History of Medina county and Ohio, Part 79

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 79

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).

* Judge Patrick, of Urbana, in Antrim's History.

519

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

the site and unloaded, the necessary number of men would be directed, either to roll the logs to the skids, or to pick them up on hand-spikes, and carry them there. Four corner-men were selected, who, from their experience and skill, could perform the best work, and one of these was assigned to each corner to notch and fit the logs as the walls of the house arose. The logs were shoved on the skids to their destined position, and here the expert corner-men would chamfer or bevel off the ends at a suitable an- gle, the work being done on each side of the log, so that the two beveled sides would meet in a point, upon which a notch in the transverse log destined to be placed above it, could rest. This operation was ealled saddling the logs, and re- quired considerable skill to seeure a elose fit. The two end logs were placed in their positions first, and then the sills were selected and notched deeper than the other logs, in order that the floor, which was to rest upon them, might not be too far above the ground. It will thus be observed that the lower end of each log was deeply notehed, and that the upper side of the same end, was chamfered into a ridge, upon which the transverse log next above it could rest. The corner-men, at the same log, would work together, as each would notch or chamfer at the same time as the other.

" After the four foundation logs had been properly notched and saddled, and placed in a firm position in the shape of a square, the next thing was to cut in the sills the slots to receive the sleepers, though this was often postponed until after the building was erected. These sleepers were selected with the view of their being intended to support the floor, and, after being hewed off to the proper shape and size at the end, were placed in their positions in the slots or gains.

" This being done, the rapid erection of the walls continued, the corner-men using their loosely-held axes to insure the perpendicularity of the corners. When the walls became quite

high, the skids, with one end resting on the ground and the other on the top of the walls, were used as a rude tramway, upon which the logs could be moved to their positions. The logs would be slid up the skids as far as possi- ble with the hand-spikes, after wliich strong men, with the above-described forks, wonld take the logs, and, with the end well down toward the ground, wonld raise the latter to their posi- tion on the wall. It sometimes happened that the forks were not sufficiently strong to support the logs, in which case they split, thus allow- ing the logs to slide down the skids upon the men. Occasional deaths were caused by not taking the proper precaution to have the prongs strong enough. Thus the building progressed until the required height was reached-all be- ing done with preeise uniformity and eelerity. At last the eave-bearers would be raised upon the two ends of the building. These projected some twenty inelies beyond the wall, and would be notehed down and saddled baek far enough to receive the timbers hereafter described. Then the butting-pole for the back of the cabin would be shoved up to the front eorner-men and rolled to the back eave, and notched down upon the saddles, being allowed to project some fifteen inches beyond the outer surface of the wall. The first rib would be sent up in the samc manner, and rolled back to a proper distance in- side of the butting-pole, and notched down so as to give the pitch of the roof from the eenter of the pole to the top surface of said rib. In this manner, the corresponding timbers for the front of the cabin were placed. The first two gable-logs would be placed in notches cut into the ribs, and chamfered at the ends to suit the pitch of the roof. The remaining ribs and gable-logs being placed, the roof was then ready for the clapboards, which are laid down upon the ribs with the lower ends resting against the butting-poles, with small spaces be- tween, which are top-covered so as to break joints. Knees of proper length are prepared at

520

IIISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

cach eud, and are placed endwise against the butting-poles to hold the weight-poles in place, the latter being laid upon the roof-coursers as nearly over the ribs as possible. In like man- ner, another course of elapboards is laid down with the lower euds resting against the weight- pole of the next lower course. In this manner the roof is completed."

This is the manner in which log houses were erected. It was usually the eustom, however, for the owner to haul all the necessary logs and timbers before the workmen arrived, and even to eut and place in position upou the bowlders the four logs for the foundation. He also often rived out the elapboards with a frow, and pre- pared timbers for the floor and roof.

