History of Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio, Part 57

Author: Williams Brothers
Publication date: 1879
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 443

USA > Ohio > Lake County > History of Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio > Part 57
USA > Ohio > Geauga County > History of Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio > Part 57

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).

Silas Tanner came in 1814. He was from Massachusetts; had lived in Penn- sylvania. He brought his wife and five children, and settled on lot thirty-six,

tract three; was a justice of the peace; removed to Illinois, where he died. His wife died in 1847. Of the children Chester remained in the township, and died at sixty-four, from the kick of a horse. His wife was Alzina Tiffany, who came from the East with her parents in 1815, and settled where Horace Herrick now lives. Reuben Hulburt with his wife and children came, and settled in the north part of the township in 1815. Amos Satterlee and two unmarried brothers came in 1815. Amos erected a house that season in the north part of the town- ship, east of the Chagrin, and returned for his family, and moved them to Chester the next year. Lyman Hitchcock came in 1816 and settled near him, on the west side of the river. John Scott took up lot thirty-five, tract three, in 1817; he died in 1859. His brothers, William and Asa, came about the same time, and James later. Among the early settlers, the years of whose several arrivals have not been ascertained, Dr. Hudson mentions Stephen Bassett, Libbeus Norton and brothers, David, Allison, Asa, Winsor, William Scott, and Asa Scott,-Dr. H. thinks in 1817, at which date, he says, there were about twenty families in the township. He attributes the frequent visitation of Chester by tornadoes as a great hindering cause of its rapid settlement. The one of 1804 was followed by another in June, 1810, only less destructive, doubtless the one which devastated the forests to the northeast. He also mentions one of the last of June, 1812, which swept the southern borders of Chester, laid waste the forests of Orange, Russell, and Newbury. It blew down a log house in Newbury, scattered the heavy logs, and even blew out the heavy puncheons of the floor, the man and his wife (the Rices; see Newbury) escaping with little save their lives.

Joel Gilbert, originally from Connecticut, came from Genoa, New York, to Chester in December, 1817, and settled a mile and a half west of Mulberry Cor- ners. He died in March, 1852. His widow, third wife, survives, and resides on the old homestead. She is now seventy-two years of age. Mr. Gilbert was the father of seventeen children, of whom two-Warren C. and Almon-reside in Mentor.

Samuel Adams, from Genoa, New York, settled in Chester in 1817. Also from the same place, and in the same year, came Charles Odell, who located on lot 26, of traet 1. He subsequently went East on a visit, and there died. His brother Eli came and took possession of his property in about the year 1828, but there are none of the family now in the township.

Benjamin Fisk, an early settler on lot 6.

M. W. Cottrell, son of Nicholas Cottrell (see Willoughby), was born March 3, 1807. He was sixteen years of age at the time of the emigration of the family to Ohio. After a residence of some six years in Willoughby he came to Chester, and commenced the improvement of his purchase, previously made, located in lot six, tract one. The first year he cleared twelve acres and sowed it to wheat, made one thousand pounds of maple-sugar, and also erected his cabin. He was then unmarried, and boarded with the family of Stephen Bassett, for whose uniform kindness and generosity he cherishes the warmest feelings of gratitude.

November 18, 1830, he married Mary R. Covert, of Willoughby (then Cha- grin), whose parents, Luke and Dinah Covert, located in that township in 1816. The result of this marriage was eight children, only three of whom survive. Mr. Cottrell, by dint of industry and good management, accumulated a large farm, some five hundred acres, which he divided among his children as they married.

