150 - HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY education was under almost identical conditions, and in the year 1831, both then being in Jefferson, they cast their lots together and opened a lawyers' office in that town, in which they continued practice until they were Called to serve the people in a more general way in the seats of the lawmakers. James Wade came with his family to Andover in the year 1821 and located on a farm. One of his helpers was his son, Benjamin, more frequently called Frank, a strapping youngster who had made the most of his opportunities to acquire knowledge and who had just reached his majority. During the first two summers in this county he aided his father in clearing land, and in the winters taught school. He entered the law office of Elisha Whittlesey, in Canfield, and in 1827 was admitted to the bar, at Jefferson, in which town he put out his shingle and soon made a name for himself. He was elected county prosecutor in 1835, and in 1837 was elected to the State Senate. At the expiration of his term he was renominated, but his pronounced attitude on the slavery question, which he had made known at every opportunity, had the influence of defeating him. However, in 1841, he was again elected, but resigned. He was re-elected in 1842 and accepted. In 1847 the State Legislature elected Mr. Wade presiding judge for the Third. Judicial District, embracing Ashtabula, Trumbull, Summit, Portage and Mahoning Counties. On March 15, 1851, he was elected to the United States Senate. Then followed a life of great activity and the occurrence of important events. During his first term in the Ohio State Senate, the Kentucky commissioners came before that body to secure the passage of a more stringent fugitive slave law. Wade was one of but five men in the Senate who opposed the measure, and in voicing his opposition and detestation he made a speech that still stands on record as one of the most emphatic and eloquent ever heard on that floor. In his subsequent service in that body, Senator Wade never lost an opportunity to express his feelings, and when he went to Washington, it was well known what ground he would stand on. In the national Senate Mr. Wade soon came into prominence and to be regarded as a leader in Congress. He was one of the three leading opponents to a bill that sought to perpetuate slavery by prohibiting its abolition. Wade was unreservedly opposed to any manner of compromise on the slavery question and favored the confiscation of slave property. At a called session of Congress, after it became apparent that there must be war before differences between the North and the South could be settled, HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY - 151 Senator Wade was appointed chairman of the committee named for the purpose of directing the conduct of the imminent struggle. When President Lincoln was assassinated, Mr. Wade was president of the Senate and therefore became acting Vice-President of the United States. In 1871 he was appointed on the commission sent to Santo Domingo on investigation and to make recommendations on a proposition for the United States to acquire that island. Later he was sent to investigate and report on the construction of the Union Pacific Railroad. In 1861, when the call for troops was made, Senator Wade addressed a mass meeting in Jefferson to urge men to the service for humanity, and then put his own name at the top of the volunteer list. A company was soon organized at the county seat, but they were never called. In 1869 Mr. Wade retired from the United States Senate, and thereafter remained a highly respected citizen of Jefferson. In 1875 he took an active part in the Hayes canvass, and in 1876 was delegate from the Seventeenth Congressional District to the national Republican convention and helped nominate Mr. Hayes for the presidency. He was also one of the presidential electors for the state at large, and cast the vote of Ohio for Hayes. Mr. Wade died at his home in Jefferson on March 2, 1878. Joshua. R. Giddings, when a lad of 11 years, came to Wayne with his parents, in a "prairie schooner", from the East in 1806. He assisted his parents in the making of their new home in the wilderness, and grew and waxed strong on the farm. He early became an expert in woodcraft and shared all the vicissitudes of the pioneer life. He joined Colonel Hayes' regiment and did valiant service in the War of 1812. Young Giddings had a tireless hunger for knowledge and aspirations to some day become a lawyer. He improved every possible opportunity to learn and at the age of 19 taught school, and later confided to a friend that he learned as much as his pupils did during that term. At the age of 23 he began the study of law in the office of Elisha Whittlesey, in Canfield, and in 1821 he was admitted to the bar. He opened a barrister's office in Jefferson, where he soon took a conspicuous part in legal affairs and earned for himself wide publicity as an able lawyer. In 1826 Mr. Giddings was elected a state representative, and at once became prominent therein, but the following year he declined a re-election. Upon the resignation of Elisha Whittlesey, in 1839, Mr. Giddings was elected to fill the vacancy in the Twenty-fifth Congress, and he sat in the 152 - HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY House until the end of the thirty-fifth session. Very early in his career in the House of Representatives, Mr. Giddings made known that he was unalterably an enemy to the practice of slavery, and he improved every opportunity to use his influence against that evil. Throughout his tenure of office, Mr. Giddings was one of the most conspicuous figures among the great lawmakers. Because of his attitude on the subject of slavery, he was very unpopular with a great many of the congressmen who did not view matters in his light, and on one occasion, during a stormy session in consideration of certain slave laws, the abolitionist from Ohio was censured by a majority vote of the body, and he resigned and went to his home in Jefferson. At the next election he was re-elected and sent back to Washington, and subsequently he undoubtedly received more personal abuse than was ever accorded any other man by members of the United States Legislature, but he stuck to his colors, never flinched in the performance of what he considered his duty to himself and humanity, and in the end had the measureless satisfaction of seeing himself and his policies vindicated by the decision brought about through the cruel war that had to be fought before the question could be settled. After his retirement from Congress, Mr. Giddings devoted himself to the writing of a book entitled "History of the Rebellion, Its Authors and Causes", which was published in 1864. He had spent twenty-one consecutive years as representative of his district in the national Congress, which was a most remarkable career in many ways. In 1861 President Lincoln proffered the position of consul-general to Canada to Mr. Giddings, which was accepted and the position ably filled until his death, which occurred in Montreal, on May 27, 1864, from heart failure. George E. Tower was a mechanic in Ashtabula when he passed the examination for engineer in the navy. He rose to the office of chief engineer of the Navy. Carl Calkins, James Reed III and Frank Watrous, all Ashtabula boys, attained prominence in naval circles. Calkins was a commander of warships, Reed is a captain, and Watrous paymaster. Theodore E. Burton, congressman and senator, member of the International Debt Funding Commission and temporary chairman of the Republican national convention in 1924, was born in Jefferson. Granville W. Mooney, of Austinburg, at the age of 39, was known as HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY - 153 the "Giant" speaker of the House of Representatives in this state. He stands 6 feet 3 inches in height and weighs around 250 pounds. He was later engaged in prominent positions in Washington and New York. Peter H. Watson, one of the early prominent residents of Ashtabula, was assistant secretary of war, under Secretary Stanton, and his home in Ashtabula, which was later for years the Hotel James, and is now the Smith Home for Aged Women, was the scene of many momentous conferences during the Civil War. He was also president of the Erie Railway. Gen. A. J. Sampson, of Austinburg, was envoy extraordinary to Ecuador, Peru, for the United States government. Upon his return home he wore a hat worth four times its weight in gold—a straw that cost $125. Maj.