USA > Ohio > Mahoning County > History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Vol. II > Part 37
USA > Ohio > Trumbull County > History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Vol. II > Part 37
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With so many fierce wild animals in the forest one would almost think it strange that men were not oftener attacked by them; but the reason for the comparative good behavior of the bears and wolves is to be found in the abundance of wild game which then inhabited the woods. Wild turkeys, partridges, and other of the feathered tribe, as well as rabbits and other small animals were frequently captured by their stealthy ene- mies; and only a desire to regale their palate with a taste of pork or mutton enticed the beasts of prey from their haunts toward the settler's clear- ing. They came to know that the white man's rifle was a deadly weapon, and doubtless he was more feared on this account ; for whether beasts reason or not, it is certain that they observe and remember.
Next to wolves and bears the settlers were annoyed by a wild hog-once domesticated but now a savage-which made sad havoc in the corn-fields along the creek bottom. He had long been at large, and the amount of mischief he caused assumed such magnitude that it was determined that he ought to be exterminated. To effect this a grand hunt was undertaken by men and boys with dogs. The hog was routed without difficulty, and then began an exciting chase. At length he was run into a swamp, and then ensued a desperate encounter with the dogs, in which he succeeded in killing three or four of them. At last he was captured, and, after the tusks had been knocked out, allowed to escape. A few days thereafter it appears that he was attacked by a bear, and from the appearance of the ground upon which they had fought, the conflict must have been a terrible one. Both were victors ; hog and bear were found dead a short distance
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from each other on the scene of conflict. Bear- ishness and hoggishness, obstinacy and fortitude had met ; the result satisfied man, their enemy.
Hogs and cattle were allowed the freedom of the woods. One night in the spring of 1812 as John Ratliff was driving his hogs into the pen he discovered that one was missing. Suspecting that it had gone to satisfy the hunger of a bear he sent for his neighbor, Noah Bowen, quite a noted bear hunter, and the next morning Bowen. Ratliff, and his son John started into the woods, following the tracks made by the hogs, to dis- cover and punish the cause of the mischief. Bowen's best dog soon got on track of the bear and began to bark. "The dog is pretty near him," said Bowen, as the barking increased. The three hastened after the dog, and having followed about a mile discovered the bear high up in a tree, sixty or sixty-five feet from the the ground, resting upon a limb. Bowen brought his rifle to bear, putting a bullet through the animal's eye. From his lofty perch the bear fell tumbling to the earth, dead. He was a huge, heavy fellow, over three hundred and fifty pounds in weight.
AN EPIDEMIC.
Doubtless the pioneers of Howland thought that they had enough disadvantages to contend with, even when in the full enjoyment of health and strength. But in the winter of 1811 12 many were attacked by a raging epidemic fever. Among those who fell victims to this scourge and died were Mrs. William Anderson, Mrs. John Cherry, and three sons of the Norris family.
Much suffering and anxious watching was endured in many a household, even where the disease did not result fatally.
ACCIDENTS.
At the raising of a log barn on the Perkins farm, in 1811, for a man named Bentley, Law- yer Webb, of Warren, was the victim of a severe and most painful accident. He was a young man and had just come to Warren from the East, and in company with others attended the raising to see the fun. The walls of the barn were up and material was being raised for the roof by means of long poles or "skids," upon which the timbers were slid upward ; each end of the log being in a forked stick was raised
simultaneously by the builders. The skids had been peeled in order to facilitate the work of getting the weight-poles to the top. A log which was being raised thus suddenly slipped out of the fork, which held one end and came down rapidly. Webb was beneath and saw it falling. He ran backward to get out of the danger, but fell over a log lying upon the ground and the descending weight struck one of his legs, break- ing it in a frightful manner, so that the bone pro- truded from the flesh. Dr. Seely was summoned, and found it necessary to amputate the limb above the knee.
Another accident, which came near being a fatal one, occurred about 1835. One Sunday in that year Archibald Reeves went into the woods hunting. In the course of his rambles he discovered a spot where, evidently, a bear had been at work, tearing a rotten log and scratching the earth. While examining these traces he heard a sudden noise like the cracking of a twig or the shell of a nut, and, peering through the bushes discovered a small patch of long black hair, moving about slightly among the twigs. Supposing of course that the hairy object was a part of the body of a bear, he took aim and dis- charged his rifle. The dimly outlined form fell, and much to Reeves' surprise, cries of a human being in distress reached his ears. He hastened to the spot, and discovered that, instead of a bear, he had shot his neighbor, John Rutledge, who, unbeknown to Reeves, was likewise engaged in a Sunday bear-hunt. Rutledge was helpless, and to all appearance mortally wounded. Aid was summoned and he was borne to the nearest house. Dr. John B. Harmon, of Warren, was sent for to attend to the sufferer. When he arrived, he ordered Rutledge's frock and shirt to be removed, and this being done, the bullet dropped out of the clothing upon the floor. It was found upon examination that the ball had struck the shoulder-blade, then glancing had passed around to the front of the body and passed out through the flesh of the upper arm. Dr. Harmon said that if the bullet had struck a very little lower a fatal wound must have been the consequence. He dressed the shoulder and, in due time, the wounded man recovered.
MILLS.
The first mill, a rude affair, of very limited capacity, was built about 1815, by Septimus
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Cadwalader, on a small branch of Mosquito creek in the northern part of the township. No one would now judge that the water-power was ever sufficient to run a mill. The mill was of logs, small, and provided with but one run of stones. Though it could do but little work and that little very imperfectly, yet this mill was a great convenience to the settlers for some ten or fifteen years, until the establishment of other and better mills in this vicinity caused it to be deserted by customers.
The first saw-mill was built in 1814 by Samuel Kennedy, and was located on the same stream. It was remodeled several times, and is now owned by James Kennedy. It has not done any work for several years.
STONE QUARRIES.
West of Mosquito creek in the northwest of the township, and underlying the surface is an extensive bed of flag-stone of the best quality. This stone bed runs nearly the whole length of the township, from north to south, beginning with the Austin quarry and extending through the Ewalt and Davis quarries south of it. This stone is most valuable, being among the best to be found anywhere in the country. The strong- est acid will not affect it, and its hardness is so great that it wears but slowly. The rock is found at depths ranging from eight to twelve feet below the surface in the Austin quarry, but in other portions of the bed it comes much nearer the top of the ground. Generally there are three layers of the stone with shale rock 'or soap-stone between. The hardest of the stone lies deepest. After being exposed to the atmosphere the rock hardens very rapidly.
Warren is especially fortunate in having this valuable natural deposit of flagstone so near. The sidewalks of this beautiful little city are mostly laid with this material. The stone splits or shales into thicknesses of three to five inches, and can readily be broken into pieces of such length and width as are desired. Its surface is usually quite smooth.
Of the quarries operated that of Messrs. Aus- tin & Co. is the most extensive, and affords em- ployment to several men throughout the year. The stone from this quarry is much used in this part of the State, and makes sidewalks of unsur- passed excellence and durability. Besides the large flagstones material is here found for paving,
gutter, and cross-walk stones. The supply is great, and it will take many years to exhaust it.
The Howland springs are located on a tract of land originally owned by John Hank, a set- tler who came from Pennsylvania in 1802. He bought the ground, made some improvements, and afterwards sold to Dr. John W. Seely. The property has since changed owners several times, and is now owned by Shedd Brothers, of Youngs- town, who have improved and beautified the grounds, making the place quite a noted sum- mer resort. Good buildings and accommoda- tions for pleasure-seekers attract many visitors each summer. The water of the springs is be- lieved to possess medicinal and health-giving properties.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES,
JOHN RATLIFF.
Among the surviving pioneers of Trumbull county few are more deserving a place in this history than Judge Ratliff. He was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, December 17, 1799. His grandparents came to this coun- try from England, but at what date is not known. His father was John Ratliff, and his mother Mary Vandyke, both of whom were natives of Dela- ware, where they lived until about the year 1798. They moved to Westmoreland county and thence to Beaver county in 1801, near the Pennsylvania and Ohio State line. On the rst day of April, 1811, his parents removed to Trumbull county, Ohio, arriving at their destination in the north- west part of Howland township on the 3d day of the same month. There the subject of this sketch grew to manhood, surrounded by all the difficulties attending a pioneer settlement. In 1818 he married Elizabeth Wilson, daughter of Robert and Elizabeth (Hyde) Wilson, who were natives of Ireland but came to this country when quite young. In April, 1821, he was elected township clerk of Howland and served in that capacity for a period of eighteen years. About the year 1823 there was a regiment of volunteer riflemen organized in Trumbull county. The township of Howland raised a company of about eighty men, who were uniformed and equipped with good rifles. At the first election of officers
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Richard L. Seeley was chosen captain but was afterwards promoted and Judge Ratliff was elected captain, serving seven or eight years, shortly after which the regiment was disbanded. About the year 1839 he was elected justice of the peace and served in that capacity six years, when, in 1845, he was elected one of the asso- ciated judges of the common pleas court of Trumbull county, which office he filled with ability until the change in the State constitution in 1851. His associates on the bench were Ed- ward Spear, of Warren, and Asa Haines, of Ver- non, the presiding judge being Hon. Benjamin F. Wade.
September 1, 1844, Judge Ratliff became a member of the Disciples church of Warren, and in the following year was elected by the congre- gation one of the overseers of the church and officiated in that capacity till about 1870, when he was released from the duties of the office on account of his age. May 3, 1855, the Disciples church in Warren became an organized body under the laws of Ohio for the incorporation of churches and he was elected one of the trustees and still holds such office.
He is the father of seven children. Two died in infancy. The others are as follow : Isaac, now living in Howand; Robert W., of Warren; Ann (deceased), wife of Josiah Soule; Mary (deceased), wife of Henry Hoagland; and Lydia Maria, wife of Daniel L. Jones, of Warren, with whom the subect of this sketch makes his home. Mrs. Ratliff died in Warren March 16, 1875, aged seventy-seven.
Judge Ratliff's occupation through life has been that of farming. He has been unusually blessed with good health, and, possessing a naturally vigorous constitution, he is to-day, not- withstanding his advanced age, a hale and hearty old gentleman. At this writing (March 17, 1882) he is eighty-two years and three months old.
JAMES FRANKLIN KING.
James Franklin King, widely and favorably known throughout this part of Ohio as a stock dealer and farmer, is a descendant of one of the earliest settlers of the county. His grandfather, Barber King, was a native of Connecticut, and was employed in that State as an iron worker.
He made the acquaintance and courted Irene Schoville, a lady of aristocratic family, whose parents objected to her marriage with a laborer; and the old Connecticut statutes made it a crime for a man to lead a lady to Hymen's altar with- out her parents' consent. But Cupid has never been easily bound by statutes, and when in ear- nest always finds a way of evading them. In this instance Miss Schoville rode to her affi- anced's house, gave him a place behind her on her horse, and rode to a magistrate's office, where they were lawfully married. Mr. King joined the second company of surveyors sent out by the Connecticut Land company in 1797, and while thus employed selected a place for settle- ment near the present site of Canfield. The following spring he removed with his wife from Connecticut and made an improvement on the lot which had been selected. They lived there two years, then removed to a lot at the present village of Girard. After a residence on this lot of about six years, having made considerable improvement, General Perkins proposed an ex- change of one hundred acres in Howland for the lot on which Mr. King lived. After viewing the ground the proposition was accepted, on condition that the center of the one hun- dred acres should be a certain strong, clear, flowing spring. Beside this spring Mr. King built his house in Howland, and moved into it in June, 1806, on the day of a total eclipse of the sun. The house stood on the ground now occupied by J. F. King's resi- dence. Mr. King was a plain, unambitious farmer. He lived to the age of sixty-nine years. Mrs. King lived to the advanced age of eighty- six years. During the Revolution she was taken prisoner at Wyoming by the Indians and held captive for six months. The family of Barber and Irene King consisted of seven children- Jonathan, James, Samuel, William, Bliss, Anna, and Sarah. Sarah (Mrs. William Brinton) is the only member of the family living. They all settled in Howland township except James, Anna (Mrs. Jabez Bell), and Sarah Brinton.
William King, father of James F. King, was born April 9, 1798, and died October 8, 1866. He was married in 1820 to Mary B. Kennedy, a daughter of Samuel and Jane Kennedy. She was born in 1801, and died January 3, 1869. Mr. King was a man of great energy and pro-
James If King
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gressive ideas; his wife was plain, unassuming and industrious. They were both members of che Presbyterian church and were remarked in their neighborhood for sympathy and kindness in cases of sickness. Their family consisted of four children-James F., Irene (deceased), Or- villa (Mrs. William Chamberlain), and Jerusha (Mrs. Charles Hunt).
James Franklin, whose portrait appears on an adjoining page in this volume, was born March 12, 1822. He owns and resides on the old home- stead of his grandfather and father, and where he was born and raised. He attended the dis- trict school and received a fair English educa- tion, but it was farm work that mainly occupied his attention. Soon after thoroughbred short- horn cattle had been introduced into the county, in 1841, by Thomas and Frederick Kinsman, Henry B. Perkins, and the Cowdens of Gustavus, Mr. King saw the opportunity of building up a successful industry. The first importations of cattle had been from New York. Mr. King accompanied Messrs. Kinsman and Perkins to the Bluegrass region in Kentucky in 1850, at which time he made a purchase of short-horns, and has since continued to supply his herds with stock cattle from that region and from southern Ohio. He has for about forty years given close and intelligent attention to the breeding and raising of stock cattle. He keeps on his farm about one hundred head. Of late years Mr. King has been dealing to some extent in thor- oughbred Southdown sheep. He has been identified with the Trumbull County Agricul- tural society as an officer ever since its re-organ- ization in 1846, and for eight years was president. Under his management the annual fairs were made of special interest to the general farmers. He aimed to make the annual exhibitions what they professed to be-agricultural fairs. He is a man of good executive talent, being energetic, correct and decided. Mr. King married in 1862 Miss Cornelia J. Andrews, daughter of Samuel and Lorena (Hutchins) Andrews, of Howland township. They have a family of two children.
DRAKE FAMILY .*
Abraham Drake, of Monmouth, New Jersey, was in the habit of going with others to Schooley mountain, in that State, in the fall of the year, for the purpose of hunting. On one of these occasions he became acquainted with a Miss Stark, a relative of Colonel John Stark of Revo- lutionary fame, and married her. He bought two hundred acres of land near Haskelstown, New Jersey, where they settled, and to them were born three sons, viz : Abraham, Aaron, and Sylvenius. Abraham, the oldest, was born in in 1756. In 1788 or 1789 he married Sarah Bell, of Sussex county, New Jersey. To them three daughters and six sons were born, viz: Elizabeth, Sarah, and Meriam, Jacob, Simeon, Aaron, George, Abraham, and Amos. And for some years they lived near the above-named town, but the father dying, and having willed all his property to his son Aaron, Abraham and Syl- venius were dissatisfied. Abraham endeavored to persuade Aaron to allow him to have the house and a small piece of land belonging to his father's estate, and on which he then lived, and which would enable him to maintain his family by his occupation, being a weaver, but in this his efforts proved to be of no avail, and on returning home from this mission, late one evening, sadly disappointed, and as no other avenue seemed open to him whereby he might support his family, he said to his wife, "We will go West," and with this decision, which was char- acteristic of the man, he soon bid his friends and native place a last farewell, for he never returned, and the writer believes never heard of them af- terward. He removed his family to Jefferson village, Morgan township, Washington county, Pennsylvania, where they stayed some six months, while he went on to Ohio to look for a place to locate their future home. This was in the year 1804 or 1805. He purchased three hundred and twelve acres of land in Howland township, for which he paid $655, and settled on that part of it which is the farm now owned by his grandson, Amos Drake. Here they began by carnest and unceasing toil to supply their wants from their own productions, amid the pri- vations and hardships incident to the times. It was even no small task to guard the few do- mestic animals, which they had or could get,
*Prepared by Amos Drake.
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from the attacks of wild beasts. Well does the writer remember the log pen in which the sheep were secured at night to keep the wolves from them, and also of the trap made of logs in the woods, to catch those prowling invaders, yet with all of their vigilance sheep were frequently killed, and bears would kill the hogs and calves, and the deer would persist in feeding upon their wheat in the fall and spring.
And yet amid these scenes with willing hands they soon began to gain for themselves a com- fortable home. But when it seemed they most needed each other's presence to assist and cheer them in their efforts death took from the home the wife and mother. She died May 16, 1808, aged forty-two, leaving the husband and eight children, the youngest a son only a year old.
The household duties henceforth devolved upon the daughters, Elizabeth and Sarah. In 1813 he built the house (yet standing) in which he afterwards lived until his death, July 17, 1818, aged sixty-two years, and here would my pen fondly linger to pay a tribute to one whose indus- try, honesty, and uprightness of character were proverbial. The impress of the virtues of that father and mother was seen upon their children in after years, and made them moral, upright, unassuming, faithtul men and women.
Elizabeth having married, the care of the fam- ily fell on Sarah, which duties she faithfully per- formed for some years, she and Jacob keeping and living on the homestead. Simeon and Aaron settled on a part of the land which belonged to their father; George and Abraham settled on the west side of the creek in this township. Eliza- beth moved to Poland, now Mahoning county, all following agricultural pursuits. George in 1844 removed with his family to Howard, Knox county, Ohio. Sarah in 1833 sold her interest in the homestead to Jacob, and built a house on the farm of Abraham, where she lived until April 1851, when she ceased to keep house, and lived with Aaron and his family until April, 1860, when she returned to the old home, and lived with her nephew up to the time of her death October 26, 1864, aged seventy-two years. She and her brother Amos were not married-he dy- ing July 30, 1821. Meriam died in infancy in New Jersey. The following are marriages of the the sons and daughters of Abraham and Sarah Drake; the number of children born to each mar-
riage; the death and age of parents, and the number of children now living.
June 11, 1811, by Dan Eaton, justice of the peace, James Stull, of Poland, and Elizabeth Drake, of Howland. To them were born three daughters and one son. Death and age of par- ents unknown. One daughter survives.
January 3, 1822, by Isaac Heaton, justice of the peace, Simeon Drake and Lucretia Williams, of Howland. No children, she dying soon after marriage; age unknown.
May 8, 1825, by John Hank, justice of the peace, Aaron Drake and Mary Williams, of Howland. To them were born five sons and three daughters. He died August 22, 1855, aged fifty-six years ; his widow, three sons, and one daughter survive.
June 9, 1825, by R. L. Seely, justice of the peace, Simeon Drake and Olvina Hank, of How- land. To them were born four sons and one daughter. The father died March 12, 1859, aged sixty years ; the mother February, 1880, aged seventy-six years. Three sons survive.
June 15, 1826, by Alford Brunson, justice of the peace, George Drake and Nancy Smith, of Hubbard. To them one son was born. The mother died May, 1827. The son survives.
May 30, 1829. by Adamson Bently, minister, George Drake and Mary McElroy, of Washing- ton county, Pennsylvania. To them were born two daughters. The mother dying in 185 -; the father February 23, 1871, aged sixty-eight years. One daughter survives.
May 17, 1830, by A. Bently, minister, Abra- ham Drake and Jane McElroy, of Washington county, Pennsylvania. To them one son was born ; the mother dying October, 1842; the son surviving.
May, 1844, by A. S. Hayden, Abraham Drake and Phebe Moffit, of Solon. To them was born one daughter ; the father dying May 24, 1849, aged forty-four years. His widow survives.
April 11, 1826, by Joseph W. Curtis, minister, Josiah Drake and Agnes Anderson, of Howland. To them were born two sons and one daughter, viz : Amos, Alva, and Agnes. The mother died September 19, 1831, aged thirty-six years.
February 12, 1833, by John Henry, minister, Jacob Drake and Artlissa Lane, of Austintown. To them were born a son and daughter, viz: George and Emily. The father died September
A.A. Dratis
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28, 1842, aged forty-six years ; the mother Au- gust 22, 1846, aged thirty-seven years ; his daughter Agnes October 4, 1846, aged fifteen years.
The following are the marriages of the sons and daughter of Jacob Drake referred to and the number of children surviving :
April 24, 1851, by Isaac Errett, minister, Amos Drake, of Howland, and Lavinia J. Hull, of Champion. To them a son and daughter were born-Charlie W. and Ida M .- who reside as above written.
September 6, 1860, by Mathias Christy, min- ister, Alva A. Drake and Lide J. Grove, both of Howland, where they still reside.
Emily went to Clinton county, Iowa, in 1847, where she married Dr. S. D. Golder. They set- tled in Charleston, Missouri. To them four sons and one daughter were born. The mother died January 31, 1875, aged forty-one years. The daughter and three sons survive.
George went to Colorado in 1860, where he married Martha A. Brown. To them two sons and one daughter were born. An infant son survives.
Alva A., second son of Jacob and Agnes Drake, was born in Howland township in the year 1829. After obtaining a fair English edu- cation he devoted himself to agricultural pur- suits. In 1860 he married Miss Lide Grove, daughter of Jacob and Rachel Grove, of Austin- town, and later of Howland. Mr. Grove was born in Beaver, Pennsylvania, in 1802. While but a child his parents removed to Austintown, and there he married, in 1830, Rachel Wood- ward. He removed to Howland in 1850, and died April 16, 1881. Mrs. Grove died March 31, 1880. They had two children-John C. and Lide. The former died in 1861, leaving two children-Minnie and Lulu. Mr. Drake set- tled on the farm on which he now resides in 1865. He is an extensive and practical farmer and dealer in fine Merino sheep. He has accu- mulated two hundred and fifty acres of land, which is in good condition. While he is enterprising and industrious he is at the same time liberal and companionable. He held the office of jus- tice of the peace in Howland township, and on account of reliable judgment in business matters was chosen real estate appraiser. He is a repre- sentative of one of the oldest and most respect-
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