Lexington Township

Lexington Township

" Nothing so dear aa a tale of tho olden time," Seltlcmcnt in Lexington Township was made in the years 1805 and ISOO, by families attached to tho Quaker faith, among the first of whom wero Amos Holloway, Zacebcus Stanton, Nathan Gaskill, John Grant, David Berry, and Jesse FcltK.

Amos HoUoway emigrated from Virginia and entered land, afterwards ebosea for the site of the once promising, now ancient, town of Lexington, and in conjunction with Xaihan Gaskill was a proprietor of the place.

The first roads laid oul in Ibis township wero tbo one leading from Deerfleld to CanloD, diagonally- across tbo lownsbip, and that from Satcm, intersecting the first at tbe village of Lexington. The first posl-ofhce was on the former of these routes; it was established in 1811, three-fourths of a miio weal of tho village, at the cabin of tbo pioneer Jesse Fell*. The farm is now owned by his son, Sbadraeh Felte, who bad control of the office nearly twelve years. A weekly mail arrived at this station; it was oorried on horseback by Joduthan Farnbam, who was ooosidcrcd to have made an extraordinary trip when be reached Canton from Dcerfiold in one day. William Kingsbury, a wounded veteran of 1812, was postmaster for many years, li. M. Kingsbury bos tho sole honor of ropresenting tho County in tho Stato Assembly, from this township, in 1843.

In early days, Ihe 'Mahoning was a grand stream, now dwindled lo a rivulet. Tbo pioneers considered it navigable, and thought it would be a future highway of commerce, hence Lexington in 1805. Tho river coiers tbo township ou the southern third of its eastern border, winds in a circuitous direction, and passes out nt its northeastern corner.

Indiana and pioneers drew from its wolors a full supply of fino fish. Tho township possessed a municipal organization March 4, 181li, - eleven years after the primal sutllemcnt.

Tho first house in Lexington distinguished by & shingle roof was builtin 1808, by A. HoHowny. Herein Gideon Hughes opened tho first store, and, not suceecding, was tho first mercantile failure. Tho house then became of use for tho first I religious meetings, by the Friends, and when not so used was slill further utilized as the first seat of learning, witn Daniel Votaw aa ita first pedagogue, who'o services wero secured by subscription among the Friends. The first itnprovomcnt cast of Alliance was on Mercer Clearing, situated at the junction of County line and Mt. Union roads.

The only house or cabin, in 1318, between Salem and the present site of Alliance, stood half o mile west of Damascus, and was built by Sir. Morris. Charles Hamlin and others wont down to the mouth of Little Reaver to get wheat fiourcd. Corn was floated down tbo Ohio in barges, and sold to tbo settlers until ilicir clearings yielded a sufficiency. It oceupiod three days to lake two bushels of corn to bo ground, carrying it on horseback. Tbo first grist-mill in the township was on the river south of Lexington. It was built by Aarou Stratton ; a saw-mill was built in connection with it. Here Amos Hallowny lost a son by tho falling of a beam upon him. The next mill was built by Byron Elliot, on Doer Creek, one mile west of the village of Limavillc, and is still in use. Saw-mitis are necessities of early days, and transitory in existence. Rolla Day built the first iu Lexington Townahip, on the Mahoning. Prior to 1840, ton to twelve had been built, and none since. Steam mills havo supplanted the water mills, but tho limber has become scarce and is small. George Stroup erected one in 1857, at Alliance.

Tbo town of Lexington was laid out iu lots during 1807, and named after tho battle-field of April IU, 1775. Williamsport sprung into oxiatcnco in 1827, Freedom iu 1338, and Ml. Union in 1S40.

Tbe posl-offioo in Freedom waa established in 1843, and David G. Hester, tho first postmaster, held the oDice eighteen months. The first moil to Freedom brought ono paper, tbe Ohio l{e/>o>,iiu<-y. and one letter. Tho gross receipts of Iho first quarter were seventeen dollars ; for 1873 they were fifteen hundred dollars. Tho first mail carrier through tbe township was named Forman. Tho earliest physician was Dr. Joseph Shrove.

Tho first school in tho Alliance seclion of tbe township was held in a vacated cabin, built on land west of ibe fair-grounds. It was taught by Andy Murray, in 1820. The Union School at Alliance was organized February 21, 1S27, wilh J. K. Plokelt for first supcrinlcndeut. ; Lexington Township was surveyed in December, 1790, by Zacebcus Biggs, in I sections, and subdivided in 1805, by William Heald. From 1800 to 1813, taxes ranged from ono to two dollars per section. Tho colloclora annually traversed tho township to gather this amount.

On Thursday, Juno 8, !8;14, the first newspaper was published. In ISriO. I people wcro ordered lo meet for muHler near Louisville ; no one went. In I SiG, j Henry Chance was Captain of a fine well-drilled company. In ISOl, Ihe real I spirit of the people was shown in their "rally round tbe IJag." Wheat was dis- I Cased in 1350; it looked well, but produced sickness among those who used its flour. Thrashing by flail was done from 1325 lo 1845 ; siooo that datu IbrashorB have been used.

