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 201

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 201
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 201

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).

He was the justice of the peace for twenty-one years. The old family were Friends or "Quakers."

KENNETH McLENNAN, son of Kenneth and Jane McLennan, was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, January 2, 1822. His education was obtained at the common schools and by his own exertions at home. In 1834, his father died, and he was cast loose upon the world to make his fortune as best he could among strangers. On the 23d of November, 1847, he chose for his wife Miss' Angeline Cosper, of Wayne county, Ohio. By this union he is the father of twelve children, viz: Homer C., (deceased), Georgiana, Marietta, William N., Margaret J., Ida A., Martha E., Lizzie J., Lewis W., Nellie M. and Elihu J. His wife de- parted this life August 20, 1868. For a second wife he married Mary J. Peterman, of Holmes county, Ohio, November 13, 1873. They are the parents of two children-Bertha A. and Florence M. Atter Mr. Mclennan's first marriage he located in Brush Creek township, where he yet resides on the upper waters of Brush creek. Here he owns a farm of 423 acres of land, and in all has 643 acres, most of which is in the township in which he resides. Mr. McLennan has been called upon frequently by his fellow citizens to hold the different offices of trust in his town- ship, all of which he has cheerfully performed to the best of his knowledge and to the general satisfaction of all concerned. In 1851, he was elected justice of the peace, which office he has held worthily for twenty-four years. His father was born in Scot- land in 1771. While in the old country he followed droving. He married Jane Mclaughlin in 1800. They were the parents of eight children, viz : Daniel, Eliza, (deceased) ; Margaret, (dc- ceased) ; Jane, Ann, William, Kenneth and Ellen. They emi- grated to America in 1817, and located in Columbiana county, Ohio, where they remained till 1823, when they removed to Jef- ferson county, Ohio, and settled about one-half mile south of where our subject now resides, and in 1828, located on the tract now owned by him. As abovestated, Kenneth McLennan, Sr., died in 1834, and his wife survived him until the year 1872, when on the night of the 24th of December her house, which stood but a short distance from Kenneth's residence, caught fire and was not discovered till nearly consumed and she perished in the flames. So ended the life of one of the oldest people of Brush creek, a hale, strong old lady of ninety-two years.

JOSEPH JACKMAN, son of Richard and Jane Jackman, was born in Island Creek township, Jefferson county, Ohio, December 10, 1814. His father was a farmer and miller, at which his son passed his early life, latterly, however, farming has been his chief occupation. When fifteen years of age our subject's pa- rents removed to Ross township, where he grew to manhood. On the 14th day of October, 1847, he was married to Nancy Pat- terson, of Island Creek township. They are the parents of the following named children : John W., Richard H. and George. Mr. Jackman resided in Ross township until 1871, when he re- moved to his present location in Brush Creek township, where he owns a farm of 318 acres, formerly occupied by the Russell family. In October, 1840, he became a member of the M. E. Church, and his walk in life fitly exemplifies its teachings. His father, a native of Ireland, was born in the year 1777. In 1789, his parents emigrated to America and settled in Washington county, Pa., where they resided till 1798, when they removed to Island Creek township, Jefferson county, Ohio. They were among the first settlers of this part of the county. In January, 1803, he married Jane Jackman, a native of Virginia, by whom he became the parent of six children, viz : Samuel, Joseph, Mar- garet, Susan and Jane. Richard Jackman died in the year 1853, and his wife some ten years later. His eldest brother, Thomas Jackman, was a soldier of 1812.

JOHN C. MCINTOSHI, son of William and Elizabeth McIntosh, was born in Nairnshire, Scotland, in 1813. When seventeen years old he emigrated to America with Laughlin Dallas. After his arrival in this country he remained for four years in Alle- gheny, Pa., and from thence came to Jefferson county, O., where be purchased a farm of 120 acres, three and a half miles south of Hammondsville, in Brush Creek township. He married Jane McLennan, daughter of Kenneth and Jane McLennan, March 1, 1842. She was born in Scotland in the year 1812. They be- came the parents of the following children : Elizabeth, William, Kenneth, Jane (deceased) ; John, Alexander, Lydia (deceased) ; Mary J .. Hugh F., James H., and Robert S. After they were first married they resided for six years where Hugh McIntosh now resides, and from thence removed to where his widow now resides, on the cast half of section 33, Brush Creek township.

