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 47
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91
A convenience for local travelers came into existence about 1915 and the C. A. & M. V. electric line came through. This line for the most part used the old B. & O. and canal route. It gave regular service for passengers and freight between Ravenna and Warren, with connections to other localities. This operated until about 1931, when the line was abandoned because of competition with motor vehicles.
A second railroad passes through the extreme southeastern corner of the township. This was built in 1877 and was first the Alliance & Northern and now is a part of the New York Cen- tral system. The local station was known as Prichard's.
Paris township did its share in the Civil War. It had 26 volunteers for service in the Union service, in ad- dition to about as many more who were drafted. Ten men gave up their lives for their country.
Even Paris was not without its in- ventors and experimenters. One of these was Algernon Pinney. When the canal came in 1840, he decided to build a boat operated by steam power to go over the canal waters. He built one. It worked all right but he forgot to plan for the width of the canal
414
PORTAGE HERITAGE
Old Wayland Baptist Church. Picture taken about 1890.
locks, and his idea was abandoned. MAKES HIS AIRPLANE
He was also air minded, though a little ahead of his time. He made at- tempts at flying, similar to those of "Darius Green and his flyin' ma- chine." He did this by attaching two wings to his arms and two to his legs and operated them manually. He at- tained no great success, though he es- caped with his life. But he was per- sistent and next tried an umbrella parachute which is said to have work- ed in a fashion.
The latest, and probably the great- est, impact on Paris was when the government set up the huge Ravenna Arsenal plant in 1940. This is located, in part, in the northern part of Paris. Between 4,000 and 5,000 acres of farm land was bought and residents had to move away. Some of these were among the oldest families of the town-
ship. At the same time a new State 5 highway was constructed, but some of the township roads had to be closed. The arsenal gave employment to many Paris residents and also was responsi- ble for much home building through- out the locality. The growth of nearby Newton Falls village also stimulated rural home building in Paris.
In the 1955-56 school year, Richard Buchanon was principal. Teachers were Mrs. Marilyn Tawney, Mrs. Dorothy Wintermuth, Mrs. Elizabeth Richards, Miss Emma Conaway, Miss Marjorie Williams, Mrs. Edna Thomas and Wm. Engler. Mrs. Laverne Hahn, music instructor. Mrs. Gillespie and Mrs. Robinson, cafeteria managers and S. Dudley, custodian.
In 1955 the township board of trus- tees was composed of Clayton Roberts, Jr., Edward I. Corbett and Earl Jones, with Leon Richards, clerk.
One of the leading occupations from about 1885 to 1900 was shipping of sand. This was taken from banks along the Mahoning river and loaded on gondola cars for shipment to Youngstown where it was used in the steel mills.
Two brothers, Caswell and Wil- liam Morgan were the early well drill- ers in Paris township. They also op- erated in surrounding communities.
The postoffice was moved to Way- land (then Cyclone) from Paris Cen- ter, about 1880, with Job Richards as postmaster. He held this office about ten years. Present incumbent is Ros- coe Hunt.
The creamery was built by H. F. Hudson of Rootstown in 1900 and continued in operation about 45 years. Butter and milk were shipped from it to Pittsburgh and Cleveland.
The Ladies Aid Societies of both the Baptist and Congregational churches
PORTAGE HERITAGE
415
were organized in 1886 and are still working, but as one organization since 1918 when the two churches were federated.
In World War II many Paris town- ship boys saw service. Of these, Lieut. Anthony Wilhelm Kainrad and Rol- and Cling gave up their lives. The
former was in the Mediterranean theater of action.
Since Paris is not far from a giant new industry located at Lordstown, not far away, it is probable that the entire section will see many more homes built with an increase in pop- ulation.
Redfern Mills of Cleveland Worsted Co. at Ravenna, an industrial mainstay for many years
Local Robin Hood
In the 1840s all Portage County was interested in the activities of Dan Winchell, a Mantua man who liked to be known as a local Robin Hood, taking from the rich to give to the poor. Many stories were told of his operations but his benevolence was questioned. Winchell led the double life of a farmer by day and a thief by night. Neighbors were well aware of this but instead of condemning him, they admired his smart tricks. He was often arrested but it was hard to convict him. It finally happened and he was sent to the penitentiary for stealing wool, serving out his time. Whenever a theft occurred in a community people would say, "Well, Old Dan has been around collecting taxes." Winchell finally moved to the southern part of the state where he was killed in a drunken fight.
