USA > Ohio > Mahoning County > Youngstown > Century history of Youngstown and Mahoning County, Ohio, and representative citizens, 20th > Part 26
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Fitch, as the succeeding elections were held there for many years. The judges of this elec- tion were Harvey Ripley, Andrew Fitch and Daniel Fitch. The township officers elected were: Joseph Coit, clerk; Andrew Fitch, Daniel Fitch and Hugh Smith, trustees; Wil- liam Ripley and James Porshall, overseers of the poor; John Leonard and Robert Mckean were fence viewers; Daniel Fitch and William Fitch, appraisers; Jesse Buel, constable; Har- vey Ripley, treasurer; Daniel Fitch, lister, which corresponds to the present office of as- sessor. It is worthy of note that a good citizen was allowed to hold three offices, besides act- ing as judge of the election of the offices to which he was elected. Corruption was evi- dently not the political bugbear that it is now- adays. The newly elected trustees levied a road tax for the township equal to that pre- scribed by law for county purposes. This tax for the first year was $27.60 for the township. Five years later the taxes were $39.80, and ten years after the organization of the township they had doubled being $56.80. While we often feel like complaining we are thankful that this increase did not continue, though the taxes of the township run from $600 to $700 at the present time.
Richard Fitch, the first justice of the town- ship, qualified for office June 19, 1810, and was sworn in by Wmn. Chidester, Justice of the Peace of Canfield. It seems that the citi- zens did not intend to be burdened with paupers for the first fourteen months at least after its first settlement. The township records contain the information that someone notified the overseers of the poor that one Polly Reeves was likely to become a charge of the township. Whereupon said overseers at once ordered the constable to notify her to leave forthwith. This was an old Yankee cus- tom that our forefathers brought with them, and occasionally resorted to, though not jus- tified by statute; but there was a statute en- acted twenty years later, taking effect June, 1831.
In 1817 the trustees decided that they would allow for each day's work on the public' highway, for a yoke of oxen or a team of
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horses 50 cents; for a wagon, 371/2 cents; plow, 25 cents. In the spring of 1819 there was an enumeration of the white male inhabi- tants above the age of twenty-one years. We have no record of the result of that enumera- tion. It is interesting for the younger genera- tion to note the ear-marks in use for branding cattle at that early day. We can give but a few examples : Joseph Coits' mark, a crop off the right ear and a slit in the left ear. Richard Fitch's mark, a square crop off the right ear and a half-penny on the side of same. Thomas McKean's mark, square crop off the right ear and swallow tail in end of left ear; and so on, each man having different marks. The same custom is in use today on some of the Western ranches.
March 26, 1826, the trustees ordered the balance of the money after the annual state- ment, (this being $6.621/2), to be invested in a plow for the township, this being the first tool or implement that the township owned, April 12, 1826, the second justice of the peace was allowed by the common pleas court. The assessors' report, dated February, 1845, showed there to be fifty-four able-bodied white male citizens, between the ages of twenty-one and forty-five years, in the township. Two years later the report shows forty-nine white male citizens of the age from twenty-one years to forty-five years, able-bodied. Two years later the number had increased to sixty- six.
The original deed of the first land sale made in Ellsworth township is still in exis- tence, in the possession of Mr. Eli Arner, son of the man who made the first purchase from the Connecticut Land Company.
1804-1854 ELLSWORTH'S SEMI-CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION.
Early in June, 1854, it was decided to hold on July 4th a Semi-Centennial Celebra- tion in commemoration of the settlement of Ellsworth township in 1804. A committee was appointed and full arrangements made. Judge Eben Newton of Canfield, and Rev. L. Chand-
ler, pastor of the Congregational church in Ellsworth, were the principal speakers. Stir- ring toasts elicited tremendous applause. Poems were read by Dr. James Hughes and P. A. Spicer, both of Berlin township. Mr. Spicer also read a short history of part of the earliest events occurring in the township of Ellsworth.
The stand for speakers, band stand, and seats were placed in Uncle Andrew Fitch's fine old orchard, not far from the township centre. An old cannon of the kind used in the Revolu- tionary war was placed in position on the public square. A signal man was located in the road opposite the speaker's stand and at appropriate times the roar of this cannon emphasized ap- plause.
Publication of suitable memorials of this celebration for some unexplained cause was not accomplished. Mr. Spicer, so far as known, is the only one now living who took active part on the platform that day. Earnest solicitation induced him to furnish for publication such parts of the early history not lost in the shuffle of more than fifty years.
