USA > Ohio > Lorain County > History of Lorain County, Ohio > Part 60
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Ile took up fifty acres on lot one hundred and one, a short distance south of the Hill, on the north and south center road, and he still occupies his orig- inal purchase, which has been increased by subsequent additions. His primitive log cabin stood a little south of his present neat frame house. Although Mr. Stedman settled here ten years after the first set- tlement was made, there was not even then a stick cut south of him to Brighton. Mrs. Stedman is a woman of much intelligence, possesses a tenacious memory as to early events, and has given the writer many facts in the history of this township. Mr. and Mrs. Stedman, now well advanced in life, raised a family of thirteen children, all of whom lived to adult life. JJustin Abbott, the oldest of Squire Abbott's family, died in Minnesota. Anna was the wife of Amos Morse, one of the carly settlers in Kingsville. Ashtabula county, and is now living in widowhood, in Nebraska. Susan became the wife of Ferris Webster, spent her married life in Jefferson, Ashtabula county, and died there. Orlan is living in Kansas, Thirza married Orlando Holcomb, both
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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
now living in Iowa. Mary (Mrs. William Hawkins,) lives in Camden, and Eli in Iowa.
Prominent among subsequent arrivals was that of Moses Fuller, m 1831, from Mount Morris, Living- ston county, New York, with his wife and one child. He located on the farm now occupied by Horace San- ders. He built on Chance creek, a sawmill, the first mill in the township; and an embankment, the remains of his dam, can yet be seen. Hle ingeniously attached a spinning-wheel, which was propelled by the same motive power, and his industrions wife spent many an hour with it, hehind the roaring dam. He died in Wauseon, Fulton county, Ohio, in August, 1877, having removed there some seven or eight years previous. He was a worthy member of the Baptist church in Henrielta for forty years, and left at his death many friends, who revered him for his many admirable traits of character. Ilis widow still sur- vives him in Wauseon. He was the father of nine children, two of whom reside in this township. Mrs. S. O. Wellman, whose husband died in December, 1875, and a son, Byron.
William Hales moved into the townshipat about this time, and located on the farm now owned by Adam Hensner, on lot eighty-eight. He subsequently changed his location to the hill, purchasing the farm now owned by his son Ansel. Ile resided here until 1842, when he removed lo North Amherst, where he now lives in his seventy-sixth year. He is the father of eleven children, all of whom are living, four in this township, three in Amherst, and one in Brownhelm.
William Ferguson, Clinton Dunham and Nathan Bristol were also early settlers in this part of town.
Simeon Shepard, with his family, consisting of his wife and five children, came lo Henrietta from Madi- son county, New York, in about the year 1830. He settled on the State road, about a mile and a half cast of Birmingham, on lot ninety-eight. Hle cleared up a farm of one hundred acres, and lived upon it until his death, in 1868. His widow survived him three years. Three of the five children are living, viz: Jacob, in Henrietta on a farm of sixty-six acres, one- half mile sonth of the center, and Oliver and Sarah. in Iowa. Simeon, Jr., died in Texas, September 17, 1878, and Lucy (Mrs. Sizer). many years ago, in Henrietta.
Silas Wood, a native of New York, removed from Pennsylvania to Ohio with his parents in 1824. The family settled in Greenfield, Huron county. He married, in 1827, Hannah Ennes, whose parents came to Birmingham in 1825. He afterwards became a member of the firm of Hawley & Whittlesey, pro- prietors of a woolen factory and carding machine near Birmingham, Erie county. Several years after- ward he purchased a farm in Berlin, in that county, and took up his residence there for a year or two, and then moved into this town, buying one hundred acres of Calvin Leonard. He eventually removed to Birmingham, and built a stone grist mill, and also engaged in merchandise. Mr. Wood's life was one
of great activity. He possessed excellent business qualifications, and amassed a fine property. He died of heart disease in 1860, and his wife died subse- quently. Four of his five children are now living, viz: Mrs. Althida Arnold and George S., in Birming- ham, and Mrs. Hannah A. Kline and Mrs. Sarah A. Strauss, in Oberlin.
A family by the name of Pike settled in the gore at an early date. A son, James, was a military otlicer, and fought at Lundy's Lane. He was afterwards much engaged in forming and drilling rifle compa- nies. He was a man of local prominence, and was highly esteemed by all who knew him. He was killed in 1821 while at work in the woods, a tree which he cut down falling on him.
The first permanent settler in the south part of the township was John Hunter, who removed from Cayuga county, New York, in about the year 1830. Ile bought one hundred acres in the north part of lot ten, in tract twelve, and afterwards added the north part of lot nine, erecting his cabin on the former lot. He eventually removed to Florence, Erie county.
John R. Hawkins came in in 1834, and made his purchase in lots ten and eleven. He rolled together his log house and cut out a door, and with his family, consisting of his wife and five children, "moved in." Ile added a roof and floor afterwards. Without means, not even a team, and with a large family to support, Hawkins found life in Henrietta woods au uphill struggle, and after several years of hard toil, which was only moderately rewarded, removed to the prairies of Illinois, where a farm could be brought under cultivation with less difficulty. He died there a few years after, and his widow eventually became insane.
Sometime in 1834, might have been seen an aged couple traveling on foot along the angling road that led from Birmingham to Camden. They were Wil- liam Bates and his wife, from New York State, on their way to Camden, to visit some of their children who had settled there, and to examine the country. reports of the excellence of which had been sent back by the children. After returning, Mr. Bates being pleased with the western country, disposed of his property in New York, and with the residue of his fatily, except William Bates, Jr., who remained in New York, emigrated to Henrietta, arriving in 1836. The family located on lots thirteen and fourteen in tract twelve, purchasing of Robert Johnson and James Peak, who had made a beginning there. The Bates' eventually owned the whole of those lots, and except a small portion they are still in their posses- ion or that of their descendants. The pioneer Bates was twice married and became the father of tifteen children, ten boys and five girls. The family was not only remarkable for its size numerically, but also for the stature of its members, their great physical strength, and their longevity. The ten sons aggre- gated a hight of nearly sixty-two feet. These char- acteristics were doubtless inherited from the father,
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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
who, it is said, was a powerful man, weighing over three hundred pounds. He died in the fall of 1848, in the eighty-fifth year of his age, and was buried on the bank of the Vermillion. His remains. however. were subsequently removed to the South Henrietta burying ground. Two sons and three daughters are yet living, all of whom are well advanced in life. Two of the daughters are aged respectively eighty-eight and eighty-four. Bennett. Bates and Thaxter Bates reside in Henrietta.
Henry Rosa, with his family of wife and four chil- dren, moved into Henrietta in 1835, from Birming- ham, Erie county, whither he had come two years previously from Cayuga county, New York. Ile took np his residence on tifty acres of lot ten, tract twelve, which had been purchased by his oldest son, James Il. Rosa. A log house had been built on the place some two years previously, by Alexander Ennes, of New York, who, on selling, removed to Birmingham where he now resides. This farm is still owned and occupied by Mr. Rosa, Sr., who is now eighty-five years of age. lle married Mary Hawkins, who died about twenty years ago. Mr. Rosa served in the war of 1812. His son, James II. Rosa, resides on one hundred and fourteen acres in lot nine. Ile is the present justice of the peace for the south part of the township.
Moses R. Mapes, a native of Pennsylvania, moved in in the spring of 1838, from Florence township, Erie county, taking up his residence on lot twelve, track fourteen. HI married Elizabeth Hawkins, of Newburg, Orange county, New York, and raised a family of ten children, six sons and four danghters. She died in the spring of 1843, and Mr. Mapes sub- sequently married a Mrs. Tisdel, of Vermillion, where he resided for several years previous to his death, which took place in March, 1861. Three of the children now live in the township. Harvey, who lives on the farm to which he removed over thirty years ago; Samuel, who lives on the farm first oecu- pied by John Hunter; and Rosella, now Mrs. Barhyte, who resides on the farm cleared up by John Hawkins. Her husband, Richard Barhyte, was killed by a kick from his horse, December 25, 18:4.
