History of Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio, Part 91

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

USA > Ohio > Lake County > History of Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio > Part 91
USA > Ohio > Geauga County > History of Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio > Part 91

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).

MADISON HIGH SCHOOL.

Madison village was organized as a special school district in 1865, and their fine school building erected in the summer of 1867. The value of this, with grounds and apparatus, as shown by the report of the board of education to the county auditor for 1877, was twelve thousand dollars. The teachers from the date the new building was occupied, are as follows, so far as procurable : 1867, Maria Rosa, Maria Frink, and Sarah Smead. O. D. Howe took charge of the school in the fall of 1867. In the fall of 1870 the school was placed under the manage- ment of Professor George L. Mills, a graduate of Yale College. He remained one year, and was succeeded by Professor Errtt. He was succeeded in the spring of 1872 by Professor T. G. McCalmont. The present superintendent is J. M. Clemmons. Professor McCalmont had for an assistant teacher in 1872 Miss Maria Rosa. Miss Belle Barnum was in charge of the intermediate grade, and Miss Cook, primary. In 1873 the teachers were the same. In 1874, Miss Louisa Stratton succeeded Miss Rosa as assistant, and Miss Teachout took charge of the primary grade. In 1876, Miss Joe Smith succeeded Miss Teachout, Belle Wright succeeded Miss Smith, and Stella Plympton became assistant, and is at present occupying this position, with Belle Barnum in charge of intermediate, and Belle Wright primary. The full course of this school embraces a period of ten years,-four in the primary, four in the intermediate, and two in the high-school department. Course of study in primary grade includes reading, spelling, writing, arithmetic, geography, morals, manners, aesthetics, drawing, music, and physical exercises. Grammar grade,-reading, spelling, writing, arithmetic, natural science, geography, grammar, composition, and United States history. High-school grade, -algebra, physiology, physical geography, Latin, botany, science of government, philosophy, geometry, rhetoric, general and English history, with reviews of grammar grade. The first graduating class was in June, 1875, and the second the subsequent June, 1876. This school ranks with the best in this section for efficiency and thoroughness.

MADISON VILLAGE.

On the 9th day of November, 1867, a petition, bearing the names of one hundred and fourteen electors of Madison township, was presented to the honorable board of county commissioners, asking that certain territory therein mentioned

be incorporated as the village of Madison. On the fourth day of the subsequent December the prayer of the petitioners was granted, and an election ordered. This occurred on March 12, 1868, at which time J. B. Hayden was elected mayor, Asa S. Stratton recorder, J. P. Smead, E. F. Ensign, J. S. Taylor, C. L. Keener, and H. C. Gill trustees. C. L. Keener was elected treasurer on March 16. The officers for each year are as follows: 1869-G. W. Lyman, mayor ; W. J. Cornelius, recorder ; J. P. Smead, E. F. Ensign, H. C. Gill, O. F. Loveridge, and R. Freeman, trustees. 1870-Mayor re-elected; A. A. Hall, recorder ; R. Freeman, N. B. Holbrook, and B. F. Wyman, councilmen for two years, and O. F. Loveridge, W. J. Paige, and E. King for one year ; C. L. Keener, treasurer. 1871-A. W. Kimball, H. J. Saxton, Thomas King, and W. H. Pancost, council for two years. 1872-Mayor re-elected ; S. N. Allen, recorder; C. L. Keener, treasurer ; R. Freeman, M. O. Preston, W. H. Pancost, and M. H. Frisby, council. 1873-A. W. Kimball, D. J. Harris, and M. J. Frisby, council for two years. 1874-Mayor re-elected ; Edward King, recorder ; William H. Philes, treasurer ; R. B. Dayton, J. S. Wilcox, Philo Smith, and Anson Hall, council for one year, and W. H. Pancost, Daniel Lee, E. F. Ensign, H. C. Rand, and Olney F. Loveridge, council for two years. 1875-E. G. Huntoon, J. S. Wilcox, and David Barnes, council for two years. 1876-L. H. Kimball, mayor ; A. B. Childs, recorder; W. H. Philes, treasurer; W. H. l'ancost, E. F. Ensign, S. A. Rand, F. J. Dayton, and Philo Smith, council. 1877-E. G. Huntoon, I. S. Childs, and Philo Smith, council. 1878-L. H. Kimball, mayor ; A. B. Childs, recorder; S. N. Allen, treasurer ; W. W. Branch, Jr., Henry Patrick, and John Blair, councilmen.

