USA > Ohio > Medina County > Wadsworth > Wadsworth memorial; an account of the proceedings of the celebration of the sixtieth anniversary of the first settlement of the township of Wadsworth, Ohio > Part 12
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The first settlers were mostly from Pennsylvania, and the greater part of German origin, who retained the Ger- man language, and maintained German schools for many years. On that account there was only limited acquaint- ance between them and the New England portion of the people of Wadsworth, while the German portion formed with them one community. The old pioneers are mostly dead. or removed from the locality, and from the facts be- fore stated, it has been almost impossible to get at any cer- tain history of the first settlement.
The first settlers seem to have been Nicholas Helmick and sons, John, Adam, and Michael, in about 1812.
Among the earliest, from 1814 to 1818, were Peter Waltz' sr., and sons, John and David; Jacob Everhard, Thomas Frederick, Henry Shook ; Henry Franks and sons, John, Michael, Henry, Abraham, and Uriah, and his brothers, John and Jacob; Jacob Hatfield, John Routson ; John, George, and William Halloway; David Johns; Henry, John, and Charles Heckerthorn ; John Mise, John Brown,
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Michael Brouse, Joseph Tousley, Rev. Henry Wygant, William Graham, Ebenezer Andrus, Wm. Middleton, Wm. Parks, John Porter. A little later, Peter and William Colbetzer, John Betts, Simon Elliott, John Lee, Jacob Yonker, John and Arnold Heffleman, Adam Shatto, Isaac Montgomery, Wm. Foster, Daniel Doyle, Joseph Springer ; Alexander Woods, Alfred Chidister, Ephraim Chidister, Christian Koplin, Christian Wall, Frederick Galehouse and sons, David, John, Samuel, and Elias ; George and W. Wellhouse. Henry Houtz, Thomas Harkins.
About 1818, Daniel Slanker built the mill 4 miles south of Wadsworth village, owned for upwards of 30 years by George Wellhouse, and since by Benjamin Harshy.
About the same time. John Reed built the mill after- wards owned by Alexander Woods. About 1830 or 1831, Ephraim and Alfred Chidister built a sawmill and woolen factory on the same stream (still owned by A. Chidister, son of Alexander), and John Brown a gristmill, still far- ther down.
In an early day a village was located on the east line of the township, by Messrs. Harvey, and the first store in the township opened by Dr. Porter. The location of Clinton and Fulton, on the canal, destroyed the village.
Two other villages were located in the early times. Slankerville. now Easton Station, on the Tuscarawas Val- ley R. R., now becoming a place of business. Doylestown, laid out by Daniel Doyle, is now a flourishing village, sup- porting a weekly paper, having several stores, a large man- ufactory of reapers and mowers and other agricultural implements. It has a good graded school, and five church edifices ; Presbyterian, Methodist, Lutheran, Disciple, and Catholic. There is one church building at Slankerville, built as a Union meeting-bouse.
HISTORICAL SKETCH OF SHARON TOWNSHIP."
This township, lying north of Wadsworth, at the time of the settlement of the other townships was owned by the minor heirs of William Hart and San:uel Mather, two of the original Connecticut Land Company, and was not brought into market till 1828. Till 1829 it was known as Hart and Mather's town.
It was a famous hunting-ground for the hunters of the adjoining towns, and abounded in deer, bears, turkeys, wolves, wild hogs, and rattlesnakes. It was a favorite roost in their season for wild pigeons; hickory-nuts and chestnuts abounded ; and its rich and inviting lands were quickly bought up when they were put into market by General Simon Perkins, of Warren agent for the heirs.
The first settlers were what at the West have been known as "squatters," of whom there were several who located their farms and cleared them up, running their chances of securing them when brought into market. The first law was "Squatter Sovereignty."
Of these, only one, C. McFarlin, found a neighbor mean enough to undermine him. The first of these was David Point, from Otsego county, N. Y., who settled in the northeast corner of the township, in 1816. Others who settled in the same way were Abram Valland, Lyman
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Green, Charles McFarlin, and David Holmes. About 1818, William and John Tuff settled on the southwest cor- ner lot, remained about two years, and returned to Ver- mont.