Robert Johnson was the first settler on lot thirteen. ILy died soon after settlement, and his widow sub- sequently married .Jacob Ennes, of Birmingham. She finally became istne, and hung herself to a limb of tree on the bank of the river.
Further east we find as early settlers. John Balys, Medad Buckley, Aldridge and Roswell Allen, Ben- jamin Grithin, Levi Vincent, John Jewel, Thomas MeCreedy, Richard Call, John Henderson, and two families by the names of Lewis and Billings. Balys and Buckley were the first permanent settlers on lots sixteen and seventeen, in tract twelve. Balys pre- ceded his family, who arrived in 1834. After a resi- dence of many years in Henrietta, he removed to Berlin, Erie county, but subsequently returned to this township, and bought out John Hunter. He afterward sold to Samuel G. Mapes, his son-in-law,
and moved to Elyria, and died there. He was the first justice of the peace in South Henrietta.
The Allens located on lot fifteen. Roswell built a saw mill on the east branch of the Vermillion, in an early day, which. however, proved an unprofitable venture,-the dam continually breaking away. He, some len years since, removed to Iowa, where he now lives. Aldridge died in 1875, aged eighty.
Levi Vincent settled in 1834, purchasing fifty acres each in lots four and five, of Judge Ely. He was originally from Canada East, but emigrated to Lake county, Ohio, where he remained in the township eighteen months, and then came to Henrietta. Ile and his aged wife are still living on the original purchase.
Thomas McCreedy was an early settler in Brown- helm, whence he removed to Henrietta. He is a native of Plattsburgh, New York, and removed to Cleveland in 1834. He remained there three or four years, engaged principally in chopping wood, cutting in eighteen months seven hundred cords. His next move was to Brownhelm, where he lived some thir- teen years, and then moved to Henrietta, and pur- chased forty-nine acres on lot thirteen, tract thirteen. To this he has since added, and now owns something over seventy-one acres. Ilis first wife died in 1845, while residing in Brownhelm, and he married, three years subsequently, the widow of Caleb Dunham. Mr. and Mrs. MeGreedy are still living, aged respec- tively seventy-tive and seventy-seven.
Jonathan Toof, and a man by the name of Mills, were also carly settlers on this road.
Still further east, Captain Elias Mann and Andrew Peabody. Mann was perhaps the earliest settler in this part of the township. All we know of him is that he owned a small patch of ground on which he had a log cabin.
Peabody settled where he still resides, on lot one hundred and four. He came to Henrietta with his family, in 1835, his native State being New Hamp- shire. ITis first wife died many years ago. Hle re- married, and his second wife is also dead. She lived only a few months after her marriage. Mr. Peabody is in his eighty-third year.
Richard Kelly and John Petty were also early set- tlers in this section of the town. Petty emigrated to America from Yorkshire, England, when a young man, worked in a coal mine in Pennsylvania, for a time, and then came to the township of Russia, pur- chased tifty acres of land, married and raised a fam- ily. After a residence there of many years, he came to Henrietta. He is still living on the windfall road, with his younger children. aged seventy-six.
The most of lot seven, tract twelve, was originally settled by Newell, Jesse and Chapman M. Cook, brothers. The former two came to Henrietta in 1837, and the latter in 1838. They were from New York, and all very poor when they came to Henrietta; but they were industrious, and cheerfully endured the hardships of those early times. The first work of
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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
clearing that Newell and Jesse did for others, in order that no time might be wasted in going back and forth for their meals, they carried a store of provisions with them to the woods, and kept bachelors' hall in a large hollow log. Newell was not long to enjoy the fruit of his toil; he died in 1843. Jesse moved to Camden in 1857; he served the Baptist Church in Henrietta for upward of thirty consecutive years. Chapman still lives on the old homestead, on lot seven.
