USA > Ohio > Ashtabula County > New Lyme > Condensed history of New Lyme, Ashtabula county, Ohio > Part 3
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The first wedding in this town, took place in the spring of 1812, at the log cabin of Samuel G. Peck. The groom was Calvin Knowlton, of Morgan; the bride, Miss Susan 1812 Peck, daughter of Samuel G Peck. Mlrs. Knowlton still survives her husband; she is now S2 years old, and re- sides with her son, Stephen, on the old farm where they first settled, in Morgan. They were married. by the Rev. Dr. Cowles. of Austinburg.
Courting was not done in those early days as at present, for it was then expected that every young couple should pass through a series of Sunday night courtships, extending from twelve to eighteen months, and often still longer. Nor did
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the lady object to this slow mode of courtship, for she must know well her chap before she stepped her foot into the mat- rimonial trap, for when once married they staid so; for we had no divorce suits in our courts in those days. And there is nothing to show that Susan made any objection to this old-time practice. It was plain to be seen that it wore hard 07 Calvin, for the loveis were separated by an almost track- less wilderness, full of all manner of wild beasts, with only blazed trees to guide the lover, Yet by an edict of those old Connecticut Puritans. this must all- be done after sundown, and that, too, on Sunday. night. Now Calvin had eight long miles to walk, through mud and snow. One night he slipped . out at the back door while a faint glimpse of the sun was yet to be seen above the horizon, and was soon under a fair headway for his Susan. The next day poor Calvin was brought before his betters, and fined $1.oo and costs, for thus profaning the Lord's day. Thus says the records of our County, at Jef. ferson. We suggest that a petition be sent to our County Commissioners to refund said money, with interest, to the surviving widow of Calvi ..
As we had little or no money in those days, it was some- time's difficult to raise a sum sufficient to pay the marriage fee. Yet. we could always find a Justice that would take coon skins or work; and if he did not happen to want either, he would sometimes let the bride pay it in carding and spinning tow, after she had commenced housekeeping. And we have many instances recorded where produce was received in payment for a marriage license. At that time a small bounty was paid for wolf scalps, and when you saw a young fellow trapping for the wolf, you might feel sure that a wedding was not far off.
And while speaking again of wolves, we have an incident to record, proving conclusively what we have often heard: that a wolf, when once caught in a trap, would become as docile as a kitten, and perfectly harmless. The sons of John Mann caught a wolf in a log trap. They took the wolf on their shoul-
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ders and carried him to the house of Ethan Willey, where they laid him down on the floor; he permitted himself to be han- dled without making any resistance. This story is authenti- cated by a lady of unimpeachable character, who, though then a child, was present in the room with the wolf. She says he appeared as tame and docile as a kitten, and allowed any one to handle him that wished to.
The first sermon preached in this town was by the Rev, Giles H. Cowles, of Austinburg, at the house of Zopher Gee. in the fall of 1812, when twenty hearers were present.
1812 The pioneers of this township commenced meeting to- gether on the Sabbath soon after their arrival. They met at the houses of Zopher Gee and Perry G. Beckwith during sev- eral of the first meetings. The services were conducted with- out the usual form of commencing with prayer. They would first sing; then one in the little congregation would rise, speak a few words, and sit down, followed, perhaps, by one or two others; again a verse or two was sung, and opportunity given for others to speak. After continuing a suitable time making remarks and singing, the meeting would adjourn to the next Sabbath. At length one Sabbath morning, Joseph Miller, Esq., on opening the meeting by reading a hymn, remarked that their meetings did not seem right without opening with praver. "Is there no one of us that can pray?" There were none who had ever prayed in public. Of course cach one excused him- self and looked to his neighbor. Finally Mother Gee knelt down and offered a most fervent and effective prayer for her- self and the poor sinners of Lebanon
From this time the meetings became more interesting. Uncle Ilenry Brown, from Rome, attended with his long gun to guard him through the woods. He generally arrived in time to open the meeting, and give the people a good, long and powerful exhortation. But one Sunday Uncle Henry came in rather late, and laying aside his hat, and standing his gun, up behind the door, he apologized to his brethren and sis-
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ters, and stated that on his way through the woods he stopped to shoot a postle, or he should have been there sooner. He then commenced and gave a powerful exhortation, as the writer well remembers, he being one of the hearers. Mr. Brown was very efficient and useful in conducting religiou : meetings be- fore regular preaching could be had.
