to the work of carry- ing the immense blocks of rock down the river. In 1834, he put up a saw-mill, and some two years after, he ndded n flouring mill, with two pair of burrs, the whole costing $10,000. In De- eein ber, 1855, the whole of these buildings was consumed by fire, and never rebuilt. In 1833 or '34, Mr. Loughery built the steam- boat " Princeton," which he sold after some two years. Ile next built the "Columbus," which he run on the river. Among his papers was found a receipt of $29.57, for the services on the boat, o't' a slave named Lot, who belonged to James Brooks. Upon the death of Mr. Loughery, his son, John Longhery, whose name stands at the head of this article, succeeded to the ownership of these inimense quarries, selling annually several hundred thous- and dollars worth of stone, shipping them to all parts of the Uni- ted States.
Mas. PAULINE MCMASTERS .- This lady is the daughter of Charles Lewis, of Scott conuty, Ky. Her parents were both na- tives of that State. Their family consisted of eight children, three sons and five daughters, Mrs. McMasters was born August 24, 1834; received her education at the Sheiby ville Female College, and was married at the old Kentucky homestead, April 7, 1855, to Gilbert MeMasters, wheure she removed, with her husband, to Cincinnati, where they resided until the fall of 1856, when they removed to Adams county, and settled on the old McMasters homestead in Irish Bottom.
GILBERT . MCMASTERS .- Gilbert MeMasters, the husband of Mrs. MeMasters, was of Scotch descent. Ilis father, John Me- Masters, was born in Pennsylvania, where he was married. From theuce he removed to Belmont county, Ohio, in 1824, where he remained some years, then removed to Adams county, in 1835, and bought the farin on which Mrs. McMasters resides. This place is a part of the Steele Survey, and was first bought from him by Aaron Stratton ; afterwards sold it to R. S. Murphy, who built his cabin and settled on it in 1805, but afterwards sold it to John Loughery, who next sold it to Jolin MeMasters, who lived on it most of his lifetime. Gilbert MeMasters, was the .seventh in a family of twelve children. Ile early engaged in tho business of steam-boating ou the Ohio, and was, for many years, a a Pilot on the steam boats that plied the Ohio and other western rivers. At the commencement of the rebellion, he was early and actively engaged in the service of the government, as n Pilot for- the boats and transports conveying men and munitions of war. Ile performed ceaseless, laborions services in the Pittsburg Land- ing Campaign, in 1862. A few days after the battle, while en- gaged in fatiguing duties, he had an attack of sun-stroke, from which he presently seemed to recover, but a few months later, at, Columbus, Kentucky, while laboring to secure boats from the burning flames of a fire that had broken out among them, he was overcome by inhaling the heated air and smoke, and again pros- trated. From this attack, he never recovered, but gradually sank, until he at length became a hopeless, helpless invalid. In 1872, his, eyesight failed him, his mind gave way, and for eight years, this once bright, netive, enterprising business man, lay a com- plete wreck, perfectly blind, helpless nnd imbecile, until Sunday morning, March 21, 1880, death relieved him from his earthly tronblos aud sufferings. The old homestead, which Mrs. McMas- tere now occupies, is a beautiful farm of nearly three mindred acres, lying near Sandy Springs, on the road from Rome to Bue- na Vista. It is pleasantly located, highly cultivated. heatly and tastefully improved and kept up by the good taste and judgment of Mrs. McMasters, upon whom has developed the duties of the general directions for its management, during her husband's long infirmities, Mr. McMaster's in his carlier years took great iater-
est In ralslug good stock. Ho dellghtod In tralning horses, mil was the owner of the famous pacer, "Tecumseh." The portrait of this horse, Mrs. MeMasters still possesses.
SANDY SPRINGS.
This is not a village, but receives its name from n vast deposit of sand, and two or three excellent springs that issue from near its base. This inunense deposit of clear sand, extends perhaps, two miles from near tho foot of the hills back of Irish Bottom southeasterly to the Ohio. It is a long ridge of irregular form, varying in width from n half to three-fourths nf a mile, and in some places the puro sand is, perhaps, forty to fifty fect in depth. This immense bank of sand was,. doubtless, drifted into its pres- ent position by the waters of the Ohio, ages ago.
These springs, after flowing a short distance, disappear. By digging anywhere in this great belt of sand, water is found at a short depth, while in sinking a well nny place outside, water is not found nt a less depth than forty or tifty feet.
