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REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ANNALS
OF THE
EARLY SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION
OF
CUYAHOGA COUNTY.
5 ,
NUMBER V.
PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE,
CLEVELAND, O. PRINTED AT THE PUBLISHING HOUSE OF THE EV. ASSOCIATION. 1884.
11
1746546
OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION. 1884.
HON. HARVEY RICE, President.
HON. JOHN W. ALLEN,
Vice-Presidents. MRS. J. A. HARRIS,
THOMAS JONES, JR., Secretary.
SOLON BURGESS, Treasurer.
REV. THOMAS CORLETT, Chaplain.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
GEORGE F. MARSHALL, R. T. LYON, DARIUS ADAMS, JOHN H. SARGENT, M. M. SPANGLER.
THE EARLY SETTLERS ANNIVERSARY, ,
JULY 22nd, 1884.
The Early Settlers' Association convened on the day of their Anniversary, July 22, at 11 o'clock A. M., at the Tabernacle, Ontario st., in the city of Cleveland. The weather was pleasant, and the attendance of members unusually large. It was delightful to witness the cordial manner in which old friends, as they entered the hall, recognized each other and exchanged congratulations.
The hall, or ground room of the tabernacle, is not only spacious, but somewhat imposing. The platform at the end of the hall had been decorated for the occasion with a profusion of flowers set in vases and draped overhead with muslins of various colors. On the wall, in rear of the platform, hung a life size portrait of Gen- eral Moses Cleaveland.
After a goodly number of new memberships had been enrolled by the Secretary, the President of the Association, Hon. Harvey Rice, called the assemblage to order, and the session was opened with prayer by the Chaplain, Rev. Thomas Corlett. The President then introduced to the audience Mrs. Grace Perkins Lohmann, of Akron, who sang " Auld Lang Syne " in a style of rendition that was not only charming, but highly relished as an agreeable surprise. At the conclusion of the song the President delivered the following address :
ADDRESS.
. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
This is the fifth anniversary of our Association. We hail its recurrence with joy and with gratitude, for the reason that it brings with it so many cherished memories of the past, and affords us another opportunity to exchange heartfelt greetings with our early
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ANNALS OF THE
friends. Not only this, but it enables us to recall and live over again the days of our youth, and at the same time contribute something of value to the unwritten history of pioneer-life in the Western Reserve.
In commemorating the 22nd of July as the anniversary of our Association we recognize a historical fact of permanent interest - the birthday of the City of Cleveland. It should be remembered that Gen. Moses Cleaveland and his staff of surveyors, who were sent out from Connecticut to survey the wild lands of the Western Reserve into townships and subdivisions, landed at Conneaut on the 4th of July, 1796, and celebrated the day in the patriotic style of the olden times. Soon after this event, the General with a detachment of his staff proceeded up the Lake coast in an open boat, and on the 22nd of July entered the mouth of the Cuyahoga river, and disembarking, ascended its eastern bank, where he beheld, for the first time, an elevated plain of rare beauty, and so suggestive of natural advantages, that he became at once enraptured with the scene, and predicted that here would arise at no distant day a great commercial city.
So impressed was he with this belief that he promptly ordered a survey of the locality into city lots. When the survey was completed, he attempted to select an appropriate name for the child of his brain, but could not hit upon a choice. His staff observing his embarrassment came to his relief, and baptized the infant city, and named it "Cleaveland " in honor of their chief. The General not less modestly than gracefully accepted the compliment. In 1830, the letter "a" in the first syllable of his name was dropped out by a newspaper publisher of the town, to bring the new heading of his paper within the breadth of his sheet. The public at once adopted the abbreviation.
The city may well be proud of her name, and of the character of her founder. She has so grown in importance as to acquire in less than a century since her birth a population of nearly two hundred and fifty thousand. Verily this modern Moses, of 1796, has proved himself a true prophet. Cleveland has indeed become a great commercial city. - the "beautiful city on the Lake shore."
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EARLY SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.
