History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 13

Author: McCord, William B., b. 1844
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 912

USA > Ohio > Columbiana County > History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens > Part 13

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Rural free delivery had a beneficial effect, too, upon the roads of the country districts. For, the Post Office Department issued the edict that where the highways were not kept in rea- sonably good condition, there the R. F. D. ser- vice would not be extended, or if roads were allowed to fall into decay or into "chuck- holes," where the service had already been given, it would be discontinued until the roads were put into their normal condition.

The R. F. D. carrier, with his neat little wagon, covering his daily route of 20 to 25

miles, and delivering mail matter to 100 or 150 boxes, and more than that number of families, the boxes furnished at a nominal sum by the government, formed a pleasing contrast with the weary, plodding horseback rider of 50 or 75 years before, astride of a well-worn pair of saddle-bags, covering his 50 or 75 miles twice of thrice a week, and serving perhaps half the number of people on his entire route. which the rural carrier in 1900 served each day.

The first rural free delivery routes in Co- lumbiana County were located and the service started in 1901. The service was extended with remarkable rapidity. Up to the begin- ning of 1905, 28 routes had been established in the county, as follows: Out of Lisbon, 6 routes; Salem, 6; Salineville, 2; Leetonia, 2; Columbiana, 3; East Palestine, 2; Hanoverton, I; Kensington, 2; Washingtonville, I; East Liverpool, 1; Wellsville, I; Homeworth, I.

As samples of the manner of locating these rural routes, and their manner of operation, those leading out of Salem will be briefly de- scribed. Where the service was desired, peti- tions were presented, through the Congress- man of the district, and soon an inspector from the department was sent out, who went over the proposed route. With the assistance of the postmaster, at the town or city from which the service was to be given, the route was located. Then a carrier was advertised for, who after undergoing an examination, was employed, with a compensation of $720 a year, out of which he must furnish his horse and wagon.

As stated, a fair sample of the working of the rural free delivery system is to be found in the six routes served in 1905 from the Salem Post Office, since they were the first to be es- tablished in the county, and served perhaps the largest number of people of any similar "cir- cuit." Service on five of the routes was started July 1, 1901, while No. 6 was started January 15, 1904. Route No. I from Salem, started from the Salem Post Office; thence in a west- erly direction to Fouts' corners; thence south- east to the Georgetown road, northwest to Fogg's schoolhouse, south to the village of Val- ley, thence to Stark's corners, to Shriver's cor- ners, thence north to the Salem road, east to

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New Middleton, north to Georgetown road, northeast to Salem. The route covered 207/8 miles, served IIO boxes, which included the mail of 120 families.

Route No. 2, starting at the Salem Post Office led southwest to Coffee schoolhouse, thence south to Johnson's corners, southeast to Camp's schoolhouse, southwest past Votaw's schoolhouse, to the township line; thence north- west to McCann's schoolhouse, east to Grange Hall, northeast to New Middleton, east to Bowers' corners, northwest to Salem. Length of route, 213/8 miles; 90 boxes, and 96 fam- ilies.

Route No. 3, south on the Depot road, to the Center township line; thence northeast to Highland schoolhouse, northeast to McCrack- en's corners, southeast via the creek road, northeast to Rogers' corners, northeast to Mc- Cracken's corners, northeast on Lisbon and Salem road to the Post Office at Salem. Length of route 201/4 miles ; served 101 boxes and 105 families.

Route No. 4, extending over into Mahoning county, the most populous of any served from the Salem Post Office, had 153 boxes, for 160 families. The route was north on the Ells- worth road to West Hickory P. O .; thence west to Bunker Hill road, north to Berlin town- ship line, southeast to Hickory P. O., east to Bayard's corners, southwest via the New Al- bany road to Salem-211/2 miles.

Route No. 5, west and northwest on Go- shen road to Campbell's corners, northwest to Ambler's corners, south to French's corners, south to Diagonal road, north to Boswell's schoolhouse, south to Dennis' corners, east and southeast to Ovington's corners, northwest to Mead's corners, east to Hogback road, south to Sandbank, east to the Salem Post Office.

Length of route 237/8 miles ; 120 boxes and 125 families.

Route No. 6, south to Pleasant Valley schoolhouse, southwest to McCracken's cor- ners, southwest to M. Moran's residence and return, thence east to Betz' corners, northwest to Haskins' corners, east to Parish's corners. west and northwest to McComb's corners, northeast to Peoples' corners, northwest to township line, south to D. Miller's residence and return, northwest to Fawcett's corners, east and northwest to Millville, northwest to Post's corners, southwest to Salem. Length of route, 20 miles ; area covered 16 square miles ; number of houses, 112 ; population, 504; boxes, 88.

