History of Medina county and Ohio, Part 32

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Battle, J. H; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926; Baskin & Battey. Chicago. pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1014

USA > Ohio > Medina County > History of Medina county and Ohio > Part 32

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

187

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

hundred and fifty barrels of oil were taken from one well, and others yielded from thirty to forty barrels each. None of these can be profitably worked for their oil at present prices. Gas comes continually from several of these wells.

Galena has been found in Homer, and a few parties, more sanguine than wise, engaged at one time in an attempt to develop it. Mr. Alfred W. Wheat, who made a survey of the county for the State Geological Report, says : " While traveling abont the county, I not infre- quently had persons whisper in my ear, with great cantion, the word 'lead ;' and I found several tracts of land under lease to parties who were confident that they should develop large deposits of galena. All parties were as- sured that such a search wonld be quite profit- less." A shale fonnd in the southwestern part of Sharon was some years ago converted into a mineral paint at a mill in Bagdad. This was thought well of for the painting of ontbnild- ings and farming implements, but has of late years been little used here. The ravine cut by Mineral Rnn in Wadsworth Township has shown some shales that have been used as paint. The section is approximately as fol- lows : Below the soil are, first, a buff colored shale, some twenty-five feet in thickness; be- low this a darker shale, ten feet thick-both these shales are valnable for pigment; below these shales a layer of ironstone, one foot thick; then follow alternate layers of soft shale and the whetstone rock, thickness not easily determined. Passing down the ravine a few rods, a shaly sandstone is exposed which gradually rnns into a coarse-grained rock, con- taining very small pebbles. This ravine gives a section of eighty or ninety feet. An analysis of the ironstone fonnd in Mineral Run was made by the State Chemist, Professor Worm- ley. It had been supposed to be quite rich in iron, but the analysis showed that it contained only two and a half per cent of metallic iron.

The coal measures cover three-fourths of Wadsworth Township, which is the extreme southeasterly one in the county. By carefnl estimation it is thought that the workable coal extends over 450 acres in the township. Drill- ing has been done very generally over the coal territory, and basins of excellent coal found and mapped ont, but insufficient railroad facilities delayed the general development of it. Three inines are in operation, the coal being of good quality, such as sells in Cleveland on an equal- ity with the Willow Bank Coal. Of these mines, the Wadsworth Coal Company began shipping coal in December 1869. In 1871, the daily production of this mine was 150 tons, and the estimated product fully forty thousand tons. The coal is shipped by the Silver Creek Branch of the New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio Rail- road.

The Diamond Coal Works, of Humphrey, Coleman & Co., are situated two miles south- east of the village of Wadsworth, the railroad running close to the mine, which was first opened in December, 1869. In 1871, the daily shipments amounted to seventy-five tons per day, the yield for the year aggregating some thirteen thonsand tons. The Myers Coal Bank is in the northwestern part of the township, three miles from the other mines. It has some peenliar features. A conglomerate of mixed pebbles, etc., immediately overlies the coal in this bank, but is somewhat broken and tilted np, showing great crevices. The coal is broken up also, and shows many mud cracks, but is of good quality. It does not fall to dust by weathering, or run together when burning in a gratc. The market for this coal is a local one ; the towns to the north and west generally send- ing their wagons to this bank for their coal sup- ply. Unfortunately, there is a large fissure in the floor of the mine through which comes a flow of water, rendering constant pumping nec- essary. The combined product of these mines, although the latter is giving indications of ex-

188

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

haustion, for the year ending May 31, 1880, was 106,000 tons.

The chief material resource of Medina County, however, lies in the varied productiveness of the soil with which it is furnished. It is neces- sarily an agricultural rather than a mining or a manufacturing county. It partakes largely of the prominent features that are common to the most of Northeastern Ohio, but without that flatness of surface that characterizes some of the more western counties of the Reserve.

