USA > Ohio > Lake County > History of Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio > Part 81
USA > Ohio > Geauga County > History of Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio > Part 81
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The third settler was John C. Bell, from Chester, Massachusetts, on the farm now owned by Ithel Wilbor, a pioneer of Newbury. He brought a wife and seven children. He came in 1820, remained a few years, and moved to Orange, where he died.
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Jonathan Rathbun came about the same time, and settled near Bell. The only note made of this family and its sojourn in Russell is that Rathbun's hired man, Abel Brockway, was taken suddenly ill in the night time, and died ere medical help could be secured,-the first score to death in Russell.
Clark Robinson, a native of Vermont, emigrated to Middlefield in 1820; re- moved to Russell in 1825. He took one hundred and thirty-six acres of the east division, south of the east and north centre road, now the farm of his youngest son, David. His family were his wife Rebecca, Clark, Jr., Edwin, and David ; Phebe, the daughter, was born in Russell. He was a man of unusual energy and enterprise,-a most valuable man for a new country,-of the Norman Can- field, Hickox, and Punderson order of men. He built his log house one day, und moved into it the next. He built the first framed buildings, -a cheese-house and then a barn. Of this last, Samuel Coleman, an early carpenter of Newbury, was master builder, and threw down the accustomed jug of whisky from the ridge- pole when it was raised .* He also built the first framed house, near the site of the brick house of his son, and opened a small store of goods there. He soon after took land at the centre, cleared, built a hotel, barns, and store, set up a blacksmith-shop, invited in settlers, set an ashery running, bought large droves of cattle, and took them East, became embarassed, and finally discouraged, took to his bed, refused to get well or be comforted. He died at the old homestead, March 27, 1840, and was buried at a favorite spot in a " home orchard," near the house.
Clark Robinson, Jr., the eldest son of the above, was born in Vermont, June 15, 1813. On the 9th of February, 1836, he married Emeline Munn, youngest daughter of Marsena Munn, of Newbury, and died December 6, 1848. He was a farmer, settled just east of the old homestead, on the north side of the road, in Newbury, where he lived a farmer, had much of his father's force and energy, without his faults, and was much esteemed. His wife, Emeline, born in Massachusetts, June 15, 1813, died at the homestead March 7, 1851, much beloved. (See the Munns of Newbury.)
To these were born Anson, December 7, 1836; died August 18, 1856, a Newbury ; Milton, born August 30, 1838, resides in Louisiana; Laura, born August 9, 1841 ; married to Elmer Riddle, and resides in Chardon. She has two daughters.
Edwin Robinson, second son of Clark, lives with a third wife north of the centre of Newbury, a well-to-do farmer. A son of his, Edwin, married a daughter of W. A. Jenks, and lives in Auburn. David, the youngest son of Clark, Sr., occupies the homestead, which he greatly improved. He married Candace Scott, granddaughter of Marsena Munn, and niece of his elder brother Clark's wife, and has several children settled near him. He has long been a prominent man and a leading farmer, widely known. The mother lives with him. Phebe, the daughter, married a Mr. King, and, with her husband and family, is still living.
Mrs. Rebecca Robinson, wife of Clark, Sr., was a sister of Mrs. Thomas Man- chester, and Mrs. William Jones,-three women of unusual energy, character, and merit. They were natives of Vermont. Thomas Manchester and wife emigrated to Newbury in 1816 from Vermont, and thence to Russell about 1825 or 1826. He settled just west of his brother-in-law, Clark Robinson, on the north side of the road; was the father of Adoniram, Welcome, and John Man- chester; also of Mrs. Jas. Smith and Mrs. Bryant Clark.
William Jones, another brother-in-law, came into Newbury in 1825 or 1826, and, after a few months, went to Russell and settled opposite Clark Robinson. They had four sons and two daughters: Hiram, Clark, Roswell, Daniel, Irene (Mrs. Artemus Robinson), and Rosana (Mrs. Carroll). Of these, Roswell, whose first wife was a Miss Bullock, and his second Miss Bittles, lives on the home- stead, and owns nearly all the land adjoining him. In that same neighborhood, a little later, Lovel Green and a numerous family arrived, and settled west of Clark Robinson, and built a slow-going saw-mill on the Silver creek, northwest of Munn's, Burnett's, and Wilbur's mills, in Newbury. I think his son, Lovel, lives on the old place. About the same time, Phineas Upham, son of Amos Upham, then of Newbury, married Betsey Cutler, of the same place, and settled just west of Manchester's. James Smith, who married Phebe Manchester, also settled in the neighborhood.
