HOCKING COUNTY HISTORICAL AND GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY AND MUSEUM

09/05/2025

COAL HILLS OF HOCKING
Written by Leland Conner
Under-ground Rumbles – Mines of the Hocking Valley Coal Company Correspondence Ohio State Journal - August 30, 1869
From Logan, by buggy, to Nelsonville affords a ride and a view to be surpassed of scenic beauty by any region of our beautiful State. We drove out of Logan, taking the Athens Road, which follows the north bank of the canal. The very first of the start, ushered us into a most picturesque region, high hills on around, and but for the vain attempt at rain, our trip would have been all that could be desired. Hocking Furnace, or more explicitly, Haydenville, named of course after our most estimable town owner, Peter Hayden, was the first object of note. A huge pile of rock, construed into masonry and covered with an immense building and attendant outhouses, established the Hocking Furnace. It has, however, for several years been out of use, from what reason I am not prepared to say, and is now gradually crumbling to ruins, and infested with horrid tales, etc., as all such structures must be after abandonment. Quite a collection of houses scattered around rather irregularly and are inhabited by people peculiar to the Hocking region. This point is the first introductory into the coal region.
In Haydenville, there extends from the hill, a large trestle several hundred feet in length, and about twenty-five feet high. Numbers of coal cars were on the track above, some loaded, others empty. Loaded ones awaiting the discharge of their contents into several canal boats lying here.
Further down is ‘Hayden’s switch’. This switch is from the railroad, (H.V.R.R.) just across the canal, and crosses the canal about a half mile from Hocking Furnace, by means of a most peculiar drawbridge, then proceeds winding around the hills to Handen’s bank, approximately about a mile, I would guess from the canal. Setting to the right adjoining the road was the engine known as the W.B. Hayden. It is a small affair, and about as complicated concern for a locomotion as has ever been witness to.
About noon Dorr’s Run was attained, and turning left we were soon wheeling up the hollow, we were soon at Mr. D.F. Suydam’s mine bank, here after a most pleasant greeting and lunch provided by the family of Mr. Jos. H. Somers and other friends, we stabled our team for a rest, preparatory to penetrating the hill, a mile down where the mine is located. A guide was furnished, and with a small miners’ lamp, very strongly reminded me of a diminutive coffee pot, we started.
We arrived at the mine bank and entered. A few paces and daylight was gone, and the dim fitful gleam of the lamp made the darkness almost Egyptian. The forcible way our head would come in contact with the coal above, is still memorialized to us by a series of headaches. Snugly tucked in a cliff we found a bottle. From the fragrance of the article, after the withdrawal of the cork, we thought that a questionable fluid was in the mines, despite the most praiseworthy precautions of Messrs. Suydam and Somers discouraged the use of it in the mines. Further on, after stumbling over piles of coal, another bottle was secured. This contained something we were very much in need of, namely lamp oil, as our lamp was exhausting slowly but surely. Once refilled, we went onward through corridor after corridor and then retrace our steps on account of the mine or the avenue, again into large chambers, rendering glorious and subterraneous beautiful by the reflection of our dim lamp. The air, almost stifling with the damp and gaseous odor arising from within the narrow confines. The dampness having arisen in the coal has been the action of years, produced after being taken into the light, specimens of coal, remarkably beautiful tinted with every color of the rainbow. This, Mr. Somers informs us, is designated as Peacock-coal. Large quantities are taken out, and is quite saleable, bring a better price than the ordinary kind though none better - no more so than the look. Mr. D.F. Suydam, of Columbus, is headed center of this mine, and produces therefrom questionably as good coal as the best of the Hocking Valley coal and is known in Columbus by coal consumers there. A long-inclined track serves to carry the coal from the pits to the slack-water (affluent to the canal) of Dorr’s Run, where it is unloaded as before this section.
Nelsonville, a short distance from here, the present terminus of the Hocking Valley Railroad, is destined to become a town of importance as the base of coal operations in the valley. To the westward several miles are the best mines, and their developments only await the opening of the Atlantic and Lake Erie Road. As it is now, it is a matter of impossibility to get coal from that section, as the road and hills are impassable to loaded teams.

