Life in the Early 1800s Through the Lens of Newspaper Notices

   Newspapers were THE media in the early America. Advertisements and notices offer a fascinating glimpse of life at the time. Here are a few such items from local papers in the early 1800s, compiled by Debbie Noland Nitsche from Andrews' History of Marietta and Washington County. Your author's notes are in parentheses.

     From the OHIO GAZETTE and VIRGINIA HERALD October 24, 1803:

List of letters uncalled for by Griffin Greene, Postmaster, for persons living at "Belleprie, Little Kenhawa, Kenhaway, Gallipolis, Guiandot and Big Sandy."

John Cline and Enos Atwater will apply "for a right of establishing a ferry from a point at Fort Harmar across the Ohio River..."

“…inhabitants of the townships of Newport and Tuskarawa, in the county of Washington," intend to petition the Ohio legislature for a new county, with "a county seat near the mouth of Licking Creek on the Muskingum."

From WESTERN SPECULATOR and successor AMERICAN FRIEND newspaper 1811-1820:

1811. Joseph Buell (civic leader who served at Fort Harmar) asks for the return of "Rollin's Ancient History" and other borrowed books. 

Western Spectator (newspaper) offers books for sale. Whiskey received for books. 

Enoch Shepard, Deacon of the First Presbyterian Church of Marietta, announces copyright of a book entitled "Thoughts on the Prophecies."

1812 (July 29.) Lieutenant T. E. Danielson calls for five-year volunteers for the regular army. Bounty $16; wages $5 per month.

Jason R. Curtis, Hatter, wishes to buy muskrat and rabbit fur.

1814. Nathaniel Dodge established a ferry to Harmar. 

Races will be run on the Common of Marietta November 10 under the rules of racing in Virginia.  A purse of $70 offered (about $2100 in today’s dollars!).

1815. Elisha Frost, Inn-keeper, has taken the public house formerly kept by Isaac Mixer, Jr. (Mixer was described as a man of "vicious character" who once sold a 7-year-old negro boy into slavery.) 

Rufus W. Adams wishes to purchase 100 dozen goose quills at 6 cents a dozen. 

Samuel P. Hildreth, Town Clerk, collector of non-Resident Taxes. (Hildreth was a doctor, scientist, and historian). 

John Greene, 2nd., of Adams offers a reward for conviction of thief who stole five barrels of salt near the store of Augustus Stone. 

David Putnam (Harmar businessman) warns the public about a horse thief who pretends to be a missionary.

1816. John Bell, Deerfield. Lots for sale in "Malta, a new town about 26 miles below Zanesville." 

Montgomery Bell, of Tennessee offers $300 reward for negro man Carey, and $50 for the boy Bob. 

Joshua Shipman (master carpenter and builder), Wool carding

1817. John Cram will receive wheat, rye, oats, and white beans in payment for debts due Oliver Dodge & Co.  

Abraham Whipple (Revolutionary War naval hero), Fearing, offers to sell a farm two miles from Marietta.

1818. James Brown, Nashville, Tennessee, warns people not to harbor 22 "German servants who indentured themselves to go to Alabama Territory-and absconded at Marietta."  

1819. W. Thomas, Jeffersonville Indiana Canal Lottery tickets for sale. (Lotteries helped finance public improvements.) 

Royal Prentiss,Town Clerk, will lease to the highest bidder the Mound Square as a pasture for sheep only. (Our beloved Mound Cemetery leased for sheep grazing!)

1820. Joseph Barker, Jr., Newport, is about to erect a mill to extract flax seed oil. (Local historians are working to preserve Barker Jr.’s home at Willow Island.) 

Joseph Wilmott, Fearing, claims right to construct a dam at the Ox-Bow on Duck Creek.

Abolitionist Henry Ward Beecher said newspapers, by democratizing knowledge for all citizens, are “a treasure to the people.” They were also a source of curiosity and amusement.

