PART II.

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

,

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTORY—PHYSICAL FEATURES— GEOLOGICAL SURVEY — MATERIAL RESOURCES—AGRI-

CULTURAL SYSTEM— IMPROVEMENT IN STOCK, ETC.

THE relation of the physical features of a ,country to its history is an important one. and he who would learn the hidden causes that make or mar a nation at its birth must seek in< these "the divinity that shapes its ends." Here is found the spring whence flow the forces that on their broader current wreck the ship of state. or bear it safely on to its appointed haven.,In these physical features are stored those potent industrial possibilities that make the master and the slave among the nations. From the fertile soil comes fruit -ladened, peace loving agriculture ; from the rock-bound stores of mineral wealth springs the rude civilization of the Pacific slope, or the half-savage clashing of undisciplined capital and labor in the mining regions of Pennsylvania from the river rises the commercial metropolis, which, " crowned with the glory of the mountains," and fed with the bounty of the plains, stands the chosen arbiter between the great forces that join to make a nation's greatness.,The influence of this sub-tile power knows no bounds. Here it spreads the lotus plant of ease, and binds the nation in chains of indolent effeminacy ; here, among the bleak peaks of a sterile land,

"The heather on the mountain height

Begins to bloom on purple light."

*Compiled from the report of Alfred W. Wheat, in the State Geological Survey.

type of a hardy and unconquered race ; here, it strews the sands of desert wilds, and man, without resource. becomes a savage.

These manifestations are scarcely less marked in the smaller divisions of the State, and in them is found the natural introduction to a consideration of the civil, political and military history of the county.

Medina County is situated a little west of the middle line of the Western Reserve, which forms the northeastern corner of the State, and lies upon the broad summit of the water-shed that divides the drainage of the State. It is bounded on the north by Lorain and Cuyahoga, on the east by Summit, on the south by Wayne, and on the west by Lorain and Ashland Counties. Its form is nearly that of a rectangle, lying east and west. Its northwestern boundary is broken by its wanting one township in the 16th and two in the 17th Range.,Its area given by the Auditor's summary of the decennial ment of 1880, is 262,208 acres, of which 997 acres are arable, 106,381 acres in meadow and pasture land. and 33.630 acres are tivated or wood land. The average value exclusive of buildings, $25.38 per acre.,The whole county is somewhat rolling. the eastern part being especially marked in this respect. Here it is even hilly, reaching in Wadsworth

182 - HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

Township an altitude of 700 feet above Lake Erie. The western part is more level, the laud in the northwestern parts not having an elevation of more that two hudred and fifty or three hundred feet above the lake.,In the western part is found a considerable extent of swamp, a body of some two thousand acres lying in Harrisville Township, which gives rise to the Black River, flowing in a generally northward direction through Lorain County and finding its outlet into Lake Erie at the village of Lorain. in the county of that name. The Rocky River, the more important of the streams of this county, finds its source in Montville at the foot of the high lands in the southeast part of the township, and, flowing in a general northward direction, empties into the lake in Rockport Township, in Cuyahoga County.,The drainage southward is through the Killbuck, Chippewa and Styx Creeks, that eventually find an outlet in the Muskingum River, and thence to the Ohio River and the Gulf of Mexico.,None of these streams reach any importance within the limits of the county, though ample for the purposes of an agricultural community, and furnish motive power for a few mills.,The bulk of the natural drainage is northward, though the few county ditches that exist in the county find an outlet southward.,A single lake is formed in the county, situated on the boundary line between La Fayette and Westfield Townships.,This is a pleasantly situated body of water, and is made a place of considerable resort by picnic parties, considerable capital having been employed to adapt it to this purpose. It is a mile and a half long, and has been made an outlet for a county ditch.,It discharges its water through the Chippewa River

The soil of the county presents considerable diversity—clay, loam, gravelly and sandy mixtures and muck being found.,The western portion is generally clay, but not of the stiff, unadulterated quality found in many parts of Lorain County. In Litchfield and York Townships, however, which border on this county, the soil is the nearest to that described, the surface being rather flat. In Hinckley Township is found a loamy soil, producing a growth of chestnut, walnut, hickory and oak timber.,In Harrisville Township is found clay, sand and muck.

Bowlder clay is found in many parts of the county, containing many pebbles of crystalline rock, granite, quartz, etc., brought from the far North, and more and larger stones derived from some neighboring locality. Of these. the largest bowlder in Ohio. with possibly one or two exceptions. may be seen in a field at the crossroads one mile and a half from Lodi, and a little east.,This mass of erratic rock is that variety of granite known as syenite.,The eldspar is a dark flesh color.,It shows two perpendicular sides. the highest of which measures twelve feet above the sod.,One of these sidesmeasures fifteen feet across the face, and the other is ten and a half feet across.,The sloping side rests against a grassy bank. and gives access to the top of the mass.,The depth of the bowlder below the soil cannot be stated ; apparently, it is considerable, and perhaps the larger part of it is out of sight. If half of the mass is below ground, as can fairly be inferred. then the weight of the block may safely be put at about 163 tons' weight.,Two rods distant from this block is another bowlder of the same character, evidently broken from it. This second block is nearly covered with the drift, the exposure being simply one corner, presenting three triangular surfaces. It projects about seven feet above the sod. Another large mass of this rock lies near the two already described, nearly covered with the drift. The exposure measures only three by six feet, though it can be struck with an iron probe some distance from this point.,These specimens are of especial interest to those who understand what were the transporting forces which brought these masses so far from their original beds.

HISTORY OF MEDINA. COUNTY., - 183

The timber varies noticeably with the change in soil.,Chestnut in considerable quantities is found along the ledges and sands- tracts in the eastern part, while another quarter is made up of beech. sugar maple, oak and ash. The ten most abundant varieties of timber found in the county are in the following order : Beech pile, oak, elm, ash; whitewood. hickory.wood, black walnut and butternut. Other varieties are found, in limited quantities, as lows Sycamore, ironwood. buckeye, willow and poplar—the first being tbund generally on the alluvia. lands of the river bottoms.

Glacial markings are shown wherever the rock is exposed and is of such a nature as to retain them.,The general trend of the strife is southeast.,A well-marked glaciated surface is shown at the quarry of Henry A. Mills in Wadworth Township.,The striae run southeast and northwest, the general dip of the glaciated surface being nearly ten degrees to the northwest. There is quite an extent of rock exposed along the road, affording an unusually good opportunity to see a contiguous. well-marked. planed surface.,There are a few short, single striae. which strike fifteen degrees more eastwardly, and were. perhaps. made by icebergs

succeeding the glaciers, which made the greater portion of the linings. ,The last-mentioned set are generally far apart. and. usually, but three to four feet long, while the glacial markings proper are continuous throughout the exposure, and are as true as " chalk-lines.",There is a fine glaciated surface on the rock exposure in the northeastern part of Medina Township.

The general section of the rocks exposed in the county is as follows :

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Feet.

1. Coal measures, ...................... . . . . . . . . . . 100

2. Conglomerate . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . .. . .135

3. Cuyahoga shale (Waverly group) . . . . . . . .250

The record of a boring in Litchfield Township in 1860, by Mr. J. V. Straight, gives the following section

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FT.,. . . .IN.

1. Clay . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . 15

2. Shale ,. . . . . . . . . . . . . .180

3. Hard slate,. .. . . . . . . . . . . 2

4. White flint. . . . . . . . . . . . ,2

5. Coal,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

6. Shale. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

7. Sandstone . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Of the above series. No. 1 is drift clay ; Nos.2 to G, Cuyahoga shale ; No. 7. Berea grit.,No. 3, coal, is not true coal, but either a layer of carbonaceous shale, or a local accumulation of vegetable 'natter, such as is sometimes met with in the Waverly rocks.,In Liverpool Township, a number of swells were bored, for various purposes, to a considerable depth, some to a depth of over 500 feet.,No reliable record was kept of any of these borings. but, from a general statement, it is learned that the deepest one was put through the sandstone (Berea grit), the Bedford, Cleveland, Erie and Huron shale. some flinty layers (Hamilton), and then 500 feet into limestone (corniferous, water-lime and Niagara) —a total depth of 1,450 feet.

The coal measures reach into the southeastern part of the county, and coal No. 1 is worked with profit in three mines which are located in Wadsworth Township. The succession of rocks in this region of the coal measures, according to Mr. Julian Humphrey, the senior partner of the Diamond Coal Company, and a man who has had thirty years' experience in drilling for style="margin-top: 0.025in">coal, is as follows :

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . FT. . . .IN.

1. Drift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

2. Coarse sandstone . . . . . . . . . .40

3. Dark soft shale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

4. White clay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 to 6

5. Gray shale . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . .16

6. Chocolate shale . . . . . . . . . . . 16

7 Dark shale ,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

8. Coal ,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 to 5

9. Fire clay ,. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 to 6

10. Fire stone, " bottom rock."

The last stratum, a quartzose sandstone, was not drilled through, as it is extremely hard.

184 - HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

The conglomerate is supposed to be fire stone.,Mr. Coleman has. put down some seventy-five drill-holes in this section of the State. and says that this, his ideal section, is always essentially encountered where coal is found.,The roof of shales of the Wadsworth coal mines are generally mazes of fossil coal plants, all pressed into thin sheets and printed upon the shale as instinctly as if photographed. The thickness of the coal is in some cases over five feet, but it is generally thinner, the larger portion of the township affording only thin coal. This coal lies in pockets, and. as it is the lowest in the coal series of Ohio, and forms the margin of the great coal basin, it is more irregular than the seams of coal which were deposited subsequently.,The coal measures extend into Sharon Township. which lies directly north, and borings in the southeast and southwest corners of this township have shown the presence of coal. though not in quantities to justify mining operations.,The coal question has agitated the community of Guilford Township adjoining Wadsworth on the west—to a considerable extent, but borings which have been made at several points, have not resulted in finding any coal

The carboniferous conglomerate is exposed in seven townships, all in the two eastern tiers< save Guilford.,But most of this conglomerate region shows the Cuyahoga shale of the Waverly group in the deeper ravines ; in fact, the prevailing rock in Medina County is of this older division.,Some fair building stone is quarried from the conglomerate, but a great proportion of this rock is unfit for building purposes. The character of this rock varies materially in the several places when exposed.,In general, the pebbles contained in it are quite small, and compose no considerable part of the formation sand constituting the bulk of the estimated thickness of this formation in Medina County is 135 feet.,This division appears further west in Brunswick than in any other township of the county, the extreme limit being about 100 rods west of the north and south center road, in the upper part of the township. It is here nearly a pure sandstone, the quartz pebbles being comparatively rare.,The product of the quarries in the rocky ravine two miles north of the center is variable. some of the stone being a fine white grit. while much of it is badly stained with large. dark patches.,In Hinckley Township, the conglomerate is more abundantly exposed than in any other township.,Immense perpendicular ledges. having curiously worn sides and caves, from which issue fine springs of never-failing water,,are found here.,The observant stroller over these extended rocky ledges sees many astonishing passages in the rock, made by the falling-away of large masses, consequent upon the mining of the softer rock below.,The small stream, running, northwardly through the township, was once a powerful wearing ent that filled the valley, in the bottom of which it now so quietly flows.,These ledge exposures of the conglomerate are found. also, in the perpendicular bluffs along Spruce Run, in Sharon Township.,This rock is found also in the eastern half of Montville.,Here. the grains of the rock are about the size of bird shot, with quartz pebbles as large as blue bird's eggs, scattered sparingly through the mass. In Wadsworth, the exposure is found one and three-fourths miles south of the center, by fourths of a mile west.,A coarse-grained stone, locally a conglomerate. is quarried some what extensively at a place one mile north of the center of the village. The dip at the quarry as made out at the most northwesterly outcropping of the ledge is toward the northwest, and would seem to be a local exception to the general dip.,This is explicable on the supposition that here was the limit of this deposit, and the slope was naturally to the shore, the dip being in the opposite direction or southeast. The conglomerate overlying the coal would ap

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY. - 185

-pear to be the result of the washing in of bles, derived from the true and older conhlomerate. This rock is quarried to a greater or less extent in Brunswick, Granger, Montville and Wadsworth Townships.

