USA > Ohio > Gallia County > Illustrated historical and business review of Meigs and Gallia counties, Ohio, for the year 1891. > Part 19
USA > Ohio > Meigs County > Illustrated historical and business review of Meigs and Gallia counties, Ohio, for the year 1891. > Part 19
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John Longstreth, Manufacturer of Wagons and Repairer in Wood and Iron, and Painter.
OHN is what we call a self-made mechanic. For the last ten years he has been working at the carpenter trade and has become an expert with tools. Four years ago he located at this place and opened up a general re- pair and manufacturing shop. He does wood work, ironing and painting, and makes a specialty of manufactur- ing corn plows, wagons, and buggies, and is turning out some fine work in his line, and will repair your buggy and make it look as good as new. As a house painter he is an artist and has painted some of the finest residences in the village. Contractors or others wanting painting in this line would do well to correspond with Mr. Long- streth and get prices before letting their contracts.
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H. McHaffie, Blacksmith.
AMONG the various mechanical industries of any thriving village the blacksmith is one that cannot be dispensed with. As an expert worker in iron and steel we make special men- tion of Mr. H. McHaffie, whose shop is located at this place. He is a na- tive of this county, born in 1857, near this village. After securing his ed- ucation at the public schools he chose to be a blacksmith, and August 2d, 1872, came to this village and com- menced work with his brother, J. A. McHaffie. In the spring of 1875 he first opened a shop of his own and for the last sixteen years has been attend- ing to the many wants in this line. As a horse shoer he cannot be' surpassed, having made the horse's hoofs a study. He can do all work in this line in a scientific manner so as to prevent toe- ing in, contracting or interfering. He gives special attention to all kinds of repairing, which will be neatly and promptly done. All work done by him is fully warranted. Mr. McHaffie is desirous of retiring from the business, and will sell his stand to some good mechanic. He will sell the shop and his dwelling or the shop and good will alone.
J. A. Miller. M. D., Physician and Surgeon.
DOCTOR MILLER, the subject of our sketch, is a native of Meigs county, born April 22, 1869. When he was quite young his parents moved to Gallia county, Ohio. After comple- ting his literary education he choose the medical profession, and began reading medicine in 1887, under the tu- torship of Dr. C. A. Rife, of Kygersville O. He attended the Kentucky school of Medicine at Louisville, and took his first term at that institution and his second term at the Starling Medical College of Columbus, O., from which he graduated with honors in the class of 1891. He was married August 31, 1890, to Miss Maud Hamilton, daugh- ter of J. W. Hamilton. In March 1891, he located at this place for the practice of his profession. Dr. Miller is a thorough student in the medical and surgical science, and is young and energetic, not afraid of the ele- ments, and is bound to succeed if a thorough and practical knowledge of medicine, with plenty of push and get- up is of any avail.
HARRISONVILLE HISTORY.
H ARRISONVILLE is located in Meigs county, twelve miles north west of Middleport, on the old State road leading from Pomeroy to Athens. It was laid out in 1840, during the Harrison and Tyler campaign, and was named in honor of General Harrison. The first lots were sold by Alfred Dunlap and Horatio White, who owned the land upon which the village stands. Alfred Dunlap was also the first Post-master. The present population is 250. There are two churches in the village viz: M. E. and Cumberland Presby- terian, and a school building of one room with an enrollment of 45 pupils. There are two good general stores, one wagoner maker's shop, two blacksmith shops and a hotel. The surrounding country is well adapted to all kinds of grains and fruits. The land is underlaid with a vein of good coal. The lead -
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industries are fruit growing, agricultural pursuits and fine sheep raising. The people are industrious and enterprising. The F. and A. M. Fraternity have a fine building with two large halls. The Lodge was chartered in 1869, and has a membership at present of 60. The officers are as follows: F. A. Bartley, W. M; Geo. Chapman, S. W; W. F. Townsend, J. W; Millard Combs, Treas; F. E. Vining, Sec ; D. Wice, S. D; A. A. Alkire, J. D; James Marchington, Tyler. They meet on the Saturday on or before the full moon of each month.
Harrisonville's Most Enterprising Merchants and Business Men.
Drs. S. & H. C. Day, Physicians and Surgeons.
