650 - HISTORY OF LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY. He also taught a successful select school during the summers of 1874-'75 in Pike County and has been Principal of the schools of Frankfort, Berlin and Wellston. In August, 1883, he was re-elected Superintendent of the Zaleski schools, where he is now teaching. Patrick Hogan, son of Dennis and Deborah Hogan, was born March 17, 1818, in County Kerry, Ireland, and came to America in 1852. On Nov. 4, 1854, he was married to Margaret, daughter of James and Margaret Courtney, who were of Irish descent. Eight children have been born to them, of whom seven survive-Aba M., Thomas (who is a molder by trade), M. D. (now Clerk of Washington Township), John J. (teaching in Jackson County), T. S. (also a teacher), J. W. and Francis Joseph. Mr. Hogan owns seventy six acres of land on which is found a vein of coal three feet thick. Also, a good quality of red and rough block ore and some limestone and kidney ore. He is a member of the Roman Catholic church. C. A. Musgrove was born in Scioto County, Feb. 27, 1829, a son of Elijah Musgrove. who came from Pennsylvania to Ohio in 1816. He lived in Scioto County until 1837, when he moved to Jackson County, where he died June 10, 1854. Our subject spent his early life in working on the farm, and received only a limited education. He was married May 23, 1860, to Martha A., daughter of Archibald Hunter, who died in October, 1860. They have had four children, of whom two are living-Margaret L. and Eliza. In September, 1864, he enlisted in Company B, Sixty-second Ohio Infantry, and participated in a number of battles. He was with his regiment April 9, 1865, and helped capture Lee, hearing him fire his last gun. Mr. Musgrove is now serving his third term as Township Treasurer. He is a member of the United Presbyterian church. J. G. Ray, son of Teague and Amy (Graves) Ray, was born Oct. 10, 1827, in Vinton County, Ohio. His parents were natives of North Carolina, and moved to Ohio in 1804, where the father died, Aug. 10, 1843, and the mother, May 13, 1873. When the subject of this sketch grew to manhood he engaged in teaching school and farming. Ile was married Aug. 14, 1847, to Louisa, daughter of Joseph and Rachel Dixon, who were also natives of North Carolina, both now deceased. This union was blessed with seven children, all of whom are living-L. D., Electa (wife of L. W. Smallwood), Priscilla (wife of W. Brooks), Teague, Joseph H., Ethelbert S. and Alvah G. In 1865 Mr. Ray was elected Justice of the Peace of Washington Town. ship, and was continued in that office for fifteen years, and is at present Notary Public in Jackson County, having been appointed April 17, 1883. He has held almost all the township offices, and during the civil war was a First Lieutenant in a company of Ohio National Guards. He is a Democrat in politics, and he and his wife are members of the Christian church. Hiram, Strawn was born in Perry County, Ohio, Nov. 3, 1823, a son of Thomas Strawn, who was born in Pennsylvania, of German descent. Hiram was reared on the home farm, and attended the public schools till he was nineteen years of age. He was married May 29, 1845, to Elizabeth, daughter of James and Abigail Wilson, who were natives of Pennsylvania and early pioneers of Ohio, but are now deceased. Mrs. Strawn died June 22, 1862, leaving two children-Harrison, who is operating gold mines in Colorado, and Jane, wife of A. B. Cox. March 24, 1864, Mr. Strawn was again married to Sally, daughter of Simon and Elizabeth Reed, who were of German descent. Mr. Strawn has 300 acres of land on which is found a large quantity of red and rough block and kidney ore. He takes pride in having fine stock. Dr. D. E. Tedrow was born Nov. 25,1844, HISTORY OF LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY = 651 in Athens County, Ohio, and is a son of Alexander and Ellen Tedrow,. who are natives of Ohio, the farmer of Scotch and the latter of German descent. His boyhood days were spent in attending school, principally in Athens, and Dec. 16, 1861, he enlisted in Company D, Seventy-fifth Ohio Infantry. He participated in the battles of Cedar Mountain, Antietam, Gettysburg and Chancellorsville, where he was wounded in the right leg which had to be amputated. He was then mustered out at Cincinnati, and returned home. Soon after he began learning the harness-maker's trade, which he followed five years, after which he read medicine under Dr. Shannon, of Allenville, Ohio, for two years. He then attended the Columbus Medical College in the winter of 1877-'78, and in the winter of 1879-'80 he attended the Miami College, at Cincinnati, from which he graduated March 28, 1880, since which he has practiced his profession at Ellsworth, Ohio. He was married July 25, 1867, to Lizzie, daughter, of Uriah and Leah Tippey. They have eight children-Ella E., Emma F., Herba E., Harvey A., Eva M., Lewis L., Gracie M. and Ernest D. Dr. Tedrow is a Past Grand of Ellsworth Lodge, No. 661, I. 0.0. F. Stephen M. Tripp, Commissioner of Jackson County, was born May 28, 1836, in Jackson County, Ohio, and has always resided in this county. He is a son of William H. A. and Nancy A. Tripp, his father a native of Washington County, Ohio, born June 25, 1802, and died in 1849; his mother a native Of Harrison County, Va., born May 14, 1805, is still living. He was reared on a farm, and being deprived of his father when thirteen years of age, his educational advantages were limited, but by his perseverance and energy he acquired a good education. May 2, 1864, he enlisted in Company C, One Hundred and Forty-eighth Ohio Infantry, under Captain d. J. McDowell, and was on the skirmish line between Richmond and Petersburg. A part of the time he was Color-bearer. He was a brave soldier, always ready to do his duty. He was mustered out at Marietta, Ohio, Sept. 14, 1864, and after his return home engaged in fanning, and in working at the carpenter's trade. He owns a fine farm of 160 acres, 120 acres of which is the old homestead. He was married June 1, 1862, to Eliza J., daughter of William and 0. Tucker, now of Crawford County, Kan. They have had a family of nine children, but seven now living -William 0., born Aug. 26, 1863; Ida F., Dec. '26, 1864; Anngenette, born Sept. 25, 1866, died July 17, 1870; Joseph G., born Aug. 30, 1868, died June 7, 1869; Homer H., born March 24, 1870; Harriet E., Nov. 8, 1872; Sanford B., Dec. '29, 1874; Thomas F., July 22, 1877; Roscoe C., March 19, 1880. Mr. Tripp was elected Commissioner of Jackson County on the Republican ticket, by a majority of 303 votes. He is a member of Hamden Post, G. A. R. Rev. William Wallace, a descendant of William Wallace the Scottish patriot, was born in the North of Ireland. His parents, John and Jane Wallace, were natives of Ireland, but are now deceased, the former having died in 1835 and the latter in 1845. Our subject emigrated to America when about twenty years of age; came to Steubenville, Ohio, where after a few years he engaged in the mercantile business for some time. From there he moved to Harrison County, Ohio, where he carried on the same business about three years, when he moved to Jackson County, where he has since made his home. He was married Jan. 11, 1847, to Mary A., daughter of Timothy and Mary Titus. They have had nine children, eight of whom are still living, six sons and two daughters-their eldest daughter, Mary J., died Dec. 16, 1867, aged eighteen years. The sons are all in business for themselves except the youngest, a minor, still at bonne. Mr. Wallace has de- 652 - HISTORY OF LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY.   voted much of his life to the ministry, holding revival meetings when only about sixteen years of age. He was ordained by Bishop Morris at Chillicothe, Ohio, in September, 1857, and for many years traveled as a Methodist preacher in Southern Ohio. JACKSON TOWNSHIP. Jackson was admitted as a township by the county commissioners July 1, 1816, that being the first day of the second regular session of that body. The township, as described by the petitioners for its admission, was bounded as follows: "Beginning at the northwest corner of the county and running east to the 17th range line; thence south along the same line to the corner of the 7th and 8th townships; thence west to the southwest corner of the 8th township, in the 18th range; thence south one mile to the corner between sections 1 and 12 in the 7th township,in the 19th range; thence west along the section lines to the line between ranges 19 and 20; thence north along the same line to the place of beginning." These boundaries included all of the present Jackson Township, the whole of Washington, a part of Liberty and a part of Richland Township, in Vinton County. In September, 1821, Washington Township was formed from the eastern part. At different times since the western and southern boundaries have been changed so that now the township is bounded as follows: On the north by Harrison Township, of Vinton County; east by Richland Township, of Vinton County, and Washington Township; south by Liberty Township, and west by Pike and Ross counties. The township now comprises the congressional township 8, of range 19, to which is added, on the southwest, three sections of township 7, of range 20. TOPOGRAPHY. The township is hilly and the soil medium in richness, but is well watered by Salt Creek and its branches. Although there is coal to be found in the hills of this township of suf. ficient thickness to be worked profitably, there is no mining done except for local use. The industry of the inhabitants is principally agriculture and grazing. To the latter the township is well adapted. Salt Creek, which is a clear sparkling stream, which scarcely ever in the dryest season runs dry, enters the township near its southeastern corner, flows with a winding course in a southwesterly direction and leaves the township through about the middle of its western border. The branches of this stream drain the greater part of the township. In the valley of one of these branches, back at the beginning of a deep and shady ravine, is the famous CANTER'S CAVE. The fame othiss. wonder of nature has not gone so widely over the world as that oMammi moth Cave of Kentucky, or the great breath-in, caves of the Carolinas, but within a day's drive, in every direction, it is mucfree• quented by pleasure seekers in the summer season. Scarcely a day passes but some one or snore come to be refreshed by its cool at. mosphere and drink its sparkling water. Be. ing in the southeastern corner of the township, it is only about five miles from the city of Jackson. The cave is under a rocky wall fifty or sixty feet high, the lower part of which is fringed with ferns and mosses. The water which trickles down this wall is impregnated with mineral substance. It takes its name from a man by the name of Canter, who, in pioneer days, made the cave his home, and manufactured saltpeter by boiling the water which seeped from the crevices in the rock. A little beyond this cave is another, in thbottotom of which lie the huge fragments of rock which have broken and fallen from above, and which presents a scene scarcely less charming than the other. HISTORY OF LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY - 653 SETTLEMENT. Some of the land now within this township was occupied by pioneers at a very early date, perhaps as early as 1814. At the organization of the county in April, 1816, this township furnished one of the first commissioners, John Stephenson. In the spring of the following year, 1817, John, Stephenson was the township Lister, on