 

 

 

 

Ephraim Cutler and the One Vote Story

     “One Vote! The Musical” is a play written about Marietta's founding and its place in Ohio and American history. It was performed during July, 2026 as part of the America 250 celebration. The title comes from the story of Ephraim's Cutler's iconic effort which kept slavery out of Ohio, by his deciding vote.

     That story began in 1787. The Ohio Company of Associates, mostly Revolutionary War veterans, pitched a creative idea to Congress. Paraphrasing here, "Have we got a deal for you: Allow us to buy land using our veterans’ land warrants and some hard cash. We get the land you owe us, and your Federal debt is reduced." Congress paid attention.

     The Ohio Company also wanted civil rights protections for citizens – and no slavery. Manasseh Cutler, Ephraim Cutler's father, - a puritan minister and scientist, was a tough negotiator. He was emphatic about slavery: "Exclude slavery forever from the territory northwest of the Ohio River, and we will buy your land...Allow it to enter, and not a penny will we invest." On July 13, 1787, Congress passed the Ordinance of 1787, creating a new territory – WITH civil rights and WITHOUT slavery. Fast forward to 1802 when a Constitutional Convention convened for Ohio statehood. Delegates from Washington County included Rufus Putnam, Ephraim Cutler, Benjamin Ives Gilman, and John McIntire. Slavery was a contentious issue.

Portrait of Ephraim Cutler, from Marietta College Special Collections

     Ephraim Cutler seemed an unlikely delegate to wield influence at the convention. He and Washington County delegates were staunch Federalists, a party that was out of favor. He incurred contempt from some for casting the sole no vote against statehood before the Convention even started. 

     The "One Vote" story from Ephraim Cutler’s memoir is that he kept Ohio from becoming a slave state, rising from a sickbed to cast the deciding vote. At the Convention, he was appointed to the Bill of Rights Committee. The committee chair proposed allowing slavery, for men up to age 35 and women until 25. This was considered a "compromise" (slavery-lite) because of the age limits. But it was still slavery. Cutler was angered. He knew this wording came from then President Thomas Jefferson, a Virginia slave owner. Jefferson wanted to introduce slavery where it had been prohibited before (the Northwest Territory expressly prohibited slavery). It would set a dangerous precedent for other states formed from the Territory. Cutler: no way!

     He strongly objected, stating that his constituents opposed slavery and that the slavery prohibition in the Northwest Ordinance was binding on states formed from the territory. Emotions were running high on both sides. Cutler calmy urged each committee member to prepare wording expressing their views and continue the discussion the next day. When the committee reconvened, he proposed a section including the words "There shall be neither slavery nor involuntary servitude in this state..." Despite some opposition, the Committee accepted Cutler's wording - by a single vote, 5-4. He was surprised that the motion carried, saying in his memoir, “The Jeffersonian version met with fewer friends than I expected.”

     But Ephraim Cutler's memoir says his One Vote was cast in a session of the entire Convention. That didn't happen, historians say. Convention records say no one proposed any change to Cutler's no-slavery committee language, perhaps testimony to Cutler's influence. There was an attempt to strike wording about servitude to prevent slavery being practiced under the guise of a being a servant; it was defeated 12-21. Cutler's memoir was written decades after the actual event. Some have suggested he confused his version of the Convention slavery vote with the Committee vote or with a Convention vote on another Black rights issue.

     One Vote story – true or false? Doesn’t matter! All agree that Ephraim Cutler was passionate about keeping Ohio a free state. His courage and influence made it happen. 

     There were two other One Votes of note. One was Ephraim Cutler’s aforementioned sole negative vote against statehood at the Convention’s opening. He, like most Federalists, thought the timing was not right. But, why vote no and incur ill will on what was just a perfunctory motion? He had the courage to vote his conscience, “I was expressing the will of my constituents (and)… my own…convictions.”

     The other One Vote was that of a free Black man, Kit Putnam, in the election of delegates to the Convention. He was the first Black to vote in Ohio, as permitted under Territorial law. Ironically, the first Ohio Constitution denied Blacks the right to vote.  

