USA > Ohio > Mahoning County > History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Vol. II > Part 72
USA > Ohio > Trumbull County > History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Vol. II > Part 72
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Truman Buell was born in Litchfield, Con- necticut, in 1784; died in 1867. He was mar- ried in 1804 to Nancy Hinman. She was born in 1785; died in 1866. They had eight chil- dren-George, Ezra, Albert, Alban, David, Lorain, Mary, and Angeline. George, the old- est son, was born in 1809, in Litchfield, Connec- ticut, and died in Johnston December 27, 1869. He married Mary Halcomb, of Connecticut. She was born November 28, 1806, and died in Johnston in 1867. She was the daughter of Amasa and Abigail Halcomb. George Buell came with his family of four children to John- ston in 1846. His children were as follows: Truman S., George F., James K., and Mary L. James K. was born December 31, 1842, and was married, in 1869, to Susan Moran, daughter of William and Elizabeth Moran. She was born in
Ireland. They have three children-Georgiana, Mary V., and Carrie M. Mrs. Susan Buell's parents, William and Elizabeth Moran, were born in Ireland, Leitrim county. He was born in 1784, and died in the ninty-seventh year of his age ; his wife was born in 1800, and died in her eightieth year. The had nine children- John, Alice, Mary A., Robert S., Eliza, Jane, William B., Francis E., and Susan M. They settled in Vernon in 1846. Warren Buell was born Angust 13, 1800, in Hartford county, Con- necticut. He married, in 1823, Electa Squires, born in 1798 in Connecticut. They came to Ohio in 1832, and settled in Johnston township, where they still reside. They had seven chil- dren ; six are living, and one died in infancy -- Daniel W., Harvey L., Wayne, Zenas W., Norris L., Celestia A. Mr. Buell is a blacksmith. Har- vey L., the second child, was born in Connecti- cut in 1827, and came to Ohio with his parents. He was married April 23, 1862, to Elizabeth M. Tennant, daughter of William H. and Elizabeth Tennant, born in Scotland, May 25, 1845. They have one daughter, Lizzie, born in 1869. Mr. Buell is a general farmer, and has a farm of fifty acres. William Buell, son of Norman and Emily Buell, was born in 1823, in Connecticut. He came to Ohio in 1841, and settled in Portage county, where he resided until 1851, then moved to Johnston township. He married, in 1848, Har- liet Curtis, of Geauga county, Ohio, born in 1825. They have four children-Charles L., Flora (deceased), Ida, Franklin, and Frederick. Mr. Buell follows the lumber business. Mr. and Mrs. Buell are members of the Methodist Epis- copal church.
Matthew Miller (deceased) was a native of Ire- land, born in 1732, emigrated to Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, about the year 1760; was a Revolutionary soldier; married in 1762, Mar- garet Corrnehan, and had a family of nine chil- dren, three boys and six girls, named as follow: Robert, William, and Isaac; Jenny, Betsey, Nancy, Mary, Margaret, and Dorcas, all of whom lived to be married and raise families, except William, who lived in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, until 1814, when he moved to Millersburg, Holmes county, Ohio, where he died in 1817, at the age of eighty-five years.
Isaac Miller, deceased, son of Matthew Miller,
52*
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was born in Greensburg, Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, February 8, 1798; was married to Sophia Dabney, January 26, 1819; moved to Holmes county, Ohio, where he lived thirteen years, thence moved to Youngstown, Mahoning county, in January, 1832. May 1, 1850, he moved to Farmington, Trumbull county, ard resided there until November, 1854, and then moved to Johnston township, where he died April 2, 1875. He had a family of seven sons and five daughters: John, Lucinda, Robert, Nathaniel G., Margaret Mary, Elizabeth, Eben- ezer D., William (first), Sophia, Catherine E., Wil- liam (second), and Isaac J. Four are living and married; six died in childhood, and one in Cali- fornia in 1851, aged twenty-one years. Nathaniel G. was married to Maria Reader about 1848; lived in Bristol township, Trumbull county, and died at the age of thirty-four years; had a family of four boys, viz: Isaac Jefferson, Frank R., Charles, Clinton ; three of whom are married and one single. Lucinda Miller was married to Jared Housel September 6, 1839, and lives in Farmington; has had a family of six children, five living and married, viz: Mary Jane, Isaac, George A., Sophia, and Ira. Sylvanus died in the Union army at the age of nineteen years. Margaret Miller was married to Ephraim Boon, and since then has lived in Gustavus township ; has a family of three children, namely: Addie, Miller, and Thomas, of whom Addie and Thomas are married, and Miller is deceased. Catherine E. Miller was married to Frank B. Wood, August, 1857, and since has lived in Johnston township; has a family of three girls, one married and two single -- Orissa A., Edna I., Maud E. Isaac J. Miller was married to Ella M. Fairchild, Octo- ber 5, 1870, and has since resided in Johnston township, Trumbull county. He has a family of four children, as follow: Jay E., Katie E., Arvine D., Isaac J. The occupation of the sons and sons-in-law of the subject of this sketch is farming.
