History of Medina county and Ohio, Part 73

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 73

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business also becoming unprofitable in that lo- cality, the building was made over and has since been used as a dwelling. During this year, also, E. W. Harris built the large frame house north of Hubbard Creek, where Dr. Platt E. Beach now lives, and Michael Devin opened a dry goods store in a log building that stood where his present residence now stands. The main part of the American House was built by James Elder and Elisha Young. The additions upon the east side of it were made by D. D. Dowd, about the year 1851. It is now owned and occupied as a hotel by Chris- tian Roth. No important improvements were made in Seville, during the year 1834, except those made by Dr. Eastman, and previously noticed. At Wilson's Corners, Slutter & Over- holt built the frame building which is still standing upon the southeast corner, and occu- pied the same as a storeroom. It is now owned by Hon. A. D. Licey, who occupies one of the rooms as an office. Aaron Leland and Nathaniel Bell built a saw-mill on the Chippewa Creek, one mile south of the village of Seville. They continued in partnership for two years, wheu Leland purchased Bell's interest. John B. Leland succeeded his father iu the ownership of the mill, and operated it until the spring of 1850, when he went to California. It then changed hands several times within a few years, being owned by H. H. Hay, Dailey & Graves, D. F. Soliday aud James McElroy. Mr. Soli- day was killed there on the 3d day of May, 1862. He had been hurt the day previous by a stick, which was thrown back by a buzz-saw, striking him in the stomach. He was troubled with dizziness through the succeeding night aud during the next forenoon. On going out from dinner, he remarked to his wife, that " he ex- pected the mill would kill him some day,"-a remark that would not have been remembered but for what followed. His little boy, on going out to the mill a short time afterward, was un- able to find his father, and, on returning to the

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HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

house, so informed his mother. A Miss Jones then went to the mill, which was still running, and, after searching for some time, discovered Mr. Soliday upon a horizontal shaft in the lower part of the mill. Not understanding how to stop the mill, she ran screaming toward the nearest neighbors. Her cries soon brought some men to her assistance, who stopped the mill, and, on going below, beheld a most sickening sight. The body of the unfortunate man, en- tirely naked, was hanging upon the shaft, his vest and overshirt having slipped up around his neck, were wound around the shaft in such a manner as to draw his throat tightly against it, which caused him to revolve with the shaft, which made, at least, twenty revolutions per minute. How long he had been upon the shaft, and whether he died suddenly or suffered long, of course will never be known. He was proba- bly engaged in placing a belt upon a pulley when the accident happened, and, as his shirt- sleeve was the last thing to unwind from the shaft, it probably caught first. He was a strong, resolute man, and had passed through many hardships, having gone to California by the over- land route during the early days of the gold excitement there. After his death, the mill soon went to decay, and was finally purchased by C. W. Hay, of Seville, and by him torn down. At the time of its removal, the lower rim of a large cast-iron water-wheel was left deeply im- bedded in the mud. Some person may find this, ages hence, and wonder what machinery was ever operated there. A tannery was started near Dorsey's Corners, by J. P. Smith, about this time. He was succeeded therein by Thomas Hunt, and he by Charles Wright, who died there a few years since. There was also a blacksmith- shop upon the opposite corner in a very early day, which was burned down about 1827.

The only notable cvent that occurred in 1835 was the construction of the locomotive, previously described, by Dr. Eastman, Henry Lane and Stephen C. Smith. In 1836, Dr.

Eastman took charge of the American House as landlord. Jeremiah Wilcox purchased Ches- ter Hosmer's farm, north of Hubbard Creek, for $4,000. The village of Seville was platted, and the lots numbered from 1 to 214. William Hosmer resigned the office of Postmaster in favor of Frederic Butler. Peter King com- menced to build a grist-mill on the site now occupied by the Lower Mill. In 1837, Mr. King finished his grist-mill, and relieved the inhabitants from taking the long journeys to mill which they had been accustomed to pre- vious to this time. This was the first grist-mill in Guilford, except the small one at River Styx, previously noticed. Mr. King's mill did the grinding for a community extending several miles in all directions. It was taken down about the year 1849 by Aaron Leland and C. W. Hay, which firm erected the present Lower Mill, now owned and operated by Peton & Col- betzer.

In 1837, John Geisinger built a saw-mill about three miles northeast from Seville. He kept a loom in his mill, and. while the saw was running through a log, he occupied the time in weaving cloth. He had no arrangement for gigging the carriage back except to tread it back with his foot, which was both slow and tiresome, and yet he operated this mill for many years and did a great amount of sawing with it.