the basis of whose returns the township was taxed $35.70 as its quota to be paid into the county treasury. This indicates considerable property although it ranked sixth in wealth at that date. For the next year Stephen Baker was the Lister and tax assessed was $36.40, an increase of 70 cents on the taxation of the year before. Among those whose lives were contemporary with this township was Daniel Waller, who was a leading man in the township most of his long life, although not one of the pioneer settlers, as he was born only a year before the township was organized. But his long life within the township has identified him with its history. He was prominent from an intellectual standpoint, being frequently chosen to participate in the councils of that honorable body, the township trustees, and received other marks of local distinction. He was also a leader in sports, being generally the first man on the ground at a horse race or dog fight. He was an especial admirer of fast horses and would never miss an opportunity of seeing a race. He lived and died on the place now owned by his son, Geo. M. Waller. Another man well remembered by the older citizens as one of marked character was Daniel Winchell. Socially he was the equal of the man last mentioned; intellectually, fully equal to or perhaps superior, although he was not entrusted to the councils and positions of honor; but, morally,he was no doubt the frailer of the two. He could preach a fair sermon although he had served several terms in penitentiaries of different States; and could invoke the divine blessing upon a board spread with provisions stolen with his own hands. While be claimed residence in this county he served seventeen years in the State's prison at Columbus. His crimes were always those of theft, which he justified in his own mind on ground of his being a " socialist." His pretended theory, when caught, was that wealth should be taken from the rich and distributed to the poor. But lie was always the poorest man he could think of and kept it all. Although reformed in advanced age and determined to live in honest industry he met a violent death, being murdered Feb. 9, 1860, by his son, son-in-law and another. They were thieves of his own training, but as he was trying to reform, he refused to harbor stolen goods for them and a quarrel resulted in his murder. The murderers were apprehended and convicted. These are the dark pages of the history of this township, but dark deeds are deeds of history as much as good and great ones. Mrs. Byers, the oldest surviving pioneer of this township, was born in Virginia in October, 1781. She is the mother of thirteen children, whose ages range from eighty to fifty-two years. She has grandchildren who have grandchildren, and has in all over 200 descendants. Our representative found this venerable lady sitting on the porch sewing. She talks quite fluently, and is remarkably sprightly for one so old. The early settlers of this township came generally from Virginia, although some came from Pennsylvania Some of the early settlers came here after visiting the country about Chillicothe. The Cincinnati, Washington & Baltimore Railroad passes through the northeastern corner of the township, about two miles of the road being in the township. The population in 1840 was 410; in 1850, 713; in 1860, 1,044; in 1870, 1,532; in 1880, 1,869. 654 - HISTORY OF LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY. SCHOOLS. The schools of this township, now ten in number, are rapidly improving. There are about 400 pupils in the township. Salaries paid to teachers average about $30 a month. RAYSVILLE is a little village situated on the C., W. & B. R. R., just on the line between Jackson and Vinton counties. It was laid out while that road was being built, in 1854, by Moses Ray. Its growth has not been rapid. It now has about 150 inhabitants; three business houses, viz.: J. H. McCormick, store; Thacker & Co., store; Smallwood & Dixon, store; a post-office, .school-house, a church, and Grand Army Republic Post. The postoffice was established in 1864, J. H. McCormick, Postmaster. Grand Army Republic—Lieutenant's Post, established Jan. 18, 1883—has now forty-five members, The Christian church was organized by Rev. Thos. M. Pinkerton, in 1852. In 1870 they built a church building costing $500. Has now about 110 members, Rev. A. J. Watts, pastor. SWIFTSVILLE. This is a little hamlet in the eastern part of the township, on section 24. It was laid out in 1844 by Samuel Swift. The postoffice was established in 1871, discontinued from 1873 to 1874. Name, Leo postoffice. Mr. Braly was Postmaster from 1871 to 1873 G. H. Green, from 1874 to 1875; C. C. McKinnis, from 1875. The business houses are: C. C. McKinnis, general store; O. B. Randall, general store, and R. Ervin, steam flour, planing and saw mill. This mill was originally built by R. A. Cassady in 1840; rebuilt in 1859 by Perry & Jinks, and sold by them in 1869 to Robert Ervin, present owner. He has repaired and added to the mill, so that it now runs two sets of burrs, saw and planing mill, and carding machine. Ellsworth Lodge, No. 661, I. O. O. F., was organized Oct. 27, 1876, at Ellsworth, Ohio, by W. C. Earl. The charter members numbered only six. The lodge was moved to Swiftsville in 1879. There are now thirty-three members, officered as follows: J. A. Ervin, N. G.; J. M. Ray, P. G.; W. A. Mincks, V. G.; J. L. Goodrich, R. S.; G. W. Cain, P. S.; J. M. Ervin, W.; Lewis Lucas, Treas. The organization owns property to the amount of $600. Trinity Church was here before the village was laid out. Meetings were held in school. houses, dwellings, groves, etc., until 1878, when a small house was built, costing $700. The congregation numbers sixty members; Rev. Mr. Bell, pastor. Pleasant Valley Baptist Church, situated on section 17, was organized in 1869 by Revs. E. W. Lloyd and W. Case, with about fifteen members. In 1871 they raised $300 by subscription and built their present 20 x 30 house. The congregation now numbers fifty members; pastor, Rev. Mr. Branham. Pleasant Valley Church is situated on section 32, near the settlement about the Bally Mill. It was established in 1862 by Rev. Jacob Mark. The congregation originally consisted of twelve members. In 1871 they built a 22 x 28 meeting-house, costing $200. The congregation has increased to twenty members; Rev. J. J. Springer, pastor. Springer Postoffice, on section 18, was established in September, 1882, to accommodate the people in the western part of the township. P. Springer was appointed Postmaster. Leach Postoffice, on section 28, was established Feb. 1, 1883, Thompson Leach, Postmaster. Mail is carried on horseback twice each week. Assessed valuation in 1882 was: Real estate, $139,086; personal property, $67,771; total, $206,857. HISTORY OF LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY - 655 BIOGRAPHICAL. D. B. Drake, M. D., was born Aug. 5, .1822, in Belmont County, and is a son of Enos Drake,who was an officer in the war of 1812, and was born July 8, 1787. His wife, Jane Drake, was born Aug. 31, 1794. Our subject spent his youth on his father's farm in Morgan County, Ohio, and in attending the public schools. In 1852 he began reading medicine under Dr. R. J. Almond, and in 1855 he began the practice of his profession, which he has since followed. He is at present located at Leo, Ohio, where he has built up a large practice. He was married March 5, 1846, to Elizabeth, daughter of Samuel and Abigail Naylor. They have eight children-Amanda J., born Dec. 31, 1846; Mary A., July 28, 1848; C. D., Aug. 9, 1850; W. M., June 23, 1853; Jonathan N., born Dec. 22, 1855; Francis J., May 6, 1858; Elizabeth E., April 12, 1861, and Allie M., Feb. 11, 1864. Robert Ervin was born Dec. 4, 1822, in Virginia, and is a son of Robert and Hannah Ervin, who were natives of Virginia, but moved to Guernsey County, Ohio, in 1829. He was reared to farm labor and received a limited education in the common schools. He was married Dec. 8,1844, to Rachel, daughter of John and Rachel Thompson, who were natives of Virginia, of German descent. Thirteen children have been sent to this union, of whom eleven are living-Jmes M., John, Sarah, Jane, Margaret, Mary, Lizzie, Thomas, Robert, David E. and Martha. Abigail and an infant are deceased. Since 1859 Mr. Ervin has been operating the Perry Mills. He has held several of the county offices and is a member of Ellsworth Lodge, No. 661, I. 0. 0. F. Abraham French, deceased, was born Nov. 30, 1807, in Giles County, Va., and was a son of Henry and Abigail French, who were also natives of Virginia, born May 16, 1765, and March 6, 1773, respectively. In 1815 they moved to Gallia County, Ohio, but soon after moved to Jackson County, where the father died in 1843, and the mother in 1841. At the age of eighteen years our subject went to the Kanawha Salt Works, where he was engaged in transporting the salt for the company for nine years. He was married in December, 1832, to Rachel Ridenour,who was born Aug. 13, 1810. They were the parents of ten children, of whom six are living-Henry S., Eliza, William C., Franklin, Permelia and Abraham. Soon after his marriage he moved to Jackson, where he kept hotel and was engaged in several stage and mail routes till 1865, when his health failed him, and he retired to the farm where his death occurred, July 27, 1870. He commenced life empty handed but by economy and industry accumulated a large property. His hand was always open to all benevolent institutions, and he aided largely in building the Methodist Episcopal church at Jackson. Joseph M. Ray, son of Martin and Hannah Ray, was born in Meigs County, Ohio, April 27, 1829. He is engaged in agricultural pursuits, and has some coal and iron ore on his land. He was married in April, 1859, to Ann E. Carter, who was born Aug. 26, 1837, a daughter of Joel and Mary Carter. They have had eight children, of whom four are living--Mary H., Wilder, Worth and Edith M. Mr. Ray's parents were pioneers of Ohio, coming to the State in 181a His father died in 1866, aged seventy-two years, and his mother died at the age of eighty-five years, in 1880. William T. Richardson was born Oct. 15, 1846, in Franklin Township, Jackson County, a son of James and Perthana (Branton) Richardson, natives of Virginia. He worked for twelve years in coal mines and in 1876 bought seventy acres in Jackson Township where he has since lived, having been engaged in farming until 1880. Since that time he has been an agent for various sewing ma- 656 - HISTORY OF LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY. chines. He was married Oct. 15, 1868, to Elizabeth Kennedy, born Jan. 3, 1849, and daughter. of John and Elizabeth (Butler) Kennedy, who were natives of Pennsylvania. They have had five children, of whom two are living-Daisy B. and Alma G. He is a Republican in politics. Alfred I. Robbins was born in Wood County, West Va., March' 2, 1855, and removed with his parents to Jackson County, Ohio, where he was reared and received his early education. He afterward attended the Normal School at Lebanon, Ohio, and the Ohio Valley Business College at Parkersburg, Va. Being an apt student, at the age of eighteen he was qualified to teach and since then has taught sixty-five months. He has been very successful, both as a disciplinarian and instructor. He now owns fifty-five and a half acres of land on sections 35 and 36, Jackson Township. He married Effie, daughter of William L. Faulkner. They have one child. P. Springer was born Sept. 10, 1845, in Jackson Township, Jackson County. He enlisted Aug. 8, 1862, in Company B, One Hundred and Seventeenth