Montville Township (part 2 of 2)

Again, in 1844 or '45, the Montville militia, together with the whole regiment, by order of General Paine, were called to Chardon, for the purpose of getting volunteers from the regiment, to form a company to go to Mexico, with which company, the general proposed to go as their captain. And much to his chagrin, not a man would volunteer; not through want of patriotism, but the people, generally, believed that the Mexican war was designed to extend the area of slavery. Quite different was the response made in Montville, to the call for volunteers to help put down the Rebellion of the slave states. The records show that, in this township of five or six hundred inhabitants, at most, ninety-three came forward, voluntarily, to defend the constitution and to the sacred cause, in which they enlisted. Although no office was at first given to any soldier from Montville, yet, several of our soldiers fought their way, by merit alone, to higher positions. Milton B. Phelps, was raised, from a private to adjutant of his regiment. A. B. Paine, was promoted, from a private to a captaincy. R. H. Baldwin enlisted as a private, and was promoted to the office of captain. Daniel Robertson, to second lieutenant, and Simon Gould was promoted to captain. Notwithstanding several young men, residents of this township, were unjustly credited to other townships, this township was, through the entire war, ahead of the calls for men. And when the sanguinary strife closed, Montville had 'furnished five more men, than all of the calls made upon her.

Relics Of Natural History

On Monday, August 1, 1871, Mr. Royal Dimmick, about one and a fourth miles east of the center, while excavating a certain low spot of ground, for the purpose of holding water, in dry weather, for his cattle, and after removing the black muck from the surface, came to a stratum of blue clay, and after penetrating into this clay to the depth of three feet, the workmen struck upon something which they supposed to be a round stick of wood, imbedded in the earth. Whereupon, one of them took an axe, and struck upon the substance, breaking off a piece nearly a foot in length, when, to their surprise, instead of being wood, they found it to be bone, with a hard smooth surface, or crust, about one-fourth of an inch in thickness, the inside being filled with a pith, or porous substance, somewhat resembling chalk. This discovery, of course, excited the curiosity of the men to know more about it, and they immediately set to work to exhume the remaining part of the substance, whatever it might be. The result of their labor revealed to their view the tusk of some huge animal that, in some former age, had died on that spot, and, in process of time, its bones had become imbedded in the earth to the depth above mentioned.

During that and the succeeding day, a number of the bones of the same animal were found, a brief description of which I will endeavor to give : The tusk before mentioned had been broken off at least two feet, and perhaps more, to all appearances while the animal was living, bnt, as it is, it measures six feet two inches in length, and at its greatest circumference, which is some eighteen inches from the root end of the tooth, twelve inches, and, at its smallest circumference, at the end, which has evidently been broken off, is ten and a half inches. The surface is smooth, of a light color, somewhat resembling soapstone This tusk, when it was perfect, must have been at least nine feet in length, including the part which was inserted in the upper jawbone, which is at least eighteen inches. It gradually diminishes in size at the root to a diameter of only two inches, where the shell is thin and entirely hollow. Nine joints of the backbone have already been found, in a good state of preservation. About twenty ribs were found, of different lengths and size, the largest of which measured about five feet in length, four inches wide, and of corresponding thickness; one leg bone, which, from its appearance, was from the fore-leg of the animal, below the knee. Its circumference at the knee I found to be about nineteen inches, and the circumference below the knee, about twelve inches. The largest joint of the backbone was ten inches wide. The ribs at the lower extremity have all been broken off, or decayed, so that the precise length can not be accurately ascertained. The end of the ribs which joined onto the backbone are in perfect shape, and the joints of the backbone show plainly where the ribs were attached. There is something very peculiar in regard to the manner in which the ribs were placed in the body of this huge animal. The ribs of most animals are placed with their flat side out, or next to the hide; but in this animal the edge of the rib is out, or next to the hide, which is different from the ribs of all other animals. The hip-bones were of mammoth size, measuring nearly four feet from one extreme point to the other. All the bones were not found, especially the head, some of the leg bones, and some joints of the backbone. It is very probable that, after the demise of this mastadon, whose bones are above described, other gigantic carnivorous animals preyed upon its flesh, and dragged some of its bones several rods from the mass of bones which composed the body of this animal. The bones of this animal were found in blue clay, imbedded some four feet .deep. Who can carry their minds back, over perhaps countless ages of the past, when this race of animals, long since extinct, Toamed over the American continent, perhaps unmolested by man? Who can fill the blank in writing its history?

Present Business

At the present time (1878), Miller and Hendry, successors of George W. Garritt, deceased, in the mercantile business, are doing a large business in re- tailing dry goods and groceries. Miller and Hendry have bought the store and goods formerly owned by George W. Garritt. V. E. Whitney is engaged in the grocery business at the center, and is having a fair trade. He occupies the old store formerly occupied by George W. Garritt, as a dry goods store. Willard E. Baldwin is selling dry goods and groceries, about one mile west of the center, under the direction of the "Patrons of Husbandry." There are three blacksmiths at the center: L. A. Robertson, Orin Pickett and John Brown. Physicians - H. H. Webster and L. A. Baldwin. Carpenters - Andrew Austin, Porter Brace, Augustus Skinner, H. G. Skinner, F. W. Shaw*. Owner of cheese factory- - M. L. Latham. Manufacturers of cutters and sleighs - Edward Bailey, F. W. Shaw, Luther Johnson and Willard Fales. Veits E. Whitney, postmaster. Charles Lorriers and A. Peck, mail-carriers. John V. Whitney and son, nurserymen.

In the year 1865, John V* Whitney who always had a taste for horticultural pursuits, commenced a small nursery, one mile south, and half a mile east of the center, and made quite an extensive purchase of evergreens and ornamental trees and shrubs. He enlarged his business from year to year by raising extensively, from seed, and by importing the choicest varieties of evergreens and ornamental shrubs and plants from France, England and other European countries, until his stock of trees of all kinds, in less than ten years, could be numbered by the million. His business, so largely increased, that, m 1871, he formed a partnership with his two sons, Canfield L. and Frank A. Whitney, under the firm name of "John V. Whitney & Sons." In the year 1873, Frank A. died, and the business has been continued by the surviving partners under the firm name of "John V. Whitney & Sons," and are nowr doing a fair business in raising and selling almost every variety of fruit and omamantal trees. They are making a speciality of raising evergreen seedlings to supply other nurserymen. They are annually shipping trees of various kinds, to nearly every State and territory in the Union. Thousands of homes, many public parks and cemeteries are made beautiful, and will remain as lasting mementos, to future generations, of the spirit and enterprise of John V. Whitney & Sons.

Remarks By The Writer

I have now finished Writing the history of Montville.' The number of errors which it may contain, I am unable to tell. I have done the best I could under the circumstances; and, but for the assistance of friends, I fear that I should have failed in the enterprise. I close my labors, by tendering my sincere thanks for the aid received from others, and especially to John V. Whitney, esq., for much valuable information.

Second Ohio Volunteer Cavalry

T. C. Hart; private; re-enlisted company B, One Richard Batchelder; private. Hundred and Twenty-eighth Ohio volun- Joseph Tucker, jr. ; private.

Company F, Nineteenth Regiment

COMPANY F, NINETEENTH REGIMENT. Miles J. Whitney; private; re-enlisted in com- Clay Vining; private, pany E, One Hundred and Fifth regiment.

Company I, Fifty-Second Ohio Volunteer Infantry

Milton Phelps enlisted from Pennsylvania as private, and was adjutant at the time of his discharge. Orvis Pease, enlisted in a Michigan infantry regiment.