THE English Newbury became Newburyport, of
Massachusetts, and thence transferred to
township seven, range eight, of the Western
Reserve. The first mention I find of
the name, is in the order of the county
commissioners of March, 1817, which speaks
of it as then “known by the name of
Newbury," given it doubtless by some native
of the old Massachusetts port.
It lies south of Chardon, with Manson between them.
Beautiful Auburn is next, south of it, with
Burton, the oldest, on the east, and
Russell, the newest of the townships, on the
west.
Two considerable branches of the Chagrin rise in
Newbury, one in the south west part called
Silver creek, and the other, and larger, in
the central and northern, which used to be
called West Silver creek in old times, and
which gathering up many streamlets, makes a
bend into Munson, returns, traverses the
northwest corner, and crosses Russell on its
way to the main river. It was on this
that Dr. Hudson left his wife in
1811. Bridge creek rises on the
southern border, becomes a considerable
water-course ere it passes into Auburn.
Newbury is distinguished by its numerous natural ponds,
one of which, known as Punderson's
pond, or the Big pond, is the most
considerable in the county, lying in the
southeasterly section, in lot seventeen,
tracts two and ten, tract one, embosomed in
high hill-like banks, formed mainly of
spring water, cold and pure. It is a
sheet of singular beauty, and formerly well
stocked with fish. The fame of the
flavor of its bass and other inhabitants
draws sportsmen from a distance, while the
attractiveness of its surroundings annually
allures numerous parties to its shores.
The upper section has some marshy ground
around it. It early called
Punderson and Hickox to the
neighborhood for the water-power furnished
by its large outlet. There are three
small bodies of water above this, two in lot
three, tract two, which discharge their
waters through a third, just above and
nearest Punderson’s, into that pond.
From the south end of the last issues a
considerable stream, which takes the waters
of a fourth small pond, and running
southeast empties into Bridge creek, near
the Cuyahoga, in Troy. There is still
another pond, a fifth of the small ones, on
the line between tracts one and two, which
discharges into the West Silver creek.
Besides these, which find a place on Titus &
Co.'s map of 1874, there are two or three
more in the township. All of these
were originally well stocked with fish, and
one known as Houghton's is still
visited by anglers. These streams and
ponds indicate the general surface of
Newbury as high, rolling, and hilly,
presenting as much and as attractive variety
to the eye as any part of the county.
The soil and timber are the average of the
county.
On the east side of Pundetson’s pond the Indians
had an encampment, and Mrs. Sybil
Punderson, in her later years, thought
they remained there till the tide of war was
changed by the victory of young Perry, when
they decamped in the night. She
probably misrecollected the time of their
flight.
Newbury was mainly owned by Thorndike, who had a
township named after him in Portage county,
and John Wilds and others. The
township was, divided east and west into
three tracts; the central one half the width
of the others. The north tract was
laid in three tiers and divided into
thirty-six equal lots, numbering from the
southwest corner of the tract, running
across and back, so that the thirty-sixth is
the southeast of the tract. The middle
formed two tiers, of eighteen equal lots,
numbering from the northeast corner lot,
west and back. The south and third
into four tiers, of forty-four equal lots,
numbering from the northwest corner lot,
east and back.
After the arrival of the settlers in the county there
were three tornadoes, one in 1804, by which
Miner was killed, in Chester; one in 1810;
and one in 1812. Hickox
mentions one in 1809, which doubtless
occurred a year later, - the year Judge
Asa Cowles came into Claridon. The
last one blew down the house of Theodore
Royce, Punderson’s miller, as
stated by Dr. Hudson, whom I
follow. By some, or all of these, the
central and northern forests of Newbury were
devastated from the northwest southeasterly
to Punderson’s pond. In
1824,1825, 1826, a. wide region was covered
with decaying logs, small trees, and a
vigorous growth of red raspberry and
blackberry briers, which were often visited.
Origen Miner says the mischief
was done by the last, in 1812.
SETTLEMENT.
