USA > Ohio > Erie County > History of the Fire lands, comprising Huron and Erie Counties, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of the prominent men and pioneers > Part 104
USA > Ohio > Huron County > History of the Fire lands, comprising Huron and Erie Counties, Ohio, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of the prominent men and pioneers > Part 104
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F. C. McConnelly, M. D., began his practice in Vermillion, immediately after receiving his degree, in 1851. He soon acquired an extensive and lucrative practice, which still continues. Two other physicians reside in the township at present: B. F. Bond and A. McMillan.
INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS.
George Sherrats built, in the years 1809-10, the first flouring mill in the township. This was pro- pelled by hand, and commenced to grind wheat in the spring of 1810. Shortly after, Peter Cuddeback built a similar mill, and for three years or more the inhabitants of this, and some of adjoining townships, patronized these mills extensively. No other grist mills have been built in the township.
The first saw mill was erected by Job Smith, on La Chapelle creek, in 1819.
In 1830 or '31, Messrs. Ford, Sanford, Tracy and others, of the Geauga Iron Company, put in operation at Vermillion village the Huron Iron Company. This grew to be an extensive business, and was in opera- tion until 1855.
It was succeeded by the Vermillion furnace, under the ownership of Philo Tilden, who was afterward associated with D. R. Paige. Some fifty thousand dollars were invested in the business, and an average of sixty men employed. The furnace ceased business in 1865.
Two cheese factories have had an existence in the township, and one is still in operation. This is what is known as the Switzer factory, is located on lot number three, in the second section, and began business in April, 1822, with a patronage of one hundred cows. Christopher Bauman is the manu- facturer. The milk is made into one cheese daily, and these, when cured, are marketed in the cities of New York, Philadelphia and Chicago. Fischer & Company have a sash, door and blind manufactory in the village.
VERMILLION VILLAGE,
situated at the mouth of Vermillion river, was incor- porated by a special act of legislature, in 1837. The first record of an election bears date April 6, 1839, when the following were elected: Joseph B. Clarke, mayor; William B. Andrews, recorder; Noah Loomis, treasurer; Chris. Grover, A. W. Melsheimer, A. B. Smith, Charles Burr and Barlow Sturges, trustees. The officers for 1879 are: Charles B. Summers, mayor; Otis M. Tilden, clerk; Franklin Pelton, treasurer; David Newbury, Henry Jackson, A. A. Edson, Charles Martin, George Krapp and J. C. Gilchrist, councilmen.
SHIPPING INTERESTS, ETC.
It was many years after settlement before anything was done toward improving the harbor at the month of the Vermillion river. Action was finally taken by the government, and, in about 1841 or 1842, Major Borns came on and built a pier and dredged the chan- nel, and several years later a light house was con- structed and further dredging performed, giving some fourteen feet of water in the channel.
The first boat of any kind was built by Captain William Austin, as early as 1815. She was named the " Friendship," and was of, perhaps, thirty tons capacity. We have no knowledge of her subsequent career. After the harbor was improved, ship build- ing was extensively prosecuted. Alva Bradley, now of Cleveland, was, without doubt, the largest builder, and, in company with Ahira Cohb, constructed many sail and steam crafts.
FLORENCE.
ORIGINAL OWNERS.
FOR explanation of the following table the reader is referred to the history of Lyme township:
FLORENCE, TOWN NUMBER FIVE, RANGE TWENTY.
CLASSIFICATION No. 1, SECTION 1.
Original Grantees.
Am't Loss.
Classified by.
Am't Classed.
£
8
d.
£
$
d.
Abigail Armour
6
0
0
Isaac Bronson
6
0
0
Reuben Coe
33
16
1
=
33
16
4
Jonathan Coe
40
10
5
Humphrey Denton
73
19
10
Isaac Davis
15
16
0
Sylvanus Ferris
42
14
4
Josiah Ferris
Moses Ferris
Ezra Finch
16
6
10
0
Charles Green
192
12
..
4
11
6
Abel Gould
113
16
Jesup Wakeman
34
10
616
8
4
Jabez Thorp
147
18
O
Isaac Bronson
168
0
1012
Nathaniel Benedict
359
13
Ebenezer Jesup, Jr. 46
3
616
John Gregory, Jr.