DR. S. DAY, the senior member of this firm, is a native of Washing- ton county, Pa. He was born in 1818. He came to Ohio with his parents in 1836. They first located in Musking- um county, where they remained three years, and then removed to Athens county Ohio. He then took up the study of his profession under the pre- ceptorship of Dr. Joseph Dixon, of Albany, Athens county, Ohio. In the fall of 1847 he entered the Starling Medical College at Columbus, Ohio, and remained until the following spring. In April of 1848 he came to Harrisonville and began the practice of medicine, which he continued for ten years and then returned to the Starling College, and remained during the winter of 1857-8, from which he graduated in the following spring. He then returned to this village and has been constantly practicing his profession up to the present time. In 1863 he was appointed Surgeon of the 10th O. V. I. but before entering upon the duties of his office he received an order from Gov. Todd to proceed to Pomeroy, and assume the duties of ex- amining Surgeon of those who claim-
ed exemption from draft. For many years he has been recognized as one of the most successful and prominent physicians of Meigs county, coping successfully with all forms and types of disease that humanity is heir to, and has assisted in over five thousand five hundred cases of abstetrics, or child birth. He is now president of the Meigs county Medical Association, and a member of the Ohio Valley Medical Association, and although upwards of seventy years of age, he is apparently but little past the prime of life. The other member of the firm is Dr. H. C. Day. He is a son of Dr. S. Day, and a native of this village, born in 1853. He received his liter- ary education in Albany Academy, and read medicine under the precep- torship of his father. He attended the Starling Medical College during the years of 1875-6. After graduat- ing he entered into partnership with his father. He has already establish- ed a reputation which extends far be- yond the limits of his own county, and is endowed with professional qualifications that place him pre-emi- nently among the leading physicians of the county. He is one of nine differ- ent physician who read medicine un- der his father, all of whom are now among the leading practitioners of this
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section of the State. These gentlemen are both prominent members of the F. and A. M. Fraternity of this village. Personally they are genial and courteous, treating every one with re- spect, and are universally regarded with sentiments of esteem and respect.
W. H. Dye, General Merchandise.
As one of the leading establish-
ments of Meigs county and one of which the citizens of Harrisonville are justly proud, we take pleasure in mak- ing liberal mention of the above firm in this Review of Meigs county's busi- ness houses. This firm dates its in- ception back to the year 1868, when Mr. W. H. Dye, a farmer youth, came to the village and started a small store. In the twenty-three years that have elapsed since then the proprietor of that small store has developed into one of Meigs county's most energetic and prosperous business men, while the store itself has assumed mammoth proportions. The premises occupied by this firm is a large frame structure two stories high, located in the cen- tral part of the village. He uses seven large rooms in stowing away his immense stock of goods, the main salesroom being 20x72 feet in dimen- sions. The stock of goods carried em- braces the following different lines viz: dry goods, groceries, clothing, boots, shoes, hats, caps, drugs, medi- cines, milinery goods, hardware, glass- ware, stoneware, tinware, queensware, notions, etc. In the dry goods depart- ment are kept all the latest novelties in ladies', misses' and children's dress goods, as well as the staple lines. In the clothing department he carries a full line of boys' and men's handsome business and dress suits, cut and made from the best material, in the latest styles by the leading clothiers of the country. His drug department in- cludes a varied assortment of pure and fresh drugs and chemicals, also oils, paints, varnishes, toilet and fancy articles and being a registered Phar- macist of many year's experience, he is prepared to compound physicians'
prescriptions and family recipes promptly and accurately. In the milli- nery line they receive all the latest patterns and designs as soon as they appear in the large cities. Each depart- ment is complete within itself, making it no longer necessary to go to our larger towns and cities when we want anything desirable or fine in home comforts, or personal adornments. Mr. Dye was born near this village in 1840. He grew to manhood .on the farm and at the age of twenty-eight he came to Harrisonville and started in the mercantile business. In his commercial career he has adopted a policy that is both liberal and equita- ble; he endeavors to treat all alike. and sell honest goods at honest prices. He is a man of excellent business ability and enterprise, which is attested by the large measure of suc- cess that has attended his well direct- ed efforts. He is a shrewd buyer and buys his goods in large quantities, which enables him to offer liberal in- ducements to the public, and is a gen- tleman with whom it is both pleasant and profitable to have business rela- tions.