-Gen. Adnah R. Chaffee, the "Hero of El Caney", commander-in-chief of the American army, commander of the United States Army in China at the taking of Pekin, commander of the American forces in the Philippines and governor-general of the Philippines, was a native of Orwell. Dr. Arthur C. McGiffert, author, preacher and prominent educator in the East, was a son of the Rev. J. N. McGiffert and spent his boyhood in Ashtabula. The famous infidel Robert G. Ingersoll's father was the first regular minister of the First Presbyterian Church in Ashtabula, in which city "Bobby" spent a portion of his schooldays. Dr. Walter Edwin Peck, son of C. E. Peck of Ashtabula, who carries degrees from Oxford University, has become quite noted in the world of literature. William Dean Howells, called the "Dean of American Literature", started life in an Ashtabula newspaper office. His father lived in Jefferson. Albion W. Tourgee, a noted author of his day, was raised in Kingsville. J. A. Howells, of Jefferson, was a United States consul abroad. Ralph Driscoll, of Ashtabula, is United States vice-consul in England. Congressman Paul Howland, prominent Cleveland lawyer, was also a Jefferson boy. The VanSweringen Brothers, of Cleveland, who have recently become powerful factors in railroad circles, were from a Geneva Township farm. Morrison I. Swift, philosopher, economist and some years ago notorious as the "Leader of the Army of Unemployed", was a son of an Ashtabula druggist and worked in his father's store when a boy. 154 - HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY Clarence S. Darrow, the famous Chicago criminal lawyer, was city solicitor of Ashtabula in 1885. Among other young men who started from Ashtabula County are : Chester H. Aldrich, former Governor of Nebraska ; former Governor Jesse F. McDonald, of Colorado ; former Congressman S. A. Northway, former Congressman Osse M. Hall, of Minnesota ; Robert H. Finch, former mayor of Toledo ; Virgil P. Kline, for some years attorney for the Standard Oil Company ; Edwin Cowles, pioneer editor of the Cleveland Leader; Erie C. Hopwood, the present editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer ; W. C. Howells, Columbus and political correspondent for that paper; Andrew C. Tombes, one of the leading comedians of the American stage of today. Ashtabula County was the home of three of the greatest penmen of all time. Platt R. Spencer, the man who conceived the Spencerian system of penmanship, came into the county when five years of age and spent a long and useful life here. Mr. Spencer spent his last years in Geneva. Victor M. Rice, a pupil and associate of Mr. Spencer, later went East and became superintendent of public instruction in the State of New York. H. W. Shaylor, a native of Ashtabula, was one of the most expert penmen of his day.. He gained prominence through execution of an artistic, free-hand design for a family record, drawn on a card 18 by 21 inches, which he made to sell at $2.50. He had it copyrighted, and, in 1871, he sold his right for $5,000 cash. For a great many years Mr. Shaylor was supervisor of penmanship in the public schools of Portland, Maine, where he is now a retired resident. Albert Gaskell, of Richmond Township, was another noted scribe. He furnished the copy and instruction in penmanship used in Gately's Universal Educator, and was the author of Gaskell's Compendium of Writing, a work that was once prominent in educational circles. He was drowned in a small stream near his home. Ashtabula County celebrities were not confined to the sterner sex, for several women come in for a share in the honors. The first one to become widely known was Miss Betsy Cowles, of Austinburg, whose activities in the cause of freedom and anti-slavery made her famous. She was also renowned as an educator. Mrs. Hannah B. Sperry, whose husband was editor of an Ashtabula paper, was at one time president of the Woman's National Press Association. She was the first organist that played in the township of Dorset, HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY - 155 her girlhood home. Her last years were spent in Washington, D. C., where she died in 1823. Elizabeth Stiles, daughter of "Corker" Brown, of Ashtabula, was living in the West at the time of the Civil War. She saw her husband murdered by the notorious guerilla band captained by one Quantrell, and soon afterward offered her services to the Federal army, which she served most effectively as a spy, so long as her services were needed. Edith M. Thomas, of Geneva, became noted as a poetess. Rosetta L. Gilchrist, an Ashtabula physician, even as a child developed ability as a writer and in mature years was author of several books, one of which, in particular, "Apples of Sodom", created a great sensation. Judge Florence Allen, of the Supreme Court of Ohio, is a grand daughter of the late Professor Tuckerman, a noted educator of this county. She is a noted peace advocate, was a prominent attorney in Cleveland and made a rapid rise from a position in the office of the prosecuting attorney to a circuit judgeship and on up to her present position. Miss Clara Ward, whose childhood was spent in Conneaut, probably gained the widest notoriety of any of the county's celebrities. When a young woman she was taken abroad by her mother. She married the Prince De Chimay, of Italy, and later created a world-wide sensation by eloping with a Gipsy violinist named Rigo. CHAPTER XII. ASHTABULA TOWNSHIP. FORMATION-FIRST SETTLERS-REV. JOHN HALL-EARLY DAY CONDITIONS- HOSPITALITY-LOG CABIN RAISING-ASHTABULA CITY-MOSES CLEAVELAND THOMAS HAMILTON - NUCLEUS FOR NEW VILLAGE-CHURCHES-FIRST SCHOOLS-ST. PETER'S PAROCHIAL-ASHTABULA. ACADEMY- THE COMING OF THE FIRST RAILROAD-TRIBULATIONS OF THE FIRST FAMILY-CITY STREET CAR LINES-TOWNSHIP PARK COMMISSION-PUBLIC LIBRARY--PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION. Formation.