October 2005 Historical & Genealogy Newsletter for Washington County, Ohio Published by Debbie Noland Nitsche Diamonddeb@comcast.net You may reprint any articles from this newsletter unless it specifically states otherwise. Any reprint must be used for non-commercial, educational or research purposes. Copying or reprinting any article that appears in this newsletter for the use of "profit" is strictly prohibited. Copyright ©2004-2005 THIS NEWSLETTER IS ARCHIVED IN "PLAIN TEXT" FORMAT. IN ORDER TO ACCESS ANY OF THE LINKS BELOW, YOU MUST COPY AND PASTE THEM INTO YOUR BROWSER. Marietta Goes From Village To City in 1853 Submitted by Debbie Noland Nitsche Diamonddeb@comcast.net History of Marietta - by Thos. J. Summers 1903 On October 27, 1853, Marietta chartered as a city of the second class in accordance with the Municipal Code Bill passed in 1852. The town council passed an ordinance determining the organization of the city in a resolution as follows: "Resolved, That the town council of the Incorporated Village of Marietta, hereby determine that the said village, agreeable to section 22, page 370, Vol. 51, Ohio General Laws, is hereby erected a city of the second class. Passed October 29, 1853." James Dunn, Mayor; Attest George Willys Dodge, Recorder ============================================================================ The Steamboat, Sonoma Tragedy Submitted by Debbie Noland Nitsche Diamonddeb@comcast.net SONOMA - On May 3, 1913 the steamboat Sonoma sank in the Kentucky River at a point 24 miles from the mouth of the stream end and about two miles from the landing known as Glen Mary. The boat was answering a hail from the shore. There was 24 passengers saved, but four lives were lost. The ones who lost lives were: 1.Mrs. Olive KIDWELL, 58 year old sister of Capt. W. W. WEBSTER, the commander of the boat, both from Beverly, Ohio who was been managing the dining room during the absence of Mrs. WEBSTER, who had been called West by the serious illness of her son in-law. 2. Fred SEDLER - Passenger 3. ? McKINNEY - A Deck Hand 4. A 10 month old child. Miss Etta PARKE from Waterford, an employee who splendidly and courageously did everything within her power, helping to save the lives of many passengers, and bravely enduring the scenes of horror attending the catastrophe. Olive KIDWELL's remains were brought back to Marietta for burial. She was survived by her husband, Frank KIDWELL, a pattern maker at the Marietta Manufacturing Company's foundry, one son, Walter, and three brothers and four sisters, Capt. E. W. WEBSTER, of the Sonoma; Capt. O. J. WEBSTER, of the government boat MERRILL; Walter WEBSTER, of Wichita, Kansas; Mrs. Flora COFFEY, of Cambridge; Mrs. Jennie ANDERSON, of Spokane, Washington.; Mrs. Fannie HICKMAN and Mrs. Bernice MILLER, both of Calfornia. ============================================================================ William SMITH Submitted by Debbie Noland Nitsche Diamonddeb@comcast.net History of Washington County, Ohio 1788-1881, by H. Z. Williams & Bros. Page 636 (Warren Township) "William Smith, on of the settlers on the river bank in 1805, had rather an eventful life. He came to Ohio with General Varnum in 1788, as an attendant. He was then young, but brave and ambititious. When the Big Bottom colony was formed, he became a member, and afterwardes seemingly by chance escaped the horrible massacre of that unfortutate settlement. He had been sent to Marietta on the day previous to the tragedy, and sent to Marietta on the day previous to the tragedy, and on his way back was detained at Waterford, just long enough to be absent from the sack of his settlement. In 1805 he settled in Warren, on the bottom below Philip Cole's, where he made a clearing, built a cabin, and planted an orchard. His fruit and flower gardens were the joy of the youth of the neighborhood. The family consisted of six children: John and William left the county; Elijah settled in Harmar; Sally, wife of John Newton, moved to Ironton; Mary married Richard Patton, and Huldah, John Test, ex-county sheriff." ============================================================================ Daniel A. Loomis Submitted by Debbie Noland Nitsche Diamonddeb@comcast.net History and biographical record of Lenawee County, Michigan By W. A. Whitney Adrian Mich.: W. Stearns & Co., printers, 