USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > A history of Cuyahoga County and the City of Cleveland, (Vol. 1) > Part 26
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moved to Rockport. He had purchased 270 acres of land in the town- ship. On this he put up a log cabin, this being at that date the only house between the settlements on the Rocky and the Cuyahoga rivers. In after years, a son, Ezra, lived in a frame house built on the site west of the log house that his father built, which was opened as a tavern by Ezra. A daughter became Mrs. Elias Paddock of Olmsted. Mars Wagar with his wife, Katura, came from Ontario County, New York. They came to Cleveland in 1818 and to Rockport in 1820. Here he had bought 160 acres of land, in section 22, of Francis Granger, son of Gideon Granger. Mars died in 1841, leaving the widow, Katura, and several children, among them Adam M. Wagar and Israel D. Wagar. This family was not interested so much in western as in eastern Rockport.
In 1819 Elial Farr, a surveyor from Pennsylvania, with his wife and family, including three sons, Aurelius, Elial, Jr., and Algernon, settled on section 16. Price French left Ontario County, New York in 1818 and moved to Indiana, then in 1828, with wife and six children moved to Rockport. He bought a part of the James Nicholas farm, or rather the farm on which Nicholas later lived, and then moved to a farm afterwards occupied by A. G. French, a descendant. David Harrington came from Otsego, New York, in 1821, to Middleburg, and in 1822 moved to Rock- port. After his death the place was managed by the widow or owned by her. William and Mary Jordan came in 1827 and located on the Dover plank road. Jonathan Parshall came in 1821 and bought an acre of ground of Mars Wagar and built a log cabin close to Wagar's. He was a house carpenter and taught school some, but was not a thrifty citizen. In the pioneer mind he was downright lazy. He neglected the acre of ground and neglected to pay for it, so that Mr. Wagar got it back eventually. Parshall is among the early settlers of the township and came the year of the first election for township officers. The first white child born in the township was Egbert, son of Philo Taylor. Egbert was born in November of 1809. Addison, a son of Datus Kelly, was born in June, 1812, and Philana, daughter of Henry Alger, was born in December of that year. The first marriage was that of Benjamin Robinson and Amelia Alger. These were Rockport settlers, but the wedding was held in Cleveland and the official knot was tied by George Wallace, Esq. Squire Wallace came out to Rockport to tie the next knot for the settlers. The second wedding was that of Chester Dean of Rockport to Lucy Smith of Dover. The wedding was held at the house of Datus Kelly. Visitors came for miles around on ox sleds. This was in January, 1814. This wedding is down in the annals as one of the red letter events, with lots of fun making and a wedding feast of noteworthy viands. It also added to the popularity of Squire George Wallace of Cleveland, as a marrying justice. The first justice of the peace in Rockport was Charles Miles. He was elected June 24, 1819. At this election only thirteen votes were cast.
As at the mouth of the Cuyahoga, the Indians used to come in great numbers at the mouth of the Rocky River, and there leave their canoes while they were fishing and hunting. They buried their dead on an island in the mouth of the river, and would build fires at the head of each grave on their return. The Indians here mostly joined Tecumseh when the War of 1812 broke out. They had been friendly to the whites before the war, but they were practically all gone when the great bear hunt was organized in 1820. This was on the plan of the Hinckley hunt, men- tioned in a former chapter. Joseph Dean was in command and the line extended from Rocky River to Black River and a small army of hunters took part. They got a few bear, many deer, but the big thing was the
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celebration at the close of the hunt when hilarity under the auspices of John Barleycorn held full sway. Whiskey drinking was quite universal at that time and there was only occasionally an advocate of temperance, much less total abstinence. Datus Kelly at a township meeting in 1827 occasioned much surprise and remonstrance by circulating a temperance pledge for signatures. Kelly was in a very small minority, but he kept on and steadily gained supporters for his side. At the first general election in Rockport for township officers the vote was small. Only nine- teen voters lived in the township and there were eighteen offices to fill. Of course this situation obtained in the early organization of the town- ships generally. Some men held a number of offices. After the first election in Rockport Township it was remarked that every man in the township either held an office, kept tavern or owned a sawmill. The first bridge over Rocky River was near its mouth. This was built by subscription and not by a lottery, as at one time authorized for bridging the Miami. Of this first