USA > Ohio > Lorain County > History of Lorain County, Ohio > Part 47
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Henry H., born Aug. 12, 1840; married Bertha B. Buehring, April 26, 1861. Children,-Alice L., born Jan. 6, 1862 ; Cora R., born March 26, 1863; William H., born July 18, 1864; Edith M., born Nov. 25, 1866; Julia C., born March 7, 1869; Bertha B., born Feb. 24, 1872; George M., born March 5, 1874; Edwin R., born May 14, 1876; Flavius A., horn Dec. 2, 1849; married Olive A., daughter of Simeon Crane, of Oberlin, Nov. 7, 1877; has one child, Burton S., born Aug. 30, 1878.
In politics Mr. Hart was formerly a Whig, and after the organization of the Republican party affiliated with the latter. He was township trustee of Carlisle many years, and was elected to various other offices in that township. He was not a professor of religion, but the honesty of his life compared favorably with many of the most ardent church members. After a careful investigation of spiritualism, he became convinced of its genuineness, and espoused its teach- ings with a faith that lasted until his death. He became one of the largest landholders in the county, and was also extensively engaged in dairying. Those of his acquaintances and friends by whom he was best known, generally bear testimony to his uncompromising, personal integrity, his business rectitude, and the placidity of his domestic life. It was in the home circle where the serenity of his disposition was so highly ap- preciated. His benevolence was proverbial. Taken all in all, the career of Mr. Hart offers many excellent traits which afford alike a good example for future generations to follow, and an imperishable legacy to bis estimable family.
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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
which, during the last two years of his term of ser- vice, was increased lo a thousand dollars. A high school was organized, and all the lower schools were improved. The high school increased to forty, and the whole number enrolled in all the schools, was as high as four hundred and fifty.
In the fall of 1869, Mr. Sedgwick resigned, and Mr. E. F. Moulton, a graduate of Oberlin college, was appointed his successor .- at a salary of fifteen hundred dollars, which was afterward raised to seven- teen hundred. Several additions were made to the course of study in the high school; and the number of pupils attending the high school, during Mr. Moulton's term of service, was more than doubled. Since the inauguration of the new system in 1860, the number enrolled in all the schools was also doubled.
In 1873, the corner stone of a new edifice was laid. and it was completed and dedicated in 1874. It is situated on South Main street, in a central location, and contains eleven school rooms, a superintendent's room, two smaller recitation rooms, and a library room. Its cost was abont forty thousand dollars. and it is one of the handsomest buildings of the town.
In 1876, Mr. Moulton resigned, and accepted a position as superintendent of the Union school, in Warren, Ohio. Mr. Chittenden was appointed in his place, and has proved an efficient superintendent, but has recently been compelled to resign, on account of ill health, and Mr. II. F. Clark has been chosen his successor.
THE CHURCHES.
A brief notice of the organization of the First Church, and of the erection of the church edifice. has been already given, and we have space here for little more. Mr. Finney was called to take charge of the church in May, 1837, and continued its pastor till May. 1872, a period of thirty-five years. The greater part of this time, Professor Morgan was also associated with him, and preached during Mr. Fin- ney's absence. Other members of the faculty also supplied the pulpit at different times. November 13. 1873, Rev. James Brand, a graduate of Yale College and of Andover Seminary, was installed as pastor of the church, and has since labored with much accept- ance and with gratifying results.
Of the growth of the church, Mr. Brand, about a year since, said: " Beginning with sixty-two commu nieants in the solitude of the forest, it has had, in the space of forty-two years, about four thousand six hundred and sixty-an average addition of a little more than one hundred and ten a year during its entire history." It should, however, be remembered that from the changing character of the population, and from the fact that many of the students became connected with the church, the dismissions were as continnal, if not so large, as the additions.
For many years the First Church was the only church in the place, and it came to be the general and cherished desire that there should be no other.
This feeling arose, not from any exclusiveness, but from a desire of concentration and unity, rather than division of christian effort. The confession of faith embraced only those vital points which are accepted by all evangelical christians; and it was common for members of other denominations to join the church without change of views. But in the growth of the place, it was inevitable that other churches should be formed.
