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their hall, at the corner of Second and State streets.  No deaths have occurred since its organization.

BLESSING POST NO. 126, GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC.

     The post of the Grand Army was organized in August, 1881, the charter members numbering twenty-five.  The time for their regular meetings is the first and third Mondays of each month at the Knights of Pythias rooms, corner of Second and State streets.  The present officers of the order are J. L. Guy, Post Commander; L. Z. Cadot, Senior Vice Commander; J. R. Safford, Junior Vice Commander; H. R. Bradbury, Adjutant; A. F. Moore, Quartermaster; W. B. Trump, Officer of the Day; Charles Stuart, Officer of the Guard; I. F. Chapman, Sergeant Major; C. B. Blake, Inner Guard, and D. S. Trobridge, Outer Guard.
     A great deal of interest has recently been awakened among the ex-soldiers of the vicinity and the post is now in a flourishing condition and has a membership of seventy-one.  they have recently undertaken, with the assistance of the patriotic citizens of the county, the erection of an appropriate monument to the memory of deceased soldiers.  It is the intention of placing it upon the public square, near the center, and fronting on Second street, and the estimated cost is about four thousand dollars.

THE GALLIPOLIS FIRE DEPARTMENT

     The first fire company was organized in 1843, of which Alexander Vance was president, and D. B. Hebard, secretary.  They held there first meeting at the Gallia Academy, and afterwards at Magnet's (now Regnier & Company's) drug store.  It was called "The Ceres Fire Company," and they used an ordinary rotary force pump engine, with hose attached, which is now in the possession of John B. Clendinen.  Their last meeting was held in 1845.  About 1861, a breakdown engine was obtained, of which Hobson McClurg had charge, and a company was formed but no officers elected.  During the time this engine was being used, the old courthouse was burned.  In 1871, another engine called the Washington, was purchased; J. C. Reeves acted as chief, and William Kling as captain.  The only fire of importance which occurred, at which it was used, was the burning of the Le Clercq woolen mills.
     In December, 1871, the city purchased a number two Silsby steamer, with two horses.  This was in use at the largest fires the city ever had: the court-house, Waddell, Blazer & Company's warehouse, filled with manufactured goods and wool and Henking, Allemong & Company's warehouse, filled with heavy groceries; all of which fires occurred by by incendiarism within a space of thirty days.  The services of the fire department on the occasions were so well appreciated that the ladies raised $436 among the citizens by subscription and donated it to the department.  Soon afterward the city purchased on Ahrens engine, which is still in use, including the hook and ladder company, has fifty-five members.  The present officers are as follows:  P. B. Prichett, chief; T. L. Bell, assistant; T. w. Frose, secretary; T. F. Hott, treasurer; E. Geissler, engineer; E. P. Ralph, assistant.  Hose Company No. 1 - E. McConnell, foreman; M. Hern, assistant.  Hose Company No. 2 - C. S. Friend, foreman; G. W. Shenk, assistant.  Hook and Ladder Company - Frederick Kuhn, foreman; Thomas Blackburn, assistant.

GALLIPOLIS MAILS AND GALLIA COUNTY POST-OFFICE

     The first regular mails to the city were brought in a canoe from Marietta.  Joseph Fletcher, who was afterward employed to survey the government lands about Detroit, was the mail agent.  He continued in this service for quite a long time, and was frequently obliged to cross the river to escape from the Indians.  About the year 1830, or earlier, a daily mail was established, via Jackson, from Gillipolis to Chillicothe.  Although the post coach was drawn by four horses, with plenty of relays, the mail, during the season of bad roads, was frequently delayed for two or three days.  The difficulties and delays of overland travel in these days are well remembered by many who have experienced them.  After the completion of the Portsmouth branch of the Marietta and Cincinnati railroad, mail was obtained daily and regularly via Oak Hill.
     Since the completion of the Toledo, Columbus and Hocking Valley railroad, two years since, two mails are received daily from the north and two from Pomeroy.  There is also a daily mail by boat from Charleston and one from Huntington, West Virginia; one tri-weekly overland mail to Ironton, Ohio; one semi-weekly to Quaker Bottom, Ohio, and one semi-weekly to Rio Grande.  The present postmaster is Samuel F. Neal, who has held the position nearly four years.
     The following is a list of Gallia county post-offices:
     Addison, Alice, Boggs, Bulaville, Bush's Mill, Chapman's Mills, Cheshire, Chestnut Grove Clipper Mills, Cora, Crown City, Eno, Evergree, Eureka, Ewington, Gallia Furnace, Gallipolis, Harris, Heatley, Kerr, Kyger, Leaper, Lincoln, McDaniels, Malaby, Mercerville, Moody, Northup, Patriot, Pine Grove, Rio Grande, Rodney, Rowlesville, Sand Fork, Saundersville, Sprinkle's Mills, Swan Creek, Thivenir, Thurman, Tycoon, Vinton, Wales and Yaho.  Total, 43.  Gallia county has mail facilities unexcelled in the State.

THE GALLIPOLIS GAS COMPANY

     An ordinance was passed by the city council of Gallipolis, September 3d, 1869, and the gas company was incorporated on the 18th of the same month.  The incorporators were Roman Menager, Peter A. Sanns, Wm. Shober, E. S. Aleshire and William Nash.  The officers of the organization were, William Nash, president; E. S. Aleshire, secretary; P. A. Sanns, treasurer; A. W. Allemong, William Shober, directors.
     The works are located at the south end of Second street, and the city was first lighted by gas Aug. 8th, 1870.  The gas is of an excellent quality, and furnished to consumers at a less price than any other town in the State, in proportion to the inhabitants.  The company is now paying dividends on the stock.  Their present officers are: A. B. Allemong, president; C. W. Henking, secretary; William Shober, treasurer; A. Henking, John Sanns, directors.

YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC OF 1878

     Gallipolis has passed through many seasons of local excitement, that, given in detail, would make volumes of interesting history.  Of particular note among them was the yellow fever visitation of 1878 - the only severe epidemic that ever occurred in the city - when Charleston, Huntington, Ironton, Middleport, and other towns in the vicinity were quarantined against her.
     On July 18th, of that year, the tow-boat John Porter left New Orleans with eighteen barges and a crew of thirty-five men.  The boat was one of the finest on the river, valued at $40,00, and her barges $30,000, all belonging to the Cumberland Tow Boat Company.  Soon after starting, one of the firemen was taken with yellow fever, followed by two other cases.  All that were supposed to be afflicted were put off at Vicksburg, but the epidemic again broke out, and the patients were continually sent ashore.  Upon reaching Cincinnati, (which was quarantined), two young physicians, (Drs. Carr and Slough), came on board.  After this the fever spread rapidly, and upon their arrival at Gallipolis, Saturday evening, August 17th, at 8 o'clock, ten were laid up with it, among whom was the commander, Captain Bickerstaff.
     The hardships up to this point were beyond description.  People along shore avoided the boat as they would a wild beast - not permitting her to land for supplies, and threatening the crew with direful punishment whenever the attempt was made.  Great blame was attached to the health officers at Cincinnati for allowing the boat to proceed up the river, knowing her condition, with the patients in charge of two inexperience young physicians.  Seventeen deaths occurred among those who were on the boat.  On her arrival at the marine docks, one mile below Gallipolis, the authorities of the town were informed, and steps were immediately taken by Dr. Needham to have her quarantined by authority of the board of health.  A committee was appointed to visit the Porter, and the crew was given every possible assistance, but notified that they must go out of the reach of the city, which they agreed to do next morning, claiming they could not pass a difficult place in the channel, opposite Gallipolis island, that night, where lay the sunken wreck of the exploded steamer Brilliant.
     The Porter started next morning, but her cylinder packing blew out and she fell back.  This was soon repaired, and, starting again, she broke her shaft, and came drifting back in a helpless condition.  Enos, Will & Co.'s large foundry was immediately put in blast, by order of the authorities, and a new shaft completed by twelve o'clock Sunday night.  Two or three of her crew, however, died during the night, and when Monday morning arrived, all energy among them had given way to a hopeless state of demoralization, and they declared they could go no farther.  Captain Porter, (one of the owners), was telegraphed to, and sent $1,000 for their relief.  As soon as the crew obtained money, they began deserting until none were left but the helpless ones who could not get away.  Captain Bickerstaff, Dr. Slough, and the mate, Andy Armstrong, who remained until the arrival of John T. Case, sent by the company to take command, when he was taken sick, but afterward recovered.
     The Porter lay here for some time, in charge of Case, who guarded her by night, while a watchman on the bank, in a hut, guarded her by day.  She was an object of great interest and curiosity, and, after having been disinfected, was visited by any who thought there was no danger, an din a very short time a number of these persons were taken with the yellow fever.  The first to die in the city were two men who had been employed to clean the boat.  The fever also commenced spreading among other families living near where the boat was anchored.  The following is a list of the victims of the dread disease:  Shepard Sheldon and James T. Myers 9the two first cases); Wellington Blazer, Mrs. J. J. Blazer, William Walker, Grant Walker, Laing Walker, Alice Walker, c. J. Brothers, Mrs. C. J. Brothers, James Brown, Mrs. Charles Forth, Mrs. Samuel H. Morton, Clayton Coffman, Charles Dehlman, William Buck, Joseph Martin, Hugh Plylmale, senior, Mrs. Elizabeth Brothers, Simon Gibson, Richard Blazer, Max Harger, Mrs. Max Harger, William Hull, Mrs. Margaret Beard, Caroline Davis, W. J. Holcomb, J. W. Skinner, Sarah Kerns, S. B. Curry, George D. Curry, Margaret Brown, Thomas Gibson, Mrs. Claudius Roberts and Mrs. Captain A. M. Halliday - thirty-five in all.  Besides these there were many other cases that recovered.
     During this reign of terror, that occupied but a few weeks, there was an almost total suspension of business - hotels were closed, hundreds fled from the town, the streets were almost deserted, and the only chance of egress was by private conveyance.  Fires of coal tar were kept burning night and day at the corners of all the principal streets, and at each of the roads entering into the town, and all people form the afflicted region were compelled to submit to fumigation.  Happily, several brisk frosts occurred early, which broke the epidemic.

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     In the meantime, until September 13th, the Porter and barges remained anchored two or three miles below.  On this morning, a heavy rise in the river, accompanied by a heavy drift, broke all loose.  Drs. Needham and Vance were on the steamer at the time, disinfecting her, and they succeeded in fastening her, but the barges were carried away.  The Porter, now being declared freed from all taint of fever, a new crew was advertised for, and at Gallipolis and Middleport one was obtained, and the boat was supplied at Gallipolis warf.  Crowns went to see the ill-fated steamer that had brought such desolation, but few ventured on board.  As soon as possible she started down the river after the barges, securing all but three.  The barge Mingo, which cost the company $5,000, was so badly infected that it was impossible to purify it, and it was burned by Captain Porter, just above Cincinnati.  The two other lost barges were destroyed by the frightened people along the shores.
     Thus ended the first and only visitation of yellow fever at Gallipolis, and it will long be remembered.  It cost the town and county thousands of dollars, carried away, almost entire, some of the most respected families, and for a period of about six weeks, put a stop to all business.

See Page XIX - Guyan Township

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