The Waverly series, or the upper division of now named Cuyahoga Shale, is the third and oldest group of rocks found in Medina County, the greater portion of the drift being ately underlaid by this formation, which is exposed in a majority of the townships.,Roughly estimated, the Cuyahoga shale in this county may be said to have a thickness of 250 to 300 feet.,This group is exceedingly rich in fossils. The lithological,character of the,Cuyahoga shale is quite variable, ranging from very soft shale to a hard, argillaceous sandstone.,Some of it, by exposure to weather, separates into thin, tough sheets, but the greater part crumbles down into clay.,A few beds contain lenticular concretion of lime and iron.,The rock is usually of a gray color, but in shade, as well as in composition and hardness, it differs very greatly in successive layers.,This rock is quarried for various purposes in Homer, Montville, Harrisville. Guilford and Medina Townships.,The rock in Homer is a soft, gray shale, with spersed layers of hard. sandy shale, of a lighter color.,The latter is occasionally worked out of the river bed and used for foundation stone for bridges, etc., but it is too hard to be cut well, and long weathering will cause it to disintegrate or split into thin slabs.,Quarrying along the Whetstone Creek, about a mile east of Lodi, has been carried on in numerous places since 1840.,The rock is chiefly argillaceous sandstone, most of the beds being only a few inches thick, and the thickest not twenty inches.,Large crevices run through all the rock, which is badly broken up. One mile west of Bridgeport, the town just across the county line in Wayne County, there is a large quarry on the south side of the Killbuck River. At this exposure, the rock lies in thicker beds than it does along the Whetstone Creek.,This rock is also quarried in the ravine of Fall Creek, one and a half miles east of Seville. Whetstones and grindstones have been extensively manufactured out of this rock in the northeast corner of Guilford Township, by David Wilson. The grit is coarser but not so sharp as that found in the stone of this group in Wadsworth. In the latter township, whetstones have been manufactured quite extensively from rock taken from the bed of Mineral Run, on land located on the north border of the township, and 160 rods east of the Guilford line.,These stones were manufactured by Reynolds, Sister & Company, of Manchester, Summit County, and are known as an "oil and water stone.",It was worked into all shapes required by the market, some of it meeting the demands of surgeons and dentists.,The three layers of stone found at this locality vary in fineness and softness, the lower ones being coarser and harder than the upper one, which was worked principally into hones, etc.,The average thickness of the three layers is four inches.,In Montville, there is a sandstone quarry, situated about forty rods south of the Medina line, and east of the Fayette line about a mile. The stone is unreliable in quality, however, as it often splits into thin sheets after continued weathering.,Judge Castle put this stone into the foundation walls of some business blocks in Medina Village, and, in the course of twenty years, it had disintegrated so much that he was obliged to have it replaced with new stone.,The quarry at Weymouth affords a fine-grained, drab-colored stone, valuable for monuments. A slab of this stone, in the cemetery, at Hinckley, has stood weathering over thirty years, and now appears to be in better condition than a majority of the marble slabs in the same cemetery.,This bed of stone is nearly two feet thick, but to be worked out, a large amount of superimposed soft shale has to be removed.

There is no difficulty in getting water for

186 - HISTORY OF MEDINA

domestic or other purposes.,In some places, wells are sunk to a considerable depth before a permanent supply is secured; but there are no localities where water cannot be procured by boring. In Brunswick, the wells are generally deep, especially about the center. James ward makes this statement about a well which he dug fifty rods north of the center: Below the alluvium there were twelve feet of yellow clay, and below the yellow clay the well was dug forty-two feet into blue clay, which contained a little gravel throughout.,This may be called a sample of the wells in this vicinity. In Hinckley Township, there are a number of fine springs ; in Litchfield are several " flowing wells " that afford large, unfailing supplies of good water, and along the border of the principal streams are found these never-failing sources of supply.,In the western part of the county gas-springs, and wells are frequently found. One in Medina Township. a mile northwest of Weymouth. is the most easterly one discovered. In this case the gas comes from a spring of water which has never been known to freeze over. Another spring of this character is found in the bed of the west branch of Rocky River, three miles north of Medina Village, and west of the turnpike bridge.,Similar springs, are known in Spencer, Litchfield and Harrisville Townships, but in no case has this gas been utilized.

The economic geology of Medina County makes no great show.,The mineral wealth of the county lies chiefly in coal. Of ironstone there is but little,,and that contains only a small per cent of iron. and of lime there is a notable lack.,The absence of limestone suggested to the residents of Westfield Township the substitution of the marl which is found there in a swamp of some twenty acres.,This material is like a whitish clay with minute shells, and when burnt, the lime produced is a shade between the white and gray lime in the markets, but the strength is not nearly equal to that of ordinary lime.,Many of the houses in the township were formerly plastered with this marl lime.,No effort has been made to turn this deposit to account as a fertilizer. Peat is found in considerable quantities in this township, over 300 acres being covered with this material.,A much larger area, however, of this material is found in Harnsville Township.,Here over two thousand acres are covered with this material. One-half of this territory has the deposit not over eighteen inches deep, the underlying clay, being heavy. yet light colored.,The average depth of the peat on 1,000 acres is about five feet.,This large deposit of peat has as yet no economic value, but the time may come when such material may be worth the preparing for fuel.,Salt is indicated in the wells and springs which are found on a narrow belt of land running westwardly, and about eighty rods north of the center road of Spencer Township.,The percentage of salt in the water is small, yet it was enough to interfere with the working of a steam boiler, producing saline incrustations upon its Salt licks are known in the township along this belt of salt territory and in Harrisville Township also.

The discovery of coal oil in neighboring parts of Lorain County set parties at work boring for oil in Litchfield Township in 1860. Some 225 feet was penetrated and oil brought up by pumping. but not in any great amount. During the drilling gas escaped with a clear whistling sound, and when set on fire it blazed up from twenty to thirty feet, the outlet being eight inches square.,There are three other similar gas-springs in the township, of which, however, no use is made.,In Liverpool Township, the search for petroleum was somewhat more successful, though failing to warrant the expense of prospecting.,Nine of the wells bored, yielded, small, quantities of oil, two others failed to afford any.,Some wells which were sunk only 100 feat," struck oil.",One

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.,187

hundred and fifty barrels of oil were taken from one well, and others yielded from thirty to forty barrels each.,None of these can be profitably worked for their oil at present prices. as comes continually from several of these wells.

Galena has been found in Homer; and a few parties. more sanguine than wise, engaged at one time in an attempt to develop it.,Mr. Alfred W. Wheat. who made a suvey of the county for the State Geological Report, says " While traveling about the county, I not infrequently had persons whisper in my ear. with great caution. the, word lead several tracts of land under lease to parties who were confident that they should develop large deposits of galena. All parties were assured that such a search would be quitelness." A shale found in the southwestern part of Sharon was some years ago converted into a mineral paint at a mill in Bagdad.,This was thought well of for the painting of outbuildings and farming implements. but has of late years been little used here.,The ravine cut by Mineral Run in Wadsworth Township has shown some shales that have been used as paint.,The section is approximately as follows : Below the soil are, first, a buff colored shale, some twenty-five feet in thickness below this a darker shale, ten feet thick—both these shales are valuable for pigment; below these shales a layer of ironstone, one foot thick then follow alternate layers of, soft shale and the whetstone rock, thickness not easily determined.,Passing down the ravine a few rods, a shaly sandstone is exposed which gradually runs into a coarse-grained rock, containing very small pebbles.,This ravine gives a section of eighty or ninety feet.,An analysis of the ironstone fund in Mineral Run was made by the State Chemist, Professor Wormley. It had been supposed to be quite rich in iron. but the analysis showed that it contained only two and a half per cent of metallic iron. The coal measures cover three-fourths of Wadsworth Township, which is the extreme southeasterly one in the county.,By careful estimation it is thought that the workable coal extends over 430 acres in the township.,Drilling has been done very generally over the coal territory, and basins of excellent coal found and mapped out, but insufficient railroad facilities delayed the general development of it. Three mines are in operation, the coal being of good quality, such as sells in Cleveland on an equality with the Willow Bank Coal.,Of these mines, the Wadsworth Coal Company began shipping coal in December 1869.,In 1871, the daily production of this mine was 1 30 tons, and the estimated product fully forty thousand tons. The coal is shipped by the Silver Creek Branch of the New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio Railroad.

The Diamond Coal works, of Humphrey, Coleman & Co., are situated two miles east of the village of Wadsworth, the railroad running close to the mine, which was first opened in December, 1869.,In 1871, the daily shipments amounted to seventy-five tons perday, the yield for the year aggregating some thirteen thousand tons.,The Myers Coal Bank is in the northwestern part of the township, three miles from the other mines.,It has some peculiar features. A conglomerate of mixed pebbles, etc., immediately overlies the coal in this bank. but is somewhat broken and tilted up, showing great crevices.,The coal is broken up also, and shows many mud cracks, but is of good quality.,It does not fall to dust by weathering, or run together when burning in a grate.,The market for this coal is a local one; the towns to the north and west generally sending their wagons to this bank for their coal supply.,Unfortunately, there is a large fissure in the floor of the mine through which comes a flow of water, rendering constant pumping necessary.,The combined product of these mines, although the latter is giving indications of ex-

188, - HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

haustion, for the year ending May 31, 1880, was 106,000 tons.

