USA > Ohio > Lorain County > History of Lorain County, Ohio > Part 77
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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OIIIO.
second Louisiana district. Allen Sheldon, the pioneer. was a man of unquestioned probity of character. Elder Beeman baptized him, married him, and preached his funeral sermon.
Horace Knowles came in 1833, from Wellington, Massachusetts. He was until recently in excellent health, and is said to have done as much hard work as any man who ever lived in the township, accumu- lating thereby a snug fortune for himself and a com- peteney for his children. His wife, Catharine, died in 1871. Mr. Knowles is at this writing eighty-three years of age.
Minor C. Noble and Peter Crowner arrived in 1834. and took up lands, the former in the northern part of the town and the latter about a mile north and a mile west of the center. Both are living. Mr. Noble is eighty-one years of age and Mr. Crowner eighty-three. Four generations of the Crowner family are living. Mr. Noble had three sons and three daughters. W. W. Noble and M. E. Noble own farms about two miles north of the center upon the old plank road.
EARLY EVENTS.
The first child, born in the township, was Eliza, daughter of Henry Townsend. The date of her birth is in dispute. It is said by some that she was born June 3, 1826, but there is a strong probability that she tirst opened her eyes upon this world in November of the same year. Miss Townsend went, when seven years of age, to Geanga county.
An event of considerable interest to the whole com- munity, and particularly to Curtiss and Patty Ilas- tings, their parents, was the birth of the twins, Good- rich and Hubbard Hastings, so named after the origi- nal proprietors of the township. They were born June 26, 1827. The twins were honored by visits from all the people for miles around, and were the objects of much curiosity and admiration. It is re- lated that they were rocked to sleep in a sap trough. Both are now living near the place where born. E. 11. Ilastings has a farm of two hundred and twenty- six acres, and E. G. Hastings one of one hundred and forty-two, upon which his father also has his home.
The first marriage and the first death occurred in the year 1822. A very happy occasion was that of the marriage of Calvin Wilcox, of Wellington, to llarrict, danghter of Fairchild and Phebe Hubbard. The bridegroom and a party of friends rode upon horse- back from Wellington, and their horses stood tethered out of doors all night, awaiting their return. The ceremony was conducted by Rev. Alfred Betts, of Brownhel, who carned his fee by riding twenty miles though the woods, to officiate at the wedding. The bridal trip was by bridle path to Wellington, and was performed upon the day following the wedding. This nuptial knot was tied March 8, 1827.
In the fall of the same year, November seventh, the hearts of the pioneer settlers were first saddened by the presence of the great destroyer in their midst. The family visited was that of David Rockwood, and
the member taken was a loving wife and mother. She died after a short illness, of bilious fever, and the friends assembled at the bereaved home to attend the funeral, sad beyond the power of words to tell, and solemn in its simplicity. There was no sable hearse, no retinne of carriages, no luxurious or conventional expression of grief. no funeral sermon, but tenderly and lovingly the inanimate body was laid in earth after a homely, earnest prayer and the singing of a good old hymn. Hearts were left aching as they ever have since man came upon the earth, and ever will until the race is no more. That was all. Deacon Graves conducted what little there was of funeral ser- vice, and when the burial had been made, the sorrow- ing people dispersed to their homes. Mrs. Rockwood was a daughter of Charles and Lydia Rounds, of Champion. New York.
A terrible fate befel two young children of Joseph Lincoln and wife. These people, as has been before stated, settled in 1833 upon the farm now owned by Reuben Wright. two miles southwest of the center. A few years after, as Mr. Lincoln and his wife were returning, one winter evening, from a visit to a friend about three miles distant, they were startled by find- ing their house on fire; and when they arrived at the place, they made the horrifying discovery that two of their children had been burned alive. Two older children, girls, had escaped from the house before it was completely wrapped in flames, but were so fright- ened that they lost their presence of mind, and were unable to render the fire-imprisoned httle ones any assistance. They saw the children at the windows, and heard their agonizing shrieks until they perished in the flames. Speaking of the casualty in after years, the sisters said that the memory of the horrible scene would haunt them to their dying day.
The lirst frame building in the township was a barn erected by David Rockwood, on his farm near the east. branch of Black river; and the first frame building at the center was a store upon the southeast corner of the square, put up and occupied by Dr. Hubbard. Calvin Wilcox built for his own occupancy the first frame dwelling house. The first brick building was the store of Robbins & Gott, at the center, built in 1865.
Curtiss Hastings drove the first horse team owned in the township, It is said that on one occasion he was three days in making a journey to Elyria and back, such was the state of the road.
ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWNSHIP.
