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 46
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John Brainard, a son of Charity, was at one time a profes- sor in the Homeopathic College in Cleveland.
The name of the first white child born in Johnston is not
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known, nor is it certain whether it was a boy or a girl. The records say a "child of Mr. Walker."
Zebulon Walker settled in Jolmston in 1805, had several children, and of course a wife, who, like his children, seems nameless. He lived near the Jaqua family and these groups of children were company for each other.
That same year a number of families arrived from Connec- tieut, all of whom had so many children that the wilderness seemed no longer such a desolate place. Daniel Hine Jr. was one of these. In assisting at the raising of the house of one of the other new-comers (Mr. Fuller's), he had his leg broken, and although he lived a long and useful life in that community, he was the one man of proper years who did not go to the war of 1812, because of his accident. The year after he settled in Johnston his father, Daniel Hine Sr., Morris Smith, William McKee and David Webb took up their abode in this township. "Father" Hine apparently did not care for the pioneer life, for in a few years he took his family to Canfield, where they afterwards resided. Mr. and Mrs. Webb and Mr. and Mrs. MeKee had goodly families of children, and these were added to the young people already mentioned. Mr. Webb's son Na- than was a weaver of cloth by trade, and after attempting to build a dam of his own he finally seenred the privilege of using the water power belonging to Hill and Skinner, and was there- fore the first man in the township to weave eloth and full it.
Erastus Carter was with the Hine party and he settled in a part of the township away from the others. He left his goods in his wagon until he had built a house for himself. About a year after his arrival he lost, by death, an infant child. So far as we know this was the first death among the first settlers. and Daniel Hine dng the grave in which the little one slept. This was where the present township graveyard is. Of course Mr. Carter had a wife, but we cannot find her name or the names of his children.
Daniel Abell eame to the township in 1806. He returned to Connecticut for a wife, and resided for many years in the town- ship on the place which was later owned by Mr. Bennett.
Most of the early settlers of this township were from Con- nectient, as we have seen, but in 1830 a goodly number of Pro- testant Irish emigrants came into the northwest corner of the township. Settlers of the same kind were in the neighborhood of Gustavus, Greene and Mecca. Ten years later a settlement
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was made in the southeast corner. The first Scoteliman of the township was Mr. Robert Hamilton. The Irish settlers organ- ized themselves into a Methodist society and had their schools. while the Scotch were Presbyterians, but they established schools also.
In 1833 Isaiah Bartlett of Plymouth county, Massachusetts, with his wife. Miriam Mason, moved to Johnston. Mr. Bart- lett lived until 1867, his wife dying three years later. Two of their sons, P. M. and Alexander M., were ministers, the latter being a professor of Greek and Latin in Marysville College. S. F. lives at the county seat, was sheriff of the county at one time, and lately was a candidate for mayor on the Republican ticket. His daughter, Jennie, lives with him.
J. K. Buehl is authority for the statement that the first teacher in the town was Miss Elizabeth Hine, who taught in the northeast part of the town. She afterwards married Thaddeus Bradley. Miss Laura Barstow was another of the early teach- ers, and taught in a log schoolhouse on the Center road. She received $1.25 a week as wages, and took her pay in whatever the patrons chose to give her. She married Dr. Ariel Bradley, and lived to a good old age, dying in 1900.
Cortland high school was established by the special act of the legislature and was opened in 1877. At that time, or later. the high school was elassed as second grade. The present Cen- tral building, costing $4,000, was erected in 1901. The town bonded itself to furnish this, in addition. The first superin- tendent was Prof. Il. J. Crawford. Ile served three years, as did H. A. Diehl. Prof. Stackhouse next served, and Professor Fawcett is now in charge. The four rooms in this building ac- commodate fifty scholars each and four teachers assist the superintendent.
