Situated in the
northeast corner of Geauga county, an average of eight
miles from its north line to the southern shore of Lake
Erie, and its highest point is said to be seven hundred
and one feet above the waters of Lake Erie, and one
thousand two hundred and seventy-five feet above
meantide water of the Atlantic. It is divided into
forty-two lots, of some three hundred and eighty-five
acres each - was surveyed by one Chester
Elliot, of Hambden, in this county, in the year
1809. From authority at hand, its name was by and
for one Matthew Thompson, of Suffield,
Connecticut, and as the Reserve was mapped out into
ranges and tracts, this was designated as lying in range
six, tract ten, of the Connecticut Western Reserve, for
Ohio was not known as a State till after settlement was
commenced in this township. It was incorporated in
1801.
In its geological formation the conglomerate or
pebbly sandstone forms the underlying of the township.
The well-known ledge at this place furnishes a fine
exposure of the rock, and gives a rugged and very
romantic character to the place, and many visitors are
attracted to the place, especially during the summer
season. A hotel, with small accommodations, was
started as early as 1868, by one William
Gilbreath, and the failure to be remunerative arose
from want of sufficient funds to prepare suitable
accommodations for boarding on a large scale, and was
abandoned in 1876, and yet there is an opening for a
paying business, with the right man in the right place.
Read in his report to Professor Newberry,
State geologist, says the dip of the ledge here is from
four to five degrees to the southwest. Of course a
great amount of sandstone is quarried here, and taken a
great distance for bridge and building purposes.
The Berea grit is shown some in the northwest part of
the township, but crops out more abundantly at Footville,
southeast from us, where it enters Ashtabula county.
The forests, of course, partake of and mark the
geological features along the line, and probably more of
the oak and chestnut abound in this than any other of
the townships of the county, and the high lands seem,
when cleared, to furnish good pasturage, and are good
for all purposes of tillage. The clay grounds are
not as stiff as those of the more |clay townships.
The first public road of which we have any record,
was laid and reported, by a committee appointed by the
Connecticut land company, Jan. 30, 1798, running from
Conneaut to Cleveland, through Sheffield, Plymouth, and
Austinburg, here crossing a fordable place on the bend
of Grand river, near where Mechanicsville now stands,
and was marked by an Indian trail, thence through
Harpersfield, striking Thompson near the northwest
corner of lot forty-two, across thirty-one, southeast
part of lot number thirty, the northwest part of lot
twenty-nine, rising the ledge on lot twenty, on lands
owned by Reuben B. Chaffee, where as late as
1870, he is able to show scarred trees, thence south,
crossing east and west center road fifty rods east of
the village, on to lot number twenty-one, and crossing
the road running south, near Roger R. Warners and
Richard Matthew's, across the old farm of Otis
Howe, where the trace of the girdling is nearly
lost, but scars are to be found on this lot (twenty-one)
at the late date of 1876, and both Otis and Rufus
Howe report it as a good place for gathering
hoop-poles in an early day along this trace.
Continuing, it touched
Page 794 -
the northwest corner of lot twenty-two, through lot
fifteen, corner of fourteen, where the trace is still
visable - as reported by Ovando Pomeroy - across
the entire lots eleven and two into Leroy, thence along
what is now termed the plank road, built from Fairport
to Warren more than twenty years or more ago, leaving
that and crossing Big Creek into Concord, and passing
westward to Judd's corners, and still on by the
old Perkins camp, so called, to Little Mountain.
This road is often spoken of as Wayne's road, but the
absurdity is plainer than the trace, as we find Gen.
Wayne succeeding Gen. St. Clair in 1793,
and in 1794 had a successful battle with the Indians,
near Maumee, Ohio, and soon after Gen. Wayne
was put in command of the garrison at Erie,
Pennsylvania, died in 1805, and buried at the foot of
the flag-staff, and subsequently his remains were
removed to some more distant part of Pennsylvania, near
his early home.
To the Editors of the Painesville
Telegraph:
In your issue of July 6th, I perceive that my article on
the Girdled Road has provoked my friend Leonard
of Thompson, if not to love, to good works.
I have heard the Girdled Road called Wayne's
Trace, when speaking of it before. Why it is so
called. I have yet to ascertain. General
Wayne defeated the Indians at the battle of
Fallen Timber, Aug. 20, 1794. Wayne's army
1narched north from Cincinnati, and returned the same
route. Wayne had command, after this, of
the U. S. garrison at Erie, Pennsylvania, where he died
in 1805 (I think), and was buried at the foot of the
flag-staff. His remains were removed, a few years since,
to his native county, Chester, Pennsylvania,
I am not able to find any disturbance to call out
troops under General Wayne that would need
a military road through northern Ohio. But let us
have light on the subject. Friend L. says,
"but not many can tell now where it was." How
true; but is it not worthy of attention, that those few
be interviewed, and the points and bearings of this
first road laid out and cut out on the Reserve, through
the various towns, so those that come after us can trace
it, even at the Centennial? C.
C. BRONSON.
CIVIL
ORGANIZATION.
The
township received its charter of incorporation, March,
1817, and the first election under it was held Apr. 7,
1817, at which time the following officers were elected:
Seth Hulbert |
|
Clerk |
Mark Barnes,
Leman Copley,
Martin Williams, |
} |
Trustees |
Daniel Pomeroy,
Joseph Bartlett |
} |
Overseers of Poor |
Azor B. Sumner,
Aretas Clapp |
} |
Fence Viewers. |
Retire Trask, jr., |
|
Appraiser |
Eleazer Pomeroy |
|
Appraiser and Lister. |
Ezekiel Dunjam, |
|
Treasurer |
Joseph Bartlett, jr.,
Martin Williams, |
} |
Constables |
Aretas Clapp,
Abner Stockwell,
Eleazer Pomeroy,
John C. Chase,
Martin Williams, |
} |
Supervisors of Higways |
As late as Mar.
5, 1821, we find, at the annual settlement of township
trustees' account of receipts and expenditures for the
year ending at that date:
Balance in
treasury at last settlement |
|
$1 00 |
|
Trustees
levied a tax half equal to
county tax |
|
8 30 |
|
|
|
----- |
$9 30 |
From which
deduct poor-master's warrant |
$0 25 |
|
|
Clerk, for
writing papers |
38 |
|
|
And township
books |
|
|
5 63 |
Balance |
|
|
$3 67 |
Page 795 -
For some years
the township expenses were something like the above.
By the different names appearing at this election, we
infer that settlers came in during 1816 and '17 somewhat
numerously, as a number that did not vote in April of
that year, were here later in the season.
Aug. 15, 1817, Mark Barnes received commission
as justice of the peace, but there is nothing on record
to show when he was elected. The following
received commissions for justices of the peace:
Daniel Miller, Nov.
13, 1820.
Ira Harding, Feb. 11, 1822.
Rowland Moseley, Nov. 7, 1823.
Charles Goodrich, May 26, 1827,
served 9 terms.
John Glass, Dec. 17, 1827, and Oct.
18, 1830.
Seth Hulbert, Oct. 26, 1833.
Noah Moseley, jr., Oct. 20, 1836,
served 12 terms.
Lyman R. Miller, Sept. 11, 1839. |
Wyllis Foot, Aug. 31,
1844.
Matthew S. Green, Apr. 7, 1855.
Augustus Tillotson, Nov. 2, 1859.
Phillip Wilson, Jan. 2, 1863.
S. E. Spencer, Dec. 21, 1870.
Darius Woolcott, Dec. 18, 1873.
A. E. Miller, Apr. 8, 1870.
H. B. Palmer, June 9, 1875 |
FIRST
SETTLEMENT.
The first
settler of this township was Dr. Isaac Palmer,
who was born in Plainfield, Windham county, Connecticut,
in 1770, and studied for, and commenced the practice of
medicine, before he was twenty-five years old. His
practice was confined to the region where he was born,
as he did not practice much after he came to Ohio.
He married Lois Maltby, of Goshen, Conn.,
- some two years younger than himself - the exact date
of which event we are not possessed of, but a daughter
they called Anna, was born to them, in 1796, who
died at Concord, Ohio, in 1875, a widow with several
children. In 1799 they were at Buffalo, New York,
and lost a child, nine days old.
In 1800 we find them in Thompson, on lot eleven,
decoyed thither by the pledge of one King, of
Connecticut, a landholder, that he should have the
agency of all lands in his name. He chopped, and
cleared some sixteen acres, but, being dissatisfied with
his treatment at the hands of King, "pulled up stakes,"
and moved to Concord, Ohio, to what was known as "Perkin's
Camp," near the south line of the township, where he
remained a year or so, and then moved within two miles
of Painesville, on the north line of Concord township,
where he lived till 1840, when he died, possessed of
some four hundred acres of land, and two, or more,
thousand dollars worth of personal property, the
accumulation of his forty years of toil.
While in Thompson, in 1802, a son was born to them,
which was, of course, the first child born in the
township. He was named Isaac, and now
(1876) is living in the northwest corner of Concord,
with a family of two sons and four daughters living in
the vicinity.
The doctor sailed his own boat from Buffalo to
Fairport, and up Grand river opposite Thompson, having
for company, his wife, child, and a man named Sackett.
In those days Grand river was at full banks, and, as
they were going up the stream, having some fruit trees
that he brought with him from the east, stopped and
planted them on what is known as the General
Paine farm, in Painesville, where they are
still growing. In two years, say in 1802, Dr.
Palmer returned to Connecticut, settled up
Sackett's affairs, and brought on his family.
Sackett afterwards went to Windsor, Ashtabula
county.
I was interested in the sketch of Palmer, the
first settler of Thompson; his companion in his journey,
Mr. Sackett, I had some acquaintance with.
Skene Douglass Sackett was born in
Milford, New Haven county, Connecticut; was a soldier of
the Revolution, in the Connecticut line. He
married Hannah Saxton, a native of that
portion of the ancient town of Waterbury, now called
Middlebury, in the same county. They removed from
Connecticut to the Whitestown country, as it was then
called, in 1798 or 1799, where he rented a farm, on the
Page 796 -
reservation of the Brothtown Indians in Oneida county,
New York. In 1803, as Mr. Leonard says,
Mr. Sackett's family came to
Painesville, where they lived for two or three years.
They lived in Windsor for many years, but they have
passed away with those who were cotemporary with them.
The hardships and privations endured by the pioneers of
that day seem almost incredible, but still in the mouth
of many witnesses the truth is fixed. Mrs.
Sackett was one of twenty children, whose remains
are resting in Connecticut, in New York, and Ohio.
Mr. Sackett was a pensioner, and lived to
an advanced age. Mr. and Mrs. Sackett had
four children, viz: Polly, who married A.
Crandall, her second husband, Luman
Frisbie; Garry, Chauncey, and
Horace. I have known but little of the family
for the last forty years. I have been recently
informed that Chauncey Sackett is dead.
Dr. Palmer purchased several hundred
dollars worth of provisions, and other necessaries, at
Buffalo; so, it would seem, he had some money at this
time, and started with his boat; but, part way up the
lake, a storm coming up, they went ashore, and unloaded
the boat, taking everything back on the beach, except a
sow and pigs, which were left on board, and made the
boat fast to a tree. They camped back in the
woods. On arising in the morning, to their
astonishment, all their cargo was washed away, the boat
tossing on the furious waves, and the sow and pigs were
squealing, and subsequently lost. This took the
doctor's funds, and additionally, after he had succeeded
in reaching home, he was prostrated with fever, which
well nigh took his life, and conspired to reduce his
revenue, so that he had little left when, in 1803, he
resolved to abandon Thompson. How many incidents
would have been treasured, had children thought of their
being placed in history. So in this case; even his
children have little idea of his living with no neighbor
within ten miles, as was the case, and none to call at
his cabin door but Indians, and rattlesnakes crawling
into his house between the logs; and yet a multitude of
such incidents abounded; and now, when flour can be
obtained every two or three miles, all prepared for use,
think of the doctor taking twenty bushels of wheat, from
one Merry, of Mentor, and with two yoke of oxen,
going to Burton to get it ground, having to leave it,
and go again for the flour, taking three weeks to
perform the round; cutting underbrush, and hunting game
to satisfy the demands of a healthy stomach.
The doctor was successful in after life, having secured
some four hundred acres of land, and counted his
personal property at twenty-five hundred dollars, with
no debts outstanding.
He was struck in the abdomen by a plow handle, while
cultivating corn, which caused his death within
forty-eight hours. He died in June, 1840.
