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Archiver > OHBROWN > 1999-12 > 0945557248


From: HERMON B FAGLEY <>
Subject: [OHBROWN] Denham's mill burnt down under G.P. RILEY
Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 17:47:28 -0500


One could pinpoint the mill site with even a modern map. This is the
once water-powered mill on Poplar Creek built by Bethel's founder,
Obed Denham [m Mary Ball] and run by his elder son,John m Sarah
Denham Denham. They had 9 kids,and then seperated over Sarah's
health-John going to MO. 1830 era. John gave son,Levi Rogers Denham
288 acres, [and the mills?] for caring for Sarah,and for handicaped Geo
W Denham. Burk's,Fisher's and Osborn kinsmen ran the mills ,and then
the RILEY'S,with Gerrard Polycarp Riley adding steam power,and,as was too

common with steam mills-burning them down. There were 2 other mills
within
2 miles down Poplar Creek. Timothy Sprague,who had Butler ties; and Capt
Davis' whose became Deal's mills,and then Henry B Gregors. All are just
within
East Fork state park. At normal pool, Gregor's home site is out,and the
mill site
underwater.
Sprague's millsite is out,and the government took out the Macedonia Road
bridge
over Poplar Creek. just where DENHAM-RILEY'S mill site was. Macedonia
Road is now
cut by state park,and no bridge, for a ?1\2 mile.
The road 2 miles leading from Bethel to the DENHAM'S mill is now called
Kennedy's Ford Road [in a Denham deed,it was called Fisher's Mill Road].
I think OLD OBED
DENHAM owned south,and his sons,north of the road. And John at the mills.

Anyway,that mill neighborhood is-was called Macedonia. It had the
water-power Bethel
lacked. It had stills,and saw mills,and fulling mills,and tannery's. Good
place for a young man to find a job. Part of the neighborhood was
Macedonia 1 room school.
My mother taught as a sub there-likely my grandmother,also. My mother was
forced as out as elementary teacher in Bethel when she married-the school
board wanted no female teacher who knew the mysteries of sex.
Between the Denham's and their kinsmen,and the Riley's and their kinsmen,
many of the important families in,or north and west of Bethel were
included. The Wesleyian Methodists were the Under-ground RRer's. Rev
Isaac Holmes Brown the local minister,started 2 churches,and 1 cemetary
in-west of Bethel His dau was an aunt of my Dad's. Another uncle of Dad's
was a conducter with GP Riley on the Under-ground RRer. Federal law
breakers! Breaking the Fugitive Slave law.and the DRED SCOTT Decision.
John Denham's dad was very anti-slavery,while his wife's father
owned slaves,and her brother-in-law was a KY-MO-TX slave dealer. The
dealer's wife left her husband,and moved to Bethel-Margaret Hill. Her
son-in-law,David Osborne was last water-powered owned of Denham's mills.
From:
To:
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1999 07:23:14 EST
Subject: Herman...thought you might like to see this.
u
Marion, Grant County, Indiana


Marion Daily Chronicle
December 23, 1912
Page 1 column 7


69 YEARS OF WEDLOCK ENDS
"Until Death Do Us Part" (Married to Sarah Blair, daughter of
John
& Antis Blair)
Fulfilled by Mr. & Mrs. Riley
WIFE DIES, AGED NINETY YEARS
-----------Pneumonia Takes Away Gerrard P. Riley's Helpmate of Many
Years,
Leaving Him Grief Stricken
Companions in wedlock for sixty-nine years, Mr. and Mrs. Gerrard P. Riley
of
this city, true to their marriage vow, were faithful to each other until
parted by death. Mrs. Riley died Sunday morning at 2 o'clock, and thus
was
dissolved one of the longest periods of wedded life ever known in Grant
County.
Mrs. Riley was ninety years and four months old. Death occurred at the
home
of her daughter, Mrs. Thomas J. Sherman, 735 Cassius Street, and followed
a
brief illness with pneumonia. Besides the aged husband, seven children
survive, as follows; Mrs. Thomas J. Sherman and E.P. Riley of Marion;
Mrs.
Sara Baer of Appleton, Wis.; Charles Riley of Orlando, Fla. ; A.E. Riley
of
Griffin, Cal. ; Mrs. A.M. Stratton of Portland, Ore.; and Mrs. Carrie
Swing
of Cincinnati, Ohio.
No brothers or sisters survive, Mrs. Riley having been the last member of
her
father's family. The funeral will be held Tuesday afternoon at 2 o'clock

from the residence of Mrs. Sherman, with Rev. J.F. Porter, pastor of the
First M.E. church, officiating. Burial will be made in the I OOF.
Cemetery.
Mrs. Riley was born in Clermont county, Ohio. August 22, 1822, and her
maiden
name was Blair. She was married to G.P. Riley in January 1844, and had
she
lived until next month the couple would have been married sixty-nine
years.
Four years ago on the occasion of the sixty-fifth wedding anniversary, a
very
pleasant celebration was held at the Riley home here. Mr. and Mrs. Riley

lived on Second Street.
FATHER RILEY'S CAREER
"Father" Riley, as he is known, has had an interesting career. He and
his
wife have been residents of Marion for about twenty-five years. "Father"

Riley was for many years a minister of the Wesleyan Methodist
denomination,
and held charges in Illinois.