It was not long before sehoolhouses and churches were ereeted iu different parts of the township. Enterprises of various kinds were undertaken, and soon the citizens of York eould boast of as fine sehoolhouses, mills, etc., as any other portion of the county. The citizens were persevering in industry and staneh in integrity and moral worth, and the rising generation felt the impact of these influenees, and grew into intelligent and moral people. During the days when Abolitionists arose all over the North to denounce, with eeaseless tongue, the wrongs of slavery, and especially what they deemed the infamous measures of the Fugitive Slave Law, the citizens of York were not wholly silent or inaetive. They became satisfied that the meas- ures of the law were totally wrong in the sight of man and God, and set themselves industri- ously to work to render the law praetieally in- operative by a constant evasion. As stated by Ephraim Lindley, of Brunswiek, they were dis- satisfied with being made slave-eatehers with- out their eonseut, and resolved to abrogate the measures of the law so far as lay in their power. Wesley Hulet, then residing near Abbeyville, was one of the most active men in the town- ship to assist runaway slaves to Canada. An underground railroad, with many branches, ex-

tended north and south aeross Ohio, and, while the main line lay near some well-traveled high- way, aud was traveled by those runaways who did not fear pursuit nor court eoneealment, the branehes were much more seeret, and were traversed by trembling men, women and ehil- dren, upon whose heads a high reward was set, and whose safety from a punishment worse than death lay in their seeret passage to the domin- ion of the British queen. One of these branches extended through York, and was, perhaps, trav- eled far more extensively than many of the main lines. It is stated on the authority of Mr. Lindley, who was one of the most active slave eoneealers and assistants in the county, and whose eabin was the next station north of that of Mr. Hulet, that the latter helped more than a score of runaways ou their way North. Ansel Bowen, of York, was eonneeted with the road, as were also Jonathan Hulet, of Bruns- wiek ; W. P. Stevens, also of Brunswiek; Will- iam Castle, of Abbeyville, and Samuel Hale. It is stated by Mr. Lindley, that, on one oeea- siou, Wesley Hulet, driving a wagon containing nine runaway slaves, stopped at the cabin of the former, and, after Mr. Lindley had fed the blaek people and furnished them with various artieles of elothing, Mr. Hulet conveyed them on to the next station north, which was, per- haps, the cabin of W. P. Stevens. A huge negro, elothed iu tatters aud covered with seratehes and wounds, presented himself one night at Lindley's eabin, and begged food, and the privilege of remaining there until morning. The request was willingly granted; but the negro, who had doubtless been pursued, and, in consequence, was distrustful of everybody, seemed to entertain misgivings as to the good faith of Mr. Lindley, and, when condueted to his bed for the uight, asked the privilege of having the door loeked, and of having posses- sion of the key during the night. Whether he slept well or not, is not known; but, when he opened the door and eame out to breakfast the

521

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

next morning, he told the family that he had had a dream, wherein it appeared that he was eaught, at which point he awoke and was over- joyed to find that he was yet free and likely to reach Canada. It was afterward ascertained that he was closely pursued by his owner, but at last succeeded in eluding his pursuers and effeeting his safe arrival across the lake. The point on the lake shore where the runaways were instructed to go, was at the mouth of Grand River. Here they were told to remain concealed until a certain hour on oue or more days of the week, when a small steamer, eom- ing from the Canada side, would approach the landing, whereupon the runaways were to hurry on board without ceremony or delay, and the vessel would convey them across the lake. It is said that men throughout the State furnished the money which paid the owner of the steamer for his trouble. This quiet place of boarding was selected because all the principal landings, such as at Cleveland, were thronged with dis- guised, watchful and irate owners, looking for their "eattIe," and preparing to conduct them back to a eondition worse than Egyptian bond- age. It may be said that York Township did her share of violating the Fugitive Slave Law, and of assisting the weary runaways to gain their freedom.

In the year 1831, Levi Janes purchased 600 aeres of land in the northeast part of the town- ship, and, during the following autumn, erected his cabin, which was the first in the village of Abbeyville. In the winter of 1831-32, he em- ployed Wesley Hulet, an experienced millwright, to built two mills on Rocky River, near the present site of the village, one for sawing lum- ber and the other for grinding grain. The country was quite new, and it was obvious that the combined enterprises were likely to meet with many discouragements and disasters ; but the energy and foresight of Mr. Janes, often tested in the practical field of experience, soon placed the mills on a firm financial foundation,

