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 36

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 36

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).

mill for making cloth. Stone was quaried in several places in the town- ship and used for building the canal, bridges, and foundations of buildings. It is said that over 1000 tons of iron ore were mined on the Highland Home farm in one year; and were hauled in wagons to Youngstown to be smelted into iron.

Daniel W. Goss acquired the first store in 1856. It had belonged to his father-in-law, a Mr. Dillingham. The store was first located on the diagonal road just southeast of its intersection with the north-south road. About 1877, a new store was built on the northeast corner of the intersection of the diagonal road with the east-west road. This was the store described above.

At one time or another all four of the brothers, Daniel, Ambrose, Al-

fred, and Nathan, had an interest in the store. They were all good citizens and their passing was a great loss to the community.

THE GOSS MURDER

It was around this store that a great tragedy hit Edinburg. It was in Jan- uary, 1900. Nathan Goss and his son William were operating the store, the only one in town. There had been a series of burglaries in other places and Nathan had installed a burglar alarm which led from the store to his home. Not long afterward, the alarm rang in the night. Nathan dressed and went to the house of a neighbor, John D. R. Davis, for help. John accom- panied him to the store. As they were approaching the building, Nathan shot into the air to frighten the burg- lars. He had taken no precaution to protect himself and one of the men stepped to the door and shot, fatally wounding Mr. Goss.

The thieves escaped leaving the "loot" which they had gathered into bags. However, Sheriff John Gooden- ough picked up the trail and the men were captured shortly. They were tried and convicted of murder in the first degree. They were sentenced to the penitentiary for life, but inside of five years all three had been pardoned.

The store then became the property of William Goss who operated it for ten to fifteen years longer. After that it was sold and passed from one own- er to another in succession. Jay Thom- as moved it to the east side of the lot to make room for the Checkerboard Restaurant, which he built. Times had changed. The general store became mainly a grocery and meat market. It was finally leased to Elmer J. Smolk, who added a gasoline filling station.

After the old store was damaged by fire, Mr. Smolk built a nice store and

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home on Route 14. The old store was then torn down and a new one built. This now houses a hardware and ap- pliance store owned and operated by Guy Goldner.

MERCANTILE ACTIVITIES

On Feb. 2, 1878, a Grange Hall Building Society was organized by the following: Smith Sanford, Isaac Wil- liams, M. O. Gane, L. B. Higley, E. C. Myers, and Hezekiah Hawn. The pur- pose was to build a store and grange hall. The building was erected on the south side of the east-west road near the home of Dexter D. Davis, who started a store and did a good busi- ness. He was in partnership with Bert L. Bostwick. Later the store was sold to Mr. Dundon. Unfortunately the building burned about 1890 and was never rebuilt.

Other grocery stores have come and gone, notably one on the southwest side of Route 14, run successively by C. B. Pinney, Bert Mitchell, and Har- ry B. Gardner, and one on the east road started also by Calvin Pinney and owned in recent years by Robert Hos- tetler. At present the only grocery and meat market is that owned by Elmer Smolk. Other business places consist of a feed mill, built by Jay Thomas and since his death operated by his son Harold; three restaurants at the center, the Checkerboard, Elio's truck stop, which is the former lovely old Davis home, and the Fireside Inn op- erated by John Davis, grandson of Dexter, also on part of the former old homestead.

Farmers had their organizations comparatively early, a Farmers Assoc- iation being organized in 1873. This probably was the sponsor of the Grange Hall, built in 1878. A formal Grange body came later but it merged

with the Ravenna Grange after a few years.

The Farm Bureau was organized here in 1919. At present there are 34 members and an advisory board hold- ing monthly meetings.

A lodge of the Junior Order, Amer- ican Mechanics, met in the hall over the Goss store for many years, as did members of the G.A.R. of Civil War veterans.

A Woman's Christian Temperance Union was organized in 1927. Five of the original members are among the 32 who meet each month.

A Parent-Teacher Association was organized about 1917, though it was first called Home and School League. Mrs. Emma Owens and Mrs. Harry Benshoff were early presidents. Mrs. Owen was first head of the county P.T.A.

Since 1919 there has been a Boy Scout troop sponsored by the United Church. Clarence Walvoord was Scout Master of the first troop. Robert Moser is present Scout Master. There are also Girl Scout Troops as well as the popular 4-H clubs.

LOTS LAID OUT

There are many beautiful spots and lovely drives in Edinburg but the "fertile farms and varied landscape" are fast giving away to what man calls progress so that even now few have time to observe the view.

