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 91

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 91

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The next Winter-1836-37-the act was amended, fixing the time of holding the election "on the first or any succeeding Tues- day of April next," the elective officers being mayor, recorder, and five trustees; the treasurer, marshal and other necessary subordi- nate officers to be appointed by the town council, when duly organized.

The first election, therefore, was held on Tuesday, April 4, 1837, with the following result: Mayor, Henry Newberry; recorder, Grant B. Turner; trustees, O. B. Beebe, Asa G. Bill, Elisha N. Sill, Henry Wetmore and E. B. Dennison; the council, when organized, appointing Ogden Wetmore, treasurer, and Sherman Peck, marshal. The town, under this charter, continued for a period of about 15 years, its successive mayors, during that time, after Mr. Newberry, being Charles W. Wetmore, Hosea Paul, Charles W. Wetmore, Birdsey Booth, Hosea Paul, Oliver B. Beebe and Charles W. Wetmore.

TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION .- Excepting in strictly municipal matters, the people of Cuyahoga Falls were still under the juris- diction of their respective original townships, having to go to either Stow Corners or the center of Tallmadge to vote for national, state, county and township officers. To obviate this necessity, on petition, the county commissioners, on the 5th day of March, 1851, pursuant to authority, granted them by statute, created the town- ship of Cuyahoga Falls, appropriating, for that purpose, from the corners of the four original townships of Tallmadge, Stow, North- ampton and Portage, territory described by metes and bounds,

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AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY.

covering an area of about two and a quarter miles, north and south, by one and three-quarter miles east and west.

The first election in the new township was held April 7, 1851, with the following result: Trustees, Horace A. Miller, Henry Newberry, Jr., and Porter G. Somers; clerk, Grant B. Turner; treasurer, Lucius Bradley; assessor, William H. Taylor; constables, William W. Lucas and William J. Wilson; supervisor, Seymour Deming.

H ENRY WETMORE, - son of Judge William Wetmore, one of the earliest pioneer settlers in Stow town- ship, was born in Hartford, Connect- icut, February 10, 1801, coming with parents to Ohio in 1804; with such limited education as the pioneer schools afforded, young Wetmore aided his father on the farm and in the mercantile and manufacturing operations at Cuyahoga Falls, de- tailed elsewhere, later becoming a member of the well-remembered firm of Stow & Wetmores, and erecting the first mill in the West to manufacture paper by cylinder machinery similar to the process now in vogue. Decem- ber 8, 1830, Mr. Wetmore was married, at Franklin Mills (now Kent), to Miss Eliza Bradford Price, niece of Cap- tain William H. Price, then the only merchant in that now enterprising village. Mr. and Mrs. Wetmore, both still living, the former 90 and the lat- ter 80 years of age, have had two children-Henry W., born November 16, 1834, died March 14, 1879, and George Prentiss, born September 19, 1836, died August 23, 1869, the latter having three sons, all now deceased. Though never seeking or accepting

HENRY WETMORE.

public office, Mr. Wetmore has ever sought to advance the best interests of his village and county, and botlı he and his faithful companion are very highly esteemed by all who know thenl.

CORPORATION ABANDONED .- A year or two later, it coming to be thought that a double set of officers for the government of sub- stantially the same people was unnecessary, and that the town- ship organization would answer for all, at a meeting of the coun- cil, held on the evening of April 30, 1853, it was voted "to commit the interests of Cuyahoga Falls to the trustees of Cuyahoga Falls township" after which the council adjourned without date.

MUNICIPAL FUNCTIONS RESUMED .- The single township govern- ment, though for a time harmonious, did not in the end prove entirely satisfactory, the urban portion of the inhabitants having tastes and needs that the rural portion of the population could not appreciate, and, on the petition of 215 voters of the township, the county commissioners, on the 3d day of June, 1868, duly authorized the organization of said township, under the name of the "Incor- porated Village of Cuyahoga Falls," thus making the village and the township co-extensive, but separate and distinct organizations. The first election, of the village, was held on September 1, 1868, with the following result: Mayor, William A. Hanford; recorder, Porter G. Somers; treasurer, Henry C. Lockwood, trustees, T. F. Heath, Charles Hunt, L. W. Loomis, W. M. Griswold and John

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ONE YEAR A COUNTY SEAT.

