USA > Ohio > Mahoning County > History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Vol. II > Part 84
USA > Ohio > Trumbull County > History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Vol. II > Part 84
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of 1844 the institution was opened with Franklin B. Hough principal. The school has been fairly successful considering the small population of the community on which it depends for support. The number of teachers has been large. James H. Brainard, John B. Beach, and E. P. Clisbee, each taught several terms. The present princi- pal, Mr. L. P. Hodgman, has been at the head of the school two years. The usual number of pupils is from fifty to seventy-five.
In 1881 a building to be used as a boarding hall was erected. It cost, including furnishing, about $2,300.
MASONIC.
Gustavus lodge No. 442, Free and Accepted Masons, was organized under a dispensation April 19, 1870. A charter was granted October 19; 1870, to the following charter members: James S. Cowden, Robert Kennedy, Samuel Jones, Jr., A. P. Case, J. H. Fobes, William P. Fobes, Charles Wilder, C. C. Case, L. J. Morey, Edward Bladen, Thaddeus Morey, L. H. Fobes, A. D. DeBow, Charles Pease, J. R. Evans, John C. Smith, T. D. Pelton, L. D. Brainard, George C. Logan, Robert Sadler, David Allen, M. D. Cowden, H. J. Barnes, A. E. Brainard, Lauren Coleman, G. W. Harrington, J. H. Hubbard, R. C. Rice, Robert Evans, George W. Phillips, Marshall Lattin, L. B. Brainard, S. M. Hathaway, and Edward Spear.
The first officers were, Edward Spear, W. M .; Robert Kennedy, S. W .; A. P. Case, J. W .; Lauren Coleman, treasurer; John C. Smith, secretary; L. J. Morey, S. D .; M. Lattin J. D .; L. D. Brainard, tyler, and Rev. J. F. Hill, chap- lain.
The past masters from the foundation of the lodge have been as follows: Edward Spear, Robert Kennedy, Lauren Coleman, John C. Smith, Richard K. Hulse, L. J. Morey, and F. A. Kinnear.
The lodge is at present in a good condition with fifty-four members.
CHURCH HISTORY.
The first sermon ever preached in this town- ship was delivered by Rev. Thomas Robbins, at the house of Jesse Pelton, soon after the settle- ment began. Robbins was sent to the Reserve by the Connecticut Missionary society. He, Mr. Badger, Mr. Osgood, and others preached
occasionally in Gustavus until 1809, when Rev. Henry Cowles (Congregationalist), of Austin- burg, preached during the summer at the house of Josiah Pelton, who paid him, principally, for his work.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
The Methodist church at Gustavus center is a very old organization, and as all of its early rec- ords are lost, we have been able to gather very few particulars concerning it.
A class was formed about 1809, and among its members were Zenas, Polly, and Mercy Pelton, Eliphaz and Roger Perkins, and Thomas Partridge. Missionaries came but rarely to visit them, and when there was no preaching here the people met with the church in Kinsman. In summer it was customary for those who walked to church to carry their shoes and stockings in their hands until they came near to the meeting-house; then sitting down, they clothed their feet, and entered the sacred edifice with becoming reverence. In winter little tin foot stoves were carried to church. Warming the house by stoves was a later, and some thought a profane, innovation.
Singing was considered a part of the worship and was conducted with much earnestness and solemnity. "A joyful noise unto the Lord" was made by the harmonious blending of the voices of all the worshipers.
At an early date the Methodists erected a house of round logs one mile north of the center, where they continued to meet for some years. Their present church edifice at the center was erected about 1860, and is a very neat and com- fortable house. The church is now large and prosperous. About two hundred members be- long to it.
In the winter months of 1881 one of the greatest revivals ever known in this section took place in this church. One hundred persons ex- perienced religion. Rev. W. J. Wilson, the pres- ent pastor, is grandly successful in his labors.
THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
A meeting was held for the purpose of form- ing a church organization April 27, 1825. After an introductory prayer by Rev. Joseph Badger a sermon was delivered by Rev. Ephraim T. Woodruff. Letters were read from the churches of Vernon and Wayne containing the following
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names of persons to be constituted a church in Gustavus : Jehiel and Rhoda Bidwell, Joseph and Eunice Hart, Asa and Hepsibah Case, Eliza Cowden, Naomi Gerrills, Faith A. Mills, William and Marquis Roberts, Aaron Lyon, Curtis B. Coe, Ira Skinner (died March 17, 1825), Hepsi- bah, Achsah, and Riley Skinner, Rufus and Alcinda Beman, Luther and Mary Jones, Seth St. John, Abner Waters and wife. Truman Cow- den, Cyrus Bailey, and Abigail Bailey were ex- amined for admission and baptized. The above- named persons were then solemnly organized into a Congregational church.
The above is from the church record, signed "Joseph Badger, moderator." The church was organized on the plan of union adopted by the most of the early Congregational and Presby- terian churches.
June 15, 1825, the first church officers were elected, as follows: Rufus Beman, clerk; Rufus Beman, Asa Case, and Abner Waters, standing committee; and Rufus Beman, deacon. At the same date it was voted that the presbytery be requested to take the church under its care. Oc- tober 19, 1825, Rev. Joseph Badger was installed as pastor, Rev. Mr. Cowles preaching the ser- mon upon that occasion. Rev. Joseph Badger continued to supply this pulpit until 1835, when he resigned on account of the infirmities of age and a partial loss of his voice.
June 16, 1835, Rev. Benjamin Fenn was installed pastor, in the presence of Revs. Towne, of Warren; Bowton, of Farmington; Mcllvaine, of Kinsman; Badger, former pastor; and Evans, of Vernon.
He was succeeded by Rev. E. B. Chamberlain, who was installed February 7, 1844. At this in- stallation the following ministers were present and took part in the exercises: Revs. O. S. Eells, H. B. Eldred, T. J. Keep, A. Cone, B. Fenn, J. T. Pitkin, and H. Betts. Since that date the following have served as pastors and supplies : J. B. Allen, 1850; A. Cone, 1855-59: Joseph H. Spelman, 1860; E. B. Chamberlain, 1861; Henry B. Dye, 1865. Mr. Dye closed his labors in 1866, and the church has main- tained no preaching since that date. Difference of opinion upon the slavery question caused the Congregationalists to withdraw and form a sep- arate church. The Presbyterians, greatly re- duced in numbers, managed to struggle on a
while longer, but finally yielded to the might of necessity.
At one time the church was very prosperous. At the close of Rev. Badger's labors there were sixty-six members. The number continued to increase under his successors. A large and costly church edifice was erected at the center, which has never yet been disposed of by the church.
The Scotch Presbyterians formerly had a church organization in the eastern part of the township, but it is now extinct.
THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
of Gustavus was organized September 5, 1852, by Rev. F. E. Lord, with seventeen members- Lucius and Huldah Badger, William Johnson, Samuel Krahl, Phebe Gilder, Sally Gilder, I .. L., Theodosia, and Curtis P. Sheldon, William and Thersa Roberts, Mary A. Krahl, Huldah Hum- phrey, Adeline Meacham, Phebe Moses and Wealthy Burlingame. Lucius Badger was chosen deacon, November 25, 1852. In May, 1853, Abram Griswold was elected deacon. December 28, 1853, the following church officers were elected : William Johnson, Reuben Wakefield, and C. P. Sheldon, trustees ; and L. L. Sheldon, clerk. The first pastor was Rev. E. H. Fair- child, followed by E. J. Comings, Johnson Wright, W. W. Foot, H. D. King, B. F. Mark- ham, L. J. Donaldson, and E. P. Clisbee, who began his labors in 1879. The number of mem- bers is about fifty. The church has a very good house.
CHAPTER XVII. BAZETTA.
The original proprietors of the land now con- tained in this township were David Huntington, Nathaniel Shalor, Samuel P. Lord, Sylvester Mather, and Richard McCurdy ; and it embraces by the land company's survey 17,247 acres. Af- terwards a special survey was made for these pro- prietors by David Wolcott, when it was found that the former survey was in error by two hun- dred and seventy-five acres short, the surplus ac- cruing to the purchasers. The above-named
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persons formed a company and received the deeds of the lands from the Connecticut Land company, dated September 20, 1798. In 1802 the company formed by the proprietors, as above mentioned, had the land surveyed in separate portions and divided among themselves. Na- thaniel Shalor received for his share the northern part of the tract beginning at lot number one and extending to lot number thirty-seven, inclu- sive, comprising in all 7,300 acres. David Hun- tington received lots numbers eight and thirty- four. Sylvester Mather received lots numbers thirty-nine and sixty-five, inclusive, and altogeth- er amounting to 4,469 acres. Richard McCurdy received lots numbers sixty-six and ninety, and all inclusive, or 4, 118 acres. S. P. Lord received lots numbers ninety-one and one hundred on the southern border, and all inclusive, or 1,635 acres. From these proprietors the early settlers made their purchases, and soon the settlement of Ba- zetta began.
