Fifty years and over of Akron and Summit County : embellished by nearly six hundred engravings--portraits of pioneer settlers, prominent citizens, business, official and professional--ancient and modern views, etc.; nine-tenth's of a century of solid local history--pioneer incidents, interesting events--industrial, commercial, financial and educational progress, biographies, etc., Part 136

Author: Lane, Samuel A. (Samuel Alanson), 1815-1905
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Akron, Ohio : Beacon Job Department
Number of Pages: 1228

USA > Ohio > Summit County > Akron > Fifty years and over of Akron and Summit County : embellished by nearly six hundred engravings--portraits of pioneer settlers, prominent citizens, business, official and professional--ancient and modern views, etc.; nine-tenth's of a century of solid local history--pioneer incidents, interesting events--industrial, commercial, financial and educational progress, biographies, etc. > Part 136

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March 20 a resolution was adopted to issue the bonds of the county in the sum of $25,000, for the purpose named, but on the 3d day of April the proposition was withdrawn by the representatives of the Cooke estate.

August 12, 1882, the commissioners closed a contract with Mr. George Allison, of Tallmadge, for the purchase of his farm, a short distance north of Bettes' Corners, on the Cuyahoga Falls road. This purchase consisted of 142.27 acres, the price paid being $110 per acre, or an aggregate, in round numbers, of $15,650.

August 14, 1882, the commissioners appointed as trustees of the Children's Home, George W. Crouse, of Akron, George Sackett, of Cuyahoga Falls, and E. S. Gregory, of Hudson. The trustees and commissioners, acting conjointly, in canvassing the

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matter of erecting suitable, buildings on the farm thus purchased, found that the balance left, after paying for the land, would be inadequate for the erection of such a structure as they deemed fitting, and on March 6, 1883, authorized Auditor Wagoner to issue notice for a vote of the county, at the ensuing April election, upon the proposition to issue bonds to the amount of $12,000 more.

By this time, the impression had become quite prevalent, that so large a farm as had been purchased was not needed, and much dissatisfaction was also manifested at the location which had been selected, and furthermore that $37,000 in addition to the yearly tax- levy for its support, was a larger sum than should be invested in such an institution. Feeling thus, the vote on the last proposition resulted as follows: "For," 1,818; "Against," 3,195; the adverse majority being 1,377.

THE HOME INAUGURATED .- Finding themselves thus handi- capped, yet realizing the importance of establishing the Home in question, the commissioners and trustees, on the 27th of Novem- ber, 1885, leased the property known as the "Buckeye House," nearly opposite the Court House, on South Broadway, for the period of two years, for the sum of $600 per year.

Mr. William A. Hanford, of Cuyahoga Falls, was appointed superintendent, and Mrs. Hanford, matron, who entered upon their arduous duties as soon as the house could be put in proper order and appropriately furnished; Mr. and Mrs. Hanford being succeeded by Mr. and Mrs. William Grubb, of Franklin township, in November, 1887.

The report of the trustees for the year ending September 1, 1890, shows an average daily attendance of 55 children, some being provided from time to time, with permanent homes in private fam- ilies, their places being speedily filled by new accessions. The levy, this year, for the running expenses of the Home, three-tenths of a mill, will probably be in excess of its necessities.

PART OF THE TALLMADGE FARM SOLD.

Believing the Tallmadge farm purchased from Mr. Allison largely in excess of the necessities of the institution, even if that location should finally be determined upon for the permanent building, on the 7th day of March, 1887, the commissioners, Messrs. King J. Ellet, of Springfield, Charles C. Hine, of Hudson, and John C. Hill, of Akron, sold to Mr. C. I. Bettes, 40.06 acres, and to Mr. M. J. Hogue 46.07 acres, for the aggregate sum of $5,225, or at the rate of about $63 per acre.

