History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Part 105

Author: Johnson, Crisfield
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott & Co.
Number of Pages: 716

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In 1840, the year of the great "Tippecanoe" cam- paign, two-thirds of the people of Chagrin Falls were Whigs, and nowhere was there more zeal in support- ing the Whig cause than there-in fact, Chagrin Falls has always been a very zealous place in regard to any question in which the people took an interest. When the Whigs of the Northwest held a grand meeting at Fort Meigs, the male portion of Chagrin Falls turned out almost en masse. Dr. Vincent was in command of a company of Whig ritlemen. The rest of the Whigs were going in their private capacity, most of them assuming a sort of Indian disguise to add to the hilarity of the occasion. So great was the excitement that most of the Democrats actually proposed to join the Indians and accompany them to the great pow- wow. The offer was promptly accepted, and there was hardly a man left at the Falls.

Four-horse, six-horse, and even eight-horse teams were provided to draw the crowd to Cleveland, where two-thirds of the voters of the county were assembled, whence they went by boat to the Maumee. The De- mocratie "Indians" of Chagrin Falls acted faithfully in accordance with the part they had assumed, enter- ing fully into the spirit of the occasion, and making no objection to the fieree assaults upon Democracy which resounded from the lips of eloquent orators. But when the procession returned to the Falls it halted on the top of the hill overlooking the village, and there these temporary Whigs drew off, gave one parting whoop for Old Tippecanoe, and then, with a rousing cheer for Van Buren and Johnson, resumed their character as Democrats and returned to their homes.

By 1841 business began to revive. Aaron Bliss and John Mayhew built a large stone flouring-mill on the site of the upper paper-mill, with a semicircular stone dam. The latter, however, was carried out by the high water that same season, flooding the village and carrying off two bridges. The same year Noah Graves built a paper-mill on the north side of the river, be- ing the beginning of au industry which has ever since

flourished at Chagrin Falls. In January of this year, also, Dr. Vincent obtained the passage of an act tak- ing nine hundred acres from the northwest corner of the township of Russell, Geanga county, and annex- ing it to the southeast corner of Orange, Cuyahoga county; making recompense by taking the same amount from the northeast corner of Orange and an- nexing it to Russell. The latter tract, however, was afterwards re-annexed to Orange.

In 1842 the census showed that there were a hund- red and nine families in the village, with five hund- red and forty members. There were twenty car- penters, five cabinet makers, four wagon makers, ten shoemakers, five merchants, three doctors and two lawyers. This was considered a pretty good showing for a village eight years old, and such as would justify making a beginning in journalism. Accordingly C. T. Blakeslee, one of the lawyers just mentioned, and John Brainard, afterwards a professor of chemistry at Cleveland, and later holding the official position of examiner of patents at Washing- ton, combined their forces to start a newspaper. The "forces" consisted of a little credit by means of which they bought a hundred dollars' worth of type on time, and of two pairs of hands with which they made the press and everything else necessary to print their paper, which they called the Farmers' and Mechanics' Journal. Somewhat more has been said of it in the chapter of the general history devoted to the press, on page one hundred and ninety.

In the spring of 1843, there was a good deal of ex- citement over the prophecy of "Father Miller" that the world was to be destroyed by fire on the 23d of April. About that time Earl's woolen mills caught fire at three o'clock in the morning. As the roof was satu- rated with oil, it burned off with extraordinary rapid- ity, casting its lurid glare over the whole village, and far up and down the valley, over the darksome rocks and flashing waters of the Chagrin. For a short time some of the people thought there was something in the Millerite talk, and that the destruction of the world had possibly begun at Chagrin Falls.

Soon afterward, Deacon Harry White bought the pond belonging to the woolen mill, and established a manufactory of axes. As large numbers of people were then at work clearing up the country, axes had a ready sale near at hand, and Mr. White did a large business. When the land was cleared up, however, the factory was abandoned.

In 1844, both the Methodists and the Congrega- tionalists built churches at the Falls, these being the first houses of worship erected there.

At this time there was a daily line of stages run- ing through the village, between Cleveland and War- ren, and the coaches were generally loaded with pas- sengers. The country had pretty well recovered from the financial crisis of 1837, and Chagrin Falls began to feel its dignity again. It was not satisfied with its position in the corner of Orange, and began to moot the question of having a township all to itself. Be-

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fore recording its organization, however, we must revert to another part of the territory which it was made to inelnde.