The first birth in the township was that of Jane Point, now Mrs. George Vaughn, of Allen county, Indiana, born in 1818. The second, Stephen Green. The first death, an infant child of Point, in 1822. The first mariage, Joseph Willey and Melinda McFarlin, in 1829.
As soon as the land was put into market, the township, which was well known in every part, was rapidly settled up. Among the earliest who purchased were Samuel M. Hayden and Hiram Hayden his son; Freeman Austin, Jonathan Everhard, Jehiel Squires. Ahnon Brown, David Loutzenheizer, Norman Curtis, and Stanton Bennett, from Wadsworth. Cicero Phelps and Col. Luther Fitch, from Connecticut. Edward Chandler; Artemas Palmeter and sons, Jason, Artemas, Ezra, and Sylvester; Horace and Milo Gibbs ; Esq. Win. Chatfield and sons, Guy C., Milton M., William, Mina, Lewis C .; John Birge, William Case ; Cyrus M. Johnson and sons, William, Sheldon, Homer, and Samuel, and his nephew, Martin Johnson. Peter A. Mocre, from Scotland. Barnabas Crane and sons, Wash- ington, William, Barnabas, and Joseph; Thomas Briggs and sons, Daniel and Abiel, from Massachusetts. Jacob Rudesill, Erastus S. Bissell, Jonathan Thomas, Valentine Waltman, Mark Smith, George Lowerman, Peter Hart- man, George Mellick, Peter Bogg, Richard Amerman, Reuben Fairchild. Jonn Barker, Silas Chandler; these came between 1830 and 1836.
The township was surveyed by Peter A. Moore and George W. White, and at the suggestion of Mr. Moore was called Gask, after his native place in Scotland. But the name being distasteful to many, it was, three months afterward, by legislative act, changed to Sharon.
In 1833, a company of emigrants from England settled in
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the northeastern part of the township. Some of the most prominent were William Woodward, John Woodward, Joseph Daykin, Thomas Calvert, Joseph Brunskel, James Pratt. They were sober, intelligent, and industrious citi- izens ; their farms models of order and good culture, and their children and grandchildren are now among the lead- ing business men in the different parts of the country.
The first election in Sharon was held in 1831. Votes cast, 75. Peter A. Moore, Samuel M. Hayden, and Charles McFarlin were elected Trustees; Jacob Rudesill Clerk ; Col. Luther Fitch. Treasurer ; Jonathan Smith, Justice of the Peace; Mark Smith Constable.
The first Post Master was Col. Luther Fitch ; appointed in 1833.
The first retail store was established by John Birge. The first public house by Milo and Horace Gibbs.
The first physician was Dr. Andrew Armstrong; suc- ceeded by Dr. Isaac B. Beech.
CHURCHES.
The first church organization was the Methodist, in 1832. First members, Charles McFarlin, Irene McFarlin, Alınira McFarlin, Valentine Waltman, Achsah Waltman, George Lowerman, Polly Lowerman, Martha Moore, Harriet Skin- ner, and Rebecca Smith. James Wilson first pastor in charge. In 1842, they built a house of worship at Sharon Center.
A Congregational church was organized about 1833 or '34, and built a house of worship, also at the Center. As the church has been for several years extinct, on account of removals and death of the old members, and change of population, the old records can not be found, nor names of original members. They were, however, of the families of Luther Fitch, Dea. C. M. Johnson and sons, Rev. W., and Sheldon; Dea. R. Fairchild, the Messrs. Ammerman, J. A. Bennett, and some others whose names can not now
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be obtained. Rev. William Johnson was their pastor for severalyears. They had no other. He was a man of su- perior scholarship, and strong reasoning power. He was highly respected by his acquaintances.
