Wandering Appalachia

03/27/2026

Forgotten Funk Graveyard to Be Removed to Greenlawn Cemetery

"The old Funk graveyard on the hillside North of Kinney's Lane is to be done away with by Samuel B. Timmonds." "Mr. Timmonds has found the graveyard in such neglected state that he determined out of respect to the memory of those buried there to remove the bodies to a more suitable place. Accordingly, he purchased a lot from Greenlawn Cemetery Wednesday....

In 1912, Samuel B. Timmonds arranged the removal of a neglected Funk family graveyard near Kinney’s Lake, transferring the remains to Greenlawn Cemetery in Portsmouth.

03/26/2026

Shot in a Portsmouth Pool Room: The Death of Wilbur Arnold Meacham

A late-night argument. A warning ignored. A gunshot that didn’t kill—at least not right away. Follow the full story of Wilbur Meacham, from a Portsmouth pool room shooting to his final days weeks later....

A 1921 Portsmouth pool room dispute escalates into gunfire, leaving Wilbur Meacham mortally wounded. Follow the full timeline from shooting to death.

03/23/2026

A Fall Into the Ohio: Scioto County Worker Lost at Vevay Dam

A Scioto County man vanishes into the Ohio River while working on a dam near Vevay. No witnesses. No certainty. Just a search—and a family waiting....

Ernest E. Smith, a 24-year-old Scioto County man, drowned after falling from a barge near Vevay, Indiana while working on dam construction. Search efforts followed.

03/14/2026

Fog burning off the Ohio River this morning in Portsmouth.
The Grant Bridge and the Kentucky hills slowly come back into view as the river clears out.

Timelapse from the riverfront showing the fog drifting off and the town waking up.

03/14/2026

A Call to the Living: Help Mark the Graves of Union Soldiers

In 1879, the federal government asked ordinary citizens for help locating the graves of Union soldiers buried in private cemeteries. Families, neighbors, and caretakers were urged to report unmarked graves so permanent government headstones could be placed over the resting places of the nation’s dead. This notice reveals how communities played a direct role in ensuring Civil War soldiers were not forgotten....

An 1879 Portsmouth Times notice explains how families and cemetery caretakers could report unmarked Union soldiers’ graves for government-issued headstones.

03/13/2026

The Strange Disappearance of Carter County Sheriff Henry McGlone

A Kentucky sheriff travels to Cincinnati on official business, leaves his hotel for a short walk, and vanishes without a trace. One year later, the mystery of Carter County Sheriff Henry McGlone’s disappearance still lingered in local memory....

A 1911 newspaper report recounts the mysterious disappearance of Carter County, Kentucky sheriff Henry McGlone after he stepped out of a Cincinnati hotel and never returned.

03/11/2026

Death of A. Meissner, Known as “Kleimhauck,” Former First Ward Saloon Keeper

A short death notice from the July 19, 1879 Portsmouth Times reports the death of Antoni E. Meissner, known locally as “Kleimhauck,” a nickname believed to reference his notably cheerful and upbeat personality as a First Ward saloon keeper in 1860s Portsmouth....

A short death notice from the July 19, 1879 Portsmouth Times reporting the death of A. Meissner, known as “Kleimhauck,” a former First Ward saloon keeper who died at the Scioto County Infirmary.

03/11/2026

Two Women Sent to Athens Asylum; Probate Court Handles Clausing and Birk Estates

A quiet probate court notice from 1898 hides several stories waiting to be uncovered. Two women were ordered to the Athens Asylum, a will was admitted to probate, and multiple estates were settled — leaving behind names that may still echo through local family histories....

Brief probate court report from Portsmouth in 1898 noting the admission of Henry Clausing’s will, estate filings for Henry and Minnie Louisa Birk, and the commitment of two women to the Athens Asylum.

03/10/2026

Scioto County Infirmary Fund Report Shows Large Overdraft

An 1877 Portsmouth report reveals the Scioto County Infirmary Fund was heavily overdrawn, with officials criticizing how outside relief was distributed to the poor rather than bringing them to the infirmary....

An 1877 report from Portsmouth details the finances of the Scioto County Infirmary Fund, revealing significant overdrafts and concerns about the distribution of “outside relief.”

03/09/2026

Shot by a Highwayman: The Long Decline and Death of Portsmouth Merchant Harry E. Kinney

"The remains of Harry E. Kinney, who died at the Cincinnati Hospital, Tuesday, arrived in the city Wednesday, on the steamer Telegraph, and were taken to the family residence in the suburbs, where the funeral services took place at 4 o’clock the same day." "The news of his death here was a sad piece of intelligence, for there was no young man who stood higher in the community and among his fellow business men than Harry Kinney....

An 1881 Portsmouth newspaper reports the death of Harry E. Kinney, a respected young businessman whose health never recovered after being shot by a highwayman three years earlier.

03/09/2026

William Alexander Meacham: Slayer of Harry Kinney

Slide image comparison. The left image is unedited. The right image is enhanced for readability. Above is an image comparison of the headstone of William Alexander Meacham. The stone is located in the second row of the old section of the Scioto County Infirmary Cemetery. The marker is broken near its base and mostly unreadable without additional measures taken to due introduce light and create contrast across the fractured surface....

Slide image comparison. The left image is unedited. The right image is enhanced for readability. Above is an image comparison of the headstone of William Alexander Meacham. The stone is located in …