and ere many years they afforded a satisfactory revenue to the owner. From some sources, and perhaps the most reliable ones, the report comes that the grist-mill was not erected until the sum- mer of 1833. If the precise date of its erection is knowu, the writer has been unable to ascer- tain it, and its recovery from the gloom sur- rounding the past must be left to the succeed- ing township historian. At any rate, it was ruuning in 1833, with a fair patronage for those days, but which, at present, would consign the mill to desertion and decay. The mills were about ten rods apart, and both were operated by means of a dam and race, through the me- dium of which a strong water-power was ob- tained. The dam was constructed a few rods above the upper mill, the composiug elements being stone, timber, brush, ete., making a strong and substantial structure. The race was short and easily constructed, partly because of the presence of substantial material within a few rods, and partly because of the advantage taken of naturally favorable conditions. The saw was one of the up-and-down pattern, and was set in operation in a small frame building. Here for a number of years no small quantity of native lumber was turned out. As was almost uni- versally the case iu the rapidly improving State of Ohio, sawing was done either by the hundred, or a share of the logs was retained by the saw- yer. The mill ehanged owners several times, and underwent a variety of alternating ups and downs for many years. Wesley Hulet was, for a number of years, the partner of Mr. Janes, with a half-interest in at least one of the mills. Janes had come from Montreal, Canada, and was well situated financially. The grist-mill, under his supervision, received a fair local pat- ronage, and was a great accommodation to the surrounding neighborhood. His cabin was the first dwelling in the village, and his improve- meuts, mills, store, etc., soou attracted others to the same neighborhood. It was through his influenee and upon his land that the village was

522

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

finally laid out, and upon it was bestowed the given name of his wife-Abbey-with the Freneh termination ville, meaning a small eol- leetion of houses. Mr. Hulet built the second eabin in the village a few weeks after the eree- tion of that of Mr. Janes. He was the first millwright in the township. His eonneetion with the underground railroad was previously mentioned. The third house was built by a blacksmith named Webster, soon after the ereetion of the other buildings. This man was not only the first blacksmith in the village, but the first in the township. It is stated, that, at the time of the eoming of Mr. Webster to the village, he was almost hopelessly addieted to the use of liquor; but that, through the in- fluenee of Mr. Janes, he was restored to his normal condition. In the fall of 1832, Mr. Janes placed in one room of his house a few hundred dollars' worth of goods, and thus opened the first store in the township. He afterward inereased the stoek, and for a num- ber of years did a thriving business selling dry goods, groeeries, hardware, ete. It was through the influence of Mr. Janes that a post office was seeured at the village, in about the year 1835. Mr. Batehelder, a earpenter, beeame the fourth resident of the village. Several industries sprang up in early years, among them being an ashery eondueted by Messrs. Castle & Holeomb. The enterprise was established in 1834, and a considerable quantity of potash was manu- faetured, and conveyed to Cleveland and other large plaees. Abbeyville had an earlier start than the Center, though the latter has attained greater fame among the eatalogue of villages.

Many important faets connected with the early history of York Center seem both unreli- able and unattainable. There is a eertainty, however, in a few things : The village had a start soon after Abbeyville; it gradually got the better of its elder rival; its future was firmly established when a station was located there. It is also true that it grew and pros-

pered through the years. Various enterprises have sprung up from time to time as the busi- ness energy of the place has inereased. Perhaps the most extensive pursuit ever in the village, is the one eondueted at present by J. R. Hol- eomb & Co. A brief deseription of the eharae- ter and seope of the work in which these gen- tlemen are engaged will be found in the biographieal department of this volume. Mr. Holeomb is the proprietor of an educational journal, which is highly regarded as a teacher's assistant, as is shown by its flattering eireula- tion, not only in Ohio, but in neighboring, and even in distant, States. York Center compares very favorably with other township eenters in the eounty.

No other portion of the county has better sehools than York. Good average wages are paid teaehers, and the impulse given to eduea- tional topies and interests by the presence of a live sehool journal, is shown in the substantial sehoolhouses filled with bright seholars. It is always more or less difficult to aseertain the eireumstanees eonneeted with the first sehool taught in a township, or rather, it is difficult to satisfy everybody that the eorreet faets have been discovered and given. However, the effort will now be made. The first sehool taught in the township was held during the winter of 1831, in one room of the residenee of Levi Braneh, the teacher being Theodore Branch, son of Levi. One room of the house, or a por- tion of one room, was furnished with a few rude seats and desks, and in this rustie plaee the ed- ueational history of York may be said to have begun. The teacher was a young man, and the sehool was his first, or among his first, efforts ; but the ordeal was safely passed, with mutual benefit to teacher and seholars. The former received his pay by subseription, but the rates seem to have been forgotten. The first sehool- house was a log structure, ereeted during the fall of 1832, on the farm now owned by Frank Burt. It was built by every man's turning out

