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 30
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ed repaired. It seems to have had all the lure of the blacksmith shop of poetic fame as a number of our pres- ent oldsters have told how they always headed there anytime they had a chance, to watch the blacksmiths at their forge; or the hickory being steamed and clamped half round for the wheels; or to go roller skating upstairs as many of the young folks did.
Then, too, there was the mail. Who- ever went to town on business brought back mail for the whole com- munity and put it in the proper one of the row of boxes set up in one corner for that purpose. It was closed shortly after the death of John C. Heiser, then Bird Heiser moved his home & busi- ness to Atwater Station in 1907 and started the Atwater Bending Works where Frank Wiley's business place is now. George Heiser moved to Atwat- er Station, too, and became a mer- chant and postmaster.
W. H. Stockberger, blacksmith and wagon maker, had a shop just east of the center where he plied his trade successfully for many years after the death of his father Frederick who had come here in 1854 and started the bus- iness in a smaller building.
About two and one fourth miles west of the center on the south side of the road stands an elm tree which is said to be one hundred twenty five years old. By this elm was the old, original Stratton shop owned by Jared Stratton who came from Connecticut in 1820. In this immediate neighbor- hood lived his four sons Almon, Eli, Jared and Samuel. They were farmers, carpenters and joiners. The son, Jared, did cabinet work and finishing. Be- sides the usual carpenter work they made coffins. Among very early town- ship records is an order by the trustees
for the treasurer to pay Eli Stratton three dollars for making a child's cof- fin.
Since before 1880 Atwater has had undertakers here in this order: V. Bryan, Coe Stanford, Stanford & Men- denhall, G. P. Shuman, R. Vaughn, Paul Hamilton and Wood Funeral Home which is here now.
WAS POPULAR INN
Col. Daniel Hillyer built the house on the southeast corner of the square, now occupied by his great grandson, Earl Hillyer. It was used as an inn. Some of the records are still legible as far back as Nov. 27, 1829. His son not only ran the inn but a stage coach line too from Middlebranch (near Canton, Ohio) to Union Valley, east of Atwater. On July 4, 1886 a new wing was opened as a dance hall and all Civil War Veterans were guests of honor. A newspaper clipping some years later says at that time "Atwater was known as the play spot of the county." The house across on the northeast corner was also a stage coach inn known as The Sheldon House. In recent years it has been the Congrega- tional parsonage.
The first hotel at the station was built by Joel I. Hough and run by Mrs. Massie White who called it The Col- onade. Later Abram Huff ran it under the name of the Atwater House. He was followed by Geo. Yontz. A news- paper clipping of Aug. 31, 1914 says "one hundred meals for transients be- sides meals for ten regular boarders were served at the Yonts House." Now we have Bowker's Flamingo Mo- tel at the Center and Strong's Tourist Home at the Station, so Atwater has always been ready to serve the ever increasing number of travelers pass- ing our way.
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WAS G. A. R. COMMANDER
Friend Whittlesey (grandfather of Nola Howlett, Romona Loomis, and H. A. Whittlesey) was State Repre- sentative from 1886 to 1889 and State Senator from 1894 to 1898. Another of Atwater's best known citizens was John Henry Grate, who was born Aug. 1, 1845 in Edinburg, Ohio. He learned the buggy trade in Palmyra. On Oct. 4, 1863 he enlisted at Newton Falls. He was in General Sheridan's Corps of the Army of the Potomac. After the war he married Laura Gil- bert on May 2, 1872 and they moved onto a farm just south of Yale. They had one son Charles A. Grate who now lives in Elyria and raised Clar- ence Eno who lives at Yale. He farm- ed and also worked at the Heiser Shop. After it closed, he built a large evaporator on his farm and for many years marketed dried corn throughout this area. The evaporator burned down just a few years before he re- tired from the farm to spend the rest of his life at Atwater Station in the first house west of the Methodist Par- sonage. He remained active long after retirement, still driving his own car after he was ninety years of age. He kept busy in his workshop.
