History of Lorain County, Ohio, Part 71

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

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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.

the following fall. The children of Edward Wheeler not mentioned above are: Betsy, Martha, Polly, Ed- ward, Coonrod and Margaret. John Jaques Wheeler, father of Edward, is worthy of a passing notice. Ile was an Englishman, and came to America a short time prior to the Revolutionary War. He immedi- ately enlisted in the army of the United States in which he fought five years, He was afterwards en- gaged in the Indian wars two years more; he settled in Ohio at the close of the war, and was killed by a fall- ing tree in 1821.

Stephen Babcock and family first occupied the new house in Rochester in the early spring of 1832. A daughter, Eliza, had married Charles Conant at the East. They settled in Rochester prior to the arrival of the remaining members of the family. Mrs. Babcock was Patia Marey, of Otis, Berkshire county, Massachusetts. Of the remaining eight children, the following are dead: Orlina, Watson, Almira, Mary Ann and Philena. Melissa married Oliver Webster, and lives in Wellington. Rowena married William F. Chapman, and resides in Huntington. Smith mar- ried Martha Meach, and lives in Rochester.

Hiram Woodworth, of Madison county, New York, married Caroline L. Wales, of the same place. They came to Ohio in 1831; selected lands in Rochester township, then owned by Messrs. Tillotson and Dem- ing, of Rochester, New York: constructed a house thereon, and in May of the year 1832, moved into the township. He lived there many years, and by hard labor brought his lands to a profitable state of cultivation. He removed to Wellington where he died October 8, 1872. The widow still resides there. The children are: Roxania S. who married J. A. Braman, of Rochester: Rosenia who married D. L. Wadsworth, of Wellington; Victoria R. who married F. M. Sheldon, of New York; Ettie G. who married S. E. Wilcox, at present, the host of the American House in Wellington, and Warren Woodworth who now resides at Atlantic City, Iowa,

Erastus Knapp, wife and two children, came from near Rochester, New York, to Ohio, in May, 1832. The family remained in Huntington township until he had built a log honse on his farm in Rochester, This was on lot number five, now occupied by A. J. Snyder. The house was finished and first ocenpied by the family in December following. On this farm they resided thirty years. In 1861, they located at the station, where they now reside. There were no roads at the date of their settlement in the township, their only guide in traversing the wilderness being marked trees. The children of this couple are: Thomas M., who married Mary Lovejoy, (he lives on lot number one, Rochester township); Mary E., is dead; Sarah A., who married John Conkling, (they live near the center): Ellen J., who married Samuel Long, and lives in Crawford county, this State; Elizabeth A., who married Theodore Robbins, of La Grange; Caroline, who married John Bruce, and lives in Sullivan, Ashland county; and Charley

M., who married Adelia Crebs; he resides in Ilun- tington.

Luther Blair and family, consisting of a wife and eleven children, came from Becket, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, to Rochester in 1832, arriving in the township on December 31. He settled on the north- east corner lot af the center. His log house, which was the first built in this vicinity, stood a few rods east of the present dwelling of Stephen Richards. Mr. Blair became prominent in the church and town- ship. He died in December, 1852; his wife died the September following. Two children, Marietta and Ralph E., are dead. The remainder are: Caroline, Martin L., Alonzo O., now practicing medicine at Columbus, Ohio; Caleb P., David B., Harmony, Amanda, Mary P., and William II., who married Encina Mann, and resides at Rochester station,

Nathan W. Fay and family, consisting of a wife and three children, settled in Rochester, on lot nine, in 1832. Three children were born in Ohio. John, the eldest of these, now lives on the old homestead. Mr. and Mrs. Fay, Sr., are both dead.

Orrin Meach, his wife and six children settled on lot seven. The parents are dead, and the homestead is now occupied by the heirs.

John G. Clark was one of the early settlers. Hle located on lot fourteen. John Slayman made settle- ment on lot four. John Johnson settled on the center road, near the south township line, on lot thirteen. The Pects, the descendants of whom still reside in this locality, were early settlers among the pioneers.

Israel Phelps, one of the substantial men of Roches- ter, was among the pioneers. He settled on lot eight. The place of his nativity was in Seneca county, New York. He married Julia F. Phillips, of Ontario county: cleared up his wilderness farm, erected thereon a fine residence, and died October 9, 1869. The widow still resides on this farm. Five of the children are dead -- Henrietta C., Priscilla, Israel Frank, Julia E., and Alice E. The remainder are: Milton, who married Mary Kelsey, and lives in Rochester; Calvin R., who married Elsie M. Wilcox, also lives in Rochester; and Vincent C., the youngest, who lives with the mother.