The commissioners of Lorain county, at the June session, in 1824, attached La Grange township to Carlisle, for civil and judicial purposes, and it was not until 1822 that it was separately organized. It was detached in Jannary, of the year mentioned, and the first election, at which twenty-nine ballots were cast, was held at the house of Fairchild Hubbard, in April following. These are the officers elected: Eber W. Hubbard, township clerk; Noah Holcomb,
MRS. ALLEN SANDERS
ALLEN SANDERS
PHOTOS BY LEE, ELIRIA O
RESIDENCE OF ALLEN SANDERS , LAGRANGE, LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO
DELOS M. SANDERS
MRS. DELOS M. SANDERS
PHOTOS BY J C POTTER. ELYRIA OHIO
RESIDENCE OF DELOS M. SANDERS, PITTSFIELD TP., LORAIN CO., O.
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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO,
Noah Kellogg, and Fairchild Hubbard, trustees; James Disbrow, treasurer; Joseph A. Graves and Nathan Clark, overseers of the poor: James Disbrow and Henry Townsend, fence viewers; Henry Hubbard, constable: Henry Townsend and Nathan Clark, super- visors; Eber W. Hubbard, justice of the peace. Fairchild Hubbard, Joseph A. Graves, and Noah Iloleomb acted as judges of election, and Eber W. and Henry Hubbard as clerks.
Following are the officers of 1878: M. W. Ingalls, clerk: J. B. Gott, treasurer: A. Ryan, Darius Nich- ols, and N. T. Wilmot, trustees: L. L. Crane and J. H. Brown, justices of the peace; P. Ilolcomb and Wm. F. Woolcott, constables.
The township was given its name by Dr. Eber W. Hubbard, a great admirer of General La Fayette, whose country home in France was called La Grange.
CHEESE FACTORIES, SAW MILLS, ETC.
The first saw mill in the township was built on the farm of Noah Holcomb, by Andrew Holcomb, and the first grist mill was a very weak one-horse power affair, in the north part of the town, of which one Cross was the proud proprietor. La Grange has now its full share of manufactories, of various kinds,- most of them are in the village. There is an old flouring and saw mill on the east branch of Black river, two miles cast of the center, the property of Bradley Woodmansee, and there are three in the village.
Of cheese factories, there are three outside of the village, one owned by L. G. Parsons, half a mile east, of the old plank road, and two miles and a half north from the center; one owned by George Kelner, two miles northwest from the center; and Crozier & Shel- don's factory, two miles east, and a mile and a half south of the center.
Joel Curtiss has a cheese box factory a mile west of the center, and two miles south, which supplies many . cheese factories in the vicinity, and some at a consid- erable distance.
A small stone quarry, in the northwest corner of the township, is operated by Charles Kelner.
BURIAL PLACES.
The remains of Mrs. David Rockwood, the first per- son who died in La Grange, were interred in a small "chopping," or clearing, upon the farm of Deacon Robbins, in the western portion of the township, and rested there for seventeen years, when they were removed and re-interred upon Mr. Rockwood's farm,
The first cemetery laid out was the one on the north side of the road, just west of the center. Ilere repose, after toilsome and noble lives, many of the brave pioneers of La Grange. There are two other ceme- teries, one upon the River road, in the eastern part of the township, and one in the northwest corner. The first burial in the cemetery at the center was a child of Lewis Rounds, aged two years.
LA GRANGE VILLAGE.
Lying exactly in the center of the township, quar- tered by the north and south and the east and west roads, built up abont an open square, is the well-to-do. progressive little village of La Grange. Il. has a hand- some brick town hall, seventy-eight by thirty-eight feet, built in 1875, three churches, a hotel, nearly a dozen stores, several quite extensive manufactories, and as well educated, well behaved class of citizens as any community in the county.
INCORPORATION,
The growth of " the corners," or the center, had been a slow and steady one through many years, but the size of the little village increased so fast during a few years prior to 1875, that the people began to think of having a corporation government, and ac- cordingly petitioned for a charter in the year men- tioned. The first election was held April 8, 1875, and the choice of officers resulted as follows: Mayor, .I. E. Willard; clerk, D. D. Gott; marshal, P. Holcomb: councilmen for one year, A. Ryan, G. IT. Robbins and Wm. Hopkins: for two years, D. Holcomb, E. L. Gott and O. Dale; and treasurer, D. L. Gott. In 1846, the councilmen elected were: A. Ryan, Wm. Hopkins and Chas. Kelner. The officers elected in 1847 were: Mayor, E. W. Clark; clerk, A. A. Cragin: marshal, Horace Knowles, Jr. ; councilmen. O. Dale, J. C. Willard and George Whitney: treasurer, C. C. Manville: and street commissioner (appointed), Rufus Knowles. The othiec of mayor was made vacant by Clarke's departure from town, and at a special elec- tion, L. L. Crane was elected to till the vacancy. In 1878, three councilmen were elected: Chas. Kelner, N. Marcey and J. B. Hastings.
