USA > Ohio > Mahoning County > History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Vol. II > Part 20
USA > Ohio > Trumbull County > History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Vol. II > Part 20
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District Number Two .- John Smith, Henry Powell, William Bishop, Ephraim Horner, Elisha Fogg, Adna B. Silver, Joseph Huntley, Enoch Sharpe, Isaac Sharpe, Hoffman Brown, James Ramsey, Jacob Strong, John Shatto(?), David Par- shall, Henry Houck, Joseph Davis, John Thomas, Samuel Leonard, John Leonard, Joseph Leon- ard, Jacob Starling, Isaac Phipps, Andrew Hull, Joseph Poll (?), Peter Helsel, Joseph H. Coult.
District Number Three .- George Ripple, Eli Rush, John Craig, James Packard, John Carter, John Stump (?), William Parker, Eleanor Pack- ard, George Boom (Baum ?), Jacob Welty, Wil- liam Leonard, George Foster, Abraham Craft, John Foster, Salmon Hall, John Best, Henry Rummell, John Rummell.
District Number Four .- Daniel Myer, John Rummell, John Phillips, Jonathan King, John Cline, Peter Glass, Adam Schilling, David Mis- ner, Samuel Misner, Samuel Phillips, Phillip Wise (?), Jacob Stump, Henry Fulk, Matthias Swartz, Benjamin Misner, George Hartzell, Abraham Hawn, William Glass, Christian Kauff- man, Samuel Kauffman, David Mauen (?), Wil- liam Mell, Jacob Eib, Matthias Glass, Adam Zedaker, Daniel Greenamyer, Peter Musser, Moses Ross, Jacob Greenamyer, James Winans, James Byers, William Stull (?), Emmanuel Hull.
This is doubtless a complete list of the prop-
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erty holders and tax payers of the township for the year 1829.
JUSTICES.
The first justice of the peace was Peter Mus- ser, appointed in 1828. His immediate succes- sors were Joseph H. Coult, William Hartzell, James B. Boyd (resigned), and D. A. Fitch.
SETTLEMENT.
Garrett Packard, the first white settler of Ber- lin, came from the vicinity of Winchester, Vir- ginia, to Austintown in 1803. Two years later he moved to Deerfield, where he resided until March, 1809, at which date he settled on a farm on Mill creek, in the southwestern part of Berlin township, having previously purchased the land of General Perkins. He had sold his place in Deerfield and was contemplating a move to this purchase when he was taken sick, and for some time was unable to do any work. His Deerfield neighbors generally combined their efforts and erected a log cabin upon his land,-rude and primitive to be sure, but it served to shelter the family. The structure was of rough logs, three sides, the fourth side serving as a door, over which blankets were hung in cold weather. The spaces between the logs were filled with moss. Like many pioneer dwellings, this had no floor except the earth.
Soon after the arrival of the family in the township, Mrs. Packard gave birth to a son, who is now a well-known citizen of Champion town- ship, Trumbull county,-Thomas Packard, born March 27, 1809, the first white child born in Berlin. Garrett Packard's was the only family in the township for several years. At the time of the War of 1812 he was the only man resid- ing in what is now Berlin. He was drafted and was in the service three months. He died No- vember 20, 1820, aged about forty-five, his death being the first that occurred in the township. · Mrs. Packard, whose maiden name was Eleanor Hendrickson, survived until May 13, 1830, and died in Austintown while visiting the home of her son-in-law, John McCollum. She was fifty-four years of age. Below we briefly mention each of the ten children of the family : Betsy became the wife of George Baum, and resided in Berlin township. They had seven children, six of whom arrived at maturity. Five are still living, three sons and two daughters. Mrs. Baum died in Atwater, Portage county, in 1877. Polly be-
came the first wife of John McCollum, and died in Milton in 1867. She was the mother of six children, three sons and three daughters. Two sons and two daughters are still living. James H. was killed in 1829 when about twenty five years old by the fall of a pile of boards which he was drying by means of a fire. It was a rainy day, and he probably lay down by the fire and fell asleep. The board kiln being loosely built, fell over upon him, and when his friends came to look for him they found only his bruised and mangled body beneath the pile of lumber. Jane became the wife of Daniel Parshall, and resided in Milton township. She died in 1843. Her family consisted of two sons and three daughters, all of whom are living, excepting one son. Esther married Jesse Rose, son of David Rose, resided in Jackson and afterwards in Champion. She is now a widow and lives in Washington county, Iowa. She has no children. Charlotte was the second wife of Joseph H. Coult. She had one son and one daughter. The son is living. Mrs. Coult died in Ellsworth in 1854. Thomas resides in Champion. Asby went West when a young man, and is now a resident of Johnson county, Iowa. He is the father of two sons and five daughters. One son and four daughters are living. John W. resides in Columbus, Ohio. His family of three sons and three daughters are all living excepting one son. Garrett resides in Johnson county, Iowa. He has two sons and three daughters living.