523

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

on a given day and assisting until the work was finished. Theodore Branch was employed to teach the first term held in this house, and was paid by the month ; but how much he received, or how the money was raised, are unmentioned or forgotten items. It is stated, upon the au- thority of Mr. Levi Gardner, that the first frame schoolhouse in the township was built at Abbey- ville. Mr. Janes was the prime mover in its erection, although all in that neighborhood assisted. Miss Martha Branch was the first teacher in this house. In 1837 or thereabouts, Abbeyville "had reached the highest point in all its grcatucss." The village gave great prom- ise at that day, as much so, perhaps, as any other village in the county, five years after its origin. It was in the last-mentioned year that an effort was made, mainly through the influ- ence of Solomon F. Holcomb, to institute at Abbeyville either a branch of Oberlin College or an educational enterprise of a similar char- acter. Prof. Amos Dresser, of Oberlin, came to Abbeyville for the purpose of taking the initiatory steps looking to the founding of a college. Quite a large class was obtained, and for a number of months the future of the little village was cloudless and serene. The principal object, or one of them, upon which the institu- tion was founded, was a scheme to promote manual labor. The education to be furnished was industrial in its nature, a scheme, which, since that day, has developed the Industrial Universities and Agricultural Colleges scattered throughout the United States. But alas for Abbeyville ! the attempt proved abortive, and the good-looking professor took his departure. It is probable that in 1840 every school district was supplied with a schoolhouse of some kind.

The following facts regarding the organiza- tion of the Methodist Church have been kind- ly handed us :

" As regards the organization of the Method- ist Protestant Church at York Center, both the exact time of the formation of the society

and the name of the minister by whom the class was organized are uot certainly known. A class was organized under the discipline of the Methodist Protestants in an old log school- house which stood somewhere near the resi- dence of Reuben Gardner. It is believed that the officiating minister was Rev. Samuel Claw- sen, and that the socicty was organized about the year 1841. During a part of the time that elapsed from 1841 to 1844, the society held prayer-meetings in a private house which is now the property of Mary Ford, and is located northwest from the center of the town. The society needing a house of worship, Richard Lampson, one of the charter members, donat- ed a plot of ground ; and the deed specified that, when the ground ccased to be used for the purposes of the Methodist Protestant Church, it should revert to the Lampson heirs. This plot of ground was located on the south- west corner of the center square. The deed was given in the year 1844, and a frame house was crected and dedicated to the worship of God about the same date. The following is a list of some who were what we may denomi- nate " the first members" of this church (we have not sufficient knowledge to be able to distinguish the original or charter members from those who were not such) ; Richard and Sarah Lampson, Rufus and Anna Oliver, Samuel and Electa Smith, John A. and Marga- ret Hood, John and Albert Thomas, Amasa Taylor and wife, John Dunshee and wife, and Catharine Salmon. In the year 1877, the house of worship was regarded uncomfortable, and, as the class had increased in membership and wealth, an effort was made to erect a new house of worship. As the result of this suc- cessful effort, the present brick edifice was erected, at a cost of $5,000. The principal donor was Mary Ford, and, in her honor, there is placed above the entrance the name by which the church is known-Mary's Chapel. The amount which this lady gave was $3,000,

524

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

without which the house could not have been built at that time. The following persons entered into a partnership in 1865 for the purpose of buying a house and lot for a par- sonage : Samuel Hale, Ausel Holcomb, Alvin Ford, C. C. Burt, L. R. Chamberlain and J. B. Knapp. These men paid $1,000 for a house and lot located in the village. Alvin Ford finally beeame sole owner of this parsonage, and, after his death, the property was donated to the church. The class pays its Pastor $500 per annum. The present membership is about seventy. The old house of worship is now used as a dwelliug-house in the village. The following is a list of itiuerant ministers and the date of their serving : Johu Barnet, 1855 ; without a pastor, 1856 ; G. W. McCueu, 1857- 58; G. W. Bowman, 1859-60; James Will- iams, 1861-62 ; John McFarland, D. D., 1863- 64 ; G. W. Hissey, 1865-66; James Williams, 1867-68; J. M. Langley, 1868-69-70 ; T. H. Scott, 1871-72 : Joseph Hastings, 1873 ; J. D. Downey, 1874; Walter Moore, 1875-76-77 ; Mrs. E. S. Oliver, 1878; J. M. Woodward, 1879 ; William H. Guy, present Pastor."

