(RETURN TO THE TITLE PAGE) 700 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY. product, in large, tight casks, finding a market in Pittsburg (by wagon), previous to the opening of the Ohio Canal, and afterwards in Cleveland, Buffalo and other points further east. "EVIL SPIRITS" DID THERE ABOUND.—The fabrication of whisky, too, was one of Copley's most prominent early "industries'" something like a dozen distilleries having been erected at different points within the limits of the township, some of them turning out as high as 50 gallons per day, and one of them continuing in open tion as late as about 1850. Though some of these establishments were a source of considerable wealth to their proprietors, and incidentally pecuniarily beneficial to some of the neighboring farmers, it was early discovered, by the more thoughtful inhabitants that they were sadly interfering with the industrious habits of others, and rapidly sowing the seeds or immorality and disorder in the community. WILLIAM JOHNSTON, —son of Cornelius and Elizabeth (Wilhelm) Johnston; was born in Green township, August 3, 1815; raised a farmer with such education as the meager schools of that early day afforded; remained with parents until 29 years, of age; April 22, 1841, was married to Miss Elizabeth G. Moore, daughter of the late John Moore, of Springfield, and in April, 1844, located on lot 15 in Copley township, where he continuously resided until his death, November 23, 1885. Mr. Johnston was a great reader, and thoroughly posted in affairs, in politics originally a Whig, and later a thorough-going Republican, and one of the most active and influential members of that party in his township and county. Besides filling various township offices, Mr. Johnston was a member of the County Board of Infirmary Directors, from 1858 to 1861, three years. Mr. and Mrs. Johnston were the parents of two sons—Cornelius A., born July 16, 1842, now a successful farmer in Tallmadge, and John M., born August 13, 1844, now residing upon the family homestead in Copley, the latter also having ably served on the Infirmary Board six years-1882 to 1888, the last two years as clerk of the board. Mrs. Johnston still survives, residing with her son upon the old homestead. EARLY TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT.—Hence, as early as October 1829, a temperance organization was effected, believed by some to be the first regular society of this kind in Ohio, although the subjest was then being somewhat agitated in Hudson, Tallmadge and several other towns upon the Western Reserve. The society was called "The First Temperance Society of Medina County;" the second, third and fifth articles of its constitution being, respectively, as follows: ART. 2. The object of this compact shall be the suppression of intemperance by doing away the unnecessary use of ardent spirits. ART. 3. The members of this society agree not to use ardent spirit, themselves, unless necessary for the promotion of, or restoration to, health, and also to discourage their use by others. EDUCATIONAL—RELIGIOUS, ETC. - 701 ART. 5. The members of this compact shall make use of the means in their power to prevent the intemperate use of ardent spirits; and shall use their endeavors to disseminate a knowledge of intemperance upon individuals and upon society generally. This society increased in numbers quite rapidly, and through its influence similar organizations were effected in contiguous localities, considerably diminishing the use of distilled liquors and the respectability of their manufacture and sale, though it was not until the Washingtonian movement, originating in Baltimore in 1840, struck Ohio, a few years later, that the manufacture of "blue-ruin" was entirely discontinued in Copley, since which time the township will compare favorably, for sobriety and morality, with an other community in the State of Ohio. LACTEAL OPERATIONS.—Some eighteen or twenty years ago, the Cheese Factory system was inaugurated in Copley; one establishment being located near the center or the town and another upon its eastern border, upon the farm of Mr. William C. Sackett. The patrons of the latter, being residents of both. Copley and Portage townships' it was denominated the "Summit Union Cheese Company'" and for a time, under the superintendence of Mr. Sackett, did quite an extensive business; but differences arising among the stockholders in regard to its management, the business was abandoned some ten years ago and the large milk production of the neighborhood is now daily distributed from wagons, among the inhabitants of the rapidly growing city of Akron. At the present time there is very little cheese made in the township, the private dairies of those who do not sell their milk, as above noted, being devoted to butter making, large quantities of which' of a most excellent quality, find a ready maket at remunerative prices. EDUCATION AND RELIGION.-It is a little difficult to determine, at this late day, who was the first school teacher in the township, recollections being about equal in favor of John Codding and Jonathan Starr. It is a fact, however, that Copley has been supplied with as good school houses, and as efficient teachers, from the beginning, as any of its neighbors, while, for a good share of the time, an academy, or high school, has been maintained at the center of the town ; the center, becoming incorporated as a separate school district some 25 years ago, the school then being placed in charge of Rev. John Encell, who made himself so efficient as an instructor, and so popular as a citizen, that in 1865 he was selected as Summit county's representative in the State Legislature, as elsewhere noted. In religious matters, Copley holds a fair averhge with her sister townships. In the early forties, the Congregationalists and Methodists jointly erected a church building, a short distance south of the center, in which Sunday services have been held by one or other of the societies, with slight interruptions, to the present day. During a portion. of the time, also, there has been a Methodist society on the north line of the township, jointly maintained by citizens of Copley and Bath, while within the past few years, a small but fine house of worship has been erected one mile east of the center, at Boughton's Corners, by the society of the "Church of God" (commonly known as "Winebrennarians” ), the Disciples, also' having erected a snug little church edifice at the center, and 702 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY. the United Brethren a similar house of worship at Montrose, a short distance east of the corners, on the Copley side of the lin within the past year or two. COPLEY'S WAR RECORD.-In the line of patriotism and military ardor, Copley's record is remarkably fine. Of her ex-Revolutionary heroes, nothing can now be definitely learned. In the War of 1812, Colonel Jonas Schoonover, in his contribution to Hardesty's Military History of Ohio, gives the names of Copley's participants as follows: Joel Thayer, Josiah Arnold, Chester Cole' Hezron Thompson and John Beatty. In the Mexican War: .Ezra and Noah Tryon, and Otis, George and Elias Capron, while in the War of the Rebellion, a roster of ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY-ONE, is compiled from Colonel Schoonover's list, and the assessor's returns for 1863, '64, '65, as follows: Lyman J. Adair, Andrew A. Adair, Ransom J. Arnold' Charles F. Arnold, Samuel Arnold, Nathaniel Averill, Mervin H. Ayres (died in service), James Andrews, Rice Brockway, Willard Bosworth, Lewis Ball, Benjamin F. Boughton, More Briggs, Jacob Ballinger, Conrad Ballinger, Samuel Briggs, J. T. Barnett, Stephenen Bloomfield, W. H. Bloomfield, David Conrad, Daniel Conrad (killed in battle), Albert Capron, Christopher Conrad, Joseph Chalfant, Albert Coon, William Conrad, Marion Cogswell (died in service), Ira Capron, Guerdon A. Cook, William S. Dale, Joseph De Long, Thomas Dreuery, William H. Durant (died in service), Almeron Francisco, Franklin A. Foster, Edward Foley, John H. Francisco, John Fairbanks (died in service), Robert Fairbanks, Henry Fairbanks, Robert Ferryman (died in service), Curtis Gingery, Stephen Griffith, Amos Griffith, Alma Griffith, James Griffith, Emanuel Gingery (died in service), Freedom Green, Aaron Golden' George W. Holloway, Samuel Hoagland (died in service), HarveyHull (died in service)' Irving Hull, Martin Hutchinson, Amos Hutchinson, Dieterich Heath-man (died in service), George Heppart, Sylvester Hull' Luther Holloway' James Heathman, John Hatfield, A. Hoagland, William Hawk' George Hogan, Enoch Hastings' E. Hamilton, John Jones, W. H. Jones' Henry Keck, Hiram King, Martin Keller, Samuel King' Samuel Kennedy, George Loomis, Benjamin R. Lee' John Mann' William Medsker, Isaac Medsker, John Moore, Perry Moore, Robert Mech, R. Mech, George Mann' Samuel Moore, Henry Null' Ira S. Nash, Andrew Null, Charles P. Nash, Nelson D. Oviatt' Luman B. Oviatt, Hartwell A. Parker, Henry A. Parker, Calvin R. Porter (died in service), Gardner Pratt, Nathan Pursell, Edy Randall, Walter Randall, Lebeus Robinson' Ezra Randall, Lester Robins Charles Robinson, John C. Steans, Jr., Thurlow Scudder' A. A Stonebrook, William G. Stoughton, Irving Spafford' Leonard Squires (died in service), N. J. Smith, J. W. Shonts' Arthur Scudder' James W. H. Snyder, Martin Squires, Samuel Shanafel (died in service), Washington Shanafelt, Simon Starr' Charles W. Stearns (died in service), Henry Stroel, C. J. Spelman, Seth Thomas, Coral W. Taylor (died in service), Ed‘ Tewksbury, Mortimer Van Hyning, Peter Weeks, Jr., Paul E. Wylie, David L. Winkler, Jonathan Welker, George Welch, Orlow West, Jacob Winters, Harrison Weeks, Mandred Weeks, George D. Woodruff (died in service), Martin Welker, James Winkler (died in service), John Warner, Nelson Wager, Alvin West, William