Colonel Davenport was here about the same time,
with Palmer. Davenport came from
near New Haven, Connecticut, and owned one thousand one
hundred and fifty-eight acres in lots twenty-two,
twenty-three, and forty; commenced on lot twenty-three,
near where Darius Tillotson died in 1877.
Davenport had several boys, but the family
were disconnected, and after chopping a few acres, went
back as far as Onondaga county, New York, and gave this
land to Judge Bradley for his future support; and
subsequently Adenijah Tillotson bought
nine hundred and fifty-eight acres of this land for one
dollar per acre, and this land was afterwards divided
between his boys, Loyal, Marcus, Darius,
Augustus, and Ashbel. Ashbel
is the only one of the brothers now living (1876),
though the lands all remain in the hands of descendants,
except the two hundred acres to Augustus.
Loyal came in 1819, cleared three acres on his
own land, and three acres that Davenport had
chopped, and sowed the whole six acres, returning in
1820. He was married in Scipio, New York, and in
1821 returned and lived on the farm here till 1875, when
he died. The following notice of his funeral was
communicated to the Geauga Republican:
Page 797 -
"February 8th, Dr. Loyal Tillotson, who had also
resided here for some fifty years, mingling more with
the families of the community, of course his life was
more thoroughly interwoven with all, and so his loss is
more deeply felt. To speak of him in language that
shall speak his worth is what I cannot do.
Identified with the Presbyterian church soon after its
formation in this place, though Congregational in his
views of church policy, yet for several years he was one
of the deacons, and when, in 1836, some twenty or more
declared for New England Congregationalism, he was
active in the formation of the new church, and was an
officer and leading member, doing much to build up and
supply, contributing largely to all the required funds.
"When I first became acquainted with him, in 1837, he
was regarded as a dangerous man, because a "quack" of
the Thompsonian school, and many joined in the cry, he
is not tit to live; but live he did, and that to outlive
prejudice, and become an essential instead of a
dangerous man. His practice was widely extended
and much sought, and he continued it till a few months
since, when obliged to yield, he sunk down worn with
midnight rides and contention with storms. A
closing paragraph from his funeral sermon, preached by
Rev. C. E. Page, on the eleventh, will finish
what I shall say:
" 'Our dear personal friend and brother, whose death we
this day lament, lived and died in the Lord: He
knew what it is to have fellowship with the Son of
God - For him to live was Christ - He
lived, yet not he, for Christ lived in him.
Through many years his tenderest sympathies, his
profoundest convictions, were in harmony with the spirit
and work of his Master. Gifted by nature as few
men are, of daring and inquiring mind, ready to
investigate any of the social, scientific or religious
problems of this thinking age. he yet clung tenaciously
to the Cross of Christ, and the fundamental principles
of our holy Christianity.
" 'It was not my privilege to know him in the strength
of his manhood, but, in his declining days, I learned
both to respect and love him. He had a noble mind,
a great and generous soul. As I tried to preach
the gospel, his evident sympathy, his intelligent
appreciation, were an inspiration, and when sickness
kept him from the public service, I felt that a real
vacancy had occurred.
" 'In a long and extensive practice of forty-five
years, no poor man applied in vain for professional aid,
and he in no single instance resorted to legal measures
to secure his dues. I believe he had large and
just views of life. His object in life was not to
amass wealth, but to get and do good. He often
said to me, 'When I can do no more good I wish to die.'
" 'During our protracted religious meetings, he was
very anxious for our success. He longed to be
present at our gatherings, and being deprived this
privilege, his constant prayer at his home was that his
brethren might be spiritually strengthened, and sinful
men converted. The night he died he refrained from
retiring until his family returned from service, that he
might know the result.
" 'But he has gone. The community has lost an
estimable and honored citizen, and an intelligent,
generally successful practitioner of medicine. His
bereaved wife has lost a loving and faithful husband,
and his children an indulgent and tender father.
Take him all in all, we shall not soon look upon his
like again. The gallant ship which so long battled
the storms and waves of life's sea, has at last cast
anchor in the haven of eternal rest. The great,
restless brain, whose thoughts were ever on and on, has
solved the problem of life, and the soul which beat with
so much love and sympathy toward all men, unclogged from
cumbersome clay, has risen to the fellowship of the good
of ail ages.' "
Darius
came as late as 1823, and during the first five years
cleared over twenty acres. He married a daughter
of Noah Moseley.
These boys all improved and cleared before settling on
them. I think it was as late as 1841 before the
last one, Ashbel, became permanently settled, and
is still on his place (1876).
Nothing more appears of progress, till 1808, when
Joseph Bartlett, with his wife, three sons,
and four daughters, left South Hampton, Massachusetts,
May 10, 1808, and reached Thompson, June 20, 1818, one
Stockwell, accompanying them. He came with a span
of horses, and yoke of oxen, as far as Buffalo, New
York. In western New York, somewhere, one of the
oxen died, causing some delay, but they succeeded in
exchanging the live ox, and the hide of the dead one,
for a young pair, intending to come the balance of the
way with their teams, but the young failed before
reaching Buffalo, where they exchanged the team for a
boat, which was, however, a poor thing. Open,
without spar or sail, and urged on with oars, except at
times, with favorable winds, when with poles and
blankets for sails, they would scud along, with little
to do, except to steer the boat. They usually
sailed only in day time, spending the nights on the
shore, tying their boat to trees, and building
camp-fires on shore; cooked and eat, and slept, though
sometimes under favoring gales, they would sail a part
or all night, thus making the trip from Buffalo to
Fairport, in two weeks, and arriving there, were still
twelve or more miles from the goal, which took them two
days to perform, having much of the way to cut a
roadway, where they arrived at mid afternoon, without a
shelter over them, and all hands
Page 798 -
worked with a will, to accomplish the
object; first, cutting a hemlock, and stripping or
peeling off the bark, with which they made the roof; and
for sides, hung blankets, and thus equipped for the
night, retired to rest, and probably weary ones never
retired with more self-satisfaction; nor had they,
probably, during all their journey from Connecticut to
Ohio, over the rough way, and amid strangers. They
spread the boughs of the hemlock to soften the place, as
well as prevent other exposure to the bedding and camp,
with a good prospect of comfort; but had only just
settled themselves quietly, when a peculiar noise or
rattling was heard among the bedding of the "old folks;"
and with light and search, soon found a rattlesnake,
come to see why this innovation, on his heretofore
undisputed territory - had come to see the baby, the
first one on lot number four. Imagine, then, but not
vainly, that snake stories had a reality to them; and,
of course, this new dilemma would work up the nerves
some what; and it would be easy after that to suspect
others would be on hand to dispute their possession; and
so it was, for just as quiet was restored, they were
startled by hearing, stepping outside their habitation,
and brush cracking, and leaves rustling, which the
previous start had prepared them, to attribute to the
presence of wolves, bears, or other wild animals, but
the morning only revealed quite a drove of elks.
However, scares were frequent; and no wonder, for the
nearest neighbor was two or three miles through the
forest, and in this case, having to pass over a deep
gully, no others at this time living in the township.
The clearing of Dr. Palmer, more than a
mile from them, enticed the cows often to wander to, as
furnishing grass, not to be had elsewhere; and when the
men were too busy to spare one of the boys, the girls
were deputed to drive the cows; and on one occasion,
Theodocia went to this Palmer lot, and seeing
an Indian, instead of cows, she started, by no means
sauntingly, homeward, but was confronted in her path by
another Indian, as she supposed, only a little way, and
thought, surely, she was captured. It was the same
Indian, who, seeing she was frightened, had run ahead of
her, and assured her he would not hurt her, and did not
wish her to go and tell that the Indians were after her.
But she didn't drive the cows that night.
The Indians were not hostile, one called one day rather
frightening the women, but after getting something to
eat, left, but returned in the night, and the women were
not well quieted after the scare of the day, and so
fastening doors and windows securely, all went to the
upper room to sleep. Stockwell had
returned, so that they were not all alone, but in the
night their dusky friend returned, and tried hard to
gain admittance by door or window. Not succeeding,
he went on the roof of the house, and let himself down
the chimney, and began to ascend the ladder to the room
of the terrified lodgers, having procured first a light
when Stockwell, with a club, secured beforehand,
met him at the top, and prevented him from further,
showing the large knife he had, or getting as he claimed
his only intention was some dried vension he had
discovered hanging, when he was there in the daytime.
One more scare: Some time about the close of the war of
1812, one John Lemon came to the settlement, and
dressed as an Indian, which caused much fright to the
women as all the men, but Stockwell, were away,
and he at the barn threshing. They watched the
supposed Indian go toward the barn, heard a gun, and the
flail ceased; and the supposition was, Stockwell
was killed, and one of the girls ran for two miles to
the men with the probabilities, and the others
breathlessly almost waited their return when, on peering
with great cautiousness, Stockwell and the old
Indian sat talking. It turned out that Lemon
had adopted this costume as a hunting one, and in
his wanderings, came out here, and hearing threshing at
the barn, went that way, and passing a little from the
gaze of the women, as he neared the barn, discovered a
hawk sitting on a
Page 799 -
stump near by, and fired, and then, of course, the hawk
fell, and the flail stopped, and thus ended as many
another scare had done - bloodlessly.
One thing that was a serious trouble to these pioneers,
as of others of the Reserve, was the want of mills.
The first years these had to go to Parkman, twenty
miles, to get grinding.
After a few years, Martin built a mill near
where Fay's mill stands, and then they felt much
relief as a boy could do the man's work, going on
horseback with a bag of wheat or corn. One of
these trips is worthy of record: Once late in the fall
of the year, Preserved was dispatched with a bag of
grain on the horse, he about thirteen years old.
He arrived all right, but had to wait so long for his
turn to come, that it was near night when he started
homeward. It was cloudy, and he did not realize
the lateness of the hour, and had proceeded but a little
way, when night overtook him, and his road lay nearly
all the way through the woods, only the brush cut away,
and to make his situation worse, it began to rain, and
he without coat or shoes. He feared from the
abundance of wild animals that infested the woods, and
stuck to the horse, letting him take his own way
himself, holding a stick before his face to keep the
limbs from scratching his face, or knocking off his hat.
In that way he plodded on what seemed to him a long way
when suddenly the horse stopped. Dismounting,
found before him a fence which he let down, and
remounting, went on as before, not knowing whither, and
in a short time the horse again stopped, but this time
at an old barn. This time the boy thought best to
stay till morning, so putting his grist in the barn, his
horse in the stable himself, crawled into the hay wet to
the skin from the rain. Not long after, he felt
something jump on the mow, and pass around almost
directly over him several times. Having heard
wolves howling during his ride, he thought first of
them, but soon it jumped down, and went away, and as he
lay expecting its return, he fell asleep, and did not
awake till daylight to find snow three or four inches
deep, and the wind cold. Looking around, found
himself one mile from the nearest house, so taking his
horse from the stable, and reloading his grist, tried
walking beside his horse, but the snow was so cold to
his feet, he got on and
rode, but was much chilled. When he got to
Kenieppe's, where Hungerford now lives, he
found his father waiting for him.
One more incident: Theodocia, at one time, when
about seventeen, started to go to Mentor, on horseback,
leaving home before noon, that she might have ample
time, taking with her a roll of flannel her mother had
woven for some one in that vicinity. It was in the
month of October. The leaves had fallen, and much
obscured the path, so that her guide was the blazed, or
marked, trees; but, amid her musings, she had almost
neglected even to notice these, and the horse supposed
he might go where the footing was good, till at length
she found herself lost to the path, and began at once
searching for it by reining her horse this way and that;
but, often coming to the orginal starting place,
the idea of being lost came over her with living
reality, and her subsequent wanderings that afternoon
revealed not her proximity to the right path. As
nightfall came on, it gave her no pleasure to think of
spending a night in the woods, with no company but her
horse, and that, too, only a few miles from home.
At length, riding to the foot of a tree from which
protruded a large branch, or knot, she alighted and
began arrangements for the night. First hanging
her bonnet on a limb over her head, thinking that if
evil befell her some one might discover this and get a
reasonable clue to her, and then placing the bridle rein
on her arm, she folded her arms together firmly, sat
down, and gathered herself as compactly as she well
could, on that chilly October night, and composed
herself for sleep, if possible, in one of the largest
bed-rooms ever occupied by mortal, and herself doubtful
if the door was so securely fastened as to prevent
molestation.
Page 800 -
During the
night, her reverie was broken by distant sounds,
resembling the blowing of horns, and hope sprang up with
her that, being missed, search was being made.
