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THOMPSON,
BY F. M. LEONARD, ESQ.,
Situated in the northeast corner of Geauga county, an average of eight miles from its north line to the southern shore of Lake Erie, and its highest point is said to be seven hundred and one feet above the waters of Lake Erie, and one thousand two hundred and seventy-five feet above meantide water of the Atlantic. It is divided into forty-two lots, of some three hundred and eighty-five acres each—was surveyed by one Chester Elliot, of Hambden, in this county, in the year 1809. From authority at hand, its name was by and for one Matthew Thompson, of Suffield, Connecticut, and as the Reserve was mapped out into ranges and tracts, this was designated as lying in range six, tract ten, of the Connecticut Western Reserve, for Ohio was not known as a State till after settlement was commenced in this township. It was incorporated in 1801.
In its geological formation the conglomerate or pebbly sandstone forms the underlying of the township. The well-known ledge at this place furnishes a fine exposure of the rock, and gives a rugged and very romantic character to the place, and many visitors are attracted to the place, especially during the summer season. A hotel, with small accommodations, was started as early as 1868, by one William Gilbreath, and the failure to be remunerative arose from want of sufficient funds to prepare suitable accommodations for boarding on a large scale, and was abandoned in 1876, and yet there is an opening for a paying business, with the right man in the right place.
Read in his report to Professor Newberry, State geologist, says the dip of the ledge here is from four to five degrees to the southwest. Of course a great amount of sandstone is quarried here, and taken a great distance for bridge and building purposes. The Berea grit is shown some in the northwest part of the township, but crops out more abundantly at Footville, southeast from us, where it enters Ashtabula county.
The forests, of course, partake of and mark the geological features along the line, and probably more of the oak and chestnut abound in this than any other of the townships of the county, and the high lands seem, when cleared, to furnish good pasturage, and are good for all purposes of tillage. The clay grounds are not as stiff as those of the more clay townships.
The first public road of which we have any record, was laid and reported, by a committee appointed by the Connecticut land company, January 30, 1798, running from Conneaut to Cleveland, through Sheffield, Plymouth, and Austinburg, here crossing a fordable place on the bend of Grand river, near where Mechanicsville now stands, and was marked by an Indian trail, thence through Harpersfield, striking Thompson near the northwest corner of lot forty-two, across thirty-one, southeast part of lot number thirty, the northwest part of lot twenty-nine, rising the ledge on lot twenty, on lands owned by. Reuben B. Chaffee, where as late as 187o, he is able to show scarred trees, thence south, crossing east and west center road fifty rods east of the village, on to lot number twenty-one, and crossing the road running south, near Roger R. Warner's and Richard Matthew's, across the old farm of Otis Howe, where the trace of the girdling is nearly lost, but scars are to be found on this lot (twenty-one) at the late date of 1876, and both Otis and Rufus Howe report it as a good place for gathering hoop-poles in an early day along this trace, Continuing, it touched
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the northwest corner of lot twenty-two, through lot fifteen, corner of fourteen, where the trace is still visable-as reported by Ovando Pomeroy-across the entire lots eleven and two into Leroy, thence along what is now termed the plank road, built from Fairport to Warren more than twenty years or more ago, leaving that and crossing Big Creek into Concord, and passing westward to Judd's corners, and still on by the old Perkins camp, so called, to Little Mountain. This road is often spoken of as Wayne's road, but the absurdity is plainer than the trace, as we find Gen. Wayne succeeding Gen. St. Clair in 1793, and in 1794 had a successful battle with the Indians, near Maumee, Ohio, and soon after Gen. Wayne was put in command of the garrison at Erie, Pennsylvania, died in 1805, and buried at the foot of the flag-staff, and subsequently his remains were removed to some more distant part of Pennsylvania, near his early home.
To the Editors of the Painesville Telegraph :
In your issue of July 6th, I perceive that my article on the Girdled Road has provoked my friend Leonard of Thompson, if not to love, to good works.
I have heard the Girdled Road called Wayne’s Trace, when speaking of it before, Why it is so called I have yet to ascertain. General Wayne defeated the Indians at the battle of Fallen Timber, August 20, 1794. Wayne's army marched north from Cincinnati, and returned the same route. Wayne had command, after this, of the U. S. garrison at Erie, Pennsylvania, where he died in 1805 (I think), and was buried at the foot of the flag-staff. His remains were removed, a few years since. to his native county, Chester, Pennsylvania,
I am not able to find any disturbance to call out troops under General Wayne that would need a military road through northern Ohio. But let us have light on the subject. Friend L. says. " but not many can 1ell now where it was." How true; but is it no1 worthy of attention, that those few be interviewed, and the points and bearings of this first road laid out and cut out on the Reserve, through the various towns, so those that come after us can trace it, even at the Centennial?
C. C. BRONSON.
CIVIL ORGANIZATION.
The township received its charter of incorporation, March, 1817, and the first election under it was held April 7, 1817, at which time the following officers were elected:
Seth Hulbert, - Clerk.
Trustees
Mark Barnes,
Leman Copley,
Martin Williams,
Overseers of Poor
Daniel Pomeroy,
Joseph Bartlett,
Fence Viewers
Azor B. Sumner
Aretas Clapp
Retire Trask, jr., - Appraiser.
Eleazer Pomeroy, - Appraiser and Lister.
Ezekiel Dunham, - Treasurer.
Constables
Joseph Bartlett, jr.,
Martin Williams
Supervisors of Highways
Aretas Clapp,
Abner Stockwell,
Eleazer Pomeroy,
John C. Chase,
Martin Williams,
As late as March 5, 1821, we find, at the annual settlement of township trustees' account of receipts and expenditures for the year ending at that date:
Balance in treasury at last settlement - $1 00
Trustees fevied a tax half equal to county tax - 8 30 $9 30
From which deduct poor-master's warrant - $0 25
Clerk, for writing paper .38
And township books 5 63
Balance $3 67
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For some years the township expenses were something like the above. By the different names appearing at this 'election, we infer that settlers came in during 1816 and '17 somewhat numerously, as a number that did not vote in April of that year, were here later in the season.
August is, 1817, Mark Barnes received commission as justice of the peace, but there is nothing on record to show when he was elected. The following re, ceived commissions for justices of the peace:
DanieL Miller, November 13, 1820.
Ira Harding, February 11, 1822,
Rowland Moseley, November 7, 1823.
Charles Goodrich, May 26, 1827, served 9 terms.
John Glass, Dec, 17, 1827, and Oct. 8, 1830.
Beth Hulbert, October 26, 1833.
Noah Moseley, jr,, October 20, 1836, served 12 terms.
Lyman R. Miller, September 11, 1839.
Wyllis Foot, Augus1 31, 1844.
Matthew S. Green, April 7, 1855.
Augustus Tillotson, November 2, 1859.
Phillip Wilson, January 2, 1863.
S. E. Spencer, December 21, 1870.
Darius Woolcott, December 8, 1873.
A. E. Miller, April 8, 1870
H. B. Palmer, June 19, 1875.
FIRST SETTLEMENT.
The first settler of this township was Dr. Isaac Palmer, who was born in Plainfield, Windham county, Connecticut, in 1770, and studied for, and commenced the practice of medicine, before he was twenty-five years old. His practice was confined to the region where he was born, as he did not practice much after he came to Ohio. He married Lois Maltby, of Goshen, Conn., some two years younger than himself-the exact date of which event we are not possessed of, but a daughter they called Anna, was born to them, in 1796, who died at Concord, Ohio, in 1875, a widow with several children. In 1799 they were at Buffalo, New York, and lost a child; nine days old.
In 1800 we find them in Thompson, on lot eleven, decoyed thither by the pledge of one King, of Connecticut, a landholder, that he should have the agency of all lands in his name. He chopped, and cleared some sixteen acres, but, being dissatisfied with his treatment at the hands of King, "pulled up stakes," and moved to Concord, Ohio, to what was known as "Perkin's Camp," near the south line of the township, where he remained a year or so, and then moved within two miles of Painesville, on the north line of Concord township, where he lived till 1840, when he died, possessed of some four hundred acres of land, and two, or more, thousand dollars worth of personal property, the accumulation of his forty years of toil.
While in Thompson, in 1802, a son was born to them, which was, of course, the first child born in the township. He was named Isaac, and now (1876) is living in the northwest corner of Concord, with a family of two sons and four daughters living in the vicinity.
The doctor sailed his own boat from Buffalo to Fairport, and up Grand river opposite Thompson, having for company, his wife, child, and a man named Sackett. In those days Grand river was at full banks, and, as they were going up the stream, having some fruit trees that he brought with him from the east, stopped and planted them on what is known as the General Paine farm, in Painesville, where they are still growing. In two years, say in 1802, Dr. Palmer returned to Connecticut, settled up Sackett's affairs, and brought on his family. Sackett afterwards went to Windsor, Ashtabula county.
I was interested in the sketch of Palmer, the first settler of Thompson; his companion in his journey, Mr. Sackett, I had some acquaintance with. Skene Douglass Sackett was born in Milford, New Haven county, Connecticut; was a soldier of the Revolution, in the Connecticut line. He married Hannah Saxton, a native of that portion of the ancient town of Waterbury, now called Middlebury, in the same county. They removed from Connecticut to the Whitestown country, as it was then called, in 1798 or 1799, where he rented a farm, on the
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reservation of the Brothtown Indians in Oneida county, New York. In 1803, as Mr. Leonard says, Mr. Sackett's family came to Painesville, where they lived for two or three years. They lived in Windsor for many years, but they have passed away with those who were contemporary with them. The hardships and privations endured by the pioneers of that day seem almost incredible, but still in the mouth of many witnesses the truth is fixed. Mrs. Sackett was one of twenty children, whose remains are resting in Connecticut, in New York, and Ohio. Mr. Sackett was a pensioner, and lived to an advanced age. Mr. and Mrs. Sackett had four children, viz: Polly, who married A. Crandall, her second husband, Luman Frisbie; Garry, Chauncey, and Horace. I have known but little of the family for the last forty years. I have been recently informed that Chauncey Sackett is dead.
Dr. Palmer purchased several hundred dollars worth of provisions, and other necessaries, at Buffalo; so, it would seem, he had some money at this time, and started with his boat; but, part way up the lake, a storm coming up, they went ashore and unloaded the boat, taking everything back on the beach, except a sow and pigs, which were left on board, and made the boat fast to a tree. They camped back in the woods. On arising in the morning, to their astonishment, all their cargo was washed away, the boat tossing on the furious waves, and the sow and pigs were squealing, and subsequently lost. This took the doctor's funds, and additionally, after he had succeeded in reaching home, he was prostrated with fever, which well nigh took his life, and conspired to reduce his revenue, so that he had little left when, in 1803, he resolved to abandon Thompson. How many incidents would have been treasured, had children thought of their being placed in history. So in this case; even his children have little idea of his living with no neighbor within ten miles, as was the case, and none to call at his cabin door but Indians, and rattlesnakes crawling into his house between the logs; and yet a multitude of such incidents abounded; and now, when flour can be obtained every two or three miles, all prepared for use, think of the doctor taking twenty bushels of wheat, from one Merry, of Mentor, and with two yoke of oxen, going to Burton to get it ground, having to leave it, and go again for the flour, taking three weeks to perform the round; cutting underbrush, and hunting game to satisfy the demands of a healthy stomach.
The doctor was successful in after life, having secured some four hundred acres of land, and counted his personal property at twenty-five hundred dollars, with no debts outstanding.
He was struck in the abdomen by a plow handle, while cultivating corn, which caused his death within forty-eight hours. He died in June, 1840.