Although Bentleyville had not kept paee with its rival at the Falls, yet it boasted of no inconsiderable business. In 1841 a chair factory was begun there by C. P. Brooks, which did a good business and was maintained for five or six years. About 1843 the old grist mill was leased by Lyman Hatfield and turned into a rake factory. This, however, was only kept up about two years. There was also a factory of wooden bowls at the same place. Besides these there were shops of various kinds and fifteen or twenty res- idences: so that a traveler, who descended into the narrow dell where all this industry was exercised, would certainly have thought that he had discovered one of the most prosperous and promising villages in the country. But from this time onward its prosper- ity deelined, its various industries went down one after the other under the adverse power of floods, and time, and competition, until now there is little indeed to remind the spectator of its former flourishing con- dition.

At this time (1844), also, the tract now included in Chagrin Falls had been pretty well cleared up, con- sidering the roughness of its surface, and thirty or forty thriving farmers had established themselves in its valleys and on its hillsides. And so the people of the village and the neighboring farmers agreed that it would be a good plan to have a new township. though it is difficult to see what for. On application to the county commissioners a township was formed in the forepart of 1845, to which the name of Chagrin Falls was given, and which included lots six, seven. eight, nine, ten, eleven, twenty-two. twenty-three and twenty-four, in the northeast corner of Solon; lots four, five, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thir- teen, fourteen, fifteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty and twenty-one in the southeast part of Or- ange; and lots seventeen, eighteen aud nineteen, also in Orange at that time, but which had formerly been a part of Russell, in Geauga county.

The first town meeting was held at the tavern of A. Griswold on the 4th day of April, 1845. James Gritlith, Samuel Pool and Pliny Kellogg acted as judges of election, and Jedediah Hubbell and Alanson Knox as clerks; all being sworn in by Henry Church, justice of the peace. The following officers were elected: Trustees, Stoughton Bentley, Ralph E. Rus- sell, Boardman H. Bosworth; township clerk, Alan- son Knox; treasurer, Thomas Shaw; assessor, Rev. .John K. Halloek (removed from township and George Stocking appointed in his place); overseers of the poor, George Rathbun and Jedediah Hubbell. Jr .; constable, Thomas M. Bayard: supervisors of high- ways, Sherman S. Handerson, Obadiah Bliss, John Mayhew, Phineas Upham, Duane Brown, John Good- ell, Ralph E. Russell, Noah Graves.

Thus the township of Chagrin Falls was fairly launched upon its separate existence. There was at

this time much talk of the construction of a railroad through it from Cleveland to Pittsburg. In fact, a line had been surveyed through the village the previ- ous year, and the people, with their usual enterprise. subscribed twenty-four thousand dollars to its stock. The scheme, however, fell through. Whatever other faults may have been laid to the account of the people of Chagrin Falls, a lack of enterprise or intelligence could never be justly charged against them. They sought diligently to inform themselves on every sub- ject which came before the public, (taking more newspapers during the first twenty years of the exist- ence of the village than were taken in any other place of its size in the country), and liberally supported every enterprise which gave reasonable promise of promoting the publie welfare. The only drawback was that in their abounding zeal they were sometimes inclined to support enterprises and encourage creeds which did not give reasonable promise of promoting the public welfare.

In 1842 the village of Chagrin Falls is described in Howe's Historical Collections as containing one Con- gregational, one Methodist Episcopal, one Wesleyan Methodist, and one Free Will Baptist church, nine stores, one axe and edge-tool factory, one sash factory, one wheel and wheel-head factory, one wooden-bowl factory, three woolen factories, one paper factory. two flouring-mills, three sawmills, one furnace. one carriage shop, two tin shops, three harness shops, three cabinet shops, and twelve hundred inhabitants. Probably the number of the inhabitants was some- what exaggerated.

At this period, too, a good deal of attention was given to the grindstone quarries on the banks of the Chagrin, which were pronounced inexhaustible, and were worked to a considerable extent. These have been abandoned in later days, but it is by no means improbable that they may again be opened in response to the constantly increasing demand for that kind of material for building purposes.

