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 89

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 89

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EVI ALLEN, JR., son of Levi

L and Phœbe (Spicer) Allen; among the earliest settlers in Coven- try, was born in that township, July 28, 1824 ; raised on farm, with common school education ; in 1850 went over- land to California, where, with varied success at mining, merchandising, etc., he remained nearly 17 years. December 25, 1856, was married in Sacramento City, to Miss Mary E. Ware, born near Richmond, Va., March 24, 1830. Three children were born to them-Mary E. P., born August 16, 1858, now wife of Henry Stone, Esq., Denver, Colorado ; Albert W. H. and Alvin L. M. (twins), born September 12, 1862, Albert dying October 8, 1864, and Alvin January 8, 1865. Mrs. Allen dying June 9, 1866, Mr. Allen was again married, at Inde- pendence, Cuyahoga county, Novem- ber 4, 1868, to Miss Cornelia Knapp, born in Cleveland, April 27, 1830. Two children have been born to them-Cornelia C. A., born January 13, 1871, and Albertina M. D., born May 14, 1872, both now students in Hiram College. Quiet and unosten- tatious, Mr. and Mrs. Allen, success- fully cultivating the old homestead, are among the most substantial citi-

LEVI ALLEN, JR.

zens of Coventry township, Mr. Allen being in politics an earnest Republi- can, and both being members and liberal supporters of the first Dis- ciples' church in Akron, Mr. Allen having served as a member of the Coventry Board of Education some 12 or 14 years.

JOSEPH C. HILL, appointed county commissioner on the death of Commissioner David C. Miller, in November, 1886, holding the office one year, to the general acceptance of his constituents.

GEORGE W. BREWSTER was elected coroner of Summit county, November, 1890, and is still serving.

GROWTH, POPULATION, ETC .- In 1840, the population of the town- ship was 1,308, rather over the average of the Reserve townships of the new county, because, probably, of her contiguity to, and constituting a part of, the village of Akron. For a like reason she shows a larger proportionate increase than the general run of her neighbors, the census of 1880 giving her 2,305 inhabitants, exclu- sive of that portion lying within the city limits, and after con- tributing another large slice of territory in 1886, the census of 1890 still gives her a population of 2,309.

INDIAN AND PIONEER TRADITIONS .- It would give the writer great pleasure to make individual mention of each of the pioneer residents of Coventry, and their wonderful experience with savage

721

INDIANS AND INDIAN HUNTERS.

beasts and savage men, were reliable data available and did space permit. These matters, however, have already been quite fully treated of by General Bierce and other history-mongers who have preceded me; and besides, the object of this work is more partie- ularly to record certain important events-civil, criminal, military, etc .- during the past fifty or sixty years, though, of course, making occasional allusions to matters and things still more remote.

There is a tendency, too, I fear, among local historians, to exag- gerate; that is to say, the original story of prowess or adventures of the early settler, handed down from generation to generation, is not apt to lose any of its primitive Munchhausenish proportions by frequent repetition, while the chronicler thereof is prone to add such embellishments as his own more or less lively imagination may suggest.

Apropos of this, in the latter part of the 18th century, the region of the country about the lakes and the head-waters of the Tuscarawas, was inhabited by the powerful Delaware tribe of Indians, of which "Captain Pipe," as called by the whites, but whose Indian name was "Hopocan," was chief, or king, who is celebrated in history as the avenger of the slaughtered Moravian Indians at Gnadenhutten, in the early Spring of 1782, by the burning and torturing to death of Colonel William Crawford, on the upper San- dusky, in June of the same year, with which fearful episode the most of the readers of these sketches are probably familiar; Captain Pipe also being an alleged participant in compassing the historical defeat of Governor Arthur St. Clair, on the upper Wabash, in 1791.

