History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 44

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 44

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Moultrie was laid out on sections 7 and 8 in West township February 7, 1853. The sur- vey had been made in 1851. John Foulks was proprietor of the land, J. G. Williard making the survey. The village is located on the Cleve- land & Pittsburg Railroad, which accounts for its existence. The population in 1905 was about 100. It had one good general store and a postoffice which did a large business for a small office, largely due to the extensive mail order trade of Hon. Daniel W. Crist, music publisher.

Bayard is located at the junction of the Cleveland and Pittsburg Division and the Tus- carawas Branch of the Pennsylvania lines. It was laid out in April. 1852, under the direction James Farmer and Cyrus Prentiss, who had purchased the land for the purpose.

Records of early church societies in West township are very meagre. Church organiza- tions were rare, and religious services as a rule, must have been of an informal nature. But one church building of any sort is known to have existed in the township prior to 1820. This was a combination of church and school- house, built of logs, in 1810, at New Alexan- der. This building seems to have been in- tended for school purposes, religious worship and for all public meetings. It was demolished in 1840. Members of the Society of Friends met for worship for some years after 1815 in the log schoolhouse on section 35. What was known as the Plains Disciples Church was built about 1830 a mile southwest from Bayard. The building had been removed in 1845. Presbyterians, Methodists and Lutherans met for worship at intervals during the early years of the century, but no records seem to have been preserved from which accurate data can

315

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

be secured. The Mennonites appear to have had one of the earliest permanent societies. They organized about 1840, and in 1858 built a small frame church on section 9. The so- ciety never had a large membership. The Bible Christians organized a society at New Alex- ander, about 1840. Later they erected a church building near the site of the old log schoolhouse and church built in 1810. Among the early ministers of the society were Revs. Robert Hawkins and John Seacrist. Later the society adopted the name "Christian." The Disciples organized about 1870 and built a church at New Alexander. Both these societies were in a flourishing condition in .1905.

Himes Church was built and so named in honor of John. Hime, the donor of the land up- on which it was erected. The premises were deeded to three trustees as representatives of the Presbyterian, Lutheran and German Reformed societies, to be used by the three societies in common. The first building, erected in 1842, was replaced by, a larger. one in 1873. The church building was used by these three socie- ties, or denominations ( for there appeared to be no permanent organization by any of them). In the course of years the'services lagged and the congregations dwindled away, the Re- formed people holding out a little longer than the others. But finally all abandoned holding

public services, and the building passed prac- tically into disuse. In 1893 a union chapel was erected, especially for funeral services. The Christian Church of East Rochester was or- ganized in 1876, and had become a flourishing little society in 1905. In 1902 a union church was built in New Chambersburg, and one of the same character was erected in 1904 at Bay- ard. The building was erected for the use of the various evangelical denominations in com- mon.

A Methodist Episcopal society was organ- ized at East Rochester in 1851, but disbanded about 10 years later. It was reorganized, how- ever, in 1876, when a church edifice was built, and the society entered upon a new lease of life.

In 18II a school was located on section 35, West township. In 1812 Nathan Pine taught the school. In the Sanor neighborhood a log schoolhouse was built in 1816. The township school districts have been frequently changed since their original organization. At one time there were 14 within the bounds of the township. In 1905 there were nine-seven regular township schools and two special dis- tricts.

Aside from farming there have been few important industries in the township. The grist-mills and sawmills of the early and later days have been referred to in another chapter.

MAIN STREET, SALEM, IN 1846-LOOKING WEST.

CHAPTER XX.

THE TOWNS AND TOWNSHIPS-III.

Perry Township and the Good Old Quaker Town on the North-Salem Township and Leetonia-Unity Township and the Villages of East Palestine, Unity and New Water- ford-Washington Township and the Mining Town of Salineville-Wayne Township -Yellow Creek Township and Wellsville.

PERRY TOWNSHIP AND SALEM.

SALEM CHRONOLOGY.

First settled. 1801

First marriage ceremony 1905

Town laid out 1806

First tavern . 1806

Post office established. 1807

First Friends' Meeting House .1807

First cotton mill

1814

First newspaper.

