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CHAPTER XXXIV.
WINDHAM TOWNSHIP.
THE BECKET LAND COMPANY -THE MARCH WESTWARD-SOME EARLY SETTLERS - ORGANIZATION AND OFFICERS - CHURCHES AND PREACHERS - INITIAL EVENTS OF INTEREST-PRIMITIVE EDUCATORS-BUILDING AND ENTERPRISE- BUSINESS- GRAND ARMY-TOWNSHIP OFFICERS-STATISTICS.
WINDHAM was owned originally by Gov. Caleb Strong, of Massachusetts, Lemuel and Asahel Pomeroy and Ebenezer Hunt, Strong owning twelve-thirteenths of the whole property which in the survey was known as Town 4, Range 6.
On the 11th day of September, 1810, the following persons met at the house of Thatcher Conant, in Becket, Berkshire Co., Mass., for the purpose of forming a company to, purchase a township in New Connecticut and remove there: Bills Messenger, John Seeley, Jeremiah Lyman, Aaron P. Jagger, Benjamin C. Perkins, Elijah Alford, Alpheus Streator, Benjamin Higley, Elisha Clark, Isaac Clark, Ebenezer Messenger, Thatcher Conant, Nathan Birchard, Enos Kingsley, Gideon Bush and Dillingham Clark The company being formed, a committee of one, Dillingham Clark, was appointed to wait upon Gov. Strong and ascertain upon what terms they could purchase the township, nearly all the land of which he held. A favorable report having been made by Clark, the company appointed him and Jeremiah Lyman to proceed to their proposed purchase and explore it, which they did, returning in about six weeks with accounts that the purchase was closed with the proprietors, Strong and the Pomeroys. Hunt in the meantime had disposed of his interest to the two latter. The terms of the sale were that the purchasers should turn over to the sellers their property in Massachusetts at its appraised value, and in this way Gov. Strong's interest was entirely paid for. The sale
568 - HISTORY OF PORTAGE COUNTY.
was consummated in November, and the price per acre was $1.76, there being about 14,845 acres. The deed was made to "Dillingham Clark, Esquire, Alpheus Streator. yeoman, and Thatcher .Conant, gentleman." The township having been surveyed into 100 equal lots, each purchaser had the proportion, according to his investment, deeded to him, the south half of Lot 56 being previously reserved for public use, an act of wisdom of those early settlers that is fully appreciated by their descendants. Dillingham Clark, afterward so well known as one of the best and wealthiest citizens of Portage, having invested $6,000, became the owner of nearly one-fourth of the township. The name of the township was then changed from its survey title to Strongsburg.
Having made all arrangements necessary for a departure to the Weitern country, the company selected four young men to go in advance and prepare the way for the rest of them. These young men were Elijah Alford, Jr., Oliver Alford, Ebenezer 0. Messenger and Nathan H. Messenger. They came on foot, and had a sled and horse to carry their baggage. Arriving on the 16th day of March, 1811, they immediately commenced a settlement. The Alfords made a clearing on Lot 84, and erected a cabin twenty feet in length by fifteen in width, which was the first house in the township. The Messengers erected a cabin on Lot 82, and made a clearing at the same time. On the clearing opened by the Alfords a crop of wheat was put out for them in the following fall by Col. Benjamin Higley, who, from three bushels of wheat sown on four acres, harvested 100 bushels the next season, which was the first crop raised in the township. Elijah Alford, however, remained only two months, when he returned to Becket and gave many discouraging reports of New Connecticut, but returned to his Western home in a couple of years. Ebenezer 0. Messenger also made several changes and finally moved to Wisconsin. On the 27th of same month