PART OF THE EARLIEST HISTORY OF ELLSWORTH TOWNSHIP, TRUMBULL (NOW MA- HONING) COUNTY, OHIO.
Just when the government made survey of this part of Ohio was not definitely known to my informant. The work was evidently com- pleted some time previous to the year 1804.
Captain Joseph Coit, a resident of Connec- ticut, left his home that year, and about July 4th, the same year, located land at Ellsworth Center, which at the time was an unbroken wilderness, although Canfield township next east had been settled five or six years. Captain Coit did not personally clear his land ; however, he cut the first tree which was felled for the purpose of clearing land in Ellsworth town- ship.
The names of men coming here at the same time with Capt. Coit or near this time, were : General W. Ripley, Messrs. Fitch, Ware, Borts, McCain, McGill, Broadsword, Logan,
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HISTORY OF MAHONING COUNTY
Steele, Porter, Moore, Smith, Jones, Leonard, and Arner. There may have been one or two others.
Among his varied accomplishments, Capt. Coit was a land surveyor. Assisted by Mr. Moore, also a surveyor, the work required in this line was readily done. Capt. Coit was the first postmaster at Ellsworth Centre, and, in fact held the office continuously for years.
His store for the sale of dry goods and groceries was the first established in the town- ship.
Ellsworth was on the direct stage and freight route from Pittsburg to Cleveland, and before the construction of the railroad connect- ing these cities immense amounts of freight and quite heavy passenger travel passed through Ellsworth daily. From one Concord coach drawn with four horses which passed both ways daily, soon after the opening of the route, in time there was from two to four coaches each way as often. The freight was mostly transported in very large covered wag- ons drawn by from four to six horses-bell teams.
Rev. John Bruce was the first minister who preached regularly at Ellsworth Centre. His house was a somewhat capacious log dwelling, said to have had five front doors.
Miss Clara Landon taught the first district school in the township.
'Squire Fitch, as he was familiarly called, was the proprietor of the first hotel, an ex- ·ceedingly popular hostelry.
Some of the first business done by the vil- lage in council was to secure suitable burial grounds, or cemetery. The plot of ground for this purpose was a gift to the village; but if the name of the donor was ever made known, it does not appear. The first interment was one William Logan.
At this time there were no temperance so- cieties. Not infrequently some who followed the rush of emigration westward would take a stop off, and spend some time resting up at Ellsworth. It was not an uncommon occurr- ence for some of these persons to get beastly drunk. In fact, some few of the regular resi- -dents (accidentally of course) occasionally be-
came a trifle hilarious. To suppress this in a measure, the village council passed an ordi- nance to this effect: "Any one found drunk, shall be compelled to dig out a tree stump from the highway, or pay a fine of five dollars, and the cost of prosecution. *
*" Tradition records that the desired reform was broght about, but not before numerous stumps in and near the highway had been removed.
Thus far there had been no weddings in Ellsworth. It is not to be supposed that this was on account of any backwardness on the part of any one, but for reasons not unusual in newly settled territory. One day, among passengers on the stage coach who took dinner at the hotel, there was a fine looking young lady. Her name was on the coach way bill showed her destination to be Cleveland. The roads at that time were very rough; nearly all low ground. On account of the heavy travel, would have been impassable during certain parts of the year, without the pole, or corduroy road.
The surroundings in Ellsworth, as well as the hotel must have appeared pleasant; at any rate this young lady seemed to feel the need of rest for a few days. She procured a stop off check. Among those who managed in some way to secure an early introduction, was the stalwart, good-looking Robert McGill. It is reported on good authority that Miss Polly did not resume her journey quite as soon as expected, and further that, go-ahead Bob. Mc- Gill was responsible for the delay. When she resumed her journey, accompanied by the said McGill, her full name was somewhat different from that on the stop off check. This couple was the first married in Ellsworth.
SCHOOLS.
The first schoool was taught in a log house east of the center, Miss Clara Landon of Can- field being the first teacher. She was followed consecutively by Miss Matilda Sackett, Jesse Buell, Hiram B. Hubbard and Asa W. Allen. During the winter of 1817-18, when Mr. Allen taught, there were not over twenty scholars in the township. There are now six schools, with
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as many teachers, the whole being maintained at a cost of about $3,400 per year. The total number of scholars is 134.
District No. I has two school houses. The original building not being large enough, the board purchased a school building from the Berlin Board of Education for the primary scholars. Bertha Bonsall is the teacher of the primary department, and J. L. Gray of the higher grade.
