A Few Things I Learned About Johnny Appleseed

The question caught me off guard. A lady passenger on the river cruise boat AMERICAN QUEEN asked me about Johnny Appleseed, the frontier-era itinerant apple tree planter. Had I researched him and his activity in Washington County, Ohio? No, I told her, believing that he spent no time here. She said emphatically that he and his family had close connections in the area. I pondered that response, standing in the early morning fog at Marietta’s Ohio River landing - on the exact spot, I later learned, where Chapman and his family landed more than 200 years ago. 

Most of us have heard of John Chapman, AKA Johnny Appleseed. He was a Massachusetts native who in the early 1800's wandered from Western Pennsylvania, to Ohio, and eventually to Indiana. He planted apple tree orchards on the leading edge of settlement in those respective areas until his death in 1845. 

Here are some of my research findings:

Don’t know much about Johnny.

The “Don’t Know Much about Hist-or-y” song lyrics float through my brain. Historical facts about John Chapman are sparse; legends and stories abound. Only a handful of documents exist - a census tract here and there, property records, and a few notes payable that he signed. Most of what we “know” comes from others who knew him or heard about him.

One of dozens of children’s books written about Johnny, many of which presented romanticized or mythical versions of him and what he did. Image from amazon.com.

Below are quotes from various authors on the search for the real Johnny:

• William Kerrigan: “I sifted through mountains of oral traditions and tall tales about the legendary apple tree planter.  What proved to be more difficult to find were concrete traces of the real John Chapman preserved in the historical record.”
• Karen Warwick: “Chapman’s legacy stretches far beyond his trees, to the seeds he planted in storytellers imaginations.”
• Gary S. Williams quoting Louis Bromfield. “The truth is, of course, that Johnny Appleseed has attained that legendary status where the facts are no longer of importance.”
• David McCullough: Much would be written and said about Johnny Appleseed, including much that has little or no bearing on the truth.

Traditions

I discovered that Johnny Appleseed authors often refer to “traditions” when studying John Chapman’s life. A tradition is a body of stories or common beliefs which may be widely circulated but often not verifiable. Example from author Kerrigan: “There was a (Pennsylvania) tradition that…John may have worked as a logger.” There are dozens of traditions from many different communities - including Marietta.

Pre-Ohio life of Johnny

Knowledge of John’s first twenty years is scant. Some broad outlines can be surmised by his father’s life. Nathaniel Chapman Sr. was a carpenter and farmer; the family was poor. John’s mother Elizabeth noted later in a letter to Nathaniel that they could not afford to buy a cow. Nathaniel was gone for several years serving in the Revolutionary War. His wife, John’s mother, Elizabeth died of tuberculosis in 1776. Nathaniel was discharged from the Continental Army in 1780 and married Lucy Cooley that same year. They lived in Longmeadow, MA. John was then six years old; it is likely that he lived in that household. One source says that John was apprenticed to an orchardist, Mr. Crawford, at age 13. If this is true, it gave him invaluable knowledge of fruit trees and orchard management. 

Moving West

He left Massachusetts in the mid 1790s and moved west. Local historians have good evidence that John Chapman established orchards near present-day Warren and Franklin PA. A Judge Lansing Wetmore gave a lecture in 1853 about an interesting character in early Warren PA history. His name was John Chapman. This “tall, stalwart, Yankee” ventured west across the Allegheny Mountains to Warren in 1796 or 97. Chapman started his trek westward in November. As he approached the summit of the range, it began to snow heavily. He was stuck for three days in a crude shelter. Several feet of snow piled up. He grimly assessed his dire situation. His provisions were running out, he had inadequate clothing for winter, and was walking barefoot. Should he press on or pull back. Either way, he was 100 miles from the nearest settlement. Apparently undaunted, he pressed on, fashioning crude snowshoes from beech saplings to navigate the deep snow. He arrived in Warren in early December and planted his first orchard on Brokenstraw Creek the next spring. Quite a story - likely told by John himself. How much was true? There would be many more stories from him.

