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 109
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 109
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The first fruit trees in the township were planted by Jonathan Sprague, who established a nursery on Pipe creek. This was prior to the war of 1812. Many orchards in this, and adjoining townships, were formed from trees procured at this nursery.
Abiathar Shirley opened a hotel at Bloomingville, as early as 1812.
The first justice of the peace was Israel Harrington. He was elected in 1811, and lived west of Pipe creek, in what is now Groton township.
Owing to the sparsely settled condition of the Fire- lands at this time, election precincts were almost boundless. What is now embraced in the townships of Oxford, Groton, Perkins and a part of Margaretta, was then one precinct, and elections were held at Bloomingville, then called Wheatsborough. In 1826, Groton effected a separate organization.
CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS.
The first sermon delivered within the limits of the township of Oxford, was by Father Gurley, who located in the township at an carly period. He was a Methodist, and was zealous in the cause of religion. He died but recently. The Rev. Mr. Smith was the second minister to locate in the town- ship.
'The township has had no church organization until recently. The Lutheran, near Prout's station, is the first one, and was formed, perhaps, ten years since. This has now a large membership and is in a flourish- ing condition. Near the same place is also located a church of the Catholic faith.
The first school house in the township was erected in 1810, and stood about half way between Pipe creek and Bloomingville. In this, a term of school was kept in the winter of 1811, by Joseph Alby. The building was still standing in 1815, and Mr. Drake says, "for a literary institution it looked hard indeed."
SOCIETIES.
In the year 1870, the Oxford Center Lodge of Good Templars was organized by Isaac DeLamater, Esq. This was prosperous and flourishing for a time, but in consequence of the removal of many of its most
468
HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
active members. its charter was surrendered in Feb- ruary, 1874. During its existence nearly one hundred persons became members of it.
On January 20, 1872, an organization of this order was effected at Bloomingville, by A. M. Collins, with W. M. Hills, W. C. T. During the subsequent spring, rooms were prepared in the upper part of Mrs. Mary James residence. We understand this society has also passed out of existence.
PHYSICIANS.
The first doctor to locate in the township was Wait- sell Hastings, who came, as before stated, in 1811. He eventually removed to near Parkertown, in Groton township, where he died a few years since. Dr. Strong succeeded him, and practiced some years. He is now deceased. Dr. Carpenter came next, and was the only physician in the township for many years. He moved west and died. His son, Samuel B. Car- penter, succeeded him. Dr. George Carpenter came next. Dr. Isaac Rogers was the first practitioner of the botanic school; he lived in the township some twenty years. The present physician is M. J. Love, recently removed from Monroeville.
IMPROVEMENTS.
The improvements, if they deserve the name, made by the first settlers, were of the most primitive kind: a rude, ill-constructed log cabin, covered with shakes, as they were called, with stable, etc., of the same or- der of architecture, together with a few acres of land enclosed for cultivation, did, in most cases, constitute the sum total of improvements. The procuring of a bare subsistence made a large draft on the time of the pioneer. Until nearly the close of the war most of the meal (little flour being used), consumed by the inhabitants, was transported by water from Cleveland. to the mouth of Huron river, and thence conveyed on pack-horses to its place of destination. Tea, cof- fee and sugar were almost entirely unused.
SICKNESS.
The early settlers of this part of the Fire-lands suffered more from sickness than all other causes. During the months of August and September, in every year, bilious and intermittent fever, and ague and fever, prevailed to a great extent. The change of climate, water and mode of living, created a general predisposition to disease, and all were affected, some years more than others, so much so that long after- wards, one year in particular was referred to as the sickly season .. Whole families would be prostrated at the same time, and not one in the house be able to give another a glass of water.
HOSPITALITY.
A sense of mutual dependence, their solitary mode of life, and perhaps other causes, produced a friend- ship and hearty good will for each other among the early settlers, that never exists in the older and more
densely populated settlements. The latch-string was always out, and the traveler was received with the most cordial welcome, and partook of the best the cabin afforded, generally pretty coarse fare, "without money and without price." The raising of a building col- lected most of the men from a wide circuit; and if a .settler, from sickness or other cause, was unable to plow, plant or harvest in season, his neighbors would collect and do his work for him; those living six or eight miles apart even, were considered as neighbors. In all their gatherings, and they were frequent, the most perfect equality and good will prevailed.
MILLING.
