History of Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio, Part 79

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

USA > Ohio > Lake County > History of Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio > Part 79
USA > Ohio > Geauga County > History of Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio > Part 79

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).

The Sand Hill cheese-factory is located about half a mile west of Fowler's Mills. It is an incorporated institution, the stockholders being O. M. Calkins, T. B. Calkins, James B. Miller, Robert Harper, E. F. Hovey, and Dudley Hazen. The factory was built in 1869, by S. J. Randall, and the company added a curing-house in 1872. It has a business of about three hundred cows, and works up about one million two hundred and seventy-five thousand pounds of milk per year, and makes on an average eleven cheeses, of forty pounds each per day. It is now operated by G. W. Downing.

The Maple Hill cheese-factory, owned by William H. Harrington, was estab- lished in the year 1862, and was built by Anson Bartlett, who now resides in Cleveland. This is said to be the first cheese-factory ever established in the State. Bartlett started with a business of four hundred cows, which he increased to about a thousand, his milk-routes being eight miles long. Harrington took possession in 1872, the factory lying idle the year previous. Has a business of four hundred cows, using about six thousand pounds of milk per day.

There are two saw-mills in Munson. One is owned by Austin Haskell, and . is located on the site of the old Langdon flouring-mill, and was built some five years since. The other is located at Fowler's Mills, and is owned by a man by the name of Pickering.

The only mercantile establishment in Munson is the store of Carroll & Elder, at Fowler's Mills. There are also at this point two blacksmith-shops, a saw-mill, the grist-mill of C. S. Johnson, and a hotel, owned and conducted by D. J. Warner.

POPULATION FROM 1850.

In 1850, the population was 1193; in 1860, 1006, a falling off of 187; in 1870, 761, a further decrease of 245, which is grave,-a total of 432 in twenty years, the largest really and relatively in the county. This general decrease of population is remarked upon in the history of Russell.

STATISTICS FOR 1878.

Wheat

215 acres.

2,977 bushels.

Outs

627

24,575

Corn .....

427

17,035

Potatoes

10,000

Orchards

265

2,523

Meadow

2035

2,095 tons.

Butter.

57,455 pounds.

Cheese.

156,256

Maple-sugar

16,275

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

STEPHEN CALKINS,

the subject of this sketch, was born March 21, 1782, in Danby. Vermont, where he remained until past the meridian of life, and then, in 1833, emigrated with his family, consisting of his wife and seven children, to Munson, settling on Maple hill, on lot twenty-three, tract three. He and his son Orange came with team and wagon together as far as Buffalo, leaving his wife and the younger children, on account of continued rain, to come to that point by the Erie canal, in the care of his eldest son, Moses. Here he placed the mother and smaller children under the care of Orange, then seventeen years of age, who brought them through to Munson in safety, while he and Moses took boat for Fairport, bringing with them a few household goods. It was the intention of Mr. Calkins to bring his family in that way, but his wife could not be persuaded to go upon

Digitized by Google

HISTORY OF GEAUGA AND LAKE COUNTIES, OHIO.

203

so large a body of water as Lake Erie. The family were some four weeks on the way, but a portion of the time was consumed in visiting.

Mr. Calkins was twice married. In 1809 to Sophronia Barrett, of Danby, Vermont, who died shortly after the birth of their first child,-a daughter, -- now living in widowhood in Michigan, and, in 1813, to Phebe Vail, also of Danby. There were seven children of this marriage, viz. : Moses V., Orange M., Lucretia M., Lucy V., Horace R., Sophia, and Turner B. Sophia and Lucy are deceased. The latter was the wife of Thomas Carroll, who lives near Fow- ler's Mills. Moses and Horace lived in Michigan, the former at Coldwater, the latter at Marshall. Lucretia, now widow of Allen K. Dart, resides at Hamburg, New York.

Mr. Calkins died April 9, 1862, and his wife (2d), January 22, 1860. He was for many years town clerk of Danby, and was also a captain in the militia.

O. M. CALKINS,

the second of the children of Phebe and Stephen Calkins, was born October 28, 1816, in the town of Danby, State of Vermont. Here he resided until nearly seventeen when with the rest of his father's family he came to Munson, bringing, with team and wagon, his mother and the younger children. He has been twice married : in 1840, January 21, to Ruth Dart, of Hamburg, New York, who was then on a visit to Munson. The result of this union was three children, all of whom are now deceased. Clark D. belongs to that noble army of patriots who lost their lives in defense of their country. He was mortally wounded in the abdomen during the first day of the battle at Mission Ridge, November 23, 1863. Immediately on receiving the intelligence that his son was wounded, Mr. Calkins proceeded to the front to care for him, and remained with him until he died, December 8 following. The other children, Hannah and Charles, died when quite young.