Caleb Emerson, July 4th Toastmaster

     Early American July 4 celebrations included toasts, along with a speech and dinner. July 4 was a patriotic observance, not yet the recreational holiday of today. The victory and sacrifice of the Revolutionary War were top of mind. Many veterans or their survivors were still living.

    First, "OFFICIAL" toasts were offered with wording often approved in advance by a committee. These toasts emphasized patriotic themes, heroes, and more - including women. Women? That seemed a gratuitous gesture from the male toastmasters, yet it recognized women's vital domestic role, though women could not yet vote or participate in most male-dominated vocations. After each toast, participants took a drink, gave a loud HUZZAH! (“Huzzay,” as in today’s HOORAY!), and guns or cannon were fired. With each toast and gulp the vibe became more spirited, you could say.

Flag that flew over Fort Harmar. It was a garrison-style flag, 16-20 ft long by 12-14 ft wide, with 13 stars and stripes for the original 13 colonies/states

    "VOLUNTEER" toasts followed the official toasts, offered impromptu by those present. These could be highly personal, humorous, and partisan, often fueled by alcohol.

     Below are toasts (edited) for July 4, 1816, in Marietta, composed by civic leader/newspaper editor Caleb Emerson – document from Marietta College Special Collections. These sentiments reflect the national situation in the post-War of 1812 period. 

1. The day we celebrate. Time can destroy the marble monument and clothe with oblivion the noblest works of man, but the memory of this day shall live.

2. President James Madison. He has been weighed and not found wanting- his service deserves our gratitude. 

3. Congress - may their exertions for the country be more conspicuous, solicitude for their own emolument be less conspicuous. 

4. The memory of George Washington - the faithful guardian of our infant liberties... what tongue shall withhold its praise?

5. Thomas Jefferson - the firm patriot and enlightened sage. Retirement has not diminished our admiration of his virtues.

6. The Army and Navy - they have both conferred immortal honors on their country.

7. Our next president - James Monroe - the pride of his country.

8. The sovereignty of the people - the only source of legitimate power...

9. Gov. Shelby (governor of Kentucky?), the soldier and patriot. 

10. General Jackson - The gallant Jackson and the Battle of New Orleans will be remembered. 

11. Vermont and New Hampshire - northern lights, not blue lights. (A jab at Federalists from a War of 1812 event.) 

12. Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut - not the first time that the oldest children turned out to be a disgrace to the family...(another partisan barb) 

13. The western states (those west of the Appalachians) - may their patriotism keep pace with their wealth and strength.

14. Agriculture, commerce, and manufacturing - the main pillars of...our greatness 

15. The patriots of South America- may their struggles for liberty be attended with complete success.

     Click here to view the original document listing the toasts, from Marietta College Special Collections.. Note the edits and the cursive handwriting flourishes.

     Most of Emerson’s toasts resembled typical nonpartisan official toasts. But a few (number 3,11,12) are more personal, reflecting his Democratic Republican Party views. That party was in power; Federalists’ influence was fading. The politics angle made me wonder what current volunteer toasts might sound like with today’s unbridled discourse? I asked AI. Here are a few such AI-generated hypothetical current toasts to: 

“Free elections and the peaceful transfer of power – the quiet strength of a republic, 

Civil disagreement – may we argue ideas without forgetting our common citizenship, Future generations – may they inherit a nation more united than today, 

May public service always place the common good above private gain.” 

These are worthwhile sentiments; maybe we ought to bring back July 4 toasts.

     At the first celebration at Marietta on July 4, 1788, toasts expressed sentiments more specific to independence and the new settlement: 

The United States, Congress, the King of France, The United Netherlands, The Friendly Powers throughout the World, The New Federal Constitution, George Washington and the Society of the Cincinnati, His Excellency Governor Arthur St. Clair and the Northwestern Territory, The Memory of Heroes, Patriots, Captain Pipe (Delaware Indian Chief) and a Successful Treaty, The Amiable Partners of Our Lives (women), All Mankind. 