The so-called Sherman Anti-Trust law was really the work of two Ohio men. The original plan was mainly that of Ezra B. Taylor, native of Nelson, once a Portage County prosecuting attorney and later a Warren judge. As congressman, Taylor got his bill put through the House while Senator John Sherman did the same in the Senate. Sherman got all the credit for it.
416
PORTAGE HERITAGE
John Davey
Martin L. Davey
Tree Care Is Big Business
Of the various institutions of Portage County none occupy quite so unique a position as the Davey Tree Expert Co. of Kent. This not only includes a science, art and business but is mainly a family enterprise.
Its operations today are based upon the discoveries and beliefs of the late John Davey seventy-five years or more ago. John Davey, a native of England, who was a horticulturist, reasoned that it was important to save trees, and discovered and taught ways to care for them. His ideas were expressed in a book called "The Tree Doctor", in which he set forth his ideas. This book and its teachings aroused much interest among tree owners and soon Mr. Davey had all he could do in the practice of the art of tree surgeon, as he was first called. He was living in Kent at the time.
About this time his son, Martin L. Davey, sensed that the activities could be turned into a profitable business. Father and son worked together and the services of their workers were sold on a wider basis. These workers had operated on personal instruction of the Daveys.
In 1908 the business was incorporated with John Davey as president and Martin L. Davey as general manager with other members of the family also in responsible positions. At the same time a school was established for the training of more workers. From that time expansion was rapid and continuous. Operations are conducted over the entire country. To- day about 2,000 persons are employed in various parts of the nation, with the headquarters still in Kent. Total annual business runs well into the millions of dollars.
Many new technical practices have been found and put into use. In addition to the direct care of trees, a considerable part of its work includes pruning for power and telephone companies and for towns and cities.
Today the company enjoys a position of prestige in its particular field.
Fittingly enough, at the head of the institution now is a third generation of the family, Martin Davey, Jr., president.
CHAPTER XXXIII
Randolph
Compiled from a wealth of material furnished by MRS. W. E. BETTES and J. H. HARTMAN.
As one delves into the history of Randolph township he soon discovers that very early it was considered a desirable place to make a home. Since first comers were mainly farmers they found there much fertile farming land, well timbered, particularly in the central and western parts. Many of the first settlers were energetic people, who at once started to de- velope not only farming but a manu- facturing and business community. As a result Randolph gained an early reputation as a "live" place.
The original purchasers from the Connecticut Land Co. were Col. Le- muel Storrs and Henry Champion. The township was named after Storrs' son, Randolph. The well known Amzi Atwater helped survey the township in 1797.
It received its first white inhabi- tants in the spring of 1802 when Bela Hubbard and Salmon Ward arrived from the East and established them- selves a half mile west of the present Center. After building a cabin Ward fell dangerously ill. On recovery, he was discouraged and went back East to stay, he said. But he changed his mind and did return with other set- tlers. Twice later, he returned East and each time brought back others with him. On his fourth trip he dis- appeared and was never heard from. For several months Hubbard lived a- lone in the wilderness.
BRINGS OTHERS
However, not long after Hubbard and Ward arrived, Arad Upson and Joseph Harris reached Randolph. Lat- er in the year Salmon Ward made his second trip back, he returned with his brother, Joseph Ward, and family. Jehial Savage and Timothy Culver came in from Atwater. Savage brought his family. Salmon's immi- gration activities ended later in 1803 when he ended his third round trip by bringing Aaron Weston, Levi Dav- is and Carey and Smith.
Arrivals in 1804 included Ebenezer Goss and family, and Eliakam Merri- man, the latter coming from Connecti- cut by way of Atwater. The year 1805 brought Oliver Dickinson, black- smith; Isaac Merriman, Abisha Chap- man and Archibald Coon. The latter did not stay long but left a memento in the name of Coon Hill. Also in that year arrived John Goss, Jeremiah Sabin and son Abel.
Hiram Raymond, a tailor, Thomas Miller, and William Thornton reach- ed Randolph in 1806, as did Nathan Sears and son Elisha, Rev. Henry Ely and the well known Nathan Muzzy. The year 1807 brought Caleb Wet- more, Stephen Butler, Ethelbert Bak- er, Nehemiah Bacon and Dr. Rufus Belding and family. The latter was long Randolph's only physician. Later came Sylvester Tinker and Deacon James Coe.
417
418
PORTAGE HERITAGE
Group of Randolph former residents. Taken at Randolph Centennial in 1902.
