Over One Hundred Years Old

The Marietta Register, January 4, 1872

Felix McGee [Felix Magee], over one hundred years of age, who lives in Salem Township, came down to Marietta on the Duck Creek Railroad on Monday. He was born in Ireland; came to this country in 1820, the year that George the Third of England died; and settled in the Duck Creek Valley over fifty years ago. He has full possession of all his faculties, good eyes, good hearing, good legs, and looks as if he was good for twenty years to come.

Jewett Palmer, Sr. - Another Veteran of 1812 Gone

The Marietta Register, October 2, 1873

The subject of this sketch, whose death was announced in the Register of September 18th, was born in the county of Grafton, in the State of New Hampshire, on the 18th day of May, A.D. 1797, and was consequently in the 77th year of his age at the time of his death.

Such education as he possessed was obtained while assisting his father to wrest a living for a very large family from the reluctant surface of a New Hampshire farm. It consisted of such of the rudiments of learning as were supplied by most New England families of the time within themselves, one of the most important features of which was the habits of industry, temperance, and perseverance, instilled by those early and severe struggles.

On the breaking out of the War of 1812, he enlisted, at the age of sixteen, for one year, and served the time in the First New Hampshire Volunteers. At the expiration of his term of service, he re-enlisted for "three years, or during the war," in the 45th United States Infantry. In common with those who re-enlisted, he was granted a furlough. He traveled home on foot to Grafton County from Plattsburg and, joining his regiment at Concord, marched with it to the northern frontier Although not in any general engagement, he was constantly employed in arduous service against the Indians, and in guarding and forwarding supplies to the forces to the westward. His term of service closed with the termination of the war, and he returned to the farm. In 1817 the family started for Ohio, spending one winter in Butler County, Pa., and arriving in Marietta in the fall of 1818.

They settled in Fearing Township, near its northern line, on Whipple's Run; and though not one of the pioneers, probably few men in the county have done more effective work than he toward reclaiming the wilderness. In 1823 he married Rachel Campbell, who survives him at the age of 83 years, and with whom he lived over fifty years, rearing a family of eight children. In 1851 he removed to Salem Township, where he resided up to the time of his death.

Though he never held official position outside of his township, he wielded an extended influence in the community. He was a man of general intelligence, a constant reader of the best newspapers, as well as of all valuable books that fell in his way, industrious and upright, of unerring judgment, a fearless adherent of principle, and a firm friend of the needy and of the slave. A well-known station on the Underground Railroad was kept by him, and many an anxious fugitive has blessed him as he stepped aboard the train for the next station.

In politics his quiet influence was perhaps greatest. Many young men of the neighborhood, whose fathers were bitterly opposed to him politically, side by side with "Uncle Jewett" at the polls, cast their first ballot for his candidates, at a time, too,  when it required not a little courage to do so, for his were the Abolition candidates, whenever that party had a ticket in the field.

Voting for John P. Hale in 1852, a young and enthusiastic admirer of Scott and his military exploits (who was unable to realize that the Whig party was even then dying from an "attempt to swallow the Fugitive Slave Bill") asked him, why, as an old soldier, he did not vote for Scott. To which he replied, "You may not now understand my vote, but, should you live an ordinary lifetime, you will witness the triumph of the principle for which I contend," little thinking that his own eyes should behold the triumph which he prophesied in the removal of his country's curse.

The blood of the old soldier was fired as he read of the insult to the flag at Sumter and, at the close of the three months service, when it seemed that the government might need the help of every man able to do duty, he again tendered his services to the flag and country he had defended in his boyhood. He went to Camp Putnam, at this place, as a recruit for the 36th Regiment, then forming, but was persuaded that the time had not arrived when the service of men of his age was required, and reluctantly consented to return home to await with other anxious patriots the issue of the terrible, dark years which succeeded.

Entertaining habitually feelings of the broadest charity for all men his faith in the everlasting goodness and mercy of God was of the most unquestioning character. He early became a firm believer in the ultimate salvation of all, and it was largely through his influence and means that the substantial church from which he was buried, was erected. His earnest wish, often expressed, that, when his work on earth was finished, God would take him quickly home without sickness or suffering, was literally fulfilled at noon of the 12th day of September 1873.

Coming in from the field, where he had been busily at work during the forenoon, he sat down and read his paper until dinner was announced; he declined to eat, saying he would wait a little while; a few minutes later his arms dropped by his side and his breathing ceased. Thus quietly as he had lived, he passed from his finished work on earth, prepared by his pure, unassuming life here, to begin what God has appointed him to do in a higher and broader sphere.

The Country

The Marietta Intelligencer, October 6, 1858

The township of Aurelius, to which we made our first visit last week, though considerably curtailed of its once fair proportions by having a large slice cut off to make up the new county of Noble, compares well in most respects with other townships in the county. It is quite hilly, but the soil is good and in ordinary seasons yields the farmer a fair remuneration for his labors. This year they have been more unfortunate than their neighbors in the western part of the county and along the river bottoms; their wheat was an entire failure. Hardly sufficient has been harvested for seed. Oats there are none and corn is only middling. Still the farmers are hard at work, nothing discouraged but earnestly engaged in preparations for the coming year. Most of the wheat is already sown and a good deal up.

Macksburgh, which is the only village in the township, is a small collection of houses, boasting two or three stores, a tannery, a flouring mill, a smithy or two, a good school house and neat little Methodist church. Something can be said of Macksburg which is not true of many villages in the county. No liquors are kept there for sale.

The hills in Aurelius are full of coal and a very good article can be delivered at 5 cts. a bushel.

We shall expect better things of our Aurelius friends at election this fall than the meagre majority of 8 or 10 votes which they gave last year. They rolled it up to thirty-five in 1856, and they can do it again. Will you not, Republicans of Aurelius, see that not a vote is lost. Let each man do his duty and we have nothing to fear. Sham Democracy will receive a defeat that will make it ashamed ever to show its head again.

Salem is even more hilly in some parts than Aurelius, and how they cultivate many of the hills is a mystery to us. But if they can only get the surface plowed and the grain sown, an abundant crop is almost guaranteed. Some of the farmers in this township had, even this year, a fair crop of wheat. It is a limestone soil, strong and productive.

The village of Salem is a very brisk little place; the streets often present a very city-like appearance when crowded, as they often are, with people. The Steam Flouring Mill of Stanley, Feldner & Co., has been greatly instrumental in giving an impetus to business. It was erected in November last, is built of wood, 30 by 40, three stories high, with an engine room 20 by 30. It contains two run of burrs, and is capable of grinding 30 barrels of flour per day. There is also a steam saw and lath mill owned by Mr. Alden. There are four stores in the place - E. Lindner's, F. Kueck's, Darrow & Davenport's, and Stanley & ____'s -  one hotel, two wagon shops, two blacksmith shops, and a tin shop.

A select school has recently been opened by Miss Wetherby of Lowell, under quite flattering prospects. She has already an attendance of 24 scholars. They have two churches, Methodist and Presbyterian, in each of which services are held every other Sabbath.

Mr. James Stanley is just preparing the foundations of a brick Hotel which will be an ornament to the place. The main building will be 20x83, three stories high, with a piazza 6 feet wide. This will be connected with another building already erected, thus making the entire frontage over 40 feet. In the rear is a kitchen 12x16. The style is to be Swiss. Charles DeLong is the architect and builder.

Boye's flouring mill on Duck Creek, a mile or two from the village, enjoys an excellent reputation for its flour. As we passed we found him engaged in putting in a new dam. 

We congratulate the Salem people in having at last got rid of their worthless postmaster. They have been imposed upon long enough. Under a new administration we trust their interests will be better attended to.

The village of Bonn, a couple of miles south of Salem, does not present an appearance of great thrift, though we observed some recent improvements in the way of building and painting.

There are several things we should like to speak of suggested by our trip, were not our columns so crowded with other matters.

Lower Salem in Flames

The Marietta Weekly Leader, July 6, 1886

The Thriving Little Village Almost Annihilated - Loss Fully $30,000!

 

Wednesday morning about one o'clock a fire broke out in the livery stable of Judson Hovey, Lower Salem, which was located on the main street of the village, and before the seemingly angry and fierce element could be subdued, it has destroyed no less than fourteen buildings along Main Street, creating a loss of at least $30,000, and leaving the village in a desolate condition.

A great number of the young men are members of the Salem Rifles and were absent in camp at the time of the fire, or else much of the property destroyed might have been saved. Nevertheless those left at home worked with a will and by almost superhuman efforts saved buildings that seemed on the point of succumbing to the fiery ordeal under which they were placed.

