THE PIONEERS’ RELICS OF YE OLDEN TIMES

A Small Meeting in the Court House Yard With a List of the Three Score and Ten

Ironton Register, Thursday, 2 Aug 1888

Submitted by: Shirley Reed

In the bandstand, under the shade of the Courtyard trees, last Saturday afternoon, a small company of the “oldest inhabitants” met to form a Pioneer Society.

There were present:

• R. L. Hopkins, aged 72;
• Cyrus Ellison, 73;
• John Campbell, 80;
• Thomas Winters, 73;
• T. J. Backus, 78;
• John Harvey, 73;
• E. Nigh, 72;
• Baker Webb, 77;
• E. G. Brammer, 73;
• J. M. Kelly, 71;
• P. R. Polley, 73.
• Besides these,
• E. Bixby and
• A. J. Trumbo, who is yet a kid, was present in the interest of a pioneer representation at the Columbus Centennial. John Campbell acted as President, and E. Bixby as Secretary. Those present then endeavored to make out a list of all the natives of Ohio, now residing in Lawrence county, who are 70 years old or over.

The following is the list reported:

• Jesse Davisson, age 80,Hamilton tp.
• Andrew Davisson, ” 76,”
• Isaiah Henry,” 71,”
• G. W. Collins,” 74,”
• Wm. Earles,” 78, Windsor “
• Bennet Earles” 82,”
• Chas. Wilgus,” 86, Proctorville
• Abner Smith,” 84,”
• Robert Hall,” 72,”
• James Corn,” 80, Mason tp.
• Alanson Gillett” 75,Rome “
• Burrell Kite, “76, Union “
• Elliott Corbin,” 75,”
• James Davidson,” 88, Fayette “
• Stephen Burton,” 72,”
• James Lynd,” 72,”
• Geo. W. Bryant,” 74,”
• Hall Campbell” 72,”
• J. Langdon,” 84, Union “
• W. Sites” 70,”
• Joshua Sites,” 73,”
• R. C. Brammer,” 70, Rock Camp
• A. D. Kelly,” 71, Upper tp.
• Jas. Pearce,” 85,”
• Wm. Leyering,” 74,”
• Wm. Richardson” 78,”
• Abner Dilley,” 73,Aid “
• James Miller,” 84, Rome “
• G. W. Swisher,” 72,”
• Dan Jones,” __,Ironton
• W. K. Kelly,” 74,”
• Hiram Campbell,” 76,”

Besides the list of men, many elderly ladies’ names were given, for instance:

• Lucinda Forgey, 88;
• Lavina Davidson, 74;
• Jane Davidson, 77;
• Mary Holliday, 84;
• Mrs. John Campbell, 73;
• Mrs. Hiram Campbell, 73.

This is a very imperfect list. We would be glad to publish additional names if they were sent in. It would vastly aid in the formation of a Lawrence County Pioneer Society, which will probably grow out of this.

The meeting discussed the propriety of a pioneer representation at the Columbus Centennial and providing such relics as may be interesting. The following committee was appointed to see about the erection of a log cabin on the Centennial grounds: A. J. Trumbo, J. M. Kelly, John Campbell, and Thos. Winters. Mr. Campbell and A. J. Trumbo each volunteered to contribute twelve logs for the cabin.

The persons present then went into a rambling conversation about what relics could be furnished, in which talk, old incidents were narrated, much of which the REGISTER reporter caught on his lead pencil.

G. W. Collins Has Many Relics

It was stated that G. W. Collins had a good many relics, for instance: 2 flax hackles, 2 spinning wheels, a loom, a stone pipe, a Bible 94 years old, geography published in 1804, a wooden butter tray 100 years old, a sword of 1812.

Furthermore, Mr. Collins made the first tar to grease a spoke wheel wagon. Someone said that at the place where Lawrence and the other iron mills stand, was a fine peach orchard, where a great deal of peach brandy was made and shipped by boat up the river to Pittsburg.

The story was, also, told about the venerable mother of W. B. G. Hatcher, being seized by a wolf and badly bitten, when a child was two years old, shortly after her parents moved to this county. She still bears the marks of the bite.

The Oldest Brammer

“I am the oldest Brammer living,” said E.G., “unless Uncle Edmund, out in Indiana, is yet alive. I haven’t heard from him for some time. He would be 85 now, and I don’t reach that by 12 years, “If we could only get hold of an old bull-tongue plow,” said one of the pioneers; “that would be an interesting relic.” A. J. Trumbo said he knew of one in Kentucky he could get, but there was none in this county.

Rev. J. M. Kelly then related his experience with a wooden plow. It was hard to work, and it got harder when the iron plow began to appear. He wanted an iron plow, but that seemed impossible as long as he would struggle with the bull tongue. So, one night after dark, when he had been having a hard day with the wooden plow, he took the plow down to the river, and wading out with it as far as he could go, set the bull tongue adrift, and it was never seen again. It was a great mystery what became of that wooden plow, but J. M. never attempted to solve the mystery until he became of age. But he got an iron plow.

A. J. Trumbo said he knew of an old hand mill that could be got. The two stones were about two feet in diameter. They were used to grind wheat. It was remarked by someone, in connection with the hand wheat mills, that their use of them was always conducive to large families.

Luke Kelly’s floating mill, which was moored to the Lawrence county shores, was referred to. It was remarked that when it was in operation, it moaned and howled, and E. G. Brammer said the story went the rounds, that a hound stood near the hopper, and the grinding was so slow that the hound would catch one crushed grain in his mouth and then set up a howl for another.

Baker Webb said: “I went to school to Peter Lionbarger near this very spot where we are now sitting, in about 1828.” He further said he had two spinning wheels at his house, one for wool and the other for flax. Someone asked if he had a flax hackle. He said no, but he could make one easily.

The Pioneer Mothers

Someone told a story of one of the pioneer mothers, long since gone, who frequently made herself useful in midwifery emergencies. She lived near the river bank, on the Ohio side, and one night there was a “halloo” that came from the Kentucky shore for Mrs. ______ to come over–that her important services were needed at a family, not far away. She replied she couldn’t cross the river, as there wasn’t any canoe near.

“Can’t you swim over?” asked the person on the other side, for he had no boat either. “I’ll try it,” said the old lady; so she got a piece of board or puncheon, disrobed and put her clothes on it, and swam the river, landing in the willows below the man, where she dressed and pushed on to her important duty. [There are two definitions of a puncheon: 1. short post, especially one used for supporting the roof in a coal mine. 2. The puncheon was a British unit for beer, wine, and spirits. It was also an American unit of capacity for wine]

There was then some talk about the old wagons with the solid wheels, and R. L. Hopkins said, “You could hear one holler a mile.”

C. Ellison said he could furnish an old-fashioned revolving gridiron. And thus the talk went on, and though the attendance was small, there was lots of enjoyment, which indicated how much pleasure as well as profit to future generations and to history might be got in a regularly organized pioneer society.

The meeting adjourned until Saturday, August 4th, at 2 p.m., at the same place.