Euclid City

Euclid City

Euclid assigned to the Surveyors - Origin of the Name - The Agreement not carried out - John Morse - Joseph Burke - David Dille - Ruple and Coleman - A House without a Board - Learning two Trades to get some Meal - Salting Fish - Jacob Coleman - A Superabundance of Rattlesnakes - Gad Cranney and Abraham Bishop - Organization of the Township - First Officers - Excitement in the War of 1812 - Dr. Farnsworth - Cheap Land - Paul P. Condit - Euclid Village and Euclid Creek - The Voters of 1815 - The Old Stoneware Factory - -Euclid Creek in 1823 - The Householders of 1828 - Steady Improvement - Ship Yard at the Mouth of the Creek - The Railroad - The War for the Union - Grape-Culture - The Stone Business - The Present Village of Euclid - Ircorporation - Collinwood - The Baptist Church - St. John's Congregation - Presbyterian Church - St. Paul's Church - Principal Township Officers.

As stated in the general history of the county, the surveyors and laborers employed by the Connecticut Land Company tosurvey the Western Reserve, insisted, after their arrival in that tract, in the spring of 1796 on having a share in the fortune which was expected to be derived from it. Gen. Cleaveland, the agent of the company and superintendent of the survey, was obliged to accede to their request, and agreed that those of them who chose to become actual settlers might have a township at one dollar per acre. This agreement was confirmed by a written contract, made at Cleveland, on the 30th of September following, by which township eight, in the eleventh range was assigned to the employees before mentioned.

The education of the principal surveyors having been chiefly mathematical, they agreed to call their township by the name of the great mathematician, Euclid. The name has ever since been retained, being applied first to the survey-township and then to the civil township covering the same territory. The western and southwestern parts have since been taken off, to form part of the township of East Cleveland; leaving Euclid an irregular tract, with an eastern boundary nearly nine miles long, a southern one less than three miles long, and a northwestern one (on the lake shore) about six miles long. This sketeh is intended to give the history of the territory now comprising Euclid, leaving the remainder of the old township of that name to be treated of under the head of East Cleveland, though it will occasionally be necessary to allude to incidents and persons on the west side of the lie between those two townships.

By the contract between Gen. Cleayeland and the suryeyors, the latter were to settle eleven families in the township in 1797, cighteen more in 1798, and twelve more in 1799; all with houses, and with small clearings of specified amounts. Otherwise, the land was to revert to the company, except that parties who performed under the contract were not to lose their rights.

Immediately afterward the employees held a mecting, and arranged by lot who were to begin scttlements under the contract, respectively, in one, twoand three years, that is in 1797, 98 and '99. Of all who thus planned the allotment of this magnificent tract, (in which each would have had five hundred acres), not # single one became a permanent resident of the territory in question, although one of the number, Nathaniel Doan did become a resident at '' Doan's Corners" in Cleveland township, now included in Cleveland city.

Among the memoranda of the surveys of the following year (1797) we find one which says that on the 10th of August two men started out to do 'settling duties" for Seth Pease and Dr. Shepard, two of the leading men employed by the company. Several other beginnings were made in that year under the contract, mostly on the flats between the ridge and the lake shore. This part of the township was surveyed into small tracts, while the portion farther from the lake was divided into larger ones; the intention being that each man might have a place near the lake and one farther back.

The first considerable improvement of which there is any account was made in 1798 by John Morse, who was not one of the original surveyors of 1796, but may have purchased the right of one of them. He built a good log house on the ridge, on the east line of the township, and girdled about twenty acres of timber around it. He also cleared off three or four acres on the flats near the lake shore, and sowed it to wheat and grass seed. In due time the wheat was cut and secured in the sheaf in a small log barn, covered with black ash bark. Notwithstanding all this labor, Morse seems to have abandoned his land very suddenly, for the wheat was left to be destroyed by the weather (remaining untouched in the frail barn for several years) while the part sowed to grass for more than ten years furnished the whole township with "timothy" and ''red-top" seed, the two kinds sowed by Morse.

The first permanent settler in Euclid township was Joseph Burke, a native of Vermont and a drummer in the Revolutionary army. He was not one of the forty-one employees who made thé contract with Gen. Cleaveland, in 1796, though he may have belonged to the survey-corps the next year. He settled in 1798 or 799 on the east line of the township, north of and adjoining the land taken up by Morse. Burke's cabin was on the main road, which had been opened from Cleveland to the Pennsylvania line, at the foot of the ridge, to the extent of girdling the trees on a space two rods wide, and cutting out what little underbrush there was. It could not be traveled in a wagon without an axe to remove obstructions.

Mr. Burke soon obtained a little whisky and opened a sort of tavern, not only the first in the township, but the first between Conneaut and Cleveland. He remained about ten years, when he removed to Columbia in the present county of Lorain. He afterwards volunteered in the war of 1812, and died in the service.

The next settler in the present township of Euclid, of whom we have any account, was David Dille, a native of New Jersey, who came from western Penn- sylvania in November, 1798, and located himself on the main road half a mile southwest of Euclid creek. Mr. Dille had been actively engaged in the border wars with the Indians during and subsequent to the Revolution, and was in the expedition of Colonel Crawford when that unfortunate commander was defeated, captured and burned at the stake, near Upper Sundusky. Ile had five sons, Nehemiah, Lewis B., Calvin, Luther and Asa, who were nearly all grown to manhood when their father eame to Euclid, and who either came with him or made their way thither within two or three years afterward. He had also fourteen younger children, mostly natives of Euclid. Mr. Dille lived the remainder of his long life in Kuclid, and died there, having trebly done his duty to the country, as soldier, pioneer and parent.

Although, as before stated, David Dille was the first actual settler after Burke, of whom anything is known, yet in August previous five young men from Washington county, Pennsylvania, came to Huclid to look for land, and four of them made selections along the main road; John Shaw and Thomas Mellrath in what is now Kast Cleveland; John Ruple in Euclid, close to the line between the two townships; and William Coleman at Euclid creek. The fifth man, Garrett Thorp, did not then make a selection.

In April, 1804, Coleman, Shaw and Mcllrath began work on their respective locations. In the fall of 1804, Mr. Coleman, having cleared and planted two or three acres, and got out the logs for a cabin, brought on his family to their new home. He was a native of New Jersey, only twenty-three years old, but blessed with a wife and two children, and with little beside; his worldly goods consisting of a yoke of oxen, a wagon, a cow, and seventy-five cents in money. The wagon cover served as a tent for a short time, the few neighbors (all who lived within ten miles were neighbors) helped roll up the logs for a cabin, and then Mr. and Mrs. Coleman put on the roof without other assistance. When finished there was not a piece of board about the house; the door, the chamber-floor, and so much of an under floor as there was, being all made of stuff split out of logs with an axe.

A series of incidents related by Mr. Coleman in a manuscript preserved by the Historical Society, illustrates most forcibly the difficulties of pioneer life.

The family having by the following March used up all the little stock of corn which had been raised the previous year, Mr. Coleman went to Judge Huntington's wife, at Newburg, (the judge being away on his judicial duties) and endeavore? to purchase some on credit. The thrifty housewife hardly felt disposed to sell in that way to a stranger, but being desirous to aid him if practicable, asked him if he conld make baskets.

"Yes," promptly replied young Coleman, who felt that it was true, for he was sure that he could make baskets if a squaw could, althou%h as yet he had never tried.

She promptly agreed to the terms, and gave him a list of the number and size of baskets she wanted. He then returned home, borrowing thirty pounds of corn-meal on the way, of Captain Timothy Doane, in the present township of East Cleveland, to be repaid on the completion of the basket-contract. The next morning Mr, Coleman looked up some good timber and began to learn the trade of basket-making. It took him several days to acquire the art to his own satisfaction, but at length he succeeded in making a substantial, good-looking basket, and at the end of three weeks he had filled his contract. He then took his oxen, and carried his manufactures and some empty bags to Mrs. Huntington, who was well pleased with his work, and filled the baskets with corn according to contract; the whole amounting to ten and a half bushels.

