Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 9

Author: Doyle, William B., b. 1868
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1150

USA > Ohio > Summit County > Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens > Part 9

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The first building built upon the new allot- ment occupied the corner where the Peoples Savings Bank is now located. It was built by Henry Clark, and was used by him for hotel purposes. Soon a store building was built on the lot diagonally opposite. When the work on the canal began, and dwellings and store buildings and shops and ware- houses sprang into existence as though sum-

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moned by the wave of a magician, there was large demand for the lots, and many of them were sold in a few months. The enterprise was a splendid success, and the new town started under the happiest auspices. A ship- yard was started inside the town limits at what was afterward called the Lower Basin, and on June 27th, 1827, the first canal boat built in Akron, and the first to regularly navigate the canal, and called the "Ohio," was launched.

So Akron grew until August 10th, 1833, on which day the territorial extent of the city was doubled by the filing of a new plat by which all the lands lying north of the town as far as the Little Cuyahoga River, and between what is now the railroads on the east and Walnut and Oak Streets on the west, were allotted. As in the former plat, streets, parks, and alleys were provided for, and a little city was carefully laid out on paper. This plat also gave the name of the town em- braced by it as "Akron." This last allotted territory belonged mainly to Dr. Eliakim Crosby. He associated with him Judge Lei- cester King and General Simon Perkins, both of Warren. Dr. Crosby had settled in Mid- dlebury in 1820, coming thence from Can- ada, although he had been born in Litch- field, Connecticut. He embarked in various ventures in Middlebury, operating at times the Cuyahoga furnaces, a lime kiln, a grist mill, saw mill, etc. He sold them all by 1831, and conceived a prospect larger than any of them. His plan was to carry the water of the Little Cuyahoga River by means of a hydraulic race, from Middlebury to a point on the Ohio Canal near Lock Five, near the foot of Mill Street. This would give a fall of water which could be used for power purposes from Lock Five to the northern limits of the town. Work on the race was commenced in 1831, and in the spring of 1833 the waters of the river were flowing through it, and giving the power the en- gineer of the enterprise, Colonel Sebried Dodge. estimated they would. This is the race which now flows through the Old Forge, around the Rocky Bluff above and just to the

south of Fountain Park, the present fair grounds, and, crossing Summit, Broadway and High Streets, is conveyed by a conduit under the center of Main Street and down Mill Street from the Central Savings Bank Corner to the "Old Stone Mill," at Lock Five. The mill was built in the year 1832-1833 to make use of the new power. On the maps the new race was called the "Cascade Mill Race." The old village had been called Akron for eight years and the people looked upon the addition as another and separate village. The name of the race they adopted, therefore, as the name of the town, and it was known as "Cascade" for many years thereafter, both at home and abroad. This name was later given to a newspaper, a hotel, and an important store; all named from the town of which they were a part. When the territory between the old and new village became better settled they were often referred to as North and South Akron, but gradually the distinction was obliterated. Today, by "South Akron" the citizen refers to territory lying south of Thornton Street, and extend- ing to a point three miles from the center of North Akron.

The sixth Federal Census did not recognize Akron. It was the census of 1840. It gave Cleveland, 6,071; Steubenville, 4,247; Zanes- ville, 4,766; Chillicothe, 3,977. It gave the number of inhabitants in Summit County as 22,560. In 1850, the name of Akron appears for the first time, and the town is credited with 3,266 population. In 1860 this had grown to only 3,477. The new railways had been in operation only five or six years, and their influence was not yet firmly felt. The older part of the town was exceedingly jeal- ous, in the early days, of the new upstart just north of it. Although they were both founded by General Simon Perkins, and had much in common, still. the rapid growth and many superior advantages of the northern section was quite sufficient to disturb the equanimity of the older community. The former possessed the "Stone Mill," and it was the largest manufacturing industry in any of the three towns. Here, also, was the new

