USA > Ohio > Trumbull County > A twentieth century history of Trumbull County, Ohio; a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests, Volume I > Part 34
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CHAPTER XXIV -- CEMETERIES.
FIRST BURYING-GROUND IN WESTERN RESERVE .- WARREN CEME- TERY AND ITS DISTINGUISHED DEAD .- COFFINS AND HEARSES .- OAKWOOD CEMETERY.
The first graveyard in Warren was probably located on the land now owned by the Iddings family on South street. There were few graves there, with some headboards, at the time John S. Edwards excavated for his house. There were burying places, probably of Indians (possibly of white men), notably where the old Methodist church stood on the river bank, and where Charles Angstadt's house stands on South street.
The first cemetery on the Western Reserve of which there is now any record is situated on Mahoning avenne (Warren) at the rear of the present residence of J. E. Beebe. As stated elsewhere, the turnpike, now known as Mahoning avenue, ran farther to the west and undoubtedly the cemetery was located on the street. The land was given by Henry Lane, Jr., to be used only for cemetery purposes. A strip for an entrance, about eighteen feet wide, was bought later of Joseph Crail, who occupied the present Beebe home. A few years ago the fence separating this from Mr. Beebe's land decayed and another one has never been erected. At different times efforts have been made to have this cemetery abandoned, without success.
In May, 1846, the town council appointed Joseph Perkins and George Ilapgood to superintend the erection of a suitable fence around the grounds of the cemetery. About sixty-five rods of fence was required, of oak boards and sawed oak posts, of suitable height.
The body of Mrs. John Hart Adgate was the first interred in that cemetery (1804), and the last was Mrs. Eunice Wood- row, wife of William S. Woodrow. Zephaniah Swift, chief jus- tice of Connecticut and the author of Swift's Digest, who died while visiting some members of his family here, was first
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interred in this old burying ground. later removed to Oakwood Cemetery. and has within a year been moved to a second resting place there. He was the great-grandfather of Miss Olive Harmon.
Whittlesey Adams says :
Many soldiers of the war of 1812-14 were buried here whose graves were originally marked by wooden head- stones, but are now wholly unmarked.
We mention herewith only a few of these having a local historical interest remaining yet in the old cemetery. Many of these graves are marked by substantial, well preserved head-stones and monuments with inscriptions.
General John Stark Edwards was the first county recorder, in 1800, of Trumbull County, which then included the entire Western Reserve. He was elected to Congress from this district in October, 1812, and died February 22. 1813. A monument such as deep affection would suggest was placed over his grave.
Daniel Dana, died in 1839. A Revolutionary soldier and the grandfather of Charles A. Dana, the noted editor of the New York Sun, and also the assistant secretary of war under Abraham Lincoln during the Civil war.
Calvin Austin, associate judge of the common pleas court. 1802 to 1807.
Samnel Leavitt, state representative. 1813-1814.
General Roswell Stone, a brilliant young lawyer and state representative in 1826, died in 1833.
William Cotgreve, state representative in 1815-1816.
Elihu Spencer, died in 1819, editor of the Western Reserve Chronicle in 1817 and 1818.
Thomas D. Webb, editor of the Trump of Fame in 1812 to 1815. the first newspaper published in the Western Reserve. He was also state senator in 1828-9.
Sammel Chesney, assistant postmaster of Warren from 1812 to 1833.
Jolm Tait, a fearless and enthusiastic disciple of Alex- ander Campbell during the twenties and thirties.
William L. Knight, prosecuting attorney of Trumbull County. 1835-1839.
John Supple, an educated expert accountant and book- keeper of Gen. Simon Perkins, 1830-1844.
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Henry Lane, a state representative in 1816, 1818, 1819 and 1826. who was also a donor, about 1800, of the land on which the old cemetery now stands.
Eli Hoyt, member of the Warren Guards, and killed by the accidental discharge of a gun in March, 1843.
E. W. Coats, a prominent merchant during the forties. The grave is surrounded by a substantial iron fence, but the head-stone is broken and down. After his death in 1846 regularly once a year his widow, during her life. journeyed from her distant home in eastern New York state to Warren to tenderly plant flowers on and care for his grave.
Howard, only son of Hon. R. P. Ranney, chief justice of the supreme court of Ohio for ten years, 1851-1862, died in 1846.
Samuel Elwell, father of Gen. John Elwell, who was a state representative in 1854-5, and anthor of a well known work on medical jurisprudence.
