History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 109

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1104

USA > Ohio > Summit County > History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio > Part 109

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

shoemaker, and worked at this occupation during the winter, when his services were more in demand. In those early days, the Knights of St. Crispin would wander through the coun- try, and deliver the settlers from the evils of going barefooted. These cobblers would re- main with a family until all the members were " shod " to order, and then seek employment elsewhere. The first weaver who appeared was Thomas Dixon, and he was assisted by his daughter Ann. George Dull, who came in 1814, was a weaver for two years, then returned to Pennsylvania. Jost Snyder appeared in 1819, bringing his loom from Pennsylvania, and followed weaving for many years. In 1824, Jacob Hartong, father of Cyrus, settled on land now owned by the Widow Thursby, and, while his sons farmed, Jacob provided the clothing for his own families and many other settlers of the neighborhood. Philip Hartong, brother of Jacob, came in 1813. For several years, he kept an inn on the old Portage road, near where Ja- cob King's brick residence is at the present time. The hotel business being unprofitable, he built a saw-mill on land now owned by Henry Krumroy. This mill was erected about 1819, and reported to be the first in the town- ship, but this is very doubtful, as there were many families by that time, and, in all new set- tlements, a saw-mill is generally provided by some enterprising man at a much earlier period in the history of the community. However, mills of this description were soon numerous. The Hartong Mill was run by Philip and his son Samuel for some twenty-five years. About the same time Hartong erected his saw-mill, John Richards built one on the site now occu- pied by the Peter Heckman mill. Richards ran this about five years, until he died, in Oc- tober, 1823. Another was also erected previ- ous to 1827, in the extreme southeastern part of Green Township, on land now owned by Simon Young. Henry Beard started another mill by 1828, and he thinks there was also one on Turkey Foot Lake, in Green, run by a Mr. Rex. Beard continued the business nearly forty years. He also had a fulling-mill and carding machine in connection with his saw- mill, which establishments were conducted for some fifteen years. David Eby also ran a card- ing and fulling-mill for several years. There were also one or two flouring-mills operated at an early day. Gen. Bierce says : " George A.

602

HISTORY OF SUMMIT COUNTY.

Rex erected the first mill in the township (1816-17), at the outlet of Turkey Foot Lake (this was possibly in Franklin Township), but when the State took possession of the water for their reservoir, and raised the level, the mill-site was ruined." However, the State paid damages. Christian Swartz milled at what is now the Stauffer flouring-mill, for three years after he came, in 1835, and, in 1827, Tritt op- erated a mill, which stood near the present site of the Tritt Mill. When Peter Wilhelm set- tled in Green Township, May, 1814, he put up a distillery, at which was manufactured much that did not improve the citizens. The estab- lishment was located just south of the present site of Greensburg. John Yarriek also started a still-house about 1820, just southwest of what is now Greentown Station. After some twelve years, this "gin-mill " was discontinued, as was also Wilhelm's.

The eary settlers of Green Township found it a very difficult task to travel from one section to another for the lack of roads. The first thoroughfare laid out through what is now Summit County, was the old Portage " Path," which extended from Canton to Cleveland, by the way of Portage. This was in the early days a route extensively traveled by many desiring to journey from Stark County and that section of Ohio, to the lake. The road was located at a very early period, but not com- pleted as a highway for several years. This Portage road entered the township at the south- east corner of Section 35, and crossed it in a northwesterly direction, passing nearly one mile west of what is now Greensburg. A considerable portion of this old " Portage Path" is still used as a highway, but in some places has been vacated. Many years since, Rev. E. Staver had the section across his farm, in Green Township, abandoned and a new road opened. When the carly settlers wished to go any place with their wagons, it was necessary to go out with an ax and cut the underbrush away. The second road through the township was laid ont by John Richards, from his farm, on the northwest quarter of Section 13, to Can- ton. It is doubtful if Richards ever had the route of his highway recorded, but deemed that by general consent the settlers would al- ways permit the road to remain, and so they did, for the "Richards" road remains to this day, cutting across Sections 24, 25 and 36 of

Green Township in a southerly direction, and bearing to the east. Other roads were planned and finished to suit various neighborhoods, but for years some of these were very unsatisfactory highways, at first only paths cut out through the trackless forests, but they were improved year after year, until at the present time the roads of Green Township will compare favor- ably with the highways of any other farming township in the State not traversed by stone pikes.

