USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Annals of the Early Settlers Association of Cuyahoga County, number I > Part 34
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from the writings of Thomas Carlyle to sustain his statements. He took the position that Hume, the historian, was an infidel, con- sequently was interested in denouncing Cromwell, the Puritan Christian. It was a most logical and eloquent lecture. It divided the community into two factions-the Cromwell and Anti-Cromwell, the latter being composed of Episcopalians. Among them was a lawyer by the name of L. C. Turner, who had written frequently for the Herald over the nom de plume of " Otsego." He was a very high churchman and probably honestly believed that there was no salvation outside the pale of his church. He took upon himself to come out in the Herald and criticize Mr. Canfield's lecture, in which he said he was susprised that the "reverend" - the quotation is his - gentleman should repudiate the great historian Hume as authority, because of his being an infidel, and at the same time accept the statement in defence of Cromwell of a notorions blasphemer like Carlyle who had been imprisoned for blasphemy ! A correspondent in Akron wrote a reply, in which he exposed the ignorance of "Otsego." It seemed that individual had confounded Thomas Carlyle, who spells his name with a "y," with Richard Carlisle, who spells his with "is," and who was im- prisoned in London for blasphemy. In spite of his humiliating defeat, "Otsego" came back with another letter, in which he acknowledged his mistake, but notwithstanding all that, Carlyle was nevertheless a blasphemer, and made a quotation from his 4. Hero Worship " of apparently blasphemous expressions to prove his assertion. The Akron writer returned to the charge with another communication in which he showed up the tricky character of "Otsego." It seemed he selected a blasphemous expression, Carlyle had aseribed to Satan, and tried to palm it off as being the sentiment of that great essayist. Mr. " Otsego " never appeared in print after that, as least I never saw any more of his effusions.
Another incident occurred in connection with the course of lectures by home talent. Prof. St. John of the Cleveland Med- ical College, an eminent scientist and literaten, gave a lecture, the subject of which I have forgotten, but it was admired by all who heard it. Cleveland at that time was blessed by the 6
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presence of a conceited legal sprig by the name of Dudley, who had imported himself from New Hampshire. He pompously advertised himself as having been a former law partner of Ather- ton, the infamous author of the gag law bearing his name. This man Dudley published a communication, charging Prof. St. John with having committed plagiarism by stealing his lecture from J. S. Headley, and palming it off as his own. This charge created quite an excitement, for the Professor was looked upon as being incapable of committing such a thing. Dudley published in his communication an extract from Headley's lecture, the senti- ment of which sounded, it was claimed, very much like some of the Professor's utterances. Finally H. C. Kingsley, Esq., now of New Haven, took the manuscript of the lecture and compared it with that of Headley's, and found the sentiments in certain parts were somewhat similar to those of Headley's, but the language was entirely different. This disposed very thoroughly the charge of plagiarism, and that busy-body Dudley soon disappeared, no- body knew where.
The early settlers of Cleveland show to advantage, as compared with the later settlers, by furnishing most of the prominent military characters who served during the war of the Rebellion. Herewith is a list as far as I can gather from the recesses of my memory :
Gen. James Barnet, Gen. Lucius Fairchild, of Wisconsin, Gen. Charles Whittlesey, Gen. David L. Wood, Col. O. H. Payne, Col. W. H. Hayward, Col. Timothy H. Ingraham, Col. Clark (who was killed in battle), Lieut. Colonel Perry (son of Capt. John Perry), Lieut. Col. Lawrence, Lieut. Col. Crane (killed at Ringgold), Major George A. Mygatt, Maj. Seymour Race, Maj. Dwight Palmer, Maj. Carlton, Captain P. W. Rice, Capt. E. C. Rouse, Capt. Homer Baldwin, Capt. John Nevins, Capt. Wm. Nevins, Capt. George W. Tibbitts, Capt. Standart.
The foregoing is a very good record for the early settlers, con- sidering the smallness of their number to draw from. The num- erous later settlers comparatively furnished few military names.
Among the early settlers we find the names of Gov. Fairchild of Wisconsin, Gov. Wood, Gov. Hoadley, and Lieutenant Gov. J.
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W. Fitch, Senators Henry B. Payne, and John P. Jones of Nevada. The early settlers furnished the following congressmen, namely, Hon. John W. Allen, Hon. Sherlock J. Andrews, Hon. Edward Wade and Hon. H. B. Payne.
