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 95
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 95
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No business house deserves prosperity more than
these gentlemen. They have always been industrious, hard-working men, and rank among Bellevue's best citizens.
FURNITURE.
Wood Brothers & Sawyer, Wood, Sawyer & Com- pany. The Bellevue Furniture Company, and Wood & Smith, represent the changes that have occurred in the business of manufacturing furniture in Belle- vue. In the year 1821, J. B. Wood, T. H. Wood and George Sawyer, formed a copartnership, under the title of Wood Brothers & Sawyer, rented power and bench room of the Bellevue Power Company, and having purchased the requisite machinery, began the business of the manfacture of furniture for the wholesale trade. In February, of 1823, the firm was enlarged by the admission of W. W. Williams, and was thereafter known as Wood, Sawyer & Company, until the year 1875, when, in the month of September, it was changed to the Bellevue Furni- ture Company, the business having been converted into a stock company, with a paid up capital of thirty- seven thousand, five hundred dollars. More than one-half of this stock was owned by two individuals of the company, the president, and the secretary and treasurer, and more than one-half the remainder by the three persons who composed the firm of Wood Brothers & Sawyer. In the winter of 1826, the company resolved to vacate the Power Company's building, aud an engine, boiler and shafting were purchased, and Mr. Williams' building, on Kilbourne street. was put in shape to receive the machinery, and the business from thenceforward was carried on in said building. In the fall of 1877, the company decided to abandon the business. The prices of furniture had undergone a constant decline since the fall of 1873, until they had reached fifty per cent., or more; the failures of dealers had been numerous, and despite the utmost caution the losses of the company from this cause were many thousands of dollars. In closing out, Mr. B. Wood, who had sustained by far the greatest loss, purchased the machinery and goods of the company, and came into possession of the Wil- liams' block. He thereupon rented the building and machinery to T. H. Wood and E. H. Smith, who have conducted the business since January 29, 1878, and now, that prices and material have reached an almost unvarying standard, the gentlemen are in a fair way to make the business prosperous and remunerative. They demand of their workmen that every article produced shall be without a flaw, and their goods are giving excellent satisfaction. We trust that a future historian may record for them a success which shall vary through many succeeding years only as it shall grow more and more abundant.
FOUNDRY AND AGRICULTURAL WORKS.
A foundry was started on Southwest street, near Main, about 1823, by Woodward & Mayne, for the manufacture of plows and other agricultural imple-
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HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
ments. Some two years after starting, their foundry burned down. It was immediately rebuilt, and is still in operation, in the manufacture of plows and points, and such other castings as may be ordered, though they do no general foundry work. They also have a wagon and blacksmith shop in connection with their foundry, and turn out quite a number of bug- gies and wagons yearly. At present they deal spe- cially in agricultural implements, keeping the best makes of mowing machines, rakes, drills, etc. As the country in the vicinity of Bellevue is largely de- voted to agricultural pursuits, there is and has been a good demand for articles in which they deal.
DISTILLERIES.
Soon after the settlement of the county a small dis- tillery was started near Bellevue. The grain used was ground at Clear Creek and the still was run by hand. This was previous to 1836.
In October, 1849, Chapman, Harkness & Company built the first large distillery, with a capacity of sixty bushels of grain per day. This was run until 1852, when it was sold to D. M. Harkness, who formed a partnership with L. G. Harkness and H. M. Flagler. It was then increased to a capacity of six hundred bushels of grain daily, and was run under this man agement until 1864, when it was purchased by H. M Sinclair. Since that time it has not been run contin uously and is now abandoned as a distillery.
In 1853, Chapman, Woodward & Company built another distillery, with a capacity for six hundred bushels daily. This distillery has been run most of the time since built and is still in operation.
The original cost of these distilleries was not far from thirty thousand dollars each.
CARRIAGE WORKS.
In April, 1876, Dehe S. Reiling purchased the cooper shop on the corner of North West and Castalia streets, and converted it into a carriage shop. They built an addition to the building then on the ground, and have since that time done a large business, prin- cipally in making and repairing carriages and buggies. Their shop is eighty-four by twenty six feet, a part of it being two stories in height; under the rear portion of the building is the smith and ironing shop. A ready sale is found for their manufactures, mostly among the farming community of Bellevue, San- dusky and Norwalk. They turn out, yearly, from fifty to sixty carriages and buggies, besides doing a large business at repairing. At this time, spring of 1879, they employ nine men, and need more shop room than they have. Both members of the firm are practical men, and understand every detail of the business, and though they started in a very unpropi- tious time, a good measure of success has attended the earnest perseverance they have shown.
