Medina County, Ohio - Chapter 21, 1881 (part 2 of 2)

Remson's tract forms the northwest corner of the township, and contains an exact quarter of its area, being two miles in width and three miles in length, on the northern boundary of the township. This tract had come in possession of one Remson, of New York, shortly after the division of the " Reserve" lands by the the children of one of his daughters, with the proviso that the land was not to be sold until they had attained age. So the lands of this tract remained in a complete state of wilderness, save that now and then a few " squatters" located on it, and endeavored to make an unsettled and precarious living by hunting and raising small patches of corn and potatoes, until on the market, and, within a few years, the whole area was sold. William Canfield, of Medina, was appointed agent by the owners, and he disposed of the land at an average price of $10 per acre. The first settlers on these lands were Bushnell Seymour and' Lucian Perry. A little hamlet had sprung up near the center of the tract. There are several small industrial establishments located here, and it contains a post office.

The political organization of the township took place in February, 1820; and the first election for civil officers occurred at the house of Seth Paull, on the first Monday of April, in the same year. The Board of Trustees elected at this time consisted of N. A. Goodwin, S. Paull and Festus Ganyard ; John Codding was elected as Clerk, and Burt Codding as Justice of the Peace. In January of 1822, the Trustees appointed Ira Ingraham as Township Constable. The first money paid into the township treasury was a fine of 25 cents, imposed upon one of its inhabitants for swearing. Of that money, one-half was paid out for paper on which to record the township proceedings ; the other half was to William Paull, for bringing seat. The selection of a name for the new township caused a little strife among the people. The names of Berlin, Ontario, Codding and Granger were suggested. It was finally decided, by vote, that the township should be known as Granger, in honor of the former proguished as a Legislator in the State of Connectieut, and as one of the Postmaster Generals in Washington's administration. In the political affairs of the county and State, Granger occupies a conspicuous place. A number of its citizens have held positions of public honor, as county and State officers.

Two years after the organization of the township, a public town hall was erected a short distance west of Grangerburg. It was a log house, and, aside from the public purposes for which it was used, it also served for a number of years as a meeting-house for the society of Presbyterians that had been started in the colony. On the 10th day of October, 1860, Franklin Sylvester deeded a tract of land near the geographical center of the township to the Board of Trustees and their successors, and, the following spring, the present town hall was erected there.

In commercial and industrial interests, Granger does not compare with some of its neighbor townships. The first mercantile goods were imported by John Burt, and he continued to keep a small country store for a number of years at the locality which is known as Grangerburg. Alva Stimson opened up a store at the cross roads, a few rods north of where the town hall is now located, in the year 1828. Squire Lee, who lived diagonally opposite from him, brought in a limited supply of country merchandise a few years later. Marvin Hopkins was also one of the early storekeepers at the " Burg."

A post office was established at Grangerburg in 1825, John Burt receiving the commission as Postmaster. He officiated as such for a number of years. The town was supplied with a weekly mail for many years. A Frenchman by the name of Pierre Dubeau carried the mail, passing from Elyria to Ravenna. He traveled on horseback, arriving and departing at no definite or particular time of the week,

The religious sentiment of the pioneers of this township manifested itself in an outward form as soon as the first cabins had been covered with roofs. Missionaries from Connecticut came among them and preached the word of God. The Rev. Israel was one of the earnest laborers in this field, and he came quite often, passing from settlement to settlement through the Reserve counties. A church society, on the united plan of the Congregational and Presbyterian faith, was organized in the fall of 1819, by the Rev. W. Hanford and Caleb Pilkins. There were ten members at the first organization, and their names are Elizur Hills, Abigail Hills, James and Phebe Ganyard, Ira and Lydia Ingraham, John and Dolly Turner, Lawrence and Mary Moore, Wealthy Dye and Charity and Hannah Turner. Part of these members were residents of Bath Township.

Meetings were, at first, held in private houses, and thereafter in the town hall, near the " Burg," until, in after years, through outward influence, caused by dissensions that had broken out among the United Presbyterians and Congregationalists throughout the county, the Granger society disbanded, and has never been re-organized.

The Methodist Episcopal society was organized by Elder Nunn in the year 1820. The first members were Belia and Amanda Spencer, Jane Griffin, Hannah McCloud, Samuel McCloud, John McCloud, Samuel Griffin and Lydia Spencer. William Peats, of Bath, was the Class-leader of the church for a few years, when he was succeeded by John Mce- Cloud. James McMahon, Russell Bigelow, Adam Poe, Benjamim Christy and U. S. Yocum were the ministers of this denomination who preached to the Granger people in the early days. A hewed-log house for religious services was erected by the society - within a few years after organization. Within recent years, a large church edifice has been erected at Grangerburg, where worship is held every Sunday. The church now numbers about one hundred members. A split was caused in the society in the year 1844, and a new class, called the Wesleyan Methodists, was formed by the dissenters. A small church edifice was built by John McCloud on "Liberty Hill," and religious meetings held there for nearly ten years, when this society again disbanded, and most of its members returned to the mother church. Elder Webber and Rev. George MeCloud were the officiating ministers in this branch society, during its existence.

The first Baptist Church was formed by the Rev. Henry Hudson, of Royalton, in the fall of 1821, near the east line of the township, and their first meetings were held at Reed's Schoolhouse. The incorporators of this society were Whiting Freeman, Jesse H. Smith and Hoel Hatch. This was in the year 1837, and there were then twenty regular members in the church. A Baptist meeting-house was erected near the center of the township, a few years after the civil incorporation of the society, which, in 1865, was removed to Remson's Corners.

The society of the "Disciples of Christ," of Granger, was organized in 1838, with Seth Paull, Clarinda Paull, Harris Reed and wife, William Comstock and wife, Barlow Baker, Conrad Turner and Rebecca Low, as the first members. The Rev. William Hayden was the first officiating minister of this society. Their place of worship for quite a number of years was the Reed Schoolhouse, two and a half miles northeast from the " Burg." In 1862, a church edifice was built by the society. It numbers now over 150 members.

taught a class of seventeen scholars in a little log schoolhouse, in the eastern part of the township, in the fall and winter of 1819 and 1820. This is yet to-day known as Reed's Schoolhouse. John Codding taught a school at Copley's Corners, for several years in the early days of the colony. John Burt taught at Grangerburg in 1820 and 1821. In 1848, a special schoolhouse was erected near the Burg, and a special and select school taught in it for several years. But it was discontinued until in the winter of 1880, when a select class was taught by C. A. Dustin.

Township. The total enumeration of school children is 247. Of this, 139 are male and 108 female; the number of school districts in the township is eight. This statement is for the year ending September 1, 1880: