USA > Ohio > Mahoning County > History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Vol. II > Part 90
USA > Ohio > Trumbull County > History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Vol. II > Part 90
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Luther Matthews, son of James Matthews, was born in Liberty township, Trumbull county, Ohio, May 15, 1819. January 7, 1847, he mar- ried Lavinia Lightbourn, daughter of Joseph and Eleanor (Kyle) Lightbourn, who was born in Youngstown, Mahoning county, Ohio, June 29, 1825. Joseph Lightbourn was a native of Penn- sylvania, born in 1795, came to Trumbull county in an early day, and located in Youngstown. He died in 1824. His wife survived him until Oc- tober, 1856. After their marriage in 1847 Mr. and Mrs. Matthews settled on the place where she still lives, which they cleared up and im- proved. Besides general farming he also dealt in live stock. He died December 11, 1877. They were the parents of six children, of whom five are living-Ella S., born November 21, 1847, now the wife of Frank Brown, and resid- ing in Meadville, Pennsylvania ; Frances M., born October 30, 1849, wife of C. P. Roden- baugh, of Kent, Ohio; Mary E., born March 18, 1852 ; Alfred E., May 4, 1866; Luther E., Au- gust 30, 1870.
William Ernest came to Trumbull county with his mother and step-father when fifteen years of age, in the fall of 1833. The family settled in Champion township. He was born in 1818; mar- ried in 1839 Nancy Leonard, and located in War- ren. He learned the carpenter trade, and has followed it ever since. He has always been a hard-working, industrious man. He has three children, viz : Henry H., Comfort A., and Ma- ry I., wife of John C. Pew, of Lordstown. Henry was born in Warren, Ohio, April 14, 1840, mar-
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ried Fidelia McKibbin, of Braceville, and until recently has lived in that township; has one child, Rowley Ward. Comfort A., born Febru- ary 10, 1842, married Cornelia Oviatt, of Brace- ville, and has three children, viz: Albert, Hat- tie, and Jessie.
Christian Gleich was a native of Germany, and emigrated to this country with his parents when about eight years of age. His father, John Gleich, was a soldier under Napoleon, and was wounded in several engagements. He settled, on coming to Trumbull county, in Warren town- ship, afterwards removing to Braceville. He died in Indiana at the age of ninety-three or ninety-four, having removed to that Sate in 1867. Christian Gleich married about 1847, Caroline Smith, of Braceville, and settled soon after where his son George now lives. He was en- gaged in farming and dealing in live stock dur- ing his life. He died in 1871, in the fiftieth year of his age. His widow is still living at Phalanx. They were the parents of five children. Two sons and two daughters are living, as fol- lows: George, on the home place (married Al- mira C. Heintzleman, and has four children); Caroline (Weaver), in Braceville; Frank, at Phalanx; Eliza Ann living with her mother. Ed- ward was killed by the kick of a horse in June, 1875, in his fifteenth year. George Gleich, who occupies the home place, is engaged in farming, and is an extensive dealer in live stock.
John G. Barkley, a native of Germany, emi- grated to the United States in an early day and settled in. Warren township. He married Chris- tina Houseman, also born in Germany. He worked on the Pennsylvania & Ohio canal, and also followed farming. He lived on Duck creek, one mile south of Leavittsburg, and died there in 1848. His wife survived him, and died May 21, 1867. They were members of the Lutheran church. Gottleib D. Barkley, their second son, was born in Warren township, Trumbull county, in 1843; married Emma Josephine, daughter of Thomas Craig, of Warren township, and settled where he now lives in Braceville. He has one child living, and one deceased-John C., and Lucy J.
James Burnett was born in Kent, Portage county, Ohio, September 11, 1820. His father, Samuel Burnett, was born in Pennsylvania, May 11, 1792, and came to Ohio in 1804, locating in
Portage county. He married in Trumbull county, Isabel Matthews, and removed to Weathersfield about 1835, and to Braceville in 1856, where they lived until their deaths-he died in August 1869, and his wife in 1861. James Burnett learned the blacksmith trade, and worked at his trade in Austintown, now Mahoning county, two years, then settled in Braceville, Trumbull county, where he remained until 1871, when he removed to Warren, purchasing the Dr. Leavitt place, where he still lives. For the past three years he has followed farming and stock-raising, owning two farms of one hundred and fifty-three and one hundred and thirty-five acres each. He was married December 29, 1844, to Miss Eliza- beth, daughter of Joseph Lightbourn, who was born in Youngstown, Ohio, January 11, 1820. Two children were born of this union-Mrs. Reuben Johnson, born November 20, 1847, and Mrs. S. A. Elwell, December 20, 1854.
