Pioneer History of Clarksfield, pages 121 - 130
Lyman Gilpin came here about 1840 and built the house in the rear of the Congregational church. He was a mill wright and was also a preacher of the Free Will Baptist denomination. His children were William, Delos and Margaret. In 1845 he sold his place to Winslow Fay and went away.
Walter Bates was a son
of John Bates who married Stephen Day’s widow. He lived in Clarksfield after
he was a voter, from 
1840
until after 1851. He married a Mead girl, from Bronson. He was interested in
the foundry at Clarksfield and was the builder of the first engine used in the
grist mill at Clarksfield. He was killed at Milan in 1875 while helping to move
a boiler.
Asa White was a brother-in-law of Ben Hill and kept the hotel at Clarksfield in 1840.
Benjamin Kidney came here from Florence and lived in a log house back from the road on Augustus Barrett’s place from 1840 to 1844. His children were Frances, John and Eliza.
Oliver Day and his brother, Moses R. were cousins of Ephriam Day and natives of Vermont. They lived here in 1840. Oliver was a carpenter by trade. Moses was called "Moses Rant," to distinguish him from Stephen Ransom Day, or "Stephen Rant." He lived with Ephraim Day and Upton Clark, while here. He afterward lived in New London and died there. Glide Day, of New London is his son.
Wesley J. Wells, a Methodist minister, lived here in 1840.
Caleb M. Welsher was a Baptist minister and lived at Rowland’s corners, in the house built by Isaac Lawton, Isaac Welsher was a bachelor and lived with Caleb. They lived here for three or four years.
Christopher House was a son of Cornelius House, a captain who served in the American army through the whole period of the Revolutionary war. He and his wife were born and raised in Montgomery county, N.Y., and had a family of seven daughters and son. In 1835 they came to Ohio, first living in Wellington, then in Hartland, then coming to Clarksfield in 1840 or 1841. They lived on a forty acre farm purchased from Ira Peck, next north of the Philemon Peck farm, where George Godfrey now lives. The eldest daughter, Margaret, was married to Henry Purdy while living here and Jennie married Nelson Tyler and lives in California. The family moved to Michigan after a few years.
Aaron
C. Jenne was born in 1799 and was married in 1821 to Delania Pixley, who was
born in 1802. She was a daughter of Paul Pixley, of New London, and an aunt
to Eli, Sardis and Jasper. They came from New York to Florence about 1835 and
lived there five years, then went to Seneca county, then to New London, then
to Clarksfield. They lived on the farm west of the one where Sherman Smith first
lived, now owned by George Shays. Mr. Jenne once owned the Cyrus Livermore farm.
He once lived in the old "Mansion House," at Rowland’s corners. He
died in Ross county, O., in 1864. His wife died in New London township in 1854.
Their children were Amanda, Catharine, John Winslow, Eli F., and George T.,
of whom Amanda and Winslow only are living, the former in Canada, the latter
in Michigan.
George died in New London a few years ago.
Seth Cooley was a native of Connecticut and was a brother of Warren Cooley. His wife was Clarissa House. They came from Rochester, N.Y., to Clarksfield about 1840 and first lived in a house near Ezra Wildman’s, then in a house east of Hamlin’s corners, where Ben Hill afterwards lived, then built a house at the forks of the road at the foot of the hill west of the Methodist church and lived there many years. Mr. Cooley owned a small farm north of Ezra Wildman’s, just over in Wakeman township. He was a carpenter by trade and also operated the saw mill at Clarksfield. He died in 1864 at the age of 65 and his wife died in 1883, at the age of 79. Their children were Mary Ann, who married Platt Finch and lives in Clarksfield and Norwalk, with her children; William, who died a numbers of years ago, and Zelma, who married Seneca Ronk, and lives in Norwalk.
Lott Spurrier was born in Maryland and went into the army during the war of 1812. He was discharged in the state of New York and he remained there and married Catharine Kilmore in 1817 and they lived in New York until 1834, when they moved to the village of Euclid, near Cleveland. In 1836 they moved to Milan township at Abbott’s bridge. In 1840 they came to Clarksfield and first lived on the Patch farm, north of Clarksfield, but later moved into a log house on George Gray’s farm. He died here in 1862, at the age of 71, and the widow died in 1880, at the age of 76. Their children were Mahala, born in 1821, John L., born in 1823, Rachel, born in 1826, Loren, born in 1828, Emily, born in 1835, Finley, born in 1839, Lucina, born in 1840 and Willard, born in 1843. Mahala married George Gray in 1841 and lived in this township until 1899 when she went to Wellington to live with her daughter and died there in 1900. John married Althea Sexton in 1846 and they lived in Clarksfield until his death by accident in 1899. Rachel married Calvin Peck and lives in Indianapolis. The other children left here years ago and their residence is unknown to their relatives here. Finley was here for a few days, some years ago, but went away again.
Joseph McCumber was born in Herkimer county, N.Y., in 1798. He came to Ohio about 1833 or 34, settling in Ashland country. In 1840 he came to Clarksfield, settling near the David Minor place, where he carried on an ashery. After he gave up that business he carried on farming near Clarksfield village. In 1856 he removed to Sparta, Wisconsin, with his family, and lived on his farm until 1871 when he followed his sons to California and died there in 1876. He was twice married. The first wife, Margaret Frazier, died in Ashland county in 1838. The children of the first marriage were Nancy, Elizabeth, Jane F., Thomas C., Melissa, Morrison, Mary A. and John F. Nancy married Mr. Munyon and lived in New Jersey. Elizabeth married J. H. Blodgett and both died in Nebraska many years ago. Jane married Capt. DeWitt Wilson, of Wakeman and lived in Wakeman, then moved to Wisconsin where she died in 1872. Thomas died in California a few years ago, leaving a large family. Melissa married G.W. Grubaugh and they lived in Indiana for many years. Morrison died in 1842, at the age of eight years. Mary married Alfred Wilson, of Wakeman in 1863 and lived in Wakeman for a few years, then moved to Sparta, Wisconsin, where she still lives. John went to California in 1859 and has been a farmer on the wheat ranches of the San Joaquin Valley ever since. He is unmarried. The children of the second marriage are Alva, Andrew and Albert, living in California.
Ebenezer Hunt Chandler was a son of Simeon Chandler and Lois Benjamin. Simeon was a son of Benjamin Chandler, who was a captain in the French army under Lafayette and came to America during the war of the Revolution and served until the close of the war, then settled near Hartford, Conn. Ebenezer was born in Connecticut in 1800 and went to Madison county, N.Y., in 1818 and went to farming. In 1820 he married Lydia Post, a daughter of Isaiah Post. The Post family came to Hartland township and settled near the southwest corner of Clarksfield and Mr. Chandler came here in 1836 and lived on what is known as the Lee farm, just south of Parley Post’s farm, in Hartland, until 1840, when he bought a farm in Clarksfield, on the east side of the road, opposite Royal Gridley’s, where he lived for several years. His mother lived with him until her death in 1840. He used to travel around the country buying ashes for Joe Potter and J. J. Cobb. He moved to New London and finally to Townsend, where he died in 1878. His widow died in 1889, Their children were Loretta, Dolly, Cornelia, Isaac Harrison, Ebenezer, Joseph Edwin, Amelia, Helen Arvilla and Benjamin Franklin. Loretta married Allen Priest and died in Clarksfield in 1841. Dolly married Joseph Tremein in 1840 and died in Clarksfield in 1901. Cornelia did not marry. Harrison married Catharine Rumsey and lives in Norwalk township. Ebenezer married Abbie Bracey and lives in Wellington. Joseph or "Tip," married Julia Foster and lives in Fitchville. Amelia married Guy Poppy. Arvilla married Ransom Barrett. Frank married Harriet Bracey. The daughter are dead.
Justin Tremain was a brother of the mother of the Gridley brothers and of the mother of Parley Post and Mrs. E. H. Chandler. His wife was Fanny Chandler, a sister of E. H. Chandler. They came from the same town and started at the same time, that Mr. Chandler did. They lived in Clarksfield near the old Stephen Post farm, from 1836 until nearly 1850, then moved to Michigan, and died at Tecumseh. Mrs. Tremain’s daughter, Susan, married Nathan W. Spear, of Hartland, and her son, Joseph Tremain, married Dolly Chandler and at this writing is living in Clarksfield, at the age of 82 years, but is very feeble.
