USA > Ohio > Huron County > Norwalk > History of Norwalk township, Huron county, Ohio taken from Williams' History of Huron and Erie counties > Part 15
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GAGER & BALDWIN'S HORSE-RADISH MILL.
Since the year 1876 Norwalk has had in her limits a quiet little factory that has turned out, in a way of its own, "prepared smartness" for mankind in a shape and form never utilized before.
The horse-radish mill of Messrs. Gager & Baldwin on North Prospect street is an oddity, which has no rival in the world. It is only recently that this well-known root has been prepared in a way that would preserve its pungency, and render it fit for table use at all seasons. The firm had twenty acres of ground occupied in 1878 in raising the plant. It is taken, when of proper size, to a dry-house, and after a certain amount of drying and other prepara- tion, is ground to four in a mill, or grated. It is prepared for market in various ways, being mostly put in bottles hermetically sealed. In addition, the
firm manufacture pumpkin flour for culinary pur- poses. The pumpkins by a somewhat similar process are worked into flour, which is put in neat packages for the market. Both productions are oddities which are attracting universal attention and bid fair to become staple goods in the market.
THE A. B. CHASE ORGAN.
The A. B. Chase Organ Company, another of Norwalks far famed industries, was organized under a charter granted September 1, 1825, with an author- ized capital stock of fifty thousand dollars. The stock was soon taken, and the following officers were elected: A. B. Chase, president; L. L. Doud, secre- tary and treasurer; H. R. Moore, an inventive and experienced organ builder, general superintendent.
The buildings occupy two acres of ground on the east side of Newton street, adjoining the track of the Lake Shore Railroad, which affords them opportunity of receiving supplies and shipping direct. The main building is a three-story structure, forty by one hund- red feet, to which are joined spacious boiler and engine rooms, stock and dry houses. The company sold their first organ on July 25, 1876. and have con- structed upwards of two thousand. Believing in the old maxim that "True merit ever achieves success." none but educated and experienced workmen are em- ployed, and all that inventive genius has perfected in their line of machinery, is to be found at command. The fact that this company was organized in, and successfully worked through the greatest and most disastrous of all financial crises that have visited our country, is in itself sufficient evidence that the basis and production are sound and healthy, and that Nor- walk may well be proud of being the home of the company.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
In presenting the foregoing as a history of Norwalk. it is proper. to state that in the limited time allowed for its preparation, it has been impossible to verify every statement of fact made; but so far as time and opportunity permitted, none but the most trust- worthy sources of information have been consulted.
For valuable information and assistance in prepar- ing the work, the writer desires to acknowledge his great obligation to " Scattered Sheaves, by Ruth" (Mrs. M. F. C. Worcester) published in the Firelands Pioneer, and her report of the different soldiers. aid societies: to a history of the schools prepared in 1876, by Theodore Williams, Esq. ; to a history of the Protestant Episcopal Church published in 1876, by Charles E. Newman, Esq. : for other church histories furnished, to Rev. J. S. Broadwell, Rev. J. D. Williamson, J. W. Baker, Esq., Rev. Peter Kolopp. Rev. A. C. Ullrich, Rev. T. F. Halley. Prudden Alling, Esq., (written by himself two weeks before his death) Rev. J. W. Cowan. Rev. A. Ellerr. Rev. E. Hathaway; Judge F. Wickham, and M. Barker, Esq .; to E. A. Pray, C. L. Merry, C. W. Flina, s.
RESIDENCE OF JOHN GARDINER, NORWALK, o.
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HISTORY OF, HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
T. A. Van Seiver and D. T. Hall for histories of different secret, societies; to Isaac Underhill, Esq., Miner Cole, Esq., O. A. White, and many other citi- zens for favors and information ; to the different county officers for facilities in searching the public records, and to the Young Men's Library and Reading Room Association for the use of many books for reference.
C. H. GALLUP.
NORWALK, ORIO, May 16, 1879.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
JOHN GARDINER, NORWALK.
John Gardiner was born at Gardiner's Point, for- merly known as Millstone Point, New London county, Connecticut, September 15. 1816. His grandfather, Benajah Gardiner, removed from Rhode Island to Plum Island, in the east part of Long Island Sound, where he remained a few years: thence he removed to Millstone Point in the year 118 :. His wife was Miss Charlotte Raymond, of Montville. New London connty.
