Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1925-02-26
no YOU REMEMBER? IRVEN
TRAVIS DOES. TELLS LII

and HlSLOrlcdi Sooi0ty
Tnurday night were given real his
torical feast, when Captain Travis
spoke on the subject do you re-
member" He dealt with the early
history of McConnelsville, as Mr.
Travis recalled it, going back to ms
boyhood days. :,
He prefaced his remarks by cali
ing attention to the fact that NC
Connelsville is mentioned as Deing
one of the best laid out towns IN
the limited States, and it is SO spoK-
en- of in some school text books
which are widely used. : 1t is the lay
oI,t of the public square that at
tracts the particular attention.
Churches
Taking up the churches, Mr.
Travis mentioned the Methodlst
Episcopal church. The first struc
ture was of stone, and on the same
mt as the present structure. IN
aerneath was a basement, and
fight of wooden steps led up TO the
assembly room from the OUTSIDE.
This building served as place Oh
worship until the year 1861, Wneh
the present edifice was built. soon
afterward the district conference
met here. and was largely attended.
At tbe same time this community
was thrown into a fever OF OIL ex-
citement, when some oil was founo
near where the Dover slaughter
hm1se now stands, at depth or only
231h feet. This attracted so much
attention, that many who came 10
attend the M. E. conference went
out to the oil we'll. The conference
had a small printing press on Whlch
to publish small daily newspaper
giving the proceedings of the con-
ference. However, because OF the
oil excitement, the oil news was glV-
en- first consideration and the con-
farence news received but little no
tice.
In the year 1892 the first Baptist
church was built, it being on the site
of the present wholesale grocery
building. Mr. Travis remembers
that it was burned in the year 1858.
For time afterward the congrega-
tion occupied a building near where
the armory stands. The present
structure was erected in 1872.
The Universalist church was, in
the speakers early manhood, one OF
the leading churches of the town
The building was erected in the year
1852.
What is now the Methodist Prot
estant church was built by the Con-
gregationalists, and was occupied by
them for a number of years. 1t was
built in 1897 The NJ. P. society was
organized in the year 1874.
1t was in the year 1892 that the
Pf Asbyterians erected the present
structure, which place has since been
their church home.
It was about the year 1870 that
the Catholics purchased from the
board of education the present build
ine which they have since occupied.
Schools
Particularly Interestingly did Mr..
remembers them There were about
half dozen school buildings scat
tered over the town. One was what
is now the Catholic church. This
contained primary and intermed-
late room. A duplicate of this build
ins was the old electric light plant
building, and there was another
school building which stood near the
present new residence of Auditor
Charles E. Harper on Liberty street;
another was back of the Citizens
bank, and there was two story high
school building about where the
present high school building is 10 F,
caIed. Mr.. Travis introduced some |
facts, that we do not like to mention /!
and among them was that at that |
time McConnelsville had a popula- |
tion of 2250-and now it is only |
about 1900. He stated that a |
strange thing about it is, that at !
present there are between 400 and
500 more houses in the village than !
there were at that time.
He well remembers when the pres
ent court house was constructed,
and the old one which faced in the
direction of the White Front furni |
tuTe store.
Early Industries
Among the early industries here /
were two foundries. One of them
was located across from what is now
the Manly garage, called the Dickin-
son foundry Another one was
across from the present Bone -four
mill, and was known as the Eagle
foundry. Both of the foundries did
a big business, making among other
things steam engines of which many
were used in the salt business which
at the time was a big industry of the
valley, there being on an
average one salt furnace to the mile,
between here and GAINESVILLE. In
the foundries, Mr.. Travis
said it also called to his mind that
near one of them there was an acci-
dent akin to the Floyd Collins Sand
Cave tragedy, although no lives
we're lost. A man by the name of
Custer, while repairing the curb on
/ well accidentally fell into the well,
and the earth and debris closed in
over him. An iron tube was put
1own through to where he was and
le was communicated with 1t was
necessary to sink shaft near by
ind tunnel in, and he was thus res
.ued. II