History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley, Part 111

Author: Caldwell, J. A. (John Alexander) 1n; Newton, J. H., ed; Ohio Genealogical Society. 1n
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Wheeling, W. Va. : Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 728

USA > Ohio > Jefferson County > History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley > Part 111
USA > Ohio > Belmont County > History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley > Part 111

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).

. GREEN MOUNT CEMETERY ASSOCIATION.

Green Mount Cemetery Association was formed May 5, 1858, with Coulson Davenport, Adam Bentz, Stephen Wilson, John Morrow, H. T. Barnes, as its trustees ; Wm. Smith as Clerk, and between seven and eight acres of lands purchased for the use of the association. This cemetery is located npon a hill field. which has always been known as Knob Field. There are in Ohio only two points having a greater elevation above the level of the sea than Green Mount Cemetery. Number of lots sold, 158. Present officers :

President-Kelion Hager. Clerk-B. Mackall. Treasurer- John Cole. Trustees-John Morrow, Eli Moore, A. C. Hogne.

SOUTH CEMETERY.

March 4, 1858, the first meeting was held. and an association formed to be known as the Barnesville Cemetery Association. The grounds were purchased May 8, 1858, of Dr. 1. Hoover, con- taining ten acres, two of which have since been sold off. The grounds were dedicated to cemetery purposes on Wednesday, Angust 4, 1858, at 4 o'clock P. M. Dedication address by Rev. James Henderson. First officers were as follows, to-wit:

Trustees-Wm. A. Talbott, R. Happer, David McCartney, Wm. Barnes, John Bradfield.

Treasurer-B. Davenport.

Secretary-J. W. Warfield.

Superintendent-S. J. Evans. Present officers :

Trustees-John Bradfield, R. Happer, R. M. Gunning, James Judkins, J. R. Hunt.

Treasurer -- John Bradfield. Secretary-J. S. Howard. Superintendent-H. R. Brown. Number of lots sold, 220.

EDUCATION.

Like all other communities in Ohio, Barnesville very early in her career gave earnest attention to the education of her chil- dren, Before the establishment of our common school system in 1825, several schools had been taught in the village. The ac- commodations of the rooms in which they were taught were poor indeed, and the facilities for instruction very limited. The first school in the town was taught in an old house that stood where the Mcleish dwelling house now stands, at the north- west corner of Arch and South streets. We have been unable

to discover who taught the school, but in all probability it was by Mr. John Heskins. The next room occupied as a school room was one arranged for that purpose by Mr. Archibald Cole on the lot now occupied in part by Rev. Robert Boyd, being lot No. 22 in original plat of the town. Several other teachers taught schools in these two rooms. What their names were is in great doubt, but among them were James McKay and Judah Folke. Those schools were all what were called "subscription schools." Each person paid for his own children.

In 1828, the Masons having built a hall and having inenred about six hundred dollars of debt in the building which they were unable to pay, sold the lower story of that hall to the school directors of Barnesville school district. This hall stood where the residence of Mrs. Dr. Mackall now stands, at the northeast corner of Church and Chestnut streets. The first common school in the village was taught here by Judah Folke in the years 1828-9. Mr. Folke was the only teacher who ever taught in the school room. In 1829, the Masons surrendered their charter and wishing to dispose of their hall offered it for sale, but as the school district owned the basement story, no purebaser could be found. Finally Mr. Kelion Hager prevailed upon the directors to also sell, he agreeing to give a lot and put up a school house in consideration of the lower story of the Masonic Hall being deeded to him by the directors. Mr. Hager proceeded at once to erect on a part of the present school ground a brick building forty by twenty feet as a school house. The common school was

taught here in the winters of 1829-30, 1831-2 by Mr. Enoch Thomas. The next school tanght at this honse was by Mr. Samuel Hunt. The following list contains all the names of other teachers at the "little brick school house" that we have been able to obtain : Richard Hatton, Joseph Garretson, Jr., Nimrod Johnson. Joseph Garretson, Sr., Philip Gulick, Dr. Ashbaugh, John W. Harris, John Gilliland, James R. Laws, Jesse Thomas, R. H. Taneyhill, William Smith, Asa McCoy, I. H. Smith and I. G. Spear.

