1907 John Freeman Obituary -Nov.21

John M. Freeman (1829-1907), third-great uncle of the Ballantyne-Dailey-Uible cousins was born in Pittsburgh in Feb. 1829, died in Toronto, Jefferson County, Ohio in November 1907.  He married Cyrene Peggs in August 1864 and they had two daughters – Lucile Freeman Rogers (1873-1920?),  and Cyrene "Rena" Freeman (1872-1952).  

John, who owned and operated a Sewer Pipe Manufacturing company, was a Civil War Veteran and was the younger brother of James L. Freeman (1809-1892).  James was the maternal grandfather of Nathaniel Wallace Ballantyne (1868-1949).

Following is the obituary from the (New Cumberland WV) Hancock County Independent, published November 21, 1907.

JOHN M. FREEMAN

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Pioneer Brick and Clay Manufacturer 

Answers Death's Summons

John M. Freeman, one of the pioneer brick and sewer pipe manufacturers of the Ohio valley, prominently identified with the fire clay industry for nearly half a century, died at his home in Toronto, Sunday morning.

Mr. Freeman had not been in good health for two or three years, but was not confined to the house except for a few weeks prior to his death.  He was in the 88 year of his age at the time of his death.  He was born in Pittsburg, being a son of Thomas Freeman, who came to this county with his family in 1833, and settled at Freeman's Landing.  There the senior Freeman embarked in the clay and brick business and is said to have been the pioneer of that industry west of the mountains.

The business was conducted there for many years, and the family was honored and respected among the most prominent residents of the county.

There were fourteen children, all of whom but two have answered the final summons.  Among those were James, William B., Samuel, Charles A., and John M., the survivors being Miss Virginia of this place and Mrs. Mary Trusdale [Truesdale], of Iowa.

In 1846 John M. Freeman went to Cincinnati and there engaged in the brick, coal and cement business, which he conducted for ten years, and subsequently engaged in similar business i Madison Indiana and after devoting some years to that field, returned to this neighborhood, and embarked in the brick and sewer pipe business at Freeman's station, with his brother, Charles A., which business was continued until it was merged into the American Sewer Pipe Co., in 1901.  The death of Charles Freeman followed about five years ago.

Mr. Freeman [indecipherable: who had recently lived?] in Steubenville with his daughter, Mrs. Lucile Rogers, moved to Toronto, and the days he spent there were days of real enjoyment, because he always seemed glad to get back into the vicinity in which he spent his boyhood days, and here he enjoyed meeting his old friends, the rugged river scenery, the sight of the old factory operated so many years by his venerable father long since dead.

Mr. Freeman was a man of genial social qualities, which made for him many warm friends.  The news of his death therefore will be learned with sadness by all who knew him.  He was a man esteemed in business circles for his honor and integrity.  He was a member of the Second Presbyterian church of Steubenville.  He is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Rodgers [Rogers], of Toronto and Miss Cyrene Freeman, of Steubenville.

The funeral services were held at his late home in Toronto at 1 o'clock on Tuesday afternoon brief services being conducted by Dr. Robinson and Rev. Hodil and the remains were conveyed by trolley to the Steubenville cemetery for internment.

1835 Freeman's Landing Union Chapel

The following clippings are arranged in slightly different order than they are transcribed, due to their irregular placement on several different pages of the newspaper.  Thomas Freeman (1793-?), one of the founders of the Chapel, is the 3rd Great Grandfather of the Ballantyne-Dailey-Uible cousins.

Thomas Freeman's son James L. Freeman (1809-1892) was the father of Virginia Irene Freeman Ballantyne (1840-1906) who was the mother of our grandfather, Nathaniel Wallace (N.W.) Ballantyne (1868-1949).

Further research would be needed to determine if or how other early members, such as the Browns and Morrows are related.  Partial transcription follows.

Picture of Zalia Church and attendants at 100th anniversary of the founding.
[Identity of "Jennie" is unknown.]

Some of the pastors and officials of the church and some early and present members are pictured.  John. C. Freeman is third from left in back row, Mrs. George Freeman is third from left in front row with Miss Mary Brown fourth from left.

100th Anniversary

Union Chapel Was Founded at Freeman's Landing in 1835.  

Sunday Devoted to Celebration of Founding

The Independent, New Cumberland, West Virginia

Thursday July 18, 1935

The historic M.P. [Methodist Protestant] church at Zalia, Hancock county known in the early days as "Union Chapel of Freeman's Landing" celebrated its one hundredth anniversary of its founding with appropriate services being held Sunday, July 14, 1935.

Services began in the morning and continued throughout the day with intermissions for dinner and supper.  The food was served by the ladies of the church and several hours were spent in a social way, renewing friendships and relating past history of the chapel and its members.

Rev. I.J. Howland is the regular pastor of the church, having been assigned to the charge by the Pittsburgh conference, along with his pastorship of the New Cumberland M.P. church.