Colonel Davenport was here about the same time, with Palmer. Davenport came from near New Haven, Connecticut, and owned one thousand one hundred and fifty-eight acres in lots twenty-two, twenty-three, and forty; commenced on lot twenty-three, near where Darius Tillotson died in 1877. Davenport had several boys, but the family were disconnected, and after chopping a few acres, went back as far as Onondaga county, New York, and gave this land to Judge Bradley for his future support; and subsequently Adenijah Tillotson bought nine hundred and fifty-eight acres of this land for one dollar per acre, and this land was afterwards divided between his boys, Loyal, Marcus, Darius, Augustus, and Ashbel. Ashbel is the only one of the brothers now living (1876), though the lands all remain in the hands of descendants, except the two hundred acres to Augustus. Loyal came in 1819, cleared three acres on his own land, and three acres that Davenport had chopped, and sowed the whole six acres, returning in 1820. He was married in Scipio, New York, and in 1821 returned and lived on the farm here till 1875, when he died. The following notice of his funeral was communicated to the Geauga Republican:
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"February 8th, Dr, Loyal Tillotson, who had also resided here for some fifty years, mingling more with the families of the community, of course his life was more thoroughly interwoven with all, and his loss is more deeply felt. To speak of him in language that shall speak his worth is what I what cannot do. Identified with the Presbyterian church soon after its formation in this place
though Congregational in his views of church policy, yet for several years he was one of the deacons, and when, in 1836, some twenty or more declared for New England Congregationalism, he was active in the formation of the new church, and was an officer and leading member, doing much to build up and supply contributing largely to all the required funds.
"When I first became acquainted with him, in 1837, he was regarded as a dangerous man, because a "quack" of the Thompsonian school, and many joined in the cry, he is not fit to live ; but l tive he did, and that to outlive prejudice and become an essential instead of a dangerous man. His practice was widely extended and much sought, and he continued it till a few months since, when obliged to yiefd, he sunk down worn with midnight rides and contention with storms, A closing paragraph from his funeral sermon, preached by Rev. C. E, Page, on the eleventh, will finish what I shall say:
“Our dear personal friend and brother, whose death we this day lament, lived and died in the Lord He knew what it is to have fellowship with the Son of God—For him to live was Chrrst—He lived, yet not he, for Christ lived in him. Through many years his tenderest sympathies, his profoundest convictions, were in harmony with the spirit and work of his Master. Gifted by nature as few men are, of daring and inquiring mind, ready to investigate anv of the social, scientific or religious problems of this thinking age, he vet clung tenaciously to the Cross of Christ, and the fundamental principles of our holy Christianity.
" 'It was no1 my privilege to know hint M the strength of his manhood, but, in his declining days, I learned both to respect and love him. He had a noble mind, a great and generous soul. As I tried to preach the gospel, his evident sympathy, his intelligent appreciation vacancy, were an inspiration, and when sickness kept him from the public service, I felt that a real vacancy had occurred.
" In a long and extensive practice of forty-five years, no poor man applied in vain for professional aid, and he in no single instance resorted to legal measures to secure his dues. I believe he had
large and just views of life. His object in life was wish to amass wealth, but to get and do good.
He often said to me, ‘When I can do no more good I wish to die.’
"'During our protracted religious meetings, he was very anxious for our success. He longed to
be present at our gatherings, and being deprived this privilege, his constant prayer at his home was
that his brethren might be spiritually strengthened, and sinful men converted. The night he died he
refrained from retiring until his family returned from service, that he might know the result,
"'But he has gone. The community has lost an estimable and honored citizen, and an intelligent, generally successful practitioner of medicine. His bereaved wife has lost a loving and faithful
husband, and his children an indulgent and tender father. Take him all in all, we shall life's sea,
soon look upon his like again. The gallant ship which so long battled k the storms and waves of life has at fast cast anchor in the haven of eternal rest. The great, restless brain, whose thoughts were ever on and on, has solved the problem of life, and the soul has which beat the with so much fellowship of the good and sympathy toward all men. unclogged from cumbersome clay, has risen to the fellowship of the good of ages.'"
Darius came as late as 1823, and during the first five years cleared over twenty acres. He married a daughter of Noah Moseley.
These improved and cleared before settling on them. I think it was as late as 1841 before the last one, Ashbel, became permanently settled, and is still on his place (1876).
Nothing more appears of progress, till 1808, when Joseph Bartlett, with his wife, three sons, and four daughters, left South Hampton, Massachusetts, May 10, 1808, and reached Thompson, June 20, 1818, one Stockwell, accompanying them. He came with a span of horses, and yoke of oxen, as far as Buffalo, New York. In western New York, somewhere, one of the oxen died, causing some delay, but they succeeded in exchanging the live ox, and the hide of the dead one, for a young pair, intending Changing of with their teams, but the young failed before reaching Buffalo, where they exchanged the team for a boat, which was, however, a poor thing. Open, without with poles and blankets for sails, spar or sail, and urged on with oars, except at times, with favorable winds, when they would scud along, with little to do, except to steer the boat. They usually sailed only in day time, spending the nights on the shore, tying their boat to trees, and building camp-fires on shore; cooked and eat, and slept, though sometimes under favoring gales, they would sail a part or all night, thus making the trip from Buffalo to Fairport, in two weeks, and arriving there, were still twelve or more miles from the goal, which took them two days to perform, having much of the way to cut a roadway, where they arrived at mid afternoon, without a shelter over them, and all hands
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worked with a will, to accomplish the object; first, cutting a hemlock, and stripping or peeling off the bark, with which they made the roof; and for sides, hung blankets, and thus equipped for the night, retired to rest, and probably weary ones never retired with more self-satisfaction; nor had they, probably, during all their journey from Connecticut to Ohio, over the rough way, and amid strangers. They spread the boughs of the hemlock to soften the place, as well as prevent other exposure to the bedding and camp, with a good prospect of comfort ; but had only just settled themselves quietly, when a peculiar noise or rattling was heard among the bedding of the "old folks;" and with light and search, soon found a rattlesnake, come to see why this innovation, on his heretofore undisputed territory —had come to see the baby, the first one on lot number four. Imagine, then, but not vainly, that snake stories had a reality to them ; and, of course, this new dilemma would work up the nerves somewhat; and it would be easy after that to suspect others would be on hand to dispute their possession; and so it was, for just as quiet was restored, they were startled by hearing, stepping outside their habitation, and brush cracking, and leaves rustling, which the previous start had prepared them, to attribute to the presence of wolves, bears, or other wild animals, but the morning only revealed quite a drove of elks. However, scares were frequent; and no wonder, for the nearest neighbor was two or three miles through the forest, and in this case, having to pass over a deep gully, no others at this time living in the township. The clearing of Dr. Palmer, more than a mile from them, enticed the cows often to wander to, as furnishing grass, not to be had elsewhere ; and when the men were too busy to spare one of the boys, the girls were deputed to drive the cows; and on one occasion, Theodocia went to this Palmer lot, and seeing an Indian, instead of cows, she started, by no means slantingly, homeward, but was confronted in her path by another Indian, as she supposed, only a little way, and thought, surely, she was captured. It was the same Indian, who, seeing she was frightened, had run ahead of her, and assured her he would not hurt her, and did not wish her to go and tell that the Indians were after her. But she didn't drive the cows that night.
The Indians were not hostile, one called one day rather frightening the women, but after getting something to eat, left, but returned in the night, and the women were not well quieted after the scare of the day, and so fastening doors and windows securely, all went to the upper room to sleep. Stockwell had returned, so that they were not all alone, but in the night their dusky friend returned, and tried hard to gain admittance by door or window. Not succeeding, he went on the roof of the house, and let himself down the chimney, and began to ascend the ladder to the room of the terrified lodgers, having procured first a light when Stockwell, with a club, secured beforehand, met him at the top, and prevented him from further, showing the large knife he had, or getting as he claimed his only intention was some dried venison he had discovered hanging, when he was there in the daytime.
One more scare: Some time about the close of the war of 1812, one John Lemon came to the settlement, and dressed as an Indian, which caused much fright to the women as all the men, but Stockwell, were away, and he at the barn threshing. They watched the supposed Indian go toward the barn, heard a gun, and the flail ceased; and the supposition was, Stockwell was killed, and one of the girls ran for two miles to the men with the probabilities, and the others breathlessly almost waited their return when, on peering with great cautiousness, Stockwell and the old Indian sat talking. It turned out that Lemon had adopted this costume as a hunting one, and in his wanderings, came out here, and hearing threshing at the barn, went that way, and passing a little from the gaze of the women, as he neared the barn, discovered a hawk sitting on a
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stump near by, and fired, and then, of course, the hawk fell, and the flail stopped, and thus ended as many another scare had done—bloodlessly.
One thing that was a serious trouble to these pioneers, as of others of the Reserve, was the want of mills. The first years these had to go to Parkman, twenty miles, to get grinding.
After a few years, Martin built a mill near where Fay's mill stands, and then they felt much relief as a boy could do the man's work, going on horseback with a bag of wheat or corn. One of these trips is worthy of record: Once late in the fall of the year, Preserved was dispatched with a bag of grain on the horse, he about thirteen years old. He arrived all right, but had to wait so long for his turn to come, that it was near night when he started homeward. It was cloudy, and he did not realize the lateness of the hour, and had pro- deeded but a little way, when night overtook him, and his road lay nearly all the way through the woods, only the brush cut away, and to make his situation worse, it began to rain, and he without coat or shoes. He feared from the abundance of wild animals that infested the woods, and stuck to the horse, letting him take his own way himself, holding a stick before his face to keep the limbs from scratching his face, or knocking off his hat. In that way he plodded on what seemed to him a long way when suddenly the horse stopped. Dismounting, found before him a fence which he let down, and remounting, went on as before, not knowing whither, and in a short time the horse again stopped, but this time at an old barn. This time the boy thought best to stay till morning, so putting his grist in the barn, his horse in the stable himself, crawled into the hay wet to the skin from the rain. Not long after, he felt something jump on the mow, and pass around almost directly over him several times. Having heard wolves howling during his ride, he thought first of them, but soon it jumped down, and went away, and as he lay expecting its return, he fell asleep, and did not awake till daylight to find snow three or four inches deep, and the wind cold. Looking around, found himself one mile from the nearest house, so taking his horse from the stable, and reloading his grist, tried walking beside his horse, but the snow was so cold to his feet, he got on and rode, but was much chilled. When he got to Kenieppe's, where Hungerford now lives, he found his father waiting for him.
One more incident: Theodocia, at one time, when about seventeen, started to go to Mentor, on horseback, leaving home before noon, that she might have ample time, taking with her a roll of flannel her mother had woven for some one in that vicinity. It was in the month of October. The leaves had fallen, and much obscured the path, so that her guide was the blazed, or marked, trees; but, amid her musings, she had almost neglected even to notice these, and the horse supposed he might go where the footing was good, till at length she found herself lost to the path, and began at once searching for it by reining her horse this way and that; but, often coming to the original starting place, the idea of being lost came over her with living reality, and her subsequent wanderings that afternoon revealed not her proximity to the right path. As nightfall came on, it gave her no pleasure to think of spending a night in the woods, with no company but her horse, and that, too, only a few miles from home. At length, riding to the foot of a tree from which, protruded a large branch, or knot, she alighted and began arrangements for the night. First hanging her bonnet on a limb over her head, thinking that if evil befell her some one might discover this and get a reasonable clue to her, and then placing the bridle rein on her arm, she folded her arms together firmly, sat down, and gathered herself as compactly as she well could, on that chilly October night, and composed herself for sleep, if possible, in one of the largest bed-rooms ever occupied by mortal, and herself doubtful if the door was so securely fastened as to prevent molestation.