221
11
0
17
1
0
Benj. Isaac's heirs
406
8
9
=
90
6
4
Col. Steph'n St. John 713
6
7
23
10
1014
Footing of Classification No. 1, £1,344
CLASSIFICATION NO. 2, SECTION 2.
Original Grantees.
Am't Loss.
Classified by.
Am't Classed.
£
8
d.
Jabez Thorp
147
18
Jesup Wakeman
13
416
Jonathan Darrow
254
5
2
251
5
2
Samuel Squire
412
15
0247509 0 9
6
3
..
12
16
3
Sarah Eversley
26
13
13
1
1-
6
11
6
8
Gershom Pritchard
31
13
31
13
1
Capt. Phin. Hanford
43
11
26
4
3
Ezra Waterbury
11
6
=
6
1
Hannah Gregory
13
15
=
15
8
John Phillow
15
10
1
10
8
17
4
John Eversley
11
1
415
3
0
12
4
16
5
25
16
Nathaniel Husted
41
5
William Jacobs
60
0
0
Joshua Knapp
125
3
Jonathan Knapp
51
4
10
51
1
10
William Lockwood
18
19
Andrew Marshall
26
14
3
Caleb Mead
..
Thomas Mesnard
6
6
Jesse Mead
22
8
5
Henry Mead
105
4
2
=
=
40
2
Footing of Classification No. 2, £1,344
CLASSIFICATION NO. 3. SECTION 3.
Original Grantees.
Am't Loss.
Classified by.
Am't classed.
£
8.
412
15
1
Jesup Wakeman
190
11
3
Aun Hull
64
16
319
3
6 596
.
64
16
6
Solomon Sturges
18
0
Francis D. Swords
3
3
5
4
0
3
200
9
Henry Mead
105
4
2
Isaac Bronson
64
16
Johu Mesnard, Jr.
6
0
0
James Moe
Henry Marshall
35
12
0
13
2
€
d.
7
10
0
John Mysnard
Theophilus Peck, Jr.
Solomon Purdy
James Phillips
20
0
0
Thomas Rich
45
15
9
Jonathan Raynolds
18
0
0
Oliver Fairchild
John Parrott
239
6
10
17
13
916
Thomas Fitch's heirs 415
3
0
Ebenezer Jesup, Jr. 6 ..
13
8
8
Stephen and Hooker St. John
31
1
6
4
0
0
Fountain Smith
158
18
10
105
15
10
Mathew Benedict, Jr. 218
Samuel Benedict, Jr.
16
10
4
10
Phillip Corbon
10
14
5
44
2
10
0
Benj. Hitchcock
9
14
4
17
4
5
0
19
6
3
9
4
Elijah Wood
3
4
4
44
3
9
1
Matthew Benedict
176
16
5
1
3
6
76
15
6
9
0
6
6
9
1114
Footing of Classification No. 3, £1,344
CLASSIFICATION NO. 4, SECTION 4.
Original Grantees.
Am't Loss.
Classified by.
Am't Classed.
Daniel Haytt or Da- vid Haytt
9
0
6
Ebenezer Jesup, Jr. 2
10
634
Ebenezer Jesup, two rights
286
0
=
286
0
9
Jabez Hubbel
32
16
998
4¢
29
13
Hezekiah Sturges
532
8
3
Joseph Wakeman
36
3
216
Elijah Abel
719
4
4
467
19
5
Thos. H. Wakeman
239
6
10
Isaac Bronson
221
13
016
John Perry
6
0
6
17
0
Aaron Jennings
100
0
0
100
0
0
Nathan Beers
145
1
0
175
12
.
7
Footing of Clssification No. 4, £1,344
7
0
NAME.
The name of the township was originally Jesup, after Ebenezer Jesup, one of the original proprietors of its soil. From some dislike of the gentleman, the name was subsequently, at a meeting by the inhabi- tants, changed to Florence.
