USA > Ohio > Ashtabula County > History of Ashtabula County, Ohio > Part 74
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SCARCITY OF PROVISIONS.
One of the great difficulties of this early settlement was the searcity of pro- visions, as nearly all that the families had to eat was transported from a distance. During the season a small amount of grain was received from western Penusyl- vania, and having been ground at a mill in the vicinity, was transported along the lake-shore and landed at Ashtabula creek, and so transported to the settlements. To Judge Austin belongs the honor of harvesting the first crop of grain in the county, and of seeuring the first flour from the native-grown wheat. During this season a large double house had been erected on land near and east of the academy buildings, and near the very spot where now stands the residence called the old Judge Austin house.
THE FIRST HARVEST.
A log barn was also erected during the same year. Into this Judge Austin gathered, in July of the year 1800, the harvest of wheat which he had reaped from the land which he had sown the previous year. It was a erop which his own hand had helped to sow, ou land which he himself cleared, and which his own siekle had served to gather. The harvest was, however, no sooner gathered before the sound of the flail could be heard beating out the grain upon a pun- cheon floor in the open air, and this was taken to the landing, and then along the lake-shore to the mouth of the Cuyahoga, and again transported to Newburgh, where was the only mill of the whole region.
ARRIVAL OF FAMILIES.
During the fall, after the labors of the season were over, and suitable prepara- tions had been made for their eomfort, a number of these hardy pioneers returned for their families. Among those who had thus come alone and were now returning were Judge Austin, Deaeon Joseph Case, his son Joseph Mills Case, Roger Net-
tleton, who afterwards settled in Kingsville, Noah Cowles, and Joseph B. Cowles. The scason had been a laborious, but nevertheless a happy and hopeful one. The forests had been cleared, crops had been sown, houses built, and fruit-trees set out, and now their first harvest of wheat, potatoes, and grain had been gathered. Early in the year 1801 a number of families arrived from the east, many of them the faunilies of the men who had come the year before, and had returned for them. Some had come by the water-route, and had brought with them household furni- ture ; others had traveled the distance by land, bringing with them horses and wagons, domestic cattle, provisions, and implements, so by this means the settle- ment during this season began to assume much of the home-like look. Judge Austin at this time also brought his family with him,-a family consisting of five daughters and the son who had before attended him. It is narrated that upon reaching Buffalo the route was considered too difficult for wagons, and accord- ingly the whole family were placed on horses at Buffalo, and, following an Indian trail, thus made their way across the fords and through the wilderness, having camped two nights in the midst of the forest by the way. The only incideut of especial moment which occurred on this memorable journey was the crossing of a stream where it seemed at one time as if two of the daughters must lose their lives, from the fact that the horse which bore them plunged off the track into water so deep as to overwhelm them. The presence of mind and ready move- ment of the father succeeded in rescuing them from their perilous position. An interesting story is told, however, of one of the daughters, then a little child. It appears that the route of the party had led through the Indian reservation of the Oneida Indians, and on their way they had stopped among that people. During the stay the little girl had caught the word which the Indians used when expe- riencing delight and surprise, and learned to speak it, " C-o-o-wah." On the jour- ncy she often amused the party by the exact imitation of the Indian accent and attitude in speaking this word. When the family arrived at the little settlement which was to be their future home, and alighted at the door of the humble cabin, the mother's heart was swelling with a conflict of mingled emotions. Just then, however, the sweet little child, catching sight of the little cabin, lifted up her hands in the same wild manner, and, with a loud, merry voice, uttered the novel exclamation, " C-o-o-wah." It was too good ; the mother, whose heart had been swelling with mingled emotions, burst into tears, but they were tears of joy rather than of sorrow. A note of joy and hope and gladness from her own little child had welcomed them all to their home in the wilderness.
One peculiarity about the settlement of Austinburg is worthy of notice,-the families who composed the colony and who were to be the residents had been accustomed in their New England homes to the habitual worship of the Almighty God,-the God of their fathers and their God.
RELIGIOUS BEGINNINGS.
