USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > History of Cuyahoga County, Ohio > Part 131
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1823. Trustees, Robert Prentiss, Enoch Glenson, David Benjamin; clerk, Martin Clark; treasurer, Jolin Prentiss.
1824. Trustees, Jedediah Hubbell, John Prentiss, Mile Gleason; clerk, Almon Kingsbury ; treasurer, Salmon Buel.
1825. Trustees, Orrin J. Hubbell, Caleb Baldwin, Milo Gleason; clerk, P. L. Brown; treasurer, Sylvester Carber.
1826. Trustees, Orrin J. Hubbell, Caleb Baldwin, Moses Warren; clerk, P. L. Brown; treasurer, Enoch Gleason.
1827. Trustees, Enoch Gleason, Daniel Warren, Asa Stiles: clerk, Orrin J. Hubbell; treasurer, Peleg Brown.
1828. Trustees, Enoch Gleason, Daniel Warren, Beckwith Cook ; clerk, Orriu J. Hubbell; treasurer, Asa Stiles.
IN39. Trustees, Enoch Gleason, Nathaniel Goodspeed, David Benja- min; clerk, Orrin J. Hubbell; treasurer, Daniel Pillsbury.
1×30. Trustees, Enoch Gleason, Gabriel Culver, Andrew Wilson; clerk, Orrin J. Hubbell; treasurer, Moses Warren,
1831. Trustees, Enoch Gleason, Jedediah Hubbell, Horace Hamilton; clerk, Orrin J. Hubbell; treasurer, Moses Warren.
1832. Trustees, Milo Gleason, John Woodruff, Horace Hamilton; clerk, Orrin J. Hubbell; treasurer, Moses Warren.
1-33. Trustees, Orrin J. Hubbell, Moses Warren, Jr., Samuel M. Pren- tiss; clerk, Luther R. Prentiss; treasurer, Milo Gleason.
1834. Trustees, Gabriel Culver, Bazaleel Thorp, Solyman Hubbell; clerk, Luther R. Prentiss; treasurer, Orrin J. Hubbell.
1835. Trustees, Milo Gleason, Bezaleel Thorp, Nathaniel Lyon; clerk Wm. H. Cole; treasurer, Asa Upsou.
1836. Trustees, Luther R. Prentiss, Elijah W. Bronson. Frederick Sillsby ; clerk, Parker Boynton; treasurer, Asa Upsou.
1837. Trustees, Amos Birchard, Milo Gleason, Moses Warren; clerk, Orrin J. Hubbell; treasurer, Wm. H. Cole.
1838. Warren Therp, Milo Gleason, Andrew Wilson; clerk, Orrin J. Hubbell; treasurer, Wm. H. Cole,
1839. Trustees, Warren Thorp, Asa Upson, Amos Birchard; clerk, Milo Gleason, treasurer, Wm. H. Cole.
1840. Moses Warren, Jr., Andrew Wilson, John G. Proper; clerk, Luther R. Prentiss; Elijah W. Bronson.
1841. Trustees, Moses Warren, Jr., Everett Holley, John G. Proper; clerk, Luther R. Prentiss; treasurer, David Birchard.
1842. Trustees, Erastus Smith, Oliver Ranson, Pliny S. Conkey ; clerk, Milo Gleason; treasurer, Amos Birchard.
1843. Trustees, Linus Clark, Albert Kingsbury, Pliny S. Conkey; clerk, Milo Gleason; treasurer, Truman Eggleston.
1844. Trustees, Otis Lyon, Russell Frizzell, Henry Wetherby ; clerk, Albert Kingsbury; treasurer, Truman Eggleston.
1845. Trustees, Thomas Cain, John Hewett, Russell Frizzell; clerk, Luther R. Prentiss: treasurer, Wm. H. Cole.
1846. Trustees, Thomas Cain, John Hewitt, James Clapp; clerk, Luther R. Prentiss; treasurer, Wm. H. Cole.
1847. Trustees, Linus Clark, John Hewitt, James Clapp; clerk, Luther R. Prentiss; treasurer, Wm. H. Warren.
1848. Trustees, Nathan Lyon, Henry Gleason, James Clapp; clerk, W'm. H. Warren; treasurer, Oliver Ranson.
1849. Trustees, Nathan Lyon, Henry Gleason, Wm. Bowler; clerk, Wm. H. Cole; treasurer, Oliver Ranson.
1850. Trustees, Henry Wetherby, Russell Frizzell, James Clapp; clerk, Wm. H. Cole; treasurer, Oliver Ranson.
1×51. Trustees, Linus Clark, Russell Frizzell, Moses Warren, Jr .; clerk, Wm. H. Warren: treasurer. Asa L'pson.
