Seneca County, Ohio - Chapter 22, 1880

ot his early recollections of frontier practice, but said in a note of the icth of February, 1880. to the writer: "At the age of 87 my memory is not retentive, but 1 will comply with your request as best I can in due time: at present my whole time is occupied with business.

The record of the lives of these gentlemen, their practice, and incidents connected therewith, the scenes they participated in. and the events that transpired in their time would make a highly interesting book, and the writer had intended to write out sketches ot some of them, but to keep this book within the limits marked out for it. he must abstain. I will say. however, that Mr. Coffinberry (Count Coffinberry as he was familiarly called) was the most remarkable figure of them all. In appearance he was the very image of Oliver Goldsmith. He had large features and a very striking appearance; he shaved smooth and his face carried a smile mixed with sarcasm. He was learned and wittv. a good historian and exceedingly entertaining n conversation. -He was a natural poet and published one of his poems called " The Forest Ranger'' in book form. Selah Chapin settled here in the law practice at an early day: also Mr. Curtis Hates and Mr. loshua Seney. Sidney Smith. William W. Culver, John J. Steiner and others. |ohn K. Gibson, a promising young man. and older brother °f General Gibson, was the first law student in Mr. Rawson's office in Tiffin. lie died before he was admitted to practice.

The writer became associated with the profession when he coinin enced reading law in Tiffin, in 1840. and having, for forty years, been in daily intercourse with legal gentlemen, and amongst whom he counts his warmest and best friends, it would be a very great pleasure to remember them all and make a pen-picture of each one: but tor the reason^ already assigned a lew only are sketched to any length.

I luring a number of years, when ludge Fane and Judge Reuben Wood were on the supreme bench together, they took for their part ot the work the northwestern part of Ohio. They formed a wondeYful c ontrast on the bench. ludge Fane was a very short, compactly built man: was near-sighted, had small black eyes, wore spectacles, had bla' k hair. \vhi< h he brushed straight down over his forehead, and when he run! he held the book or paper close to his nose. He was a rapid talker and exceedingly active. ludge \\ood was a six footer: v er\ straight: had large forehead, light brown hair, brushed over to the right side: had large blue eyes, a large tleshy nose, clenched lips. dee]i anil sonorous voice: spoke slowly and very impressively: thus the}' formed a sinking (-ontrast in their personal appearance on the bench.

( )ii {'he Sth D|" April. i.S^S. an act was passed creating the tenth judicial district and changing the sub-division, of which Seneca was a part. I'.y this act the tenth judicial district was composed ot the counties ot I.ucas. \\'ood. Seneca. Crawford. Hancock. Wyandot and Putnam. The counties of Seneca. Crawford and Wyandot were made the third division. l-'our days thereafter another act was passed attaching Lucas to the fourth district and making Seneca county the first sub-division of the tenth district. Wvandot and Crawford the second and Hancock. Wooil and Putnam the third sub-division, leaving Judge Seney in this county. Seneca being then a sub-division.

Judge Whitely's time expired in 1X61 and he was re-elected in the then third sub-division. |osiah S. Plants was elected in the second sub-division in the fall of i.^X. In the fall of 186,. Judge Plants, while out in Indiana hunting prairie chickens, was mortally wounded by the accidental discharge of a gun. lie was brought home to die: and

L1. the tall of iX(>_!, and shortly before the expiration of his. term of o'ti' e, I'idge Senev went to war with the loist regiment ( ). Y. I. as its « j'lartermaster.