—Township No. 12, in Range No. 3, of Ashtabula County, was passed from the possession of the Connecticut Land Company to the ownership of Nehemiah Hubbard, Esq., and fractional township No. 13, the west part, to Nehemiah Hubbard, the next east to Urial Holmes, next to a company called the "Erie Company", and the eastern part to Gen. Gideon Granger. The next step toward bringing the lands of these several owners into the market was to survey them into lots. Township No. 12 was divided into 200-acre lots, that is lots 2.00 rods long from west to east and 160 rods wide from north to south. Township No. 12 was surveyed by Caleb Palmer in 1803. No. 13 was divided into lots and tracts of unequal dimensions. In May, 1801, the State of Connecticut ceded to the United States her jurisdictional claims over the Western Reserve, and in November, 1802, when the Constitution of Ohio was adopted and she became one of the states of the Federal Union, these townships composed a part of Trumbull County. In 1805 they were included in the northern section of Trumbull, set aside as Geauga County, and in the organization of townships Nos. 12 and 13 were a part of Richland County. The commissioners of Geauga County called a meeting to be held at the home of Capt. Walter Fobes, on April 4, 1808, on which occasion the township of Ashtabula, including the western part of Monroe and the whole of Kingsville, Plymouth and Ashtabula, was organized. The residents of the terri- - 156 - HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY - 157 tory included in the organization set forth with guns and dogs, almost to a man, to attend the meeting, and made the day one of jollification over the prospects of having a little commonwealth of their own. The organization resulted in the election of the following officers : Clerk, Roger Nettleton ; trustees, Roger Nettleton, Israel Harrington and William Perine ; overseers of the poor, Henry Gillman and Gideon Leet ; appraisers, Matthew Hubbard and Thomas Harrington ; fence viewers, Walter Fobes and Gideon Leet ; supervisors of highways, Joseph Kerr, Gideon Leet, Zachariah Olmstead, Elijah Lewis and Hiram Blackman ; constables, John Dillingham and Joseph Rockwell ; treasurer, Zachariah Olmstead. The borough of Ashtabula, on the west side of the river; was incorporated as a village on February 28, 1831, and as a city in 1892. In 1850 there were 801 residents. In 1855 a census taken by order of the mayor showed a population of 1,216, in 1868 1,936 ; in 1870 they had grown to nearly 2,000 ; in the next decade it more than doubled, showing 4,444 on 1880, and nearly doubled again to 8,333 in 1890 ; in 1900, 12,949 ; 1910, 18,266 ; 1920, 22,082, and estimate based on school enumeration in 1924 places the population at over 25,000. The population of the county, by the official United States census of 1920, was 65,545, thus it will be seen that more than one-third of the residents of Ashtabula County were within the city of Ashtabula. In 1838 that part of No. 12 that is bounded on the north by Ashtabula Creek, Hubbard Run and the road running west on the north line of lot No. 34, etc., to Saybrook line, was separated from Ashtabula and organized into the township of Plymouth. First Settlers.—The Rev. John Hall, who was for a long time a resident here and for several years rector of St. Peter's Church, wrote a series of historical sketches in the year 1856 relative to Ashtabula as a township and village, from which much of the following information is taken. Introducing himself, the writer stated that he came from Massachusetts and arrived in Ashtabula on Feb. 7, 1811. Regarding the first settlers—the men who braved the dangers of the unbroken country to pave the way for the new Western country—Mr. Hall made the following brief individual mention: "The writer, upon arrival, found settled here the Rev. Joseph Badger, the first minister of religion ever located in this township ; Mr. Hall Smith, 158 - HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY the first merchant ; Matthew Hubbard, Esq., the first permanent settler and the land agent of Nehemiah Hubbard, Esq., for selling his extensive lands in this and several other counties. Mr. Smith had been a trader with the Indians and early white settlers in the Western Reserve and the Fire Lands, and at this time was one of the only two merchants on an area of 40 by 60 miles, I found the country in a very wild state. In this township there was not more, I think, than one farm which yielded an entire sufficiency of food for its tenants, and pasturage and fodder for their cattle. The following exhibits the population in February, 1811, on the several roads, beginning on the South Ridge road at the Saybrook lines : John Perrine, born in New York and emigrated to Ashtabula in 1804 ; farmer; served in capacity of surveyor and magistrate ; gets a scant but honest living. Joseph Kerr, born in Pennsylvania; came here in 1804; farmer and shoemaker; his wife bore the first white child born in Ashtabula, a male ; N. Hubbard, Esq., presented her with $50. Kerr was a good man and beloved by all. Seth Thayer, born in Connecticut ; emigrated to Ashtabula in 1806 ; farmer and sailor; intelligent, poor, honest and beloved. Nathan Strong, born in Connecticut ; emigrated in 1809 ; farmer and employed labor; wealthy and paid his debts ; daughter kept house for him. Matthew Hubbard, born in Connecticut ; came here from New York in 1804; had large family of small children ; farmer, land agent and surveyor; one of the principal business men ; public-spirited, liberal and helpful to the poor; himself and wife were hospitable and kind to strangers and way-worn travelers. William Jones, born in Connecticut and came to Ashtabula in 1808 ; farmer, mechanic and artificer in wood. John R. Read, born in Connecticut ; came in 1808 ; farmer, boot and shoe maker, tanner and currier; served in capacity of surveyor. He tries to live. William Starr, born in Connecticut ; came in 1808 ; was out of his element—the city and ocean ; gets a poor living by help of friends in Connecticut; good-hearted and shiftless. North Ridge road, beginning at the Saybrook line : HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY - 159 Jabez Strong, born in Connecticut; came here in 1809; single, hard worker and industrious. Sometimes worked as wheelwright. Nathan Strong, born in Connecticut ; came to Ashtabula in 1809 ; farmer and employed workmen ; had a smart wife ; lived well ; they were noted for their hospitality ; he always paid his debts. Enoch Fuller, born in New York and came to Austinburg in 1807 ; poor man and worked for Hall Smith, clearing land. Hall Smith, born in Massachusetts and came to Ashtabula, then Austinburg, in 1809. Had a new farm clearing; employed many laborers and was a public benefactor ; charitable to the poor and paid most for preaching. Peleg Sweet, born in Rhode Island and came to Ashtabula in 1807. Had a family ; was a shoemaker, tanner and tavern keeper, after the fashion of the times, but sold too much whisky. Lived well ; was wealthy. Abner Gage, born in New Hampshire and came here in 1810. Engaged in clearing farm ; industrious family ; respectable. Hasadiah Smith, born in New Hampshire and emigrated to Ashtabula in 1810. Clearing a new farm and preparing to keep tavern. Zach. Woodbury, born in New Hampshire and came to Ashtabula in 1810. Engaged in clearing farm. Ebenezer Duty, native of New Hampshire ; came West in 1808 ; worked new farm ; was brickmaker, bricklayer and pettifogger. Enoch Stevens, born New Hampshire ; came here in 1810 ; lived on farm that was partly improved by John Dillingham ; boot and shoe maker, brick maker and layer ; smart, pleasant man. William Woodbury, born New Hampshire ; came here in 1810 ; lived on new farm; made chairs, bedsteads, spinning wheels, etc. Edmund Blood, New Hampshire ; 1810 ; worked new farm ; artificer in wood and a mechanic. David Henry, New Hampshire ; here 1810 ; worked new farm ; also a stonemason. Nathan Blood, New Hampshire ; 1810 ; worked farm ; skillful carpenter and joiner. Residing on road from South Ridge along the west bank of the Ashtabula toward Lake Erie : Amos Fisk, born in Massachusetts and came to Ashtabula from Pennsylvania in 1810 ; farmer and salt trader; had the old Gilman grist mill, the first built in Ashtabula. 