Until 1840, Green Township formed a por- tion of Stark County, which was organized in 1809. In 1811, what is now four townships in the northern part of the county, was organ- ized, with one set of officers. Gen. Bierce says in regard to this: "The township then em- braced Green, Lake, all of Franklin lying east of the Tuscarawas, and Jackson. The first election was held at the house of Nathan De- Haven, one and a half miles northwest of Green- town, on the 6th of July, 1811. Abraham De- Haven, Jacob Harsh and Joseph Triplet were Judges of the election ; Jonathan Potts and William Triplet were Clerks. Peter Dicker- hof, of what is now Lake Township ; Christian Bolmer, of what is now Jackson ; and John Yarrick, of what is now Green, were elected first Trustees. Samuel Spitler, a resident of what is now Lake, was elected Clerk ; George Knoddle, Treasurer ; William Ball, Assessor ; Simeon Harsh and John Kepler, Constables. At the fall election, October 3, 1811, there were only sixteen votes polled in the territory com- prised by these townships, and, at the Pres- idential election, October 20, 1812, during the war, only nine votes. Peter Dickerhoff was the first Justice of the Peace ; his commission bore date August 21, 1811. The commission of John Wise, who was the next Justice, bore date June 16, 1814. He resided in what is now Lake Township, and died in Greentown, in January, 1853." Green Township as it now is was organized April 7, 1815, and the following officers were chosen : Trustees, George Mc- Cormie, William Ball and Joshua Richards ; Clerk, Robert Lawson ; Treasurer, Daniel Wise ; Constables, David Hartman and Thomas Par- ker. At the election held only seventeen votes were polled. Green Township continued a por- tion of Stark County until 1840, when Summit was formed from fourteen townships of the Western Reserve, and Franklin and Green,

603

GREEN TOWNSHIP.

from Stark County. Bierce says in regard to this : "That it was the first instance in which the southern line of the Reserve had been broken in the erection of a county, and when the bill was being considered in the Legislature, Senator Hostetter, of Stark, declared : 'You might as well attempt to make a Dutch horse and a Yankee broad-horn work together, as the inhabitants on the opposite sides of that line to amalgamate.' Experience, however, has shown that such fears were groundless, and such divisions wholly imaginary." However, the citizens of Green Township were not gen- erally satisfied with the new arrangement, and, consequently, when the question of a county seat was submitted to the voters, certain men from Cuyahoga Falls appeared among them and promised to use their influence and have Green re-attached to Stark if the dissatisfied citizens of Green would cast their votes in favor of Cuyahoga Falls as the county seat in preference to Akron. If any votes were se- cured by these fickle promises, they failed to change the result of the election, for it was de- cided in favor of Akron.

Most of the early settlers of Green Township were Pennsylvania Dutch, and many of these were very ignorant and superstitious. conse- quently at an early day the cause of education did not flourish. Possibly the first school held in the township was taught by William Trip- let, who endeavored to instill into a few youth- ful minds the first rudiments of knowledge. The children assembled at an old shanty on Section 16 land, and Triplet undoubtedly did his duty, but was not appreciated by the par- ents of his pupils. John Buchtel, who resides north of Akron, states : " I never learned to write. as there were no schools in Green Town- ship at an early day." Mrs. Herring, of East Liberty, says : "In those days, they had to pay 50 cents a month for each scholar, and if a teacher failed to secure enough scholars, no school could be held for two or three years." Mrs. Herring was the daughter of Andrew Kepler; her sister, Mrs. Paulner, declares : “ I had to plow many a day for my father, and had no time to go to school." This was the secret of the absence of educational facilities; it cost something, and they wanted the children to work, and the ignorant minds possessed by some of Green Township's early inhabitants failed to comprehend the benefits of a culti-

