History of Trumbull and Mahoning counties (Volume 2) online

GENBALOOY COLLZCTION



;?/— '



3 1833 00824 4359



GENEALOGY

977.101

T77H



!


HISTORY

OF


^


Trumbull and Mahoning




COUNTIES. O l-l 1




ILLUSTRATIONS AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES






VOT,. IT






CLEVELAND;






H. Z. WILLIAMS & BRO.






1882.




\,




J,



CONTENTS.



HISTORICAL



1164477



\^ TOWNSHIPS AND VILLAGES OF MAHONING

COUNTY.
. O CHAPTER. P.\(

Xn 1.— Canfield

fi II.— Poland

^ III. — Boardinan
\o IV.— Ellsworth

*. v.— Berlin .
VI. — Austintown



I
^ Vll.-Jackso



VIII.— Coitsville
IX.-Milton .



>r X.— Beaver
O XI.— Goshen

CO



XIII.— Smith .
XIV. —Springfield



I. — Rowland
II. — Weathersfield



XVI.
XVII.
XVI II.
XIX.
XX.
XXI.
XXII,



. - Hartford
.—Kinsman .
. — Farmington
.—Bristol
.— Brookfield
.—Hubbard .
. — Vernon
.— Bloomfield
.—Johnston

.—Vienna
.—Newton
.— Gustavus .
.— Bazetta
. — Mesopotamia



-Braceville
—Mecca

— Lordstown

—Greene



BIOGRAPHICAL,



Arret, Walter S.,
Allen, Martin,
Anderson, David,
Allen, Dr. Peter
Beardsley Family
Brown, James S.
Boardman Family
Baldwin, Jacob H.
Rrockway, Edward
Bushnell Family
Borden Family
Beebe, Dr. R. M.
Burnham, Jedediah
Bishop, James C.
Bidwell, Riverius an,
Burnett, William
Brown, Ephraim
Bushnell Family
Button, Roswell A.







between


l'.\GE

74
io8
134
30I

34
72-73

91

93
274
276
279
28s
302
303
304
36s
398
406
498



Church, Nathaniel

Canfield, Hon. Judson

Calvin, Dr. A. W

Coit, Joseph

Carson, George

Crowell, Henry

Chalker Family

Chalker, Newton

Drake Family

Davis, Aaron

Fuller, Davis

Fowler Family

Fobes Family

Hughes, Dr. Jam:

Hayes Family

Hutchins, .Sullivan

Hart, Bliss and Family

Humason, James I. and Eli

Jones Family.



PAGE

32





CONTENTS.


6




I'AGIO




I'AGE


|f«c-ll,A. M. .


. 366


Porter, William


134


Kinney, Colonel Sherman .


43


Perkins, Seth ....


â–  301


Kirlland Family


73


Peck, Joel and Eliza


33°


King, F.lias ....


75


Payne, Ichabod B. . . .


• 454


King, Jonathan




Post, James Hervev


486


King, James Franklin


214


Ripley Family . ' .


. 107


Kennedy Family


217


Rowland, Horace .


124


Kcpner Family


282


Ratliff, John .


. ' 213


Kinsman, John and Family


. 296


Reeder. Willis


286


Kincaid, Rev. William


330


Reeve Family . . â–  .


. 298


King, John I., M. D. .


. 378


Reed, Edmund A.


376


Kline, Peter


441


Sanzenbacher, John, and Family


. 36


Kennedy, William B. .


. 486


Servis, Judge Francis G. .


40


Laird, William


300


Strong, Alonzo . between 120 and 121


Milligan. James


• 173


Snyder, George Sr.


284


McFarland Family


282


Tanner Familv


37


Merry, Samuel


â–  377


Van Hyning, Henry


42


Morrow. Robert


418


Wadsworth, General Elijah .


32


Newton, Hon. Shelden


93


Williams, James


109


.Norton, Homer


527


Ward, James ....


â–  241


Osborn Family ....


. 156







ILLUSTRATIONS.









P.\GF..