Wagoner, Robert Weeks, John Yoey. COPLEY IN PUBLIC OFFICE - 703 In addition to the ever efficient and active influence of the late Chester Orcutt, James Hammond, Morgan D. Pratt, Dr. Byron Chapman, Vincent G. Harris, William C. Sackett, Esq., and others, in promoting the agricultural and other industrial interests of the county, Copley has maintained fully an average standing with her sister townships' in public office, since the organization of Summit county, in 1840. JONATHAN STARR was a member of the first Board of County Commissioners, being elected in April, 1840, to serve until the ensuing regular election, and, in October of that year, re-elected for the full term of three years, making a most efficient officer, for nearly four years, in organizing the business machinery of the new county' erecting the public buildings, etc. Mr. Starr, on the 18th day of December, 1851, while visiting .his son (the lately deceased Jonathan Starr' Jr., of Akron), who was, then clerking for. Mr. P. D. Hall' in looking through the new store building' then nearing completion, accidentally fell through an open scuttle from the second story to the floor below, 13 feet, and was instantly killed. WILLIAM JOHNSTON was not only a model farmer and patriotic public-spirited citizen, but most efficiently filled the important office of Infirmary director, from 1858 to 1861, three years. FRANCIS T. HUSONG, by appointment of the Board of Directors, in June, 1861, became superintendent of the Infirmary, holding the position' and ably performing its responsible duties, until April, 1868, nearly seven years, during which time the main building of the present fine Infirmary edifice was erected, Superintendent Husong's services, in the planning and building thereof, laying out the grounds, etc., being almost invaluable. In October, 1867, Mr. Husong, having in the meantime become a resident of Akron' was elected a director of the Infirmary, which position he ably filled for three years. REV. JOHN ENCELL, then a resident of Copley, as the nominee of the Republican party, in October, 1885, was elected to represent Summit county in the State Legislature, which he ably and efficiently did for two years. GEORGE W. WEEKS, ESQ., was, in October, 1872, elected clerk of Courts, and re-elected to that important office in 1875, retiring therefrom, after six years, faithful service, in February, 1879, with the public plaudit of "Well done, Good and Faithful Servant." GEORGE W. WEEKS, JR., besides rendering valuable aid to his father, during his six years, incumbency of the clerk's office, as above stated, also efficiently served the people of Summit county as deputy county auditor during the six years, administration of that office, from 1881 to 1887, by Aaron Wagoner, Esq. JOHN M. JOHNSTON was elected a director of the County Infirmary in 1882, and so faithfully performed the duties devolved upon him, that he was re-elected in October, 1885, serving six years. DR. MASON CHAPMAN, a native of Copley, for many years past a resident of Akron, served as a member of City Council from 1878 to 1880. WILLIS D. CHAPMAN, also a native of Copley, now an accomplished civil engineer and scientist, served as city engineer in Akron from 1886 until 1889, besides holding other positions of responsibility, as stated elsewhere. 704 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY. COPLEY'S RAILROAD FACILITIES.--One of the principal disadvantages with which Copley has had to contend' is that hitherto, since the advent of railroads into Summit county, she has been thoroughly "inland," all her travel and transportation having to be done by teams, over mud roads, nearly impassable several months in the year. Now, however, the completion of the new Pittsburg, Akron & Western Railroad, through the central portion of the township, from east to west, with the passenger station a few rods north of the center, will give her people easy access to Akron, Medina and other desired points, not only proving a great personal and public convenience, but, doubtless, very considerably increasing her dairy and other business operations, and the general value of her real estate. PRESENT OFFICIAL STATUS (1891).—Township trustees, C. C. Frederick, R. R. Stimson and J. Quincy Adams; clerk' C. E. Francisco; treasurer, Dr. Byron Chapman; postmaster' Henry Harris. COPLEY’S CRIMINAL RECORD Though some of her citizens became somewhat tainted with the counterfeiting virus with which several of the neighboring townships were so largely infected, in the early days, and though one of her sons, then temporarily residing in Akron, figured in an infamous crime some thirty years ago, she has been, almost, exceptionally exempt from flagrant crime, during her nearly three-quarters of a century's existence, the only really exciting episode in her history being the insane killing of his son, by her native-born, and hitherto highly respected citizen, Mr. Delos Bosworth, on the morning of March 3, 1891, a brief history of the sad affair being as follows: DELOS BOSWORTH, a native of Copley, born January 11, 1818, was, in early and middle life, one of the most enterprising and influential citizens of the township. March 16, 1841, he was mar. ried to Miss Christina Wagoner, who, after bearing him three children, died, September 3, 1855. April 8, 1858, he was again mar. ried to Miss Abbie W. Whinery, of Columbiana county, who bore him one son, John C., born December 25, 1860, who, grown to man hood, became the sole dependence of the family in the management of the farm and household. For the last eight or ten years of his life, Mr. Bosworth was affected by a peculiar nervous malady which not only very greatly impaired his physical health and enterprise, but also very greatly weakened and deranged his mental powers, involving serious financial embarrassment, by which the family homestead was about to be sold for his indebtedness Though the son, John, was arranging for its purchase, and to secure for his parents a comfortable home in their declining years' the old gentleman, as is common in cases of mental derangement, con ceived the notion that the wife and son were largely responsible for their troubles and determined upon putting them out of the way. THE DEED PARTIALLY ACCOMPLISHED.—For some time he had been carefully watched, lest he should do violence to himself' hi: care-takers little dreaming of any immediate personal danger t( themselves, though frequent threats of that nature had been made. Thus matters stood on the morning of Tuesday, March 3. 1891, STRIKING THE FATAL BLOW - 705 the family having breakfasted as usual, Mr. Bosworth eating quite heartily. John, having done the barn chores, the weather being quite cold, had seated himself in an easy-chair, by the dining room stove, and engaged in reading a paper, Mrs. Bosworth being busy with her household duties. From having been somewhat broken of his rest during the night, and from the warmth of the room' after having been out in the cold, John, at length, dropped asleep in his chair. With insane cunning the demented father now saw his opportunity, and instantly acted upon it. Though the room was abundantly warm, he handed the empty coal bucket to his wife, and requested her to get some coal, which she at once proceeded to do, passing through the summer kitchen and woodshed to the coal house in the rear. Noiselessly following her to the woodshed, he secured an ax, and retraced his steps, as he did so locking the door between the kitchen and the dining room. Then' with the superhuman strength of a madman, instead of the nerveless invalid that he really was, he raised the ax and struck the fatal blow, the blade crashing through the skull and up to the eye into the brain of his unconscious son. , AN ATTEMPT ON MRS. BOSWORTH'S LIFE, ALSO.—On returning with the bucket of coal, and finding the door locked, Mrs. Bosworth instantly divined the cause, and setting down the bucket, she hurried around through the woodshed to the porch door opening into the dining room, where she met her infuriated husband, with the blade of the ax dripping with the warm life-blood of her son. He rushed at her with the bloody weapon, but she evaded, him' and fled to the road screaming for assistance. ATTEMPT TO TAKE HIS OWN LIFE.-Attracted by the screams of Mrs. Bosworth neighbors were soon at the house' the first one, Mr. Isaiah Jacoby, grappling with, and taking from, Mr. Bosworth, a large, but not very sharp, pocket-knife, with which he was attempting to cut his own throat. Though, of course, totally unconscious, the son continued to breathe several hours, finally expiring at 2:13 P. M. The facts of the killing were so patent that Coroner Brewster did not deem it necessary to hold an inquest over the remains. Police Sergeant Dunn, the same day, brought the unfortunate old man to Akron, and placed him in an upper room in the jail, though he was, the same evening, taken to the County Infirmary. A few days later he was brought before Probate Judge, E. W. Stuart, by whom, after proper hearing, he was adjudged to be insane, and on account of Summit county's quota being full, at the Newburg Asylum, he was remanded to the Infirmary, where, continuing to grow feeble, and paralysis intervening, he died on Sunday evening, March 22, 1891, his age being 73 years, 2 months and 11 days. Though the loss of so promising a young man as was John C. Bosworth, in so tragic a manner, is deeply mourned and regretted by the entire community, the fearful wreckage of body and mind, without any known moral or physical obliquity, of so prominent and influential a native-born citizen as Delos Bosworth, is most deeply deplored by the great majority of the people of the township, and by his hundreds of acquaintances in other portions of the county. 