Mayfield Village

Mayfield Village

The First Settlers - Unexpected Visitors - Clearing Land - The First Marriage - James Covert - Extraordinary Vigor - No Roads - Bears fond of Veal and Pork - A Lover of Cream Killed - Covert's Adventure with a Bear - Other Settlers - First Church - Cowardly Wolves - Formation of Mayfield Township - First Officers - Notes from the Town Book - Slaughter of Sixty-three Rattlesnakes - First Sawmill - First Gristmill - Halsey Gates - Outbreak of Mormonism - Long-standing Debts - Frederick Willson - Ezra Eddy - Jeniah Jones - Dr. Dille - New Hotels - Willson and McDowell's Mills - Rapid Improvement - Dr Moon - Dr. Charles - First Church Edifice - Mayfield Academy - Plank Road - Post Offices - The Free Methodist Churches - Church of the

In the year 1805 Abner Johnson, Samuel Johnson and David Smith came with their families from Ontario county, New York, and made the first settlement in the present township of Mayfield, then known as survey-township number eight in range ten of the Western Reserve. They located themselves on the west side of Chagrin river, a little above the site of Willson's Mills, built their cabins, and began opera: tions.

In the spring of 1806 the members of the little settlement were agreeably surprised to see three of their old neighbors in Ontario county, make their appearance, with packs on their backs, guns on their shoulders, and dogs by their sides. The oldest of these was Daniel S. Judd, a large, fleshy man, already sixty-five years of age, who had fought in the old French and Indian war forty-five years before, and also in the Revolution, and was likewise renowned as a mighty hunter. With him were his two sons, Freeman and Thomas Judd. The three had started for Portage county, where they designed settling, but having lost their way, they had accidentally come upon their old neighbors whom they had not seen during the previous year. They were so well pleased with the fine bottom-lands on the Chagrin river that they determined to look no farther, but immediately began a settlement on the west side, a little above where the Johnsons and Smith had located.

That summer all were busy chopping timber, burning off land, planting a little corn between the logs, and performing numerous other duties incident to the beginning of a settlement. The next fall or winter the Judds went East, and obtained their families and personal property. They had returned but a short time when the first wedding was celebrated in the township - in the last part of 1806 or the first part of 1807 - the parties being John Howton and Polly Judd, and the serviecs being performed by Esquire Turner, of Chagrin.

In the spring of 1807 James Covert, the son-in-law of D. $. Judd, came into the township from Seneca county, New York, and located himself in the Chagrin valley, below the site of Willson's Mills, where he has ever since resided. He was already twenty-six years of age, and had a wife and child. As was the case with most of the new settlers his worldly wealth was very limited, consisting of three dollars in money, an axe andadog, After putting up a shanty, he went on foot to Painesville, a city then consisting of three or four log cabins, and bought a peck of poor salt for a dollar, carrying it home on his back. With the remaining two dollars he bought two pigs. He also purchased « two-year old heifer on credit from Judd, and thus he began life in Mayfield. He is certainly by sheer industry and attention to business, though in truth those qualities must needs be accompanied by extraordinary vital powers to accomplish such results as Mr. Covert has brought about. __

When the writer visited him in the autumn of 1878, he was, although ninety-seven years old, in the full possession of all his mental powers and all his physi- cal senses except his hearing, and was at work attending to his stock. Always a farmer, he has made himself the owner of over a thousand acres of land, besides large amounts of other property, has long been noted as the richest man in the township, and has in the meantime been the father of twenty-three children, twenty-two of whom he raised to be men and women. 'The writer has had a good deal of experience among industrious and vigorous old pioneers, but Mr. Covert's is certainly the most remarkable example of them all.

T'wo of the families mentioned at the beginning of the chapter, those of Samuel Johnson and David Smith, had left the township before Mr. Covert came, and their place was taken by that of John Jackson.

The first birth in the township was that of a child born in the latter part of 1807, to John and Polly Ilowton, whose marriage has been mentioned above. For several years there were few newcomers except small strangers of this description. The scattered settlers kept busily at work, and soon made considerable clearings around their respective cabins. They were, however, very much isolated. There were no roads laid out in township eight, and for several years its inhabitants had to work their road tax on the lake shore road in the township of Chagrin, now Willoughby in Lake county.