Mr. Coleman next went to the mill at Newburg, then owned by Rudolphus Edwards, to get his corn ground, but found that the stones had been taken out to receive an entirely new "dress." Deacon Burke, an old miller, had been sent for all the way from Hudson, to do the work, which had already occupied several days, and was likely to occupy several more. Coleman was bent on returning home with some meal as soon as possible; so after watching the deacon's operations a short time he told Edwards that the best thing for all parties was for him, Edwards, to board him and his oxen while he should help Burke dress the stones. Edwards was willing, if Coleman could do the work properly. The latter had never struck a blow on a mill-stone in his life, but he was accustomed to the use of tools, had plenty of confidence in himself and was sure he could imitate the pattern sct by the deacon. He tried it and succeeded to the entire satisfaction of the old miller. He accordingly remained, and after two or three days work the task was completed and the grist-was ground. My. Coleman then made his way home, having expended nearly a month's time and learned two trades in order to get a few hundred pounds of corn meal.

The next move was to go to Rocky river to catch fish for the summer's use, as was the custom with all the pioneers of this section. Mr. Coleman and another man went thither in a canoe and soon returned with two barrels of fine pike and pickerel. Curiously enough, down to this time the people had generally supposed that lake-fish could not be preserved in salt or brine. An old Indian, when applied to for information as to whether it could be done or not, replied:

Mr. Coleman's common sense, however, taught him that lake-fish would keep in salt as well as ocean-fish, and as, among his few treasures, he had a supply of salt, for which he had traded his watch before leaying

Pennsylvania, he determined to try the experiment. It was completely successful, and the example was ut once followed by all the people around, and resulted in making an important addition to the comforts of the community. The late Hon. John Barr took some pains to investigate the matter, and has left it on record that he was satisfied that this important discovery was due to Mr. Coleman.

Jacob Coleman, an uncle of William, and a soldier of the Revolution, who had served for several years in Colonel William A. Washington's celebrated regiment of horse, moved into Euclid in 1805, as did also John Ruple, long known as '' Deacon" Ruple, who settled on the ground he had selected two years before, a little east of Nine Mile creek. He lived there throughout a long life, raising a large and respectable family.

Of course the forest of gigantic trees of which the old settlers speak with great admiration, was well supplied with such game as deer and bears, while an occasional panther gave an additional flavor of danger to the sports of the chase. Coon-hunting oceupied a good deal of time, as it not only provided food when larger game was not attainable, but because coon-skins could be traded at some price to-the primitive merchants of Cleveland and Newburg for articles of indispensable necessity.

But the particular pet of Euclid seems to have been the rattlesnake. All the old settlers ment on the great numbers of these reptiles to be found in early times in the ravines of the main ridge and among the rocks farther back. Deacon John Ruple at one time killed thirty-eight, counted them and piled them up ina heap, although the poison which the angry reptiles spit forth into the air made him so sick that he had no desire torepeat the work. Luther Dille had a similar experience near Collamer; killing forty-three, and becoming so sick that he had to go home and leave a number of the nest alive. Boys made it their particular business to kill rattlesnakes, and became so fearless in dealing with them that an urchin would frequently hold a live snake down with a forked stick, slip a noose made of bark over its neck, and drag it home to show to his friends before dispatching it. At other times they would shoot them with hows and arrows, and hold them up writhing on the points of their weapons.

The people of Euclid brought with them their olden reverence for religion, and the first church in the present county of Cuyahoga was organized in that township in August, 1807, Jehn Ruple being one of the first deacons; but as the house of worship belonging to it was in what is now East Cleveland, a sketch of the church is given in the history of that township.

Andrew Mcllrath and his three sons-in-law - Abraham Mattox, David Burnett and Abraham L. Norris - settled in 1807 near the line between the present townships of Euclid and East Cleveland. He remained there as long as he lived, but the others, after three years' residence, moved to the West. In 1808

Gad Cranney located himself on an old clearing near the lake shore, where he remained some fifteen years, when he, too, sought a new home in Indiana. The same year John Adams settled on the main road east of Euclid creek, where he remained some ten years, when he sold out to John Wilcox, who stayed there until quite a recent. period.

