History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Part 109

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

USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio > Part 109

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).

Samuel Ruple settled at Nine Mile creek, in the eastern part of the present village of Collamer, in 1806, and during the same year Caleb Eddy located himself in the southern part of the township on a stream known as Dogway brook.

Abraham L. Norris came the same year and settled on the ridge back of Collamer. His daughter, Mrs. Myndert Wemple, narrates many incidents connected with early life in the forest. Mr. Norris' family were two miles from their nearest neighbor, David Hendershot. Like most of the pioneers, they had only a " puncheon " (or split-log) floor for their cabin, and during the first summer a coverlid did duty instead of a door.

The next year Mr. Norris had a good sized clear- ing chopped over. and, according to pioneer custom, invited bis neighbors (some of whom lived five or six miles away) to a " logging-hee." After a while they got several log-heaps ready for firing, and Mrs. Norris, who was out watching the operations, ran 'nto the house to get a shovelful of coals. The fire was nearly out, and on the warm hearth lay a griddle which had been used for baking cakes. The first thing Mrs. Norris saw, on entering the house, was an enormous yellow rattlesnake comfortably curled up on the grid- dle. She screamed and fainted. Her husband ran in, and, having no weapon with which to dispatch the enemy, called for his father-in-law, Mr. Mellrath, who came with his ox-goad, and soon slew it. The reptile had no less than twenty-four rattles.

These pests were extremely common in both East Cleveland and Euclid; finding ample shelter among the rocks which abounded in the numerons ravines that intersected the ridge. Every man when he went out took a stick, as a matter of course, to kill rattle- snakes. John Ruple is credited with killing thirty- eight rattlesnakes (piled and counted) near Collamer, and Luther Dille with slaying forty-three in the same locality. In both cases the air was so heavily

impregnated with poison by the reptiles that the men went home sick from the field of battle.

Mr. Norris was obliged to go to Newburg to work. leaving his wife alone in the cabin. There was a half- grown shote in a rail pen covered with bark, near the house. One night Mrs. Norris was awakened by the crackling of bark and the squealing of the pig. Run- ning to the door she saw a bear trying to get out of the pen with the shote clutched by the neck, somewhat as a cat carrries a kitten. There was a large bed of coals, and filling the big fire-shovel full of these she ran out and threw them on the dry bark, which in a moment was in a brilliant blaze. The bear meantime, had got his prey out of the pen, but being frightened at the sudden light, dropped the nig (badly scared but not seriously hurt) and made his way into the forest.

At this period there was no church in the township. People went to " Doan's Corners" on Sunday, where 'Squire Nathaniel Doan read a sermon. Mrs. Wem- ple remembers going to meeting at the corners; her mother riding a horse, she riding behind and another child in front, while her father walked by the side of the patient animal.

It is needless to say that luxuries were exceedingly scarce. Once Mrs. Norris sent clear to Pennsylvania, by a couple of young men who were going thither, for a pound of tea and two yards of calico to make the baby a dress.

There were two or three gristmills within ten miles, but they were very poor concerns, and were frequently out of repair. On one occasion when, through de- fective machinery or lack of water, no grinding could be done in this part of the country, John Shaw took an ox-cart loaded with a grist for every man in the town- ship and went eighty miles, to Erie, Pennsylvania, to get it ground. He was to be back in two weeks, and on the day fixed for his return Mrs. Shaw invited all the people in the township to her house, to cook and eat of the expected supply. The people came, but Mr. Shaw had been detained by the badness of the roads and did not arrive, and his hospitable wife could only furnish her gnests with a feast of venison and baked pumpkins.

Indians, squaws and papooses were frequently seen passing to and fro. They had a camping-place just back of where the academy now stands. The fierce appearance of the warriors frequently frightened the children, but there is no account of their doing the slightest harm.

The first church (Congregational) in the township, which was likewise the first in the county, was formed in August, 1807. The first meetings were in the houses of the settlers, but in 1810 a honse of worship was built of logs at the point then commonly desig- nated as Nine Mile creek, but afterwards known as Euclid village and now as Collamer. This was also the first house of worship in the county; there being none in Cleveland until more than ten years later.

445

EAST CLEVELAND.

In 1809 Caleb Eddy built the first gristmill in the township, on Dry Way brook, above the site of Lake Viem Cemetery.

Amid the hardships of these times, women, as well as men, developed the courage necessary to meet the emergencies by which they were often confronted. Late one afternoon in autumn Mrs. Timothy Eddy went to look for her husband's cows. They had strayed a long distance, but at length she heard a bell, and, guided by that, made her way to where they were. But when she undertook to drive them home, she found she did not know the way. After various efforts night came on, and she was still as much at a loss as ever. The quadrupeds discovered none of the intelligence in path-finding which is sometimes attributed to them, but when their mistress stopped driving them, quietly lay down for a night's rest. Satisfied that she could not find her way home, Mrs. Eddy lay down in a warm place, between two of the animals, and in this living boudoir she remained until morning. Meanwhile, her husband had re- turned from his labors at night fall, and, finding his wife absent, had roused the neighbors to search for her. All night long the few settlers in that part of the township went shonting to and fro through the woods, their lighted torches of bark flinging fantastic shadows among the trees, but they did not approach her sleeping place. In the morning she made her way home to her frightened friends.

The first tavern-keeper in the township, of whom we can hear, was David Bunnel, who kept on the main road, a short distance southwest of the site of Collamer, before the war of 1812.

Among other settlers in the township was Abijah Crosby, father of Deacon Thomas D. Crosby, who came in 1811. He was one of the earliest settlers in the vicinity of the lake shore. Benjamin Thorp, who had first settled at the mouth of Enelid ereck, came in 1813, and settled on the "Coit tract," near the lake shore.

When the war of 1812 broke ont there was great excitement for a time, especially just after Hull's surrender when rumors of murdering Indians came on every breeze, and the people once or twice aban- doned their homes in their alarm. These rumors, however, were soon found to be false, and during the war the work of planting and clearing went on much as usual, though emigration nearly ceased.

On the day of Perry's victory, September 10, 1813, the people were busy raising William Hate's log barn, below Collinwood. Mr. Cornelius Thorp, who still resides in the township, was one of the number. The neighbors were still few in number, and men had come from Warrensville on horseback to help in the work. The raisers were divided into two squads, who were engaged in a hot strife to see which should get up logs the fastest. At each corner was an ex- pert axeman making notches and "saddles" to fit the logs together. Of course neither squad could really get ahead of the other, because all four sides of the

house must go up together; but they could crowd each other, which was a great satisfaction.

Suddenly from the far northwest a dull sound was heard rolling slowly over lake and land-then an- other-and another-and another.

Every axe and every log was dropped.

"That's Perry!" " A fight" " A battle"' " A bat- tle!" cried a dozen voices, and, in another minute, twenty or thirty men were racing away toward the lake shore, eager to hear even the faintest echoes from the great contest which was to decide the supremacy of Lake Erie. Perhaps they imagined, from the distinel- ness of the sound, that they could see the conflict, or, at least, could discover on the far horizon the smoke which must mark the scene of battle. But, on their arrival, nothing could be seen, as was not strange considering that the battle was seventy-five miles away. Yet the constant successions of subdued shocks, now alone, now in broadsides, hour after hour, gave notice that the conflict was still going on. At length the sounds died away; only a few scattered shots were heard, and finally all was still, and the last listeners returned slowly to their homes, query- ing anxiously whether Columbia or Albion should henceforth be the mistress of Lake Erie. The next dav a swift-riding express, on the way to Washington, brought the news that Perry was victorious, and that British or Indian invasion need no longer be feared. Of all who were present at that " raising," Mr. C'or- nelius Thorp is the sole survivor.

Benjamin Thorp, father of Cornelius, had at this time moved to the " Coit tract " of a thousand acres, situated on the lake shore.

Immediately after the close of the war in 1815, emigration set in with more force than ever, on account of the temporary cessation. At this time began to be seen a slight appearance of a village where Collamer now stands; though it was then called Euclid. Enoch Murray started a store there shortly after the war. Davis Crocker also estab- lished a tannery there, on Nine Mile creek, about 1815 or '16, which he carried on for nearly twenty years. In 1817 a framed church was erected in place of the old log one before mentioned, and then the residents of " Enclid," or " Nine Mile Creek," as the hamlet was variously called, could indeed boast of their progress; for there was still not another church edifice of any kind in the county.

In 1818 Benjamin P'. Beers and Myndert Wemple settled in the township. Mr. Wemple, who still survives, says that Enoch Murray was then keep- ing store at Euclid (now Collamer). He sold to Thomas Mellrath about 1820, and he in a short time to John Gardner. Taverns, too, began to be opened all along the main road soon after the war. Ben. S. Welch kept one at Nine Mile creek. A little later, Enoch Meeker had one a short distance farther west. Seth Doan kept one where George Doan now lives.