160 - HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY John N. Murray, born in Ireland ; came from New York in 1809 ; kept school, worked out, etc. Benjamin Naper, born in New York ; came here in 1809 ; worked out and sailed on the lake. James McDaniels, born in Maine ; came in 1808 ; was chief laborer among those who cleared land for themselves and others. Was useful man. Rev. J. Badger (see more extended personal sketch). John Hall, born in Massachusetts ; came here in 1811; young mail; Hall Smith's clerk ; schoolmaster. Purchas Sawins, born Vermont ; came here 1807 ; farm ; was blind ; one eye put out by a chip when he was chopping wood ; the other by a bush flying up as the sled which he was following passed over it. Beverly Starr, born in Connecticut and came to Ashtabula in 1808 ; family ; just going where he ought to have stayed. Joshua Rockwell, born in Connecticut ; came to Ashtabula in 1806 ; was a farmer on the farm of George Beckwith, the first settler in Ashta- bula. Caleb Rockwell, born in Connecticut ; came in 1807 ; bachelor, cobbler and carpenter ; lived with J. Rockwell. On road from North Ridge to Lake Erie along the east bank of the Ashtabula: Anan Harmon, born in Massachusetts ; came here in 1810 ; engaged in clearing the farm on the east bank of the Ashtabula, opposite the stone grist mill of Ed Harmon. Gideon Leet, born in Connecticut ; came to Ashtabula in 1806 ; chief farmer; postmaster, innkeeper, and a good family ; lived well, but sold too much whisky. James McKelvy, born in Pennsylvania and came to Ashtabula in 1808. Worked for Lett and paid for a new farm which he was beginning to clear. Samuel Beckwith, born in Connecticut and came to Ashtabula in 1804. Had a family ; farmer. He was found here by Col. M. Hubbard, June 2, 1804, with the widow of his brother, George Beckwith, who froze to death six months before. He lived in Ashtabula 10 years, then hung himself. William Watrous, born in Connecticut ; came here in 1807 ; bachelor, farmer and cooper. Widow Rosa Watrous, born in Connecticut and came here in 1810. HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY - 161 Lived with William Watrous. She lost her husband, who was the first person buried in Ashtabula West Village. She was a good woman. Peletiah Shepard, born in Connecticut and came here in 1808. Farmer and worked hard clearing new land. On road from center of East Village to South Ridge : Isaac Sweet, born in Connecticut and came to Ashtabula in 1807. Farmer, engaged in clearing new farm. Ezra Kellogg, was born in Massachusetts ; came in 1810 ; was the first regular lawyer in Ashtabula. Kept school in the winter. In 45 families there were 69 male adults, 52 female adults and 138 minors of both sexes. Total number of souls in Ashtabula Township in February, 1811, 259. Early Day Conditions.—Some of the early settlers, by great labor, attended with extreme disadvantages, had enabled themselves to provide for their families most of the bare necessaries, with none of the luxuries of life. I do not recollect any farm but that of Gideon Leet, Esq., lying on the east bank of the Ashtabula, one mile above its mouth, which furnished an entire support for its occupants. This productive farm yielded a surplus. To make up their deficiencies and complete their supplies, the other inhabitants resorted to Messrs. Smith, Hubbard and Leet, and farmers and dealers in the older settlements in this county and Trumbull. Col. M. Hubbard lived in a small frame house and had a frame barn. Amos Fisk had a small frame house in progress which was soon finished. William Jones had a frame barn and sheds, and Samuel Beckwith had a frame barn. All other houses and barns in the township were of logs. Most of the inhabitants had exchanged their small estates in the East for new lands here, with some money to transport them hither and furnish the first year's subsistence. Meanwhile they hoped and labored to raise crops for their supplies and provisions, after the money they had brought with them should be exhausted. Some poor men went in debt entirely for their new homes. By a slow process they were obliged to clear their farms for the support of their families and to meet annual payments for the soil. Another class were young—some with and some without wives—and had neither property nor money to help themselves with. Others had brought money from the East with which to purchase their homes and to buy for others. It was a serious impediment to our progressive improvement that the wide and dense forests were for several years, the pastures (9) 162 - HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY in which our cows and oxen wandered for a sufficiency of herbage to sustain them. Often they would be away so long that they would be entirely dried of milk, and occasionally one would disappear and never be found. So much time would sometimes be lost hunting for the oxen that when found it would be too late for them to perform the labor so essential in preparation of the land for seeding, thus depriving the owners of the harvest for that season. This one impediment, to say nothing of others, very seriously retarded the progress of improving the country and the advancement of its inhabitants to competency and comfort. Before the commencement of the War of 1812 the farmers in this vicinity having small quantities of produce to sell could obtain from Hall Smith the nominal prices of $1.00 per bushel for wheat, 50 cents for corn, 25 cents for oats and 4 cents per pound for pork and cheese, in exchange for Onondaga salt at $6.00 per barrel, and dry goods, groceries, castings, utensils, etc. During the war the prices of produce tripled, greatly benefiting the few who had produce to sell, but drawing in proportion on the pockets of the new settlers and others who had to buy. Encouraged by the big profits, Hall Smith and other speculators along the frontier offered high prices to induce the farmers who could do so to bring their pork and grain from the back-country and sell to them. Thus they brought in produce from considerable distances. But the war terminated sooner than was expected, leaving a great portion of this property unsold and it had to be disposed of at far less than it had cost. All the business men were injured and many of them reduced to bankruptcy. A great stagnation of business ensued. The prices of produce were reduced to one-fourth and one-fifth of war prices, and at no price could much of it be sold for cash, since the war stopped new settlers during its continuance and for some time after. The great want of money induced the people to adopt a ruinous expedient, to make the surplus wheat, rye and corn bear transportation, which was the reducing of the bulk by turning it into whisky. For this purpose numerous distilleries were erected. The surplus grain was distilled and stored in casks for the foreign market. The people having been too much habituated to a free use of this beverage, a large proportion of it never reached the foreign market, but found too ready a market at home, to the detriment of health, wealth and morals. During the early years of the