USA > Ohio > Lorain County > History of Lorain County, Ohio > Part 87
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CARRIAGES
T. DO LAND, MANUFACTURER OF CARRIAGES, WAGONS, & SLEIGHS, NORTH MAIN ST., WELLINGTON, OHIO.
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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OIIIO.
raised by sowing and filling or by subscriptions pay- able in wheat, the record fails to disclose.
Mr. Taylor never became a settled minister to this church. In accepting the call be imposed certain conditions, which were rejected by the church, and his ministrations being soon after interrupted by con- finement in jail for a year, no more is heard of him as a preacher. The next settled minister was Rev. D. W. Lathrop. He came in April, 1843, and was settled in September of that year. During his min- istry certain radical differences among the member- ship, upon doctrines and church polity which had been for a number of years growing to a head, culmi- nated in what seemed a hopeless estrangement and division.
The inception of the difficulty was probably tirst in the difference of views respecting Presbyterianism and Congregationalism. The church was organized by agreeing to adopt the congregational mode of discipline, but yet was connected with presbytery, in accordance with the very general nsage among the churches of that day in the new communities.
On the 30th of August, 1842, Harvey Grant offered in church meeting a preamble and resolution, as fol- lows: "Whereas, it has come to the knowledge of this church that there are persons who wish to join this church who cannot fully subscribe to the fourth, seventh and thirteenth articles thereof: therefore, resolved, that we will not require an assent to these articles as a qualitication." The resolution was adopted by a vote of fifteen yeas to nine nays. After the adop- tion of the same, on the 4th day of September, 1842, Mathew Allyn, Clara Allyn, Lawton Wadsworth, Nancy R. Wadsworth, and Benjamin Warien were receive'l into the church, assent to the said articles being waived in their bebalf. The fourth article was a doctrinal belief in God's sovereignty. The seventh was the enunciation of a belief "that God did, from eternity, choose some of the human race to salvation through sanctification of the spirit and belief of the truth; and that all of those whom he has thus chosen he will renew and sanctify in this life, and keep them by his power through faith unto salvation." The thirteenth article was a formulation of the doc- trine of infant baptism.
On the 14th of December, 1842, Philo Herrick of- fered the following preamble and resolution in church meeting: "Whereas, we are a Congregational church and believe in true congregational principles; resolved, therefore, that we take the first opportunity to ask leave of presbytery to withdraw and unite with Lorain association, and that we appoint delegates for that purpose, and that a committee be chosen to recom- mend the best course to be pursued in the premi- ises."
This resolution was adopted, and on the 2nd day of January following, a most vigorous protest was spread upon the church records, signed by eighteen mem- bers, all leading and influential men in the church.
At the next meeting of the presbytery, the action
of the church in the foregoing particulars was dis- approved, and the protestants were sustained.
At the next meeting of the church a reply to the protest and to the presbytery was made, and also spread upon the records. Out of this difference a fierce controversy arose, and was most vigorously sus- tained on either side. Strong intellects and iron wills grappled in a manner more creditable to brains than to piety.
On the 24th of March. 1843, thirty-nine members withdrew in a body, and organized a new church, called the Independent church. This body took advanced ground on the subject of slavery, and were followed by others from the First church, until some tifty-seven members had withdrawn. They built a meeting house of their own, settled and sustained 'pastors, and kept up a stated preaching, and all the institutions of the church.
In 1846 Rov. Ansel R. Clark became the pastor of the First Congregational church, and was continued from that time to 1858.
In that year, through the efforts of Rev. II. E. Peck and others, a union of the two churches was effected. Rev. Mr. Bartlett was chosen the first pastor of the re-united church. He was followed by Rev. Fayette Shipherd. On the Ist of April, A. D. 1865, Rev. L. B. Stone was settled as its pastor, and remained with the church as such until April, 182%.
This church, since its organization, has erected three houses of worship,-four, including the house erected by the Independent church. The latter, after the re-union, was sold to the township for a town hall, and served for that purpose the wants of the township for some fifteen years, or over.
The first meeting house was erected in the year 1899. It was completed, and accepted by the society in November of that year. A series of revival meet- ings was being held the winter following. A Mr. Ingersoll, from Ashtabula, was preaching, when the house was discovered to be on fire. As the congrega- tion began to raise the alarm of tire, the preacher eried out, "Never mind the fire that water will quench, the tires of hell are what you need to fear," which admonition bad but little effect upon the mov- ing congregation that seemed intent upon escaping the fire the most iniminent .* The house was burned to the ground, and the loss seemed irreparable. 'The cost of the house was about three thousand dollars.