The wife and daughters of Zalmon Fitch, who was the first cashier of the Western Reserve Bank, the first bank on the Western Reserve, from 1812 to 1838.
The children of Oliver H. Patch, merchant and mayor of the city in 1849.
The wife and children of Cyrns Bosworth, sheriff of Trumbull County from 1825 to 1829, and also a state repre- sentative in 1822-3.
The wife of General T. JJ. MeLain, editor of the War- ren Weekly News Letter from 1830 to 1838, who was also a banker and mayor of the city.
The children of A. W. Parker, editor of the Western Reserve Chronicle from 1832 to 1853.
Hiram, a brother of Hon. Lewis M. Iddings, consul gen- eral at Cairo, Egypt.
Lucy, a danghter of James Hoyt, mayor of the city in 1845-8.
Mary Forman, 1838, the mother of John C. Forman. a prominent business man of Cleveland for the past forty years.
Mr. Arthur Woodrow, whose father and mother rest in this picturesque spot, has given the editor the names of the
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following persons whose bodies at one time were buried in this cemetery :
Il. Rutan; J. Adgate; Cornelia Crowell, daughter of General John Crowell; Dr. Sylvanus Seely; William McFar- land ; Robert McFarland; Isaac Ladd; William Woodrow; Will- iam Smith Woodrow; Robert Gordon; Horace Rawdon; Johna- than Rawdon; Charles Stevens; Henry Harsh; JJacob Harsh; Susannah Canfield, an aunt of George and M. B. Tayler, and David Bell.
William Smith Woodrow lived in a house which stood on the lot Dr. Sherwood now owns. He was a carpenter and cabinet maker. He had a shop on that place, and his son. Arthur Wood- row, says: "Many a night have I held the candle while father made and stained a black walnut coffin. At that time a solid black walnut coffin could be bought for $5.50, and when covered with black it cost from $8.50 to $12.50."
Mr. Adams says :
"Previous to abont 1841 a bier instead of a hearse was used at the funerals in Warren. A bier was a framework on which the coffin or casket containing the corpse was laid before burial, also on which it was carried on the shoulders of four men from the house to the grave. The bier when not in use was kept in the conference room of the basement of the frame church building of the Presbyterians on Mahon- ing avenne. The bier ceased to be used about 1841, when Peter Falk, a liveryman, brought out a very plain, solemn appearing vehicle on four wheels and two side curtains and called it a hearse. Its cost was not exceeding $75. This was nsed until about 1867, when John O. Hart and Nathan Folsom, who had a livery stable located on the southeast corner of South Park avenue and Franklin street, brought out a carriage of better appearance, with glass sides and of more modern style. This hearse cost about $600."
In 1848 Jacob Perkins, Frederick Kinsman and Joseph Per- kins purchased about sixteen acres of land east of Red Run on the present Niles avenue, in order that the growing town might have a suitable place for burying its dead. One or two infor- mal meetings of persons interested were held and, finally, in 1850 John Harsh, L. J. Iddings, Frederick Kinsman, Joseph Perkins, Mathew Birchard, Richard Iddings, D. B. Gilmore,
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Hiram Iddings, B. F. Hoffman and Orlando Morgan, at a meet- ing held in the Iddings & Morgan store, Chester Bidwell and Jacob Perkins also being present, resolved to incorporate the Oakwood Cemetery Association. The improvements made on this cemetery, with, one exception, have been from the sale of lots. Frederick Kinsman left by will a sum of money to be used in making a lake, but the trustees conelnded that it was not best to have a body of water on that ground, and the money reverted to the Kinsman heirs, who used it in purchasing a memorial window for the Episcopal church. The year before the association was formally organized, Elizabeth Lewis Iddings, the only daughter of Richard and Justina L. Iddings, died and her body was interred on this land. This was, therefore, the first burial in Oakwood Cemetery.
The association bought from the assignee of S. L. Free- man additional land, and now the traet is several times as large as the original. The last purchased from the south side of the Erie track is a beautiful wood to which there had been no direct access by road, since the land in front of it was purchased.
A few years since, the association erected a chapel at the entrance of the cemetery where services could be held, and during the past year Mrs. H. B. Perkins has erected a white marble chapel and vault which she has presented to the asso- ciation in memory of her husband, Henry B. Perkins. This building is large enough for burial services and is a handsome, artistic structure.
CHAPTER XXV.
AGRICULTURAL FAIRS .- FIRST MILLS.
The early settlers were deeply interested in agriculture and when they gathered together socially or for the purpose of raising buildings, they compared experiences with beneficial results.