Gen. Moses Cleaveland was born on the 27th of January, 1754, at Canterbury, in the county of Windham, and state of Connecticut. He graduated in 1777, at Yale college. He adopted the legal profession, and practiced law for some years in his native town with marked success. Congress recognized his eminent abilities by appointing him, in 1779, captain of a company of sappers and miners in the Army of the United States. He was also elected a member of the Connecticut legislature, and appointed a Brigadier General of the State Militia - a position which at that day was regarded as one of distinguished honor. The masonic fraternity of his native State conferred upon him the office of Grand Master, and, in 1796, the Connecticut Land Company placed him in command of the surveyors whom they sent out, in that year, to survey the lands of the Western Reserve, preparatory to putting them in market - a task which he satisfactorily accomplished. It was he and his staff, who led the advance of civilization into the wilds of the Western Reserve. He married an accomplished lady by the name of Esther Champion in 1794, by whom he had four children. He died at Canterbury, Nov. 17th, 1806, at the age of 52 years. His wife and three of his children survived him. She died in 1840.
Gen. Moses Cleaveland was no ordinary man. He descended from a parentage of unblemished character, and left to his posterity an unblemished character. He was emphatically a gentleman of fine acquirements, polished manners, and unquestioned integrity. He enjoyed the confidence of the public, because he was worthy of it. His morality was an outgrowth of puritanism, and was as rigid as it was pure. He was manly and dignified in his bearing, and so sedate and self-possessed that strangers often mistook him for a clergyman. In complexion, he was rather swarthy, so much so that the aborigines of the Reserve claimed him as akin to their own race. In the social circle he was always a welcome guest. If we may judge from his portrait, his expression of face indicated thought, firmness, and decision. He was a man of courage amid threatening dangers, and as shrewd in his tactics and management as he was courageous.
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ANNALS OF THE
In a word, whatever he undertook to do was well done. Like Romulus, he founded a city, and gave it his name. Rome honored the memory of her founder by erecting to him not only a temple, but went so far as to deify him. The founder of the city of Cleveland, it must be conceded, attained to a much nobler manhood than the founder of Rome, and though the same classic honors are not claimed for him, yet the time has come, as it seems to me, when our citizens generally, as well as the members of this Association, would rejoice to see a life-size statue of Gen. Moses Cleaveland grace the Central Park of our city in recognition of his memory not only as the founder of the city, but as a man, whose life and character are an honor to the age in which he lived.
The action already taken by this Association, in reference to this subject, seems to be approved by a generous public sentiment. It is believed that in the course of another year the requisite funds to meet the expense can be obtained. It is said that the city of Cleveland excels in matters of artistic taste. In attempting to honor the memory of her founder, she should do it with such a degree of liberality, and in such a style of art, as to honor herself.
The success of our Association has hitherto been not less gratifying than unprecedented. The Association consisted of less than twenty members at its organization. It now has on its roll nearly six hundred memberships. Every citizen of the county, who has resided forty years or more in the Western Reserve, is eligible, and may become a member of the Association, with the assurance of being received into fellowship with a frank cordiality that is sincere. The roll of memberships is one. of honor, and embraces many names of talented men and refined women, who are not only worthy of honors, but who have earned their honors as representatives of that grand phalanx of early pioneers whose enterprise, intelligence and foresight laid the broad foundations of the present prosperity of the Western Reserve.
There are many early settlers residing in other counties of the Reserve who sympathize with us in our labor of love. It has occurred to me that all such persons should be invited to attend our annual meetings, and that such of them as may furnish us
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EARLY SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.
with valuable historical contributions should be made honorary members of our fraternity.
The good work that our Association has already accomplished is sufficiently evidenced by the series of " Annals " it has published. The value of these annals seems to be generally appreciated, if we may judge from the avidity with which they are sought and read. The trifle it costs to sustain our Association, from year to year, is amply compensated, as seems agreed, by the social enjoyment its annual festivities afford. In addition to this, each member receives a gratuitous copy of the "Annals." All that is now needed to strengthen the Association and increase its usefulness, is renewed effort in rescuing from oblivion such remaining traditions and relics as may serve to enrich as well as illustrate more fully the early history of this favored land of our choice.
It is from the dead past that the living present derives most of its knowledge. This knowledge we should so improve as to leave to our successors a still richer legacy. Thus it is that one age grows wiser than another, as the one follows the other in apostolic succession, as it were, ever proclaiming in the ear of time the gospel of the ages. And thus it is that civilization, as the ages come and go, is supposed to advance, and to grow still purer and nobler as it advances. Though a refined civilization may never reach perfection, it may so nearly approach it as to give to this earth-life of ours the happy characteristics of a heaven-life.
