SMITH TOWNSHIP
pg. 225
Smith
township is situated in the southwest corner of
Mahoning County, the greater part of the township lying west of
the general western boundary line formed by the two townships to
the north of it - Milton and Berlin. The surface is
undulating, and in the northeastern part hilly. The most
depressed portion of the township is at and around the center,
the land rising as it approches the boundaries. The
township is drained by the Mahoning river, which passes through
the southwestern portion, and by its tributaries.
The first settlement in Smith township, of which there
is any record, was made by James Carter of Pennsylvania,
who, having purchased some land in the Western Reserve, of which
the north line of Smith township forms part of the southern
boundary, in 1803, built a log house, and made some improvements
on what he supposed was his land. In the following year he
discovered that he had by mistake settled on a tract (of 640
acres, government section 3) that had been purchased by
William Smith, who arrived with his family in the year last
named. Smith paid Carter for the
improvements he had made, and the latter removed to the tract
which he had in fact purchased. The first permanent
settler, therefore, was Smith, who resided in the
township for many years, dying in 1841, at the age of
seventy-three; his wife survived him four years, dying at the
age of seventy-two. Their remains were interred in the
family burying ground, near the present village of North Benton.
In 1805 James C. Stanley, of Hanover County,
Virginia, who was probably the second settler in Smith township,
made his appearance, accompanied by his wife and a family of
eight children. He located on section 24, which he had
purchased from the government, and which was afterwards called
the "Stanley neighborhood." We have no record of
any more settlers for several years, though it is by no means
unlikely that there were some, either permanent or otherwise.
In the years 1811 and 1812 other Stanleys from Hanover
County, Virginia, arrived, together with Joshua Crew, who
married Millie, daughter of Thomas Stanley
- who came in 1812, was accompanied by his family,
which included three sons - John, who died in 1877;
"Elijah, who died in 1836; Edmund, who died in 1842 -
and two daughters - Millie, above mentioned, and
Frances, who became the wife of Isaac Votaw and died
in 1818. Thomas Stanley afterwards married a second
wife, Priscilla Ladd, by whom he had five children.
The township was settled but slowly, as by 1828 it
contained but twenty-three voters. A number of subsequent
residents settled temporarily before coming to Smith.
Thus, Levi and Rebecca Rakestraw, who came from New
Jersey in 1812, located first in Goshen, where they lived until
1825, then becoming permanent settlers of Smith.
Nathan Heacock, also, who settled in Salem, Columbiana
County, in 1816, came to Smith township in 1825, bringing with
him a good old-fashioned family of ten children.
James Cattell, of New Jersey, who settled in Goshen in
1810, removed to Smith in 1833, and remained until his death in
1860.
Gideon Hoadley, with his wife and children settled in
Smith in 1823. His daughter, Maria, married John
Detchon who came here from Trumbull County in 1822.
Samuel Oyster located on section 31 in 1826, being the
first settler in the western part of the township. He
continued to the population of the township a family of fourteen
children.
Another man with a large family was Peter Wise, who came
from Pennsylvania in 1832.
In the following year came James M. Dobson, with his wife
and one child - John.
Other early settlers were William Atkinson, who came
from Goshen; Solomon Hartzell, Hugh Wright, William Johnston,
Job Lamborn, Christian Sheets, Jacob Paxton, John Thompson,
Jonathan Hoope, John Trago, Matthias Hollowpeter, John Cowgill,
Abram Haines, Hugh Packer, Abram and Samuel Miller,
Leonard Reed, Adam McGowan, John Hillerman, John Shaffer,
William Matthews and Amos Allerton.
ORGANIZATION.
Smith township was
organized at a meeting of the Columbiana County commissioners in
March, 1821, upon the petition of Judge William Smith,
one of its pioneers, in honor of whom it was named. The
books of the township, containing records of the first meetings,
and of the election of the first officers, are lost or
destroyed. James C. Stanley was probably clerk of
the first town meeting.
NORTH BENTON.
This village was
formally laid out in March, 1834, settlements in the locality
having been made as early as 1830. It was named in honor
of Thomas Benton, a renowned statesman and "hard-money"
Democrat of the period, the word North being prefixed in order
to distinguish it from another place of the same name. The
first hotel was built in 1832 and called "The Benton Exchange.
WESTVILLE.
Westville was named and
partially laid out in 1831, under the proprietorship of Aaron
Coppack, and then consisted of part of sections 35 and 36.
An addition was made in 1835, the enlarged plat being recorded
Oct. 15, 1835.
BELOIT.
Beloit commenced its
existence as a station on the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne & Chicago
Railroad, and was originally called Smithfield Station, the name
being changed to Beloit in 1863.
SEBRING.
