Historical collections of Ohio in two volumes, an encyclopedia of the state, Volume II, Part 3

Author: Howe, Henry, 1816-1893
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Cincinnati : Published by the state of Ohio
Number of Pages: 916

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Soon after the publication of the Mormon bible, one Parley B. Pratt, a resident of Lorrain county, Ohio, happening to pass through Palmyra, on the canal, and hearing of the new religion, called on the prophet, and was soon converted. Pratt was intimate with Sidney Rigdon, a very popular preacher of the denomination called "Reformers," or "Disciples." About the time of the arrival of Pratt at Manchester, the Smiths were fitting out an expedition for the western country. under the command of Cowdery, in order to convert the Indians, or Lamanites, as they termed them. In October, 1830, this mission, consisting of Cowdery. Pratt, Peterson and Whitmer, arrived at Mentor, Ohio, the residence of Rigdon, well supplied with the new bibles. Near this place, in Kirtland, there were a few families belong- ing to Rigdon's congregation, who, having become extremely fanatical, were daily look- ing for some wonderful event to take place in

LAKE COUNTY.

the world : seventeen of these persons readily believed in Mormonism, and were all re- immersed in one night by Cowdery. By the conversion of Rigdon soon after, Mor- monism received a powerful impetus, and more than one hundred converts were speedily added. Rigdon visited Smith at Palmyra, where he tarried about two months, receiving revelations, preaching, etc. He then returned to Kirtland, Ohio, and was followed a few days after by the prophet, Smith, and his connections. Thus, from a state of almost beggary, the family of Smith were furnished with the "fat of the land " by their dis- ciples, many of whom were wealthy.

A Mormon temple was erected at Kirtland, at an expense of about $40,000. In this building there was a sacred apartment, a kind of holy of holies, in which none but the priests were allowed to enter. An unsuccess- ful application was made to the Legislature for the charter of a bank. Upon the refusal they established an unchartered institution, commenced their banking operations, issued their notes, and made extensive loans. The society now rapidly increased in wealth and numbers, of whom many were doubtless drawn thither by mercenary motives. But the bubble at last burst. The bank being an unchartered institution, the debts due were not legally collectable. With the failure of this institution the society rapidly declined,

and Smith was obliged to leave the State to avoid the sheriff. Most of the sect, with their leader, removed to Missouri, where many outrages were perpetrated against them. The Mormons raised an armed force to "drive off the infidels," but were finally obliged to leave the State.

The last stand taken by the Mormons was at Nanvoo, Ill., a beautiful location on the Mississippi river. Here they erected a splendid temple, one hundred and twenty feet in length by eighty in width, around which they built their city, which at one time con- tained about 10,000 inhabitants. Being deter- mined to have their own laws and regulations, the difficulties which attended their sojourn in other places followed them here, and there was constant collision between them and the surrounding inhabitants. By some process of law, Joseph Smith (the prophet) and his brother Hyram were confined in the debtor's apartment in the jail at Carthage, in the vicinity of Nauvoo, and a guard of eight or ten men were stationed at the jail for their protection. While here, it appears a mob of about sixty men, in disguise, broke through the guard, and firing into the prison, killed both Joseph Smith and his brother Hyram, June 27, 1844. Their difficulties still con- tinued, and they determined to remove once more.

In 1840 a work was published at Painesville, by E. D. Howe, called a "History of Mormonism," which gives almost conclusive evidence that the historical part of the book of Mormon was written by one Solomon Spalding. From this work we derive the following facts :

Mr. Spalding was born in Connecticut, in 1761 ; graduated at Dartmouth, and having failed in mercantile business, removed in 1809 to Conneant, in the adjoin- ing county of Ashtabula. About the year 1812 his brother John visited him at that place. He gives the following testimony :

He then told me that he had been writing a book, which he intended to have printed, the avails of which he thought would enable him to pay all his debts. The book was en- titled the "Manuscript Found," of which he read to me many passages. It was an his- torical romance of the first settlers of Amer- ica, endeavoring to show that the American Indians are the descendants of the Jews, or the lost tribes. It gave a detailed account of their journey from Jerusalem, by land and sea, till they arrived in America, under the command of NEPHI and LEHI. They after- wards had quarrels and contentions, and sep- arated into two distinct nations, one of which he denominated Nephites, and the other Lamanites. Cruel and bloody wars ensued, in which great multitudes were slain. They buried their dead in large heaps, which

caused the mounds so common in this coun- try. Their arts, sciences and civilization were brought into view, in order to account for all the curious antiquities found in various parts of North and South America. I have recently read the " Book of Mormon," and to my great surprise, I find nearly the same historical matter, names, etc., as they were in my brother's writings. I well remember that he wrote in the old style, and commenced about every sentence with "and it came to pass," the same as in the "Book of Mor- mon," and according to the best of my recol- lection and belief, it is the same as my brother Solomon wrote, with the exception of the religious matter. By what means it has fallen into the hands of Joseph Smith, Jr., I am unable to determine.

