History of Lorain County, Ohio, Part 50

Author:
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Philadelphia, Williams brothers
Number of Pages: 626

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Charles Bassett, son of the above, follows in his father's footsteps, and like him enjoys a deserved re- spectability and prominence in the community of which for forty-five years he has been an honored citizen. The people of the township, reposing confi- dence in his integrity, elected him a number of times township trustee, and two terms a justice of the peace, besides to other minor offices, especially to that of school director, which office he has held nearly every year since he attained his majority.

On the 7th of September, 1846, he married Emma, daughter of John and Ann Parsons, and sister of Lott Parsons of Russia township. She was born at Noil. England, July 28, 1819. They have five children, namely: Enuna, born April 26, 1847, married Fred- erick E. Griffin of Amherst; Charles Henry, born April 26, 1850; Miles Standish, born December 1, 1851; Helen, born January 20, 1857; Harvey Lewis, born July 3, 1859. All except Emma reside at home with their parents, the sons conducting the business of the farm under the direction of their father, Mr. Bassett has been a farmer all his life, and now has two hundred and thirty-five acres of well improved land, including the original sixty-seven aeres pur- chased by his father in 1834. He is a good practical farmer; a man of domestic tastes: economical and independent in the management of his affairs; a good linsband and father, and an honest trustworthy citizen.

LOTT PARSONS.

Among the self-made and self-educated men of Lorain county, whose personal exertions have led to a successful issue, none deserve more general credit than he of whom we write. Leaving his native land when a child, and soon after settling in the then wilds of Lorain county, presently losing his father, his early career was a peculiarly difficult one. At his father's death, a large share of the support of his widowed mother tell upon him; and though but a lad in his teens, he accepted the duty with a fortitude worthy of riper years, and with a commendable de- termination, fulfilled the same faithfully and well. Such conduct, and the early developement of similar good qualities, laid the foundation to his subsequent success in life, as will be set forth in the subjoined brief narrative of the most salient features of his life and character.

Lott Parsons was born in Wilkshire, England, on the 9th of January, 1821. He is the son of John and Ann (Yetman) Parsons, who were also natives of the same shire. In March, 1832, the family embarked at Bristol for New York, arriving at the latter place in the following May. They proceeded thence to Men- tor, Lake county, Ohio, where they remained during the ensuing summer. In the following fall, John

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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.

Parsons came on to Russia township, and in conjune- tion with a cousin, purchased, by contraet, a quarter of section of land, but the land agent afterward ignored the stipulated agreement, and the bargain fell through.

During the next year (1833), Mr. Parsons and his family settled permanently in Russia township, upon a part of the farm now occupied by Lott Parsons, his son. John Parsons died the same fall, his untimely death casting a gloom over his family, which it took many subsequent years to efface. But his widow and her children possessed the sterling qualities that have made their native land famous in the ages of the past, -fortitude and a hardihood that defy reverses. They brought the requisite amount of industry and stern practical economy to bear upon their unfortu- nate situation, and succeeded in establishing a com- Tortable home, where the head of the family had cast their lot.

On the 18th of October, 1844, Mrs. Parsons died. but not before she had seen the fruits of her own and her children's battle with adversity, with the appar- ent assurance of victory.

On the 25th of December, 1851, Lott Parsons and Catharine E. Kendeigh were united in marriage. She was born in Amherst, January 5, 1826. They have had six children, namely: Frank S., born November 1, 1852, married Cornelia Sherman, of Henrietta, now resides in North Amherst: Mary A., born July 4, 1854, (deceased); Willie E., born Janu- ary 19, 1858; Viola E., born May 1, 1860; John G., born January 4, 1863; Henry C., born April 12. 1820.

It can be truly said of Mr. Parsons, that he has done as much toward the material devolopment of Russia township as any man now residing therein. Hle has cleared as much of its wild land as any, and in the way of scientific investigation and utilization of its resources, stands pre-eminently ahead of all. About ten years ago, he put to practical uses the gas that exists in large quantities on his farm, partien- larly showing itself in a well that he sunk years ago. He now has gas all over his house, and in the sum- mer, his good wife uses it for cooking and other household purposes. Ilis sitting room is heated by it, through the medium of an ingeniously contrived stove, of his own invention.

