USA > Ohio > Mahoning County > History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Vol. II > Part 59
USA > Ohio > Trumbull County > History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Vol. II > Part 59
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99
335
TRUMBULL AND MAHONING COUNTIES, OHIO.
Robert Miller was one of the first comers. He also located in the southwest of the town- ship, but afterwards moved to the Gordon place on the turnpike. Two sons, James and John, are still residents of Bristol.
William Reed, Abraham Daily, and George Barger, were among the first settlers, but re- mained only a few years.
The greater part of the above-named settlers were natives of Pennsylvania. In this sketch we have attempted to include all of the pioneers who resided here permanently, or whose descend- ants now live in the township.
ORGANIZATION.
Township number six in the fourth range was formerly included in the Middlefield election dis- trict. In 1807 it was created a separate town- ship and election precinct and named Bristol.
FIRST ELECTION.
The first election of township officers was held on the first Monday in April, 1808, with the fol- lowing result : Lyman Potter, justice of the peace ; Abraham Baughman, John Martin, and William Wilson, trustees; John Cummings, clerk ; William Reed, constable; Robert Miller and George Barger, overseers of the poor ; Thomas Martin, treasurer ; William Cummings, and Abra- hanı Daley, fence-viewers; Emmor Moore and Henry Baughman, supervisors; Joseph Cum- mings, lister.
NAME.
The township was named Bristol, after Bristol, Connecticut, the home of the surveyor.
BRISTOLVILLE.
The growth of this village was slow, and com- paratively few improvements were made until after the turnpike was opened in 1819 and the stage began running in 1828.
Samuel Swetland was the first store-keeper, and after him Henry Hanks came but remained only a short time. Norris, Howard & Kibbee had a store quite early and erected the building which is now E. L. Kibbee's store.
Lyman Potter, who lived at the south end of the village, kept the first tavern for a number of years. A number of others afterwards kept public house in the village.
EARLY SCHOOLS.
The first term of school in this township was
taught by Gabriel Sager in the winter of 1810- 11. His pupils were members of the Sager families and their relatives. German only was taught.
The first English school was taught by Seth I. Ensign in the winter of 1812-13, in a deserted log cabin one-fourth of a mile north of the Bris- tolville corners. In 1814-15 Lucy Badger, daughter of the Rev. Joseph Badger, taught school near Bristolville in a cabin west of the creek on the present Cory farm.
The first school-house was built in the fall of 1812 by William Barb, Samuel Sager, William Sager and others, at North Bristol, on ground which is now the mill-yard. It was a primitive log structure and the school-room was lighted by small windows or openings in the wall pasted over with greased paper.
A school-house of logs was built at an early day on the public square at Bristolville.
CHURCHES.
The first church organization in Bristol was the Mennonite, organized by Gabriel Sager at his own house in the northern part of the township in 1810 or 1811. The place is now owned by Edward Kibbee. The Mennonites originated in Holland. Their belief is distinguished by a re- jection of infant baptism, refusal to take oaths, and the practice of feet-washing. This society never erected a church building, and ceased to exist after the death of Mr. Sager.
A society of Bible Christians was organized previous to 1820, but they never built a church. Their first preacher was Rev. John Cheney. Meetings were held in school-houses, private houses, and barns. Among the members were members of the Hammon family, Mrs. William Sager, Zachariah Norton, Joseph Chaffee and wife from Bristol, Major Howe and wife, Aaron Smith and wife, George and Michael Norton, William Norton, Charles Thayer and wife, and others, of Bloomfield; and Deacon Abijah Lee and wife of east Farmington, most of whom joined the Disciples.
The Disciples of this township built no church until the North Bristol church was organized in 1868, but attended services in Bloomfield.
The Calvinist Baptists and Free-will Baptists have maintained organizations in this township in former years, but no longer continue to do so,
336
TRUMBULL AND MAHONING COUNTIES, OHIO.
most of the members having joined other churches.
The church organizations in the township at present are four in number, viz: The Methodists and Congregationalists, at Bristolville; the Dis- ciples, at North Bristol, and the Dunkards, in the east part of the township.
THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
This church was organized June 14, 1817, by Revs. Giles H. Cowles, Abial Jones, and Joseph Treat, under the name of the Presbyterian church of Bristol and Bloomfield. The plan of union was adopted allowing both Presbyterians and Congregationalists to enjoy its privileges. After a few years the church became known as the Presbyterian and Congregationalist church of Bristol, and so continued until a difference of opinion regarding slavery sprung up among its members, when it withdrew from the presbytery and remained independent a few years. At length the difficulty was settled ; but meantime nearly all of the old Presbyterian members had died, and accordingly the wishes of the Congre- gationalists prevailed and the church united with the conference of the Congregational denomina- tion.
At the organization the church consisted of seven members : John Barnes, Lucretia Barnes, Leman Ferry, Lyman Richards, Lucretia C. Richards, Rollin Dutton, and Nancy Dutton. The first church officers elected were John Barnes, standing moderator ; John Barnes and Leman Ferry, church committee; and Rollin Dutton, clerk. To the membership the follow- ing were added at the dates given : June 15, 1817, Elijah and Elizabeth Bigelow. November 9, 1817, Betsey Barnes. November 15, 1818, John and Sally Morley. February 5, 1820, Mar- garet Fansler. June 25, 1820, Matthew Current. On the 18th of March, 1821, Shubal and Lydia Hillman, Asa and Olive Smith, Rox- ana Lloyd, and Mrs. Roxana Lloyd, and Lu- cinda and Laura Hillman, and Peres R. His- cock. June 30, 1822, Alpheus Alvord. Janu- ary 16, 1825, Ira Rose, Gideon L. and Clarinda Sprague, Wilmot Mayhew, Nancy and Lucretia Mayhew. January 1, 1826, Cherry Alvord, Lucy Hiscock, Sophia Baker, and Anson Morley. August 20, 1826, Chloe A. Miller, Orrin Ballard, Holmes Mayhew, Chester and Abigail Hillman, Melvin and Lucretia Mayhew. September 21,
1828, Margaret Ballard and Mary Case. These were all up to 1830. The present membership is over one hundred.
Among the earliest preachers in this church were Rev. Messrs. Cowles, Jones, Joseph W. Curtis, Jonathan Leslie, and Daniel Miller. Mr. Miller was installed pastor and remained and labored earnestly many years.
The first church in this township was erected by the Presbyterians in 1812, five years before they organized. It was of hewn logs and stood on the farm of John Fansler, Sr., now owned by Newell Maltby. The next edifice was a frame building, two stories, which stood on the edge of the old graveyard east of the village common. The upper story was never finished, but the lower was so far completed that meetings were held in it, wooden benches serving as seats. The present house, most tastefully . and beauti- fully constructed, was erected in 1845 or 1846 and dedicated in February, 1847.
THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
Concerning this organization very few facts are obtainable, but the following statements, gleaned mainly from the oldest living members, are be- lieved to be substantially correct.
A class was formed by Rev. Ira Eddy, in November, 1818, consisting of six members: John Norton and wife, John and Sarah Ham- mon, and Magdalena and Margaret Cline. Among the first preachers were Revs. Eddy, Green, Hill, Ayer, Crum, Chandler, and Scott. Elder Green (afterwards presiding elder) was on this circuit when it extended from Lake Erie to Warren, and required six weeks for him to travel it and keep his appointments.
Meetings were held in barns, school-houses, and private houses, and for many years in an old log building which stood upon the village com- mon, near the spot where the soldiers' monu- ment is located. Afterwards the two-story school- house, now the tin-shop, was built, and used as a place of meeting. The present church edifice was erected in 1845 through liberal efforts on the part of prominent members. In 1881 this house was remodeled, much enlarged and improved, and is now one of the finest churches to be found in any small village in the State. It con- tains three rooms besides the main audience room, and all are most conveniently arranged. The original cost of the building was not less
337
TRUMBULL AND MAHONING COUNTIES, OHIO.
than $2,500. Mrs. Dr. Brockett gave the soci- ety $1,000 with which to make the recent repairs and improvements. A heavy bell of superior tone now hangs in the belfry, being the fourth bell since the church was built.
The seed planted in the wilderness by the pioneer missionary in 1818 has germinated and borne fruit abundantly. The church now num- bers one hundred and eighty-five, being the largest membership of any church in the town- ship.
THE DISCIPLE CHURCH.
This church was organized February 19, 1868, under the labor and superintendence of Rev. J. N. Smith and Rev. N. N. Bartlett. Hiram Thayer and A. A. House were elected overseers; Samuel A. Davidson and Jacob Sager, Sr., deacons, and S. A. Davidson, clerk and treasurer. Subsequently it was deemed advisable to have three deacons, and Henry Clay was chosen as a deacon. June 3, 1868, A. A. House, Hiram Thayer, and William Sager were elected trustees. Later S. A. Davidson was elected an overseer, and Solomon Sager, deacon, to fill the vacancy thus occasioned.
The year of the organization a convenient church was erected at a cost of about $2,000. The church started with a good membership, and soon numerous additions were made.
Rev. N. N. Bartlett was the first pastor. Rev. E. Wakefield succeeded him for one year. Rev. E. B. Wakefield, the present pastor, took charge of this congregation in 1874. Under his minis- tration the church has been blessed with a high degree of prosperity, and now numbers about one hundred and twenty-five faithful active members. Services are held once in two weeks, the preacher dividing his labors between North Bristol and Bloomfield churches.
The Dunkard church was organized some fifteen years ago, and has a small but convenient meeting-house. John Strohm is one of its principal members and supporters. The mem- bership is small.
CEMETERIES.
The two principal burying places in this town- ship are located at Bristolville, one east and the other west of the turnpike. Interments were made in the township burying-ground east of the public square in very early times. The oldest
grave-stone standing bears the date 1810. The new cemetery is large and prettily adorned with shrubbery of evergreens. In the northern part of the township is a small old burying-ground where rest the remains of members of the Sager family and others of the old settlers.
POST-OFFICES.
The first post-office was established about 1825, Gideon Sprague, postmaster. Mail was then brought from Warren once a week by a man on horseback. After the four-horse stage began running the office was moved to the center and Jacob Hammon appointed postmaster. He held the office over thirty years, and found it the source of a great deal of bother and but very little compensation. This being the first office on the road north of Warren, an unassorted mail, heavier than one man could lift, frequently came here. Mr. Hammon was obliged to go through it all, and perhaps find as the result of his researches a single letter or paper for some citizen of his town. The remaining mail was then put upon the coach for the next postmaster on the route to investigate in a similar way. As there was then no hotel in the village, in cold weather all the stage-coach passengers poured into Mr. Hammon's house to warm themselves, and these, together with those who were waiting for mail, gave him no little annoyance. A. A. House was the first postmaster at North Bristol, where an office was established in 1870. E. A. Pierce, his successor, is the present incumbent.
EARLY MILLS.
The first mill in this township was built by William Sager for Abraham Baughman, near where the latter settled, in about 1806. A log saw-mill and grist-mill were erected. One dam served to make a water supply for both. The grist-mill was of peculiar construction, the mo- tive power being a wheel placed horizontally in the water. To get the grain into the hopper it must be carried up a ladder into the second story of the mill, and when ground was removed from a receptacle on the lower floor. One run of stones made from a common rock was used in grinding. The mill ground slowly, but not " exceeding fine." Baughman ran these mills as long as he remained in the township. John Barnes then purchased the property and after hım Samuel Baker.
43
338
TRUMBULL, AND MAHONING COUNTIES, OHIO.
William Sager, about 1816, built a saw-mill upon his farm and did some grinding by the at- tachment of a small run of stones. About 1828 he built a grist-mill, the frame of which is still . standing. His mills were run by the water of Baughman's creek.
About 1830 John Hammon built a saw-mill west of the center, on the present McBride farm. Later the McBrides had a small water-mill for grinding erected there.
As early as 1830 Mayhew & Hillman built and put in operation a fulling- and cloth dress- ing-mill, near Sager's mills. The business of dyeing, fulling, and dressing cloth was carried on during the fall and winter months for several years.
A turning mill for the manufacture of wooden bowls, wooden plates, etc., was put in operation on the same stream. Colonel Flower, of Bloom- field, was its superintendent.
HUNTING ADVENTURES.
Game of all kinds was so abundant that some of the early settlers obtained all the meat neces- sary for family use by the aid of dog and gun. In the creeks fish abounded; the forests were full of bee trees; in short, this must have been almost a sportsman's paradise.
William Sager was accustomed to spend con- siderable time each fall in hunting for "bee trees." Swarms that had come from the older settlements had taken possession of some of the hollow trees; they in turn sent out swarms and occupied many of the suitable trees with their colonies. One day, as Mr. Sager was bee-hunt- ing, he saw that turkeys had been scratching the leaves about. He took out his call-whistle, made from the wing-bone of a turkey, and blew upon it, imitating the noise made by a turkey. Presently he saw a large wolf, which had been attracted by the sound, prowling around under the trees, snuffing the air and looking for turkeys. Mr. Sager discharged his rifle and killed the animal, and in due time received $10 bounty for the act.
One day Sager started to go through the woods to Baughman's, taking his gun as usual. He had not gone far when he saw a deer, at which he fired. The animal dropped and he ran up to cut its throat with his knife, but the deer was not dead and not severely wounded. Just as Sager was upon him he jumped up, and doing
so knocked the knife from his hands, then turned and attacked Mr. Sager with all his might, trying to gore him with his antlers. Mr. Sager caught the antlers and held on firmly, but was thrown about by the deer until he was nearly ex- hausted. He was beginning to despair of being able to maintain his hold and feared that he would be thrown down and trampled upon, but just then his dog arrived, having heard the dis- charge of the gun and followed his master from home. The dog soon caught hold of the deer's throat; Mr. Sager released himself and dispatched the deer. After this adventure the intelligent dog always accompanied his master on hunting expeditions.
Bears were bold and troublesome. Some times a cross old bear with cubs would follow and attempt to attack a man if alone ; but when two men were together the bear usually re- treated. Hogs were provided with bells, so that when attacked by bears, as they often were, their owners would hear the alarm.
IN EARLY DAYS
people were frequently lost in the woods here. Nathaniel Moore was out one night hunting rac- coons, lost his way home, and was compelled to pass the entire night in the woods. Daylight revealed to him his whereabouts and he returned to his alarmed family.
Flour and meal were very difficult articles to obtain. Until about 1806 there were no mills nearer than Warren, and no roads, such as would now be considered passable, leading to that place. To illustrate the difficulty of obtaining a grist under such circumstances, we will give another incident in William Sager's life. Before any grain had been raised in the township, he heard that a man in Mesopotamia had some wheat to sell. He took his horse and with great difficulty found his way through the trackless region to his neighbor's (?) house, bought two bushels and re- turned home. Thus one day had been spent in obtaining the grain. Next morning accordingly he started for Warren with his grist, and a whole hard day's work it proved to reach the mill. He had the grist ground in the evening, and the next evening arrived with it at his home. Thus three days were occupied in obtaining a two- bushel grist and having it ground.
Some time before any road to Painesville or the lake was opened, several of the settlers of
339
TRUMBULL AND MAHONING COUNTIES, OHIO.
this township conceived the idea of navigating the Grand river, and measures were undertaken to carry the scheme into effect. The settlers had some maple sugar and other articles which they wished to sell, and having constructed a canoe they undertook a voyage to the lake. The Baughmans, Nortons, and Sagers were the leaders of the project. They began to clear the stream of brush, commencing at the mouth of Baughman's creek, and were occupied several days in this work. At night the boat was fast- ened to a tree and a guard placed over the merchandise. Two trips were made ; but as it was found to be a long and laborious way of get- ting to the lake, the boat was sold and naviga- tion in these waters ceased.
AN ANCIENT WELL.
William Sager selected for his building spot a place near what appeared to be a small spring is- suing from the hillside. Bat when he proceeded to clear out the spring, he was much surprised to find a shallow well neatly walled up with stones.
OTHER INTERESTING DISCOVERIES
were soon made in the vicinity, among them a lot of ashes about a foot under ground. When Mr. Sager began plowing he found, near the spring, over a quarter of an acre of ground that had a very black appearance and showed many remnants of charcoal, as though the ground had been the bed of a large coal-pit. Some of the pieces remained several years to puzzle and mystify persons of an inquisitive turn of mind.
Mr. Joseph Sager thinks that pottery must have been manufactured here ; for he remem- bers, when a boy, digging in the dirt, as boys are wont to do, that he found a small earthen vessel, which could scarcely have been formed by Nature's art. It was exceedingly brittle, and at once crumbled to pieces. The ground is still black.
Several spots of earth covered over with stones are to be seen in this township, and it is sup- posed that each marks an Indian grave. The mound-builders have left lasting monuments of themselves in Bloomfield swamp. But this fact scarcely serves to solve the secret of the old coal-pit or pottery; rather it leaves us in doubt whether to assign these works to that race or to the red men. But if the Indians engaged in burning coal, walling up springs, etc., here in
Ohio, the evidence of such laborious work ought to remove from our mind the prevailing idea that they were lazy and indolent.
A short distance from Mr. Sager's, near a marsh, could be seen a spot where, evidently, a well has been dug and the dirt thrown out. Do these old works belong to the age of the mound- builders, or are they of more recent origin ? This is a question for the curious in such matters to solve. But the fact of their existence is in- disputable.
THE INDIANS
were the neighbors of the first settlers of Bristol, and frequently visited their houses. A few years after the arrival of the Sager family Mrs. Sager was washing at the spring one day, having left at the house the baby, Jacob, in charge of her old- est son. Three Indians unceremoniously en- tered the cabin and began to look about them. They saw some turnips in a corner of the room, and asked for some to eat. As they could speak but little English, or German either, it was only by watching their eyes and their gestures that their wants became known to the boy. He gave each of them a turnip, but they were unprovided with knives and held their turnips, looking around to see if they could discover any thing to eat them with. Finally one of them pro- nounced the word "messer "-German for knife -and the boy supplied them with the desired articles. They then ate their turnips in silence and with apparent satisfaction, and left the cabin as unceremoniously as they had entered.
A little later, two Indians and a squaw came to the house one day in summer. Evidently they had been traveling a long distance, and they were weary. The two men lay down in the shade of a corn-crib and went to sleep. The squaw chose a sunny spot, lay down and appar- ently fell asleep, too. She had been carrying a bundle, and the little boy was curious to know what it contained. He tip-toed softly up to the side of the sleeping squaw and was about to lay his hands upon the bundle, when a little dog that accompanied the party began a violent bark- ing. The boy made his way toward the house as fast as his legs could carry him, while the squaw sat up and called to him, "Hiscataw! his- cataw!" The boy thought these words were in- tended to urge the dog upon him, and, greatly frightened, doubled his efforts to reach the house.
340
TRUMBULL AND MAHONING COUNTIES, OHIO.
But instead of this she was calling the dog off, and her words at once stopped his barking. The Indians had a hearty laugh over the boy's fright, and in future visits the family often mentioned the incident.
The chief Indian in this locality had a white boy whom he had somehow obtained. He was very reticent when questioned concerning him, and only when under the influence of whiskey would he say anything about him. But when drunk he sometimes stated that he got the boy when he was so high-indicating the child's height by holding his hand about two feet from the floor, and that he found him under an apple- tree. All the Indians left in 1811. Some twen- ty years after they had gone a man from the southern part of Pennsylvania stayed one night at the house of Joseph Sager, who in the course of the conversation mentioned to the stranger something of the little boy who had lived with the Indians. The stranger asked him to describe the boy, and after he had done so averred that he believed the child was one who had been stolen from one of his neighbors in Pennsylva- nia, that his parents were wealthy, and would pay almost any price to have him back again. But whether he ever returned to civilization or lived and died among the savages we have no means of ascertaining.
When the Indians approached a settler's house they held their guns by the muzzle as a token that they came as friends. They had the usual Indian custom of carrying their pappooses upon their backs, strapped to a board. When a squaw entered a house she would set her pappoose down by the door and leave it outside, where it was frequently molested by the dogs or hogs that were allowed to run about the place.
FISH.
The first settlers found so many fish in Baugh- man's creek that many families caught and salted barrels of them for winter use. There was no dam or other obstruction from the lake to Baughman's mill until a mill-dam was built at Austinburg some years after Bristol was settled. William Sager on his first visit to this township found such an abundance of fish in the creek that he declared that a wagon could not be driven through the water without killing some of them.
TEMPERANCE CRUSADE.
The following extract from a county paper dated June, 1858, may prove of interest :
A week or two since fifty women in a parly assembled and made an attack on the grocery of one Miller; some dragged the proprietor out of doors and held him down, while others knocked in the heads of his cider, whiskey, vinegar, and rum barrels. Miller has commenced a suit against them.
MISCELLANEOUS NOTES.
The first taxes were assessed on the following plan: Horses twenty cents and cattle- eight cents per head. Concerning real estate the records are silent.
The first frame house in this township was built by Jonathan Walkley about one mile south of Bristolville. It is still standing, but no longer used as a dwelling.
The first sermon was preached by Gabriel Sager at his own house. He was also the first regular preacher and the first school-teacher.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.