vated intellect ; consequently they refused to permit their offspring to have advantages which were possessed by themselves in Penn- sylvania, and a race was multiplied, a genera- tion raised in ignorance the effect of which will be felt to the third and fourth generation. Sev- eral years after Triplet attempted to establish a school in that neighborhood, Nicholas Sichley, who married Andrew Kepler's sister, Susan, made a second trial in a log building on Sec- tion 16 land ; this building had possibly been occupied as a residence by some of the early settlers on the school lands. Sichley's sup- port was not extensive, and he was followed months afterward by William Early in the same building. This gentleman also taught in other districts of Green Township. About 1820, he was employed in a building on the southeast corner of the land belonging to the Foust heirs ; William Sweeney also taught at the same place. A schoolhouse was put up at an early day in what is now the King District, which was also used as a church. Alex John- ston says : " The first school I attended was at what is now Greensburg about 1816. It was taught by an Irishman named Robert Lawson, in a building which had been erected by George Dull for a weaver's shop." The first school- house in District 6 was built about one mile west of my residence after 1820, but at that time, there were special buildings for school purposes in other districts. Simon Yarrick relates : " We didn't go to school much in those days, in good weather had to stay at home and tramp our wheat ; boys attended school longer than they do now, sometimes until twenty- four and twenty-five years of age." In about 1823, a German school was taught by a Mr. Crum in the district east of East Liberty ; it was held in a log building put up for school purposes some two years previous. Henry Beard taught a few scholars at his home about the year 1827, and thinks this was the first at- tempt made in southwestern Green. but the lands in that section were not settled until after many inhabitants were in other portions of Green. It is a satisfaction to learn of one Dutch mother who appreciated education, as Adam Varrick relates : " My mother used to spin on the spin- ning wheel in order to secure money to pay the tuition of her children. She got a dollar for spinning six dozen cuts and could finish eighteen each day, netting her twenty-five cents. Con-

604

HISTORY OF SUMMIT COUNTY.

sequently we got a better education than most children of the township." Among those who taught in the township at an early day, not previously mentioned, were Henry Gates, John Betz, Electa Tupper, - MeCauley, Jacob Everhart, George Tousley, -Showalter. Mc- Cauley went to sleep one day in his chair, and was tipped over by the large boys of the school. Alex Johnston also taught many terms, and Abram Hunsberger was employed for twenty- one successive winters at teaching in various districts. Simon Yarrick relates of him : "Once we barred old Abram Hunsberger out, and kept him out for three days because he would not treat us to apples on Christmas." Apples were very scarce in those days and prized more by the children than at the present time, when every farm contains a fine orchard of the choicest varieties.

The first ministers to preach the Gospel in Green Township were pioneer missionaries of the Methodist Church ; among these were Revs. Holloway and Green. Several families, formerly members of the Evangelical Association in Penn- sylvania, united with the Methodist Episcopal congregation, continuing their support to this denomination until some time after Evangel- ical ministers appeared in the township ; one of these early members was Conrad Dillman, who would go from cabin to cabin with his Bible teaching the settlers. The public services were held at private cabins and log schoolhouses for over two decades ; in later years. the congrega- tion used the First Evangelical Church until some time after 1840, when a brick meeting- house was erected in Greensburg on land do- nated by a Mr. Switzer; William McBride built this church, which was finally torn down in the spring of 1881. At one time, the Meth- odist Episcopal congregation was a strong and influential church, containing about seventy members, but many died or moved West ; other troubles weakened the church, and services were held very irregularly ; at the present time, the few members left are without a church or regular preaching. Closely following the Meth- odist ministers in the pioneer days, were missionaries of the Reformed and Lutheran Churches, holding services in the German lan- guage. At that time, the differences between these two denominations were so slight that many families encouraged and supported minis- ters of both sects. It is said that Rev. John

