History of Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio, Part 96

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

USA > Ohio > Lake County > History of Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio > Part 96
USA > Ohio > Geauga County > History of Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio > Part 96

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).

Daniel Hopkins, of Vermont, emigrated to Ohio, locating in Fairport, in the year 1805. He remained until 1810, when he removed to Mentor township, and, in company with his father, Benjamin Hopkins, took up a tract of five hun- dred acres of land on the lake shore, now designated as " Hopkins' Point." In 1820, Mr. Hopkins married Anna Churchill, of Geauga County, by whom eleven children were born. She died May 24, 1867.

William Kerr located in Mentor in 1812. He removed to Painesville in 1815, was auditor of Geauga County four years, returned to Mentor, and died there in 1868.

Captain Baxter was born in Sandisfield, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, Aug. 20, 1791. At the age of twenty-three he emigrated on foot to Ohio, and made his location in this township, purchasing the farm on which he resided to the day of his death, which occurred October 5, 1877. He married the youngest daughter of Elder Warren Goodell, who was at the time of the event supplying the Baptist pulpit in Mentor. Six children were born of this marriage,-three sons and three daughters. Mrs. Harriet Harris, of Kirtland, and Isaac Augustus Baxter, of Mentor, are the only surviving members of this family. Captain Baxter was a prominent man in the township, and was a man of large property. A leading trait of his character was his generosity, which he frequently exercised to his injury.

David Tuttle came to Ohio from the State of New York ; he was originally of Connecticut, arriving in Mentor on the 31st of December, 1821. He located on the farm now owned by Augustus Baxter. His family consisted of wife, three boys, and four girls. They were,-Ralph, who married Hannah Matthews, of Mentor, and now resides in Chicago; Charles, married Caroline Griswold (de- ceased; he was the father of the well-known Tuttle brothers,-Allen and Myron,-so long in the hardware trade in Painesville, and Corwin and Oscar, also selling goods by sample) ; John Tuttle, youngest son of David (deceased). The girls are Maria, married John Stevens (deceased); Catharine, married Harry Stannard (deceased) ; Polly, married Beman Crandall (deceased) ; Rebecca, mar- ried Erastus Root (deceased).

David Tuttle was a cooper, and always prosecuted that vocation in connection with his farm labors. He was an honest, upright, hard-working Christian gentle- man; was among the members of the first Disciple church of Mentor, and main- tained his standing with them until his death, which occurred in the year 1846. Mrs. Tuttle died in 1835. The descendants of this couple have ever maintained the integrity of their principles, etc.

Erastus Root is a native of Connecticut, and was born in 1803. He came to Mentor from Syracuse, New York, in 1816, in company with an elder brother, making the journey on foot. He was but thirteen and his brother twenty-three. After his arrival he lived with Jonathan Root, a half-brother, who came to Mentor in 1803. He then worked out until twenty-six years of age, when he married Rebecca F. Tuttle. Some two or three years previous to this he pur- chased the farm now occupied by him. Mrs. Root died in November, 1848, leaving the following-named children, one an infant, to the care of the father : Orlando Gillett, Orson Erastus, Ransom Henry, and Charles. Orlando lives in Washington Territory, Orson in Mentor, and Ransom and Charles in Iowa. In August, 1849, Mr. Root married Laura Smith, of Mentor, who has borne him three children,-Ella Laverne, Willis S., and Leslie H. The daughter became the wife of Andrew A. Amidon, an attorney in Painesville. The two sons, un- married, reside with their parents.

Joel Rexford, originally from Meriden, Connecticut, removed in early manhood to Vermont, where he remained about seven years, and then moved to the State of New York, residing there until the spring of 1817, when he emigrated to Mentor. He remained here at this time, however, only a few weeks, during which he made his purchase, and then went on to Kirtland, worked a farm on shares for

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HISTORY OF GEAUGA AND LAKE COUNTIES, OHIO.

nearly a year, at the expiration of which he returned to Mentor and settled, his farm being the one now known as the Fobes farm. He was united in marriage to Eunice Alford in 1804. Their family at the time of their arrival consisted of four sons and a daughter, of whom only two are living., W. T. and E. A., both in Mentor. Mr. Rexford died in December, 1863, at the house of his son W. T. Rexford, then living in Chardon. His widow died two or three years subsequently.

