Stout St. Leger Barklow

Born: 13 Feb 1822  Enterprise Furnace, Greenup Co., KY

Married: 15 Aug 1844 Scioto Co., OH

Died: 03 Feb 1898  Portsmouth, Scioto Co., OH

Buried: Greenlawn Cemetery, Portsmouth, Scioto Co., OH

FATHER

Benjamin Barklow

MOTHER

Margaret Foster

WIFE

Sarah Jane Jeffords b. 19/Jan/1827  Cannonsburg, Greenup Co., KY

                               d. 10/Jan/1903 Portsmouth, Scioto Co., OH

CHILDREN

1. Margaret Jane Barklow  b. 21 Oct 1845 Portsmouth, Scioto Co., OH   see obit. on her page

                                          d. 26 March 1919 Portsmouth, Scioto Co., OH

2. William Ezra Barklow  b. June 1849  Portsmouth, Scioto Co., OH

                                       d. 12 Nov 1913 Portsmouth, Scioto Co. OH

3. Benjamin S. Barklow  b. 06 Aug 1852 Portsmouth, Scioto Co., OH

                                       d. 04 May/ 864 Portsmouth, Scioto Co., OH

                                       Burried: Greenlawn Cemetery, Portsmouth, Scioto Co., OH

4. Agnes Barklow    b. 20 Oct 1854 Portsmouth, Scioto Co., OH   d. After 1920 census for Wayne, Scioto Co. OH

                                m. 07 Dec 1893 Portsmouth, Scioto Co., OH

                                 m. Benjamin E. Roe

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Portsmouth Times Nov 27, 1886  (Biography on Stout Barklow)   Men who worked in Gaylord’s Rolling Mill forty-five years ago are scarce. A few are here, however, and some of them are not our oldest citizens either. David Davis is here, and David D. Jones, both of them quite aged and long sing retired from the furnace. T. C. Lewis here, bearing his weight of years with Christian grace,. James Evan is an old retired mill man, but his coming to Portsmouth is of more recent date than that of the others mentioned. The subject of this sketch worked in the mill perhaps as long ago as any of those named, but he is much younger, having gone into the mill when he was 16 years of age. He is a well preserved man of 64 years and evidently as good a man as ever he was. Stout Barklow was born February 15, 1822, on Tygart, in Greenup county, Ky., near the old Enterprise Furnace. He comes from revolutionary stock on both sides. His grandmother on the paternal side was Ruth Stout, was born and raised at Princeton, New Jersey, and heard the thunder of Washington’s guns when he routed the British, from that now classic village. When our subject was a boy he often heard his grandmother relate the circumstance. His grandfather on his mother’s side was Job Foster, a revolutionary soldier of considerable note. He and the Craycrafts and the Holiys were pioneers of the old Enterprise neighborhood, and were known far and wide. The father of our subject was the late Benjamin Barklow, who for many years kept a grocery on Second street, on the western portion of what is now the school house lot. He was one of the founders of the Methodist Protestant Church in this city, and one of its chief supporters in its days of prosperity. When our subject was five years old his parents moved to the farm opposite Sciotoville, and lived there several years. When the flood of 1832 came it overflowed the river bottom in that locality, and necessitated the removal by the farmers of their residences back upon the first rise of ground. Those old farm houses are still noticeable by passengers on trains on this side of the river, but very few are aware of the cause of their being built thus back from the river. In 1836 Mr. Barklow’s parents moved to Portsmouth. In 1841 he went into the rolling mill to learn to be a "shingler" - that is, to manage the trip-hammer. The boss shingler was Peter Gardner. The mill was not near so large a concern then as it eventually grew to be. The elder T. G. Gaylord was the leading spirit, and John Gould, Mr. Morrell and others, held positions in the office, and John Critzer was engineer. A small nail mill was connected with it, in charge of Abraham springer and William Miller. Miller eventually got to be the manager of the mill, and springer went to California in 1850. There were six knobbling fires, and only one boiling furnace and one scrap furnace. In 1844 more furnaces were built, and the mill otherwise enlarged and improved. The massive stack, which stood for so many years, was finished during the Presidential campaign of that year, and the management and nine-tenths of the men being Whigs, and iron plate was placed at the top of the stack with "Henry Clay" upon it, in honor of the Whig candidate for President, in letters large enough to be read squares away. It was while learning to shingle that our subject had the misfortune to lose his eye. Any one who has been much around a forge need not be told of the manner in which the cluder flies from a muck ball when water comes in contact with it, and pressure is brought to bear either with muck rolls, squeezers, or hammer. Mr. Gardner was handling the ball and young Barklow was "gagging up." Considerable water was upon the anvil from the stream kept always running. Barklow removed the gag, and before he could turn his back the hammer fell upon the ball and the cinder flew out and struck him in the eye, causing him to lose the sight of it forever, as well as producing great suffering. In later years Jack Brown lost his eye from the cinder of a knobbling fire flying into it. In due time our subject became a boss (slungler), and worked in that capacity for many years. He was contemporary with Pete Gardner, John Lionbarger, John Storgeon, and other workers at the hammer. In 1852 he went to California and remained there two years. In 1855 he went out again and remained nearly five years. He bade fare to become a nabob. He owned a great deal of ground on the site where now is located San Francisco’s tony suburb, Oakland, and had he remained there would have been one of the wealthiest men in the country. But letters from home determined him to leave the Golden State forever, and he came back to Portsmouth. While in California he had an adventure with the celebrated spanish bandit and murderer, Joaquin ("Waukeen.") He had a knife which Joaquin greatly coveted, and which our subject refused to part with for any consideration, material or social, and thereupon the bandit invited him to take a pleasure ride up in the mountains. Mr. Barklow did not know who Joaquin was at the time, but he, like all American miners, had no use for a Spaniard or a Mexican under any circumstances, so be declined to take a ride with this one. When he found out who his sleek friend was he considered that he had made a narrow escape. They wouldn’t have gone far into the mountains before they would have been surrounded by Joaquin’s band and our subject’s career would have been abruptly terminated. Joaquin was afterwards killed, and the man who killed him cut off his head preserved it in a jar of alcohol and exhibited it around the country. Our subject returned from his last trip to California in 1859, and went again into the rolling mill, and worked at boiling several years, and subsequently went to boating iron on the river, which avocation he continued until quite recently. Mr. Barklow’s marriage took place August 16, 1844, his wife being Jane Jeffords, daughter of the late Ezra Jeffords. Their life has been pleasant and prosperous. Like most of the mill hands of the old flush times he made hay while the sun shone and provided himself with a pleasant and attractive home, in which he enjoys life to the fullest extent with his agreeable family. Mr. Barklow is the tallest man in Scioto county, and being possessed of splendid health and physique, bids fair to be here many years."

