History of Medina county and Ohio, Part 95

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 95

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" William Coggswell, my great-great-grand- father, was born in Ipswich, England, sixty-two miles northeast of London. He was well edu- cated in navigation. In 1666, he became the owner of a vessel, and, taking in a company, he sailed for America, landing at Boston Har- bor. He remained for a number of weeks, and accompanied part of his passengers into the in- terior to look for a location. When the ground had been selected, it was named Ipswich, after the ship Captain's native place and the name of his vessel. After making several voyages to and from England, he finally settled in Ips- wich, in Massachusetts. Edward, his son, was born April 17, 1685, and died April 17, 1773. Samuel, son of Edward, was born March 1, 1710, and died April 11, 1775. William, son of Sam-

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uel, and my father, was born November 2, 1748, he died iu Granger May 12, 1838. Although my father had beeu deprived of a regular school edu- cation, he made mathematics his choice study, and, by continued application in that branch, became quite famous as an almanac compiler in early life. When near life's elose, he gave directions as to his burial, requesting Jehial Porter to preach his funeral sermon from the text ' Blessed are they who die in the Lord,' selected the hymn that he wished to be suug, and uttered the following words : 'I am uearly eighty years old, was never at 50 cents expense for a doctor bill, never lost by sickness a meal in sixty years, but lost a great many meals on account of having nothing to eat.' My mother was a daughter of Lieutenant Gibson Gates, who served during the Revolutionary war. She was born in Canterbury, Conn., in 1772, and, during life, passed through many trying scenes and privations. Among these scenes was the bloody massacre at Fort Wyoming, of which she was one of the survivors. She there witnessed the barbaric spectacle of prisoners sacrificed at the stake. One poor fellow had his body and limbs filled with dry splinters, was then fastened to a tree and burned to death. Another had a portion of his bowels, after his body had been opened with a knife, fastened to a sapling and was then forced to pass around the tree until his bowels had been torn out, and he fell exhausted and dead on the ground. My mother, in fearful anxiety for the lives of her two young children, and to keep them from the gaze of the red devils, was crouching on the ground praying and weeping. An Indian approached her brandishing his bloody toma- hawk. To divert his attention from his bloody purpose, she offered him some bread and beef. The offer had the desired effect. The savage asked where her papooses were ; she pointed to where they were hid. The Indian ordered her to take them to a certain corner in the fort and sit down. She did so, and while there thanked

God for her deliverance, and of those with her, and devoutly prayed that God would be a pro- tector to her and her children. The prayer was heard and answered. She lived long and hap- pily after witnessing that cruel massacre. She died in Bath at the age of seventy-two, and is there buried. Four of the survivors who wit- nessed the Wyoming Massacre, after being long separated during life, are buried within four miles of each other, in Bath and Granger.

" I was born February 20, 1794, at the great bend of the Susquehanna, N. Y. In 1797, my father, William, sold and removed from New York to Alleghany County, Penn., near Red- stone Fort. In 1801, he became the owner of 200 aeres of land in Beaver County, Penn., by virtue of a soldier's right. In April, 1802, he moved there. Provisions were then searce and costly. Often he was foreed to leave home and work for means to supply his family. Once, when leaving, my mother made the inquiry, what she should do if provisions were ex- hausted before his return ? He said : 'There is a half-barrel of bran, sift it and make bread of it ; when that is gone, go to the potato pateh, and dig out the old potatoes, without disturb- ing the roots, boil them and use them with milk ; when they are gone, follow the cows in the woods, see what herbs they eat, pick of the same, boil them and eat that with milk.' Hav- ing gone forty miles, secured employment, and received his pay in corn, he joyfully re- turned with his earnings. A tree was cut down, a hole burned in the stump, a spring pole erected, by means of which the corn was pounded and made ready for use, and in that way fed seven in the family. When ten years old, I was, in the absence of my father, com- pelled to ehop and prepare fuel. I had no shoes to wear in the winter season. To keep my feet from freezing, I heated a board at the fire, carried it out, and then stood on it when chopping. When it became cold, I brought it in and heated it again, and in that way made