The writer has a wooden clothes frame which he made when he was ninety-eight years old. He was the National Commander of the Grand Army of the Republic in 1946-47. He was one of the last three remaining Civil War Veterans in Ohio. Open house was held on July 29, 1945 the Sunday before his one hundredth birthday. He died June 7, 1949 less than two months before his one hun- dred fourth birthday. 1949 was the on- ly Memorial day observance he missed, he having been on the program the year before to represent the Civil War
Veterans. There is a very fitting me- morial marker in the Atwater Ceme- tery for John Grate one of Atwater's really remarkable citizens.
SCHOOL ORGANIZATION
For the 1954-55 school year execu- tive head of the Atwater High School was Robert C. Parsons.
High school teachers were Jack Cordier, Stanley Bowers, Elizabeth Lalli Carlson, Virgil E. Roman, Will- ard S. Weekley, Frederick H. Stokes, Wm. L. Conley, Winifred McClay and Jack David Orsburn.
Elementary school teachers were Lucile H. Stahl, Jean Fouser, Harriet K. Tabler, Dorothy E. Beck, Mary. Ellen Rodenbucher, Gladys Harwell, Magdalene Koontz and Mildred Bar- thal.
The Board of Education was com- prised of K. L. Muster, Pres .; Frank Wiley, R. M. Kirkbride, Grace Krich- baum, Donald E. Weber, and Rose Hartley, Clerk.
Cafeteria manager was Violet Mill- er, with Louise Lindsay and Marie Bensinger, assistants.
Custodians were Herschel R. Ford and John Hrovatic.
School bus drivers were Ralph Franks, Frank F. Corl and Frank Biltz.
Township officers were: Trustees- R. E. Whittlesey, Pres .; J. E. Berry and H. S. Beans. Clerk, Mildred C. Lamert. Constable, H. A. Whittlesey. Township sexton, Ralph Hormell.
BUSINESS ACTIVITIES
In 1907 the Atwater Savings Bank was organized with $25,000 capital. Powell Whittlesey was president and R. L. Webber, brother of the late Howard Webber, was cashier. The second cashier was L. L. Miller and the third was Glen Howlett. Mrs. Jennie Meacham was employed as
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bookkeeper in 1907 and later became assistant cashier until she resigned in 1926. Miss Laura Crosser was also em- ployed there. It was on the northeast corner of Main and Bank Streets and was a very valuable asset not only to Atwater but to surrounding towns.
In 1909 Ed and Porter Wilson start- ed a basket factory which made bas- kets for a while then changed over to making banana crates, shipping a car- load per day. It was located on the west side of the railroad tracks a few rods north of the depot.
On June 12, 1912 interurban service between Atwater and Alliance was begun by the Cleveland, Alliance and Mahoning Valley line. A little later it was completed to Ravenna.
In 1918-19 the Atwater Light and Power Company was formed by local citizens and power was purchased from the Cleveland, Alliance and Ma- honing Valley Railroad for Atwater's first electric power. This service was taken over in the summer of 1925 by the Ohio Electric Power Company.
In 1922 the Atwater Fire Depart- ment was organized with E. E. Strong
the first fire chief. The fire truck was kept in N. W. Brockett's Garage on Main Street until the completion of the present fire station in 1931.
On July 24, 1947 an impromptu street dance was held in front of Libis Garage to celebrate the turning on of Atwater's first street lights.
The Atwater-Strong Company was organized in 1949 for the manufacture of the Mulch-vac which was invented by B. P. Strong, a member of the Company, whose products are mar- keted both at home and abroad.
In the spring of 1955 most of the first and second grade children re- ceived vaccine for the prevention of Polio.
So, we conclude a few scattered facts from over 150 years of life in Atwater. Without a doubt it will be difficult for those who live here 150 years from now to picture how we really lived but at least they will know we tried to be helpful-in case they can find a copy of this in grand- mother's attic.
Historic Atwater Inn
Col. Daniel Hillyer built the house on the southeast corner of the square at Atwater Center, now occupied by his great grandson, Earl Hillyer. It was long used as an inn. Some of its records still exist, still legible, as far back as Nov. 27, 1829. The first Hillyer's son not only ran the inn but operated a stage coach line from Middlebranch, to Union Valley, east of Atwater. On July 4, 1886, a new wing was opened as a dance hall and all Civil War veterans were guests of honor. A newspaper of a later date says at that time Atwater was known as "the play spot of the county" because of this place.
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Anything of Iron
"Anything that can be made of iron we will make," was the slogan of the Keller brothers, who operated an extraordinary machine shop in Randolph from 1845 to 1895. They patented and made a horse power drive for sawing machines. They made their own "chilled" plow which is said to have been the fore-runner of another, more widely known "chilled" plow. An early "cultipacker" was one of their products. Other products included wagons, sleighs, iron kettles, skillets, flat irons, sledge hammers, pipes, guns, springs, dies, screws, bells, grates, gears and other things ranging from watch springs to cannon balls. They had a pattern and mould department and sometimes worked in wood. Their shop was in the southeast part of Randolph. Lack of transportation facilities finally forced them to quit. It is said that when the Kellers set out to make a new machine, they made every part of it themselves, including such things as screws, springs, bolts and rivets.
Henry Keller, a blacksmith, came to Randolph in 1841, and his sons, Isaac and John, composed the later firm. A picture of the mill is found on Page 96 .
Lucky Bierce
An unusual and widely known character of old Portage county was "General" Lucius V. Bierce. He was born in Connecticut but came to Ravenna in 1816. Here he was prosecuting attorney from 1826 to 1836, after coming here from Warren. He then moved to Akron where he was also prosecuting attorney and judge. Bierce was much interested in Freedom for Canada and was a leading member of "The Hunters," an army organized on American soil for the purpose of helping to free Canada. The first "invasion" was made from New York state under Gen. Von Schultz, but the Canadians were not surprised as planned. The invaders were overwhelmed and the leaders hanged. Bierce escaped. He then secretly assembled and led another army of 400 men at Detroit for a surprise attack on Windsor, across the river. His "army" was surrounded by loyal Canadians and nearly all were killed or captured. Again Bierce escaped. He was state senator from Akron 1862-64 and later went into government service as assistant adjutant general until the Civil War was over. To help the North, Bierce organized two companies of Marines at his own expense. He once edited the free thought magazine, Ohio Watchman.
One hundred years ago or more, immigrants from Europe were not only regarded with curiosity, but were not held in high regard-a situation which held for many years. The Portage Democrat of 1857 reports that an engine on a wood train on the C. & P. railroad blew up between Ravenna and Alliance. Names of several natives killed and injured were printed and then it added; "An Irishman standing nearby had three ribs broken."
In 1863, Gen. John B. King, then a Ravenna resident, organized a "Squirrel Hunters" company of volunteers (men over 45) to help repel the Morgan Raiders, then approach- ing Cincinnati. The raid was stopped before the Squirrel Hunters could get into action, and the company was disbanded, each with a "Squirrel Hunters" discharge certificate.
A frequent cause for complaint in the winter days of the '80s and '90s, was the practice of certain farmers who drove their horses to town, hitched them on the street to stand there while the owners indulged in drink. Fines were imposed for leaving horses stand on the street without blankets to protect them.
CHAPTER XX Aurora
By GEORGE B. HETTINGER
In the spring of 1797 when a sur- veying party fixed the limits of Port- age County, David, Ebenezer, and Fidelio King purchased and drew in a land lottery, Town 5 in the 9th range. This was to become the Aurora we know today. Ebenezer Sheldon Jr., Gideon Granger, and John Leavett had sub-interests.
