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 9
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On June 1, 1801. "while writing this I am seated in a log house on an old bench and beside of a white oak table. all. fortunately, clean. I found my settlement in a prosperous condition. Another year it will be able to sup- port itself."
August, 1801, "My settlement is doing finely. We have this day had a lecture, delivered by a clergyman. There were about forty present." This is the first record we have of a lecture on the Western Reserve.
July 7. 1802. "I have a large cross-leg table and chairs enough for all the family to sit on and one for a stranger who chances to visit me. We cook, eat, and drink in the same
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HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
apartment. Food tastes as well, and sleep is as sweet, in a log as in a frame house."
July 14, 1803. "I was in Warren on the 4th of July where I attended a ball. You may judge of my surprise at meeting a very considerable company, all of whom were well dressed with neatness and in fashion, some of them ele- gantly. The ladies generally dressed well; some of them would have been admired for their ease and grace in a New Haven ball room. It was held on the same spot of ground where four years since there was searcely a trace of Imman hand, or anything within fifteen miles of it. We improved well the occasion; began at two o'clock in the afternoon on Monday and left the room a little before sunrise on Tues- day morning. We dance but seldom, which is our apology."
"I am heartily tired of living alone. I must and am determined I will be married. Things are likely to take sneh a course as will give us a tolerable society in this place. where I must eventually settle down."
"I am heartily tired of living alone and am determined to marry as soon as I can find a woman who will have me that will answer." Editor's Note .- Mr. Edwards seemed to be an exception to the men of his time, and in fact to some men of this time, since they are more apt to say, "I am heartily tired of living alone and am determined to marry as soon as I can find a woman that suits me."
His brother in writing to him in 1802 says, "The resolu- tion which yon have entered into to take a wife I highly ap- prove, but I fear you will find it difficult to suit yourself. I cannot say that I know a girl whom I should seriously wish yon to connect yourself with. There are hundreds and thon- sands of pretty, smirk-faced girls to be found, but they are far from being calculated to make you happy. Men of less refined notions who would not be shocked at trifling varia- tions from the extreme delicacy and high sense of dignity which appertain to a fine woman of character might render themselves happy by such connection. But your ideas of women are such that would lead you to wish for a wife who would not only amuse or please yon but who would make a dignified and highly enchanting companion."
This portion of the letter is quoted here to show how stilted was the style of letter-writing more than a hundred years ago.
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HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
as well as how useless is the advice of brother or family in love affairs. It seems this same brother was looking for someone suitable for a wife in this wilderness, and his descriptions of the different women he analyzes are very amusing. From the letters we judge that the family at home were really wishing to find just the proper person for their brother, and there are long descriptions of the young women of that vicinity, most of them spoken of in the highest terms, but John Stark seems to stay in his Mesopotamia home. Finally, in desperation, his sister Hen- rietta writes, "I advise yon, my dear brother, to get you a wife where you are, for there is hardly anybody left here worth having." Again the family advice was not good. Mr. Edwards and Miss Morris were married on the 28th of February, 1807. They went by stage to Philadelphia, then most of the way on horseback. Their married life was happily spent, and people who saw them as they stopped at the "tavern" of Jared Firt- land said they never saw a handsomer couple. When they came to Warren they went to live with General and Mrs. Perkins until their own house was finished. This house is now standing, is in good condition, and answers the description which Mr. Ed- wards wrote of it at the time. Upon Mr. Edwards' death it was purchased by Mr. Thomas D. Webb. (See chapter on old houses.) In this house Mr. Edwards' three children were born, one only growing to manhood, Mr. William Edwards, the father of Louisa Maria Edwards, a student of the early history of this country. lives in Youngstown.
"Reading matter was scarce, and for want of lighter food, Mrs. Edwards perused her husband's law library, not a book here and there, but all it contained. She also assisted her husband in the Recorder's Office, and it is said the best written records of Trumbull County are by her pen."
Miss Dwight visited Mrs. Edwards, probably in 1810, and married William Bell. then a Warren merchant. Winston Churchill. the author, is a great-grandson of this couple.
In October, 1812, Mr. Edwards was elected to represent this district in Congress. The following Jannary he started with Mr. George Parsons and Mr. William Bell for Put-in-Bay. where he had business interests. They got as far as Sandusky when a thaw came on and they had to return home. In fording the streams Mr. Edwards got wet, and became very sick. They took refuge in a cabin, but the water was so high in all direc-
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HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
tions that it was hardly safe for them to proceed. Mr. Bell left Mr. Edwards with Mr. Parsons and came into Warren, and it was thonght best to have Dr. Seely go to him. Mrs. Edwards was greatly distressed at the news brought her, but "commend- ing her little sleeping ones to their Maker, she set forth, hoping to nurse, comfort and restore her Imsband." They left Warren about eight o'clock. The night was dark, the floods had been excessive, the traveling bad, and many places dangerons. They, however, proceeded abont nine miles. Setting out again before daybreak. they had got abont forty-five miles from Warren when they met the sleigh bearing the body of Mr. Edwards. Mr. Parsons alone was with him. Mrs. Edwards wrote her sister. "We were then fourteen miles from a house, just before sun- down, in a snow storm, and we were obliged to return that dis- tance to get even the shelter of a cabin. For hours after dark I followed that coffin. My dear sister, do you not wonder that I live to write von this?" Does not the reader wonder? In fact, the hardest trials which the early pioneers had were those of sickness and death. Mr. Edwards was buried in the old cemetery, still existing, on Mahoning avene. Almost broken-hearted, Mrs. Edwards found consolation in her religion and in the kindness demonstrated by her friends. She attempted to fill the place of both father and mother to her children, and expected to return to New England, as her family wished her to do. The unsettled condition of the country made the settling of estates tedious. and before she really could get away, a year and a half. she married Mr. Montgomery, and spent the rest of her life in the neighborhood of Youngstown. Miss Edwards, the granddaugh- ter, is anthority for the following, and no man or woman was ever more truthful than is she. In writing of her grandfather's death, she says: "He died January 29, 1813. His sisters, Mrs. Johnson, whose home was at Stratford, Connecticut, and Hen- rietta Edwards, who was either at New Haven or Bridgeport. both dreamed that their brother was dead, one of them that his death was caused by drowning. Mrs. Johnson was so frightened by her dream that she waked her husband to tell him. Then fell asleep and had the same dream again. The next word re- reived from Ohio was of his death. The dream of each sister, it was found, occurred at the time of his death, though whether the night before or the night after cannot now be remembered with certainty."
CHAPTER XII.
FIRST COURT HOUSE .- ORIGINAL SUBSCRIPTION LIST FOR SAME .- BRICK POND .- SECOND COURT HOUSE .- SALE OF FIRST COURT HOUSE .- COURT CRIER .- FIRST JAIL IN WARREN .- SECOND JAIL .- DEBTORS' ROOM. -THIRD JAIL .- FOURTH JAIL .- COUNTY SEAT WAR.
The facts in regard to the first court and county officers are given in the chapter on Bench and Bar. The first court of quarter sessions was held between two corn cribs near the Quinby place (site of Erie depot). James Scott built a log house which stood on the corner of Mahoning avenue and High street, and when finished, in 1805, it was used as a court house. Later, court was held in the third floor of a house built by Will- iam W. Cotgreave, and familiarly known at that time as "Castle William."
We are fortunate in being able to publish for the first time the subscription list to the first court house built in Trumbull County. The original paper is yellow and in some places not quite legible. The owner prizes it highly and has it between two pieces of glass bound with, eloth so that both sides can be seen. It is as follows:
We. the subscribers, do each one severally for himself promise to pay to Richard Hayes, Eli Baldwin and William MeCombs, commissioners of the County of Trumbull, and their successors in said office, or to their order, the sums respectively annexed to our names to be appropriated to the erection of a court house in Warren for the use of the County of Trumbull, to be paid one-third when the founda- tion of the building is laid, one-third when the walls are up, and the remaining third when the building is completed, provided the walls of said court house shall be of brick.
Warren, Angust 25, 1809.
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I.F.F
(Loaned by the Tribune. )
OLD COURT HOUSE.
PRESENT COURT HOUSE.
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HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
Enoch Leavitt Jr. [?].$5.00
Phineha Leffingwell 5.00
two hundred Ibs. of Iron
Ezekal Hawn [?] ... 20.00
William Anderson . 10.00
Samuel Leavitt .... 10.00
E. Quinby. $200.00
( Mutilated) 5.00
Zebina Weatherbee. 100.00
Seymour Austin 26.00
"Calvin Pease .. 100.00
James Reed 5.00
"George Parsons. . 50.00
James Orr 5.00
William Andrews. . 50.00
Adamson Bentley. . 26.00
James Scott. 50.00
Samuel Pew.
5.00
Reuben S. Clark. 48.75
-Wm. Woodrow . 6.00
John Leavitt & Son. 100.00
Thos. Costley. 5.00
AAshbel King. 40.00
Leonard Croninger. 4.00
Abram Lane, Jr. . .