A. I. Hutchinson, General Mer- chant and Lumber Dealer.
IT was formerly the case that when
we desired anything fine in home or personal adornment we were compell- ed to make long journeys to large com- mercial centers to purchase them, but this is no longer the case for in every village we find one or more stores that compare favorably with the first class houses of the large towns and cities. And while the village merchant takes pride in coping with the similar firms of the cities in the excellent character of his goods, he can undersell him every time since he is not burdened by high rents, high rates of taxation, and other heavy expenses necessarily con- nected with city life. Such however can be said especially of the above firm, which is located in the pleasant little village of Harrisonville, O. The premises occupied is a substantial
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frame structure 24x40 feet in dimen- sions, and two stories high, with ware- room in the rear. The salesroom is fitted up in metropolitan style and is stocked with a large and comprehen- sive line of goods, embracing every- thing necessary to make life comfort- able and happy. In the dry goods de- partment we noticed not only common and staple articles in ladies' dress goods, but all the latest and most de- sirable fabrics from both foreign and domestic looms, In the grocery de- partment may be found a complete line of the freshest and purest gro- ceries and provisions that the market affords, including fresh garden grown teas, best brands of coffees, sugars, vinegars, syrups, canned and bottled goods, meats, flour, notions, etc. He also carries a complete line of boots, shoes, hats, caps, ladies' and gents' furnishing goods, hardware, glassware, tinware, stoneware, queensware in fact everything belonging to a first-class general store. Mr. Hutchinson is a native of Belmont county, Ohio, born in 1852 near Centerville. When six years of age he moved with his parents to Athens county, O., where he re- mained until 1873, when he came to this county. At the early age of four- teen he procured a certificate and en- tered the profession of teaching school which he followed for fifteen years, and met with marked success, having taught thirteen terms in the school of this village. He has served as Justice of the Peace, of this township, for nine consecutive years, each time being elected by large majorities. Since starting in business here six years ago, he has met with a constant- ly growing trade. His wide acquaint- ance with the people enables him to know their wants and supply them. He also owns and operates a saw mill and is prepared to do custom work in sawing, dressing and match- ing lumber or furnish it in either large or small quantities at most reasonable rates. Mr. Hutchinson is one of our most energetic and reliable business men and sustains an excellent reputa- tion for honorable dealing and is held
in high esteem for his strict integrity and sterling personal worth. He is assisted in his store by Mr. E. F. Vining a well known resident of the village.
Captain Presley, T. Talbott, Post Master.
CAPTAIN PRESLEY T. TAL-
BOTT, our present Post Master, is a native of Pike county, Ohio, born near Piketon in 1840. He grew to manhood on the farm and at the age of twenty-one he entered the service of his country, enlisting in Co. D of the 73d O. V. I. His regiment was first consigned to the army of the Potomac, where it remained until after the bat- tle of Gettysburgh, when it was trans- ferred to Sherman's army and took part in all the battles in that famous march to the sea, and through the Carolinas. He entered the service as 5th Sergeant, and was promoted to Orderly Sergeant, and on April 10, 1864, he was promoted to the rank of Captain, of Co. G of the same regi- ment. At Bentonville, North Carolina in March he was wounded in the right temple, by a glancing ball, almost miraculously escaping instant death, and from the effects of which the sight of his right eye has been perma- nently injured. At the close of the rebellion he returned to his native county and married Miss Louisa Bai- ley, who departed this life in Decem- ber, 1874. He has been engaged in agricultural pursuits all his life, ex- cepting his period of service in the rebellion, until five years ago. He took charge of the Post office here in January of 1891, and in his official capacity he has thus far rendered en- tire satisfaction to all, regardless of political affiliations, and the adminis- tration is to be congratulated on the selection of such a competent man for this responsible position. He is one of our most respected citizens, an ac- tive and consistent member of the M. E. Church, and a gentleman whom it is a pleasure to meet.
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LETART HISTORY.
