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 NumberHMIZ1
Series This marker is part of the Ohio: Ohio Historical Society series
Tags
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Marker Number20-53
Year Placed2008
Placed ByMeigs County Historical Society and The Ohio Historical Society
Marker ConditionNo 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 Degrees39.00345000, -82.04771667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 39° 0.207', W 82° 2.863'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds39° 0' 12.42" N, 82° 2' 51.78" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)740
Closest Postal AddressAt 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

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