Stephen Bassett, originally from Connecticut, moved to Genoa, New York, in 1809, where he remained until 1817, when he emigrated to Chester, settling on lot sixteen, tract one. He married, in 1810, Sally Adams, daughter of Samuel Adams, of Genoa, New York. To them have been born ten children, seven of whom are living, viz., Betsey, now Mrs. Mordecai Tambling, who lives in Illinois ; Lucyette, wife of Russell Eldred, and lives in Lorain county, this State ; Lynda, now Mrs. H. E. Hobert, and lives in Illinois; Stephen H., who resides on the homestead; Amy, wife of Lysander Howard, and lives in Kansas ; Maria, wife of M. F. Howard, now in Illinois ; Mary, wife of Wesley Franklyn, and living in Colorado. Mr. Bassett died in September, 1868. The widow survives, at the age of eighty-cight, but in feeble health. She lives with her son, S. H. Bassett, on the old homestead.

I gather and group a few of the more recent names of the early settlers of Chester : Clark Philbrick, at twenty-three went to Mentor, in Lake County, from Weare, New Hampshire, thence to the middle part of the State, from which he found his way to Defiance, where he remained three years; married Mary Hilton, moved to Cleveland, and, a year later, to Chester, which was in 1828. He pur- chased lot thirty-five, tract three, where he raised a family of five children, and died in 1849. Soon after, Chester became the residence of five more Philbricks, brothers, of whom but one survives. The Philbricks were men of substance, intelligence, and influence.

S. B. Philbrick, whose name is so prominently connected with the various enterprises of the township since his settlement in it, was born in the town of

. By the record, he married Remitty Corohran, of Cleveland, February 5, 1809.

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HISTORY OF GEAUGA AND LAKE COUNTIES, OHIO.

Weare, New Hampshire, in the year 1800. He removed to Cleveland, Ohio, when twenty-six years of age, where he taught a school one winter. He also taught three winters in Newburgh. He settled in Chester in 1828, and located on lot thirty-five of tract three. October 4, 1835, he was married to Nancy A., daughter of Lebbius Norton.

I part with stout old Dr. Hudson with regret. Brave old pioneer, large dis- penser of calomel and jalap; orthodox in creed, in faith, in the lancet ; a wide and fearless rider, or trudging on foot the devious forest-paths of all the surround- ing townships. A stanch, cheerful, trusted, intelligent, public-spirited man. A son of David Hudson, proprietor of Hudson township, born in 1788. He left Chester in 1818, studied his profession, returned in 1825, and we shall see and hear more of him. He was the first postmaster, the first to " speak in prayer," and left Chester, removed to Meigs county in 1838 or 1839, where he lived at the time of John Morgan's stupid raid into Ohio. At that time Dr. Hudson was crossing a street of Pomeroy, then in the hands of the rebs. One of them called, " Halt !" Not supposing it was addressed to him, he continued to walk on, and was shot down and died in the street.

To these may be added :

James Gilmore, one of the earlier settlers of the township, came from Massa- chusetts, bringing his family of nine children, five boys and four girls, with him. He settled on the present site of the town-hall. His son, Ashbel, settled on the farm occupied by Silas T. Gilmore. Six of his children are now living, and three are dead. G. W., the eldest, resides at the cross-roads ; Silas A., a short distance south of the centre; Mary and Martha were twins, and married, the former, David Scott, and lives a mile and a quarter east of the Centre, and the latter Aretus Scott (deceased), and resides at the cross-roads.

Alonzo Meloin, from Cummington, Massachusetts, settled in Chester in 1824 or 1825, on lots 13 and 14. .

S. C. Ferry, from Massachusetts, settled on lot 12, about 1826. Now resides there. Oliver Ranney came to Chester from Genoa, New York. He was married in 1820 to Lynda Adams, daughter of Samuel Adams, of Genoa, New York, and settled on lot 24, tract 1. To them were born four children, viz., Emily, Dow Mrs. E. O. Lyman ; Thomas, deceased; Julius B., who lives on the old home- stead; and Alice, also, who is single. Mr. Ranney died September, 1876, aged nearly eighty. Mrs. Ranney still survives, at the age of seventy-eight.

