USA > Ohio > Lorain County > History of Lorain County, Ohio > Part 43
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I have in these words briefly sketched the ideal Oberlin, as it was first conceived, and as it has been actually, thongh imperfectly, realized in its history. In this general and comprehensive characterization, it has been my aim to throw light on the history which follows.
I .- ORIGIN.
The origin of Oberlin is due to two men, John Jay Shipherd and Philo Penfield Stewart, the inventor of the well-known Stewart store. Mr. Shipherd was a native of New York, and Mr. Stewart of Connecticut. In 1830, Mr. Shipherd, holding a commission from the American Home Missionary Society, found his way to Elyria, where he preached to the Presbyterian Church as their pastor for two years.
Mr. Stewart, who was laboring as a missionary among the Choctaws, being compelled, on account of the ill health of his wife, to return north, corres- ponded with Mr. Shipherd, who was an old friend,
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respecting a field of labor, and finally accepted an in- vitation to make a home for a time at his house. Mr. Stewart thus became one of Mr. Shipherd's family in the spring of 1832. These men, thus thrown together. were alike earnest reformers. They had an intense conviction that the church needed to be raised to a higher plane of christian life and activity, and that a great work must be done in the Mississippi valley.
In temperament they were opposites. Mr. Ship- herd was ardent and sanguine, while Mr. Stewart was cautions and slow; but even this difference proved a real advantage, for, when the time came for action, they complemented each other.
In the summer of 1832 they talked and prayed over the themes which absorbed both their minds- some scheme by which they could realize their desire and hope of doing good. Mr. Shipherd's mind dwelt especially upon the thought of a christian community of an unworldly and elevated type, and which, im- bmed with an earnest missionary spirit, should be a centre of beneficent influence. Mr. Stewart's thought dwelt upon the plan of a christian college, which should embrace the co-education of the sexes, and provide mannal labor that might at once promote the health of the students and defray their expenses.
Mrs. Shipherd has given a brief account of how these diverse views became united in one plan :
" In their deliberations they would exchange views ; one would pre- sent one point of interest and the other a different one. Mr. Stewart proposed a college, of which Mr. Shipherd could not see the necessity, as Hudson college was in its infancy and poorly sustained ; but Mr. Stewart suggested the manual labor system, which Mr. Shipherd fully approved. Thus they labored and prayed, and while on their knees asking guidance the whole plan developed itself to Mr. Shipherd's mind, and before rising to his feet he said, 'Come, let us arise and build. ' He then told Mr. Stewart what had come into his mind,-to proenre a tract of land and collect a colony of christian families, who should pledge themselves to sustain the school and identify themselves with all its interests. They came down from the study, and Mr. Shipherd with a glowing face said, 'Well, my dear, the child is horn, and what shall its name be ?' Ile thea related what had passed through his mind."
Mr. Shipherd was accustomed, in after years, to refer to the plan as thus presented to his mind, as "the pattern showed him in the mount."
The name selected for the contemplated colony and school was Oberlin, after John Frederic Oberlin, a pastor in eastern France, an interesting account of whose self-denying and successful labors in elevating the people of his parish they had just read. The next thing was the selection of a location. Judge Ety, of Elyria, offered to give that part of the village known as " the Point ;" and a tract embracing two or three farms on the north ridge road in Brownhelm. was also proposed ; but neither of these was thought to be large enough for the full execution of the pro- jeet. The level tract, with a hard clay soil. forming the southern part of Russia township, remained as yet undisturbed by settlers, who were disposed to choose more desirable locations.
The day following the season of prayer in which their plan had taken definite and fixed shape in their minds, Mr. Shipherd and Mr. Stewart mounted their horses and rode to this nnocenpied tract. Along
what is now Main street, the line of a road had been marked years before by a party of surveyors, who had cut down the trees for a width of about four rods, but this cleared space was at this time overgrown by underbrush. Ilaving arrived at this place they dis- mounted and secured their horses, and kneeling under a tree asked divine guidance. The elm stand- ing in the south east corner of the college square is pointed out as the one under which this first prayer was offered. They at that time fixed upon this un- occupied tract as the site for the future Oberlin.