Ohio Infantry, where he served one year, when the regiment was then re-organized into the First Ohio Volunteer Heavy Artillery. He participated in a number of battles and served till the war closed, being mustered out June 20, 1865, at Knoxville, Tenn. After coining home he returned to school awhile, after which he engaged in farming, which he yet follows. He was married Oct. 8, 1867, to Callie, daughter of Lewis and Sarah Leach. They are the parents of five children-Minnie G., Edith A., Lula A., Vera 0. and Lillie M. Mr. Springer was elected Bounty Commissioner on the Republican ticket in 1876, re-elected by a large majority in 1881, and still holds that office. He has been Postmaster of Springer postoffice since Sept. 7, 1882. His father is a native of New York, of Swedish descent. He came to Jackson Township in 1835, where he lived till his death in December, 1858, at the age of forty-five years. John I. Wills was born Dec. 26, 1831, in Gallia County, a son of Woodson and Sarah Wills, who were natives of Monroe County, Va. They moved to Gallia County, Ohio, in 1831, and afterward moved to Jackson County, Ohio, where Sarah Wills died in June, 1843. Woodson Wills again removed to Ross County, Ohio, where he died July 11, 1879, aged eighty-one years. John L. was married Nov. 16, 1859, to Mary A., daughter of Richard and Nancy Vaughters, who were natives of Virginia, coming to Jackson County in 1831. Nancy Vaughters died Aug. 8, 1870, and Richard Vaughters died Jan. 14, 1883. Eight children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Wills, six of whom are living-Richard W., John W., James S., Leonidas E., Bennie F. and Mary F. Alonzo G. died Jan. 24; 1869, and Thomas 0. died June 30, 1875. John L. Wills enlisted in the Ninety-First Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Aug. 12, 1862, in Captain L. M. Stephenson's company. He served two years, ten months and fourteen days, participating in fourteen battles under Generals Crook and Sheridan. Mr. Wills Owns 235 acres of land and takes pride in the improvement of the same. John Wood was born April 8, 1831, in Pennsylvania, a son of William and Mary Wood, who were also natives of Pennsylvania. In 1864 he moved to Ohio, where he has always followed farming, and as a result of his own exertions he now owns 336 acres of good land. He also owns some fine merino sheep and short-horn cattle. He was married July 4, 1852, to Mahala Leap, who is now deceased. They had three children-William, Sandy E. and Amanda. Dec. 25, 1862, Mr. Wood was again married to Mrs. Mary Wilson. This union has been blessed with two children-John R. and Electa 0.   CHAPTER XXXII. BLOOMFIELD, MADISON, JEFFERSON AND HAMILTON TOWNSHIPS. BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP. The township of Bloomfield was organized June 3, 1816, and it composed the original survey of township 8, range 17. It is bounded on the north by Milton Township, on the east by Gallia County, on the south by Mad-non Township, and west by Franklin and a portion of Lick townships. Its first Assessor was Joshua Scurlock, and the amount of taxes paid by the township for the year 1817, the first returns being in June of that year, was $48.55. At the election of 1824 the judges and clerks in Bloomfield Township were: Judges, Geo. Campbell, John Callahan and Alex. G. Stephenson; Clerks, John Stephenson and John Corn. Geo. Campbell was also one of the first grand jurors of the county in August, 1816, and John Callahan on the second grand jury in November, 1816. TOPOGRAPHY. The surface of the township is extremely hilly, but it is doubtful if there is a section of the land within its limits that is not underlaid with coal, iron ore or fire-clay, especially the two former. The small valleys here and there scattered over the township are fairly fertile. In the northeast portion of the township, on Raccoon Creek, while the hills are higher, steeper and less adapted to cultivation, yet where the endings of these hills have caused small valleys, they are extremely productive. It is undoubtedly a fair stock- - 42 - raising township, and every part of it, its hills, valleys, gulches and ravines, is good pasture ground, with plenty of timber for shade in summer and protection from the winter blast. It is not a very well wateRac-ownship. Rac-. coon Creek passes through the northeast corner of the township, watering some three sections, and in its meandering has a length of nearly four miles within that township. It has but one tributary, which has three heads, one crossing the entire north part from west to east, one head rising in the center, and one in the southeast. Water can, however, be easily secured by wells at no very great depth, and sufficient in quantity for all farm purposes. OLD SETTLERS. Bloomfield can boast of being among the early settled townships of the county, and among those who gave it a local habitation and a name were: George Scurlock, Samuel McClure, Moses Hale, George Poor, Alexander Stephenson, William Burris, Martin Poor, Alexander Poor, Thomas Vaughn, John Callahan, Picket Marvin, Robert Fletch er, Anderson Cremeens, Joseph Boggs, Samuel McCray, Enoch Russell and David Keeting. In June, 1831, a petition was received from inhabitants of section 12, township 6, range 18, asking that said section be changed from Franklin to Bloomfield township on account of inconvenience of attending public meetings. The petition was granted. - 657 - 658 - HISTORY OF LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY. This was followed just five years later, June 7, 1836, by a petition to be placed back again, and " it was ordered that section 12, township 6, range 18, be detached from Bloomfield and that the same he attached to the township of Franklin." POPULATION, VALUATION, ETC,. The population of Bloomfield Township showed at first rapid progress from 1840 to 1860, but since then it has declined. The population by decades from 1840 is here given: 1840, 721; 1850, 1,402; 1860, 1,775; 1870, 1,775; 1880, 1,557. The assessed valuation of the chattel property of the township was, in 1880, $82,844. The valuation of real and personal property in 1882 is as follows: Real estate, $229,392; personal property, $94,884; total, $324,276. The township is assessed on 23,854 acres of land. TOWNSHIP OFFICERS. The first record found only dates back to 1841. That year the officers were: Trus tees, Geo. Scurlock, Wm. Hale and Jno. Stephenson; Treasurer, Joel Frasier; Clerk, Robert Mims; Constables, Barnsel Lackey, Thos. Frasier and Jno. Andrews; Overseers of the Poor, James Corn and Geo. W. Ware; Justices of the Peace, Jno. Callahan and James Miller. The present officers (1883)are: Trustees, Jas. Plummer, James E. Lackey and John Buckley; Treasurer, William Scurlock; Clerk, Harrison Poor; Assessor, Benj. F. Callaghan; Constables, J. W . Cole and David T. Janes; Justices of the Peace, Richard T. Jones and David D. Edwards. Williamson Scurlock was elected a Justice of the Peace in 1857 and held the office continuously for twenty-one years. SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES. There are ten school districts in Bloomfield Township named and numbered as follows: Key Stone School, No. 1; Pattonsville School, No. 2; Union School, No. 3; Winchester School, No. 4, joint district with one in Franklin Township; The Run School, No. 5; No District, No. 6; Callaghan School, No. 7; Veja School, No. 8; Buckley School, No. 9, joint district with one in Franklin Township; The White School, No. 10. The Winchester Methodist Episcopal Church was organized by the Rev. Richard Doughty in 1842. In 1858 they built their church and appointed the following Trustees: Randall R. Russell, Findlery Cherington, Wm. Poor, J. W. McClure ; and Stephen Vaughn. The membership was about thirty and the pastor was the Rev. W. S. Benner. The present pastor is Rev. Mordecai D. Vaughn; its Trustees are: James Plummer, Hamby Barton, John Buckley, J. W. McClure,Sr.,and Armstead Scurlock, and its members now number thirty-five. Services are held every two weeks, and Sabbath-school every Sunday from April 1 to Oct. 1. The Bethania Calvinistic Methodist Church was organized sometime about 1847, and erected the present church building in 1856, at a cost of $600. The ministers on the circuit who take turns preaching at Bethania are as follows: Revs. John Rogers, John Evans, Evan Janes, Benj. Thomas, John M. Janes and Wm. R. Evans. Services and Sabbath-school every Sunday. Presdent membership, twenty-seven. The church is located in the southeast corner of section 27 and has a cemetery in connection. Carmel Congregational Church was organized in 1856, by Rev. Jonathan Thomas. A neat church was erected in 1857, at a cost of $600, and was dedicated by Rev. John P. Thomas. The Trustees at that time were: Evan T. Evans, Isaac S. Evans and Thomas S. Morgan. The present pastor is the Rev. George Reese, and the Trustees are: John J. Richards, David Edwards and D. D. Davis. It has a membership of about forty-five with ser- HISTORY OF LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY - 659 vices, and Sabbath-school every Sunday. The church is located in the east-central portion of section 35. The Veda Methodist Episcopal Church was organized in 1840 by Rev. John Ferree, with about twenty members. The church was built the same year. Trustees, John J. Evans, James A. Dair and Thomas Wilrnore. The present pastor is the Rev. James Q. Laken; Trustees, John J. Jenkins, Henry Sharp, James Lackey, Riley Corn and William Baker, and has a membership of sixty. Service is held every Sunday and also a Sabbath-school. The value of the church property is $750. The Bethlehem Baptist Church was organized in 1869, by. Rev. Daniel Lloyd, with about thirty members. The present pastor is Rev. Daniel Jones; Trustees, John Williams, Enoch Thomas and D avid Morgan. Its membership is now about thirty. Preaching every two weeks. The church is located on the northeast corner of section 35, and was erected in 1870. The property is valued at $600. Just what year the Methodist Episcopal church was organized at the Key Stone Furnace could not be ascertained, but in 1858 Rev. Mr. Wakefield preached to a class of ten. In 1866 Rev. Mr. Tresenrider held a protracted meeting at that place. There were some twenty persons joined, and that was the first class of any consequence. In 1867 the furnace company gave $400 toward building a school-house with the privilege of holding church meetings in it. The first pastor after the church or school building was finished; was Rev. S. P. Matthews, there being about thirty-five members in the organization. The present pastor is the Rev. Mordecai Vaughn. Services are held every two weeks. The Union Methodist Episcopal Church was organized by Rev. R. M. Doughty at the residence of Father Martin in 1842, with a membership of twelve or fifteen.. They have held their meetings ever since in the Union school-house, except occasionally at the residence of some of its members. The present minister is the Rev. M. D. Vaughn; Class-Leader, S. M. Vaughn; Steward, T. H. Vaughn; membership, sixty. Services every Sabbath, and Sunday-school nine months of the year. AN OLD BOOK. There is in the possession of Harrison Poor a copy of the Royal Standard English Dictionary, published in Edinburg, Scotland, in 1777. It is an interesting work, and really, while valuable, a great curiosity. It is quite different in its typographical style from the books of the present day. It is prized greatly by its owner. THE KEYSTONE FURNACE is located on section 12, in the northeast corner of the township. The furnace was erected by John McConnell & Co. in 