THE FARMER'S ELEVATOR.
Early in 1875, the farmers living in the vicinity of Bellevue formed a joint stock company for the
purpose of erecting an elevator that should be under their own control, and from which they could ship their grain if they thought best, or could sell on the street if prices offered suited them. The charter members of this company consisted of seventeen per- sons, and stock was subscribed to the amount of five thousand dollars.
A building about twenty four by sixty feet was erected and completed September 11, 1875. Au en- gine house was.also built and an engine provided for hoisting grain and running a cleaner and a mill for grinding feed. The cost was about nine thousand dollars, a part of it being paid from earnings of the elevator after its completion. The building and at- tachments were put in charge of John Decker, who, the first season, received and shipped some four hun- dred thousand bushels of grain.
On the night of April 10, 1878, the elevator was burned. A new one was immediately commenced, and was in running order about August 1, 1878, but the feed mill and cleaner were not replaced. ' Mr. Decker continued as manager until November, 1828, when Messrs. Wood & Close took charge. The first of January, 1879, they leased the elevator, the stock- holders reserving the right to use it for their own grain, on paying the lessees one cent per bushel for elevating and storing. Since the 1st of January, Wood & Close have shipped (to May 15, 1879,) about one hundred thousand bushels of grain. They also sell clover and grass seed, plaster, cement, etc. They are enterprising, reliable young men, and are build- ing up a promising business.
The stock company is managed by a board of directors consisting of nine persons, three of whom form an executive committee. It is believed by the members of the company that since the erection of the elevator, prices for grain have ruled firmer, and thus the patrons have received benefit from the invest- ment.
There are two elevators in the building, both run by horse power, two horses being used. This is found much more economical than an engine, and answers the purpose equally well.
WATER WORKS.
The village of Bellevue is situated in a compara- tively level country, with no hills and no elevated land from which to obtain water by means of springs or natural reservoirs. Underlying it is a limestone for- mation, full of cracks and seams, by means of which the surface water is effectually drained off, thus form- ing a fine system of drainage for farms, but giving the town the reputation of a dry place. On the pur- chase of a hand fire engine, in 1869, cisterns were built in various parts of the town, but the supply of water was not thought adequate. About that time the subject of some system of water works was agi- tated, and the village authorities caused an experi- mental well to be bored, but the drill became stuck and it was given up.
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HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
In 18:2, the village council submitted the question of a reservoir, to be fed by a large ditch on the eastern border of the corporation, to the people for a vote, which resulted almost unanimously in its favor, only two votes being recorded against the question. An ordinance was then passed authorizing the construc- tion of water works, and providing for the issue of bonds of the village, not to exceed the amount of forty thousand dollars, the same to expire in 1880. A special election was held July 5, 1873, for the elec- tion of three trustees, for one, two, and three years. J. W. Goodson, A. B. Smith, and B. Moore were elected, and immediately proceeded to work out the plan. A lot of five acres was purchased from McKim and Bates, with the right of way to the ditch before mentioned. Two more acres were subsequently added to the first purchase, making the present area seven acres. In digging out the reservoir, the dirt was piled up around the sides, making a substantial em- bankment. The gravel in the side of the ridge was struck in some places, and when the reservoir is full the water filters through the gravel into the ridge for a great distance, forming an almost inexhaustible supply, for one season at least.
In 1845, water conductors were laid through Main street, but it was found that there was not sufficient pressure to furnish all the water that was needed. In 1877, a tank house of brick was built, thirty-two feet high, and surmounted by a boiler iron tank, twenty- five feet high and eighteen feet in diameter, capable of holding fifty thousand gallons of water. A Knowles engine and pump were purchased, for the purpose of forcing the water into the tank.
Abont thirteen thousand feet of main pipe have been laid. For some time after the construction of the reservoirs the people of the town got along with their former facilities for obtaining water, but many are now using from the pipes, and the number is increas- ing weekly. There are fifteen hydrants for use in case of fire, and water is used by two mills and two factories. The present receipts amount to about six hundred and fifty dollars per annum.
Though an ordinance was passed authorizing the issue of bonds of the village for forty thousand dollars, but about twenty-four thousand dollars have been is- sued. The total cost of the works thus far has been twenty-three thousand seven hundred dollars. The report of the water works trustees, made January 1, 1879, shows the sum of one thousand two hundred and sixty dollars and forty-five cents in the treasury, to the credit of this fund. It is expected that the receipts will pay all future expenses in the way of laying mains and making necessary repairs.
