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 39
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William Sager, of Shenandoah, Virginia, with his family arrived in Bristol in 1805. He was one of the early Germans of the Reserve. The first night spent in Bristol was with his sister, Elizabeth, Mrs. Abraham Banghman. Mr. Baughman, with his two sons, started ont to cut a road a mile and a half long to Mr. Sager's land. Mr. Sager, his wife and one child were obliged to sleep in their wagon for some time. He, how- ever, built his log cabin which was constructed as they all were, and when he had one floor finished he moved in. That year they had born to them a son. Jacob, who was the first white child born in Bristol. Later they had six other children. These children were afterwards substantial citizens of the township and the county. Rebecca married Mr. Hyde of Farm- ington. Mr. Sager's father, Gabriel, was a Mennonite. He came to Bristol in 1810. His son, Samuel, came in 1811 and stayed five years, when he removed to Beaver county, Penn- sylvania. Two of his daughters married Baughmans, and two
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BRISTOLVILLE PARK.
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Barbes. The Baugliman families did not stay very long in Bristol, but the Barbes are among the substantial citizens there now.
William Barbe also came from Shenandoah county and both he and John had large families of children. Margaret Barbe married Mr. Parker of Bristolville; Barbara, Mr. Thay- er of North Bristol, and Elizabeth, Mr. Norton.
It will be seen then that the early settlers of Bristol were Germans, and some of the German characteristics still adhere to their descendants.
Bristol settled very slowly. It was midway between the north and the south, both of which developed fast. It was not until the turnpike was constructed, and supplies could be se- eured more easily that the township began to fill up.
Gabriel Sager taught the first school in the winter of 1810- 11. His pupils being his relatives and friends, his lessons all being said in German. Two years later the first English school was held in a log cabin about a quarter of a mile north of Bristolville. The teacher was Seth I. Ensign. Two years later the daughter of Rev. Joseph Badger, Lucy, taught school. in a cabin near Bristolville. The first schoolhouse was erected at North Bristol in 1812 by William Barbe, Samuel and William Sager. At a very early time there was a log schoolhouse at Bristolville.
As a rule German school teachers were ministers. and vice versa. Gabriel Sager, who taught the first school, organized the first church. He was a Mennonite, and, like all the followers of Menno, he did not believe in infant baptism, and refused to take oath of any kind to hold office, or to support the state in war. Some of the organizations believed in the washing of feet. Members of this section are now found in the Netherlands, Germany, Russia, but are numerous in the United States. The services were held in Mr. Sager's house. The society did not grow greatly, never erected a church building, and disbanded after their leader's deatlı.
What was true in many other townships in old Trumbull County was true in Bristol. They had a society of Bible Chris- tians whose first preacher was Rev. John Cheney. Meetings were held in schoolhouses, homes, and newly built barns, about 1818. Among the members of this organization were Deacon Abijah Lee and his wife of Farmington. Most of the members of this class later became Disciples.
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At different times the Baptists, both Calvinists and Free Will, had small organizations within the township. In 1817 Rev. Giles H. Cowles, AAbial Jones and Joseph Treat organized a Presbyterian church for both Bristol and Bloomfield. This was not only for both towns but both Congregationalists and Presbyterians had advantage of it. After a while the name Bloomfield was dropped and the church was known as the Pres- byterians and Congregationalists church of Bristol. The ques- tion of slavery which disrupted so many churches had its effect on this organization and it withdrew from the presbytery. After some of the older members had died, and the question of slavery was settled this church was attached to the Congregational system. The first standing moderator of the church was John Barnes. He and Lyman Ferry made the church committee, and Rollard Dutton was the first clerk. Among the early preachers were the Rev. Mr. Cole, Jones, Curtis, Leslie and Miller. The first church belonging to this combination of Presbyterians and Congregationalists was erected by the Presbyterians. The next was a two-story frame building and was built on the town land of the village near the old graveyard. In 1847 a comfortable church was dedicated.