Lebbens W. Gardiner, son of Benajah, and father of John Gardiner, was born April 30, 1786. on Plom Island, and his wife was Miss Eunice Latimer, a danghter of Pickett Latimer, of New London. The ancestors of the Gardiner family came from England and settled originally in the State of Rhode Island. The mother of John Gardiner died in 1819. leaving three children, Charlotte, John and Julia, and the family then separated; John and Julia going with their grand parents, at Millstone Point, and Charlotte with the Latimers, north of New London-the father, L. W. Gardiner, after the death of his wife, follow- ing the sea as captain of a clipper coasting schooner, sailing from New London to Baltimore, Wilmington, New Orleans and South America. He died at Nor- walk, March 9, 1862. As soon as John was old enough, he attended school at Durfee Hill, about one mile from his home across lots, which was kept as a. district school about six months during the year. and when not attending school he worked on the farm.
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In 1831, Mr. Gardiner went to school at Bacon academy. Colchester, where he remained a year, mak- ing navigation his principal study, with a view of following the sea-as New London was at that the largely and prosperonsly engaged in the whale fishery and West India trale, and sent annually a fleet of ships to the Pacific ocean for whale, and to the north seas for whale and seal. At Bacon academy, Mr. Gardiner formed the acquaintance of the present chief justice Waite; Hon. John T. Waite, M. C., of Norwich; Hon. Lyman Trumbull, ex-senator, of Illi- nois, and Commodore Rogers, United States navy. who were then preparing for college.
In the fall of 1832, Mr. Gardiner was persuaded by his uncle, John M. Latimer, Esq., to visit Ohio, which in the end changed his whole course of life. About three thousand acres of land near Bellevue, in Huron county, had been given by the State of Con- nectient to Pickett Latimer, the grandfather. for losses sustained by fire when New London was burned by the British during the revolution, which grant of land had already brought Pickett Latimer, an uncle. to Huron county, and who was engaged in mercantile pursuits at Norwalk. Leaving New London by steam- boat early in December, 1832, before the days of railroads, Mr. Gardiner journeyed west to Albany, where he took stage as fir as Hamilton. New York, where he reminel during the winter, and atten led school at Hamilton academy; an I in the early spring of 1833, left Utici by canal bot for the west. Arriv- ing at Buffalo the last days of April, he embarkel on the steamer " Uncle Sam, " being the first boat to leave Buffalo that spring for Detroit and intermediate ports. At that time nearly the whole south shore of Lake Erie was skirtel with primeval forests, and only oc- casional glimpses of light were discernible in the evening from the log cabins of the settlers along the line of shore, and Cleveland contained only some two thousand inhabitants, living mostly below the public square, and without street improvements or side- walks.
On the first of May the steamer arrived at the Port of Huron, which was then quite a shipping point, and a hack, driven by a man by the name of Sweat, conveyed Mr. Gardiner to his future home. Norwalk at that time contained about four hundred inhabt- tants. but not a person or animal was visible in the streets on his arrival, and the village was entirely surrounded by forests, except where the roads were cut through, and wild deer frequently crossed the roads at each end of the village, and the county was dotted over with the log cabins of the early settlers. and the roads in early spring almost impassable. Mr. Gardiner immediately commenced clerking in the store of P. & J. M. Latimer-(who were doing a large business in general merchandise and produce, which latter found a ready market at Detroit, to sup- ply the settlers of Michigan) and at a salary of sev- enty-five dollars a year and board: which a young man of seventeen, at the present day, would think a very small compensation for his valuable services.
in the spring of 1834 Mr. Gardiner was solicited to take a clerkship in the Bank of Norwalk, an institu- tion which had commenced business in 1833, with a special charter from the State of Ohio, with the Hon. Ebenezer Lane, president, who was then one of the supreme judges of the State. and Martin Bentley. cashier. During the summer of 1834 the cashier died very suddenly, leaving Mr. Gardiner, then only eigh- teen, in charge of the bank for nearly two months, when George Mygatt. Exq., was appointed to the va- caney. At that early day this was the only bank in north-western Ohio, and its business extended south
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HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
to Mount Vernon, Mansfield, Marion and Bucyrus: west to Toledo, Perrysburg and Fremont; north to Haron and Sandusky, bringing Mr. Gardiner in con- tact with all the leading business men of that region of country, who then came to Norwalk for their bank accommodations. The bank went successfully through the panie of 1837, and was one of the first banks in Ohio to resume coin payments after the failure of the government deposit banks and the Bank of the United States, and finally closed up, paying back nearly all its capital to its original shareholders, and selling its franchise to Mr. Higgins and his associates.
In 1835 and 1836 emigration was pushing itself west by every leading road, and long lines of emigrant wagons were passing daily westward, the ocenpants in pursuit of new homes, and the western land fever had seized upon nearly all classes of citizens. Mr. Gar- diner, not yet of age, proceeded to the western coun- ties of Ohio and the eastern counties of Indiana on horseback, over muddy roads and trails through the forest, and purchased some tracts of government land. But as the panic came upon the country in 1837 and all land speculations ceased, it took over fifteen years before Mr. Gardiner could finally close out his land, and then without much profit, after counting interest and taxes. The whole western country, after the collapse of 183;, was land poor.
Mr. Gardiner having finally been appointed cashier of the bank, and John R. Finn, president, and the bank, owing to adverse legislation. about closing its business, resigned the office of enshier in September. 1840, and commenced the business of merchandising at No. 1, Brick block, keeping a general stock of merchandize and dealing very largely in produce: so much so that his combined business, in 1844, had reached over one hundred thousand dollars per annum.
In the spring of 1845. Mr. Gardiner took into busi- ness with him Richard D. Joslin. his brother-in-law: and. leaving him ju charge of the business, went to New York with the intention of engaging in the wholesale dry goods trade in the following January. But after spending the summer in the city in a dry goods store, and not being satisfied with the prospects of the trade, he returned to Norwalk in November aud continued the mercantile business with his part- ner until the spring of 1846, when he disposed of his interest to his partner, Mr. Joslin, and with some friends established the Norwalk Branch of the State Bank of Ohio, with a capital of one hundred thous- and dollars, afterward increased to one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. This bank commenced business in May, 1847, with Mr. Gardiner as cashier and manager, and for eighteen years did a successful business; and, notwithstanding large losses conse- quent upon the panic of 1856. and the failure of the Ohio Life Insurance and Trust company, and general suspension of the banks, closed ont its business in 1865, returning its capital to the share holders, hay- ing paid in dividends over two hundred and twenty- eight thousand dollars.
In March, 1865. Mr. Gardiner, with some friends, organized the Norwalk National bank, with a capital of one hundred thousand dollars, which succeeded to the business of the Norwalk Branch of the State bank, and has, up to this period (1879). done a suc- cessful business, with Mr. Gardiner as its president, and Charles W. Millen, cashier.
In 1842. Mr. Gardiner was elected a member of the board of control of the State bank of Ohio, and con- tinacd a member of that distinguished body, consist- ing of the most prominent men of the State, until the State bank finally closed its business, and was superseded by the National banks in 1865.
While banking has been Mi. Gardiner's principal occupation, he has not omitted other enterprises con- nected with the general improvement and develop- ment of the country. He was one of the first to move in obtaining a charter for the Toledo, Norwalk and Cleveland railroad company, and was one of the original corporators of the company in a charter granted iu 1850. After the road was constructed and -in operation, in 1853, it was consolidated with the Junction railroad, forming the Toledo and Cleve- land railroad company. of which Mr. Gardiner was elected a director in 1856, and in November. 1860, was elected president of the company.
At this time the company was carrying a large float- ing debt, and its securities were very much depressed, so much so that its stock was selling so low as twenty eeuts on the dollar. But under Mr. Gardiner's super- vision, and consequent upon the war, and, the large issue of paper money, the floating debt was paid off, dividends resumed, the earnings of the company more than doubled and the stock advanced in the market to over one hundred and fifty cents on the dollar.
In 1865, the capital stock having changed hands. Mr. Gardiner was superseded in the presidency, though he remained a director until it was consoli- dated with the Lake Shore line, in 1860.
The Sandusky, Mansfield and Newark railroad was one of the first railroads commenced in the State, and was intended for the transfer of passengers and freight from the interior towns to and from the lake for ship- ment, and after struggling through financial difficul- ties until 1863, when Charles L. Boalt was elected president, and Mr. Gardiner was elected one of its directors, and they proceeded to form a line for traffic from Sandusky to Baltimore, by the Central Ohio and Baltimore and Ohio railroads, and this arrangement met with such success that they leased the Sandusky, Mansfield and Newark railroad, to the Baltimore and Ohio railroad company in 1869, since which time it has done a successful business. On the death of C. L. Boalt, in 1870. Mr. Gardiner was elected president of the company, and is still its president. though the road is operated by the Balti- more and Ohio company under the lease, and forms a part of its main line to Chicago.
Mr. Gardiner was elected a director of the Column- bus and Indianapolis Rail Road Company in 1863-
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B. F. Hawks, Photographer.
PLATT BENEDICT.
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HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
which road was intended to form a line between Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis, Indiana, and after consolidating with various lines, finally embraced about six hundred miles of road under the name of the Columnbns, Chicago and Indiana Central Railway Company.