But, alas, as it neared her, it proved sounds with which
she was not familiar, and when they came so near in the
crackling brush that glaring eyes and snapping teeth
caused her horse, which she had already mounted, to
snort furiously, then it was that she concluded that it
was wolves that had been blowing what she had hoped was
horns. But He who held the fastening of that room
door had so ordered that this night's experience should
lead her to commence a life of trust, and that the
developments of the future should show her the care of
Him that "slumbers not, nor sleepeth." And in the
loneliness of that night, as she prayed, she pledged her
future service to, her God, if He, in His
goodness would restore her to the right path, and thus
she be brought to her friends, and felt a degree of
quiet assurance that she should be guided from that
place in safety. When the morning at length came,
and she turned her back upon this ever-to-be-remembered
lodging place for a night, she gave the rein to Him
whose guardian care had so signally kept her, and, as if
by unknown agency, her horse brought her, at sunrise, to
the old familiar marked trees, and though she knew not
where she was, yet the right direction was taken and she
arrived at Painesville at no very late breakfast time.
But her promise made there she kept well till December,
1872, when she died, with her daughter, Mrs.
Garis, in Thompson, in her eighty-first year.
In October, 1811, she married Seth Hulbert,
and to them were born three sons and four daughters, all
of whom survived her save one daughter. Her
husband died in 1843, and in 1847 she married Warren
Corning, of Mentor, with whom she lived some
years, when she was again a widow, and in May, 1856, she
married Robert Murray, of Concord, and
lived with him some five years, and, in 1863, married
Lemuel Baldwin, formerly of Concord, and
lived with him some four years, when, he becoming
insane, it was not thought best for them to live
together, and his son, Silas, took him to Iowa,
where he lingered a year or more, and died without
becoming rational. She survived them to finish
life amid much suffering, being afflicted with what a
post-mortem examination proved to be cancer of the
stomach. She, with her first husband, was among
the first to join in the formation of the Congregational
church, making a public profession of faith in Christ,
and her last words to her children only made them love
her christian character.
Joseph Bartlett settled on lot four,
taking his land in exchange for land in Southampton, of
one Bond. He was a christian man, and much
interested to have settlers of like character come to
the place, and as fast as settlers came an interest was
generated for the building up of good society and the
foundations laid therefor. Bartlett lived
till 1830. His wife survived him some twenty
years, and died at the age of eighty-six.
Bartlett's children bear him witness that
immediately on his arrival in his new home he
established a family altar, and morning and evening
offered his sacrifice thereon, and as soon as two or
three more settlers came, of his turn of thought,
meetings were instituted and held on the Sabbath
wherever it would best accomodate, till some ten
years later when a building was erected at the center of
the township, and then the place of meeting became
permanent. Bartlett and wife were the first
to leave the Hambden church, where for a few years they
were members, and joined in the formation of the
Congregational church of Thompson in 1820.
Abner Stockwell, who came with him,
married Lucy, in 1810, and settled adjoining the
homestead. To them were born five boys and two
girls - the first born, Abner, died at fifty-four
years, and was the first born resident of any years, as
his father's was the first marriage, also. But
father and mother are gone. Two sons only of the
family are remaining near the foundation of the old
home.
Page 801 -
Seth Hulburt,
sr., and Seth, jr., came also in 1808,
performing the journey - the father on horseback and the
son on foot, the son arriving first. Subsequently
the father returned and removed his family the same
year, consisting of four girls and two boys, with the
wife, and settled near the Bartletts'. The
father did not live more than two years and died very
suddenly while away from home in Concord, a little to
the northwest of Dr. Palmer's, where he,
with one Trask, was engaged in making shingles.
His widow subsequently married one Cook, and
lived and died in Burton. Seth married
Theodocia Bartlett in 1811 and settled in the
same neighborhood, where he lived till 1843, and there
died. At the organization of the township he was
elected township clerk, which office he held for a
number of years, and served in other official
capacities, and was also, one term, a justice of the
peace; was a very positive man, and a man of sympathy
towards the poor. For many years after the
formation of the Congregational church he was one of its
members.
Of the exact date of the arrival of individual
families, it is impossible now to determine. In
1809, one Daniel Pomeroy came with his
family, consisting of four or five daughters and one or
more sons, and settled east of the others, not more than
one mile west of the present center, and father and
mother were both buried on a little knoll on the farm,
and the place, though desolate from neglect, is still
marked by poor marble. I am not able to speak of
the family as only one. Mrs. Dolly
Howe, widow of Otis Howe, is still
living in the township, having, lived there
uninterruptedly since coming. A faithful and much
respected christian lady; she has been the mother of
four girls and three boys, only two girls are living.
Retire Trask came into the neighborhood
of Bartlett's near this time, with three sons -
Retire, Benjamin, and Isaac.
Mrs. Trask did not live long, and was
among the early dead - a child of Joseph Bartlett,
jr., and also one of Seth Hulburt, sr.,
dying before her. Retire, jr.,
married Asenith Bartlett in 1816, and five
boys and four girls were born to them. Mrs.
Trask still lives (1877), a widow by her second
marriage.
In 1801, Elisha Miller, jr., came from
Farmington, Connecticut, in company with Dr. O. K.
Hawley, and Jesse Hawley, as far as
Austinburg, Ashtabula county, on horseback, with the
intention of coming to Thompson, as his father owned one
thousand acres of land, situated about equally in lots
one and twenty-seven, and two hundred acres in lot
thirty-seven." Accordingly, he went to lot one and
chopped and girdled some timber; boarding with Dr.
Palmer. They had some little
misunderstanding about the matter, and, after a few
months, Miller went back to Austinburg. His
horse, which had been turned into the woods, with
others, could not be readily found, and so he started
back to Connecticut on foot. His horse was
subsequently found and returned. The above lands
were afterwards, by the death of the senior Miller,
conveyed to others, and, as early as 1818, we find
Daniel Miller, a brother, in the settlement
of the estate, in possession of what was on lot
twenty-seven, and living near where the Cottam
family now live. He was elected a justice of
the peace in 1818. He resided here until 1825.
In 1819, we find him in a district school, in the
Bartlett settlement. He subsequently
preached. He went from here to Bristol and was
afterward prominent in the establishment of the
excellent and prominent school at Farmington, Ohio.
He held the first coroner's inquest in this township, at
the house of Mark Barnes, over the body of
one Benjamin Trask, who was found dead
near the foot of Stony Ridge, west from Bostwick's
corners. But who composed the jury, we are unable
to learn. This was in the spring of 1819.
No means are at hand to tell how fast settlers came in
after this, until some six or seven years later; but we
find reported as soldiers of the war of 1812:
Page 802 -
Joseph
Bartlett, jr., Abner Stockwell, Seth Hulbert, Retire
Trask, Wm. Gee, and Eleazer Pomeroy, who made
knapsacks for themselves and went on the call as far as
Fairport, but returned without getting a sniff of war.
Things among the few settlers progressed but slowly, so
that in 1816 there were but nine families in the
township, viz: Wm. Gee, Joseph
Bartlett, Joseph Bartlett, jr.,
Seth Hulbert, Martin Williams,
Daniel Pomery, and Eleazer
Sumner; and these were in different parts of the
township.
In 1816, Mark Barnes and family arrived,
and settled on lot eleven, on the lands that Dr.
Palmer had vacated several years before.
With the entrance of this family new strength was
imparted to the few families in that part of the town.
Especially was an effort made to have Sabbath worship
maintained, which was immediately instituted, and, as
fast as possible, the way was opened toward the center
of the township, for permanent holding of meetings.
Especially Bartlett and Barnes were
anxious for an increase of religious privileges.
These few settlers were also anxious for school
privileges, and set about securing them by opening a
school in the house of Trask, and Miss
Lovina Hulbert was the first one to act
the part of school ma'am in this wild place, Miss
Sylvia Barnes was the second, and by this
time a building was given for the use of this work, near
where James H. Wilson recently died; Joseph
Bartlett owning it at that time.
Mark Barnes was born in Connecticut, Nov.
12, 1764, and married Miss Sarah Roberts, who was
his senior from April to November. Moved to
Southampton in 1806, where he lived till 1816, when,
with his family, he started for Ohio. His family
consisted of four daughters and one son. One of
the daughters was married, and had two children, who,
with the husband, accompanied the family on their
western bound trip. One of the daughters kept a journal
of the journey which I am permitted to copy, which,
although near sixty years have passed, is in so good a
condition as to be easily read, though not written in
the angular hand of to-day, is open and fair. She
commences, and offered to contrast the toilsome method
of 1816, and that of 1875, in performing a journey:
"Southampton, Jan. 25, 1816, Thursday. - We set out on
our journey for New Connecticut State of Ohio, went from
Southampton through Westfield and Russell, and put up in
Chester village, and put up for the first night at
Burbanks' tavern, a distance of seventeen miles.
"Friday, January 26th. - Came on through Chester up the
Becket mountains as far as Baird's tavern,
distance fifteen miles; had the ill luck coming up the
mountains to lose a gallon of gin.
"Saturday, January 27. - Leaving Baird's, we
came through Lee and into old Stockbridge, a distance of
ten miles, and put up with Jonathan Hicks.
"Sabbath, January 28th. - Came through West Stockbridge
and Canaan to Chatham, put up with Samuel Foot,
traveling a distance of fourteen miles, entering the
bounds of York State.
"Monday, January 29th. - Journeying on, came through
Nassau and Schodack, and put up with Payne; a
distance of sixteen miles.
"January 30th. - Came through Greenbush, crossing the
North river through Albany and Guilderland, and put up
at Case's tavern, a distance of sixteen miles.
Six of the company were innoculated for kinepox, and
here we are all alive and well.
"Wednesday, January 31. - Came through New Aynesburg
into Schoharrie. crossed the Schoharrie bridge,
and put up at Bartley's tavern; distance of
sixteen miles.
"Thursday, February 1st. - Proceeding on our way
through Carlisle and Sharon, a distance of seventeen
miles, and put up with one Doolittle.
Page 803 -
" February 2nd.
- Came through Sharon and Cherry Valley into
Springfield, a distance of fifteen miles and a half, and
put up at Mr. Brown's.
"February 3rd.- Through Springfield and Warren, and
into Richfield, and put up at Landlord Hatch's
tavern. Our day's work : the travel of
twelve miles.
"Sabbath, February 4th. - Came through Richfield,
Bridgewater and Sangerfield, and put up at Norton's
tavern, making a distance of sixteen miles.
"Monday, February 5th. - Spent the day at Norton's
in Sangerfield. Aretas' children were both sick,
and we had to get a new axletree made for the ox-wagon,
which prevented altogether any advance on our journey.
"February 6th. - Came through Madison, and into Eaton,
and put up at the tavern of T. Clark, making a
distance of seventeen miles, and here we swapped away
the black cattle we had of Mr. Bates.
"Wednesday, 7th. - Came through Nelson and Cazenovia
into Manlius, and put up at the tavern of Mr.
Morse, having traveled seventeen miles.
"February 8th. - Traveled only twelve miles, and put up
with Mr. Sammons in Salina, where we staid
till Saturday, as Aretas' children were quite
sick.
"Saturday, February 10th. - Came through Onondaga into
Camillus, and put up with one Mears; distance of
twelve miles.
"Sabbath, 11th. - Aretas' children grew more
unwell, and we traveled only eight miles, and put up at
Noah Olmsted's, in Aurelius, passing
through the town of Brutus. Employed a doctor for
the youngest child, which was very sick, and remained
over.
"Monday, February 12th. - The child still being very
sick, the doctor coming the second time.
"Tuesday 13th. - The child being some better, we
started. Aretas and wife and children, and
mother, passed through Auburn and Cayuga, crossing
Cayuga bridge, one mile in length, putting up with one
Julius Hooper. Distance four teen miles.
"Wednesday, 14th. - Passed on through to Phelpstown,
distance sixteen and one-half miles, and stayed with one
Warner. Weather cold.
"February, 15th.- Passed on through Gorham,
Canandaigua, into East Bloomfield, stopping with
Carter; fourteen miles.
"Friday, 16th.- Came through West Bloomfield, Lima, and
Avon; seventeen miles. Put up at Hosmer's,
and the family came up with us here.
"February 18th. - Once more all together, though not
very well. We left Avon, and passed through
Caledonia into Troy, as far as J. Ganson's,
crossing the Genessee river, and traveling fifteen
miles.
