Plymouth Township

Plymouth Township

Originally this township was included in the limits of Ashtabula, and it was not until January 7, 1838, that the territory now under consideration was, by order of the county commissioners, detached from that township, and created a new one, to be known as township No. 12 of the third range.

Organization

On July 4, 1838, this township was regularly organized and an election for township officers held, the result of which is shown by the following copy of the poll-book used on the occasion : "At a meeting of the electors of Plymouth township holden at the house occupied for school purposes, standing near the residence of Russel A. Smith, in said township, on the 4th day of July, a.d. 1838, Robert Seymour, Samuel Burnet, and Josiah Allen were chosen judges, and Levi P. Blakeslee and Wells Blakeslee clerks of said election, who, being duly sworn according to law, proceeded to elect the following township officers : Samuel Burnet, Andrew Willey, and William Stewart, trustees ; Levi P. Blakeslee, township clerk ; Bennet Seymour, treasurer; Elias C. Upson and William Foster, overseers of poor; Joseph Mann, James Hall, and Solomon A. Simons, fence-viewers; Merrit M. Mann, constable ; Samuel Burnet, William Stewart, Joseph Mann, Bennet Seymour, Solomon A. Simons, Elias C. Upson, and Merrit M. Mann, as supervisors." (The number of electors is not given.)

The first justice of the peace was Warner Mann, who was elected on the 9th day of November, 1838, his commission bearing date November 26, 1838. This election was held at the house of the justice elect. Mr. Mann was succeeded by Josiah Allen, and he by Wells Blakeslee. Previous to the expiration of Mann's commission, however, a second justice was ordered for the township, and Daniel Hubbard was the first to fill the office. Levi P. Blakeslee succeeded him, and was in turn succeeded by Samuel Burnet.

This township was originally owned by Nehemiah Hubbard, of Middletown, Middlesex county, Connecticut. Hon. Matthew Hubbard, who located in Ashtabula in 1804, being agent for the proprietor.

The First Settlements

within the present limits of the township were as follows: In 1804 or 1805, William Thompson and Thomas McGahhe, with families, located on lot number five. In the spring of 1806, Samuel White began improvements on two hundred acres upon the north line of the township. Fitz' woolen-factory was subsequently established on this lot, which is now owned by Ezra Bonnell, who has in process of erection a grist-mill, on the old factory site. David Burnet settled on lot number twelve, also in spring of 1806 ; this lot was afterwards owned by Wells Blakeslee ; Oliver Gary is the present occupant. Both White and Burnet came from Hubbard, Trumbull county. In 1807, Thomas Gordon purchased two hundred and forty acres in lot number six, and in the spring of 1808 took possession of the same with his family. William Foster, of Sacket's Harbor, New York, arrived in the township in 1810, locating on lot number ten. His mode of transit was by small boat to Ashtabula, - at Niagara Falls he hired a team to haul his boat some seven miles around the falls. Captain Moses Hall emigrated from Connecticut in 1811, and began the life of a pioneer on the northwest corner lot. In the year 1811 a number of families arrived from Plymouth Hollow, Litchfield county, Connecticut, and settled in this township. They were, so far as we are able to learn at so late a date, Zadoc and Warner Mann. John and Ashur Blakeslee, Lynus Hall, Titus Seymour, David Warren, and Elias C. Upson. There are doubtless others, but whose names we have been unable to obtain.

The first log house was erected in 1804 or 1805, on lot number five, by William Thompson, the " oldest inhabitant." who removed from the township in the year 1807.

The first orchard was planted by Samuel White in the spring of 1807. It was located on his farm, near the pond, and consisted of forty trees. They first bore fruit in 1811, which was, without doubt, the first produced within the territory composing the townships of Plymouth and Ashtabula. Captain Moses Hall was, we believe, the owner of the orchard at this time, and it is said he distributed nearly the entire yield of the orchard among the sick of the township.

Upon the first settlement of the Plymouth pioneers, the only road was the "girdled" one laid out by the Connecticut land company, running from Kelloggsville, via Sheffield, through Plymouth, and west through Saybrook, Austinburg, etc., terminating at or near Cleveland. The first road authorized by the county commissioners, after Plymouth became a separate township, was in June, 1842, which began on the Jefferson and Ashtabula road, at William Willard's northwest corner, thence east on lot lines to Denmark road.

March, 1850, the last one was established, from the southwest corner of the township north to the turnpike, and from the west line of the township, at the northwest corner of lot number eighty, easterly to the plank-road.