Fortunately the county was healthy; there being very little even of fever and ague compared with what is customary in new countries. But there were many annoyances. When the cows bad calves in the woods the bears would sometimes kill and eat them. They were equally destructive to the hogs, but Mr. Covert relates that when he was able to keep a large number of the latter animals they would join together, fight with the bears and drive them off. So impudent were these ursine depredators that they would sometimes come up to the very doors of the settlers' cabins in search of food. One morning Mrs. Judd put her cream in the churn, ready for churning, set it out on a temporary porch and went about her work. On the cream all licked up. A number of bear's tracks around the place disclosed the cause of the robbery. When James Jackson, who was boarding at Judd's, came in at night and learned of the affair he determined to watch for the marauder. Accordingly, after dark, he placed a pail of sour milk on the porch and took his stand, rifle in hand, in the house opposite an open window that looked out on the ''bait." After everything was quiet and when the watcher was beginning to get drowsy, he was suddenly aroused to intense wakefulness by hearing something lapping at the milk. Taking aim at the noise, for it was perfectly dark, he pulled the trigger. A light was brought and a big, fat, short-legged bear was found dead _ beside the pail of milk, with a bullet lodged in his brain.

The wolves were still more obnoxious. After Mr. Covert had been there a few years, he bought two old sheep and two lambs in Chester, Geanga county, paying $2.50 per head for the four; brought them home and turned them into his field. The next morning he went out and found that the wolves had killed both the lambs and were then making their breakfast off from them. After that he yarded his sheep at night and watched them a little by day, and soon succeeded in raising a fine flock.

Mr. Covert, notwithstanding his assiduity as a farmer, was also a good deal of a hunter, and so was James Jackson, above referred to. One day the two got in close pursuit of alarge bear which Jackson had wounded. The animal in going down a bank stumbled and fell into a hole, where he lay on his back with his feet sticking up. Covert crept down to reconnoitre, but got so near that the bear caught his foot in his mouth and bit through boot, foot and all. He hung on, too, and with his paws mutilated Covert's leg terribly. The latter got hold of a sapling and pulled both himself and his enemy out of the hole, when the dogs attacked the bear. The latter then let go his hold and the hunters soon dispatched him. Mr. Coyert was confined to the house for seyeral weeks by his wounds.

Among the settlers who came seyeral years after those already mentioned were P. K. Wilson, Benjamin Wilson, Luke Covert, Benjamin Carpenter and Solomon Moore. The early settlers were largely Methodists, and as soon as 1809 they formed a class of that denomination under the charge of the Rev. Mr. Davidson, who is said to haye been an eloquent and successful preacher. For many years their meetings were held in private houses and in the woods, as there was not even a log school-house for them to assemble in. 'The first death in the township was that of Daniel S. Judd, the veteran of two great wars, who died of apoplexy in 1810.

As has been said, the lack of roads was a great annoyance. Mr. Covert states that he has often taken a bushel of corn on his back and gone to Chagrin (now Willoughby) to mill, attended on his return home by packs of howling wolves, not far away on either side. But these animals rarely attacked a man, eyen in the night. Once, however, Mr. Covert thought he stood a good chance of becoming wolf bait. He had been reaping for a man who lived seyeral miles down the river, in the present township of Willoughby, and was returning home after dark. T'wo miles from home, as he was following a sled path, (carrying his shoes in his hand that he might the better feel the path with his naked feet in the Egyptian darkness), he was startled by an angry growl, and saw the fierce eyes of three or four wolves glaring at him, not more than six feet away. It was seldom that a wolf approached so near, and the young man thought his time had come. He felt in the darkness for a tree, which he might ascend, and in doing so got hold of a couple of sticks. These he threw with all his might at the heads of his enemies, who shrank back, howling, into the forest. Reassured by finding that they were as cowardly as the

The war of 1812 stopped even what little progress there was before that time, and it was not until 1816 that a school-house was erected in the township. It was a log building, situated on the land formerly owned by Anthony Sherman. It was used for some years as school-house, church and town-hall. A few more settlers came after the war, among whom was Seth Mapes, who came in 1815 and remained until 1827, when he removed to Orange. In 1819 a new township was formed, by the name of Mayfield, the first town meeting being held on the 14th day of June, in that year. 'There were only twenty voters present, and. of, these paiva were elected to fill the

