256 - HISTORY OF GEAUGA COUNTY, OHIO
MUNSON.
BY ORIGEN MINER.
In writing the following history I find myself laboring under great disadvantage, from the fact that nearly all the first inhabitants of the town are either dead or removed beyond my knowledge. Consequently I have to rely on the recollections of those who came at a later period, and on my own memory while residing in Chester, near the line between the two townships. And, from the fact that the early township records are lost, I here beg the indulgence of the public for the many mistakes which may occur in this attempt to write a history of our township, which covers about half a century of time.
Some time after the memorable battle on Lake Champlain, which occurred September 11, 1814, three men came from the vicinity of Meadville, Pennsylvania, severally named Crary, Hotchkiss, and Beane, and contracted with Lemuel Punderson, of Newbury, who was acting as agent for — Street, who resided in one of the New England States, for tract No. 3, in township No. 8, in the
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eighth range of the Connecticut Western Reserve, containing about seven thousand acres, and gave to the township the name of McDonough (the purchase price I have never learned), and in the spring of 1816 employed Ralph Cowles, of Canton (now Claridon), to survey the same into lots. About the same time, Samuel Hopson, then residing in Mesopotamia, but who had lived in Burton a considerable number of years previous to living in Mesopotamia, came and purchased a farm on the west side of the Chagrin river. This stream received its name as follows: Some time before the settlement of the Reserve by emigrants from New England, it was discovered by French voyagers and hunters. One of these was ascending the shore of Lake Erie in a small boat, intending to put in at the mouth of the Cuyahoga, but, mistaking, he put in at the mouth of the first-named stream, and paddled his boat up a considerable distance before he discovered his mistake. On finding out his mistake he felt so much disappointment that he gave it the name of Chagrin, and I think that the history of the first surveying party sent from Connecticut gives occasion for bestowing the same name. Mr. Hopson erected a log house, into which he removed his family in July, 1816, on the south part of his farm, near a large spring of water. It stood on the south side of the road which leads around what is called Sand hill, but the road was not there till long after it was demolished.
Previous to any settlements being made in this town, three roads were laid within its borders. The first was from Burton to Cleveland, starting from Beard's Mills, in the west part of Burton, and, running in a west by north direction, crossed Maple hill where it now runs, but crossing the Chagrin about a. half a mile lower than now, struck the Chester line where the State road now crosses it. The second was laid from Chardon to Ravenna, through near the east line of the township, and I think has not been altered. The third was laid from Chardon to Chester, and passed diagonally through the farms now owned by Calvin Rider, William Stansell, Josiah Huff, Lyman Somers, Benjamin Downing, James Fiske, Cheselton and Simeon Brainard, Hiram Hovey, Robert O. Roberts, and Luther and Daniel Barnes, and struck the Chester line where the State road now crosses the same. None of this road is now in use in Munson, except that a few rods on the farm of Hiram Hovey is now included in the east and west road. In trying to follow this road line soon after it was laid,, Mr. Humphrey, a missionary from Connecticut, become bewildered and lay in the woods during a rainy night.
In the autumn of 1816, Lemuel Rider, from Vermont, purchased a lot of land in tract No. 1, on the north line of the township. The same is now owned by his sons, Edward and Calvin Rider, and his grandsons, Leman and Alanson Rider, Noadiah Gildersleeve, Aaron Phelps, and others. He built a log house on the east side of the road, near where Calvin Rider now lives, into which he removed his family before winter. During the summer of 1816, Cyrus A. Davis. came from the State of New York, and selected a lot on the south line of the township, on the western slope of Maple hill, and the following spring he, with his brother, Sylvester Davis, removed on to the same. They built each a small house on opposite sides of the Burton road. The farm of Sylvester Davis is now owned by Lucius Fowler, and part of that of Cyrus A. Davis is now owned and occupied by Alfred Colvin. The farm of Mr. Hopson is owned by his son, Samuel P. Hopson, who resides in one of the Western States, and is occupied by a Mr. Savage. The above-mentioned four families, I think, Were all that settled in the township till the spring of 1818, when Christopher Langdon, esq., from Chardon, removed into the north part of the township, and commenced erecting a grist-mill on a small branch of the Chagrin river, very near where Haskell's saw-mill now stands, which he succeeded in getting in running order early the following spring. He subsequently built a saw-mill some twenty-five
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rods higher up on the same stream. Not long after, Mr. Elijah Hovey came from Massachusetts and settled about half a mile west of Mr. Langdon, on the farm recently occupied by Sidney McBride. Very early in 1819, Isaiah and Barnabas Hamblin and Thomas Stodderd came from Vermont, and purchased lands east of what is called the center. The farm purchased by Barnabas Hamblin is now occupied by Walter Spaulding, and the farms of Isaiah Hamblin and Thomas Stodderd are owned by Edwin Tuttle. Some time during the same year, Asahel Davis came from the State of New York, and purchased a farm east of his brother's, on the top of Maple hill. He was a single man at the time. His farm is now occupied by his widow and his son-in-law, Mr. Carroll.
In the autumn of the same year, Mr. Nathan Mann and his son Benjamin, from Vermont, came and purchased lands south of what is now called Fowler's Mills. They each built a log house, and the father removed his family into his the following winter. At this house was held the first religious meeting ever held in the township. A Baptist preacher by the name of Porter had settled in the north part of the township, west of Mr. Hovey's, in the spring of 1821. Mr. Hopson invited him to preach in the south settlement, and Mr. Mann's house being the most convenient place, the meeting was held there. Mr. Porter preached two discourses on a Sabbath in June, 1821, which were attended by most of the people in the south part of the township, and several from Chester, one of whom was the writer.
But I find I have passed over the year 1820, but I will yet give it a passing notice. During that year a considerable number of families removed into the place, among which were Asa Hamblin, Reuben Hazen, a young man with a widowed mother and a number of brothers and sisters, Captain Andrew Hazen, Hon. Jonathan Hazen, and perhaps others. Mr. Haynes purchased the place owned by Benjamin Mann, and immediately removed his family into the house previously built. Mr. Asa Hamblin settled on land siopposite to where Mr. William Warner now resides, and the Messrs. Hazen south and east of there.
I have heretofore mentioned that Asahel Davis came in 1819, and purchased a farm on the top of Maple hill. Here he erected a log house, where he attempted to live in single blessedness, but one rainy day returned home rather late, and, being cold, wet and hungry, he found his lonely abode not a very pleasant place, and, report says, he then and there made a vow that the first marriageable woman that came into the place he would make his wife. Not long after this event, Mr. Asa Hamblin arrived, and with him Miss Anna Harvey, a daughter of his wife by a former marriage. Mr. Davis, true to his vow and to human nature, presented his suit to the lady, and was not refused. They were married on the twenty-ninth of October, 1820, by Justice Miner, esq., of Chester. This was the first marriage in the township.
I have given the first religious meeting and the first marriage. I now proceed to mention the first ball. In the autumn of 1820, Cyrus A. Davis commenced to build himself a new habitation, larger than the first, which two men laid up without any other help, and, after he had proceeded some time in the process of building, some of the young men in the neighborhood, among whom Benjamin Mann was conspicuous, proposed to have a house-warming, to which he gave his assent, and it was agreed that on the next New Years' day the young people would meet at his new house. The house was finished on the last day of the year. It must undergo a cleaning process. This was proceeded with. A large fire was built in the big Dutch fireplace, and a large kettle, of water was hung over the fire, but, when the old year was about expiring, the weather became intensely cold, and, in spite of every effort to prevent it, the last water froze down on the floor. From the best information that I have been able to obtain, on the morning of January 1, 1821, was the coldest weather that was ever known on
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the Western Reserve. I have heard David T. Bruce, esq., say that he was at. that time running a distillery in the south part of Hambden, and had a thermometer, and that the mercury stood on that morning at thirty degrees below zero, which is five or six degrees lower than I have ever heard of at any other time in this section of the country. But the cold weather did not prevent the ball in McDonough. The young people of the town; with numbers from Chester, Chardon, and Newbury, met and "tripped the light, fantastic toe" to the sound of sweet music till near the break of day.