CHAPTER XX.
MECCA.
GENERAL FEATURES.
Mecca township is among the later settlements of this county, consequently its history is not as interesting in respect to pioneer life, adventures, and hardships as that of some of the older com- munities. A considerable portion of the town- ship is well improved, and contains some excel- lent farming land. Mecca has no important manufacturing interests, no railroads, and no vil- lages of importance, consequently it supports but a small population, which is chiefly engaged in agriculture.
The township is divided by Mosquito creek into two unequal portions. This stream enters the township from the north and pursues a course almost directly southward, entering Ba- zetta only a few rods east of the north and south center line of that township. About five-eighths of the land of Mecca lies west of the creek. Several small brooks from the east and one from the west join the Mosquito in this township. The bottom land of the creek is quite extensive. As it is low it is frequently overflowed. The
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surface is somewhat variable. A ridge extends through the township, north and south, on the east side of the creek; then come the bottom lands, and in the northwestern quarter of the township highlands more elevated than those east of the creek. The southwest of the town- ship is like a level plain. It contains much swampy ground, which has never yet been im- proved for farming purposes. The surface is but little broken, the valleys of the smaller streams being shallow.
The soil is good. In it clayey loam predomi- nates, though a mixture of sand is usually found in all the uplands. Grass and almost all other staple farm crops flourish.
The geological features of this township are of considerable interest. Underlying the surface of the land west of the creek are found the Mecca oils, to which further allusion will be made in this chapter. A few discoveries of oil east of the creek have been made in the north- ern part of the township, but these deposits are mostly confined to West Mecca. A natural car- bon gas escapes from the ground in some places. In one or two instances this gas has been utilized for heating purposes. The well from which the chief supply is obtained is east of the creek, and appears to be inexhaustible. Mr. L. Pierson has been burning gas in his stove for some time.
At East Mecca corners is a village of ten or twelve houses, one store, three churches, etc. This was the business place of the township for many years, as settlements were not made west of the creek until quite extended improvements had taken place in East Mecca.
West Mecca has a few more houses than East Mecca, but as it has but one church and one store, the rival villages are of almost equal un- importance.
Mecca is the sixth township in the third range, and lies between Bristol on the west and John- ston on the east. Greene is north and Bazetta south of it.
OWNERSHIP.
The land in this township was purchased from the Connecticut Land company by Turhand Kirtland, William Ely, Kingsbury, and Cowles. The Kirtland tract was the most extensive, in- cluding nearly all of the northern half of the township. The other tracts, like this, extended across the township from east to west, and were
thus located, beginning at the north: Kirtland tract, Cowles tract, Kingsbury tract, Ely tract.
Judge Kirtland lived in Poland, and being anxious to have his tract settled, made very easy terms with the purchasers, leaving the payment of the principal optional with the contractor so long as the interest was kept up. Such easy terms no doubt induced many pioneers to come to this township while it was yet a most uninvit- ing region, remote from the rest of the world, and only reached by difficult journeys through extensive swamps.
SETTLEMENT.
The history of the settlement of Mecca is less interesting than that of many townships for two reasons : first, it was made quite late ; and sec- ond, but few families descended from the first pioneers are now represented here. From the best sources of information now available we have succeeded in gathering the following state- ments :
The first settler was Joseph Dawson, who came from Poland township, the southeast cor- ner of the Reserve, about the year 1811. He located about one and three-fourths miles north of East Mecca, on what is known as the Read farm. Here Dawson built the first cabin in the township, and his family continued to be the only one in the township for nearly two years. Later he moved away.
John Rose, Dawson's father-in-law, came about 1813, and settled north of Dawson, on the Thompson farm. This family was also from Poland, and and continued permanent residents of Mecca, making worthy, straightforward citizens. Some representatives of the family-the third generation-still remain.
At just what date other early settlers arrived nothing can now be definitely learned. From the recollection of one of the old residents it has been ascertained that in 1819 the following were inhabitants of this township, all living on the east side of the creek : Lemuel Hickock, Peter Row, Samuel Phillips, Sylvester Taylor, Martin Daniels, Daniel Tucker, Joseph Phillips, a Mr. Ballard, Joseph Headly, Joseph Barstow, a Mr. Sturgis, and Seymour Hunt. With the two families previously mentioned, these made a total of fourteen families in the township at the date given.
Joseph Phillips was the first blacksmith in the
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township. He resided on the farm where his grandson Christopher now lives.
Lemuel Hickock lived at the corners. Of his family, Oscar spent his days in Mecca, John settled in Greene, and his daughter died quite young.