My notes of the arrivals of the pioneers,
mainly from Massachusetts, will be followed
by brief sketches of such of them and their
families as information permits. I had
supposed that Vene Stone was
the first settler. In this I was
mistaken. He came on in 1802, and
bought land in the northwest corner of
Burton and northeast corner of Newbury.
He built his log house in Burton, boarded
with Joseph Hayes till
married, and lived in Burton till he built
the framed house, which is in Newbury.
He was noted as an early settler in Burton,
and his name is on the duplicate of personal
taxes in Burton as late as 1818. Both
his son Frank and Elijah
Hays say he became a settler in Newbury
in 1802, but he did not live there.
E. Hickox says that Lemuel
Punderson and himself formed a
partnership to sell goods (in Burton), and
build mills and a still, at the lower end of
the pond (Punderson’s), in Newbury,
in 1808. Himself and Punderson
were both married on the 20th of October,
1808. At that time there was no
inhabitant in that township, Claridon, or
Troy.* He says further, “During 1808,
Punderson and I cut the first road,
west of Beard’s mill, to the town
line, and to the foot of the pond, where we
built a cabin, into which we moved, having
previously kept house in my store.”
This is a pretty clear statement that all
this occurred the same year, 1808.
On the inside of the cover of Punderson's
account-book, having one date in 1802, in
his own hand, is this memorandum: “Moved
into town seven, range eight [Newbury],
April 1; wife, July 12, 1810.” This must be
taken as accurate, and is quite conclusive
that he did not regard himself as a resident
there before; at least, he had not moved
there. He distinguishes between his
own moving there and that of his wife.
After all, he and Hickox were there,
had numerous hands at work there, built a
dam, which was swept out by a great storm,
in 1809, and Hickox says the mill and
still were running in 1810, and that at
first they lost money by it.
By the most reliable accounts, Eleazar
Patchin - “ Old Captain Patchin” - came
into the country in 1806, looked about,
returned East, and moved into the western
woods in 1807. Hayes says he
purchased next south of Stone, in Newbury,
and settled there. Origen
Miner, whose memory and information are
reliable, says that he settled in Burton,
east of Stone's, on the Tomlinson
farm, and is fully sustained by A.
B. Carlton and others.
Lemuel Punderson was certainly the first
permanent settler, as he and Hickox
were the first invaders of the woods there.
The irons for the mill were made at the infant
iron-works at Pittsburg. The stones
were made at Burton, by Parks,
doubtless, and were said to be good.
The mill started, as did the still, in 1810,
when they commenced feeding cattle and hogs.
Thus it would seem that both Punderson
and his brother-in-law came to be residents
of town seven, range nine, in 1808. Of
course they brought many work men with them,
whose names have not reached us, who came
with their wives, built cabins, and lived
there. We are told that Mrs.
Punderson's health failed, and that she
went back to Burton, where her first child -
Elizabeth - was born; that
---------------
* Hickox's Life, Geauga Democrat, December 15,
1869.
[Page 175]
afterwards she returned on horseback to New
Haven, where the eldest son - Samuel
- was born, although the sister thinks he
was born in Newbury. The erection of
the mill and still was an event, not merely
to the unnamed township, but to all the
surrounding country. Trails of “blazed
trees” were opened to the place from Wooster
(Chester), from Mantua, Chardon, Canton
(Claridon), and from more remote places.
For his use and that of his workmen Punderson
early had at least two log houses, in one of
which many new-comers into Newbury and
Auburn found shelter and a supply of
provisions on their arrival, till their own
cabins were ready. The still was up
the little valley, on a spring-brook which
crosses the road just south of the
Punderson mansion.
For the five years succeeding the settlement by
Punderson I cannot state the dates of
arrivals. Rose and Harry
Numberfield were living at his house in
1811. Two of his brothers-in-law,
Uri and Johnson F. Hickox, had dealings
with him two or three years before, and both
settled early on the east and west centre
road in Newbury, Uri near the Burton line,
and Johnson west of him, at an early day.
