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 117
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 117
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Much of the llour made in Ohio before 1840 was sent West for market, In 1836, Oliver Newbury pur- chased five hundred barrels of flour at eight dollars per barrel, and took it to C'hieago, and sold it for wenty dollars per barrel. citizens holding a public
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500
HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
meeting, thanking him for not asking fifty. It was all the flour they had for the winter.
The second mill, one and one-half miles west of south of Venice, was commenced in 1839 and com- pleted in 1841, with eight run of stone, at a cost of fifty thousand dollars. This was a wooden structure and was destroyed by fire in 1848. Another mill, of brick and stone, was raised on the same spot in 1852, with six run of stone. The eastern part of the Ven- ice mill was changed in 1836 for merchant work. The capacity of the mills is sufficient to make seventy-five thousand barrels of flour during the season of navi -. gation, consuming hundreds of thousands of dollars in the purchase of wheat. This was doubtless, until quite recently, the most extensive business enterprise on the Fire-lands. The wheat was brought in wagons until the completion of the Mud River & Lake Erie railroad to Tiffin. Much of it was brought so great a distance and over so bad roads as to bring but little profit to the owners. But it furnished them with money to pay their taxes. In one instance a man came one hundred and fifty miles with a four-horse team and twelve bushels of wheat, the balance of his load being feed for his team and himself, he camping out every night. When he had sold his wheat at the mill he went over to the store with his nine dollars, talking thus to himself: "My wheat was worth noth- ing at home. If I had lived decently coming here I should have spent it: if I live decently going home I shall spend it; but I must have money to pay my taxes and buy a barrel of salt. What is the price of this sheeting?" A boy answered: "A sixpence." " Yes, my wheat was worth something. I could have got a yard of cloth like that for a bushel at home." These mills are in operation now, the upper one for custom work, however. The lower mill, at Venice, has been during the last year entirely remodeled and new machinery put in from top to bottom, and every- thing of the latest and most approved pattern. Noth- ing seems to be wanting to make first class flour. The improvements were designed by the superintend- ent, John Heywood, grandson of R. H., and are a model of compactness and mechanical skill in utiliz- ing space. The wheat is taken into the mill at a sink on one side of the building and elevated directly to the hopper of the scales, and from there to the bins above. When wanted for grinding it goes to the basement and is run through two fan and sieve clean- ers and one wheat duster (all the dust carried out of the mill), elevated to the floor above, run through the heater, and from there to the stones, where there is still another appliance for cleaning as it is fed out of the hopper. All the dust from these cleaners is car- ried in air-tight tubes outside the building. There are three run of wheat burrs and two of middling;
eight reels; with one hundred and forty-four yards (forty inches wide) of bolting cloths, three middling purifiers and one bran. duster. It seems as !if: every- thing that human ingenuity could devise to get all the flour from the wheat,. and make it of the very best quality, were here in the least space possible and arranged to be easy of access, and perfectly simple in construction. Russel H. Heywood is still the propri- etor and general manager, and is now [1879] eighty- two years old. and has operated these mills forty- eight years. in succession, which speaks more for him than this pen can write.
In the year :1811. Charles Butler began tanning leather near the Venice mills. In the spring.of 1813, he removed to the head of Cold creek and occupied a tannery there, built by Major Frederick Falley, that year. This tannery was of great service to the early settlers in furnishing them with an article that was indispensable. It was continued with various suc- cess until about 1835. . Some of the early operators of this establishment were : Charles Butler, Moses Nichols, George Crittenden, Henry Cole, Esq., .A. M. Porter, Esq., and Thomas MeCullough. About 1822, it passed into the hands of Richard Falley, an.l soon after to Elisha Hubbard, who carried it on for several years.
In 1823, a small distillery was started at the heal of Cold creek, by Dr. L. B. Carpenter and his brother. S. C. Carpenter. It passed into the hands of Chap- man and Amsden, of Bellevue, soon after, and from them to J. R. Johnson, and was abandoned about 1830.
Wm. P. Mason, of Milan, built a distillery in Venice. in or about the year 1824. It was in operation some eight years, and passed into the hands of Anson Cor- bett, of Sandusky City, and was abandoned at his death. It was designed to be an establishment of considerable capacity, and in some years a good deal was done. The distillation of alcohol was one of the methods employed to bring the surplus produce into the Eastern markets. as it was much easier to trans- port whisky than corn.
Large quantities of flour barrels were formerly made at Venice and Castalia, for the use of the mills.
BURIAL PLACES.
