Portage County, Ohio - Chapter 33: Stjffield Township, 1885

Hunter - Two OnoAMZATioNs - A "Flustkatki>" Jl^tk f - First Mills, IStokks, etc. - Coming of the Germans - First Chliu hes and Scuools - FiKsT liiuTii AND Death - MooADORE - SuFFiELD Center - A Duplex Town, etc. - Statistics, etc. - BusiNEas, Kesoubces and Offioeks.

Benejob Kent Royal Pease also owned a considorablo portion of the land, and as he was the tirst to corae out the township was known as Feaso- UmUf being in the surveys Town 1, Range 9. The township was slow of aettlement) and although it was one of the first in the oonnty to receive a settler, yet some sixteen years elapsed before it was rof^ularly ort^anized. The land is highly productive, and although somewhat hilly throughout and swampy in the lower sections, it is hnely adapted to wheat It is excellent for flheep and general grazing, and the soil heing principally a sandy, light grav* elly loam, with the many southerly exposed uplands, mdiee it peculiarly well adapted to f^rape oalture. Fruit is raised easily and ttbandantly, and it is here that ori<^inated the famons "Baldwin" apple. Oneiof the first settlers, Bonjamin Baldwin, brought with him from his home in GonaeoUoat a large quantity of appU seeds, gathered at diffsrent times and from many orohards. He planted some of these seeds and gave eome to his neighbors. In a few yean he bad n finp younf* orchard, and araonf^ tho l^'^arinj:^ treos he found an apple that was particularly tine. Only here and there was a tree of this kind, so he wondered^we he had obtained the seed that grew suoh good fratt, and no matter how much he puzzled over it, he could nsvstf think where tlksyoame from. From those few trees the **Baldwin" apple has sprsad, not only over Ohio, bat to many other States.

About the Ist of May, 1802, Royal Pease started tmm his home in Con* neetieat and made his way slowly and with many haxdships to his land on the Reserve, arrivinf^ lipro in -Juno. He located on what was known as the Kent place, -where he made a clearing, built a oahin, and put out his first crop. It. must bo remembered that 1802 was quite au early date to be in the woods of Ohio, for there were at th« time probably not mtush over a dosen families in the county of Portage, or rather what is now Portarje. There were no roads leading to where Pease settled, and not a human being nearer to him than live or six miles. Ho had many neighbors, however, in the dense forests that surloonded him - ^tirely too many - and their howlings through the long and dreary nights of this first winter in the wilds was enough to ** fright the sools** of sterner men than Royal PeaBe.

In April, 1803, arrived Benjamin Baldwin from Coaaeotiout, the originator, as stated above, of the **Baldwin" apple, and at the same time came EUa> kim Merriman. also from Connecticut. In the same month David Way and family moved in, and located on the northern part.of Lot 9.

The first birth was that of a daughter, Rebecca, to David Way, in December, 1808. The first death, that of Orestes Hale, son of Samnel Hale, ooenrred in June, 1805. The tirat ooaple manied after the organization were Alpha Wright and Lucy Foster.

In 1804 John Fritch, a Peansylvaoia German, arrived, and made his settlement at the small lake sonthwest of the Oenter. for whom it has since been called Fritoh's Pond. This lake is about one mile in diameter, and is one of the sources of tho Little Cuyahoga River. Here honest John, the first of the Germans to make this township their habitation, but who have since come in in such numbers as to form fully three-fourths of the population, erected a mill, whioh was a great aooommodation to the settlers, bat in the constraetion of the dara it uncovered considerable soil, which bred malarious diseases, and it had linally to ho destroyed, thereby putting an end to the mill as well. Also in this year came from Conaecticut Daaiul W arner, aud soon after Ezekiel Tupper, Brsidford Waldo and OhampUn Minard, the latter in 1816 removing to Brimfield Township, where he remained. Waldo bailt the first hoose in Moofadore on the Sulheld side