The second church organized was the Protestant Episcopal. Missionary services were begun by Rev. Anson Clark, in the year 1852, and were held regn- larly thereafter once a month, or once in two weeks, in Mr. Safford's house. The organization of the parish was effected April 18, 1855, by Rev. Francis Granger, with seven communicants. Very soon after, the work of building the church was commenced. the lot being given by Mrs. Safford. Rev. William C. French came in November, 1858. The church was then but partially completed, and Mr. French did much to secure its completion. The church was consecrated in May, 1859. by Bishop Mellvaine, with- out any debt, and has remained so to this day. In 1868, a recess chancel was added, and also a vestibule. The whole cost of the church was about five thousand dollars.
On the same lot with the church, which comprises nearly an acre, beautifully ornamented with shrubs, a line rectory-the only parsonage in the place-has been erected. This was begun in 1860, and completed in 1865. The church embraces now abont sixty com- mnnicants, and like the other churches of the place, its membership is more or less fluctuating. The fra- ternal spirit of the First Church toward this first sister church, was manifested by its invitation, ex- tended to Bishop Mellvaine, on a certain occasion before they had a church edifice, to hold service in their church, which he did, to the gratification and edification of all present.
The Second Congregational church of Oberlin was organized by a council composed of the representa- tives of several sister churches, May 3, 1860, one hundred persons, dismissed from the First Church for the purpose, nniting in the enterprise. This step seemed necessary from the fact that the congrega- tion had become too large to be accommodated. The October following, the church became connected with the Cleveland conference, and in April, 1865, it was duly incorporated under the laws of the State. The following, fall steps were taken to secure a site for a church edifice, work upon which was begun in 1867 and completed in 1870. The whole cost of the build- ing was about thirty thousand dollars. The dedica- tory exercises took place on the 30th of October, and on the following Sabbath the church transferred its meeting from the college chapel, which it had hith- erto occupied, to the new building. The next fall an organ costing five thousand dollars, was purchased.
Much of the time since its organization the church has been supplied by members of the faculty acting
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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
as pastors. It has had, however, two installed pas- tors-Rev. M. W. Fairfield from October, 1861, to December, 1864, and its present pastor, Rev. W. Kineaid, who began his labors in February, 1876, and was installed the following April. The number of members given in the manual of the church, pub- lished This year, is six hundred and forty-four, of whom ninety-eight are absent. The number of dif- ferent persons who have united with the church, is one thousand two hundred and forty.
In the summer of 1866 several Baptist brethren and sisters, having held for some time a series of prayer meetings, resolved to form a church ; and for this purpose they called a council of neighboring churches on the 30th of July, which recognized the brethren and sisters calling the council, as a Baptist church. At a subsequent church meeting forty-five brethren and sisters handed in their letters of recon :- mendation, which were read by the Res. JJ. 11. Lan- gille, and they were organized into a church, the corporate name of which it was voted should be "the First Regular Baptist Church of Oberlin." From this time the church held meetings in a hall in Exchange block, in Watson's hall, and in Carpenter's hall successively, and had regular preaching. The corner-stone of a new house of worship was laid, with appropriate ceremonies, on a site procured on East Lorain street, September 24, 1867, and in September. 1871, the building having been completed, was form- ally dedicated. It is a neat and commodious brick building, and cost about fourteen thousand dollars. The present number of members is about one hun- dred and sixty.
In 1868, funds were collected, and a lot purchased on South Main street, hy Rev. Ira Hitchcock, then on Amherst circuit, for a Methodist Episcopal church, and the next year Rev. G. A. Reeder was sent to the charge, and labored faithfully to carry out the project of building a church. But he being removed from the work at the end of the year, and there being other adverse canses, the enterprise was finally aban- doned. A few years later, the society was disbanded. and nothing remained but a lot and a note of one hundred dollars from the sale of materials.
In the fall of 1868, a society was again organized by Rev. L. M. Pounds, then in charge of Pittsfield circuit.
The next year, Rev. J. Evans being on the charge. the society decided to make an other effort to creci a house of worship. About twelve hundred dollars were subscribed in and around Oberlin, and the work was hegun.
In 1870, Rev. A Holbrook was appointed to the charge, and the work was carried forward, as fast as the means on hand would allow. Contributions were received from neighboring places, and also from mem- bers of the college faculty, and from many of the members of the Congregational churches of Oberlin.