A member of Atwater's surveying party, whose name is lost, was the first white man to die in the town- ship. Other than him, the first death of settlers was that of Mrs. Clarissa Ward, wife of Josiah in 1804.
Bela Hubbard planted the first crop -wheat-in 1803. It is said that he borrowed a plow in Atwater for this purpose, carrying it on his back for a distance of ten miles. But he got an excellent crop. Hubbard figured in the township's first marriage. He married Clarissa Ward in 1806.
Settlers early became interested in making things. Ebenezer Goss opened a blacksmith shop in 1804 and Elia- kam Merriman opened a cooper shop as well as the first mill about that time. The mill for grinding grain was only a pestle type contrivance to crush the grain on a hollowed out stump. Thomas Miller was the first cobbler. MILLS START UP
Josiah Ward established a little more "modern" grist and sawmill in 1808 with a cider mill the following
year. Sylvester Tinker had a tannery west of the Center in 1811, where he also set up a tavern. By 1817 Samuel and Hiram Webster were operating a cloth dressing plant. Ward, Culver and Hubbard had distilleries. Tinker and Donnell had asheries.
Nearly forgotten today is the fact that Randolph once comprised a part of Springfield township, which as a part of the then new Trumbull Coun- ty also took in present Suffield town- ship, as well as present townships in Summit County.
When Randolph township was formed in 1810 it first included Suf- field. The first election was held in 1811 when these officers were elected: Trustees-Samuel Hale, Reuben Up- son and Rufus Belding; Fence View- ers-Joshua Hollister and Abel Sabin; Overseers of Poor-Nehemiah Bacon and Raphael Hurlburt; Appraiser - Thomas Hale; Lister of Taxable Prop- erty-Timothy Culver; Constable - Arad Upson; Supervisors - Martin Kent, Ezekiel Tupper, Ebenezer Cut-
419
PORTAGE HERITAGE
ler, Merriman and A. Upson. Jonathan Foster became justice of the peace.
Suffield was set up as a separate township in 1818 and Randolph has retained the same territory since then.
An organization of unusual nature came in 1805. It was called the Bach- elors Club and was composed of Messrs. Hubbard, Harris, Weston, Davis and Calvin Ward. They lived together, employing a housekeeper. Being forward looking, the club es- tablished the first school - a small log building with puncheon floor and greased paper windows. They then engaged Miss Laura Ely of Deerfield as teacher. As part pay the "bachelors" made her a rocking chair. Abel Sabin later taught a school as did Samuel Redfield and the lately arrived Dr. Rufus Belding. In 1812-13 a frame school house was erected at the Center.
In 1826, under new laws, the town- ship was divided into districts, with a teacher for each. Most important was, of course at the Center. E. G. Young- man ran a select school briefly. A teacher long remembered was Ammi Nichols, a Vermont man. He came in 1830 and was so well liked that he erected a frame building and operat- ed a select school for several years. At a later time a larger building was needed, which he also built. Other teachers of the era were Truman Case, E. J. Smalley and H. D. Smalley. At the Center, changes of location were frequent. In 1856 voters turned down a proposal to build a high school.
After St. Joseph's church in 1829 there was teaching on a temporary basis but in 1832 a school was es- tablished and it has continued since.
SELECT SCHOOL OPENS
In 1846, Benjamin Rogers opened a select school in a church. The school
was successful and later he put up his own building.
School enumeration in 1844 was 772, with 581 in attendance. By 1884 the enrollment had dropped to 266, evidence of the township's drop in population.
Dr. Rufus Belding, previously men- tioned, had two sons, Alvin and War- ren, who also became physicians. Other physicians who practiced here were Melancthon Hoag, Joseph Rock- well, Henry Lacey, Coville Lee, God- dard, Everett, Jos. Price, Wilcox, Frazier, G. W. Bettes, Wm. Bettes, Or- ton, Squire, Wise, Barrett, Van Horne and Silbiger.
As was the case with other frontier localities, there were at first numerous newcomers with no settled religious convictions or church connections. But others who came with church going habits and a strong faith, soon showed a desire to have religious or- ganizations like those "back home." Churches did not come to Randolph for several years after settlement. The ever busy Congregational missionary, Rev. Joseph Badger, is said to have visited here early, as did Rev. Shad- rach Bostwick, Rev. Henry Shewell and others. They talked with people in their homes and sometimes there were meetings in homes. The first formal sermon preached in Randolph is said to have been a funeral sermon. Its occasion was at the burial in 1804 of Mrs. Mary Ward, wife of one of the first settlers, and the sermon was by Rev. Henry (Father) Shewell, who was brought from Deerfield for the purpose.