To complete this Robinson family circle I may mention that, in 1827, Nathan Robinson, a half-brother of Clark, came out, and worked in a still in Newbury, married Mary Morton, of the Joseph Morton family, moved into Russell several years later, bought a saw-mill, and lost his life by a runaway team. Samuel Robinson, a brother of the last, born in Vermont, in 1806, came to Newbury in 1830, worked with his brother, married Miranda Patterson, removed to Russell and became a farmer, where he still lives. He has been a justice of the peace for
twenty years. The father of all, Nathan Robinson, came to Newbury late, and died at the age of ninety-seven years. To this circle, also, belongs Artemus Rob- inson, son of Asa R., and mentioned in the history of Newbury. He came in with the Munns, in 1818, with whom he remained some years. He then bought the southwest corner lot at the centre of Russell, where he built, and made an excellent farm, married Irena Jones, the eldest daughter of William, became a man of substance, and still resides there. A brother next younger, John Robin- son, also mentioned in the Newbury sketch as a shoe-manufacturer, married a daughter of Joe Bartholomew, named in the Auburn sketch, carried on trade several years at Chagrin Falls, and then purchased a farm north and east of the centre of Russell, where he still resides.
Still another brother, Benjamin, became an early settler south of the centre, and a son of his married a daughter of Clark Robinson's youngest son, David.
Anson Matthews was an early settler in Russell, north of the centre, was a jus- tice of the peace, and represented the county in the legislature twice.
Henry Ishum came from Herkimer county, New York, in 1837, and settled in the southern part of the township. He brought his wife and one child. Twins were born to them soon after their arrival. Isham died in 1855. A son-one of the twins-and the mother live on the homestead. The other children are deceased.
Eliphalet Johnson moved from Oneida county, New York, to Russell in 1835, and settled west of the centre. His parents came with him. The father, Jona- than, was a soldier of the Revolution, and the family has a powder-horn brought by him from the battle of Bunker Hill. The mother's name was Ruth, and both died at the age of ninety-four. Of the younger members of the family, the only one living in Ohio is Perlina, wife of Edward Bosworth, son of Harmon, of New- bury. The parents moved to Michigan, in 1866.
Christopher Edic was an early settler at the centre, and was the first postmaster. Charles Baily and George Edic were among the first settlers in the northwestern part, about 1830. John and Joe Wooley, Englishmen, were there early, as were David Frazier and David Nutt. Many came into that part later. Many English- men went in there, and that section was called England.
J. C. Martin came in 1837, and has written a sketch of the township. Among others there at that time Orlo Judson, in the north part, had a grist- and saw-mill on the east branch of the Chagrin. He is said to have built the first saw-mill. Wesley Whipple also lived in that part. Down west, was Partridge, with a saw- mill, on the same stream. John Williams was out that way, and Benjamin Mat- thews on the Russell farm. Also, Fuber Warren lived south. Southwest, John and Reuben Walters, Ira Greenfield, and others. The Martins settled at first in the northeast part, near James Smith.
Richard Ladon was a neighbor, as was Luther Alexander, son of Justin, a pioneer of Newbury. His wife was Melissa Morton, daughter of Noah Morton, another pioneer of Newbury. D. H. Pomeroy was another neighbor, as was Thomas Fuller, Jr.
Ido Baily was an early settler, and had a mill in Russell. It is mentioned in- cidentally that both the eldest son of J. M. Burnett and that son's brother-in-law, Wilbur, became residents of Russell at a later day. The two youngest brothers, Detroit and Prelate Burnett, also became residents there, where the last still lives. Detroit died there two or three years ago.
Among early settlers in the south part were Lewis Sweet, Silas Barker, Mr. Black, and Goodwill. The Souls also settled in the south part, and made quite a figure there for many years.
ORGANIZATION.
The township was organized and election held April 2, 1827, at which time twelve persons exercised their right of franchise by the election of the following township officers : Gideon Russell, Clark Robinson, and John Lowry, trustees ; Jonathan Rathbun and John C. Bell, overseers of the poor ; Thomas Manchester and James M. Smith, fence-viewers; William Russell, treasurer ; Alpheus Rus- sell, constable ; and Ebenezer Russell, superintendent of highways for district No. 1, the whole township being at that time comprised without doubt in one road district. On the 25th of the subsequent August, Clark Robinson was elected the first justice of the peace. The officers for 1878 are A. Mclaughlin, C. Gates, and A. Burgess, trustees ; J. Chase, clerk ; W. Robinson, treasurer ; C. Wilson, assessor ; W. H. Lawrence and M. H. Isham, constables; Jacob. Chase and Wal- lace Wilbur, justices of the peace; and twenty-two supervisors of highways.