Thero are in the vicinity of these springs, threo churches, one Baptist, one Presbyterian, one Methodist Episcopal, and the Uu- ion School building of the Independent District, that has been established ia the Irish Bottom.
The quaint beauty aud quietness of the place, made ns aux- ious to gather its early history minutely, especially of the churches, which were early organizeil here, and in which the pioneers worshiped, but could. collect but n few fragmentary items, which are given under the head of churches-Sandy Springs, given elsewhere.
Ilistory informs us that some fifty years ago-1830, thero was a post office near here called "Sandy Springs," with Simeon Smith, postmaster, but the people here have no remembrance or record of it.
THE ANTI-SLAVERY QUESTION.
The community of Sandy Springs, were among the first in the country to espouse the anti-slavery cause. "The Sandy Springs Anti-slavery Society " was organized Oct. 3, 1836. A Constitution and by-laws were adopted, aad received the sigan- tures of thirty-three members, including hoth males and females.
Tho following names are subscribed to the constitution and by-laws of this society :
Jolın Cox, Sen., Thomas Robertsou, Robert Baird.
John C. V. Baird, Morris E. Bnird, Maggie Baird, Sen.,
Mary McMaster, James Jarvis,
Amua Russell,
Mariah Baird, Martha Harris, Ruth Russell,
Mary Ann Baird, Clarissa A. Dunn, Wm. Russell,
Mary Cox, John :1. Baird, Joseph Lester,
Jacoh N. Murphy,
Zenas Ilaywood, James P. Smith,
Aun Smith, Susan A. Baird, Rachael Murphy,
Maggie Baird, Jr., Malinda Baird, Emily S. Adams,
Francis Russell,
Sinia Baird,
Amandavill Bniril, .
John Russell, Abuer Ewing, Sen., Thomas Russell.
IRISHI NOTTON.
The road from Rome to Buena Vista passes along The hase of a continnous line of gigantic hills, which rear their tops huu- dreds of feet above the bottom below, while their sides aro Ihne.l with perpendicular walls of rock, which are capped with huge blocks that have been detached by the frost and other forces of the elements of nature. Many of these immense fragments see: almost to be balanced npon a pivot, which the least disturbaun: would overset and hinrl upon the traveler below, should he Ir. pen to be within their line of descent. These hills crowd pret close upon the river, leaving but narrow bottoms, until o reaches Sulphur Run, about three miles above Rome, where tl. begin to recede, and the bottoms widen until you approach Sa !! Springs, where they again begin to approach tho river aml so shut out the valley. 5
This bottom embraces an area of nbout 1705 acres of as ferti! land as cau be found anywhere. It embracos the surveys of John: Steele, Mayo Carrington and David McDermed. The eastern portion was settled by Dunenu McCull, Abner Ewing, Recou- peuse S. Murphy, and William Murphy, who nll enine about 1805. They were from New Jersey, and tiffs part of tho valley was call- ed the " Jersey Bottom. " Then came Jonathan Keuyon, who was a Yankee, aud-after him came William Smith. Next came William Heath. (whom Willlam Early brought out in 1811 or 1812,) Archibald Morrison, John Morrison, John Quincy Ada.ns. These came in 1805, and settled on the lower part of the bottom. They were Irish-or of Irish descent-and their portion of the valley was called Irish Bottom, & namgo that has since been ap- plied to the whole bottom. This is a well-improved, highly.enl- tivated and prosperous community->Is organized into an' Inde- pendent School Distrlet with a good school house, and has within its: limits the three churches of Sandy Springs, elsewlic:e weil -. tioncdl.
MURDER OF JAMES HG RICE.
.. In 1869, There lived on the Chiu river, some two or three miles abovo Itome, a man named James HI. Rice, and his wife. This lady, who was a widow when she married Bicc, bad a son. a young man some nineteen years of age, named Frank Hardy: This sou lived with his mother aud stepfather after thelr mar-
.
.
