Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-06
OVER A CENTURY OLD.
The Remarkably Long Lease Of Life
Accorded an Ohio Woman.
SHE HAS NOW LIVED 107 YEARS,
Bright and Intelligent Still, With q Fund
of Information
IN REGARD TO OHIO'S EARLY HISTORY
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DISPATCH.

|
about a dozen miles above this city on the
banks of the beautiful Muskingum river,
resides woman who is unquestionably the
Oldest and in many respects the most re-
markable person in this State. This person
is Mrs Nancy Allison Frost, who is nearly
1O7 years old and is in possession of all her
faculties.
| Nancy Allison was born in Fayette
county, Pa, October %, 1884, and when 5
| wears of age came with her father to Mariet-
ia in the fall of 1889, about one year after
the first settlement of Ohio at this
point. Two years after the arriv-
al of the family the terrible Indian
war of 1885 broke out and the ensuing
four years the family lived in the Campus
Martius fort, the site and foundations of
which are within the present corporate
limits of this city. Here she attended the
first school taught in the Northwest Terri
tory, being Sunday school conducted by
Mrs Lake, an EnglishwOman, in her rooms
| in the garrison, where she taught her 15 or
20 little charges to read and taught them,
also, the Westminster catechism, the Apos-
ties Greed and the Lords Prayer.
In One House for 91 Years.
After the close of the Indian war in 1875,
the family removed to farm on the Mus
kingum river above Marietta, where it has
resided continuously ever since, the home
stead being handed down from one genera
tion to another. In the year 1900, at the
age of 16, the subject of this sketch was
married to Stephen Frost, who lived upon
farm adjoining her fathers, and this has
been her home ever since.
In the course of nature-it would seem as
though Mrs. Frost's course must be nearly
run; but her activity, both physical and
mental, is really remarkable. Enjoying her
second sight, she both sews and reads with
ease, and, barring partial deafness, she "a
in full possession of her senses and enters
readily and willingly into conversation.
1t was the pleasure of the writer to visit
Mrs Frost at her home, near Lowell, in this
county, few days ago, where she resides
with her grandson and his family, and enjoy
a long talk with her. The venerable woman
appears younger than many women of 75
years, and although averse to notoriety of
any kind, she received her visit
ors courteously and readily accorded
them the privilege of an interview, lasting
for nearly an hour. In consequence of her
deafness, in conversation she holds the
hand of the person with whom she is talk
ing, declaring that she is thus enabled to
understand better what is said.
MrS. trosPS interesting Talk.
AT the outset of the conversation the
talk naturally reverted to scenes and Incl
dents of her early life, which was coincident
with that of the State, and her "reminiscences
were most interesting, many of them pos
sessing much historic value. She
speaks Familiarity of General Ru.
fus Putnam and Major Anselm Tup-
per, the leaders of the 4S pioneers
who landed at what is now Marietta on
April Z, 1888, and made the great State of
Ohio a possibility, for she saw them every
day during those four long and memorable |
years of incarceration in the fort during the |
continuance of the Indian war. She re-
members well General Arthur St. Clair, |
first Governor of the Northwest Territory,
and his beautiful daughter, Louisa, the |
belle of the garrison.
Mrs. Frost smiled as she told of little |
playmate who was the happy possessor of |
the only doll in the garrison and described |
this much-envied treasure as minutely as |
though it were but yesterday instead of |
nearly 100 years ago. that she lived and |
played in Campus Martius.
Contrary to what visitor would expect, !
Mrs. Frost takes lively interest in current |
events, both in this country and abroad, |
and asked the writer particularly concern
ing European politics. She is a constant |
IodNSI VI VIC newspapers anu neg Sympd- |
thies are manifestly with the republican |
in Great Britain, France and |
Germany. She takes an equally lively in
terest, too, in all that is going on about her. |
She Is Prepared for Death.
She declares her readiness and anxiety to |
die, stating that she hopes no one else |
will live to be so old and burden to them
selves and their friends; and yet she is happy, |
and to all appearances may live for many |
years yet. Her grandfather, Allison, she
says, lived to the age of 1O4 years, and
longevity is hereditary in her family.
Great interest attaches to Mrs. Frost, not
only on account of her extreme age, but be-
cause of her retention of her faculties, and |
her house is the Mecca toward
which many visitors to- this section of the
State turn their steps, she does not receive
many strangers, and it is considered great
privilege to secure an interview with her as
she especially deprecates notoriety.