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During the night, her reverie was broken by distant sounds, resembling the blowing of horns, and hope sprang up with her that, being missed, search was being made. But, alas, as it neared her, it proved sounds with which she was not familiar, and when they came so near in the crackling brush that glaring eyes and snapping teeth caused her horse, which she had already mounted, to snort furiously, then it was that she concluded that it was wolves that had been blowing what she had hoped was horns. But He who held the fastening of that room door had so ordered that this nighi's experience should lead her to commence a life of trust, and that the developments of the future should show her the care of Him that "slumbers not, nor sleepeth." And in the loneliness of that night, as she prayed, she pledged her future service to her God, if He, in His goodness would restore her to the right path, and thus she be brought to her friends, and felt a degree of quiet assurance that she should he guided from that place in safety. When the morning at length came, and she turned her back upon this ever-to-be-remembered lodging place for a night, she gave the rein to Him whose guardian care had so signally kept her, and, as if by unknown agency, her horse brought her, at sunrise, to the old familiar marked trees, and though she knew not where she was, yet the right direction was taken and she arrived at Painesville at no very late breakfast time. But her promise made there she kept well till December, 1872, when she died, with her daughter, Mrs. Garis, in Thompson, in her eighty-first year.
In October, she married Seth Hulbert, and to them were born three sons and four daughters, all of whom survived her save one daughter. Her husband died in 1843, and in 1847 she married Warren Corning, of Mentor, with whom she lived some years, when she was again a widow, and in May, 1856, she married Robert Murray, of Concord, and lived with him some five years, and, in 1863, married Lemuel Baldwin, formerly of Concord, and lived with him some four years, when, he becoming insane, it was not thought best for them to live together, and his son, Silas, took him to Iowa, where he lingered a year or more, and died without becoming rational. She survived them to finish life amid much suffering, being afflicted with what a post-mortem examination proved to be cancer of the stomach. She, with her first husband, was among the first to join in the formation of the Congregational church, making a public profession of faith in Christ, and her last words to her children only made them love her christian character.
Joseph Bartlett settled on lot four, taking his land in exchange for land in Southampton, of one Bond. He was a christian man, and much interested to have settlers of like character come to the place, and as fast as settlers came an interest was generated for the building up of good society and the foundations laid therefor. Bartlett lived till 1830. His wife survived him some twenty years, and died at the age of eighty-six. Bartlett's children bear him witness that immediately on his arrival in his new home he established a family altar, and morning and evening offered his sacrifice thereon, and as soon as two or three more settlers came, of his turn of thought, meetings were instituted and held on the Sabbath wherever it would best accommodate, till some ten years later when a building was erected at the center of the township, and then the place of meeting became permanent. Bartlett and wife were the first to leave the Hambden church, where for a few years they were members, and joined in the formation of the Congregational church of Thompson in 1850.
Abner Stockwell, who came with him, married Lucy, in 181o, and settled adjoining the homestead. To them were born five boys and two girls—the firstborn, Abner, died at fifty-four years, and was the first horn resident of any years, as his father's was the first marriage, also. But father and mother are gone. Two sons only of the family are remaining near the foundation of the old home.
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Seth Hulburt, sr., and Seth, jr., came also in 1808, performing the journey—the father on horseback and the son on foot, the son arriving first. Subsequently the father returned and removed his family the same year, consisting of four girls and two boys, with the wife, and settled near the Bartletts'. The father did not live more than two years and died very suddenly while away from home in Concord, a little to the northwest of Dr. Palmer's, where he, with one Trask, was engaged in making shingles. His widow subsequently married one Cook, and lived and died in Burton. Seth married Theodocia Bartlett in 1811, and settled in the same neighborhood, where he lived till 1843, and there died. At the organization of the township he was elected township clerk, which office he held for a number of years, and served in other official capacities, and was also, one term, a justice of the peace; was a very positive man, and a man of sympathy towards the poor. For many years after the formation of the Congregational church he was one of its members.
Of the exact date of the arrival of individual families, it is impossible now to determine. In 1809, one Daniel Pomeroy came with his family, consisting of four or five daughters and one or more sons, and settled east of the others, not more than one mile west of the present center, and father and mother were both buried on a little knoll on the farm, and the place, though desolate from neglect, is still marked by poor marble. I am not able to speak of the family as only one. Mrs. Dolly Howe, widow of Otis Howe, is still living in the township, having lived there uninterruptedly since coming. A faithful and much respected christian lady ; she has been the mother of four girls and three boys, only two girls are living.
Retire Trask came into the neighborhood of Bartlett's near this time, with three sons—Retire, Benjamin, and Isaac. Mrs. Trask did not live long, and was among the early dead—a child of Joseph Bartlett, jr., and also one of Seth Hulburt, sr., dying before her. Retire, jr., married Asenith Bartlett in 1816, and five boys and four girls were born to them. Mrs. Trask still lives (1877),
a widow by her second marriage.
In 1801, Elisha Miller, jr., came from Farmington, Connecticut, in company with Dr. 0. K. Hawley, and Jesse Hawley, as far as Austinburg, Ashtabula county, on horseback, with the intention of coming to Thompson, as his father owned one thousand acres of land, situated about equally in lots one and twenty-seven, and two hundred acres in lot thirty-seven. Accordingly, he went to lot one and chopped and girdled some timber; boarding with Dr. Palmer. They had some little misunderstanding about the matter, and, after a few months, Miller went back to Austinburg. His horse, which had been turned into the woods, with others, could not be readily found, and so he started back to Connecticut on foot. His horse was subsequently found and returned. The above lands were afterwards, by the death of the senior Miller, conveyed to others, and, as early as 1818, we find Daniel Miller, a brother, in the settlement of the estate, in possession of what was on lot twenty-seven, and living near where the Cottam family now live. He was elected a justice of the peace in 1818. He resided here until 1825. In 1819, we find him in a district school, in the Bartlett settlement. He subsequently preached. He went froth here to Bristol and was afterward prominent in the establishment of the excellent and prominent school at Farmington, Ohio. He held the first coroner's inquest in this township, at the house of Mark Barnes, over the body of one Benjamin Trask, who was found dead near the foot of Stony Ridge, west from Bostwick's corners. But who composed the jury, we are unable to learn. This was in the spring of 1819.
No means are at hand to tell how fast settlers came in after this, until some six or seven years later; but we find reported as soldiers of the war of 1812
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Joseph Bartlett, jr., Abner Stockwell, Seth Hulbert, Retire Trask, Wm. Gee, and Eleazer Pomeroy, who made knapsacks for themselves and went on the call as far as Fairport, but returned without getting a sniff of war.
Things among the few settlers progressed but slowly, so that in 18'6 there -were but nine families in the township, viz: Wm. Gee, Joseph Bartlett, Joseph Bartlett, jr., Seth Hulbert, Martin Williams, Daniel Pomery, and Eleazer Sumner; and these were in different parts of the township.
In 1816, Mark Barnes and family arrived, and settled on lot eleven, on the lands that Dr. Palmer had vacated several years before. With the entrance of this family new strength was imparted to the few families in that part of the town. Especially was an effort made to have Sabbath worship maintained, which was immediately instituted, and, as fast as possible, the way was opened toward the center of the township, for permanent holding of meetings. Especially Bartlett and Barnes were anxious for an increase of religious privileges. These few settlers were also anxious for school privileges, and set about securing them by opening a school in the house of Trask, and Miss Lovina Hulbert was the first one to act the part of school ma'am in this wild place, Miss Sylvia Barnes was the second, and by this time a building was given for the use of this work,
near where James H. Wilson recently died; Joseph Bartlett owning it at that time.
Mark Barnes was born in Connecticut, November 12, 1764, and married Miss Sarah Roberts, who was his senior from April to November. Moved to Southampton in 1806, where he lived till 1816, when, with his family, he started for Ohio. His family consisted of four daughters and one son. One of the daughters was married, and had two children, who, with the husband, accompanied the family on their western bound trip. One of the daughters kept a journal of the journey which I am permitted to copy, which, although near sixty years have passed, is in so good a condition as to be easily read, though not written in the angular hand of to-day, is open and fair. She commences, and offered to contrast the toilsome method of 1816, and that of 1875, in performing a journey:
"Southampton, January 25, 1816, Thursday.—We set out on our journey for New Connecticut State of Ohio, went from Southampton through Westfield and Russell, and put up in Chester village, and put up for the first night at Burbanks' tavern, a distance of seventeen miles.
"Friday, January 26th.—Came on through Chester up the Becket mountains as far as Baird's tavern, distance fifteen miles; had the ill luck coming up the mountains to lose a gallon of gin.
"Saturday, January 27.—Leaving Baird's, we came through Lee and into old Stockbridge, a distance of ten miles, and put up with Jonathan Hicks.
"Sabbath, January 28th.—Came through West Stockbridge and Canaan to Chatham, put up with Samuel Foot, traveling a distance of fourteen miles, entering the bounds of York State.
"Monday, January 29th.-Journeying on, came through Nassau and Schodack, and put up with — Payne; a distance of sixteen miles.
"January 30th.—Came through Greenbush, crossing the North river through Albany and Guilderland, and put up at Case's tavern, a distance of sixteen miles. Six of the company were innoculated for kinepox, and here we are all alive and well.
"Wednesday, January 31.—Came through New Aynesburg into Schoharrie, crossed the Schoharrie bridge, and put up at Bartley's tavern; distance of sixteen miles.
"Thursday, February 1st.—Proceeding on our way through Carlisle and Sharon, a distance of seventeen miles, and put up with one Doolittle.
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"February 2nd.—Came through Sharon and Cherry Valley into Springfield, a distance of fifteen miles and a half, and put up at Mr. Brown's.
"February 3rd.—Through Springfield and Warren, and into Richfield, and put
up at Landlord Hatch's tavern. Our day's work : the travel of twelve miles.
"'Sabbath, February 4th.—Came .through Richfield, Bridgewater and Sangerfield, and put up at Norton's tavern, making a distance of sixteen miles.
"Monday, February 5th.—Spent the day at Norton's in Sangerfield. Aretas' children were both sick, and we had to get a new axletree made for the ox-wagon, which prevented altogether any advance on our journey.
"February 6th.—Came through Madison, and into Eaton, and put up at the tavern of T. Clark, making a distance of seventeen miles, and here we swapped away the black cattle we had of Mr. Bates.
"Wednesday, 7th.—Came through Nelson and Cazenovia into Manlius, and put up at the tavern of Mr. Morse, having traveled seventeen miles.
"February 8th.—Traveled only twelve miles, and put up with Mr. Sammons in Salina, where we staid till Saturday, as Aretas' children were quite sick,
"Saturday, February 10th.—Came through Onondaga into Camillus, and put up with one Mears; distance of twelve miles.
"Sabbath, 11th.—Aretas' children grew more unwell, and we traveled only eight miles, and put up at Noah Olmsted's, in Aurelius, passing through the town of Brutus. Employed a doctor for the youngest child, which was very sick, and remained over.
"Monday, February 12th.—The child still being very sick, the doctor coming
the second time.
"Tuesday 13th.—The child being some better, we started. Aretas and wife and children, and mother, passed through Auburn and Cayuga, crossing Cayuga bridge, one mile in length, putting up with one Julius Hooper. Distance fourteen miles.
"Wednesday, 14th.—Passed on through to Phelpstown, distance sixteen and
one-half miles, and stayed with one Warner. Weather cold.
"February, 15th.—Passed on through Gorham, Canandaigua, into East Bloomfield, stopping with Carter; fourteen miles.
"Friday, 16th.—Came through West Bloomfield, Lima, and Avon; seventeen miles. Put up at Hosmer's, and the family came up with us here.
"February 18th.—Once more all together, though not very well. We left Avon, and passed through Caledonia into Troy, as far as J. Ganson's, crossing the Genessee river, and traveling fifteen miles.
"Sabbath, 18th.—Traveled fifteen miles, and put up in Batavia with Mr. Thomas.
"Monday, 19th.—Came on through Pembroke, Florence, and Claren's, putting up with Peter Vanderveter, traveling, to-day, fifteen miles. Mr. Bartlett was sick, so as to call a physician.
"Tuesday, 20th.—Leaving Bartlett, and a hand, to look after and assist him, passed through Clarens into Buffalo, a distance of fifteen miles, and stayed at J. Pitcher's.
