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 48
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Telephone service came to Ran- dolph about 1898 or 1899.
Randolph has furnished many of our county officials in the past. These include Frank W. Jones, treasurer; Capt. Simon Perkins, commissioner; W. J. Dodge, auditor; A. L. Krein- burg, treasurer; H. R. Loomis, prose- cuting attorney; Earl Ladd, treasurer; and others. Former recorder, commis- sioner and now representative, Claude Watters, was born in Johnnycake Hol- low. E. O. Trescott, widely known school man, was a Randolph native.
A "suburb" of Randolph was called Cooperstown. This was a half mile north and east of the Fair Grounds. The Youngman family were chief op- erators. Other "suburbs" were operat-
ed by Steve Hoover and Dominick Wise in the Southeast and Schroeder in the Southwest. A brickyard was operated in the Northeast corner of the township in 1877-87 by Russell Loomis and a tile works north of town run by C. P. Coe, later by W. S. Eagan.
THE HUBBARD SQUASH
A Randolph man is credited with originating a popular species of gard- en squash, the Hubbard squash. In 1831, N. W. Hubbard, son of Bela Hubbard, one of the township's set- tlers, and Alvin Belding, a neighbor, went to southern Ohio and came back with some seeds obtained from In- dians there. Bela Hubbard planted the seeds, obtaining a type unknown be- fore. It was accordingly named after the Randolph man.
For 78 years the Randolph Ladies Benevolent Association was in exis- tence as a relief and charity agency for the unfortunate of the township. Formed in 1874, it went out of exis- tence in 1952 after years of supplying money and material to those in need. Membership was usually around 25 to 30 women.
The first store in Randolph was op- erated by a man named Alden. Upon his death it was then run for a num- ber of years by Jonathan Merrick.
Randolph people have been fortu- nate in having available a great mass of historical facts and figures about the early days of the township, which were first set forth in the early writ- ings of Walter J. Dickinson, member of a prominent family. These recollec- tions were first published in the form of letters in newspapers. They give an intimate and interesting view of the first settlers, their families, life and activities and are instructive as well. With much labor these writings were
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Randolph first settler, Bela Hubbard. He gave his name to the Hubbard squash.
collected by Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Wid- ener who, as editors, published them in book form as the Randolph Pioneer History in 1953. The book gives a very good picture of Randolph life up to the 1870s and 80s.
Randolph is one of the two town- ships of the county that never had either railroad or electric traction line. However, when the Cleveland & Pittsburgh Railroad was projected, first plans called for a right of way through eastern Randolph. But an in- fluential Atwater man, George Stroup, so the story goes, offered to give the road free right of way and land to bring it through Atwater. Thus At- water got the line.
The first justice of the peace with jurisdiction in Randolph was Joseph Harris. The first elected J. P. in and for Randolph was Jonathan Foster. A justice of the peace long remembered was Jonah Hine, who also kept a tavern at the Center. His docket cover- ing the years 1840 to 1845, is in pos- session of the Portage County Histor- ical Society and is remarkable in that
it contains the signature of Bela Hub- bard, Randolph's first settler, who was a bondsman in a suit.
MANY MUSICIANS
Almost forgotten today is the fact that Randolph got into another coun- ty. This was in 1839 when Akron men were figuring on a new county and some wanted both Suffield and Ran- dolph in the new division.
Musical activities were in evidence from the first. There were many "fid- dlers" and singing schools. Old time singing school teachers included W. W. Slabaugh, F. B. Jagger (of Wind- ham), C. C. Case and E. H. Ladd as well as Mrs. Celestia Lewis. About the beginning of the present century, be- fore and after, there were quartets and glee clubs. The Fenton orchestra had a reputation and the Randolph band was in demand.
The Anti-Masonic movement of the 1840s had its repercussions in Ran- dolph. Perhaps the Antis were in the majority. Non-members of the order who were friendly were called Jack Masons. In the political lineup these comprised the "Toleration Party." In the leading parties there were Whig Tolerationists or Democratic Toler- ationists.
For many years Randolph had one and sometimes two distilleries. In 1830 the first temperance society in Portage County was formed here. Members were asked to pledge them- selves to refrain from using liquor personally, not give it to others or hire men who did use it. Some of the members then feared they would be unable to obtain necessary harvest hands, though they found they could be had after all. In 1831 the Portage County Temperance Society had 1591 members.
