HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY - 425 early Baptists in Warren, but who lived in Brookfield, performed this ceremony. Rev. Thomas G. Jones, who was a neighbor of McMullin, together with his brother, Benjamin, was the first merchant in Brookfield. In 1802 he built a log cabin of two rooms. In one his family lived; in the other he kept his goods. The family room was in front and there was no outside door to the store room. The shelves were made of puncheon set on pegs driven into the logs. Customers walked through the family rooms to buy goods. Mr. Jones preached most of his sermons over the edge of Pennsylvania and he was the first preacher in Brookfield. The first tavern was kept by Constant Lake, one mile north of the center. Among the early settlers following Mr. McMullin were Mr. Chatfield, Judge Hughes, Constant Lake, Ethan Newcomb, John Briggs, and Benjamin Bentley. The latter built the first frame barn of which there is any account. All records in regard to Brookfield mention this barn, but some note that it took three days to raise it, that two hundred men were present to assist, and that two barrels of whiskey were consumed. This seems a rather large story. The township was organized in 1810 and the first election took place at the house of Constant Lake for the purpose of electing township officers. William Cunningham, Anthony Patrick, and John D. Smith were chosen trustees. The names of Bartholomew, Humason, Fowler, etc., are still familiar in the township. The first death was that of Mrs. Henry Gandy. Her body was not interred in the cemetery, but at f he edge of the woods. The first justice of the peace was Judge Hughes, who was the land agent for Judge Samuel Hinckley till about 1820. The early roads were made of logs and rails. The first saw mill and grist mill, Judge Hughes built about the year 1808. Many of the settlers, before 1830, came from Hubbard and other townships below Brookfield. A little later, a number of the Brookfield settlers, and many of the sons of the settlers moved to Youngstown and were identified with its history. Brookfield was one of the townships in which coal was found, and one blast furnace was erected there for the making of iron in 1836. It was erected near the center. There was a foundry connected with it. The ore was obtained in Hub- 426 - HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY bard, and charcoal was used for smelting. It was never financially a success although it had many different owners. The Indians encamped often along Big Yankee Run as they did along the streams in many parts of the county. The Indian boys and the white boys used to play together, and although the white boys could throw the Indian boys in wrestling the Indians could distance them in running. The only time the settlers had trouble with them was when they went into Pennsylvania and returned with plenty of whiskey. Between the '60s and the '80s farming communities paid a good deal of attention to agricultural fairs, and Brookfield had one of the very best of the associations in the county. The first schoolhouse, of course, was of logs and stood on Big Yankee Run. The first teacher was Lois Sanford, of Connecticut. David Shepard was one of the early school teachers, teaching southeast of the center. Jacob Humason's school was on the west side of the "green." Humason had been a merchant before coming to Vienna and was a very good teacher. These schools, of course, soon gave way to district schools. In the beginning the townships of Vienna and Brookfield had elections in common. The Presbyterian church, which was early organized, was situated at the center of Vienna. In 1816 the people of Brookfield organized a church under the direction of Rev. James Satterfield, of Mercer. He acted under authority of the Hartford presbytry. The call for the organization of this church was signed by Robert Hughes, Jacob Ulp, Mathew Thompson, James Montgomery, James Kerney, Robert Montgomery and John Laferty. Martha, the wife of James Montgomery, Martha, the wife of Robert Hughes, Sarah, the wife of Mathew Thompson, Jane Montgomery, James Kerney, Elizabeth, the wife of Jacob Ulp, Abigail Lafferty, Mary Lafferty, and her daughter, May, Anne Lafferty and her daughter, Anne, and Nancy Lafferty were the members forming this church. In 1817 a frame building was erected, Isaac Flower making the nails by hand. This stood near the present cemetery. In 1818 Rev. John Core was ordained at Youngstown and became the minister of Vienna and Brookfield. In 1818 the three men who first signed the call, Hughes, Ulp and Thompson, were elected elders. Rev. James Anderson was the pastor in 1833, and built up the church by his activity. This church, in 1837, had the same disturbance which many churches of the same denomination had at HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY - 427 about the same time. Younger and newer people wished to adopt new methods and older people disapproved. In Greene this division was known as "old lights" and "new lights," in Brookfield as "old school" and "new school." The majority of the Brookfield church remained with the "old school." In 1843 Rev. Joseph Smith officiated and admitted sixteen members. In 1845 Rev. Ward became the pastor. His administration was popular to the congregation. After five years' service he was succeeded by Rev. Jacob Coon. Rev. H. Weber followed him in 1853. In 1854 the congregation had sixty-two members. Rev. N. B. Lyons was the pastor in 1860, Rev. C. S. Rice in 1866, Rev. W. C. Falconer, 1868. The church soon after that began to decline and regular preaching was discontinued until 1871, when a revival in the Methodist church awakened the people of Vienna. Meetings were held in the houses of the members and the church was repaired. In 1873 the congregation only numbered twenty. Rev. J. R. Stockton became the pastor. The Christian church of Brookfield was organized in 1874, The charter members were Jesse Hoagland, Henry Patterson, A. Tayler, R. S. Hart, H. Hamilton, J. W. Groves, S. C. Hamilton, Susan Groves, Mary and Flora Tayler, Lucy Struble, Caroline Seaburn, Mary Groves, Mary A. Toward, Catherine, Hannah and Carrie Jones, E. A. Clark, Mary Christie, Emily, Kate and 0. Hart, Elsie Mason, G. W. and Sarah Burton, J. and Mary McMullin, 0. J. and Hester Burnett, Mystilla Jones, L. and Mary Randell, A. and Esther McCollum, Emily Patterson, Lorain Hatch, Elnora Day, James Haney, and Lavinia Montgomery. In 1876 the present church was erected. Before that, meetings were held in the town hall. CHAPTER XXXIII.—BRISTOL. GERMAN SETTLERS.-BAUGHMAN, SAGER AND BARBE.-SCHOOLS. MENNONITE AND OTHER RELIGIOUS ORGAN- IZATIONS.