45 CHAPTER XXXIII. THE "STATE OF COVENTRY"---WHY SO CALLED-WHERE AND' WHAT IT IS-AN ABORIGINAL "GARDEN OF EDEN"-EARLY WHITE SETTLEMENT-AGRICULTURAL AND MINERAL RESOURCES' MILLING, MANUFACTURES, ETC.-THE RESERVOIRS, WHEN AND WHY CONSTRUCTED -THE CELEBRATED OLD STATE MILL-NEW PORTAGE THE ANCIENT METROPOLIS-" QUEER" FINANCIAL OPERATIONS HONORABLE MILITARY AND CIVIL RECORD-FRATRICIDAL HOMICIDE IN 1837—TERRIBLE FAMILY AFFLICTION-DEATH OH FRATRICIDE OF GRIEF, IN PRISON THE LEY-SWARTZ -THOMAS TRAGEDY OF 1878—IMPRISONMENT, PARDON' SUBSEQUENT GOOD CONDUCT' ETC.-IM PRESSIVE LESSON TO YOUNG MEN. WHERE AND HOW LOCATED. THE township of Coventry is located immediately south of the city of Akron, a narrow strip of the northern part being' in fact, within the city limits, and that portion of its inhabitants denizens thereof. On the east lies the township of Springfield' on the south portions of Franklin and Green' and on the west the township of Norton. The south line of the township is also the south line of the famous "Western Reserve." Unlike most of the townships of the Reserve, which were laid out with mathematical precision, five miles square, Coventry is quite irregular in shape; that portion east of Portage Path extending about one-fourth of a mile further north than the portion on the west side of said Path, while south of New Portage, following the course of the Tuscarawas river, it trenches, in places, nearly a mile upon the fair proportions of Norton township, on the west. This was owing to the fact that some twenty years elapsed between the two treaties; that of Fort McIntosh, in 1785' ceding to the United States all the territory east of Portage Path and the Tuscarawas river, and that of Fort Industry, in 1805, all the territory west of those points; and to the variation in the lines of the two sets of surveyors employed to lay the two sections out. ABORIGINAL "GARDEN OF EDEN."-Previous to the advent of the whites, the territory embraced within the township of Coventry must have been literally the Garden of Eden of the Red man. In the first place, at or a little above the present village of New Portage, was the southern terminus of the Portage Path—a veritable port of entry and delivery—being the head of navigation on the Tuscarawas river, whence there was constant passage to and fro between Lake Erie and the Ohio river; for be it remembered that neither the Cuyahoga nor the Tuscarawas were then the diminutive rivulets that the denudation of the country of its timber, and the drainage appliances of civilization, have reduced them to. In fact, for many years after white settlement began, this point (New Portage) was regarded as one of the most favorable business locations in Northern Ohio, flat-boats being built and freighted with such products as the neighborhood afforded for the Ohio and Mississippi trade. EARLY SETTLEMENT - 707 JONAH ALLEN, — son of Jesse Allen' Sr., was born in Tompkins county, N. Y., October 14, 1798 ; came to Coventry' with parents' in 1811, the father officiating as justice of the peace in Coventry township for many years. Mr. Allen was married to Miss Cynthia Spicer, sister of the late Major Spicer, May 12, 1821, and established a farm home for himself in Coventry, which he successfully carried on until his death' May 15' 1874, at the age of 75 years, 7 months and 1 day Mrs. Allen having died September 11, 1860, aged 57 years, 3 months and 20 days. Mr. and Mrs. Allen were the parents of five children—Catharine, born November 5, 1822, afterwards Mrs. Oren Beckwith, who died January 23, 1855 ; Edward, born August 18, 1824, died July 9, 1841; William, born February 18, 1827, died November 28, 1886; John, born October 20, 1829, still residing upon the old homestead in Coventry ; Cynthia, who died in infancy ; the surviving son, John, like the brother, William, the father, Jonah, and the grandfather, Jesse, being among the most enterprising and honored residents of Coventry township ; in politics an ardent Republican, and in religion an earnest supporter of the Disciple faith. John Allen was married, December 9, 1857, to Ann Morgan, of Newburg, Cuyahoga county, who has borne him four children—Emma C. (now Mrs. Henry B. Sisler, of Akron), born November 2, 1858 ; Jesse M. now working in Barberton, born April 6, 1864 ; Isham F., born Jan 2, 1868; John R., born March 23, 1871, now in Worthington's hardware store, in Cleveland. Besides the Tuscarawas river, Summit Lake, then considerably larger than now, Manning's Lake, Nesmith's Lake, Long Lake, and several other similar bodies of water in the vicinity, afforded a great variety of fish' the adjacent forests being amply stocked with game' while the gentle slopes surrounding the lakes, with the rich bottom lands of the streams, supplied them with maize and such other products of the soil, as their rude implements and limited knowledge and methods of husbandry could secure. It is also certain, from modern developments and findings, that the Tuscarawas Valley, and the neighborhood of the lakes, was formerly the seat of quite a large volume of Indian manufactures and industry, such as the fabrication of canoes, and of flint arrow-heads, spear-heads, hammers, axes, kettles, mortars, pestles, and such other stone implements of warfare, sport, agriculture' domestic utensils, etc., as were then in vogue, though the material from which the most of them were made must have been brought from a distance, as nothing of the kind is indigenous to the neighborhood. EARLY SETTLEMENT, ETC.—It is generally conceded that Daniel Haines (General Bierce has it David), was the first white settler in the township, having removed thither from Pennsylvania in 1806. Mr. Haines built himself a log cabin on lot 4, a short distance south of the present stone residence of Miss A. Louise Sumner, in the northeast corner of the township. Though Mr. Haines and his family were the only white settlers in the neighborhood for several years' sharing with the Indians the bounties of both forest, lake 708 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY. and stream, on which they had to largely depend for subsistence, it does not appear that there was ever any trouble between them. Though a few settlers had come to what was afterwards called Middlebury, where a mill had in the meantime been erected, Mr. Haines did not begin to feel crowded until about 1811, when the Spicers, the Williams' and the Aliens came into the neighborhood, Mr. Haines about that time selling out his cabin and improvements to Mr. Jesse Allen (father of the late Hiram, Jacob, Jesse and David Allen), Mr. Haines then settling upon or near lot 16, about two miles to the southwest, where he resided until his death, at a very advanced age, some 35 years ago. LEVI ALLEN,—second son of Jesse Allen, one of the very earliest of Coventry's pioneer settlers, was born in Tompkins county, N. Y., February 10, 1799 ; moved with parents to Ohio' by ox team, in 1811, Levi, then but 12 years old, walking and driving cattle and sheep most of the way arriving in Middlebury July 4. At 21 Mr. Allen purchased the farm now occupied by Levi Allen Jr., a short distance south of city limits ; in 1824, was married to Miss Phoebe Spicer, daughter of Major Miner Spicer, who bore him six children— Levi, Jr., born July 28, 1824, now living on the old homestead, in Coventry ; Miner S., born July 29, 1825, died December 20, 1825; Albert (whose portrait and biography appear elsewhere), born March 12, 1827, died September 25, 1888; Miner J. (see portrait on another page); born November 11' 1829 ; Walter Scott, born March 24,1834, died September 13, 1834; and Cynthia A., born April 22, 1839. Mr Allen, though not an office-seeker, ever took a lively interest in public affairs, both local and general, and for sixty years was an active and influential member of the Disciple church. In 1868 Mr. and Mrs. Allen gave up the care of the farm and removed to Akron, to reside with their children, Albert and Cynthia, who kindly cared for them to the end—Mrs. Allen dying January 10, 1875, aged 74 years and 29 days and Mr. Allen passing away May 11, 1887, aged 88 years, 3 months and one day. From this time on, settlements became quite rapid, the Brewsters, the Bellows, the Triplets, the Falors, the Viers'' the Cahows the Heathmans, the Nashes, the Roots, the Keplers, the Harters, the Wagoners, the Rexes, the Dixons, and others of the pioneer settlers, whose names are not now recalled, coming into the township in rapid succession and speedily converting it from its primitive wilderness condition into thrifty fields, fertile meadows and fruitful orchards. ORGANIZATION, NAME, ETC.-Coventry first came under to township organization in connection with Springfield, under the jurisdiction of Trumbull county, in April, 1808, but at just what date it was organized into a separate township, as a part of Portage county, is not now known, nor who were its first officers, or why it was christened "Coventry." Jesse Allen was early and long a justice of the peace, the names of the other justices of the peace, previous to the organization of Summit county, in 1840, not being FRATRICIDAL HOMICIDE - 709 now ascertainable. Since 1840, the law and justice of the township, as appears by the record, has been dealt out by the following persons: Isaac Fries, nine years; Joshua Clark, three years; Ralph P. Russell, three years; Martin J. Housel, six years; Talmon Beardsley, twelve years; William High, twelve years; John R. Buchtel, three years; Noah Ingersoll, six years; John Tooker, three years; Jacob France, six years; John Donner, three years; Henry Behmer, ree years; Jonathan H. Brewster, three years; Oliver P. Falor, nine years; James L. Porter, six years; Houston Kepler, six years . THE "STATE OF COVENTRY."