Lorain City (part 56 of 77)

The American home of the Tank family was in Fort Howard, Wisconsin, wdiere they occupied a cottage on the bank of Fox River, which was of historic interest as tlie headquarters for many years of the American Fur Company, of which John Jacob Astor was the head in the Northwest. ]\Iany a cargo of valuable peltries was here packed and carried from tlie small, one-storied house to staunch bateau.x or birch bark canoes on the river, destined for the great marts of traffic, Quebec, Montreal and New York. Tlie dwelling passed from one French Canadian to another until the year 1851, when it wa.s purchased by Neils Otto Tank, together with a large domain of land surrounding the premises, as the home of a superintendent of a colony of Scandinavians desiring settlement in Wisconsin.

Mr. Tank was a Norwegian gentleman of higji lineage, an ardent student, a fine classical scholar and an enthusiast in natural science. He spoke fluently six or seven of the languages of modern Europe, and read as many more. His father, a noljleman, had most ambitious plans for his attractive and gifted only son, and was bitterly disappointed when he allied himself witli the despised sect of ^loravians. Every effort was made to win liim l)ack to the State Churcli and a more formal Christianity, but he was firm in his resolve to consecrate liis life to lowly service for others, and in consequence was disinlierited hy liis father. He was employed as a teaclier, then as commercial agent, by the ^loravian brotherhood, and later was sent as a missionary to the slaves in Dutch Guiana. There his first wife died, and he returned to Europe with a motherless daughter eighteen moiitlis old.

Miss Caroline L. A. von der ^Iculen had been an intimate friend of the motlier of the little girl, and in 18-19 she became the wife of I\Ir. Tank. She was the daughter of Rev. R. J. von der Meulen, of Amsterdam, Holland, and was descended on her mother's side from a distingui.sl>ed general ill the .service of tlu; crown - General von Hotzlaer, governor-general of tlie Hague province. Througli liim a large fortune came to the family. ]\liss Porter says: "No one who lieanl them from lier own lips, in the expressive and forcible Englisli, quaint and original as herself in its idioms, will ever forget llie .stoi'ies of her youth, witli its careful training under llie sehohiily father and the geutle motlier, and the comiianionship of a sister with musical and artistic tastes like her own."

After tlic death of her inother slie liad charge of th(? cstablishnioiit, aiul I'ciiiaiiied in the stately lioino until her marriage to Mr. Tank. They came ahnosl iininedialely to the United Slat(!H, and after huuh: tarrying in i5etlih'heni, I'eiiiisyl vaiiia, went sent in charge of a colony of Noi'wegian eniigrant.s to Wisconsin. 'J'he following years were full of trial and disappointmcnt. Plans for the welfare of the colony were constantly thwarted, and failure resulted. The true cause doubtless lay in the fact that a iMoravian community, modeled after those of tlie Old World, was not in accord with the spirit of the free and rapidly growing Northwest, and the company of colonists was soon scattered. The land he had purcliased as a ])ei-manent settlement for foreign coloiusts reverted to iMr. Taidi at pecuniary loss; the small cottage by the riverside became his liome for near a score of years, and in it he died in 1864.

After the death of .Mr. Tank, his wife and daugliter were left to disentangle the complicated business and carry out, as far as might be, the benevolent designs in which they had been .sharers. During those years I\[i'S. Tank had devoted herself most assiduously to the instruction and traiidng of the daughter, ]Mary, and one or two trips had been made to Europe that she might enjoy a year of study in England, courses of lectures in I'aris, and the best of niu.sical advantages abroad. Tiie daughtei' had ))een jjrejiared, it seemed, for anyti;ing rather tiuui business; but it was not long befoi'c she woji the admiration of able tinanciers by her sl<ill and capacity in tiiis direction, and iier motiiei' leaned u])oii her in glad (-on(i(h'n('e. in 1872, she too was called away, and Mrs. Tank was left singularly alonit.

She wa.s deeply attached to America, pathetically .so to tiie cottage on the liaidis of the l<"o.\ iiivef, to hei' garden and her pets, l)ut she always felt her.self an alien among its peojile and lived a life apart. For nearly a score of years she liv(;d alone in the litth; cottage, even the maid who served her being often not under her i-oof, but in an ad,jacent building. But the life, a|)pai'ently so lonely, was not aindess. She kept in touch wJtii tlie outer world by the most choice selection of magazines and .journals, secular aiul religious, published in Europe and America. One always found these and well-assorted books on the sitting-i'oom table, and often late at nigiit tlut gleams of her reading lamp shone aiu'os.s. the river.

Those who callecl the aged mati'on friend, and knew of tlu- piled-up treasures in the little house, had insight to stores of i-icli jewels, i-ar(; brocades, (d" eenturies-old pori'elain, china, potlei'y and rare ancient coins, yet found when its mistress left the [dace desolate, at hei' deatli, that it had been liirougli the years a s<'aled myslei'y. A bewildering maze of articles, i-epi-esentalive of the wealth and relinemeid. tasle and enllni'e (d' I'lui'upe and file OrienI, '<-ondiine(| wilh praelieal and more prosaic utensils in daily use, had aecuiuulated and coine liy inlieritance to j\lrs. Tank. Tlie family had looked forward to the time when these sliouhl adoni tlio lioiiie of tlie dauj^hler, a stranger still in this strange hind.

>Slie could not easily place herself in sympathetic relations with the eonnnunity ahout her. A small circle of friends .she loved and trusted. Her heart reached out after the suffering' and needy in many lands. IShe read carefully as well as widely, and was familiar with the various forms of henevolent activity. Careless, sometimes too careless of her own needs, she .saved only that she might give, not that she might hold. Her frugal spirit was no narrow one, imposing its own restrictions upon others. Many a generous gift to procure .something which she would have denied herself, has gone to the missionary on the frontier, or to foreign lands. These gifts were often bestowed througli her trusted friends, I\ev. and Mrs. Jeremiah J'orter, who had been her neigiilmrs in Fort Howard while ]\lr. Porter was pastor of the church there. Mrs. Tank had watched ^lr.s. Porter's wise and economical administration of her own household, knew what a training she had had in making the most of a little, and trusted her imi)licitly. The moneys entrusted to Mr. and Mi's. I'orter w(!re frequently sent without restriction as to where, or how they were to be used, although more often with siieii direetiuiis as, "For Home i\lissioiis," "For Foreign .Mi.ssions," or "For the h'reedmen," and on the books of all tiiese societies, "A Friend, by Rev. ,1. I'oi'ter, " or "A h'rieiul, by Mrs. Porter," became a frequent entry. i\[i'.^. Tank's gifts were not large, but they were constant, and in the course of the years about $12,000 i)as.sed through the hands of I\lr. and IMrs. Porter from this soiii-ce. Ami this was l)ut one of the agencies thi'ough wliich she touched the needs of the world. Her last large gift, personally bestowed, was given to IMiss ]Mary Porter for the Home for iMi.ssionary Children in Oberlin. ]\Iiss Porter says, "The cause was l)resented with sonic hesitation. It was known she gave rarely in these later years, and new objects did not appear to her like the old, familiar ones. She listened thoughtfully while the plan was laid before her, and slie was asked to pledge ij^l.OOO. The bright, kiiul eyes filled with tears as, without a moment's hesitation, she said, eagerly, with a little break in her voice, 'That is good. That will 1 do. That will be for my ^lary.' Mary was the daughlei- of tlu; first Mvs. Tank, and was born in th(( Moravian I\Iission in Dutch (Juiana. The first (Jhristian chaj)el in Peking, China ((h'sti-oyed by Uoxcrs in 1900), was a memorial of this daughter at The lime of her death. Now that their I'eunion was so near, the mother remembered tenderly the child bronglit fi'om South America so nuiny

A Tier llic (lealli of Mi's. 'I'ank it was foiiiid lier larj^e estate liad liei-n left to the eX(,'entors of lier will, Kov. Jereiriiali Porter and his sou, Mr. James W. Porter, to l)e hy tliein distrilmted to missionary objects, slight restrictions only being placed upon them in regard to its disijosal. By the deathof his father, in 1803, j\lr. James W. Porter was left sole executor, and from him, in 1896, came to the Oberlin Missioiuiry Home Association a clieck for if^lOjOOO, half for endowment and half for building the home to bear the Tank name. Doctor Tenney said, in a circular issuL'd about tliat time, "The bequest from the estate of ^Irs. Tank we can but regard as peculiarly providential, gathered as it was l)y foreign liands and largely in foreign lands, laid up for our time of need, and entrusted to those honored and devoted stewards of the Lord who have directed it to this work."

The foregoing sketch was prepared by ]\Irs. Sarah Cowles Little, in 1902, the secretary and constant friend of the IMissionar}' Home Association until her death January IG, 1912.

On June 9, 1!)08, after fourteen years of faithful and self-sacrificing service, .AIi's. A. P. Allen, because of increasing years and failing health, I'esigned as superintendent and was succeeded l)y Cai)tain and i\lrs. George F. Gai'land, who had long been in the service of the American Board - Mm. Garland as a missionary in Micronesia, and Captain Garland as the coiniiuuider of the missionary ship, The Morning Star. ]\lrs. Alien enleivd into rest J<\'bi'uary 9, 1912.

The association is comjjosed of eleven members, residents of Oberlin and vicinity, of whom the pastors of the First and Second. Congregational cluirehes are ex-officio nuMubers. Five are elected for a term of years by the C^ongregational Conference of Ohio, and tlie remainder by the association itself.

The Taidc Home provides for thirty-five children, together with the supi'riiitcndenfs and earelakei's. Tlie following auxiliary houses adjaeent to Tank Home ai'e furnished for the use, at a reasonabh; i-cntal, of missionaries at home on furlough: Judson (Cottage, Dickinson Cottage and Tracy Cottage. '

The Oherlin IIosj)ital Association was formally organized November 12, 1906, by a group of eight pliysieians and on July 1, 1907, the property at No. 21 South Cedar Street was leased. The first i)atient was admitted August ITlii following. The buildings comprise a general hos- pital of twelve beds, with operating room, aiul a cottage for contagious I)atients, rented from and heated by Oberlin College. The supplies are furnisiied by Oberlin Hospital.

hy tlie hoard of five trustees: Superintendents, Miss Bcrtlia McIIarg, Miss Anna Laughlin, I\Iiss Mavy Casper, Miss IMary Lee Barry, ]\Iiss May AVillianis, Miss Ida T. Cleveland and Miss Gertrude E. Creenwood. hospital is maintained hy private suhscription and from a fund allowed hy the college and an equal amount suhserihed hy residents. Only graduate nurses are employed. During the year 1914, 132 patients were treated.