POWER HOUSE.
In 1871, some of the capitalists of Bellevue con- ceived the idea of erecting a large building, putting in an engine and snitable machinery, and renting to any persons or companies, who required power for manufacturing purposes, such part of the building as
they might need for carrying forward the business in which they were engaged. A subscription paper was started and the names of eighty-seven persons were obtained. It was the intention to start with a capital stock of fifty thousand dollars, though it was found that this amount would not be required, and but thirty thousand dollars were called in. Some few of the signers of the subscription did not finally take shares, though eight hundred and thirty-six were taken.
A contract was made August 8, 1871, for a build- ing forty by one hundred and fifty feet, two stories in height, and thirty feet to the roof. This was com- pleted in the fall of the same year. An engine house was also built, twenty by thirty feet in size, the total cost being about thirty thousand dollars, including the land on which the building was erected.
About two-thirds of the building was leased to Wood, Sawyer & Company as a furniture mannfacto- ry; a part to Ferguson Greene for a feed mill, and the balance to McKim Brothers in connection with their barrel factories. In 1814, an addition, forty-four and one-half feet by one hundred and fifty feet, and three stories in height, was erected with the expectation of an increased number of renters. Wood, Sawyer & Company rented the third story in addition to what they already had, and McKim Brothers took one-third of the lower story. Murray & Beck rented a part of the second story for use as a door, sash and blind fac- tory: A short time after this, in 1876, Wood, Sawyer & Company organized the Bellevue Furniture com- pany, and moved their factory into a building on Kil- bourne street. Murray & Beck followed them and rented a part of their building. F. Greene gave up his business on account of failing health, and at the present time McKim Brothers are the only occupants of the power building.
At the time the addition was built the income from the rental of the building and power was four thou- sand five hundred dollars. At the present time there is no income to stockholders, but the receipts pay all expenses. Possibly, with the advent of better times in the future, manufacturers may be induced to come here and engage in business that will fill the building with the bnsy hum of machinery.
BUSINESS DIRECTORY OF BELLEVUE.
LAWYERS .- P. N. Schuyler, J. B. Miller.
PHYSICIANS .- G. S. Lanterman, H. L. Harris, W. S. Robinson, G. V. Parmelee, R. C. Hunter, R. A. Severance, Dr. Sandemeister.
PRINTING OFFICES .- H. F. Baker & Son, pub- lishers Bellevue Local News; Stoner & Thompson, publishers Bellevue Gazette.
PHOTOGRAPHS .- S. P. Gaugler, A. H. A. Smith. POST OFFICE .- F. L. Goodson, postmaster. JEWELERS .- R. A. Boyer, Breitmaier & Son.
INSURANCE .- C. C. Cook. G. Dangleisen, E. O. Merry, Wm. Lieber, A. J. Stahl.
.
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HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
MILLINERS .- Miller S. Baker, Mrs. J. U. Mayne, Mrs. E. Lanterman, Miss M. V. Henry.
DRESSMAKERS .- Mrs. Humphrey, Mrs. Reynolds, Mrs. R. Carpenter, Miss M. V. Henry, Mrs. Curtiss.
BUTCHERS .- George Wills, M. Goodman, Joseph Boehler, Zehner and Bollenbacher.
HOTELS .- Exchange, W. W. Howard, proprietor; German, D. Jacobs, proprietor.
FURNITURE .- Wise and Gross, C. F. Murray, Wood and Smith, manufacturers.
UNDERTAKERS .- Wise and Gross, D. Moore.
PAINTERS .- C. F. Burgess, Barber Brothers, L. Haxton, S. Headings, Philip Salter.
BOOTS AND SHOES .- R. Greenslade, Justus Oehm, C. D. Stoner, A. Frenz.
SHOEMAKERS .- George Rudd, J. A. Bossler, M. Murr, John Fiegelist.
MERCHANT TAILORS AND CLOTHIERS .- William Gross, J. B. Higbee, E. M. Wolf.
TAILORS .- F. Heitzwabel, B. Prim, F. Knapp, B. Bauman, John Cowle.
BLACKSMITHS .- John Painter, Ochs and King, Roger Enright, John Enright, Stephen Burdsall.
DRUGGISTS .- Goodson and Co., Close and Harp- ster.
BANKS .- First National Bank, J. T. Worthington, president; Amos Woodward, vice president; E. H. Brown, cashier. Bellevue Bank, Bourdett Wood, president; Abishai Wood, vice president; E. J. Shef- field, cashier.