Calvin Ingersoll, from the town of Lee, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, came .. to Mentor with his family of wife and thirteen children, in the spring of 1816. The journey was made with three wagons and three yokes of oxen, besides three horses, which were used in cases of emergency. He settled on lot one, tracts seven and eight. He became the owner of a large amount of land. Of his large family, only three are living. Mrs. Electa Umphrey lives in Wellington, Ohio, at the age of eighty-eight, and the sons, E. M. and Calvin, in Mentor, on por- tions of the old homestead. Mr. Ingersoll died in 1852, and Mrs. Ingersoll in 1831.

William Smith removed from Ontario county, New York, to Willoughby in the summer of 1815, and located near the centre of the township, but afterwards moved into the southwest part, and died there in 1869.

Isaac H. Streater, from Massachusetts, settled in Mentor in 1817, on lands now owned by the Sawyers. His family were a wife and a grandson, Benjamin Matthews, now residing in Russell, at the age of seventy-three years. Mr. Streater remained in Mentor until his death. They had no children.

Chester Hart, the oldest son of Stephen Hart, Sr., settled in the south part of the township in 1818. In 1826 his parents, with the remainder of the family, followed. (See biography of D. B. Hart. ) Chester married Lucy Howard; both are deceased. Two children were born, Julius and E. C. The former re- sides on the old homestead, and the latter in Minnesota.

Stephen, a younger brother of Chester Hart, is at present a resident of Mentor, southwest of the centre. He is a large landholder, owning upwards of seven hundred acres, mostly in Mentor and Kirtland. He married Lucretia King.

Grandison Newell was a native of Connecticut, but was residing in New York at the time of his emigration to Ohio. He settled in the township in 1819. He, jointly with Chester Hart, purchased the farm known as the " Newell farm." They were subsequently associated together in the manufacture of the " Wright patent" cast-iron plow, the first cast plow manufactured on the Reserve. Mr. Newell was a man of enterprise. On the east branch of the Chagrin river, in Kirtland, he built a chair-factory and a saw-mill, which furnished employment to a large number of men. He was a determined enemy of the Mormons, and did much to bring about their removal from Kirtland; was prominently identified with many public and private enterprises. He became wealthy, but eventually lost heavily by investments in the Fairport and Wellsville railroad.

Foster Haskell came at an early date from one of the eastern States, and settled in Mentor, on the farm now owned by his heirs, where he lived until his death, May 21, 1873. His wife died March 18, 1875. Of the six children, five are living, viz., Riley, Mrs. Alvin Daniels, Emily, and Albert; all live in Mentor, and William in Concord. George is deceased.

The wife of Mr. Haskell was Polly, who was the eldest of eight children of Scribner Huntoon, who was an early settler in Concord, coming from New Hampshire.

Ashbel Munson, with his family, consisting of his wife and six children, arrived in Mentor from Connecticut in the year 1821, and located on lot four, tract six, on the farm now occupied by O. W. Scott. The journey was made with a wagon and two yokes of oxen in forty-two days. Henry, the oldest son, was the driver, and footed it the whole distance, save one half-day, during which he was ill. A portion of the way there was no road opened, and they were obliged to have recourse to the beach of the lake. They brought with them a cow, which furnished them with milk and butter, the latter of which was obtained by placing the milk in the churn in the wagon, the jar of which did the churn- ing. Of the children of this family, two-Huldah and Clarissa-are living, and four-Henry, Emerett, Edward, and George-are deceased.

Henry Munson, in 1849, was associate judge of Lake County, receiving his appointment from Governor Seabury Ford. He married Amanda M. Wilson, who survives her husband, who died November 13, 1864. Their children, three in number, Henry W., Horatio N., and Jane S. (now Mrs. Sylvanus Cleave- land), all reside in the township. Horatio has long held the office of county surveyor, is the present incumbent, and is at present the Republican nominee for that office. He is also serving a second term as justice of the peace.