Though, on the advent of the early white settlers in Coventry, in 1806-11, a remnant of the Delawares still lingered, Captain Pipe- had long since migrated to the "happy hunting grounds," and it does not appear that there was ever any serious trouble between the Indians and the whites, though possibly some "onpleasant- nesses" might have resulted from a too free use of fire-water on both sides of the color line.

The blood-thirsty character, therefore, attributed to one Liverton Dixon, an early settler in Coventry, some of whose descendants probably still live in the township, may be properly regarded as largely apocryphal. A former historian represents him as "an early Indian hunter and fighter, between whom and the red-skins a deadly hatred existed which often led to the shedding of blood." Several specific instances of Indian killing, in cold blood, by Dixon, are reported, one as late as 1815. This, however, is scarcely probable, as, simultaneous with the breaking out of the War of 1812, the Indians of this vicinity entirely disappeared, as allies of the British troops, few of whom, if any, afterwards returned, none certainly as hostile to the resident and victorious white population. And as all the instances narrated purport to be based on the say-so of the said Liverton Dixon himself, though the writer would by no means undertake to impugn his veracity, justice to his memory, as well as to his descendants, would war- rant the belief that a portion, at least, of the tales attributed to him, were due more to his love of romance than to the actual perpetra- tion of the specific acts of innate savagery they import.

FABRICATORS OF THE "QUEER."-In the late twenties and early thirties, Coventry, like many contiguous towns, was more or less infected with the counterfeiting mania, and besides the well-known

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AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY.

metallic operations of Jo. Keeler, elsewhere alluded to, illegitimate paper was also dealt in to a considerable extent. Thus, in the Spring of 1838, when the raid of the officers of Portage, Medina and Cuyahoga counties was made, one or more of the denizens of Cov- entry, were included in the arrests made, in speaking of which an Akron paper of the time says: "The Western Reserve Real Estate and Farmers' Bank is located near Lock One, south of New Port- age, where a shanty is banking-house, tavern, meeting-house and village." The " deposits " were taken possession of by the officers, but as it transpired that the parties arrested were not the real pro- prietors of the plant, they were not proceeded against. Several young men, in later years, got their fingers seriously scorched by dabbling in the "queer," but happily escaping from the toils of the law, and the evil influences by which they were " roped in," have since lived upright and honorable lives and are now among the most respectable citizens of the township.

THE LEY-SWARTZ-THOMAS TRAGEDY .- On the night of Satur- day, February 9, 1878, there occurred in the township of Coventry, one of those terrific and fatal affrays, so frequently incident to the excessive use of intoxicating liquors, and the holding of social dances at places where such intoxicating liquors are kept for sale; the fatal blow, too, in this instance, as so often happens, falling upon a peaceable citizen, in no way participating in the affray.

Near the Steese Coal Mines, in the middle southern portion of the township, were two or three saloons for the accommodation of thirsty miners and the bibulous farmers and farmers' sons of the neighborhood. One of these saloons was kept by one Peter Shaffer, a clever, good-natured German-American, who thought it no harm to " turn an honest penny" by selling beer, whisky, etc. to his thirsty neighbors. Nor did he deem it at all reprehensible for him to give an occasional "shake down" in the dwelling por- tion of his establishment, with a view to such pecuniary benefits as might accrue from the sale of refreshments to the boys and girls in attendance.

THE ORIGIN OF THE ROW .- There seem to have been at least two classes, or factions, among the boys of the neighborhood, who were not on very friendly terms with each other, the enmity being particularly strong between Charles Ley and Samuel Pierce. On the night in question, the Ley party were having a social dance at Shaffer's, "Pete" himself being quite a skillful manipulator of the fiddle and the bow. Soon after the festivities commenced, Pierce came upon the scene. Getting into a wrangle with Charles Ley, the two went outside to " have it out." There, according to Ley's statement, he found that Pierce was backed up by two or three companions, all of whom he soon placed hors de combat, with a stove-poker, which he had thoughtfully taken along. Having thus "cleaned out" the crowd, Ley returned to the house, and the festivities were resumed.