1879-1880 Page 123 & 124 DANIEL A. LOOMIS was born September 11th, 1811, at Lanesborough, Berkshire county, Massachusetts. His father, Daniel Loomis, was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, January 3d, 1782. He was a carpenter and joiner, and a master builder of Lanesborough, and in fact Berkshire county. He was also a lieutenant and commanded a company in the war of 1812. He lived in Lanesborough until 1830, when he emigrated to the State of New York, and settled in he town of Gates, Monroe county, four miles south-west of Rochester. He purchased a farm but remained there about two years, and in 1822 he moved to Rochester, and again engaged in building. Among the first contracts he took was the building of the first jail in Monroe county. This jail was built of oak timber 9x14 inches, each bent being framed and bolted together. This was considered the best jail in western New York for many years, no prisoner ever breaking out of it. He also did all the carpenter work on the present jail of that county. He lived in Rochester and on his farm at Gates, until his death, March 1st, 1864, with the exception of two years, when he came to Adrian and lived with is son, Daniel A. December 21st, 1893, Daniel Loomis married Miss Electa Sherman, daughter of Timothy and Polly Sherman, of Lanesborough, Massachusetts. In 1812 her father and mother, with their family, emigrated to Waterford, Washington county, Ohio. The result of this marriage was twelve children, three of whom, Isaac Loomis, of Rochester, New York; Herman Loomis, of Adrian, and Peter B. Loomis, of Jackson, Michigan, are living. Daniel A. Loomis lived with his father and worked at the carpenter's trade, until about 1830, when he met with an accident which disabled him, and he went into a store with his brother, Heman, for about a year. He afterwards spent one year in the south. On the 24th of October, 1833, he married Miss Euince J. Bradley, of Lanesborough, Massachusetts. They had one son, William A., and one daughter, Caroline, who died an infant. Daniel A. Loomis landed in Monroe, Michigan, with his family in 1836, where he lived until the spring of 1837, when he came to Adrian and purchased a arm in Adrian township, on section thirty-one, now owned by W. F. Peebles. This was a new farm with only a small log house and a little "clearing." Here he experienced all of the trials and privations of pioneer life for four years. In the fall of 1840 wheat was worth fifty cents per bushel, oats ten to twelve cents, corn twenty-five cents, and potatoes five to seven cents per bushel. This so disgusted Mr. Loomis that he rented his farm to Job Card for two years and returned to New York and worked the old house farm in Gates, where he made a little money. He returned to Adrian in the fall of 1842. He then engaged in building and general carpenter work, which he followed during the most of his life. On the 7th of February, 1843, he joined the Adrian fire department and became a member of the Hook and Ladder company. In 1845 he was elected trustee of the village of Adrian. He was elected mayor of the city of Adrian in April, 1861. He was a member of the board of commissioners of the Michigan State {from 1864-65. He was foreman of the Hook and Ladder company for two years, and chief engineer of the Adrian fire department two years. He died February 22d, 1868. Mrs. Loomis died in November, 1871. There are none of the old citizens but remember Daniel A. Loomis, a warm hearted, genial man, with a public spirit and a commendable pride in the growth and prosperity of Adrian and Lenawee county. ============================================================================ The Murder of John ARMSTRONG's Family Submitted by Debbie Noland Nitsche Diamonddeb@comcast.net A History of Belpre, Washington County, Ohio By C. E. Dickenson, D. D. Parkersburg, W. Va., Published for the author by Globe Printing and Binding Co., c 1920 Page 57 THE MURDER OF JOHN ARMSTRONG'S FAMILY John Armstrong and Peter Mixner, with their families spent the winter of 1793-94 in the block house of Isaac Barker in the upper settlement of Belpre. These men were interested in a floating mill on the Virginia shore a little above the head of Blennerhassett Island. Early in the Spring of 1794 they built cabins and removed their