-TEMPERANCE. Alfred Wolcott, for the Connecticut Land Company, surveyed No. 6, range 4, which was called Bristol for his home town. For the services of surveying he was given three hundred and fifty acres of land and he erected thereon a log cabin at the center of the township. He, however, did not remain very long, and the first actual settler was Abraham Baughman, who brought his family in 1804, settled on a creek which was afterwards named for him. His cabin stood about a mile east of the center and three-fourths of a mile from the north line of the township. He was elected one of the first trustees of the township and erected a saw mill and grist mill in 1806 near his home. He ran these mills as long as he lived in the township. William Sager, of Shenandoah, Virginia, with his family arrived in Bristol in 1805. He was one of the early Germans of the Reserve. The first night spent in Bristol was with his sister, Elizabeth, Mrs. Abraham. Baughman. Mr. Baughman, with his two sons, started out to cut a road a mile and a half long to Mr. Sager's land. Mr. Sager, his wife and one child were obliged to sleep in their wagon for some time. He, however, built his log cabin which was constructed as they all were, and when he had one floor finished lie moved in. That year they had born to them a son, Jacob, who was the first white child born in Bristol. Later they had six other children. These children were afterwards substantial citizens of the township and the county. Rebecca married Mr. Hyde of Farmington. Mr. Sager's father, Gabriel, was a Mennonite. He came to Bristol in 1810. His son, Samuel, came in 1811 and stayed five years, when he removed to Beaver county, Pennsylvania. Two of his daughters married Baughmans, and two - 428 - HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY - 429 Barbes. The Baughman families did not stay very long in Bristol, but the Barbes are among the substantial citizens there now. William Barbe also came from Shenandoah county and both he and John had large families of children. Margaret Barbe married Mr. Parker of Bristolville, Barbara, Mr. Thayer of North Bristol, and Elizabeth, Mr. Norton. It will be seen then that the early settlers of Bristol were Germans, and some of the German characteristics still adhere to their descendants. Bristol settled very slowly. It was midway between the north and the south, both of which developed fast. It was not until the turnpike was constructed, and supplies could be secured more easily that the township began to fill up. Gabriel Sager taught the first school in the winter of 1810-11. His pupils being his relatives and friends, his lessons all being said in German. Two years later the first English school was held in a log cabin about a quarter of a mile north of Bristolville. The teacher was Seth I. Ensign. Two years later the daughter of Rev. Joseph Badger, Lucy, taught school in a cabin near Bristolville. The first schoolhouse was erected at North Bristol in 1812 by William Barbe, Samuel and William Sager. At a very early time there was a log schoolhouse at Bristolville. As a rule German school teachers were ministers, and vice versa. Gabriel Sager, who taught the first school, organized the first church. He was a Mennonite, and, like all the followers of Menno, he did not believe in infant baptism, and refused to take oath of any kind to hold office, or to support the state in war. Some of the organizations believed in the washing of feet. Members of this section are now found in the Netherlands, Germany, Russia, but are numerous in the United States. The services were held in Mr. Sager's house. The society did not grow greatly, never erected a church building, and disbanded after their leader's death. What was true in many other townships in old Trumbull County was true in Bristol. v They had a society of Bible Christians whose first preacher was Rev. John Cheney. Meetings were held in schoolhouses, homes, and newly built barns, about 1818. Among the members of this organization were Deacon Abijah Lee and his wife of Farmington. Most of the members of this class later became Disciples. 430 - HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY At different times the Baptists, both Calvinists and Free Will, had small organizations within the township. In 1817 Rev. Giles H. Cowles, Abial Jones and Joseph Treat organized a Presbyterian church for both Bristol and Bloomfield. This was not only for both towns but both Congregationalists and Presbyterians had advantage of it. After a while the name Bloomfield was dropped and the church was known as the Presbyterians and Congregationalists church of Bristol. The question of slavery which disrupted so many churches had its effect on this organization and it withdrew from the presbytery. After some of the older members had died, and the question of slavery was settled this church was attached to the Congregational system. The first standing moderator of the church was John Barnes. He and Lyman Ferry made the church committee, and Rollard Dutton was the first clerk. Among the early preachers were the Rev. Mr. Cole, Jones, Curtis, Leslie and Miller. The first church belonging to this combination of Presbyterians and Congregationalists was erected by the Presbyterians. The next was a two-story frame building and was built on the town land of the village near the old graveyard. In 1847 a comfortable church was dedicated. Although the early history of the Methodist churches in old Trumbull County is exceedingly interesting because of the personnel of the early circuit riders, very little history is preserved in regard to them. This was due to the fact that the ministers moved often, even when they had a charge, and most of them were itinerant. In 1818 Rev. Ira Eddy formed a class in Bristol. John Norton and wife, John Hammond and wife, Magdalena and Hannah Kline were the six members. The meetings of this early class, like the beginnings of most all churches, were held in schoolhouses, houses and barns. Sometimes there would be a deserted cabin which would be used. This was true of Bristol. When a two-story schoolhouse was built the meetings were held there and about the time the Presbyterian church was constructed the Methodists built a church also. In 1881 this house was remodeled, Mrs. Dr. Brockett giving $1,000 toward this work. This church is at present in a prosperous condition. The members of the Bible Christians, who became Disciples, attended services in Bloomfield, but in 1868 Rev. J. N. Smith and Rev. N. N. Bartlett organized a Disciple church with Hiram Thayer and A. A. House as overseers. Jacob Sager Sr., HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY - 431 the first white child born in