The first church formed was the Close Communion Bap- tist3. They built a church in 1832. It is now converted into 1832 a school house and the members have united with other churches, we think in Colebrook, though very many of the oldest members are now dead. Elder Joshua Woodworth, who was ordained at Jefferson in 18II, was long 2 pastor of that church. He was followed by Elder Silas Barnes, Sidney Carter, and Elder St. John. The Free Will Baptist Church was built at Dodgeville, in 1846.
The first saw-mill was built on Whetstone Creek, on the Jefferson road north of Brownsville, in 1814, by Joseph Miller. Martin Huntley received a severe injury at the raising
1814 of this mill. The next mill was built by Zopher Gee and Samuel G. Peck in 1820, on Lebanon Creek, near the pres- ent residence of Zopher Gee. The next one was built by Jer- emiah Miller, on the same creek, one mile northeast of Browns- ville. Mr. Miller and family also came from Lyme, Connecti- cut, in 1821. He was a ship carpenter and house-joiner. His son, Jeremiah, who still resides on the old farm, and a younger brother, Ezra M. Miller, now dead, were both in their day, first- class carpenters and joiners.
In 1843, Oliver Brown built a first-class water mill on the Lebanon Creek, at Brownsville, which, after running by water seven years, he put in steam power, with which he has run it for the last twenty-six years; and it is now about as good as most new mills. This, and a steam mill north of the center of the town, are the only mills now remaining. Many millions of feet of lumber have been hauled from those mills to Ash- tabula and sold there for less than one-half of what we are now paving for a poorer article of Michigan pine lumber.
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Elijah Brown emigrated from Lyme, Connecticut, in 1822. He settled in what is now Brownsville. It was from this 1822 family that the village derived its name. His sons,
Oliver and Frederick, still own the old farm, on which they now live, and are men of much wealth. His three daugh - ters all settled in this town. They are the wives of Judge Deming, Lyman Peck, and Marcene Miller.
Soon after the arrival of Mr. Brown, he had a cow and calf killed and eaten up by the wolves, down near the Pigeon Roost, about fifty or sixty rods southwest of where the village now stands. Their bones were piled up and left as a memen- to of what the wolves had accomplished. It is said that some of the bones are still to be seen at the place where the cow was destroyed.
Mrs. Brown, the widow of Elijah, died in the spring of 1876, at an advanced age. She was a great lover of flowers - 1876 and for many years had one of the finest flower gar-
dens in the south part of the county, in which she spent most of her spare hours during the season of flowers. At her death, those beautiful and highly prized flowers were sought for by her friends, to cultivate to perpetuate the mem- ory of that good and kind-hearted old lady.
The thunderings of the cannon on Lake Erie, at the time of Perry's victory, were plainly heard in this, then new. settle- ment; and was listened to with intense interest, as all who were able to bear arms had gone to the frontier to defend their homes from the British and Indians in case of the capture of the Amer- ican fleet, under command of our brave Perry. They well knew when the battle had ended, but did not learn the result until some time had elapsed. The first news received was that the British and Indians were marching for the southern settlements. As night approached, all listened with eagerness for the coming of the enemy.
About nine o'clock Sanford Miner, a man of great courage. heard what he believed to be the firing of the enemy. He at
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once, like a brave man, resolved to defend his family at the expense of his own life: they all being of the gentler sex. He It once gave them notice that the Indians were near, and ordered them up the ladde: into the log-house chamber. Miner followed, with ax in hand, and pulled the ladder up after him; they all remained until morning, when Miner ven- tured down to take a look at the ruins of the settlement, when, to his surprise, he found the people all alive and kicking. On investigating the cause of his alarm, he found it was caused by two of the young Dodges' having jumped into bed so suddenly that the old pole bedstead had fallen with a crash. He at once reported the good news to his family, who crawled down the ladder in safety.
The wild animals found here in the early settlement were such as generally prevailed in Northern Ohio at that early day. They consisted of elk, deer, two species of black bear, the long and short legged ones; the black and the gray wolf; occasion .- ally a panther was seen, though they were few; there were plenty of wild-cats, but they were mostly confined to the low- lands; we had the gray and red fox, raccoons, porcupines. opossums, woodchucks, skunks, and many smaller animals. The elk often traversed the woods in large droves of forty or fifty, or over, and were almost daily seen in the elk and deer lick, both standing side by side. Old Mr. Dodge says that as he and two other men were traveling through the Seven Mile woods, between Lebanon and Wayne, their dogs suddenly rush- ed into a drove of about forty elks; they ran with great force and fury across the path before them, and the snow-balls and mud flew like a shower of hail, and the rattling of their horns among the trees was like the breaking down of a windfall pass- ing through the fores :.