LOCATION AND BOUNDARY.
This township is the central one of the twen- ty-five townships which now comprise Trumbull county, and its central point therefore is the center of the county. On this account some years ago an effort was made to have the county seat located here; but other influences were then more potent than the convenience of a central location for the court-house and the business of the county. The oldest settlement having been made at Warren, and the settlement of the town- ship itself having been made in the northeast corner the project of removal of the court- house proved unsuccessful.
Bazetta as now constituted is bounded on the north by Mecca, east by Fowler, south by How- land, and on the west by Champion. The nat- ural drainage is effected by Mosquito creek, which enters the township a short distance east of the central part of the north boundary, and after receiving several tributaries, mostly from the east, and flowing directly southward, leaves the township at a central point on the south.
This creek divides the township almost into halves, and in former times formed a boundary line of distinction between the settlers on the east and west side. Those of the west side were known as "west-siders," and those on the east as "east-siders."
Confusion run is a tributary of the Mosquito, and takes its rise in the northeast part of lot fifty- one, southeast of Cortland, and flowing south- west empties into the Mosquito in lot eighty-six. The singular name of this creek originated from the following incident of early times; Benjamin Rowlee, Henry K. Hulse, and an- other man whose name cannot now be remem- bered, were in the neighborhood on some expe- dition, and the wilderness was so dense, the roads unmarked, and the signs of civilization so unde fined that they became lost, and in wandering through the woods would come upon this little stream, from which they would take their "bear- ings" and again attempt to find their way to the settlement, but time and again they lost their way and would find themselves at the creek again. So they very appropriately called it "Confusion," by which name it is known to this day.
The soil in the western part of the town- ship is mostly clay; the eastern portion is a mix- ture of sand and gravel, and is generally product- tive. In 1880 the estimated products were 8, 103 bushels of wheat, 14,223 bushels of corn, 2,433 tons of hay, 192 bushels of flax-seed, 28,155 pounds of butter, 298,558 pounds cheese, 21,005 pounds of maple sugar, and in the spring of 1881, 687 gallons of maple syrup. The timber is largely of maple, beech, and chestnut, and various other kinds common to this section of the State.
The Atlantic & Great Western railroad ex- tends diagonally across the township from north- east to southwest, with the main station at Cort- land. Several stone quarries have been opened in the township, especially in the southwest, from which the stone peculiar to this section, elsewhere described, is found in abundance.
POPULATION AND INDUSTRIES.
The first settlement having been made at what is now Cortland, this locality has still maintained the center of population in the township, while the west and southern parts, however, are thickly settled. Many large farms are located imme- diately east of Cortland, but west of the west center road they are divided into smaller tracts, growing larger, however, toward the south and southeast.
The industries are generally confined to the ag-
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ricultural department, while there is some atten- tion paid to stock-raising, grazing, etc.
MILLS AND FACTORIES.
The only flouring-mill in Bazetta is operated by J. H. & M. C. Post, and is located in the southeast part of the village of Cortland. The building is a frame, two stories high; has a base- ment wall of stone sixteen feet high, and three run of buhrs, with the usual capacity, propelled by both steam- and water-power. The same firm has also a steam saw-mill at the same place which has a capacity of three thousand feet per day. The trade is steady and increasing, necessitating the employment of five and six hands, and altogether embraces the most flour- ishing and successful industrial enterprise in the township.
THE DIAMOND CHEESE FACTORY
is now owned by Richard & Rose, and was built by David Everet in 1875. The factory now has a capacity of about ten boxes per day.