In 1805 Martin Kent and family, and Jonathan Foster, a single man, came in. Foster afterward married Betsey Eggleston, of Anrora, moved to M antna, became a prosperous farmer, a useful oitisen, and for many years was a Justice of the Peace, besides tillinr^ the position of Associate Judge. Both himself and wife died in 1807. In this year came >Samuel Hale and his two sons Thomas and Orestes, the latter dying shortly aftw his arriyal, from small-poz, whidi he had contracted at Pittsborgh. Tho father died in 1808 and was the first person interred in tho grave-yard iiurth of Josiah Kent's.

family of children, but his wife died on the road out. In 1810 he was elected Justice of the Peace and served nine years: he also represented Portncrp County in the Legislature. Mr. Adama took as his second wife Sarah Packer, a widow with six ehildren. His Bon Horace, bom in 1811, ia now a hale and hearty old gentleman. His father settled on Lot 48. Moeen Adams, Jr., was a noted hunter in his day, also Miles and Hiram Culver and John Fritch, and many are the stories related by the old settlers of how they would bring a line Imck in before breakfast, or a bear, or a brace of inrkeja

In April, 1808, Springiield Township was organized, embracing the territory of six townships now included in this and Summit Counties. Benjamin Baldwin was elected the iirst Justice of the Peace, and about his first official aot was to marry TVeMnan Upson and Sally Onlvw.

Bnffield with its present boundaries was organised April 6^ 1818, and at the request of some of the land owners in Suffield, Conn., was so named in place of retaining the unofficial title, Peasetown, by which it had been known. At the election held at the house of Thomas Hale, Martin Kent was chosen Chairman; Thomas Hale, Clerk, and Samuel Hale and Isaac Miller, Judges, the election resulting as follows: Trustees, Martin Kent, James L. Van Oor der, Kbenezer Cutler; Clerk, Thomas Hale; Trensurer, Samuel TIale; OverBe^ rs of tho Poor, Isaac Harget, John Martin; Lister and Constable, Arad Lpson. On the 7th di^ of May, following, Thomas Hale was elected Justice of the Peaea On May 15, 1^18. the first list of taxable property was filed by Arnd Upson, with th«? Township Clerk. Thomas Hale. The present Township Otiicers are: Trustees, G. F. Newbaur, Joseph Paulus, George Lutz; Clerk, G. D. Fritch; Treasurer, Lawrence Memmer; Assessor, J. B. Stine; Constables, Lewis Knapp, Henry Weaver; Jostices of the Peace, William Paulas, M. O. Martin.

In 1807 Harrey Hnlbert presided over a school of nine pupils. Jn the summer of 1809 Laura Moore (Mrs Thomas Halo), presided over a sohool of six pupils in tho same house where Hulbert taught in 1807. Tho presont condition of schools is shown by the following statistics: Bevenue in 1S^4, $4,- 986.48; expenditure, 13,083.15; ntunberof honsev, 10, valned at 110,000; pay of teachers, $20; enrollment, 220 boy- ; ii l 185 girls.

Mogadore T^nion School District. - Kevenue in 1884, $4'.'7.TO; expenditure, $414.35; one sehoolhouse valued at $2,000; pay of teachers, ^5 and $55; enrolhnent, 66 boys and 59 girl&

Methodist Episcopal Church was organised in 1875, a house of worship erected in 1S76, is sers'ed by Kev. Harshman. of ^lop^ndore The membership enrolled is about thirty. John Royer is Superintendent of the Sonday-sohool, and Isaac Slabaogh, Steward.