But notwithstanding these indications of advancing settlement, the rattlesnakes still hissed viciously in

446

THE TOWNSHIPS OF CUYAHOGA COUNTY.

their dens among the rocks; the deer often bounded past the clearings of the pioneers, especially in the southern part of the township, and occasionally more noble game fell before the hunter's bullet. Old set- tlers still mention that it was about 1820 that the " big elk was killed;" an event long remembered and often discussed by the residents of the vicinity. The unlucky wanderer was chased down from the Chagrin river into East Cleveland, and was there killed. He weighed five hundred pounds, and his horns were seven feet long.

By about 1825 or '30 the face of the country began to take on more decidedly than before the appearance of civilization. More than half of the log houses built by the pioneers had been exchanged for framed ones, and in all the north part of the township nearly every lot had a settler upon it, and about half the land had been cleared from timber. In the southern section the settlements were much fewer and the country still retained that pioneer look resultant from log houses, scattered clearings and far-spreading forests.

In the township book of Euclid is a list of the voters in 1828, arranged by school districts, Euclid, as before mentioned, then embraced something over half of East Cleveland. We give a list of the names recorded in those districts either wholly or partly in what is now East Cleveland. A few of them may have been in the present Euclid; but if so, they were close to the line:

District No. 2 (Collamer)-William Camp, John II. Camp, John West, John Ruple, John Hoagland, Sam- uel Ruple, Benj. Hoagland, John Stoner, Benj. S. Welch, Enoch Meeker, John Gardner, William Adams, John K. Hall, Nathaniel Woodruff, Myndert Wem- ple, Andrew MeFarland, Elijah Burton, George R. Whitney, Sargent Currier, Alvin Hollister, Jesse Palmer, James F. Palmer, Dr. Hotchkiss, Joseph King, Mathias Rush, Moses Bond, Cyrus Ruple. Abram Histon, John Shaw, Elisha Rockwell.

District No. 3 (west of Collamer)-Michael Me- llrath, Horace Blinn, James Corbus, Amos Steh- bins, Joel Jones, Benjamin Jones, John Doan, Sam- uel Dodge, Daniel Brown, Joseph Marshall, Andrew Mellrath, Andrew Mellrath, Jr., Merritt Lindley. John Burt, Samuel E. Smith, Eli Williams, Seth Doan, Thomas MeIlrath, Stephen Peet, Jedediah Crocker, Lewis Stanislaus, Thomas Phillips.

District No. 4 (south part of township) .- Guy Lee, Thomas Curtis, John Welch, John Ilandee, Adoniram Peck, Jesse Cross. Jacob S. Dille, Richard Curtis, Clark Currier, Stephen B. Meeker, Abram Mattox, Jacob Compton, Elias Lee, Reynolds Ca- hoon, Asa Dille, Lewis R. Dille, Abel Handee.

District No. 6 (north of Collinwood, now in both towns). - William Hale, Thomas Mellrath, Jr., Samuel Mellrath, Samnel Mellrath 2d, Thaddeus Wright, Aaron Bunnel, James Johnston, Benjamin Day, Abijah Crosby, John Ruple 2d, Ezekiel Adams, John Adams.

District No. 10 (west of Collinwood) .- Law- renee O'Connor, Alanson O'Connor, Joseph House, Jeremiah Shumway, Timothy Eddy, Ahaz Merchant, Benjamin Thorp. Andrew Stewart, John Moore, David Bonnel. Luther Woodworth, Ezra Fairfield, Cornelius Thorp, Isaac Page.

A full list of all the voters in the old township of Euclid in 1828, including the above, is to be found in the history of that township. Of course, the forego- ing list does not include any residents of that part of East Cleveland, except what was formerly in Enclid. There were, however, very few in that part of East Cleveland, which was then Euclid, except on the main road. The Elijah Burton, who is men- tioned as a resident of District number two (Col- lamer), was a young physician who had very lately arrived there, being the first physician in that village. Ilis widow still resides there, and his son is a practic- ing physician there.

During the decade from 1830 to 1840 there was a large emigration checked during the last three years by what was known pre-eminently as the "hard times."