There was a vast amount of travel over the turnpike at this time, as all of the travelers wishing to go from the lakes southward passed through on this road. Each day, a heavily loaded four-horse coach passed each way, and many times one or two extras, besides numer- ous private traveling carriages. All goods going south to Jackson, Wooster and other towns farther on down the road, were carried in wagons, many of which were of the large Pennsylvania pattern, and were drawn by four or six horses. The coming-in of the stage then caused more excitement than the com-

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HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

ing-in of a railroad train does now. And no railroad couductor, and scarcely any rail- road President, is half so proud, or is looked upon with half of the admiration that was bestowed upon the old-time stage-coach driver as he thundered into town, blowing his bugle and flourishing his whip over the praucing and foaming steeds which he handled with so much skill. And the average boy who bcheld those things could think of but two things really to be desired in the future, and those were to be a militia Captain upon general training days and a stage-driver the balance of the year. About this time, E. W. Harris built a tanuery on the same site that the present one stands upon, north of Hubbard Crcek. He also crect- ed a shoeshop upon the same side of the creek, but farther west. This was afterward moved across the creek, and is now occupied by J. D. Edwards as a tinshop. William H. Alden built the corner block, now occupied by C. A. Stebbins, in 1836. In this he sold dry goods until he was elected Sheriff of Medina County, in 1840, when he removed to Medina, where he still resides. In 1839, William Hosmer died, at the advanced age of ninety-nine years.

Lyman W. Strong came from Strongsville iu 1840, and engaged in the sale of dry goods in the large building previously described, upon the west bauk of the Chippewa. He afterward occupied the present bakery room for the same purpose until 1850, when he built the corner block now owned and occupied as a store by John B. Lelaud. He was quite extensively engaged in the mercantile business for several years. He also carried on an ashcry for some time, and here the farmers for miles around found a market for their ashes, which they gladly sold for 10 cents per bushel, and took " store pay." Mr. Strong is still living, and he has always been one of the substantial citizens of Seville, and always prominently connected with all desirable improvements and reforms. The large frame house near the Up-

per Mill was built by D. D. Dowd about the year 1842, and was occupied by him for sev- eral years as a "Temperance Hotel," which was something of a novelty in those days, and an enterprise in which but few men would have risked very much capital. Mr. Dowd, however, by his pluck and energy made it a success. The second house north from that was built by Thomas Wilcox when the village was first laid out. The southwest corner building, now owned and occupied by J. K. Caughey as a dry goods store, was erected by Chauncey Spear, in 1843. He there engaged in the sale of dry goods for several years, and the build- ing has ever since been used for that purpose, when it has been occupied at all, which has been almost coutinually, although by several different parties. Mr. Spcar is still living, and is one of the few of the carly settlers yet remaining with us. He is now a Justice of the Peace, which office he has held for several successive terms. He lias also been Mayor of Seville. The Masonic Block was erected in 1844, by G. W. Morgan, Dr. Witter and the Masonic Lodge. Mr. Morgan was Judge Hos- mer's son-in-law. He owned the lower or ground story, Dr. Witter the sccoud, and the Masons the upper story, which is still occupied by that order. The building now used as a planing-mill by Stoaks & Barnard was crected about the same time, and was used for many years as a carding and spinning woolen fac- tory by E. C. Benton. When, however, the people adopted the practice of selling their wool and buyiug their cloths, he found his "occupation gone," and soon eugaged iu other business. At Wilson's Corners, there having been several cases of grave-robbing, the citi- zens constructed quite a large receiving vault in their little cemetery a short distance south from the village. This vault is still in good condition, and is the only one of the kind in Guilford Township. At about the same time, Jacob Leatheram opened a hotel on the center.

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HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

road, east of the eenter, in the large house now standing across the road from Robert Null's residenee. Thomas Heath also started one upon the opposite side of the road and farther east, in the building afterward used for many years by Jacob Bergey as a shoeshop. There was at that time a great amount of travel over that road. Numerous droves of stoek were driven over it on their way East. A large steam saw-mill was ereeted north from there, at Steam Town. This mill was destroyed by fire in 1867. It was owned by Loehr & Fretz at that time. D. G. Yoder now owns and oper- ates a steam-mill upon the same site.

