History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Part 116

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

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Down to this time there had been no organized church or public worship. About 1816, however, a Methodist camp meeting near the Cuyahoga river was attended by some Middleburg people who returned deeply impressed with the importance of religion. They began holding neighborhood meetings, where the attendants prayed, sang and exhorted among themselves, and at which quite a number were con- verted. Then Jacob Ward, a preacher from Bruns- wick, came and formed a Methodist society; being the first religious organization in the township. The in- terest increased, the society was embraced in a Meth- odist cireuit, and meetings were held every two weeks, generally on week-days, besides prayer-meetings, etc., on the Sabbath. But is was many years before there was a resident minister and regular preaching on Sunday.

Enoch G. Watrous and Silas Gardner, with their families, settled in 1817 or '18, on the river, near the Strongsville line. Paul Gardner came somewhat later, Wheeler Wellman came in 1818, settling south of Abram Fowls'. The next year Mr. Wellman's father- in-law, Solomon Lovejoy, located himself near where his son's tavern now is. Among his children were Edwin, then seventeen, and Ammy, then twelve, the

latter of whom now keeps the tavern referred to, and both of whom reside there. They mention the fam- ilies before referred to and there seem to have been very few others in the township.

Notwithstanding the scarcity of inhabitants, how- ever, there was a township organization formed as early as 1820. Ephraim Vaughn had been a justice of the peace for several years previous, having been commissioned by the governor, and having presided at the organization of Strongsville in 1818. The only records of Middleburg are very defective; the first one preserved is dated June 29, 1820. It is signed by Jared Hickox, township clerk, and notes the reception in May, 1819, of a commission as justice of the peace by William Vaughn, dated in February, 1819. It then ineluded not only township six in range fourteen, but also township six in range fifteen, now Olmstead. Another record of the same date (June 22, 1820,) states that Solomon S. Doty had duly qualified as constable for the ensning year, and had given the necessary bail. In March, 1821, the trustees (names unknown) divided the two survey-townships of which the civil township of Middleburg was composed, into two highway districts each. The present Middleburg was divided so that all east of the highway "running from Strongsville to Rockport," should form one dis- triet, while that road and all west of it should compose the other. The road running from Strongsville to Rockport was evidently the main road running through the present Berea, along the east side of Rocky river. This road and the one which afterward became the turnpike, were all the highways of any consequence in the township, and these were just being eut ont so as to be passable.

In April, 1823, it was voted to divide the township into school-districts; the record being signed by Wheeler Wellman, clerk. The first full list of town- ship officers which can be found is that of those elected in April, 1823; viz: David Harrington, Abra- ham Fowls and Richard Vaughn, trustees; Wheeler Wellman, township elerk; Jared Hickox and Ephraim Fowls, overseers of the poor; Eli Wellman and Ephraim Fowls, constables; Jared Hickox, lister; Ephraim Vaughn, appraiser; Silas Gardner, treasurer; Solomon Lovejoy, supervisor of first district; Whee- ler Wellman, supervisor of second district; Abram Fowls, Owen Wellman and Silas Beeket, fence viewers.

From 1820 to 1827 there was but little immigration, but the number of adults was considerably increased by the growing up of those who came as youths and children, and there were plenty more children to take their places. Immigrants were repelled principally by the wet soil, and the more pleasantly located settlers in township number five said that if Middleburg was not fastened on to Strongsville it would sink. Since that time a wonderful change has come over the pros- pects of this "sinking" township.

Meanwhile the main road from Cleveland through the castern part of the township was put in tolerable condition and a line of stages had been put on it.

JOHN BALDWIN.

We present to our readers an excellent portrait of Mr. Bald- win, a representative of the self-made American, and a Christian whose life has been characterized by the consecra- tion of all its efforts to the service of God. He was born in Branford, Conn., Oct. 13, 1799. His grandfather, who was a deacon of the Presbyterian Church and of Puritan descent, was a blacksmith, and worked at the anvil in New Haven, making axes and hoes with the father of Lyman Beecher. When the war of 1776 broke out he shouldered his gun and in the service won the rank of captain, by which title he was called to the day of his death.

John Baldwin's mother was the only daughter of Edward Melay, of New Haven, who before the war of the Revolution was a wealthy merchant, and gave to his daughter as good an education as it was then believed daughters were capable of receiving.

Young John's school privileges were of the humblest kind, as neither geography, grammar, nor arithmetic were allowed to be taught in his day. At an early age he began to take care of himself, and thus learned to properly value the fruits of industry. At the age of eighteen he became a member of the Methodist Church. By his own unaided efforts he gathered from books the rudiments of an education, attended school later, and then engaged in teaching, first in Fishkill, N. Y., afterwards in Maryland, and in Litchfield, Conn. After five years so spent, he married in 1828. The next spring he moved to where Berea now is, and soon built the first frame house in the place, assisted in the first Sabbath-school, opened the first quarry, turned the first grindstone, laid out or helped to lay out the first building lot, and built the first seminary. At first his efforts were not successful financially, but the dis- covery of the value of the rock underlying Berea gave to him the means of retrieving his fallen fortunes. Consecrated edu- cation became his battle-ery, and to this object he has devoted himself for years.

Mr. Baldwin has been a devoted friend of female educa- tion. He has always owed Yale College a grudge for not giving his mother equal privileges with his uneles. His theory is that sons and daughters should be trained side by side to pursue the studies and labors that should fit them alike for life's responsibilities, its usefulness, and its honors, and when the Baldwin Institute (since University) was opened it was eligible alike to sons and daughters. To this institu- tion he has given property worth at present one hundred and fifty thousand dollars. His devotion to the cause of educa- tion has extended beyond his own village to embrace wider fields and other races. His heart has become deeply interested in the educational wants of the South, and, with his charac-

teristic generosity, he has become a liberal patron of the Thomson Biblical Institute. His own letter to Dr. Newman, of New Orleans, announcing what he has done, is character- istic : " I have bought for twenty thousand dollars the Darby plantation, of seventeen hundred acres (which has since been increased to four thousand acres), in St. Mary's Parish, La. There is a fine site of thirty or forty acres on the bank of the river, containing some fifteen or twenty buildings, which the brethren of the Mississippi Mission Conference can occupy for religious education as soon as they choose, provided no distinction is made on account of color or sex. When a cor- porate body is organized by said Conference I will deed the above-named site, and secure to said corporation enough capital to make twenty thousand dollars' worth."

In personal appearance Mr. Baldwin is plain, in outward adornment, and in earlier times it was to him a matter of keen enjoyment to be mistaken for some unfortunate wan- derer. As is usually the case with persons who give largely, he has been the object of unsparing criticism and abuse, and it would be easy to find those (themselves not to be persuaded to give a dime to any good cause) who stand ready to charge upon him meanness unlimited. He will survive all such attacks. As a business man heis shrewd and far-seeing, judging wisely when to buy and when to sell ; and, while perfectly honorable in all his dealings, he must be shrewd indeed who gets any great advantage of him. To the poor and needy he is a kind and generous friend, one who bestows liberally to such cases of necessity as come to his knowledge.

He is a great admirer of John Wesley. The sincere single- mindedness, the lofty, patriarchal faith, the active, self-deny- ing zeal in doing good, and the large-hearted benevolence for which the founder of Methodism was distinguished. has made a deep impression upon Mr. Baldwin's mind. Like him, he cherishes a deep love of truth, despises glory and fortune, or values them only as they are the means of doing good.

He has resolved to make all he can by industry, to save all he can by strict economy, and give all he can in justice to himself and family. In accordance with this principle, he lives nnder a solemn vow to devote his all to God. When asked in what manner this is done, he replied, " By a resolu- tion I formed, based on the Bible as explained by Mr. Wesley, I determined to appropriate my entire income, aside from the necessaries of life for myself and family, to the cause of benevolence, a resolution which I have seen no reason to change." This last expression gives us the result of his ex- perience for fifteen or twenty years, in which light it becomes a beautiful illustration of the power of faith and goodness.

413

MIDDLEBERG.