Of the men who made up Aurora's early settlers, Orrin Harmon, recorded in his own handwriting in 1866 this early history; "At the first division of land, Town 5 in the 8th Range (Man- tua) and Town 5 in the 9th Range (Aurora) were drawn by an associa- tion of individuals known as the Big Beaver Land Company. The members of this company were residents of Suf- field, Connecticut, and vicinity. They were mostly farmers by occupation and resided on their farms, though they were, like many New England men of that time, much given to spec- ulation."
Principal stockholders were Luther Loomis, Martin Sheldon, and Fidelio King, active business men in their home state of Connecticut.
COMES ON CONTRACT
Interest in the Western Reserve by 1798, was running high. In January, 1799, one Elias Harmon and his bride, adopted daughter of Martin Sheldon, set forth for the Sheldon holding in the Western Reserve. Harmon had a contract to help the land owners set up their homes in Reserve. Because of
bad weather, the Harmons were forced to spend the winter at Pittston, New York.
The date of Ebenezer Sheldon's leaving for the Western Reserve is not known; however, it is known that he arrived in Aurora before the Har- mons, who left Pittston in May, 1799, coming part way in company of David Hudson and Benjamin Tappan.
The Harmons stopped in Mantua at the pioneer home of the Honey fam- ily. Harmon left his wife with the Honeys and went on to Aurora to help Sheldon. From written evidence there are two small areas of disagreement at this point.
(1) The two men built a small cabin on lot 40 near where the Sheldon home now stands, and on July 2, 1799, the Harmon's household goods were brought to Aurora and Mrs. Har- mon set up housekeeping for the two men. While working out the conditions of his contract, Elias Har- mon built his own cabin on 50 acres of land in Mantua, given to him as part of the bargain. In the fall of 1799, Harmon moved to his own cabin in Mantua and Ebenezer Shel- don returned to Connecticut for the winter.
(2) Elias Harmon kept a diary and copies of it were made by his son, Orrin Harmon. Exerpts as follows: Sunday, June 16, 1799-Set a bear trap and planted potatoes and pease.
June 17, 1799-Returned to the Honeys (Mantua).
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June 24, 1799-Cutting road to Aurora.
June 28, 1790- Removed our goods to Aurora.
June 29, 1799- Searching for water on lot 40.
July 2, 1799-Began to cut tim- ber for our home.
July 2, 1799-Put up and moved into our house.
July 3, 1799-Got timber for our floor.
This diary thus establishes the two points of disagreement with all pub- lished records of Aurora:
NAMED IN ADVANCE
(a) The township was called Aurora before the arrival of Major Spafford, who is supposed to have named it,
(b) Elias Harmon owned land in Man- tua at the time he worked for Shel- don and other early settlers.
Captain Sheldon returned to Aurora in the spring of 1800. He brought with him his family which consisted of his second wife, Love Davis, four sons and a daughter, Hulda.
The Sheldons then enlarged their clearing, and planted more crops.
Later in 1800, Major Spafford and his party of surveyors visited the Shel- dons. Another arrival in 1800 was Samuel Huntington of Norwich, Con- necticut. He took up a tract of land west of what is now Sunny Lake. He did not remain long and soon moved to Warren to practice law and later became Governor of Ohio.
The first church "service" of the new community was held in the Shel- don cabin by a Methodist missionary by the name of Shadrach Bostwick in exchange for a night's lodging.
The first regular church meeting was held in the Sheldon home in 1803 by the Reverend Joseph Badger, from Connecticut Missionary Society. There were fifteen present, probably the to- tal population.
TAXES ARE LOW
By the fall of 1803, more settlers arriving, included Judge Samuel For- ward, and his four brothers Chauncey, Oliver, Dryden, and Rannsellaer. They took up a tract of land near the present George Chapman home on Chillicothe Road.
In 1804, the James Henry (Hendry) and his family came from Harpers- ville, New York. Mrs. Henry was a direct descendent of Oliver Cromwell.