HISTORY OF SUMMIT COUNTY

"Cascade House"; the most modern and best of all the hotels in the vicinity. Here was the "Cascade Store," occupying the south- west corner of Main and Market Streets, founded by Jonathan F. Fenn and Charles W. Howard, and purchased in 1835 by Mr. Philander D. Hall, and many other advan- tages were enjoyed exclusively by the new village. Middlebury was also envious and jealous, and there was a three-cornered rivalry which at times approached to a feeling of bitterness. Finally, the contest settled down to a conflict between the two Akrons, and oftentimes the business rivalry took the form of a contest of force. The newspapers of the time frequently contained long articles of the most bitter recriminations. The two towns were separated by a narrow strip of land, per- haps 600 or 700 feet wide, extending from Quarry to Center Streets. This was owned by General Perkins, and was neutral ground. It was called the "gore," whether because of its shape, or the amount of blood it caused to be spilled, is not known. This strip be- longed to neither of the villages and, lying exactly between them, was good compromise ground. Hence, when the church congrega- tions of that day wished to build a place of worship, the partisans of the two sections fought each other to a standstill, and then de- cided to meet halfway and erect their temple on the neutral ground. In order to insure ab- solute fairness in the matter, the churches were faced toward the west. In this way the original Methodist, Baptist and Congrega- tional churches were built. The latter occu- pied the site of the present Court House, while the Baptist was built on the corner of Quarry and High Streets. The reader will doubtless reflect by this time that the County Court House, built in 1841, occupies the site on this neutral ground. When the Baptist Church was built, it was proposed to make it face toward the south. This provoked a quarrel that found its way into the newspa- pers, and was waged with much feeling. Many of the members living in North Akron withdrew their church membership; some of the contributors to the building fund, who

lived north of the "gore," refused to pay their subscriptions, and the church was nearly rent in twain on account of this sectional warfare. The original Congregational society was broken up and disbanded, and the Meth- odists engaged in an internecine struggle that caused cach party to accuse the other, when, in 1841, their church building burned down, of having set it afire. Judging from the news- paper accounts, the fire was not incendiary at all.

But, the contest up to the time of the Post- Office War, was mild by comparison with what happened during that memorable affair, and the year or two next succeeding. Then was reached the climax. Up until December, 1837, the post-office had been located in South Akron. It was established in 1826, the year after the founding, by President John Quincy Adams. He appointed a young lawyer named Wolsey Wells as the first postmaster. Mr. Wells built a large house on West Exchange Street, on the corner of Water Street, and in it conducted the operations of the postal serv- ice and collected the tolls on the Ohio Canal, for he was both postmaster and toll collector, and, when he had time, attended to the duties of justice of the peace, in addition. It prob- ably required the revenues from the combined offices to support the one incumbent, and even then his salary was doubtless only a modest one.

In 1883, Mr. Wells moved away from Akron and President Jackson appointed Lewis Humiston, who was then keeping the Clark Tavern, on the corner of Main and Exchange Streets, as his successor in the post-office. He built a small building in the rear of the hotel on the north side of Exchange Street, just east of Main, and established the post-office in it. Early in 1837 Mr. Humiston resigned owing to his removal from Akron and the war was on.

There was a large number of applicants for appointment to the vacancy. The contest finally settled down to a struggle between Constant Bryan and Harvey H. Johnson. They were both lawyers and both residents of the north village. The former was after-

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ward elected probate judge of the county, and was the father of Major Frederick C. Bryan. The contest grew so acrimonious that the gov- ernment threatened to abolish the office un- less the community would announce its deci- sion at an early date and arrive at it in a peaceable manner. The South Akron candi- dates then withdrew and, with their respective adherents, gave their support to Mr. Johnson in return for his promise, it was alleged, that the site of the post-office should remain in South Akron. This action gave Johnson the support of a large majority of the voters of the two villages, and accordingly he received the appointment.

He took possession of the office in June, 1837, and all South Akron rejoiced with him. They felt that they were sharers of his good fortune. Had they not retained one of the greatest factors in the upbuilding of their section of the city? The new postmaster was received with open arms as a new neighbor. They of the North End were inwardly dis- pleased. Mr. Johnson was one of them, but, by maintaining his office in the South End he was giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Their displeasure soon manifested itself out- wardly and the columns of the newspapers bore evidence of their state of feeling. Mr. Johnson's "treason" was strongly denounced, and every possible argument for the removal of the post-office to the growing North Akron was set forth. Surely the South Akronites could not object to its removal to the neutral ground, called the "Gore"! The churches had compromised on this strip, and here was the logical and reasonable site for all their common activities, the location of which might be in dispute.

