The Marietta Times, March 17, 1887
Seventy-seven years ago, when I was born, my father, Maj. Wm. Hart, lived in a two-story log house, on a beautiful little farm on the north side of the Ohio river, just opposite the island. On the farm, were two large orchards, an old and a new one, of the choicest fruit. Some of my pleasant memories are of the delicious fruit and cider we had in winter, and the happy times of playing around the cider mill and under the old pear tree, which my father planted, and it grew from a little switch he brought from his father's home in Connecticut. I am told the tree is there now -- 1887 -- and has not failed to bear every year for at least 70 years -- so Mrs. Harris says -- who lives in the house on Hart street, that my father built in about 1814, I suppose, as I remember when he moved to it, I was only allowed to carry some tin pails.
My very first distinct recollection was of a terrible flood, before we moved, when the water was all around the house and we lived up stairs, and I looked out the window and saw the cows, one after another, come around the well, where the water was warmer, and the curb having floated off during the night, the cows fell into the well, and several of them were drowned. My father had a very large barn on the highest part of the place, and they tied the horses on top of the hay mow at first, afterwards moved them to the hills above Fultonburg.
There was no steamboats in those days. I recollect when the first one passed down the river. It frightened the children, who had never seen any smoke but from the little fires on the rafts and keel boats, the latter were pushed along the shore with long poles by the sailors.
I recollect well of the time when the first steamboat blew up at the mouth of Muskingum river, killing many people, and casting a gloom over the village. I do not recollect what year it occurred. I think Capt. Drown was the captain.
I remember of seeing several floods in my childhood; one had great cakes of ice floating in it, and took away the foot and rail fence around the beautiful meadow on the river in front of the farm, two years in succession, I think, which so discouraged my father, he moved to the country.
It was a great grief to us to leave our beautiful home, neighbors and friends, but it was ministerial lands, taxes very high, floods destroyed fences. Maj. Hart was one of the most amiable and sociable men, his house the home of generous hospitality to all strangers who moved to Marietta from the East. Every one who had even seen his father's house claimed his hospitality when they came west.
Mr. McFarland's first wife, the mother of Mrs. Thomas and Mrs. David Skinner, died of consumption at his house. He was a mason and brave soldier. "On active duty in 1806-7 to prevent the boats in the Muskingum river joining the fleet of Burr." He has a beautiful monument in Mound Cemetery, with masonic emblems and Mizpah engraved on it -- Gen 31-49: "The Lord watch between me and thee when we are absent from one another." Peace to his ashes.
In those early days when all were poor, all were friendly, and each tried to bear the burdens of one another. Log rollings, corn shuckings and quilting bees were the useful and pleasant amusements.
I was sent to school when I was very young. One of my first teachers was Miss Nancy Plumer, sister of the Rev. Wm. S. Plumer, she taught me to sew a little. I had learned the alphabet at home, and remember when I had learned the letters, I felt like my education was completed. I also went to school to Mrs. Adams, who taught up stairs, while her husband taught below; they had a very large school, but it was broken up by his committing some great crime, (perhaps forgery,) and he ran off, after that the boys had a play they called "Adams run away," when one would run off and the others run after him to catch him. I remember going to school in the Buell school house, to Mrs. Slocum, with my brothers and sister, Miss Siba Buell, Joseph, and a few others. I remember the Broughs, Sampson Cole's children, & c., & c. Jack Brough was in my class, I could beat him spelling. When he was Governor of Ohio, I had occasion to write to him in favor of some prisoners, I wrote to him and told him so. Charley Brough was smaller than his brother; the poor fellow died young.
My last teacher in Marietta was Miss Sally Emerson, she was a lovely woman; she taught in Mrs. Robins' parlor, and had about 15 nice girls, of whom I have many pleasant memories; of the Misses Robins, Burlingame, Putnam and Miss Sophia Jackson, the grand-daughter of Gov. Meigs, was my classmate. She was a beautiful, amiable girl, whom I loved to assist in her studies. She came from Clarksburg, Virginia.
