The French Historical Plaque and Celoron Lead Plate

 

French Historical Plaque and Celoron Lead Plate

Background: The government of France donated a plaque now located at the intersection of Virginia and Gilman Streets in Marietta, Ohio, in appreciation of the Marietta College Ambulance Unit which served in France during World War I. The Ambulance Corps was organized at Marietta College early in 1917. It landed at Bordeaux early in June, flying the first American flag carried by a military organization in World War I. The monument was dedicated in 1939 as part of the Northwest Territory Sesquicentennial Celebration. The plaque documents the Celoron Lead Plate (see narrative below for details) buried by the French in 1749 at a nearby location.

Flag of New France, in North America, mid 1700’s

French Flag

Marietta College, chartered 1835

Image of French Monument Plaque at Marietta, Ohio from hmdb.org

Image of French monument dedication ceremony on May 19, 1939 by Harry Fischer, courtesy of Marietta College Special Collections. Flag covers the monument.

Narrative as it appears on the monument plaque:

[Main top plaque]

The inscription appearing below is a replica of the one engraved on a lead plaque buried on this spot on August 15th, 1749 by CELORON De BLAINVILLE and of which a fragment recovered in 1798 is preserved by the American Antiquarian Society, Worcester, Mass.

English translation of the Celoron lead plate:

In the year 1749, in the Reign of Louis XV, King of France, We, Celoron, Commander of a detachment sent by Monsieur le Marquis de la Galissoniere, Governor General of New France, to re-establish tranquility in some Indian villages of these cantons, have buried this Plate at the mouth of the Muskingum River on this 15th day of August 1749, near the Ohio River, otherwise "Beautiful River," as a monument to the renewal of the possession that we have taken of the said river Ohio, and of all those which empty into it, and of all the lands on both sides as far as the sources of the said rivers, as enjoyed and ought to have been enjoyed by the preceding Kings of France, and that they have been maintained as such by arms and by treaties, especially those of Ryswick, of Utrecht, and of Aix-la-Chapelle.

This plaque presented by The French Government In remembrance of the services rendered in France by the Marietta College Ambulance Unit  During the years 1917 to 1919. 

[Lower Plaque Left Side]

In 1749 the French Governor of Canada sent Celoron de Blainville (sometimes called Celeron de Bienville), with 235 French and Indian troops down the Allegheny and Ohio Rivers to re-possess the western lands for France.

Along its route the expedition buried six leaden plates. The bronze tablet above contains their common text.

The Indian tribes had changed their affiliations from the French to the English, and failing to regain their support, Celoron and his troops retreated hastily to Canada.

The campaign was one of the incidents precedent to the French and Indian War.

[Lower Plaque Right Side]

Two of the plates have been found, one at Marietta and one at the Kanawha River.

The Marietta Plate was found by boys in 1798, almost on the site of this monument. Before its importance was realized much of it had been cut up to make bullets.

The remaining portion of which replica is shown at left, is in the American Antiquarian Society at Worcester, Massachusetts. 

Note: The monument’s image of the plate went missing some years ago. Below is a photograph of the actual plate. 

Photograph from The American Antiquarian Society of the Celoron plate buried at the Muskingum River in 1749 and discovered in 1798. Over half of the original plate was destroyed to make musket balls. About halfway down, note the word “Yenangue”, part of the hyphenated Yenanguekouan, an early Indian name for the Muskingum River. In the next line down, see “Rivière Oyo,” French for Ohio River.

[Lower Plaque Middle]

Marietta College Ambulance Unit - In appreciation of whose work the government of France gave this monument as a feature of Northwest Territory celebration, 1937-38, was organized at Marietta College early in 1917. It landed at Bordeaux early in June, flying the first American flag carried by a military organization in World War I. Its members were: 

* Carlos W. Baer 

John S. Bailey 

Malcolm O. Cook 

Vivian F. Crawford 

Beman Gates Dawes, Jr. 

William M. Dawes 

Rutherford De Armon

Charles P. Dudley, Jr. 

*John F. Frazer 

* Lee D. Ikard 

Paul W. Lindsley 

Francis R. McIntyre 

Thomas M. Marton 

Dudley D. Nye 

Donley J. Parr 

Clark R. Piggott 

Benjamin H. Putnam 

Hiram E. Sibley 

* Kramer G Tabler 

Norman W. Van Ausdall 

Paul G. Westfall 

Warwick T. Wilder 

John W. V. Wygkoff 

* Died on the field of battle

Becky Thatcher and the Dreamers

Becky Thatcher and the Dreamers

Sounds like a Sixties rock and roll group. But we’re talking about the steamboat BECKY THATCHER and the dreamers who kept her active for over 80 years. Thirty of those years were in Marietta. She had two phases of her long (for a steamboat) life: the Public Servant and the Entertainer.

Dreamer: one who has ideas or conceives projects regarded as impractical; a visionary. Each of the BECKY’S “dreamers” wanted to make the boat the best it could be, often against long odds. 

The Public Servant

Here she is, in her first life as the MISSISSIPPI III, a workboat and inspection craft for the Mississippi River Commission. What a striking vessel, with crisp lines and bright colors, “shining like a birthday cake,” as her captain, David Cook, described her later. 

