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 31
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These shops and stores were all located in Aurora Center, different from Aurora Station-two separate villages in those days.
Near the northwest corner of Egg- leston Road and Route 82, a company erected a cheese factory in 1847. This company was formed by C. R. Howard and Harvey Eggleston, but was short lived.
In 1866, Elisha and Frank Hurd built an up-to-date cheese factory. The industry by far the greatest of all the early Chagrin Valley manufacturing enterprises, was built on the approx- imate site of the old factory. This fac- tory produced cheese for over fifty years and at one time had a daily out- put of 4,000 pounds of cheese.
CHEESE TRADE STARTS
The cheese business, according to one source really started as early as 1819, with some of the early pioneers shipping south to New Orleans. These were individual enterprises; however, they provided much revenue to the early pioneers. Frank Hurd and W. J. Eldridge, as late as 1904 had virtually control of this southern market. Mr. Eldridge sold his last factory in 1921 and thus ended an era in which Auro- ra had the distinction of being one of
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the largest cheese shipping points in the world. Harmon & Sons were also large dealers. In the year 1904 alone, over four million pounds of cheese were shipped from Aurora. Prominent dairymen of the late years were J. M. Treat, A. A. Cannon, E. H. Case, W. Russel, L. L. Kent, G. A. Treat, G. L. Riley, Frank Hurd, W. J. Eldridge, George Eggleston, and Calvin Bissell.
Physically, much of Geauga Lake lies outside of Aurora Township, but its history must be here.
Early settlers of Geauga Lake (Pic- nic Lake-an early name) and its environs were Sullivan Giles, the Staf- fords, Mark Patterson, Captain Henry, Charles Squires, the Brewsters, and Bohan Blair. Geauga Lake was known as "Pond Station" with the coming of the railroad, located west of its pres- ent site.
The Giles, in the later half of the 19th Century, established a picnic grounds, dance hall, and other enter- tainment facilities near their home. Their home still stands on the east side of Route 43.
On the east side of the lake in the 1880's was built a famous 75 room hotel, the Kent House. The ballroom on the third floor was one of the finest in the area.
CENTERVILLE MILLS
In the summer of 1812, John Jack- son came west looking for a woolen mill site. He first settled on lot 22, which is the present site of the Center- ville Mills YMCA Camp. Jackson im- mediately built his first mill which was sold to Freeman Howard. Mr. Howard sold the mill to a Mr. Carpen- ter who failed to pay for it as agreed. When Carpenter found that Howard was going to repossess the property, Carpenter removed the machinery and burned the mill. Howard rebuilt the
structure and this time put up a build- ing of colossal size for those early days. The building was seven stories high with foundations on the bed rock of the river. This mill was called Centerville Mill and stood until the flood of 1913.
The Centerville Mill became the center of a bustling community. In a few years the banks of the river were lined with mills and factories. These enterprises provided many of the ne- cessities of life for the early pioneers.
The mill property changed hands several times and finally in 1898 was made into a dance hall, well remem- bered by older people.
In 1853 and 1854, the C. & M. V. R. R. started construction in Aurora. General Nelson Eggleston was one of the promoters. The coming of the rail- road made many changes in the Au- rora scene, the nearby cities became neighbors, many new citizens arrived, and some old ones drifted away.
The present post office building was once a hotel, the Russell House, famed for good food. Traveling men tried to arrange schedules so that they included a stay at the Russell House.
In the summer of 1879, a group of older residents of Aurora, Solon, Twinsburg, and adjoining towns met at Giles Grove and had a good social visit. General Nelson Eggleston of Aurora was elected president, and L. S. Bull of Solon the secretary. This was the first meeting of the Geauga Lake Pioneer Association which held annual meetings until 1904. At these picnics there were good speakers and large crowds attended. The minute book records the deaths and comments on each of all the early pioneers who died during the years 1879 to 1904.