A remarkable feature about Mr. Parsons, when we consider the fact that he never received even the rudi- ments of an education, is his general and varied knowledge, especially of the science of geology. In this particular branch of learning, he excels almost any man. not of classical and scientific education. While a youth, toiling for his daily bread, and for the maintenance of his widowed mother, at ten dollars per month, he would borrow books, and in the quiet of the night, while others slumbered, he would study.

llis farm buildlings, -of which an illustration, to- gether with portraits of himself and wife. appears on another page of this volume,-show how, little by little, he has added thereto. He now owns, in all, one hundred and fifty acres of land, and is considered one

of the substantial practical farmers of his township. His perseverance and industry, coupled with an un- thinehing personal honesty, are chief characteristics, and the main factors to his success.

LUTHIER FREEMAN.

The Freeman family, father and son, very fairly represents the pioneer element of Russia township, and, indeed, of other parts of the State as well. At an early day in the history of Wayne county, Ohio, we find Inther Freeman, the subject of this sketch, one of its earliest settlers. He was born in Connec- tient. on the 3d of June, 1793. When three years of age. his parents moved to Massachusetts, and, four years later, to Vermont. In 1817, they removed to Ohio and settled in Wayne county. From there they removed to Strongsville, Cuyahoga county, in 1829, and, one year afterwards, in January, 1830, to Russia township. and located on the farm at present oceu- pied by his son, Calvin. Luther Freeman married Anna Baird, who was born at Granville, New York, January 11, 1795. They had seven children, as fol- lows: Anna E., Phanelia, Clarissa, Calvin L., Walter, Luey O., and Adeline, all of whom survive except Phanelia, who died in April, 1875.

Soon after arriving in Russia township. Mr. Free- man erected a log honse, doing most of the work himself. An illustration of this old home appears in the sky margin of the view of the present residence, on another page of this work. Mr. Freeman was a man who enjoyed an excellent character for industry and probity. Ile was a hero of the war of 1812, and, after having been onee honorably discharged, he vol- untecred again, and participated in the battle of Plattsburg, New York. He died January 30, 1863, and his good wife followed him to the grave on the 13th of July, 1867. This worthy couple were married in 1815, and lived together forty-eight years.

Calvin L. Freeman was born in Mohecan township, Wayne county. Ohio, December 2, 1825. He was brought up on the farm, and has followed agricultural pursuits all his life. On the 19th of June, 1850, he was married to Eliza A., daughter of James and Sarah (deceased) Probert, of Grosmont, Monmouthshire, England. They emigrated to America in 1833, and first temporarily settled at Cleveland, Ohio. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Freeman resulted in two sons, Franklin C., born October 2, 1858, and Marston S., born July 13, 1861. They both reside at home, and attend Oberlin College.

The present residence of Mr. Freeman was erected in 1845, and he has occupied it ever since. He did most of the work upon it, his father being unwell at the time of its creetion. Himself and his excellent wife are, in every sense, a worthy couple, enjoying very generally the esteem and respect of a large cirele of acquaintances and friends, and of the community in which they reside.

EBENEZER ABBEY

MRS. MARY ABBEY

Lemuel CAthey

Sarah, Abbey

RESIDENCE of LEMUEL ABBEY, EATON TP, LORAIN CO.,O.

EATON.

THIS is town five, range sixteen. The original pro- prietors were Daniel Holbrook, Caleb Atwater, Tur- hand Kirtland and ten others. To equalize it with the selected townships there was annexed traet one, gore four, in range eleven. Until December 3, 1822, the date of its organization, it was called " Holbrook," after one of its principal owners, Daniel Holbrook.

TOPOGRAPHY.

The surface is generally monotonously level, with a prevailing elay soil, modified by sand and gravel along Butternut and Chestnut ridges, which eross the northwest corner of the township, about half a mile distant from, and nearly parallel with each other. North, and for some distance south of these ridges, the soil is a clay combined with a black loam, strong and fertile. Besides the east branch of Black river, which crosses merely the southwest corner of Eaton, two other unnamed tributaries of that stream com- prise the only water courses of the township worthy of mention. One of these rises in Grafton and drain- the southern half of the town. The other rising east of the center, with a northern branch with which it unites on lot eighty-eight, and flows thence south- westerly into Black river west of lot ninety-four. There were formerly several swamps in Eaton, the largest of which was the Hance swamp, in the south- east part, and one embracing within its extent some seventy-tive acres, in the northern part. With culti- vation and drainage these formerly unsightly marshes have become the most fertile portions of the town- ship-the soil a deep, black muck, rich, mellow and enduring. Eaton was originally covered with a mag- nifieent growth of timber, differing in variety not materially from that of adjoining towns. On Butter- nut and Chestnut ridges those kinds of timber were respectively found in abundance, from which circum- stance the ridges derived their names. Whitewood, walnut, beech and hard maple were also native to this portion of the township. In the less elevated portions, beech, hard and soft maple, hickory, black- ash, basswood and elm were among the leading vari- eties.

THE FIRST LOCATION

was made in the fall of 1810, by Silas Wilmot, Asa Morgan and Ira B. Morgan. They were from Water- bury, Connecticut, and all unmarried at the time of their arrival in the township. They erected a cabin on Butternut ridge-lot eighty-nine-which for a

time they jointly occupied. The next summer Wil- mot married Chloe Hubbard, of Ashtabula county, and began married life in the log cabin on the ridge, which by consent had become his property, and he has the honor of being the first settler in the township. This pioneer couple had, as all pioneers ought to have, a large family of children. The num- ber was fourteen, and all lived to mature age. Eight are now (fall of 1878) living, and four are residents of the county, as follows : Mrs. J. L. Tueker in Eaton, Artemas in Carlisle, Jeannette- unmarried -and Norris in LaGrange. A son-Don Carlos-now resid- ing in the west, was the first white child born in the town. Wilmot lived on his original location until his death, in 1855.

In the spring of 1813, Ira B. Morgan married Louisa Bronson, daughter of Levi Bronson of Colum- bia, and took up his abode on Butternut ridge, lot seventy-two. The land is now owned by Barney Jackson. Ile was the second son of Asahel Morgan, who settled in Ridgeville in the fall of 1813. He eame to Columbia in the spring of 1810, with a party of some twelve or thirteen men, most of whom settled in Ridgeville. He was a surveyor, and surveyed much of the territory through this section.

Asa, an older brother, came into the country with Tillotson Terrell and family, who were the first set- tlers in Ridgeville. He afterwards married a daughter of David Beebe of Ridgeville, and located just west of Wilmot.

Sylvester Morgan, another brother, married a daugh- ter of Borden Beebe of Ridgeville, and settled, in 1817, on the same lot on which Ira B. had settled. Ile afterwards sold his place and moved into Ridge- ville, settling ou Chestnut ridge, and later on Center ridge. He finally sold and removed to Portage county, where he died.

Thurot F. Chapman, also from Connecticut, re- moved to Chenango county, New York, in 1808. In 1811, he married Lydia Andress, and, in 1817, emi- grated to Ohio. At Ashtabula his money was entirely gone, and he was compelled to remain there two weeks. He located first in Ridgeville, where he arrived July 3d of the above year. In the fall of the same year he moved into Eaton. He erected his house where Mr. Varsey's now stands; but, on discovering subsequently that he was on the wrong lot. he vacated, moving into a house then owned by Levi Mills, In March, 1821, while the family were absent, the house burned to the ground with its contents, leaving the family very destitute. They received some assistance -

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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.

from friends, and were enabled to commence house- keeping again, but, for a long time afterward, were without many articles of household necessity. The first year they had neither a table nor a chair in the house, and two cups and saucers, two knives and forks each, and two plates, comprised their entire stock of eroekery.

Mr. Chapman worked at chopping and elearing by the job for a number of years after settlement. IIe cleared and fenced for others over two hundred aeres, besides about seventy-five aeres for himself. lle was in the war of 1812, and was made a prisoner at Queenstown. Ile died, at the age of seventy-one, December 16, 1860. Three children are living, Alonzo A. in Henry county, Emily in Oberlin, and Harlan in La Porte.

INDIAN INCIDENT.

For a few years succeeding the war of 1812, the forests of Eaton were a favorite resort of a band of Indians, who came every winter from Sandusky, and remained until spring. One winter, they had an en- campment of fifteen families on Butternut ridge, near the swamp. The names of some of them were Good Flint, Tobago, Silver Heels, Yellow Jacket, Bill Ilar- ris, Seneca John, Joe Seneca and Little Billy. Of their subsequent history, nothing is known with the exception of Seneca John and Bill Harris, the former of whom was executed for alleged witchcraft. Chap- man on one occasion saved the life of the latter, and the Indian always afterward manifested the warmest gratitude toward his deliverer. When the report of the destruction by fire of Chapman's house reached Harris, he hastened to Elyria, and inquired of Levi Mills, who was then carrying on a distillery there, if it was true that his "good friend's house was burned." Mills answered in the affirmative, and jokingly added that Chapman suspected him of setting it on fire, and that he had better keep out of the way or Chapman would shoot him. The Indian believed the ernel joke and disappeared. Chapman, in endeavoring to ascer- tain his whereabouts that he might undeceive him. learned that he went to Sandusky, erossed over into Canada, and there died a few months after .*