There was also a Universalist society organized not far from the same time as was the Congregational. The house built by them was so constructed as to answer the double purpose of a church and an academy building. Among the early members were the families of Normal Curtis, William Chatfield, Barnabas Crane, Thomas Briggs, S. M. Hayden, Daniel Briggs, and William Crane. The ministers were Alvin Dinsmore, George H. Vibbert, I. R. Henry, and Hervey Evans.
For several years there was a large Lutheran church, which is now disbanded.
SHARON ACADEMY.
This was incorporated in 1835, and was the first year un- der the tuition of John McGregor. Afterwards was taught six years by Rev. Alvin Dinsmore, an accomplished scholar and teacher; and for a number of terms more by E. J. Reynolds, Mr. Longley, George Rudesill, and Rev. I. R. Henry, all able instructors. The academy was sus- pended in 1865, since which time there has been a graded school.
In 1835, a public library, having a full assortment of books, was established. This was sold in 1854, and was superseded by a larger library, from the State ; a part of the Ohio school library system. This was doubled in 1859, and is still held by the town.
Sharon Center is a very pleasant village, situated on an eminence, one of the highest points in the State, and com- manding a view of a most beautiful farming country, for miles around. The township forms part of the water-shed
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between the streams running to Lake Erie, and the Ohio River. Wolf Creek, the remotest head of Muskingum River, has its rise in the western part of the township, as also Rocky River, emptying into Lake Erie, both starting from the same swamp.
Coal-mines exist in the southeastern part of the town- ship. The township is admirably adapted to the raising of all kinds of fruit of this climate ; especially peaches.
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HISTORICAL SKETCH OF GUILFORD TOWNSHIP.
The township of Guilford lies west from Wadsworth, and at first formed a part of the town. It was originally owned by Justin Ely, of Springfield, Massachusetts, Rog- er Newbury, of Windham, Enoch Perkins, of Hartford, and Elijah White, of Hudson, Ct., each owning one quarter.
The first settlers were Henry Hosmer, Chester Hosmer, Mary T. Hosmer, Lyman Munson, Moses Noble, and Shu- bal Porter. They were from Southwick and Westfield, Mass. In the same year, John and David Wilson began in the northeast corner of the township, the site of the present village of River Styx, and William Moore in the northwest quarter.
The Hosmers, Porter, and Munson built the first log house where the village of Seville now stands. It was a post of Indian villages before that time, or a favorite place for erecting their wigwams in their hunting expeditions. The broad bottom lands of Chippewa and Hubbard's Creek afforded one of the best hunting-grounds for moose (or elk), and deer; and the swamps around Chippewa Lake for bears and wolves ; and the lake and both streams afforded a great supply of fish.
During this year, William Hosmer, the father of Henry
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and Chester, made the journey from Southwick, Mass., on foot, and settled with his sons. In 1818, the year the coun- ty was organized, William Walcott, Elijah Porter, and Timothy Phelps came into the township. .
The first marriage was that of David Wilson and Abigal Porter, by Esq. Salmon Warner, of Wadsworth. The first child born was William Walcott, in 1819. He died at five years of age. The first death was that of a child of Ly- man and Nancy Munson. In 1819, Dr. John Smith, Sam- uel Owen, Wmn. H. Bell, John and James Crawford, and Jonas Stiles came into the township.
The township was organized in 1819. Nine votes were polled at the first election. Voters names, John Smith, Wm. H. Bell, Timothy Phelps, Samuel Owen, John Craw- ford, Win. Walcott, Jonas Stiles, and John Wilson. John Smith first Justice of the Peace; Wm. H. Bell, Lyman Munson, John Wilson Trustees; Jonas Stiles, Township Clerk.
The first election for State and county officers was held Oct. 16th, 1820. There were thirteen votes cast, all for Ethan Allen Brown, Governor; John Sloan, of Wooster, for Representative in Congress ; Jonathan Foster, of Por- tage county, for Senator ; Jonathan Sloan, of Ravenna, for Representative ; Ebenezer Harris, Arvis S. Chapman, and Stephen Sibley County Commissioners.
