Major John B. Downing

Major John B. Downing (HMIZ1)

Location: Middleport, OH 45760 Meigs County
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Country: United States of America
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N 39° 0.207', W 82° 2.863'

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Inscription

Major John B. Downing was born in Rutland in February 1834, son of Rodney and Marian Black Downing. Educated at Marietta College, he spent 27 years as a pilot and boat owner on the Mississippi River, operating between St. Louis and New Orleans. Downing became one of the most experienced river boat pilots on the Mississippi. As such, he was sought after by Mark Twain to teach him piloting. Later Twain gave him the name "Alligator Jack" and referenced him in his book Life on the Mississippi. Downing also played a role in the Civil War, piloting the fleet in cooperation with General U.S. Grant past the Vicksburg fortress during the famed 1863 Vicksburg Campaign. Downing married Romaine Miller in 1868, and they had two sons, Miller R. and John B. Jr. An accomplished violinist, marksman, and hunter, Downing died in March 1914 and was buried in Middleport Hill Cemetery.

Details

HM Number	HMIZ1
Series	This marker is part of the Ohio: Ohio Historical Society series
Tags	Arts Letters Music, People, US Civil War, Waterways and Vessels
Marker Number	20-53
Year Placed	2008
Placed By	Meigs County Historical Society and The Ohio Historical Society
Marker Condition	No reports yet
Date Added	Saturday, September 6th, 2014 at 9:26am PDT -07:00

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Locationbig map

UTM (WGS84 Datum)	17S E 409279 N 4317681
Decimal Degrees	39.00345000, -82.04771667
Degrees and Decimal Minutes	N 39° 0.207', W 82° 2.863'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds	39° 0' 12.42" N, 82° 2' 51.78" W
Driving Directions	Google Maps
Area Code(s)	740
Closest Postal Address	At or near 200-298 N 2nd Ave, Middleport OH 45760, US
Alternative Maps	Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap