USA > Ohio > Mahoning County > History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Vol. II > Part 47
USA > Ohio > Trumbull County > History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Vol. II > Part 47
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First officers elected : Colonel Edward Hayes, W. M .; A. D. Fell, W. O .; James Fowler, W. L .; O. Hull, W. S .; R. R. Miner, W. A. S .: H. G. Bates, W. C .; George K. Pelton, W. Treas- urer; I .. B. Hull, W. Secretary; Henry Biggins, W. G. K. Lady officers-S. E. Bates, W. C .;
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E. Roberts, W. F .; L. E. Hull, W. P .; H. M. Fell, W. L. A. S.
This grange met at M. C. Graham's hall until 1878. They then built a hall at old Burg Hill, where they have since held their meetings.
CEMETERIES.
There are three cemeteries in the township, the one at the center being the oldest. The site was selected in 1805, after the death of Fidelia Andrews, the land being given by Titus Brock- way. She was buried in the forest, and her grave was surrounded by an enclosure of logs.
Among the marble headstones of later years are scattered here and there the old brown flag- and sand-stones, which mark the early graves. On many of these the inscriptions are rudely chiseled, and some are almost obliterated by the hand of time. Beside them grow the roses planted by hands long since folded to rest in other graves.
Here lies the first pioneer, Edward Brockway, and a large number of his descendants are also buried here. The soldier of the Revolution and the soldier of the Rebellion are found here, and near them lies Asahel Brainard, the first set- tler, who spent the winter alone in this unbroken forest, the only representative of this pioneer family buried in the township. The Hon. Cal- vin Cone, the Hon. Titus Brockway, Colonel William Bushnell, and the Hon. James Beebe are among the prominent persons interred in this old cemetery, including Captain Alexander Bushnell, Thomas Bushnell, Titus Hayes, Ed- ward Brockway, and Daniel Bushnell, who were soldiers of the war of the Revolution. Here also are buried Thomas McFarland, Davis Ful- ler, Alexander Bushnell, Elijah Woodford, Selden Jones, Seth Thompson, Hosea Mowrey, John Pfouts, Wilson Bushnell, Michael Quiggle, Mat- thias Gates, S. C. Jones, Elijah Sawyer, Ambrose Hart, Jehial Hulburt, Lester Bushnell, General Andrews Bushnell, Archibald McFarland, and Elisha Bennett, soldiers of the War of 1812. Also D. W. Brockway, Milo Bushnell, Lieuten- ant C. C. Hart, Christopher A. Bennett, Charles Bennett, and Lieutenant Davis Fuller, soldiers of the Rebellion.
The burying ground at Burg Hill has been the burial place of the pioneer families of Hayes, Jones, Merry, and Hull. The first grave was that of Eliza Hayes, daughter of Colonel Richard
Hayes, who died August 14, 1814. This site was afterwards presented to the township by the Hayes family. Isaac Jones, one of the first pio- neers, William C. Jones, a pioneer and a veteran of 1776, Colonel Richard Hayes, Lester Hayes, Luman Brockway, and James Henry, soldiers of the War of 1812, and Robert Mizener, a Vernon soldier of the late war, are buried here.
The west burying ground was given to the township by Deacon Elihu Bates, and the first grave was that of Mrs. Samuel Bates, in 1837. Romanta Norton, Joel Hall, and William Bates, soldiers of 1812 and George Norton, a soldier of the late war, are buried here. This has been the burial place of the Bates, Leaming, Norton, Parsons, Newman, Spencer, Mason, and Hall families, mostly settlers of a later date. John Groscost, a soldier of 1812, was buried on lot one, on the farm formerly owned by himn.
At Orangeville no permanent place of burial was selected until 1841, when Augustus Reed made a donation of land for that purpose. Pre- vious to this time most of the interments were at the centre of the township, a few, however, being made near the residence of Mr. Patton. According to tradition, early in the century a man was buried where the shop of Mr. Davis now stands, and also two children by the name of Totman on the south bank of the Pymatuning east of the State line. The first interment in the present cemetery was Ann Catherine, a daughter of Rensselaer Root, who died June 10, 1841. John Cassidy, Jacob Dewitt, O. S. Good- rich, William Carnes, and A. W. Moses, soldiers of the War of 1812, are buried here. Of the late war Harrison Allen, Caleb Leonard, Milton Mel- linger, George Wait, and a non-resident soldier by the name of Fitzpatrick, who was killed on the railroad, are also buried here.
ORANGEVILLE.
For many years the northeastern portion of the township has been known by the name of Orangeville.
The construction of the New York, Pennsyl- vania & Ohio Railway, and the opening of coal mines east of it, has given some impetus to busi- ness at this place. No good reason seems to exist why it may not become a point for manu- facturing interests of various kinds, much more extensive than at present, if residents will only take hold of the matter in earnest by investing
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in such enterprises and hold out inducement to others to do so.
The village was incorporated in 1868, and is situated in the northeast corner of Hartford township. It extends one mile from north to south, and seven-eighths of a mile from east to west. One of the principal streets being on the State line, the business interests and history of the place can not be fully shown, without, to some extent, including territory outside of the present corporate limits of the village, yet prac- tically forming a part of it.
The first mayor was R. E. Grey ; and A. M. Brockway, N. E. Austin, E. B. Jones, Dr. A. C. Brainard, and S. H. Spear, were elected as mem- bers of the first council. Nelson Hyde held the office of mayor for one year, and from that time to the present it has been filled by the present incumbent, George W. Snyder.
A village special school district was organized in 1868, and a fine school-house was soon after built. The school is at present being taught by L. G. Spencer and Miss Bell Pollock. The enumeration of scholars for 1881 was a hundred and ten.
The territory comprised in the village limits forms a portion of the land purchased of Root & Holmes, in 1799, by Edward Brockway. Charles Merry was the first pioneer settler within the present incorporate limits of Orangeville. He settled on what is now known as the N. E. Austin farm, at present owned by Willard C. Hull. He remained but a short time, however, removing soon to Vernon. Not long after, Ed- ward Brockway removed from his first location, and settled on the farm now owned by his grand- son, E. B. Jones.
According to the history and atlas of Mercer county, Pennsylvania, the pioneer settler and founder of Orangeville was Jacob Loutzenhiser, who came in 1797 or 1798, probably in the former year. He built a hewed log mill, with an under-shot wheel twenty-five feet in diameter; and on the 19th of April, 1802, sold to Adam Hahn. This was the first mill in Pymatuning township, Pennsylvania. This place was known for several years as Hahn's mills. Judging by all the facts that have come to the writer's knowl- edge, he is of the opinion, however, that the mill did not go into operation before 1801. Accord- ing to tradition it was a rude structure, like
others of its day, yet served a good purpose in relieving the pioneers of long trips to mill. A saw-mill was also built at a later period, so that two of the prime wants of early settlers, food and lumber, could be supplied. The era of steam-power having taken the place of water in lumbering, the old saw-mill has passed away. The grist-mill soon gave place to a better struct- ure, which was used for many years. It has since been successively in possession of Keck, A. & L. Moffatt, Hoadley, Clark, and perhaps of some others. In 1869, being in possession of Shafer Brothers, the principal improvements were made at an expense of $40,000 for mill and dam. The present proprietors of the flouring-mill are Hen- drickson & Walworth.
The first village lots were laid out in 1818 by Augustus and Levi Moffatt.
The last named was a clothier by trade, and the brothers built the first carding machine, which they afterwards sold to Charles and Rich- ard Hull, who settled here in 1834-35. Augus- tus Moffatt remained here until his death, en- gaged mostly in the occupation of farming.
In 1835 his three brothers, Levi, Lot, and Zelotus, built two flat-boats and launched them in the race below the mill. They were loaded with produce likely to find a market on the way, and with their families embarked on a journey by river to the West.
About 1821 a flat-boat was launched here which was loaded with butter and cheese and sent to the New Orleans market.
A woolen factory was carried on here for some years by Hull Brothers & Hurlburt. This property was purchased by George McFarland, and the business was soon after discontinued. Moffat & Fell were engaged in the foundry busi- ness for many years.
The present industries of the villages not here- tofore mentioned are a saw-mill owned by G. W. Arnold, one by Dwight Wilson, a stave-mill by W. R. Field, and the carriage factory of S. H. Spear.
The first merchant at Orangeville was Moses Beach. He was followed first by the firm of Hyde, Reed & Bushnell, later by Morris Jones, Horace Baily, Joel Smith, Hurlburt & Co., Ernst & Hahn, Nathan Showers, Sylvester Fell & Son, Shafer Brothers, Nelson Hyde & Co., Lewis Reno, E. & A. Fell, Aurelius Fell, and at the
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present time Trimble & McIntosh are engaged in trade, and E. R. Fell & Co. in drugs and general merchandise.
The first postmaster was Rensselaer Root. The office has since been held by Dr. Asahel Brain- ard, N. E. Austin, John Scaling (who held it for over twenty years), Nathan Showers, Jonathan Ernst, Eliza Johnson, Shelden Palmer, and G. W. Snyder the present incumbent. The office was established about 1845. The first mail route was a weekly between Warren, Ohio, and Franklin, Pennsylvania. Later it became a tri- weekly from Warren to Greenville, Pennsyl- vania, which was-superseded by railway service after the construction of the railroad in 1862.
BAPTIST CHURCH.
In 1816 Elder Jonathan Sheldon settled in Fowler, and through his instrumentality a church was organized called the Baptist church of Fow- ler, Hartford, and Vernon. Its meetings were mostly held in Fowler and Hartford, in school- houses and private dwellings, as circumstances dictated.
Mrs. Nancy Lane, of Hartford, is said to have been the first person in the township baptized by immersion, Elder Jonathan Sheldon officiating.
The early records of the church were burned, but according to tradition Elihu Bates, Ruth Beach, Norman Holcomb, Osman Williams and wife, Mary Black, and Joseph DeWolf were probably among the pioneer members of this church.
Among the Baptist ministers who occasionally supplied the church were Elders Freeman, Gor- man, Woodworth, and Sydney Rigdon, of Peters Creek, Virginia, afterwards of Mormon notoriety. He resided in Hartford for some months, preach- ing a portion of the time in the "old church" at the "center."
About 1827 the doctrines of Alexander Camp- bell began to prevail, and so many of the mem- bers embraced the new faith that for some time the church was almost extinct, yet a few held fast to the old tenets.
In 1835 it was reorganized at Orangeville. Mr. and Mrs. Chares Hull, Lyman Phelps and wife, and a number of others from this vicinity united with the church about that time, and as Orangeville was now the most central point for the members, the church began to hold meetings here and took the name of this place. At first meetings were
held in the Methodist house of worship, but about 1845 the present church was built. This society belonged to the Beaver association until the formation of the Trumbull association.
In 1843 quite an addition was made to the church as a result of the revival labors of Elder John Winters. In 1844 Elder R. B. Phelps was pastor of the church, and continued until 1848, when Elder T. W. Greer became the minister, and during his pastorate many additions were made to the church. After this time Elder R. B. Phelps again preached for this society for a time. At the present time (1882) Elder T. W. Greer again holds the pastorate of this church. Mr. James Russel has been a prominent mem- ber of this church for over fifty years, and at the present time is one of its most stanch support- ers. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Luce, Mr. and Mrs. Lyman Phelps, and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hull have all been prominent members of this church. The present membership is sixty-seven.
ORANGEVILLE METHODIST CHURCH.
This church was organized probably in 1837. Among its first members were Augustus Reed and wife, Charles Reed, Maria Reed, Harriet Reed, Mrs Daniel Totman, Elisha Fox, and George Fell. A small meeting-house was built soon after, and used until the building of the present church in 1872 at an expense of $5,000. At present the church has eighty-seven members.
UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH.
This society was organized in Pennsylvania, and was removed to Orangeville in 1872. The ministers who have served this people since that period are Revs. Cone, Williams, and Bedow. It is now a small but prosperous society. Liberal contributions were made outside of church men- bership for building purposes, with the under- standing that it is to be open at all times for the use of other denominations, and for lectures when not occupied by the said church of the United Brethren in Christ.
OLD PEOPLE.
Mrs. Chloe (Wait) Bushnell, wife of Captain Alexander Bushnell, was born June 20, 1738, at Lyme, Connecticut, and died here October 28, 1832, the oldest person deceased in the township during the first seventy years of its history. Nearly thirty years before she came here with three generations of descendants, and but for an
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accident might have lived her hundred years. At the time of her death her descendants num- bered three hundred and twenty-two, four being of the fifth generation.
Mrs. Sarah (Hyde) Jones, wife of Elam Jones, was born May 18, 1776, at West Hartland, Con- necticut, and died August 30, 1870. She re- tained her memory in an unusual degree, and to her more than to any one else is the writer in- debted for his data of our pioneer history. She had been a resident of the township sixty-five years at the time of her decease. She had, dur- ing her life, a personal acquaintance with all of our early citizens, and her narrations of incidents in pioneer times were full of interest. She was a daughter of Uriah Hyde, whose family has been noted for its longevity.
Mrs. Elizabeth (Hyde) Hewitt, wife of Samuel Hewitt, and daughter of Uriah Hyde, was born in West Hartland, Connecticut, January 4, 1772. She resided here for many years but removed with her son, S. N. Hewitt, to Vernon. At ninety-eight years of age she removed to Kan- sas and a few months later to Fayetteville, Arkan- sas, where she died July 22, 1873, being over one hundred and one years of age.
Mrs. Anna (Hyde) Hull, wife of William Hull, and daughter of Uriah Hyde, was born November 16, 1778, at West Hartland, Con- necticut, and died July 11, 1874, being in the ninety-sixth year of her age, and at the time of her death the oldest person ever deceased in the township.
Mrs. Lovisa (Borden) Fitch, wife of Shaler Fitch, was born December 10, 1779, and died June 6, 1871. They emigrated to Ohio in 1804.
Mrs. Mary Kepner Pfouts, wife of John Pfouts, was born September 5, 1771, and died January 9, 1864.
George W. Cassidy was born in Chester coun- ty, l'ennsylvania, September 15, 1780, and died April 2, 1870. He was a soldier in the War of 1812 and lost his right arm at the battle of Chippewa.
Mrs. Elizabeth (Allerton) Cassidy was born April 5, 1785, and died June 24, 1875.
Mrs. Phebe (Bushnell) Borden, wife of Asahel Borden, was born August 2, 1784, and died December 4, 1875. She was the last of the adult pioneers to pass away.
Mrs. Catharine (Lavley) Roberts was born
near Baltimore, Maryland, August 20, 1776, and died here January 10, 1881, at the residence of her son-in-law, Mr. Jacob Barnhart. She had attained the great age of one hundred and four years, four months, and twenty days. In 1794 she was married to Peter Roberts, and for the almost unparalleled period of seventy-eight years they journeyed through life together, he having reached the advanced age of ninety-six years at the time of his death .- She always pos- sessed a strong constitution and in her earlier years was accustomed to doing much out-door work and boasted of having been able to reap more wheat than any man, not excepting her hus- band. She kept house and did all her own work until her husband's death, although she was then ninety-eight years of age. She was the wife of a soldier of the War of 1812, and grand- daughter of a soldier of the Revolution. She was undoubtedly the oldest person in the county, and probably on the Western Reserve, if not in the State.
Nathaniel Wilson, for many years a resident here, died in his ninety-second year.
Among the old people still living in the town- ship who have arrived at fourscore years and over, are Mrs. Alexander Bushuell, at the age of 87; Mrs. Seth Thompson, 85; Lory Norton, 84; John Jones, 82; George W. Bushnell, 82; Mrs. Isaac Leaming, 84; Edward Bowmiller, 83; Dor- othy Bowmiller, 83; Mrs. Elisha Cannon, 82; Margaret Bear, 82; Michael Pfouts, 80; Brad- ford Hewitt, 82; Rebecca Craton, 81 : Mrs. Lou- isa Laird, 80; Mrs. Julia Bates, 80; John Adamı Sonk, 87. He was born in Bavaria May 10, 1794. In 1814 he was drafted into the German army, and served in the second company of fu- sileers, Ninth regiment, commanded by Ferdi- nand of Wurtemburg. He served six years, nine months in active service, and the rest of the time in garrison.
According to the census of 1880 fifty-three persons in the township had passed their three- score and ten years.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
A library was established early in the century, and for a long time continued in a flourishing condition. Elam Jones was librarian for many years, some of the first books being brought by him from Connecticut in 1805.
The first blacksmith who located here was
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Levi Giddings, whose shop stood on the farm of Peter Carlton, on lot twenty-three.
Captain Azel Tracy, a coach and chair maker, from Norwich, Connecticut, came to Ohio about 1818, and soon after located here and engaged in the building of carriages and wagons. His son D. S. Tracy is pursuing the same vocation at the same place.
Early in the century Isaac Taylor built a tan- nery at Burg Hill. About 1826 the property came into possession of Arial Chapman, who followed the business of a tanner for over thirty years in the same place.
Davis Fuller was the first saddler and harness maker, having located on lot twenty-five in 1806. He followed the business in the same place for nearly fifty years.
Since the settlement of the township four small distilleries have had an existence here. Three of them were built in pioneer times, when whiskey was thought to be one of the necessi- ties of life, and it was considered a breach of hospitality not to pass the bottle to friends when present. At the present time, however, there is none made or openly sold in the township. At an early period the citizens took a decided stand against the manufacture and sale of intox- icating liquors, and the prevailing sentiment, un- til the present time, has been in favor of tem- perance, and in strong opposition to the use of alcohol as a beverage.
A carding mill was built at an early period at the foot of Brockway hill by Lester Bushnell. Another was built by C. & R. Silliman, a little north of the center, and was soon after changed into a clock factory by Hart & Truesdale. For some years quite a business was done in the manufacture of wooden clocks. Later it was converted into a sash factory. Near the same place a hat shop was carried on for a number of years by D. Root & Co. Also a chair factory by T. C. Davis & Son.
The pioneer cheese factory of the State, and probably of the country, was started in this town- ship in 1846 by Samnel Cone. He died during the second season of the new enterprise. From this has grown many or all of the modifications that have been made in the dairy system since that time. W. Pellon, Oris Mason, Sydney Mason, Ralph Mason, A. O. Woodford, C. Spencer, L. Fitch, John Fitch, and Peter Carl-
ton have each been engaged in the business since that period. Eli W. Bushnell was engaged in the manufacture of cutlery for some twenty years. A new factory was built on lot nine- teen in 1850, which was burned in September, 1859. The business was then discontinued.
Giles M. Hayes, who resides near the west line of the township, has established a factory for using the surplus products of the orchards in making vinegar, apple-butter, and jellies. This enterprise gives promise of being beneficial to the fruit growers in this vicinity.
The township has few or no large farms, and all of her interests are purely agricultural, espe- cially so for the last thirty years. The growth of mining and manufacturing towns around tends to draw away all interests save those strictly pertain - ing to agriculture.
A portion of the township is well adapted to fruit growing, and although it has been an im- portant business in our past history yet it de- serves more attention than has so far been given to it.
According to the census of 1820 the popula- tion of the township was six hundred and twenty- five, and it made a good per cent. of an increase during the next decade, but for the last forty years the numeration has gained but slowly. For at least two generations our people have been emigrating to the West. The sons and daugh- ters of the pioneers, inspired by the same spirit which led their parents to leave New England for Ohio, have been following the star of the empire westward until this township has repre- sentatives in almost every western city and State. They have been heard in the halls of Congress, in the Legislatures of different States, at the bar, and in the pulpit; they have held positions in the army and navy of the United States; on the mountains and prairie we find them seeking after wealth and fame, worthy sons of honored sires, whom old Hartford claims with pride.
35*
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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES,
EDWARD BROCKWAY.
The subject of this sketch, one of the three pioneer settlers, formerly resided in Branford, Connecticut. He removed to Hartland about 1786, and emigrated to New Connecticut in 1800, having in company with Brainard and Jones visited the township, purchased his land, and with them commenced a clearing in August, 1799. He arrived with his family June 19, 1800. He had purchased of the proprietors, Root & Holmes, nearly thirty-two hundred acres of land. At the present time over one hundred families are residing on this property.
He first settled on lot twenty-two, but soon after removed to lot eight. He was a soldier of the Revolution, taking part in the battle of Saratoga. He died March 4, 1813, aged seventy- seven years. He had a family of seventeen children. Three of his sons, Aaron, Titus, and Philemon, settled here. Aaron Brockway first settled in Vernon in June, 1798, with his family, where his wife is said to have lived seven months without seeing the face of a white woman.
Three years later he removed to Hartford. At five different times during his life he shouldered his axe and started anew to make a home for himself and family in the woods, making, as we think, a practical pioneer.
He died in Forest county, Pennsylvania, in 1848. Eight of the daughters of Edward Brock- way married and settled in this township. Five of this number married into the Jones family.
Titus Brockway settled a little south of the center, where he resided until his death, Septem- ber 6, 1840, at the age of sixty-five. He served as postmaster, justice, member of the Legislature, land agent, and was a prominent member of the Congregational church. He had but two sons, Edward, and Daniel Webster, and five daugh- ters, Maria, Julia, Melissa, Martha W., Sophro- nia, and Caroline.
HAYES FAMILY.
If it is fair to judge a man by the impression he has produced upon the minds of those of his cotemporaries who survive him, then Colonel Richard Hayes, who came to Hartford from
Hartland, Connecticut, in the spring of 1804, must have been a man of remarkable energy and power. He early engaged in trade, and was one of the first to see that the new country must pay its debts in a currency which could transport itself, and he therefore organized the cattle trade with Philadelphia, sending over the mountains droves of from three to five hundred head.
When there was any doubt as to the price which ought to be paid, the people would fre- quently tell him to take their stock along, sell them, and pay what he could afford, and such was his reputation for probity and fair dealing that it is said his returns were never questioned.
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