Lorain City (part 57 of 77)

Wellington was without a newspaper for about a decade following the suspension of the Journal, which was pul)lishe(l in 1852-5-1. In the summer of 18G5, James A. Guthrie, of Delaware, Oliio, moved to the village and commenced the publication of llie Wellington Eiiterpri.se, which evidently was endowed with enduring qualities. Its first issu.; was dated Septemlier 25, 1865. It was tiicn a folio, about 25x38 inches. On .March 1, 18GG, Mr. Guthrie sold tlie paper to John C. Artz (still a resident of Wellington), wlio reduced tlie size to seven columns and the price from *2 to Jfil.50. On the 18th of September, 18G7, the paper was <;nlarged. Mr. Artz remained its editor and proprietor until October 1, ]876,°when he .sold the office to Dr. J. W. Houghton and D. A. Smith.

Doctor Houghton and his wife, :\Iary II., became its editors, and Mr. Smith, a practical printer, took charge of the mechanical department. In December, 1877, Doctor Houghton purchased :\Ir. Smith's intere.st, and continued as proprietor of the Enterprise until 1902, when he disposed of the pajjer to II. 0. Fifield, a well known veteran both of the Civil war and of journalism. He is'still its editor and proi)rietor.

tlicir icspcctivc oriiccs iiiilil their dciitlis; Mr. Wiiriicr (lyiii^ in 11)08, iiiid Mr. Ilorr in IH!>4. On May 22, 1H!M, 111.- Home Savings Uaiik of Wcllitij^toii was or^^anizfd with William Visclu-r, jtrcHidftiit. 'I'lic Ivvo hanks wen; (lon.solidalcd Jainiary 22, ]i)12, under the name First National P>ank of AVellington : J. T. Haskell, president; JI. ]J. Coueh, vice president and C. T. Jameison, cashier. The banking room was enlarged to twice its former size, the interior entirely rebuilt and refurnished with all modern ajjpliances and furniture makiiig it one of the best in Lorain County. After ^Ir. Ilorr 's death and until 1898 AVilliani Cushion was cashier when, by reason of ill health he resigned. C. T. Jameison was elected cashier June 5, 1898, and still holds that positicm.

The capital stock of the bank was originally .$50,000, afterward increa.sed to $100,000; later reduced to $50,000, and again January 1, 1914, increased to $85,000 at which figure it now stands.

On account of the difficulty of doing business in compliance with the restrictions of the National Bank laws regarding loans the charter was surrendered and the bank reorganized under the state laws of Ohio, January 2, 1914, under the title, the First AVellington Bank.

The .second year of its exisleiKU' tlie safe of the National Bank of Welliiiglon was burglarized and I'obbed of $(iO,0(iO in govei'nmenl bonds and euM-t'iicy. A large reward was offered for the apprehension of the rol)ljcrs. The police of the cities, .stimulated l)y tlie reward offered, became vif^iliint; finally trace was found,, so that one of the robhers was caiif,'ht in New York, one iji Charleston, South Carolina, wiiither an agent of the bank followed and apprehended him, armed with a requisition from the governor of Ohio upon the governor of South Carolina, which was the first made, and recognized after the war upon that state. Nearly $40,000 of the stolen bonds were recovered.

Both the Masons and the Odd Fellows have long been organized at Wellington. Wellington Lodge No. 127, F. & A. M. was organized October 17, 1844, and received its charter from the Grand Lodge of Ohio on the 28th of October, 1845. J. L. Wadsworth was the first worthy master. Tlie ])i'esent head of the lodge, wliicli numbers nearly 140, is E. R. Lehman.

On May 25, 1855, was organized Lorain Lodge No. 281, I. O. 0. F., with R. II. llolcomb as nol)le grand. A. II. Pierce is the present head of tlie lodge.

Soon after the completion of the Cleveland and Cohunbus Railroad the business of buying and shipping cheese at Wellington was oi)ened I)}' R. A. Ilorr, then residing in Huntington. ]\Ir. Ilorr i)uilt up a large order trade. Others soon went into the business, whicii grew rapidly. The fii'st cheese warehouse or shii>ping house was opened by B. G. Carpenter. Others were .speedily estalilished until, in 1878, there was a number of different houses and firms engaged in tlie business of manufacturing, l)uying and selling cheese and butter. Among the principal ones in that year were .Messrs. Ilorr, Warner & Comi)any; Baldwin, Laundon & Company; George W. Crosier & Company, Palmer & Lewis. The first-named firm that year .sent ]Mr. Ilorr to Europe, wiiere he formed business arrangements whereby this firm have since been making large shii)ments of butter and cheese to Liverpool and Glasgow. The amount of cheese shipped from Wellington in 1878 was 6,465,674 pounds; l)utter, 1,001,061 ])ounds.

Wellington was the home of Rosvvell P. Ilorr and his twin brother, Roland A. Ilorr, the former congressman from the Saginaw District, Miehigan, and the latter, at one time, a member of the Ohio State Senate. Botli were men of sterling worth and ability. They closely resembled each other in a wonderful manner. AVhen Roswell was a member of the National House of Representatives his brother visited him one day after the morning session had begun. Roswell passing the doorkeeper said ''Good morning" - greeting the doorkeeper by name. In a few moments the brother appeared repeating the same words. The doorkeet^er was perplexed. A little later the brothers appeared side by side and started to enter. The doorkeeper stopped them. It was against the rules to allow any one but members on the floor.

Roswell Ilorr was a student of men and things. He said one reason why he thought women were trivial was because they never talked sense to tiiem. He always treated women with the greatest respect, real respect, not gallantry, and said he learned much from them. He was devoted to his wife and daughters, and had no use for men who were trifling and unfaithful. At one time in the boarding house where he lived in Washington was a handsome congressman who annoyed his wife by flirting. At one time he was attentive to a foolish young woman. The latter occupied a place at the table with the congressman and his family, and the wife was very unhappy. This condition finally was noticed liy .Mr. Ilorr. When he was leaving the dining room he passed the table, touched the congressman on the shoulder and when the two

We won't .stand for it. If you do not, I'll lick you. You act like a lovesick schoolboy, in.stead of a congressman and a father." That ended it.

After iMr. Horr left Congress he was a special writer on the New York Tribune. He covered the political situation, particularly the tariff. One of his famous sayings was that "the Southernei'S should rai.se more hogs and less hell."

pany also operates a good plant. The Sterling Works manufacture gas generators and otlier automobile parts and near the Sterling plant is a factory which turns out quantities of boxes and wooden crates.

In a word, it is quite evident that this village of 2,000 people or more, with its fine town hall, municipal waterworks and electric light plant, wide and well-kept streets, handsome residences and business houses, with its churches and societies, its social and educational institutions, is a fair abiding place for either individual or family.

Village Of Amherst

A^iLLACjE Founded - First Quarries Opened - Growth and Consoijda- TiON - The Cleveland Stone Company - The Ohio Quarries Company - The Union School - Superintendents - The Town Hall - - Public Institutions - The Public Library - The Chamber of Commerce - Water and Sewage Systems - Good Streets and Sidewalks - Other Signs of Progress - The Churches - Methodism - South Amherst Churches - Amherst Congregational Church - St. Peter's Evangelical Church - St. Paul's Lutheran Church - St. Joseph's Roman C.vtholic Church - Salem Church ( Evan- (iELiCAL Association - Episcopal ^Mission - ;Lodgks - Industries and Banks - Newspapers.

Although Aiuliorst Township and the viUago itself were among the fir.st localities in I^orain County to be settled, that section has been more widely advertised beeause of the (juarrying and distribution of santlstone than beeause of all their other good and interesting points eond)ined. So that although cpiite a number of settlers had located previous to the '20s, ineluding the well known Judge Josiah Harris, and the Corners (North Amherst) was quite a mill town twenty years thereafter, those who are wise as local historians claim that the settlement was not really founded until the first quarries were opened in the late '40s.

Early in the history of Amherst Township, the nucleus for a village was formed upon the north ridge, about a mile northwest of the center of the township. This settlement, - the embryo Village of North Amherst, - was known for many years as "the corner." Judge Josiah Harris had quite a tract of land here, and he laid out a i)ortion of it in lots, and founded the Village of Amlierstville. Through the decades, lieginning with the years 1830, 1840 and 1850, the growtii of the village was slow, but it received an impetus fi'om the building of the Lake Shore l\;iilr()ii(i, tlicn ciillcd llu! (!l('Vcl}iii(l and Tohulo Riiilroiul, and gradually iiKTcascd ill size, and built up in business importance until 1870, when tiu! stone quarries began to be worked upon a seale of enterprise much fui'tber advanced than ever before, anil then for several years the population increased quite rapidly.

About this time Milo Harris purchased the interest of the other heirs of his father's estate, laid out an addition to the village, changed its name from Andierstville to North Amherst, and in 1873 the people secured a cliarter of incorporation from the Legislature.

The charter was granted in April, and the corporation was organized by the election of the following officers: A. A. Crosse, mayor; J. W. (jilbcrt, clerk; Joseph Tro.st, treasurer; John B.' Robertson, marshal; George Fuller, William Brown and John Nathan, councilinen for one year; F. 0. Harney, J. II. ('louse, and James Manning, councilmen for two years.

Henry Warner, who opened the Brownhelm quarry in 1847, is believcil 1o have shipped tlie first stone from the Amiierst section. The blocks wcr(! hauled on wagons to Vermillion, and thence shipped to their destiiuition in Canada, having been purchased by John Worthington, then a contractor. Mr. Warner gave for this quarry .$600, worked it six yoai's and then .sold it for $G,000. He was a native of Middlesex County, Coiniecticut, and had a varied experience belore he became 6ne of the pioneer ((uarrymen of Lorain County.