1848, and it continued in their hands until 1853, when it was purchased by Green, Benner & Co. This firm kept it pretty constantly in blast for some eighteen years, when late in 1871 Hon. H. S. Bundy became its proprietor. It is a charcoal furnace and is now making twenty-four tons of pig iron every twenty-four hours. It formerly made but twelve tons. There are employed about 100 men in all its departments. The manager is Augustus Robb; bookkeeper, David Montgomery; storekeeper, Timothy H. Ewing; foundry manager, Peter McClain, and blacksmith, H. W. Higgins. In February, 1879, Mr. Bundy erected a grist-mill on Raccoon Creek, near the furnace, for the convenience of the furnace men and the people around. It is a substantial building and has the celebrated turbine water-wheel. The postoffice at Keystone Furnace was established in May, 1855, and Samuel Benner was the Post master. The office is still continued, and Au- 660 - HISTORY OF LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY. gustus Robb has the office in charge. There is another postoffice at Pattonsville, near the north center of the township, and one al Veja, near the south center and line. WINCHESTER is a small hamlet located near the geographical center of the township, and near a beautiful grove long used for:, religious s and political meetings. At the south end of this grove the Methodists erected a house of worship some years ago. Tile population of the hamlet is about sixty, and it has one general store, Williamson Scurlock, proprietor; one saloon, kept by G. W. Reed, and one blacksmith shop, kept by S. E. Markham. The Postmaster is E. W. Marvin. The narrow gauge railroad passes through the township from north to south, near its center, thus giving the people good transportation facilities. BIOGRAPHICAL. Hamby Barton, third son of Thomas and Charlotte (Hale) Barton, was born in Jackson County, Nov. 30, 1827. He was reared a farmer, and educated at the log-cabin subscription schools. He was engaged in dealing in iron ore for eighteen years, but for the past several years has followed farming. He purchased and removed to his present farm, formerly known as the Dr. Marvin farm, in 1876. He has filled the office of Trustee of this township for fifteen years. He was Assessor for 1862 and District Assessor for 1870. He was married Nov. 10, 1853, to Lucinda Quickel, who was born in Gallia County in 1835, and is a daughter of John and Elizabeth Quickel. Five children have been born to them, of whom three are living—Isaac F., born Nov. 23, 1854; Mollie C., Sept. 14, 1859 (wife of A. J. Nelson), and Ross A., Sept. 19, 1862. John was born Feb. 4, 1857, and died Sept. 26, 1865, and Grant was born May 2, 1866, and died Feb. 18, 1869. Mr. Barton and family are members of the Methodist church, of which he has served as Leader and Steward a number of years, and at the present time is District Steward. His parents were born in Patrick County, Va., and settled in Gallia County, Ohio, in 1811, with their parents, Sharp and Jennie Barton and James and Mary Hale, and where Mr. and Mrs. Barton were married in 1815. They reared a family of four sons and three daughters, our subject being the third son. Mr. Barton died Aug. 27, 1845, and his wife died Sept. 28, 1877. John Buckley, farmer, stock-raiser and dealer in stock, was born Feb. 19, 1825, in Franklin Township, Jackson County. He attended the log-cabin schools and was reared to the life of a farmer, which avocation he has always followed. He experienced many of the hardships of pioneer lire and has seen Jackson County change from a wilderness to what it now is. He purchased his present farm many years ago, where he has been very successful in all his business operations. He was married Dec. 31, 1849, to Frankie, daughter of George and Elizabeth Scurlock. Of their nine children one son and six daughters are living. His wife died June 26, 1868. She was a member of the Methodist church. He was married again May 1, 1870, to Nancy J., daughter of Samuel R. and Susan (Ward) Johnson, by whom he has had two sons. He and wife are mem ben of the Methodist church, which he has served as Steward and is at present Trustee. He was Land Appraiser of Bloomfield Township in 1880, and one of the judges for election for 1882. He was elected to his present position of Township Trustee in 1883. His parents were born, reared and married in Greenbrier County, Va., and came to Ohio in an early day, and in 1814 entered land in Franklin Township, where they reared a family of eleven children. Mrs. Buckley died at the age of forty years and Mr. Buckley lived to be seventy-four years of age. William Burris was born in North Caro- HISTORY OF LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY - 661 lina, Aug. 15, 1802, and came with his parents to Gallia County, Ohio, in 1804, and to Jackson County in 1811. He was first married to Charlotte Ross, by whom he had five children, of whom one daughter only survives. His wife died in 1828 and in 1830 he married Margaret, daughter of Jonathan and Isabelle Dempsey. This union was blessed with seven children, of whom four sons are living. He was Land Appraiser of Bloomfield Township, and died Sept. 18, 1881. His widow still survives. Benjamin Callaghan was born in Jackson County, Ohio, March 22, 1836, a son of William O. H. and Martha (Hanna) Callaghan, natives of Virginia, his father born in Bath County, Nov. 16, 1797, and his mother in Greenbrier County, July, 1803. His father came to Jackson County in 1811 and his mother in 1815. They were married Nov. 26, 1826, and had a family of ten children. His father was a Justice of the Peace about twenty years and Township Trustee a number of years. He died March 15, 1879. His mother died June 28, 1882. Our subject was reared to the life of a farmer and has always followed that vocation. He has served as Assessor of the township three years. Sept. 9, 1858, he was married to Sarah E., daughter of Caleb and Mary P. Sharp. They have seven children—Augustus, William V., Benjamin F., Emma J., Mary C., Anna and Laura. Mr. and Mrs. Callaghan are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. William James Callahan, only son of John and Elizabeth (James) Callahan, was born in Jackson County, March 2, 1822. He has followed agricultural pursuits through life and for the past seven years been engaged in raising and dealing in stock. He was married in October, 1845, to Sarah A., daughter of Thomas and Ann Strain, of Jackson County, formerly from Pennsylvania. This union was blessed with ten children, of whom three sons and four daughters are living. Mrs. Callahan died July 3, 1876, aged fifty-one years. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Callahan also belongs to that church. His father was born in Bath County, Va., in 1795, and came with his parents from Bath County, Va., to Jackson County, Ohio, in 1811. He entered land where our subject now resides. He filled the offices of County Assessor and Township Trustee a number of years and was also Justice of the Peace. He was one of the Board of County Commissioners at the time of his death, which occurred Oct. 1, 1852. Riley Corn, eldest son of James and Milly (Vernon) Corn, was born in Jackson County, Ohio, May 28, 1827. His father was born in Patrick County, Va., Sept. 28, 1804, and his mother in Stokes, N. C., June 11, 1805. They were married in Jackson County, Ohio, where their parents had removed about 1811, and had a family of nine children, eight of whom grew to maturity. His mother. died Oct. 10, 1878. His father still lives in Gallia County, Ohio. Riley was reared on a farm, but being desirous of an education studied evenings and when nineteen years of age was qualified to teach. He taught twenty-five terms, eight terms in his own school district. Since then he has been engaged in farming. In 1856 be purchased an interest in the Limestone Iron Company, retaining his interest till the furnace closed. In 1859 he was elected Clerk of Bloomfield Township, and held the office till 1865, when, he refused to serve, but in 1866 was again elected, serving till 1878. In June, 1865, he was elected Justice of the Peace and served six years. April 18, 1860, he married Jemima, daughter of Gilbert and Abigail. (Patten) Weed. They have five children, three sons and two daughters. Mr. and Mrs. Corn are members of the Methodist church. He is a Class-Leader and Trustee. David Dudley Edwards, rnarket gardener, Winchester, Jackson County, was born April 662 - HISTORY OF LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY. 8, 1844, in what was then Gallia County, but now Jackson County. Daring his boyhood days he attended the comriion school and worked at the grist and saw mill and woolen factory owned by his father. Although only seventeen years old, he enlisted in the late war in Company G, Seventh Ohio Cavalry, as a private for three years. He was on detached duty as scout through Kentucky and was for a time mail messenger on the railroad from Knoxville to Cleveland, Tenn. He was with General Burnside as messenger, for a time and with General Parks at Bean Station. He was then assigned to General Schofield's command and was messenger on his staff till he was drsabled by a fall from his horse and discharged at Raleigh, N. C., June 12, 1865. Returning home he attended a select school one term at Winchester, after which he purchased a portable saw-mill and was engaged in milling over a year. He then sold his mill and ran a saw-mill for other parties for three years, when he operated a saw-mill in Kentucky for two years. He then engaged at bridge-building on the Scioto Valley Railroad for three months, after which he and his brother built the bridges on the Scioto Valley extension from Wheelersburg to Hanging R)ck. Since then he has been successfully engaged in his present business. In 1880 he took the census of Bloomfield Township and in 1883 was elected Justice of the Peace of that township. He is a member of Trowel Lodge, No. 132, A. F. & A. M., of Jackson, and belongs to the Methodist church. His parents, David A. and Hannah Edwards, were natives of Cardiganshire, South Wales. They emigrated to the United States and settled in Gallia County in 1838. He died in January, 1879. His widow and five sons are still living. Joseph Hale, farmer, Bloomfield Township, Jackson Co., Ohio, was born in Gallia County, Olio, June 23, 1837, the eldest son of Robert and Mary Hale. His great-grandfather, James Hale, settled in Jackson County in 1800, and was one of the first settlers of the county. Oar subject was reared a farmer and has always followed that occupation. He has filled the office of Trustee eight years, and in the spring of 1881 was elected Assessor and re-elected in 1382. Jan. 20, 1859, he married Lovina, daughter of George W. and Lucy Ware. Her parents were early settlers of Jackson County, from Virginia. Eight children have been born to them, three sons and five daughters. Mr. and Mrs. Hale are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Henry Whitfield Higgins, blacksmith at Keystone Furnace, was born Sept. 9, 1837, in Jackson County, and is a son of Henry J. and Ann Higgins, who were born and reared in Bedford County, Va. They came to Ohio in 1832, and died in Jackson County. Our subject began to work at furnaces when nine years old and continued to work at them till the breaking out of the late civil war, when he enlisted in August, 1862, in Company H, Twenty-Seventh Ohio Infantry, as a private for three years. He participated in the battles of Corinth, Resaca, Kennesaw Mountain, siege and capture of Atlanta, and a number of others. On account of having injured