In a short time the Pierce crowd, now augmented in number to about fifteen, returned and commenced a furious attack upon - the house with bricks, stones, clubs, etc., breaking in the windows, and, as was alleged, firing three or four shots through the door. Thereupon the Ley crowd, consisting of Charles Ley, Joseph Ley, Louis Ley and Wilson Swartz, arming themselves with poker, rolling-pin, and such other weapons as were available, sallied out,

723

UNFORTUNATE HOMICIDE.

when a terrible conflict ensued, bricks, stones, clubs, billies, fence rails, etc., promiscuously filling the air, and inflicting serious wounds and bruises upon the heads, limbs and bodies of those engaged on both sides.

In the meantime, a peaceable, law-abiding miner, by the name of Thomas Thomas, living near by, hastened to the spot to look after his own son, who had left home in company with the Pierce party. Coming within range of a club which Joseph Ley was plying promiscuously to the heads of the assailing party, Mr. Thomas received two fearful blows upon the head, felling him to the ground, and rendering him totally unconscious.

On finding that Mr. Thomas did not rise, hostilities soon ceased, the injured man was removed to his home, and physicians sent for. The trepanning process temporarily restored Mr. Thomas to con- .sciousness, his statement being that just as he was about to enter the door of the house, Joseph Ley struck him on the head with a slung-shot. Mr. Thomas soon again became insensible, in which condition he remained until February 14, when he expired .:

ARRESTED FOR MANSLAUGHTER. - Joseph Ley and Wilson Swartz were arrested on a warrant issued by Justice Henry Purdy, who held them both to bail in the sum of $2,000, each, for the crime of manslaughter, one witness testifying that after Mr. Thomas fell from the blow or blows at the hands of Ley, Swartz had struck him on the head with a piece of fence-rail. The respective fathers of the accused, Mr. George Ley and Mr. John Swartz, going bail for them, they were released from custody to await the action of the grand jury.

At the May term of the Court of Common Pleas, 1878, the grand jury returned a true bill of indictment against both of the accused, charging them with the crime of manslaughter.

To this indictment both entered a plea of not guilty, and, through their counsel, demanded separate trials. Ley was first arraigned for trial before Judge N. D. Tibbals and a traverse jury, constituted as follows: George F. Kent, George Daily, John Harter, W. H. Norton, W. A. Gaylord, A. V. Amerman, John F. Perry, Timothy Erasmus, Harvey Warner, S. D. Miller, John M. Kirn and Talmon Beardsley. The case was conducted, on the part of the State by Prosecuting Attorney E. W. Stuart, assisted by C. P. Humphrey, Esq., and on the part of the defense by H. C. Sanford, J. A. Kohler and George K. Pardee, Esqs. The trial commenced June 13, and ended June 17, resulting in a verdict of guilty, but with a plea from the jury for the sympathy of the court in behalf of the accused.

Immediately on the rendition of the verdict, counsel for the defendant moved for a new trial on the grounds: 1st, that one of the jurors had formed and expressed an opinion previous to the trial; 2nd, that the verdict was not sustained by the evidence; 3rd, by reason of newly discovered evidence; 4th, for errors of law; 5th, verdict contrary to law; 6th, error of court in charging the jury.

This motion, after full argument, pro and con, was overruled by Judge Tibbals, and young Ley was sentenced to three years' imprisonment in the penitentiary.

Defendant's counsel then moved for a suspension of execution of the sentence, pending the application for a writ of error to the Supreme Court, which motion was also overruled by Judge

724

AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY.

Tibbals. A very long bill of exceptions, covering many pages of the record, was then prepared, which was duly signed by Judge Tib- bals, though a hearing of the case was never had in the Supreme Court, by reason of the early pardon of the defendant. Young Ley was conveyed by the writer, then serving as sheriff, to Columbus, on the 30th day of July, 1878, and was pardoned by Governor Bishop on the 6th day of the following November, after a service of three months and one week, only.

