History of Lorain County, Ohio, Part 82

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

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Mrs. Bryant is a member of the Congregational Church of Amherst, with which she formerly united in 1864. Mr. Bryant is a man of great personal integrity and general worth, and a firm believer in moral manhood. Himself and wife are both liberal supporters of all enterprises tending to the public good or the advancement of the community in which they have lived so long, and in which they are so highly respected and esteemed.

J. J. Hendeigh Mrs. Cecilia Kendeigh

JOHN J. KENDEIGH.

The Kendeigh family is of German origin, the progeni- tors of the present stock having settled in Laneaster Co., Pa., some years prior to the commencement of the present century. Henry Kendeigh, Sr., of Laneaster, had two sons, Ilenry and John ; the former born Jan. 20, 1796; the latter, Jan. 8, 1800. When John was quite young, his father removed to Lebanon Co., Pa., and to Carlisle, Perry Co., in 1812. In 1823, Henry and John Kendeigh were induced to move to Ohio by their brother-in-law, Abram Rice, starting from Westmoreland Co., Pa. They occupied two weeks in making the journey. John made the entire distance of three hundred miles on foot, driving before him thirty sheep and three head of cattle, and keeping pace with the team which brought his family, and which was driven by his brother-in-law above named. Henry drove a team consisting of three horses and a Pennsylvania wagon, in which were his wife and two sons, Daniel and John J., together with their goods and chattels. Ilenry married Nancy Riee, and John married Mary Rice, sisters of Abram Riee. After coming to Ohio, John J. Kendeigh married Cecelia Tooze, of Tiverton, Devonshire, England, March 18, 1863. She was born May 11, 1839, and came to Oberlin in the fall of 1856. To them were born three children, namely,-Henry B., born Feb. 19, 1866; Jonas E., born May 3, 1867 ; Mary Emma A., born March 27, 1873. The two latter were born in the old homestead at Kendeigh's Corners.

Mrs. Kendeigh was an old and successful teacher, having spent some time in study at Oberlin. She taught school in Pittsfield, Oberlin, Russia township, and South Amherst, and also in the distriet in which she now resides.

John J. Kendeigh was born in Fayette Co., Pa., Ang. 5, 1820. His father died in 1836, leaving a family of five sons and one daughter to the eare of his widow. John J., the subject proper of this sketch, being the eldest, though only sixteen, had to take the place of his father to some

extent in assisting his mother to eare properly for the other children. The fidelity with which he fulfilled this mission is best known to his brothers and sister who survive him, and remember with grateful affection his labors of love for them. Through the whole of his life, Mr. Kendeigh has had more than an ordinary share of responsibility on his hands. For fifteen years his mother was a great sufferer from that painful disease, chronie rheumatism. For many years he cared for her alone, much of the time attending to the farm and doing the work of the house. After his mar- riage, as above stated, his wife proved a helper indeed to him, and cheerfully assumed a part of the eare of his af- flicted mother. Faithfully and well did each fulfill their mission of love for the dear one until her sufferings were terminated by death, July 14, 1871, after having been bed- ridden for four and a half years.

Mr. Kendeigh was a mechanic by nature, especially as a carpenter and joiner. At an early day he acquired a dex- terity and aptness for tools used in that branch of business, and buildings erected even in his boyhood are among the most elegant in his neighborhood, and are regarded as sn- perb pieces of workmanship. Mr. Kendeigh was a man of natural taste and refinement. Ile was a genuine musician ; sang well and played excellently. He had a fondness for sacred music, and held a place in the choir of the Congre- gational Church for many years. His soul was attuned to music, which had a harmonizing and refining influence on all the social elements of his life.

After an eminently useful and honorable life, he died June 2, 1876, and his earthly remains repose in the family burying-ground at Kendeigh's Corners. He left a most amiable and loving wife and three children (mentioned above) to mourn the irreparable loss of a fond husband and an affectionate father. They enjoy the consolation, how- ever, that, owing to his blameless and meritorious life, their loss will be his gain.