The first settlers licre found a country thickly covered with a heavy growth of timber, and the land, shielded from the piercing rays of the sun by the dense forest foliage, saturated with the moisture which the character of a large part of the country favored. To erect here a home, and render the land subject to an annual tribute for the support of his family, tasked the powers of the pioneer to their utmost. It was an even- handed struggle for subsistence, and anything accomplished might safely be set down as an improvement. This was practically true for the first twenty years in the history of a settle- ment. An average of five years was con- sumed before the frontier farm could be relied upon to furnish support, and, in the meantime, the farc furnished by the abundance of game and wild fruit, was eked out with economical purchases of corn and wheat from the older settlements. After erecting a cabin with the aid of hospitable neighbors, from five to ten acres were felled. This was then "chopped over," i. e., the trees were cut into suitable lengths for rolling into piles for burning. After the universal bee for rolling came the burning, which frequently engaged the services of the wife in attending the fire, while the husband chopped by the light thus afforded, carrying on their labors often to the small hours of the night. On a single farm this much was fre- quently accomplished in three months, and a small crop of corn harvested in the first year,

but the average results were not so favorable. The efforts of the settler were directed toward getting ready for the " bee " as early as possible, for when the "rolling seasou " began, there was an uninterrupted demand upon the settler for from six to eight weeks in the fields of his neighbors. Many were called upon when they could least afford the time, but, from the neces- sities of the situation, there was no refusal pos- sible, and, large as this demand appears, it will not be considered exorbitant when it is re- membered that a "neighborhood " covered an area of miles in extent. With such an abund- ance of timber and the total lack of foreign de- mand, the prevailing tendency is to underrate the value of timber, and to carry the work of clearing to the very verge of denuding the land of this important aid to agriculture. This tendency seems to have been quite marked in common with the whole Western Reserve. The percentage of the whole area of the county covered by timber, in 1853, was 29.39 per cent ; in 1870, it was reduced to 23.31, and, during the last decade, it has been further reduced to 20.46 per cent, while wood is still the principal article in use for fuel throughout the county, selling at very moderate prices, save when the bad roads of spring and winter make its deliv- ery more expensive than the timber itself. Considerable difficulty has been experienced of late years in securing material for building from the native woods. Even before the intro- duction of railroads, pine lumber and brick came considerably into use as a matter of ne- cessity, and, of later years, this fact is still more marked. The use of wood as fuel has been largely a matter of necessity, and the drainage on the timber supply less exacting, has not been felt. Coal found its way into the villages as fuel in 1869, when the mines were opened at Wadsworth. This was before railroad facilities were secured, and it was wagoned across the country, giving rise to quite an active business in teaming. Many of the farmers in

191

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

that vicinity have begun using eoal, also, as the more economical fuel.

The prevailing system of agriculture in Me- diua County may properly be termed that of mixed husbandry. Specialties find little favor with the farmers. The practice is to cultivate the various kinds of grain and grasses, and to raise, keep and fatten stock, the latter business, however, being the leading pursuit of but a small proportion of the farmers. The mode of cultivating the farming lands lias not been of the highest type. Provided with a fairly pro- ductive soil, and his father having made a fair support in a certain line of farming, the average farmer has not had the opportunity, or has not felt the need, of studying the priueiples of such branches of learning as relate to agriculture, and has frequently hesitated to receive, or promptly rejected, the teachings of seience. A few per- sons, however, were found at a comparatively early day who brought to the business of farm- ing that amount of patient investigation which the greatest industry of this country demands, and farmers are becoming less and less uuwilling to learn from others. This has had its effect upon the husbandry of the county, which is at- tainiug a commendable thoroughness, and is rapidly improving in every respect.

The soil is greatly diversified, and even on the same farm exhibits marked differences. The larger part of the western portion of the county is elayey soil, with here and there a mixture of sand and gravel. In Harrisville, some 2,000 acres are covered with swamps. Most of the western and southern parts have been plowed, and the land, though easily shaken by jumping upon it, has been found quite safe for eattle all over it. In the eastern part of the county the proportion of clay is much less, and a fine loamy soil is met with, especially in the northeastern part. Possessing soil, for the most part, that demands eonstant renewal, the subject of fertilizers was early brought to the attention of the farmers, but they have gener-

