History of Medina county and Ohio, Part 78

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 78

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).

tions and perplexities, they founded the bright and happy homes of to-day, where education, religion, refinement, and all the luxuries of wealth, abound.

York Township remained as long unsettled as any other in the county. This was not be- cause of a dearth or absence of natural attrac- tions. The soil was as rich for agricultural purposes as that of any other ; and the open- ing for settlers was promising, and gave assur- ance of future opulence to those who were sav- ing and industrious. Settlers, like migratory birds, seek a common resort. They move in flocks (to continue the figure), and, at the end of a long journey, alight in the same neighbor- hood. It seems that no flock saw proper to alight in York until many years after several of the other townships had been visited. Ad- venturous birds, however, left the neighboring coveys, and attempted to build their nests and rear their young abroad. It thus came to pass that, prior to the appearance of the first permanent white settler in 1830, the township was the home of several wandering hunters and trappers, who served as an advance-guard to the advancing army of settlers. It is quite certain, that, soou after the war of 1812, one or more professional hunters resided in a small bark shanty, in the northeastern part, near the present site of Abbeyville. The dwelling was little better than a wigwam, and was permitted to fall into decay after one or two seasons of occupancy. This brings the reader down to the time when the first permanent settler located in the township ; and, before entering upon the description of the first settlement, it will be proper to notice the physical features of this portion of the county.

York Township is five miles square, and is bounded north by Liverpool, east by Medina, south by La Fayette, and west by Litchfield. Like the remainder of the county, its surface is irregular, and is characterized by peculiarly shaped prominences, which, at a distance, ap-

511

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

pear to be the works of Mound-Builders, but which, upon eloser inspeetion, prove to have been deposited by glacial action in times which antedate, by long periods of years, all recorded history. These prominenees or hills, are usu- ally composed of a coarse bowlder elay, and large quantities of gravel of erystalline roek, granite, quartz, evidently of a foreign nature. The lower and more level portions, though eom- prising a large percentage of elay, are still thoroughly intermingled with a rieh semi-sandy and semi-alluvial soil, giving great strength and permanenee to its produetiveuess. The composite nature of the soil, and the pro- portion in which the composing elements are blended, assure a fertility that is unknown in seetions of the State or county where a pure soil abounds. Sueh lands are fitted for a greater variety of erops, as each vegetable production ean seleet from the soil that which is adapted to its permanent and most rapid growth and strength, while a pure soil, laeking as it does the elements necessary to the life of some plants, ean support the growth of but few. The soil also has great strength, as is shown by the fact that the same erop ean be raised year after year on the same piece of land, without deerease in quality or quantity produeed. The land is good for grazing pur- poses, and for meadows of luxuriant grass. Considerable sand is displayed near Abbey- ville, not only in small inland and isolated banks, but in strata along the abrupt banks of Roeky River. Excellent hard water is ob- tained in abundanee, at depths varying from ten to forty feet. A few perpetual springs are found, and, if their location is near a publie highway, troughs are prepared where horses may queneh their thirst.

The township is well drained by numerous streams which flow in a northerly direction, and the waters of each finally reaeh Roeky River. The principal stream is Mallet Creek, named thus for the first white settler who lived

on its banks. It enters the township on the southern line, about a mile west of the center, and flows a little west of north until near the eenter, when it takes a course a little east of north, and finally leaves the township at very nearly the geographieal eenter of the northern boundary. It is fed throughout its course by numerous affluents, which join it from either side. This whole system of drainage has suf- fieient fall to insure the contiguous bottom land from ever becoming marshy, and unfitted for the use of the husbandman. The stream and its branches have woru their way, in some places, many feet below the surrounding valley level, owing, no doubt, to the eharaeter of the soil. The northeastern eorner is erossed by Roeky River, a stream which has worn its way deep into the underlying roek. Near the bridge at Abbeyville, perpendicular embankments of sandstoue may be seen, rising abruptly from the water's edge, in some eases to the height of seventy feet. From the worn eharaeter of the perpendicular surface thus exposed, it seems reasonable to infer that the bed of the stream was onee at the top of the enbankment, and that through a long period of years it grad- ually deseended to its present position. Mal- let Creek and its branehes drain almost or quite one-half of the township. The north- eastern third is drained by three or more small "runs," which flow directly into Roeky River, near Abbeyville. There are no swamps of any note, although in early years the northern part was quite wet, and was covered with an almost impenetrable thieket, wherein wild animals sought refuge from pursuing hounds or hunt- ers. In common with other portions of the eounty and State, York, in early years, was destitute of convenient roads, and it was only after the lapse of time that the ineidental stieking in the mud, which attended eaeh jour- ney, could be avoided. The first road prop- erly surveyed in the township was the Nor- walk road, extending diagonally to York Cen-

