Meigs Countians enjoy a
moderate four-season climate, that rarely reaches
extremes in summer or
winter. Average
January temperature is 33o, average July
temperature is 73o.
Meigs County offers a
variety of fish and game to sporting enthusiasts. The
Ohio River and its
tributaries brim with
sauger, hybrid stripped bass, channel catfish, bluegill,
crappie, saugeye,
black bass, white bass, walleye,
sunfish, and large and small
mouth bass. Hunters and trappers roam the
hills abundant with wild
life such as white
tail deer, turkey, grouse, rabbit, squirrel, quail,
raccoon, fox,
groundhog, beaver, muskrat, mink, and opossum.
The county seat is Pomeroy.
There are 12 townships and five villages:
Middleport, Pomeroy, Racine,
Rutland, and
Syracuse.
The population of Meigs
County is 23,436. By population Middleport is the
largest village.
Principal industries include
coal, wood products and agriculture.
There are 120 Christian
churches in the county.
A National Scenic Byway Road
runs through Meigs County along the Ohio River.
Meigs County is noted in
Ripley's Believe It or Not twice! Once for our
unusual courthouse's
structure and once
for the fact that downtown Pomeroy's unique location
will not allow cross
streets. Set along the Ohio
River, Main Street runs
parallel with the water making a cross street
impossible.
The River Bend Arts Council,
an organization dedicated to promoting the
arts throughout the county,
is exemplary in
contributing to the growth of the community through the
vitality of art.
Famous Folks:
Mike Bartrum
(Pomeroy) Former Marshall University All American
and Tightend for the New
England Patriots. Mike is retired from the NFL and
is serving as Meigs County Commissioner.
Ambrose Gwinett Bierce
(Racine) a famous war hero,
cartoonist, journalist, editor, and lobbyist.
Author of the "Devil's
Dictionary.'' Known as "Old Gringo," he was
portrayed in a movie by the
same name, starring Gregory Peck.
James
Edwin Campbell
(Pomeroy) an African-American author noted for his
book, "Drifting and
Gleanings" (1887), and his book of poetry entitled
"Echoes from the Cabin and
Elsewhere."
Dave Diles
(Middleport)
Television Sports Announcer for ABC.
Edward A. Bennett
(Middleport)
Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S.
Army, Company B, 358th Infantry, 90th
Infantry Division. Place and date: Heckhuscheid,
Germany, February 1945.
Entered service at: Middleport, Ohio. Birth: Middleport,
Ohio. G.O. No.:
95, 30 October 1945. Citation: He was advancing with
Company B across open
ground to assault Heckhuscheid, Germany, just after dark
when vicious enemy
machine gun fire from a house on the outskirts of the
town pinned down the
group and caused several casualties. He began crawling
to the edge of the
field in an effort to flank the house, persisting in
this maneuver even
when the hostile machine gunners located him by the
light of burning
buildings and attempted to cut him down as he made for
the protection of
some trees. Reaching safety, he stealthily made his way
by a circuitous
route to the rear of the building occupied by the German
gunners. With his
trench knife he killed a sentry on guard there and then
charged into the
darkened house. In a furious hand-to-hand struggle he
stormed about a
single room which harbored 7 Germans. Three he killed
with rifle fire,
another he clubbed to death with the butt of his gun,
and the 3 others he
dispatched with his .45 caliber pistol. The fearless
initiative, stalwart
combat ability, and outstanding gallantry of Cpl.
Bennett eliminated the
enemy fire which was decimating his company's ranks and
made it possible
for the Americans to sweep all resistance from the town.
Mr. Bennett has passed on since that time and is buried
in the National Cemetery Golden Gate Cemetery.
Brewster Higley
(Rutland)
composer of
"Home on the Range."
Valentine B. Horton
(Pomeroy) Pioneer
industrialist noted for building the world's first
towboat in 1836.
Dwight Mutchler
(Rutland) artist noted for his "Mural of Southeastern
Ohio's Economic Growth" and
his painting "The Wright Brothers and
Their Accomplishments."
Jimmy G. Stewart
Rank and organization: Staff Sergeant,
U.S. Army, Company B, 2d Battalion,
12th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile). Place
and date: Republic of
Vietnam, 18 May 1966. Entered service at: Ashland, Ky.
Born: 25 December
1942, West Columbia, W. Va. Citation: For conspicuous
gallantry and
intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and
beyond the call of
duty. Early in the morning a reinforced North Vietnamese
company attacked
Company B, which was manning a defensive perimeter in
Vietnam. The surprise
onslaught wounded 5 members of a 6-man squad caught in
the direct path of
the enemy's thrust. S/Sgt. Stewart became a lone
defender of vital
terrain--virtually 1 man against a hostile platoon.
Refusing to take
advantage of a lull in the firing which would have
permitted him to
withdraw, S/Sgt. Stewart elected to hold his ground to
protect his fallen
comrades and prevent an enemy penetration of the company
perimeter. As the
full force of the platoon-sized man attack struck his
lone position, he
fought like a man possessed; emptying magazine after
magazine at the
determined, on-charging enemy. The enemy drove almost to
his position and
hurled grenades, but S/Sgt. Stewart decimated them by
retrieving and
throwing the grenades back. Exhausting his ammunition,
he crawled under
intense fire to his wounded team members and collected
ammunition that they
were unable to use. Far past the normal point of
exhaustion, he held his
position for 4 harrowing hours and through 3 assaults,
annihilating the
enemy as they approached and before they could get a
foothold. As a result of his defense, the company position held until the
arrival of a
reinforcing platoon which counterattacked the enemy, now
occupying foxholes
to the left of S/Sgt. Stewart's position. After the
counterattack, his body
was found in a shallow enemy hole where he had advanced
in order to add his
fire to that of the counterattacking platoon. Eight
enemy dead were found around his immediate position, with evidence that 15
others had been
dragged away. The wounded whom he gave his life to
protect, were recovered
and evacuated. S/Sgt. Stewart's indomitable courage, in
the face of
overwhelming odds, stands as a tribute to himself and an
inspiration to all men of his unit. His actions were in the highest
traditions of the U.S.
