John Downing Jr. House - Credit: Wikimedia Commons
John Downing Jr. House - Credit: Wikimedia Commons
The John Downing Jr. House is a historic house in downtown Middleport, a village located on the banks of the Ohio River in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. Built in 1859, it was the home of prominent Middleport resident John B. Downing.History, Downing House Bed and Breakfast, n.d. Accessed 2012-11-22. Known to his intimates as "Major" Downing,Larkin, Stillman Carter. The Pioneer History of Meigs County. Columbus: Berlin, 1908, 140. he worked for much of his life as a pilot for riverboats on the Mississippi River. Notably, his work with the young Samuel Clemens led to a literary appearance years later: writing under the name of "Mark Twain", Clemens portrayed him in the book Life on the Mississippi. One of his two sons, John B. Jr., was the house's namesakeMajor John B. Downing , Ohio Historical Society, 2008. Accessed 2012-11-22. Read more on Wikipedia
Source: en.wikipedia.org