Wareham Loomis and family moved into the township and settled on Lot 92. He moved in from Nelson, where he had lived for some time, and remained only until the following year, when he settled in Mantua. Loomis was not a very valuable acquisition to the township as he was "half crook, half crank," as he would now be called, and although he was a kind-hearted and accommodating fellow, could not keep his hands off of other people's property. As stated in the history of Mantua, he wound up his career in Portage with a twelve years' term in the penitentiary for passing "home-made" money. On the 12th of June of this year, 1811, Bills Messenger, the first one of the proprietors to come in, arrived with his son Hiram and his family, for the purpose of establishing his son in his new home. The old gentleman remained only about three months, when he returned to the East. Hiram settled on Lot '76. Joseph Southworth, a single man, came in with the Messengers. On the 5th of July Alpheus Streator arrived and settled on Lot 85. Mr. Streator was a kind and good neighbor and an excellent citizen. He died in 1829, leaving forty-seven descendants, living in ten different States. On the 13th of July Thatcher Conant and Jeremiah Lyman arrived, but did not commence their settlement till the 27th; they settled upon Lot 86. On the 15th Col. Benjamin Higley came in and settled on Lot 36. On the 20th Ebenezer N. Messenger, father of Ebenezer 0. Messenger, who had been sent on ahead, came in and settled on Lot 82, which his son had commenced to clear. Gideon Bush also came in and settled on Lot 77. On the 12th day of October Deacon Elijah Alford arrived and settled on Lot 57. Nathan Birchard also came in this year, 1811, from Becket, Mass., but not for permanent settlement, as he left his family in the East till he could make a clearing and erect a cabin. On the 30th of June following he moved his family in.
The names of some of the early settlers who came in during the first eight
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or ten years will be given, all of whom are now deceased: Asahel Blair, who drove one of Mr. Birchard's teams, came in 1812; he enlisted in the war of that period and was killed at Black Rock, near Buffalo, in 1814. Dr. Ezra Chaffee also came in this year, was married shortly afterward and removed to Palmyra in 1814. Oliver Eggleston, who afterward removed to Mantua, came in this year. In 1813 Ephraim Seely, son of John Seely, one of the proprietors, came in on foot and commenced preparing a home for his father. Erastus Snow, in company with Nathan Snow, Stillman Scott and IL Crane, arrived this year on foot.
January 2, 1814, Dillingham Clark, one of the proprietors who was born in the vicinity of .Cape Cod, but who in early life moved west, but still in Massachusetts, came in, and up to the time of his death was one of the most honored citizens of the county. Jacob Earl, a brother of Deacon Robert Earl, and James Snow, father of Erastus Snow, also came this year.
In 1815 John Seely, an old Revolutionary sire, came in, as did also Daniel Jagger, who was considerable of a property holder when he came here, and afterward getting wealthy was a liberal contributor to all worthy objects, giving at one time $100 toward the payment of an organ for his church. Joseph Higley came this year. In 1816 came JoeleBradford, Deacon Robert Earl, William Hobart, Ezra Taylor, and Rev. Joseph Treat, a Congregational minister. In 1817 came Joseph Earl, Levi Ellis, Deacon Isaac Clark, Jonathan Foot, Reuben Ferguson, James Robe, Xenophon Wadsworth, and Benjamin Wroth, who soon after went away and returned in 1820, In 1818 came Deacon Henry Bliss, Levi Bush, Joseph Delong, Samuel Foster, Stephen B. Pulsifer, and many others. In 1819 Jason Streator, an erratic genius with a weakness for poetry, came and lived till 1838, when he moved to Shalersville; also came. Nathaniel Rudd and Moses Sanford. In 1820, among a number of others, came William Millikan, a native of Massachusetts, a self-made man of energy and activity, and with great capacity to lead in any movement.