From 1848 to 1857 public schools were taught by different teachers in divers rooms about the village. In 1851 the old academy was rented by the directory and all the scholars of Barnesville district placed under the supervision of Prof. John I. Thompson, assisted by William Smith, Esq., Miss Mary Wheeler Mackall and Mrs. Mary Hoops.

In 1854 the directors proceeded to erect on the old school house lot and the lot just east of it a "Union School House" of five rooms. School began in that house in the fall of that year with Williston White, Joseph N. Smith, Rachel Bailey and Mary Walter as teachers. Those teachers were followed by Mr. Tyson Rowles and William Thompson; Misses Agnes Grove, Julia M. Leeke and Lanra Gilliland. In 1860-1 James H. Ferguson was principal of the school at a salary of $40 per month. He was assisted by Misses Mary W. Mackall, Laura A. Dove, Julia M. Leeke and S. S. Warfield. During the years 1862 to 1866, Prof. C. W. Davenport was principal of the school. From 1866 to 1871, Mr. I. T. Woods was the principal. He was suc- ceeded by Mr. E. D. Whitlock. Mr. J. A. MeEwen became prin - cipal in July, 1870, but resigned in March 1872. His successor, Mr. W. H. Kennon, served as principal from that time until 1873, when Joseph M. Yarnell, the present superintendent. be- came principal.

In 1870 the Barnesville school was organized under the pro- vision of the Akron law, and Messrs. I. S. Bracken, S. B. Piper, J. S. Ely, Allen Floyd and Smith St. Clair, were elected direc- tors.

In 1873 its present organization was effected.

The "east addition" to the "Union school house," was built in 1867, under the directory of Messrs. W. A. Talbott, Benjamin Mackall and Robinson Mebane. "The "Primary building" was purchased and remodeled for school rooms in 1873, by order of the directory, Messrs. A. C. Hogue, John McCollin, H. W. Baker, John H. Piper, and William Smith, Esq.

Since the fall of 1873, Mr. George P. Deal has been janitor of the "Union school house," at a salary of $300.

At elections held in 1878, the directors of Barnesville district were authorized to build a school house at a cost of twenty thon- sand dollars. In March, 1879, the "Union school house" was torn down, and the directory have just crecied upon its site and a part of the lot just east of that site a magnificent school building, on the following plan : The building is of brick, three stories high and a Mansard roof-central tower for bell and clock, rising to a height of 124 feet ; four ventilating towers 80 feet high ; the entire building heated by steam. The boys and girls enter at opposite ends of the building, and have separate stairways placed npon right and left of the main tower.

There are thirteen school rooms 27x33 feet, and each room has cloak rooms ; and the rooms so placed that each teacher may stand at the school room door and observe pupils in the school room, cloak room and corridors. The rooms are so arranged that the light falls over the left shoulder of the pupil. Corridors cross each other at the center of the building, thus affording good nat- ural ventilation. The ventilating towers connect by registers directly with each room, and steam coils are placed in the tow- ers to create a draft when the weather requires the rooms to be closed.

'The buikling, all completed, including heating apparatus, will cost $21,000. It will give ample room for nine hundred children, besides an andience room capable of seating seven hun- dred persons.

The bell for this school house was manufactured by MeShane & Co., of Baltimore, Md., weighs with its attachments 2,600 pounds, and is the identical bell that took first premium at the Paris Exposition of 1878.

COLORED SCHOOL.S.

