History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 85

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 85

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The matter of the incorporation of the township of Cuyahoga Falls under and by the name of the "Incorporated Village of Cuyahoga Falls," came up for hearing to-day, as adjourned from the March session ; and, on consideration thereof, we, the Commissioners of said county, do find and deter- mine that due notice of the filing and pendency of said petition was given according to law ; and we are of the opinion that the prayer of the petitioners should be granted. And we do order that said town- ship of Cuyahoga Falls may be organized under and by the name of ". The Incorporated Village of Cuy- ahoga Falls," and order the same to be recorded.

The " village " was organized by the election, September 1, 1868, of William A. Hanford, Mayor ; Porter G. Somers, Recorder ; Henry C. Lockwood, Treasurer ; T. F. Heath, Charles Hunt, L. W. Loomis, W. M. Griswold and John Hinde, Trustees, and by these gentlemen, on the 9th of that month, taking the oath of the office to which they were severally elected, and assuming the duties thereof. The following

gentlemen have successively filled the office of Mayor : Richard Blood, C. P. Humphrey, J. L'Hommedieu, H. B. Camp, George W. Rice, William A. Hanford. The village is, as al- ready shown, co-extensive with the township. Its exact limits will hereafter be given.

At the March session of 1851 of the Board of Commissioners of Summit County, " Hosea Paul and others came and presented a numer- ously signed petition, from the village of Cuya- hoga Falls and vicinity, asking the Board of County Commissioners to construct a new township from the northwest corner of Tall- madge Township, the southwest corner of Stow Township, the southeast corner of Northamp- ton Township, and the northeast corner of Portage Township." On Wednesday, March 5, 1851, "The Board all present. Then came Hosea Paul and others presenting a petition, and urging personally that a new township be formed out of the northwest corner of Tall- madge, northeast corner of Portage, southeast corner of Northampton, and the southwest cor- ner of Stow Township, furnishing a map of the proposed new township ; and the board being satisfied that all necessary legal preliminary steps had been taken, and there is an incorpor- ated village (Cuyahoga Falls) within the bounds of the proposed new township, ordered that lots one, two, eleven and twelve (1, 2, 11, and 12), in the township of Stow ; lots eight, nine and ten (8, 9 and 10), in the Township of North- ampton ; all of tract one and forty rods of the north part of tract five, in the Township of Tall- madge, and so much of the northeast corner of Portage Township as is embraced within the following boundary, to wit : Beginning at the northeast corner of said Portage Township, and running thence west on the north line of said Portage Township -- rods to the west line of George Saekett's farm of 160,61 io7 acres, thence due south to the Cuyahoga River ; thenee east- erly on the north bank of said river to the east line of said Portage Township ; thence on said east line to the place of beginning-be consti- tuted a township, and that the legal steps be taken to organize the same under and by the name of Cuyahoga Falls Township, Hosea Paul pledging himself that he would give notices required by law, and that the new township of Cuyahoga Falls would defray all the expenses incurred by the creation of said township."

The township thus set apart from the cor-

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ners of four others was erected by the County Commissoniers for the purpose of accomo- dating the citizens of the town of Cuyahoga Falls. As the boundaries defined by the Com- missioners were afterward adopted as the boundaries of the incorporated village, it fol- lows, of course, as already mentioned, that one is co-extensive with the other ; and the limits just given as those of the " township of Cuya- hoga Falls " are the limits also of the " incor- porated village of Cuyahoga Falls."

At the first election held in the Township of Cuyahoga Falls, on the 7th of April, 1851, the following persons were chosen officers for the year following: Trustees, Horace A. Miller, Henry Newberry, Jr., and Porter G. Somers ; Township Clerk, Grant B. Turner; Township Treasurer. Lucius Bradley ; Assessor, William H. Taylor ; Constables, William W. Lucas and William J. Wilson ; Supervisor, Seymour Dem- ing. Upon the qualification of these officers, and their assuming the duties of their respect- ive offices, the township of Cuyahoga Falls was legally organized.

The people of Cuyahoga Falls had before been dependent upon four townships for the administration of their affairs ; for, of course, each township exercised jurisdiction over that part lying within its limits. This was a great inconvenience, as the citizens of the village felt that they had a unity of interests. As it was, a concert of action necessary to their relation with each other was impossible. The organi- zation of the new township was therefore a re- lief in many ways, and gave a new start to the prospects of the town ; but its history is so merged into that of the village, that the two are inseparable.

