History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 65

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1060

USA > Ohio > Stark County > History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio > Part 65

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While the great mass of the old congregation readily adapted themselves to the new order of

things, there were always some imbued with the more emotional fervor of the older type of American Methodism, who could not bring themselves into full sympathy with their breth- ren in what they considered unwarranted inno- vations. These at last left the First Church, effected an organization as the Second M. E. Church, and erected a large briek church on South Market street, neat but plain, and with- out steeple or dome. There is no organ in this church, and the services, including " revi- vals," are more nearly like those of the primi- tive Methodist Church. As there are in every community men and women in whom the enio- tional naturally forms the greater part of their intellectual and moral nature, there is probably necessity also in religious matters to arrange by organization that these be provided for ; at any rate, this organization seems to have meas- urably flourished from the start. Whether the emotional or the rational ought to have the higher value in any religious system is not for the impartial historian to determine ; the mid- dle ground is probably the safe one ; a religion without place for the emotional in man's nature tends to formality and dogmatismn ; a religion which ignores man's rational being tends on the one side to superstition. on the other to fanaticism : true religion addresses man's higher intellectual powers, and through these, under subjection to faith, seeks to guide and control the affections, the feelings and the will. A third Methodist frame church building was erected a few years ago in the Fourth Ward, in the immediate vicinity of the north school building as a point for missionary operations. This movement, however, has up to this time not resulted in anything tangible or permanent. There are also two Methodist churches in the township, one in Section 26 and the other in Section 30.

The First Baptist Church was started in April, 1849. by Mr. and Mrs. John Danner, Thomas Goodman and Robert C. Latimer, at which time the services of Elder Jobn Winter, of Warren. Ohio, were secured at a salary of $300. April 22. 1849, a Sabbath school was formed with fourteen scholars. The communi- eants to the church at this time numbered seven. In 1852, Mr. Danner agreed to build a church if the Home Mission Society would pay $500 for pastor's salary for one year, and at the end of the year he would guarantee it free

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from debt, which the society agreed to do. Williams. J. W. Young. D. Tyler, II. Church- June 25, 1853. the church was dedicated by man, John Snyder. Rev. John Winter, Pastor. The church, situ- ated on the southeast corner of Tenth and Mar- ket streets, seating 350 people, was used for eighteen years. In 1871, the new church on Ninth and Market streets was built at a cost of $50,000, which is now free from debt, with 275 communicants. Rev. E. W. Lounsbury, the present Pastor, came here in March, 1877, and is well liked by his congregation.

In 1858, a few Episcopatians associated them- selves together and held services under the name of " Church of the Advent," until 1868; the number of Episcopalians increased, and a num- ber of lots were purchased at the northwest cor- ner of Tenth and South Popular streets, Easter Monday, March 29, 1869 ; a Vestry was elected, and the Rev. J. C. Laverty called to the rector- ship. In September of the same year, turf was cut for the erection of a new church-the pres- ent edifice, which was soon after finished, with several thousand dollars indebtedness resting upon it. Mr. Laverty reduced the debt largely. llis resignation took place in the summer of 1875. October 1. 1876, the Rev. Joseph P. Cameron was called to the rectorship, which continued until August 1, 1878. He also reduced the church debt, which was finally en- tirely paid in 1881, under Rev. Frederick Burt Avery, Rector, now in charge, who came to the parish the last Sunday in August. 1880. The church property now consists of a frame edifice, with a seating capacity of 300, well-furnished walnut seats, pipe-organ, chancel windows and side windows of stained glass; the church is painted and in good repair. The whole is now paid for, as are also the two lots -- the one on which the church is built, and the adjoin- ing one reserved for the rectory. Value of the property, about $10,000. Although a number of the old members have been removed by death and otherwise. the communicant list has been increased. by confirmation and trans- fers, by twenty new members. The Sunday- school numbers sixty-five scholars, ten officers and teachers. The Ladies' Guild has for its officers, Mrs. D. Tyler, President ; Mrs. A. G. Dart. Secretary. The officers of the church : Rev. Frederick Burt Avery, Rector. Vestry- men, E. W. Amsden, Senior Warden ; William Britton, Junior Warden ; J. H. Mathews. M. D., Treasurer : A. G. Part. Clerk of Vestry : Capt.