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IHISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.

seems only to have been equalled by their careless dis- regard of retaining records. Eighteen or twenty churches have been organized, and ten are in exist- ence at the present writing, but the older organizations which have the most interesting history, have without exception failed to preserve their carly papers, and in two or three instances have nothing whatever worthy of the name of record. The historian has, therefore. been compelled to rely solely upon the memory of carly residents. A strange anecdote, but one of which the truth is attested by many persons, is related of the building of the first

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

A class had been in existence for some time, but no church building had ever been erected up to 1830, or perhaps 1833. Some time between the years here mentioned, Captain Stanton Sholes, an eccentric, but honorable man, of whom mention has been heretofore made, became the instrument, in the hand of Provi- dence, for the establishment of a place of worship. He was riding his horse along the road one day, when the animal, making a vicious sidelong movement, unseated him. His foot remained fastened in the stirrup, and he was dragged along the rough road for some distance at a terrible rate of speed. ITis life was of course in great peril. Captain Sholes testitied afterwards that he was never so thoroughly frightened and overcome with the fear of a horrible death as at this time. ile instinctively, as persons will when in danger, prayed that his life might be spared, and made a promise within his heart that if God delivered him from death, he would build Him a house of worship. Almost instantly the horse stopped, and hastily extricating himself from his perilous position, he resumed his ride. Within three days from this occurrence, the captain, true to the sacred promise he had made, began preparations for the building of a meeting house. The work was soon pushed to com- pletion, but some obstacles to its progress were met with and overcome. When the frame was in readi- ness to be raised, a large crowd gathered to assist in the work; but Captain Sholes, who was a staunch temperance man, refusing to furnish liquor, the men could not be induced to exert themselves. They had assembled with the expectation of having a wild caronse. They could not forego the pleasure, and they succeeded before they dispersed in having what was probably the largest spree ever known in Am- herst. When they found that there was no hope of getting any liquor from Captain Sholes, they pur- chased quite a quantity, procured milk and sugar, and bringing a large churn out on to the village green, made up a collossal punch, of which all who chose to, imbibed, some so freely that the effects of the liquor were very plainly visible. There are not a few gray-haired men now in Amherst who remember the scene presented upon the little park that day; and there are some who look back to the occasion as the first and only time they were ever under the influence

of the ardent. The church was not raised until some days or weeks later, when Captain Sholes gathered together the total abstinence men of several adjacent townships, and had the pleasure of seeing the build- ing go up.

There is no record left to show who was the first preacher in this historical house, or who were the early officers of the church. The building remained in use until it was replaced in 1825 by a more com- modious structure, at a cost of three thousand dollars. The trustees in 1878 were James Jackson, Walter Seeley, E. C. Shuler, F. A. Griffin and James Abel. Following are the stewards: James JJackson, Walter Seeley, E. C. Shuler, Alvah T. Johnson (recording steward). Rev. S. E. Breen became pastor in 1878.

CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF NORTH AMHERST.

None of the early records of this church are in existence, and the information which the historian has been able to glean in regard to it, is not of an exact nature, as dates cannot be supplied. The church came into being soon after that of the Methodists, in whose house it was organized by the assistance of Rev. Dr. Betts and the Rev, Brown, of Brownbelm, Father Eells and the Rev. Goodell, of Birmingham. The original members were John Chapin and wife, A. S. Moffatt and wife, Freeman Nye and wife, Nathan King. Miss Bassett, Almond Chapin, flomer Tyrell, and wife, - - Smith, Calvin Harris and wife, and Miss Harriet Chapin. John Chapin and A. S. Moffatt were elected deacons. Father Eells preached for a short time after the organization of the church.