512

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

ter from Medina, thence directly westward. It was surveyed in 1830, and was laid out only to be avoided, as the passage of a few wagons so cut up the clay soil that drivers preferred to select their route through the woods near by. This procedure was only altered when the road had been sufficiently graded to turu off the water, instead of allowing it to remain in the ruts made by the wagons.

We come now to the time when the first set- tlers appeared in York. It being premised, that, inasmuch as portions of the county, con- tiguous to the townslip, had been first settled a score or more years earlier than 1830, and that the townships of Liverpool, Medina, La Fayette, were at that date quite thickly populated-it may appear strange that no settler had yet concluded to locate in York. One reason for this state of affairs was that the township was owned by speculators in the East, who charged so much for their land that it was practically thrown out of market. The land was owned in six tracts-five of them each a mile wide, and extending from the eastern boundary to within a mile of the western line, aud the sixth, comprising a strip one mile wide, extending north and south across the western side. The tracts number from the south to the north, the one on the west being the sixth. No. 1 was owned by a man named Chapman. It must not be understood that the price of the land was far above that in neighboring townships. The price asked varied from 25 cents to $1 above the current rates, and, in the estimation of a man with but little money, this was an important consideration, and effectually pre- vented the sale of the land. In the year 1826, the following persons paid taxes on 14,137 acres of the land: Fanny Chapman, Elijalı Hubbard, James Mather, Samuel Mather's heirs, Thomas Mathier, Thomas Sill and Will- iam N. Sill. The land was valued at $29,936, and the tax paid was $295.62.

In the month of June, 1830, George Wilson,

of Monroe County, N. Y., came to the town- ship, purchased a small tract of land on the branch road where Eli Hubbard now lives, erected a small dwelling, and immediately moved his family from Medina, where they had stopped until Mr. Wilson could build a house. This mau was the first permanent settler. He was immediately followed by Levi Branch, Lawson Branch, Harvey Bruce, E. Munger, John Dunshee, Reuben Stickney, and Solomon Hubbard. These men came with their fami- lies to Medina in the month of October, 1830, and, while the families remained in the village, the men went to York, found their land which had been previously bought or traded for, erected their rough log houses, and returned to Medina for their families. Levi Branch was looked upon with envy by his fellow-settlers, as he had taken the trouble to bring from York State a small stove. This was properly ad- justed in his cabin, and was looked upon by all visiting neighbors as a curiosity, and was spoken of so often throughout the neighbor- hood, that "Brauch's stove " became almost a by-word. The cabin in which this " curiosity " was placed, and in which the family moved, was only half-finished, as but half of the roof was on, and the doors were yet to be man- ufactured. Blaukets were hung up to serve the purpose of doors, temporarily, and Mr. Branch continued busily engaged in riving claphoard shingles to be placed on the half- finished roof. A rough floor had been hastily fitted iu, designed to do duty until leisure mo- ments would give Mr. Branch opportunity to construct a better one. The fact that settlers in the surrounding neighborhoods had attained a comparative degree of comfort, did not miti- gate in the least the hardships and sufferings of the York scttlers. They were compelled to pass through the same bitter school of expe- rience. The size of the tracts of land pur- chased depended upon the means at the com- mand of the settlers. Levi Branch bought

Arzu Pearson

515

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

567 acres, but his farm was larger than that of any of the other early settlers. All were located south or southeast of the center ; and, within a few years, this portion of the township put on the outer garb of pioneer civ- ilization. Cabins of various designs rested near the center of small clearings ; the ring and echo of ax and rifle awoke reverberations ou the distant hills and in the heavy forest ; the " ding-dong" of cow-bells told where the herds were feeding ; the barking dog betrayed the fact that a coon had been treed; and all the attendant features appeared which give to clearings in the forest the name "settlemeut."