The avails of these sales, with the balance of the original $25,000 realized from the sale of the bonds above spoken of, amounted to about $15,000. Through the efforts of Representative Henry C. Sanford and Senator J. Park Alexander, the Legislature, during the session of 1888, '89, passed an act authorizing the com- missioners to sell the entire Tallmadge farm, and to purchase such other site for the Home as might be jointly agreed upon by the commissioners and the trustees, who finally decided upon, and purchased, the Jewett homestead, and some contiguous lands (in all seven acres), on Arlington street, in the south part of the Sixth ward. The large dwelling house, under the plans of Architect Jacob Snyder, approved by the board of State Charities, has been remodeled to meet the present and immediate future needs, of the

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THE DE ROO HOSPITAL FUND.

institution, the price paid for the property being $11,000, and the expense of remodeling and furnishing $9,000, a total outlay of $20,000. The present trustees of the Home (July, 1891): John J. Hall, Lewis Miller and David E. Hill, Mr. Grubb still being con- tinued as superintendent, and Mrs. Grubb as matron.

The balance of the Allison farm is still owned by the county .and rented on shares, largely furnishing vegetables and other sup- plies to the Home, and paying a fair interest upon the investment.

THE DE ROO HOSPITAL.

On the death of Boniface De Roo, a native of France, an unmarried and eccentric but industrious and economical resident of Middlebury and the Sixth ward for many years, his will was found to contain the following provisions:

" First, the payment of his just debts and funeral expenses ; second, $200 for the purchase of a lot in the Akron Rural Cemetery; third, $300 for the trustees of the cemetery, in trust, to be invested on interest for beautify- ing said lot ; fourth, $500 for a granite monument of obelisk form ; fifth, $100 for good metallic coffin without plate or ornament, no funeral services to be held over his remains and body to be deposited in vault a sufficient length ·of time to prevent intrusion, then to be buried on lot; sixth, the balance of his estate, real and personal, to the city of Akron, to be held in trust and appropriated by said city for the buying of real estate and the erection of the necessary buildings and maintenance of the same for a city hospital, wherein invalids and infirm persons, without distinction of race, nationality, color or sex, may be provided for without charge or compensation in case of inability to pay for the same."

The will further stipulated that in case the funds so bequeathed were insufficient for the purchase of the necessary real estate, and the expenses of carrying on said institution, said funds were to be invested until, supplemented by additions of like character, and appropriations which it is anticipated may be made by the city, shall be sufficient to create and maintain said hospital; the testator also expressing the desire that said hospital shall bear the name of the person donating the largest sum of money for the erection and maintenance of the same.

PROTRACTED LITIGATION .- The will of Mr. De Roo was executed August 5, 1883, with Edward Oviatt and George G. Allen as wit- nesses, and Messrs. William Rowley and John F. Viall named as executors. Mr. De Roo died on the 3rd day of November, 1883 the will being duly probated on the 5th day of that month.

It was at first thought that the net amount of this benevolent and humane bequest would be fully $10,000, but that sum was considerably diminished by the proceedings which follow: The deceased had boarded' for many years in a family of the same nationality as himself, by the name of Pouchot, having regularly paid his board at a stipulated price per week, the last $20 due being paid by him upon the day of his removal to other quarters, September 28, 1883.

Subsequently, however, Mrs. Pouchot presented a claim to the executors for the sum of $2,016.67 for nursing, care and attend- ance, including washing and ironing, from November 5, 1877, to September 28, 1883, at the rate of six and two-third dollars per week. This claim being rejected by the executors, suit was brought for its enforcement in the Court of Common Pleas, and at the May term, 1885, the jury rendered a verdict in favor of the plaintiff in the sum of $1,645.46.

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Attorneys for the defense filed a motion for a new trial, one of the grounds of which was that the verdict was excessive, and another that a verdict for plaintiff was not sustained by the evi- dence and was contrary to law. The court, on due consideration of the motion, made the following entry in the case: "The court being of the opinion that the amount of damages awarded by the jury is excessive in the sum of $800, and the plaintiff, now here in court, consenting to remit the excess aforesaid, therefore the Court overrules the motion for a new trial, and that the plaintiff recover from the said executors $845.46, the residue of the damages by the jury awarded, together with costs, taxed at $132.14.

