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 49
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The first schoolhouse at the center was of logs and Anna Harmon was probably the first teacher. It is recorded that Anna was a lover of "Bohen tea," and carried a cup of it to school, which she kept hot on the fire. The next teacher was John Fullerton, who was devoted to his enps, but of a stronger kind. Granville Sears tanght school in the daytime, made boots and shoes at night. He did not spare the rod.
About 1840 a frame school building was erected at the een- ter. This was burned and was replaced. Rev. Joseph King of
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Pittsburg taught a select school. He was a good teacher, had a large school, taught in the town hall and edneated many teach- ers for the profession of teaching. John King and a Mr. Camp- bell were among the early teachers. S. F. DeFord was one of the very best instructors Lordstown had. R. W. Duncan also taught at the Center school, which in 1870 was sold for a cheese factory and re-sold in 1877 for township building. In 1875 an educational society consisting of the best people in the town- ship was formed, which took hold of the local schools to good effect. There is now a high school at the center of Lordstown, but many of the children in the upper part of the township at- tend the Warren schools.
The early residents of Lordstown walked to meeting in the townships nearby. In 1834 the first Methodist Episcopal church was organized in the schoolhouse. Before this, Mr. Ashburn, whose wife was a great Methodist, often entertained itinerant ministers who spoke in the log schoolhouses in that vicinity. Rev. J. W. Hill, who was the first minister of the first class, belonged to the Youngstown cireuit. In '35 and '36 Lordstown went into the Ellsworth cireuit under the pastorate of Rev. Dow Prosser. In 1842 the Methodists erected a church at the center, and the following spring a Sunday school was organized with Thomas Pew as superintendent. In the winter of 1839-40 a revival in the church added a number of members. In 1855 another successful revival was held. This church has been abandoned and the building is used as a barn.
The first United Brethren church was organized in 1855 by Rev. Hiram Knight. The ministers have been the Rev. Ex- cell, Bolster, Swihart, Day, Evans, Miller, Traver. Moody. Borzee. Smith, Baldwin, Landaw. The land for this church was donated by Charles Ohl and he also gave a small lot for a cemetery. It is in this cemetery that the bodies of Mary Pack- ard, the wife of Warren. and her granddaughter, Esther Mc- Crum, lie.
When Walter Scott and James Mitchell preached with such religious fervor in Warren, they interested a number of Lordstown families. John Tait was one of these. He was baptized at midnight in the Mahoning river, in the month of January. Marcus Bosworth and John Henry followed up the interest among the Lordstown people and organized a society in that township in 1830. This meeting was held in the log schoolhouse, on the old David Lewis farm. The overseers were
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Robert Tait and Moses Haskell: David Lewis and John Tait. trustees. Among the preachers were Walter Scott, Adamson Bentley and Marcus Brockett. The first church was built in 1844 and cost $800. Rev. John Henry preached the sermon, and the congregation sang a hymn set to a tune which he had arranged, and Robert Tait suggested that they call this "Forty- Four" since it was the year in which the church was dedicated. Rev. Henry was a popular preacher, although not as well edu- cated as. most of the preachers of his day. He was one of the strongest men in the community and always helped at rais- ings and log rollings. One day when going to church, he met a poor man and invited him to attend. The man said he could not, since he had no shoes. The preacher removed his shoes and presented them, and preached his sermon in his bare feet. In 1868 a new Disciple church was built at the cost of $2,200. At that time Rev. Philander Green was the pastor, and he was followed by D. P. Thayer and H. D. Niles. This church has had the office of deaconesses, Rachel Dean, Miranda Jones, and Mary Tait holding the office at different times. The present pastor is Rev. Mr. Henry, who preaches every other Sunday.
As said in the early part of this sketch, the residents of Lordstown were many of them Germans. In 1832 the German Lutherans and the German Reformed united and erected a church in the neighborhood of Bailey's Corners. This log house was soon replaced by a frame one and services were held in it until 1848. At that time the house was burned. These same two organizations then built a house in Warren township near the site of the first building, and services are held there now. It is English Lutheran.
CHAPTER XLVI .- MECCA.
TURHAND KIRTLAND .- FIRST SETTLERS AND EVENTS .- TEACHERS AND SCHOOLHOUSES .- OIL SPECULATION .- " DIXIE." -THE CHURCHES.