settlement of this township the raising of a log house or barn would call together all the men and boys from HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY - 163 several new settlements. As late as 1811, all the help that could be mustered in Ashtabula was requisite to raise a heavy log house. The established custom forbade the performance of the raising without what was considered the indispensable aid, refreshment and comfort flowing frequently and copiously from the whisky jug. The most abstemious were exhilarated and the rest were excited and noisy. The logs were raised up with greater celerity than care, and limbs and heads and lives were in jeopardy and sometimes sacrificed. Some went home staggering, while other were too drunk to get home till next day ; and almost all went home noisy, but perhaps not many ashamed, because the., laws of custom were not violated. At all public gatherings, at the domestic hearth, where friends greeted each other, neighbors associated and the rites of hospitality were extended to passing friends and the wayfaring stranger, the law of custom imperiously demanded of principal officers and entertainers the liberal extension of the bottle and the social glass on pain of reprehension for niggardliness. The same law bound men to treat each other when they met at taverns ; the merchant must treat every customer who made ever so small a bill with him, although the merchant's profits might fall short of the price of the customer's drink of whisky. Common laborers must be supplied with what whisky they demanded to drink while at work. In the early twenties the evil of this indiscriminate use of liquor began to dawn on the populace, after Rev. Badger had started a crusade against intemperance. He was the first man to come out boldly on the subject. He began the reform by substituting "small-beer and cake" in place of whisky at the raising of his house. (Editor's Note—This was the original part of the present house owned and occupied today by Miss. Jennie Blair and her brother, Frank, corner of Lake and Parsons streets.) The result of the reformation work started at this time and pursued by Rev. Badger till he left Ashtabula, in 1828, was that he had the satisfaction of seeing many of the leading citizens discontinue the use of liquor as a beverage, merchants and innkeepers refuse to sell whisky by the dram, and the "treating" habit practically stopped. This of course put the distilleries out of business to the extent that only about one in five survived. Ashtabula obtained the well merited reputation of a quiet and very moral village subsequently to this genuine reformation. With pleasure we now come to speak of the virtues and social qualities 164 - HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY of our early settlers in this wilderness. They were exceedingly friendly, hospitable and kind to each other and to the wayfaring stranger. They would spare no pains to make the passing traveler exploring the country comfortable at their board and fireside. When new neighbors arrived from the East, the men and big boys of the community turned out with alacrity and pleasure to raise the log cabin for the newcomers' home. Ashtabula City.—After a railroad was built through the Reserve from east to west, Ashtabula, the title city, became and has always since continued the metropolis of the county. They derived their name from the river that runs through the county. This stream was called by the Algonquin Indians by a name that sounded like "Ashtabula", and the early settlers adopted that name for the settlement hereabout, and when the town was laid out, the name became official. When Moses Cleaveland, in charge of the Connecticut Land Company's surveying party, passed through where is now Ashtabula, he admired the river so much that he proposed to name it for his daughter, Mary Esther. Accounts of the incident state that, in honor of this christening, Cleave-land brought forth from the expedition's stores two gallons of wine, and a jollification followed. "Mary Esther" was very popular while the wine lasted, nobody but Cleaveland caring what they called the stream, but when the liquid inspiration had become exhausted, "Mary Esther" was soon forgotten. Cleaveland and his party worked on westward till they came to the Cuyahoga River, where they laid the foundation for the now great city that bears his name, minus one letter. So far as any historians have been able to learn, one Thomas Hamilton was the first white man who located and established his home in Ashtabula. Hamilton selected a secluded spot beside the river not far from where it emptied into the lake, and prepared to build a home. That was in the year 1801. About the time that he had the logs cut and was wondering how he was going to handle them alone, Providence seemed to take a hand, for just at this stage of the proceedings a boat came in from the lake and moored near Hamilton's camp. There was on board a family from the East who had decided to seek their fortune in the new West, of which they had of late heard so much, through those who had journeyed to the wild country and returned with glowing stories of its attractions and possibilities. HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY - 165 Members of this party were induced to remain and partake of Hamilton's hospitality, and in the meantime he arranged with them to assist in the construction of his cabin. They left him with a roof over his head and well housed. The following account of early settlers was printed in the Daily Standard some years ago. It was taken, in the main, from The Williams Brothers' History of 1878, and was therein credited to the Rev. S. D. Peet, at that time a pastor of one of the Ashtabula churches. Taking up the story of Hamilton's house building, it says : "It is supposed that this young company were the Austins, as Judge Austin is said to have been the first settler who entered the harbor with a boat. Two citizens of Conneaut, Daniel Baldwin and Capt. James Montgomery, afterwards helped Hamilton finish his cabin, covering it with a bark roof. Hamilton remained in this lonely but for two or three years. "The first family which took up their residence in this place was, however, that of George Beckwith, who moved from Austinburg in the year 1803. In January of the following winter Mr. Beckwith perished in the snow, some 40 or 50 rods north of the South ridge and a few yards west of the Saybrook line. "After the death of Mr. Beckwith, his wife remained in the cabin and supported her children in part by assisting travelers to cross the stream. "Her method was to paddle her canoe to the spot where the ford was and then, requiring the travelers to place their load at the top of their wagon, she would fasten a rope to the tongue, then paddle with it across to the other side of the river. She then helped the passengers push their wagon into the creek, and to drive the oxen across, when she would attach them to the end of the rope and so draw the load across. "In the year 1804, Matthew Hubbard, of Tranton, Oneida County, N. Y., became the agent for his uncle, Nehemiah Hubbard, and started for the place, accompanied by a man by the name of Pierce. When they approached what now is the Harbor, they proceeded along the bluff toward the mouth of the creek, in search of the cabin of George Beckwith, which they supposed was deserted, but on nearing it they found it fully occupied. "As they approached, it was