It is in the innocent phase of childhood, perhaps, that we recog- nize our highest ideal of human happiness. And hence we often re- call the days of our youth with unalloyed pleasure and satisfaction: . "When the years were as happy as long, And the hours danced to music and song."
And yet it is possible that we may find and enjoy a still higher order of pleasure and satisfaction in commingling the delightful reminiscences of our youthful days with the practical experiences of our maturer years, especially if we are sustained by a faith that we have not " lived in vain." Be this as it may :
" There is a slumbering good in all,
And we, perchance, may wake it;
Our hands contain the magic wand, This life is what we make it."
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ANNALS OF THE
Official business being next in order the following reports were read and approved :
REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
MR. PRESIDENT :-
Five years of increasing interest-of annual social intercourse - of added local history, and prospects of more to come, are ample evidences of the "condition, success, and prospects" of the "Early Settlers' Association of Cuyahoga County." Nevertheless the Executive Committee are expected to say something more than that, if it be merely a repetition of what has heretofore been said.
It is but eighty-eight years to-day, since Moses Cleaveland set his Jacob staff not far from this spot and with an eye single to the prospects of the future, concentrated his vision through his telescope and spied out this land, marked lines and made field notes that have become guides for all who followed him.
Most of us have lived here more than half of eighty-eight years, and our eyes have beheld what has been accomplished during that period of time. It may be, there are those who would have preferred the first forty-four years of Cleveland to the last, but we had better be content with what we have, than long for what we never can get. It is possible, if we had followed Moses and his chain we would never have stuck a stake and located quite so near lake Erie and the Cuyahoga as we are to-day. If the cultivation of the soil had been our aim, we would, most likely, have followed the judgment of that clear-headed set of New England farmers who went farther south and east, settling in that rare section which surrounds the Mahoning river.
The early settlers are sure to analyze the soil before they locate, although some look for a mill site, a place for a saw mill, or a grist mill, or a distillery. When the new comers here placed their cowhide boots into the unproductive white sands of this plateau, they would naturally say that this was not the soil they sought, and hence they concluded to go hence. Who was there in those early days that thought or cared whether this point of land would, in one or two or even three generations, produce a population of so
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EARLY SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.
close an approximation to a quarter of a million as we now see ? The keen eye of the land speculator did not warrant an investment in corner lots, in the hope that it may double and quadruple in a given number of years.
It matters little to us now respecting our aims or hopes, we are all here, and are compelled to make the most of it.
Upon the occasion of our first annual meeting Mr. Samuel E. Adams, in his able address, gave ample reasons why we should hold in, grateful remembrance the 22d of July, and make that day the one we celebrate. It was the day that Cleaveland, in 1796, set foot upon this soil, in order to lot it out for a pros- pective city. That date appears to be so well grounded in our faith, that it is now established as an immovable festival. It will be remembered that the same, orator, upon the same occa- sion, advanced the idea that we, as the grateful followers of the early Moses, are in duty bound to erect some fitting monument, to commemorate the memory of the second Moses who spied out this land of ours, and left his name to adorn the most beautiful city on the continent.
Respectfully submitted,
GEO. F. MARSHALL, Chairman.
REPORT OF THE TREASURER.
Dues from old members. $257.25
Dues from new members 72.25
Total $329.50
Expenses
$315.50
Balance on hand $ 14.00
SOLON BURGESS, Treasurer.
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ANNALS OF THE
REPORT OF THE MONUMENT COMMITTEE.
MR. PRESIDENT :-
You selected a committee who are rather too disereet. They did not importune men to part with their money. During the first six months of the year we could not get two of the committee together at one time, hence we have done nothing and solieited nothing. We have waited until the money market should not be so tight, and I now move that the committee be discharged and a new one appointed. R. P. SPALDING, Chairman.
On motion, the committee, R. P. Spalding, Bolivar Butts, and Dudley Baldwin, were re-appointed, and John A. Foote and A. J. Williams added to the committee.
REPORT OF THE CHAPLAIN.
The following are the names of members of the Early Settlers' Association, so far as ascertained, who have died since its last annual meeting : James F. Clark, Mrs. Harriet Dan Coakley, Benjamin R. Beavis, Mrs. Mary C. Given, James W. Fitch, H. B. Hurlbut, Judge E. Hessenmueller, Alexander McIntosh, Thomas Thompson, Samuel Williamson, W. J. Warner, Martha S. Wilson, Orlando P. Cutter, David Proudfoot, Thomas Cannell, and Zophar Case.
