Winchester Township (part 30 of 30)

was horn I )'.c'c'nil»cr i ^^ i<^-^5. in Lewis County. KeiUucky, o])p()sito the villa,L;i' of Manc^lu'stcM', in Adinis C<»nn.ty, (\; but during his childhood. I)(t\hoo(l and \-onnj^ nianh^od. his home was in Manchester. His father, [anu's Kittle, one of ilir ])ion('c'rs of Achuns County, Ohio, was born Deceinl)c'r 4. l7o,^ nrar Johnstown, Pennsylvania; and he was married to Miss Charlotte Davis, lanuarv 10 iSi'.v There were thirteen children of this niarria.ue. ('f v.hom our subject was the eldest. His grandfather, Thomas Kittle, was a native of Ireland. He came to this country in 1774 or 1775. He was a Uevolntionary soldier. He enlisted on December jj. ^777, in Captain h'aniUleroN 's troop. Fourth Regiment of Draj;oons. connnanded hv Col. Stephen M(\vlan, to serve during the war. \]\> regijnent was from Xew Jersev. I lis wife, who had been Miss Mary Nei]>er. eanu^ from Count v Antrim, Ireland, in 1768 or 1769. in the ship "Pros]HM-ity." Tier parents settled first in Lancaster County. Pennsyl- \;;nia. and afterwards moved to Westmoreland County. Pennsylvania.

v'^he and her husband ean^ie t(^ Manchester, Ohio, in 1803 where both died and arc buried They had eight children. Their son James resided in Manchester until his tleath. August it. 1887, at the age of ninotyf(^nr \ears. He was a soldier in the War of t8i2. and was pensioned for his services tlierein. Our subject's qreat-grandfather. John Little, was horn auv! live-l in Ireland in Countv Tvroue, four miles from Market

Biographical Sketches 917

Hill. He was a farmer. His wife's name was Mary McCully. His son Thomas was the only child of a numerous family who came to the United States.

The education of William W. Little, our subject, though meagre, was obtained at Manchester, Ohio. His childhood, boyhood, and youth were filled with hardships, but he took them good-naturedly and cheerfully, trying to make the best of every condition he was compelled to meet. He went on the river at an early age, and by his energy and sheer force of character soon rose to the position of mate.. He served as a boy on Cincinnati, New Orleans, and Memphis packets from deck sweep up. He was on the steamboats United States, two or more of the Sciotos, and the Boston. He was also a pilot and master ; and was known e\'erywherc as Captain Little, the usual title given to steamboat masters. He knew every man connected with the river trade from Portsmouth to Cincinnati, and had an extensive acquaintance on the Southern rivers. He made Portsmouth his home from 1855 to 1882.

On January 29, 1854, he was married to Miss Mary A. J. Timmonds, who was born April 27, 1827, and who died October 20, 1855. ^^^ twin djaughters died in infancy. Mr. Little was married a second time to Miss Harriet A. Tinnnonds, sister of his first wife, who resides at the family homestead with lier only surviving child. Miss Mary J. Both of Mr. Little's wives were granddaughters of Richard Woodworth, a soldier of the Revolutionary War, who enlisted in February, 1777, in Captain William Gray's Con»pany. of Col. William Butler's regiment, Pennsylvania, and served four years. He was in the battles of Brandywine, Gerniantown, and Monmouth, and was pensioned May 9, 1818.

Mr. Lit*le and his second wife have had seven chilcJren. Their eldest son, William H., born in 1857. died in 1888, leaving a wife and child. Their sons Carey E., aged eighteen, and Frank C, aged sixteen, both died of that fell disease consumption. The others died in infancy.

Mr. Little went into the coal business in Portsmouth Ohio, in 1858, and continued in it until 1879. He was first alone and then in partnership wnth James Hamilton, as Little & Hamilton, in 1862. From that time he continued the business alone until 1866, when he formed a partnership with K. X. Hope, the firm being known as W. W. Little & Company. In advertising this business in 1865. he adopted the motto of Capt. William McLain. "We have come to stay." and placed it at the head of his advertisement ind kept it there. While engaged in the coal business, lie also had other activities. He owned the steamboats Pike, Boskirk. \'i(^la. Oaylord, Brilliant Eldorado and not fewer thaii three ferry boats : and he commanded all of them at times, as he always had masters papers. He operated the ferry between Portsmouth, Ohio, and Spring\'ille. Kentucky, for many years. He built the River City Ferry Boat in 1874, and ran her until vSeptember 28. t88i. when he sold the ferrv to Capt. vSamuel Brown for a farm of two hundred acres at Little, in Orocnnp County . Kentucky, to which he removed in 1882. spondiiicr the remainder of his life as a farmer. During the Morgan raid in 1863 he commanded a <leet of boats in the Ohio River, and thereby acquired the title of "Commodore."