I forgot to mention going to school to a Methodist preacher named McKay or something like it. He taught in a brick school house near the river, he was an excellent man and good teacher. I remember one of the boys particularly, who was a good speller, and when we chose up sides he was always chosen first on one side and I the other. I think his name was Will Curtis. One of the Holden boys broke out a pane of glass and his father came over and set the glass. He and D. W. Woodbridge were the principal merchants in town then. Old Dr. Samuel Hildreth was almost the only physician, and he was an excellent one; he cured me of a dreadful bilious fever and dropsy, for dropsy he gave me old cider with rusty nails and grape vine wood ashes in it.
Mrs. Merwin, Miss Emerson, Miss Nye were the first Sabbath school teachers I remember. Mrs. Merwin had two lovely daughters; she married her second husband, Rev. W. Pomeroy, he moved to Chillicothe and taught in the seminary there. I attended his school there in 1830. Should like to know where any of them are living now.
My grandfather, Dr. Josiah T. Hart, was one of the first deacons elected to office in the Congregational church in Marietta; his pew was the first one by the south-east door, where he always sat; he died in 1812. I do not remember the first preacher I heard there, but remember when Mr. Robins died there was a vacancy, and a Baptist preacher, Mr. McAboy, preached there awhile, and was so popular, he expected to be invited to stay, but when they employed another preacher, he preached a last sermon, and took for his text: "Oh! foolish Gallations, who hath bewitched you?" It amused the people, for they thought he meant they were like the foolish Gallations, bewitched, to choose another in preference to him. Mr. Luther Bingham was another preacher, his lovely wife died there. I think he is living yet in New York.
The McCabes were a noted family of Methodists in Marietta. Lorenzo Dow visited them, and preached on the stockade, sitting down under a tree, when preaching; he was more eccentric than Sam Jones. When he wanted a wife, he told the congregation he did, and said if any good woman was present who was willing to marry him to rise up! One arose, and he married her, and she made a good wife, and traveled all over the world with him.
Mound Cemetery is one of the most beautiful ones in the world I think, and How dear to my heart are the scenes of my childhood, When fond recollection recalls them to view; The orchard, the meadow, the green tangled wildwood, And all the loved scenes, my infancy knew.
I hope you will have a grand centennial celebration in 1888.
Mrs. C. H. Price,
Lexington, Ky.
Seventy-seven years ago, when I was born, my father, Maj. Wm. Hart, lived in a two-story log house, on a beautiful little farm on the north side of the Ohio river, just opposite the island. On the farm, were two large orchards, an old and a new one, of the choicest fruit. Some of my pleasant memories are of the delicious fruit and cider we had in winter, and the happy times of playing around the cider mill and under the old pear tree, which my father planted, and it grew from a little switch he brought from his father's home in Connecticut. I am told the tree is there now -- 1887 -- and has not failed to bear every year for at least 70 years -- so Mrs. Harris says -- who lives in the house on Hart street, that my father built in about 1814, I suppose, as I remember when he moved to it, I was only allowed to carry some tin pails.
My very first distinct recollection was of a terrible flood, before we moved, when the water was all around the house and we lived up stairs, and I looked out the window and saw the cows, one after another, come around the well, where the water was warmer, and the curb having floated off during the night, the cows fell into the well, and several of them were drowned. My father had a very large barn on the highest part of the place, and they tied the horses on top of the hay mow at first, afterwards moved them to the hills above Fultonburg.
There was no steamboats in those days. I recollect when the first one passed down the river. It frightened the children, who had never seen any smoke but from the little fires on the rafts and keel boats, the latter were pushed along the shore with long poles by the sailors.
I recollect well of the time when the first steamboat blew up at the mouth of Muskingum river, killing many people, and casting a gloom over the village. I do not recollect what year it occurred. I think Capt. Drown was the captain.
I remember of seeing several floods in my childhood; one had great cakes of ice floating in it, and took away the foot and rail fence around the beautiful meadow on the river in front of the farm, two years in succession, I think, which so discouraged my father, he moved to the country.
It was a great grief to us to leave our beautiful home, neighbors and friends, but it was ministerial lands, taxes very high, floods destroyed fences. Maj. Hart was one of the most amiable and sociable men, his house the home of generous hospitality to all strangers who moved to Marietta from the East. Every one who had even seen his father's house claimed his hospitality when they came west.
