Scioto County, Ohio - Chapter 1 (2 of 3 so headed), 1903 (part 2 of 2)

On the next day, 19th, the steamboat "Scioto," which was built by William Lodwick and others, superintended by Captain Stephen Butler, made a trial trip to Greenupsburgh, Kentucky, loaded with castings from the Old Steam Furnace, (Shreve &Co.) for Cincinnati, Ohio. My father took my brother Richard and myself along on that trip. On the return of the boat to this place, David K. Cady, and wife moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. Cady was clerk of the boat. My sisters, Rachel and Jane went on the boat to visit Mr. and Mrs. William Barr and John F. Keys.

In the early part of 1822, Melanchthon Rodgers, a sharp, keen Yankee, came out from Vermont, and was employed as a school teacher, boarding at our house. The younger children: Richard, Margaret, myself and Joseph went to his school. He was our teacher for two or three years, during which time he studied Medicine with Doctor Hempstead, attended a course of Lectures at Cincinnati, and afterwards removed to Cincinnati and became one of the most skillful and prominent dentists. >

In the spring of 1823, we moved from the Glover House up to the Prescott house on Front street, which was situated on the alley below First Hast - street (now Court), and in front of the 'old elm tree'. This Hotel had previously been kept by Nathan Head, "Sign of the Golden Ball'. Soon after we moved into the Prescott House in the spring of 1823, James Hamlin, a brotherin-law of Alexander Caldwell, who lived in the east end of the house, (this same house is now owned and the residence of H. Vincent on Sixth street), opened a school in a small one-story frame house situated in the rear of our hotel, on the lot on which the Adams Express office is at present located. In this house James Abbot lived until in 1822, when he built the house situated on the Shackford out lot, which he sold to Doctor Hempstead and is the same afterwards owned and occupied by John Neill. I went to this school for about a year when it was closed, as Mr. Hamlin concluded to study medicine with Doctor Hempstead which he did. He attended a course of lectures at Cincinnati, graduated and settled in Gallipolis, Ohio, where during the year 1824, he died. My next schoolmaster was a Mr. Brown, who kept school in a one story house on Second street, which was the residence of John Hatch, Sr., and was situated about .where Mr. Glockner's hardware store now stands. My next school master was the Rev. Joseph Wood, then the Presbyterian preacher, who taught in a small brick house that stood about where E. Miller's store now stands. We frequently had itinerant school teachers who came, and for a short time taught Grammar and writing schools. The first of this class taught a special Grammar class composed of pupils ranking from twelve to twenty-six years old. I was the youngest scholar admitted, on account of the teacher boarding at our house. This school was taught in the then Masonic Lodge, situated in the Smith building (now McDowell Corner) and in the Presbyterian Church, which stood on Second or Back street, on the lot west of the Massie building. The next teacher was a man by the name of Noble, who taught a writing school. His system was what was called the running hand system. He had a large class of pupils, taking in all the young and aged ladies and gentlemen. I was the youngest and Murtaugh Kehoe was the oldest. I was favored on account of the teacher boarding at our hotel.

