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Within twenty years of Chester becoming the county seat of Meigs County, it was in decline and the riverside town of Pomeroy was beginning to grow.&nbsp; The position of the village on the river and the abundance of coal and slat in the hills around Pomeroy made it very prosperous.&nbsp; In 1845 after Pomeroy was made the county seat, commissioners began constructing the courthouse.&nbsp; County commissioner John C. Hysell was put in charge of the construction.&nbsp; The courthouse was finished in 1848 and costed 5,200 dollars to build. Plans for the Scioto County courthouse were purchased by the county commissioners for 15 dollars to build the new courthouse so, the two courthouses are virtually identical.&nbsp; The architect S.S. Bergen was contracted for the courthouse.&nbsp; The architecture of the courthouse is Greek Revival with Doric columns, pilasters, a bracketed cornice, and a circular dome on top with windows.&nbsp; It was primarily made of brick but some stone trim is around the windows.&nbsp; In 1877 additions were made to the courthouse due to lack of interior space. During John Hunt Morgan's raid in 1863, Morgan road through Meigs County and past the courthouse.&nbsp; After his defeat at Buffington Island, many prisoners of war were taken.&nbsp; The courthouse in Pomeroy was used as a temporary jail for 200 of Morgan's men.&nbsp; There is a statue next to the courthouse which has the names of all the soldiers from Meigs County who died in the Civil War. &nbsp;Pomeroy has been in an economic decline for some time.&nbsp; The decline of the mining industries has greatly impacted the village of Pomeroy.&nbsp;This has prevented the renovation of buildings in Pomeroy.&nbsp; Many buildings are the same as when they were built.&nbsp; The courthouse is one such buildings and it is still in use to this day.&nbsp;

Meigs County Courthouse is the oldest surviving courthouse in the state of Ohio.

Interview with Molly Arms, a member of the Meigs County Historical Society.

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Meigs County Courthouse was constructed between 1845 and 1848 and the building is the oldest surviving courthouse in the state of Ohio. Meigs County was established in 1819 from parts of Washington, Gallia, and Athens counties. The county seat was at the village of Middleport but, was moved twice to Chester in 1823 then to Pomeroy in 1841. Since Pomeroy was the new county seat, the village needed county government buildings. The building is still in use to this day and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Meigs County Courthouse

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Pomeroy was founded in 1804 and named after Landowner Samuel Pomeroy.  The village was incorporated in 1840 and was named county seat in 1841.  In the 19th century, Pomeroy was a large producer of coal and salt.  The first barges on the Ohio River were loaded here.  This small town has long since lost its coal and salt industries but, is still full of people who are proud of the towns history.  

Over 600,000 soldiers were killed during the American Civil War.&nbsp; In the years after the war, Pomeroy Ohio had built a statue as a memorial to all the lost soldiers from Meigs County.&nbsp; In March 1870 the county commissioners declared, by petition of residents, that the land west of the courthouse and east of Mulberry St. would be "sacred purpose of erecting a monument to the memory of the soldiers of said county who died in the service of their country during the great rebellion.” The statue is of a civil war soldier, presumably a Union soldier, sitting upon a stack of wood while holding a rifle.&nbsp; The side panels are lists of the names of the soldiers who perished in the war.&nbsp; In front of the statue is a Spanish cannon donated to the county from General S.W. Fountain in 1925.&nbsp; Beside the cannon is a memorial bench also commemorating the lives of the soldiers. The statue was completed in October 1871 with the unveiling happening later the same month.&nbsp; Around 2,500 people attended the dedication ceremony.&nbsp; This monument is one of the last original construction projects built in Pomeroy.&nbsp; Economic decline has made it difficult for new construction projects.&nbsp; The monument still stands today and is apart of the Pomeroy historic district.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

After the Civil War ended in 1865, many soldiers had lost their lives in the conflict.  To dedicate the memory of the people of Meigs County who had died in the fighting, a memorial was created.  The statue is of a soldier sitting upon a stack of logs holding a rifle. Along the sides are the names of those Meigs County residents who sacrificed there lives during the war. 