Nathaniel Fisher was born in Canada March 20, 1816. He came to Florence and was married to Mary Knapp in 1835. She was born May 3, 1818. They came to Clarksfield some time before 1842. They first lived on a farm which they bought, south of Ephraim Gridley’s. They next lived at Clarksfield and kept the hotel there. After a few years they bought a farm on the Butler road just south of the Jones corners, on the east side of the road. They lived here until about 1887, when they moved to the Huestis farm, where Mr. Fisher’s brother, Robert, had lived. Mr. Fisher died in 1888 and his wife in 1894. Their children were James, born 1835, Charles, born in 1842, and Ann, born in 1848. James married Hannah Stevens and died in 1863. Charles married Lucretia Gibson of Florence in 1867 and Helena Walton in 1870. He lived in Clarksfield until his death March 18, 1901. He was killed by the cars. Ann married Thomas Lang and lived in Clarksfield for some time but lives in Michigan at present.
William Hart Husted was a brother of Samuel Husted. He and his wife, Caroline, moved from Danbury, Connecticut, to Trumbull county, Ohio, with three children, and two more were born there. The children were Harriet, Henry E., Abbie, Edmund and Hoyt. About 1840 the wife with Henry and Abbie came to Clarksfield, where Edmund and Hoyt had previously come, Mr. Husted came here soon after and lived at Ezra Wildman’s and made hats. He went back to Danbury, Connecticut and was killed in a hat factory. The widow went back to Trumbull county and married again and died there. Harriet married a Meeker and was living at Wauseon not long ago. Henry married Delia Scott and lived in Clarksfield. They separated and he married the widow of J. Hendrickson and lives at Olmsted Falls, Ohio. Abbie married Ben. Patch and died many years ago. Hoyt was apprenticed to Samuel W. Husted in 1839, married Ethelinda Finch and lives in Des Moines, Iowa. Edmund was apprenticed to Levi Rowland in 1839 and lives in Wakeman.
Abel B. Barnes was a brother of Sheldon Barnes and came to this township as early as 1841. He was a bachelor. His parents, Charles and Cynthia Barnes, came here about 1855 and lived in different houses in Clarksfield village and Abel lived with them. They came from South Britain, Connecticut. They both died here. She died in 1866. Abel was a stone cutter and an expert marble cutter and many of the old tombstones in our cemeteries are the work of his hands. He died in the Capt. Husted house, about twenty-five years ago.
Two of Almanza Hamlin’s sisters, Sally and Diadama Rowley, lived with him until his marriage, when they went to Pittsfield and lived with another sister. One of them had a son, Hiram H., who also lived with Almanza. He married Betsey Ann Signor and lived east of Hamlin’s corners. They separated and he married Rebecca Bond, a widow, of Norwalk. He lived at Clarksfield village and carried on the business of harness making. He moved to Wakeman and died a few years ago. Nat Ames, who lived with him when a lad and learned the trade of him, lives at West Clarksfield.
Eli Thomas was a son of Levi Thomas and was born at Brighton, Monroe county, N.Y., July 13, 1809. He learned the trade of cabinet maker and became a fine workman. He lived in Canada for a year then moved to Norwalk, O. He was married to Jennetta Griswold, of Townsend, October 12, 1834. He lived in several towns in Huron county and came to Clarksfield in 1840. He had a shop across the road from Seth Cooley’s, east of Spring Brook. Part of the time he lived in the upper part of the shop and part of the time in the Dr. Bunce house, at the foot of the hill south of the mill race. The wife died March 31, 1843 and was buried at the top of the hill back of Rory Starr’s place. He then married the widow of John Kedwell but they separated some time after the war. In 1847 he sold his property here to Richard Fanning and moved to Fairfield, and after some other moves, settled in New London where he lived for thirty years. In his old age he went to the infirmary and died there in 1901. He spent much time in trying to invent a machine for perpetual motion and eventually lost his property and nearly lost his mind in chasing this "ignis fatuus." He was a very strong believer in the religion of Swedenborg. Mr. Thomas had four children by his first wife, Mordecai, who lives at Binghamton, N.Y., Araminta, who is dead, Rosabella, who lives in Norwalk, and Alice, who lives in Boston. The second wife had one son, Frederick, who lives at Erie, Pa. This wife is living at Sandusky, O.