Route No. I, the only one out of East Liverpool-leaving the Post Office of that city, traversed the Lisbon road to-Cannon's Mills, thence to Spruceville, thence to within one mile of Clarkson, across the township line road, thence to the old Camp Meeting road, and back to East Liverpool. Length of route, 26 miles; 500 people served; III houses and 75 mail boxes. It was established in 1902.

Route No. I, the only one leaving Wells- ville-passed Spring Hill Cemetery to Inver- ness, thence to California Mills, to Glasgow, on the Lisbon road, and thence to Wellsville. It served 105 boxes and a few more families, covered 221/2 miles, and was established in 1903.

The six routes established at Lisbon, each from 20 to 24 miles in length, radiated in all directions from the county seat in 1905; and with those given above and the others on the north, south and west borders of the county, formed a network of routes which left little of the territory unserved with free delivery of mail.

CHAPTER VIII.

HELPING SLAVES TO FREEDOM.

Stories about the great Anti-Slavery Movement and the "Underground Railroad"-Salem a Station of the Mysterious Thoroughfare-Exciting Incidents in the Days Before the Civil War-Some of the Causes and Effects of the War of the Rebellion.

In the early settlement of Columbiana Coun- ty, the sturdy Scotch of the southern townships and the Quakers in the north played a con- spicuous part. This may be said without dis- paragement to any other class. But these two classes stamped the impress of their character and personality upon entire communities, cast- ing sentiment in the molds of strict integrity, justice, right, loyalty to truth and to country. Love of freedom and a strict regard for liberty of conscience were inherited principles with them. It is not surprising, then, that when the dark days of Civil War broke upon the coun- try, no other county in the State proved more ready to furnish its full quota of men for the suppression of the Rebellion. And while the Quakers were not as eager to engage in the actual shedding of blood as some others, their sincerity in the espousal of the cause of free- dom-of universal liberty-had long years be- fore been tried and found not wanting. They were not lacking either in moral courage or in physical bravery. Back in the '30's, the '40's and the '50's Salem was known as headquarters of the Western Anti-Slavery Society, and a station on what was known as the "Under- ground Railroad." The blasts of the Anti- Slavery Bugle, inciting to deeds of self-sacri- fice, with words of encouragement to the poor fugitive, beckoning him on to the gateway of freedom, were heard almost throughout the land. The walls of the old City Hall in Salem,

which building still stood in 1905 as a land- mark to those troublous times, have echoed to the voices of such men and women as William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell Phillips, Fred. Doug- lass, Cassius M. Clay, Abby Kelly, Parker Pillsbury, John Pierpont and others, who won fame by their advocacy of the cause of the op- pressed. And the dust of one of the soldiers of "Old John Brown of Osawatomie," that hero of mistaken zeal, though of earnest and self-sacrificing conviction, rests in Hope Ceme- tery, Salem-Edwin Coppock having been a resident of the vicinity of Salem, and of Quaker parentage.

No one pretends in these days to deny that, while the Civil War was not waged for the purpose of freeing the slaves, the existence of slavery in this country was the remote as well as the direct cause of the War of the Rebellion, and that the first gun fired upon Sumter her- alded the doom of what many people, even in this land of ostensible freedom, had come to consider a "divine institution." While the Emancipation Proclamation of Abraham Lin- coln was penned with a heart full of sympathy for the down-trodden race, bent upon equal and exact justice to every man without regard to the color of his skin, yet the act was in itself and intrinsically one of immediate war neces- sity. Nevertheless it is true, that the Rebellion owed its inception, growth and culmination in the frustration of the attempts of its leaders to

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extend slavery into the free Territories, and their apprehension because of the growing abolition sentiment in the North.

THE WORKS OF MARIUS R. ROBINSON.