     Impressive list. Volunteer toasts, if offered, were not documented.

     There may have been disagreements and partisan bickering on the other 364 days of the year, but there was usually a spirit of unity on July 4. A participant at Marietta on July 4, 1788 recalled: “We were one great family, loving God and each other, proud of our new home and resolved on success.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Civil War Started at Belpre, Ohio…Almost

       July 10, 1845, 2:00 am. It was pitch black on the Ohio River; a crescent moon had set in the west at midnight. A boat with 6 escaping slaves – 3 adults and 3 children - from the Harwood Plantation in Wood County Virginia had pushed off from Parkersburg, towards Ohio near Belpre. The plan was set up by an itinerant preacher named Romaine. Only the sloshing of oars working through the water broke the silence. Six members of the Underground Railroad ("UGGR"), waited on the Ohio side to guide them north to freedom.

     Also waiting on that dark Ohio shore were 16 armed men from Wood County. They'd been tipped off. The UGGR men helped the escapees ashore. Then the Wood County men burst out of hiding. In the confusion one slave, preacher Romaine, and two UGGR men escaped. All others were captured. The slaves were returned to Harwoods. Recaptured slaves might endure flogging, harsher duty, wearing of collars or shackles, or be "sold down the river” to worse conditions in the Deep South.

     The captured Ohioans were jailed in Wood County without access to their own attorneys. Bail was denied; no Virginia resident was willing sign a bail bond. Prominent Mariettans Nahum Ward, William P. Cutler, and Anselm T. Nye offered to guarantee a bond; that was disallowed.

     Newspaper coverage and word of mouth spread the story. The Richmond Enquirer expressed alarm that … "nests of Abolitionists" in western Virginia counties "have deliver(ed) anti-slavery lectures, without molestation..." warning that Abolitionists' "mischievous and fanatical schemes," … will place lives of Virginia citizens in "imminent peril." The Cleveland Weekly Leader opined that this was a "plot laid in Virginia to entrap men in Ohio.”

     Ohio Governor Mordecai Bartley conferred with William P. Cutler, Washington County’s Ohio House member. Bartley wanted to send 100 militia to extract the prisoners by force. Cutler counseled holding off. There was verbal jousting between the governors. Virginia Governor McDowell lectured Ohio Governor Bartley about the Fugitive Slave Laws. Bartley fired back, “I tell you plainly, Sir, with proper respect and due deliberation, that Ohio will not submit to such wrongs,” and that its citizens may “resort to violence.”

     Tensions remained high. Numerous Ohio groups met to consider measures to free the jailed Ohio men. In Parkersburg, guards were posted at the point, expecting an armed attack from Ohio. One night a guard heard a bustling noise at river’s edge. Word spread that abolitionists from Ohio had landed and were forcing their way into town. The Captain assembled the guards and as noise got closer gave the command: FIRE! The “enemy” was the town bull, so full of bullet holes that it could not be tanned.

     On September 2 the defendants were “perp-walked” to the Wood County Court. They pleaded not guilty. Bail was again refused. The jury trial showed that the justice system was working after all. The jury found the men guilty IF the site of their capture was determined to be in Virginia. The state boundary location became the key to the verdict. It seems counterintuitive to some, but the Ohio River has always been in the state of Virginia. The exact boundary location on the Ohio side could be debated since the river level is constantly changing.

     The boundary question was placed before a Virginia Court of Appeals in December 1845. Congressman Samuel F. Vinton argued that the boundary was the mean low water mark of the river, placing the men in Ohio, not Virginia. The judges deadlocked on the issue; further action was deferred to the next session in June 1846.

     On January 10, the men were granted bail and released. The case was never taken up; maybe the Virginia legal authorities tired of the controversy. Armed conflict was averted this time. Sixteen years later the Civil War was on for real, though western Virginia stayed pro-union, and in 1863 became West Virginia.

