USA > Ohio > Summit County > Twinsburg > Twinsburg, Ohio, 1817-1917, Part I History, Part II Genealogies > Part 12
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give a Christmas ball. He thought it impossible as there was no barn in which the horses could be properly cared for. They replied that he could build one for the occasion. He thought the time too short but agreed to make the trial and the race with time began. The trees had yet to be felled and the lumber prepared from them. The greatest difficulty experienced was that of securing proficient "scorers." When the night of the ball arrived Edwin Barber was driving the last nail by lantern light when the first horse was brought to the barn. A record probably impossible to duplicate today !
Another unusual feature of the Twinsburg hotel is the fact that John Madden for forty consecutive years sat at the same place at the hotel table. Now in his eighty-seventh year he vividly recalls many stirring events of those earlier days.
The time is past when highways and hotels can be neglected without endangering the future of the town. Doubtless the next few years will bring great improvements to Twinsburg. Certainly if the needs and desires of the community are considered with the zeal and unselfishness our forefathers so often manifested, and with the intelli- gence of which the community is highly capable the following years will mean much to Twinsburg.
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INDUSTRIES
It seems that most of the early settlers came here intending to make agriculture their chief pursuit, and Twins- burg has ever remained an agricultural township though never entirely destitute of industries. It would be futile and serve no real purpose to attempt any fine distinction between industrial and agricultural life and, in the early days, such a distinction was utterly impossible. Very independent were our forefathers. Few were the absolute requirements for life that they could not produce, though there were some, and it is very possible they enjoyed their hard earned independence fully as much as this generation does its luxuries.
Although they styled themselves farmers they really were, in many respects, manufacturers. From the forests they wrought lumber and made homes and rude furniture. The skill attained by many of those early woodsmen might easily seem impossible today. From the maples they ob- tained sap and made their maple sugar. From their sheep and cattle wool and hides were obtained and converted into garments and other coverings. From the milk butter and cheese were made. The fields produced wheat and corn which were ground into flour and meal.
But they did not carry their independence too far. They desired to establish a community, not to live each family to itself. A man could make a shelter for his family from logs, but he wanted a frame house and barn and was glad to patronize a sawmill to get them. A well filled corn or wheat bin might insure against hunger, but a grist mill served infinitely better than rude home processes in con- verting the grain into flour and meal. The law of demand and supply operates as well in the forest as in the metropolis. In 1817 Elisha Loomis erected a sawmill and in 1818 Elias Mather built a gristmill at the falls in the southeastern part of town. The gristmill did not enjoy a monopoly of all the grain since by 1821 Joel Thompson had a distillery in opera- tion at the spring on the present Frank Scoutten place. It was soon abandoned because of the lack of rye.
In time other mills were erected, but those at Mills- ville were responsible for much of the early development
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of the town. With sawn lumber available the carpenter became a very busy and much sought man. Great hardware stores were a matter of the future and to the "village black- smith" fell many tasks other than shoeing horses and oxen. Oliver Clark was the town's first blacksmith and his shop probably stood on the lot where the bank now does. When the stage route was through the town the blacksmith pros- pered. With sometimes as many as fifty horses stabled at the tavern barn and ofttimes almost impassable roads one can readily perceive why there were several blacksmiths in town. Probably the difficulties in transportation and the fact that the early wagons were made almost entirely of wood accounted for the presence of several wagon makers. Where the blacksmith and wagon maker flourished naturally the harness maker found plenty of employment. When the cooper and the tinner began work in town is not known, but it seems certain the requirements of early times would make the cooper a busy man. The tasks then done by the tinner were very different from those exacted of him today. The carpenter was aided in the transformation of the wilderness by the labors of the mason. Frederick Stanley was listed in 1860 as a mason. As he came to Twinsburg in 1817 he was doubtless the town's first mason. At one time Zeno Parmelee was engaged in the manu- facture of brick. He lived then on the Solon road where Charles Chambers now does and planted the large sycamore tree that now stands in front of the house. Later he built a house of brick west of the present Masonic hall.
From a notice concerning "mills for sale" in the Ohio Observer in 1834 we obtain some information relating to the mills at Millsville. The gristmill is described as having two pairs of four and one-half foot burr stones, with bolting and screening machines. The sawmill is said to have a capacity of from 500,000 to 600,000 feet of lumber yearly, with twelve and a half acres of land for mill yard purposes. A frame house, springs, quarries and eighty-two acres of land are also offered for sale. The notice is signed by J. W. Wolsey for the owners in New York.
