USA > Ohio > Fulton County > A standard history of Fulton County, Ohio, an authentic narrative of the past, with an extended survey of modern developments in the progress of town and county, Vol. I > Part 47
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The settlement of the southern part of Gorham Township had be- gun early in 1835. In the vicinity of Fayette, the Coffin and Cottrell families were preparing the way in the spring, according to family records, which state:
"In the spring of 1835 Freeman Coffin and Clement Coffin, with their families, left Williamsburg, Massachusetts, for the West. Gor- ham Cottrell and his eldest son, Erastus, accompanied the party. They came to Albany by stage, on the Erie canal to Buffalo, on Lake Erie to Munroe, and by stage to Adrian, Michigan, being seventeen days on the journey.
"Leaving their family with relatives in Palmyra, the four men came
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to this locality having bought Government land. The first house they built was Freeman Coffin's, and this was the first house in the town- ship. It stood a little east of, and nearer the road, than the dwelling now on the farm. It was of unhewn logs, cracks chinked and daubed with mortar, or perhaps clay. The roof was covered with 'shakes', made from logs sawn to the desired lengths, and then split. The floor was of planks, hewn out of logs.
"This house completed, Freeman Coffin returned to Palmyra, for his family. They came with their furniture, provisions, etc., in a wagon, drawn by a yoke of oxen, and spent the last night of their journey at the home of Mr. Goss, east of Woodworth's corners. They cut the road for their wagon all the way to their home, taking possession of it on July 10, 1835.
"The Clement Coffin house was built on his farm, adjoining on the . west, the one now owned by W. O. Ford. After a year or two, Clement Coffin sold his farm, and went to Iowa.
"The house of Gorham Cottrell was built next, on the farm adjoin- ing Freeman Coffin's, on the east, that now owned by Ansel Landis Ford. Mr. Cottrell's family came to their home in the early fall. His family consisted of three grown sons, three grown daughters, and two younger children. Mr. Cottrell gave to each of his grown sons one hundred and sixty acres of land near him, on which they afterwards built homes, and the locality was known for years as the 'Cottrell Settlement.'
"Forty-five acres were cleared on the Freeman Coffin farm the first summer, and sown to wheat, which produced an abundant crop the next summer. The nearest grist mill was at Tecumseh. Deer and wild turkey were abundant, and the early settlers often received visits from a camp of Indians on what was afterwards the Hosea Ford farm."
Freeman Coffin was a man of good family, and superior education. His cabin was the place in which the first religious services held in central Gorham were instituted. The majority of the early settlers were of the United Brethren faith, and the first service was conducted by Mr. Lillibridge, of the United Brethren Church, who came at the invitation of Mr. Coffin. The latter, however, was a Methodist, and although regular services of the United Brethren Church were insti- tuted, and held in his house, and he worshipped with them, Mr. Coffin would not join their society, his reason being that "their preachers, and they, did not believe in an educated ministry." Because of his religious fervor, and also of his apathy in respect to the United Breth- ren church, he was called by some of the United Brethren ministers "a speckled bird." However, soon after the first log schoolhouse was built on the Cottrell Settlement, Mr. Coffin invited itinerant ministers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and in 1838, or 1839, a Methodist Episcopal society was formed.
Mr. Coffin was a well-read man, and followed national questions with interest. He was well-posted on political matters, and through- out his life was a man of influence in Gorham Township, and Fayette.