In some ways range 3, township 6, later called Mecca, is one of the least interesting townships in a historical way. The early surveyors complained greatly of the swamps, and this condition, previous to its settlement, made its lands less vali- able than the lands of some other townships. The Connectiont Land Company sold this tract to Turhand Kirtland, of whom we have read so much in the earlier part of the history, William Ely. Mr. Kingsbury and Mr. Cowles. Judge Kirtland owned the largest portion, situated in the northern part. Because of the swamps, it is supposed that he did not pay a very large price for it; at any rate, he sold it on very easy terms, the pur- chasers being obliged to pay interest regularly, but were given plenty of time on the principal.
When the first white settlers came to the township they found one Indian hut on the banks of Mosquito creek, but it was deserted. Indians, however, often camped in the township. Some of the settlements in Trumbull County were twelve years old when Joseph Dawson, a resident of Poland, built the first cabin and brought his family to Mecca. For nearly two years the Dawsons were the only people living in Mecca. He had a large family of boys and the first child born in the township was Nancy. Mrs. Dawson's father. John Rose, settled north of the Dawson farm, which was in East Mecca, in 1813. He likewise came from Poland, and he remained there the rest of his life, and some of his descendants still reside in the township. His son-in-law, Dawson, however, after a little time moved away. It is said that the Rose cabin was a very small affair, but was kept in such a serupnlous manner that it was remem- bered by the citizens for many years. The Roses were of Quaker descent.
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Among some of the early settlers was Peter Rowe, of New York. When at a logging bee in his native state he saw a lovely girl, asked her father what he would take for her, and when he replied a shotgun and a gallon of whiskey, he produced the articles and obtained his wife. Mr. and Mrs. Rowe came to Mecca, and their son Martin was the first boy born in the township.
So far as we know, the first burial was that of Elmira, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sylvester Taylor. "She was buried on what is now (1896) the Hickox farm. A few years later, when other bodies buried there were reinterred in the cemetery, her little form was left sleeping alone and the roots of a black walnut tree hug closely the spot and the branches sweep over her grave."
The first bride of Mecca was Electa Paine, who married Friend Buttles. Their first trip after their wedding was in an ox-cart when they went to meeting. It is astonishing how many women walked from New England to New Connecticut. Mrs. Buttles was one of these. She walked all the way and drove a cow. Elmira Buttles, who married Levi P. Rice, was a very delicate person, but she, too, walked from Connecticut, and said she felt better for her six-weeks' tramp.
Mr. and Mrs. MeNabb walked from Virginia to Poland, Ohio, and their daughter afterwards settled in Mecca. Mr. MeNabb carried his ax through the unbroken forest, and Mrs. MeNabb part of her precious wheel-head. They had two horses. On one was the rest of Mrs. MeNabb's spinning wheel, and on the other, five children. In order to get all the children onto the horse they took an empty straw tick, put a baby in either end, threw this across the horse, and then put three children on the back.
The first blacksmith in Mecca was Joseph Phillips. He lived on the farm where. later, his grandson, Christopher, lived.
About 1830 Mr. Mason put up a sawmill on the Beaver dam, about a mile north of the center.
The first store in Mecca was that of Babcock & Bradley. It did not long exist. James Hezlep had a store at one time, which he sold to Daniel Shehy. James Fowler erected the first frame store in the township. This building is still in existence. Daniel Shehy was a native of Youngstown, and figures else- where in this history. The names of Fowler and Hezlep are both familiar in Youngstown.
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The first postmaster in Mecca was Lemuel Hickox, and the first mail route was from Warren to Ashtabula. Ira Knapp. who carried the mail, is mentioned in other parts of this history.
The early stage coaches passed through Mecea, and it was as lively in the early days as it is now.
The oldest graveyard in the township is situated south of East Mecea. The first interment, so far as we know, was in 1828, when Enos Clark Pettis, a young man, died. The second interment was the next year, when the wife of Stephen Pettis, Olive, died.
Dr. Ariel Bradley was the first physician of Mecca, and Theodosia, the wife of Jose Chaffee, was the natural nurse of the township. Many people preferred her to a physician. In the case of a sick call "she mounted her white horse, wonkl gallop through the woods, or if need be, plunge into Mosquito creek and swim boklly across on her errands of mercy."