The years 1822, 1823 and 1824 were termed the sickly years. Fever and ague and all other kinds of fevers prevailed to a large extent and business was exceedingly dull, not much building nor increase of population, but on the other hand, the business of the grave diggers was very prosperous, and the undergrowth of jimson and dog fennel was very luxuriant, so much so, that it was deemed advisable by the physicians that these luxuriant plants be cut down. The Council met and posted an order, that the dog fennel and jimson must be mowed down, which was done, by a colored man by the name of Simon Grass (he had been a slave of Elijah Glover's) who then lived with us as stable boy, etc. The Council also passed an ordinance creating a Board of Health. My father, Jacob Offnere and Eben Corwin were said Board, and they were authorized to drain the town, which had to be done by taking levels, and as there were no spirit levels or theodolites in the town, they had to make a level. My father being a mechanic, he undertook the job and made one that answered the purpose. It was a somewhat crude three legged stand. Across the upright center post was a two inch cross piece of board two inches thick, being in the center so as to vibrate to make a level, and in the upper edge of the cross' piece was a groove which was filled with water and when the groove was full of water from end to end, it was supposed to be level. On each end of this cross piece was a piece of tin tacked with holes in them to sight through. My father was engineer and had the pleasure of carrying the instrument. Mr. Corwin was Rodman, and Doctor Offnere projected the movement and carried the material to supply the groove, which was a tin coffee pot of water. This board was a very efficient one and their labors were somewhat more laborious than an ordinary corps of Engineers, but gave good satisfaction. Money was scarce and labor cheap, so they dug ditches and drained the ponds, as the greater part of the land from Market street to Gay street and from Third to Fourth was what was called a "slash." There was a small ridge running from Market street up to Chillicothe road or street which was dry, but the land from Madison to Chillicothe, between Fifth and Sixth streets was at times a pond of water and during the winter or wet season Chillicothe street was at times impassable. The work done by the Board of Health proved successful, and we had not a return the next year of the former prevailing fevers. I will say, that, in the winter, Chillicothe street and Back street, now Second street, was the main thoroughfare for the driving of hogs to the slaughter house at the lower end of Second street. This: was the place for butchering hogs from the Scioto valley as far north as Columbus. It was considered cheapest to drive the hogs here and butcher them. From here the product could be shipped direct to New Orleans, the principal market for a number of years. Waddle and Davidson and Governor Worthington, were the butchers and paekers; and Samuel Gunn & Sons made the cooperage, It was in these slaughter houses that James Davis, uncle of our George Davis, got his first start in business. He came down one winter and worked in the slaughter house. Being a very competent hand, he had charge of the cleaver and his wages were more than any other hand. He got $1.25 a day while others got from 75 cents to $1.00. My father continued hotel keeping and the commission business, and it was in this hotel, a short time before Christmas 1826, that my brother Richard lost his eye by an explosion of a bottle of Aqua fortis, while dissolving some quick silver for the purpose of making fulminating or explosive crackers. The burn was so deep that he was laid up all winter. I had the same material to practice on but preferred to let Dr. Hempstead attend to the dissolving process.

The winter of 1826 and 1827 was very long and cold. There was a great deal of snow that winter as well as ice and the river closed early. The ice stopped running on Sunday afternoon, during the time my father was engaged in hearing us answer the Shorter Catechism. There was a great rejoicing by us children to see that the ice had stopped for then the asking of questions stopped also. We were in a room up stairs in the back part of the house and could see and give more attention to the stoppage of the ice than we did to answering the questions correctly.

This was the year that William Hall came here. He was a very active man and was fond of skating and sleighing. It was not long after the ice stopped until Mr. Hall, C. Oscar Tracy, Edward Hamilton and a man by the name of Hazleton, who was boarding at our house, got a long pole and made a hole in the ice and shoved it down to the bottom of the river, letting it stick about four or five feet above the ice. On it they put a long sweep pole, with a rope to one end of it, to which they attached a sleigh and loaded it with girls. The young men at the other end of the sweep, acted as motive power to make the sleigh describe the circle. For several days and nights this whirligig preformance was kept up. '

During the freeze up my father and John H. Thornton measured the width of the river, which was 653 feet, at a low stage. It was during this time that the accident to my brother Richard happened. After he got well, he concluded to study medicine with Dr. Hempstead and had an easy time from that time until he finished his course of study.

Robert Wood, by the Rev. Joseph Wood, a Presbyterian minister who succeeded Rey. Stephen Lindsley, which occurred on the 16th day of May 1827. The next evening there was an infair given to the newly married couple, at the house of Kennedy and Caroline Lodwick, the latter a sister of the groom. The next day the new couple in company with several others started on horseback for their new home, Piketon, Ohio.