Hinde; its successive mayors to the present time (February 1891; have been: W. A. Hanford, October 19, 1865, to April 5, 1869) Richard Blood, April 5, 1869, to April 4, 1870; C. P. Humphrey, April 4, 1870, to April 15, 1872; Joshua L'Hommedieu, 1872, 1873; H. B. Camp, 1874, 1875; George Rice, 1876, 1877; W. A. Hanford, 1878, 1881; J. C. Castle, 1882, 1883; A. B. Curtis, April 7, 1884, to May 28, 1884; Samuel Higgs, May 28, 1884, to April 6, 1885; C. D. Crum, April 6, 1885, to August 31, 1885; Thomas F. Walsh, August 31, 1885, to April 6, 1886; John I Jones, April 6, 1886, till his resignation in October, 1889, Mr. Samuel Higgs being appointed to fill the vacancy, who, in the Spring of 1890, was elected for two years, and is still serving. Other officers: M. J. Betts, Dr. J. D. Dodge, M. H. Howe, George Marvin. C. P. Richardson and William Weaver, councilmen; D. F. Felmly, clerk; Orlando Wilcox, solicitor; Ira B. Goldwood, marshal; J. D. Dodge, health officer.

A WELL-REMEMBERED INSTITUTION .- One of the early and most widely known institutions of Cuyahoga Falls, was the "Portage Mutual Fire Insurance Company." It was at first organized at Ravenna, in 1832, under a charter which had been granted by the Legislature of Ohio, in 1831. The officers then elected were, Wil- liam Coolman, Jr., Cyrus Prentiss, Frederick Wadsworth, Edwin Wetmore, Elias Smith, Charles Clapp, and George Y. Wallace, as directors, and Samuel D. Harris, as secretary.

Under this organization no business was transacted, and a year later, August 1833, a reorganization was had, with Henry Newberry, Henry Wetmore, William Coolman. Jr., Edwin Wet- more and George Y. Wallace as directors, Henry Newberry as president, and Elisha N. Sill as secretary. Under this organiza- tion the office of the company was located at Cuyahoga Falls. The organization, as above given, was continued during the 25 years of the existence of the company, except, that, on the resignation of Mr. Newberry, as president, in 1839, Colonel Justus Gale, of Akron, was appointed in his place, and on the death of Colonel Gale, in 1847, the late Frederick Wadsworth was elected to fill the vacancy.

Many millions of dollars of property were insured, and hun- dreds of thousands of dollars of losses were paid by this company. The mode of procedure was about this: Instead of a given per cent. in cash on the amount insured, being paid to the company, so-called premium notes were given by the insured, for an esti- mated sum sufficient to cover that particular policy's proportionate amount of probable losses, during the lifetime thereof, assessment bills on said notes being from time to time sent to agents for col- lection from policy holders, to cover such losses as may have accrued.

This arrangement worked smoothly enough for several years, but makers of premium notes occasionally becoming insolvent, and others, feeling that assessment bills were being presented oftener and for larger sums than had been anticipated, refusing to pay (resulting in a large amount of litigation), losses could not be promptly met, legal embarrassments followed, by which, in 1858, the company was compelled to suspend operations, and go into liquidation.

ONE YEAR A COUNTY SEAT .- When the project of a new county was first mooted by the people of Akron and Middlebury, in 1833, the people of Cuyahoga Falls opposed the movement,

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AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY.

rather favoring the retention of the regular county seat at Ravenna, with a half-shire arrangement at Cuyahoga Falls, or in the failure of that project, of the removal of the county seat from Ravenna to Franklin Mills (Kent), as the people of the latter place were endeavoring to have done. When, however, the new county of Summit was finally erected, in 1840, Cuyahoga Falls put in her claim to county seat honors, not only because of her superb manu- facturing resources, and her more central location, but because of her superior healthfulness, her better topographical features for the building up of a large manufacturing and commercial city, while the opening of the Pennsylvania and Ohio canal, then near- ing completion, would give her transportation facilities fully equal to those of Akron, and vastly superior to those of "Summit City" (Chuckery), also a vigorous competitor for the capitalistic prize.