On the arrival of the first party in the year 1800, even before their families eame, these devout men did not forget to acknowledge their dependence on the Almighty, whose are the forests and whose hand had woven the verdant roof and erected the lofty column of the great temple which they were inhabiting. "The groves were God's first temples,"-in the midst of the solemn stillness they seemed to worship when none but God was near. During the first season there were but three families in all this neighborhood, and they scattered at a distance from one another, yet this little eolony gathered regularly every Sabbath in the same place for the purpose of worship. Though there was no pastor or church in all the vast territory, yet devout prayer was lifted to God; singing, reading of Scripture, and reading a sermon were the regular exercises of the Sabbath eve amid these men's surroundings. On the arrival of the families, in the spring of the second season, religious exercises were again established, and were never permitted to cease for a single Sabbath, and have continued for all the years which have since elapsed. Judge Austin's house was generally the place of meeting until the in- crease of the inhabitants rendered the place too small, and then his barn was occupied for the purpose. Meetings were also held in these early days at the house of the excellent deacon, Sterling Mills, who lived in the south part of the town, and whose house was regarded, on account of roads and weather, at the time as more convenient for those in the neighborhood.
FIRST SERMON.
In August of this same year the first sermon ever delivered in the county or in the Reserve was preached by the Rev. Joseph Badger, of Blanford, Massachu- setts. This devout, excellent man had been sent out by the Connecticut mission- ary society as the pioneer missionary and general evangelist. It is one proof of the liberality and ecclesiastical eomity of the Congregational denomination that at this time the society which sent missionaries into the west did not ask the ques- tion to what denomination a man belonged. Though itself a Congregational society, and receiving Congregational funds, it frequently made appropriations to
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HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY, OHIO.
Presbyterian churches and to the support of Presbyterian pastors. Rev. Mr. Badger was a very useful man. Ilis visit to the village of Austinburg was the beginning of an era in the religious character of the region.
CHURCH FORMED.
On the 19th of October, 1801, Mr. Badger preached in Austinburg. We quote from his journal. "There being a small number of professors in the place who were desirous of being instituted into a church, a meeting was appointed for Thursday, October 24, and a church was formed, consisting of ten males and six females." This was the first church formed on the Reserve.
FIRST ROADS.
We have stated that the site of the village of Austinburg was located on the road which had been girdled and partly eleared by the first surveyors, in 1798. Other roads, however, soon became necessary, as the arrival of families from vari- ons directions, and the settlement of other neighboring towns, required the open- ing of these lines through the wilderness. It will be remembered that after the first settlement of the town no wagon had made its appearance, and that the only access was on horseback or by boat It was during the first winter, that of 1500. that the men who remained at the camp, while Julge Austin returned. ent a road through the woods from Austinburg to the Ashtabula creek. This road inter- sected the old girdled road at Austinburg, but in following years was extended from this place to Morgan, and so through New Lyme. across a corner of Cole- brook, to Wayne, and from Wayne, through Gustavns. Kinsman, and Vernon, to Poland. This was called the "old Salt road." Other roads were afterwards ent ont to Harpersfield and Jefferson. This was the first which was traveled to any extent through this town.
EARLY NAVIGATION.
At this time there was a mode of conveyance which is rather interesting, as showing the means resorted to in a new country to penetrate the interior when there are no roads. and forests present a barrier to immigration. A large white- wood tree was worked and dug out, and from this a boat was constructed, which, for the purpose for which it was designated, was as useful as a first-class vessel. This was launched upon Grand river, and was manned by a party from Austin- burg. Joseph Case aml a companion acted in the capacity of captain, of mate, and of sailors, and at all hours. By this vessel salt and lime, houschobl goods and provisions, were carried from Grezory's mills, in Harpersfield, to Griswold's Land- ing, in the edge of Windsor, and a right useful craft did it prove to be.
FIRST SAW MILL.
The Grand river rises in Trumbull and Portage counties, and crosses Ashtabula County near its west border, and makes its mouth in Lake county, near Paines- ville. It is a very crooked and shallow stream. It enters the town of Austin- burg three-fourths of a mile from its southwest corner, and after making several wide turns passes out of the west line about one and three-fourths miles north of the same corner. Near this point Mills creek. which flows from the east and drains a large part of the township, empties into the tirand river, making a con- siderable increase to its depth.
