USA > Ohio > Mahoning County > History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Vol. II > Part 91
USA > Ohio > Trumbull County > History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties with Illustrations and Biographical Sketches, Vol. II > Part 91
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MISCELLANEOUS NOTES.
The first store was kept at East Mecca by Babcock & Bradley. It was not a successful enterprise, and continued but a short time. Wing, Dodd, and Roberts were the names of other carly merchants. James Hezlep had a
store here for a time ; he sold to Daniel Shehy, who continued in business about fifteen years, and gained considerable money. He sold and removed to Youngstown. Jonathan Fowler built the first frame store in the township, on the west side of the public square, at East Mecca. It is still standing.
The first postmaster was Lemuel Hickok. Until an office was established, Warren and Bris- tol were the nearest post-offices. The first mail route through this township was from Warren to Ashtabula. Afterwards an east and west route was established, from Mercer, Pennsylvania, to . Parkman. Ira Knapp was the contractor. This route was soon discontinued. During its exist- ence mail-bags often went through with nothing in them. On the Warren and Ashtabula route a stage was run for a time. The two post offices of this township now get a daily mail from Cort- land station.
The first tavern was probably kept by Powers. Coats and St. John were early hotel-keepers. Thomas Abell built and kept a public house south of the public square. There was no great amount of travel through Mecca in early times-
Joy Sperry, Samuel Jackson, Williams, Case, Benton, and others built saw-mills quite early ; only a small amount of work was done by any of them. There were no early grist-mills in the township.
The oldest graveyard in the township is situ- ated south of East Mecca. It bears the marks of neglect and dilapidation. The earliest deaths recorded on the gravestones in it are the follow- ing : Enos Clark Pettis, died in 1828, aged twenty-one years; Olive, wife of Stephen Pettis, died in 1829, aged thirty.
The first school-house was built of logs, and stood near the corners at East Mecca. Salome Fuller was the first teacher. The house was also used for religious meetings.
The first white child born was Nancy Dawson. Martin Row is said to have been the first male child. The first death is supposed to have been that of the great grandfather of C. J. Hickok, Esq.
The first practicing physician was Ariel Brad- ley. The first permanent resident physician was Dr. Isaac D. Powers.
WEST MECCA.
The first store at this place was started by T.
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M. Abell about 1860. A number of stores, groceries, hotels, etc., sprang up almost simul- taneously, as the oil excitement was then at its height. Numerous houses and shanties were put up, and "Powers' corners" became for a time a very lively place. The less said of its morals and behavior during those days the better. When oil stock went down, the village relapsed into quiet somnolence, many of the mushroom structures were removed, and West Mecca was freed of its bad habits and bad characters.
MECCA OIL.
It was known to the early settlers that there was oil in the township of Mecca. Evidences of it were frequently found in springs and wells, and often a thin scum of it would collect on standing water. A spring on the farm of Mr. Phillips, south of West Mecca, was one of the first places where oil was discovered. Phillips found that it was a valuable oil for lubricating purposes, and collected and sold small quantities of it, nearly fifty years ago. It was considered an unfortunate thing for a man to have oil upon his farm, as it spoiled the water, and consequent- ly rendered the land unsalable to settlers, there- fore those who found oil seldom said anything about it, thinking they might wish to sell out some time.
But in the years 1859-60-61 the oil regions of Mecca became known to speculators and the supposed discovery that there were " millions in it " gradually dawned upon the land owners of this township. A well was dug, and pumping of oil first commenced on the lot of William H. Jeffries, at West Mecca. The company who operated it were Bonnell, Woods & Jordan. It was thought that a vast deposit had been reached and consequently excitement soon ran up to fever heat. Speculators came from all parts of the country for the purpose of leasing lands. Hundreds of wells were sunk-and likewise thousands of dollars. Land doubled, trebled, and quadrupled in value, and building lots in Mecca ran up to city prices. West Mecca seemed likely to become a great place. A town was laid out in the southern part of the town- ship, and named " Dixie," afterwards " Oil Dig- gings." Hotels, groceries, shanties, fights, drunk- enness, gambling, and other metropolitan vices, in short all the usual accompaniments of great
speculative excitement, flourished in Dixie. Now the place is " gone from off the earth."
The expected wealth did not flow into the pockets of the capitalists as fast as they had an- ticipated. It was soon learned that every well was exhausted after pumping had been carried on for a time. The bubble burst, and pocket- books suffered. The war came on, and many of the adventurers left to find excitement on the field of battle instead of the oil regions.