The Cottrell family will ever be remembered in connection with Gorham Township, for it was because of Gorham Cottrell's connection with it that Gorham Township was so named. How it happened to be given that name is explained in the family records of the Coffin family. It appears that early in 1838 "other settlers had come in and located
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in other parts of the township, and a name was agreed upon for the new township." One record states that the name decided upon was that of the birthplace of Gorham Cottrell; in that case, the name agreed upon was Worthington. However, ' the Coffin record continues : "Erastus Cottrell went to the County Seat to have it confirmed, and there found there was another town of the same name in the state, and then he proposed his father's name for the town and township." The first election was held at the house of Erastus Cottrell, and the post- office first established in Gorham Township was named Gorham (or Forham), and was located in the house of Erastus Cottrell in 1839. Gorham Cottrell and his wife, Althea Whitmarsh, were natives of Worthington, Massachusetts. Gorham died in 1853, and his wife in 1867. He was one of the leaders in that part of Gorham in his day, and his eldest son, Erastus, was even more influential. He was the first justice of the peace in Gorham Township.
STREET SCENE, FAYETTE.
John Gillett came to the southwestern part of the township in 1835, but more is not on record regarding him and his family.
James Baker and his wife were in the township in the spring of 1835, and settled upon section 14, town 9 south, range 1 east. And in the same year came Martin Lloyd, Stephen Chaffee, William Sutton, Asa Butler, and William Griffin. Also in that year several families settled in what was considered to be Hillsdale County, Michigan, but what in reality was on the border line between Michigan and Ohio, part of the land being in each state, striding as it did the Harris line. These settlers were Henry Meach, Justice Cooley, James McCrillis, Sr., Orville Woodworth, Abel Perry, John Gould, and Henry Teneyke. . James Baker was an enterprising man, and when it became certain that the Plank Road would be laid through Royalton Township, by Elias Richardson, Baker set up a saw-mill near Lyons, and supplied Richard- son and other contractors with all the lumber needed for the Plank Road through Royalton and other townships.
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William Sutton, formerly of New York State, is stated to have come to Gorham probably in 1835, but if he did it was only to make preliminary arrangements for the clearing of some of his land in Gorham. He settled in Morenei, Michigan, in that year, and engaged in the hotel business, and did not move to his 320 aeres of land in Fulton county until 1838. He lived in Gorham Township from 1838 until 1868, when he went to Medina, Michigan, returning, however, in 1878. He and his wife, Rebecea, were the parents of fourteen children, among them Harvey, a veteran of the Civil war.
Asa Butler was the father of "Uncle" John Butler, of Inlet, Chester- field Township. John Butler was apprenticed to Alanson Briggs, and as a boy of thirteen rode along the ninety miles of forest trail as a post-boy twice weekly.
William Griffin eame in either 1835, or 1837, the latter year being the most probable, being corroborated by family record. William Griffin "was the head of a family of twenty-seven children," states Capt. C. L. Allen, "fourteen of whom were step-children." William, in early life, was a earpenter and cooper, and bought eighty aeres in Gorham. His son, William Henry, who was born in February, 1838, is said to have been the first male ehild born in Gorham Township. William Griffin died in 1843, but his widow lived until 1885, being then a nonogenarian. Their son, James L. Griffin, must be elassed with the pioneers of Gorham Township, for he developed mueh land on the outskirts of Fayette. Further referenee is made in the second volume to the Griffin family, which has been prominent in Fayette since its beginning. Mr. George W. Griffin states that he remembers shooting fireworks on the streets of Fayette sixty-one years ago, on the Fourth of July, the day being made memorable because of a sharp frost that morning.
In 1836, many more families eame in, the settlers ineluding Levi Crawford, Phillip Clapper, John Whaley, John C. Whaley, Aaron Priee, Nelson Fellows, and John Donaldson.
Stephen Chaffee, who settled in the eastern part of the township, was the man chiefly instrumental in bringing into establishment the historie old tavern, the Hardenburg Hotel, at Fayette.
Calvin Aekley eame from Fairfield County, Ohio, in 1840, settling in that part of Gorham which was then in Mill Creek Township, Williams county. He was the first postmaster at Fayette, and promi- nent in the sehool administration.