Among the most prominent evils and hardships incident to the settlement of the Fire-lands, was that of procuring bread, even of the coarsest kind. Even as late as 1820, there were not mills sufficient to sup- ply the wants of a rapidly increasing population. Ebenezer Merry had erected a mill at Milan, Major Frederick Faley one at Cold Creek, near the present village of Venice, and I believe there was one near the head of the creek, and a man named Powers had built one on Huron river, in Greenfield township. These were all small affairs, with one run of stone. The machinery and dams were rude, ill-constructed, and out of order a great portion of the time. The roads were almost impassible for wagons, and even danger- ous for a single horse, with a bag of grain and a rider on his back.
Mr. Drake says: "I was of that age when not large enough to do a man's work on the farm, but still large enough to go to mill, and is was a duty I was gener- ally detailed to perform. The following expedition to Powers' mill will show how it was done. The mill stood in the woods, and resembled an old fashioned tan house. The basement, contaming the machinery, was uninclosed, the upper story boarded up barn fash- ion, and constructed inside with more regard for con- venience than beauty. The presiding genius of the establishment was constructed on the same principles -one leg being much shorter than its mate. He was old and cross. Millers were then as absolute as the 'Autocrat of all the Russias.' There was no appeal from their decisions, and as it was a matter of bread, if not butter, people were willing to submit to a great deal to secure so desirable a consummation. The state of the roads and the distance most persons came, made it necessary to spend one night at the mill. The night I was there I found some ten or twelve others, and we all camped down wherever a vacancy could be found among the bags. The regular click- ing of the hopper, the surging, gushing sound of the water, as it escaped from the mill wheel, the noise of people talking and traveling around hunting for bags, and the singing of mosquitoes, produced a concert of discordant sounds that precluded the possibility of sleep. Still there was no complaining: it was consid- ered as a necessary evil. The next night when I lay "down at home on a comfortable bed, I could have
469
HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
said with honest Sancho Panza: 'Blessed is the man that invented sleep.'"
Dr. Carpenter built a saw mill on Pipe creek many years since. A run of stone was subsequently added, for the grinding of coarse feed.
A BANK-ALMOST.
No one residing on the Fire-lands at present, when all kinds of produce are convertible into cash, can form an idea of the vexations and inconveniences en- dured by the early settlers, for want of a circulating medium. Previous to the opening of the Erie canal, and the establishment of commercial relations through that channel with eastern cities, there was no cash market for any kind of produce. A bushel of corn would not buy a yard of muslin, coarse enough to sift meal through. A man might own a hundred head of cattle, an unlimited number of hogs, and territory large enough for a German principality, and not be able to raise money enough to pay his taxes without great effort.
I think it was in 1817, that Charles Lindsay re- moved from Dayton to near the head of Cold creek. He had been an official in a wildcat institution, that issued "promises to pay," never redeemed, under the name of the "Dayton manufacturing company." The word "manufacturing" was, doubtless, used for the same reason that Captain Cnttle always read a large book, i. e., because it looked respectable. Lindsay suggested to some of the influential inhabi- tants, Įthe great benefit that would result to the coun- try by establishing a bank at Bloomingville-at that time a flourishing village. The move was a popular one. A meeting was called, the necessary stock sub- scribed. Lindsay was employed to engineer things, get the engraving done and procure a charter, while Messrs. South, Shirley, Youngs and others, proceeded to the erection of a banking house. On repairing to
Columbus, it was found that a law had recently passed prohibiting the granting of further bank charters for the space of twelve months. The bills were already printed, but nothing further was done except to sell the property and abandon the enterprise.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
MR. PERCIVAL B. SALISBURY
was born at Henderson, Jefferson county, New York, January 27, 1818. He was educated at Theresa in the same county. In 1839, he engaged in teaching in Adams, New York, and on March 2, 1842, he mar- ried Miss Stella Willard, of Adams. He engaged in mercantile pursuits until the fall of 1854, when he removed to Ohio, locating in Oxford township, at Four Corners, where he has been identified with all matters of public interest. During the early years of his residence in the county, he was a teacher in the public schools. During the war he was a thorough Union man and a staunch supporter of the govern- ment. His family consisted of three children: Newel B., who was a member of the One hundred and twenty-third Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and fell in the service ; Brainard W., who married Miss Jennie Todd, and is now connected with the Exchange Bank of Monroeville; and Emma A., who married H. G. Cowles, and now lives at Big Rock Iowa.
Mr. Salisbury died March 16, 1879. He was a gentleman of refined and cultivated taste, and early in life became a Christian. He was a member of the Congregational church at Four Corners, and a faitli- ful earnest worker.