1852. Trustees, Linus Clark, Russell Frizzell, John T. Radcliff; clerk, Wm. H. Warren; treasurer, Asa Upson.
1853. Trustees, Asahel Lewis, Russell Frizzell, Johu T. Radcliff; clerk, Wm. H. Warren; treasurer, Hart Taylor.
1854. Trustees, Moses Warren, Wm. H. Cole, John T. Radcliff; clerk, Luther R. Prentiss; treasurer, Hart Taylor.
1855. Trustees, Russell Frizzell, Andrew Wilson, Henry Gleason; clerk, Luther R. Prentiss; treasurer, Hart Taylor.
1556. Trustees, Russell Frizzell, Andrew Wilson, Henry Gleason; clerk, Linus Clark : treasurer, Hart Taylor.
1857. Trustees, Gad E. Johnson, Henry Wetherby, Everett Holley; clerk, W. S. Cannon; trensurer, Milo Gleason.
1858. Trustees, Gad E. Johnson, Moses Warren, Everett Holley ; clerk, Solyman Hubbell; treasurer, Hart Taylor.
1859. Trustees. James K. Quayle, Andrew Wilson, Asahel Lewis; clerk, Solyman Hubbell; treasurer, Hart Tayler.
1860. Trustees, James K Quayle, Moses Warren, H N. Clark; clerk, Milo Gleason : treasurer, Hart Taylor.
1861. Trustees, James Clapp, Moses Warren, H. Wetherby; clerk, E. Holley; treasurer, J. T. Radcliff.
1462. Trustees, B. F. Eddy, Robert Smith, H. Wetherby; clerk, Wm. H. Warren; John M. Burke.
1863. Trustees, Otis Farrar, Robert Smith, James K. Quayle; clerk, Wm. H. Warren; treasurer, J. T. Radcliff.
1464. Trustees, Otis Farrar, John Radcliff, Jr., James K. Quayle; clerk, Win. Taylor; treasurer, J. T. Radcliff.
1865. Trustees, John Radcliff, Jr., Otis Farrar, A. S. Kingsbury ; clerk, J. M. Burke; treasurer, O. B. Judd;
1866. Trustees, John Radcliff, Jr., Robert Drake, H. N. Clark; clerk, Hammond Clapp; treasurer, O. B. Judd.
1867. Trustees, John Radcliff, Jr., Wm. H. Warren, D. L. Wightman; clerk. Edwin Taylor; treasurer, O. B. Judd;
1868 Trustees, J. P. Thorp, Wm. H. Warren, John Radcliff, Jr .; clerk, W. W. Blair; treasurer, G. E. Johnson.
1869. Trustees, J. P. Thorp, Wm. H. Warren, John Radcliff, Jr .; treasurer, W W. Blair; treasurer, G. E. Johnson.
1870. Trustees, L. R Prentiss, John Caley, G. W. Harland; clerk, W. W. Blair; treasurer, Milo Gleason.
1871. Trustees, Elermie Earle, T. Nelson, G. W. Harland; clerk, W. W. Blair; treasurer, Milo Gleason.
1872. Trustees, Elermie Earle, T. Nelson, G. W. Harland; clerk, W. W. Blair; treasurer, Milo Gleason.
1873. Trustees, A. S. Cannon, J. Leppert, Jr., R. Walkden; clerk, W. W. Blair; treasurer, D. P. Badger.
1874. Treasurer, A. S. Cannon, E. Earle, R. Walkden; clerk, W. W. Blair; treasurer, D. P. Badger.
1875. Trustees, Thomas Harland, E. Earle, A. J. Conkey; clerk, W. W. Blair; treasurer, John Shirringer.
1876. Trustees, A. S. Cannon, Robert Walkden, A. J. Conkey; clerk, W. W. Smith; treasurer, John Shirringer;
1877. Trustees, John C. Teare, John Radcliff, Jr., W. W. Smith; clerk, H. V. Hammond; treasurer, D. Nowack.
1878. Trustees, John C. Teare, John Caley, W. W. Smith; clerk, H. V. Hammond; treasurer, David Wade.
1879. Trustees, Sebastian Fieg, John Caley, James Smith; clerk, H. V. Hammond; Treasurer, David Wade.
The justices of the peace in 1879 were William S. Corlett and Wm. H. Sanders. At the spring election in 1879 the voters numbered two hundred and sixty- six.
In 1819 the total tax of Warrensville was $12.50, of which eighty cents could not be collected. In 1821, after Orange was organized, the tax was only $6.05, which was disbursed as follows:
531
WARRENSVILLE.
Paid Runa R. Baldwin, constable .. 8 54
Ansel Young, township clerk .. 1 18
.. Asa Stiles, trustee 1 55
" Ebenezer Russell, trustee. 1 00
" Josiah Abhott, trustee 1 00
" George Cannon, collector 60
" C'hester Risley, treasurer 18
It is probable that in the above andit the treasurer was allowed all the funds left on hand, which certain- ly did not remunerate him extravagantly.
In 1828 the township gave John Adams thirty two votes for President of the United States, and Andrew Jackson fifteen votes for the same office.
The township owns a fine brick hall at the center, and several cemeteries, conveniently located in the most populous neighborhoods. In 1874 a large and substantial vault for burial purposes was constructed at the expense of the township, a little north of Warrensville Center.
ROADS AND RAILROADS.
In 1812 the township was divided into four road districts, with the following supervisors: Moses War- ren, Robert Prentiss, Benjamin Thorp and Syrenus Burnett. About this time the first road (the one run- ning through the center east and west, ) was partially opened, and other roads underbrushed. Sometime about 1850 the former was graded and planked, but the company allowed it to go down after the first planks had decayed. It was used as a public road until 1826, when the Cleveland and Warrensville plank road company put down five miles of planks, from the city limits to a point three-fourths of a mile cast of the center. The road running from the center south was also formerly planked, as well as the road from Randall, northwest to Newburg: but they have long since been used as common highways. Most of the public roads have been well graded, and are gen- erally in a fair condition. In 1829 the supervisors were llenry Lyon, Edward Cacher, Charles Brathlott, George Leigh, John Deitch, Herbert Conkey, Peter Fehr. William Cowley, James Radcliff, Frederick Schnedker. Robert Trendall, Edward Moore, Frank Algier, Frederick Fehr and Robert Walkden.
The Cleveland and Mahoning and the Atlantic and Great Western raidroads pass through the southwest- ern part of the township. They use one road bed but have tracks of different gauges.
RANDALL STATION.
A part of the road forms a heavy grade and the Randall station, in consequence, is half a mile east of that hamlet, and just over the Bedford township line. There are but a few buildings at the station and only about twenty houses at the hamlet of Randall. The point was first known as Plank Road Station, but in 1868 a post office was established here which was named after Alexander W. Randall. at that time post- master-general, and the locality took the same appel- lation. Nelson Beckwith was the first postmaster, but in 1820 he was succeeded by Mr. Charles Gross- meyer, who yet holds the office. It has a daily mail.
About 1848 George Lathrop put up a tavern at this place which became widely known at the Plank Road House. He was succeeded by Otis Farrar and others, the hotel since 1822 having been kept by Charles Grossmeyer. A second public house was here put up by Charles Nickerson, which was called the " Blue Tavern," and is still carried on. A few goods have also been sold at these places.
WARRENSVILLE CENTER.