his eyes, he was discharged at Camp Dennison, Ohio, July 7, 1865. He then returned home and engaged in blacksmithing for a time, after which he was engaged in making roads and attending to the wood supply for the Keystone Furnace, and was assistant manager of the furnace for eight years. He was married March 14, 1858, to Virginia, daughter of Thomas and Amanda Dickason, early settler's of Gallia County. They have a family of six sons and one daughter. He and wife are members of the Methodist church, of which he is Steward. Edward Lewis Johnson, physician and surgeon, Winchester, Jackson County, was born April 7, 1851, in Jackson County. He was reared on a farm, and attended school till he HISTORY OF LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY - 663 was fourteen years old, and before he reached the age of fifteen years taught school. He continued teaching during the winter months and working on the farm a portion of the summer till he was twenty-one years old, and during that time he attended the National Normal College at Lebanon, Ohio, one year and two terms. After leaving school he taught a short time. In his twenty-second year he began the study of medicine with Dr. A. B. Monahan, of Jackson. During the winter of 1873'74, he attended the Ohio Medical College at Cincinnati, and in the winter of 1874-'75 attended Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia, graduating in the spring of 1875. He immediately became associated with Timothy Marvin, who died shortly after, and since then Dr. Johnson has practiced his profession alone, and is meeting with much success. April 7, 1879, he was married to Nancy A. Cherington, who has borne him two children —Erma and Holm. Mrs. Johnson is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. Her father, Spencer Cherington, was a volunteer in Company K, Thirty-sixth Ohio Infantry, and gave his life for his country. Samuel R. Johnson, grandfather of our subject, was one of Franklin Township's first settlers. Richard Thomas Jones, eldest son of Thomas E. and Ann Jones, was born in Cardiganshire, South Wales, Nov. 16, 1837. In 1849 he carne with his parents to the United States, and lived in Jefferson Township, Jackson County, till the spring of 1851, when his father purchased the farm where he now resides. Our subject attended school in Wales, and completed his education at the common schools of Jackson County. He was reared a farmer, and at the age of nineteen went to Pike's Peak during the mining excitement, and was engaged trading across the plains for six years. He then returned home, where he remained a short time, when he embarked for Wales, where he remained nineteen months. While in Wales he was married, Jan. 11, 1865, to Mary Jones, of Cardiganshire, South Wales. Their children are—John T., born Dec. 17, 1865; Catherine A., April 20, 1867; Anna G., June 27, 1878, and Evan E., Feb. 6, 1883. Mrs. Jones is a member of the Calvinistic Methodist church. Since returning from Wales he has followed farming. He served two terms as Trustee of Bloomfield Township, and is at present Justice of the Peace, having been elected in the spring of 1881. Albert Wesley Lackey, son of Adam and Nancy (Stephenson) Lackey, was born Aug. 29, 1858, in Bloomfield Township, on the farm where he now resides. He attended the common schools, and spent one term at the Rio Grande College in Gallia County. With the exception of having taught school two terms he has pursued farming through life, together with raising and dealing in stock. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. His father is a native of Bloomfield Township, and his mother of Milton Township, Jackson County. The former filled various township and county offices during his life. He was on the Board of Commissioners for the county two terms. He died at the age of sixty-eight years, in 1882, and his wife died in July, 1879, aged sixty-two years. James Ephrodidus Lackey, eldest son of Alexander and Catherine (Stoker) Lackey, was born Feb. 6, 1833, on the place where he still resides. He has always followed farming, and is one of the practical and successful farmers of the county. He held the office of Trustee of his township from 1865 till 1875, and was again elected to the position in 1882, and re-elected in 1883. He was married Aug. 29, 1855, to Mary A., daughter of Caleb and Mary Sharp. They had a family of two children—Leonidas F. and Laura M. His wife belonged to the Methodist church. She died July 10, 1881, and March 14, 1882, he married Tilla A., daughter of John J. and Betsy Jones. She is a member of the Meth- 664 - HISTORY OF LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY. odist church. Our subject's father was born in Virginia, Feb. 14, 1803, and came to Jackson County when three years of age. His wife was a native of North Carolina. They had six children, of whom two sons and one daughter are yet living. Mr. Lackey died in his seventy-fourth year. His widow survives, being in her seventy-fifth year. Peter McClain, eldest son of John and Jane McClain, natives of Ohio and Scotland respectively, was born in Gallia County, Sept. 1, 1844. He lived on a farm till he. was eighteen years old, after which he worked at the Keystone Furnace till he enlisted, June 1, 1863, in Company F, One Hundred and Twenty-ninth Ohio Infantry, as a private, to serve six months, but served over his time. He was in the campaigns through Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia, and was at the surrender of the Southern troops at Cumberland Gap, and participated in the battle on Clinch River, in East Tennessee. He was mustered out at Cleveland, and discharged March 1, 1864, after which he was engaged at the Keystone Furnace, and is at present foundryman at the furnace, having been appointed to his present position in 1880. Aug. 1, 1864, he was married to Califirna, daughter of Enoch and Zerna Russell, who were the first settlers where the Keystone Furnace now stands. Four children have been born to them, all of whom are living. Mr. McClain and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Jacob McClure, Jr., son of Arthur and Jane (Stephenson) McClure, was born Jan. 2, 1836, on the farm where he now resides. His parents were natives of Monroe and Greenbrier counties, Va., respectively, and when children came with their parents to Jackson County, Ohio, where they were married, and reared a family of ten children, all of whom survive. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. McClure followed farming all his life. He was born April 18, 1803; and died March 18, 1857. His widow still survives, aged seventy-six years. Our subject has endured many of the privations of pioneer life, as his father settled on the farm now owned by him when it was all in the woods. He has been engaged in farming all his life, and has one of the best kept farms in the township. Nov. 1, 1860, he was married to Almira E., daughter of Samuel R. and Susan (Ward) Johnson, of Jackson County, Ohio. Five children were born to this union, of whom four are living—Elta G., Minnie S., Rexie A. and Jennie F. Their eldest child, Myrtle M., died at the age of four years, five months and twenty days. Mr. McClure, wife and chit. dren are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. George Washington Poor, farmer and dealer iu stock, is the youngest son of Alexander and Nancy (Burris) Poor. His father was a native of North Carolina, and in 1809 came to Jackson County, where he entered land in Bloomfield Township, and was one of the first settlers of the township. He was Colonel of the Jackson County militia for many years, and represented the county in the State Legislature one term. Our subject has always followed agricultural pursuits, and has been one of the most extensive dealers in stock in the county. He was. married March 7, 1850, to Arthalinza, daughter of Harry and Phoebe Phillips, of Jackson County. Of the nine children born to this union, three sons and three daughters are living. He is a member of Trowel Lodge, No. 132, A. F. & A. M., and the chapter and council R. A. M., of Jackson, Ohio. Mr. Poor was one of the first men in Bloomfield to favor the principles of the Republicans, and has been an active worker in that party since its organization. Benoni Rhodes, farmer, was born May 24, 1827, in Jackson County, Ohio, and is the third son of William and Mary Rhodes, who were natives of Fayette County, Pa. His parents settled in Jackson County in 1819, HISTORY OF LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY - 665 where his father died at the age of thirty-five years. Our subject was reared on a farm and was educated at the subscription schools. Upon reaching manhood he began burning charcoal at furnaces, and followed this for several years, but for the past ten years he has been engaged in farming. He was married Oct. 10, 1853, to Hannah Gill, a native of Baltimore, Md., and daughter of John and Sarah Gill. He has a family of five children —two sons and three daughters. His wife died Dec. 4, 1876. She was a member of the Methodist church. Mr. Rhodes was Trustee of Milton Township for a number of years. Elisha Scurlock, sixth son of George and Elizabeth (Hanna) Scurlock, was born Feb. 8, 1840, in Bloomfield Township, Jackson County. He was educated at the common schools and at the select schools at Ewington and Berlin. At the age of twenty-one years he engaged in teaching school, which lre followed during the winters for eight yea' s and engaged in farming in the summers. Since then he has pursued farming in connection with raising and dealing in stock. Mr. Scurlock, our subject's father, was a native of North Carolina, and when six years old, in 1806, he came to Ohio. He died in Jackson County at the age of eighty-one years. His wife came from Greenbrier County, Va., to Ohio. She died in her sixty-ninth year. Williamson Scurlock, farmer and merchant at Winchester, was born Nov. 22, 1830, in Jackson County. He was educated at the common schools and the graded schools of Jackson. He has followed agricultural pursuits through life and deals very extensively in stock. From 1866 till 1871 he was engaged in the dry-goods, grocery and general mercantile business at Winchester, and in 1879 resumed his mercantile business, in which he still continues, together with farming. March 1,1858, he was married to Martha, daughter of George and Mary (Billups) Poor. To them have been born two sons and two daugh ters, of whom the daughters are living. In 1857 Mr. Scurlock was elected Justice of the Peace, which office he held for twenty-one years. He is a member of Trowel Lodge, No.. 132, A. F. & A. 'M., of Jackson. His father, George Scurlock, was born in Stokes County, N. C., July 19, 1800, and when six years old came with his parents to Jackson County. Our subject's mother, Elizabeth (Hanna) Scurlock, was born in Greenbrier County, Va., Oct. 2t, 1800, and came to Jackson County at an early age. Mr. Scurlock died at the age of eighty years. His wife's death occurred several years previous. Of their nine children, four sons and one daughter are living. Henry Milton Sharp, farmer, was born in Jackson County, Ohio, Nov. 7, 1841, a son of Caleb and Mary Sharp. Aug. 29, 1862, lre enlisted in Company H, Twenty-seventh Ohio Infantry, for three years, and sixteen months later re-enlisted as a veteran. He was in the battles of Kennesaw Mountain, Decatur and Atlanta. At the latter place he was wounded, and was in the hospital at Marietta, Ga., two weeks, when he received a furlough, and arrived home Aug. 9, 1864. Nov. 9, 1864, he returned to Chattanooga and was stationed near Ringgold, in a block-house, six week=, when he returned to his regiment and was in the engagement at Kingston, N. C. He was then at Raleigh and afterward at Washington at the grand review of the army, when he was sent to Louisville, Ky., for muster out, and was% discharged at Camp Dennison, Ohio, July 22, 1865. Since his return home he has been engaged in farming. In August, 1870, he was married to Mary, daughter of Hiram and Lizzie (Doddridge) Russell'. Three sons and three daughters have been born to them, one son being deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Sharp are members of the Methodist church. John C. Sharp, faimer, was born in Jackson County, in April, 1840. His father was born in Bedford County, Va., in 1S03, an 666 - HISTORY OF LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY. in 1828 was married to Mary Taylor, a native of Bedford County. They removed to Gallia County, Ohio, in 1830, and in 1831 purchased land in Bloomfield Township, Jackson County, where he now resides. They reared eleven children, of whom three sons served in the 1 de war. Our subject attended the common schools, and also spent four months at the National Normal College at Lebanon, Ohio. Sept. 16, 1862, he enlisted in Company G, Seventh Ohio Cavalry, as a private, for three years. He was on special detail duty as bearer of dispatches—first, on General Gilmore's staff, then with General Burnside, after which he served on General Schofield's staff during the war. He was with Sherman through Georgia until Sept. 2, 1864, when he was taken prisoner and confined for seven months in Andersonville prison. He was on the steamer Sultana when it blew up and 1,300 men perished. He was discharged at Camp Chase, May 20, 1865, after which he returned home. After recovering his health he engaged as clerk in a store, where he remained but a short time. Since then he has been engaged in agricultural pursuits. He is a member of Lodge No. 609, I. 0. 0. F., of Centerville, Gallia Co., Ohio, and also belongs to Lincoln Encampment, I. 0. 0. F., No. 100, Lebanon, Ohio. Rev. J. E. Thomas, third son of Enoch and Jane (James) Thomas, was born in Caermarthenshire, South Wales, Dec. 25, 1816. When sixteen years of age he joined the Welsh Congregational church of Glandwn, Pembrokeshire. His brethren immediately sent him to Llanboidy College to be educated for the ministry. He began preaching when sixteen years of age. In 1835 a number of the brethren came to the United States and he accompanied them as their pastor. They located in St. Louis, Mo., and were granted the privilege of worshiping' in the basement of Dr. Cox's (Presbyterian) church, where Mr. Thomas preached the first sermon in the Welsh language in St. Louis. He preached in St. Louis three years, and then followed farming near Hannibal, Mo., four years, being unable, on account of ill health, to preach regularly. He then removed to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he worked as a machinist on locomotive engines. In 1846 he came to Jackson County, where he has since resided. He preached for different churches in the surrounding country seven years, and was missionary for the Welsh in Portsmouth four years, and organized the Union Church of that place. He also organized the Welsh church at Iowa. In 1862 he enlisted in Company C, Fifty-sixth Ohio Infantry, and after serving nine months as a private was elected Chaplain. Three months later lie was detailed by General Prentiss as Superintendent of the Freedmen at Helena, Ark., and was in charge of their farm till the summer of 1865. He sent a small bale of cotton to President Lincoln as the first fruits of the labor of the race he had emancipated. After his discharge he joined the Regular Baptist church, and labored in the ministry in the counties of Gallia, Jackson, Lawrence, Scioto and Pike. On account of impaired health he now has charge of but two churches. While living in Cincinnati he was married to Mrs. Margaret Griffith. They have had four children--Sarah (wife of Rev. C. S. Baxter, of Jackson County), Enoch M., David J. and Robert I. G. Thomas Harrison, Vaughn,, farmer, stock-raiser and dealer in stock, is the youngest son of Thomas and Rebecca Vaughn. He was born on the farm where he now resides, Sept. 16, 1837, and has always followed the avocation of a farmer. He was married Nov. 19, 1863, to Eveline, daughter of Adam and Nancy Lackey, early settlers of Jackson County. They have had five children born to them, of whom three sons and a daughter are living. Mr. and Mrs. Vaughn have belonged to the Methodist Episcopal church since childhood, and he now holds the position of Steward of the HISTORY OF LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY - 667 church. In politics he affiliates with the Republican party. His father was born Sept. 2, 1787, in Pennsylvania. He was in charge of Fort Meigs in the war of 1812, and was present at the death of the Indian chief, Tecumseh. He settled in Jackson in 1822, where he filled the office of Justice of the Peace of Bloomfield Township a number of years. He was in official life in Jackson County forty years, and seventeen years of that time was Associate Judge of the county. Stephen N. Vaughn, fifth son of Thomas and Rebecca Vaughn, was born Feb. 24, 1828, in Jackson County, Ohio. He was educated in the log-cabin subscription schools which he attended a short time during the winters. He was reared to farm life, and experienced many of the privations of pioneer life. All his life he has pursued farming and stock-raising, at which he has been very successful. He was married May 25, 1858, to Lucinda D., daughter of John and Mary A. Farrel, of Pike County. They have had eight children, of whom one son and four daughters survive. Mrs. Vaughn has belonged to the Methodist church since her fifteenth year. Mr. Vaughn joined the Methodist church when eighteen years of age, and has been Trustee and Steward for a number of years. He is now Leader of the church, and is an active worker in the temperance cause. He was a Whig in politics till the organization of the Republican party, since when he has always affiliated with that party. JEFFERSON AND MADISON TOWNSHIPS. These two townships form the the southeastern part of the county. They constitute a tract of land which is rich in fire-clay and limestone, fair in iron ore and coal, and poor as a farming country. The Portsmouth Branch of the C., W. & B. R. R., in passing from Hamden to Portsmouth, enters Jefferson, the most western, turns toward the east and passes through a portion of Madison in a southerly course, re-enters Jefferson and cuts off the southeast corner, leaving the township about midway of the southern border. The narrow gauge railroad passes through Madison from north to south. The valley of Symmes Creek passes through Madison from north to south, and has some fair tillable land. A branch of this, Black Fork, passes through Jefferson and a part of Madison; also furnishes some good agricultural and grazing land. The townships are most thickly settled near the line in the vicinity of Oak Hill, which is located on the line, centrally from north to south. This is the only town in the two townships, and being partly in each serves to combine them. Madison was one of the first townships organized in the county, but originally included the eastern one-third of Jefferson and the western two-thirds of the present Madison, exclusive of the southern row of sections which then belonged to Gallia County. Jefferson was made a township in January, 1822, comprising the original township 5, of range 18. Its boundary has never been changed. This took twelve sections from Madison, but a corresponding twelve have been since added on the east, which gave to Madison the entire township 7, of range 17. At a still later date the northern row of sections of township 6, range 17, has been added to Madison, giving it forty-two sections. Madison Township extends one and one-half miles further north than Jefferson. The vicinity or Oak Hill was settled at a very early date, almost as soon as the earliest in the county. Why the locality was chosen is a mystery, since the farming advantages were very poor, and the minerals were then not known. In 1816 the Lister of Madison Township was John Atkinson ; in 1817, John Shumate, when the township ranked third in wealth among the eight in the county. In 1818 John Shumate was again Lister, the township 668 - HISTORY OF LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY. still holding third rank, although the number of townships had been increased to nine. Population in 1840—Madison, 724; Jefferson, 752. 1850—Madison, 1,515; Jefferson, 1,036. 1860 — Madison, 2,081; Jefferson, 2,058. 1870—Madison, 2,174; Jefferson, 3,002. 1880—Madison, 2,113; Jefferson, 2,443. These last figures, which indicate a decline in both, include that portion of the village of Oak Hill lying within each township. The southwestern part of Jefferson is owned by mining companies, and is almost uninhabited. SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES. Madison Township has eight schools and five churches; Jefferson Township has eight schools and three churches. These are all outside of Oak Hill. The first school-house was erected in 1825 or '6. In the winter of 1826–'27 Willis C. Willmore was the teacher. OAK HILL is situated on the Portsmuth Branch of the C., W. & B. R. R., about twelve miles from Jackscn, the county seat. It was laid out by Messrs. Bingham and Reed in 1832. Portland, an adjoining village, was laid out in 1853. These two villages were incorporated under the name of Oak Hill, March 12, 1875. The inhabitants are principally Welsh. There are six churches in Oak Hill, Masonic and I. O. O. F. lodges. The village of Oak Hill, now called a hamlet, was incorporated Nov. 28, 1879, for special purposes. The Trustees met at the office of J. Edward Jones. Present—John M. Thomas, Chairman; J. Edward Jones, Secretary, and Edward Miller. A petition was presented that the inhabitants of said village, now called a hamlet, be advanced to the grade of a " village." The petition was received and accepted, and an election ordered Dec. 27, 1879, to test the sentiment of the people. The vote in favor of the change was 63; nays, 4; total vote polled, 67. James W. Dowler was appointed to take the census of the hamlet in pursuance of the statutes in such case made and provided; and he report. ed at the meeting of the Board of Trustees, Jan. 13, 1880, that the number was 598. The Board of Trustees, upon the question of advancement, was in favor of such advance. ment, and that the hamlet within 'the bounds of the incorporation contains the requisite number of inhabitants. The following order was then made by the board: " On motion, it was Resolved, That we do hereby declare (as such Board of Trustees) that the inhabitants of such corporation (now called a hamlet) have decided upon the advancement of the same to the grade of a " village," and hereby order and direct that a certified transcript of the journal entries and proceedings, together with the census poll-book and tally-sheet in the premises, shall be delivered to the County Recorder of the county of Jackson, in the State of Ohio, for the purpose of completing said advancement of said hamlet of Oak Hill to the grade of a village. JNO. W. THOMAS, J. EDWARD JONES, Trustees." EDWARD MILLER, Oak Hill was incorporated for special purposes, in 1874. From that date it has been governed by a special set of officers. The postoffice was established at Oak Hill in 1834, and Levi Massie was the first Post. master. In 1875, Oct. 6 and 7, the EISTEDDFOD, a Welsh celebration, was held at Oak Hill. It was the great event of its history. MANUFACTURES. AEtna Fire-Brick Manufactory.