HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY. - 509

CHAPTER XIII.

YORK TOWNSHIP—DESCRIPTIVE—COMING OF SETTLERS—PROGRESS OF IMPROVEMENTS—UNDER-
GROUND RAILROAD—MANNERS AND MORALS.

IT often occurs within the experience of the historical writer, that, when any section of country was first settled, some portions were cleared and inhabited a quarter of a century before other portions removed but a few miles distant. Owing to some natural feature which unfitted the land for occupancy in early years, no improvements were made ; and some of the finest farms in the county have been cleared and subjected to cultivation within comparatively late years. Following the natural instincts of human life, the pioneer complacently selected what. in his judgment, was the finest land within the reach of his limited purse, for whatever object he had in view. whether agriculture, horticulture. stock-rearing, milling or mechanics. Its proximity to mills, stores, schoolhouses, churches, good water. quarries, etc., was an important item to be considered. If any or all of these were yet lacking, the settler chose a home where the configuration of the land and the natural surroundings gave promise that the farm would be favorably situated when the country became well settled. Sometimes, as was quite often the case, the settler arrived in the wilderness with more children than dollars, trusting that with the aid of those two valuable assistants—help and self denial—he might at last secure a home where he could pass the remainder of his days in security and peace. " It is natural for man to indulge in the illusions of hope," and what a rest it is from the dreary prospects that hang like the shadow of some impending calamity over the future. How precious to' our happiness are the castles that we build ! How sweet it is to let the imagination wander off into pleasing representations of future stages of life ; and how universal and cherished is this phase of human character. It opens boundless fields of enjoyment as vivid as reality. and crowns desolate and desponding lives with the bright flowers of approaching happiness. When all the blessings from Pandora's box are fled, hope alone remains, a solace in the darkest hour of human life, to irradiate the future with the. smiles of Divine promise and love, and to save man from despair at the approach of death. The pioneer. removed from the influences of human society. no doubt thought as did Alexander Selkirk :

" 0 Solitude : where are the charms

     That sages have seen in thy face?

Better dwell in the midst of alarms,

     Than reign in this horrible place.

" I'm out of humanity's reach;

     I shall finish my journey alone :

Never hear the sweet music of speech;

     I start at the sound of my own."

His only prospect for relief from anxieties and toil lay in his sturdy nature, and in his hope that "something better would turn up." The total avoidance of human society is a

510 - HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

cross that weighs heavily upon the heart as the years advance. In the seclusion of nonintercourse with fellowmen, the tendency of human nature is to revert from the standard of society in its present artificial character, and to renew the cast-off instincts and habits of barbarous man. Evolutionists insist that society is an organic growth or relation, and that it is neither the natural nor primitive condition of man. They assert, that, if the usages of society be partially relaxed or wholly avoided, the infallible result is a fatal retrogression to primitive conditions. This would place man back almost to the higher plane of brute capabilities. However, the pioneer had nothing of this nature to fear, as his isolation from social contact with his fellows was but temporary, from the obvious fact that thousands of settlers would locate near him in the course of a comparatively short time. This philosophical question was not the one which most perplexed the settler. His problem was something like this : " How in the world am I to feed and clothe this ' raft' of children ? " That same question has staggered many a man not recognized in histories as a pioneer ; and it may be added that many a husband and father never succeeded in reaching a correct solution. He could not look in a book as the school-boy does, and write the answer in its proper position on the slate. That esteemed privilege was denied him. The case must be met with honest and incessant toil. and no legerdemain could deceive the great Teacher looking down from above. Others in the school of life could solve the problem at a glance. and the prosperous condition of their children. the presence of a broad scholarship, and' a lofty refinement in thought and act, attest the accuracy and practical value of their solution of the problem of social life. Pioneers belong to that division of humanity known as benefactors. Through countless denials and self-imposed hardships, through almost a lifetime of unceasing privations and perplexities, they founded the bright and happy homes of' today, where education, religion, refinement, and all the luxuries of wealth, abound.

York Township remained as long unsettled as any other in the county. This was not be-cause of a dearth or absence of natural attractions. The soil was as rich for agricultural purposes as that of any other; and the opening for settlers was promising. and gave assurance of future opulence to those who were saving and industrious. Settlers. like migratory birds. seek a common resort. They move in flocks (to continue the figure). and, at the end of a long journey. alight in the same neighborhood. It seems that no flock saw proper to alight in York until many years after several of the other townships had been visited. Adventurous birds. however, left the neighboring coveys, and attempted to build their nests and rear their young abroad. It thus came to pass that, prior to the appearance of the first permanent white settler in 1830. the township was the home of several wandering hunters and trappers. who served as an advance-guard to the advancing army of settlers. It is quite certain, that, soon after the war of 1812, one or more professional hunters resided in a small bark shanty. in the northeastern part. near the present site of Abbeyville. The dwelling was little better than a Wigwam, and was permitted to fall into decay after one or two seasons of occupancy. This brings the reader down to the time when the first permanent settler located in the township ; and, before entering upon the description of the first settlement. it will be proper to notice the physical features of this portion of the county.