Mrs. Calkins died September 28, 1852, and in 1858, March 30, he was united in marriage to Sarah Harper, daughter of Reuben Harper, of Munson. To them was born one child, which died in infancy.

Mr. Calkins is now serving his fourth term as justice of the peace, an office

for which he is peculiarly fitted, possessing to a good degree the necessary pre- requisites to a competent discharge of its duties, viz., strong common sense and sound judgment.

Mr. and Mrs. Calkins reside a short distance east of Fowler's Mills, and are surrounded by everything necessary to comfort and happiness, as evidenced by a view of their residence on another page of this volume.

CAPTAIN JAMES B. PERCEY

was a native of Canada, but while still in his minority he removed from thence with his parents and settled in Munson, soon after the close of the rebellion in Canada. By his own untiring exertions he gained a fine education, and at the breaking out of the great Rebellion, in 1861, he obtained the position of teacher in the high school at Piketon, Pike county, Ohio. His sympathies being with the Unionists, he gave up his position as teacher and enlisted most of his scholars in the Union army. His company of volunteers, which he commanded, was called the Methodist company. Shortly after Captain Percey's entrance into the army he was offered promotion for his valor; this he declined, choosing to take his chances with his company rather than leave them to another commander. At one time that part of the Union army to which Captain Percey belonged was encamped on the side of a deep creek, which was much swollen from recent rains. The officer in command of the army wishing to ascertain the depth of the water, called for some one of the men to wade in. Now, as a portion of the Confederate army was stationed just on the other side of the creek, this was something of an undertaking, as he who should offer would be in full sight of the enemy. The only one who responded to the commander's order was Captain Percey. His offer was accepted with reluctance by his superior officers, but, preparing himself, he waded out into the stream, in full view of the rebels. Reaching the middle of the stream, where the water reached his neck, he turned and made his way back, while his enemies from the other shore shouted after him, "Bully for the Yankee !" While at Vicksburg, where he and his company were afterwards stationed, Captain Percey was struck by a stray ball and killed.

MONTVILLE TOWNSHIP .*

THIS is number nine in the sixth range of townships of the Reserve, and was named from Montville, Connecticut. It is also a water-divide, though with no feature of Montville. It was surveyed in 1797 by Augustus Porter, Seth Pease, and others. The variations of lines make it less than five miles square, with an area of fifteen thousand six hundred and seventy-eight acres of land. In the division of the Reserve among the members of the Connecticut Land Company, Montville was used in equalizing their allotments. The principal owners were Stephen B. Munn, Gideon Granger, John Whitton, Eliphalet Austin, Thomas Pearsall, Hezekiah Huntington, the Metcalf heirs, Horace Gillett, and Joseph Battell.

The general features of the surface are a monotonous level, with much at an early day of swampy land, from which rise some of the head-waters of both the Cuyahoga and Grand rivers. In soil it compares favorably with its sisters, and, like them, was covered with heavy forests, the swampy lands giving retreats to panthers in addition to the ordinary wild animals of the region.

Montville was among the later settled townships. It received its first inhabi- tants from Ashtabula county in June, 1815. These were Roswell Stevens, his son Reuel K., and daughter Hepzibah. He built his cabin on the southwest one hundred acres of section thirteen. In company with Orison Cleveland, Solomon Deming, and Hazard Andrews, he had already looked over the wild region and made arrangements for his removal. Simultaneously with him came Jehiel Wil- cox, his former companion Andrews, and Joshua Stewart, with their families, all from Ashtabula, and settled near the centre,-Wilcox just back of Spencer Gar- rett's, Stewart west of the cemetery, and Andrews on the old road, where E. Brown now lives. Wilcox was originally from Connecticut, and lived many years

in Montville. Stevens and his wife were from Farmington, Connecticut, and were, with Eliphalet Austin and others, the first settlers in Austinburg in 1799. Thence he removed to Morgan township, where he established a ferry across the Grand river, on a leading trail of those early days. He spent the residue of his life in Montville. His son Seth and a grandson still occupy the old farm.