The church split, in two or three years, upon the rock of abolitionism, several members who lived on the South Ridge withdrawing and forming a separate association. The church was one-half or two-thirds composed of whigs, with a sprinkling of democrats and abolitionists. A. S. Moffat, who is mentioned as one of the first members cast the first abolition vote in Amherst. The present church building was erected in 1840, after a long and tiresome exertion on the part of a few strong supporters of congregation- alism. The lot was a gift from Judge Harris. There were two factions in the church. One of them strove to keep the church within the Congregational Asso- ciation, and the other endeavored to achieve an inde- pendent organization. The latter was successful, but. the church, after several years' existence in an inde pendent state, went back into the association. The preaching for a number of years was almost entirely by the professors from Oberlin College. At the close of the year, 1878, the church makes a favorable show- ing as regards membership and general prosperity. The membership is sixty-five. Present pastor, Rev. H. C. Haskell. Officers of the church : clerk, Mrs. George Bryant ; deacons, E. P. Tuttle, Alexander Lambertson. Officers of the society: trustees, John B. Clough, A. L. Spitzer, A. Riggs ; secretary, E. II. Hinman; treasurer, Charles E. Cook.

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JHISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.

SOUTH AMHERST METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCHI.

This church was organized in the fall of 1824, and meetings were held at. Webb's house and other dwell- ings until 1838, when a place of worship was raised which has since then been in use. Rev. Charles Elliott was the first minister. George Disbrow was elected clerk.

The pastor, in 1878, was Rev. S. E. Breen, who also has charge of the M. E. Church at. North Am- herst. The trustees at present are C. A. Felch, John Petty, Edwin Durand, James Wyatt and Jonathan Messoll : stewards, John Petty, Edwin Durand and James Butson.

THE NORTH AMHERST BAPTIST CHURCH.

It is probable that preaching was began by the Baptists in North Amherst at a very early day. The Rev. Geo. R. Bryant is known to have occa- sionally preached there. The present Baptist church was organized in the winter of 1851. The Rev. Geo. W. Allen, having resigned his pastorate at Bir- mingham, came to reside upon the south ridge, and being disengaged, was urged to preach for the few Baptists in the vicinity. The first meeting held by him was in the Methodist church in December of 1853. In the following winter a series of meetings were held and many persons experienced religion. 1 strong desire for church fellowship being engendered, notice was given of the intention to organize a church, and on the 8th day of February, 1854, a number of persons holling. letters of dismissal from various Baptist churches assembled in the Methodist meeting-house, where, after preaching by the Rev. S. Wadsworth, the regular Baptist church in North Amherst was organized with the following mem- bers : Rov. Geo. W. Allen, Lewis R. Cook, Luther Owen, Benjamin Redfern, Luther Bonner, Ansel F. Wattles, Reuben Allen, Phebe A. Bonner, Emeline Cook, Ruth Crocker, Elizabeth A. Blanchett, Eliza Bonner, Mary Wilford, Lucy A. Barney, Nancy Owen, Hannah O. Allen and Pearly Allen. Lewis R. Cook was chosen clerk. L. Owen and L. Bonner were made deacons. Rev. Geo. W. Allen was the first. minister of the church. The first persons bap- tized were Abigail Wattles, Bliss Remington, William Wilkinson, Anna Medburn, Anna Maria Foster and Emily G. Cook, March 12, 1854. The place of meet- ing was for two years the old school house or town hall, but in 1856 was commenced the erection of the present church edifice. It was dedicated in Decem- ber of the same year, the Rev. J. D. Fulton, then of Sandusky, officiating. The lot upon which the structure was raised was bought of the Cleveland and Toledo railroad company. Rev. Amasa Heath became pastor in 1852 and was superseded in 1866, after nine years efficient service, by the Rev. Charles HI. De Wolf, then of Seville. In September, 1867, Rev. S. Jones, of Ridgeville, became pastor, and two years later gave place to the Rev. William Il. Stenger, of Zanesville.

Rev. C. C. Park entered upon his pastorate in Novem- ber of 1870. The present deacons of the church are N. L. Cotton and Frank Snyder; and the clerk, Les- fer Cook. Ezra Straw, Frank Snyder and Lester Cook are trustees.

CHURCH OF THE EVANGELICAL ASSOCIATION.