DENTISTS .- A. R. and E. D. Lord.
DRY GOODS .- Boyer & Eichhorn, Hilbish, Harsch & Co., Smith & Greene, A. Ruffing.
HARDWARE .- Joseph Egle, Peter Brady.
GROCERS .- J. H. Weber, Frank Loomis, John Ries, W. H. Kern, Hilbish, Harsch & Co., Richards & Place, A. Leiter & Co., G. Dangeleisen, Ailer Bros., John Setzler, Martin Huff, P. Biebricher, E. Heim, G. W. Hock.
LIVERY STABLES .- Samuel Miller, E. W. Miller. BARBERS .- M. Warch, C. Smith.
BAKERS .- John Baker, W. Leishner.
HARNESS MAKERS .- Sherck & Molland, G. Schus- ter.
STOVES AND TINWARE .- P. Brady, G. A. Beck- with, Joseph Egle.
MISCELLANEOUS .- A. Hornig, marble dealer; Kern & Benfer, agricultural implements; Higbee & Com- pany, produce dealers and millers; Woodward & Mayne, agricultural implements ; Joseph Edrich, cooper; Wood & Close, grain dealers and elevator; McKim Brothers, manufacturers of barrels, office in power building, near railroad ; S. Patterson, tanner; J. T. Worthington, distiller ; Joseph Derr, wagon maker ; Thomas Thorneloe, builder and contractor; Samuel Tate, feather renovator; C. Witherick, dray- man; J. M. Trumbauer, tobacco dealer; J. C. Shef- field, real estate and loan agent; Mrs. Smith, hair- dresser; A. Frenz, crockery; F. F. Benner, produce dealer; Mrs. J. Orwig, hairdresser; John Baker, ice
cream parlors; Dehe & Reiling, Bellevue coach and carriage works; Joseph Strayer, ornamental plasterer; Wm. Screech, lime kiln and quarry; John Painter, wagon maker; Arthur Vial, painter and paper hanger; John Greenslade, painter and paper hanger; F. Wer- ner, carpet weaver; F. May, cigar manufactory; Ben- jamin Moore, real estate.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
FREDRICK A. CHAPMAN.
Mr. F. A. Chapman came into this part of the country when he was about eighteen years of age, during the turbulent times of the last war with England. He was first engaged, with one or two of his brothers, and T. G. Amsden, in hunting, trapping and trading with the Indians, and their operations extended over a large portion of the northwest, reach- ing as far, at least, as Green bay, on Lake Michigan. The dangers attendant upon such a calling, and the romantic adventures which made it so attractive to the"young and daring, are well illustrated by a thrilling incident, which the reader will find recorded on another page of this work, in the biographical sketch of Mr. Amsden, who, as above stated, was associated with the Chapman brothers in this exciting and perilous business. Having already related it in connection with the notice of Mr. Amsden, it will not be necessary to reproduce it here.
Soon after reaching his majority, Mr. Chapman went into the dry goods trade in Bellevue, with Mr. Amsden. Together, they carried on a successful business for many years. Never, perhaps, did the mental qualities of two men more completely sup- plement each other, thus forming that happy combi- nation which alone can render a business partnership either satisfactory or successful. Mr. Chapman's business tact enabled him early to see the value of real estate, of which he secured here a generous slice, while prices were cheap. Its rise in value, afterwards, together with a business well managed, provided his family with comfort and plenty.
Mr. Chapman was born at Bethlehem, Connecticut, March 10, 1796. His father's name, as we are informed, was Michael, and his mother was a daughter of Dr. Hawley, a physician of considerable note in those days. Before coming to Ohio, they resided for a number of years (not ascertainable) in Ontario county, New York. The parents settled in Huron county some five or six years after their sons came here.
On the 10th of May, 1830, Mr. Chapman was mar- ried to Clemence A Follett, daughter of Eliphalet and Tryphena (Dimick) Follett, who had migrated from western New York to Huron county about six years before. The family came to western New York from
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HISTORY OF HURON AND ERIE COUNTIES, OHIO.
Bennington, Vermont. Mrs. Chapman's mother died in 1833, but her father survived till 1851.