Having gone to all the various schools that had been taught in the town from 1819 to 1827, my oldest brother, William, thought that I was not sufficiently competent in the studies of Arithmetic and Writing to fit me for a snecessful business life, and as a man by the name of Eben Corwin was keeping a school, in a log house that stood on the corner of First Hast or Court street and Second street, I was sent to him to be taught exclusively the branches of Writing and Arithmetic. Mr. Corwin was a good penman. I, like all the boys of my age, had considerable vanity, particularly as to my qualificatons in penmanship, but I had not seated myself long at the writing desk until all that vanity was taken out of me. My brother had given him particular instructions as to my writing. The teacher soon saw that I needed to go back to first principles. He took my copy book away from me and he gave me a copy of what was called straight marks, rather humiliating to me, but I had to stand it. My next copy was right and left curves. I was kept at that copy for some time, when after some days, he was standing behind me watching my progress, he discovered that I had succeeded in obtaining the art. He snatched up my copy book and set me a regular copy, in what was called large hand. I soon satisfied him that I had not only obtained the ert he possessed, but he acknowledged that I was the master writer.

Wm. H. Dodds. Capt. George A. Batterson

I will here say that I learned more in those short lessons of straight marks and curves, or as they were called in that day "pot hooks,' than I did in all the former schools, and I am still of the opinion that not enough attention is, or has been given by teachers to the rudiments of writing; hence the cause of so many poor writers not only in pupils but in teachers. The art is somewhat mechanical, but mechanics who are suffered to cut, bore, hammer, saw or plane, without having sufficient teaching will not succeed, or become good workmen. I have dwelt longer on this last schooling of mine than I had intended but as it was the closing of my school career, I love to think of it and would say to all young men who expect to go out into the world to make a living for themselves and provide for others, pay particular attention to the rudiments, particularly Writing and Arithmetic. Do not be too anxious to take outside studies. These studies are the most important as to a business education. Other branches you will learn in the course of business.

Having graduated at this log school house with slab seats, long writing desks attached to the wall by a pin driven into an auger hole in the wall, the light obtained, by greased paper substituted for a missing log, I soon after learned that this last schooling was to prepare me for a mercantile life. My uncle, John McCoy, who lived in Chillicothe and was regarded as one of. the best and most successful merchants, kindly agreed to take me into the store, and I was provided with an outfit of clothing and sent up to Chillicothe in the month of April, 1828. Arriving at Chillicothe in the evening, I spent that evening in looking around the store. The next morning, I commenced work and my first work towards keeping store was to make a fire and sweep out the store. After breakfast, the cost and selling mark was given to me to learn, and it was not long until I had it thoroughly, and I have used that mark in all the stores I have kept and run since. I staid in Chillicothe until the fall of 1829.

My brother, William Peebles, who had been sick for a number of years with a pulmonary disease, contracted by overwork while learning his trade (cabinet maker) and working in a saw mill and distillery, died at the house of Dr. Hempstead on the corner of Third and Market streets, on Friday, July 24, 1829, aged 32 years 8 months and 28 days, and was taken to the Hotel, where on Sunday the 29th, the funeral services were performed by the Rev. E. Brainard, who was then the pastor of the Presbyterian Church. He was buried in lot number 1 of the new cemetery, now called Green Lawn. This ground was purchased a short time before his death and he was very active in locating and laying off the lots. He solicited this lot and he was the first person buried in that cemetery. The next person buried in there was Captain Josiah Shackford and the third was James Marcus Huston. During the sickness of my brother, William, the letting of the contracts for the building of the lower division of the Ohio Canal was made, which made it necessary to move my brother to Dr. Hempstead's, the hotel being full of contractors, etc.

Shortly after his death, or in the fall of 1829, it was thought necessary for me to return home, to assist my father in the business of keeping the hotel and the commission business. After the letting of the contracts, for the building of the Ohio Canal, the location of our hotel was considered out of the way; and my father concluded to remove to the Glover House again, which change was made'in the fall of 1829.

I will say here that my sister Jane F. Wood did not stay long at Piketon. There was so much fever and ague there that Mr. Wood concluded to move away. He put his stock of goods in a boat and went down the Scioto and coasted along the Ohio, as far as Rockport, Indiana. When he wanted to sell out and return, he put his goods in a store house in Rockport and proposed to stay and pack pork and buy products of all kinds, much to the annoyance of merchants there. This scheme was successful in finding a customer to buy him out. He came back and opened a store in Dayton, but did not stay long there. He removed to Cincinnati, and opened a store there on Lower Market street. While living there, he had an addition to his family, a son, named William Benjamin Wood, born January 29, 1830. I think he sold out his interest in the store to William Lodwick; and he returned to Portsmouth and went into partnership with my father in the commission business.