—The township was, for many years, and by some still is, called the "State of Coventry," that cognomen having been obtained something in this wise: During the building of the canal, there was a disturbance between the workmen and some of the citizens, which was likely to culminate in a riot, when a neighboring justice of the peace, who had been hastily summoned, with law-book in hand, proceeded to read the Riot Act, and getting a little confused, concluded with: "Therefore, in the name of the State of Coventry, I command you to disperse." EARLY HOMICIDE.—In the year 1838, there lived in the township of Coventry, upon the upper road leading from Akron to New Portage, a family by the name of Heathman, consisting of the widow of Bennett Heathman, and five, sons, John, Sylvester, Elijah, Elisha and Bennett, and one daughter, Mary. One of the sons, only Elijah was married, occupying a house in the same lot, and but a few feet distant from the family residence, in which the other four sons and the daughter, all grown up, resided with the widowed mother Two of the sons, John and Sylvester, were unfortunately, somewhat addicted to the excessive use of intoxicating liquors; and on the 12th day of January, 1838, had spent the day away from home, but how, or where, their time had been employed, is not now remembered; the other brothers, Elisha and Bennett, also being absent from home during the day. The first one of the brothers to return in the evening was John' considerably ander the influence of liquor. While he was eating his supper Sylvester came in, also slightly intoxicated. John asked Sylvester where Elisha was, to which question Sylvester made the evasive reply that he had "gone up north," to which John immediately replied "You're a d—d liar and the truth isn't in you!" at the same ime hurling his fork at Sylvester and slightly wounding him upon the nose, accompanying the act with the threat if Sylvester came up stairs that night he would " be the death of him." THE FATAL BLOW.—The mother being temporarily absent from the room, the sister, Mary, and the little six-year-old son of Elijah (our present highly respected citizen, Mr. Alexander M. Heathman), vere the only witnesses of the fatal affray. Mary's story, as told )efore the coroner, and upon the trial, was about this: that almost immediately after the above threat had been uttered, she heard a attling of knives and forks near the place where John had been .itting at the table, and on looking that way, saw Sylvester seize a hair and strike John a severe blow upon his side. The recollection of Mr. A. M. Heathman is that his uncle Sylvester, instead of triking his uncle John with the chair, while holding it between hem' to prevent John in his anger from getting at him, only pushed it against him somewhat forcibly. Be this as it may, on 710 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY. the return of the mother, a moment after, on being hastily summoned by Mary, John exclaimed, "Oh, mother, I am going to fall!" and immediately sank to the floor. A strong smell of whisky was at once observable, and at the same time a large quantity of blood was seen to be running from John's shoes upon the floor. The almost frantic mother had scarcely time to kneel besides the prostrate form before it was evident to her that he had received a fatal wound, and when Sylvester, on comprehending what he had done, also threw himself down beside the body of his brother, exclaiming, "Oh, John! Brother John!" the poor mother said: "You may call him now' but he cannot hear you, for you have killed him," Sylvester then endeavored to secure the attendance of a physician' but before the latter could be got to the house John was dead' having lived less than half an hour after the fatal blow was struck. It was found, on examination, that in addition to the whisky that John had drank, during the day, he had brought home about a pint in a junk bottle, in the right pocket of his pantaloons, the force of the blow with the chair not only breaking the bottle, but driving pieces of the glass into the groin and severing the femoral artery, which of course, would speedily result in death, without instant attention from a skillful surgeon. A GRIEF-STRICKEN FAMILY.-Not only the mother, the sister, and the remaining brothers, Elisha, Elijah and Bennett, were deeply stricken with grief, at the dreadful calamity which had befallen them, but Sylvester, also, was almost frantic with sorrow at the fearful mischief he had wrought. He not only made no effort to escape, but frankly told the story of the sad occurrence at the coroner's inquest over the remains of his dead brother' and voluntarily surrendered himself•to the officers of the law. TRIAL AND PUNISHMENT.—On being brought before Justice Thomas D. Viers, of the township of Coventry, the circumstances of the fatal affray were briefly narrated by the distressed mother and sister, and corroborated by Sylvester himself, whereupon hene was held by the examining magistrate to answer to the Court of Common Pleas of Portage county for the crime of murder' and duly committed to jail until the February term of court, 1838, when he was indicted by the grand jury for murder in the second degree, and put upon his trial. The case was conducted by Prosecuting Attorney Lucius V. Bierce, assisted by Rufus P. Spalding, Esq., then of Ravenna' on behalf of the State, and the accused was ably defended by David K. Cartter, Esq., of Akron, and Eben Newton, Esq., of Canfield. The charge to the jury, was delivered by President Judge, Van R. Humphrey, and, after brief consultation, a verdict was returned finding the accused GUILTY OF MANSLAUGHTER.—Judge Humphrey thereupon immediately proceeded, in a very impressive manner—animadverting upon the extreme folly and danger of indulging in intoxicating liquors, and enlarging upon the fact that such indulgence was the cause of more than three-fourths of the personal violence and crime, the world over—to sentence the sorrowing fratricide to one year's imprisonment in the penitentiary—the shortest period allowable by law for the crime of manslaughter. DIED OF GRIEF IN PRISON.-Immediately after receiving his sentence, Sylvester was conveyed to the penitentiary at Columbus, COVENTRY'S INDUSTRIES - 711 by Sheriff George Y. Wallace, where he was duly turned over to the prison authorities on the 13th day of February, 1838. Soon after his incarceration he was stricken down with sickness, as was believed by those in charge of him from excessive grief; from which he never rallied; dying in prison on the 17th day of September, 1838, five months before the expiration of his term of sentence. The entire original family are now dead, Elijah and Ehensha dying in Ohio many years ago and later, Bennett, in Michigan, and Mary, in Iowa, having, previous to her removal thither, been married to Mr. David Lehman, of Pennsylvania; the mother going to Iowa with her daughter, where surviving nearly all her children' she, too, died a few years ago at the age of about 100 years. AGRICULTURE, MINING, ETC.—With the several lakes already alluded to, and the Tuscarawas river traversing its entire width, from east to west, and forming fully one-half of its western boundary' there was originally a good deal of what might properly be called waste land within the limits of the township. Added to this, about the year 1840, the State of Ohio, finding the Summit Lake' and other sources of supply, rather deficient in dry seasons, established, by the erection of certain embankments from one elevated point to another, a system of artificial lakes, called reservoirs' for the purpose of storing the waters of the contiguous streams, and the surface waters of the neighborhood, thus converting several thousand acres of the tillable lands of Coventry, Green and Franklin townships, into permanent bodies of water, with which, by a judicious use of races, sluices, flood-gates, etc., the canal is kept properly supplied; these immense bodies of water also furnishing fine fishing grounds, pleasure resorts, etc., for the inhabitants of the surrounding country. Though somewhat hilly in the south part' Coventry abounds in tine farms, the primitive log cabin and barn having given place to commodious frame and brick structures, which will compare favorably with those of any other township in Summit county. Portions of the township, during the past 40 years, have yielded vast quantities of the very best bituminous coal, and though several of the veins opened have been apparently wbrked out' the supply is by no means exhausted. There are, also, apparently inexhaustible beds of an excellent quality of peat' in the vicinity of the lakes, which' in process of time, may become valuable, but which now, by reason of the abundance of coal, canot he made available. MANUFACTURES. ETC.