LAYMAN LEADS CHURCH
In 1808 a Methodist class was form- ed. It did not last long but a second Methodist class was formed by Rev.
420
PORTAGE HERITAGE
Ira Eddy, in 1814. A church was built in 1833.
Meantime, Congregationalists had started to hold meetings in homes, first in the house of Oliver Dickinson in 1806. Rev. Henry Ely arrived soon after that, but left for Stow in 1807. One of the really intelligent settlers was Sylvester Tinker. He was not a church member but was distressed by the absence of religious services and conditions. He called a meeting in a log school house near the Creek. Tink- er not only conducted the meeting but led the singing and read a sermon and led in prayer. This was about 1811. With the interest thus aroused a Congregationalist church was or- ganized in 1812 by Rev. John Seward, a young missionary who remained for a time, then went to Aurora. The church went on, with varying for- tunes, until 1823, when Rev. Joseph Meriam was engaged as regular pastor for the 21 members. Mr. Meriam re- mained as pastor for 64 years, a truly remarkable record. His first year's salary was $200.00, paid in produce. A church building was erected in 1832. After Mr. Meriam's death in 1887, the church finally went out of existence.
There were also early Presbyterians and Baptists and in 1819 the Baptists organized with a membership of twelve. At this time meetings of all churches were irregular but were like- ly to be attended by all denomina- tions. There was a joint Sunday school as early as 1821. In consequence of widespread religious activity near by, Disciples organized in Randolph in 1828. Many of the members came from the Baptist and Methodist churches. A church building was erected in 1830, said by some to have been the first Disciple church in Ohio.
It stood near Breakneck Creek and was often referred to later as the "old red meeting house." Later buildings came in 1860 and in 1885.
In 1845 the Disciple church organ- ization was nearly wrecked by dis- sension between anti-slavery members and others. Later large yearly meet- ings were held and the church flour- ished. Residents still point out that Jas. A. Garfield was at one time a speaker here.
By 1848 the number of German Protestants had increased to the point where a German Reformed church was organized, with the pastor sup- plied from Hartville. A church build- ing was erected in 1857.
After the Congregationalists dis- banded, the Disciples and Methodists continued to function with varying fortunes. The Methodist church be- came part of a circuit and the Dis- ciples often had supply ministers. About 1930 sentiment grew for a fed- eration of these two denominations but nothing ever developed.
MISSION AT ST. JOSEPHS
Located in West Randolph is St. Joseph's church, home of a large and active Catholic congregation. It had its beginnings in 1831 when six fami- lies arrived from Alsace. They held meetings and Fr. Henni visited them but there was no church building un- til 1835 when a log church was erect- ed, together with a school. Services were irregular. Fr. Neuman resided briefly, then Fr. Shorb conducted a mission. The first regular pastor was Rev. J. Wittner in 1846. A mission again in 1848, Fr. P. Weber was first permanent resident pastor. In 1838 the church was burned but quickly rebuilt. A larger church followed in 1866, with a school and cemetery in 1885. The present church was built in
-
PORTAGE HERITAGE
42 |
1904. Some of the pastors there have been Frs. Stein, Hackspiel, Haussner, Herbstritt, Koehn, Kirch, Rebholz, Golden, Romer, Thein, Vogt, George Reber, Cheney, McGlogan, Bruner, Capades, Kahn and others. Fr. F. J. Bertram, whose pastorate was long, died in 1956.
A striking feature of the church location is the replica of Lourdes Grotto, which, installed in 1927, at- tracts many visitors.
First parochial school teacher was Jos. Schneider. Teachers at various times have been laymen, sisters, and pastors. Present pastor is Rev. E. J. Dierker.
Rev. Leslie Bowers is pastor of the Christian Church today and the pastor of the Methodist group is Rev. Fen- ton C. St. John.
A notable event was the observance of the 100th anniversary of Ran- dolph's settlement. This came in 1902 with a centennial reunion and celebra- tion at the Randolph Fair Grounds on June 20 of that year. There were speeches, discussions of pioneer life and later events, music and visiting.
Seven cemeteries have served for burials in the township. First used was Sand Hill, west of the Center on Lot 67. No. 2 is at the Center. The Catholic Cemetery is at St. Joseph's. There is a burial ground in the ex- treme northwest corner of the town- ship, on the old Kline farm. In the southeast there is a cemetery on the Wise farm, Lot 39. The German Re- formed church had a cemetery on Lot 58. On the old Mendenhall farm to the southeast, is situated a cemetery on Lot 11.
