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Raccoon Township near Rio Grande in Gallia County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
 

The Village of Adamsville

 
 
The Village of Adamsville Marker, side one image. Click for full size.
Photographed By J. J. Prats, August 31, 2018
1. The Village of Adamsville Marker, side one
Inscription. The Village of Adamsville commemorates life in this area as it was during the early to mid-19th century. The original Adamsville settlement was located on the banks of Raccoon Creek. roughly one-half mile east of this site. Adam Rickabaugh (1761-1836), a veteran of the Revolutionary War from Virginia. brought his family to this valley around 1804. His patent for land along the creek was signed by President Thomas Jefferson and Secretary of State James Madison. Soon after his arrival, Rickabaugh built a grist mill which became a meeting place for the growing community. In 1805, Nehemiah Wood, one of the earliest settlers in Gallia County, bought the mill from Rickabaugh, later adding a sawmill and a fulling mill for cleaning and thickening woolen cloth.

Although Adamsville was never incorporated, the little settlement grew and prospered. The village was divided into plots by Rickabaugh’s sons, Adam and William, in 1837. A post office was established in 1846. The Adamsville Hotel, located along present Farmview Road, provided an important stagecoach stop between Gallipolis and Chillicothe. After Rio Grande College was established in 1876, the village’s center was moved a few miles away to higher ground around the
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college and away from the creek’s occasional flooding. From 1971 to 1992, the village of Adamsville was recreated at the location of the original settlement on the Bob Evans Farm along Raccoon Creek. Because of continued flooding and the ravages of time, the five log structures representing the village were dismantled moved to their current location, and renovated during 2011-2012.
 
Erected 2014 by Bob Evans Farms, Inc. and The Ohio Historical Society. (Marker Number 20-27.)
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #03 Thomas Jefferson, the Former U.S. Presidents: #04 James Madison, and the Ohio Historical Society / The Ohio History Connection series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1804.
 
Location. 38° 52.894′ N, 82° 21.86′ W. Marker is near Rio Grande, Ohio, in Gallia County. It is in Raccoon Township. Marker can be reached from Farmview Road (Local Road 71) north of State Route 588. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 791 Farmview Rd, Gallipolis OH 45631, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Freedom Seekers: Ohio and the Underground Railroad (here, next to this marker); Appalachian Crafts
The Village of Adamsville Marker, side two image. Click for full size.
Photographed By J. J. Prats, August 31, 2018
2. The Village of Adamsville Marker, side two
(a few steps from this marker); Ingles Schoolhouse (a few steps from this marker); Phillips Pioneer Home (a few steps from this marker); Adamsville Mercantile (within shouting distance of this marker); The Flood of March 1997 (within shouting distance of this marker); Welcome to the Adamsville Log Cabin Village (within shouting distance of this marker); Sorghum Mill (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Rio Grande.
 
Also see . . .  Adamsville Bridge. This page includes photographs of the bridge over Raccoon Creek at the original location of Adamsville Village. “This bridge is one of the most significant and unique historic bridges in Ohio, which given the number of unique and rare historic bridges in Ohio is really saying something. Apparently at one time there were three such structures in Ohio, however this bridge is the last of its kind in Ohio and may be the only example of its type in the country. As such, the bridge
Sprauge Cabin and Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By J. J. Prats, August 31, 2018
3. Sprauge Cabin and Marker
is not only extremely significant on a state level, but is also nationally significant as a unique example of an experimental type of concrete bridge. Described as a concrete cantilevered through girder bridge, the bridge is so unusual in appearance that many might find it hard to believe this is a concrete girder bridge.” (Submitted on September 8, 2018.) 
 
Additional commentary.
1. Welcome to Adamsville Log Cabin Village (large poster shown on Photo 4)
The Village of Adamsville was first settled along Raccoon Creek in 1800 when Adam Richabaugh, a Revolutionary War veteran, brought his family from Virginia to the valley that he had seen while in service. He applied to the Federal Government for this new land with his bounty from the war. The deed is signed by Thomas Jefferson, President, and James Madison, Secretary of State.

Adam built a grist mill on the creek and it became the meeting place for the community. Soon, there were two grocery stores, a meat market, two blacksmith shops, and a livery in the village. The village was plotted by Adam’s sons, Adam Jr. and William. In 1805 Nehemiah Wood bought the grist mill
Welcome to the Adamsville Log Cabin Village image. Click for full size.
Photographed By J. J. Prats, August 31, 2018
4. Welcome to the Adamsville Log Cabin Village
from Adam Rickabaugh and later added a fulling mill (the cleansing of cloth, particularly wool, to eliminate oils, dirts, and other impurities) and a saw mill.

Due to flooding, villagers began to move to higher ground when the Rio Grande College was founded in 1876.

Beginning in 1971 and continuing over the next fifteen years, the Adamsville Log Cabin Village was recreated in its original location along the Raccoon Creek at the Bob Evans Farms.

In consideration of flooding and the ravages of time, the village was moved to its present location. This dismantling and renovation project took place during 2011 and 2012.

How Rio Grande Got Its Name. As the Village of Adamsville grew, the settlers applied for a Post Office, The U.S. Government informed them there was already a town by the name of Adamsville in Muskingham County, Ohio and in order to receive a Post Office they were required to choose a different name.