NOTE: A slight accident occurred on the HVRR, Saturday, a cow was run over and killed, throwing two or three cars from the tracks, but occasioning further injury than a temporary delay of the construction train.

09/04/2025

THE BIG MAN (1910 - 1969)
By Leland L. Conner
It has been many years since he roamed the streets of Logan. His name was Arden Walters. He was one of those rare individuals who came to walk among us for a while. And then move on; leaving his signature forever engraved on the blackboard of our memory. He lived a quiet, unassuming life. Yet, the things he did, and the things he said, are the stuff of which legends are made.
Perhaps what set him apart, more than anything else, were his great strength and his great size. Paul Bunyan and the “bean stalk giant” had nothing on Arden Walters.
It was quite a sight to see him coming down Main Street in his horse-drawn buggy. Long after other folks had switched to automobiles, Arden still preferred the buggy. Ordinarily, the buggy seat was big enough for two people. But Arden’s great girth left no room for passengers.
He always wore bib overalls. He didn’t like to carry bags of groceries. He was often seen coming out of the downtown Kroger store with a stalk of celery in his bib pocket, a loaf of bread in one hip pocket, and a four-pound package of meat in the other hip pocket.
And when the street carnival came to town, Arden was always there. He would watch others try in vain to “ring the bell” with a heavy mallet, and then he would step up and ring the bell time after time. He was always smiling when he was showing off his strength. A crowd would gather, just to see him collect prize after prize. He would discreetly hand out the dolls and stuffed bears to the folks who had paid the quarters to pay for his “chances”.
Perhaps the most often repeated story about him involved a Logan doctor (Dr. Shonk), who was making a house call on a narrow country road. It so happened that the doctor’s car slid into a ditch, just as Arden was coming along. No tow trucks were needed. Arden picked up the car and placed it back on the roadway. When the doctor asked what the charges would be, Arden replied, “Five Bucks”. This seemed excessive to the good doctor…………. until he saw Arden setting his car back in the ditch.
These stories and more, are told about Arden Walters. And so, it will ever be.
The photo is found on the internet of an unknown man. I found on the internet that Arden was a 330-pound giant of a man, and in 1940s he made cane syrup. His father was Herbert Walters who passed away in 1952, and they had lived in Washington Township. His father was a teacher, merchant and a farmer.
The Obituary was in the March 18, 1969, Logan Daily News.

09/03/2025

OAK STANDS FIRM IN FACE OF PROGRESS
By Leland L. Conner – Taken from the Logan Daily News Sept. 7, 1977
On a high knoll overlooking N. Mulberry St. stands an oak tree of magnificent proportions.
As one stands beneath its branches, a kind of hush permeates the air. An awareness that this must be one of the Creator’s finest efforts makes one feel humble.
It dominates the landscape like a grand cathedral. Its massive trunk measures 30 feet around.
The branches overhead are gnarled and bent to a variety of angles as they compete for a share of the sun’s rays.
The crown is missing, perhaps the victim of a lightning storm of some bygone era.
While history has decreed that change must occur, this oak has stood firm.
Born is a primeval forest, it has remained unchanged even after a city surrounded it with the unfamiliar sights and sounds of asphalt, automobiles and buildings.
Gone are the day when the Wyandot and Delaware Indians hunted beneath this great tree. Gone are the bear, the buffalo, wolf, and multitude of other wild animals that sought shade among its branches.
The first white settlers in the area must have marveled at the beauty of this fine tree and decided to let it stand.
Some of these same settlers now lie buried nearby. They spared it in their youth and now in its old age, it keeps a lonely vigil over their final resting place.
How fitting is it that they and their oak tree should spend the ages together!

