Washington County Community News Stories

THE OLDEST INHABITANTS. The Centenarians of Washington County, Ohio. From the Marietta Register. Some months ago the Register asked for the facts in regard to people in Washington county who had reached the age of 90 and upward. Several responses were received from friends to whom the most cordial thanks are now returned; but matters have so pressed that use has not hertofore been made of the items. _______ life to three score and ten and upward. Some of the items were gathered in June, now five months ago, and it is not impossible that the name of a chance one may be printed, since dead, and whose death has not been reported to the Register. It may be remarked that as persons in middle life have a disposition to count the number of their years as less than they really are, so the tendency is to exaggerate when they arrive at the old age which is "honorable." CENTENARIANS. Four persons in Washington county claim to be a century old or more. Robert Collins, who lives with Wm. Athey, in Fearing, claims to be 108, born in England, in 1762. He is quite feeble, but still walks around, and reads, with the naked eye, the Bible, the Marietta Register, and the Cincinnati Gazette. Of course, he is a Republican, and he never fails to vote. He has been in this county over thirty years, and we can not learn that he has any relatives living. Mrs. Catherine Beagle, of Independence, 103, and born in Pennsylvania, in 1767. Helpless. Mrs. Hannah Miller, of Newport, 102, born in Virginia, in 1768. She has been the mother of fourteen children. She was "as lively as a cricket," at our last account. Charles Herriman, of Grandview, 100, born in Virginia, in 1770. His wife is still living, a native of Virginia, in her 91st year. NINETY AND UPWARDS Name Age Residence Birthplace Susan Cole 95 Marietta Virginia Watty Grant 95 Marietta New York Walter Kidwell 94 Fairfield Maryland Felix Magee 94 Salem Ireland Elias Wolcott 93 Watertown Mass. William White 92 Belpre Pennsylvania Ebenezer Battelle 92 Newport Mass. Mary Battelle 92 Newport Rhode Island Catherine Highland 92 Marietta Ireland Jane Curry 91 Watertown Scotland John Gregory 91 Liberty Virginia Philip Biddison 91 Barlow Maryland Colonel August Stone 90 Harmar Mass. Catherine Merriman 90 Grandview Virginia Rhoda Bayless 90 Independence N. Y. Joseph Hays 90 Grandview Penn. Susan Davis 90 Decatur Virginia John Minder 90 Grandview Germany William Stacy 90 Adams Mass. Richard Greene 90 Newport R. Island John Dunn 90 Warren Ireland Nancy Beere 90 Waterford Conn. David Shields 90 Watertown N. J. Sarah Green 90 Watertown Conn. Samuel Brown 90 Palmer Mass. REMARKS.--Wm. Stacy came to Marietta November 22, 1789, consequently he has been with us eighty-one years. Philip Biddison, who lives near Vincent, has been in this county about forty years, and a resident of Ohio since 1808. Wm. White, of Belpre, is a native of Northampton county, Pennsylvania, and was a Lieutenant in the war of 1812. John Gregory, of Liberty, went from Pennsylvania to Virginia when a child, and came to Ohio in 1839; was a Democrat till 1860, since then a Republican. Elias Wolcott, of Watertown, is a native of Berkshire county, Massechusetts; came to this county in October, 1798, and settled on the farm, where he now resides, seventy-two years ago last month. Samuel Brown, of Palmer, is so near ninety that we have crowded him into that list. He was born in Rowe, Hampshire county, Mass., May 13, 1781, consequently is only six months and three days less than ninety. He was among the first settlers of Athens county, when a boy about sixty years ago he settled in this county, and built what was known as "Brown's Mills," on Wolf creek, in the present township of Palmer. The postoffice of the same name--Brown's Mills--was named from him, although long since moved some distance from its original location. The old gentleman lives with his daughter, Mrs. Amy Pierrot, and frequently walks a mile or more down to his old mill, viewing the scene of his early labors with satisfaction. Source: November 12, 1870, The Cincinnati Daily Gazette Neighboring Counties Washington The Grange store at Marietta was closed under an execution on Tuesday of last week. The recent Fair held at Marietta for the benefit of the local Battery cleared $190 and the organization is now out of debt. The cane voted for at the Artillery Fair, resulted, says the Marietta Register, in a majority of 54 for Gen. Warner, on a total vote of 332. Mrs. S. E. Skillington, of Waterford, and Mrs. Orpha Meade, of Independence, were discharged from the Athens Asylum on Monday of last week cured. John T. Matthews, lately of the Collector's office, at