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HISTORY
A
OF
SCIOTO COUNTY, OHIO,
TOGETHER WITH A
PIONEER RECORD
SOUTHERN
OHIO,
BY
NELSON W. EVANS,
A. M.,
Life Memberof the The Ohio State Archaeological and HistoricalSociety,
Member of the Virginia Historical Society, and of the
American Historical Association.
PORTSMOUTH, OHIO.
PUBLISHED BY NELSON W. EVANS.
1903.
PREFACE.
King Solomon who wrote the wisest words and performed some of the
most foolish acts said <B. C. 977) that of making many hooks there is no end
and because he left that record, every writer succeeding him has felt it in-
cumbent on himself to apologize for every book he .offers the public. This of
course does not apply to Fiction or Poetry, which grows like weeds; but History
Philosophy and Science must have reasons for their publication.
The editor makes his bow and says he published a History of Adams
County in 1900, which called for this work. While engaged on the History of
Adams County 1898 to 1900, he secured much of the material for this work.
The following correspondence will explain itself.
Portsmouth, Ohio, May 9, 1901.
Captain Nelson W. Evans, Portsmouth, Ohio.
Dear Sir:—We are aware that you have on hand the material for a His-
tory of Scioto County, which you have, with much patience and great labor,
been collecting for years. We believe you have the ability to prepare a History
of this County which will certainly be equal, if not superior, to any county his-
tory ever published in Ohio. Such a History will be interesting and valuable,
not only to our own citizens, but to the people of the whole state.
The Pioneer History of this county has never been fully and accurately
written; it should be preserved in durable shape. The beginning of the new
century is a fit time to record in permanent form the lives and labors of our
forefathers, who, at great sacrifice laid so well the foundations of Our Coun-
try’s Prosperity.
We therefore request you, not only on behalf of ourselves, but on behalf
of all the citizens of the county, to undertake the publication of such a History.
In this important work we can assure you of our most hearty aid and co-oper-
ation.
Respectfully,
John G. Peebles, George D. Selby, Wm. Moore, Peter F. Boynton, J. W.
Bannon, Simon Labold, Leonidas H. Murphy, Will M. Pursell, A. T. Johnson,
F. Y. Knauss, C. Gillilan, H. D. Hibbs, F. C. Searl, Chas. Kendall, A. R. Morri-
son, C. A. Goddard, Wm. Duis, L. Taylor, Horace Leet, Levi D. York, John A.
Winkler, Samuel Reed, Geo. E. Kricker, Geo. M. Appel, Irving Drew, F. B.
Kehoe, Anselm T. Holcomb, Edward T. Reed, Henry Hall, J. J. Spencer, Frank
B. Finney, Noah J. Dever, John K. Duke, J. L. Taylor, M. D., C. J. Moulton,
P. J. Kline, M. D., S. S. Halderman, M. D., Harry W. Miller, Augustus M.
Damarin, W. D. Tremper, John B. Warwick, M. D., Thomas T. Yeager, J. B.
Tracy, Ph. Zoellner, W. O. Feurt.
To the foregoing letter, the writer gave the following reply:
To M>essrs. John G. Peebles, William Moore, A. T. Holcomb and others.
—
Gentlemen: Your letter of the 9th inst., has been received and carefully
considered. With your endorsement, your aid, and sympathy, I will undertake
PREFACE.
IV
to prepare, edit and publish a History of Scioto County, in connection with a
Pioneer Record of Southern Ohio. The success of a book of this character does
not depend wholly upon the editor. To make it a perfect book several things
must combine. There must be financial backing. I should have 750 good or-
ders to begin with. Every citizen of the county who can possibly take a book,
should do so. Every citizen should acquaint himself fully with the enterprise,
speak kindly of it. and favor it in every respect. He should give his order
promptly when the subject is presented to him. He should give all the infor-
mation he possesses which would be valuable in the book, and should volunteer
it. He should give the addresses of all the former citizens of the county resid-
ing elsewhere, who can furnish information for the work, or who would be in-
terested in it. With such general interest manifested in the work, there could
be no question as to its success. I will prepare a Prospectus: which will be pub-
lished in connection with this correspondence, fully describing the projected
book, and in case I receive the requisite number of orders to justify the publi-
cation, Scioto County shall have a History which will be better than any of its
class heretofore published.
It shall be a book which every citizen will desire to read, to refer to con-
stantly, and no citizen of the county will ever regret that he gave the project
his endorsement. Very respectfully yours,
May 22, 1901. NELSON W. EVANS.
In consequence of the above correspondence the editor began this work.
In order to secure additional support and to make the work more interesting,
he added the Pioneer Record of Southern Ohio. During the progress of the
work, he enlarged its scope and contents and has published a much larger vol-
ume than originally contemplated. He flatters himself that he has produced a
local history which has had no predecessors in the field he sought to occupy.
For him the adventure was entirely novel. He learned much and formed many
delightful acquaintances in the progress of the work, but would not consider a
repetition of it. He expresses his deep obligations to each and all of his pa-
trons whose support was essential to the production of the work. He desires to
acknowledge his obligations to his faithful assistants who worked under his
direction in the production of the work, but special commendation is due
Thomas L. Bratten, whose careful, diligent and thorough labor on the manu-
script has given the work its accuracy.