"Wednesday, 21st. —Passed into Hamburg, a distance of nineteen miles, crossing Buffalo creek on the ice. Saw a sleigh drawn by five jacks, also a sled and a man drawn by a large black dog. Here the sick that had been left behind, came up, at Mr. Camp's tavern.
"Thursday, February 2d.—Starting, turned our wagons on to the ice of Lake Erie, traveling a distance of seventeen miles. Arrived save at Wm. Cash's tavern, in Eden. A span of horses were drowned in the lake to-day family all saved.
"Friday, February 23d.—Our journey to-day through the woods, with mud and
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water, till we came to Cattaraugus creek, which we crossed safely on the ice, and came as far as N. Goodwin's, in Hanover; a distance of eleven miles.
"Saturday, 24th.—Made our way as best we could along the rough and ragged roads, through the woods, passing through Pomfret's, Canandaigua, in Portland, and put up with T. Sprague. Hard thunder shower to-day.
"Sabbath, February 25th.—Traveled a distance of twelve miles, stopping with T. Cass, in Portland.
"Monday, February 26th.—Journeying on, we left the bounds of the State of New York, and entered Pennsylvania, stopping in the town of Northeast, with Mr. Brown. A distance of fifteen miles. Heard of a yoke of oxen and horse drowned yesterday, in attempting to cross Cattaraugus creek.
"Tuesday, February 27th.—Traveled only twelve miles, in consequence of our horse-wagon breaking down. Stayed with Mr. Gage, in Milford, while repairs were made.
"Wednesday, 28th.—Came through Mill creek, Erie, into Fairview, twenty miles, and stayed at N. Wolverton's.
"Thursday, 29th.—Passed through Springfield into Salem, twelve miles, putting up at H. Lake's tavern, in the State of Ohio.
"Friday, March 1st—Traveled sixteen miles through Kingsville, into Ashtabula, stopping with Mr. Benham.
"Saturday, March 2d.—Came through Matherstown and Harpersfield, into Madison, and put up at the tavern of one Mixor; a distance of seventeen miles.
"Sabbath, March 3d.—On account of high water in Grand river, remained at Mixor's all day.
"Monday, March 4th.—Hired a man to boat us across the river, which was accomplished with safety to people and goods, and we found ourselves in Thompson township, after a wearisome journey of five hundred and thirty miles, requiring forty days to accomplish."
Nearly all the settlers of the township were at the ford to assist and greet the new-comers, and, after landing, some stakes were driven, fire kindled, and Mrs. Barnes cooks a dinner for a township, which was well accepted, and then began the forward movement to their future home, some of whom reached Bartlett's that night, and some the next day. Only one of the family is now (1876) living. Maria, wife of Rufus Howe, came into town about the same time. He married Sylvia first, afterwards Maria.
C. C. BRONSON, OF TALLMADGE,
second husband of Mrs. Enoch Scott, read the following interesting sketch of the life of one of the most prominent pioneers of Thompson:
"Thomas Scott, of Hartford, an original proprietor, but not a settler, of Farmington, had a son, Edmund. He, E., settled in Farmingon at an early date, and among the first settlers of Mattatuck, now Waterbury, in 1674. The Scotts settled in the various towns that have been formed from the ancient town of Waterbury. Uri Scott, the sixth generation in regular descent from Thomas Scott, of Harford. Uri Scott married Esther Roberts, December 26, 178o, and they had nine children. Enoch and Abial were once residents of this township. Enoch Scott was born a few rods south of the ancient town line, run by a committee between Waterbury and Woodbury, on the west of Waterbury, and on the south between Waterbury and Derby, in 1680. He was born in the present town of Oxford, New Haven county, Connecticut, on the 29th of May, 1795. His education was obtained in the common schools of Connecticut, and limited at that, but he made good Ilse of his time in school. His parents were not blessed with an abundance of this world's goods, and having a family of nine to feed and clothe, it compelled them to forego the luxuries of
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life, and very many of the necessary comforts. At an early age, they had to labor hard to obtain a living. This was the case with Mr. Scott; he worked out for the farmers in the vicinity to help the family. He commenced work in the spring of 1813, in the adjoining town of Middlebury, for Dr. James Wooster, a good farmer. He worked for Mr. Wooster two years, or until the spring of 1815, his father taking his wages ; the summer of 1815, he may have worked for Mr. Wooster. He bought his time of his father six months before he was twenty-one. He made up his mind that the rocks and hills of Connecticut was no place for him. His mother, a good, prudent woman, made good home-spun clothing, and filling a knapsack, he left his father's house, on foot, to find himself a home in the west. He went to Southampton, Massachusetts, to his uncle, Mark Barnes, and found him on the point of leaving with his family for Ohio, having made an exchange with land proprietors, in town ten, range six, called Thompson, Geauga county, Ohio. He drove an ox team to the Western Reserve, or as it was known at an early day, New Connecticut. After a long and soil some journey, they at last found themselves at the end of their journey— he found the land he had bought in Massachusetts.
"This was in the spring of 1816. Mr. Barnes built a log cabin, and made his family as comfortable as circumstances would admit. This was on or near the house now owned by Horace Webster. Enoch Scott worked for his uncle Barnes, until he paid for ten acres of land. On this he built a log house, working in various places, chopping, clearing land, and other farm work. In this way, he furnished himself with the necessaries of life, and obtained some money.
"In 1818, he slung his knapsack, and started on foot for Connecticut, making the journey in fourteen or sixteen days. After spending a little time visiting parents, relatives and friends, he returned to Ohio in the same manner. His brother, Abial Scott, came with him. He then went to work on his little farm, and his aunt Barnes baked his bread, and he kept batchelor's hall. But he was not satisfied with his manner of living, so he made up his mind that a woman was a necessary fixture in a log house, so he goes over the river into Perry, to Mr. Joshua Morse's, and his daughter concluded she would keep house for him, and they were married September 27, 1820.
Jane Morse was born July 23, 1798, he being twenty-five and she twenty-two. They had but little of this world's goods to begin with. Mr. Scott, after his marriage, thought there might be occasions when a set of cups and saucers would not be out of place, so they went to the south part of Bondstown (now Hambden), at a place known at that day as Bartholomew's, and procured a set of a half dozen, and paid one dollar, for such as has been bought for twelve and a half cents since. But they were happy, and cheerfully met all of the little difficulties they had to encounter. Being of one heart and of one mind, prosperity crowned their efforts. They were prudent, industrious; she, with her spinning wheels and loom, soon had her house abundantly supplied with beds, bedding, clothing, and other necessary articles for family use, which have been carefully preserved and are now in the possession of his sons. Mrs. Scott was a most excellent housekeeper, kind in her disposition, quiet and unobtrusive. She lived her religion from day to day, an humble, devoted Christian life. She died December 29, 1843, aged forty-five. years.
"They had added to their farm, in addition to the original twenty acres, forty-seven acres more, and a good barn and a frame house finished. They had no children. Thus he was left, and after a suitable time he sought the hand of Clarissa A., daughter of Mr. Ashbel Munson, of Mentor. They were married November 24, 1844. By her he had two sons—Stiles E. and Orson W. Stiles was married on the thirteenth of December, 1871, to Miss Ella Case, of Hud-
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son. They are the owners of a fine farm in Hudson, with good new buildings, and are prudent and industrious in their habits, and, to human appearance, destined to have a competence of this world's goods. Orson has rented a farm in Tallmadge. We may say that for industry, prudence, financial ability, and steady habits, these sons, in worldly affairs, walk in the footsteps of their father. After his second marriage, he built a horse-barn and an addition to the house, and bought thirty acres more of land, making ninety-seven acres in four years. After his death the farm was sold to Mr. Ervine Warren.
"I was but partially acquainted with Deacon Scott, but I formed an opinion that he was one of those kind of men who possessed a good degree of foresight, not easily moved from his position; adopting the principle, be sure you are right, then go ahead. While visiting in Connecticut, he met an intimate friend of his youth, who was a subject of the great revival of 1817. The fervent appeals of this friend led him to thinking, and finally to his conversion. In due time he made a public profession of religion, which he adorned with a well ordered life and conversation. If I am correctly informed, Deacon Scott united with the Presbyterian church, January 14, 1821.
"The first 'Presbyterian church in the township was organized November 19, 1820, on the plan of union. He labored and prayed for the upbuilding of the church in this place, and for the prosperity of Zion and the peace of Jerusalem, but his earthly work is done, and on whom has his mantle fallen, ' He being dead yet speaketh. 'Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth.' Deacon Scott died March 15, 1859, aged sixty-four.
"His brother, Abial Scott, was an active, energetic man; one who had his share of pioneer life. He married Roxy Montgomery, of Harpersfield. The Montgomerys were among the first settlers of the Reserve. Mr. Scott I do not know that I ever saw; Addison and his mother I have met with. She is an afflicted woman, having buried all her family but her son, Addison. Their residence was in Iowa.
"Mr. Elidad Scott was born in the town of Naugatuck (a portion of the ancient town of Waterbury), April 25, 1791. His wife was a sister of Deacon Scott. He was for many years a resident of Thompson. He removed some years since to Jasper county, Iowa.
"Deacon Scott, on his return from Connecticut in 1818, brought apple seeds, and raised many of the apple trees on the farm, and lived to enjoy the fruit; he lived to see the wilderness become a fruitful field, and to bud and blossom as the rose. He lived to see these grand old woods fall before the pioneer's axe. He came with others to establish those grand principles of their Puritan ancestors, and which was put forth in the Mayflower by the Pilgrims. Liberty of the press, liberty of speech, the liberty of conscience and worship; or, in other words, free thought, free speech, free press, and free men, and shall I add, free schools, the church and school-house."
Stephen Jenks, born in Ellington, Connecticut, in 1772. Of his early life very little is treasured that at this date (1875) is at hand. The writer of this article might have stored many things as related by himself, if the idea of ever furnishing for the press had occurred; but he has passed away, and no one is here to prompt. The earliest I recollect was his pointing me to some of his early efforts' at musical composition. The earliest in print is dated 1796, "Mount Calvary," written in A minor, and used in religious gatherings, much in the progress of the first half of the present century, with the words, "Hearts of stone relent, relent," etc, In 1803, in company with Elijah Griswold, of Simsbury, Connecticut, we find him publishing "The American Compiler of Sacred Harmony," printed at Northampton, Massachusetts, and on sale by Griswold at his store in Simsbury, and by Jenks at Poundridge, New York. Of
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the success of the sale nothing now appears, but again in 1805 we find him at Dedham, Massachusetts, publishing the following title page: "The Delights of Harmony, or, Norfolk Compiler; being a new collection of psalms, tunes, hymns, and anthems, with a variety of set pieces from the most approved American and European authors, with necessary rules of psalmody made easy; designed for singing schools and musical societies of the United States; by Stephen Jenks, and printed by H. Mann for the author.
“The singers went before with joy,
On instruments they played,
The damsels with their timbrels then
In beauty were arrayed."—Ps. 68, 25.
A third copy, bearing the title of "Harmony of Zion, or, Union Compiler," but the title page is lost, and from my recollection of talks with him it was published, somewhere about 1808, at Dedham. This finished his publishing music for himself. He became associated with some one who betrayed his trust and took the proceds of sale to that extent that Jenks became discouraged, and so abandoned publishing, although he continued to compose till 1850, and for a quarter of a century or more taught church music in Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York States. In this last work is published a "Masonic Ode on Creation," composed in 1806. Of the circumstances of its origin, and appearance before the public, I have heard him tell, but cannot now call to mind. I will give the words of the anthem, though I do not know as they are his composition:
Let there be light ! the Almighty spoke,
And refulgent streams broke forth from the east,
And darted their brilliant rays to illuminate the dark regions of the west ;
Caused 1he western star to rise and shine, with resplendent lustre, thro' the earth.
Written in double measure: now in triple measure :
When earth's foundation firs1 was laid,
By the great Artist's hand,
Mankind in vain for shelter sought,
In vain they roved from place to place,
Until from heaven were taught the plan to build, to fix on earth a home.