The distinguished names I have given prove very conclusively that the settlers who lived in Cleveland previous to 1844, small as they were, numerically speaking, as compared with the modern settlers, outnumbering them twenty to one, furnished the bulk of the brains for the now mighty city of Cleveland with its nearly a quarter of a million of population.
I have dilated on the interesting past more than I intended, and I will close by relating a little incident which the Hon. John A. Foot omitted for obvious reasons from his eulogistical remarks on Judge Andrews, in which he described the humorous phrases in the character of that great jurist and lawyer, and his proneness for perpetrating jokes. The year of 1842 was the era when the Wash- ingtonian temperance movement was at its height. That old " sea dog," Capt. Turner, was one of its moving spirits, and made many temperance speeches homely, but very forcible and popular. Mr. Foot was engaged in the good work with all the enthusiasm of his nature. At that time he was a law partner of Judge Andrews, and the firm was known as " Andrews, Foot & Hoyt." Just below their office was a notorious whiskey shop, known as the "Hole in the Wall." One day while Mr. Foot was busy with the good work in the cause of temperance, he came into the office. There were present, Judge Andrews, Mr. Hoyt, and an Englishman from Euclid, whose name I have forgotten. As Mr. Foot was about leaving, the Judge put on a serious expression of countenance and commenced giving brother Foot this feeling advice : "Now, Foot, I wish you would refrain from your visits to the Hole-in-the-Wall. Try and walk by without entering that place. Remember your family, the reputation of our firm, and your standing as a professed temperance man. How can you afford to risk all by entering that. place. Now try and go by the Hole-in-the-Wall without entering it." The Englishman, completely sold by the mock gravity of the Judge, spoke up in his native brogue-" Advice well put, Mr. Foot.
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- he pronounced that name "Fut"- well put. Let me tell you, you had better accept it and cease going to that Hole-in-the-Wall." Mr. Foot gazed at the Englishman with astonishment that he should be mistaken as a toper, and then turned around and darted out of the door down into the street.
Hoping to have the privilege and pleasure of meeting all of the members of our Association alive and in the enjoyment of good health at our next gathering. Fremain
Yours of the present as well as of the past,
EDWIN COWLES.
OLDEST HOUSE ON THE RESERVE.
In the " Annals of the Early Settlers Association of Cuyahoga County," published in 1883. is an account of an old house standing at the corner of Hanover and Vermont streets, in Cleveland (West Side), said to be about two hundred years old. That a house of that age exists within the borders of the Western Reserve will be news to most of its citizens.
Mr. Robert Sanderson is its present owner. Many may have doubts of its antiquity. We have some evidence - not exactly corroborative-regarding an old house which once stood near the site of this : Colonel James Hillman, Youngstown's earliest settler, in a letter written in 1843 (found on page 363 of Colonel Whittle- sey's Early history of Cleveland), relates a journey as pack-horse man, in 1796, from Pittsburgh to the mouth of Cuyahoga river with goods, to be taken thenee to Detroit by water. He says that near the mouth of Tinker's Creek "we crossed the Cuyahoga and went down the west side to the mouth. In going down we passed a small log trading house, where one Meginnis traded with the Indians. He left the house in the Spring before we were there." He adds, that on a subsequent trip that Summer he, and those with him. drew small logs and built a hut at a spring near where Main street comes to the river, "which, I believe, was the first house built on the Cleveland side."
He speaks of the Meginnis house as a "small log house." The
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"old house" described by Mr. Sanderson was a two-story honse with chestnut siding-a very different house. If it had been at or near the mouth of the river Mr. Hillman would probably have seen it and mentioned it in his letter. And yet it may have been built. where stated by Mr. Sanderson and have been one of the age named. If it was about two hundred years old ,it was erected, say in 1683. If one hundred and forty years old, in 1743.
More than two hundred years ago the French possessed Canada, which they called "New France." They were pushing their settle- ments and trading posts westward along the great lakes and rivers. In 1683 they founded Detroit, and had probably at that time visited the mouth of the Cuyahoga. About 1753 they had erected Fort Duquesne, at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela, near Pittsburgh. It is not improbable that they may have had trading posts on the south shore of Lake Erie, and perhaps the "old house " was one of them. JOHN M. EDWARDS.
Youngstown, O.