York Township is five miles square. and is bounded north by Liverpool. east by Medina. south by La Fayette, and west by Litchfield. Like the remainder of the county. its surface is irregular, and is characterized by peculiarly shaped prominences. which. at a distance, ap-

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pear to be the works of Mound-Builders, but which, upon closer inspection, prove to have been deposited by glacial action in times which antedate, by long periods of years, all recorded history. These prominence or hills, are usually composed of a coarse bowider clay, and large quantities of gravel of crystalline rock, granite, quartz, evidently of a foreign nature. The lower and more level portions, though comprising a large percentage of clay. are still thoroughly intermingled with a rich semi-sandy and semi-alluvial soil, giving great strength and permanence to its productiveness. The composite nature of the soil, and the proportion in which the composing elements are blended, assure a fertility that is unknown in sections of the State or county where a pure soil abounds. Such lands are fitted for a greater variety of crops, as each vegetable production can select from the soil that which is adapted to its permanent and most rapid growth and strength, while a pure soil, lacking as it does the elements necessary to the life of some plants, can support the growth of but few. The soil also has great strength, as is shown by the fact that the same crop can be raised year after year on the same piece of land, without decrease in quality or quantity produced. The land is good for grazing purposes. and for meadows of luxuriant grass. Considerable sand is displayed near Abbeyville. not only in small inland and isolated banks, but in strata along the abrupt banks of Rocky River. Excellent hard water is obtained in abundance, at depths varying from ten to forty feet. A few perpetual springs are found, and, if their location is near a public highway. troughs are prepared where horses may quench their thirst.

The township is well drained by numerous streams which' flow in a northerly direction, and the waters of each finally reach Rocky River. The principal stream is Mallet Creek, named thus for the first white settler who livedon its banks. It enters the township on the southern line, about a mile west of the center, and flows a little west of north until near the center, when it takes a course a little east of north, and finally leaves the township at very nearly the geographical center of the northern boundary. It is fed throughout its course by numerous affluents, which join it from either side. This whole system of drainage has sufficient fall to insure the contiguous bottom land from ever becoming marshy, and unfitted for the use of the husbandman. The stream and its branches have worn their way, in some places, many feet below the surrounding valley level, owing, no doubt, to the character of the soil. The northeastern corner is crossed by Rocky River, a stream which has worn its way deep into the underlying rock. Near the bridge at Abbeyville, perpendicular embankments of sandstone may be seen, rising abruptly from the water's edge, in some cases to the height of seventy feet. From the worn character of the perpendicular surface thus exposed, it seems reasonable to infer that the bed of the stream was once at the top of the embankment, and that through a long period of years it gradually descended to its present position. Mallet Creek and its branches drain almost or quite one-half of the township. The northeastern third is drained by three or more small " runs," which flow directly into Rocky River, near Abbeyville. There are no swamps of any note, although in early years the northern part was quite wet, and was covered with an almost impenetrable thicket, wherein wild animals sought refuge from pursuing hounds or hunters. In common with other portions of the county and State, York, in early years. was destitute of convenient roads, and it was only after the lapse of time that the incidental sticking in the mud, which attended each journey, could be avoided. The first road properly surveyed in the township was the Norwalk road, extending diagonally to York Cen-

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ter from Medina, thence directly westward. It was surveyed in 1830, and was laid out only to be avoided, as the passage of a few wagons so cut up the clay soil that drivers preferred to select their route through the woods near by. This procedure was only altered when the road had been sufficiently graded to turn off the water, instead of allowing it to remain in the ruts made by the wagons.

We come now to the time when the first settlers appeared in York. It being premised, that, inasmuch as portions of the county, contiguous to the township, had been first settled a score or more years earlier than 1830, and that the townships of Liverpool, Medina, La Fayette, were at that date quite thickly populated—it may appear strange that no settler had yet concluded to locate in York. One reason for this state of affairs was that the township was owned by speculators in the East, who charged so much for their land that it was practically thrown out of market. The land was owned in six tracts—five of them each a mile wide, and extending from the eastern boundary to within a mile of the western line, and the sixth, comprising a strip one mile wide, extending north and south across the western side. The tracts number from the south to the north, the one on the west being the sixth. No. 1 was owned by a man named Chapman. It must not be understood that the price of the land was far above that in neighboring townships. The price asked varied from 25 cents to $1 above the current rates, and, in the estimation of a man with but little money, this was an important consideration, and effectually prevented the sale of the land. In the year 1826, the following persons paid taxes on 14,137 acres of the land : Fanny Chapman, Elijah Hubbard, James Mather, Samuel Mather's heirs. Thomas Mather, Thomas Sill and William N. Sill. The laud was valued at $29,936. and the tax paid was $295.6.2.

In the month of June. 1830 George Wilson. of Monroe County, N. Y.. came to the township, purchased a small tract of land on the branch road where Eli Hubbard now lives. erected a small dwelling, and immediately moved his family from Medina. where they had stopped until Mr. Wilson could build a house. This man was the first permanent settler. He was immediately followed by Levi Branch. Lawson Branch. Harvey Bruce. E. Munger, John Dunshee, Reuben Stickney, and Solomon Hubbard. These men came with their families to Medina in the month of October, 1830. and. while the families remained in the village. the men went to York. found their land which had been previously bought or traded for. erected their rough log houses, and returned to Medina for their families. Levi Branch was looked upon with envy by his fellow-settlers. as he had taken the trouble to bring from York State a small stove. This was properly adjusted in his cabin, and was looked upon by all visiting neighbors as a curiosity. and was spoken of so often throughout the neighborhood, that Branch's stove " became almost a by-word. The cabin in which this " curiosity was placed, and in which the family moved. was only half-finished. as but half of the roof was on. and the doors were yet to be manufactured. Blankets were hung up to serve the purpose of doors. temporarily, and Mr. Branch continued busily engaged in riving clapboard shingles to be placed on the half-finished roof. A rough floor had been hastily fitted in. designed to do duty until leisure moments would give Mr. Branch opportunity to construct a better one. The fact that settlers in the surrounding neighborhoods had attained a comparative degree of comfort, did not mitigate in the least the hardships and sufferings of the York settlers. They were compelled to pass through the same bitter school of experience. The size of' the tracts of land purchased depended upon the means at the command of the settlers. Levi Branch bought