Coons were largely hunted for their skins as well as for their oil, which was unequalled for shortning, or frying cakes; there is no sweeter meat than a fat coon. It was not uncom- mon to take from two to nine coons from a single tree. Old
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Mr. Dodge sold to Mr. Coleman, of Wayne, $40 worth of coon skins all caught in one season. They also saved a barrel of pure oil by trying out the fat from the coons.
In 1824 William and Tosiah J. Peck, John Bogne, and Amasa Hubbard, with two dogs, two guns, and two axes, started out 1824 for coons. After going about half a mile into the woods the party divided off, two going in one direction and two in another. Shortly after parting, one of the party struck a bear track, which they followed about half a mile, when they found that bruin had taken to a hollow tree. Peck chopped down the tree while Hubbard held the dogs and gun. The old bear leaped out when about fifty feet from the ground. The dogs clinched with it, and a bloody contest ensued. Hubbard was in the midst of the battle; he sunk the bit of his ax into the bear's shoulder. After running about fifty rods, the dogs
stopped the bear. Hubbard gave it another blow with the bit of his ax; the blood was flowing, the dogs were howling, and in the midst of the battle, when William Peck, who, up to this time had been in the rear, came up. The bear, on receiving the last blow, wheeled and struck Hubbard on the thigh with his sharp claws, tore his pantaloons, and made a deep gash in his flesh, at the same time bringing him within his grasp: in endeavoring to grasp Hubbard's head, the bear caught his hand in its mouth, and bit it through and through. the scars of which are still plainly visible. The bear then attempted to climb a tree, when Hubbard ran up and chopped off one of its 'feet; it fell to the ground. Hubbard, gory with his own' and the bear's blood, and in extreme pain, cried out, "Bill, you take her now!" And Bill did take her, and the bear was slain; a bloodier set were rarely scen. Hubbard was disabled for about five months, and suffered extreme pain from his wounds. Now, after a lapse of fifty-two years, he is hale and hearty, and good for another bear; while Bill, as our friend Hubbard calls him, is an extensive Iowa farmer.
Here is another bear story: In ISI4, in the month of Oc-
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tober. the wife of Peter Chapman, mother of the wife of our
venerable friend, Jeremiah Dodge, Esq, a woman of
1814 great courage and resolution, was on a- visit at the house of Vinton B. Way, one and a half miles through the woods south of her own dwelling. About sun-down Mr. Way's hogs came rushing home out of the woods quite bloody. Mrs. Chapman was about starting for home, and Mr. Way proposed going with her, fearing the bears would kill her, as one of his hogs was missing, and the others. quite bloody, had come out of the woods directly in her path. She said no, he should not go with her, for she was not afraid of bears. No, not she! And away she went, walking quite fast. She soon discovered a monster bear a little ahead of her, walking up a high bank with a dead hog in his mouth. She screamed, and doubling her speed, soon overtook him. The bear cast one look back at her, dropped the hog, and scampered off at full speed, while she was yelling at him at the top of her voice. Mr. Way, hearing screams, was soon at the spot and insisted on going home with her, as she had a mile of dark woods yet to pass through, and the bear was still ahead of her. She said, "No, you shan't go with ine. I have made one bear run, and can do it again. She wasn't afraid of any bear living. Mr. Way went back, and she went home alone. In ISI7 this same lady saved the wool and mutton of a sheep 1817 that a hideous wolf had killed within three rods of her cabin door, just as she was sitting down to her dinner, by rush- ing out with her caseknife, and driving the old fellow off the premises, with strict injunctions not to approach her cabin again. on penalty of death.
Although we resided in another town, we often met Mr. Vinton B. Way at church, where, in warm weather, he would generally go in his bare feet. He was a man of great hospi- tality; generous at home or abroad. We well remember that his coat pockets were large; we should think that they would hold, about a half peck each. He would come to meeting with
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HISTORY OF NEW LYME,
his pockets stuffed full of raw potatoes, and about half an hour before the forenoon services were ended, he would step to the big fireplace, take the slice and rake open the coals, then put in the potatoes, which would be well roasted by the time we were dismissed for noon, when he would distribute them through the hungry crowd.