09/02/2025

The Hocking County Historical and Genealogy Society is seeking two new Board members.
The Hocking County Historical Society was organized in 1972. This organization is dedicated to preserving and promoting the rich history and heritage of Hocking County, Ohio. HCHS, a 501 c3 non-profit in Logan, Ohio, is seeking two new Board members.
Established in 1966 and formally organized in 1972, the society's mission is to preserve and promote Hocking County's history and heritage.
The Hocking County Historical Society Inc is based in Logan, Ohio, and has been committed to preserving and promoting the history and culture of Hocking County since its establishment. The society manages the Hocking County Historical Museums, which now consists of six buildings, featuring an extensive collection of artifacts and exhibits that highlight the county’s rich heritage. Exhibitions cover a variety of subjects, including Native American history, the oldest Steam Car in Ohio, that was built in Logan by Henry Lutz, early farming and tools, the Military History of our area, and the region’s early industries.
In addition to maintaining these collections, the Hocking County Historical Society organizes annual events such as fund-raisers, historical tours, lectures, and school tours, and a page designed to engage and educate the public. The museum library includes Birth and Deaths Records, Military History, some family histories, most Logan Yearbooks, as well as early Logan photographs. Students and researchers can access the society’s archives and library.
Our mission centers on fostering a deeper understanding of Hocking County’s history and encouraging the preservation and appreciation of local historic landmarks and buildings. Operated by dedicated volunteers, the society ensures the ongoing care of the museum and the success of its programs for the entire county.
Membership is open to individuals who are passionate about history and interested in supporting the conservation of Hocking County’s heritage.
The society actively collaborates with community members, local organizations, and nearby historical societies to promote an understanding and appreciation of Hocking County’s heritage. Through partnerships and shared initiatives, HCHS works to preserve historical landmarks, promote history, and encourage the public’s involvement in preserving and celebrating the area’s unique history.
The society offers resources and experiences for history lovers, visitors, and locals through its museum, historic sites, and programs. By sharing Hocking County’s history, it helps keep the community’s legacy alive and inspires future generations.

If you love local history, please send a resume to the Hocking County Historical Society at 64 N. Culver St. Logan, Ohio 43138.
Our Board meetings are the 3rd Thursday of each month at 3 p.m. at the 64 N. Culver St. address.

Send a message to learn more

09/02/2025

THE “ROAD-TO-HELL” TREE
By Leland L. Conner
Perhaps the most enduring of stories about early Hocking County is the one about the Road-to Hell tree. It stood beside the Shawnee hunting trail that ran down the valley between the present towns of South Bloomingville and Laurelville. This trail connected the hunting grounds of the Old Man’s Cave area with the Shawnee villages on the Scioto River. This section roughly followed the course of present State Route 56.
The first settlers who came into the area in the 1790’s came upon this large tree. They agonized over the meaning of the message that was carved into its bark. What did it mean, “This is the Road to Hell, 1784”?
Today, we presume that some unfortunate white prisoner was being taken down this trail to be burned at the stake in Chillicothe. Somehow, he managed to escape. After stopping long enough to leave the message on the side of the tree, he disappeared from the pages of history.
Farther down the valley, the Shawnee trail passed near a mound that still rises boldly out of the ground. From a distance, it looks like the top half of a giant basketball. Some of the early settlers in the area are said to have told their small children that, “Once a race of giants lived here. And that hill out there in the field is their ball that sank halfway into the ground when they threw it there”.
The mound was built by the mound builders, who vanished without a trace from the face of the earth before Columbus discovered America.

09/01/2025

I am going to feature some of Leland Conner's short stories. Leland was loved by all who knew him. He was a huge part of the Historical Society, and the community.

LELAND CONNER’S AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Aside from being part Shawnee, my interest in our Native Americans goes back more than fifty-five years. I have spent hundreds, perhaps thousands of hours researching and interpreting Indian lore and history. I am known around the world by virtue of being listed in more than 25 directories, including MARQUIS WHO’S WHO IN THE WORLD and THE REFERENCE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN. I am listed with the U.S. Embassies for the convenience of foreign researchers.
I head up the two foremost Indian lore organizations in the world, THE CONTINENTAL CONFEDERATION OF ADOPTED INDIANS and the AMERICAN INDIAN LORE ASSOCIATION.
I have served as Indian lore consultant for several departments of the U.S. Government, as well as for newspapers, radio, authors, universities, television and other researchers. WALT DISNEY WORLD, PRIMETIME LIVE, and BBC have used my materials.
Indian people contact me often to learn about their culture. I am a pipe maker and a pipe carrier, qualified to perform sacred Indian ceremonies.
About 35 of my Indian lore articles have been published in INDIAN ARTIFACT MAGAZINE. I have had about 35 articles (Nature, History, and Indian Lore) published in the LOGAN DAILY NEWS and other newspapers; plus 11 stories (History and Indian Lore) in local anthology, HOCKING HILLS AND HOLLERS.

08/31/2025

UNION FURNACE MAN PUBLISHED WONDERFUL MUSIC.
Dr. Homer A. Rodeheaver (1880 – 1955)
Dr. Homer A. Rodeheaver was a distinguished gospel songwriter, evangelist, publisher of sacred music, and philanthropist. He was born on a farm in Starr Township near Simco Creek and Union Furnace; his mother, Fannie, belonged to the Armstrong family.
Originating from Cinco Hollow in Hocking County, Ohio, Rodeheaver relocated as a child to Tennessee, where he worked alongside his father in the lumber mill industry. While he became familiar with mountain ballads, his preference was for spirituals due to their emphasis on harmony, rhythm, and clearly defined religious themes.
From a young age, Rodeheaver began playing the cornet, eventually switching to the trombone while attending Ohio Wesleyan College, where he was also active as a cheerleader. In 1898, he left his studies to join the Fourth Tennessee Band during the Spanish American War. By 1904, he had become the music director for evangelist W. E. Biederwolf, and from 1910 to 1930, he held the same position for Billy Sunday, the leading evangelist of that era. After Billy Sunday’s death in 1935, Rodeheaver wrote a memoir reflecting on their years of collaboration.
He rose to national prominence as the music director for evangelist Billy Sunday. Through his publishing business, the Rodeheaver Company, he helped popularize gospel songs, many of which were performed and recorded by “Rody,” his affectionate nickname. Among his most beloved works are “The Old Rugged Cross” and “Brighten the Corner Where You Are.”
According to the Logan and Hocking County Book by J. Maniskas, Rodeheaver passed away from heart failure in 1955. Auditoriums at Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina, and Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana, bear his name in tribute.
Rodeheaver also founded Rainbow Ranch in Florida, a haven for abused and abandoned boys, where he frequently visited to sing and play guitar for the children. Though he never married, Rodeheaver was known for his gentlemanly manner and his appreciation for the company of charming and gracious women.
Rodeheaver was indicted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 1973.
Photo of Mr. Rodeheaver from 1910 – 1915.

08/30/2025

If you missed this program, you missed a good time.
Public meeting of August 28, 2025
Hocking County Historical and Genealogical Society
The public meeting of August 28th commenced punctually at 7 p.m. and was well attended.
Chuck Eaton, President, greeted the attendees warmly and guided the group through the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by a heartfelt moment of silence honoring all first responders.
Nyla Vollmer read the minutes from the last meeting, and they were accepted. New donations include items from Curtis Mike and Cindy Scaparrotti including military photos, a shadowbox and a National Guard Uniform belonging to his father, Mike Scaparrotti, Chuck Hopkins gave a Farmers and Merchants money bag and a bank ball cap, and Thelma Farmer donated several local small items.
Program director Doug Munday introduced the evening’s guest musician and speaker, Steve Ball from Columbus. Mr. Ball took a moment to describe the significance of his uniform, the various pins he wore, and his Martin 21 guitar.
Steve explained that music played a vital role in shaping the character and morale of soldiers. Bugle calls structured their daily routines, while minstrel tunes echoed around campfires at night, bringing comfort and camaraderie. Guitars and banjos, chosen for their portability, were common sights on the battlefield. Music, he noted, was always central to the traditions of the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.).
Steve Ball shared the dates and locations of key battles, including the two-day battle at Shiloh, Bull Run, and several others from those deadly years.
Mr. Ball, with assistance from our own Tom Collins, taught the group in attendance the song ‘Goober Peas’, (which refers to peanuts). The participants tapped their toes and sang along to the songs that were familiar to them.
Popular Civil War songs included “When Johnny Comes Marching Home," "Battle Hymn of Freedom," "Home Sweet Home" (also known as "No Place Like Home"), Coat of Blue, and "Dixie."
The Civil War claimed 600,000 lives, leaving many families on both sides without news of their sons who went off to fight.
During his re-election campaign, Lincoln aimed to abolish slavery and authored the Emancipation Proclamation.
Meeting Steve Ball and watching his program will impress you with his Civil War expertise.
1867 Martin Size 1, Style 21. Steve acquired this guitar at an auction in Pennsylvania, marveling at its preserved ebony fingerboard and the faint traces of gilt around the sound hole, a testament to 19th-century craftsmanship.
Steve’s devotion to Martin guitars is born from more than their age or rarity—it’s the living connection to the past that matters most. Each instrument echoes with the hopes and sorrows of those who strummed it generations ago. Whether played beneath open skies at reenactments or within the quiet reverence of a museum, these guitars help keep the music and memories of the Civil War era alive for today’s audiences.

