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I I .

CENTENNIAL.

A sun-burnt, way-stained band of men, landed upon a bare bluff one July

morning in 1796, caught a prophetic glimpse of a future city; a series of magnificent

pageants, dating from the hundredth anniversary of that initial day, has show n u s

how far reality has exceeded the wildest visions

of imagination. A remarkable growth and devel-

opment has been most fitly celebrated. The f utur e

historian of The \Vestern Reserve will not need to

go back of present returns. The centennial editionof The Cleveland Leader alone would seem to have

exhausted every source o f information. Details of

early struggles, of hampered growth, of successive

turning points; developments of great e nterprises

an d b usiness interests; the growth of churches,

schools, colleges, with sketches of early and later

settlers and myriad s of minor incidents , pa ss be-

fore our eyes in realistic panorama.

The way-stained pioneers fade from our view.

With one brief outlook into the Promised Land,

General Moses Cleaveland vanishes from the

scene. His work, his family called him homeward.

Married late in lif e, his flrSt-born child was left

behind for the Ohio pilgrimage. Porter, after ac-

complishing with great l abor and carefulness thesurvey and division of as much of the territory

as was practicable in the autumn of 1796, returned

eastward to spend a long and honored life on the

frontier of Niagara. The laborious survey of the

following year was onducted by Seth Pease

assisted by six surveyors who had served the precedin g s eason, together with

as many of the former employees, and some forty others. They found Job Stiles and

his wife, Talitha Cumi, still at their post, the only residents on the "bleak wilder-

ness coast," the site of the future city. James Kingsbury and his wife who had sur-

viv ed almost incredible hai'dships at Conneaut during the winter, ac~ompanied the

surveyors to a new home in Cleveland. E li jah Gun and his wife had weathered the

winter with apparently less difficulty. Another noted pioneer, Major Alonzo C arter

joined the little settlement during this summer. Under great dif ficulty and obstruc~

tion the work o f survey and division into townships was accomplished and ,. a sorry

sickly looking set of beings" left the Reserve in November, 1797. Disappointment~on all sides were experienced. The number o f acres in the Reserve was found

considerably less than had been previously fi gure d; s o that instead of having an

" Excess," for a new compan y, the Lan d Company had only the quantity for which

.... IJCl.U IJc:l.LU .LJ ...... _J .---- ----

remunerative returns, fresh assessments were demanded. The

found the price of land too high, its jurisdiction uncertain, its

together with the myria d p rivations an d d iscomforts

incident to all new countries.

After the report of the surveyors had been re-

ceived, at Hartford, January 23, 1798, the directors

voted, "To give to Talitha Cumi, wife of Job P. Stiles,

one city lot, one ten-acre lot, one one-hundred acre

lot; to Anna Gun, wife of Elijah Gu n, one one-hun-

dred acre lot; to James K ingsbury and wife, one one-

hundred acre lot; to Nathaniel Doane, one city lot, he

being obliged to reside thereon as a blacksmith, and

all in the city and town of Cleaveland "-and so the

capital city of New Connecticut was launched into

being.For a number of years progress was extremely

slow. Amos Spafford and Nathaniel Doane were

the only members of the surveying party who became

permanent settlers. Other towns gained more rapidly than the city. In 1

general government assumed jurisdictio n; the Reserve was established as Tr

County, with Warren for county seat. Its first election was held in October

forty-two residents cast their votes and elected Edward Paine to represent

the Territorial Legislature of Ohio. Eight townships had then been instit

Youngstown, Warren, Hudson, Vernon , R ichfield, Middlefield, Painesville, Clea

But though Connecticut had yielded jurisdiction she had not ceased to

influence and parental oversight. Her schoolmasters were abroad and also h

sionaries. In missionary work she was ever ready to lead. As early as 1722

raised money to introdu e and carryon the ministry of the Gospel i n Prov

R.1. As her sons went out to found settlements in Vermont , New HamI sh

New York, they were followed by her maries, an d the scattered settlements with

Connecticut had a special claim upon th

vices. For a quart er of a century miss

were sen t o ut and supported by the

Association of Connecticut. In 1798 a

missionary s ociety was organized, the pio

Home Mission societies in this country

first missionary sent under its auspices

\Vestern Reserve was Rev. Joseph Badger

military service during the Revolutionar

and subsequent struggles to SUIply the

early education made him just the man to

COMMISSARY JOSHUA STOW. the hardships of introducing religious inst

among the new settlements. The first church on the Western Reserv e w as or

by him at Austinburgh, October, 1801, consisting" of ten males and six femalewas soon joined by another remarkable man, with remarkable descendants, Rev

Bacon, who, unable to arry out his cherished purpose of laboring a mong

was sent by the Connecticut Missionary Society to carry forwar d t he wor k

settlers on the

condition ma

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- " vv 1.nuuc WlJl ever ue nonorea In

\...onnectlcu t ! l1 connection with her Historl'cal S . t R Tl R bb'. . . oCle y- ev. lOmas 0 l11S-

wh~se lIfetime collection of books w as the foundation of its valuable library. Of delIcate health and scholarly t astes and 11'lbits Mr Robb' ld I dl I

c ,. lOS wou seem lar y equato tl~e work assu~e ~ b y. 111m,.but hIS conscientious d ev otion enabled him to do good

ser~lCe. The dally ]ottl11gs !l1 his diary give a truthful picture of conditions at that

penod and o f t~le many ways"in which the missionary was helpful to the early settlers.