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
The surface of the township is generally rolling. The soil is a sandy loam, with a more clayey soil in some portions. Sandstone underlies a considerable por- tion of the township, and several quarries have been opened. The King quarry, on lot number three, in the third section, and one on the Vermillion, in the first section, are the only quarries now worked to any extent. The former is owned by Joseph King, and was opened some thirty years ago. Grindstone were formerly quite extensively made from this quarry. The principal varieties of native timber were white- wood, white oak, hickory, black walnut, chestnut, beech, maple, cherry, aslı and basswood.
The principal stream is the Vermillion river, which heads in a little lake of the same name in Ashland
(445)
d
Elkana Mead
= =
14
0
0
50
6
4
83
8
10
8
9
Hannah Fitch's heirs 141
2
Joseph Gun
4
8
8
46
4
0
0
Nath'l Taylor, 3d
15
Mathew Taylor
23
0
0
Pack Ferris
Joseph Wakeman
167
3
49840 4 4
167
3
Abigail Hubbel
1~6
13
176
13
11
716
Charles Green
197
12
4 9
Ann Seymour
6
17
6
17
Timothy Whitney
17
6
Jarvis Kellogg
3
3
9
Desire Siscat
Mary Lockwood
282
8
2
8
6
Cyrus Bissry
12
16
5581344823 5 9 1 5 8
.6
26
13
5
13
1
5
Nathan Burrill Betty Jarvis
8
6
..
11
1
32
11
134
Charles Green
21
19
1116 5
Joseph Hubby. Jr.
811122 1 1 1
4
..
-
2
3
4
Daniel Sturges
1
1
15
Daniel Webb
6
Thos. Fitch's heirs
197
=
26
Israel Lockwood
. .
=
33
17
John Wilson
5
0
Hezekiah Sturges
416 0
.4
..
32
6
Angus McCall
€
S.
17
17
2
Enock Benedict
84
1
1
1
Col. Steph'n St. John 713
922
119
514 5
2
6
Stephen G. Thatcher
4
6
0
0
0
0
Preserved Wood
3
0
0
0
2
0
0
Matthew Willis
Daniel Hickok
6
Ebenezer Haytt
Daniel Haytt
0
S.
d. 1
£
8.
d.
Nathaniel Benedict
0
Alexauder Stewart
5
20
3
0
0
C
0
16
3
0
0
15
3
6
532
d
S
d
Samuel Squire
39
2
16
0
4
10
0
60
0
0
Thes. H. Wakeman
86
19
8
18
.
0
John Richards
11 13
25
41
=
0
46
12
86
120
446
HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
county. The origin of the name is not known, but it is thought by some to have been derived from a red clay found in many places along the banks of the river. The stream flows through the eastern part of the township, its general course being north, and empties into Lake Erie. La Chapelle creek, the only other water course in the township worthy of men- tion, rises in Townsend, and, entering Florence from Wakeman about a mile and a quarter east of the west town line, flows through the west part of the town- ship, and finally into Lake Erie.
GAME.
For a number of years after the arrival of the first settler in Florence, deer, wolves, wild turkeys, and smaller game too numerous to specify, were found in great abundance. Bears, though not infrequently scen, were not so numerous as in more marshy town- ships. The honor of killing the first bear naturally fell to Richard Brewer and Christopher Shaeffer, two of the best shots in the county. Shaeffer was out with his gun one evening, when a bear suddenly loped across his path a short distance in front of him. Just as he raised his rifle to fire, a little snow dropped from the branch of a small tree above him upon the barrel of his gun, obscuring the sight, and the bear got away. The next morning he obtained the assist- ance of Brewer, and with two good dogs they tracked the bear into Berlin, where they found him in a marsh. The bear ran to a log, which he had no sooner reached than Brewer fired, but only wounding, not killing, him. The report of the gun was the signal for the onset of the dogs. They seized the animal as he tried to escape. but were being badly worsted in the en- counter, when Brewer grabbed the bear by the fur and plunged a hatchet into his head. He released the dogs, rose upon his hind legs, gave one piercing how], and fell over on his back dead. The bear was an unusually large one, the flesh on his sides, it is said, measuring six inches. Shaeffer subsequently killed a bear in Florence, the only one ever killed in the township. He has probably killed more deer than any man in the county, often following them by day and by night. He killed by actual count one thousand deer, after which he kept no record. The last year that he hunted, and when deer were less numerous than formerly, he shot seventy. One method of his hunt at night was to fix up a torch of some kind which would attract the deer within range of his gun.