Peter Row first settled one mile south of East Mecca, where Herman Lake now lives.
Joy Sperry, previous to 1824, settled on a farm one mile and a half south of the corners. He sold to a man named Craft and moved to the Herman Lake farm.
In 1820 the first settlement in that part of the township lying west of the creek was made by Joseph Buttles, who remained the only resident of West Mecca for about eight years. His farm was about a mile north of West Mecca, on Pow- ers' corners, and is now owned by O. M. Ben- ton. Two of his sons, Edmond and Justin, were married and had families. Another son lived here unmarried. All moved away quite early.
In December, 1824, Joseph Chaffee settled one-fourth of a mile north of East Mecca. He came hither from Bristol township, to which he had moved from Massachusetts in 1813. Mr. Chaffee died in Bristol in 1869, having removed there about two years before. He brought up five daughters and one son. Two of the daugh- ters are now living. The son, J. G. Chaffee, re- sides in Mecca.
Ira Knapp was born in Vermont in 1800. He married in New York State, and in 1825 came to Mecca and settled in the eastern part of the township. He reared a family of nine children, all of whom were born in this towship. Five are still living. Mr. Knapp is now the only liv- ing pioneer who was the head of a family at the time of coming here, with perhaps one or two exceptions.
Of the township at the time of his coming Mr. Knapp says:
The Buttles family were the only inhabitants of the west side of the creek. The only roads were paths marked by blazed trees. The road to the Johnston line had not even been bushed out. Some of the brooks had pole bridges across them. There were no frame buildings in the town- ship except a few small shantics. A log school-house was partly built at East Mecca when I came, and I helped to finish it. Mr. Bartlett, of Greene, was among the first teach- ers there. He received about $10 per month, but not in money. The settlers paid him for teaching by helping him clear his farmi in Greene.
A few years after settling here Mr. Knapp
bought ten sheep of Judge Kirtland, of Poland. The wolves caught all of them except two, in several instances coming into the yard near the cabin to seize their prey.
Martin Daniels lived where William Love now resides. His son Stephen married a daughter of Steven Pettis and moved to the northeast of the township. Pettis was an early settler east of the creek.
John Cook, from Cayuga county, New York, settled south of the east corners in 1831. His famny consisted of nine children; five are still living: James, Zachariah, Aaron, Polly, and Wealthy. Nathan Cook, brother of John, came to the township the next year. He is still living on the farm where he first settled, at the center of Mecca. He reared three sons and four daughters.
Abner Mason, born in Cheshire, Massachu- setts, in 1766, died in Mecca in 1841. Priscilla, his wife, born in Dalton, Massachusetts, in 1771, died here in 1847. Noble Mason, their son, long known as 'Squire Mason, died in 1880. He was born in Cazenovia, New York, in 1810. In 1817 the family moved to Boardman town- ship, and in 1828 to Mecca. They settled west of the creek and were the second family in West Mecca. Noble Mason taught the first school west of the creek, when he was eighteen years old. He married Lora P. Brown, who was born in Connecticut in 1813 and still survives. To them were born two sons and two daughters. The sons and one daughter are still living. 'Squire Mason was an elder and a prominent member of his church. Besides being justice of the peace several years he held about every township office.
N. W. Palmer, Esq., an old resident and respected citizen of Mecca, was born in Stoning- ton, New London county, Connecticut, March 13, 1811. After a few years' residence in New York State, he settled in Mecca in 1833, where he has since resided. September 22, 1837, he mar- ried Lucretia M. Abell. The result of this union has been two sons and two daughters. Mr. Pal- mer has been justice of the peace many years. He is one of our most substantial farmers.
Herman Benton, who bought out the Buttles farm, lived and died in this township. His son, Orris M., now lives on a part of the old place, and William S. Benton, Esq., near East Mecca.
Joseph Wing was an early settler at West Mec-
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ca corners. He sold out to Jacob Powers, of Youngstown, who resided here several years. The place is still called Powers' corners.
Joseph W. Smith and his father, William Smith, were early settlers in the northwest of the township. S. F. Smith, only son of Joseph, is one of the worthy farmers and esteemed citizens of this township.
ORGANIZATION.
The township of Greene as organized in 1806 embraced the territory of the present townships of Greene and Mecca, with other adjoining townships. By 1821 number six of the third range had sufficient population to form a distinct township, and was therefore organized under the name of Mecca. All the early records have been lost, therefore no list of early township officers can be given.
A DENSE WILDERNESS.
