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 54
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Josiah Robbins, one of the early settlers of Niles, visited this tract in 1799. His daughter, Maria Ingraham, who made a study of the people and conditions of the early times, in speaking of the pioneer mothers and her privations and conr- age, says, "A thriftless, Godless woman was the exception among them."
The first postoffice was established in Weathersfield in 1825, Andrew Trew postmaster.
Little is known of the early schools of the townships, and strange as it may seem, there was not a single church in this township until 1840, thirty-seven years after the first church
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was organized in the county. People from Niles went by horse. back to Youngstown, Howland, and Warren, to church, often carrying their babies with them, as they did elsewhere.
The first burying place in the township was near Salt Springs. Several interments were made here but later the bodies were removed, and the exact spot where they lay is not known.
The Union cemetery is the principal one of the township. Burials were made there as early as 1804. It is supposed that Hannah, daughter of James Heaton, was the first body buried here.
Niles, Ohltown, and Mineral Ridge are in this township, and most of the history is found under those heads.
Ohltown.
Ohltown is a mile and a half west of Mineral Ridge. It was named for its first settler, Michael Ohl. Some years ago it was a thriving little hamlet, but the coming of the street car, the steam car, the antomobile, telegraph and telephone, has done for Ohltown the same thing that has been done to other towns-drawn the inhabitants to nearby cities, and re- duced the unmber of residents.
Michael Ohl was an energetie business man who very soon after settling built a grist mill and a saw mill. Both were ex- ceedingly primitive. The first grist mill was soon replaced by a better one, and as this was burned, a third and more sub- stantial one was erected in 1844. He also built an oil mill, but this did not prove a financial snecess, and was abandoned. He kept the first store. He also was instrumental in starting the first sehool in 1857. Almon MeCorkle was the first teacher. It was held in the old Methodist church.
In 1838 a Methodist class as formed of fifteen members, Joseph Turner being the leader. After a time Ohltown was made a station on the Liberty circuit, and very many able preachers served it. Among these was Stephen Hurd. He was a tall, dignified man, and, after he retired, lived in War- ren. The cirenit riders were all good horsemen; most of them were fond of horses, naturally, and spending so much time with the animals as they were obliged to in their long drives, they became attached to them. To his last day the Rev. Stephen Hurd drove his horse, which was light of foot, about the streets
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of Warren. This horse had not as fine a tail as its owner wanted, and he therefore purchased a false tail into which he put the stumpy, real tail, strapping the same to the erupper. Most of Warren's citizens admired this horse, with its luxuriant tail, but the small boy in some mysterious way knew it was false, and one day when the reverend gentleman hitched his horse on Market street, at the time of day when the streets were filled, this boy unhooked the tail strap and when Mr. Hurd cracked his whip to drive away, the false appendage slipped to the ground, leaving only the stumpy tail in view. Oh, if only boys would use this splendid surplus energy for something else besides tricks, it would be well!
Because of the iron works, many of the carly settlers of Weathersfield were Welsh, and there were several churches in the township.
The German people were in certain spots in this town- ship, too, and in 1845 there was a German-Reformed church in Ohltown, which was later soll to the Methodists. This con- gregation was converted into the Cumberland Presbyterian, but after a time ceased to exist.
The Presbyterians also had a meeting house as early as 1845. They later sold this building to the Primitive Methodists. who kept the church for a few years, and disbanded.
Mineral Ridge.
Mineral Ridge, which is south of Niles, is a hamlet which, like Ohltown, has decreased rather than increased in the last few years. It is situated on a picturesque rise of ground, and here was found coal of a superior kind and most of the peo- ple in the neighborhood were miners, or connected with that industry in some way. Of course, there were the usual farmers.
Here lived Mr. Abner Webb, who married Margaret Garg- hill, and whose brother was a man of financial snecess. His property reverted to Grant Webb, a son of Abner. Grant mar- ried the daughter of Charles E. Henry, who was United States marshal under Garfield's administration. Mr. and Mrs. Webb now live in Cleveland, are influential citizens, and have done much in many ways for Hiram College. The sister of Mrs. Webb, Isabelle Garghill Beecher, spent her childhood here, and began her public life by teaching school. She is probably the best known reader in the United States.
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Niles.