It is thought that the fire was the work of an incendiary.

The losses are as follows, as far as learned by us:

-Lauer & Co., loss $300, fully insured.

-George Lauer, tobacco house, loss $200.

-Mrs. Rees Thomas, store, dwelling, goods, &c., loss $6,000, insurance $3,000.

-George Kilzer, dwelling and contents totally destroyed, loss $2,500, insured for $1,500.

-Charles Haas, shoe shop, tobacco store, millinery stock, loss $3,000, insurance $800.

-George S. Hovey, hotel and contents, loss $5,000, not insured.

-Judson Hovey, two stables, grain, hay, &c., one horse and village hall, Armory of Salem Rifles, loss $5,000, no insurance.

-Doan & Bros., cigars and tobacco, loss $400, no insurance.

-Hazen, grocery, loss $1,000, no insurance.

A lot of gun cartridges belonging to the "Salem Rifles," stored in the cellar of the Armory exploded, creating considerable damage. Also other property in the building was either damaged or destroyed.

This is the greatest calamity that has ever befallen the thriving little village, and it will take a long time for her to recover from her losses.

Civil War Veteran Taken

The Marietta Daily Times, July 15, 1938

Samuel Ferguson Feldner, 92, one of the last Civil War veterans in Washington County, died at his home in Matamoras on Thursday. His death followed a collapse due to exhaustion which he suffered on June 30 while attending the reunion of Civil War veterans at Gettysburg, Pa., in the national encampment held on the site of the battlefield on the anniversary dates of the famous battle of the war. He was taken to Gettysburg Hospital and later brought to Matamoras.

Mr. Feldner was born at Lower Salem on August 6, 1845, and spent his earlier life on a farm in Salem Township. He enlisted in the Civil War and served in the famous old 63rd Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry as a member of Company G. Following his honorable discharge, Mr. Feldner went to the Middle West and lived for a number of years at Topeka, Kansas, where he served as a member of the police department. He also engaged in farming. He returned to Washington County in later years, and for the past nine years lived at Matamoras.

Mr. Feldner was twice married. His first wife, Mrs. Diana Lindamood Feldner, whom he married on November 28, 1868, died a number of years ago. Surviving this marriage are a son and a daughter, John W. Feldner of Topeka, Kansas, and Mrs. Grace D. Cook of Ogallala, Nebraska. Three children are deceased. There are four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

On August 14, 1926, Mr. Feldner married Miss Martha Loman of Matamoras and she survives. The deceased was a member of the Methodist Church of Matamoras.

Funeral services will be held at the Methodist Church in Matamoras on Sunday at 2 p.m. with Rev. H. D. Gilbert, Rev. A. H. Giuliano and Rev. I. T. Spencer, ministers of Matamoras, to conduct the services. Matamoras Post No. 378, American Legion, will pay military honors in Matamoras cemetery.

  

Historical Sketch of Amos Porter

Marietta Daily Times, June 8, 1909

Subscriptions are now being received for the fund to be used in the erection at Lower Salem of a memorial to Amos Porter, which will be dedicated on July 15 of this year under the auspices of the Washington County Pioneer Association. As it is the desire that many people contribute to this fund, the subscriptions are in the sum of ten cents each.

Subscription books have been placed at various places throughout the county and people desiring to contribute to the fund will have no difficulty in finding them. Among those in Marietta is one at the office of The Times company, where subscriptions are being received. You can leave your dime there and receive a receipt for it, if convenient for you.

Amos Porter was the youngest and last survivor of the forty-eight pioneers who landed at Marietta on April 7, 1788. He was born at Chelsea, Massachusetts, February 20, 1769, and died at Lower Salem, Ohio, November 28, 1861. About two years after the famous landing, he returned to Massachusetts, making the entire journey on foot.

Mr. Porter's first wife was Sabra Toleman, who was the mother of all his children. His second wife was Mrs. Sally Perkins Sutton. His children were Amos, born January 18, 1796; William, November 4, 1797; Samuel, February 24, 1799; Thomas, November 7, 1800; Rufus, April 23, 1802, Hiram, April 4, 1804; Lydia, May 28, 1806; Jerusha, May 25, 1808; Almer, May 10, 1810.