Photo from Waterways Journal November 29, 2021

Her birth as the MISSISSIPPI III was unconventional for a steamboat. Steamboat historian Keith Norrington explains in a Waterways Journal article:

The last of a line of government steamboats to carry the name the Mississippi had an unusual beginning. A new steel hull, constructed by the Howard Shipyard at Jeffersonville, Ind., in 1926 and measuring 185 feet in length by 38 feet in width, was towed to Paducah, Ky. Waiting at the Ayer & Lord Marine Ways were the remains of the second Mississippi (Mississippi II), formerly the towboat Leota. The upper works of the retired boat were then “scooted” over onto the new hull, which included totally new main deck bulkheads, boilers and engines. Reportedly, the only casualty of the ticklish operation was a broken pane of glass in a door on the texas deck.

MISSISSIPPI III at work moving equipment. From Memphis, TN Public Library Archives, viewed at Steamboats.com, Dave Thomson Collection    

She was born a hybrid of old and new. She also had a hybrid function - as a “packet” (passenger) boat and a “towboat” (workboat). The MISSISSIPPI III spent most of her time working - moving barges, equipment, and supplies for the Mississippi River Commission. She could also have fun, so to speak, conducting river inspection tours for the Commission members and serving as a “floating ambassador for the Corps of Engineers.” That meant that she hosted politicians and dignitaries - in first class style. 

MISSISSIPPI III’s long serving Captain David Cook was one of the dreamers - not in an impractical sense, but in his absolute dedication to “his” ship.  He was so proud of her first class appearance. In the 1950’s, MISSISSIPPI III answered a distress call from the cruise boat DELTA QUEEN which had mechanical problems. MISSISSIPPI III towed the DELTA QUEEN to Natchez. Captain Cook invited her passengers aboard the MISSISSIPPI III for a tour. One visitor observed that “everything gleamed with cleanliness and polish.”

Captain David Cook in the wheelhouse of MISSISSIPPI III. Photo from steamboats.com, Dave Thomson Collection

A testimonial at his passing in 1963 captured the essence of this man, the last of the MISSISSIPPI III’s captains:

He was the last of his kind, a riverboat skipper who could have followed no other career because he was…born to two precious generations of river men. He had learned the secrets of the Mississippi (River) - and its tributaries - before other boys were out of high school…Generals and congressmen…knew him as a perfectionist in the wheelhouse and an old-school gentlemen in periods of relaxation.

The Entertainer

Frank C. Pierson was the dreamer who began the BECKY THATCHER’s entertainer career on the St. Louis riverfront. The BECKY would bring entertainment, education, economic benefit, and work experiences to thousands of people over the next 50 years. 

Pierson was a former advertising man who migrated to riverboat entertainment. In 1964 he bought the venerable showboat GOLDENROD which continued to offer melodramas and other shows. He purchased the MISSISSIPPI III in 1965 which he renamed BECKY THATCHER II¹. After a lengthy remodeling, using borrowed money, the BECKY opened in 1968 with a restaurant and riverboat museum.

Frank Pierson recruited another dreamer, river historian and educator Ruth Ferris, to manage the Midship Museum on the BECKY THATCHER. She was the recently retired curator of the Missouri Historical Society’s River Room. Ruth jumped at the opportunity and recalled it as the highlight of her river history career.  Being on the BECKY THATCHER “looking out…. at the mighty Mississippi…Eads Bridge and….the magnificent Gateway Arch made my thoughts and spirit soar above everyday things,” she said. Many students from her 35 year teaching career visited the Museum. One of those students was the late singer/song writer John Hartford. He wrote a song about her, “Miss Ferris.” It explains how she imparted love of the river to a restless kid.

First verse of “Miss Ferris”:

Now I had a teacher when I went to school

She loved the river, and she taught about it too

I'se a pretty bad boy, but she called my bluff

With her great big collection of steamboat stuff

Oh, yeah…..

Midship Museum curator Ruth Ferris looks at a model of the Str. Mississippi III. (Keith Norrington collection). Ruth was proud of the museum, “This is the real thing; a riverboat museum on a riverboat on a river!” From Waterways Journal May 17, 2021 article by Keith Norrington

Frank Pierson was a master at filling seats, producing shows, and making things happen. People loved the river setting and old time entertainment.  He was the waterfront’s greatest promoter.  The BECKY THATCHER with her imposing profile complemented Pierson’s other venues. St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Jack Rice called Pierson “Quixotic,” but showcased his many projects on the St. Louis waterfront in a January, 1967 article. 

Cartoon caricature of Frank Pierson with an imagined Mark Twain whom a columnist thought would be at home on the St. Louis waterfront with Pierson’s riverboats. St Louis Post-Dispatch 2/2/1968 viewed at newspapers.com

However, his riverboat venues were a constant struggle:

• The weather and periodic river flooding were risks. Flooding could close the boats for weeks at a time. Once the BECKY THATCHER broke loose during a storm. She floated down river and damaged a pipeline owned by Monsanto. 
• Pierson lost his first showboat to fire. Another riverboat, the original BECKY THATCHER, sank; he bought the former MISSISSIPPI III as a replacement. 
• Finances were always an issue.  Many expenses were fixed and continued even when revenues slowed. Borrowed money had to be repaid.
• The St. Louis waterfront was itself a challenge. It was hard for visitors to get to. Plans to upgrade the oft-neglected area came and went. A freight train ran through the waterfront entertainment area, often blocking traffic. A couple of times, “when the moon and Pierson were both full,”² Frank Pierson attempted a citizens’ arrest of the stopped train’s engineer. It didn’t work; he was the one arrested when police showed up.
• Media sometimes mocked or questioned his “Quixotic” ventures. 