PIONEER HARDSHIPS, DANGERS AND AMUSEMENTS.
The pioneers of Henrietta, while exempt from some of the hardships by which those of other townships. which were settled before the close of the war of 1812, were surrounded, were nevertheless subject to many privations and hardships of which it is ditlieult for those who have not actually experienced them, to form an adequate conception. The first settlers here lived in almost complete isolation. There were other settlers in Brownhelm, but they lived on the lake shore between which and the southern part of that township lay an unbroken forest of some five miles in extent, and there was, therefore, bnt little intercourse between the two sections. Provisions were sometimes scarce and difficult to obtain. The nearest grist mill was not far away-Col. Brown's, on the Vermillion- but it was not in operation much of the time and long journeys would have to be made to get the grain ground into flour. The earlier settlers in Henrietta frequently carried their grain to a mill at Cold creek, near Sandusky, to get their grinding done. Simeon Durand once carried on his back a bushel of wheat to Rocky river to get it ground,
Murrain attacked the cattle with terribly fatal results, and a disease among the sheep, of which they died in large numbers, while many were killed by the predatory wolf. The woods abounded in wild animals of which the wolf was the most annoying to the in- habitants, not only because of his frequent incursions into the farmer's sheepfold, but also on account of his nightly howls around the lonely cabin. He was a ray- enons animal, and even deer would frequently become the victim of his rapacity. They showed a great deal of ingenuity in capturing the deer, an animal too fleet to be overtaken by pursuit. Christopher Shaffer, an old hunter through this region, now living in Flor- ence, relates that on a certain occasion, as he was going to his traps in Henrietta, he came upon the path, in the snow, of a pack of wolves, and he fol- lowed it up. For some distance the path showed that they had traveled along in single file. when suddenly it disappeared from the hunter's sight. On looking around him, however, he found numerous tracks on both sides of the path, indicating that from some cause they had suddenly dispersed. On further ex- amination the skeleton of a large buck was found. The wolves, on discerning the deer had instantly broken ranks, surrounded him, and thus secured their prey.
Occasionally the farmers in several adjoining town- ships would organize a grand hunting party. The object was two-fold-to enjoy the fine sport which such a hunt furnished, and to rid the country of the wolf, which, however, was not frequently caught. The first of these hunts was organized in January, 1828, under the lead of Captain Tracy, of Amherst, and centered in this township. Men from Henrietta, Brownhelmn, Amherst, Russia, Brighton, and Flor- ence, Erie county, participated. The method of the sport was to surround a large tract of country, the line thus formed moving gradually toward the center. The sport was not without danger from cross-firing as the hunters approached each other, and instances of fatal accident are not wanting. On this occasion a man by the name of Harris, of Amherst, who was on horseback, was shot in the ankle. A large quan- tity of game was killed, including a bear. Calvin Leonard, John Denison and Ahneron Stedman, of Henrietta, were members of this hunting party.
Wild hogs were numerous, and the male often dangerous. A man by the name of Manville, living in Wakeman, was once attacked, and being without means of defence, the boar struck him in the leg, terribly lacerating the flesh. He ran to the nearest stump, climbed upon it, and remained there until the hog disappeared. Shaffer himself was thus once attacked, but having his rifle with him, he proved more than a match for his adversary. One night while he and his father lay in their hut, at the sugar bush, in the south part of Henrietta .- which they established long previous to the advent of the white settler there .- they were arroused by a commotion outside. in which their dog apparently had a part. On going out to see, it was found that the dog had seized a enb bear. The old gentleman ran into the cabin for his gun, the old bear, in the meantime, intent on seeing fair play, coming to the assistance of her cnb. She rushed at Shaffer, Sr., furiously, but he quietly brought the rifle to his shoulder and fired, killing the brute on the spot. The cub escaped in the woods, the dog only too glad to part company with his embracing antagonist.
