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 31

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 31

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July 6, 1887, Mr. Capron sold his interest to Mr. Pixley, and May 8, 1888, Messrs. Myers & Pixley sold the concern to "The Akron Publishing Company," of which Mr. J. M. H. Frederick was president and Mr. M. J. Gilbo secretary and treasurer, Mr. Pixley officiating as editor until the organization of the Republican Pub- lishing Company in 1889, when Melville Wright and Frederick G. Frease became its proprietors, with Mr. Wright as business man- ager and William B. Taneyhill as editor. The City Times, besides vigorously supporting the political party in whose interest it is

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published, is a most excellent family newspaper, and enjoys a healthy circulation and a liberal advertising patronage.

The Akron Germania .- This paper, as its name indicates, is published in the interest of the German speaking population of Akron and vicinity. It was founded in the Fall of 1868, by Mr. H. Gentz, but transferred to Prof. C. F. Kolbe early in the following year. In September, 1872, it was transferred to the "Akron Paper and Printing Company," with Stephen Ginther as business man- ager and Paul E. Werner as editor. In October, 1875, Mr. Louis Seybold was employed as editor, and in 1880, the "Germania Printing Company" was formed, with Mr. Paul E. Werner as bus- iness manager. In November, 1881, the paper was again trans- ferred to Prof. Kolbe, and in April, 1882, leased by Prof. K. to Louis Seybold, who conducted it till January 1, 1884, when it was sold to Hans Otto Beck and George Billow. In July, 1887, the "Germania Publishing Company" was incorporoted with a capital of $15,000. which company was reorganized September 27, 1887, with Paul E. Werner as president; Louis Seybold, secretary; Hans Otto Beck, business manager and treasurer.

The Freie Presse .- A new candidate for popular German and business favor, was started in December, 1836, by the "Freie Presse Publishing Company," with Albert Fernitz as president; Julius Kroffke, secretary and treasurer, and Louis Seybold as editor. Mr. Seybold vacated the editorial chair in September, 1887, after which time. the Freie Presse was under the editorial control of Mr. Kroffke, until it was merged in the Germania, May 15, 1889, the present officers of the reorganized Germania Print- ing Company being: Paul E. Werner, president; Kenyon B. Conger, treasurer; Louis Seybold, editor; Julius Kroffke, business manager.

The Akron Daily Argus .- In March, 1874, the Akron Daily Argus was started by H. G. Canfield & Co., with Elder John F. Rowe as editor, a semi-weekly edition also being issued. It was an independent paper and ably edited, securing a fair circulation and a liberal share of advertisements. The paper passing to the subsequently formed "Argus Printing Company," by a majority vote of the stockholders, was, in September, 1874, changed into a Democratic sheet, with "Don" Everett, formerly of the City Times, as editor.

March 20, 1875, the Argus passed into the hands of its former editor, Elder John F. Rowe and his brother, Frank M. Rowe, a practical printer, who, under the firm name of Rowe Brothers, again changed its character from a political to an independent · paper. This arrangement continued until December 25, 1876, when the concern was purchased by Mr. Carson Lake, by whom it was again given a Democratic bias, thus continuing under Mr. Lake's lively management, until July 1, 1879, when the office and fixtures were purchased by Messrs. Paul E. Werner and B. F. Nelson, by whom the Argus was discontinued.

The Sunday Gazette .- This was a six-column quarto, devoted to general and local news, literature, miscellany, religious intelli- gence, society matters, etc. It was started in December, 1878, by Mr. Paul E. Werner, as publisher and proprietor, Carl F. Kolbe, as editor. July 26, 1879, it was consolidated with the daily and weekly Tribune established at that time by Werner & Nelson, as

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stated below, and the name changed to the Sunday Tribune, but after two or three issues again changed to the Sunday Gazette. After the dissolution of the firm of Werner & Nelson, and the dis- continuance of the Tribune, February 2, 1880, the Gazette was continued by Mr. Werner, in connection with the Germania until September 25, 1880, when it was purchased by Mr. Carson Lake.

January 8, 1883, the paper was transferred to Fred C. and Isaac Jennings Bryan, who, under the name and style of the "Sunday Gazette Company," successfully edited and published the same until May 10, 1885, when I. J. Bryan became its sole proprietor, under whose editorial control it was equally successful. June 23, 1887, Mr. Bryan sold the Gazette to Mr. Frank S. Pixley, and on the 7th of July, 1887, it was transferred by Mr. Pixley to the Times Printing Company of which he was then a member. May 8, 1888, the Gazette passed into the hands of the "Akron Publishing Company," with the Akron City Times, as above set forth, the name being changed by the new proprietors to the Sunday Telegram, and subsequently to the Sunday Republican, which title, under the proprietorship of The Akron Printing and Pub- lishing Company it still, bears.