The Edinburg Farmers Mutual In- surance Co. was active for many years, writing fire coverage only. Directors in 1885 were J. R. Giddings, Pres .; T. H. Clark, Vice Pres .; Geo. P. B. Mer- win, Sec .; D. D. Davis, Treas .; Vespas- ian Clark, B. W. Gilbert and Calvin Hutson. The company was merged with the Farmers Mutual Home In- surance Co. of Medina in 1936. From 1919 to 1936 Calvin Hughes served

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continually as secretary. Other direc- tors were J. E. Wilson, J. W. Grider, John Marvin, J. W. Byers, C. J. Wal- voord, F. E. Kibler, A. T. Stewart, Geo. Tarr and W. E. Kirkbride.

A co-operative, the Portage Dairy Products Co. was organized by south- ern county milk producers in 1933 to process and sell their products. A cheese factory was built near the Cent- er and Swiss cheese was made and sold. P. N. Kropp was president; C. L. Burkey vice president; C. J. Wal- voord, secretary; and C. A. Hughes, treasurer. Other directors were Chris Kainrad, B. D. Jenkins, Co. Colean, Frank Hudson and Geo. Tarr. In 1945 the company sold at a profit and went out of business.

PAVEMENT IN 1914

First mail service, of course, was by stage coach. After railroads came Ed- inburg was served via Ravenna and Palmyra. At one time the postoffice was in the Davis store and later was in a building of its own. Postmasters of the period included B. L. Bostwick, T. H. Clark and Tillie Rogers. Rural de- livery came to Edinburg about 1903, the patrons being served via Atwater, New Milford, and Ravenna and the local office was discontinued.

The road from Ravenna to Edin- burg was paved in 1914 and present Route 18 paving started in 1918 and finished the next year. Route 80 was paved later.

Blacksmiths remembered include William S. Davis and Watkin Jones. The latter had started a shop on his fathers farm. When Mr. Davis was in- jured, Jones came to work for him, later buying the shop, making it a typical "village smithy." Harrison Day had a wagon shop nearby.

The southeast section of Edinburg was often called "Little Ireland" be-

cause of the presence of so many Shil- lidays, who had first come here from Ireland in 1845. Four brothers, Alex- ander, John, David, and George came to Edinburg via Canfield and Atwater in 1885. Others of Irish descent were the Clark, Corbitt, and Stewart fam- ilies.

Quite a few Welsh people lived in northeast Edinburg, the first of whom was Thomas Jenkins, who came to work in Palmyra coal mines. · His daughter, Anne Owen, and family, came in 1848 and their descendants still have the passport admitting them. They arrived on canal boat.

EARLY FAIR

In 1861 Edinburg held a fair, the location being the old Asa Bingham farm adjoining the town hall on the south. There were 200 entries, mainly farm stock. Officers of this fair were Daniel Ewing, Pres .; Frank Eldridge, Vice Pres .; Smith Sanford, Sec .; Sey- mour Strong, Geo. Brigden, Lester Olmstead, business committee; John Ewing, Marshal.

In former days the town hall was al- ways a center of activity. Not only were government and public meetings held there, but there were dances and parties. Home talent plays were put on such as "Ten Nights in a Bar- room", "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and others. Players included Charles and Mayme Davis, Mr. and Mrs. Will Bak- er, Mrs. Willis Hudson and others. High school students also put on plays and entertainments there.

After schools were consolidated, young people's recreation centered a- round the school. There were basket- ball games, contests and a lecture course with speakers, music, bell ring- ers, magicians and similar attractions.

Previously, singing schools were in favor. Well remembered is F. W. Jag-

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ger who came from Windham to teach singing.

Of other musical groups most noted was the Edinburg over many years. As early as 1859, Major Fairchild's Ed- inburg Martial Band made a hit at a July Fourth celebration at Ravenna Fair grounds. Major Fairchild, a man- ufacturer of men's clothing, lived west of the Center. That evening it played

at a balloon ascension at Edinburg, the balloon being home-made by A. R. Goss and J. B. Mitchell. Fifty years later the same band was still giving Saturday evening band concerts in Ra- venna. The band was also an im- portant part of Memorial Day celebra- tions. Other leaders of the band in- cluded Eugene Plummer, Myron Rog- ers, C. B. Gano, A. W. Walter, and Howard Jones.

Mayors of Ravenna

This remarkable picture, taken in 1950, shows all the mayors of the city of Ravenna, up to the time of the picture.