—In an early day, before Akron was; and while Middlebury, even, was in its infancy, the village of New Portage' on the line between Coventry and Norton, was putting on metropolitan airs. Being at the head of navigation, on the Tuscarawas river, as elsewhere explained, quite a stroke of business is said to have been done in the boating line; and quite a traffic established with Zanesville and other early towns on the Muskingum, Ohio and Mississippi rivers, by which the inhabitants of the vicinity were supplied with salt, sugar, molasses and other household necessaries and luxuries. In about the year 1821, also' a glass factory was established at New Portage, on the Norton side of the line, by Colonel Ambrose Palmer, in which quite a fair quality of domestic articles were 712 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY. made, the late Talmon Beardsley, having had a bottle in his possession, turned out of that establishment in 1822. The business' however, did not prove remunerative, and was abandoned in a few years, the proprietor afterwards embracing the Mormon faith and emigrating to Utah. The northeastern portion of the township now being within the corporate limits of the city of Akron, embraces quite a number of manufacturing and mechanical establishments, notably the Roofing and Tile Works of J. C. Ewart & Co., in the Fourth ward' and the Brick Works of J. B. De Haven, in the Sixth ward, of R. B. Walker, in the Fourth ward, and a large number of manufacturing establishments, erected south of the city limits within the past three years, more particularly described in Chapter XVIII of this volume. ISRAEL ALLYN,—born in Groton, Conn., December 24, 1790; raised to trade of carpenter' with good common school education ; in the War of 1812 served a short time as a soldier ; August 1, 1812, was married to Miss Lucy Gallup, and in March, 1819, came to Ohio, settling on a farm in the north part of Coventry, now occupied by his two daughters, Lucy R., and Hannah S. Mr. and Mrs. Allyn were the parents of seven children George H. born October 31, 1814, died March 5, 1857 ; Israel M., born June 20, 1818, died May 13, 1885; Abel G., born October 4, 1820, whose portrait and biography are given elsewhere ; Lucy R., born September 15, 1822, now residing on the old homestead in Coventry ; Austin' born August 20, 1828, died April 15, 1871 ; Lydia, born June 16, 1831, first wife of General Alvin C. Voris, died March 16, 1876 ; Hannah S., born August 15, 1833, still residing with her sister Lucy, on the old homestead Mrs. Allyn, born March 22, 1789, died July 2, 1850, aged 61 years, 3 months and 10 days, Mr. Allyn dying May 7, 1873, aged 82 years, 4 months and 13 days. Mr. Allyn was one of the most enterprising farmers of his day, as evidenced by his finely appointed home surroundings, and nicely cultivated fields, was patriotic and liberal in all public affairs, and the recipient of many local honors from his fellow townsmen. MILLING OPERATIONS.-Previous to 1820, Benjamin Haines, a son of Coventry's pioneer settler, Daniel Haines, erected a small grist mill near where the present north and south road, south of Swartz's Corners, crosses the Tuscarawas river, traces of the dam, race and mill foundation, being still visible. Another early, and in those days very necessary, industry, was a distillery, erected by Adam Falor, in the north central portion of the township, a little south of where the Akron Iron Company's rolling mill now stands his son, Abram Falor, afterwards building a saw-mill upon what has since been known as Falor's run, at which, by a judicious husbanding of the waters of the run, quite a business was done for several years. Another early grist and saw-mill enterprise was that of Daniel Rex, near the present feeder dam of the Tuscarawas reservoir. John Buchtel, Sr., also, constructed a dam and RESERVOIRS—STATE MILL, ETC. - 713 race and commenced the erection of a mill in the eastern part of the township, half a mile west of Wesley Chapel, but for some reason not now apparent, it was never completed. The present well-known mill belonging to the Brewster Brothers, previously called Steese's mill, but still earlier known as Wylie's mill, was built about 1835, by Mr. John Wylie, afterwards a highly prosperous farmer in the township of Copley, recently deceased. It has always been a good mill, and under its present management, is supplied with the most approved modern machinery' and' besides having an excellent run of custom trade, produces annually a large amount of first-class flour for the general trade. ABEL G. ALLYN, — son of tIsrael and Lucy (Gallup) Allyn, was am in Coventry Township, October 1820; educated in district schools ; raised a farmer, working on old homestead until 1847, when he purchased a farm a short distance further west, which is now a part of the city of Akron ; in addition to general farming making dairying a specialty in supplying the citizens of Akron with milk. October 10, 1847, was married to Miss Adeline Capron, daughter of Ara and Eliza (Sweet) Capron of Bath and Copley Town lane, who bore him six children\ ddie, born July 23, 1848 (married February 20, 1866, to Preston Barber, of Akron, who died December 13, 1886); Charles, born May 25, 1851, now a farmer in Summit' Greeley county, Nebraska, of which place he has officiated as postmaster for several years; Ida, born February 15, 1854, now wife of States A. McCoy, a native of this county, now a prosperous farmer in Leonidas township (Mendon P. 0.) St. Joseph county, Mich.; Leora, born May 14, 1860; Ettie, January 28, 1863, and Gertie' November 24, 1869, now a teacher in Leggett scliool. Mr. Allyn is one of the solid men of his native township, having held several of its most responsible offices, and being for some or twelve or fifteen years ''Coventry's member of Board of Directors of Summit county's highly prosperous Agricultural Society. Mrs. Allyn died August 24, 1888, aged 59 years, 8 months and 3 days. THE CELEBRATED OLD STATE MILL. The construction of the reservoirs, as above stated, with their several feeders, destroyed most of the minor mill-privileges of both Coventry, Franklin and Green townships. A partial remedy, however, was provided in the creation of quite a permanent waterpower in the southern central part of Coventry, at the point where the water flows frotn the reservoir into Long Lake, from which, in turn, it is fed into the canal a mile or so' further north. There had previously been a grist mill at this point, with rather a limited fall and power, but by whom erected is not now remembered. Mr. Talmon Beardsley's recollection, however, was that at the time the reservoir was projected, it was the property of the late Ebenezer Pardee, of Western Star, and that he drove so sharp a bargain with the board of public works, in their appropriation of private 714 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY. property for the reservoir, that they paid him some $25,000 for the mill and power in question, though Doctor John Hill, who subsequently married the widow of Mr. Pardee, informed us that the consideration was only $7,000, and that the State, by the subsequent elevation of its dams and embankments, now occupies considerably more land belonging to Mr. Pardee's estate, than it originally purchased. GEORGE ADAM FALOR, -- born July 17, 1798, in Lower Smithville, Northampton county, Pa.; removed with parents to Stark county, O., in 1809 ; five years later locating on what was later known as the Thornton farm, now a populous portion of the city of Akron; remained with father till 25, when he bought the well-known Falor farm, in Coventry, which, in addition to somewhat extensively plying his trade of stonemason, he successfully cultivated for many years. Mr. Falor was three times married, his wives being sisters, respectively named Nancy McCoy, Rachael McCoy and Mrs. Jane (McCoy) Wilson. Several years before his death Mr. Falor, retiring from the active management of his farm, took up his residence in Akron, where he died of dropsy, June 29, 1868, aged 69 years, 11 months 12 days. Mr. Falor was the father of 17 children, 13 of whom survived him—Milo J., since deceased ; James A, Lucinda R. (now Mrs. John Gottwait); Hiram Silas, George W., now deceased ; Oliver Perry, Mary Ann (now Mrs. J. A. Long); Thomas J., William Wallace, deceased ; Henry Clay (died at Massillon, December 27, 1890 ); Martha Ellen (now Mrs Henry Acker); Lilly Annette, (now Mrs. George L. Adkins); Perry Tod, now a resident of Michigan. On the completion of the reservoir, the State either built a new mill at this point, or enlarged or improved the old one, which, by increase of water and fall, was now one of the most permanent mill privileges in this part of the State. Soon after its completion, the State mill was leased, in perpetuity, to Mr. Theobold Baughman (father of our well-known citizen, Mr. Harry Baughman), who successfully carried it on, until his death, in 1866, nearly a quarter of a century. This mill, during Mr. Baughman's lifetime, was a very popular place of resort for the farmers of the surrounding country, who, while awaiting the grinding of their several grists, would, in turn, grind out large grists of neighborhood gossip to each other, or enter into friendly, but oftentimes spirited, discussions upon the social, moral and political questions of the time, the conduct of the war, etc. The State mill was, also, for many years, quite a fishing and pleasure resort, Mr. Baughman keeping quite a large number of boats for hire, while the large shady grove east of the mill, bordered by the clear and sparkling waters of the reservoir, furnished delightful camping and picnic grounds—stabling and feed for COVENTRY'S BUSINESS STATUS - 715 horses, and also the most bountiful and toothsome meals for their drivers, being provided by Mr. and Mrs. Baughman, when desired. The State mill, after Mr. Baughman's death, though run by a member of the family for some years, was not properly kept up, though its ancient water-wheel is still running, its present lessee being Mr. Robert Mitsell, a ride, westward, from the old Steese coal bank, around the head of the reservoir, following its innumerable and shady sinuosities, past the old State mill to Lockwood,s Corners, being one of the most delightful drives in Summit county. HIRAM SILAS FALOR,—born in Coventry, March 22, 1829 ; common school education ; harness maker in Akron 15 years ; in 1860, clerked in wholesale store in San Francisco, worked in mines and established pioneer harness shop in Virginia City, Nev.; in 1861, organized and as captain tendered Virginia City Guards to the government, but for lack of transportation facilities offer declined ; 1863 returned to Akron, 5 years later removing to farm in Coventry, where he has since resided ; was several years foreman of one of Akron's pioneer fire companies ; deputy village marshal two years ; secretary Summit County Agricultural Society two years and assistant secretary two years ; messenger in office of State Treasurer Joseph Turney, at Columbus, 1880-84; member of police force, in charge of music hall during Ohio Centennial Exposition in 1888 ; member of Masonic order 35 years ; filling all the offices from the lowest to highest in Summit Lodge, No. 50, I. 0. 