Apollos White had a sawmill on Tinker creek where the road from the Solon road to the Cleveland road crosses the creek. In the later thirties he sold the best of whitewood,
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ash, oak and hickory lumber at from $6.00 to $8.00 per thousand feet. Mr. Gibbs had a gristmill close by Mr. White's mill. It was later owned by Mr. Ledsham and burned in 1865. Orrin P. Nichols and Anson White ran a steam sawmill on the Cleveland road just north of the resi- dence of H. A. Bissell. Justus Herrick operated another on the Hudson road. For many years Gideon Mills operated a portable sawmill.
Jay Brewster built a sawmill east from the hotel. He sold to George Boose who still operates it. A cidermill is worked each season also by Mr. Boose.
The old-fashioned gristmill has disappeared. In the nineties Mr. Hardin built one near the depot but it was not used long and, with some additions, has been used as feed mill and store. Luton Hanchett, W. H. Boose, E. Bowen and Bissell and Roach have successively been proprietors, the last named firm at present conducting a feed and coal business.
There came a time when it seemed that milk products could be handled collectively better than individually. Andrews and Ingersoll had dealt extensively in dairy products and H. Alling had a building for storing cheese where the town hall now stands. The building burned in 1866. In 1860 the sales from dairy products were estimated at about $75,000. The butter and cheese factory seemed the answer to the query as to how to best handle the in- creasing amount of milk. For several years part of the old Institute building was used as a cheese factory where some- times the milk from fourteen hundred cows was used. Later factories sprang up in all directions. William Wilcox operated one on the Solon road, Lorenzo Riley one on Liberty street, Solomon Oviatt one at the old mills, George Haggett one on the Hudson road, the latter two being later owned by Mr. Straight. Much milk from Twinsburg was taken to the factory at the four corners on the Macedonia road, and some at another just over the line in Bedford. Now for many years most of the milk produced here has been shipped to Cleveland.
Nature was kind to Twinsburg in storing a goodly supply of sandstone both east and west of the center. From the time of the first settlement stone had been used freely,
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but until the C. and P. R. R. was in process of construction comparatively little went out of town. Until the Con- notton Valley R. R. was built Macedonia was the shipping point of most of the stone sent outside. Here the stone lies so near the surface that it can be readily quarried and consequently many small quarries have been worked. Among those engaged in quarrying have been A. N. Stanley, Nelson Doubrava, N. Herrick, D. and C. Herrick, H. Dun- shee, Gardner Parmelee and Boose Bros.
About 1882 the late C. F. Emery purchased about 16 acres of land of David McElroy and erected a mill for crushing sand. The mill has a capacity of from 130 to 140 tons per day, the sand being used in foundry work. The late William Twerell worked as engineer in this mill over twenty-five years. William Twerell, Jr., has been foreman of the quarry for twenty-seven years, making thirty-four years he has worked in the same quarry. Mr. Alfred Emery is the present owner.
In 1908 a company consisting of Ezra Atwater, George Manlove and Alfred Emery purchased of H. Chambers the old J. F. Wright farm and erected a sand and gravel mill north of the W. & L. E. depot. The sand is used in foundries and the gravel in concrete block construction. These sand- mills are Twinsburg's present greatest venture in the in- dustrial field.
While not a manufacturing town herself Twinsburg has ever been a liberal patron of the industries of others and it may not be amiss at this point to make some mention of the business carried on in the town, though it is obviously im- possible to treat the subject as fully as would be desirable.
The first store in town (1829) was the bar in Alling's tavern and the stock of goods consisted of tobacco and Scotch snuff, costing $3.50. In 1831 Mr. Alling built a house in front of where the Crankshaw home is located and the wing was used as a store. When Mr. Alling built the present Dr. R. B. Chamberlin house he moved this wing to his new location where it has since been used as a shop. In 1835 he built the store now occupied by E. J. McCreery and for the first time went to New York for goods. In 1847 he sold, exclusive of flour, salt and produce, $14,000 worth of goods. He was succeeded in business by his sons Francis A.
