Constitution News - 1886 November

From The Marietta Weekly Leader, Tuesday, November 9, 1886:

• Cider making is all the go. "Touch not, taste not."
• The river is very low at present.
• Miss Nora Peck of Zanesville is visiting at Mrs. Martha Blackington's.
• Mr. John Kuntz lost a valuable horse, Sunday.
• Mr. Will O'Neal and his bride of Florida were the guests of Mrs. William Scott last week.
• Messrs. Chase and Sam Rinehart of Marietta spent Sunday with relatives in this place.
• Mr. Pat Gettie and wife of Belpre were the guests of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Sprague, Sunday.
• Mrs. Miller and two daughters are visiting at Watertown.
• Misses Fannie and Maggie Noble, two charming young ladies of Pittsburgh, who have been the guests of Mrs. John Cooke, returned to their homes, Saturday.
• Miss Susie Dole was the guest of Mrs. Charles Cone, Thursday.
• Mrs. Will Finley is on the sick list.
• Mr. Eli Luckens of Hills was the guest of his daughter, Mrs. Fish Sprague, recently.
• Mrs. Andrew Hazelrigg of Williamstown was the guest of her mother, Mrs. William Scott, last week.
• Miss Linnie Cone was the guest of Miss Fannie Reynolds.
• Miss Vain Skipton of Tunnel was the guest of Miss Genora Zearing, Sunday.
• Miss Bessie Davis has been confined to the house for a few weeks past, suffering with a sore eye.
• Mrs. Thomas Cleary is visiting relatives at Chillicothe.
• Born Tuesday, October 26th, to Mr. and Mrs. George Palmer, a daughter.
• Mr. and Mrs. Fish of Veto spent Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. George Roberts.
• Mrs. Wallace Scott of Marietta spent Thursday with Mrs. William Scott.
• Dr. Sugar Turner of Marietta was here recently looking after sick horses.
• Mr. Charles Hatch of Belpre is around in our neighborhood repairing wells.
• Quite a number of our young people attended the Indian show at Marietta.

Constitution News - 1886 August

From The Marietta Weekly Leader, Tuesday, August 3, 1886:

• The wheat crop is abundant.
• Mr. Uriah Dye spent several days last week with his daughter, Mrs. Mike Dearth, of Beverly.
• Mrs. Samuel Stage, of Harmar, was the guest of Mrs. John Zearing last week.
• Dore Scott and little son, Harlie, of Chillicothe, spent last week with relatives at this place.
• H. C. Hart made a flying trip to Cincinnati last week.
• Messrs. Frank Roeser and Millo Seipel, of Marietta were seen at this place Sunday.  Two young ladies of Harmar seemed to have drawn their attention down this way.
• Mrs. Lew Finch and little daughter of Harmar, spent Sunday with Mrs. D. H. Reynolds.
• S. C. Rinehart spent a few days last week at Canton.
• Charles Hart, of Lafayette, Indiana, who has been spending the past here weeks with his parents at this place, left for his home Thursday evening.
• Miss Kate and Jennie Scott, of Marietta, are visiting at their grandmother’s, Mrs. William Scott.
• Mrs. Henry Harnish and little daughter of Parkersburg, accompanied by Miss Lena Harnish, are visiting at Mrs. Charles Cone’s.
• Mrs. John Cook took a flying trip to Parkersburg, Wednesday.
• Andrew Hazelrigg and wife, of Williamstown, are visiting at Mrs. William Scott’s.
• Misses Fannie Reynolds and Linnie Cone were the guests of Mrs. Samuel Dye, Thursday.
• George Hanna, of Scott’s Landing, was seen at this place Wednesday.
• Mrs. Charles Cone was around calling on her many friends of this place Friday.