The first schoolhouse-of logs-was at East Mecca. Salome Fuller was the first teacher. Noble Mason was the first teacher in West Mecca. The building in which he taught afterwards became a granary, and the schoolhouse was some- times used for religious purposes. Lucretia Meacham taught school in her cellar. A daughter of William Smith taught school in the chambers of her house. Captain Bethuel Beman was one of the early teachers. There was no academy at Mecca. Prob- ably the schools in Greene, the academy at Bristol and Cortland were all so near at hand, and Mecca rather sparsely settled. that there was no call for a school of a higher grade in that township.
In the '60s no township in Trumbull County was as well known in the United States as Mecca. The Yankee pronuncia- tion still prevailed to a goodly degree, and more people called this township "Meccy" than "Mecca." The early settlers knew that oil existed in this vicinity, because it was often present in wells and springs. The early inhabitants used it sometimes for burning, and a few of them collected enough for the market and sold now and then a few gallons. The early farmers of Mecca were always more or less chagrined when evidences of oil were seen, because it really hurt at that time the value of land. The first oil was pumped on the land of William H. Jeffries, in West Mecca. The product obtained was a very thick oil, valuable for medicinal purposes and for refin- ing. In consistency it was between a light weight of vaseline
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and glycerine. As soon as the Jeffries well was proved, specu- lators came in from all parts of the country. Property was sold at fabulous prices. Wells were sunk, houses in great num- bers were put up. Warren hotels were filled with speculators who visited Mecca for investigation. All the conditions of an ordinary western mining camp were present in this township. Men seemed to lose their heads and determined on making money in one way or another. Selling liquor in violation of the law was common, and at least one or two men, who in their old age have been respected citizens, at that time paid fines for this violation, and two of them served sentence in our county jail. The jailor was, of course, lenient with these men and they were allowed to go about town in the evening, provided they occupied themselves in the daytime. There was nothing for the speculators to do in the evenings in so rural a region as Mecca, so all sorts of gambling was indulged in. It looked as if "Dixie," the name given to the oil vicinity, would be the city of Trumbull County. However, the oil was not present in suffi- cient quantities to pay for extracting it, and soon "Dixie" became a deserted village. Most of the houses were sold for small sums to people in Warren, who transported them to the latter place on runners in winter, and some of them were left to go to decay.
The first church in Mecca was Presbyterian. Rev. Harvey Coe, of the Domestic Missionary Society, of Grand River, and Ephraim T. Woodruff, of the Connecticut Missionary Society, were present at the organization. The following were the first members: John Rowe Sr., Friend Buttles, Susannah Buttles, Sterling Adkins, Mary Adkins, Rubamah Tucker, Aurelia Hickox, Almira Buttles and Eunice Rose. This was in 1822. and two years later the church was received by the Presbytery. John Rose Sr. was the moderator, and Friend Buttles the clerk. In 1842 a plan of union was adopted, but of late years the church is Congregational in government. The first building which they occupied was a frame, which they bought and fitted np as a church. It stood near the public square. The best known minister was the Rev. Mr. Winans. His name is familiar to all Methodists and Congregationalists of Trumbull County.
In 1832 the Free Will Baptists of Mecca met at the house of Alanson Smith, Elder Rolling and George Collins being present. An organization of seven members was perfected. Their names have not been preserved. Rev. Rollin was the first
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preacher, and Elder Sanmel Weir was associated with him in his work. Occasionally meetings were held in 1840 by Freeman Straight, in 1847 by Rev. S. A. Aldrich, in 1854, by Rev. S. T. Bates. Rev. E. II. Higbee was pastor from 1858 to 1868, and before his time, through the efforts of Evangelist MeComough, sixteen members were added to the church. During the first of Mr. Higbee's services a revival resulted in fifteen new mem- bers: in 1863, fourteen new members. Since 1867 no services have been held by this church. The Congregationalists and the Free Will Baptists each owned a half interest in the church property. which was finished in 1839.
The first regular Baptist church was organized in 1833. Henry K. Hultz was moderator ; Noble Mason, the early teacher, was clerk. The members were JJolm Cook, Henry K. Hultz. Uzal W. Bowen, Mr. Mason, David Campbell, Alanson MeCol- lour, Daniel Ferguson, Virgilius E. Remington, Martin Daniels. Philander S. Crittenden, Asahel Chapman, George Sperry. James Cook. Noah Bowen and William Hull. Surely there were some women in this congregation, although no names are given. This congregation worshiped in a hewed log church, but it did not live very long. It was resuscitated in 1841 with some of the same members- Henry K. Hultz, John Cook, Abner Mason, James Cook. Noah Bowen, Abisha S. Underwood, Lyman Pier- son. Samuel Buek. Amos Cook, Bela Phelps Jr., JJosiah Galpin. William Liddle, Zachariah Cook, Samuel Jerrold, Jesse Gris- wold, Lucius S. Brown, Daniel Highee. At the time of the reorganization a church at East Mecca was built, which is still standing. For a number of years there has been no regular preaching in this church.