In 1820, Jacob Munson, Jotham Curtis, Samuel Owen, John Bell, Nathan Scranton, and Jonathan Nye be- came residents; and in 1821, Elijah Porter, Dea. James Bell, Robert Wilson, Lewis Wilson, Moses Shaw, H. N. Pool, Jacob Van Vleet, and Chauncey Barker, who opened the first store in Guilford.
In 1822, Dr. John Harris, David Clute, Oliver Houghton, Ambrose Houghton, James Harkness, Judah Dodge, Asa- hel Parmenter, and Miles McCabe. In 1823, Apollos Dean, Noah Ilatch, William Wilson, and J. A. Johnson.
From that period settlers came rapidly in, and the town-
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ship was soon taken up. The first furrow was plowed by Shubal Porter. The first frame building (a barn) was built by Henry Hosmer.
In 1826, a mail route was established from New Portage to New Haven, Huron county, and William Hosmer was appointed P. M. Robert Insco, of Greenfield, Huron co., was mail carrier.
In 1828, the road now known as the Pike was laid from Cleveland to Wooster. It had been cut out from Medina to the county line, as a county road, the previous year. In 1828, a line of stage coaches was established from Cleveland to Columbus over this road, by Jarvis Pike & Co., of Columbus. This, before railroads, was the great thoroughfare of travel from Cleveland to Cincinnati.
In June, 1828, James Crawford, jr., was driving the stage between Seville and Medina, when, in the midst of the woods, a shower and a heavy wind came upon them, and a tree was blown down which killed three of the horses. There were six passengers in the coach, who, with the driver, escaped unhurt.
The village of Seville was laid out on the land of Henry Hosmer, by Nathaniel Bell, County Surveyor, in 1828. About 1826, another post-office was established at River Styx; David Wilson, P. M. About 1834, Slutter & Over- holtz erected a large building for a store at the corners, and from that beginning the village of River Styx has grown up.
David and John Wilson had built a house of basswood logs, 10 by 6 feet, roofed with the same and chinked with moss, and chopped about two acres. They had dried a large quantity of venison, and salted down a considera- ble quantity in a trough. While absent two months, hav- ing returned to their old home at Warren, the wildcats found their way into the cabin, and devoured the venison.
Their bed was made of deerskins stretched upon poles, with one blanket for a covering. Their food was corn
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bread, which they had to go five miles to get, roasted pota- toes, venison, bear meat, wild turkeys, with spice-bush tea sweetened with wild honey taken from " bee trees." The Wilson brothers once killed upwards of 80 rattlesnakes at their den. They were very numerous in the early days. Three young men were bitten by them, in one neighbor- hood south of Wilson's Corners ; Joshua Shaw, Jefferson Curtis, and Ezra Hatch.
In 1821, Elijah Porter, a Revolutionary soldier, procured a horse of his son-in-law, David Wilson, and started for Medina, to sign the papers necessary to draw his pension. The horse returned at night without the rider, with blood upon the stirrup. The neighbors started with lanterns, and found him in the "Four Miles Woods," near Mont- ville Center, sitting by a beech-tree, one boot taken off and nearly full of blood. When touched, he faintly said, "Let me be ! let me be !" A deep, rough wound was found on his leg, in the shape of a letter D, supposed to have been done in riding round the roots of an upturned tree. He was placed upon a horse, another man sitting behind him to support him, the horse led by another. After they had gone a short distance, he waved his right hand a moment, and expired. He was buried in the ground west of River Styx; the first white man who was buried in Guilford.
CHURCHES.
In an early day a Methodist class was formed at Wilson's Corners, David Wilson, class leader. Another at the cen- ter of the township. Reuben Case, leader.
A Baptist church, in connection with Westfield. also ex- isted, of which I can procure no authentic record. Elder Rufus Freeman, sr., pastor.