Arranged in order of their service, those standing left to right, are H. Warner Riddle, H. R. Loomis, C. J. Hubbell, Walter Lyon, Fred Byers and Bert Redmond. Those sitting, left to right, are W. J. Robison, A. H. Austin, C. C. Dixon, Carl H. Caris, Giles Guthrie and Seth Sloan.

CHAPTER XXV Franklin-Kent

BY E. J. KLINE

The original "Franklin township" was a vast expanse of territory em- bracing all of present Portage County and parts of Trumbull and Summit counties, all being a part of Trumbull county soon after 1800. A township then did not mean the same thing that it does today. While still part of Trumbull county, new, but smaller, townships were being carved out of this area, notably Deerfield in 1806. And after Portage county was erected in 1807, Franklin "township" for sev- eral years comprised all the land in present Franklin, Ravenna, Charles- town, Rootstown and Brimfield town- ships of the new county. Who desig- nated this particular area as a town- ship is not clear but it probably was the county commissioners.

Aaron Olmsted of Hartford, Conn., had bought about 16,000 acres here in 1798 and had it surveyed. The old story is that Olmsted insisted that the name of Franklin be given the town- ship in honor of his son by that name, though there was still no Portage County.

Ohio became a state in 1803, but not until Portage County came into ex- istence was there much organized gov- ernment here, with still more when Franklin township was formally or- ganized in 1815, in extent as it is to- day. By that time all the other town- ships of the original group, except Brimfield, had been organized separ- ately.

WAS STANDING STONE

The township was covered by the finest timber and inhabited by Indians of several tribes. These were the Sene- cas, Taways and Chippewas. Arrow heads and other relics found later tell of their presence here.

The old Indian trail from the Ohio River to Sandusky crossed the Cuya- hoga River at Standing Rock, which the Indians called "Standing Stone." A small tree grew atop this, to which Indians often attached markers indi- cating directions taken and as other messages to friends.

One of the township's earliest bits of history concerns Capt. Sam Brady and his famous "leap." Brady was chased by Indians. Cornered on the banks of the river in 1790 he made a tremendous jump across the chasm to escape, a distance of nearly 22 feet. The west bank was about three feet higher than the east, an advantage. But after jumping, he was wounded in the hip by the Indians, who were unable to make the leap. They were forced to go to the vicinity of Summit St. where they could ford the stream. This gave Brady a start and he made his way to Brady Lake where he hid under a fallen tree in the water, breathing through a reed. The Indians trailed him but unable to find him, concluded he had drowned. Brady then made his way home. The Indians said, "He no man. He turkey," and carved a picture of a turkey on a stone

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at the scene of the leap. At least this is the story.

HAYMAKERS HERE FIRST

The present territory of Franklin township, containing 16,000 acres, was bought by Aaron Olmsted, for 12-1/2 cents per acre, but resold at a good profit.

Some of the earliest settlers were the Haymakers, Cacklers, Nighmans, Stevens and Lillys, a total of about 12 families. The first, John Haymaker and wife, came here in 1805, soon fol- lowed by others.

The falls of the Cuyahoga, provid- ing water power, were an incentive for settlement. One drop was 17 feet and another descent was 25 feet.

What is now Kent was originally composed of two villages-Carthage and Franklin Mills, called Upper and Lower Villages. Two dams were con- structed on the river to furnish water power. The first grist mill was built in the Lower Village by the Haymak- ers in 1807 and served its purpose for several years.

The first bridge was built in 1803, suposedly by surveyors and others, near the scene of Brady's Leap. It was known as the Buckland bridge. Mark Buckland was one of Olmsted's sur- veyors. The first white child born here was John F. Haymaker, Sept. 11, 1807. The first death was that of Eva Haymaker in 1810. She was buried in the old Stow St. cemetery, donated by the Haymaker family and containing about two acres. The first wedding came in 1814 when Christian Cackler and Theresa Nighman were wed.

In 1814 Elisha Stevens erected a saw mill which provided lumber by which the settlers could build frame homes. In 1818 Joshua Woodard, in partner- ship with Frederick Haymaker, es- tablished a number of small factories.

These included a cabinet shop, a dye house and turning lathes. A number of dwellings were also built, as well as a three story hotel, known in stage coach days as the Woodard Hotel, lo- cated on the corner of Mantua St. and Fairchild. It burned in 1881.

FACTORIES MULTIPLY

Samuel Burnett built the first home put up in Franklin township. This was in 1806, and in the same year Jacob Haymaker erected one. The Haymaker family included Frederick Haymaker, who is said to have been private secretary to Aaron Burr at one time. He owned 600 acres of land on the site of the present Kent city.

In 1822, Joshua Woodard, Benja- min Hopkins and David Ladd built a glass factory along the river near Grant St. The silica sand they used was obtained nearby. They also built a tannery on the east side of the river near the Crain Ave. bridge; a woolen factory, saw mill and an ashery, which was one mile east of Kent near Break- neck Creek. Also an anvil mill in the Lower Village. A store was opened in the basement of the home of Geo. B. DePeyster. The partnership was dis- solved in 1831.

During 1824 James Edmunds and Henry Park built a glass factory northwest of present Kent on the Christian Cackler farm. Both operated briefly.

In December, 1820, George B. De- Peyster was appointed postmaster for Franklin Mills by President James Monroe. It is said that he kept his mail in a cigar box and 25 cents was the usual fee for carrying a letter for a modest distance. All mail came by stage coach, together with passengers, who stopped either at Woodard's or at the Lincoln Tavern at Stow and South Mantua. There was great rival-

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Over the river view in Kent about 1900. Old Congregational and Disciple churches can be seen.

ry between the two taverns. Stages ran once a week at first, but more fre- quently later.

The first Crain Ave. bridge was built in 1826, replacing the old one at Brady's Leap. This bridge was used until 1868, when it collapsed, carry- ing down a team hauling stone, into the river. Driver and animals were rescued.

A. M. Fairchild erected the first brick house here, this being on the northwest corner of Mantua and Fair- child. On South Mantua St. was the residence of Wm. Seward, whose daughter, Maria, became the wife of Marvin Kent.

In 1831 Frederick Haymaker sold his property of 100 acres, including water power rights, to Pomeroy & Rhodes, who built a grist mill, a wool- en mill, a cabinet shop and set up a turning lathe. All these projects were wiped out by a flood in the spring of 1832, which also washed out'the dam. It was a disaster.

SILK MILL PLANNED

William H. Price and Geo. B. De- Peyster for about ten years had in operation in the lower village, a grist

mill, a saw mill, forge and trip ham- mer and a hemp mill. In 1832 Zenas Kent and David Ladd purchased the Price & DePeyster property, includ- ing 300 acres of land and water rights. In 1836 Mr. Kent and Pomeroy & Rhodes sold their entire interests to the Franklin Land Co., which were soon transferred to the Franklin Silk Co. Extensive improvements were made and a silk mill projected. Ground was broken for it on the pres- ent site of the Loeblein Co. factory. Many mulberry trees were set out to feed the silkworms. But it was soon found that the climate was not suit- able for silk worms and the whole en- terprise collapsed. Much money was lost in the project and town lots that had been laid out and sold at high prices were worthless.

In 1836-37 the Silk Co. built a new stone dam replacing the one washed away in 1832. It was built in co-oper- ation with the P. & O. Canal, which was being built at that time. At that time the Main St. covered wooden bridge was built and was in use until 1876 when it was replaced by the

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present stone bridge. West Main street did not then exist as at present.

The Silk Co. had issued its own cur- rency. It was widely used. Zenas Kent had the foresight to require securities pledged to redeem it, which was done when the time came. A controversy also arose later over water rights in the canal as this water was being di- verted for sale elsewhere. The Silk Co. ended in bankruptcy. But some- thing of a boom was due later when the P. & O. canal was finished. All land sold by the Kents to the Silk Co. reverted to them.

ERECT BRICK BUILDINGS

In 1836 Zenas Kent erected a large brick block on the northwest corner of Main and Water streets, larger than any in Cleveland or Akron at that time. It contained a hotel, a store and office rooms. Bricks used in this building were made in the David Longcoy brick yard. Longcoy was the grandfather of Harry C. Longcoy, now of Kent. Many early buildings were made from Longcoy brick.

Another imposing building was erected the same year-a $15,000 structure at the southwest corner of Main and Water. The Cuyahoga House, on North Mantua St. at Cuy- ahoga St. was also built about this time. It had an unusually large ball room. The hotel was a hideout for escaping slaves in underground rail- road days. The slaves were moved at night and sent north in wagons cov- ered with hay.

During the same year, 1836, Mr. Kent erected a flour mill along the river at Stow St., four stories in height. It operated steadily until 1864, then ran periodically until 1915. It was torn down in 1931.

In partnership with John Brown of Harpers Ferry fame, Mr. Kent built

a tannery south of Kent's mill in 1836. Brown, who had lived here before, had been running a tannery in Penn- sylvania. The partnership here did not last long. Brown then built a hotel and store room near Summit St. In 1882, this building was moved by Marvin Kent to North Water St. and in 1885 was used as a roller skating rink for a time. It is now known as the Johnson Block.