The early history of Weathersfield and Niles, in a certain sense, is identical. Although Niles is but five miles away from the county seat, the two towns are as much unlike as Portland, Oregon, and Portland, Maine. The differences will not be noted here for want of space, but it might be well to say that there has always been more or less contention and jealousy between the two towns, just as there has always been between individ- uals or politicians (seldom are there two United States sena- tors of the same political faith from the same state, who do not manifest this spirit) but, strange to say, although the Niles politician has diseredited the Warren politician, and the War- ren newspaper has passed unnoticed the Niles newspaper, and so on, the women of Warren and Niles, from the earliest time to the present, have been friendly, sympathetic, and sociable.
The first iron made west of the Alleghanies was smelted in a little furnace constructed at the mouth of the Yellow creek, in Poland, about 1802. Theophilus Eaton was a deputy gov- ernor of the British East India Company. He possessed both wealth and influence and in 1637 he brought a Puritan colony to Boston. He had had the advantage of travel, and although the rest of the company were thinking about religious liberty, his mind was largely on founding a commercial community. John Davenport was the spiritual leader of this company, and Mr. Eaton convinced the reverend gentleman that it would be as much of a spiritual advantage as a commercial advantage to move on to some fertile spot where there was a good harbor. Both these men felt they would not like to get under the control of the government of Massachusetts, and so they settled on Long Island Sound, and named their town New Haven. Of course, they soon saw they would have to have a civil govern- ment, and Mr. Eaton was elected governor for many years. The descendants of Theophilus Eaton were possessed of his spirit and eventually crossed the Alleghanies. There were four brothers who remained in Trumbull County, James. Daniel, Reese, and Isaac. Another brother, Bowen, although he eame here, did not stay.
Kidney ore was found on the surface along Yellow Creek; wood was plenty with which to make charcoal, and the ereek was sometimes navigable for rafts, so that astute Eaton brothers, James and Daniel, built a erude furnace, and began
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the manufacture of iron. There is still standing, in Struthers, the lower part of this brick foundation. Since men have piled up riches, millions upon millions, in the Mahoning Valley, through the manufacture of iron, it seems as if this first spot upon which it was made should be marked with an appropriate mounment of some kind. However, this sort of sentiment the transplanted Yankee does not seem to have, although his New England consins have it in a great degree.
James Heaton early sold his interest in this Struthers fur- nace to his brother Daniel, and with his brother Isaac settled in Ilowland in 1805. Isaac spent all his life in Howland. He was identified with its interests. He liked its people. He had two children, Maria, and a son, who afterwards practiced in Warren. He was justice of the peace for many years and was known as "Squire Eaton."
It was the intention of the Heatons to establish a com- mercial town in the wilderness of Trumbull County, and after a time James built a small furnace at the mouth of Mosquito creek. Isaac helped in this enterprise, but continued his resi- dence in Howland. James built a cabin on Robbins avenue. just beyond the bridge, in a spot which is called by the old resi- dents. "Circleville." and it is still standing. After a time, James sold his interest in the first furnace to some men of the neighborhood, and from that time on, although there were sey- eral sales made before much financial gain was had, that neigh- borhood has been the life of the iron manufacture of Ohio.
Daniel Eaton was in a certain sense the best known of the brothers. People of his time said he was "as odd as Dick's hat- band"; his descendants say the same thing of him. He was a liberal in belief, and yet he called his friends "brother" and "sister." He attended no church, and vet entertained min- isters and missionaries. He sympathized with the Mormon leaders and entertained them at his house, not because he be- leved in Mormonism, but because he disbelieved in oppression. He was a student of political affairs so far as they touched the financial, and in the latter part of his life, espoused an original and peculiar theory of issning paper money. He despised shams, was a good hater, and a believer in temperance in those intemperate days. Each township seemed to have had a man or a woman who made the stand for temperance early, and Daniel Eaton was that man in Weathersfield. He was about to raise a building, and when the men found ont he was not to
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give them whiskey or alcohol of any kind, they left the prem- ises. This happened over and over again in the county, but usually the building was raised by old men of the family and boys of the neighborhood. In this case, Mr. Eaton called to himself the women of his family and neighborhood and with their assistance got up the frame. This is, so far as we know, the first building in Trumbull County to be raised by women.
