USA > Ohio > Columbiana County > Salem in Columbiana County > A souvenir history of ye old town of Salem, Ohio, with some pictures and brief references to ye people and things of ye olden time > Part 1
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M. L.
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
GEN
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
3 1833 02279 4157
Ralph. R. Ray. Salem. Olivo
June. 17. 1906.
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016
https://archive.org/details/souvenirhistoryo00sale
A Souvenir
History
of ye
Old Town of Salem, Ohio
with Some Pictures and Brief References to ye People and Things of ye Olden Time
Prepared Under Direction of General Centennial Committee by George H. Gee. William B. McCord and C. R. Baker Centennial Souvenir Committee
Edited and Compiled by William B. McCord
UNIONE , LABEL
Salem, Ohio, 6th Mo., 20-23, 1906
Contents
PAGE
CHAPTER I .- THE BIRTH OF SALEM 1
Some of Those Who Were Here at the Christening, and from Whence They Came-A Sturdy, Industrious, and God-Fearing People-Privations of the Pioneers.
CHAPTER II .- CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS .
17
· Many Christianizing and Educational Institutions Hold Sway-Eminent Divines and Faithful Educators Have Done Much to Mould Salem into a Model Community.
CHAPTER III .- SALEM'S NEWSPAPERS 35
The Quaker Town Furnishes Fruitful Soil for a Famed Local Press-Newspapers With Varied Characteristics, but None of the Yellow Sort.
CHAPTER IV .- THE ANTI-SLAVERY MOVEMENT .
47
Epoch in Country's History in Which Salem Played a Conspicuous Part-Important Station on "Underground Railroad"-Some Exciting Incidents.
CHAPTER V .- INDUSTRIAL SALEM 79
Beginnings and Development of the Manufacturing Industries of the Town-Some of the Men aud Methods Which Laid the Foundation for the City of the Twentieth Century.
101
CHAPTER VI .- UTILITIES AND INSTITUTIONS . Some of the Organizations Which Have Financed the Enterprises and Focused the Energies of a Conservative People-The Carnegie Public Library-The Salem Banks-Insurance and Building Companies-Homes, Cemeteries, Etc.
ii
Contents-Continued 1198583 !
PAGE
CHAPTER VII .- LAW AND LOYALTY ·
115
Galaxy of Bright Legal Lights Who Have Brought Fame to the Quaker Town-Salem in the Civil War-Many Noble Sons Gave Their Lives for "The Land of the Free."
APPENDIX-SALEM IN 1815 . .
.
·
·
126
Written About 1847, by Dr. Benjamin Stanton, the Earliest Physician in Town, to Be Read before "The Literary Circle."
Index to Illustrations
PAGE
PAGE
Baptist Church
49
Deming, John -
89
Bean, Israel
61
Dry Street Friends' Church
65
Bonsall, Joel
50
Evans, Philip -
-
95
Brown, James
45
Friends' Meeting House, Ellsworth Ave.
II
Buckeye Engine Co.
83
Flitcraft, John
29
Candle Factory
28
Farmer, James
5
Carey, Dr. Abel
II4
Furman, Gee
93
Carnegie Library
-
I+ 6
Grandview Cemetery
I12
Chessman, Samuel
32
Grove Company, The
97
Christian Church -
20
Grove, Samuel, Sr.
96
Coppock's Monument
48
Harris, Dr. John
- 113
Coppock's Commission
67
Hawley, Benjamin
103
Coulborn, Elizabeth
119
Heacock, Alfred
69
Deming Co. Pump Works
86 Heaton, Jacob
57
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.
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iii
E
2
12
View of Salem From the "Fl
No. I American Steel and Wire Co .; 2 Tolerton's Ice Plant; 3 Penna. Freight Depot; 4 J. B. McNab's Ice Plant; 5 Pittsburg II Columbia Street School; 12 Penna. Passenger Station; 13 Buckeye Engine Co .; 14 The Deming
Sta
F1
ufacturing District), 1906
g tor Stove Co .; 7 J. Woodruff & Sons Co.'s Stove Works; 8 The W. H. Mullins Co .; 9 High School; 10 M. E. Church; Station; 16 The Silver Manufacturing Co .; 17 Old Lock Works, now Deming Co.'s Foundry.