The editor is of the opinion that the public needs to be much better taught
and educated, as to the importance and value of the preservation of local his-
tory and that the work of doing this should be taken up by local Boards of
Education, and Teachers of the Public Schools. His experience has satisfied
him that a proper work of this character should be edited by a citizen of the
locality of which he writes and one who has a love for the work. His friends
have said this volume will be his monument. He trusts that it does and shall
reflect credit on those, who by their financial support and by their contributions
of valuable matter have made the work what it is. If the editor has succeeded
in preserving and sending down to posterity the memories of those hardy men
and noble women who conquered the wilderness and who have conferred upon
us our exalted civilization he considers he has done well.
——
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PART
I.
HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.
CHAPTER
I.
Outline Sketch of Scioto County. Boundaries, Fauna, Flora, Geology, etc... 3
CHAPTER
II.
—
Organization of the—County The Courts 1803—to 1810—County Commission-
ers’ Journals Court Houses and Jails County Officers 25
CHAPTER
III.
—
The Courts Under the two Constitutions Biographies of the Judges.... 53
CHAPTER
IV.
—
Scioto County in the Legislature —the Senate, Terms, Districts and Poli-
tics, Biographies of Senators The House, Sessions, Terms and Biog-
raphies of Members 94
CHAPTER
V.
— —
Scioto County in Congress Apportionments Tables and Biographies of
Members 164
CHAPTER
VI.
MilitarCyiviHlisWtaorry——MRoervgoalnu’tsionRaariyd—SSopladineirssh—WWaarr of 1812—Mexican War 201
,
CHAPTER
VII.
The Censuses and Tax Duplicates of Scioto County 258
CHAPTER
VIII.
Special Legislation and Town Plats 262
CHAPTER
IX.
—
The Bar of Scioto County Biographies of Members 272
CHAPTER X.
— — —
Miscellaneous Early Com^eyances Early Marriages The Ohio Canal
—
Railroads County Elections, etc 329
CHAPTER
XI.
Township Sketches of all the Townships in the County 358
PART
II.
THE CITY OF PORTSMOUTH.
CHAPTER
I.
AbstraCcotusncoifltJ—hoeurAncatls—tOordiInnacnocrepsoraoftethteheToTwonwnandofCitPyo—rtSsomcioeuttyhEvenTthse,
1872-1882 Reside—nts of Portsmouth, 1819 to —1821, from John G. Pee-
bles’ Manuscript Diary of John G. Peebles Personal Recollections
of the late John G. Peebles, Written by Himself 423
(v)
—
HISTORY OF SCIOTO COUNTY.
VI
CHAPTER
II.
— — — —
Special Legisl—ation Ci—ty Plat—s Budgets Officers Post Office—and Post-
masters Floods Fi—res The Weather—Temperatures Rainfall
Star Shower of 1833 Great Storm of 1860 454
CHAPTER
III.
— — — —
The Schools T—he Press The C—hurches The City Hospital The Park
Hospital The Cemeteries Memorial Days 484
CHAPTER
IV.
Disease—s in the Early Hi—story of Portsmouth hy G. S. B. Hempstead, M. D.
• The Physicians The Practice of Dentistry 541
CHAPTER
V.
— — —
The Loddrgeens’s, SHoocimeeti—esAgaendd CWloumbesn’PsubHliocmeLi—brTahrey BCoaarrndegoife TLriabdreary Chil- 582
CHAPTER
VI.
— — —
Hotels and Restaurants Banks and Bankers Building Associations Mer-
— —
chant—s Manufactories Twelfth United State—s Census of Manufac-
tures Th—e Portsmouth Telephone Company The Portsmouth Gas
Company Insurance Agents 591
CHAPTER
VII.
Relics of Barbarism——A Black—Friday—A Slave Coffle——The First Convey-
ance of Lots Ele—ctions Early Reminiscences The Ohio R—ivex*—
The Bonanza—Bar Bridges—Across the Scioto at Its Mouth Mili-
tary Affairs The Crusade Notable Dates 612
PART
III.
PIONEER SKETCHES
645
PART
IV.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 881
PART
V.
PIONEER RECORD OF SOUTHERN OHIO .. 1199
CHAPTER
I.
—
The ViinrgSionuitaheMrinliOtahriyo—DIisntdriiacnt Tai’nadils,itsToSwunrsveCyaomrsps,CoanngdresPsiioonneaelr TLraancdess
in the Virginia Military District in —South-western Ohio, the
Governor Lucas Mansion—in Pike County The Arcadian Mineral
Springs in Adams County Revolutionai’y Soldiers 1199
CHAPTER
II.
Sketches of Prominent Families in Southern Ohio 1220
CHAPTER
III.
Biographical Sketches of Pioneers of Southern Ohio 1255
CHAPTER
IV.
Biogi-aphical Sketches of Prominent Citizens of Southern Ohio 1297
Addenda 1300
Corrigenda 1301
