History of Columbiana County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 47

Author: D. W. Ensign & Co.
Publication date: 1879
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 541

USA > Ohio > Columbiana County > History of Columbiana County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 47

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).

1878 .- Mayor, M. H. Foutts; Clerk, A. H. Clark; Councilmen, S. Cartwright, W. S. George, George Morley, J. K. Farmer, Jesse Crozall, C. Metsch.

1879 .- Mayor, M. H. Foutts; Clerk, A. H. Clark; Councilmen, O. Metsch, H. H. Surles, R. Thomas, William Cartwright, .W. H. Vodrey, John N. Taylor.

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HISTORY OF COLUMBIANA COUNTY, OHIO.

CHURCHES.

In the early days of the town's settlement, the privileges of religious worship were very few and far between. Oc- casional journeys to far-distant churches or places of meeting, over rudely-broken roads, or rare opportunities to listen to some circuit rider or itinerant preacher nearer home, comprised about all the advantages the early settler had to pursue his religious education.

Ministers from Virginia used to visit the settlement, and once in a while a roving preacher from other parts would tarry over Sunday and hold service in some settler's rude habitation, so that the pioneers were happily not absolutely cut off from the public worship of God.

The earliest preacher of whom there is any record or remembrance in Liverpool was Robert Dobbins, a Meth- odist circuit rider, living in Yellow Creek, or what is now Yellow Creek township. Mr. Dobbins preached in Liver- pool as early as 1800, and perhaps before. After him the earliest preachers were Thomas E. Hughes and John Scott, both Presbyterians.

THE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH

was organized in 1834 or '35, with about 15 members, and in the latter part of 1834 a frame church-building was erected on Fourth Street. The first rector was Rev. Thomas Mitchell, whose successors have been Revs. Thomas Adderly, James Goodwin, Edmund Christian, - Butler, T. K. Rodgers, T. K. Coleman, - Mckay, - Gil- bert, and Philip McKim.

Mr. McKim (who preaches also at Wellsville) was the rector May 1, 1879, when the church membership numbered about 30, the attendants about 150, and the Sunday-school membership 125.

A fine brick house of worship is now in progress of construction, on a site adjoining the old church-building, and will be occupied by the society in the autumn of 1879. The cost of the new edifice, fully completed, will be $6000.

THE FIRST CATHOLIC CHURCH

erected in East Liverpool was a brick structure, built in 1838, upon the lot which is now occupied by the pottery of Vodrey Bros. The building was destroyed by fire directly after it was finished and before public worship was held therein.

After that the Catholics had occasional' worship in pri- vate dwellings until 1852, when the present Catholic church on Fifth Street was built. Services were held in it once a month by priests sent from Summitville, until 1876, when Rev. P. J. McGuire (who for eight years had supplied Wellsville and East Liverpool) was permanently stationed at East Liverpool, and has since then served the church. The church is fairly prosperous, and has about 350 attendants.

THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF EAST LIVERPOOL was organized Jan. 31, 1845, with the following members : Nancy Mckinnon, Elizabeth Fisher, Sarah Hill, Eliza F. Hill, Wm. Miller, Nancy Riley, Belinda Riley, Nancy Riley, Jr., Anna E. Lewis, Josiah. Scott, Jr., Susanna

Scott, Sarah Scott, and Mary Gibson. Eliza F. Hill-now Mrs. T. Blythe -- is still a member of the church. To the above eight others were added a few days afterwards.

The ruling elders were Michael Mckinnon, John Fisher, Sanford C. Hill, and trustees, R. S. Irwin, Andrew Blythe, and M. Mckinnon, Jr. In addition to the above, the ruling elders have been John McCamon, J. W. Gaston, J. H. Lowe, Thos. Blythe, J. D. Corey, Jas. Logan, T. B. Harrison, John Smith, Henry Agner, N. B. Hickman, John Smith, Jr. The acting ruling elders at present are J. W. Gaston, T. B. Harrison, N. B. Hickman, Wm. Fisher, George Morton, and J. M. Aten. The deacons are Henry Agner, M. S. Hill, Sam'l Beale, Frank Crox- all, and F. McHenry, and the trustees, Bernard Walper, S. J. Richards, Frank Croxall, Wm. Morrow, Jas. Allison, and F. D. Kitchell.

The Rev. Reuben Lewis was the first minister to preach for the church, although he officiated only as stated supply, and, in turn, stated supplies were provided by Revs. T. P. Gordon, John Moore, W. W. Lanertz, and Wm. Dickson.

The first pastor, Rev. G. W. Riggle, was installed July, 1867. He was succeeded February, 1877, by Rev. S. H. Mckown, who was in December, 1877, followed by Rev. T. N. Milligan, the present pastor, installed January 15, 1878.

The first church-building, erected in 1848, is now used as a store at the corner of Third and Jackson Streets. The new brick edifice on Fourth Street was built in 1869. The church membership is now 306, and the church, free from debt, is in a highly prosperous condition.

THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF EAST LIVERPOOL

dates its organization from about the year 1827, but upon that head, as well as upon others touching the history of the church, the chronicler is able to treat only with that approximation to certainty gained from oral testimony, since the early church records are lost. From the best evi- dence obtainable, however, the church was organized in 1827 at the house of Claiburn Simms, Sr., in Liverpool, by Rev. George Brown, who became afterwards president of the Reformed Methodist church.

There was Methodist preaching in East Liverpool long before that date, however, for, as already related in the early history of Liverpool, Robert Dobbins, a Methodist circuit rider, came as early as 1799, and preached in and about what is now East Liverpool.

It was the custom then for the minister to send a pre- liminary notice that he would preach the ensuing Sunday at some certain citizen's house, and intelligence of this fact would be disseminated through the community as it best could be.

There were but eight or ten original members of the church, among them being Claiburn Simms, Sr., Henry Kountz, Mary Ann Simms, Mary Simms, and Elisabeth Simms. Henry Kountz was one of the first class-leaders, if not the very first. William Smith was also a class-leader about that time.

Upon the erection of the old log school-house upon the site of the present common-school building in East Liver- pool, the Methodists held religious services therein, and

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TOWNSHIP OF LIVERPOOL.

began to have worship more frequently than before, when log cabins of the settlers did duty as churches and preach- ing was seldom obtained.

About this time Jesse Johnson was class-leader and exhorter, and Isaac Johnson, John Martin, and Abram Davidson were class-leaders.

The first church-building was erected upon the lot now occupied by the Methodist Episcopal church. It was a brick structure of plain construction, but it was not thought to be well built, and after standing eight years was demolished, and replaced in 1845 by a somewhat more pretentious edifice. This church was succeeded in 1874 by the tine house of worship now in use, commonly known as the 'Tabernacle, and erected at a total cost of $70,000. The church is in a highly prosperous condition, has a membership of 400, and owns, besides the church-building, a handsome brick parsonage.

The names of the pastors who have occupied the pulpit since 1854 are Revs. Andrew Huston, F. B. Fast, D. B. Campbell, H. W. Baker, A. Baker, J. M. Carr, E. Williams, M. W. Dallas, A. W. Taylor, W. D. Stevens, W. Smith,. M. S. Kendig, W. Brown, G. A. Lowman, George Crook, A. Scott, W. P. Turner, E. Hingely, A. W. Butts, and S. Burt, the latter being the present pastor,-May, 1879.

THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF EAST LIVERPOOL was organized in 1851 or 1852, under the direction of the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Presbytery of Steubenville, and in connection with that denomination continued until the union of the churches forming the United Presbyterian church in 1858. The original members numbered 18, and were as follows : Alexander Young, George Anderson, Mrs. Isabel Anderson, Mrs. Mary Anderson, Nancy J. Anderson, Wil- liam Blythe, Mrs. Harriet Blythe, William Dever, Mrs. Nancy Dever, Mrs. Mary Marks, Alfred B. Marks, Miss Elsina Marks, Mrs. Finley, Miss Rebecca Finley, James McCormick, Mrs. Ellen McCormick, James Gibson, Mrs. Gibson. Of the foregoing, who are living, George and Mrs. Isabel Anderson, William and Harriet Blythe, Mrs. Nancy Dever, Alfred Marks, Miss Rebecca Finley, and Mr. and Mrs. James McCormick are still members of the church. Miss Elsina Marks is a member of the Presby- terian church of East Liverpool.