The Castalia cemetery was located on lot thirty- three, fourth section, June 14 or 15. 1813, and the first interments were those massacred by the Indians.
Oak Lawn cemetery, one-half mile west of Venice, on lot twenty, second section. was located about 1818.
There is a. private burying ground of the Graves family, located near the southwest corner of lot eight. fourth section.
RUGGLES .*
NAME.
THE township received its name in honor of Hon. Almon Ruggles, the surveyor of the Fire-lands, associate judge at one time of Huron county, and a member of both branches of the State legislature. He was also the first recorder of Huron county. Judge Ruggles, in 1815, was the owner of a consid- erable tract of land in section two of this township.
NATURAL FEATURES.
We quote substantially as follows from Mr. Samuel C. Sturtevant's excellent history of Ruggles, pub- lished in the June number (1864) of the Fire-lands Pioneer: " The central portions of the township are level, the eastern and southern slightly undulating, the western and northern considerably broken and uneven. It was originally a dense forest, of which the beech constituted the greater part, though the maple, elm, basswood, hickory, whitewood and ash . were by no means wanting, while the higher lands abounded with the finest oaks, and along the streams grew the black walnut, the butternut and the syca- more."
In the central portions of the township the soil is clayey, while in other parts it is for the most part a gravelly loam, and well adapted to either grazing or the raising of grain. There are two stone quarries, one in the north part on Mr. Charles Curtiss' farm; the other in the west part, on Wakeman Beach's farm. The township is free from marshes or waste lands, . while it is excellently well drained by the Vermillion river and its tributaries. The main stream crosses the south line nearly two miles east of the southwest corner, and flows northwestwardly, leaving the town- ship just south of the northwest corner. Its prin- cipal tributary, Buck creek, comes from Troy, crosses the east line three-fourths of a mile south of the cen- ter road, and runs northwestwardly to the north part of the township, when it receives the waters of an- other creek, which drains the southeast corner, and then runs westerly to join the Vermillion. In the southern part, Whetstone creek runs west to the Ver- million. Another creek, west of the river, runs northeast till it joins the main stream.
SETTLEMENT.
In 1823, Mr. Daniel Beach and Bradford Sturtevant came to Ruggles with a view of purchasing lands, and in June of the year above named, bought of Messrs.
Jesup and Wakeman, of Connecticut, six hundred and forty acres in the southwest corner of section three, Mr. Beach. taking the western and smaller part. Mr. Beach was the pioneer settler of this township. Born in Warren, Litchfield county, Con- necticut, in 1785, at the age of twenty he made the journey to Ohio on foot, remaining at Canfield, Ma- honing county, for one year. He then returned to Connecticut, and on the first day of January, 1810, he was united to Miss Lorinda Sacket. He exchanged his Connecticut farm of forty acres, which his father had given him, for two hundred lying near Talmadge, then Portage, but now Summit county, Ohio, whither he removed in 1811. In July 28, 1823, he left Tal- madge, with his wife and five children, and equipped with two yokes of oxen, set out for Ruggles, arriving at his place of purchase on Saturday, August 2nd. Mr. Beach was accompanied by Eleazar Sackett and Ezra Smith. The five children's names were Cyrus S., Reuben K., Cordelia M., Harriet Z., and Daniel B. Upon their arrival Cyrus and Reuben found fire at a deserted Indian camp, with which their first meal was cooked. After regaling themselves with supper the men of the party began the erection of a rude cabin, ten by fifteen square. It was built of poles, and was finished that night, but was without a roof. This building was but a temporary structure. In a few days they built a log house, but when completed discovered that it stood in the middle of the road. They took it down, but having no time to rebuild commenced clearing and preparing for a crop. They soon had five acres sown to wheat, and thereupon they rebuilt their house, having lived in the log cabin for six weeks. The succeeding winter Mr. Beach em- ployed hands enough to enable him to chop one hun- dred acres which he cleared the next summer. In the fall he set out a large number of apple trees. Mr. Beach was a prosperous farmer, and in his old age gave his home of three hundred acres to his sons, Wakeman and William, with the stipulation that they should pay all his debts, which they were soon able to do. Mr. Beach's wife died November 10, 1856, and in May, 1858, he married Mrs. Frances Peck, with whom he lived un till his death, May 21, 1862. This pioneer settler of Ruggles accom - plished much towards the rapid settling up of his township, and his memory is gratefully cherished by the people of Ruggles.
Of his children. Cyrus S .. married Norah Gates, and their children were: Cynthia, Marion, Norah C., and. Wakeman.
*Ashland County, but part of the Fire-lands.