TRUST ACCEPTED BY COUNCIL.

On the final settlement of the estate, the executors turned over- to the city the sum of $8,012.16, which was duly accepted by an ordinance passed February 1, 1886, the ordinance also providing for the appointment of three resident freeholders of the city of Akron to act as commissioners of said hospital fund, for the pur- pose of keeping said fund properly "invested until such time as- said sum, with its accumulations, and such additions as may be made thereto by donations, or appropriations, shall be sufficient to- erect and maintain an institution which shall be at once a credit to the city, and an honor to its founders." The present trustees. (1891) are Henry Perkins, president, Burdette L. Dodge, secretary, and Joseph Kendall. Amount now in fund, July 1, 1891, $10,200.16.

OTHER CHARITABLE OPERATIONS.

While the people of Akron, and the county generally, have- ever been liberal in the dispensation of private charities, as indi- viduals, much has also been done by organized.and systematic- effort in that direction. Most. of the churches of both Akron and . the surrounding villages and townships through appropriate com- mittees, afford abundant relief to their own invalid and indigent. people, while all of the beneficiary orders also look carefully after their own sick and needy members. In addition to this, in special hard times, and in extremely severe Winters, county and society aid has for many years been supplemented by organized action through citizens' committees.

AKRON BOARD OF CHARITIES .- The duties of such committees. ceasing with the emergency which called them into existence, it was at length deemed advisable that some more permanent system should be devised. Accordingly, on a numerously signed petition, in December, 1884, the council appointed a committee of citizens consisting of Messrs. O. C. Barber, W. H. Upson, N. D. Tibbals, Michael O'Neil and T. C. Raynolds to see what could be done in the premises. On the report of this committee, to a public meeting, held January 13, 1885, the Akron Board of Charities 'was organized, all contributors to be members for the current year, the aims of the board being tersely stated thus: "1. To see that all deserving cases of destitution are properly relieved. 2. To prevent indiscriminate and duplicate giving. 3. To make employment the basis of relief. 4. To secure community from imposture. 5. To reduce vagrancy and pauperism and ascertain their true causes."

Present officers: (1888) N. D. Tibbals, president; Nathan Morse, secretary; B. C. Herrick, treasurer, with four trustees-two

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AKRON UNION CHARITY ASSOCIATION.

ladies and two gentlemen-in each ward to investigate and report cases of destitution in their particular localities, and order such relief as may be deemed necessary.

The resources of the board are voluntary contributions, the amounts distributed, ranging from $500 to $1,500 per year.

WOMEN'S BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION .- This is an institution similar in, design but operated on somewhat different methods from the board above named. By the generosity of our citizens, the Association is the owner of a Home, ou South High street, immediately north of the Congregational Church, costing, with the heating apparatus, $4,750. It is maintained entirely by ladies, and advisory board of six gentlemen-one from each ward-its present officers (1888) being as follows: Mrs. J. A .Long, president; Mrs. L. A. Meacham, treasurer; Mrs. J. W. Lyder, recording secretary; Mrs. E. A. Josselyn, corresponding secretary; with one vice president for each ward and with Miss Lou Lusk as missionary.

Though much direct aid is given from time to time, the main feature of this institution is to teach the needy to help themselves. To this end what are denominated "Mother's Meetings" are held at the Home, weekly, at which mothers of families are taught to cut, make and mend garments for themselves and children, pro- vided with the necessary materials in return for a reasonable amount of labor, such as tying comforters, making carpets, and any plain sewing that members of the society and other ladies desire to have done, from 80 to 120 mothers thus assembling and industriously working every Friday, not only receiving full pay for the work they thus do, but, far better, receiving such intelli- gent instructions as will enable them to do more and better work at their own homes, on the other days of the week, than they otherwise could do.