In 1848 the Cleveland and Mahoning railroad was organized, and another large subscription was obtained at Chagrin Falls, with the understanding that it should run through that place. It was, however, lo- cated through Solon. The same year the Chagrin Falls and Cleveland Plank Road Company was char- tered, and in this the people of the Falls invested tif- teen thousand dollars. It was partly built in 1849. and finished in 1850. It was not found to be remun- erative, and was ere long abandoned, with the excep- tion of the portion between Cleveland and Newburg.

There was always an carnest feeling manifested in regard to education and all cognate subjects. As early as 1842 a literary association was formed, and a few books were from time to time gathered. In 184; Aristarchus Champion, who, as before stated, was the original owner of the land in Russell, began to build a large hall, which he gave ont was intended for the use of the village. In 1848, having completed it, he put in it some eight hundred volumes, which the citi-

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THE TOWNSHIPS OF CUYAHOGA COUNTY.

zens were allowed to use. The literary association also deposited their books there, and the building was known as Library Hall. Mr. Champion, however, kept the title in himself, and after a few years he re- moved the books and sold the hall. A board of edn- cation was formed in 1849, after which educational interests were supported with as much vigor as before, and under a more thorough and comprehensive system.

In 1852 the Painesville and Hudson railroad was incorporated, with a capital of a million dollars, and a line was surveyed through the Falls. So determined were the people to have a communication with the outside world, at any expense, that they subscribed no less than two hundred thousand dollars, on con- dition, however, that tive hundred thousand should be raised in all. This enterprise, too, could not be carried out, and Chagrin Falls was left to depend on lumber wagons as the principal means of communica- tion with Cleveland, Painesville and the other ship- ping places on the lake and canal.

Nevertheless, its extraordinary water-power, and the energy of its citizens, kept the village in a pros- perous condition, It was noted, too, for the good taste displayed by the people in their dwellings and the surroundings, and he who looked upon its white cottages and well-kept yards might have thought himself in a New England village, enriched by the labors of two centuries, rather than in one the site of which had only twenty years before been a perfect wilderness. In 1858 the Asbury Seminary building was sold to the township for a nnion school, for which purpose it has since been used.

Thus gently, but prosperousty, passed the time, until, in April, 1861, the guns of Sumter called the nation to arms. The people of Chagrin Falls had watched the course of events with even more than the ordinary solicitude of the loyal North. Their pro- clivity for reading and discussion had kept them wide awake on the subject, and when the toesin sounded there was probably not a village nor a township of the size in the United States which was more ready to respond than were the village and township of Chagrin Falls.

On Saturday evening after the fall of Sumter, a large meeting was held in the village to provide for ans wering the President's call. It was found impos- sible to conclude that night, and another meeting was called for the next day. At that meeting nearly every man and woman in the township was present, and a large portion of the children. All the churches were closed, for all the people felt that when the nation was to be pulled out of the pit into which traitor hands had flung it, all days could lawfully be em- ployed. The most fiery, and yet the sternest, enthn- siasm was manifested, and as the result of the meeting the little township furnished a full company under the President's call for three months' men. Before they could be mustered in, however, the call was changed, and their services were not accepted. A

large number of them at once transferred their ser- vices to other organizations, and during the war no less than a hundred and nine residents of Chagrin Falls township enlisted in defense of the Union. Their deeds are recorded in the histories of the reg- iments to which they belonged, in the first part of this work, and there, also, their names are enrolled.

Those who remained at home were equally anxious to help to the best of their ability. On the third of September, 1861, the Chagrin Falls Soldiers' Aid Society was organized, and from that time until June, 1865, under the etlicient leadership of its president, Miss Jane E. Church, it was active in supplying the needs of the gallant defenders of the Union. During that time eight hundred and thirty-two dollars were raised in cash for that purpose, and four hundred and six dollars in supplies.

At the close it was found that there was a consider- able amount in the treasury. It was resolved by the members of the society to add somewhat to it, and to use the whole in building a monument to the men of the township who had been slain or had died in the service. This resolution was carried out, and the monument was erected during the summer in the beautiful cemetery which overlooks the village from the southeast. In September of the same year (1865), it was dedicated with appropriate ceremonies in the presence of an immense number of people from that and the surrounding townships. In connection with the war we may note that Gen. Benjamin F. Pritch- ard, of the Fourth Michigan Cavalry, the captors of Jefferson Davis, had previously for many years been a resident of Chagrin Falls.