(ji'indstones were taken out of the John Klliott quarry, lots of fiftynine and sixty in Amherst, in 1848, by Sylvester Silsby. There were no latiu's then in use, and the work of shaping the stones was done entirely with the ciiisel. This quarry was worked for fifteen years by William James, wlio finally bought it of Elliott. Parks and E. C. Fo.ster were the next owners, and they sold to George E. Hall, of Cleveland, who, in turn, sold to Worthington & Sons. Block stone was furnished from this (juarry for the building of the abutments of the Lake Shore & IMiehigan Southern Railroad bridge at Ashtabula, when the road was established. II was taken out by Ackley & Smith.

Ileni'y Wai'iier was as.sociate(l with Mr. Clark in the ownershii) of the middle (juarry, now owned by the Clough Company, in 18i34. Baxter (Mougli bouglit into this (juarry, and soon became the sole owner. Warner afterwards became owner of M'hat became the Ilaldeman quarry.

"The growth of the business," says Rev. R. G. Armstrong in his booklet entitled "Amherst's Story," "was rapid. In the '70s there were many different eompanies operating quarries in the township. Tiiere were the Ohio Stone Company, the Niehol and ]\Iiller Company, the Wilson and Hughes Stone Company, Worthington and Sons, the Turkey Jiock Quarry, Ilaldeman & Son, the Clougli Stone Company, and llie Amiierst Stone Company. Tiiere seems to have been the praetiee of getting out stone only as ealled for, no large supply being kept on hand to till immediate ordens. The winter would often shut down the quarries entirely.

"Prices for stone then ranged from sixty cents down to thirty-five cents for block stone, while grindstones were sold at seven, eight, or nine dollars, tliougii once in a while an order was filled at five dollars.

"Stone was shipped then to England, all over the United States, and up into Canada. I\Iany men were employed in the quarries, Worthington and Sons having seventy in their employ in 1878, this force just preparing the (|uarries for the start of the season's work.

"The Clough Stone Company was the owner of a railroad which many will remember, it was a little, narrow-gauge road tliat ran from their quari'y to Oak Point, where the company had a wharf. The stone was loaded on to flat ears and allowed to run down to the water, the grade being sufficient to allow the ears to go under their own wei'i-lit.

There tho stoiio was lifted off hy derrieks and loaded on to the hoats, which carried the stone to various points on the lake. The; old pih'S of th(f wharf may Mtill l)e seen at Oak I'oiiit.

"At first this I'aiii'oad used mules for the motive power to draw the ears hack from the water's edge to the quarry. But business increased, mules were too slow, and a small engine was secured. This engine continued in operation until the Lake Shore Railroad made its rates so low that it was cheaper to ship by rail than by water. Then the whole narrow-gauge outfit was sold to a Michigan lumber concern, where the little engine continued its usefulness by pulling logs instead of stone.

"This company had its own boat, named for one of the Cloughs, I believe. This boat did active service for several years until, loaded with stone, it sailed away into a storm and was never heard of again.

"These numerous quarries were eventually united under one control. In 1886 the final incoi'poration of tlie- Cleveland Stone Coinpany was made. At tliat time it had acquired by purchase all tlie good ([uarries in the Andierst district except the Ilaldeman, now No. 6 quarry, whicli was acquired soon after. It was through the personal efforts of ]\Ir. George II. Worthington tiiat this company was organized. While touring in P^urope with some wealtliy friends Mv. Wortliington interested them in the stone industry to the extent that they were ready to l)ut up tlie money necessary to liuy out any whom jMr. Worthington did not wish to include in the company. This enabled Mr. Worthington to secure all the options for cash. The next move was to select those who were to make up tlie company. All were ready to take stock in the new company in exchange for their property.

"On July 26, 18H6, the Cleveland Stone Company came into existence as a corporation with the following officers : President, AVilliain .McDennott ; vice president, J. M. Worthington; secretary and treasurer, George IT. Worthington ; superintendents, James NiehoU, iM. McDermott and P. M. Stearns. Two years later John Huntington purchased the interest in the company of William ]\Icl)ermott. Then J. M. Worthington was elected President and John Huntington was elected Vice President. These with the balance of the officers previously elected held office for several years thereafter.

"In 1895 Gi^orge II. Worthington resigned as Secretary and Treasurer of the Company, and witiulrew from active participation in it. In January, 1S!)8, J. M. Worthington died, and in May of the same year, James Nicholl, who succeeded I\lr. Worthington, resigned, anil George

The Cleveland Stone Company and the Ohio Quarries Compauj' control, the quarrying of sandstone in Andierst Township. The latter was organized in 1903 by tiie late John R. Walsh, of Ciiicago. lie bought property in the district and first opened the Buckeye Quarry, wiiieli is said to l)e one of the deepest sandstone (|uarries in tlie woi'ld, stoiii! having l)ei'n taken out at a depth of 212 feet. Tlic ([uai'ry is 1,350 feet long and varies from 150 to 300 feet in witltli. Tlie lands of tlie Ohio Quarries Company comprises the old Collins, Quigley and Heldeii farms, located about three miles south of what was known as North Andierst. In a dozen years the business of the corporation has grown to sucli proportions that its industrie.s employ, about 400 men, and annual shipments are made of some 6,000 carloads of sandstone.

But years before Amherst became a village the township schools were instructing the young people of Amherstville, as the settlement was called. The old Quigley .schooliiouse - also a Quaker meetinghouse - in which taught Judge Harrison, J. A. and William II. Root, was among those famous centers of learning of the pioneer days. Then the first town hall was used until 1849. It was next moved to Church Street and, after a time, refitted as a schooliiouse and continued tlius until 1856.

. In that year the village was formed into a Union School District, with Josiah Harris, Alvah T. Johnson, Dr. A. A. Crosse, Dr. A. C. Moore, Daniel Axtell and IM. Wilton, as directors. Not long afterwai'd, under their management, a two-story brick schoolhouse was erected at a cost of $3,200. The brick was made from the clay dug on tlie ground and baked there. In 1874 the building was nearly doubled in size, so that it would accommodate 500 pupils - then ample for the recpiirements of the new village, which had been incorporated in 1873.

With tlie enlargement of the building both grades and teachers were added, the superintendent being G. R. Tliomj)son. He had four a.ssistants, including a teacher of German. In 1884 E. E. Rayman became superintendent and during his administration founded tlie high school and systematized the other departments of the local system. The first brick Union School was burned on July 4, 1892, was replaced by a stone

For thirty years Amherst has had a town hall which is a symbol of corporate substance and goieral progress. Soon after the incorporation of the village it became evident to certain citizens that a central meeting place was a general requirement; but in 1876, when the matter of i)roviding a town hall was submitted to the voters a majority of them could not be mustered in favor of the proposition. The enterprise was kept alive, but the bugbear of higher taxes so retarded its progress that it was not until 1884 that the ordinance was pas.sed which provided for a new town hall to be built jointly by the township and the corporation. Thus the structure was erected on the ground set aside for the public s(|uare by Judge Harris and given over to the control of tiie corporation l)y his heirs.

jigi'iiiMcs as pun; water and good drainage, for proteetion against fire and lawlessness, and for tliose pnhlie imi)roveiiients wliieli tend to provide elean and attraelive streets. These liavc; all Ixriiii i)rovided in iiieasure befitting the size of the village and the means at its disposal, while various other utilities of a publie nature have been brought into the lives of its people through individual eorporations. In the latter class are the telephone, which first appeared as a wonderful adjunct to the Free Press office of Andierst in 1878 ; and is now represented by the Amherst Home Telephone Company and 500 such wonders within the township; the electric line of the Cleveland, Columbus & Southwestern Railroad, which added its service to the steam railways in 1896 ; electric lighting, first a municipal affair, but for several years provided by a private corporation, and the furnishing of natural gas for heating by the Logan Gas Company.

Years ago a need was felt for a central reading room where young people could spend their evc^nings reading. Several such rooms wei'e j)r(ivide(I at various limes, often by tlu^ teiiipei'iince organizations of the early days. But the time came when public spirit asserted itself for a better biiildiiif^. Tiirouj^h the generosity of Andrew Carnef^ie, eondiiin.'d with lh(! f^eiici'osity of tlw; citizens of tli(! townshij), tlu; money was raised for a library hnildiiif^ and eqni|)ment which would be adeciimte for the jieeds of the town for years to come. This building stands on tlie corner of Spring and Elyria streets. The books are well selected, the reading room cozy, and the librarian, Mis.s Neiding, attentive and capable. In the basement of the building is an assembly hall, u.sed for such functions as appeal to the best of juvenile longings, to Young JMen's Christian

Associations and Sunday schools. It provides a pleasant place for general meetings, outside of the larger and more ])ublic accommodations furnished by the town hall.

As stated by R(!V. li. (J. Armstrong in his "Amherst's Story," i.ssued as a memorial of the Old Home Week held in the fall of 1914, and from which much of the material u.sed in this article is condensed: "Much of the modern progressiveiicss of Amherst is due to the activity of the

Chamber of Conunerce, composed of )nerehants, farmei-s, meelianics, doctors, and wlioever cares to join in the work of pusliing Amherst to the top notch of civic attaiinncntH. The Ijiisincss men felt the ncMcl of .some sncli orf^'anizution, for tliere were many thinj^s which might be brought about if oidy there were an oi'ganization to i)usli tilings. So a general call went out for a meeting to talk things over. This tirst meeting was held February 13, 1900. At this meeting the first steps were taken towards a definite organization. Committees were appointed and arrangements made for another meeting. At the next meeting a ilefinite organization was perfected and further committees appointed for some of the detail work which any organization needs to go through, to be on a working basis.

"The purpo.se of the Chamber of Commerce is to push forward the best interests of Amher.st. This has been done in a notable manner. Thousands of dollars' worth of improvements have been carried through successfully through the instigation of the Chamber of Commerce, working in co-operation with the Council of the village. ]\Iost of the decided improvements of the town in the past few years have found their birth in the Chamber of Commerce and have there been fostered to fruition.