The locating commissioners named by the Legislature, on viewing the several locations, listening to propositions and argu- ments in favor of each of the points named, decided in favor of Akron, and buildings were commenced in the Autumn of that year (1840). During the ensuing year, however, Hon. E. N. Sill, State Senator for the Summit-Portage district, secured the passage of an act reopening the question, and appointment of a committee of review, which committee, in the Summer of 1841, after partially sticking the stakes on the "Chuckery," finally located the build- ings in Cuyahoga Falls, on the very handsome site now occupied by the Congregational church, on the south side of Broad street, between Front and Second. Legal hindrances intervening no steps were taken towards the erection of public buildings on the site named, other than the donation of the land and the raising, by subscription, of the requisite construction fund; the succeeding Legislature again reopening the question, and providing for a special election, at which the voters of the county should deter- mine by ballot, where their county seat should be. The result, as will be seen by a perusal of the chapter on that subject, was a plu- rality of 1594, in favor of Akron, over Cuyahoga Falls, and a major- ity over all of 1469, in a total vote of 4,487.

EDUCATIONAL MATTERS.

Mostly of Connecticut origin and antecedents, the people of Cuyahoga Falls have ever given especial attention to the cause of education. In addition to common district schools, as the popula- tion increased select schools were from time to time established, with varying success. The first of these, probably, was by Mr. J. H. Reynolds, who announces in the Ohio Review, of September 27, 1834, that he will open a select school on the 29th inst. (place not named), "tuition fee $2.00 to $2.50, according to branches taught," Mr. Reynolds being recommended by Henry Newberry, Elisha N. Sill, Henry Wetmore, Richard Fry and Ogden Wetmore. In the Spring of 1836, Miss Sarah Carpenter (a sister of the late Judge James S. Carpenter), established a seminary for girls, in the school room attached to St. John's Church, which met witn a fair degree of success, being succeeded, in 1840, by Miss Frances C. Barron, and she, in turn, by Miss Eliza Deaver, the exact date of the discontinuance of the school not being now ascertainable. Miss Carpenter is still living (October, 1891) in Akron, now in the 97th year of her age.

739

EDUCATIONAL MATTERS.

CUYAHOGA FALLS INSTITUTE .- In the Fall of 1837, Rev. Roswell Brooks, A. M., and Charles Clark, Esq., established the "Cuyahoga Falls Institute," which was afterwards duly chartered by legisla- tive enactment. This school was conducted in the Lyceum build- ing, on the present site of the Congregational church, with Mr. Brooks as principal, Mr. Clark teaching music and mathematics, and Elethea S. Brooks superintendent of female department. In the Summer of 1840, Mr. Brooks alone conducted the school, but on his removal to Western New York, in the Fall of that year, Mr. Clark resumed control, with a primary department, in charge of an assistant, continuing until about 1848, when, by reason of impaired health, the school was given up by Mr. Clark. Mr. Clark is still living and has been for many years the very effi- cient clerk of the Board of Education of the village.

G RANT B. TURNER, ESQ.,-born in Blooming Grove, New York, October 17, 1810, moving with parents to Trumbull county, Ohio, in 1818, coming to Cuyahoga Falls in 1828; common school education ; learned printer's trade in office of Western Intelligencer, Hudson; was four years deputy sheriff for Portage county ; studied law, practicing that profession for several years, a portion of the time as a partner of Judge James S. Carpenter and Samuel W. McClure; in 1856, in company with several other gentlemen, founded the Variety Iron Works, under the firm name of Turner, Parks & Co., after- wards changed to Turner, Vauglin & Co., incorporated January 11, 1889, as The Turner, Vaughn & Taylor Com- pany, which has more than a national reputation for the excellence of its manufactures. April 30, 1835, Mr. Turner was married to Miss Ada Morley, of Canandaigua, New York, who bore him three children-Au- gusta, married to Mr. James M. Edson, .an early merchant in Akron, and now Mrs. H. C. Lockwood, of Cleveland ; Harriet, now Mrs. Charles S. Hanford, of Cleveland, and Alice, wife of Mr. Clayton Whittlesy, but now deceased. An invalid, from partial paralysis,