BUSINESS, MANUFACTURES, ETC.

The Exchange Bank of Madison was organized May 1, 1875, with Asa S. Stratton, L. H. Kimball, William Hendry, J. B. Hayden, and J. P. Smead as incorporators. The officers elected on its organization, and who still retain the same positions, are L. H. Kimball, president; J. B. Hayden, vice-president; and Asa S. Stratton, cashier. Their fine bank building, located on the south side of Main street, east of the park, was erected the summer of 1875, and first occupied in August of that year. The total cost of the building, real estate, and fixtures was forty-three hundred and fifty dollars. Present directors, L. H. Kimball, J. B. Hayden, F. Hendry, J. P. Smead, Eliphalet Stratton.

The Veneering and Shaving Mill was established at North Madison in the year 1868, by Messrs. E. W. and W. W. Branch, Jr. The rapid growth of the business demanding greater facilities, the buildings were removed to a point on the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern railway, immediately north of Madi- son village. This was in the fall of 1871, at which time the necessary enlarge- ment was made. In the year 1873, E. W. Branch deceased, since when the business has been entirely under the management of W. W. Branch, Jr. The total cost of buildings, machinery, etc., was some fifteen thousand dollars. The capacity of the machinery for shaving lumber is about twenty thousand feet daily.

The Cheese- Vat Manufactory, a widely-known and extensive business, began operations in the year 1858, by H. A. Roe, father of the present firm, and under his admirable management it soon gained a wide reputation for the excellency of its manufactures. The location of this industry is a little below Main street. The most celebrated of their wares is Roe's premium cheese-vat, for farm dairies, and Roe's improved vat, with heater, which is the pioneer vat of the kind, and has been improved upon until it is, without doubt, the best manufactured. They also manufacture milk-cans and other dairy utensils at this place. John Blair has a planing-mill in connection.

Within a short distance is located the " Madison Stone Mill." This has two run of stone, and is fitted up with all the modern improved machinery, driven by a forty horse-power engine. It does both merchant- and custom-grinding. The amount of capital represented in this mill is four thousand dollars. The present proprietors are Strong Brothers.

The Foundry and Machine-Shop was established by A. A. Genung, brother of the present proprietor, in the year 1842, who cast sad-irons and other small articles. Horse-power was first used, but as the business increased steam-power was added. In 1851 the present proprietor, William H. Genung, came into possession, who added the machinist business to that of the foundry, and put in the machinery requisite. In April, 1858, the foundry was burned, leaving Mr. Genung not only penniless, but some six hundred dollars in debt. Nothing daunted, he went bravely to work erecting the present foundry, which he completed the same sum- mer, running off the first heat in October. Since, he has gradually added, as the business demanded, additional facilities. In 1876 he erected the fine brick machine-shop, adjoining on the north the foundry building. This he has now fully furnished with lathes, planers, and new and improved machinery. His special manufactures are engines, mill-work, cider-mill and press-screws, etc. The

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HISTORY OF GEAUGA AND LAKE COUNTIES, OHIO.

entire amount invested in buildings, real estate, and machinery, is ten thousand dollars.

SHIPPING INTERESTS.