The next thing was to secure its possession, and the next to obtain settlers ; and for the attainment of these objects, as well as to raise funds for the promo- tion of the enterprise, and to engage teachers and students for the school, Mr. Shipherd resolved to visit New England. The owners of the tract, Street and Hughes, with whom it seemed desirable to treat immediately, resided in New Haven ; and such men as were needed for colonists, and would be willing to enter upon the arduous undertaking, must be found in New England.
After a two weeks' journey Mr. Shipherd arrived in New Haven, and calling upon the proprietors asked of them a gift of five hundred acres of land for a manual labor school, with the understanding that, a colony being collected, for the remaining five thou- sand acres they should receive from the settlers, as fast as sold, at the rate of a dollar and a half an aere ; and this proposition he enforced with the plea that their acceptance of it would be a mutual benefit, by aiding the school and by bringing their lands into market.
After calling upon them day after day without sne- cess, as he came down from his room one morning he remarked to the lady of the house where he was stay- ing. " I shall sneceed to-day." And he did ; for on calling one of the firm told him that they had con- cluded to accept his proposition.
It was planned to sell the five thousand acres to the settlers at an advance of one dollar, thus securing a fund of five thousand dollars with which to lay the foundations of the college, enough of this fund being appropriated to build a saw mill and grist mill, to be owned by the college.
The next thing necessary was the securing of such settlers as would make a distinctively christian col- ony. To secure such as were desired, a covenant was drawn up, which all who proposed to become mem- bers of the colony were asked to sign.
This is a historie document, and we give it entire :
THE OBERLIN COVENANT.
"Lamenting the degeneracy of the church, and the deplorable con- dition of our perishing world, and ardently desirons of bringing hoth under the entire influence of the blessed gospel of peace; and viewing with peculiar interest the influence which the valley of the Mississippi must exert over our nation and the nations of the earth; and having, as we trust, in answer to devout supplications, been guided by the counsel of the Lord: the undersigned covenant together, under the name of the Oherlin Colony, subject to the following regulations, which may be amended by a concurrence of two-thirds of the colonists:
"1. Providence permitting, we engage as soon as practicable to remove to the Oberlin Colony, in Russia, Lorain county, Ohio, and
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there to fix our residence, for the express purpose of glorifying God in doing good to men to the extent of our ability.
"2. We will hold and manage our estates personally, but pledge as perfect a community of interest as though we held a community of property.
"3. We will hold in possession no more property than we believe we can profitably manage for God as His faithful stewards.
"4. We will, by industry, economy and Christian self-denial, obtain as much as we can, above our necessary personal expenses or family expenses, and faithfully appropriate the same for the spread of the gospel.
"5. That we may have time and health for the Lord's service, we will eat only plain and wholesome food, renouncing all bad habits, and especially the smoking and chewing of tobacco, unless it is necessary as a medicine, and deny ourselves all strong and unnecessary drinks, even tea and coffee, as far as practicable, and everything expensive, that is simply calculated to gratify the palate.
"6. That we may add to our time, health and money for the service of the Lord, we will renounce all the world's expensive and unwhole- some fashions of dress, particularly tight dressing and ornamental attire.
"7. And yet more to increase our means of serving Him who bought us with His blood, we will observe plainness and durability in the con- struction of our houses, furniture, carriages, and all that appertains to us.
"5. We will strive continually to show that we, as the body of Christ, are members one of another; and will, while living, provide for the widows, orphans and families of the sick and needy as for ourselves.
"9. We will take especial pains to educate all our children thoroughly and to traiu them up in body, intellect and heart for the service of the Lord.
"10. We will feel that the interests of the Oberlin Institute are iden- tified with ours, and do what we can to extend its influence to our fallen race.
"11. We will make special efforts to sustain the institutions of the gospel at home and among our neighbors.
"12. We will strive to maintain deep-toned and elevated personal piety, to ' provoke each other to love and good works.' to live together in all things as brethren. aud to glorify God in our bodies and spirits, which are Ilis.