A Congregational church was organized at Seville, June 25th. 1831. First members, Dea. James Bell, Mrs. Isabella Bell, James P. Smith, Mrs. Violet Smith, Thomas White- side, Mrs. Anna W. Whiteside, Abraham Whiteside, Sarah
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Case, Jane Colburn, Sarah Collins, Laura Cook. Rev. Varnum Noyes pastor, who continued his pastorato 40 vars. In 1834, its form was changed to Presbyterian ; David D. Dowd and Thomas Whiteside, elders.
In 1838, another Congregational church was organized, which was supplied by several different ministers; no set- tled pastor.
A Lutheran church, with a good house of worship, has ex- isted in the eastern part of the township for many years. Also one of the Old Mennonites : part of the membership of each living in Wadsworth.
The village of Seville, situated at the junction of Chip- pewa and Hubbard's Creek, is a very pleasant village of about 900 inhabitants. The Tuscarawas Valley Railroad passes through it, and has a depot and large warehouse. There are two flourmills, a manufactory of clothes-wring- ers, planing-mill, and agricultural machine factory, with a good supply of retail stores, and mechanics' shops. It contains four church buildings : Presbyterian, Methodist, Baptist, and Congregational (the latter now unused). It sustains a weekly paper, called the Seville Times, estab- lished in March, 1872, by Roberts & Coulter. There is also a juvenile monthly published there, called the Apple Blossom.
The village of River Styx is in the northeast corner of the township, in the valley of the headwaters of the Mus- kingum and Rocky River. It has two retail stores, and the usual mechanics' shops of a country village. "River Styx," once the dread of travelers, since the draining of the swamps has shrunk into an insignificant brook, in summer almost dry.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF PIONEER SETTLERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
It is impossible in most cases to give more than meager outlines of the history of the early settlers, from the ditti- culty, in the absence of public records, of obtaining accu- rate data.
The American people seem to have run to the opposite extreme from those, especially of wealthy, aristocratic fam- ilies, of the Old World. Instead of cherishing the memory of their ancestors, and treasuring with religious care their family records and transmitting them to their descendants, there has been an almost universal indifference. This is traceable to the fact that, especially in the Northern States, the early immigrants were too glad to escape from the class and family distinctions, with the exactions of hom- age, the oppressions, the restraints and restrictions, that for centuries had created an artificial state of society, and re- pressed the development of true manhood, in the mother country. The new freedom from Old-World caste natural- ly bred an indifference, each man caring only to stand on his individual manhood, regardless of the question wheth- er his ancestor was a lord or a serf. A pride even in in- difference to their origin. As a poet, addressing one proud of an ancestral name, says :
" Your pride is not so great as mine; Too proud to care from whence i came."
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From this extreme there is beginning to be a healthy re- action. The need of authentic records, as the country grows older and estates begin to enlarge, is more and more felt, and will be still more felt and regretted in time to come ; so that every attempt to rescue the names of the fathers from oblivion will become a blessing to future gen- erations. The extent of this indifference and ignorance, no one can realize so fully as those who set out to gather · such records. The compiler has in some cases found intel- ligent persons, in the prime of life, who did not know the Christian names of their grandparents. Many families have moved away, leaving no relatives, and nothing can be said of them but that they once lived here. Others are wholly forgotten.
These records, from these various reasons, must neces- sarily be imperfect, and the intended size of the book de- mands brevity. It is the compiler's aim to do justice to all, to give credit and praise where justly due, and perpet- uate nothing that shall wound the feelings of any living relative or descendant; preserving only the good, and letting the failings of poor, fallible humanity rest in hu- manity's grave.
The names will be given in alphabetical order, without reference to the towns they lived in, except in the body of the notice.
THE AGARD FAMILY.
Benjamin Agard, a native, it is supposed, of Long Island, was born in 1769. Married Rhoda, daughter of Issachar Loomis, and sister of Joseph Loomis. He moved from Colbrook, Connecticut, in the winter of 1816, in company with his brother-in-law, Joseph Loomis.