The chief material resource of Medina County, however, lies in the varied productiveness of the soil with which it is furnished. It is necessarily an agricultural rather than a mining or a manufacturing county.,It partakes largely of the prominent features that are common to the most of Northeastern Ohio, but without that flatness of surface that characterizes some of the more western counties of the Reserve.

The first settlers here found a country thickly covered with a heavy growth of timber. and the land. shielded from the piercing rays of the sun by the dense forest foliage. saturated with the moisture which the character of a large part of the country favored. To erect here a home, and render the land subject to an annual tribute for the support of his family, tasked the powers of the pioneer to their utmost. It was an evenhanded struggle for subsistence, and anything accomplished might safely be set down as an improvement. This was practically true for the first twenty years in the history of a settlement. An average of five years was consumed before the frontier farm could be relied upon to furnish support, and, in the meantime, the fare furnished by the abundance of game and wild fruit, was eked out with economical purchases of corn and wheat from the older settlements. After erecting a cabin with the aid of hospitable neighbors, from five to ten acres were felled.,This was then "chopped over," i. e., the trees were cut into suitable lengths for rolling into piles for burning. After the universal bee for rolling came the burning. which frequently engaged the services of the wife in attending the fire, while the husband chopped by the light thus afforded, carrying on their labors often to the small hours of the night. On a single farm this much was frequently accomplished in three months, and a small crop of corn harvested in the first year, but the average results were not so favorable. The efforts of the settler were directed toward getting ready for the "bee" as early as possible, for when the " rolling season " began, there was an uninterrupted demand upon the settler for from six to eight weeks in the fields of his neighbors. Many were called upon when they could least afford the time, but, from the necessities of the situation. there was no refusal possible, and, large as this demand appears, it will not be considered exorbitant when it is remembered that a " neighborhood " covered an area of miles in extent.,With such an abundance of timber and the total lack of foreign demand, the prevailing tendency is to underrate the value of timber, and to carry the work of clearing to the very verge of denuding the laud of this important aid to agriculture. This tendency seems to have been quite marked in common with. the whole Western Reserve. The percentage of the whole area of the county co vered by timber, in 1853, was 29.39 per cent; in 1870, it was reduced to 23.31, and, during the last decade, it has been further reduced to 20.46 per cent, while wood is still the principal article in use for fuel throughout the county, selling at very moderate prices, save when the bad roads of spring and winter make its deiiv ery more expensive than the timber itself. Considerable difficulty has been experienced of late years in securing material for building from the native woods.,Even before the introduction of railroads, pine lumber and brick came considerably into use as a matter of necessity, and, of later years, this fact is still more marked.,The use of wood as fuel has been largely a matter of necessity, and the drainage on the timber supply less exacting, has not been felt.,Coal found its way into the villages as fuel in 1869, when the mines were opened at Wadsworth. This was before railroad facilities were secured. and it was wagoned across the country, giving rise to quite an active business in teaming. Many of the farmers in

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY. - 191

that vicinity have begun using coal, also, as the more economical fuel.

The prevailing system of agriculture in Medina County may properly be termed that of mixed husbandry.,Specialties find little favor with the farmers.,The practice is to cultivate the various kinds of grain and grasses. and to raise, keep and fatten stock. the latter business, however, being the leading pursuit of but a small proportion of the farmers.,The mode of cultivating the farming lands has not been of the highest type.,Provided with a fairly inductive soil, and his father having made a fair support in a certain line of farming. the average farmer has not had the opportunity, or has not felt the need, of studying the principles of such branches of learning as relate to agriculture, and has frequently hesitated to receive, or promptly rejected, the teachings of science. A few sons. however, were found at a comparatively early day who brought to the business of farming that amount of patient investigation which the greatest industry of this country demands, and thrillers are becoming less and less unwilling to learn from others.,This has had its effect upon the husbandry of the county, which is at containing a commendable thoroughness, and is rapidly improving in every respect.

The soil is greatly diversified, and even on the same farm exhibits marked differences, The larger part of the western portion of the county is clayey soil, with here and there a mixture of sand and gravel.,In Harrisville, some 2,000 acres are covered with swamps, Most of the western and southern parts have been plowed, and the land, though easily shaken by jumping upon it, has been found quite safe for cattle all over it.,In the eastern part of the county the proportion of clay is much less, and a fine loamy soil is met with, especially in the northeastern part.,Possessing soil, for the most part, that demands constant renewal, the subject of fertilizers was early brought to the attention of the farmers, but they have generally been satisfied with such barnyard relations as the system of farming in vogue would furnish.,Plaster has been found unsuited, it is thought, to the character of soils here, and has never gained much favor.,Phosphates have come into limited use of late years, but only as an experiment. and the general voice is that it does not "pay.",Nor are any artificial means used to increase the barnyard supply, which is not infrequently treated as a serious inconvenience rather than a fortunate possession of the farmer.,The constant cropping of a field for a considerable number of years without renewing is not often met with in Medina County. Occasional fields on the river bottoms are found which will bear such treatment and give good returns, but they are very limited in number. Rotation of crops has been the rule with the average farmer for some years, corn being the first crop planted on sod ground, followed by oats and then wheat.,Flax is sometimes used on sod ground, especially a new piece of woodland, and occasionally wheat is found to do well on sod ground.,In the ordinary rotation of crops the manure is generally applied to the wheat crop, as it is thought it is more effectively applied here, and leaves a better soil for the grass which follows.,Deep plowing with the Michigan double plow was practiced to a considerable extent some twenty-five years ago with variable results. It afterward fell into disrepute on account of its heavy draft, or from the fact that the upper soil was buried so deep that several seasons were required to effect the proper mixture of the soils. Later, another system was adopted with satisfactory effects. Two plows were used and the team divided between them.,A shallow soil-plow turned over the surface, which was followed by a long steel plow without a turning board.,The latter sim ply raised and loosened the subsoil to a depth of twelve or fifteen inches, and upon this the top soil was turned by the lighter implement. This proved a vast improvement on the old plan,

192 - HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

furnishing the requisite depth without bur ying the upper soil, and loosening the subsoil, thus furnishing a natural escape for the excessive moisture which the character of the hard-pan too often resists, allowing it to escape only by evaporation. This method, experience showed, was only necessary about once in eight years, and was not considered expensive, but the plan has of late years fallen into disuse, though subsoiling is still practiced to a considerable extent.,The Oliver Chilled Plow, with a cutter, is used somewhat, but it has not worked into general use as yet.,Artificial drainage has not been extensively practiced.,A large proportion of the county is high, rolling country with a natural drainage that has served the purpose of carrying off the surplus water.,There are six county ditches with an aggregate length of sixty-four miles, the longest of which reaches a distance of twenty-three miles.,These were constructed at a cost of $57,600 and are located in Lafayette Township and the marshy districts of Harrisville and Westfield Townships. Under-draining and open-draining is carried on to some extent, but not so generally as in many other parts of the State. The first tile establishment was erected at Mallet Creek, in 1873, and, in 1876, it reported a product of 10,000 rods as the result of three years' business.,Good material for the manufacture of tile was abundant, but there was not demand for all the establishment could make, a fact which occurs in but few counties in the state.,Tile-draining, as a general thing, is looked upon simply as a means of carrying off the surface surplus of water, and but little account is made of it as a means of improving the character of the soil.

The subject of grass lands is an important one in Medina County, from the fact that the grazing of stock for various purposes has been the leading business of the farmers from the first.,Grain is principally raised for home consumption, and the system of husbandry, so far as any has prevailed has been directed mainly to secure the best results for the grass crop. Timothy grass, with clover, is mainly relied upon for the supply of hay, meadows being turned over about once in five years.,Meadows are pastured to some extent in the fall, but are seldom " turned out" for this purpose, grass lands being seeded for the especial purpose for which they are designed.,Meadows are seldom under-drained, and have generally received very little attention in the way of top-dressing. the manure being generally applied to the wheat crop, which preceded the seeding chard and blue grass have been introduced to a limited extent of. late years. experiments with a mixture of these grasses having proved their value as pasture grasses. There is considerable hesitation manifested in experimenting with the blue-grass, as it is claimed by many among them some scientific the June grass, po pratensis, is the same thing modified by the difference of soil and climate. Clover is sown in considerable quantities, principally for the seed.,It is very frequently sown in combination with timothy, for the purpose of producing a quality of hay highly esteemed for milch cows and sheep.,It is used considerably, also, as pasturage, but the seed which commands a ready sale, at a good cash price, renders this disposition of the crop the most available, especially as it interferes with the other uses to only a limited extent. The most serious consequences are felt in the slight

use of this crop as a fertilizer. But few acres are turned under annually, though there is evidence of an awakening in this direction While the survey of the agriculture of Medina County does not exhibit the any specialty, it will be observed that larger proportion of the energy and of the farming community has been alternately in dairying and sheep while this is true, these objects have not ab- sorbed the activities of the farmers, to the exclu-

HISTORY OF MEDIA COUNTY., - 193

sion of other branches of farm industry.,The aim of the earliest settlers, with their lands as their only resource, was to derive from these a complete support, and to this cud, a system of mixed husbandry was a necessity.,Their descendants, hedged about by the results of experience, and aiming to sell their surplus products in such form as would take from the land the smallest amount of its fertility have from the nature of the case, followed in their footsteps.,Grain has been raised for home consumption entirely. and has barely sufficed for that, until quite recently.,In the early culture of wheat, a great many discouragements were met.,The weevil and rust destroyed it year after year, and the land seemed to be totally unfit for its cultivation.,It was thought by the first settlers that it could be grown only on sod ground, and was, finally, for some years abandoned, and a large part of the wheat used here was bought abroad.,When advancement had been made, so far as to be able to accumulate the barnyard droppings, manure was applied to the wheat fields, and very creditable crops secured.,During later years, and especially during the past three years, there has been a marked improvement in the results of wheat culture.,This is chiefly confined to the townships of Sharon, Wadsworth and Guilford, where the soil is more of the sandy and loamy character.

The variety principally sown in later years has been the Fultz (beardless), Lancaster or swamp (bearded), Todd and some Clawson The White,Mediterranean has been experimented with, but the leading variety during the last four years has been the Fultz.,No particular system of cultivation has been generally adopted in regard to this grain.,The practice of plowing " bare follows," practiced at an earlier date, is occasionally done at present. The past year, a field of clover in Medina Township was plowed under and sowed to wheat in the fall, a treatment which insures a profitable return, and is occasionally practiced.