The faculty and students of Oberlin Col- lege were early imbued with the anti-slavery sentiment, and some of its students entered the lecture field, advocating the cause of abolition. One of these who did valiant service was Ma- rius R. Robinson. He was a resident of Salem for many years, and for several years the editor of the Anti-Slavery Bugle. M. R. Robinson Council No. 350, Royal Arcanum, of Salem, was named in his honor at its organization in 1879. Oliver Johnson, a well-known anti- slavery worker, of those times, who edited the Bugle for a number of years during his resi- dence in Salem, was also the author of "Garri- son and His Times;" and in the latter work re- fers to Marius R. Robinson as follows :

"Of Mr. Robinson there is a tale to be told, which coming generations ought to hear. A more gentle, sweet-spirited and self-consecrated man I have never known. He was exceeding- ly modest, never seeking conspicuity, but will- ing to work in any place, however obscure, to which duty called him. For a time, after leav- ing the Theological Seminary, he devoted him- self to the welfare of the colored people of Cin- ciniati, and for aught that I know was one of those who were so 'imprudent' as sometimes to take a meal with a colored family. It would have been just like him to do so, simple-hearted man that he was. Then he was for a time in the office of Mr. Birney's Philanthropist, and when the mob came to destroy the types it was his tact and courage that saved the 'forms' from being broken up, so that the paper of the week was printed in an adjoining town and delivered to its subscribers on time. At a later day he entered the lecturing field in Ohio, where he did noble service, enduring all manner of hard- ness like a good soldier of freedom. He was a capital speaker, with much that we call mag- netic force for lack of a better term, and he was sure to make a deep impression wherever he could get a hearing. It was during the 'reign

of terror,' and he was often harried by mobs and other exhibitions of anti-slavery male- volence. At Granville, Licking County, he was detained some time by severe illness. One day a constable obtruded himself into his sick- room and served upon him a paper, a copy of which I herewith present as a specimen of the pro-slavery literature of that day :

LICKING Co., GRANVILLE TOWNSHIP, SS : To H. C. MEAD, Constable of said Township, Greeting :

WHEREAS, We, the undersigned, overseers of the poor of Granville Township, have received information that there has lately come into said township, a certain poor man, named Robinson, who is not a legal resident thereof, and will be likely to become a township charge; you are therefore hereby commanded forthwith to warn the said Robinson, with his family ,to depart out of said township. And of this warrant make service and re- turn. Given under our hands this first day of March, 1839.

CHARLES GILMAN, S. BANCROFT,

Overseers of the Poor.

"It was nearly two years before this that he went into Berlin, Mahoning County, to deliver several lectures. On Friday evening, June 2, 1837, he spoke for the first time, and notice was given that on the following Sunday he would deliver a lecture to vindicate the Bible on the charge of supporting slavery. This was more than the public sentiment of Berlin could bear; and so, on Saturday evening, he was seized by a band of ruffians-two of them, I am told, members of the Presbyterian Church -dragged out of the house of a friend with whom he lodged, carried several miles away, and, besides many other insults, subjected to the cruel indignity of a coat of tar and feath- ers. In this condition he was carried some miles further, and in the darkness of a chilly Sunday morning, having been denuded of much of his clothing, left in an open field, in a strange place, where he knew no one to whom to look for, aid. After daylight, he made his way to the nearest house, but the family was fright- ened at his appearance, and would render him no aid. At another house he was fortunate enough to find friends, who, in the spirit of the good Samaritan. had compassion on him and

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supplied, his needs. . The bodily injuries re- ceived on that dreadful night affected his health ever afterward, and even aggravated the pain of his dying hours. But they brought no bit- terness to his heart, which was full of tender- ness toward those who had wronged him. He- gave himself with fresh zeal to the work of reform, and few men have ever done more than he did to make purer and sweeter the moral at- mosphere of the region in which he lived. In 1851 he became editor, of the Anti-Slavery Bugle at Salem, Ohio, and conducted it till the time of its discontinuance, after the abolition of slavery was substantially assured. His edi- torial services were of great value and won for him the admiration and the confidence of those who profited thereby. He died in Salem, respected and loved by the whole community.

"It seems incredible now that the pulpit of that day was generally silent in the presence of outrages like those inflicted on Mr. Robinson, and that leading newspapers spoke of them rather to condemn the victims than the authors. But such is the fact. Those who imagine that the conflict with the Slave Power began with the organization of the anti-slavery political parties need to be reminded that no such part- ies could have had an existence but for the grand moral struggle that preceded them, and that was sustained for years by men and women who endured, bravely and unflinchingly, the reproach and scorn of hostile communities, and whose property and lives were often in peril."

The keen perception and earnest devotion of the Quaker to any cause which he espoused, coupled with his deep sympathy for the less for- tunate of the human race, rendered him an efficient and faithful worker in the interest of the black man.

THE "UNDERGROUND RAILROAD."