0. F.; was U. S. census enumerator ford• Coventry in 1890. Mr., Falor was married to Miss Bertha E. Agard, July 4, 1854, who bore him four children, two of whom, only, are now living -- Claude Emerson, now in regular army, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and Minnie Florence, now Mrs. Elmer C. Ellsworth, of Coventry. Mrs. Falor dying January 4, 1873, Mr. F. was again married, to Mrs. Phoebe A. Lutz, of Westfield, Medina county, July 16, 1873. They have two children—Hiram Garcelon, born August 12, 1879, and Phoebe Fanny, born March 6, 1881. THE ANCIENT METROPOLIS.—New Portage, in the early twenties, before the Ohio Canal had been projected, or the city of Akron ever dreamed of, was regarded of so much business importance, as to require the service of one or more lawyers, and here the late Van R. Humphrey (father of C. P. Humphrey, Esq., of Akron), afterwards, from 1837 to 1844, president judge of the Third Judicial District, embracing Ashtabula, Trumbull, Portage and Summit counties, first hung out his professional shingle. Simultaneously with the building of the Ohio Canal, in 1826, '27, a new impetus was given to the ancient metropolis, hitherto nearly all on the Norton side of the line. Here the late Jared Jennings (step-father of court-bailiff, Andrew McNeil) did, for many years, quite an extensive mercantile and commission business, another similar establishment being, also, carried on by a party whose name is not now remembered. A commodious hotel and other branches of business were also carried on, there being, 716 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY. later, at this point, quite an extensive business clone in the manufacture of friction matches, by Mr. George Strawhacker, still residing in the neighborhood. At the south end, also, in later year., Mr. Jacob Welsh, now of Colorado, besides selling merchandise and officiating as postmaster, carried on quite an extensive pottery, a similar establishment having also been carried on upon the canal, south of Summit Lake, between Akron and New Portage. Within the past few years, Akron capitalists, established an extensive strawboard and straw lumber manufactory, mammoth sewer pipe works and other important industries, upon the Norton side of the line, giving employment to a large number of men and teams; so that, with the store, postoffice, railroad stations' and other minor branches of business carried on there, New Portage 1, now enjoying a higher degree of prosperity, than for the past fortty years. JOHN BUCHTEL —born in Myers township, Center county, Pa., ember 6, 1797; came with parents November to Ohio 1816, settling in Coventry ; a few years later removing to Green township. January 18, 1821, he was married to Miss Catharine Richards, of Green township, who bore him five children—three daughters and two sons, the latter of whom, only, John R. and William, whose portraits appear elsewhere, are now living. Mr. and Mrs. Buchtel pluckily began their marital life in a log stable, until a more comfortable dwelling could be provided. After 13 years residence in Green, they sold their farm there and bought another in Coventry,where they happily lived for 41 years. In 1875, Mr. and Mrs. B. removed to a small place just north of Akron city limits' where Mrs. B. died July 9, 1882, aged 85 years. Mr. B., now in his 95th year, and still in possession of all his faculties, except good eyesight, is kindly cared for by his youngest son, William' at 807 East Market street. Mr. Buchtel has been a consistent member of the Evangelical church for nearly 50 years. In politics he was originally a Jackson Democrat, but on the breaking out of the slave-holders'' rebellion, became an earnest Republican, to the principles of which party he still gives a vigorous support. COVENTRY IN WAR.—There were, undoubtedly, quite a number of ex-Revolutionary soldiers and pensioners among the early settlers in Coventry, though only the names of Thomas Granger, Lambert Clement and John Harrington, as such, have been handed down. Nor are we much wiser in regard to the War of 1812, the only name falling under the eye of the writer, in that connection' being that of Peter Buchtel (grandfather of Messrs. John R. and William Buchtel, of Akron), though there must have been several other defenders of the frontier among her pioneer settlers, before, if not after, their coming thither. We are also entirely in the dark in regard to the Mexican War. But in the War of the Rebellion, Coventry, at first a little tardy, finally most gallantly woke up to her whole duty in the premises. Up to July 24, 1862, Coventry had been credited with 26 COVENTRY IN WAR - 717 recruits, but not responding so promptly to subsequent calls, was twice subjected to draft, her quota, under the first draft, October, 1862, being 69, the larger portion of whom were supplied by voluntary enlistments, or by procuring substitutes before the draft took place. In the second draft, her quota was one, only, which was, of course, speedily secured. This makes a total of 96, but many of the earlier enlistments being made outside of the townships where volunteers resided, the town where they belonged not always, receiving the proper credit therefor, it is safe to say that Coventry’s contribution to the Union army was fully one hundred men, the assessors' returns for the years 1863, '64, '65, giving the names of 84 of her volunteers as follows: JONATHAN H. BREWSTER —second son of James G. and Martha (Hassen) Brewster, among the earliest settlers of Coventry township, was born January 11, 1834; educated in district schools; raised a farmer, and now lives upon same farm upon which his grandparents, Stephen and Lydia (Bellows) Brewster settled in 1811. A portion of the farm being underlaid with coal, for a number ears the Brewster Brothers carried on quite extensive mining operations, and are now proprietors of the old original Wylie Flouring Mill elsewhere described in this chapter. They are also largely interested in the Buckeye and Summit Sewer Pipe Companies, (Mr. J. H. Brewster being president of the former and a director in the latter), the United States Stoneware Company, and several other industrial enterprises. In politics Mr. Brewster is a stanch Republican' and though his township is overwhelmingly Democratic, he was once elected justice of the peace, acceptably filling the office three years; was township real estate assessor for the year 1870, and also held the important position of county infirmary director three full terms (9 years) from 1866 to 1875, the last four years as president of the Board. Sylvester Adams, Christopher Beck (died in service), Urias H. Buchtel, Benjamin F. Buchtel, Ephraim Bellows, Daniel Boyer, Philip Burgy, W. F. Brown, William Buchtel, Henry Curtis, Harrison Crosier, Charles Clark, John W. Crosier, Alexander Campbell' James Crosier, Edwin N. Clough' Walter Clough, Peter Crosier' Freeman Cormany, Lorenzo Crosier, James S. Dickson, Jacob Foster, Edward Farr, Aaron Farr (died in service), Jacob Filtz' Daniel France, John Gougler, James Getz (died in service), James B. Haynes, James Head, William D. Haynes, Solomon Henline, John Holley, J. D. Heathman, George Heintz, William Havoc, John Huffman, William Hartong, William H. Jones (died in service), James Jones, David Kittinger, Levi Kittinger (died in service), William Leach, George Ley, John Ley, Samuel McCoy, Benjamin McCoy (died in service), John Male, Sr., Henry Mandebaugh, Adam K. Marsh, Ephraim Marsh, Michael McQueeney, Eli Moore, John Male' Jr., States A. McCoy, Henderson Mendenhall, Hiram Neil, 718 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY. Benjamin F. Pontious (died in service), Samuel Pipher, Jacob Rosenbaum (died in service), Freeman Robinson, Henry Robinson, L. B. Raber, Adam Rinehart, William Seigfried, Benjamin F. Stall' Charles Steese, J. Shaffer (died in service), Joshua Sellers (died in service), William Seigfried, Daniel Stetler (died in service), William H. Tooker, Charles G. Tooker, William L. Turner, Charles D. Tift, A. A. Triplett, Valentine Viers, Samuel Winkleman, Adam Weaver, Jonathan Weaver, Oliver Wagner (died in service), George Weyant, Elijah Yarnold, Abner H. Yonker. GEORGE W. BREWSTER,—fifth son of James G. and Martha (Hansen) Brewster, was born in Coventry, March 21, 1837; raised on farm, with common school education; in the middle fifties spent several years in California, on his return engaging with his four brothers, Stephen, Jonathan H., James G., Jr. and Hiram, in coal mining, and later in milling, manufacturing sewer pipe, stoneware, etc. Mr. Brewster was married, October 19, 1878, to Miss Marie L. Kent, daughter of Josiah and Lucia (Miller) Kent, pioneer settlers in Suffield, Portage county' who was born June 1, 1843. Four children have been born to them—Georgie Marie, born September 20' 1877: Hiram Wallace, born September. 