THIS TOWNSHIP is situated in the extreme southwest corner of the county, and is bounded as follows:  on the north of Brighton township; south, by Troy township, Ashland county; east, by Huntington township; and west, by New London township, Huron county.  The surface is generally of a level nature, the only exception being along the streams.  Here we find bold bluffs descending to the water's edge on the east and gentle slopes on the west.  The soil is clay, slightly mixed with gravel, and excellent for grass and grain.
     The streams are the west branch of the Black river and its tributaries.  The former flows from near the southwest corner of the township, is joined by a small stream on lot ten, and continues a general northeast direction, until it reaches lot sixteen, tract five, when it turns to the northwest and flows across the northern township line on lot fifteen, tract six; Blair brook enters the township on lot twelve, tract three; and Buck creek on lot thirteen.  These streams flow nearly parallel, unite on lot nine, in tract five, and empty into Black river, at the point where it make the curve westward on lot sixteen.  When in a state of nature, the bottom land skirting these streams was heavily timbered, black walnut being found in abundance, also white ash and oak.

SETTLEMENT.

     Rochester township was the latest settled of any of the townships now comprised within the boundary lines of the county of Lorain.  In the year 1827, a man named Dodge, his wife Emeline, and a son, Newell, came into the township.  They were of the class known in all new countries as squatters, and soon erected a small cabin on lot number nine, in tract three, now know as the Minus farm.  This was the first white family who dared to brave the solitude hitherto unbroken, save by an occasional hunter from the surrounding country.  The history of this family is sad indeed.  In the spring of 1829, a child was born to them, which death soon claimed for its victim.  The demise of the mother occurred soon after.  A rude coffin was prepared by the sorrowing husband and son, the funeral obsequies were performed by them, and the body interred on the brow of the hill near the river.  Imagination can scarcely conceive the dread solemnity of this burial: "no sable hearse or nodding plume" decked the funeral array; no minister of God pronounced the solemn ritual for the dead; all was dreary, all was desolate.  The remaining members of the family soon after took their departure from the township.

     In April, 1831, Stephen Babcock came to Ohio from Blandford, Massachusetts.  He selected a farm about half a mile west of Rochester center.  He contracted with Elijah T. Banning, living temporarily in Huntington, to cut the timber on thirty acres of his land.  A log house was put up, into which Mr. Banning removed his family, and with whom Mr. Babcock remained during the summer, putting up a house, and making such preparations as the circumstances demanded for the comfort of his family.  He returned east for them and subsequent fall, and before he arrives in Rochester again we shall have time to say something of Mr. Banning and others.  He was born in Warren, Trumbull county, Ohio.  His wife, Miss Patience Hart, was a native of Springfield, Portage county, this State.  They were married in 1828, and immediately removed to Huntington.  His final location in Rochester was about one and one-fourth miles north of the center, on lands now occupied by D. L. Mitchell.  Mr. Banning was one of the hardy, hard-working class.  He cut the timber on nearly two hundred acres of land.  His death occurred July 19, 1855.  The widow resides at the station.  The children of this couple are: Elmer Elijah, who married Mary Mitchell, lives at the station; Amy, who married Eliza Smith, lives in Wellington; and Cornelia Ann, who married Franklin Peck, and now lives in New London, Huron county.

     Edward Wheeler, of Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, married Catharine Cline.  He came to Ohio in 1816, locating in Richland county.  They had three children at this time: John who married Mary Shaw, now dead; Jacob who married Emily C. Converse; he lives on lot number two, Rochester township; has eight children, all living; Ann Lewis who married Lorinda Bunce, lives in Rochester.  In the spring of 1831, soon after Banning's settlement, the three boys, John, Jacob and Lewis, came to Rochester, and contracted for lands in lots eight, fourteen and seventeen.  They soon constructed log cabins  on their several selections, and began the work of cutting away the forest.  These lands were purchased of Orrin Meach.  John was to receive a deed for one hundred acres of land, in payment for cutting the timber from an equal number of acres.  John and Lewis cut a few acres on lot fourteen; on this they planted some potatoes, and sowed turnips.  In this clearing they built a hewed log house for the remainder of the family who arrived
 