FIRST EVENTS.
All first happenings of the more important events of human life are important to the parties and circle among whom they occur; a bride or a baby are of the utmost interest possible to the parties nearest concerned. A reader of pioneer sketches needs to have either incident come through years of time, at the first beginnings of things, the commencement of a new world, when civilized things are
. Mr. S. Robinson, a half-brother of Clark and a brother-in-law of Coleman, says he threw the jug into a soft place below the frame, where it was not broken, and he recovered it afterwards. Coleman would not be likely to waste whisky by breakage.
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strange, and few and raw. That a youth and maiden, the only two, in the fresh- ness of nature and their own lives and selves should thus meet near the beginning of the century, love and wed, are events not only to them, but to us. We are glad to know who the two were, how they came to know each other, and who solemnized the nuptials,-of the Adam and Eve of the new world. It is not the fault of Russell that it was not peopled when Burton, Middlefield, and Hambden were, and had no lovers like Jonathan Brooks and Rachel Clark, Young Sheffield and the daughter of Justus Miner, in Chester, or Harry and Hannah Burnett, -- young lovers brought by his father into the woods of Newbury, and who had to wait till nature brought the youth a beard ere he would permit them to wed. Beautiful girls have been born, reared, woved, and happily wedded amid the beau- tiful valleys of Russell, with the roseate glamour of romance; many of them, of which I would willingly give an account, but I can only turn back to rather mature Sally Russell and John Bacheldor,-who had buried, if not his first love, his first wife,-as the first pair married in Russell, which occurred the 26th of May, 1825. Rev. John Seward, Presbyterian, of Aurora, officiated on the happy occasion.
So we know that the first children born of the new people were twins, to Simeon and Sally Norton, on the 31st day of March, 1821. Of these we were only told of by Orson, the survivor, and said to be now living in Solon. The reader has already been informed that Brockway's sudden demise was the first death.
SCHOOLS.
We are told that Lucy Squire taught the first school in the back part of Jona- than Bathbone's house.
The first framed school-house was built in the Clark Robinson neighborhood, on the William Jones farm. It is now the blacksmith-shop of William Chase at the centre.
Hamilton Utley was one of the first male teachers, probably the first in Russell. In 1850 there were nine school districts in the township, indicating a healthy sentiment in favor of education in a population of ten hundred and eighty-three.
Of children within school ages there are ninety-three males and seventy-three females,-a great preponderance of males. Total, one hundred and sixteen. It is said that male teachers receive thirty dollars per month, and females but six- teen dollars. Why this disproportion ? Amount paid teachers the last year, ten hundred and ninety-two dollars.
It may be here mentioned that two hundred newspapers, magazines, and peri- odicals were also received the current year by the people of Russell.
RELIGION-CLERGY-CHURCHES.
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Russell was never distinguished for an uncommon zeal in what is called the cause of religion, which means a prevalence of stout mediaval orthodoxy. While the first family were stanch Presbyterians, their influence in the township was never great, and their church associations were with the small church, in unortho- dox Newbury. Clark Robinson was a confessed free-thinker, and free in the utter- ance of his thoughts. His sons and descendants were of liberal views, as were the Manchesters, while the other families of Robinsons were not noted for strict- ness in religious views. As will be observed, the residents of Russell moved in from the surrounding country, and were seldom church-members. Such usually linger under the protection of their old sanctuaries, or do not care to become mis- sionaries in a new region.
Mr. Samuel Robinson says that the first preacher was a missionary, whose name he does not give. The evangelizing body who sent him instructed him to gather what he might from the people among whom he labored, the residue of the unknown compensation to be made up by his senders. Mr. Robinson dryly remarks that the sixpences contributed in Russell were few, from the scarcity of that coin at the time. The spirit of the passage leads one to suspect that the disposition to contribute was also limited.
Mr. Martin says, " Of ministers, Elder Ephraim Wyllis was a Wesleyan Methodist, Mr. Lillie a Disciple, and Mr. Willard a Baptist minister, who after- wards became a Disciple." That, in 1837 there were " members of Baptist, Pres- byterian, and Disciple churches in Russell, with occasional preaching in school- and private houses." Not a hopeful showing for the time. That there were " church organizations afterwards of Baptist, Disciples, and Wesleyan Metho- dists."