No. 2, or Ellsworth Station School, is lo- cated near the railroad station; John Boyer is teacher.
No. 3, or Geeburg School, is situated in the northeast corner of the township; Goldie Swartz, teacher.
No. 4, or Germany School, situated in the southeast corner of the township, has Grace Johnson as teacher.
No. 5, or Prospect School, one and one-half mile south of the center, is taught by Emma Lovelocks. All the school buildings in Ells- worth at present are wooden structures of one room each.
CHURCHES.
The Presbyterians were the first in the Ellsworth field, the Rev. John Bruce being the first preacher. The first meeting house was situated just north of the center, and was a rude structure, built of hewn logs and with- out any floor. Other log buildings were sub- sequently used, and services were frequently held in the open air, in barns, school-houses, and private dwellings. In 1818 the Presby- terian and Congregational denominations united and organized a union church, un- der Revs. William Hansford and Joseph Treat, missionaries, the town hall being used as a place of worship until 1833, when the Presby- terian church was built. This church has had but few regular pastors, missionaries, or "stated supplies" usually conducting the ser- vices. It has no pastor at the present time.
The Methodist, it is thought, organized a society in Ellsworth about 1824, the Rev. Nicholas Gee, a native of New York, having settled in the township the year previous. He was licensed to preach in 1824, and acted as
local preacher here for same years. Meetings were first held in private residences, and then in the school-house in district three. About 1835 the church in that district was completed and dedicated. The organization, however, became disrupted in 1856.
In 1839 a society was formed at the center, and through the efforts of Mr. Gee, Mr. Bunts, Dr. Hughes, John Smith, and others a build- ing was commenced, which was completed in 1840. The congregation worshipped here un- til the present church edifice was erected in 1880-dedicated February 17, 1881. The so- ciety is in a prosperous condition. The pre- sent pastor is L. D. Spaugy.
GOSHEN TOWNSHIP
This township lying between Smith and Green, on the lowest tier of townships of the county, possesses an undulating surface, and fertile soil, with good grazing lands. It is watered chiefly by the middle fork of Beaver Creek, which flows through its eastern portion, and by a branch of the Mahoning river, which flows in a northerly course through the west- ern portion, besides, some smaller creeks and tributaries.
SETTLEMENT.
The first settler of whom there is any rec- ord was Anthony Morris, who located in sec- tion thirty-one in 1804. He married Hannah French, of which union there was a daughter, Sarah, who became the wife of James Bruff, who took up his abode in the township in 1822. Anthony Morris was overseer of the poor in 1812. Other Frenches settled in the same neighborhood, among them Barzilla, on sec- tion thirty-one, Thomas, who located in Dam- ascus in 1805, and who was followed by his brother Elijah. Jonas Cattel settled at an early date in Salem, and one of his daughters became the wife of Thomas French. Cattel rented a part of his farm to David Venable, who came to Goshen in 1805.
The following year came Issac and Thomas Votaw from Winchester, Va. Isaac was trustee of the township from 1812 to
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HISTORY OF MAHONING COUNTY
1818. Thomas Votaw, who settled on section six, was supervisor and trustee. Another early settler and township official was Robert Arm- strong, some of whose descendants still reside in the township. In 1806 came Stacy Shreeve and wife from New Jersey and settled in sec- tion 19, as did also Shreeve's brother-in-law, Joseph Kindele. In the same year came James Brooke and Isaac Ellison, the former settling in section 7. Ellison married a daughter of James Cattell, while a daughter of Mr. Brooke married Dr. James Hughes.
In 1808 came Aaron Stratton, who built a grist mill on Beaver Creek; also Henry Hinchman from New Jersey, who had a fam- ily of seven or more children.
Benjamin and Hannah Butler, with seven children, came from near Philadelphia, arriv- ing in Salem in the spring of 1811, where they remained for a year on the farm of Robert French, afterwards removing to Goshen. Mr. Butler ultimately settled on one hundred and sixty acres in section 18, where he remained until his death in 1828. His son, John, mar- ried Priscilla Fawcett, who died in 1830, and four years later he married a second wife. He was a member of the Society of Friends. Wil- liam Fawcett came from Virginia with his wife in 18II and settled on section thirty-two. Peter Gloss bought land in section twelve, about the year 1820, and built a factory where he manu- factured wooden bowls.