Daily Telegram-Daily Republican .- The Akron Publish- ing Company, then proprietors of the Akron City Times, and the Sunday Telegram, as above stated, in 1889, commenced the pub- lication of the Daily Telegram, later the same year, changing it to the Daily Republican, by the newly . organized Republican Printing Company, of which Mr. Kenyon B. Conger was president, later being consolidated with the Beacon Publishing Company, as already stated, under the corporate name of The Akron Printing and Publishing Company.

The Akron Commercial .- This was a nine column folio- monthly, commenced in the Spring of 1874, by Capt. J. J. Wright, formerly, for several years Akron's efficient Marshal, as well as a plucky and faithful soldier during the entire war-1861-65. The Commercial, as indicated by its name, was principally devoted to advertising and commercial matters, though giving with each issue a large amount of interesting miscellaneous and local read- ing matter. With the intention of removing to Dakota, about 1884,. Mr. Wright disposed of his printing material, and the paper was. discontinued.

The People's Monthly .- This was a five column quarto monthly. It was started in May, 1883, by Robert H. Behan, a practical printer, as an "Independent Home Journal for Family Reading." Under Mr. Behan's management it was fast working its way into popular favor, until failing health compelled its relin- quishment, the Monthly being transferred to F. C. and I. J. Bryan, publishers of the Sunday Gazette, by whom it was continued until the Spring of 1885, when it was sold to Capt. J. J. Wright, late publisher of the Commercial (who had, in the meantime, changed his mind about going to Dakota), by whom it was published until the Summer of 1889, when, by reason of ill health of the proprietor,. it was discontinued.

The Akron Daily News .- This was an independent Republi- can paper, published by Walter E. and Frank Wellman, from about 1881 to 1883. It was an ably conducted and spicy sheet, and will chiefly be remembered for the part it took in the Congressional

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campaign of 1882, in which it opposed the election of the regularly nominated Republican candidate, Hon. A. S. McClure, and sup- ported the Democratic candidate, Hon. David R. Paige, who was elected. Though securing quite a large advertising patronage and circulation, it fell into financial embarrassment, and after one or two changes of proprietors, was discontinued.

South End News .- In September, 1884, John M. Sauder & Co. commenced the publication of a six column monthly folio, under the above title, with Mr. P. P. Cherry as editor. It was non- political, especially devoted to the interests of the "South End," and attained a circulation of 2,000 copies, at 25 cents per year, and though self-sustaining, other duties claiming the attention of the proprietors, the paper was discontinued in April, 1886, and the material sold to Cleveland parties, and removed thither.

Trade and Labor Journal .- About 1884, Frank R. Newell and Irving C. Tomlinson, practical printers, opened a book and job office, at 112 Howard street, (second floor), from which office there was published, for the period of about one year, a spirited labor paper, which attained quite a large circulation, but not proving remunerative to its publishers was discontinued, and the materials transferred to other parties.

The Issue .- During the political campaign of 1885, L. B. Logan published a small Prohibition paper under the title of "The Cam- paigner," which, after the election, was continued as the organ of the Prohibition party, under the name of "The Issue," one year and two months, when it was suspended, but afterwards resumed for a short time in Youngstown.

Daily Star-Itemizer, etc .- In the Spring of 1888, George W. Grames commenced the publication, in Akron, of a small Demo- cratic daily, under the name of the Daily Star, which continued to scintillate with considerable brilliancy for a month or so, when, its name was changed to the Itemizer, but though conducted with fair ability, the principal "item" necessary to its permanence -cash-was lacking, and it, too, departed hence, "to be with us no more forever."

Daily Illuminator .- During the political campaign of 1886, a small daily paper, bearing the above title, with Mr. William Cub- bison as editor, was published in the interest of certain of the labor organizations of Akron, but after the close of the campaign, it was found to be both politically and financially non-profitable, and its "luminosity" suddenly ceased.

Ohio Educational Monthly .- In January, 1852, The Ohio Journal of Education was inaugurated by the Ohio Teachers' Association, with a committee of six of the well-known Ohio teachers as editors, Dr. A. D. Lord, of Columbus, being the local manager. The journal was a 32-page monthly, quarto in form, price one dollar per year, and became the official organ of the State School Commissioner on the creation of that office in 1853. In 1855 Rev. Anson Smyth became the manager and editor in chief, suc- ceeded, on his election to the commissionership, a year later, by Mr. J. D. Caldwell. In 1858 the late William T. Coggeshall (form- erly of Akron), then State Librarian, was appointed editor, with Mr. Jolin Ogden as canvassing agent, Hon. E. E. White succeeding Mr. Coggeshall, as editor, in 1861. Though ably edited and acquir- ing quite a large circulation, the losses from credits on subscriptions

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and advertising, and the expense of canvassing and collecting, rendering the management by the association undesirable, the Journal was transferred to Dr. D. W. Henkle, the name having previously been changed to the Ohio Educational Monthly and the price advanced to $1.50.

Dr. Henkel removed the Monthly from Columbus to Salem, Columbiana County, and at his death it was bought by Dr. Samuel Findley, late superintendent of Akron Public Schools, and, com- mencing with the February number, 1882, the office of publication has since been in Akron.

Dr. Findley at once so popularized the Monthly that its circu- lation doubled in a year and a half, moving the Doctor to increase its size from 32 to 48 pages, and the Ohio Educational Monthly, now on a sound financial basis, is not only the oldest, but probably the best educational journal in America.

American Farm News .- This, "A Journal Devoted to Farm- ing and Manufacturing," is a four column 16 page monthly, richly illustrated and handsomely printed, started by the American Farm News Company, with Solon L. Goode as manager and W. A. Connor as advertising manager. The Farm News was conll- menced in January, 1888, and, at the extraordinary low price of 25 cents per year, it has already (July, 1891) attained to a circulation of about 100,000 copies, monthly, with a very liberal share of live and profitable advertising. The Farm News is now owned and published by The Akron Printing and Publishing Company.

The Advance .- June 7, 1877, Robert Shilling commenced the publication, in Cleveland, of a small daily, with a five-column weekly edition, under the above title, as an organ of the National Greenback Labor Party. In May, 1880, the daily edition was sus- pended, the weekly being transferred to Salem, Columbiana County. An Akron edition was also printed at the Salem office. In August, 1880, Mr. John P. Burns became its editor and pro- prietor, and in January, 1881, removed the Advance to Akron, where it was published for a year, and finally discontinued.

OTHER LITERARY VENTURES.

Almost innumerable other newspaper experiments have been tried in Akron, with greater or less literary and pecuniary success, during the past half century, which we cannot here- notice, in detail, even could we remember them all; but as showing their variety, and general character, we briefly mention the following; Rose of the Valley, by Abraham Allison and Asa S. Marriner; Akron Offering, by Miss Calista Cummings; The True Kindred, devoted to Science and Reform, by Mrs. Rebecca M. M. Sanford; Flower of the West, by Allison & Rumrix; The Flail, a Demo- cratic campaigner, in 1840, by Leander L. Howard; the Free-Soil Platform, in 1848, by Hiram Bowen; the Sentinel of Liberty, 1855, printed by H. G. Canfield for an association of young Repub- licans; the Wide-Awake, Republican campaigner, 1860, by D. C. Carr, S. A. Lane and others; the Summitonian. literary monthly, 1873, by H. G. Canfield; Beacon Magazine, premium for Weekly Beacon, 1873; the Independent, Greenback-Democratic cam- paigner, 1878, by H. G. Canfield, and others remembered by name only, the Whip, the Sockdolager, the Casket, the Sunny Side, the

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AKRON'S NEWSPAPERS.

School Mistress, the Church Journal, the Fair Organ, the Buchtel College Record, the Buchtelite, the Akron Herald, etc.

THE GRAND "ROUND-UP."

It will thus be seen, by the returns now in, that if not the exact center of the newspaper world, Summit County has been untiring in her efforts to become such. While some of the pub- lications named were, perhaps, of doubtful utility or propriety, the projectors thereof were unquestionably fully impressed with their importance and necessity. Though scarcely a man, or woman, connected with the periodicals named, has directly made any money out of the publication thereof, while many were consider- ably out of pocket thereby, their general influence for good upon the community admits of not a question.' But for its newspapers, where would Akron and Summit County have been to-day? The liberal use of printers' ink, in advertising to the world our manifold advantages, in advocacy of canals, railroads and other public improvements, in encouragement to trade and manufactures, in the promotion of the cause of education and morality, has hitherto been, and will continue to be, a most potent factor in the advance- ment and prosperity of the community at large and of the indi- vidual citizen.