The year 1819 saw several new arrivals in Montville. Rufus B. Dayton came, in 1820, from New York, was long a prominent citizen, and now resides in Mad- ison. With Dayton came Samuel Nye, one of the most useful and valuable men of the township. He lived and died on the farm which his hands formed from the woods. His widow, with the son, still occupies the homestead. James Winter- steen came in March, 1819, cleared a farm, where he died at the age of eighty- seven, and was succeeded by his son, James, Jr. With Dayton and Nye came many other important accessions to Montville,-Sherman Dayton, James Spencer, Orson Jackson, Harriet Nye, and Dorcas Stetson. This year was further signal- ized by the advent of William Brown,-the " Old Billy Brown," of other days,- a Methodist preacher of some originality, much eccentricity, great simplicity, and purity of life and character deserving a sketch. It is said of him that he first pitched his tabernacle in the Concord woods. Concord had its overseer of the poor, who did not overlook the young, lathy, long-haired disciple, whom he warned to depart. It was at night-fall. The young man told him he could not depart through the woods that night, but would go the next morning, which he did at dawn. Montville was more hospitable. He bought land on the centre road, on the Thompson line. He received strong impressions from dreams. After building his cabin a series of dreams admonished him that it was not on his land, which so wrought upon him that he built a new one near the township line. A subsequent survey proved the accuracy of these visitations of the night. It is also said that a dream once revealed to him the whereabouts of his strayed

Digitized by Google

. From the manuscript of J. V. Whitney.

204

HISTORY OF GEAUGA AND LAKE COUNTIES, OHIO.

sheep. There is no end to the anecdotes of his life and Christian ministrations, his oddities of manner and discourse. His life, on the whole, was useful ; an accidental fall put an end to it in ripe years, and he has passed to forgetfulness. The year of Brown's advent brought in Baldwin Morris, Hiram and Jonah Nick- erson, and Joseph Metcalf. Brown and Morris were from Genesce, New York. Nickerson was also from New York. Metcalf was from Connecticut. The Met- calf family owned some eight hundred acres of land in sections twenty-two, twenty-three, and twenty-four. Sherman Dayton was for many years a promi- nent man, exercising a large and beneficial influence in the township.

1821 brought E. C. Stevens, Joshua Wintersteen, Asa B. Underwood, Gould Nickerson, S. M. Loudon, and John Conant into Montville. All but Under- wood settled in the southern part of the township. Of these, Underwood was a local Methodist preacher, a man of fair intelligence and usefulness ; filled township offices, and is now living with his children in Iowa. For many years Gould Nickerson was a prominent character in Montville. He had a taste, almost a genius, for litigation, was a leading figure as party, witness, or adviser in many law- suits, some of which were quite famous, and were tried in the higher courts. He was a man with a history, and had enemies; finally was elected justice of the peace, when it is said he used his influence to secure settlements of cases which arose within his jurisdiction. The interest of the controversy was lost. David B. Underwood came soon after, purchased in section eighteen, sold out to Bushnell Austin in 1835, and removed to Portage. He is remembered as one of the best men in these early days in Montville; was a teacher, justice of the peace, town- ship clerk. He died soon after his removal.

Abija Nickerson, father of Gould, Hiram, Jonah, George, Joseph, and Mrs. A. B. Underwood, came on in 1822 from New York. He bought the Hazard Andrews farm, which he sold to Philip Garrett in 1829, and moved to Hiram, Portage county, where the name became well known. The same year, Moses K. Stevens, Richard Richardson, Amasa Stetson, and James Andrews, from New York, became inhabitants of Montville. The name Stevens-" Captain Stevens"- calls up a form of rare size, height, dignity, and power, a massive head with strik- ing, manly features. Scantily, shabbily clothed, bare-headed, bare-footed, weather- beaten, a wanderer in intellect, a wanderer over the earth, an outcast from the pleasant homes of men, his history is of the saddest. He had been a master of vessels, and hence his title; a large ship-owner on Lake Erie; the owner of ware- houses and a dwelling in Buffalo. The war came; the British captured his ves- sels, burned his warehouses, his home, and he, a militiaman, saw his wife and children flying from the flames and hands of a ruthless soldiery too powerful to be resisted. From wealth, he was a despoiled pauper; government never indemni- fied him, and his strong, clear intellect bent-did not break-under the blows, and he became a harmless, childish wanderer, with an occasional flash up of the old playful mind, giving occasional revelations of his old giant strength, of which many stories remain. Saddest of wrecks, after years of aimless tramping he reached the final rest, and was buried in Montville.

With him came his son Ephraim, who resembled him in person, and seemed smitten by the common misfortune. They moved on to the farm now owned by Oliver Basquin. Stetson bought a farm on the centre road, in section three; an industrious, quiet man. His family was numerous, his life peaceful and prosperous, and his death is still lamented.