 

Griffin Greene, a Man in Perpetual Motion

      What else could a Marietta pioneer possibly accomplish who (a) built a perpetual motion machine, (b) Raised the sunken British frigate FLORA, (c) designed a unique floating water-powered mill in the Ohio River, and (d) helped build the Farmers Castle enclosure at Belpre? A LOT more, as you’ll see.

     Griffin Greene was born in Warwick, Rhode Island in 1749. Not much of his childhood years are recorded. He had little formal schooling; perhaps a reflection that manual, practical skills were considered by some as more important than “book learning.” The Rhode Island Greene family tradition was manufacturing and business ventures. In his twenties, he and his cousin Jacob built or inherited an iron forge. It thrived during the Revolutionary War making war materials. He was close to another cousin, General Nathanael Greene, namesake of Marietta's Greene Street and one of Washington's most dependable senior officers. General Greene was Quartermaster General of the Continental Army. Griffin Greene served for a while as an assistant quartermaster, under Nathanael. Griffin himself was an engineering genius. Some innovative accomplishments mentioned below are prime examples.

     SALVAGING THE FLORA: He invested in a company that salvaged sunken ships during the Revolutionary War. He oversaw the salvage in 1780 of the British frigate FLORA which had been scuttled to keep it from the Americans. The boat was sunk in shallow water near Newport RI harbor. Here was the plan. Step 1 - A diver using a primitive diving bell plugged holes in the hull. Step 2 – Griffin designed and built a huge pump, reportedly inspired by the French Encyclopédie, powered by horses on a flatboat walking in circles. Imagine seeing horses walking in circles on a boat in the ocean. That pump removed an incredible 144,000 gallons per hour. The FLORA was raised in just 6 hours. British loyalists watching nearby "could hardly believe their eyes" as the FLORA emerged. Raising FLORA was a success but operating her for profit was not. Griffin sailed FLORA in 1783-84 to France and sold her at a loss. While in Europe, he observed a floating water-powered mill in Holland. Keep that thought.

Model of French frigate LaVESTALE ca 1790s, formerly HMS FLORA that Griffin Greene salvaged. From Facebook page Internationales Maritimes Museum Hamburg

     In 1788 Griffin Greene moved his family to Marietta, Ohio, seeking new opportunities. Soon he added a new activity to his engineering-oriented life: government service. He was appointed justice of the peace and judge of the county court. After moving to Belpre, Griffin regularly went to court sessions in Marietta, rowing in a canoe. Later he served as postmaster and customs collector. Not bad for a guy with little formal education and no legal training.

     FLOATING WATER POWERED MILL. A water powered grist mill was crucial for the early settlers to grind corn and other grains into flour or meal for cooking. Rotary hand mills were slow and very laborious. The floating mill that Griffin Greene saw in Holland? That inspired him to design one for use in the Ohio River near Belpre. Jonathan Devol actually built it. Here’s the set-up: two flat boats, one larger than the other, are connected by planks of wood. The water wheel is in the middle, powered by the river current. The larger boat houses the machinery and workers. The smaller boat is merely a pontoon to support the wheel. The whole structure is anchored to shore. The floating mill has advantages compared to a fixed mill on a river or stream bank: it automatically adjusts to the water level, does not require a dam or sluice gates, can be positioned where water flow is optimal. This was the first such mill in America.

Diagram of floating water powered mill, from water level (top) and overhead (bottom). Building and machinery is on the left, water wheel in the middle, and floating pontoon on the right.

     PERPETUAL MOTION MACHINE. Griffin became obsessed with building such a machine. He was living in Belpre at the time and helped build the Farmer’s Castle protective enclosure for the community in 1791. Joseph Barker’s Recollections (spelling as written): “Griffin Green,… one of our engenious, interprising,& useful citizens… constructed a Machine of considerable size &  expence: it consisted of three Arms about twelve feet long, (weighted) with Lead at each end, & erected Virtically.” Hard to visualize. The machine did run “with the steadiness of a nice timepiece” for several hours…but inevitably it quit. The device stopped, but Griffin Greene never did.