Wheat in early years was sown among the standing corn, and later, between the shocks that were placed in rows through the field, and the spaces thus left put in oats on the following spring.,The latter method is occasionally practiced yet, but generally an oat crop intervenes. After plowing and seeding, the manure is applied as a top dressing, this being considered the most effective way of applying fend fertilizers.,Where the drill is employed, as in a large portion of cases, the same rule is followed, although there are many cases where it is harrowed in with the seed when sown broadcast or before drilling.,The practice of sowing wheat upon the, same ground for many successive years is becoming less known, though still followed here and there where the soil seems well nigh exhaustless.,The breadth of land sown is by no means uniform, varying about in proportion to the uncertainty of the product per acre.,The wheat-growing townships in. the southeast part of the county are pretty constant in their cultivation of this grain, but in other parts the failure of the crop in a single year has the effect of turning the attention number of farmers to other interests. The last few years have been especially favorable to this crop, and a larger acreage than ever before has been sown, the product not only supplying. the home market but furnishing a surplus for ex portation.,The grain is usually threshed in the barn or in the barnyard. The first machines, worked by horse power, were introduced here about 1835.,Of late, machines worked by the portable steam .engine have been the favorite, and very largely used

brpRye and barley are but little cultivated. The former was early cultivated for the hogs and occasionally fed to sheep, but it has long since ceased to be a grain of considerable cultivation. It is principally grown now among the man population of the county, and is valuable chiefly for the straw, which finds a ready sale

194 HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

in limited quantities for binding cornstalks. The average yield of the grain is about ten bushels per acre.,Barley is occasionally raised, but not to so large an extent as in earlier years. The principal demand for this grain is for brewing. and the market is too distant to stimulate its production, though it proves a valuable crop where the soil is fitted for its cultivation. Buckwheat was formerly grown to a consider able extent, but of late years the cultivation of

this grain has fallen off so that hardly t he homesupply is produced.,Oats are extensively grown, but find a demand at home for the full supply. It is a reasonably sure crop. and, though occasionally affected by drought, it is relied upon with considerable confidence for home use.,Rust has at times proved a serious drawback to the raising of this crop, and a late frost occasionally ruins the crop, but these have not been destructive of late years.

The corn crop, while not grown to the exclusion of the others, is the one on which the farmers of Medina County most confidently rely, and the land devoted to its culture is only limited by the necessities of the situation. It is far more stable in its yield, less liable to disease, and may be slighted in its cultivation with greater impunity than any other crop. The soft varieties of seed are generally preferred. and are usually planted on sod ground. In 1835, there was some interest awakened in the "Baden" corn.,This variety was promised to yield large returns, which was realized, but in an unexpected way.,The stalks reached an enormous size, some developing a growth of three inches in diameter and some fifteen feet in height. but bearing not a single ear of corn. It became quite notorious, and passed into the popular sayings as a mark of hollow pretension. It is usually well put in, the ground being prepared with considerable care.,The practice of fall plowing for corn obtains largely in the county, and shows satisfactory gas on the spring plowing. The old way of " going through" the field a certain number of times before "laying by " the crop, is still generally followed in the county.,The practice of working the corn until it " tassels out," which prevails in many places, is not followed to any great extent in Medina County.,This extra amount of cultivation is not thought to " pay" by most of the farmers; and others are obliged by the exigencies of the season to forego this extra amount of attention.,The farms are generally small, and worked by the owner alone, and the clover and wheat cutting coming close together make it impossible for the farmer to bestow more time on his corn.,The crop is usually cut and husked in the field, the stalks being removed and stacked at 'a convenient place for feeding in the winter.,The custom of husking from the standing stalk, which was early much in vogue, was abandoned some time since, as wasteful of time and material. The breadth planted and the yield per acre is some- what variable, but with improved cultivation the yield has increased, and more land has gradually been devoted to it.

The other crops that occupy, or have occupied, a more or less prominent place among the agricultural products of the county are potatoes, flax and sorghum.,The quality of the soil is well adapted to the raising of potatoes, and farmers who have given considerable attention to the proper cultivation of this highly prized and indispensable esculent, have always been well rewarded for their labor and painstaking. It is a staple vegetable, universally used. always commands a fair price, and its general cultivation for exportation would undoubtedly prove highly remunerative.,This fact seems to have made no impression upon the farmers, as no more are produced than are used at home. The leading variety is the early rose, with the Peachblow and Peerless cultivated in considerable quantities.,The Snowflake is highly prized by many, while other varieties are being cultivated as experiments or to suit individual tastes.

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The average yield of this crop is good, and is not often seriously affected by disease or insects.

Flax is grown to considerable extent, and contrary to its history in most parts of the State, its cultivation is rather on the increase in this county.,A flax-mill at Seville stimulates its cultivation. and many farmers esteem it highly as a valuable crop to sow upon sod ground to precede wheat.,Its drain upon the fertility of the soil is not seriously felt, and it is thought to have a beneficial effect in rendering the soil loose and friable.,The seed commands a ready sale, and the fiber is always in demand at the mill in Seville.

Sorghum is another exception to the general rule.,It was introduced here about 1837, but most of the farmers conceived a dislike to it was planted in small quantities by a good many, but it was allowed to pass without any particular care, and many never harvested it at all.,Two or three mills were bought, but comparatively little molasses was manufactured. The first product, owing to the lack of interest and information, and the carelessness with which it was manufactured, was sorry stuff. This result reacted with discouraging effect upon the producers. Another cause which conributed to this result was the exercise of a ruinous economy on the part of the mass of the farmers.,Instead of purchasing new seed and sparing no pains to make a fair trial of this new crop, the majority of those who planted a second crop procured seed from their neighbors and allowed the farm-work to seriously interfere with the cultivation of the cane.,The result was that it deteriorated in quantity and quality, and the whole thing was voted a failure. No great effort was made to produce sugar, as the expense proved an insurmountable barrier to its successful prosecution.,A limited amount of cane is still planted and some sirup manufactured, but it has no sale and is made simply for home use.

Tobacco is cultivated here and there by individuals for the private use of the producer, and it may well be hoped that its culture may not be further extended.,It is an exacting crop upon the land, and, sooner or later, the exhaustive process will ultimately work the deterioration of any neighborhood or farming district where its culture is a prominent part of the farming operations.

The forests of Medina County are well supplied with the sugar maple, and farmers have not been slow to utilize them in the way of making sugar.,It was the practice at an early date, to manufacture this product in grain sugar as it proved more available for the uses of the  household, but of late years it has found a more valuable market in cakes and as sirup.

A survey of this branch of Medina County's agriculture would hardly be complete without some reference to the late frosts of 1859 and 1843.,The frost of 1839 came on a Saturday night in June. The previous night had brought a fall of rain, and on Saturday it cleared off with a cool atmosphere. which grew colder as night approached.,In the morning the "killing ;frost " had left scarcely a vestige of the growing crops alive.,Corn was about eight or ten inches high, and potatoes had reached the growth that made the effect of the frost most damaging. All grain was ruined, and the people found themselves face to face with "perilou times," if not starvation.,The frost had been general over the State, and the situation was considered alarming.,Some time was lost in unavailing regrets, and some crops that might have been saved by prompt cutting off even with the ground were lost by delay. Fortunately, there were some late crops that had not come forward enough to become involved in the general disaster, and others were saved by favorable locations.,The less fortunate farmers set at once to repair the misfortune so far as possible.,The corn and potatoes were replanted, buckwheat was sowed in the place of

196 - HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

wheat, and, thanks to an unusually long season,these crops were fairly matured.,There was a large proportion of soft corn, hundreds of bushels of which proved almost a complete loss. In 1845, the frost occurred on three successive Mondays in May or June, and each frost followed by a burning sun.,Crops on exposed situations were completely destroyed, and the severe drought that followed completed the sum of misery.,To this was added such a swarm of grasshoppers as has scarcely been seen in this State.,They attacked buildings, fences and tools with such vigor as to cause considerable damage in this way.,Farmers who usually mowed fifty tons of hay got scarcely one, and the tools used in the field had to be< hid to keep the woodwork from being made too rough to use, by these insatiable insects.

Fruit culture may be safely said to be yet in ts infancy in Medina County. The first settlers, deprived for a time of its use, and realizing the great demand in every family for the important article of food, early set about planting orchards. But little care was exercised, in a majority of cases, in the selection of varieties, or in the care of orchards after once well set.,One of the earliest apple orchards was started from seeds saved from apples eaten by the family while on their way to a new home in the woods. This orchard was, for a time, the most important in the county. The lack of railroads has had the effect of retarding the development of this interest, and even no*, taking into consideration the value of good fruit as a subs tantial element of food, as a valuable agent in preserving and promoting health, and as a luxury which all classes may enjoy, this subject has not received the attention which its importance merits at the hands of the careful agriculturist.,The old apple orchards have been prolific producers, and, in favorable seasons, hundreds of bushels have been allowed to waste for the lack of a market.,At an early day, considerable fruit was dried, and the practice is kept up to a considerable extent at present, with a fair local demand.*

The quality of the apples in the county is hardly adapted to the market demands of the present. This requires a large, fair looking apple, without much regard to the taste or grain of the fruit.,The apple orchards of this county are selected chiefly with respect to the taste of the owner, no attempt having as yet been made to grow fruit for market. The leading varieties found here are the Rambo, Bellflower. Seek-no-Further, Russet, Rhode Island Greening. Spitzenberg, Northern Spy, Baldwin, Fall Pipp in Queen Anne, Red Astrakhan, Sweet Bough and Early Harvest. King of Tompkins County is among the later varieties, and is in tie line of the market demands,,as is the Tulpehocken. The former is the favorite for a large apple, some of the fruit measuring fourteen and one-half inches in circumference, and at the same time retaining a fine flavor and smooth texture.,The apple is the hardiest and most reliable of all the fruits for this region, and there are more acres in apple orchards than in all other fruits combined.

Peaches, by reason of the unfavorableness of the climate, are, of late years, exceedingly uncertain, and are but little planted. Forty years ago, this fruit was as certain and prolific in itsyield as apples, but succeeding years have wrought such climatic changes that there is a fair crop of this fruit only about once in five years. Late frosts in the spring usually cut off the crop, either in the blossom or when the young fruit has just formed ; and, in addition to this, there occurs every few years a winter of such severity that even the trees themselves are seriously injured or destroyed.,There are several peach orchards in the county, principally located in the eastern part of the county. The case of cherries of the finer kind is very

*An "apple factory" in Medina Village has, for the last few years, been enraged in drying fruit for the market. Some 20,000 bushels of apples were bought during the present fall (1880), at 15 cents per bushel, and at that price there is at present no profitable demand for the dried fruit.

HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.,197

similar to that of peaches, as the trees are< somewhat tender and the blossoms are liable to >be destroyed by late frosts in the spring. The hardier kinds, such as the Early Richmond, the Morellos and May Duke are much more reliable and hardy, and often yield fine crops.,Pears are planted in small way principally, though there are occasional orchards of considerable size.,The first trees of this sort were seedlings, which of late years have been supplanted by dwarfs or their outgrowth of half-standards. The latest additions, however, are of the standards.,The tendency to blight, which the peartree shows here as elsewhere in Ohio, prevents any extended attention to the orchard culture of this fruit.,No effective remedy has as yet been devised for this scourge of the pear tree, unless the recent discussion of horticulturists have struck the root of the matter.,In the recent session of the Montgomery Horticultural Society, it was set forth that "the blight seldom, if ever, attacks trees which have their stems shaded by their branches ;,while the branches themselves—the foliage—is defended from the direct rays of the summer sun during the hottest part of the day, by some screen such as is afforded by a building or another tree which shades them from about 11 A. M. to 3 P. M, more or less.,Another fact regarding the permanent thriftiness of pear-trees is, that, if the roots can penetrate deeply into wholesome soil, or otherwise can occupy a stratum which supplies them uniformly as to moisture and temperature, they succeed." Plums are scarcely grown at all, owing to the prevalence of the curculio insect, although the trees seem to grow well and remain healthy.

The lack of an easy access to market has been a great drawback to the orchard culture of fruit. A generous provision for family wants has all that has been aimed at, and the considerable surplus that has grown out of this, has been converted into cider or gone largely to waste. This feature is aggravated by the unfortunate habit of the most reliable orchards of bearing full crops every alternate year, with scant ones or failures between.,The effect of this habit on the market, is disastrous to the grower, and only those reap the harvest, who, by careful management, secure a good crop in the " off year." The presence of good facilities for transportation, and a reliable nursery in the county, may be trusted to awaken a lively interest in this matter of fruit-growing.

The cultivation of small fruits for market has received but little general attention. The cultivation of strawberries, raspberries, etc., in gardens. for private use, extends to more persons each year, and more are used. There is however, a growing surplus which finds its way to the villages, going a good way toward supplying the demand.,In the matter of black- berries, the wild fruit is the strongest competitor against the cultivation for private use or market. Grapes have received some attention in a small way, in this county. The hardier varieties of this fruit succeed reasonably well in this county, especially when the sand soil predominates. Some attempts at small vineyards have been made, but with no marked results. The Isabella, Iona, Concord and Delaware are found, but the necessary amount of care is seldom bestowed, and the results, when compared with more favorable localities, are not flattering.

In the matter of stock-breeding, there is a very general interest, though the number of those who make it a specialty, or a leading feature of their farm industry, is small. Probably less than one-third can be placed in this class, though among these may be included a majority of the wealthier farmers. Among this portion of the thrilling community, a persevering, patient, investigating spirit has been manifested, that has accomplished large results for the stock of the county. No class of stock has been slighted in this respect, though perhaps cattle and sheep have profited most.

198 - HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

It is quite natural that the early history of the horse in Medina County should be somewhat obscure.,In the early settlement, the nap>ture of farm work called for the steady strength, the freedom from accident and the easy keeping of the ox, and horses found no general demand until the pioneers could afford the luxury of speed in travel.,It was not long before this demand made a marked change in the character of the teams, which has continued until now one would scarcely meet with an ox team upon the road in a month's travel through the county. The early stock of horses were such as could be bought in the older settlements, and were marked by no particular characteristic of breed or quality.,The only demand was for the ordinary purposes of the farm, and the people were not only not in position " to look a gift horse in the mouth," but were quite as powerless to be fastidious in regard to any horse.,Among the earliest efforts to improve upon this stock was the importation of a horse called " Blucher.",But little is remembered of his characteristics or pedigree, but he was extensively used and was considered desirable at that time, though modern improvements have caused them to be remembered as an inferior grade. Succeeding him came "Duroc" and "May Duke," which left their impress upon the stock of the county to a marked degree. This is especially true of the latter animal, and the " May Duke " horses were sure to carry off the premiums when shown at the early fairs. These horses were owned at Seville. and are described as a cross between a heavy, general-purpose horse and a genuine roadster.,This was the character of the animal in general demand and a great many of their colts were got in the county.,In or about 1852, F. G. Foot, ofWestfield, brought in a Black Hawk Morgan horse, named " David Hill.",He was a fine black animal, weighed about one thousand pounds. could trot a mile in about three minutes, and suited the popular taste better than anything that had preceded him. His stock was found very largely in the northern part of the county, and proved excellent roadsters.,Closely following him, or about the same time. Hiram Sykes. of Hinckley, brought " Eastman Morgan " from Vermont. He was sired by " Sherman Morgan," and was a little faster horse than his immediate predecessor in Medina County.,Speed had begun to be quite an object among the younger class of the farming community.,The boys were beginning to own horses of their own, and preferred a horse that could leave the dust in others' eyes to one better fitted for heavy work. With this class the Vermont Morgan was a great favorite.,The horse in question was a " blocky. pony-shaped " animal. weighing about twelve hundred pounds. and surprised horsemen with his speed. as there was nothing about him to promise it.,Though used a good deal in the county, he never got any trotters. though all were found to be good roadsters.,M. Lyon brought in a chestnut stallion from Vermont about the same time, but he was not so popular as the one just mentioned. There is some diversity of opinion, at this time, as to the merits of the old Morgan strain. There are those who complain of hoof difficulties, though this is claimed, by the friends of the strain, as the result of injudicious management when the animal is young. Bred for speed, the owner was anxious to develop it as soon as possible, and frequently trained his young horse at an early age, when most likely to injure the foot.

Perhaps the most celebrated strain of horses a strain the repute of which has not passed away with the animals that represented it—was the Stranger breed. The founder of this breed a was horse brought from Kentucky by a stranger, and sold, when a two-year-old colt, for $70, to Horace Hatch, of Medina. This was about 1850 ; he was kept here about four years, and sold for $3,000, but he proved a short-lived animal, dying soon afterward.,Though here but a short time, he left a good deal of his stock in

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the county, all of which showed more or less of the fine qualities of the sire.," Chestnut Tom " was one of his colts, which was bought by Mr. Hatch when a colt.,He possessed the characteristics of his sire in a large degree, and was a general favorite among horse-breeders.,"Tom B.," by " Chestnut Tom." was a fine specimen of the Stranger strain of horses, and trotted in 2:37, and afterward was sold at a high price. "Erie Abdallah" and " Hotspur" made a season at Wellington a little later than this, and left a large number of colts in Lorain County and some in Medina.,The first is a "general purpose" horse, noted as a spirited, active and fleet traveler, with surprising powers of endurance.,He made, at one time, a single dash of ten miles in the extraordinary time of thirty-one minutes and nine seconds.," Hotspur," however, seemed to be the greater favorite in Medina, and two of his colts, " Hotspur Chief," owned in Homer, and " Hotspur Joe," owned by Emory, in Cleveland, were kept in the stud in this county.,They were bred, too, quite extensively, and many of their get are to be found in the county.," Hotspur Joe " was kept some three years by the Shanks Brothers, but was finally sold, and went to Kansas for breeding purposes.," Nettie," a Hotspur colt owned by Shanks brothers, developed considerable speed, trotting a mile in 2: 35, and was sold for $1,300.

Among the more modern horses, " General Hayes," a young horse recently sold by Shanks Brothers for $3,000, is perhaps most prominent. He was sired by old " Flying Hiatoga," and out of a mare by " Stranger ; "—fine trotting stock on both sides.,He was bought at Berlin Heights when about two years old for $1,000, and kept in stud for some two years and a half, and after three weeks' training, he was put on a private track, when he displayed such speed as to sell readily for $3,000, to Mr. Emory, of Cleveland.

It will be observed that the general demand thus far was for a light, active horse. This is still true, though perhaps confined more generally to the northern part of the county. Of late, the demand in the southern part has been for a heavier horse, and the "general-purpose " Clydesdale and Norman are finding more favor, especially in the township of Wadsworth and Guilford. This division is the more noticeable from the fact that the heavy horses are found in the hilliest part of the county, a country to which they are generally considered least adapted. Of the latter class. Seth Baughman, of Wadsworth, brought in a fine Clydesdale stallion. He was a large, well-built horse, and attracted lovers of the draft horse.,This class of horses are of Scottish descent, of the largest size, averaging from sixteen to eighteen hands high, with ponderous bodies, stout limbs, hairy at the fetlocks, of high and noble carriage, and unsurpassed in weight and strength. They occasionally reach a weight of seventeen and even eighteen hundred,pounds.,S. A. Earle. of Friendville, has a stallion of this breed. recently introduced, and a half-brother of "General Hayes," which he calls " Joe Geiger." The latter is a well-bred horse, and has developed some speed.,He was raised,in,Pickaway County, is a dark bay, stands sixteen and one-half hands high, and weighs over twelve hundred pounds.,His sire was " Hiatoga," or better known as "Old Togue," a grandson of the founder of the strain in Virginia.," Bonnie Scotland," the Clydesdale stallion, is a dark bay, sixteen and three fourths hands high, and weighs, in good condition, 1,800 pounds. He was bred in Sterlingshire, Scotland, by Andrew Stuart, Esq., of Kip Dowrie, and imported to Canada in 1876.,He was imported into Syracuse, N. Y., in the spring of 1880, and there bought by Mr. Earle. The Normans have not been popular in this county, for the reason that the general taste demanded a light, active animal.,In 187$, however, William Smith, of Hillsdale, Michigan, made a season in the

200 - HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

county with a fine horse of this breed. He was considerably used, and the stock finds ready sale at good figures. They are natives of France, and embody more speed in action than the ordinary draft horse, together with great strength of limb and power of locomotion. Their average size is from sixteen to seventeen hands high, compact in body, symmetrical in shape, clean in limb and enduring in labor. One of the best-bred horses now owned in the county is " Membrino Thorn," recently imported to this county by Jacob Miller, lately deceased. He was bred on the celebrated stock-farm of Dr. Hurd. of Kentucky, and brought to the southern part of the State. where Mr. Miller found him. The horse is a fine black animal, weighing, in good flesh, about eleven hundred and fifty pounds, and standing fifteen and three-fourths hands high. He is a fine-appearing. high-headed animal of the roadster class, and has got quite a large number of colts in the county, the older ones being about three and one-half years. The principal breeders of horses in the county are Shanks Brothers, in Litchfield. and S. A. Earle, of Friendville.,M. Miller, before his death, had given a good deal of attention to this class of stock, preparing a track and arranging to develop this business, but death put an end to his plans before they had reached their culmination.