Indians annually visited Henrietta for many years after the settlement. They would come in the fall, and remain to hunt through the winter. They had a little camp, soon after the close of the war, in the southern part of the township, on the east branch of the Ver- million, and one, of twelve or fifteen families, long subsequent on Chace creek, just east of Mr. Sted- man's. They were peaceably disposed, and the inhab- itants experienced no annoyance from them.
EARLY EVENTS,
The first wedding was that of Joseph Swift and Elizabeth Root. This interesting event took place August 22, 1818. The nuptial knot was tied by Rev. Alvin Coe. Among the earliest marriages was that of Festus Powers and Sally Andress, which occurred sometime in 1819.
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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
The first death was that of Betsey Holcomb. She died August 24, 1818, at the age of eighteen years. The male inhabitants met, and selected a site for a burying ground, on land belonging to Edward Durand. Smith Hancock and Almon Andress brushed off a piece of ground, and there dng the grave.
Henry Brown Holcomb was the first child born. It is said that Colonel Brown had promised to give the parents of the first child born in what was then Browuhel, the sum of fifty dollars, and that that amount was endorsed on the land contract of Squire Iloleomb, who had made his purchase of Colonel Brown, The births of Jeannette Leonard and Char- lotte Andress were among the earliest.
Dr. Forbes was the first physician. Hle came into the township in about the year 1821; his family sub- sequently.
Joseph Powers' was the first house opened for the accommodation of travelers. Subsequently the large frame honse on the hill, owned by Anson Hales, was built by James Durand. and kept by him as a hotel. The stage road was a great thoroughfare in those days, and Durand's large hotel was almost constantly filled. General Winfield Scott, accompanied by his staff, has been a guest at this house.
A post oflice was established on the hill, soon after the organization of the town, and Squire Abbott was appointed the first post master. The office was sub- seqnently held successively by Edward Durand, Moses Fuller, Harvey Page. Stephen Jones, and Ansel Hales, the last-named being the present incumbent.
Edward Durand kept the first store in the town, in the house built by him, and now occupied by Harvey Page.
Thuman Bodfish, at the present time, has a store on the hill, which is the only one in town.
ORGANIZATION. *
Henrietta was organized in 1827. In November, 1826. the inhabitants in the south part of Brownhelm petitioned the commissioners to take off the three south tiers of lots and to attach them to unsettled lands lying south, and incorporate the same into a township. The petitioners look occasion to say that it was seven miles from the lake shore to the south line of the township; that there had been but little communication between the north and south settle- ments; and that it was extremely inconvenient for some of the people to attend on the public business of the town. The prayer of the petition was rejected; but at the same session of the commissioners it was ordered that tracts nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen and fifteen, in range nineteen, with surplus lots lying west of said tracts, be erected into a town- ship by the name of Henrietta, and be attached to Brighton for judicial purposes. This township, as thus formed, included a large part of the present township of Camden and a little more than two-thirds
of the present township of Henrietta. As organized, it was not satisfactory to the inhabitants in the south part of Brownhelm, and in February, 1827, npon their petition, two tiers of lots, being over a mile in width, were detached from the south part of Brown- helm and annexed to Henrietta; and traet number nine was detached from Henrietta and annexed 10 Brighton. An election was ordered for township officers, which took place in April, 1827. Calvin Leonard, Simeon Durand and Smith Hancock, were elected trustees; Justin Abbott, clerk; Joseph Pow- ers, treasurer; Obed Holcomb, overseer of the poor: John E. Page, fence viewer; Joseph Weston, consta- ble; Orlando Holcomb, supervisor: Edward Durand, justice of the peace. In March, 1830, lots eighty-six, eighty-seven and eighty-eight were detached from Brownhelm and annexed to Henrietta; and in March, 1835, lots eighty-one, eighty-two, eighty-three. eighty- four and eighty-five, the remainder of the tier, were added.