Ill lUlf) a heffuest of $100,000 was left to tlie Hospital Association hy the late ])v. Dudley P. Allen, $50,000 for a huilding and $50,000 for an endowment. The building will be erected on a commodious site opposite the north end of Cedar Avenue, which had already been purchased by the association.

The first burial ground of Oberlin was about two acres on IMorgan Street, between ]\Iain and Professor streets, leased by the college to the Oberlin society soon after the college was founded.

Previous to tiie formation of tiie Oberlin Cemetery Association, the necessity for a more I'etired and commodious place for the burial of the dead, than the "old grave yard," had long been felt by the poeple of Oberlin and vicinity. This necessity had become so pressing, that before the new grounds were even partially prepared for the reception of the dead, there were no more lots to be had in the old burial place, and in several in.stances persons were obliged to ol)tain the privilege of the temporaiy interment of tlie remains of their friends in lots owned by others.

Pursuant to public notice, a meeting of citizens was held on the 9tli of July, 1861, to consider the subject of a new cemetery. At this meeting a committee was chosen to draft a constitution. This committee consisting of James ]\1. Fitch, S. Sedgwick, H. G. Little, J. H. Fairchild, Homer John.son and W. C. French, on the 29tii of July, reported a draft of a constitution, at a meeting called for the purj)ose of organizing the association, and after thorougli discussion of the sul)ject, by luianimous vote llie constitution was adojited.

The Oberlin Cemetery Association was thus duly organized under Us constitution, and in pursuance of the statute "in such cases made and provided."

iirimcdiately after the organization of the asso(;iation, the trustees commenced the work of inquiry and examination as to tlio most eligilih; location for the cemetery. After thorough and protracted search and negotiations, extending througli a jieriod of more than a year and a half, they succeeded in securing for liie association a vei'y ch'sii'able tract of

Nearly onii-lliird of IIicm; {,'roun(I.s wttre iialivo forest; anotlier third was partially cleared, aud tlie remainder had been under eultivatioQ. This tract, the trustees, as the agents of tlie association, purchased for the Slim of $1,470. The work of enclosing, clearing and improving the gTOuiids was immediately commenced, and it has since been carried forward as far and as fast as the limited means in the hands of the trustees allowed.

As soon as the work of clearing had sufficiently progres.sed, II. B. Allen, Es(j., a skillful engineer, with large experience in the formation of rural cemeteries, was emjiloyed to survey and lay out the grounds, and also to i)repare a maj) of the same. This work was executed in a scieiitilic and highly satisfactory manner.

Tlie first burial in these grounds was that of .AIi-. Samuel W. iMontgomery, whose remains were deposited in Section V, Lot No. 55, on the 201 h day of August, LSOJ.

On the 8th day of June, LSG4, the students of the in.stitution, and many of the citizens, in response to a public invitation, gathered upon the grounds, and, under the superintendence of a committee appointed for the ])uri)o.se, did effective .service in clearing off" and burning the logs, brush lieajjs, and other rubbish tlmt bad rendered the forest grounds nearly impassable. At the close of the.se laliors by the unanimous vote of the peojjle as.sembled, the name of "Westwood" was given to the cemetery grounds. This name was subsequently adopted by the as.sociation.

On the 16th of July, 1864, Westwood Cemetery was solemnly dedicated as a permanent burial place of the dead. The religious exercises were held upon the grounds, and consi-sted of appropriate music conducted by Prof. C. II. Churchill, prayer by President C. G. Finney, and the dedicatory address by Prof. J. II. Fairchild.

For nearly thirty-eight years improvements have continued to be made upon the grounds. The money received from the sale of lots has been expended in paying for the original ]nircliase, and improving and caring for the cemetery.

In 1887 a .substantial and ta.steful .stone receiving vault was constructed, at a cost of about $800, and later an iron fence was built along the front of the grounds at a cost of $425. In the.se and similar improvements and in Ihe care of the grounds, tlie average annual expendi-

All the Ijodies in the old cemetery have been removed to Westwood, either to private lots by friends, or to a part of the grounds set apart for this purpose.

It goes without saying that Oberlin is the center of a strong tide setting along these channels. Many of these activities have their source in the college itself, as had already been shown. The old standard orders of a secret and benevolent nature, such as IMasonry, Odd Fellowship and the Pythian organizations, have been rather overshadowed by such other bodies as have been mentioned. The Odd Fellows however, ha\e rather a flomi.siiing lodge (No. 678), founded in 1879. It has a membL-rship of about 125. Its fir.st noble grand was J. i\I. Waterman, and the present head of Ihc lodge is David Dragc The Daughters of Rebekah ai'e also organized.

The .Masons are represented by three bodies - 01)erlin Ijodge No. 380, Pansy Chapter 34 (0. E. S.) and Central Star Lodge No. 73 (an organization of colored members).

Council No. 1,054, Royal Arcanum, has a membership of nearly 120. It was organized in February, 1889. Its first regent wa.s A. G. Comings and the present head of the council is J. S. Williams.

The Kniglits of Pytliias have had a lodge since 1894, but removals from town and quite a number of deaths have reduced its membership to about twenty. The ^Maccabees have also an organization, and there are a Women's Chri.stiau Temperance Union and a Grange (Oberliu No. 1,003).

For many years Obei'lin ha.s been remarkably prolific in the' creation and maintenance of clul)s and societies founded and promoted by women.

The first of the latter was known as the Oberlin Sorosis, organized in October, 1897. In planning its line of work and arranging its constitution the New York Sorosis, mother of all such women's literary clubs, gave most valuable a.ssistance. ^Irs. \V, C. Bunce was the first president of the local club, which is limited in mem))ership to twenty-five. The Oberlin Women's Club was organized in 1901, and includes in its activities, as a somewliat unusual feature, the encouragement of all movements calculated to better the village in a public way, as well as a cooking school which has become incorporated into the public school system. The Associated Charities of Oberlin was organized more than twenty years ago, and in 1915 was mei'ged into the Oi)ei'lin Federation for Village Improvement and Social Betterment.

The Oberlin Federation for Village Improvement and Social Betterment was organized June 5, 1915, for the purpo.se of co-ordinating and centralizing the activities which look toward the improvement of general conditions in Oberlin. Four societies were merged in this "Federation" as follows: The Oberlin (Jhristian Union, the Village Improvement Society, the ]\Iutual Benefit Association, and the Associated Charities. The menil)('i'sliip is composed of contributors to the finances of the organization. The management is vested in a "Board of Directors" which, at the time of organization, consisted of a president, four vice presidents, a secretaiy and a treasurer, l^ach vice president acted as chairman of one of the four departments in the federation. The first of^cers elected wei-e: Presitlent, II. L. Lutz; vice president ^chairman of Village Iml)rovement Society), W. 1<\ Bohn ; vice ])i'esi(ient (chairman of departiiienl of ehai'itiesj, A. Z. Tillotson; viiu' pi'esidcnt (cliainuan of social wdrkj, Mrs. (i. F. Wright; vice ])resident (ciiairman of civic interests), d. X. Sioiie; secretary. Mrs. W. F. Thatcher; treasurer, Cecil P. Squire.

solidatcd into two: (a) villap:(! improveiiieiit ; ())) cliaritics and social work. TIm! (Icpartiiiciil of villaf^'c iiiipi'oviMiH'nt aims to bcaiiliry tlio viilaj,^', and improve! the pliysical and moral cnviroiniicnt of its rcHid<;ntH. 'I'lic dcj)artmciit of cliai-itics and social work, considers cases of need among the poor of the town, and conducts clubs for recreation and classes in cooking, sewing and ])asketry. This work is largely among the colored people, with the "Centennial Building" on South Main Street used as a social center.

The present otificers of the federation, elected at the annual meeting jMareh II), 1915, are: Presiilent, II. L. Lutz ; vice president and chairman of village improvement department, Mrs. C. B. Martin; vice president and chairman of department of charities and social work, C. A. Hammond; secretary, Mrs. AV. F. Thatcher; treasurer, C. P. Squire.

Tlie Grand Army of the Republic at Oberlin is represented by Henry Lincoln Post, No. 3G4, and has received its name in honor of one of the bravest and most popular members of Company C, Seventh Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was present in all the battles of his regiment up to December, 1862, wlien he was obliged to resign his commission as first lieutenant and return to his home in Oberlin, where he died July 1, 18G;5. Of the 100 members of Company C, thirty-one lost their lives in battle, seven by disease, and one l)y accident, so that Henry Lincoln Post may be said to have ])een established in special honor of the selfsacrifice nninifested by tliis splendid company of Oberlin soldier.s. Both students of the college and citizens of the village entered its ranks, and gave up their lives in the service of the Union army.

"A few months after the enlistment of Company C," says Professor Ellis, "Oberlin and vicinity sent a Company to the 41st 0. V. I., and among them a former student who l)ecame on the staff of the 4th Corps with tile rank of Major. A number of students and citizens also entered the 2d 0. V. C. in which they fought from the Mississippi to the Indian Tefi'itory and all the way back along tlie vvfiiole line of the Confederacy to Danville, Va., and back again to the further border of INIissouri. One of these (Theodore A. Teniiey) fell at the battle of Five Forks. Two of them rose from privates to cai)tains, and a tliird (A. li. Nettleton) came to tile I'cgiment a.s colonel, following Siu'ridan in his victories ill the Shenandoah - around Rieliniond and to the last grandest victory of all, I'eceiviiig the liighest coiuiiiendation from liis coiiniiandiiig general, as standing among Ihi; very ))est ollicctrs of his division, and was lirevetted IJi'igadier (Ji^nei'al.

"TIh; second year of the war another Company went from Oberlin, composed of citizens and students luider the command of a graduate (P. C. Hayes) who soon rose to the command of his regiment, serving willi distinction in tlie campaigns in Tennessee and Georgia and for the last year acting as Provost General of Schofield's army with his regiment for guai'd, l)revetted Brigadier General.

"In the second year of the war also, when Cincinnati was threatened, nearly all the college students aljle to bear arms, with many preparatory students and citizens marched on a few hours notice, provisioned and equipped with ai"ms and anununition, to the defense of the Queen City. These were the squirrel hunters of whose work an account has already been given.

"In the third year of the war when General Banks was driven down the Valley and AVasliington wa.s in danger another company was sent out commanded by students and largely comi)osed of them. They were pushed at once to tlie front, relieveil older regiments, had several skirmishes witii tlie enemy, and were at last included in the disgraceful surrender of Harpers Ferry, which enabled the enemy to escape at Antietam.