About 1822, Lemuel Rider commenced the erection of a grist-mill on the southeast part of his farm, or near where the present furnace buildings stand.. The water power was derived entirely from a couple of large springs, which then afforded much more water than they do now, but proved insufficient then, for the purpose. A carding machine was afterwards introduced, which did a good. business for some years.
In connection with this mill, I will relate an anecdote which occurred in 1829, while the carding machine was in operation. A budget of rolls was missed, belonging to Zenas Warren, of Chardon, and suspicion rested on S. S. Hillbert, who had been around in that neighborhood for some days. He was a well studied physician, and might have had a good amount of practice in his profession, but was too dishonest to follow any reputable business. He had previously served an apprenticeship in the penitentiary, and had been discharged. In early life, he had married a respectable lady, daughter of Deacon Scranton, residing. in Chester, who died about the time of his incarceration, leaving three small boys, who were taken into the family of their grandsire. After his return, Mrs.. Scranton told him she would like to have him get some wool from which she could manufacture some clothes for the boys, which he promised to do. Some little time after this he brought a budget of carded rolls to her, which he said he had bought of a Mr. Covey. It became known that a budget of rolls had been stolen from Rider's mill, and that the doctor had brought some to Mrs. Scranton's. He was soon after arrested and had an examinatron before Lebbeus Nor- ton, esq., of Chester, and was placed in the county jail, but the rolls he brought to kr. Scranton's were only about half the quantity that was stolen. A search was instituted, and the remainder found concealed in a slashing on Mr. Scranton's place; but I will here say that no blame was attached to Mr. Scranton or any of his family in this matter. He remained in fail until the next term of the court of common pleas, when the grand jury found a bill for burglary. The bill was drawn by-Alfred Phelps, esq., then prosecuting attorney, and was found to be deficient. He was finally tried for petit larceny, and sentenced to fine and imprisonment in the county jail; but as he had no property from which to collect. the fine, and, as his imprisonment would become an expense to the county, he was discharged. This was altogether a strange transaction, and by many was, judged to be the work of free masonry. After being discharged from jail, the doctor strayed off into Wayne county, where he married a Dutch lady of some means, and was soon after appointed a postmaster and franked a number of letters to his children, in Chester. He finally removed to some place in Indiana, where I believe he died.
Not far from the time that Mr. Rider erected his mill, Mr. Joseph Post erected. a saw-mill on the northwest corner lot in the township on a small stream of water which empties into the east branch of the Chagrin. In connection with his mill. he had a shingle machine. He first sawed the logs into bolts of the proper thickness for the width of the shingles; then sawed them the proper length; then, setting them on the end, cut them of equal thickness at each end. The shingles,, when cut, presented nearly the shape of a rainbow, and had to be laid the crowning side up; but these shingles did not prove to be very durable, and were
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soon abandoned. Mr. Post subsequently built a grist-mill on the same stream, with a stone dam, which I believe is still standing; but the mills have long since disappeared. On the farm of Mr. Post was a nice quarry of freestone, from which a good many grindstones were manufactured, many years since. The farm of Mr. Post is now owned by a Mr. Gloin.
About 1821 or '22, there began to be a good deal of doubt about the title of the land in the south part of the township. Those men who had contracted with Punderson for land had not fulfilled on their part, and many of those who had purchased of them had not fulfilled on theirs; some, because they could not, and others, because they thought it unsafe to do so.
The original proprietor finally obtained a judgment against the first contractors, and levied on the land, and in process of time, obtained possession of the same. Then those who were on the lands could purchase of him; but what they had previously paid was lost. In the meantime some of the settlers had abandoned their lands without any compensation for their improvements; others had sold out their improvements for less than cost; others still remained on their lands, and finally obtained good titles for the same.
I have heretofore mentioned Maple hilt and Sand hill. These are both situated in the southern part of the township. Maple hill received its name from the great amount of maple timber which was found on its surface and was very appropriately named. The hill was considered an unusually fertile spot. I remember passing over it on the road from Burton to Chester, when it was an unbroken wilderness. It was in the month of May, and, to look off among the trees, it seemed as green as a meadow with the herbage that was growing, which was from eight to ten inches high, and so thick as to nearly touch. Sand received its name from a very slight circumstance. After the road was laid over this hill and began to be traveled, the soft sand rock, of which it is composed, became pulverized, and the heavy rains washed it down on to the low ground in considerable quantities, which gave the name to the hill. It might have been called Rattlesnake hill with quite as much propriety, for it was a den of these reptiles for many years. The first settlers in Chester found this to be the case, and, starting out in considerable numbers, made a raid on them, as they were emerging from their dens in the month of May, and succeeded in killing over thirty of them in one day; but they continued quite plenty till some thirty-five years since. In the summer of 1829, some women who were picking berries on the farm of Samuel Hopson, esq., saw one of these reptiles run into a hollow log, and called to a young man who was plowing near by, and he, with another man, succeeded in killing nine large rattlesnakes in and about that log. I saw them all lying in a pile, and was credibly informed that, on opening these, young ones enough were found to make the whole number over seventy. This hill was nearly stripped of its large timber by the tornado of 1804, and, after this, came a thick second-growth, mostly wild cherry. There came up with this a large amount of wild grape-vines, which some seasons bore an abundance of luscious fruit, and which many of the inhabitants gathered to some extent, and put to good use.
I have also, heretofore, mentioned the first religious meeting, the first marriage and the first ball, but have not mentioned the first birth. This I find to have occurred on May 12, 1817. A daughter was born at that time, to Mr. and Mrs. Lemuel Rider, to whom they gave the name of Laura, and who afterward became the wife of Benajah Somers, and died many years since. A daughter was also born to Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Hopson, in June or July of 1818, to whom they gave the name of Cynthia. She was never married, but died when a young lady. The first death that I have been able to ascertain, occurred in the autumn of 1823, and was that of Christopher Langdon, esq. The next death that I
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have obtained any knowledge of, was that of Miss Marinette, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Haynes, in the spring of 1824.
In the early spring of 1821, the inhabitants of this township petitioned the county commissioners for incorporation, which was granted, but not early enough for them to hold their election on the first Monday in April, but their first election was held on the sixteenth of that month, at the house of Thomas Stodder, when Samuel Hopson was elected justice of the peace ; Christopher Langdon, clerk; Lemuel Rider, Asa Hamblin, trustees (the third name I could not learn); Henry Hewings and Nathan Mann, overseers of the poor; Cyrus A. Davis, constable; the names of the other officers not ascertained. The petition was carried to the commissioners by Elijah Hovey, who also applied for the change of the name of the township to Munson, it being the duty of the commissioners to confer names on the townships. They gave this the name which it has borne ever since, although it was much against the wish of many of the inhabitants at that time.
In addition to the settlers already mentioned, Milton Hazen and Caleb M. Peck, both single men, had purchased lands here, and commenced to make improvements thereon. The farm of Mr. Peck was on Maple hill, adjoining north of Asahel Davis and Mr. Hazen, where the town house now stands.
PUBLIC ROADS.
In addition to the roads already mentioned, about 1820 or '21, a road was laid out from the Burton road north, through the center, to the road from Chardon to Chester, a little north of where Benjamin Downing now lives, the last named road then running a little northwest of where it now does. A road was also laid out and opened, commencing on the west line of the township, where the east and west State road now crosses the same, and running on the same ground to near where the house now stands, occupied by William Huddleston, after which it ran in a southeasterly direction around Sand hill, but not exactly where the present road crosses the Chagrin river, a few rods lower than where the Burton road now does, thence easterly, running about half a mile south of where Fowler's mills now stand, thence easterly to about half a mile east of the center road, thence north to where the State road now runs, thence easterly to the township line. The Burton road was so altered as to strike the above road on the east side of the Chagrin river, but these roads underwent multiform alterations till at length the State road was laid out from East Cleveland to the east line of Geauga county. About 1834 or '35, a State road was laid out from Painesville south, through the center of townships. This runs on the same ground where the center road had heretofore been laid. Another road, east and west, was laid through the middle of tract No. 2, and another through the middle of tract No. 3, from :the east line to the center road. Besides these, there were a number of others of more or less importance, most of which are still in use, but some have been discontinued.