the county, was one of the deacons. This society immediately set about building a church which cost $2,000. Rev. N. N. Bartlett was the first pastor, Rev. Edwin Wakefield preached one year, and his son, Rev. E. B. Wakefield, took charge of the congregation in 1874. Under his leadership the church grew and he divided his time between Bloomfield and Bristol. At one time there was a Society of Dunkards in Bristol but it never thrived. The early settlers of Bristol hoped to make use of the Grand river as a highway, but the stream was shallow, full of underbrush and logs, and except at very high water, when it was almost impossible to draw loads to the river, it was not navigable. Produce was carried to Painesville by the Sagers and Baughmans, but it was found too laborious to be remunerative. It is supposed that men of some sort resided in Bristol before the early settlers here mentioned. On William Sager's place, when he determined to clean out a spring for his well, he found it had been stoned up by somebody who had preceded him. In plowing he found black earth which was of the nature of charcoal. His son, Joseph, as a boy, when digging in the dirt, found some earthen vessels. From this evidence it was concluded that somebody at some time made pottery on this Sager farm. Indians were very often, in the early days, at Bristol, but nothing could be learned from them in regard to the pottery, and if it was the work of red men, it was some other red men than those with whom the settlers were familiar, since they were not handy with tools, or given to labor. Baughman's creek was so full of fish when the early settlers arrived that they furnished a large part of the food and quantities of them were salted. As narrated in some of the other townships, and in the general history, the temperance agitation began at an early date by men and women in different sections refusing to serve whiskey at raisings, and in women refusing to drink wine at weddings, but so far as we know, Bristol is the first town which took on the crusade method. In 1858 we read "A week or two since fifty women and a party assembled and made an attack on the grocery of one Miller; some dragged the proprietor out of doors, and held him down, while others knocked in the head 432 - HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY of his eider, whiskey, vinegar, and rum barrels. Miller has commenced a suit against them." Lyman Potter, the first justice of the peace, performed the marriage service for Jacob Baughman and Barbara Good. It was the first marriage in the township. Mr. Potter kept the first tavern. Emmet Moore, who died of consumption in 1810, was the first adult person buried in the township burying-ground at the center. CHAPTER XXXIV.—CHAMPION. THE RUTAN FAMILY.—A PET DEER.—WILLIAM WOODROW.— MRS. WALKER'S EXPERIENCE WITH A BEAR.—EARLY SCHOOL TEACHERS.—CHURCHES. Township 5, range 4, was named Champion for Henry Champion, of Connecticut, who was land agent for this section of the country. A few families came to the township about 1800, settling in the southern part of the township. They paid $2.50 per acre for their land. Because of the growth of Warren, the owners of this property thought it was likely to increase also and raised the price to $10.00. For this reason the town was one of the last to be settled. It has never been very thickly settled and the land on the western border is heavy with clay. The first settler was named Nichols. He stayed but a little time and no record can be had of him. The first permanent settler was William Rutan, who came in 1806. His wife was Hannah Lane, of Bellvernon, Pennsylvania. Mr. Rutan and his family have been among the prosperous and influential people of Champion. He intended to settle in Warren, but after staying there a year concluded to move onto the rolling country at the north. There were two children, Catharine, who was born in Pennsylvania, and Henry L., born in Warren. Mr. Rutan's log cabin was the first residence built in the township by a permanent settler. Indians camped between Warren and the Rutan cabin, in and about the woods, which until a few years ago, when the trees were removed, has been chosen for camps when white men wish to camp, and by gypsies who cared to make a stop in the vicinity of Warren. The Indians were always friendly, but they stole chickens and teased for supplies. In 1835 Catharine Rutan married Solon Gilson and died a few months later. She and her mother, naturally companions Vol. I-28 - 433 - 434 - HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY able, had been drawn into close relationship by their pioneer life, and in less than a year the mother died. William Rutan married, then, Rebecca Shield Guy, of Boardman. She was born in West Virginia, her father was a slave holder, but when he saw that slavery was wrong he freed his men. One old colored man refused to be freed and came north with the family. The second Mrs. Rutan had a daughter, Mary Guy, and a little time after Mary Guy came with her mother into the Rutan family, Henry L. Rutan, the remaining child, married her. Thus the family was doubly connected. The oldest daughter of Henry Rutan, Hannah, says that when her mother first came to Champion she caught a young fawn which had strayed from the woods into the fields. It soon became a gentle pet. It would often go into the woods, play with the young deer, but if anything frightened it, ran home bouncing over the fences, and rushing into the family bedroom, where it felt safe. One day a hunter killed it, and when he found the bell around its neck, knew it was Mary's deer, and brought the bell home to her with many apologies. The home of the Rutans was built in 1820 and is yet in excellent repair. Hannah married John Crawford, the artist, and when she became a widow, returned from Warren to Champion, where she spent the rest of her days. Her daughter, Mrs. Burton Gray, resides in Boston. Martin Luther Rutan and Mary still reside in this old home, which has held five generations of happy people. Soon after William Rutan settled in Champion, William Woodrow and his wife, Martha Smith, bringing their two children, came from Westmoreland, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Woodrow rode on horseback and carried her son, about two years and a half old, in her arms. Besides this load, the horse had saddlebags packed with household articles. Mr. Woodrow walked, drove two cows, carried a knapsack on his back in which was his six-month old son. They had shipped their goods to Pittsburg to be transferred to Beaver, where' they would be brought to Warren and thence to Champion. Mr. Woodrow had been in Champion the year before and had built a