Columbiana County, Ohio - Chapter 17: Societies, 1879

Chapter 17: Societies

The Columb lana Medical Society, an institution now ol the past, was organized as early as 1841, and founded in the principles of the " old school" of practice. The earliest record of the society obtainable shows that a meeting was held on the 20th day of October in that year, and that the officers then were as follows : Benjamin Stanton, President ; Leonard Hanna, Secretary ; Benjamin Stanton, Abel Carey, and McCoy, Censors.

At a subsequent meeting in May, 1842, it appears that Dr. Stanton was to read a paper, then or at an ensuing meeting, and that copies of the Western Medical Journal were to be supplied. April 19, 1842, John Harris, Corresponding Secretary, published a notice in the Village Register, published at Salem, fur a meeting, to be held at Watson's Hotel, New Lisbon, on the 20th. The last meeting of which any record remains was convened June 28th in the same year. Of the members of this society, whose existence was continued about six years, only the names which follow could be secured: Benjamin Stanton, Abel Carey, Leonard Hanna, John Harris, - - - McCoy, John Vail, James Robertson, Solomon Shreve.

Union Medical Society

The Union Medical Society, of the counties of Columbiana, Mahoning, Portage, Stark, and Carroll, was organized, April 23, 1864, for the purpose of promoting harmony and good-fellowship, and elevating the cause of medicine and the kindred sciences among its members. This society was composed of physicians of the " old school," or what is termed by them the " regular practice," and from the original faith and practice it has never departed.

The names of the original members could not be clearly identified in the records, but are included in the appended list. So far as known, the following were residents of Columbiana County: Homeworth, George L. Anderson; Washingtonville, J. Bossert, D. K. Bertloett ;* Damascus, S. F. Ballinger ; Salem, Abel Carey,* C. L. Faucett, J. L. Fi restone, Miss Elizabeth Grissell, removed to San Francisco, J. D. Greenamyer, removed to Seneca, William B. Harrison, removed, Eli Sturgeon, G. A. Shane, removed to New Philadelphia, F. G. Young;* Calcutta, J. Calvin, S.

The following members resided in Mahoning County : A. Brooke,* J. W. Bye, G. W. Brook, T. E. Biery, J. A. Douglas, William K. Hughes, Jesse Miller, A. P. McKinley, G. E. Rose,* P. Tritt. Those practicing in Portage County were A. W. Alcorn and Joseph Waggoner, both of Ravenna; in Stark County, John II. Saynor, of Minerva, and Susan J. Tabor, J. B. Wilson, David Morse, and I\. G. Thomas,* of Alliance. R. P. Johnson, of Alliance, removed to Canton, in the same county. Other members were Joseph L. Gilbert, who removed to Indiana; Wm. S.

The first notice of this association found in the society's records is the following, which was published iu The New Lisbon Journal , Monday, Jan. 23, 1871 : " In pursuance to the call published, a large number of citizens and pioneers of the county assembled in Salem, Thursday last, for the purpose of organizing a Pioneer Association for Columbiana County. Gen. J. B. Roller, of Centre township, was called to the chair, and J. K. Rukenbrod appointed secretary. The object of the meeting being stated, a committee of three, consisting of James Leach, James Hiddleson, and Joel Yates, was appointed to present to the meeting a form of constitution and by-laws."

The report made by this committee, which embodied the constitution and by-laws, was adopted. The constitution names the organization " Columbiana County Pioneer Association," and provides for the usual officers, to be chosen by ballot, to serve one year or until their successors are elected.

Section three defines the objects of the association to be " the promotion of social fellowship among the pioneers, and the collection and preservation of historic matter." Citizens of the county, male and female, are eligible as members who have resided in the county fifty years, and residents not fifty years of age may become honorary members.

The by-laws provide for the payment by male members of an annual fee of fifty cents ; for annual meetings of the association ; and, further, that " the secretary shall keep in a book, provided for the purpose, a complete record of the members of the association, with the occupation, full name, age, and nativity of each member, and the time of his or her residence in the county." The secretary is to keep a careful record of the proceedings of all meetings, and preserve its papers, books, and archives in convenient order for reference.

Section eight requires that " each member shall, as soon as convenient, prepare a sketch of his personal history and recollections of pioneer experience, said sketch to contain the author's name, nativity, age, occupation, date, and place of first settlement in the county, together with all such incidents and adventures, and all facts relating to other pioneers or to the early history of the county, as may be thought worthy of remembrance. The sketches prepared shall be read before the association, and carefully filed and preserved by the secretary, and may be published."

At the same meeting it was recommended that papers be prepared relating to each township, giving its original name and any changes of name, its topography, soil, ancient remains, Indian history, first white settlers, first birth, marriage, and death, mills and manufactories, merchants and trades, organization of township, educational and religious history, and other matters of interest.