"The business men and the citizens saw the need for a water s'ii)ply and a sewer system. TJiis was one of the first tliing.s that the Chamber of Conunerce took under consideration. It was not long before an adequate sewer system had found a place in the eonnnunity. And negotiations were soon under way for the water .system. At first it was planned to have the electric light and the water sy.stem plants combined, but this plan was given up, and arrangements made with Elyi'ia whereby Amherst could get water through her plant north of town on tlie shores of the lake. This plan has proven eminently satisfactory. Andierst is getting today purer water than any other town in Oliio with the exception of Elyria, both having this advantage. The water is tested as ninety-nine i)er cent pure. And as long a.s Lake Erie holds out Amherst is sure of her water supply. The old well is fast disappearing. The 'old oaken Imcket' only exists in the song. Every up-to-date home in Amherst enjoys the satisfaction of a modern bath. There is nothing that the big city offers which Amherst cannot duplicate in modern ennvenienees today.

"\ fir.st class disposal plant is located a sliort distance fi'oin town on the banks of Heaver (Jreek. Here the sewerage is taken care nf l)y the liest of scientific methods. So perfect is the system that Heaver

Crt'ck siiffcr.s no contamination whatever from the water from the disposal i)huit. This has made Amherst a far healthier place in which to live and has added much to the physical valuation of the community. "Tlie dangerous hills, Johnson and Milan, have been made safe and easy of travel hy much grading. Tons of dirt and stone have been hauled in to fill these hills up and to make the road from South Andierst and from the West Side to the Center safer and more convenient. The Old Sj)ring, wliicli used to be on a level with the road, is now far below the level, and one looks on to the roof, or what would be the roof if there were one at the present time, of the old brewery as he journeys ovei- to the West Side. Many a team has been hauled up that long hill. Many a di'iver has wished that it never existed. Today the valley has been lilled up and the hill has been made low. Soon there will be no hill at ail, oidy the reminiscences of it.

"The pavements are another evidence of the modern spirit of progressiveness. The older inhabitants of Amherst did not have sidewalks to walk on. Tlie present generation have a pavement as smootii as the best of sidewalks. The principal streets are all well paved and plans are under way for the completion of the job by paving the remaining streets of Amherst. The pavement is the best that can be had. A solid concrete foundation is covered with a layer of asphalt, making a pavement wliieii will last for many years. With well curbed streets, beautiful lawns, tine shade trees and the new pavement, Amherst forms today as attractive a town as can be found.

"Elyria Road has received its share of attention, too. A fine macadam road-lied was put in this past fall, the expense being shared by the people interested, by the Council and by the Chamber. Many of the farmers contributed their services for this piece of work. Now a fine road offers easy access to the town for the people of Middle Ridge.

"Public pride is ever asserting itself again and again in the community. The streets are kept clean. Homes are made beautiful by well kept lawns and fine gardens. The spirit of the community is against anything which would mar the name and fame of the town. The thought in tlie mind of all is to make an Amher.st which will truly be a good place in which to live.

;i Piil)li(' Park with a i)lay<,M-oiiii(l for tlic cliildrcii, a l)all grouiul, ti'iniis coiirl.s, wadiiifj; pond and all llic rest soiiu; day. TIk; spirit for inod(!rii iniprovciiiuiils i.s in the air and nothinj^ can stoj) their couiinj^. Thi; ohl town of tho Slmpes, tiie Oririshy.s aiid tiie Harrises has grown to a man's estate. Tlie old wooden .stores have heen replaced by inoderu brick and stone buildings of real beauty. The old hand pump has given way to a mudorn cbeinical engine. Soon a fire auto truck will be added to the e(iuii)mejit of the town. Tlie old fire cisterns Iiave been filled up, at least some of them. Tiie modern hydrant with high pressure has taken tlieir place. Even the horse is fa.st becoming an aiiaehronism, giving way to the automobile for business and pleasure in this up-to-the-minute town. Tliere is probably more gasoline consumed in summei' by the autumoliiles which go through Andierst and which belong in Amherst than there is water consumctl by the horses, to say notiiing of tlie hay which they eat."

Amher.st, with a large German Protestant element, is a strong church town, and organizations within its present limits have existed since 1819. Tn that year the Baptists organized, in a small way, at the Corners. The little band dissolved after a few years of valiant struggles; was revived in South Amherst under Rev. Julius Bement, of LaGrange, and in 1853 reappeared as the North Amherst Baptist Church. In tlie meantime the Methodists had formed a church, in which the Baptists worshipped for some time. The Baptist Church prospered finally, but eventually disbanded mainly because of the removal of most of the old members to otlier parts of the country.

Mormonisin obtained some converts at Amher.st in 1830, and a few residents even followed the movement west, but the local historians prefer to look upon that feature of its life as an incident which has never liad a permanent influence \ipon the community.

The j\Iethodists formed a cla.ss early in the '30s, although a hou.se of wor.ship and a stalile society were not realized until 1836. The following report of the history of the Methodist Episcopal Cinii'ch was recently prepared liy a committee consisting of Messrs. A. K. Jenne, K. Vj. Kaser and E. (.-. Schuler; "About the year 1835 Captain George S. Slioles met with an accident while horseback I'idiiig; liis horse became frightened and ran away, throwing him off; his foot was caught in the stiiTiij) iuul he was (lra{>:ged on tlio ground. Wliiic in this pmlicanuMit he registered an oath in a i)rayerful manner that sliouhl God spare; his life he woidd huiid a eliureh. . As a matter ot' i'aet Captain Siioh;s liad been non-religious and rat.iier rough in his manner of life and speeeh. Our Heavenly Fatiier evidently heard this vow, as Captain Sholes was immediately relieved from hLs serious predieament, and in 183G he proeeeded in tlie formation of a Methodist soeiety in our village, then called 'the Four Corners,' and the erection of a Methodist church on the land ui)on wliich the present Redington block now stands at the corner of Church and Elyria Streets. The favor Captain Sholes received at God's hand made a very deep impression upon him, as he became very religious and temperate in his habits, which was considered very sacrificial in those days on account of the intemperate sentiment, which was very strong. Thus, when the cliurch building was ready for raising he found it difficult to get help enough without a demijohn of liquor on the job, but was finally successful. One night during this work. Captain Sholes' temperate sentiment having spread in the community, an empty jug was hung on the highest point of the church building. When Captain Sholes came next morning he saw it at once and quickly discerned the intent and moral back of the act. He hastily and quietly picked up a small stone, tlirew it and squarely hit the jug, breaking it into many pieces, to his great delight, as he had not considered himself an expert in throwing and hitting a mark heretofore.

"Worship was carried on in this frame building by the society until about 1874, when the same was considered too small and not properly located on the plot, and tiierefore was sold to the Lutheran Society and moved to their site on the corner of what are now West and School streets. Here it was burned while being remodeled, and before, services were held in it by the Lutheran Society.

"About 1875 the Methodist Society completed their new and second churcli building on the original site but facing Elyria street, wliere they worsiiipped until 1900, when fire which originated in the Plato Building across the street burned the church, destroying it completely. The society clung together and worshipped in various places about town, sueli as the Adams block, now the German Bank Building, and the Spring Street Public School House, now the Episcopal Church. The society immediately proceeded to procure another site on account of the old silif's l)eing loo pultlie for (|uiel religious worship. Tiie soeiety pur- (fha.scd llie Seeley property on tlie corner of Elyria and Spring streets, wliere tlie present i)eautiful edifice was erected in 1902. Tlie old site was immediately sold to Horace G. Redington.

"Tlic jnesciit society consists of ahout one liuJidred )nembers and is prosperous in every department and stands strongly for the moral and spiritual uplift of the community." Rev. Mr. Snutli is the present pastor of the JNlethodist Episcopal Church.

South Amherst, as it is commonly known today, is the older part of the town. j\Iany of the earliest settlers located on the south ridge road. Hence, some of the earliest churches sprang iip in that part of town.

"The old town of Amherst was settled by hardy pioneers from Vermont, New Hampshire, IMassachusetts, Connecticut and New York locating their homes on the old stage route running from Buffalo, New York, on to tile westward, and on farms within a three-mile radius. A postofifice and the tavern as a stage post were necessary adjuncts, and schools and churches were soon established as an outcome of the .spirit of the people. The Congregational Society was organized December 2, 1834, aiul for a period of a few years meetings were held in the village school house. At an annual meeting, probably three or four years after the organization of the Society, it was voted to erect a house for divine worship, and a committee was appointed to secure a lease of land from Alexander II. Redington. This was done, and years later the lea.se was secured by a warranty deed. In the winter of 1838-39 the First Congregational Church of Amherst was erected. It was originally built with front raised in orchestra effect, facing the main auditorium. But in 1879 in considering plans for enlarging the seating capacity, it was voted to 'remove the orchestra and make room for more slips.' The pews were titted with doors, as was the cu.stoni in 'ye olden time,' and though the doors have long been removed, subsequent coats of paint have not removed the marks of hinges from the seats which are still in use. So far as available records show the church has had no resident pastor, but the i)nl|)it lia.s Ix'cn supjjlicd l)y ministers from adjoining towns or under the management of Oberlin Theological Seminary. Among those who came as supply from the Oberlin Theological Seminary were men who have ri.sen to high places in the ranks of the ministry. And when under the Oberlin management a seminary student was not available their responsibility has extended to tlie sending of Oberlin's best. In looking over llie records we find tlie names of sueli men as Prof. Henry Faireliild, Dr. ]ietts, Prof. Henry Cowlos, Prof. John Morgan, Father Kells and otlier Oberlin liglits. And in more recent times Rev. John Faris Berry, for many year.s a.s.sociated with Oberlin Theological Seminary, was pastor of the Amherst church for a considerable time. Dean Bosworth, Prof. Fiske and Prof. Hutcliins have come to the little church at Amherst in the capacity of a supply. Rev. Philip Harding, for a number of years pastor of the Second Congregational Church of Amherst, also had charge of the church during the last two years of his re.sidence in the town, holding services in the afternoon. In the spring of 1912 the church was transferred from the Cleveland to the ]\Iedina Association.