' 'n the is! day o! May. 1X02. another act was passed abolishing the :h district and re-organi/ing the third district thus, vi/: first sub ision. Logan. Lnion, Marion: second sub -di\ ision. Auglai/e. Allen. Mercer. \an \Vcrt, Putnam: third sub-division. I'aulding. Defiance. ^ iliiums. 1'ultoii. Henry and Wood: fourth sub division. Seneca. Han i nder this ad \\hilely remained in this tourth sub-division, and Plants also, up to his death: so that now. and under this ad, \\hitely. Metcalt, 1 ana. Lawrence and Plants were the judges in 1X63. Whitely .--erving in the -ci < md term.

lln- la>t named aci pro\-ides tor an eleition to be held in this lourth .ub-division for a judge in 1X00. At this time ludge Whitely's pired. and Chester K. Mott was elected. He was succeeded by A. \l. l,n kson. wiio resigned hi-, ottice. and Thomas Peer was appoint mendable position in society and the attainment of moral, intellectual, ami religious habits. He early appreciates the necessity of self-reliance and .self-exertion, assured that a praiseworthy notoriety and an approving conscience can be acquired and perpetuated only by securing the respect and confidence of the good. Therefore, stimulated by a laudable ambition, and hopeful of success, he cheerfully combats adversity, and ultimately acquires and retains the good opinion of the community, the basis of his usefulness and goal of his ambition. Influenced by the tenacity of his purposes and stimulated by his example, others, and especially his descendants, will be naturally, and yet, perhaps, unconsciously, induced to eschew the illusions of evil on the one hand, and cultivate, on the other, with patient assiduity, the love and practice of virtue as the only thornless pathway to happiness, distinction and success.

Abel Rawson was horn at Warwick. Massachusetts. May 11. 17!ts; the third son of Lemuel Rawson and Sarah Harms, who were married Septemlic-r s. IT'.*] . Abel was a lineal descendant of the sixth generation from Kdward Rawson. who emigrated from Kngland as early as 1l>:>7. and acted as secretary of the colony of Massachusetts Hay from May. 1<;.~>(I to insii.

When less than four years old lie was sei/.ed with fever followed by disease of the tibia of the left leij. which, after years of intense suffering, resulted in the loss of the bone and deformiU of the ankle and foot which ever afterwards remained.

At the age of sixteen, the crippled sou was advised to secure sufHcient education to prepare himself for a teacher. The parents could give their children a common school education, but. as Abel inclined to the legal profession. they agreed to furnish him with such clothing as could be manufactured in the t'amih . \\ Idle lie must earn the expense required for tuition and board at the acadenn or at college and to obtain his profession.

The offer made b\ his parents was accepted b\ Abel, and he resumed his place in New Salem Academy, and during t wo or more ensuing years taught school in the \\inters tor educational support.

Thereupon he was admitted to the I )arl nioiit Ne\\ Hampshire, and remained until the middle the < Ice j ->i on oi iln -- I >arl nioiit h ( ' take charge ol' 1 1 it- I'll it IM| Slates lain I oil ice fur t lie I )ela\\ a re district a! KM it to he removed to Tillin. There \\as IM> liridtje across the Saiidusky river, and in April. l-~:>. Mr. l!a\\son left I-'ort Hall and opened his law ollice in Tillin. Mi\ Ila\\son \\a.s then postmaster at Fort Hall, and Milton McNeal his depnlx. During a lemporan absence of Mr. llau son. one Neal Mcdaffey made an attempt to have him removed for the reason that Mr. Rawson's oiliee \\as in Tillin. whieh place \\as supplied Irom Fort Hall, and the hi.u'h- \\a\ and mail route from Colnmliiis to Lo\\cr Saiidusk) I-'remoiit was on ihe uest >ide of the ri\er. After man\ shameless expedients made by Mc< ,atte\ . .lolm McL'-an. then poslinaster-j^eneral. informed Mr. Hawson that he should lie no more anno\ed. Soon after Mc(iaffe\ \\ as dismissed from the oiliees ot' clerk and of recorder b\ the court ol' common pleas, and Joseph IIo\\ard was appointed tlieir clerk, and Mr. Kauson recorder.

