100 - HISTORY OF MAHONING COUNTY shackle, such as were used in slavery days, and the same as you may see any day when convicts are employed on public works. Except the shackle, the implements could have been duplicated in almost any pioneer homestead, OLD-TIME THRESHING. "In separating the grain from the straw, the flail was the primitive implement, but quite as commonly the grain was thrown upon the great threshing floor, and two teams of horses put upon it, and round and round they walked, and on a cold snappy day the work was accomplished with less labor, though by no means a light job, Flax was pulled just before the ripening point, tied in small bundles and again thinly and evenly spread upon the green meadow and turned until the woody stalk was rotted; then it was broken, scutched, hatcheled, and prepared for the spinning wheel. * * * 'Tis a long jog forward from the little hand-mill (above-mentioned), which might have reduced from one to two bushels of grain to fine meal in a day, to the Pillsbury mills with their daily output of 35,000 barrels of flour. "Old things are passing away. Very few are now here who have lived in these primitive times and seen the wild deer scudding through the native forest on the very site of our thriving town, with its great stacks belching forth clouds of black smoke that hide the noonday sun, but tell of a busy human hive underneath, BOUNTY ON WOLF SCALPS, "My Uncle Jake, father of the elder Mrs, Diver of Beloit, used to tell me the tales of the long ago, when wild game was plentiful. He said wolves were such a scourge that the State offered a bounty of $5 each for wolf scalps. His people lived then south of Damascus, and he knew the lair of wolves near by; year after year, as the pups came on, he would capture and scalp them, I believe he said scalps were receivable for taxes, and he felt safe for his tax money as long as his wolves were not waylaid in this, to him, useful employment; but after a time Abner Woolman, grandfather of our Abner on the hill, invaded Uncle Jake's wolf preserve, and, not regarding family ties or maternal affection, killed both the mother and her children, and so destroyed Uncle's infant industry, very much to his disgust, OLDEN SCHOOL DAYS, "In his old wagon house I attended a geography school in the winter evenings. The itinerant teacher had a set of Pelton's outline maps, and the class, when the term was over, certainly had a good understanding of the physical earth, oceans, gulfs, bays, lakes, rivers, inlets, countries, population, chief cities, States and their capitals, boundaries, etc., etc., and all of this set to a song, Each pupil, as the lesson went on, took a turn at the maps with a pointer, somewhat resembling a billiard cue, and pointed to each place and gave answer as to the length of the river, or height of a volcano, or other mountain, etc., as requested by the teacher, That was a good school, and the knowledge we gained in that old wagon house has stood us in good stead all along the journey of life. Some changes have been made in boundaries and States, but otherwise the old world is about the same as we left it when we quit Uncle Jake's wagon shed," The Captain, who refers to himself in the article so extensively quoted, as "a link between the old and the new," came upon the scene after the roughest and most primitive conditions of pioneer life had been supplanted, to some extent at least, by the comforts and conveniences of a more cultivated society, The world as he knew it "was :a pretty comfortable world, and the men who made it so were, many of them, still in the vigor of mature manhood, but many of the primitive habits and customs, either of choice or necessity, still clung to the old homes for a long time, and ye scribe might write on and on to tell of our school life, spelling schools, and the old literaries on the hill, the old fulling, grist, and sawmills ;" religion, also, "for we had the gospel preached to us, and none of your snippet, two-for-five sermons, but good, two-hour, all-wool-and-yard-wide sermons." AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 103 "Every tinkle on the shingles Wakes an echo in the heart, And a thousand dreamy fancies Into busy being start. And a thousand recollections Weave their bright hues into woof As I listen to the tinkle Of the rain upon the roof." Dr. Manning, who settled in Youngstown in 1811, said "The qualifications for a school teacher in those days were few and moderate. If a man could read tolerably well, was a good writer, and could cipher as far as the rule 0f three, knew how to use the birch scientifically, and had firmness enough to exercise this skill, he would pass muster." EARLY YOUNGSTOWN CITIZENS, Some further reminiscences of those times are found in a letter from Roswell M. Grant, uncle of the late President Grant, who, in writing from Mayslick, Ky., September 7, 1874, in answer to an invitation to attend the reunion of old citizens and pioneers held at Youngstown that year, said in part: "My father sold his tan yard to John E. Woodbridge, and moved to Maysville, Ky,, leaving Margaret and myself with Colonel Hillman, about the year 1820. Colonel Hillman about the same time sold his farm and moved over to town to keep a hotel. At that time the citizens were as follows : 1st, above Colonel Rayen was J. E. Woodbridge; 2d, John F. Townsend, hatter ; 3d, Colonel William Rayen, farmer; 4th, William Sherman, hatter; 5th, opposite, George Tod ; 6th, Mr. Abraim, chair maker; 7th, Samuel Stuart, tavern (Colonel Hillman bought Stuart out) ; 8th, opposite, Dr. Dutton; 9th, Esq. Baldwin, farmer ; l0th, Kilpatrick, blacksmith ; 11th, Henry Wick, merchant ; 12th, Hugh Bryson, merchant ; 13th, Lawyer Hine ; 14th, Mr, Bissell ; 15th, Mr. Bruce, shoemaker; 16th, Rev. Mr. Duncan. The above are all the citizens there were in Y0ungstown from 1805 up to 1810. "I well remember the Indians coming down the river in canoes, and camping in Colonel Hillman's sugar camp, at the lower end of the farm, and upon the river bank. They would stay some days. Also, the old chief would come to see Colone Hillman to settle some dispute between them, They would bring some thirty or forty warriors with them. They would stop at the plum orchard at the upper end of the farm. These visits were often. I had forgotten to mention the names of Mr. Hogue, a tailor, and Moses Crawford, who lived below Judge Tod's, on the bank of the river, Crawford tended Colonel Hillman's mill. Bears, wolves, deer, and wild turkey were plenty. I went to school in the old log schoolhouse eight years; to Master Noyes five years of the time. David Tod, Frank Thorne, and myself were leaders in all mischief ; so said Master Noyes. DRAFT OF 1812. "In the War of 1812, the whole country was drafted, and rendezvoused in Youngstown, After they left, Captain Applegate, Lieutenant Bushnell, and Ensign Reeves enlisted one hundred men for one year. During the enlistment Captain Dillon's son, with an elder fife, and myself with a drum, furnished the music, Colonel William Rayen commanded the regiment. Judge Tod had a Colonel's commission in the regular army. Colonel Hillman volunteered, and after arriving at Sandusky, General Harrison appointed him Wagon-Master General of the United States Army, John E, Woolbridge was paymaster. Mr. Hogue, Moses Crawford, Dr, Dutton, Henry Wick, Hugh Bryson, and Mr, Bruce, were all the men left in Youngstown during the war. I had forgotten Mr. Thorne, a cabinet maker, who lived near the old school house.. "Jesse R. Grant left Judge Tod's in 1810. Went to Maysville, Ky., and finished his trade with my brother Peter. Went to Deerfield, O., about the year 1815. Took charge f my father's old tan yard. Sold out and went to Ravenna. Carried on the business until 1821. He then went to Point Pleasant, forty miles below Maysville. Sunk a tan yard there. Same year he married Miss Hannah Simpson, where 104 - HISTORY OF MAHONING COUNTY U, S. Grant was born April 27, 1822." With the permission of Captain Hartzell, we also publish the following article, which, under the title, "Some Reminiscences of Ye Olden Time," appeared in the issue of The Sebring News, January 29th of the present year (1907) : "Some time ago, as I was rambling through one of our big potteries, I noticed a vessel containing soft soap. The same looked mighty familiar and I made inquiry, only to find that soft soap. was imported from England and finds its uses in all potteries. HOMEMADE SOAP. "When I was a boy, both soft and hard soap, in fact all soap, was made by the good house mothers. In our home I was the general roustabout, a very present help in time of need—if I could be found. The old Mahoning formed the north boundary of our farm and its purling, laughing, hurrying waters, as they glide over on and on to join the brimming river, chattering as they go, often beguiled me from duty's path and I often found congenial company with neighbor's boys, though if they were not present, the river was always interesting. And why not, for when I was a boy, any boy or man could fish with hook and line, seine or gig-: so that there were times when, mother being about to set in with her annual soap-making, and wanting me to set up the ash-hopper and such like needful work, I had a foreboding of the coming siege and retired to the river for a rest, and vacation. But when the head of the house came home, there was always a settlement in which no compromises were admitted and I paid up. "In those clays every home used wood for fuel and the big wide fire-places eat up a big lot of timber—good timber, too—and the ashes thus resulting during the entire year, were saved and safely garnered to the soap-making season, And when the time was ripe, always spring time, when grass greened and robins came back to their old