Portage heritage; a history of Portage County, Ohio; its towns and townships and the men and women who have developed them; its life, institutions and biographies, facts and lore, Part 13

Author: Holm, James B
Publication date: 1957
Publisher: [Kent, O., Commercial Press inc.]
Number of Pages: 834

USA > Ohio > Portage County > Portage heritage; a history of Portage County, Ohio; its towns and townships and the men and women who have developed them; its life, institutions and biographies, facts and lore > Part 13

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Nearby Silver Lake resort also drew many patrons from this county.

Trap shooting had its devotees and a grounds at Brady Lake had regular "shoots."

DAILY MILK TRAINS

Sandy Lake (now Stafford) was a popular summer place, with a hotel,

Richard J. Thompson of Ravenna bought and used the first mowing ma- chine used in the Western Reserve. This was about 1855. Its operation attracted large crowds of spectators.

Brimfield once had two wool buyers and shippers. Reuben Brobst in some seasons handled over 100,000 pounds, while J. T. Williams handled 75,000 pounds.

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and had its regular patrons. A Pitts- burgh military company camped there every summer. But all the county lakes were useful for recreation pur- poses and summer homes along them were numerous.

At this time no one had thought much of "country living" for city business men, but there was a great deal of "commuting" to and from cities by city workers. The Erie Ma- honing branch, passing through Gar- rettsville, Mantua, and Aurora, car- ried many commuters to Cleveland, as did the Pennsylvania road. The "Ravenna Accommodation" was long a popular train for such commuters as was the "Alliance Accommoda- tion." Milk trains also ran regularly. Those who rode the "Accommoda- tion" included not only job holders, but merchants, lawyers, and business men. Dan R. Hanna, the Cleveland

industrialist who developed the fam- ous Cottage Hill estate and lived there, was long a regular rider. "Milk Trains" were also run on the W. & L. E. and the Mahoning branch of the Erie through the County.

NORMAL SCHOOL LOCATED

At this time something happened in Kent which was to have great im -. portance in education, not only here but through Northeastern Ohio. Hi- ram College then had attained a place of influence with Miner Lee Bates as president with an enrollment of over 300 students, and with an excellent standing. The state decided to put in operation two normal schools, one in Northeast Ohio, and one in North- west Ohio. If they followed the pat- tern of teacher colleges in other states, this would mean schools of 200 or 300 students annually. Yet they were

The Busy Badger

In the church history of the Western Reserve, the name of Rev. Joseph Badger ap- pears often. A native of Massachussetts, from which place he entered the Revolutionary Army at the age of 18 and fought in the battle of Bunker Hill. He wanted to go to college and he earned the money necessary for this by teaching school and giving singing les- sons. In 1786, he was licensed to preach and then occupied pulpits in various towns. The Connecticut Congregational church organization was impressed by the needs for new churches on the Ohio frontier and sent Badger here as a missionary in 1800. He arrived by the way of Pittsburgh in December of that year. The historian, Harvey Rice, says that in 1801, Badger visited nearly every settlement and most of the families of the Reserve. As stated elsewhere and as set out in his letters, he was greatly discouraged by the ungodly attitude or indifferences of settlers. But he was a zealous man and kept on under dis- couraging circumstances with hardly enough income to live on. When the Connecticut Missionary Society reduced his pay to $6.00 a week, he resigned. Later he became a worker for the Massachussetts Missionary Society, which sent him to Sandusky to work among the Indians. In a short time he came back to Ashtabula county and preached in several towns. When he quit his pastoral work in 1835, it is said that he was probably the best known man in the entire Reserve, since he had visited or worked in so many places. He died in Perrysburg, Ohio, in 1846. In all his church experience he never made more than a bare living and died almost helpless physically, and without resources. He was in Portage County frequently and did much to encourage establishment of churches.

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valuable acquisitions for any com- munity and there was much rivalry among towns to secure them. Kent was then finally selected as the North- eastern location in 1911. The new school buildings were built on land donated by W. S. Kent and the Kent Normal School was under way. First classes were held under a tent. By an- other year or two, the "normal" was in full operation, with Dr. John Mc- Gilvrey as its first president. It proved to be a popular school in teacher training, but the summer terms at- tracted many who came in for re- fresher courses, or to work for de- grees. Still, few then suspected that the institution would ever be more than a "normal school." The effects of the school though, were felt at once, and the general character of the town began to change as well.

