Ohio History Journal

OHIO STATE ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND HISTORICAL

SOCIETY

 

REVIEWS, NOTES AND COMMENTS

BY THE EDITOR

 

Ox-Team Days on the Oregon Trail. By Ezra Mee-

ker, in collaboration with Howard R. Driggs, Profes-

sor of Education in English, University of Utah.

(Yonkers-on-Hudson, New York; World Book Co.

1925. Pp. X, 225.)

This is one of the books of the Pioneer Life Series,

published by the World Book Company, Yonkers-on-

Hudson, New York. It is extensively and appropriately

illustrated by half-tones and drawings by F. N. Wilson.

It is a graphic account by Ezra Meeker, now in the

ninety-seventh year of his busy and eventful life. It

details the important experiences which have fallen to

his lot from boyhood days in Ohio to his flight in an

airplane from Vancouver, Washington, to Washington,

D.C.

This book is extensively quoted in the opening con-

tribution to this month's QUARTERLY. It is copyrighted

and the quotations are made by consent of the publish-

ers. They give simply a taste of the good things in this

volume. It should be in every public and private li-

brary. It will be read with interest by boys and girls

from ten years old to the century mile-stone, which the

author is now nearing.

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148     Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

Mr. Meeker is the author of a number of books.

The list, according to information at hand, is as follows:

Washington Territory West of the Cascade Mountains,

1870; Hop Growing in the United States, 1883; Pio-

neer Reminiscences of Puget Sound, 1905; The Tragedy

of Leschi, 1906; The Oregon Trail, 1907; Uncle Ezra's

Pioneer Stories for Children, 1916; Eighty-five Years

of a Busy Life, 1916; Seventy Years of Progress in

Washington, 1921; Ox-Team Days on the Oregon Trail,

1925; Kate Mulhall; a Romance of the Oregon Trail,

1926.

Ezra Meeker was born in Ohio; is proud of his

native state, and is the most noted pioneer living in the

United States today.

 

 

CONFERENCE OF HISTORICAL AGENCIES IN THE

UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY

MINUTES OF A MEETING AT ROCHESTER, NEW YORK,

ON DECEMBER 29, 1926

The meeting was attended by Messrs. Shambaugh

and Mahan of the State Historical Society of Iowa;

Schafer of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin;

Pease of the Illinois Historical Survey; Coleman on be-

half of the Indiana State Library; Buck and Blegen of

the Minnesota Historical Society; and Mereness, the

archivist of the Conference.

It was agreed that a calendar of manuscript maps

relating to the Northwest in map collections in the

Washington archives, exclusive of the Library of Con-

gress, should be undertaken as a part of the regular

calendaring work.

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Reviews, Notes and Comments.      149

The calendaring of Letters Received in the War De-

partment files was approved.

Dr. Mereness was given an extension of leave to

September 30, with the understanding that he would

continue to exercise general supervision over the work

and that it would be carried forward by Mr. Smith.

SOLON J. BUCK,

Secretary.

 

COLONEL HARRY PARKER WARD

Colonel Harry Parker Ward, a life member of the

Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society, died

at his home in Hamilton, Ohio, October 3, 1926. He

had been ill for some time but seemed slowly on his way

to complete recovery when a sudden, unexpected relapse

occurred, which in a few hours resulted in his passing

away. The funeral services were held at St John's

Episcopal Church in Worthington, October 5.

Colonel Ward was born in Zanesville, Ohio, Sep-

tember 29, 1865, and came to Columbus, Ohio, in 1881,

where, together with his older brother, he engaged in

business. In 1890 he married Caroline Pocock, and

four years later he and his family moved to Worthing-

ton, where he made his home for twenty-three years.

He received the degree of master of arts from Mar-

ietta College. He was past president of the Sons of

the American Revolution and also served as president

of the Columbus Humane Society. He was a member

of the Kit Kat Club for several years, and was active

in local Masonic affairs.

When still young he enlisted in the 17th Infantry,

Ohio National Guard, and was assigned to the com-

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150     Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

pany of that regiment which was located at Zanesville.

