History of Medina county and Ohio, Part 90

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 90

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seventeen and eightcen wcut barefooted to church and school, setting an example which all the children perforce followed. It is safe to say that the young gentlemen and ladies of to- day, who have reached the interesting age of seventeen, would rather remain away from church and school than attend without shoes aud stockings on their feet, even in mid-sum- mer ! Well, this is not the only indication that education and religion werc more highly prized by the youth of 1818-28, than they now are by the youth of 1880. Nor was fine raiment then considered as essential to a presentable appearance at social gatherings as it is to-day. When the daughter of a pioneer purposed to attend a merrymaking or a dance, she took to the store a quantity of linen made by her own fair hands, and exchanged it for calico, from which she cut her dress for the occasion. In such a costume, she was ready to contest her title to the belle-ship of the ball.

During these days, the young community did not lack the benigu influence of schools and churches. So early as 1818, a few of the set- tlers, belonging to the Free-Will Baptist sect, organized a society and held meetings for prayer and praise; but, as they could not se- cure aud support regular preaching, the gather- ings were abandoned after a short time. The first Methodist Church was formed in 1819, its leading spirit being Ansel Brainard, Jr. Soon thereafter, the Baptists and Presbyterians begau to hold services. The first school was opened in the summer of 1818, the teacher being Miss Jerusha Hosmer. Its daily sessious were held in the house of John J. Morton, who lived about fifty rods east of the present site of Friendsville, the place known in olden times by the name of Winston's and Morse's Corners. The boys and girls who attended this first school as pupils were Alfred, Theron and Me- lissa Hamilton ; Lewis and Alonzo Nye ; Cla- rissa and Charles Mallory ; Charlotte, Jane and Sherwood Palmer ; Eliza, Lucy and Lorenzo

Braiuard, and Betscy Stark. The same schol- ars, with possibly a few additions, were taught in the winter of 1818-19, by Ansel Brainard, Jr., the building used as schoolhouse standing about eighty rods north of Morse's Corners. At the same place, the roster of students being but slightly changed, Miss Betsey Ross con- ducted the third school in the summer of 1819. Subsequent to the organization of the township, both winter and summer schools were held reg- ularly, in divers log cabins and in rooms of dwelling-houses, the seat of instruction shiftiug about after the manner of the voting-place, un- til the town hall was built, in 1828.

Up from the decade that succeeded the set- tlement of Westfield, and even from the score of years that followed after, there rises a cloud of reminiscences and personal adventures, the narration of which, in detail, would doubtless amusc and interest the reader ; but the lapse of time has made it difficult to distinguish facts from fancies in many cases, so that he who writes a sober history is restricted to such in- cidents as are well authcuticated. For one thing, it is on record, that, iu the year 1819, In- dependence Day was observed by the inhabit- ants with patriotic fervor. The celebration was not marked by any elaborate paradc or dazzling exhibition of fantastic fireworks, as has become the fashion for Fourth of July festiv- ities of recent years. But the people, proud of their country and rejoicing in their liberties, assembled at the house of James Chapman, and felicitated one another over various State and national affairs. Finally, to vent their jovial feelings, they indulged in dancing. The music was furnished by Richard Marshal, an expert with the fiddle and the bow, but whose execution on this occasion was somewhat faulty by reason of too liberal potations. Mr. George Collier, who possessed a critic's ear, ventured to suggest certain modifications of the mel- odies, and, in this connection, said : " Richard, why don't you come down heavier on the

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bass ? " Whereupon, Mr. Marshall convulsed the company by responding, "I can't do it, Collier ; and danged if you can, either, unless you do it with an ax !"

That noted citizen, Mr. Hanmer Palmer, passed through one experience in the first year of his residence, which he never cared to have repeated. It was in the afternoon of an Octo- ber day, in the year 1817, that he set out for a friendly call at the cabin of Isaac Ford, in the southern part of the township. The " blazes " on the trecs, along lot lines, served to direct him on his lonely journey as long as there was light by which to read them. But darkness overtook him before he reached his destination, and he lost his way. Believing himself to be near Ford's habitation, he called out lustily for help. Ford heard him, but, mistaking his pleadings for a panther's cries, shut himself up in his cabin and took measures for defense ! Unhappy Palmer passed a dreary night in the forest, surrounded by a circle of blazing fires, which he made haste to build, and kept awake by dread of Indians and wolves. At earliest dawn, he hasteued to more hospitable quarters. The mother of Mr. J. A. Latimer, while at home one night, with her infant son as her sole com- panion, received a terrifying shock from In- dians, who came peering iu at windows and making hideous noises and scowling darkly. Having got into the house, tlic copper-colored squaws, as they all proved to be, ate an alarm- ingly heavy meal, after which they withdrew, with demonstrations similar to those that marked their coming.