This German church was organized in 1845. The presiding elder was J. G. Zinger, and the constituent members were J. G. Thener, Adam Holl, Phil Ran, John Berk, Philip Beal, John Holzhaner, Jacob Vel- ter, Geo. Miller and Geo. Hosenfplug. The new church was established in 1864, and the building was brought from Brownhelm. The parsonage was built in 1861. The present pastor is the Rev. Jacob Hon- necker. This church is in the village of North Am- herst, but has a branch upon the south ridge road, of which Rev. Leonard Liler was the first minister.

THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF SOUTH AMHERST

was organized on the second day of December, 1834. Addison Tracy was clerk; AAlexander Gaston was ap- pointed deacon in Jannary, 1835. The church build- ing was ereeted in the winter of 1838 and 1839. Il. Tyler is the present supply pastor, and the following are the present officers of the church: Deacons, Lyman Cole, Alonzo Wright, Sr .. J. W. Humphrey; clerk of the church, George Prince; clerk of the society, Alonzo Wright; treasurer, D. J. Dulmage; trustees, D. J. Dulmage, George Prince and Luther Clark.

ST. PAUL'S LUTHERAN CHURCH

was established in North Amherst in 1844, and has, at the present writing, a membership of thirty-seven persons. Rev. Louis Dammann is pastor, and has held that office for three years. The trustees elected for 1878 were L. Boesing, William Hintz and William frugal.

ST. PETER'S EVANGELICAL CHURCH

was constituted in October, 1857. The first trustees were Adam Hargemann, B. Hildebrand, Henry Young and John Schaber. The present pastor is the Rev. Jacob Von Tabel, and the trustees are JJohn G. Bans, 6. Coth, Il. Schanch, John Freidrich, F. Reffennig, G. Roth and C. Fey. The church is' in North Am- herst.

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

of North Amherst originated in 1868. Previous lo that time Rev. L. Molon, of Elyria, had been for three years holding monthly services in a room be- longing to John Plato, in the old Reuben Woolcott building. About six families attended. The con- gregation having considerably increased, it was de- cided, in 1868, to have a suitable place for holding religious services, and accordingly a lot was bought of Joseph Trost, on Tenney Street, upon which was erected a church building thirty by forty feet in dimension, which was consecrated on the 15th of

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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.

August. In 1822, Rev. R. Rouchey was settled as pastor of the Vermillion and North Amherst Catholic churches, and, after he had been with the society for one year, it was found that it had grown so as to necessitate an enlargement of the building. The addition was built in 1843. Rev. Ronchey was in charge of the congregation up to August. 1875, after which, the present priest, Rev. Joseph Roemer, was sent by Bishop Gilmour to take charge of the church, and also that at Vermillion.

SCHOOLS.

School houses were built at an early day in the north and south parts of the township. It is now impossible to ascertain which portion of the settle- ment the people first did honor unto themselves, by providing for the instruction of their children. A school house located on lot forty-eight, upon the south ridge, is said to have been the first in the town- ship. Sophronia Blair taught a small school there. Another was built upon lot thirty-eight, just cast of "the corners" and outside of the present corporation line of North Amherst. Miss Fanney Barnes (now Mrs. David Smith) was teacher here in the summer of 1823, and afterward Miss Philania Barney, (Mrs. S. N. Moore), taught in the same log building. Joseph Quigley erected a building near his home for the quaker Mollenoux to preach in, and it was also used as a school-house until Heury Walker bought it and converted it into a dwelling house. Miss Murray of Carlisle, afterwards the wife of Clark Eldred, of Elyria, was the first teacher in this school-house. The first male teacher was either Wm. Hf. Root of Shef- field, or J. A. Harris. Both of them taught at an early day in the Quigley school. Joseph L. and Daniel G. Whiton were also teachers.