The next season the church and society entered upon the work of rebuilding, and put up and finished a new one, upon the same site, and upon the same plan as that destroyed, at about the same cost.
In May, 1877, the Rev. James A. Daily came to this church and was engaged as its pastor in August of that year. Under his ministrations a new impe- tus was given to the church and society. The old wood structure of almost forty years' standing was seen to be insufficient for its congregation. The
* This Ingersoll was the father of Colonel Robert Ingersoll, whose distaste for theology may be thus accounted for.
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IHISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
work of building a new one on a new site was entered upon. The first blow was struck in March, A. D., 1878. The edifice was completed, and the church dedicated April 3, 1879. Rev. Thomas K. Beecher, of Elmira, New York, delivered the dedication ser- mon. The total cost of the structure, exclusive of the site, was twenty-four thousand nine hundred and eighteen dollars and five cents, the whole of which was provided for before dedication.
The erection of this beautiful church was the re- sult of Mr. Daily's efforts. A live man, earnest, en- ergetie and persistent, he gave himself to it with an ardor that no obstacle could daunt, no discourage- ments could flag.
MORAL QUESTIONS.
This church very early took advanced grounds upon the subject of temperance and slavery. In 1833, on the subject of temperance the following preamble and resolution were adopted : "Whereas, the use of dis- tilled spirits as an article of drink has been the occa- sion of great trouble io the church, and is destructive to vital godliness: therefore, resolved, that this church will require a pledge of entire abstinence in the use and traffic of this article for the above purpose, of all members which are received in future. And we who vote for this resolution pledge ourselves to abide by the same rule which we prescribe to others.
It was adopted unanimously. This action anti- dated the Washingtonian movement by seven years.
In 1836. the following resolutions on the subject of American slavery were adopted : Resolved, 1st, that slavery, as it exists in the United States, is a heinous sin against God, and ought immediately to be abol- ished.
2d. That inasmuch as the church is deeply involved in the sin and guilt of slavery, it becomes the duty of all who love the christian name publicly to bear testi- mony against this heinous sin, and to use all serip- tural means to eradicate it from the church."
When consideration is had of the very early day in the anti-slavery movement at which this action was had, the record is one of which the church may take just pride. There were twenty-five male members whose names are recorded as voting upon these reso- Iutions and in favor thereof. To-day it may well be said of them: Stalwart men ! in the van of human progress !
DISCIPLINE.
They were strict disciplinarians and the names of male members are few against whom, at one time or another, charges were not preferred, trials had there- on, and confessions extorted from recusants. There are many incidents that at this day provoke a broad smile in the contemplation thereof. One case should be preserved. In 1834, the standing committee pre- ferred a charge against B- for "making use of ardent spirits to intoxication," on the last of July or first of August 1833, also about the same time of year
1834, and for using profane language at those times. The defendant was cited to appear. Ile sent word to the church "to proceed without delay in this case of discipline" but remained absent himself, neither confessing or denying the charge. So the chuch gave him the benefit of the legal presumption of in- noeence, assigned him counsel, and proceeded with the trial. Witnesses were examined, and the evidence seemed quite clear that on these occasions, which it will be perceived was just at the close of haying and harvesting on each of these years, the old gentleman "if not full, just had plenty, " and duly, or unduly, celebrated "harvest home, " and recklessly said "damn it," and "I swear." So they voted him guilty, and after reasonable expostulation and due delay, to give an opportunity for repentance, they proceeded to pro- nounce the sentence of expulsion, which is recorded in these words: "On motion, voted unanimously, that B- be, and he is hereby, excommunicated from this church, and is henceforth to be regarded by us as a heathen man and a publican."
This pretty effectually "got him out." While he might not have been "ent out" for a very good church member. all who knew him will unite in saying he was a good neighbor, citizen, and friend. Ile was genial, kind-hearted, and generous. His love of fun led him doubtless to the "celebration " that scan- dalized his brethren.