bridge Rufus Wright paid about half of the expense. This was in 1821 and there was a great gathering to celebrate the completion of the bridge. Captain Wright invited all hands to his tavern and there was free liquor and the loving cup was the whiskey jug. This meeting was at the bridge raising. Captain Wright became so enthusiastic and elated over the bridge that he danced a jig on the top of a table, while those otherwise at liberty cheered him on and sang "Yankee Doodle" in place of an orchestra. Philo Taylor dared the storms of Lake Erie and used to go to mill in an open rowboat as far as the Raisin River in Michigan, until nearer gristmills came. The evolution was from the spring pole and stump pestle to the handmill, to the gristmill with its overshot wheel, where the settlers could come without money and with- out price, the miller taking toll from the grist left to be ground. As early as 1810 there was a mail route through Rockport from Cleveland to to Detroit. This was first operated by three men on foot, as a relay route, back and forth. It was, of course, a very small mail and carried like a field dispatch from one man to the second and by the second to the third and so on. In return, the same. The first postmaster in Rock- port was a Mr. Goodwin, who kept a postoffice in 1827 at Rocky River on the old stage route. Then Calvin Giddings was appointed and in 1829 the mail route was a mile and a half above the river mouth over what was called Hog Back Hill. Apparently Goodwin was postmaster here when Giddings was appointed, having his office on the east side of the river. When Giddings took hold he moved the office across the river. In 1834 Rufus Wright was keeping tavern at the river mouth, with just the fading twilight of Granger City before him, when he was appointed postmaster and the office was again back there. Here in his tavern it was kept until 1852. Three sons of Rufus were postmasters in the old hotel or tavern, in turn, Abraham Wright, Philip Wright and Frederick Wright. In 1852 the office was moved a mile up the river, where it was kept for a year by Herman Barnum and then Benjamin Phinney, who kept a store, was appointed. He was postmaster until 1864 and then the office was taken back to the mouth of the river and John Williams was postmaster for about a year. In the meantime Ben Phinney, Jr., was serving in the Union Army. John Williams surrendered the postmastership to Andrew Kyle, who moved the office to his house about two miles up the river. Here it remained until 1875, when it was taken back to Benjamin Phinney's store. We are now reaching the period of larger development when the township is giving place to cities and villages within its border. In 1877 a new postoffice was estab- lished at the Cliff House on Rocky River, with William Hall as post-
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master. He was followed by A. T. Van Tassel and he by James Stark- weather. Horace Dean was the first postmaster at East Rockport. Then in turn were O. W. Hotchkiss, William B. Smith, Jacob Tegardine, Adam Wagar and Joseph Howe, who served in the '80s.
The organization of the township was perfected in the town meeting style imported from New England. The county commissioners had erected the township in 1819. There is nothing in the annals in regard to the selection of the name. That may have been by common consent selected when the commissioners took action. The election was held in Rufus Wright's tavern in April, 1820. There were nineteen voters present. It will be interesting to give the names of those who voted. The voters at this first election were: Rufus Wright, Asahel Porter, Henry Canfield, Samuel Dean, Joseph Dean, Chester Dean, Dyer Nichols, Daniel Bardin, John Kidney, John Pitts, John James, Charles Miles, Erastus Johnson, Charles Johnson, Josephus B. Sizer, Datus Kelly, James Nicholson, Benjamin Robinson and Henry Alger. The chairman of the meeting was Charles Miles. The judges of election were Asahel Porter and Datus Kelly. The following were elected as the first officers of Rockport Township: Trustees, Henry Alger, Rufus Wright and Erastus Johnson; clerk, Henry Canfield; overseers of the poor, James Nicholson and Samuel Dean; fence viewers, Benjamin Robinson and Joseph Dean; lister, Joseph Dean. Now among those who have served the township in public office for the first fifty and more years are familiar family names and a perusal of the partial list seems to tie the present with pioneer days. Trustees, Dyer Nichols, Jared Hickox, Charles Warner, Alanson Swan, John B. Robertson, Paul B. Burch, James S. Anthony, James Stranahan, Collins French, Henry Alger, Joseph Dean, Epaphrodi- tus Wells, Benjamin Mastic, Joel Deming, Guilson Morgan, Obadiah Munn, Israel Kidney, Elial Farr, Jonathan Plimpton, Asia Pease, J. D. Gleason, P. G. Burch, W. D. Bell, John P. Spencer, Chauncey Deming, Aurelius Farr, Benjamin Stetson, Joseph Leese, Q. W. Hotchkiss, Han- ford Conger, Benjamin Mastick, Royal Millard, William B. Smith, Thomas Hurd, John West, John Freeborn, Frederick Wright, Ezra Bassett, A. Cleveland, J. F. Storey, James