The Methodist society, as is usually the case, was organized in a class in 1837, possibly at an earlier date. In 1839 this society moved to West Mecca. Among the members were Joseph Duncan, John Dean, Ambrose Irwin, William Irwin, others "and wives." In 1849 $1,800 was spent in building a church at West Mecca. At that time there were fully fifty mem- bers. Rev. Henry Winans was one of the ministers. Because the Methodist clergy moved, at first each year, and later at longer intervals, there are few records found in regard to their early church. The present membership is seventy-four; they have preaching every Sunday and class meeting every other Sunday. The trustees are F. Johnson, John Irwin. Fletcher Irwin, W. D. Chandler, G. F. Troxel and J. M. Love.
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The Disciple church was organized about the time of many of the other Christian churches in Trumbull County. The over- seers were Daniel Hosford and Silas Jones. The deacons were George W. Dean and Thomas Stanley. The church edifice is at East Mecca and was built in 1868.
CHAPTER XLVH .- MESOPOTAMIA.
THE NAME .- SPERRY FAMILY .- THE GUILDS .- TRACY .-- PIONEER DEVELOPMENT .-- FIRST TEACHING AND PREACHING.
Number 7, in the 5th range, was organized in 1819, under the name " Mesopotamia." It is a pity that the early settlers did not use some Indian name, some name that was character- istic of the vicinity, or some New England name of family or town. Mesopotamia, meaning between two rivers, never did and never has seemed appropriate. However, the people of the present day are not to blame for the name any more than is the swarthy, stout, short girl who is named "Lillie." The town- ship is one of the most beautiful in Trumbull County. It is rolling, is rural in every way, has beautiful forests, the homes are in good repair, and everything about it seems prosperous.
Here was the early home of John Stark Edwards, the first recorder of Trumbull County, of whom we have read much in earlier chapters. His father, Pierpont Edwards, of New Haven, owned most of the land, and the son acted as his agent for the sale of the same. Unlike many of the townships in the south, the early settlers were mostly from New England. John Stark Edwards visited the township in 1799, and npon his return home offered to give one hundred acres of land to the first five men who should purchase land and bring their families to the new conntry to live. He likewise offered fifty acres of land to each of the first five single men who would purchase and live upon land in that township. In 1806 he gave the land for the present park.
In 1800 Hezekiah Sperry, his children, Alphias, Martha and Cynthia, arrived in Mesopotamia and built a log cabin. It will be seen by this date that Mesopotamia was settled almost as early as Warren. The next year he went back to Woodbridge, Connectient, and brought ont his wife and the rest of the chil- dren. He had thirteen in all. Five of the daughters and three
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of the sons married, and all of the sons lived and died in the township. Captain Sperry built the first frame honse in the town- ship. The mother lived there twenty-six years, and the father thirty-two. Although this family did not suffer unsual hard- ships, and its members were moderately happy, yet with so large a family there were a number of sorrows. The youngest son, Lueins, who never married, contraeted typhiod fever during his service in the war of 1812. was brought home and died. Three of his sisters contracted the disease and died also. Hannah, the eldest daughter, married Zeri Sperry and lived in Middlefield. While she was visiting her father in Mesopota- mia her own house was burned and her husband perished in the flames. She afterwards married a Mr. Lyman, of Windham, and ontlived all her family, reaching the extreme age of ninety- fonr.
The second family to arrive was Otis and Lois Guild and their family. Their Conectient home was Sharon, and they came to the Western Reserve in 1800, moving to Mesopotamia in 1801. Lois Guild kept one of the most hospitable homes in northern Trumbull County. Writers who followed her speak of her bounteons suppers as being remembered by all Mesopo- tamia people. She was the sole possessor "of a red broadeloth cloak, by which she was known far and near." When the family came they had four children, and three daughters were born to them afterwards. It is supposed that Charlotte. who was born the year of their arrival, was the first white child born in the township, but there is some uncertainty about this. because a danghter of Dr. Clark was born abont the same time. The youngest child of this family, Aurelia, was born at the exact time that friends were laying away in old mother earth her little sister whose name she bore. This second Anrelia lived to be eighteen years old, but for half her lifetime she was blind. Mrs. J. M. Laird records in the "Memorial to Pioneer Women of the Western Reserve" the fact that Charlotte Guild built a momument for herself of good deeds: that she was very indus- trions, could card and spin, tanght school, was fond of books, was an expert horsewoman. She married Flavel Sheldon in 1821, at which time Rev. Joseph Curtis preached a sermon taking for his text, "Come, for all things are now ready." She was often seen riding a horse so spirited that most women and some men could not bear to ride, and in front of her she carried two children, with another on behind.