He served that organization through all the non-com-

missioned grades and in the war with Spain held a

captain's commission. In 1906 he was commissioned

major and was on active duty until the United States

entered the World War. Early in 1917 he was de-

tailed as military instructor at Ohio Wesleyan Univer-

sity and Kenyon College, his time being divided between

these institutions. In 1918 he was relieved from duty

as instructor and was assigned to the staff of General

Shanks, who commanded the port of embarkation at

Hoboken. In August, 1918, he was honored with ap-

pointment to a mission as special courier from the war

department at Washington to General Pershing at his

headquarters at Chaumont, France. Later he returned

to staff work at Hoboken and then was made adjutant

of the division at Camp Sevier, Greensboro, North Car-

olina.

In 1919 he joined the Officers' Reserve Corps with

the rank of Major. In 1922 he served for a period on

the War Department General Staff. In the same year

he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel in the Officers'

Reserve Corps and in 1924 was commissioned Colonel.

He was preparing for examination for promotion to

the rank of Brigadier-General shortly before his last

illness.

Colonel Ward is survived by his widow, a daughter,

Mrs. S. U. Robinson of Worthington, a sister, Annette,

of Alma, Michigan, and one brother, Hubert.

Colonel Ward was well known and highly respected

in Columbus where for many years he was engaged in

the printing business.

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Reviews, Notes and Comments.    151

 

JOHN DANA

On the morning of September 20, 1926, John Dana,

a life member of the Ohio State Archaeological and

Historical Society, died at his home in Belpre, Ohio.

The news of his death brought sorrow to friends in his

home town and in Parkersburg, where for many years

he had business and social affiliations. About a year

previous to his death he gave up his business connec-

tions with the Dana Company, Wholesale Grocers, due

to failing health. Of this firm he had been President

since 1910. Recently he lived quietly, enjoying his

books, friends and surroundings, in all of which he

found a lively interest.

He was born in the old Dana homestead near Belpre,

February 10, 1856; was the son of George and Lucy

Brighton Dana; was descended on his father's side from

the Revolutionary soldier, Captain William Dana, who

fought at Lexington; who later left Massachusetts as a

member of the Ohio Company and was one of the found-

ers of the settlement in Marietta in 1788. William

Dana is said to have burned the first brick made in the

Northwest Territory. "Like his descendants, he loved

the beautiful and made his home a habitation of beauty."

His wife was Mary Bancroft. His son George Dana

was born on a farm near Belpre and was educated in

Athens and Marietta Colleges. More than a century

ago this family, it is claimed, set out a grafted apple

orchard, the first in the Ohio Valley, and through the

following years their descendants have kept up their

interest in horticulture.

John Dana was educated in the schools of Belpre

and Marietta College. He married February 10, 1886,

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152     Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

Miss Anna E. Lockwood, daughter of Jacob Lockwood,

of Belmont County, Ohio.

Mr. Dana helped with his father to establish a large

cannery and a factory for making cans at an early date;

until a year before his death he was at the head of the

Dana Grocery Company, the oldest house of its kind in

Parkersburg.

He did much to preserve the records of his commu-

nity and family. While he never held a political office

he always maintained an active interest in public

affairs.

He was president of the Red Cross in Belpre and

was very active during the World War. He was mayor

of Belpre, president of its Board of Education, and was

the moving spirit in the local historical society. As

already stated he was a member of the Ohio State

Archaeological and Historical Society.

Mr. Dana is survived by his widow, Mrs. Anna

Lockwood Dana, and the following children: Mrs.

Elliott Stone, Belpre; Lockwood N. Dana, Parkersburg;

Roderick Nye Dana, Parkersburg; Mrs. Harry P. Jones,

Parkersburg; and Edward Dana, Belpre, now in Texas.

His sisters surviving are: Mrs. Sophie D. Dale, Belpre;

Mrs. Frances Dana McKay, Belpre; Mrs. G. P. Devol,

Beverly, Ohio; brothers: Edward B. Dana, Muskegon,

Michigan; George B. Dana, Hillsdale, Michigan; and

Laurence N. Dana, Cherryvale, Kansas.

The oldest son, George Richard Dana, deceased, was

a graduate of Marietta College.

The foregoing is adapted from an obituary sketch

published in the Parkersburg News of September 21,

1926.