There are bottom-lands on these streams in the limits of the township which form some of the deepest and richest soil in the county. On this stream. " the Grand river," in the town of Austinburg, the first saw-mill in the county was erected. This was in the year 1801, Judge Austin being its owner. Here also was creeted the first grist-mill in the county, the latter owned by Ambrose Hum- phrey. In the year previous to the erection of this grist-mill, the people of Aus- tinburg were accustomed to take their grist to Newburgh by way of Harpersfield and the landing,-at Madison,-along the lake to Cleveland, and so overland to the waterfall and flour-mill. It was a tedious, wearisome undertaking, occupying two or three weeks in coming and going and in waiting for the grinding.
During the early times, it was all that one wanted to do to keep some of the settlements provided with flour in this way. After the first season a substitute for a mill was erected in Harpersfield. This was a rude machine, which was run by horse-power, and consisted of a single pair of buhrs, which with the pinion and lever could be turned by a horse, but its grinding was very slow and coarse. It was the eu-tom of the neighborhood when the flour was needed to mount some boy on a horse with the corn or bag laid across the horse's back, and start them for the mill. Arriving, the same horse was used for propelling the mill, the boy turning miller for the time ; then when the prist was done, without paying any toll. the whole was taken back to the family.
These buhrs were afterwards bought by Ambrose Humphrey, and put into a will at Mechanicsville, and long served the purposes of the country in grinding out their grain. The mechanical interests received an impetus at an early day from the enterprise of Judge Austin. A deed is in existence in which the mill-
site was conveyed to him. The property, however, afterwards became a gift to the Manual Labor school. In this capacity it remained, but the property was sold, and now the enterprising little village called Mechanicsville occupies the site. The stoues had been used by the Harper colony to grind their wheat, which was drawn on a hand-sled from Fair River, Pennsylvania, on the ice of the lake. The Harper mill was unfortunately broken in the spring of 1799 beyond repair, and the event caused consternation and dismay to all the settlers of northern Ohio. In June of that year, while the men were absent in Canada for a new supply, and long detained by adverse circumstances, the Harper colony was re- duced nearly to starvation, but the timely arrival of Judge Austin fortunately brought them the needed and welcome supplies.
A SAD INCIDENT.
Mr. Q. F. Atkins narrates the following sad story :
Two travelers on their way south were arrested in their journey in the month of Angust, 1804. by high water in the Mills creek. Captain Joseph Case, ever ready to help the wayfarer on his journey, determined to assist them in erossing the creek. For this purpose he went with them a short distance to his eanoc. Stripping their horses of saddles and baggage, the strangers hokling their horses by the bridles, led them into the water upon the lower or down-stream side of the canoe, one at the bow and the other about the middle of it, in which position they held them. while Captain Case paddled the canoe to the opposite bank. Their horses safely over, one of the strangers remained with them, while the other returned with their benefactor for their saddles and baggage. While cross- ing with these, the man with the horses saw Captain Case go over the side of the canoe with his arms upraised in a tremulous manner, grasping the paddle. The man in the canoe, looking towards the shore, did not witness this sad catastrophe. Mr. Lucius Badger says of this event : " I stood by the side of my father, Rev. Joseph Badger, upon the bank of the stream, viewing its maddened current, and watching the progress of the canoe approaching the shore, propelled through the foaming stream, when, to my utter amazement, I saw Captain Case fall from his seat into the stream on the upper side of the canoe. As soon as the canoe struck the shore my father sprang into it, and both paddled with all their might to save him from a watery grave. The current was so strong that when he rose he rose nearly half his length ont of the water, raising his hands towards heaven as though supplicating Divine assistance. When the canoe arrived alongside of him, one man threw down his paddle to seize hold of him, but at that moment he sank like a stone. Thus was the community deprived in its infantile state of one of its most useful citizens, the church deprived of its most efficient member, and his family bereaved of an affectionate father and pious counselor. The death eaused a gloom over this region, and has been dwelt upon as one of the sad incidents of this carly day."