A thriving little city
of Sebring was founded by the four Sebring brothers - George
E., Oliver H., Elsworth H. and Frank A. Sebring -
natives of Pennsylvania, and sons of George and Elizabeth
(Larkins) Sebring, who had in all ten children. The
parents removed to East Liverpool, Columbiana County, Ohio, in
1866, where the boys secured in part their education, and a
practical knowledge of the pottery trade. Frank A.
and George E. Sebring were engaged in the pottery
business in East Palestine, Ohio, East Palestine, Ohio, as
proprietors of the Ohio China Company for several years.
In 1895 the four brothers mentioned originated the French China
Company, building a plant at East Liverpool. In July,
1899, they consolidated their interests purchased two thousand
acres of land in Smith township, just over the Columbiana County
line, and platted the city of Sebring. Here in 1900 they
erected their first plant - that of the Olive China Company.
They then sold their several plants in Columbiana County and
organized the Sebring Pottery Company. They
subsequently added other plants until the various buildings now
cover many acres of ground, giving employment to about 1200
workmen. The company manufactures a high grade of
decorative porcelain ware, and the value of their annual output
exceeds $1,750,000. They have developed a flourishing
city, with paved streets, flagstone walks, electric lights, and
water works - one that is ideal both of the artisan and the man
of wealth. The pay roll of the company runs from $12,000
to $14,000 per week. The receipts of the railroad depot
for freight and passengers amount to from $10,000 to $11,000 per
month. A cooperage company connected with the potteries
gives employment to twenty-five men, their product supplying
home needs with some for export. The Buckeye Forge Works
is engaged in the manufacture of drop forgings and a special
closed turnbuckle.
A new and promising industry, started within the
current year (1907), is the Magnetic Steel Company, which is
engaged in the manufacture of edge tools and trolley wheels by a
secret process. The pump works also give employment to
quite a number of men. The A. M. Hall Machine
Company has lately installed a plant which has great promise for
the future. The Citizens' Banking Company is a promising
institution, a great convenience to its patrons, and profitable
to its stockholders. The Buckeye Building & Loan
Association is also doing a very creditable business.
Sebring has also an up-to-date newspaper and printing
plant. The Sebring News printed its first issue
June 8, 1899, and now has 2,500 regular subscribers. The
office is equipped with an up-to-date Linotype machine, and does
an excellent job business.
The public schools of Sebring had their beginning in
1900. The rapid growth of a town on land that had hitherto
been used for farming purposes made it necessary to seize upon a
remodeled barn for a school room until a serviceable building
could be erected. Elsie Roberts and Alice J.
Begue, who were the teachers of this crowded school, share
the honor of having been the first teachers of the Sebring
schools. The substantial four-roomed brick building
erected during the winter of 1900-01 was ready for occupancy by
September, 1901, when Superintendent S. V. Cox and three
teachers took charge. The elements at this time were
heterogeneous in their make-up, and the burdensome task of
organization fell heavily upon the teaching force.
Superintendent G. W. Finch and three assistants had
control of the schools during the winter of 1902-03. By
the close of this year the schools were crowded beyond their
capacity, and it became necessary to again occupy the building
first used, later transferring to the city hall, A two-roomed
building was erected and occupied in 1904, making the teaching
force six in number. In 1905 J. A. Maurer and six
assistants took charge of the schools.
The schools have increased in efficiency with their
growth and have now (1907) reached a classification that places
them even with the front ranks of those of older and more
established towns. A carefully graded course of study,
topped by a high school course of three years, is fully carried
out by an efficient teaching force working with united energy
and enthusiasm. The schools have brilliant prospects
before them. An increasing enrollment is making necessary
the erection of additional rooms and the employment of more
teachers. The total enrollment for the present year (1907)
will reach 300.
The schools have had three graduations, the high school
having second grade recognition by the state school
commissioner.
TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS.
There are eight schools
under the township board. No. 9 district has been
transferred or annexed to the Alliance city schools. All
the eight township districts report flourishing schools.
Beloit has a graded school with four rooms and a commodious
building.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Outside of Sebring,
other manufactories have lately sprung up. The Manns Car
Indicator Company have purchased a site and are about to
establish a large plant that will undoubtedly result in the
establishment of a new village, the proposed name of which is
Thelma.
A new flouring mill has lately been built in the
village of Beloit and is now a successful operation, the owners
of which are H. G. Stanley & Sons.
CHURCHES.
The Friends, or
Quakers, erected a church on section 34 as early as 1829.
Their church is now located at Beloit. They were followed
by the Methodists, who in 1840 erected a church edifice at North
Benton, where they still worship. A Presbyterian
congregation moved to North Benton from Deerfield, Portage
County, in 1851. In 1870 they purchased the union church
building that had been erected in 1859 at Beloit and established
a branch church there. This latter is now merged into the
Presbyterian church of Sebring.
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