The
Author
This web page was written by
Richard Dean, 487 Estates Dr., Athens, OH, 45701. I am
interested in reacations and suggestions from readers of this page.
Email:
deanr@ohio.edu.
It was last updated: January 14, 2004.
NOTE: Pictured to right is author and son, Nathan
(7th), who just experienced the devastating flooding of this area on
June 28, 1998 previously pictured.
I was born on my parents' farm, the site of historic Mudsock. My
father first brought the village to my attention in my early teens
when he made reference to the numerous bricks that he plowed up in
his garden each spring. These, I very recently learned, were some of
the bricks from the early Presbyterian Meeting House/Church, bricks
that were kilned at Mudsock probably by my
greatgreatgreatgrandfather, Nathan Jr. Various relatives also
made reference to the village. My paternal grandmother,
Virginia Viola Lightfoot Dean, went to Mudsock School in the early
1900s. At the time of my father's death, I made the commitment
to research and document as best I could the nature and circumstances
of this early village. This web page is the first revelation of
the "fruits of my labor". In 2000 the site of Mudsock was sold
and is now under different ownership..
In real life I am a paritially
retired (2003)member of the faculty of the School of Hearing Speech
and Language Sciences at Ohio University. It may be of interest to
note that the bricks in the original buildings at Ohio University
were made by John and William Dean, younger brothers of Nathan Dean
Jr, my great,great,greatgrandfather. Historians point out that
Ohio University is the only one in the Northwest Territory whose
original three buildings are intact. In contrast, the Presbyterian
meeting house constructed at Mudsockwith bricks made by Nathan Dean
in 1828 crumbled and was deemed unsafe within 25 years. In
fairness to the contrast I must point out that Cutler Hall, the
oldest of the three buildings, has twice had extensive renovations.
The most recent in 1946 was provoked by the recommendation of
President John C. Baker that the building be demolished. He
regarded it, at the time, unsafe.
The State of Ohio and Ohio
University are or have just recently engaged in bicentennial
celebrations. These celebrations have provided me the opportunities
to present my portrayal of Ephraim Cutler, an early Ohio pioneer
prominent in both establishing the State of Ohio and Ohio University.
You can read about it by clicking
here.
Terms: Coonskin, Ames,
Amesville, Athens County, Silas Dean, Nathan Dean, Richard Dean,
Northwest Territory, Ohio Company, Marietta, Ephriam Cutler, Rufus
Putnam, Mudsock, Thomas Ewing, Benjamin Brown, Revolutionary War,
Western Library Association, Presbyterian Church, early postoffice,
tourism, Silas Bingham