haunts, then the old ash-hopper went into commission again, repairs, if needed, were made, and serious work began. THE OLD ASH-HOPPER. "The hopper itself was a crude affair, a thick Wide slab four or five feet long from the sawmill nearby with a gutter dug in the center the whole length of the slab to catch the drip, furnished the bottom and the foundation. The hopper part was of very simple construction, made of any sort of boards cut in three and a half or four foot lengths, made wide at the top and narrow at the lower edge, the boards fitting into the groove of the slab bottom. And now we are ready for operation. First, the handy lad is sent to dig sassafras roots to put in the hopper for a starter, and after being lined on the inside with rye straw the ashes are filled in slowly, and tamped down solid until the hopper is filled. When all this is in order, water is poured on. the top, perhaps a pail or two a day, and when the mass is well wet and the lye begins to drip from the groove to the vessel placed beneath for its holding, we may say the enterprise is well started. "All the waste fat from the butchering and from the cooking, with the meat rinds sliced from the hams and bacon, having- been hoarded, are now brought into use and are added to the kettle of lye as needed. the kettle is hung over a fire and the sequence of it all is soap, •the same as our potters are bringing over from 'Merrie England' today, SOAP SPOOKERY. "There was a goodish bit of spookery about our soap-making of years agorae and a common inquiry when neighbor women met was about the soap. Aunt Susan would say, 'Well, Mary has had good luck with her soap,' or mother would take her visitors out to see her soap. thrust in her long paddle to the bottom of the kettle and pry up the mass until it would bulge and crack and split into a thousand tumbling bits, and finally settle back into a solid, livery whole. Then they would say, `You had pod luck this time !' A barrel or two of soap was made in this way each year and when the soap gave out, one neighbor would send to the other for a pail of snag, borrow it. Hard soap was made by a AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 105 little different handling. To me there was always a bit of mystery in the getting of good soap, but none at all about making and filling the hopper. THE OLD ASHERY. "As time passed on, my uncle, Nick Eckes, built an ashery on the side or slope of a hill near North Benton, on a farm now owned and occupied by Walter Miller, and after that my architectural genius, so often called out in the building of our homesoap factory, was allowed a vacation in that direction, but continued to develop as we shall see further on. "Uncle Nick, to my mind, was a wonderful man. His ashery had several great kettles set in arches where he boiled the lye after it had been leached through hundreds of bushels of ashes. The hoppers were permanent and set wet 1 above the boiling kettles, and there he made potash, pearlash, soap and the like, barreling up the two first named and wagoning them to market in some far off place, most likely Pittsburg, He went from 'house to house with his great wagon and team and gathered the ashes for which he paid ten cents a bushel in trade. He had a high seat on his wagon and a good sized box on either end with secure lid and all 'fast to the seat. As he sat in the middle of the seat with his treasures on either side where he could lift the lid and take out vast quantities of all sorts of valuables, he was, to my mind, a man to excite a barefoot boy's ambition. THE STAGE DRIVER. "There was only one other man his superior in position, culture and training to whom we boys offered unstinted homage and admiration and that was the jolly stage driver, who blew his horn, cracked his long-lashed whip over his four-in-hand team and went sailing into town, where he delivered and took on mail, passengers and such light merchandise as he could carry. "In a talk with Uncle John Schaeffer 0n this line, he very well remembered the same and said when the mail was first started (I think the route was from Cleveland, then a straggling village of a few thousand inhabitants, to Steubenville, the land office of these parts), the road was new and not the best, There were two bad chuck holes, one on either side of his house and the stage driver told him that if he would fill them up he w0uld give him a free ride in his coach to Salem and back, The offer seemed so generous that Uncle fulfilled his contract with pick and shovel and the stage driver was as good as his word. "When the stage coach went flying by, my, oh my! The driver fairly scorned the earth and he certainly was a grand figure, so grand that none f us boys could ever hope to gain such a high position. 'When I was a boy, there were no railroads, telegraph, telephones and such like conveniences and yet we didn't seem to miss them and managed to get along fairly well, THE FIRST SETTLEMENT. "My forebears came from near Bethlehem, Pa., and settled about five miles north of Sebring, near the time Ohio was admitted into the Union. The first settlement was made just north of the forty-first parallel and in what has long been known as the Connecticut or Western Reserve, and by an original charter for the colony, belonged to the State of Connecticut, Connecticut finally disposed of the same to the Connecticut Land Company, and by this land company to actual settlers. "The reserve was mostly settled by down-East Yankees, a most intelligent, orderly and enterprising people, Our family formed a colony of Pennsylvania Germans, but good neighborship always prevailed and the location was a happy one. "The writer was born in the. year in which Queen Victoria began her long reign in England, and the pioneers had passed through the hardships incident to hewing homes out of virgin forests, inhabited by wild game and roving bands of Indians, and had secured homes of great comfort, When I put in my appearance, the men and women who had borne 106 - HISTORY OF MAHONING COUNTY the hardships of real pioneers, who had wielded the axe and the rifle, were still living, and I still have a most vivid memory of them and stories of the life they lived, MATCHES UNKNOWN. "Matches for lighting fires were not then known, or at least I have no recollection of them. The evening fires in the great fireplace before retiring, were banked. The manner of it was this way : "The fireplace was furnished with heavy dog irons and against the back wall was placed a great log, preferably of green wood. Lighter wood was laid upon the dog irons and an iron crane was swung in the side of the wall, provided with adjustable hooks to accommodate pots and kettles with any length f bail. The foresticks having been pretty well burned out in the evening, the brands were laid in the center and well covered with such cold ashes as had accumulated on the generous and always hospitable hearth. In the mornings, all the first fellow up had to do was to stir up the heap, only to find that the trunks had been turned into a fine heap of glowing coals and so we soon had a blazing, cheery-looking and very comfortable kitchen. Sometimes, however, there were lapses and there were no glowing coals in the heap. Maybe the brands were too dry or the cover too thin—something anyway. Often your scribe has been ruthlessly, cruelly, dragged from his trundle bed When it seemed as if he had only begun to sleep and rest his tired body from the toils of the previous day, and was sharply ordered to run quickly over to either Uncle Billy's or Uncle John's for fire, which was brought in a brand or a small torch of the ever-present hickory bark. "Well, you youngsters say, that was tough, and not near so sleek and handy as to draw a match over hip, and zip, there you have it. But, now, just see here. The times of which I write, an insurance company, either life or fire, was not known in our neighborhood, and although many, in fact, I believe the most f our old neighbors lived in log- houses with chinked walls and clapboard roofs, and the same often held in place by heavy poles and a bit of chimney laid up in clay mortar, I never knew a fire to occur in my youth, either of a house or a barn, while today, with our better houses and all the convenient knick-knacks we have about us, the fire losses are appalling. IF FIRES ALL WENT OUT "Well, I was often worried ; suppose the fires in the neighborhood should all go out, what would we do then ? So one day, I was telling my Uncle John of my gloomy forebodings, and he went into his house and took down his rifle from the wooden hooks over the door, her abiding place when not in use. She had a flint lock. Every family had a little store of punk, and hunters carried it. Punk is a dry, white fungus and is found on decaying logs and timber and catches a spark, and if you have the flint and the steel you are independent of these dangerous, modern, ready-made firebrands, called matches. So Uncle John, gun in hand, placed a bit of punk in the pan of his rifle, pulled the trigger, and in the wink of an eye, my fears were allayed ; no more forebodings of disaster to disturb my mind in the line of fire. "We had a number of these old pioneer hunters in our neighborhood and their prowess in the chase had supplied the pioneer families with meat and they always talked of their rifles most affectionately and gave to them, in speaking, the feminine gender, The butts were often ornamented with inlaid silver, shell or bone devices, and the old powder horns were also decorated. Bullet pouches were real curiosities. "When I was a lad, the larger game was mostly gone, but the wood was full of gray and black squirrel, and both pheasant and quail were plenty. The old rifles were mostly out of commission and were not much used except at butchering time, or at an occasional shooting match on the river bottom. But those days passed all too soon ; the old hand-made flint and cap-locks gave way to the muzzle-loading AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 107 cap-lock shot gun, sometimes single and often double-barreled, and then game began to thin out. WILD PIGEONS : WHERE ARE THEY ? "And, by the way, can any of my old time chums tell what ever became of the wild pigeons ? You remember, long ago, when seeding time came, and the mast, beech-nuts, acorns and black and red haws began to ripen and the frosts brought the nuts to the ground, how the wild pigeons came in covies by the thousands, and, after a day's gleaning in newly sown wheat fields or the wood lands, with crops filled with everything good—for pigeons—they would wing their way to the old Beaver swamp to spend the night ; and how the noise of their flight was deafening—and so many, they appeared like a dark cloud ; the noise of them when settling to roost, and how in the early morn they started in every direction for another day's foraging, ften in small parties, only to return in the evening to the same roost. 