Hamm, a Reformed or German Presbyterian, first conducted services in a round log-house which stood on Phillip Hartong's farm, now owned by Jacob King. This building had former- ly been used by Hartong as a residence, but when he built another cabin, his first rude home was donated for school and church purposes. Rev. Hamm lived at Manchester for many years, until he died some five years since. In the early days it was his custom to walk over from Manchester to this log building, accompanied by his wife ; he organized the Reformed Con- gregations in Green Township, both at Greens- burg and East Liberty, and it is said those at Uniontown and Mud Brook. It is possible, however, that Rev. Wier, of the Lutheran, and Rev. Faust, of the Reformed Church, conducted services in Green Township, at private houses, before Rev. Hamm did, as they preached at Manchester before he appeared in this section of the State. Among the early ministers of these seets were Revs. Wyant, Happock, Hart- brook and others. The Reformed Congrega- tion erected the church at Greensburg, now used by the Church of God, or Winebrennarians, and another building was erected at East Lib- erty and used by both the Lutherans and Re- formed congregations. The principal religions sect in the township at the present time is the Evangelical Association, which has two flour- ishing and influential congregations, one at Greensburg and the other at East Liberty. It is not certain who the minister of this denomi- nation was that first held services in Green, bnt among those who preached at the cabins of early settlers and log schoolhouses were Revs. Hosler, Samuel Van Gundy, -Fry, Abra- ham or Henry Neeble, George Mottinger, Jo- seph Long, Aaron Yombert, Adam Klinefelter, Elias Staver, John Kopf, Abraham Ream, Adam Hennich, John Triesbach and others. Each one of the last four has been claimed by differ- ent persons to have been the first minister who conducted services in the township in the in- terest of the Evangelical Association, but it is conceded by most authorities that the first regular circuit was organized in 1829, that Revs. Adam Klinefelter and Elias Staver were the ministers in charge ; they organized the association at Greensburg, which was the first congregation of this sect established perma- nently in Summit County. These men rode a circuit of about four hundred miles ; it was

605

GREEN TOWNSHIP.

said of Rev. Klinefelter at his death : " His travels were extensive, as he frequently had to make long and tedious journeys back and forth from Pennsylvania to Ohio in the saddle ; the circuits then embraced as much territory as the entire conference district does at the pres- ent time. He preached almost every day ; was exposed to all kinds of weather ; lodged in poor huts and rude log cabins, with a great change of diet ; almost impassable roads. The greatest hardships he endured were in Ohio, when the country was yet a wilderness, thinly inhabited and the people mostly poor." Serv- ices were conducted at the cabins of various pioneer settlers ; among these were Jacob Kauff- man's, Conrad Dillman's, Elias Benner's, Fan- ney's, John Mottinger's, John Buchtel's, Peter Thornton's and others. Schoolhouses were also occupied for many years ; finally, about the year 1838, the congregation erected a house of worship about three-fourths of a mile west of Greensburg, at the present site of the grave- yard. This church was dedicated by Bishop Long and the General Conference of the Evan- gelical Association held in it from October 23 to November 2, 1843. Some years afterward, another edifice was erected in Greensburg, which building is now occupied by the congre- gation. The church at East Liberty was ereeted in 1869, at a cost of $3,200 ; the congregation was organized many years previous, and a Sun- day school started since 1869. The first camp- meeting held in Green Township was conducted about the year 1828 on land belonging, at that time, to Phillip Dundore, now to John Leonard ; it was continued about one week under the direction of Revs. Joseph Long. Aaron Yom- bert, George Mottinger and others. Several camp-meetings were afterward held at the same place in after years. Disciple ministers ap- peared occasionally after 1840 and held meet- ings ; among these were Elders Row, Green and his son, Lockhart and others. Services were conducted in the schoolhouse at Greens- burg, and afterward in the Winebrennarian Church. About four years since the Disciple congregation built their present meeting-house, which is one of the neatest chapels in the county. The Church of God or " Winebren- narians " organized their congregation after the year 1850, and about twenty years since pur- chased their present house of worship from the Reformed Church for $400. Rev. Cassell is

Pastor at the present time. This sect has another congregation in the southwestern part of the township, who occupied " Tritt's Bethel." This building was erected about the year 1871, while Rev. Lily was Pastor ; Samuel Thursby, Joseph Tritt and Emanuel Working were the first Trustees of the association. A Total Absti- nence Society was started by Abram Huns- berger and Jacob Dillman previous to 1830, which, for a short time, exerted quite an influ- ence on some of the young men.