Mr. McFarland's first wife, the mother of Mrs. Thomas and Mrs. David Skinner, died of consumption at his house. He was a mason and brave soldier. "On active duty in 1806-7 to prevent the boats in the Muskingum river joining the fleet of Burr." He has a beautiful monument in Mound Cemetery, with masonic emblems and Mizpah engraved on it -- Gen 31-49: "The Lord watch between me and thee when we are absent from one another." Peace to his ashes.
In those early days when all were poor, all were friendly, and each tried to bear the burdens of one another. Log rollings, corn shuckings and quilting bees were the useful and pleasant amusements.
I was sent to school when I was very young. One of my first teachers was Miss Nancy Plumer, sister of the Rev. Wm. S. Plumer, she taught me to sew a little. I had learned the alphabet at home, and remember when I had learned the letters, I felt like my education was completed. I also went to school to Mrs. Adams, who taught up stairs, while her husband taught below; they had a very large school, but it was broken up by his committing some great crime, (perhaps forgery,) and he ran off, after that the boys had a play they called "Adams run away," when one would run off and the others run after him to catch him. I remember going to school in the Buell school house, to Mrs. Slocum, with my brothers and sister, Miss Siba Buell, Joseph, and a few others. I remember the Broughs, Sampson Cole's children, & c., & c. Jack Brough was in my class, I could beat him spelling. When he was Governor of Ohio, I had occasion to write to him in favor of some prisoners, I wrote to him and told him so. Charley Brough was smaller than his brother; the poor fellow died young.
My last teacher in Marietta was Miss Sally Emerson, she was a lovely woman; she taught in Mrs. Robins' parlor, and had about 15 nice girls, of whom I have many pleasant memories; of the Misses Robins, Burlingame, Putnam and Miss Sophia Jackson, the grand-daughter of Gov. Meigs, was my classmate. She was a beautiful, amiable girl, whom I loved to assist in her studies. She came from Clarksburg, Virginia.
I forgot to mention going to school to a Methodist preacher named McKay or something like it. He taught in a brick school house near the river, he was an excellent man and good teacher. I remember one of the boys particularly, who was a good speller, and when we chose up sides he was always chosen first on one side and I the other. I think his name was Will Curtis. One of the Holden boys broke out a pane of glass and his father came over and set the glass. He and D. W. Woodbridge were the principal merchants in town then. Old Dr. Samuel Hildreth was almost the only physician, and he was an excellent one; he cured me of a dreadful bilious fever and dropsy, for dropsy he gave me old cider with rusty nails and grape vine wood ashes in it.
Mrs. Merwin, Miss Emerson, Miss Nye were the first Sabbath school teachers I remember. Mrs. Merwin had two lovely daughters; she married her second husband, Rev. W. Pomeroy, he moved to Chillicothe and taught in the seminary there. I attended his school there in 1830. Should like to know where any of them are living now.
My grandfather, Dr. Josiah T. Hart, was one of the first deacons elected to office in the Congregational church in Marietta; his pew was the first one by the south-east door, where he always sat; he died in 1812. I do not remember the first preacher I heard there, but remember when Mr. Robins died there was a vacancy, and a Baptist preacher, Mr. McAboy, preached there awhile, and was so popular, he expected to be invited to stay, but when they employed another preacher, he preached a last sermon, and took for his text: "Oh! foolish Gallations, who hath bewitched you?" It amused the people, for they thought he meant they were like the foolish Gallations, bewitched, to choose another in preference to him. Mr. Luther Bingham was another preacher, his lovely wife died there. I think he is living yet in New York.
The McCabes were a noted family of Methodists in Marietta. Lorenzo Dow visited them, and preached on the stockade, sitting down under a tree, when preaching; he was more eccentric than Sam Jones. When he wanted a wife, he told the congregation he did, and said if any good woman was present who was willing to marry him to rise up! One arose, and he married her, and she made a good wife, and traveled all over the world with him.
Mound Cemetery is one of the most beautiful ones in the world I think, and How dear to my heart are the scenes of my childhood, When fond recollection recalls them to view; The orchard, the meadow, the green tangled wildwood, And all the loved scenes, my infancy knew.
I hope you will have a grand centennial celebration in 1888.
Mrs. C. H. Price,
Lexington, Ky.
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