School text books used in Ran-
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dolph's early schools were few at first but later they included such books as Webster's Speller, American Precep- tor, Columbian Orator, English Read- er, Daball's Arithmetic, Pike's Arith- metic, Western Calculator, Morse's Geography, Woodbridge's Geography, Lindley Murray's Grammar, Kirk- man's Grammar, Peter Parley's Geog- raphy, Olney's Geography, Smith's Geography and of course, McGuffey's Readers which came on later.
Fuel to heat the district schools was wood, often hauled sled length to the school premises where it was cut up to proper length by teacher and pupils. It was provided by parents whose children were in school.
TWELVE SCHOOL DISTRICTS
In the older days Randolph had twelve district schools, the Center dis- trict being No. 1, and probably most important. Here various buildings were used and are described in old histories. After the Civil War a build- ing affectionately spoken of as the "old brick" was being used. About 1878 a two-story frame building was erected and this was in use there. It had three rooms. One room housed the primary pupils-grades 1 to 4. The second cared for the "intermed- iate" grades - 5 to 8. The high school was upstairs, with three more grades. There was a teaching staff of four. Centralization was started in 1916, when one district (Northeast) joined the Center and the pupils were brought in by horse-drawn wagon. The old frame building was then torn down and replaced by the present building in that year. Since then, several additions have been added and alterations made. At present still more room is needed. School principals have included Mr. Stevens, Dudley Douthitt, C. R. Oesch, O. B
Schmeidel, Etha Riedinger, Fay Chain, C. F. Smith, Clara Johnson, Mr. Hill, Mr. Ritchie, Fred Espenscheid, K. H. McFall, Mr. Gilmour, Edgar Bloom, Phil Jones, Lester Sabin, Harry Cut- ting, F. W. Karres, R. A. Kilbourne and presently, William Dean.
The first class graduating from Randolph High School was in 1897. In the class were Daisy Mary Loomis, Carrie May Davis, Harris Raymond Loomis, Abbie Olive Merriman, Bes- se Oniska Trescott, Ivin Ellsworth Riedinger, Fannie Birde Ladd and Mabel Alice York. The high school was among the first in Portage Coun- ty's townships.
The current board of education is composed of C. E. Roliff, Pres .; Con- stance Meacham, Clerk - Treasurer; Kenneth Begue, Michael Hercheck, G. W. Riemenschneider and Marcus Horning.
In the P.T.A., organized in 1932, A. B. Hansen is president; Mrs. Rob- ert Hudson, vice president; Clara Gil- bert, secretary; Mrs. John Jenior, treasurer. It belongs to the state and national organizations.
Some of Randolph's outstanding natives would include Joseph (Dode) Meriam, inventor of manometer for measuring gas pressures; Dr. M. R. Meacham, superintendent of Standard Oil refineries in Delaware and Mary- land; Forrest Dawes, rubber machin- ery expert in Akron; Bert Sabin, ma- chinery expert, Cleveland; Robert Case and Henry Matti, officials of the Goodyear Co., Akron; Dell Buckman, auditor Summit county; Jessie Jerome, mathematics instructor at Hiram and in New York State; M. E. Buckman, former county agent and president National Cherry Growers Assn .; E. H. Ladd, widely known music teacher; Ethel Wheelock, missionary to India;
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Dr. Mabel Riedinger, University of Akron; Michael Hercheck, Kent State training school; Chas. G. Bentley, banker and woollen mill executive, Ravenna; Watson Slabaugh and Cletus Roetzel, lawyers in Akron, the latter being prosecuting attorney; Judge Dean May of Akron.
Township trustees today are Lavern Laubert, O. J. Knapp and Leon May. Clerk is Glen Hartman.
NOTEWORTHY FAIR
The Randolph Fair is the last re- maining agricultural fair in the coun- ty, having outlived not only the coun- ty fair but various local fairs. It was originated in 1858 so that it will ob- serve its centennial in 1958, though it was quiescent during the Civil War years. The first fair was on an old school grounds in the Center and for many years after that, the location often changed. In 1875 the present site, northeast of the Center, was set- tled on permanently. Careful manage- ment and hard work has brought suc- cess and each year sees large crowds in attendance to see the old style country fair. Nothing has helped ad- vertise Randolph so much as its fair.
Present officers of the fair organ- ization are: Steve Bosko, Pres .; Clem Wise, Jr., Vice Pres .; R. P. Hamil- ton, Sec .; Kenneth Royer, Treas .; D. L. Snyder, Supt. Parking; Leon May, Supt. Entertainment; Carl Rufener, Supt. Police; Waldo Loomis, Marshal; Steve Bosko, Supt. Grounds.