00
Index to Illustrations-Continued
PAGE
PAGE
Heald, William
I02
Robinson, Marius R.
62
Heaton, W. W.
80
Street Views-Broadway in 1887
51
Hiddleson, James
63
East Main Street in 1906
- 99
Home of Aged Women
I5
Garfield Avenue
41
Home of Rev. Clement Vallandigham
I3
Lincoln Avenue
40
Hope Cemetery
IIO
Main and Broadway, 1859
37
Horner Thomas
46
Main Street in 1806
8
Hunt, George D.
24
Main Street in 1846
7
Jennings, Mrs. Simeon
77
Main Street in 1900 -
9
Jennings, Simeon -
76
McKinley Avenue
53
Johnson, Tacy -
II8
Sharp, Joel
92
Methodist Church, 1858, Ellsworth Avenue
19
Silver Manufacturing Company
88
McMillan, Joel
75
Silver, William -
87
New High School -
31
Siple, Mr. and Mrs. Henry -
100
Ohio Mutual Insurance Co.
108
Sixth Street Friends Church
43
Oldest House in Town
39
Spencer, Mr. and Mrs. Thos.
105
Old High School
30
Spencer, Robert
68
Old Log Friends' Meeting House, Fairfield Township -Built 1808
18
Strawn, Mr. and Mrs. Abel
II7
Old Town Hall
3
Strawn, Mary
73
Parochial School
27
Tolerton, Robert
59
Phillips, Barbara
55
Pow, Alexander
I14
Victor Gas Queen -
90
Presbyterian Church
35
Whinery, Dr. John
I13
Protestant Episcopal Church
23
Wilson House
37
Residence of Mrs. J. T. Brooks -
107
Woodruff & Sons' Trade Mark -
-
84
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Stanton, Dr. and Mrs.
71
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vi
Prefatory Note
A Souvenir History, such as this little volume calls itself, cannot assume to give historical facts greatly in detail. It cannot attempt to even touch upon all the subjects which pertain to the period supposed to be covered. Certain epochs, incidents and people are, in particular, referred to or described which attach especially to the subject in hand. Very many epochs and subjects cannot even be referred to, mainly because of lack of space, which at other times and under different circumstances would possess equal interest with those presented. This is our excuse for treating certain matters at considerable length, others more briefly, and still others not at all. Especial attention has been given to the illustration of old land-marks, and to the pictures of old people who have had to do with the making of the Quaker town, and who have gone to their reward. Even some of these, having been secured, were necessarily crowded out for lack of time and space.
The Souvenir Committee is under obligations to Judge P. A. Laubie, J. B. Strawn, H. C. Hawley, James M. Brown, Mrs. Ida Cooper, Mayor Al. Carlile and others for assistance.
vii
J. Twing Brooks
J. J. Brooks.
Chapter I .- The Birth of Salem
Some of Those Who Were Here at the Christening, and from Whence They Came-A Sturdy, Industrious, and God-Fearing People-Privations of the Pioneers.
Salem! Worthy of the name is the peaceful little city of Northern Columbiana. Peaceful? It is Salem the beautiful as well. Dear in mem- ory, too, to those who live and have lived in its precincts of hallowed association. Sacred are the recollections and tender the associations of those who have here lived their earlier lives, and gone hence, for better or for worse, as were gladsome the emotions of those who, before Salem was, for the first time beheld the green vales and forest clad eminences which were to form its site and surroundings. And those who today contemplate, with utmost satisfaction, that which has come to the dear old town, in the way of peace and prosperity, are the worthy sons of no less worthy sires who, a hundred years ago, planted in virgin soil those fundamental prin- ciples which were to generate and fructify in
this beautiful soil, and those elements, intellect- ual and material, which now command universal respect and veneration.
The hardy pioneer a hundred years ago, seeking to better the condition of himself and to improve the prospects of his progeny, left the Eastern home of his ancestors and that of his youth, to find in this green spot on God's fair footstool a location none the less attractive in its pristine beauty than we find it now, after a cen- tury of labor and progress. But its primeval attractions have only given place to those more satisfying attainments which a century of pro- gress has brought to the people of today.
And these pioneers and founders of Salem have builded better than they knew. All honor to them, for the hardships which they undewent, and the burdens which they bore on our behalf.
1
In the year 1801 Elisha Schooley came from Virginia, and located where a few years later Salem was to become a thriving village. On what was afterwards denominated and numbered section 32-on its southwest quarter, which was later to become a part of Salem-he erected a log cabin. The log cabin was, of necessity, the pop- ular style of residence in those days. Schooley some years later built a saw mill and a grist mill, near what is now the intersection of the P., F. W. & C. railway and the Lisbon road. The spot isstill pointed out by the expert in the loca- tion of old landmarks. Jacob Painter, who had seven children, also came from Virginia to make his cumulative contribution to the new settlement. He, too, settled on section 32-the land which, in later years, was owned by Joseph E. Post. Sam- uel Smith and Samuel Davis located on section 31 in 1803. Jonas Cattell and Elisha Hunt were pion- eers who came also in 1803, and located on lands which were afterwards to be a part of Salem. Their possessions were bounded on the east and south sides by what are now Ellsworth avenue and West Main streets. George Hunt's History of Salem says of Cattell: "In dividing [the sec-
tion of land with Elisha Hunt] J. Cattell took tlie north half and gave it to liis son Enoch, who built a log cabin on it and commenced clearing off the native forest. He and his wife both died soon afterward, leaving an infant son, Jonas D. Thomas French was appointed guardian for him. Upon attaining his majority he assumed possess- ion, and there he passed most of his life."
Cattell served as justice of the peace for several years, besides filling some other minor offices. He was a member of the State Senate in the years 1856 and 1857. John Straughan, Abram Warrington and Jacob Cook settled on sec- tion 1 in 1804. John Webb, with his family, seven sons and four daughters (there was no fear of race suicide in those days), located on section 30 in 1805. The sons and daughters of John Webb settled in and about Salem, and there remain quite a number of their descendants at the pres- ent day. John Baum, Sr., purchased the west half of Elisha Hunt's land, and spent the remain- der of his life upon it. Some of his descendants remain in this section. In 1806 Zadok Street, Sr., who had, in the winter of 1805-06, come out with his family from Salem, New Jersey, pur-
2
Old Town Hall-Built in 1847-Still in Use.
chased a portion of Elisha Hunt's land-a quarter section-and located upon it. His son, John, we
are told, embarked in the mercantile business in New Lisbon, continuing about a year, after which he returned to Salem. John Street bought an acre of land from John Straughan, at what is now the corner of West Main and Depot streets, paying $12 for the acre. Upon this plot of ground he built a log dwelling and a storeroom, and opened, according to George D. Hunt, the first store in the place. In later years this log dwelling and storeroom were replaced by the brick building which still occupies the site.
Jonathan Evans came as a pioneer, and lo- cated in 1804 ; and in 1805 Israel Gaskill, follow- ing the migratory stream which was now setting in stronger than ever to the new and favored country, stopped where Salem the beautiful was afterward to rear her head, and purchased the land which was to be the south-eastern part of the city proper. It is told of him that he lived in his emigrant wagon until he had built his cabin home, which he occupied until he built the brick house on the Lisbon road (now Lincoln avenue), which was occupied by him and his descendants for many years.