Potter, George Beltz, A. Kyle, William Jordan, Thomas Morton, William Tentler, Calvin Pease, F. G. Bronson, F. Colbrunn, A. M. Wagar, Allen Armstrong, Alfred French, Anthony Cline, Lewis Nicholson, John Gahan, George W. Andrews, G. T. Pease, Fred Baker, L. A. Palmer and George Fauchter. Of the township clerks many served for long terms and the list is shorter. Clerks, Dyer Eaton, George T. Barnum, Isaac P. Lathrop, Timothy S. Brewster, A. S. Lewis, Aaron Merchant, Theopolis Crosby, Royal Millard, John Barnum, Lucius Dean, A. M. Wagar, Edwin Giddings, Robert Fleury, Andrew Kyle, O. P. Stafford, H. A. Mastick, Edwin Giddings and E. P. Thomp- son. Of the treasurers there are no records of defalcations and William Sixt, Ben. F. Phinney and others served long terms, being repeatedly reelected. Treasurers, Calvin Giddings, Ira Cunningham, Solomon Pease, R. Millard, Joseph D. Taylor, Benjamin Lowell, F. G. Lewis, Truman S. Wood, Isaac Higby, Lewis Rockwell, Horace Dean, O. W. Hotchkiss, William Sixt and Ben. F. Phinney. Of the trustees, John P. Spencer was an ensign in the militia of New York State before coming to Ohio, appointed by President Van Buren. His father, Jonathan Spencer, was born in East Greenwich, Rhode Island, in 1778. He was a tanner, cur- rier and shoemaker. After his marriage to Mollie Jones, of the same town, he bought a farm in Brookfield, New York, and moved there in 1803. He brought his family to Olmsted falls in 1834. John P. Spencer was the second son of a family of eight children. In 1830 he bought
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125 acres of land in the south part of Rockport. Two years later he married Electa M. Beach, and he always gave her great credit for his business success. He added to his farm until he had a large estate. His wife was born in Connecticut and brought with her into the western wild the thrift attributed to natives of that New England state. They had a family of five, John W., Henry B., Mary R., Hannah L. and one other, John W., who was a soldier in the War of the Rebellion. The Wagar family are identified with the early history of Rockport most intimately. Mars Wagar and Katura, his wife, were dominant figures. Mars was born in Saratoga, New York, in 1791. He had an academic education. He studied at Lansingburg and Troy academies. In 1813 he married Katura, who was the daughter of Adam and Anna Miller of Ontario, New York. Two years after marriage they came west and in 1820 arrived in Rockport. Israel D. Wagar was the second son. He was not given the educational opportunities that his father enjoyed, graduating from the district school. He taught school in the West and South, after devoting his early life to clearing land. After his teach- ing experience he came back to Rockport and engaged in farming and fruit growing. He is more widely known by his later occupation of buying and selling real estate. In 1843 he married Isabella Pike and they raised a family of eight children. In 1876 Mr. Wagar traveled abroad for pleasure and larger information.
Another family quite well known in connection with the township life of Rockport was that whose head, on the banks of Rocky River, was Benjamin Phinney. He was a merchant (storekeeper) all his life. He began this business in Dover. He was born in Massachusetts in 1805 and was brought to Dover by his father, Sylvanus Phinney, with the family in 1813. Sylvanus Phinney was a tanner and carried on that business thirty-nine years in Dover. Coming to Rockport, Benjamin Phinney immediately engaged in the merchantile business and continued until 1865. The Phinney family, as you trace back to the earlier genera- tions in the British Isles, were merchants as a rule. Benjamin Phinney was a member of a militia company in the early days, but was never called into active service. His son, Benjamin F. Phinney, became well known in the county and served, as we have said, in township offices. He was born in Avon, Lorain County, August 3, 1845. Attended com- mon schools and studied a year at Berea College. Either the love of adventure or patriotism, or a combination of these two, prompted him at the age of seventeen to quit his books for his country's service. With a cousin of the same age, he stole away at night to Ridgeville Center, where a company was being organized, and without his father's consent enlisted. This was in 1861. This company was assigned to the Forty- second Ohio, under the command of Col. James A. Garfield. He had a most active war experience. When this regiment was made a part of Sherman's army and were headed for Vicksburg, in an engagement at the mouth of the Yazoo, he was struck by a shell and was reported killed in battle. He recovered and after a long convalescence, returned to the army. At the death of his father he kept the store in Rockport and was appointed postmaster. In 1881 he was elected county com- missioner and in 1884 he was reelected, his term expiring in 1887. In the following year he moved his family to Cleveland and made his home there. His latest public service was as a member of the Board of Equalization.
