OUR OLD CITIZENS A REMINISCENCE

Submitted by Bob Davisson

By Rev. Patrick Henry
Ironton, Ohio
1912

[The following was transcribed by Robert Davisson, gg grandson of Judge Nathaniel Davisson mentioned herein. It came from a hand-typed, hand-bound booklet dated 1912. Whether this is when the material was written, I cannot say. The text was typed verbatim including spelling and punctuation. A few obvious typos were corrected but no names were changed. Anything I added, including alternate spellings, appears in square brackets. A couple of handwritten notes found in the booklet are also given in brackets.]

It is at the solicitation of a large number of friends and relatives of the first citizens of Ironton and vicinity referred to in this article that I write the same. If there are errors, they are few and unimportant, coming from the head and not the heart. — Patrick Henry

Our Old Citizens

Beginning at Cemetery Lane, this farm was owned by a man by the name of Stover, who came here in 1805. Mr. Stover had three sons and one daughter, Joel, John, Samuel, and Elizabeth. Joel married a daughter of Richard Lambert, and Sr. John married Martha Hank. I don’t remember what became of Samuel. Elizabeth married William Lambert, commonly known as Squire Lambert.

Later William Lambert bought the Stover farm and, after farming it for several years, sold it to Mr. John Campbell.

Elias Lambert owned two farms, one above and one below the Stover farm. He had four daughters, Jane, Melvina, Annie, and Emily. Jane married Solomon Argo, Melvina married Peter Sloan, Annie married George Sloan, and Emily married Baz Tolbot [? typed as BazTolbot].

At the foot of the hill at Vine Street, an Irish man by the name of Jervis, “an old bachelor” owned a small farm. Before his death, he willed it to Mrs. Ashcraft, she was to care for him during his lifetime. He died soon after willing her the property.

George Kemp and Boneyard Hollow

The farm below Elias Lambert’s farm was owned by George Kemp. Mr. Kemp had three sons and two daughters, Turner, Thomas, James, Jennie, and Annie, they are all dead. Just at the end of the Kemp farm on the river was the Old Hecla Furnace landing.

The next farm below was owned by a man named Heplar. Mr. Heplar had two sons and one daughter, both of the sons died after they grew up to be young men. The daughter married a man by the name of George Goddard, who ran a blacksmith shop at the mouth of Boneyard Hollow, for a number of years. Back at the foot of the hill, there was a small farm owned by James Urick.

Next below the Heplar farm was the Peter Linebarger [also Lionbarger] farm of some two hundred acres. This farm extended down to the upper side of Railroad Street. The old farmhouse was in front of Fifth Street, between Vernon and Washington. My father Brice Henry, had this farm leased for five years, after two years gave up his lease, that they might sell it for a location for Ironton.

Storms Creek

The farm below Railroad Street extending down to the mouth of Storms Creek was owned by Judge John Davisson. Judge Davisson married Susanna Lambert and came to Ohio with the Lambert family in the year 1802 or 1803. They had four sons and two daughters, Joel, Barber, Nathaniel, Maranda [presumably a son], Melvina, and Cassie. Joel married Rettie Gillen, Barber married a daughter of Zachariah Hall, of Hanging Rock, Melvina married Daniel Grubb, and Nathaniel married a daughter of Peter Linebarger. Cassie married Brice Henry.

Judge Davisson died in the year 1832 and his wife died in the year 1847, and the heirs sold the farm to W.D. Kelley in 1848.

About the year 1811 the Rev. John Lee, a Baptist minister came to Ohio from Virginia and entered a section of land, the upper line of which joined the Davisson farm at the mouth of Storms Creek and extended down to what is now the Rev. James Kelley farm.

This tract of land was divided between his sons-in-law. John K. Smith getting the upper part, where West Ironton is now located. Samuel Henry got what is now known as Goose Point. James Henry [getting] the farm that is owned by Mr. Geswine [also Geswein], Joshua Kelley, and Christopher Yingling getting what is now the J.M. Kelley farm.

The Rev. John Lee died on January 20th. 1840 and his wife died on April 30th. 1855. The names of their children are as follows: Elizabeth, who married James Henry, Mary married Christopher Yingling, Sarah married Samuel Henry, Panina married John K. Smith.

Mr. Lambert

About that time Ohio was admitted to the Union Mr. Lambert came from Virginia and was located just below what is now the James Kelley farm. He had two sons and one daughter, Jonathan, and Richard. Richard was the father of Squire Wm. Lambert and the grandfather of Ruben Lambert. The daughter [no name given] married a man by the name of Holms and moved away from here.

The farm was divided between Jonathan and Richard, Richard receiving the upper part and Jonathan the lower part. Jonathan had two sons and one daughter. The daughter married a man by the name of Hern, he died and she married Ira Jones.

The sons are located on Symms [Symmes] Creek near Marion. Richard Lambert had one son and one daughter. The daughter married Joel Stover. William, known as Squire Lambert came into possession of the upper part of this tract of land.

The farm just below the Jonathan Lambert farm now owned by Mrs. Clark was owned by a man by the name of Carpenter, who kept a store and who afterward sold out and moved to Missouri about the year 1843.

Hanging Rock

The farm below this was owned by a man by the name of Bartles. Robert Hamilton afterward bought all this land from the Jonathan Lambert farm to Hanging Rock and built the house that is now Gray Gables or Gray Sanitarium.

The old citizens of Hanging Rock: Robert Hamilton. Robert Woods, Thomas, and James Martin, Thomas Henderson, Dr. Pringle, the Ellisons, Jas. Rodgers, Robert and Levi Hall, Lot Robison, Pat Fox, Cris Mungel, Wesley Cannon, John Conley, and David Jones.