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and George Hoadley Alling. Since the death in 1856 of G. H. Alling the building has been occupied by S. H. Bishop & Son, Bishop & Chamberlin, Wilcox & Lamb, Wm. McKin- ney, Messrs. Armstrong and Bull, Luton Hanchett, Seth Hanchett, Chamberlin & Tucker, L. K. Chamberlin and E. J. McCreery.
There is a vast difference between the stock carried in the first store and those of the present. To one who for the first time investigates the resources of the country general store there are many surprises. That the town can maintain two such stores, besides feed and hardware stores, is an indication of the progress made by the citizens both in culture and in material possessions.
South from the Alling store Andrews and Ingersoll had a store. Across the Cleveland road from Alling's, John Odell built a store and was for a time associated with Hector Taylor. Mr. Odell sold to A. L. Nelson. After the building burned Mr. Nelson built, on the same site, the present cement one owned by Mrs. Amanda Tucker, and housing the postoffice, telephone exchange and library. Hector Taylor built a store a few feet to the east and was in partnership with Edwin Richardson. The building now, with an additional story, stands north of the McCreery store. Next stood the old Baptist church and east of that a small building used at one time as a shoemaker's shop by R. A .. Bailey, and for a time by Edward Crouse as a tinner's shopd The Baptists later acquired the Free-will Baptist church an for many years Mr. Crouse had his business housed in thi old Baptist church building. His son, Edward B. Crouse,
S still uses it for his hardware and tinning business. Hart and Dodge had a store at the corner of the square and Solon road and south of them John and Peter Madden had their merchant tailoring establishment. Succeeding the Madden brothers were George Mizer, William Fee, Chamberlin and Tucker and the present proprietors, A. E. and G. L. Bishop. South of the Maddens' store Ed E. Parmelee had a harness business. Here also was sometimes the postoffice and the first telegraph office. On the corner, just across from the hotel, was the famous "Jimmy" Hill store. Mr. Hill built and, for a brief period, lived in the present Charles Wagner place. On the site of the old store Fred Miller erected the
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building now occupied by Mr. Krafton. South of the hotel lived Royal Taylor and later, Mr. James Alexander. Mr. George Boose now owns the place. Next came the building erected in 1832 by the Congregationalists, later, as part of the Bissell Institute, called "Lyceum Hall," still later used as a public school building and at present owned by Miss M. F. Alford. At the southeast corner of the square stood the Alling tavern, later also used as part of the composite Institute building. Mrs. Franklin Post now has a residence on this corner. Across the road stood the tavern barn and east of the barn Zeno Parmelee had a blacksmith shop. When a mere baby his son Henry crept from this shop to the creek and was found asleep upon a stringer of the bridge. Harrison Dunshee lived for many years on the corner diagonally opposite the tavern, his house being part of the present Masonic building. South from the corner Thomas Parmelee had a shop and next came the Abbey place, just north of W. Fee's present home. The Abbey home was considered an unusually fine house in the early days. Leverett Clark's farm came to the south side of the square, his barn stood about where the M. E. church now does and his house farther east. On the west side of the square Zeno Parmelee had a blacksmith shop just east of where the Congregational church stands, keeping three or four men employed throughout the year. The shop on the west road, for many years operated by Moses Roach and at present by Adam Stingel, was once Mr. Parmelee's. What was built for a Free-will Baptist church, later acquired by the Baptists and now used as a town hall on the Cleveland road, once stood north of the present Crankshaw place. East of the N. C. Dodge home stood James Alexander's shop. Many of the buildings on the west side of the square encroached upon the public ground and had to be moved farther west. For some years George Andrews and Nathan Chapman had a wagon shop in the building at the rear of A. N. Roach's residence. Across the street from the old hotel barn stood William Judd's blacksmith shop, later operated by J. W. Harlow. J. P. Garzee was another of Twinsburg's black- smiths, as also was Jas. Fisher and, more recently, Robert McManus.
On the north side of the square the houses now occupied
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by Mr. Carpenter and Mr. Keever were once the homes respectively of Aaron and Moses Wilcox. The former was also for many years the home of Hector Taylor.