HURON .*
LOCATION.
The town of Huron, situated at the month of Huron river, fifty miles west of Cleveland, or the mouth of Cuyahoga river, and about ten miles east of the mouth of Sandusky bay, has probably been settled longer than any other town on the Fire-lands.
The township is bounded on the north by Lake Erie, east by Berlin township (formerly called Eldridge), south by a part of Berlin and Milan townships, west by Perkins and Portland townships (now Sandusky), and northwest by Sandusky bay. Huron river runs through the eastern portion of the township, in a northwardly direction, till within about one mile of the mouth, when the channel takes a northeast direc- tion, till it empties into Lake Erie.
AS A HARBOR.
Huron has been considered an important point on account of the shipping facilities, by lake navigation, which it affords to the surrounding farming country. Huron river is one of the best harbors on the south shore of Lake Erie. The ordinary depth of water in the channel is usually about fifteen feet, and fre- quently even greater, and when you get "inside," (as the sailors say), there is room for all the shipping on Lake Erie.
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
There are abont fifteen hundred acres of marsh land within the boundaries of Huron township: three hun- dred in the Huron river valley, the remainder border- ing on Sandusky bay, all of which is irreclaimable, from the fact that the land is all lower than the sur- face of the lake and consequently affected by the rise and fall of its waters.
The land east of Huron river at the time of the first settlement of the early pioneers, was covered with a dense forest, about half of which was what is termed second growth, the balance heavy timber; much of it being white oak, has been used for ship timber.
About two miles west of Huron river is Saw Mill creek, a stream of considerable magnitude, the outlet of prairie drainage, and which, at a time when the waters of the prairies were discharged more slowly, previous to the extensive opening of prairie ditches, saw mills for the manufacture of lumber have been known to run the greater portion of the year. But since the advantage to farm land of a thorough sys- tem of drainage has been taken into consideration, most of the water falling upon the land within twenty
miles of the lake is discharged therein in the course- of a week. The southwest part of the township is mostly prairie. The northwestern part, except the marshes bordering on Sandusky bay, is timber land.
ORIGINAL OWNERS.
For an explanation of the following table the reader is referred to the history of Lyme:
HURON, TOWN NUMBER SIX, IN RANGE TWENTY-TWO.
CLASSIFICATION No. 1, SECTION 1.
Original Grantees. Am't Loss.
Classified by.
Am't Classed.
Peter Lattimer
317
1
6
The heirs of Wil- 264
37
19
John Welch
46
10
0
late of New
46
10
0
Joseph Hurlbut
965
8
3
London, Con-
149
0
10
Samuel Brown
493
8
necticut, (de-
328
18
6
Samuel Lattimer
910
19
5
ceased)
519
13
6
Footing of Classification No. 1, £1,344 7
CLASSIFICATION No. 2, SECTION 2.
Original Grantees.
Am't Loss.
Classified by.
Am't Classed.
Jeremiah Miller
2,535
18
10
William Winthrop,
360
5
=
John Ewing
800
0
Heirs of
800
0
0
John Barr
71
11
1
William Gale, New London
11
+
Eben Goddard
Heirs of '
7
U
Footing of Classification No. 2, £1,344
CLASSIFICATION No. 3, SECTION 3.
Original Grantees.
Am't Loss.
Classified by. Am't Classed.
€
S
d.
Heirs of Richard
Joseph Packwood
817
5
4
William Parkin, 817
5
4
Bathsheba Smith
465
14
10
late of New Lon- 407
10
6
Richard Potter 382
3
don, Connecti- 119
11
cut, (deceased)
Footing of Classification No. 3, £1,344
CLASSIFICATION No. 4, SECTION 4.
Original Grantees.
Am't Loss.
Classified by. Am't Classed.
Samuel Lattimer
910
19
5
Heirs of William Stewart, New Lon- don, Connecticut 341
5
11
Richard Potter
382
3
Heirs of Richard Parkins, de- ceased
262
11
1
Thomas Bowlay, or Boyd
19
17
1
49
17
1
Ann Hancock
140
3
6
15
0
1
.€
44
15
16
1
Widow Austus Piner 48
0
0
4
.4
18
0
0
Bathsheba Skinner 180
0
0
..
60
O
Jabob Fenk
130
10
130
10
Ichabod Powers
620
0
206
16
0
Jeremiah Miller
2,535
18
10
William Winthrop, New York
62
0
Footing of Classification No. 4, £1,344
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
The precise date of the first occupation of Huron by white settlers is uncertain. It is known, however, that the French had a trading post at the mouth of Huron river about the year A. D. 1749, but it was abandoned previous to the Revolution.