A writer, in speaking of Tallmadge Town- ship, says :

"The water-power at the southwest and northwest corners of the Township concentrated population at these points till their numbers were so great that Middlebury and Cuyahoga Falls were made separate election districts, and, at length, the northwest corner was set off to the new township of Cuyahoga Falls.

" Of the aboriginal inhabitants, few, probably, had ever inhabited this part of the country even prior to the surrender of their title to the whites. There are, indeed, evidences that, at some remote period, this country was occupied by a people more numerous and of a higher

type of civilization ; but this is true of Indians, who occupied the country at the time of its settlement by the whites. This had been the border ground of different tribes, and was oth- erwise an unfavorable location for a large peo- ple, depending mainly upon hunting for a sub- sistence. Wild game, though seemingly abund- ant to the whites, was yet too limited for the wants of a larger population.

" Living partly by a rude cultivation of the soil and by fishing, as well as by hunting, the Indians preferred the open and fertile bottom land of rivers and lakes. There were, indeed, some small and scattered villages or encamp- ments of Indians in this vicinity. [The writer here speaks of Tallmadge Township, but the remark is equally true of Cuyahoga Falls.] A small number of Senecas lived near the june- tion of the main and Little Cuyahoga, at or near the place somewhat widely known in modern times as the Chuckery.

" An anecdote of Stigwanish, the chief of these Indians, has been related to me, which seems to furnish evidence of somewhat higher moral perceptions than has always been ascribed to untaught Indians. Stigwanish was friendly to the whites, and often visited the settlement at Hudson. It was at just about the time of the first settlement of Tallmadge that this chief was at the house of a Mr. Pease in Hudson, and. to persuade a son of Mr. Pease, a child of some four or five years of age, to come and sit upon his lap, he offered to give him his pipe-hatchet. The offer proved sufficient to overcome the re- pugnance of the child to the swarthy face of Indian. As the chief was about to leave, the return of the hatchet was proffered, but reso- lutely refused, Stigwanish saying. 'Musn't lie to children-no good.' This native chief had scarcely learned this precept from the whites. however frequently, in his intercourse with them, he might have had illustrations of its truth, and he who obeyed it could scarcely have been a savage. S. Pease, of Cuyahoga, was the recipient of the chief's hatchet.'

" A branch of an Indian trail," writes Gen. Bierce, in 1854, in speaking of Cuyahoga Falls Township, " from Fort McIntosh, on the Ohio [Beaver, Penn.,]. to Sandusky, passes through this township. On arriving near Fish Creek. in Franklin, Portage County, it branches-one branch of the trail passing north, through the Indian towns in Northampton and Bath ; the

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other turning south to the Great Falls, called by the Indians ' Coppacaw.' This was a cel- ebrated trail for the Indians in their war ex cursions, as well as with the 'Rangers' in their pursuit of them. It was on these two trails that Brady's men were divided, at the time of his defeat near the towns on the Cuyahoga, and on which a part made their retreat. Sev- eral years ago, a rifle barrel was found in the Big Spring, in this village, a remnant, proba- bly, of that hasty flight.

"The trail passes nearly in front of Mr. Newberry's house, and, near where the canal bridge now is, was a plateau of about twenty-five feet square raised about a foot, where probably had been a council house. In his garden, as well as on the rise of ground north of the Big Spring, are remains of Indian wigwams. But poor 'Logan, the friend of the white man,' with his braves, who so often traversed these grounds, has gone to the spirit-land, where it is to be hoped his fidelity will receive a better reward than it did on earth-if not, justice is unknown in earth or heaven."

The topography of Cuyahoga Falls presents but few interesting features except in the im- mediate vicinity of the river. Back from the stream, the surface is gently undulating. The falls are the most striking natural objects within the limits of the village. The river, for a distance of about two miles in this township and Portage, has a descent of two hundred and twenty feet. There are, in that distance, three falls of considerable height, but the de- scent for the whole way is so rapid that it forms a continuous water-power. The river has made for itself a deep channel, with pre- cipitous banks of great height, as already mentioned. These are clothed with evergreen and other trees, presenting very picturesque seenery. As will hereafter be shown, the effect of these natural embellishments in beautifying the landscape has been to cause it to become a favorite resort for parties of pleasure during the summer months. This scenery extends from north to south nearly through the whole length of the village. The town is underlaid by sand rock, in which is an abundant supply of pure water. The slope of the land is such as to render drainage an easy matter. This furnishes special reasons for the healthiness of the place.