They were all persons of excellent character, so far as known to me. Some of them were prominent personages well known to the public. It is a matter of regret that brief biographical sketches of each of them cannot now be given, but the difficulty of obtaining the necessary facts has prevented me from undertaking the task. It is to be hoped, however, that the personal friends of the deceased, who could furnish the facts, will either do so, or prepare sketches, with a view to their future publication in the " Annals " of the Association.
THOS. CORLETT, Chaplain.
.
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EARLY SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS.
Upon motion made by Hon. John A. Foote, the following officers of last year were reelected for the ensuing year :
President, Hon. Harvey Rice.
Vice-Presidents, Hon. John W. Allen and Mrs. J. A. Harris.
Secretary, Thomas Jones, Jr.
Treasurer, Solon Burgess.
Executive Committee, Messrs. George F. Marshall, R. T. Lyon, Darius Adams, John H. Sargent and M. M. Spangler.
Chaplain, Rev. Thomas Corlett.
Mr. H. M. Addison offered the following resolution, which was adopted :
Resolved, That in view of the importance of obtaining as much as is yet possible of the early history of Northern Ohio direct from the early settlers themselves, we invite all kindred associations to cooperate with us in obtaining such, either printed, written, or oral, in the most prompt and efficient manner.
On motion, the following persons, resident in Ohio, were unani- mously elected honorary members of the Association: Gov. George Hoadly, Cincinnati ; Hon. John M. Edwards, Youngstown ; Hon. Lester Taylor, Claridon ; Rev. Samuel Bissel, Twinsburgh ; Rev. Dr. James A. Bolles, Cleveland ; Daniel Punderson, Esq., South Newbury; Laurel Beebe, Esq., Ridgeville; Rev. Albert B. Green East Cleveland, and Mrs. Mary Wood, wife of the late Gov. Wood, Rockport.
Mrs. Wood, being present, was escorted to a seat on the platform and introduced to the Associatian by the President. She grace- fully acknowledged the compliment. For some years past, she has resided with her daughter in California, and had but recently returned. She is now in her 87th year, and is still quite vigorous and active.
A
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ANNALS OF THE
The following historical contributions were then read by their authors in the order in which they appear :
RECOLLECTIONS.
BY GEORGE B. MERWIN.
MR. PRESIDENT :-
My father, Noble H. Merwin, and family, consisting of my mother and two children, arrived at Cleveland in the month of February, 1816, having passed the previous winter in the town of Palmyra, Portage county. Such was the condition of the roads that we were three days in making the distance of fifty miles.
At that time, on the corner of Vineyard lane, now called South Water street, was the tavern of George Wallace, a small, two-story frame building, adjoining was the hat store and manufactory of Geer and Walsworth, next came the house of Mr. Henderson, a one- story and a half building, in the next one-story house lived Mr. Hanchett, who was engaged in the bakery business, his shop being on the lot where the Atwater block now stands; next came Dr. David Long's office, now occupied by the American House, he lived in a double log-house back in the garden, built by Gov. Samuel Huntington, the barn was built by Samuel Dodge of Euclid, and was the first frame building erected in the village, the job was done under a special contract, for the payment of which he gave him eleven ten-acre lots fronting on Superior street, there were several large pear trees about the house, Elisha Norton, some of whose grand children are now living in Cleveland, resided in the house, owned by Ashbel W. Walworth, who was postmaster, collector of the port, justice of the peace, and to whom was confided in 1826 for disbursement, the first five thousand dollars appro- priated by Congress for the construction of the piers at the mouth of the river, keeping all these offices in the front room of the house.
The mails were carried on horse back, and came once a week from the east and west, he was also the first letter carrier Cleveland had, for he carried the letters in his hat, and when three or four letters came he would go around and deliver them, then lock up the office and go fishing with the boys.
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EARLY SETTLERS ASSOCIATION.
The duties of these offices were not very arduous in those days, and they were not as much sought after as they are in these degenerate times; the house stood back a little from the street with a row of poplar trees in front.