Th 1816 Jeremiah Dodge heard a squealing in the woods some forty rods down the creek, west of the present village of Dodgeville, and he at once started in that direction. "A bear! A bear!" was heard from Samuel G. Peck, who was in full chase with an ax. Peck ran, and Dodge ran, and the two big bear dogs ran; other Pecks' and other Dodges' ran, yet the old bear dodged them all. Mr. Peck approached bruin with uplifted ax, just as he was tugging his old sow up a steep bank, strongly gripped in his embrace, with two heavy dogs hanging on to his rear parts. The bear, perceiving Mr. Peck's ax so near, dropped the hog, and ran ahead with the two dogs hanging to him. The sow, as the bear dropped her, came tumbling past Mr. Peck, threw out her wide-spread jaws at him, causing him to cry out, "Get cut, you old cuss you!" By this time all the men, boys, and dogs, were out in force. The old bear gave them all the slip and put for home.
We sometimes thought that Deacon Miner exaggerated when he said that bears were as thick as black squirrels, when they first settled here. But we begin to think he might not have been far from the truth, when he told that he went out to his cornfield one morning and knocked on the fence with a club, and nine bears jumped out of the field over the fence.
The Pigeon Roost was planted to corn, and consequently was a good place for bears to fatten. In the month of August,
1814, Dan Peck, with his wife, and son Lyman, with
1814 two bear dogs, took a walk to their cornfield, in the Pigeon Roost, where they met a bear that seemed to be quite at home. But the dogs, not respecting bruin's rights, pitched into him with a will, when his bearship left. and after running about
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half a mile, went up a tree. The party were soon on the spot, and Mr. Peck sent Lyman for Elijah Beckwith to come with his rifle, and kill the bear, while they kept him up the tree. Elijah came with his rifle, and fired at the bear's head, as he was looking down at him over the crotch of the tree, but did not kill him. A second shot, however, penetrated his skull be- tween the eyes, when he came tumbling to the ground, a dead bear. Mrs. Peck was highly elated as the bear teli dead at her feet.
Like other sons of pioneers, Elijah Beckwith was not afraid of bears. Once, on seeing a bear coming out of the woods near by, he slipped around behind him and attacked the bear with his ax so successfully that he soon dispatched him. In his younger days Elijah was considered a dead shot, and killed many a bear.
Ethan Willey moved from East Haddam, Connecticut, in 1817, and settled a little over a mile northeast of Brownsville,
1817 where he made himself a fine farm, on which he resided until his death. One of his daughters is now the wile of Calvin Dodge, Esq.,; another, wife of D. S. Chapel, of Cole- brook; a grand-daughter of his is the wife of S. T. Fuller, Cashier of the Second National Bank, of Jefferson, Ohio. The Willey girls were some of the few that were cut out for rich mens' wives that were not spoiled in making up.
In 1826 a mail route was established from Warren to Jef- ferson, through this town. It was carried on foot, once a week 1826 cach way, for a long time; then on horseback, and finally, in 1847, it was transported twice a week, each! . way, by Uriah Loomis, of Jefferson, in a two-horse hack. The first postmaster was Lemuel Lee, Esq. The office was kept at his house. north of Dr. Fuller's. This postmaster was succeed- ed by his brother. Samuel Lee, who kept the office at what is now Maple Grove, on the Harvey Hill place. The office was next moved to the north and south State road, a mile north of Brownsville, and Nelson Hyde was appointed postmaster. It
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HISTORY OF NEW LYME,
was next moved to Brownsville, and William S. Deming was appointed postmaster. In 1847 Calvin Dodge was appointed 1847 postmaster, and the office was removed to Dodgeville. Since then the office has changed hands several times, and is now kept by Perry Hyde, at Brownsville, and a new postoffice has been established a mile north of Brownsville, and Marcena Miller has the appointment of postmaster. For the accommodation of western New Lyme and the south part of Rome, a postoffice is established åt New Lyme station, and Mr. Hiram Moses is postmaster.