From 1846-48 the war with Mexico was ongoing. Stories of fighting on the Rio Grande River headlined a newspaper delivered to the mill. Sylvester Wood, son of Nehemiah Wood, read the paper and said, “I’ll bet no one would have a Rye-O-Grand Post Office.” Even though the villagers mispronounced the word, it became
The Village of Adamsville image. Click for full size.
Photographed By J. J. Prats, August 31, 2018
5. The Village of Adamsville
The four cabins visible are, from left, the Freedom Seekers’ Cabin, Adamsville Merchantile, Phillips Pioneer Home, and the Ingles Schoolhouse.
the name of their post office. The Rio Grande post office was established in the Village of Adamsville on August 10, 1846.
    — Submitted September 8, 2018.

2. The Flood of 1997 (smaller poster in Photo 4)
Heavy rains that occurred March 1-2, 1997, in parts of southern Ohio resulted in floods that caused widespread damage to public and private property. Record peak stages (water levels) and stream flows occurred at U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) stream flow-gaging stations on Ohio Brush Creek (Adams County), Raccoon Creek (Gallia County), and the Shade River (Meigs County). The storm was concentrated along the Ohio River, stretching from western Kentucky to West Virginia, producing floods on many tributaries to the Ohio River. As these tributaries drained into the Ohio River, communities along the river experienced some of the most severe flooding since March 1964.

Racoon Creek at Adamsville. On March 5, 1997, the USGS stream flow-gaging station on Raccoon Creek at Adamsville, 1.8 miles downstream from The Bob Evans Farm, had a peak stage of 29.11 feet and an estimated stream flow of 16,500 cubic feet per second. The estimated stream flow indicated that
The Village of Adamsville and Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By J. J. Prats, August 31, 2018
6. The Village of Adamsville and Marker
On the left is the Freedom Seekers cabin. On the right are the Adamsville Merchantile and the Phillips Pioneer Home.
the creek experienced somewhere between a 50-and-100-year flood.

What is a 100-Year Flood? The USGS stream flow-gaging stations on Ohio Brush Creek and Shade River are estimated to have experienced floods in excess of a 100-year recurrence interval. A flood having a recurrence interval of 100 years has 1 chance in 100, or a 1% chance, of occurring in any given year. A flood with a recurrence interval of 100 years is commonly called the “100-year flood.”
    — Submitted September 8, 2018.
 
Ingles Schoolhouse image. Click for full size.
Photographed By J. J. Prats, August 31, 2018
7. Ingles Schoolhouse
Sign on cabin reads, “This two-story log cabin with rough V-notching is probably one of the largest original log structures of its kind. It was built near Lowell, Ohio in 1860 and served as a schoolhouse until 1918. The upstairs would have been used for the teacher’s living quarters.” “In later years the cabin was used as a general store, a residence, and finally a barn.” “In 1986 Wayne Ingles donated the logs to the Farm and the cabin became part of the reconstructed Adamsville Village.”
Freedom Seekers: Ohio and the Underground Railroad image. Click for full size.
Photographed By J. J. Prats, August 31, 2018
8. Freedom Seekers: Ohio and the Underground Railroad
Sign on the cabin reads, “This is one of the cabins built to house the 100 freed slaves who came to the Farm with Nehemiah Wood and his family in 1805.” “It is noted that, ‘Uncle Albert Hurst first lived in the cabin near a sweet spring on Granny’s Branch Fork.’ At one time a man named Thompson raised 9 girls in this home. Rio Grande College students often lived in the house, the last in 1952.” “Two of the cabin’s doors led to lean-to rooms, one of which was usually the kitchen.”
The Sprague Cabin image. Click for full size.
Photographed By J. J. Prats, August 31, 2018
9. The Sprague Cabin
A sign to the right of the door titled “Appalachian Crafts” reads, “In 1880, James Sprague built this cabin on land he owned in Springfield Township, about 6 miles from here. This cabin was constructed using pine, poplar, and oak, which grew on the Sprague property. The notching is dovetailed.” “The property remained in the Sprague family for four generations. In early 1980s, Bob Evans purchased the Sprague property. He donated the cabin to the Farm in 1992 when it became part of the reconstructed Adamsville Village.”
Phillips Pioneer Home image. Click for full size.
Photographed By J. J. Prats, August 31, 2018
10. Phillips Pioneer Home
Sign on the cabin reads, “In 1850, 28 year old Abraham Phillips built this two-story log cabin near the town of Kerr about 5 miles from here. The cabin has half-dovetail corner notches. The upper logs are pine and the lower logs are oak and other hardwoods.” “Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Issacs owned the cabin in the 1970s and sold it to Bob Evans who donated it to the Farm.” “In 1974-75 this cabin became the first log building reconstructed at the previous location of the Adamsville Village near Raccoon Creek.”
Adamsville Mercantile image. Click for full size.
Photographed By J. J. Prats, August 31, 2018
11. Adamsville Mercantile
Sign on cabin reads, “Sometime between 1800 and 1830 the Stormont family built this cabin near Johns Creek about 14 miles from the Farm. The notching is half dovetail. Of note are the original second floor joists and the ‘bowed’ beam above the door.” “Samuel Stormont owned the cabin as late as 1874. Adam Hieman (1837-1928) was the next owner of the cabin.” “Bob Evans bought the cabin in 1971 and moved it here to the Farm.”
Village of Adamsville, Looking West image. Click for full size.
Photographed By J. J. Prats, August 31, 2018
12. Village of Adamsville, Looking West
The cabin to the left is the Ingles Schoolhouse. To the right is the Sprague cabin.
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on September 8, 2018. It was originally submitted on September 8, 2018, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 592 times since then and 46 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. submitted on September 8, 2018, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.

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Mar. 29, 2024