Mr. Robbl11s reached Polan d, Trumbull County, alias N ew C onnecticut,"

November 2~, 1803, aft~r a three months' journey in which he had ridden eight hun-

dre.d and thIrty-four mlle s; staid for a time in Canfield-quite a respectable congre-

gatIOn, mostl~ C .onnecti.cu.t people .. "Th e p eo ple appear pretty stupid," more dis-

posed to cavll wIth C~r~stlan do~~nnes. t~an to attend weekly lecture; y oung people

had a smart dance; VISIted famIlIes; VISIted and catechi zed a school of seventeen

scholars. Dec. 17-Rode to t he north part of the t ow n

mostly Pennsylvania people, livin g g enerally on their land~

withou~ reg~rd t ~ roa ds ; tried to pro po se a plan for societyregulatIOns 111thIS town. 27-Rode to Warren nine miles

, ,through the woods; called at the salt spring ; i t requires about

twelve hundred g allons of water to make a bushel of salt. A

Baptist Church is formed i n this town. Some people here

do much i n hunting; they kill a good many bears. 30.- V is -

ited a school; pretty poorly regulated. but appear ambitious.

184. Jan. I-Preached all day; the meeting w as s erious

and solemn; o ne p erson fell. 2-Visite d a s c ho ol o f more

than twenty scholars. 6-Rode through Vienna to Hartford,

through lovely woods. 7- R od e t o Smithfield; preached all

day; a good number of people; some pretty violently e xercised.

A small church w as f ormed here last fal!. 13-Rode to

Hartford; pre ac he d t o a large and very attentive audience'

17- Rode with company to Morgan, sixteen miles, without d

house; snow and mud very deep. 19-Rode to Austinburgh.a very great religious awakening here. 23-A areat fall of

JAMES KINGSBURY. . . . 1 0snow, It IS now more t lan two feet deep on a level; more than

has ever been known here before; very cold; people are generally pretty well provided

WIth food and fodder. Hold meetin gs all the time; about eight or ten fall almost

every meeting; find much kindness from people wherever Igo; almost worn out with

fatigue. Houses very smoky. This is a very pleasant and respectable neighborhood.1804. Jan. 9-By the assistance of Mr. Badger and three or four members of

the church, composed a Confession of Faith an d C ovenant, and Articles of Practice

for the ~hurclles in ~h.is county. II-Worked with some of the people building a

large bndge. 14-VlSIted; worked considerab ly , helping the people here to clear a

piece of ground for public uses. 21-Rode to Gustavus. 22-Preached' bu t t hree

families in this town. 24-Assisted in measuring a piece of ground for ~ublic uses.

27-Rode to Smithfield; worked with the people clearing their public ground. 28-

Rode to Hartford; worked with people on their public g round. Ithink i t wi ll be

a pretty handsome place. 29- Rode to V ienna; assisted the people, etc.; visited

families. March 2-Rode to Hubbard. This town contains more than sixty families.

4-Col de st day we have had t his winter. A good number of people attended meet-

ing. Conversed w it h a n um ber of Methodists. 6-Rod e t o Yo un gs to wn and

Warren. The court-ho us e in the town was burned last week. Conversed w it

tists. I4-Attended a session o f the c ourt. Litigati~n very liltle prevale

Masonic L o dg e about to be installed here. Is-Met WIth the Masons and de

to them a public discourse. Mr. Badger and Idined with the m. 1 6-Court

rized me to perform marria ge s. Mr. Badger and Iattended the church he

thev adopted the Confession of Faith, Covenant and Articles of Practice wh

lat;ly drew up . q -A ssisted in writing a notification of the incorpor~tion o

tees for a college in this county. 2o-Rode to Poland; attended a socIety m

The Pennsylvania c hu rc he s are on a pretty poor foundation as to sentiments,

or members. Assisted the people i n la yi ng o ut a p ie ce o f ground, 40 rods

for publi c u se s. A pril 14-Mr. Fowler had a large house raised. Rode to C

people here try-

ing to e stablish

a fund for t he

support of a min-

ister. 19- Rode

to Hub bar d.

G I'eat numbers

of familIes are

comin g i nto this

county from be-

lo~v. Visited two

schools; worked

with the people

here clearing a

piece of public

ground, twenty- MR. AND MRS . L OR EN ZO CARTER.six rods square.