TRIAL OF WILSON SWARTZ .- On the 27th day of June, 1878, the trial of Wilson Swartz, under indictment for manslaughter, as above, was begun before the following jury: Washington M. Hef- felman, David C. Gillett, Isaac B. Hargett, Curtis C. Wilcox, John G. Caskey, Josiah Williams, William C. Steele, Ezra Tyron,. George W. Fairbanks, George C. Esty, Joseph M. Atkinson and Jonas Schoonover. Counsel for prosecution and defense same as- in previous trial. The trial lasted three days, the jury returning a verdict of "not guilty of manslaughter, as charged in said indict- ment, but guilty of assault and battery." No exceptions to the verdict being taken by the defendant's counsel, Judge Tibbals immediately sentenced him to 30 days' imprisonment in the county jail, and the costs of the trial, and to stand committed until costs. were paid, which sentence was duly carried into execution.

A SPARTAN MOTHER .- While young Ley was awaiting trans- portation to Columbus, (30 days being allowed the sheriff in which to execute the sentence), a confidence operator by the name of Louis La Rock, who, a year later, was sent to the penitentiary for horse stealing, called on Mrs. George Ley, offering, for $30, to aid Joe to escape from jail. After hearing him through, Mrs. Ley opened the door, saying: "Now, young man, get right out of my house! If my boy escapes from jail he'll have to run away, and I may never see him again; but if he goes to Columbus, when he is- released from the prison, there, he can come home and be my own good boy again as he always has been."

COVENTRY'S PRESENT TOWNSHIP OFFICIAL STATUS (1891) .- Trus- tees, Frank E. Reninger, John Rose and Solomon Warner; clerk, Simon P. Marsh; treasurer, William A. Warner; assessor, Thomas Conlin; justices of the peace, James L. Porter, Houston Kepler ;. constable, Gomer W. Thomas; township school board, sub-district No. 1, George W. Brewster; No. 2, N. R. Steiner; No. 3, James L. Porter; No. 5, Timothy Vaughn; No. 6, Samuel Kepler; No. 7, Charles Jaquith; No. 8, Elias Cormany; No. 9, Houston Kepler; No. 11, William Sours (president); No. 12, Allen Kiplinger; clerk, ex-officio, township clerk, Simon P. Marsh.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

CUYAHOGA FALLS -ORIGINALLY CALLED "MANCHESTER" - MAGNIFICENT WATER POWER-PIONEER SETTLERS-EARLY ENTERPRISES, SUCCESSES AND REVERSES-ALLEGED FRAUDULENT TRANSACTION-ONE YEAR A COUNTY SEAT-PIONEER TEMPERANCE SOCIETY OF OHIO-FIRST WHISKY "STRIKE" ON RECORD-PIONEER CYLINDER PAPER MILL WEST OF THE ALLEGHANIES -QUITE A COINCIDENCE-ORGANIZATION OF TOWN, TOWNSHIP AND VIL- LAGE-EARLY AND MODERN NEWSPAPERS-MUSICAL, SOCIAL AND FRATER- NAL-EARLY AND MODERN HOTELS-THE WOMEN'S CRUSADE OF 1858- "SHINPLASTER" MILL AND OTHER BANKING OPERATIONS-EARLY INSUR- ANCE COMPANY-FINE PLEASURE RESORTS-DESTRUCTIVE FIRES-SPLEN- DID MILITARY RECORD-THE SULTANA DISASTER-BEAUTIFUL SOLDIERS' MONUMENT-HONORABLE CIVIL SERVICE-LIGHT CRIMINAL CALENDAR- EDUCATIONAL AND CHURCH MATTERS-PRESENT BUSINESS STATUS, ETC.

PRELIMINARY.