"Sabbath, 18th. - Traveled fifteen miles, and put up in
Batavia with Mr. Thomas.
"Monday, 19th. - Came on through Pembroke, Florence,
and Claren's, putting up with Peter
Vanderveter, traveling, to-day, fifteen miles.
Mr. Bartlett was sick, so as to call a
physician.
"Tuesday, 20th. - Leaving Bartlett, and a
hand, to look after and assist him, passed through
Clarens into Buffalo, a distance of fifteen miles, and
stayed at J. Pitcher's.
"Wednesday, 21st. - Passed into Hamburg, a distance of
nineteen miles, crossing Buffalo creek on the ice. Saw a
sleigh drawn by five jacks, also a sled and a man drawn
by a large black dog. Here the sick that had been left
behind, came up, at Mr. Camp's tavern.
"Thursday, February 2 2d. - Starting, turned our wagons
on to the ice of Lake Erie, traveling a distance of
seventeen miles. Arrived save at Wm. Cash's
tavern, in Eden. A span of horses were
drowned in the lake to-day - family all saved.
"Friday, February 23d. - Our journey to-day through the
woods, with mud and
Page 804 -
water, till we came to Cattaraugus creek, which we
crossed safely on the ice, and came as far as N.
Goodwin's, in Hanover; a distance of eleven miles.
"Saturday, 24th. - Made our way as best we could along
the rough and ragged roads, through the woods, passing
through Pomfret's, Canandaigua, in Portland, and put up
with T. Sprague. Hard thunder shower
to-day.
"Sabbath, February 25th. - Traveled a distance of
twelve miles, stopping with T. Cass, in Portland.
"Monday, February 26th. - Journeying on, we left the
bounds of the State of New York, and entered
Pennsylvania, stopping in the town of Northeast, with"
Mr. Brown. A distance of fifteen
miles. Heard of a yoke of oxen and horse drowned
yesterday, in attempting to cross Cattaraugus creek.
"Tuesday, February 27th. - Traveled only twelve miles,
in consequence of our horse-wagon breaking down.
Stayed with Mr. Gage, in Milford, while repairs
were made.
"Wednesday, 28th. - Came through Mill creek, Erie, into
Fairview, twenty miles, and stayed at N. Wolverton's.
"Thursday, 29th. - Passed through Springfield into
Salem, twelve miles, putting up at H. Lake's
tavern, in the State of Ohio.
"Friday, March 1st. - Traveled sixteen miles through
Kingsville, into Ashtabula, stopping with Mr.
Benham.
"Saturday, March 2d. - Came through Matherstown and
Harpersfield, into Madison, and put up at the tavern of
one Mixor; a distance of seventeen miles.
"Sabbath, March 3d. - On account of high water in Grand
river, remained at Mixor's all day.
"Monday, March 4th. - Hired a man to boat us across the
river, which wasaccomplished with safety to people and
goods, and we found ourselves in Thompson township,
after a wearisome journey of five hundred and thirty
miles, requiring forty days to accomplish."
Nearly all the settlers of the township were at the
ford to assist and greet the new-comers, and, after
landing, some stakes were driven, fire kindled, and
Mrs. Barnes cooks a dinner for a township,
which was well accepted, and then began the forward
movement to their future home, some of whom reached
Bartlett's that night, and some the next day.
Only one of the family is now (1876) living. Maria,
wife of Rufus Howe, came into town about
the same time. He married Sylvia first,
afterwards Maria.
C.
C. BRONSON, OF TALLMADGE,
second husband of Mrs. Enoch Scott,
read the following interesting sketch of the life of one
of the most prominent pioneers of Thompson:
"Thomas
Scott, of Hartford, an original proprietor, but
not a settler, of Farmington, had a son, Edmund.
He, E., settled in Farmingon at an early date,
and among the first settlers of Mattatuck, now
Waterbury, in 1674. The Scotts settled in
the various towns that have been formed from the ancient
town of Waterbury. Uri Scott, the sixth
generation in regular descent from Thomas Scott,
of Harford. Uri Scott married
Esther Roberts, Dec. 26, 1780, and they had
nine children. Enoch and Abial were
once residents of this township. Enoch
Scott was born a few rods south of the ancient
townline, run by a committee between Waterbury and
Woodbury, on the west of Waterbury, and on the south
between Waterbury and Derby, in 1680. He was born
in the present town of Oxford, New Haven county,
Connecticut, on the 29th of May, 1795. His
education was obtained in the common schools of
Connecticut, and limited at that, but he made good use
of his time in school. His parents were not
blessed with an abundance of this world's goods, and
having a family of nine to feed and clothe, it compelled
them to forego the luxuries of
Page 805 -
life, and very many of the necessary comforts. At
an early age, they had to larbor hard to obtain a
living. This was the case with Mr. Scott;
he worked out for the farmers in the vicinity to help
the family. He commenced work in the spring of
1813, in the adjoining town of Middlebury, for Dr.
James Wooster, a good farmer. He worked for
Mr. Wooster two years, or until the spring of
1815, his father taking his wages; the summer of 1815,
he may have worked for Mr. Wooster.
He bought his time of his father six months before he
was twenty-one. He made up his mind that the rocks
and hills of Connecticut was no place for him. His
mother, a good, prudent woman, made good home-spun
clothing, and filling a knapsack, he left his father's
house, on foot, to find himself a home in the west.
He went to Southampton, Massachusetts, to his uncle,
Mark Barnes, and found him on the point of
leaving with his family for Ohio, having made an
exchange with land proprietors, in town ten, range six,
called Thompson, Geauga county, Ohio. He drove an
ox team to the Western Reserve, or as it was known at an
early day, New Connecticut. After a long and
soilsorne journey, they at last found themselves at the
end of their journey - he found the land he had bought
in Massachusetts.
"This was in the spring of 1816. Mr.
Barnes built a log cabin, and made his family as
comfortable as circumstances would admit. This was
on or near the house now owned by Horace
Webster. Enoch Scott worked for
his uncle Barnes, until he paid for ten acres of
land. On this he built a log house, working in
various places, chopping, clearing land, and other farm
work. In this way, he furnished himself with the
necessaries of life, and obtained some money.
"In 1818, he slung his knapsack, and started on foot
for Connecticut, making the journey in fourteen or
sixteen days. After spending a little time
visiting parents, relatives and friends, he returned to
Ohio in the same manner. His brother, Abial
Scott, came with him. He then went to work
on his little farm, and his aunt Barnes baked his
bread, and he kept batchelor's hall. But he was
not satisfied with his manner of living, so he made up
his mind that a woman was a necessary fixture in a log
house, so he goes over the river into Perry, to Mr.
Joshua Morse's, and his daughter concluded
she would keep house for him, and they were married
Sept. 27, 1820. Jane Morse was born
July 23, 1798, he being twenty-five and she twenty-two.
They had but little of this world's goods to begin with.
Mr. Scott, after his marriage, thought
there might be occasions when a set of cups and saucers
would not be out of place, so they went to the south
part of Bondstown (now Hambden), at a place known at
that day as Bartholomew's, and procured a set of a half
dozen, and paid one dollar, for such as has been bought
for twelve and a half cents since. But they were
happy, and cheerfully met all of the little difficulties
they had to encounter. Being of one heart and of
one mind, prosperity crowned their efforts. They
were prudent, industrious; she, with her spinning wheels
and loom, soon had her house abundantly supplied with
beds, bedding, clothing, and other necessary articles
for family use, which have been carefully preserved and
are now in the possession of his sons. Mrs.
Scott was a most excellent housekeeper, kind in
her disposition, quiet and unobtrusive. She lived
her religion from day to day, an humble, devoted
Christian life. She died Dec. 29, 1843, aged
forty-five years.
"They had added to their farm, in addition to the
original twenty acres, forty-seven acres more, and a
good barn and a frame house finished. They had no
children. Thus he was left, and after a suitable
time he sought the hand of Clarissa A., daughter
of Mr. Ashbel Munson, of Mentor. They were
married Nov. 24, 1844. By her he had two sons -
Stiles E. and Orson W. Stiles
was married on the thirteenth of December, 1871, to
Miss Ella Case, of Hud-
Page 806 -
son. They are the owners of a fine farm in Hudson,
with good new buildings, and are prudent and industrious
in their habits, and, to human appearance, destined to
have a competence of this world's goods. Orson
has rented a farm in Tallmadge. We may say that
for industry, prudence, financial ability, and steady
habits, these sons, in worldly affairs, walk in the
footsteps of their father. After his second
marriage, he built a horse-barn and an addition to the
house, and bought thirty acres more of land, making
ninety-seven acres in four years. After his death
the farm was sold to Mr. Ervine Warren.
"I was but partially acquainted with Deacon Scott,
but I formed an opinion that he was one of those, kind
of men who possessed a good degree of foresight, not
easily moved from his position; adopting the principle,
be sure you are right, then go ahead. While
visiting in Connecticut, he met an intimate friend of
his youth, who was a subject of the great revival of
1817. The fervent appeals of this friend led him
to thinking, and finally to his conversion. In due
time he made a public profession of religion, which he
adorned with a well ordered life and conversation.
If I am correctly informed, Deacon Scott
united with the Presbyterian church, Jan. 14, 1821.
"The first Presbyterian church in the township was
organized Nov. 19, 1820, on the plan of union. He
labored and prayed for the upbuilding of the church in
this place, and for the prosperity of Zion and the peace
of Jerusalem, but his earthly work is done, and on whom
has his mantle fallen, 'He being dead yet speaketh.
'Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth.' Deacon
Scott died Mar. 15, 1859, aged sixty-four.
"His brother, Abial Scott, was an active,
energetic man; one who had his share of pioneer life.
He married Roxy Montgomery, of
Harpersfield. The Montgomerys were among
the first settlers of the Reserve. Mr.
Scott I do not know that I ever saw; Addison
and his mother I have met with. She is an
afflicted woman, having buried all her family but her
son, Addison. Their residence was in Iowa.
"Mr. Elidad Scott was born in the town of
Naugatuck (a portion of the ancient town of Waterbury),
Apr. 25, 1791. His wife was a sister of Deacon
Scott. He was for many years a resident of
Thompson. He removed some years since to Jasper
county, Iowa.
"Deacon Scott, on his return from
Connecticut in 1818, brought apple seeds, and raised
many of the apple trees on the farm, and lived to enjoy
the fruit; he lived to see the wilderness become a
fruitful field, and to bud and blossom as the rose.
He lived to see these grand old woods fall before the
pioneers axe. He came with others to establish
those grand principles of their Puritan ancestors, and
which was put forth in the Mayflower by the Pilgrims.
Liberty of the press, liberty of speech, the liberty of
conscience and worship; or, in other words, free
thought, free speech, free press, and free men, and
shall I add, free schools, the church and school-house."
Stephen Jenks, born in Ellington,
Connecticut, in 1772. Of his early life very
little is treasured that at this date (1875) at band.
The writer of this article might have stored many things
as related by himself, if the idea of ever furnishing
for the press had occurred; but he has passed away, and
no one is here to prompt. The earliest I recollect
was his pointing me to some of his early efforts at
musical composition. The earliest in print is
dated 1796, "Mount Calvary," written in A minor, and
used in religious gatherings, much in the progress of
the first half of the present century, with the words,
"Hearts of stone relent, relent," etc. In 1803, in
company with Elijah Griswold, of Simsbury,
Connecticut, we find him publishing "The American
Compiler of Sacred Harmony," printed at Northampton,
Massachusetts, and on sale by Griswold at his
store in Simsbury, and by Jenks at Poundridge,
New York. Of
Page 807 -
the success of the sale nothing now appears, but again
in 1805 we find him at Dedham, Massachusetts, publishing
the following title page: "The Delights of Harmony, or,
Norfolk Compiler; being a new collection of psalms,
tunes, hymns, and anthems, with a variety of set pieces
from the most approved American and European authors,
with necessary rules of psalmody made easy; designed for
singing schools and musical societies of the United
States; by Stephen Jenks, and printed by H.
Mann for the author.
"The singers went before with joy,
On instruments they played,
The damsels with their timbrels then
In beauty were arrayed." - Ps. 68, 25.