Snffield Reformed Church was foonded in 1841, by Bey. Ham, of Manehea* ter, rndcr tho name German RoforrriOil Church. In IS^^R the society was reorganized undor tho present naino with sixty-five mombors. and Kev, J. H. lieek, pastor, who was succeeded by liev. J. A Novinger. The house now occupied 1^ the Newbaner family contains the logs of the first church; the frame of the second building is now Smith & Walter's store. In 1882 the present church was erected at a cost of $3,500. The Trustees are G. F.'Newbaoer, Daniel Bolauder, Ambrose Garris and Newton Cook.

whon he was trying to find out, like iLe rept of the owners of that pmporty, what it was best suited for. The next store was oj^oned in Mogadore, in 1827, by \\ illiaui Bicbards, on tiie lot owned by Dr. J. C. Fergason. The first poetoffioe waseetablished in 1888» one mil« and one-fourth west of the Center, and Benjamin Fritch was the iirst Poetmaater. The first tSTemwaa opened in 1840, by Seth Dustin, at the Center.

In 1835-^7 a large German immigration set into the township, and as lands were eheap, socm largely inereased the population. The emigrante brought with them principles of atriot economy, industry and honesty, and they have mad(! Suffield " blossom as a rose." Some of the beat farms to he found anywhere are here; splendid orchards everywhere, and the hnest bam on the Beaerve ean be seen on the road between the Center and Briulleld.

On the 18th of May, 1825, a fearful wind aturm paaaed Uiiongh the town* ship from southwest to northeast It was a genuine cyclone, and tore down trees as though they were so many dry weeds, killing quite a number of cattle and destroying all bnildings in ita path. It also passed across the soatheaai oomer of Brimtiold, and other points to the northeast.

Mogadore. - This village lies exactly upon the line dividing Portage from Summit County, and most of the businetui is on the west side of the line. The Dame is singular, and it ia not known who suggested it. There is only one other Mogadore, and that ia in Afrioa. The stores are in Summit Connty, bat there are here two large potteries, operated respectively by Monroe & Son. and Martin Bros.-, also a steam clay-niill. a water clay mill, a cidor mill and a grist-mill. There is a tile factory one mile from this village, and a pottery two milea therefrom. S. Bitterman keepa a hotel Drs. Fergason & Bowera are the physicians. Dr. Francis Schuck livee in the east part of the township

Sujffield Center. - General stores, Geidlinger Bros., Smith & Walter. Carriage factory, Michael Bletzer. Harness shop, F. £. Schumacher. Carriage shop, Nidiolas Loly. Tinnera and alateva, F. C. Sweeney A Ca Phyaieiao, Dr. F. P. Russell. Foatmaster, C. R. Geidlinger. There is at the Center a Reformed Chorob, no paator, and a Methodist Episoopal Choroh, pastor, Bev. Q. L. Norris.

to iLo miasma generated by the damming of the pond» the whole industry waa tlpclared a nuisance, and the dam destroyed. The second mill was built by James Shields, who sold it to Van Gorder. After passing through many hands, Daniel Harper converted it into a carding shop. Sometime uter this. David Ely put in saw- mi 11 machinery and operated it for aome yeara. In after years David and Samuel Ely established a pottery here.

Nicholas Luly's carriage shop on the east side of the village was established many yearn ago. About 1878 Mr. Luly established it as a carriage shop. He givee employment to five men.

The new Fritch saw-mill was established seventeen or eighteen years ago, by G. W. Fritch This mill employp three men annually. In 1884 he put up a cider-mill and operated it that fall. -

The harness shop was established by F. 0. Sweeney and Jacob Ebell three years ago (February, 1882). In 1SS4 they sold their interests to F. E. Scbamacher (at the time he sold his carriage shop to Michael Bletzer i who carries on the work of harness making. Ambrose Garris is employed here. He has worked at thia trade in the township otw twelve yeara.

The carriage and wagon factory of Michael Bletzer was started by F. £. Schumacher seven years ago. This industry gives employment to three handa

There is a Schweitzer kase factory near the sonthern border of the township, where is manafactored an article almost equal to the imported. A namber o( schoolhoosee dot the township at different points. The bosiness of pottery is the largest interest in the towiiflhi|>» the olaf being obtained aeroM the line in Summit County.