Mr. Baldwin has given the water - stycke byol- of families residing in the fooosie wprocesie ve: Silas Gardner, Enoch G. Watrop. Bergman Colly. Silas Becket. Ehas Becket. Ephraim Vangai. Richard Vanghn, Jonathan Vaughn. En. Osborn. Zina Oshorn Charles Green, Aruna Phelps, Ephraim Mecker. - Traey, Nathan Gardner, Benjamin Tutfle, Abraham Fowls, David Fowls, Ephraim Fowls, Daniel Fair- child. Paul Gardner. Amos Gardner, Valentine Gard- ner, Alujah Bagley, and himself. John Baldwin= twenty-six, all told. Mr. Baldwin has estimated the total population at a hundred, but there must have been more than that, unless Middlebury famille - were much smaller than pioneer families generally wile.

The only roads he cons'der- worth mentioning in 1821 were the one up and down the river and the one from the corner of Columbia northeast to the old bridge on the site of the iron bridge at Berva, and thence easterly to the main road from Cleveland to Strongsville. A company had just begun makme ht turnpike of this last-named road. It was completed the next year, and used as a turnpike over thets years. The other roads are deser bed as bemg then only mud-paths, partly elcared of timber, in which a sled or a mud-boat would get along better than a ve- hicle on wheels.

Mr. Baldwin. in a manuscript on file in the record- of the Historical Society, has also mentioned various circumstances connected with the residents before named. Benjamin Colly. besides cultivating hi- farm, used to burn lime, which was found in small amounts in various parts of the Township. When Mr. Baldwin built his house, four years later, he exchanged apples for lime with folly, bushel for bushel. Silas and Elias Becket owned the farm tai- terward sold to Baldwin) which covered most of the quarries on the river. Aruna Phelps had a small house and shop a little south of the site of the Berea depot, where he made chairs and turned bed-post -. Abram Fowls, as Mr. Baldwin says, " made money by attending to his business." Abijah Bagley occu- pied the first fifty aeres settled In old Jared Hickox, as before mentioned. The Bagley road was named from him. The Vaughns had been obliged to give up their land. but had saved their mills which they were running in 1822. About this time Ephraim Vaughn bought twenty aeres covering the ground where the main part of Berea village now stands. This, too, was bought in 1836 by Mr. Baldwin.

Eli Osborn had recently put up a small fulling

In 182: Mr. John Baldwo, who De thing loves ong ir AL of The river arone fico sifo of The railscad In idge. of the best known citizens of The dow cip, roole in- HEMsed Third -- watis, surver bol. az as justice of first entrance into it. He purement choused Vagem farm and in May, 1825, he Troik pouregyich of Il. Mrs. Bowls mentions having seen him ant Ni- yuhlos wife at that time, stepping br -kly aline, jord hier father's residence; hav'ng come as Jan q- They could by stage on the main road. wla ner They asumo for g their way on foot to their new Bons fout or five miles distant. No pages, quemir religious imoslong - and sometimes 19 h. Borjanon Tuttle baden will -hop on Rocky wier. mar fle nearh of thisprvek at Berea, in which he ground bark, tinged Mortkowaml made shoes. He sma-old en Sulem ne Garliter, who carried on the Insiemeossfully many years. Charles Green. wwho coun T'about this time ook up a small piece of land and gio arted a- patifogger before the jus- t ces of The day: le mure in foot the first legal practi- toner, though in a very hunble way, in Middleburg townshy .. Damel Fairemill had a dish-factory on the falls at Berea, and suppdant all the people around with wooden dishes.

The central. northern and northeastern parts of the township were still mostly inhabited by bears, wolves, wild cats, etc .. their chief stronghold being the swamp before mentioned. But there was a cer- tain class of men who maintained a successful rivalry with these animals in the occupancy of the swamp. On a small island, or piece of firm ground, in the midst of the morass (as mentioned in the general his- Tory ) a band of counterfeiters had established a shop and supplied it with tools, and there for many years they manufacturel large quantities of bogus silver, commonly called Podunk money. They do not seem to have been disturbed by the officers of the law, at least for a long time, but they finally abandoned the loca- ton, leaving their factory behind them, probably for tour of discovery on account of the constantly increas- mg number of inhabitants.

Even before Mr. Baldwin's arrival-probably soon after Vaughn's log gristmill was built-his customers from Middleburg. Strongsville, Brunswick, etc., ob- served that the flat rocks about four inches thick, which lay in the bottom of the river, had all the qualities of first class grindstones. So they broke off peers, carried them home with their grists, trimmed of the edges as best they could. punched a square hole through the centre of each with an old chisel. set up a rude frame and used them for grinding their aves, seythes, etc. It took time to get the edges -tooth. but when that was done they had better grind-tones than those brought at great expense from Nova Scotia.