In 1823, Rev. J. R. Jewett was appointed to the charge, and the building having been completed, was
dedicated December 14th, but not until subscriptions had been taken more than enough to cover the debt. The building is a frame enclosed with brick. Its dimensions are seventy-two by forty-five feet; and its estimated value is about eight thousand dollars, Rev. J. F. Brant is the present pastor. The number of members is one hundred and sixty-two, and there is in connection with the church, a flourishing Sabbath school.
About 1868, Rev. Mathew Goosland, who had been a slave, and had bought his own freedom, began to hold meetings for the colored people in Peek's hall. and members of the college faculty preached occasion- ally to them.
Subsequent to the formation of the First Methodist Episcopal church, a Second Methodist Episcopal church (colored,) was organized. The members of this church, with persevering effort, have erected a chapel edifice on South Water street, and furnished it with a bell. Their building cost them three or four thousand dollars. The number of their members is about forty.
A division occurred in This church, and in August, 1876, the seceding members organized an African Methodist Episcopal church. This is of about the same size as the other. They hold their meetings in a house, which they have purchased and fitted up, on East Lorain street.
The first cemetery was on Morgan street between Main and Professor streets. The first burials were made next to the street, but afterwards, when greater retirement was found desirable, the first graves were removed back. When the town became larger it was thought desirable to have a larger cemetery, ontside of the village. A public meeting of the citizens was therefore called July 9, 1861, to take steps to form a cemetery association. A committee was appointed to draft a constitution and by-laws; which being reported at a subsequent meeting. were adopted, and the ofli- cers, consisting of six trustees and a clerk. were elected. During the next year twenty-seven and a half acres were purchased of Rev. Henry Safford, in the southwest part of the village, and this lot was converted into a cemetery and called " Westwood." The grounds have since been much improved, and it has become a favorite resort. The remains of be- tween two and three hundred have been removed from the old to the new cemetery. The whole number of interments, not including removals, from 1863 to January 1, 1878, was six hundred and forty, an an- nal average of about forty-two.
The principal settlements in Oberlin were first made on the east side of Main street opposite the college square, and south on the same street. Mr. Shipherd's house was north of the square. the back part of the honse now owned by Mr. Hulburd; and he afterward built the house now occupied by Mr. Jewell. Mr. Pringle Hamilton's house, a mile south of the village. was built in 1834, and was then far in the woods. East College and East Lorain streets began to be
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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
settled next in order. There were buildings there in 1834. In 1835 there were two houses built on Pro- fessor street, Professor Finney's and President Mahau's, and that street was not opened north of Lorain and south of College street. The house of Chauncey T. Canier, the college farmer, the one now owned by President Fairchild, was built in 1838 or '39, but was then in the lot. North Professor was not opened till sometime later, and West College was simply a pocket, having no outlet. Then West street was laid out, giving a passage across to Lorain, and it was called West street because it was supposed it was the last street that would be needed toward the west.
Pleasant street, between Lorain and College, was opened very early, but its extension north and south has been quite recent. West Lorain was opened at the beginning, but was not built up mueh till one got into the country. It was the only road opened to the west out of town, and made its connections with Hen- rietta, Brownhelm, etc. Thus, all there was of the town for a great many years, was found on four streets. The town did not extend much south of the creek, the tendency to build in that direction coming with the advent of the railroad.
The first steam mill, owned by Oberlin College, was sold to Isaae Chamberlain. Mr. Chamberlain sold the mill to Henry Wileox, who ran it for some time. It was owned by Beebe and Horton when it was burned in 1846 or '47.
In 1841, a saw mill was built on the east side of Water street by Ellis, Wilder and Reed, It was run a short time before it was given up. L. M. Hall built a flouring mill a short distance north of it, using the old boiler to furnish steam for the engine. Be- fore there was any mill, Mr. HIall ran a team to bring flour from Ashland. About the year 1846, Lewis Holtslander built a grist mill on the west side of Water street, and south of Hall's mill, P. P. Stewart putting in the engine. This was only run a year or two, and is now owned by Hervey Leonard.