Concerning the water-power of Summit

County, but particularly that of Cuyahoga Falls, a writer in 1837, in a published state- ment, says :

" The western part of the county of Portage [now Summit County] affords, indeed, a field full of interest, not only to the geologist, but also to the agricultorist, the merchant, the mechanic, and especially to the manufacturer, for here are to be found in rich profusion all the incentives to active industry and enlight- ened enterprise. Within the space of about fifteen miles north and south, and ten miles east and west, it contains an extent of water- power (so rarely to be found in abundance in the State) which is known to be equaled by any west of the mountains, and so distributed as to accommodate an abundant population and a great extent of country. This water- power is the result of the fall of the main Cuyahoga and the Little Cuyahoga Rivers from the high level of the country, about two hundred and fifty to three hundred feet to their junction, and the fall of their united streams thence to the north boundary of the county, being abont one hundred and seventy-feet. The whole power is equal to drive 346 run of mill-stones, each run being capable of grind- ing 200 bushels of wheat a day ; or, to 3,460 horse-power, each one being equivalent to raising 25,000 pounds one foot a minute." The writer divides the " runs " as follows: "At Franklin, 18; at Monroe Falls, 5; at Cuyahoga Falls (within town plat), 80 ; at the same place (within two miles of the center of the village), 114; Middlebury, 5; Akron (including acces- sion by canal, etc.), 19; at the same place (on Little Cuyahoga, within three miles north), 9; on the main Cuyahoga River, at Niles, Boston, and other places, 94 ; total. 346 run." There are now (1881) five dams across the Cuyahoga within the limits of the village, and all within a distance of about a quarter of a mile. The river is crossed by four bridges-the iron bridge, which is the upper one, and is located at the "old village;" the stone bridge ; the covered bridge, a wooden structure; and the high bridge, of iron. There is also a railroad bridge which crosses the stream at the " old village."

Coal of the best quality was discovered at an early day upon Mr. Newberry's land, and has been ever since mined with profit. The first coal carried to Cleveland was from these

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HISTORY OF SUMMIT COUNTY.

mines, and the speculation proved a bad one. " It was in the summer of 1828," says H. V. Bronson, the pioneer of canal coal-carriers of this region, " that I carried the first load of coal over the Ohio Canal from the Tuscarawas Valley. It came from the mine of Henry Newberry, near Cuyahoga Falls-I can't tell the exact location. It was brought from the mine by wagon to Lock 20, where it was loaded on the boat. There was about one hundred tons of it. We took it to Cleveland, and it required Newberry three years to get rid of it, and he never sold one-third of that even. People would come along and ask what it was, and when told that it was cannel coal would take a chunk away as a curiosity, but they couldn't be induced to burn it; they didn't understand it, and preferred wood."

" When the Ohio Canal was opened to Akron, in 1827," says Col. Whittlesey, "it was thought coal might be taken in wagons from the mines, about three miles, to the canal at Lock 16, north of Akron. Mr. Newberry tried the experiment, I think, in 1828, but the Canal Collector's returns do not show receipts of coal till 1829."

" Deacon E. Wright," continues the writer, " and his son, Francis H. Wright, about this time made an entry on the east side of the coal hill, about one-fourth of a mile south of Newberry's. In 1830 or 1831, Cyrus Menden- hall, formerly of Cleveland, now of Jefferson County, made explorations and borings on Coal Hill. He found and opened coal at the south end of this hill, but it was too thin to work profitably. Another opening was made at the end of the ridge by Mr. Woodruff soon after, and this was worked until 1838. From 1829 to 1837, Mr. Newberry, F. H. Wright and Messrs. Whittlesey & Newton mined coal for Cleveland, which was hauled to the canal at Lock 16."