In 1809 Abraham Bishop, of Washington county, New York, settled on the lot on the ridge formerly improved by John Morse. He was a man of some means, and brought with him a large assortment of plow-irons, chains, ete., all of which found a ready saleamong the settlers. The next year he built asawmill on the east branch of Euclid creek, on the site

We must not omit, in passing, to mention the first slaughter of a panther (by a white man) in the old township of Euclid, the victor being Deacon John Ruple, and the animal being a very fine specimen, measuring nine fect from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail. We give the deacon the honor of this achievement on the authority of Mr. Coleman's manuscript before referred to, as he must certainly have known the facts. Myr. Andrew Mellrath is also credited with killing a panther about the same time, his only weapon being an axe. There seems to be some confusion about the two anecdotes; possibly they both relate to the same incident, but on the whole it will probably be the safest to allow each of the gentlemen the glory of killing a panther.

In the forepart of 1810 the civil township of Euclid was organized, embracing the survey township; of that name and also the townships on the Chagrin river, a large unoceupied tract on the south. The first town meeting was held on the 22d day of April, 1810, at the dwelling house of Walter Strong, when Timothy Doan acted as moderator, and David Dille and Abraham Bishop as judges of election. ~The following officers were elected: Trustees, Elisha Graham, David Dille, Thomas Mcllrath; clerk, Lewis R. Dille; overseers of the poor, David Hendershot, Holley Tanner; fence-viewers, Seth Doan, James Lewis; appraiser, Nehemiah Dille; lister, Holley Tanner; treasurer, Abrahani Bishop; constable, Nehemiah Dille; supervisor of highways - eastern district, James Covert; northern district, Holly Tanner; east middle district, Abraham Bishop; western district, John Shaw; southern district, Asa Dille; west middle district, Lewis R. Dille.

Garrett and Benjamin Thorp settled respectively in 1810 and 1811, near the mouth of Euclid ereek, though Benjamin soon moved to the western part of the township, now East Cleveland.

Euclid felt themselves to be in a particularly dangerous condition, exposed to assaults from the British armed yessels on the*lake, and fearing possible raids from Indians by land. When the news came of Hull's surrender, followed swiftly by the report that the British and Indians were making a murderous progress down the lake, the people hitched up their oxsleds, loaded on their families and provisions and started eastward. 'They found the Chagrin river so swollen that they could not cross, and were in dire . distress over the extremely unpleasant prospect. William Coleman went twice to Cleveland to learn the latest news. On his second trip he learned that the supposed British-Indian army was only a part of Hull's surrendered forces. Ere long most: of the

When troops were stationed at Cleveland, a small picket of horsemen was generally maintained at Euclid creek, to give notice of any possible hostile movement from that direction. Just before the battle of Lake Erie, as related in the general history, a detachment landed from the British fleet and killed an ox supposed to have belonged to one of the Mcllraths; but this was the only occasion of the kind, and the victory won by Perry and his men soon put an end to the alarms of the people. (

It was just before, or during the war that Dr. Havilla Farnsworth who had previously practiced at Newport, Rhode Island, settled on what is now known as the Priday farm, on the ridge, being the first physician in the present township. He had a large practice, both as physician and surgeon, for over twenty years; being frequently called on to go fifteen or twenty miles on horseback at night, with a guide, also on horseback, leading the way with a torch.

Notwithstanding the war, occasional emigrants came in. Benjamin Day bought three hundred acres just west of the site of Nottingham, landing with his fumily the day before Perry's victory. His only surviving son, Dr. Robert Day, was then eight years old, and well remembers the dense forests which then covered that part of the township. Where Nottingham now is, there was only a path designated by marked trees and nearly all the settlers were on the main road, sometimes called the State road, or else down near the lake shore.

Land was still cheap; in 1813 Luther Dille paid only three dollars per acre. In 1814 Jonathan Pelton purchased Abraham Bishop's farm and sawmill on Euclid -ereek (near the present stone quarries) and made his residence there. His son, Seth D. Pelton, now of Euclid creek, was then nineteen years old and his brother Joseph, who died in 1870, was twenty-one. John Bishop, brother of Abraham, lived at what is now Euclid village.

