Newton Foster's Family
After the Scioto River lowlands were inundated during the 1913 flood, the imposing residence of the Newton Foster family near Omega was moved to higher ground where it is presently located. This picture was taken during the moving but workers are not identified.
When the house was located down by the river they had a team of horses hitched to the hitchen post by the house and the 1913 flood came through so quickly they were unable to get the horses moved in time and they drowned.
This house was raised somewhere around 130' to the top of a hill that is 700' above sea level from down near the Scioto River with an altitude of around 570'. What they did was to level a place on the hill side, jack the house up to a certain height then pull it over on to the flat area and then jack it up again and repeat the process until they got it to the top of the hill. Note the pictures shows the house to be jacked up about 3 men high. It would appear the process had to be done 8 or 9 times if they jacked it up to the height we see in the picture each time. I am told the family continued to live in the house during the moving process and not a picture fell off the wall. I am also told a mule was used to winch the house onto the flat places. The Foster house sets on the hill that is now reached by a drive way that is across from where Straight Creek road comes up to Rt. 335. (39 7.84'N 82 53.74'W) Bill Gildow, as a kid, use to deliver stuff from his Aunt Blazer's Store to the two women who lived there. He said it was a very nice house inside
by Alice Sautter
Feb. 1979 Waverly Watchman
(From the collection of the late A. S. Keechle, Waverly
Copyright © 2008
Pike Co. Genealogy & Historical Society
P. O. Box 224, Waverly, Ohio 45690