Although the early history of the Methodist churches in old Trumbull County is exceedingly interesting because of the personnel of the early circuit riders, very little history is pre- served in regard to them. This was due to the fact that the ministers moved often, even when they had a charge, and most of them were itinerant. In 1818 Rev. Ira Eddy formed a class in Bristol. Jolin Norton and wife, John Hammond and wife, Magdalena and Hannah Kline were the six members. The meetings of this early class, like the beginnings of most all churches, were held in schoolhonses, houses and barns. Some- times there would be a deserted cabin which would be used. This was true of Bristol. When a two-story schoolhouse was built the meetings were held there and about the time the Presbyterian church was constructed the Methodists built a church also. In 1881 this house was remodeled, Mrs. Dr. Brockett giving $1,000 toward this work. This church is at present in a prosperous condition.
The members of the Bible Christians, who became Disciples, attended services in Bloomfield, but in 1868 Rev. J. N. Smith and Rev. N. N. Bartlett organized a Disciple church with Hiram Thayer and A. A. Honse as overseers. Jacob Sager Sr.,
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the first white child born in the county, was one of the deacons. This society immediately set about building a church which cost $2,000. Rev. N. N. Bartlett was the first pastor, Rev. Edwin Wakefield preached one year, and his son, Rev. E. B. Wakefield, took charge of the congregation in 1874. Under his leadership the elmreh grew and he divided his time between Bloomfield and Bristol.
At one time there was a Society of Dunkards in Bristol but it never thrived.
The early settlers of Bristol hoped to make nse of the Grand river as a highway, but the stream was shallow, full of underbrush and logs, and except at very high water, when it was almost impossible to draw loads to the river, it was not navigable. Produce was carried to Painesville by the Sagers and Banghmans, but it was found too laborious to be remunerative.
It is supposed that men of some sort resided in Bristol before the early settlers here mentioned. On William Sager's place, when he determined to clean ont a spring for his well, he found it had been stoned np by somebody who had preceded him. In plowing he found black earth which was of the nature of charcoal. His son, Joseph, as a hoy, when digging in the dirt, found some earthen vessels. From this evidence it was concluded that somebody at some time made pottery on this Sager farm.
Indians were very often, in the early days, at Bristol, but nothing could be learned from them in regard to the pottery, and if it was the work of red men, it was some other red men than those with whom the settlers were familiar, since they were not handy with tools, or given to labor.
Bangliman's ereek was so full of fish when the early settlers arrived that they furnished a large part of the food and quantities of them were salted.
As narrated in some of the other townships, and in the general history, the temperance agitation began at an early date by men and women in different sections refusing to serve whiskey at raisings, and in women refusing to drink wine at weddings, but so far as we know, Bristol is the first town which took on the erusade method. In 1858 we read "A week or two sinee fifty women and a party assembled and made an attack on the grocery of one Miller; some dragged the proprietor out of doors, and held him down, while others knocked in the head
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of his cider, whiskey, vinegar, and rum barrels. Miller has commeneed a suit against them."
Lyman Potter, the first justice of the peace, performed the marriage service for Jacob Baugliman and Barbara Good. It was the first marriage in the township. Mr. Potter kept the first tavern.
Emmet Moore, who died of consumption in 1810. was the first adult person buried in the township burying-ground at the center.
CHAPTER XXXIV .- CHAMPION.
THE RUTAN FAMILY .- A PET DEER .- WILLIAM WOODROW .- MRS. WALKER'S EXPERIENCE WITH A BEAR .- EARLY SCHOOL TEACHERS .- CHURCHES.
Township 5, range 4. was named Champion for Henry Champion, of Connecticut, who was land agent for this section of the country. A few families came to the town- ship about 1800, settling in the southern part of the township. They paid $2.50 per acre for their land. Because of the growth of Warren, the owners of this property thought it was likely to increase also and raised the price to $10.00. For this reason the town was one of the last to be settled. It has never been very thickly settled and the land on the western border is heavy with clay.
The first settler was named Nichols. He stayed but a little time and no record can be had of him.
The first permanent settler was William Rutan, who came in 1806. His wife was Hannah Lane, of Bellvernon, Pennsyl- vania. Mr. Rutan and his family have been among the pros- perous and influential people of Champion. He intended to settle in Warren, but after staying there a year concluded to move onto the rolling country at the north. There were two children, Catharine, who was born in Pennsylvania, and Henry L., born in Warren. Mr. Rutan's log cabin was the first residence built in the township by a permanent settler. Indians camped between Warren and the Rutan cabin, in and abont the woods, which until a few years ago, when the trees were removed, has been chosen for camps when white men wish to camp, and by gypsies who cared to make a stop in the vicinity of Warren. The Indians were always friendly, but they stole chickens and teased for supplies.