As late as 1813, Ebenezer Sheldon still held nearly one-half of the entire township. A receipt for taxes signed by David Hudson paid by Ebenezer Sheldon dated November 28, 1805 shows Sheldon paid $2.40 for county taxes.
Mrs. Oliver Forward gave birth to a son on April 8, 1804; this was the first white child born in the new set- tlement. The boy was named Oliver Cromwell Forward, an appropriate name.
1804 also saw several new arrivals, most of them with their respective families. Some of these were John Cochran, Fr., David Kennedy Sr., and Jr., Samuel Ferguson, George Hol- comb, and Stephen Cannon. These families were followed in 1805 by Solomon Cochran, Horace Granger, Mrs. Mary B. Cannon, a widow with 6 children. Also arriving were Steph- en Cannon's mother and other rela- tives, John, George, Eli, Amy, and Polly Cannon.
TREES MARK PROPERTY
Ebenezer Harmon and his wife, Mary Sheldon Harmon, a daughter of Ebenezer Sheldon, with their three children, came out from Connecticut in 1806. They settled southwest of Sunny Lake, and this land is still re- tained by the Harmon family and its present resident, C. I. Harmon, a di-
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The old Kent House at Geauga Lake. Famous as a resort in other days.
rect descendent of Ebenezer Harmon. There are still in existence on the front lawn of the Cal Harmon's home three or four maple trees that Eben- ezer Harmon planted to mark the cor- ners of his cabin.
An interesting fact pertinent at this point is that Ebenezer Sheldon, the first settler was the father-in-law of Ebenezer Harmon and Elias Harmon who came out originally with Eben- ezer Sheldon's brother-in-law. The two Harmon families and the Shel- dons were therefore all descended from Martin Sheldon.
Also in 1806, lots 20 and 21 were settled by Zeno Kent. The Kents a- bout 1821, built a frame house on lot 20. This is the present home of Leslie R. Kent, a direct descendent of Zeno Kent.
As far as can be determined, only Cal Harmon, and Leslie Kent are the only descendents of original settlers who still reside on the original family
lands. However, a descendent of Reu- ben Avery (came west in the 1820's), Hazel Haas, still spends week ends on the family land, part of lot 34.
In 1806, the first of the "modern" homes was built by Captain Phineas Perkins, along state route 82.
Also coming in 1806 from Vermont was the Robert Bissell family. One of his sons the Reverend Samuel Bissell, was to become the well known schol- ar and teacher of the Western Re- serve.
SET UP ACADEMY
Samuel Bissell, after much priva- tion, hardship, and years of study, was admitted to Yale. Much of his learn- ing was obtained from the Reverend John Seward, a well-educated man.
Samuel Bissell returned to Aurora in 1826 and with the help of Moses Eggleston and others began the opera- tion of an Academy in Aurora. The tuition was two dollars for twelve
ยท
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weeks. Two of Mr. Bissell's boys were in the first graduating class of three from Western Reserve College. The year 1806 also brought John Single- tary who settled on the northeast cor- ner of what is now routes 82 and 306. He was the first in Aurora to practice law.
The Eggleston family of Joseph and Moses, along with Jeremiah Root, Samuel Taylor, Benjamin Eggleston, Brainard Spencer, Amos Sweet, and Chauncey Eggleston also arrived in 1806. Chauncey Eggleston opened a blacksmith shop soon after his arrival.
The same year Samuel McCoug- liney, Isaac Blair, and Samuel Bald- win, also came out. The Baldwin's built a cabin where the old Baldwin brick house now stands on Pioneer Trail. This is now the home of Nelson Doubrava.
1807 was of great importance, as this was the year that the township was organized. An election was held on December 14, 1807, with the fol- lowing results: Trustees; Samuel For- ward, Phineas Perkins, and Ebenezer Sheldon. Clerk; Oliver Forward. Con- stable; Moses Eggleston. Treasurer; Robert Bissell. Assessor: Ebenezer Sheldon Jr. Overseer of the Poor: Samuel Forward Jr.