In 1823, John Carman, Dr. Daniel Allen and his sons,-Daniel, John, and Albert, -and Jonas Underwood came into the township. Of these, Daniel, Jr., afterwards joined the Mormons. John Allen leaves a son still there; Carman settled on section two. The Underwoods were originally from Massachusetts, and Jonas made a farm on section twenty-three, on the centre road. In 1850, with his family, he removed to Illinois. The next year the elder Underwood, with his son Ransel, moved into the town, as did Philander Raymond. Under- wood, Sr., was a man of local note, held offices, and a leader of class in his church. The family is now much scattered. In 1825, James Noble and the Deweys-J. T., Amos, and Mosley-became settlers of the township, as did Philip Smith ; James Noble settled on sections nine and twelve; J. T. Dewey on section eight, and finally went to Iowa; the other Deweys on section nine, and Smith on section two. The next year, 1826, Wm. Dewey, James and Abiel Haskins settled in Montville. The last, as civilization took fixed forms, escaped to more congenial regions west.

William Dewey bought seven hundred acres of land in sections nine and ten ; was wealthy for those days. His wife was an heiress, and he was quite a figure in the still rude region. Something of a dash he made in the woods, with many hired men. He ran an ashery, purchased goods, which he left in the hands of his family for sale and to squander. In 1837 he built a large house, which, with his involved business, greatly embarrassed him, and he sold out and left the township. John C. Williams and Stephen Kelsey came in 1827. Williams was the first captain of militia and class-leader of Montville ; he remained in the

township until his death, in 1870. Honest and a man of peace was his character. 1828 brought a large addition to the population. Jonathan R. Whitney and Josiah Miller, in May, both settled at the centre, married the daughters of Elisha Moore, and became members of the Methodist Episcopal church; are both still living on their farms, esteemed and honored. Elihu Moore, with his family, came the same year, and purchased nine hundred acres of land at or near the centre. Moore built the house where Harry Whitney now lives. He also built the first saw-mill in Montville. His son Josiah was the first merchant. An enlightened, benevolent, public-spirited citizen was he. Born in Connecticut in 1776, he died, greatly regretted, in 1852. Lyman Allen came also in 1828, and made a farm on section four ; became a local preacher, but moved farther west. This year also brought in Levi Beach.

Pausing in this mere skeleton sketch, I may note that in 1825 there were five horses and sixty-three cattle taxed in Montville. In 1826 nineteen persons were listed as owners of taxable personal property. The horses were six, valued at two hundred and forty dollars, and seventeen cattle, at five hundred and sixty dollars ; horses at forty dollars each, and cattle at eight dollars per head. Sheep, swine, and household furniture were exempt; 1827, twenty-one owners, eight horses, and seventy-eight cattle; in 1828 there were twenty-four owners of taxable personal property, thirteen horses, and ninety-six cattle; in 1829 there was within the township no house valuable enough to be assessed for taxation.

I resume. Truman Allen came in 1829, purchased in section eighteen, and still lives there. Philip Garrett also came the same year, from the Isle of Man ; also William Vorse, a joiner by trade; so Christopher and Harvey Pratt, from Massa- chusetts; Spencer Garrett, a son-in-law of Elihu Moore, from Connecticut, a cooper, postmaster, and justice of the peace for several years. He settled at the centre, where he remains. One son, an editor, died in Arkansas; another, G. W., a merchant in Montville, a man of high character, large and deserved influ- ence, died July 14, 1878; another son, J. W., lives in the north part of the town- ship; the daughters are dead, except Mrs. Mowry. Nathaniel Bailey and his sons, Jesse and E. B., also settled in Montville this somewhat eventful year of 1829; also Randall Hart and family, from Massachusetts. Seth Whitney, from Massachusetts, came in the year 1831, where he resided till his death, in 1875. He was a man of intelligence and worth, and filled many township offices. He leaves a son on the old Moore homestead, the present postmaster of Montville. 1831 also brought Johnson Allen and Samuel Roath, and their families, few of whom remain in the township. Absalom Wells, with his family, also arrived this year, an important accession to the community. He purchased seven hundred acres of land extending from the centre east. He brought with him Israel Burns, who died soon after. Wells came from Connecticut ; would have been a man of note anywhere. He died in 1842, at fifty-six. His wife, Marilla, survived him many years, living with a daughter at Sandusky, where she died, at the age of seventy- five, in 1866. Henry, a son, was an educated man, a skilled vocalist, a teacher of that art, and the first Sunday-school superintendent of the township. He was a merchant, a man of popular manners, and died two years after his father. The two younger sons, Ralph and Absalom, also died young. Of the daughters, Maria married Stanly Spencer, and resides in Huntsburg; Harriet M. married a Mr. Cowdry, and lives at Sandusky; Marilla married General M. D. Leggett, and died in 1877 .*

With 1832 came Noyes Baldwin from Connecticut, a useful citizen ; also Stanly Spencer, just referred to. Geo. A. Moray came the same year, and he and Spencer became neighbors.