In the Chronicle of January 7, 1819, is a notice of a meet- ing of the people of this vicinity at the house of James Hillman, December 22, 1818, for the purpose of organizing an agrienl- tural society. George Tod, William Rayen and Calvin Pease were a committee to prepare and report articles. Robert Mont- gomery was clerk of the meeting and Samuel Bryson, chair- man. An address was made, which is printed, explaining in detail the objects, one of which was to encourage domestic man- nfacturers. "By domestie we mean products of family industry. Idleness is destructive to every social as well as moral principle. Many families are idle for the very best of reasons -because they have nothing to employ themselves abont. They are in the habit of buying that which they want; and that which they do manufacture they slight, because it is only for every- day use. An emulation is wanted. If family fabrieks were made of better material, with more care and pride, foreign stuff's would soon be out of fashion and of course out of use."
In August, 1821, at the Cattle Show and Fair, the com- mittee announced "Plowing match to start at 12:00 o'clock." These carly fairs were not for the people of present Trumbull County alone but for the whole vicinity. Mrs. Angeline War- wood, whose father was Mr. Lee, of Farmington, remembers attending a fair held in the court house when she was a girl. She is now eighty-five and lives in Warren. This was probably for domestic products only, possibly fruits. Mrs. Warwood says that members of her family entered rag carpets, and she remembers how these carpets and quilts were hung for display from the balcony in the court house.
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The managers of the Trumbull County Agricultural Fair in 1846 were Thomas J. MeLain, Sr., Frederick Kinsman, Daniel Gilbert, Samuel Quinby, John Hutchins and Chester Bidwell.
In the early premium lists the cash prizes were rather small and the committee awarded other articles, possibly con- tributed by merchants or manufacturers. For instance, in the premium list of 1850 the best coop of turkeys received fifty cents and the Ohio Cultivator. In that day the premiums on bed quilts was just the same as it is now, and as some of the same bed quilts have been on exhibition almost every year in the last twenty years, there is a possibility that some of those which were shown in 1850 are still being entered.
In 1860 Z. T. Ewalt, of Howland, received the first pre- mimum on turkeys, his wife received a dollar for the first premium on bread, and Mrs. Morris Iddings, the second premium on domestic flannel.
In the early published premium lists, if any young girl was fortunate enough to secure a premium, that fact was not pub- lished in her own name, but in her father's. For instance if Mary Smith received twenty-five cents for the best crocheted tidy, when published we read "Twenty-five cents for best crocheted tidy-daughter of William Smith." This was a little indefinite, since there were usually several daughters. Read- ers, then and now, would have been astonished to have read, "Fifty cents, coop of ducks, son of William Smith," and John Smith, whose father was William, would have called attention to the fact that he was an individual and had an individual name.
In the early days of the Agricultural Association, horse racing was a feature. Men drove their own trotting horses. During the war time, Warren citizens paid as high as five dollars to witness these farmers' trots. It was real pleasure, too, because the best horse really beat. Now-a-days, people sit in the grand stand and jockeys sell the races, and the people themselves are "sold." There never was a time when the people of Trumbull County were so fooled and so manipulated, apparently unknowingly, as at the present time.
Among the trials of the early settlers was the preparing of grain so that it could be used for food. In the beginning, as stated elsewhere, two stones were placed together, the upper
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one having a spring pole, or other kind of devices for moving it, and between these stones wheat and corn were ground by hand. It was a slow, tedious process, and, unless the greatest pains were taken, was not well done. Among the most grievous trials of the early settlers was going to mill because there were no roads and no bridges. As soon as possible mills were erected in the vicinity of settlements. The first mill in old Trumbull County was at Willoughby and was in working con- dition in the fall of 1798. The second was between Youngstown and Canfield at the fork of Indian river. The author does not know whether this was the Mill Creek mill or not. The third was erected in the fall of 1799 in that part of Cleveland which for many years was known as Newburg.