1825

Incorporated as village. 1830

First foundry 1834

Sharp's first steam engine 1842

Anti-Slavery Bugle established 845

Town Hall built 1847

First railroad. 1851

Salem Fair first held. 853

Water-works built. 1860

First National Bank. 1862

Salem's nail-mill built. 1884

First street cars. 1889

Salem Railroad built. 1892-93

First white ware pottery built. 1898

First natural gas mains. 1904

First suburban trolley 1904

Carnegie Free Library opened. 1905

The history of Salem is practically the his- tory of Perry township. Perry is the central northern township of the county. It is com- posed of 16 sections, four each having been taken from Butler, Salem, Green and Goshen townships (when the last two named were

transferred to Mahoning County upon its or- ganization) ; and of these 16 sections Perry township was constituted. The surface of the land in the township is gently rolling, and the soil is generally quite fertile.

The first settler in the township and in the locality where the town of Salem was built, of whom there is any record, was Elisha Schooley, who came from Virginia and located in 1801. He built a log cabin on section 32, probably on the southwest quarter, which later became a part of the town of Salem. Jacob Painter, also from Virginia, came in 1802 and settled on section 32. Samuel Smith and Samuel Davis located on section 31 in 1803. Jonas Cattell and Elisha Hunt settled on what was to be the site of Salem, also in 1803. John Webb, with his family of seven sons and four daughters, settled on section 30 in 1805. Levi Jennings came in 1808 and set- tled on section 26. His eldest son, Simeon, born November 7, 1791, was a somewhat re- markable character, and was closely identified during his lifetime with Salem. At his death, which occurred October 30, 1865, it is said he left an estate valued at more than a million and a half dollars. Abram Warrington, Job Cook and John Straughan* settled on section I in

*Other members of the family spelled the name Straughn or Strawn.

317

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

1804. Zadok Street with his family came from Salem, New Jersey, in the winter of 1805-06, and soon after took up a quarter-section, in- cluded in what was afterward Salem. Joel Sharp with his wife and two daughters came over the mountains and located in 1806, John Blackburn coming the same year and settling on section 2. Michael Stratton and Jonathan Stanley, the latter bringing a wife and three children, settled in 1806. Stratton was a car- penter, served on the town committee in 1811, and was a trustee in 1812, 1818 and 1819. Jonathan Evans came in 1804, Israel Gaskell in 1805, Thomas Stanley in 1806 and James - Tolerton in 1811. Tolerton was one of the early school teachers in Salem.

Perry township was organized in 1832, be- ing named in honor of the hero of Lake Erie. Joseph . Wright, Thomas Webb and Joseph England, with Dr. Benjamin Stanton (treas- urer) and Benjamin Hawley (clerk), were the first trustees in 1833.

The village of Salem was laid out in 1806, the original plat being recorded on May 6th of that year. The plat was made and the first town lots sold by John Straughan and Zadok Street. The village was named after Salem, New Jersey, from which place the Street fam- ily had migrated. Other plats were made soon after, lots sold readily and houses were built in, for those early days, quick succession. In 1807 the first Friends' Meeting House was built. It was a log structure. But in 1808 Samuel Davis donated two acres on the north side of Main street, and Israel Gaskell the same amount on the south side, for sites for a meet- ing house and a graveyard. In 1808-09 a new Friends' Meeting House was built on the al- lotment on the south side of Main street .. Mack's history says of Salem in 1809: "Com- ing from the south the first house was Israel Gaskell's, situated where Zadok Street's now stands on Lisbon street (Lincoln avenue). The log cabin of Samuel Davis could be seen to the northwest. Turning into Main street the first building was Price Blake's log cabin, used as an inn. Adjoining it was the Friends' Meeting House of brick; further west lived Zadok Street, in a log cabin in which he kept a store. Robert French lived on the north

side of Main street and James and Barzilli French lived northward about a mile. John Straughan's home was on the south side of Main street. Jonathan Evans lived just east of Gaskill's."