SETTLEMENT.
The first family that settled in the township was that of Ezra Sprague. Mr. Sprague was born in Al- ford, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, March 27, 1:85, and emigrated to Ohio in 1807. The same year he married Harriet A. Griswold, of Windsor town- ship, Ashtabula county, and resided in the vicinity of Grand River until the spring of 1809, when, with his wife and one child, he came to this township .. He
settled where his daughter, Laura, now lives on lot number thirty-eight in the fourth section, and resided on his original location until his death. He died January 6, 1856. Mr. Sprague was a man of strong traits of character. He was the first justice of the peace in the township, and afterwards held the posi- tion of associate judge of Common Pleas for fourteen years. In the early years of his official duties he rode to court on horseback with a blanket doubled up for a saddle and strips of basswood for stirrups.
Mrs. Sprague died January 23, 1853, aged seventy- one. They had a family of seven children, only two of whom are living, viz: Mrs. H. F. Merry at San- dusky City, and Laura Sprague in this township on the old homestead. The sons, Simon H. and Solo- mon G. Sprague, were well known residents of this township for many years. The former was the oldest of the family, and was born prior to their settlement in Florence. He died January 17, 1874. His widow still resides in the township. Solomon G. Sprague was born May 9, 1816, married Mary Collins Decem- ber 15, 1857, and died January 27, 1876. His family still reside in Florence.
In July, 1809, Eli S. Barnum and his sister, Rachel. Rufus Judson and family, Charles Betts and Joseph Parsons, arrived from Danbury, Connecticut. Bar- num located on the southwest corner of what is now called Florence Corners, and was the first settler at that place. He subsequently married Miss Root, then of Henrietta, sister of Mrs. Calvin Leonard. He was the proprietor's agent for the sale of the lands of this township, and was a justice of the peace and postmaster at Florence Corners for many years. He finally removed to Cleveland, where he died.
Rufus Judson, after a residence for a few years near Florence Corners, moved to the lake shore, as did also Judge Meeker, who, for a short time, lived in Florence. Charles Betts took up his abode in the south part of the township, where he lived alone for many years, being a bachelor. His brother, Isaac, finally came out, and occupied the house with him. One day, while Charles was sitting at the table, eating his meal, Isaac, impelled by a desire to secure his property, struck him upon the head with the sharp edge of a post ax, entting through his skull, and kill- ing him instantly. He then concealed the body under the barn, where it was, a short time after, discovered. The murderer was sent to the penitentiary, and died there.
Joseph Parsons settled a short distance west of Ezra Sprague, afterwards called Sprague's corners. He kept bachelor's hall there a number of years. His wife could not be induced to exchange 'the old home for a life in the woods of Florence, and she always remained in Connecticut. His son subsequently came out with his family, and occupied the house with his father a number of years, when they all re- moved to the lake shore.
In 1810, John Brooks, Sr., Joseph Sears and Jeremiah Wilson, and their families, were added.
447
HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
Mr. Brooks located at Sprague's corners, on lot thirty-seven. He was a soldier in the Revolution, and was in several important engagements, amongst others those of White Plains and Monmouth, and was twice wounded. He died at the age of ninety- one. His son, John Brooks, Jr., married Adeline Squire, and settled a short distance south of Florence corners, on the east side of the road. They are both deceased, and the last of the family moved to Kansas a short time since. Joseph Brooks, another son, married a danghter of Eli S. Barnum, and settled across the road from his brother John.
In 1811, Town Clark with his widowed mother, with several younger children, and George Brooks, her son-in-law, and his family of wife and child, moved in from Onondaga county, New York. The Clark family bought and settled where Mrs. Solomon G. Sprague resides. Seven years after, Mrs. Clark married a Mr. Downing, and removed to Michigan. Mrs. John Hill, aged seventy-six, is the only member of the family now living in the township. George Brooks settled in the south part of the township. In 1836, he removed to Michigan, and afterwards started for California and died on the way.