Wilham Carvey located on lot eleven, at an early period, and still lives there. William Il. Marshall came to Rochester, from Trumbull county, in 1833. He purchased one hundred and fifty acres of land in lot number three, and returning he married Sophro- nia Hinkley, of Hiram, Portage county. In Febru- ary, 1838, he settled on his farm, and has lived there until the present. He has now two hundred and thirty-five acres under profitable cultivation. Of his family numbering eleven children, the following are living : Rachel A. ; Eliza J. ; Benjamin HI, Holmes ; Maria, Mary, Eugene and Allic.

Roswell B. Boice settled in Amherst township, in the year 1830. Hle removed to Rochester and located on lot seventeen, in 1833. He has a family of four

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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.

children-Adaline, Lois, Lewis and Adelbert. Ilis wife was Nancy Stillwell.

Nehemiah Tinker, wife and twelve children, came with a team of horses from Worthington, Hampshire county, Mass., to Rochester, whither they arrived in the latter part of September, 1833. They located on one hundred and twenty acres of land in lot number twenty-four, tract five, then attached to Huntington. Mr. Tinker erected a log house in the southeast cor- ner of the lot. He remained on this farm until his death. Himself and wife died but a few days apart in 1853. The children were : Lydia II., Omri, Min- erva, Laura, dead ; Abigail, Adelia, dead ; Erasmas D., who married Elizabeth Cutshall, and resides at Rochester station; Martha, dead; Oscar. dead: Aman. da, Cyntha and Lorinda.

Gustavus, Orville and Hiram Noble settled in the township in 1835. Their father had contracted for the greater part of the land along the east and west road in the north part of the township. The Messrs. Noble were single when they began settlement. Gus- tavus married Harriet Fancher, at New London. Hle died, and his widow became the wife of DeGrass Thomas. William Peck, with a family consisting of a wife and eight children, arrived from Vermont and made settlement in the northwestern portion of the township; this was in 1835.

John Chamberlain, a former resident of Ontario, Wayne county, New York, made settlement in Co- lumbia township, this county, in 1830. Ilis family were a wife and six children. In 1835, they removed to Rochester township, and first located on the farm now occupied by Orrin Thomas. Moses, the eldest of the children, was a sort of a moving planet, and finally died in Michigan. Marshall, the next child, settled at the center in about 1826; he was the pioneer physician; he married Betsey Odell: in 1858, he re- moved to Oberlin, and a few years later to Hillsdale, Michigan, where he now resides. John, Jr., married Zephey Sabin, of Liverpool township; he located on lot fourteen, near the northwest corner of the township, and died January 14, 1825. Charles S., the youngest child of this gentleman, married Tillie Kissinger, of Titlin; he is now a successful practitioner of medicine in Rochester township. Caroline, now dead. Norman married Lifa Stillwell; he is a prominent physician, at Grand Rapids, Michigan. JJeremiah, who married Cynccia Reed, is also a physician; he now resides at Romeo, Michigan. John Chamberlin, Sr., died Jan- vary 8, 1866; his wife died February 11, 1856. John Chamberlin, Jr., was a large hearted, public spirited man, ever ready to assist those less fortunate in the possession of this world's goods than himself; he held the office of township trustee sixteen years, and was ocenpying the position of infirmary director when he died.

John 1. Masten was born in Duchess county, New York; he married Rosalie Loomis, of the same county, and came immediately to Ohio, arriving in Rochester township in June 2, 1836. Anson Pierce had built a

small log cabin on lot three, and in this Mr. and Mrs. Masten began life. There was no road opened to them until some three years later. He first purchased sixty acres of land in lot ten, and on this constructed a log house, into which he soon removed. The pres- ent residence now occupied by the family was built in 1863. The original farm has been added to, until he now owns two hundred and thirty-five acres, lying in a body. Those early years were fraught with pri- vations. Too poor to purchase a team, Mr. Masten procured an ox, for which he constructed a rude harness. From the fork of a tree, a sled was pre- pared, and with this novel turn-ont, the black salts were transported to Wellington, to be exchanged for the necessities of life. By the aid of this faithful beast, some three aeres of land were cleared, plowed and sowed to wheat. The children of this couple are: Decolia V., who married Harriet Bevins, of Welling- ton; he died at the Soldiers' Home, in Dayton, Ohio, from injuries received at the battle of Antietam; Amelia C., who married Cordon L. Bonney, lives in Wellington; Mortimer C., who married Harriet Ames, lives in Michigan; Celie, who married D. W. Man- chester, lives in Cleveland; Delia M., who married J. 11. Bessell, lives at Rochester station; Nina C., who married A. J. Irish, lives in Shetfield township, this county: John D., who married Elmore Myers, lives in Michigan; and Frank L., who is single, and re- mains at home.