"In testimony of our fixed purpose thus to do, in reliance on Divine grace, we hereunto affix our uames."
This covenant for the colony expressed the purpose and spirit which its founders meant should charac- terize it. In its strict and particular application it gave rise, for a time, to some differences; but after a year or two it was found necessary to leave the deter- mination of personal duty in practical affairs to the individual conscience and judgment.
Mr. Shipherd endeavored to raise funds by the sale of scholarships. These scholarships were to be per- petual, and were put at one hundred and fifty dollars. Each scholarship entitled its owner to keep one per- son in school; but it gave him only the privileges of the school, and paid none of his expenses.
Il. - THE BEGINNING.
The first settler of Oberlin was Peter Pindar Pease of Brownhelm, who cut down the first tree March 15. 1833. On April 3d he came on with two men, and these three ent an ox-wagon road through the dense forest. April 19th, he removed his family into a log house which they had erected. These house stood on the southeast corner of what is now the college square, a little back of the elm under which Mr. Shipherd and Mr. Stewart had first knelt in prayer. Upon the front door of this first dwelling was written in large characters, " I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service;" and this remained through the season.
The first Sabbath they held their first Sabbath wor- ship under the trees on the spot where the First Church now stands. They prayed, and sang and read a sermon, and also hegan a Sabbath school, which has been held uninterruptedly every Sabbath since. A large force of laborers was employed to fell the forest. To these no liquor was furnished, as was the custom at that time; yet there was no difficulty in obtaining sufficient help.
The only opening which they found in the forest was a little clover patch about twenty feet square, nearly opposite the place where the Second Church now stands, which had been for many years an Indian encampment. On this spot the trustees of the school held their first session on the soil. The names of these trustees, the same persons afterward named in the charter, were Rev. J. J. Shipherd, P. P. Stewart, and P. P. Pease, Addison Tracy of Elyria, Judge Henry Brown of Brownhelm, Captain E. Redington of Am- herst, Rev. Joel Talcott of Wellington, J. L. Burrell of Sheffield, and Rev. John Keys of Dover.
These were among the substantial men of the sur- rounding region, and having imbibed the spirit of Mr. Shipherd were not daunted by the difficulties they encountered and the greatness of the undertaking.
A letter from the colonists already on the ground to Mr. Shipherd, while at the east, dated June 11, 1833, shows that they had also shared the common enthu- siasm. This letter was signed by all the men then on the ground, as follows: Peter P. Pease, Brewster Pel- ton, Samuel Daniels, Philip James, Pringle Hamilton, William Hosford, Asahel Munger, Harvey Gibbs, Jacob J. Safford. Daniel Morgan. But three or four women were here as yet, several of the men having come first to prepare places for their families.
We give a few extracts from this letter, to show their spirit, and what they were doing:
"We have had meetings every Sabbath since the commencement. Had a visit from Brother Betts, of Brownhielm. He will preach for us every fourth Sabbath till you return. Brother Leavenworth, also of Brown- helm, preached to us the first Sabbath after the brethren arrived from Vermont-and a blessed day it was, for the Lord was here. The people came in from the east, the west, and the south. The number from abroad was between twenty and thirty. We trust that you cease not to pray for us, that we may be guided in every path of duty and useful- ness, and above all, that we may love one another with pure hearts * fervently. * * * * * * *
"We have commeneed our clearing, beginning at the center, and run- ning southwest. We have about twenty acres now chopped, and four cleared off. Are planting two of it to corn, and more than one we sow to oats and grass, for a little pasture. The remainder is occupied by two Ing houses, and a site for the boarding house and school room. The school [college] will be in the upper loft. We have the timber all hewed, but one day's work.
"The brethren have mostly selected and procured their land, and are now chopping their village lots, which will make a pleasant opening on the south side of the road. We have about fifty cords of wood ent for the engine. We can say, ' thus far the Lord hath helped us.' May we ever acknowledge him. Dear brother, pray for the peace of the colony. We have a special prayer meeting every Saturday evening, in which we remember you, and hope to be remembered by you."