Huldah Munson married Orson Wilson, and resides in Concord. Emerett became the wife of Erastus Ingersoll, subsequently removed to Indiana, and there died. Clarissa married, first, Enoch Scott, deceased, and afterwards Charles C. Bronson, and resides in Talmadge, Summit county.

ORGANIZATION.

" At a meeting of the commissioners of the county of Geauga, held on June 7, 1815, it was ordered that all that part of Painesville which is included in the following boundaries, to wit, townships number nine and number ten in the ninth range, be incorporated and erected into a separate township, by the name of Mentor, and also that an election be held at the house of Warren Corning, on the first day of the following July."

We are unable to procure the early records of elections.

The officers for 1878 are as follows : A. R. Daniels, S. Youmans, and George J. Bell, trustees; William D. Mather, clerk ; Henry M. Babcock, treasurer ; Henry W. Munson and Joshua W. Long, constables; Frank J. Rexford, assessor ; and fourteen supervisors of highways.

INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF MENTOR.

August 20, 1855, O. S. St. John, John McMurphy, and H. T. Griswold, commissioners of the county of Lake, held a meeting for the purpose of taking action on a petition previously received from fifty qualified electors of Mentor township, praying that a certain tract of land therein named be duly set off and incorporated as a village; which prayer was granted by the honorable board of commissioners, and on Saturday, November 10, 1855, an election of officers was held, resulting as follows : Nathan Corning, mayor ; W. S. Kerr, recorder; Robert Murray, Samuel Hodges, George M. Dickey, Philandro Parmele, and Orrin Loomis, trustees. T. M. Marley was appointed treasurer.

The village officers for 1878 are Wm. Delong, mayor; Dr. N. Luse, clerk ; O. S. Hoskell, treasurer; George Rose, H. H. Sheppard, and M. A. Dickey, council.

Samuel, the eldest son of John and Catherine Miller, was the pioneer baby of Mentor township. He was born on the 30th day of August, 1802, grew to manhood, married Maria Storm, of Willoughby, in which township he resided until his death, September 6, 1867.

SCHOOLS.

In the summer of 1811 a school was taught by Miss Kate Smith, of Euclid, Cuyahoga county. A small log cabin, then standing near the present resi- dence of Robert Murray, was occupied by this school. Clark Parker, Warren Corning, and Jonathan Russell were directors at this time. There were some twelve scholars in attendance. The teacher was paid seventy-five cents per week for her services, and it is said fully economized the time, having a little wheel in the school-room, with which she spun flax whenever leisure occurred. The sub- sequent summer a school was taught in a log cabin standing perhaps fifty rods north of the ridge, and near the west line of the present Captain Burridge farm. Experience Dewey was the teacher of this school. There was quite a large at- tendance. This house was burned the following winter, and with it the books of the scholars, then an almost irreparable loss.

The Union school-building, of Mentor village, was completed in the year 1863. It is constructed of brick, and cost (estimated) four thousand dollars. There have been but two grades, primary and intermediate, but a grammar-school grade is soon to be added. The school began the summer of 1863, with Mary Atwater as principal and Mina Corning assistant. The present teachers are John Hartee, principal, and Mary L. Parsons, assistant.

The building of Mentor special school district was completed in 1877. Cost, four thousand three hundred dollars. This has the primary and intermediate grades, but at present only the former school is in operation, with Miss Minnie Lauer as teacher.

CHURCHES.

In the collection of data of the religious interests of Mentor township our success has been indifferent indeed. We find first in the " History of Method- ism" that in the year 1816 Rev. Ira Eddy organized a Methodist Episcopal class in Mentor consisting of eight members, as follows: Noah Nowland and wife, Mr. and Mrs. Brass, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson, and Mr. and Mrs. Jewet.