March 2, 1813, the township, which had been informally christened Strongsburg, and which, with Nelson, was included in the township of Hiram for election purposes, was set apart and the name changed to Sharon, as Gov. Strong was an unflinching Federalist, and opposed the Government in the war then raging with England, thereby rendering himself extremely unpopular with the settlers on the Reserve. On the first Monday in April following an election was held which resulted as follows: Trustees, Thatcher Conant, Benjamin Higley, Jeremiah Lyman; Overseers of the Poor, Hiram Messenger, Thatcher Conant; Fence Viewers, Levi Alford, Ephraim H. Seeley; Lister and Appraiser, Ebenezer N. Messenger; Constable, Hiram Messenger; Treasurer, Oliver Alford. On the 15th of November following, Deacon Elijah Alford was elected Justice of the Peace, seventeen votes being cast, and but one ticket was in the field. There was little use for a Conservator of the Peace in those harmonious times, and not a case appeared upon the virgin docket of the old Justice for nearly two years, when, as the best of friends will fall out sometimes, Hiram ' Messenger sued Thatcher F. Conant for $3, for an otter he had sold him. Messenger discovered a hole, where he saw an otter go in, so he put a stone at he hole and afterward sold otter, stone, hole, etc., for the sum named, but the buyer found nothing, and refused to pay. The plaintiff gained the suit, but the defendant threatening to appeal, the Justice paid the amount. In 1820 the name of the township was changed to Windham. The first child born in the township was to Mrs. Hiram Messenger, October 27, 1811, but it never opened its eyes, dying at its birth. The first living white child was a girl, born
572 - HISTORY OF PORTAGE COUNTY.
to Wareham Loomis, August 27, 1812. The first death was that of Miss Lucy Ashley, on the 6th of April, 1812.
The first wedding occurred June 11, 1812, when Dr. Ezra Chaffee married Miss Polly Messenger. The Doctor was a man of exceptional ability in his profession, and it was a great loss to the settlement when he moved away in 1814. The next marriage was that of Levi Alford and Miss Edna E. Conant, a daughter of Thatcher Conant. She was a school-teacher of considerable reputation, and when she gave up teaching for household duties her place was difficult to fill.
In 1811, shortly after the first settlers arrived, Dillingham Clark donated a plat of ground at the Center to be used as a burial-ground, but in 1817 the present beautiful location was selected, and the remains of the seven persons buried in the first grounds were transferred to the new cemetery.
A singular coincidence in regard to quite a number of the early settlers is that they died at sixty-six years, or thereabout, some seven or eight passing away at that age. Up to 1823 the township was remarkably healthy, but in this year there were eleven deaths. In 1818 a benevolent society was formed for the purpose of rendering assistance to the worthy, as well as for missionary work.
The early settlers of this district, before starting out on their long journey, organized themselves into a Congregational Church, and selected Deacon Elijah Alford, who had held the same position over their church at Becket since 1807, as their Deacon in the New Connecticut. Thatcher Conant was Clerk of the church, and the day after his arrival in the settlement, which was Sunday, the 14th of July, 1811, religious services were held at the house of Alpheus Streator, attended by all the settlers, forty-two in number. On the last day of August following the first sermon was preached at the same place by Rev. Nathan B. Darrow.
The Congregational Society was reorganized under State law, February 25, 1876. T. 0. Angel was Moderator; C. F. Jagger, Clerk; E. P. Clark, W. Chaffee, Jason Angel, M. G. Donaldson and William A. Perkins were elected Trustees.
By the spring of 1817 the township had made such progress that the population had grown to 203 persons, comprised in thirty-seven families, and they sorely felt the need of a building in which to hold any public meeting, and especially religious services, so a hewn-log structure was reared at the Center, 30x24 feet, and comfortably finished, in which, on the 24th of September, the Rev. Joseph Treat was installed as pastor of the First Congregational Church of Sharon, he having previously received a "call" from the new organization, and which relation he held till October 2, 1827. In 1828, the church feeling the need of a building of their own, instituted such measures that in 1829 a commodious and tasteful building was commenced, and finished in 1830.
The Disciples of Christ, on May 27, 1828, organized a church society, which met in a schoolhouse on the State road, near where it crosses Indian Creek, but in 1834 erected a neat brick building at the Center.