The town of Salem was incorporated by act of assembly, passed January 8, 1830. In 1842 it contained a population of 1.000. The town government. then consisted of a president, a recorder and five trustees. John Campbell was the first president.

SALEM'S EARLY-DAY INDUSTRIES.

The first number of the Salem l'illage Reg- ister, issued April 12, 1842, gives this descrip- tion of the town as it then appeared: "Salem is situated about 60 miles west of Pittsburg, and near the same distance south of Lake Erie. It contains a population of more than 1,000, and is located in the midst of a well-improved farming district. It is pleasantly situated on a slight elevation, but the country around is for the most part comparatively level. It was laid out some 35 years since, but has improved more rapidly of late than formerly. Most of the houses are frame, though a considerable num- ber are brick. It contains two woolen manu- factories, one foundry, thirteen stores (mostly extensive), six or seven drug-shops and gro- ceries, three taverns, one tin shop, one watch- maker-shop, two hatter-shops, seven tailor- shops, one coverlet-weaver, one stocking- weaver and other weaving establishments, four cabinetmakers' shops, nine boot and shoe shops, five coachmakers' shops, ten blacksmith shops, twenty-five or thirty carpenters, two chairmakers, and numerous other workshops and mechanics of various kinds; also three lawyers and four physicians, six houses of wor- ship and five schools." An omission in the first number of the paper was supplied in the second, by the addition of an "extensive plow- making establishment, three saddler and har- ness-making shops, affording employment to six or seven hands ; one 'whitesmith,' one dent- ist, one cooper-shop, one mowing-machine es- tablishment. One of the woolen manufactories. furnishes employment to near 40 hands."

A report to the Auditor of State in 1887 gives these statistics of "Salem Manufactures.

318

HISTORY OF COLUMBIANA COUNTY

and Employees" for the year preceding-the figures representing the number of men em- ployed in each case: "J. Woodruff & Sons, stoves, 72; Victor Stove Company, stoves. 52; W. J. Clark & Company, step-ladders, screens, etc., 12; Boyle & Carey, stoves, 26; Bakewell & Mullins, sheet metal works, 100; W. J. Clark & Company, sheet metal works, 32; Purdy, Baird & Company, sewer-pipe, 6; Sa- lem Lumber Company, sash, doors, etc., 10; J. B. McNab, canned goods, 16; Salem Steel Wire Company, steel wire, etc., 350; Silver & Deming Manufacturing Company, pumps, feed cutters, etc., 170; Buckeye Mills, 4: S. L. Shanks & Company, steam boilers, 17; Buckeye Engine Company, engines, etc., 181 ; Salem Plow Company, 12; M. L. Edwards Manufacturing Company, butchers' and black- smiths' tools, 15; Stanley & Company, flour, etc., 6; Carl Barckhoff, church organs, 35." It will be seen by a comparison of these statistics with those given of Salem industries of 1905, in this and other chapters, that there had been a substantial growth of business in 18 years.

MODERN SALEM

In 1905 Salem, with a population of 9,000 in round numbers (in 1900 it was 7,582, and in 1890, 5,780, according to the census of those years ), was one of the most beautiful residence cities in Eastern Ohio; with more miles of well-paved and shaded streets than any other city in the county, handsome schoolhouses and comfortable, plain though neat church build- ings, extensive and excellent stores, and a di- versity of prosperous manufactories equaled by but few cities in the State. Most of the lat- ter have been referred to in the chapters in this work on manufactories and mills, while some reference to the more important of those not there mentioned will follow :

The Grove Company, manufacturers of chewing gum, organized in 1890 and built a fine three-story factory building on Broadway. In 1905 the company was employing 125 peo- ple. S. Grove, Jr., was president ; P. L. Grove, vice-president, and E. G. Grove, secretary and treasurer.

J. B. McNab embarked in the fruit can- ning business in 1875, and added the manu- facture of artificial ice in 1891. He was em- ploying from 12 to 15 men in 1905.

The Salem Lumber Company was estab- lished in 1900. In 1905 the company was em- ploying 20 men. W. D. King, president; F. L. Stewart, secretary.