In 1847, David Norton ereeted a tannery upon the north side of Hubbard Creek, north of the present Town Hall Block. Dr. Thomas Hunter's office stood a little to the east from it at that time, it being the building now owned and oeeupied by James High as a faney store. In 1848, Joseph Halliwell builta log blacksmith- shop on the flats east of Fall Creek, and one and one-half miles southeast from Seville. One George Watkins worked there two years, when he was sent to the penitentiary for the term of one year on the charge of grand lareeny ; he being the only person except one who has ever been sent to that institution from Guilford Township. The tannery belonging to David Norton was burned, and Mr. Norton died of erysipelas, of which disease many persons died in this community during that year.

On the 13th day of Mareh, 1850, John B. Leland, Andrew Gray, Elias Harris, Julius E. Harris, Frank Cook, William High, Medwin Porter, Jolin Devin and others left Seville with four-horse teams and covered wagons for Cali- fornia. As that country was at that time almost an unknown region, and, as a great part of their journey thither lay over vast plains and through almost impassable mountains, a large eoneourse of people gathered to see them off, and many speeulations were indulged in as to whether they would be lost upon the plains, frozen in

the mountains, or massaered by the hostile Indians that swarmed over a vast amount of the territory west of the Mississippi at that time. Notwithstanding the many difficulties that sur- rounded them continually, they overcame them all, and arrived safely at their destination in July, and all lived to return except John Devin and Medwin Porter. The latter died near Shasta in May, 1851, and John Devin died at Stoekton on the 18th day of October, 1852.

In 1847, or thereabouts, John Wilson started a mateh-factory and David MeMullen a tannery at Wilson's Corners, both of which enterprises were in operation there for several years. The Upper Grist-mill in Seville was ereeted about 1852, by E. W. Harris and D. W. Ressler. Both water and steam power were used. A large over- shot water-wheel was construeted underneath it, and upon a Saturday night when the mill- wrights quit work, this wheel was left free to move. Upon the following day, several boys congregated there, and, finding that they eould turn it by treading upon one side of it, were engaged in so doing, when Delos Norton, a boy about twelve years of age, lost his balanee and was foreed through a small opening between the wheel and a piece of timber at its side, erush- ing him so badly that he lived but a short time after being taken out. This mill is now owned and operated by Mr. Adam Long, of Orrville, Ohio.

At about the same time, Benjamin Long opened a blacksmith-shop at the Corners east from the eenter, where Henry Workheiser now earries on a shop of the same kind. A short time previous to this William Colburn built a storeroom at Guilford Center, where he engaged in the dry goods trade for a few years, when he was suceeeded by his brother Chester, who eon- tinued the business a short time, when he went to Wilson's Corners, where he followed the same ealling. The building at the Center was after- ward used for a schoolhouse until recently, when it was purchased by a neighbor, moved

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away, and is now used as a stable. About the year 1855, an accident occurred on the ground now occupied by George Porter's building upon the bank of the Hubbard, being the present Se- ville Times office. It was in the winter season, and the sleighing was good. The saw-mill bc- fore referred to was then iu operation near the grist-mill, and there was a road around this eorner, over which persons drew saw logs to the mill. An Irishman who had been out in the country for a log for Mr. Arad Radway, for whom he was working, was just driving along on the bank of the creek, when the log, which was not fastened to the sled, rolled off and down into the creek, passing over the mau, killing him instantly.

The steam saw-mill east of Seville was moved there from Wayne County in 1859, by J. B. and Samuel Coulter. It has changed hands several times since then, and is now owned and oper- ated by one of the members of the original firm, Mr. J. B. Coulter and Tompkins Kidd.

In the fall of 1860, during the political cam- paign of that year, Aaron Walker, who lived about three miles east from Seville, made prep- arations to attend a mass meeting at Wooster. Having driven his team to the house, he was in the act of alighting from the wagon, when his team started, and, one of his feet becoming en- tangled in the wagon-wheel, he was thrown down and was unable to manage his team, which went tearing around the field, dragging Mr. Walker by his leg. The team was finally stopped, when it was found that the unfortunate man was dead. A few years later, in the fall of 1867, at Seville, as Mr. and Mrs. James Bo- land were leaving the Fair Grounds, and when in frout of the Presbyterian Church, a team be- longing to one William Kindig came running down the street, and, turning in toward the church, ran over Mrs. Boland, injuring her so badly that she lived but a short time after the accident. Following on then but two years, the community was shocked by another acci-

dent, as it was supposed. An old man was sleeping in the Harris Tannery, which stood where the present one stands, when a fire broke out in the building, which soon enveloped it in flames. A crowd gathered, as is usual upon such occasions, but, being unable to accomplish anything, the old man was left to his fate. His charred remains were found when the fire was over, and buried. He was a stranger in the placc ; was known but by few, and nonc now recollect his name.