ally been satisfied with such barnyard accumu- lations as the system of farming in vogue would furnish. Plaster has been found unsuited, it is thought, to the character of soils here, and has never gained much favor. Phosphates have come into limited use of late years, but only as an experiment, and the general voice is that it does not " pay." Nor are any artificial means used to increase the barnyard supply, which is not infrequently treated as a serious inconven- ience rather than a fortunate possession of the farmer. The constant cropping of a field for a considerable number of years without renew- ing is not often met with in Medina County. Occasional fields on the river bottoms are found which will bear such treatment and give good returns, but they are very limited in number. Rotation of crops has been the rule with the average farmer for some years, corn being the first erop planted ou sod ground, followed by oats and then wheat. Flax is sometimes used on sod ground, especially a new piece of wood- land, and occasionally wheat is found to do well on sod ground. In the ordinary rotation of erops the manure is generally applied to the wheat crop, as it is thought it is more effeet- ively applied here, and leaves a better soil for the grass which follows. Deep plowing with the Michigan double plow was practiced to a considerable extent some twenty-five years ago, with variable results. It afterward fell into disrepute on aeeount of its heavy draft, or from the fact that the upper soil was buried so deep that several seasons were required to effect the proper mixture of the soils. Later, another system was adopted with satisfactory effects. Two plows were used and the team divided be- tween them. A shallow soil-plow turned over the surface, which was followed by a long steel plow without a turning board. The latter sim- ply raised and loosened the subsoil to a depth of twelve or fifteen inehes, and upon this the top soil was turned by the lighter implement. This proved a vast improvement on the old plan,

192

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

furnishing the requisite depth without burying the upper soil, and loosening the subsoil, thus furnishing a natural escape for the excessive moisture which the character of the hard-pan too often resists, allowing it to escape only by evaporation. This method, experienee showed, was only necessary about once in eight years, and was not considered expensive, but the plan has of late years fallen into disuse, though subsoiling is still practiced to a considerable extent. The Oliver Chilled Plow, with a cutter, is used somewhat, but it has not worked into general use as yet. Artificial drainage has not been extensively practiced. A large proportion of the county is high, rolling country with a natural drainage that has served the purpose of carrying off the surplus water. There are six county ditches with an aggregate length of sixty-four miles, the longest of which reaches a distance of twenty-three miles. These were constructed at a cost of $57,600 and are located in Lafayette Township and the marshy dis- tricts of Harrisville and Westfield Townships. Under-draining and open-draining is carried on to some extent, but not so generally as in many other parts of the State.

The first tile establishment was erected at Mallet Creek, in 1873, and, in 1876, it reported a product of 10,000 rods as the result of three years' business. Good material for the manu- facture of tile was abundant, but there was not demand for all the establishment could make, a fact which occurs in bnt few connties in the State. Tile-draining, as a general thing, is looked npon simply as a means of carrying off the surface surplus of water, and but little ac- count is made of it as a means of improving the character of the soil.

The subject of grass lands is an important one in Medina County, from the fact that the grazing of stock for various purposes has been the leading business of the farmers from the first. Grain is principally raised for home con- sumption, and the system of husbandry, so far

as any has prevailed, has been directed mainly to secure the best resnlts for the grass crop. Timothy grass, with clover, is mainly relied upon for the supply of hay, meadows being turned over about once in five years. Meadows are pastured to some extent in the fall, but are seldom " turned out" for this purpose, grass lands being seeded for the especial purpose for which they are designed. Meadows are seldom under-drained, and have generally received very little attention in the way of top-dressing, the manure being generally applied to the wheat crop, which preceded the sceding down. Or- chard and blue grass have been introduced to a limited extent of late years, experiments with a mixture of these grasses having proved their value as pasture grasses. There is considera- ble hesitation manifested in experimenting with the blue-grass, as it is claimed by many- among them some scientific agriculturists-that the June grass, poa pratensis, is the same thing modified by the difference of soil and climate. Clover is sown in considerable quantities, prin- cipally for the seed. It is very frequently sown in combination with timothy, for the pur- pose of producing a quality of hay highly esteemed for milch cows and sheep. It is nsed considerably, also, as pasturage, but the seed which commands a ready sale, at a good cash price, renders this disposition of the crop the most available, especially as it interferes with the other nses to only a limited extent. The most serious consequences are felt in the slight use of this crop as a fertilizer. But few acres are turned nnder annually, though there is evi- dence of an awakening in this direction.