Forty years previous to the coming of the normal school, Kent almost had a college of a different type. In 1870 the Universalist church wanted to establish a college and Kent had been virtually decided upon as the location, but at the last moment a better financial offer was made from Akron people and the institution lo- cated there as Buchtel College-now Akron University.

COUNTY VOTES "DRY"

One of the matters which was then occupying the public mind, was temp- erance and regulation of the liquor traffic. A series of new state laws were

passed which strengthened the hand of the anti-liquor people, providing for better liquor law enforcement and also for countywide local option elec- tions. Success was achieved in other counties and in 1909 a county-wide election was called for Portage Coun- ty. Both sides were well organized. Henry Spelman of Kent was campaign manager for the "drys" and Attorney Chas. Newton was manager for the "wets." The campaign was bitter. Public meetings were held and able speakers argued for or against local option.

The fight was not conducted along old party-wide lines. A new party had to be formed and for the drys the Anti-Saloon League, then becoming powerful, led the campaign. Both sides managed to raise considerable money-from gifts and contributions and an advertising campaign was put on. When the votes were counted that fall, the drys had won in a vote of 4305 to 3121 wet. Saloons all over the county were then obliged to close in Portage County, but the man who felt that liquor was needed could step over into Summit County to have his need filled, or any near county for the same reason. Many from Ravenna and Kent went to Cuyahoga Falls for this purpose and the expression "go- ing to the Falls", had double meaning. The last trolley car coming from the Falls on Saturday nights usually car- ried a number of men who had im-

The Portage County Horticultural So- ciety disbanded in 1931 after 52 years of activity.

Diamond village once had an Opera House which was run by the Harris brothers.

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TE RANK

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COUNTY BRANCH, HATTA

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Currency issued in the '50s by the Portage County branch of the State Bank of Ohio.

bibed unwisely, or were in belligerent mood and some lively times resulted. Often the motorman had to come to the conductor's assistance with a con- troller handle in his hand.

Later in 1915, under a new law, Ravenna again voted dry, the vote being 727 to 655. Kent then voted dry, 654 to 554. Portage County also voted dry in a state-wide contest in 1918.

DRESSES GROW SHORTER

In women's wear the bustle and bal- loon sleeves had disappeared. Girls and women wore skirt waists, likely as not with a choker collar. Hair was done up in a beautiful pompadour, usually with the aid of a "rat." Wo- men used hat pins to keep their mil- linery creations in place and full skirts swept the ground until about 1910 when the bottom was lifted a few inches. "Bloomers" were adopted. School girls wore long black cotton stockings, and in the winter, leggings, with fascinators to keep the head warm.

For the young males, skin tight pants were soon replaced by the peg top style. Those who had been part- ing their hair in the middle now turned to other styles. Some consider- ed themselves dressed up if they wore white rubber or celluloid collars. Stiff, black derby hats were quite the rule. College boys and "sports" wore sweaters.

Ravenna observed its Homecoming in 1909, with a celebration there.

Savings banks were paying 5% in- terest on savings deposits.

Writers and composers of popular music really started work in earnest at the beginning of the new century. Happily, many were in a gayer mood than those of former years, though the love motif remained. Quite early came "The Good Old Summer Time"; "Coon, Coon, Coon"; "Sweet Bunch of Daisies"; "Down Went McGinty"; "Goo Goo Eyes"; "Everybody Works But Father"; "Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly?"; "Alexanders Rag Time Band"; "He's A Cousin of Mine";

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"Everybody Little Movement Has A Meaning of It's Own"; "Margie"; and a host of others.

THE BIG SNOW -

The year 1901, for years was long known by older people as the "year of the big snow." Strange to say, this snow came in the latter part of April after a period of quite warm weather. Snow was over two feet deep on the level and drifts much deeper. Some communities reported a 60 inch fall. Old fashioned hitching posts were buried out of sight. Business every- where was paralyzed as all travel, even by train, was stopped. Fortunate- ly, the snow was immediately follow- ed by a few days of warm weather and it quickly disappeared.

In November of 1913, another very heavy snow spread over the county. Again trains and road travel were halted. Early spring of the same year is remembered all over Ohio as the time of the floods. Portage has good elevation, so that heavy rains do not do much damage, but the Cuyahoga River was very high and its waters overran much land. The dam at Kent broke and was not rebuilt until the following year. May 1, 1923 saw the ground covered with snow, but for- tunately frost damage was light.

