Discovering Black History in Southeast Ohio

Western Spectator [Marietta, Ohio], December 21, 1811.  RANAWAY, on the 9th inst. from the Subscriber, of Washington's Bottom, Wood County, Virginia, a Negro Girl named Phillis, about twenty four years old, five feet five inches high, a dark yellow complexion; on the back of her right wrist, she has a long fresh scar, when walking bends her head forward, a downcast look and naturally very active. She had on and took with her, a blue cotton and a white cambric gown, a linen, a calico and a humhum petticoat, a dimity and a red calico jacket, a large leno and a large dark colored shawl, an old linsey habit and a pair of calf-skin shoes, with sundry other articles too numerous to mention. She has lived at Parkersburgh two years in a tavern, with Dean and Baily, and will probably be known to many. Any person who will bring the girl to me, or secure her so that I can get her, will be entitled to the above reward. If she is brought home, all expences will be paid exclusive of the reward. ...

  American Friend  [Marietta, Ohio], May 12, 1820.  Ran away from the subscriber, in Wood County, Virginia, on the 28th day of April, 1820, the following negroes, viz: JACK, ROSE & JOHN. JACK is a very handsome negro, about 5 feet 10 inches high, of a black complexion, erect in his appearance, and about 26 years of age - had on, when he absconded, a deep blue bearskin coat, &c. ROSE, the wife of Jack, is a likely woman of her age, about 5 feet 6 inches high, black complexion, hair tolerably long and tied at top, has holes in her ears but seldom wears rings, and about 36 years of age - had on, when she absconded, a blue cloth riding dress with white glass buttons. JOHN is about 5 feet 7 inches high, very black complexion, thick and well set - had on linen pantaloons, &c. The above reward will be given to any person who will apprehend and deliver said slaves to me, at Parkersburgh, or two hundred dollars will be given if they are secured in jail so that I can ge...

The Marietta Register , August 22, 1872 Mr. Editor: An incident, related at the Newbury Harvest Home Picnic, by Mr. A. L. Curtis, ought to be preserved from oblivion.  As near as I can remember, these are his words:   "Some fifty years ago, when slaves were owned on the other side of the river, an energetic colored man named Harry, purchased his freedom from his master, and came over here to work for my father, in order to obtain the balance of the purchase money.  Harry left a wife in bondage, and, as he was still in debt, there was little prospect of obtaining freedom for his wife.  They concluded, as have many since that time, that there was a shorter road to liberty; so one night Harry quietly paddled his canoe across the river, and brought his wife to this side, and made a camp among the rocks just on the other bank of that ravine, not a stone's throw from where we are now standing, hoping to get her to a place of greater security during the coming night. ...

  The Register-Leader , October 7, 1913 To the Editor of the Register-Leader: Dear Sir - Being called to Cutler last year to deliver the Memorial Day address, I was deeply interested to find certain racial conditions whose like I had never seen before. Side by side with an excellent class of white citizens there were an almost equal number of self-respecting, well-dressed, intelligent colored citizens who seemed to be received on terms of social equality by the white people, at least as far as they would have been received had they possessed the same personal qualities without their dark complexion. Of the excellent band which furnished music for the occasion, the leader and ten of the fifteen players were negroes. An elderly colored gentleman was called upon for a brief address, which he made admirably. I found that he had been a teacher for more than a generation, now retired in good circumstances upon his farm. In conversation he was of quiet voice and thoughtful, interesting sp...