SERVE IN 1812
The first telephone line in Aurora
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was strung by W. H. McDonald in the 1890's. McDonald was at the time sta- tion agent at Aurora Station. Soon other families urged Mr. McDonald to extend his service to them and an ex- change was set up in the McDonald home. Later the Bainbridge Tele- phone Company moved into Aurora and absorbed Mr. McDonald's small enterprise.
The War of 1812, saw a company of thirty-five men headed by Ebenezer Sheldon from Aurora serving on Lake Erie near Sandusky. The Aurora men didn't stay long as they feared some of the Indians living in the region might take the opportunity to raid the town as there were only two men left in the area.
The Aurora Cavalry Company, a militia outfit, was organized in 1824. Several muster lists of the early organ- izations still exist.
The men of Aurora responded to the call to colors during the Civil War. The draft was never used here.
The Spanish American War, World War I and II, saw many scores of Aurora's men called to the colors.
Eleven Revolutionary soldiers are buried in Aurora, 35 veterans of the War of 1812, and 21 soldiers of the Civil War are also buried here.
On a warm day early in the winter of 1804, a group of seven children gathered for the first school to be taught in Aurora. It was taught in the former home of one of Ohio's earli- est Governors, Samuel Huntington.
As the years passed more schools were built. A map of 1870 shows that Aurora had seven schools scattered throughout the township.
SCHOOLS CONSOLIDATE
Aurora was the first township in Portage County to consolidate its one room schools. This was done in 1898
with the establishing of a centralized school in what is now the Town Hall. The local school head at this time was Edward Robison.
The present high school building was built in 1913, and first occupied in 1914. This was one of the first so called modern schools in Portage County.
Some of the principals of this era were W. R. Davis, Alex Walters, Os- car Gilbert, M. E. Hawk, and Lloyd Blauch. Some of the teachers around the turn of the century were Minnie Hickox, Luna Parker, Mrs. John McDonald, Ethel Carrier, Edith Straight Harmon, Alfred Cochrane, Jesse Meyers, and John P. Allison.
A Miss Taylor served as principal for one year, one of the few women to serve in that capacity in the county.
Serving in the new school as prin- cipals were Miss Taylor, Frank Carl, Arthur Lyle, G. V. Donnely, Oliver Fox, J. W. Bright, J. F. Koeppe (now superintendent of Berea Schools), Wade McConnell, John Graham, Ed Burkhart, Fred Swartz and presently James Hales.
Some of the school members of this period were E. A. Niman, C. I. Har- mon, Mrs. H. H. Harmon, Ethel Carrier Bissell, Alf Noble, and E. R. Straight. Mrs. Harmon (Edith Straight) was long a member of the County Board of Education.
The athletic teams of Aurora High School have had a glorious history. One of the outstanding was the foot- ball team of 1926, when Aurora scored 433 points to their opponents 18; the big win was the 100 to 0 defeat of Suffield.
SCHOOLS TODAY
In 1931 several new teachers joined the faculty, one of whom remained until 1955, Veron Gordon Biggar. She
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Cheese factory of type once so numerous in Portage County. This one was located at Beech Woods.
taught several children of some of her early pupils.
A new elementary school was first occupied in 1949 and an addition dou- bling its size was added and first used in 1954. There is presently under con- struction a gymnasium and an addi- tion to the high school.
The present staff includes James Hales, superintendent, with the high school faculty including Gladys Reed, Helen Greenwood, Helen Shilling, Daniel Weppner, Barbara Lendrum, Barbara Logan, Wilfred McCuskey, Elizabeth Parnall, George Hettinger, James Hales Jr., James Burns, Loyal Conelius, and Barbara MacWherter. The elementary school has James DiMeolo as Principal, and James Hoyt, George Colonius, Kathleen Knight, James Perrin, Jean Gilcrest, Constance Fogle, Betty Hutcherson, Pauline Coward, Eleanor Elliott, Carol Pekrun, Maxine Knight, Mary Kent, Cecile Trimple, and Ruth Rogan as teachers.
The Board of Education is com- posed of Ray Harmon, Jack Cole- brook, Fred Emery, Dr. Henry S. Curtis, and Harold Miller, clerk and member. Harold Miller has served for many years as a member and clerk of Aurora's Board of Education. He also has served for a number of years as a member of the County Board of Education and a leader in the State School Board's Association. His con- tributions are many and varied; lead- ership and service have placed him among the truly dedicated public servants.
First religious services were men- tioned previously. In 1808, a Baptist minister was employed to preach, but he soon ran into difficulties as he attempted to carry on some Baptist activities, which the Congregation- alists disliked.
SEWARD SERVES LONG
A Rev. Nathan Darrow came to Aurora in 1809, held services in the Singletary home and helped organize
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a Congregational Church. Charter members were the Cannons, Sheldons, Hendrys, Witters, Roots, Egglestons, Spencers, and Bissells.
The first pastor was Rev. John Se- ward, who came to the Reserve in 1811 from Granby, Massachusetts, and he was pastor for 32 years. He helped educate many of the sons of the pioneers.
The old Brick Church was built in 1823, a landmark until the 1870's, When it was torn down and the pres- ent building that houses the Church in Aurora was built, in 1872. An an- nex was added in 1909, and a large addition was built by the members with their own hands in 1950 and 1951.
In 1849, the church purchased a parsonage for $900.00. This eight room house is still the residence for Aurora's minister as it has been for the 22 pastors before him.
Another church was started in 1823 by William Hayden, the Aurora Dis- ciples of Christ Church and by 1830, had about 16 members. In 1834 to 1838, forty new members were added. The first Disciples Church was built in 1838, diagonally across the road from the Congregational Church, on ground donated by the Baldwin fami- ly. This building burned in 1855 and was replaced by a structure which stood until the late 1940's and was known as the Community Hall.
While never a large group, the Aurora Disciples contributed much to the religious life of the community.
ARE EXCOMMUNICATED
Baptist teachings first started in 1808 were re-activated in 1834, and a church was organized. The Elder Frey was the guiding hand in this move- ment and had much to do with the church's establishment. Twelve per-
sons signed the Articles of Faith, among them were Samuel R. and Catherine Willard. Their son, Archi- bald Willard, is best remembered for having painted the "Spirit of '76." In 1856, fifteen members were excom- municated by the Elder Watterman, the pastor. The troubles continued and in 1871 the church was disbanded.
By 1900, Amish Mennonite families were moving into Aurora Township and in 1906, a church was organized. By 1912, the congregation was nearly 100 persons and a church was erected that year. The Plainview Mennonite Church is known all over Ohio. The much beloved Rev. Eli B. Stoltzfus was minister from 1909 until his death in 1942, when his son Rev. Elmer Stoltzfus took the leadership.
In December, 1942, another church was organized at Geauga Lake, 15 persons present. Since 1942, this group has worked in erecting a church building, and buying a parsonage. From the day it was organized until 1956, the church was served by Rev. J. R. Hutcherson, also minister in Aurora. The Geauga Lake Church in 1956, hired Burton Kunkle of Hiram College, first minister "on their own."
In 1913, the Disciples and Congre- gational Churches completed a merger to become the Aurora Federated Church. The Rev. Peter T. Martin was the first minister of the Federated Church.
By 1930, they were known as "The Church in Aurora." The Rev. Joseph R. Hutcherson became minister in 1940 and has served continuously since that time.
BECOMES RESIDENCE TOWN
The youngest church to enter the Aurora scene is the Roman Catholic Church established in 1954. It is known as "Our Lady of Perpetual
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Help." It has land at the corner of Hudson Road and Route 43 and is using a temporary church.
Many devoted and dedicated men have served Aurora as its ministers; among them John Seward, J.S. Graves, James McKee, James A. Garfield, D. B. Pearson, Owen Livengood, Eli Stoltzfus and the present Joseph R. Hutcherson.
By the turn of the century, Aurora became a splendid surburban com- munity.
In 1899, a centennial celebration was held on June 15 and 16. The names of the committee were in gene- ral the names of the first pioneer families of Aurora. W. J. Eldridge, W. H. McDonald, R. N. Avery, A. A. Cannon, C. E. Harmon, Minnie E. Russell, Frank Hurd, A. H. Bissell, C. R. Harmon, and Carrie L. Hurd.
Musical organizations of the early nineteen hundreds including The Thursday Glee Club, The Aurora Brass and Reed Band, were known throughout the area for their excel- lence.
The Aurora Masonic lodge was chartered in 1910, with E. G. Root as Master. The Order of Eastern Star received their charter in 1927, with Edith Harmon as Matron.
The Aurora Volunteer Fire Depart- ment was organized in 1929 with Fred Maskey as Chief and 30 firemen. Soon after A. E. Mowl became chief and held that position until 1955. E. A. Hackbart is now Fire Chief and Art Tidd, president of the association. Mr. Miller served for many years as presi- dent of the local association and is now secretary of the Ohio State Fire- man's Assn.
With the importance of Aurora as a dairy center, another name familiar in this industry, that of John Gould,
a widely known writer of farm arti- cles, best remebered for his author- ship of the much discussed "Oleo Law".
BANK ESTABLISHED
Aurora had a bank known as "The Aurora Bank" with Josephine Hurd as president, established in 1905, but with the waning cheese business, fin- ally closed its doors in the late teens.
The store now occupied and run by A. E. Hackbart was owned by the Harmon's up to the early 1900's. It was the most successful of the period.
What is now Bradley's Store, was for many years the A. B. Hurd Store. Nearby was the William Rudolph blacksmith shop and the drygoods and grocery store of F. M. Treat (now Brown's grocery). The Hurd store was later owned by E. R. Shilling and until 1955 by the Kellogg Hardware Co. Next to Hurd's was the only hotel still operating in Aurora run by F. M. Stebbins.
At Aurora Center, Roy Dreese op- erated a blacksmith shop near where the E. R. Shilling home is now locat- ed and S. James continued the stove and tinware business started many years before by John Bradshaw. All these enterprises were in existence in the early 1900's.
In 1925, a real estate boom hit Au- rora with the Aurora Land Company purchasing much property from many of the older residents. The present al- lotment was an outgrowth of this boom. Parts of the Center and Station were improved by the addition of a water treatment and pumping station and a sewage plant in 1928.
Aurora has several service clubs, the oldest being the Aurora Men's Club. The Aurora Kiwanis Club was organ- ized in 1952 and the Aurora Study Club is dedicated to civic betterment
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and intellectual growth. This is a wo- man's organization.
AURORA TODAY
Present Township Trustees are James McCleary, Fred Knopf, Dan Walsh and Fred Thompson, Clerk- treasurer.
Aurora Village was incorporated in 1928 with Lee Gould the first mayor. Sam Miller was the first police mar- shal and was replaced by A. O. Hall, who has served in this position for fifteen years. John I. Eldridge is the present mayor of the village with the following as Council members: Jo- seph Graf, George Morrison, Frank Olton, Robert Stone, George Wall, Robert Weh, and George Hettinger, clerk-treasurer.
Aurora has contributed men to state and national politics, some of these were: Chauncey Forward, who became
a Supreme Court Justice in the 1950's; James Garfield (a minister of the Dis- ciples Church), became President of the United States; and in later years, John Morrison, a state senator and member of the first State Board of Education; and Seabury Ford, a prose- cuting attorney of Portage County.
In 1949, Aurora celebrated its ses- quicentennial with a three day cele- bration. Many descendents of the ear- ly pioneers returned to help make the affair a great success. The present mayor of Aurora, John I. Eldridge, was general chairman. A note of in- terest is that his father W. J. Eld- rdige, was a member of the centennial committee 50 years before. Other members of the sesquicentennial com- mittee were: David Baylor, J. M. Carter, Mrs. E. E. Petot, and Mrs. Roy Wem.
Sheriff's Job Big Business
The growth of the county offices as business activities is shown to have been tre- mendous when today's work is compared with that 125 years ago. It is shown particularly in the office of sheriff. In 1814, Maj. Stephen Mason was sheriff and he found so little to do that he taught school and trained the militia on the side. His equipment consisted of a horse to ride, a gun and a pair of handcuffs. His jail was little more than a covered pen of logs and his salary was a few hundred dollars a year.
In 1955 Sheriff Robert E. Stockdale had the assistance of a dozen deputies, a matron, chaplain and jail doctor. Salaries amounted to over $50,000.00 a year, individual salaries ranging to $375.00 per month.
His books showed that during the year, 1338 civil papers were served, with 652 more coming from outside the county; and 353 criminal papers were served. There were 2431 complaints investigated and 71 major crimes (felonies) were handled. Traffic arrests numbered 435 and 115 traffic warning tickets issued. He handled 1396 prisoners and 60 automobile accidents were investigated (besides those the state highway patrol handled). Five automobiles were used, which covered a total of 250,000 miles.
In this term a system of selecting and training deputies was put into operation. Here applicants were examined and graded. The jail had long been considered inadequate but plans are being considered for a new building sufficient to meet needs of the day.
Much of the increase in work is necessitated by the increase of highway traffic, though numerous new laws and the population increase has meant much more work.
The office of county engineer has also shown a similar amount of increase. In the past the "county surveyor" was considered more or less of a part time job. All road work was controlled by local sub-divisions, such as towns and townships.
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County Sheriff's Force, 1955-Reading left to right: Front Row-Corp. Thos. Kerfoot, Chief Deputy Ross Dustman, Sheriff Robt. E. Stockdale, Sgt. Harold Miller, Corp. Roy Pemberton. Second Row-Norris Hopson, H. L. Dieterich, Edward E. Doak, Gerald Edick, Jr. Back Row-C. A. Baxter, V. B. Summers, Howard Leland.
The Harvey Redmond bridge is in Fred Fuller Park, Kent. The name hon- ors a long time president of the Kent park board. The bridge extends to the "Island."
In 1903 the Cleveland & Pittsburgh line straightened its line from Ravenna to Cleveland, abandoning much of the right-of-way between Ravenna and Brady Lake. Most of the abandoned track was then used as a second line by the Erie between Kent and Ravenna.
What has become of the "old-fash- ioned" apples, once so numerous and well loved? C. M. Young, descendant of one of Hiram's earliest families, is work- ing to keep the various species alive here and has a "museum orchard" for this purpose.
Portage, Ashtabula and Cuyahoga counties were set up at the same time out of the Western Reserve, by law en- acted in 1807. Of these, Portage was first organized (1808) with Ashtabula a year later and Cuyahoga later still.
The vine covered Brick Chapel on the Windham green, was originally built as a Disciple Church in 1838, but has been kept in serviceable condition as a com- munity center through the efforts of the Congregational church ladies. The build- ing was once used as a high school. The original one room now includes a kitch- en and dining room.
In 1874, John C. Beatty, Ravenna clothier, advertised men's suits at $8.50 and $10.00 each, consisting of coats, vests and pants.
CHAPTER XXI Brimfield
By DR. IONIA C. TWITCHELL
Brimfield was one of the later town- ships to be settled as it was swampy, and considered less valuable for farm- ing. Today the muck swamps have be- come some of the most productive truck gardening areas in the county.
The first permanent settler was John Boosinger, Sr., who located here in June, 1816, but who was originally from Maryland, though born in Vir- ginia.