During the next few years, the following named persons became settlers of Eaton: Sylvester Morgan. A. M. Dowd, Levi Mills, Seneca Andress, Merrit Os- born, Dennis Palmer, Erastus Case, Borden Handley. James Field, Archibald Harper and others. Of the most of these there are at present no descendants in the township, and we are unable to give particulars as to their settlement. Mills took up his residence near the west fine of the township, on lot ninety-two. The farm is now owned by J. O. Humphrey. He subsequently removed to Ilinois. Sammel Finch located on lot seventy, on land now owned by W. II. Phillips. Fiekls settled on lot eighty-eight. His son Gilbert now occupies the place. Jeremiah Finch arrived a few years after his brother Samuel, and

settled east of him. Jeremiah Hance, a shoemaker by trade, was the first settler in the town south of Butternut ridge. With his son Tiram, then a lad some fourteen years of age, he left Cranberry, Niagara county, New York, for the woods of Eaton, February 1, 1824, having previously exchanged his farm there for one hundred and fifteen acres, on lot twenty-two here. The journey was made with a single horse and a sled, with which some bedding and provisions were brought. Hle drove on the ice for two days after leaving Buffalo, and with other emigrants, who sub- sequently joined him, experienced many dangers- the ice in many places breaking, at one time when the party were several miles from shore. Afterwards, the snow disappearing, the sled was abandoned, the bed- ding placed upon the horse, and father and son footed it. They arrived at their journey's end about the 1st of March, having been about a month on the way. A mere pole shanty was provided for their imme- diate necessities. This was then the only habitation between the center of Columbia and La Porte. The settlers on Butternut ridge were five or six miles away; there were no roads, and several swamps to traverse in order to reach them: consequently but little intercourse was had with them.

Mr. Hance found his nearest neighbors in Grafton, one and a half miles distant. The father and son kept bachelors' hall through the summer, working Samuel Curtis' sugar bush on shares. They next underbrushed and cleared out a road from North street to their land, after which preparations were made for the erection of a log house, in which their Grafton neighbors assisted. Indians from Sandusky frequently visited this region at that time, the same, probably, as previously mentioned, having camped on Butternut ridge. After clearing a piece of land ready for logging, Mr. Hance went to Cleveland and worked at his trade until the arrival of his family. who had been previously sent for. They reached Eaton late in the fall. Many events in the life of this hardy pioneer could be given, illustrative of the hardships endured by early settlers, but want of space forbids. Mr. Hance died a few years ago at the advanced age of ninety-seven, and a few years after his widow followed, aged ninety-four. The son lliram occupies the old homestead, himself quite advanced in life.

In 1826, Henry J. Phillips joined the settlement, locating on lot fifty-one. He came from Tompkins county, New York. Phillips made the first wheeled vehicle in town. His son, W. IT. Phillips, is a well known resident of Eaton.

On the township records we find the following persons, not previously mentioned, elected as town- ship officers between the years 1823 and 1830, who must have settled prior to the latter date: Tyler, Day, Beebe, Burr, Pond, Edson. Whitcomb, Bough- ton, Blain, Nichols.

John A. Ferguson arrived in 1831, and made his location on Chestnut ridge, lot seventy-one, where

* A. A. Chapman, in Elyria Democrat.

RESIDENCE OF JOHN ROACH, EATON TP, LORAIN CO., OHIO.

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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.

J. L. Tucker now resides. Ile subsequently changed his location to the center of town, and resided there until his death in 1874.

In 1832, Alva Brooks and Richard Crowell moved in, coming from Tompkins county, New York. The former was originally from Vermont, and the latter from New Jersey. Brooks, who was a widower, was accompanied by a little daughter, two years old. Crowell's family consisted of his wife and four chil- dren. They both settled at the center, the former on the farm which he still occupies with his son James, and the latter on that, a part of which is occupied by his son Aaron. He built his house immediately after his arrival, which was the first habitation in this portion of the township. Mr. Brooks chopped off twenty acres of his purchase and built his cabin the first year after his arrival. There was at that time no road in this part of the town, except the center road to Columbia, and that was merely eut out. In 1841, he assisted in entting ont the southern half of the north and south center road. In 1852, he erected the large frame house which he now ocenpies. Mr. Crowell died in the fall of 1875. ITis widow and one son reside in Grafton: two sons and a daughter are residents of Eaton.