A third copy,
bearing the title of "Harmony of Zion, or, Union
Compiler," but the title page is lost, and from my
recollection of talks with him it was published,
somewhere about 1808, at Dedham. This finished his
publishing music far himself. He became associated
with some one who betrayed his trust and took the proceds
of sale to that extent that Jenks became
discouraged, and so abandoned publishing, although he
continued to compose till 1850, and for a quarter of a
century or more taught church music in Connecticut,
Massachusetts and New York States. In this last
work is published a "Masonic Ode on Creation," composed
in 1806. Of the circumstances of its origin, and
appearance before the public, I have heard him tell, but
cannot now call to mind. I will give the words of
the anthem, though I do not know as they are his
composition:
Let there l*e light! the Almighty spoke,
And refulgent streams
broke forth from the east,
And darted their
brilliant rays to illuminate the dark regions of the
west ;
Caused the western star
to rise and shine, with resplendent lustre, thro' the
earth.
Written in double measure ; now in triple measure :
When earth's foundation
first was laid,
By the great Artist's
hand.
Mankind in vain for
shelter sought,
In vain they roved from
place to place.
Until from heaven were
taught the plan to build, to fix on earth a home.
Illustrious hence we date
our art,
And now appears in
beauteous piles,
Which shall to endless
time endure.
Widows and orphans dry
your tears,
Our willing hands supply
your wants as far as power is given.
Quadruple measure:
Shout, ye enlightened,
when you shall see your Saviour approaching from the
cast,
Clothed in a white
garment, a token of innocence.
Double measure :
Parent of Light, accept
our praise, •
Who are by friendship
joined,
A social band to sing,
Hallelujah, Amen.
I give this
poetry to show, in part, to young musicians, the
character of poetry often used to express the thought of
the age. There are others of equal interest in
which Jenks mingled, but time has placed them beyond
reach. One that, forty years ago, I used to love
to sing, as commemorative of a case where a young man
poisoned a young lady to whom he was affianced, which
Jenks composed, and sang, at the funeral of Catharine
Barringer, somewhere near the Hudson river, the
circumstances of which he related, and which, at the age
of eighty years, the old man seemed to recall with the
same spirit as when, at the age of thirty, he was on the
ground where it happened. Doubtless, but for the
treachery of his partner, at Dedham, Jenks would
have continued to apply himself to developing his
musical talent, but the affair so dishearted him, as no
doubt to affect him through his subsequent years; so
souring his mind as to with draw his confidence from
men.
He married, at an early day, and the fruit of that
marriage was two sons; but the wife died, and the boys
passed into the custody of friends, and, at manhood,
Page 808 -
knew not even the whereabouts of their father, who
subsequently married, in Providence, Rhode Island, and,
in 1829, came to Thompson, Geauga county, with two sons
and four daughters, where, in 1836, he died. He
did not mingle with the world, while in Thompson, to
give him any popularity as a musician - only teaching,
or attending to a very few classess, although, as
stated above, he composed many tunes through these,
almost thirty, years, and had a large amount of
unpublished manuscripts on hand at the time of his
death.
John Atkin, born in Lincolnshire,
England, 1791, came to America when two years of age;
came to Harpersfield when fourteen; married Sally
Meeker, and came to Thompson in 1817; bought of
Booth's heirs quite a tract of land, and
chopped till he owned forty-five' acres. He said
his taxes at first on the lot were twenty-five cents,
and it was hard to get even that in money. Their
family consisted of seven sons and four daughters, all
of whom, except one who died in Kentucky in the war of
the Rebellion, are living. Mr. Atkin
died February, 1873, and, of course, was eighty-two.
He was a man well read in history, ancient and modern,
and loved much to talk on that subject.
In 1860, when the rage of drilling for oil abounded,
his sons, led by William, the eldest, proposed
sinking a well on the farm, one hundred rods east from
the ledge, which was accomplished to the depth of one
hundred and sixty feet. The first three feet was
clay soil; then soapstone, some fifty-one feet; black
sand-stone, some seven feet; slate-stone, harder than
the first, fifteen feet; sandstone, four feet, quite
hard; slate, seven feet, much like that found before;
sand, two feet; slate, four feet; then fifty feet of
sand-stone, very white and not very hard; then a kind of
shell-rock, ten feet, so that the drill would
occasionally drop two or three inches at a time.
They struck water between ten and twenty feet, which
followed till eighty-five feet, when the water subsided
so that it was eighty feet to the water, and it rose no
higher after. In a year, the water made
the bucket look like iron-rust.
1817 - During this year there was a large accession of
numbers in the township. In February, of 1817,
Elias Strong, sr., called upon Esquire
Barnes, and their family, at their house, having
come on foot from Southampton, Massachusetts, which was
an agreeable surprise to them. He returned in the
same way, and, later in the season, returned with his
family, consisting of his wife, three sons, and two
daughters, all of whom have been many years residents of
the spirit land except Elias, jr., who is living
at Madison, Ohio, whither he removed perhaps in 1873.
Noah Moseley came this year, with three
boys and five girls; lived till 1860; died at the age of
ninety-three years six months. The girls married
and lived in this vicinity, each of them with a goodly
number of children. Rowland Moseley, one of
the sons was elected justice of the peace in 1823,
serving one term. Noah, jr., was elected
in 1836, and, except one term, served thirty-six years
in succession. Two sons and two daughters were
born to him.
Emery Lane came in the fall of 1818, from
Montgomery county, New York, having purchased, before he
ever saw it, the whole of lot twenty-nine. His
family consisted of ten or more children, and to them
were afterwards born as many more, so that Mrs.
Lane has the reputation of being the mother of
ten girls and ten boys. Only one, Mrs.
Prentice, lives in this town, and, at most, only
some two of the boys and two of the girls are living -
Centennial year.
Captain George Moseley came this year [1817], a
young man. To him was subsequently born five sons
and two daughters. Three sons are still living.
The captain died September, 1861, at the age of
sixty-seven, his wife having preceded him several years.
Charles Goodrich came the spring of this
year, a young man, settling near where Homer
Griswold now lives, on what is called the "gore," in
Madison,
Page 809 -
then included in this township. Goodrich
was elected a justice of the peace, May, 1827, and
served, by subsequent re-elections, till 1855, except
one term from 1843 to 1846, making nine terms,
twenty-seven years. In 1876, he is living, at the
age of eighty-four years.
Otis and Rufus Howe took lands [1817] near the
present center, and held offices of trust. Both
were hard-working men. Otis died in 1875;
Rufus is still alive [1876].
MERCHANTS
A small stock of
goods was kept as early as 1830, by one Hungerford,
but of short duration.
Calvin Church came between 1834 and 1836, keeping hotel
accomodation for many years, also a small stock
of goods ; buying ashes, working and taking by wagon to
Pittsburgh and bringing back goods; was postmaster a
number of years, and died in 1836—after him his son,
George, was postmaster also.
In the fall of 1838 a new store was built by Joseph
Bartlett, Theodore Bartlett, James
Briscoe, and Noah Pomeroy, the firm
name was Bartlett, Pomeroy & Company.
The firm disposed of goods well, but being cattle
drovers also, it proved to be a ship with too much sail,
and soon sunk.
Joseph Smith and D. W. Mead
succeeded them in 1841, doing a fine business for a few
years.
John Proctor commenced selling goods in
the front of his father's house in 1846, and from that
small beginning he rose to some degree of eminence as a
tradesman, kept his position, and laid aside some each
year, till now (1876).
A. E. Miller for many years has been successful
as a dealer in goods, usually kept in a country store,
and the firm is now A. E. Miller & Son, at South
Thompson.
MILLS.
There are
several saw-mills in the township, but previous years
has greatly taken away the need, as many farmers have
sold all the good timber from them. On the farm
where Darius Tillotson had lived for many
years, springs issue, sufficiently so that a dam has
been thrown across the ravine and a fine resorvoir
thus created, and a grist-mill has stood for many years,
can grind at any time, and is often crowded when other
water-mills can do little, and this surplus water
carries the wheels of a chair establisment and saw-mill
southeast of South Thompson, as well as a woolen factory
and carding-machine at South Thompson.
MAILS.
The first
mail-route was established about 1823, and extended from
Unionville, Lake county, passing southeast of Madison,
through Thompson, Montville, Huntsburg, and Batavia,
since Middlefield. A man was hired to carry it on
horseback, and had a fearful time, an account of which
is chronicled from Montville. The first postmaster
was George Emery, M. D. Joseph Smith, D. W.
Mead, John H. Sumner, J. S. Lucas, S. Bostwick, F. S.
Turner, and in 1876, F. M. Leonard holds the
office, having held it, except one year by Turner,
since the commencement of Grant's administration.
CHURCHES.
A Methodist
church was formed in 1829, by John Crawford
and Caleb Brown, meeting at George
Emery's house, and very few of those
present, at that time, survive, some who joined soon
after are living. Brother Brown is
yet living (1876), in Portage county. For many
years the society held its meetings half the time in the
town hall, a quite commodious building - the Baptists, a
small society, claiming the other half. In 1846
the Methodist Episcopal society built a house on the
west side of the square, and still continue to occupy
it.
Page 810 -
Perhaps as soon as 185 1 the Baptist society built
themselves a house in the southwest part of the
township, and still occupy it - a small but worthy
church.
Some where between 1850 and 1860 a Disciple church was
built, one mile east of the center.
About the same time a Catholic church was built in the
southeast corner of the township.
A few years later a Spiritualist society was formed,
and bought a house at the center formerly occupied by
the Congregationalists.
Congregational Church—After the communion service on the
first Sabbath of November, 1875, the Congregational
church resolved to hold an exercise commemorative of the
fifty-fifth anniversary of their organization on
Saturday and Sunday, November 27 th and 28th, and
appointed a committee consisting of F. M. Leonard, F.
E. Benjamin, O. P. Pomeroy, G. A. Moseley, and
Dwight Daniels, who subsequently met and arranged
the following as order of exercises:
Saturday, 27th. —Song and Prayer on opening.
Words of Welcome by Pastor, Rev. W. D. Williams.
History of Church Building - G. A. Moseley.
History of Sabbath-School Work - F. E.
Benjamin.
Early Members of Church - O. P. Pomeroy.
Music of Church and Sabbath School - F. M. Leonard.
Historic Sermon by Pastor, Rev. W. D. Williams,
on Sabbath, 28th.
The day at length arrived, but the weather was
unpropitious, and the traveling bad, and a large
audience was not present, and the order was not strictly
followed; owing to the absence unavoidable of some to
whom had been as signed parts.
Opened by singing, "All Hail the Power of Jesus'
Name," followed by a very feeling and appropriate prayer
by Deacon William E. Bradley, one of the present
deacons; then a few words of welcome by Pastor, saying,
though none are here to accept a welcome, but those
uniformly with us, yet the occasion is one of deep
interest to all, as it will call up comparison of past
with present, awakening emotion in the few who lived in
the far past, whom God has spared to see this
day, as those of that day are called up, and their deeds
recounted.
Several letters were received in rely to invitations
from the committee, which were read.
From Rev. Thomas Adams, D.D., now of Winslow,
Maine, we quote largely:
"I also thank you for the programme of the exercises at
Plymouth Rock conference at your place - the body that I
helped to organize, to which I gave its name, it being
the first body of the kind that was organized in the
State of Ohio. It was pleasant to see the names of
so many of my aid fellow-laborers, and feel that a
faithful, covenant-keeping God had furnished new
recruits to fill the vacancies as they have occurred.
"I can see and appreciate the great change between the
present, and when Brother Roberts, of Andover,
and myself instituted, as I believe, the only
ministerial association in the State organized strictly
on the principle of New England Congregationalism, and,
though thirty miles apart, maintained our regular
meetings by going alternately at the specified time to
each others dwellings. It has been very evident to
me that the churches of northern Ohio especially have
been gaining strength, and it is pleasant to notice that
even Chardon, after a long slumber, is giving signs of
life.
"My informal pastorate extended from the spring of 1847
to 1856, a considerably longer period than any other
minister ever spent with you before or since, and it was
a very peculiar period in the history of your church.
I not only partly believed, as in the case of Paul
and the Corinthians, but wholly believed that there were
divisions among you - a state of feeling that would not
fail to
Page 811 -
impair, if not wholly neutralize, the influence of the
Gospel, however faithfully it might have been preached.
I used sometimes to think of parties that were at
fisticuffs, and needed that some one should hold them
still till they would have time to cool off. If I
did any good among you, I think it was something of this
character."
Bro. H. B. Hall, now residing at Oberlin, Ohio:
"Thoughts of your celebration recall the years we spent
with you. We thought them pleasant years, and yet
I now think of them mainly in view of the many
imperfections in my work there. If we could live
our lives over again, how many of its mistakes we might
correct. But this is not to be. I hope that at the
last day it may be seen that I sowed some seed there
that has borne good fruit."