The oil business is still carried on, however, and with some profit. Rational methods have superseded the wild schemes of speculation, and considerable quantities of Mecca oil are still being taken from the earth. Portable machinery is now used, and when one well has been ex- hausted another is sunk. The oil is found at a depth of from thirty to sixty feet. It is thick and quite heavy, and when relieved of its impur- ities forms one of the best lubricants known.
LUMBERING.
One of the important industries of this town- ship is represented by the firm of J. F. Klumpp & Co., manufacturers and dealers in sawed lum- ber of all kinds. This business was started in 1867, and has since been under the superin- tendence of Mr. J. William Klumpp, who has also been a partner in the firm since 1869. Mr. Klumpp was born in Philadelphia in 1835, and has resided in Mecca since 1867. He married Miss Hattie M. Johnson, of Hartford, this county. They have one child, Nellie. He is an active business man, whose integrity and rep- utation are unimpeachable. The firm of John F. Klumpp & Co. own about one thousand six hundred acres of timber land, from which sup- plies for their sawing- and planing-mill are ob- tained. The manufacture of plow-beams is a special department of their work. One hundred thousand plow-beams and two million feet of sawed lumber have been manufactured by them in one year. The firm have just erected a new mill in the southwest of Mecca and are doing a large amount of business. j. F. Klumpp, the senior partner, resides in New York city.
Thomas H. Rose was born in Mecca township, Trumbull county, Ohio, in 184r. His father, Jonathan Rose, was a native of Maryland, born in 1797, but came to the Western Reserve of Ohio with his parents in 1803. The family first settled in Poland township, now Mahoning
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county, but about 1813 removed to Mecca town- ship, Trumbull county, locating on the farm now owned by James Frazier. John Rose, the father of Jonathan, died in 1832, his wife surviv- ing him some eight years. Jonathan Rose was married in 1834 to Miss Anna Craft, by whom lie had six children-Emily, John, Thomas, Albert, Emily, and Mary. Three are now living. Mr. Rose settled where his son Thomas now lives. He died in 1858. His wife survived him some fourteen years. Thomas H. Rose was born on the place where he now lives. At the age of twenty-six he married Miss Josephine Gridley, and has a family of four children- Frank, Jennie, Mary, and Lucy. He has always followed farming, but for the last few years has been interested in the cheese business.
J. S. Smith was born in Massachusetts in 1813. Jacob Smith, his father, was born in 1778 in Plymouth county, Massachusetts. He married in 1802 Miss Huldah Shartliff, and had nine chil- dren, namely: Susan A., Hiram S., Malinda B., Deborah, Samuel S., J. S., William N., Daniel, and Huldah. Susannah, Hiram, Malinda, Sam- uel, and Huldah are deceased. Mr. Smith re- moved to Ohio in 1816 and settled in Howland township, Trumbull county, on the farm now owned by Josiah Ratliff, on which there was then only a small clearing. He lived there some thir- teen years and then removed to Braceville and settled on the farm now owned by his son Jacob, where he resided until his death which occurred in 1854. His wife died two years before. Jacob S. Smith was married in 1841 to Miss Lucinda Atwater, and has a family of four children, viz : Newton S., Julia A., Hiram, and Lydia. Sum- ner died when two years and a half old.
CHAPTER XXI. SOUTHINGTON.
Southington (township five of range five) is the western township of the central tier of Trumbull county, and adjoins Nelson township, Portage county, upon the west. It lies between Braceville on the south and Farmington on the north, while Champion adjoins its eastern line.
The surface is slightly undulating, with no par- ticularly striking features, and no prominent ele- vations. Several small streams or runs diversify the surface of the northern part of the township, tributaries of Dead run, which is itself a stream of but little importance. The east branch of Dead run, from the southeast of the town- ship, unites with the west branch about two and three-fourths miles north of the center, and thence flows northward into Farmington. The west branch is fed by several small runs, most of which have their source in the northwestern quar- ter of the township.
The soil is mostly clay. Southington is chief- ly an agricultural community, and has no other industry of importance. Dairying and stock-rais- ing are carried on profitably.
There are no villages in this township. At the center there are two stores, a post-office, a blacksmith shop, two churches, three church buildings, and eight or ten houses. Bowmans- ville, in the southeast, is a neighborhood of about the same size, and contains a store, a church, a post-office, etc. The post-office in the latter place was formerly known as Pleasant Hill, but has recently been changed to Delightful.
The only railroad now passing through the township is the Painesville & Youngstown nar- row gauge, which cuts across the northeastern corner. At the State road in the western part of Champion is the nearest station.