The Evangelical Church took this city as a mission field. A. D. 1852 ; and the same year, Rev. Peter Wiest was sent here as a missionary. lle immediately set to work to build a church, which was completed in 1853. The building was a neat, one-story brick, which answered its purpose at that time. The church was rebuilt in the year 1871, under the administration of Rev. T. Bach, as preacher in charge of the con- gregation, and Rev. S. B. Kring, as Presiding Elder. The edifice is now two stories high. This church is located on the cast corner of Herbruck and Fourth streets, on a lot donated by Mrs. Barbara Young. When this congrega- tion was organized in 1852. there were but twelve members, viz., Isaac Voegelgasong and wife, John Hane and wife, Peter Tream, Phillip Tream, Gotlieb Kasher, Sister Kitzmiller, Cath- arine Dittenhaver, Lewis Voegelgasong and Mr. Leininger and wife. Brother Hane served the church of his choice temporarily. The Brethren 1. Voegelgasong, P. Tream and J. Hane, obligated themselves to the Conference to pay $10 a year to the missionary cause in order that they might be supplied with a mis- sionary. Rev. Jacob Burkett was the succes- sor of Rev. Wiest, and his labors were crowned with a success that resulted in the conversion of quite a number of souls. This gave the work a new impulse, and ever since that time the influence and the borders of the church have been extended. Rev. G. F. Spreng was the first Presiding Elder presiding at this place. At present, Rev. J. A. Yount is the Pastor of this congregation, and Rev. J. A. Grimm, Pre siding Elder. The future for the congregation seems to be bright. A present, this church has about one hundred and seventy communicants.

The Church of God is located on east Tusca- rawas street, Rev. M. M. Beck, of West Leba- non, Ohio, Pastor. This is a plain brick struc- ture surmounted by a small spire. containing no bell. The church is 60x-40 feet and will seat 150 persons comfortably. It was built in 1876, at a cost of $3,300, and is not yet free from debt. Inside the church is roughly plas- tered, and has plain benches and a small gallery. The illumination is furnished by coal oil lamps, and the heating apparatus consists of two stoves. The congregation consists of eighty communicants. They believe in immersion and

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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY.

accept the Bible as their foundation rock. The society was organized about ten years ago, by Rev. Mr. Beck.

The United Brethren Church is on Charles street, and is built of brick with a seating capacity of about one hundred and fifty. It is lighted and heated in the old-fashioned style. A small spire with a bell surmounts the church. Rev. S. W. Koontz is Pastor.

The Disciples' Church of Canton dates back for its organization for more than a score of years, and has, under a number of able Pastors, enjoyed a fair share of prosperity. The church building is on the corner of Poplar and Seventh streets. Rev. Mr. llenselman is the present Pastor ; he serves besides a congregation at New Berlin in Plam Township, and one newly organized, with a neat frame church lately built at North Industry in this township.

A small briek Lutheran Church has also been erected about a half-mile north of North Industry, on the Canton road, which though occupied a few times for divine worship is not yet quite finished.

Last of all, but doing a good work in its own

sphere of activity, is the Mennonite Church just east of Canton, which was built during, or about the year 1830, by Jacob Rowland. Jo- seph Rohrer was the first minister, with the following members : Jacob Rowland and wife, Mrs. David Schriver, Mrs. Henry llull, and Christian Wengard and wife. About the year 1852, Mr. Rohrer moved to Indiana ; from that time till about 1870, Revs. Smith and New- comer, from Columbiana County, officiated. The old log church was torn down, and the present brick structure erected in the year 1875, since which time. Michael Rohrer has been the principal minister with from fifteen to twenty members.

In concluding these sketches of the Canton churches, the writer deems it due to the pub- lishers and himself to say that it is to be re- gretted that so many of the ministers take so little interest in securing a history of their church organizations in permanent form, such as this work would afford them an opportunity of doing. With a few exceptions, they failed to co-operate heartily in the work, and left the historian to do the best he could.

CHAPTER XII .*

PERRY TOWNSHIP -NAME AND ORGANIZATION -SETTLEMENT -AN INCIDENT - OTHER EARLY SETTLERS-FIRST RELIGIOUS MEETINGS-VILLAGE OF KENDAL -- PIONEER INDUS-

TRIES-THE OHIO CANAL-EDUCATIONAL-THE CHARITY SCHOOL.

" Gather we from the shadowy past

The straggting beams that linger yet." -Spenser.