But little had been done for the education of colored children in Barnesville out of the public funds, until the year 1855. Mr. Jesse Hargrave, a colored gentleman, had been their first and only teacher np to that time. He was paid partly out of the public moneys, and partly ont of the private purse of the

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parents of the children. In that year a school district for eol- ored children was formed, a room rented on Arch street, and Miss H. F. Price employed as teacher. In the year 1868 a com- modious brick school house for colored children was put up on the Somerton road, a few hundred yards south of the town. The building is sixty feet in length and twenty-nine feet in width, one story high and has two rooms. The house is sur- mounted by a belfry to which a bell is attached.

Mr. F. H. Jackson. a colored teacher, taught the first school kept in that house. Mr. J. H. Betts, also a colored teacher, taught the second school. He was followed successively by the lady teachers, to-wit: Miss Anna Edson, Mrs. Garretson and Miss 1 .. HI. Ellis. They were succeeded by the following colored gen- tlemen, in the order named : Daniel Guy and Daniel F. Caliman. Mr. Caliman is the present teacher,

POSTOFFICE AND OFFICERS,

In 1810 a postoffice was established at Barnesville, and Wm. Philpot appointed postmaster. The office was at first kept at the store room of James Barnes, which stood on Main street, where the residence of Uriah Damsel now stands. It remained there many years, and was then removed to the store room now occupied by John Bradfield & Sons, where it continued to be kept until 1830, when Mr. Philpot resigned the office and Ben- jamin II. Mackall was appointed in his stead. So soon as Mr. Mackall became postmaster the postoffice was removed to his store room, where the Oppenheimer clothing store now is. In May, 1835, Mr. Mackall died, and his son, Col. Benjamin Mack- all. was appointed postmaster. The office remained where the elder Mackall had kept it until 1843, when it was removed to the store room now used by James T. Moore. In 1845. Col. Mackall, having been elected a senator to the Ohio Legislature, resigned the postmastership, and Joseph Fry was appointed to till the vacancy. Mr. Fry continued to be postmaster until August, 1849, when he was removed and James R. Laws ap- pointed to the place. Immediately after Mr. Laws appointment, he removed the office to a little building that stood where the drug store room of Thomas C. Judkins now stands. The post- office remained here only a few weeks, when it was removed to the building now occupied by John Bolon as an office, on lot number forty-one, East Main street. In the fall of 1851 Mr. Laws resigned the office, and Edward D. Barnes was appointed in his stead. Mr. Barnes continued the office at the Bolon building until April 1, 1852, when he removed it to the room: now the bar-room of the "Frazier House." In the spring of 1853, Mr. Barnes, in anticipation of his removal from the office on the advent of Pierce's administration, resigned the post, leaving Col. Benjamin Mackall as his deputy until his successor should be appointed and qualified. In the suummer of 1853 Col. Benjamin Mackall was again appointed postmaster. Col. Mack- all continued to be postmaster until 1861. when he was removed, and John H. Piper appointed in his place.

The office was kept while Col. Mackall was postmaster first in a little room that stood where Hingely's grocery store room now stands, then at the room now occupied by JJ. T. Moore's grocery, then in a little office one door west of Moore's grocery room, where it remained until the removal of Col. Mackall. So soon as Mr. Piper beeamne postmaster, he removed the office to the room now used by Mrs. Anna Bailey as a millinery shop. Here it remained until Mr. Piper was removed in July, 1866, and John W. Hays appointed postmaster. Soon after Mr. Hay's appointment to the office he removed it to the building first door east of the First National bank, where it remained one year. Mr. Hays then removed the office to where it is now kept, north- west corner of Main and Chestnut streets. The office continued to be kept there until October 1, 1871. when Mr. Hays was re- moved and James M. Lewis appointed his successor. So soon as Mr. Lewis had been appointed postmaster, he removed the office to the room now occupied by Thos. C. Judkins for his drug store. It remained here until December, 1872, when it was removed to the room now used by Messrs. Alberts as a bit- liard room. The office was continned at the Albert room until December, 1875. when it was again removed to the old postoffice room at northwest corner of Main and Chestnut streets, where it has continued to be kept. up to this day. Mr. James M. bewis having resigned the office in the last days of the year 1875. Mr. Samuel B. Piper was appointed his successor on the 6th day of January, A. D. 1876. and took charge of the office as postmas- ter on the 22d day of that month. Mr. Piper is still postmaster at Barnesville, and is making himself a most efficient and faithful officer, Mr. Philpot served as postmaster for twenty years, and