families to the Virginia side of the river in order to be near their work. This was considered at the time a hazardous enterprise as it proved to be. On the night of April 24th an attack was made on the cabin of Mr. Armstrong where Mrs. Armstrong and two young children were tomahawked and scalped. Three other children were taken into captivity and restored after the war. The other family, hearing the alarm, fled to their canoe and escaped before the Indians reached their cabin. Mr. Armstrong retreated to the mill where his two oldest boys were sleeping and all escaped. As soon as the alarm could be given in the morning a party from Stone's Garrison crossed the river but the Indians had retreated beyond their reach. The dead bodies were taken across the river and buried.- The pursuing party found by their trail where the Indians had raised their sunken canoes and crossed the Ohio to the Big Hocking up which they pushed their boats several miles when they left them and traveled by land. By the prints of the children's feet in the mud they ascertained that the prisoners were yet alive; and lest they would kill them if they were overtaken by the whites, they gave up the pursuit, and returned down stream and across the Ohio in the bark canoe left by the Indians. On their arrival at the Wyandot towns the children were adopted into different families. Jeremiah the youngest, whose life was saved by the kind offices of a young warrior, was taken by the celebrated Chief Crane, who is represented to have been a kind hearted humane man and used him well. All were given up at the close of the war. ============================================================================ T. P. Clogston Submitted by Debbie Noland Nitsche Diamonddeb@comcast.net The History of Linn County, Iowa Chicago: Western Historical Co., 1878, 821 pgs. Marion City - Page 617 CLOGSTON, T. P., bridge builder and house mover; born April 16, 1834, in Waterford, Washington Co., Ohio; came to Linn Co. in June, 1869; has been in the bridge-building and house-moving since. His wife's maiden name was Anna Nickerson; married Feb. 20, 1856; she was born in Morgan Co., Ohio, Dec. 11, 1837; children's names are Mary A., born Dec. 21, 1857; Ada M.; born Feb. 23, 1861; Joseph A, born May 29, 1864; Ora F., born Aug. 25, 1866, and Anna B., born April 9, 1876. ============================================================================ Obituaries & Death Notices Submitted by Debbie Noland Nitsche Diamonddeb@comcast.net Mrs. Betsey DODGE Marietta Times, October 1, 1885 Mrs. Betsey DODGE died at her residence in McConnelsville, September 14, 1885. Mrs. DODGE's maiden name was McCOY, was born in Washington County, Ohio Sept. 27th, 1801. She was married to Richard M. DODGE in 1824, and removed with her husband to McConnelsville in 1865(?) and resided here until her death. She survived her husband 19 years. They had no children.---McConnelsville Herald. Death Notice of William H. CORNELL Coshocton Daily Age (Coshocton, Ohio) June 27, 1903 pg. ? col. 4 BROTHER WAS FAMOUS William H. CORNELL, , a prominent citizen of Marietta, aged 56, died there Wednesday. He was a brother of Prof. Ezra CORNELL, founder of the famous Cornell university. ============================================================================ Tombstones Found at Ice Harbor Submitted by Debbie Noland Nitsche Diamonddeb@comcast.net Marietta Register, Thursday, October 14, 1880 A fragment of a tombstone has been exhumed at the Ice Harbor, with the inscription: "In history of daughter of John and Betsy Green, who died July 13, 1818." Marietta Register, Thursday, October 21, 1880 The Ice Harbor Discovery Mr. Editor: The tomb stones dug out of the ice harbor last week were 12 feet down, and the head and foot stones were about 6 feet apart. There was every evidence of a grave and burial. Where the stones were found would be in the low ground near the old channel of the river. The inscription was: "Daughter of John and Betsey Greene, 1818." Was this Capt. John Green, of the old steamer "Rufus Putnam" of old time fame, and was his wife's name Betsey? Can any one unravel the sitory of these tomb stones? X. ============================================================================ Sites Worth Checking Out Submitted by Debbie Noland Nitsche Diamonddeb@comcast.net