Columbiana County Connections
A funny thing happened to me while climbing my family tree. Even though I live in Colorado, and was born in Allen County, Indiana, it seems every significant ancestor I have located in my research has direct ties to one place -- Columbiana County, Ohio.
My g-g-g-great-grandfather, William Foulks founded one of the first communities in Columbiana County, Calcutta (which was even named Foulkstown for a while). On my father's side, my great-grandfather was Samuel Fisher, born in Columbiana County. (My father's middle name was Fisher). The list goes on and on: Armstrong (Andrew and Hannah), Bowman, (Henry and Harriet) Herbert (Daniel and Margaret), Johnson, (James and Rebecca), and Walter (Matthias and Anna Maria), all names with Columbiana County connections.
I've never stepped foot inside the county. But my linkages to its founders and past community leaders is truly startling.
Looking at my ancestral home from afar, I know that tiny Lisbon is the county seat, while Ohio River city East Liverpool is its principal municipality. The discovery of rich clay deposits in the area of East Liverpool led to the birth of the pottery industry in the 1840s, which prompted Charles Morgan Foulks into founding the Sprucevale Pottery. I understand that's a site on tours hosted by the Ohio Historical Society's Museum of Ceramics, located in East Liverpool.
Most of my links go directly to St. Clair Township, of which Calcutta is the principal community and the seat of township government. Ohio tourism information says St. Clair is one of the county's original townships, rich in natural beauty and contains a vast scope of wildly rugged and romantic scenery. "The expansive views obtained from some of its higher elevations are charming, while here and there thickly wooded dells, which shelter mountain brooks, are in turn guarded by towering hills."
No wonder I love my Colorado mountains. Gazing at and admiring "towering hills" is in my genes.
Beaver Creek, says the tourist guide, "flows through the township in an exceedingly sinuous course along the eastern border, and, emerging at the southeast corner, passes across the northeast corner of Liverpool and so into Pennsylvania." Beaver Creek, at that Pennsylvania border, is also where William escaped Indian captivity, by simply being too young to be outside in the work crew when his brother and sister, George and Elizabeth were captured by Indians in 1780.
The pamphlet says, "The township was organized in 1803 and had its boundaries axed by the county commissioners March 5, 1805. John Quinn, familiarly known in history as Hunter John Quinn, settled in St. Clair in 1792 or 1793, and is believed to have been the first white man to locate in the township. St. Clair contains no incorporated village, but there are four villages or hamlets -- Calcutta, Cannon's Mills, Sprucevale and Fredericktown."
I've no real plans to ever visit the county, but I'd like to. It will feel very strange, walking on soil that almost certainly some ancestor trod. I'll feel obligated to call everyone I meet there, "cousin" -- because they probably are.
There's one thing about Columbiana County that has really piqued my interest, since learning it was a crossroads for my ancestors: Why was the name Foulkstown changed to Calcutta?
Dave Moore, a native of the Columbiana County, is one of several people who have volunteered to help me gather information about the area. I put him to work, with that question. His response:
"I spoke with a man named Gary Winterburn, who lives in Fredericktown, in St. Clair Township. He is a local historian who has written and published three books on local history and lore. Coincidentally, he is researching his newest book, the history of Calcutta. Gary told me what he knew at this time and said there was still more research to be done. I asked if he was certain of the origin of Calcutta's name and he said he was almost certain, however as things go with research (as I'm sure you've found out) he may come up with new evidence, but he dared me to prove him wrong. That's good enough for me. So here goes.
"As you know, Calcutta was originally named Foulkstown. Well, as it turned out, there was another Foulkstown somewhere and this was confusing the mail. So the name was changed to West Union. That lasted a few years, however there was another West Union and the mail was still messed up. In 1836, a man by the name of Smith (can't recall his first name off-hand) petitioned the State Senate to allow a name change. ( I guess things by this time had become pretty civilized). BTW, I know a bunch of Smiths who are descendants of this guy, and am pretty good friends with them.
"Anyway, the State Senate gave the go-ahead for the name change and requested the name to which they wanted to go with. Well, the people looked for a name that was not in use or going to conflict with any other town. Looking through the records at the county courthouse, someone discovered that in 1810 a town had been platted in what is now Tuscarawas County (about 40 miles west) and the town had never been built. The town name was Calcutta and was not in use so they took it. The State Senate approved it officially in 1838.
"That made our Calcutta the first Calcutta in the world.
"Right about now I suppose you're thinking about that town in India right? It seems to be older than the early 1800's right? Well, you are right, and the names are connected, and this is the most interesting part.
"The guy who platted the town of Calcutta in 1810 was of English origin. Back in the 1700's, India was a colony of the British Empire. A company there, which I believe is still in business today is the East India Company. Their headquarters were in the City of Calcutta, India. Well, as it turns out, Calcutta is the English translation of the name of that town. It's pronunciation is similar, and one must assume that we use the phonetical spelling. But anyway, if you would look at an Indian map, the real name is there and it is not spelled as we spell it. We are just accustomed to seeing it spelled the English way.
"In June of 1756, there was a revolt by the Indian people against the East India Company. The Indians took 146 prisoners from the company and placed them in a local jail. The jail was made of stone and the room that they placed all 146 prisoners into measured 16 feet square. The next day when they opened the cell door, 23 prisoners were alive. They say that because of the heat and lack of water, most collapsed and were soon trampled to death. Anyway, this incident because quite infamous in England and the jail (and the incident) became known as the black hole of Calcutta. (You can search this on Alta Vista and it comes up as the first or second pick).
"Well, as it turns out, the guy who platted the town of Calcutta was a descendant of someone who was involved in this incident and probably as a tribute to their memory, named his new town in this manner. So there you have it. Not a very flattering incident to have named your town after, but I doubt anyone knew at the time the history behind it. As a side note, the Town of Calcutta, platted in Tuscarawas County was never built, and to this day is just a field. Gary Winterburn stood in what would have been the town square and said the site was beautiful and would have made a nice location. There is a Calcutta in Otsega County New Y ork and Pleasants County, West Virginia, but ours was the first.
"Well, I hope this was as intriguing as you thought it might be. I had no idea of it's origin and was completely surprised by it.
"Take care...
"Dave"
Wow -- what a tale! Thank you very much, Dave!!! (Another Foulkstown? Gee....)
[In a front page story published February 23, 2001, the Columbiana County Morning Journal News reported some of the history of that name-changing era. The newspaper said after the name Foulkstown was made official in 1815: "For 23 years, the village was known as both Foulkstown and West Union and, in the 1830s, was nicknamed 'Nineveh,' a biblical city known for wickedness, lewdness and prostitution, and officials decided a change was due.The story continued, "St. Clair resident George Smith, a state representative in 1837, took on that challenge. In researching county plat books, someone noticed Richard Carter had platted a town in what is now Stark County, calling it Calcutta, which existed only on paper, with no town ever materializing. Winterburn said St. Clair officials probably thought the name exotic and catchy and Representative Smith introduced House Bill 124 on Jan. 9, 1838 to change West Union, alias Foulkstown, to Calcutta. The bill passed Jan. 23, 1838, and the post office recorded the change the following March, and Calcutta was formally named."]
What would be the motivation for the townspeople of Foulkstown to so willingly again change the name of their town? It could be because their townfounder, William Foulks, and his son, William, had worn out their welcome in the community. You can be the judge of that by reading about The "Real" William Foulks.
Do you have Columbiana County Connections? Here's the Columbiana County USGenWeb site, where you can start your search.
-- Thom Foulks
Send E-mail to thomfoulks@foulks.com