This was formerly a place of more importance than at present. It contains a Methodist church, the town hall, a fine school-building and eight or ten houses. About 1844 Dwyer Sherman put up the present tav- ern, which has been kept by Nickerson, Teed, Kings- bury, MeKee, Birchard and many others. Another hotel directly opposite was destroyed by fire. One and a half miles west on the plank road a fine country hotel was opened in October, 1822, by A. A. Gillette and is yet conducted by him.
Parker Boynton had the first store in the place, selling his stand to E. W. Brunson. Birchard & Brewer, John M. Burke, Wm. H. Warren and others have also been in trade there. At present D. Nowack has a small store and is postmaster of an office which has a tri-weekly mail from Chagrin Falls. Milo Gleason was the first postmaster, keeping the office at his residence. His successors are Amos Birchard, John McKee, Chester Button, John M. Burke, W. II. Warren, Edwin Taylor, and the present incumbent.
THE MANUFACTURING INTERESTS
of the township have been few and limited to the common kinds. Many years ago a steam sawmill was put up a little west of the center by Wm. R. Trues- dell, which was subsequently moved to its present site where it is operated by T. J. Radcliff. It is also supplied with a run of stones for grinding feed and has machinery for making cider. On Mill Brook two sawmills were formerly operated by men respectively named Palmer and Flick. To Palmer's mill steam- power was subsequently supplied but both establish- ments have long since been discontinued.
The first sawmill in the township was on Shaker Brook and was put up by Ezra Smith, about 1820, or later. A gristmill was put in operation at a subse- quent period and in 1829 the Shakers built a new gristmill, having two overshot wheels and two runs of stone. In a few years they also had a linseed oil mill. A better sawmill was built by them in 1836, and some time after 1850 they erected a good brick building for a woolen factory, which was operated until about ten years ago. The society also had an establishment for the manufacture of wooden ware, a tannery and other small works; but with the excep- tion of their mills and broom factories no manufac- turing is at present carried on by it. The principal industry of the Shakers as well as of the people of the township are the ordinary agricultural pursuits; but lately a number of small vineyards have been
532
TIIE TOWNSHIPS OF CUYAHOGA COUNTY.
planted, and some attention is paid to small fruit culture.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The first school-house in the township was put up on the site of (fillette's hotel about 1815. It was built of rough, round logs, with a stick chimney backed with stones and capable of burning logs from four to eight feet long. William Addison was the first teacher; and other early teachers were Ansel Young and Aziel Aldrich. The pupils were from the Russell, Honey, Warren and Prentiss families,
In 1830 there were four districts in the township; at present there are eight, each receiving an equal portion of the funds raised for school purposes. In 1878 this amounted to $2 .: 29.64, the greater part of which was paid for tuition. In 1875, two hundred and thirty-four male and two hundred and twenty-one female persons of school age were reported in the township, of which nine were colored. Warrensville has an excellent class of school-honses, of shapely proportions and built of brick. The one at the cen- ter is two stories high and was completed in 1828, at a cost of $2,400. The board of education in 1829 was composed of the following: District No. 1, Ja- cob Steuer; No. 3. J. G. Gleason, (president); No. 4. Thomas Nelson; No. 5, Robert Carran; No. 6, Seth Knowles: No. 7, Robert Drake: No. S, James N. Smith; No. 9, Lafayette Conkey: V. D. Hammond, elerk.
THE UNITED SOCIETY OF BELIEVERS.
This society, commonly called the Shaker comnin- nity of North Union, is located in the north western pert of Warrensville, eight miles from Cleveland and began operations there in the early part of 1822. The previous fall Ralph Russell, one of a number of that family, living on lots twenty-two and twenty-three, visited the Shaker community, at Union Village, in Warren county, to investigate their doctrines and, if acceptable, to become a member. He received their testimony and came home to remove his family thither the following spring. Meantime his exposition of the Shaker doctrines had made such an impression on his friends and neighbors that when the knowledge of it came to the elders of the Union Village society, they determined to visit the locality " to open the testi- mony," and if a sufficient number believed, to estab- lish an auxiliary community there.