Samuel Davidson was at work
for him in 1811. Silas Burk
was there earlier. Bildad
Bradley must have been in the country
before 1811, and for a time lived in
Newbury, as was Adonijah, the
wheelwright. I cannot determine when
either of them came. So were Joseph
and John Fisher there. “Old
Sam Barker" was buying whisky
of him in 1812, and had a cabin up by the
“Big pond.” Three
old apple-trees alone mark its site in 1878.
Bodwell, who came into Claridon, was
over there in 1812, and had a sort of
carriage-shop near by at some time.
Theodore Royce was the miller,
and lived there in a log house in 1811, in
which year they had a child born -
Evelina Royce.
Theodore Royce was the miller, and lived
there in a log house in 1811, in which year
they had a child born - Evelina
Royce.
Hamlet Coe was in Newbury as early as
1813, and established a falling-mill and
other works on the little stream where “
Nijer" Bradley had his shop and
turning-lathe, where he worked two or three
years, and went over north of the centre, on
a branch of the Chagrin, where he planted
his cloth-works.
In 1815, Joshua M. Burnett, accompanied by his
eldest son, Henry, and Miss Hannah
Wilbur, the affianced bride of the
youth, made a journey to Newbury in a
sleigh, where he purchased a large tract of
land south of Punderson’s, made some
improvements, built a large double log
house, cleared, planted, and returned for
his family, which he brought on the same
season. He was accompanied by
a brother-in-law, John Cobb,
wife, and family of nine children. He
settled on lot eight, tract three, now the
farm of W. A. Jenks.
Subsequently he moved over into the
southwest corner, and thence west.
With Burnett also came Eliphalet Gay,
a young man who subsequently married his
daughter Calista, the first bride in
Newbury. He took up land on lot six,
tract three; thence removed to lot
thirty-six, same tract, where he made his
farm home and spent his life.
At the same time, in company with Burnett and
Cobb, came W. A. Bullock, and
took up land on the present farm of
William Munn.
[Page 176]
ORGANIZATION.
EARLY MARRIAGES.
Of Newbury people I find this record of
their early marriages, which may be of
interest.
Theodore Royce and Clarissa Parks, by Esquire
Hickox, Feb. 14, 1809 (St. Valentine’s
day), at Burton
Eliphalet Gay and Calista Burnett, Sept. 14,
1816, by John Ford, justice of
the peace; a granddaughter of J. M.
Burnett says this ceremony was performed
in Newbury. Henry Burnett and
Hannah Wilbor, Nov. 21, 1816, by the
same. These appear by the record to
have been in Burton, but Burton then
included Newbury, and this, like the former,
was undoubtedly in Newbury. Josiah
Burnett, son of J. M. Burnett,
and Didama Johnson, daughter of
Solomon Johnson, June 21, 1818,
by Lemuel Punderson, in
Newbury. This was after the township
organization and legal name. Elisha
Talcott and Urana
Johnson, Dec. 3, 1818, by Rev.
Luther Umphrey, in Newbury.
Mrs. Talcott was a sister of
the late Hopkins Johnson, of Burton,
Levi Savage and Thriphena
Alexander, Feb. 24, 1820, by Lemuel
Punderson, justice of the peace; she
was a daughter of Justin Alexander.
Hosmer and Orinda Robinson, Apr. 11,
1820, by Punderson. At this
wedding Jerry Evans first met
Laura Munn. Levi
Patchin and Emeline Fowler,
Sept. 28, 1820, by Jonathan Brooks,
justice of the peace, Burton. The
bride was a daughter of Isaac
Fowler, who came into Burton in 1798.
See settlement, of Burton. Seth
Johnson and Saloma Curtis,
Mar. 18, 1821, by Punderson, justice
of the peace. Miss Curtis
was “brought up" and brought out by Dr.
and Mrs. Long, of Cleveland.
Jotham Houghton and
Clarissa Loveland, May 6,
[Page 177]
1821, by Punderson, justice of
the peace. Jeremiah Evans and Laura
Munn, Feb. 24, 1822, by Punderson,
justice of the peace.
All of these were young, bright, hopeful of that town.
Many of the brides were beautiful girls;
something more will be said of some of them.