Jacob Weldy was the second settler. He came with his family from east of the mountains, but at what date we are unable to learn. He located in the northwestern corner of the town- ship. His son Jacob lived upon the old place after him. Samuel also lived and died in Berlin. The family was a large one.
George Baum was the next comer. His father emigrated from Germany and settled in Salem. George came to Berlin when a young man. About 1815 he married Betsey Packard. This was the first marriage that occurred among the residents of " Hart and Mather's." They went to Ellsworth and the ceremony was performed by 'Squire William Ripley. Baum settled in the southwestern part of the township on the next tarm east of Weldy. None of his children reside in the township.
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TRUMBULL AND MAHONING COUNTIES, OHIO.
Abraham Hawn came to the township about 1820, and located two miles north and a little east of the center. He brought up a family of six children. Two of the sons, Peter and Mat- thias, died in Berlin; Jacob lives in Akron; Michael D., in Berlin. His daughters were: Christina, who became the wife of Joseph Cline, and died in this township, and Mrs. Susanna Smith, Deerfield.
Joseph H. Coult was the first settler at the center. His family was the fourth or fifth that came to the township. Coult acted as land agent for Amos Sill, the proprietor of the greater part of the township, and sold the land to the settlers. He came about 1823. He made the first clearing at the center and built the first frame house in the township. In 1842 he sold his place to Thomas Hawkins, who still resides upon it. Mr. Coult moved to Ellsworth and thence to Atwater.
Matthias Glass settled in the northwest of the township about 1822. His sons were John, Wil- liam, Matthias, Peter, Jacob, Solomon. There were also several daughters.
Reuben Gee, Joseph Davis and David Parshall bought land and settled in the township about 1824. Gee remained but a short time. Joseph Davis is remembered by some of the old settlers as a very religious man, and an earnest friend of the church and preachers. His son James re- sided in the township for a while. David Par- shall settled about one mile west of the center on the south side of the road. He sold out and moved.
From 1824 to 1830 the settlers came in rap- idly, but of the families who came during that time comparatively few are represented in the township. The early as well as the later set- tlers were chiefly Pennsylvanians, quiet, unobtru- sive, but progressive people. Their characteris- tic thrift has borne its fruit, and Berlin, the youngest of the Mahoning county townships, will compare very favorably with some sections where improvements were begun much earlier. We have space to mention a few early comers.
Jonathan King was born in Pennsylvania in 1804. In 1823 he came to Springfield town- ship, this county, where he worked for some time. In 1825 he married Lydia Keck, and in 1826 settled in Berlin township. They had ten children. Seven arrived at maturity, and five
are still living. Mr. King first settled two miles north of the centre and a little east, and there made the first improvements on the farm where his son Joseph now lives. Mr. King has probably been a resident of Berlin longer than any other man now living in the township.
John Cline, a native of Pennsylvania, settled in Boardman township quite early; thence moved to Canfield, and in 1828 settled in the northern part of Berlin. He was the father of seven sons and four daughters. Three sons and one daughter are still living, viz: Jonathan, George, and Conrad, and Mrs. Sarah Hawn, the oldest of the family. All are residents of this township.
George Ripple was an early settler west of the center.
Salmon Hall settled on the west side of the Mahoning.
The Misner family settled in the northern part of the township.
Henry Houck located on the road west of the center.
David and Tobias Hartzell were early settlers.
William Kirkpatrick settled east of the center on the farm now occupied by Jonathan King. He kept tavern at the center a few years. His name was changed to Kirk on his petitioning the Legislature. His sons, William, James, and Isaac were residents of Berlin for a time. James died here.
Emanuel Hull, an early settler in the north- east of the township, lived and died on the farm now owned by his son George, and his daughter Mary. Michael, his son, also resides in the northeastern part of the township.
John Kimmel settled on the east line of Berlin township in 1828. He brought up five sons and four daughters. Four sons and two daughters are yet living. Daniel, one of the sons, lives on a part of the old homestead.
George Best came to Berlin township in 1830 and settled northwest of the center, where he now resides. He has brought up a family of eight children, six of whom are living.
