“Front street, from Court to Chillicothe, which is now almost shoved out of the line of travel, and, when the mill is not running, is a quiet, deserted street, was forty years ago a lively and aristocratic portion of the city. Nearly all the travel up and down town passed along that thoroughfare, and some of the wealthiest and most prominent businessmen resided on these two squares. Let us take a stroll along it, and recall the residents of 1850.”
“On the corner of Front and Court, in the large brick now occupied by the Morton Club, resided Mr. TG Gaylord1, the principal owner of the Gaylord Mills, who about that time removed to Cincinnati. In the brick above that lives Mr. Joseph Riggs, one of prominent citizens, and at that time a leading dry goods merchant. Across the alley in a small frame William Raynor, father of Colonel WH Raynor2, kept a shoe shop. Above this in the old two story frame resided Captain Samuel Cole, father of Frank Cole, of the Ashland Coal Company. The captain owned and ran the flour mill on the West Side- then known as ‘Moss’ mills,’3 now the Union Mills.”
“The still stylish-looking brick above that, with its broad sweep of steps, and surmounted by an observatory, now owned by Captain William Burt, was then the home of Colonel Peter Kinney, the banker.”
“The little frame adjoining on the alley was built for Wesley Redhead– a brother of Mrs. Colonel Kinney, who expected to occupy it with his bride. But before his wedding day he was carried away by cholera, which prevailed in 1848-9. Redhead was a popular young man, and at the time was bookkeeper at the rolling mill.”
“East of the alley where now stands the two-story brick, built and long occupied by Robert Montgomery, there stood a frame dwelling surrounded by vines and flowers. This was the home of Colonel John Row, for many years a leading merchant of our city, and afterwards postmaster.”
“In the two-story brick above that standing on the street, lived Samuel M Tracy, Esquire, one of the oldest attorneys of the city, his office being in the west wing.”
“The brick building adjoining, on the corner of Washington, was occupied by David D. Jones as a residence and a grocery. His widow4, the mother of David L. Jones, still resides there in the quiet serenity of a happy old age.”
“Crossing Washington street, in the lot on the east side, standing back from the street, was a two-story frame with generous porches and embowered amid shrubbery. Here resided Captain James W. Davis and his family, and old steamboat captain, and afterward engaged in the mercantile business with John McDowell, as McDowell & Davis. He afterwards built the large residence on Rose Ridge, now occupied by the Ohio Military Academy.”
“There was a small frame standing where the ‘mill store’ building is, the mill store itself being in those days in a two-story brick on the south side of Second- just opposite its present site.”
“In the two-story frame east on the alley lived Dudley Day– a well-known citizen- and afterward Mrs. Amanda Wilhelm5, mother of John Wilhelm, the tinner. Across the alley in a large lot stood the home of Reverend John R. Turner, with its beautiful garden of shrubbery and flowers. The buildings have been moved and additional houses since erected on the lot. Mr. Turner was noted for having held the office of county clerk for over fifty years, down to the spring of 1855.”
“Above this stood a two-story frame house occupied by Mrs. Campbell, formerly by Mrs. Noel. The building still stands there, but in a dilapidated condition. It looks as though time had been gnawing at it for many years, and that nobody has interfered with time and his ravages. This house has a history. About seventy-five years ago Dr. Thomas Waller, father of Mayor Waller6, resided therein. He was postmaster and the post office was kept there, and the Portsmouth mails were issued therefrom.”
“The two-story brick on the alley above was built by James Ballard, afterward for many years on the police force. Ballard was a baker and confectioner, and his ginger cakes and ‘root’ and ‘spruce’ beer were noted in that region, especially among the boys.”
“Just above, across the street, on the south side of Front, was a two-story frame in which lived Job Ledbetter, the miller at the old ‘Red Mill’ owned by Dr. Jacob Offnere, which stood on the river bank just below the mouth of Chillicothe street. Job’s home is a sad wreck; the windows and doors are out and the roof fallen in. The floods were too much for it; and the winds and rains have well nigh demolished it. But ‘Jobbie,’ who was a good, pious, old soul, long since entered into a better home beyond.”
“At that period the river bank, in front of the square about Court street, extended 150 or 200 feet south of Front street and then came a precipitous bank. It was known as the river commons, and was the ‘circus’ grounds. The writer has, when a boy, seen the white tents of Van Amburgh’s circus and menagerie, and of Dan Rice’s, Levi J. North’s, Spaulding & Rogers’ shows spread over this ground, and the stirring music, and the clown’s jokes, and the ready laughter floated out from the canvass upon the evening air and enlivened the homes of the Front street dwellers.”
“We have already ‘dwelt’ enough on this portion of Front street to show that it was a rich and populous thoroughfare, along which were the homes of our most prosperous and prominent citizens. It was the principally travelled thoroughfare between the upper and lower end. Its sidewalk was generally thronged with pedestrians, and through all hours of the day and far into the night, its brick pavements echoed to the tramp of hurrying passers-by. Now this portion of Front-save for the rumble from the mill when it is in operation- is as quiet as Goldsmith’s deserted village, and at night a belated waypasser, would hear naught but the echo of his owen solitary footsteps. Second street has caught the crowd. It has become the artery through which trade and travel-up and down- daily ebbs and flows.”7
- Thomas G. Gaylord
- William Henry Raynor
- owned by Lemuel M. Moss
- Margaret Griffith Jones
- Amanda M. Day Wilhelm, sister of Ambrose Dudley Day and wife of Jacob Wilhelm
- George Allen Waller
- Historic squares: a once aristocratic portion of the city now quiet and deserted. (1890, November 1). Portsmouth Times, p. 1.