The rescue and escape of many a fugitive slave was aided and abetted by the people of Salem, during the days when the town was known the country over as a station on the "Underground Railroad.", On one occasion, in the year. 1854, when the anti-slavery feeling was running high, information came from a

member of the Anti-Slavery Society, or a sym- pathizer, then in Pittsburg, that a young slave girl was being taken through by her master and mistress on their way South; and that the train which bore them would be due in Salem at a certain hour that day. There was a law on the statute books at that time prohibiting the carrying of slaves into bondage over the Ohio railroads, but no such prohibition existed in Pennsylvania. Forwith a force of about 30 men was raised on the streets of Salem, and. marched to the Fort Wayne Railroad station to rescue the young slave. A detail of men was made to board the train, and another detail de- signated to stand guard outside and uncouple the car in case the time arrived for the train to leave before the rescue had been effected. M. L. Edwards, who still lived in Salem in 1905, was one of the last named detail.

The train arriving on time, the squad of men designated for the duty sprang aboard and obtained possession of the girl, without re- sistance on her, part or on the part of her re- puted owners. The persons in charge contented themselves with simply offering a formal pro- test; and it is said a secret agent afterwards visited Salem and endeavored to obtain a clue to the "fugitive," but failed. She was kept in the families of Salem people for a number of years, perhaps for the longest portion of the time in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Joel McMil- lan, near, the site of what is now Grandview Cemetery. Mrs. McMillan, who. in 1905 was. still living, although at an advanced age re- called the circumstances of the case quite clear- ly. She rarely tired of relating the incident, or of telling of the trouble she had with the girl, who proved a veritable "Topsy." It was found necessary to punish her pretty often, to which she rebelled, declaring' her "Southern misses never beat her." But a day of two later she gave herself away thus: "Misses, didn't you nebber lib in de Souf?" "No." Mrs. McMillan said; "but why do you ask?" "Oh, kase you all heah whips 'zactly like my old misswes done whupped me."

The girl, who was about 14 years old when rescued, was given the name of '"Abby Kelly Salem," and lived for many years in the city to

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which she owed her freedom, and whose name she bore. The Abby Kelly in whose honor she was named was a noted abolition lecturer, of those days, and frequently visited and lectured in Salem.

George Hunt, the Salem historian, in his "History of Salem," gives the following, which will aid to an understanding of the spirit of those old anti-slavery days :

"Not alone did the white brethren give voice to the demands for universal freedom. The escaped slave himself joined in the mighty anthem whose quickening burden, swelling to amplest tempest, rolled from sea to sea. Among the fugitives were William W. Brown-called William ("Box") Brown from having once es- caped from slavery concealed in a box-and Joe Mason, supposed to have been a natural son of James Mason, ex-United States Senator and Governor of Virginia. They cheered on the cause with vigorous songs, adapted from plantation melodies, but not weighted with plantation sentiments. The following, with ad- ditional verses, as sung by Brown, was a fa- vorite :

Ho! the car, Emancipation Rides majestic through the Nation, Bearing on its train the story Liberty, a Nation's glory. Roll it along- Throughout the Nation, Freedom's car, Emancipation !

"A carpenter shop about 18 by 48 feet in size was built by Samuel Reynolds about the year 1840, and the upper room of which was the general meeting place of the people of the town for the discussion of all subjects. When the agitation of the slavery question became so warmly discussed in the churches that difficul- ties arose, and the churches and schoolhouses were closed to the defenders of universal broth- erhood, they went to the room over the car- penter shop. This building was christened 'Liberty 'Hall,' and was the cradle of the so- ciety which was evolved from that whirlpool of opinion caused by the counter-currents of thought respecting the slavery question. For many years it was kept as a place for discus-

sions and caucus meetings, and within it a course of lectures was planned in which the" best talent of the country was engaged. This course of lectures was delivered in the Town Hall, and Wendell Phillips, Abby Kelly, John Pierpont and William Lloyd Garrison were among the many speakers.

"In June, 1845, the largest church in Salem was closed against Abby Kelly, the abolition lecturer. The trustees of the church gave as. a reason for their refusal : 'We think the prin- ciples of the lecturer are dangerous to our common country.' " -

HAVEN FOR FUGITIVE SLAVES.