JOHN SPALDING.

Mr. Henry Lake, of Conneant, also states :

I left the State of New York late in the year 181^, and arrived at this place the 1st

of January following. Soon after my arrival I formed a copartnership with Solomon

Drawn by Henry Howe in 1846.

VIEW IN PAINESVILLE.

The Public Buildings on the left face the south end of the Public Square.

Geo. W. Barnard, Photo., Painesville, 1886.

VIEW IN PAINESVILLE.

The Public Square and Soldiers' Monument are shown in the distance.

LAKE COUNTY.

Spalding, for the purpose of rebuilding a forge which he had commenced a year or two before. He very frequently read to me from a manuscript which he was writing, which be entitled the " Manuscript Found," and which he represented as being found in this town. I spent many hours in hearing him read said writings, and became well acquainted with its contents. He wished me to assist him in getting his production printed, alleging that a book of that kind would meet with a rapid sale. I designed doing so, but the forge not meeting our anticipations, we failed in business, when I declined having anything to do with the publication of the book. This book represented the American Indians as the descendants of the lost tribes, gave an account of their leaving Jerusalem, their contentions and wars, which were many and great. One time, when he was reading to me the tragic account of Laban, I pointed out to him what I considered an inconsist- ency, which he promised to correct : but by referring to the "Book of Mormon," I find to my surprise that it stands there just as he

read it to me then. Some months ago I bor- rowed the Golden Bible, put it into my pocket, carried it home, and thought no more of it. About a week after, my wife found the book in my coat pocket, as it hung up, and commenced reading it aloud as I lay upon the bed. She had not read twenty minutes till I was astonished to find the same passages in it that Spalding had read to me more than twenty years before, from his " Manuscript Found." Since that, I have more fully examined the said Golden Bible, and have no hesitation in saying that the his- torical part of it is principally if not wholly taken from the "Manuscript Found." I well recollect telling Mr. Spalding that the so frequent use of the words " And it came to pass," "Now it came to pass," rendered it ridiculous. Spalding left here in 1812, and I furnished him means to carry him to Pittsburg, where he said he would get the book printed, and pay me. But I never heard any more from him or his writings, till I saw them in the "Book of Mormon. HENRY LAKE.

The testimony of six other witnesses is produced in the work of Mr. Howe, all confirming the main facts as above given. As Mr. Spalding was vain of his writings, and was constantly showing them to his neighbors, reliable testimony to the same general facts might have been greatly multiplied.

The disposition Spalding made of his manuscripts is not known. From Con- neaut Spalding removed to Pittsburg, about the year 1813, remained there a year or two, and from thence went to Amity, in the same State, where he died in 1816. His widow stated that, while they resided at Pittsburg, she thinks that the " Man- uscript Found " was once taken to the printing office of Patterson & Lambdin, but did not know whether it was ever returned. We again quote verbatim from the work of Mr. Howe :

Having established the fact, therefore, that most of the names and leading incidents con- tained in the Mormon Bible originated with Solomon Spalding, it is not very material, as we conceive, to show the why and manner by which they fell into the hands of the Smith family. To do this, however, we have made some inquiries.

It was inferred at once that some light might be shed upon the subject, and the mystery revealed, by applying to Patterson & Lambdin, in Pittsburg. But here again death had interposed a barrier. That estab- lishment was dissolved and broken up many years since, and Lambdin died about eight years ago. Mr. Patterson says he has no recollection of any such manuscript being brought there for publication, neither would he have been likely to have seen it, as the business of printing was conducted wholly by Lambdin at that time. He says, however, that many manuscript books and pamphlets were brought to the office about that time, which remained upon their shelves for years, without being printed or even examined. Now, as Spalding's book can nowliere be found, or anything heard of it after being carried to this establishment, there is the strongest presumption that it remained there