AZARIAH LYMAN was born December 6, 1777, in Westhampton, Massachusetts, where he remained until past the meridian of life. From Westhampton he removed to Norwich, in the same State, where he resided seven years, when he came to Chester, arriving in the year 1823, at which time there were but thirty- nine families in the township. He and Nicholas Cottrell traded their Massa- chusetts farms for lands on the Western Reserve belonging to Solomon Stoddard, and they came together with their families to Ohio, Cottrell, however, settling in Willoughby. The deed from Stoddard to Lyman, now in possession of E. O. Lyman, commences thus: " We, Solomon Stoddard, Jr., of Northampton, in the county of Hampshire and commonwealth of Massachusetts, Esq., and Sarah Stoddard, his wife, and Azariah Lyman, of Chester, in the county of Geauga and State of Ohio, yeoman," etc. He located on lot 25, tract 1. He married, November 27, 1799, Rhoda Rust, of Westhampton, Massachusetts. The children of this marriage are Fidelia, deceased, Sophrona, deceased, Roenna, now the widow of Alonzo Meloin. She lives in Wisconsin. Rhoda, widow of Seth Frissell, lives in Chester, and Mary dead.

The date of his second marriage was January 8, 1811, to Sarah Bartlett, of Westhampton, Massachusetts, his first wife having died November 17, 1809. The children of the second marriage are Newman R., deceased, Elihu O., of Mulberry Corners, Melissa, wife of E. W. Page, of Bloomfield. New Jersey, and Osman A., deceased. Mrs. Lyman (2d) died August 14, 1859. He died May 12, 1857.

The youngest of the children, Osman A. Lyman, possessed superior ability. He graduated at Western Reserve College in the summer of 1844. He was edu- cated for the legal profession, and in early manhood practiced law with good suo- cess and promise of reaching high honors in the profession. But, obeying his convictions of duty, he turned his back upon the vocation of his choice, with all its flattering prospects of honor and wealth, and entered the ministry. During the war he served a portion of the time as chaplain of the Forty-first and Ninety- third Ohio Regiments. He was, in May, 1868, installed pastor of the Euclid Avenue Presbyterian church in Cleveland, in which capacity he labored faithfully and successfully until he was stricken down with paralysis, in the very prime of life, in the forty-sixth year of his age. Dr. Lyman stood in the very front rank of the Cleveland clergy for ability and usefulness.

As a matter of old-time interest, I insert from the tax duplicate of the county, for 1877, a list of the charter-owners of taxable personal property, horses and cattle, and the tax assessed.

Name of Owner.

Horses.

Cattle.

Dolls. Cts. Mills.

Gilinore, Asahel.

Gilmore, James ......

Gilmore, James, Jr.

Gilmore, Samuel ...

...

Hitchcock, Lyman

...

Hudson, William N

Hurlbert, Reuben.

Iles, Jeremiah.

Miner, Justin

...

Odel, Charles.

...

Roberts, Jobn ...

Satterlee, Amor

...

Sheffield, Harvey

...

Sheffield, John.

...

ORGANIZATION.

Chester was early known by the name of Wooster, a name given it by Justice Minor. In the Newbury woods, across my father's land, was a well-beaten trail which we called the " Wooster road," coming from the northwest, and conducting to Punderson's mills, on which at an early day the Wooster men often journeyed. As will be remembered, the township of Chester, by that name formed of towns 7 and 8, of range 8, was established in October, 1816. Chester as thus formed remained till March, 1827, when township 7 was detached and became Russell.

The organization of the old Chester was effected the same year, and the first town- meeting for election of township officers was held at the house of William A. Hudson, on Monday, November 18, 1816. Justice Miner was called to the chair, and Silas Tanner and William N. Hudson chosen judges. The following officers were elected : Town Clerk, William N. Hudson ; Trustees, Amos Satterlee, Silas Tanner, Justice Miner ; Overseers of the Poor, James Gillmore, Lebbius Norton ; Appraiser of Property, Philo Miner; Lister, Lebbius Norton ; Fence Viewers, David Allison, John Roberts; Supervisor, James Gillmore ; Constable, Philo Miner ; Treasurer, Ashbel Gillmore; Justice of the Peace, Justice Miner.