Rev. S. W. Clark, pastor of a church in St. Clair town- ship, preached occasionally to the Presbyterians in East Liverpool before the organization of the church in 1851, and after that date served the church as its pastor until the union of the churches.

For a year or two the congregation worshiped in the town school-house and in various churches, but in 1854 built and occupied a frame edifice at the corner of Fifth and Market Streets, now occupied as a store. In 1876 the present house of worship was begun, and Sept. 8, 1878, was formally dedicated and occupied. It occupies a corner of Fifth and Market Streets, and cost $16,000.

The pastors who served the church after Mr. Martin were Rev. Thos. Andrews (in whose time the church was united in a pastoral charge with the church at Calcutta), J. W. Martin (who served the Caleutta church as well until 1867), and J. C. Taggart. The latter is the pastor now in

charge, and has filled the office since May, 1869. Three hundred and twenty-four members have been connected with the church since its organization, and of these 166 were on the roll May 1, 1879. During Mr. Taggart's pas- torate the church has raised for congregational and mission- ary purposes $30,000. When he began his labors the membership was 95. Since then 168 have been added, 21 have died, und 76 have been dismissed.

THE FIRST METHODIST PROTESTANT CHURCH OF EAST LIVERPOOL

was organized in May, 1855, by Rev. E. A. Brindley, of Wellsville. The original members numbered 11, and until 1857 services were held in Bradshaw's Hall, on Broadway. In that year the church purchased the Sons of Temperance hall, which then occupied on Fifth Street the site whereon stands the new church-edifice. There they worshiped until May, 1879, when the present fine church-building- begun May, 1878-was completed and occupied. It is an imposing brick structure, and cost about $10,000.

This church was originally attached to the Muskingum Conference, whence, in 1871, it was transferred to the Pittsburgh Conference. The membership is now 200, and that of the Sunday-school about the same.

The church has been served by pastors as follows : Revs. E. A. Brinley, Win. Hastings, Geo. Burns, Wm. Case, John Hodgkinson, J. H. Hull, Henry Palmer, J. B. Lu- cas, the latter, who began his pastorate in 1877, being in charge May, 1879.

THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN ST. JOHN'S CHURCH (GERMAN)

is an outgrowth of two German religious organizations (the Reformed Protestant and Evangelical Lutheran) whose mem- bers enjoyed occasional worship in East Liverpool as early 18 1854. They employed preachers in common, and met in school-houses and dwellings as convenience served. Rev. Mr. Lenakemper preached for them about four years after 1854, and then for several years they had no meetings. About 1864 there was a revival of interest, and meetings were resumed under the ministrations of Rev. Henry Reit, who, remaining two years, was succeeded by Rev. Geiser, professor of theology at the Phillipsburg, Pa., College. During his pastorate the organizations joined in the erec- tion of the brick edifice on Third Street known as the Ger- mau Lutheran church, and since 1867 have worshiped there. Following Mr. Geiser have been Revs. Steinbach, John Fritsch, George Becker, - Born, M. Keugler, and John Fritsch, for a second term. The latter is now the pastor, and preaches also at New Castle. The present membership is 15.

Of other denominations, passing mention may be made that up to 1877, the sect called Disciples or Campbellites flourished for some years and held regular worship, but latterly, as indicated, have declined in numerical strength.

For a few years also, to 1878, one Andrew Rattra, a Mor- mon elder and a resident of East Liverpool, gathered a chosen band within his fold, and held weekly services in a meeting-house which he had fashioned out of his stable on Seventh Street. He discontinued his services in 1878, and

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HISTORY OF COLUMBIANA COUNTY, OHIO.

the church was then converted into a dwelling. The elder continues his labors elsewhere, however, traveling about the country and teaching the Mormon doctrine, although his residence is still at East Liverpool.

SCHOOLS.

