From "The Story of Anthony Coombs and His Descendants"
by William Carey Coombs
Amelia Ohio
1913

CHAPTER V.  THE CINCINNATI GROUP.

    It began with the migration of Andrew Coombs, Sr.,
son of Capt. Ebenezer Coombs, and is best told as re-
lated to me by his daughter, Abigail Coombs Conklin,
who was about nine years old at the time of his removal.
This is the story, as related to me, which I put in writ-
ing at the time, May 13, 1870, she being then in her
69th year:

    About 1809 a Mr. Harris of Lewiston, Me., sent his son to
see the western country -- this is, Ohio.  He came back, and
reported so favorably that his father made up a party, and soon
after emigrated.

    The favorable report soon spread among the "Yankees."
Amoung others who heard it was Samuel Tibbetts, Jr., who was
at that time embarrassed by a security debt, which was about to
take his property, a farm which he then had in Maine.  He
concluded to go to Ohio, and, leaving his farm to his credi-
tors, departed with his family and money enough to take him
through.

     The family of my father, Andrew Coombs, Sr. (stepbrother
and cousin to Samuel Tibbetss, Jr.), was then living at --
[probably Bowdoinham], while he was in a store at Brunswick,
coming home occasionally in a sleigh to spend Sunday.  on one
of these occasions he spoke to mother of these folks who were
going, or had gone, to Ohio.  She replied, "Well, here is one
that they will not get to go."  "Well," said he, "Sam is going."
And on this an animated discussion sprang up, which was con-
tinued until very late.  I listened until I was sent to bed in the
trundle-bed, but kept listening, and was so excited that I could
not go to sleep.   After a good deal of talk mother finally con-
sented to go.  Soon after, father sold his place and moved up to
Lisbon Corner, where Grandmother and Grandfather Tibbetts
lived in a house of which father owned half.  We moved up in
winter, during very cold weather, the family going in two sleighs
and the goods on sleds.

    Here we remained until the next September, when the house
and lot, furniture, etc., were sold, selling off everything but
clothing and teams.  In the mean time they had mechanics to
come and put up two spring wagons, working in the barn.

    In September the party started for Ohio.  The party consisted
of my father and family, his mother and stepfather, Samuel
Tibbetts, Esq. (Samuel Tibbetts, Jr., having preceded them),
and others.  They were five weeks in reaching Connellsville,
Pa., on the Youghiogheny River, where an acquaintance by the
name of Hinkley lived.  Here lumber was plenty, and a boat
was built.  They remained here about four weeks.

    On Sunday morning Mr. Hinkley's son came in and said the
river was up and they must start right off.  So the family was
hurried on the boat and they started on the voyage.  The boat
was what was called an "ark," covered over, and the wagons
were put on top.  The river was full of shoals, on which the
boat frequently stuck, and the young men of the place volunteered
to go with them to the Monongahela River.

    On reaching Pittsburg, father and Eli Higgins took the horses
and went by land to Wheeling, Va [Ohio?].  A large lumber raft and
boat, laded with shingles, overtook the boat, and being larger
and heavier it floated faster than our "ark."  We therefore
asked permission to lash to it and be taken in tow.  This they
agreed to if some one of the women would do their cooking.
Grandmother Tibbetts agreed to do this.  At Wheeling we met
father with the horses, and were very glad indeed to see him.
The horses were placed on the raft, and thus they made the trip
to Cincinnati, where we arrived in safety about the 15th of
December, 1811.

    Dr. Tibbetts [Samuel Tibbetts, Jr.] was then living on Water
street.  Father rented a house for the winter on Walnut street,
between 5th and 6th, then on the outer edge of the town.

    In the spring, father, Thomas Myrick, Cyrus Coffin, and others
went to look for land.  The first two bought in Clermont county.
Father put up a log house, -- that is, the walls and roof, -- and
went back to the city, expecting to return and finish before taking
his family there, but mother insisted on going.  So they left in
March, camped on the Miami at night and came out the next
day, arriving about 9 o'clock at night.  The house had no floor,
no doors, no windows, and the only entrance was by the hole
left for the fireplace.  [It was built mostly of Linn logs split in
two pieces, and as they had to get some one to show them how
to make a log house, it is probable that they did not make a very
nice dwelling.]  The trees had been cut away from around it so
they would not fall on it.  In this we lived while father finished
up the house and cleared up the land, --pretty hard on the old
folks, but enjoyed by the children.  The climate was mild, and
the children lived mostly out of doors.

    One of the wagons was equipped with an ingenious
contrivance for measuring and recording the distance
traveled.  I have in my possession a little home-made
book with brown-paper cover, in which a record of
the journey was kept, which I copy below, somewhat
condensed:

    A journal of a tour from the town of Lisbon, Maine.