Up to 1843 the Methodists held service, at the houses of the members of that church and oher places, but in that year they erected a small building, which was shortly afterward burned down and the following year built an elegant and commodious edifice at the Center. The society was reorganized June 16, 1871, when Bidwell Pinney, J. C. Ensign, William Moore, F. D. Snow, George S. Belden, C. L. Weed, Royal Buckley, Daniel Stroup, Clark L. Bryant were elected Trustees. James Greer, P. E., was present. In 1884 the work of building a new church was entered upon, and on February 8, 1885, the building was dedicated. The basement is divided into Sunday-school
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rooms and vestibule. The audience room is arranged much after the manner of the majority at the present time—platform for preacher and singers at end farthest from the doors, and gallery at opposite end from platform. The church is heated by furnaces. It is covered with a slate roof, and cost, com-pleted, about $9,000. The principal contributions were: Amount subscribed, $5,000; amount left by will from Mrs. Seeley's estate $700; amount donated, $2,134. Among the principal articles and amounts donated are: Moving old church, G. S. Pinney, $50; bell, John Patterson; chandelier, Moses A. Birch-ard; stone, Pinney Bros.; Ladies' Aid Society, $250. The bell weighs about 1,000 pounds.
The first school in the township was taught gratuitously in the house of Alpheus Streator by his daughter Eliza, and Rebecca Conant, daughter of Thatcher Conant, in the winter of 1811-12. They taught alternate weeks. Miss Streator married Mr. Cochran, of Aurora, in 1823, and Miss Conant married Leander Sacett, of Tallmadge, in 1822, and went to Maumee as a missionary. In the fall of 1812 a log schoolhouse was erected on Lot 86, near where the stone schoolhouse was afterward erected, and Dr. Chaffee taught school the following.winter, having about twenty scholars, there being then thirteen fam-ilies in the township. From this time on schools were maintained. An educational association was formed in 1834, for the purpose of affording better facilities for instruction in the higher branches, and accordingly an academy building was erected and in 1835 chartered by the Legislature, a school being opened in the spring of that year as the "academy," by John F. Hopkins.
In 1824 a library association was formed, and about 100 volumes collected and placed in charge of one of the members. Not much interest was taken in the project and it went down, but in 1851 a new association was formed and regularly chartered, since which time it has been quite successful, having now about 500 select volumes.
The statistics of schools are as follows: Windham schools, revenue in 1884, $2,855; expenditures, $1,940; number of houses, 8, valued at $5,000; teachers' average pay, $36 and $24; enrollment, 92 boys and 78 girls.
Windham Special School District, revenue in 1884, $5,054; expenditure, $4,734; two schoolhouses, valued at $6,178; average wages of teachers $40 and $65; enrollment, 49 boys and 62 girls. Population in 1870, 865; in 1880, 1,029; in 1884, 1,100 (estimated).
November 6, 1813, Jacob Earl and Benjamin Yale erected the first frame building in the township. It was a saw-mill, located about half a mile southwest of the Center. April 16, 1814, Nathan Birchard erected the first frame barn, and April 11, 1816, the same gentleman erected the first frame dwelling-house. In this year from an orchard set out by Ebenezer N. Messenger, peaches were raised, and in 1818 some apples were taken from trees grown from seeds brought from Massachusetts seven years before. In June, 181'7, Deacon Isaac Clark arrived, and July 11 he opened a stock of goods in a log-house at the Center. They were valued at $500, and he sold calico at 60 cents per yard, cambric at 80 cents and fulled cloth at $1.75; tea was $1.50 and pepper 50 cents per pound. The first Postmaster was Dillingham Clark, appointed in 1818, and he had his office at his house on the State road. In 1820 Thomas Lee, a blacksmith, opened for business on Lot 54. In 1825 a distillery was started, but it did not last long. In 1829 Henry E. Canfield opened a cabinet shop in the house of Col. Benjamin Higley. In 1824 the first regular practitioner Of medicine, Dr. John S. Matson, came in, and settled, but Windham was too healthy for him, and he left in a few months.