In 1804 Timothy Culver took out a license to operate a tavern. Later the Hine family had a tavern. Later hotels still remembered were the Austin Hotel and the Dickinson House.
HISTORICAL NOTES
In recent years a building has been constructed on the town hall premises to house fire fighting equipment.
About 1920 a department was organ- ized with a chemical tank of the soda acid type, mounted on a two wheeled hand cart. About 1919 or 1920 Melvin Mecham mounted it on a Model T chassis (without starter.) The present equipment includes pumps and extra tank trucks.
The township has maintained good "brass bands" over many years. Some of the leaders included Harvey Dibble. C. C. Sabin, Perry Crooks and others. There was also a band at St. Joseph's.
Some of the Randolph postmasters of the present century were Millie Craig, Bertha Moyer, Stella Walding- er, Isabel McCormick, Edith Roliff, Morley North and Margaret Stanford. While there is still a postoffice at the Center, a great deal of the territory is served from Atwater, New Milford, Hartville and other rural delivery routes. The first postoffice here was in 1820. Rural delivery came in 1907.
The population of Randolph has had its ups and downs but apparently, is now up to stay. Figures since its settlement are:
1810- 165 1890-1492
1820- 328 1900-1389
1830- 690 1910-1345
1840-1649 1920-1376
1850-1732 1930-1733
1860-1686
1940-1899
1870-1564
1950-2305
1880-1684
The figures for 1840 and 1850 rep- resent the so-called "golden age" of Randolph, when Johnnycake Hollow was an important industrial center.
In 1841 Congregationalists in Portage and Summit counties formed what was called the "Consociation," indicating that it was an association of Congregation- alists.
CHAPTER XXXIV
Ravenna Township and City By CHARLOTTE STRICKLAND
In his visit to Ravenna in 1846, Historian Henry Howe wrote that "Ravenna is a pleasant, thriving vil- lage." Except for its growth and other changes wrought by time, this still holds good for Ravenna later acquired the reputation of being one of the most beautiful towns in the Western Reserve. Its wide, tree shaded resi- dential streets gave it a distinctive and pleasing appearance over many dec- ades. Located on the high ground of the watershed, the town is admirably situated and the mildly rolling coun- tryside gives the place a fine setting.
Ravenna was one of the five town- ships of Portage County settled in the summer of 1799. The others were Aurora, Palmyra, Deerfield and At- water.
Ravenna township's first permanent settler was Benjamin Tappan, Jr. He came from Massachusetts and much later in life left an account of the events leading up to this situation. It is interesting today, and present facts now quite valuable in history.
In this, he explains how his father purchased a four-sixth interest in a township in the Western Reserve. Through a surveyor's error, he sup- posed the place was located in what is now Randolph. By lot, Tappan drew land in the south part of the township.
TAPPAN ON THE WAY
In April, 1799, Benjamin Tappan, Jr., then a newly made lawyer, set out as his father's agent to occupy the
land and also act as sales manager in disposing of it to migrants. He started out on horseback, taking a yoke of oxen, a cow, and tools, placed in charge of a hired man. His uncle, Benjamin Holmes, also joined him, but in New York state was sent over- land with the animals and tools, while Tappan went up the Mohawk by boat. After almost incredible hard- ships and dangers, they reached the mouth of the Cuyahoga River by way of Lakes Ontario and Erie. On the way he picked up the David Kellog family, hired David Sylvester, fell in company with David Hudson, found- er of Hudson, and had a Dr. Miner as passenger.
Tappan relates that they reached Boston township, along the Cuyahoga, June 3, 1799. He left his goods in charge of the Kelloggs and with Syl- vester and Miner, started afoot toward Ravenna, cutting brush for a "sled road" as they proceeded. It could not have been much of a road, since they reached their destination in two days, more than twenty miles. Arriving at Ravenna, he found that Holmes, his uncle, had arrived in advance by several days. He found them "by the outlet of Granger Pond about a mile south of the village of Ravenna." On the following day they built a sled of hickory saplings and Sylvester went back to Boston, with the oxen, for their goods, left in Kellogg's care. But, the Kelloggs had gone, though most of the goods were found.
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National Centennial Arch on Ravenna Main St., 1876.
BUYS OX ON CREDIT
In the extreme southeast part of the township they built a "habitation" of poles and bark, remaining in it un- til the following January. In making a second trip to Boston, one of the oxen sickened and died. His horse had disappeared and no work could be done. Tappan then made his way to Youngstown on foot, where he bought an ox from Col. James Hill- man for $20.00 on credit. They then made wooden farm tools and planted a crop of corn.