    Set out from Lisbon at 10 o'clock, Sept 23 (1811), Monday
and came on to Mr Whites in Freeport. Weather, fair Miles 13.

    24th, to Stroudwater, Broads Tavern. W. fair Miles 23 1/2.

    25th, (wed,) through Scarborough, Saco, Biddeford, Aurun-
dell to Barnard's Tavern. w. rainy m. 25.

    26th, T. Through Wells, Berwick, Summerworth to Maj.
Tibbets private house fair m, 21 1/2.

    27th. F. Through Dover, Durham, New market, to Mr.
Perkin's private house

    28th. S. Through Exeter, Kingston, Plasto, Haverhill, Bard-
ford to Andover, to Mr Johnsons private house. Fair m. 26.

    29th, S. Through Tweksbury, Billerica, to Mr. Hill's.
rainy, m. 18.

    30. M. Through Bedford, Concord, Sudbury, Marlboro,
Northboro, to Mr. Balls.

    Oct 1. Tues. Through Shrewsbury, Worcester, Liecester,
(Dined wih Mr. Hersley's, whose wife was Martha Brownell,
sister-in-law to Capt. Devol at Marietta, and all his relations here
are alive and well). Spencer, Brookfield, to Mr. Daniel's. m.23.

    Wed. 2. Trough Weston, Palmer, Wilbraham, Springfield,
to Russell's. Fair m. 25.

    Th. 3. Crost the bridge over Connecticut R. into W. Spring-
field, through Suffield, Granby to Mr. Skinners. Fair & warm
m. 20.

    F. 4. Through Sunsbury, Canton, to Bidwells. Fair &
warm m. 15.

    Sat. 5. Through New Hartford, Barkhamstead, Winchester,
Coldbrook, Norfold, Canaan to Pease's where we were much
crowded. Fair and warm m. 23.

    Sunday 6. Through Salisbury, Sharon to Mr. Maxim's
Cloudy m. 16.

    Monday, 7. Through A Washington Heights. Cloudy m.
20.

    Tues. 8. Through Bakemantown and into the border of
Fishkill, to Myer's Hotel, ill used. Fair m. 16.

    Wed.9. Through Fishkill, Crost the ferry and thence on to
Morrell's inn in New Windsor. Fair m. 14.

    Thursday 10. Through Chester, Bloominggrove, Hope,
Warwick, to Gerachty's tavern. Fair m, 25.

    Friday 11. Through Vernon, Hardyston, Newton to widow
Sharp's tavern. Fair, very warm, m. 23 1/2

    Sat. 12. Past Sussex C. House, Hardwick to Mr. Cook's,
where we put up a little before night, on account of the rain.
After we stopped we perceived that one of father's wheels was
broken, and in the evening my white horse was not well and in
the morning one of father's horses was lame. Fair, windy,
rain. m 17 1/2.

    Sunday 13. Through Hope, Oxford, Greenwich and put up
at Piersing's tavern within 5 miles of Easton after driving some-
thing late. Fair m. 22 1/2.

    Monday 14. Crost the bridge over the Delaware, through
Easton to Butz's tavern and waited for father whom I left
behind to get his wagon mended. Went on to Ritter's and put
up some time after dark, after passing through Bethlehem.
[Here I condense by giving only the names of the towns,
viz:]

    Allentown, Greismers, Whitehalls Township, Kutztown,
Reading, where they forded the Schuylkill R. Wormelsdorph,
Myerstown, Lebanon, Millerstown, Polmanstown, Humbles-
town, Harrisburgh, where we crossed the ferry and on 2 miles
to Bowmans where we lodged in the barroom, much disturbed
by the Negro and others. Through Carlisle to Hunter's, Very
windy and cold. Through Shippensburg, Strausberg and over
first mountain to Skinners. through Faunetsburg, two mountains
to Birds tavern.

    Thursday, 24. Over Sidling Hills, Crost the Junietta to
Spark's tavern where six families of movers put up, besides
a number of others. Much crowded, through Bloody Run,
crossed The Dry ridge and Allegany Mts. to Berlin and Con-
nellsville.

    Monday Oct. 28, Came on 1 1/2 miles up the Laurel hill,
where my wagon broke and we lodged in our wagon. In the
morning Ebenezer and I returned 1 and one half miles to a black-
smith and got my axletree mended while the rest of the family
went on three miles up the hill to the next tavern. Traveled
8 miles over the Laurel hill, when the wagon axle again broke.
Got it mended on the morning of Oct. 30., crossed the Chestnut
Ridge and to Connellsville on the Youghiogheny R. where the
journey by wagon came to an end.

No of miles traveled 719 1/2.
Days 38.
Expenses #52.50.