Of the early members but few remain. Among the few who are left are Milton Adams, Russel B. Web- ster and wife, Mrs. Orpha Webster; of those whose names are upon the rolls some have moved away, but most have gone to their rest.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
It is said that as early as 1823 Rev. Zarah (Ezra?) Costin came to Wellington, as he was traveling the Black River circuit, and preached in the log school honse then standing on the corner, north-east of the center of the town. In 1824 the circuit was traveled by J. C. Taylor, and in 1825 Elijah Field succeeded to the work. It seems that at Rev. Costin's first visit a class-meeting was hekl, but a regular organization of the church seems not to have taken place till 1825. In 1826 Rev. Ansel Brainard and 11. O. Sheldon were the preachers, and during this year the log church was built, about twenty rods west of Mr. Case's tan- nery, three-fourths of a mile west of the center. At this time, among the members were John Clifford, Sen., and wife, Charles Sweet (who brought a letter from Massachusetts), John Clifford, Jr., and wife, Daniel Clifford and wife, a daughter of John Clif- ford, Sen. (who married a Mr. Knox), Theodosia Clifford, Lyman Ilowk, Josiah Bradley and wife, and Asa Hamitton and wife. The preachers afterward were: 1822, Orrin Gilmore; 1828, Shadrack Ruack; 1829, Cyrus Carpenter; 1830, Cyrus Carpenter and E. C. Gavitt; 1831, Wm. Runnels and - Elliott; 1832, Wm. Runnels and Jno. Canular; 1833, A. Bil- lings and - Barry; 1834, Jno. Morey and Jas.
RESIDENCE OF B. B. HERRICK , WELLINGTON TP., LORAIN CO., OHIO.
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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
Kellam: 1835, John Morey and - Freeson; 1836, Jno. T. Kellam and Peter Howenstein.
The old brick church was erected in 1835, at the center, though not finished for nearly two years there- after. It was built where the present church stands, on ground bought of byman Ilowk. At the time, it was considered the best Methodist church in Ohio.
In 1837 the preachers were Jno. T. Kellam and Cyrus Sawyer; 1838, H. L. Parrish and Jas. Brew- ster; 1839, John Mitchell and Philip Wareham; 1840, John Mitchell and Myron T. Hurd: 1841, M. L. Starr and Joseph Jones; 1842, M. L. Starr and Juo. S. Ferris: 1843, Wesley JJ. Wells and C. C. Graves: 1844, Wesley J. Wells and Jos. Santley: 1846, Wesley Broch and Wm. Goodfellow: 1848, Wm. Thatcher and J. M. Morrow: 1849, Wm. Runnels and I. Safford: 1850, Wm. Runnels and 11. Chapman: 1851, T. Thompson and JJ. Matlack: 1852. 11. Humphrey and L. F. Ward; 1853. II. Humphrey and S. Fairchild; 1854, C. L. Foote and W. C. Huestiss: 1855, C. L. Foote and N. B. Wilson: 1856, C. Hartley and R. H. Chubb; 185 :- '58. A. K. Owen and C. Thomas; 1859, 11. Saf- ford and T. L. Waite: 1860, H. Safford and D. Strat- ton: 1861, G. A. Ruder and A. C. Hurd: 1862. L. F. Ward and W. M. Spatford: 1863. L. F. Ward and J. H. Close: 1864-65, Uri Richards and S. D. Sey- monr: 1866, Wellington, made a station, and Q. W. Pepper, pastor. New brick church built in 1862. First subscriptions by Miss Armenia Herrick and J. IL. Woolley, five hundred dollars each. The dedi- cation sermon was preached by Bishop Kingsley, July, 1868. 1867, Rev. E. Il. Bush, pastor: 1868'-40, F. M. Searles; 18:1-42. E. Y. Warner: 1843. J. W. Mendenhall: 1874-15, Geo. Mather; 1826-7, A. Pollock; 1829, Rev. Albright. The church has- beginning of 1879-two hundred and seventy mem- bers and an average attendance in its Sunday school of two hundred and thirty-five.
DISCIPLE CHURCH.
This church was organized October 5, 1853, with · eleven members. In 1861, they built their first meet- ing house. It was dedicated in October, 1861. James 1. Garfield, who at that time was a Disciple preacher, delivered the dedicatory sermon. The number of the present membership is eighty. Rev. Mr. Thompson came to this society as its preacher in 1877. Rev. Mr. Allen preceded him and preceded Atwater also.
The growth of the church has been gratifying to its friends. It is established upon a firm basis, and is regarded as one of the permanent institutions of the place. Its liberahty towards others has been one of its marked characteristics. John Pierpont, when other churches were closed against him, preached from the Disciple pulpit. Mr. Forbush, Liberal Uni- tarian, delivered a series of discourses from the same pulpit; so that, while it retains its standing among sister churches of the place, it has obtained a broad sympathy in the community among those outside of all churches.
