USA > Ohio > Lorain County > History of Lorain County, Ohio > Part 27
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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
arrived with his bride. Capt. Cooley lived in this town until the time of his death, August 9, 1842, at the advanced age of eighty-six years. Mrs. Cooley survived him several years; she died August 4. 1876. Hle was a kind and obliging neighbor and friend, and died without an enemy. He was the father of several daughters, who all died soon after reaching maturity. Ilis only son Festus, late of Elyria, now of Blue Rapids, Kansas, is his only surviving child.
LUTHER LANE came to Elyria with the first party of immigrants. Being hired for only eight months, he returned at the end of that time, in company with the late Judge Lane, to Massachusetts. They made the entire distance on foot. He returned to Elyria, in 1821, and, in a year or two, built the house where he resided until his death. On the 4th of July, 1826, he married Miss Ann Cooley, in West Springfield, and brought her to his new western home. She lived to share his toils, joys and sorrows. She died only a few years before her husband, ripe in years, and lamented by all, who loved her for her many christian virtues. Mr. Lane was one of the original members of the Presbyterian church in Elyria, and was elected deacon at the time of its organization. Ile was, pre-eminently. a good man. No one spoke ill of him. He was honest, industrious, temperate, and kind to all with whom he associated. Children loved him, for he always bad a kind word for them. Ile owned the farm on the east side of the river, op- posite the residence of Rev. L. F. Ward. Deacon and Mrs. Lane raised no children of their own, but they brought up a number of orphan children, who were treated with parental affection. He died on the 23d of November, 1868.
JAMES PORTER was an industrious, hard working man, and accumulated considerable property. He owned the farm now belonging to I. J. Raymond, cast of the river, and several houses and lots in town. IIe left one child, a daughter, who was six years old at the time of his death. and is now the wife of M. B. Parnly, of Dayton, Ohio. This widow married Dr. II. F. Hubbard, who died in Wisconsin. She is still living, and resides with her children in Colorado.
GEORGE DOUGLAS died young. He is remembered by the carly settlers as an enterprising, kind-hearted man. He died on the 5th day of November, 1829; aged thirty-five years.
RODERICK ASHLEY went cast after a year or two, and engaged in boating on the Connecticut river, between Springfield and Hartford. He accumulated a fortune, and died at an advanced age, in the spring of 1828, lamented by all who knew him.
GERSHOM DANKS bought the farm now occupied by Sheldon Paddock. in Ridgeville, which he occupied for several years. He sold out many years ago, and moved west. His subsequent history is unknown.
EDWARD BUSH returned to the cast, but afterwards removed to the State of Illinois, where all trace of him is lost.
JOHN BACON, who kept the log boarding house for
the pioneers, removed to his farm in Carlisle, where he resided many years. He died not long ago, at an advanced age. Unele John, as he was familiarly called, was a generous and kind-hearted man.
Of the first settlers in Elyria, Mr. A. Beche is be- lieved to be the only survivor.
ELYRIA VILLAGE
as first incorporated. embraced only the territory lying between the branches of Black river. Its boundaries have been extended, so that it now embraces a good part of the township. Should its territory all be ve- cupied as a city, it would contain about two hundred thousand inhabitants.
The east and west branches of the river approach each other at the south line of the township, to within the distance of about one mile. The west branch runs in a northerly direction, until it reaches the west falls. The east branch runs parallel to it, until it passes some distance north of Broad street, where it bends west, and for a short distance, south; turning again to the west, it reaches the east falls, a little below the bridge, which connects Washington avenue with Broad street. These falls are forty feet perpendieu- lar, and when the river is high, present a grand ap- pearance. The river there makes ils way through a rocky gorge, about sixty rods, where it unites with the west branch. The west fall is about the same heighth as the east. After leaping the fall. it runs through a similar rocky gorge. for about forty rods, where the two branches form a junction.
SCENERY.
The scenery on both branches below the falls is grand and beautiful. Immense ledges of sandstone project over the valley. for part of the distance, while large boulders of the same material are found in the bed of the stream, which, in a measure, obstruct ils passage. . The banks on either hand are covered with deciduous trees, with which are intermingled ever- green trees, consisting of pines and hemlocks. At the foot of the west fall, on the south side, there is a large, wide-mouthed cave, over-arched with sand rock. It is a famous resort for both young and old. High np on the projecting rock, many names are inscribed, and among them, in large letters, is that of Q. A. Gilmore, 1844. At that date, General Gilmore was a bright lad, attending school in Elyria.