John Dean, Sr., came from New York state with his wife and two daughters, Maria and Phoebe, the latter being an invalid. They lived in a house east of Barrett’s corners, just east of the creek, near Zara Norton’s. The old gentleman used to chop timber and do other work, as he was able, and Maria did weaving. The old lady died in 1847 at the age of 71 and the old gentleman in 1849 at the age of 82. It is supposed that he was a soldier in the war of the Revolution. The daughters went west after the death of their father.
John Dean, Jr., a son of John Dean, Sr., came from Cuyahoga county, N.Y., to New Haven township, Huron county, O., in 1837 and to Clarksfield the next year. He married Dolly Hoyt in 1837 and they lived in a house on Simeon Hoyt’s farm, east of Barrett’s corners, on the west side of the creek. In 1854 they moved to Michigan, where he died in 1867, at the age of 54. The widow married Joshua Leonard and died in 1900. She had seven children, two of whom, Dorisca and Dorlisca, were of school age in 1845.
Leander Hinman came to Clarksfield about 1840 and lived south of Noah Hamlin’s, on a part of the farm afterward owned by William Bissell. His wife died here in 1841 and in 1843 he married Mary Watros, of Fitchville, and they lived on the farm for a short time, then moved to Norwalk, Fitchville and New London, finally coming back to Clarksfield, where they bought the Uriah Tucker house and lived there. Mr. Hinman died in 1881, at the age of 74. Mr. Hinman had a son by the first wife, name David, who was living at Denver, Colorado, some time ago. He had two children by the last wife, Delia, who married Henry Towsley, and Frank. The widow and children are living in Clarksfield.
In 1840 and 1841 Enos Smith voted here and in 1842 Enos Smith, Jr., voted here. A man of the same name, but not the same family, lived here from 1820 to 1825. He was a son of Nathan Smith, the first minister in Florence, and who went to New London in 1816, but returned to Florence. Enos was married to Sally Sampson, of New London, January 6, 1819. He lived the most of his life after this on the town line road between Florence and Berlin and died Sept. 15, 1874, at the age of 94. Their oldest daughter, Betsy (Jefferson) was born in Clarksfield. Charles Smith a brother, married Phebe Mead, of Fitchville in 1818 and began housekeeping here.
In 1840 Joseph Ferry lived in a log house west of Daniel Stone’s, where Myron Rogers afterward lived. His children were Amanda, who married Taylor Starr, Sophronia and Sheldon.
John Thompson lived here in 1840 and worked with James A. Gibson.
James Williams, a cloth dresser, lived here in 1840-41.
Mastin Brundage lived on the Butler road in the 1st section from 1840 to 1844. His children were Isaac, Sarah, Nathaniel, Clarence and Prudel.
In 1840-41 David B. Braman lived somewhere near the Jones ashery. His son Samuel married Belinda Webb and lives in Rochester. David lost his life in a well.
In 1840 the following men were voters here: Daniel Booth, Moses Chamberlain, John Conway, (perhaps the one who married Elder Carlton’s sister) Isaac Lockman, Levi M. Mack, Sidney R. Parkerton, Frederick Payne, Joseph Rowe, William R. Rundle, Oscar Stickney and Stephen Squire, (who was a blacksmith, but no kin to Virgil).
John B. Lucas, who married Joanna Barnum, lived here from 1841 to 1844.
Levi Hunter, a brother of Manoah, came here as early as 1841. In 1843 he bought a farm across the road from David Lee’s and lived there for some time. He then moved to a farm west of the Jones ashery on the south side of the road. He died here in 1865. His widow, Antha Hunter, married a brother of Giles Carpenter and died in 1871. Mr. Hunter’s children were Sarah, William, Timothy, Jane, Eliza, Lydia, Myron, Susan and Emma. Sarah married Sam Purdy and they lived in Clarksfield as late as 1851. They moved to Canada, and then to Michigan, where the wife died. Mr. Purdy lives in Mansfield, O. William lost his eyesight at the age of seven years, and learned the trade of making brooms. He was killed by the cars in Michigan in 1897. Timothy married a daughter of William Tappan, of Clarksfield and moved to Iowa. He died in the army. Jane married Dan Sheldon, of Fitchville and died in Michigan. Eliza married a man by the name of Cook, in Canada, and died in Michigan. Lydia married Joel Cooley and died in Michigan. Myron lost one arm in his youth. He married Miss Dignan, of Fitchville and lived on the homestead for some years, but is now a merchant at Fitchville. Susan married a man by the name of Hilliker and lives in Michigan. Emma married Arven Ellis and lives in Michigan.
