USA > Ohio > Lorain County > History of Lorain County, Ohio > Part 73
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Samuel Morgan was the first voter of the abolition ticket in Camden. He was a station agent on the "underground railroad," the long zigzag line of travel which led from slavery to freedom. Many a poor, dazed darkey slave was spirited over this branch of the road which ran through Camden, and many a fugitive, trembling between hope and fear, has had to come to thank Samuel Morgan for helping him upon his journey toward a place where he was safe from the pursuer-a place where he need no more stand in terror of the lash and bloodhound. The runaways were almost invariably ignorant of the names of their friends, and it was often the case that one man in the long chain extending from the Ohio border to the lake did not know who extended the helping hand before him. Mr. Morgan would occa- sionally find a colored man at his door, and, without asking any questions as to where he came from or who had brought him thus far upon his journey, he would take him to Oberlin, or some other point where the fugitive would be quietly placed in charge of some other friend. Sometimes the fleeing slaves came through in companies of half a dozen or more. One party, consisting of six men and women, were left at Mr. Morgan's house upon a dark, dreary night. and helped upon their way to Oberlin, after being properly care I for. At another time four stopped at this station, and, soon taking the road again. went traveling on to freedom, the place of their destination.
A RAISING INCIDENT.
When Otis Bites got the Frame of his house ready to be raised, he notified his neighbors, as was enstom- ary, and at the same time signified his intention to abstain from furnishing any whiskey upon that occasion, which was not enstomary. He promised to furnish cider, however, and this partial concession to established prejudice, was sufficient to bring together quite a large number of men. A barrel of cider was sent for, and that innocent apple juice would doubt- less have arrived in condition mild enough to have been within the limit of beverages allowed a teetotaler, had it not been for the mischievousnesss of two or three young men. The cider was bought, and started upon the road for the scene of the house raising, but there was, unfortunately, a distillery upon that road, and in this fact lay the secret of the quite phenom- enal strength of the cider furnished at the Bates' rais- ing. Twogallons of cider were taken from the barrel and replaced with an equal amount of simon-pure whiskey. The barrel being rolled some distance over a rough road, the two clements became thoroughly mixed. The contents of the cask was sampled. at first quite gingerly; but it was noticed that after the first drink had been taken, many who had formely ex- pressed themselves as indifferent toward cider as a beverage, seemed suddenly to have acquired an intense liking for it, and lingered about the vicinity of the
bung-hole with a pertinacity that was at the time in- explicable. The secret of their newly acquired and strong liking for cider, was explained when the rais- ing was over, and the joke was exposed by the per- petrators. There were several men who got decidedly well drunk at this temperance house-raising.
FIRST RELIGIOUS SERVICE.
The first sermon listened to in the township was preached by Elder Call in the little cabin where Mrs. Johnson taught the first school. This was sometime in 1833. Religions services were held in July or August of the following year at the log school house, by the Rev. Xenophon Betts, a Presbyterian minister from Wakeman.
THE BAPTIST CHURCH.
The Baptists were pioneers in Camden in the organ - ization of a church. The church was formed Sep- tember 6, 1835, and there were only seven constituent members, viz: Harrison Hurd and Rebecca his wife, John F. Hovey and his wife Elizabeth, Margaret, wife of David Morgan, Huldah, wife of Chauncey Spencer, and Wm. W. Cook. The church was organ- ized by Elder Mack, a home missionary. Elder Brown was the first pastor of the church. In 1848 a good substantial meeting house was built at the center. This house was unfortunately completely destroyed by fire in the following year. A small dwelling house which stood very close to the church took fire, and although the alarm was immediately given and a number of people who assembled upon the spot made every effort within their power to save the church, it was very quickly enveloped in flames and burned to the ground. The members of the church and society promptly went to work to raise funds for the building of another church, and applied themselves perseveringly to the task until snecess was assured. The new house, which is still standing and in use, was completed in the summer of 1860, the contract having been let to John Ames, the man who built the first structure. This church is now in a flourishing condition. At close of 1828 it had a membership of one hundred and sixty-tive persons. Pastor, the Rev. J. I. Smith. Officers: trustees, W. W. Cook, D. Morgan, Joseph Flickinger, Cyrus Robinson, Win. Pomeroy: clerk, Selden Tennant; treasurer, D. Morgan; deacons, C. MI. Cook, D. Morgan.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
In the winter of 1836 and 1837 Elder Kilburn organized a Methodist class in the northern part of the township, and about two years later another was organized in the southwest part. The Methodists kept up their organization until a few years since. Some died, some moved away from the township, and having but few accessions the church passed ont of existence. No house of worship was ever built by this denomination.