In 1835 Catharine Rutan married Solon Gilson and died a few months later. She and her mother, naturally companion.
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able, had been drawn into close relationship by their pioneer life, and in less than a year the mother died.
William Rutan married, then, Rebecca Shield Guy, of Boardman. She was born in West Virginia, her father was a slave holder, but when he saw that slavery was wrong he freed his men. One old colored man refused to be freed and came north with the family. The second Mrs. Rutan had a daughter, Mary Guy, and a little time after Mary Guy came with her mother into the Rutan family, Ilenry L. Rutan, the remaining child, married her. Thus the family was doubly connected.
The oldest daughter of Henry Rutan, Hannah, says that when her mother first came to Champion she caught a young fawn which had strayed from the woods into the fields. It soon became a gentle pet. It would often go into the woods, play with the young deer, but if anything frightened it, ran home bouncing over the fences, and rushing into the family bedroom, where it felt safe. One day a hunter killed it, and when he found the bell around its neck, knew it was Mary's deer, and brought the bell home to her with many apologies.
The home of the Rutans was built in 1820 and is yet in excellent repair. Ilannah married John Crawford, the artist, and when she became a widow, returned from Warren to Cham- pion, where she spent the rest of her days. Her danghter, Mrs. Burton Gray, resides in Boston. Martin Luther Rutan and Mary still reside in this old home, which has held five genera- tions of happy people.
Soon after William Rutan settled in Champion, William Woodrow and his wife, Martha Smith, bringing their two chil- dren, came from Westmoreland, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Wood- row rode on horseback and carried her son, about two years and a half old, in her arms. Besides this load, the horse had saddlebags packed with household articles. Mr. Woodrow walked, drove two cows, carried a knapsack on his back in which was his six-month old son. They had shipped their goods to Pittsburg to be transferred to Beaver, where they would be brought to Warren and thence to Champion. Mr. Woodrow had been in Champion the year before and had built a cabin which stood about where the present Presbyterian church stands. They had nine children, seven boys and two girls, all except one of whom reached adult age. The two youngest were twins, called Calvin and Alvin. In 1828 Mr.
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Woodrow erected the family homestead, which still stands and is in good condition. It was made of bricks which were manu- factured in the vicinity. The Rutan and Woodrow families were very closely connected. When the man of one of the households was away, the wife of that house took her babies and spent the night in the home of the others. Although the Indians seemed always friendly, the women were more or less afraid of them. William Woodrow was more or less of a joker, as were his descendants, and, one night when his wife and bab- ies were staying at the Rutan house, he came home in the even- ing and, taking on the Indian way, crept stealthily up to the porch, opened the door, and grabbed Mr. Rutan, to the horror of the women and the children, and probably Mr. Rutan as well. In looking over the records of Champion we find the his- tory of these two families interwoven. The two sons, Henry Rutan and Smith Woodrow, were both great hunters.
The first election was held at the house of William Wood row. He was one of the township clerks. William Rutan was one of the trustees.
In the formation of the Presbyterian church, Mr. Rutan and Mr. Woodrow were alternately appointed commissioners to different meetings, of the presbytry to make arrangement for the establishment of a church.
William Rutan built the first frame house in the town- ship: William Woodrow built the first brick.
The Woodrow children married and settled largely in this part of the country. William Smith Woodrow, commonly known as Smith, married Eunice L. Holts of Massachusetts. An old lady who attended the Presbyterian church in Warren said that Mr. and Mrs. Smith Woodrow were the handsomest couple that ever walked into the Presbyterian church. As a good share of their life was spent in Warren, their history is given under that town.
John Woodrow married Polly Cox of Bristol and lived and died on the Champion state road. Nelson, the son, lived upon his father's place on the State road.
Morgan married Mary Cleveland, lived for a time in War- ren, and went to Michigan, where he died.
Mary married John Ewalt of Howland. He moved to Pittsburg.