Josiah Robbins and his wife, Eleeta, dispensed hospitality to all travelers and visitors of the vicinity. Mr. Robbins was a temperance man, as was Dan Eaton. They were the excep- tions of their times. Wine was served ordinarily at all sorts of dinners, and every household had whiskey on the sideboard or mantlepiece where people were allowed to help themselves. Maria Robbins Ingraham says: "My father signed a temper- ance pledge soon after his first marriage." Dan Eaton drew up a pledge in 1813, which obligated all the signers to entire abstinence from all intoxicating liquors. Laura A. Luce says: "This pledge remained in my grandfather's family until 1842 or '43 when a traveling lecturer begged that it might be given to him as it was much the earliest pledge of the kind that he had ever seen. The pioneer women who signed this pledge were Phebe Blachly, Naomi Eaton, Sarah Drake, Katie Barnes, and Margaret Eaton. I have heard my grandmother say that liquor was served at all huskings and quiltings, and her cheeks would burn and her hand tremble when she passed the social glass without partaking."
At one time Mr. Eaton ran for office. His name was Daniel Heaton. The tickets were printed "Dan Eaton." One of his descendants says that for this reason he was counted out. Later he had the legislature change his name to Dan Eaton, so. al- though the other brothers retained the name of Heaton, he was known as Eaton. Someone at the time playfully said. that as Mr. Eaton wished to have his name sound like his brothers'. he dropped the "h" in order that the English in the Valley might call him by the proper name, that is, put on the "h" when it was not there. He was senator from Trumbull County in 1813, and a member of the lower honse in 1820.
Bowen Heaton settled on the Luce farm in Weathersfield and moved to Illinois in 1836.
James Heaton was as strong a man as Daniel, but not so radical. He was powerful physically, and employed all spare moments in reading. People wondered that he should be a
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Whig when he was interested in the iron business. He ac- quired rights on the Mosquito creek, built a dam, a grist mill, cabin for his workmen, and a sawmill. In 1807 he had a forge in operation ahont where the B. and O. Railroad crosses the creek. For a time he got his pig iron for his blooms at the Yellow Creek furnace, but abont 1812 he built a blast furnace, a little east of the present high school building. This was owned by his children and his grandehildren and went out of blast in the '50s. His son, Warren Heaton, was early asso- ciated with him. Before this, however, MeKinley, Dempsey & Campbell rented the furnace. and in 1842 MeKinley and Reep rented it again. MeKiuley moved to Poland in 1842. He was the father of William MeKinley, the president. He went to Poland partly to secure educational advantages for his chil- dren. Had he remained in Niles, in the iron business, bis son probably would have been one of the rich and prosperous men of the vicinage. However, he would not have been president, but it is better to be alive than to be president.
Among James Heaton's children was Warren, associated with his father in business, as above stated; and who ran the furnace between '33 and '42, with his brother-in-law, Josiah Robbins. Warren Heaton married Eliza McConnell, a daugh- ter of John and Nancy Travers, and their children, who lived in Warren, were James, Julia, and Maria. James died unmar- ried. Julia was the wife of John R. Woods, and her son, James Heaton Woods, is a successful business man of Cleveland who began his business life by dealing in the coal of the Mahoning Valley where his great-grandfather and great-uncle first began their work. Mrs. Woods had a large family of children, three of the eight only growing to adult age. Aside from James, there was Sally, who married Harmon Austin Jr., and Maria, commonly called May, who married Rolland Gilber, the son of Judge T. I. Gilhner. These descendants of James are there- fore connected with the MeConnells, the Woods. the Austins and the Gillmers, all of whom were pioneer families in the southern part of Trumbull County. The youngest child of Warren Heaton, and the only living Heaton, grandchild of James, now resides in Warren, and bears the name of Maria, which has been in all generations of the family.