We are indebted to the Geneva Times for these items of a once flourishing in- dustry in Madison, but which has now entirely ceased,-although we learn from the veteran ship-builder, Captain Joel Norton, that he intends soon to construct a steam-tug at the point known as " Madison Dock." About the year 1825, a small steamboat was built, some seventy-five rods above the above-mentioned locality, by a man named Fuller, who lived at the time on the place where a grist-mill was located (on Cunningham creek). Dr. Hotchkiss afterwards occu- pied this place. Fuller was certainly a genius, in a mechanical point of view, building the entire craft, engine, and all himself, forging the spikes and requisite irons, and constructing the cylinder to the engine of wood heavily banded with iron. We have not full details of the machinery. She was safely launched, and steamed away up the lake. Years after she was run in the Ohio and Wabash canal. This was the first steam craft constructed west of Buffalo, and at the time she made her virgin trip was the third boat propelled by steam on the lakes.

In the year 1835, J. R. Norton built the schooner " Helen." She had a capacity of seventy-five tons, and was constructed for Messrs. Judson, Harper & Moseley. They, however, failed to make payment, and Messrs. Richmond & Shepard became the owners. The next built by Mr. Norton was the " Flying Dutchman," built in 1846-47. Her capacity was two hundred tons; said to be the largest vessel on the lake. She was built for W. Hill, and afterwards owned by H. Williams, and was engaged in the lumber trade. In 1847-48 the schooner " Post Boy" was built by Edmund Lockwood for a stock company composed of Willard Allen, J. I. Post, et al. ; capacity one hundred and twenty five tons. In 1844-45, Captain Norton built the tug " George Mitchell" for Messrs. Baudle & Jaques, Conneaut, Ohio. Schooner " Ontonagon," built 1848, by Erastus Lock- wood; 1848-49, schooner " Andromeda," three hundred tons, and " Speed," one hundred and twenty-five tons; 1849-50, schooner "Sacramento," two hundred tons,-all built by Erastus Lockwood. In 1850-51, scow " Granville," " Swal- low," " Red Bird," " Hope," and doubtless many others of which we can gain little or no information.

The first iron plows manufactured in Madison were at the " Pocket furnace" of Charles Hoyt, situated on the " Dock road." This was in 1828. There were, at a quite early date, two extensive iron-manufactories in the township, one of which, the Clyde iron-works, was located on the east township line, on the north bank of Grand river. The other, known as Arcoli iron-works, was on Cunningham creek, on the south side of the north ridge. Scarce anything now remains of either save cinders.

The earliest grist-mill of which we find any record was erected by Joseph Emmerson, in the year 1815. It was situated on Grand river, perhaps three- fourths of a mile east of the site now occupied by the mills of Elias Strong. General Kimball purchased this mill in 1827, and the following year erected a new mill on this site. This was sold to Abraham Teachout in 1855, who re- moved it to Painesville. This was set upon the site now occupied by S. Bigler.

Asa Turney, Sr., erected the pioneer cider-mill in Madison, in about 1824. It was located on the south ridge, west of the present residence of A. S. Turney, and for many years did the cider-making for the locality. There is now but one cider-mill in the township. This is also situated on the south ridge, west of Unionville; Edwin Cleveland proprietor.

Cheese-factories have been in operation in Madison quite numerously, but at present there is but one manufacturing. This is owned by D. L. Pope; is situ- ated on the south ridge, one-half mile south of Unionville; represents a capital of five thousand dollars; manufactures the milk of three hundred and fifty cows, and did sixty-five tons of cheese in 1877. The building was built by Hol- brook for a hotel, and for years occupied as such, near the site now occupied as the residence of E. O. Warner.

At Unionville there is an extensive coopering establishment, employing a num- ber of men. This is conducted by L. Gale.

There is a steam saw-mill on the Lake road, west of the log chapel, owned by Milo Talcott. Ford's grist-mill is located on the " Dock road," on Cunningham's creek. This mill was erected and put in operation by James Ford, in 1858. It has three run of stone, and does principally custom-milling. There is also steam- power used in connection during the summer months.

SOCIETIES.