The church history of Johnston differs from that of most townships in that the organization began among young people. As we have seen there were a large number of young people in the families of the early settlers. Many of these possessed fine voices, and it occurred to them to get together and have some sort of service in which singing would predominate, on Sun- days. None of them felt equal, since they were not church members, of leading in devotional exercises, but Daniel Hine Jr. offered them his house and on the night of the first meeting Dr. Wright of Vernon happened to be in the neighborhood, and led this little congregation in prayer. They continued their
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meetings for some tine, but none of them inclined toward lead- ership. About this time a type of fever appeared in the com- munity, and a number of the young people were taken. Wil- liam Adams died at this time of consumption. For some of these funerals there was no one to conduct service ; sometimes a settler would offer prayer, but many times the dead bodies were laid away tenderly with love and tears, but without words. This made a deep impression on the community, and when Mr. Hamlin, a man of liberal mind and some education, a Methodist by profession, came to the community and learned of the desire of these young people, he offered to meet with them and lead them. These meetings were so informal that they became sort of conferences. There was no organization, but traveling preachers and missionaries liked to stop and help this little con- gregation, and thus it grew. We find among the names of the men who preached for this body those who helped to organize churches in different parts of Trumbull County. There were Mr. Crosby, Rev. Badger, Mr. Robbins, Mr. Darrow, a Presby- terian from Vienna, Mr. Sheldon, Elder Rigdon, a Baptist, Simon Woodruff and a Connecticut missionary, Mr. Hanford. About the year 1812 this little class was made into a station and Rev. James McMahon was among the first riding the Mahoning circuit, who preached here. This class was formed at the house of Mr. Lily, and the following men were among those present : Mr. Hamlin, Mr. Spencer, Mr. Dickinson. Their wives were with them.
CHAPTER XLIII .- KINSMAN.
JOHN KINSMAN .- A PARTY OF FAMOUS MEN .- A CHEERFUL, EN- ERGETIC WOMAN .- KINSMAN MILL .- DR. ALLEN .- A
CENTURY-OLD CHURCH .- KINSMAN SCHOOLS.
Kinsman, range 1, township 7, is possibly the most pictur- esque township in Trumbull County. It is rolling, has several streams running through it, was onee covered with magnificent forests and had, withal, a portion of treeless land which was known as the "prairie." Added to these physical advantages was the fact that the first settlers, as well as those who came later. were of unusual education and birth. In each of the counties on the Western Reserve there is one township aside from the county seat which considers itself, or is considered by outsiders, a little more aristoeratie than the others. Kinsman stood in this relation to Trumbull County.
Uriah Traey, Joseph Coit and John Kinsman were the three men to whom the land was assigned. Mr. Joseph Perkins, of Norwich. Connecticut, had an interest in the land of this town- ship and some others, but when the final settlement was made Mr. Perkins took his land in Summit county, Mr. Kinsman in Kinsman. Mr. Kinsman also bought the interests of Coit and Tracy, the latter being a United States senator from Connectient. The township then assumed the name of Kinsman. Mr. Kinsman and Simon Perkins, in 1799, left Connectient by horseback. crossed the Alleghany mountains to Pittsburg. Mr. Perkins repaired to his land in Warren, while Mr. Kinsman made his headquarters at the home of John Young, at Youngstown. After preliminary business was done there, such as surveying, ete., he proceeded to Kinsman, put up a cabin near the center and finished the survey. It was not until two years later that he decided to transfer all his interests to this township. In the spring of 1801 he started for his new home.
Probably no more brilliant party of men ever left the east
Vol. I-33
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for New Connectient than the party of which John Kinsman was a member. Among these were Simon Perkins, of whom we have read so much in different parts of the history; George Tod, one of the ablest jurists and citizens Trumbull County had; Josiah Pelton, the pioneer of Gustavus; Turhand and Jared Kirtland, who were among the most industrious and public-spirited of our citizens; John Stark Edwards, Trumbull County's first recorder and an able lawyer, and Calvin Pease, who, as judge, citizen and companion, had no superior. His sons, Calvin and Charles, afterwards conducted a store in Warren where the present Colonial hotel stands. This party organized itself into a so- ciety. When they stopped for the night they held mock trials, and amused themselves in that way. Any one familiar with Judge Calvin Pease's career can see his spirit pervading this party. The party was on horseback, except the Kirtland brothers, who had a wagon and horses.
Ebenezer Reeve was also of this party. He had been in- duced by Mr. Kinsman to come out here, and as he was weak- kneed about the venture, Mr. Kinsman proposed that he be paid twenty dollars a month during his absence, and forty dol- lars in case he did not like the country. In case, however, he did like the country, he was to exchange his land in Connecti- out for land in Kinsman.
Mr. Kinsman began the construction of a double log house a little east of the present Vernon road, but did not finish it. Instead he erected another in the neighborhood where the busi- ness part of the town now is, and he and Mr. Reeve returned to Connectient in the fall of 1801 leaving the work to be finished by John Cummings, John and Isaac Mathews.
