Homer Township

Homer Township

Many of the incidents narrated relative to the first settlements in Harrisville, embrace a portion of territory and some of the characters that are now in Homer township. For many years prior to township organizations the interests of the two were partially indentified.

The first opening within the present limits of the township, was made by Mr. Parks, who is still a resident. In 1831, the whole township was unsettled, with only here and there a few rude structures that had been erected by the migrating hunters for a temporary occupancy.

The original papers relative to the first township organization are lost, and the early history is given by a few old settlers from recollection.

The first child born in the township was Harriet Parks. The first school was kept by Mr. James Parks, numbering fourteen scholars, very few of whom are now residents of the township. It was not then considered too far to send children of ten years old, two miles, by a circuitous path, to the school, without shoes, and not unfrequently without bonnets.

The first township Trustees were Messrs. Tanner, Park and Wing. Asa Beard was the first Justice of the Peace. The first marriage was Charles Atkins to Elizabeth Campbell. The first acre of wheat reared and harvested within the township was cut by Mr.

Duncan Williams, who is now the owner of large farm within the township. The settlements were rapid and the openings and improvements now seen, give evidence of untiring industry ; and should the same perseverance be exercised for the next twenty years. Homer township will vie with any of the older settled townships, in agricultural products. There is also a marked advance seen in the erection of dwellings and other buildings, in the planting and cultivation of orchards and ornamental shrubbery, and in the selection of live stock. Not unfrequentl'y the cattle from Homer, exhibited at our Fair, have taken tlje premium.

In future time the commercial advantages that the agriculturtsts of Homer will realize, must consequently add to their wealth. Proximity to railroad conveyances south and west, afford encouragement to the farmers of Homer and Spencer townships, that their surplus trade can readily and speedily be freighted to market whenever the price will justify. The soil, the locality, and the industrial habits of those who owTn the land in the township, indicate that before many years Homer township will compare, in proportion to age, with any other portion of Medina county in agriculture.

Many of the farmers are of German descent, and are of that class who strive to make their fields a little more productive, by manuring the ground they cultivate. The soil is well adapted to the growth of wheat, corn and grass ; and the rapid increase of cattle, hogs and slice}), give evidence that the owners of the lands know what kind of stock is best calculated to enrich the owners.

When the township was first organized there were only nineteen voters. When the lister traveled over the township to get a list of the personal property for taxation he returned seven horses and forty-two cattle.

Let the present owners of lands, now in the townshp, read the following statistical table, returned by the assessor in 1861, and compare it with the above return and learn the commendable advances they have made.

It is due to the citizens of Homer to say that there are fewer mortgages upon the real estate in that township that upon many of the older settled townships in the county.

and potatoes, orchards and gardens, they would yearly amount to $35,000 - making the yearly value of the products of the township to be about one hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

Source changes here: from History of Medina County and Ohio, Containing a History of the State of Ohio, from Its Earliest Settlement to the Present Time ... a History of Medina County, Giving an Account of Its Aboriginal Inhabitants ... Pioneer Incidents, Its Growth, Its Improvements, Organization of the County ... Biographical Sketches; Portraits of Some of the Early Settlers and Prominent Men, Etc., Etc. .., by Perrin, William Henry, D. 1892?, Comp, published 1881; 1,245 words in this source stream.

Homer Township

ROBERT LEE, farmer ; P. O. Albion, Wayne Co, ; was born in the latter county Jan. 23, 1833, and was married, Oct. 9, 1856, to Miss Maranda R. Tanner, who was born July 19, 1839. Their children were named Sarah J., born Oct. 4, 1857 ; Rosa M., April 19, 1859, died Feb. 26, 1862; Cora B., Jan. 15, 1865; Lillie G., Jan. 26, 1877 ; Sarah J., now Mrs. Aaron Swartz, married Dec. 6, 1877 ; they have one child - Lucius L. Swartz, born Jan. 31, 1879. Mr. Lee went to California in 1852, during the gold fever excitement, taking the overland route and traveling in the saddle or with the wagon train. It took them three mouths to make the trip, halting a week at Salt Lake City to recruit their teams. They were threatened on the way by Indians, who were probably more in search of plunder than a fight At this time, they were joined by another train, and, b}' corailing their teams and protecting themselves as best they could, they passed a very disagreeable night, waiting for the expected attack. Morning came, and the}' were left to pursue their way unmolested, with the exception of losing some of their stock.