At some period in the distant past, the west falls were located some twenty rods below where they are at present, and at the place where they poured over the precipice, the rocks are water-worn, giving abund- ant evidence of their former location. Many interest- ing relies have been found in the former bed of the stream.
At the foot of the ancient junction, there is a basin or small lake, covering an acre or more of ground. Surrounding this basin, the scenery is indescribably grand; rocks are piled on rocks, in endless confusion. This is a famous resort for artists, many of whom
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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
have visited Elyria for the purpose of sketching its scenery. A little below the basin, there is an island of several acres, covered with majestic trees of maple, beech, and sycamore, the property of Mrs. Charles Arthur Ely. This she has generously cleared of underbrush, and provided with rustic seats. She has also built a stairway, leading down from the high bank above, and thrown her beautiful grounds open to the publie. Pic-nic parties come from a distance to enjoy this beautiful retreat. Strangers visiting Elyria are not aware that within a stone's throw of Broad street, can be found the most beautiful scenery in the State.
RELICS OF AN ANCIENT RACE.
On the west bank of the river, on the northern border of the township, there is a lot known as the Fort Lot. On this lot there are extensive works, con- structed, probably, by a race of people who inhabited this country prior to the present Indian race. About forty years ago, a party of gentlemen, of whom the writer was one, made a survey of these works. They consisted first, of a large central mound, near the river bank, and a smaller mound on each side of it. The bank of the river descended gradually for about twenty feet, where was a level plateau, some two rods in width. Out of this bank gushes a spring of pure water, of sufficient size to carry an overshot, wheel, and falls into the river, the perpendicular bank of which is some seventy-five feet in height, Extending around these monnds. some ten rods or more from them, was a ditch. It commenced at the river bank. some twenty rods north of the mounds, and termin- ated at a deep ravine, about a quarter of a mile from its place of beginning. At the distance of about ten rods from each other, were pits or caches, evidently made for the purpose of storing provisions, Very ancient oaks grew from the bottom of the ditch, in places. We excavated the largest mound rather im- perfectly, and found nothing but pieces of pottery, and fragments of human bones. The mounds were undoubtedly used as places of sepulture, where, after some battle, perhaps, large numbers of the slain were entombed. It is to be regretted that, the owners of the land, in a spirit of vandalism, have ploughed over the mounds, and they are nearly on a level with the surrounding surface.
ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWNSHIP.
On the twentieth of October, 1819, the township of Elyria, comprising townships number five and six, in range seventeen, now Carlisle and Elyria, was, by the commissioners of Huron county, erected a separate township. It was named in honor of its pioneer owner and settler, leman Ely,-Ely-ria. The first election occurred on the 3d of April, 1820, at which time there were twenty votes cast. The following list gives the names of the electors at that time: Sherman Minot, John M. Butler, John Bacon, James A. Sexton, Abel Farr, Dudley Starr, George Douglas,
William Sexton. Enos Mann, Calvin Rice, Burton Waite, Chester Wright, J. L. Terrell, Elias Mann, Heman Ely, Roger Cooley, Festus Cooley, James Ledoit, Henry Wolford and Edmund West. James Ledoit and Sherman Minot were judges of election, and Edmund West, elerk. Heman Ely, Sherman Minot and Jonathan A. Sexton, were elected trustees. Edmund West, clerk and treasurer. fleman Ely and Festus Cooley, overseers of the poor. Chester Wright and Enos Mann, fenee viewers. John F. Butler and Festus Cooley, appraisers of property. George Dong- las, constable, and Heman Ely and William Sexton, supervisors of highways. Sherman Minot was the first justice of the peace; elected, doubtless, in 1820, though the only record we find is a copy of the notice for an election of justice of the peace. "in place of Sherman Minot, whose term of office expired Decem- ber 23, 1822."
From a list of taxable property. prepared in May. 1820, by Roger Cooley and Phineas Johnson, we learn that there were in the township eleven horses, ninety- eight cattle, and seven honses, five of which were val- ned at one hundred dollars cach, one at fourteen hun- dred (Heman Ely's), and another (Artemas Beebe's) at nine hundred dollars. The number of horses returned by the assessor in the spring of 1878 was seven hundred and seventy-seven, valued at thirty- eight thousand four hundred and seventy-five dollars; cattle, one thousand one hundred and twenty-seven, valued at twenty-two thousand two hundred and ninety-four dollars; total value of real estate and buildings, township, three hundred and twelve thon- sand and thirty-five dollars: village, one million and eighty-one thousand dollars; total in township and village, one million five hundred and ninety-three thousand and thirty-five dollars.