Since the war no remarkable excitement has prevailed at Chagrin Falls, but there has been a steady increase in business, and the village has lost none of its old, firm reputation for enterprise and intelligence. Bentleyville has entirely ceased to exist as a place of manufactures or business. An attempt was made about 1868 to revive the city of Griffiths- burg, and a large new grist-mill was ereeted, but the enterprise failed even before the requisite machinery was placed in the mill. Several destructive fires have occurred in Chagrin Falls village. A valuable row of stores at the north end was burned in 1868, and in 1843 what was known as the Philadelphia Block was also destroyed by fire, But these losses were repaired, numerous handsome residences were erected, and now, what with its picturesque scenery, its abundant foliage, and the air of neatness and thrift which everywhere, prevails, Chagrin Falls is one of the very finest villages in northern Ohio. The number of its respective business establishments, professional men, mechanies, etc., is as as follows:

Paper mills, two; foundries, three: woolen mills, one; machine shops, three; planing mills, two; wooden- ware factory, one; lumber yard, one; grist mills, two: banks, two; lawyers, two; physicians, three; dentists, two: dry goods stores, three; groceries, three; hardware stores, three; drug stores, three:

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book and wall-paper store, one: jewelry, two; photog- rapher, one: furniture stores, two; shoe stores, three; bakeries, two: millinery stores, four; fancy goods stores, two; tin shops, two: wagon shops, two; shoe shops, two; blacksmith shops, five: harness shops, two; marble shop, one.

We subjoin brief sketches of some of the principal manufacturing establishments.

THE CHAGRIN FALLS PAPER COMPANY.

This establishment had its origin in 1840, when Noah Graves put the necessary machinery into an old sawmill, and began the manufacture of straw-paper and wrapping-paper. In 1842 Charles Sears pur- chased an interest. the firm becoming Graves & Sears. They then began to make writing paper. In 1843 the firm became Sears & Brinsmade, and the mann- facture of printing paper was commenced. In the winter of 1843-4 Heaton & Daniels leased the mill. but in less than a year Mr. Daniels sold his interest to Thomas White. The firm of Heaton & White car- ried on the establishment until 1842. when Mr. Sears bought Heaton's interest. The business was contin- ned by Sears & White until 1850, Younglove & Hoyt then carried it on one year. At the end of that time they were joined by D. A. Davis and Lewis Sykes, and those four, under the firm name of D. A. Davis & Co., carried on the business successfully until 1858.

In the latter year Mr. Davis and W. T. Iphan bought the mill of Noah Graves and increased its ca- pacity. In 1860 Mr. Davis bought Mr. Underwood's interest, and took his son, James Davis, as a partner. This firm carried on the business until 1866, when the mill was closed. It was soon re-opened, however. and was owned in rapid succession by P. Warren, J. G, Coleman, Pratt & Pope and Parker, Pope & Co. In 1820 the latter firm began the manufacture of flour sacks on an extensive scale.

In 1821 Mr. Parker sold out and the firm became Pope & Bleasdale. They bought an old peg factory and put in four large machines, and turned the old "Union House " into a sack factory. In March, 18;5. Mr. Pope sold his interest to Mr. Bleasdale. The mill closed the same year. By January, 1826, the Chagrin Falls Paper Company had been organized. and had acquired the property. the following gentle- men being the directors : D. S. Pope, I. W. Pope. S. L. Pope, S. I. Pope and David Smith. This company has carried on the establishment to the present time, doing a very large business and employing about fifty hands. The sack factory alone has a capacity of twenty-five thousand sacks per day.

ADAMS & CO. 'S PAPER MILL.

The site of this mill was originally occupied by Bliss & Mayhew's flouring mill. It was changed into a woolen factory by Bliss & Pool. It was then trans- muted into a paper mill. under the proprietorship of the Lake Erie Paper Mill Company. While it be- longed to this company it was destroyed by fire. It

was afterwards rebuilt and passed into the hands of Adams. Upham & Co. In 1872 Mr. Upham retired and the firm became Adams & Co., who have since been the proprietors. It is situated in the northeast- ern part of the village, at the extreme upper end of the rapids. The works ocenpy several large buildings and do a very extensive business, being principally devoted to the manufacture of manilla paper. Both steam and water are used, and from fifty to sixty hands are constantly given employment.

BULLARD & MARCH'S WOODEN WARE FACTORY.