P.\GE


Portrai


t of Eben Newton




facing


9


Portrait of Hannah L. Anderson


between


128 and 129


Portrai


of Judge F. G. Servis




facing


12


Portrait of William Porter .


betweei


136 and 137


Portrai


of Henry Van Hyning .




facing


i6


Portrait of Mrs. William Porter


between


136 and 137


Portrai


of Mrs. Sopliia Beardsley .




facing


17


Portrait of Jonathan Osborn




facing 156


Portrai


of Edmund P. Tanner .




facing


20


Portrait of James Milligan .




facing 173


Portrai


ofj. M.Nash




facing


24


Portrait of John Ratliff




facing 207


Portrai


of Sherman Kinney .




facing


25


Portrait ot James F. King




facing 214


Portrai


of Dr. A. W. Calvin




facing


28


Portrait of A. A. Drake




facing 217


Portrai


of John Sanxenbacher .


between


36 and


37


Portrait of G. W. Snyder




facing 284


Portrai


of Mrs. John Sanzenbacher


between


36 and


37


Portrait of Riverius Bidwell .


between


292 and 293


Portrai


of W. S. Arrel .


between


60 and


61


Portrait of Mrs. Eunicia Bidwell


between


292 and 293


Portrai


of Mrs. \V. S. Arrel


between


60 and


61


Portrait of James C. Bishop .




facing 303


Portrait of lilias King .


between


64 and


65


Portrait of Miss Lottie Fobes




facing 304


Portrait of Mrs. Ellas King


between


64 and


65


Portraitof Joel Peck .


between


320 and 321


Portrai


of James S. Brown


between


72 and


73


Portrait of Mrs. Eliza H. Peck


between


320 and 321


Portrai


of Mary A. Brown .


between


72 and


73


Portrait of Rev. William Kincaid




facing 328


Portrait of Billius Kinland


between


84 and




Portrait of A. M. Jewell .


between


360 and 361


Portrai


of Mrs. B. Kirtland


between


84 and


8S


Portrait of Rebecca C. Jewell .


between


360 and 361


Portrait of Shelden Newton .




facing


89


Portrait of E. A. Reed




facing 376


Portrai


t of F. A. Boardman


between


92 and


93


Portrait of Samuel Merry




facing 377


Portrai


of Mrs. M^ry A. Boardman


between


92anci


93


Portrait of Ephraim Brown


between


396 and 397


Portrait of Joseph Cox




facing


97


Portrait of Mary B. Brown


between


396 and 397


Portrait of Martin Allen


between


100 and


lOI


Portrait of Robert Morrow




facing 418


Portrai


t of Mrs. Lucy M. Allen


between


100 and


101


Portrait of Peter Kline .


between


440 and 441


Portrai


t of Hervey Ripley




facing


I OS


Portrait of Mrs. Esther Kline


between


440 and 441


Portrai


t of lames Williams .


between


loB and


109


Portrait of Ichabod B. Payne .


between


448 and 449


Portra


t of Almyra Williams


between


108 and


109


Portrait of Mrs. Betsy Payne


between


448 and 449


I'ortra


t of R. K. Hughes .


between


112 and


"3


Porttaitof JamesJ. Humason .


between


452 and 453


Portrai


t of Mrs. Martha A. Hughes


between


112 and


"3


Portrait of Mrs. Eliza Humason


between


452 and 453


Portra


tof Jonathan King


between


116 and


117


Portrait of William B. Kennedy




facing 480


Poitra


t of Mrs. I.ydia King


between


116 and


117


Portrait of Aaron Davis .




facing 485


Portrai


t of Alonzo .Strong


between


120 and


121


Portrait of James H. Post




facing 486


Portra


t of Mrs. Elizabeth C. Strong


between


120 and


121


Portrait of Roswell A. Button




facing 498


I^nra


t of George Carson




facing


123


Portrait of Homer Norton




facing 527


Portra


t of Horace Rowland


between


124 and


125


Portrait of James Chalker .




lacing 529


Portrait of Mrs. Fidelia Rowland


between


124 and


125


Portrait of Newton Chalker .




facing 531


Portrait of David Anderson .


between


128 and


129









IHmlf' ^raft




. \\wv A <^aaAa)A'



TOWNSHIPS AND VILLAGES



MAHONING COUNTY. OHIO.



