Washington County

Barlow township was organized in 1818 at a meeting held in July. The first trustees were Cornelius Houghland, S. N. Cooke and Caleb Green; Duty Green was treasurer. The first settlers in the township were the Lawtons, Vincents, Greens, Proctors, Houghlands, McGuires. The main road in the early days was the "State Road" from Marietta to Athens, which passed near the Lawton cabin; another from Belpre to Watertown ran a little west of this cabin.

The Methodist Episcopal Church was the first to enter the township, the first church being a log meeting house built in 1808. The First Presbyterian Church was erected in 1838. In 1839 this church split, the "New School" faction leaving the parent church. They united again in 1870. The United Presbyterian Church was organized in 1849 and the Union Church at Vincent in which several denominations worshiped was built in 1867. The Christian Church was organized in 1846.

The first school house was built in 1808-09 and was known as the "Old Hickory'' school house. A vivid glimpse into that early school house is afforded us in the papers left by Henry Earle Vincent:

"The house in which the pioneer children of Barlow township first learned their A, B, Cs, and to repeat 'In Adam's fall we sinned all,' was built entirely of rough hickory logs, with chimney of 'cat and clay,' and a broad fire-place wide enough to receive logs the length of a common fence-rail, which not only furnished fuel for fire but seats for the young urchins while warming themselves. The floor, benches and writing table were all made of rough-hewn puncheons—that is, logs split into slabs and some of the roughness 'scutched' off with a broad-axe. Small cavities were left in the back wall in which the ink-stands, containing the maple ink, were kept to protect it from the frost.

"The windows were made by cutting out a piece of a log six or eight feet in length and placing small sticks perpendicularly across the space at intervals, thus making a sash over which the paper was pasted. The paper used was generally the well-scribbled leaves of old copy books, as there were no newspapers in those days and blank paper was too scarce and too valuable to be used for such purposes. This paper was made transparent by being first generally coated with coon's grease or possum fat, and a fire-brand held to it until well-melted.

"The old schoolmaster was so deaf that the scholars would 'talk right out loud,' and often he would go to sleep and then the way the young rogues in 'home-spun and linsey' would 'cut-up' was nobody's business but the teacher's and he did not know it. When dismissed for noon, the first one on the ice was the best fellow—but the best fellow in this case happened to be a tall, portly girl, who generally led the van in all the sports. The old schoolhouse has long since, with the youthful actors in the scenes about its portals, passed away forever."

Barlow village was made in 1840 with John McCuig, Horatio Ford and Lyman Laflin as proprietors, and "consisted of eleven lots of fifty-four acres each and located near the Marietta and Belpre roads." Lyman Laflin opened the first store.

Fleming, a station on the old Marietta & Cincinnati Railroad, now a prosperous little hamlet on the Marietta, Columbus & Cleveland Railway, was laid out August 3, 1853, by Henry Earle Vincent, who kept the first postoffice. The first store was opened by Church B. Tuttle, and Enoch Preston kept the first tavern.

D. C. Lasure contributed the following on "Stores and Trade" of Barlow to the Barlow Centennial which is of interest.

"The first store of which I can learn, in Barlow township, was on the southeast corner of Barlow X Roads.

"H. N. Ford, C. B. Tuttle and C Shipman started a store in the Ford building, under the firm name of H. N. Ford & Company. H. N. Ford died in a short time, and C. D. Ford took his place. Soon John Ford bought C. D. Ford's interest and the firm was John Ford & Company. Then D. H. Merrill and T. W. Moore bought this firm out, and Ford, Shipman and Tuttle retired. This was in 1858 or 1859. Soon after D. H. Merrill bought Moore's interest and carried on the business two or three years, when J. W. Merrill bought an interest, and the firm became Merrill Brothers. This firm did an extensive business for some years. Then C. D. Ford bought a third interest and the firm became Merrill Brothers & Company, and continued for two or three years, when C. D. Ford retired, and the firm became Merrill Brothers and so continued until succeeded by Lazure Brothers. Smith Brothers bought out Lazure Brothers, and they sold to A. W. Morris, W. E. Thompson and D. E. Greenlees, as Morris, Thompson & Company. Soon Mr. Greenlees retired, and the firm was Morris & Thompson. Mr. Thompson sold his interest to J. H. Fleming, making it Morris & Fleming, who after continuing business a short time, removed their stock of goods to Williamstown, West Virginia. The store room, which had been enlarged at different times by Merrill Brothers, then was unoccupied for some time, but a year or two ago L. C. Maxwell put in a stock of goods and is now doing business there.