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HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES

He was a farmer and drover. At the time of his death, Decem- ber 27, 1871, he owned eight hundred acres of land,

JOHN W. MCINTOSH. son of William and Sarah A. McIntosh, was born in Brush Creek township, May 12, 1836. He was reared a farmer and received his education in the common schools. He married Nannie A. Stewart of Jefferson county, O., October 20, 1863. They are the parents of five children, viz: Florence S., Alexander M. (deceased) , Bertha O., Willie J. and Oliver E. Mr. McIntosh resides on the farm where he was born and grew up to manhood. When twenty-one years of age he became a member of the Presbyterian church at Chestnut Grove and at the same time was chosen a ruling elder, which position he still holds. He was elected a justice of the peace in 1875, and re-elected in 1878. William McIntosh, father of our subject, was born in Caravorie, Scotland, in 1797. He was a herder while in that country and became a stone mason after coming to America. He married Sarah A. Mckinsey, of Scot- land, in 1827. Their children are as follows : Nancy, (deceased) ; Alexander M., (deceased); Mary B. and John W. Alexander M. had just finished his course at Washington (Pa.) College wben the war of the rebellion broke out. He enlisted as a pri- vate in the 126th regiment, O. V. I., Company D, and was pro- moted to orderly sergeant, but died February 16, 1862, of typhoid Pneumonia, at Martinsburg, West Virginia. His remains were brought home by John W. McIntosh, who had cared for him during his sickness, and interred in Chestnut Grove cemetery. Mary B., married John Johnson, and resides in East Liverpool, Columbiana county, Ohio.

William McIntosh, and his family of two children and wife, emigrated to America in the fall of 1832, and located on 80 acres of land which is now owned by his son John W. McIntosh. William McIntosh died May 20, 1857, and his wife August 21, 1876, at the age of 74 years. Her mother Isabella McKinzie, died at the advanced age of 100 years. John W .; now owns 167 acres in one tract in Brush Creek township.

JOSEPH M. BEARD, son of George and Elizabeth Beard, was born in Chester county, Pa., November 7, 1821. He was reared a farmer and received his education at the common schools of the country. When fifteen years of age his parents emigrated to Jefferson county and settled in Brush Creek township. He married Susan Russell, daughter of Robert and Rebecca Rus- sell, December 28, 1848. They are the parents of the fol- lowing children, viz . Oliver J., born October 9, 1849, He is a lawyer in Steubenville. Robert R., born Octo- ber 9, 1851. Sarah E., born March 27, 1854, died June 23, 1875. Rebecca L., born July 28, 1857. Mr. Beard has lived on the tract he now occupies ever since his marriage. He was asses- sor of his township for ten years ; also township clerk several terms. His father, George Beard, and his mother, were both natives of Chester county, Pa. George Beard was a farmer and married Elizabeth Jenkins. They were the parents of the fol- lowing children : Michael, deceased ; George Watson, deceased ; John Sidney, deceased; Mary, deceased; Rebecca, deceased ; Leah, Joseph M. and Jacob Z. Beard. He died in 1852, aged eighty-two years; his wife died in 1860, aged seventy-nine. Before their death they resided with their children, our subject and Jacob Z. He was of German extraction, his wife of Welsh. Our subject, Joseph M. Beard, owns one hundred and eighty acres of land in Brush Creek township. His wife's father, Jo- seph Russell, was a soldier in the war of 1812.

SALINE TOWNSHIP.

This township is situated on the extreme northeastern corner of the county. The historic Yellow creek flows through the entire length of the township and enters the Ohio river at Din- ton postoffice. Along the banks of this creek for ages the dusky red men trod the warpath, and over this now peaceful ground bas many a weary captive toiled towards a horrid death at the stake, or a scarcely more desirable life of captivity among those who had no mercy on the white race. It was at the month of Yellow creek that the massacre of the Logan family took place by Greathouse's band, a full history of which is given in another part of this work.

An Indian trail formerly extended along Yellow creek for five miles from its mouth, at the end of which there was, years ago, indications of an encampment, and stones have been unearthed which bear the marks of fire upon their surface.