Marietta, left for Columbus Wednesday of last week to fill the post of book keeper in the State Auditor's office. At their regular meeting, January 2d, the Directors of the Infirmary of this county re-elected Wm. Willis, the present Superintendent of the Infirmary at a salary of $600 per annum. The members of the old Ohio Brigade, composed of the 39th, 43d, 63d and 27th Ohio Volunteers, during the rebellion, had a meeting at the Armory of the Putnam Light Artillery in Marietta on Monday evening last. A Mr. Chamberlain, of Dunham township, this county, fell and broke his thigh one day last week. He is over eighty years of age, and it is thought he can not recover. He is the father of Judge Chamberlain, of Marietta. The Beverly Dispatch says: We have lately learned, and from reliable sources, that upon its (the railroad) proposed Olive Green route, a rich vein of coal, from eight to ten feet in thickness exists. It is thirty feet under ground, underlying a bed of rock. A heinous attempt was made Wednesday night of last week, to burn the residence of Judge Ewart, of Marietta. About midnight Mrs. Ewart was awakened by the crackling of flames and gave the alarm, and after desperate efforts the fire was extinguished. The villains had unscrewed the handles to the pumps so they could not be used; has saturated the kindling in the cellar, the walls, joists and floors with carbon oil, and after firing the pile of kindling had decamped. Had Mrs. Ewart not awakened when she did the whole family must have perished. This is the fourth attempt made during the past year to burn Judge Ewart's house. The fire burned up through the floors into the parlor and dining-room, destroying the carpets, furniture and flooring.--One of the city's police, Benjamin Weeks, has been arrested charged with the offence, and consigned to jail. Intense excitement existed in Marietta. Source: January 15, 1880, The Athens Messenger The Old Ludlow Grove Burying Ground.  How the Bones of Our Ancestors of Three Generations Ago Are Being Used to Make a Public Highway. The old Ludlow burying-ground at Ludlow Grove, which was donated for a free burying-ground over seventy years ago by John Ludlow, one of the pioneers of Southern Ohio, and who was a Sheriff of Hamilton County in 1796, before Ohio was admitted into the Union as a State in 1802, is rapidly being obliterated by the march of improvements. The grounds comprised about two acres, and contained the remains of not less than two thousand persons. It was used by the pioneers and their children from all parts of the surrounding country, nothing but the roughest stone used to mark the graves in the majority of cases, and the last interments were made about thirty years ago, five years previous to the opening of Spring Grove Cemetery, at which time several removals were made to the latter place. Before this time the Ludlow burying-grounds were used by the various families of Millcreek valley, and there are probably but very few of the old families that can not point to a representative of the past generation buried here.   But time obliterates these old burying-grounds and new ones reappear in other localities. The march of events wipes them out ruthlessly, especially after they have become disused. It was found necessary to build an avenue from the County bridge, in process of erection across Ross Run, to Ludlow Grove Stations, on the Marietta Railroad, and in so doing, an excavation of more than twelve feet was required in the Grove, and a corresponding fill with the material thus taken out to be put in the hollow near the south-eastern abutment of the bridge to make the proper grade. The avenue cuts the eastern margin of these burying grounds, and during the progress of the work last week, several human skeletons were unearthed. The various bones, however, were detached and in a crumbling condition. Our reporter was informed yesterday by several reliable citizens of Ludlow Grove and vicinity that about a half dozen relics of different skeletons had been thus exhumed, and in one instance one was found face downward, and of gigantic proportions, the thigh-bone being about thirty inches long. It must have belonged to the race of giants, and this specimen is thought to have been not less than eight feet high. Much complaint is found against the contractor building the avenue for not sorting out the bones as they were found and laying them to one side. Instead of doing this they were shoveled into the carts promiscuously, together with the earth, and put in the common dump to contribute to the construction of the avenue. "To what base uses do we come at last!"   Source: Cincinnati Daily Enquirer, April 3, 1871 - Transcribed by C. Anthony