These were the only inhabitants of the township until after the war. They were among the earliest settlers of the Fire-lands, and their situation was one of complete isolation, shut off by woods from neigh- bors in every direction. To obtain their grinding, they had to travel on foot through an unbroken forest to Newburgh, near Cleveland. Ezra Sprague, when making such a journey, on one occasion lost his way near where Elyria now is, and lay out in a storm all night. He had been sick with agne for some time previous, but, it is said, after the drenching he re- ceived that night he never suffered another shake.
Although the pioneers of Florence never suffered for provisions to the endangerment of life, yet they were compelled to live in the simplest manner. Grated or "jointed " corn, potatoes and milk consti- tnted the only articles of food they had for weeks at a time. A wild onion grew abundantly on the river bottoms, and other wild but hardly edible vegetables were frequently gathered, and gave, at least, variety to the meal .. All kinds of provisions were high dur- ing the early years of settlement of the township, and they could not be procured short of Huron or San- dusky. Pork sold for twenty dollars per barrel, flonr for sixteen dollars, tea two dollars and fifty cents per pound, and salt ten dollars per barrel. Joab Squire once carried two hundred pounds of maple sugar to Sandusky, which he exchanged for two barrels of salt, the trip requiring three days. At another time he went to Huron and bought twenty-five pounds of bacon at twenty-five cents per pound, and lugged it home on his back.
There was scarcely any money in circulation, and exchanges were made principally in the products of the soil. The first specie currency which circulated among the settlers of Florence, was what was called
"cut money." A silver dollar was cut into ten or twelve pieces and passed for shillings, a kind of in- flation that was popular with all. The first paper money which the settlers were unfortunate enough to possess, was the notes of the Owl Creek bank, in the denominations of six and a fourth, twelve and a half, thirty-seven and a half, and fifty cents. The bank was of the wildcat description, and soon collapsed.
Perhaps the greatest hardship endured by the first settlers was in the matter of necessary clothing. Common factory cloth was worth fifty cents a yard, for which one bushel of wheat was usually exchanged. Home-made woolen cloth was four dollars per yard. Flax was raised, and summer clothing manufactured, but suitable material for winter wear was not so easily provided, sheep being difficult to raise in the new country. The masculine portion of the inhabitants depended almost entirely on buckskin for clothing material, and although it answered very well the pur- pose of wear and tear in the woods, it was anything but comfortable to the wearer. After a wetting and drying, the garments would be as stiff as if made of sheet-iron.
During the progress of the war the inhabitants lived in. almost constant fear of Indian massacre. 1811, the settlers joined in the erection of a block house, just north of the present residence of Mrs. Solomon Sprague. It was used as a dwelling by Mrs. Clark and her family, but was the fortress to which the inhabitants fled for safety in the hour of danger. Whenever a report of the approach of Indians reached the settlement, the settlers would remove their fami- lies to the block-house, and they would all remain there for days at a time. On one occasion, while a man was going with his family to the fort, a circum- stance occurred, which created the greatest excite- ment. A young man, with a gun, was sent some distance ahead of his family to keep a look-out for Indians. When within half a mile of the block- house, the report of a gun was heard, and the young man came running back with the intelligence that he had seen two Indians, one of whom shot at him, at the same time showing a bullet-hole in his coat. The alarm spread rapidly, and all the inhabitants collected at the block-house, and made every preparation they could for an attack which, they expected, would be made that night. The women and children were sent into the room above while the men with guns, pitch- forks and clubs, awaited below the expected assault. During the night the alarm was given by the occu. pants of the second story that Indians with fire-brands were approaching in the direction of a small building that stood near the house with the evident intent of setting it on fire, which would communicate it to the fortified building. Thus amidst the greatest excite- ment they spent the night, no one in the house show- ing any disposition to sleep, except the individual whose coat had been pierced with a bullet the evening before, which fact was regarded as significant, and no savages appeared. As the morning dawned, the fact
448
HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
also began to dawn upon their minds that they were the victims of a cruel hoax, and that the said indivi- dual had shot the bullet through his coat to give the appearance of credibility to his story. This sus- picion proved to be correct, but what punishment, if any, was inflicted upon the offender we are unable to record. The alarm of Indians carrying fire-brands grew out of the fact that sparks and cinders were carried by the wind in the direction of the block- house from a burning log heap. When the surrender of Detroit occurred, the settlers removed their fami- lies to Cleveland. The men remained in the town- ship, all working together, with their guns close by, on a single farm to be the better prepared for any attack that might be made, while one of their number was stationed as a sentinel to watch the approach of danger. But the enemy had not the temerity to come within range of their guns.
