History of Lorain County, Ohio, Part 74

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

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Only three of these sections were in the market when the first settlers came to the township.

SETTLEMENT.

Peter Penfield and Calvin Spencer, both from East- ern New York, came into Penfield, in the fall of 1818, for the purpose of seeking lands suitable for settle- ment. They were assisted in their examination by James, a son of Major Ingersoll, of Grafton. They experienced some considerable difficulty in finding the township lines, so as to know on what lands they were, or what township they were in. They finally succeeded in finding the corners of the townships that are now known as Litchfield, Grafton, LaGrange and Penfield, which occupied most of the first day. They returned to Major Ingersoll's that night. This was a trip of about thirteen miles, almost entirely through the wilderness. The next day they went out with another son of Major Ingersoll's, Marshall, and when they struck Black river they followed up the stream for some distance on the river bottoms, and the sight of the large black walnut timber growing, and the rich lands, called forth many expressions of admiration, especially from Mr. Spencer. With this short exploration they returned to Major Ingersoll's that night, and the next morning they set ont to re- turn home, making the round trip in about six weeks. During the following year negotiations were made with the proprietors who proposed to give to Peter Penfield the agency of part of their lands in the town- ship, and cach to give him fifty acres off from cach section, in consideration that he should move with his family into said township with a view of remaining there. The quantity of land was afterward reduced to twenty-four acres from cach of the six proprietors.

In the fall of the following year, 1819, Peter Pen- field returned with his son Alanson and selected

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TRUMAN PENFIELD

MRS TRUMAN PENFIELD.

RESIDENCE OF WILLIAM W PENFIFIN PEUrir n Ta 1

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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OIIIO.

land. Seth C. Ingersoll being engaged to erect a house upon it, the father returned to his New York home, leaving Alanson in Sheffield, on the 22nd of February following, 1820. Peter Penfield and his nephew Lathrop, started from Harpersfield, Delaware county, New York, and with backs turned upon their old home pushed resolutely forward to the forest in which they were to make a new home. After a fatiguing journey of four weeks they arrived in Graf- ton and stopped at Ingersoll's headquarters for new- comers. After collecting a quantity of provisions they started for the place where they were to begin life as frontiersmen, and had a pretty hard experience upon the very outset. They were literally obliged to eut their way through the woods to the land that had been purchased. When they arrived at the cabin (lot four, section six,) they found it unfinished. They were then alone in the midst of a wilderness, which stretched from Elyria to Harrisville, and from Me- dina to Wellington. Besides the work of cutting a trail from Grafton, the Penfields opened the north and south road through the wilderness as far as But- ternut ridge, spending about thirty days' time, for which they never received any remuneration. They were obliged while doing this work to go to llar- risville, a distance of fifteen miles, for provisions. Their horses strayed away, and after ten days search they found them upon Rocky river, north of Medina. The work of preparing the ground for corn and wheat was immediately undertaken. Peter Pentiell returned east in July, Lathrop and Alanson remaining to en- large the clearing about their log cabin, and came back to town number three, as it was then called, bringing his family, in March, 1821. Truman Pen- field came out in May, selected a site for a home, lot eleven, section four, and went back in the follow- ing month for his family, which consisted of his wife and one son, Samnel S. He returned with his house- hold, November 5th, 1820. His family was, there- fore, the first that had a home in the township, and that of Peter Penfield the second. Lewis Penfield and his son Amos moved in the year 1824, and Amzi, another son, came in 1827. Ephraim came still after. Lewis located upon lot fourteen, section four.

The descendants of the Penfields have been numer- ous, and had even the sons and danghters of those who were among the first settlers all become residents of the township at one time, it would have had a fair population. Some of these, as has been shown, did not come into the country until several years after the arrival of Peter, Lathrop and Truman.

Peter Penfield's family alone, from first to last, numbered fifteen persons. IFis wife was Catharine Ilawley. Their descendants were: Alanson, Marilla, Sarah, all three deceased; Ilorace, now in California; Austin C. and Benjamin, deceased; Homer and Rus- sell H., residents of Elyria and heads of families; Maria, deceased; Emily (Mrs. Walker), in Massachu- . setts; Susan (Mrs. Clark), in Huntington township; and Harriet, deceased.

Lewis Penfield, a brother of Peter, and his wife, Ada, were the parents of Truman, Betsey (Mrs. Ray- mond Starr), Ephraim, Amos, Lathrop, Anzi and Gideon, all of whom are now dead but Lathrop, who is a resident of Springfield, Ohio; he married, in 1824, Caroline West, and their children were: Franklin, Betsey, Warren and Fletcher.