CHAPTER I.

CANFIELD.
INTRODUCTORY.

Canfield is the central township of Mahoning
county. On the north Hes Austintown; on the
east Boardman; on the south Green and Beaver;
and on the west Ellsworth. In point of agricul-
tural importance this township ranks among the
very first of those situated in the southern part
of the Reserve. There are no large streams
flowing through Canfield, but a large number of
swales and small creeks divide the land into a
number of varying ridges and undulatory eleva-
tions of moderate height. Indian creek, the
largest of these streams, enters the southern part
of the township almost directly south of the
center, and, after flowing northward about one
mile, turns to the east and crosses into Board-
man township. The number of fresh water
springs is large, affording a supply of pure, cold
water which seldom fails — a most valuable ar-
rangement of nature for the convenience of dairy
farmers and stock raisers.

The soil is an easily cultivated loam of rich-
ness and fertility. The township being among
the earliest settlements made upon the Reserve,
and withal thickly peopled by an industrious and j
thrifty class, is conspicuous for its large number
of well improved farms and other general evi-
dences of prosperity.

In addition to its important agricultural re-
sources, Canfield has considerable mineral
wealth. Coal was discovered in 1798, and coal
reservations were marked in the original surveys.
Bituminous coal is found in nearly all parts of



the township in veins from fifteen to thirty-three
inches in thickness; while in the southern and
southeastern parts extensive fields of cannel coal
are found.

There is but one village, which has an air of
rural simplicity quite unusual in most places of
its size. As in most townships of the Reserve
first settled by Connecticut Yankees, the "center"
was the point where the first families took up
their abode, and about that point has grown up
one of those sober, quiet, unpretentious country
villages, far more like an old New England vil-
lage than one of the modern western "towns."

The village of Canfield has the advantage of
a pleasant site, the principal part of it being
upon a gentle elevation of land overlooking by
far the greater portion of the township. Broad
street, running north and south, is the principal
business street, and includes within itself a
park or common extending almost its entire
length. Though there is little that can be said
in praise of the architecture or general appear-
ance of many of the buildings facing upon this
park, yet so large a tract of grassy lawn adds
much to the beauty of the village. And a few
years hence, when the small trees now growing
shall have attained a size entitling them to be
ranked as shade trees, this spot will become a
charming ornament to Canfield. The remaining
streets of the village have, in general, an old-
fashioned look. The houses are placed some
distance back from the road in some instances,
but in others, near to it, — many of them sur-
rounded by orchards or gardens, making a gen-
erous mingling of the country in the town which
delights by its quaintness.



TRUMBULL AND MAHONING COUNTIES, OHIO.



The old court-house at the head of the com-
mon — soon to be transferred into an educational
institute — may yet become a source of pride to
Canfield's people instead of an eye-sore, as it has
been since the removal of the county seat.

Whatever may be the future of the place, the
brightness of the past will not speedily be extin-
guished. Many men of sterling worth and wide
reputation have Canfield either for their birth-
place or their home. Though some of them
have been sleeping for years in the quiet village
cemetery, Canfield still remembers them, and
points out the acts of their lives as e.xamiiles
worthy of imitation.

OWNERSHIP AND SURVEY.

Township one in range three was purchased
from the Connecticut Land company by six per-
sons, who owned in the following proportions :
]udson Canfield, 6,171 acres; James Johnson,
3,502 acres; David Waterman, 2,745 acres;
Elijah Wadsworth, 2,069 acres; Nathaniel
Church, 1,400 acres, Samuel Canfield, 437
acres.