Wetzel, Leiner & Company had been in the lumber and planing-mill business a number of years, when, in 1904, they were burned out. They were succeeded by the People's Lumber Company, with W. W. Henry, as president ; D. A. Wilhelm, secretary and treasurer, and James Wetzel, general manager. The com- pany in 1905 employed 18 men.

In the early '80's Carl Barckhoff established a church organ factory in Salem, which at one time in its history employed 30 or 35 men. About' 1896 Barckhoff went out of business. The Wirsching Church Organ Company was established in 1887, with the following offi- cers : Charles C. Snyder, president : Philip Wirsching, vice-president and general man- ager ; Warren W. Hole, secretary and Sheldon Park, treasurer. Mr. Wirsching had been em- ployed for some years at organ building in Wurzburg. Bavaria, and other European coun- tries. After the company had operated about 10 years, Mr. Wirsching succeeded to the busi- ness and continued until 1904, when his fac- tory was destroyed by fire. A stock company was organized, which was incorporated Feb- ruary 6, 1905, with a capital stock of $30,000. The company erected new buildings, and early in the summer of 1905 was again operating, giving employment at the outstart to 25 men. The company builds church and chamber pipe organs of a high grade, and was in the summer of 1905 engaged in building some large and expensive instruments, with the most modern appliances. The officers of the company were : William L. Deming, president; Philip Wirsch- ing, vice-president and superintendent, and W. W. Mulford, secretary and treasurer.

SALEM'S FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.

The Farmers' Bank of Salem was chartered in conformity with the laws of the State, and

319

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

commenced business in 1846, with a capital of $100,000 and 103 stockholders. Simeon Jennings was the first president; he was, suc- ceeded by J. J. Brooks, and the latter, in turn, by his son, J. Twing Brooks, in 1862. In 1855 when the Farmers' Bank was a branch of the State Bank of Ohio, the report shows a return valuation, for purposes of taxation, on notes and bills discounted, moneys and other taxable property, $348,224; penalty added by auditor, $174,112; total taxable valuation, $522,336; and the entire taxes assessed thereon, $6,999.30 This was the year following the one in which the' treasurer and sheriff of the county visited this bank to demand the payment of taxes assessed under a law afterward set aside as un- constitutional and finally repealed. The de- mand being refused by the cashier, the county officers used a crowbar to unlock the safe ; failing to find any money in it, they made a search and found some bags of coin in a flue from which they secured the amount of taxes. This resulted in a suit which culminated in favor of the officers of the bank. In 1865 the Farmers' Bank was reorganized as a national bank, with J. Twing Brooks as president and R. V. Hampson as cashier. Mr. Hampson had entered the Farmers' Bank in 1855 as teller, became cashier in 1858, and upon the death of Mr. Brooks, in 1901, succeeded the latter as president of the Farmers' National Bank. The officers in 1905 were: R. V. Hampson, presi- dent : WV. B. Carey, cashier. The statement of the bank May 29, 1905, showed the condition of the bank to be: Capital stock, $200,000; surplus fund, $40,000; total resources, $624,- 505. The directors were: R. V. Hampson, L. 1 .. Gilbert, M. L. Young, J. R. Carey and W. F. Deming.

The First National Bank was organized and commenced business in 1862. The first president was Alexander Pow : the first cashier Henry J. Stauffer. At Mr. Pow's death in 1870. Furman Gee was elected president and served until his death January 2, 1901, when Richard Pow succeeded him. Richard Pow has been cashier of the bank continuously from 1870 to 1901, and when he succeeded to the ¡ residency, his son, Frederic R. Pow, became

cashier. . In 1905-at the close of business May 29th-the condition of the bank was shown to be: Capital stock, $100,000; sur- plus and undivided profits, $75,000; total re- sources, $645,860. The officers were: Rich- ard Pow, president; J. A. Ambler, vice-presi- dent ; Frederic R. Pow, cashier ; directors- Richard Pow, J. A. Ambler, W. H. Mullins, J. R. Vernon and -J. M. Woodruff.