The wild and romantic beanty of the scenery allured the red men of the forest, and the clear waters of Yellow creck and its tributaries, for which the township is justly noted, furnished nu- merous watering-places for the deer and other wild beasts, which were pierced by their arrows as they wandered to the bank to drink. The speckled trout darted through the brook- lets, which were seemingly inexhaustible depositories of food, and the beaver sported in his meadow, inviting capture. All that uncultivated nature ever furnishes in this northern climate was produced in abundance, and it may be supposed the Indian here found enjoyments adapted to his rude tastes, and as ele- vated as he was capable of appreciating.

SETTLEMENT.

Settlements were not made in Saline for more than twenty years after the massacre at the mouth of Yellow creek, and dur- ing that time extensive military operations had taken place upon this continent. The conflict between the English and the colonists had been decided, England having lost her thirteen colonies, and a new power had arisen upon the political horizon. The savage tribes-the original owners of the soil-had been the last to yield, but before the first settlement was attempted, they, too, had been completely subdued and were harmless.

William McCullough came to this township and located at the mouth of Yellow creek prior to 1800. About 1795 Samuel Van- tilburg came to this part of the county to make a permanent settlement. He located near where Port Homer now stands, and a number of his descendants are still in the county. The Crawfords came in 1807. Jacob Wesley was probably the first white man to penetrate the wilds of Saline township with a view to settlement, but at what date we could not learn. As early as 1800, we find Joshua Downer here prospecting among the hills and valleys ; he was the first to discover salt in this township, about the year 1806. Samuel Potts and his brother Henry came in about 1803. The Maples were pioneers here, and also the Houscholders, and many others too numerous to mention. Among the old settlers who were quite prominent in their day, may be mentioned Jacob Groff and Mr. Hammond, the latter owning Hammondsville.

At the mouth of Yellow creek, on the farm of the McCul- loughs, may be seen a few scattering stone, said to be the re- mains of a block-house which stood here at a very carly day, but the information concerning it is very meagre and unsatis- factory, though it is quite evident that at one time such a place of defense existed somewhere in the neighborhood.

PRE-HISTORIC.

On the farm of G. DeSellem, near Port Homer, is the remains of ancient mounds or fortifications, and judging from the stone implements found in this vicinity, there must have been a set- tlement of mound-builders here years ago. Mr. DeSellem has a very curious specimen of ancient workmanship in his posses- sion, in the shape of part of a stone column, about fifteen inches in diameter and two feet long, and appears to have a part broken off at some time. Mr. DeSellem has also quite a collection of specimens of the stone age, which were picked up on his farm.

HAMMONDSVILLE

Was laid out on the property of Charles Hammond in 1852, and named for him. W. Il. Wallace came from Port Homer in the same year, and opened the first store, and was appointed first postmaster. During the year a number of buildings were erect- ed, among them being a large and commodious hotel, built by Joseph Russell. The Hammondsville Mining and Coal Com- pany, was then organized with Mr. Wallace as manager, and things loomed up and business was brisk. They commenced the mannfactory of fire- brick in 1856, but sold out that branch of enterprise to Laey & Saxton in 1858. A steam saw mill had been erected, which was doing a large business all the time, mer- chants, blacksmiths and wagonmakers thrived, and in fact Ham. mondsville had all that was required to make it quite a town, excepting a church, although the Catholics bought a school house and held their services in it. Thus the town flourished in all its glory until the panic of 1873, when things took a sud- den downward path, and business collapsed to a great extent, but the mineral resources around the town are too great for it to remain dormant for a great length of time. The present busi- ness of the village consists of a large coal and coke works, own- ed by W. II. Wallace & Sons, four stores, one large wagon and

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HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES.

blacksmith shop, one hotel, one good school, and there is one physician in the town. The Cleveland and Pittsburgh railroad also passes through the place.

IRONDALE.