Other early settlers were Samuel and Thomas Langstaff, 1812; Joseph Wright, from New Jersey, 1810; Benjamin Malmes- bury and family 1812; Basil Perry and wife, from Maryland, 1811; Adam Fast, 1816, who settled in section 1; Jacob Lehman, who mar- ried Mr. Fast's daughter; Drade Husk, who settled in section 2, and William Bradshaw, 1832, who settled in section 9.
ORGANIZATION.
The township of Goshen was incorporated September II, 1810. In December Thomas Watson was chosen to the office of constable. At a meeting in April, 1812, a committee con-
sisting of Isaac Votaw, Michael Stratton, Thomas Conn, Thomas French, and Joel Sharp, was appointed to "view the southeast quarter of section 16 and to conclude on a suit- able piece of ground to set a house for to hold elections in." At the same meeting township officers were chosen as follows: Joseph Wright, clerk; Michael Stratton, Isaac Votaw, Levi Jennings, trustees; Anthony Morris and Isaac Barber, overseers of the poor; Thomas French, Josiah Stratton, appraisers of pro- perty; Robert Armstrong, Asa Ware, fence viewers; Bazilla French, Stacy Shreeve, Thomas Votaw, Thomas Conn, Abram War- rington, supervisors; George Baum, treas- urer; Joseph Kindle, constable.
VILLAGES.
The village of Damascus was platted and laid out by Horton Howard in 1808. It was made a postoffice in 1828, with James B. Bruff as first postmaster.
It is a pleasant country village with good stores, and is the seat of Damascus Academy, further mention of which will be found in this article. E. E. Walker is the present post - master.
Patmos was settled by John Templin, Wil- liam Ware, Benj. Regle and Levi A. Leyman. It was named after the old-fashioned hymn tune of that name. Mr. Leyman was the first postmaster, being appointed in 1850, and hold- ing the office twelve years.
Garfield, first Garfield station, was estab- lished as a postoffice in 1875, with S. A. Fogg, postmaster.
INDUSTRIES.
The inhabitants of Goshen township are largely engaged in farming and dairying, and kindred occupations. There are a number of large and flourishing creameries and cheese factories ..
All the villages are well supplied with stores of various kinds suited to the needs of an agricultural community.
TI
LOG HOUSE, THORN HILL, COITSVILLE TOWNSHIP (Erected by James Stewart in 1803 and still standing.)
MCKINLEY HOME, POLAND (Occupied by parents of President William Mckinley when he was a boy and a student at Poland
ELLE.
PUBLIC SCHOOL, STRUTHERS
OLD PRICE HOMESTEAD, COITSVILLE TOWNSHIP
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, CANFIELD
PUBLIC SCHOOL, LOWELLVILLE
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SCHOOLS.
The township now has eight schools, the enumeration of scholars (taken May, 1906), being 271. There are two special districts- Garfield special district and joint sub-district, which is composed of territory in Butler, Knox and Smith townships.
DAMASCUS ACADEMY.
Damascus Academy was founded in 1857. In 1885 it was regularly chartered under the laws of Ohio by the Friends' Church. It has since remained under the same control. While the school has not the financial aid that would be desirable, yet the endowment fund gives much material support, and gives the school a guarantee of permanency. In addition to this, an effort is now being made to place the Acad- emy on even a firmer financial basis. But the spirit of education shown by those who have charge of its management, is in itself sufficient guarantee of the school's welfare.
The Academy is located at the east end of the village of Damascus, which is on the line between Columbiana and Mahoning counties, about five miles west of Salem, and with the Stark Electric Railroad running through it. The surrounding country is rolling and pic- turesque.
The Academy Building is a large frame structure, well lighted and arranged. It con- tains five large rooms-three on the second floor and two on the first floor-besides base- ment and hallways. The Library contains sev- eral hundred volumes of well selected books, of kinds best suited for aiding the student in his researches, new books being added from time to time as circumstances permit. The Laboratory is well arranged and fitted with apparatus and material for successful work in chemistry and physics. The cabinet contains a good collection of rocks and minerals, also some relics, which have been obtained from different parts of the country. The rocks and minerals are classified so that the student can find in them much valuable aid.
:. The literary work of the academy is carried
on under the auspices of The Delphian Liter- ary Society. It is required that each student. take an active part in such work, as it is one of the most potent sources of strength. It is the aim of those who control the Academy to make it an institution for the inculcation of Christian virtues and the development of a Christian- spirit. Helpful chapel exercises, conducted. by the faculty, are held each morning in Lit- erary Hall. These exercises are of a devo- tional character. Visitors and friends of the Academy are often present to assist in these. convocations.
TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS.