After the close of the war, the township settled more rapidly. One of the first families that moved in was that of Lambert Shaeffer, formerly from Scho- harie county, New York. He came to Ohio in 1812, stopping at Painesville, where he carried on black- smithing until the war was over, when he removed to this township, arriving in February, 1815. He set- tled on the Vermillion, in the first section, where Mr. Graves now lives. He moved into a cabin which stood on his purchase and formerly occupied by Jere- miah Wilson, who left at the breaking out of the war. Shaeffer died at the home of his son Christopher, in this township, about twenty-six years ago, his wife previously. They had seven children, one of whom died in the east. Three are yet living, viz: Mrs. Rich- ard Brewer and Christopher Shaeffer in this town ship, and Elias in Illinois.
William Blackman moved in about this time. He was originally from Connecticut, but removed to To- wanda creek, New York, in 1802, and, before the war, settled near Buffalo, which he saw burned by the Brit- ish. After his arrival with his family in this township, he lived for a year in the block-house with widow Clark and family. He then purchased and settled in the third section, on what is now known as the Mason place. but afterwards changed his location to the Ver- million, in the first section, where, in connection with Harley Mason, he established a saw-mill. Meet- ing with some reverses, he went to New London, and, later, to. Indiana. He finally returned to Florence, and died at the house of his daughter, Mrs. Denman.
.
One of the prominent pioneers of Florence and a resident of the township for fifty-two years was Joab Squire. Mr. Squire was born in Fairfield county, Connecticut, November 2, 1722. In 1799 he married Mary Buckley, and in 1815 emigrated to the West. During the most of this time his life was upon the sea. For several years he commanded a vessel of which he was the owner, engaged in the coasting trade from Boston, Massachusetts, to Charleston, South Carolina. Once, while passing around Cape Cod, his vessel was wrecked in a storm, on Nantucket Shoals,
and Captain Squire and his wife narrowly escaped drowning. The loss of his vessel was a serious re- verse to him, but he secured an interest in another and continued on the sea until the war commenced. In April, 1815, he started with his family for this township, where he had previously purchased a tract of land. After a tedious journey, most of the way by water, he arrived at Cleveland in July, 1815, which was then a place of a few small buildings, giving lit- tle promise of the splendid city it has since become. He came from Cleveland by lake to the mouth of the Vermillion, and thence by land to this township. He settled on lot number twenty-nine in the fourth sec- tion, where he resided until his death. When he ar- rived here his family consisted of his wife and nine children, the youngest less than a year old. Babies had to be rocked then as now, and having no cradle, Mrs. Squire rocked hers in a sap trough. Mr. Squire was twice married and was the father of sixteen child- ren, all but one of whom lived to adult age. He died March 31, 1867, and was buried in the family burying ground on the old homestead. Five of the children survive, as follows: Mrs. William Tillinghast, former- ly of Berlin, now of Toledo; Julius, in Ottawa coun- ty; Julia (a twin sister of Julius), now wife of Ed- win A. Denton, of Florence; Joab, a practicing phy- sician at East Toledo; and Benjamin B., in Wakeman.
During the year 1816 several accessions were made to the settlement. One of these was Daniel Chandler, who came in from Orange county, New York. He was then unmarried, but in October, 1818, he married Sally Summers, daughter of Mark Summers, who settled in Vermillion the year previous. After his marriage, Mr. Chandler settled down where his widow still resides, half a mile west of Birmingham. He died there, October 21. 1869, aged seventy-eight. Mrs. Chandler is now eighty-one. They had thirteen children, ten of whom are living.
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