27, 1879, died May 4, 1881; Arthur Kent, born December 20, 1880, and Bessie Bell, born December 20, 1883. During the War of the Rebellion the Brewster brothers were most liberal contributors to the various bounty and sanitary funds' and otherwise active in securing recruits for the Union army, and averting the draft. Though an active Republican from the organization of the party, Mr. Brewster has never sought office, but in 1890 the Republican County Convention voluntarily, and with great unanimity, placed him in nomination for coroner, to wliich responsible position he was duly elected for the term of two years, and is still ably serving. COVENTRY IN PEACE. HON. CHARLES SUMNER, father of Miss A. Louise Sumner, and brother of the late Julius A. Sumner, after a service of nine years in the same capacity in Portage county, was appointed by the Legislature of Ohio, one of the first associate judges of the new county of Summit, on its organization in 1840, and as all probate business was transacted by the Court of Common Pleas' mostly by the associate judges, Judge Sumner rendered very faithful and efficient service to the people of the new county up to the time of his death, June 19, 1845. JARED JENNINGS, an early and successful business man of New Portage, on the Coventry side of the line, was, in 1849, elected recorder of Summit county, filling that office very acceptably for the period of three years. AVERY SPICER, one of the most thorough-going and prosperous farmers of Coventry township, was, at sundry times, between 1849 and 1866, elected to the important office of Infirmary director, COVENTRY'S CIVIL SERVICE RECORD - 719 holding that position in all 13 years and 3 months, and it is no disparagement to others to say that Mr. Spicer was as competent ad faithful an overseer of the poor, as Summit county ever had. NOAH INGERSOLL, ESQ., father of Charles F. Ingersoll, of Akron, and George W. Ingersoll, of Coventry, besides serving two full terms, from 1859 to 1865, as justice of the peace, was the very careful and pains-taking coroner of the county for two consecutive from 1857 to 1861. INGERSOLL, NOAH Esq., —son of James and Mary (Hoyt) Ingersoll; born in Stanford, Dutchess county, N. Y., April 18, 1783; common school education; raised on farm; married to Miss Mary Stickels, April 3,1814; soon after marriage removed to Albion' Orleans county, N. Y., where he filled many important local official positions; in 1836 came to Ohio' settling on a farm in Copley, afterwards removing to Coventry, the last year of his life being spent in Akron' his death occurring April 7, 1870, Mrs. Ingersoll having passed away some five years earlier. Mr. Ingersoll ably served as justice of the peace for Coventry two consecutive terms-1859 to 1865, and was also elected coroner of Summit county in 1877, and re-elected in 1859' holding that important position two full terms, Mr. and Mrs. Ingersoll were the parents of seven children, five of whom are now living—Mrs. Eliza Folger' of Elyria; Mrs. Tamma Parmelee, of Kent; Miss Mary Ingersoll, of Akron, George W. Ingersoll, a farmer in Coventry and Charles F. Ingersoll, insurance and real estate agent, Akron; the oldest son, Walter, a resident of Detroit, dying in August, 1885, and a daughter, Caroline in June, 1842. In religion Mr. Ingersoll was a consistent Congregationalist; in politics a zealous Republican, and in social life, upright, affable and gentlemanly. JONATHAN H. BREWSTER, for three successive terms, of three years each' from 1866 to 1875, was a prompt, humane and efficient member of the Infirmary board, of which body he was president from 1868 to 1872. HON. JOHN R. BUCHTEL, besides serving his native township three years' from 1853 to 1859, as justice of the peace, was, in 1872, presidential elector for the 18th Congressional District, composed of Summit' Wayne, Medina and Lorain counties, casting his vote in the electoral college for Ulysses S. Grant for president, and Henry Wilson for vice president, though an ardent personal and denominational friend of Hon. Horace Greeley, who that year accepted a nomination at the hands of the Democratic party. Mr. Buchtel was also appointed by Governor Hayes one of the original direcors of the Ohio Agricultural College at Columbus, and was very active in planning and constructing the buildings, laying out the ;rounds and organizing that institution, while his liberal gifts to he college in Akron, which bears his name, his open-handed benevolence, his public spirit and indomitable enterprise are well known to all. 720 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY. HIRAM S. FALOR, born in Coventry, March 22, 1829, and now residing on a portion of the original family homestead, by appointment of council, served two years, 1853, '54, as assistant marshal of the incorporated village of Akron, also served as deputy sheriff' under Sheriff Seward, during the Parks murder trial in 1853-54; and from 1880 to 1884, faithfully and efficiently performed the responsible duties of messenger of the State treasury, in Columbus, during the administration of Treasurer Joseph Turney and retaining the position two months under "Uncle Jo's" Democratic successor, Hon. Peter Brady. LEVI ALLEN, JR. son of Levi and Phoebe (Spicer) Allen; among the earliest settlers in Coventry, was born in that township, July 28, 1824 ; raised on farm with common school education ; in 1850 went overland to California, where, with varied success at mining' merchandising, etc., he remained nearly 17 years. December 25, 1856, was married in Sacramento City, to Miss Mary E. Ware, born near Richmond, Va., March 24, 1830. Three children were born to them—Mary E. P., born August 16, 1858, now wife of Henry Stone, Esq., Denver' Colorado ; Albert W. H. and Alvin L. M. (twins), born September 12, 1862, Albert dying October 8, 1864, and Alvin January 8, 1865. Mrs. Allen dying June 9, 1866' Mr. Allen was again married, at Independence, Cuyahoga county, November 4, 1868, to Miss Cornelia Knapp, born in Cleveland, April 27, 1830. Two children have been born to them—Cornelia C. A., born January 13, 1871, and Albertina M. D., born May 14, 1872, both now students in Hiram College. Quiet and unostentatious, Mr. and Mrs. Allen' successfully cultivating the old homestead, are among the most substantial citizens of Coventry township, Mr. Allen, being in politics an earnest Republican, and both being members and liberal supporters of the first Disciples church in Akron' Mr. Allen having served as a member of the Coventry Board of Education some 12 or 14 years. JOSEPH C. HILL, appointed county commissioner on the death of Commissioner David C. Miller, in November, 1886, holding the office one year, to the general acceptance of his constituents. GEORGE W. BREWSTER was elected coroner of Summit county November, 1890, and is still serving. GROWTH, POPULATION, ETC.—In 1840, the population of the township was 1,308, rather over the average of the Reserve township of the new county, because, probably, of her contiguity to, the constituting a part of, the village of Akron. For a like reason she shows a larger proportionate increase than the general run of her neighbors, the census of 1880 giving her 2,305 inhabitants, exclusive of that portion lying within the city limits, and after contributing another large slice of territory in 1886, the census of 1890 still gives her a population of 2,309. INDIAN AND PIONEER TRADITIONS.-It would give the writer great pleasure to make individual mention of each of the pioneer residents of Coventry, and their wonderful experience with savage 721 - INDIANS AND INDIAN HUNTERS. beasts and savage men, were reliable data available and did space permit. These matters, however, have already been quite fully treated of by General Bierce and other history-mongers who have preceded me; and besides, the object of this work is more particularly to record certain important events—civil, criminal, military, etc.—during the past fifty or sixty years, though, of course, making occasional allusions to matters and things still more remote. There is a tendency, too, I fear, among local historians, to exaggerate; that is to say, the original story of prowess or adventures of the early settler, handed down from generation to generation, is not apt to lose any of its primitive Munchhausenish proportions by frequent repetition, while the. chronicler thereof is prone to add such embellishments as his own more or less lively imagination may suggest. Apropos of this, in the latter part of the 18th century, the region of the country about the lakes and the head-waters of the Tuscarawas, was inhabited by the powerful Delaware tribe of Indians' of which "Captain Pipe," as called by the whites, but whose Indian name was "Hopocan," was chief, or king, who is celebrated in history as the avenger of the slaughtered Moravian Indians at Gnadenhutten, in the early Spring of 1782, by the burning and torturing to death of Colonel William Crawford, on the upper Sandusky' in June of the same year, with which fearful episode the most of the readers of these sketches are probably familiar; Captain Pipe also being an alleged participant in compassing the historical defeat of Governor Arthur St. Clair, on the upper Wabash, in 1791. Though, on the advent of the early white settlers in Coventry, in 1806-11, a remnant of the Delawares still lingered, Captain Pipe had long since migrated to the "happy hunting grounds," and it does not appear that there was ever any serious trouble between the Indians and the whites, though possibly some " onpleaantnesses" might have resulted from a too free use of fire-water on both nedes of the color line. The blood-thirsty character, therefore, attributed to one Liverton Dixon, an early settler in Coventry, some of whose descendants probably still live in the township, may be properly regarded as largely apocryphal. A former historian represents him as "an early Indian hunter and fighter, between whom and the red-skins a deadly hatred existed which often led to the shedding of blood." Several specific instances of Indian killing, in cold blood' by Dixon, are reported, one as late as 1815. This, however, is scarcely probable, as, simultaneous with the breaking out of the War of 1812, the Indians of this vicinity entirely disappeared, as allies of the British troops, few of whom, if any, afterwards returned, none certainly as hostile to the resident and victorious white population. And as all the instances narrated purport to be based on the say-so of the said Liverton Dixon himself, though the writer would by no means undertake to impugn his veracity, justice to his memory, as well as to his descendants, would warrant the belief that a portion' at least, of the tales attributed to him,, were due more to his love of romance than to the actual perpetration of the specific acts of innate savagery they import. FABRICATORS OF THE "QUEER."