In the year 1830, my father was appointed Deputy Marshal and took the census, which made it necessary to employ some_additional help to keep the hotel. A man by the name of Parker was boarding with us at that time, and he was employed to superintend the hotel, which he did until the spring of 1831, when my father sold out the hotel lease and furniture to Mr. Parker.

In the summer of 1831, I went on the steamboat "Hermit," as clerk, along with Captain Stewart Irwin and quit the boat December 11, 1831. On the 12th day of said month, I went into the employ of A. B. Ellison, Agent for John T. Barr, in the big saw mill situated east of Madison street. The ground is now occupied as Third street. I remained in the employ of Ellison until the spring of 1833. My next employment was with Charles Scarborough, a nephew of Elijah Pearson, who proceeded Mr. Ellison in the mill until August 20, 1831. Mr. Searborough kept a wholesale grocery in the house built by Pearson, situated on lot No. 202, Front street. Mr. Scarborough and his wife, had not been here long until they were taken sick, and Mrs. Scarborough died. I remained with him until the midsummer, being out of a situation. 1 spent the summer looking around. My brother, Richard, quit the practice of Medicine and got employment at Hanging Rock as keeper of the Pine Grove Furnace Landing, during which time I was offered a clerkship at Pine Grove Furnace, and for sundry reasons I declined the situation. On November 4, 1833, I went to live with Lemuel Moss as clerk and manager at the Quarry Mills, in the manufacture of flour and sawing free stone. On the 10th day. of June, 1835, I was married by the Rev. E. Brainard, to Miss Martha Steele, daughter of Robert and Martha Rose Steele, and in the latter part of May and fore part of June, 1836, I loaded two flat boats with sawed stone at the mill, and on the 5th of June, started with these boats for New Orleans. Isaac Barber was my pilot. After my return, I remained in the employ of Lemuel Moss until October, 1836, when Capt. Francis Cleveland and I started a store on the lands formerly owned by Levi Moore, on the west side of the Scioto River, which we kept until the panic of 1837, when all the banks and the business operations of the New York Company suspended, so that I concluded to put my goods in a flat boat and close out the stock. On the'5th day of May, 1837, our first child, William Peebles was born, and being feeble, it was thought prudent and best to leave the child in the care of my mother and not take it on the boat. On the 3rd day of September, 1837, it died at Wheelersburg, Ohio, and was buried in the cemetery at Portsmouth, Ohio. I continued trading on the river, my wife being along until we came to Evansville, Ind. From there she went back to Portsmouth and on the 15th day of April, 1838, another son was born, but only lived twelve hours. I went on from Evansville, Indiana, to Paducah, Kentucky, where I packed the remnant of my goods and returned to Portsmouth. In the fore part of July of the same year, I was employed by Colonel John Row to take charge of his commission business, while he made a business trip to New York. On his return from said trip, he concluded to retain me as permanent assistant in the management of his business. I remained in his employ until July, 1842.

At the request of Mr. Robert Hamilton, my brother-in-law, I went up to Pine Grove Furnace and worked at the carpenter business, building houses and gaining insight in the business of the management of the Furnace. The business and location suited my inclinations and my services being acceptable to him, I concluded to remove my family to the Furnace, which I did on February 9, 1843, and continued the carpenter business until January 1, 1844. when I was employed as General Manager of the Furnace. My first business was the rebuilding of a new stack, and the repairing and remodeling of the Furnace generally, which was completed December 20, 1844. The Furnace started on that day. Having had considerable difficulty in getting the pump to work for the supply of water and the weather being extremely cold and the burden being on the furnace for eight or ten days without letting out iron, it was not deemed prudent to stop up the Furnace. on the first Sunday, but every Sunday after that the furnace was stopped. I may say here that in order to make the stopping of the Furnace a success, difficulties of many kinds were thrown in the way, if possible, to deter Mr. Hamilton from carrying out his determination, but having watched the business and workings of the furnace very attentively, I assured Mr. Hamilton that there were no difficulties but what could be overcome. His determination to do it put an end to the obstacles thrown in the way by the hands and their outside advisers. It was not long afterwards until other furnaces adopted the plan of stopping. 'he stoppage of this furnace on the Sabbath was not only a moral success but it proved a financial success.