The first school-teacher in East Liverpool of whom there is any recollection seems to have been one Tera Jones, an Irishman, who taught perhaps before the year 1820, in a log school-house erected about that year, by individual sub- scription, on a lot north of the village, near the house of Bazalcel Simms.

The school-house was a remarkably primitive structure, and, in lieu of glass window-panes, had upon the south and west sides paper-covered openings, through which light was admitted .. The seats were rough boards, and a wide board laid upon wooden pins below the " paper" window- panes served as a common desk. Tera Jones taught a select school there about twelve years, and after him James Smith, William Smith (called Bill Smith the Yankee), and William Taggart also taught there.

Later, on the lot now occupied by the common school (donated for school purposes by Fawcett, Moore, and Pem-

berton, when they laid out the town in 1816), a hewn log school-house was erected, and in that school Sanford C. Hill was a teacher.

In 1848 a "red-brick' school-house succeeded the old log cabin on the same site, and in that year a common school was organized with A. H. Martin as teacher. Wil- liam C. Orr taught the school in 1852, and following him were Messrs. Fast, Ogle, Luckey, Norris, Borton, Cameron, Gillespie, Crawford, Miss Gaston, and Messrs. Erskine, Hastings, and Burns.

In 1869 the present imposing common-school building was erected at a cost, including furniture, etc., of $35,000, and in 1870 was opened under the direction of Prof. T. Duncan.

The superintendent's report for the year ending Ang. 31, 1878, gave the departments as follows: high-school, gram- mar-school, third intermediate, second intermediate, first intermediate, with seven primary departments, and an average daily attendance of 441, out of an enumeration- between the ages of six and twenty-one-of 1103.

Apart from the town the township has four district schools, with an enrollment of 252 scholars. The cost of the four schools in 1878 was $1485.15.

PHENIX POTTERY.

PHOENIX POTTERY, WILLIAM BRUNT, JR., & CO., EAST LIVERPOOL, OHIO.

INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS. THE EAST LIVERPOOL POTTERIES.

The most important interest of East Liverpool is the man- ufacture of pottery, in which respect the town is conspicuous for being the place where yellow-ware was first made in America, and as the point where the annual production of crockery surpasses in value that of any town in the United States.

The founder of this branch of industry in East Liver- pool, and in the United States as well, was James Bennett, an Englishman, who in 1839 emigrated from Wooden-Box, Derbyshire, England (where he was a " packer" in a yellow- ware pottery), to America. Traveling late in 1839 from Cincinnati afoot through Ohio in search of employment, Bennett tarried en route at East Liverpool, and, discovering thereabouts the presence of clay well adapted to the pro- duction of yellow-ware, he conceived the idea of engaging in the manufacture of that article. He had no means of

his own, but, interesting Messrs. Anthony Kearns and Benjamin Harker in his behalf, he was enabled, with their assistance, to build a small pottery, 40 by 20, and to enter at once upon the matter in hand. In building the kiln Bennett had the assistance of Geo. Hollingsworth and Geo. Thomas. This pottery was near the river, at the foot of Second Street, and in 1853 was purchased by Mr. I. W. Knowles, who transferred the most of the structure to the pottery now occupied by Knowles, Taylor & Knowles. The ground upon which it stood has since been washed into the river.

Bennett burned his first kiln (mostly mugs) in 1840, and of that kiln I. W. Knowles purchased two crates of glost-ware, which he took down the river on a trading-boat. Bennett himself took out the balance of the kiln in wagons and peddled it through the country, clearing eventually i net profit of $250 on his first kiln.

From an old account-book kept by Benjamin Harker, it

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LITTLE

Jsave Wknowles- JanineTaylor

The East Liverpool Pottery Works of Knowles, Tay- lor & Knowles were established in 1853 by Isaac W. Knowles and Isaac A. Harvey, for the manufacture of Rock- ingham- and yellow-ware. In 1867, Mr. Knowles purchased the interest of Mr. Harvey, and continued the business alone until 1872, at which time he associated with him in the bus- iness his son-in-law, John N. Taylor, and his son, H. S. Knowles, under the firm-name of Knowles, Taylor & Knowles, who continued the manufacture of Rockingham- and yellow-ware until the spring of 1873, they commencing, meanwhile, in Sep- tember, 1872, the manufacture of white granite ware, in connec- tion with their other business.