in seclusion, till about the year 1823 or '24. at which time Sidney Rigdon located himself in that city. We have been credibly informed that he was on terms of intimacy with Lamb- din, being seen frequently in his shop. Rig- don resided in Pittsburg about three years, and during the whole of that time, as he has since frequently asserted, abandoned preach- ing and all other employment, for the pur- pose of studying the Bible. He left there, and came into the county where he now re- sides, about the time Lambdin died, and commenced preaching some new points of doctrine, which were afterwards found to be inculcated in the Mormon Bible. He resided in this vicinity for about four years previous to the appearance of the book, during which time he made several long visits to Pittsburg, and perhaps to the Susquehanna, where Smith was then digging for money, or pre- tending to be translating plates. It may be observed also, that about the time Rigdon left Pittsburg, the Smith family began to tell about finding a book that would contain a history of the first inhabitants of America, and that two years elapsed before they finally got possession of it.

We are, then, led to this conclusion :- that Lambdin, after having failed in business, had

LAKE COUNTY.

recourse to the old manuscripts then in his possession, in order to raise the wind, by a book speculation, and placed the "Manuscript Found," of Solomon Spalding, in the hands of Rigdon, to be embellished, altered, and added to, as he might think expedient ; and three years' study of the Bible we should deem little time enough to garble it, as it is transferred to the Mormon book. The former dying, left the latter the sole proprietor, who was obliged to resort to his wits, and in a miraculous way to bring it before the world ; for in no other manner could such a book be published without great sacrifice. And where could a more suitable character be found than Jo Smith, whose necromantic fame of arts and of deception had already extended to a considerable distance ? That Lambdin was a person every way qualified and fitted for such an enterprise we have the testimony of his partner in business and others of his ac- quaintance. Add to all these circumstances

the facts, that Rigdon had prepared the minds in a great measure of nearly a hun- dred of those who had attended his ministra- tion, to be in readiness to embrace the first mysterious ism that should be presented-the appearance of Cowdery at his residence as soon as the book was printed-his sudden conversion, after many pretensions to disbe- lieve it-his immediately repairing to the residence of Smith, 300 miles distant, where he was forthwith appointed an elder, high priest, and a scribe to the prophet-the pre- tended vision that his residence in Ohio was the " promised land,"-the immediate re- moval of the whole Smith family thither, where they were soon raised from a state of poverty to comparative affluence. We, there- fore, must hold out Sidney Rigdon to the world, as being the original "author and pro- prietor " of the whole Mormon conspiracy, until further light is elicited upon the lost writings of Solomon Spalding.

When the main body of the Mormons left Kirtland the family of Mr. and Mrs. Stratton held the key of the temple and claimed to have a title to it. A few years since a body calling themselves the "Reorganized Church of Latter Day Saints " returned to Kirtland and laid claim to the old deserted temple. Mr. George A. Robertson, writing of this society, says :

This new body is aggressive, dogmatical, earnest. Its missionaries go forth into all regions and preach the gospel to the lowly. They returned four years ago [1883] and laid claim to the old deserted temple. Mrs. Electa Stratton still held the key. A few dollars expended in renovating made the old building a presentable structure, as good or better than the ordinary country church. The "Reorganized " branch laid claim to the property and have obtained at length a clear title to it. Kirtland, which for fifty years has been stranded away from the beaten routes of travel, is again having a "boom." It is the Mecca of a church. It is the centre of a conference, and here resides one of the principal bishops.

The conference which has just closed its sessions here is the largest ever held by the

denomination. Its deliberations were par- ticipated in by all the prominent men of the church, and near its close Joseph Smith II., the son and heir of the prophet, on whom the prophetic mantle fell, delivered an impor- tant revelation from the spirit.

These anti-polygamous Mormons are grow- ing in the estimation of the public. Barring their alleged fanaticism and their faithful belief in Joseph Smith as a prophet, they do not differ materially from other Christian sects. They very strenuously oppose the use of liquor or tobacco, and are particular about the observance ordinances of the New Testament as they understand them. They are certain to take no mean place, so far as membership goes, in the denominations of the world.