Frank Pierson relished the challenges. Columnist Rice: “He seemed to shoulder these responsibilities well, and almost always cheerfully.” He was a dreamer who got things done, a visionary always looking forward, whose BECKY THATCHER brought entertainment to thousands. 

The BECKY THATCHER era in St. Louis ended in 1975. Frank Pierson’s bank foreclosed on the BECKY THATCHER in May, 1974, because of past due loans. Legal wrangling ensued; public accusations filled the media. The BECKY herself became a melodrama reality show. It was hard to tell the villains from the heroes. In end, the BECKY THATCHER was sold to interests in Marietta, Ohio, in 1975.

Marietta, Ohio dreamers

Only a dreamer would bring a riverboat to a small market like Marietta, Ohio. The maxim “a boat is a hole in the water that you pour money into” comes to mind. Your author was present on the BECKY THATCHER when a Marietta Industrial Enterprises tow boat brought her to an excited Marietta community. Two years later a remodeled BECKY began her new career in Marietta. There were melodrama shows in the summer, a restaurant, a bar, and meeting room for events. 

BECKY THATCHER moored in Marietta ca 1980’s. Photo by Bruce Rea, from steamboats.com Keith Norrington Collection

The BECKY was a hit. Locals were proud of this addition to the town’s river heritage. Bus loads of tourists flocked into town to experience the revival of melodrama shows. Audiences really got into it, robustly cheering the hero and booing the villain. They loved the intermission “olios,” songs and comedy skits performed between acts of the show. It was very rewarding for those involved with the BECKY THATCHER. 

                  Becky Thatcher cast in 1981. Picture from Celia Peth-Gilroy. Now Celia Bills. Viewed on Facebook Showboat Becky Thatcher Alumni page

There were multiple dreamers that kept the BECKY THATCHER going in Marietta for more than 20 years.

• Harry Robinson, Jr. was a CPA and businessman who had recently acquired the Hotel Lafayette. He saw the tourism potential of the BECKY THATCHER and put up his own money to make it happen. His hotel leased space for a restaurant on the BECKY. The Chillicothe Gazette on 12/27/78 reported that Robinson was gratified by the public response after the first full season. He noted “…there is something here that has captured the imagination of people.” He said that although the restaurant lost “substantial” money during it’s first year, it’s the boat’s contribution to the community that is important. “I feel good even though I lost money.” Harry Robinson’s  businesses supported the BECKY THATCHER for many years. 
• Marietta College, and late drama professors Ron Loreman and Kent Nelson managed the theater, staging up to 4 melodrama shows each year. The latter two dedicated much time and effort for 15 years to the showboat theater - in addition to their College responsibilities. They persevered through balky facilities on the boat, limited budgets, and occasional crises (the boat sank in 1984) but were rewarded by seeing hundreds of young cast and crew members flourish³.  Marietta College provided dorm space for cast and crew and back-up facilities for the theater. 
• Cast, Crew, and Staff members. Wow! These were the real dreamers. They were young, adventurous types, willing to endure hard work but with fun times in a small midwestern town. Seeing photos on the “Showboat Becky Thatcher Alumni” Facebook page brings back many memories for your author. I especially remember Bob Stanley, the dedicated maintenance person. The BECKY was his special ward
• Janet Herman Barlow was the Showboat Theater Executive Director in from 1981-86. She recalled the Herculean efforts to continue, and then restart, the theater after the BECKY sank in early 1984. The theater season that year was on dry land at Marietta College; they called it the “Dry Dock” season. As a fund raiser, they sold glass containers provided by Fenton Art Glass filled with mud from the sunken boat. Janet kept the mud “inventory” at her home; she remarked that few theater directors have that on their resume’. The sinking gave the BECKY THATCHER unexpected publicity and restoring her became a cause celebre’. Lots of mud was sold. Janet said that then Ohio Governor Richard Celeste took a personal interest in the BECKY’s restoration after the sinking. He swooped into Marietta by helicopter. That was a thrilling experience for her. She said that his visit gave all involved a real morale boost. It gave recognition to everyone’s hard work and offered hope that the restoration could actually happen. The dreamers made it happen: the raising, financing, and restoration of the BECKY THATCHER were accomplished.
• Other dreamers included Ohio Showboat Drama Inc. Board members, local bankers who pushed through and later forgave loans, many donors, and legislators who helped obtain grant money. 

To use a lame mixed metaphor, it was a Marietta “dream team” who kept the BECKY “afloat” and active.  Tens of thousands benefited from her presence in Marietta over nearly 30 years.

The final BECKY THATCHER dreamer was Jeffrey Levin who bought the BECKY from Marietta and moved it to Pittsburgh. An article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette October 14, 2009 explained his plans: “Mr. Levin is hoping for a fresh start for The Becky Thatcher, returning it to its recent status as a riverside bar and restaurant. ‘I'd like to bring it back up to its grandeur," Mr. Levin said yesterday, ‘….potentially, a restaurant could be up and running within a week.’ "

Those plans did not materialize quickly enough. In late February, 2010, the BECKY THATCHER sank at Neville Island and could not be salvaged. It was a sad end for an 84 year old boat with a wonderful history. 

At the end of each theater show in Marietta, there was a song which the whole cast sang at the curtain call. The final verse appears below; everyone left the BECKY THATCHER in a positive frame of mind. That spirit is the legacy of the BECKY THATCHER (née MISSISSIPPI III).