WARD'S MAIL CATCHER .*
" The first catcher made and put in operation was made at. Wellington, this county. "The wants of the post office department were communicated to me by (. B. Hamilton, Esq., then a route agent on the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati railroad. Ham- ilton invited me to go with him, in hope that I could devise some machine or way in which the mail could be caught by the agent when the train was in rapid motion. After going to Columbus and back with him, I saw my way to the invention, and immediately made a catcher and went to Cleveland and applied it to the ear. It worked well from the first. I made, or caused to be made, several catchers, each of which was an improvement. They have been in constant use on the Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati rail- road to the present time. Tins was late in the year 1864. It was a desideratum with the post office de- partment to obtain a catcher that could be used. Numerous trunk lines of railroads had built postal cars (traveling distributing offices), but as they could do no local work, they stood idle in the shed, or were made into baggage cars. This was on the Erie rail way, on the New York and New Haven, on the old Michigan Southern and Northern Indiana, as well as on the Michigan Central and other roads. Special agents were sent to this road, from Washington, to try this new catcher; and after repeated tests by different parties, in December, 1866, the post otlice department definitely agreed to adopt it so far as a full trial was concerned. G. B. Hamilton was ap- pointed special agent to put the catcher in operation. which office he held until the Ist of June, 1867. In January, 1867, and after the department had adopted the catcher, I obtained a patent for the same. Mr. Hamilton started the catcher on the Washington branch of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad, and on the Erie railway, which was completed about the 1st of June, 1862. The October following, I was detailed to superintend the catching service, started it in Octo- ber on the Lake Shore, and Cleveland and Toledo railroads; on the Vermont Central, Northern Now llampshire, Concord, Boston and Lowell railroads; and during the winter on the Boston and Albany, Hartford and New Haven, and New York and New Ilaven railroads; since which time over sixty-one thousand miles of railroads are using the catcher- catching thousands of mails daily, and at the high- est rates of speed.
"Before starting the .Fast Mail.' Mr. Geo. S. Bangs, General Superintendent of the railway mail service, sent for me to come to Washington, and asked me to get up an improved heavy catcher for that special service. I devised and brought ont Ward's improved heavy eatcher, with east head, which works so tinely as to have superseded all the lighter and earlier ones. " The catcher has been an important factor in the vast improvement made in the last few years in the
* By L. F. Ward.
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HISTORY OF LORAIN COUNTY, OHIO.
mail service. To briefly show the advantages of this invention, I may say, before its introduction, mails were carried on local or accommodation trains, and at short distances For instance, to begin at New York, the first day, the local service was done to Albany, New York; the next to Syracuse; the next to Buffalo, New York; the day following, from Buľ- falo to Cleveland; the day following, from Cleveland to Toledo; the next day, from Toledo, Ohio, to Chi- cago, Illinois-six days for the local work from New York to Chicago. By the use of the catcher, the work is now done in less than thirty-six hours; and the rural districts are favored with all the facilities of rapid mail exchanges, as well as the larger cities."
RESCUE CASE.
No proper history of Wellington could be written without reference to the so-called and ever memora- ble Wellington resene case, which seemed the begin- ning here of those troublous times that crowded so rapidly upon it. On the morning of the 13th of Sep- tember, 1858, the burning of a large portion of the business part of the town, heretofore mentioned, had called together a large crowd of people from the sur- rounding country. It was nearly noon before the flauines were extinguished. The flames being seen to a great distance, the crowd was continually aug- meuted. Shortly after noon it was rumored that a negro had been kidnapped at Oberlin, under the charge of being a fugitive slave, and that his captors had him confined in the Wellington Honse. This rumor received confirmation, and it was soon known that Mr. Jennings and Mr. Mitchell, of Kentucky, and U. S. Marshal Lowe and Samuel Davis, of Column- bus, were at the hotel then kept by O. S. Wadsworth, having in custody a negro named John, whom they claimed to be a fugitive from Kentucky arrested by them at Oberlin, and that they awaited the train for Columbus to proceed on their way to Kentucky. The marshal and assistants were quickly followed by num- bers of men from Oberlin, who mixed in with the excited crowd already assembled, and soon made it the most remarkable day Wellington ever saw. The crowd rapidly grew by constant accessions from Ober- lin. Men on horseback, men on foot, armed and unarmed, were seen coming from the north as far as eye could reach.