The morning sermon was preached by Rev. Samuel Spencer, a former pastor of the Zalia church and Nessly chapel and in the afternoon, Rev. C.A. Daugherty of Empire who has been occupying the pulpit at Zalia delivered the sermon in the afternoon.

Both discourses were appropriate for the occasion and in the evening Rev. Howland delivered the address and his theme was "The Passing Years."  His sermon touched on the early founders of the chapel and the people that have continued in keeping the good work going on for a hundred years.  Rev. Spencer and Rev. Daugherty took part in all the services, while Rev. Howland presided during the celebration.

Mrs. Fred Dunleavy and Mrs. Ruth Jones sang duets at the afternoon and evening meetings and Mrs. Howland gave a reading.  The evening program opened with a song service with twelve choir members, a duet by Rev. Howland and Mr. A.S. Cooper, and a duet by Rev. and Mrs. Daugherty.

Rev. Howland called upon a number of the attendants of the celebration for reminiscences of the chapel and quite a number related interesting history.  

Only three near relatives of the founders of the church were present and they were John C. Freeman of Toronto [Toronto, Ohio is about 20 miles away], N.W. Ballantyne of New Cumberland, and Miss Mary Brown of Toronto.  Miss Mary Brown is the oldest surviving member of the church and her father, James Brown, was a cousin of the Rev. George Brown, the first pastor and one of the organizers of the chapel.  Thomas Freeman, grandfather of John C. Freeman and great-grand-father of N.W. and C.A. Ballantyne of this place was one of the founders of the church, and donated the land.  

John Freeman was a son of Samuel Freeman and the latter a son of Thos. Freeman.  Mr. Freeman gave a history of the church taken from the old family records.

Organized in 1835

The Union chapel, located near Freeman's Landing, now known as Zalia in Butler district this county [Hancock] was organized and services held in 1835.  This county was then a part of the old state of Virginia and the deed for the church property is recorded in Brooke county.  The founders of the chapel were Thomas Freeman and his wife, Thomas Anderson, (unmarried at that time_, James Black and wife, Robert White and wife and John Sutton and wife.  The first meetings were held in an old brick school house until 1857 when they erected the present church.  Rev. George Brown, who was a pastor of the Nessly chapel assisted in the organization.

The Union chapel was at one time one of the leading churches in the county, attended by the Freemans, Ballantynes, several Porter families, the Browns, the L.R. Smith and John W. Morrow families of Kings creek, the Wilson, Bradleys, Andersons, McConnell's, McAdoos, Hugh Irwin and sisters, Reuben Taylors family the families of Johnson Miller, Calvin Grimes, Wm. Jester, the Morans, the Lyons and many others.

George Porter gave the first argan [sic] to the church and Mary Porter Blackburn a daughter played the instrument for 12 years.  Misses Martha and Alice Porter, of Pittsburgh, daughters of the late George and Maria Moren Porter, sent a contribution to the church, but were unable to attend the celebration.  Their mother was a teacher in the Sunday school for many years.

 . . . . . S. B. Goucher spoke as to the early days when he attended Sunay school . . . in the time of the civil war.  He recalled that Freeman's Landing had quite a settlement of people and later yars there were ten brick yards from Kings creek to the Black Horse, New Cumberland.  Bricks were made like in the early days of Egypt, made during the summer when the sun was hot and dried by the sun rays.  In winter time the clay was dug from the hills.  THe brick were transported by Keelboats, there were no railroads in this section.

Thomas Freeman, one of the founders of the church made the first fire brick west of the Allegheny mountains.  [Family history indicates he began in the clay and brick business in 1833 at Freeman's Landing.]

N.W. Ballantyne, a great grand-son of Thomas Freeman was present and was called upon and stated that he had attended this church and Sunday School when a boy and that there was a big attendance, and annual picnics were held, and that this chapel was the leading church in this section of the county.  

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Union Chapel information from other sources:

The scanned clippings from The Independent  New Cumberland, West Virginia, Thursday July 18, 1935 is a write-up of the 100th Anniversary of a church, originally known as Union Chapel of Freeman's Landing" in an unincorporated community, now known as Zalia, in Hancock County, West Virginia.  According to Wikipedia [1] the community has also been known as Brickyard Bend.

The East Liverpool Historical Society reports that "The Union Chapel of the Methodist Protestant Church was built in 1835 at Freeman's Landing north of New Cumberland?  There were 877 _graves listed in 1995."[2]

THE UNION CHAPEL is described in History of the Pan-Handle in 1879: Is located near Freeman’s Landing, in Butler district.  The Methodist Protestant society of said place was organized in about 1835, by Rev. George Brown, with Thomas Freeman and wife, Thomas Anderson, James Black and wife, Robert White and wife, and John Sutton and wife. The first meetings were held in an old brick school house until 1857, when they erected the present church.  The ministers were the same as those found in the history of the Nessly Chapel.  Rev. John Gregory is the present pastor.  They have a membership of about sixty.