In 1828 a brick church was erected on the site now occupied by the village school-building. This was constructed jointly by the Methodist Episcopal and Disciple churches, and was occupied by them for a series of years. April 25, 1842, at a meeting of the Methodist Episcopal church held in a school-house near Cross' Tavern, by Rev. J. E. Atkins, James Prouty, E. Parmele, H. Holmes, Levi Kerr, and Isaac Sawyer were appointed as trustees for the purpose of erecting a church. In March, 1849, a half-acre of ground was purchased of Wm. Kerr for fifty dollars, and soon after the present church edifice was erected. The mem- bership is now fifty-five. There is a Sabbath-school in connection with this church. Rev. L. W. Ely is the present pastor.

There was, prior to 1826, a Baptist church in Mentor of a respectable member- ship. Rev. Warner Goodell, its worthy pastor, died in June of that year, and

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RESIDENCE & STORE-OF - W. M. DELONG , MENTOR, LAKE CO., OHIO.

RESIDENCE OF W. S. KERR, MENTOR TE, LAKE Co., O.

LITH. BY L.H. EVERTS, PHILADELPHIA.

AVENUE HOUSE , C.H. MALLORY, PROPRIETOR, MENTOR TP., LAKE CO.,O.

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BENJAMIN CARPENTER.

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

RESIDENCE OF L.H. CARPENTER, MENTOR TR, LAKE CO., 0.

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HISTORY OF GEAUGA AND LAKE COUNTIES, OHIO.

Sidney Rigdon, of Mormon memory, conducted the funeral obsequies, and, being an orator of no inconsiderable ability, was eventually secured to supply the place of the deceased pastor. Rigdon is spoken of as being an enthusiast and unstable, of questionable judgment, and little permanent power with the people. In March, 1828, he became an ardent exponent of the doctrine of Alexander Campbell, and, as a consequence, nearly the entire Baptist church at Mentor became converts to this doctrine. Thus was the Disciple church of Mentor formed, and very soon had a membership of upwards of one hundred. The following is a partial list of those members : B. Blish, E. Nye, O. Clapp, J. Roat, J. Rexford, T. Carroll, A. Webster, A. Wilmot, Anson Eggleston, and Osee Matthews, Joseph Curtis, Syl- vester Durand, Warren Corning, A. Daniels, S. Miller, E. B. Viall, N. Wirt, David and Daniel Wilson, A. P. Jones, with their wives and many of their chil- dren. The present church was erected in 1858, and cost, entire, about three thousand dollars. There is now no settled pastor. The membership is something over one hundred, though but seventy-five are signed to the new constitution.

In the year 1812, Clark Parker erected the first house of entertainment in Mentor township. The building was a double log house, and was situated on lot No. 9, Parker's tract. Mr. Parker operated this as a tavern for many years. Two years later, Warren Corning erected the first frame house of any magnitude in the township, and immediately after it was completed began the hotel business. This hotel was in successful operation some fifteen years. The present hotels in Mentor are the " Avenue House," C. H. Mallory, proprietor, and one at the depot called the Mentor House, James Barnes, proprietor.

We are unable to ascertain the date at which the village post-office, a very use- ful adjunct to the happiness of the denizens of Mentor, was established. Daniel Kerr was beyond doubt the first postmaster, and the office was kept in the house now occupied by Mrs. Sperry. This office is now at the grocery of the post- master, Robert Radcliff.

West Mentor post-office was established January 1, 1878. Dr. L. H. Luse was commissioned postmaster December 7, 1877. This office is at the store of Dr. Luse.

There are two church buildings on the Plains,-Methodist, supplied by Rev. Mr. Ely, and a Disciple, with no regular speaker,-and a Methodist at Black Brook, supplied by Rev. Ely. In Mentor village there is a small Catholic church, Rev. Matthews, of Euclid, pastor.

The present stores are F. Parker, general merchandise ; R. Radcliff, J. A. Baxter, L. H. Luse, and B. A. Smith, groceries; E. J. Marshall, tin-shop; Wm. Delong, flour and feed.

MANUFACTURES.