Number 7, range 14, has had a diversity of political experience. Organized as the Township of Rockport it has grown hamlets, villages and cities, until the Township of Rockport is no more. Its territory
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at the present time is, first and foremost, the City of Lakewood, of which we will speak later, extending along the lake from Cleveland to Rocky River. Second in political importance and largest in area has been the City of West Park, which in 1823 was annexed to the City of Cleveland and is now a part thereof. From Lakewood west of Rocky River to the west line of the original township extends the Village of Rocky River, and west of the river and farther south in rather irregular outlines lies Fairview Village. . These four municipalities do not com- prise the entire territory of original Rockport Township, for of a por- tion of the territory has been formed Goldwood Township out of two separate tracts, not contiguous, the extreme southwestern corner and a tract north of the southern part of Fairview Village, bounded on the north by Rocky River Village.
The religious expression of the township has been quite varied as well. A part of the pioneer life in close relationship to the schools were many forms of worship and organizations in conformity therewith. There was the Rockport Methodist Episcopal Church, Baptist Church, First Congregational Church, Free Will Baptist Church, Rocky River Christian Mission, Disciples Church, First New Jerusalem Church (Swedenborgian), Detroit Street "Bible Christians," a Methodist Episcopal Church, Saint Patrick's Church (Catholic), German Evangelican Church, German Metho- dist Church, Church of the Ascension (Episcopal), and Saint Mary's Church (Catholic). In this diversity of creeds, as one of the horny handed farmers expressed it by illustration, there was one common ground. When the stumps in the clearings began to rot away and the ground became more easily tilled, the grain drill was invented and came into use slowly. There was much antagonism and differences of opinion as to the merits of this new method of seeding, many holding to the old way of sowing broadcast, others adopting the new method and using the grain drill. "Well," said the old farmer, "we all agree to the idea of putting in a crop." From the first settlement of Rockport the Meth- odists held class meetings in schoolhouses in irregular fashion until 1847, when, a church having been organized, a building was erected one and a half miles west of the mouth of Rocky River. William Jordan was class leader at that time, and the membership included Dyer Eaton, Mrs. Mary Jordan, Mr. Whiting, Mr. Bennett, Philena Alger, Sarah Doty, Polly Jordan and Sally Usher. The church was organized in William Jordan's log house. The first preacher was Rev. O. Sheldon. We hear much of him, from his unsuccessful efforts to found a colony in Middle- burg Township, on the basis of Christian socialism, he seemed always an active worker and a figure to stand out in the early history of this part of the county. When the church was built the trustees were: John D. Taylor, John Barnes, Henry Rauch, Benjamin Lowell and Sidney Lowell. In the '70s C. S. Giddings was class leader; Rev. John McKean, pastor, and the trustees were S. H. Brown, Mark Able, C. S. Giddings, F. Mc- Mahon, Ira Burlingame, C. N. Wise and Charles Cuddeback. The Bap- tist Church organized May 27, 1832, with the following members : Gideon Watrous, Royal Millard, John Dike, Fanny Watrous, Amelia Robinson, Sarah Herrington, Anna Millard, Lydia Pike and Fanny M. Nicholas. Six years and harmony was not spelled with a capital "H." A division occurred on doctrinal differences. The dissenters withdrew and organized a church on the west side of the river and hired Rev. Moses Ware as a settled minister. This separate organization did not endure for long. In 1842 the dissenters returned to the mother church. For some time after their return the church prospered. Many members were added and a commodious church called the Tabernacle was built. This was in 1846.
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In 1847, a year later, for what cause the annals do not disclose, meetings were abandoned, and in 1850 a few met in the Tabernacle and formally dissolved. The Tabernacle was given over to the free use of other religious denominations and was usually in use on Sundays. Groups of Baptists would occasionally gather, but the church was never re- organized. The First Congregational Church was organized as early as 1835, but no record is preserved of that period. It lapsed. In 1859 it was reorganized with the following members: Benjamin Mastick, Rus- sell Hawkins, Lydia Hawkins, Louisa Trinket, Mary C. Kinney, Silas Gleason, Labrina Gleason and Anna and Susanna Kyle. The first dea- cons were Ezra Bassett and Silas Gleason, and the first pastor, Rev. N. Cobb. Other ministers in the early history have been Revs. J. B. Allen, E. T. Fowler, O. W. White, E. H. Votaw. In 1869 it left the Presbyterian Association, with which it had been connected, and joined the Ohio Congregational Association. A church building was erected in 1861. L. A. Palmer, William Andrews, A. Barter and B. Barter have served as officers of the early church. The Free Will Baptist Church was organized in 1840 and its original membership indicates that the families who constituted its roster were of the same mind and husband and wife were not divided. They were Obadiah Munn and wife, John Warren and wife, Jeremiah Gleason and wife, Joseph Coon and wife, Prosser Coon and wife, J. M. Plimpton and wife, Thomas Alexander and wife, Israel Kidney and wife, and Sarah and Joseph Hall. The first minister was Elder Reynolds. Following him after seven years of service were Elders Prentiss, Beebe and Pelton in their order. This church held services in schoolhouses until 1846, when a church building was built at Detroit Street and Hilliard Avenue. The church declined and in 1858 was dissolved. The building was afterwards used by various religious organizations, and then sold to F. Wagar who moved it to his farm for use as a farm building.