Brown also went into partnership with a Mr. Thompson and a farm was purchased which later included Erie shop ground and much of the south end of Kent. This was surveyed and allotted and was known and recorded as the Brown & Thompson addition. During this time he lived in a home on Mogadore road opposite the Erie shop location. Brown was never suc- cessful as a business man and soon left for Akron, where he was employed by Simon Perkins.

COMING OF CANAL

West Main St., west of the river, was opened in March, 1837.

In 1840, the population of Franklin was 1497. During the late '30s the P. & O. canal construction provided work for many. This canal ran from Akron to a point near New Castle, Pa., a distance of 82 miles. The first boat reached Kent in April, 1840. Near the present underpass on the Kent-Ravenna road was a large "bas- in" where boats tied up for the night and it provided room for turning or passing.

The frame home on the north side of the road west of Breakneck Creek was a stage coach and canal tavern built about 1825 by Timothy Wales Shurtliff. His father, Noah Shurtliff, was one of the earliest physicians. There was also a basin north of the Crain Ave. bridge and passengers put

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up at either the Cuyahoga House or Woodard's Tavern. This canal carried large amounts of freight. Crops could move to market. Wheat, which had previously sold at 25 cents a bushel, went up to one dollar. It also provided an outlet for flour and much cream cheese, largely made then. Other freight included coal, ashes, used for tanning and soap making, pork and potatoes. The coal came mostly from Youngstown.

The canal did a big business for about 12 years, but when the C. & P. railroad was built in 1851, the canal business dropped off. The nearest C. & P. station was at Earlville. Pas- sengers, mail or freight came in via Cleveland or Wellsville. Business of the canal dwindled steadily and in 1861 only a few boats operated. The canal company continued to sell water to Akron but there were complaints of stagnant water and because of op- position, sometimes the canal was opened by irate residents along the route and the water let out. A group around Brady Lake (then a feeder) opened the sluice at the south end of the lake, letting the water out and leaving the lake 15 feet lower.

Freeman Stratton, Sam Williard, Abram Pratt and George Williard then removed the large screws in the sluice so that repairs were impossible. The last repair boat got stuck because of low water and was abandoned near the Breakneck bridge, Brady Lake Rd.

Breakneck creek received its name by a man falling from his horse and having his neck broken. Old atlases gave its name as Congress Lake Out- let.

TOWNSHIP HALL BUILT

The Franklin Township Hall on Gougler Ave. has long been a land- mark in Kent and the scene of num-

erous historic events. Construction was begun in 1837 and completed in 1839. Builders were Kent & Wads- worth.

Of unusual design, it was patterned after a public building in Hartford, Conn. Originally, it had four fire- places for heating and its walls are 20 inches thick. Its circular stairway has attracted much attention. For many years it was the only place for larger public meetings.

In 1842 a select school was taught here by a Mr. Bates, with another in 1856. In this hall a convention nom- inated James A. Garfield for state sen- ator, his first public office. This was in 1859. In 1851 it served as first meet- ing place for people of the Catholic faith. The Franklin Academy was also housed here.

In former days there was a bell in the tower. It tolled when news came of the execution of John Brown in 1859. It called people to meetings when the Civil War broke out. It an- nounced the death of Abraham Lin- coln in 1865, and again in 1881 when Garfield died. For a time the bell was used as a fire alarm.

The building was the center of activities for residents in several wars. It was used as the first high school in Kent, and for other education as- semblies. Various WPA and recrea- tion projects were housed here and in World War II the Gougler Ma- chine Co. had offices in it. At present the executive offices of the Kent school system are located in the build- ing.

Two VILLAGES

In 1859 William Merrell came from Randolph and organized the Merrell, Roe & Co. to manufacture special machinery with a capital of $20,000. It operated successfully until

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1869 when Merrell sold his patents.

In 1829 residents on the west side of the river and north of Cuyahoga Street formed a new village and called it Carthage, with their own postoffice. But it did not last long as most of its citizens seemed to pre- fer to be a part of the larger village of Franklin Mills just below.

ALPACA MILL ERECTED

In 1850 a stock company was formed and $20,000 subscribed to build a grist mill called the Center Mill. There were 141 stockholders. The mill stood at the foot of Grant St. and water power obtained from a sluice from the canal. The building was five stories high, with heavy timbers, and was considered the finest in northern Ohio. The mill started operations in 1852 and ran steadily until 1869 when the water power was destroyed when the water was let from the canal. An attempt was made to provide steam power but it failed. It stood idle until 1885 when it was destroyed by fire- the biggest in Kent's history.

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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 36

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