Amos died in early manhood, unmarried. Rufus and Hiram died in childhood. William married three times, his first wife being Mary Sutton, his second Polly Stanley, and his third Mrs. Betsy Fowler Toleman. He had ten children. He and six of his children moved to southern Illinois, where he died. 

Samuel wedded Mary Palmer. He had three children and died at Salem, Ohio. Thomas first married Rhoda Sutton and later Polly Stille, having six children. At the time of the compilation of this history, 1881, all of them were dead with exception of Mrs. Joseph Cox of Lowell and Thomas Porter was then living at Belpre. He was a man of remarkable physical strength and activity and was a noted conductor of the underground railroad in years gone by.

Lydia married S. N. Meriam of Lowell, where they in 1881 resided, a well-preserved couple. Jerusha wedded a Mr. Davis and had three children, and in 1881 was supposed to be still living in the West. Almer, the youngest member of the family, lived on the homestead, where he died some time near 1890. He had six children: Eliza Porter Twiggs, Sally Porter Hall (dead), Meriden Porter Moore, Daniel Porter, Charles Porter and Hosea Porter.

 

Birthday of Andrew Twiggs

The Marietta Times, November 23, 1882

Lower Salem, Ohio, November 9, 1882. Today we had the privilege of meeting at the residence of Mr. Andrew Twiggs, Sr., for the purpose of celebrating his 77th birthday. When the morning dawned, he felt rejoiced to think that he had been spared to see another birthday, and by 10 o'clock he rejoiced greatly to see his sons, daughters, grandchildren and other relatives gathering in for the purpose of having a good time. They continued to come until there were 51 in all. 

After they had all gathered the women set to work preparing dinner for the happy family. Many hands make quick work, so dinner was soon prepared and as soon dispatched. The afternoon was passed in playing croquet, cracking nuts, passing jokes, etc. After they had all enjoyed themselves enough for one day they departed to their respective homes, leaving the old gentleman feeling younger than some of his boys. Thinking the history of Mr. Twiggs might be interesting to some who know him, we will endeavor to produce it.

He was born in York County, Pennsylvania, in 1805, and came to Ohio when only two years old in a wagon, stopping at what is now known as Whipple Station. He lived with Asa Perkins, near Bonn, until he was 18 years of age and from there he went to Newport, where he worked two years with Mr. Newman to learn the carpenter's trade, and he became an accomplished workman. 

He was married to Miss Maria Miller in the year 1827. At this time his circumstances were such that he had to make rails at 15 cents per hundred to get his license, he then being able to cut and split 200 per day. After he was married and expenses paid for the same, he had not one cent left to commence with, and having a determination to accomplish something, he went to work with a will. 

When they moved to themselves, a little one-horse sled carried their stock of goods to a little old log house farm now known as the Moses Blake farm. Here he resided for two years; from thence he removed to the place where he now lives. The place at that time was a perfect wilderness, but by hard work he succeeded in clearing up his farm, making an honest and respectable living. 

He has also raised a family of eleven children, all of which are living yet, save one daughter that died about six years ago. The family consists of seven sons and four daughters. His oldest child is 54 years of age and his youngest is 28. He also has 46 grandchildren, all of which are living but seven, and he had three great-grandchildren. He has lived to see the commencement of the fourth generation and is still able to do considerable work yet. 

We now leave the subject, hoping that his remaining days may be spent happily.

Gilbert

 

The Blake Family of Salem Township, Washington County, Ohio

The Marietta Times, February 20, 1879

A few items in the history of the Blake family of which Moses Blake, lately deceased, was a member, may be interesting to the readers of the Times.

His father, Benjamin Blake, was a native of the State of Maine, came to this State soon after the first settlements were made and married Lucy, daughter of Francis Stanley, who owned the farm in Fearing township on which Philo Doane now lives, and for whom Stanleyville was named.  Mr. Blake purchased a tract of land on the east side of Duck Creek, a quarter of a mile above what is known as the Cedar Narrows, where he engaged in farming and distilling whisky, a business not so unpopular in those day as now. He lived there some ten or twelve years and died, I think, of chills and fever, July 12th, 1823, during what is termed by the old settler, the sickly season.  He was the father of six children, two of which died in infancy, the four remaining lived past the prime of life; Lucy Hallett, the only survivor, now at the age of sixty-five.

Mrs. Blake was a woman of very modest and retiring disposition, but of untiring energy and devoted to the best interests of her children; a member of the Presbyterian church for many years before her death, and of irreproachable christian character. By her industry and persevering efforts, she succeeded in giving all her children what was considered in those days, a very good education, and lived to see them all well settled in life. A few years before her death she left her old home and went to live with her daughter, Lucy, in Salem, where she died at the advanced age of eighty-one.

Benjamin, the oldest son, was rather a puny, sickly boy, dependent upon his mother's assistance, with what he earned by teaching school during the winter seasons to keep him in school during the rest of the year; thus by united efforts he acquired a good education. He was born Feb. 4th, 1817, and in the autumn of 1840, at the age of twenty-three, determined to go South and engage in teaching.  Politics at that time were running very high, so he remained at home until after the election, casting his first vote for President for W. H. Harrison.  He located in middle Tennessee, not far from Nashville, where he remained until a short time before the rebellion, when he moved to Dyer county and engaged in mercantile business. He never married, lived with a family by the name of Douglass. He took no part in the war, feeling that he could not lift his hand against the home of his childhood and the best interests of his country, nor against the land of his adoption, where he had amassed his wealth, he remained quietly at home, where he died of cholera soon after peace was declared.  He never made a profession of religion, and yet no one doubted his piety; he was strictly moral in all his habits, a faithful attendant upon Divine services, a devoted Sabbath school teacher, charitable, ever ready to help the suffering, were some of the leading traits in his character.

Mary Blake, his younger sister, was a graduate of Marietta Seminary, then under the supervision of Prof. L. Tenney, I think. She was a woman of more than ordinary intelligence and high moral worth; professed religion in early life and united with, I think, though am not sure, the Baptist church. She soon followed her brother to Tennessee, where she was engaged in teaching for several years not far from Gallatin; afterwards became the fourth wife of a wealthy planter by the name of Seay, also the mother of five children. She was noted for her christian purity, possessing a loving and gentle disposition as well as beauty of form and features, to which many living witnesses can yet testify. She died before the breaking out of the war, mourned by all who knew her, and not the least by the plantation slaves who had learned to love her even to idolatry.

Moses turned his attention more to farming and trading than to intellectual pursuits. He married Martha Chapman and settled in early life on the old home place; afterward bought a farm in Salem township, where he died. He was one of the most noted stock-dealers of the county, and figured conspicuously at the fairs with a herd of Devon cattle, by which he received as many premiums probably as any other man who attended them. He owned a large farm and was well fixed in the world, but like all others, when death comes, must go, and leave all. He left a family of five children, orphans, their mother having died some years ago. All are single except Miss Anna Blake, the oldest, who was married to W. R. Goddard, our County Treasurer, a few months ago.

Aunt Becky.

 

Lower Salem Items

The Marietta Register, March 16, 1876

The grandest runaway of horses, with the least damage done, considering the number engaged, that ever was known in this vicinity, took place last Friday, on Lucy Hallett's farm.  A few years ago her son, Howard Hallett, built a small frame house about a quarter of a mile from the old home, and since the death of his father, decided to move it down there.  He placed timbers under it, intending to draw it as on a sled, by horses.  He employed fourteen span of horses with their drivers, hitched seven span to each corner of the house, and started. 

All went well until they got into the orchard, a little more than half the distance, when it began to rain, and made the ground so slippery, that on a down grade the house got under more headway than they expected.  The men who were assisting in keeping the house in position, could do nothing with it, and the drivers seeing their danger, could do nothing but whip up their teams to try to keep out of the way.  It finally brought up against a tree and would have caught one of Christopher Pfaff's horses had he not yelled with all his might, "Get out of there Dave, what are you doing!" and Dave gave one leap, missed the tree and stripped himself of the harness.  Eleven span broke loose from the house, and all but two got away from their drivers.  It was a terrible scene for a few minutes, horses frightened and tangled, and the men in confusion, being thrown down and trampled under their feet; no one expected to see them all come out alive, but they did, and with no very serious injuries either.  Three men, Philander Alden, John Hildon and Ben Hoaller were bruised considerably, but no bones broken.  fortunately none of the horses were badly hurt either.  A veteran soldier, who was present, said it reminded him of stampedes he had seen among artillery horses on the battle field.