"In tlie fourth year of the war, when Ohio put her forty regiments into the field in less than two weelcs, and enabled General Grant to fight it out on the line to Richmond 01)erlin sent another Company which was joined with Cleveland to form the 150 Regiment of National Guards and was almost the only company of tlu; Guards in Virginia who had a taste of fighting in the attack of Early upon Washington. Six of this Company died in the service.

" Besides these comjianies, every call for troops was answered by many students who went liotii as privates and olYir-ers. Two commanded companies in the 105tli Regiment O. V. T., one a company in the 10th 0. V. C, one as IMajor in tiie 12tli 0. V. ('. In nearly every western regiment they were to lie found.

"The classes seemed often likely to l)e entirely broken up, and only the presence of the ladies who could not volunteer, and great care, could keep the spirit of tlie classes in working order."

Professor lOllis thus summarizes the part taken by Obei'lin in tlie war: "It is iiiipossii)l(! to state with exactness the number of i)ersons connected with the ai'Miy. who have at .some time beiwi students liere. Everj'one who luis been in the armies of the I'jast or West knows that it was hard to go amiss of aji Oberliii man. Of those wlio have been members of the pcrmaiieiit classes, we know with more certainty. Taking tlie catalogue of IHfil, the first year of tlie war, we find that of IGG gi.-nliemcn in tlie four College classes, KM), or GO j)er cent, liave been in tiie army as .sokliers. Wc iloiibt if aiiy college catalogue can show a b(!tlcr record than this. Of Alumni and the undergraduates in the College cla.sses, we count 197 who have served in the army. Among tlie.se, two ^lajor Generals, one Brig. General, ten Colonels, and officers of lower grades in larger proportion. Of those who have been connected with the Preparatory Department, our estimate can only approximate the exact figures. Supposing that tiiose of wliom we do not know positively luive gone in the same proportion as tho.se of whom we do know, we have not less than 550 from this department, giving a total of 850 of tlie representatives of Oberlin in the army. The great nnijority of these enlisted without a .selfish consideration. Even those who were far advanced in their course and many of whom had been leading men as teachers or preachers, entered the ranks side by side with the ignorant and uncultivated sons of toil. If the list of officers should be found disproportionately small, as I do not think it is, it would Ijc accounted for by this fact."

On the soldiers monument erected in memory of the 0!)ei'lin citizen.s killed in battle during the war, there are ninety-si.x names inscribed as falling on the battlefields of Cro.ss Lanes, Chattanooga, Winchester, Cedar ^Mountain, Antietam, Port Ilepul)lie, Ringgold, Petersburg, Fort Harrison, Five Forks, Cold Harbor, Olustee, Port Hudson, Fredericksburg, Stone River, Gettysburg, Fort Wagner, Chickanuiuga, and Pittsburgh Landing.

It is worthy of note, al.so, that the tir.st colored regiment (the Fifth United States Colored Troops) from Ohio to serve in the army was raised by Capt. G. W. Shurtleff Avho became its colonel. General Shurtleff told me that more of his men were killed in a half liour's time in the trenches after the blowing up of the mines in Petersburg, July 30, 1864, than were killed in the whole Spanish American war; while in the charge upon Xew ]\lai-ket, Virginia, September 29, 1864, nearly one half of the regiment was killed.

Chapter Xxiii

Incorporated in 1846 - Its Schools - Oberlin Business Coli,ege - Water AVorks and Fire Protection - Gas and Electricity - First Newsi'ai'Ers, College Publications - The Bibliotiieca Sacra - The Lorain County News - The Tribune - Current College Publications - Oberlin Board of Commerce - The Oberlin I^anking Company - The Swings I^ank Comi'any - The Peoples Banking Coah'any - The Chadwick Frauds In Oberlin - Carnegie to the IIescue - Village Items of the Early Days.

Oberlin as a corporation and a business eonnaunity is well organized and substantial, the l)a.sis of its material standing and i)rogress being the college. Jn oliier large centers of population, such as Lorain, such growth depends as largely upon some great industry. As Oberlin 's dependence lies chiefly upon a condensed population of a remarkable high grade of intelligence, its civic government and its business and financial institutions are conducted to meet the demands of sucli a class of residents.

Olierlin was incorporated as a village in 1846, but the community had made such progress by that time that it had a public schoolhouse and a liaiKi tire engine. AVith these two institutions on hand any village was allowed to be on the highway toward creditable development.

A i)rimary department was at lirst organized in connection with the college, but wa.s kept up onl}' one year. The first pul)lic school was taught in one room of a house belonging to Deacon T. ]'. Turner, by Aliss Anna ]\roore; al'tei'ward it was taught in a shop on the corner of ]\IaiM and East College streets.

Till! first schoolhouse was built in 1838, on the corner of Main and Lorain sli'eels, not fai' from wliei'e llie first cliurch now stands. It was a small frame building, containing but one room, and tbis furnished at lirst with only rough boards for seats. Afterward rough tables were placed around next to the wall, with chairs before tiiem. This was the only schoolliouse till 1851, and as the number of sciiolars doubled and trebled during that time, it was necessary to seek rooms wherever they could be found. Many good private schools were in operation during this period.

In 1851-52 a new brick building was erected on Professor fStreet, opposite the college square afterward owned by the college and known as "Cabinet Hall." It was two stories high and contained three school rooms and one recitation room. The building was, however, not yet ample enough to accommodate all the pupils, and afterward two wings were added, so that the whole building then contained seven school ]oom.s. On entering the new building the schools were for the first time graded.

In 1854 the schools were re-organized, and Joseph II. Barnum was elected superintendent. ]\Ir. Barninn was an active and eflicient teacher, and remained in the school three years, when he left to take charge of the Elyria schools.

Tlie last two terms of the year following ]\Ir. Barnum 's departure, Deacon W. W. Wright had the general superintendence of the schools, and after this, for two years, they were without a superintendent.

In 1860 the Union School was first organized under the law of 1849. Tiie school board appointed Samuel Sedgwick, a graduate of Oberlin College, superintendent, at a salary of $600, whicli, during the last two 3"ears of his term of service, was increased to $1,000. A high school was Organized, and all the lower schools were improved. The high .school increased to forty, and the whole numl)er enrolled in all tbe seiiools was as higli as 450.

In the fall of 1869, ]\Ir. Sedgwick resigned, and E. F. ]\Ioulton, a graduate of Oberlin College, was appointed his successor, at a salary of .$1,500, which was afterward rai.sed to $1,700. Several additions were niatlc! to the course of study in the high school; and tlie number of pupils attending the high sciiool, during JMr. term of service, was more tlian doubled. Since the inauguration of the new system in 1860, the. number enrolled in all the schools was also doid)led.

fn 187o, the cornerstone of a new edifice was laid, and it was coni- ])le1ed and (h;dicat('d in 1874. It is situated on Soiilii .Main Street, in a i-eiili-al location. Tliis has long been known as the ;\lain Street Tiuilding, and contains tlie hiicli scliool department. The otiicr two public stluiol buildings are tiie Prospect and tlic i'leasant.

Althougli not included in Oberlin 's public system of education, menlion must lie made of the Oberlin Business College, an institution which has i)rought givat credit to its originators and to the community at large. It ranks at the present time as one of the best schools of business training in the United States. Aliout tiie year 1859 Piatt R. Spencer, author of the noted Spencerian System came to Oberlin and taught his system of i)einnanship in what was known as the Peck Building, a three-story brick just south of where the present town hall stands. j\[r. Spencer remained in Oberlin until 18G1 when lie remov(.'d to his farm near CJeneva, Ashtabula County. In the short time that he taught in Oberlin he so impressed his system upon the people that it has ever since been taught here. At the time that ]\Ir. Spencer was in Oberlin two other gentlemen, ]Mr. Pierce and AVm. AVarren had classes in penmanship.

When Calkins & Griffin opened their business institute the Drake Brothers, who were twins of remarkable resem])lanee, conducted the penmanship department, W. A. Drake taking the Oberlin school and L. E. Drake the Hillsdale scliool. When the schools were divided both Drakes went to Hillsdale and for a short time C. 0. Bi'own assisted by W. F. Ijyon taught the pennuinship for I\Ir. Calkins.

in the autunni of 1868 L. AV. Anderson, C. G. Reynolds and W. F. Lyon opened a school which they called the Normal Institute of Penmanshii) which they conducted for about a j'car when Reynolds & Lyon sold out to Anderson. Mr. Cobb had for a time a penman by the name of S. R. Webster.

W. F. Lyon came liack to Oberlin in LS72 and opened a writing .school in an nppei- room in the building now occupied by Person's Dinig Store. The ladies from the college who were given a term in writing look llieir lessons of .Air. Lyon, lie also gave writing lessons to the stu-

(k'lits ill tlu^ Hlicrman Ti'lcf^'rapli Scliool. Among these telegraph students was lli'iah iAlelCee. Ai'ter a time lie Iteeame di.seou raged with lelcgraphy and said to Mr. l^ydn tliat lie was going liome a.s lie (;oiddii't learn lelcgraphy. Mr. Lyon interested him in tiie i)enman.shii) and ai'ter spending some time at home he returned and spent a year with i\Ir. Lyon, who had moved into a room fitted up hy the college in the soutii end of Tappan Hall for Mr. Lyon's use. Tn 1877 i\lr. Lyon had an atlaek of writer's cramp and heing obliged to give up his work he sold out to J\Ir. ]MeKee. Some time before 18G0 E. CI. Fol.som taught bookkeeping while taking his college course.

\n ]86;? or 1864 S. S. Calkins opened a business school and in 1865 C. P. Griffin entered into partnership with ^Ir. Calkins and the school was known as the Calkins and Griffin Business Institute.

Tiiey al.so oi)ened a school in Hillsdale, ^Michigan. Tn 1868 IMr. Griffin traded his interest in the Oberlin School for I\rr. Calkins' interest in thi' Hillsdale School. ^Ir. Calkins conducted the Oberlin School until about 1870, when he sold it to H. T. Tanner.

]\Ir. Ih'iali iMcKee, who was teaching writing, opened a business department about 1880. In 1884 ]\Ir. J. T. Henderson bought one-half interest in Mr. MeKee's school and those two gentlemen were associated until ^Ir. MeKee's health failed and he sold his interest in the school to Mr. Ileiider.son who has at the jiresent time the most prosperous and upto-date business school v.diich Oberlin has ever had.

As stated, the Oberlin Business College dates back to 1859 when Piatt P. Spencer, now famou.s the world over as the author of Spenceriaii Penmanship, began teaching here. There have been a long line of noted teachers of penmanship who have been connected with the school here and as a result Olierlin has done more to inspire an enthusiasm for good penmanship than any other one school in the countrj\ A large number of the most noted and successful teachers of penmanship of to-day received their training in the Oberlin Business (vollege.