There is also a kindergarten, and an industrial department, for girls and young children, with a roll of 185, and an average attend- ance of 110 on Saturdays; the girls being taught to do plain sewing and other domestic work, and given such educational and moral instruction as their several necessities seem to require.

Since the foregoing was compiled and published in serial form, the two societies have been consolidated, under the title of

THE UNION CHARITY ASSOCIATION OF AKRON.

The Association was duly incorporated December 4, 1889, the corporators being A. L. Conger, A. P. Baldwin, Ferd. Schumacher, Mrs. W. K, Foltz, Mrs. L. A. Meacham, Mrs. Henry Perkins, Mrs. Anna L. Booth, Mrs. Celia Baldwin, Mrs. Martha Manderbach, Miss Clara W. Botsford, Mrs. Frances Sweitzer,. R. H. Wright, N. D. Tibbals, O. C. Barber, Mrs. Sumner Nash, Mrs. L. J. Brewster, Mrs. Laura K. Fraunfelter, and Miss Lou A. Lusk. The constitu- tion of the Association is as follows:

ARTICLE I .- This organization shall be called the "Union Charity Asso- ciation."

ARTICLE II .- Its aim shall be to see that all deserving cases of destitu- tion are properly relieved, and to make employment the basis of relief ; also to promote the moral, educational and industrial interests of all who may come under its care, and by a system of thorough visitation and investiga- tion to prevent wasteful and indiscriminate alms-giving.

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ARTICLE III .- Section I .- All cash contributors, of good moral char- acter, who shall have subscribed to the charter, shall be eligible to member- ship. Section II .- Members may be elected at any regular meeting of the association, by a majority vote, after the nominations have been referred to and reported from a prudential committee.

ARTICLE IV .- Section I .- The officers shall be elected annually, by ballot, on the first Tuesday in October, and shall consist of president, two vice presidents, treasurer and secretary. Section II .- There shall also be one lady trustee from each ward, who shall be elected by the association, whose duty it shall be to have charge of the work in the ward, each trustee to choose the needed assistants, the names of such persons to be presented to, and approved by, the association.

ARTICLE V .- The trustees shall consist of the president, vice president, secretary and treasurer of the association, and one gentleman and one lady, for each ward, who shall have charge of real property, stock, or bonds, or evidence of indebtedness and contracts belonging to the association. They shall approve of all transfers of real property, stocks or bonds, before the sanie shall be legal. They shall approve of the investments of funds of the association.

ARTICLE VI .- The executive committee of this association, shall con- sist of the president, vice president, trustees, secretary and treasurer, who shall hold monthly meetings, as they may designate. At these meetings a majority shall be a quorum, for the transaction of all business. They shall prescribe the duties of all executive officers of this association, not herein prescribed, and may appoint such committees as they may deem necessary, to carry on the work, under their supervision and control. They shall also make all necessary rules and regulations for the maintenance of the roomis.

A concise and practical code of by-laws was also formulated and adopted, under which the work of the Association is now being harmoniously and most efficiently prosecuted, the present officers (November, 1891), being as follows: Colonel A. L. Conger, president; Mrs. L. A. Meacham, first vice president; Judge N. D. Tibbals, second vice president; B. F. Clark, secretary; Mrs. Anna L. Booth, assistant secretary; M. T. Cutter, treasurer; Mrs. Sumner Nash, superintendent kitchengarten; Mrs. N. D. Tibbals, superintendent industrial department; Mrs.

