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HISTORY
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Univerfity of Illinois Library Friends at Urbana-Champaign Gift of Professor and Mrs. George W. White
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Portage Heritage
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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
http://archive.org/details/portageheritageh00holm
Portage Heritage
A history of Portage County, Ohio; its towns and townships and the men and women who have developed them; its life, institutions and biographies, facts and lore.
Published by The Portage County Historical Society JAMES B. HOLM, Editor LUCILLE DUDLEY, Assistant Editor
ILLUSTRATED
SESQUI-CENTENNIAL EDITION, 1957
I
I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives. And I like to see a man live in it so that his place will be proud of him.
-LINCOLN
Tell me the tales that you once told to me, Long, long ago; long, long ago. Sing me the songs that you once sang to me, Long, long ago, long ago. -OLD SONG
Let not the dead forgotten lie, Lest living men forget to die. -ANON
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977.137 H73p
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter
Page
I Our First Citizens
17
II Land For Stout Hearted Men
27
III Organizing For Civilization 45
IV By Trial and Error
63
V They Learn Their Strength
77
VI County's Greatest Travail
89
VII Horse and Buggy, But Strong 99
113
VIII The Horseless Carriage Appears
XI The Mechanical Age Arrives 135
X Transportation 151
XI Religion and Churches
167
XII Agriculture in Portage County
183
XIII Education in Portage County 195
XIV
Industry
209
XV
Portage In The Wars
221
XVI Newspapers and Editors
233
XVII Hospitals and Physicians
241
XVIII Judiciary and Bar 244
TOWNS AND TOWNSHIPS
XIX
Atwater
261
XX
Aurora
271
XXI Brimfield
283
XXII Charlestown
293
XXIII Deerfield
301
XXIV
Edinburg
311
XXV
Franklin and Kent
323
XXVI Freedom
347
XXVII
Garrettsville
361
XXVIII
Hiram
371
XXIX
Mantua
381
XXX
Nelson
393
XXXI
Palmyra
401
XXXII
Paris
409
XXXIII
Randolph
417
XXXIV
Ravenna
427
XXXV
Rootstown
451
XXXVI
Shalersville
463
XXXVII
Streetsboro
473
XXXVIII
Suffield
483
XXXIX
Windham
491
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Yesterday's Courthouses
One hundred years ago the seat of justice for Portage County was located within the court house shown here, completed in 1830. With it is shown the jail built in 1836. A part of this court house is still in use in the present court house, which was erected by act of legislature in 1881.
Shown below is the home of Robert Eaton, used as the county's first court house in 1809-1810. It was located on the Campbellsport road, two and one half miles southeast of Ravenna. It was followed by a frame structure and log jail in the center of town.
The court house, completed in 1830, was built by Zenas Kent as contractor and cost $7,000.
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111
-Photo by John Fowler
THE COURT HOUSE-Seat of justice and nerve center of the entire county of Portage. The figure atop the graceful tower has symbolized rule of law here for 76 years. This building, erected in 1881, was the fourth of its kind. Due to the county's growth and new governmental requirements, it is now outgrown because of lack of room.
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Foreword
Our county is a fair land. We are a fortunate people. Portage lies in the best state in the best country in the world. Physically, it is a compact area of good elevation with rolling hills, added to a more level expanse of fertile farm land. Quiet rivers ripple through and many little lakes dot its territory. As this is writ- ten it is a region of factories and farms with a well balanced economy. Great rail- roads traverse its length and width. Most "modern" highways cross it. Its farms and industries give gainful employment to thousands. Its educational facilities are comprehensive. It is an area of pleasant homes. Not far away are great cities. It lies in the midst of a great industrial section. Of all the state's 88 counties, Portage is high in the list of those most favorably situated.
Our history is an interesting one. It has not been so long since we emerged from a wilderness having great potential wealth. The story of a pioneer people wresting a livelihood from the forest will always be a gripping one. The changes that have been wrought, with those that came along otherwise, make a grand epic.
Though we owe much to the hardy souls who risked their all in the wilder- ness, we also owe much to those who came later on to develop the country where a start had been made.