The records of the township cannot be found fur- ther back than 1842. At the spring election this year Ilerrick Parker, Ira Cunningham and Israel Everden were judges: Schuyler Putnam and Benjamin F. Robinson, clerks. The officers elected were Ebenezer Griffith. Daniel Nesbitt and William Grogg, trustees: Schuyler Putnam, township clerk: Abraham Burrell, treasurer: William Doolittle and John Il. Faxon, con- stables, and nine supervisors of highways.
In 1843, Clark Eldred, Daniel Nesbitt and Artemas Beebe, trustees; Stephen B. Wolcott, township clerk: A. Burrell, treasurer: John H. Faxon, constable; Heman Burch and Edson A. Griswold, justices of the peace.
The officers for 1848 are Levi Morse, IL. C. Vail and George F. Sears, trustees: W. Il. Park, clerk; George D. Williams, treasurer; O. Dole, Charles Myers and S. A. Rawson. constables: Win. II. Tucker. justice of the peace.
ELYRIA CHOSEN AS THE COUNTY SEAT.
Mr. Ely visited Columbus in the winter of 1821-2, for the purpose of securing an aet for the organiza- tion of the county of Lorain. He traveled on horse-
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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
back, and the first day out he became lost in the woods. He succeeded in finding his way back to his home at night, and the next day was more successful in finding his way, and finally reached the State capi- tal. The new county was not formed at that session of the General Assembly, but on the 22d of Decem- ber, 1822, an act was passed for its formation. It was taken from the counties of Cuyahoga, Huron and Medina, and was named Lorain. It took its name from Lorraine in France. in which province Mr. Ely spent some time while in Europe, and with which he was greatly pleased. It will be observed that the name is somewhat anglicised. It originally embraced the townships of Homer and Spencer now in Medina, and Sullivan and Troy now in Ashland county. At the same session a board of three commissioners was appointed to locate the county seat. Black River and Sheffield were competitors with Elyria, and the com- missioners visited both of those townships; but, after a fair consideration of their claims, fixed upon Elyria as the seat of justice for the new county, and on the 14th of February, 1823, drove the stakes for the loca- tion of the new court house. It was located at the north east corner of Middle avenne and Broad street, and occupied the ground where J. A. Bean's grocery store now stands. Mr. Ely agreed to furnish build- ings for the court house and jail, and to pay two thousand dollars towards the erection of a new court house whenever the county commissioners should see tit to build one.
After the erection of the new court house, the original building was removed to a lot fronting Broad street, and was used for a time as a school house and afterwards as a Presbyterian church. It now stands in the rear of Snearer and Waldeck's cabinet shop. The jail was erected on what is now the South publie square, nearly opposite the present residence of N. L. Johnson. It was a two-story frame building. the inside of one end lined with square-hewn logs, which was used as a prison. The other end was used by the family of the jailor. It answered its purpose very well, few if any prisoners having escaped from it. It now stands on East Third street, and is owned and occupied as a dwelling by R. W. Pomeroy.
ELYRIA IN 1825.
Some of the townships in Lorain county were quite rapidly settled after the first improvements. Such was not the case with Elyria. Its population is not remembered, but the following list shows the houses and their occupants at the above date. Commeneing at the east end of Broad street the first house stood nearly opposite the old tannery, and was occupied by a Mr. Cunes. The second house was occupied by Mr. Gardner Howe, a tanner. Third, lleman Ely's resi- dence. now occupied by his son Heman. Fourth, the old tavern of Mr. Beebe, standing nearly opposite Mr. Ely's. Fifth, the residence of Mr. Edmund West, now owned and occupied by Albert Ely. Sixth, resi- dence of Deacon Luther Lane, now owned by Mr.
Budd. Seventh, the residence of Mr. Kingsbury, now owned and occupied by Mr. Coburn. Eighth, George Gilbert, a blacksmith. Ninth, residence of Dr. John F. Butler, corner of Broad street and Mid- dle avenue. Tenth, residence of Hiram Emmons. Eleventh, residence of Thompson Miles. Twelfth, residence (name not remembered) on ground after- wards occupied by residence of Samuel Goodwin. Thirteenth, residence of Halstead Parker. Four- teenth, fifteenth. sixteenth and seventeenth, occupants not remembered. Eighteenth, occupied by Roger Cooley. Nineteenth, resident not known. Twen- tieth, residence of Francis Douglas. Twenty-first, residence of Ebenezer Whiton. Twenty-second, res- dence of James Porter. Twenty-third, now occupied by W. H. Park, built by Ransom Redington, at that time unfinished.