(501)
502
HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
Reuben K. married Fanny Curtiss. Children: George, Columbus, William. Irena. Miles and Mary.
Harriet Z. married Rollin A. Curtiss. Children: Charles (dead), Horace, Frederica. Fanny and Har- riet.
Cordelia M. married Isaac Cowell. Children: Bur- ton, Daniel, Lorinda, Betsey. Jane, Norah and Wil- liam. His son, Daniel, died young.
Wakeman J. married Phebe Ann Washburn. Children: Diora, Wanda, and Mary Alice.
Bradford Sturdevant was the second pioneer settler of Ruggles, coming into the township in August, 1823. Ms. S. was born in Warren, Connecticut, March 16, 1786, and was united in marriage to Saralı Carter. January 1, 1809. He removed to Summit county, Ohio,, in 1816, where he lived until his removal to Ruggles. He built a log house on his purchase, two miles west of the center, and in September brought thither his family, consisting of his wife and five children. He came with ox teams, bringing with him twelve head of cattle and twenty sheep. The follow- ing January he returned to Summit county, and brhught back with him a drove of a dozen hogs, mak- ing the journey in one week, without assistance. Mr. Sturtevant built the first framed building in the township. This was his house, and was twenty- one feet square, and is still standing. In 1836 he took up a temporary residence in Milan, Erie county, whither he removed so as to educate his children. He returned to his Ruggles home in 1844. Mr. Sturdevant was one of the sterling men of Rug- gles,-his life an exemplary one. He lived and died universally esteemed and beloved by all who knew him. His children were: 1, Carleton H., who mar- ried Lydia Peck, and died November 27, 1848; to them were born six children. 2. Morcia, who mar- ried B. Ashley. of Milan; to them were born seven children. 3, Harriet, who died while attending school at Hudson, Ohio. 4, Sarah, who married Dr. Galpin, of Milan, and is now dead. 5, Isaac, who married Adelaide Carter, and to them were born three children: William C., James Wilson and Mary L. 6, Martha, who was born May 17, 1825, and was the first female child born in the township. She married Horace Taylor, at one time a missionary in Southern India. They had four children. Of these, William B. married Anna Wolcott; they had four children.
Another early settler was Jacob Roorback, who came here in 1823, and bought four hundred acres of land in section two. Mr. Roorback died March 21. 1850. and his wife about the same time. Their only child. Sarah, became the wife of A. W. Purdy, whose children are: Alexander W., William, A. ( .. and John H.
Justus Barnes. of Cornwall, Connecticut, settled in Ruggles, in 1824. one mile west of the Center. He remained but a few years. His oldest son, Sedgwick. is living in Clarksfield.
Reuben Fox came, in 1824. from Warren, Connec- tieut. where he had married Miss Mina M. Smith,
January 1. 1823. He had a very unpleasant journey. suffering much from severe weather. They came from Buffalo to Cleveland in a schooner. and were sixteen days making the trip. being delayed greatly by storms. They arrived in Ruggles November 4. 1824, and took up their first residence in a log school house, the only one the township afforded at this time. They made settlement one mile south of Rug- gles' Corners. They had one child at that time, Caroline, and three were borne to them after they came into the township.
Ezra D. South, from Warren, Connecticut. settled in Ruggles at about the same time Mr. Fox came. HIe resided here with his family until 183%. when he removed to Illinois.
Abraham Ferris, from Yates county, New York, came to Ruggles in 1824. The journey was made as far as Buffalo by wagon, thence by water to Sandusky. They embarked on the schooner " Union." Captain Johnson commanding, and were driven by a storm to
MR, PHILETUS FERRIS.
Detroit, returning to Sandusky after the storm had abated, where they arrived the last of October, after being on the water for three weeks, reaching New London the second day of November. 1824, and Ruggles on the first day of Deepmber following. The family consisted at this time of Mr. and Mrs. Ferris. and five children: Laura, Philetus, Samuel, Sarah ! and Lois. A selection was made of lot eighteen, of section three, the purchase having been made of Messrs. Jessup & Wakeman. Lois and Laura died soon after their arrival in Ruggles, and Mr. and Mrs. Ferris both died in the year 1850. the latter in August, and the former in September. Two of their children, Samuel and Laura, reside in the township of Fitchville, Huron county, while Philetus, Israel, Eras- tus, Elias and Elmira are residents of Ruggles, The last five were born in this township. Jesse died in 1860.
503
HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
Andrew Clark and James Jemison settled in the south part of seetion four in 1824. Isaac Sampson, a revolutionary soldier, with his two sons, Isaac and John. settled on section three in the spring of 1825.