A T' a meeting of the Board of Commission- ers of Stark County, on the 7th day of December, 1813, it was " ordered that the tenth township of the ninth range be, and the sa . e is hereby made known as a separate and dis- tinct township by the name of Perry. The in- habitants of said new township will meet at the house of Samuel Patton, in Kendal, on the last Saturday in February, and proceed to elect township officers."

From the above it will be seen that the town- ship took its name from Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the hero of Lake Erie in the war of 1812. The battle at Put-in-Bay had been fought but about three months previous

to the above order, and as the success of' Amer- ican arms in that battle had saved the frontier settlements from being overrun by the British and Indians, the naming of the first township that was organized in the county, after the bat- tle, was a fit recognition of the benefits which accrued to the pioneer settlers of the exposed region. Comparatively few settlements had been made on what was known as the " New Purchase," which was the territory lying west of the Tuscarawas Branch of the Muskingum, in what is now known as the townships of Sugar Creek, Jackson and Lawrence. West of the Tusearawas River in Stark County, no organ- ization had been made prior to 1810, nor in Wayne prior to 1812. In 1810, the township of Tuscarawas had been organized and its first census showed 145 inhabitants of all ages.

South of the forty-first parallel of latitude,

.Contributed by Robert II. Folger.

James Baylys 1

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PERRY TOWNSHIP.

the lands were known as Congress lands to dis- tingnish them from the Western Reserve, New Connecticut and the Fire lands as that portion lving north of the forty first parallel was called. Much of the land now included in the town- ships of Bethlehem. Perry, Jackson. Lawrence and Franklin, in the county of Summit, was surveyed by Ebenezer Buckingham in the year 1800, and a man of the name of Carpenter. The Tuscarawas was then the boundary line between the United States and the Indians, which was the reason why the balance of these townships was not surveyed at the same time. Mr. Buckingham was afterward one of the Commissioners of the Canal Fund of Ohio, and lived many years at Zanesville, where he died, closing a long. active and useful life. As already noticed, Perry is called Township 10 of the ninth Range. In forming the ranges. the I'nited States began on the base of the Western Reserve, at the east line of the State, or the base line of the Western Reserve, or latitude forty-one degrees north, and every six miles west was a range, numbering from east to west. The townships on the east side, or first range, counted from the Ohio River north to the base line of the Reserve.

Pursuant to the order of the Commissioners. the voters of Perry Township met in Kendal, now the Fourth Ward of the city of Massillon, on the last Saturday in February, 1814, and elected the township officers, but who were elected to the particular offices, cannot be as- certained, as no person is now living who was present at the election, nor is there a record to be found of an earlier date than 1825. Who were the first Trustees, Treasurer and Clerk. Supervisors, Fence Viewers and Overseers of the Poor and their successors for the tirst eleven years cannot be stated with entire cer- tainty

Among the residents of the township at the date of its organization. were Jacob Bahney. John Waggoner. Philip Jacoby, George Amick. Frederick Stump, Robert Barr, Michael Bose. Stephen Shorb, William Armstrong, William McCaughey. James Met'aughey. Paul Beard. George Miller. Jonathan Neely, Abraham Gol- laday and Daniel Ritter, all of whom with others were residents of the south end of the town- ship. In Kendal and in the immediate neigh- borhood were William Henry, already men- tioned. Thomas Rotch, Charles Coffin, Zaccheus

Stanton, Moses Gleason, John Hendley, Abel Strong, Benjamin Franklin Coleman, Rowland Coleman, Alexander Skinner, Charles K. Skin- ner, Joseph Morton and Thomas Rotch, who resided at Spring Hill, the present residence of Hon. A. C. Wales ; John Hall, Arvine Wales, Ephraim Chidester, Boyd J. Mercer, Edward Nelson, Jobn Bowman, Aaron Chapman, Am- brose Chapman, Austin AHen, Richard Whaley. John Shobe, a German, who built a powder-mill on the south side of Sippo Creek, about twenty rods east of the flouring-mill of Messrs. Warwick & Justus in the First Ward of the city of Massillon. The powder-mill. as remem- bered by the writer, was a log building, in one end of which old John slept with kegs of pow- der piled up around his bed, and around his fire, wooden trays of the explosive material were arranged for drying. He never feared a blow-up except from lightning : on the appear- ance of a thunder storm, he was sure to vacate his mill and dwelling until the storm was over and danger from lightning had disappeared. Among the prominent of the early settlers in 1812, and whose influence tended to lay broad and deep the foundations of social order in Perry Township, were Thomas Roth and his wife, Charity Rotch, members of the Society of Friends, natives of New Bedford. Mass., who moved from there to Hartford, Conn., and from Hartford to Stark County. With him came Arvine Wales and the late Charles K. Skinner, who with Mr. Wales became permanently iden- tified with the growth of the township, and. as will be seen hereafter. with the now city of Massillon. Thomas and Charity Rotch were prominent members of the Society of Friends. both being recommended ministers according to the discipline of the society. The village of Kendal was laid out by Thomas Rotch, in 1811. who named it after a prominent manufacturing town in the West of England. On laying out the village. Mr. Rotch sought at once to utilize the water-power of Sippo Creek, the principal outlet of Sippo Lake, in the northeastern part of the township, by buikdling a woolen factory and saw-mill, both of which have long since gone to decay. Mr. Rotch's policy was not such as tended to advance the growth of his village, nor was the condition of the new coun- try favorable. The immigration was entirely agricultmal. A land office was established at Canton, of which Col. Gibson and Col. John