A heavy growth of the usual varieties of forest timber originally covered the surface of this township. This growth was thickly interspersed with underbrush, frequently forming almost im- penetrable thickets. Beech, maple, oak, hickory, poplar, white-ash, black walnut, basswood, etc., covered the driest portion of the highlands, while in the creek bottom and swales grew swamp oak, black-ash, soft maple, etc., in abundance.
Game abounded ; deer and wild turkeys were especially numerous. Said a pioneer to the writer : "I have stood in the door of my log cabin when a dozen deer were in sight."
The howling of wolves at night, a dismally frightful sound, often resounded near the settler's dwelling. Bears also lurked about, but it does not appear that they caused the trouble here which molested the earlier settlements.
For several years the only routes of travel were roads bushed out sufficiently to allow the passing of a horse or a yoke of oxen, and paths marked by blazed trees. In wet seasons travel was impossible through some parts of the town- ship. As all the settlers usually went to Bristol to do their milling, the wet land about the creek and the swamps beyond had to be traversed fre- quently, but it was long before any roads were established.
PRIMITIVE AGRICULTURE.
As the roots of the trees here grew quite near to the top of the ground, it was usual for the
settler, having selected his driest ground, to fell the timber and then burn over the ground as thoroughly as possible. Then good crops of oats and wheat could be raised by harrowing in the seed, where the roots could be cleared away suf- ficiently to admit of harrowing.
Very good crops of corn were often raised by planting the seed in a hole made in the earth by a hoe or an axe. No hoeing or cultivating en- sued, excepting to cut up the " fire weeds " when they appeared.
One crop of grain was usually harvested, then the land was allowed to run to grass until the roots and stumps had rotted so that a plow could be used.
Many of the settlers while hurning off the timber carefully saved the ashes and from them made potash-an article which usually had a ready sale and brought cash.
THE FIRST HOUSES
in this township were not built by the early white settlers, nor were the first trees cut by them. On the contrary, much work had been accomplished before any settler came into the township. Trees had been cut, streams dammed, houses and even villages had been built in this township, perhaps centuries before the foot of man ever trod its soil. These works were the result of the labor of a race which is now nearly extinct, namely, the beavers.
On the stream which enters Mosquito creek from the west were several beaver dams of suf- ficient height to flood several acres of land in each pond. The most eastern of these dams was about a mile north of the center of the township, and it was converted into a mill-dam by 'Squire Mason, who put up a saw-mill there about the year 1834.
ELECTIONS
of this township are held alternately at East and West Mecca. This arrangement was made in very early times, and has always been ob- served. The offices are equitably divided be- tween the representatives of the two com- munities, and thus a harmonious relation is per- petuated.
THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
This is the oldest religious organization in the township. It was formed December 6, 1822, by Rev. Ephraim T. Woodruff, of the Connecticut
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Missionary society, and Rev. Harvey Coe, of the Domestic Missionary society of Grand River. The following were members of the church at the time of its organization: John Rose, Sr., Friend Buttles, Susannah Buttles, Sterling Adkins, Mary Adkins, Ruhamah Tucker, Orilla Hickok, Almira Buttles, Eunice Rose. The following joined at the dates given :
September 15, 1827. Joseph Buttrick, Eliza- beth M. Buttrick, Almon Cowdery, Mary Cow- dery, Deney Cowdery.
July 2, 1829. Electa Buttles, Catharine Mead, Betsey Knapp.
July 3, 1831. Justus St. John, Sally St. John, Polly Hickok, Delia Hickok.
The church was received by the presbytery February 4, 1824. The first officers were John Rose, Sr., moderator ; Friend Buttles, clerk ; John Rose, Sterling Adkins, and Friend Buttles, standing committee.
In 1842 a plan of union and articles of agree- ment were entered into by both Congregation- alists and Presbyterians. The church has now been purely Congregational for some years.
Among the clergymen who have preached here were Revs. Woodruff, Darrow, Miller, Eels, Pepoon, Winans, and others. The latter was first a Methodist, but changed to a Congrega- tionalist, and supplied this pulpit many years.
The church numbered a total of fifty-one mem- bers in 1881. They met in East Mecca at the house owned by the Congregationalists and Free-will Baptists. The first house which they occupied was a small frame building bought by them and fitted up as a church. It stood near the present site of John Chaffee's house near the Public square.
THE FREE-WILL BAPTIST CHURCH was organized June 4, 1832, by Elders D. M. L. Rollin and George Collins. The meeting was held at the house of Alanson Smith. The church consisted of seven members, but who they were is not stated in the record. Levi Rice was chosen clerk. Among the earliest members were Herman Johnston, Lyman Pierson, Almira Smith, Mrs. Chaffee, Ezra Dickinson, Cynthia Coats, N. Coats, Huldah Smith, Chloe Headley, Rebecca Hadsell, Sally Ann Root, Electa Abell, and Edward Root.