Although Kinsman and Reeve really laid out the town and stayed there some little time, they were not really the first e settlers. David Randall, Martin Tidd, James Hill, with their families, all of whom had lived in Youngstown, made arrange- ments with Mr. Kinsman in the fall of 1801 for land in this township, and in the spring of 1802 they moved there. James Ilill married Sally, the daughter of Martin Tidd. Although they all started together, Mr. Randall's wagon broke down in Vernon so the other two families arrived ahead of him. Mr. Tidd and Mr. Randall were originally from Pennsylvania, and lived quite near the settlement in Wyoming at the time of the massacre. Mr. Tidd's honse was filled with the people who escaped at that time. He was an uncle of Captain Hillman.
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who, as we have seen, was one of the most useful men in the early history of the valley. Both these men were natural pioneers, and it was hard for them really to settle down. Ran- dall moved from Pennsylvania to Marietta, thence to Youngs- town, Kinsman, Ashtabula county, Kinsman, and, late in life, resided in Michigan.
Mrs. Randall was a woman of great strength and courage. She used to tend the sawmill during her husband's absence. She said: " It was nothing to set the saw, but was rather hard to tread back the carriage with her feet." She was energetic. "genial, jolly. shrewd," and was able to meet almost anything which arose. When she tended mill she had her spinning wheel near her, so when the logs were being sawed, that is, when she was doing her husband's work, she was spinning wool for his clothes, that is, doing her work. Thus did women in early Trumbull County so many times do double duty. If Mr. Ran- dall, for any reason, had been left to watch Mrs. Randall's work, it would never have occurred to him or anybody else that he should bring his own business into her kitchen, and keep both going. Historians record that Mrs. Randall continued to cheer and encourage people to the end of her life.
Mr. Reeve liked Kinsman, and fulfilled his agreement by disposing of his Connecticut land and removing to the town- ship. In 1802 he brought his daughters, Deborah and Hannah. to a new log house, where they lived five years. These were the first eastern women to dwell in Kinsman. It is said that when Hannah saw her new home she said: "I have heard about going to the ends of the world, but I think we have got- ten there."
The former, Deborah, married Phmb Sutliff. In 1806 Hannah married John Andrews, a native of East Haddam. They had eight children. He was a merchant. He was among the first to mannfacture pot- and pearl-ash in northern Ohio. Hannah Andrews took great interest in her husband's busi- ness, and besides assisting him, attended to her duties as wife and mother, and kept a little boarding school. It is a tradition that she braided the first straw hat that Joshua R. Giddings wore, and that his father paid for it in wooden bowls. Her son, Claudius Buchanan, was a missionary to the Hawaiian Islands and died there in 1876.
In 1802 Paul Rice and his mother came to the township. as did also Alexander Clark and Uriel Driggs. In 1803 Charles €
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. Case, the father of Zopher Case, and the grandfather of C. C. Case, came to Kinsman. Charles Case Sr. was full of musie, as is his grandson, and as a pastime instructed the settlers in singing, note-reading, etc.
Isaac and John Mathews, with their sister Betsey, also came in 1803, and lived on the farm afterwards occupied by Thomas Kinsman.
In 1804 Mr. John Kinsman brought his family. He had four children, John, Joseph, Sally and Olive. His wife was thirty-one years younger than he. Unless it was the family of Samuel Huntington, no family in Trumbull County came to the western home in so much comfort and elegance. There was a two-horse wagon for the family, two four-horse wagons for the goods and supplies, an ox-cart and riding horses. At . Beaver, Gen. Simon Perkins, a brother of Mrs. Kinsman, with his bride, joined the party, and they traveled together to Youngstown. Cabins had been erected for this party, and a frame house was put up the next season. There had been some sickness before their arrival and several of the party had the fever and ague. Thomas Kinsman, the father of Senator Thomas Kinsman, of the township, was born late in the sum- mer of their arrival.
Plumb Sutliff moved to Kinsman in 1806. He erected the second frame house in the township, and until a few years ago it was standing.