Zadok Street, the elder, was well up in
3
years when he came to Salem, and he died in 1807. His son John was in middle life when he engaged in the mercantile business as already noted, and he continued in business for many years. He was succeeded by his son, Zadok. Samuel Street, also a son of John, engaged in farming on land south of town. The Streets were thrifty men. Besides their possessions in Salem and south of town, they owned consider- able farm land in Goshen township. Robert French married Anna, daughter of Zadok Street, Sr., receiving with her, as a part of her dower, a portion of the land bought from Elisha Hunt. French cleared the land and built one of the pioneer saw mills. The old site of this mill and the remains of the dam are still pointed out.
Joel Sharp, with his wife and two daughters, came over the mountains and located here in 1806. They accompanied Aaron Stratton, whose adopted son Joel was. The party came from New Jersey. They located in Goshen township, then Colum- biana county, and established a saw mill which they operated for some years. Joel Sharp died in the spring of 1820, about the time that Joel Sharp, Jr., who afterwards figured prominently
in the founding and conducting of the manufac- turing industries of Salem, was born. The widow died in 1875, in Salem, at the age of 91. Besides Joel, Jr., and other children, Joel and Re- becca (Tyrrel) Sharp were the parents of Martha, wife of Daniel Bonsall; Thomas, born in Salem in 1808, and who died here in 1896; Mary Ann, who married Caleb Hunt in Salem ; Simeon, who is still living, and Joel, who died in Salem July 20, 1898.
John Blackburn, Sr., came from Pennsyl- vania in 1806, and settled just west of Salem. He had three sons, John, Armstrong and William. William was a member of the Ohio Senate in the sessions of 1834-35 and of the Ohio House of Representatives from 1823 to 1825 inclusive.
Michael Stratton, and Thomas and Jonathan Stanley, the latter bringing a wife and three children, settled in 1806. Stratton was a carp- enter, served on the town committee in 1811, and was a trustee in 1812, 1818 and 1819.
James Tolerton located in 1811. He was one of Salem's earliest school teachers, begin- ning to teach in the year of his arrival here. An old sketch of James Tolerton says of him as a
4
James Farmer.
pedagogue : "Tolerton (although a Quaker) displayed his knowledge of grammar in not using the pronoun 'thee' in the nominative case. He gained a great reputation for his skill in the management of bad boys. He is said to have used the rod with great faithfulness, and some- times even the knock-down argument."
The late John Deming came to Columbiana County first from Ashtabula County about the
year 1850, locating at Salem in 1857. In 1863 he became interested in the potting business in Salem, and in 1866 he became associated with Dole & Silver in a manufacturing concern from which came two larger concerns of later days known as The Deming Company and The Silver Manufacturing Company, both of which are re- ferred to elsewhere in this work. John Deming died Jan. 10, 1894.
William Silver was twelve years old when, with his father's family, he located, in 1804, on a section of land two miles south of Salem. William Silver was the father of Albert R. Silver, who was born in Salem in 1823, and early became associated with Levi A. Dole, and later with John Deming, in the establishment of manufacturing industries out of which grew two of Salem's largest 19th and 20th century manufacturing establishments. A. R. Silver died in 1900.
Salem village was laid out in 1806, the first plat of lots being recorded on May 6th of that year. The original plat was made and the first lots sold by Zadok Street and John Straughan. The village received its name from Salem, New Jersey, from which town the Street family had
5
come. Other plats were laid off, lots sold, houses were built and soon the homes were started which were to form the nucleus of the prosperous town which was to spring up within a very few decades. In 1807 the first Friends' meeting house was built, being constructed of some of the logs from the first "clearings." But in 1808 Samuel Davis donated two acres of land on the north side of Main street, Israel Gaskill giving a similar amount on the South side, which were to be used as sites for a meeting house and a graveyard. In 1808-09 a new Friends' meeting house was built on the allotment on the south side of Main street. (These original meeting houses are further re- ferred to in the chapter on Churches and Schools.)
Mack's old History of Columbiana County says of Salem as it was in 1809: "Coming from the south the first house was Israel Gaskill's, situated where Zadok Street's now stands on Lisbon street [Lincoln avenue]. The log cabin of Samuel Davis could be seen to the northwest. Turning into Main street the first building was Price Blake's log cabin, used as an inn. Adjoin- ing it was the Friends' meeting house of brick.