Dunham News - 1886 August

From The Marietta Weekly Leader, August 3, 1886:

• Our county surveyor has been at home for two weeks picking blackberries.
• Little Hocking got on another high last Monday evening.
• Daniel Brown left his wife and children on the Fourth of July and nothing is known of his whereabouts. Two of his children were taken to the Children's Home last week.
• Pearl Nutt of Marietta is in this neighborhood with his saw mill. He is sawing for Neil McKay at present. Pearl is a hustler.
• Misses Hannah Seely and Lily Hayes of Barlow spent last week with Mrs. L. C. Hayes. During their sojourn here the rite of baptism by pouring was administered to them.
• J. J. Hollister, Esq., is erecting a fine residence. Jay is a bachelor and it is currently reported that he is about to follow the example of Stephen Grover.
• The colored people of this place held their annual Sunday School picnic July 24th in Barnett's grove, which was well attended. Several addresses were delivered. Gov. Aaron F. Mayle of Grove City, the modern Demosthenes, was one of the speakers. The audience seemed spellbound under his powerful flights of oratory. The colored brass band of this vicinity discoursed find music for the occasion.
• Your correspondent's letters are highly appreciated in the west end of the county, where he is well and favorable known. Clodhopper's articles are always interesting. His article in last week's Leader was heartily endorsed.
• It begins to look now as if Murat Halstead and some other newspaper men had said a little too much about H. B. Payne.

Constitution News - 1886 July

From The Marietta Weekly Leader, Tuesday, July 20, 1886:

• Mrs. Robert Dole is very low at this writing with malaria fever.
• Miss Fannie Cone spent several days last week with Miss Emaline McClure of East Dunham.
• Miss Winnie Zearing of Harmar spent Saturday and Sunday with Miss Nora Zearing.
• Mrs. Bailey of Coolville spent several days last week with Mrs. George Bailey.
• Mrs. Hudson Curtis of Cincinnati is visiting at Mrs. H. L. Hart's at this writing.

From The Marietta Weekly Leader, Tuesday, July 27, 1886:

• The farmers of this vicinity are busy cutting hay and making preparations for threshing.
• Mr. Dave Tice of Jericho spent several days last week with his brother Ernest, of this place.
• Mr. Harry Dotson, of Elba, accompanied by Miss Carrie Finch of Harmar, spent Sunday with the Misses Reynolds.
• Mr. Hal Thorniley of Baptist Valley and Miss Sarah Middleswart of Lower Newport visited relatives at this place, Saturday and Sunday.
• Miss Mary Blue of Hocking was the guest of her sister, Mrs. Hiram Deming, Sunday.
• Mr. Sam Rinehart and wife spent Sunday with Mrs. Samuel Dye.
• Quite a jolly crowd from this place attended the Hocking social which met at Mrs. John Baker’s, Saturday evening.  They all report a splendid time while there and also on their way home.
• Mrs. Frank Worster and little children of Harmar, are visiting at Mrs. Boreman’s.
• Mr. Harry Zearing is visiting his uncle, Mr. Jim Hanna, near Barlow.
• Mrs. Andrew Hazelrigg, of Williamstown, is visiting her mother, Mrs. William Scott.
• Miss Lula McClure of Briggs was the guest of Mrs. George Bailey last week.
• The musical entertainment which met at Deming’s school house Tuesday evening was well attended.
• Miss Willia Cotton of Marietta was the guest of Miss Martha Blackington, last week.
• Mrs. Robert Dole, whom we mentioned last week as being very low with malarial fever, we are glad to say is getting better at this writing.
• Miss Frank Skipton of Tunnel was visiting at this place Sunday.
• Mr. Ernest Tice and wife spent a few days last week with friends at Little Hocking.
• There is a number of cases of whooping cough in our midst.
• Remember that Rev. Charles Harte, of Logan, Ohio, preaches at this place Sunday morning and evening.  Mr. Harte is a fine preacher and nothing pleases him better than to have a good congregation to preach to.
• Mr. Perley Perdew of Tunnel was at this place Wednesday.
• Misses Linnie Worster and Emma Davis of Harmar are visiting friends at this place.
• Mrs. Nancy Bailey of Coolville was the guest of Mrs. William Scott last week.
• Blackberries are still plentiful and the busy fingers are numerous.
• Mrs. Emma Reynolds, who has been confined at the house for the past four months with rheumatism, is some better and is able to go around a little while at a time.