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it answer for shoes and stockings. In progress of time, rights to land were often in dispute. It was discovered that my father was one of the unlucky, and had settled on the wrong piece of land. Though he had made an open- ing, erected his cabin and settled dowu, as he supposed, for life, he was forced to give up possessiou, as another soldier's right claimed the land. Becoming acquainted with Judge Oliver Phelps, then the owner of Granger Towu- ship, my father visited that township in 1807, and found it wholly uusettled. Being pleased with the appearance of soil, timber and its other natural advantages, he made a selection of 370 acres in the central part of the township. After he had looked at the land, he returned to Warren, Trumbull County, and contracted with Calvin Austin, agent of Judge Phelps, for the land, and paid the sum asked. Some time thereafter, Phelps became iusolvent, his title to lands was seized by creditors and sold. My father, having purchased on contract, was forced to lose what he had paid, and was, for the sec- ond time, prevented, through force of circum- stances, from being a land-holder. He had not yet removed his family to Ohio, and therefore, after losing his purchase, he continued to re- side in Pennsylvania until 1815, when he re- moved to Columbiana County, Ohio. In 1818, he again came to Granger, bought by article, the lot now owned by J. L. Green, and settled thereon, and for six years struggled through the many hardships incident to first settlers. About the time his article expired, he found himself unable to make payment, owing to want of price for produce. He sold his claim to his sons, William, Samuel and Nathaniel, who continued to reside there and make im- provements. In 1824, I became by purchase sole owner ; but soon concluded to select another locality, sold my right to land in Granger Township, and moved into Bath.

"I must now make a break in my history, otherwise the pioneer community will cast me

out of their synagogue. In 1810, in company with my uncle Gibson Gates, and Hezekiah Burdick (two of the first settlers in Bath), I left the home of my father, iu Pennsylvania, traveled by way of Vaunatt's Ford, on the Mahoning River, to the house of Gates, in Bath. I remained there until the August of that year, when, in company with Gates and John Mau- ning, I started for Granger Township. Our course was through Richfield, by way of L. May's place, thence westwardly to Panther Cave, in Hinckley. We visited that cave in search of game, but saw no panthers. From there, we traveled to where an Indian gallows was standing, in the big bend of Rocky River.

" In 1806, a squaw had been hung there, charged with witchcraft. The squaw had said that there would be darkness on the face of the earth in June, which the Indians decided to be undoubted proof of witchcraft. She was hung in May, and on the 13th of June there was an eclipse of the sun. After viewing the gallows, we traveled on southerly, and, at night, en- camped uuder a ledge of rocks in the northern part of Granger. I at that time carved my name on a beech-tree, which can be seen to-day. After feasting on wild turkey for breakfast, we pursued our course and came on to the Smith road, in the neighborhood where the Squaw Tavern now stands. This was my first visit into aud through Granger. It was then truly a wilderness ; the marks of the pioneers were few. We shortly after returned to Bath.

" In January, 1813, the War Department found it necessary to build three small gun- boats to be used in annoying the larger vessels of the enemy. It had been discovered by Com- modore Perry, that small vessels, being more easily and rapidly managed, could do effective service in close contest. The contract for build- ing the boats was awarded to Brimel Robins, of Allegheny, Penn., who selected ' Old Port- age,' on the Cuyahoga River, as the place where to build them. The timber and lumber were

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furnished by Capts. Rice and Stowe, and sawed in the mill of Francis and Zenas Kelsey, at ' Old Cuyahoga Village.' Stewart Gaylord was Superintendent of the boat-yard. In June, the three boats were launched, and were respectively uamed Tripp, Tigress and Portage. I was em- ployed with others to float them down to the lake, with instructions that when we got them to the 'pinery' we should furnish each boat with masts aud spars. While floating down the river toward our destination, we deseried a tree that had falleu in the river, and, uuless removed, would stop the boats. Being then young aud full of life, I attacked the log with au ax, and, when nearly ready to float, I lost my balance and fell into the water. It was about fifteen feet deep. With vigorous efforts, my ax in hand, I swam ashore. At the ' pinery,' we were detained several days in proeuriug the neees- sary rigging for the boats. At that plaee, I killed a poreupine, which was looked upon as au animal of great euriosity by our erew. When we got to Cleveland, the gunboats were ex- amined by many, and the general opinion was that they were the kind needed. When at Cleveland, I became very patriotie, and wished to enlist under Commodore Perry ; but I decided to go home first, and, after making proper ar- rangements, to return and become a sailor. My mother, haviug tested in part the seenes and privations of the Revolutionary war, was opposed to my enlistment, and, with pleadings and rehearsals of war ineidents she had wit- uessed, dampened my ardor, and I finally eon- sented to remain ou shore, and not brave the storms of Lake Erie on a small gunboat. In the summer of 1814, I was employed iu the salt works at Liverpool, working there uutil Deeember. When winter had fairly set in, I started for Granger, in company with Daniel Mallet, intending to make hunting our main business for some weeks. We killed large quan- tities of small game. After some days, we found a long-legged bear in an alder swamp.

