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Begun as a land speculation project of William Duer, the Scioto Company had hoped to encourage European investors to purchase lands in its grant in the Ohio country. The project proved especially attractive to the French middle class, who were just beginning to feel the effects of the French Revolution. Hundreds invested their money hoping to find security and prosperity in their new homes. Upon their arrival in the United States, they found that the deeds they had purchased were worthless, since the Scioto Company had not paid for the land, they bought.
The disillusioned French settlers left Alexandria, Va., on June 29. 1790, on their journey to the Ohio country. The new settlers were unadapted to the hardships of frontier life since many of them were noblemen, doctors, army officers, manufacturers, tradesmen, and lawyers. They continued to live in the formal French manner to which they were accustomed. Common sense and the application of their trades, however, helped them to establish, a thriving river trade in a short time. By the end of 1790 there were between 300 and 400 Frenchmen in the settlement. Today, the city of Gallipolis is much like any other Ohio River town, except that the vestiges of the French settlers remain as the proud possessions of the citizens of Gallipolis.
*Excuse the photo rained heavyily.
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The Ohio River, the southeast border of Gallia County, played a significant role in the development of Gallipolis and Gallia County. One of the state's first thoroughfares, this waterway enabled pioneers to settle in what was known as the Northwest Territory. On October 17, 1790, approximately 500 French immigrants arrived in Gallipolis, traveling by flatboats from Pittsburgh, and settled in log cabins in what is now City Park, in the heart of Gallipolis. This established the second oldest permanent settlement in the territory. The settlers relied on the River for communication, commerce, and transportation, and the River brought postal service to Gallipolis in 1794. As local business and river trade developed in the 1800s, Gallipolis became a thriving port. The scenic Ohio River is an important inland waterway, providing transportation for many commodities between major cities. The River also provides recreational opportunities for both visitors and residents, including water sports, fishing, and boating.
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On April 1, 1818, six families from the Cilcennin area of Mid-Wales sailed from Aberaeron, Wales to Baltimore. The group of 36 people was led by John Jones Tirbach. From Baltimore they traveled to Pittsburgh and then by flatboats down the Ohio River toward their destination-Paddy's Run in Butler County in the southwest corner of Ohio. They stopped in Gallipolis for provisions where their boats were cut loose by either travel-weary women or citizens of Gallipolis who wanted them to stay. The men found work on the Gallipolis to Chillicothe road that was under construction. The terrain reminded them of Mid-Wales, so they purchased land near Centerville and remained. These Welsh prospered and wrote home to Wales with news of their success, prompting others to come.
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In the 1830s and 1840s, several hundred Welsh families followed the first group to Gallia and Jackson counties. This mass exodus was due to the economic stress and oppressive government at the time, and lack of religious freedom. Farming, iron production, manufacturing of clay
products, banking, politics, and the professions became the leading occupations of the Welsh and their descendants. Evidence of their successful industries still exists in Oak Hill and Jackson. The Welsh Scenic Byway includes many of the original 22 Welsh churches and cemeteries and is marked with Red Dragon signs. As the Welsh said in 1839, "Bydd melys lanio draw ‘Rol bod o don o don. Ac mi rof ffarwel maes o law i'r ddaear hon," meaning "It will be sweet landing yonder, After sailing wave to wave, The last Farewell is hard to bear, As we leave our dear Wales."
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