Norman Carter. from Warren, Connectient, came to Ruggles in 1824, and bought lot twenty-six, of ; section four. In 182%, having in the meantime lived a part of the time in Ruggles, and the other part in Portage county, he returned to Connectient, married Lovina Hopkins, and returned to Ohio. After a temporary residence in Portage county, he removed to Ruggles, and added to his former purchase the east half of lot seventeen. Their children were: Huldah Adelaide and Sarah Lovinia. The former married Isaac Sturtevant, and the latter William Gault.
Aldrich Carver settled on lots ten and eighteen, in section four, in the year 1825. Mr. Carver first came to Huron county in 1818, and in the following year was one of the party who went to Maumee and cap- tured the Indians who were afterward hung at Nor- walk. Returning to Cayuga county, New York, he married Amy Kniffen, in 1821. He settled in Green- wich, Huron county, in 1822. They have four children: Jane, Fanny. Phoebe and John.
Harvey Sackett made settlement in Ruggles in 1825. He first settled in Tallmadge, with his father, in 1811, whenee he returned to Connecticut, the place of his birth. in 1816, and married Thalia Eldred, April 2, 1817, and brought his bride to Tallmadge. In coming from this place to Ruggles, in 1825, he consumed eight days, the journey being made with ox teams. The following were the children of Mr. Sackett by his first wife: Dimmes ME .. Erastus T., Erasmus M. and Irene C. Mrs. Saekett died in 1843. and Mr. Sackett married Mrs. Mary Van Vranken, widow of Garrett Van Vranken. April 12, 1844. A sou, Justus II .. was born in 1848. Mr. Sackett resided for two years in Ashland, from 1861 to 1863; returning to Ruggles in the year last named.
Before 1830 the settlement had increased so that the township had a population of two hundred and seventy-one souls. Ten years later, the township had reached a population of one thousand two hundred and forty-four.
Hezekiah Barber was one of the early settlers. He was a Baptist minister, and came in from Townsend township, settling upon lot five, section three, where he built a log house, and set out a nice orchard. He remained only a few years, and then removed to New York State.
Ezekiel Samson located upon lot nine, section three. and after living there for several years, removed to Illinois, where he died. John Samson settled upon the west half of lot ten. section three, and Isaac Sam- son on the east half. Isaac Samson, Sr., settled with his son, John. He was a revolutionary soldier and a brick mason bv occupation. The Samsons all re- moved to the West.
of New London, and took up lot twenty-three, sec- tion three. He joined the Mormons, as did several others from this township, but becoming dissatisfied with their principles and practices, left them, and re- turned to Ruggles.
Archibald Bates settled on lot number sixteen, sec- tion three, and for some time operated an ashery, and manufactured the first pearlash in the township.
Samuel Monroe came from Springfield, Portage county, in 1824, and settled upon lot nineteen, sec- tion -, though he soon after sold out, and removed to lot twenty-three, where he lived many years. He is now living in Iowa at an advanced age. He was a soldier in the war of 1812. His children were: Sarah, Polly, Isabella, Hester, Martha, Annabelle, John and Samuel. They all removed to Iowa, except Sarah, wife of Philetus Ferris, and Martha, who is in Ful- ton county of this State.
Taylor Peck and his wife, Jerusha, came to Ruggles from Litchfield county, Connecticut, in 1826, and located upon lot seventy-eight, section three. They had four children: Lydia, Lucy, Homer and Emily J., and a fifth son, Miles J., was born after their ar- rival in the township. Mrs. Peck died in 1835, and Mr. Peck took as his second wife, Francis Beach, of Medina county. Mr. Peck died in 1854.
Salmon Weston and his wife Mercy cmigrated from Connecticut to Ruggles in 1828, and settled upon lot nineteen, section one, being the first settlers in the eastern part of the township. Salmon Weston died 1864. A son. Phineas, now resides in the town- ship.
Isaac Hazen came from Warren county, Connecti- ent, in 1829, and located upon lot - , section , He died in 1832. A son, Amos, now lives in the township. Lewis Crow came in 1830.
In 1832 came Jacob Hirsching and Wm. Potter, both from Genesee county, New York. They located in the northeast part of the township, section two. During the same year came Ackley Knowlton and Benjamin Greene from Yates county, New York. Thomas Bowman and James Lindsley, from Aber- deenshire, Scotland, and a number of others.