The present district-schools of Amherst, and the public schools of North Amherst, compare favorably with those of other places of similar size. Passing from the mention of the smaller district and sub-dis- trict-schools, we will follow the growth that has ere- ated the present school of North Amherst village. It was not long before the accommodations of the old school-houses, with their rough slab seats with pegs driven in them for legs, were found insufficient for the growing needs of the community. The old town-hall, a frame building twenty-tive by thirty-five feet in dimensions, was used as a school-house until 1849, when it was removed to its present location, on Church street. Hereafter being made more appropriate for the use intended, by refitting, it was again made to serve as a place for the education of the youth until 1856, when it was found to be too small for the in- creased number of pupils. In the year mentioned the village of Amherstville, as it was then called, was organized into a union school-district, with Josiah llarris, Alvah T. Johnson, Dr. A. A. Crosse, Dr. A. C. Moore, Daniel Axtell and M. Wilton as directors. Judge Harris donated a piece of land as a site for a school-house, and the directors, after some delay, made

arrangements for the creation of a brick building. Charles Leach drew the plan, and the contract for building was awarded to Daniel Axtell and M. Du- rand. The building was erected, two stories in height, and twenty five by forty feet. The brick were made from clay taken from the cellar and baked upon the spot. The cost of this building was about three thousand two hundred dollars. In 1874 the building was found inadequate to accommodate the children of the village, and an addition was built, which nearly doubled the capacity of the school. Plans for the addition were drawn by L. Dickenson, and the con- traet was let to Philip Siffle and Adam Holl. The new part, and repairs upon the old, cost six thousand dollars. This building affords, at the present writing, ample accommodation for over five hundred children. The present superintendent is J. F. Yarrick, and the school board is composed of John P. denne, presi- dent: George E. Bryant, secretary; E. C. Shuler, Joseph Barber, John G. Bans and Henry A. Plato. The first superintendent under the system now in vo- gne was L. A. Gray.

PHYSICIANS.

Prior to 1830 there was no resident physician in Amherst. Dr. Baker, of Florence, and Dr. Chap- man, of Elyria, administered to the sick up to that year. Dr. Samuel Strong came in 1830, and was the pioneer of a host of medical gentlemen who came after. Following is a list of the physicians in the order of their coming : Drs. Samuel Strong, Cook, Smith, Luman Tenney, Wright, L. D. Griswold, B. F. Blackmer, II. F. Hubbard, A. A. Crosse, Sladiel, Tompkins, Smith 2nd, Charles Crosse, C. C. Oran- dall, J. Bryant, Weigand, Evans, Price, A. C. Moore, Wilsey, More, Tuttle, Leuse, Gibbs, Oaks, Arndt, Mrs Arndt, Schenck, Schraeder, Reitel, Charles Rockwood, D. W. Starkey. HI. Lilly, O. F. Maynard. Of these Drs. Crosse, Moore, Rockwood, Maynard and Mrs. Arndt are resident in 1878. Dr. Crosse came in 1842, and Dr. Moore in 1851.

ROADS.

The present Middle Ridge road was opened as a trail at a very early day, and it is probable that the first mail was carried through the township upon the line of this road. Robert Wolverton was the first mail carrier. The Telegraph or South Ridge road was next opened and put in good shape, and the stage coaches carrying mail and passengers went through on this road. The (Beveland road was next laid out, Iliram Belden doing much of the surveying.

BURIAL PLACES.

The burying grounds in Amherst are more numer- ons than in most townships. The first one laid out was that on the Cleveland road just east of the vil- lage of North Amherst. There is one upon the Middle Ridge (lot sixty-three), one near Kendeigh's corners, lot (ninety-four), one at Webb's corners, one

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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.

at Sonth Amherst (lot ten, ) and another upon the North Ridge, beside several smali burial places and family lots.

TAVERNS.