Mules have never been received with favor by the general mass of the farmers. Their appearance was not prepossessing, and those conditions to which this animal is supposed to be best fitted have never existed in this county, and the mule has therefore not secured much of a foothold.

The introduction of cattle into the county was as early as the coming of the first settler. Cows were a necessary part of the pioneer's outfit, without which his chances for obtaining a reasonably comfortable existence were very poor indeed. and few families were without them.,But. once here, it required all the care and diligence of the settler to protect them against the ravages of wild beasts and disease. Wolves were not so dangerous to cattle as in many places, but now and then a yearling or calf was sacrificed to their voracious appetites. The murrain, a little later, took off scores of these animals, entailing considerable privation before they could be replaced. Then the marshes and the rank vegetation took their quota, so that in spite of the employment of all the available children of the settlement as herders. and the dosing of cattle with alum, soot and soft soap, hundreds fell victims to the snares of a new country.,Under such circumstances, the effort was narrowed down to a struggle to maintain, rather than improve, the breed.,The people who settled this county were from New York and the New England States, where the short-horn breed of cattle had been introduced as early as 1800. Subse-

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quint to the war of 1812, still larger importations had been made, and short-horn grades were not unfrequently met with in the New England States at the time this country drew upon them for its settlement. This general interest was soon transferred to Ohio by the way of  Kentucky more largely than from the East.  and, in 1834, the " Ohio Importing Company " was formed to import short-horn Durhams from England. Seven bulls and twelve cows, nineteen in all, were imported and exhibited in the following year at the State fair.,This company subsequently increased the number of their  importation to thirty head.,In 1852, the " Scioto Importing Company ",imported sixteen head, and, in the following year, a similar company, formed in Madison County, imported twenty-two head. In 1854, similar companies were formed in Clinton and Clark Counties, by which some forty more animals were brought to the State.,Amid all this activity in the improvement of stock. it is not to be expected that the enterprising people of this county should fail to profit by it.,Not long after the introduction of these cattle by the Ohio company. Messrs. Wheatley and Spencely, of Granger, separately introduced the breed here. Little more is remembered of the matter than this bare fact.,E. A. Warner dealt in this stock early, bringing in a bull known as Talleyrand a namesake, if not a descendant, of one of the cows brought in by the Ohio company. Other leading bulls of this herd were Solomon, Absalom and Gen. Grant. For years, Mr. Warner was a leading breeder of this class of stock, though he discarded the practice of registering his cattle in the herd book.,In 1S55, Mr. T. S. Shaw bought a bull in Sullivan, which was raised on the farm of Cassius M. Clay. It was a fine white animal, the favorite color of that stock farm. and, after staying here three or four years, it was sold and taken to the West. The herd of A. L. Clapp was started in 1874, by the purchase of a hull. Punch 8,881, bred by J. G. Hagerty. of Licking County. Ohio, a heifer of William Wheatley, of Richfield. Summit County; and, soon after, a cow of R. Baker, Elyria. Ohio. This cow was bred by William Warfieid. of Kentucky.,In August. 1877, another heifer, of the Rose of Sharon strain, was purchased of J. G. Hagerty.,The herd now consists of thirteen head.

A letter from C. C. Cottingham. at Sharon Center, thus details the history of the shorthorns in his vicinity :,"In 1316, John Bell bought a bull of Raw Jackson. of Orange, Cuyahoga County, and four years later, bought another from the same man. These two bulls did much to improve the native cattle. In 1859, I bought a cow of Raw Jackson, which he had recently purchased of Samuel Thorn, of New York.,Ten years later, we started our present herd with four cows purchased of John Jackson, of Orange, Cuyahoga County. In 1871, I bought of J. G. Hagerty. of Licking County, Duke and subsequently added two young cows. In 1874, I purchased Scottish Crown, of William Miller, of Canada. Three years later, in connection with T. G. Brigs. I bought one of the Bates family, Duke of Winfield. Have sold for breeding purposes, forty head, and have in my herd at present twenty-seven head. " In 1864. George Waters, Sr., bought a cow of Raw Spencly, Sr., of Granger. Some years later, he bought Punch 8.881 and a cow of J. G. Hagerty, of Licking County. Mr. Waters was quite successful, and, at his death, some eight years after, had a fine herd, which was sold at public sale.

In 1869, Adam Turner started his present herd from cows bought of J. Woodward, of Sharon, and J. L. Beck, of Guilford, and, probably, for the number of cows, has raised more calves than any other breeder in the township. T. G. Briggs keeps a herd of short-horns, the first of which he purchased from G. Waters, Sr.. in 1872.,He has since purchased several

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head from the Canada West Breeding Association, and has at present seventeen head in his herd.

" George Waters, Jr., has a small herd, established in 1875 by the purchase of two cows of D. C. Wilhelm, of Licking County. He afterward bought a bull of J. G. Hagerty.

S. S. Totman started his herd with six cows in 1875–76, bought of George Waters, Jr., of Sharon, Sylvester & King, of Granger, and has now a herd of fifteen head.,T. C. and E. Woodward have small herds, descendants of a cow purchased by their father (John Woodward. Sr..) of Raw Jackson in 1859.,Most of the farmers in the northern part of Sharon have resorted to Short-horn blood for the improvement of their stock."

The report to the Short-horn Breeders' Association, from Medina County in 1876, represented that there were six or eight herds in the county, with a poor demand for the stock, not more than one in twenty of the farmers using this blood for the improvement of their herds. Besides Mr. Cottingham, none reported save J. B. Porter, of Hinckley, as follows : Herd established,,1868 ; first animals were Lady Queen. by son of Starlight 5,200 ; Kate Darling, by King Duke 8,460 ; Red Rose, by same; Lady Butterfly, by Master Butterfly 17,702 ; purchased Kinallor Third 14,668.,Have now fourteen cows and heifers and two bulls ; breeding bull now in use, Decoration 22,541. There is less apathy among- the farmers now than shown by the report in I876, though the demands of the dairying business, which is a leading interest in Medina, has much to do with the number of those who care to breed fine stock.

The earliest effort to improve this class of stock, however, was by the introduction of the Devon blood.,Joel Brigham, who had been a farmer in Harrisville, went into merchandising, and on one of his visits to New York his farmer's instinct lead him to buy two Devon calves at $55 apiece. At this early time, when it was noised about what Mr. Brigham had done there was considerable curiosity manifested to see them Iram Packard bought one and kept it for some years.,This is a strikingly distinct breed in form and quality, medium in size, uniformly red in color, and comely in appearance.,This blood, or that which was closely allied to it. seems to have been imported into New England in the seventeenth century, and the native stock of that section has for many generations borne strong resemblances to this stock.,It failed to gain a footing here. and passed away before the Short-horn fashion. Frazer & Owens. of Seville. are breeding this class of cattle and make a creditable showing at the fairs.

The Ayrshires have been introduced within the last decade. There are several herds of grades, but the only pedigree stock of this blood in the county is in the herd of F. B. Clark, of Medina.,This breed is said to have originated in the district of Ayrshire, in Scotland, by a cross of Short-horn bulls from the north of England on the common or native Kyloe cow of Scotland. and cultivated into their present excellent dairy qualities by careful and persistent breeding. They are highly esteemed by those who are partial to them for their large yields of milk, which render them much more profitable for dairy uses than the common cow of the country. In size, they are about the size of the common native cattle ; in color. usually red or brown more or less mixed with white, and in shape. more like the Short-horn than others, though lacking their fine contour and comeliness of appearance.,It was these characteristics that led Mr. Clark to go into the breeding of this stock.,He was interested in dairying. and he became convinced that he could make 20 per cent more out of his grass with Ayrshire cows than any other blood. He started his herd in 1874. buying a bull, " Sir Robert," of C. C. Fuller. in Portage county,

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to which he bred the common cows of his dairy, A little later he went to see a famous cow, "Dandy." in the herd of A. J. Miller, of Lorain County.,This cow had given 10.000 pounds of milk in ten consecutive months, and was with calf at that time. Mr. Clark was so pleased with the animal that he agreed to take her calf when three clays old, provided it could stand. at 550. His next purchase was a yearling bull imported from Canada, Cornhill 1st, and when old enough used him for breeding purposes. sending " Sir Robert" to the shambles.,The present breeding bull is of his own breeding. " Cornhill 2d." The herd consists of five head of full-blood. registered stock, twenty head of from one-half to three-quarter blood. On his farm he has some forty head of cattle, all of his own breeding. and it is his intention to use Ayrshire exclusively for dairy purposes.

The Jerseys are represented by a single herd of thoroughbred stock, that of George Burr, of Lodi.,There seems to be a distinction between the " Herd Book stock " and that registered in the " American Jersey Cattle Club Herd Register.",The former is not considered exclusive enough. and much stock is found registered there that is considered below the caste of the pure Jersey. hence they sustain a sort of high and low church relation to each other. The Alderney. Guernsey and Jersey. generally speaking, have a common origin, and owe their distinctive qualities to the manner of breeding, tastes and preferences of the propagators of this stock. for generations past. In size, they are smaller than our native cows, delicate in form. unique in shape, diversified in color, and blood-like in appearance.,The prime quality claimed for the cow is the exceeding yellow color and rich quality of her milk, cream and butter, in all which she stands without a rival, although her quantity of milk is moderate, compared with the weight of butter which it yields. The herd of Mr. Burr was started in 1877, by the purchase of a young bull, " Duke of Medina No.4.075," of Frank Ford. in Portage County. The sire of this bull was "Butter Stamp No. 700," and was imported in " Butter Mine " from the Island of Jersey. His dam, Ford's," Nellie No. 3.395 " and granddam, " Lady Palestine No. 2,769," are descendants of a long line of deep and rich milkers.,In December of 1878, two fine young heifers were purchased in Indianapolis, for Miss Bertha Burr. and added to the herd.,These heifers, "Brendus No. 6,362," and," Carmen No.6.361,",were sired by" Marius No. 760," bred by I. J. Hand, and purchased for the Beech Grove herd at a cost of $500.One of these heifers is squirrel gray in color, with full, black points, and both were bred to " Le Brock 's Prize No. 3.350," an imported bull of great promise, winning the first prize over all Jerseys at the Royal Agricultural Show. He was purchased by Mr. Jackson, and put at the head of the Beech Grove herd at Indianapolis.,These cows both subsequently dropped heifer calves. In December, 1879, the bull " Opetrus No. 4,128," sired by "One Tan," and out of Petrus, which is at present the head of the herd, was bought out of the same herd in Indiana.,Having purchased the heifer " Le Broemer No. 10,670," from his sister, Mr. Burr

now has five cows and heifers, and one bull in his herd.,These animals are all dark breeding, and several of full solid color and full black points. The cows " Brendus " and " Carmen," when,twenty-four months old,,gave twelve pounds and thirteen ounces of butter in seven days, without extra feed, and made over one-half pound of butter a clay each, within an average of eight weeks of calving.