Rev. I. M. I. Rollin was the first preacher. Associated with him in his work was Elder
Samuel Weir. Freeman Straight held meetings in 1840. In 1847 Rev. S. A. Aldritch was pastor; in 1854 Rev. S. T. Bates. Sixteen addi- tions to the church were made through the preaching of the pastor and Evangelist McCon- nough. Rev. E. H. Higbee, for ten years the pastor, entered upon his labors in 1858.
In 1858-59 occurred a revival which added fifteen members to the church. In 1863 Rev. E. B. Baker assisted in holding revival meetings, and fourteen members were added. Since 1863 the pastors have been Revs. John Rogers, N. M. Farr, and E. H. Higbee.
Rev. Rufus Clark held meetings in 1876. There has been no preaching since. In 1870 the church had thirty-seven resident members and seventeen non-resident.
The church edifice of this denomination is a umon house, built by the Congregationalists and the Free-will Baptists, each owning one-half of the church property. The house was finished in 1839. It was erected some years previously, and used for some time while in an unfinished condition.
THE BAPTIST CHURCH.
The first regular Baptist society of Mecca was organized February 13, 1833. Henry K. Hultz was chosen moderator and Noble Mason clerk. The officers then elected were 'Squire Mason, John Cook, Virgilus E. Remington, trustees, and David Campbell, clerk of the society. The members were: John Cook, Henry K. Hultz, Uzal W. Bowen, 'Squire Mason, David Camp- bell, Alanson McCollour, Daniel Ferguson, Vir- gilius E. Remington, Martin Daniels, Philander S. Crittenden, Asahel Chapman, George Sperry, James Cook, Noah Bowen, and William Hull. The first church was a hewed log house on the site of the present edifice. It would appear from the church record that the first organization did not long survive, as we find one page of the record headed "Constitution of the regular Bap- tist society, formed April 4, 1841," with names appended as follows: Henry K. Hultz, John Cook, Abner Mason, James Cook, Noah Bowen, Abisha S. Underwood, Lyman Pierson, Samuel Buck, Amos Cook, Bela Phelps, Jr., Josiah Gal- pin, William Liddle, Zachariah Cook, Samuel Jerrold, Jesse Griswold, Lucius S. Brown, Dan- iel Higby.
In 1841 the present beautiful church edifice
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at East Mecca was built. Elder Joshua Wood- worth was the first regular preacher, and served as pastor a long term of years. Mr. Dodge was another early preacher. Rev. Bela Phelps was pastor a long time. At one time the church had eighty members, but its numbers gradually diminished, and the society has maintained no preaching for several years.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
Of this church Mr. William Irwin, its oldest member, says:
In 1837 a Methodist society, which met at East Mecca, was in existence. How long it had been organized I cannot say. The class was moved to West Mecca about 1839. Among the members at that time were Joseph Duncan, John Dean, Ambrose Irwin, William Irwin, and others, with their wives. Harrison Richards and wife joined soon after. Other mem- bers I do not recollect. The house at West Mecca was built in 1845, at a cost of about $1,800. It is a good building, and in good repair. The church has a strong membership of fifty or more.
The first preachers I remember were Stephen Hubbard, J. L. Baker, Henry Winans, John Crum, and Elliott. A re- vival conducted by Elders Holmes and Joseph Leslie, about thirty years ago, added quite a number of members. Thir- teen years ago there was a great revival under Rev. J. F. Hill's preaching.
As no early records of this church can be found the above is all that the writer can learn concerning the organization.
THE DISCIPLES' CHURCH.
This church was organized March 22, 1851. The following officers were then elected : Daniel Hosford and Silas N. Jones, overseers; George W. Dean and Thomas Stanley, deacons. Its members were: Robert Wilson, Hanford Terry, George W. Dean, S. N. Jones, Calvin Wanne- maker, Daniel Hosford, Coresta Knapp, Lovina Jones, Jane Wannemaker, Lucinda Walden, Hannah Knox (Rice), Eunice McCollour, Maria H. Dean, Laura Terry, Eliza Wilson, Mary A. Milliken, Lewis Day, Thomas Stanley, Edward Abell, Eliza Abell, Paulina Hosford, John Root, Olive Root, Mary Ann Stanley, and Mary Ben- nett. The church edifice is at East Mecca. It was dedicated March 6, 1868. The church has a fair membership of zealous workers.
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