"Of parallel interest is the history of the M. E. church of the village, which was erected in 1842, on an eminence overlooking Beaver Creek, the land having been purchased froni Benjamin Redfern. This and the church at the village or 'Corners' have always been under the same pastorate. With few changes except by way of repairs the church has remained as originally built till in the early years of the present centur3\ The pastor at that time. Rev. Smith Kirk, personally superintended the work of renovating and rearranging tlie pews. But tlie building was small and inadequate and early in the year 1914, imder the leadership of the pastor, Rev. E. A. Robb, tlie task of remodeling and enlarging the ehurcli was undertaken. The pastor toiled with the builders, and in July of the same year the building was completed and dedicated with great rejoicings. As it now stands it Ls a model coujitry church with a cheerful and well furnished auditorium and a basement equipped with modern conveniences.

"AVith the development of the quarries the growth of the town was noticeably influenced l)y a wave of Swiss immigration. And in time as these people became e.stablisiied citizens, they too felt the need of a church home. To satisfy their desire and the longing of numbers of German families to attend services conducted in their own language, St. John's Evangelical Church was erected in tlie year 1901 in the southwestern part of the village. Tlie land on wliieh it was Ijuilt was donated for that purpose by Mr. George Ludwig. As with the other two churches, the pulpit of St. John's has been supplied by out of town ministers. Tlius far the work lias been carried on in a.ssociation with the St. Peter's lOvangelical C!liurcli of Amherst, in Ihe cor|)ora1i()n. IJciv. .Mr. Ijiiidenlueyer, beloved by all his ])arishioiiers, was the active worker who brought tills chiii'eh into existence, lie s(!rve(l the peopU- very faillifully

"The llircc clnintlies of the town, u.s (-.xistint^ todiiy, arc (uicli cliuracteri/.cd iiy aomic individuality. St. Jolin's is cssi-ntialiy a CJerMian Cliurcli. Tlie strenj^tii of the Metiiodist Cluirch is largely due to the active support of the English people, who comprise a substantial part of the eouiiminity, and who in coming to this country have naturally drifted into that church as their church at home. And the Congregatio]ial Ciiurch represents the remnant and survival of the old conditions and although not a flourishing church, it is maintained by a faithful few. Witli the development of the quarries what was once a pastoral community has been changed into an industrial one. The influx of population in recent years has been of all nationalities and almost entirely of the Catholic faith, so that the estal)lished churclies have not realized any prosperity by the increased population of the town. Under the existing conditions, to the credit of the town and the people in the established churches, be it said that although without one resident pastor, throe Protestant churches are maintained, in which regular services are held."

No accurate history of the Congregational Church at the center is obtainable. Some of the supposed facts relating to the founding of the church are here set down.

The cliurch came into being soon after the ]\Iethodists had organized. The latter gave the use of their biiilding for some time to the new organization which had been brought into existence through the efforts of Rev. LIr. Brown, of Brownhelm, Doctor Betts, Father Eells, and Rev. Mr. Goddell, of Birmingham. The original members were John Chapin, IMrs. Chapin, ]\Ir. and i\Irs. A. P. ^loffatt, Mr. and IMrs. Freeman Nye, Natlian King, I\Iiss Bassett, Almond Chapin, Homer Tyrell and wife, a Mr. Smith, Calvin Harris and wife, and ]\Iiss Harriet Chapin.

The church split at one time on the rock of abolitionism and formed two organizations. One part drew off to the South Ridge and there erected a church of their own. The other part remained in Amherst and subsei|uently built their clnirch.

The church at tlie village was built in 1840, after many a hard struggle. The lot was the gift of Josiah Harris, who had given so much for public enter]ii'is(! in tlie villagi>. There were two factions within the ehurcli. One wislied to be independent and the other wi.shed to be united with tlie ( !ongregational Association. Tiie former were success-

As one went into the church in the older days one saw the typical church of the time, box pews with doors, iiigh pulpit with a flight of stairs leading up to it and a fine black walnut rail for a support. The choir gallery and organ loft were back of tiie pulpit. iVt one time, we are told, the minister used to stand in the middle of the church and keep turning around as he spoke. There was no pulpit. lie stood where all could see him and where he could be at an equal distance from all.

Tn the cry for modern things the old furnishings of the church have been taken out. There are many who would give a great deal to be able to replace the old pews and the pulpit .just as they were. But that day has past. AVe of the j'ounger generation have failed to appreciate the really beautiful, quiet dignity of the plain old churclies of our forefathers.

The old churcli still stands. Many changes have been made to it, however. A basement lias been put under the churcli. New pews have been installed. The old organ is gone. The old gallery is shut off.

The method of church work has changed, too. Now the church is recognizing that God gave men bodies as well as souls and that tlie body demands as good care as possible because it is the temple of the soul. Hence the church has built a splendid gymnasium on the lot which used to be occupied by the horse sheds. Here classes are held for all ages, both boys and girls, and men and women. The rules for membership are entirely unseetarian. Catholic and Protestant alike enjoy the privileges of the gymnasium on an equal basis.

The Congregational Church has enjoyed a rapid growtli in the past year or so due largely to the increase in population in the town, which has brought many good Scotch Presbyterians into the church. The membership has doubled in the pa.st two years, being now about 125. The Sunday school has a membership of about 140 or 150.

Among the pastors of the past have been many able men. Rev. ^Ir. Hitchcock, father of Hon. Frank Hitchcock, was pastor here for some time. Tlie founder of the Anti-Saloon Ijeagne, Rev. Mr. Russell, was ordained in tliis cliureh. liev. IM'r. Haskell served the cliureh in an interim in his valuable sei'vice on the mission fields of Bulgaria and

Turkey. Rev. Philip Harding held the position of pastor for many years. All I he famous oM-time i)rofessoi's of tlie earlier days of OlHM'lin havi' spoken from Ihe pulpit of this (Jon^^regal ioiial (Jhureli. President Fairehihl iiumbertMl many friends here. The present pastor of tiiis cluireli is Kohert G. Armstrong, an Oberlin graduate in college and seminary.

Rev. A. Egli furnishes the following account of St. Peter's Evangelical Chnrcli : "Dui-ing the summer of 1856 a number of German residents of Nortli Andierst and vicinity met in the present house of worship of the Congregational Church for the purpose of organizing a German Evangelical congregation. After an organization had been elfected at this meeting, it was decided to purchase the lot upon which tlie present edifice stands and thereon erect a church. While this was in progress and for some time before the members had organized, meetings were held either at the home of IMr. Christian Hrandau or in a hall, which was located on the second floor of the house now owned by Mr. "\Vm. Braun, of wliich the first floor then served as a store-room. Later on the congregation assembled either in the Congregational or the M. E. Church, where the services were conducted by the Revs. Allert and Steinert of Cleveland.

"On the l!3th day of October, 1857, the church was ready for occupation and on that day was dedicated by Rev. Dr. Fischer, of Sandusky. Immediately after the dedication the congregation received as its first pastor the Rev. Mr. Laffler, who after a pastorate of about two years was succeeded by Rev. Kammerer. During his service of about six years the present bell was purchased, lie was succeeded in turn by the Revs. Brasch, Werner, Iloese, Zwicker and Koestlin, each of whom served in the capacity of pa.stor of the congregation about two years. In 1875, during the pastorate of Rev. Koestlin, eighteen years after the church had been erected, it was found neees.sary to enlarge it, which was done at an expense of ij^l.GOO.OO. In, 1877 Rev. J. Vontobel received and accepted a call, and through his influence the congj-egation, which had thus far been indejiendent of any denominational body, became a member of the 'German Evangelical Synod of North America.' That this connection has proven b(Mic(i('ial lo the coiigi'egation is generally admitted. In 1H8:{ Kev. W. A. Walter became |)a.st()r of the chnndi. Throngii bis cH'oits it was decided to build a new ehurcb, Init as be accepted a call to Ziiiiesville, O., in that year, his i)lans wen- cari'ied Old, uiidcr bis siici-cssor, Hev. K. M. llaerele. Tlie church was dedicated grew in nienibersliip from fifty to over two hundred families. Besides this, many improvements to the property were made, the present beautiful parsonage was built and the interior of the church remodeled at an j expense of nearly $10,000.00.

"In June, 1913, Rev. Lindenmeyer accepted a call to Portsmouth, 0. \ Since July 6, 1913, Rev. A. Egli has been pastor of this church. In the

St. Paul 's Lutheran Church stands at the corner of AVest and School streets. It was established in the corporation in 1874. Rev. Louis Damniann was the first pastor. The present pastor is Rev. Mr. Jordan, an active, energetic man, who combines with his pastoral work that of teaching in the parochial school maintained by the ehurch. The church has recently been improved. Further records of this church have not been available.

The St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church was originated, in 1868. For tiiree years previous to this time Rev. L. ilolon, of Klyria, had come over and conducted services in a room belonging to Jolin Plato in the old Reuben AVolcott Building. There were aliout six families who attended. The numbers having considerably increased by 1868, it was decided to have a more suitable place of worsliip, so a lot was bought on Teinicy Street from Josepli Trost. On this lot a church was built which was consecrated in August of that year. In a .short time the congregation had outgrown the building and an addition was built in 1873. In 1872 and initil 1875 Rev. R. Rouchy was in charge of the parish. Father Joseph Roemer succeeded him. The present priest is Rev. Fr. Espen. .Tlie Catliolic Clnireh in Amherst is in a flourishing condition. In addi- tioii to a well kept unci attractive church there is a fine rectory. Several or<^aiiizatioiis give opportunities to the nicinbers of this parish to work in the interests of the church.