A history is needed because people want to know their past. It is natural for them to be interested in what has gone on before in their communities, as well as in families. Here, no single book for Portage County has been put out since 1885, and much has transpired since then that should be recorded as accurately as pos- sible for present and later generations. It is also appropriate, and a near necessity, because the 150th anniversary of the county's establishment is right at hand.
We also feel that a fresher history should be made available for school use. County history must embrace only matters that have concerned the people of the county. It tells of the activities of those who have lived here and the reasons for certain developments. The public likes a clear, concise presentation of facts, but some interpretation and explanation is in order as space permits.
After all, history for most of us is an account of man's activities-what men and women have done and how they have fared-their struggles and their ac- complishments. In a work of this kind it is almost impossible to tell a full and complete story in the limits imposed. Readers must look at this outline as a traveler sees the landscape from the air. Numerous interesting subjects could not be included because of space limitations. Yet, these subjects are worthy of print and, as historians, we feel that perhaps later they may be put in form for public use.
We have tried to show from what points we have come, what we now are, and further, to consider where we are going.
The study of pre-historic Ohio is an interesting subject and knowledge of the peoples who have preceded us here, certainly is worth while, but it is the history of this area as an organized county with which we are most concerned. Ohio had hardly been organized as a state and gotten a government into operation, when the county of Portage was organized. As Ohio was carved from the Northwest
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Territory, so Portage County was carved from Ohio in that section known as the Western Reserve.
We have tried to organize the research and writing as much as possible by having local writers in each community, with others handling special subjects so that nothing of importance should escape attention. We believe these writers have done a good job. Not that the work is perfect, but acceptable. It is a joint undertaking, not so much a work of literary perfection as a plain statement of facts. If errors have crept in it is not because of lack of trying for the best.
Likewise, the names of many worthwhile men and their accomplishments- really important-have not been included because of space restrictions. It is dif- ficult to say who have been most important, but each one has been important in his or her way. Anyone who has lived in the county is part of its history. We wish we could include the names of all who have lived here.
In viewing past individuals and events, we must remember that we of this age may not be the "ne plus ultra" of mankind after all. We happen to live in a later, separate chapter of history. Those who have lived and gone before were just as smart as we are, and maybe smarter. We merely have advantages which they lacked, just as the future residents may have advantages unheard of by us.
We wish this might be considered a memorial for those of Portage County who have come and gone. It would be as much for the "mute inglorious Miltons" as for those whom fame has touched with its magic wand. Man is always striving and hoping. In the 150 years that have come and gone literally thousands of shops, stores and small businesses were started, ran for a time, and ceased. Men and families came and went. To make even a small note of each would be impossible even if one had all the facts.
No similar period has contributed so much to the good living of mankind as has the past seventy-five years. Science has wrought miracles considered hitherto almost unbelievable. Life is now easier and, we hope, happier. Our county has had its share.
Some think that pure history has no morality. That it is just a non-thinking sound and photo recording of events of the past, or as we think they were record- ed. But such a recording of events, great and small, would provide a mountain of matter that would be meaningless to most. To get history within a book there MUST be a selection and cutting down, and some explanation. And it must be readable. Few histories are ever complete.
Trying to re-create the past is often a problem. And so are historians them- selves. We have simply tried to present an understandable picture of Portage County's past. Some one has said, sarcastically, that a historian is a person who digs up bones in one graveyard and transfers them to another. There may be some truth in that but we believe we have found some bones that never have been interred.
We are well aware that an editor's selection of subjects will always be open to criticism but we have acted for what seems best in compiling the history. A local historian (history editor) must be a sort of tyrant exercising arbitrary author- ity, but we have tried to be a benevolent autocrat when necessary to act like one at all.
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Road Map of Portage County
This map, made in 1955 by the County Engineer's office, shows not only the highways of the county but the towns, streams, lakes and reservoirs, rail- roads and other features.
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N
President From Portage
More than 75 years have elapsed since President James A. Garfield passed on. Hiram, and thereby Portage County, was his home for a longer period than any other place. Portage County delighted to honor him and was first to guide his faltering steps in the field of politics, on the path that led to the presidency.