Illustrious hence we date our art,
And now appears in beauteous piles,
Which shall to endless time endure.
Widows and orphans dry your tears,
Our willing hands supply your wants as far as power is given.
Quadruple measure:
Shout, ye enlightened, when you shall see your Saviour approaching from 1he east,
Clothed in a white garment, a token of innocence.
Double measure :
Parent of Light, accept our praise,
Who are by friendship joined,
A social hand to sing, Hallelujah, Amen,
I give this poetry to show, in part, to young musicians, the character of poetry often used to express the thought of the age. There are others of equal interest in which Jenks mingled, but time has placed them beyond reach.. One that, forty years ago, I used to love to sing, as commemorative of a case where a young man poisoned a young lady to whom he was affianced, which Jenks composed, and sang, at the funeral of Catharine Barringer, somewhere near the Hudson river, the circumstances of which he related, and which, at the age of eighty years, the old man seemed to recall with the same spirit as when, at the age of thirty, he was on the ground where it happened. Doubtless, but for the treachery of his partner, at Dedham, Jenks would have continued to apply himself to developing his musical talent, but the affair so dishearted him, as no doubt to affect him through his subsequent years; so souring his mind as to withdraw his confidence from men.
He married, at an early day, and the fruit of that marriage was two sons; but the wife died, and the boys passed into the custody of friends, and, at manhood,
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knew not even the whereabouts of their father, who subsequently married, in Providence, Rhode Island, and, in 1829, came to Thompson, Geauga county, with two sons and four daughters, where, in 1836, he died. He did not mingle with the world, while in Thompson, to give him any popularity as a musician—only teaching, or attending to a very few classess, although, as stated above, he composed many tunes through these, almost thirty, years, and had a large amount of unpublished manuscripts on hand at the time of his death.
John Atkin, born in Lincolnshire, England, 1791, came to America when two years of age; came to Harpersfield when fourteen; married Sally Meeker, and came to Thompson in 1817; bought of Booth's heirs quite a tract of land, and chopped till he owned forty-five acres. He said his taxes at first on the lot were twenty-five cents, and it was hard to get even that in money. Their family consisted of seven sons and four daughters, all of whom, except one who died in Kentucky in the war of the Rebellion, are living. Mr. Atkin died February, 1873, and, of course, was eighty-two. He was a man well read in history, ancient and modern, and loved much to talk on that subject.
In 1860, when the rage of drilling for oil abounded, his sons, led by William, the eldest, proposed sinking a well on the farm, one hundred rods east from the ledge, which was accomplished to the depth of one hundred and sixty feet. The first three feet was clay soil; then soapstone, some fifty-one feet; black sand-stone, some seven feet; slate-stone, harder than the first, fifteen feet; sandstone, four feet, quite hard; slate, seven feet, much like that found before; sand, two feet; slate, four feet; then fifty feet of sand-stone, very white and not very hard; then a kind of shell-rock, ten feet, so that the drill would occasionally drop two or three inches at a time. They struck water between ten and twenty feet, which followed till eighty-five feet, when the water subsided so that it was eighty feet to the water, and it rose no higher after. In a year, the water made the bucket look like iron-rust.
1817— During this year there was a large accession of numbers in the township. In February, of 1817, Elias Strong, sr., called upon Esquire Barnes, and their family, at their house, having come on foot from Southampton, Massachusetts, which was an agreeable' surprise to them, He returned in the same way, and, later in the season, returned with his family, consisting of his wife, three sons, and two daughters, all of whom have been many years residents of the spirit land except Elias, jr., who is living at Madison, Ohio, whither he removed perhaps in 1873.
Noah Moseley came this year, with three boys and five girls; lived till 1860; died at the age of ninety-three years six months. The girls married and lived in this vicinity, each of them with a goodly number of children. Rowland Moseley, one of the sons was elected justice of the peace in 1823, serving one term. Noah, jr., was elected in 1836, and, except one term, served thirty-six years in succession. Two sons and two daughters were born to him.
Emery Lane came in the fall of 1818, from Montgomery county, New York, having purchased, before he ever saw it, the whole of lot twenty-nine. His family consisted of ten or more children, and to them were afterwards born as many more, so that Mrs. Lane has the reputation of being the mother of ten girls and ten boys. Only one, Mrs. Prentice, lives in this town, and, at most, only some two of the boys and two of the girls are living—Centennial year.
Captain George Moseley came this year [1817), a young man. To him was subsequently born five sons and two daughters. Three sons are still living. The captain died September, 1861, at the age of sixty-seven, his wife having preceded him several years.
Charles Goodrich came the spring of this year, a young man, settling near where Homer Griswold now lives, on what is called the "gore," in Madison,
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then included in this township. Goodrich was elected a justice of the peace, May, 1827, and served, by subsequent re-elections, till 1855, except one term from 1843 to 1846, making nine terms, twenty-seven years. In 1876, he is living, at the age of eighty-four years.
Otis and Rufus Howe took lands [1817] near the present center, and held offices of trust. Both were hard-working men, Otis died in 1875; Rufus is still alive [1876].
MERCHANTS.
A small stock of goods was kept as early as 1830, by one Hungerford, but of short duration.
Calvm Church came between 1834 and 1836, keeping hotel accomodation for many years, also a small stock of goods ; buying ashes, working and taking by wagon to Pittsburgh and bringing back goods; was postmaster a number of years, and died in 1836—after him his son, George, was postmaster also.
In the fall of 1838 a new store was built by Joseph Bartlett, Theodore Bartlett, James Briscoe, and Noah Pomeroy, the firm name was Bartlett, Pomeroy & Company. The firm disposed of goods well, but being cattle drovers also, it proved to be a ship with too much sail, and soon sunk.
Joseph Smith and D. W. Mead succeeded them in 1841, doing a fine business for a few years.
John Proctor commenced selling goods in the front of his father's house in 1846, and from that small beginning he rose to some degree of eminence as a tradesman, kept his position, and laid aside some each year, till now (1876).
A. E. Miller for many years has been successful as a dealer in goods, usually kept in a country store, and the firm is now A. E. Miller .& Son, at South Thompson.
MILLS.
There are several saw-mills in the township, but previous years has greatly taken away the need, as many farmers have sold all the good timber from them.
On the farm where Darius Tillotson had lived for many years, springs issue, sufficiently so that a dam has been thrown across the ravine and a fine reservoir thus created, and a grist-mill has stood for many years, can grind at any time, and is often crowded when other water-mills can do little, and this surplus water carries the wheels of a chair establishment and saw-mill southeast of South Thompson, as well as a woolen factory and carding-machine at South Thompson.
MAILS.
The first mail-route was established about 1823, and extended from Unionville, Lake county, passing southeast of Madison, through Thompson, Montville, Huntsburg, and Batavia, since Middlefield, A man was hired to carry it on horseback, and had a fearful time, an account of which is chronicled from Montville. The first postmaster was George Emery, M. D. Joseph Smith, D. W. Mead, John H. Sumner, J. S. Lucas, S. Bostwick, F. S. Turner, and in 1876, F. M. Leonard holds the office, having held it, except one year by Turner, since the commencement of Grant's administration.
CHURCHES.
A Methodist church was formed in 1829, by John Crawford and Caleb Brown, meeting at George Emery's house, and very few of those present, at that time, survive, some who joined soon after are living. Brother Brown is yet living (1876), in Portage county. For many years the society held its meetings half the time in the town hall, a quite commodious building—the Baptists, a small ; society, claiming the other half. In 1846 the Methodist Episcopal society built a house on the west side of the square, and still continue to occupy it.
810 - HISTORY OF GEAUGA COUNTY, OHIO.
Perhaps as soon as 1851 the Baptist society built themselves a house in the southwest part of the township, and still occupy it—a small but worthy church. Some where between 1850 and 1860 a Disciple church was built, one mile east of the center.
About the same time a Catholic church was built in the southeast corner of the township.
A few years later a Spiritualist society was formed, and bought a house at the center formerly occupied by the Congregationalists.
Congregational Church—After the communion service on the first Sabbath of November, 1875, the Congregational church resolved to hold an exercise commemorative of the fifty-fifth anniversary of their organization on Saturday and Sunday, November 27th and 28th, and appointed a committee consisting of F. M. Leonard, F. E. Benjamin, 0. P. Pomeroy, G. A. Moseley, and Dwight Daniels, who subsequently met and arranged the following as order of exercises:
Saturday, 27th.—Song and Prayer on opening.
Words of Welcome by Pastor, Rev. W. D. Williams.
History" of Church Building—G. A. Moseley.
History of Sabbath-School Work—F. E. Benjamin.
Early Members of Church—O. P. Pomeroy.
Music of Church and Sabbath School—F. M. Leonard.
Historic Sermon by Pastor, Rev. W. D, Williams, on Sabbath, 28th.
The day at length arrived, but the weather was unpropitious, and the traveling bad, and a large audience was not present, and the order was not strictly followed; owing to the absence unavoidable of some to whom had been assigned parts.
Opened by singing, "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name," followed by a very feeling and appropriate prayer by Deacon William E. Bradley, one of the present deacons; then a few words of welcome by Pastor, saying, though none are here to accept a welcome, but those uniformly with us, yet the occasion is one of deep interest to all, as it will call up comparison of past with present, awakening emotion in the few who lived in the far past, whom God has spared to see this day, is those of that day are called up, and their deeds recounted.
Several letters were received in rely to invitations from the committee, which were read.
From Rev. Thomas Adams, D.D., now of Winslow, Maine, we quote largely:
"I also thank you for the programme of the exercises at Plymouth Rock conference at your place—the body that I helped to organize, to which I gave its name, it being the first body of the kind that was organized in the State of Ohio. It was pleasant to see the names of so many of my aid fellow-laborers, and feel that a faithful, covenant-keeping God had furnished new recruits to fill the vacancies as they have occurred.
"I can see and appreciate the great change between the present, and when Brother Roberts, of Andover, and myself instituted, as I believe, the only ministerial association in the State organized strictly on the principle of New England Congregationalism, and, though thirty miles apart, maintained our regular meetings by going alternately at the specified time to each other's dwellings. It has been very evident to me that the churches of northern Ohio especially have been gaining strength, and it is pleasant to notice that even Chardon, after a long slumber, is giving signs of life.
"My informal pastorate extended from the spring of 1847 to 1856, a considerably longer period than any other minister ever spent with you before or since, and it was a very peculiar period in the history of your church. I not only partly believed, as in the case of Paul and the Corinthians, but wholly believed that there were divisions among you—a state of feeling that would not fail to
HISTORY OF GEAUGA COUNTY, OHIO - 811
impair, if not wholly neutralize, the influence of the Gospel, however faithfully it might have been preached. I used sometimes to think of parties that were at fisticuffs, and needed that some one should hold them still till they would have time to cool off. If I did any good among you, I think it was something of this character."
Bro. H. B. Hall, now residing at Oberlin, Ohio :
"Thoughts of your celebration recall the years we spent with you. We thought them pleasant years, and yet I now think of them mainly in view of the many imperfections in my work there. If we could live our lives over again, how many of its mistakes we might correct. But this is not to be. I hope that at the last day it may be seen that I sowed some seed there that has borne good fruit."
Hon. C. C. Bronson, of Tallmadge, Ohio, addressed a long letter, from which we quote:
"In calling up the past, you will fully realize and apply the language of the prophet Zachariah, 'Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live forever?' Thompson, like other townships, has had her fathers—yea, and her mothers, too--who have wept between the porch and the altar, and have offered the effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous, which availeth much."