The first farm below Hanging Rock now owned by Frank Gibbens was owned by Christopher Yingling, who married Martha, daughter of Rev. John Lee in 1814. To them were born eleven sons and one daughter [??–This does not match the enumeration that follows. Perhaps “eleven sons and daughters” was intended.].

Lavina, after living to be quite an old maid, married William Davidson, better known as Uncle Billy. Panina married David Bartles. Lucinda married Eliga Langdon. John died when young. William L. was killed by a train at Dempsey Crossing. Andrew died young and Daniel died when a child. Harriet married Henry Davidson. Martha Anna never married and is now residing on South Seventh Street, Ironton O. Henry was thrice married first to Eliza Bumgardner [also Bumgarner], second to Ruby Feurt, and the third wife being Mrs. Mary Hyde, who is still living. Robert Lee married Lydia Colwell.

Winkler Farm

The next farm below this now owned by Stephen Winkler was owned by Joshua Kelley, who married Mary, daughter of Rev. John Lee, to whom were born nine children. James M. married Sarah Ann Baccus now residing at the lower end of West Ironton in the Lee Homestead. Healen [? Helen] married an Englishman by the name of Platt. Joseph married Melvina Stewart. The next was a pair of twins, don’t remember their names. George Married Amanda Whitna [?], the next a pair of twins, Luke and John. John was gored to death by a cow. Luke married Anna Rowe, now residing at Coal Grove. Elizabeth married Alva Jones.

This brings us to the old Union Landing. The next farm below was owned by Charles Kelley. He had three sons, William Harrison, Isiah, and Charles. The farm was afterward owned by his son, W.H. Kelley, but is now owned [by] Mr. Goldcamp.

Rev. John Kelley

The next was a large farm owned by Rev. John Kelley a pioneer Baptist preacher. He had two sons and three daughters, Polly, Darby, Bessie, Whitfield [spelled Whitefield on tombstone], and Anna. Polly married a man by the name of Dollehide [prob. Dollarhide], Darby married a Hepler [Heplar], Bessie married an Andre, Whitfield married Polly Lambert and Anna married [George] Washington Collins. Rev. John Kelley, Charles Kelley, Joshua Kelley, and Reuben Kelley, were the sons of Luke Kelley one of the first settlers of Southern Ohio.

The next below was Isaac Austin who came here from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. He married Lydia Kiser of the same place, they had two sons and two daughters, Charles, Sarah, Lycurgus, and Felonise. Charles married Susan Fowler, Sarah married W.D. Kelley, Lycurgus married Nancy Worthington, Felonise married George W. Doval [later spelled Dovel]. This farm was divided between Charles and Lycurgus. The upper part is now owned by W.A. Murdock and the lower half by the Austin heirs.

The next below this was owned by Ephraim Trumbo, who married Susan Kiser a sister of Mrs. Isaac Austin. They had two sons and one daughter that lived to be grown. Andrew Jackson [book notation says George Jackson, not Andrew Jackson] married Elizabeth Bartley. Andy [this is Andrew, presumably] married a Miss Day [notation says Powers, not Day]. Margaret never married. John R. Trumbo afterward fell heir to the farm.

The next farm was owned by Isaac Austin, now owned by G.W. Dovel and Christopher Schilling.

The next was George Trumbo, a brother to Ephraim Trumbo, who married Polly Austin, a sister to Isaac Austin. They had six children [seven are given], Lucy Ann, George, Esther, Ambrose, Robt., Elizabeth, and Mary. Lucy Ann married Jesse Davisson, George married Elizabeth Bartram, Esther married Isaac Kelley, and Ambrose married Martha Kelley. Elizabeth married Delmont Locke, but Mary never married.

The next was Jacob Bumgardner [Bumgarner], now owned by Thayer Davisson and Henry Heiner.

Mr. Austin 

The next was a tract of land that Mr. Austin divided between his two daughters, Mrs. George Trumbo Sr., and Mrs. William Gilruth. The upper part is now owned by R.L. Trumbo’s heirs and the lower part by Addie Gilruth.

Below this was Judge Nathaniel Davisson’s farm. He had nine sons and daughters. Polly married James Burgess, Retta married James Collins, Joseph married Mary Brush, Elizabeth A. married Herman Berkley, Thomas married a daughter of Thayer D. White, Andrew married in the West [perhaps, but some children and grandchildren lived locally], Rufus married a Miss Razor, Reuben married a Miss Wood and Margaret married a man named White.

The next farm below was owned by Andrew Davisson, a brother of Nathaniel Davisson, who married Sarah Thompson. To them were born six children. The [?] daughter married a man by the name of Wilhelm, Hannah married a man named McFarlen, Clarinda married a man named George Sanford, and Thompson died after growing up to manhood but never married. Nathaniel married Ruhamia Davidson, Andrew died, and he was never married. The farm is now owned by George Sanford.

The next farm was owned by Obadiah [perhaps Amaziah, not Obadiah] Davisson, brother of Nathaniel and Andrew Davisson and father of Jesse Davisson and Mrs. Ephraim Oakes. The farm is now owned by Gib. [Gibson] and Esther Davisson.

The next is the [no name given, Amaziah Davisson penciled in] Locke farm, the father of Delmont Locke and grandfather of Dr. Lucien Locke.

Below this at the line between Lawrence and Scioto Counties was the Gilruth farm. Mr. Gilruth was the father of the Rev. James Gilruth a well-remembered Methodist preacher and the late William Gilruth, who married Rebecca Austin, a sister of Isaac Austin, and resided on the farm for many years. The farm is now owned by Mrs. Minervia [? Minerva] Kelley of Huntington.