Alexander Brewster, assistant; Miss Lou A. Lusk, matron of Home and city missionary; Mrs. Lucy Stall, superintendent of industrial school. TRUSTEES, elected in October, 1891: First ward, R. H. Wright and Mrs S. M. Dussell, Mrs. Mary J. Crain, assistant; Second ward, Michael O' Neil and Mrs. W. K. Foltz, Mrs. Henry Perkins, assistant; Third ward, Rev. T. F. Mahar and Mrs. A. P. Baldwin, Miss Kate Hurley, assistant; Fourth ward, John A. Wagoner and Mrs. E. Hitchcock, Mrs. L. A. Chisnell, assistant; Fifth ward, Frank D. Cassidy and Mrs. S. W. Pike, Mrs. J. W. Dunn, assistant; Sixth ward, Harvey Baldwin and Miss Sarah Buckingham, Miss Eva Gregory, assistant. STANDING COMMITTEES: Entertainment, Mrs. Henry Perkins, M. T. Cutter, Michael O'Neil and N. D. Tibbals; Prudential, Mrs. Alexander Brewster, Mrs. A. P. Baldwin, R. H. Wright and Ferd. Schumacher.

AKRON DAY NURSERY.

October 18, 1890, the "Heart and Hand" and the " Wayside" Circles of the Order of the King's Daughters, jointly established a Day Nursery, for the purpose of giving a home during the day to the children of working women, being temporarily given the use of a room in the Home of the Union Charity Association, 116 South High street, the members, on organization, being: Mrs, Mary Raymond, president; Miss Anna Ganter, vice president;

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Miss Carita McEbright, secretary; Miss Bessie Raymond, treas- urer; Misses Belle Adams, Gertrude Commins, Addie Commins, Julia Crouse, Mary Crouse, Mrs. Rose Christy, Misses Belle Green, Helen Humphrey, Maud Watters, Mary Buell, Lizzie Griffin, Martha Henry, Julia McGregor, Mary Miller, Helen Storer, Harriet Wise and Alice Work.

Rules for receiving and caring for children in the nursery, were adopted as follows:

I. No child shall be received permanently in the nursery, until the chairman is satisfied, by thorough investigation that such child is a proper. subject for admission,

II. No children can be kept at the nursery, but those whose mothers are at work away from their homes during the day, or are engaged at home in such work for wages that they cannot give their children proper care.

III. The admission fee shall be five cents a day for one child; twelve cents where three come from one family; fifteen cents where four come from one family.

IV. No child shall be admitted free of charge, nor unless the mother is willing to conform to, and have her child obey the rules of the nursery.

V. No child shall be received before 6:30 A. M., or remain after 7 P. M.

VI. No child shall be received in the nursery, who has any contagious disease or who comes from a home where such disease exists.

VII. The matron shall see that every child is properly washed, on arrival in the nursery, and neatly dressed, when necessary in garments from the nursery wardrobe. These garments shall never be worn away from the nursery.

Besides liberal contributions from several persons, funds have from time to time been raised by tableaux and other entertain- ments, so that the expenses of this most worthy benevolent enter- prise have thus far been readily met, for of course, the moderate per diem fee charged for admission and care of such children as come to them will not go far towards defraying the cost of its maintenance, one of the most successful entertainments in its behalf being the musicale given at Irving Lawn, the fine new home of Col. and Mrs. A. L. Conger, on the evening of September 21, 1891, by which $200 were added to the treasury.

MARY DAY NURSERY.

After gratuitous occupation of quarters in the Home of the Union Charity Association, for about one year, on the evening of October 20, 1891, the Nursery Association gave a general and largely attended reception in its own well-appointed Home, 406 South High street, the house and lot being generously donated to the Association by Colonel George T. Perkins, in behalf of his first grandchild, little Mary Raymond, in honor of whom the name was changed from the Akron Day Nursery to the "Mary Day Nursery," and under that name was duly incorporated September 18, 1891, five trustees being elected as follows: Colonel George T. Perkins, Frank M. Atterholt, Henry C. Corson, Mrs. Charles B. Raymond and Miss Helen A. Storer; the original officers, as above given, being re-elected for another year; Miss Flora E. Hanchett being chosen matron.

In her first annual report the secretary says: "There are eighteen children on the roll; aggregate attendance, 571; average daily attendance, three; there was no day without children, the largest attendance in one day being eight."

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The new Home, so generously provided, was furnished in a like generous manner, by useful and timely gifts of furniture, stoves, crockery, cutlery, silverware, tinware, kitchen utensils, clothing, fuel, oil, etc., by dealers whose names cannot be enumer- ated here, and it may safely be predicted that the Mary Day Nurs- ery is destined to become one of the most useful of the many purely philanthropic institutions of our proverbially benevolent city and county-one of the designs of its managers being the establishment of a kindergarten in connection with the Nursery at an early day.

OTHER PHILANTHROPIC WORK.

Besides the local church and other benevolent operations in the several villages and townships of the county, there are also, in Akron, in addition to those enumerated, the Young Men's Christ- ian Association, with Rufus Wright, president; Othello W. Hale, vice president; R. B. Carter, secretary; and Will H. Hunt, treasurer, under the very efficient management of General Secretary J. New- ton Gunn; the Women's Christian Temperance Union, with Mrs. G. C. Berry as president, Miss H. Hall as secretary, Mrs. M. J. Crain as treasurer, and Miss Mary A. Cushman as missionary and friendly visitor; and the Young Women's Christian Temper- ance Union with Miss Maud A. Le Fevre as president, and Miss Maud C. Miller as secretary, all very efficient aids in the benevo- lent and reformatory work of the city.

It will thus be seen that both Summit county and the city of Akron are fully abreast with the enlightened and humanitarian spirit of the age, in charitable deeds and methods, as well as in educational, agricultural, commercial and manufacturing enter- prise.

CHAPTER LIV.

LABOR FIFTY YEARS AGO -HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF - DISSATISFACTION, STRIKES, RIOTS AND BLOODSHED - LABOR ORGANIZATIONS - SHORTER HOURS AND INCREASED PAY DEMANDED-KICK AGAINST THE "TRUCK AND DICKER" SYSTEM-POLITICAL COMBINATIONS-SUCCESSES, DEFEATS, ETC. - MECHANICS' ASSOCIATION, READING ROOM, LIBRARY, ETC. - FINAL OUTCOME, LESSON INCULCATED, ETC.

THE TWELVE HOUR DAY.

R EFERRING to, and apropos of, the matters, and things treated

of in chapter IV., a concise history of the status of labor in Akron, and elsewhere, half a century ago, will be in order here. Then in all departments of mechanical labor twelve hours consti- tuted a day's work, necessitating the working from two to three hours by candle-light five nights in the week, during the Winter months.

GROWING DISSATISFACTION .- This elongated day's work, taken in connection with the lowness of wages, and the "truck and dicker" system of payments heretofore described, created the most intense dissatisfaction among the laboring classes, and called forth many efforts and schemes for the amelioration of their con- dition, with frequent strikes, and occasional mobs and bloody riots in different cities of the country.

Besides the precarious nature of his pay, the wages of the mechanic and the laborer were scarcely half the present rates, while a very large proportion of the necessaries of life-clothing of all kinds, calicoes, cotton cloths, boots and shoes, sugars, teas, coffees, crockery, cutlery, etc., were, on the average, nearly double present prices, though of course, farm products were considerably cheaper then than now.

FIRST LABOR MOVEMENT IN AKRON .- As early as March 2, 1837, The Akron Journal (Judge Bryan's paper) contains this notice:

"The mechanics of Akron and vicinity, are requested to meet at the school house in South Akron, on Monday evening next at 6 o'clock, with a view to the formation of a Mechanics' Association. It is hoped that every mechanic in the place will be punctual to the hour in his attendance.

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Author: Lane, Samuel A. (Samuel Alanson), 1815-1905 Publication date: 1892 Publisher: Akron, Ohio : Beacon Job Department Number of Pages: 1228

Author: Lane, Samuel A. (Samuel Alanson), 1815-1905
Publication date: 1892
Publisher: Akron, Ohio : Beacon Job Department
Number of Pages: 1228