Jonathan Sprague ⁴

  General Notes:

The author's 4th Great-Granduncle

1810 Census, Washington Co, Adams Twp, Ohio: 1 Male 0-10. 1 Male 10-16, 1 Male 16-25, 1 Male 45+, 1 Female 16-25, 1 Female 45+

Sprague Cemetary is located near the Old Jonathan Sprague H ouse, Coal Run, Washington Co, Ohio.

"Sprague Families in America", by W. V. Sprague, page 203:

"Jonathan Sprague was a farmer and millwright. At the age of twenty-one he came to Marietta and with his father and brother took the contract of building one corner of Campus Martius.

He was at the Waterford Garrison with other members of the Sprague family during the Indian War. The Indians would often prowl around the fort and frequently shot at the men of the garrison while they were out gathering garden and other supplies. Jonathan Sprague, while out in the woods with others, was shot at, and the bullet grazing his chest cuts even holes through his shirt. At another time the Indiansd rove off the cows of the settlers. Jonathan located them at an Indian village near a creek emptying into the Muskingum river two miles below Zanesville. The fort volunteered a company which was led by Jonathan Sprague to attack th e village. They pushed a loarge scow up to the mouth of th e creek and then proceeded on foot. The Indians were gone , except a few old men and squaws. They burned the village, tied the Indians to trees and then loaded the cows on th e scow. They had just pushed out into the river when the forerunners of the Indians came to the bank and proceeded to follow them down the river. However, the Indians were afraid to attack. The creek was named Jonathan Creek, for Mr . Sprague.

After peace was secured he located in Adams Twp. on the bottom opposite Coal Run, and in the year 1800 built the stone mansion which was occupied by him the remaining forty years of his life.

In 1803, he built the famed Island Mill. A wing was built out into the Muskingum river to secure water power. The mill was operated by the Spragues until recent years, although it is not standing now. His saw mill turned out the lumber that was used in the construction of the famous Blennerh assett house, on Blennerhassett Island, in the Ohio River.

In stature, he was tall, borad shouldered and strong, though the Indian who shot at him remarked that he would have killed that Sprague had he not been so flat-chested."

Jonathan married Susannah Owen in 1792.

Jonathan next married Hannah Newell in 1816.

Jonathan next married Sabra Seamans on 18 Mar 1792 in Waterford, Knox Co, OH. (Sabra Seamans was born on 30 Apr 1767 ¹¹ and died on 2 May 1815.)