He learned that Asa Hall of At- water, was his nearest neighbor. The two proceeded to cut brush for a sled road leading toward Georgetown, Penna. Each helped the other in pioneer style. He speaks of a wagon road from Atwater to Canfield by way of Deerfield. Dr. Miner left after a few weeks, but Holmes and Syl-
vester remained until November when they went back east never to return. About this time a Benjamin Bigsby came along from Youngstown. The two made a deal. Bigsby was to re- ceive 100 acres of land and do general work, while his wife did the cooking for which she was paid. Until Bigsby could bring his family in, Tappan lived alone several weeks. They then set to work to build a cabin, 18 x 20 feet, of a story and a half height. But unable to get the heavy timbers "raised", they had to wait until a pair of travelers came along and helped them out.
LIKED NAME "RAVENNA"
Of unusual interest is the fact that the name - Ravenna - was bestow- ed upon the township before any whites lived here. Tappan wrote that when the three original township owners met to talk business, present
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were Mr. Starn, Major Buel and Tap- pan. He said that after the location of the settlement, "It was then proposed to give the town a name. Buell and Starn proposed that it be called Tap- pan, and I suppose now there would have been no impropriety in so nam- ing it, but I thought otherwise then and could not agree to their proposi- tion. I then proposed the name of Ravenna. They assented to this; and so the township was divided and named." It is said that Mr. Tappan had never been in Italy (home of the famous city) but that he liked the sound of the word or that his fiancee liked it which influenced him. It is said the original meaning of the word was "roots and flowers."
The first few years of Ravenna township were pretty much the his- tory of Benjamin Tappan. As settlers came in looking for homes, he sold them land. In 1800, he went back East to report to his father and while there, he married Miss Nancy Wright, whom he brought here with him. His second home was one mile east of present Ravenna on a location later known as the Marcus Heath place.
When John Campbell arrived at Campbellsport he began to make his influence felt.
STARTS TANNERY
In the spring of 1800, William Chard arrived and located on Lot 3 and August of the same year saw the arrival of Conrad Boosinger and family. They took a place along the Mahoning about a mile and a half southeast of the court house. Boo- singer put in a crop of wheat that year. Later he set up a rough tannery there. His son, John, later became the first settler in Brimfield.
In the spring of 1801, John Ward and his step-son, John, McManus, came
from Pennsylvania and in the fall came Alexander McWhorter and family from the East, settling on the west side of Breakneck Creek, where in the following year he started a grist mill and later, for several years, the mill was operated by a man nam- ed Coosard. In 1802, David Jennings and family reached Ravenna from Bradford, Mass., to take a home on Lot 24. Robert Eaton located in the southeast section, also. Jennings and Eaton set up the second grist mill of the community in 1805. In 1802 there arrived David Moore, William Sim- cox, a man named Bozor (or Buz- zard), and others. The first birth in the township was a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Bozor in 1803.
When Ohio became a state in 1803, this event seemed to stimulate migrants and many land sales were made. In that year, Henry Sapp reach- ed Ravenna. It is also a matter of in- terest that in the same year a school was started in a cabin of Boosingers and the first wedding occurred - Chas. Van Horne and Phoebe Herri- mon. Others coming in were William Lyons, Jack and Moore, Jotham Blakesley and others.
In 1806, Erastus Carter and family came in and settled on Lot 16, the first resident of the north part of the township. Moses Smith became his neighbor a year later. In 1807, also, came Howard Fuller, father-in-law of Carter, as did Aaron Beeman.
BUILDINGS FEW
In all these years Ravenna was still a part of Trumbull County and when Portage County was established in 1807, there still were no buildings to be seen on the site of present Ra- venna city. It was still wilderness, through which travelers on relatively
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"Blinky" Morgan - Central figure in murder case of 1887.
short trips blazed their way to in- sure their return.
But before Ravenna was designated as the county seat, Benjamin Tappan proceeded to lay off the land. He laid out 192 lots and set out the streets in a territory now reaching on the north to old Bowery (now Highland); east to Walnut; south to Oak and west to Sycamore, with the Main-Chestnut in- tersection the center, as it is today.
Uncertain is the identity of the first birth inside the present municipality. Tappan offered a lot as a prize to the first child born and this was awarded to the son of David Thompson, but the biography of James Woodard, printed years later, makes the claim that he was Ravenna's first child. Young Thompson got his lot when he was 21.