ROSWELL B. BOICE.
was the elder son of Samuel S. Boice, who married Mary A. Blair, and had eight children, namely, - Roswell B., Sylvester S., Sarah E., James W., Mary A., Lois M., Judson A., and Elizabeth, of whom four survive.  The Boice family were of Scotch descent, and those now living are prominent citizens of the communities in which they reside respectively.      Roswell B. Boice was born in Massachusetts, Oct. 12, 1814.  He resided in his father's house until he was fifteen years of age, when he emigrated to Amherst, Lorain Co., Ohio, where he lived about five years.  He then removed to Rochester township, in the same county and State, remaining there about one year; subsequently renting a farm in Huntington township, upon which he lived three years.  At the expiration of his rental, he returned to Rochester township, where he purchased the farm which he now occupies.      On Christmas Day, 1833, he was united in marriage with Nancy C., daughter of Samuel and Anna Stillwell, who were early settles of Lorain County.		Of this union were born six children, four sons and two daughters, namely, - Mary Adeline, James W., Lois M., Lewis S., Hiram A., and Dell R., of whom four are living.  James W. died Nov. 15, 1841, aged three months and five days; Hiram A. died Jan. 28, 148, aged two months and twenty-eight days.  Mary A. married G. Ostrander, Apr. 26, 1863; Lois M. married Francis M. Perkins, Oct. 26, 1865; Lewis S. married Laura North.      Mr. R. B. Boice and his excellent wife are both exemplary members of the Congregational Church.  They formerly belonged to the Baptist Church of Huntington township.  Mr. Boice has followed agricultural pursuits during the whole of his active business life, and is generally considered a good practical farmer.  In politics he is, and always was, since attained his majority, a Republican.  He was elected trustee of Rochester township. and served faithfully and well for three years.  He is noted for the honesty and regularity of his life, and enjoys a prominent place in the estimation of his fellow citizens.

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the following fall.  The children of Edward Wheeler not mentioned above are:  Betsy, Martha, Polly, Edward, Coonrod and Margaret.  John Jaques Wheeler, father of Edward, is worthy of a passing notice.  He was an Englishman, and came to America a short time prior to the Revolutionary War.  He immediately enlisted in the army of the United States in which he fought five years.  He was afterwards engaged in the Indian wars two years more; he settled in Ohio at the close of the war, and was killed by a falling tree in 1821.

     Stephen Babcock and family first occupied the new house in Rochester in the early spring of 1832.  A daughter, Eliza, had married Charles Conant at the East.  they settled in Rochester prior to the arrival of the remaining members of the family.  Mrs. Babcock was Patia Marcy, of Otis, Berkshire county, Massachusetts.  Of the remaining eight children, the following are dead:  Orlina, Watson, Almira, Mary Ann and Philena.  Melissa married Oliver Webster, and lives in Wellington.  Rowena married William F. Chapman, and resides in Huntington.  Smith married Martha Meach, and lives in Rochester.

     Hiram Woodworth, of Madison county, New York, married Caroline L. Wales, of the same place.  They came to Ohio in 1831; selected lands in Rochester township, then owned by Messrs. Tillotson and Deming, of Rochester, New York; constructed a house thereon, and in May of the year 1832, moved into the township.  He lived there many years and by hard labor brought his lands to a profitable state of cultivation.  He removed to Wellington where he died Oct. 8, 1872.  The widow still resides there.  The children are: Roxania S. who married J. A. Braman, Rosenia who married D. L. Wadsworth, of Wellington; Victoria R. who married F. M. Sheldon, of New York; Ettie G. who married S. E. Wilcox, at present, the host of the American House in Wellington, and Warren Woodworth who now resides at Atlantic City, Iowa.

     Erastus Knapp, wife and two children, came from near Rochester, New York, to Ohio, in May, 1832.  The family remained in Huntington township until he had built a log house on his farm in Rochester.  This was on lot number five, now occupied by A. J. Snyder.  The house was finished and firt occupied by the family in December following.  On this farm they resided thirty years.  In 1861, they located at the station, where they now reside. There were no roads at the date of their settlement in the township, their only guide in traversing the wilderness being marked trees.  The children of this couple are:  Thomas M., who married Mary Lovejoy, (he lives on lot number one, Rochester township); Mary E., is dead; Sarah A., who married John Conkling, (they live near the center); Ellen J., who married State; Elizabeth A., who married Theodore Robbins, of La Grange; Caroline, who married John Bruce, and lives in Sullivan, Ashland county; and Charley M., who married Adelia Crebs; he resides in Huntington.

     Luther Blair and family, consisting of a wife and eleven children, came from Becket, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, to Rochester in 1832, arriving in the township on December 31.  He settled on the northeast corner lot at the center.  His log house, which was the first built in this vicinity, stood a few rods cast of the present dwelling of Stephen Richards.  Mr. Blair became prominent in the church and township.  He died in December, 1852; his wife died the September following.  Two children, Marietta and Ralph E., are dead.  The remainder are: Caroline, Martin L., Alonzo O., now practicing medicine at Columbus, Ohio; Caleb P., David B., Harmony, Amanda, Mary P., and William H., who married Lucina Mann, and resides at Rochester station.

     Nathan W. Fay and family, consisting of a wife and three children, settled in Rochester, on lot nine, in 1832.  Three children were born in Ohio.  John, the eldest of these, now lives on the old homestead.  Mr. and Mrs. Fay, Sr., are both dead.