Sheep were introduced into Medina Co. almost as early as any stock.,The first settiers seemed to have looked the ground all over, and to have prepared for an isolated existence in the woods. In these plans, sheep formed a conspicuous item, as the production of wool for the various articles of clothing seemed nearly indispensable. But the number

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and boldness of the wolves made sheep-raising a burden upon the frontier farmer, taxed as he was with the cares and anxieties of a "clearing," that he could ill afford, and many soon gave up, the experiment. Others, however, persevered in spite of discouragements, and the county has probably not been without sheep since their first introduction, though the number has been very small at times.,After the wolf had been exterminated under the influence of liberal bounties paid for their scalps, the dogs caused serious havoc among them, a farmer sometimes finding as many as twenty or thirty killed and wounded in a single night. It did not need any outside encouragement to wage a war of extermination upon these animals, and many a sheep-killing dog was summarily disposed of.,It is difficult to determine the characteristics of the early sheep. In 1816, Wells & Dickinson, large woolen manufacturers at Steubenville, had large flocks of Spanish merino sheep, derived from the Humphrey mportations.,These were pastured at this time on the Stark County plains, and were the talk of stock admirers of the State. In 1824, the failure of this firm caused these sheep to be scattered in small parcels all over the State, and they fell into the hands of many who cared more to improve on the common stock than to breed full-blooded animals. In this way some of these superior grades came to this county, and were owned as early as 1830 by William Chambers, of Guilford Township. These sheep were characterized by a light carcass and fleece, though the latter was of fine texture and good fiber.,American cultivation has done much to improve these original and subsequent importations, so that at this day no fine-wooled sheep in the world excel, and few equal, the American Merinos in the heavy product of their fleeces. or the size and stamina of their bodies. Of the latter class there are several fine flocks in this county. Asa Farnum, Esq., of Chippewa Lake, has been engaged in growing fine-wooled sheep for the last forty years.,The flock of Alexander Brothers, of Westfield, is one of the best, and was started in 1861, by purchases from the flock of Mr. Farnum.,The breeding of registered sheep for sale, however, has been of more recent date with these gentlemen.,In December, 1879, their entire flock of previous breeding was sold, and the foundation of a new flock laid by the purchase of three yearling ewes and one ram, on September 16th of that year. These were drawn from the flock of E. Townsend, of Pavilion Center, Genesee Co., N. Y., and, on January 20, 1880, twenty yearling ewes, from the flock of J. E. Gilmore, of the same place. These latter animals were bred, however, by Townsend. Since these purchases, additions have been made from time to time, until their flock now numbers fifty-one breeding ewes from one to two years old, which were derived by Mr. Townsend from the celebrated Hammond flock of Vermont. In addition to the names noted, those of A. L. Clapp, of Chatham, William Kennedy, of. Brunswick, and J. Barneby, of York, should be mentioned as dealers in this class of stock.>/p>

About 1842, Nathaniel Pierce introduced in the south part of Granger some Saxon sheep from the flock of H. D. Grove, of Hoosick, Rensselear Co., N. Y.,Mr. Grove, who was a native of Saxony, made various importations from his native land.,In a letter from which these facts have been derived; Hon. Halsey Hulburt, of Saville. adds :,'- Mr. Grove died perhaps in the winter of 1843–44 the owner of the flock in Granger, and it was sold at public sale by his administrators in October, 1844, and widely scattered over the country. Old Gov. Morris, of Highland Co., Ohio, was present and purchased some.,I had twenty of the ewes, and bred them until I found their light fleeces—two and one-half to three pounds —did not pay, and gradually increased their

fleeces by merino bucks, to an average, in late

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years, of eight pounds.,With the Saxons I bought the foot-rot, which has continued in my flock ever since.,In June, I disposed of my sheep to be rid of it. and have purchased in Wisconsin. It is problematical, I think, whether merino sheep can be kept on our level lands without foot-rot (our great discouragement in wool-growing) as an accompaniment."

Of the coarser-wooled,,mutton sheep, the Cotswold blood was introduced as early as 1852, by J. L. Beck, of Guilford.,In that year, he purchased a buck and two ewes from the flock of George Shaw, of Sussex County, New Jersey, paying $40 for the one, and $20 each, for the rest, the three sheep costing in Medina County a little more than $113. These animals were of the best blood in the country, and by the exercise of great care and excellent judgment, Mr. Beck has succeeded in maintaining the character of his flock. The second buck used was of his own breeding, by his Jersey ewes and a buck owned by Mr. Bell, of Sharon, who was also interested in this class of sheep. Mr. W. H. Witter, of Montville, and Mr. Shaw, just south of Medina, were somewhat interested in these sheep, and exchanges were made among these gentlemen for breeding bucks of the various flocks. The sixth buck of Mr. Beck's flock, was purchased of William Squires, of Lorain County, of whom he had bought a buck and some ewes the year previous. His seventh breeding buck was an imported animal, and was purchased at an expense of $200 ; the ninth was an imported animal purchased of William Moffitt, of Cuyahoga County, etc.,Sufficient is given to show the care exercised in the selection of his animals ; and the reputation his flock has achieved, shows the estimation in which his judgment is held by growers of coarse wools. There is a good demand for all his surplus stock, and not a little,interest is awakened in this class of sheep. Mr. Beck's flock now consists of twenty-nine ewes, and three bucks.

Of the middle wools—abundant in fleece, massive in the quantity, and delicious in the excellence of their flesh—is found the Southdown and Shropshire.Of the latter, two bucks have been imported by William King, of Granger. Of the Southdowns, there are a few specimens in the county, bat they are proving, generally, popular Sheep are raised in Medina for the wool , and. though general opinion does not accept the dictum of the fine wool growers, merino grades are the leading characteristics of the sheep in the county. The alternation by many of the farmers from dairying to sheep-raising, is not calculated to do the most for the character of either industry. and experience will probably prove that in this, as well as elsewhere " a rolling stone gathers no moss."

Swine were the earliest and the most easily maintained of any stock on the frontier farms. No family was so poor as to be without them, and none were so rich as not to need them. In most parts of the county they were allowed to run at large in the forest, gradually taking on the nature of the wild hog. which were found here by the first settlers. This breed of hogs were of thin flesh, large bones, thick skin and formidable tusks. They were wholly unfit for food, though the exigencies of pioneer life often made them the only resource. Their skin was used for tanning purposes, and furnished a very desirable leather for horse collars and other parts of the harness. The woods breed of hogs, however, has long since become extinct in this county, and, where it used to take two years to make a 200-pound hog, a 300 and 400 pound hog can be made in nine to twelve months. The principal breeds are the Suffolk, Chester White, and Berkshire. The latter was the first introduced, but they were then a rough, coarse-boned animal, and were soon abandoned. A fine-boned Suffolk was introduced later, but they were found as much in the one extreme as the early Berkshires had been in the other. A cross between these and

206 - HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

the Chester White has produced a favorite animal with many.,A later Berkshire, which answers the demands of the critic, is now found in the county. and great pains are being taken to preserve the breed in all its purity. The Yorkshire hog was introduced in Harrisville, in 1874, by John Warner; Esq. This breed matures early, puts on a large quantity of fat and keeps within the limits of the," small breeds.",Some of Mr. Warner's April pigs dress this winter 185 pounds, which is considered a very good showing. There is an objection found. that they are rather better to furnish lard than mess-pork. The Nagle and Poland-China are also occasionally found, but there is not the same interest manifested in this branch of stock-raising as in others.

Dairying came to this country by right of succession. In the old Connecticut, this had been a prominent feature of the farm industry before the beginning of the nineteenth century, and the early settlers coming from New England brought the custom with them. Here it found a congenial soil, and, growing with the growth of the county, it is now one of the chief sources of revenue. The first effort to establish this enterprise in this county was probably in 1816. In Northrup's history of Medina County, it is related of Mrs. William Warner, that "she thought her table poorly supplied if cheese was wanting." Knowing that her husband was daily employed, and had not time to attend to all that mast be done, she undertook to make a cheese-press.,She rolled a short log to the corner of the cabin, and fixed it firmly on one end, next she took, puncheon and placed one end in the opening between the logs, and soon made the discovery that a few stones placed on the other end would create leverage. She used the rim of an old sieve for a cheese rim, into which she placed the curd, surrounded by a cloth ; placed that on top of the upright log, adjusted the puncheon properly, put the stones in place, and soon had the satisfaction of knowing that cheese could be pressed and made. That rudely constructed press was used by her for many years. and she has the satisfaction of telling that from then until the present time (1860) she has never been without cheese, and that always made by herself.",This was not an isolated case, save perhaps in the rudeness of the press and the time of beginning the manufacture.,It was early observed that the soil was best adapted to grazing. and soon suggested an increase in the number of cows. But, before there was a market for the surplus make, cheese was made for home consumption, and most families could afford the luxury of cheese. After the construction of the canal from Cleveland to Portsmouth. which opened. up a market to this county, considerable cheese was made in a private way and marketed in the various towns that were accessible. In 1847, C. B. Chamberlin, a native of Vermont. settled in Montville Township, and purchased 500 acres of land, in the following year put on 100 cows, and began dairying on a scale never before known in this county, and perhaps not on the "Reserve.",The most of the land had been cleared before feed was abundant, and he made from 200 to 300 pounds of cheese per day. This he continued for some eight. years. generally marketing his product in Chillicothe, where he went every week.,Occasionally he contracted his make at Akron or Cleveland. In the meanwhile his operations excited great interest among the farmers in the county, and people came from a considerable distance away to see him " bandage a cheese in the press." This practice, now so common, was then unknown, and was considered a great novelty. About 1835, a number of the farmers enlarged their dairy operations to a considerable extent, among whom may be mentioned F. B. Clark, Andrew Haight and J. H. Sedgwick.,At this time the implements and appurtenances of the dairy were very rude. The milking was done in open yards, and milking barns were unknown.

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Cheeses were thin and small, and were held through the season.,In the fall, when ready for market, they were frequently shipped in rough casks made for the purpose.,Wellington soon grew into a market for this product, and the greater proportion of the cheese made in the county was hauled there by the farmers.