The next public meeting will be on September 25th, speaker will be Cindy Coss sharing the history of the Hocking Caves. That will begin at 7 p.m. at 64 N. Culver St. Logan, Ohio.

08/28/2025

PUBLIC MEETING: Tonight, Thursday, at 7 p.m. at the Hocking County Historical Museum is the program featuring Steve Ball, who will entertain us with songs, music and stories of the Civil War era. Everyone is welcome to attend. The meeting is at 64 N. Culver St. Logan, Ohio.
Today is the final post of Hocking Countians during the Civil War, for now.

250 SOLDIERS BURIED IN UNMARKED GRAVES HERE
The Logan Daily News of Aug. 8, 1939
The graves of nearly 150 soldiers lie unmarked in cemeteries throughout Hocking County, according to John Roberts, foreman in charge of the WPA project for locating veteran’s graves.
The federal government is willing to supply markers for the graves of these soldiers if relatives provide their service records, Roberts said.
Outside Logan cemeteries there are a surprising number of unmarked graves in the county Roberts said. Approximately 430 percent of all graves in the 127 cemeteries of the county are unmarked. This number is slightly higher than that of other counties of this district.
Nearly 90 percent of the cemeteries in Hocking County are badly in want of cleaning, Roberts said. In many instances, some of the smaller cemeteries are so overgrown with weeds and brush that it is difficult to reach the graves.

08/27/2025

LOGAN DURING THE CIVIL WAR 1860-1863
Found in the Hocking County Sesquicentennial 1818 to 1968 Book by the Historical Society
Logan, the County seat of Hocking County is located on the Hocking River at the great falls. At the time of the Civil War the town had a population of 1,446 people whose background had much to do with their reactions toward the problems of the war and particularly to politics.
A study of the family surnames of the locality, together with Howe’s list of the different nationalities represented in Hocking County forms a basis on which conclusions can be reached as to the relative percentage of the nationalities represented and the state of the union or foreign country from which they migrated. The percentages are based on a study of the population of the entire county because Logan is so strongly associated with the county that for this purpose the two are inseparable.
The study shows that about fifty-five percent of the population originated in the British Isles, the majority being Scotch-Irish. The remaining forty-one percent had their origin in Germany. Of the total number from both countries, fifty percent migrated from western Pennsylvania; thirty percent from Virginia; and twenty percent from New England. The Germans and Scotch-Irish who had come from Pennsylvania were traditionally democratic and were jealous of outside influence.
The Virginians were naturally sympathetic with the South, and hostile to the abolitionists. The New Englanders represented the more conservative element of the community. The substantial number of Germans and Scoth-Irish present in the locality were partly responsible for the bad repurtari8on of Logan in the east.
Shortly before the war, emigrants were advised never to go to Logan as it was “infested with thieves and robbers and the vilest of all God’s race.” This reputation was partly justified but as the population grew the courts took the place of the pugilistic ring in the settlement of disputes. The regulators had been active in the county and even operated in Logan as late as the 1850s.
Totaling all these factors into consideration, it was only natural that the Democratic party under Jackson should get a strong hold onto the county. The people were truly democratic in both spirit and action. However, there was a tendency in times of stress to take the law into their own hands and wield it in the most autocratic manner.
The people whether Democrat or Republicans were against abolition. Their sympathy was for the South, on which they depended for fifty years as market for their produce or since the time the first flat boat was floated down the Hocking to New Orleans.
Logan’s only practical means of transportation during the war was the Hocking Canal, which served the purpose of transporting the soldiers. The telegraph kept the town in constant communication with the outside w3orld and made it possible for the citizens to formulate their opinions and to act accordingly.
The Hocking Sentinel was the voice of the Democracy during the war and the Monitor, and the Record were the organs of the oppositions, the latter two being published intermittently, usually before an election. The editor the Sentinel was of German extraction, of excellent education and of wise judgement. He showed a great deal of literary ability and was a Master of Political debate and argument. These qualities together with the fact that he was head of the local Democratic organization made it possible for him to unite and control as a unit the great mass of voters despite every sort of opposition.