SCHOOLS.
About 1820 or '21, a log school-house was built, or commenced, very near where Barnabas Hamblin now lives, which was afterwards so far finished that a summer school was held in it, taught by Mr. David Harvey, a young man living in the township. This was the first school taught, but the date of the same is somewhat doubtful, but is supposed to have been in the summer of 1824; after which I cannot ascertain that there was another till the summer of 1826. A school was taught in the house formerly occupied by Cyrus A. Davis, by Miss Laura Ann Blakeslee, of Claridon. The youth of Munson enjoyed but very indifferent advantages for many years.
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RELIGIOUS MEETINGS, ORGANIZATION OF CHURCHES, ETC.
After the meeting held by Mr. Porter, before mentioned, very few meetings were held in the place, but occasional preaching was had by ministers of various denominations, till the summer of 1829, at the yearly meeting of the Disciples,' held in Mentor, Mr. Barnabas Hamblin and Mr. Reuben Hazen, and their ladies, were baptized. About this time several of the citizens commenced a meeting, in which they read sermons, and used the Episcopalian church service, but this was not continued any great length of time. About the same time a number of persons from the northwest part of the township united with the Baptist church in Chester, and finally a branch of that church was established here. I think there might have been a Methodist society formed in the east part of the township as early as 1828 or '29; at least, there were some members of that denomination there. In the summer of 1834, a Presbyterian church was organized by Mr. Tracy, of Claridon, and another minister whose name I do not recollect. The following year, Mr. Joseph A. Pepoon moved into the place, and took the pastoral charge of this church, and a small house of worship was built. This house was on the south side of the east and west State road, about half way from Fowler's Mills to what is called the center. It has since been removed near to the mills, and is used by the Methodists and Baptists. The Presbyterian church became Congregational in 1837 or '38, but, owing to the removal of most of its members, finally became extinct. About 1837 or '38 a Baptist church was organized, but what ministers officiated I have never learned. This church still continues, but has not a very numerous membership. About 1835 a Methodist society was organized, which held its meetings at Fowler's Mills. This society still continues, but it is not very numerous. In March, 1836, a church of the Christian order was organized by Elder Amos Freeman, which continued for many years. They built a small house of worship in the north part of the township, which is now used by the Methodists, and occasionally by other denominations. In 1839 a church of the Disciple denomination was organized, which still continues, and is somewhat numerous and now the leading denomination in the place. In 1842 they built a good house of worship. About the same time that the Disciple church was organized, a Free-will Baptist church was organized in the west part of the township which was somewhat prosperous for a time, but a number of years since became extinct. A year or two later, a society of Protestant Methodists was organized in the same part of the township. It continued only a few years.
I will now relate a circumstance which occurred earlier than some that I have already related. Some time previous to the autumn of 1825, a young man named John W. B. Caldwell purchased a farm in the northwestern part of the township, being part of what is now owned by Darius Branch, and cleared off about a dozen acres around where said Branch's house now stands. Suddenly and mysteriously he disappeared. During the time, while he was doing the work on his farm, he had boarded with Mr. Elijah Hovey, who had two sons, who were, I think, at that time, both single men, and were living at home. My informant, Mr. D. Loveland who resided in the neighborhood at, the time, says that, at the time of his disappearance, the wheat to sow his twelve acres was measured up and stood in bags in Mr. Hovey's barn, and that he was to have been married the following evening, to a Miss Porter, who, I believe, resided between his place and that of Mr. Hovey; that, at the tea-table at Mr. Hovey's on that day, some remarks were made about the lady he was about to marry (the purport of which my informant does not know); that, after supper, he went out, as the Hoveys supposed, to the residence of his intended lbrrde, but did not go there, and was never seen in this part of the country afterwards. Suspicion rested on the Hoveys of having murdered him, but nothing was done
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about it till after the snow disappeared the next spring, when a search was commenced for his body, headed by David T. Bruce, esq., of Chardon. A coal pit which they had been burning, was drawn off, to, see if his body had been consumed in it., A well which had been dug and partly or wholly filled, was reopened, and a general search was made about the premises, but nothing was found calculated to fix the guilt of murder upon them, and the excitement had parlially subsided, when Caleb M. Peck returned home from a journey to New Orleans, and, learning what had happened in his absence, stated that he saw and conversed with Caldwell in that city, just before he started on his return homeward. This satisfied the public mind, and very little has since been said about the matter.
FRAME BUILDINGS, ETC.
The first frame erected was that of the grist-mill built by C. Langdon in 1818, and he erected a saw-mill about two years later. The first frame barn was erected by Elijah Hovey in 1820 or '21, and is the one now standing on the place. The first frame house was also erected by him or his son, Oliver U. Hovey, about forty years since. Lemuel Rider also built a house and barn soon after. About 1827 or '28 Daniel Hager came from New England, and purchased the mill property belonging to the estate of Christopher Langdon, deceased, and subsequently built a new grist-mill on the opposite side of the stream from the old mill. He also built one or two saw-mills on the same stream. A saw-mill was also built lower down the stream, by Joseph Haskell, in 1836, and, still lower down, a saw-mill was built by Sidney McBride in 186o. A saw-mill was also built by Joseph Haskell, near the spot where Langdon's grist-mill formerly stood, about 1852, and, a little higher up the stream, another was rebuilt in 1860, by Mr. David Thwing.
In the autumn of 1830, Rider's mill and carding machine were burned, and, after this, in 1836 a Mr. Merrill commenced erecting a grist-mill and machine shop a little lower down than where the grist-mill stood. In connection with this saw-mill, an incident happened. While Mr. William Varney was assisting Mr. Merrill in cutting away ice from the water wheel, the wheel accidentally got in motion, and precipitated Mr. Varney under it, where he was ground to death before he could be extricated. This occurred in November, 1852. About 1837 William and Stephen Rider erected a furnace, near where the old grist-mill had been burned down. This building is still standing, but no business is done in it now, and the saw-mill and machine shop have long since been disused. Hiram and Milo Fowler had erected and put in operation a saw-mill on the Chagrin river, as early as 1829. They also put a grist-mill in operation in 1833. About 1834 Lucius Hayden built a saw-mill about half a mile below Fowler's. This mill went into disuse about 1849, and another was built by Mervin Hoadley and George Hummiston, about the same time, which has also become unused. About 1842 or '43 Charles P. Knight erected a saw-mill above that of the Fowlers, which he has since rebuilt. About 1834 a fulling-mill was erected by Myron Burnett, and a carding machine by William Lewis near the same time. These stood near Fowlers's mills. Besides these, there was a saw-mill erected on what is called Butternut creek, but by whom I have not learned.
ACCIDENTS.
On November 3, 1839, Mr. Solomon Deming, residing about one-fourth of a mile south of Fowler's mills, while engaged in wrestling, was thrown upon the frozen ground, and his neck or the upper part of his back was broken or dislocated, from which he died in a few days after. I think it was in 1839 that Lucius Barnes, a young man, was engaged in some work on the upper part of a barn frame on the farm now owned by David D. Babcock, and was precipi-
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tated to the ground, his head striking a sill of the frame, and was killed instantly. Some time in March, 1841, Mrs. Edgar D. Wheeler, residing in the house with the family of a Mr. Galusha, fell on to the hot fire in a fit, and was burned to death before she was discovered. Some time in May, of the same year, a small boy, son of William and Olive Harley, was drowned in the mill-race, near Fowler's mills. In the course of the same year, Mr. John S. Kelley, residing on the farm now owned by Orator Laraway, was killed by the fall of a tree. It was some time before he was discovered, and, when found, it was ascertained that he had struggled dreadfully before he died. Reuben Barnes, a young man, son of Deacon Justus H. Barnes, was drowned in a mill-race in the northwest corner of Chester. The date of this I have not ascertained. In the autumn of 1849, the house of Mr. William Fox was burned, and a young man, named Irwin Rood, residing in Mentor, was so badly burned that he died the next day. His brother, Marshall Rood, was so badly burned that he could not be removed for two weeks, but remained in the family of Mrs. Spaulding, now Mrs. Ford. Some others were slightly injured by the same fire. I believe that it was in the summer of 1856 that Theodore, a young man, son of Mr. Isaac Haynes, was drowned in Knight's mill-pond, in this township. A small boy, son of Mr. Hiram Stone, was drowned near his father's mill, in the southwest part of the township.