The meeting organized by choosing Daniel S. Judd, Daniel Richardson and Adam Oyeroker as judges of election, and John Jackson as clerk. The following officers were elected: 'Trustees, Adam Overoker, Seth Mapes, Daniel Smith; clerk, John Jackson; overseers of the poor, James Covert, Philo Judd; fence viewers, John Gloge, Michael Overocker; constables, Ephraim Graves, Rufus Mapes; lister, Henry Francisco; appraiser, Calvin Mapes; treasurer, Benjamin Carpenter, Jr.; justice of the peace, Michael Overoker. 'The following is also a part of the township record for that year, which was sent to the Historical Society some twenty years ago:

"Received of the township of Chagrin, Novy. 10th, three dollars and eighty-cight cents, being our proportion of the money in the treasury at the time of division, Amount of tax levied in 1818, $76. 00; umount paid by Mayfield, 6.80;.remaining in the treasury of Chagrin at the time of division, $43.05; proportion belonging to Mayfield, $3.88. Paid by John Jackson, three dollars and cighty-eight cents to the trustees of Mayfield, money drawn from the treasury of Chagrin and expended between them and the township clerk as a compensation for their services during the year one thousand eight hundred and ninetecn.'

The increase of population was still slow, though two or three new men came in every year. The bears and wolves slowly receded, but rattlesnakes in large numbers infested the land, especially among the rocks and hills. One of the most remarkable adyentures with snakes, of which we have ever heard, was related to us by Dr. A. L. Dille, on the authority of Mr. Solomon Mapes, a reliable citizen, who, about 1825, killed sixty-three rattlesnakes, the denizens of a single hollow log. Having discovered what sort of inhabitants were within, he armed himself with a stout stick, gave the log a rousing rap, and then slew the rattlers one after the other as they glided out of the open end.

The first sawmill was built by Abner Johnson and Seth Mapes in 1824, a little north of Mayfield Center. The next year Mr. Johnson alone built the first gristmill in the township on a branch of the Chagrin river, near the site of Willson's. Mills.

In 1826 Mr. Halsey Gates came to the locality which has since borne his name (Gates' Mills), bringing with him the gearing of a sawmill and began the work of erecting one at that point. The next year the sawmill was completed, and the year following a gristmill was erected by Mr. Gates at the same place. Lyndon Jenks was another of the early settlers in the southeast part of the township.

About 1828 there was an extraordinary outbreak of Mormonism in this township. Mormon preachers, priests and prophets seem to have made this a special stamping-ground. Quite a number of the inhabitants were converted to that faith, and some of them appeared perfectly crazy in their enthusiasm. Several families were broken up by the fanatical Mormonism of some of their members. Besides the resident converts, a good many Mormons seem to have come in from the outside and ''squatted" in the western and central parts of the township, which were as yet yery thinly settled, so that there would sometimes be several families living on a single farm. After two or three years of excitement they all packed up and moved away, about 1831, to join some larger colony of their brethren.

Mr. Samuel Dean, who still resides at Gates' Mills, came thither in 1829. Nearly all the Jots had been purchased on credit from the original owners. The clearings were generally small and the houses of log, though there were a few frames. Some claims had been held on '' articles " (or agreements to convey on payment) twenty-five to thirty years; the articles being renewed every few years. If the owner could get the interest he thought he was doing well, and sometimes he was unable to get enough to pay the taxes. But after this period, and especially after the Mormons left, a much more enterprising class came in; bought up the old improvements, paid for their lands in a reasonable time, and speedily changed the appearance of the township.

For five years after 1830 emigration was quite rapid. In that year a Frederick Wilson came into the township and settled at what is now known as Willson's Mills. Eltean Wait and Daniel McDowell built the first store in the township (near Willson's Mills) in 1830. In 1831 it passed into the hands of Willson and McDowell, who kept it five or six years.

In 1831 Colonel Ezra Eddy settled in Mayfield and put in operation a tanning and currying establishment near Gates' Mills, which he carried on for many years, becoming one of the most prominent citizens of the township.

The first framed school-house in the township was built at Mayfield Center in 1830. It took the placeof the old log one before mentioned as school-house, church and town-hall; elections being held in it down to 1848.

In 1831 Jeniah Jones settled near the center. He describes the hill part of Mayfield as being still almost a wilderness. There was not a building on the State road, and Mr. Jones, soon after this arrival, helped

Col. Ezra Eddy

Col. Ezra Eddy was born in Randolph, Orange Co., Vt., Aug. 17, 1805. He was the youngest in the family of seven children of James and Sarah (Newton) Eddy, none of whom are now living. His father having died when Ezra was about ten years of age, he was apprenticed to a Mr. Blodgett to learn the tanner's trade.