The following account comes from the pen of Rev. J. G. Zeiglcr, pastor of the "Stone Church." "The Salem Church of the Evangelical Association, familiarly known as 'The Stone Church,' had its inception in a cla.ss that was organized in 1836. Early in the thirties of the present century quite a number of German immigrants began to settle in the present boundaries of Lorain County. They had received an excellent i'eligious training in the Mother Country; but when they began to setie in the dense forests of the 'AVestern Reserve' they became as sheep /ithout a shepherd.

"About the same time that these iunnigrants began to hew out homes for themselves and their posterity, the scouts of the Evangelical Association, those men of fearless endeavor, undaunted courage and tii'e- Icss energy, at that time called 'Circuit Riders,' Ijegan to cross the Allegheny IMountains and resolutely to set their faces toward the then western wilds of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.

"One of the first pioneer missionaries to push through the forests and to look up these pioneer .settlers was Jacob Lutz. lie would visit the scattered settlers during the day and in the evening they would gather in one of the larger log houses, or log churches, one of which stood on the Lake Road west of Oak Point, for religious services. The next day he would push on to another .settlement, but would make arrangeinents to I'eturn in three or four weeks, according to the size of his ciruit. In the following years J. J. Kopp and J. Lawprecht supplemented ongregation prospei'ed so that in 1861 it was thought best to purchase )r erect a parsonage in North Amherst, and as soon as deemed advisable o build also a church. A few years later a i:)arsonage was purchased vhich stood on the lot which the present parsonage of this church oceu- near the Vermilion River, was oft'ered for sale because the congregation had disbanded. This building was purchased, taken down and then rebuilt in Nortli Airilierst on a lot southeast of the i)reKent Stone Church. Our fellow townsuuin, iMr. Ceorge Aschenbach, had charge of reerecting the building. The old church north of town was sold to George Dute. In 1881 the present stone edifice was erected and in 1895 a new and commodious parsonage was built.

"The old Salem congregation was not only the mother of the prest ent Lorain, South Ridge, Brownhehn and Huron Congregations; but it also awakened a camp meeting spirit that is as fervid today as it was over iifty years ago, when the first meeting was held. This first meeting was held in 1859 on the farm of Adam Ilasenpflug, in Brownhelm Township. Then for three successive years the meetings were held in the month of August, on the farm of John Berg in Black River Towushij) ; from 18G3 to 1873 they were held on the George Dute farm north of Amherst; from 187-1 to 1881 on the farm of George Hoehle, two miles west of Huron, and since 1884 on the grounds of the Camp J\Ieeting Association in Linwood Park.

An Episcopal mission has been started in very recent years under the care of Rev. R. J. Riblet, of Oberlin. This congregation purchased and remodeled the Spring Street Schoolhouse for a church building and there services are held regularly.

In the very early days Amherst did not seem to need formally organized fraternities. The pioneer situation is well stated in the sentence "the community was one large f raternit}'. " But iis the village grew, it became evident that the American tliirst for lodge life must be satisfied.

The Odd Fellows were the first to respond at Amherst, and in 1852 organized Plato Lodge No. 203. Judge Harris gave the land upon which the town hall now stands, the upper story of which was to be used by the Odd Fellows for their lodge room. In 1871 they built their own hall.

The Masons organized Stoningtou Lodge No. 503 in 1875. Its first meetings were held in a building on the corner of ]\Iain and Tenney streets. This was occupied ;uitil 1910, when the headquarters of the lodge were transferred to rooms over the Gernuui Bank, corner of Church and Elyria streets.

The Knight.s of Pytliias formed Amlierst Lodge No. 74 in 1874, and Aiulicrst Temi)le of Pytliian Sisters No. 363 was ijislituted in 1909. .Mystic ITive No. 12, Lady ]\Iaccabees of tlie World, was organized in 1893. Other organizations worthy of note are Hickory Tree Grange, reorganized in 1896 ; Amherst Aerie No. 1,442, Fraternal Order of Eagles, instituted in 1906; Amherst Council No. 265, Knights and Ladies of Security, instituted at South Amherst, in 1895, anr^ Quarry Homestead No. 1,737, Brotherhood of American Yeomen, instituted in 1908.

When Amherst was a small village sui'rouiKlcd by a j)romising, if not a wonderfully productive agricultiu'al country; wlien the railroad was discussed as a project of possible revival, a little iron foundry was started I'oi" tlu; making and ri^paii'ing of fai-mliig implcmoits. After the early grist mills came the foundry, but the latter tli.sappeared and at a later period tiie manufacture of clieese gave the village and the neighboring country quite an impetus. In tlie late '70s, when George l<'uller was oi)era1iiig a fiourishing grist mill, and Eggleson, Braman Sc

At the present time, although a lunnher of large stores and two banks aceoniiiiodate not only the villagers themselves but a large rural area,. there is only one considerable industry within the corporate limits. In ]i)08 tile United States Automatic Comi)any was organized by iiome people. It operates a good-sized plant in the manufacture of .special parts for automobiles, washing machines and general machinery. W. H. Sehibley is president of the company; A. R. Purmont, vice president; A. G. ]\Ienz, secretary, and A. J. Uthe, treasurer.

For a number of years Amherst has had a cold storage plant. A former enterprise of tliat character was suspended for a time, 1)ut was revived by the Amherst Cold Storage Company, which erected a large building on the site of the old and smaller plant.

The Amhei'st German Bank Company was organized in 190G, and opened for business in January of the following year. All of the men who thus combined had lived in the town at least forty years, and all but one had been born there. The officers are: E. IT. NichoU, president; George Ilollstein, vice president; William II. Sehibley, casliier. Tlie capital of the bank is 11^50,000, surplus and undivided profits, ijil 0,500, and deposits, $560,000.

:\rorcover, as an indication of its prevailing enterprise, Amherst has two newspapers - the Reporter and the Weekly News. The first newspaper published in the village was the Amherst Free Press, issued first on July 31, 1875, by F. M. Lewis, editor and proprietor. With the exception of short periods during the first two years of the enterprise, Mr. Lewis continued in sole control UJitil the establishment of the Reporter.

The Reporter was founded in 1892 and the Amherst Weekly News in 1914. The Reporter is owned, printed and edited by H. K. Clock; the News is under the management of a stock company and is edited by Miss Addie Fields.

Source changes here: from A Standard History of Lorain County Ohio, by G. Frederick Wright, published 1916; 323,689 words in this source stream.

Ohio

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Hon. Davin J. Nye. Through the last and most active forty years of his life during which he followed a constant, conservative and dignified career as lawyer, jurist and business man, David J. Nye has gained an eminence which probably has been surpassed by none and excelled by few in this community.

His rise from the lowly farmer's son to that of one of the foremost lawyers of the state, and one of the leaders in the civic and business life of Northern Ohio, was far from meteorical. It was accomplished only after years of close application and hard and consistent efforts in his chosen profession.

While the early years of his life are not of important historical note, yet they were busy ones and served to make up that formative period when boys of that age create for themselves their ideals of life, and form those conceptions which direct their footsteps in after years.

It was during this period that Mr. Nye conceived the idea of following the law as a profession and he formed his ideals of all that this profession stood for and demanded. With these ideals firmly fixed in his mind, he clung to them, and each step in his life was in furtherance of his aim to attain to the heights on which his desires were set. No matter what the endeavor cost him in work or denials, no matter what the sacrifice might be, he faced all in his hard struggle to reach his destined goal.

Born at Ellicott, Chautauqua County, New York, December 8, 1843, he was a son of Curtis F. and.Susan Jerusha (Walkup) Nye. While his parents were of sturdy Vermont stock; his paternal ancestors trace their lineage to Benjamin Nye, the original founder of the Nye family in America. He was among the foremost of those early English pioneers who cast his lot with those who strove and struggled that a new nation might be born. Benjamin Nye and Katherine Tupper, who afterward became his wife, landed on the shores of New England in 1634 and made their home in Sandwich, Massachusetts, where they reared a family which has ever grown and prospered.

A few years ago the descendants of Benjamin Nye in this country, founded what is known as the Nye Family of America Association and Judge Nye was one of the prime movers in its organization and served as its president for two years.

The parents of Judge Nye, five years after the birth of their son David, moved from their farm at Ellicott to Otto, Cattaraugus County, New York, where they again took up the tillage of the soil and remained there until their death. During these years, Young Nye's work on his father's farm was interrupted only by a few months during the winter, with his attendance at the district school of his neighborhood.

Denied the privilege of serving his country during the great Civil conflict because of parental objections, two other brothers having enlisted, Mr. Nye turned his attention and concentrated his energies on his preparation for the future. He left his home and matriculated at

Randolph (New York) Academy in 1862 and spent the following winter in teaching school. The succeeding year he spent in practically the same manner. From that time forward, such time as was not occupied with teaching school, was spent in working on the farm for the purpose of accumulating a stipend to be used in further pursuit of learning.

Coming to Oberlin in the spring of 1866, he entered the preparatory department and a year later became a member of the freshman class of Oberlin College. Although his studies were interrupted by the necessity of teaching during the vacation, and doing other work during school terms, he received his degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1871. The degree of Master of Arts was conferred upon him by the college in 1883. In his final year at Oberlin he also occupied the position of superintendent of the Public Schools at Milan, Ohio, and at the solicitation of the board of education, taught there another year after his graduation.