View of Akron, Sixth Ward, from Tallmadge Road, 1891. From photo by George E. Hitchcock.

CHAPTER XII.

AKRON'S BURIAL PLACES-THE OLD SIXTH WARD CEMETERY, DEDICATED IN 1808-SPICER HILL CEMETERY IN 1813-"DUBLIN" CEMETERY, IN 1823 -- AKRON PUBLIC BURYING GROUND IN 1838-AKRON RURAL CEMETERY ASSOCIATION CHARTERED IN 1839-NEW SIXTH WARD CEMETERY IN 1853 -REMOVAL OF SPICER CEMETERY, TO GIVE PLACE TO BUCHTEL COLLEGE IN 1871-REMARKABLE PRESERVATION OF MAJOR SPICER'S BODY-NATURAL AS LIFE AFTER SIXTEEN YEARS' INTERMENT-PURCHASE OF ADDITIONAL LANDS-EXTENSIVE AND COSTLY IMPROVEMENTS-LIBERALITY OF THE PEOPLE-LADIES' CEMETERY ASSOCIATION AND THEIR WONDERFUL ACHIEVEMENTS-SUPERINTENDENT'S LODGE AND OTHER SIMILAR PRO- JECTS-MEMORIAL CHAPEL, THE MOST SUPERB TRIBUTE TO BRAVERY AND PATRIOTISM IN THE UNITED STATES-" GLENDALE" (SO CALLED BY COMMON CONSENT) TRULY A " THING OF BEAUTY AND A JOY FOREVER !"-AKRON'S PUBLIC PARKS, ETC.

AKRON'S BURIAL PLACES.

T `HE first public burial ground within the present limits of the city of Akron, was what is now known as the "Old Cemetery," in the eastern portion of the Sixth ward, the land for which, about half an acre, in about 1808, was donated by Deacon Titus Chapman, the grandfather of the present venerable Edgar T. Chapman of the Sixth ward, the donor himself, who died November 18, 1808, being probably the first person buried therein. The use of this cemetery was superseded in 1853 by the purchase of some three acres of ground on East Market street, by a number of the public spirited citizens of Middlebury, under the corporate name of the "Middlebury Cemetery Association," by whom the grounds were surrounded by a substantial fence, planted to ever- greens, and tastefully laid out into driveways, avenues and lots 18x21 feet in size, which are sold at from $25 to $50, according to location, the Association also keeping in order, and caring for, the "Old Cemetery" above spoken of.

THE SPICER CEMETERY: 4

Akron's second burial place was what was known as "Spicer Cemetery," on the site now occupied by Akrons educational glory and pride, Buchtel College, the land for which, fronting on Middlebury street, about one acre, was jointly dedicated to the purpose by Akron's first pioneer settlers, Messrs. Miner Spicer and Paul Williams, probably about 1813,

This ground was used for such occasional burials as occurred in the neighborhood from year to year, during the early settlement of Portage township, and after the building of the Ohio Canal and laying out of the new village of Akron, in 1825, by the people of the village, also, for the burial of its dead, until the establishment of the Akron Rural Cemetery, as hereinafter set forth, in 1838.

To this ground was added, by donation from Mr. Spicer, and the purchase from Mr. Nathan B. Dodge, of 88-100th of an acre, in

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1854, at a cost of $200, making a total of two 67-100th acres, both increasing the grounds in width and extending them through to Carroll street, under the auspices of the "Spicer Hill Burial Place Association," who neatly enclosed, laid out and beautified the grounds for the benefit of those who already had friends buried there, and such others as chose to purchase lots therein.

The site of Spicer Hill Burial Place was one of the most con- manding in the city of Akron, and when it was decided to locate that splendid educational institution now known as Buchtel College, here, an arrangement was made by which the graves were removed to the Akron Rural Cemetery, and, in March, 1871, for the consideration of one dollar, Messrs. Charles W. Brown, Avery Spicer, Talmon Beardsley, Hiram J. Spicer, and Levi Allen, as trustees of the Spicer Hill Burial Place Association, together with the several heirs of Miner Spicer, deeded the lands in question to the trustees of Buchtel College.

The sub-soil of the Spicer burial ground was a species of rock, similar to what is known as sewer-pipe clay, excavations having to be made almost wholly with the pick, so that surface water, percolating through the loose earth above the coffin, would be largely retained in the substantially water-tight grave. Major Miner Spicer, the original donor of the ground, died in 1855, being buried in a metallic coffin. On the transfer of his remains to the Akron Rural Cemetery, in 1871, on removing the slide from over the glass at the head of the casket, the friends were greeted with a view of the features of the old Major, in a perfect state of preser- vation, and looking as natural as when deposited in the grave nearly 16 years before.

