Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1925-01-22
Howe,s Trip Up The Muskingum


The name of that prince of earlv
day historical writer's, Henry Howe,
should be chiseled on the founda-
tion stone of memory's monument,
by every patriotic Ohioan. Howe
tells of steamboat trip up the
Muskingum in May, 1885, he took
from Marietta to GAINESVILLE on the
"Lizzie Cassell," Captain Lewis
Myrick.
He noted that the stream was
lined with low willows and that the
second banks of the river varied
from a half to mile in width. He
observed little bold scenery, but on
each side were hills from one hun
dred to three hundred feet high,
mostly sloping gently and wooded to
the summit.
Near the county line between
Washington and Morgan counties,
they passed on the right the "sweet
little village of Beverly on some low
hills embowered in trees, and con-
nected by bridge with Waterford,
a sister village on the left bank"
These villages were among the first
settled in Ohio.
Luke Chute is a few miles above
Beverly. Here is long reach in the
river, with bold hills on the right
and view of SURPRISING beauty
looking up the stream. 1t seems
like the Hudson on small SCALE"
"Some of the canals above the.
locks are mile long. 1t takes fif-
teen minutes to go through a lock.
! 1t creates a curious sensation to
leave the river behind, go through
lock beside a roaring falls, and then
enter canal and pass on steam
boat through cultivated fields and
by farms and houses and milch
cows, with often no sign Of the river
one has left, anywhere"
The next town he arrived at was
McConnelsvil1e where he left the
Lizzie Cassell and tarried over
night.
The next town he arrived at was
passed up on the steamer "Olivet,'
Captain E. Martin. Four miles
above, on the summit of hill about
one hundred and fifty feet high, was
the Devils Tea Table" (the IA
nous pillared rock.)
"About eight miles above McCon-
nelsville, nestled in the midst of one
of the most charming hooks, at the
foot of the hills on the west bank of
the river, the town of Eagleport. 1t
is famous as the spot where and just
below the dam across the river, John
Morgan with his troopers, forded the
Muskingum Con his celebrated
raid.")
The Olivet stopped at the little
hamlet of Gaysport on the east bank
of the river to take on the mail and
a passenger or so. To watch the boat
come in, at the dock We're eighteen
men, three boys and black, short
haired dog.
At Duncan Falls, nine miles be-
low GAINESVILLE, they came to the
most varied and picturesque scenery
on the river. Here the Muskingum
contracts to- about half its general
width. The falls, huge mill and an
old bridge, precipitous bluffs on the
west bank, the canal mile long
vending Its, way through fields out
rof the sight of the river, the COM
panion villages ON the opposite sides
of the Observation-Disclosures and
Duncan Falls, ana then an expansive
up-river view of several miles which
in the far distance was bounded by
high irregular shaped hills, all de-
lighted Henry Howe's heart and
gave peace to bis soul.
At GAINESVILLE they entered canal
by the side of the river. Some school
boys, with pantaloons up to their
knees. were wadfng in the water and,
greeted. the steamer with shouts.
This was the end OF Howesss voyage
up the Muskingum.
(,wile mine disaster which occurred
in Muskiagum county April 25,
1855, was caused by the falling, or
Gazing In of the mine. Twelve min
ers and four boys narrowly escaped
destruction, and four miners. were
entomhed. By herolo work, after
fourteen days and thirteen hours.
these four men were rescaed alive,
about seven hundred feet from the
entrance. )-Signal