* By Dr. Geo. Haskins.
(470)
£
d.
£
d.
John Lester
35
19
£
S.
d.
8.
d.
New York
105
13
3
7
0
S.
d.
0
S.
d. |
£
93
g
Richard Stroud
23
0
Eben May
15
16
66
7
0
=
23
15
0
770 7
liam Stewart,
471
HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
The Moravian missionaries, consisting of a few white settlers and Indians, located on a part of the southeast corner of Huron and the northeast corner of Milan townships. They also abandoned their set- tlement previous to the war of the Revolution, and probably before the French occupied their trading post at the mouth of the river, though there were a few Moravian Indians, with a white preacher and his fam- ily in their midst, in 1808.
The beginning of the present settlement was in the year 1805. John Baptiste Flemoned, or Fleming, first came to Huron that year, but Mr. Hosea Townsend, of New London, says that Flemoned claimed to have come to Huron in 1790. He was born in Montreal, Lower Canada, about the year 1770, of French par- ents. He located on the east bank of Huron river, about two miles from the mouth, on lot number fif- teen, section first. The land is now owned by Mr. Simon Knight. He opened a small stock of goods for the purpose of dealing with the Indians, exchang- ing with them for furs and of supplying them with such articles of merchandise as their necessities re- quired.
In the arrest, trial and execution of the two Indi- ans, Negonaba and Negosheek, at Norwalk, May 21, 1819, for the murder of John Wood and George Bishop, Mr. Flemoned was one of the most important witnesses, interpreter, guide, and one of the execu- tioners. The weary pioneer. always found welcome hospitality in his store and cabin, and the early sur- veyors, in 1806, found rest and repose. He also as- sisted in their second survey. It has been said that he died in 1820, but according to the most reliable data he died about the year 1827, leaving a wife and three daughters: Eliza, Jane and Lydia. His eldest married John McCarty. After his (McCarty's) death she married John Miller and lived on the old farm till about 1851, then moved to Wood county, Ohio. The condition or whereabouts of the two younger is not known to the writer. Mrs. Flemoned died about twelve years subsequent to the death of Mr. Flemoned.
Jared Ward and family came into the township in the spring of 1808, lived on a part of the Flemoned farm, near the site of the present residence of Widow McMillen, until the following year-1809. He then bought a part of David Abbott's land, in Avery [now Milan] township, near the Hathaway neighborhood, where his son, Elam Ward, now resides. Mrs. Betsy Collins, late the wife of Isaac Collins and a daughter of Jared Ward, remembered the time when her father came to Huron; was then in the fourth year of her age. She resided in Milan from the time of her par- ents' residence there until 1858.
Mrs. Collins was born in Painesville, Ohio, in 1804, was married to Mr. Isaac Collins in Milan. They moved to Huron in 1858, where she resided until her death, September 1, 1877. Mr. Isaac Col- lins was in Huron in 1812, but made only a short stay; went the same year to Columbus, Ohio; came back to Milan in 1818. He helped raise the court
house at the old county seat. He assisted at J. B. Flemoned's funeral. Came to Huron in 1858, where he now resides.
Almon Ruggles visited the Fire-lands a few years prior to moving his family to Huron in June, 1808. Jabez Wright also came to Huron in 1808. The same year, these gentlemen commenced the survey of the township, laying it off in sections and lots in course of that and succeeding years, completing the survey in 1810.
Mr. Jabez Wright was born in 1780, near Copen- hagen, New York. After he came to Huron, he married Miss Tamar Ruggles, a relative of the late Judge Almon Ruggles. He located on the west bank of Huron river, about two and a half miles from the lake, on land now known as Wright's river farm, and owned by his sou, Winthrop H. Wright, and where W. H. Wright was born, in December, 1813.
Mr. Wright was elected justice of the peace for Huron township, the exact date is not definitely known; he was subsequently appointed one of the associate judges of the court of common pleas, for Huron county. He was land agent for William Win- throp, of New York city, who had acquired the title of the whole township. Mr. Winthrop died about the year 1826, when the land, by Mr. Winthrop's will, went to his nephew, Wm. H. Winthrop.