Meigs County Civil War Memorial

Morgan’s Raid comes from the
invasion of Morgan’s raiders which were Confederate cavalry in the Northern
states during the Civil War. These raiders converged in Pomeroy, Ohio
in the summer of 1863. General John Hunt Morgan was the man to show Ohioans
just how unprepared they were for a fight. Morgan's superior was General
Braxton Bragg and&nbsp;he commanded Morgan to take his men and raid any area of Kentucky he saw fit&nbsp;in an attempt to capture Louisville. This devious plan was put in place
to divert General Ambrose Burnside who was&nbsp;in Cincinnati and delay his plan on invading Tennessee.


July of 1863 saw Morgan’s men launching their
plan from Burkesville, Kentucky. During their journey, they commandeered
two steamboats and crossed over into Indiana. As Morgan moved into Indiana, he ordered his men to spread false rumors that they were going to attack Indianapolis. Instead, they stayed in southern Indiana gathering horses and supplies from union civilians. Morgan had been ordered not to cross the Ohio River, but he was determined to
find a place to ford the Ohio River. In a
small town just west of Cincinnati, Ohio, called Harrison,
his troops were resting and in the middle of the night, they disappeared.&nbsp; The
men had gone off to start skirmishes&nbsp;with the locals and they&nbsp;also set fire to a few&nbsp;wagons.&nbsp; There was a recorded time where the raiders had killed two civilians.&nbsp; Shortly after entering Meigs County the raiders had shot and killed Holiday Hysell and Dr. William N. Hudson.&nbsp; These would be the only civilians killed in Meigs County during the raid.&nbsp; The journey went on; they rode through Batavia
to Williamsburg
with the men from the Harrison&nbsp;camp hot on their trail. 

The moment the raiders had entered Ohio, Governor David Tod sent out a proclamation for every Ohio militiamen to help protect the southern counties. The proclamation did not reach the militia in time but eventually, 60,000 men were mustered.&nbsp; The
militiamen from Ohio
were no match compared to the experience Morgan had gotten in previous battles
of the war. Colonel Richard Morgan, the General’s brother, led a separate group
of troops south passing Ripley, West Virginia and back up through Locust Grove
to rejoin the others. This is where the troops would head south and converge in
Pomeroy, Ohio
in July of 1863. In downtown Pomeroy, Morgan’s men would pillage and ransack
stores. Amazingly, they left most of the farms and houses alone.&nbsp;&nbsp;There was a recorded time where the raiders had killed two civilians.&nbsp; Shortly after entering Meigs County the raiders had shot and killed Holiday Hysell and Dr. William N. Hudson.&nbsp; These would be the only civilians killed in Meigs County during the raid.&nbsp; After encountering heavy resistance from Ohio militia and Union soldiers,&nbsp;Morgan started searching for a way to cross the Ohio River into West Virginia.&nbsp; He chose a low ford on the river in Portsmouth just north of Pomeroy near Buffington Island.&nbsp;&nbsp;Once Morgan had reached the ford he discovered a small detachment of militia guarding the ford.&nbsp; The militia, being severely outnumbered, decided to retreat under the cover of darkness.&nbsp; Morgan planned to cross the ford immediately but due to the river flooding, he was delayed.&nbsp; This allowed Union Brigadier General&nbsp;Edward H. Hobson and his 2,800 strong cavalry division to catch up with Morgan.&nbsp; Hobson had been closely&nbsp;following Morgan from Kentucky.&nbsp; Union Major General Ambrose Burnside had also sent a cavalry brigade of 1,100 men under the command of Brigadier General Henry M. Judah.&nbsp; Several gunboats under the command of Lieutenant Commander LeRoy Fitch&nbsp;were also traveling up the river toward Morgan.&nbsp; An infantry division under the command of Brigadier General Eliakim P. Sammon was sent to guard the towns of Gallipolis and Pomeroy from any other possible attacks.&nbsp; These men had been with the militia skirmishing with Morgan throughout his raid.&nbsp; Among these men were Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes and Lieutenant William McKinley Jr., both of whom would later be elected to the presidency of the United States.&nbsp; Morgan was able to ford a small group of men across the river until General Judah unexpectedly appeared out of the fog at ruffly 5:30 in the morning.&nbsp;&nbsp;The battle then ensued, the combined Union forces numbering close to 3,000 troops and Morgan only having around 1,800 men left.&nbsp; Judah's men were surprised by the sudden arrival of Confederate soldiers and were quickly routed. However, Judah was able to regroup and lead a successful counter-attack forcing Morgan to retreat a mile and a half up river.&nbsp; The Union forces had the advantage of cannons which they used to deadly effect.&nbsp; Commander Fitch's two gunboats, USS Moose and Allegheny Belle, continuously fired their cannons as Morgan's forces retreated upriver.&nbsp; Morgan decided to make a stand in an L-shaped formation while his rearguard retreated further north.&nbsp; Colonel Hayes' infantry brigade reached the battle via steamboat and acted as reserves for Judah's cavalry.&nbsp; After a two-hour long battle, Morgan and his raiders were&nbsp;forced to continue their retreat.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