Several of the negro fugitives from the South became lifelong residents of Salem. Mr. Hunt tells of one :

"Sometime on in the '20's a fugitive slave. woman named Maria Britt came to Salem. Here she found a place of employment among the Quakers, especially the family of Samuel Davis. By the proceeds of her labors she got a lot from him on what is now Green street. It is now occupied by a small dwelling house which for some years was used as the Methodist Church. On this lot a small brick house was. built on which she passed most of the remain- der of her life. She had a husband who was held in bondage in the South, and, like any true wife, she wished him here. Wherefore she got some of her white friends to write a letter to him. By some mishap this letter got into the hands of her old master, who set about the job of rescuing her.

"A relative of Dr. Stanton, who lived at Steubenville, got wind of the plot, and sent word that the master was coming here to search for his property. Thereupon Maria was clan- destinely sent to Conneaut, a settlement of Friends in Trumbull County, where she re- mained until it was deemed safe for her to re- turn to Salem. During her absence a myster- ious stranger came to Salem, and stopped some days at one of the taverns. He frequently walked the streets, and peeped into the houses, especially the kitchens, but he did not find his lost 'property.' Maria Britt made some true

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friends here beside the Quakers, and she made a fair living by doing washing, house-cleaning, cooking wedding dinners, etc. She made her self very useful to the people here. Being of a pious turn of mind she took delight in attend- ing religious meetings. But there prejudice of "color prevailed and she felt much embarrassed.

"One negro came here and worked for Jos- iah Fawcett II years, and during that time paid a visit to his old home-even went into his master's kitchen without being detected. This is only one sample of the ingenuity of some of them in getting from slavery. In April, 1850, a white woman and a negro woman stopped at Webb's tavern. The colored people of the town interrogated the negress as to her residence and destination. And they were thus led to believe that she was being decoyed into Virginia to be sold as a slave. She declared that she had never been a slave, and refused to 'go any further. Thus she was rescued."

Abolition meetings were sometimes held in Hawley's grove, east of the town, and were ad- dressed by well-known anti-slavery leaders.

THIRTEEN FUGITIVES IN ONE HOUSE.

Joel S. Bonsall, long prominently connected with the Buckeye Engine Works of Salem, and son of Daniel Bonsall, who came to the Salem community in 1820, often told, prior to his death in 1902, stories of the exciting events of his boyhood in connection with the "Under- ground Railroad" operations. He remembered many instances of fugitive slaves, who having crossed the Ohio, made their way through to Salem during the night and sought refuge with his father and others of the active anti-slavery workers. He remembered one night, in par- ticular, when as high as 13 fugitives were hid- den in his father's house .* One of the most active lieutenants of his father was Dr. Stanton, a pioneer physician, and his student, Keyser Thomas. . They looked out for fugitive slaves, and on finding them took them to the Bonsall home, often using as a conveyance the horse and wagon of William Waterworth. In later years

Joel McMillan, James Bonaty, Charles Grizell and many other members of the Society of Friends took part in this humane movement.

In one of the Ohio Archaeological Society's publications-"The Pathfinders of Jefferson County,"-some very interesting data are found regarding the early history of the "Under- ground Railroad." Prof. Wilbur H. Seibert, A. M., of Akron, a prominent Ohio educator, tells of the naming of the "Underground" route. He says :

"Slaves were thirsting for liberty, and were finding relief with the secret help of a few scat- tered, principle-abiding if not law-abiding peo- ple. These were The Simon-pure abolitionists, who braved public prejudice for years, and ostracized themselves by helping the deserving negro to his liberty. Taken together they con- stituted that mysterious organization known as the 'Underground Railroad.' 'It was the self- imposed business of those concerned to receive, forward, conceal and protect fugitives.' It got its name from the hidden methods it employed in its operations. The way the name was re- ceived was as follows: A fugitive named Tice Davids traveled one of the Ohio routes in 1831 from Ripley to Sandusky. The slave set out upon his journey under unusual circumstances, no doubt; for his master, a Kentuckian, was at his heels from the start till the Ohio River was reached. There the master was delayed by his search for a skiff, but found one in time to keep the runaway in sight, now swimming his best, and to land only a few minutes later than he. His subsequent hunt failed to secure his prop- erty, and the master was much mystified. At his wits' end, he said : 'That nigger must have gone off on an underground road.' The apt- ness of the title was seen at once, and the rapid transmission of the story within and beyond the State soon fixed the designation on the 'system.' Up to 1835 it was known as 'the "Underground Road." After that the name naturally changed to the "Underground Rail- road."

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History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 13

Author: McCord, William B., b. 1844 Publication date: 1905 Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 912

Author: McCord, William B., b. 1844
Publication date: 1905
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : Biographical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 912