USA > Ohio > Mahoning County > History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Vol. II > Part 39
USA > Ohio > Trumbull County > History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Vol. II > Part 39
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Bowen Heaton, Dan's brother, did not settle permanently in the township. Reese Heaton settled upon the Luse farm. In 1836 he re- moved to Illinois with his family. The Heatons were rough-mannered, sturdy men; good citi- zens in the main, but each had his individual traits and peculiarities. The name, once so familiar in the township, is now known here no longer. Not a single Heaton or Eaton now remains in Weathersfield. But in the corner of the cemetery upon the hill, are many tombstones upon which the name is inscribed ; so many that a settler of 1835 upon first visiting the spot gave utterance to this exclamation: "Why, this township is all settled by Heatons, and they are all dead !"
Aaron Bell was an early settler, but sold out to Miller Blachly. Miller Blachly settled about one mile from Niles, a little northeast of the
town. He had three sons, Eben, Miller, and Bell; and three daughters, Phebe (Dunlap), Eleanor, who remained single, and Sarah ( Brad- ley). Eben became a doctor, and practised several years in Niles and Warren. He married Minerva, only daughter of Dr. John Seeley. Miller, Jr., was also a physician and practised here. Bell married and settled in Weathersfield. All moved to Wisconsin. Miller Blachly was a very good man, but positive, and sometimes even obstinate in adhering to his opinions. He was a devoted Presbyterian and a strong temperance advocate. In early days the roads in his neigh- borhood were very bad, and sometimes teams stuck in the mud and could not move their loads. Mr. Blachly was usually ready to lend his team to assist over the difficult places; but when a man who was hauling a load of grain to a neigh- boring distillery asked for such assistance, he obtained only a very stern refusal.
Andrew Trew, by trade a weaver and a maker of cloth, settled early in the northeastern part of the township. His children were Nancy (Bell), who lives in Pennsylvania; Robert, de- ceased; Eliza ( Burley), Howland; Nelson, de- ceased; Jane ( Blachly), Kansas ; Lettie (Osborn), Bazetta ; Margaret ( Ewalt ), Howland ; and Phebe and John, deceased. Mr. Trew was the first postmaster in the township. He did a large amount of weaving in early times, making woolen and tow cloth, flannel, etc.
William Carlton, an early settler of the south- eastern part of the township, had three sons, William, Joseph, and Bryson, one of whom, Wil- liam, is still living near Girard.
About 1809 John Horner settled on the farm now owned by H. T. Mason. His children were: David, who remained and died upon the old farm; John, who now lives in Pennsylvania; Jane (Hultz), who died in Pennsylvania ; and Jo- seph, who removed to Hardin county.
John and Isaac Clay settled in the eastern part of the township, but left after several years' residence. Matthew Atchison settled on the Clay farm. His children were Jane (Mc- Michael), David, Anna (McLain), John, Charles Steen, and Minerva. The latter is now living in Pennsylvania. David died in Vienna. John and Charles S. went to Iowa.
Aaron Loveland was among the first settlers. His farm was situated in the northeast part of
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the township. Two of his daughters are still living in Vienna township at an advanced age -Mrs. Munson and Mrs. Williams. The other children are all dead. Jacob Hake and Isaac Pope were also early settlers in the same neigh- borhood.
Augustus A. Adams located on the east line of the township and reared a family, none of whom now remain in the township.
John Bolen was an early settler, who lived north of Niles, on Mosquito creek. He was the miller at Heaton's old mill.
Several brothers by the name of St. John were among the earliest settlers. They have no de- scendants here. Their names were James, Thomas, Charles, and George. They were em- ployed about the Heaton forge.
Nathan Draper, a native of Connecticut, set tled on lot five of the salt spring tract in this township in 1807. His family lived the first summer in a bark hut or wigwam, which stood on the bank of the Mahoning, near where the iron bridge crosses that stream, one mile west of Niles. He married Hannah Cartright in 1792. Their children were John, Benjamin, Elihu, Sal- ly, Katie, Polly, and Milly Ann. John and Ben- jamin had no families. Elihu married Rachel Dunlap and reared five boys and four girls. Two of his sons, Warren and Nathan, enlisted in the Nineteenth Ohio volunteer infantry, and served through numerous campaigns. Sally (Arm- strong), Katie (McMullen), Polly (Dunlap), and Milly Ann (Heaton), each raised large families. The descendants of the Draper family are now scattered from Pennsylvania to Minnesota.
Peter Reel settled on the farm now owned by Peter Stillwagon in the northwestern corner of Weathersfield in 1801. Samuel, one of his sons, remained here until his death. John Reel, a brother of Peter, took up a farm near him. David was an early settler in the same neighbor- hood.
Robert Fenton settled about one mile east of Niles, on the T. N. Robbins farm. His chil- dren were Samuel, William, Mary Ann, Mar- garet, Joseph, and John. In 1837 the family moved to Putnam county.
The Reese family were here early, but none are now remaining.
William Dunlap located on the south side of the Mahoning, and there lived and died. His
sons were Jonathan, Josiah, William, Stephen, Chauncy, and Perry. Two of them died here, William and Stephen. Chauncy and Perry are living, Chauncy in Vienna and Perry in Lords- town. The daughters became Mrs. Draper, Mrs. McCartney, and Mrs. Gibson.
John McConnell settled in the south of the township on the farm adjoining William Dun- lap's. His sons were Alexander, John, Matthew, James and William; his daughters, Polly, Re- becca and Rebecca. All married and had fam- ilies.
Joseph Hunter, John and James White were the names of other early settlers in the township.
David Moser moved to this township in 1817; Jacob Hake in 1812; Isaac Pope in 1816; Aaron Loveland in 1812; Frederick Plot about 1820; Daniel Evert in 1820.
Isaac Marshall settled on a farm adjoining the land of William Dunlap and John McConnell. His brother John settled in the same neighbor- hood. Two sons of the latter, John and Hous- ton, are still residents of Weathersfield.
Bariah Battles in 1814, bought eighty acres, which is now included within the corporation limits of Niles. He was from Crawford county, Pennsylvania. In 1816 he moved here with his family, which consisted of eleven children. Five sons and a daughter are still living, viz: Rebecca (Dray), Allen county ; Caleb, Akron; John, Niles; Edward, Howland; Asa, Hancock county. Bariah Battles died in 1838, at the age of seventy-seven. His wife (nee Mary Jones) died in 1855, aged eighty-six. John Battles, one of the oldest resi- dents of the township, was born in 1807, and came to Weathersfield with his parents. He married Sarah J. Leavings, of New York State, by whom he had seven children, all of whom are living: Mary Jane (Schwindler), Lucy (Dunlap), John E., Sarah (Allison), Laura (White), Frank- lin B., and William. Mr. Battles worked at iron manufacturing from the age of twenty years until 1854. With Jacob Robinson he ran the Heaton furnace from 1849 to 1854.
Michael Ohl moved from Austintown to Weathersfield in 1815, and settled on the Mean- der at the place where the little village of Ohltown grew up. His sons were Charles, David, Samuel, Henry, John, Michael, and Andrew. Henry went west and died. Michael died in this town- ship. The others are all living. His daughters
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were Catharine (Hood), Liberty; Abbie (Mc- Donald), Weathersfield; Julia (Rose), Weathers- field; and Eve (Adelhart), dead.
James McCombs settled in the southern part of Weathersfield at an early date. His sons were Milo and John. The latter is cashier of the First National bank of Warren. The former is dead. James McCombs was drafted in the War of 1812. Robert McCombs settled in the same neighborhood. His sons were John, Wil- liam, James, and Andrew. John is in the West. William died in the lake mining region. James is still living.
Martin Barnhisel located in the eastern part of the township. Of his children, Rachel (Wil- derson) lives in Newton; Eliza (Hood), Liberty ; George died in Wisconsin; Mary (Fee) lives in Warren; Sarah (Shadel), and Caroline (Bell), Liberty.
John Edwards, father of S. C. and William Edwards, settled within the present limits of Niles in 1823. In 1830 he moved one mile from the village.
Josiah Robbins settled in this township about 1826. He married Maria, daughter of James Heaton. Their family consisted of four children, all of whom are living except Jesse,-James, Josiah, Jesse. and Frank. His first wife died in 1835. In 1836 Mr. Robbins married Electa Mason, who bore three children, who are still living,-Ambrose, Maria, and Charles.
John Tibbetts settled in the northeast of the township about 1830. His children were Henry and Sarah, dead; Jeremiah, California; Austin and Charles, Weathersfield, and Ann (Gettis), Liberty.
George Young, a comparatively early settler located one mile east of Niles. All the family moved to another part of the State except John, who died here.
Warren Luse settled in the northeast of the township. He married Hannah Bowell, and had three children, Rebecca (Tibbetts), deceased ; Jesse and Clara (Sykes), Weathersfield.
Ambrose Mason moved from Essex county, New York, to this township in 1835, and settled one mile east of Niles. There were eight chil- dren, viz: Lucy (Woodworth), Cleveland ; Aman- da (Goodrich), Lockport, New York ; Eliza (Cran- don) and Dean Edson, deceased; Electa (Rob- bins), Hiram T., Henry H., Niles, and Harriet
(Reeves), Howland. Mr. Mason died in 1870, in his ninetieth year. He was the first postmas- ter at Niles, and one of the first merchants. Mrs. Mason (nee Jemima Turner) died in 1866, aged eighty-one. Both were devoted members of the Disciples church.
Thomas Brooks, John White, John Battles, William McConnell, and John Marshall, have been residents of Weathersfield longer than any other men now living in the township.
Thomas Brooks, now seventy-three years of age, is the oldest resident of this township.
Dr. A. M. Blackford came to Niles to practice medicine in 1846; and practiced ten years. He has been connected with various interests of the town, including the iron industry. In 1848 he opened the first drug store in the place. Dr. Blackford was born in Fayette county, Pennsyl- vania, in 1813. He was educated for the minis- try of the Presbyterian church at Madison college, and continued as a preacher ten years. His health then failing, he began the practice of medicine. He afterwards entered upon the duties of the clerical profession, but was com- pelled to retire at the end of five years. Dr. Blackford is still a resident of Niles. He mar- ried Eliza, daughter of Thomas Russell of this place.
EARLY SCHOOLS.
Concerning the early schools little can be learned. An old log school-house, with greased paper for windows, was situated south of the river at Niles. On the brow of the hill near the site of the grist-mill, was a school-house where the children of the little settlement sur- rounding Heaton's furnace attended school. Heman R. Harmon was an early teacher here.
POST-OFFICES.
The first post-office in the township was estab- lished in the northeast of Weathersfield about 1825, Andrew Trew, postmaster. This office, which was known as Weathersfield, continued until 1843, when a post office was established at Niles, Ambrose Mason being postmaster. His successors have been H. H. Mason, - Mor- gan, J. W. Leslie, Josiah Robbins, Sr., C. W. Robbins, Josiah Robbins, Jr., William Campbell, and H. H. Mason, the present incumbent.
The second post-office was the Ohltown office, of which Michael Ohl was the first postmaster.
29*
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TRUMBULL AND MAHONING COUNTIES, OHIO.
This post-office was formerly on the old stage route to Ashtabula, and then received a mail from each way daily ; now a tri-weekly mail is received from Mineral Ridge.
An office was established at Mineral Ridge in 1860, Azariah Hughes, postmaster. It was kept in Mahoning county, and a semi-weekly mail was procured from Niles. It was discontinued after a few months on account of political differ- ences and a lack of support. Leading citizens wanted a Democratic postmaster, but no one in that party could be found who was willing to per- form the duties of the office. A semi-weekly mail was not sufficient for the business men of the place, and a prominent business man had his own mail brought from Niles daily. This largely diminished the receipts of the office, and the postmaster became tired of his position and re- turned the mail bags to the Government post- office department. In 1863 the office was re- established with a daily mail, and J. L. Pierce was appointed postmaster. A few years later the office became Mineral Ridge, Trumbull county. M. L. Campbell, Mrs. Sarah Wilson, and E. J. Ohl have since been postmasters.
TEMPERANCE WORK.
Dan Eaton and Miller Blachly were the leaders and incorporators of a temperance society in the time of the Washingtonian temperance move- ment. A number of good earnest workers joined them, and the society, which began about 1830, continued in existence several years. Meetings were held at school-houses and private dwellings.
Dan Eaton, when about to build a barn, an- nounced that whiskey should have no part in the work of raising it. Accordingly, after the timber had been prepared, as was customary in those days, he invited his neighbors to come and help him get the frame up. But no one would come unless whiskey was to be furnished, and Dan ad- hered resolutely to his determination that none should be used upon his premises. He was therefore compelled to hire men to do the work for him, and the barn was built without the aid of whiskey. It was probably the first building erected in the township in which the ardent liquid was not a prominent feature at the "rais- ing."
EARLY MILLS.
The Heatons built a saw-mill and grist-mill
on Mosquito creek very early. Both were in operation in 1816. The present grist-mill at Niles was built by the Heatons in 1839.
Probably the second mill in the township was that of Michael Ohl, elsewhere mentioned.
Mills were often stopped during the dry sea- son and when this happened the settlers were obliged to go to the Cuyahoga for milling. Roasting-ears from the corn-field served in part to supply the want of meal.
AN UNPERFORMED MIRACLE.
In the early years a poor, half-crazy old fellow named Dobbins, a Methodist and great talker, one day asserted that he had as much faith as ever any of the apostles had, and that he be- lieved himself capable of performing miracles through this faith. "Can you walk upon the water ?" asked one of his listeners. " Walk on the water? Yes. Peter tried it, but couldn't. He hadn't faith enough. I have faith and can perform the act." A number of idlers and boys collected and dared him to try it. He yielded to their wishes, and proceeded to the river at once. Here he uttered a short prayer, removed his shoes and stockings, and drew near to the water's edge. The excitement in the crowd was now at a high pitch, when suddenly the old man paused and asked : " Have you all faith that I can do this thing?" A voice in the crowd : " No, you - - old fool !" "Well, then we might as well abandon the undertaking. Faith on your part is necessary as well as on mine, for without faith we can do nothing." So the promised mir- acle was never performed.
MORMON MEETINGS.
Although old Dan Eaton was one of the most outspoken of unbelievers, yet his house was always open to religious meetings of whatever character. A Mormon missionary named Mc- Clellan, and Sam Smith, a brother of Joe Smith, labored in Weathersfield in the winter of 1833- 34, and held meetings at Dan Eaton's house. They secured a number of converts, but so far as can be learned none followed them hence.
DISTILLING.
So far as can be learned there were only a few small stills operated in this township in early times. Simon Hood, Jacob Wise, and James McCombs had copper stills, and made whiskey in small quantities.
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CEMETERIES.
The first burial-place in the township was sit- uated near the salt spring. A number of inter- ments were made there, but all of the bodies were subsequently removed to other cemeteries and nothing now remains to indicate the location of the old graveyard.
The graveyard at Ohltown was established quite early.
The Union cemetery, northeast of Niles, is the principal cemetery of the township. Inter- ments were made here as early as 1804. The grounds are beautifully situated on the slope ot a hill, and are large and tastefully kept. They are adorned by a number of beautiful ever- greens and other evidences of the care bestowed upon them. The earliest inscription which we discovered upon a cursory examination was that upon the stone erected to the memory of Han- nah, daughter of James and Margaret Heaton, who died February 2, 1806, in her sixth year. James Heaton died in 1856, aged eighty-six years. Dan Eaton died in 1858, aged eighty- five. His wife, Naomi, died in 1818, aged thirty- eight. Upon an old-fashioned stone near the little monument which marks the grave of Dan Eaton, is the following quaint and curious epitaph :
NAOMI EATON,
Wife of Dan Eaton, was born December 2d, U. S. 4, and on the 5th of November, U. S. 43, became like unto a potter's vessel that was stripped of its glazing and its gilding, but as she believed the work wou'd not be lost but wou'd be moulded in another form and become fit for the Master's
use.
We doubt if another instance of the use of the year of the United States instead of Anno Domini can be found in all the tombstone liter- ature of the country.
We notice here the recorded death of another of the pioneers, William Bell, died in 1808, aged sixty-eight years. His wife, Priscilla, died in 1814, aged sixty-eight.
There are also several small graveyards in the township.
NILES.
This is one of the busiest towns in northeast- ern Ohio. The iron industry has built it up, and is still its main support. Niles is situated in the northern part of Weathersfield township, its southern limits reaching a little below the center. The incorporated portion includes at present a territory extending a mile and a half east and west and a mile and three-fourths north and south, with an estimated population of four thousand. It is most favorably situated as re- gards railroad facilities, being on the Mahoning branch of the New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio, and forming the northern terminus of the Niles & New Lisbon branch of the same road. The Ashtabula & Pittsburg and the Painesville & Youngstown roads also pass through this place. Two new railroads are building, on both of which Niles will be a station-the Alliance, Niles & Ashtabula, and the Pittsburg, Youngstown & Chicago. When these roads are completed and put in operation we may expect to see a new im- petus given to the business of the town and its thrift and prosperity much augmented in conse- quence. All present indications augur a pros- perous future.
The village was laid out in 1834 by James and Warren Heaton, but only on a very limited scale, as the original plat was made to include only a small part of the present town lying west of Mosquito creek and north of the river between it and the New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio rail- road. Numerous additions have since been made on all sides.
The name Niles was given to the village by James Heaton in honor of the editor of Niles' Register, a journal published at Baltimore, Mary- land. Mr. Heaton was a subscriber of this paper and held a very exalted opinion of the abilities of its chief editor. He was fond of quoting the Register, and usually agreed most fully with the opinions which it expressed edi- torially. Therefore he called the town after the name of his favorite journalist. Who says that the influence of the press is not wide-spread?
Previous to 1834 the village had no existence, and only a few huts and shanties in the vicinity of the furnace marked its future site. Warren Heaton built a house in 1832 on a lot which is at present included within the village limits.
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In the winter of 1834-35 a few buildings were erected, among them the dwelling houses of Thomas Evans and Samuel Dempsey. The village grew slowly until 1842 when the estab- lishment of Ward's rolling-mill brought a consid- erable number of workmen into the place. By 1850 the population had increased to nearly or quite one thousand persons. From that date until 1873 the place grew steadily. The panic and the consequent failure of the leading busi- ness firm gave Niles a blow from which it has only recently recovered.
BUSINESS BEGINNINGS.
Although Niles, as we have stated, was an un- known place previous to 1834, yet by its former name of Heaton's furnace, the place had been known far and wide for years. In 1809 James Heaton built a small refining forge on Mosquito creek for the manufacture of bar iron, with char- coal, from the pig iron made at the Yellow creek furnace. Here were produced the first hammered bars in the State. In 1820 he rebuilt this forge which continued in operation many years. It was run by the same water-power with the fur- nace, and was situated near it. In 1812 the famous Mosquito creek furnace was erected a few rods east of where the public school building now stands. This was a cold-blast, charcoal furnace, run by the water of the creek. The stack was about thirty-six feet high and the bosh seven or eight feet. This furnace was owned and operated by James Heaton for many years, and was in the possession of the Heatons until it went out of blast in 1854. In 1830 the fur- nace was leased. Campbell, Mckinley & Demp- sey operated it for a considerable period. From 1849 until 1854 it was run by Robinson & Bat- tles. In its first years its product would not average a ton of iron per day. Its capacity was somewhat increased, but five tons per day would have been considered a large yield at any period of its history. Castings for stoves, andirons, kettles, and other household utensils were made and found a ready market. The Heatons ac- quired considerable property through this indus- try, but not a fortune ; for great wealth from the manufacture of iron is not to be had through the use of such primitive means as they em- ployed. Native ore was always used in this fur- nace, chiefly the kidney ore found in Weathers- field, Austintown, and vicinity. This, briefly,
was the inception of the great industry which has contributed so largely to the building up ot Niles.
A store was kept for the supply of the furnace hands as long as the furnace was in operation. The first store excepting this company store was kept by Robert Quigley on the northern corner of Mill and Main streets. He built and began business there in 1836. After a few years he sold out and went to Pennsylvania, where he was connected with the management of a fur- nace. In the time of the gold excitement Mr. Quigley started for California, but died on his way there. The second store in Niles was started by Robbins & Mason in 1839. H. H. Mason, son of Ambrose Mason, one of the proprietors, was their successor and continued the business until 1864.
The first hotel was kept by Jacob Robinson about 1836, in the house built by Mr. Dempsey. This house, much enlarged, is now the Sanford house. In 1837 Robinson built a hotel opposite Quigley's store, on the west side of the street, and kept it for many years. The present Com- mercial house was formerly the dwelling of James Ward. Previous to Robinson's public house, a grog-shop or tavern was kept in a log cabin on the south side of the river by a man named Parker.
The first brick building for mercantile pur- poses was built by James Crandon and occupied by him as a store until recently. It is the store on Main street now occupied by C. P. Moore, dealer in flour and feed.
The Mason block, the first block of any im- portance, was erected in 1867 by the combined efforts of five different parties.
INCORPORATION.
The following petition was addressed to the commissioners of Trumbull county August 27, 1864:
To the Commissioners of Trumbull county, State of Ohio:
We, the undersigned, inhabitants and qualified voters of Weathersfield township in said county, not embraced within the hmits of any eity or incorporated village, desire that the following described territory within the township of Weathersfield be organized into an incorporated village, to wit :
Beginning at a stake or corner on the farm of John Fee near the dwelling of H. H. Mason, and running west one mile to a stake or corner on the land belonging to the heirs of John A. Hunter, deceased, near the dwelling of S. H. Pew, thence due south one and one-fourth miles to a stake or corner on the farm of John Battles, thence east one mile to a stake or corner on the farm of C. S. Campbell, thence
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