In whatis now the incorporated village of Irondale, on Yellow Creek, Joshua Downer first discovered salt water in 1806, and the first well was put down by Samuel Potts. This well fur- nished sufficient brine to make six barrels per day, of salt. Soon after James Rodgers put down two more wells, the capacity of each well being about five barrels each per day. Abont this time a village was started and given the name of Pottsdale, and a bank was opened by the Potts brothers for their own conven- ience. Salt at this time was in good demand and brought about sixteen dollars a barrel. Their only means of transportation was to hanl it on carts or wagons to the mouth of Yellow Creek, and then ship by boat. This enterprise did not last a great many years, as salt was discovered in larger quantities in other parts of the country. When the manufacture of salt was dis- continued, the once flourishing village of Pottsdale went to de- cay, and its several owners turned it into farms, and thus it re- snmed the quietnde of a rural district, until 1861, when a com- pany with John Hunter as its manager, commenced mining and shipping coal from this place. A second village then sprung up taking the name of Huntersville. In 1869, a com- pany called the Pioneer Iron Company, built a rollingmill at a cost of $130,000, which gave employment to one hundred and fifty men. This gave an opening to every'class of business, and the town was properly laid out and given the name of Irondale. In 1870, the first store was started in the new village, by Mor- gan and Hunter, with R. G. Richards as manager ; he was also appointed first postmaster. This was a flourishing year for Irondale, for next came the erection of a large blast-furnace, by the Morgan Iron and Coal Company, at a cost of $162,000, giv- ing employment to two hundred men. The same year a large hotel was also built by Mrs. Mary Crans. Irondale continued prosperous for three years, and had a population of fifteen hun- dred. In 1873 the panic came, and the furnace and rolling mill were shut down, and Irondale has been on the deeline ever since. A very elaborate coal washing establishment was erected here, for the purpose of cleansing the Coal No, 6, of its sulphide of iron, with a view to the manufacture of coke from it. So far the ex- periment has only been moderately successful.

The present business of Irondale consists of one good hotel, the " American House," kept by Mrs. Mary Evans, a postoffice and store kept by C. P. Evans, one large general store, consist- ing of dry goods, groceries, and drugs, kept by Frank Brady, two large fire-brick works, near the town, two shoemakers, and one blacksmith and wagon shop. There is one good school, employing two teachers, two churches, one M. E,, and one Presbyterian church, and there is one minister and one physi- cian, B. R. Parke, M. D.

PORT HOMER.

In 1814, W. H. Wallace, now of Hammondsville, came from Yellow Creek, and opened a store and postoffice, and gave the place the name of Port Homer, in honor of his son Homer. This soon became quite a prominent shipping point for all this sec- tion of the country. In 1851, Mr. Wallace moved to Hammonds- ville, and sold out his Port Homer business. Since that time a number of parties have been engaged in the mercantile and shipping here. Crawford Brothers carried on commission and shipping business for some time. A. W. Brout is now engaged in mercantile business, and is also postmaster here, and agent for the C. & P. R. R

LINTON POST OFFICE

Is situated at the junction of the C. & P. R. R., at the month of Yellow Creek. In 1831, W. H. Wallace opened a store, and was appointed postmaster. Jacob Groff had been engaged in business here prior to that time, and a hotel had been built for a number of years. Mining and shipping coal was the princi- pa! business, but now only a hotel, store and postoffice remain.

SCHOOLS.

In Saline, as in most of the other townships in the county, the log school honse followed closely upon the first settlement. Al- most as soon as land was cleared and planted, to guard against starvation, the pioneer turned his attention to the education of his children, and the rude log school house was erected as a

necessary adjunct. The families of the pioneers were always large, and the early schools were crowded, especially in winter.

The first school we find in the township was kept in a log cabin near the mouth of Yellow creek, as early as 1800, and taught by an Irishman named McElroy. In 1804 there were schools kept on Pine Ridge, also one on Yellow creek, above Hammondsvilie, but the first teacher's name we failed to ascer- tain. Saline has made wonderful changes from the log houses with greased paper windows, to the more modern structures, with' all the improvements necessary for the advancement and education of the young. We find at present five school districts, employing about seven teachers.

COAL AND IRON ORE.

No other part of Jefferson county rivals in mineral resources the valley of Yellow creek; and, indeed it is doubtful whether any district in the state of equal extent can boast of a more abundant supply of coal, or that which is more readily accessi- ble. The misapprehension which has existed in regard to the order and equivalence of the strata in the valley of Yellow creek, has arisen in part from a radical misconception of the system which prevails in our coal field, and in part from the fact that the extensive mining operations carried on in the valley have been located at several somewhat widely separated points, be- tween which intervals have remained where the connection of the strata has not been distinctly traced.

