Granger, Ohio

Becoming acquainted with Judge Oliver Phelps, then the owner of Granger township, my father visited that township in 1807 and found it wholly unsettled. Being pleased with appearances of soil, timber and its other natural advantages, he made a selection of three hundred and seventy acres, now comprised in the three lots owned by Isaac Low, C. 11. Spencer and Job Green. He went from Granger to Warren, Trumbull county, and contracted with Calvin Austin, agent of Phelps, for the land, and paid the sum required. Some time thereafter Phelps became insolvent, his title to lands seized by creditors and sold. My father having purchased on contract, was forced to loose what he had paid, and was again prevented from being a land holder. He resided in Beaver county until 1815, when he removed to Columbiana county, Ohio. In 1818 he again came to Granger, bought by article the lot now owned by Job Green, and settled thereon, and for six years struggled through the many hardships incident to first settlers. About the time his article expired he found himself unable to make payment, owing to want of price for produce. He sold his claim to his sons William, Samuel and Nathaniel, who continued to reside there and make improvements. In 1824 I became, by purchase, sole owner, concluded to select another locality, sold my right to land in Granger township and moved into Bath township, Summit county, where I now (1861) reside.

Passage source: Pioneer History of Medina County, published 1861.

I must now make a break in my history, otherwise the pioneer community will cast me out of the synagogue. In 1810, in company with my uncle Gibson Gates and Hezekiah Burdick (two of the first settlers in Bath) I left the home of my father, traveled by way of Vannatt's Ford on the Mahoning river to the house of Gates in Bath. I remained there until August of that year, when, in company with Gates and John Manning, I started for Granger township. Our road (old settlers called it course) was through Richfield by way of L. May (now widow Biglow's land,) thence westwardly to Panther Cave in Hinckley. We visited that cave in search of game, but saw no panthers. From thence we traveled to where an Indian gallows was standing in the big bend of the Rocky River. In 1806, a squaw had been hung there, charged with witchcraft. The squaw had said that there would be darkness on the face of tlie earth in June, which the ignorant Indians decided to be undoubted proof of witchery. She was hung in May, and on the 13th of June, 1806, there was an eclipse of the sun. After viewing the gallows, we traveled on southerly, and at night encamped under a ledge of rocks near where Isaac Low now resides, about thirty rods from the last named place. I at that time, carved the initials of my name on a beach tree which can be seen to this day. After feasting on wild turkey, for breakfast, we pursued our course and came on to the " Smith Road," about where the Squaw Tavern now stands. This was my first visit into and through Granger. It was then truly a wilderness ; the marks of the pioneers were few. When my rememberance brings to mental view those times and contrast the changes, I am astonished, and must say that greater improvements are now seen than the most sagacious then anticipated.

Passage source: Pioneer History of Medina County, published 1861.

When winter fairly set in, I started for Granger in company with Dan Mallet, intending to make hunting our main business for some weeks. For some time we killed many small game. After some days we found a long-legged bear in an alder swamp. When he discovered us he commenced a retreat. As he passed near me I fired, but without effect. The two dogs next attacked him, which he siezed, and commenced hugging and biting them. I reloaded and fired a second time, the ball disabling his we-leg, when he immediately let go of the dogs and commenced biting his maimed limb. After venting his spleen upon the maimed limb, in despite of dogs, he came toward me in a very menacing manner. I retreated rapidly, but reloaded as I ran, and when fully prepared wheeled about and fired. The ball took lodgment in the mad bruins jaw, causing it to hang downward. At this juncture, Mallett came up to the chase from the opposite side of the swamp, and taking deliberate aim lodged a ball in the brain of the bear and ended the contest and the race. The next day we procured an old horse, on which we carried to Liverpool the game we had shot during our hunting excursion. In those days an axe and rifle constituted my chattel property, and it then seemed to me that I had all that was necessary.

Passage source: Pioneer History of Medina County, published 1861.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Granger Township - it names this place 7 more 7 times.