To these we append the township officers for 1878: Assessor, Iru Lyman ; Treasurer, E. M. Lyman ; Clerk, B. D. Ames; Trustees, H. A. Herrick, M. C. Ferry, R. Scott; Constables, A. P. Post, H. Damon; Justices of the Peace, T. E. Smith, J. R. Reed.

The following have been the justices of the peace of Chester, and elected in the order named : Justice Miner, Silas Tanner, Lebbius Norton (serving fifteen years), Hatsel Hurlburt, S. B. Philbrick (fourteen years), Erastus Bates, Bela Shaw (six years), Austin Bisbee, James E. Stephenson (fifteen years), Philetus Hovey, Henry Damon, Silas T. Gillmore, Tracy W. Scott, Lucius Bartlett (six years), John Curtis, Tracy E. Smith, John Reed. Those whose time of service is not mentioned held the office for a shorter period.

RELIGION-PREACHERS.

Conspicuous as Chester became for a high religious character, there is little evidence that the first comers were conspicuous for early piety. Dr. Hudson says that until 1809 there were but two sermons preached to them. These were by Rev. Thomas Robbins, third missionary to the Reserve. They were not in the habit of assembling for worship, " nor is it known that a family altar was erected there till the beginning of 1810." Early in 1809, Rev. Hosea Sheffield, a Metho- dist, visited his friends in Chester, and preached to them. In 1810, Rev. Thomas Barr made a passing call, preached, and tried to induce the inhabitants to hold regular public worship. It was objected that no man in the settlement could " speak in prayer." He recommended Davidge's " Rise and Progress," to be used standing, as a substitute, which was acted upon, not without effect. Dr. Hudson thinks he observed a falling off in profanity, as if men used to swear in Chester. But it was in the wilderness then. Evidently the sturdy young man set up that " family altar" about these times, and soon came to "speak in prayer" at the Sabbath meetings. During the first of these exercises, Esquire Miner had been in Burton with his children for the benefit of a school. On his return he entered the place of worship on the Sabbath and said, abruptly, " Mr. Hudson, I understand you have prayed in meeting ; I would like to hear you."

Being thus challenged, the brave youth responded, as he says, "at first in a very broken manner, but soon the mouth began to be filled with arguments, and finally found ready access to the throne of grace, and more freedom than had ever before been experienced in that privileged exercise." Notwithstanding this set- back, I think the elder Miner and Philo held to their own notions. A school- house was set up in 1812, and from that time Chester bore sabbatical witness in the cause of orthodox Christianity. The zealous Methodists came and preached, a class was formed, and " family altars" arose.

Then came pious James Gilmore, a devout Baptist, who struck hands with

Digitized by Google

...

Miner, Philo.

....

Nortan, Elu.

...

Nortan, Libbias

...

....

Tanner, Silas

Winsor, Asa

...

....

...

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HISTORY OF GEAUGA AND LAKE COUNTIES, OHIO.

the stanch Hudson, " and a missionary now and then came to feed the hungry inhabitants." Once in four weeks came a hard-riding, hard-working, faithful Methodist around in his orbit of four hundred miles. Other zealous workers, among them Elder Stephenson, came in time, and Chester saw many " powerful revivals;" and the various branches of the church-Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, Free-Will Baptists, and the later Disciples-gathered large and most respectable memberships. Of these

THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL

was first organized, which was as early as 1812, under the care of Rev. Mr. Riley. They worshiped in that same log school-house, and he continued for some time to minister to them. This was in the " old settlement" neighborhood, and this society was finally dissolved by removal in 1828. Another of this branch was established in the northeast part in 1818.

THE PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

was organized in 1819, in the absence of Dr. Hudson, who left the year before. He refers to " Brothers Bassett, Lyman, and Gilbert" for information as to this interesting event.