Shortly afterward Paul P. Condit opened a tavern in aframe house on vhe main road, half a mile west of the locality last named. This was probably the first tavern kept in a framed housé in the township. "Abram Farr opened one at Euclid creek, shortly after Condit. By this time there was a small hamlet, called Euclid, which was the center of business (of which there was very little) for the township, Two miles northeast, of the main road was a still smaller cluster of houses, known as Euclid Creek, which has now assumed the name formerly assigned to the other village.

Immediately after the war, Euclid began settling up with considerable rapidity, so many clearings making their appearance both on the flat land and on the ridge, that we cannot any longer attempt to designate the locations of the individual settlers. We give, however, the names, taken from the poll list, of all who voted in October, 1815; doubtless including those of nearly every voter in the old township. They are Timothy Doan, Wm. Coleman, David Hendershot, Nehemiah Dille, John Shaw, Seth Doan, Jacob Coleman, James Strong, Asa Dille 2d, Amaziah Porter, John H. Strong, Levi Thomas, Thos. Barr, David Dille, Samuel Ruple, Samuel MclIlrath, Jedediah Crocker, Samuel Dodge, J. Adams, A. Dille, Havilla Farnsworth, Francis K. Porter, Luther Dille, Enoch Murry, Benjamin Day, Abraham Bishop, Walter Strong, Samuel Mcllrath, Abraham L. Morris, Jedediah D. Crocker, Parker Pelton, Samuel Crocker, Daniel 8. Tyler, Joseph Pelton, Ezra B. Smith, Dennis Cooper, Calvin Dille, Abijah Crosby, Lewis R. Dille, Hugh Hamilton, Wm. Gray, Jas. Ruple - 42. William Coleman was made the first postmaster in the township as early as 1815. In 1817 or 718 he built the first gristmill in the township on Kuclid creek, and afterwards a sawmill.

About 1820, or a little before, William Gray, who had been settled ten or twelve years at the mouth of Kuclid creek, built works there for making stoneware, such as jugs, jars, etc. In 1823 he sold the works to J. & L. Marsilliott, whose advertisement appears in the Cleveland Herald of that year. They, or at least one of them - Leonard Marsilliott - kept up the works about fifteen years; dcing a large business for that era. He brought his clay from Springfield, Ohio, and burned seven or eight kilns every year; keeping five or six hands employed all the time.

Mrs. Cushman, a daughter of William Coleman, who was born in 1819, and whose memory goes back to 1823, remembers that there was then at Euclid creek, a framed Baptist church, a framed schoolhouse and a block-house which had been built by a Mr. Randall.

It was not until 1828, however, as appears by the records, that the trustees divided the township into school districts, forming nine districts which contained in all a hundred and eighty-three householders. Fortunately the names of all these are preserved on the township record; so that we are able to show pretty accurately the progress of settlement in the old township of Euclid at that time. They are as follows:

It will, of course, be seen by this goodly list that Euclid was pretty well advanced in the way of settlement in 1828, and doubtless, the rattlesnakes had mostly by this time been frightened out of the locality. A stage route had been established along the main road between Cleveland and Buffalo, along which two-horse and four-horse teams went every day and both ways, and when emigration opened in the spring, the lake being still closed, it sometimes seemed as if the whole Eastern World was pouring along the great road to the Far West.

During the next decade the old log houses of the pioneers were generally changed for framed ones, and notwithstanding the ''hard times" of 1837, there was a marked improvement in the appearance of the township. About 1840, or a little before, Ruel House, Charles Moses and Captain Wm. Trist opened a ship-yard at the mouth of Euclid creek, which was maintained some ten years. They first devoted their energies to building canal-boats, the yard being on the west side of the creek. 'Ten or twelve were built in the course of four or five years. Then the yard was moved to the west side and the work of building schooners was engaged in. Six or seven were put afloat in the course of the next five years; the last and largest having a measurement of about three hundred tons.

R. H. Strowbridge, who came in 1840, says that Abram Farr was still keeping tavern at Euclid ereck, and there were three stores at that point; those of John Bishop, Chas. Farr and Nelson Moses. The township was still somewhat thickly settled in the southern part, adjoining Warrensville. Stone-quarries had recently been opened near the present ones on Euclid creek, by James Hendershot, Madison Sherman and Husong, but were not worked much. Madison Sherman had the first mill for cutting stone.