295
HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
FREE WILL BAPTISTS.
About the same time or a little before the Metho- dist organization, the Free Will Baptists organized a church and kept up meetings for several years. The society never became strong enough to build a church, and after a short existence ceased the struggle for life. A few people of the Free Will Baptist faith are still resident in the township, but they are not sufficiently numerous to hold meetings and they have no organi- zation.
THE DISCIPLE CHURCH
of Camden, came into being in May, 1842, the organ- izing members being John Cyrenins, Norton Bates, Jane M., his wife, Henry Crandall, and Irene Cyre- nius. The church soon increased in numbers, and its members began to feel the need of a place for holding other meetings. To meet this want a church was built in 1851 at the center. This church was the regular place of worship for the society until 1821, when. for the accommodation of the majority of members, the church took possession of a new brick meeting house at Kipton. The first person employed to fill the pulpit of the Disciple church was the Rev. Mr. Miller. The desk is now filled half of the time by the Rev. F. M. Gibbs, and half of the time by the Rev. Walter D. Close. The church, at the close of 1878. had over two hundred members, tifty being added in December through interest awakened by a revival. Following are the officers of this church : Elders, William Anderson, Hiram Prentiss; deacons, William Douglas, Chauncey Cloe, H. H. Crandall. F. Dauzy; clerk, H. V. Hawkins; treasurer, Hiram Prentiss; trustees, II. II. Crandall, James Van Densen, William Anderson, Chauncey R. Close, Hiram Prentiss.
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCIL.
About the year 1845, though possibly not until 1846 or 1847, a Congregational church was organized by Rev. Dr. Betts, of Brownhelm. The names of the constituent members cannot be procured. Meetings were held wherever and whenever it was convenient, until the year 1849, when funds were raised through the efforts of Dr. Betts and applied toward the build- ing of a small church. three-fourths of a mile west of the center. The church kept up its organization until about 1864, when it was dissolved, the members all taking letters to other churches. Rev. Dr. Betts was the first pastor. Otis Bates and wife, Israel Gager and wife, and Mrs. Azel Washburn, were probably among the members, and at no time were there many.
SUNDAY SCHOOLS.
The first Sunday school was organized in the month of July, in the first log school house built in the township. The officers were: John Cyrenius, superin tendent; William W. Cook, assistant: Daniel Waugh, librarian. There were but three scholars on the first Sunday, but from this small beginning grew a large and prosperous school, which is still in existence.
SCHOOLS.
The trustees of Henrietta, at their March meeting, in 1833, set off that portion of the township now in Camden as a separate road and school district. The inhabitants of this district went to work and put up a log school house, and employed Miss Laura Allen as a teacher during the summer months. Her wages were seventy-five cents per week, and she "boarded 'round." She had but a smail number of quite young pupils, and they came from all parts of the township to receive the first elements of an education. Other school houses were provided as the population in- creased; and as the necesities of education became more apparent, the wages of teachers were advanced, and the character of the schools as well. The first brick school honse was built three-quarters of a mile west of the center, in 1863. There are at present SIx school houses in the township, and five of them are brick. A new sub-district was made in the spring of 1248, in which it is the intention of the trustees to build another brick school house. The number of youth of school age, enrolled in 1878, is two hundred and twenty-six.
KIPTON.
Sometime during the year 1852 the first locomo- tive and train of ears came sweeping through the northern part of Camden, upon the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad, bringing with its rum- bling thunder, a suggestion of stimulated industry and the possibility of opening new enterprises.
During the same year that the railroad was put in operation, or perhaps in 1833, William W. Whitney, the owner of the land upon which the station is now located, laid out a town which was at first called Binghampton upon the town plat. But not long afterward the name of the station and of the post office being changed to Kipton, the little village grow- ing up by the railroad became also Kipton by com- mon consent. Obadiah Bowen built a hotel at the station which he conducted for some time. One room was finished off for a store, and was taken by Hector Taylor, who immediately put in a varied though not extensive stock of goods. The place has slowly but steadily increased in population until, at the present writing. it contains quite a fair sized cluster of dwell- ings. It has one good country store, kept by Benja- min F. Breckenridge, a grocery and drug store kept by William Douglass, a hotel of which John Sigsworth is "mine host," a boot and shoe shop, a tin shop, two blacksmith shops and other provisions for the needs of its people.