Additional Hocking County Soldiers from the Civil War
Alvin B. Williams Civil War
David Goodwin from Union Furnace standing in the center.
Joseph R. Stalling, Co. D, 33rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

08/26/2025

Miscellaneous Civil War info
Memories of Robert Work by Paul Monks January 1969
Robert R. Work – Six Work brothers came to this country from Ireland. Three of them settled in Canada and are descended from one of the Last – Joseph. Robert Reed Work raised a large family in the old homestead of South Orchard Street which in later years was the Woodard Funeral Home. Robert was in the Civil War as a 150-day man in Co K of the Ohio Volunteer Infantry.
Colonel Seth Weldy – waws called a Colonel because he looked it, standing better than six feet tall and wearing a Prince Albret. He served as a Captain in the Civil War. Col. Weldy had his office in the James Block and when he lost a case in Court, he got drunk and when he won a case, he got drunk to celebrate.
Harmon Warrick lies buried in the old cemetery under the hemlock tree at the end of Midland Place. He was in a colored regiment in the Civil War and saw hard fighting.
Colonel Friesner – At the outbreak of the Civil War, Mr. Friesner raised a company here and was made Captain. He was captured and imprisoned and placed in Andersonville and at the close of the War he was released and placed in charge of a bunch of Andersonville prisoners to bring North, coming up the Mississippi on the steamboat Sultana.
The Sultana in 1865
Library of Congress
In the early hours of April 27, 1865, mere days after the end of the Civil War, the Sultana burst into flames along the Mississippi River. The Sultana was a 260-foot-long wooden steamboat, built in Cincinnati in 1863, which regularly transported passengers and freight between St. Louis and New Orleans on the Mississippi River.
On April 23, 1865, the vessel docked in Vicksburg to address issues with the boiler during a routine journey from New Orleans. While in port, it was contracted by the U.S. Government to carry former Union prisoners of war from Confederate prisons, such as Andersonville and Cahaba, back into Northern territory. In order to fulfill the lucrative contract, J. Cass Mason, the Sultana’s captain, opted to patch the leaky boiler rather than complete more extensive and time-consuming repairs. Fearing that his colleagues were taking bribes to transport prisoners on other boats, Union Army Captain George Williams, who oversaw the operation, hastily ordered that all former prisoners at the parole camp and hospital at Vicksburg be transported on the Sultana. Although it was designed to only hold 376 persons, more than 2,000 Union troops were crowded onto the steamboat - more than five times its legal carrying capacity. Despite concerns of overloading from several officers, Williams refused to divide the men, insisting that they travel on one vessel.
The Sultana in 1865
Library of Congress

The Photo is of the Sultana, from the Harper’s Weekly

08/25/2025

The Battel of Shiloh, during the Civil War. Statistics from Wikipedia.
Date April 6–7, 1862
Location Hardin County, Tennessee
Result Union victory

Belligerents
United States (Union) Confederate States
Commanders and leaders
• Ulysses S. Grant Don Carlos Buell
• Albert Sidney Johnston P. G. T. Beauregard
Units involved
• Army of the Tennessee Army of Mississippi
• Army of the Ohio
Strength
66,812 44,699
• Army of TN: 48,894
• Army of OH: 17,918
Casualties and losses
13,047 10,699
• 1,754 killed 1,728 killed
• 8,408 wounded 8,012 wounded
• 2,885 captured/missing 959 captured/missing