For the next five years after the appearance of the settlers already mentioned, as many as thirty others located in the township and bc- gan clearing their land and cultivating the soil. The first thing to be secured was a gardeu, where potatoes aud kindred vegetables could be raised. After this came the fields of wheat, dotted with hundreds of stumps, to avoid which, the reaper must use care. While the crop was growing, the settler was busily en- gaged in deadeuing the trees, and leveling them with the ground. At this point of the cleariug process, a great deal of useless labor could be avoided by judicious managemeut, guided by the light of experience. In some cases, all the timber ou a certain piece of laud was to be destroyed by fire. On such occasions, the chop- per would select some central point, around which, for 300 or 400 feet, all the trees would be felled toward the center selected. They would lodge on the central tree, and remain standing until the latter was cut down, when all came thundering to the earth together. Here they would remain until dry and dead, when they were almost totally consumed by fire. At other times, a line, perhaps eighty rods or more in length, was laid out across a tract of land, and all the trees within 300 or 400 feet were felled toward this liue, thus form- ing an enormous windrow. At the proper dis-

- tance away, another line was established, and the process was repeated. In this mauner, whole sections were often chopped in wiudrows, and, as soon as the trees were thoroughly dead and dry, fires were lighted over the entire area of falleu timber, and the men devoted their time aud attention iu preventing the fire from dying out, and iu seeing that all the fallen ma- terial was destroyed. In the night-time, the fires thus lighted over half a farm, compared favorably with the prairie fires so well known in the West. In early years, a great deal of farm labor was done through the medium of " bees." Whole neighborhoods would assemble aud accomplish in a short time what would perplex oue mau for months. A large share of the clearing done in York was accomplished in this mauner, aud all was the result of an inter- change of labor. The men of a neighborhood would assemble and clear up the farms in rota- tion, and it is true, that a vast saving of time aud labor resulted from thesc "bees," aud it is often the case, from the peculiar nature of the work to be performed, that twenty men can accomplish in oue day what one mau caunot accomplish in twenty days. If the butt-cuts of trees were to be saved, the windrow process of clearing was often adopted, as in that case, the tops were crushed together, while the butts were free from troublesome branches. When one or more cuts were to be preserved on each tree, it was customary, also, to adopt the cen- tral process of clearing, and the center selected was usually the summit of some prominence, as in that case the logs could be rolled more easily out of the reach of the fire.

It is impossible to name all the settlers who came to York prior to 1835. Previous to their coming, they were notified, upon inquiry, that the excellent and well-traveled Norwalk Turn- pike extended through the center of the town- ship, and afforded an unparalleled outlet to market and mill. They were also informed that the township was crossed by the beautiful Mal-

516

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

let Creek, in whose clear waters thousands of speckled trout abounded. Thus, the most san- guine anticipations of the settlers were aroused, and all were anxious to view the bright land which destiny had selected for their home. Alas for the delusions of fancy ! It was dis- covered that the informant had meant speckled frogs, instead of speckled trout, and the well- traveled turnpike proved to be a snare and a myth. It is related that R. M. Lampson, Sr., went with his wagon to Medina for a few bricks, and, on his return, though he had but 125, his wagon sank to the hub in the soil of the " cel- ebrated Norwalk Turupike." This enraged Mr. Lampson, whereupon he uttered some startling truths, in a peculiarly emphatic manner, re- specting the famous turnpike and the meander- ing Mallet Creek. He and many others were for a long time singularly teuder on the sub- jects of speckled trout and turnpikes. Like a celebrated lady, they refused to be comforted, because they were not-as their hopes had de- picted. Time, at length, healed the wounds.