cabin which stood about where the present Presbyterian church stands. They had nine children, seven boys and two girls, all except one of whom reached adult age. The two youngest were twins, called Calvin and Alvin. In 1828 Mr. HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY - 435 Woodrow erected the family homestead, which still stands and is in good condition. It was made of bricks which were manufactured in the vicinity. The Rutan and Woodrow families were very closely connected. When the man of one of the households was away, the wife of that house took her babies and spent the night in the home of the others. Although the Indians seemed always friendly, the women were more or less afraid of them. William Woodrow was more or less of a joker, as were his descendants, and, one night when his wife and babies were staying at the Rutan house, he came home in the evening and, taking on the Indian way, crept stealthily up to the porch, opened the door, and grabbed Mr. Rutan, to the horror of the women and the children, and probably Mr. Rutan as well. In looking over the records of Champion we find the history of these two families interwoven. The two sons, Henry Rutan and Smith Woodrow, were both great, hunters. The first election was held at the house of William Woodrow. He was one of the township clerks. William Rutan was one of the trustees. In the formation of the Presbyterian church, Mr. Rutan and Mr. Woodrow were alternately appointed commissioners to 'different meetings of the presbytry to make arrangement for the establishment of a church. William Rutan built the first frame house in the township ; William Woodrow built the first brick. The Woodrow children married and settled largely in this part of the country. William Smith Woodrow, commonly known as Smith, married Eunice L. bolts of Massachusetts. An old lady who attended the Presbyterian church in Warren said that Mr. and Mrs. Smith Woodrow were the handsomest couple that ever walked into the Presbyterian church. As a good share of their life was spent in Warren, their history is given under that town. John Woodrow married Polly Cox of Bristol and lived and died on the Champion state road. Nelson, the son, lived upon his father's place on the State road. Morgan married Mary Cleveland, lived for a time in Warren, and went to Michigan, where he died. Mary married John Ewalt.. of Howland. He moved to Pittsburg. Henry lived and died upon the old place in Champion. He had three wives, all of whom belonged to old and distinguished 436 - HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY families in Trumbull County. His first wife was Lydia Wolcott, a connection of Mrs. John M. Stull; his second wife was Neviah Elwell, a sister of the well known "Father" Elwell of Warren; and the third, was Fannie Estabrook, who is a half-sister of Miss Mary Estabrook, now residing in Warren. Mr. and Mrs. Woodrow died within twenty days of each other. Polly Woodrow married a Mr. Lane, of Lordstown. In 1816 John Chambers and his wife, Mary Imlay, came to live in Champion. Mary died in 1829, leaving seven children, three of whom were girls. John married for a second wife Rachel Laird Morrison, a daughter of James Laird, and so good a stepmother was she that all these seven children loved her dearly. One of these daughters, Hannah, the school teacher, married William Laird of Mesopotamia. Eliza married Joseph Pierce, and was greatly beloved by all the children of the township. Mary married Edward Pierce in 1856, and lived all her life within a mile of her birthplace. Andrew Donaldson was a neighbor of William Rutan, living there twenty years. In 1826 the four families mentioned above were the only families living in Champion. Edward Pierce, of Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, was the first of the second set of emigrants. He came to Champion in 1828. The family settled in a weaving house where the Woodrow girls spun and wove the clothing for their large family. As soon as their log cabin was done, they entered it and lived there a long time. Another of the early families was that of the Dursts. They, too, were Pennsylvanians, and they, too, had large families. Their goods were loaded onto a big wagon and on this Mrs. Durst and her little children rode while the older children and Mr. Durst walked. Up to 1829 almost all of the settlement of Champion was in the southern part. James Walker and his wife, Margaret Cowen, made the first settlement in the northeastern part of the township. Mr. Walker and his brother, Samuel, made a road five miles long running from their farm to Red Run. While this was being done Mrs. Walker stayed at the cabin, taking care of the children and the animals. This was quite a care since at that time there were no doors in their cabin and the wild animals could easily enter the first floor. Usually Mrs. Walker took her children up into the loft and dragged the ladder after her. As this second story was never very high it was not a comfortable place HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY - 437 to spend the night. One night there was a great disturbance about the enclosure where a cow and calf was kept. The next morning she found a bear had been trying to breakfast upon one or both of the animals. She could see the prints of his feet. She started on its tracks and saw that it had entered a hollow tree. She returned to the house, secured fire and kindlings, made a fire at the foot of the cavity, and burned both tree and bear. In 1834 Mr. George Boerstler came from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and bought the farm which had been owned by Andrew Donaldson. His wife died before he left Pennsylvania, and his daughter Margaret looked after his household until 1837, when Mr. Boerstler married Mrs. Bronstetter of Austin-town. Although she was born in America, she never spoke anything but German. One of the important residents of Champion, Mr. Jacob H. Baldwin, was born in New York in 1792, removed to Boardman in 1811, was married to Florinda Waller, of Palmyra, in 1815. They had fourteen children, thirteen .of whom married; two, Mrs. Emily Hyde of Bristol, who now lives with her granddaughter in Amherst, Massachusetts, and Lucy W. Murdock, of Warren, alone survive. Matilda married a Mr. Adgate of the early Adgate family of Warren; Julia married Mr. Stanhope of the old Stanhope family of Kinsman; Rebecca married a Mv. Meachan of Kinsman. In 1816 the family moved from Boardman to Youngstown, where Mr. Baldwin was in partnership with his uncle, Eli Baldwin. In 1819 he was appointed collector of taxes and visited every taxpayer in the county. In 1820 he was appointed to take the census of Trumbull