The present township officers are as follows: C. L. Ferguson, clerk; W. A. Thomas, Washington Covenhoven, Sylvester Petty, trustees; L. A. Higgins, treasurer: Marsena Peabody, assessor; Henry Whit- ney and Engene Walker, constables: G. L. Ferguson and James II. Rosa, justices of the peace.
SCHOOLS.
The earliest schools were held at private honses. The first teacher was Marinda Morrison, who taught in the summer of 1819. Soon afterward a rude log school house, with stick chimney, Dutch back tire- place, and whitewood slabs for seats, was erected on the farm of Simeon Durand. Dr. Forbes taught the first school in this structure in the winter of 1821-2. Ile was a medical practitioner, and was the first doctor in town.
The log school house served its purpose for a few years. and then a frame was built. It was the first frame school house in this section of the country. It was years afterwards sold to Carlo Andress, and is now used on his old place as a barn. Sarah Ann Ing- ham, James Durand, Lucinda Johnson, and Wealthy Abbott were among the earliest teachers. Durand taught in the winter of 1825, and Miss Abbott the following summer. Her wages were seven shillings per week which were paid in merchandise. The pat- rons of the school paid in proportion to the number of children they sent. Henrietta occupies a front rank among the townships of Lorain county with respect to the character of her school houses. They are exceeded in their aggregate value by only two other of the townships in the county in which there is not an incorporated village, and in the average value takes the lead. The report of the clerk of the board of education, ending Angust 31, 1878, gives the following statistics :
Number f houses
6
Aggregate value. $8,000
Amount pai f teachers $1,114
Number of scholars 247
* Boynton.
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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
RELIGIOUS.
The pioneers of Henrietta were not behind their neighbors in providing for their religions wants. The earliest religious meetings were held at the house of Joseph Powers. This was before the advent of the preacher, and these services were very simple, and, of course, undenominational in character. The first preacher was Rev. Alva Coe, from Boston, a mission. ary among the Indians. He preached the first sermon in Henrietta, at the house of Calvin Leonard.
BAPTIST CHURCH.
The Baptists were the first to move in the matter of a church organization. A society was formed Oc- tober 10, 1818, by Elder Goodell, of Painesville, of some fourteen or fifteen members, of whom we have only the following names : Joseph Powers and wife, Mrs. Simeon Durand, Betsey Durand, Jedediah Hol- comb and wife. Joseph Powers was appointed dea- con. The church had occasional preaching by Elder Joseph Phillips, of Berlin, Erie county, and by others, but it was not until 1825 that stated preaching was had. In that year Elder Squire Abbott moved into town from Kingsville, Ashtabula county, and became the pastor of the church. The society gradually increased in membership for two years following, when dissensions of a radical nature arose in the church, which continued for some time, "and were not healed until another doctrine was embraced by the pastor and a large proportion of the members," who withdrew from the church. " In this state of things trying scenes were experienced by those who main- tained their allegiance to the church," yet the church kept up its organization, reported to the Unron Asso- ciation, of which it was a member, and had occa- sional preaching. The records of the church were taken away by the seceding members, and were not restored until February, 1832. At that time there were ten members. During this and the fol- lowing year, Peter Lattimer preached occasionally. After this, stated preaching was had. The salary of these early preachers was very small, and not always promptly paid. Until 1832, the meetings of the fchurch were held in the school house, west of the flill, and for a year or two subsequently, in the school house on the Hill. In July. 183%, by resolution of the church, the following members were constituted a branch of the church in Birmingham : James and Catharine Daly, Henry and Mary Howe, John and Ann Blair, Richard and Catharine Laugh- ton, and Hannah Brown, and the church took the name of the Henrietta and Birmingham Church. In May, 1840, the Birmingham branch organized inde- pendently.
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