Solomon Hubbard, a son of Solomon Hubbard, a New London pioneer, lived in Clarksfield township from 1841 until his death in 1864. His wife was Bithynia Gifford. They lived on the John Anderson farm. Holsey Hubbard, another son of Solomon, Sr., lived with his uncle, John Anderson, from 1841 until 1847, when he married Hadaseh Elizabeth Kinney, a sister of Ephraim Gridley’s wife. They lived on the Hubbard homestead, in New London township, across the road from the Anderson farm and Mr. Hubbard died there some years ago.
Elder E. S. Freeman lived here in 1841 and moved to Michigan.
Edmund Badger and his wife, with their son Ansel and family, came here about 1841. Ansel lived in the hotel and the old people lived in a little house which stood just west of the hotel but has been moved and forms the office of the hotel. The old lady, Margaret, died here in 1845, at the age of 77 years. In 1845 the old gentleman traded the hotel for Hiel Scott’s farm and the whole family lived there for a time. The old gentleman was determined to court the widow Bristol and this caused a coolness between him and Ansel, so the latter moved to Milan and kept a hotel there. John Spurrier lived on the farm and the old gentleman lived with him until he met with a decided rebuff in his courting, and then he west to live with Ansel, and sold the farm. Ansel had two sons, Albert and Austin.
Giles Carpenter and his family came from Dutchess county, N.Y., to Brooklyn, Ohio, in 1837, and went from there to Michigan, where the whole family was sick. They then moved to Wakeman and in March 1841 came to Clarksfield. They first lived in the log house at the center of the township, built by Truman Percy, but moved to another log house further east near Hiram Cunningham’s. Mr. Carpenter owned a tract of land further south, which is now a part of the William Bissell farm. The wife who was Harriet Scott, a sister of Isaac C. and Lewis, Scott, died May 1, 1844. Mr. Carpenter then sold a portion of the farm and traded the remainder to Almanza Hamlin for forty acres of new land north of Mr. Hamlin’s and put up a house and barn there. He lived here until his death in 1870, at the age of 74. In the fall of 1845 he married a widow Kellogg, of Oberlin, who was a sister of Dr. Gibson, of Fitchville. She had two sons and a daughter, Melinda, who married Charles Harris. Mr. Carpenter’s children (all by the first wife) were Elizabeth, Morgan J., John P., Cynthia Jane, Caroline, Frederick W. and Harriet. Elizabeth was a deaf mute and a very lovable girl. She was at the state asylum, for instruction, and died there at the age of 17, before the death of her mother. Morgan married Almira Walton and died in 1862, while in the army. John married Ann Tucker and lives in Clarksfield. Cynthia married Albert Stevenson and lives in Iowa. Caroline married William Matcham and lives in Brighton. Fred married Martha Gray and lives in Wellington. Harriet died in the fall of 1844, at two years of age.
James Doyle, an Englishman, lived here in 1841 and worked for Benjamin Stiles. He afterward lived in New London township and died there.
Elihu Bosworth Johnson, known as "Bod" Johnson, came here about 1841 and worked for Platt Sexton. Sometime after this he married Sarah Bristol, of Hartland. He bought a small farm north of Philemon Peck’s and lived there until 1849, when he sold out to Eleazer Fellows. He went west and died there. Mary J. and Esock Bistol used to live with him.
George Pelham was a brother of William Bassett’s wife and came from England to Clarksfield about 1841. He rented the Benajah Furlong farm and afterward bought the Lucius M. Curtiss farm, north of Clarksfield, and lived there until 1849, when he sold the farm to his sister and moved to Illinois, where he died about 1885. His children were Elizabeth, Mary, Thomas and Louisa.
Charles Beauman or Bowman lived on the Butler road near Whitefox from 1841 to 1843. He was a nephew of Isaac C. Scott.