THE CORTLAND CHEESE FACTORY
is the largest factory in the township, and was built about 1868. It is now operated by a stock company, each stockholder a patron, partaking mutually and in proportion to the amount of milk he furnishes. At the present time the milk is brought in by farmers from a large section of the country, and representing the product from eight hundred cows, from which the factory, un- der the management of F. G. Kingdom, produces about twenty-three cheese per day. Butter is also extensively manufactured. Lewis Oatley is the business manager, who sells the products, the receipts of which-averaging about twenty-five cents for butter and ten cents for cheese-is di- vided among the stockholders.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
The first settler in Bazetta was Edward Scho- field, who came to the township about 1804, and settled on the farm now owned by N. A. Cowd- ery, on lot twenty-two. He was born in Connect- icut in 1777, and came to the Reserve in 1797. He assisted in surveying lots in many of the townships and finally settled in Bazetta, alone, with his nearest neighbor five miles distant. In 1817 he was elected to the State Legislature. He was a pious man, often preaching the gospel to the early settlers, and was largely in-
strumental in founding the early religious organ- ization of the township. He is remembered as a generous and liberal man, eminently given to hospitality.
About the same time with Schofield John Budd and family came and settled south of Schofield, on the farm now owned by William B. Kennedy-lot thirty-two. After him came Henry K. Hulse, and settled on the farm now owned by Ephraim Post-lot eight-north of Schofield and Budd ; also Joseph Pruden came and settled north of Hulse, on the present William Davis farm-lot nine. John Godden came about this time, but he did not live long, having died about 1810, and was buried in the orchard lot on the Davis farm. Joshua Oatley and Moses Hamp- ton also came about this same time.
These constituted the settlements made in Bazetta up to the year 1811. In the spring of this year William Davis, Sr., came from Penn- sylvania and settled where Mr. Pruden had first settled, now owned by his son William, where he planted the first orchard in the township. He was accompanied to the new settlement in Ohio by his wife, who yet lives in Bazetta, and is the oldest living settler in the township. She was born in New Jersey July 1, 1784, and is a granddaughter of General Stark, of the Revolu- tionary war ; her maiden name was Ann Luce. At the age of four years her father moved to Washington county, Pennsylvania, where she was afterward married to William Davis, January 1, 1804. She was soon left, by the misfortune of her husband, with a large family and consider- able debt on the farm; but being possessed with remarkable energy, a good constitution, and health, she inspired her children with energy and perseverance that soon cleared the farm of debt. She was left a widow in 1860, the long illness of her husband finally ending in his death.
Mrs. Davis was one of the original members of the Disciple church, and is the only surviving member of that pioneer band. In addition to her own large family she gave a home to three orphan children, who were the subjects of her care with her own. She is now in her ninety- seventh year, and for several years a cataract in the eyes has almost totally destroyed her vision, and the past few years have rendered her frail in body and mind, but she has tender care from
William B. Kennedy.
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solicitous children, and her last days, so far as human hands can minister, will be smoothed peacefully down to the end.
Soon after Mr. Davis, Benjamin Rowlee came with quite a large family of young inen and wo- men, also widow Dixon and family, James Parker, and Moses McMahon with their families. In the following year (1812) the war commenced, which very much retarded the growth of the Bazetta settlement, and which also affected the prosperity of the pioneers for some time. The men of the settlement, with their neighbors throughout the section of country, who were capable of bearing arms, were soon called upon to leave their just begun work when most it needed their care, and go in defence of their country. The oat crop was then ready for gathering, and some of the fields had been mown down, and yet lay in the swath. Some was standing, but the men had to leave all and go.
In these early times very little could be lost without serious damage to the meager supply of the pioneer, whose simplest wants were hardly supplied by the hardest toil.
Let us turn back a leaf in the history of Bazetta, and see an example of patriotism, and especially of female courage and hardihood as shown by the early mothers of the township. The men were gone at their country's call, and the harvest stood half cut in the fields, and was fast going to waste, and they could ill afford to lose it. They saw that it depended upon them to save the harvest, while they already had the care of large families and the various other household duties to perform, but with commend- able spirit and hardy ambition they repaired with their little ones to the fields, and having arranged for the keeping of the infants in the shades of the forest by the older children, they, with sickle, pitchfork, and rake in hand, entered the fields, and saved the grain. On the return of the men they found the harvest well cared for and the other work of the household and farm had suffered but little if any during their absence.
Among those who were called away at this time were Henry Hulse, Benjamin and Constant Rowlee, James and Walter Dixon, William Davis, and Samuel Tanner. After a few skir- mishes with the Indians at Sandusky they all re- turned safely home except Walter Dixon, who
had been wounded but who subsequently recov- ered.