The entire region has long abounded with tales of his great personality, high mind and accomplishments. Not a single town or township in the county but at one time heard him speak-as a preacher, a politician or a lecturer. He left his impress on the college than stands in Hiram today.
A brief sketch of his career begins in Orange township, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, where he was born Nov. 19, 1831 in a log cabin. As a boy he worked at farming, carpentering, and wood cutting to help support his widowed mother and family. After a few weeks service on a canal boat he started teaching school, at- tending the Geauga Academy in Chester. In 1850 he showed up at the Hiram Eclectic Institute as a student, working part time as a janitor. Graduating there he went on to (Williams College and was then called back to Hiram to be princi- pal. There he was a part time preacher and nearly every locality for miles heard him at one time or another.
His intellectual powers and speaking ability attracted attention and in 1859 he was elected state senator. Here he married Lucretia Rudolph and raised a family.
When the Civil War broke out Garfield became a Union officer and quickly rose to be a major general and chief of staff. His grasp of military principles was said to be marvelous. But while still in the army he was nominated and elected to the U. S. Congress. He was repeatedly elected, serving in Congress until 1879. In that year he was elected U. S. senator from Ohio but before he could be seated he was nominated and elected president in 1880.
The manner of his death is well known. While president he was struck down by an assassin in June, 1880, and died in September of that year.
Of the Garfield children, James R. was Secretary of the Interior under Theodore Roosevelt, Harry A. became president of Williams College and Abram became a prominent architect in Cleveland. A fourth son, Irwin, became a New York business man. There was a daughter Mollie (Mary).
Garfield was a man without guile or rancor, intellectually honest and straight-forward. He has been called the most scholarly of all U. S. presidents. He loved debating and discussion and probably engaged in more public speaking than any other president. He was a friendly man and knew hundreds of people by their first names. Portage County knew him in this way better than any other place.
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The Historical Society
On April 17, 1951, upon invitation of John B. Nicholson Jr., Kent State University Librarian, twenty interested Portage County citizens met at the University library and or- ganized the Portage County Historical Society.
Temporary officers elected were: Judge Albert L. Caris, president; Ray Gooch, vice president; Harriet Reed, secretary.
A committee formulated a constitution and by-laws which were adopted at a later meeting. The constitution states that the objective of the society is "to collect, preserve and display things of historical value, such as papers, maps, documents, books, household utensils, implements, models of inventions, historical pictures, sculptures, Indian relics, posters of various wars, lists of early settlers of the various townships of the county, the names of inventors and persons who should be honored because of their work in the arts, sciences and professions, together with all other matters of historical interest, to the end that they may be preserved for future generations, and also to promote historical interest and disseminate historical information."
In June, 1951, the following slate of permanent officers were elected: Cyrus T. Plough, president; Fred B. Bloomhardt, vice president; Mrs. J. R. Turner, executive secretary; Mrs. Iva B. Seymour, recording secretary; A. J. Lauderbaugh, treasurer; J. B. Holm, historian; J. T. Johnson, curator. Mr. Johnson died in 1956.
Trustees: Judge A. L. Caris, Hugo H. Bietz, A. Sellew Roberts, Edith Miller, E. J. Kline, A. R. Horton, Ora P. Taylor, Merrible Myers Irmiter and Ernest N. Jones.
A charter was obtained for the Society through the work of attorney E. J. Redmond in August, 1951, with a society enrollment of 394 members.
Through the energetic work of the membership committee headed by Merrible Myers Irmiter, the county was canvassed and by the end of the year nearly 800 members were en- rolled.
A highlight in the history of the Society was presentation to the society of a residence building at the corner of East Main and Clinton streets in Ravenna, to be used as a central
Historical Society Home, Ravenna
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A. L. Caris, First Society President
Cyrus Plough, Second President
M. Herbert Heighton, Third President
meeting place, by Mr. and Mrs. John A. Lowrie of Ravenna. It is to be known as the John A. and Alta Lowrie Museum.
Conditions attending the gift were soon met and the deed recorded in the fall of 1951.
In order to make extensive alterations and necessary changes required for use of the building, appropriations have been made by the county commissioners over the following years. Society meetings have been held here at times and when the various relics and articles of interest are placed therein, the place will be open to the public at regular times.