'Twas a fine place, the swamp, when one wanted pigeons. The last pigeon potpie we had at our house, we had Twing Brooks and Barbe Blackburn for guests. We took small toll f the pigeons here, but they seemed to disappear, and in a season or two, were gone. PIONEER MILLING ENTERPRISE. "A small stream of water with its source somewhere near Squire Armstrong's home, made its way through the Beaver swamp and meandered through the fields, here and there, crossed the state road near Joseph Ladd's, lately deceased. I called there occasionally and he told me that he was the second; to own and occupy the farm where he lived so long and died. I think he told me, Pleasant Cobbs entered or took the land from the government, and he bought the same of Cobbs, so he was the second from the wilderness. "Mr. Ladd said the first house was made of plank, whipsawed, and when they went into a more modern house, he sold the plank one and it went to the farm now occupied by David Gempeler. But very soon they harnessed up, the little stream and put it to work, and within a mile f where he lived at one time there were three mills, one grist and two saw mills, upon it. Samuel Coppock's sawmill on the Phillip Case farm, many of us remember. Scott's. grist mill a little farther down the creek, was afterward moved to Westville, where it now-stands. "There was a sawmill on the head waters. of Island Creek, just north of here a mile or two, on a farm once owned in our family and near the Albert Phillips home. Of all these and many more evidences of pioneer enterprise, the only indisputable evidences to be seen today, are the long dams, bulwarks of earth, to hold the water in check. Any curious antiquary can track the advance of the milling industry by wandering along the banks of the stream. Now, the water mills are all or nearly all out of commission. The only one that I know of still doing duty is the Wilson or Shilling mill on the Mahoning near old Fredericksburg, and that has been modernized and has iron rolls and steam attachments to be hooked on when the water fails. "The first mill I recollect. was Barr's fulling mill ; the next was Lazarus' grist and sawmill and the next up stream was the Laughlin mill where the old stage road from Cleveland to Steubenville crosses the Mahoning near Deerfield, and a short distance above stands Wright's old mill, then the Kirk mill at Alliance. All these were water mills and pioneer mills. All now stand idle, out of business, and the boy with the family grist on his horse, bound for the old mill is a legend of days gone by, The merry clatter of the old brown mill has been forever drowned out, smothered and laid to rest by the invasion f George Stephenson with his shrieking, roaring giant—steam," SLAVERY. "For nearly half a century after the first permanent settlements were made in Ohio, this Commonwealth, always opposed politically to slavery, was curiously tolerant of the presence - 6 - 108 - HISTORY OF MAHONING COUNTY of slaves from the States where slavery existed, if they were brought into Ohio by their masters for temporary purposes. It was not merely that Southern slave holders were free to visit Ohio, bringing their slave servants with them, but that slave owners used to rent the services of their bondmen to farmers living on the free soil side of the Ohio, when there was unusual need of help, as at harvest. It is estimated that fully 2,000 slaves from Kentucky and the Virginia of those days were sometimes employed in Ohio at the same time. Shortly before 1840 this condition finally and completely passed away, It became practically certain that slaves brought into Ohio would be set free or aided to escape, and many citizens of this State took an active part in helping them flee to Canada, A new impatience of all contact with slavery came to be a marked phase of public opinion in Ohio. Long before the Civil War this State had become one of the most active in movements for the curbing and undermining of slavery as an institution. COUNTY SEAT LOCATED. The County of Mahoning was created by the legislative act of February 16, 1846. For forty-five years previous to that date it had been included within the limits of Trumbull County, in accordance with the proclamation of Governor St. Clair, July 10, 1800, which declared that "all the territory included in Jefferson County, lying north of the forty-first degree, north latitude, and all that part of Wayne County included in the Connecticut Western Reserve, should constitute a new county to be known by the name of Trumbull, and that the seat of justice should be at Warren." There was .a good deal of dissatisfaction among the citizens of this part of the Reserve at the selection of Warren as the county seat, While Warren was nearer the center of the territory, Youngstown was the larger village, and nearer the center of population. Some of the most influential men on the Reserve, however, were interested in Warren, either through holding land there or by being actual residents of the place. Prominent among them was judge Calvin Pease, who was brother-in-law of Hon. Gideon Granger, Postmaster-General of the United States, Mr. Granger, besides his interest in Pease, was himself the owner of large tracts of land which was enhanced in value by the location of the seat of government. at Warren. "Under the old territorial law the Governor had authority to appoint officers for any new county he might choose to erect. The justices of the peace constituted the general court of the county, five of their number being designated justices of the quorum, and the others associates, They met quarterly, and were known as the 'court of quarter sessions, In this body was vested the entire civil jurisdiction of the county, local and legislative as well as judicial." An account of the first court held in Trumbull County, with a list of the officers appointed by the Governor, may be found in the chapter devoted to the Bench and Bar. EARLY ELECTIONS, Early elections in the county were held according to the English method. The sheriff presided over the assembly of electors and received their votes viva voce. The first election in Trumbull County was held in Warren, the second Tuesday in October, 1800. Owing to the difficulties attendant upon travel in those days only forty-two persons participated in the election, Thirty-eight out of the forty-two votes cast were cast for General Edward Paine, who "took his seat in the Territorial Legislature in 1801, and continued to represent the county until a State government was established in 1803." During the May term of the following year the county of Trumbull was divided into tax and election districts, and the house of Mr, Simon Perkins, at the intersection of Young's road and the Lake road was the place appointed for holding elections in the northern district, which consisted of the towns of Middlefield, Richfield, Paynesville and Cleveland. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 109 COUNTY SEAT ISSUE. For a number of years thereafter the county seat issue occupied so large a share of the public mind as to dwarf all other topics, State or National. Though Warren had secured the county seat, Youngstown was determined that she should not retain it and a local and sectional conflict arose that was bitterly waged at the polls and in the legislature, and in almost every possible way short of physical hostilities, until the War of 1812 interrupted it temporarily by its appeal to a broader and wider patriotism. Every election was contested on the county seat issue, Youngstown, which seemed to have the initial advantage f having the commissioners and representatives of the legislature, succeeded in 1805 in having Geauga County set off, embracing all the settled western part of the Reserve, this leaving Youngstown indisputably the center of population, if not 0f the county, In consequence of Youngstown's influence in the legislature, Warren, in defence of her interests, felt obliged to maintain two or three lobbyists at Chillicothe "whose duty it was to see that no law was passed infringing upon the interests of their town. The erection of Ashtabula and Portage counties, in 1808, with western and southern boundaries as at present, gave Warren a geographical disadvantage, which she sought to nullify at the next election. This was by including aliens from the right to vote, which had hitherto been allowed them without question. The aliens were mostly Irishmen and by the help of their vote Richard J, Elliot and Robert Hughes were the candidates elected. It was proposed by Warren to contest the election and throw out the alien votes and thereby