On this mission came James Hodge and Richard Pelham on the 25th of March, 1822. After tarrying a few weeks they made a report. urging the society to carry out its purpose: and soon after. Richard Me- Nemar, James Hodge, Richard Pelham, Anna Boyd and Betsy Dunlavey were delegated to organize the believers (Ralph Russell, Chester Risley, Elijah Rus- sell, Riley Honey, Elisha Russell and some others) into a common family to be known with reference to the parent society as " The North Union." About this time public worship after the manner of the
Shakers was first held in a log cabin on the hill near where Ralph Russell lived; and the meetings were continued with satisfactory results until the fall of the year. When the elders returned home several of the brethren from North Union accompanied them to more fully study the practical part of Shakerism, as exemplified in the usages of an older community. Their report gave every assurance of their belief that they had found the True Millennial Church. In the spring of 1823 lot twenty-two was formally consecrated after having been purchased by the trustees of the Union Village community. Other purchases were made and donations received until at present the landed property consists of nearly one thousand four hundred acres of choice land, contignous to the orig- inal lot, which is in a good state of cultivation and has on it a number of fine farm buildings.
In 1826 the framed house for the Center family was built which was the first frame at North Union, log cabins having served up to that period. The stone work was done by James S. Prescott, who came from Cleve- land for this purpose, and who was so well pleased with the Shakers that he connected himself with the society, and has remained ever since a prominent member. About this time the children, numbering twenty-five, were gathered at what is now the East house, and were placed under the care and instruc- tion of Oliver Wheeler and Prudence Sawyer. Great pains have since been taken to educate the youth of the community, which is constituted a separate school district and as such receives its portion of the State funds.
The elders of the I'n on Village community con- tinned to visit North Union statedly to preach and teach, and the principles of Shakerism having been practically tested, the "Covenant" was signed on the 28th of September, 1828, by Elijah Russell, James S. Prescott, Simnel Russell, Chester Risley, Return Russell, Elisha Russell, John P. Root, Wm. Andrews, Edward Russell, Win. Johnson, Daniel N. Baird, Ambrose Bragg. Benjamin Hughey, Barney Cossett, Riley Honey, Ebenezer Russell, Mary E. Russell, Prudence Sawyer, Emma H. Russell, Lydia Russell 1st, Lydia Russell 2nd, Jernsha Russell 1st, Jerusha Russell 2nd, Clarissa Risley, Clarinda Baird, Melinda Russell. Hannah Addison, Caroline Bears, Candace P. Russell, Mercy Sawyer, Esther Russell, Abigail Russell, Phebe Russell. Phebe Andrews, Ahneda C'ossett, Adaline Russell and Diantha Carpenter. Sixteen more brethren and twenty-seven sisters signed later in the fall of 1828, making in all eighty mem- bers.
The church was fully organized by the election of James S. Prescott, Chester Risley, Prudence Sawyer and Einice Russell as elders and elderesses; Return Russell, Elisha Russell, John P. Root, Lydia Russell 1st and Huldah Russell as deacons and deaconesses. As other families were formed each had its own offi- cers. At present the community is composed of three families, viz: The East family, having twenty-five
533
WARRENSVILLE.
members, of which John P. Root and Charles Taylor are the elders, and Rachael Russell and Harriet Sny- der the elderesses. The Center Family, having thirty members, of which Samuel Miner and George W. Ingalls, are the elders; Lusetta Walker and Clyminia Miner the elderesses. The Mill Family, having twelve members of which Curtis Cramer and Watson An- drews are the elders: Lydia Cramer and Temperance Devan the elderesses.
The duties of the above officers are mainly spiritual. The temporalities are controlled by a board of trus- tres. composed of James S. Prescott, George W. In- galls and Samuel S, Miner; the office-deaconessess are Candace Russell, Abigail Russell and Margaret Saw- yer. Each family has a very comfortable residence, connected with which are shops and other buildings in which the members find occupation, although agri- culture is the principal industry. Many of the mem- bers being aged and infirm, the society is obliged to employ a force of outside help to carry on its large farm.