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF ADAMS COUNTY, OHIO.
ringe. On the nfl. rhoon of February 23d, 1809, Frank and his father were engaged In repulring the stalls In the stable, and while this engaged, the hoy took an axe, nud by blows on the head with it, killed Mr. Rice. He then dug a hole near the river bank, and har ed the dead man to it ou a sled, burried him and started down the river, got on a boat near, or at Manchester, aud got as far as ('giro, Illinois, where he was arrested, brought back, indicted, tried at the September term of the Common Plens Court, found guilty of murder in the first degree, and sentenced to, be Ining, on the second Friday in February, 1870, between the hours of 12 o'clock M. and two o'clock P. M. on that day. llis counsel carried his case to the Supreme Court, which suspended the exe- cution. The rulings of the court below being sustained, it re- mained for the Supreme Court to fix the day for the excention, which was ordered to take place May 6, 1870, between the hours of 9 o'clock, A. M. and + o'clock P. M., ou said day. Thus the matter remained until the 27th of April, when Governor Hayes commuted his punishment to imprisonment in the penitentiary for life. These papers were received by the Sheriff on April 30, and on the third day of May, Hardy was delivered to the officers of the Ohio Penitentiary, and safely enclosed in its walls. While serving out his sentence he was in the tall of 1879, pardoned by Gov. Bishop, and set free again. He soon settled in Kentucky, where he now resides.
MURDER OF LUTHER COLLIER.
Sometime previous to July, 1872, an ill feeling had existed between Luther Collier and James W. Harper, growing out of the circumstance of the former having made an nusuccessful effort to collect some debt or claim from the latter, by process of law. There was a bitter feeling between the parties in consequence thereof. They accidently mnet at a publie sale, at the house of Wash Brown, one and a half miles below Rome, on the 23d of July, 1872 .. A personal combat ensued, and while the parties were down, Harper drew a knife with which he stabbed Collier in the back, penetrating his lungs, from which wounds he died on the 13th day of the succeeding August. Harper was arrested, indicted, fried at the May term of Court, 1874, found guilty of murder in the second degree, and sentenced to the penitentiary for life. In the latter part of November, 1879, he was pardoned by Gov. Bishop.
CHAPTER XVIII.
HISTORY OF MANCHESTER.
The State of Virginia, during the progress of the Revolution- ary war, in order to engage the active services of her citizens, and give ample compensation to those hardy officers and soldiers, who were devoting their lives and fortunes to their country, by several acts of her legislature, granted them liberal bounties. in new, nnappropriated lauds, for their services. To satisfy these bounties, a large tract of land was reserved in the Kentucky ter- ritory, which then belonged to Virginia.
Shortly after the close of the war, in order to avoid the con- fusion heretofore attendant on the careless locations of lands, and also to do ample justice to those interested, an act of the legisla- ture was passed, anthorizing certain deputations of officers there- iu named, or a certain number of them, from both the continental and State lines, to appoint Superintendents on behalf of their re- Tweetive lines, and also nominate two principal surveyors, and to runtraet with the'n tor their fees, who were authorized to select their own deputies, with the consent of the Superintendents. By a further provision of this act, the holders of warrants were re- quired to place them in the hands of surveyors of the respective lines by a specified day, and then the priority of the location of their warrants should be decided by lots.
The surveyors, after these preliminary arrangements, were authorized to proceed to survey all the good lands ini that tract of country lying between (ceen and Cumberland rivers, as set apart by law for the officers and soldiers, and then proceed to survey on the northwest side of the Ohio river, between the Scioto and Little Miami rivers, nutil the deficiency of lands to satisfy all 'military Iromantic - should be ful y and amply made np.
Pur-want to this act of the legislature, the deputation of, the officers of the contincatal line, consisting of Major General Charles Scott, Brigadier General Daniel Morgan, Col. William Heth, Lieutenant Col. Benjamin Temple, and Capi. Mayo Car- rington. elected Col, Richard C. Andszsok te tire offie . o. Princi- pal Surveyor of the bounties of fands to be ex. tered for the officers nud soldiers of that line. . A contract dated Free 17. 1783, was also entered into between Col. Anderson and the deputations of off- cars, regulating the fees of the surveyi, and other matters con- uceteil with the business,
In the spring or summer of 1784, Co: Anderson moved to Kentucky, and, purchased a farm nea: \ / sville, where he final- ly established his residence, and gave on the appropriate name of " Soldiers' Retreat." On the 20th of July, of the same year,
he opened his office for the purpose of living entries and surveys made of the lands in the Kentucky reservation. Provlons to this, however, on the 1st day of March, 1784, Virglaja, by her delegates has ceded to the United States, her territory northwest of the Ohio, as a common fund for the benefit of all the States, reserv- ing, however, the country lying between the Scioto and Little Miami rivers to be appropriated for the purpose of satisfying the continental line warrants, in case the land reserved in Kenctuey should not be sufficient for that purpose. The deficiency of good land in Kentucky was soon discovered, and the attention of the holders of land warrants and the I nd speculators was turned to- wards the'reservation northwest of the Ohio ..