There were two promineiil branches of the school for the first fifteen or twenty years, tiie penmanship department and the liusiness department. Dui'ing a part of this period the two departments were under Vol. i-:ia separate ownership and manaf,'einent. Those were permanently united in ]877 witli J\Ir. IJ. ]\IfKee as i)rincii)al. In 1883 a new clei)artnient was a(l(U'(l, that of sliorthand and tyi)evvritin{,'. In t)ie spritif,' oi" 1884, rrof. .J. T. Henderson (;ai>ie to Oberlin i'roiii Jierea, Ohio, where he liad been studying aiul teacliing in lialdwin University, as a stude!it of penmanship under the instruction of Mr. McKee and in September, 1884, began work as a teacher and has thus continued uninterruptedly for a period of nearly thirty -two years. Mr. IMcKee's health failed in 1892 whieli placed the entire responsibility of the school upon him. In 1894 the school was incorporated, since which time it has been managed by a board of directors and officers.

Because of the growth of the school the Beckwith Building was erected in 1896 which has been the home of the school the past twenty years. The erection of this building gave a school equipment not surpassed by any similar school in this part of the country. For eight or ten years past the attendance has been .so large that the entire school could not be accommodated in this liuilding and it became necessary to rent rooms outside to accommodate the overflow. This situation was relieved in 1914, when the new Ilobbs Building was erected, the second story of which- is now occupied by the business college. About 300 students are enrolled annually. The Oberlin Business College has been placed upon the accredited list of the Ohio colleges for training commercial teachers by the state department of public instruction. It has the honor of being the fir.st business college to be placed upon this list.

The school is now under the management of the following board of directors : J. T. Henderson, president ; J. D. Yocom, vice president ; G. L. Close, secretary ; C. A. Barnett, J. E. Campbell, Hon. A. R. AVebber, and Dr. Lyman B. Sperry.

Up to the year 1887 the only means of water supply for fire purposes were several large cisterns dug in various sections of the town, and the last of these remains of the old vats was filled in only two years ago, upon the occasion of the paving of Lorain Street. In September, 1887, the pumps for the present waterworks system were tested and pronounced good, from whieli time dates the founding of Oberlin 's ])i'esent sy.stetn. Tlie fin; dei)artment and the water works system progressed hand in hand, and at the present time they are all that is neces.sary for public protection and a pure water supply. For the construction of the water works the Town of Oberlin raised $55,000 and the college donated more than $5,000, the balance of the $120,000 wliich represents the total investment being raised mostly from water assessments. The sonree of the supply is tlie east bran(;li of the Vennillion River, tlie water being taken from a point about six miles soutliwcst of town and distributed to users by natural gravity.

Like all the waters in the middle west derived either from the surface or Wells, the supply is hard and not adapted to either domestic or lioiler u.se. In lf)05 the department installed a plant for softening the water, using as reagents lime and soda ash. This is one of the lirst municijial supplies in the world to be softened by thi.s process, although there are hundreds of industrial plants in this country and tliousands in Europe using it. During 1908 two very large municijjal plants introduced the process - one at McKeesport, Peiinsylvaiua, and tlie other at Toliniibus, Ohio. Tile Olierlin i)lant has been alile to reduce the total iiardiicss of the water to three or four grains per gallon, or the same as rain water stored in a l)rick cistern, and the supply can be used witli entire success in water-tube boilers. The tiltering plan is so arranged tliat the treated and settled water comes in at the lowest part and ri.ses up through the several concrete sections, filled with specially prepared e.xcelsior. and flows through open places near tiie toj) into a central well, from which it is puiiii)cd into the standpipe. Wiicn clogged with .sediment and lime, the excelsior is removed with forks, waslietl and returned.

Tile original water works of Oberlin, a.s completed in Decemlier, 1887, compri.sed a reservoir and power plant in the southwestern part of the town on ^Morgan Street - the site of the present plant of greatly extended proportions. The standpipe, near the pump house, was completed in 1895. Tliere has been a gradual extension of the water supply system with the increasing demand by users, until it now comprises twelve miles of mains. Tlie present supply is from 250,000 to 275,000 gallons daily.

With the completion of a modern .system of water works in 1S87 and tiie erection of tiie standinj)e in 1895, Oberlin 's protection against fire was made fully e(pial to any requirements. The apparatus of tlie department has also been continually improved and is adequate for tlie needs of a commiHiity of its size, esi)ecially as then; are virtually no industries, or manufactories. C. R. Graham is the present chief of the department. A second reservoir of eijual caiiacity witli Ihe first is now liciiig coiislnicled just west of it.

Tlie lirst fire eiigint! in Olieriin was a small hand engine whicli was procured about 1844. In 1852, two hand engines were bought in Rochester, New York, called the "Niagara" and "Cataract," (he latter costing

Ahout 18G0 a hook and lachler company was forniod. In 1862, at a tournament held in Cleveland, this company won a silver trumpet, valued at $100; and the next year, another at Sandusk}', of the same value; the latter l)eing afterward presented to ]M. T. Gaston, as a token of gratitu(h' for his services. This company won the prize in six tournaments.

The citizens of Oherlin have ))een having gas for some fifty years and electricity for perhaps half tliat period. Both the illuminating agents have heen furnished l)y the 01)erlin Gas and Electric Company since 1!)12. The enterprise is the property of the Light and Development Company of St. Louis, and is patronized l)y about 1,100 u.sers of gas and 400 of electricity. Paul M. Loewe is tlie local manager.

In the fall of 1858 Mr. W. Stephenson undertook to provide the town witli gas, and many of the citizens took stock in the enterprise. Afti'r laying some of the pipes, he failed ; and the next year Samuel I'lumli assumed Die undertaking, the citizens wlio had subscribed stock thi'owiiig it up to secure its success.

The press of Oherlin originated in the Evangelist, established by the college in 1838, as medium of counnunication between the young institution, willi its eager and determined spirit, and the reading public of llie great outside world. It was founded in November, of tliat year, live years after tiie college was opened, and was at first a ((uarto published every two weeks, edited by an association of college professors. In 184-1 Professor Henry Cowles became its editor, and continued in charge unlil its suspension in 18G2.

-lames M. Fitch, the college printer, issued the Peacemaker and the People's Press, of a general character, in the '40s, and from 1845 to 1849 pid)lished the Oherlin (Quarterly Review, devoted to the disiaission of tlieoliigical (juestions, and c()ndn(,'led editorially by President Mahan, Kev. William Cochi'an, Professor Finney, antl otiier able members of

History Of I.Orain County 501

In addition to Bibliotiieca Sacra, the theological (piartei-ly, the company pul)lishes the following books by Professor Wi'ight: "Scientific Conliriiialions of Old Testaiiu-nt History," "The Ice Age in North Amei'ica and Its Bearings Upon the Anti<|uity of ]\Iaii," "See Ohio J'Mrst; a, (iiiide to the Best Routes to the Most Interesting S(!cncs in tin? Buckeye State."

Books i)y Harold Al. Wiener, M. A., Uj. B. : "Essays in Pentateuchal ( 'I'ilicism," " Pentat('iichal Studies," "TIk; Origin of the Pentateuch."

The first newspaper of a general character that proved to be permanent was the Lorain County News, the first nund)er of which was i.ssued on the 7th of March, 18G0, hy V. A. Sliankland and J. F. Harmon, at tiiat time publisliers of the Oberlin Evangelist. It was a six column folio, price $1 per annum. During the first year of its existence the News was edited by A. B. Nettleton, who laid down the pen to assume the sword in defense of the Union. He was succeeded by J. li. T. I\Iarsh, then a college student. At the commencement of the war, in 18G1, ]\Ir. Harmon sold his interest in the publi.shing business to his partner, and cnlisk'd in the army where he served three years. IMr. Shankland continued to publish the paper alone until ]\Iarch 5, 18G2 (the close of the scccind year), when Prof. II. E. Peck purchased an interest therein, and the business was continued by V. A. Shankland & Co., with Prof. Peck and ]\lr. IMarsh as editors. In the suunner of I86',i l)Oth the editors willidrcw from the News, ]\Ir. ]\Iarsh enlisting in the army. In July, 1863, William Kincaid, then a senior in college, assumed tiie position of editor, and served in that capacity for one year. He was succeeded by L. L. Rice, who edited the paper until October, 1865. In 1864, Mr. Harmon returned from the army and again became joint owner of the l)ai)er, and in November of the same year he purchased ]\Ir. Shankland 's interest and became sole proprietor. In October, 1865, he .sold the entire establishnient to J. B. T. .Marsh, who conducted the paper as editor and proprietor until July 31, 1867, when he sold it to Elbert W. Clark, who employed Prof. C. II. Churchill as editor. Under this management the News was published for about two years, when ]\Ir. Clark sold the offtce to E. P. Brown, at that time publisher of the Bellevue Gazette, who conducted the paper as editor and publislier until February, 1870, when he sold it to Richard Butler, who on February 9, 1871, sold the establishment to Justus N. Brown, a graduate of the Oberlin Theological Seiniiiaiy. After conducting the paper about three months as sole proprietor, :\rr. Brown still occupies the post of editor. In ]\Iay, 1878, ]\Ir. Wildnuin sold liis interest to J. H. Lang, l)ut continued to retain the jxisition of foi-eman. Almut the first of December, 1873, Brown & Lang sold the oflice to (Jeorge B. Pratt and J. II. liattle, Uv. Pratt being one of tlic pi'oprietors of tlie Oberlin Times, formerly the New Era, and at that date the Times and News were consolidated, retaining the name of

Altli()Ht,'h till' News Hlaited its new career under aj)|)arently favoralile auspices, its lield for expansion was small and its changes in proprietorship continued to he rapid. In fact, during the first twenty years of its existence it had a new owner on an average of about once a year. It is at i)resent conducted by AV. II. Phillips.

The Trilnme, a weekly republican newspaper, was founded by J. L. Kinney, in November, 1894. It was then a four-page sheet printed on a 10 by 15 press, in the Comings Block. The paper was enlarged in 1895 and three years afterward the plant was burned. The weekly was soon reissued in an enlarged form, and in 1907 the l)usiness was incorporated under the name of the Tribune Printing & Publishing Company. The company named is controlled by C. IM. Kinney and J. L. Kinney, the hitter the founder of the paper.