Other early settlers in this vicinity were Ira Pierce, Isaac Inmiston, Horatio Stevens and others. Morris Howard was a native of Andover, Windsor county, Vermont. Ile married Hannah Smith, and removed to Ohio in the spring of 1837. He remained in Ash- land county until March, 1838, when he removed to Rochester and settled permanently on two hundred and sixty acres of land in tot number eleven, tract three. This farm he partially cleared. His wife died in 1846. Hle removed to Wisconsin and died there in 1861. lle was a soldier in the war of 1812. having been in the service some eighteen months; was at the battle of Plattsburg and several others. His children were S. V. R., who married Barbara Bowman, and lives on the old homestead. Cyntha died young. William 11., who married Charlotte Laborie. He lives on lot ten, Rochester township. Emily R., a daughter of this couple, married Solomon Farnsworth, who also lives on lot ten. Nancy, who married Angusta E. Kelsey, lives in Kansas. David and Lonisa are dead. Isadore is now the wife of William Fenton, who lives in Clarion county, Pennsylvania.

Edmond Thomas was born in Brattleborough, Ver- mont. He married Aseneth Crapo, of Jefferson county, New York. In 1835 he removed to Ohio, locating in Pittsfield township, this county, where he remained until 1844, when he removed to Rochester, locating in the northwest corner of the township, lot number twenty-eight; he yet resides where he first settled. Ilis wife died May 17, 1877. The children are: DeGrass, who married Mrs. Harriet Noble; they

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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.

have two children and reside on a portion of the old farm. Orrin, who married Marcia Fancher; they have three children-reside on lot thirteen. Eliza Manette, who married Luther M. Merrifield; they now live in Michigan; have seven children. Jenette, who married Harvey J. Hart; they have one child, live in Char- lotte, Michigan. Maria, who lives at home; and Jane, who married Isaac Hart; she lives in Lenox, Iowa; has two children.

Benjamin Perkins, Esq., was agent for much of the lands in Rochester township. Ile was one of the pioneers. Ile is spoken of as the father of the township.

FIRST EVENTS.

The first child, born of a permanent settler in Rochester township, was Amy, daughter of Elijah T. and Patience Banning. The date of her birth was June 24, 1832. She grew to womanhood, married Alexander Dolph, removed to New London, Huron county, and died their October 15, 1873.

The first marriage in the township was doubtless that of Watson Babcock to Miss Jane Hamlin, of Elyria. We have not the date. Mr. Babcock is not now living.

The first adult death of a permanent settler was that of Stephen Babcock, which occurred on January 14, 1835. The funeral services were conducted by the Rev. Mr. Talcott, of Wellington. The body was the first interred in the cemetery near the center of the township.

The first post office was established in 1837. Hiram Woodworth was appointed postmaster, and the ottice located at his residence in the southeast corner of the township. The office was authorized on condition that the government were to be at no expense in trans- porting the mails. John Clark volunteered to carry the mail gratis, and did so while the office remained in the locality. This otfiee was eventually removed to the center, and Martin L. Blair appointed post- master. It is now located at the station; George Gar- rison, postmaster.

The first wheat was sown in the fall of 1831, by Elijah T. Banning and Daniel Campbell.

The pioneer orchard was planted on the farm of Orrin Meach, in the year 1832, and consisted of one hundred and twenty trees. It is still in a thriving condition.

The first store was opened by George G. Ogden, as was also the first hotel. They were located at the center. This was in about 1848. The only hotel m the township at present, is at the station. This was built by Rufus Norton, in 1853, and is now owned by John Currey, who conducts a general store in connec- tion.

The remaining mercantile interest at this point is as follows: J. B. Carrison & Son, general merchan- dise; Peter Dagnon, drugs; Robert. Potter, groceries; M. Bailey, tin shop.

ORGANIZATION.

At the session of the commissioners of Lorain county, held in March, 1835, lots one to fifteen, inclusive, of tract three, with all of tracts fonr and five, and a part of traet six, in range nineteen, to- gether with surplus lots nine to fourteen, inclusive, lying west of the range, with a part of surplus lot eight, were united, and formed into the township of Rochester. An election for town hip officers was held on the 6th of the April following, when John Conant, Joseph Hadley and Nehemiah Tinker were elected trustees; M. L. Blair, clerk; and Benjamin C. Perkins, treasurer. The township officers for 1878, are: A. A. Pond, Dr. Charles L. Chamberlin, and M. Phelps, trustees: D. R. Lowrie, clerk; John Currey, treasurer; A. A. Pond, assessor; J. Martin Mann and II. H. Howard, constables; Asa Mann and R. M. Johnson, justices of the peace and nin.e super- visors of high ways.