secure the election of their candidate, Thomas G. Jones. The Irish made a vigorous resistance to what they considered a blow at their liberties, and some exciting scenes were the result. The justices, Mr. Leonard Case of Warren, and Mr, William Chidester of Canfield, who was selected to take the testimony, Sat first at Hubbard, the following day at Youngstown, and another day at Poland, Daniel Sheehy, the leader, and most violent of the Irish, made some long and flaming oratorical outbursts, which greatly excited his hearers and caused him finally to be placed under arrest. Many f the witnesses summoned refused to testify until threatened with committal to jail. The upshot of the matter was that "when the legislature met at Chillicothe, in December, 1809, Messrs. Hughes and Elliot were regularly admitted to seats on proper credentials." The election of Hughes was contested by Matthias Corwin, of Warren County, in favor of Thomas G. Jones, but the committee on privileges and electi0ns subsequently reported in favor of Hughes. Some three days more were spent in discussion before the house, the contestor and contestee being present with counsel, and ended in a resolution entitling Robert Hughes to his seat in the Assembly, Jones being given leave to whitdraw his memorial. USELESS LEGISLATION. A useless and vexatious change in county lines was made when, in accordance with bills passed by the legislature, towns number eight in ranges one to five in Ashtabula County, were made part f Trumbull County (only to be restored to Ashtabula County soon after), giving their inhabitants just cause for indignation, and putting them to much inconvenience and uncertainty with respect to matters of legal jurisdiction, This action made Warren temporarily the geographical center of the county, but had no particular effect on the final issue, The two parties were now about evenly balanced, and in 1810 , a decisive contest, of which both seemed afraid, was avoided by the election to the legislature of Aaron Collar, of Canfield, a neutral candidate. In the following year, Thomas G, Jones was chosen candidate for Warren, and Samuel Bryson as candidate for Youngstown to the House of Representatives, and George Tod of Youngstown to the Senate. The war with England now absorbed the attention of the people, diverting their minds from the local conflict in the need of preparing to meet the 110 - HISTORY OF MAHONING COUNTY common enemy, and in making preparations for defence against hostile Indians, whom British activity had stirred up to warlike demonstrations against the American frontier. RENEWAL OF THE STRIFE. It was not until 1840 that the county seat contest again took on an aggravated form, the renewal of the strife being due to a petition by leading citizens of Warren for a new court house, the old one having fallen into a dilapidated condition, and not being sufficiently imposing in appearance for a place of such growing importance, This proposition at once met with opposition from southern townships of the county, whose interests centered in Youngstown. But the contest soon took on a wider phase than the mere question of erecting a new building at Warren, and brought the old county seat question again to the fore. A number of new projects for dividing the county were brought forward, four of which at least proposed to leave Warren without the seat of government. Youngstown elected officers committed against the new court house project, The people of Newton Falls wanted two new counties erected—one to be formed from the south part of Ashtabula County and the north part of Trumbull County ; the other from the east part of Trumbull County, to consist of the townships of Mecca, Bazetta, Howland,Weathersfield, Austintown, Canfield, Boardman, Youngstown, Liberty, Vienna, Fowler, Johnston, Hartford, Brookfield, Hubbard, Coitsville and Poland, with the county seat at Poland ; and the townships of Windham, Palmyra, Nelson and Paris, in Portage County, to be annexed to Trumbull County, with the county seat at Newton Falls. "Youngstown finally petitioned for a division of Trumbull County, as it then existed, into two counties, the south division having the county seat at Youngstown, and the northwest, which should retain the name Trumbull, retaining the county seat at Warren. Canfield further complicated matters by petitioning for the erection of a new county seat out of the ten southern townships of Trumbull and five northern townships of Columbiana. This last proposition received the support of the Warren people, and was finally confirmed by the legislature in 1846, the new county being designated "Mahoning." This name is generally considered to be of Indian origin, meaning "Beautiful Meadow," though some other theories have been occasionally advanced. SOME INTERESTING LETTERS. T0 depict more clearly the strenuous times that have been thus briefly sketched above, we print herewith some interesting old letters written in the height of the strife by three men prominent in the political, social, and financial life of the Western Reserve, the originals of which are now in possession of Mr. Frank B. Medbury, of Youngstown, They were written to Asahel Medbury (father of Frank B. Medbury), who was a member of the legislature which effected the division. R. W TayW.er was the father of Judge R. W. Tayler and was later controller of the United States Treasury. Ira Lucius Fuller was probate judge for years of Trumbull County and ;a close personal friend of Governor David Tod. Judge William Rayen, the writer of the third letter, is known to every one in the city, It w0uld seem that his letter was written after Mahoning County had been detached from Trumbull and another county was still being talked of, to be known as Clay County, THE SALARY LAW. One of the matters discussed in Judge Fuller's letter is particularly interesting at the present time, the salary law having been but recently passed and applying to all county officials of the State. It is relative to a proposition to decrease the compensation of the county officials, How amazing the figures are that he gives can only be determined by comparison with the present figures. For instance he suggests that the sheriff should receive $800; clerk $600 and treasurer and recorder each $500 The subject which was of the most vital importance, though, was the matter of the di- AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 111 vision of the county. This affected the entire territory and everyone took an interest in it, The letters are written with a care that is seldom found at the present time among busy men. The consideration which is shown regarding public affairs and interests bespeaks the old time citizen and gentleman, ANOTHER PROPOSITION. The letters are as follows : Youngstown, Dec. 14, 1843. Dear Sir : Last evening Mr. Horace Stevens, Mr. Carlile and Mr. Lane of Newton Falls were here, having come down to .make some arrangement about a different division of the county concerning which Mr. Carlile said he had spoken with you on your way to Columbus. That proposition was to divide North and South between the third and fourth ranges making a county seat at Youngstown and another at Newton Falls, taking four townships from Portage, then cutting off the northern tier of towns in Trumbull and two southern tiers of Ashtabula and adding one other township and making another county there. The proposition if carried out would suit us quite as well, but it is now too late to relax our efforts on account of it. They proposed to us to abandon our project or not push it to a consummation but wait until another year and join with them, intimating that our refusal would induce them and their neighbors to sign remonstrances which they had not yet clone. Of course, however, we cannot abandon ours nor agree to give tip any portion of our efforts. Their visit, however, will result in their refusal to sign the Warren remonstrances which are general against any division of the county. They will, however, probably remonstrate, expressing a favorable disposition towards their own proposition and such remonstrance will aid us as showing a willingness to have the county divided. Yesterday William Woodbridge enclosed you a petition together with proof of the publication of motion and today I forward another petition to Dr. Manning. If not done already, measures should be taken to secure a majority f the Senate in favor. Would not John E, Jackson, Senator from Portage, go in for it to prevent any further dismemberment of Portage as proposed by the Newton Falls people? The Falls project would undoubtedly obtain a strong support from the southwestern and western part of the county and from the four towns in Portage and from the northern towns interested in the new county project there, as well as from our neighborhood, I should be pleased to hear from you as .ften as you can conveniently write. Yours truly, R. W, TAYLER, HE URGES ECONOMY. Warren, O., Dec, 26, 1843. Ashel Medbury, Esq., Columbus. Dear Sir : I was much gratified to receive your favor of the 17th inst, Although a very short epistle it served to remind me that the friendly relations so long and pleasantly continued still subsist between us. It is truly pleasing to me to be numbered among your personal as well as political friends and I trust it will be long ere a cause shall exist to disturb these amicable feelings so grateful to the. human heart. You do not inform me how you are pleased. with your legislative business, but. I must in-. fer from your silence that the burdens imposed, by your official oath are not hard to be borne, Yet if the session should be long, as I trust it will not be, the time may not seem to pass so swiftly. Our strength in the House is less than anticipated by. some three or four