The daughter of James Heaton, Maria, was the first white «hild born in Niles. When she was a little thing, about 1809. "following an okl English custom, her father carried her to
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light the first fire in his new charcoal, blast furnace, and to give it her name. It was known as the 'Maria Furnace' until it went out of blast fifty years later." This Maria was the pet of the family, although pets of those days would not consider themselves pets were they living now. She went to school in Howland township, then in Warren, then in Kinsman, and finally at Little Washington, Pennsylvania. In 1818 her father built the house now standing on the south side of Robbins av- enue at the head of the hill, owned by W. B. Mason. It was built after the Colonial style so much in vogne in Virginia and was among the attractive homes of the county. Here many years later, Frank Mason, who has made a reputation in the diplomatie service of the United States, lived, and here his brother an his genial wife reside. Maria Heaton, when she re- turned from school, gave a Halloween party, which was attended by the young people of the neighborhood, among them Charles and Henry Smith, of Warren, John Crowell of the same place, and Josialı Robbins of Youngstown. Among the things to eat was a turkey, and Mr. Robbins, although quite young, was asked to carve it. This he did in such a way as to meet the ap- proval of James Heaton, and after the refreshments were served, and the daneing begun, people noticed what a beauti- f'ul couple Josiah Robbins and Maria Heaton were, and when he was leaving the house Mr. and Mrs. Heaton asked him to call again, which he did. In the following March, they were mar- ried, and this home became their home until it was sold to Am- brose Mason. Maria Heaton, as Mrs. Robbins, lived in this honse all her married life. She died in 1835, and her hns- band later married Electa Mason, the sister of Henry, Hiram, Harriet (Mrs. Reeves). So much affection for and connection with the early families was there, that when Electa Mason's eldest daughter was born, she was named Maria, after her father's first wife, Maria Heaton.
After a time the little manufacturers started near the mouth of the Mosquito creek grew and became a hamlet. It stood east of Mosquito creek and north of the Mahoning river, including the main part of the business portion now. It was laid out in 1834 by James Heaton and his son, Warren. The former gave it the name "Niles" from the Niles Register. pub- lished in Baltimore, Maryland. This Register was Mr. Hea- ton's standby. Warren in 1832 built a house in this town, and a few other dwellings existed. In 1844 the establishment of the
HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
Ward Rolling Mill brought a mimber of workmen, so that in 1850 there were about a thousand persons there. It is said that the bar iron manufactured by James Heaton in 1809 was the first of the hammered bar produced in the state of Ohio.
The first store which existed in early Niles was for the supply of the workmen, was kept by Robert Quigley, and stood on the corner of Mill and Main streets. Ile began business two years after the town was laid out. In 1839 Robbins and Mason had the second general store, and Mr. Mason continued in his store until 1864. The families of the Robbins and Masons were large and intermarried. so that the connections of these two in Niles are large.
The first landlord was Jacob Robinson. His hotel stood where the Allison Hotel now stands. He built, later, a hotel on the west side of the street and kept it for many years. James Ward lived in the house just south of the present Allison House, and later this became the Commercial Hotel.
The town of Niles became incorporated about 1865, and H. H. Mason was elected mayor in January, 1866.
There were several private schools in Niles in the early '40s. Dr. and Mrs. Blachley founded a school which was at- tended by non-resident pupils. Amy Eaton had a select school which accommodated boarders. She was well equipped for teaching. Under her tuition Josiah Robins, John Heaton, and David McKinley prepared to enter Allegheny College.
We find the following interesting document in connection with the public schools of Niles:
Friday, September 16, 1842.
Pursuant to previous notice the house holders in Dis- triet No. 8 in Weathersfield township, Trumbull County, Ohio, met for the purpose of electing three school directors. the meeting being called to order by appointing William MeKinley, Jacob Robison and James Dempsy to the chairs.
They then proceeded to the election of officers. After canceling the votes given it was found that William Me- Kinley was elected school director for the term of three years; Jacob Robinson for the term of two years and Dr. Miller Blachly for the term of one year. The said direct- ors then proceeded to select one of their number for dis- triet clerk and treasurer which ended in the appointment of William McKinley to that office. This done the oath of
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office was administered by James Dempsey Esq. Meet- ing adjourned.
WILLIAM MCKINLEY, District Clerk.
In 1869 the Union school district was formed and the board consisted of six members. They were Josiah Robbins, T. Cal- vin Stewart. William Campbell, S. D. Young, William Davis, and William C. Mann. Josiah Robbins was elected president. The Central high school building was finished in 1871, and the first graduation was in 1875. There was but one graduate, Frank Robbins, who entered Hiram College.
The superintendents have been Prof. L. L. Campbell, C. E. Hitchcock, T. H. Bulla, W. N. Wight, and Frank J. Roller. Among the early teachers were A. J. Luce, Catherine Hank, Sarah Ann Galbreath and Harriet Hyde.
The following needs no explanation ; "The good-will of the authorities and the community is shown in the reappointment of Miss Hyde at an advance in salary amounting to $.50 per month, and perhaps, also, in that the lady was not paid even a part of her salary in bar iron."