He stayed in the Warren and Franklin area for several years, tending his orchards. His half-brother Nathaniel Jr.  joined him in 1798. Author William Kerrigan discovered a note signed by a John Chapman for supplies including “brandy, whiskey, sugar, chocolate, tobacco, three pairs of ‘mockasins,’ gunpowder, and pork.” Assuming this was our John Chapman, it varies from later descriptions of a vegetarian who drank little and did not carry a firearm. 

“The areas where Johnny Appleseed traveled,” from americacomesalive.com, according to the author. This includes most of the area where he started orchards. It does not include southern Ohio and Marietta where his travel has been documented.

Washington County connections

John Chapman had probably heard of Marietta and the new Northwest Territory from his stepmother’s cousins, the Cooleys. The Ohio Country attracted many people like the Cooleys and Chapmans looking for a fresh start. The Cooleys had moved to the area in the 1790's on “Donation Land” - 100 acre lots made available for free by the Ohio Company of Associates. There were some conditions. These lands were on the fringe of settled areas. To be eligible, owners agreed to act as sentries and if necessary help defend against Indian attacks. They also had to build a dwelling, plant crops, and set out apple and peach trees on the land within five years. It was a win-win deal: incentive to attract new settlers; more protection and growing population for the new territory.

The future Johnny Appleseed (this moniker is not attached to him until decades later) visited Marietta in 1796, or 1797, or 1798 depending on the source. Author C. Burr Dawes cites 1796 based on notes from Carl Wier Ellenwood, who lectured about Johnny Appleseed based in part on knowledge passed down from Ellenwood’s relatives in Southeast Ohio. 

John’s father Nathaniel Sr., stepmother Lucy, and his ten half brothers and sisters moved to Washington County in 1805, leaving their native Massachusetts for a better life in Ohio. They settled on land near present day Dexter City, Ohio, then part of Washington County. There is no evidence that Nathaniel Sr. ever owned property there. He may have lived on unclaimed land or on property owned by the Cooley family . 

Though John Chapman never lived here, he passed through this area on the way to and from central Ohio where he conducted his orchard activities. Author Kerrigan says: “He visited his Marietta (area) family regularly and maintained close ties to some of them for the rest of his life.”  Much evidence of this comes from relatives:

• Author Howard Means says that a tavern owner in Lowell kept a diary which noted that John passed through annually on trips to and from Pennsylvania.
• Minnie E. Stalling of Dexter City, Ohio, quoted by C. Burr Dawes, said, “John made trips up and down Duck Creek Valley on his way from Marietta…” 
• He visited his brother Nathaniel Jr., though his wife Ammorillah was not a fan and made John wash up in the creek before entering their house. 
• John spent time with Davis Chapman (youngest son of Lucy and Nathaniel) and his wife in Lowell almost every year.
• Two local historic sites, Henderson Hall, and Blennerhassett Island State Park both claim that John Chapman visited or planted at their sites.

W. M. Glines recollections

One account by W. M. Glines, a Marietta resident, in an 1870’s booklet titled Johnny Appleseed by One Who Knew Him, gives a first hand glimpse into Chapmans’ life in the Marietta area. Quotes are from his book. The narrative is fascinating, though not always accurate. Glines cited his sources: “Much that I have said about him I have gathered from his relatives who are a very respectable lot of people, and are perfectly reliable. Other incidents related are from published reports.” 

He states that John Chapman and the rest of the family arrived in Marietta from Massachusetts on April 7, 1798, having floated down from Pittsburgh in a large dugout canoe made from a poplar tree. That date, Glines points out correctly, was the tenth anniversary of Marietta’s founding. “It being the anniversary of the first landing of the Ohio Company (at Marietta)…., the citizens young and old, were engaged in a game of foot ball, an exercise they very much delighted in.” Glines does not describe this game, perhaps an early version of soccer. John himself may have visited in 1798, but the family did not arrive until 1805.

Glines mentions many of John Chapman’s traits and experiences. There was one that I had not heard from any other sources and am not able to verify its accuracy. He states that John at age 21 “received a kick from a horse that fractured his skull, which was trepaned* at the time. From that time forth he manifested that particular character attributed to him.” Glines implies that the injury changed his behavior to the eccentric, unkempt, hermit-like popular image we associate with Johnny Appleseed.