There is one fatal accident which I forgot to mention among others. A small child, a son of Elder Draper, was scalded to death by falling into a tub of hot water, which the mother had prepared for washing. This occurred in 1852. And still another fatal accident occurred in July, 1862. Mr. Ira Gates, residing between the center and Fowler's mills, was killed by falling from a stack of hay. He was a middle-aged man, and left a family.
About 1840 the house of Mr. Emery Downing was consumed by fire; also the house of lames Fiske, in 1848, and a stole and the goods it contained, in August or September of the same year, belonging to Messrs. Sheldon, on the ground now occupied by Miller's store. In the early spring of 1866, the house of Winchester Hazen burned down with nearly all the furniture and other property it contained. The house of Mr. John Morris was burned in 1858.
I think it was in the spring of 1837, that a little boy, son of James Northrup, esq., became lost in the woods. The people in the neighborhood were alarmed, and diligent search was made, and he was found some time in the night, very much chilled and benumbed, but yet alive.
A number of months since, the house of a Mr. Jordan was burned to the ground, and considerable loss was sustained by the owner: In the spring of 1838, a barn belonging to Asa Cotterell, about half a mile south of Fowler's mills, was struck by lightning and consumed. In the early part of 1857, Mr. John Mason, while engaged in some work in the mill of Mr. John Ford, commonly called Fowler's mill, got his arm caught in some of the gearing, while it was in motion, and it was so badly injured that he was disabled for life.
SUICIDES.
The first suicide of which I have learned was that of a Mrs. Foster, who took her own life by hanging herself with a skein of yarn. They were residing on the farm now owned by Lorin Eldridge; but the date of this occurrence I have not been able to learn. The next was that of Mrs. Francis Hazen, in the spring of 1854. She had been deranged for some years, and was laboring under the im- pression that a time of great scarcity was existing or near at hand, and that it was necessary to be very sparing in the article of food. She had lived very sparingly for a year or more, and finally concluded to do without any food. I have been informed that she lived as many as fourteen days without tasting
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food more than once, and then in a very small quantity. The third was that of Arthur Parlin, a young man residing in Chardon. Some time in the summer of 1858, he disappeared from his home in Chardon, and was seen by some one going towards Munson pond. Search was made for him, but he was not found for some weeks. At length some men who were fishing on the pond, discovered his body in the pond, with a stone tied to it. It is supposed he tied the stone to his body, and then paddled a canoe out to where the body was found, and threw himself overboard. The fourth was that of Orson Young. He was a single man, about fifty years of age, having been unable to labor for a number of years, in consequence of a spinal complaint. He had some property at the commencement of his disability, which was nearly expended. He remarked to some one not long before his death, that he had about enough left to bury him decently. He went to the house of C. P. Brainard, proposing to stop awhile with his family, but the first night he hung himself with a handkerchief to the top of his bedroom door. This occurred in March, 1865.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.
I have now finished the history of Munson, and shall proceed to give some items of early history of a more general nature, some of which I have learned since I have been collecting matter for this history, and some I learned many years since. The first that I shall relate I had from Edwin Fowler, esq., of Willoughby, who was born in Burton, and lived a number of years in Munson. He says that his parents came into Burton in 1801; that his father, Mr. Isaac Fowler, went to Pittsburgh to mill, and was gone from home ten days; that during the time of his absence, perhaps before he left home, a surveying party, one of which was afterwards Hon. Calvin Pease, was stopping at his father's house ; that one morning they ate. all the provisions the house afforded, and went to their work, without anything for their dinners, not knowing that they should find any supper on their return. But there was some hard corn in the house, which his mother pounded with a nail-hammer on a board, and boiled into mush, and, with the addition of milk, made them an excellent supper.
In 1812, after the surrender of General Hull's army at Detroit, great fears were entertained by the inhabitants of this section of country that they might be molested by the Indians, and some families kept their goods packed, ready to start at a moment's warning. At this juncture of affairs, all the able-bodied men under forty-five years of age were called to Cleveland, as that place was considered in great danger, leaving but few men, and those aged or sick, at home. During the absence of these men from their homes, a report got in circulation in the Wooster settlement (now Chester), that there were five hundred Indians in Burton, killing and scalping the inhabitants, and coming in that direction. This story was fabricated by a young girl who had been left alone a short time, but it thoroughly alarmed the women, who were left unprotected in an almost unbroken wilderness. They ran together, telling the wonderful story. They came to the school-house, where most of the children were collected. Here a scene of confusion ensued, which is more easily remembered than related. Some of the children ran crying to their homes. One girl was over a mile from home, all the way through the woods, but she went there in great haste, and related the story to her friends, who fled to the woods. A young man who had been left at home on the sick list, arose from his bed, and, taking a chest of clothes on his shoulder, carried it some distance, which he could not lift when the excitement was over. But, at the school-house, the women were met by Justice Miner, who was too aged to be called into the service, and he told them that it was a false report; that no such body of Indians could get into Burton, under the existing circumstances; and tried to persuade them to return to their homes;
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but they were too much alarmed to do this; so he took them to a safe place in the woods. On his return, he found several children that had become separated from the remainder of the company. He took them and returned again to where he had left the women, and then, as night was coming on, and one woman in the company had a babe only two weeks old, he persuaded them to return to the nearest house for the night. There was another man who had been left at home sick, and it was agreed that they should stand as sentinels at the door of the house. About this time Esquire Tracy, of Mesopotamia, came into the neighborhood from home, passing through Burton on his way to Cleveland, intending to stop at Wooster for the night. He found the people had all deserted their habitations, but somehow found their retreat. He told them there were no Indians in Burton; that he had come through the settlement, and that there was no truth in the story; so they all returned to the house of Justice Miner, where they were joined by two other women and their children, who had not heard the false report, but their fears had led them to seek for company. Shortly after this occurrence Eleazer Hickox, esq., of Burton, stopped at the house of William Archer, in the Wooster settlement, and, being a dark complexioned man, the woman took him for an Indian, and fled from the house and hid herself.
There is an incident in the early history of Middlefield, with which I have become acquainted, to which my friend Mr. Porter has not alluded. George Wallace, who kept a tavern in Middlefield, subsequently removed to Cleveland, where he followed the same business for many years, and, as the Wallaces and Miners were connected, they were frequently passing and repassing from one place to the other. They frequently called at my father's house, in what is now called Chester, and, in consequence of this, I became acquainted with the incident which I am about to relate. While Geo. Wallace was living in Middlefield, a negro escaped from his master in one of the slave States, and a reward was offered for his apprehension and return. At length he came through Middlefield, and Wallace, thinking it a good opportunity to make money, he attempted to arrest him. The fellow was armed, and Wallace got pretty badly wounded, and was confined for some time. I have heard it insinuated that this circumstance had much to do with his defeat at the justice election, and was the reason of his leaving Middlefield.
TORNADOES.