Another painful accident occurred on the 16th day of May, 1877, when an engine boiler iu the agricultural works of Critz & Son, iu Se- ville, exploded, blowing the roof from the build- ing and fatally injuring Charles Critz, who was the junior member of the firm, and alone in the shop at the time of the accideut. He was found in an insensible condition among the debris, and taken homc. He recovered his senses in a measure, and lingered in great pain for six days, when he died, lamented by a large circle of friends. He was a first-class mechanic, so- ber and industrious.

On the 1st day of November, 1880, John Fullerton was driving a spirited horse between the Chippewa bridge and the railroad, in Se- ville, when his horse took fright and threw him out of the wagou, inflicting severe injuries, from the effects of which he died on the 9th of the same month. He was an old citizen of Se- ville ; was in business in the western part of the State, and had come home for the purpose of votiug at the Presidential election.

Town Hall Block, in Seville, was erected in 1872-the east lower room by Stoaks, High & Bell, now owned and occupied as a hard- ware store by High & Bell; the center room by C. W. Hay, now owned and oc- cupied by J. C. Boice as a drug store ; the west room by C. M. Spitzer & Co., bankers, now owned and occupied by L. Wideman & Sons as a bank ; and the upper story by tlie village of Seville, for a town-hall and offices.

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The scenery therein was painted in the spring of 1873, by A. M. Willard.

The Methodist Church at Seville was organ- ized in the year 1830, or thereabouts. Henry Wells, Ansell Briggs, Nathan Seranton, Ansell Brainard, Andrew Laird and Tunis Wells were among its first members. The present brick church edifice was erected in 1859. The church is in a flourishing condition at this time, with Rev. S. R. Clark, as Pastor. On the 25th day of June, 1831, there was a meeting of the citi- zens at the Chippewa Schoolhouse, for the pur- pose of organizing a Presbyterian Chureh. Revs. Barnes, of Medina, and Fay, of Wads- worth, were preseut. The following-named per- sons presented certificates of regular church membership, and were organized into a Church of Christ : James Bell, Isabel Bell, Margaret Bell, Martha Bell, James P. Smith, Violet Smith, Sarah Case, Thomas Whiteside, Ann Whiteside, Abraham Whiteside, Jane Colburn, Sarah Collins and Loisa Cook. The first site selected for building a meeting-house, was upon the center road, one mile east from the pike. A part of the timber for building was hauled up- on the ground at that place, when another site was decided upon, it being the one where the large brick house now stands, in the north part of the village. When the building was ready to be raised, it was decided that no intoxieating liquors should be furnished for the oceasion. As this was contrary to a long-established cus- tom, it naturally caused much talk, and many openly declared, that " the frame would rot upon the ground, before it would be raised un- der that arrangement." No such trouble was experienced, however, and the building was raised without a murmur or au accident, being the first piece of work of the kiud ever com- pleted in the township, without the presence of liquor. This building was used as a house of worship until 1856, when the present church building was erected. On the 20th day of March, 1834, the following resolution was

passed at a meeting of the church : " That, in the opinion of this church, as a body, the man- ufacture, sale or use of ardent spirits, except for medicinal and mechanical purposes, is immoral, and ought to be abandoned by every professed Christian." Even at that early day, when, as we often hear asserted, "whisky was used as commonly as milk, and that a drunken man was seldom seen," the members of this organi- zation took this advanced position in regard to the temperance reform. On the 10th of Decem- ber, 1834, the form of church government was changed to Presbyterian, and Thomas White- side and David D. Dowd were elected Elders, and E. W. Harris, Deacon. Rev. Varnum Noyes was the first minister employed by the church, and he continued his labors with them almost unbrokenly, until 1871. He is still living, and, in the absence of the pastor, or at the funeral ser- vices of some early settler, still preaches a ser- mon. Three of his children are now in Cauton, China, acting in the capacity of missionaries. Henry Noyes left Seville with that object in view on the 22d of January, 1866. His sister Harriet, on the 15th of October, 1867, and Martha, another sister, in 1873. In 1876, Henry and Harriet came home, visiting Palestine on their way, aud returned the following year. Rev. J. C. Elliott succeeded Mr. Noyes in the Pastor- ate of the church in Seville, which position he still occupies. The church is now composed of about one hundred members.