There were but few farmers settled in the township outside the village.
From the report of the appraiser of real estate for 1820 (the last made) we take the following:
Village. Number of houses 554; valued at $418,615 00
228 other buildings, valued at 40,625 00
In the township, 174 houses, valued at 67,005 00
155 otber buildings, valued at ... 32,097 00
Total, village and township .. $558,342 00
Real estate is appraised at less than half its true valne.
A number of persons whose names have not been mentioned settled in Elyria prior to 1825. Wil- liam Turner, Jr., whose father came to Grafton in 1816, was apprenticed to George Douglas, to learn the house joiner and carpenter's trade, in 1822. He mar- ried Miss Olive M. Lynde, in 1824, and became a permanent resident. By a life of industry he has accumulated a competence, and is now living at the age of seventy-five, respected by the community. Ilis wife. aged seventy-three, is also living. Hiram Em- mons came from Connecticut in 1821. He died in 1865 aged seventy-two. Ile was an honest man and a good citizen.
Stanton Sholes was one of the early merchants of Elyria. Ile sold out to Thompson Miles, who suc- ceeded him both as a merchant and resident in 1824, and removed to a pleasant home in Amherst. Capt. Sholes afterwards removed to the vicinity of Colum- bus, where he died recently, aged over ninety years. He commanded a company in the war of 1812, and did good service for his country. Mr. Miles having secured a competence, retired from business in 1833. HIe died in September, 1845, aged fifty-five years, leaving a highly respectable family.
Ezra S. Adams, from Canton, Conn., settled in Elyria in 1821, and established the first harness and saddlery shop in the county. He kept the hotel built by George Douglas for a time, and was a partner of Mr. A. Beebe, in establishing the first line of stage coaches between Cleveland and Sandusky, (now Fre- mont.) He afterwards carried on the business of harness making for many years. He died January 22, 1847, aged forty-six years.
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Photo. by Lee, Elyria, O.
Info Jucker
A young man who, with good habits and energy, says, " This will I do," rarely fails. William H. Tucker is a living illustration of this fact. He was born in Windham, Portage Co., Ohio, March 21, 1826, the youngest son of Jacob and Chloe Tucker. Jacob first settled in Ohio, at Vermillion, in 1816. In 1818 he moved into Windham, as above, from which place he removed to Eaton, Lorain Co., Ohio, in 1832, pur- chasing a farm on Chestnut Ridge.
Here with his wife he remained until their respective deaths ; Mr. Tucker dying in 1863, in his eighty-eighth year ; his wife having died two years previous.
From the mother did W. H. Tucker get the notions which, worked out, have made the valuable citizen. Mrs. Chloe Tucker was a woman of uncommon energy ; the great motherly heart of a good woman, by precept and example, left an im- press on the character of her children that to this day recalls the memory of a mother who ever watched over them with self-sacrificing devotion, and aided them to become the true man or true woman.
The father, of a different mental mould, ever kind, no mat- ter how gloomy the outlook, was ever cheerful ; always think- ing "Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."
Mr. W. H. Tucker, well remembering the exodus from Portage to Lorain County, recalls the passage of Cuyahoga River, at Cleveland, Ohio, on a floating bridge, the all of his parents in a lumber wagon drawn by a yoke of oxen, those parents to work out of the then woods of Eaton a home for selves and little ones. Such a home, poor as it was, was even then made so pleasant that one and all of those children look back to it with fond memories.
Early life in Lorain County gave limited opportunities for education. At the age of sixteen Mr. Tucker began to think for a better education than home schools provided. In his seventeenth year his father gave him all he could, viz., his time. With this and a fixed determination he commenced the business of education, chopping cord-wood for tuition, and doing chores for board. Ile was a pupil at a select school at Ridgeville, Ohio. The following winter found him teacher of the common school at Lagrange, Ohio. In the following July, to acquire further funds for schooling, he commenced work with a traveling threshing-machine. A week's work left him with only one leg, and even life in danger. Good early habits and a sound constitution pulled him through so far as the physical was concerned ; but, as he looked to the future, " black care brooded o'er his mind." Fearing he should
become a burden to his friends, he almost wished for death. However, will-power and kind attention of tender friends drove such thoughits away, and left him with a fixed purpose. En- gaging in school teaching for the following twenty-two years, Mr. Tucker taught every winter, frequently fall and summer terms, in the common schools of Ohio; now and then a select school. All this time as teacher he was everywhere a learner.