     Orrin Meach, his wife and six children settled on lot seven.  The parents are dead, and the homestead is now occupied by their heirs.

     John G. Clark was one of the early settlers.  He located on lot fourteen.  John Slayman made settlement on lot four.  John Johnson settled on the center road, near the south township line, on lot thirteen.  The Peets, the descendants of whom still reside in this locality, were early settles among the pioneers.

     Israel Phelps, one of the substantial men of Rochester, was among the pioneers.  He settled on lot eight.  The place of his nativity was in Seneca county, New York.  He married Julia F. Phillips, on Ontario county; cleared up his wilderness farm, erected thereon a fine residence, and died Oct. 9, 1869.  the widow still resides on this farm.  Five of the children are dead - Henrietta C., Priscilla, Israel Frank, Julia E., and Alice E.  The remainder are:  Milton, who married Mary Kelsey, and lives in Rochester; Calvin R., who married Elsie M. Wilcox, also lives in Rochester; and Vincent C., the youngest, who lives with the mother.

     William Carvey located on lot eleven, at an early period, and still lives there.  William H. Marshall came to Rochester, from Trumbull county, in 1833.  He purchased one hundred and fifty acres of land in lot number three, and returning he married Sophronia Hinkley, of Hiram, Portage county.  In February, 1838, he settled on his farm, and has lived there until the present.  He has now two hundred and thirty-five acres under profitable cultivation.  Of his family numbering eleven children, the following are living:  Rachel A.; Eliza J.; Benjamin H. Holmes; Maria, Mary, Eugene and Allie.

     Roswell B. Boice settled in Amherst township, in the year 1830.  He removed to Rochester and located on lot seventeen,  in 1833.  He has a family of four

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children - Adaline, Lois, Lewis and Adelbert.  His wife was Nancy Stillwell.

     Nehemiah Tinker, wife and twelve children, came with  team of horses from Worthington, Hampshire county, Mass., to Rochester, whither they arrived in the latter part of September, 1833.  They located on one hundred and twenty acres of land in lot number twenty-four, tract five, then attached to Huntington.  Mr. Tinker erected a log house in the southeast corner of the lot.  He remained on this farm until his death.  Himself and wife died but a few days apart in 1853.  The children were:  Lydia H., Omri, Minerva, Laura, dead; Abigail, Adelia, dead; Erasmas D., who married Elizabeth Cutshall, and resides at Rochester station; Martha, dead; Oscar, dead; Amanda, Cyntha and Lorinda.

     Gustavus, Orville and Hiram Noble settled in the township in 1835.  Their father had contracted for the greater part of the land along the east and west road in the north part of the township.  The Messrs. Noble were single when they began settlement.  Gustavus married Harriet Fancher, at New London.  He died, and his widow became the wife of DeGrass Thomas.  Thomas Peck, with a family consisting of a wife and eight children, arrived from Vermont and made settlement in the northwestern portion of the township; this was in 1835.

     John Chamberlain, a former resident of Ontario, Wayne county, New York, made settlement in Columbia township, this county, in 1830.  His family were a wife and six children.  In 1835, they removed to Rochester township, and first located on the farm now occupied by Orrin Thomas.  Moses, the eldest of the children, was a sort of a moving planet, and finally died in Michigan.  Marshall, the next child, settled at the center in about 1836; he was the pioneer physician; he married Betsey Odell; in 1858, he removed to Oberlin, and a few years later to Hillsdale, Michigan, where he now resides.  John, Jr., married Zephey Sabin, of Liverpool township he located on lot fourteen, near the northwest corner of the township, and died Jan. 14, 1875.  Charles S., the youngest child of this gentleman, married Tillile Kissinger, of Tiffin; he is now a successful practitioner of medicine in Rochester township.  Caroline, now dead.  Norman married Lifa Stillwell; he is a prominent physician, at Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Jeremiah, who married Cynthia Reed, is also a physician; he now resides at Romeo, Michigan.  John Chamberlin, Sr., died Jan. 8, 1866; his wife died Feb. 11, 1856.  John Chamberlin, Jr., was a large hearted, public spirited man, ever ready to assist those less fortunate in the possession of this world's goods than himself; he held the office of township trustee sixteen years, and was occupying the position of infirmary director when he died.