Isaiah Bartlett, born in Plimpton, Plymouth county, Massachusetts, June 12, 1793, married Miriam Mason, born in Litchfield county, Con- necticut, in 1795. They resided in Litchfield until 1833, when they removed to Johnston, Trumbull county, Ohio, and settled where their son Robert now lives, and resided there until their death. Mr. Bartlett died in 1867; Mrs.
Bartlett in 1870. They had a family of five boys and three girls, as follows : Rev. P. M. Bartlett, president of Marysville (Tennessee) college ; Jerusha (Jackson) deceased ; Lucius, now in Warren ; Rev. Alexander M., professor of Greek and Latin in Marysville college ; Mary E. (Leroy) in Kansas; Emma C. (Root), and Robert A., on the home place in Johnston, and S. F., in Warren.
Harvey Selleck was born in Salisbury, Con- necticut, in 1805, and came to Ohio in 1828 and settled in Johnston township. He married Lucia Landon, born in Salisbury in 1805, died in 1871. They had a family of two daughters, Samantha (deceased), and Harriet. Mr. and Mrs. Selleck are members of the Congregational church, being among the founders of the Congregational socie- ty of Johnston. Mr. Selleck is a general farmer.
Charles W. Brinsmade was born in Salisbury, Connecticut, in 1809. He came to Ohio in 1850 with his family, and settled in Medina county. He married Maria E. Lockwood, born June 12, 1813, died November 28, 1875. They had a family of nine children, viz: A. F., Alonzo L., Charles P., George E., Almira P., Frances M., Wesley H., and two that died in infancy. A. F. Brinsmade was born in 1834, in Salisbury, Con- necticut, and came to Ohio with his parents and married Harriet S. Selleck. He is a farmer.
Daniel Hine was born in Litchfield county, Connecticut, in 1777; died in 1859. He mar- ried Laura Finney, who was born in Connecti- cut in 1779, and died in 1850. They came to Trumbull county and settled in Johnston town- ship. They brought with them two children- Josiah and Wealthy. The remainder were born in Ohio, their names being Lester, Niram, Chancy, and Lucinda. Mr. Hine was married again in 1852 to Mary Palmer, who was born in 1785, and died in 1870. Mr. and Mrs. Hine were members of the first Congregational church. He was a farmer. His parents and four brothers followed him to Ohio. Lester, the third child, was born in Johnston township January 3, 1809. He was married in 1860 to Eliza Bradley, who was born in Connecticut, and died in 1864. Mr. Hine is a farmer. Josiah Hine was born May 23, 1803, and died July 26, 1879. He was mar- ried March 5, 1848, to Desire B. Pitcher. She was born January 27, 1822, in Norwich, Connec- ticut, and came with her parents to Ohio in
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1846, and settled in Johnston township. They had five children, three of whom are living. The first and second were twins, born in 1848, both now deceased. George, born in 1850, resides in Colorado; Mary E., born in 1852, resides at home; Daniel E., born in 1860, resides at home.
Abiel Cram was born in New Hampshire in 1802, July 30th. His parents moved to Vermont and in 1817 came to Ohio, and settled in Mon- roe township, Ashtabula county, and in 1819 moved to Pennsylvania, where he was married, in 1827, to Sarah Madlam. She was born in Pennsylvania in 1810, and in 1865 came to Ohio and settled in Johnston township. They had eight children; two died in infancy, two in youth : Mary, John, Horace, Sarah, Hannah, Nancy. John died in the army, shot May 21, 1861 ; was in company L, Sixteenth Pennsylvania cavalry. The first, third, and fourth are living. Mr. Cram was a farmer. He died June 21, 1878. His wife survives him. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Horace, the third child, was born September 30, 1832, in Pennsylvania. He married in 1858 Nancy Duffield. She was born in 1828, July 30. They have two children, William A. and Sarah E. Mr. Cram is a farmer. They are members of the Methodist Protestant church.