Topography

Much of the western portion of the township is of high rolling ground, while in the southern part extensive marshes prevail, the largest of which is some three miles in length, and averaging, perhaps, three-quarters of a mile in width ; its waters, flowing westerly, are discharged into Grand river, in Austinburg. South of the " Big marsh" lie two smaller ones, which are separated by a natural roadway, over which the mail was carried to Jefferson until the opening of the Franklin division of the Lake Shore railroad. The waters of these two marshes flow, one easterly, into Ashtabula creek, the other westerly, into Graud river.

These, aside from Ashtabula creek, which forms a portion of the northern boundary of the township, are Hubbard's run, which rises principally from springs in Saybrook, and forms another part of the northern boundary, uniting with Ashtabula creek, about one mile southeast of the village of Ashtabula. Smith creek, which heads in the southern part of the township, runs easterly, uniting with the waters of "Little marsh," and finally reaches Ashtabula creek in Sheffield.

The first marriage occurred in 1810, at the residence of Captain Manoah Hubbard, the contracting parties being his daughter, Miss Julia, and Mr. Walker Richmond, of New York.

The first white child born in Plymouth was a son to Daniel Burnet, in 1807, and the first death was, without doubt, a widow lady named Hanan, who died in the spring of 1807.

The first school-house was built in the summer of 1810. It was of logs, and stood in the " hollow," a short distance north of the present cemetery, on the farm formerly owned by Ashor Blakeslee, and the first school taught therein was in the succeeding wdnter, by Warner Mann. There were twelve scholars in attendance, - the parents paying each his share of the teacher's salary, which was, undoubtedly, a trifling sum.

The first saw-mill was erected in 1S09, by Thomas Gordon, on the site where was afterwards located a woolen-mill. In the spring of 1831. Emmersou Gibbs put in operation a carding-machine, and in the fall of the same year cloth-dressing machinery. The next season a mill for grinding corn was also placed in the same building. In 1S39 this site was purchased by Messrs. Hubbel & Kenney, and a woolen-factory of one hundred and eighty spindles established. This was destroyed by fire on the night of December 24, 1847.

The first frame house was built by Captain Moses Hall, on the northwest corner lot ; the date we are unable to ascertain. And the first frame school-house was erected in the spring of 1817, by subscription: its location was some threequarters of a mile north of the centre.

The first church organization was that of the Episcopal denomination, April 28, 1S36. However, services were held by all denominations, from the time of the first settlements, at the houses of the settlers, and at the frame school-house mentioned above. There are now two fine church edifices in the township. The Episcopal, which is located some half-mile east of the centre, was erected in 1 841 , and the Methodist at the centre, which was not finished till perhaps 1874. The first post-office, and in fact the only one in the township, was established June 16, 1846. William W. Mann was the first postmaster, serving twelve years. The present postmaster is H. J. B. Seymour, whose office is situated at the depot.

The first store was established in 1849, by William W. Mann, in a building then standing between the school-house and the present residence of Charles Wright. Mr. Mann continued in trade some ten years in Plymouth, removing first to East Ashtabula, where he engaged in the mercantile business for two years more, and then moved to his present place of business, corner Centre and Park streets, Ashtabula. In 1S24, and for the five years subsequently, he was engaged as mail boy for the Recorder , published in Ashtabula, which paper was, we believe, the first one published in Ashtabula County.

Peter La Grange also conducted a store in Plymouth for some years, though at present there is nothing of the kind, we believe, in the township.

Plymouth has been largely devoted to the manufacture of butter and cheese, principally by individuals. There are doubtless many farmers in the township entitled to mention in this connection, among whom are the following, who have for years kept on the average at least thirty cows each : they are B. P. Mann, Levi P. Blakeslee, Cornelius Morgan, Andrew Willey, and H. C. Graham. In 1872 a small factory was started by D. Clump, for the manufacture of cheese, he only continuing the business in this township one year. The present Plymouth Ridge cheese-factory began operations in the spring of 1875. The location is on the farm of the proprietor, W. B. Johnson (lot number six), from whom we learn that the first year he manufactured the milk from one hundred cows, and his report for that year shows the total number of pounds of milk received was 377,214; number of pounds of cheese made, 34,338; amount of cash received for same, §3444 ; number of pounds of milk to make a pound of cheese, 10 ; average price per pound of cheese, 10 cents, net ; to patrons, 9 cents.

The population in 1870 was 657, and the secretary of state's report shows that in 1876 Rutherford B. Hayes received 22 votes and S. J. Tilden 61.

During the Rebellion Plymouth sent many of her brave sons to the front in support of the flag and defense of the integrity of the nation, having representatives in the glorious old' Twenty-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry , the One hundred and Fifth, and doubtless other organizations. They gave to their State and the Union their bravest efforts and much of their best blood.