GRANT B. TURNER, ESQ.

though for most of the time able to be about, and in full possession of his mental faculties, Mr. Turner was not active in the business affairs of his firm for several years previous to his death, February ,21, 1891, at the age of 80 years, 4 months and 4 days, Mrs. Turner dying May 18, 1891.

CUYAHOGA FALLS HIGH SCHOOL .- After the organization of Cuyahoga Falls township, as above described, school district num- ber one, and that part of district number eight lying within the limits of the new township, were organized, on the 24th day of April, 1854, as the "Cuyahoga Falls School District," of which Rev. Levi L. Holden was appointed acting manager.

May 15, 1855, the Board of Education employed Mr. H. K. Taylor as principal and Mrs. Taylor as assistant, at a joint salary of $700 for forty weeks. In 1857, there was a total pupilage of 482, with seven teachers-one male and six females. The High School at this time was in a building north of St. John's Church, originally built for a house of worship by the Wesleyan Methodists,

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AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY.

and which, since the removal of the High School to its present location, has been occupied by one of the primary schools of the village.

Mr. Taylor was succeeded, as principal, by Mr. L. H. Delano, in 1861, followed by Professor William I. Chamberlain (late president of the Iowa Agricultural College), in 1863; Mr. George Mclaughlin, in 1865; Mr. W. C. Rogers, in 1866; B. B. Tremlin, September, 1866; Virgil P. Kline, Esq., July, 1867; Edward R. Sill, September, 1869; Miss Almeda A. Booth, July, 1871; Mr. George L. McMillen, 1874; and by Professor Augustus N. Bernard, as superintendent and master of the Union schools, in 1875. Mr. Bernard's incumbency con- tinued until September, 1883, his successor being W. H. Rowlen, for the term of two years, followed, in 1885, by Professor Frederick Schnee, the present incumbent. Present enumeration (1891), 742; present pupilage: Primaries, 370; Grammar School, 175; High School, 65; total, 610. Besides the superintendent twelve regular teachers, and one writing and one music teacher are employed.

The present fine three-story brick High School building was commenced in 1866 and completed in 1871, at a cost, including heat- ing apparatus, seating, etc., of $39,020.02; the stone and brick work being done by Mr. George Allison, of Tallmadge, and the carpen- ter work, plastering, painting, etc., by George Thomas & Son, of Akron. The fine site, of two acres of land, on a sightly elevation, overlooking the village on the east, was donated by the late James- H. Cooke.

The Board of Education maintains its own Board of Examin- ers of teachers, seeking only to secure the very best, the branches taught in the several departments being reading, spelling, writing, arithmetic, geography, grammar, oral lessons, vocal music, draw- ing, United States history, physical geography, natural philoso- phy, algebra, Latin, German, etc., and the schools of Cuyahoga Falls are now, as they ever have been under the present system,. in a high state of proficiency and prosperity.

CHURCH AND RELIGIOUS STATUS.

ST. JOHN'S EPISCOPAL CHURCH .- A pretty full history of the origin and history of St. John's Church, will be found in the chap- ter on Stow, the Episcopal Church and society organized there, in 1830, under that title, being permanently located at Cuyahoga Falls, in 1832: The present church edifice, on the southeast corner of the public square, fronting on Second street, was erected in 1835, and consecrated as a house of worship, by Bishop McIlvaine, July 16, 1836. The first rector of the society, after its location at the Falls, was Rev. William H. Newman, of Bristol, R. I., from November 10, 1835, to January 18, 1837. Rev. Newman was suc- ceeded by Rev. Zachariah Mead, of Virginia, who, not finding northern people and customs congenial, relinquished his charge, after serving the parish about one month, and returned to Old Virginia. Next came Rev. Mr. Cushman, whose term of service was also very brief, followed by Rev. Albert T. Bledsoe, who, after a pastorate of about four months, resigned both the rectorship and the ministry, to accept a professorship in the University of Virginia.