While in Oberlin and also at Milan, he devoted his spare time to laying a foundation for the law so that in August, 1872, he successfully passed the requirements for admission and was admitted to the bar at Elyria, Ohio. The same year he went to Emporia, Kansas, with a view to locating there and growing up in what was then a new country. But finding this location not suited to this tastes he returned to Elyria and took up the practice of law in earnest, associating himself with John C. Hale, who later became one of the leaders of the Cleveland bar, and a most worthy judge of the Cireuit Court.

A year later he opened his own office for the practice of law, which he retained continuously until he went upon the Common Pleas bench in 1892. From 1881 to 1884, however, he served a creditable term as prosecuting attorney of Lorain County. At various times during his private practice in Elyria, he served as county school examiner, member of the city board of education and member of the city council.

With the unanimous approval of the members of the Lorain County bar, Mr. Nye's name was placed in nomination for judge of Common Pleas bench for the district composed of Lorain, Medina and Summit counties, at the judicial convention held at Medina in July, 1891. In the following November he was elected hy a handsome majority and took his seat in February, 1892. Toward the close of his term, he received the nomination by acclamation for a second term and was re-elected for another five years.

Judge Nye's record on the bench is distinctly unique, both in the character and the amount of work which was accomplished. Taking the position at a time when the court docket was literally clogged with old cases, he set his energies at once to a clearing away of this accumulation of cases. He made it a rule that the attorneys should try their cases as they appeared on the assignment and the oldest cases were brought forward and disposed of with as great rapidity as justice would permit. After ten vears of the most arduous and exacting labor, which for a time impaired his health, Judge Nye left as a heritage to his successor, a practically up-to-date assignment with searcely a case on the dockets which had been started more than three vears hefore.

Many were the decisions of great public importance that came from his pen. As a jurist he pursued a course of conservative, intelligent, wise and painstaking dignity, ever watchful for that true justice which is tempered with equity and mercy. It was with much relief that he often remarked that his duty never called upon him to impose a capital sentence upon one who was tried before him. During his long term he maintained a record of having had but one criminal case at which he presided, overruled by a higher court.

the influence, violent threats and affidavits of prejudice that were used as a means to shake him, he clung tenaciously to his honest and fearless convictions that law and order should prevail.

His was a mind that concentrated itself upon a principle of law until the fundamental theories were solved and their application placed - upon the case in question without regard to anything except right and justice, and yet ever guided by his own high conception of gentlemanly courtesy.

Among those of his decisions which will ever stand as precedents of jurisprudence in this state and nation, was one in which Judge Nye decided that the holder of National Bank shares had no right under the laws of Ohio to deduct his legal bona fide debts from the value of such shares. The Circuit Court of the county reversed Judge Nye, but the Supreme Court of Ohio and the Supreme Court of the United States sustained him, consequently setting a new and unique precedent in matters of the relation of Federal banks to counties and states.

On retiring at the end of his second term, Judge Nye again opened an office for the general practice of law, which he still maintains in his service to a large clientele. Significant of the respect and esteem in which Judge Nye has been held during his long career in this one community, is the fact that among his present clients are the grandchildren of some of those who formed his clientele in the early days of his practice in Elyria - three generations having continued to come to him for counsel and advice.

In 1911 the electors of Lorain County complimented Judge Nye by choosing him as one of its representatives to amend the state constitution. His work in the Fourth Constitutional Convention was of a high order, dignified, conservative and based on the sound judgment of a long experience and familiarity with legal and constitutional questions.

Shortly after the adoption of the amendments to the state constitution, it became necessary to draft new rules for the procedure in the newly established Courts of Appeals. Judge Nye was chosen by the president of the Ohio State Bar Association as a member of a committee of prominent lawyers of the state to assist the judges of the court to prepare regulations for its government, in accordance with the new constitutional requirements.

Ever a strong exponent for civic welfare and progress, he has interested himself in an advisory capacity as well as financially in the thriving industries of his city, which are making it a sound and prosperous manufacturing center.

It has been his joy to hold himself in readiness for any honorable service he might render to others and to the community in which he lives, and he has served as president of the Elyria Chamber of Commerce, a contributor to the Elyria Hospital, and a member of the Elyria Hospital Company, and a member and contributor of the Y. M. C. A., besides giving liberally of his means and energies in many other lines of upbuilding.

In Masonic circles, Judge Nye has gained considerable prominence, having reached the highest pinnacle of this ancient and honored order, when in September, 1915, was conferred upon him, in Boston. Massachusetts, the thirty- third and highest degree in Masonry. He is a member of Oriental Commandery Knights Templars, of Cleveland, Ohio, and on the establishment of a commandery in Elyria, he was made an honorary member of the organization.

Politically, Judge Nye is a staunch republican and what honors he has received at the hands of his party, he has fully compensated for by his counsel and activity in the interests of the principles for which the party stands and the good it has accomplished.

On September 15, 1880, Judge Nye was united in marriage with Luna Fisher, daughter of Alfred Fisher, of Cuyahoga County, Ohio. The Fisher family were pioneer settlers in Independence Township and were the highly honored and respected leaders of their community. Mrs. Nye has always been an active influence for good in her home and community, her inspiration being an important factor in Judge Nye's career,

Two children were born to Judge and Mrs. Nye. David Fisher Nye, born October 27, 1882, was graduated from the Elyria High School in 1902 and from Oberlin College in 1906. He received the degree of LL. B. from the law school of Western Reserve University in June, 1909, was admitted to the bar the same month and soon after formed a partnership with his father, under the firm name of D. J. and D. F. Nye. He was a most estimable young man and was considered one of the most promising young attorneys at the Lorain County bar. But his death on June 23, 1912, deprived his family and the community of one of its most cherished members.

Horace Hastings Nye, born August 4th, 1884, was graduated from Elyria High School in 1902 and from Oberlin College in 1908. He engaged in newspaper work for a few years and was afterwards, in 1915, graduated from the law school of Western Reserve University. He was admitted to the bar July 1, 1915. At the present time (1915) he is associated with his father in the practice of law in Elyria.

Davip S. TROXEL, Twenty years ago a young business man of Denver, Colorado, but who had himself been reared in Ohio, where his family was established early in the nineteenth century, invented an improved form of bicycle saddle. The foot-power bicycle was then at the height of its popularity ; automobiles were in the experimental stage of manufacture and almost unknown on public highways; while the motorcycle was still in the future. Leaving his Denver business Mr. Troxel came to Elyria and made arrangements for the manufacture of his saddle. From the first it was an article that filled a number of requirements demanded in a perfect saddle, and there has never been a year since in which the Troxel saddle has not been increased in efficieney, durability. appearance and comfort. Out of this beginning has been evolved the Troxel Manufacturing Company, makers of bicycle and motorcycle saddles and tool bags, and the goods of this now oldest saddle house in America has an established reputation over the world and have no superior in strength, style, symmetry and proportions. It is one of the leading industries of Elyria, and the plant has kept growing by additions and improved equipment, and now easily leads all other concerns of its.kind. An interesting feature of the Troxel business, and one that shows the substantial character that is impressed on every single product along with excellence of material and special care in the making. is the unique guaranty that all goods are free from defects in material or workmanship. and the company states expheitly to its customers that they expect to and do live up to the guarantee to the letter.

The president of the Troxel Manufacturing Company, and the original inventor of its chief product, has been as public spirited and efficient as a citizen of Elyria as he has been successful as a manufacturer. David S. Troxel was born at the old Troxel homestead near Wooster. Wayne County, Ohio, March 2, 1864. That old homestead has been in the family since 1826, and has been occupied by three successive generations of the name. The first of the name in the state was Peter Troxel, grandfather of the Elyria manufacturer. Born in Berks County, Pennsvlvania. in 1804, Peter Troxel when a voung man of twenty-one, in

1825, came into Wayne County, Ohio, and soon afterwards settled on a farm near Wooster. A portion of the land he secured from the Government at the cost of $1.25 per acre. On that farm the father of David S. Troxel was born in 1833, and spent a long career as a farmer, with incidental honors paid him by his fellow citizens in election to local * offices. His death occurred July 25, 1908. His wife, whose maiden name was Miss Sarah Shaum, was born near Wooster in 1834, and is now living in Wayne County at the advanced age of eighty-one.

The early associations and experiences of David S. Troxel were centered around the old Troxel farm in Wayne County. He attended district schools, helped in all forms and departments of the farm enterprise, but early manifested tendencies and ambitions for the commercial life. His preparatory experience in this direction was obtained as clerk in a country store where he began work in 1886 and remained one year. Realizing the need of better training, he then followed that with a course in a business college, and from Ohio sought a new field in the West, locating in Colorado. At Denver he became bookkeeper in a hardware store, but in 1889 engaged in the hardware business on his own account. He was the owner and active manager of this enterprise in Denver for nine years, and on returning East to manufacture his bicycle saddle, which he had invented in 1898, he left the store in charge of his brother, to whom he finally sold it in 1910. Mr. Troxel is still owner of property in Denver, but has no active business interests there. His home was in that city for ten years.

On bringing his invention to Elyria Mr. Troxel arranged for its manufacture by The Garford Manufacturing Company, but being convinced of its merits and encouraged by its progress in popularity he soon organized the Troxel Manufacturing Company, and has since been its president and manager. This company now occupies a large four-story building in Elvria and in order to keep in touch with the trade, now extended not only throughout the United States but to all countries where the bicycle and motorcycle are used, it issues a thirty-five page catalog descriptive of the various types of saddles, tool bags and other equipment. ;

In addition to his position as head of the Troxel Manufacturing Company, he is a director in the National Bank of Elyria, is vice president of the Tucker Woodworking Company at Sidney, Ohio, and a director and stockholder in a number of other enterprises at Elyria and elsewhere. He is one of the active members of the Elyria Chamber of Commerce.

