by Shepherd, D.O.

See previous entry: Little Home Histories, Part 46 -- Benjamin Hoyle.

The first physician to locate in Barnesville, Ohio, was Dr. Carolus Judkins. He was born in North Carolina in 1767. On reaching manhood he read medicine and began practice near his home folks, but as he was opposed to the principles of human slavery, he determined to move to the then Western wilds, where slavery was unknown. In the year 1810 he came with his family and brother, Joel, to Barnesville. The trip was a long tedious one with horse and wagon.

On reaching his destination, he erected a cabin and an office on East Main St. where he lived and followed his profession the remainder of his days. His field of service was a radius of twenty miles around Barnesville, visiting his patients on horse back.

In 1820 he formed a partnership with Dr. James Stanton, but after two or three years Dr. Stanton moved to Mt. Pleasant, Ohio. Dr. Carolus Judkins was born a member of the Friends meeting of N. Carolina and we find in the old minutes of Stillwater Monthly Meeting Fifth Mo. 1811 the following: Received a certificate for Carolus Judkins and wife Charity and their children, namely, Thomas, Jesse, Joel, Anderson, Elizabeth and James, from New Garden Monthly Meeting, North Carolina, dated 30th of Third month 1811.

He was an active member in the early days of Stillwater Quarterly Meeting. An anecdote is told of his faithfulness as a Dr. to his work.

Friends Yearly meeting was in progress, and as his patients were none of them dangerously ill Dr. Judkins went to Yearly Meeting held at Mt. Pleasant, Ohio, leaving his partner Dr. Stanton in charge of the sick. Among the sick was an old black man, Robert Peters, who when Dr. Judkins left was in the worst condition of any. Dr. Judkins had not been in Mt. Pleasant forty-eight hours when near the close of the second day Dr. Stanton put in appearance. Judkins asked him at once about the sick. Stanton replied, "All out of danger but Peters and he will die any way, so I thought I'd come to the meeting too." Without a word Judkins mounted his horse and riding all night arrived at Peter's home by daylight. He found the old gentleman much worse; but by prompt treatment restored him to health.

Dr. Carolus Judkins died Oct. 24, 1854, in the 87th year of his age and was buried in the Stillwater Friends burial ground.

Source: Written by: Dr. D.O. Shepherd, Barnesville, Ohio.

See next entry: Little Home Histories, Part 48 -- Some History of Wool, Flax and Nettles in Leatherwood Valley (from Cyrus Hall's History of Leatherwood Valley).

For the table of contents and first entry in this series, please see: Little Home Histories, Part 01 -- Table of Contents and Introduction.

This entry is adapted from Little Home Histories in Our Early Homes, Belmont County, Ohio, which was published in 1942. Its publication was coordinated by Robert D. and Beulah Patten McDonald. This entry has been reedited for inclusion in the Pierian Press Fulltext eBooks database, and is included on the Stratton House Inn Website by special permission. This entry is licensed for use ONLY on this Website. It may be used for educational purposes and personal pleasure under fair-use provisions via this Website. Please note that the Stratton House Inn iteration of this entry does NOT include the subject headings assigned each chapter for use in the Fulltext eBooks database.

DATABASE: Fulltext eBooks: Copyright (c) 2002 The Pierian Press, Inc. All Rights Reserved
ENTRY NUMBER: EBK30013747

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