— Fire-clay, so-called, was first discovered in and around Oak Hill, in 1872. A company was formed with above name, and was composed of the following named stockholders : John J. Jones, Moses Morgan, J. D. Davis, David Edwards, Dr. T. E. Griffith, Elias Morgan, John D. Jones, Dr. William S. Turret, John HISTORY OF LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY - 669 Davis, Captain G. T. Morgan, John Rogers, Miss Ellen Edwards and Miss Elizabeth Morgan. They received their papers of incorporation February, 1873, and in September following, had their first manufactured brick on the market. They met with a serious drawback May 1, 1874, by the destruction of the entire buildings by fire, involving a serious loss. The buildings, however, were replaced without loss of time, and the manufacture continued up to the present time, increasing their business and finding an increasing market for their wares. Their average sales are from $21,000 to $22,000 per year. They own their own coal and clay banks, and give employment to forty men. An examination by Prof. Norton shows a fine quality of clay, and the enterprise has proved in every way successful. Flouring Mill.—This was first constructed in 1866 by W. W. Evans, but was enlarged in 1871 by Davis & Williams who had recently bought it. In 1879 it was again remodeled and supplied with additional machinery, increasing its capacity to twenty barrels a day. It is run by steam.. Jefferson Furnace has been probably the greatest success in the iron manufacture in Southern.Ohio. The Jefferson Furnace Co., composed entirely of Welshmen, was organized in January, 1854, with an original capital of $50,000, divided into 100 shares of $500 each. Many of the members were small farmers who deeded their lands as stock to the company, some forty, some eighty and some 160 acres, at $12 an acre, reserving one acre where the buildings stood and the right to cultivate what had been already cleared. Some of them paid their stock by labor and some paid in cash. The capital was thus all paid in promptly and assured a basis for operations but not a broad enough one to complete so great an undertaking as a large blast furnace and the company went into debt to a considerable amount. The furnace, stack, engine-house, coal-house, casting-house and cabins for hands were erected, ore-diggers, wood-choppers and other hands were put to work in the fall of 1854 and in the following winter about 800 tons of cold blast iron was made, which turned out to be of superior quality for car wheels and machinery. The original company consisted of thirty members, formed into a joint stock company. The officers elected at first were all members of the company. They were as follows: T. T. Jones, Financial Agent; John D. Davis, Founder; T. Lloyd Hughes, Secretary and Cashier, and William M. Jones, Store-keeper. In 1856 part of the company holding about one third of the whole stock contracted the " go West " fever and sold out their interests to the remaining members for $900 a sharer thus nearly doubling their money in two years. This threw the owners in additional debt, but not being discouraged a moment, the officers took very low wages, barely enough to live on, and worked with energy and harmony together and piloted the concern through the hard times of 1856–'9 successfully. The policy of the company was to buy all the timber from owners of land they could get and save their own for future use, and when they could not get the timber alone they would buy the land also, chop the timber off and sell it again, having at some periods about 4,000 acres of ore and wood land. From the small beginning of $50,000 the amount of dividend made from first to last so far is in the neighborhood of $700,000. Another item well worthy to go on record in regard to the Jefferson Furnace is that she never was run on the Sabbath. That was understood on the formation of the company and entered into its constitution and has been faithfully kept from the first move of the engine in 1854 until the present date. She never ran a moment on the Lord's day. An incident happened some years ago when the secretary of the company was called to 670 - HISTORY OF LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY. Cincinnati as a witness before the United States Court in a very heavy trial between a Missouri and an Ohio firm. Stanley Matthews was attorney for the plaintiff and T. D. Lincoln for defendant. In the cross-examination of the witness by Mr. Matthews, h e asked him, " How many tons per month does the Jefferson Furnace make?" His answer was, " Ten tons per day. " How much per month was the question and he began to count at thirty days in the month when the witness interrupted him and said, " Count at twenty-six, sir; the Jefferson never runs on Sunday." Judge Swing was on the bench and, being a religious man, was very much moved by this statement of the witness and, on adjournment of court, stepped to the witness and congratulated him and the Jefferson Furnace Company through him, and made many friendly remarks in regard to the company and the Welsh settlement in general. This furnace, the Pine Grove Furnace, under the management of a noble Christian gentleman, Mr. Robert Hamilton, and the Cambria Furnace, nearly all owned by Welshmen, are the only instances known to the writer, in the United States or any other country, where blast-furnaces were not run on Sunday. The Jefferson Furnace has been so successful that it has made some of its stockholders wealthy and placed many in comfortable circumstances. The original officers are all retired but John D. Davis, who is still there superintending the work with a corps of worthy young men under his direction. T. T. Jones retired from business after twenty-two years; Wm. W. Jones, now deceased, after eighteen years; T. L. Hughes after twenty-six years, and T. M. Jones after about three years, his health having failed. At the present time Oak Hill has about six hundred population, a postoffice, a public school, four churches, one public hall, two hotels, two general stores, two boot and shoe stores, two drug stores, one jewelry store, one harness store, one book store, two millinery stores, a flouring mill, one marble works, one fire brick manufactory, two wagon shops, one tailor shop, one barber shop, two blacksmith shops, one livery stable and three physicians. Oak Hill School District,in Jefferson Township, has 961 acres, valued at $11,045, and chattel property $12,674. In Madison Township the Oak Hill School District has 2,196 acres, valued at $26,531, and personal property $23,128. Southwest of Oak Hill, about two miles, on the railroad, is Samsonville, a postoffice and country store, and one and a half miles further is Monroe Furnace postoffice. Madison Township is seven Miles north and south and six miles east and west, with an acreage of 26,880, and there are found upon the assessor's roll 25,243, as taxed. The valuation of this land in 1882 was placed at $264,566; the personal property at $95,365; total, $359,931. Jefferson Township is six miles square, being a congressional township in size, having an area of 23,040 acres. The assessment in 1882 was $211,141; personal property, $200,661; total, $411,802. Twenty-one thousand eight hundred and fifty-five acres of the above land was on the assessment roll of 1882. The townships are bounded on the north by Franklin and Bloomfield townships; on the east by Gallia County; south by Gallia, Lawrence and Scioto counties, and west by Hamilton Township. THE WELSH SETTLEMENT IN JACKSON AND GALLIA COUNTIES, OHIO. BY HON. T. L. HUGHES. OAS HILL IN 1883. About the year 1817 four men with families, from the county of Cardigan, South Wales, emigrated and settled in the east side of Madison Township, near Gallia County line. Their names were: Evan Evans, John HISTORY OF LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY - 671 Evans, Timothy Jones and Lewis Davies. The whole country around was then an unbroken wilderness with the exception of a very few families from Virginia that settled here and there, raised log cabins and cleared enough land around them to raise a little corn and vegetables. These four sturdy Welshmen were the nucleus around which, in after years, a great and successful colony was gathered. Their descendants are numerous and certainly among the most respected and substantial American citizens in Jackson County. After building cabins to shelter their families, these pioneer; began courageously to clear patches of land to plant corn, potatoes and other vegetables to live on. They were good hands with the spade and mattock, but poor, very poor, with the ax; chopping went hard with them. I. can picture to myself and almost see from this great distance of time—nearly seventy years—Evan Evans, the " old settler," as he was always called, being then a robust, powerful young man, and who only lately left us at eighty-eight, a most venerable looking patriarch, standing at the butt of an oak-tree, four or five feet through, with an ax handled with a round stick of hickory in his hand, nibbling around the tree like a boy with his hatchet, in earnest, though, and looking up very often to watch if it was not leaning in any direction so as to see which way he had to run for life in the event of its falling. After getting the first patch of two or three acres cleared to raise the very necessaries of life, these men did not rest a day, but kept on enlarging their clearings for wheat. Now a small field of wheat is raised, harvested and threshed, and the head of the family takes a portion of it on horseback to a water-mill on Raccoon Creek. After this a period of about fifteen years passed without any addition to the little colony except a) straggler now and then from the cities of Pittsburg or Cincinnati . But in the years 1836–'37 emigrants began to pourin in streams from South Wales, mostly from Cardiganshire, some from Caermarthien and other counties in the South, and a few from North Wales. These families began to scatter through the woods for nearly twenty miles in diameter, until gradually the whole townships of Madison and Jefferson were tolerably well filled, interspersed with other nationalities, and all dwelt together in harmony, and borrowed of and assisted one another to the best of their ability. The bulk of these Welsh immigrants were from the celebrated watering place Aberystwith and the surrounding country, and mostly all professing Christians, belonging to the Presbyterian church, or, as they are called at home, the " Calvinistic Methodist." It has always been the custom of these people, who have left their fatherland, the first thing after raising some sort of a cabin in which to shelter their families, to erect a little better house in some central place, in which to meet on Sabbath days to worship the God of their fathers by holding prayer-meetings and their loved Sabbath-schools. Occasionally there would be a sermon, if one could be gotten from a minister who should happen to visit them on his journey, and great would be the welcome with which such would be greeted, however limited his abilities. In this way they would enjoy themselves excellently and soothe their sorrows and longings for their beloved homes in Wales. The first chapel, as they called these log houses erected and consecrated for the worship of God, was Moriah, midway between Oak Hill and Centreville. This was in the year 1836. As a number of families would buy land here and there several miles from the temple on Mount