Col. Mackall for eighteen years, and their united terms exceed one-half the time Barnesville has had a postoffice. The little desk of pigeon holes first used by Mr. Philpot in 1810 is still in use at the office.

BARNESVILLE DISTRICT FAIR ASSOCIATION.

The Barnesville District Fair Association was organized on the 30th of July, 1870. Jonathan T. Scofield was chosen presi- lent, and William T. Harlan vice president, with twenty-one directors. On the 30th ot August, 1870, Dr. George H. Kemp was elected Secretary, and Ellis P. Lee, the treasurer of the as- sociation. In August 1870, the grounds on which the fairs of the association should be held were purchased of Dr. Samuel Walton, half mile northwest of the town. Fourteen and a half acres of land were bought and the whole put under fence seven feet high. A fine floral hall of the Maltese cross style, was built on the grounds, two wells sunk, one at the northeast quarter, and the other at the southwest quarter, booths, stalls and a circuit fence around the race course, were put np. In 1871 a commodious agricultural hall was erected on the southwest quarter of the grounds. The first fair was held on the 12th, 13th and 14th of October, 1870, and its receipts were $3,233.08. Of the first fair Wm. T. Harlan was chief marshall, and James D. Spear assist- ant marshall.

William T. Harlan was chosen president of the association on the 6th of May, 1871, and was continued in that office until May 1, 1874, when Mr. James M. Lewis was elected in his stead for one year. On May 1, 1875, Mr. Thomas P. Hall was chosen president, and was re-elected for the second term. On the 5th of May, 1877, James M. Lewis was again chosen president, and served one year. Milton (. Starbnek was chosen president on May 4, 1878, and is still in office. The association has hekl nine annual fairs from 1870 to 1878 inclusive. Dr. George H. Kemp has been secretary of the association uninterruptedly from the beginning to the present time. The fair of 1871 pro- duced the largest receipts of any, and from that time to the pres- ent, the interest in the fair has constantly lessened, and the re- ceipts accordingly have constantly been smaller.

FIRES AND ACCIDENTS.

The people of Barnesville during their entire history have suf- fered but little from calamitous fires and accidents. And nowhere are fires fought with greater energy and success than they are at that village. The first destructive fire worthy to' be noted occurred in May, 1824 or 1825. The residence of Robert Mills and that of Joel Judkins and his hatter's shop, a long low wood- en structure at the rear of his residence, were all entirely con- snmed by the fire. Those buildings occupied the ground between the present residence of Meier Eisenbergh and the east building of the "Frasier House." Mr. Mills's dwelling was a large two story log one with a long one story log building in the rear, and both were weather-boarded. The dwelling house was built of wood and one story high. The fire broke out early in the night and had the Mills rear building all aflame when it was discov- ered. Within six feet of the Mills house on the cast stood the old dwelling now at the rear of Meier Eisenbergh's residence and within three feet of Joel Judkins's residence, stood the cast building of the "Frasier House." Yet the citizens with only a few hooks, ladders and buckets, saved almost uninjured both of those adjoining buildings. The air at the time was as still as that of a room, and yet so intense was the heat that currents of rarefied air were made so strong that burning shingles and boards were carried over a mile away. A light shower of rain late in the afteroon alone saved the village from almost total destruc- . tion.