Lake Shore Lodge, No. 307, F. and A. M., was organized under dispensation December 23, 1857, and under charter October 18, 1860, with the following charter members : S. V. Wells, W. L. Babcock, Asa Talcott, Perry Bosworth, Sherman Dayton, Thomas King, Jr., L. T. Fox, H. Redhead, L. Warner, Elisha Wood, and Roswell Lowry. The first officers were Perry Bosworth, W. M. ;

Alanson Bailey, S. W .; Matthew Morey, J. W .; H. F. Newcomb, Treas. ; Thomas King, Jr., Sec. ; Daniel E. Bailey, S. D. ; E. Harrington, J. D .; and Nathan Morey, Tyler. The officers for 1878 are A. B. Childs, W. M .; L. A. Sunderland, S. W. ; J. B. Hayden, J. W .; Ozro Hoskins, Treas .; S. N. Viets. Sec .; Orrin Copp, S. D .; F. L. Wood, J. D .; and George C. Owen, Tyler. The present membership is eighty-two. This body has a library of seventy-five volumes ; is in a flourishing condition financially. Stated communications, second and fourth Saturday evenings of each month, in Masonic Hall.

I. O. O. F .- Grand River Lodge, No. 57, of this order, was instituted De- cember 25, 1845. The charter members were H. F. Newcomb, Clark Newcomb, E. S. Foss, Edwin Montgomery, and Marsena Hitchcock. James A. Potter was the first N. G. ; Clark Newcomb, V. G. ; H. F. Newcomb, Sec. ; and E. S. Foss, Treas. The officers for 1878 are L. Sweatland, N. G .; L. A. Foster, V. G .; S. E. Foster, Rec. Sec .; S. N. Viets, Perm. Sec. ; and H. F. Newcomb, Treas. This body has a fine library, numbering some three hundred volumes. The mem- bership is but fifty-three, owing largely to the fact that five lodges have been or- ganized from this. Financially, however, this lodge is in a healthy condition. Regular meetings, Saturday evening of each week, in Odd-Fellows' Hall.

STATISTICS FOR 1878.

Wheat.

788 acres.

12,099 bushels.

Oats ..

994

33,241

Corn ..

1173

54,790

Potatoes

1051

99,685

Orchards

446 =

7,804

Meadow

2427 "

3,095 tons.

Butter

77,500 pounds.

Cheese ..

1,175

Maple-sugar.

2,235

The vote for President in 1876 was as follows : Hayes, 633; Tilden, 163. The population of the township in 1870 was 2913; of the village 757.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

ELIAS STRONG

was born in Hampshire county, in the State of Massachusetts, on the 31st day of October, 1798. He came to Thompson township (then), Geauga county, when nineteen years of age. The journey was a very tedious one, requiring forty-three days to perform it, during which Mr. Strong had disrobed himself but three nights.

The country in which he had settled was entirely new,-not a road laid out,- and he was the first to drive a team over what is now known as the Grand river hill. His early educational advantages were limited, yet, possessing good natural abilities and a strong desire for knowledge, he acquired a fair education, and is a man of more than ordinary intelligence. He is also a man of strict integrity. In the year 1827, being then twenty-nine years old, he was joined in marriage to Miss Harriet E. Russell, who was born in Hampshire county, Massachusetts. Six children are the result of this union, four of whom are living. Mr. Strong moved into Madison township about five years since. His occupation has always been that of a farmer. He, however, some time since retired from active labor, and is now living in the pleasant village of Madison.

ASA S. TURNEY.

The subject of this sketch was born in the town of Reading, Fairfield county, Connecticut, in the year 1804. He came with his parents to Madison township when five years old, making the journey with an ox-team and a span of horses. It was a long and somewhat tedious journey, requiring fifty-three days to perform it. There were then no roads or bridges,-simply a wild kind of trail through the woods. The horses and oxen were made to swim the streams, the goods were put abbard such rude boats as could be found in those days, and a line attached to the wagons and drawn across by hand. At the time of his arrival at Madison there were but three houses between his present residence and Painesville, and only three in Painesville. Mr. Turney has resided for sixty-nine years on the farm his father located. At the age of twenty he was united in marriage .to Laura Hoyt, daughter of Isaac Hoyt, of Madison. She was born in the same town as that in which her husband was born, and moved into Madison in 1815. They had seven children,-six daughters and one son,-all of whom are living. Nancy, the eldest, married Frank Wyman, who is deceased; she resides in Centre- ville. Polly married Franklin Fellows, and lives a short distance from the home-

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Elisha March

Mrs . Polly Mod.