The people of Elyria remember gratefully Mr. Troxell's administration as mayor. He was elected to that office in the fall of 1907, and began the duties of his two-year term on January 1, 1908. After an interval of two vears he was again called to the same post in the fall of 1911, beginning his second term January 1, 1912. He made his administration efficient and businesslike, strictly non-partisan, and with a record of many substantial improvements. During the first term he secured the erection of two new fire stations, and inaugurated extensive street paving and sewer construction.

Mr. Troxel is a republican in politics, is a member of the Cleveland Athletic Club of Cleveland, of the Elyria Automobile Club, the Elyria Country Club, and finds his chief satisfaction in the way of recreation in the ancient game of golf. Fraternally he is affiliated with Elyria Lodge No. 456, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks; with King Solomon Lodge No. 56, Free and Accepted Masons; Marshall Chapter,

Miss Ida Brandt, who was born in Ashland County, a daughter of David and Catherine (Swartz) Brandt. Her mother is still living and resides in Jeromesville, Ashland County. Mr. and Mrs. Troxel have one daughter, Kathryn Ida. Mr. Troxel is the owner of three of the best modern apartment houses in Elyria and has considerable other property in the city.

SuMNER BuRRELL Day. One of the recent notable events that attracted wide attention in Lorain County was the celebration of the hundredth anniversary of the first settlement in Sheffield Township. This celebration was held in August, 1915. Many of the descendants of the original pioneers went up Black River to what was once known as the Heyer Farm, now included in the site of the National Tube Company's plant, and by picnic festivities and a varied program celebrated the hundredth anniversary of the founding of the Township of Sheffield. The spirit of this celebration was well indicated in the words of the invitations which were sent to descendants of pioneers in many parts of the country: ''The glad remembrance of one hundred years of bounteous and righteous living for themselves and their ancestors in this town inspires the dwellers of Sheffield to invite their friends, especially the early settlers and their descendants, to a homecoming and celebration of this one hundredth anniversary.''

Leaving out a general account of this celebration and the original founding of the township, which will be considered elsewhere, it may be briefly stated that the original owner of the land in Sheffield, William Hunt, sold the property to Capt. Jabez Burrell and Capt. John Day. This transaction, which occurred just 100 years ago. was the preliminary to the settlement of members of the Burrell, Day and a number of other families who are still represented by their descendants in this part of Ohio and elsewhere.

One of the oldest living representatives of the pioneer Day family in Lorain County was Sumner Burrell Day, whose death occurred November 29, 1915. He had long been prominent as a business man and banker of Elyria. Mr. Day was born at Sheffield, Ohio, April 19, 1842. He belonged to that numerous and prominent family of Days who have left the impress of their character and activities in many communities, both in New England and in the West. The original settler was Robert Day of Hartford, Connecticut, who died in 1648. Several registers of the descendants of this Robert Day have been published, and a brief account of the descent from Robert Day to Sumner B. Day has an appropriate place in this sketch.

Robert Day, who died at Hartford in 1648 at the age of forty-four, and whose interesting will, dated May 20, 1648, has been preserved in one of the publications of the genealogical register, emigrated to this country in April, 1634. He and his wife Mary came over on the bark Elizabeth to Boston, and he settled first in Newtown, now Cambridge. He was made a freeman of the town on May 6, 1635, but in 1639 was a resident, and one of the first settlers, at Hartford, Connecticut. He was probably one of the company which followed their pastor, Rev. Mr. Hooker to Hartford in 1636. For his second wife he married Editha Stebbins, and this wife was the mother of his son Thomas, who was the ancestor of the Springfield branch of the Day family and also of the Sheffield, Ohio, descendants.

Thomas Day, founder of the Springfield branch, died December 27, 1711. He was married October 27, 1659, to Sarah Cooper. daughter of Lieut. Thomas Cooper, who was killed when the town was burned by the Indians. She died November 21, 1726. They were the parents

John, in the third generation, a resident at West Springfield, was married March 10, 1697, to Mary Smith of Hadley, who died February 28, 1742, at the age of sixty-five. On August 27, 1743, he mar- ~ ried Hannah Kent of Hadley. John died November 20, 1752, at the age of seventy-nine. The children, all by the first wife, were ten in number, and the lineage is carried forward through their son William.

William, referred to as Captain William, was born October 23, 1713. For many years he was engaged in the seafaring business and had command of various vessels. He was married three times. About 1746-47, he married Polly, daughter of Col. John Day of Boston. She died in Jamaica about 1755. His second wife was the widow Eunice Ingersoll of Westfield. His third wife was Rhoda Hubbell of Litchfield, Connecticut, who died July 25, 1795. Captain William died at Sheffield March 22, 1797, at the age of eighty-three. As some of his children were identified with the early settlement of Northern Ohio it will be proper to mention their individual names: William, who was born about 1730; William Junius; Polly, who was born about 1749 and died in childhood; Mary, who was born April 26, 1772, and married Henry Root of Sheffield, Ohio, on September 10, 1800; John, who was the Lorain County pioneer already mentioned and referred to in the following paragraph; Ichamar H., born August 14, 1776; James, born June 7, 1780; and William, born March 8, 1787.

At this point it will be proper to introduce a copy of the document which indicates that one ancestor of the present family in Ohio had a part in those colonial movements which brought about the independence of this country. From the proceedings of the centennial celebration of the Town of Sheffield, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, held on June 18-19 in 1876, the following is a copy of what was called ''The Preliminary Statement,'' a record made in 1776, as follows: ''At a town meeting, legally called, held in Sheffield, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, on the 18th of June, 1776, Captain William Day being chosen moderator and Stephen Deevey being town clerk, the report of a committee consisting of Col. Ashley, Dr. Lemuel Barnard, Col. John Fellows, Col. Aaron Root, and Capt. Nath'el Austin - which committee was chosen 'to draw a resolve to send to the representative' - was heard, and '

''Tt was put to vote - whether the inhabitants of the sd town of Sheffield, should the Honble. Continental Congress in their wisdom think prudent and for interest and safety of the American Colonies to declare sd colonies independent of the Kingdom of Great Britain, they the inhabitants of sd Sheffield will solemnly engage with their lives and fortunes to support them in their measures.

John Day, the Lorain County pioneer, and a son of Captain William, was born February 3, 1774, and in 1816 brought his family to Sheffield, Ohio. He was married in 1794 to Lydia Austin of Sheffield, Massachusetts. He died in Lorain County October 8, 1827. The record of their children is as follows: Rhoda, born November 26, 1794, and died November 24, 1795; William, born December 15, 1796; Rhoda Maria, born March 29, 1799, died October 10, 1825; John 2d, born March 23, 1801; Norman, born January 24, 1803; Fanny, horn April 3, 1805, and married on April 15, 1834, to William H. Root of Sheffield, Ohio; James, born August 27, 1807; Lydia, born March 5, 1810, and married September 17, 1840; Kendrick K. Kinney of Oberlin; Kellogg, born January 23, 1813; Frederick, born February 12, 1815; Edmund, born February 24, 1818; and Eleanor, born July 13, 1820, and married April 3, 1840, James Austin of Sheffield. John Day, the father of these children, was in the fifth generation from the original Robert Day.

In the sixth generation was William Day, a son of the pioneer John Day. William was born December 13, 1796, and was about twenty years of age when the family came to Sheffield, Ohio. He died November 9, 1889. He was married May 6, 1832, to Augusta Burrell, of Sheffield, and also a representative of the group of pioneers who settled at Sheffield 100 years ago. She died October 9, 1887. Their children were: Huldah Maria, born March 5, 1833; William Augustus, born June 14, 1835; Henry Kellogg, born August 22, 1837; Marietta, born September 30, 1839; Sumner Burrell, born April 19, 1842; Eugene L., born April 12, 1847; and Everett E., born November 3, 1850.

Sumner Burrell Day, who therefore stood in the seventh generation of the Day family in America, grew up in Lorain County, gained his education at Sheffield and at Oberlin, and in early life was connected with the lumber industry. His home was in Elyria since 1885, and many important business achievements and institutions are associated with his name. He was president and builder of the Elyria, Grafton & Southern Electric Railway. From its foundation to his death he was a director in the Lorain County Banking Company, was its first vice president. and held that office until elected president, an office he held eight years. He was a director in the Elyria Lumber & Coal Company, in the Perry-Fay Company, and owned considerable real estate both at Elvria and elsewhere.

On May 28, 1867, at Russell, New York. he married Miss Sue Maria Knox, daughter of William Knox. Their two children, in the eighth generation of the family, are Lee Sumner and Edith M. Lee S. Day is a lawyer by profession. He married Maude Allen October 1, 1910, and the children of that union are: William Allen, born June 27, 1911; Bernice Elizabeth, born June 1, 1912, and died June 7, 1913; and twins Donna and Doris, born May 22, 1915; Edith M. is the wife of Asaph R. Jones, a well known Elyria citizen and a member of the present city council (1915). Mr. and Mrs. Jones were married November 9, 1898, and their children are: Ernest Lee, born April 1, 1901: Sumner Richard, born November 6, 1963; Roderic Orlando, born June 4.1911; and Edith Lucile, born May 19, 1915.

In the genealogical register of the family of Robert Day is found an interesting account of the pioneer services rendered by various members of the family who came to Sheffield, Ohio, in 1816. In order to make this individual record more complete and also for its general historical importance considered with respect to Lorain County, the following is taken without formal quotation from the register already mentioned.