This portion of our State, known and called as before stated, by the name of the Virginia Military District, was supposed fromn its position and situation to possess many advantages, and the holders of warrants and land speculators, were anxious to locate their warrants on the Ohio side of the river.
In the winter and spring of 1787, Major John O'Bannon and Authur Fox, two enterprising surveyors of Kentucky, passed over into this district to obtain a knowledge of the country, so soon as the office should be opened for that purpose. They explored with their companies the whole extent of country along the Ohio, and passed some distance up the Scioto and Miami rivers, and some of their tributary streams.
Ou the I'st day of August, 1787, Col. Anderson opened the office for receiving the eutries of lands in the district, at which time entries of the bottoms of the Ohio were made, and also a large portion of the Scioto and Little Miami rivers. About that time, or shortly before, several expeditions from Kentucky made excursions into the district, for the purpose of destroying the In- dian towns. Simon Kenton, a name celebrated among back- woodsmeu, was along in almost all of these expeditions, and re- turning home attempted some entries of lands, in which he was not successful, on account of his want of sufficient skill in mak- ing them.
So soon as it was known to Congress, that entries had been made in the district northwest of Ohio, by virtue of the couti- neutal warrants, an act was passed in July, 1788, by which it was resolved, that Congress would consider all locations and surveys made on account of the troops, between the Scioto and Litttle Miami, as iuvalid, until the deficiency on the sontheastern side of the Ohio should be ascertained and stated to Congress; and the Executive of Virginia was requested to inform Congress of the deficiency, if any, and the amount of it. This act, together with the danger apprehended from Indians, obstructed further entries . and surveys in the district until an act of Congress, passed in August, 1790, repealed the act of July 1788, which removed all difficulties as to the entries and surveys, previously or subsequent- ly made. This act also regulated the mode of obtaining patents, and which was also further amended by the act of 1794, and fur- ther subsequent acts.
A difficulty about the early locations of lands northwest of the Ohio in this district, arose from the ignorance of those en- gaged, as to the extent of jurisdiction acquired over these lands by the United States, from Virginia, by her cession in March, 1783. This is shown from the fact that the Governor of Virginia issued patents on a number of surveys in the district. These pat- ents were of course void, and were subsequently cancelled, and patents issued by the President under the seal of United States,
For some time, during the prohibition made by the act of Congress of the lands of this district, Massie was engaged in wri- ting in Col. Anderson's office, in order to acquire n complete knowledge of the business of locating and surveying. Ilis char- acter for dispatch in ,business and enterprise gained him the friendship and confidence of Col. Anderson, who had control of the warrants placed in his hands by his brother officers and sol- diers. A very large amount of these, so soon as the act of Con- gress of August, 1790, removed ail further obstrnetions, he placed in the hands of Massie, to enter and survey on such terms as he could obtain from the holders of them. As the risk of making entries was great, and as it was desirable to obtain the best land, the owners of warrants in most cases, made liberal contracts with the surveyors. One-fourth, one-third, and sometimes as much as one- half, acquired by the entry of good land, were given by the proprietors to the surveyors. If the owners preferred paying money, the usual terms were ten pounds, Virginia currency, for each thousand acres entered and surveyed, exclusive of chain- men's expenses. These terms will uot appear extravagant, when we consider that at that time the danger encountered was great, the exposure during the winter was severe, and the price of first rato land in the west was low and any quantity in the market.
The location of land warrants in this district prior to 1790, were made by stealth. v Every creek which was explored, every line that was run, was at the risk of life from the savage Indians whose courage and perseverauce were only equalled by the perse- verance of the whites to push forward their settlements. It was a contest for dominion ; and the bravery, tho stratagem, and the boldness displayed, by the Indians in executing their plans, conld only be equalled by their fearless onsets in attacks and their mnas- terly retreats when defeated.
The Indians at this time hind among them a number of mas- ter spirits, and it is greatly to be regretted that the history of
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.