The township of Lebanon was organized on the first Mon- day of April, 1813, when the following persons were elected 1813 to office: Clerk, Joseph Miller; trustees, Dan Huntley, Samuel G. Peck, Perry G. Beckwith; treasurer, Joel Owen; constable, Edward C. Peck. There is no record to show the other officers. On the second day of August, 1813, Eusebi- us Dodge was commissioned Justice of the Peace for Lebanon township. He was succeeded by Joseph Miller, whose commis- sion is dated July 29, 1816. His successor was Lemuel Lee, who held the office for many years with great ability, and then he resigned, or, rather, refused a re-election. As the voters ot New Lyme were unable to settle on any one for that office, it was agreed to let Mr. Lee select the inan, and they would all vote for the man of his choice. He told them to select the big- gest rascal they had in town; whereupon they all, as one, voted to re-elect him. Hc acquiesced, and again accepted the office. Jeremiah Dodge was also Justice for a long time, until the or- ganization of Lebanon was detached from Wayne and attached to Colebrook. At the election in 1822 Halsey Phillips, of Cole. brook, was elected Constable, and re-elected in 1823-24. He was afterward elected Justice of the Peace, an office which he held in New Lyme and Colebrook for nearly twenty-five years, when he resigned on account of loss of hearing. It has been said that not one of his decisions was ever reversed in a higher
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1825 court. In IS25 the name of this township was changed from Lebanon to New Lyme. Calvin Dodge has now been acting Justice for the last twelve years. Lemuel Lee was legislator for one term, and Judge William S. Deming during two terms.
Sixty-five years ago Eusebius Dodge owned 1280 acres of wild land in this town; and, what is quite uncommon, is that the same land, less a few village lots, are still owned by the same family, who have continued to add to it, until they now own about 1600 acres, nearly all under good improvements.
Old Mr. Dodge, though not a noted hunter, was bold and daring in his few encounters with wild beasts; especially when he found them trespassing on his flocks or fields. One morn- ing, in looking for a lost sheep, he discovered a wolf near him. scenting about as if in search of game. He drew up his rifle and shot, wounding the wolf, but not killing him. The wolf at . once showed proper resentment; he flew at the old gentleman in a rage, not even giving him time to re-load his rifle. He seized a club, and the battle was a furious one. Teeth and claws were free.y used, but Mr. Wolf had to succumb to superi . or force. Mr. Dodge then went in the direction the wolf was going when he first saw him, and found the remains of his lost sheep, which appeared to have been killed but a short time previous.
Mr. Dodge once dealt death with a club to a bear. He related the story as follows: One Sunday afternoon, in the sum- mer of IS12, he and his wife, Sanford Miner and wife, his son John, and Lemuel Lee, went to the Pigeon Roost for green corn, potatoes, and squashes, for their Sunday evening supper. Two large bear dogs accompanied them. The women, having filled their aprons with vegetables, started for home, when a terrible cry from the dogs was heard to the westward of their route home. The young men were dispatched to see what game the dogs had found. "A bear! A bear!"' was soon announced .. The inen started for the bear, and the women for home. Bruin was found
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HISTORY OF NEW LYME,
some twenty feet up a tree, looking down over first one shoul- der and then the other. He then hitched down to within a few feet of the ground and dropped down. He was a large bear; he started off, but the dogs seized him so tightly in the rear that he wheeled over backwards and cleared himself from the dogs. Mr. Dodge jumped on to the bear, and found him self traveling with greater speed than he was wont to do, not- withstarding the dogs were both fastened to the bear. He still held on, the bear rolling over and bringing Mr. Dodge sometimes on top of the bear, and sometimes the bear on top of him, with the dogs on top of both. Mr. Dodge called loudly to the young men to bring him clubs, which they did, until all the old clubs at hand were used up. At length a large cudgel was found, with which Mr. Doage soon brought bruin to terms by thumps on the end of his nose. He said that whether on the upper or under side of the bear he felt no fear until he saw the monster bear lying dead at his feet. Then, when he saw the long-legged and long-sided black creature, with his monster head and claws, and his long, strong white teeth, he concluded that, at least, he had been in rather a dan- gerous place. .
In the month of September 1813, Elijah, Samuel, and Silas Peck, three brothers, sons of Griffin G. Peck, aged respective- 1813 ly, thirteen, eleven, and nine years, went to the woods near Rock Creek, a little south of Stults & Jayne's grist mil! in the east side of Rome. They took with them one ax and three dogs five or six months old. Elijah, the oldest, with one dog went up on the west side of the creek, and the other two boys, with two dogs, went up on the east side of the creek. Soon there was a terrible outcry from the dog on the west side of the creek; and the cry of "A bear! A bear!" from the thirteen year old boy. This brought his brothers and the other two dogs to the spot. The dogs treed the bear, and ' when the boys came up, bruin seemed to have a desire to be one among them. But Elijah, not exactly liking the appear-
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