Having proved myself capable of managing the Furnace, Mr. Hamilton concluded on the ist of January, to rent the Furnace to John F. Steele and Samuel B. Hempstead and myself for the term of three years, at an annual rent of $5,000.00 per year. At the end of the first year, John F. Steele died, and the partnership was continued by the remaining partners until April 1, 1854, when Mr. Hamilton sold, Samuel Coles and Joseph S. Peebles and me, an equal one-half of the Pine Grove Furnace and the Hanging Rock Coal Works, which partnership continued for ten years or until April 1, 1864, myself owning one-fourth and Samuel Coles and J. S. Peebles one-eighth each. The business of the Furnace during my continuance with it proved very successful. In 1864, G. W. Norton, F. D. Norton and L. T. Brown came down from Wheeling and purchased the Star Nail Works, now Belfont. My brother, Joseph S. Peebles and I bought $25,000 of the stock which proved a very profitable investment. My share of the stock was at the start $12,500.00 and it increased largely, not only in paying dividends but in increase of stock until it invoiced to myself and family over $100,000.00.

On April 1, 1864, I left Pine Grove Furnace, having sold it to Thomas W. Means and others. In July, 1864, I in company with Samuel Coles, J. S. Peebles, B. B. Gaylord, A. S. Winslow, Lewis Worthington, J. C. Butler, John Means and William Biggs purchased the charter and franchise of the Lexington & Big Sandy Railroad, from Grayson to Catlettsburg, for the sum of $70,000.00. We entered into a joint partnership and increased the capital stock to $300,000.00. $80,000 of which I took. After having organized and continued under a joint partnership for about six months, it was thought advisable to apply to the Legislature of Kentucky for a charter, which was granted to said parties January 26, 1865. My stock in same with the exception of $500.00 was transferred to Robert Peebles, to be held by him during my natural life and any profit derived from same to be paid over to me and for my special use.

My business connections with the Belfont and Ashland Company has been very satisfactory. In 1860, I was elected President of the Iron Bank of Ironton, to fill a vacancy occasioned by the death of James Rogers. I held this position until the First National Bank of Ironton was established, the Presidency of which I held until my removal or return to Portsmouth, O., Aug. 28, 1865, retaining my interests in the bank, Belfont, and Ashland Coal and jron Company. In 1867, I in connection with Sherman G. Johnson and Benjamin B. Gaylord built the Hub and Spoke Factory, which we ran until 1872, when Mr. Gaylord and myself sold our interest in same to Sherman G. Johnson and Josiah H. Roads. Shortly after my sale of the Hub and Spoke Factory, myself, wife and daughters, Margaret and Mary, and son, Richard, made a tour through Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, France, Switzerland, Prussia, Denmark, Germany, Austria and Italy, being absent eleven months. Theodore H. Nevin, wife and daughter accompanied us. Mr. Nevin and myself were delegates appointed by the states of Pennsylvania and Ohio to attend an International Prison Convention, which assembled in the Temple Bar Hall, at London, July 4, 1872.

[Note. - Within a week before the unfortunate and awful accidental death of Mr. Peebles, he furnished the Editor with the manuscript of the three last named topics of this Chapter. The Editor thought at first to abbreviate the last topic and attempted to do so, but gave 'it up. It is a pity that there are not more persons like Mr. Peebles. There is more real, interesting local history in his personal recollections than in any part of this work. For a few weeks prior to his death, he had taken a most wonderful interest in this work, and had calied on the Editor almost daily. He had looked forward to its appearance with great interest and pleasure, but was destined never to read its pages. To his young readers, the Editor specially commends what Mr. Peebles has written. There is no more praiseworthy task than to preserve one's experiences for posterity. Mr. Peebles believed in doing 'this and did it)in the most interesting manner, ]