Eli Fost came in 1833 and located in section one. He died in 1875. He had twelve children, of whom five now live in the township. Bolser Mather, of Pennsylvania, who came in the same year, is noted as being the father of twenty-six children. nineteen of whom are living.
John Wist came in 183%; died in 1876. Theron Potter, in 1838. Orrin Cogshall, in 1835, from Litchfield, Connecticut, bringing his wife and two children, Mary J. and Josephine. Elias Culbertson, in -; James T. Carney, in 1835, and Mildad Crit- tenden in 1836.
The first log house at the Center was built by Enoch Taylor, of Warren, Connecticut. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, and lived until the year 1875.
Daniel Smith, who came to the township at an Truman Bates came in from the adjoining township | early day, was the first shoemaker.
504
HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
Benjamin D. Green, now living in Iowa, was the first blacksmith. He located at Ruggles' Corners. He gave up blacksmithing for the carpenters' trade. He was a prominent man in the community; held several important offices, and was a major in the militia.
FIRST EVENTS.
The first birth was that of Wakeman J. Beach, the son of Daniel Beach, born January 11, 1825. Mr. Beach grew to manhood in Ruggles, and has spent most of his life in. Ruggles, though he has travelled quite extensively. He married Phoebe Ann Wash- burn (daughter of James Washburn), of New London, December 24, 1853, and now resides on the old home- stead.
The first marriage did not take place until the year 1832, when, on the 18th day of June, Mr. James Poag, widower, was united in marriage to Miss Laura C. Smith. The ceremony was performed by Daniel Beach, Esq.
The first death occurred in 1826, in which year Mr. Cyrus Sanders, a single man, and a nephew of Mr. B. Sturtevant, died of bilious fever.
The first saw mill was built by Daniel Beach in 1834, on the Vermillion river, one hundred rods north of Ruggles' Corners. . This mill was of great benefit to the early settlers. Mr. Beach built a grist mill also, near the site of the saw mill, in 1831 or '32, to which steam was subsequently attached. The first store in Ruggles was opened by Josiah Botsford at Ruggles' Corners, one and one-half miles west of the Center, in about the year 1831. The first post-office was established one-half mile south of the Corners in - -, Mr. G. W. Curtiss being postmaster.
ORGANIZATION.
Prior to 1826. Ruggles was attached to New Lon- don for civil purposes, but at the date named it was detached and organized, the first election occurring January 2d of that year. There were just a dozen residents who participated in this first election, as follows: Perry Durfee, Harvey Sackett, Norman Car- ter, Truman Bates, Reuben Fox, B. Sturtevant, Jacob Roorback, Abraham Ferris, Justice Barnes, Daniel Beach, Ezra D. Smith, and Aldrich Carver. Mr. E. D. Smith was chosen clerk; H. Sackett, treasurer; J. Roorback, D. Beach, and A. Carver, trustees; B. Sturtevant and H. Sackett, overseers of the poor: J. Barnes and A. Ferris, fence viewers; Reuben Fox and Perry Durfee, appraisers of property; N. Carter, con- stable, and T. Bates, supervisor,-thirteen offices filled with twelve individuals. Mr. Sackett had the honor of filling two positions. Another election was held April 3d, when Mr. Ferris was made treasurer, Mr. Bates constable,and Messrs. Fox and Sturtevant supervisors, and Harvey Sackett justice of the peace. The other offices remained filled as above.
RELIGIOUS.
The first religious services were held at Harvey Sackett's house soon after the settlement of the town- ship by Lodovicus Robbins. Not long after a Meth- odist class was formed, of which there remains no record, and in regard to which no authentic informa- tion can be obtained.
The first church organization in the township was that of the Congregational in 1822. Upon the 11th of January of that year, eleven persons, all of whom had letters from other churches, associated themselves under the name of the Congregational church of Ruggles. They were Harvey Sackett, Ezra D. Smith, Norman Carter, Reuben Fox, Rachel Curtis, Lorinda Beach, Jerusha Peck, Thalia Sackett, Mina Fox, Cynthia Smith, and Sarah Sturtevant. The meeting was held at Mr. Sackett's house, and the ministers were the Revs. Ephraim T. Woodruff and Lodovicus Robbins. The church was organized on "the plan of union," a system in vogue among the Presbyterian and Congregational churches in the early settlement of the Western Reserve, and was at first connected with the presbytery of Huron, under the jurisdiction of which it remained until 1864, when it united with the Central North Congregational con- ference of Ohio. For many years the people of this church assembled for worship in the houses of mem- bers or in the log school houses, but in 1855 a church was erected (the present town hall), which was for the time an amply commodious structure.
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