An arch, using fluted columns from the historic Tappan Female Seminary, has been placed at the entrance to the premises, bearing the inscription, "Portage County, named after the Portage Trail between Tuscarawas and Cuyahoga Rivers, where Indians carried their canoes from one river to another."
A buckeye tree was planted on the grounds in 1953 by Mr. Lowrie and a number of relics placed on the grounds. He also planted oak trees. An artillery caisson is set on the grounds.
Mrs. Iva Seymour, Secretary
While meetings are held at this Home, it has been the policy of the Society to hold as many of its monthly meetings as possible in the various towns and townships of the county as weather permits.
In 1953 the Society participated in the celebration of the state's Sesqui-Centennial. A committee was head- ed by Judge Albert Caris, assisted by James A. Jones. A feature of this observance was a gigantic historic parade held in both Ravenna and Kent on Flag Day, June 14, 1953. Many interesting relics and recreations were shown and a number of descendents of first settlers took part.
In Octboer, 1954, Society trustees authorized a com- mittee to compile a new county history. This commit- tee was composed of A. R. Horton, F. W. Barber, Judge Clay Dietrich, Miss Lucille Dudley, E. J. Kline, Cyrus
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Plough, Dr. A. Sellew Roberts and Mrs. Robert Watt, with J. B. Holm, chairman; Mrs. Helen Fairchild, secretary; and John H. Miles, treasurer. Meetings were held and work on compiling the history started with J. B. Holm, editor and Miss Lucille Dudley, assistant. Writers were also assigned for each town and township as well as for special subjects. The finance committee, headed by E. J. Kline, undertook the arduous task of securing funds to support the enterprise.
In 1952, Mr. Plough retired as president, being succeeded by M. Herbert Heighton of Kent, and Miss Margaret Getz became treasurer. Then E. J. Willford was treasurer for two years. Paul Krueger became vice president in 1953. Mr. Heighton served as president four years. Present officers are J. Philip Jones, president; Miss Lucille Dudley, vice president; Frank W. Barber, treasurer; J. B. Holm, historian and Cyrus Plough, curator. Trustees in- clude Ernest N. Jones, Dudley Weaver, Mrs. Merrible Irmiter, Judge A. L. Caris, Dr. A. Sellew Roberts, Frank W. Barber, E. J. Kline, Mrs. J. R. Turner and Thomas W. James.
Numerous historical relices have been presented to the Society and many of these are on display at the Society Home, which is open to the public. Plans are under way to pro- vide more room for showing relics and to safeguard these possessions. All persons having relics of early Portage County days are asked to keep the Society in mind. Simply notify the curator, Mr. Plough, or any member of the Society and a way will be found to get them. It is hoped that in time a Museum of real value will be in operation. Mr. Weaver is particularly anxious to see old pictures of historical interest, for reproduction for his historical collection.
Relices desired may be anything of a wide variety. They include such things as im- plements, tools, household adornments, papers, toys, pictures (personal or otherwise), novelties, books, records (personal and otherwise), scrap books, clothing, furniture and any- thing that may be of interest as historical articles later on. They need not all be from early days; middle and recent days are fruitful also.
History Committee which had overall charge of book publication. Sitting, left to right-J. B. Holm, chairman, Mrs. Robert Watt, Miss Lucille Dudley and Mrs. Helen Fairchild, secretary. Standing, A. R. Horton, (deceased), E. J. Kline, John H. Miles (deceased), Cyrus Plough, F. W. Barber and Judge Clay Dietrich. Absent, Dr. A. Sellew Roberts.
ex .
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Our Thanks
Thanks are due to a host of friends and interested people who have helped in making the history a success. These are so numerous that it is impossible to mention each by name.
Various county and local officials have been generous with their help and in making records available. Publicity departments of Kent State University and Hiram college have been very help- ful. So have officials of various organizations. There has been a flood of information supplied by individuals in the shape of old records, clippings, books, lore, letters, pictures and personal recol- lections. Writers of various local and special chapters have done a tremendous lot of work, both individually and severally. Out- right contributions of money and payment for special services are appreciated. With rare exceptions our efforts have been re- ceived with uniform kindness because of genuine interest in Portage County history.