South Akron could see nothing to arbitrate. They could not see that it was "logical" to give up so desirable an acquisition as the post- office. For them, to go to the post-office was merely to go around the corner or across the street. while the north citizens must trudge a mile or more in snow. mud and burning summer heat to get their mail and buy their stamps. It is to be feared that the South Enders taunted them as they passed and im-

moderately rejoiced in their own good for- tune. Human nature is the same in all ages.

So the summer and autumn passed and South Akron had settled down to the full enjoyment of the post-office as their own prop- erty. The reader can imagine then, the sur- prise, the absolute consternation, which seized South Akron, one morning in December, 1837, when it looked for its beloved posses- sion and could not find it. It searched for its post-office everywhere within its four cor- ners; it rubbed its eyes and searched again. There was no mistaking the fact that some- body had done something with the post-office. At length the information was brought in that it had gone north during the night. It had not even stopped on the compromise ground. It was not to be a neutral thing. It was not to be possessed in common with the enemy. It had gone over to the enemy. It was resting and operating smoothly in the Buckley Building, on the corner of Howard and Mill streets. The North Enders were tak- ing but a step or two to reach it, while they of the South End were trudging a mile in the snow to buy their stamps, and a weary mile back, nursing their wrath and planning sat- isfaction.

If newspaper articles are a means of satis- faction in such a contingency. they had it in full. We can well believe that the North Enders enjoyed the storm while their crest- fallen rivals thundered their vituperation and insinuation in the local press. The postmaster was denounced as a "traitor" and a "viper." The ugliest charges, backed up by affidavits. were printed in the newspaper. Mr. Johnson replied by other articles and made use of many personalities calculated to drive his as- sailants to cover. Finally the editor of the paper refused to extend further the courtesy of his columns for the purpose of continuing the wordy war, and the contestants took to pamphleteering. Sixteen-page pamphlets were used to give vent to the feeling of out- rage on the part of the South Akron citizens. and their leading men assisted in preparing them and lent their names to the canse. It. speaks well for the self-restraint of the com-

HISTORY OF SUMMIT COUNTY

munity that the warfare was confined to the newspapers and that no violence of any kind was done or attempted.

The injured feeling on the part of the South Enders soon passed away. The North End, from that time on, rapidly surpassed it in population, wealth and influence. Many of the citizens of the south village moved their business and residences to the North End. The spirit of partisanship or rivalry soon disappeared, never to be renewed. The post- office was moved many times thereafter with- out a note of protest from anybody. Dr. Dana D. Evans, the successor of Mr. John- son, moved it twice, each time further north. The first move was into the Stone Block, on the east side of Howard street near Market ; the second was to the large stone "Good Block," on the corner of Market and Maiden Lane.

In 1849, postmaster Frank Adams moved it back to the east side of South Howard street, where Remington's jewelry store is now located. In 1853, his successor, Edward W. Perrin, moved it a few doors further north to a room in the Matthews Block, where it re- mained until July 1st, 1870, when the new postmaster, James B. Storer, just appointed by President Grant, moved it south to the corner room in the Masonic Temple on the corner of Howard and Mill streets. The lease on the room in the Masonic Temple expired before the new government building was ready for occupancy, and the post-office took temporary quarters in the old office of The American Cereal Company, on the south-east corner of Mill and Broadway, which had been vacated when that company moved its general offices to Chicago. Here it remained until the completion of the government build- ing, on the corner of Market and High Streets, where, in all probability, it will re- main so long as Akron people will have need of postal services. The separate post-office of Middlebury has been discontinued and a branch of the Akron office installed in its place. yet there was no objection to the move on the part of anyone. At the present time there is no rivalry between any of the many

sections of the city, but, everywhere, the visitor sees evidence of a new spirit, a uni- versal desire to pull together for the good of Akron.

AKRON AN INCORPORATED TOWN.