The writers also speak of four Sabbath schools in neighboring settlements, which they had either estab- lished, or were about to open.
Mr. Shipherd returned in September, and moved to Oberlin, taking up his quarters with his family and another family, in the basement of the first col-
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lege building, afterward called Oberlin Hall. During his absence, he had secured a number of families as colonists, had enlisted students to come at the open- ing of the school, had engaged teachers, and had raised nearly fifteen thousand dollars in contributions and subscriptions. The teachers expected from the east could not come at the beginning of the school, and a student from Hudson college, Mr. John F. Scoville, was engaged to take temporary charge, and the school was opened the 3d day of December, 1833. This being an occasion of much interest, on the even- ing preceding a meeting was held to ask God's bless- ing upon the enterprise. During its progress, Mr. Scoville reached the place, and going into the meet- ing, after listening to the prayers and remarks, he rose to speak, and his first words were, " Put off thy shoes from thy feet. for the place where thou standest is holy ground."
The school, this first term, was composed of forty- four pupils, twenty-nine young men and tifteen young women: half of whom were from the east. the re- mainder from neighboring towns. A primary school was also organized in connection with the instution. composed of the children of the colonists, numbering about twenty, and taught by Miss Eliza Branch, now Mrs. George Clarke, of Oberlin. After the first winter, this primary department was discontinued, and the elementary education of the children was left to the public schools.
The colony was composed, at this time, of eleven families, several of the men who had spent the sun- mer on the grounds having gone back east, with the ex- pectation of returning in the spring with their families.
The college building was thirty-tive by forty feet in its dimensions, with two regular stories, and a third story, running up from the central part, called an attic. In the rear was an appendage embracing the kiteben and apartments for the steward, in which Mr. and Mrs. Stewart presided. Mr. Shipherd. with his family, occupied the basement. Ilis office, as corres- ponding secretary and general agent, was in the room above, which was also ocenpied by the principal, for his study.
Across the hall was the dining-room, and above, the school-room. chapel and church all in one, which was about eighteen feet wide and thirty-live long.
The young ladies occupied the second story over against the chapel, while the young men were sent into the attie, where each pair found a room eight feet square, with a window of six small lights on the side. above the student as he sat. This room was furnished with a stove, table, two chairs, and a turn- up bedstead, these tilling the room when the bed- stead was let down, but leaving a little room when it was turned up during the day.
The following letter from Mr. Shipherd to his parents, dated December 13. 1833, shows his feelings at this time :
"The Lord is to be praised that we were eaabled to open our institu- tion at the appointed time, December 3rd. We have now thirty-four
boarding scholars, and expect forty for the winter. Applicants are without number, from Lake Erie to the Gulf of Mexico, and from Mich- igan to the Atlantic. The scholars study and work well. Five minutes after the manual labor bell strikes, the hammers, saws, etc., of the mechanical students make a noise all around ns, and the axe men in the woods breaking 'the ribs of Nature,' make all crack. Nearly all our visitors-and they are not few-express surprise that so good a . work has been wrought here ia so short a time. God be praised! I feel as I said in my sleep the other night, 'Oberlin will win, and the devil cannot hinder it.' This, my sweet assurance, I hope rests on God, without whom we can do notbing."
In February, 1834, a charter was obtained for the college from the State legislature, with university privileges. under the modest name of " The Oberlin Collegiate Institute." This name was retained till 1850, when it was changed to "Oberlin College." A eirenlar was issued March 8, which, so far as is known, was the first,-in which the objeets of the institution are thus stated :
" The grand objects of the Oberlin Institute are, to give the most use- ful education at the least expense of health, time and money : and to extend the benefits of such education to hoth sexes and all classes of the community as far as its means will allow. Its system embraces thorough instruetion in every department, from the infant school up through a collegiate and theological course. While care will be taken not to lower the standard of intellectual culture, ao pains will be spared to combine with it the best physical and moral education. Prominent objects of this seminary are, the thorough qualification of christian teachers, both for the pulpit and for schools; and the elevation of female character, by bringing within the reach of the misjudged aad neglected sex all the instructive privileges which hitherto bave unrea- sunably distinguished the leading sex from theirs."