The Twinsburg of 1917 has little more of manufacturing than did the Twinsburg of 1817. Some lumber is sawed during the winter months by those who still have timber, but most of the lumber used is shipped here from far-away points. Flour is purchased at the stores, even meat being mostly shipped in. The milk, or cream, is nearly all sent to Cleveland; cattle, poultry, eggs, fruits, vegetables, wheat and other commodities are sent out of town and much of the money derived from their sale used to foster industries elsewhere. The standards of living are becoming more urban than rural. In short, Twinsburg is practically a suburb of a large industrial city. Surrounded by a thriving agricultural and dairying community, indirectly she plays well her part in the industrial field. A superior citizenry is already hers and she is well content to furnish peaceful homes and necessary supplies to those embroiled in the ceaseless whirl of industrial life.
PROFESSIONAL LIFE
Perhaps no violence would be done truth by stating ยท that Twinsburg's professional men have been her teachers, preachers and physicians. Yet such a statement might convey an entirely wrong impression regarding the attitude of the townspeople toward professional life.
There were no professional men among the earliest settlers. Such a condition would now seem intolerable, but it was usual and almost inevitable in early sparsely settled communities. It is an additional evidence of the character and training of the pioneers that they keenly felt this lack and sought to remedy it. The needs of the sick and suffering first spurred the people to action.
When the first resident physician, Dr. William O'Bryan, came to Twinsburg we do not know except that it was after 1823, and even in 1831 Dr. Town, of Hudson, was Twins- burg's nearest physician. In the early times Twinsburg depended upon Drs. Israel Town and Oliver Mills, of Hud- son, when severe sickness manifested itself. At a later date Drs. Selby and Stevens were here and by 1860 the town had four physicians: Seymour A. Collins, John G. Stearns, A. P. Clark and S. A. Freeman. Of this group only Dr. Seth A. Freeman remained long in active practice here. In his early manhood he was an expert worker in iron, working in the large carriage shops of Lowman of Cleveland and later, here in the blacksmith shop of J. W. Harlow. While still working at his trade he began alone the study of medicine and after taking one course of lectures began his long practice. He died in 1902 after a very active life, his ability recognized far beyond his home town by both the laity and the medi- cal profession.
Dr. Luman G. Griste came to Twinsburg in 1871, began practicing medicine in 1872 and completed his medical course in 1874. Mrs. Griste studied with her husband and has shared with him the labors over an extensive territory where they have made for themselves a host of grateful and devoted friends. It may with propriety be here mentioned that the entire Griste family have been engaged in profes- sions. Their daughter, Mrs. Ethel Griste Viall, besides being an accomplished musician is also a successful teacher,
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and their son, the late Lemar Griste, at the time of his death in 1902 as a chemist was employed by the Mineral Point Zinc Co. of N. Chicago as superintendent. Furthermore, Mrs. Griste is a sister of the late Dr. S. A. Freeman. Al- together a record, not frequently excelled !
Dr. R. B. Chamberlin graduated from the dental department of Western Reserve University in 1901 and began practicing here as a dentist. The study of disease and medicine was, however, so attractive to him that he con- tinued his studies, graduating from Cleveland Medical School in 1904. He has a rapidly increasing practice and as much dental work as he can spare time for.
When compared with other towns that have no resident physicians Twinsburg is exceedingly well favored, being able also to easily obtain specialists from Cleveland when it is desirable.
Among the teachers in the public schools there have been comparatively very few who could be properly called professionals. Most of the teachers in the earlier schools were young folk who saw in teaching an opportunity to earn a little-and the word is used advisedly-money and to whom teaching was an incident, not a goal. Since the establishment of the high school and the reorganization of the school system the condition has changed. As the founder of the Bissell Institute the Rev. Samuel Bissell was a shining example of the value to a community of a man dedicated to the cause of education.
As a pastor Rev. Mr. Bissell was the first resident minister in the town. Previous to 1828 Rev. Mr. Seward of Aurora, Rev. Mr. Hanford of Hudson, and the Methodist circuit riders had been relied upon for preaching services. In other chapters concerning the schools, churches and music the reader has learned of the faithful services of Twinsburg's preachers and teachers.
But Twinsburg has done better than to provide homes and work for professional men. She has trained the youth entrusted her and sent them far away, but always calls them hers. The names of men long gone from here, such as McKenny, White, Fairchild, Kerruish, Marvin, Voris, Ingersol, Knowlton, Wilson, Pokagon and Hazen link Twinsburg forever with professional life.