When he discovered us, he eommeneed a re- treat. As he passed near me, I fired, but with- out effeet. The two dogs next attacked him, which he seized, and eommeneed hugging and biting. I reloaded and fired a second time, the ball disabling his foreleg, when he immediately let go of the dogs, and eommeneed biting his maimed limb. After venting his spleen upon the maimed limb, in despite of dogs, he eame toward me in a very menacing manner. I re- treated rapidly, but reloaded as I ran, and, when fully prepared, wheeled about and fired. The ball took lodgment in the bear's jaw, eaus- ing it to hang downward. At this juneture, Mallet came up to the chase from the opposite side of the swamp, and, taking deliberate aim, put a ball in his brain, and ended the raee. The next day, we proeured a horse, on which we earried to Liverpool the game we had shot during our huuting exeursion. In those days, an ax and rifle constituted my ehattel property, and it theu seemed to me that I had all that was necessary. After staying at Liverpool for some time to complete a chopping eontraet, I again started for the residenee of my Unele Gates, near the Cuyahoga. At this early date, there were no lot-liues iu Brunswiek or Hinek- ley ; therefore, I traveled a course by guess. I had got into the northwest part of Bath when night eame on. Wearied and hungry I halted, struck up a fire; peeled some bark with which to make a bed, arranged it in hunter's style, aud, drawing my sloueh hat over my face, fell into a pleasant sleep. I slept untroubled until morn- iug. When I awoke, I found my bark eoverlet beautifully adorued with a covering of snow about three inches in depth. I arose early aud left my bed for the aeeommodation of any one who might need it. I had designed to reach the eabin of Elijah Hale when I left Liverpool ; still I was not there. On my way in the morn- ing, I killed two deer. Upon arriving at Mr. Hale's, I informed his wife that I stood in mueh need of dinner, supper, breakfast and dinner, as

Paloma, Hatche

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I had not eaten anything since I left Liverpool. She furnished me with eatables to replenish my empty stomach. In going from this cabin to that belonging to his brother Jonathan, a little way further east, I killed a big buck, which I sold to Jonathan for $2. After remaining with the Hales a short time, I again commenced to ramble from place to place, in search of work and game. In 1815, I had an interview with a bear that to this day causes me to shudder when I think of the hazardous adventure. Isaac Sippey, Dan Willey, William Ben and myself were felling a tree for 'coons,' when the bark- ing of our dogs at a distance signalized that they had found game. When we reached the dogs, we found that they were in close combat with a bear, in the hollow of a large tree. I crawled in the length of my body, caught the hind legs of two dogs, and succeeded in drag- ging them out. I then crawled in a second time, got hold of the leg of the remaining dog, and, by hard pulling, succeeded in rescuing him from the tight grasp of the bear. The dog died soon after being brought out. Soon, the infu- riated bear showed his head at the opening, when a blow from an ax, given by Sippey, nearly severed the snout from the head. The bear drew back, but in a very few minutes again poked out his mutilated head, for which Sippey had been watching. A second stroke buried the ax in bruin's head, who then ceased to draw back. We drew him out, and estimated his weight, after being dressed, at 400 pounds. During this hunting excursion, we killed twenty- nine raccoons, one ' wooly nig,' and this bear.

" In 1816, in company with Sippey, I roamed over portions of Granger, Bath and Hinckley in order to get a supply of honey, hops and cran- berries, on which to trade. During our wander- ing from place to place, we often shot wild game and occasionally a bear. In the fall, the bears were accustomed to visit wild groves where acorns or chestnuts grew, and very often a bullet from the well-aimed rifle of the hunter

caused the bear to fall from oak or chestnut tree on which he had perched himself to feed upon his favorite food.