ETART FALLS is located on the Ohio river, sixteen miles above Pome- roy. It was first laid out in 1780, some of the pioneer families being the Sayre's and the Rouslies, of whom numerous descendants still reside here. This village is located in the center of one of the richest bottoms along the Ohio River, the soil being of inexhaustable fertility. Agricultural pur- suits is the leading industry. It has now a population of one hundred and fifty. There is one church, M. E., and a splendid school building with three rooms, and an enumeration of one hundred and twenty pupils. The I. O. O. F. here was chartered in September 1878, and has a membership of 65; its lodge number is 690, and meets on Saturday evening. The following are its corps of officers : Mervin Wolf, N. G .; Dr. F. C. Dennison, V. G .; W. P. Barnitz, Per. Sec. ; R. H. Crawford, R. S .; Nathan McDade, Treas.
Letart's Enterprises and Business Interests, Together with Her Business Men.
H. McClain, Drugs and Groceries.
A MONG the most enterprising com- mercial houses of this county, we notice the general drug store of Mr. H. McClain, which is located in the enterprising little village of Letart. This firm dates its existence back to the year 1877, when it was founded by the present management. The premi- ses occupied is a commodious room 53x16 feet in dimensions, in which is kept a full line of pure drugs and groc- eries, In the drug department, to which special care is devoted, may be found a complete line of drugs, all popular and desirable patent medi- cines, perfumeries, toilet articles, druggist sundries, and notions in large variety. Being a good judge of pure
drugs, the proprietor is very cautious that no impure or adulterated article creeps into his stock, and special at- tention is given to the compounding of physician's prescriptions and fam- ily recipes, for which long years ex- perience as a pharmacist has rendered him perfectly trustworthy and com- petent. In the grocery department may be found a well selected stock of staple and fancy family groceries, con- sisting of the best grades of coffees, teas, sugars, syrups, spices, canned and bottled goods, confectioneries and notions, all of which are kept in the best condition and sold at lowest prices. Mr. McClain is a native of Meigs county, born near Letart, Aug- ust 19th, 1832. He was raised on a farm, but when fifteen years old went onto the river which he followed for twenty-five years, starting as cabin
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boy and leaving when first mate. He
studied pharmacy with Doctor Slem- aker of Letart. He has held different offices of public trust in this township, and as a public official retained the respect of all parties, and has a liber- al patronage in this community, and has always been found honest and up- right in his dealings with the public.
Prof. H. M. Pilcher, Superintend- ent of Letart Falls Schools.
A MONG the accomplished educa- tors of Meigs county, we notice Prof. H. M. Pilcher, superintendent of the Letart Falls schools. He is a na- tive of Union county, O., born in 1871, and a son of Rev. J. N. Pilcher, a well known M. E. minister, of Canaanville, Ohio. Prof. Pilcher grew to manhood in Athens county, O., where he re- moved with his parents when quite small. He received his common school education in the schools of Canaan- ville, and at the age of fifteen procured his first certificate and entered the profession of teaching at the age of sixteen. In 1887 he entered the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, O., where he remained two years. He has taught at several different places in this and Athens counties, and has always been given the refusal of the school at an increased salary for the next year. He took charge of the Le- tart schools in 1890, and the year un- der his management, has been one of the most prosperous in the history of this school. The scholarly accom- plishments and the executive ability of Prof. Pilcher, have materially raised the standard of efficiency in our schools, and has placed them pre-emi- nent among the best schools of the county, which reflect much credit up- on himself, as well as the village. We predict a bright future for him, if puck and enterprise count for any- hling.
R. E. Stobart, Resident Physician and Surgeon.
WHILST the primal object of all
practitioners is the cure of a pa- tient, the means to be adopted in ac- complishing this vary widely. The two old schools in medicine, the Allo- pathic and the Homopathic, in this matter are at direct variance, the old treating by "likes," and the other by "dislikes." As a prominent disciple of the Allopathic, we are pleased to notice Dr. R. E. Stobart, who came to this place March 1891, and located here for the practice of his profession. The Doctor was born in Mason county, West Virginia, in 1866, his parents moving to this county in a month thereafter and located on a farm near Syracuse. At the age of eighteen he began teaching school, and continued as an instructor for three years in the Syracuse school. He chose the medi- cal profession, and read medicine with Dr. Philson of Racine, Ohio, as his in- structor, and attended lectures at Starling College, Columbus, Ohio, in 1889, '90 and '91, and graduated with honors in the class of March, 1891. He was married Christmas, 1890, to Miss Emma, daughter of Rev. Math- ews. He is a member of Meigs coun- ty medical association and is held in high esteem by the medical fraternity. He is an energetic young man, and bound to succeed, if a thorough know- ledge of medicine and plenty of push are of any avail.