* Trepaned (or Trepanned) is an archaic phrase describing early medical procedures for cranial injuries which may have involved drilling a hole in the skull.

His first hand account of John Chapman’s final visit to see southeast Ohio relatives in 1842 is considered to be true. John stayed in his brother Nathaniel Jr.’s home. Their sister Sally who married John Whitney lived nearby. Lightning had broken apart a large tree on the Whitney property, blasting it into strangely uniform pieces. The Whitneys used those pieces to make fence rails. John Chapman was curious when he heard this story. He wanted to see this tree and the fence rails. Off they went.

Glines, who accompanied Nathaniel and Mr. Whitney, wanted to take his gun to hunt squirrel or rabbit along the way. John objected strongly, “…he read me a severe lecture upon the subject of taking life from any living creature” because of God’s sovereignty over life. They came to a creek; Glines, Whitney, and Nathaniel rock-hopped across it. John removed his shoes and waded through it, walking barefoot the rest of the way. 

He examined the fence rails, measured them, and viewed the nearby tree where the lightning generated rails came from. He then turned to Mr. Whitney and launched into “a sermon upon the wonderful Providence of God to man.” He stated that God had provided the fence rails by striking the tree at the spot where they were needed, thereby saving the family some hard work. Emphatically, he concluded, “…can’t you see it?” Whitney thought about it and wasn’t so sure. He recalled that John had once barely survived being trapped in a snow storm and asked him why God had allowed that to happen. John replied that he was foolish to put himself in such a dangerous situation, but God was merciful to provide enough snow to dig a shelter and avoid freezing.

Glines recollections were decades old when he wrote them down. Other traditions about Johnny Appleseed were often from recollections far in the past. The illustrates one challenge for researchers: those memories that seem so vivid may become less reliable over time. And stories passed down often change in the telling and retelling. 

Story teller

Stories of John Chapman’s overcoming life threatening situations abound. He often told them to rapt children eager to hear a tall tale.  One of the oft repeated stories was set in Pennsylvania. He was traveling by canoe in late winter on a river choked with ice floes. He noticed that the ice was moving as fast as he could paddle, so he dragged his canoe on to one of the floes and floated paddle-free. He fell asleep and ended up 100 miles past his intended destination. That’s a tall tale, for sure. At a brisk current of 5 miles per hour, that would have required more than 20 hours of sleep. In another adventure, he claimed to have escaped hostile Indians by submerging himself in a marsh and breathing through a reed. In this story he again fell asleep and awoke hours later, still submerged. The Indians were gone.

Dedicated Missionary

He was a missionary of the New Church which followed the teachings of Emanuel Swedenborg, distributing literature bought with money from the sale of apple trees. He preached to anyone who would listen, regaling them with “Good news fresh from heaven.” One account says he founded a church. There are many stories about his care in not harming animals or any of God’s creatures in keeping with that faith. He put out a campfire when he noticed that mosquitoes were being burned by the fire. Once a rattlesnake bit him. He reflexively killed it but soon regretted his “ungodly” action. He eschewed planting trees with grafted sections because cutting harmed the trees.

Power of oratory

John could be surprisingly eloquent for someone with such an unkempt appearance. Rosella Rice, who knew Chapman: 

On the subject of apples he was very charmingly enthusiastic. One would be astonished at his beautiful description of excellent fruit. I saw him once at the table, when I was very small, telling about some apples that were new to us. His description was poetical, the language remarkably well-chosen; it could have been no finer had the whole of Webster's "Unabridged," with all its royal vocabulary, been fresh upon his ready tongue. I stood back of my mother's chair, amazed, delighted, bewildered, and vaguely realizing the wonderful powers of true oratory. I felt more than I understood.

His oratory could be just as impressive when he talked about his faith.