To give the full early history of Cuyahoga Falls, would largely be anticipating the matters and things contained in the sketches herein to be given of Stow and Tallmadge townships, the larger portion of its territory, and all of its water-power, having been embraced within the original limits of those two townships; that north of the township line, (crossing the river a short distance south of Portage street), belonging to Judge Joshua Stow, of Mid- dletown, Conn., and that south of the line being a part of the 1,000 acre tract drawn by Roger Newberry, of Windsor, Conn.

Though Judge Stow, whose portrait appears in the chapter bearing his name, made several visits to Ohio, he never became a permanent resident here, Judge William Wetmore acting as his agent for the sale of his lands, and the transaction of all business relating thereto. Judge Wetmore afterwards, (about 1824), pur- chased an undivided one-half interest in 120 acres of land covering Judge Stow's portion of the water-power in question, thus becom- ing a partner with Judge Stow in sundry important business enterprises to be hereafter written of.

Roger Newbery died in 1813, his Tallmadge lands thus coming into the possession of his son, Henry, who, in 1814, came out to view them, and was so well pleased with them, and the promise they gave of future value, both in an agricultural and manufactur- ing point of view, that he determined to remove thither for per- manent settlement, though it was nearly 10 years before he finally removed to Ohio, so that the improvement of both sections was about simultaneous, in 1825.

PIONEER MILLS, NAME, ETC .- As early as 1815, under some arrangement with Judge Wetmore, as Judge Stow's agent, a damn was thrown across the river, by Francis Kelsey and Isaac Wilcox, about where the C., A. & C. Railroad bridge now is, at which point a saw-mill was erected for the purpose of supplying the "navy yard" at Old Portage with lumber, Judge Wetmore being com- missary for the troops stationed at Old Portage during the War of 1812-15.

726

AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY.

Other milling operations-grist mill, linseed oil mill, etc .- were also entered into, at this point, and quite a number of dwell- ing houses were erected along the west bank of the river, several of which are still standing, having for many years past been known as the "Old Village.'

This village was at first called "Manchester," probably after the great English manufacturing town of that name, in view of the manufacturing possibilities of the locality. Later, however,. when postal facilities were asked for, in about 1826, it being found that there were several other Manchesters in the State, at the sug- gestion of the postmaster general, the name of Cuyahoga Falls was adopted, the appropriateness of which is apparent, being located at the more important of the numerous falls and rapids of the Cuyahoga river, Mr. Henry Newberry being the first post- master of the village.

· THE NAME OF INDIAN ORIGIN .- The name of the river itself, is. from an Indian word, generally supposed to signify "crooked," because of the remarkably tortuous course of the stream, rising,. as it does, in Ashtabula and Geauga counties, and, after a south- westerly course through Portage and Summit, to within about two miles of Akron, turning abruptly to the north, and with an almost infinite variety of zig-zag turnings and twistings-often almost doubling upon itself, as at Peninsula-emptying into Lake- Erie, at Cleveland.

This meaning of the word, I am assured by Mr. D. E. Shongo, of Salamanca, N. Y., an educated Seneca Indian, and a highly accomplished civil engineer, is erroneous, Mr. Shongo giving the real derivation of the name as follows: "'Cuyahoga' is a Seneca Indian word, giving a geographical locality to the word o-yo-ha, which means a 'jaw,' or 'jaw-bone.' The prefix 'ca' is definitive of position, from 'caia,' meaning (lying or existing, not living) on 'the ground.' 'Ga' is an affix, giving definite geographical locality (not direction). So by prefix and affix we have 'Ca-yo-ha-ga,' the geographical locality of the jaw-bone. In the pronunciation, c is hard like g or k; a is like the English in the word ah; y is like the English e, and yo is pronounced as in the English yeo; ha is as ah; ga is as gate, leaving off the te. The Senecas gave the river and locality in the vicinity of Cleveland, the name of 'Cayohaga,' because, in the long dim past, and before the advent of the white man, a mammoth jaw-bone, etc., was found along the sedimentary deposits and morasses of the river, about five miles easterly of Cleveland, at or near Newburg; from all accounts it must have been the skeleton of the mastodon."

