I hope this newsletter finds you in good health and in high spirits. As we conclude the holiday season, I am sure that you had a blessed and meaningful Christmas and enjoyed sharing time with your family and friends. The Sedgwick House had another holiday celebration and open house, and I hope you were able to visit and see the museum decorated as it would have been one hundred years ago.

2001 was a very productive year for the MFAHS, both here at the Sedgwick Museum and the Walnut Grove Cemetery. We took advantage of several government and private grants to do a lot of needed work at the museum. Also, interest seems to be increasing for the condition and upkeep of the cemetery. The MFAHS has many plans and dreams for 2002, and with your continued help we can meet those goals. Our most important future activity will come in 2003, when Ohio celebrates her bicentennial.

A major focus for the MFAHS is the education program we’ve started in the Martins Ferry School System. I have visited the eighth grade classes and shared local history with them. I have and will visit the fourth grade classes in the character of Ebenezer Martin. All groups will then follow-up my visit with a trip to the museum and cemetery. In November, we even had a group of students from Bridgeport take advantage of our facilities.

Please continue to support our group with your membership in the MFAHS. We also could surely use your physical presence either at the Sedgwick House or Walnut Grove Cemetery.

     Mrs. Blackford was born on Oak Grove Plantation (Alabama) in 1867. President Jeff Davis of the Confederate States was her godfather, and many of his things were in the house. All of the mattresses were made from cotton grown on the plantation. Mrs. Blackford’s Mammy lived to be 115 years old. Mrs. Blackford would see to it that she was taken care of to the end. She married Dr. Blackford in 1904. I think they got the 53 - 4th Street house a few years later. Dr. Ong built the house about 1885. During the Depression, she served a breakfast every morning for those in need. They would come to the house and she would see that they were fed. She was a close friend of Eleanor Roosevelt and Mrs. Roosevelt was a guest at the house. Also Governor Davey of Ohio and many Senators. She was a very important person in the Democratic Party.
     At Christmas Time as late as the thirties, Christmas trees were all done up in candles and sand buckets were close by in case of fire. Holly was strung all up and down the stairs, over all the paintings and fire places. Much entertaining went on. We would start after Thanksgiving making candles candies, cookies, and cakes. All the brass and silver was polished to shining bright. There were gardeners, chauffeurs, and maids. But that was before my time.
     At the time of Dr. Blackford, he used the small room of the back hall for practice. In the back was a stable, one side with a garage with a summer kitchen for cooking to keep the house cool in the summer. There was a servants apartment above all that. It was a very happy house in spite of Mrs. Blackford’s handicap.
     In the fifties, there was a fire in the house, but it was all in the third floor. Many beautiful antiques were ruined. They were those things from the plantation that were too big for the house or just things that there was not enough room for. Also destroyed in the fire was the only complete Confederate underground newspaper printed.

     Hose-racing with hand-drawn reels was a popular sport in the late 1800’s. Firemen in the town departments practiced strenuously to achieve the speed and endurance necessary to fight fire successfully. Before long they were turning drudgery into a means of amusement as they raced against their neighbors, then against teams in the area, and eventually competed in meets drawing teams from other states.
     Martins Ferry water system, complete with pumping station and water lines in town, went into operation in 1887. Now that water was easily available, Dr. D. W. Darrah organized a fire department, equipped with one hose reel pulled by rope.
     Bellaire’s well-organized department held a firemen’s convention that summer and invited the new department to enter the hose-racing competition. The young men of Hose Company No. 3 took the reel down, marched in the parade, and entered competition in their street clothes. They startled everyone by winning, running 233 1/2 yards (more that twice the length of a football field), laying 200 feet of hose and connecting the nozzle in 36 1/2 seconds.
     Cheered by their success, the racers organized the Independent Hose Racing Team, open to anyone in the fire department. Under Dr. Darrah’s supervision they trained like athletes. Drinking was forbidden in a day when it was almost universal.
     Their next spectacular achievement came at a state-wide competition held at Sandusky on July 4, 1891. Here they ran 231 1/2 yards, laid 100 feet of hose and connected the nozzle in 29 seconds, a time which the judges refused to believe until they had inspected the equipment for secret devices. The usual winning time was 32 to 35 seconds. The time of 29 seconds has never been equaled.
     As a result, the Independent Hose Racing team was invited to compete at the Cotton States Exposition at Atlanta Georgia, in 1895. The men doubted their ability to raise the $3,000 necessary for the trip, but the townspeople helped them to collect what was then a staggering amount. On October 11 the team ran 300 yards with 750 pounds of weight (reel and 350 feet of hose) and attached the nozzle in 45 seconds. They might have done better, but the reel and hose were new and stiff. The prize was the diamond studded belt, still on display at City Hall, and $250 in gold. Billed as a World Championship because the teams were of such high quality, the race was the first and only one of its kind.

DECEMBER 4, 1901 The increased production of two oil wells in the Colerain oil fields is creating some excitement.

DECEMBER 5 The large plate glass for the office of H. B. Grayson has arrived.
The street cars did not operate last evening on account of a trolley breaking in the lower part of town.

DECEMBER 6 Wednesday night about nine o’clock, one of the most brazen attempts to rob a home was tried at the home of Mrs. A. C. Campbell on North Third street. Mrs. Campbell and daughter were attending prayer meeting and Mrs.Campbell returned home about nine o’clock and thought she had unlocked the front door and then passed through the hall into the dining room. The room was dark and her attention was called to a noise, and just then a man rushed against her and then ran out of the room and escaped by the front door. Mrs. Campbell was much frightened and called to her next door neighbor and the police were notified but unable to find the man. Entrance was gained by forcing the front door, pushing off the keeper on the lock so Mrs. Campbell did not unlock the door, as it was already open. Nothing was found missing in the house, and it is thought the man had only been in the house a few minutes.

DECEMBER 10 While raising a stack at Laughlin nail mill, George Koehnline, who was supervising the work, was struck in the head with a pulley and rendered unconscious for a short time. He was able to be about yesterday.

DECEMBER 14 Hassenpfeffer lunch and salads at Harris saloon, 19 second street, today.
A violent steer offered a little entertainment and some danger on Hanover street yesterday and caused an undignified “hike” on the part of the usual corner statesmen.

DECEMBER 15 Patrons of the local post office will expedite delivery of their papers and packages if they will but see to it that postage is fully prepaid. Otherwise matter cannot be sent out. The rate of postage on newspapers is 1cent for each four pages or a fraction thereof. On books it is 1 cent for each two ounces or fraction, and on packages or merchandise of any kind 1 cent for each ounce. All packages containing any written communication will be charged at letter rate. It may be added in this connection, that letters and packages will be less likely to be lost if return addresses are written on them before they are mailed.

DECEMBER 17 One of the houseboats in which lived a large family, has been tied up for some time just below Hanover street. When the river had reached a stage of 25 feet the boat sprang a leak. Cries of the occupants brought assistance and they were taken out.

DECEMBER 22 The ferryboat “Conveyor” tied up yesterday on the West Virginia side.

DECEMBER 27 The Polish people of this city gave a dance in Scheehle’s Hall Christmas night. About 40 of their nationality attended and they enjoyed their old way of dancing until 2 a.m.