In about 1821 a " pocket-furnace" was established on the lot now owned by David Beals, in the southern portion of Mentor. Grandison Newell and Chester Hart were the founders, and it cast the first plows on the Reserve. At first the building was of logs, but in the year 1826 this was torn down and a substantial frame building erected. In addition to plows, they cast an immense number of clock-bells. These were shipped to Winsted, Connecticut, and were used in the extensive clock-manufactory of Riley Whiting at that point. The " foundry" was in operation twenty-five years.

In the year 1829 a chair-factory was put in operation, near the foundry, by Grandison Newell. Subsequently, Fairchild Smith became a partner. They con- tinued in business fifteen years, the business assuming huge proportion for that day. Other parties came in possession of it, and after some twelve years' longer continuance the enterprise ceased.

Hart Nut and Washer Manufacturing Company, organized 1868, erected a fine brick building at a total cost of eleven thousand five hundred dollars. This was never used by the Nut and Washer Company, but has been occupied-a part of it, at least-for the manufacture of staves and barrels, and of late as a cider-mill.

The first saw-mill in Mentor was built probably by Joseph Sawyer, the loca- tion and the date not known.

Mentor Cheese-Factory .- In the spring of 1870 the citizens of Mentor became interested in this leading industry of the Western Reserve. A stock company was formed, consisting of twelve members, and three thousand dollars pledged, Smith Beardsley taking one-half of the whole amount. The buildings were erected, and the making of cheese begun the same season, using the milk of one hundred cows. Augustus Bull and A. J. Tuthill purchased the factory in the spring of 1875, and the subsequent fall Mr. Tuthill became and is at present sole proprietor. The season of 1878 the milk of three hundred and fifty cows is employed, from which is manufactured eight cheeses per day. The shipping of milk and cream to Cleveland and the making of butter have become the leading features of the business. Two hundred and fifty gallons of milk and fifty gallons of cream are the average daily shipment, and one hundred and seventy-five pounds of butter are churned and prepared for market each day. This finds ready sale in New York.

William Delong has in operation near the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern depot a carriage manufactory ; he also does a general blacksmithing business, deals in agricultural implements, etc.

SOCIETIES.

Mentor Grange, No. 1127, Patrons of Husbandry, was organized at the resi- dence of Captain E. Burridge on January 29, 1875, with the following charter members : E. T. C. Aldrich and wife, Captain E. Burridge and wife, O. Sawyer and wife, H. C. Durand and wife, V. Sawyer and wife, Byron Clark and wife, D. Mather and wife, I. A. Baxter and wife, O. Root and wife, John Tyler and wife, E. Hodge and wife, O. Perry and wife, Wm. Delong and wife, J. Houghton and wife, W. P. Spaulding and wife, S. Justus and wife, George Bell, Miss Helen Foster, Warren Dickey, and Harrison Martindale.

The officers elected on the occasion were E. T. C. Aldrich, M .; Captain E. Burridge, O .; I. A. Baxter, L .; H. C. Durand, S .; J. Houghton, Asst. S. ; Mrs. S. Justus, L. A. S .; O. Perry, Chap. ; W. D. Mather, Sec .; V. C. Sawyer, Treas. ; O. E. Root, G. K .; Mrs. Mary Sawyer, Ceres; Mrs. E. Hodge, Flora ; and Mrs. J. Houghton, Pomona. Regular meetings each alternate Tuesday even- ing in their hall, formerly the school-house, in district No. 3. There is a mem- bership of seventy-five. The officers for 1878 are E. T. C. Aldrich, M .; Captain E. Burridge, O .; I. A. Baxter, L .; G. Blish, S .; G. Pinney, Asst. S .; Mrs. N. Wells, L. A. S .; O. E. Root, Sec .; William Delong, Treas .; L. Root, G. K .; L. Jacks, Chap. ; Miss Ida Wells, Ceres; Miss Sarah Burridge, Pomona ; and Miss Mina Sawyer, Flora.

