OHIO STATEWIDE FILES OH-FOOTSTEPS Mailing List *********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. *********************************************************************** OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 245 Today's Topics: #1 PIKE COUNTY PART 7 [AUPQ38A@prodigy.com (MRS GINA M RE] #2 PENNSYLVANIA ANCESTORS [AUPQ38A@prodigy.com (MRS GINA M RE] ------------------------------ X-Message: #1 Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 15:14:44, -0500 From: AUPQ38A@prodigy.com (MRS GINA M REASONER) Subject: PIKE COUNTY PART 7 HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS OF OHIO By Henry Howe, LL.D., 1898 A PITIABLE CONDITION. -Hewitt, as he grew old, became very careless in his personal habits, and for two years preceding his death never changed his buckskin garments. He had grown fat and lazy, and made no exertion that was not a necessity. And as he grew old he became more sociable. One day, in the winter of 1834, he stopped at the house of a widow woman, named Lockhard, with whom he ate a hearty dinner. After dinner he was taken violently ill with a chill. Mr. Emmitt, who was then one of the Poor Commissioners of Pike county, was notified of Hewitt's illness, and he had the old man removed to a frame building in Waverly. Dr. Blackstone was summoned and gave the man needed medical assistance. The Hermit was stricken with pneumonia. His person was in absolutely filthy condition. The dirty buckskin garments were cut from his person, and he was given a thorough bath -the first he had had for three years or longer. He was newly and comfortably clothes by Mr. Emmitt, was provided with a male nurse, and made as comfortable as possible. The ladies of Waverly were very kind to him, and daily brought him many delicacies. He began to improve, and one night, about a week after he was taken ill, his nurse, a man named Cole left him alone, and went up to Downing's Hotel to spend the night. When he returned in the morning Hewitt was dead. THE HERMIT'S SKELETON. -Hewitt was buried in the old graveyard at Waverly, about one square southeast of the court-house. But he was not allowed to remain long in his grave. He was resurrected by Dr. Wm. Blackstone, and carved up in artistic shape. A portion of Hewitt's skeleton -the entire skull, and the bones composing the chest, ribs and backbone -was mounted by Dr. Blackstone. No one knew what became of the remainder of the skeleton until 1883, when they came to light in a most unexpected way. One day, while some of Mr. Emmitt's workmen were digging a cellarway to a house he owned, adjoining what had been Dr. Blackstone's office, they came upon a pile of bones, buried four feet below the surface of the ground, and close to the stone foundation wall. The bones were evidently those of a victim of the Doctor's dissecting-table, and Mr. Emmitt promptly concluded that they were a portion of Hewitt's skeleton. This opinion found its way into print, and a few days later he received a letter from Dr. Blackstone, of Circleville, making inquiry about the discovered bones. He said that he was in possession of what he believed to be the other portion of Hewitt's frame, bequeathed to him by his uncle, Dr. Wm. Blackstone. Mr. Emmitt boxed and sent him the bones, and they fitted, exactly, the upper half of the skeleton in Dr. Blackstone's possession. This was a remarkable reunion of bones surely, after a separation of a half-century. HEWITT'S MONUMENT. -The Columbus & Portsmouth turnpike was built past the mouth of Hewitt's cave in 1840, and in 1842, Mr. Felix Renick, the first President of the company, had a respectable freestone monument erected on the shelving rock forming the roof to the cave, to mark the grewsome home that Hewitt occupied from 1820 to 1834. The erection of this monument was a wise, money-making scheme, and has paid for itself an hundred times over. Thousands of people have driven up or down that pike -and paid their toll both ways -in order to see the monument, and the cave where the old Hermit lived, slept on a bed of finest deerskin, ate his choice venison, and laughed at the cares of the struggling feverish world. He always ate his pawpaws in peace. PIKETON is five miles south of Waverly, on the Scioto river and S.V.R.R. Newspaper: Sun, Republican, W.E. Bateman, editor and publisher. Population, 1880, 665. School census, 1888, 217. JASPER is seven miles southwest of Waverly, on the Scioto river and Ohio canal. School census, 1888, 103. BEAVERTOWN, P.O. Beaver, is eleven miles southeast of Waverly, on the O.S.R.R. It has three churches. School census, 1888, 66. ------------------------------ X-Message: #2 Date: Thu, 15 Apr 1999 16:14:05, -0500 From: AUPQ38A@prodigy.com (MRS GINA M REASONER) Subject: PENNSYLVANIA ANCESTORS OHIO The cross road of our nation Records & Pioneer Families October-December 1963 Vol. IV No. IV Published by Esther Weygandt Powell -NO COPYRIGHT LISTED PENNSYLVANIA ANCESTORS My intention in publishing the magazine was to confine myself solely to Ohio records. Since Ohio and Pennsylvania families