Coming in winter, they took the wheels from their wag. ons and put them on sleds, with boxes on top with their goods, and came most of the way in that manner on the snow. He bought a large tract of land in the northeast
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part of Wadsworth, and cleared up a large farm. He built the first frame house in the township, in 1824; the same now owned by Philip Sours.
He was a very careful farmer, of great prudence and economy in saving everything, and keeping everything in order, and always holding a supply over for the next year.
Alvin Agard, eldest son of B. Agard, was born in Col- brook, Ct., in 1797, and died July 29th, 1837. He was an industrious farmer, cf very diffident and retiring disposi- tion, but little known even by his neighbors. He was a man of much reading, intelligence, and observation. For many years he kept a complete meteorological record, on a plan of his own, noting the temperature at 6, 12, and 6 o'clock, the direction of the wind, and the rain and snow falls. A record that, if preserved by his descendants , might be valuable for reference or comparison. He mar- ried Lucy, daughter of Salmon Warner. Dr. Aurelius Agard, of Sandusky City, was his son.
Roman Loomis Agard was born in Colbrook, Ct., in 1805. Married a Miss Wright. He was a member of the Con- gregational church, and a worthy citizen. Died June 3d, 1846. No descendants of the Agard family now remain in Wadsworth.
EBENEZER ANDRUS.
Came from Vermont about 1818, and settled just over the line in Chippewa, on the farm which was the residence of the late Green Smith. He was a men. ber of the Con- gregational church of Wadsworth. A man of intelligence and strong mind, and earnest piety, greatly beloved for his kindliness and benevolence. For several years he did great service in keeping up the meetings known as Dea- cons' meetings on the Sabbath, for which he came regular- ly on foot, a walk of four miles, though quite infirm. His
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influence for good on the new settlements in the "two townships is still remembered by the aged pioneers. He returned to Vermont about 1826.
Roswell Aldrich came about 1828 to the western part of Wadsworth. Date of death unknown.
THE BARTHOLOMEW FAMILY.
Dea. Joseph Bartholomew, a soldier of the Revolution, was a native of Connecticut. Emigrated to Vienna, Ohio, in the beginning of the century. Resided several years in Tallmadge. Came to Wadsworth in 1826. Owned and lived upon the farm where the depot, machine shops, and planing-mill now stand. He was a respected member of the Congregational denomination. He died at Middle- bury, Ohio, in 1856, at nearly 100 years of age.
Joseph Bartholomew, jr., eldest son, by trade a cooper, lived on this side of the ravine north of the depot. He moved to Vienna in 1829.
Hannah, eldest daughter, was the first wife of Reuben F. Warner. Chloe, youngest daughter, was the third wife of the same.
Osse Bartholomew, youngest son, born in Vienna in 1809, was long a resident of Wadsworth, and a worthy member of the Disciple church. Married Belinda, daugh- ter of John Wade. Died from the effects of the kick of a horse, in Williams county, Oct. 16th, 1845.
THE BATES FAMILY.
This was a prominent family of Norton township for many years. The village of Bates' Corners takes its name from them.
Hinsdale Bates was a native of Connecticut. Came to Norton in 1812. Had been a soldier of the Revolution. He died in 1842, aged 81. His sons were : Nathan, born in 1782; Married Mary Austin, in 1805; died in 1821.
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Lyman Bates, died in 1871, aged 81. Dennis Bates, killed at the raising of Johnson's mill, in 1832. Col. Taleott Bates, died in 1826. Curtis Bates, attorney at law, member of Ohio Senate ; new lives at Des Moines, Iowa.
Children of Nathan Bates : Amoret, born in 1808 ; mar- ried Philo P. Mills. Amanda, died at 16 years of age. Louisa, married Griffin Wilcox (father of Edw. Wilcox), who died in 1839 ; afterwards married Judge Allen Pardee. Hinsdale, born 1814; died at Charleston, Ohio. Clarissa, married Joel Manning. Mis. Bates afterwards married Jotham Blakesley, and after his death, John Jacobs. She died in Wadsworth in Sept., 1874, in her 89th year.
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