The real history of Akron as a municipal corporation commences on the 12th day of March, 1836, for it was on that day that the legislature of the State of Ohio duly passed a resolution granting to the two villages, South and North Akron, a town charter, in accord- ance with their joint request, as contained in a petition they presented to the General Assembly in 1835. In addition to the land contained in the original town plats of Gen- eral Perkins, Paul Williams, Dr. Crosby and Leicester King, this act of the legislature added to the municipal territory more than three square miles just east of and contiguous to the said plats. The east corporate line under this grant of municipal rights extended a trifle cast of the present Spicer Street and from about Hamilton Avenue across Fir, Mar- ket and North Main and Howard Streets to the Little Cuyahoga River.

The incorporating act provided a complete scheme of government for the new munici- pality, including officers, elections, forms of taxation, legislation, boards of education, etc. It provided for the election of a mayor, a recorder and five trustees. It prescribed that the first town election should be held on the second Tuesday in June, 1836. The terri- tory out of which Akron was formed was taken from both Coventry and Portage town- ships. For the purpose of the first election, the usual polling place of Portage Township was to be used-the old Clark Tavern, on the corner of Main and Exchange Streets.

In 1836, the North End contained more electors than the South End, and, in the caucuses of both the Whig and Democrat par- ties, it captured the nominations. In the election following, political lines were oblit- erated, as they always should be in municipal elections, and the results showed that the voters split on sectional lines of cleavage in-

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stead. The Whigs nominated Seth Iredell for mayor. He was a Quaker who had come from Pennsylvania about the time of the completion of the canal, and had been in- timately connected with the affairs of the north town since the beginning. Their can- didate for recorder was Charles W. Howard, a son-in-law of Dr. Crosby's, who, of course, was strongly identified with the interests of North Akron. The nominees of the Demo- crats for mayor and recorder were Dr. Elia- kim Crosby and Constant Bryan, respectively, one the founder of North Akron and the other one of its most prominent citizens.

It was rather poor politics to localize the nominations in this way, but the North End- ers had the power, and the temptation to use it to the utmost was too strong to be with- stood. The South Enders showed their feel- ings by voting against the man who was most responsible for the existence of the North End, and all others who were intimately con- nected with him. The total vote cast in the ensuing election was one hundred and sixty- six, and the strong interest in the election, produced by the warfare of the sections, doubtless drew out a full vote. The votes were soon counted and it was ascertained that Mr. Iredell had been elected by a majority of sixteen, while Mr. Bryan was elected by a majority of twelve.

The vote was as follows:

FOR MAYOR.

Seth Iredell, Whig 91

Elilakim Crosby, Democrat. 75

FOR RECORDER.

Constant Bryan, Democrat. 87

Charles W. Howard, Whig. 75

FOR TRUSTEES.

Erastus Torrey, Whig. 153

Jedediah D. Commins, Democrat. 143

Noah M. Green, Whig .. 124

William B. Mitchell, Democrat. 114

William E. Wright, Whig. 88

By the terms of the charter. all the above officials were to constitute the Town Council and possess within themselves all the execu- tive, administrative, legislative and appointive

functions. The charter provided for a mar- shall, treasurer, engineer, solicitor, all to be appointed by the Town Council, and for such police and fire officers as it might deem ex- pedient.

When the council organized, it was learned that Mr. Mitchell had declined to act as trustee and Justus Gale, a Whig, was chosen to fill the vacancy. After serving a few months Mr. Commins also resigned as trustee and the council appointed William K. May as his successor.

The grant of municipal powers from the state provided that town officials should hold office only one year. These just elected had but got well acquainted with their respective duties and had settled down to a reasonable enjoyment of the honors so hardly won, when the time for their exit from the stage of pub- lic affairs arrived. Whether they were dis- satisfied with their offices or the people with their officials, the truth remains that not one of them remained in his office for a second term. Akron has earned for herself a repu- tation for fickleness in this respect that en- dures to the present day.