Besides the Bibliotheca Sacra, already mentioned, the most important collegiate publications are the Oberlin Review, founded in 1874; the Oberlin Alumni IMagazine, a monthly established in 1904, and the Oberlin Monthly, the organ of the students, which has been published since 1908.

The Olierlin Board of Commerce has done much to improve civic and material conditions in Oberlin during the twenty-one years of its life. The first meeting of the citizens to form such an organization was held on February 8, 1895, and a week after a constitution and by-laws were adopted, with 0. F. Carter as president ; M. G. Diek, first vice president, A. Fauljer, second vice president, and 11. J. Clark, treasurer. F. L. Fuller was appointed secretary. The board has a present membership of one hundred, and its officers are: AV. II. Pliillii)s, president; I']. A. Stevens, first vice president; Dr. W. F. Thatcher, second vice president; J. L. Edwards, .secretary, and J. B. Vincent, treasurer.

The oidy financial institution of Oberlin which is not young - and that is only about twenty-seven years of age - is that conducted by tiie Obeilin Panking Company. It was opened to the public in INlay, 1889,

The Savings Bank Company was organized in January, 1904, largely through the efforts of Captain J. F. I{andolj)h. Its lirst president was (Jeorge C. Prince; vice president, William B. Bedortiia, and cashier, II. L. Basse. I\Ir. Prince was succeeded by ]\1. ]M. Squire as president; Captaiji Randolph became vice president in 1905, and Mr. Basse is yet serving as cashier. Tlie capital stock amounts to $32,500; surjjlus and undivided profits, over $33,000, and deposits al)Out $350,000; resources aggregate nearly $420,000.

The Peoples Banking Coui])any was organized in April, 1906, Avith tile following officers: J. T. Henderson, president; II. F. Smith, first vice president; C. "W. JMorrison, sceoiul vice president, and II. G. "Waite, cashier. There has been no cluuige in the foregoing offices, except in the cashier.sliip, which is now lield by I. L. Porter. The financial condition of the Peoples Banking Conii)any in the spring of 1915 is indicatetl hy tlie following items i)ul)lislied in one of its reports: Capital stock, $25,000; suri)lus and undivided ])rofits, $12,256; deposits, $246,000; total resources, $283,000.

The i'eiMarkabh> fi'auds perpetrated ))y the New York adventuress, ^Irs. Cassie L. Cluidwick, upon leading financiers and ca])italists througliout the counliy, found a victim in the Citizen's National Bank of Olierlin, tlirough its presitlent, C. T. Beckwith, and its cashier, A. B. Spear. That institution, an outgrowtli of the First National Bank of

The facts gradually leaked out that I\Ir. Beckwith had lent the Chadwick woman various sums covering a period of two years, amounting to about $100,000, and that after his personal funds had gone he and Cashier Si)ear had made her loans from the hank, for which they had received two notes for $500,000 and about $250,000 in approved securities signed by "some great millionaire." Three of the bank directors had tirst iieard of the loans in July, 1!)04, they having received the information from the late W. 13. Bedortlia upon hi.s death bed. When ]\lrs. Chadwick was sued by Banker Newton, of Boston, for $190,000, which she had fraudulently borrowed of him, there was a commotion in Ober- Hn, as the information had generally sj)read that the Citizens National was also involved. There was ((uite a run ujioii the bank on Saturday, November 201 h, and, as stated, its doors were closed on the following .Monday.

Tile directors of the bank at once sent for the .state bank examiner, L. ]j. .Millei-, of Canton, who assumed the receivershi]). lie was joined l)y a (Joverniiu'iil bank exaininer and their joint examination of the ))ooks revealed tiiat the presiileiit and cashier had made loans from the funds of the bank to the amount of aliout four times its capital stock. The arrest of these officials was followed by tiiat of .Mr.s. Chadwick, in New York City, as the notes purported to lie signed by Cai-negie had been pronounced forgeries by the steel king.

The adventuress was arrested on the night of December 7, 1904, at her apartments in the Hotel Breslin, New York City, for aiding and abetting President Beckwith and Cashier Spear in the misappropriation of bank funds of the Citizens National Bank. The bank officials had lieen ai'rested three days before. As the specific transactions upon which the indictments were brought were carried out in Cleveland, the grand jury sat in that city. Five indictments were found against i\lrs. Cliadwiek and four each against Messrs. Beckwith and Spear. Tn the rollowing h'ebriiary the United States (li-and Jury found other iiidictnieiits agaiii.st JMrs. Chadwick and ^Messrs. Beckwith and Spear for frauds in connection with the bank funds. Eventually, JMrs. Cliadwiek and Cashier Spear were punished, as they deserved, but I\rr. Beekwilh died on l<\'bi'iiary 5, 1!)05, wiiile the suits against liim were j)eiidr,()G HISTORY OK l;()I{AIN COUNTY iiifjf. Prior to tlu; hank c'Oiiii)Ii('atioi)s lie luul stood liij^fli in tlie coinmuiiity and uiucii synii)atliy was felt for iiim, especially as lir; sccmikmI ci'iislicd under liis (list<ra(;e; and, as his end proved, lie was not equal to tile trial of sustaining such a hurden.

i\Iany Oberlin College students had deposited their small savings and funds in the wrecked bank, but I\Ir. Carnegie, who was such an innocent party to the Chadwiek frauds as they affected the Citizens IJank, came to their rescue, and advanced them the moneys called for by their bank books. He also made good the threatened loss of the Young I\Ien's Christian Association, and the deposits which had been made by aged people, Civil war veterans and invalids. Not long afterward, he also made his provisional donation of .$125,000 to the College Library. By these means the community was relieved of much anxiety, actual suffering was averted and the bad effects of the bank failure were counteracted as much as possible.

In 1833 Brewster Pelton put up a log house, which served as a hotel, a few rods cast of the historic elm. In 183-4 he built in front of it a comfortable frame building, which was burned in 1866 and the Park House erected in its place.

The fii'st blacksmith shop in Oberlin was owned by Bela Hall and stood on the site of E. ^1. Leonard's present dwelling house. At that time the creek ran just south of his shop, tliough it has since changed its cour.se after crossing ]\lain Street.

In December, 1834, Anson Penfield started a blacksmith shop and edge-tool factory near the College Mill on South Main Street. His grindstone was placed in the basement of the mill, which furnished the power. In 1838 he was killed, while alone, using the grindstone, by being caught by the belt and carried around the wheel. His brotiier, Isaac Penfield, carried on his shop after his death, afterward a.ssociating with himself James McAVade. At the same time Hiram Pease had a wagon .siiop on tile corner now occupied by 1. Penfield and son. He afterwards soid to Penfield aiul Aveiy.

The first steam mill was built by Oberlin College, in the fall of 1833, south of Plum C'reek, on South i\lain street, near where the residence of James McWade now stands. It was at first only a sawmill. The engine was constructed in Cleveland, and was brought on in October, 1833, and tlie sawmill was soon in operation. The next year a small flouring mill was erected, to be driven by tlie same engine; also machines for cutting lath antl shingles.

Tliese machines furnished labor for several students, and the whole establisliment was owned by the college. This seemed at first necessary, but was found on the whole inexpedient, and it was afterward sold and became the property of individuals.

Several new houses were erected during this year, on ]Main Street and around the square. At a colonial meeting the question was raised what color the houses 'should be painted; and it was finally voted, some strongly protesting, that as red was the cheapest and most durable color, the houses ought to be painted this color. But with the exception of the Oberlin sliop, and two or three houses, one of them Mr. Shipherd's, this note was not carried out, and with these only for a few years.

The principal settlements in Oberlin were first made on the east side of ]\Iain Street, opposite the College Sciuare, and soutli on the same street. ]\lr. Shipherd's hou.se was north of the square, the back part of llie liouse now owned l)y IMr. llulburd; and he afterward built the iiouse now occupied by iMr. Jewell. Mr. Pringle Hamilton's house, a mile south of tile village, was built in 1834, and was then far in the woods. East College and East Lorain streets began to be settled next in order. There were l)uildings there in 1834. In 1835, tliere were two houses built on Professor Street, Professor Finney's and President Malum 's, and that street was not opened north of Lorain and south of College Street. The house of Chauiieey T. Canier, the colleg'j farmer, the one now owned by President Fairchild, was built in 1838 or '39, but was tlien in the lot. North Professor was not opened till sometime later, and West College was simply a pocket, haviug no outlet. The west street was laid out, giving a passage across to Lorain, and it was called West Street because it was supposed it was the last street that would l)e needed toward the west.

Pleasant street, between Lorain and College, was opened very early, but its extension north and south has been (piite recent. West Lorain was opened at the beginning, but was not built up much till one got west out of town, and made its connections with Henrietta, Prownhelm, etc. Tluis, all lliere was of the town for a great uuuiy years, was found on four streets. The town did not extend inueli south of llie creek, the tendency to build iu that direction coming with the advent of the railroad.

Ciiambci'liuii. Mr. CliaiiilK'rliUii sold the mill to ITeiiry AVileox, who ran it for some time. Jt was owned hy Beebe & ITortoii when it was burned ill 1H4(; or '47. Tn 1H41. a sawmill was built on IIk; cast side oL' Water Street by KUis, Wilder & Keed. It was run a short time before it was given up. L. :\r. Hall built a flouring mill a short distance north of it, using the old boiler to furnish steam for the engine, liefore there was any mill, IMr. Hall ran a team to bring flour from Ashland. About the year 1846, Lewis Iloltslander built a grist mill on the west side of Water Street, and south of Hall's mill, P. P. Stewart putting in the engine. This wa.s only run a year or two, and is now owned l)y Ilervey Leonard.

In 1SG2-3 "Sh: Jenkins built a sawmill on the south side of ]\Iill Street, which Samuel Plum)) bougiit in ItiG'.i, and sold in the fall of the same year to JJeuIien Hayues and H. O. Swift. After the death of .Air. Ilaynes, Reuljen Stone bought his interest.

The building on South IMaiii Street afterward occupied by L. S. Colbiirn as a ])laniiig mill, was liuilt in hS;i8 by tlirce students, James A. Preston and William 11. Kvarls, wiio became mi.ssionaries to Jamaica, and Ccplias Foster, who settled in (ialeiia. President J. 11. Fairchild, then a senior in college;, took the job of making the window frames I'or lil'ly cents aj)i(;(;e, and made tlujiii, twenty in number, in five days. The building was erected to aid students depending on manual labor i'or supj)ort. Setli P. Ellis, who owned the siioj) alone, or with others, for tvventy-tiv(; years, i)urchascd the lirst ])lancr and matching machine for it, and the tirst shingle machine. About tlie year 1848, a carding and cloth-dressing machine was put in, and for many year.s there was (piite an extensive business in this line.