We take the following from the church record relative to the church organiza- tion : "The Presbyterian Congregational church in Chester, Geauga County, Ohio, was organized November 12, 1819, by Rev. Messrs. Luther Humphrey and William Strong, of the Grand River presbytery, and Rev. Joseph Treat, of Portage presbytery. The following persons composed the church at its organi- zation, viz., Parker Fellows, from the church of Middlefield, Massachusetts ; Joel Gilbert and Crisulda Gilbert, from the church of Genoa, New York ; Stephen Bassett and Sally Bassett, Consider King, and Linda Adams. The church thus constituted was voted to be put under the care of the Grand River presbytery."

Of these constituent members only two remain, Sally Bassett and Linda Adams (now Mrs. Oliver Ranney). First minister, Rev. W. Parmer ; present minister, W. J. Jones. The building was erected, and dedicated in due form. Present membership, ninety-four; Sabbath-school, one hundred and thirty ; super- intendent, S. H. Bassett ; Elders, Lewis Strong, Ira Lyman, S. H. Bassett, E. O. Lyman, S. II. Tinker ; Clerk, Ira Lyman.

THE BAPTIST CHURCH

was organized in 1819. First pastor, Elder Goodell. Services were first held a short distance west of the Centre in a log structure, which was also used as a town-house. The present structure was built in 1870, and was dedicated by Rev. Dr. A. Strong, then of First Baptist church, Cleveland, now president of Baptist Theological Institute of Rochester, New York ; cost of building, four thousand dollars ; present pastor, F. E. Bostwick ; membership, seventy-eight. Officers of the church : Deacons, L. Parr, H. Kenney ; Clerk, N. Parker; Trustees, N. Parker, H. Kenny, W. E. Parr. Number in the Sabbath-school, sixty ; W. E. Parr, superintendent.

THE FIRST FREE-WILL BAPTIST CHURCH

was organized June 2, 1837, with ten members, viz. : Origen Miner, Sarah A. Miner, Christopher House, Esther Jones, Philip Laraway, Harriet Laraway, Edwin Jones, Lovica House, Sarah A. House, Margaret House. Origen Miner was clerk. Four of these original members still remain,-Origen Miner and wife, now living in Munson, and Edwin Jones and Esther Jones.

The church was organized by Samuel Wire and Dan H. Miller. Dan H. Miller was the first pastor; C. A. Gleason is the present pastor. The edifice was erected in about 1838, and has undergone extensive repairs since that time. The present membership is fifty ; Clerk, S. B. Philbrick ; Deacons, O. Miner, Ransom D. Scott. Number in Sunday-school, sixty ; Elder Gleason, superintendent.

THE DISCIPLES' CHURCH

was organized by J. Hartzell, October, 1841, and reorganized in October, 1852, by C. Smith and A. L. Soule,-Alonzo Matthews acting as overseer, and Cyrus Millard and A. Scott as deacons.

Building erected in 1855 at a cost of fourteen hundred dollars, and dedicated by Calvin Smith. Present membership, about forty. Officers : Overseers, Allen Hartwell and Cyrus Miller ; Deacons, P. P. Scott, Albert Finney ; Elder, D. H. Gary ; Sabbath-school of about thirty, of which Robert Hatcher is superin- tendent.

SCHOOLS.

Chester early reached a high position in the cause of education, which she has maintained. The first school in Chester was taught in a log school-house, located near where the " old settlement school-house" now stands, in the southeast part of

the town, in 1810. The teacher was Susanna Babcock, of Burton. There were ten pupils, viz., Acsah, Rebecca, Festus, Justice, children of Harvey Sheffield ; Phebe and Sally, children of John Sheffield; Anna, daughter of Wm. Archer ; Althea and Rhoda, daughters of Philo Miner; and Origen, son of Justice Miner.

There are at present seven school-districts, the latest teachers of which were the following : District No. 1, Mary Gunny ; 2, Jennie Hovey ; 3, Ella L. Pit- kin ; 4, Lizzie Benson ; 5, Edna Moore; 6, Lucy Robberson ; 7, Martha Gloin.

The following are the clerks of the various school-districts, who, with the town clerk, compose the school-board : No. 1, Allen Harper ; No. 2, J. R. Reed; No. 3, S. H. Bassett ; No. 4, Walter Johnston; No. 5, Allen Pinney ; No. 6, C. E. Burber; No. 7, Walter Phelps.

Average wages, three dollars per week through summer, and about one dollar and twenty-five cents per day through winter. Average daily attendance, eighteen to twenty. Children within school-age : males, one hundred and twenty-one ; females, ninety-four; total, two hundred and fifteen.

THE WESTERN RESERVE FREE-WILL BAPTIST EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY.

From their first annual report of 1843 some interesting facts are obtained of this body. As the name indicates, it was a denominational enterprise, and con- ducted with great vigor. It had its origin at a meeting of " several friends of a sanctified education," at Munson, in August, 1841, at which S. B. Philbrick presided. This was followed by a general convention in Auburn, in October fol- lowing. This was generally attended, and an organization perfected. The constitution framed at Munson was adopted, Mr. Philbrick elected president, with vice-president, secretaries, and a board of directors, of which Elder Ashly Craft and William Ray were two. Regular meetings of this board followed until the first term of the school was opened, August 3, 1842, under Asahel Nichols, of Chester, as principal, and thirty-seven students. A vigorous circular was issued, and the undertaking was pushed forward with zeal and good judgment. The best teachers were employed, the best approved text-books adopted, and all the improved methods of instruction reduced to practice. The school became an institution, took a high position at once, and was widely patronized. A great number of the leading men of the Reserve, in public and private life, received the controlling bent of their lives at this institution. The sexes were wisely educated together, and a great many cultivated women are indebted to the same source for their education.

It was incorporated by act of the General Assembly, February 17, 1843, by a Democratic legislature, representing a phase of sentiment of the " old red sand- stone" period which, admonished by the latitude of the school, attached to the char- ter a provision that, if any person of African descent should be received into the school ou the same terms with whites, the charter should be forfeited without judicial intervention. The sturdy Free-wills took it, with a vigorous objurgation of the obnoxious clause, and went their enlightening way without further reference to it. As Oberlin was earlier founded with special reference to the wants of that race, towards which currents of that hue early set, I am not advised that any of that blood sought entrance at the new school. They would doubtless have been admitted if they had. The institution went on its beneficent mission, quite fulfilling the wishes and hopes of its founders, till, in 1856, the attention of the denomination became centred in Hillsdale College, Michigan, and the proprietary interests at Chester were parted with to a new denominational association, under whom the institution has continued to flourish. Though not a township school, it was so largely indebted to the zeal, ability, and liberality of the citizens of Chester that a history of the town would be incomplete without this brief mention.

POST-OFFICES.

A brief recital of the facts relative to the establishment of the first mail-route through Chester (from Painesville to Aurora, Portage county) may be interest- ing. Some time in the year 1824, Azariah Lyman, a man of progressive ideas, induced a number of the settlers to subscribe for the Painesville Telegraph, the only paper published in this section at that time, the conditions of the subscrip- tion being that each subscriber should take his turn in going after the papers, and also for the mail. Mr. Lyman's purpose, while ostensibly being the circulation of the newspaper and the dissemination of knowledge among the inhabitants of his township, was really to arouse in them an interest in the establishment of a much-needed mail-route. The weekly tedious trips the members of the Telegraph club had to make to procure the mail and the papers was an effective lesson as to the advantage of a weekly mail, which should leave their letters and papers almost at their own doors. The result was that a petition for a mail was for- warded to the authorities at Washington, who answered that if the government could be secured against loss the prayer would be granted. Thereupon, Azariah Lehman, William N. Hudson, and Stephen Bassett executed a bond of indem-

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History of Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio, Part 57

Author: Williams Brothers Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Number of Pages: 443

Author: Williams Brothers
Publication date: 1879
Publisher:
Number of Pages: 443