The township was organized and named in 1832. The name " York " was bestowed upon it, owing to the fact that nearly all the settlers came from York State, and, at their suggestion, the authorities created the township under that title, aud ordered an election held at the resi- idence of Levi Branch, on the 2d of April, 1832, for the purpose of electing the necessary officers and of completing the organization. On that day, twenty settlers (all then living in the township, with the exception of about five) assembled, and polled their first votes as citi- zeus of York Township. It will thus be seen, that, from June, 1830, to the following April, about twenty-five settlers located in the town- ship. This first election was held in Mr. Branch's barn, and, after a due amount of " wire-pulliug " and " electioneering," the fol- lowing officers were elected : Alexander Forbes, Justice of the Peace and (probably) Clerk; Philo Fenn, Treasurer ; Levi Branch, Thomas

Brintnall and Sylvanus Thunn, Trustees. It was no uncommon occurrence, in pioneer times, to hold town meetings in barns and dwellings. This was rendered necessary from a lack of schoolhouses and town halls. It required but about six years from the time of the first set- tlement before the township was almost as densely populated as it is at present. It was during this period that the township sprang, like Minerva from the head of Jove, into vig- orous and mature life. Industries of various kinds began to arise as abruptly, if not as grandly, as Aladdin's palace, and soon the wild farms of the forest were transformed into those of civilization. Hundreds of acres of fine tim- ber were given to the flames, aud the peaceful hum of busy human life was heard, where erst the howl of the wolf and the whoop of the sav- age resounded. The paths of the forest were opened to the light and heat of the sun; the ponds and marshes slowly disappeared ; wav- ing seas of wheat and corn appeared; roads were established and graded ; stumps were up- rooted and removed ; fields became encircled with strong rail fences ; domestic animals fre- quented the paths and feeding-grounds of wild ones ; schoolhouses appeared, with their disci- pline and instruction ; happy homes were cre- ated by the industry and genius of man ; relig- ious institutions, with their attendant bless- ings, arose ; the pleasing and complex relations of social life took the place of savage councils and pow-wows ; natural features, with artificial adornments, improved the wild figures of the forest ; and the vast energy of a progressive and enlightened people transformed the wil- derness into quiet hamlets and peaceful country homes.

When the township was first settled, deer, wolves and other wild animals had not wholly disappeared. These and others were yet seen at their favorite haunts, and were pursued and .shot by those whose inclinations had a sporting tendency, and whose wants could be supplied

517

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

from the spoils of the chase. Alexander Forbes was perhaps the most skillful and successful hunter ever a resident of the township. He built his cabin on the diagonal road running from Medina to York Center, in the fall of 1830. He was a tall, powerfully built man, and, it is said, would kill an average of one hundred deer each season. Extravagant stories are told con- cerning his ability to bring in large quantities of game, and his superior marksmanship. He often went into the forest in the morning, and returned at night with forty or fifty squirrels, each having been killed by a bullet through its brain. It is related that on one occasion of about three weeks, he killed eight deer, on an average, per day. On another occasion, he started a herd of seven deer early in the morn- ing, and continued following the same herd all day, occasionally shooting one, and at night all had fallen before his unerring rifle. These stories are not impossible, and they bear the evidences of truth. It is no wonder that such rapid destruction of game soon left the forest deserted. Wolves were a continual annoyance for many years, and it seemed almost a necessary result, that, when a valuable flock of sheep had been reared with no little attendant trouble, these blood-thirsty creatures must steal into the fold, and slaughter the whole flock. It is not probable that the owner, in viewing the field of death the next morning, passed many complimentary remarks on the act, or went about his daily task in an enviable frame of mind. It thus came to pass that the County Commissioners offered a bounty of several dol- lars for wolf-scalps, and so great was the push after the reward that the wolves found it best to depart for other localities. Since the disap- pcarance of deer and wolves, coons and squirrels have been the principal " game."

Levi Branch owned the only team in the township during the winter of 1830-31, and passed the greater portion of his time in travel- ing to Wooster, Akron and other distant places

to procure supplies. He was a kind, benevolent Christian, and oddly built his cabin on that portion of his farm farthest removed from Me- dina. When asked why he did this, he replied, that it was done in order that, as he had the only team, he could have the pleasure of con- veying all his neighbors living on the diagonal road, to church in Medina every Sunday morn- ing. He was one of the most intelligent and prominent of the early settlers, and has many descendants living in the township.