THE RELIGIOUS HISTORY
of La Grange shows a stalwart growth from a small beginning. The people of this township, however, were of good material for the leaven of religious feel- ing to work in. The efforts of the early preachers were warmly seconded by the early settlers, who had come from a part of the country in which churches had long been established. There was from the first a feeling favorable to the organization of the institu- tions of religion. Something has already been said of the labors of the first preacher, Rev. Julius Beeman, and a few facts in regard to his son-in-law, Rev. F. R. Freeman, who was a strong and influential minister, will not be inappropriate in this connection, He was born October 6, 1805, in Worcester, Otsego county, New York, and was married, by her father, to Lucy Beeman, in October of 1826. In 1828, he came to La Grange, where he remained until 1850, Hle cleared two farms, set out two orchards, and shared nearly all of the hardships of pioneer life. It was while in the midst of these labors and trials that he entered the ministry. Up to the time of his departure, Mr. Free- man preached almost uninterruptedly in La Grange,
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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
Pittsfield and neighboring townships. He was one of the seven men in La Grange who voted for Birney, abolition candidate for the Presidency, and was a. member of the Buffalo Convention of 1848, whereat was formed the free soil party. Mr. Freeman is the only person living, of all the number who were upon the deck of the first steam packet in the world-the Cleremont-before, during, or just after the great trial from New York to Albany. He was a child two years of age at the time, and was carried on board of Ful- ton's famous steamboat, upon her arrival at Albany, by his father. Mr. Truman's age is now seventy-four years, and that of his wife seventy. Ilis home, at the present writing, is and has been, since 1850, in Ilinois.
THE BAPTIST CHURCH
was organized as early as 1828, only three years after the first settler came to the township. It might. perhaps, be called the first fruit of Rev. Julius Bee- man's labors. May 13th there assembled eighteen persons who were the constituent members of the church, -Julius and Charlotte Beeman, Charles and Lydia Rounds, Hannah Pearce, Noah Holcomb, Sr., Eunice Holcomb, Polly Hastings, Noah Holcomb, Jr., Alice Holcomb, Wm. Case, Alfred Stilwall, Phobe Stilwall, Laura Herrick, Joseph Robbins, Joseph A. Graves, derusha Graves and Asenath Mor- gan. Deacon Robbins is the only one of the original members now alive. The places of worship were two log school houses, one in the eastern and one in the western portion of the township. Services were held in them alternately for the accommodation of mem- bers living in their neighborhood. The present pastor of the church is the Rev. S. Jones, and the deacons are Thomas Perkins, Joseph Robbin sand D. L. Gott. Mrs. L. M. Noble is clerk and Mrs. Helen Gott, treasurer. The church building now in use is at the center; it was built in 1850. David L. Gott, W. W. Noble and Wells Chamberlain are the trustees.
METHODISM.
A Methodist class was organized in the cast part. of town in 1833, the members being Stephen Cottrell and wife, Mrs. Bunt, her son and his wife, Peter Gott and wife, and Mrs. James Pelton. Peter Gott was class leader from the first and for many years. After a time, as the population in the settlement increased, it was thought advisable to hold meetings at the center. Mr. Munger's house was most com- monly used, but a log school house across the street near where the Woolcott house now stands, was some- times the place of meeting. Rev. Mr. Morey, a circuit preacher, occasionally was present and gave the little class encouragement. The first quarterly meeting was held in Munger's barn, there being no church edifice at the time and that being the largest building available. This meeting, we are told, was largely attended and very satisfactory. It was conducted by a Rev. Mr. Petty. The Methodists began building in 1839, upon a lot donated by Mr. Munger, a church,
which was completed the following year. C. Noble made and presented the sash. Peter Gott, Carey Hastings, Otis Hastings and Nathaniel Smith were the principal financial pillars of the church at this time and contributed most of the means used in the erec- tion of the small building. The old church is now in the rear of Robbins & Gott's store, and is used as a warehouse. It gave place in 1845 to a handsome wooden strnetnre of Gothic architecture, thirty-eight by seventy-tive feet in dimension, which cost about seven thousand dollars. The pastor in 1878 was the Rev. G. L. Hannawalt; stewards, F. V. Sheldon, Geo. A. Whitney, Walter Dale, IL. A. Wilcox; recording steward, Henry Wilkins; trustees, R. Knowles, W. C. Butler, E. R. Hulburt, S. G. Humphrey, R. C. Hast- ings, E. Blackwell. II. A. Wilcox, F. V. Sheldon, George Smith.