difficult to decide which party was the more surprised. They were the first white travelers that the Beckwiths had seen in twelve months. The family consisted of the widow of George Beckwith and her two daughters, Samuel Beckwith and a Mr. Thompson 166 - HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY and his wife, and they were the only settlers between Conneaut and the west line of Harpersfield, a distance of 30 miles. "On the third day of June, Mr. Hubbard selected land for a farm and a site for his cabin, and he and Pierce went about felling trees and building the cabin. They had prepared themselves with a yoke of oxen, a cow and mush-pot, also some flour and cornmeal, which was brought on horseback from Youngstown. They were possessed of two tincups, two jackknives, two wooden spoons and two axes. Their beds were of cheap construction, being split from a log sufficiently broad for convenient lodging. "Their cow soon left them and they saw her no more, depriving them of an article then regarded among the luxuries of life. Once during the summer they indulged in eating a piece of elk's flesh, presented by an Indian called Omick and his companion ; otherwise their diet consisted of mush and water, and musty at that. "These Indians had shared with them on several occasions- the contents of their mushpots. The Indians ever met them with the salutation of 'Brother', to which they replied in a kind manner. "In a short time they formed a camp of several of their tribe near them. In the course of this season they had put in eight acres of wheat, and had chopped and deadened over about as much more. They dragged in their wheat with a crab apple tree. They fenced their clearing and finished their labors in. October. "Occasionally after the coming of the white man and the appearance of his cabin on the bank of the river, bands of Indians were seen making their way up the stream and encamping on their favorite hunting ground. A single picture will be given. It was narrated by Mr. William Jones, who settled in the place in 1807. "He related that soon after his settlement in the south part of the present city, then in the wild forest, there came a party of 25 or 30 Indians for a winter's hunt. Immediately after their arrival Mr. Jones followed his new neighbors down to the place selected for their encampment among the firs and hemlocks, a little up the creek, south of the village and east of his own dwelling. He found them merry and cheerful and very friendly. "The men immediately set about building some wigwams for shelter. This was done by driving forked stakes into the ground and laying poles across, resting them in the forks on the tops of the stakes and covering the roof with hemlock boughs, resting on poles. Thus, in the space of an HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY - 167 hour, with their only tools, their hatchets and long knives, they constructed two or three wigwams of ample dimensions for sheltering the whole company. "The next want to be supplied was food. To obtain this they sent out two or three of their men with rifles to hunt for venison. In a few hours Mr. Jones was surprised to see the hunters return with so many deer. Mr. Jones said it often took a white man one or two days to shoot one deer. An old Indian replied, 'White man know not how. He travel, travel, travel, in woods ; deer see him, run way. Indian no do so. He sit down, deer come along, Indian shoot him ; sit down again ; another come along, shoot him, too. Indian know how, white man not know how.' "The hard-beaten Indian trail which extended along the South ridge from the east to the west remained for a number of years and was known to the early settlers. "An incident is told of this race which is particularly touching. It appears that a Seneca had for some reason been exiled from his tribe and people. As there was no other tribe left to which he could go, he made his home among the whites. His name was Standing Stone. He gained his living mostly by fishing and trapping on the Ashtabula River. His wigwam was in the valley near the river. "One evening in 1812, as Standing Stone was at his camp, he was aroused by the tinkling of a bell, and, looking up, he saw a squaw putting the bell upon the neck of her pony, to turn him out for the night. She was a .Seneca woman of the Sandusky nation of that tribe who had been to Buffalo and was returning. Standing Stone recognized her, and after some conversation, it was agreed that he would prepare a place for her to spend the night. While she went across the river to call on Rev. Badger's family, the Indian built a but for his guest, beside his own. She went on next morning to join her own people, who would not welcome him. "When the first settlers arrived the streams were plentifully supplied with fish and large herds of elk and deer ranged through the forests. Multitudes of birds inhabited the woods and wild turkeys and small game were found in abundance. "This immediate vicinity was a great hunting ground for the Indians, the territory of the respective tribes being bounded and respected by all. The Ashtabula River was a dividing line which western Indians must not cross, and the west side was never trespassed upon by those from the east." 168 - HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY As the immigration from the East progressed from year to year, clearings became more numerous. The first sight that the homeseekers had of their new home section was usually at Conneaut or Ashtabula Rivers, as the lake route was popular. The beauty and quietude of the land adjacent to the lake seemed to attract their fancy and many decided to cast their lots near the point of landing, and did not venture farther inland. Thus it was that there were enough settlers in this vicinity in a few years to warrant assuming the dignity of a town. The suggestion was made and discussed generally, until 1808, when a township was organized and named Ashtabula, after the river that coursed through its territory to Lake Erie. The township then included all the territory now embraced by Ashtabula, Kingsville, Sheffield and Plymouth. The first officers elected to direct the destiny of the new town were : Trustees, Roger Nettleton, Isaac Harrington, William Perrine ; clerk, Roger Nettleton ; overseers, Henry Gill-more and Gideon Leet ; appraisers, Matthew Hubbard and Thomas Harrington ; fence viewers, Walter Fobes, Gideon Leet ; supervisors of highways, Joseph Kerr, Gideon Leet, Zachariah Olmstead, Elijah Lewis, Hiram Blackman ; treasurer, Zachariah Olmstead ; justices of the peace, William Perrine and Gideon Leet. In 1810, Kingsville, which also included Sheffield, was detached from the parent township. Ashtabula retained the Plymouth territory until 1838, when that also was withdrawn, and thus was left that which still remains as the township of Ashtabula. The town first started on the east side of the river, and quite a settlement was there established before there was any activity on the west side. The following is taken from a historical sketch written by O. H. Fitch, in 1873: "For many years there was a strong rivalry and some asperity of feeling between the citizens of the two little villages on the opposite sides of the creek, each striving for the ascendancy, which continued until about 1827, when, owing to several causes, but mainly, perhaps, to the death of three of the prominent citizens of the East Village—Judge Thomas Smith, Edwin Wheeler, Esq., and Horatio