Soon after Mr. Baldwin occupied the Vaughn place in 1828, he hegan breaking up the rocks into suitable sizes, trimming and perforating them with mallet and chisel, and selling them in the neighboring townships. The business increased, and in the winter of 1832 Mr. Baldwin hired a couple of stone-cutters to cut grind- stones at the halves, he furnishing their board and the rough stone, and they contributing their labor. In the spring Mr. Baldwin bought the workmen's -hare, and soon after sold the whole to a trader from Canada. He shipped them by way of Cleveland; this being the first Berea stone sent to either Cleve- land or Canada.

Finding the business constantly increasing, Mr.

414

THE TOWNSHIPS OF CUYAHOGA COUNTY.

Baldwin, the next year (1833), set his Yankee wits to work to invent some casier method of cutting the stone than that with mallet and chisel. Taking a piece of whitewood scanthing to a lathe in the neighborhood, he shaped it to the right form for a pattern, and then walked with it on his shoulder one moonlight night to Cleveland, where he had a "mandrel " cast according to the whitewood pattern. This mandrel or shaft was taken back to Middleburg, where it was fastened to the end of a water-wheel. which was hung under a sawmill. A square hole was made in an incipient grindstone with a chisel, the stone was placed on the mandrel and fastened with a kev, and the wheel set in motion. The end of an iron bar was then hell against the edges and sides of the stone, a storm of sparks and a cloud of dust flew forth, and in a few moments a perfect grindstone was turned out. This was the first grindstone ever turned by machinery in this part of the country, and the invention was Mr. Baldwin's own, though possibly something of the kind may have been previously done in distant regions. So far as we can learn, however. this was the first instance anywhere in the world.

For several years only a moderate, though steadily increasing, quantity of stones was turned out by the new process, but their fame gradually widened, and the foundation of a far larger business was laid. Of the subsequent development of that business we will speak farther on.

In 1833 the first tavern was opened in the township, in the new framed house then built by Solomon Love- joy, on the turnpike-the same which his son now employs for the like purpose.

Another event of this period was the formation of the first temperance society in the township, and one of the first in northern Ohio, in 1832 or 1833. The use of whisky had previously been very prevalent in that region, and it was by no means entirely stopped thereafter, yet a temperance sentiment was then ini- tiated in the community, which has since, in spite of many adverse influences, done much to restrain the curse of drunkenness.

Immigration was still slow, and the north part of the township still remained a wolf-haunted wilderness. Along and near the turnpike, however, there was con- siderable settlement-by Messrs. Pomeroy, Smith, Bassett, Pebles, the Fullers and others, who, with those who had already located in that vicinity, gave that part of the township quite a cultivated appear- ance. Very few came to the west part of the town- ship. Caleb Patterson who came to the vicinity of Berea with his father, Jonathan Patterson, in 1831, at the age of sixteen, describes the country as being almost entirely a wilderness at that period, in which the wolves howled nightly, close to the scattered farms of the settlers.

Meanwhile the great paper-money inflation of 1834. 1835 and 1836 caused what was called the "flush times," when all sorts of speculative schemes were eagerly entered on by a sanguine public. Possibly

this general excitement had something to do with the scheme about to be mentioned, though its salient features were religious and social rather than financial. In the autumn of 1836 Rev. Henry O. Sheldon, a Methodist minister, and Mr. James Gilruth, came to reside in Middleburg on Rocky river. Mr. Sheldon was the first resident minister in the township. Al- though water power along the river had been utilized to a considerable extent, there was still nothing like a village there; there was no store and no physician in the township, and no hotel except the Lovejoy place over on the turnpike.

Messrs. Sheldon and Gilruth were the principal agents in establishing a "community " on Rocky river near the site of the depot, the members of which intended to hold their property and transact all their business in common. About twenty families moved in that year (1836), and over a thousand acres of land were purchased of the Grangers. By the death of Ilon. Gideon Granger, the ownership of the unsold lands of Middleburg had passed to Francis Granger, the celebrated New York politician (post- master-general under President Harrison), and the other heirs of the deceased. Some houses were bought, others were built, and the "community " speedily began its career; somewhat to the astonish- ment of the staid citizens of Middleburg. Only three resident families joined the association. Although the property of the society was owned in common. yet the residences and families of the members were entirely separate. Their business was directed by a board of twelve, known as the Apostles. They bought and repaired a sawmill and gristmill, put in crops the following spring, and for a brief time it seemed to some as if a new era had begun in modern civilization.

