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accompanied by two officers and a retinue of servants, landing near
Peter Marret's bakery, no the river bank, where a supply of
provisions was obtained. The Duke spent the night in a log
house, which was located upon the property afterward owned by
Francis Deletombe, now fronting on Fourth street, opposite the
Gallia Academy. The property is now in possession of his son
Edward, president of the First National bank, and they intend
that it shall never go out of the family.
GENERAL LAFAYETTE
visited Galipolis in 1824. He
was met at the landing by Nicholas Thevenin, an old and
honored citizen of the county, who accompanied him to the Our House,
on Front street, where he stopped. Mr. Thevenin had
formed the general's acquaintance while in France, and was
immediately recognized and cordially greeted by the latter.
INCORPORATION OF GALLIPOLIS.
The first act of the Legislature to incorporate Gallipolis was
passed Feb. 17, 1804, which vested the corporate powers in five
trustees, a president and recorder. In 1838 the office of
"president" was changed to "mayor." Having a population
exceeding five thousand inhabitants, it was, on February 10, 1865,
advanced to a city of the second class, and elected a mayor and
council. In 1873 they elected as additional officers, auditor,
marshall, treasurer, commissioner, civil engineer and solicitor.
The officers elected for the incorporated village, in
1808, were J. P. R. Bureau, president; Francis Le Clercq,
recorder; Thomas Rodgers, John Miller, Christopher Etienne,
Joseph Devacht and C. R. Menager, trustees. The
following is a lsit of city officials in 1882; Mayor, W. W.
Martindale; marshal, Thomas Guyn; auditor, John T.
Hampton; city commissioner, William H. McCormick; civil
engineer, William R. White; solicitor, R. E. Dunn;
city clerk, John T. Hamilton (president), John J. Maxon,
Samuel B. Lasley, E. Betz, W. M. Ridenour and Charles A.
Clendinen.
The tax duplicate of the city for the year 1820 was
$64,954, and the tax collected thereon was $162,43, being at the
rate of one-fourth of one per cent. Robert Worth and
George House were assessors, and Alfred S. Oakes was
marshal of the town and ordered to collect the taxes. The
duplicate for 1881 shows a valuation of $2,2007,003; the tax to be
collected thereon is $47,766.67 and the rate twenty-three and
eight-tenths mills.
The original boundaries of the village comprised the
territory of sections twenty-eight and thirty-four of town three,
range fourteen, and about the year 1844, Hon. J. J. Coombs,
member of the legislature from Gallia county, through action of that
body, had the boundaries reduced, and they were then defined as
follows: Commencing at the northeast corner of section
twenty-eight, on the bank of the Ohio river; thence west on the
north line of said section twenty-eight to the northwest corner of
seven acre lot number ten and the northeast corner of seven acre lot
number forty-one; thence due south to the southeast corner of seven
acre tract number twenty-one; thence north, about forty-seven
degrees east, following the meanderings of the river, to the place
of beginning. Since that time the boundaries have been several
times changed until they have assumed those as published in the
accompanying map.
The city is located in latitude 38 48' 5" north;
longitude 5° 11' 39" west
from Washington. The length of the river margin from the
centre of the town to Meigs county is 11,93 miles; to Lawrence
county, 24.47 miles. The direction of the long streets is
north 47° east; cross
streets, north 48° west.
The public square is 701 feet front on the river, extending back to
Second street.
The population of the city, by the census of 1880, was
as follows: First ward, 1,164; Second Ward, 1,091; Third ward,
1,270; Foruth ward, 875; total, 4,400.
An interesting statement, taken from the records of the
Ohio Company, followed by an account of the price and distribution
of lots in the city, is given in the preceding pages.
THE
NEWSPAPER OF GALLIA COUNTY.
In 1818, a movement set on
foot for the establishment of a newspaper at Gallipolis, resulted in
the founding of the Gallia Gazette, of which Joshua
Cushing was managing editor. Those who aided in this
object were Edward W. Tupper, Jacob Kittredge, John P. R. Bureau,
Robert Worth, Nathaniel Gates, John Sanns, C. R. Menager, N. L.
Cushing, George House, Luther and Calvin Shepard, Thomas
Rodgers, Francis Le Clercq, J. W. Devacht, Lewis Newsom, C. Etienne,
Samuel F. Vinton and Rene Carel, all of whom are now dead.
The paper was first issued in November, 1818, and from
that time to the present, under different names, it has been a
weekly visitor to its subscribers, with but few interruptions.
The office was first located upon the lower side of the public
square, on the lot now occupied by the brick house of Franklin
Carel. The first press was home-made, built under the
superintendence of Joshua Cushing, and the frame, wood.
With slight alterations and improvements, it was kept in the office
and used up to 1833. The first patent lever press was brought
into use in 1839, which was used until one of Wells' cylinder
presses was brought to take its place. The first issue was
small, and printed upon the very inferior paper of that day, brown
and rough, but its improvement in size and mechanical execution has
kept pace with the advancement of the country, until it is now one
of the largest country papers in Southern Ohio.