County. In 1821 he was county auditor and served seventeen years. In 1840 he was appointed appraiser of real estate and he visited every farm in the county personally and appraised all small lots in towns and villages. In 1834 he built a large house in Champion and moved his family there. In 1842 he was elected a member of the legislature; 1844 he was presidential elector, casting his vote for Clay and Frelinghuysen. He lived the greater part of his life in Champion but moved to Kinsman in 1867, where he lived ten years. In his middle life he probably knew more people in Trumbull County than any other one man. One of the sweetest women who ever lived in Champion was Sally Porter. She was born in an ox-sled on the way to 438 - HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY Clarion county, Pennsylvania. Here her childhood was spent. She married John Rayen in 1834 and moved to Champion. She had four daughters, Mrs. Margaret Parmalee, Mrs. James Rayen, Mrs. Benjamin Leach, and Mrs. J. H. McEwen. The two former live in Cleveland, and the latter in Youngstown. When Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pierce left Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, for Champion, their friends believing they had taken their lives in their hands, said goodbye to them forever. Five years later Mrs. Pierce returned to Pennsylvania with her daughter Martha riding behind her on horseback. W. L. Pierce was long a Champion citizen. Among the later people who lived in Champion were : Mrs. Sarah Russell Packard, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Osborne, Mr. and Mrs. John M. McCombs, Mr. and Mrs. Peter Musser, Mr. and Mrs. Jonas Huber, Mr. and Mrs. John Price, Mr. and Mrs. Barnard Lenny, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Elliott, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Determan. Because Champion had so few settlers, it was a good hunting ground for Warren sportsmen. Turkey, deer, wolves and bear were laid low, to the gratification of the hunter as well as the settler. The first road in Champion was the one built by Turhand Kirtland and the next one was the Warren-Ashtabula turnpike, to which we have referred so often. This latter was a toll road. The first term of school in Champion was taught by Catharine Church in 1815. The first schoolhouse was a log one which stood south of the residence of William Woodrow. There were too few families in Champion in the early days to make a school prosperous or hardly possible. In 1829 or '30 a brick schoolhouse was erected opposite the Presbyterian church, where the frame schoolhouse later stood. A school was taught in William Woodrow's shop previous to the erection of the brick schoolhouse. Hannah Chambers was one of the first school teachers, although it is not certain whether she ever taught in Champion or not. Lena Kyle, who lived in Kinsman, taught school in Champion in 1836. She received $18 and her board for five months' teaching. Mrs. Harper, when she was Sally Wilson, Mrs. Rutan, and Mrs. Shelden, were also teachers. Churches in Champion have never been as well supported and attended as the churches of the other townships, because HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY - 439 of the few settlers, and the nearness of the township to Warren. In 1838 Mr. William Rutan attended the meeting of the presbytery at Slippery Rock to state the desire of Champion people for a church. Rev. William O. Stratton, the father of Mrs. Homer C. Reid of Warren, was appointed to preach at Champion and consult with the people there. After careful investigation, Mr. Stratton thought the time was hardly right for perfecting an organization. The next year Mr. William Woodrow went on the same errand to the same body, then assembled at New Lisbon. This time the congregation was taken under the presbytery's care. In a few months Rev. William McCombs was appointed to minister over this congregation for one-fifth of the time. Mr. Rutan and Mr. Woodrow kept up their interest in this church matter until the church was established with fifteen members, most of them being from the Rutan, the Woodrow and the Pierce families. In 1842, the first house of public worship was erected, and stands south of the center on the turnpike road. Rev. J. S. Dickey is the only regular pastor this church has ever had. In 1848 the Methodist church was organized. Eight men and their families were charter members. A spot of land for the church and for the burying ground, on the state road, near the west line of the township, was given by George Ross, and a house was erected. During the war, the church was reduced in numbers and in 1870 preaching was no longer had. It belonged to the Southington circuit. About the time they ceased to have a regular preacher, meetings were held in the town house at the center and in 1870 a church was built and furnished at the cost of $2,200. In the beginning there were thirty-five members and the church was dedicated in 1875. At one time there was a church of the denomination of United Brethren. Their meetings were held at the northeast corner of Champion, adjoining Bazetta. At first there was a small church, and in 1878 a better one was built. Champion has three cemeteries, one hear the Presbyterian church on the turnpike, the other by the Methodist church mentioned above, and one at the center, which is oldest, having been purchased by the township in 1840. The first interment here was the body of Caroline A postoffice was established in Champion in 1850. John Harper was the postmaster, and after his time Stephen Kim- 440 - HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY ball. This was never a profitable office and the residents of Champion got their mail for many years at Warren. When the Ashtabula & Pittsburg Railroad was built a little postoffice was maintained, but now the residents have rural free delivery. CHAPTER XXXV.—FARMINGTON. ORIGINAL OWNERS AND NAME.-THE WOLCOTTS.-TAFTSVILLE.- MRS. JAMES STULL.-LEE FAMILY.-THE HYDES.-OTHER PIONEERS.-CHARLES A. DANA.-SCHOOLS.-FARMINGTON ACADEMY.-SUBSCRIPTION LIST FOR PREACHER.