In 1834, before there was any postoffice in town, Ilarvey Gibbs used to carry the mail between Oberlin and South Andierst, in a leather bag which would hold about half a i)eck. He was the lirst ])ostmaster, the posloflice being in the fir.st building north of the site of the town hall. In 1841 T. Dwight Eells was appointed postmaster. .Mr. Kells was succeeded by Mv. i\lunson, who kept the oftiee until 1849, and tilled it again from 1853 until 1861, when (1. F. II. Stevens was ai)pointed. J. F. Harmon was appointed in 1805, and was succeeded by postmaster AVill. Allen, in 1874. John Steele is the present incumbent.

Pi'ofessor Dascomb pi'acticed somewhat as a physician for a short lime. In 1835 or 1836, Dr. Alexander Steele was invited and came to Oberlin, and had all the practice. Dr. Otis Boi.se was afterward associated wilh Doctor Steele for a few years. Tn 184G, Dr. Homer Johnson came from Bii-miiigliam, whei'e he had been i)racticiiig medicine for aboiil ten years, 1o Oberlin, where lie was associated wilh Doctor Siccle,

Tlic colni'cd people, who now roiiii iiiiont one-sixth of tlu; whole popiihition ^)\' the plaee, did not coini; in iniadi at an eai'ly day. Some ot" llie liist I'aiiiilies were tliose ol' Mr. Farris, I\Irs. ('rahiie, and Mr. Smith. Saliram ( 'o.\ eaino from the AVest, in 1839, as a student, and finally married and settled down, and lias ever since been one of the most substantial colored citizens. Campton, Copcland and the Pattersons came from North Cai'olina. Anson Jones also came from North Carolina, and was one of the cliaracters of Oborlin. When a slave, he hired his time, and by working at his trade as a blacksmith, bought himself and family at a cost of .+8,000, and then came to Oberlin and put his four sons through college. lie worked away at his anvil till he was over eighty years old. He took a good deal of interest in politics, and took the National Tntelligencer and the Charleston IMercury.

An act to incorporate the Town of Oberlin was pas.sed by the Ceneral A.sseml)ly of the State of Ohio, February 17, 1846. The first mayor elected was Lewis Ilolstander. By an ordinance passed by the town council, in 1853, the name of the town, the limits of which were defined, was to bo the "Incorporated Village of Oberlin." Fn 1861, the limits of the coi'])oration were enlarged, and again in 1870 and 187L

The luiniing of the railroad through Oberlin was an important event in the history of the town. The trains began to run in the fall of 1852, and the road was then called "The Toledo, Norwalk and Cleveland Railroad," and ran through Grafton instead of Klyria. Before this, students had gone on the railroad to AVellington, and had come from there by stage;. Before; the road was built, students from the Ea.st commonly waited for the lake to open in the spring. This coming of the railroad to Oberlin gave both the town and the school a new start. It was soon after the inaugnration of the scholarship endowment, Ijy which the school had been so largely increased, and furni.shed augmented facilities to the crowds of students in reaching it.

At the spring election of 1868, a large majority of the qualified electoi's of Russia Township voted for the liuilding of a town hall, and soon after the State Legislature ])as.sed a special act con.stituting the township trustees and the town council a joint board to build such town hall. Acting in accordance with this, tlu; board made an as.se.ssment, and afterward issued bonds, and conli-aclcd for the (M)iisti'uctioii oC the proposed building, which was com[)leted in 1870, at a cost of $18,000 or $20,000.

Chapter Xxiv Village Op Wellington

ITow Wellington Was Named - Uneventful Twenty Years - The Academy^Pkogress of the Public Schools - Incorporation op Wellington Village - Public Imprcjvements - Wellington Waterworks - The IIerrick Library - Wellington Churches - The First Congregational Church - The ]\Iethoi)ist Episcopal Church - The Wellington (!hurch of Christ - The J^aptist Church - The Catholic Mission - The Wellington Enterprise - The First Wellington Bank - Big Robbery - Old-Tijie J3airy Interests - Home

Wellington had a history of about thirty-seven years before it was incorporated as a village in 1855. The first settlers in the township coiiimeneed to arrive in 1818, and for a number of years located near its center, where (|uite a settlement had been formed even before the railroad came in 1845.

The township was organized in 1821 and its name naturally was adopted l)y the Center. How the name Wellington was selected by tiie few householders who were then on the ground is thus told: "In selecting a name for the township, the honor was put up and struck otf to the highest bidder ; the bid being an offer to chop out roadway, the highest offer to chop (linear measurement) to win. Charles Sweet bid eighty rods, and tJie naming of the townsliip was accorded to him. He named it Charlemont, which was not acceptable to the rest. They offered to do Sweet's job for him, he surrendering his right to name. He consented, and Wellington was the name agreed upon to the satisfaction of all concerned - some favoring that name through admiration of the Iron Duke, others through a desire to honor their compatriot, William T. Welling, one of the first five who came. So that all were gratified."

In 1820 tlierc were twenty-one householders in School District No. 1, the Center District, most of whom lived at or near tlie present site of tive schools had been in operation for some time before the railroad came. In 1849, the year tliat it entered the township, the first school of high grade in Wellington was opened by I\Iiss ]\Iary Ann Adams. The building was erected by Gideon Adams, her father. The school was designed for an academy, and ]\Iiss Adams was well qualified to conduct such an enterprise as she had been for some time at the head of the female department of Oberlin College. The academy .secured a liberal patronage, and continued for a number of years after the village was incori)orated and the public schools were organized and graded.

W. S. Ever.sole was the fir.st superintendent of the Wellington System; was succeeded in Septemher, 1870, by W. R. Wean, who served until 1879; ^Mr. Wean was followed by R. II. Kinnison, who retired in ]!)14, his successor being A. E. Robinson, the present incumbent. A new coui'se of study has been adopted which includes domestic science and maiuial training. The equipment for these new courses is coiuplete and up-to-date. Playground apparatus is also being built for the school grounds and the games of the children are being supervised along modern lines. Shower baths and other improvements are also under way wiiicli will make the Wellington school a credit to the village.

The corporate limits em])race about 1,200 acres of land, being original lots Nos. 21, 22, 27 and 28. The organization of the nninicipality was effected August G, 1855. The first corporate election was held tlie ;{d of Decembei-, 1855. Joliii M. Swift was chosen mayor. The first regular election was held the following April, 1856, resulting in the election of Edward S. Trii)p, who served two years.

The population of the village at the censas of 1860, was 1,029; in 1870, it was $1,281; and at this writing (January, 1916), the population is estimated to be about $2,500.

Among the village improvements which have brought much credit to the citizens of Wellington, within the past thirty years, are the building of a large and handsome town hall in 1885, the founding of the Wellington Public Library and the establishment of the waterworks. The lown hall was erected in 1885 and has a large amusement hall and auditorium. Wellington is quite a Chautauqua center and numerous interesting gatherings have been held in the town hall by mendiers of the circle.

coiisidenid whieli for sanitary and other reasons were rejected. The principal discussion centered on a pond near the west line of the corporation which had heen constructed to supply ice for domestic purposes and near which a two-story brick building had been erected for an electric light plant and for manufacturing purposes and which by installing tlic necessary machinery could be also made to serve as a pumping station. The water supply however came from such source as to make it uiisiiitiililc for any thing further than extinguishing fires and for mechanical uses and for this reason the proposition met with a very vigorous o])position from those who saw in it only a temporary expedient which in a little time must be abandoned both for insufficiency of supply and because it was so .situated that it would be inconvenient if not impossible to install a filtering plant necessary to render it suitable for domestic uses.

For pm'poscs of history it may be mentioned that there was another site proposed for a reservoir on the headwaters of the Wellington Creek, about 61/; miles south where there was opportunity to secure the drainage from about 500 acres of land which was entirely free from all sources of contamination and from which there was a fall of 170 feet to the center of the village. It was claimed that this site would furnish a gravity system witli sufficient pressure from a 12-inch main to tiirow water ovei' our highest buildings and needing nothing in the way of a |iuiuping station; oiily possibly a stand pipe and the usual distribution tiirouiih our streets and very much reducing the expense of oversight ami up-keep over that of the local reservoir which when secured wouhl furnisli a very unsanitary quality of water, not at all what was needed.

On these two propositions the citizens were divided into two hostile factions and were for many weeks surveying, examining reports of engineeis, corresponding witli towns in which the gravity system was in u.se, hearing objections to the sanie and arguments in favor of a local plant, and tinally tlie people were so confused tliat when the question was submitted to a vote it resulted in favor of the home plant, and Wellington lost its opportunity of obtaining a system of waterworks at a slightly iiicrea.sed cost, but giving a sanitary water supply and at almost a nominal cxi)eii.se for management.

Our i)resent system with additions and improvements has cost about $50,000.00, and was completed in 1898. Three additional reservoirs have been constructed and at this date (1915) the town has outgrown them all and iias found it necessary to bond the town for $35,000 to secure funds with which to buy a site, construct a reservoir, filtering plant and pninping station, which is at this wi'iting (December, 1915) nearly compleled and will probably l)e ready for service early in the spring of 1916.

This promises to he all tliat could be desired both in eiipacity and quality, 'i'lie reservoir is esliiiialed to have a ea|)acity ol' from r)(),(K)(),()0() to 7r),()()(),()()0 yalloiiK and wli(;ii filled is ludievcd to b(; suflieient to supply the town for tiiree yeai's even if there should be no rains in that time.

E. F. Webster, president of the Ilerrick Public Library, kindly furnishes the following: "Wellington's first library was a joint stock affair, and was established between 1840 and 1850; exaet date unknown. The number of volumes wa.s comparatively siiudl - only a few hundred

"Wellington was, after the time named, without a library of any sort, until 1873, when the need of a library was so keenly felt, that twelve of our prominent citizeps resolved to establish one. By agreement a campaign of one day was organized. The campaign for subscribei-s for stoek began at 7:00 A. i\l. and ended at 6:00 P. ]\I. The campaign was conducted by six teams of two members each and it was agreed tliat the team that turned in the fewest luimber of subscribers was to meet the expense of a banquet for the twelve. The campaign was a success. It was a stormy day and there were twelve tired men at night, but a library was assured. The l)an(|uet celebrating the day's woi'k was a .joyful occasion.

''A constitution and by-laws were adopted, proper eoininittees apl)oint('(i, rooms sceiired, al)0\it 1,200 boolis jtui'cliased and the; library was in i'nll swin}^. No one but stockbolders were perniiltcd to draw books witiiout paying for the privilege, in 188G, by unanimous consent of the stockholders, an act of Legislature was secured authorizing the trustees of tlic township to receive from the stockholders, the library, and from that time it was a free townsliip library. However, funds available were entirely insufficient to properly maintain the library, and the rooms too small to proi)erly accommodate it. Comparatively few books could be purchased for want of funds, and the pul)lic interest waned.