Amzi Penfield was also the father of a large family of children, of whom Rosalie, Henry and Euphemia are residents in Penfield, and James in Wellington.

Trmnan Penfield's children were: Samuel S. and W. W., resident in the township; Truman and Mana (Mrs. Hiram Smith), in linois; and Jane ( Mrs. A. W. IFendry), in Sandusky, who was the second child born in the township. Truman Penfield's first wife was the first white woman who entered the wilderness; she endured many hardships, and died soon after coming into the settlement, it is said, from the effects of the pioneer's life of toil, privation and exposure. Truman Penfield married a second wife.

Again, taking up the descendants of Peter Penfield, it may be stated that the family of Austin C. is at Saratoga, and that the children of Horace-George, Myron and Willie-are at the old homestead, where the first cabin was built. Russell Il. married Henri- etta Virginia Blanchard; their children are: Emerson, Anna M., Florence V. and Amia P. Homer Pentield and his wife, Martha, have two sons, Norman and Roderick.

The Starrs were one of the largest families among the early settlers. Raymond was the first. Ile came from New Harpersfield, Delaware county, New York, in 1829, and settled on lot nine, section four (the center). Ile married Betsey Penfield, and they were the parents of Lewis, who resides in LaGrange; George R. and Horace C., of Elyria; Russell (dead); Franklin and Alonzo, in Cincinnati, Ohio; and Betsey ( Mrs. Goodwin, of Elyria).

William Starr came into the settlement in 1830, and took up land in lot two, section four. His three sons were, Orrin K., George W. (dead), and Gideon B. The daughters were, Polly Ann (Smith), of Wellington, Clarinda, Orline, Jane, and another.

Orrin Starr came in 1834, and took land in lots five and six, section tive. llis wife's name is Abigail. They have six children, four of whom are in the county. Il. Il. is in Nebraska, and Mana (Taylor), in Michigan. The others are: Heman E., Clapp R., Minerva (Smith), and Edna (Dixon).

Talcott came into the township last of all, having remained in Elyria sometime after coming into Ohio. He took up lot eight, section tive. Two of his des- cendants, Matthew L. and Gideon L., are residents of Penfiekl. Alden is in Cleveland, Angeline in Now York, and Maria dead.

The Starrs have been prominently identified with the interests of Pentield, and have contributed much, in various ways, toward its prosperity.

Abner Beardsley, a squatter, and his family, came to the township next after Peter and Freeman Pen-

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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.

field. Calvin Spencer eame again in 1821, selected land, engaged Peter Penfield to build a log house, and returned east.

The Knapp family were the first permanent set- tlers after the pioneer Penfields. They were from Harpersfield, Delaware county, New York, and their first representative, Samuel, who remained in the township, came to the settlement in the spring of 1822, locating on lot fifty-five, seetion three, east of the center. His wife's name was Mary. She died in 1842, and he married his second wife, Sarah Hayes. Samuel Knapp died in 1824. William Knapp had come out in the spring of the same year with Peter Penfield and located land on lot forty-nine, section four. On his way back after his family he was taken sick, and died at Hamburg, New York, near Buffalo. Stephen Knapp and his wife, Grace Johnson, came in October, 1825, and settled on lot forty-nine, section four. They brought with them two children, Lucy and William J., aged respectively three years and one year and two months. William J. is still a resident of the township, and has not been absent more than two years altogether since his arrival. He is a car- penter and joiner by trade. Ilis wife is Eliza Lindsley, a native also of Delaware county, New York. The other children born to Stephen and Grace Knapp, were Charles S., Julius B., Sally, Har- riet, Van Buren, Ephraim, Helen, Charlotte and Carrie. All are living except one. Stephen Knapp died March 22, 1870, and his wife is still living. Shubael Knapp, a brother of Samuel, Stephen and William came into the township in 1830, and took up lot thirty-four, in section four. He was killed, a few years later, by the falling of a large hollow sycamore log, which he was assisting in standing upon end for the purpose of making a smoke house. His skull was ernshed and he died almost instantly. llis chil- dren were 1. 1., Abigail and Shubael. Lewis Knapp. another brother, came in about 1834, bringing his mother and settling upon lot thirty-five, section four.

James Job and family resided for a short time upon lot two, section six, arriving in 1828.