CHESTER STOCKING.

ELIAS STRONG.

A. L. TURNEY.

LITH. BY L. N DVDITS. AMALA.PL

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HISTORY OF GEAUGA AND LAKE COUNTIES, OHIO.

stead. Almira married Horace Norton, and lives in Perry. Amanda is unmarried, and remains at home with her parents. Carlos married Caroline Winchester, and is a neighbor of his father. Laura married Willard Martin, and now lives in Newbury. Louisa married Miner Allen, a railroad-engineer, and lives in Cali- fornia, near San Francisco. The family are all members of the Disciple church.

CH ESTER STOCKING

was born in Glastonbury, Connecticut, February 9, 1792, and with his family emigrated to Madison in September, 1816. The journey was performed with a yoke of oxen, a horse, and a wagon, the horse being attached to the wagon in front of the oxen. He settled on the Middle Ridge, near the school-house east of Genung's furnace. There were at that time but four settlements on this ridge, viz., those of the Bartram family, Johnson, Nahum Miller, and William Potter. His settlement was not unaccompanied by those privations and hard- ships which are almost inseparable from pioneer life. During the first three years the family meal, frugal but wholesome, was eaten upon a chest,-for table they had none,-and plates were improvised out of whitewood chips. Corn-meal was an important article of food, and, although of corn the settler had an abun- dance, to reduce it to a sufficient fineness for consumption taxed his ingenuity to the utmost. There were no grist-mills nearer. than Ashtabula or Chagrin (now Willoughby), and expedients were improvised by which the settler could himself change his grain into flour, and thus avoid the necessity of a trip so far to a mill over rouds such as then existed. Necessity, however, is most fertile in expedients; and one of the earliest " inventions" for grinding grain was the following : An oak-tree of the proper size being selected, it is cut down, and a fire kindled upon the stump. In the fire a stone is then placed, which slowly burns its way downward. When the cavity thus made is of sufficient depth to contain the grain, the stone and ashes are removed and the corn put in. A sapling is then cut off at the top, and the end attached by bark to a " pestle" previously made. Taking this in his hands, the " manufacturer" works upon the grain until fine enough for use. Corn was a sort of circulating medium as well. With it the settler often purchased the material with which his family were clothed, and other necessaries. But its measure of value was such that the " storekeeper" re- quired a bushel of it for a pound of nails, and six bushels for a single yard of his calico !

Everywhere in the forests wild beasts were found, and wolves especially ren- dered night hideous with their unceasing howls around the lonely cabin. One evening, as Mr. Stocking was walking from the Mixer farm to that of Bartram with a quarter of mutton upon his shoulder, he heard a noise which convinced him that an animal of some kind was in the immediate vicinity. He hastened his steps, and, on reaching the clearing on the Bartram farm, he discovered the brute-a bear-in close pursuit of him. He was attracted by the smell of the fresh meat, but Stocking, who was a man of much courage, refused to abandon the cause of his danger, and we are glad to record that even with his burden he proved more than a match for Bruin in fleetness, and reached his destination in safety.

His occupation was that of a blacksmith, but, although industrious and hard- working, he never accumulated a great deal of property. He was united in mar- riage, November 3, 1810, to Clarissa Lee, who was born in Glastonbury, Con- necticut, November 4, 1792, and died January 31, 1851. To them were born ten children, of whom six are now living, as follows: Wells and William H., in South Madison, Lake County, Ohio; George, in Rochester, Minnesota ; Lester E., in Valley Falls, Kansas; Henry, in Booneville, Indiana ; Horace, in Topeka, Kansas. Harriet M. died March 15, 1832 ; Louisa A., September 9, 1845; and Jabin S., January 7, 1872. Chester Stocking was killed in the war of the Re- bellion, at the time of Hood's raid around Nashville, Tennessee.