Wilcox—all active business men, the evenly balanced scales of many years yielded to the greater energy and population of the West Side, and it obtained the long-coveted ascendancy. HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY - 169 The elections, as before, were held alternately on the east and west sides of the creek for several years thereafter. "With one meeting house, one town house, used for the quadruple purpose of Masonic hall, town hall, schoolhouse and church ; one tavern, one grist mill, one tannery, four stores, four distilleries, a respectable number of mechanic shops, two daily lines of stages, and a population of about 300, the people on the west side of the river, in 1827, thought their village was large enough and of sufficient importance to be incorporated as a borough, and on February 11, 1828, the Legislature passed a law incorporating the borough of Ashtabula. The first election under this charter was held on May 5, 1828, at which R. W. Groswold, Esq., was elected mayor; Henry Loveland, recorder ; and Amos Fisk, William W. Reed, Matthew Hubbard, Philo Booth and John C. DeBlair, trustees." The census of 1830 gave the township of Ashtabula a population of 1,831 souls. During the next decade Plymouth was taken away, but the population in 1840, without Plymouth, was 1704. In 1850 the village had grown to 2,177 ; in 1860, to 2,740 ; 1870, to 3,394 ; 1880, to 4,444 ; 1890, to over 8,000 ; 1900, to 12,949 ; 1910, to 18,266, and 1920, to 22,082. The estimated population, based on the school census for 1923, was upwards of 25,000. It is thus observable that Ashtabula, town, village and city, has enjoyed a very healthy growth since the time of its founding. It has never had a false "boom" that caused it to take on an abnormal growth for a time and then dropped it with a "dull, sickening thud", to be worse off than before it began. The old town has just plodded along its own generally prosperous course, early taking its place as the metropolis of the county and always retaining it. Ashtabula was incorporated as a village in 1831, and as a city in 1891. It has always kept apace with the times in advanced ideas. It was the first city of the country to adopt the city manager plan of government and the proportional representation idea in voting. Also the first city in Ohio to own its own street railway. The city has its own electric light plant, which is one of the most successfully conducted in the country. The present plant was completed in 1923 and cost over a million dollars. Ashtabula was the first city in the State of Ohio at which the postal savings system, in connection with the postoffice, was introduced, and a school was conducted here at which postmasters from over the state, and 170 - HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY from some cities of Pennsylvania, New York, Indiana and Michigan, were sent to Ashtabula to learn the intricacies of the new system. The only Federal building between Erie and Cleveland, and south to Warren, is the postoffice building in Ashtabula, which was opened in February, 1912. Nucleus for New Village.— (By H. L. Morrison, 1901.) The location of Hall Smith's store, grist mill and saw mill, also a blacksmith shop at the north end of Main street, served as a nucleus to gather to that vicinity the people who came to town for any business purpose, and the village seems to have begun at that point. In the year 1810, Amos Fisk, originally from Massachusetts, located in Ashtabula and purchased a tract of land bounded on the north side by Division street, on the east by the creek, on the south by lands belonging to the Hubbards, and on the west by a north-and-south line about where is now West street. He settled on this land and commenced improving it. Some lots had been sold from Hall Smith's property at the north end of Main street, but the peculiar condition of Smith's business and a question of title to the land, rendered his property rather undesirable as a purchase. Amos Fisk, a deacon of the Baptist Church and known as "Deacon" Fisk, opened up his farm and, laying it out into lots as people wanted them, he embraced every opportunity to sell. Philo Booth, who came here in 1814, bought 10 or 12 acres of land, in which was included what is still known as the Booth homestead. William W. Reed purchased of Deacon Fisk about three acres of land on the opposite side of the street and erected thereon a store building at the corner of what is now the City Hall lot, corner of Main and Division streets. In 1835 this property passed to the hands of Horace J. Hulbert. Deacon Fisk laid out lots 77 feet frontage on the west side of Main street, extending back about 40 rods. This reached nearly to Elm street. On one of these lots was built the first brick building put up west of the river. It was a small one-story building and was for many years known as the Central News room. Churches.—The Rev. Joseph Badger, noted missionary, mentioned more extensively elsewhere, was the first resident minister in Ashtabula. Quoting from the writings of the Rev. John Hall, made in 1856, we give the following: HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY - 171 "The first sermon preached in the township is said to have been delivered by a traveling preacher, whose name is not recollected, in a log house at the end of the South Ridge road, on the west bank of the Ashtabula. His congregation must have been small, if all the inhabitants attended, for that was in 1809. The Rev. Joseph Badger located here in the spring of 1810. Here he officiated a part of the time until 1821, when he removed to Kingsville, which had all this time received a share of his service. His congregations here and in Kingsville were too small to afford him support, and he moved to Kirtland in 1822. "The first Methodists in this township were the families of Thomas Benham and his sons, Samuel and Adnah, who located here in 1811. They immediately set up meetings in the log dwelling of the father, which were continued without a minister until 1812, when Father Erskie, of Jefferson, visited and preached to them. Their number soon increased by conversions and immigrations. The location of Father Thomas and his son, Adnah, were on the hill now called 'Bunker Hill', at the junction of the Austinburg and South Ridge roads. The class members held their meetings in homes and schoolhouse until 1822, when, with the aid of the friendly neighbors, they erected, near the Benham homes, a meeting house of hewn logs, which was the first house built solely for public worship in Ashtabula Township. In 1830 the society built their present chapel on the west bank of the Ashtabula, in the borough, and finished it in 1836." Editor's Note—This building continued in use by the Methodist congregation until the completion of their brick church on Park street, in 1860. That was at that time one of the finest church edifices in this section of the country. The old building was sold and remodeled from time to time, serving as hotel, saloon and for other purposes, finally being purchased by the Order of Moose, who razed it this summer (1924) to make room for their new lodge home, now in course of construction. The present massive stone church of the First Methodist society was erected a few years ago on property on Elm street donated by the late James L. Smith, in memory of his parents, a condition that it be known as the Gillmore-Smith Memorial Church. Lake Street Methodist.