We have now passed through the more interesting part of the township's life, the era of its transmutation from a wilderness into an agricultural community, and must proceed with greater speed over the remaining portion. In 1847 the western part of Euclid was annexed to the newly formed township of East Cléveland, reducing the former to its present limits. By 1850 the township was well settled in all its parts, though still showing some of the marks of newness and roughness. '

In 1852 the opening of the Cleveland, Painesville and Ashtabula railroad (since become a part of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern road) extending - for five miles and a half through the present township of Euclid, gave it still greater similarity to an old settled country. By 1860 the transient observer would never have guessed that only forty years before

Euclid

Euclid was the congenial home of the deer, the bear, the wolf and the deadly rattlesnake. All wore the appearance of smiling repose and unbounded pienty.

But treason and slavery, more deadly foes than wolf or rattlesnake, were about to assail the country, and Euclid, like all the rest of the land, was obliged to send forth her gallant sons to defend the nation's life. The records of both their deeds and their names will be found with their respective regiments in the general history of the county.

Since the war more changes have been carried out in Euclid than in almost any other township in the county. Grape-culture has become a very important industry. It was begun in a small way near Collamer about 1855, but didnot attain much consequence until after the war. We are indebted for some facts regarding it to Mr. Louis Harris, one of the largest grapegrowers in the township. Mr. Harris was the first man who planted a vineyard on Put-in-Bay island, but becoming satisfied that Euclid was a much superior locality for that purpose heremoved thither. He has no hesitation in saying that that is the best locality for Delaware grapes in the whole State of Ohio.

It requires three years for a vineyard to get into bearing order. There has been but one year in the history of Euclid grape-culture, in which vineyards of that age or older did not bear. There are about two hundred and twenty acres of vineyards in the township, devoted to Concord, Catawba, Delaware, Martha, Ives, Diana and Hartford Prolific grapes; the Concords and Catawbas being the principal varieties raised. The Concords produce about three tous per acre, the Catawbas two tons, the Delawares two, the Marthas two, the Dianas two and a half, the Ives four, and the Hartford Prolifics no less than five tons per acre.

An especially good characteristic of the Euclid vineyards is the fact that the vines require no protection during the winter; the slatestone of the soil producing strong hardy wood for the vines, impervious to all the winds that blow on lake or land. The poorest soil for grain is the best for grapes. Land which, as Mr. Harris said, would not raise wheat enough to feed the grasshoppers, has produced 'good crops of grapes for ten years in succession. The principal market is found in Cleveland, but large quantities are shipped to Chicago, Cincinnati and Louisville. Besides the grapes sold in bulk, considerable quantities are made into wine by Mr. Harris and others in Euclid, and thence sent away for sale.

The stone business, too, has become an important one within the last twelve years. The quarries: worked forty years ago hed been substantially abandoned, on account of the supposed impracticability of competing with the Berea stone. In 1867, however, Mr. Duncan McFarland opened a quarry on Euclid creek, 'not far from the old ones, and since then the business has rapidly increased in consequence.

quarry on the west side of the creek in 1871. In 1875 they sold out to the Forest City Stone Company, opened a quarry on the east side and built a mill for cutting the stone into slabs. 'They now run three gangs of saws and employ about fifteen hands, mostly in producing flagging stone, though some building

Maxwell Brothers (now McBride, Maxwell & Malone) opened a quarry and built a very large mill on Nine Mile Creek in 1873. They run six gangs of saws, with about twenty men. They use Ingersoll's steam drill, carrying steam eleven hundred feet into the quarry for that purpose, and thus driving the drill twenty inehes into the solid rock in three minutes.

There is also a steam-mill, for sawing stone, at Nottingham, built and owned by Slosson & Meeker. It has four gangs of saws, principally employed in cutting flagging stone.