The early settlers in Chester used to speak of three great tornadoes, or windfalls, as they generally called them. The first occurred in 1804, the second in 1808, and the third in 1812. In the first of these, John Miner, sometimes called Dr. Miner, was killed. His house, where he was killed, was north of and very near the north side of the public square in Chester, and on ground recently occupied by a large blacksmith shop. It was on a Sunday in August. He had removed from another temporary dwelling into that, the day previous. He had built no chimney in it, as yet, but it was some fifteen to twenty feet from the floor to the ground, where he intended to build a hearth and chimney. Those who have settled in new countries will understand this, but the young people of the present day will be puzzled to understand the manner of building log houses in the wilderness. He had lain down for a nap; after a time his chrldren (for he was a widower) awakened him, for they were afraid of the storm that had commenced. He arose and directed them to lie down in the place for the chimney, while he stepped out at the door to take a look at what was passing out of doors, and was in the act of re-entering when three trees came upon the house, and, crushing the roof, knocked down some timber over the door that killed him instantly. The statement in the history of Ohio that he had no
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neighbors within two miles, is a mistake, for Mr. Amariah Beard, who died in Burton in the summer of 1864, then lived on or very near the spot where the
(Amiga seminary now stands. The statement of Mr. Porter is nearly correct, except the year in which it occurred. For this I rely on the statements of my father and of my older brothers and sisters, who resided in the township at the time. The second tornado, in 1808, did less damage than the first, but these two prostrated a great amount of timber in Chester and Munson, and laid the foundation for the young groves of timber which were found in these townships. The third, in 1812, occurred in the month of June, and commenced its devastation near the northwest corner of Russell township, prostrating nearly all the steeling timber for a half mile in width, and running nearly due east to near the east line of Newbury. In the spring of 1816, Harvey and John Sheffield, residing in what is now Chester, burnt of a spot of this windfall about a half mile southeast of Fullertown, and raised a crop of corn, which did well, considering the coldness of the summer of that year, but was badly injured by bears and other wild animals in the fall. In the winter of 1817 and '18, John Roberts, residing in the south part of Chester, having a large stock of cattle for those times, nearly wintered them on the young timber which succeeded that which had been blown down, and that without cutting it down. But the most terrific tornado that has been experienced in this part of the Western Reserve, occurred in the month of April, and I think in 1841. It commenced its ravages on the hill west of the Chagrin river in Mayfield, and, taking a northeasterly direction, first prostrated the house of Ezra Carpenter, on the west side of the river, then crossing the river, carrying water and mud from its bottom on to the opposite bank, and removing logs which lay imbedded in the east bank and throwing them on dry land. On the bottom land east of the river stood the house and barn of Samuel Dean, both strong and well built frame buildings, and nearly new. The house was completely demolished, so that no part of it could be used for building purposes; the barn was stripped of all its doors and otherwise badly shattered. One of the stable doors was afterwards found two miles from its starting place. The tornado passed up the east hill, twisting off tough second- growth saplings a little above the ground, passed through the northwest corner of Chester into Kirtland, spreading devastation in its course, and badly injuring very many buildings. In the center of Kirtland it removed the Congregational meeting-house from its foundation, turning it partly round, and continued in the same direction to near the east line of Lake county. I believe that but one person was killed, and that a small child, but I cannot tell where this occurred. Some of Mr. Dean's family were severely bruised, but none fatally. Besides these, there have been several other tornadoes that have done more or less damage.
REMARKABLE SEASONS, ETC.
The summer of 1816 was one remarkable for cold, frost being seen during every summer month, and some flakes of snow were seen in the months of Junel and July, in this part of the country. Very little corn was fully ripened in this vicinity. The winter of 1819 and '20 was one of uncommon severity. Sleighing continued nearly the whole winter. It was followed by a summer unusually dry, so much so that the hay crop was very light, not more than half a crop, and on some farms in Burton very little, if any, was cut. The winter of 1827-28 was remarkable for mildness. I believe that more snow fell in November, 1827, than fell during any of the winter months. I think that not more than two or three days of sleighing were enjoyed during the whole winter. It was followed by a warm and pleasant month of March, and some peach trees were in bloom the first day of April. The winter of 1831-32 was one of great severity. Winter
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set in about the twentieth of November, and continued six weeks without any thaw; then a slight thaw; then the cold set in again, and continued through the winter months as severe as it commenced. The summer of 1845 was one of hitherto unexampled drouth, commencing in the month of April. There were some heavy frosts in the month of May, which, with the drouth, did much damage to the grass crop, so that very little grass was cut on any part of the Western Reserve. Thousands of cattle were driven out of the country to be wintered, and many of them never returned. Some men sold their stock for half their usual value, to save wintering them, and there were a great many of the inhabitants that sold their homes and went to more highly favored locations. After this, I do not recollect anything very remarkable in the seasons till the surthrier of 1854, when another very dry summer occurred, but it did not commence till the grass crop was more than half grown, but still it injured it badly. Corn and potatoes suffered more than grass. Many forest trees and some fruit trees died. This dry season was followed by a severe winter, and many cattle died before feed came in the spring of 1855; then the winter of 1856 was also very severe, especially the latter part, when a large amount of snow fell, which lay on the ground till very late in the month of March.
But one thing I forgot to mention in its proper place—the great frost in May, 1834. The spring of that year was rather forward. Fruit trees had all blossomed, and the leaves on forest trees were nearly half their ordinary size before the middle of May, when a change occurred. For about these days it was intensely cold. Some snow fell, and it froze so hard that leaves were killed on all the forest trees except the maples. The fruit was all killed, except in a few places on the shore of the lake. For two weeks after this the beech woods looked as though their tops had been burnt over. This was only exceeded by the great frost of June, 1859. This was another rather forward spring. Crops were got into the ground in good season. Corn, in many places, was large enough to commence hoeing. The third of June the weather became intensely cold; the fourth was cold and cloudy, the wind from the northwest almost a tornado, till near night, when the wind became less severe, the clouds broke away, and on the morning of the fifth the ground was covered with frost. The corn and potatoes, and nearly all other vegetables, were killed. Wheat on the low grounds was killed, and the fruit entirely destroyed, except on favored locations.
I have now finished all I intend to write in this history, and I will say to those who have assisted me by furnishing information for it, that they all have my warmest thanks.
HUNTING.
Some time in February, 1829, Philo Miner, of Chester, while hunting, in the west part of Munson, came upon the fresh tracks of a gang of wolves. He followed them between the Chester line and Sand hill, which, together with the middle and northern parts of Newbury, was then an almost unbroken wilderness (with but a few settlers at Fullertown, and a few on, or near the old State road, in the east part of the township), as was also nearly the whole of Russell township, and a large tract in the southeast part of Chester, to the Plum bottom, on the farm now owned by Richard Dusenhury, in Chester. Night coming on, he returned home. The next morning his son, Madison, and myself went to Plum bottom, found the trail, followed it across the Chagrin, near where the Fuller grist-mill now stands, and from there, by a devious course, on to the hill one mile south of Fullertown, and into an old windfall. Here we found the tracks in great numbers and running in every conceivable direction. We spent several hours in tryrng to find the trail from there, but did not succeed until near night,
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when it was time to return home. The wolves returned east of Fullertown, and again passed west of Sand hill. They were followed from day to day by different hunters, taking turns, among whom were Loren and George Rima and Heman Scott. Scott followed them a number of days in succession, with other hunters, until he could go no longer, by which he obtained the cognomen of "Old Put." After several days it was discovered that the wolves passed once or twice a day through the woods, west of Sand hill, and sentinels were posted on the road from Chester line to Hopson's improvement, while others followed the wolves, and drove them through. On the ninth day of the chase, Cyrus Keeney, being posted near where Daniel Barnes' house now stands, shot and killed one of the wolves. The chase was continued, with sentinels on the road, for a day or two longer, when George Rima, who was on the trail, shot and killed another large wolf, near Munson pond; but, the snow failing, the hunt was discontinued, The remainder of the gang, however, left for other parts and have not been seen here since. During the chase they killed sheep for Oliver Hovey, of Munson, and a Mr. Clark, on Clark street, in Chardon.
DEATH OF JOHN L. KELLEY.
By the politeness of Mr. Dewey I have received a letter, written by Mr. Samuel Roberts, then a resident of Munson, giving the circumstances of the death of Mr. John L. Kelley, at considerable length, which I will try to convey in fewer words.
Mr. Kelley was in the habit of leaving home, and being gone a day or two, without informing his family as to where he was going. He was living on the farm now owned by Mr. Caraway. He went to his sugar bush, on one of the last days of March, 1842, and, it appears, that after gathering some sap, he cut a hollow tree, which lodged on another, and by some means a limb was precipitated, which struck him on the head. Blood was found on the spot; also the ax and pail, but he was found twenty or thirty rods from the tree, in an opposite direction from home, by his neighbors, who were hunting for him, about forty hours after the falling of the tree. It appears he had pawed the ground, broken roots and limbs, and left evidence of dreadful agony, and of protracted suffering. After he was found, it was ascertained, by examination made by Dr. Hallenbeck, that his skull was fractured.