CHURCHES.

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCHI.

Erasmus D. Tinker furnishes the following : In the fall of 1833, Rev. John Ferris, a Methodist, com- meneed holding meetings in the log house of Nehe- miah Tinker, and soon after, in the little log school house near there. The result of these religious ser- vices was the formation, the following spring, of the first class, or religions organization in the township of Rochester. It was composed of but four mem- bers-Nehemiah Tinker and Moses Barnes, with their respective wives. In 1835 another class of the M. E. Church was formed in the southeast corner of the township by the Rev. John T. Kellum, with the fol- lowing members : Aaron Welsher, Sr., and wife ; Erastus Knapp and wife; Aaron Welsher, Jr., and wife; Mrs. Hiram Woodworth and John Clark. Aaron Welsher, Sr., was first class leader. Meetings were held at the dwellings of the settlers, and after- wards in the Meach school house. This society grew to be large and prosperous. In 1859 the church edi- fice at the station was built, and the societies consoli- dated. The cost of this building was twenty-five hundred dollars. The present membership is sixty- one. Officers: T. M. Knapp, Peter Taylor, and Ilenry Barnes, stewards: Robert Anderson, Thomas Knapp and Miles Fisher, class leaders. The present minister is Rev. Edwin L. Warner. The Sabbath school connected with this church numbers seventy- tive scholars. George Hull is its superintendent.

THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

was formed in the year 1838, with the following mem- bers: Luther Blair and wife, Stephen Babcock and wife, John Conant and wife, Jonathan Ames and wife, Benjamin C. Perkins and wife, Nathan W. Fay and wife, and C. W. Conant and wife. The meetings of this denomination were begun at the log house of Luther Blair, as early as 1833. There was no preacher,

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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.

the service being conducted by Mr. Blair, he reading a sermon from a volume in his possession. The first pastor to locate in the township was the Rev. Mr. Highee: he was succeeded by Rev. Mr. Kellogg, and he by Dr. Palmer. This brings us up to 1848, at which time the present pastor, Rev. M. Elliot, assumed charge of the church. The present meet- ing house at the center was erected in 1842, and was the first in the township. It is a neat frame struc- ture, and cost twenty-five hundred dollars. The otli- cers, on organization, were: Luther Blair and Jona- than Ames, deacons. The first trustees were Luther Blair, Benjamin C. Perkins and John Conant. A Sabbath school was soon organized, with William Shepard, of New London, Huron county, as the first superintendent. The present church officers are: John Lang, William Squires and John Brandston, trustees: William Elliot, William Squires and D. Com- mings, deacons; superintendent of Sabbath school and clerk, John Fay. Average attendance at Sabbath school, seventy: present membership, forty-five.

UNITED BRETHREN.

The church of the United Brethren was formed in 1852, under the ministerial efforts of the Rev. Mr. Waldratf. The first members were, Joseph Kimball and wife and Mrs. Goodman. Meetings were held in the school house, on lot twenty-three. The following ministers have presided over the destinies of this church: Rev. Michael Bulger, Charles Slater, Thayer. D. F. Reynolds, Addison Hill, Charles Price, Charles Kester, C. O. Melntire, Isaiah Dennis, Ira Moody, John Excell, Samuel Evans, David Kosht, 11. J. Becker, and John Noel who is the present pas- tor. The church officers are: E. D. Tinker, leader; Edward Clifford, steward and trustee. The present membership is twenty-one; average attendance at. sabbath school, fifty; Walter Crandall, superintend- ent. Services are conducted in the Union church at the station.

THE BAPTIST CHURCHI

was organized about 1842, by the Rev. Mr. Chambers, with the following members: Joseph Bailey and wife, John Chamberlin, Jr., and wife; Marcus Chamber- lin and wife, and perhaps others, whose names are not remembered. Meetings were held in private houses until 1845, when a commodious log building was constructed on lot thirteen. This was christened "the abbey," and in this the meetings were held for many years. They finally joined with the United Brethren and built the Union church at the station. The present membership is small, only about twenty. Rev. C. A. Gleason is the present pastor. Cooley Stevens and Cyrus Coates are the deacons.

SCHOOLS.

The little log school house spoken of in connection with the Methodist Episcopal church, was first occu- pied for a school in the winter of 1833-34. Miss Abigail Tinker was the teacher. There were some

twenty children in attendance. A school house had been erected in the Meach settlement at about the same date. The first teacher was John Johnson. The report of the board of education for Rochester township, for the year ending August 31, 1878, shows seven school houses, valued at five thousand dollars; the total amount paid teachers for the year was one thousand three hundred dollars; the number of chil- dren in the township of the school age was one hun- dred and eighty.