The community has always been dependent on Union Village for its ministers, who visit this place statedly to show the more perfect way and "unfold the testimony." according to the standpoint of the United Believers. At present these are Wm. Rey- nolds. Amos Parkhust, Louisa Farnham and Adaline Wells. The meeting house at the residence of the Conter family is the second in which the community has worshiped, and was erected in 1849. It is a plain frame, fifty by one hundred feet, and has twenty-foot posts. The public meetings were discontinued in 1822, but each family maintains a meeting every Sab- bath afternoon in its assembly room, in addition toits usual devotions, to which unbelievers are admitted under proper restrictions. The forms of worship have been some somewhat modified, the principal change being the substitution of marching for dane- ing: but the essential features of the community re- main as they were established, half a century ago; and although the vitality of the society has been some- what impaired by death and other causes, it will probably be able to maintain an existence for many years to come to elucidate the principles of its mem- bers, which, although they can never be generally ac- cepted, are yet entitled to just consideration before they are utterly condemned.
THE PROTESTANT METHODIST CHURCH.
Sometime after 1833 a society of Reformed Meth- odists was organized in the township which, in a short time, became the nucleus of the above society. About 1835 a meeting-house was erected at the center which was used while the church had an existence; but after 1860, when but two male members-W. II. Warren and R. P. Bennett-were left, it was sold and moved to Orange. This change from a large and flourishing membership was cansed chiefly by removals and death. Among the clergy who preached in the church are remembered the names of Revs. Dolby,
Heath, Bamford, Reeves, Tracy, Moody, Kingsley and Bowman.
THE DISCIPLE CHURCH.
A few years after the erection of the above church at the center, a meeting-house for the use of a soci- ety of Disciples, which had been organized in the township, was built near by, and was occupied for worship about twenty years when its use was aban- doned and the house soon after removed. Among the prominent members of the Disciple church were the Hubbell families. In 1842 the church had forty- two conversions and the following year the meeting of the clergy of the clergy of the donomination was held with the society. Thirteen ministers were present. For several years thereafter the church flourished, but was dismembered by removals to such an extent that it was not possible to longer maintain its organization.
THE FREE CHURCH OF WARRENSVILLE.
This is in the southwestern part of the township and is controlled by an association, formed in Janu- ary, 1861, which was composed of William Watterson, John Kelley, William Kerruish, Robert Carran, Wil- liam Callon, D. L. Wightman, William P. Cain, James Boyd and Thomas Collister. An old frame school-house was purchased and has been so thoroughly repaired that it now affords a comfortable place of worship. The controlling trustees are William P. Cain, James Boyd and Thomas Taubman. The house is free for any religious sect which may choose to hold its meetings there, but has been occupied principally by the Bible Christians. This seet also owns a neat chapel in the northeastern part of the township, in which meetings are statedly held in connection with the foregoing, and other appointments in Orange, where resides the pastor, the Rev. Moore. The mem- bership in Warrensville is small, but the church work is in a sound condition, The society was organized December 11, 1862, with William Lang, Alexander Barber, Isaac Burt and John Short, trustees.
THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN WARRENS- VILLE. *
The present organization of the Methodist Episco- pal church in Warrensville was effected November 12, 1837, by the formation of a class at the center of the township. Previous to that time a class had been formed: but it was soon afterwards dissolved, most of the members joining the Protestant Methodist church. The members composing the class formed at the time above stated were Silas Johnson, class leader: Ase- nath Johnson, Asa Upson. Chloe Upson, James Lee, Amos Gardner, Moses Warren, Sr., Anna Ilolsted. David Cushman. Almira Cushman, Hiram B. Craine (local preacher), Jane Craine, Warren Thorp, Han- nah Thorp, Fanny Bronson, Dayton Thorp, Sally Kilby, Timothy Holsted, Gideon Pierce, Mary 1. Johnson, Gertie Johnson, Daniel Hubbard, E. L.
*By William S. C'orlett, Esq.
534
THE TOWNSITIPS OF CUYAHOGA COUNTY.
Ilubbard, Lydia Thomas, John Hewit, Thomas Quayle, A. Quayle, Ann Hampton, John Kneale, John Teare and C. Boyd.