In Mr. Miner's history of Munson he confined his history principally to the early settlement. It has been thought expedient to have some statistical account of business, etc., at the time of the centennial year. Albert Hale, then of Munson, was requested to furnish something of the kind to add to the history. He has kindly furnished the president of the Pioneer Historical society with the following:
" In point of fertility, water privileges, timber, stone, and its adaptation to crops of all kinds, apples, peaches, pears, and small fruits, it is unsurpassed by any township in Geauga county. The southwest part, in particular, is noted for its richness, unsurpassed by the prairies at the west, consisting largely of bottom land, through which flows the Chagrin river, affording ample water-power. Along the west bank of this stream runs a ledge of rocks, extending some two miles, broken at intervals by fertile valleys,. and in other places rising into miniature mountains, affording immense quarries of superior sand stone. From this extended ledge gush many springs of pure, cold water. This ledge is noted for its many caves, gullies and gorges. The most noted of these curiosities are on the land of Messrs. Dart, Sherman, Babcock, and Bartlett; the most remarkable of the wonders is on the land of Mr. Dart. It is entered by a deep gorge, and extends quite a distance in the darkness. The explorer, in making his way through this dark passage, has to encounter the wet and spray falling from
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the overhanging rocks. The most remarkable feature of this wonder is that this deep and dark chasm is spanned by a natural bridge, wide enough for a common road. Another of these curiosities is on. the land of Mr. 0. Chamberlain—this is called the "Rober's cave." It is entered by a small aperture, into a dark cavern, some eight or ten feet square. It was once used to secrete stolen goods. The next place of note is Munson pond, which has of late assumed the name Bass lake, and a large and commodious hotel, built by Smith, Downing & Brewster, on an island close by its sparkling waters, which has become a fashionable resort for the surrounding country. This beautiful sheet of water is about one mile long, and half a mile wide. Its surroundings indicate that it once occupied a much larger area when the whole vast extent of northern Ohio was a vast wilderness, infested by savages and wild beasts. On the bosom of this lake the rude savage plied the oar, and on its shaded banks the youthful aborigines wooed his dusky maid. Since those imaginary days, and previous to these modern improvements, this pond was a great resort for fishermen and sports. men. But times and things have undergone a mighty change, and revolution onward is the watch-word now. Maple hill is the most elevated portion of the township. From this picturesque elevation one has a charming view of the surrounding country. Stretching over the valley of the Chagrin, onto the heights of Chester, with a distant view of the United States observatory; still further, in a western direction, on a clear day, is seen the black smoke arising from the founderies and smelting works of Cleveland apd Newburgh, and more apparent, the blaze of light in dark nights.
Munson has some forehanded and independed farmers. It has two cheese factories—Maple Hill, owned and conducted by William Harrington; and Sand Hill, owned by a joint stock company—manufacturing a large amount of butter and cheese. The southeast part of the township is nearer to the Torrys' cheese factory, near the corners of four townships, and consequently milk from that quarter of this township is sent there. Farmers from the western part of Munson send milk to Hall's, in Claridon, and the northeast part to Chardon. The cheese factory in the southeast part was run several years by the Messrs. Downings. James A. Downing shipped into Munson, in 1867, eighty head of Durham cows from Missouri, weighing from one thousand to one thousand seven hundred pounds, averaging fifteen hundred pounds; beautiful in form and excellent milkers.
One grist-mill was erected in 1833 by Hiram and Milo Fowler, now owned by C. S. Johnson, and doing a good business.
There are two churches, one at the mills, a Disciple church, and one at North Munson, a Christian church. A town hall, store, hotel, one post-office, two blacksmith shops, two shoe stores, two permanent grave-yards—one at the mills and one at Maple hill-several family burying grounds, eight school districts, houses mostly new and in good repair. The line of the Painesville and Hudson railroad was located and partly graded through the Munson valley of the Chagrin, but like many other partly finished roads, is resting for money to resurrect it.
Munson has a wide-awake farmers' club, organized in ---- , and holding monthly meetings with, apparently, good results. A union meeting of farmers' clubs from Claridon, Chardon, Hambden, and Munson was held at Bass lake last fall (1879), which was numerously attended, by outsiders as well as members. The day was auspicious. The Claridon cornet band touched the keynote of musical inspiration. The speeches of members of the different clubs were edifying, instructive, and some were humorous. On the whole every body seemed to enjoy the occasion.
The editor and compiler of this history feels it a pleasure, and duty requires a suitable acknowledgment to the members of the Munson club, for fitting up
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the grounds tastefully and convenient for the visiting clubs, and people generally; and for their courtesy and attention through the day, by their committees, both ladies and gentlemen, and by all, individually and collectively.
The officers, as reported, are: H. P. Bond, president; and Charles Harper, vice-president. The officers in the ladies' department are: Mrs. E. F. Hovey, president; Mrs. D. Hazen, vice-president; Mrs. William Martin, secretary.
REMARKABLE BIRTHS.
I think it was some time during the warm season of 1835 that Mrs. Leonard Sweat, residing on the State road, from Chardon to Ravenna, gave birth to four children near the same time, but none of them survived, and all were buried in the same coffin.
POPULATION.
I have not been able to obtain correct statistics of the population of but one of the decades since the settlement of the' township. The population did not increase rapidly till about 1830. From that time till 1840, I think it more than doubled. In that year, the census, taken by 0. P. Brown, esq., gave our numbers at one thousand two hundred and sixty-eight. Lake county having been set off, left Munson the second township in population in the county, Chardon only outnumbering it.
STATISTICS OF ELECTIONS.
The earliest township record that I have been able to find, is for 1836. At the presidential election of that year, the following vote was given: For William Henry Harrison, 110; for Martin Van Buren, 51. Two years later, at the State election, Joseph Vance, Whig, had 39 votes; Wilson Shannon, Democrat, had 110 votes for governor. Two years after, in 1840, at the State election, Wilson Shannon had 124 votes for governor, and Thomas Corwin, Whig, had 119. At the presidential election in November of the same year, William H. Harrison had 121 votes, and Martin Van Buren had 120. At the general election of 1848, for governor, John B. Weller had 79 votes, Seabury Ford had 71, and Salmon P. Chase had 11 votes. At the presidential election in 1860, Abraham Lincoln had 172, Stephen A. Douglas had 35, and John Bell had 2 votes. At the general election in 1863, John Brough had 174 votes for governor, and Clement L. Vallandigham had 15 votes. At the presidential election in 1864, Abraham Lincoln had 156 votes, and George B. McClellan had 23 votes. At the election for State officers in 1867, R. B. Hayes had 142 votes, and A. G. Thurman 33 votes. For the constitutional amendment, 127 votes; against
it, 49.
MILITARY ROSTER
WAR WITH MEXICO.
John M. Granger
Martin H. Hamblin.
WAR OF THE REBELLION.—THREE MONTHS, MEN.
Martin H. Hamblin.
Henry Thwing.
Charles Hansard, sr.
Marvin Henry.
Lucius Fowler.
Lucern Kelley.
John Hansard.
William Hansard.
Charles King
Joseph C. Haskney.
Charles N. Dewey.
All of the above served in the Nineteenth Ohio volunteer infantry, Capt. Paine’s company. John A. Phelps. and George Smith. regiment not known.
* Prepared by 0. Miner, and revised by George E. Moore, esq. 35
272 - HISTORY OF GEAUGA COUNTY, OHIO.
FORTY-FIRST OHIO INFANTRY, COMPANY G.
Martin H. Hamblin, captain, resigned January, 1862.
Lester Miller, promoted to second lieutenant May 1, 1863.
Andrew Hazen, veteran.
C. Hansard. sr.
Morris Harper, corporal, died at Nersonsis Furnace, Ky., of camp fever, March 2, 1862.
Henry Warner, corporal, veteran.
Charles Springer, died May 7, 1864, from wounds received at Pickett's Mills, May 18, ‘64. Edwin Lampman, enlisted as teamster.