It was customary in early times in Cuya- hoga Falls, as well as in other places, to make free use of whisky on most all occasions. For laborers it was thought to be almost as neces- sary as bread. Stow & Wetmore furnished a barrel a week to their workmen as their stated supply. They also kept it on their counter at the store for the use of all who chose to drink, and a few refused. But they were convinced that it was unnecessary and hurtful ; and, after mature deliberation, they resolved to

banish its use and sale from their establish- ment. In May, 1828, they put their resolution into practice by refusing to furnish it to their workmen. Upon this, the workmen withdrew in a body to consult upon the course they should pursue. They soon returned and de- manded their accustomed supply. Upon the repetition of the refusal, they left their work and demanded their pay. About one-third of the men came back on the new terms, but the rest held out, and it was two months before their places were filled by new men, and they could go on with their work. The firm adhered to their purpose, and never returned to the use or sale of it again. A temperance society was organized at the time, which is believed to have been the first in Ohio. It numbered at first but nine men ; afterward sixty-five per- sons in Stow Township became members. There were at this time four distilleries in the township, but in less than two years they had all closed.

" On the north bank of the Cuyahoga, below the village of Cuyahoga Falls," writes Gen. L. V. Bierce, in his " Historical Reminiscences of Summit County," " is a remarkable cavern. I discovered it in 1826, when the country around there was a wilderness. It is on the very brink of the chasm cut by the river ; and the small opening but just large enough to admit a per- son's body was on a level with the ground. A few leaves, or a rotten log, will easily conceal it. In company with Charles B. Thompson, Orville B. Skinner and Jabez Gilbert, formerly mail contractor from Pittsburgh to Cleveland, I entered it, and found it about ten feet high. It was divided into two rooms, with a small passage between, barely sufficient for a person to pass. There was no opening, except at the place where F entered, from which I was let down by my companions. It being totally dark in the cavern, I could make but few examina- tions ; and, fearing some chasm in the bottom, I did not let my curiosity tempt me far in my explorations."

The Portage County Mutual Fire Insurance Company was incorporated in 1831. It was organized at Ravenna in 1832, by the appoint- ment of William Coolman, Jr., Cyrus Prentiss, Frederick Wadsworth, Edwin Wetmore, Elias Smith, Charles Clapp and George T. Wallace, as Directors, and Samuel D. Harris as Secre- tary.

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CUYAHOGA FALLS TOWNSHIP.

No business was done by the company under this organization. In Angust, 1833, a new organization was effected, with Henry Newberry, Henry Wetmore, William Coolman, Jr., Edwin Wetmore, George T. Wallace, as Directors ; Henry Newberry as President; E. N. Sill, See- retary, and the company's office located at Cuya- hoga Falls. Its business commenced immedi- ately, and continued during the twenty-five years of its chartered existence, under the same management, excepting only that, upon the resignation of Henry Newberry in 1839, Justin Gale was appointed President ; and, upon his death in 1842, Frederick Wadsworth was ap- pointed, and served till the close of the com- pany's business. This company was the first mutual insurance company organized in the State, and one of the earliest in the country. Its operations extended over the entire State, and into the contiguous portions of the several adjoining States. The amount of its business and its benefits largely exceeded the anticipa- tions of its original projectors. Its insurance covered many millions, and it paid a proportion- ate amount of losses.

No effort was made to extend the period of its charter, it being the opinion of its long-time manager that a different plan of fire insurance was better adapted to the changed financial condition of the country.

Another old " institution " of the village was the " Cuyahoga Falls Band." This was organ- ized in 1834, and was the first of the kind in Northern Ohio. It was established upon tem- perance principles, no one joining it who did not pledge himself to refrain from the use of intoxicating liquors. Its leader was Henry W. Bill. It was composed of about a dozen mem- bers. In 1835, they went to Cleveland to cele- brate the Fourth of July. The Cleveland com- mittee sent a packet boat to Old Portage to convey them to the city. They also played at the celebration of the opening of the Ohio and Erie Canal. They made an excursion to Mas- sillon, where they gave a concert to the edifica- tion of that infant town, besides participating in other patriotic and festive scenes. The mem- bers were E. N. Sill, C. W. Wetmore, T. R. Butler, C. Bronson, C. Wilcox, L. Wilcox, J. H. Brainard, Mr. Sperry, R. Upson, H. Y. Beebe, C. Thornburgh, Israel James.

In 1837, a description of Cuyahoga Falls was published as follows :

Cuyahoga Falls is situated in the geographical and business center of an interesting section of country. It has an unrivaled water-power. This water-power is all available. The descent of about two hundred and forty feet in the Cuyahoga River is by a long slope, the commencement and termina- tion of which is but about two miles apart, and which admits of the easy use of the whole fall, and in such portions as may be desirable. The sides and bottom of the river are rock, and the banks furnish an abundance of the finest stone for all con- structions which may be desired.