Use has been made of such books as Howe's Historical Col- lections of Ohio, The Brown History of the County of 1885, Har- lan Hatcher's Western Reserve, Harriet Upton Taylor's History of the Western Reserve, Treudley's History of Hiram College and local histories, of which Grismer's History of Kent has been especially valuable. The KSU library and the Record-Courier made available micro-films and old newspapers that provided an abundance of facts and reports. Newspapers have been more than generous especially the Courier-Record.
Thanks are especially due to Emmet J. Kline who has given a vast amount of time, work and money to the history project because it has been dear to him. His work insured the financial success of our book. To Dudley S. Weaver we are indebted for time and energy in securing and printing pictures, as well as his advice and good judgment. Likewise to James E. Fosdick of Kent State University.
To all these and many more we are indeed grateful.
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The Lowries
Presented here are the likenesses of Mr. and Mrs. John A. Lowrie, of Raven- na, to whom the Portage County Historical Society is indebted for the gift of its present building, the home of the Historical Society on East Main St., Ravenna. This generous gift was made in 1953, and well indicates the interest of both these venerable people in perpetuating the history of the county.
Mr. Lowrie, in particular, has a remarkable love for local history (and all kinds of history for that matter). He constantly has focused attention on events and people of the past, and in this way has helped arouse the interest of the public. He has an extraordinary memory for names, dates and events of the past and is able to cite dates and details of many events, and about persons, of many years ago. It is always a pleasure for him to talk about the past in Portage County. Through this knowledge he has become known as "Ravenna's unofficial his- torian." Local history has been with him, especially in late years, both a vocation and a hobby. Mrs. Lowrie likewise is interested in events of other days. Because of this interest, Mr. and Mrs. Lowrie gave the residence to the Historical Society. It is located on East Main St., at the corner of Clinton and has been converted for the special purposes of the society.
John A. Lowrie, carpenter, was born Sept. 22, 1866. He was a son of George Lowrie, who as a young shepherd, tended sheep on the hills of Scotland and came to the United States in 1837. Here the elder Lowrie worked on the P. & O. canal and the Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railroad construction. He thus labored on two historic projects whereby Portage County saw its first two outlets, by water and by railroad. In coming to America, a birth occurred in the family, as well as a death. A son, Alexander, died on Lake Erie, but his body was stolen by a class called body snatchers, who watched for such cases to supply the medical institu- tions for experimentation purposes.
The mother of John A. Lowrie was born in Germany, and during the Prus- sian War there, her family sometimes had to seek safety in cellars. Because of the dangers they were forced to leave Germany and come to this country to seek new homes in the environment of freedom. The place where John Lowrie was born was on Freedom St., Ravenna, directly across the street from the entrance of the old fair grounds. At that time the fair grounds was a vast woods, with a driveway through the center to the farm home of Jeff Thompson, one of Ravenna's first milk dispensers. It was in 1879 that this land became the fair grounds and was used as such for 66 years.
Although his schooling was limited, John Lowrie became an voracious reader and student of affairs and in this way was able to amass much of his vast fund of information in addition to his personal contacts.
Alta M. Trowbridge was born in Edinburg township, Oct. 28, 1871, daughter of Royal D. and Louisa Gilbert Trowbridge. Both the Gilbert and Trowbridge families took part in early Palmyra and Edinburg public affairs and held public office there in 1810 and 1819. The Gilbert family came from Litchfield, Conn., in 1806.
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The place of Alta M. Trowbridge's birth was on a farm adjoining Highland Home farm on the south. She taught school in Edinburg, Rootstown and Palmyra and in December, 1891, was married to John A. Lowrie, then of Edinburg. Since their marriage, the Lowries have lived in Ravenna. In their possession they have the records of an early doctor, showing names of patients and charges. Doctors' fees for birth deliveries were $10.00 and $8.00.
Being desirous of learning how other people live, Mr. and Mrs. Lowrie took a trip around the world in 1932-33, which was of great educational value and re- mains one of their treasured memories. They were particularly interested in relics of ancient times, and their preservation. King Tut's tomb, with over 1,300 well preserved specimens, was only one of the sights of ancient days they saw.
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