3.00
Alexander Grant [ ?] 5.00
Asa Lane. 3.00
John Draper
6.00
James Quigley. 30.00
John S. Edward. 100.00
Isaac Baldwin [ ?] ...
3.00
Christopher Cook. .
2.00
Royal Pease. 100.00
Lemuel Reeves 20.00
Mark Westroat . 5.00
Simon Perkins. .. 200.00
Francis Freeman. . 20.00
Thomas A. Tyler [?] 20 00
Abraham Lever. 5.00
Samnel Bacon. . . 30.00
Isaac Fithian [ ?]. 50.00
Thomas
William Hall 12.00
Charles Dailey
20.00
Joseph Reeves. 10.00
#Sam'l Chesney. 10.00
James Harsh Moses Carl. 5.00
5.00
"Benj'n Lane. 25.00
John Ewalt. 5.00
and one barrel of pork
Oliver Brooks. . 10.00
Ralph Freeman. . 5.00
W. Bell (paid) .. 27.00
.
Z. Weatherbee 60.00
B. P. Harmon. . 5.00
William Morrow. 20.00
Leonard Case. 10.00
Robert Freeman. . . 5.00
We, the subscribers do hereby assign over to James Scott of Warren in the County of Trumbull, the within subscription and we do hereby engage to and with the said
Have descendants now living in Trumbull County.
Wm. W. Morrison. . 20.00
David Bell. 50.00
15.00
Elisha Burnett 30.00
John S. Edwards & C'alvin Pease for
Hemy Lane. 30.00
James B 2.00
Jeremiah Brooks by
"James Heaton. ....
Noah Brockway. 18.00 Ebenezer Benedict . 5.00
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HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
James Scott that on the written - subscription and on this day assigned by us to the said James, there is nineteen hundred and ninety-eight dollars which by law is collectible according to the tenor and effect of the same.
Warren, July 6, 1810.
JOHN S. EDWARDS, SAM. LEAVITT, ZEBINA WEATHERBEE, JAMES QUIGLEY.
The commissioners set aside a bond of $1,000 which Ephraim Quinby had given the treasurer of the county. This was all the county was willing to contribute toward the erec- tion of its first court house. The remainder was raised by sub- scription as seen above.
The bricks for this court house were made from clay pro- cured on the land of James Scott, the exact spot being where the present Elm Street school house stands. A large excavation was here which eventnally filled with water. This was known by the children of 1860 as "the brick pond." In winter it af- forded a skating place for little folks and such older children as were not allowed to go onto the river.
Isaac Ladd, the father of Irvin Ladd, who now lives on Mason street, was a fine carpenter and did the wood-work for this building. The doorway is remembered by nearly a hun- dred persons living today in Trumbull County. It was a double door, with panes of glass, 8x9, in a sash on either side. and the frame over the door was part of a circle with glass ent in pieces of such shape as to fill in, that is. each pane was ent smaller at the bottom and flared like a fan. Mr. Ladd was the first man in Warren to own a diamond for glass cutting.
Although the subscription list was circulated in 1809. as- signing to Scott in 1810, the building was not completed until 1815. It was a plain affair but answered the purpose.
By 1836 this conrt house was in a somewhat dilapidated condition, and now and then the question of repairing or re- building was brought up. The mere mention of this improve- ment added ammunition to the county seat war, and the new court house was not begun until 1852 and was finished in 1854. In regard to this conrt house we quote from the county com- missioners' journal, March session. 1852:
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HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
Thursday Morning at S o'clock, March 4th.
Board met pursuant to adjournment. President E. V. Kellogg. Thaddeus Bradley and Abner Osborne.
The subject of erecting a new court house and public offices for Trumbull County was taken up and discussed at some length by Hon. Wm. Porter, and Dr. Tracy Bron- son of Newton against Hon. John Crowell, Hon. M. Sut- liff, Hon. John Hutchins, Hon. Mathew Birchard, B. F. Hoffman, Azor Abell, and Garry C. Reed, Esqrs., in favor of the project pending the question the board adjourns to Friday morning at & o'clock.
Friday Morning. March 5th, 1852, at S o'clock.
Board met pursuant to adjournment, present same as yesterday.
The question, shall a new court house and public offices be erected the present season was again taken up and after some discussion was decided in the affirmative. Whereupon the commissioners ordered the following entry to be made, to-wit :
"Be it remembered that the Commissioners of Trum- bull County at their stated session held at Warren on the first Monday of March, A. D. 1852, having in accordance with their previous notice on petition an application of the citizens of said county, had under consideration the sub- jeet of building a new court house and public offices for said county, do find it necessary for public convenience and for the preservation of the records of the various offices of the county, and for the holding of the courts of said county, that a new conrt house and public offices therein be built and furnished.