JOHNNYCAKE HOLLOW
Randolph township early developed a large number of small manufactur- ing .. establishments. Some of them
Enose P. Brainerd, Randolph early resident who became
Portage County business leader 100 years ago.
grew to considerable importance later on. They included distilleries, tanner- ies, cabinet shops, wood working shops, and leather shops. There were numerous carpenters, rope makers, hatters, cobblers, weavers, stone cut- ters, carders, makers, millwrights, gunsmiths and the like. These were grouped at the Center and to the west- ward. At one time Randolph was the leading manufacturing township in the county. This was around 1840 and later when Johnnycake Hollow was in its heyday. The Hollow, as old resi- dents still call it with affection, lay west and north of the Center. Impetus for manufacturing was given by the presence of water power along Break- neck Creek, or Congress Lake Outlet, which traverses the area. The shops there were of great variety. Probably
422
PORTAGE HERITAGE
the largest was the Merrill & Co. ma- chine shop, which included a variety of products. It had a foundry, black- smith shop and pattern department. Merrill was sometimes called "the genius of Johnnycake Hollow."
There was also the Mead & Brain- erd Steam Flouring Mill. As the name indicates, it worked the local grain products into flour and other things.
It is said that at the height of its glory the Hollow had more than twenty shops and factories. These in- cluded wool carding works, wagon making, dyeing and dressing of cloth, wood working shops, brick kilns, shirt factory, tailor shop, jewelry shop, linen and leather shop, wagon making and others. Wages were low, being sometimes 25 to 50 cents a day, but there was a monthly payroll of $4,000 so that several hundred people were employed and homes were num- erous in the vicinity.
At the Hollow the chair and wood working shop was run by a man nam- ed Elmore. Parsons & Sabin had the dyeing and dressing plant; Levi Ran- som, wool carding; and John Strong, wagon making.
On August 9, 1854, a fire destroyed Mead & Brainerd's Flour Mill, the Merrill & Co. shops and some others. They were never re-built there and the others gradually went out of busi- ness, at least in this spot. Today there is but little trace of the Hollow's shops. Merrill re-built west of the Center and later on, moved to Kent.
It is said that Johnnycake Hollow got its name because of the large amount of corn pone served to the hungry workers who lived in the vi- cinity.
The Randolph Flour Mill was known far and wide. It came into ex- istence in 1868 and operated steadily
until 1917 when changing conditions forced suspension. This stood south and west of the Center.
In southeast Randolph the Keller Bros. machine shop was famous over many years.
Lumbering was for many years an important activity in the various hard- wood forests. At one time there were fourteen sawmills operating in the township.
ROAD AVOIDS SWAMP
The road now known as State Route 44, north and south, Ravenna to Canton, was laid out in 1809 after considerable dissension over the exact route. Some of the settlers wanted it further west. Before this, however, the present U. S. Route 224 was in use (at least parts of it) as a route from Deer- field to Medina and the west. This road follows a line a half mile north of the geographical center and the village now known as the "Center" is likewise above it. The land at the real center was low and swampy and for that reason was avoided. Other roads were laid out at intervals as needed and in time some were improved by liberal use of gravel, though mainly they were of the mud variety.
Randolph's mud-and-dust roads were not much different from those of other townships through the years. There was always talk of the need for better roads but when the county good roads program got started in 1907 there was soon a demand for a pave- ment from Randolph to the county seat. This improvement eventually came, partly in 1911 when the nar- row pavement came within two miles of Randolph and which was finished in 1913. In the following years the east-west road was built. The western leg came first, running from Ran- dolph to Logtown on the Summit
423
PORTAGE HERITAGE
county line. The road construction was continued to Atwater in 1916. The only railroad the township ever had was what was called the "Vinegar Valley Line"-a narrow gauge temp- orary track from Whittlesey's Corners in Atwater, to haul brick to Randolph and other material for the highway construction work. Older people re- member that Vincent Proehl was en- gineer of the little locomotive.
Before the coming of the canals the highway presently known as U. S. 224 was a busy "through" road. Mer- chandise was carried from Pittsburgh and the East in big Pennsylvania wagons, bound not only for this coun- ty but for Akron, Medina and the west. The wagons carried from three to five ton loads, usually drawn by four horses.
GET ELECTRIC SERVICE
The first electric power line was financed by donations from land own- ers and the movement was sparked by U. R. Meacham and B. C. Ladd. The line was built by the Collier Con- struction Co. in 1923.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.