but as you say,, "it is thus strong." The "retrenchment" bill. Which passed the House, is being so much amended in the Senate that its father will hardly know it. There can be little doubt but what the taxes. of the people can be sensibly reduced by a careful application of the power vested in the. legis lature. But the difficulty, if any exists, con-, sists in great diversity of interests to be con-. sulted in the process of reducing the salaries 112 - HISTORY OF MAHONING COUNTY of our public officials, as well as the expenditures, to a proper medium. The reduction of the fees, however, should in justice be limited to those officers who may be hereafter elected or appointed. A large sum in the aggregate can be saved by dispensing with the records of proceedings in our courts of justice, The clerks of our courts will not object to the lopping off of this item, Also for marriage licenses, etc, Public policy requires that the expense attending the solemnization of a marriage or the litigation of a suit. at law or equity should be as trifling as possible. But care should be taken that the salary of no office is reduced so low that a man of the requisite qualifications would not be willing to fill it. Now the proposition of Parkers' amendment to give $800 to the sheriff, $600 to the clerk and $500 each to the treasurer and recorder, etc., would answer in my opinion, provided the necessary deputies were paid in addition to those sums. I was conversing yesterday with our clerk and he had no doubt that the requisite qualifications could be obtained for that sum. DISCUSSES LEGISLATION, The natural tendency of legislation is to throw wealth into the hands of the rich and in a government like ours it is necessary to check that tendency. Give all classes of the people the benefit of equal laws and as we all have equal rights by nature, no one can justly complain. Doubtless you have observed that a meeting of some of our citizens was held at the court house and after the passage of sundry resolutions, Battels, Crowell and Baldwin were elected (lobby) members of the legislature to act against those elected by the people. Petitions have been circulated and signatures obtained to influence your honorable body against the organization of a new county, I am personally willing that the people should have a new county if they wish one, although it may be against my interest, There is territory enough in Trumbull County for two counties and the profits and emoluments of office being divided, if a division of the county is made, the burdens of the people will be to some extent removed instead of increased, Go ahead! I shall not petition. But I must close. Mr. Edwards starts in the morning, I am now in the office for the second. time since cutting my foot, but cannot go to Columbus as I anticipated, This is a disappointment, truly. But I must submit like a good. citizen and hope for the best. TOD for Governor, Respectfully, your friend, IRA LUCIUS FULLER, ANOTHER COUNTY. Youngstown, O., Jan. 7, 1848. A, Medbury, Esq. : My Dear Sir : On Monday last William. (his nephew), hearing things were not going. right in what would be Clay County, he started and went up to Gustavus, and saw Haislep and Horner, and found the Warren clan had got. remonstrances against any division of the county, and that there was considerable strife. between the people of the township of Green and Gustavus about Where the county seat. should be; that the people of Green had got up a new petition altering the lines, taking. some of the northwest townships of Trumbull. 'and attaching them to Clay, cutting some more townships off the southwest corner of Ashtabula County and putting them to Trumbull County, so as to make the township of Green-the center, and asking the legislature to put: the county seat at Green. But this petition I don't apprehend will amount to anything, as no notice had been given, and besides, they-will not be able to get many petitioners for that. plan, When William went back to Gustavus he found the people willing to give up the remonstrance and determined to go in for our division. Are now busy getting petitions signed and will have them forwarded immediately, Our people are now busy getting signers and will forward petitions on regular as fast as they are got in. What was a great stimulus to the Gustavus people was they found that the Warren AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 115 friends had been promising the people of Green if they would lie still this year they would assist them next and get the county seat at Green, and had also promised Gustavus the same. By that means the citizens of Clay County had pretty much concluded to lay still. AFTER WARREN PEOPLE, I saw the report of the standing committee relative to the erection of the new county of Gilead made by Mr. Hardesty. I think his arguments made in favor of his report are just and conclusive, and they meet our wishes exactly. I suppose you will have much said this winter on the subject of vested rights by the Warren and Canfield people. The Warren people need no more sympathy than the Canfield people, for when they got the seat of justice made at Warren they got it by every kind of villainy, fraud and deception that probably could be practiced and contrary to the then known will of a very large majority of the citizens of what was then Trumbull County, and has retained it still, against the will of the people. There is now forwarded from Mahoning County about 2,269 petitions, There will be probably in the course of a week 700 or 800 more. I have not heard exactly from Trumbull, but I suppose they are busy. Nothing new has transpired since you left home. My respects to Dr. Manning, If the money I sent to Medray to pay my account to him is not sufficient, if you have funds I wish you would pay him the balance and take his receipt, and I will pay you when you return. Yours truly, WILLIAM RAYEN. COUNTY SEAT CHANGED. About 1872 the county seat agitation again loomed up, but this time in another form. Youngstown had now become a city, paid one-fourth the taxes, was the seat of more than one-half the litigation in the county courts, and as a railroad center was more accessible than Canfield. It was thought by her citizens. that she was more entitled to the county seat than Canfield in spite of the provisions of the-. act of 1846. The question began to be openly discussed. Among the principal advocates of the change were T. W. Sanderson, John Stambaugh, George Rudge, M. Logan, D, M. Wilson and M. Logan, all of whom were present and spoke at a large and enthusiastic meeting: held in Arms Hall, Youngstown, early in 1873,. A committee appointed as the result of this meeting, one of whose members was Dr, T, Woodbridge, reported subsequently in substance, "that the removal of the county seat was to the interest and convenience of a large majority of the people of Mahoning County;: second, that to attain this end it was necessary to unite upon some man to represent them in the State Legislature, irrespective of party, who, was fully committed in favor of removal;. third, that the city and township of Youngstown pledge themselves to build the necessary county buildings, to be twice as valuable at least as those in Canfield, and in addition donate a site for such buildings." This report was adopted. The candidates of the two political parties both favored the State constitutional provision giving the power of removal, to the majority of the voters. On June 30, 1873, the following county ticket was nominated : Sheldon Newton, of Boardman, representative; James K. Bailey,. of Coitsville, auditor ; Isaac Justice, f Youngs-. town, Jonathan Schillinger, of Springfield,. commissioners; J. Schnurrenberger, of Green, infirmary director ; Henry M. Boardman, of Boardman, surveyor ; Dr. Ewing, of Milton,. coroner. All these gentlemen, some of whom were Republicans and some Democrats, were pledged to use their best efforts in favor of the removal of the county seat. The other side, in a meeting held in Canfield, August 19th, with G. Van Hyning, Esq., of Canfield, chairman, nominated a ticket composed partly of Democrats and partly of Republicans, who were in favor of the retention f the county seat at Canfield. This ticket was as follows : For representative, C. F. Kirtland, of Poland ; auditor, James M. Dickson, of 116 - HISTORY OF MAHONING COUNTY Jackson ; prosecuting attorney, Jared Huxley, of Canfield ; commissioner, Tames Williams, of Ellsworth; infirmary director, Isaac G, Rush, of Coitsville; coroner, Dr. E. G. Rose, of Austintown ; surveyor, Daniel Reichart, of Milton, The following resolutions were reported and unanimously adopted : Resolved, That we deprecate the issue forced upon us by the convention held at Youngstown; that said convention is directly and wholly responsible for rupturing long established and valued political associations for the probability of engendering local and neighborhood strife and division, the consequence uncertain boyhood strife and division, the consequence of which will be to injure one portion of our citizens in the uucertain expectation of benefiting them. Resolved, That this convention, representing every township in the county, deny the truthfulness of the Youngstown convention of June 28th, they being a gross exaggeration and misrepresentation of the facts; but on the contrary we claim the seat of government, being -now centrally located, of convenient access from all portions of the county, and having good and ample buildings for the accommodation of the public, the removal of it to one corner of the county, largely for the benefit of a few capitalists, and to satisfy uneasy political agitation would be an act of gross injustice to the greater portion of the county, etc. The first triumph was gained