ICE BUSINESS IMPORTANT

Because of the many little lakes in Portage County, an important bus- iness in winter months, was the cut- ting and storage of natural ice, to be

Beloved Pastor Storrs

Rev. Charles B. Storrs was a gifted and well beloved pastor of the first Congregational church of Ravenna. He' was Massachussetts born and well educated. In 1828 he became a professor at the new Western Reserve College at Hudson and in 1830 he became its president. But his health was poor and in 1833 he died. Storrs was a strong slavery opponent and a friend of the poet, John G. Whittier. After Storr's death, Whittier wrote a long poem in Storr's honor, two verses of which follow:

Joy to thy spirit, brother. A thousand hearts are »warm, A thousand kindred bosoms Are baring to the storm. What, though red handed violence With secret fraud combine. The wall of fire is 'round us, Our present help was Thine.

Lo, the waking up of nations From slavery's fatal sleep, The murmur of a universe, Deep calling unto deep. Joy to thy spirit, brother! On every wind of Heaven, The onward cheer and summons Of Freedom's voice is given.

C. B. Storrs was the father of Dr. Henry M. Storrs, also a famous Congregational divine.

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used later. H. L. Spelman and son, Burt Spelman, had ice houses at Brady Lake, Silver Lake, and Congress Lake and did a large wholesale business. The Forest City Ice Company about 1880 leased East Twin Lake and erect- ed a storage and shipping building at Earlville Station. When ice had form- ed of sufficient thickness, it was neces- sary to act rapidly in cutting because of sudden weather changes. Large numbers of men were hired and hors- es pulled cutting machines and hauled ice cakes across the ice to the ice houses. The Spelman Brady Lake ice house burned in 1924 in a spectacular fire. But artifical ice was being man- ufactured and the house, a landmark, was not re-built. At Ravenna ice was harvested from Crystal Lake, while Fritch's Lake at Suffield and Geauga Lake also furnished a great deal.

SEWER LINES LAID

Most of the county municipalities had water and light systems by the beginning of the century. Garrettsvil- le claims the honor of having the first street paving in 1880. Ravenna's first pavement came in 1898 and in 1903, Kent paved its North Water Street, with a section of Main Street soon after. Soon after this numerous streets were paved in both towns. But in summer, sprinkling carts still made their regular rounds in order to keep down the dust.

Other improvements were in the wind. Ravenna started its sewer pro- gram as early as 1907, but Kent had none until 1916, after considerable battling and threats from the state health inspectors.

Ravenna's telephone system had kept going from the start (1880) but in Kent an exchange was installed, only to quit business in a couple of years. In 1895, the American Electric Telephone Co. installed a system and this has been in operation ever since, with various changes of ownership and names.

KENT HUNTS GAS

In Kent, many people had been enamored by the idea that a vein of natural gas could be found under the town. So interested did they become that they made a public matter of it and induced citizens to vote to spend money to drill for gas. They did so in 1887, going to a depth of 2,255 feet, where they did find a fair amount of gas but not enough to be commercial- ly saleable. The $3,000.00 authorized for the work was exhausted and the hunt for gas was discontinued. But for many years after that there were men who insisted that if they had on- ly drilled deeper, there would have been pleny of gas. In 1908, natural gas was brought to both Ravenna and Kent by the East Ohio Co.

In this period, there was a gradual change in the physical appearance of towns. The old wooden awnings over

American relief for unfortunate peo- ple in Europe began early. In the April 21, 1847, issue of the Portage Sentinel, Cyrus Prentiss, old time Ravenna mer- chant prince, published a notice to local people desiring to contribute for the starving people of Ireland, Scotland and Germany. He said that if flour, wheat and corn was left at his warehouse, he would forward it, at his own expense, to its destination.

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store fronts were disappearing. The wooden sidewalks with cross boards had gone, replaced by stone flagging for the most part. Now concrete was being used, particularly in the busi- ness section. Larger glass went into the display windows of stores, which were kept brilliantly lighted. Most stores were open evenings until 9 o'clock. Hitching racks and posts still stood along the streets but these grad- ually disappeared after 1910. Parking spaces replaced them, but meters did not come into use until the 30's. About that time, too, motorists who drove from town to town, began to complain about the rough roads and demand smoother, all-weather high- ways. By 1915, there were 16 motor car dealers in the county.