Orchards were a business, Chapman a business man

I always thought of Johnny Appleseed as a haphazard planter of apple trees for other people. Wrong: Orchards were a serious business for John Chapman. His work was systematic. He planted in areas of future settlement - before settlers arrived. He found good locations, planted seeds, built fencing (often using tree branches or existing briar patches) to protect the seedlings, periodically tended them, then sold the land or trees years later when settlers arrived. Some of his later orchards contained thousands of trees. Johnny Appleseed owned or leased several hundred acres of land during his life. Author Kerrigan:  “John Chapman did not die a wealthy man, but neither was he impoverished…..”

Imagined sketch of Johnny tending his trees from the 1871 article in Harpers New Monthly Magazine which first popularized John Chapman as Johnny Appleseed.

Apples were vital for early settlers

Foxweather.com article: “At the time, apples were more than just a sweet, healthy treat. Rather, they were a versatile fruit that helped people survive and their farms thrive.” Orchards were a community asset. Apples were used to make apple cider, apple butter, and vinegar. Dried apples were stored for eating during winter. They were also fed to pigs. Apples grown from seeds were not the sweet eating kind. According to Henry David Thoreau, an apple grown from seed tastes "sour enough to set a squirrel's teeth on edge and make a jay scream."

Johnny Appleseed Memorial in Noble County:

There is a monument to Johnny Appleseed near Dexter City, OH at 38345 Marietta Road (State Route 821) near the homestead where his family settled in 1805.  Parley Chapman, his half-brother and his family are buried nearby in a family cemetery on the hill above this monument. The memorial is made from small rocks donated from people all along the routes over which Johnny passed. It includes this message: “Without a hope of recompense, without a thought of pride, John Chapman planted apple trees and preached, and lived and died.”

Sources:

American Forests Magazine, author not disclosed, “From businessman to folk legend: Johnny Appleseed,” 9/26/2014

Dawes, C. Burr, “Johnny Appleseed in Marietta and Muskingum Valley,” Tallow Light, Vol 15. No. 1, 1984

Gabriel, Angeli, “How Johnny Appleseed helped establish the American frontier,” fox weather.com, 12/8/2021

Geiling, Natasha, “The Real Johnny Apppleseed Brought Apples - and Booze- to the American Frontier,” Smithsonian Magazine, 11/10/2014.

Glines, W. M., Johnny Appleseed by One Who Knew Him, The F. J. Heer Printing Co, 1922.

Howe, Henry, Historical Collection of Ohio, Vol II, C. J. Krehbiel & Co., 1904

Kelly, Kate, “Johnny Appleseed Debunked,” americacomesalive.com

Kerrigan, William, Johnny Appleseed and the American Orchard, The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2012.

Means, Howard, Johnny Appleseed The Man, The Myth, the American Story, Simon and Schuster, 2011

Smith, Brady, “The Real Johnny Appleseed,” heinzhistorycenter.org, 6/6/2017

Thompson, Jim, “Tribute to Johnny Appleseed The Tree Planter (Part I)”, Linworth Historical Newsletter, June, 2007, worthingtonmemory.org

Williams, Gary S. Gliding to a Better Place, Profiles from Ohio’s Territorial Era, Buckeye Books, 2000

Nahum Ward to Scottish Farmers: Have I Got a Deal for You

Many readers may know that Nahum Ward was a prominent early Mariettan, owner at various times of 100,000 acres of land and of a showcase home in Marietta. In 1816, he achieved national notice for his exploration of Mammoth Cave and exhibition of the "Fawn Hoof" mummy retrieved from the cave.

Nahum Ward was serious-minded, but he dreamed big. He promoted the sale of the lands he owned with newspaper ads and notices in the eastern U.S. His marketing effort included a trip to Scotland and Ireland in the fall of 1822 to recruit immigrants who would buy his land and move to the Marietta area. The journey itself was quite an accomplishment at a time when travel was complicated, slow, expensive, and sometimes risky. It was also a personal sacrifice, since he left behind his wife and 3 small children for about 1 1/2 years.

Below are excerpts from a broadside (a large poster or handout that was commonly used in that period for publicity or advertising) used to promote the Marietta area to Scottish farmers. Ward, or whoever he used to write this, was quite a wordsmith. This is from a transcription of the original document now at Marietta College Library Special Collections. Spelling and punctuation are quoted from the document.