Henry lived and died upon the old place in Champion. He had three wives, all of whom belonged to old and distinguished
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families in Trumbull County. His first wife was Lydia Wol- cott. a connection of Mrs. John M. Stull; his second wife was Neviah Elwell, a sister of the well known "Father" Elwell of Warren; and the third, was Fannie Estabrook, who is a half- sister of Miss Mary Estabrook, now residing in Warren. Mr. and Mrs. Woodrow died within twenty days of each other.
Polly Woodrow married a Mr. Lane, of Lordstown.
In 1816 John Chambers and his wife, Mary Imlay, came to live in Champion. Mary died in 1829, leaving seven chil- dren, three of whom were girls. John married for a second wife Rachel Laird Morrison, a daughter of James Laird, and so good a stepmother was she that all these seven children loved her dearly. One of these daughters, Hannah, the school teacher, married William Laird of Mesopotamia. Eliza mar- ried Joseph Pierce, and was greatly beloved by all the children of the township. Mary married Edward Pierce in 1856, and lived all her life within a mile of her birthplace.
Andrew Donaldson was a neighbor of William Rutan, liv- ing there twenty years. In 1826 the four families mentioned above were the only families living in Champion.
Edward Pierce, of Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, was the first of the second set of emigrants. He came to Champion in 1828. The family settled in a weaving house where the Woodrow girls spun and wove the clothing for their large family. As soon as their log cabin was done, they entered it and lived there a long time.
Another of the early families was that of the Dursts. They, too, were Pennsylvanians, and they, too, had large families. Their goods were loaded onto a big wagon and on this Mrs. Durst and her little children rode while the older children and Mr. Durst walked. Up to 1829 almost all of the settlement of Champion was in the southern part. James Walker and his wife, Margaret Cowen, made the first settle- ment in the northeastern part of the township. Mr. Walker and his brother, Samnel, made a road five miles long running from their farm to Red Run. While this was being done Mrs. Walker stayed at the cabin, taking care of the children and the animals. This was quite a care since at that time there were no doors in their cabin and the wild animals could easily enter the first floor. Usually Mrs. Walker took her children up into the loft and dragged the ladder after her. As this sec- ond story was never very high it was not a comfortable place
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to spend the night. One night there was a great disturbance about the enclosure where a cow and calf was kept. The next morning she found a bear had been trying to breakfast upon one or both of the animals. She could see the prints of his feet. She started on its tracks and saw that it had entered a hollow tree. She returned to the house, secured fire and kind- lings, made a fire at the foot of the cavity, and burned both tree and bear.
In 1834 Mr. George Boerstler came from Lancaster, Penn- sylvania, and bought the farm which had been owned by An- drew Donaldson. Ilis wife died before he left Pennsylvania. and his daughter Margaret looked after his household until 1837, when Mr. Boerstler married Mrs. Bronstetter of Austin- town. Although she was born in America, she never spoke anything but German.
One of the important residents of Champion, Mr. Jacob H. Baldwin, was born in New York in 1792, removed to Board- man in 1811, was married to Florinda Waller, of Palmyra, in 1815. They had fourteen children, thirteen of whom married; two, Mrs. Emily Hyde of Bristol, who now lives with her granddaughter in Amherst, Massachusetts, and Lucy W. Mur- dock, of Warren, alone survive. Matilda married a Mr. Adgate of the early Adgate family of Warren; Julia married Mr. Stanhope of the old Stanhope family of Kinsman; Rebecca married a Mr. Meachan of Kinsman. In 1816 the family moved from Boardman to Youngstown, where Mr. Baldwin was in partnership with his nnele, Eli Baldwin. In 1819 he was appointed collector of taxes and visited every taxpayer in the county. In 1820 he was appointed to take the census of Trumbull County. In 1821 he was county auditor and served seventeen years. In 1840 he was appointed appraiser of real estate and he visited every farm in the county person- ally and appraised all small lots in towns and villages. In 1834 he built a large house in Champion and moved his family there. In 1842 he was elected a member of the legislature; 1844 he was presidential elector, casting his vote for Clay and Frelinghuysen. He lived the greater part of his life in Cham- pion but moved to Kinsman in 1867, where he lived ten years. In his middle life he probably knew more people in Trumbull County than any other one man.