The factory system in this county, dates from 1866, in Litchfield Township.,Cheese factories originated, it is said, in Herkimer County, N. Y.,The dairy business began on a considerable scale there, as early as 1800, and, by 1830, a trade had been established with England for the product of this industry.,From there it spread to the Western Reserve, beginning in the northeastern part, and coming to Medina, as above indicated.,The Litchfield Factory was built by Benedict & Brooker, and A. D. Hall, of Geauga County, was secured to initiate them in the mysteries of combined action in the dairy business.," Cheese meetings" became a common thing at once all over the county.,Mr. Hall was an enthusiast upon the subject, and he and his wife were paid high wages for their instruction and assistance in placing the factory system on its feet here, some private cheese-makers employing them to give instructions in the factory system of manufacture.,In,1867, Chamberlin & McDowell erected a factory in Medina, and about the same time, similar enterprises were inaugurated in most of the northern and mortheastern townships.,Since, the dairy business has been an important interest, forming one of the most profitable sources of revenue. These factories have more than doubled the manufacture ; have lessened the labor to the farmer, and increased the price of the manufactured article.,Factories have not found encouragement in the southeastern part of the county, or in localities where the German element is predominant. They are generally given to wheat culture, and are not to be diverted from this sort of husbandry.,There are some fourteen factories now in the county, though all have not been in operation during the past ason.,The season of 1879 was very poor for cheese makers, and the farmers made haste to dispose of their cows and put on sheep. Last season the price of cheese greatly improved, but the patronage was so poor that many factories could not afford to continue business on the percentage plan, and closed their operations.,The average capacity of these factories is from thirty to forty cheeses per day, receiving the milk of some 400 cows. Few have, of late years, worked up to their full capacity, though some have received the milk from 500 to 600 cows at times.,Private dairying is still continued, in some instances on so large a scale as, perhaps, to be properly classed as a private factory.

The principal market for this product of late years has been at Wellington, where, by a system of partnership with factory men, the interest has been built up into immense proportions. The springtide in this business was from 1860 to 1874.,During the war, Mr. F. B. Clark, one year, realized $90 per cow, selling his homemade cheese at an average of 16 cents per pound. Mr. C. B. Chamberlin was not only earliest in the dairying business, but for a number of years foremost in the factory business. Selling the first factory in Medina to his partner, he fitted up the old mill for the business, which was burned about 1874 with some thousand cheeses.,He at once put up another factory in the village, which is considered the model establishment of the county. He has three others in various parts of the county. In 1875, he engaged in purchasing the product for the Eastern markets, wintering some 12,000 boxes that year in New York City. In 1876, he bought 25,000 boxes, and 30,000 boxes in the following year, all of which he shipped to Philadelphia. The larger proportion of the cheese made here of late has been marketed at Wellington, though not an inconsiderable amount is sent elsewhere on private account.

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A noticeable and favorable feature of the agriculture of the county is the moderate size of the farms. By the census of 1870, it appears that there were then 2,722 farms, of which over 2,000 were less than one hundred acres each, and of the latter number, a few more than half were farms of less than fifty acres each. The census of the present year (1880) shows the number of farms at present to be 3,086, and. at the same time. a falling-off in the population.,The natural inference from the imperfect returns as yet received would seem to be that families were generally smaller, and that the larger farms had been divided, the average< farm now not reaching over eighty-five acres. These farms are well tilled, the buildings well improved, the grade of stock equal to the best in the State, and a general well-to-do air of neatness,and comfort prevails everywhere throughout the farming ommunity. Improved agricultural implements are found everywhere the farmers readily perceiving the advantage to be gained by thorough equipment for their work. In the matter of markets, the railroad facilities provided within the last decade have solved the problem that for years vexed the farming community of Morrow County. The question of highways is yet an unfathomed stery.,Like most of the Western Reserve, Medina is at the mercy of its clay roads. Sand and gravel in suitable quantities cannot be found here, and the great inquiry is, as to how these roads shall be constructed to absorb the least moisture.,In the State Agricultural Report of 1876, ten miles of graveled road was reported, but it would probably puzzle the oldest inhabitant to locate the road.,The "river road" is the one probably referred to, where, in places. the gravel of the river has been put on to the highway.,It is lost sight of, however, at every muddy season.,The bridging of the county is not an important item of expense. The Rocky River and the Black River are the principal streams of the county, which can be easily spanned anywhere in one hundred feet. The old covered bridges of the earlier days still continue to be favorites with the people, though of late iron bridges have been introduced to some extent.

Agricultural societies grew up very naturally in this community. They were a prominent feature of the farming communities of Connecticut. and some years before any regularly organized effort was put forth to this end, the people, anxious to transfer the customs and traditions of their early home to this land, spontaneously came together to show their stock and compare their respective merits. On June 3, 1833 the County Commissioners directed the Auditor to call a meeting of the farmers of the county, for the purpose of forming an Agricultural Society. For some reason, there was no adequate result from this effort, A great many of the farmers had early become interested in horses and cattle. and for some years, on a certain day. they met at the public square, where an impromptu organization of committees was had, who passed their judgment upon the respective merits of the animals present. without regard to entries. This custom gradually grew in importance until the farmers' wives brought the results of their handiwork, and the whole farming community joined in a sort of " harvest home " holiday. An important feature of these gatherings was the array of yoked oxen, and it was not uncommon to see, at these times, twenty or thirty yoke in " a string." This practice was continued after the regular organization of a society. and premiums were offered to the township that should send the longest " string" of yoked cattle.,In 1845, a permanent organization was formed. and, in spite of a vigorous opposition on the part of the minority, leased, rather than bought, seven acres of Mr. Bronson, just east of the foundry. The contract was for ten years at $70 per year, during which time a large building which served as floral, domestic, art and mechanical halls,

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was built. At the expiration of the lease, the Society found itself in debt to the extent of $100. A spirited meeting of the society at the Court House canvassed the subject, and the old-time minority carried considerable weight with their "I-told-you-so " argument.,Mr. W. H. Witter. a prominent advocate of the purchasing policy, was made President, and a director from each township, who should solicit the farmers from their respective localities to take stock at $3 per share, the funds to be devoted to the purchase of grounds for holding the fair.,This bid fair to fail, when, later, a meeting of the directors revealed that but little for no stock had been subscribed. Mr. Witter was appointed as a soliciting committee, and in a few months' time succeeded in raising $1,200 in this way.,Eighteen acres were at once purchased of the Selkirk estate, and fitted up for the use of the society. The building of the Cleveland. Tuscarawas Valley &,Wheeling Railroad. cut off an acre and a half of their grounds. and in 1S77. A. I. Root. desiring a place to put his growing business, made overtures to the society, and bought their land at

$100 per acre.,The society at once secured 21 acres of land, a little southwest paying the same price per acre.,The society has had a vigorous growth, and is in prosperous circumstances. A large frame building combines the accommodations, sometimes divided among several halls. Accommodations for stock, in the way of sheds. stalls and pens are abundant, and an eating-hall provides means tor the refreshment of the society's guests and members. The track is a half-mile circle, which was constructed at a cost of $1,000. and is commanded by a comfortably arranged grand stand.

One of the most unique premiums offered by this society was a small flag, made of cotton cloth thirty-three by fifty-six inches. painted with the usual number of stripes and stars, emblazoned with a device consisting of a jolly looking human face with thumb on nose, which, as interpreted, meant, " Take me if you can." This was offered to the county which would bring in the largest delegation to the county fair of 1878, and was awarded to the Summit County delegation.

The origin and historic value of this flag is connected with one of the greatest sleigh rides ever known in Medina, and one to which the older people of the county revert with unusual satisfaction.,In 1836, there was an unprecedented amount of sleighing, and sometime in February of that year, the people of Solon Township, Cuyahoga County, got up a sleighing party consisting of seven four-horse teams, and among other decorations carrying the flag in question.,The people of Twinsburg, Summit County, through which the Solon party passed, made up their minds to go to Solon and take the flag.,They harnessed up fourteen four-horse teams, went to Solon, and brought the fiat, home. Royalton, Cuyahoga County, then rallied thirty-eight four-horse teams, and took back the flag ; and thus, like the knight-errands of old, it traveled from one township to an, other, with an increased number of four-horse teams each time.,It soon became a county matter—Cuyahoga, Medina and Summit Counties were to try their strength, and the county mustering the largest number of four-horse teams was to bear away the flag.,On the 14th of March the parties met at West Richfield, with all the teams they could muster. Medina County had 140 four-horse sleighs, Cuyahoga had 131 four-horse teams, and Summit, 171, a total of 462 four-horse sleighs—each sleigh containing an average of fourteen persons 1,848 horses, 6,468 persons, besides a large number of one and two horse sleighs. Summit County, of course, took the flag The Medina delegation, on their return home, immediately called a meeting to make arrangements for another trial. It came off on the 18th, at Akron.,The procession was fitted out with devices, banners, bands of music, etc., and

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entered Akron about noon, amid the firing of cannon, the ringing of bells, and the shouts of the people, who extended to them a most hearty welcome.,The teams were counted, and Medina rolled up 182 four-horse teams, besides one four-mule team, hitched up with ropes, which was thrown out by the committee, because not horses.,The teams filed through the city, and the result was telegraphed from one to the other with shouts of victory—the citizens of Akron joining heartily in the same until the whole city was in one deafening roar.

President Pierce of Hudson College presented the flag to the county of Medina, with some appropriate remarks, which were responded to by Charles E. Bostwick, Chief Marshal of the Medina delegation ; after which, two songs were sung, composed for the occasion. After refreshments, the Medina delegation returned home with the flag, the happiest company, doubtless, that were ever brought together.

Another fair association exists in the county known as the " District Agricultural Society of Wayne and Medina Counties, Ohio." This grew out of a desire to aid in building up the village of Seville, where the fairs are held, and some little dissatisfaction with the county association.,A meeting of the citizens of Seville and vicinity was called for the 5th of June, 1860. There was a good attendance, a general expression of opinion was had, and committees appointed to forward the project.,On the 11th of the same month, another meeting was held, and subsequently an association was formed with the following officers :,S. G. Foote, President ; D. D. Dowd, Vice President ; J. A. Bell, Secretary; Cornelius Welsh. Treasurer ; Charles Eddy, O. S. Owen, John Coolman, Jacob Knuff, Joseph McGlennen, J. C. Johnson and J. T. McDowell, Directors.,Twelve acres just north of Seville was leased of L. A. Parker, fenced, necessary buildings erected, a one-third-of-a-mile track laid out and graded, and the first exhibition held on the 11th, 12th and 13th of October, 1860.,The enterprise proved highly successful for several years in succession ; the grounds were enlarged more commodious buildings were erected, and a good half-mile track constructed. The fair is still liberally patronized, and bids fair to be one of the institutions of the county for years to come.