"Lyman Lafiin was postmaster for a number of years in early times and carried a small stock of goods in connection with the postoffice.

"Soon after the Civil War, the store room east of Mrs. M. A. Ford's was built by the Barlow Mill Company, composed of C. B. Tuttle, George B. Turner, Jude Chamberlain and Harrv Burchett. They did business in it for a year or two, then moved mill and store to Vincent. Somewhere in the 'fifties,' H. G. Lawrence partially built a store room just west of and near to the store so long occupied by Merrill Brothers. This was occupied as a store room by a Mr. Coyton, later by John Parker, and finally by Scott & Pollard. Each of these continued but a short time. The building became the property of Merrill Brothers anil when John Haddow's residence was burnt, Mr. Haddow bought the old store, and it is now the framework of Mrs. Haddow's house. Ten years or so ago, J. H. Haddow built a store room in the village and occupied it some time, in partnership with Mr. Gracey as Gracey & Haddow. Soon Mr. Gracey retired, and Mr. Haddow afterward sold an interest to Perley Dunsmoor, and the firm became Haddow & Dunsmoor. Mr. Haddow retired and P. Dunsmoor was the store man. Later P. Dunsmoor & Son, and at present D. L. Dunsmoor. Two or three years ago J. W. Scott and J. F. Foster started a store in the south end of the village, and after a year or two Mr. Foster retired, and J. W. Scott continues the business. Lawton Sisters have run a store in the Post Office building for the past ten years or more. Sarah J. Lamb ran a store in the east end of the village for two or three years when, having become married to a horrid man. she gave up the store business and went west.

"The first store in Vincent, called the 'Farmers Exchange," was kept by C. B. Tuttle on what was known as Gard's corner. I believe he was succeeded by Gard & Son, who later sold to H. M. Amlin and William McKibben. who did a fair business for a short time as Amlin & McKibben, and H. Gard & Son built a new store on the opposite corner and did business there for a short time. Afterward John Lynch kept store in the same place. Other stores in Vincent were kept by John Tuttle, Tuttle & Dunn, Mary J. Preston, Preston & Tuttle, and A. B. Vincent in the building formerly used as the station house on M. & C. R. R.  S. F. Hayes built a store in the village about 25 years ago and did business there until within a few vears.

"After the T. & O. C. E. R. R. was revived, Sandy Shaw and D. R. Shaw built a store near the railroad crossing, and did business as Shaw Brothers. Later D. R. Shaw retired and Sandy still runs the store. Hayes Brothers built a store on the opposite side of the railroad and ran a hardware business. Joseph Smith started a store in a building put up by J. C Vincent four or five years ago and ran it a short time. He was succeeded by Berkley & Company, and they by A. C. Fuller. F. W. Vincent built and runs a store on the opposite side of the street. Burris Crewson had a store where Adam Kepler now lives.

W. O. Keith has a store on a new street running past the school house.

"1 have understood that Mrs. McGary carries a small stock of groceries. Thomas Breckenridge built a store at Fleming station probably about 1860. He was succeeded by a Mr. Martin from Pittsburg and he in turn by Edward Cecil, Mr. Tullis, Strickling Brothers, J H. Haddow, Haddow & Fleming, Fleming & Turner, Charles Turner, Hart Brothers, C. E. Finch, Fleming & Biedel, Finch & Biedel, Coffman & Miller, S. A. Coffman and C. E. Starr, who now occupies a new store at theold stand.

"After C. E. Finch sold out at the station, he started a store near his residence and still runs it. Robert Pryor at one time had a store on Pryor Ridge, where Harvey Martin now lives, and D. G. Martin also kept store a while just north on the same ridge.

"On the establishment of a post office at Ormiston, Alexander Ormiston started a store at his farm in the northeast part of the township, which he has since discontinued. Mrs. McCurdy has had a store on Barnett Ridge for some years, and at one time a Mr. Amos kept a small store on the Hoon place. There may have been other efforts in the store line, but I have failed to get track of them."

Of the later advancements should be mentioned the Barlow Fair. It was started in a small way, in 1871, by William Thompson, I. B. Lawton, Frank Deming, William Moore, E. H. Palmer, Daniel Canfield, John Ormiston and others, and has grown year by year to its present greatness and importance. There is a tradition, of long standing in this county, that it never rains in the time of the Barlow Fair.

 Source: History of Marietta and Washington County, by Martin R. Andrews, MA, 1902, Transcribed by C. Anthony