THE PRESENT VILLAGE .- Cuyahoga Falls, proper, was first laid out in 1825, by Judge Elkanah Richardson, wlio had, in 1822, built the house long known as the "Red House" and afterwards as the "Peck House," on the west side of Front street, a little north of the "Big Spring." A new survey, and an official plat, was afterwards made, and duly recorded in the Records of Portage county, by Bird- sey Booth, Esq., a small addition being later made thereto from land lying east of the 210 acre tract of Stow and Wetmore, and north of the Tallmadge line, by Joseph Hale, platted and recorded in 1837 by Russell H. Ashmun, of Tallmadge, afterwards Summit county's first county surveyor, as elsewhere stated.

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PIONEER INDUSTRIES.

In the early Spring of 1825, Stow & Wetmore commenced operations in the new village, the first step being the erection of a log house on the east side of Front street, just north of where Gilbert's livery stable now stands. In April of this year, William Wetmore, Jr., superintended a gang of about 30 men in constructing a dam across the river, north of Portage street, which was con- pleted in the following June, the company erecting at this point a saw-mill, a grist-mill and a linseed oil-mill. The erection of this dam destroyed the power at the old village and the works there were abandoned, the dam and buildings being taken down and removed.

DEATH OF JUDGE WETMORE .- Judge Wetmore died at his resi- dence, on the east margin of Silver Lake, October 27, 1827, his sons, Henry, Ogden, William, Jr., and Edwin, succeeding to his property, and the three former to his business interests, the firm of Stow & Wetmores long continuing prominent in the manufacturing and mercantile operations of the village.

In 1826, the year previous to the death of his father, William Wetmore, Jr., erected the building on the northwest corner of Front and Portage streets, for a dwelling house and store. It was so used until '1828, when the stock of goods was removed to the build- ing now occupied by the Cuyahoga Falls Reporter, on the south- west corner of the streets named. The original building was then converted into a hotel, its first proprietor being Benjamin F. Hop- kins, followed by Ezra B. Morgan, S. A. Childs, Ira Loomis, Henry Cooke, A. W. Hall and perhaps others, under the title of the "Ameri- can House," and by John F. Perry and John B. Perry, as the "Perry House," the present proprietor, Mr. George Marvin, having made important additions and improvements and changed its name to " Clifford Inn."

PIONEER PAPER MILL .- In 1830, Stow & Wetmores, in connec- tion with Mr. John Rumrill, a practical paper-maker, from Spring- field, Mass., and still living at Cuyahoga Falls, over 90 years of age, completed and equipped a large paper mill, near their dam, on the east side of the river, the remains of which are still visible on the bank of the river. This was the pioneer of the many subsequent paper-making ventures made in the new village, and in the matter of making paper by machinery (substantially as at the present time), instead of by the old hand process, is believed to have been the pioneer mill in Ohio. The first sheet of paper was run from the cylinder December 8, 1830, by. Mr. Rumrill, and it is related as quite a coincidence that Mr. Henry Wetmore, the business man- ager of the firm, being at that moment about to start to Franklin Mills to be married, took the first sheet of paper along to exhibit as a trophy of the enterprise of his firm, to his bride and her friends, Mr. Wetmore being that evening married to Eliza Bradford Price, at the house of her uncle, Captain William H. Price, then the only merchant there, and the owner of a large part of the land on which the village of Kent now stands. Mr. and Mrs. Wetmore are still living, and in the enjoyment of a fair degree of physical and mental vigor, the former 90, and the latter 81 years of age.

MR. NEWBERRY'S OPERATIONS .- Lower down the river, Mr. Newberry, during this time, was pushing a variety of manufactur- ing enterprises, upon his property there. Coming to Ohio, in 1824, he lived for about two years on the farm now owned by Hiram

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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