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567 acres, but his farm was larger than that of any of the other early settlers. All were located south or southeast of the center ; and, within a few years, this portion of the township put on the outer garb of pioneer civilization. Cabins of various designs rested near the center of small clearings ; the ring and echo of ax and rifle awoke reverberations on the distant hills and in the heavy forest ; the " ding-dong " of cowbells told where the herds were feeding; the barking dog betrayed the fact that a coon had been treed ; and all the attendant features appeared which give to clearings in the forest the name " settlement."

For the next five years after the appearance of the settlers already mentioned, as many as thirty others located in the township and began clearing their land and cultivating the soil. The first thing to be secured was a garden, where potatoes and kindred vegetables could be raised. After this came the fields of wheat, dotted with hundreds of stumps, to avoid which. the reaper must use care. While the crop was growing, the settler was busily engaged in deadening the trees, and leveling them with the ground. At this point of the clearing process. a great deal of useless labor could be avoided by judicious management, guided by the light of experience. In some cases, all the timber on a certain piece of land was to be destroyed by fire. On such occasions, the chop-per would select some central point, around which, for 300 or 400 feet, all the trees would be felled toward the center selected. They would lodge on the central tree, and remain standing until the latter was cut down, when all came thundering to the earth together. Here they would remain until dry and dead. when they were almost totally consumed by fire. At other times, a line, perhaps eighty rods or more in length. was laid out across a tract of land, and all the trees within 300 or 400 feet were felled toward this line, thus forming an enormous windrow. At the proper distance away, another line was established, and the process was repeated. In this manner, whole sections were often chopped in windrows, and, as soon as the trees were thoroughly dead and dry, fires were lighted over the entire area of fallen timber, and the men devoted their time and attention in preventing the fire from dying out. and in seeing that all the fallen material was destroyed. In the nighttime, the fires thus lighted over half a farm, compared favorably with the prairie fires so well known in the West. In early years, a great deal of farm labor was done through the medium of "bees." Whole neighborhoods would assemble and accomplish in a short time what would perplex one man for months. A large share of the clearing done in York was accomplished in this manner, and all was the result of an interchange of labor. The men of a neighborhood would assemble and clear up the farms in rotation, and it is true, that a vast saving of time and labor resulted from these " bees," and it is often the case, from the peculiar nature of the work to be performed, that twenty men can accomplish in one day what one man cannot accomplish in twenty days. If the butt-cuts of trees were to be saved, the windrow process of clearing was often adopted, as in that case, the tops were crushed together, while the butts were free from troublesome branches. When one or more cuts were to be preserved on each tree, it was customary, also, to adopt the central process of clearing, and the center selected was usually the summit of some prominence, as in that case the logs could be rolled more easily out of the reach of the fire.

It is impossible to name all the settlers who came to York prior to 1835. Previous to their coming, they were notified. upon inquiry, that the excellent and well-traveled Norwalk Turn-pike extended through the center of the township, and afforded an unparalleled outlet to market and mill. They were also informed that the township was crossed by the beautiful Mal-

516 - HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

let Creek, in whose clear waters thousands of speckled trout abounded. Thus, the most sanguine anticipations of the settlers were aroused, and all were anxious to view the bright land which destiny had selected for their home. Alas for the delusions of fancy ! It was discovered that the informant had meant speckled frogs, instead of speckled trout, and the well-traveled turnpike proved to be a snare and a myth. It is related that R. M. Lampson. Sr., went with his wagon to Medina for a few bricks, and, on his return, though he had but 125. his wagon sank to the hub in the soil of the " celebrated Norwalk Turnpike." This enraged Mr. Lampson. whereupon he uttered some startling truths, in a peculiarly emphatic manner, respecting the famous turnpike and the meandering Mallet Creek. He and many others were for a long time singularly tender on the subjects of speckled trout and turnpikes. Like a celebrated lady, they refused to be comforted, because they were not—as their hopes had depicted. Time, at length, healed the wounds.