POST OFFICE.
The first post office in Camden was established in the year 1835, its name being Panalize. James Ar- nold was the first postmaster deputized. The office was located three-quarters of a mile east of the cen- ter. The name of the post office became, after a time, the same as that of the township, but it was again
296
HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
changed to distinguish it from an office by the same name in Preble county, to North Camden. When the railroad was built, a post office was located at the sta- tion, and James Weeks was commissioned postmaster. A mail route was established between the office known as North Camden and this office. Finally, there still being much inconvenience arising from the similarity of name between the Preble county office and this one, the name was changed to Kipton. The present post- master is Benjamin F. Breckenridge,
NORTHI CAMDEN GRANGE, NO. 1058
was organized October 26, 1874. The first officers were, John Eddy, master; C. W. Allen, overseer; Gideon Lattimer, lecturer: A. M. Tennant, steward: D. C. Gibson, assistant steward: James Van Densen, chaplain; Hiram Prentiss, treasurer: A. Hovey, seere- tary; A. JJ. Redington, gate keeper; Mrs. A. M. Tennant, lady assistant steward; Mrs. Flora Gibson, ceres: Mrs. R. E. Allen, pomona; Mrs. II. B. Bartlett, tlora.
The present officers are as follows: Philip Ritzen- thaler, master; Gideon Lattimer, overseer; William Jickels, lecturer: W. W. Ward, steward: John Eddy, assistant steward; J. N. Hurd, chaplain; I. P. Draper, treasurer; S. D. Tennant, secretary: A. J. Redington, gate keeper; Mrs. W. W. Ward, ceres; Mrs. I. N. Hurd, pomona; Mrs. John Eddy, flora; Mrs. D. C. Gibson, lady assistant steward. The grange has about forty members.
THE BURIAL PLACE.
In the year 1837, the inhabitants of Camden town- ship began to feel the need of having a proper resting place for their dead. At a meeting called for the purpose of devising some place for the establishment of a cemetery, it was agreed that a committee should be appointed to select a suitable site, and that the trustees of the township should purchase it at town expense. Ezekiel Arnold, Harrison Hurd, and Renben Eddy were appointed said committee, and after ex- amining several pieces of ground, they selected a location on the south side of lot number twenty-seven. in tract number eleven, on an east and west road, in the northeast part of the township. The trustees of the township purchased an acre of ground of Thomas Sigsworth, and cleared it of timber, for at this time, the little piece of ground which was to become "God's acre," like most of the land lying around it, was covered with trees of a heavy growth. It was fenced in and lotted off, one lot being assigned to each resi- dent of the township, who was the head of a family. Since the first purchase, half an acre has been added to the burying ground, and as the whole has been well cared for, it is now one of the best cemeteries lo be found in the rural townships.
PHYSICIANS,
The first physician in Camden was Dr. Sterling W. Allen, who came in the year 1837, and settled on lot
number four in tract nine, near the center. He re- mained about two years, during which time he had a very successful practice.
Dr. William Grout moved into The township Nov- ember t, 1843, and his family came in February fol- lowing. Ile settled about three-fourths of a mile west of the center where he still lives. He has been a very reliable and successful physician throughout his long practice, and a useful member of society. lle is no longer in practice.
Two physicians by the names of Grant and Jackson practiced each a short time in the township.
Dr. John Cannan came into the township with his father, when a boy. After studying medicine and surgery, he sttled on a farm in the southeast part of the township, and had quite an extensive practice. When the rebellion broke out, he volunteered his ser- vices to aid the Union, and served as assistant surgeon during a greater part of the war. At the close of the rebellion he returned to Camden, and resumed prac- tice. Ile is still living upon his farm of two hundred and sixteen acres.
Another resident physician is Dr. G. W. Mono- smith who settled at Kipton in 1877, and has already won a respectable share of the patronage of the com- munity and the unqualified respect of the people among whom he lives.
INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS.
The first and only grist mill ever built in the town- ship was a small steam mill built at Kipton in the year 1859, by H. MeFarland, and run by different parties for about fourteen years. Horace Hoover was its last owner, and lost the mill by fire.
CHEESE FACTORIES.
The first cheese factory in this township was started in the spring of 1867, by L. A. Parker, G. R. Par- ker, D. B. Morgan and J. P. lovey, under the firm name of Parker, Morgan & Hovey. This was the only cheese factory in the township, until 1874, when A. L. Perkins started one about a mile south of the center (the first was about the same distance north). Parker, Morgan & Hovey owned and ran their factory until the spring of 1826, when they sold out to B. F. Morrison. The same season, Perkins and Morrison consolidated their interests in the busi- ness, and they have managed since then both factories. Parker, Morgan & Hovey, when they commenced business, took the milk of about three hundred cows, but the industry gradually increased in magnitude until the time of the consolidation of the firms, when nine hundred cows were milked for the two factories. Perkins & Morrison make now abont three hundred and fifty thousand pounds of cheese. The Morrison factory is located on lot four, tract ten, and the Per- kins factory upon lot twenty-two, tract ten.
SAW MILLS.
In the summer of 1836 the Gager brothers, Edwin, Joseph and Israel, put up a water power mill on lot
John Rose
Lucinda Rase
PHOTOS BY PLATT ELYRIA O
RESIDENCE OF JOHN ROSE, KIPTON , LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
297
HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
number twenty-six, which proved a great convenience to the people in the vicinity. It was about eight miles at that time to any other mill. There were no roads-nothing but narrow and difficult trails. After the mill was put in operation it was run constantly whenever there was sufficient water, and even then turned out scarcely enough lumber for house use. Very little was at any time carried out of the town- ship. The greater part of the himber sawed was whitewood, and it only brought an average of five dollars per thousand feet. The best black walnut was worth but a little more. The mill was kept running until it wore out, rotted down and was never rebuilt.
In the year 1847, Hiram Allen, David Morgan and Edwin Gager built a steam saw mill on lot number two in tract nine. The mill was burned down after it had been in operation about two years.
In 1850, Messrs. Preston & Blodgett built a mill on lot number thirty, tract ten. The ownership of this mill was several times changed, and finally the mill was moved into the black swamp, near the farm of Benjamin Eldridge.
REVOLVING HORSE RAKES, ETC.
In the year 1862 or 1863, A. S. and James P. Hovey put up on lot twenty-one, in traet ten, about a mile and a half west of Kipton station, a shop in which they did quite a lively business for three or four years in manufacturing revolving horse rakes, enltivators and other farm implements and utensils.
ROADS.
There are five roads running north and south through the township, except that there is about a mile in that upon the east side of the township which has never been opened. There are three roads run- ning east and west entirely through the township, one in the south part extending cast from the center road to the next road, and one in the north part of the township, running from Kipton west to the first north and south road. The north and south and east and west center roads were the first ones laid out. They were established before the land came into the market, and the others were opened soon after the commencement of the settlement.
AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS.
Following are the statistics for 1877, showing the amount of the most important productions of the township, also the population in 1870, and the vote for president in 1870:
Wheat, 448 acres.
5,485 busbels,
Potatoes, 20
1,557
Oats,
698
31,400
Orehards, 378
6,153
Corn, 717
25,780
.4
Meadow, 2,335
2,312
Butter.
18,590 pounds.
Cheese.
132,080
Maple Sugar.
873
Population iu 1870
858
VOTE FOR PRESIDENT IN 1876.
R. B. Hayes
153 | S. J. Tilden 83
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
JOHN ROSE.