The "community" was the more favorably regarded by the people at large as the members manifested none of the scepticism often manifested by social reformers. On the contrary they were zealous in the observance of their religions duties, and for the first time in Middleburg there was regular preaching every Sabbath.

Nevertheless, the experiment was a very brief one. When it came to the active operations of 1837, it was found that farming under the direction of twelve apostles would not do at all. Difficulties occurred incessantly, much bitterness of feeling was manifested, and in the course of a few months the whole scheme was given np. Most of the families concerned in the experiment moved away, and the "community," which was to inaugurate a new era of Christian co-operation, passed out of existence, leaving scarcely a trace behind.

During this season Messrs. Sheldon and Gilruth procured the establishment of a new post office. The former wanted it called Berea; the latter Tabor. So they threw up a half-dollar, (heads, Berea; tails, Tabor), and as Mr. Sheldon won, the first post office in the township received the name of Berea, which has since been extended not only to a thriving village

475

MIDDLEBURG.

but to the "Berea stone," the fame of which has spread over half the continent. Mr. Sheldon was the first postmaster.

After the failure of the community." Messrs. Sheldon and Gilruth remained and established a high school, which they called "Berea Lyceum." In con- nection therewith a village was laid out which was originally called "Lyceum Village." It retained that name, at least on the plats (one of which is now in possession of Mr. Patterson) as late as 1841. There was a Lyceum Village stock company, in the name of which the enterprise was carried on, and which gave deeds of the lots. As, however, the post office was named Berea, which was a much more con- venient designation than Lyceum Village, the former appellation gained ground on the latter, and was gen- erally adopted by the people of the township as the name of the village. Alfred Holbrook was invited by Mr. Sheldon to take charge of the lyceum, and conducted it several years. It went down. however. before 1845.

A somewhat peculiar institution -to be established almost in the woods-was the "globe-factory" of Josiah Holbrook. In it was manufactured all kinds of school apparatus, such as globes, cubes, cabinets for specimens, etc. Mr. Holbrook built up a large busi- ness, and at one time employed ten or twelve men. The factory remained until 1852.

Turning to other quarters, we find that while "communities," lyceums, etc., attracted attention on the banks of Rocky river, there was still a flourishing community of wild cats, and a nightly lyceum of wolves, in the northern part of the township. As late as 1838, Mrs. Fowls mentions being awakened by the awful bleating of a pet calf only a short dis- tance from the house. Her father went out and tired his gun, when the bleating ceased. A lantern being lighted, the calf was found badly mangled by wolves. which had audaciously ventured into the immediate vicinity of a house in search of prey.

It was about the same time that the last bear was killed in the township, according to Mr. S. A. Fowls, the slayer being a man named Doty, who lived on the turnpike. Wolves were occasionally seen still later, and in 1842 three large timber-wolves came into the Middleburg swamp from the west. They remained there and in the adjoining woods a year and a half. defying all attempts to destroy them, and killing many sheep for the neighboring farmers. At length. in 1843, young Lewis Fowls and Jerome Raymond undertook in earnest the job of capturing them. The State and county together were then giving ten dollars for each wolf-scalp. The farmers also sub- scribed some twenty dollars more to encourage the destruction of these particular enemies. Fowls and Raymond penetrated mto the accustomed haunts of the marauders, baited steel traps with tempting mor- sels of sheep and cow, and after various attempts, suc- ceeding in catching all three of them alive. They were promptly despatched, to the great joy of the

neighborhood. These was the last wolves in the township, so far as known.

Deer, however, were frequently seen until after the railroad was built, when they speedily disappeared. Wild turkies were also numerous and of great size. Young Fowls killed eighteen in one winter, weighing from fifteen to twenty pounds each. Wild cats were also numerous and "ngly," but the last one was killed in a small swamp on the Bagley road, about 1845 or a little later.

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History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Part 116

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