In the spring of 1873 they re- fitted their entire works through- out, made extensive improve- ments, added a decorating department, and from that -

Helt howles .

three kilns, necessary warehouses, shops, machinery, etc. -to the exclusive manufacture of white granite and decorated ware. This was the beginning of the white granite business in East Liverpool. In 1876 they again enlarged their pottery by adding two large kilns, necessary buildings, ma- chinery, etc., and increasing their capacity to about 5000 casks of white granite and dec- orated goods per annum.

Isaac W. Knowles was born in Beaver Co., Pa., in 1819, and came to East Liverpool in 1832. He was the inventor and patentee of many of the appliances and labor-saving machinery now in use in the business.

John N. Taylor was born in Jefferson County in 1842, and came to East Liverpool in 1849. H. S. Knowles was born in East Liverpool in 1851.

time forward devoted their works-consisting then of

The members of this firm are all Americans, and their goods are all sold under their copyrighted trade-mark.

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TOWNSHIP OF LIVERPOOL.

appears that Mr. Harker sold Bennett considerable clay in 1840. G. D. Mckinnon, now living at East Liverpool,

Edwin, and William, who, with Edward Tunnicliff, a dish- maker, joined him in that year. The brothers continued to

POTTERY WORKS OF GEORGE 8. HARKER & CO., EAST LIVERPOOL, OHIO.

claims that he leased Bennett a piece of land in 1840, and that from that land Bennett obtained the clay for his first kiln. Whether it was Harker's clay or Mckinnon's clay

make yellow-ware until 1845, when they removed to Bir- mingham, Pa., and engaged in the manufacture of ware, at which they grew wealthy.

POTTERY WORKS OF KNOWLES, TAYLOR & KNOWLES, EAST LIVERPOOL, OHIO.

that was burned in Bennett's first kiln appears, therefore, to be an open question.

Meanwhile, James Salt, Jos. Ogden, Frederick Mear, and John Hancock rented the Mansion House property in

PG11/

LITTLE

DRESDEN POTTERY, BRUNT, BLOOR, MARTIN & CO., EAST LIVERPOOL, OHIO.

In 1841, Bennett was getting on famously in the busi- 1842, and established the pottery now occupied by Orozall ness, and sent out to England for his brothers, Daniel, & Cartwright.

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HISTORY OF COLUMBIANA COUNTY, OHIO.

John Goodwin, the next potter, had been an employee of Bennett, and, renting a warehouse on Market Street,

Wm. Brunt, Sr., began to make yellow-ware in 1847, in the pottery now occupied by Henry Brunt & Son. The

EAGLE POTTERY, S. & W. BAGGOTT, EAST LIVERPOOL, OHIO.

established the pottery now owned by S. & W. Baggott. sites now occupied by the potteries of Wm. Brunt, Jr., &

In 1840, Benjamin Harker operated a pottery (the next Co., West, Hardwick & Co., and Vodrey Bros. were in

RIVERSIDE KNOB MANIFE CON HENR BRUNT & SON

RIVERSIDE KNOB MANUFACTURING CO., HENRY BRUNT & SON. Plain and Ornamented, Jet Black and Mineral Door, Shutter, and Furniture Knobs. Foot of Market St., East Liverpool, Ohio.

after Bennett's) in an old log house on the site now occu- pied by Geo. S. Harker & Co. Later, on the same spot, Geo. S. Harker and Jas. Taylor started a pottery.

1850 covered by the pottery of Woodward, Blakely & Co., who began business in that year. Thomas Croxall & Bros. purchased the pottery of the

DECORATING ESTABLISHMENT OF THOMAS HADEN. China and Queensware, Seventh St., East Liverpool, Ohio.

The Jas. Taylor referred to went from East Liverpool to Trenton, N. J., with Henry Speiler, and with him built the first pottery seen in Trenton.

Bennett Bros. upon the removal of the latter to Birming- ham, and operated it some years. The extensive pottery of Knowles, Taylor & Knowles

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TOWNSHIP OF LIVERPOOL.