This was established in 1842 by Curtiss Bollard and Cornelius Northrop, spinning wheels, reels, etc., be- ing then the principal article of manufacture. In 1848 Mr. Northrop sold his interest. and Mr. John Bullard was taken into the firm, which took the name of C. Bullard & Son. In 1852 it became C. Bullard & Sons, on the admission of Orson C. Bullard. New machinery was added about this time, and what is called " kitchen wooden ware " became the principal article of manufacture. In 186; the junior owner died. and the firm again became C. Bullard & Son. The business continued to increase, and was carried on by that firm until 1823, when Curtiss Bullard died. In 1825 .J. S. Bullard became the sole proprietor and remained so until January, 1876. when Mr. George March purchased an interest and the firm became Bullard & March.

In 1866 the firm obtained a patent for a new kind of butter mould, and this has since become the prin- cipal article of manufacture. Over a quarter of a million of these moulds are now made in a single year and the demand is steadily increasing. Immense numbers of butter prints, rolling pins, etc., ete., are also made, all being sold exclusively at wholesale, and being shipped to all parts of the continent.

WILLIAMS' FOUNDRY AND THIMBLE SKEIN FACTORY.

This establishment originated in the furnace erected by Benajah Williams in 1844. and has ever since been in the hands either of Mr. Williams or of his son. J. W. Williams, or as now, J. W. Williams & Son. From the manufacture of the simplest and rudest iron articles used in the immediate neighbor- hood, the establishment has progressed until its prod- nets are now shipped by wholesale to all parts of Ohio and into several of the adjacent States.

For many years the principal article produced has been the " seamless thimble skein," known as the . Williams skein." and celebrated for its convenience and durability. Numerous other iron articles, how- ever, are also manufactured, including sad-irons, bolster plates. pruning tools, pump reels, etc., besides a large number of wooden articles, sneh as axe han- dles, whittletrees, etc. : all being renowned for their good quality, and the whole establishment, by its em- ployment of twenty artisans, contributing largely to the prosperity of the village in which it is situated.

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THIE TOWNSHIPS OF CUYAHOGA COUNTY.

GAUNTT'S MACHINE SHOP.

Adin Gauntt started the first machine shop in the place in 1844, in a part of Rowe's carriage shop After nine years of steadily increasing business, he bought the Maple Grange woolen factory in 1853, where for two years he made machinery for working wool and flax. After four years' absence he returned in 1859, and has since been constantly engaged in the manufacture of various kinds of machinery. Ile now has a large shop in the lower part of the village, where he manufactures planers, matchers, small steam engines, horse powers, etc., as well as all kinds of especially intricate machinery.

OBER BROTHERS' PLANING MACHINE, ETC.

This establishment was built by the present propri- etors in 1823, being a sawmill, together with machines for planing and matching lumber, making mouldings, sash and blinds, and similar articles. A valuable lathe for irregular work has been patented by George Ober, and the whole establishment is in a highly flourishing condition.

OTHER MANUFACTURES.

Other manufactures besides the above are the Cha- grin Falls woolen mills, Rose Brothers' fonndry, with Ira Smith's machine shop, D. Christian's foundry, W. A. Burnet's machine shop. J. O. Malin's planing mill, and the Chagrin Falls marble works, begun in 1877 by II. A. Sheffield.

THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHI.

This was organized as an independent Congrega- tional church on the 26th day of July, 1835, the fol- lowing being the first members: Thomas N. West, Rebecca R. West, Alexander II. Hart, Polly Hart, Timothy W. Osborn, Sarah Osborn, Salome Crosby, Andrew Dickinson and Thomas West. On the 10th of June, 1836, the church was received into the Inde- pendent Congregational Union of Northern Ohio. On the 2d of January, 1837, it withdrew from that connection, and entered the General Association of the Western Reserve.

For eight years after the organization the pulpit was occupied by various temporary supplies, of whom no record has been kept. Rev. John S. Barris preached from 1843 to 1845. Rev. Abram Nast began to serve the church as pastor on the 15th of October, 1845. On the 5th of January, 1844, a constitution was formed, and the church once more became inde- pendent.

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History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Part 105

Author: Johnson, Crisfield Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott & Co. Number of Pages: 716

Author: Johnson, Crisfield
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.B. Lippincott & Co.
Number of Pages: 716