The price paid for this township of 16,324
acres was $12,903.23, being a very little more
than seventy nine cents per acre. But in addi-
tion to the number of acres above given, there
was annexed to this township, for the purpose of
equalizing its value, lot number two in township
one in the tenth range. To explain this process
of equalization we make the following extract
from the manuscripts prepared by Hon. Elisha
Whittlesey:

As the whole tract purch.ised by the Connecticut L.ind
company was in common, it was a principle of justice to
equalize the township so that the proprietors of each should
have an equal share of the whole, and if the quality of the
land was below mediocrity, the quantity was to be increased
10 obtain the equality in value. A conimittee was appointed
to make this equalization. They had no personal knowledge
of the land, and judged of it by e.Nanuning the field notes or
sun-eys. The surveyors who ran the lines of the townships
did not examine the land not on or contiguous to the Une
surveyed; and the sur\'eyors who subdivided the townships
had no knowledge of the land e.\cept what they saw on the
line; and their descriptions of it in their field notes were
made from what they thus saw. On the south line of Can-
field and west of the north and south center line is low, wet
land, on the margin of a creek, the extent of which was not
known to either set of the surveyors mentioned. The tradi-
tion is that the equalizing committee, apprehending that
the low swampy land which they saw on the south township
line might be e.vlensive, annexed lot two in township num-
ber one in the tenth range, containing 1,664 acres, to m.ake
township number one of range number three equal in value
to an average of the land on the Reserve. It was a fact.



however, at that time, that the said township number one,
range number three, was above instead of below the average
quality of the tract divided. CaKin Cone, Esq., of Hartford,
was assessor in Trnmbull county during several years, and
he said he deemed the township of Canfield to be the best
quality of land in the county. This opinion was given e.v-
clusive of the annexation. The annexation was a valuable
tract of land, and on being re-surveyed was found to con-
tain 1,723^ acres, or 58 J^ acres more than it was computed
to contain when annexed. The proprietors, therefore, may
be considered as having been unusually fortunate.

In 1798 the proprietors of the township ap-
pointed Nathaniel Church, one of their number,
an agent to superintend the surveying of the
land into lots and commence improvements.
Concerning the journey and the first operations
ot the party after reaching the township, the fol-
lowing extract from a letter written by Samuel
Church to Hon. Elisha Whittlesey gives a
graphic and interesting account. The letter
bears the date "Salisbury, Litchfield county,
Connecticut, November 5, 1837," and is written
by a son of Nathaniel Church. Mr. Church writes :

Dear Sir : Yours of July 27, 1837, addressed to my
father, Nathaniel Church, enquiring of him in regard to the
early history of the town of Canfield, Trumbull county,
Ohio, has been submitted to my perusal. The age and
iufirniities of my venerable parent have prevented him from
making under his own hand a reply to your request — a cir-
cumstance regretted by me. But the brief detail of facts
here given you is taken from his verbal statement.

He says : On the 20th day of .\pril, 1797,* I started from
Sharon, accompanied by the following named persons and
perhaps a few others not now recollected : Nathan Moore,
of Salisbury, surveyor ; Eli Tousley, Nathaniel Gridley,
Barber King, Reuben Tupper, and one Skinner, of Salis-
bury; Samuel Gilson, of Sharon, and Joseph Pangburn, of
Cornwall, axemen.

I performed the journey on horseback with all my effects
contained in my saddle-bags. My men traveled on foot.
My associates were clieerful, and at times a little rude,
though not uncivil, on the journey. We traveled through
the towns of Newburg, in the State of New York; Lupex,
Belvidere, in the State of New Jersey; Eaton. Bethlehem, a
Moravian town, Reading, Harrisburg, then a small village on
the Susquehanna river, Carlisle, Shippensburg, and Shaws-
burg, in Pennsylvania, at the eastern margin of the .Mle-
ghanies. Thus far the country was well inhabited and well
cultivated. On our way over the mountains to Pittsburg the
roads were dreadful and the settlements sparse. Bedford.
Strystown, and Greensburg were about all the settlements
we passed. From Pittsburg, or Fort Pitt as it was then most
commonly called, to the mouth of the Big Beaver, there
were few or no inhabitants. \\'e performed our journey on
the south side of the Ohio river, there being no road on the
other side. At the mouth of the Big Beaver was a small
settlement called Mcintosh. From thence to the place of
our destination the forest was uninterrupted, with the excep-
tion that one or two families had settled and made some
improvement at a place since called '"'reersburg.