" All that tread the earth are but a handful to the tribes that slumber in its bosom." This can be appreciated by one who endeavors to write a record of all the burying-grounds of Green Township. It is not known who was the first white person laid beneath the sod by those early pioneer settlers. Andrew Kepler's little son, Andrew, died about 1812, and was buried on his father's farm, and possibly the first regu- lar graveyard of the township was then estab- lished. The exact spot is near the center of the east eighty acres of the southeast quarter of Section 17. When others died in this neigh- borhood, they were laid beside young Kepler. About fifty interments were made, but scarcely a dozen stones were erected to the memory of these departed ones, and most of the graves have been desecrated. Possibly, old Conrad Smith died before young Kepler. He was buried on his own land, and a huge stone placed over the grave by his son, who carved upon it his father's name. In after years, the bowlder was used for the corner stone of a barn. When John Rhodes died, about the year 1825, he was buried on the southwest corner of Conrad Dill- man's land. Other settlers were buried here, and the spot of ground became consecrated earth, and sacred to the memory of these dead, was fenced in, and Mr. Dillman deeded the ground for cemetery purposes. Years after- ward, he was interred upon this land, as was also his wife, Rev. Adam Klinefelter, his son- in-law, Mrs. Klinefelter and many of their chil- dren. When a man named Herring committed suicide, about 1828, he was buried just south- west of this ground. John Richards died Octo- ber 26, 1823, and his wife Katharine, two days later. They were buried on their own land. Their graves were inclosed by a neat fence, and plain stones put up to mark the spot. Some of Mr. Palmer's children, who lived where Levi J. Hartong does now, were interred on that farm

606

HISTORY OF SUMMIT COUNTY.

as early as 1830. Old Jonathan Grable was also buried here, and about one dozen others. When Henry Beard's infant daughter Christina died, May 4, 1832, she was laid beneath the sod on Beard's farm. Others of that neighborhood were placed beside her. The ground was fenced in, but no stones ever erected. The Evangelical Church graveyard, about one half' mile west of Greensburg, was started about the year 1836. Peter Thornton states he donated the first piece of this land to the church for cemetery pur- poses, and that his son, George Thornton, aged about twelve, was the first person buried there. In 1875, an additional acre of land was pur- chased from George Gougler, and added to this cemetery. Rev. Elias Stoeber was possibly the first person buried in the new addition. The cemetery at East Liberty was started about 1845, and is already well filled with those who formerly lived in that neighborhood. But those who died in Green Township were not all laid within these cemeteries ; for in those early days, many mothers oft wept beside little graves placed in leafy dell, or near the babbling brook. These little mounds, unmarked by marble slab, were only consecrated by their tears. Many of these lonely burial-places have been desecrated, and the ground plowed over by those who were either ignorant or careless in regard to the sacredness of that soil.

There is considerable speculation in regard to the first marriage ceremony performed in Green Township. Gen. Bierce says in regard to this : "The first recorded marriage in the township was Abraham Bair to Elizabeth Har- ter, who were married by Abraham DeHaven on March 31, 1812, though tradition shows that previous to that time Jacob Smith, Jr., was married to Miss Betsy Dixon, but of which no record was ever made. Tradition says the mar- riage ceremony of this first couple was ' You bromis to take te voman you holt by te hant to pe your vife, and tat you will shtick to her through hell-fire and dunder ? Den I bronounce you man and woman, by cot !' Blair died soon after the marriage, and his widow subsequently married Jehu Grubb, and now resides in Plain Township, Stark County." (This was written in 1855 ; it is said that she is still living there, although it is now nearly seventy years since her first marriage). The general opinion of many old settlers is that the quaint ceremony above mentioned was actually performed, and

that the man who married the couple was old Andrew Kepler. Several of his children ad- mit that he performed the ceremony, but his oldest living daughter, Mrs. Mary Paulner, says the story is not true. John Buchtel states that Kepler performed this marriage before he re- ceived his commission of Justice of the Peace, and that afterward he refused to serve in this capacity. Others state that the last words ut- tered by Kepler to the bride and bridegroom were "Now, vers mine tollar ? " These ad- ditional words furnish more convincing proof to the truth of this incident than the second- hand statements of several men. It is doubt- ful who the first child born in Green Township was. The earliest of which we can obtain any knowledge is John Triplet, son of William, who is now a resident of Coventry. He was born March 4, 1809, and must have been among the first two or three white natives of the town- ship. However, there were several other fam- ilies at that time living near Triplet's, and the first birth might have occurred among one of these.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 109

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848- Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey Number of Pages: 1104

Author: Perrin, William Henry, d. 1892?; Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Baskin & Battey
Number of Pages: 1104