The war had its effect upon the Niles school as it had upon all other institutions, and there are no records of the condition of the school during the war days.
Present board of education of Niles: President, W. H. Pritchard ; secretary, J. W. Eaton, W. G. Duck, J. W. Tipper, W. H. Jenkins, E. A. Gilbert, II. C. Davis.
Present corps of teachers in Niles schools:
Central High School: W. H. C. Newington, principal; C. A. MeCaughtry, Elizabeth Lloyd.
Grades: Alice Gilbert, Clara Seagraves, Estella Potter. Lydia Watson, Lulu Clark, Bertha Stephans, Marion Kelly.
Warren Avenue: Mrs. Florence Sonthard, principal ; Cora Strock, Kate Watson, Della Cassidy.
Leslie Arenue: Anna Hughes, principal; Hazel Butler.
Cedar Street: Rebekah Cook, principal; Mrs. Geo. Craig, Elsie Stallsmith, Lida Logan, Clara Williams, Bertha Thomas, Hazel Gilbert, Matilda Erwin.
Number of pupils enrolled, 1410. There have been 233 students graduated from the Niles high school. Of these 166 were girls and 67 boys.
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Trumbull County is proud of the fact that William Me- Kinley Jr. was born within its limits. Niles is greatly gratified that this martyred president first saw the light there. During the MeKinley campaign a New York paper asked the author of this work to write an article on MeKinley's boyhood. Know- ing the family well, she thought it would be wise to consult the mother and sisters about the pranks of the son and brother upon whom the eyes of the world were then turned. She learned that he was always kind to the family, that he never quarreled as did other children, that he did not dislike church, that he liked to go to Sunday school, that he never fished on Sunday, that he liked to study, felt bad when school was ont, did not care for the rough games of boys or the coarse talk of older men, preferred to stay in the house and read or play with his sisters to the more energetic life of boys. Fix it as she could, the author could make nothing out of this gentle life that could not be misconstrued by the opposing political press men. She knew the other side would call him "goo-goo" and she never sent the article. The fact that he liked books and quietnde, made him a good student and consequently a favorite with his teachers.
One of the first of these teachers was Albe Sanford. J. G. Butler Jr. says he was locally known as Santa Anna. He came to Niles soon after the Mexican war and had charge of the little white schoolhouse for a number of years. He was called "Santa Anna" from some supposed resemblance to the great Mexican general, possibly because of his peaceful nature. He was a character and his methods of discipline were unique, running entirely to ridienle. It was his delight to make a girl sit between two boys, or a boy between two girls, as punish- ment. This sometimes happened to young MeKinley. He liked it. The more girls, the better. It is related by all MeKinley's people that he was genial, bright, got his lessons, reeited them well, and behaved himself generally. The only mannish sport he seemed to care for was playing soldier, and then his cap was of paper, and his sword of wood. The family moved to Poland when he was about ten years old and there he spent the rest of his school days. One of his early teachers, Maria Bolin, now Mrs. Kyle, now lives in Niles and remembers with pleasure when William was one of her pupils in the old frame school- house at the corner of Main and Church streets. His sister, Annie, lived in Niles the first twenty years of her life, except
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for a brief period, was well educated, and taught school in Can- ton for thirty years.
In 1814 a Methodist class was formed at the house of Ebenezer Roller. No list of the first members of this class is in existence. Rev. Samuel Lane was a circuit rider who occas- ionally preached there. In 1870 a church was erected which served the purpose until 1908, when the present handsome edi- fice was ocenpied by the congregation. It is a beautiful church and its members are proud of it.
In 1838 steps were taken for organizing the Weathersfield Presbyterian church. This was accomplished in 1839, and Rev. William O. Stratton, the father of Mrs. Polly Reid of Warren, organized the church with the following members: Miller Blachly, and wife Phoebe, Eben and Anna Blachly, Robert Quigley, Catherine Wrighter, Andrew Trew, Margaret and Elizabeth Biggart, Miller Blachly Jr. and wife Mary, James and Elizabeth MeCombs, Eleanor Bell. Reverends Stratton, Herr, Dickey, and others supplied the pulpit until 1867, when Rev. Calvin Stewart was pastor five years. Revs. S. T. Street and A. T. Mealey are among the late pastors. The present one is the Rev. Emil S. Toensmeier. A new church was constructed in 1892 costing $12,000.
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