Calvin Spencer and his family, and brother Ichabod, moved into the settlement from Durham, New York, in the spring of 1824. Calvin had purchased land on lots seventeen, eighteen, nineteen and twenty, section two. His children were: Merwin, Mary, Harriet, Hoyt. David and Julia (Mrs. Carman, the famous singer of Norwalk).

Benjamin E. Merwin and wife, of Durham, Greene county, New York, came in May, 1824, and located on lot thirty-seven, section tive. Their children were: David P. Jr., Geo. E., Caroline and Irene. David P. Merwin, Sr., arrived a year later. None of the family are now resident in the township.

Elijah and Mercy Hawley came at the same time as Calvin Spencer, and the husband died in August of 1825. Their children were Jesse, Elijah, Catha- rine, Mary (Mrs. C. Spencer) and Eunice. Jesse

Hawley is accredited with the honor of having been the originator of the Erie canal seheme.

Dr. James Hall, of Cairo, New York, settled in 1825, upon lot two, section six.

William, usually known as Squire, Andrews settled in 1828. He was from Wallingford, Connecticut, and was a brother of Judge Andrews, of Cleveland. Ile died in 1826. Beri Andrews, a cousin of the Squire, became a resident in 1834.

William L. Hayes, of Delaware county, New York, arrived in 1829, and settled upon lot forty eight, sec- tion four. Ilis father, Andrew Hayes, came two years later. William married Aurilla Lindsley, and reared a family of seven children.

1l. G. Witbeek and his wife, Freelove (Welton), came from Schoharie county, New York, in 1831, bringing with them three children -Josiah EL., Hiram and Mahala (afterwards Mrs. R. Peters). Josiah IL. and Hiram are residents of Penfield. The other descendants of HI. G. and wife were James, Abel, Mitchell and Lucinda.

D. W. C. Dixon, of Litchfield, Conneetient, settled in 1832, upon lot fourteen, section one, and Lewis Hart, of the same State, came about the same time.

In 1833, J. B. Gaylord and his wife Hannah, eame from Delaware county. New York, and settled upon lot fifty-eight, in section two. Peter Bosh, of New York State, settled the same year upon a farm in see- tion two.

Elisha Sheldon took up land in 1834, and in 1835 himself and wife settled upon it. Their homestead is upon lot sixty-one, section one. They had seven children, of whom five are still living: Sarah E., (Mrs. C. E. Starr), Daniel P., and A. E. in Welling- ton. William L. and C. Il. in Pentiekl.

Edward Palmer, of Columbia county, New York, came in 1836. Giles, Charles, Randolph and Sarah were his descendants. The last named is the only one now living.

Joel B. Smith was an early settler, and a son, Levi Smith, is now one of the leading citizens of Penfield.

Pliny Jackson made the first settlement in the northwest part of the township, taking up the extreme corner lot, in 1832. Ilis children were Jane, Martha, George, Alonzo, Melissa, Harriet, and Eliza.

Dr. James Blanchard, who had previously made a visit to the township, settled upon lot forty, section six, in 1835. He was from Cairo, New York.

Hiram Norton, of Allegany county, New York, settled in 1841, in the southeastern part of the town- ship. He had three sons. George II. Norton is a res- ident of Penfield. Edward J. and Andrew J. are in Michigan.

INDIANS.

When the Penfields came into the woods they found a few Wyandot Indians encamped there, pur- sning their only occupation, hunting and trapping. They were seen in the viemity more or less frequently for ten or a dozen years later, and then the last brave disappeared before the advancement of the superior

Elisha Shelden

Sally Sheldon

NINA.

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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OIIIO.

race. Some of the squaws were very handsome in their swarthy savage style of beauty, and are said to have known how to enhance their charms by many rude arts of the toilet, but their appearance was rendered less suggestive of wild woodland life than the imaginative reader would like to suppose by their wearing calico dresses; the warriors wore deer skins. The Indians came sometimes to trade with the whites and bartered baskets, turkey wings and other trinkets, as well as venison, for calico, blankets, and bread or flour.

Among the Indians who were seen in early days at this settlement was the famous Seneca chieftain, Red Jacket, a savage nobleman of symmetrical figure, powerful and of commanding presence. It was ovi- dently with great reluctance that he forsook the old hunting ground of his tribe.