by the removalist party in the election of Mr, Newton, October, 1873, In accordance with a bill offered by Mr. Newton, the State Legislature at the next session passed the following act : Section 1. That from and after taking effect of this section of this act. as hereinafter provided, the seat of justice in the county of Mahoning shall be re. moved from the town of Canfield to the city of Youngstown in said county. Section 2. That the foregoing section of this act Shall take effect and be in force when and so soon as the same shall be adopted by a majority of all the electors in said Mahoning county voting at the next general election after the passage thereof, and when public buildings shall have been erected as hereinafter provided. Provision was made in the act for submitting the question of removal to the votes of the electors, The removal was made dependent, however, upon the following conditions embodied in Section V. That in case a majority of electors of said county shall vote for removal as heretofore provided, the seat of justice and county scat shall be deemed and taken to be removed from Canfield, in said county, to the city of Youngstown, and to be located in said city of Youngstown; provided, however, that nothing in the act shall be so construed as to authorize the removal of the seat of justice to said city of Youngstown until the citizens and township of Youngstown shall have donated a lot or lots of land in the city of Youngstown and of sufficient size and suitably located to accommodate the court house, jail and necessary offices for said county, and shall have erected thereon and completed thereon suitable buildings for court house, jail, and all other offices and rooms necessary for the transaction of all public business for said county, at a cost for said buildings of not less than $100,000, and to the satisfaction and acceptance of the commissioners of said county, and all such buildings shall be completed within two years from the date of the election at which said act shall be ratified; and said commissioners shall not, nor shall any other authority of said county levy any tax on the taxable property of said county for said lands or buildings; provided that the citizens of Youngstown may within two years build said buildings and tender the same to said commissioners. Preparations to fulfill the above-named conditions were at once made by the citizens of Youngstown. The necessary committees were appointed, and a vigorous removal campaign was begun in which general politics were lost sight of. By August I0, 1874, the sum of $100,000 for the erection of public buildings had been subscribed, but the building committee desired to increase that sum to $200,000. The vote in October resulted in a large majority in favor of removal, and preparations were at once made for the erection of the buildings, In March, 1874, the city council author- ized the mayor to convey to the building committee two lots on the corner of Wick Avenue and Wood Street, valued at $40,000, for the nominal sum of $10. The contracts for the buildings were let and immediately the construction of the new court house began. But the citizens of Canfield were not disposed to submit to the removal without a struggle, Under the leadership of Eben Newton they filed a petition in the district court "enjoining the commissioners against removing AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 117 the county seat to Youngstown n the ground that the law of 1874 was unconstitutional, because it contemplated the violation of a contract between Canfield and the State, which guaranteed to that village the permanent location of the county seat." On the Youngstown side it was argued that the word "permanent" meant simply, "without any intention of changing," and that "the law of 1846 could not be construed to mean that Canfield should have the county seat forever, for such a construction would take out of the hands of the legislature the authority of regulating the government of the State and would consequently make the act f 1846 unconstitutional." In 1876 the case was taken from the district court to the supreme court of Ohio, which decided that the power to establish and remove county seats cannot be made the subject of contract, and that consequently the legislature of 1846 had no authority to pass an act making Canfield the perpetual county seat. But further, the act of 1846 was not in the nature of a specific contract, the words of which should be certain and direct. That it merely created the county "with the county seat at Canfield, and then provides that it shall not be considered as permanently established at Canfield" until a donation shall have been made of a suitable lot and $5,000 for the erection of the county buildings. It also held that even had the act of 1846 been a specific contract, and the contract constitutional the validity of the act of 1874 would not be impaired, for the words "permanently established," as used in that act, must be taken to mean "established as other county seats were established," subject to change by future legislation. That the donors (of the lot and buildings) had had thirty years enjoyment under the supposed contract, and that as their property would revert to them on the removal, they had no just ground for complaint. The court, therefore, five judges concurring, dismissed the petition. The case was thereupon taken by the plaintiffs to the Supreme Court of the United States, where it was tried in October, 1879, with James A. Garfield and others for the citizens f Canfield, and Thomas W. Sanderson, of Youngstown, for the petitioners, General Garfield argued that the eighth section f the act of 1846, when complied with by the citizens of Canfield, amounted to a specific contract, and was valid under the constitution of the United States, which protected contracts made between any State and its citizens. General Sanderson's chief argument was that the word "permanently" as used in the statutes at that time did not mean "forever," but the phrase "permanently established is a formula in long and frequent use in Ohio with respect to county seats established otherwise than temporarily." The result of the trial was that the court affirmed the judgment of the State courts and the county seat was confirmed at Youngstown. Amid the general congratulations at Youngstown and the other parts of the county that were favorable to the removal and thanks to those who had been chiefly instrumental in effecting the change, the Youngstown Register and Tribune, in holding out the olive branch to the opposition, said : "We want the people of Green, Smith, Goshen and Canfield to feel that Youngstown is their county seat, and that the beautiful temple of justice that has been built here is their court house. We would have them appreciate the truth that we are actuated by no spirit f hostility against their section, but throughout the controversy have only desired the claims of the majority shall be heeded, and that we shall have what is justly ours." The handsome and commodious buildings which were then erected have since served well their purpose, until recent years, when the phenomenal growth of the city combined with other causes have made new buildings and a new location a necessity, A favorable site for the new structure was chosen on Market and at the beginning of the present year, and soon Mahoning County will have a still more beautiful and commodious temple of justice than that which was the cause of such a bitter and long continued controversy, which will cost more than a million and a half dollars. CHAPTER XIV COUNTY OFFICIALS SINCE THE ORGANIZATION OF MAHONING COUNTY Auditors—Sheriffs—County Commissioners—Treasurers — Recorders — Prosecuting Attorneys—Probate Judges—State Representatives—State Senators—Vote for Governor. AUDITORS, The auditors are also clerks to the Board of County Commissioners. Their term begins on the second Monday in November of alternate years. Andrew Fitch served from March 1, 1846, to March 1, 1848; Benjamin Votaw, 1848 to 1850; Thomas Roller, 1850 to 1852; S. C, Clark, 1852 to 1855; Jackson Truesdale, 1855 to 1859; Timothy D, Baldwin, 1859 to 1863; David Simon, 1863 to 1867; B, G. Wilcox, 1867 to November, 1871; James K, Bailey, 1871 to 1875; James B. Hughes, 1875 to 1880; Freeman H. Sherer, 1880 to 1886; Thomas E, Davey, 1886 to 1892; Conrad F. Benner, 1892 to 1899; William R. Leonard, 1899 to 1904; Will B. Jones, 1904. SHERIFFS, The sheriff's term begins on the first Monday in January of every alternate year, James Powers from March 1, 1846, to January, 1848; William Schmick, 1848 to 1850; William Meeker, 1850 to 1852; Erastus Platt, 1852 to 1856; Albert Cook, 1856 to 1858; Samuel Smith, 1858 to 1862; Matthew Logan, 1862 to 1864; N, P. Callahan, 1864 to 1868; Charles Townshend, 1868 to 1872; John R, Davis,. 