After the
defeat of Morgan’s troops at Buffington
 Island, both Brigadier
General Henry Moses Judah and Brigadier General Edward Hobson returned to
Pomeroy to headquarter at the Grand Dilcher Hotel. The more than 900 Confederate
soldiers that were captured after the defeat at Buffington Island&nbsp;were held at the Meigs County
Courthouse before being transported to Cincinnati. Morgan was eventually captured and sent to the Ohio Penitentiary where he would later escape. Today, this marker is a reminder of the way that the Civil War touched this small&nbsp;community on the Ohio River.&nbsp;

Morgan's Raid Route spans states and the raiders ended their journey right after they were at this particular location in southeastern Ohio. The marker for Morgan's Raid Route is located in downtown Pomeroy, Ohio right next to the Meigs County Courthouse. This marker is significant in regards to Civil War history as well as local and state history. The marker leads to the Battle of Buffington Island which is located just up the Ohio River in Portland, Ohio and it was there that Morgan's Raid ended after a short battle ensued. This is a double-sided marker and as well as conveying information about Morgan's Raid Route and the significance of this spot in the little town of Pomeroy it also informs about the Meigs County Courthouse which the marker itself is located next to and continues to follow the journey of Morgan's Raid through its demise at Buffington Island. 

Morgan's Raid Route Historical Marker: Pomeroy Ohio

Established in 1876, the Meigs County Pioneer and Historical society collects and preserves the history and artifacts of Meigs County Ohio.&nbsp; Shortening their name to the Meigs County Historical Society, their goal has not changed from honoring that past vision of conserving and sharing the history of the region with future generations.&nbsp; The nonprofit organization strives for an increase in historical education and research.&nbsp; They support more historical publications, symposiums, and special events to help create more interest in history.&nbsp; The society also fight to preserve historical sites and buildings.&nbsp; They work with local schools and universities on historical projects.&nbsp; Since they are a nonprofit organization, they take donations and raise funds to keep its operation intact and to continue their purpose. The Meigs County Museum contains over one thousand artifacts from the prehistoric period to the present day.&nbsp; The contents of the museum give more life to the local, regional, and national history of the town and the county.&nbsp; The exhibits in the museum tell the story of the town of Pomeroy.&nbsp; It shows how people lived in the rural lifestyles of the past.&nbsp; The museum has exhibits on the founding of the county, the political history, and natural disasters that occurred throughout the town's lifetime.&nbsp; The goal of the museum is to show Meigs County's place within the nation. &nbsp; In addition to the museum exhibits, this building also houses a research library that includes historic newspapers, photographs, manuscripts, vital records, deed records, and much more.&nbsp; Among the Society's the library are many early probate and census records.&nbsp; In the Genealogy Library, located in the museum, people whose family has lived in Meigs County can go and look at their own genealogical records.&nbsp; The library houses many genealogical records and books on genealogy research that anyone can go read.&nbsp; The Historical Society is attempting to have online indexes to make genealogy research.&nbsp; The museum even has rosters for Civil War recruits from Ohio.&nbsp; The Meigs County Historical Society has created a museum that contains the history of Meigs County and the town of Pomeroy.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

This local history museum offers exhibits drawn from a collection of thousands of artifacts from the earliest Native tribes and the colonial era to the present. Established in 1876 as the Meigs County Pioneer and Historical Society, the Meigs County Historical Society is one of the oldest in the region and offers exhibits, programs, and a variety of social and educational events throughout the year. 

Pomeroy Ohio Walking Tour

Meigs County Courthouse

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information