The Indians were in the custom of going just before the holidays to Sandusky, where they exchanged furs and other trophies of the chase with the traders for blankets, trinkets and supplies for the winter. In the spring they returned to the Black river country to hunt and make maple sugar. The mer chants of Sandusky would furnish them with certiti- cates in these words: " This is to certify that the bearer is of the Seneca tribe of Indians, which is an entirely peaceful tribe, and desires that he be per- mitted to hunt on the lands unmolested, and in no case to give him whiskey." These certificates they were very forward to show.

Maple sugar making was very generally practiced by the Indians in the spring, and the same ones have been known to return season after season to localities favorable for following this, the most civilized prac- tice they engaged in. They made their sap troughs of bark peeled from trees of medium size, and taken off in pieces about two feet long, half cylinders in shape. The ends were turned up and tied with thongs, the rough outer bark being removed, and the trough, when finished, was capable of holding three or four quarts of sap. The bark, stripped from a huge tree, would make a reservoir of sufficient size to contain half a barrel, and this was used as a recep- tacle for the collected contents of the smaller sap troughs. Kettles were hung above a fire, and the same process of sugar making was pursued, that is so commonly practiced to-day.

Nearly all of the Indians who encamped in Pen- field, were upon friendly terms with the settlers, and many favors were extended by each race to the other.

W. J. Knapp, who came into the woods when a little boy, with his father, remembers playing with the In- (lian children, particularly one bright, active, hand- some little fellow, of whom he learned how to shoot with bow and arrow.

Spy Buck, an Indian of magnificient physique, and a great hunter, encamped with others of his tribe in the woods for some time one season, and was much admired by many of his pale-faced brethren. He had with him a very beautiful squaw, and the two seemed

to live together in a condition of sylvan happiness al- most idylic, but one day a party of Indians arrived from the headquarters of the tribe in Upper San- dusky, and compelled Spy Buck and his band, includ- ing the handsome squaw, to return with them. The settlers heard a long time afterward that the squaw be- longed to another Indian, and that in punishment for their infidelity, she and Spy Buck had been put to death at the stake. The other Indians of this tribe were very reticent in regard to what had become of the two, but it was evident from their manner when the whereabouts of Spy Buck and the squaw was asked, that they knew perfectly well their fate.

Among the last of the Indians who came into Pen- field, was Seneca John. In company with several others, he had been camping for some time in the favorite hunting grounds of this vicinity, and finally some of the settlers made up their minds that Seneca John and his untutored companions must leave the country. Three of them constituted themselves a kind of a delegation to make known to the Indians the desire of their white brothers. They took with them a colored man, and proceeding to the hut of Seneea John, informed that dignitary that he and those of his race must depart from the country. Seneca John listened to the spokesman of the party quietly, until he had ceased speaking, and then draw- ing himself up to his full height, expressed briefly but forcibly his indignation and contempt:

" Ugh! damn! four white men, one of 'em nigger, tell Indian he must no more hunt on Black river! ugh! damn!"

After this brief extempore speech, the " four white men" left, and notwithstanding the force of the declaration of independence he had made, Seneca John and his braves cleared the country a few days after.

WILD ANIMALS.

The territory lying along the Black river formed the favorite hunting grounds of the wandering bands of ludians, who had headquarters farther west. They enjoyed undisputed possession of this forest before the white came in, and still lingered in the vicinity when the settlement contained a dozen families. As the forests disappeared, the Indians and the game went also. Deer were very numerous. The country was full of wild hogs, opossums, porcupine, turkeys, raccoons, and the smaller varieties of animals. Be- side these, there were wolves and willcats. Hunting was sufficiently dangerous to be exciting, and those who went into the woods to secure material for a din- ner, had to be npon their guard lest they should be made a meal of. Lewis Penfield provided himself and family with their first thanksgiving dinner, with his rifle, lle was a pretty good shot, and concluding that some venison would lend attractions to the board, he went out a short distance into the woods, and in a few minutes time brought down a fine buck. Stephen Knapp was a great hunter, and many instances of his

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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.