—In the late twenties and early thirties, Coventry, like many contiguous towns, was more or less infected with the counterfeiting mania, and besides the well-known 46 722 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY. metallic operations of Jo. Keeler, elsewhere alluded to' illegitimate paper was also dealt in to a considerable extent. Thus, in the Spring of 1838, when the raid of the officers of Portage, Medina and Cuyahoga counties was made, one or more of the denizens of Coventry, were included in the arrests made, in speaking of which an Akron paper of the time says: " The Western Reserve Real Estate and Farmers' Bank is located near Lock One, south of New Portage, where a shanty is banking-house, tavern, meeting-house and village!' The " deposits " were taken possession of by the officers, but as it transpired that the parties arrested were not the real pro-, prietors of the plant, they were not proceeded against. Severa young men, in later years, got their fingers seriously scorched h dabbling in the "queer," but happily escaping from the toils of th law, and the evil influences by which they were " roped in," have since lived upright and honorable lives and are now among the most respectable citizens of the township. THE LEY-SWARTZ-THOMAS TRAGEDY.—On the night of Saturday, February 9, 1878, there occurred in the township of Coventry, one of those terrific and fatal affrays, so frequently incident to the excessive use of intoxicating liquors, and the holding of social dances at places where such intoxicating liquors are kept for sale; the fatal blow, too, in this instance, as so often happens, falling upon a' peaceable citizen, in no way participating in the affray. Near the Steese Coal Mines' in the middle southern portion of the township, were two or three saloons for the accommodation of thirsty miners and the bibulous farmers and farmers' sons of the neighborhood. One of these saloons was kept by one Peter Shaffer, a clever, good-natured German-American, who thought it no harm to "turn an honest penny'" by selling beer, whisky' etc. to his thirsty neighbors. Nor did he deem it at all reprehensible for him to give an occasional "shake down" in the dwelling portion of his establishment, with a view to such pecuniary benefits as might accrue from the sale of refreshments to the boys and girls in attendance. THE ORIGIN OF THE Row.--There seem to have been at least two classes, or factions, among the boys of the neighborhood' who were not on very friendly terms with each other, the enmity being particularly strong between Charles Ley and Samuel Pierce. On the night in question, the Ley party were having a social dance at Shaffer's, "Pete" himself being quite a skillful manipulator of the fiddle and the bow. Soon after• the festivities commenced' Piere came upon the scene. Getting into a wrangle with Charles Ley, the two went outside to " have it out." There' according to Ley's statement, he found that Pierce was backed up by two or three companions, all of whom he soon placed hors de combat, with a stove-poker, which he had thoughtfully taken along. Having thus "cleaned out" the crowd, Ley returned to the house' and the festivities were resumed. In a short time the Pierce crowd, now augmented in number to about fifteen, returned and commenced a furious attack upon the house with bricks, stones, clubs' etc., breaking in the windows, and, as was alleged, firing three or four shots through the door. Thereupon the Ley crowd, consisting of Charles Ley, Joseph Ley, Louis Ley and Wilson Swartz, arming themselves with poker, rolling-pin, and such other weapons as were available, sallied out, UNFORTUNATE HOMICIDE - 723 when a terrible conflict ensued, bricks, stones, clubs, billies' fence rails' etc., promiscuously filling the air, and inflicting serious wounds and bruises upon the heads, limbs and bodies of those engaged on both sides. In the meantime, a peaceable, law-abiding miner, by the name of Thomas Thomas, living near by, hastened to the spot to look after his own son, who had left home in company with the Pierce party. Coming within range of a club which Joseph Ley was plying promiscuously to the heads of the assailing party, Mr. Thomas received two fearful blows upon the head, felling him to tbe ground' and rendering him totally unconscious. On finding that Mr. Thomas did not rise, hostilities soon ceased, the injured man was removed to his home, and physicians sent for. The trepanning process temporarily restored Mr. Thomas to consciousness, his statement being that just as he was about to enter the door of the house, Joseph Ley struck him on the head with a slung-shot. Mr. Thomas soon again became insensible, in which condition he remained until February 14, when he expired. ARRESTED FOR MANSLAUGHTER.- Joseph Ley and Wilson Swartz were arrested on a warrant issued by Justice Henry Purdy, w ho held them both to bail in the sum of $2,000, each, for the crime of manslaughter, one witness testifying that after Mr. Thomas fell from the blow or blows at the hands of Ley, Swartz had struck him on the head with a piece of fence-rail. The respective fathers of the accused, Mr. George Ley and Mr. John Swartz, going bail for them, they were released from custody to await the action of the grand jury. At the May term of the Court of Common Pleas, 1878, the grand jury returned a true bill of indictment against both of the accused' charging them with the crime of manslaughter. To this indictment both entered a plea of not guilty, and, through their counsel, demanded separate trials. Ley was first arraigned for trial before Judge N. D. Tibbals and a traverse jury, constituted as follows: George F. Kent, George Daily, John Harter, W. H. Norton, W. A. Gaylord, A. V. Amerman' John. F. Perry, Timothy Erasmus, Harvey Warner, S. I). Miller, John M. Kim and Talmon Beardsley. The case was conducted' on the part of the State by Prosecuting Attorney E. W. Stuart, assisted by C. P. Humphrey, Esq., and on the part of the defense by H. C. Sanford, f. A. Kohler and George K. Pardee, Esqs. The trial commenced June 13, and ended June 17, resulting in a verdict of guilty, )ut with a plea from the jury for the sympathy of the court in behalf of the accused. Immediately on the rendition of the verdict, counsel for the defendant moved for a new trial on the grounds: 1st, that one of he jurors had formed and expressed an opinion previous to the rial; 2nd; that the verdict was not sustained by the evidence; 3rd, ;y reason of newly discovered evidence; 4th, for errors of law; 5th, verdict contrary to law; 6th, error of court in charging the jury. This motion, after full argument, pro and con, was overruled by Judge Tibbals, and young Ley was sentenced to three years' mprisonment in the penitentiary. Defendant's counsel then moved for a suspension of execution ,f the sentence, pending the application for a writ of error to the Supreme Court, which motion was also overruled by Judge 724 - AKRON AND SUMMIT COUNTY. Tibbals. A very long bill of exceptions, covering many pages of the record, was then prepared, which was duly signed by Judge Tibbals, though a hearing of the case was never had in the Supreme I Court, by reason of the early pardon of the defendant. Young Ley was conveyed by the writer, then serving as sheriff, to Columbus, on the 30th day of July, 1878, and was pardoned by Governor Bishop on the 6th day of the following November, after a service of three months and one week, only. TRIAL OF WILSON SWARTZ.-On the 27th day of June, 1878, the trial of Wilson Swartz, under indictment for Manslaughter' as above, was begun before the following jury: Washington M. Heffelman, David C. Gillett, Isaac B. Hargett, Curtis C. Wilcox, John G. Caskey, Josiah Williams, William C. Steele, Ezra Tyron, George W. Fairbanks, George C. Esty, Joseph M. Atkinson and Jonas Schoonover. Counsel for prosecution and defense same as in previous trial. The trial lasted three days, the jury returning a verdict of "not guilty of manslaughter, as charged in said indictment, but guilty of assault and battery." No exceptions to the verdict being taken by the defendant's counsel, Judge Tibbals immediately sentenced him to 30 days' imprisonment in the county jail, and the costs of the trial, and to stand committed until costs were paid, which sentence was duly carried into execution. A SPARTAN MOTHER.-While young Ley was awaiting transportation to Columbus, (30 days being allowed the sheriff in which to execute the sentence), a confidence operator by the name of Louis La Rock, who, a year later, was sent to the penitentiary for horse stealing, called on Mrs. George Ley, offering, for $30, to aid Joe to escape from jail. After hearing him through, Mrs. Ley opened the door, saying: "Now, young man, get right out of my house! If my boy escapes from jail he'll have to run away, and I may never see him again; but if he goes to Columbus, when he is released from the prison' there, he can come home and be my own good boy again as he always has been." COVENTRY'S PRESENT TOWNSHIP OFFICIAL STATUS (1891).—Trustees, Frank E. Reninger, John Rose and Solomon Warner; clerk, Simon P. Marsh; treasurer, William A. Warner; assessor, Thomas Conlin; justices of the peace, James L. Porter, Houston Kepler; constable, Gomer W. Thomas; township school board, sub-district No. 1, George W. Brewster; No. 2, N. R. Steiner; No. 3, James L. Porter; No. 5, Timothy Vaughn; No. 6, Samuel Kepler; No, 7, Charles Jaquith; No. 8, Elias Cormany; No. 9, Houston Kepler., No. 11, William Sours (president); No. 12, Allen Kiplinger; clerk, ex-officio, township clerk, Simon P. Marsh.