The village once known as East Euclid, or Euclid Creek, but now more properly designated as Euclid, contains one church, a fine school-house, two stores, one hotel, one steam basket-factory, one wagon shop, one shoe-shop, two blacksmith shops, and about thirty houses. It has not grown very rapidly of late, finding a rival in Nottingham, another small village which has grown up since 1852 on the Lake Shore railroad, three-fourths of a mile to the northward. The latter has two stores, one wagon-shop, one feedmill, one stone-mill, one shoe-shop, two blacksmithshops, and also about thirty houses.

Nearly the whole of Euclid township was incorporated '' for special purposes," under the laws of Ohio, in April, 1877, when L. B. Smith, William Robbins and Louis Harms were elected trustees, and J. Day was appointed clerk. In April, 1878, L. B. Smith was re-elected fer three years. But the corporate existence of Euclid was very brief, for at the election in October, 1878, the people voted to surrender their corporate privileges, and revert to the rural condition of their forefathers.

There is a commodious town-hall, built of brick, situated at Euclid village. In the south part of the township there is a framed building called Temperance Hall. It was built in 1877 by subscription, and is used for meetings of various kinds, especially for those of Cliff Division, No. 98, of the Sons of Temperance. The division was organized in August of that year and contains about fifty members.

A part of the village of Collinwood, which has grown up since the war, on the Lake Shore railroad, is also in Euclid; the main street of the village being the line between that township and Kast Cleveland. As, however, the greater part of the village is in East Cleveland, it will be more fully described in the history of that township.

On the 27th day of April, 1820, six brethren and five sisters were recognized by a council, duly called, as the regular Baptist church of Euclid. Dille was the first deacon. Of those eleven members none remain alive; Calvin Dille, who died in 1875, being the last survivor. Previous to the date first given there had for several years been Baptist preaching in Euclid by Elder Goodell and others, but no church organization. Elder Azariah Hanks, whose wife was one of the constituent members, united by letter at the first meeting of the church, became its pastor, and continued so for about four years. Tis labors during the first year were singularly successful, no less than forty-three persons, besides the cleven constituent members, uniting by baptism, and eight by letter, during the remaining eight months of 1824. Ten united on the 3d of June following the organization, of whom Deacon Seth D. Pelton is the only survivor, being the oldest living member of the church.

In September of that year Elder Hanks, Deacon Dilleand Mr. Libbey were sent as delegates to request the admission of the church into the Grand River Association and to represent it when admitted. It was so admitted, and (except during two years when it belonged to IIuron association) remained in the Grand River body until 1834, when it entered the Rocky River association, of which it has ever since been a member.

quently at Chagrin river, and sometimes at S. D. Pelton's residence on the ridge, near the site of the stone quarries.. But the principal headquarters of the church were at Huclid ereek, and there in January, 1821, the members voted to build "'a framed house of worship on land given by John Wilcox, thirty feet square, with posts fifteen feet long, a gallery in front of the desk, ten feet wide, two doors opposite the desk, two aisles and thirty-six pews on the lower floor." It was first voted that the pews should be sold for twelve dollars cach; afterwards that they should be sold at auction, 'twenty per cent. to be paid im ashes in advance, and the balance by the first of January next in grain." Wheat was then $1, rye 79 cents and corn 50 cents per bushel. Nothing could more clearly show the searcity of money and the primitive customs of those times than this extract.

John Wilcox, Wm. Treat and S. D. Pelton were the building committee, and the structure is believed to have been erected during the ensuing year. In 1822 the church employed Elder Hanks as pastor twothirds of the time for two hundred bushels of wheat. The next year, becoming more wealthy, they voted to pay him three hundred bushels per year, apparently for the whole of his time.

The church maintained its original strength, but did not greatly increase in numbers. In 1838 Solomon Dimick was the pastor, and during that year seventeen were added to the church. 'Twenty-eight were baptized in 1843, under the labors of Elder Crocket, though apparently there was no regular pastor at that time,

The church was incorporated, under a special act of the legislature, on the 12th of March, 1844, doubtless preparatory to the erection of a new house of worship. The latter was begun in 1845, being, like the former one, erected on land donated by John Wilcox. It was to be of brick, about thirty-six feet by forty-eight, and the trustees were to finish it 'as fast as the church furnish funds." This was slow work; the time for payment in ashes and wheat was passed, but cash was still hard to obtain, and the house was so long in building that it was used for several years in an unfinished state, and was never formally dedicated. It was, however, at last completed, and has been occupied by the church to the present time.