One of the sweetest women who ever lived in Champion was Sally Porter. She was born in an ox-sled on the way to
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Clarion county, Pennsylvania. Here her childhood was spent. She married Jolm Raven in 1834 and moved to Champion. She had four daughters, Mrs. Margaret Parmalee, Mrs. James Rayen, Mrs. Benjamin Leach, and Mrs. J. H. MeEwen. The two former live in Cleveland, and the latter in Youngstown.
When Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pierce left Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, for Champion, their friends believing they had taken their lives in their hands, said goodbye to them for- ever. Five years later Mrs. Pierce returned to Pennsylvania with her daughter Martha riding behind her on horseback. W. L. Pierce was long a Champion citizen.
Among the later people who lived in Champion were: Mrs. Sarah Russell Packard, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Osborne, Mr. and Mrs. John M. MeCombs, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Musser, Mr. and Mrs. Jonas Huber, Mr. and Mrs. John Price, Mr. and Mrs. Barnard Lenny, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Elliott, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Determan.
Because Champion had so few settlers, it was a good hunt- ing ground for Warren sportsmen. Turkey, deer, wolves and bear were laid low, to the gratification of the hunter as well as the settler.
The first road in Champion was the one built by Turhand Kirtland and the next one was the Warren-Ashtabula turn- pike, to which we have referred so often. This latter was a toll road.
The first term of school in Champion was taught by Cath- arine Church in 1815. The first seholhouse was a log one which stood south of the residence of William Woodrow. There were too few families in Champion in the early days to make a school prosperous or hardly possible. In 1829 or '30 a brick schoolhouse was erected opposite the Presbyterian church, where the frame schoolhouse later stood. A school was taught in William Woodrow's shop previous to the erection of the brick schoolhonse. Hannah Chambers was one of the first school teachers, although it is not certain whether she ever taught in Champion or not. Lena Kyle, who lived in Kinsman, taught school in Champion in 1836. She received $18 and her board for five months' teaching. Mrs. Harper, when she was Sally Wilson, Mrs. Rutan, and Mrs. Shelden, were also teachers.
Churches in Champion have never been as well supported and attended as the churches of the other townships, because
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of the few settlers, and the nearness of the township to War- ren. In 1838 Mr. William Rutan attended the meeting of the presbytery at Slippery Rock to state the desire of Champion people for a church. Rev. William O. Stratton, the father of Mrs. Homer C. Reid of Warren, was appointed to preach at Champion and consult with the people there. After careful investigation, Mr. Stratton thought the time was hardly right for perfecting an organization. The next year Mr. William Woodrow went on the same errand to the same body, then as- sembled at New Lisbon. This time the congregation was taken under the presbytery's care. In a few months Rev. William MeCombs was appointed to minister over this congregation for one-fifth of the time. Mr. Rutan and Mr. Woodrow kept up their interest in this church matter until the church was estab- lished with fifteen members, most of them being from the Rutan, the Woodrow and the Pierce families. In 1842, the first house of publie worship was erected, and stands south of the center on the turnpike road. Rev. J. S. Dickey is the only regular pastor this church has ever had.
In 1848 the Methodist church was organized. Eight men and their families were charter members. A spot of land for the church and for the burying ground, on the state road, near the west line of the township, was given by George Ross, and a house was erected. During the war, the church was reduced in numbers and in 1870 preaching was no longer had. It be- longed to the Southington circuit. About the time they ceased to have a regular preacher, meetings were held in the town house at the center and in 1870 a church was built and furnished at the cost of $2,200. In the beginning there were thirty-five members and the church was dedicated in 1875.
At one time there was a church of the denomination of United Brethren. Their meetings were held at the northeast corner of Champion, adjoining Bazetta. At first there was a small church, and in 1878 a better one was built.
Champion has three cemeteries, one near the Presbyte- rian church on the turnpike, the other by the Methodist church mentioned above, and one at the center, which is oldest, hav- ing been purchased by the township in 1840. The first inter- ment here was the body of Caroline Rudisill.
A postoffice was established in Champion in 1850. John Harper was the postmaster, and after his time Stephen Kim-
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ball. This was never a profitable office and the residents of Champion got their mail for many years at Warren. When the Ashtabula & Pittsburg Railroad was built a little postoffice was maintained, but now the residents have rural free delivery.
CHAPTER XXXV .- FARMINGTON.
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