Greasy Ridge, Ohio

A collection of Greasy Ridge Notes from Lawrence County, Ohio, taken from various sources, as noted.

• There is a school over on the Greasy Ridge, in Lawrence county, where there are forty pupils, thirty-three named Massie. The Jackson Standard, 28 Jan 1875, Thu,  pg 2
• New coal banks are being discovered in Lawrence County. A four-foot vein has been opened in Mason Township, in the region of Greasy Ridge. The Jackson Standard, 04 Feb 1875, Thu,  pg 2
• Greasy Ridge Democrat, over in Lawrence county, sent his taxes to the Treasurer in an envelope that was written: “The Bull of the Woods wants to pay his rent, the last rent he expects to pay under Black Republican rule-Democracy forever long may she wave.” Our opinion is that the “Bull” will wish he was out of the Democratic brush and with head and tail up as it were, careening over the broad prairies of Republican freedom before he is through the first and only four years of Solid South Democracy. The Jackson Standard, 25 Dec 1884, Thu, pg 3
• Mr. Thomas Tagg, of Greasy Ridge, Lawrence County, as he was leaving town Tuesday afternoon, was thrown from his wagon and run over. We did not know the extent of his injuries, as he was taken up and carried on by his friends. The Gallipolis Journal, 19 Aug 1875, Thu,  Page 3
• The Rucker Brothers of Greasy Ridge have sold their famous bull, St. Lawrence the 2nd, to E. B—McCormick of Gallia County, where he will be taken the first of next month. At the time of his sale, he weighed 2280. Gallipolis Journal, 30 Dec 1875, Thu,  Page 2
• At the April election down on the Greasy Ridge in Mason township, Lawrence County, Robert Massie was elected Trustee, Levi Massie Assessor, D. Massie Treasurer, and John Massie Constable. Now let Jones have a chance. The Jackson Standard, 13 Apr 1876, Thu, pg 2
• Mason Township, (Greasy Ridge) Lawrence County, gave a Democratic majority. When we last visited Greasy Ridge, witches still tormented the people. The Jackson Standard, 19 Oct 1876
• THOUGHTS. BY THE EDITOR – Some years ago, I spoke about a crippled man named James Carnes, who was one of our neighbors when I was a boy. His lower limbs, from his hips down, were paralyzed and withered. He crawled upon his hands and drew his legs upon the ground.
• I have seen him sit upon a low stool and chop down great oak trees at the furnace, then put his stool near the log and cut it up into cordwood. He bought 80 acres of land below Portland, where John Thomas now resides. Mr. Carnes moved to Greasy Ridge in Lawrence County some 30-odd years ago and died there, leaving his family in comfortable circumstances.
• I have often spoken of my only brother, who did not walk for more than fifty years. He was crippled with rheumatism, and his lower limbs were withered and helpless. He suffered untold pain and misery for years, through which he manifested sublime patience and heroism. He went to school only nine days, but he was one of the finest scholars I ever knew. He was very thorough in all the common branches and well-versed in Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Natural Philosophy, etc. When he died, he owed no man and had some property. The Jackson Standard, 04 Jul 1878
• B’GOSH. Mail Carrier Cremeans of the Greasy Ridge route got fast in the mud while coming over the Brother’s Hill to town Saturday. He unhitched his team and came on to town, and while there, some wagon drove over his mail wagon and smashed it to smithereens. The Dayton Herald, 25 Mar 1903
• “Up in Alaska, they have a place called Cold Feet,” Bald an old post office department employee today, “after they struck oil out in Ohio, they named a thriving town Greasy Ridge.’ News-Journal, 12 Aug 1904
• Building Boom on Greasy Ridge – There is a rumor that another house will be built on Greasy Ridge. There are already several buildings there, and also a house or two. The world is growing so fast it will soon be [that] a person cannot chase a rabbit a hundred yards without it running under somebody’s house. Portsmouth Times, 24 April 1916
• WOMAN FATALLY INJURED WHEN LIGHTNING BOLT HITS CHURCH IRONTON, Jan. 8. – The thunderstorm of Sunday night over this locality was unusually severe for January. Lightning struck the Greasy Ridge Baptist church a few miles back in the country and perhaps fatally injured Mrs. Willis Massie. The woman was sitting near the corner of the church when a lightning road [sic] ran down the outside, and the bolt tore through the church wall. While several other persons were shocked, none were severely hurt. News-Journal, 08 Jan 1923
• Fire Razes Home – Blaze of Undetermined Origin – Creed Templeton Residence on Greasy Ridge, W. Va. [sic] HUNTINGTON, W. Va., Mar. 7.— Fire of undetermined origin early today swept the home of Creed Templeton, Greasy Ridge, near here, and left it a smoldering mass of ruins. The loss was estimated at $10,000. Evening Review, 07 Mar 1930, Fri,  Page 3
• FATHER KILLED – Injured in a moving belt at an oil-drilling operation at Greasy Ridge in Lawrence County, Ohio, C. E. Harris, 55, of Chesapeake, O., died in a hospital here. He was the father of Maria C. (Mickey) Harris – a Boston Red Sox pitcher. Washington C.H. Record-Herald, 09 Oct 1941, Thu, Page 2
• Strange Names In Ohio – By MARGARET ANN AHLERS – It would be interesting to know the exact source of the names of some of Ohio’s towns and villages. In a number of cases, it is easy to learn or guess at the origin, but in others, the reason for a name is so obscure that perhaps the oldest living residents would not be able to answer the question. Although It may not be known to many who live in the northern part of the state. Ohio has a Kitchen located in the extreme southeast section. The village is no more than a general store, a church, and a few dwellings set close together. Four hayricks added a picturesque look to the place when we passed through it. In that same locality is Greasy Ridge, a village unfairly named but situated in a region of forests with much beauty in the landscape. There is also Arabia, a village lacking utterly in the Asiatic atmosphere, and Lake Vesuvius, which has nothing to do with Italy or a volcano. The Dayton Herald, 23 Apr 1943, Fri, pg 4

County News – Greasy Ridge

Submitted by Melissa Girardot

Ironton Register, Nov 28, 1878

• The farmers of Greasy Ridge wear a genial smile over their large granaries of corn.
• Wakeman Massie, B. F. Rose, Jess Massie, W.J. Haskins, James Anderton, Emanuel Ring, George Brumfield, and sons departed last week for the sunny south. (La.)
• Isaac Massie, afflicted with rheumatism for the past few years, is in a very helpless condition.
• John McMahan died on the 15th inst. of consumption. He leaves a wife and child to mourn for him.
• Wm. Haskins received the sad news last week that his son, Joseph, who resided in Missouri, was dead. Joseph had been engaged in teaching school in Missouri since he left Ohio. Formerly, he was a teacher in Lawrence county; he was very intelligent and successful. We regret very much to hear of his death. His remains will be brought home and interred on Greasy Ridge.
• “Reporter” seems to have an idea of how Lazarus felt. Probably the (Reporter) (words unreadable) if the teachers need licking – lick ’em. But again, we say (as Christ did), “Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s.” We have long thought that we have too many “Benjamin” teachers in Lawrence County. -Wren.

GREASY RIDGE

Submitted by: Shirley Reed
IRONTON REGISTER, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1906

• Miss Josia Goodall spent a few days with her sister Mrs. Iauborn in Huntington during the holidays.
• Miss Alsie McCorkle, teaching in Lincoln, W. Va., spent Xmas with home folks here.
• Mr. Fred Merritt and Miss Ina Thacker of Huntington are visiting Mr. and Mrs. Mike Hawthorne.
• Mr. Spence Graham of Guyan is quite low from an attack of tuberculosis.
• Mrs. Laua Hawthorne, Miss Lena Thacker, and Fred Merritt of Huntington visited Miss Minnie Boothe Saturday.
• The Pomaria Sunday School gave a splendid Xmas tree on Xmas eve. It was [REST OF ARTICLE MISSING]