Successive rectors since have been: Rev. Thomas B. Fair- child, 1840 to 1844; Rev. Alvah Guion, about one year; Rev. David

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CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS.

J. Burger, who died suddenly after a few months' service only; Rev. Levi L. Holden, 1847 to 1867, two full decades; Rev. George Bosley, 1867 to 1871; Rev. T. B. Fairchild, 1871, until his death, March 8, 1879; Rev. George W. Williams, 1879 to 1884; Rev. J. W. Cracraft, 1884 to 1891. The present membership (October 1891) of St. John's Church is 175, the original church structure having been recently remodeled and very greatly improved.

CONGREGATIONALISM .- The Congregational Church, of Cuya- hoga Falls, was organized February 14, 1834, by Revs. B. C. Bald- win, of Middlebury, and J. C. Parmelee, of Tallmadge, with a membership of five men and five women, Mr. Baldwin supplying the pulpit until January 1, 1835, followed by Professor J. Long of West- ern Reserve College until October, 1835; Professor Gregg until May, 1836; various ministers until November 23, 1836; Rev. Joel Bying- ton until May, 1838; Rev. William C. Clark being installed as the first regular pastor of the church, October 24, 1838, his pastorate continuing until April 5, 1847, nearly eight years and a half, when he was dismissed at his own request on account of failing health. After Mr. Clark's retirement the pulpit was chiefly supplied by Rev. William C. Foster until October 12, 1847, at which date he was installed as pastor, serving in that capacity until May 24, 1849, when he, too, was dismissed at his own request. From May 24, 1849, Rev. S. P. Leeds officiated as stated supply until June 23, 1855, his dismissal also being at his own request. The pulpit was then supplied by Professors H. B. Hosford and Henry N. Day, of Western Reserve College, and Rev. J. L. Tomlinson, until May 2, 1858, when Rev. Titus S. Clark, D. D., was ordained as pastor, his pastorate continuing until June 1, 1862. Various supplies, chiefly members of faculty of Western Reserve College, were followed by Rev. D. M. Rankin, as stated supply from April 11, 1865, to April, 1866, about one year. After about six months' varied supply, Rev. Edgar V. H. Danner assumed the pastorate on the 26th day of October, 1866, though not formally installed until January 3, 1867, his incumbency -- eminently satisfactory to both pastor and people -covering a period of nearly 23 years and considerably more than one-third of the entire lifetime of the society, Mr. Danner dying suddenly, March 25, 1889, from the effects of exposure at the inau- guration of President Harrison. The pulpit has since been filled by Rev. Charles E. Hitchcock. The present membership of the church is 193.

The meetings of the Congregational Society were held for about one year in the school house and afterwards in the Lyceum building, near the site of the present brick edifice, on the south side of Broad street, between Front and Second, which was finished and dedicated in the Spring of 1847, but which was greatly enlarged and improved in 1870, at a cost of over $6,000.

METHODIST EPISCOPALS .- The Methodist Episcopal Society of Cuyahoga Falls was originally the Stow appointment of the Twinsburg Circuit, in May, 1830, the meetings being held in a store building at the "Old Village," the presiding elder being Rev. W. B. Mark, with alternate circuit preaching by Revs. Thomas Carr and John E. Akin. The present church edifice on the public square, fronting on Portage street, was commenced in 1836, but was not fully completed until 1840, the meetings, Sunday school, etc., being meantime held in the basement. The house,

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AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY.

as originally built, was dedicated December 31, 1840, but enlargeď and internally remodeled in 1864. Like the other houses named, it is supplied with a first-class organ, the cost of which was $1,600, and in its handsome tower is the only town clock in the village, the funds for the purchase of which were contributed by the citi- zens of the village generally. We cannot name the scores of ministers who have officiated in this church during the more than half a century of its existence, many of whom were very able men, several serving to the full limit (three years) allowed by the rules of the denomination. Pastor from 1888 to 1891, Rev. M. W. Dallas, D. D .; present pastor (October, 1891), J. W. Robbins, the present membership being 267.