Thomas & Greiner began a private banking business in 1853 ; they were succeeded in 1864 by Hiram Greiner; in 1866 the firm was Greiner & Boon, and in 1871 H. Greiner & Son. In 1903 the last named firm wound up its business. The same year the Citizens' Sav- ings Bank & Trust Company was organized and commenced business. In 1905 the new concern was in a handsome new bank building of its own. The company's statement Octo- ber 3. 1904, showed : Capital stock, $50,000; undivided profits, net $4,966; total resources, $298,808. The officers in 1905 were: Joseph O. Greiner, president; L. H. Kirkbride, vice- president ; H. A. Greiner, secretary and treas- urer ; directors, Ira F. Brainard, J. C. Boone, WV. J. Clark, Joseph O. Greiner, L. H. Kirk- bride, E. W. Silver and H. A. Greiner.

Hanna & Kridler, since 1890, in connec- tion with their real estate transactions, had been doing a savings and loan business. They were a branch of the Indemnity Savings & Loan Company of Cleveland. They reported an an- nual local business in 1904 and 1905 of from $150,000 to $200,000.

The Salem Savings & Loan Association was organized in 1891. Its 13th annual state- ment, December 31, 1904, showed resources to the amount of $67,655.89. The directors were: L. H. Kirkbride (president), J. M. Woodruff ( vice-president ), J. E. McNeelan, C. C. Campbell, H. M. Silver, L. H. Dobbins, S. Grove, Jr., and S. ,W. Ramsey (secretary ).

The Ohio Mutual Insurance Company was incorporated in 1870, with a capital of $20,000, and' commenced business in 1871. The first officers were: Marius R. Robinson, president : Eli Sturgeon, treasurer ; J. R. Vernon, secre- tary. The company was reorganized in 1876. Its line of business is fire insurance only. and

320

HISTORY OF COLUMBIANA COUNTY

it operates wholly in Ohio. According to its statement of January 1, 1905, its total cash assets were $56,908.92; cash surplus, $56,- 447.68; total assets, including premium notes, $856,648.92. Its officers and directors for 1905 were : J. R. Vernon (president and man- ager), J. M. Woodruff (vice-president ), J. Ambler (secretary), Richard Pow. (treas- urer), Hon. Henry Bohl, Columbus, D. Bach- elder, Galion, C. C. Snyder and L. H. Brush.

EARLY MEETING HOUSES IN SALEM AND PERRY TOWNSHIP.

For 15 years or more after the first settle- ment of what was to be Salem and Perry town- ship, the early settlers being chiefly members of the Society of Friends, there was no other form of public worship than theirs. The first Friends' Meeting House, a log building, as has already been stated was erected in 1807. A Quarterly Meeting was then formed and made 'a branch of the Baltimore Yearly Meeting. In 1808 the first brick meeting house was built. In 1828 the Society of Friends became divided into two factions. The "Orthodox" party held the meeting house and property on Main street. The "Hicksites," the other faction, held the less valuable property, with a small house on Green street. In 1845 the large frame house on Ellsworth avenue, which the Hicksite Friends still used in 1905, was built, and in that year the Yearly Meeting was first held here. Since that time it has been held alter- nate years here and in Mount Pleasant, Jeffer- son County. In the summer of 1905 it was held in Salem, in the old meeting house built in 1845. "In 1845," says Hunt's history of Salem, "another division occurred in the So- ciety of Friends. Some years before, Joseph John Gurney, an English Friend, came over and went through most of the American meet- ings, and preached in a manner that set the people thinking. Many believed that he preached the truth, and there were many that regarded him as getting away from the Friends' standards. One John Wilbur, an American Friend, opposed him. This led to a division : and for a distinction, the parties got