Mr. Wright moved on to the lake shore in 1815, about one mile west of the mouth of Huron river. In the year 1822, he built the first brick house that was erected in the township. He continued to act as land agent for Wm. H. Winthrop until the time of his death, December 16, 1840, which was caused by falling from the lake bank on a dark night. Judge Wright was an exemplary citizen, highly respected, and all who knew him sadly mourned his sudden and untimely death. Mrs. Wright died in 1849, at the house of her youngest son, Ruggles Wright. Of their five children, there are now three living: Win- throp H., the eldest, and Ruggles, the youngest, and Mrs. Abigail Vance, youngest daughter (widow), liv- ing in Columbiana county, Ohio. The eldest daugh- ter, Lucy, married General John W. Sprague; died in Troy, New York, May, 1844. Douglas, the second son of Judge Wright, died at the brick house resi- dence, January 11, 1856.
Cyrus Downing and family, consisting of wife and two children, came to Huron in November, A. D. 1809. He located on the lake shore on land now owned by W. H. Wright, somewhere near Mr. Wright's present dwelling, where he resided until the summer of 1812, when he left and went to Cleveland soon after Hull's surrender, where he died the next winter. Mrs. Downing afterwards married a Mr. Parker, of Milan. The Indians were quite numerous about Huron at that time, and somewhat troublesome about the first breaking out of the war, but became more shy after hostilities commenced. Jeremiah Daniels came to Huron about the same time as Down- ing. Mr. Daniels carried the mail from Huron to
0
412
HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
Cleveland, making weekly trips. He married Panline Downing in the spring of 1813, and settled on the farm now occupied and owned by Mr. William J. Hinde, two and a half miles west of Huron village.
Major Hiram Russel came to Huron in the winter of 1809 and 1810; built a log house on land afterward owned by Jeremiah Van Benschoter, now owned by Mr. Van Benschoter's two daughters, Mrs. Widow Stapleton and Mrs. James Paxton. Mr. Russel occu- pied his house as a tavern and store, which was the first tavern kept in Huron. It was opened to the public in 1810. The same year Mr. Russel com- menced building a vessel, of about forty tons' burthen, near his house. Itis said that there was but a very small amount of iron used in the building, wooden pins being used instead of spikes. Mr. Russel was assisted by Jonathan Sprague (father of the late Jon- athan S. Spragne, Esq.), who did what blacksmith work was required. The vessel was finished in 1811.
Jonathan Sprague came into the township with his family in 1810. Located on the east side of the river, a few rods above the railroad bridge.
Mr. Russel built another vessel, which he completed in the spring of 1813. She was named " The Fair American." It is said that this vessel was sold to the British government, and delivered to the British agents at Buffalo soon after being completed.
Mr. Russel cleared a field on the farm now owned by Mr. William G. Sage. This field was afterwards abandoned, and in 1845 was covered with a thick growth of timber. The land on this farm, like much land east of the river in this township, was a light sandy soil, and was considered by the early settlers nearly worthless. It is now known to be the best farm land on the Western Reserve. Russel left Huron soon after the war commenced.
In 1809, Asa Smith visited the country in and around Huron, and moved into the township in June, 1810, from Romulus, Seneca county, New York. In 1811, he was elected justice of the peace, at the first election held in the township after its organization. Mr. Asa Smith located not far from the present resi- dence of W. H. Wright, one mile west of the mouth of the river. He was born in Massachusetts; his wife in Rhode Island; they lived, for a time, on Long Island; afterwards moved to Romulus, New York, and from thence to Huron. They had six children when they came to Huron, one of whom, William B., was born on Long Island. August 15, 1796. Mr. Axa Smith died at his residence, in Huron, August 30, 1815. His wife died August 30, 1842, in San- dusky.
Jonathan S. Sprague, Esq., came to Huron with his family in 1810, from Canada. Ile settled on the farm now owned by Henry Holsaur. He married Miss Mahala Daly. He afterward bought an adjoin- ing farm, of Judge Charles Standart. Jonathan S. Sprague was a man of more than ordinary talents: he had not the benefit of a common school education; yet he was held in so high estimation by his friends and
associates that he was frequently elected to offices of trust. He held the office of justice of the peace for eighteen years in succession, at the termination of which he refused to serve in that capacity any longer; his health was very much impaired for several of the last years of his life. He died at his house, on the Standart farm, on Jannary 15, 1861. Mrs. Sprague died at the house of her son-in-law, Mr. Isaac Dur- ham, in April. 1872, near the village, at the age of seventy-two years.
In January, 1816, Reed & Sandford, merchants, of Erie, Pennsylvania, opened a store of goods at the mouth of the river, on the east side. It was man- aged by Mr. Francis Graham, assisted by John B. Flemoned.
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