Lyman Richmond lived at Clarksfield from 1841 until 1843. He used to do teaming for Mr. Cobb. He kept the hotel in 1843.
Jacob Smith came here about 1841 and lived on the east side of the road, south of the center of the township, just south of where the school house stands. His son, Eli, with his family, lived with his father. Another son, Charles, lived in Hartland, where he carried on a blacksmith shop, and the hoes, pitchforks, cowbells, Etc., which he made, were noted for their excellence. Mr. Smith died here March 20, 1852, at the age of 77 years. The family moved to Wisconsin.
The Henry Hopkins mentioned on Page 54 was a school teacher and a kind of a roving character. He was a noted hunter and used to contract to furnish a certain number of deer skins and trust to his skills with the rifle to have them ready at the specified time. His wife was Miranda Barrett. He lived in different places about here, but finally deserted his family while the children were small. He had three sons, Moses B., Samuel and Alonzo. Moses was born in Clarksfield in 1820 and lived with Simeon Blackman after his father left the country. He lived there until about 1843, when he studied law and went west, but finally settled at Grand Haven, Michigan, where he became a judge and member of the state legislature. He died some years ago. His wife was Lemira Cochran, a sister of Augustus Barrett’s wife. Samuel died many years ago. Alono was apprenticed to Benajah Furlong in 1834, at twelve years of age. He went west entered the Union army and was killed at Petersburg. The mother married a Mr. Wright, of Huron and died in Huron township.
With George Pelham came one John Kedwell, another Englishman. He lived east of Clarksfield and died there after a few years. His widow married Eli Thomas. He had a son George, who died in the army March 24, 1862.
David M. Barnum was a son of Eli Barnum, one of the pioneers of this township. He came here in 1841 and lived a few years. He was a clerk in Cobb’s store part of the time. He also taught school. He was a tailor by trade. In 1848 he was elected county recorder and moved to Norwalk, where he held the office for ten years. He was a hunchback.
Myron Allen, a neighbor of Jesse Mead in Massachusetts, came here in 1841 and lived with Mr. Mead. He worked in the Hayes foundry and one day some melted iron was accidentally poured into his boot, burning him so badly as to make a cripple of him. He went back east after this.
In 1841 Daniel Nessel lived at Rowland’ corners and worked in the distillery there.
Ezra B. Gray was a son of Scotch parents and was born in 1800, soon after his parents arrived in this country. He was brought up in Vermont, but went to New York state while a young man and engaged in mercantile business near Catskill. He married Mrs. Percy Chaffee, a widow, who had a son and four daughters. One of the daughters, Harriet, married Daniel Rowland and lived in this township until her death, June 1, 1899. Another daughter, Abigail, came here and married Mr. Potter, of New London and died in 1890. Mr. Gray and his family came to Clarksfield in 1841 and lived on a farm, which they bought, across the road from Asa Curry’s, which is now owned by James. Gray and his wife had three children, Ezra, living at Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Catharine, who married David Fuller and is supposed to be living in Texas, and Minerva, who went to Illinois, where her sister, Mrs. Potter lived, and married Mr. Wing. She now lives in Clarksfield with her daughter. In 1842 the wife died and in 1843 he married Wealthy Ann Bissell and they had two sons, Samuel, who was killed by the cars and James, who married Sarah Tucker and lives in Clarksfield.
Jonathan Powles married Adeline Birch, of Orange county, N.Y., a niece of Mrs. Milton Bissell. They came to Clarksfield in 1841 and bought a farm of Almanza Hamlin, a mile south of the Bissell home, where William Hofstatter now lives. Mr. Powles died there in 1872, at the age of 71 and his wife in 1874 at the age of 69. Their children were Selah, who died in Michigan about 1897; John, who died in Chicago in 1900; Charles, who lives in New York state; Henry, who lives in Clarksfield; Caleb, who lives in Michigan; Mary, who died in Clarksfield in 1849 at the age of 19; Eliza Jane, who married William Hofstatter and died some years ago; Hannah, who is the present wife of William Hofstatter, and Daniel, who died from sunstroke here in 1854 at the age of 19. John Powles, a bachelor brother of Jonathon, lived here with him for a few years, then went to Indiana and died.