So trust that the Becky Thatcher

Will always banish sadness and strife,

She'll be here always with people smiling

Who try to find the sunny side of life!!!

¹ Frank Pierson’s original BECKY THATCHER sank; so this boat was a successor. But mostly she was known as the BECKY THATCHER without the “II”. But the hull of the original boat became a landing barge/boarding platform for the BECKY THATCHER. Your author walked across that barge many times.

² Quote from St Louis Post Dispatch article November 20, 1988, by Joe Pollock.

³ There were at least two dozen actors, crew and office staff who each year ran the theater. Many of these went on to careers in fine arts.

Sources:

Barlow, Janet Herman, personal interview 8/7/2022

Flickr.com, photos, “Getting through the RR Bridge,” posted by Mike, 10/14/2009

“John Hartford Performs ‘Miss Ferris’ on a Steamboat,” youtube.com

Majors, Dan, “Riverboat owner to float restaurant idea on river here,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 10/14/2009

Majors, Dan, Historic riverboat sinks in Ohio River, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2/23/2010

Newspapers.com, numerous articles about the topics mentioned in this post

Norrington, Keith, Waterways Journal, articles dated 11/8/2019, 5/17/2021, and 11/29/2021

Norrington, Keith, steamboat.org post 8/15/2008

Pollock, Joe, “Death of Impresario is Loss for Theater in St. Louis,” St. Louis Post Dispatch, 11/20/1988, viewed at newspapers.com

Rice, Jack, “Down on the Levee, a Vintage Bar,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1/29/1967, viewed at newspapers.com

“Showboat Becky Thatcher Alumni” Facebook group page

“Showboat catching on, backers say,” Chillicothe OH Gazette, 12/27/1978.

Steamboats.com, Dave Thomson Collection, Photos and narrative of the Becky Thatcher

The Commercial Appeal, St. Louis, “Capt. David M. Cook,” opinion page tribute, 9/29/1963

Wikipedia, “MV Mississippi”

The Bell

The bell - if only it could talk. It hangs quietly at Campus Martius Museum in Marietta, Ohio, next to the Rufus Putnam House. I’ve passed it dozens of times giving tours of the house. A few visitors ask about it; most pass by unaware of its presence.

Photo by author

Stories have circulated about the bell and how it got here. Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, was said to have sent a bell to Marietta, in appreciation for the town’s being named for her. The bell never made it, the story goes; the ship carrying it from France sank. This is a captivating narrative, but it’s never been verified.

It’s a small bell - 7” high and 8” wide at the base - what might today be called a dinner bell or farm bell, not the kind you expect to see in a church or court house bell tower. Would a bell like that have been used at the Campus Martius fortification? Though the bell is small, its ring sound is bright and clear. It could be heard for a few hundred yards when rung outdoors in the relatively quiet (no noise pollution from traffic, etc.) frontier times.

Where did this bell come from and where was it used? The bell itself gives part of the answer through the inscription on it, appearing from top to bottom:

PIERRE

DUBOIS

LAMY

NEVEU

AUPUY

Bells with this type inscription were made at the Dubois bell foundry in Le Puy en Velay village in France. Jean Dubois (1667-1725) established the foundry in the early 1700s.

Le Puy en Velay village in south central France

Decoding the bell’s inscription helps us identify the Dubois family member who made the Campus Martius bell. 

PIERRE  )

DUBOIS ) -  shortened name of foundryman Jean-Pierre Dubois (1716-1792), grandson of Jean Dubois Dubois, the original founder.

LAMY - Jean-Pierre Dubois married Agathe Lamy in 1764. Her name appears on bells attributed to Jean-Pierre made after that date.

NEVEU is French for “nephew.” This acknowledged the family affiliation of Jean-Pierre Dubois with his uncle Louis-Gabriel Dubois (1697-1767). NEVEU may have been included to avoid confusion with his uncle or to document the family connection for authenticity as a Dubois foundry bell.

AUPUY - the meaning of this term as used in the inscription is not clear. Other Dubois bells have this name, possibly referring to the name or location of the foundry.

OTHER IMAGES ON THE BELL: Some of Jean-Pierre Dubois’ bells have fleur-de-lis symbols. One image on this bell is similar:

Photo by author of bell fleur-de-lis feature

Clues in the inscription suggest that the bell was likely made at the Dubois foundry in France by Jean-Pierre Dubois, in the late 1700s. The patina of the bell matches the time period. 

Questions remain: how and when did it arrive in Marietta and where was it used?

The Marie Antoinette origin has not been documented, though the bell was made in France during the period that included her reign. She was queen from 1774 until 1789 and was beheaded in 1793.

The most explicit reference to a bell being given to Marietta appears in minutes of a meeting of the 

Ohio Company dated July 2, 1788:

“Upon information from Col. John May that Mr. Joseph May of Boston had presented a Bell to the Ohio Company, for the first public building to be erected in the Territory of the Company and such building being ordered by the agents. 

RESOLVED That the thanks of the company be presented to that Gentleman and that the Directors be directed to take measures for transporting it from Boston to the City of Marietta.”

A footnote on the page with this entry in the Records of the Original Proceedings of the Ohio Company, Volume  1, published by the Marietta Historical Commission in 1917, says: “This bell was placed on a corner blockhouse of the Campus Martius and now hangs in the Marietta Historical Museum.” 

There is evidence that a bell was used at Campus Martius. Hildreth’s Pioneer History states that “On the top of the fourth (blockhouse) (in the north-west corner), above the watch tower, is a balcony with a cupola, spire, &c., for the reception of a bell, which we are told is coming on as a present from a gentleman at Boston.”