In 1862-3, Mr. Jenkins built a saw mill on the south side of Mill street, which Samuel Plumb bought in 1863, and sold it in the fall of the same year to Reuben Haynes and H. O. Swift. After the death of Mr. Haynes, Reuben Stone bought his interest.
The building on South Main street now occupied by L. S. Colburn as a planing mill, was built in 1838 by three students, James A. Preston and William H. Evarts, who became missionaries to Jamaica, and Cephas Foster, who settled in Galena. President .J. 1I. Fairchild, then a senior in college, took the job of making the window frames for fifty eents apiece, and made them, twenty in number, in five days. The building was erected to aid students depending on manual labor for support. Seth B. Ellis, who owned the shop alone, or with others, for twenty-five years, purchased the first planer and matching machine for it, and the first shingle machine. About the year 1848, a carding and cloth-dressing machine was put in, and
for many years there was quite an extensive business in this line.
In 1834. before there was any post-office in town, Harvey Gibbs used to carry the mail between Oberlin and South Amherst, in a leather bag which would hold about half a peck. He was the first post-master, the post-office then being in the first building north of the site of the town hall. In 1841 T. Dwight Eells was appointed post-master. Mr. Eells was sue- ceeded by Mr. Munson, who kept the office until 1849, and filled it again from 1853 until 1861, when G. F. H. Stevens was appointed. J. F. Harmon was appointed in 1865, and was succeeded by the present post-master, Will. Allen, in 1874.
The First National Bank of Oberlin opened for business at No. 13, West College street, in September, 1863. Samuel Plumb was its president until Novem- ber, 1869, then I. M. Johnson for two months, after that A. H. Johnson until January, 1873, when I. M. Johnson was chosen, and was succeeded in Jan- mary, 1874, by Hiram Hulburd, the present pres- ident. The bank was removed to its present location in Viets's block, on East College street, in 1870.
Professor Dascomb practiced somewhat as a physi- cian for a short time. In 1835 or 1836, Dr. Alexander Steele was invited and came to Oberlin, and had all the practice. Dr. Otis Boise was afterward associated with Dr. Steele for a few years. In 1846, Dr. Homer Johnson came from Birmingham, where he had been practicing medicine for about ten years, to Oberlin, where he was associated with Dr. Steele, till 1859. They had a large practice, as well in the surrounding country as in the village. Dr. Steele died in April, 1872.
The colored people, who now form about one-sixth of the whole population of the place, did not come in much at an early day. Some of the first families were those of Mr. Farris, Mrs. Crabbe, and Mr. Smith.
Sabram Cox came from the west, in 1839, as a stu- dent, and finally married and settled down, and has ever since been one of the most substantial colored citizens. Campton, Copeland and the Pattersons eame from North Carolina. Anson Jones also came from North Carolina, and was one of the characters of Oberlin. When a slave, he hired his time, and by working at his trade as a blacksmith, bought himself and family at a cost of eight thousand dollars, and then came to Oberlin and put his four sons through college. Ile worked away at his anvil till he was over eighty years old. Ile took a good deal of interest in politics, and took the National Intelligencer and the Charleston Mercury. On East College street, a mile from the center. Horace Crosby settled at a very early day, and one of the attractions of his place was a flower garden in the door yard, kept by Mrs. Crosby. The students often took walks in that direction to get a sight of the flowers.
An act to incorporate the town of Oberlin was passed by the general assembly of the State of Ohio,
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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OIIIO.
February 17, 1846. The first mayor elected was Lewis Holtslander. By an ordinance passed by the town council, in 1853, the name of the town, the limits of which were defined, was to be the " Incorporated Village of Oberlin." In 1861, the limits of the corpo- ration were enlarged, and again in 1870 and 1871.
The running of the railroad through Oberlin was an important event in the history of the town. The trains began to run in the fall of 1852, and the road was then called " The Toledo, Norwalk and Cleveland Railroad," and ran through Grafton instead of Elyria. Before this, students had gone on the railroad to Weltington, and had come from there by stage. Be- fore the road was built, students from the east com- monly waited for the lake to open in the spring. This coming of the railroad to Oberlin gave both the town and the school a new start. It was soon after the inauguration of the scholarship endowment, by which the school had been so largely increased, and furnished augmented facilities to the crowds of stu dents in reaching it.