The Goddard Home in Dunham Township

"Mr. Goddard has the finest house in the township."

The George Rodney Goddard Farm, Dunham Township, History of Washington County, Ohio, by H. Z. Williams (1881)

The Marietta Register, November 18, 1875:

Last Saturday was the day published for "Dunham Circle" to be held at Mrs. George Goddard's, who lives on Little Hocking on a farm formerly owned by Davis Hollister. A general invitation had been given to attend the circle, but in addition a special invitation was given to all the mechanics (and their ladies) who had been employed in building Mr. Goddard's new house. And in addition to the circle, there was to be a dedication of the "new house." We concluded to go and see for ourselves, not expecting to see Belpre out-done. Upon our arrival we found all the available hitching posts taken up. Carriages, buggies, wagons, expresses, buckboards and horses, which made one think of the commissary train of General Sherman's army.

Mr. Goddard has the finest house in the township. It is built after the modern style, being nearly square, 31x41, with a good tin roof. Rooms large and commodious. Two good chimneys with enameled mantles; folding doors to the parlor and sitting room. These two rooms had a very fine finish of plaster Paris moulding. In the centre of the double room I have just described was a table holding the "Mechanic's Cake," bouquets and evergreens. One hundred and fifty persons were present, and all wanted to be "mechanics." In the dining room we found Carmi Smith and Shelt Dunbar; what office they held we don't know - but one thing we do know, there were the most cakes.

At this time a new organ arrived. Miss Tilton and Misses Scott of Warren gave us music. Much transpired we cannot mention. collections $20, and Dunham ahead. May Mrs. Goddard's numerous friends never grow less.

Note: Hapgood Goddard and Rebecca Wood Goddard, both children of New Hampshire ministers, arrived in Washington County, Ohio, in 1814, and lived on Blennerhassett Island for a year. In 1817 the family moved to Wesley Township, where George Rodney Goddard was born in 1827. George moved to Dunham Township about 1859. He acquired his own farm of about 600 acres and specialized in raising short-horned cattle. In 1867 he married Esther J. Smith, daughter of Carmi and Sarah Bishop Smith. George and Esther Smith Goddard were the parents of Loring Hapgood Goddard (1869-1944), Selvan Carmi Goddard (1876-1900), and Harford Bishop Goddard (1878-1935). George Goddard died in 1912, and Esther died in 1915. They are buried in the Hopkins Cemetery, Dunham Township.

The Constitution Methodist Church

"The new building is a modern structure, 
pleasantly situated above high water mark, and cost $4,500."

The first church building in the Constitution area had been constructed in 1837 to serve a Presbyterian denomination, but was washed away in the flood of 1913. A new church was built on a high hill in Gravel Bank, a safe distance from the Ohio River. By 1915 the Methodists of the community decided they were ready for their own building.

Methodist Episcopal Sabbath School of Constitution

(from an undated manuscript record book)

The people gathered at the School house Sunday, June 21st in the year of our Lord 1914 to organize the M. E. Sabbath School. After singing Whosoever Will May Come Mr. John Kunz prayed that God would let his blessing rest upon the efforts of his people. Singing of No, Not One.

Mr. J. F. Briggs was chosen chairman of the meeting. Allie Deming, Secretary.  Election of Officers.  Mr. John Kunz was chosen Superintendent with Mr. John Baker and Mr. Lycurgus C. Hall for Assistants. Miss Allie Deming, Secretary.  Mr. Robin Baker, Treasurer with Donald Blue for his assistant. Mrs. Abbie Kunz, Organist when we had secured an organ.  Mrs. Lotta Blue, assistant.

Committee on Entertainment. Mrs. Lotta Blue, chairman. Gilbert Deming, Carrie Ritchie, Lucile Berry, Mary Reid, Robin Baker.

Finance committee. Mr. James Blue, chairman. Mrs. Katie Blue, Mrs. Blanche Noland, Mrs. Cora Hall, Mrs. Frank Henthorn, Mr. Sandy Blue.