The township was organized and named in 1832. The name " York " was bestowed upon it, owing to the fact that nearly all the settlers came from York State. and, at their suggestion. the authorities created the township under that title, and ordered an election held at the residence of Levi Branch, on the 2d of April. 1832, for the purpose of electing the necessary officers and of completing the organization. On that day, twenty settlers (all then living in the township, with the exception of about five) assembled, and polled their first votes as citizens of York Township. It will thus be seen. that, from June, 1830, to the following April, about twenty-five settlers located in the township. This first election was held in Mr. Branch's barn, and, after a due amount of " wire-pulling " and " electioneering. the following officers were elected : Alexander Forbes, Justice of the Peace and (probably) Clerk ; Philo Fenn, Treasurer ; Levi Branch. Thomas Brintnall and Sylvanus Thunn, Trustees. It was no uncommon occurrence, in pioneer times. to hold town meetings in barns and dwellings. This was rendered necessary from a lack of schoolhouses and town halls. It required but about six years from the time of the first settlement before the township was almost as densely populated as it is at present. It was during this period that the township sprang. like Minerva from the head of Jove. into vigorous and mature life. Industries of various kinds began to arise as abruptly, if not as grandly, as Aladdin's palace, and soon the wild farms of the forest were transformed into those of civilization. Hundreds of acres of fine timber were given to the flames,. and the peaceful hum of busy human life was heard, where erst the howl of the wolf and the whoop of the savage resounded. The paths of the forest were opened to the light and heat of the sun ; the ponds and marshes slowly disappeared : waving seas of wheat and corn appeared ; roads were established and graded ; stumps were uprooted and removed ; fields became encircled with strong rail fences ; domestic animals frequented the paths and feeding-grounds of wild ones ; schoolhouses appeared. with their discipline and instruction ; happy homes were created by the industry and genius of man ; religious institutions. with their attendant blessings. arose ; the pleasing and complex relations of social life took the place of savage councils and pow-wows ; natural features. with artificial adornments, improved the wild figures of the forest ; and the vast energy of a progressive and enlightened people transformed the wilderness into quiet hamlets and peaceful country homes.

When the township was first settled. deer. wolves and other wild animals had not wholly disappeared. These and others were yet seen at their favorite haunts. and were pursued and shot by those whose inclinations had a sporting tendency, and whose wants could be supplied

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from the spoils of the chase. Alexander Forbes was perhaps the most skillful and successful hunter ever a resident of the township. He built his cabin on the diagonal road running from Medina to York Center, in the fall of 1830. He was a tall, powerfully built man. and, it is said, would kill an average of one hundred deer each season. Extravagant stories are told concerning his ability to bring in large quantities of game, and his superior marksmanship. He often went into the forest in the morning, and returned at night with forty or fifty squirrels, each having been killed by a bullet through its brain. It is related that on one occasion of about three weeks, he killed eight deer. on an average. per day. On another occasion. he started a herd of seven deer early in the morning. and continued following the same herd all day. occasionally shooting one, and at night all had fallen before his unerring rifle. These stories are not impossible. and they bear the evidences of truth. It is no wonder that such rapid destruction of game soon left the forest deserted. Wolves were a continual annoyance for many years. and it seemed almost a necessary result. that. when a valuable flock of sheep had been reared with no little attendant trouble. these blood-thirsty creatures must steal into the fold. and slaughter the whole flock. It is not probable that the owner. in viewing the field of death the next morning. passed many complimentary remarks on the act, or went about his daily task in an enviable frame of mind. It thus came to pass that the County Commissioners offered a bounty of several dollars for wolf-scalps, and so great was the push after the reward that the wolves found it best to depart for other localities. Since the disappearance of deer and wolves, coons and squirrels have been the principal " game."

Levi Branch owned the only team in the ownship during the winter of 1830-31. and massed the greater portion of his time in travelng to Wooster. Akron and other distant placesto procure supplies. He was a kind, benevolent Christian, and oddly built his cabin on that portion of his farm farthest removed from Medina. When asked why he did this, he replied. that it was (lone in order that, as he had the only team, he could have the pleasure of conveying all his neighbors living on the diagonal road. to church in Medina every Sunday morning. He was one of the most intelligent and prominent of the early settlers, and has many descendants living in the township.

In the spring of 1835. Alonzo Forbes and Anson Bellamy built a saw-mill on Mallet Creek, on the farm now owned by John B. Knapp. The mill was a sort of a shanty, constructed of lumber sawed before the building was erected. The saw was operated by water-power, and the mill was at first located on the bank of the stream ; but it was found impossible to allow the building to remain there, as freshets were sure to damage the machinery, and, very likely. sweep away portions of the mill. It remained there, however, for several years of irregular operation, and prepared for the neighborhood a limited quantity of rough lumber. It changed owners several times, and was finally purchased by a Mr. Worden. who altered the arrangements materially. He built a dam back a quarter of a mile above the mill, and then, by means of a long. narrow race. obtained excellent water-power, without the danger of having his mill swept away by every freshet. The mill was enabled to operate some six months of the year, and turned out, in its time. quite a large quantity of lumber. It finally became unprofitable, was permitted to run down. and was not afterward recontinued. Mr. Zimri Cook says that the first saw-mill in the township was built in November, 1832, and located on Mallet Creek, on the farm now owned by Mrs. Yorks. It was built and operated some three or four years by Squire Drayton. who, at the expiration of that time, removed the machinery and permitted the mill-building to fall into ruin. from a lack of

518 - HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

patronage. A rude dam was constructed, and then, by means of a short race, a fair water-power was obtained. This mill, like most of the other early ones, was in danger of being swept away at every heavy rain, as it was insecurely built, and was erected below the limit of high-water mark. It was soon removed, but the machinery was put in running operation in another part of the State.