Nov 27 1886 The Portsmouth Times

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"The Portsmouth Times, Monday Jan 12, 1903

 Called Home

 Death of Mrs. Sarah Jane Barklow Last Night

Close of a Consistent Christian Life, Replete with Kind Deeds and Good Works

    Last evening at 7:30 o'clock, Mrs. Sarah Jane Barklow, widow of Stout Barklow, passed from life at the homestead, 26 East Third street.  She had suffered from a complication of ailments for two years, but she was usually up and around her duties, and the sudden fatal termination was not looked for by her family and friends.                                          

    At seven o'clock last evening she was more than usually cheerful and retired in a happy frame of mind and inside of thirty minutes the spark of life was extinct.

    Deceased was born at Cannonsburg, Greenup county, KY., the daughter of Ezra Jeffords Sr. and Eliza Van Bibben (sic), and came with her parents to Portsmouth, when she was two years old, and resided here ever after.  August 15, 1844, she was joined in marriage to Stout Barklow, who became one of our most prominent citizens and died about three years ago.  Six children were born of the union, only three of who are living, namely: William E., Margaret J. and Mrs. Agnes Roe.  These three all reside at the old homestead.  Deceased was the last of a family of fourteen children.  Hon. Eliza Jeffords, congressman, United States judge and well known Southern statesman, was a brother.  He died suddenly in Vicksburg, a few years ago.  Ezra Jeffords of East Eight street, and Josiah Jeffords of the West Side are cousins of the deceased.

    A peculiarity of Mrs. Barklow's death was the fact the its occurrence was just ten days short of her 76th birthday anniversary, while her husband died twelve days before the 76th milestone was reached.

    She was a member of the Christian church and had been for many years.  She was prominent for piety and beloved by all for her good works and kind disposition.  She possessed a remarkable memory, and was authority upon many matters connected with the early history of the city and county.  She was of bright and cheerful disposition, and will be greatly missed by a large circle of friends.  She came of the best of pioneer stock.  This was on her fathers' side.  On this side of her mother she came from the Vanbibbers, the famous iron masters of early Kentucky.

    The funeral will take place from the house Wednesday at two p.m. standard time.  Elder George P. Taubman will conduct the exercises."