are so closely related I decided to use this Pennsylvania material. So many of the names are those of Ohio families and may be of value in finding your ancestors of Ohio pioneers. These records were taken from "CHURCHES OF THE VALLEY" published in 1852. The book is an Historical Sketch of the Old Presbyterian congregations in Cumberland and Franklin Counties, Pa. by Rev. Alfred Nevin. "BIG SPRING, CUMBERLAND COUNTY 21st March 1786" "We the members of the Congregation of Big Spring, do hereby bind and oblige ourselves annually to pay Mr. Samuel Wilson, Preacher of the Gospel, on his being ordained to be our minister, and for his discharge of the duties of said office, the sum of one hundred and fifty pounds, Pennsylvania Currency, in specie, and allow him the use of the dwelling house, barn, and all the clear land of the glebe, possessed by our former minister, also plenty of timber for rails and firewood, likewise a sufficient security for the payment of the above-mentioned sums during his incumbency. As witness our hands: Allison, John Cunningham, Samuel Graham, John Armstrong, James Carnahan, Adam Graham, David Alison, Thomas Carson, James Gourril, John Aumer, James Carson, John Hodge, John Sr. Appleby, Thomas Carnahan, William Hutchison, Robert Adams, William Coply, John Hodge, John Sr. Ardle, Caleb Clark, John Hutchison, Robert Atchison, Jacob Clark, William Hodge, John Sr. Allen, Hugh Davidson, John Hathorn, Samuel Buchanan, Thomas Dinison, William Himter, William Blair, Rannel Douglass, William Huston, James Bovard, Robert Deniston, Andrew Hunter, William Bell, John Donald, Francis Hays, Joseph Bell, John Davidson, Matthew Hamilton, James Bell, Andrew Dening, William Irvine, James Bell, Robert Eawing, John Irvine, Agnes Brown,John Espey, Thomas Jack, James Brown, Catherine Elliott, Alex. Jacobs, Thomas Brandon, James Fenton, Samuel Jacobs, Jermon Brisbane, William Flinn, Abigail Johnston, James Bell, Andrew Ferguson, William Johnston, James Boyle, Daniel Finley, Samuel Kilgore, Elizabeth Brouster, Ann Graham, James Kilgore, William Brown, John Giffin, William Kilbourne, Berry Bratton, Adam Gillespie, James Laughlin, Alex Brown,John Gillespie, Robert Lightcap, Solomon Bell, John Gillespie, Nath'l. Laughlin, Hugh Bryson, William Graham, Jared Leeper, Charles Bovard, Howard Grier, Jared Laughlin, William Laughlin, James Laughlin, Atchison Lechey, Alex. M'Cune, John Ramsey, David Lusk, Robert M'Farland, John Robinson, John Lindsey, Samuel M'Cullough, Elizabeth Ralston, David Lindsey, William M'Bride, Alex. Shannon, Robert Lusk, John Milligan, William Stewart, James Lusk, David M'Cune, James Smith, Hugh Little, George M'Cune, Isabella Shannon, James Laughray, James M'Farland, Patrick Shannon, John M'Geehen, John Murdock, Patrick Stevenson, Wm. M'Kibbin, Jeremiah Mitchell, James Sterret, David M'Kain, Margaret Moore, Thomas Smith, William M'Geehen, Alex. M'Geehen, George Sumar, John McCracken, Alex. M'Geehen, James Thompson, Alex. M'Farland, William M'Geehen, Benjamin Thompson, Andrew MCormick, Samuel M'Cune, John Thompson, William McClintock, John M'Elhenny, Sam'l Jr Thompson, William Jr Mitchell, John M'Elhenny, Sam'l Sr Van Horn, Jospeph Mathers, Samuel Morrow, Samuel Williamson, David McClure, Margaret Nicholson, William Walker, Andrew M'Elwain, Andrew Nicholson, Richard Wallace, John M'Elwain, Mary Nicholson, James Woods, Richard M'Elwain, James O'Neal, John Work, L. M'Donnel, Joseph Officer, Alex. Weaver, Samuel Mitchell, Samuel Officer, James Weaver, George Mitchell, John Pollock, Joseph Wilson, Mathew Munro, John Patterson, Robert Wilson, Samuel M'Farland, John Partes, Joseph Whitin, John Jr. Mathers, Thomas Patton, John Wilson, William M'Farland, Margaret Porterfield, John Wilson, James M'Farland, James Patterson, Robert Walker, William Martin, Paul Preaug, Widow Walker, Joseph M'Comb, Robert Jr. Patton, Wm. Jr. Walker, Robert M'Guffin, James Pierce, Joseph Murain,John Reed, John Mickey, Robert Sr. Reed, John Mickey, Robert Jr. Mickey, James (Number of Pew-Holders, 204) This church was organized about 1735 when this section "across the river" belonged to Lancaster County and in 1750 was cut off for Cumberland County. The first Presbyterian churches of the Cumberland Valley were erected near a spring or stream of water, and from their location they derived their name. Big Spring church was first called Hopewell Church. Neighboring Presbyterian churches were Rocky Spring Church and Middle Spring Church. Across the river was evidently beyond the Susquehanna River and near the Pennsboro District. Rev. Thomas Craighead was pastor of Big Spring Church in 1738. He passed away about a year later while delivering a sermon at the church and his remains rest where the church now stands. Big Spring was connected with Middle Spring and Rocky Spring, as a charge then for some years. Ministers complained that many of their members were moving farther west. -------------------------------- End of OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest V99 Issue #245 *******************************************