Painesville in 1846 .- Painesville, the county-seat, and the largest village between Cleveland and Erie, Pa., is thirty-one miles east of Cleveland, and one hundred and seventy miles northeast of Columbus. The Grand river skirts the village on the east, in a deep and picturesque valley. Painesville is one of the most beautiful villages in the West : it is somewhat scattered, leaving ample room for the cultivation of gardens, ornamental trees and shrubbery. A handsome public square of several acres, adorned with young trees, is laid out near the centre of the town, on which face some public buildings and private mansions. The view represents the principal public buildings in the place. The first on the left is the Methodist church ; the building next, without a spire, tower or cupola, is the Disciples church ; the one beyond, the Presbyterian church, and that most distant, the court-house : these last two front the west side of the public square. Painesville is a flourishing town, containing 1 Episcopal, 1 Presbyterian, 1 Dis- civles and 1 Methodist church, 14 mercantile stores, 1 flouring mill, 1 bank, 1 newspaper printing office, and has increased since 1840, when it had 1,014

LAKE COUNTY.

inhabitants. The Painesville Academy is a classical institution for both sexes, and in fine repute : a large brick building is appropriated for its uses. Near the town is the Geauga furnace, which employs a heavy capital.

Painesville was laid out about the year 1805, by Henry Champion, and origin- ally named Champion : it was afterwards changed to that of the township which derived its name from Gen. Ed. Paine, a native of Connecticut, an officer of the Revolution, and an early settler : he died only a few years since, at an advanced age, leaving the reputation of a warm hearted and excellent man.

Among the aborigines familiarly known to the early settlers at Painesville, was a fine specimen of manhood, called by the whites, Seneca ; by the Indians, 'Stigwanish, which being rendered in English, signifies the Standing Stone. Says an old pioneer, in the Barr MSS :

Whoever once saw him, and could not at once perceive the dignity of a Roman senator, the honesty of Aristides and the philan- thropy of William Penn, must be un- acquainted with physiognomy. He was never known to ask a donation, but would accept one exactly as he ought, when offered. But it was not suffered to rest there ; an appro- priate return was sure to be made, and he would frequently be in advance. He drank cider or Malaga wine moderately, but was so much of a teetotaller, as to have abjured ardent spirits since the time when, in a drunken frenzy, he aimed a blow with his tomahawk at his wife, which split the head of the papoose on her back. He seldom wanted credit in his trading transactions, and when he did, there was no difficulty in obtain- ing it, as he was sure to make punctual pay- ment in specie. Once, when himself and

wife dined with us at Painesville, he took much trouble to instruct her in the use of the knife and fork. Vain attempt ! his usual politeness forsook him, and bursts of im- moderate laughter succeeded, in which we were all compelled to join. The last time I saw Seneca-the fine old fellow-was at Judge Walworth's, in Cleveland, a short time before hostilities commenced with Great Britain. He expressed to me a fear that war was inevitable, and that the Indians, instigated by the British, would overwhelm our weak settlements ; but gave the strongest assur- ances that if it should be possible, he would give us seasonable notice. If he was not prevented by age or infirmities from redeem- ing his pledge, he was probably killed by his own people while endeavoring to leave their lines, or by some of ours, through a mistake of his character.

The Hon. Samuel Huntington, who was Governor of. the State from 1808 to 1810, resided at Painesville in the latter part of his life, and died there in 1817. Prior to his removal to Painesville, he resided at Cleveland. One evening, while travelling towards Cleveland from the east, he was attacked about two miles from the town, by a pack of wolves, and such was their ferocity that he broke his umbrella to pieces in keeping them off, to which, and the fleetness of his horse, he owed the preservation of his life .- Old Edition.

PAINESVILLE, county-seat of Lake, is 150 miles northeast of Columbus, twenty-nine miles northeast of Cleveland, on the L. S. & M. S., N. Y. C. & St. L. and P. P. & F. Railroads. Fairport Harbor is about two miles north of the city.

County Officers : Auditor, Walter C. Tisdel ; Clerk, John C. Ward; Commis- sioners, Charles A. Moodey, Stephen B. Baker, Henry C. Rand ; Coroner, Henry M. Mosher ; Infirmary Directors, Benjamin H. Woodman, John W. Crocker, Charles M. Thompson ; Probate Judge, George H. Shepherd ; Prosecuting Attor- 'ney, Homer Harper ; Recorder, Henry B. Green ; Sheriff, Albert Button; Sur- veyor, Horatio N. Munson ; Treasurers, Harcy Armstrong, William D. Mather. -State Report, 1888.

City Officers : S. K. Gray, Mayor ; H. P. Sanford, Clerk ; A. D. Crofut, Mar- shal ; S. L. Thompson, Treasurer ; S. T. Woodman, Chief of Fire Department ; Horace Alvord, Solicitor. Newspapers : Advertiser, Republican, Robert N. Travers, editor and publisher ; Democrat, Democratic, D. G. Morrison, editor ; Northern Ohio Journal, Democratic, James E. Chambers, editor ; Telegraph, Re- publican, J. F. Scofield, editor. Churches : 1 Catholic, 1 Episcopal, 1 Baptist, 1 Disciples, 1 Methodist. Banks : Lake County, Aaron Wilcox & Co .; Painesville

LAKE COUNTY.