Among the adventures of thesc perilous times, there is onc more that merits meution. A bear hunt is referred to, which was partici- pated in by Amasa Gear, Joseph Kidder, Ben- jamin Kidder, Miles Norton, E. M. Norton, and other men, besides a whole brigade of dogs. The bear, when found, showcd fight, and re- turned the attack of the canines with such vigor and ferocity as to somewhat astonish the

assaulting party. At a critical moment, Mr. Gear essayed to shoot bruin, but was deterred by Reuben Gridley, who feared the shot, in- stead of killing the bear, might take effect in the body of one of the precious dogs. In those days, a good dog was a treasure, and settlers were particularly careful not to kill any of the tribe. Suddenly, the bear beat a retreat toward the creek, all the dogs following close upon its heels, and made good its escape. Not a shot had been fired, and the only issue of the hunt was a small detachment of maimed and wounded curs.

Pleased at the rapidity with which his lands were filling up, Mr. James Fowler determined, in 1826, to found a village at the towuship center. He thercforc selected that most eligi- ble and commanding site on which Le Roy is built, the location being almost within a stone's throw of the exact geographical center of Westfield. At this point, he first set apart four acres for a public square, and then laid off fourteen acres on each side of the square, de- signing to cut them up into lots with sixty feet frontage. Two years later came the building of the town house, on the north side of the public square. To the crection of this famous old frame structure, Mr. Fowler made a cash contribution of $100, his desire coincid- ing fully with the wish of the citizens, namely, that the edifice should be devoted to all praise- worthy uses in which the public felt an inter- est. It was to be used for elections, week-day schools, Sunday schools, church services, polit- ical mectings aud all public gatherings uot otherwise provided for. Aside from the Fow- ler gift, the subscriptions to the building " fund " were nearly all in the form of personal labor, pork and produce. This structure stood where it was built, and was used for the vari- ous purposes euumerated, until 1846, when it was replaced by the ncat and more commodi- ous wooden edifice which thereafter and up to the present time has been used as a town-hall

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simply. At the time this new town hall was built, Westfield had already reached a high stage of its development. Indeed, almost from the date of the formation of the township, a promising industrial growth began. In 1826 or 1827, at or soon after the laying-out of the publie square, two saw-mills were put in oper- atiou on Campbell's Creek, one by the Kidders, threc-quarters of a mile southwest of the Cen- ter, and another by William Woleott, one-half mile west of the Ceuter. Ten years later, two tanneries were started ; the first by Thomas Hunt, a short distance south of the Center, aud a second by Joseph Reynolds, in the south- western corner of the township. The Govern- ment was not long neglectful of the conven- ience of the inhabitants, for, in 1827, a post office was established at Winston's Corners, the first postmaster being Joseph Winston. This office was removed to the Center in 1836, and ever after that the community around the public square was known by the name Le Roy, by which name the post office had been pre- viously christened. At the Center, D. B. Aus- tin was the first Postmaster. In 1868, the western settlement had its former loss made good to it, and became independent of Le Roy in the matter of a daily mail by the establish- ment of Friendsville Post Office, and thus the town secured its moderu name. The mail route through the township originally ran from Seville to Lodi, but now it has Seville and Friendsville as its termini. Shortly after en- tering the "postal service," Joseph Winston prepared himself to eutertain transient guests, and opened the primitive tavern at his " cor- ners." He also started there the first store in the township, Mr. Wilen being his partner in the latter venture. Thanks to Winston's enter- prise, there were stirring times at the Corners in the thirties. The most veuerable structure in Le Roy is the old store on the east side of the square, which was built and first owned by Asa Farnum. Messrs. King & Greene eame

down from Medina in the year 1832 and started a store on Farnum's corner. The post office and hotel building, ou the west side of the square, was built by James Whiteside just in season for its official occupancy by the postal service in 1836. Two years after its crec. tion, the house was occupied and kept by Dr. Caleb Stock as a public tavern. Naturally enough, the removal of the only post office in the township to this Whiteside eorner on the square had invested the place with a peculiar interest and importanee iu the eyes of all the citizens, inasmuch as all went there for their mail. But the interest aroused by the estab- lishment of the office was insignifieant when compared with the turmoil and exeitement which raged around that same building after Stock became landlord of the tavern. On a memorable night in the winter of 1838-39, the Doctor gave a party, to which he invited nearly the entire neighborhood, and many others from all quarters of the township. Cer- tain young men, living in the vieinity of Le Roy, were slighted by the keeper of the eara- vansary for some reason known only to him- self, they receiving no summons to the festive scene. As an offset to the pleasures in which they were denied participation, these youths joined together and sought solace in a coon- hunting expedition, which they planned for the same night on which Stock had his party. Returning from the hunt at a late hour and finding the fun still going on at Stoek's, the young Nimrods, standing in the street before the hotel door, fired a salute of five musket shots in the air and then scattered. This was on a Wednesday. The following Monday, an officer of the law, affectionately referred to by Westfield folks as a " basswood " Constable from Medina, appeared at Le Roy at Dr. Stock's instance and arrested cight participants in the shooting performance of the previous week. The double quartette, who, having made music on their muskets, were thus called to account

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as inciters of a riot, were Oliver Morton, David King, Henry Collier, Reuben Kinney, Calvin Kidder, N. W. Ellis, T. B. Ellis and Orrin Buckingham. The Constable and his eight prisoners started back to Medina in a wagon ; but, when the officer reached the county seat, he had only Morton, Buckingham and Kinney in his keeping. The other five had taken French leave at or near La Fayette Center, running off in the direction of Chippewa Lake. However, in a day or so, all were recaptured and the entire party of eight were lodged in jail. A preliminary hearing before Squire Ol- cott resulted in his binding all of them over to the Conrt of Common Pleas, the bond in each individual case being fixed at the snug sum of $1,500 ! Mr. Joshua Bailey and two other wealthy citizens furnished bail for the appear- ance of them all. These transactions altogeth- er occupied about a week, and in that week the quiet population of Westfield had lashed itself into a state of indignation and excitement sel- dom seen in a community of law-abiding peo- ple. The prevailing sentimeut was intense and bitter against Dr. Stock and all others engaged in the prosecution of the young men. When, after the usual delays, a jury trial was at last had in the spring of 1840, Westfield men and women crowded to Medina to attend the sit- tings of the court. The indicted parties seemed least interested in the case, for they played ball with the boys of Medina even while the trial was going on. But their de- fense was ably managed by Mr. Benedict, of Elyria, and so plainly did he make it to appear that the alleged "riot" was merely a piece of innocent and harmless sport that a general verdict of acquittal was returned. This favor- able issue, instead of allaying the general excitement, caused it to break out afresh, An indignation meeting was held, attended by a large part of Westfield's population, and a set of resolutions adopted which plainly informed the world, that, in the opinion of the people,

the township would be greatly benefited by Dr. Caleb Stock's immediate removal. Stock promptly brought an action for defamation and slander against the persons who had thus plainly expressed their opinions about him. Judge Samuel McClure, uow the leading mem- ber of the Summit County bar, represented Stock, and Hon. David Tod, afterward Govern- or of Ohio, appeared for the people, who were made defendants. The trial, in the fall of 1840, resulted in a verdict of $5 for plaintiff, which compelled the wrathy citizeus of West- field to adjust the costs !

The angry passious engendered by this epi- sode were swallowed up or swept away by the Washingtonian movement in 1843-44, which enlisted in the cause of temperance the active services and hearty sympathy of all Westfield people-sympathies and services which again displayed themselves many years afterward in the vigorous conduct of a Sons of Temperance Lodge. Since war times, no organized band of temperance workers have made themselves prominent in the towuship, but the present feel- ings of the people in this matter, are evidenced by the fact that no liquor is now sold anywhere iu Westfield.