the names of 'Gurneyites' and 'Wilburites.' But they both ignore the names as applied to their respective parties. By a compromise, during about 18 years, both parties held their meetings at different hours on Sabbath days, and mid- week meetings on different days, in the Dry street house. Then the Wilbur Friends built a commodious meeting house on East Sixth street in 1872. During many years the Friends had more influence in Salem than all the other denominations combined. . During late years other denominations have increased in numbers and gained influence. The Friends diminished, and much of their former influence is gone from them. Lately the Gurney party have taken to them the name of the Friends' 'Church.' The body here has done much to sustain service and gain converts. In this ca- pacity Willis Hotchkiss, Joseph Peele, Edgar Ellyson and Fred J. Cope have labored with manifest results." In 1905 Mrs. Elizabeth Ward was pastor of this (the Dry street) church or, as they are sometimes yet styled, the Gurney branch. Neither the Ellsworth ave- nue (the Hicksite) nor the East Sixth street (Wilbur) meetings had a local pastor. . These branches have ministers connected with their annual and quarterly meetings, but not settled pastors over their local meetings.

Methodist Episcopal Church of Salem .- In 1821 a class of nine persons was formed in Salem, consisting of Thomas Kelly and wife, John Flitcraft, Edward . Rynear and wife, Thomas Webb and wife, David Hum and James W. Leach. The services were held mostly at the house of Thomas Kelly, who was leader. In 1821 Samuel Brockonier, of the Beaver circuit, preached at Salem. The circuit was afterward changed to New Lisbon, then to Hanover, Lima and . Salem, respect- ively. In 1852, petition being made to the conference, Salem was made a separate station, with Rev. J. W. Nessiey as first pastor. In 1823 they built their first log house of worship, which was succeeded by a larger one in 1837, which they used until 1859, when they dis- posed of this to the Disciples, and built the brick edifice on Broadway still in use in 1905. Some of the early pastors were : Revs. Samuel

AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS.

320

Crouse, Aaron Thomas, J. A. Swaney, Will- iam Cox, Hiram Miller and J. M. Bray. Since 1870 the pastors of the church have been : Revs. William Lynch, 1870-73; Thomas N. Boyle, 1873-75; John Grant, 1875-76; W. A. Davidson, 1876-79; J. C. Sullivan, 1879-82; J. M. Carr, 1882-85 ; J. Brown, 1885-87 ; Ezra Hingeley, 1887-89; G. A. Simon, 1889-94; W. H. Haskell, 1894-95 ; J. B. Youmans, 1895- 97 ; C. B. Henthorn, 1897-1900; H. W. Dewey 1900-04; and Morris Floyd, whose term began in 1904 and who was the incumbent in 1905. The membership in 1900 was 740. In 1890 the congregation purchased a residence prop- erty on Lincoln avenue for a parsonage, pay- ing therefor about $4,500.

The Presbyterian Church of Salem was or- ganized in 1832. Rev. Clement Vallandigham and other members of the Presbytery of New Lisbon had preached in Salem at long inter- vals for a number of years previous. On No- vember 3, 1832, Rev. Mr. Vallandigham, by appointment of the presbytery, presided at a meeting designated for organization. Twenty persons were then received 'on certificate as follows: Hugh Stewart, Ruel Wright, George Ehrich, N. McCracken, John Martin, James Wilson, Terah Jones, John Wilson, William Martin, Hugh Martin, Agnes Stewart, Agnes Wilson, Mary Ehrich, Elizabeth McCracken, Martha T. Martin, Rebecca P. Campbell, Mar- tha Wilson, Jane Martin, Elizabeth Wright, William Martin. James Wilson, Nathaniel McCracken and Hugh Stewart were chosen elders. The society first worshiped in a wagon shop on Main street. The first house of wor- ship was built in 1842, which, 18 years later, was sold and removed to Race street, where it was used for many years as a dwelling house. The first year after this house was built it was unplastered and plank and slab seats were used. In 1860-61 the house on East Green street, still used by the congregation, was built at a cost of about $10,000. Rev. Clement Vallan- digham was pastor until the year of his death, 1839. He was succeeded by Rev. William Mc- Combs, who remained until 1852. Other pas- tors of the church in their order have been: Revs. J. S. 'Grimes, A. B. Maxwell, H. B. Fry,

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Columbiana County, Ohio and representative citizens, Part 44

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