183

was founded by Isaso W. Knowles in 1853. In 1870 this firm began the manufacture of white-ware, and were first, after Wm. Bloor, in the making of that ware in East Liv- erpool, the productions previous to that date having been confined to Rockingham- and yellow-ware.

twenty-four potteries, with sixty-seven kilns, employing two thousand people,-men, women, and children,-to whom the money disbursed for wages aggregates $20,000 weekly.

Pottery is now produced at this point to the value of about $1,500,000 per annum. From present indications,

JOHN F. STEELE'S DECORATING ESTABLISHMENT.

China, Table, and Toilet Ware. Designs of every variety. College St., East Liverpool, Ohio.

In 1860, Wm. Bloor, who, with Wm. Brunt, had been engaged in making door-knobs, experimented in the manu- facture of porcelain in East Liverpool, and, according to the opinions of old potters now there, succeeded in making an excellent grade of goods. His effort was, however, but an experiment,-his being the second attempt to make porce- lain in this country,-and, the civil war of 1861 setting in before he had fairly tested the matter, he became finan- cially embarrassed, and, his limited capital giving out, he was compelled to abandon the undertaking, although author- ities agree that if he had had more extensive means to tide him over the crisis he would have achieved a financial, as he did an artistic, success. His pottery was where the pot- tery of Wm. Brunt, Jr., & Co. is now located.

Appended will be found a list of firms now engaged in potting at East Liverpool :

Firm Name.

Kind of Ware.

No. of Kilns.

Wm. Brunt, Jr., & Co.

.Stone-China.

Homer Laughlin.

Knowles, Taylor & Knowles.

Brunt, Bloor, Martin & Co.

George S. Harker & Co ...

Godwin & Flentke.

John Wyllie & Son

Vodrey Bros ....

Benj. Harker & Sons.

C China.

West, Hardwick & Co.

Goodwin Bros ..

C. C. Thompson & Co.

Yellow-Ware.

Crozall & Cartwright".

Agner, Foutts & Co.

8. & W. Baggott

Manley, Cartwright & Co.

MoNichol, Burton & Co .....:

6€

Flentke, Harrison & Co.

Bulger & Worcester.

MoDevitt & Moore.

Burford Bros ..

C China

H. Brunt & Son.

Brown Door-Knobs.

Richard Thomas & Son

Total number of kilns.

There are now (May 1, 1879) located at East Liverpool

. Two potteries.

this production will be largely increased within the next twelvemonth, since many of the potteries are projecting material additions to their works, while the erection of one or two new potteries is confidently expected.

The process by which white-ware of the kind known as stone-china is manufactured is substantially as follows : Certain proportions of the crude material being mixed in a vessel called a blunger or churn to the consistency of cream, the mixture is run into the sifters or bolters, which extract the grit, and, thence passing into a cistern, the ma- terial is pumped into hydraulic presses, where the liquid is forced out; and the clay, being then placed in a wedging- machine, comes out in blocks prepared for use. The next process is the pressing or moulding, and, after drying, the clay vessels are burned in the " bisque" kiln, where they remain about seventy hours. They are afterwards glazed by dipping them into a solution of feldspar, silica, carbonate of lead, borax, carbonate of lime, etc., and burned in the gloss-kiln, whence they are taken in a finished state, save such as are set apart for decorated wares. These latter, after being decorated, are burned a third time in a mufile- kiln, where the colors become fluxed and unite with the glaze. Subsequent burnishing with agate instruments com- pletes the work of decoration. For the manufacture of Rockingham- and yellow-ware the soil in the vicinity of Liverpool furnishes an abundance of clay; but in the manufacture of white-ware other portions of the country are called upon to supply the crude material, which con- sists chiefly of feldspar, flint, kaolin, and ball- or pipe-clay, gathered from Maine, Missouri, Delaware, and Pennsyl- vania.

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History of Columbiana County, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 47

Author: D. W. Ensign & Co. Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Number of Pages: 541

Author: D. W. Ensign & Co.
Publication date: 1879
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 541