THE ARRIVAL OF REV. JOSEPH BADGER
was an event in the history of Austinburg. As he came with his large family, he brought an accession to the society of the place. His home was located in the south part of the town, near the residence of Deacon Mills. He began to labor for the church, but was frequently absent for months at a time.
Mr. Badger says, . . . " It became necessary on my arrival in this wilderness to provide bread for my family. ( In this small settlement the people had the previous season raised considerable wheat, corn, and some potatoes, and in the winter of 1501-2 a small mill for grinding was erected. adjoining Mr. Austin's saw-mill. Got flour at the mill, coarse enough, but served well for bread. Meat was more difficult to be had. Hearing of a barrel of pork at Painesville, I sent a man with a dray to hanl it through the woods, thirty miles ; paid twenty silver dollars for one hundred and seventy pounds ; it was the whole hog, feet, head, snont, and cars. I procured two cows, which furnished plenty of milk. Our pasture was large, without a fence, sometimes the creatures rambled out of hearing for a day or two. Notwithstanding our long and tedious journey, we had obtained such supplies as made us comfortable, and had much to be thankful for, although sometimes our prospects were very dark. About this time it was necessary to extend my missionary labors to other parts of the Reserve. I had only made such arrangements as to shelter my family from the storm and supply them with bread for about two months."
THE GREAT REVIVAL.
During the year 1804 a remarkable revival occurred in the place. This re- vival was attended with singular physical exercises. They are spoken of in the general history. By the means of this revival a large number were added to the church, and the whole community was much affected. The whole number admitted at the time was forty-one, and the Lord's supper was administered to sixty-two per- sons. Among those who joined by profession were Eliphalet Austin, Thomas Mont- gomery, Q. F. Atkins, Henry L. Badger, Juliana Badger, et al. In a single day
DEA.JOSEPH MILLS
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OLD CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, (BUILT IN 1815.) AUSTINBURG CENTRE, ASHTABULA CO., O.
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RES.OF THE LATE REV. G.H.COWLES, ( BUILT BY HIM IN 1815. ) AUSTINBURG CENTRE. ASHTABULA CO .. O.
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HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY, OHIO.
the church was inereased to six times its original membership. It continued, however, without regular preaching. Mr. Badger supplied as he could, but had appointments at Conneaut, Harpersfield, and other places.
THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
The Congregational church of Austinburg was organized October 24, 1801. It consisted of ten male and five female members. This was the first church organized on the Connecticut Western Reserve. The names of the members are as follows : William Harper, Betsey Harper, Abraham Bartholomew, Zerah Cowles, Erastus Austin, Sally Atkins, John Wright, Jr., David Wright, Moses Wilcox, Alexander Harper, George W. Hawley, Lydia Battell, James Mont- gomery and Mary, his wife, Edmund Strong and Anna, his wife. Noah Cowles and Sterling Mills were the first deacons. Rev. Joseph Badger was the first pastor, commeneing his labors in the year 1802. He preached also regularly at Conneaut, Harpersfield, and Morgan. He was for a time the only missionary in the county, and was often absent from his family and the people. During the first year the church was deprived of two valuable merubers, Mrs. T. R. Hawley and Joseph M. Case. In the fall of 1803 great religious interest was manifest.
For several years the church was deprived of regular preaching, as Mr. Badger was so often absent, but Sabbath services were punetually continued.
In the year 1810 the Rev. Giles H. Cowles was called to the pastorate of the united church of Austinburg and Morgan. Previous to this time a society had been organized, and " it was voted that Austinburg and Morgan unite for three years in one society, to be known by the name of the Richfield Ecclesiastieal society, for the purpose of hiring the preaching of the gospel." September 27, of the same year, another organization took the place of it, ealled the Austinburg Congregational society, but composed of citizens of Austinburg, Morgan, and Rome, or towns 9, 10, and 11 of the fourth range. At this meeting ninety-two persous signed the compaet by which they agreed " that we will pay such tax as shall be agreed by a vote of a majority of the members present at the annual meeting, to be assessed on such personal property as shall be listed, or made sub- ject to taxation for county purposes, and the value of the improved part of our farms and buildings that are not listed."