It was the custom, even after saw-mills were in active and profitable operation in the town-ship. for the settlers to erect log houses instead of frame ones. from lumber obtained at the mills. This was clone, as less time and expense were required, and the buildings thus erected, though homelier. were warmer. more substantial, and would last longer. It seems proper, in this connection, to give a description of the method of erecting log houses, " not," says an old settler. "for the enlightenment of the present generation, but from a desire to hand down to posterity the primitive structures of pioneer times, as this mode of building will soon become obsolete and unknown."* Proceeding with the description. he says : If a cabin was to be built from the forest. a leader was chosen, who was always a man of experience, and dubbed captain.' The officer thus commissioned would classify the assembled settlers, and assign to each his respective duties, about as follows

“1 He would select four of the most expert axmen as corner-men. whose duty it was to first clear off the site. square it, and place a bowlder at each corner, to build upon, after being duly leveled, then saddle and notch down the logs in good workmanlike order.

" 2. He would assign a sufficient number of suitable men. to select, as near the site as possible, the best large-grown, straight-grained white-oak tree, for clapboards, whose further duty was to fell it and cross-cut it into suitable lengths, split the cuts into square bolts. and

*Judge Patrick, of Urbana, in Antrim's History.rive them with a frow. Another set of men were

required to prepare puncheons for floors, doors, window-casings, and chimney-corner jambs, out of such timber as was best adapted for the purpose, such as oak, chestnut or ash, which, when properly selected, could be made of sufficient length and width to make good building lumber. The puncheons for the floor were placed upon sills, and supported in the middle by joists, after which the upper surface was carefully dressed by a skillful adz-man, who could make it almost as smooth as though it had been sawed and planed.

“3. He would select and detail such a number as seemed necessary, to cull out, as near the site as possible, straight, suitably sized, standing trees, and fell them. and chop them into requisite lengths, for the proposed structure, with teamsters to haul them in as they were prepared. To this force were added other teamsters, provided with rough wooden sleds, to haul in the clapboards, puncheons and other lumber of' a similar nature. All the above having been carried into effect, the leader would take his station and direct men from his force. to prepare smooth skids, the necessary number of' strong forks, with grapevine or hickory withes around the prongs, to render them secure. and with two or three cross-sticks inserted through holes bored in the lower ends. to prevent the hands from slipping, and also to provide a sufficient number of' handspikes of tough hickory, dogwood or ironwood, some four feet long, with ends shaved flat and smooth, to be used in rolling the logs to their position or upon the skids. All were under command of the leader. who was always selected because of his experience, skill and ability to secure the completion of the work in the shortest space of time. Stationed upon a prominent position, where all the stages of the work passed in review before his eye. he could direct his forces as systematically as a General does his troops on the field of battle. As the logs were hauled to

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the site and unloaded, the necessary number of men would be directed, either to roll the logs to the skids, or to pick them up on handspikes, and carry them there. Four corner-men were selected, who, from their experience and skill, could perform the best work, and one of these was assigned to each corner to notch and fit the logs as the walls of the house arose. The logs were shoved on the skids to their destined position, and here the expert corner-men would chamfer or bevel off the ends at a suitable angle, the work being done on each side of the log, so that the two beveled sides would meet in a point, upon which a notch in the transverse log destined to be placed above it, could rest. This operation was called saddling the logs, and required considerable skill to secure a close fit. The two end logs were placed in their positions first, and then the sills were selected and notched deeper than the other logs, in order that the floor, which was to rest upon them, might not be too far above the ground. It will thus be observed that the lower end of each log was deeply notched, and that the upper side of the same end, was chamfered into a ridge, upon which the transverse log next above it could rest. The corner-men, at the same log, would work together, as each would notch or chamfer at the same time as the other.

" After the four foundation logs had been properly notched and saddled, and placed in a firm position in the shape of a square, the next thing was to cut in the sills the slots to receive the sleepers, though this was often postponed until after the building was erected. These sleepers were selected with the view of their being intended to support the floor, and, after being hewed off to the proper shape and size at the end, were placed in their positions in the slots or gains.

" This being done, the rapid erection of the walls continued, the corner-men using their loosely-held axes to insure the perpendicularity of the corners. When the walls became quitehigh, the skids, with one end resting on the ground and the other on the top of the walls, were used as a rude tramway, upon which the logs could be moved to their positions. The logs would be slid up the skids as far as possible with the hand-spikes, after which strong men, with the above-described forks, would take the logs, and, with the end well down toward the ground, would raise the latter to their position on the wall. It sometimes happened that the forks were not sufficiently strong to support the logs, in which case they split, thus allowing the logs to slide down the skids upon the men. Occasional deaths were caused by not taking the proper precaution to have the prongs strong enough. Thus the building progressed until the required height was reached—all being done with precise uniformity and celerity. At last . the eave-bearers would be raised upon the two ends of the building. These projected some twenty inches beyond the wall, and would be notched down and saddled back far enough to receive the timbers hereafter described. Then the butting-pole for the back of the cabin would be shoved up to the front corner-men and rolled to the back eave, and notched down upon the saddles, being allowed to project some fifteen inches beyond the outer surface of the wall. The first rib would be sent up in the same manner, and rolled back to a proper distance inside of the butting pole, and notched down so as to give the pitch of the roof from the center of the pole to the top surface of said rib. In this manner, the corresponding timbers for the front of the cabin were placed. The first two gable-logs would be placed in notches cut into the ribs, and chamfered at the ends to suit the pitch of the roof. The remaining ribs and gable-logs being placed, the roof was then ready for the clapboards, which are laid down upon the ribs with the lower ends resting against the butting-poles, with small spaces between, which are top-covered so as to break joints. Knees of proper length are prepared at

520 - HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

each end, and are placed endwise against the butting-poles to hold the weight-poles in place, the latter being laid upon the roof-coursers as nearly over the ribs as possible. In like manner, another course of clapboards is laid down with the lower ends resting against the weight-pole of the next lower course. In this manner the roof is completed."