Dana C. Call, a brother of Essex, lived here in 1841. He became a Disciple minister and died in this state in 1902.
In 1841 John M. Booth, Calvin Cooley, William C. Eustance, Isaiah Frost, Napoleon B. Green, S. B. Guiberson, John Long, James H. Reynolds, Russell Smith and Rev. Martin Wilcox lived here.
In this same year John P. Knowles lived here and worked for J. J. Cobb; Erastus Tompkins worked for Abel Barnes; Benjamin Scram, a son-in-law of Seldon Freeman lived here.
John Blackman, a half brother of William, came here from Florence in 1841 and lived on the Butler road not far south of Whitefox corners, but moved to Michigan after a few years. His wife died there and he came back here and married the widow of William Vanderhoof but they separated and he went back to Michigan with his children. The children were Ransom, George, Emerson, Nelson and Curtiss. Josephus Alexander, a shoemaker, came here about 1841 and worked for David Stevenson. He also worked for himself in the old Husted store building. He was badly crippled with rheumatism while here but afterward recovered. He went away after 1846. He was not married.
Joseph Smith was born in New Jersey in 1815. He was married to Mary Wheeler, of Ashland county, O., in 1842 and in May of the same year they came to Clarksfield and settled on the east side of the New London road, where William Vanderhoof had lived. About 1875 they moved to New London, where Mr. Smith died in 1891 and his wife in 1894. Their children were Sybilla, Abraham L., Henry, Anna, Harriet, Lovina and Mary. Harriet (McCann) is the only one living in this township. Joseph Smith’s father, Abraham, lived here for a time. The name of Abraham Smith seems to be a favorite one for Clarksfield, no fewer than five men bearing that name having lived here, but they were of three families. One married Abraham Johnson’s daughter and his father’s name was Abraham and he lived here also. One was the son of James D. Smith and the other two are mentioned above.
In 1842 George Foster bought 83 acres of land on the north side of the road running east from Andrew Blackman’s and built a log house there. The land is now a part of the William Bissell farm. Foster lived there two years. His wife was a daughter of Squire Pond, of New London and they had a son Harris. Mr. Foster died at Rochester, Ohio.
Leonard Fellows came here as early as 1842 and lived in the Pixley house, south of David Lee’s, then bought five acres of land just north of Royal Gridley’s and lived there until his death, which must have occurred about 1850. He and his wife, Araminta, had seven children, Betsy Maria, who married Major Potter, and is dead, John, Harriet, William, who lives in Minnesota, Oliver, Mary and Louise. William married Phebe Gifford.
Eleazer Fellows, the father of Leonard, came here a little later and bought ten acres of land of E.B. Johnson in 1849. This land was north of Philemon Peck’s. He lived there with his daughter, Betsy Lang, until his death in 1859 at the age of 86 years. His daughter, Betsy, had married a man by the name of Haskins and afterwards married another man by the name of Lang. She went by the name of Haskins here. Her children were Credelia, Hannah, Elizabeth, Lavinna and Frederick. Elizabeth married Chauncey Peck and after his death married his brother Marcus. After the death of Chauncey, she and her mother lived in the Silas Earl house and the mother died there. Another daughter married Frank French, of Wakeman. Mrs. Haskins lived in the Bissell district in 1846, in the Gridley district in 1847 and in the Clark district in 1848.
Rev. Jonathan Huestis was a superannuated Methodist minister who came from Genessee county, N.Y., to Clarksfield about 1842 and bought Martin Pulver’s farm a half mile east of the village, now owned by John Perkins. He had married for his second wife Maria Collins, but they had no children. They lived on this farm until the death of Mr. Huestis in 1854 at the age of 68. The wife went to Fairfield township and died at the home of her step-grandson, Jonathan Huestis. She was a noble woman and no woman in Clarksfield had a warmer place in the hearts of her neighbors than "Auntie Huestis." Mr. Huestis was also well liked by all. His children were Alexander who went to Indiana, William, who was a Methodist minister and who came to Ohio in 1834, Elizabeth, who married Roswell Fairchild and Eliza who married Gershom Fairchild. Elizabeth Collins, the mother of Mrs. Huestis died here in 1860 at the age of 81.
End of Pages 121 - 130
Transcribed by Lowell Dunlap