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Sloane were Register and Receiver respectively, and as fast as land came into market. it was entered.

On the 18th of June, 1812, war was declared against Great Britain by the United States, which exposed the frontier settlements to incursions of the British and Indians, especially after Hull's surrender, when many of the set- tlers of the new country went back to their former homes. The paralysis of all sorts of business which followed the declaration of war can hardly be realized at this late period, and which continned many years, and retarded improvements of all kinds. At the close of the war, in 1814, the General Assembly sought to relieve the embarrassment in which all sorts of business was plunged by chartering banks, which went into operation without capital, but soon suspended operations, and nowhere was the embarrassment of the country greater than in the Tuscarawas Valley. There was no sur- plus of provisions of any kind for many years, and when the surplus came wheat sold for 25 cents per bushel, when it would sell at all, as late as 1826, and all cereals proportionally low, potatoes at twelve and a half cents, while salt commanded at one time $3 per bushel of fifty- six pounds.

On the 14th of the ninth month, in 1823, Thomas Rotch died at Mount Pleasant, in Jef- ferson County, while attending the Yearly Meeting of the Society of Friends (Quakers). and was buried there ; he was born at New Bedford, Mass., on the 13th of the seventh month, 1767. consequently was but little more than fifty-six years of age; he is well remem- bered by the writer as a man of fine presence and great shrewdness in all business matters, and, as all Quakers did and do, bore faithful testimony against human slavery. lle was frequently called on to protect the fugitive slave on his flight to Canada, and never was known to let the call pass unheeded. A single instance will illustrate his devotion to his prin- eiples on that subject, as well as his courage. In the spring of the year 1820. a woman with two children called at his residence and satis- fied him that they were fugitive slaves ; he at once provided them with a place of safety in the second story of a spring house almost adjoining his residence. In the morning of the following day, immediately after breakfast, a couple of strangers on horseback rode up to

the door and inquired if Mr. Roteh lived there, and, on being answered in the affirmative, com- menced to make their business known, which was that of slave-hunters, one being known as a man who was in the habit of aiding slaves to escape, advising them what route to take, then following them for the reward offered by their masters ; the name of De Camp, the slave- catcher, had become as familiar as household words. Thomas heard him very patiently describe the woman and children, and say that he had traced them to his (Thomas') residence, and produced a warrant for their seizure issued under the act of Congress of 1793, and sup- posed his work was done-that, the Quakers being a law-abiding people. the mother and children would be at once delivered.

After he had exhausted his vocabulary, Thomas said, "Dost thou think thou can take the woman and her children here if thou canst find them ?"

" Certainly," replied the slave-catcher.

" Well," said Thomas, "thou may be mis- taken. Thou hast not found them vet, and shouldst thou find them, thou might have trouble to take them."

The strangers had not been invited into the house, and while the dialogue was going on be- tween Thomas and him having the warrant, the farm hands, of whom Thomas kept three or four, gathered around, and seeing such a crowd, the strangers began to look at each other and evinced alarm, which Thomas was not slow to notice, and, breaking a momentary silence, said to the person having the warrant.

"Dost thou know a man who follows the business of slave-catching by the name of De Camp?"

" I do," answered De Camp, for it was he, and was betraying fear of bodily harm, and inquired, " Have you any business with me ? My name is De Camp." By this time. the men of Thomas' | household, himself included, had formed a sort of cirele around the slave-catchers. Thomas replied with the utmost coolness,

" I expect very soon to have some very im- portant business with thee, and it will be well for thee to be prepared for it."

De Camp and his confrere coneluded it would be best to beat a retreat, which they did with out delay. On reaching their horses, they sprang into their saddles and left the Spring Hill farm and its Quaker occupants, and never again called

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there for human chattels. The home of Thomas and Charity Rotch, like that of the "village preacher's modest mansion " at "sweet Au- burn,"

" Was known to all the vagrant train.

He chid their wanderings and relieved their pain ; The long-remembered beggar was his guest. Whose beard descending swept his aged breast ; The naked spendthrift. now no longer proud.

Claimed kindred there and had his claims allowed."

There are few now who remember Thomas and Charity Rotch. Those who, in " mem- ory's waste." can bring up the reminiscences of the long-inurned, long-forgotten. long-gone past, will cherish their memory in great kind- ness. Thomas Rotch died in the prime of life. Could he have lived another decade and par- ticipated in the great changes in the Tusca- rawas Valley, with his wealth and enterprise, the history of Perry Township would have borne on its pages a record of improvements beyond what is shown even now by the enterpris- ing pioneers who succeeded him, and who gave lavishly of time and money in the development of the resources of our favored township.

It is not, however. to the enterprising cap- italist alone that credit should be given for the wonderful development that Perry Township exhibited in the decennial period from 1820 to 1830. It is to the men who hewed down the forest and ran the plowshare beam deep through the, until then, unbroken sward. They came with strong arms and willing hearts. to find a new home and to found a new empire. The harvest yielded to their sickle, and their pos- terity and successors are their heritors. With them came also another class of men, also pi- oneers, who contributed their share toward developing " the new country." They were just in advance of the permanent settlers, and stayed until the charms of forest life overcame the desire to remain where progress toward political and social organization got in the ad- vance. Of that class was Massum Metcalf, who came in 1810 and remained a few years, when he left, saying, " The country is too thickly set- tled ; I must go where I cannot see the smoke of my neighbor's chimney, nor hear his dog bark," and he went to parts unknown.

Among the hardy pioneer settlers, and who were among the earliest to build their cabins, and whose doors were always open to the stranger, were the Castleman brothers ; their names were John, Henry, Richard and David,

with their brother-in-law. Jacob Ross. Con- nected with them by marriage was a family by the name of Meek. Fond of the chase, not a deer or bear escaped their rifles when they started for game. The last wolf that was killed in the neighborhood north of Massillon was brought down by the unerring rifle of one of the Castleman brothers. Ross claimed that he was the first white child horn west of the Ohio River. Be that as it may, a better type of manhood than Jake Ross was rarely found among the hardy pioneers of that day. Ex- cepting John Castleman, all the families left Stark County soon after the organization of Perry Township. John was a citizen of Ken- dal and Massillon until his death, which was occasioned by a tree falling upon him, from which he lingered. a helpless cripple, for many years. His wife. Margaret Meck, survived him until a few years since, and lived to a good old age. a fine type of the women who sought homes with their families in the trackless forests of the Western country. At her death, she left four children-Mrs. Lyon. of Cleveland, and George and William Castleman and Mrs. Roof (since deceased), of Massilon.

In 1813 and 1814. before and after the organi- zation of the township, immigration increased beyond any former period, and continued to in- crease, especially when the attention of the Leg- islature was turned to internal improvements. Land, however, did not rise in value until 1530. and within the personal knowledge of the writer. 1.000 acres of " the plains" in the south end of Perry Township sold for $4.25 per acre ; the sale was made in 1824 by Capt. Mayhew Fol- ger to Mr. William R. Dickinson, of Steuben- ville, and paid for in cloth manufactured at the " Steubenville Factory," of which Messrs. Bol- zaleel Wells, one of the framers of the Con- stitution of Ohio, of 1802, and Mr. Dickinson were proprietors.

In the same year first above mentioned. among the " new comers." were Capt. Mayhew Folger and his wife Mary, and their family, his brother-in-law. Thomas Coffin, whose wife. Anna Collin, was a sister of Capt. Folger, and who took up by original entry and obtained by pur- chase the lands sold to Mr. Dickinson, above referred to. The newness of the country, and its social condition being so different from any- thing that Thomas Collin and his wife, who, with Capt. Folger and his wife, were natives of

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History of Stark County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 65

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey Number of Pages: 1060

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892? ed
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1060