PHYSICIANS.

The pioneer disciple of Esenlapins to locate in Rochester township was Marshall Chamberlin, who began practicing at the center in 1836. He remained in the township over twenty years. The present medical staff is composed of Charles S. Chamberlin, a nephew of the above, and T. S. Field, whose residence is at the station.

INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS.

The earliest cheese factory in the township is the one on lot number fifteen, traet three. This was built by h. Beckley in 1870, and has been extensively patronized. During the season of 1828 this factory utilized the milk of four hundred and fifty cows.

The cheese factory on lot number twenty-seven was built by DeGrass Thomas and Perry Noble in the spring of 1873. The total amount invested was two thousand dollars. The first season the patronage was two hundred cows. The patronage has gradually increased until the season of 1828, when the lactial wealth of four hundred and twenty-five cows was converted into butter and cheese. Mr. Noble is a practical cheese-maker, and superintends that depart- ment of the business.

The first saw and grist mill in the township was built at the center by Benjamin S. Perkins in 183%; this was destroyed by fire.

A water saw mill was built by Frederick Van Tassel in 1847. This was located on lot number fifteen.

The present flouring and saw mill, located at the station, was built in 1844, by Daniel Franklin. It stood just west of the center, on the west branch of Black river, and was removed to its present site in 1864. The present proprietors. Messrs. D. Lowrie & Son, purchased the property in April, 1824, paying for the same ten thousand dollars. A fifty-horse power engine propels the two run of stone, by which both custom and merchant work is done. The saw mill in connection is operated by a twenty-tive horse power engine. Messrs. Lowrie conduct a cooper shop at the same point.

Messrs. Conant & Shepard had in operation, at the station, the most extensive manufacturing establish- ment ever in Rochester township. Their principal work was the making of walnut gun stocks for the United States government. The elose of the war and of this establishment was simultaneous.

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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.

An ashery was built in abont 1838, by Samuel Ed- wards, on lot eight. He disposed of this property to Messrs. Griswold, Dunn & Calkins, who conducted the business for a number of years. They also sold goods in connection.

A man named Beals erected another ashery a short time after the above. This was located on Blair brook.

IIiram Scoville built the first blacksmith shop. This was located at the center. James Earls suc- eceded Mr. Seoville. The present blacksmiths are A. Mitchell and J. N. Kinney. E. E. Banning and John Hanley have wagon shops; C. Curtis, a harness shop; W. M. Crandall, boots and shoes; and M. Sage, a livery stable.

The roads are laid out at right angles across the township, and one mile apart. They were surveyed by Benjamin Perkins and Luther Blair, and the

settlers cut them out and made them passable by voluntary subscription.

In May, 1871, a portion of Rochester township was visited by a genuine sensation. It came in the shape of a juvenile hurricane, from a northwest direction, and carried devastation and ruin in its train, uproot- ing the giant trees of the forest, unroofing buildings, and generally demoralizing the face of dame nature.

AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.

Wheat.

311 acres

5,113 bushels.

Potatoes,

3,169

Oats,

449

19,695

Orehards, 202

1,582

Corn,

573

26,920

('lover,

143

271

Meadow, 1,53

2,036 tons.

Butter

40,650 pounds.

Cheese.

202.329

Maple Sugar.

1,840

Population in 1870.

VOTE FOR PRESIDENT IN 1876.

Hayes.

143 | Tilden.

CAMDEN .*

THE TOWNSHIP OF CAMDEN is situated in the western side of the county, being town number four, in range nineteen, and was originally included in Brighton and Henrietta. The surface is for the most part level, though in some parts it is rolling, and the land is broken by small streams. The soil is in some places gravelly and sandy, but clay predominates. Running through the township, from south to north, entering at the southwest corner, and leaving at a point near the north and south center road, is the castern branch of the Vermillion river. There are no other streams of any importance in this territory, but numerous small rills and rivulets brighten the land- scape and lend value to the farms.

Like all of the other townships in the nineteenth range, Camden was originally laid off in tracts, and the territory included within its present limits was annexed to other townships for purposes of equaliza- tion. These tracts extended from east to west across the range, and were numbered from the south line towards Lake Erie. The township, as at present constituted, contains two tiers of lots (as subdivided) in the northern part of tract number eight and the whole of tracts number nine, ten and eleven, together with the surplus lands lying west of said tracts.

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History of Lorain County, Ohio, Part 71

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

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