Army and the Armed Forces of his country.
Nelson Story (Burlingham)
Inductee in the
National Cowboy Hall of Fame. The novel "The Lonesome
Dove" is based on his
life.
One
four star general hails from Meigs County -
General James Hartinger
(Middleport).
There have been nine
professional baseball players from
Meigs County: "Kid"
Elberfeld, Benny Kauff, "Cy" Morgan, "Lefty"
Dilinger, Thomas Williams,
Bill Wilson, Rollie Hemsley, Thomas W.
Thomas, "Mother" Watson.
Buffington Island
Reenactment
Meigs County Tomato
Field
Meigs County
Agriculture
History:
Namesake
The
county was named for Return Jonathan Meigs, military leader and governor of Ohio from
1810-1814. His unusual name
derives from a romantic story involving his parents. His mother, a beautiful Quakeress,
was repeatedly asked by his
father, Jonathan Meigs, for her hand in marriage, but she always put him off. One day after
several rejections he
mounted his horse to depart for the last time. At that moment she relented and called to him
"Return, Jonathan! Return,
Jonathan!" claiming these were the sweetest words he had ever heard in all his life, he
named this son, Return Jonathan Meigs!
Pomeroy A Historic Riverboat Town
Located on a narrow strip of land between the Ohio River and a
bluff of high stone cliffs,
the picturesque village of
Pomeroy, was settled by New Englanders mostly of English,
Welsh and German origin.
The Germans were attracted to Pomeroy because of the similarity
to their homeland along the Rhine River. They established coal mines,
saltworks, foundries,
breweries and a pipe organ factory, adding much to the development of the town and
county. A great portion of
the building architecture of Pomeroy has remained unchanged
since the late 1800's. An
example of this is the Meigs County Jail. The jail, which has
the unusual feature of having a turret with curved windows, was built in
1895 and is still in use
today. Pomeroy recently underwent a $1 million downtown revitalization program to renovate
the Italianate storefront
facades and help restore its turn of the century atmosphere. Included in this renovation was a
promenade along the river,
complete with gazebos, benches, period gas lighting, and an amphitheater.
A three mile walking path with period lighting along the river
was completed in 2004.
Historic Middleport
First
settled in 1797, Middleport was the first town in the county
laid out and platted by
authority and the original county seat. However, a courthouse was
never erected, and the county seat was changed to Chester in 1822.
Middleport earned its name because it was the halfway point
between the two larger ports of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and
Cincinnati, Ohio. In the
days when the Ohio River was the most viable form of
transportation, Middleport
was the favorite winter harbor for steamboat captains and their
boats. One of the earliest homes in Middleport was the Downing House. It was the
home of Major John B.
Downing, a riverboat captain, who trained Samuel Clemens as a boat pilot. Clemens became known
as Mark Twain and wrote a
story about his friend entitled "Alligator Jack". Twain occasionally visited Middleport,
and the Downing home, which
is being transformed into an unique bed and breakfast still stands, a testament to the
elegance of the steamboat
era. Middleport's most prosperous time was in the early 1900's when the Hobson Railroad yard had
a terminus for the New York
Central Railroad, with freight and passenger trains, and street car service. In the 1950's
the terminal was eliminated
and Middleport now relies mostly on retail trade. The century old department store still exists
and a new marina has been
built in Middleport.
Historical Tidbits
According to George Washington's diary on October 28, 1770, he
surveyed land now known as
Meigs County. He camped
near Long Bottom, and while there paid respects to his friend
and former guide Chief
Kiashuta, and his Indian
hunting party. The two leaders and their men camped overnight
together. A commemorative
marker erected in 1932
designates the area.
In
1816, salt production was started, but did not become a
leading industry until the
1860's. During the salt era, furnaces operated on both sides of
the river. The Excelsior Salt Works formed in 1860, had heavy activity
from that time until after
WW1.
Coal
is mined and shipped on a commercial scale in 1830 when Samuel
Wyllis Pomeroy and his
son-in-law, Valentine B.
Horton arrive on the scene.
In
1841, Pomeroy is incorporated and named for Samuel Wyllis
Pomeroy.
Civil
War ravishes the nation. Meigs County is on the borderline
between the North and
South. Ohio is free, while
Virginia (soon to be WV) is a slave state. On July 19, 1863,
the Battle of Buffington Island takes place in Portland. Morgan's Raiders are defeated by
Meigs County militia, and Union forces led by Brigadier General Henry M.
Judah, and Edward H.
Hobson. At least two former U.S. Presidents participated in
this battle, if not
possibly three. They were
Rutherford Hayes, William McKinley, and possibly James
Garfield, interestingly
enough all born in Ohio. Meigs County was also part of the Underground
Railroad, that transported slaves to freedom. There is a farmhouse in
Syracuse, that still stands
that is rumored to have hidden passages within its walls, that
were used to hide runaway
slaves.
Contact
Information
Meigs County Tourism
238 West Main Street
Pomeroy, Ohio 45769
Phone: 740-992-2239
Fax: 740-992-7942