Further west lived Zadok Street, in a log cabin in which he kept a store. Robert French lived on the north side of Main street, and James and Barzilli French lived northward about a mile. John Straughan's home was on the north side of Main street. Jonathan Evans lived just east of Gaskill's."
East of Salem and on the south side of the road it is recorded that at that time there were the farms of Jonathan Evans, Nathan Ball and Jesse and Aaron Holloway. On the north side of the road, were the lands of William Hunt, Samuel Farquhar, David Painter and David Fawcett. Just west of Salem in Goshen town- ship, a section of land had been entered by Thomas Hutton, and by him sold to Joseph Eng- land, Israel Barber and Enoch Gause. Israel Barber died a few years after settling upon his newly acquired land. He had two sons, Abram and Isaac (Scripture names abounded especially among the earlier settlers), who inherited their father's land. Isaac Barber, Jr., in a few years sold his portion to Jacob Thomas. Jacob Bar- ber, another son of the elder Isaac, lived on the section referred to for a number of years.
6
Main Street in 1846-Looking West.
Among the early settlers the Friends, or "Quakers" as persons of the persuasion were then sometimes and are yet frequently called, predominated. They were then-and they re- tain the characteristics still-a God-fearing, peace-loving, and altogether most estimable people, of whom almost the worst that could be said-and which was in later days considered
bad enough-was that they were averse to going to war, to fight in a good cause, although the sacrifices to which they gladly devoted them- selves in their efforts to free their fellow-men from abject bondage proved that their hearts were in the right place. Of Salem's earliest in- habitants Hunt's History says : "The first settlers brought with them the social and domestic cus- toms of their native places. From Pennsylvania came the Barbers, Blackburns, Boons, Burnses, Cat- tells, Cooks, Davises, Englands, Evanses, Heacocks, Hunts, Jen- nigses, Straughans, Thomases and many others-more than from any other State. From New Jersey came the Balls, Frenches, the Gaskills, Hilliards, Swaims, Tests and Warring- tons. From Virginia came the Fawcetts, Hol- loways, Painters, Stanleys, Schooleys and the Wrights. From Maryland came the Bentleys, Silvers, Webbs and Zimmermans. When the settlement had got a good start some came from
7
other States and some from foreign lands-from England, Ireland and Scotland."
Practically all the buildings in those early days-churches and school-houses, dwelling- houses, barns and stables-were of logs, at the first unhewn, later partly hewn. Before the saw
cription of the mode of building the primitive log cabin : " A stone was placed at each corner for a foundation ; the logs were cut to a proper length and hauled to the place where the build- ing was to be erected. The two foundation logs were then placed and 'saddles' made on their
MAIN STREET SALEM 0 806
mill had made its advent, the earthen floor did duty in many dwellings for man as well as for beast. To Hunt's History of Salem, the author of which is still living in Salem's centennial year at the ripe age of more than four score years, the compiler of this little work is indebted for a des-
ends ; that is, they were sliced in a sloping man- ner, so as to fit into notches that would be cut into the logs which would be placed across, form- ing the other two sides of the building. These in turn would be adjusted in the same manner for the next two. Thus the corners were made
8
and kept as nearly perpendicular as pos- sible. When the structure was high enough, the endlogs were made shorter and beveled so as to form a gable. These were connected to the opposite end by smaller logs called 'ribs,' and on these the clap-boards were placed. The last logs before the gable were somewhat longer than thoseunder it, so as to have a small log on each side to keep the clap- boards from slipping off. These were kept in place by weight poles, between which billets of wood called 'knees' were placed to keep them from sliding down- ward. Sometimes these cabins were built two stories high, but oftener a story and a half, with an unfinished garret or 'sky parlor.' The upper story was often reached only by a ladder. If there was a saw mill in the neighborhood, boards would serve for doors and floors. Otherwise the floors were made by splitting logs into halves and hewing the flat side smooth. These were placed on sills. Samples of the 'puncheon ' floor, made of pieces of timber split from logs, usually of oak, and
Main Street in 1900.