1872 to 1876; James B. Drake, 1876 to 1880; George \V. Ludwick, 1880 to 1884; Eli B. Walker, 1884 to 1888; Samuel O. Ewing, 1888 to 1892; James K. Orr, 1892 to 1894; C, F. Callahan, 1894 to 1899; J. Howard Shields, 1899 to 1901; James M. Thomas, 1901 to 1904; F, De Normandie, 1904, COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. The first county commissioners were: Robert Turnbull, who was elected for one year from March 1, 1846; Isaiah Bowman, elected for two years, and James Justice, elected for two years. All their successors were elected for terms of three years each, In 1847 Daniel Parshall took Turnbull's seat. In March Jacob Leyman was elected. At this time the court extended the terms of those then in office from March to November, and thereafter these officials were elected at the regular October elections. On November 1, 1849, John Cowden took the place of James Justice; December 2, 1850, Daniel Thoman succeeded Daniel Parshall. On the first Monday in December, 1851, Jacon Brunstetter succeeded Jacob Leyman. On the first Monday AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 119 in December, 1852, John Stewart succeeded John Cowden. On the first Monday in December, 1853, Furman Gee succeeded Daniel Thoman. On the first Monday in December, 1854, John R. Kennedy succeeded Jacob Brunstetter. On the first Monday in December, 1855, Alexander Pow succeeded John Stewart. On the first Monday in DStewart, 1856, Conrad A. Bunts succeeded Furman Gee. On the first Monday in December, 1857, John Warner succeeded John R. Kennedy. On the first Monday in December, 1858, John Shields succeeded Alexander Pow. On the first Monday in December, 1859, Conrad A. Bunts became his own successor. On the first Monday insuccessor,, 1860, William. A. Miller succeeded John Warner. On the first Monday in December, 1861, James Duncan succeeded John Shields. On the first Monday in December, 1862, Stephen Case succeeded Conrad A. Bunts. William A. Miller was elected in 1863. LeA,s Templin in 1864. Stephen Case was his own successor in 1865. In 1866 Robert Lowry succeeded William A. Miller. In 1867 Shelden Newton succeeded, Lewis Templin. In 1868 William Johnson succeeded Stephen Case. In 1869 Robert Lowry was re-elected. In 1870 Lewis Templin succeeded Newton. In 1871 William Johnson was re-elected. In 1872 Samuel Wallace succeeded Robert Lowry. In 1873 Jonathan Schillinger succeeded Lewis Templin. In 1874 M. J. Jackson succeeded, William Johnson. In 1875 Shelden Newton succeeded Samuel Wallace. In 1876 J. H. Blackburn succeeded Schillinger. In 1877 George Wetzel succeeded J. M. Jackson. In 1878 Frank McMaster succeeded Shelden Newton. In 1879 J. H. Blackburn was re-elected. In 1880 A. D. McClurg succeeded. George Wetzel. In 1881 Frank McMaster was re-elected. John Gault was elected in 1882; A. D. McClurg in 1883; Louis Gluck, 1884; John Gault, 1885; Frank White, 1886; Louis Gluck, 1887; David T. Moore, 1888; Frank White, 1889; Jahn M. Davis, 1890; James S. Price, 1891; John C. McMillin, 1892; John M. Davis, 1893; James S. Price, 1894; Charles T. Agnew, 1895; John W. Van Auker, 1896; John W. Van Auker, 1897 (re-elected) ; Marcus Westerman, 1898; William K. Wagner, 1899; John W. Van Auker, 1900; Marcus Westerman, 1901; Thomas R. Jones and Warren H. Kale, 1902 ; Thomas R. Jones and Warren H. Kale,. re-elected in 1903; Thomas R. Jones and John C. Hannie, 1904; Thomas R. Jones, 1905;. Warren H. Kale, 1906. TREASURERS. John H. Donald, from March, 1846, to December, 1847; Hosea Hoover, 1847 to 1851; to John Wetmore, 1851 to 1853; Singleton King, 1853 to 1855; Lewis Ruhlman, 1855 to 1859 James W. McClelland, 1859 to 1863; Robert M. Wallace, 1863 to 1867; John R. Truesdale, 1867 to 1871; James Barclay, 1871 to 1873; Alexander Dickson, 1877 to 1884 ; William Cornelius, elected 1880, took office 1881; George W. Canfield, elected 1884; John W. Smith, 1888; John W. Brown, 1890,; J. C. Schnurenberger, 1892; R. T. Johnston, 1894; James Hiney, 1899; F. A. Hartenstein, 1902. RECORDERS Saxon Sykes, March 1, 1846m to October 18, 1849; George Hollis, from October 18, 1849, to October 23, 1856; A. P. Flaugher,. October 23, 1856A, to June 1, 1863; J. B. Leach, June 1, 1863, to the second Monday in January, 1865; J. V. McCurley from the second Monday in January, 1865, to January, 1868; F. M. Simon, from January, 1868, to January, 1875; S. B. Reiger, from January,. 1875S,to January, 1878; Thomas H. Ward, from January 8, 1878, to January, 1881; Thomas H. Ward elected as his own successor, 1880, took office in 1881; A. S. McCurley, elected in 1883; Henry W. Davis, 1889; William McClog, 1892; Henry W. Davis, 1895; William McClog, 1899; W. H. McGinnis, 1902. PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS. William Ferguson, from 1846 to 1848; James B. Blocksom 1848 to 1850; E. G. Canfield, 1850 to 1852;. R. J. Powers, to 120 - HISTORY OF MAHONING COUNTY 1856; T, W, Sanderson, 1856 to 1858; R, J, Powers, 1858 to 1860; William C. Bunts, 1860 to 1862; James B. Blocksom, 1862 to 1863; F, G. Servis, 1863 to 1867; H. G, Leslie, 1867; Asa W. Jones, 1867 to 1869; W, G, Moore, 1869 to 1871; A. W, Jones, 1871 to 1873; I, A, Justice, 1873 to 1875; C. R, Truesdale, 1875 to 1877; M, W. Johnston, 1877 to 1881; C. R, Truesdale, 1881 to 1883; (James B, Blocksom and H. G, Leslie died while in office, Disney Rogers (elected) 1884; James B, Kennedy, 1890; S, D, L. Jackson, 1896; William T. Gibson, 1900; William R. Graham, 1902. PROBATE JUDGES. The probate court of Mahoning county was organized on March 8, 1852. The time of service of the judges dated from the second Monday in February of each year. William Hartsel served until Feburary 12, 1855 ; Garretson I, Young until February 9, 1861; Giles Van Hyning until Febuary, 1867; Joseph R, Johnston until February T0, 1873; M. V, B. King until February 14, 1876; Leroy D. Thoman until 1879; Louis W. King until February, 1882, Judge King became his own successor at the election held in October, 1881; and served till 1899; Elliott M, Wilson till 1894 George E. Rose till 1901 ; J, Calvin Ewing till 1907; David C, Griffith was elected in 1906. STATE REPRESENTATIVES FROM MAHONING COUNTY. David Huston, 1849; George Pow, 1850-1851 ; Joseph Montgomery, 1852-1853 ; Jacob Musser, 1854-1855; Joseph Truesdale, 1856-1857; Samuel W, Gibson, 1858-1859; Jesse Baldwin and Joseph Bruff, 1860-1861; Robert Montgomery, 1862-1863; Reuben Carroll, 1864-1865; Joseph Bruff, 1866-1867; George W, Brook, 1868-1869; George W. Brook, 1870-1871; Cook F. Kirtland, 1872-1873; Shelden Newton, 1874-1875; Joseph Barclay, 1876-1877; Robert Mackey, 1878-1879; Thos, H, Wilson, 1880-1881; William B, Pollock, 1882-1883; Alexander Dickson, 1884-1885; Alexander Dickson, 1886-1887; Lemuel C. Ohl, 1888-1889; Lemuel C, Ohl, 1890-1891; Lemuel C, Ohl, 1892-1893; Randall Montgomery, 1894-1895; Randall Montgomery, 1896-1897; William R, Stewart, 1898-1899; Hugh A. Manchester, 1900-1901; William F. Maag and W, J. Williams, 1902-1904; W. J. Williams and R. C. Huey, 1905-1906; R, C. Huey and Randall H. Anderson, 1906-1908, STATE SENATORS-23RD DISTRICT, (Since organization of Mahoning County,) John F. Beaver, 1846-1849; Milton Sutliff, 1850-1851; Jonathan I. Tod, 1852-1853; Ira Norris, 1854-1855; Robert W. Taylor, 1856-1859; J. Dolson Cox, 1860-1861 ; Samuel Quinby, 1862-1863; Eben Newton, 1864-1865; George F, Brown, 1866-1867; L, D, Woodworth, 1868-1871; L, C. Jones, 1872-1875; J. R. Johnson, 1876-1879; H, B. Perkins, 1879-1883, (Subsequent dates are those of election.) H, B, Perkins, 1883-1885; A. D, Fassett, 1884-1885; A. D. Fassett, 1885-1888; J, M, Stull, 1889-1890; E, A. Reed, 1891-1892; L, C. Ohl, 1893-1894: L. C. Ohl, 1895-1896; John J. Sullivan, 1897-1898; John J, Sullivan, 1899-1900; Benjamin F, Wirt, 1901-1903, Hon, Thomas Kinsman, who is the present state senator, was first elected to that office in November, 1903, and was re-elected in 1905, VOTE FOR GOVERNOR, 1848—Seabury Ford, whig, 1,269; John B. Weller, dem., 2,069, 1850—Reuben Wood, dem., 1,862: William Johnston, whig, 828; Edward Smith, abol,, 477. 1851—Reuben Wood, dem., 1,546; Samuel F. Vinton, whig, 484; Samuel Lewis, abol,, 633, 1853 - William Medill, dem., 1,360; Nelson Barrere, whig, 381; Samuel Lewis, abol., 1,004. 1855—Salmon P, Chase, rep., 1,592; William Medill, dem,, 1,495; Allen Trimble, know nothing, 60. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 121 1857— Salmon P. Chase, rep., 1,891; Henry B. Payne, dem., 1,825; Philip Van Trump, know nothing, 2. 1859—William Dennison, rep., 2,424; Rufus P. Ranney, dem., 2,041. 1861—David Tod, rep., 2,505; Hugh J, Jewett, dem., 1,566. 1863—John Brough, rep., 3,206; C. L. Vallandigham, dem., —. 1865—Jacob D. Cox, rep., 2,504; George W. Morgan, dem., 2,184. 1867-Rutherford B. Hayes, rep., 2,898; Allen G. Thurman, dem., 2,602: 1869—Rutherford B. Hayes, rep., 3,003; George H. Pendleton, dem., 2,552. 1871—Edward F. Noyes, rep., 3,087; George W. McCook, dem., 2,602; Gideon T, Stewart, pro., 160. 1873—William Allen, dem., 3,003; Edward F. Noyes, rep., 3,460; G, T, Stewart, pro., 48; Isaac Collins, lib., 16. 1875—Rutherford B, Hayes, 3,788; William Allen, 3,947; Jay Odell, 27. 1877—Richard M. Bishop, dem., 2,820; William H. West., rep., 2,947; H. A, Thompson, pro., 34; Stephen Johnston, green,, 1,339, 1879—Charles Foster, rep., 4,179; Thos. Ewing, dem., 3,854; G, T. Stewart, pro., 16; A. Saunders Piatt, green,, 219, 1881—Charles Foster, rep,, 4030; John Bookwalter, dem., 3,390, 1883—Joseph B. Foraker, rep,, 5,016; George Hoadley, dem., 4,457. 1885—J. B, Foraker, rep., 4,752; George Hoadley, dem., 4,002, 1887-J. B. Foraker, rep., 5,004; Thomas E. Powell, dem., 4,396. 1889—J. B. Foraker, rep., 5,345; James E. Campbell, dem., 4,906, 1891—William McKinley, Jr., rep,, —; James E. Campbell, dem., 5,177, 1893—William McKinley, Jr., rep., 6,738; Lawrence T, Neal, dem., 5,649, 1895—Asa S. Bushnell, rep., 6,129; James E. Campbell, dem., 5,006. 1897—Asa S. Bushnell, rep,, 6,410; Horace L. Chapman, dem,, 5,456, 1899-George K, Nash, rep., 6,180; John R. McLean, dem,, 4,726, 1901—George K. Nash, rep., 6,829; James Kilbourne, dem., 4,745. 1903—Myron T. Herrick, rep., 7,027; Tom L. Johnson, dem., 5,251. 1905—Myron T. Herrick, rep., 6,902; John M. Pattison, dem,, 5,734, CHAPTER XV YOUNGSTOWN-THE COUNTY SEAT Laid Out by John Young—First Events—Discovery of Coal—Judge Kirtland's Reminiscences— Celebrating the Fourth—First Murder Trial—Pioneer Schools—Feminine Costumes—Wet .Seasons of 1810-12—Early Amusements—Pioneer Houses—Elections—Incorporation—City of the Second Class—Extensions of Limits—Mayors of Youngstown—Other Officials— Youngstown Citizens in 1841—Cemeteries—Parks -Water Works and Filter Plant—Fire Department—Police Department—Mahoning & Shenango Railway & Light Co.