The hotel was surrounded; no avenne of escape was left unguarded; its halls and rooms were filled with men eager and determined. The slave-catchers were alarmed, and fled with their charge to the attic, which was difficult of access, while the public square and streets on either side were tilled with men. The marshal attempted to speak to the people, to explain to them, as he said, the situation. Magistrates were sent for, law officers went busily through the crowd, which they cautioned and urged to do no violence, assured none was needed to rescue the man.
Judging of Ohio from what they knew of Ken- tucky, these men were in an awful fright. They
were told that no hurt was designed them personally -that the captive was all the crowd demanded, and that it was useless to try to get him away. The cap- tors tried to make John make a speech, and say he wanted to go back-was tired of staying away from his old master. So Jolin came upon the hotel bal- cony, with marshal and assistants on either side, and made his memorable speech: "I want to go back, because-because, 1 'spose I must," and was hurried back to the room in the attic. The door was barri- caded, and, trembling with fear, they awaited behind it what fate had for them.
Such was the forbearance of the crowd, that the afternoon wore away in parleying on one side, and demanding the man on the other. There was a stern determination that the visiting Kentuckians should not be injured, and that the negro should not go south with them. The train south came in at its time and departed, but they were not on board. Towards evening a rumor was circulated that a tele- gram for troops had been sent to Cleveland. This seemed to decide the course of procedure. A long ladder was thrown up to the attic window, and two stalwart men, -one of them John Mandeville, -as- cended it. Others forced the door on the inside, these, the window on the outside, and in an instant the negro man was seen borne high upon hands up- lifted, with arms and legs sprawling over the heads of the crowd, into a buggy driven by Simeon Bushnell, and conveyed away upon a rapid run. To the credit of all concerned, but especially to the cool men of Wellington, who exerted all their influence in that direction, no man was in the slightest manner hurt. No insult was offered to the marshal or assistants. Not a hair of their heads suffered, other than that occasioned by standing on end, which was inconven- ient to each hair and owner. It was a mob of princi- ple. It was a mob obedient to all law, except the fugitive slave law, and in resisting this, it did not propose to do murder, or even to commit an unneces- sary assault. As soon as the man was rescued, the terrified slaveholders saw the crowd disperse, and greatly astonished at the forbearance manifested, walked to the next train of cars, and wended their way home again.
In December of that year, the grand jury of the United States district court for the northern district of Ohio, found bills of indictment against thirty- seven persons, for rescuing, or aiding in rescuing, the fugitive. Of the number, Abner Loveland, Matthew Gillett, Matthew De Wolf, Loring Wadsworth, Eli Boise, John Mandeville, Henry Niles, Walter Soules, Lewis Ilines, and William Siples were citizens of Wellington, all of whom were immediately arrested. The government not being ready for trial, they en- tered into their individual recognizances to appear when called for.
On the 5th day of April, 1859, their cases were called, and all of the above named were present in court. The government finally dismissed all procced-
MR. LAWTON WADSWORTH.
MRS. LAWTON WADSWORTHI.
LAWTON WADSWORTH.
" A fair ship sails on the sea of time; Prosperous gales befriend her.
Yet storm may wreck-the ship go down ; Watch well thy pilot, mariner."
Lawton Wadsworth was the third son of Jonathan and Deidama (Snow) Wadsworth, and first saw the light June 24, 1785, in Becket, Berkshire Co., Mass.
Oct. 15, 1806, he was married to Nancy R., daughter of Elijah Lawton, of Otis, Berkshire Co., Mass.
Mr. and Mrs. Wadsworth settled in Becket, and became the parents of seven children. In 1833 they migrated to Wellington, Ohio, where the ensuing year Mr. Wadsworth built the first brick house seen in the town, their first residence in Wellington having been a log cabin.
In common with the pioneers of the West they battled bravely for existence amid the hardships of frontier life. and, supported by strength of will and carnest purpose, prospered as time passed on, and lived to see fertile farms and blooming gardens where once a wilderness covered the vast expanse.
Mr. and Mrs. Wadsworth passed the declining years of their lives at the home of their son Francis, and when they were at last called upon to leave the scenes of their carthly labors the record of their lives hore upen it the satisfactory assurance that the duties of exist- ence had been faithfully performed.
Mrs. Lawton Wadsworth died May 1, 1873, and her husband Feb. 21,1876.
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