"In 1902 Hon. Myi'on T. Ilerrick, a former townsman, purcliased the hotel property on the public .square and caused to be erected on the hotel site our present beautiful and spacious library building, that will accommodate from 10,000 to 12,000 volumes. In January, 1U04, Governorelect Ilerrick, with a party of friends from Cleveland, came to Wellington on a bitter cold day and through a furious storm, and in a jiublic meeting held in our Opera House, formally delivered to our townsliip trustees a deed of the new libi-ary building, known as the "Ili'ri'iek Libi'ary. '

"What liooks we had were transferi'cd to the elegant and spacious building so generously given us by (Jovei'iior Ilerrick. Our books only JiUed a small portion of the shelves and the necessity for funds to suitably match the building was keenly felt. It was found that funds authorized by law for a 'township library' were entirely inade(iuate to meet our pressing wants. Through the efforts of our re])re.sentative, Hon. J. T. Haskell, the law was so amended as to afford ample funds.

"The efforts of our book committee have been to secure a selection of l)ooks worthy of their beautiful home and that should meet the denuuids of a critical reading public. The general opinion is that they have succeeded. Our classification now inatciics, fairly well that of the American Library Association ^lodel Catalogue for 8,000 volumes.

"The number of books (including an order now in) is slighlly over 10,000 volumes. Since we have had our new building, with the largely increased number of books in the library, the interest of our people in the library has steadily increased. The circulation is now about 25,000 volumes annually.

"It may be of interest to note, that our library building .stands on the site ol' the hotel in wliicb were enacled tin; stirring scenes connected with tile celebrated Oberlin-Wellington Rescue Case. It will l)e reineinliered tiiat a number of the prominent citizens of Oberlin and Wellington were arrested on account of jiarticipation in that case, and as they rel'iisid l)ail, they were; sent to the (lieveland jail. Their ti-ial attracted tlie attention of the entire country. The writer of tliis sketch, was a soldier in the Union Army ihiriiig the Civil War and in Arkansas, near the Texas line, he found men who could neither read nor write, who were quite familiar with the celebrated case, it was one of the events that caused the southern slave holders to 'see the handwriting on the wall.'

,"The officers of tlie library in the fall of 1915 were as follows: E. F. "Webster, AV. B. Vischer and E. A. Van Cleef, trustees, Mr. Webster being the president of the hoard, i\Ir. Vischer, secretary and Mr. Van Cleef in charge of building; Eugene E. Cushing is treasurer, and Miss PJdith Robinson, librarian."

The church historj^ of Wellington lacks only a few years of covering a century, the Congregationalists and the iMethodists, the pioneers of the local field, still flourishing. The Di.sciples was next in order and the Baptists and Catholics of comparatively recent organization.

^On tlie 20th day of April, A. D. 1824, the Rev. Lot B. Sullivan and Rev. Alfred Betts, being connni.ssioned by presbytery, organized a church, which they styled the Church of Wellington. The names of the in{'ml)ers were Joseph Kingsbury and wife; Iluldah Adams; David W\'i)- ster and Harmon Kingsbury, from Otis, IMa.ssachusetts ; Nancy Ilamlin, Sarah Wilcox and Saraii Battle, from Tyringham, IMassachusetts: and Lydia Sullivan, from Lyme, Ohio. Letters of dismissal and recommendation weri' granted to ]\lrs. Sullivan Deeember 20, to Joseph Ilunnon and ^Martha Kingsbury June 13, 1825, leaving the church composed of seven niemliers - two men and five women. In October, 1825, there was an accession of four members, one of whom, Mrs. Orpha Webster, still survives - April 1, 1879. The first place of meeting was a log schoolhouse at tlie center, where tiie liriek block on the northeast corner- now stands.

On the 29th of November, A. D. 1828, Rev. Joel Taleott was setlied as pastor over the church. He was the fir.st settled as pastor and vciiiaincd as such until September 4, 1837. It was during his 'ministry tliat llie above exhiliit of gi'owth mainly ()c(!urred. During the nine ycai's of Ills pastorale tlici'e wei'e 152 accessions to tlie chureli, in wliich connection it should be l)Oi'ne in mind that tiie numbei" of iiihabilants in the township was but small from whom to reci'uit its ranks. On the 5th of October, 1838, the church and society extended a call to Rev. H.

W. Fairfield to become its pastor, the pulpit having been filled, during the interval since ]Mr. Talcott resigned, by temporary supplies from Olu'ilin, mainly l)y Prof. Henry Cowlcs. On the 1st of April, 1839, Mr. Fairfield rcjquested the church to release him from liis engagement, which was not acceded to, but Mr. Fairfield's name, as minister, does not appear but a few times thereafter. In 1841 Horace A. Taylor, of unenviable .subsequent notoriety, preached, residing in Oberlin.

Rev. D. W. Latlirop came in April, 18'13, and was settled in September of that year. During hi.s ministry, certain radical differences among the membership, upon doctrines and church polity which had been for a number of years growing to a head, culminated in what seemed a hopeless estrangement and division.

The inception of the difficulty was probably first in the difference of views respecting Presbyterianism and Congregationalism. The church was organized by agreeing to adopt the Congregational mode of discipline, but yet was connected with the Presbytery, in accordance with the very general usage among the churches of that day in the new communities.

On the 14th of, December, 1842, Philo Heri'ick offered the following preamble and resolution in church meeting: "Wliereas, we are a Congregational church and believe in true Congregational principles; resolved, therefore that we take the first opportunity to ask leave of presbytery to withdraw and unite with Lorain association, and that we appoint delegates for that purpose, and that a connnittee bo chosen to rcoonnnend the best course to be pursued in the premi.ses. "

This resolution was adopted, and on the 2d day of January following, a most vigorous protest was spread upon the church records, signed by eighteen members, all leading and influential men in the church.

On the 27th of J\Iarch, 1843, thirty-nine members withdrew in a body, and organized a new church, called the Independent Church. This body took advanced ground on the subject of slavery, and were followed by other.s from the First Church, until some fifty-seven members had withdrawn. They built a meeting house of their own, settled and sustained pastors, and kept up a stated preaching, and all the institutions of the chiirch.

In that year, through the efforts of Rev. II. F. Peck and others, a union of the two churches was effected. Rev. Mr. Bartlett was chosen the first pastor of the re-united church. He was followed l)y Rev. Fayette Shipherd. On the l.st of April, A. D. 1865, Rev. L. B. Stone was

Tin: (ii'st incctiii;^ lioiisc was erected in the year 18I59. A series of revival nieetings was heinjj liehl the winter following. A Mr. JngersoU (father of Robert Ingersoll), from Ashtabula, was preaching, when the house was discovered to be on fire. As the congregation began to raise the alarm of fire, the preacher cried out, "Never mind the fire tliat water will (]ueneli, the fires of hell are what you need to fear," which admonition had but little effect upon the moving congregation that seemed intent upon escaping the fire the most imminent. The house was burned to tile ground, and the loss seemed irreparable. The cost of the house was aI)out $3,000.

Tlie next season tlie churcli and society entered upon the work of rebuilding, and put up and finished a new one, upon the same site, and upon the same plan as that destroyed, at about the same cost.

Jn -May, 1877, the Rev. Jame.s A. Daly came to this church and was engaged as its pastor in August of that year. Under his ministrations a new impetus was given to tlie ehureli and society. Tlie old wood structure of almost forty years' standing was seen to be insulficient for its eoiigrcgatiun. The work of building a new one on a new .site was entered upon. The first lilow was struck in j\Iarch, A. U. 1878. The edifice was completed, and the chui'ch dedicated April 3, 1879. Rev. Thomas K. Beecher, of Palmira, New York, delivered the dedication sermon. The cost of the structure, exclusive of the site, was nearly $25,000, the whole of which was provided for before dedication.

Almost from tlie bcginnin!,' of tlie settlement of Wellington the itinerant Metliodist circuit rider made his periodical visits. The first settlers came in 1818 and the first society was organized in 1826, probably by the Rev. John JIazzard, the members being John Clififord and wife who lived in the red house on the hill east of Wellington Creek ; Daniel Clifford and wife m'Iio lived west and south of tlie village ; a daughter of John Clifford who later became ]\Irs. Knox; Theodosia Clifford; Lyman Ilowk; Josiah Bradley and wife, who lived on the hill west by the Charlemont Creek; A.sa Hamilton and wife who lived north of the village and Cliarles Sweet.

The earliest services were held in the residence of John Clifford mentioned above and later in the log schoolhouse situated on tiie northeast corner of the square where the new building is now (1915) ])eing erected by E. E. Watters.

In 1826-27 Rev. Ansell Brainerd and H. 0. Sheldon were the first regular preachers and the society began building a meeting house, at that time the only one on the Western Reserve, but as it was four years in building owing to some controversy a))Out tlie location, Elyria completed her church first.

The movement to build began in 1826 and it was not finally completed until 1830. Seeing it was built of logs, 30x12 feet and 8 feet high it may be concluded that they were doing things in a very leisui'ely manner in those times, .since it was not unusual in those days for a half dozen men to do the big end of erecting a log house of nearly equal dimensions iu about as many days. It had a floor of puncheon and roof of clapboards.

Rev. E. C. Gavitt who wrote an account of this building says: "It had four windows, two on each side and covc^red with oiled paper and was fini.shed with less than one pound of nails which I bought in Cleveland and weie principally used iu finishing the door and pulpit. The princii)al expenditure in the erection of this house was the time spent in the controversy about the place where the church should be located."

It was built on the creek west of the village on land not owned by tlie cliurch and one of the pioneers told the writer an interesting story of how a man stole a meeting house, ft .seems that the party who owned llie land needing a house moved in and made a dwelling of it.

This building had served the society until about the year 1835 when the old briek church was completed on the lot where the present church stands. The trustees of the original church were: Stanton Slioles; IMor-

1827-1828 Adam Poe and John Ilazzard served this charge. In 1828 Rev. Russell Bigelow was appointed presiding elder. It is said "He was then at the height of his power and fame ; just thirty-five years of age." Bishop Thom.son said of him, "As a preacher I have yet to hear his equal." A prominent chief justice once remarked concerning him, "It is one of the greatest regrets of my life that I did not know him better; had I never known him I should have loved him for the effects of his apostolic labors and his holy example. We were a wild people when he was among us, and we never appreciated him." His district extended from the Cuyahoga River west to the state line, and south to Delaware. This ruined his health and he died soon after. In 1828-1829 Shadrach Ruach and Leonard B. Gurley, the latter for his first year, were on the circuit.