In the year 1864, Mr. Tucker removed to Elyria, Ohio, where he now lives. He was married in his twenty-third year to Miss Clarissa Andrews, who as kind wife, with joyous and sunny disposition, cheered his life until her death, which occurred at Elyria, Jan. 20, 1870. She left three sons, the youngest but eight days old, her only daughter having died before, aged two years.
He was remarried, March 13, 1871, to Mrs. M. C. Ilart, widow of Hermon Ilart, of Grafton, Lorain Co., Ohio, who now with every womanly grace makes home pleasant to husband and their many friends.
Mr. Tucker was elected recorder of Lorain Co., Ohio, in 1864, filling the position, by two re-elections, for nine years. Retiring from office with health somewhat impaired by close confinement and strict attention to official duties, for a short time he engaged in sundry business occupations. Having, dur- ing his recordership, reviewed his law studies under the in- struction of Judge John C. Hale (which studies were originally made under Judge W. W. Boynton), he was admitted to the bar, at a sitting of the District Court, at Cleveland, Ohio.
In 1875, Mr. Tucker was a prominent mover in the organi- zation of a lodge of Knights of Honor at Elyria, and was chosen past dictator of said lodge. In 1876 he represented said lodge in grand council, and has ever since been a member of that hody, now being grand trustee.
In February, 1878, as charter member, he helped the forma- tion of a council of Royal Arcanums at Elyria, of which he was elected past regent. He now fills the office of grand sec- retary of the grand council of said order for the State of Ohio.
Elected by his fellow-citizens as justice of the peace; a member of the law firm of Fary & Tucker; with an official reputation as recorder of Lorain County unequaled either by successor or predecessor ; with the trusts of a grand officer in his hands ; his ever charitable hand ; his undeviating life of integrity in all its meaning ; the universal respect of all with whom he comes in contact, Mr. Tucker can be well said to have grandly done his " This will I do."
Oral'A, Webster
William Webster was born in West Hartford, Conn., Oct. 20, 1778, and moved to Laporte, Lorain Co., Ohio, May 15, 1828, from the town of Spafford, Ouondaga Co., N. Y. His son William was born at Florence, Oneida Co., N. Y., Feb. 20, 1809.
The occupation of both father and son was that of black- smithing. William, the father of the subject of this sketch, worked at his trade in Elyria, in company with George G. Gilbert, from 1831 to 1834. His wife was born July 3, 1813, and was the daughter of Henry J. Phillips. They were married Oct. 27, 1831, in Eaton, Lorain Co., Ohio. Mrs. Webster died Nov. 13, 1868, leaving six children, viz. : Daniel, Edward, Cordelia, ( wife of Dr. L. C. Kelsey, of Elyria, Ohio), Fral A., Fred, and Will.
Iral 1. Webster was born on Butternut Ridge, Eaton township, Lorain Co, Ohio, Dce 22, 1840. In Tral's youth his parents moved to the State of Illinois. Returning from the West, for a short time Cleveland, Ohio, was their home; and in 1848, Carlisle, Lorain Co., Ohio, became his father's residence, where he still lives.
Iral A. Webster's early days were spent on the home farm, in the blacksmith-shop, or in a quarry belonging to his father, except such time as was given to the district school, until 1861. During this year he attended a select school at Elyria, Ohio. In 1862 he commenced studies at Oberlin, Ohio, where some time was spent until the spring of 1866; the balance was passed in teaching school at Lagrange and Amherst, Lorain Co., Ohio, and in reading
law with J. D. Horton, of Ravenna, Ohio. Continuing his reading, with C. W. Johnston, Esq., of Elyria, he was, in said place, admitted to the bar Ang. 29, 1867. In De- cember, 1867, he opened a law office at Oberlin, Ohio, where his family still resides, although Mr. Webster's time is mostly passed in Elyria, where he started a branch office, August, 1877. He formed a copartnership with Charles G. Finney, Jr., in February, 1872, which lasted but a few months, owing to the ill health of his partner. Jan. 1, 1877, saw his uncle, II. L. Webster, in the law business with him, which relation continued for one year, when Mr. Webster formed a partnership with his brother Fred, which still continues.
In December, 1877, Mr. 1. A. Webster purchased one- half of the Oberlin Weekly News, and continued one of its owners and publishers until Jan. 1, 1879, his efforts having aided in a great degree in placing it upon a sound foun- dation.
On Nov. 25, 1868, Mr. Webster married Miss Lottie Robb, daughter of Jackson and Mary Robb. Of this marriage were born Albert M., Feb. 13, 1875 ; Angie L., April 8, 1877.
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