During the building of the Ohio Canal, the territory north of Tallmadge street, and east of Main street, was largely covered by the cabins of the Irish laborers upon the canal, giving to the locality the name of "Dublin," which it retained for many years, and by which it is still called by many of the older residents of the city. To meet the mortuary necessities of those early days, the plateau north of Furnace street, and west of North High, on the bluff overlooking the Little Cuyahoga river, was appropriated for burial purposes, which was used by the people of North Akron from its commencement, in 1832, until the establishment of the Akron Rural Cemetery in 1838. A portion, only, of the remains buried at the point named were removed to the new grounds, the others remaining undisturbed, where they were originally buried, until they were unearthed by the cutting away of the bluff in question, in grading for the Valley Railway, in 1873, to the great surprise of those who were not aware of the sacred nature of the ground they were plowing through; it even being reported that a pretty well preserved skull thus brought to light was the missing head of William Beatson, the Englishman murdered at Cuyahoga Falls, in 1853, it being known that James Parks, the murderer, must have passed near the place in his flight westward, after leaving the canal boat near the Old Forge, on the night of the murder, as elsewhere detailed.

The Spicer burial ground being private property, and the North Akron ground having been hitherto used by mere sufferance, soon after the incorporation of the village, the question of establishing a public burying ground began to be agitated. No official action

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was had however, until June 17, 1837, when a committee was appointed by the Council to confer with Gen. Simon Perkins, of Warren, about the purchase of land for the purpose named, on what was then known as the "Oak Openings," west of the Lower Village, the ground in question being densely covered with a thick growth of oak bushes, interspersed with an occasional good sized oak tree.

Gen. Perkins, when interviewed, proposed to sell to the village four acres of ground at one hundred dollars per acre, and to donate one acre additional, or to give the one acre whether the four acres were purchased or not. November 7, the Council resolved to accept the General's proposition, provided he would divide the purchase money into six annual payments of $66.663 each, which terms being acceded to, on November 13, 1837, the committee was authorized to make contract, plat, etc., but for reasons which do not appear, only three 42-100th acres were pur- chased and platted. October 27, 1838, the Council purchased from Judge Leicester King three acres additional upon the west side of the plat described, for the consideration of $250, which was soon afterwards platted and made a part of the cemetery grounds.

The grounds were laid out into four blocks, 1, 2, 3 and 4, with central latitudinal and longitudinal driveways, 20 feet in width, with entrance on South Maple street, the lots being of uni- form size, 10 by 15 feet, with intersecting five and six foot ave- nues between, the price of lots at first being $3, or at the rate of two cents per square foot. For many years the grounds remained unfenced and unimproved, except the staking out of the lots and the grubbing out of a part of the bushes, and, without superin- tendent or special care-taker, from its isolated location, extremely favorable to the nocturnal operations of both professional and non-professional "resurrectionists", though in one instance at least, they failed to get away with their booty-the body of Benja- min Tuells, a somewhat dissipated jeweler, weighing 225 pounds, being found on the margin of his grave a morning or two after his original interment, in December, 1847.

For many years the persons who officiated as sextons were, successively, Alexander Williams, John Taplin, C. S. W. Brown, Arza Kellogg, etc., for the North Village and Peter Hendrick Centaurus for the South Village, to one of whom application for burial had to be made, the applicant usually being required to produce a certificate of payment for lot, from the Village Recorder, before interment could be legally made, though in the general stringency of the times, and the consequent poverty of the people, this rule was not always strictly enforced, the delinquencies resulting therefrom causing the authorities much trouble, and in many instances necessitating the removal of graves to the pottersfield, and the sale of lots to other parties.

There were no "undertakers" nor professional "funeral direc- tors" in those days, the village cabinet-maker, from measurement of the subject, making the coffin to order, of whitewood, pine, cherry, black walnut, etc., stained or varnished, without name- plate or ornament, at a total cost of from $2.00 to $3.00; the sexton's fee, including conveyance of remains by wagon, (there was 110 hearse until 1840), being from $1.50 to $2.00; the total expense of burying a deceased friend, including lot, being less than $10.00;

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many times, indeed, the coffin was borne upon the bier, by hands of sympathetic neighbors, followed by relatives and friends from the house of mourning to the burial place on foot.

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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