This is the manner in which log houses were erected. It was usually the custom, however, for the owner to haul all the necessary logs and timbers before the workmen arrived, and even to cut and place in position upon the bowlders the four logs for the foundation. He also often rived out the clapboards with a frow. and prepared. timbers for the floor and roof.

It was not long before schoolhouses and churches were erected in different parts of the township. Enterprises of various kinds were undertaken, and soon the citizens of York could boast of as fine schoolhouses; mills, etc., as any other portion of the county. The citizens were persevering in industry and stanch in integrity and moral worth, and the rising generation felt the impact of these influences, and grew into intelligent and moral people. During the days when Abolitionists arose all over the North to denounce, with ceaseless tongue. the wrongs of slavery, and especially what they deemed the infamous measures of the Fugitive Slave Law, the citizens of York were not wholly silent or inactive. They became satisfied that the measures of the law were totally wrong in the sight of man and God, and set themselves industriously to work to render the law practically inoperative by a constant evasion. As stated by Ephraim Lindley, of Brunswick, they were dissatisfied with being made slave-catchers without their consent, and resolved to abrogate the measures of the law so far as lay in their power. Wesley Hulet, then residing near Abbeyville. was one of the most active men in the township to assist runaway slaves to Canada. An underground railroad. with many branches, extended north and south across Ohio, and, while the main line lay near some well-traveled highway, and was traveled by those runaways who did not fear pursuit nor court concealment, the branches were much more secret, and were traversed by trembling men, women and children, upon whose heads a high reward was 'set, and whose safety from a punishment worse than death lay in their secret passage to the dominion of the British queen. One of these branches extended through York. and was, perhaps, traveled far more extensively than many of the main lines. It is stated on the authority of Mr. Lindley, who was one of the most active slave concealers and assistants in the county, and whose cabin was the next station north of that of Mr. Hulet, that the latter helped more than a score of runaways on their way North. Ansel Bowen, of York, was connected with the road, as were also Jonathan Hulet. of Brunswick ; W. P. Stevens. also of Brunswick ; William Castle, of Abbeyville. and Samuel Hale. It is stated by Mr. Lindley, that. on one occasion, Wesley Hulet, driving a wagon containing nine runaway slaves, stopped at the cabin of the former, and. after Mr. Lindley had fed the black people and furnished them with various articles of clothing. Mr. Hulet conveyed them on to the next station north, which was, perhaps, the cabin of W. P. Stevens. A huge negro, clothed in tatters and covered with scratches and wounds, presented himself one night at Lindley's cabin, and begged food, and the privilege of remaining there until morning. The request was willingly granted ; but the negro, who had doubtless been pursued, and, in consequence, was distrustful of everybody, seemed to entertain misgivings as to the good faith of Mr. Lindley, and, when conducted to his bed for the night, asked the privilege of having the door locked, and of having possession of the key during the night. Whether he slept well or not, is not known ; but, when he opened the door and came out to breakfast the

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next morning, he told the family that he had had a dream, wherein it appeared that he was caught, at which point he awoke and was overjoyed to find that he was yet free and likely to reach Canada. It was afterward ascertained that he was closely pursued by his owner, but at last succeeded in eluding his pursuers and effecting his safe arrival across the lake. The point on the lake shore where the runaways were instructed to go, was at the mouth of Grand River. Here they were told to remain concealed until a. certain hour on one or more days. of the week, when a small steamer. coming from the Canada side, would approach the landing, whereupon the runaways were to hurry on board without ceremony or delay, and the vessel would convey them across the lake. It is said that men. throughout the State furnished the money which paid the owner of the steamer for his trouble. This quiet place of boarding was selected because all the principal landings, such as at Cleveland, were thronged with disguised, watchful and irate owners, looking. for their cattle," and preparing to conduct them back to a condition worse than Egyptian bondage. It may be said that York Township did her share of violating the Fugitive Slave Law, and of assisting the weary runaways to gain their freedom. .

