Washburn’s of Lawrence County, Ohio
Part Two
June 20, 2003
Story and Illustrations by Terry Washburn
Some of Thomas Washburn’s relatives moved from Western Virginia to Southern Ohio between 1855 and 1860 after his death. Specifically Isaac Washburn and his twin brother William C Washburn ended up living in Lawrence County, Ohio near the town of Ironton. The two of them appear in the 1860 Census there. William C had married Margaret Levissey on February 4, 1859. They bore two children, Mary Ann in 1859 and William T in 1863. Margaret had been married before and William adopted her six year old daughter, Elizabeth June Louise after they were married.
Isaac was living with William, Margaret, Mary Ann and Elizabeth when the 1860 census was taken in August. They lived in Washington Township and both Isaac and William listed their occupation as Furnace Hand. This means they were working the coal furnaces in the area, quite possibly the La Grange Furnace which is on Porter Gap road near the La Grange Royersville road. The La Grange Furnace still stands today.
William enlisted in the 91st Ohio Infantry Company H on August 12, 1862 to serve in the Civil War. He mustered out on June 24, 1865 at the rank of corporal. Isaac did not enlist in the Civil War until August 28, 1863 and did so with the 4th West Virginia Cavalry Company F. His company was formed for a six month tour of duty, and Isaac mustered out on March 11, 1864 at the rank of corporal.
Isaac married Ruth Levissey (possibly the sister to Margaret) on Feb. 21, 1865. This was after he returned from the Civil War in 1864. Isaac and Ruth had two children, Charles in 1866 and Lilly in 1875. By 1890, Isaac and Ruth were divorced and Isaac married Mary Alice Kelley on November 22, 1890. Isaac was 60 years old at the time and Alice was almost 34 years old. Alice was from Laurel Furnace, Kentucky. The two of them bore three children (Joe, Carl and Willy). Alice had a daughter from a previous marriage by the name of Maude Ellen who was born in 1881 in Ohio. By the time Isaac died in October 1901, he was 71 years old and had three children under the age of 10. My father William (Willy) was born in 1899 which made Isaac 69 years old at his birth. This is rather remarkable since Isaac’s father Thomas fathered him at age 57 which is a span of 126 years from the Grandfather’s birth to the Grandson’s birth.
Isaac and Alice built a farmhouse on property northwest of Ironton in Upper Township near the Detroit Toledo and Ironton Railroad (DT&I) and it’s Royersville Tunnel (see attached photos). The DT&I ran through downtown Ironton and up to Detroit where Henry Ford made a significant investment in the railroad to move coal to his steel mills and auto plants. Henry Ford owned the DT&I from 1920 to around 1930. All three of Isaac’s sons (Joe, Carl and Willy) ended up working for the DT&I and C & O railroad. William H (Willy) served 22 years on the DT&I and worked his way up to a locomotive engineer on that line in the 1930’s.
Isaac’s voluntary service in the Civil War served him well in terms of a disability pension. Isaac applied for the pension on July 15, 1890 within a month of the enactment of the federal act on June 27, 1890. Isaac stated in his application that he was disabled due to lung trouble and heart disease plus rheumatism in his left hip and back. He and Alice collected a pension of 12 dollars per month until their children were born and then an additional $2 per child was paid until they attained the age of 16. After Isaac died in 1901, Alice continued to collect the full pension. Willy turned 16 on September 16, 1915, (See attached copy of the June Act) which terminated the child benefit of the pension that year. Alice received a Civil War Widow’s pension of $30 per month in 1920 when she turned 62 years of age. It was increased to $40 per month in 1930. Even their daughter Maude applied for federal assistance when Alice was terminally ill in 1940 because her mother was the widow of a Civil War veteran. We don’t know if any monies were paid however.
Isaac died in October 1901 from kidney disease at the age of 71 and was buried in the Tunnel Cemetery near Royersville Tunnel (which is now closed). A picture of his Civil War tombstone is attached. Isaac’s brother William C died two years earlier in 1899 and was buried in Woodland Cemetery in Ironton, OH. Alice died in 1940 and was also buried in Woodland Cemetery. Her daughter Maude is buried at her side.
Alice was quite the woman according to my sister Geri. She smoked a corn cob pipe and was very strict with any children in her house. She was very independent having married once more after Isaac’s death to George Wilds in 1903 but that marriage did not last long. Overall Alice had 8 children and helped raise a couple more. She did all of this, living on the farm with no income except the disability pension from Isaac. William (the youngest son), left the farm at age 18 to work on the railroad leaving Alice to fend for herself. This was in 1918. Alice survived the huge flood of 1937 by leaving the homestead and moving in with her daughter Maude in downtown Ironton. Alice died from heart disease on November 28, 1940 while in the care of Maude.
Each of the Washburn sons bore children. Joe and wife Florence Wilds bore nine children (five boys and four girls). Carl and wife Mary Wilds bore two sons and William with wife Beatrice Voisine bore five children (four boys and a girl). Maude Ellen also bore two sons through her marriage to Albert Rist.
Several of the Washburn off spring moved to other states as they grew into adulthood. William followed the DT&I and moved to the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan. One of Joe’s sons moved to Texas and the Rist brothers left for Louisiana and Florida. Joe and Carl Washburn however, remained in Ironton until their deaths. Several of their children and grandchildren live in Ironton today as well.
William H. Washburn’s family spread from California to Texas, Kentucky and Michigan. The daughter (Geraldine) even lived in Alaska for awhile with her air force husband. Terry and his family now live in Northville, Michigan, Richard and his family in Grayson KY and Geraldine in Hemet, CA. Two of William’s sons have passed away (Dale W and Michael B Washburn). William Herbert died in October 1970 at age 71 and is buried in St. Clair, MI. Son Dale died at age 68 and is buried in Grayson, KY while the youngest son Michael died at age 48 in northern Michigan where his ashes are scattered.
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