Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1933-04-13
By c. B. RAY

again. VIM. Doyle and Mr.. Car
medy staid with US a while, but the
city seemed to beckon. The former
went to GAINESVILLE and the latter to
Columbus.
We took a trip eastward, where we
met old friends and gathered data. |
On our way over we rode with Les
lie McGrath, the Star mail carrier. !
Les was born on the Abe Roberts
farm over in the southeast corner
CT the township, and comes OF pio-
neer stock. We hope to spend some
time with Hiram and Frank Nc
Grath, and get the Nc history.
We spent some time at the Will
Brothers home. VIII is Bristol
born Ota. while born in Manches-
ter, lived in Bristol following their
marriage, long enough to gain A
heritage and make many friends
1t was on the old Brothers farm
that their daughter Nellie. wife of
Homer LautZenheiZer, was born
viii and Ota own and reside on the
Foster farm just west of the juno
ton of 76 and rs. at Ferguson cor
ner. The Lautzenheizers live just a
little east of the Brothers home.
We are, and always have been, in
terested in our aged folks (you can
be aged and not old. 1t seems to
us that we have a very small num-
Der of folks who are aged, in COM
parison to the number Of residents
in the township, Let us name
them: AIDA Oglevee, G. P. Roberts,
VIM Crisman, Amy Wilson, Nancy
McGonagle Taking the number as
listed at the last count, in 1880.
730, this makes less than six-tenths
of one percent of the population,
who have passed the so mark, and
we believe there are fewer in the
70 class.
Adam Smith was born in Sharon
township, Noble county His wife,
Tillie Hastings Smith was born in
Manchester township After their
marriage, they resided on the farm
which joins the Bristol
line at Otho.
Some time ago we noted where a
pencil pusher said there was never
any postoffice at Otho, in spite of
which there was. The office was in
the mill
But back to the Smith family
They were the parents of the fol-
lowing children Roy, deceased,
whose wife was Ethel Fitch, who
with her children lives on Kennebec
hill, MeConnelsville; Bessie, wife of
John Maxwell of Hiramsburg; BeryI
who now owns the home farm Will
liam married Maud HoSom; Gladys
who has employment in NcConnels-
Vile; Chester, who married Rosa
Wilson Dana married Hazel John
son. Chester and wife live with
Mrs. Smiths father, A B. Wilson,
near Pleasant Hill school house
Chester and family moved from Nc
Connelsyille this week. in with his
sister Beryl on the home farm. Mrs.
Smith died Feb. 27, 1928, and Mr.
Smith in 1882. Both were buried
on the first day of March, at Rein
ersville.
For many years, a house that
stood out in the field east of the
S. D. Gilliland home west of Otho, |
was home to several families. among
which we note the following: Geo. |
Flagg. a coal digger; Elias Allen,
Phil Whissen, the miller. This !
house was likely built by man
named Douglas, as it was referred |
to as the Douglas house. Adam
Smith bought the land and razed |
the house.
In the stage coach days, Wash
ington> Ferguson drove stage on the
Marietta-Zanesville route. After
his marriage to Polly Carr, he set
tied along the route. While he
moved around quite a bit, he lived
close to the route all his married
life. He took leases and cleared
much land in Bristol township.~
They were the parents of eight
children, as follows: James, who
married Louise Filkill: Joseph, En-
ma Sealock; Cyrus. Sarah Wilkes;
Washin gton. Melissa Conger; Ell
mer, Maggie Thomas; Eliza, Alfred
Dunn; Mary Ann, VIM. Wilkes, and
Sarah who died at the age of fve
of diphtheria. Maggie, wife of Ell
mer, lives in Caldwell, and is in
poor health. Mrs. Dunn, the last
of the family, died in January Of
this year, 1888. Joseph and Emma
have lived in the southeast corner
If the township for many years,
where Joe died May Is, 1928 Mrs.
Ferguson still resides at the rome
across the creek from the Crisman
house, the first settlement in the
township. Mrs. Ferguson told us
that Mrs. Stevens Christian name
was Sally, and that she did the
cooking for the inn, and was noted
for her waffle cake baking. We find
the Stevens family have some con-
nections with relatives of the town.
ship, at the present time, whose
history we will tell later. The Fer
guson family were Marylanders, we