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Since the passing of the old Institute and the multipli- cation of special schools the public schools have simply pro- vided a good foundation and the inspiration for specializa- tion. Many students have gone from Twinsburg to institu- tions of higher learning, such as Adelbert College, Western Reserve University, Case, Oberlin, Wooster, Mt. Union, Erie, Hiram, Dennison, Valparaiso and other colleges with the purpose of taking up some profession. It would be impossible to mention all but among them are J. C. Black- man, C. W. Hempstead and Charles Jones in ministerial work; W. H. Gillie, Harvey Brenizer and Albert Chapman practicing law; W. P. Chamberlin, R. B. Chamberlain and J. O. Nelson practicing medicine; Mrs. Ethel G. Viall, Mrs. Lenora L. Pascoe, Clare B. Hempstead and Harry Carrier teaching, and Clyde Cochran as electrician; Roy Stingel, a teacher of pharmacy at Case School, W. S. Lister, attorney- at-law in Cleveland, and P. P. Evans, consulting engineer, make Twinsburg their home.
As facilities for easy travel between Cleveland and Twinsburg are increased probably many will avail them- selves of homes in Twinsburg and it is hoped a goodly number of the town's own sons and daughters may be among the number.
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TWINSBURG'S FIGHT FOR TEMPERANCE
MRS. MARY FESSENDEN
History tells us that the first mills erected in Twinsburg were a sawmill in 1817, a gristmill in 1818, and a distillery in 1821. We also are told that the whiskey was carried away in gallon bottles as fast as it ran from the pipes. However, on account of the difficulty in obtaining rye, this distillery did not long continue in operation.
That first distillery and whiskey bottles have caused Twinsburg a deal of trouble. Liquor drinking was made popular by the fact that liquor was served at all house and barn raisings. As the population increased business also increased. For years liquor was free to be bought or sold at the stores and no questions asked. At the close of the Civil War the U. S. government put a revenue on liquor, and later the state required the vendor of liquors to have a license.
Intemperance seemed to be on the increase everywhere and there was great agitation all over the country regarding it. There began to be organizations in our own town. The "Sons of Temperance" did good and faithful work to down the monster, but it had gotten an iron grasp on Twinsburg. The people became alarmed and went to work with a will. They knew it would be a hard pull, and a long pull, but they were confident victory would finally crown their efforts. We already had a few laws that, if enforced, would help our condition.
The building on the corner across from the hotel was owned by Mr. James Hill who kept a store of general mer- chandise, both dry and wet goods, and curiosities of all description. Surely Dickens would have called it another "Old Curiosity Shop." Mr. Hill was a unique character and everything in the building was characteristic of himself. On the first floor were dry goods and all sorts of implements and notions; in the basement were all kinds of wet goods; wines, whisky, brandy, rum and New Orleans molasses. In 1872 Mr. Hill died and Mr. A. L. Nelson was appointed administrator. All the goods were sold except the wet goods which were removed to the stone store on the northwest
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corner of the square. Here they were sold and the supply replenished as soon as necessary. It was not long before there began lively times in the old town of Twinsburg. Old men, young men and even boys were soon drawn into the vortex. Mothers began to be alarmed for their sons, and wives for their husbands. In the meantime the proprietor had purchased the Hill building and fitted it up for a saloon and soon had men behind the bar dealing out intoxicants. For some time this was the only place in town where the nefarious business of selling liquor was carried on for the purpose solely of making money.
This business affected not only our own town, but the surrounding country felt the baneful influence of the Twinsburg saloon. Topers would drive into town and their horses would stand for hours, pelted by the merciless storms, while they, inside, were preparing for the doom that surely awaited them. I would here assure my readers that I know whereof I speak for I have lived to see the awful results of that saloon.
The ladies of Twinsburg, thinking it time to have something done to stay the tide of intemperance in our own town, and stimulated to action by the success of our sisters in other places, resolved to do all they could toward the suppression of this growing evil. Several meetings were held before any society was formed. A permanent organization was talked of and it was finally decided to have a society with a constitution and officers. A committee was appointed to draft a constitution, and a meeting was appointed for April 8, 1874, in the M. E. church. This meeting, which opened with singing and prayer, was largely attended. The proposed constitution was read, accepted and signed by sixty ladies. Thus the "Ladies' Temperance League of Twinsburg" came into existence. A pledge was drawn and circulated. Out of a population of seven hundred only two hundred and eighty signatures were secured. This result was partly due to the fact that so many were ardently attached to the use of hard cider kept by many of our citi- zens who would not discard it from their cellars.
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