He came to Grant county from Princeton, Ill, and became pastor of the
Wesleyan church at Fairmount. Later he went to Ligonier, Ind. And then
came
to Marion.
A little more than twenty years ago objection was made to Rev. Riley as a

minister by the delegates of the quadrennial conference of the Wesleyan
church because he, a civil war veteran, belonged to the Grand Army of the

Republic. The G.A.R. is a secret society, and to all secrets Wesleyans
are
opposed. The outcome was that "Father" Riley was ejected from membership
in
the denomination, as he preferred to remain a member of the G.A.R., a
patriotic organization, rather than in the Wesleyan denomination.
"Father"
Riley became locally famous several years ago by his organization of the
"Boys' Brigade" in Marion. At one time this organization numbered as
high as
sixty members, and attracted much attention.

Marion, Grant County, Indiana


Marion Chronicle
October 15th 1914
Page 1 column 4
Page 8 column 3

FATHER RILEY IS
CALLED BEYOND

Organizer of Boy's Brigade
Taken by Death Angel at
Age 92 Years

DEVOTED LIFE TO WORK FOR CHILDREN

The funeral Gerrald P. Riley known as "Father" Riley, age 92, who died
late
last evening at the home of his daughter, Mrs. T.J. Sherman, in East
Charles
Street, will be held from the residence Friday afternoon at 3 o'clock,
with
Rev. Porter in charge. Burial will take place in the IOOF cemetery.
Death
was due to the infirmities of old age. Father Riley had resided in Grant

County for the past forty years, devoting his life to the services of his

fellow man.

Father Riley was known in Marion chiefly for his work among children,
especially boys. While he was pastor of the Wesleyan Methodist church
in
Fairmount he organized a children's paper called "The Golden Voice". In
Marion Father Riley always will be remembered as the leader of the "Boy's

Brigade", an organization of small boys whom he taught to drill and live
right. Father Riley took many boys from the streets and converted them
into
sturdy little Christians.
CEASELESS STRUGGLE

His life was one long, ceaseless struggle, in the earlier days a struggle
for
an education and in the later days a struggle for the right.

He was born in Ohio in 1822, and spent all his boyhood days near his
birthplace. Here he received the Christian teaching that afterward
blossomed
into the wonderful dedication of his life to the work of the Master. His

grandfather George Swing who frequently visited the Riley home was
instrumental in crystallizing the desire of the young man to become a
Christian.
He went through Granville College entirely by his own efforts. His
father
objected seriously to his obtaining further education than that received
at
home, but Gerrald went away to school determined to work his way through,

which he did.

During his last year at the college his father relented and assisted him.

AIDED RUNAWAY SLAVES

Upon his return home after graduating from Granville, Mr. Riley became a
member of the Wesleyan Methodist church, one of the first institutions of
the
country to start the fight against slavery.

During the days preceding the Civil War Mr. Riley acted as one of the
conductors of the "Underground Railway"

At the age of 23 he had been made pastor of the only Wesleyan Methodist
church in Cincinnati, Ohio, and when the war broke out he was chosen
chaplain
of the 50th Ohio volunteers. He organized a church and Sunday school
among
the members of his regiment, and never ceased his work among the members.

He gained the appellation of "The Fighting Chaplains" by his untiring
efforts
at cheering, advising and helping his men. He refused to carry a gun
until
late in the campaign, always placing himself at the front of the line
with a
canteen full of pure fresh water, which he gave to his "boys".

LED COLORED TROOPS

Toward the close of the conflict the chaplain through his own
solicitation,
was made captain of Company K, U.S.C.T., and served valiantly with the
sword
as he had hitherto done with the Bible under General Butler. Most of
the
work of Father Riley's company consisted in rescuing Union families and
slaves, and his company distinguished itself at this work.

After the war he engaged in the sawmill and flour business, but a fire
wiped
out all his holdings. He resolutely turned his shoulder to the wheel and

started to work again, undaunted by his misfortune.

The wife of Father Riley, who during all his career, closely followed and

aided him, passed to her reward only last year. The following; Mrs. T.J.

Sherman and E.P. Riley of Marion, Mrs. Libbie C. Riley of Orlando,
Florida,
A.E. Riley of Griffith, Colorado, Mrs. A.M. Stratlem of Odell, Oregon,
and
Mrs. F.E. Swing of Cincinnati, Ohio survive him. The deceased is also
survived by one brother, E.S. Riley of Southport, Indiana, who is a
Baptist
minister.

Eileen Blair

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