David Alling, a native of Connecticut, married Clementine Judd, of Connecticut. They came to Ohio in a very early day and settled in Vienna township, and afterwards moved to Johnston township. They had seven children. Edward, the second child, was born in Connecticut in 1807. He married Charlotte Roberts, born in Connecticut in 1811. They have three children, Luther, Lucius, and Charley. Mr. and Mrs. Alling are members of the Congregational church. He is a general farmer. Luther, the first child, was born in Johnston township in 1833. He married in 1854 Miss Jane Moran, daughter of Francis and Bridget Moran, born in Ireland in 1832. They have four children, Augustus, Estella, Frank, and Alvia. Mr. Alling is in the saw-mill business, and also manufacturing pumps.
Thomas Millikin was born in county Lei- trim, Ireland, on the 16th day of May, in the year 1816; died in Johnston in the year 1875, December 19th. He came to America in 1831, and in 1842 married Tamar Clark, daughter of John and Mary Clark. She was born in Penn-
sylvania December 4, 1818, and came to Ohio in 1840 and in 1842 came to Johnston township. They have a family of eight children, all living : George R., John C., Thomas J., Richard, James T., Charles W., Allen, and Mary E. Mr. and Mrs. Millikin are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He was a farmer ; held the office of township trustee for several years.
James Currie was born in Scotland, where he died leaving a wife and nine children, who came to America in 1845, and settled in Johnston township, Trumbull county. Mrs. Currie's maid- en name was Marian Hamilton. The chil- dren were Catharine, Margaret, Alexander, Ellen, Marian, Jeannette, John, James, Isabelle. Alexander and James reside in Johnston town- ship and are unmarried. They follow farming on a farm of two hundred and forty-one acres. Alexander was born August 29, 1822, and James in 1835. They are extensive sheep raisers.
Reuben Mowrey was born in Connecticut in 1753, and died in Gustavus township in 1841. He married Lucy Couch, born in 1755, died in 1839; they had ten children. Isaac, the young- est child, was born May 9, 1800, and came to Ohio with his parents in 1812. He married Betsey Pelton, born August 22, 1803. They had ten children. Eunice, the fifth child, was born September 11, 1832, in Gustavus township, and married in 1854 T. A. Bradley. They have one child, Mary P., born May 20, 1867. They re- side in Johnston township.
CHAPTER XII.
FOWLER.
This township, formerly known as Westfield, contains 16,500 acres. It was purchased from the Connecticut Land company by Samuel Fowler, of Westfield, Massachusetts, and sold to settlers under his direction. Titus Brockway was granted power of attorney to dispose of 10,000 acres. Abner Fowler, brother of the proprietor, in consideration of services rendered in surveying this land, received 100 acres at the center of the township.
The township was purchased by Mr. Fowler in 1798, for less than fifty cents per acre.
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In 1806 Fowler was included in the Vernon election district, which was organized that year. In 1807 it was set apart as a distinct township and election precinct.
Fowler is a good farming region. Its soil is mostly a fertile clayey loam. The surface is generally slightly undulating. The western part of the township is drained by two small creeks which flow westward into Mosquito creek. Branches of Yankee creek form the watercourses of the eastern half.
Fowler center, a neat and enterprising little village, is situated about one mile west of Fowler station. Tyrrell Hill, a lively, growing little place, is on the southern township line, about one mile from the corner of Fowler and Hartford. The Youngstown branch of the Lake Shore railroad passes northward through the eastern half of the township.
Fowler is the fifth township of the second range, and is bounded on the north by Johnston, on the east by Hartford, on the south by Vienna, and on the west by Bazetta.
In 1880 this township produced 6, 187 bushels of wheat, 76 bushels of rye, 38 bushels of buck- wheat, 16,924 bushels of oats, 13,547 bushels of corn, 2,950 tons of hay, 213 bushels of flax seed, 23,746 pounds of butter, 272,970 pounds of cheese, and in 1881, 12,437 pounds of maple sugar, and 691 gallons of maple syrup.
PIONEER HISTORY.
Abner Fowler was the first settler. The first cabin was built by him in the spring of 1799, and stood on the site of the public square a lit- tle northeast of the cross-roads. Mr. Fowler's wife had died before he left Massachusetts and he lived alone in his pioneer dwelling until other settlers arrived. The Fowlers were descendants of one of the oldest of New England families and several of them were prominent both in the affairs of their native State and of the Nation. Abner Fowler acted as advance agent, or as a solicitor of settlers, and it was principally through his influence that the first families of the town- ship were induced to locate here. Mr. Fowler lived to see his settlement fairly started and the foundations of permanent improvement laid. He died in 1806. This was the first death that occurred in the township. His body rests in the old graveyard at the center.
Only two of Abner Fowler's children settled here. Abner, Jr., came out in 1805, and Ches- ter in 1806 or 1807. The first marriage cere- mony was performed in August, 1807, in uniting Abner Fowler, Jr., and Esther Jennings. They were married by Titus Brockway, Esq., of Hart- ford. The wedding took place at the house of Wakeman Silliman, in Fowler. Abner moved to Brookfield in 1816 and there ended his days. Chester passed the most of his life in Fowler and died in Hartford.
The first family in the township was that of Levi Foote, from Westfield, Massachusetts. Foote located near the center in 1801. Lydia Foote, daughter of Levi and Milly (Allen) Foote, was the first white child born in the township. Her birth took place July 5, 1805. She died April 21, 1881. The Foote family was quite large. Levi Foote's mother was Miss Bathsheba Burr, a relative of Aaron Burr. She was born in Granby, Connecticut, in 1755, and lived to be one hundred years old, lacking five days. She was married three times. Her first husband was Asa Foote, her second Isaac Flower, and her third a Mr. Thompson. She died and was buried in Vienna. Auntie Thompson, as she was long familiarly called, experienced many of the hardships of pioneer life. It is said that the first wolf killed by a settler of Fowler was brought down by a gun in her hands. Her hus- band was absent when the hungry beast visited the pig pen and was bold and voracious enough to seize one of the little porkers in midday. When this fact was made known to Auntie Thompson, she seized a gun and fired. The wolf fell and was then carried to her doorstep by herself and thought to be dead, but to make sure of her work the wolf was struck with a club. This brought it to consciousness and it sprang to its feet and would have been off had she not hurriedly dispatched it. Mrs. Thompson spent the last years of her life at the home of Dexter Clinton, near Vienna center.
Only five families settled in the township be- fore 1805. These were the families of Levi Foote, already mentioned; Lemuel Barnes, who lived one-half mile north of the center; John Morrow, at the center; Hillman Fisher, and Drake, who lived on the ridge.
In 1806 seven families arrived from Connec- ticut, having left that State in the fall of the
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same year. A month or six weeks later they ar- rived in New Connecticut. These emigrants were Elijah Tyrrell and wife, nee Clarissa Meeker, with her brothers, Justice, Daniel, Ly- man, and William Meeker; John Vaughn and Wakeman Silliman. They all settled in the southeast of the township in the vicinity of Tyrrell Hill or Tyrrell corners.
This company first halted at the house of Joel Hummason, in Vienna, and the women and chil- dren remained there, while the men went for- ward into Fowler, cutting roads to their lands to build cabins. This work completed the families took up their abode upon the farms which they afterwards improved, and where most of them lived and died.
Elijah Tyrrell built his house at the corners, on the northwest of the same. The lot lines were established a few years later and the place has been called Tyrrell's corners and Tyrrell Hill ever since. The corners are one mile from the east line of the township, and a mile north of the Vienna line.
Justice Meeker built his house one-half mile north of the corners; Wakeman Silliman, a few rods further north; L; man Meeker, three-fourths of a mile north, and his brother Daniel on the opposite side of the road. William Meeker set- tled half a mile south of Mr. Tyrrell's, and John Vaughn one-half mile east.
Miss Esther Jennings, afterwards Mrs. Abner Fowler, was one of this party of settlers, and soon after the families were established in their homes taught school-the first in the township- in the cabin of Wakeman Silliman. This cabin stood on the bank of Yankee creek-a stream named after the Yankee settlement made in its vicinity.
John Kingsley was one of the pioneers, and for many years was an honored citizen. He died in 1856 at the age of seventy-three. He was the first justice of the peace in Fowler.
The family of Matthias Gates was also in the township quite early. Later they removed to Hartford.
Elijah Tyrrell built the largest and most sub- stantial cabin in that day. It was built of small logs, 18x24 fect, chinked and daubed with mud. The roof was made of clapboards, split out of oak logs, three and one-half feet long, and from six to eight inches wide. These were laid
double and held down by weight poles. The upper floor of this cabin was made of the same material; the lower or first floor was made of logs about eight feet long. These logs were split from four to six inches in thickness, and hewed on the upper side. The windows consisted of mere holes cut in the sides of the cabin, with upright and horizontal sticks placed across for sash, and over the whole of this net-work was pasted oiled white paper through which light was admitted. The door, rudely constructed, was hung by means of two large wooden hinges reaching across the door and pinned on with wooden pins. The hook or pin upon which the hinge played was of wood also. Neither nail nor spike was used in the construction of the building. The bedsteads were made in the cor- ners of the rooms with one post for each bed, made of a round stick two and a half feet high, with two holes bored through it, one above the other and at right angles. Also two holes bored in the logs of the house, and poles placed in these holes, reaching from post to house logs. These posts formed the bed rails, and for bed cords hichory withes were used, laid across or stretched from side to side. The tables were made of four small poles, in pairs, crossed, which formed the legs. Through the center of each of these pair of legs a pole the length of the table was put, and then on top a puncheon was pinned fast for a leaf. In this way their tables were made, somewhat clumsily, to be sure, but very solid and durable.
The chairs were also of an odd construction, and were made of blocks of wood; in short the furniture was in every respect of the simplest manufacture, and was made more for use than for ornament. Their knives. forks, spoons, plates, and dishes were very limited as to num- ber. These times, however, did not last long, for about the year 1807 Justice Meeker built a shop, in which he put his lathe, the only one then and for a long time afterwards used in the township. This lathe had a spring-pole fastened over head, with a buckskin string connecting the two, by which the motive power was communi- cated. With this machinery many and valu- able were the articles manufactured, especi- ally the wooden plates, bowls, spoons, and wooden dishes, also wooden knives and forks. The best of timber, generally maple, was used
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in the manufacture of these articles. These vessels were used for various purposes, in short, for as many purposes as the culinary art of that early day required.
In 1805 Hillman and Daniel Meeker were in the township before they moved their families, and at that time commenced the building of a saw-mill, but did not complete it until 1807, when the mill was put in operation, and from that time on the neighbors could secure boards instead of puncheons for their floors, and for many other purposes. This mill was the first one in the township. It was situated one-half mile north of the corners, and one-half mile east on Yankee creek. The stream becoming turbu- lent washed out the dam before the mill was set to running.
Groceries were hard to obtain in those days. Sometimes the neighbors would take their rifles and ox teams and go to Youngstown. These trips were not particularly dangerous, save for the troublesome wolves, that kept the men awake at night, and on guard, to protect themselves and their property. Salt was at that time worth $25 per barrel, and other necessaries of life were proportionally high and hard to obtain. In 1807 Harvey Hungerford built a flouring-mill on the north side of Yankee creek, on land subse- quently owned by Milo Dugan, which was the first flouring-mill in the township. It was built on the south end of the dam of Meeker's saw- mill. Ebenezer Barnes made the mill-stones out of a large bowlder found in the woods, one- half mile west of Tyrrell Hill, or about two miles from the mill. Justice Meeker was the miller at that time.
Some time previous Elijah Tyrrell had in- creased the size of his blacksmith shop and was by this time largely increasing his business; in fact, the corners was becoming widely known. A saw-mill, a grist-mill, and a blacksmith shop being located here, drew custom from many of the townships, and even from Youngstown and other points. In 1812 Abijah Tyrrell moved to the township, and at first lived with his twin brother Elijah, until he could build himself a house, and went with Elijah Tyrrell's son, Asahel, now a resident of Tyrrell Hill, into the black- smith shop. In this shop, which partook some- what of the character of a machine-shop, they manufactured plows, shares, axes, scythes, shav-
ing knives, hoes, chains, etc. The Tyrreils made the first scythes manufactured in Trumbull county, and were largely patronized in this branch of industry until a Mr. Parker, of Kins- man, started up a scythe factory, that was run by water-power, by which the cost of manufacture was so much reduced that the Tyrrells discon- tinued their business.
In 1807 Rev. Joseph Badger, the noted pio- neer missionary, visited the settlement and preached the first sermon.
About this time Seth and Enoch Perkins ar- rived and settled one mile west of Tyrrell Hill. Enoch Perkins soon after his arrival married Clarissa Barnes. This was probably the second wedding in the township.
Two settlers, Richard Houlton and Joseph Pittman, came in 1808. They built their cabins within a few rods of each other in the southern part of the township, dug a well, cleared some land, and after living here three or four years gave up pioneer life and returned to their former homes. Houlton, however, afterwards returned and settled in another part of the township. Solomon Dundee and Abraham Farrow came to Fowler with these men and became permanent settlers. They located east of Tyrrell corners.
Other early comers in the township made a few improvements, but becoming weary of life in the woods or discouraged by hardships, re- turned to civilization. Only stout hearts and determined spirits can endure the life of a pioncer.
Alfred Bronson settled at Tyrrell's corners in 1812, and for many years was a local preacher of the Methodist church. He is still living and resides in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. He is now in the ninetieth year of his age. While he resided in Fowler he was often the orator at Fourth of July celebrations.
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