Mrs. Lotta Blue, Librarian and with the assistance of Mrs. Kunz and Mr. Hugh Reid to select the song books to be used in the Sunday School.

It was then voted to buy our supplies from the Methodist Publishing House. It was decided that Mrs. Cora Hall should write to Mrs. Strain with regard to the price of the organ left at her home.

Robin Baker took up the collection which amounted to $8.05. This to be used to purchase supplies for the new organization.

After the distribution of cards to the children and singing When the Roll is Called Up Yonder Mr. John Baker dismissed us with prayer.

We adjourned to meet June 28th at half past nine o’clock.                                             

Allie Deming, Sec’y.

Methodists Will Build Church at Constitution

Marietta Daily Times, March 9, 1915

The trustees of the M. E. Society of Constitution recently purchased a lot from the Constitution Stone Company and are preparing to erect a new church soon. The building committee consists of Charles Stephan, Hugh Reid, and Omer Covey. They have plans and specifications for a modern two-room building with basement and furnace. This Society was organized last fall and has a membership of 70. The Sunday school enrollment is 97.

This organization is a division of the old Warren Presbyterian church. This was one of the oldest churches in the county, and was conveniently located on the Ohio’s bank about midway between Constitution and Gravel Bank, but was totally destroyed by the 1913 flood. When it came to rebuilding it, the new church was placed on the parsonage lot near Gravel Bank.

This left the Constitution people without any church or Sunday school, so the new organization was formed. The church is flourishing under the efficient pastorate of Rev. Robert Weed of the Marietta district. Any contributions toward the new building will be gratefully received by the committee.

Will Dedicate New M.E. Church at Constitution

The Register-Leader, June 10, 1915

The new Constitution M. E. Church, located at Constitution, Ohio, will be dedicated next Sunday, June 13, 1915. Rev. Albert E. Smith, D.D. Ph.D., president of Ohio Northern University, will preach at 10:00 a.m. and at 2:00 p.m.

Rev. F. M. Evans, District Superintendent, will have charge of the dedicatory services. Rev. Charles Stephan of Oakland, Maryland, and Rev. Fred O. Weed of Albany, Ohio, will be present and assist. Evangelistic services in the evening. All welcome.

History of M. E. Church at Constitution, Ohio

Marietta Daily Times, June 24, 1915

The M. E. Society, Constitution, was organized August 31, 1914.  On March 13, 1915, ground was broken for the new church; and just three months later the new church was

completed and dedicated, June 13th. The services were fitting and impressive. Rev. Albert Edwin Smith, D.D. Ph. D., President of Ohio Northern University, delivered two excellent sermons. When he gave an opportunity to aid the new church the people responded generously, raising $1,618 which cancels all indebtedness. Many thanks are due Messrs. F. D. and M. E. Coffman and sister Etta, for their liberal financial support. 

The dedicatory services were in charge of Dist. Supt. Rev. F. M. Evans, who called the nine trustees (men) to the front, and they formally gave over the new building to the services of the Lord. A number of ministers were present and took part in the services. The choir rendered some excellent music and the male quartet sang a number of selections.  The church was filled to overflowing. 

The new building is a modern structure, pleasantly situated above high water mark, and cost $4,500. It is well finished, has a furnace and gas lights, and was built almost entirely by the surrounding people. It is well arranged and will accommodate several hundred people.  Much credit is due the building committee, composed of Messrs. Charles Stephan, Hugh Reid and Omer Covey, for the efficient manner in which the work has been carried on; also to the pastor, Rev. Robert Weed, for his kindly assistance in every way.

The church has a membership of 70. The Sunday school enrollment is 120. The Ladies’ Aid Society has a membership of 42. The spirit of unity and peace pervades the entire community.  May this church truly be a “city set on a hill whose light cannot be hid.”

When Terror Reigned at Gravel Bank

“Not many have shown a desire to frequent the 

moonlit paths of Gravel Bank forests much after dark.”