He states that the Rev. Wm. Wick was the first minister of Youngstown, and that was the first church organized on the Reserve, which was in 1800, and was Presbyterian. The second was that of Austinburg, formed by Rev. J. B. Badger, October 24, 1801, a Congregational church. The third, in Hudson, by Badger, September 4, 1802, Congregational; Poland, 1802, as also Warren, October 19, 1802, and Vernon, September 17, 1803. April 26, 1804, Rev. Badger formed a church in Canfield; the church in Vienna, in 1805. The next was the Presbyterian church, at Euclid, August 27, 1807; Burton, 1808; the Congregational church, of Tallmadge, 1809, by Rev. Jonathan Leslie, also the churches of Hambden, Springfield, Geneva, and Harpersfield; and, thirty-first of December, 2809, the church in Aurora was formed, by Rev. Nathan P. Darrow. The churches in Painesville, Kingsville, and Rootstown, were gathered in 1810, and Thompson, in 1820.
CHURCH BUILDINGS.
Brother George Moseley submitted that the first house used for worship was a log house, built by the township on the north end of the now public square, in 1818, and was noted for the transaction of township business. It was occupied some ten years, when the building was burned in 1828, and in the spring of 1829 a society was formed, auxiliary to the church, and they together purchased nine rods square of George R. Emery, some thirty rods north of the public square, and resolved on building a house forty by fifty-two, with fifteen feet .posts, if enough could be raised, and voted to sell the sittings by deed to cover the expense, which was estimated at eight hundred dollars, and the house was built and occupied some twenty years. In 1837, after the original church and society had separated and become two, a new church building was erected near the south end of the square, on the east side, twenty-six by forty, which is now the property of the society of spiritualists. On the reunion of the two churches, both buildings were put into the common fund.
As the new one was thought the better one tor winter, it was occupied, with the expectation of returning to the old one in the spring, but the new one continued to be used until 1860, and the old one was sold by the trustees to Smith and Bostwick, for one hundred and twenty-five dollars, in 1852. In 1846 the society felt the need of a parsonage, and a house twenty-two by twenty-eight, one and a half stories, with half acre of land adjoining meeting-house lot; was bought by Brother
812 - HISTORY OF GEAUGA COUNTY, OHIO.
Chilion Strong, for three hundred dollars, which was subsequently redeemed by the society, and is now in their possession.
March, 1860, we find the society again resolving to build a meeting-house thirty-six by fifty-two feet, with a steeple, if fifteen hundred dollars could be raised for that purpose, which was soon reported pledged, and Elias Strong, John F. Moseley and George A. Moseley were chosen as building committee, and J. F. Moseley took the contract, allowing those who subscribed lumber or work to pay accordingly, and, in November of the same year, they reported its completion to the society, and it was furnished and dedicated, costing near eighteen hundred dollars. The inside was finished in chestnut, and was a neat audience room, thirty-six by forty-two, with fifty-two slips, accommodating four grown persons comfortably, with vestibule of ten feet and gallery of corresponding size.
In 1864, Sister Sophronia Hall, wife of Rev. H. B. Hall, undertook to solicit a subscription from all she met to procure a bell, and was successful, and one was procured weighing five hundred and eighteen pounds, costing some two hundred dollars, and was a fine and silver-toned one, keyed on C.
This church stood only till a little after midnight opening on February 14, 1868, when the fire destroyed it and an organ worth one hundred and fifty dollars, and melting away over one hundred pounds of the bell. But, nothing daunted, the society rallied, and in March, 1868, voted to attempt the erection of another like, but better than the one before, and a subscription was responded to, not only by society members, but by a number of Methodist men, and a good number that belonged to the Spiritualist society, and others belonging to no religious society, as also Painesville Congregational church donated one hundred dollars, Claridon thirty-eight dollars, and three hundred and fifty dollars was also donated by the Congregational Union, and at last the Ladies' Aid Society of this place took up the last two hundred dollars. George A. Moseley, Luman Stockwell and Levi L. Benjamin were the committee on building, and the contract was given to F. C. Conley, taking work and lumber, as before, of those who signed in that way, and the cost was four thousand dollars.
In 1872, Rev. C. E. Page, then laboring here, visited every family in town for the purpose, soliciting aid in purchasing a new bell, and secured one hundred and three signatures from fifty cents to ten dollars, and another of Meneely's bells was procured. This also proved to be a very fine-toned bell keyed on A, weight nine hundred and twelve pounds, which, with mounting, cost five hundred and one dollars. The burnt bell brought one hundred and thirty-seven dollars, which left a balance of three hundred and sixty-four dollars, freights fourteen dollars, and three hundred and eighty-six dollars raised on subscription.
In 1875 the church was re-painted at a cost of one hundred and twenty-five dollars, and the society reports itself free from debt, but it is proper here to say that Brother Williams performed a great labor in getting the above amount pledged.
In the absence of Brother F. E. Benjamin, F. M. Leonard gave some few remarks on the Sabbath-schools. No record statistics of the early Sabbath-schools are at hand, and scarce any one who was in them, which renders it very difficult to do justice to the pioneers of this glorious work. It appears that the more modern organization of the school was effected about the year 1835, with Deacon Enoch Scott for its superintendent, previous to which I am told that the ministers used sometimes to catechism the children from the old catechism. The superiority of workers has been from among the sisters. Often, as one sister remarked, "I felt its importance so much that, my first class consisting of girls, I met with my babe in my arms, hardly failing to be habitually present;" and that characteristic of this sister always held good, for, till within three or four
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years past, she was a faithful servant in the work, and doubtless her record will be grand on high when the numerous ones from under her faithful care shall one by one testify to the faithful manner in which she pointed them to Jesus. She said a few years since, "I never lie down at night without asking, Dear Saviour, bless my Sabbath-school class and save them." With such faithfulness, do you wonder that children, teachers, superintendents and all, should have learned to love and cherish such a regard, applying now the title of "Aunt Maria," as she is going from the work in which, for forty years, she has been ' recognized?
Mrs. Freedom Gee, who was unsurpassed in her piety, in turn furnished four or five girls who have been devoted, successful workers for many years. Mrs. Chilion Strong, the first, as also her successor, the second Mrs. Strong, were both admirable helps to the superintendents; Mrs. J. C. Nye, and a host of others, not to underrate the worth of many brothers, who have done what they could. Among those who have led the schools we may mention Brother Turney, Revs. Swift, Taylor, Perry, as also E. Strong, Levi Leonard, Jonathan Rand, Shepard Bradley, H. E. Moseley, F. E. Benjamin, 0. P. Pomeroy, F. M. Leonard, and others.
F. M. Leonard has held the office of superintendent about one-third of the last forty years. Some twenty years ago, he introduced "Bradbury's Sabbath School Melodies." I wish to speak of the success of the effort by the exerted influence of Miss F. T. Gee, a noted teacher of district schools, who, though not superior as a vocalist, but a live woman, invited some ten, or more, little girls to meet her at the intermission of. Sabbath, and prefaced the work with an opening song by the class, and as a specimen:
" Little drops of water, little grains of sand,
Make the mighty ocean and the beauteous land."
"I'll awake at dawn on the Sabbath day,
Fortis wrong to doze holy time away;
With my lessons learned, this shall be my rule—
Never to be late at the Sabbath-school."
It need not be said that this caused many to tarry, and in a little time no effort was made to have the Sabbath-school closed by the first of November till the. next May. A few months since, on a visit here, being present, I asked Miss Gee to say some good things to us. She said: "May I do it in my own way?" "Certainly." "Then all who are willing, say so." Up went hands, and she reorganized the classes throughout in twenty minutes, placing individuals in positions that no one else could get them to take, and the school's interest was greatly enhanced. But this feature of Sabbath-school songs has not lost its interest, nor those to carry it forward. Several of Bradbury's works—"Oriola," "Golden Chain," "Golden Censor," "Fresh Laurels," and I digress to say—the children's man of America, in songs for the Sabbath-school, died with Wm. B. Bradbury.
I might speak of the work of others, and I will of one brother, H. E. Mosely, who had charge of the school some three or four years before 1866, having a faithful corps of teachers to sustain him, introduced new plans, which were tried, and their application was instructive to all. Leonard succeeded him, all but one year, till 1875, O. P. Pomeroy preaching part of the time, and superintending Sabbath-school, 1871.
The following were teachers in 1866 (since which time a better record has been made than before): F. E. Benjamin, S. C. Shepard, L. L. Benjamin, Mrs. S. S. Strong, Miss Olivia Denton, Miss Sarah Bradley, Mrs. Maria Howe, Rev. W. H. Brinkerhoff, Wm. E. Bradley, Noah Moseley, and Elias Strong. The
814 - HISTORY OF GEAUGA COUNTY, OHIO.
lessons for May, commencing with Acts 7, were continued all the year in that book. Penny collections were taken occasionally this year, at the close of school. Questions were often announced from the superintendent's desk, to be answered next week. A few specimens: On what occasion mentioned in the Bible was a lantern used? What man mentioned in the Old Testament died before his father, and yet lived three times as long? Where is money first mentioned in the Bible? What king began to reign at seven years of age, and reigned forty years in Jerusalem? Was he a good or a bad king? What woman was the wife of a king, the mother of a king, the daughter of a king, the granddaughter of a king, and what was her character? Is cheese mentioned in the Bible, and where? What two men were hid in a well, and ground corn spread over the mouth so that they were not found? I will not enlarge.
The last Sabbath in April, 1867, the following was reported by the superintendent, for the year ending May 1st:
Whole number enrolled - 113
Teachers (seven male, four female) - 11
Average attendance weekly - 36
Contributions on hand, May, 1866 - $ 7 46
Special contribution - 11 74
Penny, collection - 3 99
$23 19
Sabbath-school hooks from Boston - $20 00
Freight - 1 45 21 45
Balance, April 8, 1867 - $ 1 74
And the school still retained Leonard, and the following teachers acted well their parts: Deacon Bradley, Rev. Brinkerhoff, Deacon Benjamin E. Strong, R. R. Warner, Maria Howe, Miss E. L. Matthews, Miss Rose M. Matthews, Miss Sarah Bradley, Mrs. S. Strong, Mrs. Emeline Benjamin, and for this day the record shows, present, in all fifty-two—twenty-one males and thirty-one females.
This year were enrolled some one hundred and forty, and sixty or more were under twenty years of age. Questions awakening an interest, and causing research, were proposed, and during the year the school united with the Methodist Sabbath-school in a picnic, at the Ledge, which was a good thing.
September 5th, I find met for first Sabbath in new house. Present, teachers, seven, and scholars, seventy-seven. Average attendance of school for August, thirty-five males, forty-five females, the best average of the year. Penny collection for month, $1.54, with Balance on hand, $6.87.
First of November of this year, adopted the National series of Sabbath-school lessons, and have used them since, and find a growing interest in the lessons suggested. The first one in the series with us was the Fruitful Tree, Psalm r.
First of January, 1870, reported collection for the year, $17.41.
I may mention that some new teachers, from the younger members of school, for more than a year, had added new impulse in their classes. Two daughters of the superintendent, placed there at the suggestion of others, were effective, earnest and faithful- —Mary, with a class of girls from eight to eleven; Lottie, with a class of boys from thirteen to fifteen ; Mrs. S. E. Wilbur, with a class of boys from ten to fourteen ; and we found the sisters that took the classes of boys, retained and interested them far better than any of the brothers. And so passed this year, and the first of January, 1871, the following report: Enrolled for the year, one hundred and fifty-three ; males, sixty-seven; females, eighty-six: average attendance, forty-seven. No teacher has been present more than thirty-nine Sabbaths, out of forty-eight. Superintendent present all but . two. With funds on hand and collected, to the amount of $23.00, finds the treasury even, and superintendent resigning, brother 0. P. Pomeroy taking
HISTORY OF GEAUGA COUNTY, OHIO - 815
superintendent's chair; well qualified for the place. Brother Manning removing from us.
June, 1872, brother C. E. Page being pastor, it was thought best to reinstate brother Leonard again as superintendent. The average attendance was larger this year, but no increase of the number of classes, as a large number were permitted to be in the bible class of brother Page.