Verity records the settlers in Gorham during the four years, 1837-40, as George MeFarland, John Jacoby, Elisha A. Baker, Simeon Baker, Lueius Ford, Nathan Shaw, Hosea Ford, Elijah Snow, wife and family, three boys and three girls; George W. Sayles and family ; Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Whitman ; Abel Paul and family ; Justiee L. Hale and family ; Willard E. Gay, Nathan Salsbury, and his father, Nathan, Sr .; Joseph Sebring, Josiah Colvin, Benjamin Russell, Almon Riee, Milo Riee, John Kendall, M. D., James Griffin, Amos Kendall, M. D .; Hiram Hadley, Alanson Pike, Rensselaer S. Humphrey, and James P. Emeriek.
Ansel Ford, according to the family reeord, is supposed to have settled in Gorham Township in 1842, seeuring a tract of wild land one mile east and one mile north of the homestead ultimately owned by
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his grandson, Ansel L. Ansel and Deborah (Tower) Ford were the parents of ten children, including Charles, Otis, Amos, Lucius, Hosea, Cyrus, and Frank. It was a stalwart family of pioneers. Some of the sons are of good Civil war record; and all took part in the development of Gorham Township and Fulton county. Cyrus was one of the pioneers of the republican party in Fulton county, and one of the daughters married Nathan Shaw.
Regarding some of the pioneers of Gorham, Capt. C. L. Allen writes :
"Gorham Township (in the '50s) was being settled by sturdy pioneers from Pennsylvania and New York. They were a grand assortment of man, well fitted to tackle the dense forests of Gorham, and to hew out the fine farms their children, and grandchildren are now enjoying. Among the earliest, we remember the Hoffman boys, Samuel and Charley-a pair of giants, built for the occasion. There were also the Cottrells, Sardis, Joseph, and Gorham-in the same elass- and Elisha Gorham, Freeman Coffin, and also R. S. Humphrey, who in company with Dr. J. O. Allen built a grist and saw mill in 1856. There were the Fords, Hosea, Cyrus, and Lucius-all pioneer farmers, in class 1. Amos Kendall must be counted in, too, as must also Henry, John, and George Gamber-none better ever swung an axe; and none took more pride in a good, well-executed job. Then Henry and James P. Emerick must also have a place among the heroes of old Gorham. William Griffin, and his son, James L., must be counted in with the worthy pioneers, also Nathan Shaw, who arrived here in 1837. He was one of the early school teachers, and afterwards served as J. P. for several years. Israel Mattern was another old J. P., as well as a land clearer in Gorham. There are many others whose names I cannot now recall, but can safely assert that they were as grand and noble a set of men as ever started a country and lived to enjoy it."
Nathan Shaw, a settler of '38, came from Michigan. He taught school for several terms; and held several township offices; was for thirty years a member of the school board; was a justice of the peace, township treasurer and clerk, and generally was a useful, capable, public-spirited citizen.
George W. Sayles, and his wife and children, came from Onondaga County, New York, in 1838. They had six children, among them Benjamin L., who farmed in Gorham for many years, but later in life went into the livery business in Fayette, after having spent some inter- mediate years as a hotel proprietor in Clayton, Michigan.
ยท Benjamin Russell, by one version, did not settle in Gorham Township until 1844, coming from Seneca, Michigan, where he had been a grocery clerk; but he must have been in the township earlier, for in 1843 he was married to Elmina Ford, of Gorham. One of his children is stated to have died "from the poisonous effect of a potato-bug bite." Benjamin Russell lived for the greater part of his life on section 28, and owned latterly 240 acres in other parts, in addition to 200 acres of section 28.
Another well-known Russell family of old Gorham was that headed by John and Catherine (Fogleman) Russell, who settled. upon section 33, in 1853. John died in 1878, and his wife three years later. They had nine children, three of whom, Jeremiah, Ransom, and Rowland,
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enlisted for service during the Civil war. Another son, Silas B., married Catherine Hoffman, and eventually succeeded to 140 aeres entered by Daniel Hoffman, a settler of '44.