The Atlantic & Great Western Railroad runs from east to west across the
574 - HISTORY OF PORTAGE COUNTY.
township, and the Cleveland & Mahoning Valley Railroad, runs across the northeast corner. The former has a station near Windham Center and the latter at Mahoning. They are both now a portion of the system of the New York, Pennsylvania & Ohio Road.
Earl-Millikan Post, No. 333, Cr. A. R., was organized June 29, 1883, with the following named original members: B. F. Lovett, C. W. Hoskins, W. W. Randall, L N. Wilcox, H. C. Hastlerode, 0. L. Earl, G. A. Merwin, W. H. Dorworth, G. S. Pinney, P. R. Higley, T. 0. Angil, H. B. Walden, E. S. Woodworth, F. C. Applegate, F. D. Snow, J. A. Snow, L. L. Kinney. The names of Commanders are B. F. Lovett and C. W. Hoskins; the names of adjutants, P. R. Higley, G. A. Merwin, T. 0. Angil; names of members other than original members, W. A. Higley, J. S. Chapman, H. D. Walker. The present number of members is twenty.
Portage Lodge, No. 456, I. 0. 0. F., was organizes July 25, 1870, by W. Chaffee, who has been D. D. Cr. M. for four years. This lodge is one of the most prosperous in the district.
Windham Center.—Two general stores, Higley & Bosley, J. B. Harrison & Co.; hardware and furniture, H. J. Noble; drug store, E. S. Shaw? tin-ware, IL A. Wadsworth; carriage shop and furniture, J. W. Furry; saw-mill and pail factory, Hunt Bros.; basket factory, wagon, blacksmith and barber shops; physicians, Dr. F. C. Applegate, Dr. B. B. Loughead; dentist, E. S. Shaw; Postmaster, B. A. Higley. There are two stone quarries open northwest of the Center.
There is at the Center a Methodist Episcopal Church, with Rev. H. S. Jackson, pastor; Congregational Church, Rev. T. R. Jones, pastor. An excellent high school is taught in a fine new building that cost $6,000; Prof. Duane Tilden, Principal. At Mahoning Station M. G. Donaldson is Postmaster, who also is station agent and runs a coal yard. A beautiful soldiers' monument stands at the Center, which was erected in 1866 at a cost of $1,100. It is twenty-one feet in height, and is exquisitely wrought from white Italian marble. Windham furnished thirty-eight soldiers for the Union during the Rebellion, sixteen of whom were either killed or died.
Township Officers.—Trustees, John Keller, Samuel Yale, Joseph Birchard; Treasurer, D. W. Bosley; Assessor, P. R. Higley; Clerk, J. W. Furry; Constables, M. D. Higley, P. B. Higley; Justices of the Peace, L. B. Reed/ J. B. Harrison.
The statistics for 1884 are: Acres of wheat, 961, bushels, 10,917; buckwheat, 8, bushels, 86; oats, 767, bushels, 22,028; barley, 6 acres; corn, 310, bushels, 4,563; meadow, 2,073 acres, 2,770 tons of hay; clover, 27 acres, 39 tons of hay, 14 bushels of seed; flax, 26 acres, 254 bushels of seed; potatoes, 64 acres, 14,910 bushels of seed; home-made butter, 52,273 pounds; cheese, 5,100 pounds; maple sugar, 13,862 pounds, syrup, 9,438 gallons, from 36,227 trees; honey, 300 pounds, from 30 hives; eggs, 4,216 dozen; orchards, 213 acres; apples, 4,277 bushels, peaches, 63 bushels, and pears, 25 bushels; wool, 13,381 pounds; much cows,- 570; stallions, 1; dogs, 109; acres cultivated, 5,357; in pasture, 4,835; in wood-land, 2,694; waste land, 40; total, 12,926 acres. The population in 1850 was 813, of which number 310 represented the youth; in 1870 he number was 865, and in 1880 1,029. The estimated population at present is about 1,200.