An anti-slavery sentimeut first appeared in the summer of 1831, when Mr. Halsey Hulburt, coming from Enfield, Conn., settled on the farm where he now resides, in the extreme eastern part of the township, and about one mile from Seville. At the election of 1840, three anti- slavery votes were cast in Westfield, the elect- ors being Halsey Hulburt, William Hulburt and Dominie Williams, who had come from Oberlin to teach the Ceuter School. The home of Hal- sey Hulburt has sheltered a few fugitive slaves, and from its friendly doors they have marched on to an enduring freedom. It never was a "regular statiou" on the underground rail- way, being a little aside from the customary route followed by seekers of liberty ; and yet it had its visitors. In 1843, two fleeing negroes

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came to Hulburt's house from Harrisville, and, after a short stop, hastened northward. One of them was remarkably intelligent. Both went armed to the teeth, fully prepared to fight for their liberty against large odds. A colored brother in distress slipped into the house one night in 1850, in the dead of winter, whose feet were frozen and full of gravel, a pair of fine boots stolen from his former master, being too badly cut and worn to be of any service or protection. This man was bound for Detroit, and he got there in good time. In 1859, an entire family of fugi- tives (father, mother and five children) spent one night at Hulburt's. So fearful of danger were they, and so timid, even in the house of a true friend and a fearless defender, that they all insisted on sleeping in the same room. No amount of persuasion or assurance of security could induce the father to have any member of his family even beyond the reach of his protect- ing arm.

From the records of the older churches many interesting items of township history can be gleaned. A Baptist Church was regularly chartered in 1835, the original incorporators being Joshua Bailey, Rufus Freeman, Levi Chapman, William Hulburt, John Mead and a few others. William Hulburt was chosen first Clerk, and was continued in the office through almost the entire life of the organization, Mr. L. D. Ellis serving the final term. Rev. Rufus Freeman was the first Pastor, and preached oc- casionally until the church's death. Other Pastors filled the pulpit as follows : Rev. D. A. Randall, 1840-42-since quite noted as an author ; Rev. J. Manning, 1842-45 ; Rev. Thomas E. Inman, 1846-49 ; Rev. J. G. Ed- wards, 1850-51; Rev. J. H. Collins, 1852. After 1852, there was no preaching, except now and then by Rev. Freeman, and, in 1858, the church died, its dismemberment caused by differences on political subjects.

The first Congregational Church and Society was incorporated by an act passed February 21,

1834, and articles were issued to Enoch Stiles, George Collier, Ebenezer Fowler and Noble Stiles. The society was organized April 7, 1834. First officers : Ebenezer Fowler, Mod- erator; Sylvanus Jones, William Henry and Calvin Chapin, Trustees ; William Russell, Sec- retary ; Enoch Stiles, Treasurer ; Benjamin Kid- der, Collector ; Rev. John McCrea, Pastor, up to June, 1834. On June 1, 1834, Rev. Joel Goodell "commenced preaching half of the time for one year." A meeting was held in the town hall at Le Roy, November 19, 1835, at which Noble Stiles offered a donation of land, lying north of the west half of the public square, and it was voted to build a church. Three weeks later Noble Stiles, George Collier and Thomas J. Dewey were appointed a build- ing committee and went to work. April 4, 1836, this committee was instructed to build a basement story, inclose the body of the house, and proceed with the tower as far as the funds on hand would warrant. All these things were done promptly. August 14, 1837, Rev. Asaph Boutelle was offered and accepted $150 for his services as Pastor for the ensuing year. Rev. William B. Ransom preached in 1839, his term ending January 2, 1840. Rev. O. Littlefield preached one year, beginning November 7, 1841. In 1843, on the 1st of June, Rev. J. P. Stuart, a talented and eloquent, but eccentric man, com- menced to preach, under an engagement for one year; but, at the end of ten months, he was dismissed at his own request. The spring of 1844 found Stuart at the head of a large company of Westfield enthusiasts, some of them members of his former flock, who went to the banks of the Ohio River, in Belmont County, and started a community on the Fourier sys- tem. This colony lived less than one year.

More than ten years passed in which the Congregational Church maintained but a feeble existence. Finally, on the 29th of May, 1859, formal steps were taken to enter the Methodist Episcopal Conference, and the transformation

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into a Methodist Church was gradually accom- plished. The Methodist believers who, as pre- viously noted, banded themselves together in 1819, maintained an organization for several years in the western part of the township, but deaths and removals broke up their band. In 1850, a new nucleus started at Le Roy, and so rapid was its development, that in 1859 it was ready to absorb the Congregational Church in its entirety. The first minister of the new church, after the consolidation, was Rev. L. F. Ward. The present Pastor is Rev. G. W. Huddleston, and the church is populous and flourishing. The house of worship is a sub- stantial frame edifice, standing on the very site donated by Noble Stiles in 1835.