Detailed drawing of cupola for the bell (though the bell is not shown) on the Northwest blockhouse at Campus Martius. This is a copy of an original drawing from digital records at Marietta College Legacy Library - Special Collections.

Illustrations below of the Campus Martius structure from that period show an extended tower on the northwest blockhouse. This was likely the bell cupola.

Plan of Campus Martius stockade made by Winthrop Sargent which appeared in Columbian Magazine in November 1788. See elevated tower on left (northwest) corner blockhouse.

Period drawing of Campus Martius fortification ca 1789-90. The left front corner blockhouse tower is noticeably taller.

A bell is mentioned at Marietta’s centennial celebration in 1888. A list of relic items displayed at the armory for the centennial celebration was printed in The Marietta Times, July 19, 1888 edition. It includes: “59. Old bell used in Campus Martius….”  

There is no explicit reference in histories, journals, or documents that I have seen about the bell’s having been installed and rung at Campus Martius. But based on what we know, the most plausible scenario is summarized by Bill Reynolds, Campus Martius Museum historian: “I am convinced this is the bell sent to the Ohio Company (at Marietta) from the gentleman in Boston and was installed in the blockhouse for calling alarms and for assemblies such as church and court or mourning an important death.” He also believes that the same bell was used in the courthouse after Campus Martius was dismantled until the “Davidson” bell (on display at Campus Martius Museum) was installed in 1802.

This is our story, and until other explanations surface, we’re sticking to it. If you know anything about the bell or have questions, let me know. 

Note: special thanks to Bill Reynolds for his suggestion of the bell history as a blog topic and for his input in the article.

Sources:

Hildreth, Samuel P., Pioneer History

Historical Marietta blog, November 21, 2021, “Relic Department, Marietta Centennial Celebration, Marietta Times, June 19, 1888,” viewed at historicalmarietta.blogspot.com.

Marietta Historical Commission, Records of the Original Proceedings of the Ohio Company, Vol I, 1917

Reynolds, William, Historian at Campus Martius Museum, personal interviews

Sonailles.net, “Dubois-au-puy,” viewed at https://www-sonnailles-net.translate.goog/index.php/histoire/fondeurs-et-forgerons/les-dubois?_x_tr_sch=http&_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en&_x_tr_pto=sc

Ohio Statehood: Spirited Debate and….Mob Violence

The path to Ohio statehood was marred by bitter politics and…..mob violence. Such were the passions inflamed by stark differences of political opinion. Civic leaders from Marietta and Washington County were in the thick of it.

Discussion of statehood began in the late 1790’s. What is now Ohio was then part of the larger Northwest Territory established in 1787, a vast expanse bounded by the Ohio River, Great Lakes, and Mississippi River. The Ohio area had grown the most and was approaching the 60,000 population level needed for statehood. 

The Original Northwest Territory created in 1787 included the area marked on this map plus all of Ohio and Michigan. In 1800 the territory was partitioned; land west of Ohio and the western half of Michigan became the Indiana Territory. The eastern Michigan area did not become part of Ohio, the state. Michigan became a separate territory before becoming a state later. Viewed at Wikipedia.com

Proponents of Ohio’s becoming a state were led by Thomas Worthington, Edward Tiffin, and other influential leaders. They believed statehood would bring good things:

• Equal status with other states. 
• More people and more money. The economic benefit would help all residents - and themselves.  
• A more responsive government and freedom from the heavy-handed rule of territorial governor Arthur St. Clair. 

Arthur St. Clair had been a respected patriot and a distinguished Revolutionary War veteran. In 1787 he was President of the Continental Congress and was appointed Governor of the new Territory. Judge Jacob Burnet described St. Clair as “a man of superior talents, of extensive information, and of great uprightness of purpose….” But he became imperious and inflexible in his governing. He demeaned his territorial residents as “A multitude of indigent and ignorant people (who are) ill-qualified to form a constitution and government for themselves…” St. Clair was out of touch with the changing attitudes in the territory. 

Major General Arthur St. Clair. Portrait by Charles Wilson Peale c 1783. Viewed at Wikipedia.org

Statehood opponents, including people at Marietta, said: not so fast. They realized becoming a state was inevitable. But not now. Statehood would mean higher taxes - with little benefit. Besides, Federalists, the party of most anti-state opponents, were in the minority. Locals would therefore have little influence and be overlooked. Better to wait. 

Local opposition became quite animated in 1801. There were a series of township meetings where statehood was “fully discussed and strongly opposed.” An “anti-state” meeting was held in Marietta on June 18, 1801, chaired by Gilbert Devol and Joseph Barker. Barker gave a spirited address in opposition to becoming a state now. This resolution was passed:

RESOLVED, That in our opinion it would be highly impolitic and very injurious to the inhabitants of this territory to enter into a State government at this time. Therefore, we, in behalf of our constituents, do request that you would use your best endeavors to prevent and steadily oppose the adoption of any measures that may be taken for the purpose.

Conflict about statehood boiled over when the territorial legislature met in Chillicothe in November, 1801. Two legislative acts ignited controversy. First was passage of a resolution, originally proposed by Governor St. Clair, which would divide the territory so that Ohio east of the Scioto River would be a separate state. The population mix would give Federalists, and Marietta, more influence. It would delay statehood because the population was below the minimum 60,000 needed. And, possibly, Marietta could even be the capital. Washington County representatives William Rufus Putnam (son of Rufus Putnam) and Ephraim Cutler were in full agreement with the concept. 