2s-Canfield. Attende d a me eting of a number of people here on t he

of forming into a church. Mr. Badger preached. 27-Preached from

xxviii.: 20, 2 1; after which the church was regularly organiz ed , c onsistithree men and six women. May 2-Visited; rode to Vienna; attended the

of a house the first fra me erected in t he t own. 3-Rode to Warren. 6-Prea

in the for~noon; afternoon, Mr. Smith, a B aptist min ister, preached, after wh

baptized three p ersons in the river; A. M. Ibaptized a ch il d. 7- Visited fa

attend ed a military election. The militia i n t his state is now about to be org

June 2o-Rode to Smithfield; wrote records for this church; visited a schoo

well regulated and instructed, particularly i n t he catech is m. J uly I-Can

Serious p eo ple here apprehensive of inroads by Methodists. 3-Rode to De

A Methodist church has been formed here for some time. Conversed and di

with the Methodist preacher; fear he is a dangerous character. s-Rode to H

The bridge over the Cuyahoga quite a curiosity. Wrote the records of the chu

a new book Ibought for them. Visited, preached, catechized the children. V

mills lately bu rn t here. People generally haying. A great c ro p o f g ras~.

Rode through the woods to Cleveland. Tarried wi th Esq. Kingsbury. ThIS

oldest settlemen t i n t he county. I4-Rode out with Co!' Huntington. Went mouth of the Cuyaho ga ; a v ery pleasant situation, commanding an extensive

pect of the lake. The people rather loose in principles and conduct. Is-

a pretty full meeting. The people generally quite attentive. The most of them

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and at Cleveland sick with fever and ague. 2o-Rode to Nelso n i n the raina man very sick w it h t he bite of a rattlesnake.

Visited

Settlements in t his part of the

c 0u n t y v er y small

There are but seven

families i n thi s t own.

23-Rode through the

woods to Warren. 24-

Rode to Hartford.

Here Mr. Robbins

succumbed to il lness

and was debarred from

labor for nearly two

months.

September 16-

Preached for the firsttime since my sickness.

I7-Rode to Smith-field. Some expectation in this settlement of obtaining the college which is to

be established i n t his county. 18-Rode to Kinsman; married a couple of persons.

Some families here exceedingly distressed with sickness~fever and ague. 19-5even

persons examined and approved for admission into the church. 2o-Rode to Hart-

ford; have considerable care in providing for the sacrament. 22-Rode to Smith-

field; began in P. AI. the exercises of a sacramental occasion; Mr. Badger preached.

~3-A large collection of people, about sixty communicants; admitted seven persons

ll1to the church; we had a pleasant place in the woods; the meeting very attentive

and solemn; I preached A. M., Mr. Badger P. M. and evening. 24-Meeting most as

large as yesterday; preached A. Af.; meeting dismissed I P. M. 28-Rode to Can-

field;. tow n i n a great ferment on account of a town quarrel and the approaching

electIOn. 3o-Held meeting in an open new house; some of the people quite dis-

orderly. Oct. 2-Wrote record s f or the church here. Several Dutch families have

moved into the town. 16-Rode to Poland. Many New England families are arriv-

ing in the county. 2 4- Vienna; ten New England families have moved i nto this

town this year. 29-Worked a little all day, helping to raise a loghouse. People met

and c on versed, some on the subject of building a meeting house. 3c-Rode to

Hartford; twelve families have lately moved into this town from Hartland, Conn.

No~. 4-Preached to a large and respectable congregation; very good singing.

Smithfield and Hartford together is now the largest New England settlement in

Trumbull County. 6-At evening, Mr. Badger and Mr. Bacon, our brother mission-

ary, came here; formed an agreeable acquaintance with Mr. Bacon; he has set out

to go to Connecticut on foot; he chooses to go in that way. 9-Rode to Johnston

and preache d; b ut two families in l; this was the first sermon preached in thistown. 12-Snows considerably; people ha ve success in killing deer. Is-Snow

eight or ten in hes deep; fall crops not yet gathered. 28-Rode to Smithfield;

people here building considerably. 29- Kep t b y people in S. and Hartford as a day

of thanksgiving; a large collection of people. 3o-Rode to Vienna; prospec.t of a

good settlement in Brookfield; great commotion in regard to the division of thiscounty. Dec. 18-2 I-Rode to elson, Middlefield, Burton. From Warren here I

SOlt; tile weather extremelY CUIU, "u" ~....~~... _-

23-Preached; people quite generally at meeting. 24-Rode out and visited;

have a large and very good frame raised here for an academy. 2s-Was invited

entertainment, it being Christmas; the people, however, are not Episcopalians.

Snowed all day. The people of this t own generally come here pretty poor; t h

now generally living comfortably, but are not forehanded; they are industrious.

centre of the town is very handsome. 3o-Full meeting; but two or three profe

of religion IIIthis town. 3I-Snow quite eighteen inches deep and very solid.

1805. Jan. 4-Rode to Middlefield. But seven families in the town. 7-R

to Burton. Snow two to two and a half feet deep. 9-Ro de t o Mesopotamia;

half the way there was no path in the snow. But few people in this settlement.

Rode to Windsor; preached. Some families lately moved i nto this town live

poor. 22-Rode to Wooster; preached; first sermon ever preached in the

26-Returned to Burton; invited to take charge of the academy a nd be their

ter. 3o-Rode through the woods to Bondstown and Perkinton; . l