On Saturday, the 27th of April, 1833, the Congregationalists met at the residenee of R. M. Lampson, in York Center, for the purpose of organizing a church society. Twenty-six persons preseuted their names for membership, as follows : Ezra Browu, Esther Landers, Ben- jamin Landers, Lucy J. Lauders, A. Stone, Levi Stone, Lucinda Bruce, Sarepta Hubbard, Polly Branch, Theodore Branch, Eunice Rowe, L. M. Janes, A. Landers, senior aud junior, Esther M. Landers, Elizabeth Stone, William B. Stone, Amelia Stone, Keziah Gardner, Levi Branch, Cordelia Branch, Abial G. Rowe, Mary B. Landers and Abbey P. Janes. The minis- ters in charge of the occasion were Revs.

Barnes, of Medina, aud Noyes, of Seville. On the 12th of February, 1839, arrangements were made to build a church. The funds werc raised by subseription, one-half to be paid on or before the 1st of November, 1839, and the balance by six months later. The Trustees were authorized to begiu the church as soon as $300 was raised. The building was soon completed, and lasted many years. In April, 1834, at the first annual meeting of the society, the following church officers were elected : Levi Branch, E. D. Brown and Thomas Brintnall, Trustees ; Hiram Lamp- son, Treasurer. By special act of the Ohio Legislature, the society was incorporated as follows :

" Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, That Thomas E. Millard, Levi Branch, Aseph Landers, together with such as are, or may hereafter be, associated with them, be, and the same arc hereby, created a body corporate and politic by the name of the First Congregational Society of York Township, Medina County, Ohio." The first church has beeu replaced by another and a better one. These are the only church societies in York Township, and it seems better thus to have fewer, and consequently larger, societies, than to have the church-going people parceled off, as it were, into elasses that are too small to be self-sustaining, or, what is eveu worse, to struggle on against financial disasters through a sickly and uncomfortable life. As it is, the two ehurehes are strong, well attended, not only by members, but by outsiders, who are called out by the zeal displayed and the interest surround- ing the occasion. And then, again, people pre- fer joiniug a society that does not appear to be ready to die, if the term may be indulged in; but which seems to possess all the vigor of early years.

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

525

CHAPTER XIV .*

LITCHIFIELD TOWNSHIP-HOLMES' LAND-FIRST SETTLEMENT-A FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION -A PUBLIC PARK-CHURCH ORGANIZATION-THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS,

THE first settlement ou certain small por- tions of land in this township, was made by au Eastern land speculator, Judge Holmes, of Litchfield, Conn., in the years that immedi- ately followed the war of 1812. Mr. Holmes was the sole owner of Litehfield Township at that time. Shortly after he had come into pos- session of this Western property, the owner had a survey taken of it, and divided it into lots. He caused an " opening " to be made in the southwest part of the township, on lots that were adjoining the "Smith road," a military highway that had been cut through here by the forees of Gen. Smith iu the spring of 1812, and extends from Akron to Maumee City. Among the few different improvements that were started here by the Connectieut land-owner, was a little small log cabin, and an aere or so of cleared ground, set out with fruit-trees. No perma- nent settlemeut was made here, however, at that time. The auxieties throughout the country, caused by the war then in progress between the United States and England, and some In- dian tribes in the West, kept people from ac- cepting the inducements that were made by Judge Holmes to settlers to locate on his lands in Litchfield Township. The few acres of cleared lands remained tenantless for the time being, and no further progress in the opening- up and cultivation of lands in this locality was made. A few years after the survey and the first improvements of the Litehfield lands, which were, during this time, quite generally known as Holmestown, they again came into pos- session of the State of Connecticut. Under the supervision of a Mr. Beers, the land was thrown

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 79

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