Statehouse at Chillicothe image. From ohiomemory.org - Ohio Guide Collection.

Territorial legislature meetings were held here. At least one observer at the time did not give the building a high rating: “The house (of representatives) occupied the large room on the ground floor, a very uncomfortable, badly lighted, roughly finished room, with a fireplace at each end…..the fires failed to heat the large room in the winter.”

This proposal aroused vehement opposition from statehood supporters, including Edward Tiffin, Thomas Worthington, Nathaniel Massie, and others. They lodged a formal written protest. A petition to the U. S. Congress was urgently circulated in Chillicothe and surrounding counties.

The Second legislative action was moving the territorial capital to Cincinnati from Chillicothe. This further enraged Statehood proponents, and Chillicothe residents in particular. There was talk of protests - even violence.

Thomas Worthington, Chillicothe political leader and wealthy landowner, and lawyer Michael Baldwin were political allies promoting statehood. Baldwin, though considered a brilliant lawyer, had a darker side: He led an “obnoxious,” “boisterous” group who were prone to civil disobedience.  Baldwin planned to lead his rabble to forcibly enter Governor St. Clair’s boarding house and drag him out to see himself burned in effigy -  as an insult and to intimidate him. This group headed out to the Governor’s boarding house on December 23, 1801. 

Thomas Worthington Governor’s Portrait

Viewed at ohiomemory.org

Worthington was passionate about statehood. He sought the limelight, leading efforts to forge a new state with exciting growth opportunities. He was a quintessential land speculator from Virginia, buying and selling land, often acquired from land grants sold by other Revolutionary War veterans. He had moved to the fledgling settlement at Chillicothe in 1798. Worthington became actively involved in business and politics of the area. In 1800, he was listed as owning 18,273 acres in the Virginia Military District located in south central Ohio. 

Thomas Worthington was deeply religious. He was also pragmatic and had developed, even in his late 20’s, a keen political sensibility. He was alarmed to learn of Baldwin’s plan. He knew that violence was wrong - and counterproductive. It would harm the statehood effort and could even damage his own reputation. He had to act quickly. Worthington intercepted Baldwin and forcibly convinced him to stand down, threatening even to shoot him if he laid a hand on Governor St. Clair.

The next night on Christmas Eve Baldwin’s mob had mobilized again. They had been incensed upon hearing of William Rufus Putnam’s toast at a dinner that evening: “May the Scioto (River) lap the borders of two great and flourishing states” - a reference to St. Clair’s plan to split the state. Baldwin’s group forcibly entered a boarding house where Governor St. Clair and several legislators - including Putnam and Cutler - were staying. 

That night the venerable, though disliked, Governor Arthur St. Clair was in his room, writing. There were so many issues that swirled in his mind. He was startled by a “violent noise” below. What could that be, he thought, not dreaming that his personal safety was at risk. Immediately he went downstairs to find a crowd shouting and jostling in the hallway. Many more were milling around outside. St. Clair was shocked to see mob leader Michael Baldwin strike Michigan¹ representative Jonathan Schieffelin who promptly drew a dirk (a long handled knife) then grabbed two pistols and threatened to shoot the intruders. Schieffelin had become a target because of his outspoken support of relocating the capital to Cincinnati from Chillicothe. Sight of the pistols quieted the crowd. It also helped that Statehood leader Thomas Worthington was again present and defended Governor St. Clair.

St. Clair’s political instincts kicked in as the adrenaline faded. Don’t overreact, he thought, and don’t show any sign of being intimidated by the mob. He then circulated among those present, “calm and collected,” as Ephraim Cutler recalled, yet firm in telling them to disperse. He called for law enforcement. A deputy sheriff and magistrate appeared on the scene. The mob gradually faded away. Despite law enforcement’s first hand witness of the violence, mob participants never suffered any legal consequences.

Marietta area pioneer Ephraim Cutler, elected to the Territorial legislature in 1801, witnessed the violence. Cutler was the son of Manasseh Cutler, the ordained minister, medical doctor, educator, and scientist, who had provided valuable guidance in creating the Northwest Territory. Ephraim had farmed in Connecticut and held some civic offices. By the mid-1790’s, though, he was feeling unsettled. He had suffered losses in two different businesses. Future prospects in Connecticut seemed limited. His mind kept drifting to the land of opportunity in Ohio, which his father had extolled and where his younger brother had lived for a while. Ephraim’s wife Leah was in poor health. Moving to a warmer client was recommended for her, so they moved to Marietta in 1795. 

Ephraim Cutler portrait, from Wikipedia.org.

The legislative session in November, 1801 was Ephraim Cutler’s  first - and the Territorial legislature’s last. It was an intimidating yet beneficial learning experience for him. “We (Mr. Putnam and I) were the youngest members of the House….My inexperience led me to tremble at the responsibilities of the position, but the benefit of associating with…such men as Governor St. Clair, Judges Burnet and Sibley, and others….., was very great.” He roomed in Gregg’s house, where the mob violence took place. His memoirs did not mention any violence directed at him, though he was surely one of the targets because of his support for state-delaying measures. 

A letter to Cutler from Dudley Woodbridge at Marietta gives additional perspective to the violent protests. “We met yesterday and had a meeting to consult on the proper steps to be taken to…..confront the doings” of those favoring statehood. Woodbridge also added in dismay, “We hear that mobs are around you….this, however, I cannot think is true. The present reminds me of Shays (Rebellion) and those times.” 

