Friday, January 14, 2011

Some Reminiscences of the Pioneers

The Marietta Register, June 19, 1873

It is to be regretted that perfect lists of the early settlers at Marietta have not been preserved.  We have lists of those who resided in Campus Martius, the garrison at the Point, and in Fort Harmar at the commencement of the Indian war, in 1791.  Of the period which followed the war we have a very imperfect record of names. 

Among those who, I suppose, came out after the war was Dr. Robert Wallace, of Philadelphia, with his family.  The exact time of his coming to Marietta we do not know.  He was an intelligent physician.  He had three sons and three daughters.  The eldest son was the Rev. Matthew Wallace, a Presbyterian clergyman.  He married Deborah, daughter of Dr. Joseph Spencer, of Wood county, Virginia.  The second son, Dr. David Wallace, was unmarried when he left Marietta.  The youngest son was Robert; he was a young man when the family left here.  Robert was living, a short time since, in Covington, Kentucky, where he has resided for many years.  One of Dr. Wallace's daughters married Charles Greene; another married the Hon. Jacob Burnet, formerly of Cincinnati.  The exact time of Dr. Wallace's removal from Marietta to Cincinnati, I do not know, probably 1809. 

Two of the oldest houses in town were built by Dr. Wallace, while he resided here:  the first, is now occupied by Mrs. Smith, tobacconist, on Ohio street, opposite the wharf boat.  He resided in this house for some years, and kept his office in the front room.  After this he built the lower part of what is known as the "Brophy House" on Ohio street.  Here he lived for several years previous to leaving Marietta.  The Doctor was well known in Cincinnati.

Charles Greene

Mr. Greene came to Marietta, probably in the latter part of 1788, or early in 1789.  He built a house in what was known as Campus Martius, on the Stockade, in which he resided during the Indian war, with his wife and his three children, Sophia, Susan, and Charles.  His wife's sister, Miss Sheffield, resided with them.  She afterwards married Major Ziegler, of Wayne's army (who settled in Dayton, Ohio).  Mr. Greene was one of the earlier merchants of Marietta and was also engaged, after 1800, in building sea-going vessels:  in 1800, brig "St. Clair," in 1801, brig "Eliza Green," in 1806, brig "Sophia Green." 

The brig "St. Clair" went out in the spring of 1801, under the command of Commodore Whipple.  She was owned by Mr. Greene and several other business men of Marietta, and was loaded with flour, pork, and other produce.  Her first voyage was to Havana, where her cargo sold to advantage.  Flour brought forty dollars a barrel (the duty was twenty).  The yellow fever raged in Havana, and hindered their operations somewhat.  The next voyage of the vessel was to Philadelphia, where she was sold.

During the continuance of the Territorial Government from 1788, to the organization of the State Government in 1803, there was no registration of marriages; but, as I understand, the second wife of Mr. Greene was Miss Wallace, the daughter of Dr. Robert Wallace.  Capt. W. W. Greene, who died at St. Louis, on the 16th of April, 1873, was their son.

Mr. Greene, while living in Marietta, built a house on Ohio street, afterwards occupied by Moses McFarland as a public house.  A portion of it is still standing.  Part of it was torn away to build a three story brick for Skinner & Thomas.  Mr. Greene's eldest son settled at Dayton, at an early period, and was killed in an unfortunate street fray.

A. T. N.

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