The name Follett is of Norman origin, coming into England about the time of William the Conquerer, and ever since honored in English annals. It is signal- ized by a monument in Westminster Abbey, erected at the Queen's expense, to the memory of Sir William Webb Follett, Kt., who was buried in the north transept of that historic pile as recently as the year 1845. This nobleman, as we have been informed, was a relative of the Huron county Folletts. "He was" (we quote from an "historical description of Westminster Abbey"), "at the time of his decease, representative in Parliament for the city of Exeter, and attorney general to Queen Victoria. Of unblem- ished conduct in every relation of life, of manners gentle and prepossessing, combining with great legal knowledge, and extraordinary powers of persuasive eloquence, he attained, with the esteem, admiration, and good will of all who witnessed his brilliant career, the highest eminence as an advocate and a parlia- mentary speaker. The general hope and expectation that he was destined for the highest honors of the law, were blighted by his untimely death. Died June 28, 1845, aged forty-eight."
The hope and expectation alluded to in this extract, were that Sir William was destined to become Lord High Chancellor of England. Two years ago two daughters and two granddaughters of Mr. and Mrs. Chapman, while on a visit to the land of their fore- fathers, had the pleasure (and an exquisite pleasure it must have been to them) of looking upon this mon- ument, erected by royal gratitude to the memory of their distinguished relative, and one of the daughters (Mrs. Davis) took great pains to learn all facts con- nected with the life of the distinguished Mr. Follett, and to her we are indebted for the book from which the above extract is taken.
At the breaking out of the revolutionary war, the ancestors of Mrs. Chapman were living in Pennsyl- vania, near the scene of that shocking tragedy, the Wyoming massacre, in which her grandfather, Eli- phalet Follett, was killed. This massacre occurred, as our readers will remember, July 3, 1778.
The grandfather, Eliphalet, was born January 16, 1731, in Windham, Connecticut. He there married Elizabeth Dewey, on the 8th of March, 1764. She was born July 14, 1743, and either she was a native of Vermont, or her father's family must have removed to that State soon after her marriage. As above stated, this couple, at the breaking out of the revo- lutionary war, were residing in the Wyoming Valley, Pennsylvania, where they owned a large farm, and had a family of six children. They must have set- tled in that place immediately after their marriage- or perhaps he may have gone there before that, and got his farm under cultivation.
One of the forts thrown up by the inhabit- ants of that charming, but ill-fated region, in order to protect themselves from their allied foes, the Indi-
ans and Tories, was situated on his farm near Kings- ton; and when it was ascertained that these savage allies were approaching, he was among the first of those who rallied for the defence of their homes and their loved ones. Who has not read the history of that terrible contest, and of the more terrible slaugh- ter and burning which followed? In the list of those who were killed on that day never to be forgotten, is the name of Eliphalet Follett. The manner of his death, too, has been recorded. He was one of the four hundred who accompanied Col. Zebulun Butler, the commander of the patriots, when, accepting the invitation to a parley, he went out to meet his tracher- ous cousin, John Butler, who was in command of the savages. He was one of the twenty who, alone, of all that four hundred, succeeded in cutting their way through, after they had been basely deccived, sur- rounded and attacked, on all sides, by the demoniac allies. The most of this twenty escaped by swimming across the Susquehanna river, but Follett was shot while in the water. His body was recovered and buried, and portions of his clothing, together with the knee-buckles and the shoe-buckles, which he wore at the time, were afterwards sent to his family.
Many of the women and children were butchered or consumed in the flames, but the wife and children of Eliphalet Follett were among those who were per- mitted to escape. The sufferings which they under- went, are well nigh inconceivable. With only an old horse, with a feather bed for a saddle, (obtained by the aid of a friendly Indian) that heroic woman made her way fifty miles, in the direction from which succor was expected, with six children,-the oldest, thirteen years of age, and the youngest, two years of age. The older children led or carried the younger, and two who were enfeebled by sickness, rode with their mother. A painful accident added to her torture. Before they had gone far from the scene of the mas- sacre, the horse stumbled, and she was thrown from his back, and in the fall her arm was broken. Three or four days days elapsed before a physician could be found to set the broken limb. How she could con- tinue her journey, under such distressing circum- stances, it is impossible to imagine, but by her in- domitable energy and resolution, with the blessing of God, she was enabled to persevere until, at the end of the fifty miles, she met the baggage train sent out by Gen. Sullivan for the relief of the refugees.
In the course of a few weeks she succeeded in reach- ing her friends at Pownal, Bennington county, Ver- mont. There, six months after the tragic death of her husband, she gave birth to another son, who, in process of time, became the father of Mrs. Chapman. The six children born in Pennsylvania were, in the order of their ages, Martin, Betsey, Charles, Elipha- let, Jr., Benjamin and James. Eliphalet, Jr., having died a few months after the posthumous child was born, it was decided to call the last Eliphalet, in or- der that the name might be preserved in the family.
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