Annette has the Washington County, Ohio Marriage Database up and running. It is searchable. Even gives the Volume Numbers in where you will find the 'orginial' records. www.washingtoncountygenealogy.com PHOTO - "Mrs. Price's first grade class in Marietta, Ohio," inscribed to "Mr. Rey" and dated April 11, 1958. http://anna.lib.usm.edu/~spcol/dgrum/D0812131.htm (I am assuming that this pic could of been taken at one of the following three schools: WASHINGTON (corner of Washington & 4th St.'s); NORWOOD (corner of Greene & Phillip St.'s); MARION (corner of Marion & 4th St.'s). I went to all three of these elementary schools and remember what they look like. Norwood School is now owned by Community Action and houses the Child Development Daycare Center and Headstart programs. The chalk boards, tin ceiling tiles, woodwork, and flooring is the same as it was years ago, but the flooring is now carpeted. Take note on the right hand side of the photo there are two long pipes with covering over them. This was for the old steam heating systems. When I worked there the pipes were still there, but the old heating system was replaced.) I'm sure that if any of you who subscribe to this newsletter that went to any of these three schools will be glad to see this pic. A lot of memories about the schools came back to me after I seen it for the first time. I am currently looking for old photos' of the "inside" of any of these three schools. If anyone has any they would like to submit, please email them to me, and I will put them online for you. (UPDATE: This photo is of WASHINGTON SCHOOL) Check out the Peoples' Packards and Museum on the Cawley & Peoples Funeral Home web site. Has photos of an old ambulance and an old hearse. Also photos old time burial clothing. http://www.cawleyandpeoples.com/packards.html Genealogy Encyclopedia Of Terminology & Descriptions of Basic Genealogical Research. http://www.genealogyencyclopedia.com/ ============================================================================ What's New..... Submitted by Debbie Noland Nitsche Diamonddeb@comcast.net CHILDREN'S HOME CEMETERY Marker Photo taken and submitted by Henry Burke Names and dates extracted from the marker by Debbie Noland Nitsche Includes some history of the Children's Home and the link to the 1860-1930 Census. http://hometown.aol.com/washcoheadstone/Childrenshome.html PHOTOS PAGE 26 1908 Black Football Team Submitted By Henry Burke PAGE 27 This Page Is Dedicated To The Memory Of Freda (Burke) Dickerson 1924-2005 All Photos On This Page Submitted By Henry Burke Mrs. Freda DICKERSON 1924-2004 Freda DICKERSON & Her Mother, Anna BURKE Freda (Burke) DICKERSON & Son, Henry BURKE Anna (Curtis) BURKE 1898-1978 Charlotte Burke SUBER 1921-1994 John C. BURKE 1926-1999 Sergeant John C. BURKE John C. BURKE (American Legion) John C. "Johnny" BURKE At His Barber Shop At Tiber Way http://hometown.aol.com/washcopeople2/index3.html (Be sure to check out Henry's website. The link is displayed on the page where the photos are.) 1839 ESTATE OF Willard GREEN, Sr. of Warren Township Several names mentioned. I also have some information about most of the people mentioned. I will be glad to send anyone what info I do have about who is mentioned in the Estate. http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/n/i/t/Debra-Nitsche/FILE/0164text.txt 1845 Letters Written by Eliza & Wade SPENCER 1845 letters written by Eliza (Greene) Spencer and her son, Wade Spencer in Stephensport, Ky to her mother, Elizabeth Greene and brothers and sisters in Warren Twp., Washington County, Ohio. Also contains my notes about 'who is who' mentioned in the letters. http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/n/i/t/Debra-Nitsche/FILE/0166text.txt Letter Written circa 1845 from Eliza Greene SPENCER This is an undated letter that was not signed, but was most likely written by Eliza Spencer or possibly another sister of Eliza's that I have not been able to identify at the time that I transcribed this letter. I found this stapled to the 1845 letter that was most likely written by Eliza Spencer wrote to her mother Elizabeth Greene in the GREEN/GREENE file at the Washington County History & Genealogy Library in Marietta, Ohio. Some of the contents of this letter is also discussed in the 1845 letters written by Eliza (Greene) Spencer and her son, Wade Spencer in Stephensport, Ky. Also contains my notes about 'who is who' mentioned in the letters. http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/n/i/t/Debra-Nitsche/FILE/0167text.txt 1858 Two Letters Written by Joel & Sylvina Dodge Letters written on October 26, 1858 by Joel Dodge in Brookfield, LaSalle County, Illinois to one of his children, either to his dau. Harriet Dodge Mankins or son, Harvey Dodge. Both were living in Warren Township, Washington Co., Ohio. Also, another letter believed to have been written by Joel's wife Sylvina. She mentions 'RODA'. Rhoda was the dau. of Harriet Dodge and William Mankins. The letter was not signed, but when I found these letters they were stabled together. Also contains my notes about 'who is who' mentioned in the letters. http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/n/i/t/Debra-Nitsche/FILE/0165text.txt ============================================================================ IMPORTANT: There will be no Newsletter for the month of November. Starting next month, until futher notice, the Newsletter will be published on a bi-monthy basis. The next one will be sent at the beginning of December. This is due to my back log of unanswered look-ups and other things that I need to get updated, such as the LINKS website. I am aware of several 'broken' links that need to be changed or taken off the site, as well as the Search Engine and Index that also has to be updated. Also, need to get a couple of Newsletters archived for the site. Another reason is with my children growing older, they are involved with many school and community activities that sure do keep me on the run, and my own personal research into the GREENE, DODGE and COLE families of Warren Twp. has kept me pretty busy. (Thanks to Eliz Hanebury, Ernie Thode, Henry Burke, Linda Showalter, and many others who have assisted me with these families). In the meantime, keep sending in all your old photographs of people, places and old headstones. I will continue adding them to the websites on a reguar basis, and will let you know once they are uploaded to the site. I will also announce them in the "What's New" section of each Newsletter. For those of you who do submit things, you can make the announcement to the Rootsweb Washington County Mailing List if you prefer not to wait until the newsletter is published. I have to let you know, that many people who see these photos, sure do enjoy them on the internet, and without people like you it would not be possible. I hope that the people who do let me know this, also email you letting you know the same. :o) Thanks to many of you who have written to me, letting me know how much you enjoy reading the newsletters, and keeping me informed of email changes so you will continue recieving them. I now have several new subscribers who are just beginning their research in Washington County. If you have any 'brick walls" that you can't seem to crack, let me know, and I will add them at the end of the Newsletters starting in December. If I can't help you, then possibly someone who subscribes can give you some assistance. I know that some do not subscribe to the Rootsweb Mailing List. But I always tell them that they should subscribe and/or to email the Washington Co. History & Genealogy Library for information. I am hoping that doing this Newsletter on a bi-monthly basis, it will become better than before. All Newsletters are written and sent by email in "html" format. If you cannot view any of the bold print, photos or 'click' the Links that are in every newsletter, you are recieving it in the "plain text" format. In order to view this Newsletter in it's 'orginial' format, please adjust your settings. If you do not know how to do this. Email me, and I will be glad to take you through the steps of getting it done. All Newsletters are archived in the 'plain text' format. That means, once it is archived, there will be no photos, or bold print and you must copy and paste the 'Links' in your browser. Debbie (Noland) Nitsche Diamonddeb@comcast.net Washington County, Ohio Historical & Genealogy "LINKS" http://hometown.aol.com/washcohistory/Intropage1.html History & Genealogy of Washington County, Ohio http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/n/i/t/Debra-Nitsche//