•Should be 1798. — E. Whittlesey in a note.



TRUMBULL AND MAHONING COUNTIES, OHIO.



We arrived at Cantield on the 24th day of May, 1797,*
and pitched our first tent near the northeast corner of the
town, our surveyor mistaking this for the center. Our jour-
ney from the mouth of the Big Beaver had been performed
by the aid of the compass and marlied trees. We erected a
cabin or hut of poles and bark at the place where we first
stopped. Our surveyor soon learned his mistake, and ascer-
tained and fixed the center of the town. While doing this
our cabin took fire and was burned up and some of our uten-
sils with it. The lot upon which this cabin stood was after-
wards known as the Burnt Cabin lot. Our first repast was
made of smoked pork bought in Mcintosh, bread made by
ourselves and baked m the ashes, and coffee without milk or
sugar; and h.iving thus feasted we slept soundly upon our
blankets spread upon the ground. Within a day or two we
erected another cabin, at the center, and began to survey
the road from the center east. Our surveyor aUer running
about half a mile eastwardly from the center pronounced it
impracticable to proceed, by reason of the wet and miry state
of the ground. I returned with him ; and, wading through
mud and water over my boots about si.\ rods, found hard
ground and we proceeded without further difficulty.

A little eastward of this swale of wet ground, on the north
side of our surveyed road, we commenced the first clearing.
Having cleared two acres we raked off the leaves with our
hands, harrowed it with one horse and a wooden harrow. I
planted it with com, potatoes, and beans. We cleared
twelve acres and sowed wheat, and inclosed one field with a
seven-rail fence. We cleared and sowed three acres to oats,
and on the south side of the road we cleared and sowed
twelve acres of wheat, f which proved an abundant crop. We
erected a log house in the center and two houses and one
barn east of the center. Having done this we cut out the
east and west road.

About one month after our arrival at Canfield, Champion
Minor, with his wife and two children from Salisbury, arrived
with an o.x-team. This was the first family which ever visited
or settled in the town, and the company made a donation of
land to the woman. A few days after the arrival of Minor's
family the youngest child died. I went to Youngstown to
procure a woman to aid in preparing the body for the grave.
The coffin was made of split wood pinned together, and we
buried the child decently, but without religious solemnities,
about twenty rods from our cabin. Some wild beast nearly
disinterred the body on the night of its burial, and we then
built a strong fence around the grave. This was the first
burial of any white person within the town.

During this first summer I brought all our provisions and
olher necessaries from Pittsburg through the wilderness on
pack-horses, guided on my way by marked trees. A settle-
ment had commenced the year before at Youngstown, and
that was the only settlement near us. A few Indians visited
us on their hunting excursions this summer. We understood
that they came from the vicinity of Sandusky. They ap-
peared friendly. Our party enjoyed tolerable health during
the summer, and were generally submissive to my orders,
although in my absence some disorder prevailed.

Our men established a code of justice and system of pun-
ishment of their own, and when I was absent from them,
sometimes put their laws in force by tying the condemned
one to a tree with his body naked and exposed to the attacks
of mosquitoes. I soon repealed this cruel code.



'1798.— E. Whittlesey.
i-There was probably but one twelve-a
that on the south side of the road.— El).



Tiie town w.as laid off into lots, and most of our men took
up lots but did not retain them long, as but few of them re-
mained in the town. One Sunday one of my men, with-
out my leave, went into his lot and commenced labor upon
it by clearing. He was soon frightened away and came back
to our cabin declaring that the devil had appeared to
him. He had probably been frightened by the appearance
of some wild beast. After this incident none of my men
were disposed to labor on the Sabbath, a practice which I
had stnctly forbidden.