CARNEGIE SENDS CASH

The 1880 and 1890 decades might be called the picket fence period. Nearly every respectable home was surrounded by a fence, usually of white painted pickets, or of boards also painted white or whitewashed. Wealthy people might have an iron picket place, with maybe the iron figure of a dog, a deer, or some other creature standing on the lawn. Oc- casionally, there was a brick or stone wall. Lawns were hard to keep but

In the heyday of the canal trade, J. Bradshaw and H. B. Camp operated what they called the White Warehouse at Campbell's Port. They announced that they did "all kinds of storage, for- warding and commission business". This meant they handled farm products and did a merchandise business on anything that was shipped on the canal.

the invention of the lawn mower helped matters. After the turn of the century, fences were no longer popu- lar and people wanted their fine lawns exposed to view.

At the beginning of this era, An- drew Carnegie, the retired steel mil- lionaire, was interested in bestowing his money for libraries. Many towns, great or small, were recipients of his bounty. In 1903, a committee of Kent citizens made application for money for a library. Mr. Carnegie offered to give $10,000.00, the town to furnish a site with other conditions. The lot was donated by Marvin Kent and Mr. Carnegie later gave $1500.00 more, and the Barnett family also gave $1,- 000.00. The library was built the fol- lowing year. This was the only "Car- negie Library" in the county. Over- tures were made to Carnegie from Ravenna. He was agreeable, but for some reason the deal was never made.

Vaudeville and traveling dramatic and musical shows, with summer stock companies, were the accepted means of thespian entertainment a- bout this time, but something hap- pened to change all this. It was the coming of the moving picture pro- jector. At first they went into vacant store rooms and rented halls, as thea- ter owners were disdainful of the movie.

MOVING PICTURES COME

A moving picture theater was open- ed in Ravenna by Laurens Bundy in 1905 and operated for a time. He sold it to N. C. Fox. John Porter and A. F. Lee started another about this time. Kent had movies in 1906. These were the first in the county. Music was

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furnished by a pianist and sometimes a vocalist, male or female, sang popu- lar songs. Admission at first was only five cents, hence the name "nickelod- eon." The movies rose high in popu- larity. In Garrettsville "Snow's Shows" drew crowds. Movies were "silent" until about 1929, when sound. was added. In this year the New Kent theater was built and opened with Rollin Lusk as manager. A year or two later the New Ravenna Theater was built by the same owners.

In the communications field, things were stirring. The Kent Telephone Co., was operating in that town and in 1903 it combined with the Ra- venna Telephone Co. and the Gar- rettsville and Mantua companies to form the Portage County Telephone Co., with a capital of $100,000.00. The Bell system had a franchise in Raven- na but operated as a poor second be- cause of the prejudice against monop- olies. When Bell sought a franchise in Kent in 1905, the town council re- fused because so much money was invested in the home system. In March 1918, the Ohio State Telephone Co. took over the Portage County Co., but in 1921 this company merged with the Bell system, which has operated the lines ever since. By 1920 the use of the crank to ring "central" was discontinued and in 1937, automatic or dial phone, came into use.

RURAL DELIVERY-PARCEL POST

The parcel post service of the post- office department was in operation in 1901 and in 1902, Rural Free mail delivery was started in both Ravenna and Kent, with mail delivery in the towns soon after that.

Up to this time, the so-called "poll tax" system was in use. The tax was $3.00 annually and was presumed to be for keeping up roads. But in the rural districts, at least, the tax could be "worked out" by work on the roads. The road supervisor was a township officer and he supervised the labor of those who desired to dis- charge the tax.

Municipal and township elections were then being held in April and nominations for these offices usually were made at a "caucus" of party members. For nominations for county office, county conventions were held. The primary system of nominating candidates did not come until 1913. The Australian ballot system of secret marking of votes had been in use since 1892, previous to which candidates or parties furnished their own ballots.

MAN IN FLIGHT

For many years the airplane was only a name to most people here but it came to life for sure in 1911. In this year C. P. Rogers decided to try a cross country flight, New York to San Francisco, which many did not believe possible. It was a series of hops from one town to another. Port- age County was in the line of flight and many waited to see the plane. An additional thrill was given Kent peo- ple. When the plane passed over the town, spectators were surprised to see it turn and come back and finally

In 1921 Stanley Honeywell of Ran- dolph raised 364 bushels of potatoes from one acre of land, a record up to that time, and considered remarkable. This record has been surpassed since that time.

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make a landing on a farm, necessary because of engine trouble. It remain- ed there for a day and thousands got a close-up view of an airplane. Rogers then went on and in time reached the Pacific. G. W. Austin, then a 103 year old Ravenna man saw the plane and said "No, I think I'd rather have my old horses and wagons."