Mr. Stocking died November 22, 1876, at the residence of his son, W. H. Stocking, in South Madison.

DAVID BAILEY.

The subject of this sketch was born in New London county, Connecticut, April 30, 1784. In early life he was apprenticed to the shoemaker trade, in which he continued to work until the age of twenty, when he suddenly formed a determi- nation to visit the West Indies, and accordingly embarked for that country, landing

in Demerara. He found employment as an overseer of a plantation, and remained thirteen years, at the end of which time he returned to his native State. March 15, 1818, he was united in marriage to Maria Latham, who was born in the same county, May 6, 1799. Immediately after this event he, with his bride, emigrated to Ohio, and, adopting Madison as his future home, settled on the farm now owned by his son, David L. Bailey. They were subject to the various hardships and privations incident to pioneer life. Their surroundings were in wide contrast to those amidst which they had so recently resided. They both felt deeply the change, but, without a word of complaint, they went to work with an energy born of success to make for themselves a home, which they were not long in providing. He returned to his native State to visit on several occasions, always traveling with his own conveyance. The first Fourth-of-July celebration ever held in the town- ship of Madison was at the house of Mr. Bailey,-that now occupied by his son, David L. Bailey. That event occurred fifty-eight years ago, and a very different affair it was from the noisy demonstrations witnessed in our day. The stars and stripes floated from the house-top, a pig was roasted (which, nevertheless, disap- peared afterwards), and toasts were responded to by distinguished persons present.

Mr. Bailey was the father of six children,-two sons and four daughters,-only two of whom are living, David L. and Frances. The latter became the wife of Anson Sutherland, of Buffalo, New York, in 1864, and now resides there. David, a view of whose residence is given on another page, was married October 9, 1861, to Phronia R. Benjamin, of Madison, who is a lady of much intelligence. To them have been born two children, D. Newton and Russell L.

Mr. Bailey, Sr., died in 1858. His widow is yet living, at the age of nearly eighty. She makes her home with her son David, occasionally visiting her daughter in Buffalo.

ELISHA WOOD,

fine portraits of whom and of his surviving companion are given in another portion of this work, was born in Cheshire, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, on the 4th day of February, in the year 1796. He was the eldest of a family of seven children. His parents were Elisha and Freelove (Dennison) Wood, and descendants of the standard New England stock. They removed to Fairfield, Herkimer county, New York, while Elisha, Jr., was yet a child, and remained there the balance of their lives. The subject of the present sketch was educated principally in the common schools of Fairfield, and, in fact, he lived in that town- ship until attaining his majority. The summer of 1817 he came to Ohio, locating in Mentor township, where he resided (with the exception of one year spent in the Black river country) until 1822. He then removed to Madison, and pur- chased the tannery which stood a little north of the one he afterwards erected, and which is now owned by Sextus E., the oldest child. Mr. Wood continued to prosecute the business of tanning, farming, etc., in a highly successful manner until his decease, September 10, 1863.

On the 15th day of December, in the year 1825, Mr. Wood was united in marriage to Miss Polly, daughter of Martin and Abigail (Davenport) Doty, originally from St. Lawrence county, New York. The fruits of this union were as follows : Sextus E., who was born February 18, 1827 ; he married Eunice Allen, and resides on the old farm north of Madison village. The next child was a son, who died in infancy ; then came Ellen A., whose birth occurred July 9, 1831 ; she married Cyrus J. Ingersoll ; she lives in Madison village. Her hus- band having deceased, a son and daughter followed; both died in infancy. Mary C. was born November 10, 1836. She is the wife of Dr. E. C. Sloan, of In- ton, Ohio; Anna D. was born March 20, 1839, married George W. Chase, and resides at Rutland, Meigs county, Ohio; E. Meroe, the next child, was born November 21, 1842; she resides at home with her mother; George W. was born February 1, 1844; then follows a daughter, who died in infancy, and Frank L., the date of whose birth is July 14, 1849.

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History of Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio, Part 91

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

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