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M a Quarterly Journal of History for Adams ,. !. A,.,. ,/'.... .1. .., ... , ,. ./ -"- ag -»«- ag^ i»- ir^ ag If ag ir ir IL X m I $2.50 I I I f ' I ( I I I A Quarterly Journal of History for Adams, Brown, Clermont, & Highland Counties I I I I I I I I I Diuiiii hji Henry Uoii^e, 1846. RIPLEY, FROM THE KENTUCKY SIDE OF THE OHIO. In This Issue: John Parker: Ripley' s Black Abolitionist Of Taverns, Travel & A Fat Dog Innkeeper of Adams County ••*»• ^f ag -ag ag ag .ag -ag ag- -gg- jr. ae^ -av n^^^^^^m^^^KK, Help protect Ohio's natural heritage! Ohioans! You can help preserve and protect part of Natural Aneas your rich natural heritage. The Otiio income tax form aliows you to make a tax-deductible donation by designating part of your TAX REFUND -Check UsF to support Oliio's efforts to protect nature preserves, scenic rivers and endangered species. Your support is needed to assure that the state's most important natural areas, scenic rivers and endangered plants and animals are preserved for future generations of Ohioans to see and enjoy. Please join us in protecting your natural heritage before it is too late! For information, contact: Ohio Department of Natural Resources ODNl Division of Natural Areas and Preserves OHIO DKI'XKTMKNT OF Fountain Square, Bldg. F .NAIl HAI. Ht:SOl R( KS Columbus, Ohio 43224 (614) 265-6453 (Voice) or Richard F. Celeste • Joseph J. Sommer (614) 265-6994 (TDD) Governor Director The One Account Plus Earn interest on every dollar you keep with Fifth Thirds unique package of financial services. FIFTH THIRD BANK The only bank you'll ever need! m©Fidh Third Ban k 1985 Member F.D.I.C. 'Service Mark owned by Fifth Third Bank. West Union 544-5526 Manctiester 549-3038 Lynctiburg 364-2321 Peebles 587-2615 Russellville 377-3901 Greenfleld 981-2148 Georgetown 378-6111 1 Hillsboro 393-4204 Leesburg 780-2261 Ohio Souttiland"3 Vol. 2 No. 1 Winter, 1990 Table of Contents A Black History conducror on 4 John Parker: Ripley's Black Abolitionist the Underground 14 Of Taverns, Travel & A Fat Dog Railroad in Ripley... 40 Murder On The Square 43 Ohio Southland In The Eighteenth Century: A Conversation With A Forgotten Frontiersman-Christopher Gist 51 Bridges To Our Past Genealogy 29 The Roads Family Of Highland County Archaeology 36 Please...Don't Call Them Tomahawks! Natural History Page 4 27 Drummers & Bumps On A Log Features A new inn for 52 Innkeeper Of Adams County Adams Countv.. Ohio Southland is a quarterly publication dedicated to perpetuat­ ing the cultural and natural heritage of Adams, Brown, Clermont and Highland Counties, Ohio. Published at 301 Columbia Ave­ nue, R, P.O. Box 208, Seaman, Ohio, 45679-0208. Publisher and Editor Stephen Kelley. Ohio Southland invites but cannot be held responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and photograpfis. To ensure their safe return, manuscripts must be accompanied Page 52 by a self-addressed, stamped envelope. Copyright 1990 Kelley Publications. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher. 4~Ohio Souttiland John Parker Ripley isn't just any town; it came close to being big-time. In the mid-19th Cen­ tury, Ripley was second only to Cincinnati as a pork-packing center. And, in selling tickets on the Underground Railroad, Ripley's Ripley again was second only to Cincinnati as a Black "first station." Yet. in both areas, time passed Abolitionist Ripley by; and it has ever since been in a "long sleep," unseen by most of the world. If you take a leisurely walk around Ripley's riv­ erfront, you can begin to get a feel for both these things that brought Ripley by Paul Young close to the big-time. Start with the cannon on the grounds of the pub­ lic library (see Ohio Southland, Fall, 1989). The plaque tells you enough to whet your appe­ tite about Ripley's notori­ ous reputation as an "abo- Ohio Southland"5 the North Star, Canada (during low-water periods, and freedom. High over which were many), swam, the town is Rankin House walked on ice (not uncom­ (Liberty Hill), where mon then, when the water Reverend John Rankin and was much lower than it is his nine sons helped as in the "lakes" created by many as 2,000 fugitives the many dams up and get on that famous Under­ down river), or rowed ground Railroad and es­ across in skiffs that "just cape their bondage. happened to be" on the Then, walk north along Kentucky shore. Tlie Ripley Cannon Front Street and check the Keep walking. All the houses, many of them way to the end of Front built during the first half Street, where you can go litionist hell-hole," that