Sargent Currier had become the storekeeper at Nine Mile ereek, acting in that capacity some fifteen years. Ile had a sawmill near there, and afterwards built a steam gristmill. Abner Mellrath opened a tavern in 1837. Samuel Lester started a new tannery in 1838, which is still operated by his son.

When Mr. R. II. Strowbridge (now of Enclid) came to Collamer in 1840, Sargent Currier was still carrying on a store there, and Alvin Hollister was keeping a tavern. The township was well settled up, and framed houses were generally in use; yet there was still a rough appearance on the face of the coun- try. The deer and wolves had all disappeared, and even the rattlesnakes were becoming searee. Origin- ally emigration had come from the East, and the western part of the present township was the last to be settled. By 1840, however, people began to over- flow from the then growing city of Cleveland, and the western section was rapidly cleared np.

At the June session of the county commissioners in 1847, the township of East Cleveland was formed from Cleveland and Newburg: no other townships at first contributing anything to its area. Of Cleveland it embraced lots three hundred and thirty-eight to four hundred and six inclusive; of Newburg. so much of lots four hundred and nine to four hundred and twenty-two inclusive as lay north of the road, (now Ingersoll street. )

The first town meeting in East Cleveland was held on the 26th of June, 1847, when the following of- ficers were elected: Trustees, Theron Woodworth, Ahimaaz Sherwin. Samuel Erwin; clerk, Ansel Young; treasurer, Joel Jones; declined, and Isaac N. Pillsbury appointed; assessor, Freeman Whitman.

At the June session of the commissioners in 1848, the west part of Euclid was annexed to East Cleveland; embracing lots eight, forty-nine, sixteen, fifty-seven,

444

EAST CLEVELAND.

twenty-four, fifty-six, fifteen, forty-eight, seven, six, forty-seven, fourteen, fifty-five, twenty-two, twenty- one, fifty-four, thirteen, forty-six, five, four, forty- five, twelve, fifty-three, twenty, fifty-two, forty-four, eleven, three. two; all of lot forty-three west of the road runing through it, and all of tract sixteen north of lot one and west of the road runing to the lake. By the same act lots one, two, three and four lying in the north part of Warrensville, were also annexed.

This included the East Cleveland of to-day, and also the tract afterwards annexed to the city.

After the new arrangement was consummated, it was found very inconvenient to call the village situated in East Cleveland by the name of Euclid, when there was a township of Enclid close beside it. The people therefore began to cast about for another appellation. They adopted that of Collamer, and in time the grow- ing village was generally known by that name: though it was long before all the old settlers could get rid of the habit of calling it Euclid.

For many years after the formation of the town- ship, the interest regarding it principally centered in the village of East Cleveland, which grew rapidly into very extensive proportions, becoming an important suburb of the city. In 1852 the Cleveland, Paines- ville and Ashtabula railroad (since becoming a part of the Lake Shore and Michinan Southern), was opened from Cleveland to Erie, running through the northern part of East Cleveland, only a short distance from the lake shore. The beauty of the locations along the main road at the foot of the ridge, between the city and Collamer, began to be observed by the denizens of Cleveland, and occasional purchases were made. especially around Collamer.

All was progressing pleasantly and prosperously when, in 1861, the toesin of war called the sons of America to the defense of their country. East Cleve- land promptly responded to the call, and the records given in the general history, tell their names and the deeds of the regiments to which they belonged.

In 1862, James Haycox opened a valuable sandstone quarry in the southern part of the township, on the farm settled by John Welch. The character of the stone is similar to that which erops out in various parts of the county, and is described in the chapter on geology. Since the war, few townships in north- ern Ohio have progressed more rapidly than East Cleveland, although, as before stated, the village of East Cleveland was annexed to the city of Cleveland in 1867. Collamer has become a large and thriving village, an especial favorite with Clevelanders desirou: of a more retired life than that of the city. The main road from there to the city line is thickly stud ded with pleasant farm houses, and with handsome residences situated on small but most desirable tracts. In fact the whole road which is an extension of Euclid avenue, seems like a delightful suburb of the city. Collamer now contains churches, one academy, four

general stores, one post office, one physician, two carriage shops, two blacksmiths shops, two meat mar- kets, one eider mill, one shoe shop, one tannery, and abont a thousand inhabitants.