In the winter of 1868. Mr. Gardiner and Ex-Gov. William Dennison, with the President. B. E. Smith, were appointed a committee to negotiate a lease of the road to the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and St. Louis Railway Company, and the Pennsylvania Rail Road Company, which lease was made on the 22d day of January, 1869, and duly ratified, though it was amended one year thereafter. and under it the road is still operated. In Mr. Gardiner's railroad connec- tions he has become acquainted with most of the lead- ing railroad magnates of the day, for many of whom he still entertains a high appreciation.
Mr. Gardiner was married at Norwalk on the 31st day of July, 1843, to Miss Frances Mary Joslin-a daughter of Dr. Benjamin A. Joslin, of Troy. New York, and his wife, Frances C. Davis, of Pough- keepsie, New York-and four children were the off- spring of this marriage, viz .: Edmund G. Gardiner who was born August 23, 1844: John Gardiner, Jr., who was born February 28. 1847: Lucy Jane Gardiner who was born June 4, 1848, and died at the age of five years, and William L. Gardiner who was born June 24, 1857.
Edmund G. Gardiner married Miss Susie J. Barnes, of Norwalk. John Gardiner, Jr., married Miss Louisa Woodward, of Bellevuc.
Mr. Gardiner purchased his present residence on West Main street, in the year 1848, and occupied it the same spring, having since added to it from time to time, and increased the quantity of land until he now owns a farm of one hundred and sixty acres adjoining his residence, almost wholly within the cor- porate limits of the village.
Politically, he was an original Henry Clay whig but when the whig party merged into the republican. Mr. Gardiner went with his party, and bas always remained a republican, and contributed to its success, but without ever seeking an office, or soliciting the votes of his friends or party for political preferment or position.
Mr. Gardiner has lived nearly a half century in Norwalk, during which time he bas applied himself to business pursuits, without wavering or faltering. in his onward course, or ever failing to discharge bis pecuniary obligations, and without a blemish on his business character, or integrity; and during which time the early pioneers of the county, with nearly all of whom he was acquainted, have gone to their long homes, having stamped their principles of industry, integrity and perseverance upon their children and successors. The business, and the leading men of that early day, are nearly all dead. many having failed in business during the collapse of 1831; and the log cabins of the early settlers have di-ap-
peared from the county, and good farm houses have taken their places, occupied by as thrifty and intel- ligent a class of people, as are to be found in any section of the United States. Mr. Gardiner re- members many acts of kindness from those early friends who occupied positions which enabled them to assist him in his early business career, and who were ever ready to lend him aid in carrying forward his business enterprises, and to whose generous support and assistance he attributes much of his ultimate success ..
May, 1879.
PLATT BENEDICT.
About the year A. D. 1500, William Benedict. of Nottinghamshire, in England, had an only son born to him whom he called William; this William, ed, had an only son whom he called William; and this William, 3d, had in 1617 an only son, whom he called Thomas.
In 1638 Thomas came to America and settled in New England; after remaining there for a time he removed to Southhold, on Long Island, where were born to him five sons and four daughters. whoso Dames were Thomas, John, Samuel, James, Diviel, Betty. Mary, Sarah and Rebecca. From Southhold the family removed to Hassamamac. from there to Jamaica, Long Island. ( where Thomas was married.) from there, last of all, they removed to Norwalk, Fairfield county, Connecticut. where all the remain- ing children were married.
Daniel married Mary, daughter of Matthew Marvin, of Norwalk; and was a soldier in the "digefnl swamp fight" of December 19, 1645 (Connecticut Historical Collections, pages 20-1-Palfrey's History of New England, vol. 3, pages 176 to 180); after which, at a Norwalk town meeting, January 12, 1506, " The towne, in consideration of the goo ! service that the soldiers sent out of the towne ingaged and performed by them, and out of respect and thankfulnese to the sayd soldiers, doe with one consent and freely give and grant to so many as were in the direful swamp fight, twelve acors of land; and eight acors of land io so many as were in the next considerable service." Accordingly, there was granted by the plantation. as a gratuity unto Damel Benedict. "being a souldier in the Indian warr, twelfe acres of land and lyeth in three pareels, "
He sold his Norwalk property in 1690, and removed to Danbury.
His children were Mary, Doxie 21, Hannah and Mercy.
Daniel 211 married Rebreca, daughter of Thomas Taylor, one of the original settlers of Danbury, Con- necticut, and their children were Danie! 31. Matthew, Theophilus. Rebreca, Mary, Daval. Varhan and "Deborah.
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HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
Captain Daniel 3d, born 1705, married Sarah Hickok 1728, and died November 9, 1773: their children were, Daniel 4th, Lemnel. Noah, Sarah, Jones, Aaron, Rnth, Mary and Amos.