The Wesleyan Methodists, an off-shoot from the above society, at an early date not now remembered, perfected an independent organization, and built for themselves a small church edifice, on the public square fronting on Second street, north of St. John's- Church, but not meeting with the encouragement anticipated, the house was sold to the Board of Education for a High school, and was so used until the completion of the present High school structure, in 1872, and is now occupied by one of the primary schools of the village.

THE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST .- The Church of Christ, of Cuyahoga Falls, the offspring of the very flourishing organization of that denomination in Stow, was organized, as an independent church, March 27, 1881, the way for the movement having been prepared by a series of meetings, under the auspices of the Ohio Christian Missionary Society, held by Elder T. D. Garvin, of Columbus, in January, 1879, and in December, 1879, and January, 1880, in Apollo- Hall, and by a protracted meeting held by Elder C. C. Smith, of Akron, December, 1880.

These special efforts, supplemented by the diligent and effi- cient labors of Elder Leonard Southmayd, resulted in large addi- tions to the present church in Stow. Many of these new accessions, as well as quite a number of the former members, being residents. of Cuyahoga Falls, at their request, State Evangelist Elder R. Moffat convened a conference, to consider the propriety and practicability of organizing a church in Cuyahoga Falls. The conference reporting in favor thereof, and the church in Stow formally assenting thereto, 57 members of the old were transfered to the new organization which was effected by Elder Moffat, on the date above given. The first officers in the new society were: A. S. Wheeler, William Southmayd, elders; O. M. Hart, John I. Jones and T. J. Ream, deacons; W. M. Griswold, treasurer, and Charles Fillius, clerk. The society, after worshiping for some time in a public hall, built for itself a snug little church upon the north- east corner of the public square, fronting on Second street. The present pastor is Frank Mantel, and the present membership (October, 1891) is 65.

CATHOLICISM .- The Catholics, also, have something of a fol- lowing in and about Cuyahoga Falls, St. Joseph's Church having been organized there about 1885, their handsome little brick church edifice being located on the southeast corner of Second and Pool streets. Present pastor, in connection with the Hudson and Peil- insula societies, Rev. F. B. Dougherty; present membership (1891), about twenty-five families, or one hundred souls.

743

A STIRRING TEMPERANCE EPISODE.

TOSEPH T. HOLLOWAY, - com- monly called "Father Holloway," was born in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, August 1, 1796 ; when quite a young man spent some time in the then truly " Wild West," mostly among the Indians of Western Missouri ; return- ing to the home of his mother (his father having been dead several years), October 20, 1821, he was mar- ried at Newbury, Pa., to Miss Susan Hawk, with whom, packing their treasures in a one-horse wagon, he again started Westward, settling in Uniontown, Stark county, working at his trade of cabinet maker, in the Fall of 1831, moving to Cuyahoga Falls ; here, in addition to successfully carrying on his trade for several years, he became a faithful local Methodist preacher, doing a large amount of missionary labor in the rural districts, and especially in the valley of the Cuyahoga, probably officiating at more meetings, more weddings and more funerals than any other one minister in Summit county. "Father Holloway" also served as justice of the peace for many years, and two full terms-1848 to 1850 and 1861 to 1863 - as county coroner. Mr. and Mrs. Holloway were the parents of eiglit children-Jo- sephus F., now a successful mechani- cal engineer and business man in . New York City ; Harriet, died in in- fancy ; Mary E., married to Rev. Dil- lon Prosser, died in June, 1855; John Wesley, well-known railroad master

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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