"In 1818, I became a permanent citizen of Granger. My brother-in-law, Isaac Sippey, and myself, purchased by article the land where C. R. Spencer now lives, on which we paid $160. That summer, we cleared and planted six acres of corn, and a large patch with potatoes. In the fall of that year, I visited the home of my father, and, after a short stay, he and family removed with me to Granger. My father, Sip- pey and I cut the first opened road from Cuya- hoga to Granger at our own expense, and, while thus employed, we camped out many nights. Our only vegetable food was potatoes, roasted, and eaten with the meat of wild game that we occasionally shot.

" Having lost some of our cattle, Sippey and I concluded to make search for the strayed ani- mals. While passing through the woods, the bark of the old dog gave notice that he had found some kind of game. When we came to the spot, we descried an animal perched high in a tree, that looked to be of the panther tribe. We had no guns with us, and, to dislodge the animal, we must have recourse to a different mode of attack. Upon a nearer approach, we discovered our supposed panther to be a wild- cat of no common size. I proposed to climb the tree and shake the animal off, but was re- minded by Sippey that ' pussy's claws were not to be easily shaken off the limb.' I determined to make battle and kill the cat. I cut a club of proper weight, and ascended the tree. When within ten feet of the limb on which 'pussy' squatted, I stopped to take a look at the ‘crit- ter.' The green, glaring eyes made me feel un- comfortable, but my position required that I should be courageous. With my left hand, I took firm hold of a limb, and with my right hand I wielded my bludgeon. As I stood watching, the wild-cat made first a few quick. shakes with her tail, and instantly bounded

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for my face. Instantly I parried off its descent with the club, and sent the animal to the ground. The dog was on hand, and made 'jaw love' to 'pussy.' A hard fight of scratching and biting ensued, until Sippey, with a blow of a club, ended the cat's life.

"During the early settlement, there was a she bear that annoyed the settlement by frequently carrying off hogs, calves and other domestic animals. She was often threatened, and as often pursued. In the winter of 1822, I was hunting in the northwest part of Granger, when I came on her trail, which was known to all hunters by the unusual length of the strides. She was followed by two cubs. I called on Sippey and told him of my discovery, and pro- posed that we should go in search, and, if pos- sible, bring the lady to terms. The next morn- ing we were early on the trail, intending, if pos- sible, to rid the neighborhood of the old pest. We followed the trail all day, through Hinckley, and, toward evening, discovered dead bees on the snow. We soon found the tree, which we chopped down, and found over a hundred pounds of honey. We scooped out a trough with the ax, and filled it with choice honey- comb, and, night coming on, we encamped there, faring sumptuously on bread (which we always carried with us) and honey. Next morn- ing, we breakfasted early on honey and bread, and then pursued the trail. After pursuing the zigzag tracks for some miles, we came to a large basswood, in which was the bear and her two cubs. Marks about the tree seemed to say that it had been tenanted by the old depreda- tor for years. We concluded we had the ' old gal' in close quarters, and commenced, by sturdy blows, to fell the tree. The tree fell slowly, being impeded by limbs of other trees, of which occurrence the bear took advantage, and made a leap from the tree before it struck the ground. We supposed the 'old sinner ' would at least tarry till the tree fell, but she was off at full speed. I fired, but the ball took

no effect. Sippey soon dispatched the two cubs with his ax. The next day, with horses and sled, we hauled home cubs and honey. The next winter, I was hunting in the north part of Granger, and I had killed two turkeys and a deer, and, after traveling about a mile from where I had hung them up, I came across the same thieving old bear. It seemed as though she knew me, but she did not tarry long. I raised my gun and fired. The ball lodged in her hip, and she made off through the woods. As I pursued, I reloaded, and fired a second time, and broke her fore-leg. When the leg was broken, the bear stopped, sat up and bit the maimed limb, and then was off again. I started in pursuit through the southwest part of Hinckley, into Brunswick, then across Plum Creek, then down the creek, then east into Hinckley, and lastly into an alder swamp. She secreted in the mud and water of that swamp, keeping her head up. I went within proper distance, fired and killed her. This chase was about the hardest and longest I ever ran.

" Uncle Gates and I started one day with the intention of taking a little look for game through the woods. When we were near the north line of Bath, we separated, with the un- derstanding that we would meet at another certain point. I had not gone far when I dis- covered where a 'coon' had come off a large oak-tree, and had turned back and gone up the tree again. I knew if there was an Indian there, he would contrive some way to get the game without the trouble of cutting the tree. I looked about to see how this could be done. There was a large limb on the oak, about sixty feet from the ground, and not far from the tree was a small hickory, which, if felled, would lodge in the limb. I chopped the hickory, it lodged and made, as I supposed, a safe bridge by which I could reach Mr. 'Coon.' But I was mistaken, for, when within ten feet of the limb, I discovered that there was very little of the top of the hickory that was above the limb,

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and that it was sliding down further every move I made. This was a perilous situation indeed, and I saw that something deeisive must be done. I first thought of retreating, but I soon found that this would be as bad as ad- vaneing, as every move I made, brought the hiekory farther off the limb. I, therefore, re- solved to reach the tree if possible, and, with several desperate grabs, I did so. I now thought I would make things safe, and I took the top twigs that still held the hickory against the oak, and whipped and tied them around the limb of the oak. I soon discovered the retreat of the 'eoon,' and, ehopping in, I pulled him out and threw him down to my dog. I de- seended safely, and, by the time I had reached the ground, my unele Gates eame up. I showed him what I had done, and he deelared that he would not have undertaken it for all the land on the Cuyahoga River, from Old Portage to Cleveland. I did not undertake it for the value of the 'eoon,' but because I thought I would not be outdone by the Indians."

Job Isbell, while passing through the woods one day, in the northern part of the township, with his gun looking for game, eaught sight of a bear. He erept eautiously near, and, at some distanee, fired at Mr. Bruin. He merely in- flieted a wound, and the bear, enraged and growling, advanced toward the hunter. With all the agility at his command, Job reloaded his rifle, but, in his haste, throwing in perhaps treble the amount of powder usually needed. He had his eharge made safe and was ready to fire, when the bear was but a few feet from him. He pointed the muzzle of the gun direetly at the head of the beast and fired. There was a terrifie explosion. He found himself thrown baek, and sprawling on the ground. The gun had exploded. When he recovered, he found the bear dead before him, weltering in his own blood. He picked up the pieces of his gun and departed for his home to get help and haul the carcass into the settlement.

In the month of October, 1817, James Gan- yard, Elizur Hills, Anthony Lowe and Burt Codding, four farmers, then located near Bris- tol, Ontario Co., N. Y., eame out to Ohio, in a carriage drawn by two horses, to view the lands of Township 3, Range 13, in the Western Reserve, and, if satisfied with the con- dition of soil and loeality, they would then make a purchase. They remained for several days in the locality, viewing the land and in- speeting its natural advantages. They stopped at the eabin of one Ezekiel Mott, who had squatted here several years previous, on the southern line of the township. After being well satisfied of the riehness of the land and its adaptability for farming purposes, the four prospeetors returned to their homes in New York, and purchased, of Gideon Granger, who was the proprietor, three-fourths of the town- ship, at $4 per acre. They sold their farms in Ontario County to Mr. Granger, in part pay- ment, and . together gave a mortgage bond, amounting to over $14,000, on the new lands in Ohio. After the agreement had been made, and before the written contract was signed, James Ganyard transferred bis right of propri- etorship to John Codding, reserving only to himself so mueh land as he had paid for. The mortgage given by the purehasers proved of serious difficulty to them in after years. Soon after they had taken possession of the Granger lands, and had eommeneed making improve- ments, Congress placed large areas of Govern- ment lands, in the counties south of the Re- serve, on the market, at less than half the priee paid by the Granger settlers. The consequence was that immigration was attraeted to these lands, and the Granger people were unable to sell their surplus lands, at even a less priee than they had originally paid. In the course of a few years, the mortgages became due. The owners were unable to meet the obligations, and their lands and possessions reverted to the former proprietor. This produced quite a seri-

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ous obstacle to the first purchasers in the way of gaining unincumbered farms and securing for themselves the reward that they had so well merited, by their toilsome labor in clearing and opening up these lands.

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History of Medina county and Ohio, Part 95

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