Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1867-12-05
The Oldest Man in Ohio.


There is residing at this time in
the village of Jefferson, Plain town
ship, Wayne county, Ohio, five miles
west of Wooster. the oldest man in
the State of Ohio, and probably in
the United States.
His name is john Folgate. He
was born in Lebanon, Pennsylvania,
in the month of February, 1859, max
ing him one hundred and eight years
old. He emlgratcd to Ohio, in 1929,
and has lived, since that time, an in
dustrious, quiet, nnobtrusive life in
Jefferson. He was, consequently,
seventy Years of age when he settled
in that yillage-having already at
tanned the period in life designated
in Holy Writ as the unusual limit of
human existence, and at which most
men, under the burden OF SO many
years, die.
Physically, he is rather small
probably under medium size-but
exhibits compact form and q we'll
constructed body, which, no doubt,
eighty years ago was of physical ex.
cellence and muscular perfection.
He was married at the age of thirty
to Miss Elizabeth Wolgamot-the
very mention of whose name starts
bitter tears in those old eyes that
have led him upward through the
darkness and labyrinths of q cen.
tury. His wife was born in Lancas-
ter county, Pennsylvania, three years
before the battle of Lexington, and
three years after the birth of the
great Bonapart She had often seen
and spoken to Washington. Her
death occurred January 30, 1S49, in
her seventy eighth year. An only
child was their welded inheritance,
and the old man, who carries well
nigh a million hours, weeps and
wonders that the son, aged fifty
years, should be dead and the father
here.
He was teamster in his early
years, about Baltimore, Md, and in
Pennsylvania, but for the last sixty
or seventy years has been engaged
in mechanical labor. He was draft.
ed in the war of 1912, shouldered his
musket, but was discharged on &C
count of his age-so that fifty five
years ago he was too far advanced in
years to be soldier. At the time
he was drafted he was keeping q
tavern at place called Sporting Hill,
near Baltimore.
In politics he was always an ole
line whig, but in political as well as
social life, whilst he had stern con
vlctions, he had but few. prejudices.
He was thirty years old when
Washington was first made Presi
dent, and gave him his vote He is
old enough to have been the father
of Generals Jackson and Scott, and
the grandfather of Jas. X. Polk; he
was eleven years old when White
field, the leader OF Calvinistic Metho-
dists died; be might have been the
father of Tom. Moore and Lord By.
ron-the perceptor of Charles Lamb,
and the schoolmate of Thos. Jeffer
son, Jas. Madison and Lafayette;
who all long since have been wrap
ped In the shroud of that unknown
mystery of death.
His ancestors were of the pure
German stock, aud his language is
the broken "Pennsylvania Dutch. -
His seat in the sanctuary is seldom
vacant, and he is what may be term
ed a true Christian, not one of Sun
day pretensions who delights in re
ligious ostentation of manner, but is
the plain, rejecting disciple. In
church he oftens starts the hymn
him self and leads in the singing
He is invariably in good humor-''all
his tickets from nature are stamped |
with a smile"
For venerable years, hearty and
old age, we do not believe
his parallel is to be found in the
United States. The facts narrated
here were received from the lips of
the old man himself, who is well
known. in the country, and can be
seen by any one wishing to visit him.
His mind seems clear, he is cheerful
md communicative, works more or
ess every day out of doors, and bids
air to live another ten years. Mem
Dry seems to have failed him most,
,ut his general faculties are vigorous
md strong.