No record of any meeting of the society has been preserved, subsequent to the first, until that of September, 1870, when the association met at East Liverpool on the 5th and 6th of that month. The names and ages of the pioneers present on that occasion were recorded, as follows : George Poe, of West Virginia, 86 ; residents of Columbiana County, Elizabeth Sims, near 70 ; James Little, 69 ; Keziah Ramsey, 59 ; S. W. Snodgrass, 69 ; Martha McClure, 05 ; James Kelley, 66 ; George Anderson, 62 ; Morris Miller, 77 ; Jacob After, 80 ; Richard Huston, 77 ; Henry Morlan, 74 ; George Bucherit, 68 ; James Logan, 74; James W. Gaston, 68; B. B. Ogden, 70 ; 1/ I. Ikard, 50; David Boyce, 52 ; James McCormick, 52 ; A. J. McCready, 54 ; W. H. Morrow, 57 ; William Bloor, 55 ; William Biggs,

The sixth annual meeting of the association was held at Hanover, on the 5th and 6th of September, 1877, when the following were present : George Burns, 65 ; Catharine Vogelsong, 64 ; Henry Truniek, 79 ; Elizabeth Pettit, 54 ; James Jackson, 63; Lydia Burns, 58; George Cress, 59; Jesse Sloan, 75 ; Mrs. H. Keith, 70 ; Keziah Ramsey, 60 ; J. R. Arter, 60 ; John Frost, 71 ; Louisa J. Ilostetter, 45 ; Margaret Keith, 64 ; Mary N. Hole, 46 ; Sarah Bailey, 47 ; Mary V. Griffith, 74 ; Abigail J. Bailey, 47 ; James Scott, 58 ; Ruth Heston, 64 ; Charlotte Arter, 67 ; Sarah

From September, 1876, until September, 1877, there were sixty-six deaths in the county of persons over seventysix years of age, and possibly others not ascertained.

The seventh annual meeting was held at New Lisbon on the third day of September, 1878. The following persons were present: II. Wines, 79; Peter Young, 79; Mahlon Underwood, 60; Freeman Morrison, 74; A. W. Allen, 83; James McLaughlin, 74; Samuel Bowman, 61 ; William Farmer, 75; John Fleming, 73; Jacob Arter, 82; Hiram Chandler, 68 ; Jacob Roller, 85 ; Mrs. S. D. Maus, near 90 ; James A. Morrison, near 89 ; Ira Dibble, near 88 ; Mrs. M. Green, 86 ; Henry Trunick, near 80 ; Maria Miller, 80 ; Mrs. McCook, near 80 ; Uriah Teegarden, 79 ; F. F. Beck, 79; Joseph Springer, 79; Simon Arter, 78; Auzey White, 78; Julia Briggs, 79; Mahlon Briggs, 78; L. B. McLane, 79; Henry Morlan, 76; Beulah Trunick, 76; Mary Morlan, 75; Andrew Roach, 75; James S. Shields, near 75; C. M. Aten, 73; John Ramsey, 70; Mrs. Roach, 68; Henry H. Gregg, 68; James Badger, 67 ; Hiram Gaver, 64 ; R. A. Gaver, 63 ; James Scott, 60 ; L. B. McLain, 78. During the year previous to this meeting there had died in the county sixty-eight persons over seventy years of age.

A considerable amount of information concerning the early times of Columbiana County has been gathered, and numbers of interesting relics of local and general interest have been secured from various sources. Of the newspapers published in the county, the archives of the association contain complete files of The Aurora , published by John Frost, from 1832 to 1856; of The Patriot , from 1822 to 1835 ; and of the Buckeye State, from 1852 until the present time, - -August, 1879. The next meeting of the association is appointed to be held at the village of Salem, Sept. 17, 1879.

E. S. Halloway was chosen president to succeed Gen. Roller, and served until September, 1877, when Dr. J. M. Hole was elected to. that office, and is now serving. John Frost succeeded Mr. Rukenbrod as secretary in September, 1876, and remains in that position.

The first meeting convened to organize a county agricul tural society met at New Lisbon, April 15, 1846, Samuel Myers being chosen chairman on the occasion, and II. T. Clever secretary; William E. Russell, Jacob Ilarbaugh, B. W. Snodgrass, William D. Morgan, and S. Myers were chosen a committee to prepare a constitution and by-laws, and Robert Hanna, C. M. Aten, William E. Russell, W. D. Morgan, and Jacob Ilarbaugh a committee to name persons to serve as officers for the ensuing year. April 16th the constitution and by-laws were adopted and the following officers elected: Samuel Myers, President; William Kemble, Vice-President ; John McClyinonds, Secretary ; Fisher A. Blocksom, Treasurer; Leonard Hanna, Warren Peters, James J. Caldwell, William E. Russell, and Jacob Harbaugh, Managers.

Feb. 2, 1853, the society voted to purchase a quantity of ground of John McClyinonds, and on April 16th, the same year, voted to purchase six acres of William Harbaugh. These votes respecting land were reconsidered April

30th, and a vote passed to purchase from Mr. McClyinonds the property north of New Lisbon known as the " Holmes" or " Seminary" property, containing between fourteen and fifteen acres, for the sum of eighteen hundred dollars. In May the society contracted to sell four and a half acres of the Holmes tract to R. D. Hartshorn, and made a contract with James Scott for the erection of a building, forty by one hundred feet in size, at a cost of four hundred dollars, the lumber being furnished by the society. They also engaged Joseph Springer to build a fence "around the fair-grounds" at fifty-five cents per lineal rod.

Several purchases of land have since been made, some of which has been sold, leaving as the present estate of the society an area of about thirty acres.

Since its reorganization the society has maintained its annual exhibitions with little or no serious interruption, and has been financially prosperous and otherwise a thriving organization.