Tho first person lo officiate as justice of (he peace, at tbo bead of a lino of sixty succeeding, was Nathan Gaskill, whoso commission dated from May 10, i 1817, and who served during three conscautive terms. He mnmed two ouuple oind in homo-mado linen, tbo groom harofootod, the bride in stoga shoos and

Land-owners in tlio township hold, on nn avorago, thirty-sovon aoroa. July 4, 18S3, saw the lirat engine on tho Cleveland and PitUburg Unilrond hero.

The City Of Alliance

THE CITY OF ALLIANCE. This, Stark's third eily, is of recent origin iiud rapid growth. Its name is indioativo of union; its location, where tho Tittsburg, Fort Wayne and Chicago and Clcvoliind and Pittsburg railroads intcraeot, is favorable to its busincBi men ; and its rapid advance in population and mauufaoturea is duo to tho ontorpriso of its citizens.

The survey lines wore run by John Whitacre, County Surveyor; and tho town of Freedom, now included in the corporate limits of Alliance, was laid out on tho 24th of July, 18.13, by Matthias I[cstor, who erected a plain, neat brick houBc, the first built, during tho same year. Alliance was laid out September 24, 1850. Hester made tho first addition. Elislm Tceten cawe in 1835, and in 1851 laid out the second or Teotcn's addition; building thereon tho first house and inaugurating the practice of medicine in tho new town, Ellis Johnson was his surveyor, whom ho personally assisted in tho work. In 1^51 Freedom had one hundred and sevcnty.fivo inhabitants, one flour-mill and saw-mill, walcr-powor ; two taverns, a tan-yard, three frauio churohos, and one small sohool-houso. Farm fences disappeared; frames gave way to hriok ; where was a swamp, tho home of bear and deer, tho engines run, and commerce has its way.

Kcligious history : during 184n the United Brethren wore the leading denomination; built a hriok church in ISiiS; pastor in ISOS, David Kosht. In 1851 Ibo Methodists, forty or fifty strong, built a framo, which tho Friends bought in 18C5. April, ISflT. the new M. E. church was completed, at a cost of twelve thousand five hundred dollars. A. B. Leonard was pastor during the work. Presbyterians in 1853 numbered twelve; A. B. Maxwell, pastor. Christians in 1367 had thirty of a congregation; P. K. Dibble in charge. Catholic, 1801, fifteen families; Father Eannin, founder of the church. Otber Booieties aro represented and growing in strength. In IStiS, Alliance, in a population of five thousand, had one thousand three hundred and fifty-ono church members.

School interests are flouriBbiog. A small brick house held all tho school-going population in 1850. Now, one fine house is erected at a ooat of nearly eleven thousand dollars, three smaller at three lliousand dollars each, and two more begun. Tho enrollment is large, the teoohers are experienced, and system prevails.

TradcBmen : Hester sold tho first dry goods during 1333. Ho was succeeded in 1S40 by Samuel Shufi'or. Linus Ely, from Ravenna, opened the first hardware store, first in Freedom, then more prosperouBly in Alliance.

Rise in real estate hos made the poor rich and repiaeod tho old clapboard with the stylish Mansard roof. Lots which were high at forty dollars, arc now cheap at two thousand dollars. Where now stand the finest blooks tho land was almost given away to encourage building.

Railroads: Tho grtiiie of the Cleveland and Pittsburg railroad was completed to Alliance in 1350, and Freedom heard the engine's shriek as the first train of cars arrived on tho 4th of July, 1851, This same year Alliance obtained a postoffioo, with D. 0. Hester ns postmaster.

The two railroads being finished to this point, Ocnoral E. R. Eokloy, on his way to Cleveland, called on Samuel Cnssidy, Iho owner of a farm near town, and found him much disturbed that the trains should be run so near him, and imagined much trouble from the "devilish things," He concluded by offering the land to the general at twenty-five dollars per acre. He did not buy, and S. Jennings and J. Brooks became owners. MuuU money haa been realized from sale of lots by Mcaars. Tceten, Lamboro, and Bleakley, the next owners.

In 1857, two small houses stood between Alliance and Mount Union ; now handsome and costly residences on cither side line tho entire distance of two miles.

The chief manufactory of AUiuneo is bor rolling-mill, begun in 1806. It has a capacity of over fifty tons daily, and tho salaries of its hands amount monthly to over twelve thousand dollars. Besides Ihia there ore ugricultural works, furniture-factories, planing-mills, lead-works, Bteam-cngino works, thrashing-machine factory, banks, hotels, newspapers, stores, and o, full representation of a live city's industries. A huge and lofty building, known as the Oporn-House, takee the eye of tho observer. lis reputed cost was seventy thousand dollars. It was not a profitable invcBlment, but it odds to tho looks of the city. Apparently, nature and art aro united in furnishing resources to the oily, and either aa a ploce of business or a pleasant home Alliance olTcrs superior inducements.

Tho veterans of 1806 have a " post" of tho Grand Array of the Ro|iublio. Tho city has a fire department, prompt and fearless in the diaeharge of their duty, and the guardians of peace have ({uiet times.