Champion Minor and his family, Samuel Gilson and
Joseph Pangburn remained in the town. I believe all the
others returned after cutting through the east and west road,
which was the last of our labor. We reached Connecticut
in safety the fall of the same year.some of us at least grate-
ful fur the mercies which Providence had extended to us."

It may be interesting to our readers to know
with what equipments this surveying party were
provided, and fortunately the information is at
hand :

A bill of articles delivered to Judson Canfield
for the New Connecticut:

April 28, 1798.* £ s. d.

12 Narrow axes at 8s 4 i5 o

r Broad axe at 15s 15 o

I Chain , 18 o

I Square and two pair compasses 7 o

1 Draw-shave 6

Half bushel white clover seed 2 8 o

Half bushel herdsgrass seed 16 o

3 lbs. Bohea tea at 4s. 6d 13 6

2 lbs. pepper at 3s. 3d 6 6

6 lbs. ginger at is. 6 9 o

^11 14s 6d
Received the above mentioned articles from Captain Elijah
Wadsworth, by the hand of Arad Way. Also i6s. in cash.
Sharon, April 28, 1798.

Such was the outfit for a party of twelve men
who were to spend several months in a solitary
wilderness, fifty miles from any settlement of im-
portance — about $5 to each man in tools, seed,
and groceries, and sixteen shillings m cash! Yet
the eleven men, who performed the journey on
foot, doubtless thought they had as much bag-
gage as was convenient.

The names and residences of this surveying
party were as follow: Nathaniel Church, Na
than Moore, Eli Tousley, Nathaniel Gridley
Barker King, Reuben Tupper, and David Skin
ner, of Salisbury, Connecticut; Carson Bacon
Samuel Gilson, and Joshua HoUister, of Sharon
Connecticut; Charles Campbell and Joseph
Pangburn, of Cornwall, Connecticut.



*The date given in Mr. Church's letter must be i
Evidently these articles were for the surveying party, which
must have left Sharon after their delivery and not on April
2oth, as stated. — Ed.



TRUMBULL AND MAHONING COUNTIES, OHtO.



Just here arises the question whether Hon.
Judson Canfield was of the party. That he was
in Canfield in June, 1798, is show by a trans-
cript of the records of the survey, originally in
the possession of Judson Canfield and now be-
longing to his grandson. On page 123 of this
transcript is the following:

A draft of the first division in Campfield on the Reserve,
made the 20th of June, 1798, at Campfield, by Nathaniel
Church, the agent, ana Judson Canfield, clerk, and drawn
by Nathan Moore, viz ;

Judson Canfield 4,081,* drew lot No. fourth.

Judsoi. Canfield 2,090 A

Samuel Canfield 437 (, gi , do. lot No. first.

Nathaniel Church 1,400 I ^

James Johnston 154/

l?""^! Ix°*'""°" 3'^'*'* !• 4.081, do. lot second.

David Waterman 733 I

David Waterman 2,012 ) „ ^ , j,^ ,.^

Elijah Wadsworth 2,069 1 4.ooi. Qo. 101 '^o- "i>â„¢,

N. B,— Not No. I is the southwest lot, lot No. 2 is the
northwest lot, lot No. 3 is the southeast lot, and lot No. 4
is the northeast lot.

Judson Canfeld.

Nath.j^niel Church.

Nathan Moore.
N. B. — The above four lots were the four center lots pre-
vious to their being cut up into small lots containing about
seven acres each. Each of the above four lots before cut up
contained about sixty-three acres, being 186 by 60 rods, in-
cluding highways; and each lot has been cut up into eight.

When these four center lots were subdivided
does not appear, but It must have been during
the summer of 1798,33 Mr. Church speaks of
his men taking up lots in the town, in the letter
given above. It is somewhat surprising that he
nowhere mentions Mr. Canfield's visit lo the
Reserve.

THE N.\ME.

Campfield was tlie name given the township
by the surveyors, and it is so denominated in
their maps and notes. An old book of records
deposited with the recorder of deeds of Trumbull
county contains in manuscript a record of the