The Rocky River Christian Mission, a Disciples Church, was organized in 1879 and a church built the previous year but not dedicated till the church was organized. The original members were James Cannon and wife, J. C. Cannon and wife, William Southern and wife, Joseph South- ern and wife, Peter Bower, Miss Ella Woodbury, Miss Lou Atwell. The first trustee was James Cannon and the first preacher, Elder J. C. Cannon. In the '70s there were some forty families represented in the church. The New Jerusalem Church (Swedenborgian) has an interesting history. Before 1841 a number of families of that faith had settled in Rockport, James Nicholson and Mars Wagar were the leading believers. They invited Reverend McCarr of Cincinnati to come to Rockport and form a church. He came September 4, 1841, and called a meeting in a school- house on Rocky River. Here and at that time a church was organized. The first members were W. D. Bell and wife, Osborn Case, James Nicholson and wife, Israel D. Wagar and wife, Delia Paddock, A. M. Wagar, Baadicea and Diantha Thayer, James Newman, Jane E. Johnson, Susanna Parshall, Mars Wagar and wife, James Coolahan and wife, Asa Dickinson and wife, Richard Harper and wife, Matilda Wagar, Mary Berthong and John Berry. The first trustees were W. D. Bell, James Nicholson and L. D. Wagar. The first ordained minister was Rev. Rich- ard Hooper. Reverend Hooper had been a Methodist minister in Rock- port, attended a camp meeting of Swedenborgians and was suddenly con- verted to that faith, and was ordained at once. He was the pastor for four years. Following him were Revs. W. G. Day, L. P. Mercer, D. Noble, John Saal and George L. Stearns in the order named. Their meetings were held in schoolhouses until 1848, then in other church
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buildings. In 1878 the church put up a building of their own. The trustees at this time were A. M. Wagar, Ezra Nicholson and Alfred French. Israel D. Wagar, a son of Mars and Katura, who was one of the first members of the church, gave this as his creed: "I believe that all men will in the end be saved, that the eternal purposes of the Almighty will never be thwarted or turned aside by his creatures; that 'He is good to all and His tender mercies are over all his works,' that the human mind is so organized that it will yield to treatment, that the wicked by association, discipline and punishment, under the guidance of divine wisdom, will in the end be saved." The religious experience of the two leading members of this church and their intense devotion to the cause, is shown by the fact that they, when first awakened to the call, drove with their wives in a two-horse lumber wagon all the way to Wooster to be baptised into the new faith. In 1850 a little band of "Bible Christians" met at frequent intervals for four or five years in the Free Will Baptist Church. It was called a class and Mark Tegarden was its leader. Rev. Richard Roach used to come out from Cleveland occasionally to preach to them. The United Brethren also met in the same building for occasional worship. After the "Bible Christians" stopped meeting, the Wesleyan Methodists formed a class and Mark Tegarden was its leader. They engaged Reverend Crooks as the first preacher. After a while the Wesleyan Methodists gave way to the Methodist Epis- copal denomination and a class was formed and still Mark Tegarden was the class leader. Their first pastor was Reverend Jewett of Berea. This organization was denominated the Detroit Street Methodist Episcopal Church and a building was erected in 1876, when Reverend McCaskie was pastor. Rev. William Warren followed him and the class leaders under Warren were Joseph Primat, John Webb, Stephen Hutchins and Mark Tegarden, and the trustees, Archibald Webb, James Bean, James Parsons and Peter Clampitt. Saint Patrick's Church, an Irish Catholic organization, was formed in Rockport previous to 1862. A church was built and dedicated by Bishop Rappe with thirty families in the congrega- tion. The first priest was Rev. Lewis Filiere, who also preached, as we have said, in Berea and Olmsted Falls. He served ten years and then followed him in the order named: Reverend Fathers Miller, Ludwick, Hyland, Quigley, O'Brien and Kuhbler. In 1889 this church included in its congregation sixty families.
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