TROUBLE IN SCHOOL

An incident that took the attention of the entire county came to a head in 1907. A. B. Stutzman had been superintendent of the Kent schools for 28 years and for one reason or an- other, opposition to him had develop- ed. He refused to resign and a school board was elected that seemed deter- mined to get him out. But friends came to his rescue and in the fall of 1907, a spirited campaign was made which resulted in election of avowed- ly "pro-Stutzman" board members. Stutzman's contract had some time to run. Before the new board could be seated, charges were brought against Stutzman that he had paid money to men for their votes. At a board meet- ing called with only a few minutes notice, Stutzman's contract was ter- minated. The case was carried to the

The Welsh Eisteddfodd

An institution once important in the southeast part of the county was the "eisteddfodd". It was a gathering for competition in reading, speaking and singing, particularly the latter. It was brought to Palmyra and Deerfield by the Welsh people in keeping with their great ability in singing and love for it. Contestants in solos, duets, choruses and the like were judged with meticulous care and the awards were greatly prized.

courts, where the dismissal was sus- tained, but the town was divided over the issue for years afterward. Many felt that Stutzman had been badly treated.

By this time the automobile was accepted as having come to stay and Kent citizens were trying to raise a fund to bring an automobile factory to the town, through a sale of lots. Many lots were sold and a fund raised but nothing came of it. Kent's first dip into the motor manufacturing trade did not actually come until 1920, when the Thomart truck manufacture was started in the old "chain works" plant. Later, of course, the Fageols had a bus plant there and still later the Twin Coach Co. and Fageol Mo- tors Products were running there.

MARRYING PARSON

In 1908 the Twin Lakes Outing club was being promoted by Akron and local people. In 1913, another group was at work for the same pur- pose. Andrew Carnegie made his sec- ond contribution to Portage County progress when he gave $1,000 to the Kent Methodist church for the pur- pose of a new pipe organ.

A well known and beloved charac- ter known not only over Portage County, but beyond its borders, was Rev. Andrew Willson, pastor of the Kent Universalist church. He was a leader in the affairs of the Portage County Horticulture Society and oth- er organizations. In his capacity as minister, he conducted hundreds of funerals and became known as "the marrying parson." In 1908 he an- nounced that he had then performed 1,000 marriages, but continued to un-

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ite couples until his death in 1911.

At this time railroad express service was more widely used than previously and later too. Parcel post was not yet popular. Four companies maintained service - Wells Fargo, the United States Express Co., Adams Express Co., and the Pacific Express Co. Many ex- press trains passed through the coun- ty daily. Later the express companies were consolidated and the Railway Express Co. is now the sole operating organization.

HOSPITAL GROWS

The county took an important step forward in the field of healing and care of the sick and injured in 1904, when the modern White Hospital, re- placing the original one which was started in 1894, was established in Ravenna. It served the entire county well until its work was merged with that of the Robinson Memorial Hos- pital. More in detail is given about this in another chapter.

In the educational field teachers' qualifications were ascertained and certified by means of teacher examin- ations held periodically at convenient places. Teachers' Institutes were also held regularly and were considered part of the training. The system was changed later when teacher training was given in colleges and "normals."

THE CHAUTAUQUA

In the first decade after 1900, a new institution appeared in this part of the world. It was the "Chautauqua", an outdoor lecture and entertainment course. Agents of lyceum bureaus came into towns and with local help organized groups to sponsor the chau-

tauquas, which usually lasted about one week, or less. A tent was erected on a convenient spot and each after- noon and night a program was put on, a separate one for each day. Some- times parades were staged by local people to stir up interest. The attrac- tions were varied. Usually, there was one or two nationally known figures to discuss big issues; musical groups; and a variety of entertainment shows. In general the programs were very good, but there was something of a circus atmosphere about the gather- ings. But the chautauquas did give communities a chance to see and hear talent that otherwise would have pass -. ed by. By 1920, the chautauquas were dying out, probably due to some ex- tent to the motor car then absorbing public attention. Ravenna, Kent, Gar- rettsville, Mantua, and other places all had their chautauquas.

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Portage heritage; a history of Portage County, Ohio; its towns and townships and the men and women who have developed them; its life, institutions and biographies, facts and lore, Part 13

Author: Holm, James B Publication date: 1957 Publisher: [Kent, O., Commercial Press inc.] Number of Pages: 834

Author: Holm, James B
Publication date: 1957
Publisher: [Kent, O., Commercial Press inc.]
Number of Pages: 834