At this time the larger part of the township was almost an unbroken forest, with here and there a log hut, some of them without floor, save the ground; no doors except what were pro- vided by hanging bed quilts across the opening. The windows were made by holes cut through the logs or the mud chinking, over which greased paper was pasted. The better cabins were pro- vided with puncheon floors, but at best they were rude cabins and but meagerly furnished. The pioneer had little time and perhaps less de- sire to provide himself with luxurious comforts ; his life was one of toil and privation, and was spent before the days of luxuries came. His strong frame, bent with toil, lies in the rural grave- yard, and his hardened hands lie folded and quiet at last, while others reap where he has sown.
WILD ANIMALS
were very plenty, and every man was necessarily provided with a dog and gun ; and most of the meat on which the pioneers subsisted was ob- tained from the wild animals of the forest. Deer, bear, wolves, turkeys, and other animals were common game in these days. The how]- ing of the wolves made the night hideous, and it was with difficulty that the sheep and other domestic animals could be kept from being de- voured by them. The pioneers were compelled then to keep a few sheep to provide wool for clothing, and for the purpose of keeping them from the wolves a high, closely-built pen had to be built in which, after being herded by the boys during the day, they were securely fastened at night. Many of the settlers were unable to provide enclosures for their stock, and were com- pelled to turn them loose in the forest to feed, first having put bells on them. William Davis relates that at one time he had so turned his horses out, and desiring to do some ploughing he started to find his horse, and following the sounds of the bell he found the mother of a young colt fighting five wolves that were tearing the colt to pieces. He procured one of the other horses and went immediately for his gun and dog, and when he returned the dog made an attack on the wolves, but was soon overpowered and returned beaten to his master; as the wolves followed the dog Mr. Davis killed one of them,
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and secured the hide and scalp, for which he afterwards received $7. Very often whole flocks of sheep were destroyed by the wolves, thus causing the early settlers no little annoyance and serious loss.
Bears were also very destructive to the swine that the owners were compelled to allow to run in the woods to procure their own feed upon which they were fattened. The sagacious brute after seizing its prey seemed to anticipate pursuit for his theft, and would seek some place where he would have a commanding view of his sur- roundings. One favorite place for one of these animals was on the roots of a tree in the vicinity of the Davis farm, where he would carry his vic- tim and where the well-picked bones would after- wards be found. The bears when killed, as they often were, furnished meat if young, and if they were somewhat old they would be rendered into oil for the lamps.
Deer were very plenty in the fall, and the set- tlers killed very many of them for venison and from their hides manufactured their own eloth- ing. The dressing of the hide was done by soaking it in a brine made by the brains of the animal and warm water. The hair was removed by rubbing with a kind of knife, after which the hide was allowed to remain in the brain water for some time, then taken out, stretched, pulled, and rubbed until it assumed the desired state ready for manufacturing into pants, jackets, etc., the common article of clothing for the early settlers.
Wild turkeys were more common than any game except squirrels, and the boys were com- pelled to keep watch over the buckwheat patches to prevent the wild turkeys from destroying the grain. When it is remembered that if the buck- wheat erop was a failure, Pittsburg was the near- est market where grain could be bought, and that, with the scarcity of money, made the watch over the growing crops a very necessary precau- tion, upon which depended that very common pioneer article of diet, the old-time buckwheat cakes.
In 1816 Samuel Bacon and family came to Bazetta, and at that time there were very few more families here than those mentioned. He had formerly (1807) settled above Warren on the Mahoning, where he had purchased a farm of sixty acres, but in the above year he traded for the mill here, then owned by Bentley & Brooks,
which was operated by the family from that time until 1850, and was the only saw-mill in the neighborhood. They built the upper dam about 1829, the grist-mill having been built by Mr. Schofield about 1812.
The settlement made by Mr. Bacon was des- tined to become the starting point of the princi- pal settlement and ultimately the only village of the township, indications of which were soon apparent. He had erected at this point the first frame building in the township, and soon after the community began to increase in population and the land was laid out in lots and other initial steps were taken for the building of a town. In 182) Enos Bacon, son of Samuel, opened the first store in the little town-then and for a long time afterward known as Bacons- burgh. After the completion of the railroad through the village the railroad company named the station at this place Cortland, since which time the town has been known by that name.
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