—Board of Trade and Chamber of Commerce—Mahoning Gas Fuel Co.—Telephone Compa nies—Humane Society—Opera House—Park Theater—A Few Statistics—Notable Personages, It has been shown in a previous chapter -that, on the completion of the survey of the Western Reserve by the Connecticut Land Company, the land was partitioned among the stockholders f the company by draft. Prior to the draft some portions of the land had been sold by the company to individuals not stockholders. Youngstown was not included in the land partitioned in the draft, and the name of John Young does not appear among the stockholders of the company. Hence we infer that he contracted for the purchase of the township directly from the company and prior to the draft, but at what time and in what manner this contract was made the records do not sh0w. The records, however, do show that on April 9, 1800, the trustees of the company conveyed to John Young township No. 2 in the second range, called Youngstown, containing 15,560 acres of land, for the consideration of $16,085. On the same ,day Mr. Young executed to the trustees a mortgage of the township to secure the payment of the purchase money. "Mr. Young, according to tradition, visited the township about 1797 with Alfred Wolcott, a surveyor, for the purpose of surveying it into lots and commencing a settlement. Colonel James Hillman, who then resided in Pittsburg, and had been for a number of years engaged in trading with the Indians on the Reserve, making his voyages up the Mahoning in a canoe, in returning from one of his expeditions, saw a smoke on the bank near Spring Common. On landing he found Mr. Young and Mr. Wolcott. He stayed with them a few days, when they went with him to Beaver on the Ohio river, to celebrate the Fourth f July. Colonel Hillman, at the instance f Mr. Young-, returned with him to Youngstown, and they commenced the settlement of the town by the erection of a log house, which stood on the east bank f the Mahoning river near Spring Common. AND REPRESENTATIVE CITIZENS - 123 "Mr. Young laid out a town plat, which is now embraced within and is only a small part of the present city, and divided it into building lots. Adjoining the town plat he laid out lots of a few acres each, which he named out-lots, and the rest of the township he surveyed into larger tracts, suitable for farms, The town plat was not recorded until August 19, 1802. On June 1 of that year Mr. Young executed an instrument commencing, 'Know ye that I, John Young, of Youngstown, in the county of Trumbull, for the consideration of the prospect of advancing my property, have laid out and established in the township of Youngstown aforesaid, on the north :side of the Mahoning river, a town plat of the following description.' Then follows the description, wherein Federal street is described as l00 feet in width, and 1,752 feet in length, beginning at a corner post standing in front of Esquire Caleb Baldwin's house, a little west of his well, running south 62 degrees 30 minutes east through the middle of the plat and public square.' Other streets running north and south and the public square are then described, There are 100 lots in the plat contained in the instrument, the southeast lot being No, 1, and the northeast lot being No. 100 Two lots, one on the east and one on the west side of Market street, are described as 'burying ground,' but are not so noted in the deed. The instrument concluded as follows : 'And all the land contained in the before-mentioned streets I have appropriated to the use and benefit of the public, to remain public highways so long as said plat shall remain unvacated.' The instrument is signed and sealed by John Young, and witnessed by Calvin Pease, but not acknowledged 'before a magistrate." Thus were the foundations of Youngstown 'laid by its original proprietor, and others were not slow to build thereon. Stores, mills, schools and churches soon sprang up as set- tiers came in marriages were celebrated, 'courts of law established, and all the delicate machinery of civilized society began to. turn, 'slowly and unevenly at first, but gathering momentum and steadiness with each passing year, until reaching that condition of well-balanced adjustment that we beh0ld today. THE FIRST MILL. The first mill in Youngstown township,. if not on the Reserve, was erected by John and Phineas Hill about 1798 or '99, at the falls on Mill creek, in the southwest part of the township, on the site where Lanterman's old mill now stands. It was built of round logs, and contained machinery for both grinding and sawing, The machinery was put in by Abraham Powers, one of the early settlers, who was a practical millwright. It was a small and rather primative affair, but it answered in a measure the needs of the inhabitants, It was related by an old settler, Nathan Ague, long since passed away, who was present when a boy, at the raising of the mill, that "there were not men enough in the neighborhood to raise it, and they had to send to Greensburg, now Darlington, Penna,, for hands, and got a keg of whisky for them. On that day his father killed a bear, which furnished the meat used by the men who raised the mill. The family used the .bear's skin afterward for a bed," FIRST MARRIAGE ON THE RESERVE, The records f Trumbull county contain the following certificate: "This may certify that, after publication, according to law of the Territory, Stephen Baldwin and Rebecca Rush were joinedinmarriage on the third day of November, 1800. BY WILLIAM WICK, V, D. M. "On the 11th of February prior, according to a record kept at Canfield, Alfred Wolcott, the surveyor Who came out with Mr. Young, and then resided at Youngstown, was married to Mercy Gilson, of Canfield. They were married in Pennsylvania, for the reason that no person in this vicinity was authorized to solemnize marriages. Hence we infer that the first marriage in Youngstown was that Of Stephen Baldwin and Rebecca Rush; and this was probably the first marriage on the Reserve. 124 - HISTORY OF MAHONING COUNTY FIRST MALE CHILD BORN "The first male child born in the township was Isaac Swager, son f John Swager. The first female child was a daughter of Robert and Hannah Stevens," both of whom Were born prior to 1800. One of the earliest births was that of John Young Shehy, son of Daniel and Jane Shehy, and tradition says that John Young deeded him a town lot for his name. There is certainly a record of a deed from John Young to John Y. Shehy, dated March 24, 1807, of. town lots 83 and 84, which are located on the east side of North Market street and south of the graveyard lot. "The consideration expressed is $100, received of Daniel Shehy," Tradition also says that Mr, .Young gave lots to two other children, THE FIRST FUNERAL The first funeral in Youngstown was that of Samuel McFarland, who was buried in the northwest corner of the west lot of the old graveyard. It is said that all the population, including Mr. Young, were at the funeral. The gravestone bore on the top the figures "1811" probably the date of its erection; then underneath, "In memory of Samuel McFarland, teacher of vocal music, late from Worcester, Massachusetts, who departed this life September 20, 1799, aged twenty-eight years," This stone was subsequently removed to the west part f the Mahoning cemetery. DISCOVERY OF COAL, "At an early day mineral or stone coal was discovered in different localities in the township and vicinity. It was ascertained to be good for blacksmith fuel, and was used to some extent by smiths in this section of country. It was not to any extent used as fuel for domestic purposes, as wood was plenty and cheaper. The early citizens little thought that this black stone, which w0uld burn, cropping out here and there in the ravines, was destined to become a source f great wealth to their successors, and, while some of them were still living, to develop this valley into one of the most wealthy manufacturing regions of our country." After the opening of the Pennsylvania & Ohio canal in 1840 Governor David Tod sent from his Brier Hill mines a few boat loads of coal to Cleveland as an experiment. The coal was tested for steamboat and other purposes, and approved. It soon became a regular traffic, and its transportation, subsequently by railroad, increased until the practical exhaustion f the mines not many years ago. JUDGE KIRTLAND'S REMINISCENCES. A letter from Jared Potter Kirtland, son of Turhand Kirtland, the pioneer, to John M. Edwards, Esq., and dated East Rockport, O., August 29, 1874, contains some interesting reminiscences from the diary f his father, which will not be out of place here, though first published many years ago. We quote in part as follows : "* * * Judge Kirtland, in the fulfillment of his duty as agent (of the Connecticut Land Company), laid out and opened a road through the wilderness, from the Grand river, near Lake Erie, to Youngstown, in 1798. He arrived at the last-named place with chain-men, surveyors, etc., on the 3d of August, and with Judge Young engaged in running out the town. At the same time he surveyed the townships of Burton and of Poland. In the latter he then located the seat of the mill, in the village, during the summer. His stopping-place seems to have been, while in Youngstown, with a Mr. Stevens, while Judge Young had a residence in Warren. "August 30th he sold two lots and a mill seat, near the mouth of Yellow creek, to Esq. John Struthers, the locality in Poland now known as Struthers. "In 1799, May 18, he was again in Youngstown, stopping with Mr. Robert Stevens. His brother-in-law, Jonathan Fowler, and family, arrived there in a canoe from Pittsburg, by way of the Ohio, Big Beaver and Mahoning rivers. At evening Judge Kirtland carried them to Poland in his wagon,