                                  - The Register-Leader, July 8, 1920

During the summer of 1920, the topic of conversation in most Ohio communities was the upcoming Presidential election. The candidates of both major political parties were Ohioans, with the Republicans nominating U.S. Senator Warren G. Harding and the Democrats being represented by Ohio Governor James M. Cox. The hard-working people of Gravel Bank had other things to discuss, however, when they gathered at the local store or chatted over a back fence: “Is there, or isn’t there, an ape?” they wondered.

The first sighting to be reported in the newspaper occurred on the evening of Saturday, July 3, when Archie Cassady and a group of other residents were walking along the road to Marietta. An ape-like creature squatted in front of the party, blocking their way and “looking at them intently.” Following a quick dispersal to gather assistance, they returned to the spot to find the ape had vanished.

Later that same evening, when passengers got off the train at Gravel Bank and were walking home, several got a look at the animal. When they left the site to obtain assistance, the ape also left. Huge tracks were seen leading into the brush, but stopped where the animal had “taken to the trees.”

About this same time, Bill Fish, a farmer who lived back of Gravel Bank, saw the ape not more than 20 feet from his house. Three shots from his revolver failed to hit the creature and by the time Fish could get a larger gun, it had disappeared. Some of his neighbors were skeptical, saying that Bill started the story just to scare intruders out of his fine berry patch.

The ape was described as being considerably larger than a man, probably close to seven feet tall. It may have escaped from the Cincinnati Zoo, or perhaps from a traveling circus that had visited the area recently. When frightened, it took to the trees, jumping swiftly from branch to branch. It had not attacked anyone or killed any livestock, but appeared to be “well fed.” Strange noises had been heard coming from the fields in the area, and it was believed by some that the large beast was eating wheat. Others laughed and said the weird sounds were being made by a sick cow.

Many families were frightened by the idea of an ape in their midst and kept their small children indoors. Vigilant farmers worked with a loaded gun nearby, prepared to defend their families. Doubters scoffed at the idea that an ape would ever make Gravel Bank its home and claimed the creature was actually a large raccoon. The Register-Leader asserted that a hunt had not been organized, “as half the people are too afraid and the other half refuse to believe in the ape’s existence.”

Along the railroad tracks at Gravel Bank.

If the people of Gravel Bank were not going on a hunt, outsiders were ready to track the beast. Within a week, a party of young men from Marietta visited the community, but to their disappointment, found nothing. A crowd of “big game hunters” from Parkersburg, along with a reporter from the Parkersburg News, were sure they could capture the ape, but their safari was rained out. Several days later the creature was seen in the vicinity of Mile Run, then at Squaw Hollow back of Harmar Hill. Clearly, there was too much activity at Gravel Bank, and it was on the move.

As the long, hot days of July wore on, the ape continued its solitary journey. On Saturday, the 17^th of July, it was spotted about 50 miles upriver, near New Martinsville, West Virginia. On July 22^nd, it startled a car filled with “ladies and children” near Wheeling. Mrs. J. W. Neidert, the driver, thought the ape looked “weary” and slowed her vehicle to keep from running it down. Barber George Mooney saw it in the same area about dusk, and claimed that it “rose on its hind feet, slouched across the road in a most ape-like manner, and disappeared among the trees.” In Mooney’s opinion, the animal “looked as if it could put up a fight.”

By mid-August the ape had taken up residence in southwestern Pennsylvania and was becoming hostile.  It attacked Nettie Schaffer when she was picking elderberries in her garden and terrorized the countryside between Greensburg and Homestead by killing sheep and dogs. At one point it interrupted a poker game at a remote shanty, scared off the players, and stole the “kitty.”

Finally, on August 26, the creature met its match in the form of Constable Eisenbarth of Baldwin Township, Allegheny County. It was sleeping next to a fire when the constable came upon it, and a fierce battle ensued. It tried to sink its teeth into the officer’s throat, but was eventually conquered and captured. According to the Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader of August 26, 1920, the ape was “nearly nude, with matted hair on his face and head six inches long,” and most surprising of all – it was a man! He was last reported sitting in a jail cell making “deep, guttural sounds resembling the croaking of a huge frog.” The final fate of the ape-man that terrorized Gravel Bank and the entire region during the summer of 1920 was not revealed.