Independent Order of Good Templars .- This order was organized August 28, 1875, with twenty-six charter members. The first officers were Charles H. Good- rich, W. C. T .; Miss Mary Loomis, W. V. T .; T. J. Parmele, Sec .; Miss Allie Munson, Asst. Sec .; A. M. Warren, F. Sec. ; Mrs. A. Sawyer, Treas. Stated meetings Saturday evenings of each week. Officers for 1878, F. J. Parmele, W. C. T .; Miss Georgie Crowl, W. V. T .; Dr. L. H. Luse, Sec .; Miss Allie Mun- son, Asst. ; and Mrs. M. M. Luse, Treas.

Free and Accepted Masons .- There was formerly quite an extensive lodge of this order. In 1843 there were thirty-seven members. M. S. Harvey was W. M. at this time. This was after a time removed to Painesville and merged into Temple lodge.

SOLDIERS' MONUMENT.

This elegant memorial to the memory of the noble men who went from Mentor township in defense of the flag was unveiled September 3, 1874. To the efforts of Mrs. E. Burridge the citizens are largely indebted for this beautiful shaft. The entire cost was two thousand dollars, which amount was raised entirely by subscription. Upon its polished panels is cut the name of every soldier from the township.

BOY LOST.

In 1815, Robert Seeley, a lad of some seven or eight years, who lived a short distance north of Mentor street, on a farm then owned by Joseph Sawyer, was sent one evening by his mother into the " north woods" to drive the cows home. Soon after entering the woods, he became "turned round," and on finding the cows endeavored to drive them in a contrary direction from that in which they- wiser than he-insisted on going. Finding his efforts fruitless, he left them, and started, as he supposed, towards home. He became lost, and after wandering around for hours he came to what was called the " open swamp," and being weary sat down upon a log to rest. The news spread rapidly for many miles around, and men came from as far away as Burton to join in the search. A dog belong- ing to a man by the name of Bacon, who lived in the immediate vicinity of the woods, accompanied the hunting-party, and seemed to take as much interest in the pursuit as any other member of the expedition. Every now and then he would dart off into the woods, and as often, after a brief absence, return. One of the party, who had noticed the performance of the animal, concluded to follow him, and was rewarded in a short time by the discovery of the unfortunate child. He was almost famished, and could have lived but a short time longer. He had been in the woods four or five days. During the day he would try to find his way out, and at night would go back to the swamp where he first sat down to rest. Here, the boy related, Bacon's dog came to him every night and remained with him until morning, when he would disappear. There are those now living in Mentor who well remember the incident.

STATISTICS FOR 1878.

Wheat

846 acres.

13,812 bushels.

Oats ..

801

31,932

Corn

1,339

51,460

Potatoes.

204

14,125 4

Orchard

329

4,900

Meadow.

2,120

2,627 tons.

Butter

33,055 pounds.

Cheese ...

20,000

Maple-sugar.

5,300

The vote for President in 1876 was : R. B. Hayes, 352; S. J. Tilden, 102. The population in 1870 was 2082.

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HISTORY OF GEAUGA AND LAKE COUNTIES, OHIO.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

ISAAC SAWYER.

Joseph Sawyer, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Massachu- setts, July 30, 1778, and in about the year 1802 was united in marriage to Rhoda Toles, who was a native of New York (probably), the date of her birth being May 10, 1779. Of the six sons born to them, Isaac was the second. He was born in Pompey, Onondaga county, New York, July 26, 1805. His oppor- tunities for the acquirement of an education were exceedingly limited, his studies being confined principally to Daboll's arithmetic and Webster's spelling-book. He arrived in this country in 1811, with his parents and three brothers, and married September 1, 1829, Rachel O. Ferry, daughter of Clark and Obedience Ferry, of Alleghany county, New York. She was born October 22, 1805. Two children were born of this marriage, a son and a daughter. The former, Vernon C., was born June 16, 1830; married Urania A. Clark, and resides in Mentor, a short distance east of the Avenue House. The daughter, Annett R., born Au- gust 23, 1831, became the wife of A. B. Clark, and resides in Concord, Lake County.

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History of Geauga and Lake Counties, Ohio, Part 96

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

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