—Lake Street Methodist Episcopal Church, at the Harbor, was formed in 1890. Activities at once developed that resulted in erection of its present church home. 172 - HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY First Baptist.—The first frame structure erected in Ashtabula especially for religious worship was the First Baptist Church. Resuming Rev. Hall's history : "Among the first Baptists in Ashtabula were Amos Fisk and the Watrous family, who came into the place in 1810. In 1813 came Thomas Whelpley and his family. About 1814, it is believed, Elder Barnes commenced preaching to the Baptists in Kingsville, where the Baptists of Ashtabula also belonged and attended as members. In 1824, while Elder William B. Curtis was preaching in Ashtabula, Baptists of this village were separately organized. The Baptist Church in Ashtabula was incorporated in 1834 and organized January 5, 1835. The Baptist meeting house was built by Deacon Amos Fisk, about 1824, and was given to the society at his death." The present church of the Baptist denomination was dedicated in 1900. The original church was built on the north green and moved to the present site in 1853. St. Peter's Episcopal.—"In 1811-12 several families of Protestant Episcopalians immigrated from Plymouth, Conn., and settled in South Ashtabula (now Plymouth). In 1813 they began to meet for divine worship, according to the liturgy of their church, by lay-reading. Zadock Mann was their leader. On February 16, 1817, their former minister, the Rev. Roger Searle, arrived among them from Connecticut. On the 19th of the same month, Ash Wednesday, they assembled at the house of Hall Smith, in the west village, on an appointment of the Rev. Mr. Searle, at which time those present organized the parish of 'The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States'. This was the first parish of that denomination organized in the State of Ohio. The number of communicants was eleven. The Rev. Mr. Searle was requested to name the parish and he called it 'The Parish of St. Peter's Church of Ashtabula'. In 1819 the parish voted to hold their services alternate Sundays in North Ashtabula and South Ashtabula (Plymouth). They applied for and received permission to finish off the lower story of the Academy Building, in the North Green, the understanding being that a district school might be kept in the room during the week days. The house was thus occupied until the completion of St. Peter's Church, in 1829, when the same arrangement was made for occupancy by the Methodist until their building, started in 1830, was completed in 1836. The present church building was completed Feb. 22, 1829, and was consecrated by Bishop Philander Chase, on August HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY - 173 16 of that year. This parish, it is believed, was also the first in Ohio to establish a weekly celebration of the Holy Communion." St. Matthews.—"In the spring of 1834 another parish was organized and set off from this, in South Ashtabula, which is now 'The Parish of St. Matthews, Plymouth'." Grace Memorial.—Still another parish was started in 1878 in Ashtabula. The widow of the Rev. Dr. Washburn, who was one of the victims of the Ashtabula bridge disaster, donated a lot at the corner of William and Lake streets for a Harbor parish. In 1880 the "Old Yellow Schoolhouse" on Lake street had to give place for a new and larger building, and the communicants of this mission purchased and moved it onto this lot. In 1882 additional lots were secured and the name "St. Michaels", by which the parish had been known, was changed to "Grace Memorial", in memory of Miss Grace Schwacofer, who was for several years one of the most devoted members of the parish prior to her death. The present church was erected in 1885. Presbyterian.—The Presbyterian Church in Ashtabula was organized on Dec. 7, 1821, by the Revs. Giles Cowles and Joseph Badger. Their first house of worship was erected in 1836 and served until the construction of the present one, which was dedicated on October 18, 1892. Up to 1850, the church was on the "Union Plan", a combination of Presbyterian and Congregational. In that year the congregation voted to become distinctly Presbyterian. The church had no regularly installed pastor until 1847, when they employed in that capacity the Rev. John Ingersoll, father of Robert G. Ingersoll, who later became known the world over as atheist and infidel. In the year 1860, in consequence of the anti-slavery agitation, over 50 members withdrew from this church and formed the First Congregational Church. Prospect Presbyterian.—In the late years of the last century, members of the Presbyterian Church who resided in the western section of the city organized the "Prospect Presbyterian Mission" and later built themselves a church home at the corner of Prospect and Samuel streets. Harris Memorial.—Early in the present century Samuel R. Harris organized a mission in the southern part of the city and later built for them a neat little church on the corner of South and Adams streets. East Side Presbyterian.—The old Union Church in the East Village was some years ago adopted by the Presbyterian Society and is now the 174 - HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY East Side Presbyterian. It was built by James Ballard in 1852 "For all Christian denominations". Congregational.—The First Congregational Church was organized on May 29, 1860. They held services in Smith's Hall until February 12, 1862, when the present church on North Park was dedicated. The Second Congregational Church was established at the Harbor and organized on February 10, 1882. The Swedish Congregational Church, in the East Side, at the north end, was organized in 1880. The Finnish Congregational Church was organized in 1890, and on May 24, 1892, dedicated its own house of worship at the corner of Oak and Coyne streets. Church of Christ.—The Church of Christ, corner of Division and Prospect streets, was organized in 1892, and very soon afterward erected the building it now occupies. A few years later the society acquired property across Division street, corner of Fitch, where its Men's Club and chapel is located. Reformed Episcopal.—In 1889 Trinity Reformed Episcopal Church was organized and erected the present church building at the corner of Elm and Henry streets. In 1891 the church property was enlarged by purchase of the adjoining lot on the north, the residence on which was converted into a parish house. Lutheran.—The Swedish Lutheran Capernium Church was organized in 1879 and has always been prosperous and progressive. For many years it has conducted a branch mission in a building of its own on Hiawath.a street, and the organization some years ago purchased a piece of property centrally situated on Prospect street, and an abutting la facing Station street. The Prospect street site is to have a modern church within the next few years and a parsonage will be built on the other. The Finnish people of Ashtabula have three churches of the Lutheran faith, namely, the Evangelical, the Bethany, and the National. All are situated on one street and in close proximity. St. Joseph's Catholic.—St. Joseph's Church was organized about 1850, and its fine church edifice on Lake street was dedicated on Nov. 11, 1906. A parochial school is conducted in connection with the church. Our Mother of Sorrows.—Our Mother of Sorrows Church, situated on Market street, has the most elaborate house of worship in the city and .a -