The Hoffman family had a good part in the development of Gorham. Daniel and Christina Hoffman came from Seneca County, New York, in 1844, and lived the remainder of their lives in Gorham, Daniel dying in 1873, and his wife in 1887, she being then ninety-one years old. Two worthy pioneers were their sons, Samuel and Charley, who Captain Allen describes as "a pair of giants, built for the occasion." Captain Allen recollects one visit those "boys" made shortly after he had located in Fayette. He writes: "Sam and Charley Hoffman eame up to dinner one day with a fawn, his legs securely tied with basswood bark, and made a feast of him." The two Hoffman "boys" began energetically to clear land soon after the family settled in Gorham, and although they had, possibly, not a hundred dollars between them when they canie, they eventually owned a fine farm of two hundred acres; and in addition owned real estate in Fayette. Samuel built two brick stores in Fayette, and for many years, in later life, engaged in mercantile business in that place, first with a Mr. Howard, and later with Mr. Dunnebarger.
Dr. John Kendall was the pioneer physician of Gorham Township. He eame in 1839, or 1840, and settled on seetion 35. He was one of the first judges appointed by the Governor, under the old constitution, to aet as associate of Judge Saddler, in the first sessions of Common Pleas Court of Fulton county, in 1850. In the '60s, however, he removed to Williams eounty. His son, Dr. Amos Kendall, was in practice in Fayette and Gorham for the greater part of his life. His wife, Mary H. McCrilles, will be remembered by most of the older residents of Fayette. She died in 1908, aged eighty-five years, and then "Fayette mourned the loss of one of its grand old ladies." When she and her husband settled in Gorham in 1843, "they lived in a log hut on the ground where Frank Hicker's house now stands," stated an obituary, "and their nearest neighbor was one mile east of town. At that early date, there were only blazed trails through the woods, and for several years they practically lived here alone." One record states that, Dr. Amos Kendall, in 1846, "settled on Bean Creek, near Chat- field's Saw-Mill, and commenced the practice of medicine. He, how- ever, stayed but a few years and then moved back to Gorham. where in later years he died." He was postmaster at Fayette for a term, and justiee of peace for many years.
Members of the Emerick family came into Gorham Township to settle in 1849, or 1850. Adam and James P., brothers, took up land in the township, Adam acquiring a traet of sixty aeres, in 1851, for $500. Another branch of the family was evidently that of Henry Emerick, who settled in Gorham at about the same time, coming from Seneca County, New York. Henry Emerick purchased eighty acres. James P. and Josiah D. Emerick volunteered for service from Gorham in the '60s.
The Pike family is of honorable record in Gorham. Alanson Pike is a name often encountered in early Gorham records. And L. J. Pike, his son, was one of the leading business men of Fayette for many years. "He was a Civil war veteran, being one of the very youngest of the
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'Boys in Blue,' going into service as a lad of sixteen." Judson Pike was born in Gorham on March 31, 1841, and lived his whole life in the county.
The Rice family was from Oneida County, New York State. They settled in Gorham in 1844.