The earliest schools in Goshen township were established by the Friends, who formed. a majority of the population. These schools were small and scattered, some of them being known as family schools.
Samuel Votaw, son of Isaac Votaw, taught. in the first log school house built in the town- ship, which was opened in the winter of 1812. Soon after another school was opened and. taught by Daniel Stratton. Among the early teachers at the school first opened were Mar-
tha Townsend, William Green, William Titus, Joshua Crew, Benjamin Marshall, John Butler, Isaac Trescott, Solomon Shreeve,. Jesse Lloyd and Stephen Roberts.
At the first school built at Damascus the early teachers were Joshua Lynch, James. Bruft, John P. Gruel, Jacob Hole, Simeon Fawcett, Lydia M. Stanley.
Elizabeth Blackburn taught at the Votaw settlement, and James Hemingway in the Benjamin Malmesbury neighborhood. About. 1825 a log school house was built in district No. I, of which Andrew Templin was the first teacher.
The Garfield Special District High School wes erected in 1875 at a cost of $2,740. It is a two-room brick building, and was at first a sub-district of Goshen township, becoming a special district by act of legislature March I, 1893. In 1890 it suffered severe damage from a storm, which necessitated extensive re- pairs. The present principal is Prof. Frank.
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HISTORY OF MAHONING COUNTY
H. Close. A two years' course of study is provided.
CHURCHES.
The Friends, or Quakers, established the first church in Goshen township, and wor- shipped in it until it was destroyed by fire in 1842. They built a brick church in 1852. The Methodists organized a class as early as 1820, and in 1867 they built the Methodist church on section eight. The principal founders of this church were John Templin, Joseph King, Newton French, Joseph Keeler, William Cas- saday, William Stratton and N. K. Gunder. The first pastor was Rev. McCartney. On October 1, 1903, Rev. John W. Eicher as- sumed the pastorate. The present member- ship of the church is about 200. The Sunday school superintendent is A. B. Williamson. The pastors since 1880 have been as follows : J. R. Roller, 1879-82; Rev. Clark, 1882-83; John Hunter, 1883-85; T. J. Ream, 1885-86; W. H. Dickerson, 1886-88; A. W. Newlin, 1888-90; J. J. Billingsley, 1890-91; W. D. Stevens, 1891-93; F. I. Swaney, 1893-96; M. C. Grimes, 1896-99; T. W. Anderson, 1899-03; John W. Eicher, 1903 -. The Go- shen M. E. church, sometimes known as "The Bunker Hill M. E. church," stands among the first missionary churches, for gifts to for- eign missions, in the entire East Ohio Confer- ence.
Other churches in Goshen are, the Friends' church, pastor, O. L. Tomlinson; the Friends' Branch church, at Garfield, which has no reg- ular pastor, the present officiant in that ca- pacity being G. B. Malmsberry.
GREEN TOWNSHIP
Green township has a generally undulat- ing surface, with soil well adapted to the cul- tivation of trees, small fruits and grain. The most common native trees are the chestnut, oak and beech.
Most of the early settlers of Green town- ship were German, as is evident by such names as Knauff, Bauman, Kenreich, Houtts, Stahl,
and Zimmerman, which we find in glancing over the records.
Eben Newton, of Canfield, became the pur- chaser of section 1, on which account it was afterwards known as the "Newton tract." Henry Beard and family, Germans, were the first settlers in section 4, and his descendants remain in the vicinity to this day. Section 5 was bought by James Webb and John Beard.
Henry Pyle and wife, who came from Germany about 1804, settled in section 2. Some of the other sections passed rapidly through various hands. Coal was found and was formerly worked to some extent in sec- tions 17, 19 and 20. Section 16 was the "school lot" and in 1849 was sold to a num- ber of different persons. In section 14, which was entered by a stranger who sold it to Abram Garber, is Greenford station, on the old Niles and New Lisbon Railroad.
Philip Houtts, who purchased the west part of section 12 on which was a spring, carried on a distillery there until about 1830. Elisha Teeter entered section 20 for his four sons- John, Jonathan, William and Wilson-in 1808, and in 1822 the first steam mill in this part of the country was erected by Wilson Teeter. The large vein of coal found on this section was opened and operated by this fam- ily.
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Section 36 was entered by Jacob Roller in 1803. His son, Col. Jacob B. Roller, served under General Harrison, and at Fort Meigs and was state representative for twenty-one years.
ORGANIZATION.
Green township was incorporated June 3, 1806, and formed a part of Columbiana County until the organization of Mahoning County in 1846.
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