During the summer of 1827 the large store room building of Messrs. Gibson, Philpot & Co., which then stood where Hunt's corner now is, was burnt down. It was a two story brick struc- tore. The lower story was used as a store room and residence and the upper story was used for "qualifying" tobacco. and was full of dry tobacco at the time. The fire broke ont abont ten o'clock in the forenoon, in the upper story, from a defective stove pipe. The day was calm, and although the building on fire had other houses south and east of it, and almost tonched them yet, the skill, vigilance and labor of the people kept the fire to the one building, thus saving the others and all the mer- chandize.

In the summer of 1840, the great tobacco packing house of John Gibson, just back of the present residence of Mr. John Cole was burned down. It was at the time full of dry tobacco

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HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES.

hanging "to qualify," and besides that had thirty packed tubs of tobacco on its floors. The house at the time of its destruction was in the occupancy and use of Mr. William Lamping, now of Baltimore, Maryland, and its contents belonged to him.

In 1847 the dwelling house of Dr. William Folger and another dwelling built in connection with it on West Main street, south side were totally consumed by fire. The dwelling connected with the doctor's house, was occupied as a carpenter's shop, and the fire commencing within it among shavings and dry lumber, enveloped the buildings in flames in a few moments. So sud- den was the destruction of the buildings that only a few articles of the doctor's household goods were saved.

In May, 1864, the M. E. Church parsonage, and William R. Moore's residence and blacksmith shop, then occuping the south- west corner of Chestnut and South streets were burnt up. The fire began in the forenoon, and as the day was calm, the entire contents of the burnt buildings were saved, as well as all sur- rounding structures.

The old Barnes mill having been purchased in 1866 by Mr. Henry McCartney, he converted the east end of the building into a planing mill and he ran both mills until their destruction in May, 1870. Just at twilight the alarm of fire was given and before the fire bell could be tolled the entire building, through- out its length and breadth and from foundation to comb, was wrapt in flames. The mills and their contents were destroyed except the engine and boiler. All surrounding buildings and structures were saved. How or in what part of the building the fire started is unknown.

In March, 1871, a two story house, that stood where the "Slevin House" now stands, and owned by one John Stencil was burned down. The house was vacant at the time, but had been previously used by Stencil for dwelling and saloon. The fire broke out about 8 o'clock P. M., and although the house stood very close to other wooden buildings, the fire was kept to the one house. This fire was the work of an incendiary, as there had been no fire in the house for over two weeks and the fire started on the inside of the house.

In the summer of 1872 the flouring mill of Litkie & Schultz, and dwelling house of Litkie, that was built in connection with the mill, which occupied the southeast corner of Chestnut and South streets were burnt up. One of the employees of the mill, Mr. Benjamin Middleton, was consumed in the flames. His headless and limbless body-a mere lump of charcoal, and scarely distinguishable as a human form-was recovered from the ruins and decently buried. The fire took place about 3 o'clock A. M., and but little ofthe contents of the mill was saved. The fire engine, then just purchased, had its first trial and did most efficient work. This was also the work of an incendiary.

ACCIDENTS.

At the raising of the old mill of James Barnes & Sons in May, 1815, Mr. James Vernon, one of the contractors for its erection, was instantly killed by the falling of a bent of timbers at the northeast corner of the frame. The bent had not been sufficient- ly secured by stays and the whole of it tumbled to the ground, burying Vernon beneath it. He was the first man killed in the town.

James R. Shankland, a youth and an employee in the woolen factory part of the old mill of James Barnes & Sons, was caught in the belting, carried over the drum and instantly killed. He was the son of William G. and Harriet Shankland, and a grand- son of the proprietor of the town.

In the summer of 1846 a lad named Sills, working at the wool- en factory of Daniel Williams (now Hogue & Barlow), became entangled in the belting of the fulling stock, was carried several times around the shaft and so badly mangled that he died in a few hours.

In 1866 Wesley Brown, a hand in the Frasier House, and a son of William McKendree Brown, was thrown from a horse and so badly hurt that he died within an hour or two.