Cutler noted in his memoirs, “the bill (to split the state and delay statehood) passed the legislature, but was of no avail; it rather caused those desirous of coming into a state to be more vigorous in their efforts.” For better or worse, Ohio was on the path to statehood. On April 30, 1802, Congress passed “An Act to enable the people (of Ohio) to form a constitution and state government and for the admission of such State into the Union…..” 

Thomas Worthington had carried out his lobbying mission to Congress for statehood successfully. Randall and Ryan in History of Ohio: “In acknowledgment of his service he was received at his home with rejoicings and celebrations. Chillicothe was illuminated in his honor and bonfires burned brightly in expression of joy….” Those authors opined that despite further protests of opponents, “(their) efforts….to stem the tide of statehood were petty and partisan.”  

Athough opponents’ efforts failed, their concerns about taxation were validated. Historian Samuel Hildreth stated in his biography of Joseph Barker (mentioned above as a vocal opponent), “the apprehensions of the evil results (of statehood) to the Ohio Company settlers, were soon realized, as the taxes for support of the new government fell heavily on them….” 

The initial property tax structure was oppressive for rural areas because it was based mostly on acreage not value. If that system were in place today, an acre of rocky hillside would be taxed at a similar rate as an acre of prime real estate at an interstate highway interchange. The current fairer ad valorem (tax based on market value) tax system in Ohio was adopted in 1825. It was championed by the same remarkable, unassuming Ephraim Cutler who 24 years earlier had “trembled at the responsibilities” of being a legislator but was not swayed by the mob violence in Chillicothe. 

¹ The original Northwest Territory was partitioned in 1800 to create the Indiana Territory. The residual Ohio portion included the eastern half of Michigan, thought that part was not included when Ohio actually became a state.

Future Ohio Governor Survives Indian Attack

In June, 1792, future Governor of Ohio Return Jonathan Meigs, Jr. encountered a large snake as he was walking near Marietta. He shot it but didn’t reload his rifle - a careless oversight that nearly cost him his life. Meigs was twenty-something at the time, a Yale College graduate and lawyer who had followed his father to the new settlement at Marietta in 1788. 

Return Jonathan Meigs, Jr. portrait. From ohiostatehouse.org. Ohio governor 1810-1814. Artist unknown.

It was a warm, humid, breezy day. Meigs, a hired man named Joseph Symonds, and black (mulatto?) servant boy Jim had been working in a field near Fort Harmar. At dusk, they started for home at the Campus Martius stockade. They were soaked with perspiration, waving away pesky mosquitoes as they trudged the narrow path along the Muskingum River to their canoe. A large snake crawled in front of them. Meigs shot the snake with his musket. No need to reload, he thought; no Indian in their right mind would be this close to the well defended Fort Harmar and Campus Martius stockades.

Campus Martius, a fortified residential community, viewed from across the Muskingum River near where Meigs was attacked. The river appears at the bottom of the image. Areas behind and to the right of Campus Martius were farming areas. Source: Wikipedia. CLICK TO ENLARGE.

Joseph Symonds was instantly on alert, though, as he said,  “We should be in a poor state of defense if Indians came upon us.” Jim was in the rear; he heard something and turned around. Two Indians were just a few paces back! “There is two now!” he shouted in a panic. As Symonds turned to look, a rifle shot boomed and struck him in the shoulder. His movement in turning around probably saved him from a more serious wound. He instantly ran for the river and jumped in. Adrenaline blocked out the pain and shock. A jumble of thoughts about his family swam though his head. Fortunately he was a good swimmer, managing to stay afloat despite his injury.

The Indian gave up pursuit of Symonds and started after young Jim who had also jumped in the water. He could not swim and was soon dragged back by the Indian. His captor tried to communicate that he would take Jim prisoner, not kill him. But Jim resisted so strongly that the Indian struck him with a tomahawk and scalped him.

This incident illustrates a curious paradox about life on the early frontier. Why would a Yale educated lawyer from an established family in Connecticut move to the wilderness in Ohio? Author David McCullough in his book The Pioneers described conditions grimly: “There were no roads as yet anywhere in all this wilderness, no bridges, no towns, churches, schools, stores, or wayside taverns.” There as also the threat of disease, food shortages, and Indian hostility. The latter left Meigs at this moment in fear of his life. Fortunately, Meigs and many others endured the hardships to start a new life in the new territory.

Imagined view of Fort Harmar and the future site of Marietta from the Williams settlement in Virginia (today West Virginia) ca 1787. The farming area where Meigs was working when attacked is near the fort (across the river in left center of the image). Other than Fort Harmar, the area on the Ohio side was undeveloped wilderness. Charles Sullivan, View of Fort Harmar from the Virginia Side, Marietta, Ohio, ca. 1835. Oil on canvas. 20" x 28". (Courtesy, Peter Tillou Works of Art.), viewed at Chipstone.org. CLICK TO ENLARGE

As Meigs turned to face the Indian who had shot Symonds, his eyes widened in disbelief. He recognized the Indian as “Charley,” who acted as a guide in 1790 when Meigs was dispatched with a message to the British at Detroit. Meigs shouted “Is that you, Charley?” No response. Charley, who had shot Symonds, did not fire at Meigs - perhaps because he too had not yet reloaded. Future governor Meigs raised his musket to fire at Charley. The Indian stood his ground, knowing that the gun was not loaded. Meigs suddenly swung at him using his rifle as a club and took off running. Charley deflected the blow with his own rifle, drew his tomahawk, and charged after Meigs. He gained ground on Charley as they approached a fairly wide stream. Meigs managed to leap across. Charley hesitated, probably realizing the chase was now futile, and turned back to join the other Indian. Settlers hearing the gunfire had gathered on the other side of the river and now fired at the two Indians, one of whom fell. But whether he was hit or just slipped on the muddy bank, he got up, waved Jim’s scalp to taunt the settlers, and vanished.