In April, 1808, a soldier of the Rev- olution, Major Elijah Blackman, with his married sons and daughters, ar- rived in Aurora. With them were Horace and Justice Bissell. These last two were carpenters, and they built many of Aurora's early homes.
MANY SAW MILLS BUSY
The first frame house was erected by Sheldon, and was followed soon by the home of General Chauncey Eggles- ton on Eggleston Road, still standing. It is thought that the home of Captain Phineas Perkins was built about the
same year. These homes, according to an old account, were built in about 1809.
Dea Witter arrived in 1809 and built a saw mill on the river near what is route 82. Very soon, ten other mills were in operation in the same general area, all supplying lumber for the rapidly expanding community. This section was dubbed "Slab City."
The first inn was built in 1811 by Samuel Bissell near General Eggles- ton's home on Eggleston Road.
Aurora had a full fledged pirate in its early history, one Gregory Powers. He came to Aurora at the age of 66 with considerable quantities of valu- ables which set him up immediately as a wealthy landowner. One of his daughters married Hopson Hurd and a second daughter married Bohan Blair. Powers served on the Brigantine Minerva, one of the privateers charged with the task of intercepting British ships and hijacking supplies.
Seabury Ford, former county prose- cutor, is a direct descendent of Hop- son Hurd. Ford still retains ownership of the old Singletary home after 150 years. The Bohan Blair home still stands at the corner of Aurora Pond Road.
According to one published source, the first commercial venture was the saw mill of Dea Witter in 1809. Other sources indicate Ebenezer Sheldon built a saw mill in 1808.
OPENS A STORE
Soon after other mills and factories were built along the river banks were Isaac J. Lacey's wood and cabinet shop, the Elders woolen mill, the Preston chain factory, a musical instrument factory run by the Skinners, a tannery, and an ashery also run by Isaac Lacey. All these establishments were in what was later to be called Aurora Station.
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In the year 1812, Samuel Baldwin opened a store in his father's home at Aurora Center. Once he sold his stock, he for some reason went out of busi- ness.
In the late 1840's and the '50's at the extreme south part of the Center, was the home of Dr. George Hatch, and next to him on the north was the law office of General Nelson Eggles- ton. Across the street was the tailor shop of Ephraim Parrish, and north was the tinshop of Major Ross. Also along what is now Route 43, south of the present church was a wagon shop run by William Butler, the black- smith shop of Mr. Taylor, later oper- ated by John L. Thompson. Also in this area was a furniture factory run by I. W. Steadman and the office and home of Dr. L. Lacey (now the home of A. O. Hall).
About 1852, the Harmons built a huge cheese curing house, now Calico Corners, and just north of what was their store (now Hackbart's grocery). Isaac Lacey's wagon shop and shoe shop was directly across from Har- mon's store and next to the store was the Woodruff Hotel.
Where the fire house now stands was the Aurora Academy and then the old Brick Church on the present site of the Church in Aurora. Across from the old Brick Church, was John Brad- shaw's farmers store and the tailor shop of John Woods. Just back and a little to the east of the tailor shop was the Disciple Church.
NEW STORES OPEN
The post office and a harness shop run by A. V. Jewett was on the front lawn of what is now the home of Joe Graf, Sr. George Drake had operated a shoe shop north of the Drake shoe shop, Alvin Seward also had a shoe shop. This house was later moved
across the stree and is now the home of Aurora's Mayor John I. Eldridge.
Mrs. Samuel Spencer had a millin- ery and dress making emporium in the present home of John Kain. Co- lumbus Jewett had a harness shop on the corner across from the Baldwin store. The Aurora House stood nearby, also conducted by Mr. Woodruff and on the southwest corner of Routes 82 and 306 was the Converse store later operated by the Baldwins and still later was the Hurd's store. Mr. Eld- ridge used the building for an office for his cheese business.
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