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Seth Traey and his wife, Sylphinia Hawley, with six chil- dren, a daughter being born to them after they arrived, made the third family to settle in Mesopotamia. Their home was Pittsfield, Massachusetts. As was usual, Mr. Tracy preceded the family, located his farm, and brought his family with him in 1801. They came by wagon from Pittsfiekl to Whitestown. New York. Here they took boats and proceeded as far as Niagara. The boats were then hauled around the falls, and they proceeded on their way via Lake Erie. They rowed up the Grand river as far as Windsor, going the rest of the way by land. They slept under bark put on poles, as did Indreds of other emigrants, until their cabin was done. The men chopped some trees, stirred the virgin forest with pick axes, dropped corn into these holes, but had no further time l'or cultivation. Their land was near the present center of Mesopo- tamia and there was seven hundred acres of it. About five years after their arrival the first orchard of the township was set out on Mr. Tracy's land, and a few of these trees still stand. Mrs. Tracy possessed a very sweet voice and sang at meetings and on like occasions. Louise Branche Tracy, the mother of Seth. died in 1817, and hers was the first interment in the cemetery. Clarissa. the oldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tracy, was the first person to be married in the township, and her father, being justice of the peace, performed the ceremony. The third sister, Sabrina, married Horace Wolcott, of Farm- ington. Linens Tracy was possibly the best known of the family, because of his many years and his business life in Warren. When a young man he was employed by William Bell. a Warren merchant, and later by Leicester King. He finally bought Mr. King's goods and removed them to Mesopotamia, continuing in business there for several years. From early boyhood he was interested in things pertaining to war, and when in the employ of Mr. King studied military tactics from books and had a hundred wooden soldiers which he would maneuver on a board. thus practically learning his lesson. He served as lieutenant major and colonel of militia, and before that he had been corporal in the war of 1812. He was very much interested in the war of the Rebellion, helped to train the soldiers, and his sons were in that war.
Among the most enterprising and capable people of Meso- potamia were Isaac Clark and his wife, Susan Gates. They reached Mesopotamia in 1804, having spent three years pro-
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vions in Burton. Mrs. Clark was exceedingly ingenious. Her husband needing a snit of clothes, she sheared a bear skin and a sheep skin, carded the two together, spun the yarn, wove the «loth and made the suit.
Dr. Joseph Clark was the first practicing physician in Mesopotamia, settling there in 1801.
Asenatha Traey Smith was so skilful a nurse that many persons preferred her to a physician. Her husband and she settled in Mesopotamia in 1805. Their son Edmund married Polly Lee, a danghter of one of the first settlers of Farmington. and she lived to be more than ninety years old. They lived all their lives on the land which Gager Smith first took up, and two daughters, Elmira Ensign and Amarette Reynolds, lived there also. The former had and used the black walnut loom with which the women of her family had woven for almost a century. It was hewn out and planed-not a bit of it was sawed. It is now in one of the old buildings on the farm where D. L. Smith, the brother of these women, lives. Mrs. Gager Smith was to all purposes and intentions a "new woman" of that time. She longed and begged for an oven in which to bake her bread, and when her request was not granted she made one herself ont of clay, which answered every purpose.
Thomas Bowyer was the first Pennsylvanian to settle in Mesopotamia. James Laird and family were also from Penn- sylvania, and their descendants are well known throughout Trumbull County. They first lived in a log cabin on the C. P. Lyman farm, and there a large family of children was reared. They married and intermarried with the old families of the northern part of the county. Stephen Laird was a member of the Ohio legislature in 1881-82, the first representative that Mesopotamia ever furnished Trumbull County. Rachel Laird, who married Seth Morrison, came to Mesopotamia a little after her father's family. Her nephew, Seth M. Laird, was well known in Trumbull County, was the cashier of the Savings Bank in Warren, and his marriage with Miss Clark nited two of Trumbull County's old families.
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