Ashtabula County, Ohio - Chapter 26: Lenox Township, 1924

The north line of Township No. 10, in the third range of Ashtabula County, is almost exactly in the center of the county. This township was deeded, in September, 1795, to Oliver Phillips, by the Connecticut Land Company, of which concern Mr. Phillips was, an agent. In November, 1798, it passed to the hands of Gideon Granger Jr. and Oliver Phelps, who retained ownership until March, 1800, when they sold 12,678 acres to one Ashur Miller, and the town was called, after that owner, Millerstown. The same parcel changed hands several times and, in 1814, passed to the possession of Solomon, Alpha and Martin Rockwell. In 1813 the name of the township was changed to Lenox, presumably from the town of that name in Massachusetts.

Lisle Asque is said to have been the first settler within the township, he having landed there in 1807, in the late spring, with his family. They lived in a rudely constructed shack of barks and boughs until they had built a log house, which was completed and occupied in June of that year. It stood on what is now known as "Jefferson road', on the bank of a stream that was given the name of Asque Creek. In 1806 and 1807 quite a number of families came from Washington, D. C., and vicinity, induced by Gideon Granger to emigrate to the newly opened West, where, he represented, was a great future for the tobacco industry, the men of these families being tobacco growers. How they fare, as a reward for their venture, is related in the story of Jefferson. Nearly all of the first families to arrive made but a comparatively short sojourn, then moved on to other parts, or back whence they came. Among the first to become per- manent residents, some of whose descendants still reside in the township, were the families of Erastus Oliver, Almon Fowler, Jotham, Cyrus and Isaac Williams, Benejah and Almerin House, E. 8. and Sylvester Gleason, James and Johnathan Bailey, Justice Markham, Chauncy French, Asa Hartshorn, Sylvanus Norton, Horace Little, Gun, Elmote, Bacon, Moshier, VanWormer, Holeman, Wolcott, Ball, Halstead, Wheeler, Ray, Dodge, King, Lawson, Hurlburt, Carter, Udell, Church, and others.

One of the important features of settlement of new country is always the laying out of roads which, as a rule, are to serve as public highways for future generations, and, therefore, must be given careful consideration before being established. In the breaking up of the forests of this county, many things had to be considered in connection with the highway proposition, and the location and direction of roadways was given very careful planning. Especially was this the case with Lenox, on account of it being the hub of the county.

When Lisle Asque made a clearing, and built himself a house on the bank of the creek, there were no roads in that immediate section, and it was very natural that his location should be chosen as a starting point for the first highway. It was six years after Mr. Asque built his house that work on the first road was begun. It was built from his home to the center of Dorset, or, as it was then called, Millsford. From that time new roads were established from year to year, and the state road north and south through the township was put in in 1827.

There were not enough children of school age in the township to. require a public establishment of learning until 1818, when a log schoolhouse was erected and the first term was taught by Asaneth Waters. The scholars graduated from the log to a frame building in 1821, and the new structure also served as a church or meeting house.

The town began to take on commercial airs in 1819, when Ira French erected a saw mill, and N. A. Atkins a grist mill. With these promises of future greatness, the residents concluded that it was time to become enlisted as a village, and, on Jan. 17, 1820, pursuant to an order issued by the county commissioners, an election was held, at which Benjamin Waters, Comfort Gunn and Erastus Fowler were elected trustees, and Levi French clerk. This roster of original officers, it appears from the records, was only for temporary service, for on April 3 of the same year another general election was conducted, and that resulted in the naming of officers as follows: Ira French, John Lawson and Benjamin Waters, trustees; N. A. Atkins, clerk; Orrin Elmore, treasurer; T. Waters, constable. Levi French was the first justice of the peace of the village.

About the first real industry that Lenox boasted (and it did not boast of that very loudly) was a distillery, which was installed in 1820, by John Udell and Sylvanus Merrill.

In 1826 the hopes of those spiritually inclined began to become a realization, as the Rev. Mr. Carr came and organized a Methodist class. The Free-Will Baptists were next to organize, in a small way. Ten years later a meeting house was erected and was used in a partially completed condition till 1843, when the work of completion was accomplished and it was dedicated, the Rev. Ira Norris officiating. He was a Methodist. The Rev. M. W. Alfred was the first regular minister, and he also served the town as a doctor of medicine. Some years previous, William Beach, organized a Sunday school, which was conducted in the schoolhouse, and the building became familiarly known as the "synagogue''.

One of the House brothers, who enjoyed the title 'Colonel', was commissioned Lenox's first postmaster, in 1825. In 1837 travel through that immediate section had become so large that there were daily demands for accommodations that could not be supplied, so another advance step was taken through the opening of a tavern, by James Ray.

The first general store in Lenox was opened to the public by Wing & Carpenter, of New York, in 1835. In 1841 Abiather Fowler built a cheese factory, which did a good business for several years. In subsequent years, as the great dairy industry of the county developed and grew, other factories were built.

One of the proudest acquisitions to the town's claims for attention was the King Cornet Band, which was organized in 1861 by Prof. H. M. King. This organization soon became known throughout this and adjoining counties and was in demand on special occasions, but their local glory was short, for the members were men of action and loyalty and the whole aggregation soon enlisted under Capt. W. R. Allen as a brigade band in General Lane's division, and left for service in Kansas. They were doomed to disappointment, however, for upon arrival in Chicago they were intercepted by an order from the secretary of war that they should return home. Not discouraged at this failure, a large number of the members went, soon afterward, to Governors Island, where they went into training for the regular service. They returned to Lenox in 1863, and a few months later enlisted as privates in the regular army and started for the front, determined to have a hand in the struggle for freedom. Again they were doomed to disappointment, for they had proceeded no farther than Columbus, where they were held in barracks until the war had closed.

The Presbyterian-Congregational Church was dedicated in January, 1852, and King & French added a new saw mill to the industries, in the same year.

Nature took a hand in the clearing of the forest land of Lenox, in June, 1821, when that township was visited by a young cyclone, that leveled the forest trees for about three miles, making a clearing 60 feet wide, in which everything fell before the blast. Great trees were leveled and uprooted, and a scene of devastation resulted.

Lying so far removed from a railroad that no benefit could be derived therefrom, Lenox has maintained a very even balance down the years and today is little changed from the town of our forefathers' days.