In the spring of 1835, Alonzo Forbes and An- son Bellamy built a saw-mill on Mallet Creek, on the farm now owned by John B. Knapp. The mill was a sort of a shanty, constructed of lumber sawed before the building was erected. The saw was operated by water-power, and the mill was at first located on the bank of thic stream ; but it was found impossible to allow the building to remain there, as freshets were sure to damage the machinery, and, very likely, sweep away portions of the mill. It remained there, however, for several years of irregular operation, and prepared for the neighborhood a limited quantity of rough lumber. It changed owners several times, and was finally purchased by a Mr. Worden, who altered the arrangements materially. He built a dam back a quarter of a mile above the mill, and then, by means of a long, narrow race, obtained excellent water- power, without the danger of having his mill swept away by every freshet. The mill was enabled to operate some six months of the year, and turned out, in its time, quite a large quan- tity of lumber. It finally became unprofitable, was permitted to run down, and was not after- ward re-continued. Mr. Zimri Cook says that the first saw-mill in the township was built in November, 1832, and located on Mallet Creek, on the farm now owned by Mrs. Yorks. It was built and operated some three or four years by Squire Drayton, who, at the expiration of that time, removed the machinery and permnitted the mill-building to fall into rnin, from a lack of

518

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

patronage. A rude dam was constructed, and then, by means of a short raee, a fair water- power was obtained. This mill, like most of the other early ones, was in danger of being swept away at every heavy rain, as it was inse- curely built, and was ereeted below the limit of high-water mark. It was soon removed, but the machinery was put in running operation in another part of the State.

It was the eustom, even after saw-mills were in aetive and profitable operation in the town- ship, for the settlers to ereet log houses instead of frame ones, from lumber obtained at the mills. This was done, as less time aud expense were required, and the buildings thus ereeted, though homelier, were warmer, more substan- tial, and would last longer.

It seems proper, in this eonneetion, to give a deseription of the method of ereeting log houses, " not," says an old settler, "for the enlighten- ment of the present generation, but from a de. sire to hand down to posterity the primitive structures of pioneer times, as this mode of building will soon become obsolete and un- kuown."* Proceeding with the deseription, he says : " If a eabin was to be built from the forest, a leader was chosen, who was always a man of experience, and dubbed . eaptain.' The officer thus commissioned would elassify the assembled settlers, and assign to each his respective duties, about as follows :

"1. He would seleet four of the most expert axmen as eorner-men, whose duty it was to first clear off the site, square it, and place a bowlder at each eorner, to build upon, after be- ing duly leveled, then saddle and noteh down the logs in good workmanlike order.

" 2. He would assign a sufficient number of suitable men, to select, as near the site as pos- sible, the best large-grown, straight-grained white-oak tree, for elap-boards, whose further duty was to fell it and eross-cut it into suitable lengths, split the euts into square bolts, and

rive them with a frow. Another set of men were required to prepare puneheons for floors, doors, window-easings, and chimney-eorner jambs, out of such timber as was best adapted for the pur- pose, such as oak, chestnut or ash, which, when properly seleeted, could be made of sufficient length and width to make good building lum- ber. The puneheons for the floor were placed upon sills, and supported in the middle by joists, after which the upper surface was eare- fully dressed by a skillful adz-man, who could make it almost as smooth as though it had been sawed and planed.

"3. He would seleet and detail such a num- ber as seemed necessary, to eull out, as near the site as possible, straight, suitably sized, stand- ing trees, and fell them, and ehop them iuto re- quisite lengths, for the proposed structure, with teamsters to haul them in as they were pre- pared. To this foree were added other team- sters, provided with rough wooden sleds, to haul in the clapboards, puncheons and other lumber of a similar nature. All the above hav- ing been earried into effeet, the leader would take his station and direet men from his foree, to prepare smooth skids, the necessary number of strong forks, with grape-vine or hiekory withes around the prongs, to render them se- eure, and with two or three cross-stieks inserted through holes bored in the lower ends, to pre- vent the hands from slipping, and also to pro- vide a sufficient number of handspikes of tough hiekory, dog-wood or iron-wood, some four feet long, with ends shaved flat and smooth, to be used in rolling the logs to their position or up- on the skids. All were under command of the leader, who was always selected because of his experienee, skill and ability to seeure the eom- pletion of the work in the shortest space of time. Stationed upon a prominent position, where all the stages of the work passed in re- view before his eye, he eould direet his forees as systematically as a General does his troops on the field of battle. As the logs were hauled to

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 78

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