Jesse Rose, grandfather of the gentleman whose name is found at the head of this sketch, was a native of Virginia. He married Susan Smith, (whose home was not far from the resort known as the Warm Springs, ) and six weeks subsequent was drafted into the service of the United States. Leaving his youth- ful bride and his pleasant home on the banks of the Potomac, for the hardships and dangers of soldier life, he did not return until the war was over. He was in the last engagement at Yorktown, and helped to swell the glad shout of victory at the final surren- der of Cornwallis, October t:, 1782. A few years later Mr. Rose removed to Ohio, locating in Poland township, Mahoning county. Here was born to then four sons and three daughters. Jesse Rose, Jr., was the third son. Ile married Susan Everhart in the year 1816, and settled on a farm in Ellsworth town- ship, where he died. John Rose, the subject of this biography, was the oldest son of Jesse, Jr. He was born September 25, 1819. November 4, 1846. he was married to Lucinda Parshall, of Youngstown, Ohio, by the Rev. Dillon Prosser of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which denomination both were members. In the spring of 1854, he settled in Camden township, Lorain county, where he yet resides. He was accom- panied by his youngest brother, Preston B. Rose, now professor in the university at Ann Arbor, Michigan. The children of John and Lucinda Rose, are: Euphra- sia, who died when eight years of age; Eugene, who entered Oberlin college, when fourteen years of age. enlisted in the army at the age of seventeen, served until the close, was honorably discharged therefrom, and is now in business in New York City: Ezra Nor- ris, who married Mattie Close, and now lives in Ches- ter, Eaton county, Michigan, and Olin who remains with his parents on the old homestead. Of the polit- ical history of Mr. Rose, we learn that in 1840 he came out against the party of log cabins, hard cider, and coon skins, and his first ballot was cast for Martin Van Buren. Hle continned with the democratic party until they nominated that arrant rebel, Vallanding- ham, for governor, when he became a republican, and continues to this time a firm adherent to the sterling principles of that party. Ile has served as township trustee and justice of the peace for many years.
Mr. Rose has been an earnest, steadfast christian from early life. At the age of nineteen years he helped to organize the Methodist Episcopal church at Ellsworth, Mahoning county, Ohio, and not only he but his worthy and estimable companion have ever been foremost in promoting the interests of the cause of christianity, and are now engaged with others in the crection of a Union church edifice at Kipton.
38
PENFIELD.
A SURVEY of Penfield discloses to one, upon every side, the evidences of the truest and best prosperity, evidences of material wealth and of moral well being -secured and transmitted to their descendants of to-day by the hardy pioneers whose ax blows resounded in the forest over half a hundred years ago. They are gone now-nearly all of the simple, honest, hard working, unconsciously heroie men and women who took up their abode in the wilderness: but the exam- ple of their lives endures; the good that they began moves on; the institutions that they organized still exist, increasing constantly in strength. The relig- ion that they planted is flourishing in fruition, and the solid substructure of social and spiritual life which they laid down remains sound and intact, the foundation of all that is admirable in the editice of to-day.
The ringing of the church bells will sound no more forever upon the ears of many who loved to hear their call. They have passed from the church militant to the church triumphant, but their children and their childrens' children obey the summons, and upon Sabbath mornings, from all directions, come to listen to the gospel which was the solace and the consola- tion of their forefathers as it is theirs.
The inheritance which the present generation has secured, is one which included something more than the broad farms cleared and the fine orchards planted by the pioneers. It is an inheritance of good princi- ples, morality, religion, education, of sturdy inde- pendence, of industry, of strong patriotism and of the varied qualities that combine to make the early residents of the Reserve men of sterling worth.
What we have said of Penfield is applicable in a degree to almost any of the farming townships in the New England of the west. We have simply taken it as a type.
THE FACE OF THE COUNTRY.
Penfield was first known as town number three in the seventeenth range of the original Western Re- serve. It is upon what is known as the table or level, sitnated about twenty miles from Lake Erie, and ten miles north of the dividing line of the waters. The Black river enters the township at about the center of its southern line, and flows northward and a little eastward in quite a tortnous course. It has broad bottom lands, and has made but few bluffs, and those not more than ten feet high. The soil is a clay loam with a mixture of more or less sand. The land is most rolling east of the river, and there contains the most sand. The subsoil is a little heavier than the
-
top, and when worked up and mixed with it, makes an earth which will bear as fine crops of wheat as could be produced fifty years ago.
ORIGINAL PROPRIETORS.
Township number three in range seventeen became by the original drawing the property of Caleb At- water. He paid for it the not extravagant sum of twenty-five cents per acre, or about four thousand dollars for the entire township which contains not far from sixteen thousand acres. Ile deeded this land to his six danghters, Lucy Day, Ruth Cook, Abigail Andrews, Mary Beebe, Sarah Merrick, and the wife of Judge Cook, dividing it into six equal sections.
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