Sabbath School.—In connection with the church, they have had a Sabbath school for a number of years.  During the summer months they have an enrollment of one hundred scholars, T. F. Henderson is superintendent. [3]

Websites listed below were accessed in July 2015

[1] Zalia also known as Brickyard Bend: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zalia,_West_Virginia 

[2] East Liverpool Historical Society, Rest in Peace Part 4 website: http://www.eastliverpoolhistoricalsociety.org/restinpe4.htm

[3] History of The Pan-Handle; being historical collections of the Counties of Ohio, Brooke, Marshall and Hancock, West Virginia.  Compiled and written by J.H. Newton, G.G. Nichols and A.G. Sprankle. Wheeling, W. Va., published by J.A Caldwell, 1879.  https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCQQFjABahUKEwjp8_KPndfGAhUHLIgKHen5ChM&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.genealogypitstop.com%2FNewton%2FPanhandleHistory.rtf&ei=1TijVam1MofYoATp86uYAQ&usg=AFQjCNGf_GytKGCwiMcWSfiiewWHW_bqMQ&sig2=EqUpf5e4g3OXMI1Utg_PLQ&bvm=bv.97653015,d.cGU&cad=rja

1833 James L. Freeman book

James L. Freeman, 1809*-1892, is the great-great-grandfather of the Ballantyne-Dailey-Uible cousins, being the father of Virginia Irene Freeman Ballantyne, 1840-1906, and the grandfather of Nathaniel Wallace Ballantyne.  He married Priscilla Gamble, 1821-1840, who died in December 1840, the month their daughter was born.  He never remarried.  More about Virginia Irene can be found in this blog post about her husband and family, Alexander Bell Ballantyne 1841-1885.

1833 James Freeman's Course of Lessons in Mensuration - Title Page

 According to oscience.info/math-formulas/mensuration-formulas/, Mensuration is the branch of mathematics which deals with the study of geometric shapes, their area, volume and different parameters in geometric objects.  This is more commonly known as a branch of measurement for those of us less mathematically inclined.

Whether this is a school textbook or a workbook is unknown.  It all appears to be done in ink and has 28 numbered pages followed by another 44 pages, for a total of 72 pages.  There are occasional illustrations as shown on the title page above which don't seem to fit with the book's theme.  Though other illustrations, e.g. a picture of a worm on a page with a word problem about apples, appear more relevant.  There are also occasional notes (doodles) done in the same handwriting, e.g. "Snow 5 inches deep and sleighing on this day" surrounded by squiggle marks. On a blank page are the names of Miss Birdie Ballentine and Alex Ballentine along with names of two other boys.  The oldest of James' grandchildren (Nathaniel's older sister) was Virginia "Byrd" Ballantyne Walmer Daley 1865-1947.  Alex – Charles Alexander Ballantyne, 1875-1957, was Nathaniel's youngest brother.  Seems somewhat strange that Ballantyne is misspelled, though may have been written by one of the other boys.  Irene and children's last name is spelled Balentine in the 1880 census.

1833 James Freeman's Course of Lessons in Mensuration - Frontispiece.  

Note the sewn binding on the right margin.  

Transcription follows.

Two fifths of a liquid that in Egypt is found
One fourth of a fruit that grows not far from the ground
One third of an article that useful to man
Two thirds of a fluid that use on the ocean
One fifth of a fruit that in Asia doth grow
One sixth of a river that in Europe doth flow
One seventh of a bird that is rare to be found
One third of a fruit grown on american ground
These letters taken compactly and put in a row
will spell a celebrated and virtuos hero

Three fifths of a name that is plenty
One eight of a river that is in kentucky,
One fourth of a fruit not far from the ground doth grow
Two sevenths of a lake that in America doth flow
These letters taken and put in a row
Will spell a celebrated and virtuos Hero

Will spella celebrated a [in another hand?]

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Anyone care to solve this riddle/poem?  Please let me know if you know the answer.

In an effort to be a better transcriber, I'm trying to provide a "true" transcript – one that doesn't correct the spelling or grammar, etc.  This does not help with my typos or sometimes poor efforts of proofreading, so please forgive any errors on my part or in the original.  I need to correct the erros of my ways, if I intend to become a Board-certified genealogist.

*Another family tree on ancestry.com lists 1820 as the birth year of James L. Freeman, probably based on the 1880 census which shows James 60, as head of household living with his daughter [Virginia] Irene, and her four children, Birdie 12, Nathaniel 10, James 9, and Alex B. [Charles Alexander] 4.  I need to look through our family history records (may have a copy of his obituary) and/or talk to our 2nd cousins, Pat Kessel or Mary Frances Gavey to see what verification of James Freeman's dates can be found.