Jonas was born September 21, 1642; married January 14, 1767, to Mercy Bonghton, and died October 30, 1820. He was a member of the general assembly of Conneetient in 1809 .. Their children were. Elizabeth, Jonas 2d, Platt. Sarah, Daniel 5th. Mary and Eli.
Platt Benedict. the subject of this memoir, was born at Danbury, Connecticut, March 18, 1725, and was of the sixth generation of Benedicts in Amerien. He married, November 12, 1795, Sarah, daughter of Daniel DeForest. of Wilton, Connecticut, She was born Angst 27, 1FF7, and died June 24. 1852, at Norwalk. Ohio. Their children were:
Clarissa, born September 4, 1796; married Hallet Gallup. April 9, 1820; died January 11. 1878. at Norwalk, Ohio, leaving two sons and four daughters now living in Norwalk, Ohio, viz. : Catherine, Maria (wife of Marlin A. Dunton), Carroll. Sarah (wife of Henry Brown), Caleb H. and Lizzie F.
David Mead, born August 16, 1801: married Sep- tember 24, 1833, to Mary Booth Starr; and died June 16, 1843, at Danbury, leaving no issue.
Daniel Bridgum, born June 1. 1893: died Septem- ber 9, 1827, at New Orleans, Louisiana. Not married.
Jonas Boughton, born March 23, 1806: married October 8, 1829, to Fanny, daughter of Henry Buck- ingham; and died at Norwalk, Ohio, July 29. 1851, leaving one son, David DeForest (Dr. Benedict, the present druggist of Norwalk, Ohio), and one daughter, Fanny B., who married Louis H. Severance, of Cleveland, and died August 1, 18:4.
And Eliza Ann, born October 21, 1812; married. William Brewster, May 1, 1832, and died August 17, 1840, at Norwalk. Ohio, leaving two sons, both of whom died in childhood.
After his marriage he removed to North Salem, Westchester county. New York, where his daughter Clarissa was born; and from there he removed to Randal's Island, in East River, where he engaged in market gardening; in a few years he removed back to Danbury, and was appointed collector of that town, in which capacity he acted in 1812-13.
In September, 1815, he first came to Ohio to look up a new home, and in the latter part of October. in company with Elisha Whittlesey and Maj. Frederick Falley visited and examined the present site of Nor- walk. He then returned to Danbury and negotiated the purchase of about one thousand three hundred acres of land (now the site of Norwalk) on behalf of Elisha Whittlesey, Matthew B. Whittlesey. E. Moss White and himself.
In January, 1817: he again returned to take charge of and make improvements myion the new purchase: erected a log house (which was the first building con- structed by white men within the present corporate
limits of the village of Norwalk), commenced a clear- ing npon the flats south of his new house, and on April 4th returned to Danbury, arriving there May 4th.
.In July, 1817, he left Danbury with his family, in a covered wagon drawn by one horse, and another wagon loaded with household goods, provisions, etc., drawn by four oxen; also, one saddle horse. After seven weeks of fatiguing travel and hardship, they arrived at the house of David Gibbs and Henry Lock- wood in Norwalk on September 9th and then learned that their house, built that spring, was burned down. In this emergency, the open-handed hospitality of frontier life was extended to them by the families of Gibbs and Lockwood, and there they remained until a new house was erected. Of the erection of that house, destined to be the avant-courier of so many noble structures and happy homes, Mr. Benedict him- self says ( Fire-lands Pioneer of March, 1859, page eighteen):
"On hearing of my house being burned, we stopped with Messrs. Gibbs and Lockwood, who very hospit- ably entertained us until I got my house in a condition to move in. They were accommodating Capt. John Boalt's family, nine of whom were sick with the agne. We staid there from Monday until Friday, when we went into our new home, a log pen twenty feet square. no doors, windows, fire-place, and no fur- niture except some cooking utensils used on our jour- ney. Built a fire against the logs on one side of the shanty, made up our beds on the floor, which was so green and damp it spoiled the under-beds, which in- duced me to fit up two bedsteads, one for myself and wife and one for my daughters, placed in opposite cor- bers of the shanty, by boring holes in the logs, for the sides and feet, and one upright post put into a hole in the floor, and fastened at the top, and with basswood bark, made matting in the place of cord, and when completed they were very comfortable. I ent out two doors and two windows. The sash I bought but could get no glass; in place of which I used greased paper. Built an oven in one corner, part in and part outside, with clay and sticks; also a stick chimney above the chamber floor, had no jams. After burn- ing out three or fonr logs, I built up the back part of the chimney of muck aud sticks. I chinked up and mudded between the logs. which made it very com- fortable. For a few days we were almost without pro- visions; we had green corn, turnips and milk."
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