In the year 1835 there were thirty families in the town- . ship. James Hill and Walter Davis were shoemakers. Ran- dall, Christy and Tidd were blacksmiths. The latter also made cow bells which were very necessary in the new country. David and Elam Lindsley, Joseph Murray, John L. Cook and Jahazel Lathrop were the carpenters. They were none of them mar- ried. While the Lindsley brothers were clearing land. David had his thigh fractured by a falling limb. It was so badly mashed that it would not heal. It was amputated "with a common hand saw and Mr. Kinsman's carving knife."
In 1805 there was a great deal of sickness. and the people of Vernon attributed the same to the back-water caused by the mill dam which was across the Pymatuning. Finally the resi- dents of Hartford and Vernon sent General Smith, Rev. Thomas Robbins, and others to Kinsman, to beg of Mr. Kins- man to cut his dam and let the water out. Mr. Kinsman re- ceived them most graciously, took them home to dinner, served
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them with brandy till they became mellow of feeling. He then explained to them that he had a lot on hand at the mill, that he would be disappointing many if he destroyed the water power, and further that if the water went out at that time of year, the sickness would be greater. He promised in the spring to cut the dam and let the spring rains flush the creek. The deputation returned home satisfied, but not so the residents. They accused the men of getting drunk on Mr. Kinsman's brandy, and they threatened to cut the dam. Finally one night, a hole was made which was soon remedied. Certain people in Vernon were suspected and when, one day, Cyrus W. Marsh of that town was seen standing on the bank of the creek Mr. Kinsman mounted his horse, forded the stream, and asked Marsh to ride double with him to his store. When satisfied that Marsh was guilty, Mr. Kinsman closed the door, and gave him a sound drubbing. Knowing this was not right, that is, that he had exposed himself to punishment under the law, he stepped behind the counter and proposed to pay for breaking the law. He and Marsh decided that three dollars worth of goods from the store would be about the right price and so it was done. The Vernon people were outraged that Marsh should settle at so low a price. After that there was a break in the dam which was remedied, and in 1806 the water was drawn off and J. A. Russell is anthority for the statement that a case of fever and ague has never since originated in that town. Kinsman has continued to grow and in 1806 a saw mill was erected by the Gillises on Stratton creek. Here too a shop for fulling and dressing cloth was built and it was said to be the first fulling establishment in the eastern part of the state. In 1813 the first carding machine was set up in Gillises' mill.
It is hard for us to realize at this day how much work had to be done by the early manufacturers themselves. William Hemy, who was a tanner, had to collect shells and burn them to make the lime which he used in tanning his hides.
Seth Perkins came to Kinsman in 1804 and in the fall married Lney Thompson of Hartford. He moved first to Ver- non and came back to Kinsman in 1809. Tlis wife, who was only eighteen years old, was left alone in their forest home while he went to the war of 1812.
Dr. Peter Allen, who came to Kinsman in 1808, was one of the first doctors of that community. He had a wonderful constitution, and could work day and night for a long period
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with very little rest. He was a member of the Ohio Medical Association, surgeon during the war of 1812 and was repre- sentative in the Ohio legislature during the Harrison cam- paign. Ile married Charity Dudley of Connecticut, who was killed in a runaway accident. The following year Dr. Allen married Miss Starr, a niece of Mrs. Kinsman and General Perkins. She died of consumption in 1846.
Dr. Peter Allen had one child by the first wife, whose Christian name was Dudley for his mother. He was born in 1814. His first office was in his father's yard. In 1821 he built a most beautiful home which called forth the admiration of his friends and neighbors. He moved to Oberlin and his son, Dud- ley P. Allen, is now one of the leading surgeons of Cleveland.
When Mr. and Mrs. James McConnell came to Kinsman in 1804, and went to the house which Mr. McConnell had put up. the mother and children sat on a log outside, while Mr. McConnell ent an opening for a door. They also had to cook outside until a chinmey was built.
Jolm Brackin, although of Scotch descent, early lived in Ireland, having married Jane King, a widow with two sons. After her marriage with Brackin, she also had two sons. This family left Ireland about 1803, and settled in Washington county, Pennsylvania. David King remained in Ireland to at- tend school. The family moved to Kinsman in 1804. In 1805 David started for America, his step-father meeting him and bringing him to Kinsman.