During the latter part of its existence, the church has maintained the same moderate degree of prosperity which had previously distinguished it. In 1846, under the pastorate of Elder Wilder, twentyfive were added by baptism, and, in 1849, under Elder Andrews, ten were expelled from the church. In 1864, when Elder Phillips was the minister, there were twenty-three baptized, but this large increase was succeeded by ten absolutely barren years, reaching from 1865 to 1875, m which there was not a single addition to the membership.

The present officers are as follows: Pastor, S. B. Webster; deacons, 8. 1D. Pelton, John Aiken; clerk, J.S. Charles; trustees, Henry Priday, L. J. Neville, 8. 8. Langshare; clerk of society, Warren Gardner.

In 1845, and the following years, a few German families settled in the southern part of Euclid and the southeastern part of East Cleveland townships. In 1852 these people, then comprising about twelve families, though as yet unorganized, bought an acre of land near the old stone school-house, on the State road, on which they ereeted a small framed building for a meeting-house and school-house. In 1853 they. formed themselves into a church, with the title above given, and called Rey. H. Kuehn to the pastorate. The next year they bought ten and a half acres more of land adjoining their former purchase, and in 1854 they built a residence for the pastor upon it.

was succeeded by Rey. A. Ernst. In 1862 the present large and convenient church edifice was erected, the old one being thenceforth used only as a school-house.

The next year Mr. Ernst was succeeded by Rev. F. W. Husmann, from Fort Wayne, Indiana, who has ever since acted as the pastor. From that time to the present the church has steadily increased, there being now fifty families with over three hundred members.

The school has always been an object of anxious solicitude to the congregation, religious instruction being carefully inculeated in it, besides the ordinary branches of education, and German and English reading and writing. The pastors themselves taught the school until about four years ago, when, owing to the increased numbers of both church and school, a separate teacher=was employed, Mr. H. Lassner having since acted in that capacity.

The deacons and trustees are as follows: Ernest Klaustermeicr, Ernest Melcher and Fr. Melcher, of Euclid; Fr. Rolf and Henry Dremann, of East Cleveland, and Henry Klaustermeier, of Mayfield.

Presbyterian Church Of Nottingham

This church was organized about 1870, and, although there were but twelve or thirteen members, yet their zeal was such that they built a framed house of worship immediately after the organization. 'lhe Rey. Franklin MeGinniss supphed the pulpit for about two years. Since then Rev. M. A. Sackett has performed the same duty, although the weakness of the congregation has prevented it from sustaining constant services.

This church was organized in the spring of 1861, the church edifice, situated between Nottingham and Euclid village, being completed in November of that year. Rev. Edward Harman was the first pastor, but did not reside in the township. He was succeeded in

. 1863 by Rev. Francis Salenn, and he in 1865 by Rev. Anthony Martin, the first resident pastor, who has ever since occupied that position. The same year a pursonage and a cemetery were purchased, and in 186% a parochial school was established. St. Joseph Chapel, Collinwood, was separately organized in 1877, but is under the care of the same pastor. St. Paul's church now includes about seventy families, and fifty children attend its parochial school.

1810. Trustees, Elisha Graham, David Dille, Thomas Mcllrath; clerk, Lewis R. Dille; overseers of the poor, Daniel Hendershot, Holley Tanner; appraiser, Nehemiah Dille; lister, Holley Tanner.

1812. Trustees, Samuel Dodge, Abraham Bishop, Christopher Colson; clerk, L. R. Dille; treasurer, A. Bishop; appraiser, A. Bishop; lister, Nehemiah Dille; overseers of the poor, Elias Lee, John Adams.

1813. Trustees, Elias Lee, Jedediah Crocker, Dan Hudson; clerk, William Coleman; apprai-er, james Strong: lister, William Smith; overseers of the poor, David Dille, Elisha Graham.

1814. Trustees, Seth Doan, Nehemiah Dille, James Strong; clerk, William Coleman; treasurer, David Dille; appraiser, John Bishop; lister, David Bunnell; overseer of the poor, John Shaw.