of the 19th Century and no further, except up a John Morgan (of Morgan's occupied by families like three-step set of concrete Raiders) threatened to the Campbells and stairs that lead nowhere burn it to the ground, Collinses who had left but which—before 1900— though—when he had the slave states to migrate to led to the old Ripley opportunity—he marched Ohio, the first actual gov­ Foundry. They were put east and north and kept ernment subdivision in the there by John Parker, his matches in his pocket world to ban slavery (as owner of the foundry for some reason. part of the Northwest Ter­ but—more importantly— From the cannon, go ritory that initiated such a Ripley's indefatigable directly west to the monu­ ban in 1787). So, those black abolitionist. ment that gives credit to famous old houses look As you look at those those who risked every­ down on the Ohio River, steps, turn around in your thing to help runaway over into Kentucky, from tracks and notice the red slaves get a bearing on where many a slave waded brick house that stands in "...walk north along Front Street and check the houses..." 6"Ohio Southland less blacks escaping from And finally, a well-to- Kentucky masters. do citizen of Ripley? Stand on the iron steps All of these, true, and of that house (though that dimensions of an unusual is officially trespassing on man who "just happened the private property of to" wind up in Ripley. one Ratliff of Frenchburg, Born in Norfolk, marched Kentucky who owns the barefoot to the cotton Parker House along with fields of Alabama, sold to the coal yard). a doctor there whose sons Those iron steps were taught him to read, hired cast in Parker's own foun­ out to work in a foundry, dry. determined to save his And, out of that foun­ money and buy his free­ dry came a long list of dom, John Parker sailed inventions that probably up the Mississippi, then ranked Parker as the lead­ the Ohio to New Albany, ing black inventor (in­ Indiana, then to Maysville Liberty Monument—dedicated deed, inventor of any to help a friend who was during Ripley's Centennial kind) during the late 19th in turn helping two black in 1912. Century; tobacco presses, women escape bondage, soil pulverizers, water then to Ripley where he miserable disrepair on the valves, etc. got a job in a foundry in north side of Front Street An inventor? 1845. beside the coal yard. The owner of a foun­ From there, Parker That is John Parker's dry? launched upon what must house, and often the first Black? have been the most un­ station on the Under­ A former slave him­ usual work a man ever ground Railroad for count- self? engaged in: literally kid- The Parker House, erected circa 1850, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Ohio Southland"? I Ko Modr) • ; Stacatf—Sbitt J. P. PARKER. PORTABLE SCHEW PRESS. Patented May 19. 1885. Original patent illustrations for two of Parker's many inventions are shown here. 3. P. PAEKEB. FOLIOWB* lOlSW FOa TOBACOO FgESICS. IJo. 304.6B2. _ _ - -i PrtiatBd S»>t 3. 1881. ^^ /^>TTOR'ArrORNETN S Parker's patented tobacco presses became very popular in southern Ohio and northern Kentucky. WiUfiBEl! inOlHETl. 8~Ohio Southland Collinses, Campbells, etc., who helped slaves once the slaves had made it to the Ohio shore, Parker went deep into slave coun­ try to spirit these would- be-fugitives northward. Parker's primary ship­ ping point was "Reverend Gilliland and the Red Oak Chapel," a few miles up Red Oak Creek, from where the railroad branched either to Decatur 77ie Parker House features a set of unique iron or to Russellville, and steps cast in John Parker's foundry. from these points north­ ward still through Tran­ quility and Sardinia and napping Kentucky and they wanted to escape but Locust Grove, and West Virginia slaves who (b) were afraid to do so. Hillsboro. and Sicily, and let it be known that (a) Unlike the Rankins, Samantha, and Greenfield, BRISTOW PHARMACY —Established 1912^ - Personal Service - Most prescription insyrance plans honored - Competitive prices - Computerized prescription record keeping - Old fashion soda fountain service - Plus much more Specializing in Farms Corner of Second and Main Streets in Historic Downtown Ripley, Ohio Homes, Recreational PHONE 392-1122 PHARMACY DEFT. 392-4020 Land and Weekend Retreats STORE HOURS JOHNNIE L ARMSTRONG, GRI MONDAY - SATURDAY M 9:00 A.A^. - 6:00 P.M. Ohio Southland~9 do Mo4«i. J. P. PABKER. BOIL PULVEBIZER. Ko. 442.538. ry^fy Patented Deo. 9, 1800. -J^^/.JL. Tr/Til? ^^T"^^^ y^p^v.-: ^ W"^ v^^ ."^r:: ,v V^O-.
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