- CHURCH SOCIETIES. Range 5, township 6, which has occupied an important place in Trumbull County's history, from 1811 to 1817 was called Henshaw. Among the eleven owners of this township were Ebenezer King Jr., and John Leavitt Jr.; also, Samuel Henshaw. This property changed hands several times and finally most of it belonged to Solomon Bond. Samuel Henshaw was one of the original owners, and Luther Henshaw superintended and directed the survey of the township. Whether the name was given for both these men, or for only one, is not known. It is supposed that the name "Farmington" was given this township by E. P. Wolcott, who, before coming to Trumbull County, lived in Farmington, Connecticut, the home of his wife, Clarissa. Some accounts credit Dennis Lewis of Bristol, Connecticut, with naming the town. At any rate it was named for Farmington, Connecticut. David Curtis and Captain Lewis Wolcott were the first settlers. They came in 1806. The first women to come were Mrs. Elizabeth Curtis, Mrs. Anna Ledyard Curtis, and Mrs. Elihu Moses. These women all left comfortable homes and took up the usual hard life of pioneer women. Very little has been preserved in regard to them or their early home life, but it was undoubtedly the same as that endured by the women of the other townships. Lewis Wolcott, his descendants and connections made their impress upon the township. They had large families, they were good citizens, and the name is always connected with the township. Wolcott and Curtis walked all the way from Connecticut, - 441 - 442 - HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY carrying their clothing and needed articles in a knapsack. Wolcott stopped in Vienna a year, working for Joel Humiston. When these two men arrived in Farmington, they did what the first arrivals did in all townships, chose a spot (where Mr. Kibbee's house so long stood in West Farmington), stuck some poles in the ground, put bark on the top and made themselves a house. Josiah Wolcott, of Wethersfield, settled in the town of Bristol, Connecticut, in 1800. Solomon Bond, above referred to, set forth the glories of the New Connecticut in such a way as to persuade him to buy a thousand acres of land in the township of Farmington. In the winter of 1806-07, he, his brother Theodore, his son Horace, and his nephew Lewis, with Gad Hart, visited their new land, and constructed a log cabin, where they passed the winter. They suffered a good many hardships and encountered dangers. The straw with which they filled their bunks, they got in Mesopotamia, and the forest was so dense without paths of any kind running direct, that they followed the old Indian path towards Warren, from Mesopotamia, until they reached the Grand river, and then turned north reaching their home on the ice. Mr. Wolcott returned to New England in the summer. He had a most fatiguing journey. His horse died in Pennsylvania, and he had to walk the rest of the way. However, lie succeeded in returning with his family to a cabin which Horace, his son, had erected during his absence. He took great pride in the fact that he had floors, a loft, doors, and other extravagant (?) things. However, when the women of the family, with the houses in their home town plain in their mind, arrived in the wilderness and saw this humble hut, it was impossible not to show wet eyes. In 1808 Horace married Sabrina Tracy and had nine children, his wife dying in 1865 and he in 1873. The Wolcott family was a mixed one. Both Mr. and Mrs. Wolcott had been previously married. Each had three daughters. Mrs. Wolcott's children were named Higgins. She was a rather unusual woman'. Her father had been a sea-captain and he had brought her many beautiful presents from foreign countries, and she had received a practical education at his hand. These women, therefore, were ill prepared for the hardships awaiting in the wilderness. Mrs. Wolcott's first husband, Dr. Higgins, was a surgeon in the Revolutionary war. From the "Memorial to the Pioneer Women of the Reserve" we quote : HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY - 443 "He was a courtly gentleman, resplendent in lace frills, jeweled knee buckles, and powdered wig. Equally fine in stiff brocade, slippers and fan, was his wife Nancy. She brought with her to her home in the forests of the Reserve, Boston-made gowns and other wearing apparel which show her to have had dainty taste and a fine figure. * * * * * * After her death these long unused gowns were divided among her daughters and are still in the hands of. her descendants." She died in 1824 and Mr. Wolcott married the third time. This wife was a Mrs. Brown, of Warren. He seems to have had a fondness for widows, and his family largely consisted of daughters. The last child, that of the third marriage, was named Nancy, the name of his second wife. Josiah Wolcott early recognized the fact that one of the most needed things in this new country was a mill. The nearest points where grain could be ground were Garrettsville and Bristol. He made three attempts to build one before he was successful. E. P. Wolcott, the son of Josiah, who spent most of his life in Farmington, held several positions of trust, and died in 1881. Captain Erastus was the fourth son of Josiah and Lydia Wolcott. He was only eight years old when his father came to Farmington. He married Almira Hannahs, of a well known Nelson family. He was captain of the state militia in 1825. His wife died in 1865 and the following year he married Celestia Worrell, whose first husband was John Worrell. He died the following year. Charlotte, a daughter of Josiah Wolcott, who married William Smith, was for years the only milliner in the township. Theodore Wolcott became a permanent citizen of Farmington in 1814. His wife was Rhoda Goodrich; he had nine children. He lived to be seventy-three, his wife eighty-eight. His oldest son, Lewis, was well remembered by the business men of the present time. He was the father of O. L. Wolcott, and of Mrs. Florilla Wolcott Stull. 0. L. Wolcott was born in 1823, married Martha F. Kibbee of the Kibbee family of the township. Both Mr. and Mrs. Wolcott have died within the last few years. Their children living are Ella H. (Mrs. Chamberlain), Emma A. (Mrs. Millikin), Carrie F. (Mrs. Peters), 444 - HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY Grace L. (Mrs. Smith), and Frank B. Mr. Wolcott served four years as county auditor, taking his seat in 1859; served two years as commissioner of railroads and telegraphs; became cashier of the Trumbull National Bank (now Western Reserve) in 1884. He was greatly respected in his home town and took a proper place in the business life in Warren upon his removal to the county seat. No woman in Warren was better beloved, did more for philanthropy and church, than did Florilla Wolcott, the wife of John Stull. Her deeds are referred to in several places in the Warren history. She was an ideal wife and mother. Her husband, John M. Stull, although much more delicate of constitution than she was, survived her many years. Their daughter, Minnie (Mrs. A. F. Harris), resides in the Stull homestead on Mahoning avenue, and has devoted a goodly part of her time the last few years to the maintaining of the Public Kindergarten. She has one son, Stull .Harris. Gad Hart moved his family to Henshaw in 1807 and lived in the cabin which the first settlers had constructed. It stood where the Wolcott store stood so many years. In 1815 Orin Taft and Daniel settled on the State road, and after a few other families had congregated near them, the settlement became known as "Taftsville." From 1816 to 1820, the postoffice was there and Daniel Taft was the first postmaster. The Tafts were influential people. The wife of Daniel was Mary Humphrey. She arrived in Youngstown with her people, in 1800. Her sister Kezia taught the first school (or one of the first) in Youngstown. Mrs. Henry Taft was Lamira Kirkham, sister of Samuel Kirkham, the author of "Kirkham's Grammar." Sarah J. Hart, one of the sisters of the well known Hart brothers, married Taft and by this marriage two of the old families of Farmington were united. Mrs. Taft has been one of the most .energetic women of Farmington. She was an officer in the Ohio Woman Suffrage Association in the '80s, and has always been interested in temperance work. Mrs. James Stull was from Glasgow, Scotland. Her maiden name was McIllvee. Her daughter, Henrietta Stull, married Henry McKinney, afterwards common pleas judge in Cleveland, and her son was John M. Stull, often referred to in other parts of this work. The sterling qualities of this staunch Scotch woman were shown in her son and her granddaughter. Judge HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY - 445 McKinney's mother lived in West Farmington, and his sister, Sally Ann, was the wife of Joel Tyler. Mrs. McKinney was one of the hardest workers in Farmington. It is recorded that she did her own work when they kept thirty cows, and spun two runs of yarn a day. Sadie McKinney Haserrot is the granddaughter of this Anna Holley McKinney and of Katherine Mclllvee Stull. Abijah Lee, unlike most of the early settlers of Farmington, came from New York. He traveled the whole five hundred miles in winter, bringing with him his mother-in-law, who was eighty-three years old, and eleven children. His oldest son was Roswell. The latter was the father of Angeline Warwood, one of Warren's most respected citizens, who now, at the age of eighty-five, resides in Warren. He was a very generous man and at one time when a neighbor., Mrs. McKay, lost her only cow, he gave her one of his own. Roswell married Sally Smith of Oppenheim. His brother Isaac was engaged to Sally's sister, Mary, and when Roswell went east for Sally, Isaac begged Mary to return with them. In those days as in this, a good many of the barbaric thoughts of marriage were still held by people, and most brides insisted that the bridegroom should at least come to fetch them, if they did not come to catch them. So, Mary hesitated a long time before she would consent to go to Isaac. However, the distance was so long that she concluded to waive ceremony. The lover met the party at Rock Creek, where they had come in a sleigh, and the four were carried to Farmington by oxen and a sledge. They were married the next day. Almira Lee, who married William Griffith, kept one of the most hospitable homes in Farmington. Here were held apple-bees, quilting bees, social meetings of old and young people, as well as prayer meeting. The Lee family was such a large one that when it was joined with the Hydes, equally large, there were enough children to start a school. Ira Hyde and his wife, Mary Parker, reached Farmington in 1818, having spent thirty-nine days on their journey. Mrs. Hyde was of Scotch descent and a woman of most optimistic temperament. With his brother Joel, Ira settled in East Farmington. Eunice Hall of Oppenheim, New York, was the wife of Joel. She came to Farmington in a wagon drawn by a yoke of oxen and a team of horses. The family of Joel Hyde, Ira 446 - HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY Hyde and Abijah Lee stopped at the house of Eden Wildman the first night in their new home. Wildman had sent some grain to the mill to be ground and as was very often the case, the grist was delayed. When, therefore, these visitors arrived, it was necessary to send four miles for corn meal for their suppers. However, both guests and hostess were happy to see each other. Sarah Hyde married Comfort Hurd of Southington and was the mother of several men who afterwards became influential citizens of that town. Of all of the Hyde daughters, Eliza was possibly the most prosperous. She early taught school, married Joel Peck, and settled in the Hyde-Lee neighborhood. She lived a long, active, useful life, and left a fine property which was the result of good business management on the part of herself as well as her husband. One of the interesting figures in Farmington was Mary Housel, who was a famous singer, and one of the best spinners and weavers the township had. Her father helped to construct the capitol building at Washington. In 1835 Ira B. Crane and his wife, Lucy Rawdon, came to Farmington to live. She was a daughter of Horace Rawdon, who kept Rawdon's Hotel in Warren. As a young woman she was exceedingly popular. Her husband was a shoemaker. She helped him bind shoes and often in the busy season worked way into the night with him. Mr. and Mrs. John Benton were among the most substantial of Farmington's citizens. Mrs. Benton lived to be ninety-one years old, was active in the First Presbyterian church of Farmington, and was so good a knitter that she sold socks and stockings of her own make. She is remembered as the woman who " shot the bear." We think of the pioneer women as always being at hard labor, but occasionally a woman, either from executive ability or inclination, managed to retain some of the ways of eastern society. Mrs. Amos P. Woodford, and her sister, Miss Wheeler, held Saturday afternoon receptions, about 1814, which the young women of the neighborhood attended. At these meetings they were taught the art of "polite conversation, how to appear in company" and how to do fine sewing and embroidery. Among the early settlers of West Farmington were Joel and Eliza Peck. Their second child, Dr. Allen Peck, was a physician who studied in New York City and Cleveland, practicing in Springfield, New Mexico and Omaha. He married HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY - 447 Cordie A. Fuller, who was likewise a native of Farmington. Her father was major of militia and postmaster at Taftsburg. After Dr. Peck's marriage he resided for a time in Farmington, then in Cleveland, Akron, returning to Cleveland, where he died in 1878. He left two children, Frank J. and Cora M., who now reside in Cleveland, which is Mrs. Peck's home. The men of the Peck family were tall and very strong, and Mr. Frank Peck