In passing I may say of the brides I think
Calista Burnett is living at
an advanced age, as the widow Parker.
Gay died at forty-nine.
Henry Burnett and
Hannah Wilbor live in Russell.
Diodama Johnson passed away,
but Josiah, the bridegroom, survives.
Elisha Talcott and Urana
Johnson - she the faithful mother of
a large family - died long ago.
Elisha then married a shrew, became
unhappy, and they parted. He died
years ago. The house they built, the
farm they made is in the hands of strangers,
and look strangely. The Talcotts
were faithful Methodists. Orinda
Robinson, the mother of a family, died
at ripe years. Benjamin Hosmer
married again. See Troy.
Levi Patchin lived to advanced
years, moved to Chardon, and died.
Seth and Saloma are both with the
spirits, but have many descendants.
See the Johnsons. Jotham
Houghton survives Clarissa,
well in the decline of life.
Jeremiah Evans died at a ripe
age. Laura survives. See sketch.
SCHOOLS.
PREACHERS - CHURCHES.
THE CONGREGATIONAL
CHURCH.
THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL
CHURCH.
THE BAPTIST CHURCH.
THE UNIVERSALISTS.
[Page 178]
COOPERS.
SUICIDES.
There is a sad record of suicides to be
noted in the history of Newbury, beginning
with her early settlement. The first
was Marsena Munn, in 1820,
followed by that of Stephen
Patterson, a few years later, a very
young man. Some years intervened, when
young Bradly Way committed
suicide under the elms at the foot of
Punderson‘s pond. These used
rifles; the two first the same gun.
Within the memory of the present younger
generation, Anson Reed, a man
well to do, with an interesting family about
him, hanged himself in his barn.
[Page 179]
Before that event, Evi Bradly, a younger
brother of Moses and Bildad,
ended his life by the same means, as did his
nephew, Asahel Bowers, more
recently. Bradly Way was
a near relative of the two last. There
was melancholy in the family, with a
suicidal tendency, doubtless aggravated by
adverse fortunes.
ACCIDENTAL DEATHS.
The first I can recall was the case of a
brother of Asahel Bowers, killed by a
falling tree, while chopping with Moses
Bradly, quite in the early days. A
grandson of Moses Bradly was crippled
by a shot from a rifle, accidental, as was
said. In 1837 or 1838 the house of
Thomas Paddock, about a mile west of the
centre, took fire one winter night, and in
it were consumed their four young children:
only paralleled by the later similar oss of
the McLouths in Auburn. Earlier than
either of these, a young man by the name of
Owens was drowned in Punderson's
pond, near the north end, under the eyes of
his young sister. B. B. Woodbury
and his brother Daniel, then a young
officer of the army, were fishing in the
pond, and recovered the body.
A few years since, a young man by the name of Moore,
from Parkman, was drowned in the night
season, in the same pond.
Considering the numbers who resort to this little lake,
the casualties by drowning can occasion no
surprise.
STATISTICS FOR 1878.
| Wheat |
331 |
acres |
|
5,322 |
bushels |
| Oats |
625 |
" |
|
23,170 |
" |
| Corn |
428 |
" |
|
25,920 |
" |
|
Potatoes |
79 |
" |
|
7,834 |
" |
| Orchards |
275 |
" |
|
1,227 |
" |
| Meadow |
2,097 |
" |
|
2,073 |
tons |
| Butter |
|
|
|
31,140 |
pounds |
| Cheese |
|
|
|
243,105 |
" |
| Maple sugar |
|
|
|
38,317 |
" |
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
LEMUEL PUNDERSON - 179
JOSHUA M. BURNETT *
- 179
THE JOHNSONS - 180
THE UTLEYS - 181
THE RIDDLES - 181
THE MUNNS - 182
THE UPHAMS
- 183
THE HAYDENS
- 184
ABEL FISHER
- 184
WELCOME
BULLOCK - 184
JUSTIN
ALEXANDER - 185
THOMAS
FULLER - 185
AMPLIAS
GREEN - 185
|