After his marriage he removed to Mayfield, Cuyahoga Co., where he engaged in the tannery business, in which he continued till 1861, after which time he engaged in farming till his death, which occurred Aug. 3, 1870.

and was conspicuous as one of the pioneers of Mayfield township, where he raised a respectable family, and by severe industry and strict economy left a handsome competence.

Mr. Eddy was perhaps better known throughout the county than almost any man outside of the city of Cleveland as an independent farmer and intelligent citizen.

In the olden time, when militia musters were annual holidays, he was colonel of the regiment east of the Cuyahoga River, which position he filled with ability as long as the old military organizations lasted. For six years he was a commissioner of the county, and as such was respected for his ability, integrity, and faithfulness.

As an honest and zealous politician he was always present at the conventions of the old Whig party, and later of the Republican party, in the county, and was one of the men who gave character to those organizations.

As a neighbor, a husband, and a father, his character and that of his family are sufficient testimony of his value in all such relations of life. Long may his beloved widow enjoy the esteem of her friends and the affection of her children.

to open that road from the center westward. Of those who were on the hill before 1830, few if any remain besides Rufus Mapes. Joseph Leuty came in 1830. Elijah Sorter, with his sons, Charles, Isaac and Harry, came in December, 1831. S. Wheeling, Lucas Lindsley and others also came in 1831, and settled a mile and a half south of the center.

In 1832 Erwin Doolittle put in operation a carding machine and cloth-dressing establishment a short distance north of Willson's Mills, on the same stream on which Abner Johnson's mill was located.

The first physician in the township was Dr. A, L. Dille, who came thither from Euclid in 1834, settled at Willson's Mills, and has ever since resided there. Down to 1834 the inhabitants had to go to Willoughby for their mail-matter. In that year a mail route was established from Chardon, Geauga county, to Cleveland, through Gates' Mills, and a post office was located at the latter place.

Willson & MeDowell built a hotel at Willson's Mills in 1833, which they kept for several years, and about the same time, perhaps a little earlier, Hiram Falk opened one at Gates' Mills. In 1834 Halsey Gates put up a fine framed hotel at Gates' Mills with a ball-room in it, which was the center of many a joyous gathering. About 1833 or "34 Willson & Mc- Dowell built a flouring-mill and sawmill near the site of their store and tavern. The mills were burned in 1839, but were soon rebuilt, General Willson remaining a part or entire owner until they passed into the hands of his son, who now owns them. Hence the name of Willson's Mills has always been a strictly correct appellation.

By this time all the land in the township had been purchased, and a large part of it cleared off. The deer had given way before the axes and rifles of the pioneers, though a few were still to be seen bounding through the remaining belts of forest. Only once after Dr. Dille came, in 1834, did he hear the howling of a wolf. Mayfield was rapidly changing from a wilderness to a civilized township.

About 1849 Dr. T. M. Moon began practice at Gates' Mills and Dr. Alexander Charles at Mayfield Center. The latter remained at the center until the outbreak of the Mexican war, when he received a commission as a surgeon of volunteers, went to Mexico and died while on duty there.

By 1850 the work of clearing up the township was substantially accomplished, the deer had all fallen before the rifles of their foes, or had followed the wolves into banishment, framed houses had generally taken the place of log ones, and Mayfield had assumed very near the appaarance which it now presents.

In March, 1856, a few enterprising individuals procured a charter as the Mayfield Academy association, and proceeded to erect an academy on the State road in the southwest portion of the township. The institution was maintained for many years in a flourishing condition.

Mayfield took her full share in the war for the Union, and the names of her gallant sons who fought in that contest will be found with the stories of their respective regiments.

In 1877 a plank road was built from a point in East Cleveland near the line of the city of Cleveland, through Euclid and Mayfield to the top of the hill half a mile cast of Gates' Mills; about three and a half miles of it being in Mayfield.

There are now three post offices in the township at the three villages before mentioned, Gates' Mills, Willson's Mills and Mayfield Center; the first of which has about twenty houses and the others a smaller number. Besides these there are at Gates' Mills a gristmill, a sawmill, a rake factory, a store and two churches; at Willson's Mills, a gristmill, a sawmill, a church; at Mayfield Center, a church, a store, a town hall and asteam sawmill. There are also two cheese factories in the township; one on the State road, a mile east of Gates' Mills, and one half way between Gates' and Willson's Mills.

