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13-58 First McConnelsville Christmas Tree
This former Universalist Church, which held a strong conviction for education and the pursuit of knowledge, was built in 1852 at a cost of $3,500. In 1865, its members decorated the first Christmas tree to be placed in a church in McConnelsville. Two years later they installed a pipe organ at a cost of $1,000, […]
12-58 Frances Dana Gage / Mount Airy Mansion
One of Ohio’s earliest proponents of women’s rights, Frances Dana Gage (1808-1884) was born in Marietta and married McConnelsville attorney James L. Gage in 1829. She immersed herself in the major social issues of the day – temperance, abolition, and universal suffrage – while raising eight children. At a women’s rights convention in 1850, Gage […]
11-58 Big Bottom Massacre
Following the American Revolution, the new Federal government, in need of operating funds, sold millions of acres of western lands to land companies. One such company, the Ohio Company of Associates, brought settlement to Marietta in 1788. Two years later, despite warnings of Native American hostility, an association of 36 Company members moved north from […]
10-58 Miner’s Memorial Park
Agriculture dominated the economy of southeastern Ohio’s Morgan County until the 1940s when harvests dwindled, the population declined, and land values dropped. Surface mining the area’s rich underground coal deposits replaced agriculture as the major industry and revitalized the declining local economy. As the nation’s demand for electricity grew over the next half-century, so did […]
9-58 Morgan County
Morgan County was created in 1817 from parts of Washington, Muskingum, and Guernsey counties, with McConnelsville established as the seat of government. The first courthouse, a square brick structure, was built here in 1820. Its foundation stones form part of the wall surrounding the lawn. The present courthouse building was completed in 1858 at a […]
8-58 Howard Chandler Christy (1872-1952)
A prominent early 20th century illustrator and artist, Howard Chandler Christy was born on a farm in Morgan Township. He first gained notice as an illustrator during the Spanish-American War, but achieved lasting fame for his trademark “Christy Girls,” dream girls who idealized feminine beauty during this era. Between 1908 and 1915, he worked from […]
7-58 The Stockport Mill
The Stockport Mill, the third on this site since 1842, was built in 1906 by the Dover brothers. Using a pair of 40-inch Leffel turbines, it harnessed water power for both milling and generating electricity for the town. Known for its Gold Bond, Seal of Ohio, and Pride of the Valley refined flours, the Stockport […]
6-58 Lelia Morris & Trinity Methodist Episcopal Church
Many well-known hymns, including “Sweeter As the Years Go By,” “Nearer, Still Nearer,” and “Let Jesus Come Into Your Heart,” were composed in this church by its organist, Mrs. Lelia Morris (1862-1929). Her songs have been translated into many languages and published in the hymnals of Protestant denominations around the world. The Methodist Episcopal congregation […]
5-58 Two Riverboat Pilots
In the heyday of steamboating on the Muskingum, many people made their livelihood on the river. Jane McMillan, known as Old Jane, was one of the few women reported to have piloted boats on the river. In the 1840s she was co-owner of the “Zanesville Packet.” McMillan worked a variety of jobs, from cook to […]
4-58 Morgan’s Raid
In July 1863, Confederate General John H. Morgan led a force of 2,000 cavalrymen across southern Ohio. Morgan’s force entered Ohio from Indiana on July 13. A chase ensued as Union cavalry pursued Morgan’s men across twenty Ohio counties. Most of Morgan’s troops were captured in Meigs County at the Battle of Buffington Island. Morgan, […]