National, I. P. Axtell, president, C. D. Adams, cashier ; Painesville Saving and Loan Association, H. Steele, president, R. K. Paige, cashier.

Manufactures and Employees .- Coe & Wilkes, machine work, 21 hands ; The Paige Manufacturing Co., machine work, 48 ; Solon Hall, iron castings ; R. Laroe, saslı, doors, etc. ; Painesville Manufacturing Co., window shade rollers, 26 ; Moody & Co., flour, etc .; S. Bigler & Co., flour, etc .; Swezey & Johnson, butchers' skewers, 43; Geauga Stove Co., stoves .- State Report, 1888.

Population in 1880, 3,841. School census, 1888, 1,121. G. W. Ready, school superintendent. Capital invested in industrial establishments, $232,000. Valne of annual product, $340,500 .- Ohio Labor Statistics, 1888.

Census, 1890, 4,612.

An interesting fact in connection with Painesville is that here is Located the " LAKE ERIE FEMALE SEMINARY," an institution of high repnte. Its site is on the border of the town, in the midst of its finest residences. The seminary build- ings are large and imposing, and placed on an attractive lawn of noble trees.

Fairport in 1846 .- Three miles below Painesville, at the mouth of Grand river, is Fairport, laid out in 1812, by Samuel Huntington, Abraham Skinner, Seymour and Calvin Austin, and Simon Perkins. The first warehouse in this region, and perhaps on the lake, was built about 1803, on the river, two miles above, by Abraham Skinner, near which, in the dwelling of Mr. Skinner, the first conrt in the old connty of Geanga was held. Fairport has one of the best harbors on the lake, and so well defended from winds and easy of access that vessels run in when they cannot easily make other ports. The water is deep enough for any lake craft, and about $60,000 has been expended in improving the harbor by the general government. Lake steamers stop here and considerable commerce is carried on. Fairport contains eight forwarding houses, several groceries, from twenty to forty dwellings and a light-house, and a beacon to guide the mariner on the fresh water sea.

Richmond, one mile above Fairport, on the opposite and west side of the river, was laid out about ten years ago in the era of speculation. A large village was built, a steamboat was owned there, and great things promised. Not having the natural elements of prosperity it soon waned ; some of its dwellings were removed to Painesville, while many others, deserted and decaying, are left to mark the spot. -Old Edition.

In 1835 the Painesville and Fairport Railroad Company was chartered, and in 1837 was running horse cars over hard wood rail. In 1836 the Fairport and Wellsville Railroad Company was chartered, and in fifteen days $274,800 stock subscriptions were made. Other railroads were projected and Fairport's prospects were booming, when the panic of 1836-37 came on and the boom bnrst. At one time Fairport, with contiguous towns and territory, was considered a rival of Cleveland, but the latter secured the terminus of the Ohio canal, early railroad connections, and Fairport ceased to be a rival at a very early day.

The wonderful development, however, of the lake commerce within the past few years has again attracted attention to the natural advantages of Fairport as a shipping point to and from the great Northwest. In view of this a communica - tion from Mr. George E. Paine, setting forth the present condition of affairs, with a prediction for the future, will be of interest :

"Before December, 1889, over 8,000 feet of new docks will be completed at Fairport and Richmond, equal to the best on the lakes, and equipped with the very best machinery for handling ore and coal ; and elevators for handling Duluth wheat, with warehouses for the rapidly growing Northwestern trade, will soon be built, to be used by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, the distance by rail from

Fairport via Pittsburg to Baltimore being less than the distance by rail from Buffalo to New York.

"Grand river, with its old river bed ex- tending westward five miles, affords in all sixteen 'miles of water front, with flats and bayous, into which slips can be cut to any desired extent. making hundreds of acres of land accessible alike to vessels and cars, avail-

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Historical collections of Ohio in two volumes, an encyclopedia of the state, Volume II, Part 3

Author: Howe, Henry, 1816-1893 Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Cincinnati : Published by the state of Ohio Number of Pages: 916

Author: Howe, Henry, 1816-1893
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Cincinnati : Published by the state of Ohio
Number of Pages: 916