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"Portsmouth Daily Times, Friday, Feb. 4, 1898

Death Claims One of the Oldest and Most Respected Citizens

     Stout Barklow, Well Known by Almost Everyone in the City, Died Last Night at his Late Residence on East Third Street, after a Long Illness.
Death continues to make inroads upon our old citizens. Another one has been called to answer the final summons, and to this call one of our best known citizens was compelled to yield. The familiar figure of Stout Barklow will no more be seen upon our streets. This makes sixteen of our old citizens who have been called to the great beyond this winter.
St. Leger Caud Stout Barklow, familiarly known as "Stout" Barklow, died at the Barklow residence on East Third street last night at the age of seventy-six. The deceased was born in Greenup county, Ky., near the old Enterprise furnace, February 15th, 1829. At the age of five his parents moved to a farm opposite Sciotoville, the residence standing on the river bank. The flood of 1832 driving them to higher ground, a residence was erected nearer the hill. At the age of sixteen he came to Portsmouth an engaged in draying. Later he went into the Gaylord mill, becoming what is know as a "shingler." He soon became an expert a this work and followed it until the great gold excitement in California. During the days of the "Forty niners" he, with several others, purchased teams and a general outfit at this place and started overland for the gold fields of the far west. This at that time was a great undertaking. About six months was required to make the journey, encountering many hardships and dangers. He remained away about eighteen months when he returned by vessel. During the trip he was very successful, and had he remained he would no doubt have been one of the wealthiest men of the country. He owned and worked claims where now stands the city of San Francisco. He had pre-empted the land where the suburb of San Francisco, Oakland now stands. Here he expected to make his future home, improve the land in the best style and eventually move his family there. For some cause he thought best to come home, arriving here in 1852. He worked in the mill again for a short time, then returned to California, remaining there for several years, when he again returned to this city. During the war he was engaged in boating pig iron to Cincinnati and Louisville. He was the owner of the propellor, Brilliant, which burned in 1871, near Louisville.
Mr. Barklow came from Revolutionary stock. His grandmother on the paternal side was born and raised at Princeton, New Jersey, and heard the thunder of Washington’s guns when he routed the British. His grandfather on his mother’s side was Job Foster, a Revolutionary soldier of considerable note.
On August 15th, 1844, the deceased was married to Sarah Jane Jeffords. To them six children were born, three of whom are still living – William, Margaret Jane and Mrs. Agnes E. Roe. Mrs. Barklow also survives her husband. Mr. Barklow as an unusually strong man physically, being six feet three and one-half inches in height. Fourteen years of his live at different periods he has been on the police force of this city and was noted for his courage and close attention to duty.
The funeral services will be held at the residence at 2 p.m., Sunday, Rev. Harp officiating."

Biography from the History of Scioto County, by Nelson Evans

"Stout St. Leger Barklow was born February 15, 1822, at Enterprise Furnace, Greenup county, Kentucky.  His grandmother wa Ruth Stout of New Jersey, who heard the guns at Trenton.  His maternal grandfasther was Job Foster, a revolutionary soldier.  His father, Benjamin Barklow kept a grocery on Second street, on the western part of the school lot.  He was one of the founders of the Methodist Protestant church.  In 1827, his parents moved to a farm in Kentucky opposite Sciotoville and lived there until the flood of 1832 reached them when they came back to Portsmouth.  In 1838 our subject went to draying in Portsmouth.  In 1841 he went into the Gaylord mill as a shingler.  That is, to manage the trip hammer.  The boss shingler was Peter Gardner.  The elder T. G. Gaylord was then at the head of the mill.  John Gould and Mr. Morrell held positions in the office.  John Critzer was the engineer.  A small nail mill was connected, in charge of Abraham Springer and William Miller.  Miller got to be manager of the mill and Springer went to California in 1850.  There were six knobbling fires, one boiling furnace and one scrap furnace.  In 1844, more furnaces were built and the mill enlarged.   While learning to shingle, our subject lost one eye.  A spark from a muck ball when the hammer fell upon it, destroyed it.  He kept at the work until be became boss Shingler.

In 1852, he went to California with John Sturgeon, David Price, Thomas Williams, Captain W. H. Williams, Andrew Robinson, William Sidney, Thomas Richardson, William Delaney and Thomas McAuley.  They were joined by Captain John Clark, father of Mrs. P. C. Kenney, Giles Thornton, William Morton, Thomas Thompson, Leonard Alexander and Frank Johnson.  Their wagons were made in Portsmouth and shipped to St. Jospeh Missouri.  Barklow remained for two years and made money.  In 1855, he went again and remained nearly five years.  He owned very valuable property while out there the second time.  In 1859, when he returned from California, he went back to the rolling mill and was a boiler for several years.  Then he boatd iron for several more years.  For fourteen years of his life at different times, he was on the police force of the city.  He was married August 15, 1844, to Sarah Jane Jeffords, daughter of Ezra Jeffords, and brother of Henry Jeffords.  He had three children; William, Agnes, the widow of B. E. Roe and Margaret Jane.  He died February 3, 1898.  Stout Barklow was like King Saul, head and shoulders above his fellows, and the tallest man in the county, being six feet three and a half inches high.  He was a man of the highest courage and of strong will."

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