The first tavern kept at South Amherst, was that of the Webbs. Stephen Cable kept soon after. Al. North Amherst, when it was known as "the corners." Judge Harris had a log tavern very soon after his arri- val in 1818, and was landlord for many years. The Henrie house, or rather a small portion of it, was originally built by Dr. Samuel Strong. Following is a list of landlords at North Amherst down to and including the present proprietor of the Henrie house: Josiah Harris, L. Foster, Father Champney (Old Pie), J. B. Whelpley, Wm. F. Ringland, L. P. Harris, Thomas Case, Ira B. Tillotson, Thomas Brown, James Allen, Joseph Hamlin, Franklin Blackmer, Smith E. Crandall, Orimel Barney, H. F. Hubbard, Smith Steele, John Steele, Horace Steele, Samuel Kendeigh, Joseph Trost, James Jackson, M. Jackson, Lathrop & Walker, and M. Jackson.

INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS.

THE STONE QUARRIES.

The vast formation of sandstone underlying a por- tion of the State, seems nowhere to be of better quality for purposes of architecture, than in the town- ship of Amherst and its vicinity. The quarrying business is here most eminently practicable, and the stone land being near the lake, the question of trans- portation was ready solved, as soon as the work of taking out the treasure was commenced. The close proximity of the L. S. & M. S. R. R. offers another great advantage to those whose business it is to delve for a nation's building material.

Nature has formed here, and left accessible to man, what is practically an inexhaustible supply of the best building stone upon earth. Estimating the thick- ness of the stone at an average of only fifty feet,-and good authorities say that it must be nearer an hun- dred,-the number of cubic feet afforded by one aere would be over two million. One hundred men could scarcely quarry out a full acre from top to bottom in less than ten years' constant labor. Vast as has been the amount of stone taken from the Amherst quarries. it. sinks into insignificance in comparison with that remaining. The stone lies almost entirely above the ground, and above the drainage level, and the huge blocks sent to all parts of the United States, Canada, and even South America, are quarried without any of the obstructions found in other parts of the country. A list of hundreds of buildings built of the Amherst stone might be given, but we have space for only a few of the most important as follows:

Dominion Bank, British American Insurance Building, St James' Ca- thedral, Consumer's Has Company Building, of Toronto, Canada; the Windsor Hotel, Montreal, Canada; Post Office and Custom House, Little Rock, Arkansas; Best Brewery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; La Fayette Square Church, and Central Presbyterian Church, Baltimore, Maryland ; Palner House, William ; Block, Grand Pacific Hotel, Tremont House, HIonore Block, Bryan Block, Nixon's Building, McCormick's Reaper

Block, Henry Corwith's Building, S. B. Cobb's Building, Hale & Ayer's Building, Bookseller's Row, Stewart & Busby's Bu ldings, Chicago; State Capitol, Lansing, Michigan: City Hall, Detroit, Michigan; Boody House, Toledo, Ohio; County Court House, Cleveland, Ohio; City Hall, Colum- bus, Ohio; W. G. Fargo's Dwelling, Buffalo, New York; Powers' Block, Rochester. New York; McCarthy's Bank, Syracuse, New York; Univer- sity Buildings, Easton, Pennsylvania; Jewish Synagogue, Young Men's Christian Association, Brooks Brothers & Co's Store, W. B. Astor's Dwellings, New York City: Prospect Park, Brooklyn, New York; Yonng Men's Christian Association, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; U. S. Court House and Post Office, Trenton, New Jersey : U. S. Custom House and Post Office, Ogdensburg, New York; Princeton College, Elizabeth, New Jersey ; Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Church, corner South and Broad, Philadelphia, Agricultural College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; County Conrt Honse, Steubenville, Ohio; County Court Honse, Zanes- ville, Ohio; Post Office aud Court House, London, Canada; Post Office and Court House, Hamilton, Canada; Custom House, University of Toronto, Normal School, Toronto, Canada; City HIall, Peterboro, Can- ada; Parliament Buildings, Ottawa, Canada; Moleson's Bank, Christ's Church, Montreal, Canada; Trinity College Buiklings, Hartford, Con- necticut; Rossmore House, Roosevelt llospital, New York; Gardner Brewer's Building, Fifty Associates' Building, New South Church. Young Men's Christian Association, Boston.

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History of Lorain County, Ohio, Part 82

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

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