Moriah, tabernacles would be erected at different central places for their convenience. Among the first of these were: Soar,in Bloomfield Township; Horeb and Bethel, in Jefferson Township; Sardis, in Madison. Thus they increased to ten in all. Two were discontinued,   672 - HISTORY OF LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY owing to the removal of members. There are still eight churches remaining with membership ranging from fifty to 170. Six of these church buildings are neat white frames, and two are brick houses, the one at Oak Hill costing nearly $1,100. All of these houses are clear of debt. The aggregate number of members belonging to the Welsh Presbyterian church is about 800. There are in the colony three ordained ministers and four lay preachers. Each one goes on a circuit through the eight churches so as to give a variety to the small as well as to the large congregation every Sabbath. This has been their method of proceeding from the commencement, and it proves satisfactory to all. Religious services are kept up, consisting of preaching, prayer-meeting and Sunday-school summer and winter, in all without intermission. All of these ministers have been reared to the pulpit through the instrumentality of the Sabbath-schools. They understand the English and Welsh languages thoroughly, and pretend no more, and certainly it would be difficult to find. the same number of men, even well-educated ministers, that understand the Bible better than they do. In the year 1845 the Congregational and Presbyterian bodies joined to form an auxiliary to the American Bible Society, and from that date to March, 1883, made donations to that noble institution of $34,745, besides $5,454.88 paid for Bibles and Testaments. Some years the donations would amount to $1,600. The officers of the mother society in New York acknowledged that this was the most fruitful little field in proportion to its wealth they had in all the United States. Compared with what it was in the beginning the Welsh colony is now comparatively wealthy, and we thankfully acknowledge the Great Giver of all for his favors to us. In 1851—'52 a branch of the Marietta & Cincinnati Railway was built through the center or the settlement, giving a regular daily mail in place of one a week, as in former times. The region about Oak Hill, the center of the settlement, was full of iron of the best quality. The railroad caused six iron charcoal furnaces to be built within the limits of the Welsh settlement. Three of these were built with Welsh capital, the other three by capitalists outside. Average capital to each furnace, about $100,000. The building and working of these furnaces brought a great influx of population, mechanics, miners, wood-choppers, colliers, drivers and other laborers would flood in by the hundred from all directions. A great market was created at once. Oxen, horses, mules, corn, pork, and everything salable and unsalable crowded in. Welshmen on their first arrival in America would always take the first steps toward being naturalized, and on getting their full papers they would walk up to the polls with pride to cast their first vote, whether for a President of the United States or for a township officer. The grand idea with them was that they could vote as they pleased without a domineering landlord to put the screws on them and threaten to turn them out of their little farm homes; and to the honor of the native American citizens be it said that they have always fully and fairly shared the different offices with their foreign-born fellow citizens; quite a number of Welsh citizens have been along the stream of years members of the Ohio Legislature. William J. Evans, William S. Williams, Thomas L. Hughes and Robert H. Jones have had that honor. John J. C. Evans was elected four successive terms (twelve years) for Probate Judge, and there has not been a time for the last thirty years but there has been a Welshman filling one or more of the most profitable county offices. The present Auditor, Baldwin Evans, is a grandson of Evan Evans, the " Old Settler." After getting comfortable homes and paying all debts, the first care of the Welsh people was to educate their children. Most HISTORY OF LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY - 673 them, of course, had to be contented with the common-school education, but many others aspired to a higher grade of learning. A great number of their sons are graduates of the Ohio University, others of the Marietta and other colleges. In the late war a great number of them answered the first call of President Lincoln for volunteers, and many a brave fellow of them died in defense of the Union. But on the call of the President in 1864 for 100,000 volunteers, the Welsh colony was deeply stirred. A company was soon made up in Jefferson Township, the great majority being young Welshmen, and the balance mostly intimate friends. Native American officers were named and selected. D. J. Jenkins, now Rev. D. J. Jenkins, was elected Captain, and Eben T. Jones, one of the Lieutenants. The company was mustered into the One Hundred and Twenty-seventh Ohio Infantry, at Ironton, and then moved down to Portsmouth to wait for transportation to the seat of war in the Southern States. A rather fine and touching incident happened which was related to the writer by J. Edward Jones, now the Mayor of Oak Hill, who was with the company at the time as a member of the military committee of Jackson County, for the purpose of paying its expenses and bounty. It was on a Sabbath evening. The company had gathered together under the old market-house in Portsmouth, and many of them being good singers, they struck one of the fine and sacred old Welsh tunes in loud, melodious and clear voice, and with much energy and feeling, when the Rev. B. W. Chedlaw, the veteran Sabbath-school agent, who happened to be there on some good and worthy mission, jumped on a dry-goods box, with tears streaming down his manly face, made a short, but one of hismost stirring speeches in the Welsh language, and when through urged the boys to go on with their singing. They struck another similar tune with a will, the sweet melodies - 43 - of which reverberated back from the old Kentucky hills, on the other side of the Ohio River. This attracted the attention of the citizens, and brought them out in great numbers to hear the singing, which was kept up until late in the evening, and many of the most respectable men in the crowd, with tears in their eyes, remarked, if such men as these, leaving behind them affectionate young wives and sweet babes, and others their sweethearts, enter our armies, the rebellion must and will be put down. On the close of the war and their return home honorably discharged, these men took up their former callings and employments, having done their duty as American citizens. A number, though, died by exposure and hardships in the climate of the Southern States, and their remains brought home by their friends, to be laid in tombs close to churches they were baptized in. From the first to the last call for volunteers the writer can safely say that the Welsh settlement of Jackson and Gallia counties have furnished as many, if not more, soldiers to the army of the North, as any spot of its size and population in the States. CHURCHES. The Congregational Church, of Oak Hill was founded October, 1841, by some eleven members, all of Welsh nationality and under the charge of Rev. Jno. A. Davis, who is still living and preaching in Gallia County, where he has one English and one Welsh congregation. 'Meetings were first held in an old frame church which had been erected by the Baptist denomination, under the ministerial charge of Rev. Thomas, of New York, which, however, did not flourish. After holding their services in this building for some three or four years they erected a small frame church in the old village of Oak Hill. The members moved their church to Portland in 1868 and there purchased ground and erected a brick house of worship, all at a cost of some 674 - HISTORY OF LOWER SCIOTO VALLEY. $5,000. The church has gradually grown and strengthened, and has now a membership of ninety. The present Deacons, five in number, are: John Thomas, N; Jno. D. Davis, J. J. Jones, Wm. W. Morgan and J. Davis Jones. The United Brethren Church at Oak Hill was established in about 1832, by the Rev. Lewis Davis, who afterward became Bishop of the United Brethren church. There were about twenty-five of the originial members, among them Peter Sell and wife, Samuel Roach and wife, James Reed and wife, Jesse Kelley and wife, Wm. Silvey and wife and Jerry Rice and wife. The first meetings were held at the residences of Samuel Roach,James Reed and other members, and later in the old Methodist Episcopal church, situated at old Oak Hill. The present church, situated near Oak Hill station, was built in 1854. The membership of the church has at times run up to over 100. Regular prayer and class meetings have been kept up at least once. a week and preaching every three weeks. The present membership is about forty-seven. L. E. Simmons is the present pastor. The Sabbath-school was organized soon after the founding of the church society and has been kept up ever since with an average attendance of about forty-eight scholars. The Methodist Episcopal Church was one of `he oldest churches established at Oak Hill, in the old town. It progressed with steadiness, and a good frame church building was erected in which they worshiped for nearly or quite a third of a century. This building gave way to the present brick structure, which was erected in 1868, in ,the part of the town formerly known as Portland. The church is in a fairly prosperous condition. A more complete history of the church was desirable but could not be obtained. The Welsh, Baptist Church of Oak Hill was organized in 1845, at the house of Thos. Jones, North, and since held therein for four years. Rev. David Williams, of Gallia County, Ohio, was their minister for several years. The original members were: Thos. Jones North and wife, Elias Griffith and wife, Edward Lloyd and wife, and Jno. E. Jones; Deacons, Jno. E. Jones and Edward Lloyd. The steady growth of the church has kept with the increase of population. OAK HILL PUBLIC SCHOOLS. Oak Hill has two public school buildings, one at the old town, half a mile east of the railroad station, and the other in the present town and near the business portion and the railroad depot. Each of these have two grades and two teachers. The enrollment in the old Oak Hill school is 137, and that of the Portland School 158. The schools have been kept up from six to eight months in the year. A private school was started three years since by Stephen Morgan, who has proved an excellent educator, as well as his brother, Wm. Morgan, who has joined him. OAK HILL ACADEMY. It has been in operation only seven terms, and can hardly be styled a permanent institution, though its rapid and steady growth since its organization would seem to demonstrate the permanency of its character. The first session opened April, 1880, with only fifteen students in attendance. From the first the school has steadily improved in numbers, the attendance each term being greater than that of the preceding term. The spring term of 1883 enrolled 130 students. The Principal, Stephen Morgan, conducted the first term himself. The following terms he was assisted by W. T. Morgan (brother), and in the spring of 1883 the services of Miss Mary A.Glassburn, of Gallipolis, Ohio, were secured. An additional teacher will be employed for the spring term of 1884. For want of proper accommodations the