The society held its meetings in the center school- house until 1845 when a church was erected in that locality by Asa Upson, Robert Smith and John Hew- itt as a building committee. This church was con- tinnously occupied by the Methodists until burned down in 1866, when Warrensville Center was withont a church building-three having stood there but a short time before. Adapting themselves to the change of circumstances the Methodists returned to the school- house and continued to hold services therein. In the winter of 1864-8 a meeting of the prominent and in- fluential people of the township was held at the resi- dence of Robert Smith, whereat steps were taken to secure the erection of a new house of worship. Some time after a building committee was appointed con- sisting of Rev. Robert Smith, Erastus Smith, Joseph Thorp, William II. Warren and Edwin Taylor, with authority to build a church at Warrensville Center. Rev. R. Smith was appointed a sub-committee to su- perintend the building. The result was that in the sammer of 1868 the present commodions and conven- ient church was erected. The dedicatory services were conducted by Rev. Cyrus Prendle. D. D. The church has been recently very much improved in ap- pearance and comfort by the ladies, headed by Mrs. D. Cameron, Mrs C. Harrison and Mrs. Eliza .1. Teare.
There is at present preaching each Sabbath morn- ing, the circuit preacher alternating with the Rev. Robert Smith, a local deacon of the M. E. Church. In the year 1836 regular preaching by the eirenit preachers was commenced at the Radeliffe school- house, in North Warrensville, and continuously kept up to the present. Occasionally, previous to this date, preaching by local preachers was kept up, some- times in the school-house and sometimes at private honses. But it was not till after 183; that the first class was organized.
The original members composing this class were James Smith, Mary Smith, Robert Smith, James Lee, Lanra Lee, Caleb Litch, Mercy Litch and Elizabeth Corbett. The class was soon increased by the addi-
tion of several others. Among the first to join was John Radcliffe, Jr., the present recording steward of the circuit. Robert Smith has been leader of this class for about forty years.
The first Sunday-school in the township was or- ganized in the Radcliffe school-house by the Method- ists, and for forty years has been regularly main- tained, Robert Smith being for most of the time superintendent. At present the Sunday-school at the center and the one at Radcliffe school-honse are superintended by Wm. S. Corlett. There is a M. E. Sunday-school in the school-house in Northeast Warrensville, Rev. Seneca Thomas, superintendent: and recently a Sunday-school was organized in the school-house in District No. 1, in the western part of township, Wm. M. Warren being superintendent.
The following Methodist Episcopal ministers have preached at the Center M. E. Church and the Radcliffe school-house, in connection with other preaching places, forming a circuit sometimes com- posed of several townships. At present the circuit is composed of the above two appointments in Warrens- ville, two more in Orange, and one at the Euclid stone school-honse:
1837, Phillip Green, Peter Burroughs: 1838, Lo- enzo D. Prosser. J. W. Davis; 1839, John H. Hallock, William F. Wilson, Geo. C. Baker; 1840, J. H. Hallock, Milo H. Bettis; 1841, W. French, John O. Wood: 1842, W. French, Wm. S. Warallo; 1843, W. S. Warallo, H. Elliott: 1844. John E. Aikins. Milo Butler; 1845. J. E. AAikins, C. P. Henry; 1846, Albina Hall, D. M. Stearns; 1847, A. Ilall, John II. Tagg: 1848, Samuel Gregg, W. F. Day: 1849, Ira Eddy, W. F. Day; 1850-51, A. Walker. E. C. Lattimer; 1852, A. Fonts, Samuel Raynels; 1853, A. Fouts, Robert Gray; 1854, Thomas Radchffe, Joseph Wooley: 1855, William Patterson, John McCarthy; 1856, L. W. Ely, Albert Norton; 1857, 1I. P. Henderson. L. E. Beardsley; 1858-9, Hiram Kellogg; 1860, Cyril Wilson; 1861. M. Williams: 1862, G. R. Bowman; 1863-4, J. K. Mendenhall; 1865-6-7, B. C. Warner: 1868-9, Thomas Radcliffe; 1870. A. Fouts: 1821. Robert Gray: 1822-3, Iliram Kellogg; 1814, C. W. Darrow; 1875, S. Collier: 1876-7, George Johns; 1828-9, F. L. Chalker.
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