The site was then known as Town 2, Range 9, and was the property of John Wyles of Hartford, Conn., and Israel Thorndike, a Boston merchant. It first went by the name of Swamp- town, after which it was called Bear- town because of the many bears. Then, for a reason not given, it was known as Briartown, which gave place to Wylestown in honor of one of the proprietors.
At a township organization in 1818, Thorndike offered to give a plat of ground for a public square at the Center, if they would call it "Thorn- dike", which was agreeable and they so named it officially, but the old "Injun Giver" backed out of the con- tract and would not make a deed for the ground. Citizens then petitioned to have the name changed to Brim- field, in honor of John Wyles, Jr., to whom his father in the meantime be- queathed his interest. Wyles, Jr., had resided in the town of Brimfield, Mass., hence the name.
EQUALIZE SHARES
At the division of the property of
the Connecticut Land Co. townships were awarded without regard to the quality of the land or its location, but in some instances the townships so drawn were, according to common re- port, so far below the average that, to equalize the drawings as near as they could get at it, lots were added else- where to the property that fell to the share of the unfortunate ones. This township, being considered a "poor share", a lot on Superior St., Cleve- land, afterward very valuable, and several hundred acres in Geauga County, were thrown into the bargain by the equalizing committee. Brim- field is now one of the best sections of the county and the early swamps are now valuable land.
In 1816, Thorndike and Wyles came to the Reserve to view their lands and make a division of the same. They found an unbroken wilderness and no inhabitants and had no difficulty in making a division. Thorndike chose the north and Wyles the south half. They then returned east, but Thorn- dike sent his nephew, Henry Thorn- dike, to act as agent. He brought with him Arba Twitchell, who commenced a clearing on the old Boszor hill, half a mile north of the Center.
A man named Simcox, a squatter, attempted to make a settlement but he never purchased any land, and remain- ed briefly. John Boosinger, Sr., was the first permanent settler, settling on Lot 39, which is just south of the Sun-
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Old Brimfield Town Hall in its picturesque setting. Torn down after many years service.
nybrook Golf Course today. He lived there for sixty years.
In the following November, Henry Thorndike and his brother Israel ar- rived. Israel, a bachelor, soon mar- ried a daughter of Martin Kent of Suf- field. Henry settled on Lot 21. Abner Lanphare, a single man, also came and lived with the Thorndike family. In January, 1817, Deacon Alpheus An- drews came in and settled at the Center. It is said that Thorndike, anx- ious to have a speedy settlement, of- fered to give to the first child born in the township, eighty acres of land. The good deacon, hearing of this, and aware of indications within his house- hold that he might win the prize, straightway moved into the township from Rootstown, and sure enough, on April 17 ensuing, the expected visitor arrived. Andrews demanded the land, but as the child died, a compromise was made on forty acres of land, upon which he lived and died.
During this year of 1817, among
others there came in Jeremiah Moul- ton, Henry Boszor, Erastus Flower, Captain Euriah Sawyer, Harrison G. Moulton, Abner Moulton, John V. Gardner, Jonathan and David Thomp- son, David Coburn, Reuben and Hen- ry Hall, Thomas Rice, Benjamin Mal- lory, Champlain Minard, John Furry, Nathan Packard, John K. Chapman, Peter Wolford, John Williard, Na- thaniel Beasley, John Twitchell, Sam- uel Thompson, Jacob Hall and Al- pheus Underwood.
COME IN RAPIDLY
In 1818, came Asa Sawyer, William Smith, Frederick Jones, Edwin Barber, Jonathan Law, and E. A. Palmer. In 1819, came Lyman Barber, Amos Benedict, Selah Hart, Peter Osborn, Benjamin Hall, and William Hall. In 1820, Jeremiah Pike, Dr. Luke Lin- coln, and William Davidson. In 1821, Guy Doolittle, Captain Constant Chapman, and one or two others and along about 1825, among other prom- inent settlers were Deacon Harmon
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