The Wesleyan Methodists had an organization in 1838, and met west of the centre, and were preached to by Mr. West. The members were Daniel Partridge and wife, G. S. Pelton and wife, and Chloe Sham. Their first resident minister was Orrin Ford; under his care, the membership in a few years grew to sixty, and held meetings in private houses. They built the first meeting-house in town, about 1842, west of the centre a fourth of a mile. It has since become a private dwelling. Not long after the erection of the house slavery divided the church,
and a portion withdrew. They, however, made another effort in this line of building, and put up a commodious house in the north part of the township, on a swell of land in the bend of the eastern branch of the Chagrin, near which is a burying-ground.
Free-will Baptists organized July 29, 1839, with eight members. They have since removed to Chagrin Falls.
The Baptists organized in 1841, under Elder Stephenson, and built a pleasant and convenient meeting-house in the south part of the town. This was kept up for several years but finally declined, and the house was sold and moved off.
A commodious building for worship and general purposes was also erected at the centre by general effort of the people of Russell, to which church-members contributed. It is a neat, well-proportioned structure, creditable to the people and the master mechanic.
The Disciples church was organized in 1843. The first members were A. L. Soule, Myron Soule and wife, Benjamin Soule and wife, Delia Soule, Anson Ma- thews and wife, Oliver Nettleton, Daniel Nettleton, Mr. Hyne and wife, Mrs. A. C. Smith, Benjamin Mathews and wife. Elder William Lillie was the man in charge. The Haydens, Hartzell, Erritt Jones and other distinguished men of that faith have preached to them. They built a neat edifice for worship in 1848, and the church is sustained with vigor.
The number and variety of these edifices and church organizations show that the people of Russell are mindful of the conservative influence of church and religious organizations, although, like Munson, the soil is not very favorable to church growth. Nevertheless, in morality, love of order, observance of law, intelligence, industry, and public spirit, the youngest of the townships is quite the equal of her older sisters. I am unaware that any part of the town, even in the ruder days of first settlement,-when men remit themselves to more or less lawlessness, as many do when away from home, and through which every part of the country has passed,-ever had the name of being especially hard. Russell was saved from the visitation of the rough and vicious element that always floats on the advanced wave of pioneer civilization, and disappears by diffusion and extermi- nation, and which for years infested portions of her neighbors. That had journeyed farther west, keeping on the ever-moving border, ere she was peopled; and if there is less romance and less of interest in her early days, so she escaped many acts and visitations which have left scars on the features and stains on the names of some of the older members of the family of townships which the partial his- torian has not cared to reproduce. Occurring in the genesis of our county, let their memory finish with the doers, or flee with the shadows of the diminished forests.
The first saw-mill in Russell was probably that of Lovel Green, just west of the Green homestead, on the Silver creek ; at any rate, he commenced its structure first. I don't know when it started, if it ever performed that feat. A moderate man and slow was Lovel, Sr. The younger of that name is said to more resemble his mother. A woman of great energy, spirit, and of high character was she, who came with her then young husband into the Newbury woods in 1817, and went into the woods of Russell when they were quite as rude. Her numerous daugh- ters have many of the excellent qualities of the mother, and fill well their places" in these later years, with credit to her and themselves. That saw-mill, like its proprietor, was slow, had to be-too slow for the creek and times. The freshets washed the earth and brush dam away often. It refused to be dammed by Lovel, who wasted many a good shovelful of gravel, and vain expletives, in that futile effort. He finally gave it up, and the willful waters went flashing their own pleasant old way, with many a mocking gurgle at his effort to make them turn his slow wheel. The saw rusted, the wheels dropped away piecemeal, the droop- ing old mill-frame took a lean, found no security, decayed, and fell down. The long-waiting logs in the yard dozed, went to sleep, and grubs burrowed and fat- tened on their rotting fibres, and in the fullness of time the builder ceased to be, and was buried.
It is claimed, however, that Orlo Judson built the first saw-mill on the Chagrin cast branch. There is now a saw-mill and box-shop on the same stream, owned by George Hill.
Then there was the Partridge mill and Cyrus and Ido Baily mill, and there would have been more famous ones if the fine water-powers of the original town- ship had not been alienated for a song never sung. It is said that when Thomas Fuller built his latest new mill he placed it over the line, in Russell, otherwise there never was a flouring-mill in the township.