Wallace J. Little, died October 31, 1862. Marshall Hamilton. recruit,
David R. Bartlett, wounded at Stone River, December 31, 1862, and at Chickamauga, September, 1863.
Hubert Harrington, Co. B, mustered out with regiment.
C. Danforth, date not given on rolls.
William Hansard, promoted to captain of Co. K.
E. R. Eggleston, promoted to first lieutenant, November, 1863.
George W, Hodges, first sergeant, veteran.
John Hansard, first sergeant Co. B, killed at the battle of Shiloh, April 7, 1862.
Carlos Harper.
C. Stansell, died April 1, 1863.
Oney Stephenson, wounded at Stone River, December 31, 1862, Mission Ridge, Nov, 26, '63, Leman Harrington, died December 3o, 1861.
Albert W. Miller, veteran.
Clark D. Calkins, corporal, enlisted October, '62, wounded at Mission Ridge, November 23, '62, died December 8, 1863.
W. B. Dewey, Co. B, mustered out with regiment.
L. A. Chamberlain, Co. B, discharged for disability, September 20, 1863.
FORTY-SECOND OHIO INFANTRY
D. W. Bidlake, discharged, after serving three years.
D. A. Gates, discharged, after serving three years.
BATTERY C, FIRST OHIO LIGHT ARTILLERY.
James A. Hazen, recruit of 1863
Charles H. Varney, recruit of 1864,
Thomas Lampman, recruit of 1864.
BATTERY C, FIRST OHIO LIGHT ARTILLERY.
George E. Moore, sergeant, veteran.
M. H. Hamblin, artificer, recruit, 1863.
Spencer Tuman, killed at the battle of Stone
George Peck, served three years.
River, December 31, 1862.
Joseph C. Hackney, discharged for disability,
Frank Storey, served three years, Battery B, First Ohio light artillery.
NINTH OHIO INDEPENDENT BATTERY.
Harmon B. York, captain,
Hiram D. York, second lieutenant, discharged June 6, 1865; died July 16, 1865, from injuries received in service,
Russell W. Keeny, discharged December 1, '62.
Nelson Keeny, discharged June 16, 1865.
Phineas W. Sherman, died at Bridgeport, Alabama, of typhoid fever, June 28, 1864.
Charles T. Hansard, recruit.
Selby B, Ashcroft, corporal.
Isaac Barker, recruit.
James T. Brainard, corporal, Second Ohio heavy artillery, died March 30, 1863.
Charles D. Pomeroy, Fourteenth Ohio independent battery, enlisted September 10, 1861.
Frank S. Morris, Twenty-fifth Ohio infantry, discharged November, 1865.
SEVENTH OHIO INFANTRY.
Henry Thwing, corporal, wounded at Bridgeport, Alabama, June 28, 1864.
George Smith.
Alden Hazen, Second Ohio cavalry.
W. J. Warner, Sixth Ohio cavalry, was disabled, while in hospital, from the affects of gangrene in
sore in his hand, while taking care of wounded.
Joel Bond, One Hundred and Fifth Ohio infantry, died of measles, January 3, 1863.
The following were soldiers, but we are unable to give the organization to which
George A. Frost.
M. J. Dewey.
Myron Fox.
Samuel Miller.
James Morris.
Henry Stephenson.
A. K. Rider.
Thomas Spence.
Silas Knapp.
A. W. Hamilton.
Ira Dewey.
James E. Frost.
S. D. Tucker.
Frederick Lepper.
Allison Varney.
William Phinney.
Hiram M. Knapp, was killed by the cars, passing under a bridge between Bowling Green, Kentucky, and Clarksville, Tennessee.
Soldiers who were born in Munson, but enlisted elsewhere:
George E. Downing, son of Major A. L. Downing, enlisted in southern Ohio, in Eighteenth Ohio infantry, three months' men, and served as captain. Enlisted for three years in Second Virginia cavalry ; served as adjutant, and was promoted to major.
John Lampan, enlisted in Fourth Iowa regiment, and died of dysentery.
Lafayette Preston, enlisted in the 136th New York regiment in 1862.
Elijah Geary, enlisted as musician in 1864,
Albert T. Harley, enlisted in Maine,
Addison Harley, enlisted in 29th Ohio infantry.
Rufus Thwing, enlisted in Chardon.
Henry B. Stanard and W. C. Stanard, enlisted in Wisconsin.
Edwin N. Preston, enlisted in the 136th New York regiment, for three months; re-enlisted for three years in 1865 in Seventh Pennsylvania infantry ; wounded at Fair Oaks.
HISTORY OF GEAUGA COUNTY, OHIO. - 273
Winfield Preston, enlisted in Michigan.
A. J. Preston, enlisted in navy, gun-boat service
John Coe, enlisted as musician, and died in hospital.
Dr. 0. Pomeroy, served as assistant surgeon in the Sixteenth infantry. ( Lived at time in Munson.)
Romurus Story, enlisted in the Eighty-third Pennsylvania regiment, was promoted to first lieutenant; was killed May 10, 1864.
I. N. Warner, enlisted in Mecca, in the Sixth Ohio
Captain Hansard deserves more than a passing notice in history. Captain William Hansard enlisted as a private in Co. G, Forty-first Ohio volunteer infantry. He was of Irish parentage. He enlisted quite young, and soon rose to first sergeant of his company; was soon promoted to lieutenant of company D, and from that to captain of company K. He was wounded at Nashville, Tennessee, in January, 1865—had his leg amputated, but lived only about a month. He was much beloved by his company, and all who knew him. Gen. Hazen, in his address to the soldiers of the Forty-first, at Burton, July 4, 1879, speaking of him, with reference to the battle of Nashville, says: "You left here that gallant young Hansard, the last of three most excellent brothers."
SKETCHES,
DOWNING FAMILY.
George and Emanuel Downing came to this country, at an early date, from London, England. Emanuel settled at Rochester, twenty miles from Portsmouth, in New Hampshire, while George, seeking a milder climate, settled in Virginia. Of the descendants of the latter we know but very little, except that two families came from the south branch of the Potomac in Virginia, and settled in the Scioto valley, near Chillicothe, where their descendants now reside. They were among the first settlers of that rich and beautiful valley. George Downing, the noted chief of several tribes of Indians in the Indian territory, is a descendant of the Virginia branch, He is an educated gentleman, and is noted for the wonderful influence he has over the half-civilized tribes.
Benjamin Downing, the grandfather of the subjects of this sketch, lived at Rochester, New Hampshire. He had six sons—George, Benjamin, Joshua, Dennis, John, and Samuel. George enlisted in the Federal. army at the breaking out of the Revolution, and fought through the war. He was noted for his great strength and bravery. After the war he became a Baptist minister in his native town.
Samuel came to Ohio in 1815, and settled at Gallipolis, on the Ohio river. He came from New Hampshire to Pittsburgh, by wagon teams; there he made a raft of timber, loaded his wagons, teams and goods, and floated down the river to Gallipolis. He was a surveyor, and afterwards surveyed most of Meigs county. He purchased a farm in Scippio township, cleared it up, and raised a large family of children. He had four sons—Franklin, George, Rodney, and Columbia. These men have been among the most prominent men of the county. Franklin was an extensive coal dealer. Rodney was clerk of the court fourteen years, a leading merchant in 1840, and in 1844 built the steamer "General Harrison," for many years one of the finest boats in the Cincinnati and St. Louis trade. Columbia represented his county in the legislature two successive terms, was collector of his district during the war, and Hayes' elector
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in 1876. George was the farmer, and resided on the old homestead in Scippio. He was justice of the peace twenty-five years. He was noted for being the strongest man in southern Ohio. Rodney and Columbia are the only surviving members of the family.