Jedediah Burnham had almost reached his majority when .he came to Kinsman. He was pre-eminently a peacemaker and whenever there was difficulty among the settlers he was an able counselor. He was the son of Dr. JJedediah Burnham of Con- nectient. He came to Kinsman because Mr. John Kinsman urged him so hard to do so. He taught school, clerked in Mr. Kinsman's store, and went into the war of 1812. He returned as captain. Ile married Sophie Bidwell, a daughter of River- ius Bidwell of Gustavus. He was justice of the peace for twenty-one years. He was county collector when he had to go from farm to farm collecting taxes. He was also at one time county assessor. He was deacon in the elinrches of Ver- non. Hartford and Kinsman, and lived a long and useful life, dying in 1874.
Simon Fobes came to Kinsman in 1817. His family con- 'sisted of his wife, a sister and his three youngest children.
(Loaned by the Chronicle. )
KINSMAN CHURCH.
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"He was a man of uncommon resolution and decision, energy and perseverance. At the same time, he had great kindness of heart, and was ever ready to assist the needy and help the wronged and injured."
The Presbyterian church of Kinsman has been dwelt upon in the chapters on Hartford and Vernon. It was organ- ized in 1803. The Rev. Mr. Tait and the ever-present Rev. Joseph Badger did the organizing, and it was formed on "the plan of union." From the time of the beginning of this church there has hardly been a Sunday when services have not been held. Among the Kinsman people who belonged to this church were Jeremiah and Ebenezer Reeve, William and John Matthews, Alexander Clark. John Andrews, Rachel, George and Naney Matthews, Elizabeth Dement, William Scott, Isaac and Prudence Matthews, Clark Giddings, Jacob and Electa Ford. In 1813 there were eighty members on the roll of the Hartford-Vernon-Kinsman church. Then it was that Rev. Harvey Coe, of whom we have read so often, who had been or- dained to the missionary field the year before, came to Ohio. He was the pastor of this church, and a subscription paper showing the amounts given by the Vernon people to the sup- port of Mr. Coe is still in existence. The pastorate of Mr. Coe continued sixteen years. He preached in rotation in the three townships. More than 400 persons were baptized by him. In 1821 there were 210 church members. In 1823 44 of these were dismissed in order to form a separate church at Hartford. Two years later 21 were dismissed, in order to form a separate church in Gustavus. In 1831 a separate church was formed for Kinsman, leaving abont 75 for Vernon. Mr. Coe married 107 couples. Ile kept an account of all the deaths in that region and this is a very valuable record because accidental deaths and those from intemperance are among them. More people were dismissed from the church for intemperance than for any other one thing. For this reason, a temperance society was organized. In 1828 a Sabbath school was formed in Kinsman by a committee, and George Swift, a brother of Mrs. Dr. Har. . mon, was probably the first superintendent. The first frame church erected in Kinsman belonged to this denomination, and it stood for many years in the grove where the state road crosses the Gustavus road. It was torn down by Dr. Allen. The Rev. Mr. Coe, as is stated elsewhere, was one of the found- ers of Western Reserve College. The Presbyterians who
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had formed the Kinsman church, after the services of Mr. Coe, had the name of the church changed to the First United Con- gregational and Presbyterian. Jedediah Burnham was stand- ing clerk and Abraham Griswold treasurer. This church con- sisted of 71 members. In 1831 and 1832 preparations were made for the building of a new church and a fourth of the ex- penses were paid by Mrs. Rebecca Kinsman. She later gave a bell. The Rev. Mr. Mellvain served the church as minister, and he was followed by Mr. Eldred. At the time of his or- dination and installation, President Pierce of Western Reserve College delivered the address. Mr. Eldred was in charge of this congregation for nearly thirty-five years. The church always has had a fine standing and great influence in the com- munity, and maintains its position to the present time.
Among the early settlers of Kinsman were Scotch Presby- terians. In 1843 they organized an association which continued for some time. Their meetings were sometimes held in school- houses, dwellings and the town house. This church was finally disorganized.
Kinsman was one of the few townships where the Episcopal church flourished. It was known as Grace church. It was or- ganized in 1863. The members of the vestry were John R. Stanhope, Isaac Meacham, Lorenzo Moore, Albert Yeomans and Charles R. Stanhope. Captain Stanhope was very devoted to this church and erected a building for it. He later gave a par- sonage which. together with five acres of land, he gave to the church so long as the organization kept up and the taxes were paid. Jacob H. Baldwin, whose daughter married the son of Capt. Stanhope, was long identified with this church. The con- gregation is small, and only occasional services are held there.
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