The first. protracted meeting was held at Elder Beeman's, and continued two or three weeks. Services were held every morning, afternoon and evening, and a great many conversions were made. Of the founders of Methodism in La Grange, two only still remain at that place. Peter Gott and Polly, his wife, live in the village, full of years, and beloved and esteemed by all.
THE CONGREGATIONALISTS,
though they were third in the order of organizing a church, built the first church edifice in the township. There is now no church of this denomination in the town. The constituent members of the Congrega- tional church organized in 1834, were Nathan P. Johnson and wife, Calvin Wilcox and wife, William Dixon and wife, Sylvester Merriam and wife, William B. Dixon and Mehitable Robbins. Services were held at the house of Calvin Wilcox, and Rev. Mr. Talcott, of Wellington, for a time, supplied the pulpit. Rev. Mr. Eells, of Oberlin, was the first pastor. The society built, in 1835, a house which they used alter- nately with the Baptists until the latter denomination erected a church of their own which they invited the Congregationalists to share with them, neither church being strong enough to support weekly preaching. This relation continued until the Disciples built, when the Congregationalists purchased a half interest in their meeting house. The old Congregational church was bought by the town in 1853, and made into a school house, after which it became a feed store, and then a hardware store, finally disappearing in a neat building creeted by Dr. Merriam. The Congrega- tional society lost some of its members who were best. able to sustain the church, through their removal from town, and those remaining being unable to keep up the church organization and work. it became ex- tinct.
THE FREE-WILL BAPTISTS AND THE DISCIPLES.
The Free-Will Beptists and the Disciples have had churches in La Grange, but neither denomination is now alive. The Disciple Church was organized by Calvin Smith in October, 1853, and the first pastor
PHOTOS BY LEE, ELYRIA 0.
R. B. MUNRO
MRS. R.B.MUNRO
RESIDENCE OF R. B. MUNRO , LAGRANGE, LORAIN CO., OHIO.
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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
was Rev. S. R. Willard. The society built, in 1851, a house in which the Universalists now worship, and in which the Congregationalists still have an interest. The trustees were D. M. Adams, O. Billings, D. Gott, Jr., R. Fulton and HI. Freeman.
THE UNIVERSALIST CHURCH
was organized May 19, 1861, its first officers being the following: Deacons, Elisha Saxton, David Gott; clerk, J. Il. Brown; trustees, D. T. Parsons, Horace Sanders, J. IL. Brown. The first pastor was the Rev. IL. R. Nye. The officers for 1878 are: Trustees, Allen Sanders, D. H. Gott, J. L. Rowell; clerk, J. 11. Brown; treasurer, Maria Hastings. The church has, at this writing, no pastor.
SCHOOLS.
Throughout the Western Reserve the church and the school have been, from the days of the first settle- ment, almost inseparable, yet distinet in titutions. They have sprung into being from one mother and one motive-the desire to perpetuate in the west the good inthenees of the older eastern States. Almost invariably the pioneers have taken measures for the mental advancement of their children at the same time they have established the church in which they shall receive their moral education. It was so in La Grange: the same year that witnessed the building of the first church, logs were hewn for two school houses, one in the eastern and one in the western part of the township. This was in 1828, only three years after the first settler came into the county. The first teachers were Henry Hubbard and Polly Greeves. After them came numerous others of all degrees of ability: most of them, however, but poorly qualified to teach.
A farmer from an adjoining township, anxious to get a school for his daughter, mentioned, as a strong recommendation, the fact that she had been part of a term to a high school. But, in those days, there was not as much required of a teacher as now, and the pay was considerably less than the young men and women of to-day receive for "teaching the young idea to shoot." Male teachers received from twelve to six- teen dollars per month, and young women three dollars per month.
There was a steady advancement in the quality of the district schools, and it culminated at the center about 1868, in the establishment of the union school system, which has since been in vogue. A two- story brick building was erected in that year at a cost of about three thousand five hundred dollars, and a small frame building put up in 1827. F. V. Sheldon, Dr. Geo. C. Underhill and Geo. E. Freeman were the members of the school board at that time, and Dr. Geo. N. Snyder was the first superintendent. At present E. D. Merriam, D. L. Gott and HI. C. Wilcox, constitute the board, and Dr. Snyder is again super- intendent. His assistants are John Handyside and Emma Rawson. The school has three departments:
the primary with tifty-tive pupils, the intermediate with twenty-four, and the high school with forty-four, making a total of one hundred and twenty-three.