Ou the 13th of April, 1838, the Congrega- tional Church of Guilford was organized, the fol- lowing persons being members thereof : Caleb West, Bathsheba West, Bathsheba Whitney, James Bell, Isabella Bell, James Harkness, Margaret Bell, Martha Owen, Jesse Harkness, James Gray, Eliza Rhoads, Betsey Dennis, Adelia L. Russell, Isaac Gray, Mrs. Submit Russell, Maria Russell, Abraham Gray, Mar- garet Gray, Phoebe Rhoads, Eleauor Harkness, John C. Dix, Salmon Whitney, Marian Dix, Mary A. Harris, Nancy Bell, Sarah Russell,

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

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Katharine Russell and Martha Gray. On the 29th day of March, 1841, the Ohio Legislature passed an act of incorporation for this church. In 1844, a house of worship was erected upon Lots 64 and 65, this site having been donated by Henry Hosmer. The first minister was Rev. Moses Longley. In 1853, a new house of worship was erected upon the site before named, the old house having been moved away. The new church was dedicated in January, 1854. Services were held regularly, most of the time, for several years. Rev. A. S. Shaffer was ealled to the pastorate in July, 1867, which position he occupied until the spring of 1869, since which time the church has been in an unsettled condition.

The Baptist church of Guilford was also or- ganized in 1838, on the 7th of July, with the following members : John S. Welch, Margaret Weleh. Jonathan Cotton, Polly Cotton, Timothy Phelps, Huldah Phelps, Sidney Hastings, Claris- sa Hastings, Moses Greenwood, Sally Green- wood, Robert Suggett, Susan Suggett, B. H. Warren, Harrison Greenwood and Clarissa Greenwood. The first house of worship, being of briek, was erected in 1844, on Lots 66 and 67, this site also having been donated by Henry Hosmer. The first death that occurred in this church, was that of Hanuah Welch, on the 18th day of April, 1845. On the 7th of Mareh, 1860, John Ross, an aged Englishman, donated $1,000 to this church, with which the present parsonage was built and the sur- rounding grounds purchased. In 1873, the old house of worship was taken down and the present one erected. Rev. J. W. Weatherby is the present pastor, and the church is in a pros- perous condition.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church, which is situated in the eastern part of the township was organized in 1839, with John F. Long, C. Clows, Jacob Westerman, Conrad Snyder, Sam- uel Miller, Adam Everhart, John Koppes, Jacob Kraver, Michael Frye, Isaac Bartholomy

and Jacob Wright, with their families, as mem- bers. Meetings were held in houses and barns until 1842, when this eongregation, with the Ger- man Reformed Church, which was organized about the same time, built a log meeting-house, which was used until 1867, when the present one was ereeted. The present Lutheran minis- ter is Rev. J. H. Smith, and the present Ger- man Reformed Pastor, Rev. John Leiter. The present membership numbers over 200, and there is a prosperous Sunday school.

The small Lutheran Church near the center of Guilford was built about the year 1870. Serv- ices are held onee each month. The new Method- ist Church at Wilson's Corners was erected in 1878; Rev. Mr. Wolf is the present Pastor. In a community where so many ehurehes were supported, the subject of schools would natur- ally receive attention. On the 20th of March, 1851, the Legislature passed an aet incorpor- ating the Seville Academy of Medina County. A sufficient amount of funds having been raised by subseription, with which to build and furnish a house, a meeting of the stockholders was held on the 7th of April of the same year. James A. Bell was elected President, L. W. Stroug, Treasurer, D. D. Dowd, Clerk and Hal- sey Hulburt, L. W. Strong, Heury Hosmer, James A. Bell, Cornelius Welch, E. A. Norton and E. W. Harris, Directors. Mr. A. Harper, of Oberlin, was the first teacher employed in this institution, he commencing his first term on the 1st day of October, 1851, in the old Con- gregational Church, as the Academy building was not then finished. The enterprise proved successful, and, for many years, large numbers of young people came, not only from our own community, but from adjoining townships, to avail themselves of the advantages here offered for improvement. In 1868, the building was purchased by the Board of Education of Seville. This body proceeded to make the requisite ad- ditions to it to aceommodate the village schools, which were organized at that time upon the

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History of Medina county and Ohio, Part 73

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