The first mill in Warren was built by Henry Lane and Charles Dally. In June, 1800, they began the construction of a dam across the Mahoning river where the present dam now is. It was not finished that season and the high water and ice during the winter destroyed it. The next year they worked faithfully, friends assisting them, but the dam was not finished and in use until 1802. This dam is still standing, although it has been raised and repaired. On this site now stands the Warren Water & Light Company's plant. In 1844 Chancey Porter came to Warren from Meadville, Pennsylvania, and erected a sawmill on upper Mahoning avenue about where the ford is. After a time he noticed that flax grew very abundantly and that the seed was little used. He conceived the idea of having a flax mill. The grist mill which Henry Lane had built, and of which Dally was part owner, had been bought by Gideon Finch, then James VanGorder. Mr. Porter purchased this mill with the idea of making linseed oil. His theory in regard to the manufacture of oil was right, but he had not the means to carry it on. He was the first Warren man to grind the flax-seed for market. Giles O. Griswold observed Mr. Porter's experiments, concluded it was a good business and bought him out. Thus was the same old story told over of the man without money and with inventive genius, and the man with money. Mr. Griswold later built a down-town mill. Daniel Camp and some others owned the upper mill, and finally Mr. Griswold bought the property, repaired it, installed up-to-date machinery, and it was destroyed by fire in 1880 and never rebuilt. Chancey Porter and his family were long identified with Warren. He
(Photo loaned by Fred Byard. )
THE UPPER DAM AND WATER WORKS. On the right is the site of the first Van Gorder mill, owned by Justus Smith, and also of the oil mill. On the left, further up the bank, was the Dally farm, where the first white child was born.
HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
lived on Monroe street in a house which stood where the resi- dence of E. C. Andrews now stands. When his son Byron was married the barn which stood on his place was moved onto the property west of the house and made into a residence. This has been removed while this history was being written, and Judge Chryst has erected a house upon the spot. The ok Porter house was burned, and the Misses Calendar, sisters of Mrs. E. E. Hoyt, built the present residence. Chancey Porter was leading his cow down Mahoning avenue, and as he passed over a slniceway which was in front of the present residence of Edward Kneeland, the cow either became unruly or fright- ened, pulled him into the ditch, and he sustained injuries from which he died. His son Alanson had a large family of children, most of whom reside in Warren. They are Charles, Henry, Edward, Joseph, Mary; Addie, the oldest daughter is recently deceased. William resides in Cleveland, and James in Youngstown. The latter is the youngest of the boys by the first wife (maiden name Ray) and is one of the most accom- plished photographers in the state. He has taken several valuable prizes at National Photographic exhibitions.
Although the upper mill was the oldest and the most his- toric, there was only a year or two difference between the construction of that dam and the lower dam, which ran from the corner of Main and Market streets across the river. This dam was constructed by George Loveless, who came to Warren in 1800. He was the great uncle of Frank, Charles and William Loveless of this city. Ile owned ninety-seven acres of land on the west side of the river. Part of this he sold to Mr. Daniels and part to Ephraim Quinby. It is family tradition that he owned part of Quinby Hill. He was proprietor of Warren's first store, which stood on the east side of Main street, probably below Franklin. It was a log building. He had fine business ability and was industrious, as are his descendants.
There were several mills of one kind and another at the west side of this dam. James Scott, who seemed to have been a very industrious citizen, had a contract for these buildings, and they finally passed into the possession of James L. Van- Gorder, who not only kept hotel, had landed interests, took contracts for certain buildings, but always was identified with the mill properties in this city. His sons AAlbert and George
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were associated with him in the lower mill and continued in that business all of their business life.
James L. VanGorder owned both upper and lower mills. The carding, spinning, weaving and fulling mill of Benjamin and Charles Stevens stood just below the lower VanGorder mill. North of the VanGorder mill was a factory used by the Stevenses for furnishing satinets, and farther north, a limber mill, by James Scott.
In Benjamin and Augustus Stevens' advertisement on June 17, 1819, we find: "Cloth will be received and dressed on the shortest notice, and in the neatest manner, and at all seasons of the year, provided enongh is received for a mill full."
When the canal was built in Warren, the dam was moved south to where it still stands. Before this dam was raised, when the water was low, people standing on the Market street bridge could see the remains of the Loveless dam.
As stated above, Giles O. Griswold was the first man to operate extensively an oil mill in the present Trumbull County. The goodly fortune which he left was largely acquired in the oil business. His first mill was on Upper Mahoning avenue; the second on Dawson street. Some years before his death he ereeted a fine plant in the northeast portion of the city. This is now occupied by the C. A. Crane Company. Mr. Griswold was an ardent Baptist, a bank official, and during middle lite . his home was one of the most hospitable of the city. Mrs. Griswold was a gracious hostess and greatly esteemed by War- ren people. Their home is now owned by A. G. Judd. a relative.
CHAPTER XXVI.
WARREN DEBATING SOCIETY .- MEMBERS AND DESCENDANTS .-- PUB- LIC LIBRARY .- CIRCULATING LIBRARY .- WARREN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION .- THE CARNEGIE LIBRARY .- TRUMBULL COUNTY ARTISTS.