F. AND A. MASONS.
LA GRANGE LODGE, No. 399, was organized on the 13th, of November 1867, with the following charter members: Harlow P. Sage, Elizur G. Johnson, Martin Stroup, Orrin P. Robberts, Edson Hastings, Elijah llastings Joseph E. Hastings, Reuben Curtice, Har- vey Bartholomew, Silas Stroup, David L. Gott, Louis L. Crane, George C. Underhill, Albert Foster, George Foster, John B. Hastings and Edward L. Gott. The first officers were : Elizur G. Johnson, W. M ; John B. Hastings, S. W ; Martin Stroup, J. W : Albert Foster, Treasurer; Harvey Bartholomew, secretary ; Orrin P. Robberts, S. D ; Elijah H. Hast- ings, J. D ; George Foster, steward ; Louis L. Crane, tyler. In t8;s the following were the officers: G. B. Chamberlain, W. M ; Edson lastings, S. W ; George Foster, J. W ; 1I. B. Crozin, treasurer ; D. P. Crow- ner, secretary ; IL. J. Wilkins, S. D ; JJ. E. Hast- ings, J. D ; A. Foster, A. W. Nichols, stewards ; S. Stroup, tyler ; D. L. Gott, George C. Underhill, F. V. Sheldon, finance committee. The Lodge has a handsome room, thirty by sixty feet, in the third story of the brick building erected in 1865. Robbins & Gott occupy the lower portion for a store.
PHYSICIANS.
The pioneer practitioner of medicine was Dr. Ebes W. Hubbard, oldest son of Fairchild Hubbard. He was born in Steuben, Oneida county, New York, in the year 1800, and graduated at the College of Physi- cians and Surgeons at Fairfield, Herkimer county, the same State. le came to La Grange in 1826. Dr. Hubbard had quite an extensive practice and enjoyed the thorough confidence of the people among whom he lived, as is attested by the fact that he was many times elected to important offices. He was the first clerk of the township ; was three times elected justice of the peace; became associate judge in 1831 ; was elected as representative three terms-1835, 1836 and 183%. In the last mentioned year he was appointed bank commissioner of the State, and in 1843 was made commissioner of the Ohio Canal fund. Dr. Hubbard married Honor Kingsbury of Brighton, and was the father of six children. He resided for many years in Elyria, and in 1853 removed to Staten Island, where he died in 1872.
Dr. Spencer was the next physician in town. He was followed by Dr. Julins Beeman, and then came Dr. Jonathan Gibbs. Other physicians who came at an early day, were Doctors George C. Underhill, James R. Pelton and E. D. Merriam. Pelton remained until about 1870. Doctors Underhill and Merriam are still in practice, as are also Doctors George N. Snyder, - Park, M. W. Ingalls. Charles W. Higgins and - Green, each remained but a short time.
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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
Dr. Underhill is the senior physician of the town. Ite came in 1842, and has been in constant practice in the village ever since, with the exception of two years, when he was in the army as surgeon of the Eleventh Cavalry. Ile is a native of Vermont, and a graduate of Willoughby ( Lake county) medical college. His age in 1878 was fifty-eight years. Dr. Underhill, it is said, was the first physician in this part of the county who used quinine in cases of typhoid fever and in- flammation of the lungs. He began to use this medicine in the first mentioned disease about twenty- five years ago, and in the latter as many as thirty years ago.
POST OFFICE.
Calvin Wilcox was the first postmaster. He had the office for about twenty years, and kept the few letters he received at his house where they were called for not, daily, as at present, but once a week or fort- night. George Wilcox succeeded his father. David Gott was postmaster for a number of years. Hon. Nathan P. Johnson was postmaster for fourteen years. His daughter, Mrs. E. M. J. Noble, was ap- pointed to the office when he died, in 1843. and is the present postmistress.
MANUFACTORIES, BUSINESS HOUSES, ETC.
The first tavern was built and kept by J. K. Pel- ton. It was situated a few rods west of the center, upon the north side of the road. Pelton also built the Woolcott House in 1846, and Daniel Pelton built an- other hotel on the north side of the square, still stand- ing but unocenpied. The present proprietor of the Woolcott House is William F. Woolcott.
Among the most important of the industrial pur- snits in the village is the cheese factory and creamery of Butler, Crozier & Sheldon, which daily manu- factures into cheese or butter, the milk of about five hundred cows.
The wood bending and grindstone turning estab- lishment of Whitney Bros., James and George, is a mannfactory of considerable extent.
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