WHO WILL GO TO THAT BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY, OHIO, IN NORTH AMERICA

The undersigned (Nahum Ward), a citizen of Marietta, in the state of Ohio, in latitude 39 north, and about 500 miles west of the city of Washington, the capital of North America, has crossed the Atlantic for the purpose of aiding farmers who are desirous of emigrating to that hospitable clime. The climate is mild, the soil exuberant, waters pure and abundant......The state of Ohio is rapidly increased, and increasing, in population.

Colleges, academies, and schools are encouraged. Lands are given by Congress for the support of religion and schools...1200 acres in each town; also large sums of money for making roads....The political institutions of this state impart to its inhabitants, who are remarkably moral and religious, all the benefits and privileges which freedom could desire....

The population (of Ohio) is about 800,000 free people, who have upwards of 220 post offices already in the state, and between 40 and 50 newspaper presses which (are) diffusing information, almost gratuitously, in every part of the state.

Grain of all kinds is easily cultivated, and is abundantly productive. Fruits, such as apples, pears, peaches, pomgranates, wine-grapes, mellons, cucumbers, tomatoes, and numerous others, grow in great perfection, and are cultivated in open fields by every farmer....

The class that takes the lead of all others is the farmer;....he has no rent to pay - no game laws (deer, turkies, pheasants, squirrels, etc. to shoot when he pleases). He has neither timber nor fishing laws - no taxes to pay, except his equal share for the support of the civil list of the country, which is a trifle. He has neither poor rates nor tythes to pay: such are the blessings enjoyed by the American farmer.

The market (for farmers' products) is always sure , and at his door, as there are men, both from the cities and country, who make a business of travelling to every farmer's house, who has cattle, swine, sheep, or grain to sell, and will take them off his hands, paying down in dollars for what he buys...others are engaged in collecting butter, cheese, apples, cyder, whiskey, peach brandy, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, and in fact every article that the farmer raises or makes for sale....

The undersigned has the most ample credentials from gentlemen who fill the first offices in the American Cabinet, to show that he is the undisputed proprietor of many large tracts of valuable lands in the district of Marietta...

I found the wording of this document fascinating. The language is flowery and probably exaggerated. Yet he included useful information that sensible, down-to-earth farmers would want to know about. I am not sure how well researched his facts were. For example, did people really come around to area farms to pick up produce that farmers were selling? The narrative is also a reminder of the state of our country in that period: no taxes and no regulations.

Mr. Ward’s broadside also mentions practical details: where to contact him, a description of the land/lot sizes, and a requirement to pre-pay postage – otherwise the letters “will not be attended to.” There is also a post script saying “N.B. (take notice)---- None possesed of means below £25 need apply.” Meaning, unless you have at least 25 British pounds, don’t bother to inquire.

Nahum Ward achieved some success. The History of Washington County Ohio book reports that 175 people emigrated from Scotland to the United States to land which he owned. Many arrived in the summer of 1823. Unfortunately, there was an epidemic of illness going on then. Most of the emigrants were stricken with fever when they arrived; some died. But Nahum Ward helped provide for them with temporary lodging and medical attention. Many eventually settled in western Washington County, forming “one of the best elements of the population of Washington County,” according to The History of Washington County Ohio authors.

This was but one chapter of Nahum Ward’s productive life as a successful business person, Marietta civic leader, family man, and benefactor of the Unitarian Church.

Where it All Began - Oil and Gas Industry in SE Ohio and West Virginia

We are in the midst of an oil and gas boom....again. There have been several cycles of boom and bust in Southeastern Ohio and adjacent areas of West Virginia. The late David McKain, oil industry veteran and local historian, documents in his book Where It All Began that this area truly had a pioneering role in the oil and gas industry.

A few early oil wells highlight the importance of our area in the early oil and gas industry: The Thorla-McKee wells in Noble County OH, and wells near Macksburg and on Cow Run in Washington County OH. In a future article, I will discuss some of the early activity in nearby West Virginia.