In the year 1831, Levi Janes purchased 600 acres of land in the northeast part of the town-ship, and, during the following autumn, erected his cabin, which was the first in the village of Abbeyville. In the winter of 1831-32, he employed Wesley Hulet, an experienced millwright, to- built two mills on Rocky River, near the present site of the village, one for sawing lumber and the other for grinding grain. The country was quite new, and it was obvious that the combined enterprises were likely to meet with many discouragements and disasters ; but the energy and foresight of Mr. Janes, often tested in the practical field of experience, soon placed the mills on a firm financial foundation,and ere many years they afforded a satisfactory revenue to the owner. From some sources, and perhaps the most reliable ones, the report comes that the grist-mill was not erected until the summer of 1833. If the precise date of its erection is known, the writer has been unable to ascertain it, and its recovery from the gloom surrounding the past must be left to the succeeding township historian. At any rate, it was running in 1833, with a fair patronage for those days, but which, at present, would consign the mill to desertion and decay. The mills were about ten rods apart, and both were operated by means of a dam and race, through the medium of which a strong water-power was obtained. The dam was constructed a few rods above the upper mill, the composing elements being stone, timber, brush, etc., making a strong and substantial structure. The race was short and easily constructed, partly because of the presence of substantial material within a few rods, and partly because of the advantage taken of naturally favorable conditions. The saw was one of the up-and-down pattern, and was set in operation in a small frame building. Here for a number of years no small quantity of native lumber was turned out. As was almost universally the case in the rapidly improving State of Ohio, sawing was done either by the hundred, or a share of the logs was retained by the sawyer. The mill changed owners several times, and underwent a variety of alternating ups and downs for many years. Wesley Hulet was, for a number of years, the partner of Mr. Janes, with a half-interest in at least one of the mills. Janes had come from Montreal, Canada, and was well situated financially. The gristmill, under his supervision, received a fair local patronage, and was a great accommodation to the surrounding neighborhood. His cabin was the first dwelling in the village, and his improvements, mills, store, etc., soon attracted others to the same neighborhood. It was through his influence and upon his land that the village was

522 - HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

finally laid out, and upon it was bestowed the given name of his wife—Abbey—with the French termination rille, meaming a small collection of houses. Mr. Hulet built the second cabin in the village a few weeks after the erection of that of Mr. Janes. He was the first millwright in the township. His connection with the underground railroad was previously mentioned. The third house was built by a blacksmith named Webster, soon after the erection of the other buildings. This man was not only the first blacksmith in the village. but the first in the township. It is stated, that, at the time of the coming of Mr. Webster to the village. he was almost hopelessly addicted to the use of liquor ; but that through the influence of Mr. Janes, he was restored to his normal condition. In the fall of 1832. Mr. Janes placed in one room of his house a few hundred dollars' worth of goods. and thus opened the first store in the township. He afterward increased the stock. and for a number of years did a thriving business selling dry goods. groceries. hardware etc. It was through . the influence of Mr. Janes that a post office was secured at the village, in about the year 1835. Mr. Batchelder, a carpenter, became the fourth resident of the village. Several industries sprang up in early years. among them being an ashery conducted by Messrs. Castle & Holcomb. The enterprise was established in 1834, and a considerable quantity of potash was manufactured. and conveyed to Cleveland and other large places. Abbeyville had an earlier start than the Center, though the latter has attained greater fame among the catalogue of villages.

Many important facts connected with the early history of York Center seem both unreliable and unattainable. There is a certainty, however, in a few things : The village had a start soon after Abbeyville; it gradually got the better of its elder rival ; its future was firmly established when a station was located there. It is also true that it grew and prospered through the years. Various. enterprises have sprang up from time to time as the business energy of the place has increased. Perhaps the most extensive pursuit ever in the village, is the one conducted at present by J. R Holcomb & Co. A brief description of the character and scope of the work in which these gentlemen are engaged will be found in the biographical department of this volume. .Mr. Holcomb is the proprietor of an educational journal. which is highly regarded as a teacher's assistant, as is shown by its flattering circulation, not only in Ohio. but in neighboring. and even in distant. States. York Center compares very favorably with other township centers in the county.

No other portion of the county ,has better schools than York. Good average wages are paid teachers, and the impulse given to educational topics and interests by the presence of -a live school journal, is shown in the substantial schoolhouses filled with bright scholars. ' It is always more or less difficult to ascertain the circumstances connected with the first school taught in a township, or rather, it is difficult to satisfy everybody that the correct facts .have been discovered and given. However, the effort will now be made. The first school taught in the township was held during the winter of 1831, in one room of the residence of Levi Branch. the teacher being Theodore Branch. son of' Levi. One room of the house. or a portion of one room. was furnished with a few rude seats and desks. and in this rustic place the educational history of York maybe said to have begun. The teacher was a young man, and the school was his first, or among his first, efforts but the ordeal was safely passed. with mutual benefit to teacher and scholars. The former received his pay by subscription, but the rates seem to have been forgotten. The first school-house was a log structure, erected during the fall of 1832. on the farm now owned by Frank Burt. It was built by every man's turning out

HISTORY OF MEDINA. COUNTY - 528

on a given day and assisting until the work was finished. Theodore Branch was employed to teach the first term held in this house, and was paid by the month ; but how much he received, or how the money was raised, are unmentioned or forgotten items. It is stated, upon the authority of Mr. Levi Gardner, that the first frame schoolhouse in the township was built at Abbeyville. Mr. Janes was the prime mover in its erection, although all in that neighborhood assisted. Miss Martha Branch was the first teacher in this house. In 1837 or thereabouts, Abbeyville " had reached the highest point in all its greatness." The village gave great promise at that day, as much so, perhaps. as any other village in the county, five years after its origin. It was in the last-mentioned year that an effort was made. mainly through the influence of Solomon F. Holcomb. to institute at Abbeyville either a branch of Oberlin College or an educational enterprise of a similar character. Prot Amos Dresser. of Oberlin. came to Abbeyville for the purpose of taking the initiatory steps looking to the founding of a college. Quite a large class was obtained, and for a number of months the future of the little village was cloudless and serene. The principal object. or one of them, upon which the institution was founded, was a scheme to promote manual labor. The education to be furnished was industrial in its nature, a scheme, which. since that day, has developed the Industrial Universities and Agricultural Colleges scattered throughout the United States. But alas for Abbeyville ! the attempt proved abortive, and the good looking professor took his departure. It is probable that in 1840 every school district was supplied with a schoolhouse of some kind.