     John I. Masten was born in Duchess county, New York; he married Rosalie Loomis, of the same county, and came immediately to Ohio, arriving in Rochester township in June 7, 1836.  Anson Pierce had built a small log cabin on lot three, and in this Mr. and Mrs. Masten began life.  There was no road opened to them until some three years later.  He first purchased sixty acres of land in lot ten, and on this constructed a log house, into which he soon removed.  The present residence now occupied by the family was built in 1863.  The original farm has been added to, until he now owns two hundred and thirty-five acres, lying in a body.  Those early years were fraught with privations.  Too poor to purchase a team, Mr. Masten procured an ox, for which he constructed a rude harness.  From the fork of a tree, a sled was prepared, and with this novel turn-out, the black salts were transported to wellington, to be exchanged for the necessities of life.  By the aid of this faithful beast, some three acres of land were cleared, plowed and sowed to wheat.  The children of this couple are: Decolia V., who married Harriet Bevins, of Wellington; he died at the Soldier's Home, in Dayton, Ohio, from injuries received at the battle of Antietam; Amelia C., who married Cordon L. Bonney, lives in Wellington; Mortimer C., who married Harriet Ames, lives in Michigan; Celie, who married D. W. Manchester, lives in Cleveland; Delia M., who married J. H. Bessell, lives at Rochester station; Nina C., who married A. J. Irish, lives in Sheffield township, this county; John D., who married Elmore Myers, lives in Michigan; and Frank L., who is single, and remains at home.

     Other early settlers in this vicinity were Ira Pierce, Isaac Humiston, Horatio Stevens and others.  Morris Howard was a native of Andover, Windsor county, Vermont.  He married Hannah Smith, and removed to Ohio in the spring of 1837.  He remained in Ashland county until March, 1838, when he removed to Rochester and settled permanently on two hundred and sixty acres of land in lot number eleven, tract three.  This farm he partially cleared.  His wife died in 1846.  He removed to Wisconsin and died there in 1861.  He was a soldier in the war of 1812, having been in the service some eighteen months; was at the battle of Plattsburg and several others.  His children were S. V. R., who married Barbara Bowman, and lives on the old homestead.  Cyntha died young.  William H., who married Charlotte Laborie.  He lives on lot ten, Rochester township, Emily R., a daughter of this couple, married Solomon Farnsworth, who also lives on lot ten.  Nancy, who married Augusta E. Kelsey, lives in Kansas.  David and Louisa are dead.  Isadore is now the  wife of William Fenton, who lives in Clarion county, Pennsylvania.

     Edmond Thomas was born in Brattleborough, Vermont.  He married Aseneth Crapo, of Jefferson county, New York.  In 1835 he removed to Ohio, locating in Pittsfield township, this county, where he remained until 1844, when he removed to Rochester, locating in the northwest corner of the township, lot number twenty-eight; he yet resides where he first settled.  His wife died May 17, 1877.  The children are:  DeGrass, who married Mrs. Harriet Noble; they

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have two children and reside on a portion of the old farm.  Orrin, who married Marcia Fancher; they have three children - reside on lot thirteen.  Eliza Manette, who married Luther M. Merrifield; they now live in Michigan; have seven children.  Jenette, who married Harvey J. Hart; they have one child, live in Charlotte, Michigan.  Maria, who lives at home; and Jane, who married Isaac Hart; she lives in Lenox, Iowa; has two children.

     Benjamin Perkins, Esq., was agent for much of the lands in Rochester township.  He was one of the pioneers.  He is spoken of as the father of the township.

FIRST EVENTS.

ORGANIZATION.

CHURCHES.

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.

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UNITED BRETHREN.

THE BAPTIST CHURCH.

SCHOOLS.

PHYSICIANS.

     The pioneer disciple of Esculapius to locate in Rochester township was Marshall Chamberlin, who began practicing at the center in 1836.  He remained in the township over twenty years.  The present medical staff is composed of Charles S. Chamberlin, a nephew of the above, and T. S. Field, whose residence is at the station.

INDUSTRIAL PURSUITS.

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     An ashery was built in about 1838, by Samuel Edwards, on lot eight.  He disposed of this property to Messrs. Griswold, Dunn & Calkins, who conducted the business for a number of years.  They also sold goods in connection.
     A man named Beals erected another ashery a short time after the above.  This was located on Blair brook.
     Hiram Scoville built the first blacksmith shop.  This was located at the center.  James Earls succeeded Mr. Scoville.  The present blacksmiths are A. Mitchell and J. N. Kinney.  E. E. Banning and John Hanley have wagon shops; C. Curtis, a harness shop; W. M. Crandall, boots and shoes; and M. Sage, a livery stable.
     The roads are laid out at right angles across the township, and one mile apart.  They were surveyed by Benjamin Perkins and Luther Blair, and the settlers cut them out and made them passable by voluntary subscription.
     In May, 1871, a portion of Rochester township was visited by a genuine sensation.  It came in the shape of a juvenile hurricane, from a northwest direction, and carried devastation and ruin in its train, uprooting the giant trees of the forest, unroofing buildings, and generally demoralizing the face of dame nature.

AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS

VOTE FOR PRESIDENT IN 1876.

Hayes......................... 148  |   Tilden............................... 58