Judge Daniel Kelley, with his sons Irad, Thos. W. and Reynolds, lived in the next house, which was built of brick and stood opposite the head of Bank street. Then followed the stores of Stephen Dudley and Almon Kingsbury; the latter gentleman had some ideas about doing business quite different from those of our modern merchants, it was said that a man went into his store and inquired if he had any hand saws for sale, he said he had but one and did not wish to sell it, as it would break the assortment, in his store. I saw the bones of Omic, the Chippewa Indian, which were anatomized by Dr. Long. He had great horror of being hung, he called it swinging and often begged Major Carter to shoot him, but finally agreed to quietly submit, if he would give him a pint of whiskey on the day of his execution ; this was done and he was executed on the 26tlı of June, 1812. The gallows was erected in front of the old red Court House, which was a short distance in front of the Stone Church and had been cut down, but the chesnut stumps were still standing. On the corner of the Square now occupied by the Forest City House, was a small two-story frame building kept by Mr. Mowry as a tavern, no other families lived on the south side of Superior street.
Beyond the Square on the north side lived Mrs. Dewey, near her was the residence of Mrs. Johnson, mother of the late Capt. Levi Johnson, her son Benhue drove an old white horse and cart, furnishing the citizens with water from the river at two shillings for a load of two barrels, and was in great requisition on Mondays; he amused the boys by always singing the tune of the "Roving Sailor," and occasionally kicking his horse with his wooden leg.
Further on lived uncle Abram Heacox, his shop stood just east of Kingsbury's store, on one side of his sign were the words, "Uncle Abram works here," on the other was represented a gentleman riding up and asking, " Can you shoe my horse ?" The reply underneath was, " Yes Sir." This sign was painted by old
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ANNALS OF THE
Capt. Allen Gaylord, a war veteran of 1812, who lived in Newburgh, a selftaught artist and undoubted genius, he did the house and sign painting, and white-washing for the town, and also carved scrolls and figure heads for vessels. The sign of Geer and Wals- worth represented an Indian aiming his rifle at a beaver sitting at the root of a tree across the river. A gawky rustic from Brooklyn passing along one day, stood looking at the sign several minutes, holloed "Why don't you shoot, you d- fool, you have been aiming long enough." On the east side of the Square, where now stands the Hoffinan block, was the saddle and harness shop of Amasa Bailey, all east and north of that were scrub oaks and hickory saplings with now and then a large chesnut tree, on the north side near where the fountain now is, was the old red Court House and Jail built in 1812, kept by Mr. Auchinbaugh; Eleazar Waterman was his successor for many years afterwards, the cell was about twelve feet square, constructed of hewn logs, and was in the southwest corner, the upper room was used for holding courts, and also used by the free masons for masonic purposes, religious services were also held here. whenever a passing missionary remained in town over the Sabbath. The blacksmith shop of David Burroughs was on the corner now occupied by Webb and Butts, jewelry store, his stock of geese rested in the middle of the street, there was a puddle whenever it rained, in which they would disport themselves; the hay scales were on the corner now occupied by Crittenden's jewelry store, the roof projecting over the street.
The Cleveland Herald, established in 1819, was published in the back room of the same building, edited by Mr. Logan ; once being short of paper, one edition was published on foolscap.
About half way between Seneca and Bank streets was a two- story tavern kept by George Wallace, afterwards by Michael Spangler. On the corner of Superior and Bank streets, the Com- mercial Bank of Lake Erie was established in 1817, and occupied a small red building, Alfred Kelley, President, and Leonard Case, Cashier ; he lived in a small house on the same lot. A year or two afterwards Mr. Case purchased the two acre lot, where the Post Office and City Hall are, for the sum of forty dollars ; the Weddell
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EARLY SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.
House lot was enclosed with a rail fence, which extended to St. Clair street, where the Weddell House now stands. One morning I picked up sixteen pigeons, killed by my father at one shot.
The south side of St. Clair St. was enclosed by a rail fence to the west line of Ontario street, on the lot joining the Kennard House. The first school house was built in 1817, the number of scholars on the opening was twenty-four ; the young men in the town were assessed to pay the master for the amount of his wages for the children of those parents, who were unable to do so. Religious ser- vices were regularly held here, Judge Kelley offering prayer, a young man read the sermon and my mother led the singing ; sing- ing school was also kept here, taught by Herschel Foote, who came from Utica, N. Y., and established the first book store in town in the store formerly occupied by Dudley. At that time there was not another building on that side of the street until you came to the residence and store of Nathan Perry on the corner of Water. A band of Indians who lived on the west side of the river used to sell their furs and peltries every Spring to him. He spoke their language fluently.
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