First, some background: The earliest reference to oil in America was in the 1600s. Seneca Indians knew of "oil springs" in southwestern New York and western Pennsylvania. There were other references to oil springs in correspondence and maps of that period. One map by the French labels a spring as "Fountain de Bitume."

Locally, oil roots trace back to the late 1700s. Thomas Jefferson witnessed a Wirt County WV burning natural gas vent in 1781. George Washington owned property with oil and gas deposits on the Kanawha River and visited it in 1775. His will described it as being acquired "on account of a bituminous spring which it contains, of so inflammable a nature that it burns as freely as spirits...."

Until the mid-1800s, the search was for salt, a valuable commodity in early America, used for food preservation and flavoring. Salt and brine were usually accompanied by oil oozing out of the ground and by natural gas vents which burned when ignited. These oil and gas byproducts were a nuisance; their value had not been realized yet.

The Thorla McKee well in Noble County is believed to be the oldest producing oil well in North America. The first well was drilled for salt in 1814 using the spring pole drilling method to a reported depth of 200 feet. Silas Thorla and Robert McKee were entrepreneurs who wanted to start a salt works. The well struck the sought-after brine - and oil as well. A second well was drilled in 1816 to a reported depth of 475 feet.


Spring pole drilling method used to drill early salt and oil wells. Worker(s) repeatedly “kicked down” the drilling implement into the hole while the spring pole sapling (appearing as horizontal log in photo) pulled it back up to so it could be kicked down again. From American Oil and Gas Historical Society.

The salt works at the well site thrived. The brine/oil mixture was placed in barrels, allowing the oil to separate and float on the surface. Oil was soaked up using blankets, then wrung from the blankets. The primitive oil recovery method copied that used by Seneca Indians. Some oil thus recovered was sold for medicinal purposes as "Seneca Oil." The brine was boiled in kettles to recover the salt.


Thorla McKee 1816 well with remains of the original sycamore log casing. From ohiomemory.org.

There was natural gas present, also, which often created a safety hazard. Every week or so, Old Faithful-style, the well would "blow off" gas, creating a 40-50 ft. high geyser of salt water. John McKee told the story of a spectacular night time encounter with natural gas at the well. Robert Caldwell was working the salt kettles one night and needed more brine from the well. Usually that operation was done during daylight. He used live coals for light, placed on the platform above the well. One of the coals slipped through the platform floor and dropped near the well. That ignited the gas, creating a huge fireball and a thunderous noise heard miles away. McKee said "Robert Caldwell was not hurt, but a worse scared man was never seen on Duck Creek." The resulting fire ignited the oil, causing it to flow into the creek, creating the spectacle of a half mile floating inferno with flames reaching tree top height.

The 1816 well survives today, at Thorla McKee Park at the intersection of state routes 78 and 564. On October 7, 2014, the 200th anniversary of the first well was celebrated with a festival and dedication of the park, operated by the Noble County Historical Society.

Ohio's first well drilled exclusively for oil was drilled near Macksburg OH in the autumn of 1860 on land that James Dutton and two others had leased. They struck oil at a mere 59 ft. depth which flowed at 100 barrels per day. Dutton's investment return was astronomical. They had leased the land for 99 years for $100. At 100 barrels per day of oil then worth $10, the well generated $1,000 in a single day. Dutton was so excited that when asked how his sick wife was doing, he exclaimed "flowing one hundred barrels a day!"

Months later, drilling also began in early 1861 on Cow Run in Lawrence Township, Washington County. Why Cow Run? The story goes that John Newton was in his office at the Harmar Bucket Factory reading aloud an article about drilling for oil and gas in Canada. Uriah Dye, a worker at the factory, overheard the reading. He told Newton that he (Dye) had a gas spring on his property on Cow Run. They investigated the gas spring, then sprang into action themselves, so to speak. They formed a business entity, then obtained a lease in February 1861 from Uriah Dye and Samuel Dye. They began drilling using the spring pole method.