At a meeting held at the house of Deacon Sterling Mills, in October, 1810, it was " voted unanimously to give the Rev. Giles H. Cowles a call to settle with us as our minister. Voted that we give Rev. Mr. Cowles $200, payable in produce, annually, for one-half of his time." The Rev. Mr. Cowles was installed over the church in October, 1811. The society continued to raise the salary by assess- ments and taxation for many years. In the year 1816 a revival of religion was enjoyed by the church, at which time a large number of the young people of the congregation united. The church continued to meet in the log building which was erected at the centre until the year 1824, when they began to occupy the frame building, although it was in an unfinished condition. Rev. G. H. Cowles resigned in 1830, and in the same year Rev. Henry Cowles became the pastor. During this pastorate there occurred another revival of religion. This began with a "four days' meeting." Such meetings had been held in other places, but this church was the first to introduce them into northern Ohio. They were commeneed with considerable doubts and anxiety, but proved a source of great blessing. Neighboring pastors came together, and persons from many of the towns surrounding assembled. Rev. Henry Cowles says, " The revival of 1831 doubled the membership of the church in one day. When I went there, September, 1830, there was but one unmarried meruber in the church. No revi- val had been enjoyed since 1816. A generation of young people had sprung up with no professed Christians among them. It was greatly to their advantage that the religious elements all worked together, all Congregational. Other denomi- nations had no religious footing there during my pastorate. I think their first good church building was in advance of any other on the Reserve,-earlier, better."
In the year 1841 the church moved to a new house of worship which had been erected at the north end, where the village now is. An unhappy division occurred here, and a large number of the members returned to the old house of worship at the eentre. This was during the pastorate of Rev. Mr. Avery, sub- sequent to the resignation of the Rev. Henry Cowles. The withdrawing party employed for a time the Rev. Henry Burton as supply, and soon after built an- other house of worship at the village. Services were held in this church build- ing until it was burned, sinee which time the two congregations have been united in worship in the sanctuary first built at this place.
The pastors who have served the church are as follows: Rev. Joseph Badger, 1801 ; Rev. Giles H. Cowles, 1811 ; Rev. Henry Cowles, 1830-35 ; Rev. S. W. Burrett, 1835-38; Rev. Sereno Streeter.
CHURCH BUILDINGS.
The original proprietors of Austinburg appropriated a lot of land of one hun- dred and sixty acres to the purpose of sustaining the church. After the arrival
of the Rev. Mr. Cowles, in 1811, cighty acres of this land were given to the first minister. On this land Rev. Mr. Cowles erected the house which still stands. The first house of worship ereeted in the township was on this land, in 1810. It was a log house, covered with long oak shingles, and having a floor of punchcon or split logs, a chimney made of sticks and mud, and a door with wooden latehes and hinges. Previous to this time meetings had been held in private houses, Deacon Sterling Mills' and Judge Austin's generally being the place. On unusual occasions the barns belonging to Deaeon Mills and Judge Austin were occupied. It is also stated that a log hut at the eentre was used alternately for the accom- modation of strangers and families who were emigrating to the place, and as a house of worship. This first log meeting-house was the seene of many interest- ing exercises. The inhabitants of the town always found it a place where they were sure to meet one another at least once a week. Some ludicrous things are told of it, however, owing to its rude construction. It appears that Rev. Mr. Cowles had a fine drove of hogs which suddenly disappeared. Nothing could be found of them, though the hired men were sent far and near, and the family had about given up, and supposed that they had been destroyed by the bears. On Sabbath morning, however, as the reverend pastor went to the sanctuary early for devotion, approaching the door, he heard a grunting within, but the door was fastened. The hogs had got inside, and had rooted the puncheon floor against the door, and the stone hearth in every direction, and had made the prim- itive sanctuary the place of confusion.
In 1824 the first frame church building in the county, or on the Reserve, was erected in this place. It was at the centre, just opposite the log church spoken of. It was modeled after the Norfolk meeting-house, in Litehfield county, Connecticut. It was a solid white-oak frame, very high, and when finished had a gallery on three sides. It had a tower in front, a circular belfry, and a tall spire, and although built while the country was new, was a very stately and haudsome edifice.
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