Horace Rowland has been a resident of the township since 1831. He began in the woods in the southeast of Berlin. Later he moved east of the center and bought the farm on which Michael Crumrine had made the first improve- ment.
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Zimri Engle has resided in Berlin since 1832.
In 1833 John Burkey came from Petersburg and settled in the northeast of the township. He brought up a family of eleven children, nine of whom are living, five sons and four daughters, Peter, Solomon, and Sophia (Hull) being resi- dents of this township.
John Carson came to Berlin in 1832, and in 1834 settled on the farm he now occupies, in the northwestern corner of the township. Adam Zedaker had been living on the place and had made some improvements before Mr. Carson purchased it.
Lawrence Shively came to the northwestern part of Berlin in 1833. His family of ten chil- dren are all living. Mr. Shively moved to Milton in 1848, and resided there several years. He is now living in Berlin.
About the year 1800, Peter Hoyle came from Virginia and settled in Ellsworth township, where he lived until 1836. At that date he settled in the eastern part of Berlin. He brought up five sons and two daughters. All are now living excepting one daughter. George and Peter are residents of this township.
BERLIN
was the name given the township at the instance of Matthias Glass. He, being a German, desired to have his adopted home bear a name which would remind him of the Fatherland. Previous to the organization, the township was known to the early settlers for miles around as Hart and Mather's, from the names of two men who were originally proprietors of a tract within it. General Perkins owned a thousand acres or more in the southwest corner, and it was of him that Packard and other early comers purchased their land. About two-thirds of the township was owned by Amos Sill, and sold by his agent, Joseph H. Coult, who was the first settler at the center.
TURKEY BROTH CREEK
was so named by Garrett Packard. His journey with his family from Austintown to the place where he settled in Deerfield, a distance of nine- teen miles, occupied three days. The first night he stayed at the house of Philip Borts, in Ells- worth; the second night encamped beside the creek, and while there shot a wild turkey and made broth, using water from the stream, which
has since borne the name he bestowed upon it. The third day Packard arrived in Deerfield.
HARD TIMES.
A majority of the settlers of Berlin came after surrounding townships were considerably settled, and thus had some advantages over the first pioneers upon the Reserve. Stores had been es- tablished and mills were in operation, and neigh- boring settlements were beginning to assume some of the habiliments of civilization. Yet pioneer life everywhere is attended with priva- tions and hardships ; and these the early resi- dents of Berlin did not escape. In the matter of game, however, they were especially fortu- nate. " Hart and Mather's" was long a favor- ite hunting-ground for sportsmen from miles around. The number of deer that have been slaughtered within the limits of the township, if it could be ascertained, would no doubt cause open-eyed astonishment among the youth of to- day.
But notwithstanding the fact that there was enough meat running about in the forest, the people subsisted largely upon corn bread. In the busy season the farmer could not leave his field to go hunting.
Thomas Packard, in a conversation which the writer had with him, while speaking of his boy- hood in Berlin and the difference between now and then, incidentally made allusion to a " hom- iny block," which formed a part of the household furniture of his father. On being asked an ex- planation of those mysterious words, Mr. Pack- ard said :
You know there were few mills in this part of the country in those days, and the few small affairs that had been erected were frequently rendered useless in a dry season. Such sea- sons-and likewise at times when people were so much oc- cupied with planting or sowing that there was no oppor- tunity for going to mill-the hominy block was in requisition. I remember ours perfectly well. It was a large, solid block of wood, in the end of which a hollow had been cut and smoothly shaved. This cavity would hold nearly half a bushel. By means of this hollow block and a large and heavy stick, smooth and round, corn and wheat were con- verted by pounding into substitutes for meal and flour. This hominy was usually cooked by boiling; it was healthy food, and tasted well, too.
A NARROW ESCAPE.
In early days Indians were probably as numer- ous along the Mahoning as in any part of this region, and here, too, they continued to remain some years after the white man appeared and made his home in the forest.
Jonathan Pingo
Mas Lydia Kings
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TRUMBULL AND MAHONING COUNTIES, OHIO.
While Garrett Packard was living in Deerfield, both he and his wife were at work in the field one day, when Mr. Packard chanced to get a splinter in his finger. His wife came to his assist- ance, stood by his side, and picked it out with a pin. Soon afterwards an Indian emerged from the woods close at hand bearing a gun. Said he, "While you were standing near together, I was there by yonder tree. I could have shot you both, and laid one on the ground there, and the other there," indicating the place by his finger. "But then me think, white man never harm me; why me kill him? So me no shoot." Both thanked the Indian heartily for his thoughtful consideration and self-restraint-for so good a mark seemed to have much impressed the savage. He was invited to the cabin to dinner, and from that day forward remained a warm and earnest friend of the family.
MILLS.
About the year 1825 Matthias Glass built a saw-mill and grist-mill on the Mahoning, a short distance above Frederick. The first grist-mill was destroyed by fire. Isaac Wilson purchased the mill-site of Glass and put up the flouring- mill which is still standing. His sons, J. B. and J. S. Wilson, ran it for some years. It was then purchased by its present owner, George Schilling. This is the only grist-mill ever built in Berlin township.
In 1826 David Shoemaker built a saw-mill on Mill creek, in the southwestern part of the town ship. It was sold to Jacob Sheets, who run it several years.
About the same date Joseph H. Coult put up a saw-mill on Turkey Broth a short distance north of the center. Coult sold it to Jonathan King, King to Henry Morningstar, and Morning- star to Joseph Cline.
TANNERY.
A man named Mckean carried on tanning and shoemaking at the center, some forty-five years ago. His tannery was on the Turkey Broth, west of the center.
MERCHANTS.
The first store-keeper in Berlin was Joseph Edwards, who commenced business in 1833 on the southeast corner at the center, where Dr. Hughes now lives. He lived in a small log house and kept his goods in a small frame build-
ing. Garrison & Hoover were the next mer- chants, followed by Daniel A. Fitch. David McCauley came next and moved the store to the northeast corner, where it now stands. John Ward, Warren & Webber, R. H. King, Hughes Brothers, A. G. Ramsdell, and B. T. Stanley have since occupied the store. For a time there were two stores at the center. Richards & Cot- ton kept one in the building now occupied by J. M. Brown. It then stood on the southwest cor- ner lot. William Porter had goods there after Richards & Cotton, and employed a man named Linton to sell them.
In addition to these stores William Kırk kept goods for sale in his tavern. Joel Booth also had a store opposite the blacksmith shop some thirty years ago. Kirk's place of business was the old unoccupied building now standing west of the town-house.
TAVERNS.
Probably Peter Musser, in the northern part of the township, kept the first tavern. William Kirk kept several years in a building now stand- ing just east of the town-house. George Taylor kept public house a number of years where R. H. King now lives.
WILSON'S STORE.
Isaac Wilson put up a store at Belvidere in 1839, soon after he bought the mill privilege there. His sons sold goods there for some years. Jacob WV. Glass purchased the store from them. Morgan Reed, Langstaff, and others have car- red on merchandising there in later years. For some time the building has not been used as a store.
PHYSICIANS.
Dr. James W. Hughes was the first regular physician in the township. He settled in Berlin in 1834, and practiced successfully until his death in 1869. His son, Dr. W. K. Hughes, succeeded to his practice and continues to be the physician of the township. Other doctors have located at the center, but they have mainly been residents only a short time.
POST-OFFICES.
The first post-office in Berlin township was established about 1828, Peter Musser post- master. Amity was the name of the post-office. Musser kept tavern on the old stage road in the northern part of the township, very near the line.
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TRUMBULL, AND MAHONING COUNTIES, OHIO.
He soon moved and the office was discontinued. Frederick post-office, of which mention is made in the history of Milton township, is now kept in Berlin. The Berlin post-office (at the center) was established in 1833. The mail was then received but once a week. Joseph Edwards was the first postmaster, succeeded by Daniel A. Fitch, David Routsawn, Thomas L. Dutton, Cyrus O. Warren, R. H. King, Lizzie Hughes, A. G. Ramsdell, and B. T. Stanley. Daily mails.
EARLY SCHOOLS.
In another portion of this chapter will be found a list of the inhabitants of the original school districts of the township, interesting not only in connection with the school history, but valuable as showing who were the heads of fami- lies in the township at the time this record was made.
But schools had been maintained previous to the organization of the township. A little log school-house was erected on the banks of the Turkey Broth, near the center, at a date which was probably not far from 1824. Sarah Gee was one of the first teachers.
Martha McKelvey and afterwards Eliza Mc- Kelvey taught school in a deserted log-cabin in the southwestern part of the township at an early date. In the northern part of the township a school-house was built quite early. English and German were taught alternate weeks or alternate terms. Alexander Hall was one of the first teachers in this school.
THE FIRST WEDDING
at Berlin center took place at the house of Joseph H. Coult, now the residence of Thomas Haw- kins, on a cold and wintry night in December. The parties wedded were William Ripley and Miss Allen. The guests were the nearest neigh- bors, some from Benton and some from Ells- worth. As there was no wagon road between Ellsworth and Benton, the visitors from the latter place came on horseback, carrying torches in their hands for the purpose of keeping wolves at bay. The next morning it was noticed that the wolves had followed the party some distance and left tracks all around the house and even on the doorsteps.
AN INCIDENT OF SLAVERY DAYS .*
Marius R. Robinson, a Presbyterian minister
residing in Salem, Ohio, came to Berlin in June, 1837, having been invited to deliver a lecture on the slavery question. He was one of the early Abolitionists, and was about thirty-one years of age at the time of his visit to Berlin. Here he became the guest of Jesse Garretson, a Quaker merchant. It being impossible to secure any public building for a lecture he spoke in Mr. Garretson's dwelling on Friday, June 2d.
Another meeting was announced for the fol- lowing Sunday, when the lecturer proposed to vindicate the Bible from the charge of supporting slavery. The South at that time largely con- trolled public opinion in the North and forbade the agitation of the slavery question, therefore the announcement of an "abolition" lecture threw the village into a state of fierce excitement.
About ten o'clock Saturday evening Mr. Rob- inson was sitting in the store with Mr. and Mrs. Garretson, when several men rushed in and seized him, saying, "You have got to leave this town to-night ; you have disturbed the peace of our citizens long enough." A struggle ensued, Mr. Garretson and his wife making desperate ef- forts to protect him, but they were overpowered; the lecturer was taken out, stripped of his cloth- ing and covered with tar and feathers. While some of the men were holding him, waiting for others to bring the tar and feathers, Mr. Robin- son made several attempts to talk, but was pre- vented by being struck at each effort. He was bleeding freely from a cut or wound in the arm, near his left shoulder. After the tar and feathers had been applied, his clothes were put on again and he was carried in a wagon a distance of about eleven miles to a point about one mile south of Canfield, and there left in the road. Although a stranger in that locality he found his way to the house of Mr. Wetmore, where he was kindly cared for.
Twelve of the men who committed the outrage were arrested and had a preliminary trial before a justice of the peace at Ellsworth; but while Mr. Robinson's attorneys, Milton Sutliff and Robert Taylor, of Warren, and Joshua R. Gid- dings, of Ashtabula, were preparing the case for the court of common pleas, a compromise was effected, each of the parties charged paying Mr. Robinson the sum of $40.
The effect of this affair was wide spread. Salem became known throughout the whole
*Contributed by F. P. Thorn, Ellsworth.
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TRUMBULL AND MAHONING COUNTIES, OHIO.
country as a "hot-bed of abolitionism;" and it was this incident and Mr. Robinson's subsequent work that made it so, or contributed largely toward that result. Mr. Robinson was an able man and devoted the remaining years of his life to fighting slavery as a lecturer and as editor of the Anti-slavery Bugle, until the institution was swept out of existence by the war.
CHURCH HISTORY.
The history of the churches of Berlin is not a record of brilliant successes. Probably the township contains, in proportion to its popula- tion, an average number of devout people ; but the mistake has been made of trying to support too many churches, and consequently we have several failures to chronicle.
THE GERMAN CHURCH.
The Germans held meetings at the house of Abraham Hawn for several years. In 1828 those belonging to the Lutheran and German Reformed denominations erected a small house for public worship, north of the center about two miles. The building served both as a church and a school-house. It was built of hewn logs, and was perhaps 22×28 feet. They next erected a frame building in 1836, with gallery, lofty pulpit, etc .- in short, an old-fashioned Dutch church. This house continuedto be used until 1872, when the church now standing was erected.
Prominent among the early Lutherans were Abraham Hawn, Jonathan King, John Eckis, John Eckis, jr., John March and Henry Houck.
Among those who were members of the Re- formed church we mention Henry Rummel, Jacob Greenamyer, Peter Kimmel, and Daniel Kump.
The Lutherans and the Reformed have always occupied the church in common. For some years all of the preaching was in German. In 1842 occurred a great revival. The membership of the Reformed church has been growing grad- ually less until they no longer support a pastor, and the meetings are now conducted wholly by the Lutherans. The first preacher of the Lu- therans was Rev. Henry Hewett, who supplied the pulpit many years. Revs. John C. Ellinger, Samuel Seachrist, J. W. Sloan, William B. Roller, George Moore, Peter Smith, and I. J. Miller have been his successors. The pastors of the Reformed congregation have been Rev. J. P.
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