Mr. Tappan also donated a plot of
ground to be used as a cemetery. This was located in the southwest part of the new town and was so used until 1813, when residents thought a better place was desirable. That was the be- ginning of Maple Grove cemetery. This land was donated by Howard Fuller, Erastus Carter, Moses Smith, and Anson Beeman and the first burial was that of Sluman Smith, son of Moses Smith. The grave stood alone for a long time. Tappan also donated lots for schools and churches.
TAPPAN BUSY LAWYER
During all these years, Benjamin Tappan was a busy man, and making money. When he was not selling land, he was practicing law and he often appeared at the court house in War- ren, then county seat. All agreed that he was a good lawyer. He won some renown by securing the acquittal of a man named McMahon, who had been charged with murdering two Indians, at Salt Springs, near Niles, the trial being held at Youngstown. In 1809, he became prosecuting attorney for the county but soon after that decided to move to Steubenville, a larger town and better field for a good lawyer. Later, he became a state judge as well as U. S. senator.
Ravenna town began to take on the appearance of a settlement. Most ac- tivity centered around the erection of a court house and a jail, as well as homes and business places. The first court house was started in 1810.
A court house town is always an important place and new buildings were going up within the present city limits was a log structure on East Main St. on the south side, and site of the one-time Mechanics building. Who actually built it is uncertain, but one story is that it was built by Henry Sapp for William Tappan, a
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brother of Benjamin. Another story is that it was put up by Joshua Wood- ard. This was in 1808. Other build- ings followed in short order. Others speak of a frame building put up in August, 1808, by Robert Mead, on the northwest corner of Main and Chest- nut.
Soon after Ravenna became a town, David Greer opened a tavern on the southeast corner of Main and Chest- nut streets. This was not only the first tavern but it may have been the first store, as Greer laid in a small stock of merchandise most in demand, includ- ing gunpowder.
STARTS A STORE
About 1812, Gen. John Campbell of Campbellsport put up a rather pretentious frame building on West Main St., where the Etna Hotel, or Hotel Ravenna, stood. He intended to open a hotel there, but the building was rented by a Pennsylvanian named James Haslip for a store, believed to have been the first full time store in town.
In 1814, Col. Wm. Frazer had a jewlery store and later operated a tannery. The growth of Ravenna at- tracted the attention of Heman Oviatt, a Hudson merchant. He teamed up with young Zenas Kent and Oviatt & Kent opened a store on the north- east corner of Main and Chestnut, with Kent actively in charge. This was some time previous to 1815.
In 1816, Seth Day and Dr. Isaac Swift had a store on the south side of East Main St., with a drug department presided over by Dr. Swift. Swift's biography states that they bought out the Haslip store, whether then or later is not clear. Of interest here is the fact that a drug store has been continued at this location up to the present time, today known as Lyon
& Morgan and previous to that, Wat- erman's.
Oviatt & Kent and Day & Swift were leaders in the merchantile line for many years, but in 1825, Perry & Prentiss opened an unusually fine store. Cyrus Prentiss became one of Ravenna's most able buiness men of all time. H. A. Brewster opened a store opposite the court house in 1826.
The lay of the land today gives no hint of the topography when Raven- na became the county seat. Streets to- day run with gently sloping grades in all directions. Then, toward the north from the court house, there was a pretty steep descent enough to pro- vide good coasting in the winter. Streets were rough and sidewalks did not appear until later. There were numerous little gullies that did not disappear until much later.
LAND COUNTY SEAT
Ravenna did not acquire the status of county seat without a contest. Franklin Mills, now Kent, had very good claim, being located in the geo- graphical center of the new county. Some might say it was an act of God that gave Ravenna the prize. The story is told in another section of this book.
Deacon Adam Poe, a cousin of Ed- gar Allen Poe, and a son of the fam- ous Indian fighter, Andrew Poe, came to Ravenna township in 1819 and took up 200 acres of land. The story of the fight between the two brothers, Adam and Andrew Poe, on one hand, with the Indian, Bigfoot, and his brother, was a classic of Ohio frontier warfare. This happened along a stream in Jefferson county in the latter part of the 18th century. An- drew Poe and the giant Bigfoot were locked in bodily combat and during the struggle, fell into the water where
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the fight continued. Poe finally fin- ished Bigfoot by holding his head un- der the water. When he was climbing out of the river, the other Indian drew a bead on him and was about to shoot when brother Adam, who had watched the fight, shot the second Indian just in time to save Andrew. Deacon Adam Poe had six sons who were active in Ravenna business and community affairs for many years. They were Andrew, William, Simp- son, Charles, George, and Alvin. The first Poe home stands on the main road two miles west of Ravenna.
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