The Universalist Church was organized in the month of May, 1839, the preliminary meetings being held in the old schoolhouse and the Bap- tist Church, which stood upon a little eminence just west of the center. Alfred Peck was Mod- erator of these meetings, and Asa Farnum served as Clerk. Asa Farnum, Alfred Peck, Selah Beach, Simpson Simmons and Joseph Reynolds, Jr., drafted the constitution of the society. The roll of original members contains the names of forty-four men and forty-six women. Rev. Alfred Peck was the first Pastor. In the minutes of the church, under date of January 22, 1847, there is a record of the purchase of a site for a meeting-house from John Clync, " be- ing eighty-four feet front on the public square, and extending north far enough to include one- half acre, exclusive of the road." Price paid for ground, $60, which was paid by subscrip- tion. One year later, the building operations began, and the dedication occurred June 16, 1849. Another quotation from the minutes of historic interest is this : "Brother Eber Mallory was killed by a log rolling on him on the 7th day of August, 1849." With the exception of a slight schism in 1853, involving a very few mem- bers, this church has led a life of prosperity and peace, and to-day is in vigorous condition.

Mrs. Abbie Danforth now conducts regular services in the comfortable frame building erected on the half-acre bought thirty-three years ago from Clyne.

There are three other church organizations in Westfield-the Dunkard and the German Reformed, at Friendsville, and the United Breth- ren, in the southwestern section of the township. These were all organized about 1873, and all have prospered and grown strong in the seven intervening years. Rev. Mr. Sponsler was first Pastor for the German Reformed congregation, and Rev. Mr. Bolinger inaugurated services for the Dunkards. The former body of believers worship in a neat aud comfortable house built for their own use. This edifice stands on the site of the old Methodist meeting-house, which, in recent years, was occupied by the United Brethren. About the time the German Re- formed Church erected its new structure, the United Brethren also put up a good building, which they now occupy, on the road some dis- tance south of Friendsville. The United Breth- ren may be regarded in part as an outgrowth of the ancient Methodist organization in the western part of Westfield. The Dunkards now worship iu the Friendsville Schoolhouse, for the erection of which they subscribed $100.

This schoolhouse, it is claimed, accommo- dates one of the very best couutry district schools in the whole county of Medina. In- deed, Westfield has cause for pride in all of the ungraded schools in her six subdistricts. In each, about seven months instruction is given annually, male teachers being generally em- ployed in the winter, and females in the summer, season. The Le Roy special district was cre- ated in the year 1872. In the following year, a beautiful building was erected on the south side of the square, which is admirably adapted to the uses of a graded school. There are three departments in the school-high, inter- mediate and primary-and each has its own room and teacher. A male Principal is the

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special instructor of the high school, and two lady assistants attend to the other departments. The school year is of nine months' duration. The building contains a commodious hall, in which to hold public exercises, and the different departments of the school are amply equipped with good apparatus to aid and illustrate in- struction. The edifice cost $8,000. Its erec- tion and the organization of the special district are largely due to the earnest efforts of Mr. A. G. Hawley. The present Board of Education of the township is composed of Reuben High, President ; and Philip Long, John Hugunin, S. A. Earl, J. R. Stuekey and William Hulburt. Mr. L. D. Ellis acts as Clerk, being the duly elected Township Clerk. The present Trustees of the township are George F. Daniels, J. P. Reynolds and J. F. Flickinger. Two Justiees of the Peace attend to the minor matters of lit- igation that arise. Westfield has three burial- places for its dead. One at Friendsville, an old and small inelosure just east of the center, and the main cemetery, near Le Roy, on the old Baptist Church premises. All these are eon- trolled by the Township Trustee. The dispo- sition among the citizens to have all publie improvements well constructed, is attested by the fine iron bridge which spans Campbell's Creek, about three-fourths of a mile west of Le Roy, and the solid stone structure on the road south of and near the Center, beneath which runs a smaller stream. There is no rail- road station in Westfield Township, yet three lines infringe upon its territory. The New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio grazes its south- ern boundary, the Tuscarawas Valley cuts off its northeastern corner, and the Wheeling & Lake Erie, now building, touches its soil in the southwestern quarter.

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History of Medina county and Ohio, Part 90

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