such during^ most of the time thereafter until he removed to Kentucky. He was president of the City Council of Portsmouth from 1870 to 1874, and in 1877 and 1878. He was president pro torn, in 1876. Mr. Little was a most enthusiastic Republican, and a power in city politics. He knew the second ward thorouj;["hlv, and he could always carry it whenever he undertook to do so. It was never any trouble to induce him to do political work.

He was a director of the Farmers' National Bank for several years in its early history, and always took a prominent part in every public measure for* the advancement of the city. He took a leading part in introducing the Holly waterworks into the city oi Portsmouth. He was a member of Rev. E. P. Pratt's church in Portsmouth, and Kved up to his professions as closely as any one could who had been a steamboatman.

Mr. Little went through not only many family afflictions, but several financial disasters, but he never lost courage or hope. He always retained his good spirits and his energy. From 1866 to 1882, he resided on the northeast corner of Front and Court Streets, Portsmouth, Ohio, in what has since been known as the Morton Club prof)erty, where he was known to all. As a public spirited citizen, he was a model, - always ready to do his part and more, too ; and was always readjy and willing to help every good cause. When he became a farmer, which every steamboatman has an ambition to be, he kept his interest in public affairs as before. He died July 18, 1897, and is interred in Greenlawn Cemetery, in Portsmouth. When called in judgment on the last day he will cheerfully face his record, anc' will have nothing to explain or apologize for. He did the best he could every day of his life, and who can do more ?

On pages 226 and 227 of this work, we have given a sketch of the above named gentleman as a member of the bar of Adams County. In that sketch we mentioned Mr. Blair as a power in the Democratic party. Since that sketch was completed and laid aside, about September i, 1900, Mr. Blair changed his party relations, and has become an active Republican, making many public speeches favoring the re-election of President Mc- Kinley. It is due to Mr. Blair that he should go down to posterity as of the political faith he professed when this book was closed. Therefore we have noted the change of political faith made by him, and give him credit for honesty of purpose in the change. Mr. Blair will always be found where his honest convictions take him, and will be a power to any organization to which he attaches himself. We bid him godspeed in his new departure, as we would had the case been reversed.

In February, 1853, Samuel Burwell. the aged publisher of the Scion, was then a young man just starting in life. Mr. Evans, one of the editors of this work, remembers Mr. BurwelFs coming to the Evans home to ask about the propriety of starting a newspaper, and a name for it. Mr. Edward P. Evans, the father of the editor of this work, advised him to start the newspaper, and suggested the name of "The Scion of Tem- perance," which was adopted, as it was determined at the time to start it as a temperance paper. The writer was eleven years old at the time, and was present at the conference when the launching of the Scion was determined upon. He remembers what was said at the conference as distinctly as though it had occurred but yesterday.

The publication of this weekly was begun in 1841 by Stephen P. Drake. He continued its publication until the summer of 1845, when he sold out to Robert Jackman, who continued it until his death in August, 1851. Durmg Mr. Jackman's ownership, the paper was suspended for a few mor»ths in the year 1849; ^ind when he resumed its publication, the name was changed to The People's Intelligencer, and it was continued under that name during its existence in West Union. After Mr. Jackman's de^th in 1851 (see page 378 of this book), Henry B. Woodrow, now living at 421 West Seventh Street, Cincinnati, Ohio, continued the publication of the newspaper for Mr. Jackman's widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Jackman, until Februarv, 1852, when he purchased the plant and took it to Manchester and continued its publication there about two vears.

The paper was Whig in politics during its entire existence. At the time Mr. Drake began the publication of the Intelligencer, West Union had been without a newspaper for a number of years, the Free Press being the last. When Mr. Drake sold out in West Union, he went to Portsmouth, Ohio, and started a paper called the Portsmouth Clipper, which he published several years. He was afterwards engaged in the newspaper business in Ironton. During the Civil War, he was a member of the Second West Virginia Cavalry, and died in the army. He was a brother of the late Samuel P. Drake, of Portsmouth.