success in wooderaft might be cited. He was very fond of adventure, and often made long tramps in quest of the larger kinds of game. He once shot a wildeat under his dwelling house, aud made a huge panther bite the dust, over in the edge of Litchfield township. Several others were killed about the same time. Wild turkeys sometimes came very close to the dwellings of the carly settlers, and quite a number of them were entrapped through their temerity, upon one occasion. Quite a flock of them entered Mr. Knapp's barn, to pick up kernels of grain from the floor. They were seen to enter, and one of the family creeping cautiously to the barn, quickly shut the door. Afterwards the barn was several times baited as a trap, and once or twice the family was successful in making a catch. There were beaver in Pentield, but they abandoned their dam very soon after the first sound of the ax was heard in the clearing. The writer was shown by Mr. W. J. Knapp, the dam which still stands as a monument to the industry of these strange animals. It extends across a swale through which a small stream runs, about a quarter of a mile north of the center. It is now about six feet high above the bed of the stream, and was prob- ably two feet higher when constructed. Its form is plainly visible. It is that of an arch, with the con- vex side up stream. It was built in the place where the minimum of work would secure the maximum of result, and had the intelligence of man instead of the instinct of animals, been exerted in its construction. it could not have been made more perfect. The extent of the overflow caused by the building of the dam, was from twelve to fifteen acres.

FIRST EVENTS.

In the matters of birth, a girl got a little the start of the other sex, as girls usually do in all the affairs of life. The first child boru was Harriet, daughter of Peter and Catharine Penfield. The birth occurred in De- cember, 1831, John, son of Amor and Altana P'en- field, was the first boy born.

The first death in the township was that of Ruth Ann, wife of Truman Penfield, the first woman who claimed a house in the settlement.

The first marriage in the township was that of Car- oline, daughter of David Merwin, Sr., to Dr. Samuel Strong. It took place in 1826. The first resident of the township married, was Lathrop Penfield. Hc was married March 17, 1824, to Caroline West, of Grafton, the ceremony being conducted by Franklin Wells, Esq-

The first litigation was between Peter Penfield and Levi Mills, in the summer of 1826 or 1827. It was in regard to work done upon a mill-dam, and the dis- pute was settled by referees.

The first log house was that built in the fall of 1819, for Peter Penfield, by Seth C. Ingersoll. The first frame house was built by Peter Penfield, upon his homestead, in 1822. The first brick house was built about 1854, near the center, by Hiram Smith.

The first tavern was a strictly temperance house, conducted by Truman Penfield.

The first store was opened in 1828, by Raymond Starr.

The first row of corn was planted by Lathrop Pen- field, in 1820, the small timber being cleared from two acres and a half of land for this erop. Some wheat was sown the same season, where now stands the first orchard, planted by Peter Penfield.

RICHLAND-PENFIELD.

The township was noted for its fertile soil and tine crops. Corn and the cereals were raised in larger quantity and of better quality than in the adjoining townships. It was a not uncommon thing in the first decade of its settlement, for the pioneers of older townships to come here for produce, when, because of inferior soil, and perhaps through want of proper tillage, their own crops had proven insufficient.

A farmer once drove into the settlement at the head of a small procession of other farmers, each in a linge wagon, and, addressing one of the residents, said: "We come after that for which the children of Israel went to Egypt-corn!" Their wagons went back heavily laden.

So prolific was the soil, and so rich the harvest, that, when a name was to be chosen for the township, that of Richland was popularly agreed upon, and 'be- fore the town was organized the commissioners of Medina county were petitioned to bestow upon it that name. They took it into consideration; but, discov- ering that there were other localities named Richland, rejected the petition and named the township Pen- field, in honor of the first settler. It may be added that the productiveness of the soil has not been de- creased by the application of this name. The town- ship is still Richland, in fact, though Penfield by name: and its farms and orchards fully attest. to-day, the truth of what was said in regard to the agricul- tural qualities of the township fifty years ago, by the men who first felled the forest and broke the ground.

ORGANIZATION.

The first township election was ordered to be held upon the first Monday of April, 1825, at the house of Truman Penfield. The following officers were elected upon that occasion: elerk, Truman Penfield; trus- tees, Samuel Knapp, Samuel Root, Peter Pentield: treasurer, Lathrop Penfield; overseers of the poor, Lewis Penfield, Calvin Spencer. In 1826, May 27, Benjamin Merwin was elected justice of the peace, the first in the township. At the close of 1878 the township officers were: clerk, Andrew Denham: trus- tees, W. C. Hastings, Elisha Sheldon, M. E. Starr; treasurer, A. D. Lindsley; justices of the peace, W. W. Penfield, George H. Norton; constables, W. J. Krebs, Perry Bost. School Board: David C. Bunt, president; Samuel McCoy, Calvin Ensign, Foster Lewis, Douglass Goodyear, Edward M. Linder, D. F. Curtice, Orrin K. Starr.

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History of Lorain County, Ohio, Part 74

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

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