In 1794 John Day and Lydia Austin were married in Sheffield. Massachusetts. where they resided for twenty-one years until their removal to their new home in Ohio. Meanwhile ten children had come into the household. How in the world the mother, who at the time of her marriage is described as *'a frail delicate girl of nineteen summers'' could care for so large a family and look after the affairs of the household as they had to be looked after in those days it is difficult for us of this generation to comprehend. The youngest one of her children, Eleanor, thus describes these duties: ''In the spring the flax was to be spun, woven into cloth and whitened for the family supply of linen. That is a very short statement of the matter of supply, and conveys to those of the present day no idea of the amount and severity of the labor to be performed, of the many, many weary steps to be taken, the aches to be endured to accomplish all this. Later in the season the samesprocess of spinning and weaving the wool was to be gone through with for their winter clothing; all this cloth had to be made up of course. The modern woman even with the aid of a good sewing machine considers it a great task. a burden she can scarce endure to do the family sewing and her housework too. What would they think if they had to make their cloth as well as our mothers did. Besides there was the butter and cheese to make, a large family to be fed and cared for, washing, ironing, mending, baking, brewing, cleaning and the many other things all housekeepers find to do, went on continually in the old home. the theater of our mother's unceasing Mmaustry. se

The journey from Massachusetts to Ohio, which ean now be made with comfort in sixteen hours, required then twenty-two days of arduous exertion and strenuous self denial. In January, 1815, Capt. John Day joined with Jabez Burrell in the purchase of the tract of land now known as Sheffield, Lorain County, Ohio. After persuading several other persons to share the purchase with them they came to Sheffield in June to explore the township and to select lots for themselves and friends. On the 27th of the following July, Captain Day and his wife and his nine children arrived at their destination in Ohio, after a journey in covered wagons of more than three weeks. As told also in another chapter, the heavy household goods and farming utensils had at Schenectady, New York, been loaded on a small, half-decked schooner of about fifteen tons burden which was sailed up the Mohawk, locked around the obstruction of Little Falls and thence drawn through the rude canal which led into Oneida Lake and thence through the Oswego River to Lake Ontario. At Queenston the schooner was unloaded, put upon cart wheels and drawn past Niagara Falls to Chippewa and there launched. Her cargo followed in like manner and was there reloaded. The schooner then proceeded through the lake and up Black River to the mouth of French Creek, where her cargo of salt and goods was landed on the Big Bottom.

A log house was soon built and the slow work of clearing the heavy forest begun. Here in the course of four years two other children were added to the household, making twelve in all. But they were surrounded with other households of proportionate size. Captain Burrell with his eight children arrived a few days later. Henry Root and his wife and six children had preceded them by two or three months, while Captain Smith with his eight children were already on the ground. Deer and bear abounded in the forest and fish were abundant in the river, thus affording ready made a considerable portion of the food which they required. But bears were not altogether pleasant neighbors.

True to their traditions the Day family in Sheffield immediately set up religious and educational institutions. In the winter of 1816 religious meetings were commenced at the house of Captain Burrell, and in the absence of a clergyman a sermon was read. In the spring of 1817 Alvan Coe preached the first sermon. In the fall of the same year Rev. Alvin Hyde began regular services in Sheffield and adjoining towns, and in 1818 the Congregational Church was formed, William Day being one of the original members. A log schoolhouse was soon built, near where the church now stands, and the first schoo] in it was taught by Preston Pond from Keene, New Hampshire. In June, 1824, the Town of Sheffield was organized by the county commissioners, and John Day chosen as one of the trustees. The interest in religion and education thus shown has continued in all the descendants of this pioneer family.

At one time or another nearly all of those who were born in Sheffield. have pursued their higher education in Oberlin College. and it still remains true that nearly all the members of the family are professors of religion, and with Aunt Eleanor we can point with pride to the fact that the descendants of John Day ''have never from their number furnished a criminal, or a drunkard, or a disreputable person of any kind.'' Not satisfied with knowledge attained in school. May, daughter of James Day, granddaughter of Capt. John Day and niece of Norman Day, became a recognized authority in the botany of Lorain County, so that she was constantly consulted by professors of Oberlin. The herbarium which she presented to the college contains some specimens that had not before been discovered in the county. Lydia, daughter of Norman, became an equal authority in the botany of the Rocky Mountain region.

In due time the new hive swarmed; and as pioneers went out from Sheffield to Massachusetts, so again they went out from Sheffield, Ohio, to carry with them their habits of industry, economy and upright life and spread broadcast the leaven so successfully brought from their ancestral home. Kellogg Day was for many years a missionary among the Cherokee Indians. Alfred, a son of John II, after having served three years in the Civil war took up his residence and reared a large family in Mondovi, Wisconsin. Many others went out from Lorain County and made their mark and impress on the citizenship and growth of various

- localities. The members of the family who served their country in the Civil war were: Hiram A. Disbrow, husband of Marietta: G. F. Wright, husband of Maria; Alfred, son of John; Henry C. Bacon, husband of Eliza F.; Cyrus Yale Durand, husband of Celia; and Frederic O.. son of Frederick; while Carl Edmund, son of Frederic O.. served in the Cuban war.

Hans P. NIELSEN. In the person of Hans P. Nielsen. the City of Lorain has a citizen who has contributed to its upbuilding a conservative and reliable jewelry business, whose abilities have been solicited in the management and direction of a number of other enterprises, and whose talents have been utilized in serving the interests of the city in various positions of trust and importance. When he first came to this country Mr. Nielsen's assets consisted principally of ambition and determination and a thorough knowledge of an honorable and useful trade: with these as a foundation he has built up a structure of success that entitles him to a place of honor among the substantial men of his adopted city.

Mr. Nielsen was born June 1, 1851, in Denmark. and is a son of Jonathan and Christina Nielsen. He received his education in the publie schools and his first experience was in the store of his father, who was a jeweler, and under whom he learned the trade, which included that of silversmith, as well as watch repairing. He worked in his native land until 1873, when he emigrated to the United States, first locating at Cleveland, Ohio, where he remained for four years, and-then coming to Lorain, where he established himself in business as a watchmaker. His first store was a modest one, with a small line, but his skill. fidelity and courtesy attracted custom to its door, and as business grew he found it necessary to enlarge his quarters. Each year found him adding to his stock and equipment, until he finally built his present store. a threestory structure, 30x100 feet, with the two upper floors devoted to apartments and the main floor occupied by his jewelry business and _ salesroom. Here he has a full and up-to-date stock of all kinds of watches, jewelry. diamonds and other precious stones, silverware. cut glass. ete., catering to the most representative trade in the city. The abilities that developed this business have not been allowed to remain tied up in it, for Mr. Nielsen has found the time and the energy to devote to other matters, of both a business and public character, and at the present time is a director of the Lorain Banking Company and secretary of the Citizens Home Savings Association, having held the latter office for a period.of twenty-five years. Always a sincere and helpful friend of edu- _ cation, he is at this time vice president of the Lorain Board of Education and chairman of the new high school building committee. He was formerly a trustee of the Lorain Water Works and for five years was customs officer of the port of Lorain. His public life has been characterized by faithful performance of duty and the accomplishment of many benefits for the city of his adoption. Fraternally, Mr. Nielsen is affiliated with the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which he has many friends.

On October +, 1875, Mr. Nielsen was married to Miss Mikoline Mikkelsen, also a native of Denmark, and to this union there have been born eight children: Christina, who is the wife of Clarence Hitchcock, who is engaged in the insurance business at Lorain; Jonathan, who learned the jewelry business under his father and is now the proprietor of an establishment at Newcastle, Pennsylvania, and one of the successful business men of that place; Anna, who is the wife of E. M. Timms, a marine engineer of Lorain; Gyde, who is the wife of Bert Boyes, a machinist of Lorain; Harry and Walter, bright and energetic young business men of Lorain, who are associated with their father in the jewelry business; Mildred, who is single and resides with her parents; and Florence, who is the wife of Frank Schworer, a carpenter of Lorain. Mr. Nielsen and his family are members of the Lutheran Church.

ORVILLE Roor. For more than half a century Orville Root has been an active factor in the life of Lorain County, as a farmer, county official, and banker. His family were among the very old settlers in the vicinity of Sheffield. and the ancestral Mne of the Roots extends back through nearly three centuries of American history.

The original spelling of the name was Roote, and John Roote, a son of John Roote. of Badby, Northamptonshire, England, came to America with a company of Puritans and was one of the first settlers of Farmington, Connecticut. in 1640. From the beginning he was a prominent citizen of the town, and his will indicates that he was a weaver by trade. One of the old records states: ''Both John and his wife were in full communion with the Farmington Congregational church.'' He died in 1684, leaving an estate of $4,095. In 1640 John Roote married Mary, daughter of Thomas Kilbourne, of Wood Ditton, England. With her parents she came to America in the ship Increase in 1635, and died in 1697. The successive generations down to the present citizen of Lorain County may be indicated briefly as follows: 1. John and Mary (Kilbourne) Roote, of Farmington, Connecticut; 2. Thomas and Mary (Gridley) Roote, of Westfield. Massachusetts; 3. Ensign Joseph and Sarah Root, of Westfield, Massachusetts; 4. Colonel Aaron and Jerusha (Steele) Root, of Sheffield. Massachusetts; 5. Henry and Mary (Day) Root, of Sheffield, Massachusetts and Sheffield, Ohio, this being the generation which established its pioneer home within the limits of Lorain county; 6. William and Fannv (Dav) Root, of Sheffield, Ohio; 7. Orville and Sarah (Howes) Root, of Sheffield, Ohio.

Mr. Orville Root was born at Sheffield, Ohio, in 1837. His father. William Henry Root, was born at Sheffield, Massachusetts, June 11, 1803. and was brought when little more than a child to Northern Ohio. He became a farmer, had only a common school education, was a member of the Congregational Church, and voted with the whig party until its dissolution and was afterwards a republican. He served as county auditor of Lorain County from 1854 until 1860. His wife, Fanny Day Root, was born April 3, 1805, at Sheffield, Massachusetts, and in 1816 with her father and mother, John and Lydia (Austin) Day, came to Sheffield, Ohio. Her ancestor, Robert Day, came from Wales in 1634 on the bark Elizabeth, first settling in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and afterwards in Hartford, Connecticut.