Oliver B. Verity, who himself was an early resident of Gorham, lists the following as early settlers: Michael Martzoff, Ansel Ford, Sr., Asa Cottrell, Daniel Hoffman, Benedict Zimmerman, Cornelius Jones, Henry Emerick, John Saltzgaber, Oliver B. Verity, Day Otis Verity, James Henry Verity, Jacob Woodward, Abram Van Valkenburg, Na- than Salsbury, Jr .; Ephraim Sargent, Truman L. Scofield, Jacob Cox, Martin Bielhartz, William Conrad, Amos Ford, Philander Crane, Israel Mattern, Jacob Mattern, A. P. Boyd, Joseph O. Allen, Jacob Demerrit, John Gamber, Henry Gamber, George Acker, Sr., George Acker, Jr., Charles Hoffman, Samuel Hoffman, Isaac Hoffman, Daniel Hoffman, John Paul, Obadiah Griffin, John Woodward, Stilly Huffman, William Davis, Daniel Bear, William C. Ely, Joseph Ely, Benjamin Dee, Stephen Hicker, Franklin Ford, Amos Belden, Bainbridge Belden, John Mallory, Peter Holben, George W. Kellogg, Truman Whitman, John B. Kimmel, John D. Brink, Jared Parker, Peter F. Chambard, William F. Ward, Junius Chase, J. P. Ritter, Jacob Hipput, Thomas C. Lester, J. L. Wise, George Lewis, Ebenezer Lloyd, Lyman Ellsworth, George F. DuBois, George Graves, David F. Spenser, Edward Gamble, A. Amsbaugh, Rial Sweatland, Henry T. Caulkins, Daniel Rhodes, Oliver Town, Uriah S. Town, Hosea Harmdon, Isaac Town, John W. Lilley, George Gamber, Henry Punches, Samuel Farst, Hon. A. W. Flickinger, William Plopper, W. P. Garrison, William Thompson, John Wiley, and Josiah Woodworth. The last-named, however, was not, strictly, a resident of Fulton county, for he lived in Mill Creek Township, Williams county-in the part later ceded to Fulton county and including Gorham Township-and was killed by lightning, about four years before the erection of Fulton county. Verity also names those of a younger generation, "sons and daughters of these old pioneers" who also passed "through all the vicissitudes of a pioneer life": Gabriel D. Snow, Spencer T. Snow, and Dolly Farwell Snow, his wife; Benjamin L. Sayles, Columbus Sayles, and Ellen Scofield Sayles, his wife; Wendel A. Mace, and Amanda Bush Mace, his wife; James McCrillis, and Jane Sutton McCrillis, his wife; A. A. Gay, H. S. Conrad, Charles Conrad, Charles H. Van Ostrand, Thomas T. Baker, Byron M. Hoag, Asher E. Bird, Gorham Cottrell, Jr., Ezekial T. Griffin, George W. Coffin and his wife, Cyrus Ford and his wife, James Brink, John Cox, and Edwin Farwell. And of settlers, by "later immi- gration," since 1850, he named: Miles L. Wolcott, R. Todd, Harvey Baker, William Kinkaid, J. Reynolds, Abram Schneider, E. Jones, Anson A. Aldrich, S. Youngs, B. F. Robinson, Calvin W. Thomas, John Smith, S. A. Allen, C. Hettinger, John Bielhartz, J. Walkup, A. Kanaur, Thomas Ellis, Solomon Gotshall, S. Oswald, W. W. Oswald, J. Toosley, Herman A. Canfield, William Woolace, Jacob Gorsuch, Solomon C. Wynn, "and many others."
Ephraim Sargent, one record states, was in Gorham Township in 1833, with his father, of same name, and purchased a tract of eighty acres in 1836, for which he paid $250. Another record shows that
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Ephraim Sargent, Jr., and his wife, Huldah Collins, were living in Onondaga County, New York, in 1839, for their son, Oscar M., was born there in that year. And that record states that, in 1840, the three generations, Grandfather Ephraim, Father Ephraim, and the infant, as well as the other members of the family, which included four other sons of Ephraim, Sr., "came to Northwestern Ohio, making the voyage by boat on Lake Erie to Toledo, and thence proceeding by railroad to Adrian, Michigan, from which point they came overland to their destination, not many miles distant." Therefore, there is every probability that the statement that the family came in 1833, which would make Ephraim Sargent the pioneer settler of Gorham Township, is incorrect. Ephraim Sargent became "one of the influ- ential citizens and pioneer farmers of Gorham"; was the father of fourteen children by two wives; and cleared a large acreage of wild land. His son. Oscar M., married into the Cottrell family, and lived practically all his life in Gorham Township.
Amos Belding and his family settled in Gorham in 1846, coming from Massachusetts. They purchased thirty acres of wild land in that year, and lived upon that small farm all their lives, having eleven children, among them Eugene A., who married a daughter of Gorham Cottrell.