RECOLLECTIONS OF AN EARLY DAY.
A short account of my own experience in traveling and of the manner of transit of some goods, during the early settlement of the Western Reserve, may interest some readers.
' I left my home in the State of steady habits, the first of March 1812, in company with two young men, having a team loaded with tea, axes, and scythes for New-Connecticut. It was their second peddling trip west. Nothing of special interest occurred during our month's journey. The goods were left in Hartford, Trumbull county, as a base for their supplies in their short excursions in the settlements to dispose of their goods. On their first excursion, they bargained a chest of tea to Martin Bushnell, of Claridon, who had subsequently sold it to John Bartholomew, of Hambden. Mr Bushnell was to take the chest in Hartford, and deliver it to Mr. Bartholomew in Hambden. A part of my outfit for the West was a low chest, about twenty inches in width, and about the same in height, and about five feet in length, containing an axe, scythe,
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hoe, and some clothing. which were left to be brought with the tea. I had come to Claridon and informed Bushnell that his tea was ready. He left with horse, saddle and harness on the horse. At the place of receiving the two chests, he constructed a dray from poles much in the form of a ladder. with two or more cross- pieces, one end of the poles passing through the thill straps, the other end drawing on the ground, the tugs being fastened to the thills by a pin of wood. Necessity is said to be the mother of in- vention. Surely the above described vehicle for conveyance was as primitive as well could be. He returned in a few days without the chests, having left them in Vienna, making ten miles in advance with the loading, saying the mud was so deep it would be necessary to wait a few days for the ground to dry some. In the forepart of April, it was arranged for me to go with his horse, which I found spring poor. Passing over minor incidents. I found myself benighted in the woods and swamp bordering Musquito Creek. Following the trail by star-light I came across another trail angling to the right a little, which I took as having the most tracks, which led me into a clearing of some ten acres, with a hay stack from which hay had been drawn. Returning to the forks of the road, and taking then the right path, I soon came to an ocean of water, according to the night vision. A few rods ahead was evidently a log bridge just above the surface of the water. Wad- ing on, I found a bridge in the midst of the water, covered with large round sticks of timber lying so much on the surface of the water that they would settle under the horse's feet. The bridge being short, I waded into the water, some two or three feet deep, lessening in depth as I approached the sight of land, the water probably extending some sixty or hundred rods. In the course of a mile I came to a log-house. waking the inmates about midnight. I was admitted to quite comfortable quarters. Next morning, I made my way to where the chests were, and harnessed my horse. Adjusting the dray and putting on the chests, I was soon in the woods homeward bound. The waters in the creek had fallen a little, so that the chests were above the water, and the bridge con- paratively safe. The view and trail were not attractive, but not so
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imposingly fearful as the previous night's view. The day was warm and sultry. Towards night it became cloudy. Not having a time-piece, and darkness coming on sooner than expected, I was in the Champion Woods, with many miles of forest ahead in Champion and Southington, with a narrow road, some of the way being mud and other parts corduroy, logs laid cross ways, the horse showing unmistakable signs of fatigue. Deep darkness ensued, and flashes of lightning, and distant thunder greeted my ears. I was tired, walking all day slowly. The air was compar- atively still, just commotion enough to see the wind was southerly. Soon the wind was roaring, the forked lightning more vivid, dark and heavy clouds rolling from the northwest. The horse stopped, so tired that the load could not be drawn any further. A large oak tree had been turned up by the roots, leaving the trunk some three feet above the ground. As the lightning flashed, I com- prehended the situation. Although as dark as Egyptian darkness, between the long and swift chains of fire I succeeded in placing the two chests under the fallen tree, the bark of which was loose. I pulled off strips of thick bark and putting them against the tree to turn the rain off from the chests, flung the dray on the other side of the road. Now came the wind and torrents of rain. The thunder shook the earth. The tall, dead, girdled trees along the line of the narrow road might be good magnets for the electric fluid, and the timber dangerous missiles when thrown by violent gusts of wind. The whole scene was appalling. Real danger that cannot be avoided helps to keep the mind calm and cool. I was soon cool enough, as there was not a dry thread in my clothes, and the change of air from heat to cold was sudden, with many degrees of change. In the course of half an hour or so, the torrents ceased to a moderate shower, with a corresponding abatement of wind and thunder. I started the horse, driving him before me as best I could. Without any cessation of the moderate rain, there came another shower, from another very dark cloud, which, how- ever, was not as intense either in lightning, wind or rain, which for some hours continued, raining more or less in quantity, until I came to a log hut, inhabited to my great joy. The man getting up,
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put my horse under shelter, making a great fire of dry wood and' logs. I seated myself on a bench, my clothes next to the fire, smoking like a coal-pit, then changing to give the other side a chance to dry. A knock at the door for admittance. and another traveller on foot found a shelter. His story, in short, was that he had been in the same woods, road and storm. He was wet and looking sad, accounting that his experience that night had been awful. His mind was greatly agitated over a solemn spectacle amidst such surroundings of wind, lightning. thunder and storm. He said he had seen a coffin under a fallen tree. We doubted. He affirmed his sober convictions, denying that he was superstitions. My relation of the low chest having been put under the tree, evidently soothed his mind. Laying ourselves down on a blanket on the floor, with our feet towards the fire. we spent the early morning hours very comfortably. Next day I got the chests along about seven miles to the Young's place in Middlefield. where the load was left, footing it home. I told my friend Bushnell it was his turn. I think that tea, when it came into Bartholomew's hands .. must have been sold at such prices, that economy would have dictated dealing out in homeopathic doses.