Coming into the valley of Yellow creek from that of the Ohio, we find it bounded at its mouth by hills rising to the height of five hundred to six hundred feet, which contain five workable seams of coal. Besides these there are several thinner ones, one of which, with a thickness of about one foot, lies near the level of the Ohio, and two others, a few inches in thickness, occur high up in the barren measures. Of the larger seams, the low- est is called the "Creek vein," because it lies near the level of Yellow creek, from Linton up as far as Irondale. This is a coking bituminous coal of moderately good quality, but rather soft, and containing considerable sulphur.

From eighteen to thirty feet above this lies what is called the "strip vein," from the fact that it was formerly worked by strip- ping off the soil and earth which covered its outcrops. This seam has an average thickness of two and a half fect, and is of great excellence when it is opened in the valley. The inter- val between this coal and the "creek vein" is mainly occupied by black shale, which contains a notable quantity of nobular iron ore; it also contains, in places, as at Linton and Salisbury, a stratum of limestone three to four feet in thickness. At Yel- low Creek Station the strip vein is well exposed in the cut of the Cleveland and Pittsburgh railroad, lying for some distance just in the grade. About fifty or sixty feet above the strip vein, at this point, occurs another seam, which is here thin, but higher up in the valley it attains a thickness of from three to three and a half feet, and is known as the "Roger vein."

At a variable distance above the Roger vein-near Yellow Creek Station, said to vary from sixteen to forty feet-occurs what is known as the "big vein," in dimensions the most im- portant one in the valley. At Linton this is from seven to seven and a half feet in thickness, the lower four or five inches being cannel, and containing great numbers of fossil fishes and amphibia. The big vein is here, as higher up the creek, a typical coking coal, of which the value is somewhat impaired by the quantity of sulphur it contains. About sixty feet above the Big vein-the interval being filled with black and gray shale, sandstone and a bed of limestone-occurs a coal seam, known here as the "Groff vein," from four to five feet in thick- ness, of very good quality. Above the Groff vein is a great mass of red, gray and green shales, with some sandstone, two small seams of coal, and one or more irregular beds of lime- stone-a characteristic mass of the barren measures.

Borings made in the valley of the Ohio below the mouth of Yellow creek all seem to indicate the presence of a thick seam of coal at a distance of eighty to one hundred and forty feet below the Creek vein, but recent explorations have proved that it consists largely of black shale, and is practically worthless.

In passing up the Yellow creek valley, the coal seams enu- merated are all opened and well known at Collinwood, Ham- mondsville, Irondale and New Salisbury, and no one of the many miners in the valley questions their identity and connec- tion. To the latter point the dip of the strata coincides with the fall of the stream, the coal beds are all exposed, and with the exception that some diversity is visible in the intervals. which separate them, the structure of the valley is uniform and regular.

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HISTORY OF BELMONT AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES

Boneath the creek vein or coal No. 3, is a heavy bed of fire clay, which is extensively used for the manufacture offire-brick, pottery, terra-cotta and so forth at many places. From its association with this important bed of clay, No. 3 is some- times called the "Clay Coal." One half mile above Irondale, W. H. Wallace and sons, manufacture fire-brick from fire-clay found in the vicinity, and William Lacey, of Cleveland, is also engaged in its manufacture on a large scale, about one-half mile below Irondale.

The outerop of iron ore can be seen any place between Iron- dale and Hammondsville, and numerous bands of kidney ore traverse the shales all along the valley of Yellow Creek, Mr. E. K. Collins has had a series of ores on his property analyzed by Prof. J. L. Cassells.

None of these ores have as yet been mined, and it is impos- sible to say whether any of them can be profitably worked.

Many reports are current of the discovery of galena on Big Yellow Creek, and much mystery was thrown around the subject, as if it were a matter of great importance. This is, however, not peculiar to that locality, as nearly every county in the State has its lead man, who claims to have found import- ant deposits of this metal, and manufactures a certain degree of cheap notoriety by pretending to be the possessor of an import- ant secret, which he carefully guards. With sincere regret for the necessity of robbing such persons of the capital which they employ with so much pleasure, if not profit, I am compelled to say that all these rumors of the discovery of lead veins, or the allied legends of the manufacture of bullets by the Indians, from lead obtained in certain secluded places, are, for Ohio, either deliberate frauds, or creations of the imagination, for not only has no valuable deposit of lead yet been found in the State, enough has been learned of its geological ; structure, to warrant the statement that no such a thing exists herc.

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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 201

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