Hon. C. C. Bronson, of Tallmadge, Ohio, addressed a long
letter, from which we quote:
"In calling up the past, you will fully realize and
apply the language of the prophet Zachariah,
'Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they
live forever?' Thompson, like other townships, has had
her fathers - yea, and her mothers, too - who have wept
between the porch and the altar, and have offered the
effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous, which
availeth much."
He states that the Rev. Wm. Wick was the first
minister of Youngstown, and that was the first church
organized on the Reserve, which was in 1800, and was
Presbyterian. The second was that of Austinburg,
formed by Rev. J. B. Badger, Oct. 24, 1801, a
Congregational church. The third, in Hudson, by
Badger, Sept. 4, 1802, Congregational; Poland, 1802,
as also Warren, October 19, 1802, and Vernon,
Sept. 17, 1803. Apr. 26, 1804, Rev.
Badger formed a church in Canfield; the church in
Vienna, in 1805. The next was the Presbyterian
church, at Euclid, Aug. 27, 1807; Burton, 1808; the
Congregational church, of Tallmadge, 1809, by Rev.
Jonathan Leslie, also the churches of Hambden,
Springfield, Geneva, and Harpersfield; and, thirty-first
of December, 1809, the church in Aurora was formed, by
Rev. Nathan P. Darrow. The churches in
Painesville, Kingsville, and Rootstown, were gathered in
1810, and Thompson, in 1820.
CHURCH
BUILDINGS.
Brother
George Moseley submitted that the first
house used for worship was a log house, built by the
township on the north end of the now public square, in
1818, and was noted for the transaction of township
business. It was occupied some ten years, when the
building was burned in 1828, and in the spring of 1829 a
society was formed, auxiliary to the church, and they
together purchased nine rods square of George R.
Emery, some thirty rods north of the public square,
and resolved on building a-house forty by fifty-two,
with fifteen feet posts, if enough could be raised, and
voted to sell the sittings by deed to cover the expense,
which was estimated at eight hundred dollars, and the
house was built and occupied some twenty years. In
1837, after the original church and society had
separated and become two, a new church building was
erected near the south end of the square, on the east
side, twenty-six by forty, which is now the property of
the society of spiritualists. On the reunion of
the two churches, both buildings were put into the
common fund. As the new one was thought the better
one for winter, it was occupied, with the expectation of
returning to the old one in the spring, but the new one
continued to be used until 1860, and the old one was
sold by the trustees to Smith and Bostwick,
for one hundred and twenty-five dollars, in 1852.
In 1846 the society felt the need of a parsonage, and a
house twenty-two by twenty-eight, one and a half
stories, with half acre of land adjoining meeting-house
lot, was bought by Brother
Page 812 -
Chilion Strong, for three hundred dollars,
which was subsequently redeemed by the society, and is
now in their possession.
March, 1860, we find the society again resolving to
build a meeting-house thirty-six by fifty-two feet, with
a steeple, if fifteen hundred dollars could be raised
for that purpose, which was soon reported pledged, and
Elias Strong, John F. Moseley and George A.
Moseley were chosen as building committee, and J.
F. Moseley took the contract, allowing those who
subscribed lumber or
work to pay accordingly, and, in November of the same
year, they reported its completion to the society, and
it was furnished and dedicated, costing near eighteen
hundred dollars. The inside was finished in
chestnut, and was a neat audience room, thirty-six by
forty-two, with fifty-two slips, accommodating four
grown persons comfortably, with vestibule of ten feet
and gallery of corresponding size.
In 1864, Sister Sophronia Hall, wife of Rev.
H. B. Hall, undertook to solicit a subscription from
all she met to procure a bell, and was successful, and
one was procured weighing five hundred and eighteen
pounds, costing some two hundred dollars, and was a fine
and silver-toned one, keyed on C.
This church stood only till a little after midnight
opening on Feb. 14, 1868, when the fire destroyed it and
an organ worth one hundred and fifty dollars, and
melting away over one hundred pounds of the bell.
But, nothing daunted, the society rallied, and in March,
1868, voted to attempt the erection of another like, but
better than the one before, and a subscription was
responded to, not only by society members, but by a
number of Methodist men, and a good number that belonged
to the Spiritualist society, and others belonging to no
religious society, as also Painesville Congregational
church donated one hundred dollars, Claridon
thirty-eight dollars, and three hundred and fifty
dollars
was also donated by the Congregational Union, and at
last the Indies' Aid Society of this place took up the
last two hundred dollars. George A. Moseley,
Luman Stockwell and Levi L. Benjamin were the
committee on building, and the contract was given to F.
C. Conley, taking work and lumber, as before, of those
who signed in that way, and the cost was four thousand
dollars.
In 1872, Rev. C. E. Page, then laboring here,
visited every family in town for the purpose, soliciting
aid in purchasing a new bell, and secured one hundred
and three signatures from fifty cents to ten dollars,
and another of Meneely's bells was procured.
This also proved to be a very fine-toned bell keyed on
A, weight nine hundred and twelve pounds, which, with
mounting, cost five hundred and one dollars. The
burnt bell brought one hundred and thirty-seven dollars,
which left a balance of three hundred and sixty-four
dollars, freights fourteen dollars, and three hundred
and eighty-six dollars raised on subscription.
In 1875 the church was re-painted at a cost of one
hundred and twenty-five dollars, and the society reports
itself free from debt, but it is proper here to say that
Brother Williams performed a great labor
in getting the above amount pledged.
In the absence of Brother F. E. Benjamin, F. M.
Leonard gave some few remarks on the
Sabbath-schools. No record statistics of the early
Sabbath schools are at hand, and scarce any one who was
in them, which renders it very difficult to do justice
to the pioneers of this glorious work. It appears
that the more modern organization of the school was
effected about the year 1835, with Deacon
Enoch Scott for its superintendent, previous
to which I am told that the ministers used sometimes to
catechise the children from the old catechism. The
superiority of workers has been from among the sisters.
Often, as one sister remarked, "I felt its importance so
much that, my first class consisting of girls, I met
with my babe in my arms, hardly failing to be habitually
present;" and that characteristic of this sister always
held good, for, till within three or four
Page 813 -
years past, she was a faithful servant in the work, and
doubtless her record will be grand on high when the
numerous ones from under her faithful care shall one by
one testify to the faithful manner in which she pointed
them to Jesus. She said a few years since,
" I never lie down at night without asking, Dear Saviour,
bless my Sabbath-school class and save them." With
such faithfulness, do you wonder that children,
teachers, superintendents and all, should have learned
to love and cherish such a regard, applying now the
title of "Aunt Maria," as she is going from the
work in which, for forty years, she has been recognized?
Mrs. Freedom Gee, who was unsurpassed in her
piety, in turn furnished four or five girls who have
been devoted, successful workers for many years.
Mrs. Chilion Strong, the first, as also her
successor, the second Mrs. Strong, were
both admirable helps to the superintendents; Mrs. J.
C. Nye, and a host of others, not to underrate the
worth of many brothers, who have done what they could.
Among those who have led the schools we may mention
Brother Turney, Revs. Swift, Taylor, Perry,
as also E. Strong, Levi Leonard,
Jonathan Rand, Shepard Bradley, H.
E. Moseley, F. E. Benjamin, O. P. Pomeroy, F. M.
Leonard, and others.
F. M. Leonard has held the office of
superintendent about one-third of the last forty years.
Some twenty years ago, he introduced "Bradbury's
Sabbath School Melodies." I wish to speak of the
success of the effort by the exerted influence of
Miss F. T. Gee, a noted teacher of district schools,
who, though not superior as a vocalist, but a live
woman, invited some ten, or more, little girls to meet
her at the intermission of Sabbath, and prefaced the
work with an opening song by the class, and as a
specimen:
" Little
drops of water, little grains of
sand,
Make the mighty ocean and the beauteous land."
" I'll awake at dawn on the
Sabbath day,
For 'tis wrong to doze holy time away;
With my lessons learned, this shall be my rule -
Never to be late at the Sabbath-school." |
It need not be
said that this caused many to tarry, and in a little
time no effort was made to have the Sabbath-school
closed by the first of November till the next May.
A few months since, on a visit here, being present, I
asked Miss Gee to say some good things to us.
She said: "May I do it in my own way?"
"Certainly." "Then all who are willing, say so."
Up went hands, and she reorganized the classes
throughout in twenty minutes, placing individuals in
positions that no one else could get them to take, and
the school's interest was greatly enhanced. But
this feature of Sabbath-school songs has not lost its
interest, nor those to carry it forward. Several
of Bradbury's works - "Oriola," "Golden Chain," "Golden
Censor," "Fresh Laurels," and I digress to say - the
children's man of America, in songs for the
Sabbath-school, died with Wm. B. Bradbury.
I might speak of the work of others, and I will of one
brother, H. E. Mosely, who had charge of the
school some three or four years before 1866, having a
faithful corps of teachers to sustain him, introduced
new plans, which were tried, and their application was
instructive to all. Leonard succeeded him,
all but one year, till 1875, O. P. Pomeroy
preaching part of the time, and superintending
Sabbath-school, 1871.
The following were teachers in 1866 (since which time a
better record has been made than before: F. E.
Benjamin, S. C. Shepard, L. L. Benjamin, Mrs. S. S.
Strong, Miss Olivia Denton, Miss Sarah Bradley, Mrs.
Maria Howe, Rev. W. H. Brinkerhoff, Wm. E. Bradley, Noah
Moseley, and Elias Strong. The
Page 814 -
lessons for May, commencing with Acts 7, were continued
all the year in that book. Penny collections were
taken occasionally this year, at the close of school.
Questions were often announced from the superintendent's
desk, to be answered next week. A few specimens:
On what occasion mentioned in the Bible was a lantern
used? What man mentioned in the Old Testament died
before his father, and yet lived three times as long?
Where is money first mentioned in the Bible? What
king began to reign at seven years of age, and reigned
forty years in Jerusalem? Was he a good or a bad
king? What woman was the wife of a king, the
mother of a king, the daughter of a king, the
granddaughter of a king, and what was her character?
Is cheese mentioned in the Bible, and where? What
two men were hid in a well, and ground corn spread over
the mouth so that they were not found? I will not
enlarge.
The last Sabbath in April, 1867, the following was
reported by the superintendent, for the year ending May
1st:
Whole number enrolled
.............................................................................. |
113 |
Teahers (seven male, four
female).............................................................. |
11 |
Average attendance
weekly........................................................................ |
36 |
|
|
Contribution on hand, May,
1866................................................................ |
$ 7.46 |
Special
contribution.................................................................................... |
11.74 |
Penny
collection......................................................................................... |
3.99 |
|
_______ |
|
$23.19 |
And the school still retained Leonard,
and the following teachers acted well their parts:
Deacon Bradley, Rev. Brinkerhoff, Deacon
Benjamin E. Strong, R. R. Warner, Maria
Howe, Miss E. L. Matthews, Miss Rose M. Matthews,
Miss Sarah Bradley, Mrs. S. Strong, Mrs. Emeline
Benjamin, and for this day the record shows,
present, in all fifty-two - twenty-one males and
thirty-one females.
This year were enrolled some one hundred and forty, and
sixty or more were under twenty years of age.
Questions awakening an interest, and causing re search,
were proposed, and during the year the school united
with the Methodist Sabbath-school in a picnic, at the
Ledge, which was a good thing.
September 5th, I find met for first Sabbath in new
house. Present, teachers, seven, and scholars,
seventy-seven. Average attendance of school for
August, thirty-five males, forty-five females, the best
average of the year. Penny collection for month,
$1.54, with Balance on hand, $6.87.
First of November of this year, adopted the National
series of Sabbath-school lessons, and have used them
since, and find a growing interest in the lessons
suggested. The first one in the series with us was
the Fruitful Tree, Psalm 1.
First of January, 1870, reported collection for the
year, $17.41.
I may mention that some new teachers, from the younger
members of school, for more than a year, had added new
impulse in their classes. Two daughters of the
superintendent, placed there at the suggestion of
others, were effective, earnest and faithful Mary, with
a class of girls from eight to eleven; Lottie,
with a class of boys from thirteen to fifteen; Mrs.
S. E. Wilbur, with a class of
boys from ten to fourteen; and we found the sisters that
took the classes of boys, retained and interested them
far better than any of the brothers. And so passed
this year, and the first of January, 1871, the following
report: Enrolled for the year, one hundred and
fifty-three; males, sixty-seven; females, eighty-six;
average attendance, forty-seven. No teacher has
been present more than thirty-nine Sabbaths, out of
forty-eight. Superintendent present all but two.
With funds on hand and collected, to the amount of
$23.00, finds the treasury even, and superintendent
resigning, brother O. P. Pomeroy taking
Page 815 -
superintendent's chair; well qualified for the place.
Brother Manning removing from us.
June, 1872, brother C. E. Page being pastor, it
was thought best to reinstate brother Leonard
again as superintendent. The average attendance
was larger this year, but no increase of the number of
classes, as a large number were permitted to be in the
bible class of brother Page.
Teachers of 1872: Mary L. Leonard, Helen Smith,
Lottie E. Leonard, Sylvia Strong, C. E. Page, F. E.
Benjamin, Wm. E. Bradley, Mrs. Mary Long, Mrs. Sarah
Gee, Mrs. S. E. Wilbur, Mrs. A. M. Stocking, Elias
Strong, Truman Hardy, O. P. Pomeroy.
In April, 1874, Rev. W. D. Williams coming to
us, and possessed of the right material, an entirely new
interest was generated among the young men, especially
composing that part of the school that had, for at least
the time of brothers Manning and Page,
been held as the bible class.
In April, 1875, deacon F. E. Benjamin was
elected superintendent.
One thing more before I close. Very few deaths
have occurred among the children. I mean those
that were enrolled as Sabbath school children. It
has been my privilege and pleasure to enroll three
different classes of these precious little ones, and to
see two of them developed. The last one, 1872, I
wish may be in the coming history; and I write other
names: Eva J. Moseley, Lilly Phelps, Alice
Wilbur, Junia Benjamin, Jennie Stevens, Austa Wilson,
Ettie Hardy, Clara Hardy, Anna Clemer, Edith Wilbur,
all under six years at time of enrollment, and most of
them under five.
Arthur Barnes died at eight years; was
very rarely absent for more than three years, and was
much interested in the lessons, often asking questions
that required thought to answer.
Eva Moseley died at six: loved to be in
Sabbath-school; rather diffident little girl; a cousin
of hers, Foster Moseley, dying at the age
of seven years.
Several grown ones have passed away. Emily
and Jane Grant, in one year, at eighteen,
step-daughters of captain George Moseley;
two daughters of Willis Foot, at
twenty-three and nineteen; only a few months apart;
Walter Stockwell at eighteen.
Miss Helen M. Moseley died November, 1872; had
always been in the Sabbath school; made profession of
her faith in Christ only a few months before her
death.
F. M. Leonard was also desired to say something
of the history of church music. T his, also, is a task,
as he has figured in this many years. No very
prominent persons in the early days, yet we find
Marcus Tillotson, a fine singer, meeting with
those who could sing, some fifty years ago, and
continuing to lead at the church many years later.
Stephen Jenks, a composer and publisher of music,
as early in the century as 1803, came here in 1820, but
taught only once here, and never figured as a chorister
in any of the churches, dying in 1856. Of those it
has been my pleasure to hold converse with, the first
was Ambrose Smith, from Claridon; taught in 1836;
a young man of good talents, but died in three or four
years. F. M. Leonard came in 1837, and was
immediately identified with the choir as a leader and
teacher, and has been since, except some seven years.
I recollect well, as early as 1841, one Winslow
Wilbur played a bass-viol at church, also leading
some. One morning the minister read a hymn that
had a good many dynamic marks placed along the page, and
he says: "You must sing them, I can't play them."
Ambrose Branch was a very good teacher. George
S. Fancher was a very spirited teacher as late as
1846, and is still. Ashbell Tillotson
was also a good teacher and leader, excusing himself as
early as 1850, though still chiming his rich voice at
times. Charles A. Wright who taught four
different classes, and lived in the place in
Page 816 -
1856, was one of the most serviceable men in choir
practice that have ever taught here. Prof. S.
H. Blakeslee, the last one here, was also a man of
good moral worth, and a very successful teacher.
For several years, I used to carry a very fine melodeon
of my own to the church, and my daughters were players.
In 1867 a cabinet organ was purchased of William B.
Brinkerhoff, costing some less than one hundred
dollars, which was burned with the church in 1868,
though the agent held the organ to be worth more.
In 1869 Brother O. P. Pomeroy offered an organ
valued at one hundred and fifty dollars by dealers, for
one hundred dollars; himself making the sacrifice of all
over. Several young ladies have assisted at the
organ - Miss Amelia Tillotson, Miss Alice Tillotson,
Miss Belle Pomeroy, Miss Alice Leonard, Miss Lottie
Leonard. Miss Alice, now Mrs. A. M.
Stocking, has been the stand-by for a number of
years.
AGRICULTURAL
SOCIETY.
Considerable
interest has attended our advance as a township on the
subject of agriculture. A society for its
advancement was formed, and upheld for a number of
years. In 1860, Darius Tillotson and
Hiram S. Matthews, both owning stallions, and who
had for some three years previous challenged each other
for a public show of stock on the square, which,
accordingly, came off in October of that year. It
was a fine display of brood mares, with colts by their
sides, one, two, and three years old. The
excitement ran high. Gents. Bennet and
Woodhead, from Perry, were committee of award, but
expressed no opinion in their award as to which was the
best stock horse, so the next year an increase of
interest brought out all kinds of stock, and a line was
strung on posts for
some twenty rods in length, on the square, and filled
with carpets, quilts and such things as were
manufactured at home. All were so well pleased
that it was resolved to repeat it the next year, which
was done, a crowd attending, and a great variety of
things being put on exhibition. In addition to the
lines to hang upon, tables of equal length held
vegetables, fruits, seeds, etc.
In 1863, an act of incorporation was recorded at the
county seat, and the first record of officers was made
with George C. Whipple, president; M. S.
Jewett, S. N. Dutton, vice-presidents; F.
M. Leonard, recording secretary; William J.
Cornelius, corresponding secretary; R. Warner,
treasurer, and an executive committee of eight, with
marshals, chief of police, superintendents of grounds
and hall, so we had all the parade of a regular society,
though it was under the broad canopy of heaven.
This year we had the Spiritual hall, for the exhibition
of such things as needed housing, and many fine things
and pictures were brought. The small sum of five
cents was paid the secretary for entering, all but
stock, which was ten cents, and enough was realized for
actual expenses, and much gratification expressed at the
success of the society. The next year S. E.
Spencer took the presidency, and the fair was held
two days with an increase of things on exhibition,
especially a great number of good horses, not only from
this town but from abroad, which added much to the
excitement, as the executive committee had graded a
track around the public square, which made a fine
driving and sporting place. That year we had
printed posters, about the size of some window glass
(say, twenty by twenty-four), and premium cards, and a
big thing was a red card tied to anything, at what was
now termed the World's Fair, and we closed with twenty
dollars in our treasury. As we had the Methodist
church for a hall this year, the subject of building a
town hall began to be discussed, to afford a place for
shelter and exhibition. To accomplish this
required a vote of the township, which failed in 1866,
but in 1867 was carried a proposition to build a town
hall, but no limit to the cost, except the law, which
allowed but a specified sum to be assessed in the same
year. Trustees being
Page 817 -
elected, led by S. E. Spencer, esq., favorable to
the building, they decided to assess what they could and
commence a building, two stories high, twenty-four by
forty feet. The contract was taken by H. B.
Palmer, of Thompson, for one thousand six hundred
dollars, and finished by plastering the lower story and
laying the floor in the second story. It was
subsequently finished at a cost of three hundred
dollars, and in 1872 was, and has been since, loaned for
the use of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, which
was formed that year, at forty dollars annual rental.
Those who have acted as president, besides those spoken
of, were Henry Hulbert, Hiram S. Matthews,
Stephen Hodges, H. B. Palmer, and
E. J. Clapp. The society continued
successful, and at the fair of 1875, which drew the
largest crowd ever here, the receipts, over and above
expenses, were reported at some sixty dollars.
Several interesting addresses, on different years, added
no little to the interest of the gathering.
Rev. Flower, J. A. Garfield, Tuttle, and others who
are forgotten, spoke principally on agriculture, as an
occupation and science.
PIONEER
MEETING.
Wednesday,
Sept. 15, 1875, the day for the picnic of pioneers and
early settlers of Thompson and adjoining townships, at
the ledge, was a splendid one for a gathering like that,
the success of which depended so much upon the weather.
The sky was overcast with clouds which tempered the
sun's rays, and yet not a drop of rain fell. The
leaves, not having commenced to fall, the ledge was
resplendent in green, and though the atmosphere was not
very clear, the view of the landscape from the foot of
the ledge to the lake was nearly as enchanting as ever,
while the hills of Pennsylvania were faintly discernible
in the dim blue distance.
THE DINNER.
On arriving at
the grounds about noon the scene in the grove, back of
the Ledge house, was an animated one. The large
company of gray haired settlers already there were just
sitting down to tables spread upon the dance-platform,
and groaning under substantials and dainties, from the
New England dish of pork and beans, and fried and pied
chicken, to pastry and frosted jelly-cake, that could
have been little suggestive of such pioneer luxuries as
"johnny-cake." Under the surrounding trees, cloths
were spread upon the green sward, and groups and
families, and twos and threes, were enjoying the meal,
while in the background the rosinantes, unhitched and
disposed of for the day, were whisking up wisps of
timothy between the intervals of fly-brushing.
Dinner over, all around, the martial band from the
center discoursed lively music, and seats were arranged
on the platform and filled with rows of pioneers and
ladies, preparatory to
THE SPEAKING.
Mr. F. M.
Leonard, chairman of the committee on arrangements,
conducted the exercises with great tact and skill.
Ascending the speaker's stand, on the south edge of the
platform, over which the Stars and Strips floated, he
called the assembly to order at two o'clock, and annoucing
that he should tread upon the toes of any pioneer that
should prove to be too long winded, he introduced
JUDGE TAYLOR
OF CLARIDON.
president of the Historical society of
Geauga county. "Those who now inhabit this
township," said the judge, "and own these fine farms,
good buildings and orchards, and enjoy the necessaries
of life, little realize that not long since it was a
howling wilderness, but judging life by deeds, Thompson
is an old township. Europe has not such churches,
school-houses, education and liberty; in my "old
country" the soil is worn out, hemlocks spring up in the
furrows, and
Page 818 -
nettles and brambles in the fields. Seventy-five years
ago a fraction of sunlight found its way through this
foilage - enough to raise nettles and weeds for beasts.
The first settlers who came here with their ox-teams
were not men born to fortune, but men of strong arm,
energy, and courage to leave old neighbors and society,
and dwell in tents and cabins here in the wilderness.
Think of their privations. It was a checkered life.
I know something of it. It was a life of sorrow,
joy, health and sickness, and yet they were happy.
As evening drew on, and the log-fire was lighted across
one end of the cabin, no pleasanter hour was ever known.
(No! no! That's it!) We had better appetites
then; no meals at the Fifth Avenue hotel can compare
with the viands of those days, the venison - (here the
speaker seemed to touch a responsive chord, and the
features of the pioneers lighted up with smiles as one
after another recalled those good old days, and
reflectively shouted 'good steak from a bear,'
'roast-potatoes,' 'johnny-cake,' 'roast-corn.')
Brethren, we have met in council, with trembling steps,
to tell our stories and live over the old times, we feel
good - I feel as good as I did when I went home from
singing-school with the girls, and said 'good-evening.'
The Geauga county historical society is preparing for
publication a history. You may confer a favor upon
some, one hundred years hence, by recording the names of
original land owners. Journeys have been made to
England to trace records by tomb-stones. At such
meetings as this we learn much about the old men, and
little about the old ladies. The men went to court
and training of their children, and endured the same
want of shelter and comfort. Let us hear from
them, too."
AMASA KENT, OF
MANTAU.
"My father, in
1812, started from Riga, Massachusetts, with his wife
and ten children, span of horses and wagon, and came
west. When we arrived near Buffalo, the battle of
Little Rock was fought, and we could hear the cannon.
We stopped at eighteen-mile creek, where there was a
landlord in sympathy with the British, and the soldiers
enjoyed pricking him with their bayonets, and putting
coals under his oven, burned his pies, cakes, and bread.
There was not a sailing craft on Lake Erie at that time,
and we had to come around the points, keeping close to
the waters' edge, and at one time having the wagon get
afloat, when the lake was rough. We finally got
through to Cleveland, Hudson, and afterward removed to
Mantua, where we were neighbors of Judge
Atwater, who carried the compass in the survey of
the whole Western Reserve. The judge was one day
grabbed by a bear, and his flesh pierced by the bear's
tusks; but a neighbor chopped the bear away, and saved
his life.
"You know where Punderson's mill is, in Newbury?
(Yes, yes). Carlton, of Mantua, went there to
mill, with a yoke of oxen. He was belated there,
and had heavy woods to pass through, which were full of
bears and wolves. They struck his trail, and the
pursuit became so hot that he cut the keys of his ox
bows, and left the oxen for the wolves to feed upon,
while he reached home in safety."
UNCLE LUMAN
FRISBIE
was next called out. "Windsor was
once my home," said Mr. Frisbie, "and we
moved from thereto Harpersfield forty or fifty years
ago, when there were no residents there, and we blazed
trees. There was then but one family from the
river to the center of Montville. Mr.
Frisbie described a home-made rig with which he
went one day to the spring mill, a common trip in days
when the poor man lived on Indian. His wife
carried butter to Rock creek, fourteen miles, riding an
ox, and returned by sun down. A horse cost ten
dollars, and four dollars an acre was paid for clearing
land. One time I owed Esquire Spaulding,
of Orwell, seventy-five cents. We agreed that I
should call him in the morning
Page 819 -
on a certain day, and he should answer by firing his
musket. If I could then get to the house before
breakfast was ready, the debt was to be cancelled, if
not, I was to work for him two days. I rose at
three, ran seven miles and a half, and shouted
'attention Spaulding!' Bang went the
musket. Spaulding looked out the window,
and said to his wife 'hurry up, here's Frisbie,
right here, and he'll be in before you get breakfast
upon the table,' and I was. I went home, and
earned a dollar that day working for another man."
DUNMORE WARREN,
OF LEROY,
read a list of those who lived in
Thompson, or moved there soon after his father arrived
there, fifty-one years ago next month. Most of
them went through the toil and labor of clearing the
land, and have passed over the river:
Joseph Bartlett,
Retire Trask,
Seth Hulbert,
Ithamer H. Warren,
Nathan Warren, jr.,
Horace Warren,
___ Prentice,
Eleazer Pomeroy,
John Leach,
Mark Barnes,
___ Dunham,
Jonathan Davis,
Joseph Davis,
James Smith,
Joseph Smith,
John Smith,
Mark Tillotson, |
Joseph Bartlett, jr.,
Retire Trask, jr.,
Mr. Hulbert,
Nathan Warren,
Orrin Warren,
Abel Ray,
Daniel Pomeroy,
Solomon Leach,
Mr. Barnes,
Mr. Clapp,
Mr. Bostwick,
H. Sumner,
W. Sumner,
W. M. Sumner,
E. Dunham,
S. Dunham,
M. Sprague. |
Dr. Tillotson,
Darius Tillotson,
Mr. Strong,
Chilling Strong,
Elias Strong,
Biney Strong,
James Brisco,
Mr. Murphy,
Mr. Atkin,
Ira Harding,
Hiram Harding,
Joseph Fitch,
J. W. Fitch,
Lorenzo Fitch,
Dinah Day,
Joseph Lane,
Emery Lane, |
R. Sprague,
M. Sprague, jr.
B. Stearns,
Mr. Stearns,
Mr. Emerson,
J. Emerson,
M. Emerson,
Mr. Randall,
E. Goodrich,
Mr. Copley,
L. Copley,
Mr. Malon,
Mrs. Malon,
T. Bartlett,
L.Bartlett,
Chester Gee,
William Gee,
A. Sumner. |
Two little
daughters of Mr. Warren then sang "O, Think of the Home
over There," and "A Hundred Years to Come."
ESQUIRE
AUSTIN,
one of Austinburg's oldest boys, was next
introduced. "The men who settled this country:
said he "did not wait to be dandled in the laps of
maiden aunts. My father was one of them, coming to
Austinburg in 1799, going around the lake point, and
swimming the creeks, holding on to the oxen's tails.
Those old pioneers did not bring much property with
them, but they have done something for us in instilling
moral and religious sentiments." Mr. Austin
closed with a comic bear story.
OLD
FOLKS CONCERT.
At the
conclusion of the reading, Mr. Bronson
MRS.
ASENATH EMMONS.
next took the stand. She is a
daughter of Joseph Bartlett, who arrived in the
township in 1798, and he and Seth Hurlbert were
the first two permanent settlers in the township.
She was then seven years of age, and recollects seeing
the Indians, who often tried to annoy but not to harm
her.
Page 820 -
AUNT MARIA
HOWE.
"When we came to
Tompson the river was full-banks, and hearing
that there was a dug-out at Emmerson's mill we
procured it, and rowed ourselves and goods across.
Half of Thompson came down to help us cross and get
their dinner. A bed-cord was tied to the wagon and
an attempt was made to draw it across, but the wagon
came apart in the stream, and the hind wheels floated
down to the island."
NOAH
POMEROY.
" My uncle,
Daniel Pomeroy, came to Thompson in 1809,
soon after my father did, who settled in Hambden.
There were then no roads in the township, and no
clearing except the Palmer lot, where grass was
cut for our cattle." Indians were numerous during
the war of 1812, and for the amusement of Young America
Mr. Pomeroy described some of their ways
of living, etc. He was one of the first pedagogues
in the township, and afterward a merchant. His
schoolhouse was in the Barnes district, near what
is now Bostwick's corners, and he was happy on
the munificent salary of nine dollars per month.
O. P. POMEROY,
grandson of Daniel Pomeroy,
was the next speaker. "I remember when Thompson
was mostly woods. We traveled by marked trees, the
forest was unchopped, and the lands uncleared. I
attended school in that log school-house, and Ursula
Gee was one of my first teachers. The first
minister was Leslie, and Rev.
Winchester occasionally preached in the log
meeting-house. A frame school-house was at length
built, where the blacksmith shop now stands.
Moses Murphy, a hunter, lived on the Ledge, and
there was another hunter here by the name of Glass."
After relating how one Joseph was treed by a
bear, and how another individual encountered one in
crossing a log on Mill creek, Mr. Pomeroy
closed, expressing his pleasure in greeting with a shake
of the hand those who had dandled them upon their knees
in infancy.
__________
APOLOGY.
I am no
systematic historian. My mind, for the last year,
has been too confused to write all I had planned.
I have tried to engage some one else, but no one felt
that there was pay in it. I shall be well paid,
even if this I have written should appear, meager as it
is. Many more characters might be presented, and
things said by the right man.
F. M. Leonard.
__________
MILITARY ROSTER.
Many
difficulties surround making a perfect roster of the
soldiers of the war of the Rebellion, but this
arrangement of the Historical Society to find and
compare will doubtless make it nearly perfect.
Some dates will be wanting, and soldiers dislike to be
placed wrong in company or regiment.
The first call
for 75,000 men resulted in six volunteers from here, who
were placed in
COMPANY
B, NINETEENTH REGIMENT
|
Azariah
Billington, served three months, and
afterwards enlisted for the O. N. G.
Ansel Bartlett |
|
Daniel Baur
Lewis Barrett
Dwight Grimes |
SEVENTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
|
Charles
Burroughs, company A
Charles Hettenger, company D, died
from wounds at Culpepper, Virginia, Aug. 10,
1862.
L. B. Hill, company D.
John Earnst, company D
Jacob Wagner, died Jan. 10, 1863.
Bud Wilson, mustered out with
regiment |
|
George Aikin,
company D, discharged for disability in
August, 1862; after enlisted in heavy
artillery, and served till the close of the
war.
Carl Dangler, sergeant, company D,
mustered out with regiment
Lewis Knight, corporal, mustered out
with regiment |
BATTERY C, OHIO ARTILLERY
|
Ralph L.
Foot, enlistment as assistant surgeon,
health failed, and did not remain long with
army, died at home.
Henry Gilbreath, killed by shell
Samuel Hickox
Henry Olds
Byron Proctor, died at Nashville, Nov,
1863.
Hiram Woodin
Henry Woodin
Harvey Snedeker |
|
Orestus
Aikin, died in Kentucky, early in 1864.
Peter Basquin
George Day, died
Henry Gurney, died from wounds
Lewis Hettenger
Edward Proctor
Enoch Morse, died a prisoner at Salsbury
Demerit Hill
Orvando Hill |
BATTERY G, OHIO ARTILLERY
|
Z. Zimmerman,
bugler
Thomas J. Smith, wounded near
Nashville, and soon discharged. |
|
Frank W.
Edgerton |
NINTH OHIO BATTERY
|
Ira Atkin
Nahurn Brotzman,
Phillip Brotzman.
S. Dwight Daniels.
Hiram Prentice.
H. Frank Scott.
|
|
Samuel N.
Barnes.
Thomas G. Cottam.
Marselon Dutton.
D. J. Goodsell.
George Turner. |
All but Barnes
and Goodsell went in in 1862, and
were discharged with the battery, June,
1865, Goodsell dying in January,
1865, at Bridgeport, Alabama. |
FOURTEENTH OHIO BATTERY
|
Willie Bower
Valorus Stone, enlisted in August, 1862,
and mustered out with battery. |
|
Martin
Earnst
J. D. Sanford |
FIFTEENTH OHIO BATTERY
|
Lewis W.
Keener, corporal, term exired in
November, 1864.
Andrew J. Sanford |
|
David
Sanford
M. L. Sanford |
TWENTY-NINTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
|
Samuel
Barrett, company A, died at home Sept.
10, 1861.
George Strong, company K, missing
after battle in eastern Virginia and not
again reported.
Daniel Auringer, enlisted in 1861,
discharged in 1863.
Frank Haling,, company F.
Lewis Wrisley, company K. |
|
John Jenks,
company K, taken prisoner at Port Republic;
was in rebel prisons three months, and
exchagned; discharged from regiment and died
at home of consumption.
Asa E. Sanford, company F.
Albert Park, company F.
Daniel Turner, company F.
Henry Stowe, company F. |
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTH OHIO VOLUNTEER
INFANTRY
|
C. Elmore
Strong, discharged for inability in
1863, afterwards re-enlisted, went to
Chattanooga, and died of measles. |
|
John Hausch,
company D. |
ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-SEVENTH OHIO
VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
|
David
Alexander, company E.
Levi O. Billington, company E.
Charles S. Day, company E.
Andrew Dangler, company E.
Daniel Earnst, company E.
Peter Baur, company E.
Randolph Elliott, company E. |
|
John W.
Fowler, company C.
Albion M. Stocking, company C.
Austin Stockwell, company C.
Milton Roath, company E, died in the
service of typhoid fever
Oliver Basquin, company E. |
These were out but one year, and received
from $300 to $500 bounty from the township
committee. |
SECOND OHIO VOLUNTEER CAVALRY
|
Thomas Atkin.
Nathan Morey. |
|
Anderson
Basquin, wounded
Samuel Whipple, killed. |
SIXTH OHIO VOLUNTEER CAVALRY
|
F. Alonzo
Hulbert, died Feb. 1863, in hospital at
Philadelphia. |
|
Phillip
Kelsey, died in July, 1862, in hospital
at Baltimore. |
FOURTEENTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
|
Albert Burroughs, entered as private,
afterward promoted to lieutenant; mustered
out with the regiment. |
FIFTY-SECOND OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY.
|
Newton H. Bostwick, enlisted in 1862,
wounded at Kenesaw Mountain, in 1864; a
prisoner in Andersonville, and discharged in
November, 1864. |
SIXTY-SEVENTH OHIO VOLUNTEER INFANTRY
|
John D.
Sidley, died in hospital at Alexandria,
Virginia, November, 1864. |
|
Orrin
Jewell.
Homer Jewett, wounded. |
OHIO NATIONAL GUARD.
|
Stephen
Fredebaugh.
George Fredebaugh.
Benjamin Fredebaugh. |
|
William
Billington.
Hiram Fuller.
George Haling. |
SECOND OHIO HEAVY ARTILLERY.
|
Gustave Burroughs
Evlyn Dutton.
Frank Patrick.
Theodore Stockwell was young; died of
measles, in Kentucky. Regiment
unknown.
Alvin Kimball enlisted in a regiment
in the western part of the State, and
deserted.
Reuben B. Chaffee is living, a
pensioner of the war of 1812.
John Atkin's widow is pensioned for
his services in 1812.
S. N. Barnes and D. J. Goodsell
received the highest bounties of any that
went out during the last year of hte war of
the Rebellion, some $575 each. |
|