Picketed Point, another fortified residential community at the junction of the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers. From Wikipedia with credit to Marietta College Special Collections. Buildings are numbered; Return Jonathan Meigs’ residence and store is identified in one source as being Number 6, which is the second building to the left of the large building on the point next to the tree stumps. CLICK TO ENLARGE.

Return Jonathan Meigs, Jr. had been sent to Detroit in September of 1790 to deliver a letter to the British. The letter explained that a planned American expedition against the Indians under General Harmar was not directed against British interests. It also asked that they refrain from supporting Indians’ resistance. Meigs was accompanied by John Whipple (son of Naval hero Commodore Abraham Whipple) and an Indian guide…..Charley. He was described in Hildreth’s Pioneer History as “a sprightly Indian who had loitered in Marietta since the treaty (in early 1789). He could speak some English and a little French.” 

The trip to Detroit was fraught with danger. Whatever their brave intentions in volunteering for this mission, Meigs and Whipple quickly wondered what they were in for. The entire area beyond the Waterford settlement was total wilderness. Bushwhacking was exhausting and their progress frustratingly slow. Late summer heat alternating with chilly nights wore them down. Indians stole their pack horse; they had to carry their provisions. At last they came to a friendly Delaware village on the Sandusky River. 

But hostile Miami Indians arrived at the same time exhorting the Delawares to join them in resisting the American soldiers. It was a perilous situation. The Miamis heard that the two white emissaries were near and threatened to kill them. Meigs and Whipple laid low and considered their options. 

Luckily, they were blessed with good fortune which saved them on several occasions. That night, friendly Delaware Indians spirited them from the camp and out of danger. Their guide Charley was forced to leave them at this point, because he too was targeted for death if found with Meigs and Whipple. 

The British governor at Detroit received them coldly but finally answered the letter. More good fortune: the governor warned them not to return through Ohio because the Indians “would certainly put him to death, without any regard for the flag of truce which he had (carried to Detroit)” (Hildreth, Pioneer History). And he offered them passage to Presque Isle (on Lake Erie near present day Erie, PA) on a schooner which was about to leave. From Presque Isle, they journeyed down through Pennsylvania to the Allegheny River, to the Ohio River, to home at Marietta. Their effort was courageous but unsuccessful. The British continued to supply Indians with arms and encouraged them to fight against the Americans.

The attack on Meigs had unnerved the families at Campus Martius. Melzer Nye, who was only six at the time, recalled in his Memoirs: “The women were frightened. Some cried, 'Lord have Mercy. What shall we do.' (His) mother said, ‘go home, bolt up your doors and windows and prepare for them.’ And two or three (of them) fainted and Mother threw water in their faces – which scared me for I did not know what it meant.”

Joseph Symonds was carried back to Campus Martius where his wound was dressed and he eventually recovered. Jim’s body was retrieved by E. W. Tupper, “a brave and fearless man, (who) in spite of the remonstrances of the bystanders, sprang into a canoe with one other person and pushed over to the body of the black boy, hoping that he might yet have life in him, but…..he could not be restored.” (Quote from Hildreth’s Pioneer History).

A sidebar story to the Meigs episode played out just minutes before the attack started. Horace Nye, then a young boy, accompanied a Frenchman named Mr. Bureau, to visit a friend near Fort Harmar. They were returning to Campus Martius. Bureau carried a musket, but was inexperienced in using it. He saw a pigeon and took aim. The gun did not fire - a "flash in pan." Young Nye noticed that Bureau had loaded the gun incorrectly - he had inserted the ball first, then the powder. Nye explained that to Bureau, but he persisted in trying to fire the gun. Same result each time. As they approached the entrance to the Campus Martius stockade, the attack on Meigs' party started. Bureau and Nye were lucky the gun misfired. From Pioneer History: “The (misfiring of Mr. Bureau’s gun), which vexed and fretted him so much at the time, no doubt saved both their lives, for the report of the gun would have called the Indians to the spot.” 

Return Jonathan Meigs was apparently undaunted by this and similar experiences in early Marietta. He went on to achieve a distinguished career in public service, including serving as the first Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, Governor of Ohio, and Postmaster General of the United States. He died in 1825.

Sources:

Barker, Joseph, Recollections of the First Settlement of Ohio, Marietta, Ohio, Marietta College, 1958

Hildreth, Samuel P., Pioneer History: Being an Account of the First Examinations of the Ohio Valley and the Early Settlement of the Northwest Territory, Cincinnati, H. W. Derby & Co., 1848

Meigs Family History and Geneaology, “Return Jonathan Meigs 2nd,” viewed at Meigs.org.

Ohio Genealogical Society, Washington County Chapter, “Melzer Nye Memoir.” Viewed at washogs.org

Wikipedia, “Return Jonathan Meigs, Jr.”

Williams, H. Z., History of Washington County Ohio, Cleveland, H. Z. Williams and Bro, 1881