Southington contains a number of well-im- proved farms with good substantial farm houses upon them. Its people are mainly thrifty and frugal, of temperate habits, and friends to moral- ity. Four churches are well supported. The church edifices here are far superior to ordinary rural churches.
A heavy growth of timber, mainly of oak, origi- nally covered the land. Many tracts are swampy, but skillful labor has redeemed them largely from this state.
ORGANIZATION.
Township five, range five, became a separate township and election district in 1817, and re- ceived the name which it now bears.
THE FIRST ELECTION.
At an election held June 12, 1817, at the house of John James, the following township officers were elected : Joshua Osborn, Seth Hurd,
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and Roderick Norton, trustees; Lemuel Frisbie, clerk; James Chalker and Elisha Brunson, over- seers of poor; Gilbert Osborn, constable; Jay Hurd and Leonard Osborn, appraisers ; Jay Hurd, lister ; Levi Ormsby and Joseph Rice, supervisors; John James and Elisha Walden, fence-viewers; Joseph Rice, treasurer.
ORIGINAL OWNERSHIP.
Cowles, Bolles, and Ely were the proprietors of a large tract of land in the Reserve, in which tract the principal portion of township five, range five was included. Bolles was the largest proprietor of the land in this township, and previous to its organization the township was called Bollestown.
Ely came on after the settlement, and had the center laid out as a village.
Several of the first settlers exchanged their farms in Connecticut for land in this township.
SETTLEMENT.
The first settlers of the present township of Southington were representatives of the bold and progressive "Yankee nation" to which the Western Reserve is mainly indebted for its growth and prosperity. The first settlers were from Litchfield county, Connecticut, and several families came from one town-Colebrook. The next arrivals were from New York State. A few Vermonters came next, and last but not least, the German Pennsylvanian.
The settlement began in 1805. In June of that year arrived Luke Viets and his wife, David Viets, Luke's father, James Chalker, Roderick Norton, and his brother Horace, who was then but seven years of age. James Nutt came out a year or two later. In 1807 he married and settled in the township. The next settlers were Seth Hurd and his son, Smith Hurd, making the fifth family in the township. The Hurds arrived May 21, 1808. May 29th came Henry White and wife, and May 31st, Joseph Rice and Elisha Brunson. July 30, 1809, Joshua Osborn and Charles May arrived with their families.
FIRST EVENTS.
The first cabin was built by Luke Viets and James Chalker.
The first marriage was that of James Nutt and Polly Viets, and took place in February, 1807.
The first birth was that of Edmund, son of
James Chalker, May 30, 1807. He died Oc- tober 8, 1808. This was the first death in the township. The second birth was that of a daughter of James Nutt, born March 11, 1808. The third birth was that of Lovisa Brunson, Oc- tober 7, 1808.
These facts are copied from memoranda made by Roderick Norton, at or near the time the events occurred, and are doubtless correct.
THE SETTLERS.
Luke Viets was the financial head of the first party of settlers, and continued active in the affairs of the township as long as he lived. He owned one thousand acres of land, and several of the settlers purchased their farms from him. As already stated, his father, David, came here with him. Soon after their settlement Benjamin Viets, Luke's brother, came. Luke Viets was a cripple, yet he always managed to look after his business well. He built a cabin and settled three-fourths of a mile west of the center, where his son now lives. His wife was Hannah Nor- ton. They had only one child-Zopher, who now resides upon the old homestead. Luke Viets died in 1827, aged fifty-nine. Hannah Viets died in 1862, at the age of eighty-three. Zopher Viets was born in 1810. He was mar- ried in April, 1830, to Lydia Curtis, who died November 1, 1880, having borne six children --- Mary, Russel, Harriet, Rebecca, Orrilla, and Henry. Mrs. Harriet Chalker and Henry only survive. Henry was born in 1843, and was mar- ried in 1866 to Lucy F. Joy, daughter of Harvey Joy. Zopher Viets married for his second wife Eunice Heathman, daughter of Horace Norton, August 27, 1881. Benjamin Viets settled in the eastern part of the township, south of the center road. His children were Sally and Maria.