*The young men who lived ninety years ago in Warren were progressive in all matters pertaining to good citizenship, and they organized a debating society on the evening of October 20. 1817. Certain rules and regulations were established by which they were governed. Constitution and by-laws were duly adopted, meetings were held each week. Questions for disens- sion were presented by different members. From these several questions the president selected the one to be discussed at the next following meeting. The merits of the question each even- ing were decided by the president and the merits of the argument were decided by three judges.
The president selected five members each evening who were to take the affirmative and five members to take the negative sides of the debate.
We give a few extracts from the records of the society :
"The following persons having met on the evening of the 20th of October, 1817, for the purpose of forming themselves into a debating society, did ordain and establish certain rules and regulations by which they resolved to be governed: Cyrus Bosworth, H. F. Leavitt, Wheeler Lewis, Edward Potter, John Love, George Mygatt, Henry Stiles, S. E. Bishop, Isaac Ladd.
"Wheeler Lewis was duly elected president and H. F. Leavitt secretary pro tem. The following question was chosen by the president to be discussed on the evening of the 23rd inst., at which time the society resolved to meet: 'Is Nature Generally More Pleasing to the Eye than Art?' Messrs. John
*This sketch of the Debating Society was prepared by Whittlesey Adams.
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Harsh, R. Fleming, Martin Bentley, Thomas G. Stewart, Benja- min Stevens, Edward Fling and John B. Harmon were admitted members of the society. William Bishop was elected to pre- side at the next evening of meeting as president, after which the society adjourned."
October 30, 1817, the question was discussed and decided in the affirmative, after which the following gentlemen were admitted members: Samuel Quinby, Thomas Wells, Heman R. Harmon, John Gordon, William Quinby and Horace Stewart. A motion was made by the society that the present constitution compiled and recommended by H. F. Leavitt be revised and Messrs. Bishop, Bosworth, Leavitt, Bentley and Harmon were appointed a committee to revise the same. The following ques- tion was selected for the subject of the next debate: "Is War a Greater Evil than Luxury?" William Bishop was re-elected president for the next evening.
March 2, 1820, society convened; Samuel Leavitt, presi- dent; Edward Flint, secretary; Roswell Mason, treasurer. The question debated this evening was: "Was the Last War an Advantage to the American Nation?"
Arguments for the affirmative were by Roswell Stone, John Brown, Eward Flint. Arguments for the negative were by George Swift and Benjamin Stevens.
The merits of the question were decided by the president in favor of the affirmative, and the merits of the arguments in favor of the negative.
The officers for the ensuing term were elected this evening, viz .: President, Roswell Mason; secretary, Edward Flint; stand- ing committee, George Swift, Roswell Stone and George Mygatt.
The question selected for the next evening was: "Would a Foreign War Be Beneficial to the United States?" The affirmative to be argued by H. Stevens. George Mygatt, George Swift and Benjamin Stevens. The negative to be argued by Roswell Stone, Adamson Bentley and Isaac Ladd.
The judge for the next evening was E. Leavitt, signed Edward Flint, secretary.
The following is a list of the names of the members: Lorran Andrews, Samuel E. Bishop, Cyrus Bosworth, James Clark, Seabury Ford, Edward Flint, John Gordon, Levi Hadley, Heman R. Harmon, John B. Harmon, Walter King, George Swift, Francis Freeman, Roswell Stone, Roswell Mason, John Brown.
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Edward Potter, A. L. Norton, Isaac Ladd, H. F. Leavitt, Samnel Leavitt, Jolin Love, George Mygatt, Calvin Pease, Edward Potter, Sammel Quinby, William Quinby, Benjamin Stevens, Horace Stevens, Thomas G. Stewart, Wheeler Lewis, James D. Burnham, John Harsh, R. Fleming, Martin Bentley, Jacob II. Baldwin, Adamson Bentley, Thomas Wells, George Hapgood, Augustus Stevens, Henry Stiles, Josiah Sonle.
Seabury Ford was nominated for governor by the Whig State convention on February 10, 1848, on the fifth ballot. Ezra B. Taylor, from Portage comty, and Jacob Perkins, from Trum- bull County, were delegates in the convention. Seabury Ford was elected governor on the Whig ticket in October, 1848, and a month later the state went Democratic at the presidential election. Seabnry Ford was very popular among his Whig brethren. He was the last governor of Ohio ever elected by the Whig party. Ezra B. Taylor and Jacob Perkins were the vonngest members of the Whig State convention of 1848.
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