Thus, in a few weeks from the time I had been accustomed to the fashions and mode of traveling in the New England States. I. was initiated into the backwoods customs and mode of traveling in Ohio. LESTER TAYLOR.
CLARIDON, Nov. 25th. 1883.
THE CLEVELAND NEWS LETTER OF 1829.
( Special Correspondence of the Leader.)
WASHINGTON, June 27th. - Among the tens of thousands of bound files of papers which are buried away in the crypt of the Capital building there is one labeled "Ohio, 1829," which contains a number of copies of the Cleveland Independent News Letter. These papers were sent to Martin Van Buren, who was Secretary of State about that time, and they were bound by him for the
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State Department. From this department they somehow drifted to the Congressional Library, where they are now kept hidden from sight about twenty feet below ground.
In 1829, Cleveland. it will be remembered, had less than 1000 inhabitants, and the News Letter would open its old-fashioned eyes. if it could see the papers published in the city to-day. The issue now spread out before me is that of May 9th, 1829. It is a single folio, the pages of which are not so large as those of the Leader, and I see it is headed vol. 2, No. 12. Its advertisement states. that its editor is Harvey Rice, and that it is published every Saturday evening by David McLain, at the Printing Office, four doors west of the Franklin House Square, Superior st., Cleveland. Below this come its terms.
Two dollars and fifty cents per annum to "village subscribers, who have their paper left at their doors, payable three months. after the reception of the first number."
" Grain will be received in payment at cash prices if delivered within three months."
" No subscription received in payment for six months unless accompanied by cash."
" Advertisements very conspicuously inserted three times at one dollar per square, and twenty-five cents for each subsequent insertion."
" No paper or advertisement discontinued until settlement is. made, except in hopeless cases."
The first page of the paper, with the exception of the very lean head, is given up to advertisements, while the last is devoted entirely to poetry and stories. The news is all on the two inside pages, and there is little in it except quotations from other papers, and a single column of Andrew Jackson editorials.
Over the editorial column is the cut of a printing press much like that of Ben Franklin's at the centennial, radiating rays of light, and over it is stretched a scroll bearing the words, "The News . Letter - The Tyrant's Foe - The People's Friend." There are no telegrams, no special letters, no Associated Press dispatches, no · markets, and the tabulated matter is a column headed, " Bank.
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Note Table," which shows how few cents on the dollar the different issues of State banks are worth. I notice that very few of them are at par. Ohio banks seem to be worth within about five per cent. of their face value, and every bank except one out of the fifteen Maine banks quoted is marked broken.
The advertisements give many hints as to the history of the times.
One shows the editor to be hard up, and says that every sub- seriber on his list owes him at least a dollar and a half.
Another offers " $100 reward for the detection of the person who fabricated a marriage notice, and clandestinely contrived to procure its insertion in this paper last Saturday." Think what an ex- citement that notice must have caused in this little village of Cleveland of 1000 inhabitants. I can hear the tongues of the gossips wag as I read between the lines.