They entered the Golden State at Hangtown. now called Placerville. He worked in the mines in various parts of the State, remaining there three years, coming home via the Nicaragua route, landing safely in New York, and arriving home by way of Cleveland. Mr. Lee has been living in Homer Township for twentyfour years, on what used to be called the Albro farm of 80 acres, but has made additions from time to time, until now he owns 181 acres of good land, making a farm of which he may well be proud, as he is pleasantly situated and surrounded with home comforts of no ordinary degree. His father, Josiah Lee, living in Albion, Wayne Co., was born in the State of Connecticut, Thompson Township, Oct. 14, 1796. and moved to the State of New York with his father in 1798. He married Miss Agnes Lafler Nov. 3, 1816, and came to this State in 1819, settling in Jackson Township. There were no improvements on the land he entered, and no roads but as they cleared them between here and Cleveland, coming by way of Medina, which then could boast of one solitary log house and another in process of construction.

Before they reached the future county seat, it grew quite dark and threatened rain. Turning the oxen loose to browse in the slashing, they sought the log house for shelter, but were lost in the darkness of the stormy night. Their loud halloos were finally heard, and they were kindly taken in and cared for by the pioneer's family. They reached Wayne Co. in due time, and entered 320 acres of land, at $2 per acre. Mr. John Mason, three-fourths of a mile east, was their only neighbor, and Wooster the nearest post office. Their children were John H., born March 14, ISIS, died Aug. 17, 1822 ; Phoebe, Nov. 24, 1819, died Aug. 11. 1S22 ; James, April 30, 1822; Josiah, July 2, 1824, died Aug. 20, 1851 ; Elizabeth. March 23, 1826 ; Jacob, July 12, 1828, died Oct. 23, 1853 ; David B., Oct. 21, 1830 ; Robert, Jan. 23,1833; Oliver, Jan. 9, 1836; Lucene, Feb. 7, 1839 (now Mrs. G. M. Reed) ; Elizabeth married Mr. P. C. Bunt ; George, July 14, 1841, died Dec. 15, 1854. Mrs. Agnes Lee died April 8, 1S60, and on Jan. 26. 1868, Mr. Lee married Phoebe Smith. They had one child - Jessie, born Dec. 6, 1869; she died March 2, 1878. Three of the brothers were in the army during the war of the rebellion. David enlisted in Co. B. 4th 0. Y. C., and served in the Army of the Potomac until the battle of Gettysburg, where he was wounded in the right hand. Soon after, he was honorably discharged from the service, but, upon the wound healing, he again enlisted in the 178th 0. Y. I., and served to the end of the war, participating in the great battle of Murfreesboro and many skirmishes between Nashville and the front. James enlisted in Co. K, 102d O. Y. I., and served for three years. Oliver enlisted in the same regiment and company (Capt. J. M. Sloan's), and was in the battles of Decatur, Ala., Stevenson, Perry ville, Frankfort, etc.

Biographical Sketches

JUDGE SAMUEL HUMPHREVILLE, Medina, Ohio, died of apoplexy, Feb. 4, 18S1. The following tribute to his memory is taken from the Medina Democrat of Feb. 10, 1881 : " Our community was greatly shocked on Friday morning last to learn of the sudden death from apoplexy of ex- Judge Humphreville, an old and respected citizen of Medina, whose demise occurred about 10 o'clock, at the office of the Gazette newspaper. The judge, after breakfast, as was his custom, came down town and visited the Gazette office to look after some job printing that had been ordered, and while there in conversation with Mr. Green, he suddenly fell back in bis chair, gasped a few times, and expired. The judge, we are informed, had been in his usual health, with the exception of a slight headache which had annoyed him for a few days, and though 73 years of age, had the appearance of good health and promise of a longer lease of life than was allotted him The deceased was born and bred in Berkshire Co., Mass.; from there he came to Medina, about forty years ago, and engaged in the practice of law*. He represented Medina Co. in the Constitutional Convention which framed the Constitution of 1851. Next, he was elected Judge of the Court of Common Pleas for this district, going on the bench in February, 1852, and serving a term of five years, he being the first

Judge elected in this district after the adoption ; of the present Constitution, whence the code practice of law dates. Prior to about the year ! 1850, Mr. Humphreville was a Democrat, and | was elected to the above-mentioned offices by his Democratic constituents, among whom i he was a leader. But when the rebellion of | the Slave States became inevitable, he joined i the Republican party, and as a member of that | party represented this Senatorial district in the i General Assembly of Ohio for the period of j three years, beginning in 1862. He was next j elected a member of the third Constitutional 1 Convention, which met in May, 1:^73. For j some years, he has been a member of the Board j of School Examiners for this count}*, and, at ' the time of his death, was at the Gazette office i for the purpose of getting some examination cards printed. Fie spent considerable time j during the past few months in writing a history of the bar of Medina Co., which he finished about two weeks ago, and which will appear in the forthcoming county history. Throughout his whole life, he has been a faithful and persistent worker. As a public officer, he faithfully discharged his trust ; as a lawyer he was honest and upright and an honor to his profession, and as a neighbor and citizen he was always genial and kind to all, and a man in the true sense of the word."