There are two blacksmiths at the centre. One, William H. Chase, said to be an ingenious mechanic; he forges in the first frame school-house,-a son of Chase, the first in Russell. The other, Jacob Chase, is also a justice of the peace and township clerk.
Mr. C. F. Bartlett carries on a wagon-shop at the centre. He succeeded Alfred Smith & Brother, the first carriage-makers.
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I think there never was but one tavern in Russell, built by Clark Robinson, at the centre. It has had many landlords and various fortunes. Detroit Burnett kept it several years. Also, at one time, about 1840-41, it was kept by Randall Wilmot, father of David, who afterwards offered the famous Wilmot proviso in the House of Representatives. Randall had been a man of substance, and when in Russell was depressed in circumstances. The house is now owned by Mrs. P. Ladow.
Clark Robinson, as mentioned above, built the first framed building in Russell. Yet standing, and now used as dry-house. In this he displayed the first stock of goods. He soon after built a larger building and in this sold goods until 1836, when he erected the store at the centre; this he occupied some four years. R. P. Burnett purchased this property in 1842, and has sold goods at this stand until the present. It is the only store in the township.
Russell has had as little occasion for the aid of medical men as the most favored locality of northern Ohio, and has usually depended for them on the townships adjoining. Dr. Brown, when a young man, commenced at Russell, and a Dr. Ayers was there at some time, as was Dr. Eggleston. Also the celebrated Dr. Draper has administered emetics to the otherwise afflicted there as elsewhere.
In the spring of about 1867, F. B. Pelton erected the first cheese-factory in the township, on lot No. 1, centre division, on lands now owned by Warren Robinson. L. Smith is the present owner and A. Baldwin foreman. The season of 1878 are manufacturing the milk of four hundred cows, making daily an average of seven hundred pounds of cheese and fifty-five pounds of butter. He began business in the spring of 1870, located on lot seven, tract three. It was put in operation by a stock company, consisting of the following gentlemen : M. P., R. A., C., and B. Matthews, A. Evans, I. Rarick, J. W. Roby, J. Warren, and R. H. Roberts, they investing some two thousand seven hundred dollars in the business. Average number of cows per year has been four hundred ; season of 1878, three hundred and forty cows; H. B. Stranahan, superintendent. Other industries of this class have been established in the township from time to time, not now in operation. David Robinson, in 1868, put in operation a cider-mill and apparatus for distilling cider brandy, investing three thousand dollars; does quite an extensive business; has paid revenue tax of four thousand dollars.
Russell Grange, No. 1203, was organized in 1874, with forty charter members. The officers for 1878 are J. M. Wilbur, M .; Lovel Green, O .; W. E. Walters, Sec. ; and A. Mclaughlin, Treas. Regular meetings are held on the second and fourth Friday evenings of each month, in the upper part of Chamberlain's house, south of centre. The membership is about the same as at the organ- ization.
Of temperance societies there have been a number ; all now extinct, we learn, except a lodge of the Sons of Temperance recently organized at the centre.
POPULATION
in 1850, 1083 ; in 1860, 959; in 1870, 805. Of these, in 1870, 70 were of foreign birth and 1 colored. The falling off in the population of Russell in twenty years is 278, and 154 in the last ten years. The adjoining township of Newbury lost 392 in the twenty years, and 186 in the last ten years; while Mun- son lost 432 in the twenty years, and 245 in the last ten; a striking diminution in population, and inexplicable to a stranger. The causes which produced it acted with a uniform force throughout the purely farming districts of northern Ohio, with local variations. These were in part a change in the course of agriculture, a disposition on the part of all to increase the acreage of their ownership,-the more forehanded buying the smaller farms, and their owners seeking cheaper and oftener better lands in the newer farther west. During the decade of the greatest loss, from 1860 to 1870, the war intervened to increase what may be called the natural depopulation, which began about 1860. Though I have not the census by townships earlier than 1850, at that time, as shown by the national enumera- tion, Geauga had her maximum. I am impressed, however, that the actual largest numbers were reached in 1846 or 1847. In 1840 there were in the county 16,297 ; in 1850, 17,827 ; in 1860, 15,817; and in 1870, 14,190. In the earlier censuses the people of Lake are included with Geauga and the town- ships not given, showing a falling off from 1850 to 1860 of 1010, and from 1860 to 1870 of 1627, and a total in twenty years of 2637.
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