1832-1833. This year William B. Christie was placed in charge of the district. "At this time he was 29 yeai'S of age; and was the one i\Iethodist preacher who has ever ranked with Bigelow as a matchless popular preacher." He too, wore out his life in the toils of his great district. He was never well afterward and died eight years after his release from this frontier field. Rev. William Runnells was returned and John Kinnear began his itinerancy as junior colleague.

1833-1834. Rev. A. Billings and James Brewster were the pastors for this year. The quarterly meeting for this year was held in Wellington, in April, 1834. The original Wellington Hotel was at that time being built and the whole second floor was yet in one room ; to this the people climbed by a plank and here they held their meeting. Christie stood upon the workbench to preach a great sermon, remembered for life by all who heard it.

1834-1835. This year John H. Powers was appointed presiding elder, a man noted for great ability in argument and held a several days' discussion with a Revcirend Doolittle of the Mniversalist Church wliich was published in book form. It made very interesting reading. John IMorey and James Kellam were the regular preachers. The society still met in the old log house west of the village.

1835-1836. John II. Morey and John IT. Ferris traveled the work this ycai;, liavinj? Ivvenly-fonr apijointincnts wliieh t'a(!h Hcrvcd om-.a c.iuih nionlli. From a letter written l)y J. II. Kellain, January 30, 1879, we learn that tlie old log church was still standing in 1835. The old brick church was begun under the pastorate of Reverend Morey and the letter says they were worshipping in an unfinished church, with slab Seats. Tiiis church stood thirty-two years.

1839-1840. John .Mitchell and Philip Warehani. Mitchell was noted for being not only a good preacher but a very witty Irishman and a good story teller.

1840-1841. Previous to this time this territory was included in what was known as the Ohio Conference and was composed of the states of Ohio, Indiana, I\Iichigan, and pai't of Pennsylvania. This year the North Ohio Conference was organized embracing the territory afterward divided to make the North Ohio and the Central Ohio Conferences. John i\Iitchell was returned with IMyron T. "Ward, a.ssistant.

1845-1846'. Wesley Brock and William Goodfellow. Goodfellow soon went to South America as a missionary and his place was filled by Henry Chapman. Brock was an able preacher and Goodfellow a fine scholar and educator.

1852-1853. Hiram Humphrey and Lafayette F. Ward, pastors. The former was educated for the law and was one of the closest and most logical reasoners and for years was the one in annual conferences to whom <iuestions of law were submitted. Tiie whole orthodox theo-

1856-1857. Charles Hartley and Frank Rohin.son. The former was a man of culture and scholarsliip, of a poetic temperament and wrote some very creditahle verse.

1857-1859. Abraham K. Owen and Charles Thomas for two years. In the fall of 1858 Thomas BarkduU was made presiding elder and served four years. Considered one of our most able preachers.

1864-1866. Uri Richards and S. D. Seymour, for two years. The last a very plain man in appearance but a very entertaining preacher. Without apologies, preliminaries or inti-odiu-tions lie put liimself into his sermon from the very lirst sentence and from that time on the audience was never allowed to lose interest.

1866-1867. Dr. Alfred Wheeler was appointed to the district and Wellington made a station with George W. Pepper, pastor. He was a very nmgnetic speaker, an orator of the first ela.s.s and during the winter had a remarkable revival resulting in over sixty accessions to the church. He was ai)pointed chaplain in the army leaving in the spring, and his year was tinishetl by Prof. P. S. Hoyt of Delaware.

Tlie (lid brick church had become in need of repairs, was too small for the congregation and after consideration it was decided to build. Mi.ss Armenia Herrick was tiie lirst and moving spirit and ottered to give $500.00 toward a new l)uilding. A meeting was called to consider the matter and at that meeting a subscription was made of $9,000 wliieh during tlie week was increased to $13,000. Plans were made by J. L. Hilliker and tlie work begun in the spring of 1867. The building committee was Dr. .1. W. llougliton, John H. Woolley, William (iiinn, 10. W. lidiiglildu aiKJ William ilowk, iOs(j. 'IMie work was not contracted, but condnctrd by tin- liniidiuK (-(»iiimittce ; and tlic coUcction of snliscri|)tioiis, the ovii'.sight of till' woi'k with all the details of the management, fell aliiidst wliully iipnii llir rhiiiniiiin of the comiiiit Ice. Tiie cost exceeded

The aiidii'iHM; rooiri was completed and dedicated in -Inly, IHGH, hy Hislioj) lvin[,rsley. The debt was all provided for at the dedication but loiific time was {i;iven, some subscribers failed to pay and the cost, debt and interest finally reached the sum of $23,000.00

1867-1868. Rev. E. H. Bush was pastor for one year while this work was going on and reported to conference 165 inem})ers; 29 probationers, a church property worth .$20,000.00, and flourishing Sahbath School of 29 teachers and officers and 19;^ scholars.

18GS-1S71. Rev. Alexander Nelson came to the district for four years and F. M. Searles to the station for three years. The Ladies j\Iissionary and Aid Society of the church was organized; ]\lrs. E. 0. Poote being tiie first president.

187;{-1874. Dr. J. W. Mendenhall who on account of failing health remained but one year. In his pastorate a new pipe organ was purchased at a cost of $1,100.00, which did good service and was in fair condition when sold in 1907.

1876-1878. Doctor Mather was appointed to the district for four years. Andrew J. Pollock succeeded to the station for two years and during his pastorate the church debt which had been hanging over the socii'ty since 1868 was paid, the Ladies Aid Society having contributed largely toward interest and principle. The Aid Society now turned attention toward tiie purchase of a parsonage and paid nearly $1,000 before Reverend Pollock's administration expired.

1878-1881. Newell S. Albrigiit served the church for three j'ears; having an extensive revival which l)rought nuuiy young people into the cinirch. The Sabbath School having outgrown the capacity of the ])asement a liberal offer for furnishing funds for l)uilding an arldition in the rear by \V. R. Santley was accepted. A subscription of $10,000 in notes was secured which finally paid out in full, the efforts of the pastor contributing largely to the result. Jacob Snyder, the arcliite(!t of Aki'on made thi' plans and Nichols and Hall took the contraitt. The original designs were so modified that the cost reached $18,000 nearly, and the entire ciisl was supposed to be provided before dedication. The church

1881-1883. Rev. W. G. Ward served the station for two years. He saw tile work of remodelling, just described, cai-ried to completion. During his administration the membership reached the highest point in its bi.story, 336.

1883-1884. Dr. ]M. F. Warner served as pastor, a thorough scholar and a fine teacher. At the opening of this pastorate the society made a change in its parsonage property, selling the place on South IMain Street and purchasing a house and lot in the rear of the church on Courtland Avenue.

1884-1886. Dr. F. S. Iloyt succeeded to the district and Newell S. Albright to the pastorate. Owing to the serious ill health of the pastor the pulpit was supplied for a time and then Dr. N. S. Sage M'as appointed to till out the last year.

1892-1896. Rev. E. T. Ilagerman was made pastor. The remainder of the church debt was paid. In ]\Iay, 1895, a jubilee social wa.s held in the church and after remarks of a historic character by .several of the brethren the notes were burned in the presence of the congregation by J. II. Woolley, the oldest church member. The doxology was sung and for the first time in nearly twenty years the church was free from debt. During the conference year 1895'1896 extensive repairs were made to the auditorium, re-lathing, plastering, painting, frescoing, at a co.st of nearly $900.00. It wa.s re-opened for public worship }ilay 26, 1896, by Bishop I. W. Joyce.

1896-1902. Rev. Robert L. Waggoner was appointed pastor of this charge by Bishop Fowler at the annual conference held in Wellington that year and served six years, the longest pastorate in the history of this station. He was a fine speaker, an excellent preacher, and an unusually fine teacher. Four years he taught a weekly night class for Bible and religious .study of great interest and profit. He also organized and conducted a "Junior Republic" wliicli was a vahial)le school of discipline and culture for the boys of the town.

1902-1907. Rev. Thomas W. Grose was appointed in charge of this station and remained five years. In his first year the ba.sement of the church was rci)air('d and re-finished and electric lights installed throughout the entire church.

ivhiiilt at ail oiitiro cost of $3,901.50. It is a lar<?(! and powerful iiistruiHciil, of ^'ical variety and hcanty nl' tone, a credit to tlur ('linrcli and the town. It is rurnislicd willi u water motor as it is nin(!li loo lari^e to !)(- worked hy iiuml.

1907-1011. Rev. Howard K. Ilillberry served the church very aceejitaliiy four consecutive years, and greatly endeared hiin.self to the people both in and out of the church by his genial, friendly spirit and his unusual social qualities. lie inaugurated the Boy Scout movement wiiich was of great advantage to the boys of the town.

1011-1014. Dr. AV. G. Iluddleston served this station the next three years. A tine scholar, a good preacher and a man of excellent spirit and adthvs.s.

This church was organized October 5, 1853. The charter members were Darwin Dyer, Eliza Dyer, 1). II. IMoultoii, Adaline IMoulton, Frieiiiaii -Moulton. L. (J. ;\loultoii, K. A. Hishop, Susan Ilix, M. Powers, L. 11. -Moulton, Ilaltie Power.s.

I'litil 1859 tiie church had no building of their own but met in Tripp's Hall. In 1859 an edifice was erected on the corner of West IMain and Tnion streets. The dedicatory address was delivered ))y Hon. Ja.s. A. (Jarlii Id. This building was used .sub.stantially without alteration until 1!)(I3. In 1!)02 the work of reniodelingWas begun and on the first Sun- (hiy of 1!)0;{ the altered building was rededieated with an address by Judge A. R. Wel)ber, of Elyria. About 1800 a neat parsonage was

The Baptist Church of Wellington was founded March 31, 1885, and was organized by its first pa-stor. Rev. J. II. Smith. After him, there served in succession, Rev. C. C. Erwin, Rev. A. G. Wall, Rev. A. P. Boyd, Rev. E. Chesney, Rev. F. G. Stanley, Rev. V. D. AVillard, Rev. W. P. Napier and Rev. E. C. Myers. Tlie church has a membership of over 120 and worships in an edifice wliich was dedicated in December,

Tlie Catholics have had a small mission at Wellington for some years, their spiritual wants being met through tlie ministry of Rev. S. W. Wilson, pastor of the Church of the Sacred Heart, Oberlin. ^