At the second election, held in 1837. John C. Singleton. Jr., was elected mayor, William E. Wright, recorder, and William K. May, William T. Mather, Dave D. Evans, Jesse Allen and Eben Blodgett, trustees. When the new council met it elected Moses Cleve- land, marshal, and Horace K. Smith, treas- urer. The new mayor was a young man of twenty-seven years. His predecessor was nearly sixty-three. Mayor Singleton came of a wealthy family, living at Streetsboro, Portage County. IIe had graduated at Western Reserve College, at Hudson, with the class of 1835. and was esteemed later as a very bril- liant man. He made some very unfortunate business ventures upon coming to Akron after his graduation, and his inexperience in the law prevented his securing many or profitable clients. so he was better known in Akron for his debts and his poverty than for any especial abilities. at the time of his candidacy.

The fame he won by his first term brought him a re-election over such a strong candidate

HISTORY OF SUMMIT COUNTY

as William M. Dodge, who was afterward elected probate judge of the county.

In June, 1839, General Lucius V. Bierce, a most remarkable man in many ways, was elected as mayor. He had just returned from the ill-fated "Patriot" expedition into Can- ada. In 1838, it was believed by many American citizens that Canada was ready for revolution. A Canadian editor, William Lyon Mackenzie, was the originator of the movement. On the American side, all the territory bordering on the Great Lakes, be- came interested in it. In the beginning it took the form of a fraternal order with the accompanying ritual, secrecy, oaths, etc. "Hunters Lodges," as they were called, were established in many places. A prosperous lodge was formed in Akron. The object of the order was to assist Canada in throwing off the yoke of Great Britain.

On the burning of the filibustering schooner "Caroline" by the Canadian authorities in December, 1837, great excitement prevailed in Akron and public meetings were held by all the prominent citizens and resolutions adopted demanding the prompt interference of the President of the United States. General Bierce was a brigadier-general of Ohio mili- tia. He had always been a student of mili- tary matters and had early interested himself in the State Guard. The Canadian movement found him ready to begin hostilities at the drop of a hat. A convention of "Patriots" was called at Buffalo. General Bierce at- tended and so impressed the other delegates with his military knowledge that he was chosen as military commander-in-chief of the whole movement. The movement never reached any serious proportions. Judging from its size, the character of the men be- hind it, and the preparations made for carry- ing it out, it never got beyond the stage of boys' play.

An attack of two hundred men was made in Canada in the St. Lawrence River district, and repelled without appreciable difficulty, and the leader of it hanged. Mackenzie was driven from Canada. December 4, 1838. Gen- eral Bierce at the head of 137 men, made the

second and last incursion into Canada. It started from Detroit and got as far as Wind- sor, just across the river. Fifty British sol- diers were guarding the barracks here. The "Patriot Army," as the commander-in-chief delighted to call his squad, succeeded in set- ting fire to the barracks and also in burn- ing a non-belligerent little steamer, "The Thames," lying at the wharf. They were soon attacked by 400 Canadian soldiers, and, of the 137 who crossed the river, only thirty returned. The rest were either killed or taken prisoners.

The captured were transported to Van Die- man's land.

This was the last of the effort to "free" Canada. It was a most inglorious affair. It is difficult to see now how anyone could pos- sibly draw any credit from it, except, perhaps, the Canadian soldiers and the American fed- eral authorities, who promptly and energetic- ally did all they could to break up these fili- bustering expeditions and to maintain our ordinary status with the British government as a power with whom we were on friendly terms. General Bierce, it is alleged by many. did not acquit himself with extraordinary valor. He has been criticised for being among the first to cross in the little canoe to the American side after the disastrous sequel. Be that as it may, he returned to Akron with splendid stories of his exploits and speedily became a hero in the eyes of his fellow citizens. It was something to have an Akron man put in command of the "combined Pa- triot forces," if they did number only one hundred and thirty-seven. Anyhow, the next year General Bierce stood for mayor and was triumphantly elected. His military renown stood him in such good stead that he was elected mayor again in 1841-1844-1849-1867- 1868, and was made president of the Board of Education at its first organization, in 1847. Other well-known men who have held the office of mayor are George W. McNeil, Wil- liam T. Allen, George D. Bates, Sr .. James Mathews and Samuel A. Lane.

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Centennial history of Summit County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 9

Author: Doyle, William B., b. 1868 Publication date: 1908 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1150

Author: Doyle, William B., b. 1868
Publication date: 1908
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1150