While the survey of the agriculture of Me- dina Connty does not exhibit the cultivation of any specialty, it will be observed that the larger proportion of the energy and attention of the farming community has been centered alternately in dairying and sheep culture. But, while this is true, these objects have not ab- sorbed the activities of the farmers, to the excln-

193

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

sion of other branches of farm industry. The aim of the earliest settlers, with their lands as their only resource, was to derive from these a complete support, and to this end, a system of mixed husbandry was a necessity. Their de- scendants, hedged about by the results of experience, and aiming to sell their surplus products in such form as would take from the land the smallest amount of its fertility, have, from the nature of the case, followed in their footsteps. Grain has been raised for home consumption entirely, and has barely sufficed for that, until quite recently. In the early cul- ture of wheat, a great many discouragements were met. The weevil and rust destroyed it year after year, and the land scemed to be to- tally unfit for its cultivation. It was thought by the first settlers that it could be grown only on sod ground, and was, finally, for some years adandoned, and a large part of the wheat used here was bought abroad. When advancement had been made, so far as to be able to accumu- late the barnyard droppings, manure was ap- plied to the wheat fields, and very creditable crops secured. During later years, and espe- cially during the past three years, there has been a marked improvement in the results of wheat culture. This is chiefly confined to the townships of Sharon, Wadsworth and Guilford, where the soil is more of the sandy and loamy character.

The variety principally sown in later years has been the Fultz (beardless), Laucaster or swamp (bearded), Todd and some Clawson. The White Mediterranean has been experi- mented with, but the leading variety during the last four years has been the Fultz. No particular system of cultivation has been gener- ally adopted in regard to this grain. The prac- tice of plowing " bare fallows," practiced at an earlier date, is occasionally done at present. The past year, a field of clover in Medina Township was plowed under and sowed to wheat in the fall, a treatment which insures a

profitable return, and is occasionally practiced. Wheat in early years was sown among the standing corn, and later, between the shocks that were placed in rows through the field, and the spaces thus left put in oats on the following spring. The latter method is occasionally practiced yet, but generally an oat crop inter- venes. After plowing and seeding, the manure is applied as a top dressing, this being consid- ered the most effective way of applying fertil- izers. Where the drill is employed, as in a large portion of cases, the same rule is followed, although there are many cases where it is har- rowed in with the seed when sown broadcast or before drilling. The practice of sowing wheat upon the same ground for many success- ive years is becoming less known, though still followed here and there where the soil seems well nigh exhaustless. The breadth of land sown is by no means uniform, varying about in proportion to the uncertainty of the product per acre. The wheat-growing townships in the southeast part of the county are pretty constant in their cultivation of this grain, but in other parts the failure of the crop in a single year has the effect of turning the attention of a large number of farmers to other interests. The last few years have been especially favorable to this crop, and a larger acreage than ever before has been sown, the product not only supplying the home market but furnishing a surplus for ex- portation. The grain is usually threshed in the barn or in the baruyard. The first ma- chines, worked by horse power, were introduced here about 1835. Of late, machines worked by the portable steam engine have been the favor- ite, and very largely used.

Rye and barley are but little cultivated. The former was early cultivated for the hogs and occasionally fed to sheep, but it has long since ceased to be a grain of considerable cultivation. It is principally grown now among the Ger- man population of the county, and is valuable chiefly for the straw, which finds a ready sale

194

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

in limited quantities for binding cornstalks. The average yield of the grain is about ten bushels per acre. Barley is occasionally raised, but not to so large an extent as in earlier years. The principal demand for this grain is for breiving, and the market is too distant to stimu- late its production, though it proves a valuable crop where the soil is fitted for its cultivation. Buckwheat was formerly grown to a consider able extent, but of late years the cultivation of this grain has fallen off so that hardly the home supply is produced. Oats are extensively grown, but find a demand at home for the full supply. It is a reasonably sure crop, and, though occasionally affected by drought, it is relied upon with considerable confidence for home use. Rust has at times proved a serious drawback to the raising of this crop, and a late frost occasionally ruins the crop, but these have not been destructive of late years.