Tyrol Mill Company.
THE process of manufacturing flour is of ancient origin. Rude implements, which were evidently de- signed for this purpose have been found in the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum, but until comparatively recent times it has never reached a very high degree of perfection. The buhr system, which was so called from its inventor, Mr. Buhr, was introduced in the seventeeth century, and was in- deed a wonderful advancement, and for over one hundred years the world
t
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was satisfied with it. But in 1863 an ingenius Pennsylvanian completed and procured a patent on a machine for reducing grain by means of metal rollers and it is now universally con- ceded that it is a vast improvement over the buhr process in the quality of flour produced. As the best equipped and most efficiently managed mill in southern Ohio, we are pleased to give liberal mention to that oper- ated by the Tyrol Mill Co., located at Letart Falls, O. The plant, which is a substantial frame structure, 38x48 feet in dimensions, and three stories high, was built in 1873, by the present management, but in 1888 it was com- pletely remodeled and equipped with the Odell full roller system by the Stillwell and Bearce Manufacturing Co. of Dayton, Ohio, the conditions of the contract being that the above named company were to put the mill in running order, and if the work done by it should be unsatisfactory in any respect it would be made right before being accepted by the owners. On completion the mill was found to be in perfect working order and a model
plant in the full sense of the word, with a capacity of fifty barrels per day. The Tyrol Mill Co., are merchant millers and manufacturers of four grades of flour, viz : The Grand Duke Patent, Little Princess, Roller A, and Climax, which are unexcelled for bread making qualities, and are in steady demand, from all points where it has been once introduced. This firm finds ready sale for all of its flour among the local dealers between Ravenswood and Middleport, and the success they have achieved as millers is solely due to a policy that is liberal, equitable, and enterprising. The management of this excellent establishment de- volves upon Mr. S. W. Alexander, to whom its present good standing is largely due. He is a native of this village, born in 1848, and has resided here all his life. He is a miller of many years of practical experience and a gentleman in whom public con- fidence may well be placed. They make all kinds of feed and pay the highest price for wheat. All orders submitted to them will receive prompt attention.
CHESTER.
HESTER township occupies a little over forty-two sections of land and therefore includes more than one-tenth of the area of the county. Bed - ford and Orange townships bound it on the north, Olive and Lebanon on the east, Sutton on the South, and Salisbury and Bedford on the west. Shade River and its tributaries, consisting of the East, Middle, and West branches, with their affluents, obtain almost the entire drainage of the town- ship, and the highlands flow towards the center and southeast. The highlands form an extensive system of hilly ranges, in some places sharp and rather abrupt. The valley however quite low. The soil is principally composed of sand and clay, and along the bottoms is highly productive. The first settler within the township was Nathaniel Burrell, who located on the middle branch of Shade about the year 1777, and the next settlers were Peter Grow and Levi Stedman, who located within the present town site of Chester. The first grist mill built in Chester township, was by Levi Stedman, at Chester on Shade River. The first school house was built on the Branch farm about two miles
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north of Chester. At present there are fourteen district school-houses within the township. The first post-office was established at Chester, in the year 1812, but now there are three; Chester, Bashan and Keno.
The township has twelve church organizations; two Methodist Episcopal, two Presbyterian, three United Brethren, one Christian, one Lutheran, one Ger- man Lutheran, one German Presbyterian, and one German Methodist.
Chester township was organized, March, 1st, 1824, and was formed from Sutton, Orange and Salisbury. The first election was held on the second Sat- urday of March in the same year. There are three towns, Chester, Adams' Mills, and Bashan, of which Chester is the most important. In 1822 it be- came the county seat of the county and continued to be highly prosperous un- til 1841, when the county seat was moved to Pomeroy, since which time it has decreased its business and population, though of late years it seems to be improving gradually. Its people are moral and pious and it has many excel- lent citizens. About the only manufacturing establishments are a tannery and flouring mill. There are also quite a number of business houses, At pre- sent Mr. E. W. Craig is the leading merchant. A fine bridge spans Shade at this point, the former one having been burned by Morgan's men during his celebrated raid.
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