Coal is found in the hill forming the slope on the eastern bank of the river and is supposed to be within a short distance of the (Ohio & Pennsylva- nia) canal; but no mines have yet been opened less than about a mile from the village. Its quality is not surpassed by that of any in the State, and the quantity is in exhaustible.

Within the village three dams are now erected, giving a fall at each of fifteen, ten and twenty feet, and another of twenty feet is about to be erected. One is above Portage street; one below Broad street; and one at the foot of Reed street. One of twenty feet fall has been commenced near the foot of Tay- lor street, and one of the same fall is about to be erected at the foot of Prospect street.

The population of the village is now (1837) about 1,250. Three and a half years since, it was but 375. The whole number of deaths within its bounds during the last six years has been as follows: Adults-scarlet fever, one; chronic inflammation, two; old age, one; epilepsy, one; consumption, one; drowned, one; total, seven. Children over two years-fever, one; killed by a fall, one; drowned, one; measles one; total, four. Under two years of all diseases, eight, Making a grand total of only nineteen deaths in six years!

In each of the last two years (1836 and 1837), there have been erected about one hundred houses. The last season there would have been nearly double that number built, had it not been for the derange- ment in the currency of the country. The gross receipts of the post office will probably exceed $1,000 for the year (1837). This will indicate in some measure the amount of business done here.

The town (of Cuyahoga Falls) is built on both sides of the (Cuyahoga) river. The land ascends gradually from each bank about a half a mile, af- fording fine situations for residences, combined with facility of access to the water-power and canal, around which the business, of course, centers. Water of the purest quality is easily found any- where in the sandstone rock which underlies the town at various depths. The soil is well adapted for building upon, for roads and for gardens. There are no stagnant waters in the vicinity, the rapid de- scent of the river causing a gentle draught of air from the high grounds during the stillest nights, which prevents the accumulation of those damp exhala- tions which are usually found in the vicinity of streams; and the inhabitants enjoy a degree of health rarely to be found in any country. The character of the inhabitants may be in some meas- ure estimated by the fact that it is not known that

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ardent spirits are sold at any place in the village (that is, in 1837, not 1881).

There is, in the village, a handsome Episcopal church building; a Congregational meeting house; and preparations are made for a Methodist meeting house. There are common schools, a lyceum (en- dowed with at least $3,000), a female seminary, and preparations are making for a high school. The scenery in and around the village is uncommonly fine; as you approach it, you acknowledge the justness of the designation which has been given it as the "Village of White Houses." The view of the falls is said hardly to be surpassed in beauty by any in the country.

The amount of manufactures and sales of goods within the last year (1836), have been carefully esti- mated, and amount to $407,000; and the sales of real estate have been to the amount of probably $200,- 000. The machinery propelled by water-power is as follows: Two large paper-mills, one flouring-mill, two saw-mills, one oil-mill, one pump-making estab- lishment, one tilt-hammer, ax and scythe factory, one woolen-mill, one stone saw-mill, one chair fac- tory, one planing-mill, one furnace and foundry, one engine and machine shop, and other smaller works. There are two drug and medicine shops, one printing office, one book-bindery, one book store, three shoe- shops, four blacksmith-shops, one milliner's-shop, two groceries, one hat and fur store, one pump-shop, one clothing store, eight dry goods, etc., stores, four tailor-shops, two tin factories, one plow factory, two cabinet-shops.

After the revulsion in money matters in 1837, there was great embarrassment for want of a currency, which led to the adoption of a plan for issuing notes in the similitude of bank notes, upon the basis of real estate for security. But it was soon abandoned as a failure, caus- ing loss to some, but without very serious inju- ry to many persons. Some of these notes are preserved by a few persons as curiosities and mementoes of the past. They are signed by Moses Thompson, President ; Ogden Wetmore, Cashier. Upon their face are printed these words : "Real estate pledged by deed of trust to double the excess of issne beyond the capi- tal paid in and stockholders liable." The "in- stitution" was known as the Cuyahoga Falls Association. The nearest banks at this time to Cuyahoga Falls, were at Cleveland, Painesville, Warren, Canton, Massillon and Wooster.

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History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio, Part 85

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