The first well on Uriah's farm was dry. Unfazed, Newton grabbed a shovel and said "C'mon boys, I'll show you where to get an oil well!" He walked over to the Samuel Dye lease and picked a spot where gas bubbled out of the ground. He dug a pit with the shovel and the next day it was full of oil. They began drilling again. The well struck oil at 137 feet and yielded 50 barrels per day. That oil was moved to Marietta in barrels by wagon and shipped to St. Louis to a refinery.


Scene from nearby 1860s WV oil field – similar to Macksburg and Cow Run. From Oil and Gas Museum web site.

These finds set off waves of oil rush frenzy. Thousands of people and millions of investor dollars jammed into the areas where new wells struck oil. The Marietta Republican reported on January 2, 1861, that "Since Mr. James Dutton struck (oil)...our citizens are getting wild on the oil subject. The whole valley of Duck Creek ...is being perforated. We learn that several hundred wells are being sunk." Prophetically, the commentary notes: "We should be glad to see all who are engaged in the business succeed, but fear many will lose while other make." At one early boom period at Cow Run, The Ohio Geological Survey Volume 8 said "Derricks were so close together that it was difficult to drive a wagon through the valley.”

Inevitably, though, the boom times faded. But activity has often started up anew as new discoveries or better recovery techniques developed. Today’s current wave of shale oil drilling is a good example of the latter, using horizontal drilling and new fracking methods.

We can be justifiably proud of our local area’s role in the development of the oil and gas industry. It has been a cornerstone of the local economy since the earliest days. Let's hope the current boom moderates into a more sustainable “Goldilocks” activity level rather than becoming another bust.

Every Child Deserves a Chance: the look back at the Washington County Children's Home

Suzanne and I, and our Old English Sheepdog Abby, were breathing hard after the steep ascent of the hill behind the old Children’s Home buildings in Marietta. We lived at the time on nearby Rathbone Terrace. On top, it is a serene setting. There are views up the Muskingum River valley. A stand of tall oaks offers shade.

We noticed a mowed clearing with a chain link fence around it. A bronze plaque explained that the area was a burial ground for 77 children who died while residents of the Children’s Home. The plaque had been erected in 1982 by the Washington County Children Services Board.

It was a poignant reminder for me of what the Children’s Home did in decades past- and what Washington County Children Services does today - providing a good home to neglected, abused, or orphaned kids. “Every Child Deserves a Chance” is the tag line for the current levy campaign to fund prevention efforts for at-risk children.

The tradition was begun by Catherine A. (Fay) Ewing (1822 - 1897). She was born in Westboro, Massachusetts, and in 1835 moved with her parents to Marietta. Catherine attended the Marietta Female Seminary and at age of 20 became a missionary among the Choctaw Indians in the west. While there, she learned that an orphan child died from being thrown down stairs during an alcohol fueled domestic argument. “The distress of mind I suffered over this sad affair so affected my health, that I was obliged to leave my work among the Indians, and return home; but the desire and purpose had arisen in my heart to have a home where I might care for such orphaned and homeless children. After this every effort was directed toward that object, every dollar laid up with miserly care.”

She moved to Kentucky to teach and save money for her project. After two years, she returned to Washington County and with savings and a modest inheritance purchased several acres of land in Lawrence Township near Moss Run. There was a two room cottage on the property which became the first “Children’s Home.” She convinced the infirmary trustees to provide $1.00 per week for expenses, pay half the medical expenses, buy new clothes for each child, and pay burial expenses when needed. She pledged to take care of the rest. On April 1, 1858, she took in 9 children under 10 years of age who had been housed in the county infirmary alongside alcoholics and mentally unstable adults.



Her initial efforts were applauded by many. But others, especially neighbors, were suspicious and even hostile. Some believed that her “charity” was simply a money-making scheme. Others did not want “paupers” and presumed misfits mingling with their kids. This prejudice lead to threats and vandalism at the home.

School officials tried to block her from sending her kids to the local schoolhouse. When she brought the children the first time, the teacher sent them home. Later a group of men blocked their entrance. They feared for the safety of the other students and objected to the local school having to bear the cost of educating orphans from the entire county. She finally succeeded in enrolling the children but the next year hired a teacher to educate the children at the home, a practice which continued until 1962.