 

How Ohio Got It’s Nickname, the Marietta Connection

      How did a poisonous tree nut that's hard as a rock yet renowned as a good luck charm and cure for rheumatism become Ohio's nickname? "It just turned out that way," an Ohio Department of Natural Resources (“ODNR”) brochure says. Hardly a definitive answer, but there is a Marietta connection.

     The buckeye tree was common in Ohio's original forests, growing along streams and fertile bottom lands. The trees are medium sized, growing to 60 feet. There were many practical uses for early pioneers, according to ODNR:

- Cabin Building: Because the trees were easy to clear and the wood was soft and light, buckeye logs were used to build early cabins.

- Household Items: The wood was easy to work. Pioneers carved necessities like spoons, bowls, troughs, and cradles.

- Prosthetic Limbs: Due to its light weight and resistance to splitting, the wood was used in the manufacture of artificial limbs.

- Good Luck Charm: Pioneers believed that carrying a buckeye nut in their pocket would ward off rheumatism and bring good luck.

                          Buckeye Tree. It’s one of the first to leaf out in spring. Photo by author.

     The Marietta Connection: Respected historian Samuel Hildreth stated that the local Indians called the first sheriff Ebenezer Sproat "Hetuck, " meaning "Big Buckeye," because of his towering 6' 4" frame. It was an expression of respect; they’d seen him lead a ceremonial procession in September, 1788. Sproat became known as Big Buckeye, the story goes, and the nickname eventually spread to include all Ohioans. It’s a believable tale, and it connects Marietta to the Buckeye tradition.

     Some historians, including Raymond Irwin, question the Sproat Big Buckeye story: First, though a popular narrative, the story does not appear until Hildreth's Memoirs publication in 1852, 64 years after the event. Irwin says it's not mentioned in any other records in the 1700s. Second, linguists find no Native American word "Hetuck," meaning "eye of the buck." But wait, there was a contemporary mention of Hetuck. “Joseph Barker, Recollections of the First Settlement of Ohio” is an early history compiled from Barker’s own records. About Sproat, Barker wrote: “He was a fine Martial figure, his Physical Capasity occupied more room than any Man in the County. The Indians named him Old Hetuck, the Big Buckeye.” (Emphasis added, spelling and punctuation from the document). Could editors have inserted this later from Hildreth’s reference? Maybe, but the punctuation and spelling give it credibility to me. I’m an Ebenezer Sproat-Big Buckeye believer. It’s official. 

     The “buckeye” term, though, had a decidedly negative meaning in the early 1800s, referring to an inept or uneducated backwoods person. 1840 was the year that buckeye and Ohio became synonymous. William Henry Harrison, a popular Ohioan, was the Whig candidate for President. An opposition newspaper commented that Harrison “was better fitted to sit in a log cabin and drink hard cider than rule in the White House.” Harrison alertly adopted that very log cabin persona, emphasizing his humble beginnings. He was thereafter pictured in front of a cabin with a barrel of hard cider. On the cabin walls were coonskin caps and…. strings of buckeyes. His campaign went viral in 1840. Wagons with replica cabins were at every rally. The formerly disrespected Buckeye stereotype became the proud symbol of all Ohioans. Canes made of buckeye wood were a fad, sold for souvenirs along National Road – today’s U S 40. At a rally in Pennsylvania, in one two-mile long procession of 1,500 people, 1,497 carried buckeye canes. William Henry Harrison was elected but sadly died with weeks of being inaugurated.  

Image of 1940 campaign buckeye wood cane (top) and close-up (bottom) showing “hard cider” cask on top of handle.    From americanhistory.si.edu

    The Harrison campaign was probably most influential in the Buckeye story. But Washington Countians can proudly say “It started here in 1788.” Probably.

     I was backpacking once in Great Smoky Mountain National Park. The first night, there was a periodic loud clank on the metal shelter roof. The culprits were falling buckeyes. Buckeyes in Tennessee, imagine that. I felt right at home. Only later did I discover that those were yellow buckeyes, not THE official Ohio buckeyes. Oh, well.