The corn crop, while not grown to the exclu- sion of the others, is the one on which the farmers of Medina County most confidently rely, and the land devoted to its culture is only limited by the necessities of the situation. It is far more stable in its yicld, less liable to dis- ease, and may be slighted in its cultivation with greater impunity than any other crop. The soft varieties of seed are generally pre- ferred, and are usually planted on sod ground. In 1835, there was some interest awakened in the "Baden" corn. This variety was promised to yield large returns, which was realized, but in an unexpected way. The stalks reached an enormous size, some developing a growth of three inches in diameter and some fifteen feet in height, but bearing not a single ear of corn. It became quite notorious, and passed into the popular sayings as a mark of hollow pretension. It is usually well put in, the ground being pre- pared with considerable care. The practice of fall plowing for corn obtains largely in the county, and shows satisfactory gaiss on the spring plowing. The old way of " going

through " the field a certain number of times before "laying by " the crop, is still generally followed in the county. The practice of work- ing the corn until it "tassels out," which pre- vails in many places, is not followed to any great extent in Medina County. This extra amount of cultivation is not thought to " pay " by most of the farmers, and others are obliged by the exigencies of the season to forego this extra amount of attention. The farms are gen- erally small, and worked by the owner alone, and the clover and wheat cutting coming close together make it impossible for the farmer to bestow more time on his corn. The crop is usually cut and husked in the field, the stalks being removed and stacked at a convenient place for feeding in the winter. The custom of husking from the standing stalk, which was early mueh in vogue, was abandoned some time since, as wasteful of time and material. The breadth planted and the yield per acre is some- what variable, but with improved cultivation. the yield has increased, and more land has gradually been devoted to it.

The other crops that occupy, or have occu- pied, a more or less prominent place among the agricultural products of the county are pota- tocs, flax and sorghum. The quality of the soil is well adapted to the raising of potatoes, and farmers who have given considerable attention to the proper cultivation of this highly prized and indispensable esculent, have always been well rewarded for their labor and painstaking. It is a staple vegetable, universally used, always commands a fair price, and its general cultiva- tion for exportation would undoubtedly prove highly remunerative. This fact seems to have made no impression upon the farmers, as no more are produced than are used at home. The leading variety is the early rose, with the Peach- blow and Peerless cultivated in considerable quantities. The Snowflake is highly prized by many, while other varieties are being cultivated as experiments or to suit individual tastes.

195

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY,

The average yield of this erop is good, and is not often seriously affeeted by disease or in- seets.

Flax is grown to considerable extent, and, contrary to its history in most parts of the State its eultivatiou is rather on the inerease iu this county. A flax-mill at Seville stimulates its cultivation, and many farmers esteem it highly as a valuable erop to sow upon sod ground to preeede wheat. Its drain upon the fertility of the soil is not seriously felt, and it is thought to have a beneficial effect in rendering the soil loose and friable. The seed commands a ready sale, and the fiber is always iu demand at the mill in Seville.

Sorghum is another exeeption to the general rule. It was introduced here about 1857, but most of the farmers conceived a dislike to it. It was planted iu small quantities by a good many, but it was allowed to pass without any particular care, and many never harvested it at all. Two or three mills were bought, but eom- paratively little molasses was manufactured. The first product, owing to the laek of interest and information, aud the earelessness with which it was manufactured, was sorry stuff. This result re-aeted with discouraging effect upon the producers. Another eause which eon- tributed to this result was the exercise of a ruinous economy on the part of the mass of the farmers. Instead of purchasing new seed and sparing no pains to make a fair trial of this new crop, the majority of those who planted a see- ond erop procured seed from their neighbors, and allowed the farm-work to seriously interfere with the cultivation of the cane. The result was that itdeteriorated in quantity aud quality, and the whole thing was voted a failure. No great effort was made to produce sugar, as the expense proved an iusurmountable barrier to its sueeessful prosecution. A limited amount of eaue is still planted and some sirup manu- faetured, but it has no sale and is made simply for home use.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Medina county and Ohio, Part 32

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Battle, J. H; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926; Baskin & Battey. Chicago. pub Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago : Baskin & Battey Number of Pages: 1014

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Battle, J. H; Goodspeed, Weston Arthur, 1852-1926; Baskin & Battey. Chicago. pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago : Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1014