Dennis and John Downing moved from New Hampshire to Colchester, in Vermont, the then "howling wilderness" of the west, in 1795. John had no children. Dennis was sheriff for many years. He had eight children—George, Dennis, Alvin, Joshua, Harriet, Cephus, Emory, and Mary. *George and Dennis came to Ohio and settled in Munson in the fall of 1830. They purchased farms two and a half miles south of Chardon, on the old State road; sold out to the Kirby's in 1836, and moved to Troy. Here George died in 1839. He had one son, B. F. Downing. The widow married Benj. Andrews, of Rockport, Cuyahoga county, in 1845. The son was educated by his mother, graduated at Oberlin, and went to Chicago, where he now resides. Dennis sold his Troy farm in 1841, and moved back to Munson, where he resided until his death, in 1876, at the avdanced age of eighty years. He had seven children— James H., of Chardon; George, Asa, and Seymour, of Munson; Mrs. Livingston Hazen, of Munson; Mrs. Shattuck and Mrs. Frank Tony, of North Newbury. Harriet was the wife of Jesse Freeman, and Mary, the wife of Caleb Pinkham. They came to Ohio in 1835. Mr. Freeman was employed by Ralza Spencer, in his chair factory, for many years; has resided in Claridon ever since he came to Ohio. They had four children—Dennis, now in Florida, Sylvanus, Mrs. A. D. Hall, and Mrs. Charles Foot, the latter deceased. Mr. Pinkham settled in Munson, but sold out about the year 1849. He now resides in northern Minnesota.
Emory + came to Ohio in 1834, settled in Munson, on the State road, farm adjoining Captain Burnett's, who was postmaster in those days. After residing in Munson several years, he sold out and purchased a farm in Russell. He accumulated quite a property, and died in 1874. He had no children. Alvin, Joshua and Cephus came out in the fall of 1833. Alvin and Joshua purchased a farm of one hundred and eighty acres on the Pond road, two and one-half miles south of Chardon, in Munson. Cephus purchased a farm adjoining. Joshua lived on this farm thirty,-three years, sold out in 1866, and purchased a farm in Burton, where he died in 1878, aged seventy-seven years. He had three children—Mrs. Orrin Stansell, who died in 1872, Emory and Albert, the former living in Newbury, the latter in Colorado. Cephus, after living in Munson, Troy, Russell, and Hambden, purchased a small farm in Newbury, where he now resides. By his first wife he had two children, John and Truman, who now live in the Nest. His second wife was a daughter of Bildad Fowler, of Munson. They had several children, all now married and reside in the vicinity of their parents.
Uncle Cephus has had a varied life. He was a kind, generous man, generous to all but himself. He and Alvin are the survivors of the eight brothers and sisters, children of Dennis Downing, who came to Ohio during the years from 1830 to 1835, and all settled in Munson but one, Mrs. Freeman. Alvin sold his part of the farm in 1839, to Marvin Keeny, and purchased a place one mile south of the center ; sold this place in 1844, and rented Colonel Spencer's farm in Munson ; in 1849 joined a party of sixteen and went to California. This was soon after gold was discovered. It was a hazardous undertaking. Many looked upon it as suicidal, but this little party was full of pluck, and, accordingly, on
*Dennis was married to Aphis Gate. December it, 1823; George to Potly Gale in 1826.
+ Emory D. Was married to Betsey Welsh, in 1827; Cephus D. to Elizabeth Dalzell, in 1833; Joshua D. to Ann Austin, in 1831; Alvin D. to Sarah Morey, in 1826.
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the twenty-sixth of March, 1849, the start was made. They purchased their outfit at St. Joe, Missouri. The second week out, the most prominent man in the party died—Frank Adams, This cast a goom over the whole party, but their faces were turned to the gold fields of the Pacific, and nothing short of death could check their progress. They arrived in California in August, went into the diggings, and worked a few weeks, when the company disbanded on account of sickness. Mr. Downing was very sick at this time. His friend, Dr. Mathews, of Painesville, who went out with the party as their physician, had him conveyed down the Sacramento to Benicia, a little town north of San Francisco, where, by careful nursing, he saved his life. He remained in California about two years, and came home by way of the Isthmus. In 1854 he and his son, B. F., purchased the farm on which he now resides. He had eight children —Benjamin F., of Munson ; Mrs. Rodney Downing, of Middleport, Ohio; Mrs. Jane Brewster and Arthur D., of Chardon; George E., of Clifton, West Virginia; Charles, who died in 1858; Mrs. Mary Shattuck, of Mentor, and Mrs. George E. Moore, of Munson.
Major Downing is now one of the less than half dozen of early settlers that now reside in Munson, he having been a resident of that township forty-five years. He was born in the year t800, in the town of Colchester, Vermont. The little town of Rochester, mentioned in this sketch, was no doubt the location where the famous "Major Jack Downing" letters were written in President Jackson's time. The Major mentions, in one of his letters, the reception given the president at "Downingsville." Uncle Joshua was captain of the militia, and "me and the President slept under Aunt Abigail's bed quilt." In politics the Downings were Whigs, then Free-soilers, and in these latter days Republicans with one or two exceptions.
Munson was settled by a class of poor people. They purchased small farms, and had no surplus funds to support their families. It was "hard sledding" for many of them. Living in log houses in the woods, with no roads, and nothing in sight available from which they could procure a living, only as they cleared their lands, it must have been indeed discouraging. But the plucky pioneers of Munson, like their brothers all over the Western Reserve, cleared their farms, tilled the lands, and the more thrifty purchased the neighbor's farm, built fine houses, and•to-day Munson, with all her discouraging prospects at the start, ranks well up with any of the elder townships of the county, in wealth and intelligence.
JAMES R. PERCY.
went into the army as captain in the Fifty-sixth Ohio volunteer infantry. The regiment was recruited from the counties of Scioto, Pike, Jackson, Vinton and Lawrence, and went into camp at Portsmouth, Ohio, late in the fall of 1861. During the winter the ranks were filled by recruiting from the above named counties, received marching orders some time in March, 1862, and arrived at Shiloh on the evening previous to the battle. The men had received their arms but a few days before, and consequently knew but very little of the use of them. Unfortunately, this regiment was one of the first attacked. The men were just getting up, and many a poor fellow was shot down in his tent. As quickly as possible the men were in line, fired one volley, and fell back to a better posittion. Here the order was given, after another volley, to fall back again; only a part of the officers hearing the order, a part retreated, the balance holding their ground. The colonel, I have forgotten his name, made his way
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to the river, leaving his men to take care of themselves, and never afterwards returned to the command, being discharged from the service. Captains Percy, Gray, Brooks, Phillips, and Jones held the regiment, and fought the battle through. Percy was without hat, coat or vest, as he had no time to dress that morning. Captain Jones was made colonel, and Captain Phillips, lieutenant. colonel. Soon after this battle, General Sherman censured the regiment severely for their conduct in this battle, but afterwards, in an article in the Army Gazette, he gave the regiment full credit, claiming it to be one of the very best under his command. Captain Percy's command was made up from the sons of the wealthy class of farmers in the Scioto valley. He promising to stay with them, he kept this promise good, until forced out, soon after the battle at Chattanooga. Here he left his company, and was placed upon the staff of General Howard. Colonel Phillips related to me an incident that occurred soon after our army reached the rear of Vicksburgh, after the glorious battles of the week previous, Colonel Jones, of the Fifty-sixth, commanding the brigade. This brigade was stationed on Black river. An order was issued to Colonel Jones to cross the river if possible, and drive the rebels from the opposite bank. There was no means of ascertaining the depth of the river only by actual test. This was most certain death to any one who would be brave enough to make the attempt. The next morning, while the regiment was drawn up in order, Colonel Jones rode along the line, asking for a volunteer to make the venture. Not a man moved. Presently Captain Percy stepped boldly out, saluted his colonel, and said: "Colonel Jones, I am at your service." The colonel rode up to him, took his hand, and said: "Captain Percy, I am proud of this brave act, but I am sorry that is you." Captain Percy divested himself of his coat, vest and hat, and marched boldly over the little bluff to the river, nearly his entire command following him. He walked straight down into the water until he could feel no bottom, and then dove down and swam until he was fully satisfied the river could not be forded. All this time the rebels coming out of the bushes on the opposite side, stood there, hurrahing and cheering the " Bully Yankees," and never fired again.
Col. Phillips says " this was the bravest act of an individual I saw during the war."
Captain Percy was shot dead while planting a battery in front of Kennesaw mountain, in August, 1863.
For the above history of Captain James R. Percy I am indebted to Mr. A. D. Downing, of Chardon.