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Reviews, Notes and Comments.           153

 

A PIONEER LETTER

The letter here presented was written by Miss Rachel

R. Lockwood, great aunt of George R. Lockwood, Edi-

tor of the National Republic, published in Washington,

D. C. She emigrated from Sussex County, Delaware,

to Preble County, Ohio. In 1845 she moved with other

members of the family to Miami County, Indiana, where

she became the wife of Jonathan Potterfield.          Dr.

Dingle, to whom the letter was addressed, was a mem-

ber of the State Senate of Delaware. The letter was

written "from New Paris, Ohio, on the Cumberland

Road." The envelope indicates the point from which

it was written and the cost of postage, twenty-five cents.

The letter is a good description of Pioneer Life in Ohio

and is worthy of reproduction here in full.

 

FEBRUARY 24, 1834.

Respected Uncle:

I embrace the opportunity of writing to let you know that I

am well, and also the rest of the family, and I hope when

this intelligence shall reach you that you will enjoy good health.

This is the first time that I have availed myself of the privilege

of writing you, but the long silence that has prevailed between

us I hope will be considered a sufficient excuse. It is probable

that you wish to know where we are and how we are doing. We

live in the same neighborhood in a house of our own. The site

is a handsome one; it lies in sight of a new town that is located

on the Cumberland Road within three miles of Paris (New

Paris). Mother has bought two acres of land for forty-five

dollars and the present prospect [is] her situation in old age will

not be as uncomfortable as some anticipated, for she now has

a home of her own that she can dispose of at her own option

and no person, were they disposed to, can turn her out of doors.

Mother is well satisfied now. I do wish you could come and see

for yourself our circumstances and things as they really are, for

unless you do it it is impossible to believe the advantages which

this country does possess. The limit of my paper is too con-

tracted and the power of my pen is too weak to convey any

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154       Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

 

correct statement of it. I am prepared to say at any rate that

our trip to the highly favored Ohio has done us no harm. It is

surprising to see the improvement which has taken place since

we arrived here. Certainly this is the country for the poor. The

prices paid for work are good in consequence of there existing

no slavery. Our people are held more upon an equal footing with

each other. A person of moral habits and respectable character

joined with industry and economy and frugality is not considered

inferior to the most opulent, popular citizens of Ohio. The pros-

pects of the farmer are still more flattering owing to the egress

of western production by means of canals, railroads and other

great works of internal improvement.   Notwithstanding Ohio

continued to be the abode of uncivilized men and ferocious beasts

of the forests until a few years prior to this present time, she

bids fair to become a rival to the greatest commercial states of

the union. Not only of our commercial advantages have our citi-

zens reason to boast; we possess advantages in regard to gaining

knowledge and information which the settlers of many older

states are destitute of. There is a section of land in each town-

ship appropriated for the use of schools. The prejudice enter-

tained by the people of many of the early settled states induced

them to believe that the western settlers were left in a state of

ignorance and are without any intellectual improvement, but an

impartial observer will at once admit the idea to be erroneous,

from great patronage of the press not only of our district of

country but of the most interesting journals throughout the union.

Our winter has been mild particularly for the last month, we

have had no sugar weather of account and if the weather remains

as warm a week or so longer the trees will put forth leaves and

if this should occur then the water will not make sugar in conse-

quence of the sap being up. It has been healthy throughout the

winter, remarkably so at this time. All vegetation indicates a

very early spring. In common the winter does not break until

the first of March and some times the middle.

I am very desirous of hearing from the country in which you

live. I think the last letter we received from you was in the

commencement of last year. I saw some weeks ago in the Eaton

Register copied from the Georgetown Luminary an account of

the severe storm of wind that visited your part of the country.

According to that statement several lives were lost and a great

quantity of property. We should be very glad to know who the

individuals were that fell victims of the violence of the storm.

The country and neighborhood has no doubt greatly changed

since we left that place and would wear less the aspect of home to

us than this our adopted country. How very strange it is that

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Reviews, Notes and Comments.          155 when a place becomes home it unfolds new beauty to us and we often indulge the ardent hope that our friends will one day dis- pense with their prejudices against this country and come to re- main for themselves. But I have been all too prolix. I must conclude by wishing you and yours much happiness in this life and an eternity of happiness in the world to come. Mother with the rest of the family joins in sending their best compliments of respect to you all. Please do answer this as soon as possible. Wishing ever to remain your Affectionate and Sincere Niece, RACHEL R. LOCKWOOD.

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