"And the said commissioners do therenpon at this their said March session order that a building for the purposes aforesaid be immediately erected. The building to be of the size of 60 by 90 feet in dimensions, to be built of good materials and of permanent construction, and according to specifications and plans hereafter to be determined upon by our board.
"And for the purpose of carrying ont the foregoing order, this board do here further order that Abner Osborne. Esq .. one of our board, to be a committee of one to visit and view such other court houses of approved form and con-
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HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
struction within this state, with such architeet as he may see fit to employ for that purpose, as he may deem ex- pedient, and to procure such plans, specifications and in- formation as may to him seem proper to present to our board at our extra session to be held for the further con- sideration of said subjeet on the 25th day of March inst."
And the said board do here further order that for the purpose of meeting and defraying the consequent expenses of the foregoing orders, the auditor and treasurer, by eir- culars addressed to holders thereof, immediately call in and collect the excess interest fund of said county, and that the same be, and the same is hereby subjected to the purpose and object of building said court house and public offices.
Abner Osborne was allowed fifty dollars to be used in visit- ing court honses in this vicinity, with a view of instructing the architect in regard to the plans. William Ernst was the archi- tect, and also superintendent of construction. An engraving. published in the Transcript of June 30, 1854, was made by Will- iam F. Porter, the father of Eugene Porter, and a man of fine artistic temperament and ability. Mr. Porter painted some very ereditable pictures, but ill health prevented his following his profession.
The stone for this building was obtained at the quarries in Coitsville, Vienna and Braceville. It cost $23,658 when finished. The cost of the same building today would be four or five times that much.
Richards & Logan, of Poland, were the contractors. They disagreed during the construction and a case was begun in the Mahoning courts. All the papers belonging to the construction of this court house were taken to Youngstown to be used in the trial. The case, however, was settled out of court, the papers were not returned to this county, and are now in the court house in Youngstown, filed somewhere. A search has been made for them for this history, but they were not found.
The first court house (that built in 1815) was soll to Isaac VonGorder and the home-made bricks were cleaned by him and his sons. These were used in erecting a block on South Park avenue. now owned and occupied by Louis Rentfle.
Forty years ago, maybe later, the town crier was a neces- sary adjnet to court proceedings. His voice, calling for law- vers, witnesses or court officials, could be heard for blocks. A
( Loaned by the Tribune.)
MONUMENTAL PARK.
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HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
man who was at the bar in the 60's and 70's says that one of the young lawyers, wishing to be advertised, would always go out of the court room just before his case was to be called in order that his name might be loudly shouted from the upper window.
The court house built in 1854 was so badly damaged by fire on March 25, 1895, that it was taken down and the present one erected. This new building cost, including furnishing and the house for the heating apparatus back of the jail, over $200,000. It is one of the handsomest buildings in the Valley.
The first jail in Warren was one of the rooms in Ephraim Quinby's house which stood near the site of the present Erie station on South Main street. Although many jail rules were made at the time of its establishment, such as fixing the yard limits between the present Market and Williams streets, Main street and Park avenue, with a few rods west of the jail. the room was used but little. Only one prisoner taken from there received a court sentence, -that, Daniel Shehy, of Youngstown, who threatened the life of Judge Young and paid twenty-five dollars fine.
A room in the lower part of William W. Cotgreave's house, which stood on the south side of the present Market street just east of the Warren Hardware Company's store, was next used as a jail.
In 1801 the court approved of specifications for the build- ing of a jail and the following year it was begun. It stood on the ground now used as Monumental Park. It was nearly com- pleted in 1804, when it burned clear to the ground. This build- ing was of logs, 32 feet by 22 feet. It had a room for debtors and for criminals. The debtors' room was the larger, having two windows, while the criminals' room had only one. There were iron gratings before all windows. However, no debtor in Warren was ever confined therein, and it is not known that a debtor was ever confined in any Trumbull County jail.
The prisoners for a time after the burning were inear- cerated in the oldl quarters at "Castle William."
A log jail was built about 1815 on the site of the present structure. A contract was made for a new building, of brick, in 1822, and it was accepted by the commissioners, on the 9th of December, 1824. The contractor was paid $2,943.
In 1871 plans were made for the construction of a new jail, and the total cost was about $35,000. This is the present edifice which has been enlarged a little, and repaired inside.
HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
The following is a list of men who have served as sheriffs: David Abbott, 1800 to 1804; Elijah Wadsworth, 1806; James Hillman, 1809; Trial Tamer, 1813; John Struthers, 1815; Ben- jamin Austin, 1819; Lemuel Reeves, 1822; Andrew Bushnell, 1826: Cyrus Bosworth, 1830; George Mygatt, 1834. Henry Smith succeeded Mr. Mygatt, and served until 1838; Warren Young, 1842; JJames Ilezlep, 1846; Benjamin V. Robbins, 1848; William Williams, 1850; Benjamin N. Robbins, 1852; Isaac Powers, 1854; II. R. Ilarmon, 1858; A. B. Lyman, 1862; J. G. Butler, 1866; S. M. Laird, 1870; G. W. Dickinson, 1874; S. A. Corbin, 1878; S. F. Bartlett, 1882; John Hoyt. 1886; A. P. MeKinley, 1890; J. H. Dilley, 1894; E. A. Biery, 1898; F. E. Caldwell, 1902: W. A. Williams, 1906; Charles W. Moser began 1906 and is still serving.
As among early settlers, after farms were actually divided, troubles arose in regard to the line fence, so the interesting "War of Counties" centered in county seats. As we have seen, Warren was the county seat of carly Trumbull County. The settlement grew slowly along the lake and faster toward the 41st parallel. The present spirit of Youngstown seems to have been in the first settlers. They determined to have the county seat in the beginning, and rather than yield, kept up a constant warfare, battles occurring at longer and shorter intervals, some- times strong and sometimes weak. When the jail, situated on Monumental Park, was burned in 1804, Youngstown was de- termined to have the county seat matter settled in its favor. However, there were other voices in the county and other people who had choices for location. Many people thought the town- ships of Windsor, Orwell, Colebrook, etc., were about midway for location, and that the county seat should be established there. While people in the northern part of Trumbull County thought it should be established near the Pennsylvania line Judge Frederick Kinsman, of Warren, said his father, John Kinsman, greatly favored Girard. In 1805, by the setting off of Geanga County, which included the northern part of old Trum- bull County, Youngstown received an advantage because that village was not so far from the center of the county as it had been before. However, county and township lines were not ab- solutely certain and the towns of Windsor, Orwell, ete., men- tioned above, after the counties of Ashtabula and Portage were erected, were given back and forth to the disgust of the inhab-
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HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY
itants. Polities of course entered into the county-seat war. The men elected to the legislature, and like offices, from Youngstown, fought for the county seat, and the residents of Warren had to pay for the services of one or more influential men who went to the state capitol and looked after its interests. In the neigh- borhood of Youngstown were many aliens, and when it came to the election of 1809, the question was brought up as to whether these aliens were entitled to vote. Mr. Leonard Case, of War- ren, and Mr. William Chidester, of Canfield, justices of the peace, took testimony in regard to these voters at Youngstown, Hubbard and Poland. Daniel Shehy, who had remembered his confinement in the county jail, espoused the cause of the aliens and making long speeches, added to the excitement of the occa- sion. Before depositions conkl be taken, threats of arrest had to be made. This evidence taken was presented to the legis- lature at the time Trumbull's candidate, Thomas G. Jones, pre- sented himself. Either the question of county seat had been overshadowed by the storming of the Irishman, or had spent its force naturally, for when Jones was declared not eligible and Hughes and Elliott were given seats, the matter of county seat quieted and seemed to go to sleep. Although Youngstown had won. it did not seem to profit in any way by that winning. For two or three years nothing was accomplished by either party. In 1811, Thomas G. Jones, still favorable to Warren, and Sam- nel Bryson, interested for Youngstown, were elected for rep- resentatives. Judge George Tod was a senator. At these elec- tions aliens were not allowed to vote. All this time, Warren had held on to the county seat and had consequently grown. Nothing transpired of importance in the county seat controversy until 1813, when the question again assumed proportions, but again Warren carried the day. In 1839 the county buildings were so dilapidated that Trumbull County asked permission to build a new court house. This was the signal for alarm. Youngs- town protested against putting any more money into the "tem- porary capital." Now politics entered into the question more than ever and there was hardly a gathering anywhere in the county at which the matter was not up for discussion. Finally, in the winter of 1845-46. Mahoning County was set off. Warren continued to be the capital of Trumbull, and new buildings were erected. An interesting thing now occurred which Trumbull County people enjoyed since they were eliminated from the agi- tation-they had had enough. It had never occurred to the
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