The first few years were difficult. Finances were strained. She had limited help to manage the kids. In 1858 Construction was finished on a new house for the children. They rejoiced at having sufficient living space. Several times illness swept through the house – diphtheria, scarlet fever, influenza. Several of the children died from illness.

The diphtheria outbreak in June of 1860 was particularly challenging and lasted for 5 months. She became ill first and could not care for the kids. Her two hired women left. No others would work there for fear of contagion. Catherine herself explains: “All the help I had in caring for these 23 children, 8 of them sick, was the aid the children themselves could give me, though Mrs. Clogston, a neighbor, did the washing and ironing for me as a favor.” The hardest time came one evening when she thought one of the sick children might not survive the night. One of the boys sought help from a neighbor who refused, saying Catharine “was paid for taking care of the children” and should do it herself. Despondent, she was comforted by one of the children who hugged her and said “God can take care of us.” Their prayers were answered when a short time later Dr. Beckwith and his wife appeared to help out.

She credits the Lord who she says "wonderfully provided for us" and "helped me through with it all, and gave me strength according to my day. Many kind friends He raised up for me, who by gifts of money, donations of clothing, and provisions helped me to supply our wants." Help often came just when things looked the darkest for her - in the form of volunteer help, donations, encouragement, and advice.

Following the Civil War, many additional children of soldiers killed while in service were in need of support. She soon had 35 such orphans at her home. This increased expenses beyond the resources that were available. She realized that additional government funding was critical. She also wanted the Children’s Home to be separate from the County Infirmary, so it could focus solely on the children’s welfare. And she explained: “So many of (the children), too, were soldiers’ children, and these I felt deserved something better of their country than what had been provided.”

Catherine worked with government officials to address the situation. Due to her initiatives, the Ohio legislature passed a law in 1866 providing for the public support of homes for orphaned children in Ohio. It is said to have been the first legislation of its kind in the United States. Catherine later observed: "…the plan which had thought of only as a relief for our own Children's Home, became in God's good providence the means by which such institutions have been multiplied all over our state." She could have added “and all over the country,” as other states adopted similar laws and public Children’s Homes.

Washington County took the lead in establishing a true public Children’s Home. William R. Putnam was elected chairman of the newly appointed trustees. A new Washington County Children's Home building was constructed on a 100 acre farm just outside Marietta on Muskingum Drive. In 1867 33 orphans from Catherine's home were transferred to the new facility.


Photos circa 1900

Ironically, Catherine herself was not involved with the new home. She had been offered the position of manager but balked when the trustees refused to hire her husband Archibald Ewing to manage the farm. Ann Guthrie Brown became the first superintendent of the Children Home. Catherine and her husband moved to Marietta, where they operated a boarding house for college students. Still interested in aiding the needy, Catherine led the effort to establish the Washington County Woman's Home, a facility that provided a home for aging females. Catherine died on April 4, 1897, and was buried in Oak Grove Cemetery.

Over the years successive Children’s Home superintendents, staff members, and trustees provided a safe home environment for “their” kids. Goals for each child went beyond basic care and included education and becoming useful citizens. The Century Review of Marietta publication noted: "...the entire premises are made as home-like as possible. Homes to good families are found for the children as fast as practicable and constant watch is kept over each to insure their proper treatment to the end that they may grow up to be useful citizens. The managers have constantly in view the real objects of the home and endeavor to make the children feel that this is a large family and true home...this home is an honor to the state and one in which the people of Washington County take pride." This may not have been a totally objective assessment, but it expressed the good intentions and reputation of the Children's Home over the generations.


Photo circa 1900

Later reports suggest that the home had as many as 100 residents at one point. There was also success in finding good homes for other children. A 1966 report stated that over 3,100 children had resided in the home since its inception in 1867.

The home closed in 1976 when placing children directly into foster homes or adoption became a preferred method for serving these children. But the tradition of supporting children in need continues through dedicated work of Washington County Children Services agency. Aunt Katie Fay, as she was known, would gratefully approve of progress since her first home and agree that “Every Child Deserves a Chance.”