Srptemlie!' ^s. IS^N. Mr. Ha\\>on \\a^ married to Miss Sarah Ann ('lark, at l!o\ allon. ( 'u> aho^a coiiiii) . ( )hio. ami the\ returned to '1'illin about the middle of October following. Mis-- Clark \sas Imni Felirnar\ It. I sou. at I laiieock. in Addison coiintx. \'ermoiit. She had been well educated, but \\a> mainl) dependent upon her o\\ n exeilions foi' support. This union eon I ri billed lar'_;el\ to the as~.i^tain i and liappine^s of M r. I Jawson.

doveriior McArihnr i^^iied his commission to Mr. Hawson. dated June I J. ls:;-j. as notar\ public for three years, but In- declined lo <|ii,ili l'\ . At that period he rose at or before -"> o'elork in the morninu. chopped his own wood before breakfast . \\ hicli was at ii o'clock, and also prepared fuel for his oilice. Amid other cares. Mr. !Ja\\>on ;1( tcil as school examiner for more than ten \ ears. \\ ithoiit compeiisat ion.

In the . spring of ls:;t .Iose|>!i Howard resiuned liis otliees of clerk of t lie -,iipreme court and court of common picas, and a certificate fur tho.^e otlices was issued to Mr. llawson from -Indues Wright. Lane and ( 'ollett. of the supreme court, dated April i!tth. |s:;l. \\ith that of the court of eominoii picas, but he declined, and in union with others recommemN-d Luther A. 1 lal! . a \ oiiim man n ell (|ualilieil. \\ ho succeeded to the ollice and held it \\ it h credit durinn' t lie ensuing' seven \ ears.

l-Yhniar\ s|||. IMs. 1!. Tomli resigned as president and Mr. l{a\vson was appointed to till the vacancy, hut on May L'oth. Is4s. he also resigned.

Thereupon Mr. Rawson abandoned his profession, and for several years devoted himself to out-door pursuits and the improvement of real estate.

in 1^.~>»I Mr. Hawson consented to become a candidate as a member for Seneca county of the convention to revise the state constitution, the election being on the first day of April. Kxcepting a printed address. Mr. Hawson took little interest in the canvass, and was defeated by K. T. Stickney with a majority of eighty-two votes.

in October. fs~il. his name was used in the canvass for state senate during his absence in Iowa, of which, with his defeat, he was ignorant until his return: and also, in ls.~>s. he was tinned to accept the nomination for judge of common pleas, and in hstiO that for state senate, both of which he declined.

During this period Mr. Hawson devoted much of his time to closing professional business, and also to the education of his two sons. Allen A. and Homer ('. Hawson. both of whom graduated at Hush Medical College, in Chicago. Illinois, in the spring of ls.y>. and in the following aut umn and spring, settled in Adams county. Iowa, where they still reside ls.su .

Especially during the last three or four years of his life did Mr. Hawson feel that his physical nature was yielding to the infirmities of age. This did not interfere with his cheerful recollections of the past, and regard for Unfriendly ties of the present, nor with his bright view of futurity. Conscious of a life of integrity and of honor, he said: "Let us always seek and abide the right, leaving consequences to the dispensations of Providence."

As the evening of Thursday. August i!4th. IsTl. was drawing a life of seventy-three years to a close, peacefully and gently the soul of Abel Hawson departed to the endless visions of eternit) .

lames Nicholson was a commodoreof the United States navy in 1775. when he had command of the Trumbull, a frigate of thirty guns, and fought in her an action with the llritish man-ot-war \Vyatt, which, next to that of 1'anl IOIH-S. with the Serapis, was the mo-t desperate of the war. I'.iglitecn member^ <>t ;]R- Nicholson family served in the navy if the I nited State>. ( 'ommodon.' Nicholson had four daughters, who \ -TC all famous tor their beauty and their accomplishments in both \Y.!-l'.in_rton and New N'ork societies. Mr. Albert (lallatin. while a iMirinu tluL last lew years of his liic he had several attacks ot" heart disease that troubled him I 'or a short time. ( >ne night he got out of bed. walked to the window and opened it. to let fresh air into the room, and. returning towards the bed. tell dead on the Moor.