Teachers of 1872:. Mary L. Leonard, Helen Smith, Lottie E. Leonard, Sylvia Strong, C. E. Page, F. E. Benjamin, Win. E. Bradley, Mrs. Mary Long, Mrs. Sarah Gee, Mrs. S. E. Wilbur, Mrs. A. M. Stocking, Elias Strong, Truman Hardy, 0. P. Pomeroy.
In April, 1874, Rev. W. D. Williams coming to us, and possessed of the right material, an entirely new interest was generated among the young men, especially composing that part of the school that had, for at least the time of brothers Manning and Page, been held as the bible class.
In April, 1875, deacon F. E. Benjamin was elected superintendent.
One thing more before 1 close. Very few deaths have occurred among the children. I mean those that were enrolled as Sabbath school children. It has been my privilege and pleasure to enroll three different classes of these precious little ones, and to see two of them developed. The last one, 1872, I wish may be in the coming history ; and I write other names: Eva J. Moseley, Lilly Phelps, Alice Wilbur, Junia Benjamin, Jennie Stevens, Austa Wilson, Ettie Hardy, Clara Hardy, Anna Clemer, Edith Wilbur, all under six years at time of enrollment, and most of them under five.
Arthur Barnes died at eight years; was very rarely absent for more than three years, and was much interested in the lessons, often asking questions that required thought to answer.
Eva Moseley died at six; loved to be in Sabbath-school; rather diffident little girl; a cousin of hers, Foster Moseley, dying at the age of seven years.
Several grown ones have passed away. Emily and Jane Grant, in one year, at eighteen, step-daughters of captain George Moseley; two daughters of Willis Foot, at twenty-three and nineteen; only a few months apart; Walter Stockwell at eighteen.
Miss Helen M. Moseley died November, 1872; had always been in the Sabbath school; made profession of her faith in Christ only a few months before his death.
F. M. Leonard was also desired to say something of the history of church music. This, also, is a task, as he has figured in this many years. No very prominent persons in the early days, yet we find Marcus Tillotson, a fine singer, meeting with those who could sing, some fifty years ago, and continuing to lead at the church many years later. Stephen Jenks, a composer and publisher of music, as early in the century as 1803, came here in 1820, but taught only once here, and never figured as a chorister in any of the churches, dying in 1856. Of those it has been my pleasure to hold converse with, the first was Ambrose Smith, from Claridon; taught in 1836 ; a young man of good talents, but died in three or four years. F. M. Leonard came in 1837, and was immediately identified with the choir as a leader and teacher, and has been since, except some seven years. I recollect well, as early as 1841, one Winslow Wilbur played a bass-viol at church, also leading some. One morning the minister read a hymn that had a good many dynamic marks placed along the page, and he says: "You must sing them, I can't play them." Ambrose Branch was a very good teacher. George S. Fancher was a very spirited teacher as late as 1846, and is still. Ashbell Tillotson was also a good teacher and leader, excusing himself as early as 185o, though still chiming his rich voice at times. Charles A. Wright who taught four different classes, and lived in the place in
816 - HISTORY OF GEAUGA COUNTY, OHIO.
1856, was one of the most serviceable men in choir practice that have ever taught here. Prof. S. H. Blakeslee, the last one here, was also a man of good moral worth, and a very successful teacher. For several years, I used to carry a very fine mylodon of my own to the church, and my daughters were players. In 1867 a cabinet organ was purchased of William B. Brinkerhoff, costing some , less than one hundred dollars, which was burned with the church in 1868, though the agent held the organ to be worth more. In 1869 Brother 0. P. Pomeroy offered an organ valued at one hundred and fifty dollars by dealers, for one hundred dollars; himself making the sacrifice of all over. Several young ladies have assisted at the organ—Miss Amelia Tillotson, Miss Alice Tillotson, Miss Belle Pomeroy, Miss Alice Leonard, Miss Lottie Leonard. Miss Alice, now Mrs. A. M. Stocking, has been the stand-by for a number of years.
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
Considerable interest has attended our advance as a township on the subject of agriculture. A society for its advancement was formed, and upheld for a number of years. In 1860, Darius Tillotson and Hiram S. Matthews, both owning stallions, and who had for some three years previous challenged each other for a public show of stock on the square, which, accordingly, came off in October of that year. It was a fine display of brood mares, with colts by their sides, one, two, and three years old, The excitement ran high. Gents. Bennet and Woodhead, from Perry, were committee of award, but expressed no opinion in their award as to which was the best stock horse, so the next year an increase of interest brought out all kinds of stock, and a line was strung on posts for some twenty rods in length, on the square, and filled with carpets, quilts and such things as were manufactured at home. All were so well pleased that it was resolved to repeat it the next year, which was done, a crowd attending, and a great variety of things being put on exhibition. In addition to the lines to hang upon, tables of equal length held vegetables, fruits, seeds, etc.
In 1863, an act of incorporation was recorded at the county seat, and the first record of officers was made with George C. Whipple, president; M. S. Jewett, S. N. Dutton, vice-presidents; F. M. Leonard, recording secretary; William J. Cornelius, corresponding secretary; R. Warner, treasurer, and an executive com- mittee of eight, with marshals, chief of police, superintendents of grounds and hall; so we had all the parade of a regular society, though it was under the broad canopy of heaven. This year we had the Spiritual hall, for the exhibition of such things as needed housing, and many fine things and pictures were brought. The small sum of five cents was paid the secretary for entering, all but stock, which was ten cents, and enough was' realized for actual expenses, and much gratification expressed at the success. of the society. The next year S. E. Spencer took the presidency, and the fair was held two days with an increase of things on exhibition, especially a great number of good horses, not only from this town but from abroad, which added much to the excitement, as the executive committee had graded a track around the public square, which made a fine driving and sporting place. That year we had printed posters, about the size of some window glass (say, twenty by twenty-four), and premium cards, and a big thing was a red card tied to anything, at what was now termed the World's Fair, and we closed with twenty dollars in our treasury. As we had the Methodist church for a hall this year, the subject of building a town hall began to be discussed, to afford a place for shelter and exhibition. To accomplish this required a vote of the township, which failed in 1866, but in 1867 was carried a proposition to build a town hail, but no limit to the cost, except the law, which allowed but a specified sum to be assessed in the same year. Trustees being k
HISTORY OF GEAUGA COUNTY, OHIO - 817
elected, led by S. E. Spencer, esq., favorable to the building, they decided to assess what they could and commence a building, two stories high, twenty-four by forty feet. The contract was taken by H. B. Palmer, of Thompson, for one thousand six hundred dollars, and finished by plastering the lower story and laying the floor in the second story. It was subsequently finished at a cost of three hundred dollars, and in 1872 was, and has been since, loaned for the use of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, which was formed that year, at forty dollars annual rental.
Those who have acted as president, besides those spoken of, were Henry Hulbert, Hiram S. Matthews, Stephen Hodges, H. B. Palmer, and E. J. Clapp. The society continued successful, and at the fair of 1875, which drew the largest crowd ever here, the receipts, over and above expenses, were reported at some sixty dollars. Several interesting addresses, on different years, added no little to the interest of the gathering. Rev. Flower, J. A. Garfield, — Tuttle, and others who are forgotten, spoke principally on agriculture, as an occupation and science.
PIONEER MEETING.
Wednesday, September 15, 1875, the day for the picnic of pioneers and early settlers of Thompson and adjoining townships, at the ledge, was a splendid one for a gathering like that, the success of which depended so much upon the weather. The sky was overcast with clouds which tempered the sun's rays, and yet not a drop of rain fell. The leaves, not having commenced to fall, the ledge was resplendent in green, and though the atmosphere was not very clear, the view of the landscape from the foot of the ledge to the lake was nearly as enchanting as ever, while the hills of Pennsylvania were faintly discernible in the dim blue distance.
THE DINNER.
On arriving at the grounds about noon the scene in the grove, back of the ledge house, was an animated one. The large company of gray haired settlers already there were just sitting down to tables spread upon the dance-platform, and groaning under substantials and dainties, from the New England dish of pork and beans, and fried and pied chicken, to pastry and frosted jelly-cake, that could have been little suggestive of such pioneer luxuries as " johnny-cake." Under the surrounding trees, cloths were spread upon the green sward, and groups and families, and twos and threes, were enjoying the meal, while in the background the resonance, unhitched and disposed of for the day, were whisking up wisps of timothy between the intervals of fly-brushing. Dinner over, all around, the martial band from the center discoursed lively music, and seats were arranged on the platform and filled with rows of pioneers and ladies, preparatory to
THE SPEAKING.
Mr. F. M. Leonard, chairman of the committee on arrangements, conducted the exercise.; with great tact and skill. Ascending the speaker's stand, on the south edge of the platform, over which the Stars and Strips floated, he called the assembly to order at two o'clock, and announcing that he should tread upon the toes of any pioneer that should prove to be too long winded, he introduced
JUDGE TAYLOR, OF CLARIDON,
president of the Historical society of Geauga county. "Those who now inhabit this township," said the judge, " and own these fine farms, good buildings and orchards, and enjoy the necessaries of life, little realize that not long since it was a howling wilderness, but judging life by deeds, Thompson is an old township. Europe has not such churches, school-houses, educatron and liberty; in my "old country" the soil is worn out, hemlocks spring up in the furrows, and
818 - HISTORY OF GEAUGA COUNTY, OHIO.
nettles and brambles in the fields. Seventy-five years ago a fraction of sunlight found its way through this foilage—enough to raise nettles and weeds for beasts. The first settlers who came here with their ox-teams were not men born to fortune, but men of strong arm, energy, and courage to leave old neighbors and society, and dwell in tents and cabins here in the wilderness. Think of their privations. It was a checkered life. I know something of it. It was a life of sorrow, joy, health and sickness, and yet they were happy. As evening drew on, and the log-fire was lighted across one end of the cabin, no pleasanter hour was ever known. (No! no That's it!) We had better appetites then; no meals at the Fifth Avenue hotel can compare with the viands of those days, the venison—(here the speaker seemed to touch a responsive chord, and the features of the pioneers lighted up with smiles as one after another recalled those good old days, and reflectively shouted 'good steak from a bear,' roast-potatoes,'johnnycake,' roast-corn.) Brethren, we have met in council, with trembling steps, to tell our stories and live over the old times, we feel good—I feel as good as I did when I went home from singing-school with the girls, and said 'good-evening.' The Geauga county historical society is preparing for publication a history. You may confer a favor upon some, one hundred .years hence, by recording the names of original land owners. Journeys have been made to England to trace records by tomb-stones. At such meetings as this we learn much about the old men, and little about the old ladies. The men went to court and training of their children, and endured the same want of shelter and comfort. Let us hear from them, too."
AMASA KENT, OF MANTAU.
" My father, in 1812, started from Riga, Massachusetts, with his wife and ten children, span of horses and wagon, and came west. When we arrived near Buffalo, the battle of Little Rock was fought, and we could hear the cannon. We stopped at eighteen-mile creek, where there was a landlord in sympathy with the British, and the soldiers enjoyed pricking him with their bayonets, and putting coals under his oven, burned his pies, cakes, and bread. There was not a sailing craft on Lake Erie at that time, and we had to come around the points, keeping close to the waters edge, and at one time having the wagon get afloat, when the lake was rough. We finally got through to Cleveland, Hudson, and afterward removed to Mantua, where we were neighbors of judge Atwater, who carried the compass in the survey of the whole Western Reserve. The judge was one day grabbed by a bear, and his flesh pierced •by the bear's tusks ; but a neighbor chopped the bear away, and saved his life.
"You know where Punderson's mill is, in Newbury? (Yes, yes). Carlton, of Mantua, went there to mill, with a yoke of oxen. He was belated there, and had heavy woods to pass through, which were full of bears and wolves: They struck his trail, and the pursuit became so hot that he cut the keys of his oxbows, and left the oxen for the wolves to feed upon, while he reached home in safety."
UNCLE LUMAN FRISBIE
was next called out. "Windsor was once my home," said Mr. Frisbie, "and we moved from there to Harpersfield forty or fifty years ago, when there were no residents there, and we blazed trees. There was then but one family from the river to the center of Montville. Mr. Frisbie described a home-made rig with which he went one day to the spring mill, a common trip in days when the poor man lived on Indian. His wife carried butter to Rock creek, fourteen miles, riding an ox, and returned by sun down. A horse cost ten dollars, and four dollars an acre was paid for clearing land. One time 1 owed Esquire Spaulding, of Orwell, seventy-five cents. We agreed that I should call him in the morning
HISTORY OF GEAUGA COUNTY, OHIO - 819
on a certain day, and he should answer by firing his musket. If I could then get to the house before breakfast was ready, the debt was to be cancelled, if not, I was to work for him two days. I rose at three, ran seven miles and a half, and shouted 'attention Spaulding!' Bang went the musket. Spaulding looked out the window, and said to his wife 'hurry up, here's Frisbie, right here, and he'll be in before you get breakfast upon the table,' and I was. I went home, and earned a dollar that day working for another man."
DUNMORE WARREN, OF LEROY,
read a list of those who lived in Thompson, or moved there soon after his father arrived there, fifty-one years ago next month. Most of them went through with the toil and labor of clearing the land, and have passed over the river:
Joseph Bartlett,
Joseph Bartlett, Jr.,
Dr. Tillotson,
R. Sprague,
Retire Trask,
Retire Trask, jr.,
Darius Tillotson,
M. Sprague, jr.,
Seth Hulbert,
Mr. Hulbert,
Mr. Strong,
B. Stearns,
Ithamer H. Warren,
Nathan Warren,
Chilling Strong,
Mr. Stearns,
Nathan Warren, jr.,
Orrin Warren,
Elias Strong,
Mr. Emerson.
Horace Warren,
Abel Ray,
Biney Strong,
J. Emerson.
— Prentice,
Daniel Pomeroy,
James Brisco,
M. Emerson,
Eleazer Pomeroy,
Solomon Leach,
James Murphy,
Mr. Randall.
John Leach,
Mr. Barnes,
Mr. Atkin,
E. Goodrich,
Mark Barnes,
Mr. Clapp,
Ira Harding,
Mr. Copley,
— Dunham,
Mr. Bostwick,
Hiram Harding,
L. Copley,
Jonathan Davis,
H. Sumner,
Joseph Fitch,
Mr. Malon,
Joseph Davis,
W. Sumner,
J. W. Fitch,
Mrs. Malon
James Smith,
W. M. Sumner,
Lorenzo Fitch,
T. Bartlett,
Joseph Smith,
E. Dunham,
Dinah Day,
L. Bartlett,
John Smith,
S. Dunham,
Joseph Lane,
Chester Gee,
Mark Tillotson,
M. Sprague,
Emery Lane,
William Gee,
A. Sumner.
Two little daughters of Mr. Warren then sang "0, Think of the Home over There," and "A Hundred Years to Come."
ESQUIRE AUSTIN,
one of Austinburg's oldest boys, was next introduced. "The men who settled this country," said he, " did not wait to be dandled in the laps of maiden aunts. My father was one of them, coming to Austinburg in 1799, going around the lake point, and swimming the creeks, holding on to the oxen's tails. Those old pioneers did not bring much property with them, but they have done something for us in instilling moral and religious sentiments." Mr. Austin closed with a comic bear story.
OLD FOLKS CONCERT.
At the conclusion of the reading, Mr. Bronson exhibited a bassoon, an instrument resembling a double-barreled shot gun, without the stock, used in military bands and orchestras one hundred years ago. This one is supposed to be the first one made in this country, and, in its early days, "went to meeting," and accompanied the hautboys and clarionets, carrying the bass. "Now I'll give the pitch, and we'll sing Lenox, with a will." Mr. Bronson gave the key, and "Blow ye the Trumpet, Blow," was sung, Mr. Bronson playing an effective bass. The congregation not keeping time correctly, one of them explained, at the finish, "We haven't sung together before for a good while."
MRS. ASENATH EMMONS
next took the stand. She is a daughter of Joseph Bartlett, who arrived in the township in 1798, and he and Seth Hurlburt were the first two permanent settlers in the township. She was then seven years of age, and recollects seeing the Indians, who often tried to annoy but not to harm her.
820 - HISTORY OF GEAUGA COUNTY OHIO.
AUNT MARIA HOWE.
" When we came to Tompson the river was full-banks, and hearing that there was a dug-out at Emmerson's mill we procured it, and rowed ourselves and goods across. Half of Thompson came down to help us cross and get their dinner. A bed-cord was tied to the wagon and an attempt was made to draw it across, but the wagon came apart in the stream, and the hind wheels floated down to the island."
NOAH POMEROY.
" My uncle, Daniel Pomeroy, came to Thompson in 1809, soon after my father did, who settled in Hambden. There were then no roads in the township, and no clearing except the Palmer lot, where grass was cut for our cattle." Indians were numerous during the war of 1812, and for the amusement of Young America Mr. Pomeroy described some of their ways of living, etc. He was one of the first pedagogues in the township, and afterward a merchant. His schoolhouse was in the Barnes district, near what is now Bostwick's corners, and he was happy on the munificent salary of nine dollars per month.
O. P. POMEROY,
grandson of Daniel Pomeroy, was the next speaker. "I remember when Thompson was mostly woods. We traveled by marked trees, the forest was unchopped, and the lands uncleared. I attended school in that log school-house, and Ursula Gee was one of my first teachers. The first minister was Leslie, and Rev. Winchester occasionally preached in the log meeting-house. A frame school-house was at length built, where the blacksmith shop now stands. Moses Murphy, a hunter, lived on the Ledge, and there was another hunter here by the name of Glass." After relating how one Joseph was treed by a bear, and how another individual encountered one in crossing a log on Mill creek, Mr. Pomeroy closed, expressing his pleasure in greeting with a shake of the hand those who had dandled them upon their knees in infancy.
APOLOGY.
I am no systematic historian. My mind, for the last year, has been too confused to write all I had planned. I have tried to engage some one else, but no one felt that there was pay in it. I shall be well paid, even if this I have written should appear, meager as it is. Many more characters might be presented, and things said by the right man. F. M. LEONARD.
MILITARY ROSTER.
Many difficulties surround making a perfect roster of the soldiers of the war of the Rebellion, but this arrangement of the Historical Society to find and compare will doubtless make it nearly perfect. Some dates will be wanting, and soldiers dislike to be placed wrong in company or regiment.
HISTORY OF GEAUGA COUNTY, OHIO - 821
The first call for 75,000 men resulted in six volunteers from here, who were placed in
COMPANY B, NINETEENTH REGIMENT,
Azailah Billington, served three months, and afterwards enlisted for the 0. N. G.
Daniel Baur.
Lewis Barrett,
Ansel Bartlett.
Dwight Grimes.
SEVENTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
Chartes Burroughs, company A.
George Aikin, company D. discharged for disability in August, 1862 ; after, enlisted in heavy
artillery, and served till the close of the war
Charles Hettenger, company D, died from wounds, at Culpepper, Virginia, August 10, 1862.
Carl Dangler, sergeant, company D, mustered out with regiment
L. B. Hill, company D. .
John Earnst, company D.
Lewis Knight, corporal, mustered out with regiment.
Jacob Wagner, died January 10, 1863.
Bud Wilson, mustered out with regiment.
BATTERY C, OHIO ARTILLERY.
Ralph L, Foot, enlisted as assistant surgeon, health failed, and did not remain long with army; died at home.
Orestus Aikin, died in Kentucky, early in 1864.
Peter Basquin.
George Day, died.
Henry Gilbreath, killed by shell.
Henry Gurney, died from wounds,
Samuel Hickox.
Lewis Hettenger.
Henry Olds.
Edward Proctor,
Byron Proctor, died at Nashville, Nov, 1863.
Enoch Morse, died a prisoner at Salisbury.
Hiram Woodin.
Demerit Hill.
Henry Woodin.
Orvando Hill.
Harvey Snedekor.
BATTERY G, OHIO ARTILLERY.
A. Zimmerman, bugler.
Frank W. Edgerton.
Thomas J. Smith, wounded near Nashville, and soon discharged.
NINTH OHIO BATTERY.
Ira Atkin.
Samuel N. Barnes.
Nahurn Brotzman,
Thomas G. Cottam.
Philtip Brotzman.
Marselon Dutton.
S. Dwight Daniets.
D. J. Goodsell.
Hiram Prentice.
George Turner,
H. Frank Scott.
All but Barnes and Goodsell went in in 1862, and were discharged with the battery, June, 1865, Goodsell dying in January, 1865, at Bridgeport, Alabama,
FOURTEENTH OHIO BATTERY.
Willie Bower.
Martin Earnst.
Valorus Stone. enlisted in August, 1862. and mustered out with battery.
J. D. Sanford.
FIFTEENTH OHIO BATTERY.
Lewis W. Keener, corporal, term expired in November, 1864.
David Sanford.
M. L. Sanford.
Andrew J. Sanford.
TWENTY-NINTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
Samuel Barrett, company A, died at home Sept. 10, 1861.
John Jenks, company K, taken prisoner at Port Republic; was in rebel prisons three months, and exchanged ; discharged from regiment and died at home, of consumption.
George Strong, company K, missing after battle in eastern Virginia and not again reported.
Daniel Auringer, enlisted in 1861, discharged in 1863.
Asa E. Sanford, company F.
Albert Park, " "
Frank Haling, company F.
Daniel Turner,
Lewis Wrisiey, company K.
Henry Stowe,
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
C. Elmore Strong, discharged for inability in 863. afterwards re-enlisted, wen1 to Chattanooga, ant died of measles.
John Hausch, company D.
ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-SEVENTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
David Alexander, company E.
John W. Fowler, company C.
Levi 0. Billington, " "
Albion M. Stocking,
Charles S. Day,
Austin Stockwell,
Andrew Dangler, " "
Milton Roath, company E, died in the service
Daniel Earnst, of typhoid fever.
Peter Baur,
Oliver Basquin, company E.
Randolph Elliott, " "
These were out but one year, and received from $300 to $500 bounty from the township committee
822 - HISTORY OF GEAUGA COUNTY, OHIO.
SECOND OHIO VOLUNTEER CAVALRY.
Thomas Atkin.
Anderson Basquin, wounded.
Nathan Morey.
Samuel Whipple, killed.
SIXTH OHIO VOLUNTEER CAVALRY.
F. Alonzo Hulbert, died in February, 1863, in hospital at Philadelphia
Phillip Kelsey, died in July, 862, in hospital at Baltimore.
FOURTEENTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
Albert Burroughs, entered as private, afterward promoted to lieutenant ; mustered out with the
regiment.
FIFTY-SECOND OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY,
Newton H. Bostwick, enlisted in 1862, wounded at Kenesaw Mountain, in 1864; a prisoner in Andersonville, and discharged in November, 1864
SIXTY-SEVENTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
Edward Sanford, killed in front of Petersburg, Virginia, in 1865.
SIXTIETH OHIO SHARPSHOOTERS.
John D. Sidley, died in hospital at Alexandria, Virginia, November, 1864
Orrin Jewell.
Homer Jewett, wounded.
OHIO NATIONAL GUARD.
Stephen Fredebaugh.
William Billington.
George Fredebaugh.
Hiram Fuller.
Benjamin Fredebaugh.
George Haling.
SECOND OHIO HEAVY ARTILLERY.
Gustave Burroughs.
Evlyn Dutton.
Frank Patrick.
Theodore Stockwell was young ; died of measles, in Kentucky. Regiment unknown.
Alvin Kimball enlisted in a regiment in the western part of the State, and deserted.
Reuben B. Chaffee is living, a pensioner of the war of 1812.
John Atkin's widow is pensioned for his services in 1812.
S. N. Barnes and D. J. Goodsell received the highest bounties of any that went out during the last year of the war of the Rebellion, some $375 each,