The Methodist Churches

The Mayfield circuit contains three churches, one at Mayfield Center, one at Gates' Mills, and one on the east line of the township. As has been said a Methodist class was organized as early as 1809. Occasional preaching was held in the township, but owing to the sparsity of the inhabitants no great progress was made for many years. In 1835 there was a very earnest revival and a church was fully organized.

Rev. Mr. Graham was one of the first preachers; also Rev. Messrs. Excell and Mix. In 1842 the Methodists built, as before stated, the first church edifice in the township, at Mayfield Center. They have since replaced this by a larger one, and in 1853 erected one at Gates' Mills. There are now about a hundred members of the church at the Center, twenty-four of the one at Gates' Mills, and thirty-five of the one on Hast Hill, 'The following pastors have preached on this circuit since 1861: B. J. Kennedy, 1862, 63 and '64; BE. CO. Latimer, 1865 and '66; A. M. Brown, 1867; G. J. Bliss, 1868; E. C. Latimer, Hiram Kellogg, 1870; D. Rowland, 1871; J. B. Goodrich, 1872 and °73; D. Meizener, 1874; J. K. Shaffer, 1875; James Shields, 1877 and 78. ;

Church Of The United Brethren

This church was organized at Willson's Mills in 1870, and a neat framed edifice was erected the same year. There are now about thirty members.

The Disciple Church

In 1871 the Disciples at and around Gates' Mills purchased the school-house at that point and converted it into a church-edifice, and have since used it for that purpose. Their numbers are about the same as those of the United Brethren.

(Unfortunately the township books previous to 1849 cannot be found. We give a list of the principal ones from that time to the present, except justices of the peace, which cannot be obtained from the township records.]

Frederick Willson

This well-known citizen of Mayfield was born in the town of Phelps, Ontario county, New York, on the 4th day of January, 1807. He was the son of George and Esther Willson, the latter of whom is still living with the subject of this sketch, at the age of ninety-two years. He resided in Phelps (most of the time after childhood being spent in attending school or working on his father's farm) unti] the year 1830. In July of that ygar he came to Mayfield, where he has ever since made his home.

known as Willson's Mills, and soon formed a partnership with David McDowell in the mercantile and farming business. Meeting with success in these occupations, the firm in 1833 built a gristmill and a sawmill at the point just named.

Meanwhile the subject of our sketch had taken an active part in military affairs. Having served as private, non-commisioned officer, lieutenant and captain, in a regiment. of light artillery, New York militia, before leaving that State, he was, on the organization of Mayfield as a separate company-district in 1833, elected the first captain of the first company in that township. On the outbreak of the celebrated 'Toledo war," when it was expected that active, and perhaps dangerous, service would be necessary in maintaining the rights of Ohio to that city and the surrounding territory, Captain Willson with his hentenant and twelve men volunteered to take part in the contest. In 1834 he was elected major of the first regiment of infantry, second brigade, ninth division, Ohio militia; in 1835 was promoted to lieutenant-colonel, and in 1836 was chosen colonel. In 1838 Colonel Willson was elected brigadier-general, which position he resigned about four years afterwards.

On the 6th day of September, 1836, Gen. Willson was married to Miss Eliza Handerson, of the adjoining town of Orange, a lady who has shared with him the joys and sorrows of life down to the present time.

In 1837 Gen. Willson dissolved partnership with Mr. McDowell, taking the mill and farm as his share. Milling and farming have been his occupations since that time, and in both he has been extremely successful; being now the owner of about nine hundred acres of land. In April, 1840, his mills were destroyed -by fire, but were rebuilt with characteristic energy, being set running on the 7th of January, 1841. In 1875 they were transferred to the general's eldest

New York. He has passed through aM the degrees, from that of entered apprentice to the Scottish rites, and maintains a high stunding among tie brethren of the order.

Though never a politician, yet in 1846 his neighbors elected him to the office of justice of the peace of Mayfield township, and re-elected him in 1849; the whole length of his service being six years.

General and Mrs. Willson have raised a family of nine children, five sons and four daughters. Two of his sons enlisted early in the war for the Union, and both gave their lives in its defense. George A. Willson enlisted in the First Infantry in the summer of 1861, at the age of nineteen, and was killed at the battle of Resaca, Georgia, May 14, James P. Willson also enlisted in Battery B, First Light Artillery, the same summer, at the age of seventeen, und died in service in June, 1862, having been brought home from Nashville three weeks before his decease.