On the 4th of July, 1876, at dusk, Joseph Wilkins, a youth, and son of Uriah Wilkins, was instantly killed by an improvised cannon, thoughtlessly loaded on Main street near Chestnut and to be fired there, to give the parting thunders to the waning glories of the Centennial day of American Independence.

On the 17th day of July, 1878, the planing mill of Davis & Starbuck that stood on the site of the old mill of James Barnes & Sons, was destroyed by the explosion of a boiler. It was one of the most terrific explosions that ever occurred anywhere, The mill was a wooden structure, 58x60 feet, and two stories above ground, with a projection of eighteen feet at south end of 41-B. & J. Cos.

main building on east side. At the angle of the projection and main building stood the smoke stack. Under about one half of the whole building there was a basement story eight feet high. The engine and boiler were situated in the basement under the projection and a part of the main building. Most of the machin- ery of the mill occupied the floor of the second story above ground. The following statement will show the position of em- ployes at the moment of explosion :

At the northeast corner of the second floor was the office ; George E. Hunt, clerk, at his post. Directly west was John Hunt, next west Jonathan Ellis; west side, Charles P. McCord ; south end, Charles Elzler, Sr., and J. H. Burchard; east side, John Jackson, William Heizer, John W. Benewitz and Levi Ma- hanna. In the projection, over the engine and level with sec- ond floor, was Capt. George Shepherd's station, but he had not arrived at the mill. John Moore, the engineer, was at a turn- ing lathe in the basement, thirty feet west of the engine; James Padgett, assistant engineer, about the engine; William Y. Dent was in the yard, fifty feet southwest of engine; Charles Etzler, Jr., on first floor at south end of main building, and John and Samuel Blowers directly east of him. Mr. Levi Mahanna, gla- zier, whose station was on second floor, directly south of Clerk's office, was working at the furniture room ,on Arch street, and hence was not at his usual position at the time of explosion.

Precisely at 7 o'clock A. M., John Moore the engineer, took possession of the engine from the charge of the night watchman, Mr. William Duff, and at thirty-five minutes past 7 o'clock the explosion occurred with an appalling sound. So tremendous was the explosive force that the building was lifted several feet from its foundation, twisted about in the air, and then falling with a crash was literally torn to atoms. The roof, frame work, floors and machinery, were nothing but a huge pile of lit- ter, under and in which were the bodies of seven of the opera- tives.

The escapes of some of the employes were almost miraculous. John Hunt feeling himself lifted np, seized the window frame and reached the ground in safety. Jonathan Ellis was blown out of the mill, and found himself on the ground unhurt. Chas. McCord went down with the falling floor and reached the floor of basement covered with rubbish and blinded by dust. He clambered up through the wreck of timbers, and reached the ground unscratched. John Jackson was blown to the distance of fifty feet, and was considerably hurt by falling timbers, but succeeded in rescning himself, and escaped to safety. James Blowers was carried by the explosive force entirely out of the building, and landed on the ground unhurt, John Moore, Chas. Etzler, Jr., and Samuel Blowers, were rescued from the wreck badly, but not dangerously hurt, and William Heizer mortally wounded. I. H. Burchard and Charles Etzler were dead when taken out. William Y. Dent, the foreman, was blown against a pile of timbers and very seriously injured, from which he has not yet entirely recovered.

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History of Belmont and Jefferson Counties, Ohio, and incidentially historical collection pertaining to border warfare and the early settlement of the adjacent portion of the Ohio Valley, Part 111

Author: Caldwell, J. A. (John Alexander) 1n; Newton, J. H., ed; Ohio Genealogical Society. 1n Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Wheeling, W. Va. : Historical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 728

Author: Caldwell, J. A. (John Alexander) 1n; Newton, J. H., ed; Ohio Genealogical Society. 1n
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Wheeling, W. Va. : Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 728