Edmund Hoklen, from Waterbury, Connecticut, arrived in about the year 1833, and settled on lot forty-six. ITis house was the first frame erection at the centre. He was a man of much publie spirit, and did much for the advancement of public interests. He removed to Michigan many years ago, and now resides there. A daughter is the wife of James Brooks.

Benjamin S. Brush, Robert Moon, and Jacob Tay- lor moved in about the year 1834.

Oel Durkee, one of the earliest settlers in the southwest quarter of the town, and who continues to reside there in the seventy-second year of his age, moved in from New York in the spring of 1834. He located temporarily on Butternut ridge, remaining there until Angust following. He then removed to his purchase of one hundred and eleven acres on lot eighty-three. A log cabin had been previously erected on this farm, and was then ocenpied by a tenant, Forrester Langdon and family, consisting of wife and six children.

Mr. Durkee moved, with his family of wife and three children, into the house with Langdon, which was abont twenty-four feet by eighteen in size, and without a chimney or window. There was only one room for the thirteen occupants; but they continued to live thus until the following November, when Langdon moved out.

Among the carly settlers of this portion of the town, some of whom arrived previous to Durkee, were the following: Voman Felt, William Burchard, James Johnson, John Shadford, Thomas Moran, Oliver Terrell, William Wallace, Job and William Clark, Withiam Dobson, John Sayre, John Gamble, William Lawson, William Wilson, Peleg M. Terry,

Michael Montagne and others. Harvey Coy came to Eaton in 1834, remaining until 1850, when he removed to Columbia. J. D. Swift and Thomas Sutton were among the earliest settlers on Chestnut ridge. The former now resides in Withams county, Ohio.

Ransom Tyler located on the west part of lot thirty- five, in 1834. He afterward moved to lot fifty-five, and resided there at the time of his death. ITis widow now resides in Elyria.

Jacob Tucker, a native of New Hampshire, removed to Vermont when twenty years of age, was married there and afterwards became a resident of Buffalo. There he remained until the spring of 1817, when, with his family, which at that time consisted of his wife and five children, he removed to Ohio, by boat, settling in Erie county on land now occupied by the village of Vermillion. In the spring of 1819 he moved to Windham, Portage county. With an open row boat the family proceeded by way of the lake to Cleveland, and then up the Cuyahoga about two miles. Here Mr. Tucker left his family while he pro- ceeded on foot to Windham and obtained an ox team with which he returned for wife and children. They resided in Windham until the year 1832 or 1833, when they came to Eaton, purchasing of John A. Ferguson the farm on which his son, J. L. Tucker, now resides. He occupied this farm until his death, which occurred in 1863. ITis wife died two years previous. Four of the family are residents of this county and three of this township, as follows : R. F. Theker, J. L. Theker, and Hannah, unmarried. The first is a jus- tice of the peace in Eaton. Wm. H. resides in Ely- ria, where he is engaged in insurance and real estate.

Nicholas Taylor, formerly from Pennsylvania, moved into Eaton from Carlisle, in 1832, and settled east of the center. He now resides in lowa.

Chilion Sperry, now residing in Mansfield, arrived in 1834, and settled a mile and a half cast of the center. Walter Giles came in 1833, and located north of the center, where he now resides.

Royal Eaton was an early settler in the south part of the town, and Alexander Cotter in the southeast part.

Thomas Bennington was a native of England. Ile emigrated to the United States in 1829, landing at Quebec. From there he went to Grafton, and a few months subsequently to Eaton and purchased a farm of fifty acres in the southern part of the township. This farm is now owned by James Johnson. After erecting his log house he sold his farm and then returned to England, and while there married. The spring following he returned to this country with his bride, remained in Elyria through the summer, and then bought the farm on lot seventy-six, on which his widow now resides at the age of seventy-two. Mr. Bennington died in September, 1874.

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History of Lorain County, Ohio, Part 50

Author: Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Philadelphia, Williams brothers Number of Pages: 626

Author:
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Philadelphia, Williams brothers
Number of Pages: 626