In the fall of 1858, Mr. W. Stephenson undertook to provide the town with gas, and many of the citzens took stock in the enterprise. After laying some of the pipes, he failed; and the next year Samnel Phimb assumed the undertaking, the citizens who had sub- scribed stock throwing it np to secure its success.
At the spring election of 1868, a large majority of the qualified electors of Russia township voted for the building of a town hall, and soon after the State leg- islature passed a special act constituting the township trustees and the town council a joint board to build such town hall. Acting in accordance with this, the board made an assessment, and afterward issued bonds, and contracted for the construction of the proposed building, which was completed in 1870, at a cost of eighteen or twenty thousand dollars.
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The first fire engine in Oberlin was a small hand engine, which was procured about 1844. In 1852, two hand engines were bought in Rochester, New York, called the "Niagara " and "Cataract;" the latter costing five hundred dollars, and the former two hundred dollars. These machines were used till 1865: and one of them has been fitted np, and is now used by a colored company. The other is used in the brickyard formerly owned by L. B. Kinney. In November, 1865, a steamer,-a third class Silsby engine,-was purchased, costing four thousand dol- lars. About 1872, a new hose cart was bought.
About 1860, a hook and ladder company was formed. In 1862, at a tournament held in Cleveland, this company won a silver trumpet, valued at one hundred dollars; and the next year, another at San- dusky, of the same value; the latter being afterward presented to M. T. Gaston, as a token of gratitude for his services. This company has won the prize in xix tournaments; the prizes being four trumpets, once money, and the last a buck-horn.
The following are the names of the chief engineers. in the order in which they have served: H. C. Tay- lor, Homer Johnson, David Brokaw, Mr. Peake, M. T. Gaston, Il. M. Platt, M. T. Gaston, again, and now, Levi Whitney.
THE EARLY SETTLEMENT OF RUSSIA TOWNSHIP.
Many of the more important of the following facts I have copied from the Town records, as they were collected and recorded by John L. Hunter, in 1855; other interesting facts I have obtained from early settlers, or from the descendants of early settlers.
The township of Russia was owned by Street and Hughes of New Haven, Connecticut, having been bought by them of the State of Connecticut. The first settlements in the township were made in the northwest part, contiguous to the settlements in Am- herst. This may have been because of the nearness to settlements already made, and also because of the better quality of the land. The first settlements seem to have been made in 1818. In that year Daniel Rath- burn, Israel Cash, Thomas Waite, Jonathan Buck, John Callum and Israel Camp settled on lots mimber one and eleven. In 1822, Walter Buck, Samuel T. Whiteman and Esquire Green settled in the same neighborhood, but perhaps not on the same lots. In 1823, John McCalley settled on lot twelve, and in 1824, Daniel Axtell bought him out. In 1825, Rich- ard Rice settled on lot forty-two; Israel Smith, Slan Butlaugh and Abram Wellman on lot twelve; Stephen Baker on lot three, and Stillman on lot four.
With these inhabitants, who constituted the voters, the township was organized. Early in 1825, a peti- tion was presented to the commissioners of the county for the powers and privileges of an incorporated town- ship. The petition was granted, and Josiah Harris, Esquire, of Amherst was appointed to preside and call the meeting to order for the first election, which was held at the house of Daniel Axtell, on lot twelve. There were sixteen voters in the township. all told, and all were present. Walter Buck, Israel Cash and Stephen Baker were judges of the first election, and Richard Rice one of the clerks, the name of the other being unknown.
In 1826, Lewis Boynton bonght on lots twenty-two and thirty-two and settled; Rufus Moore on lot eighty, on the road from Elyria to Wellington; and Thomas Errin, Elias Peabody and George Disbro on lot one.
Between 1826 and 1829, John, James, Hezekiah and Ray Tift, four brothers, with their mother, set- tled on the north and south center road, in the north part of the township. This was called "the Tift settlement." This settlement was soon afterward in- creased by the arrival of Robert Meeker, George Wilcox, and Silas, Maynard and Orson Allen. A little south were George Carley and Clark Warner, and east were Abram Van Honton and his sons, and Jeremiah Bidwell.
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