The Bielharz family has been in Gorham Township since 1846. Martin Bielharz was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, and came to America in 1832, the voyage taking eighty-one days. In 1845 he came into Gorham Township, and purchased a farm of 160 acres, upon which he lived until his death, in 1879. His widow, Mary (Rouch), survived him. Another Bielharz family of Gorham was that headed by Tobias, who probably was a brother of Martin. He settled in Gorham in 1846 also, and in 1856 paid $5 an acre for sixty acres, which eventually passed to his son, John H.
William H. Conrad and his wife and children came to Gorham in 1845, from Cortland County, New York. When they arrived they had a cash capital of $16, and probably little furniture. Yet, William Conrad lived to own almost five hundred acres of fine farm land, and to rear twelve children.
Edward and Elizabeth (Dickinson) Gamble were both of British birth and came from Richland County, Ohio, in 1845. He owned, eventually, 235 acres in Gorham, where he died in 1882, at the age of eighty-eight years. His wife died eight years earlier. They had four sons, Edward, Jr., John, Richard, and William.
Joseph Ely, who married Susan Struble, was one of the most capable of the early settlers. He came in 1838, and he is of record in almost all phases of public work. He was prominent in church work, and held most of the township offices; in addition, he was for fifteen years a county commissioner. He died in 1882.
Jacob and Maria (Goodman) Mattern. with a family of five children, arrived in Gorham in 1846. His record in the township is worthy, though short. He could not resist the call to service in 1861, even though he had many home ties. In August of that year he enlisted in the Thirty-eighth Ohio Regiment, under Colonel Bradley. In 1862, he returned home, discharged, because of physical disability. Soon afterwards he died. Two of his sons, B. F., and J. P., enlisted
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with him. J. P. was discharged in 1863, because of sickness, or wounds, but B. F. went through to veteran class. Truly, a worthy family record.
The Gamber family comes prominently into Fayette history. Henry and Polly (Hartrauft) Gamber, and their six children came all the way from Seneca County, New York, in 1852, in a heavy wagon, drawn by an ox-team, and a one-horse buggy was their only other vehicle. They took thirteen days to encompass the distance. He had at an earlier date purchased land in Gorham Township, and the family moved onto it. His property was 160 acres, of, or adjoining Fayette, "eighty acres being on each side of the town, as now established, with Main Strect as the southern boundary. He paid $750 for the eastern half, and $800 for the eighty acres on the western side, and about one-half of the present town of Fayette is on the land he thus pur- chased, and which he cleared and improved." The original Gamber homestead stood where later was built the fine brick residence occupied by their son, John J., who, it is said, came into the township in 1845. There was a log cabin on each tract when Henry Gamber took posses- sion, they being on opposite sides of the road, and about ten rods from the site of the brick residence before-mentioned. All but thirty-seven acres of the Gamber farms has been cut up for town lots. John Gamber, apparently, had another farm in Gorham Township, one of 160 acres, which he purchased in 1846 for $460. In 1863, he sold the farm and purchased a half interest in the steam planing mill of Humphrey and Allen at Fayette. In 1869, he disposed of that interest, and pur- chased the Fayette Hotel, selling that in 1872, and devoting his time to real estate. He was by trade a carpenter, and was street commissioner of Fayette at the time of the granting of the Charter.
The Van Valkenburg family settled in Gorham in 1847, Henry and Nancy (Hale) Van Valkenburg coming with their children to their tract of eighty acres which he had entered in 1845.
The Powers family is among the prominent families of Gorham today, but they were originally of Chesterfield Township, where they settled in 1844. The family did not buy Gorham land until 1871.
William Punches, and his wife, Catherine Miller, settled in the township in 1850. They had eleven children, and he had four children by a previous marriage. Their son, Henry, was township treasurer for many years, and had a family of nine children.
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