The following facts regarding the organization of the Methodist Church have been kindly handed us :

" As regards the organization of the Methodist Protestant Church at York Center, both the exact time of the formation of the societyand the name of the minister by whom the class was organized are not certainly known. A class was organized under the discipline of the Methodist Protestants in an old log schoolhouse which stood somewhere near the residence of Reuben Gardner. It is believed that the officiating minister was Rev. Samuel Clawson, and that the society was organized about the year 1841. During a part of the time that elapsed from 1841 to 1844. the society held prayer-meetings in a private house which is now the property of Mary Ford, and is located northwest from the center of the town. The society needing a house of worship, Richard Lampson, one of the charter members, donated a plot of ground ; and the deed specified that. when the ground ceased to be used for the purposes of the Methodist Protestant Church, it should revert to the Lampson heirs. This plot of ground was located on the southwest corner of the center square. The deed was given in the year 1844. and a frame house was erected and dedicated to the worship of God about the same date. The following is a list of some who were what we may denominate " the first members " of this church (we have not sufficient knowledge to be able to distinguish the original or charter members from those who. were not such) ; Richard and Sarah Lampson, Rufus and Anna Oliver, Samuel and Electa Smith, John A. and Margaret Hood, John and Albert Thomas, Amasa Taylor and wife, John Dunshee and wife, and Catharine Salmon. In the year 1877; the house of worship was regarded uncomfortable, and, as the class had increased in membership and wealth, an effort was made to erect a new house of worship. As the result of this successful effort, the present brick edifice was erected, at a cost of $5,000. The principal donor was Mary Ford, and, in her honor, there is placed above the entrance the name by which the church is known—Mary's Chapel. The amount which this lady gave was $3,000,

524 - HISTORY OF MEDINA COUNTY.

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without which the house could not have been built at that time. The following persons entered into . a partnership in .1865 for .the purpose of buying a house and lot for a parsonage : Samuel Hale, Ansel Holoomb, Alvin Ford, C. C. Burt, L. R. Chamberlain and J. B. Knapp. These men paid $1,000 for a .house and lot located in the village. Alvin Ford finally became sole owner of this parsonage, and, after his death, the property was donated to the church. The class pays its Pastor $500 per annum. The present membership is about seventy. The old house of worship is now used as a dwelling-house in the village. The following is a list of itinerant ministers and the date of their serving : John Barnet, 1855 ; without a pastor, 1856 ; G. W. McNeil, 1857-58 ; G. W. Bowman, 1859-60 ; James Williams, 1861-62 ; John McFarland, D.D., 1863-64 ; G. W. Hissey, 1865-66 ; James Williams, 1867-68 ; J. IL Langley, 1868-69-70 ; T. E. Scott, 1871-72 : Joseph Hastings, 1873 ; J. D. Downey, 1874 ; Walter Moore, 1875-76-77 ; Mrs. E. S. Oliver, 1878 ; J. M. Woodward, 1879 ; William H. Guy, present Pastor."

On Saturday, the 27th of April, 1833, the Congregationalists met at the residence of R. M. Lampson, in York Center, for the purpose of organizing a church society. Twenty-six persons presented their names for membership, as follows : Ezra Brown, Esther Landers, Benjamin Landers, Lucy J. Landers, A. Stone, Levi Stone. Lucinda Bruce, Sarepta Hubbard, Polly Branch, Theodore Branch, Eunice Rowe, L. M. Janes. A. Landers, senior and junior, Esther It Landers, Elizabeth Stone. William B. Stone, Amelia Stone, Keziah Gardner; Levi Branch, Cordelia Branch, Abial G. Rowe, Mary B. Landers and Abbey P. Janes. The ministers in charge of the occasion were Revs. Barnes, of Medina, and .Noyes, of Seville. Os the 12th of 'February, 1839, arrangements were made to build a church. The funds were raised by subscription, one-half to be paid on or before the 1st of .November, 1839, and the balance by six months later. The Trustees were authorized to begin the church as soon as $300 was raised. 'The building was soon completed, and lasted many years. In April, 1834. at the first annual meeting of the society, the following church officers were elected : Levi Branch, E. D. Brown and Thomas Brintnall, Trustees ; Hiram Lamp. son. Treasurer. By special act of the Ohio Legislature, the society was incorporated as follows :

" .Be it .enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, That Thomas E. Millard, Levi Branch, Aseph Landers, together with such as are, or may hereafter be, associated with them, be, and the same are hereby, created s body corporate and politic by the name of the That Congregational Society of York Township, Medina County, Ohio." The first church has been replaced by another .and a better one. These are the only church societies in York Township, and it seems better thus to have fewer, and consequently larger, societies, than to have the church-going people parceled off, as it were, into classes that are too small to be self-sustaining, or, what is even worse, to struggle on against financial disasters through a sickly and uncomfortable life. As it is, the two churches are strong. well attended. not only by members, but by outsiders, who are called out by the zeal displayed and the interest surrounding the occasion. And then, again, people prefer joining a society that does not appear to .be ready to die. if the term may be indulged in ; but which seems to possess all the vigor of early years.