11 is three sons are lawyers ol note: (ieorge K. Senev and |oshua Seney. the former in Tittin and the other in Toledo, and both common pleas judges, and Henry Senev is in the practice at Kenton, ( >hio, and when Judge McCauley was nominated for judge, Henry Seney gave him a \ erv (lose chase tor the nomination.

\Vas born August ^olli. i^i.v in the township of Spafford. in ( Mionda^a counts, state of New \ ork. lie is the son oi I.uthcr Hah. who was a farmer by occupation, a native ot Berkshire county, state of Ma-.sai husetts, and wh.o died in iS.|^. at Kreeport. Illinois.

Luther A. Hall was raised on a farm, working during the slimmer and attending district school during the winter until he was fourteen years oid. when he became a pupil in a -elect school kept by Mr. Thomas \Y. Allis. at Skaneateles. where he rein. lined two \ears. He then enuaued a- a ckrk in a -tore and served in that capacitv some three years. In the -prim: ot i.S_^ he started on a trip to ( )hio with a small stock of g< >ods in a one horse wagon, I rum the sale ot" which he paid Ids expen-.es as he went along. He arrived in Tit'tin on the 51)1 day of May. in the same vear. and was l"irst employed asclerk in t he recorder's ottice a' iitt\' cents PIT da\. boarding liimsell. Soon alter he entered the store of |ohn I'ark as clerk, where he received ten dollars per month and boarding. I he olii settlers \viil remember tlie t\vo story brick builiiiim. trontiiiij west, that stood on the corner <>t \\asliington and Market streets, wliere the National I'Achan^e bank now stand-; that was Park's store. i!, the time Mr. Hall was clerk for Mr. I'ark. he to di-continue the luisiness. The .lock wa- t losed out, the good debts collected, and liabilities paid. There- were many losses trom bad debts.

lie was one of the brightest minds amongst the leaders of the Mor mons. and the history of the order \vonld have been a better one had his counsel and advice prevailed.

Mr. Cowdery was born in the state of Vermont, on the ^d day of October. 1804. Alter he had acquired a good common school education, he applied himself with great industry to the studv of the dead languages and became very proficient in the (ireek and Chaldee. He came to Ohio when he was a young man and entered the law office of ludge Hissel. a very distinguished lawyer in 1'ainesville, Lake county, as a student, and was admitted to practice alter having read the requisite length of time and passed an examination. His unfortunate association with the Mormons blasted the high hopes and bright prospects of an otherwise promising career, and planted a thousand thorns along the wayside of a life that was as pure and undefiled as that of the best of men. ('owdcrv had more to do with the production of the Mormon Bible than it-- history had ever given him credit for. He was the best scholar among the leaders. \\hile others advocated the doctrine of polygamy. Cowdcry opposed it. not only on moral grounds, but also, and principally because it \vas contrary to the great principles of Christianity, and above all. because it \vas opposed not only to the great demands of civilization but to the spirit of the free institutions of our < ountry. This opposition to polygamy brought ('owderv into conflict with the other leaders, and especially with Joe Smith; and while C'owdery gathered around himselt the better and most intellectual element among the Mormons. Joe Smith became the leader of the coarser tones, with \\hom his great force ot character soon made him verv popular. The conllict came and Cowdery had to flee for his life, leaving his wife and two children behind him. Mrs. Cowdery's maiden name was \\"hitin'-r. and a sister ot one ot the \\hitmcr's who figured as a leader. She was a beautiful woman, whose quiet nature, sweel temper and kind disposition won her friends wherever she was known.

Mr. '. owdcr\ < ame ba< k to Kirtland. In the spring of 1X40. on the ijth day o! May. he addressed a large I)emocratii gathering in the -tree', between the (lerman Retorni'-d church o| Titlin and the present