A little farther on it is added :
" To some this novel institution in the woods may appear visionary, but theoretie demonstration of its practicability might here be given, with some experimental proof, did the limits of this paper permit. However, leaving the discussion of the grand principles upon which this seminary rests till another time, we here say, with gratitude to God, tbat our most sangnine expectations have been hitherto more than realized."
In May the expected teachers from the east arrived, and the summer term opened May 7. These teachers were Rev. Seth IT. Waldo, a graduate of Amherst Col- lege and Andover Seminary, and who, in compliance with an invitation from the trustees, had engaged to assume the superintendence of the institute till its president should take it in charge, and then was ex- pected to till the professorship of languages; James Dascomb, M. D., from Dartmouth Medical College. who had been appointed professor of chemistry, bot- any and physiology; and Mr. Daniel Branch, also a graduate of Amherst College, who was made princi- pal of the preparatory department. Mrs. Dascomb, who had been a pupil of Miss Grant, of Ipswich, was soon made principal of the ladies' department: and Mrs. Braneh became the teacher of Latin, French, and of other branches, as occasion required.
Thus the new school was fairly begun. Its organi- zation was effected, an efficient corps of teachers provided, and its prospeets were encouraging. The number of students during this first summer term was one hundred and one-sixty-three young men and thirty-eight young women; and for these the aecom- modations were barely sufficient.
This beginning was almost literally in the woods. A considerable space, it is true, was cleared of trees, but their stumps were numerous, and the roads were at times almost impassable. Indeed, away from the
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town they were but tracks through the woods, and even young ladies coming to the school often walked the last two or three miles.
A few items, taken mostly from "Camp's Directory of Oberlin," compiled and published a few years since, will show the beginning of some branches of business. etc., about this time and a little later.
In 1833, Brewster Pelton put up a log house, which served as a hotel, a few rods east of the elm which has been mentioned. In 1834, he built in front of it a comfortable frame building, which was burned in 1866 and the Park llouse erected in its place.
The first blacksmith shop in Oberlin was owned by Bela Hall, and stood on the site of E. M. Leonard's present dwelling house. At that time the creek ran just south of his shop, though it has since changed its course after crossing Main street.
In December, 1834, Anson Pentield started a black- smith shop and edge-tool factory near the college mill on South Main street. Ilis grindstone was placed in the basement of the mill, which furnished the power. In 1838, he was killed, while alone, using the grind- stone, by being caught by the belt and carried around the wheel. llis brother, Isaac Penfield, carried on his shop after his death, afterward associating with himself James McWade. At the same time Hiram Pease had a wagon shop on the corner now ocenpied by 1. Penfield and son. He afterwards soll to Pen- field and Avery.
The first store in Oberlin was opened in 1834, by Theodore S. Ingersoll. This store continned but a short time-perhaps two years.
The first steam mill was built by Oberlin College, in the fall of 1833, south of Plum creek, on South Main street, near where the residence of James McWade now stands. It was at first only a saw mill. The engine was constructed in Cleveland, and was brought on in October, 1833, and the saw mill was soon in operation. The next year a small flouring mill was erected, to be driven by the same engine: also machines for cutting lath and shingles.
These machines furnished labor for several students, and the whole establishment was owned by the col- lege. This seemed at first necessary, but was found on the whole inexpedient, and it was afterward sold and became the property of individuals.
Another college building was found necessary, and the building afterward known as the "boarding hall," or the "ladies' hall," was begun in the summer of 1834, and completed in the summer of 1835.
It was a three-story frame building, thirty-eight by eighty, with two wings projecting backward, of two stories each. It stood west of Oberlin Hall. in the space between the Second Church and the east side of college place, close upon the side of the street, and fronting the college square. It served its purpose for thirty years. After the completion of the present ladies' hall, it was divided into five different por- tions, now occupied as dwelling houses in different parts of the town, the most conspicuous of which is
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