James Chalker settled on a farm adjoining the land of Luke Viets, from whom he purchased. His wife, Mercy Norton, had one child, Orrin, born in Connecticut, in 1803. After reaching Ohio in 1805 she stayed in Warren township a short time, and there gave birth to a son, Joseph, before she came to her new home. James Chalker was a vigorous, robust man, and a true specimen of the hardy pioneer. He was a great hunter, and during his life here killed numerous bears, wolves, and deer. He had wonderful physical strength. It is said that he once carried
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upon his back sixteen bushels of wheat. Getting down upon his hands and knees he allowed the boys to pile the bags of grain upon his back, and when loaded with the sixteen bushels moved the entire weight some distance, going upon "all fours." His life was a pure one. He was strictly temperate, and used neither tobacco nor liquor. He reared a large family. The names of his children were Orrin, Joseph, Edmund first, Edmund second, James, Phebe, Anna, Polly, Daniel, Calvin, Philander, Harrison, Allen, and Mercy. Of these Joseph, the first Edmund, Phebe (Babcock), and Calvin are dead. Excepting the first Edmund, all lived to mature years and had families. Of those living Philan- der lives in Nelson township, Portage county, as does also Mrs. Anna Bancrott; Polly (Rice) and Mercy (Chalfant) reside in Indiana ; the others are residents of Southington. Orrin Chalker is the oldest resident of the township. The Chalkers are numerous and respectable. At the death of James Chalker, Sr., he had over one hundred children and grandchildren living.
Roderick Norton was born in Suffield, Con- necticut, in November, 1783. He was one of ยท the younger sons of a large family. His father, Freegrace Norton, died when Roderick was six- teen, and thenceforth he had to care for himself. He was a member of the first party of settlers who came to Southington in 1805. Upon the arrival of the settlers Norton took his axe and struck the first blow for the improvement of the wilderness. He returned to Connecticut in the month of November following, and remained two years. He then came back to Ohio and battled with the forest until January, 1810, when he visited his native State for the last time. There he remained during the summer and on the 8th day of October, 1810, was married to Olive Miller, daughter of Job Miller. Their wedding tour began immediately in a journey to the New Connecticut. Their first winter they passed at the house of their brother-in-law, Luke Viets. Their eldest son, Homer Norton, a sketch of whose life will be found in the. chapter upon the bar of Trumbull county, was born July 23, 1812, and now resides upon the spot where his father made his first brush-heap in 1805. Roderick Norton was drafted into the service in the sum- mer of 1814, and was first corporal in Lieuten- ant Hezekiah Hine's company of Ohio militia, in
the War of 1812. At the close of the war he was honorably discharged. During her hus- band's absence Mrs. Norton realized to the ful- lest extent the disagreeable features of pioneer life. With her little son Homer and an infant she passed the winter alone in a rude cabin, half a mile from the nearest neighbor. She some- times was obliged to burn gunpowder in a spoon thrust through a crevice in the cabin walls, to keep the wolves away. Roderick Norton died from a cancer at the age of sixty-five. He was a modest, unassuming man, a prominent and enterprising citizen, strict in integrity and honest in his deal- ings. For many years he was a true and faith- ful member of the Methodist church. His chil- dren were Homer, Albert, Hannah, Roderick, Semantha, Olive, Fanny, Mary and Martha (twins); all are living excepting Albert, Fanny, and Mary. Albert received an academic educa- tion, became a Methodist preacher, and labored in his holy calling until near the end of his days. He died in 1879, aged sixty-five. He married, first, Sarah Gray, who bore two daughters and one son. The son and one daughter are living. For his second wife he married Hala Gordon, and for his third, Sally Harmon. Hannah is the wife of Rev. William S. Paul, of the Methodist Episcopal church. She has five children living and one deceased. Roderick is a Methodist preacher of the Upper lowa conference. He married Caroline N. Pardy for his first wife. She had two children, one of whom is living-Wil- liam, a professor of Greek and Latin in Grinnell college, Iowa. For his second wife Roderick married Lucretia Snow. Semantha is the wife of Dr. Joseph McFarland, Corsica, Ohio, she has four children ; all living. Olive is the wife of Charles F. Weed, Windham, Ohio, and has three sons and three daughters. Fanny married Joseph Tift, and resided in Southington. She died in 1851, leaving two children, Norton and Alice, both of whom are living. Mary married Fred- erick W. Bond for her first husband, and had one child, a son, who is now living. For her second husband she married Mr. Wintersteen. She died in 1853. She formerly resided in Edinburg, Portage county. Martha is the wife of Charles Wannemaker, Esq., Southington. She has only one child, a daughter.
Horace Norton, Roderick's younger brother, married Elizabeth Joy and settled in the west of
66+
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the township, a mile and a half from the center. He afterwards moved to the northwest of the township and died there. His children were Joseph, Eunice, Betsey, and Homer. Joseph lives in Illinois, Eunice is now the wife of Zopher Viets, Betsey (Bowyer) and Homer are dead.