Another advertisement is for a shooting match. It was dated Cleveland, May 1st, 1829, and states that a $45 Double Barrelled European Fowling piece will be shot for as soon as a sufficient number have subscribed. Shots one dollar each. Off hand fifteen rods ; from a rest twenty rods. The gun may be seen and names entered at Andrews' gun factory, Bank street.
Below this Orson M. Oviatt advertises that he has received a new stock of dry goods, groceries, hardware, and Spanish sole leather, which he will sell at the lowest prices for cash or pork.
And in another column is a petition for divorce of James Petti- bone from Wealthy Pettibone his wife.
The school advertisements are interesting. T. H. Gallaudet, of Hartford, Conn., advertises his deaf and dumb school there. Since then his son has risen to the top of his profession, and now he ranks in the world as one of the greatest deaf and dumb teachers in it.
The Rev. Mr. Freeman, of the village of Chagrin, announces that he proposes to open a school for young ladies where instruction will be given in reading, spelling, writing, history, arithmethic, ge- · ography, and plain needle work, at three dollars per term of twelve weeks.
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The St. Clair Female Seminary at Pittsburgh teaches about the same studies at a cost of $100 for board and tuition, and an apothecary's bill at the charge of the parents. It states also that the dress of all the young ladies will be uniform, consisting of two black bombazette froeks and one white one, two black capes and two white ones, two black bombazette aprons, handkerchiefs, towels, combs, brushes, waste-bowls, etc., all at charge of parents.
A medical college advertisement of an institution at Cincinnati states that good board can be had in that city from $1.75 to $2.75 per week.
In another advertisement Cleveland is described as at the junc- tion of the Ohio Canal with Lake Erie as the most populous, wealthy and thriving village on the Western Reserve, with the exception of Buffalo. on the Lake Shore. It has direct commu- nication daily with the East, and three times a week with Pitts- burgh. Cincinnati, Columbus, Detroit, etc., by mail stages, daily south by the canal, and almost hourly with Detroit and Buffalo by steamboats and schooners.
Another advertisement states that The Remember Me, a religious and literary miscellany, is for sale at the news office. And another looking very strange for abolition Cleveland offers a reward of $20 for the return of a runaway slave. This I copy in part. It reads : " $20 reward-ran away on Saturday evening, the 9th, inst., a negro man named Frank, aged about thirty-five years, he is five feet eight inches in height or thereabout. Said slave is very black with white teeth, very talkative with those with whom he is acquainted and reserved to strangers. Is fond of making use of high sound- ing words. Will steadily deny being a runaway, but can be easily found out by being cross-questioned. A reward of $20 will be given if taken out of the State, or of $10 if taken within the State and returned to me. [Signed] SAMUEL TROTTLER,
Lexington, Ky."
If this paper be an index, Cleveland in 1829 was satisfied with very little news. There is vindictive spirit shown in the editorials, and there is no halting between the two parties. All that the Jackson men do is right ; all that Clay and the other party propose
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radically wrong. One item states that Andrew Jackson has: received a box made of twenty different kinds of wood from some- man, and it gives Jackson's letter of thanks, which must have covered several pages of foolscap. The Presidents had more time then than now. It also gives the vote of one of the campaigns for nomination as Senator, in which Leonard Case and Reuben Wood figured, and it states a fact which I had not known in regard to Lafayette's death, viz., that he was buried in a hogshead of earth which his agent procured from Bunker Hill, and forwarded to France. It also contains notices of the " great union canal lottery of Pittsburgh," and gives its drawings, in which it seems that there. are twice as many thousand blanks as there are thousand prizes. June 27th, 1884.
FIRST WHITE CHILD BORN IN OHIO, 1781. (Pittsburgh Chronicle Telegraph.)
On hundred years ago, that portion of the West which is now Ohio was partly primeval forest and partly a prairie region, inhab -- ited by wild beasts and Indians. The possession of the land was. disputed for many years by the French and English, and afterward by conflicting state claims. A large portion of the district known as the "Western Reserve " belonged to the State of Connecticut, till sold by her in 1800. In 1778, a New England company, sent. out by General Putnam, made the first Ohio settlement at Marietta, so called for the French Queen Marie Antoinette, and three years later, April 16th 1781, the first white child was born in the district .. Cincinnati was also settled in 1778. Not until 1794 did General Wayne's victory secure to the colonists peace and safety from the. Indians. In 1802 Ohio became a State, and in 1816 Columbus was, made its capital.
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