In 1825 its publication was continued as the Gallia
Free Press, by Joseph Tingley, who died the same year,
when it was taken by James Harper senior, and published until
1831, when J. J. Coombs became proprietor, and its name was
changed to the Gallia Phoenix. In 1832, it was enlarged
and improved, H. Maxon being associated in its publication,
and the name was changed to the Gallipolis Journal. In
1834 William Casey Jones purchased the office and changed the
name to the Buckeye and Journal. In 1835 J. J.
Coombs again took charge of it, and gave it the old name of
Gallipolis Journal, by which it has since been known.
The same year, Alexander Vance succeeded to the
management, and continued its publication until 1838, when
William Nash purchased a half interest in the office, and in
1839 purchased the other half. James Harper, junior,
afterwards securing an interest, Nash & Harper became the
publishers; then James Harper, junior, followed by R. L.
Stewart; he by William Nash, then Nash & Harper;
then by William Nash, who is the present publisher and
proprietor.
The second paper established was the Gallia Mirror,
the publication of which was commenced in the spring of 1845, by
C. W. Hoy, and continued about one year.
The third paper was the Gallia Courier,
established in 1850 by Alexander Vance and J. Q. Gibson,
and its publication was continued about four years, by A. Vance
and E. T. Shepard.
The fourth paper was the Gallipolis
Dispatch, commenced in 1857 by Benjamin R. Harrison,
who was succeeded in a few months by J. L. Waller; he by
G. D. Hebard, then H. M. Onderdonk, then Alexander
Vance, followed by William H. Morehead, by whose death
the publication ceased in 1868.
The fifth paper was the Gallipolis Bulletin,
established in 1867, by John L. Vance, and it has been
published regularly ever since. With the exception of a few
months it has been under the control of its founder, and still
continues so. It is also one of the largest weeklies in
Southern Ohio.
The sixth paper, called The Locomotive, was
established in 1871, by George D. Hebard, who, after a time,
changed it to the Gallipolis Ledger. He was succeeded
by James E. Hebard, and he by J. D. & S. H. Olmsted,
who changed it to the Gallia Tribune, under which name it is
now being published.
The last paper established and yet being published, is
the Gallipolis District News, a monthly paper in the interest
of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The first issue was dated
January, 1882. Revs. Z. W. Fagan and C. F. Creighton
are the editors.
In 1856, Anselm G. Holcomb established a paper
in the village of Vinton, called the Gallia Republican, and
continued its publication a little over a year, when it was
suspended.
THE
GALLIA ACADEMY.
The institution of learning
is among the oldest in the State, at which not only nearly all the
older residents of Gallipolis and Gallia county received their
education, but many who afterwards became men of great prominence
throughout the country, here took the first steps in learning which
led them on to fame. The following statement of its
organization and history compiled from the secretary's records, will
therefore be read with exceeding interest:
At a meeting of a number of the citizens of Gallipolis
and vicinity, on Tuesday, February 8th, 1810, for the purpose of
taking into consideration the expediency of erecting a building in
Gallipolis, to be appropriated to the instruction of the youth, and
such other purposed as may be deemed of public utility, Robert
Safford was chosen chairman and Nathaniel Gates clerk.
A series of resolutions was passed at this meeting, the substance of
which was as follows:
That the movement was expedient and proper; that a
subscription should be raised for shares at ten dollars each; that
the building when erected should be devoted to academical and other
useful purposes for the benefit of the proprietors; and that as soon
as one hundred and twenty shares were subscribed, a meeting of
subscribers should be called to fix upon a plan of structure and its
location, and to elect trustees, form by-laws, and for other
necessary matters; that all votes for the election of officers and
the appropriation of moneys be by shares, each shareholder being
entitled to one vote for each sare up to ten shares; twelve
shares entitled to eleven votes, fifteen shares to twelve votes, and
every two shares above that number one vote. That every
shareholder may vote by him self or by proxy; that subscribers shall
be suffered to make payments in materials suitable for the building
- in carpenters' and joiners' work, beef, cattle, pork, hemp, flour
and salt - excepting $1.50 to each share, which shall be paid in
money; and that Edward W. Tupper, Thomas Rodgers and
Francis Le Clercq be a committee to open subscriptions and
circulate the same, and give notice of a meeting of subscribers so
soon as one hundred and twenty shares should be taken.
Among the principal subscribers to this stock was C.
R. Menager, fifty-five shares, $400 in county orders, and $150
in glass and nails; J. G. Devacht, five shares in carpenter
and joiner work; Edward W. Tupper ten shares in cash or lime
and plastering, at the trustees' option; Luther Shepard, five
in brick and mason work; Calvin Shepard, five in brick and
mason work; Elnathan Barlow, two in blacksmith work;
Francis Le Clercq, one in cash; Phineas Matthews,
two in pork; Lewis Newsom,
See Page XIII -
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