On the railroad, a mile north of Collamer is to be seen the flourishing village of Collinwood, the seat of the great repair shops and round-house of the Lake Shore railroad. It is laid out on the most liberal seale, with streets enough for a small city, which in- deed it promises to become. It has churches, three public schools, six general stores, four physicians, two drug stores, one hardware store, two boot stores, one clothing store, two millinery stores, one hotel (the Warren House), two livery stables, two news de- pots, one wagon and blacksmith shop, one harness shop, three meat markets, and about fifteen hundred inhabitants. The repair shops and round-house were begun in 18:3 and finished in 1825, and the village has mostly grown up since the former year. The post office was established in 1825.

There is also a post office at Lake View, near Lake View cemetery, where there is the prospect of an- other fine suburban village. The Lake View and Collamer railroad, (called for short "the Dummy road") furnishes ready access to the city for all the residents along the main road.

On the ridge, grape-growing has flourished greatly of late years, the soil being of the same general qual- ity as that in Euclid, and likethat, admirably suited for grape-culture. The grapes are genarally sold in bulk, but a few gentlemen are engaged in wine manu- facture: Mr. J. J. Preyer's Lake View wine farm, east of Lake View cemetery is one of the most cele- brated wine-producing places in the county.

The village of Glenville on the lake shore, adjom- ing Cleveland, was laid out in -. The corporate limits inelose an area of about three square miles, but only a small portion of it is built on in village form.

The Lake Shore railroad passes through its entire width and has a depot in it, while the Lake View and Collamer road skirts its southern border. The Northern Ohio fair grounds are situated a little west of the center of the village. The association owning them is described in the general history.

Glenville was incorporated in the autumn of 1822, for special purposes. In April, 1824. William Brasie, R. M. N. Taylor were elected trustees. In Septem- ber, 1874 it was incorporated as a village. In April, 1814. Wm. J. Gordon was elected mayor for two years. IIe was succeeded in 1816 by Benjamin Lamson, and he in 1828 by W. II. Gaylord, the present incumbent. The village now contains three stores, three hotels, one blacksmith shop, one shoe shop, one carriage shop and about five hundred inhabitants.

The whole of East Cleveland, except Glenville and a few farms in the southern portion is incorporated for special purposes: the authorities being empow- ered to build roads and bridges, maintain a police, build police stations, etc.

448

THE TOWNSHIPS OF CUYAHOGA COUNTY.

SHAW ACADEMY.

In 1835 the old pioneer, John Shaw, died, and hav- ing no children he left his property to found an acad- emy in the locality where he had so long lived and prospered. The property consisted mostly of a farm situated a short distance southwestward from Colla- mer. This was sold for five thousand dollars. The people of the vicinity subscribed a sufficient amount to erect the necessary building, and the fund left by Mr. Shaw was used only for the support of the school.

A board of trustees was appointed and the school was maintained in the usual manner of country acad- emies until abont 1868. At that time, as the institu- tion did not prosper as well as was desirable, the building was leased to individuals. Public school money was applied to its support, and it became part- ly a district school and partly an academy. In 1827 the trustees of the academy leased the building to the directors of the Collamer sub-district by whom it has since been used for a district school, though of a higher grade than usual.

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF COLLAMER.

This church was organized by Rev. Wm. Wiek, on the 24th day of Angust, 180%; being by at least ten years the first church in Cuyahoga county. It was formed on what was known as the " Plan of Union," adopted by the general assembly of the Presbyterian church, and the general association of the Congrega- tional church, of Connecticut. The individual church was at first Congregational, but it was connected with the Presbytery for purposes of discipline and mutual encouragement. It took the name of " The Church of Christ in Euclid;" that being the township in which it was then situated.

The first members were Nathaniel and Sarah Doan, John Ruple, Thomas and Elizabeth Mellrath, Sarah Shaw, Eunice Eddy, Abram L. and Abigail Norris, George and Almira Kilbonrn, Andrew and Abigail Mellrath, Anna Bunnel and Isabella Mellrath.

The strictness of the discipline and the existence of pleasant amusements among the pioneers are both shown by the next entry after the organization, made on the 29th of the same month, according to which A. L. and Abigail Norris confessed to dancing "not long before" (evidently before joining the church) and professed contrition. Sarah Shaw admitted the fact of dancing, but would not make a public ac- knowledgement and was suspended. This was pretty strict in regard to aets committed before joining the church.

At the first meeting of the church Nathaniel Doan. John Ruple and George Kilbourn were appointed the standing committee.

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 Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Part 109

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