is like them physically. Mrs. Cordie Peck is a sister of Mrs. Allen Jones,- formerly of Kinsman. We have seen how the Wolcotts, the Hydes, the Lees, with their large families, were influential citizens in the first days of Farmington. Probably no family of the later times was better known than that of the Harts. The boys began their lives in Farmington, were educated there,- most of them came to Warren and separated for different parts of the country. They were interested in politics and whatever county candidate had the Hart boys on his side was sure to make a good showing in the nominating convention, at least. The father was Joseph C. Hart; the mother, Rosanna Goff. Mr. Hart was from Connecticut, Mrs. Hart, Massachusetts. They came to Ohio in 1840. They had thirteen children. Hiram S., who lived in Gustavus, and followed his trade as a blacksmith, now resides in Warren, with his son Clinton. He is eighty-four years old. Frances married Mr. Fries. Sarah J. (Mrs. Taft) is elsewhere referred to. Ann Jeanette became Mrs. Maltby. John 0. Hart, for many years a successful clothier in Warren, died about three years ago. He was president of the New National Bank, and a substantial citizen. He married Miss Caldwell, a sister of Oscar Caldwell. Arlington, who married Sadie Angstadt, and resided for a while in Warren, is dead. Albert M. died from exposure in a rebel prison during the war. Melancthon practiced law in Warren. Cleveland moved to Oklahoma and married Mary Camp, a sister of A. B. Camp. He died a few years since, and his widow residing in Guthrie, has managed his property very successfully. V. M. Hart resides in Warren. His wife was Miss Clark of Mesopotamia. Their son, Ross, is proprietor of a shoe store. The mother of this family lived to be seventy three years old, and was an able woman, strong of mind and heart. She was devoted to her church, an energetic worker, and exceedingly charitable. Each township in Trumbull County has one or more citizens 448 - HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY who, from natural ability, environment or circumstances, has acquired more or less national fame. Charles A. Dana, who came to Farmington in 1833 from New Hampshire, stands in that position in Farmington. He was editor of the New York Sun for many years, when it stood at or near the head of the metropolitan press. The oldest resident, at the present time, is James C. Kennedy, who came to Farmington in 1.839 with his wife, Sarah Curry. They had eleven children, two of whom have made more than an ordinary place for themselves in the literary world : James H., who wrote "History of Cleveland" and who is now a newspaper man in New York and Charles E., who made the Plain Dealer of Cleveland the most powerful newspaper of northern Ohio, and who has, at this writing, become one of the proprietors of the Cleveland Leader. The first marriage in Farmington was that of Lewis Wolcott and Nancy Higgins. Anna Bruce, the wife of Asahel Belden, was the first and probably the last to construct an oven in Farmington. She grew tired of trying to bake in a kettle, and trying to have an oven made for her, so made it herself. The first white people in East Farmington were Mr. and Mrs. Eden Wildman. The first woman suffragist was Mrs. Samuel French. She was not only fearless as to principles, but on meeting a bear in the forest, saved her life by suddenly opening her umbrella and shouting at the same time. Mrs. Selden Spencer was a self-educated woman and interested in the cause of woman suffrage. Her daughter, Mrs. R. K. Lewis, shared her mother's beliefs. The first birth was that of Caroline Wolcott on September 12, 1808. The first person to die in Farmington was Mary (commonly called Polly) Wolcott. She was a daughter of Josiah Wolcott, and on her' trip to the West, when she walked much of the way, she fell from a log while crossing a stream, into the water, contracted a cold, and later had tuberculosis. She died in 1808, and the spot which was cleared for the purpose of digging her grave is now used for the cemetery. Mr. Stewart, of Vienna, established the first store in Farmington. It stood on the southeastern corner at the center. In the spring of 1816 the first schoolhouse was erected HISTORY OF TRUMBULL COUNTY - 449 in Farmington on the northeast corner of the center. Josiah Wolcott and Captain Benton cut the logs. Erastus Wolcott hauled the logs. Almira Hannahs was the first school teacher of Farmington. These two were later married and their descendants ought to feel proud of the part they played in the early education of the children of Farmington. Very soon after the erection of this first schoolhouse a second one was put up where the business houses in West Farmington now stand. Among the early teachers of this township were Amelia Belden; Sarah, Mary and Eliza Hyde; the daughters of Harriet Lee and Newton Wolcott; Sarah A. French; Sophia, Martha and Maria Hatch ; Mary, Eliza and Loretta Lamberson. Rev. Daniel Miller was the first teacher in the academy. Other teachers were Mr. Chapin, Daniel Branch, M. D. Leggett, Caroline and Adeline Griffith, Adeline Miller, Julia McKay and a Miss Wells. In 1831 this academy was established and was known as the Farmington Academy until 1849. James Greer was the first principal and so successful was he that there were sometimes nearly three hundred students under him. In 1849 so popular was this school that the old building was abandoned, money secured from liberal people in the county, and when the three-story building was completed. it was known as the "Farmington Normal School." In the beginning the Congregationalists exercised authority over the management, but in 1854 the trustees transferred this control to the Methodist church. In this contract it is stipulated that all sects and denominations shall have equal advantage. At this time the name was again changed. It became the "Western Reserve Seminary." In 1868 two dormitories were erected and here the students may board at club rates. This seminary has always had a good standing and many a Trumbull County boy has been educated and consequently made a name for himself, because of the existence of this institution. Senator Stewart, of Nevada, was educated here, as was General Asa W. Jones and John M. Stull. Junius Dana, who taught so successfully in the early Warren schools, was educated in this seminary. In 1816 the settlers of Henshaw, together with those of Bristol, Mesopotamia, Parkman, and Bolestown, decided that there ought to be preaching in that neighborhood. They stated that this ought to be done for the sake of adult and the children, but it is most likely that they were thinking of the children, Vol. I-29