having their flattest sides smoothed with axe or adz, have been seen in some of the very few old- time log cabins, by many who are living in Salem to-day. For a chimney, a few logs were cut off in the middle at one end of the cabin, so as to leave an opening about six feet wide. There a
9
chimney was built of stones and mortar. If stones were not plenty, a few logs were cut to a proper length and fitted into those of the main building. Inside these some stones were plastered over with mortar, and a pen of sticks, about two feet square, and well plastered, formed the upper part. Inside the structure wooden pins stuck into the walls and clap-boards laid on them made shelves to hold the household utensils. The lower story (often there was but one) served for kitchen, dining-room, and often lodging room as well. When the family had enough bed-quilts, some of these would be used to make a partition between the beds. There were no 'Jack the Peepers' then, and the modesty of those people was not of the Pharisaical kind. As time ad- vanced the log cabin gave way to the hewed log house, in which sawed lumber was used for floors, partitions and some other parts of the edifice, and it was covered with a split shingle roof." Timber, of as good a quality as found anywhere, was abundant in those days in all this region. Oak, beech, poplar and maple were some of the prevailing varieties. Some of the poplars, not- ably, were giant in proportions, being as much
as five feet in diameter at the butt, and fifty feet or more up to the lowest branches. Within two or three miles of Salem there were at one time as many as a score of saw mills. These were sup- plied with the old-fashioned "Mulay" saws, which did their work slowly indeed.
A great event was always made of "log- rolling" or "raising." It was no difficult matter to secure thirty or forty people to "neighbor" at such a time. It was made a frolic as well as matter of business and an act of neighborly cour- tesy, no charge being made or compensation re- ceived for an exchange of a day or two of suchı service, as there was generally abundant oppor- tunity to make return of such favor in due time. A bountiful dinner or supper was of course al- ways served and the social amenities to be ex- pected on such occasions were never lacking.
Some of the privations of the earlier settlers of this section of Ohio are graphically described in a few paragraphs by a writer in the "History of the Upper Ohio Valley," from which the data for the following paragraph has been culled :
In the days of the pioneers the mode of com- munication was either by means of a long and
10
tedious journey on foot or by pack horses. One horse would be devoted to carrying the mother of the family, who often traveled with an infant in her arms, her animal being encum- bered with the cooking utensils of the family and such table furniture as was necessary for the use of the members. Another horse would car- ry the family provisions and the various implements of husbandry which it was necessary should be brought with them, as none such could be obtained in the new coun-
try. Again, where there were young children of too tender years to walk and undergo the fatigue inci- dent to such physical effort, two larger creels made of hickory withes-resembling in size and shape our crates-would be thrown across the back of the horse, one on each side of the horse, in which were packed the beds and necessary bed clothes for the same, together with the apparel of the family. In the center of these creels the young children of the family would
Friends Meeting House-Ellsworth Avenue.
occupy a space in the depression of the bedding, which was secured by lashing in such a manner as to hold and keep them in their positions; and as the animal moved along, their heads only, which were above, were to be seen bobbing up and down with every motion of the beast as it walked along with measured pace. As the early
11
settlers greatly depended on milk, one or more cows invariably brought up the rear of this unique cavalcade. At night, if fortunate enough to come across a deserted cabin, they would take possession of it for the time being and thus secure temporary shelter. But it was seldom indeed that they enjoyed such comfort and protection. Hence they were usually compelled to make their camp upon the bare ground, beneath the green arches of the forest trees, and in the vicinity of some spring or stream of running water. It must be borne in mind that a journey to the West in those days was not made over beaten roads or well defined avenues of travel, of which at that period there were none. Hence travel was neither easy or comfortable. Their way was usually along a trail, a bridle path, or marked by notched or blazed trees to indicate their course. These led through wild, primeval forests where the precipice, the ravine and the streams presented
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