James Nutt settled one-half mile south of the center road, about a mile east of the center line. His children were Susan, Chauncey, Cyrus, and Laura, none of whom now remain in the town- ship. Chauncey lived upon the old farm and died quite young. Cyrus graduated from Alle- gheny college at the age of nineteen, and was immediately engaged as a tutor in that insti- tution. He was professor of Latin, Greek, and mathematics in various colleges, and at length was elected to the presidency of Bloomington college, Indiana, where he died. James Nutt was the first justice of the peace in this township, and held the office twenty-one years. Toward the end of his life he became melancholy and despondent. At length he disappeared from his town, and though vigorous search was made, several months elapsed before any trace of him could be discovered. A hunter in the woods came across a portion of his blackened remains suspended to a tree by a halter, and it was then known that he had met his death by suicide.
Seth and Thankful (Ray) Hurd, from Cole- brook, Connecticut, settled in this township in 1808. Both were natives of Massachusetts. Seth Hurd was a soldier in the Revolutionary war. Some years after he settled in Litchfield county, Connecticut, where his home was until he came to Ohio. He exchanged his farm in Colebrook with Mr. Bolles for two three hundred and twenty acre lots in the new settlement, and came with his wife and six sons by wagon across the Allegheny mountains, as did the most of the first settlers. There were nine children belong- ing to this family. The daughters married and remained in Connecticut some time after their parents came to Ohio. The names of the chil- dren of Seth and Thankful Hurd were as fol- lows : Smith, Esther, Hannah, Edith, Joy, Comfort, Freedom, Harmon, and Isaac. Smith was married and had one child before coming to Ohio. He settled in the southern part of the township and after wards moved to the center. He died in 1875 in his ninety-fourth year. His son, Milo, and his daughter, Mrs. Diana Viets,
reside in Southington. Esther, the second of the above family, married Moses Wright, in Con- necticut; later she removed to Ohio and settled in Austinburg, Ashtabula county. Hannah mar- ried Daniel Mills and remained in Connecticut. Edith married Lyford Mills, and settled in Geneva, Ashtabula county. Joy married Nancy Hudson, and raised up a family in Southington; he moved to Geneva and died in Cleveland. Comfort Hurd married Sarah Hyde and died in Southington in 1851; he was the father of six children, four of whom are living. Freedom married Hannah Moore, of Parkman; he died in Portage county; they had eight children, of whom six are now living. Harmon married Hannah Norton and lived in the southeast of the township; to them were born five children, three of whom are living --- Amy (Curtis), Martin, and Esther (Long), all in this township; their mother is still living. Isaac Hurd is the only survivor of the original family. He was born in 1804, and has resided constantly in Southing. ton since 1808, excepting two years. For his first wife he married Lucretia Viets, who bore eight children, four of whom are now living, viz : Jason, Braceville; Grandison, Michigan; Nancy (Haughton), Michigan; and Franklin, merchant at Southington center. For his second wife Mr. Hurd married Lettie Hess.
Henry White settled in the eastern part of the township about a quarter of a mile north of the center road, and about a mile from the township line. He died at the age of ninety-three. His son, Henry K., lived and died in Southington, and became the parent of a large family, which is still well represented in the township.
Joseph Rice settled three-fourths of a mile southeast of the center on the Warren road. His sons were Joseph, Rufus, Milton, Newton, David and Jonathan (twins), Reuben, and Dow. The daughters were Clarissa, Huldah, and Lavina. The latter all moved away after marrying. Ru- fus and Jonathan passed their lives in this town- ship. The remaining sons are scattered widely.
Elisha Brunson settled in the east of the town- ship, a mile and a half from the center. Birds- eye, a son, remained and raised a family here. The daughters were Lovisa (Joy), Belinda (Doty), and Mrs. Cumming, deceased; Mrs. Burns and Mrs. Fishel, living. Birdseye and Sylvester are dead. William is living in Southington.
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Joshua Osborn settled northeast of the center about one mile. He reared eleven children, all of whom lived to have families. Shelden, Gil- bert, Leonard, Stephen, and Sterling were the sons, and Chloe, Amanda, Anna, Phebe, Dorcas, and Roxy, the daughters. Gilbert and Sterling lived and died in Southington. Shelden re- mained in the East. Leonard resides in Bloom- field. Stephen is still living in Bristol. Chloe (White) lived in the East, but afterwards came to Ohio. Amanda (Haughton), now resides in Michigan. Anna (Crowell) resides in Rome, Ohio, and Phebe (Hillman) in Bristol. Dorcas (May) and Roxy (Frisbie) are dead.
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