In 1831, L. S. Bachelder came, and settled on the Munn tract, where, with a son, he still resides. 1832 was marked by the accession of Guy Carlton, Fred and Asa Tucker, and George Cook, and 1833 saw Rufus L. Rhodes, an inhabitant of Montville. He was an industrious and successful man.

1833 was further marked in the history of Montville, and some of the adjoin- ing townships, by the establishment of a new State road and daily mail from Mantua, Portage county, to Madison, Lake County. Two routes, known as the " Eastern" and " Western," were rivals. The contest, resulting in favor of the " Eastern," was arduous, became bitter, and alienated warm personal friends, leaving many seeds of enmity.

The year following several of the Rhodes family took up their residence in the township. Among them, the father, Samuel, and the brothers, Sidney and Samuel, all became prosperous men. Also Roswell, Eoelson, and Truman Bill, from Massachusetts, and Samuel Wilkinson's name now first appear in the chronicles of Montville.

The Bills, from poor beginnings, from navigating the swamps in the old, rude " dug-out," drawn by a single ox, came to be men of substance; able to travel in the luxurious carriages of modern times.

. See sketch of General Leggett.

Digitized by

Google

Digitized by

JOHN V.WHITNEY.

MRS. JOHN V.WHITNEY

LITH. BY L.H. EVERTS, PHILA, PA.

NURSERY OF J. V. WHITNEY & SON, MONTVILLE, GEAUGA COUNTY, OHIO.

Digitized by

Google

205

HISTORY OF GEAUGA AND LAKE COUNTIES, OHIO.

Wilkinson, after failure in health and other prospects, entered the Methodist Episcopal ministry, and, as is said, became a successful preacher. In 1834, Lyman Williams came from Massachusetts, and settled on lot six, Munn tract. He supplemented farming with blacksmithing.

1834 was also further noted by the arrival of Samuel P. Whitney, his son, John V., and daughters, Harriet and Lurena L. They came from Granville, Hampden county, Massachusetts, and settled on a part of the Munn tract. The elder Whitney is modestly spoken of by his son as " an honest, industrious, quiet citizen," and when he died, December 15, 1871, was ninety-six years of age, the oldest man who had died in Montville. John V. is still living on the old place. Of him, I may say he has been a successful teacher, is a good farmer and arbori- culturist ; a man of unusual intelligence, good judgment, and great force of char- acter. Harriet became the wife of Samuel Rhodes, Jr. They live on the Munn tract. Lurena L. married H. B. Everitt, and resides a mile north of the centre.

Among the comers of 1835 was the Austin family. The elder, Archibald, kept a tavern and store at the centre for many years,-with them came his sons- in-law, R. H. Wrisley and William Johnson. Bushnel Austin, a son, built a hotel on the new plank-road, south of the centre. L. H. Austin bought the Gould- Nickerson place, where he still lives. R. H. Wrisley bought of another Nicker- son, and after several years moved to South Thompson. He, as well as Johnson, was a justice of the peace, and held other towuship offices. Linus Bachelder came, purchased, lived some years, sold, and went to Wisconsin. Alfred Robin- son, husband of Clarissa Metcalf, came and took possession of her land, one hun- dred acres, in section twenty-four. Gould Nickerson claimed it. This was in his days of war, and several years of litigation followed, in which the Robinsons finally succeeded. Other Bachelders came this year, Philemon and his son Levi. 1836 is noted for the arrival of the Leggetts, Isaac, and his sons Mortimer D., Charles, and James, his sons-in-law, Hoffman and Clock. They came from Tompkins county, New York. Mortimer D. was the afterwards famous major- general of the late war, became commissioner of patents, and now practices law at Cleveland. He should have a biography. He was among the pupils of J. V. Whitney. Charles L. is in Iowa; the senior passed away, and the mother remains in the care of James, at the old home. Clock taught school, became a Methodist minister, and labors in Kansas. Another son, Benjamin, was a Union soldier, and died at Fort Fisher. Accessions continued to be made to the population of Montville. J. N. Skinner came from Kirtland. He was a settler of Mentor in 1816, and a soldier in 1812.

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 Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio, Part 79

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

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