Pioneer History of Clarksfield, pages 41 - 50
Esther Wildman Husted died in 1842 at the age of 63. Mr. Husted afterward married the widow of his brother, Platt, of Cincinnati. She was Fanny Barnum, a sister of E.M. and Levi Barnum. Her daughter in New York was a fine musician. She used to visit her mother frequently and sent a piano out to her, which was probably the first one in the township. Her playing and singing on summer evenings when she was visiting her mother used to attract many hearers who gathered around The Husted home at the Hollow. Mrs. Husted went east to visit her daughter and while there was taken sick and died. Mr. Husted died not long afterward in 1863 at the age of 84.
Eli Seger, who came with Captain Husted, settled a half a mile north of the Hollow on the flats, on the farm now occupied by Bert Barnum. He died in 1822, leaving a widow and five children. Alfred R., and Albert W. were twins and looked as much alike as two peas. Alfred married Cornelia Wildman, a daughter of Ezra Wildman. He was in a store with Mr. Curtiss of Fitchville about 1835. The store stood in the Hollow, near the location of DeWolf’s store. He was in partnership with Henry Tyler and went into the Cobb store after Cobb sold out. After they sold out to the Jones brothers Mr. Seger studied medicine and practiced in Clarksfield for a number of years.
After the war he went to Kansas. He died at Norwalk in 1875 at the age of 64. His sons are dead. His daughter Anna married Harley Jones, Jennie married Charles Husted and Gertrude married David Tyler. Albert Seger married Emeline Mead of Norwalk. In 1836 he bought Wildman Rowland’s place, afterward owned by Ben. Hill. In 1838 he owned part of the Hayes mill property and operated a foundry there. About 1842 he went into partnership with Walter Bates, his brothinlaw, and built the foundry, which stood near the Daniels house, at the Hollow. Later he had as a partner Almeron McKinney, with whom he was interested in the patent right business. Mr. Seger finally moved to Kansas onto a farm and died there in 1879 at the age of 68. His children who were all born in Clarksfield, were Ophelia, wife of Palmer Cunningham; Sarah, wife of Frank Gilbert; Libbie, who married C. O. Cooper; Augusta, who married E. P. Miller; Mary, Silas and Edgar. The other children of Eli Seger were Mary Ann, who married William Wildman and died in a short time; Amarillas, who married Warren Cooley; Lucy, who married Charles Rowland and Ephraim, who died in August, 1818, from the effect of the bite of a rattlesnake. He was a lad of some thirteen or fourteen years of age. He lived for three days after being bitten. This was the first death in the township. Captain Husted furnished the coffin on the 23rd day of August and charged $2.50 for it. This death led to the raid on the snake den the following spring. Jason and Ziba Thayer were twins and came here soon after Mr. Husted, for we find an account showing that they boarded with him in January, 1818. They were evidently single men at that time, for they boarded with Husted and others for some time. They afterward owned a farm on the north line of the township northeast of the Hollow. Jason died in Wakeman township in 1850 at the age of 64. Ziba Thayer died in Townsend township.
Benjamin Benson was a butcher in New York City. He was a member of the First Troop of Horse Artillery under Col. Joseph Bogart in the war of 1812, and spent a little time in camp when the troops were called out to defend the city against an expected attack of the British, but did not see any active service. He purchased a piece of land here in Clarksfield in the summer of 1817. He started for Ohio October 14, 1817. He says: "Traveling was very expensive, even when a man drove his own team, owing chiefly to the great flood of emigration at that time setting toward the west. The price of oats on the main thoroughfares would average about 75 cents a bushel, with hay proportionately dear. Our destination was Clarksfield, Huron county, Ohio, and we arrived at Florence on the 2d day of December, where we were accommodated by Major Barnum with shelter within the body of a log house without chimney or floor or anything but the bare logs, with open spaces of three or four inches between them, thus affording very inadequate protection against the rigor of winter, which, after our arrival had begun in good earnest, and continued through the months of January and February, at a temperature with little variation, bordering upon zero. During this time we built a log cabin, and before the spring opened we had removed to our intended future home." This cabin stood near the place where Robert Hurlbut afterward built his house, on the road about a half mile south of the Hollow, on the farm known as the Hurlbut farm. He had three sons, Jacob, Joseph and Daniel, none of whom are living and one daughter, Dorothy. Mr. Benson says: "She was born January 9th, 1819, and died at the age of eight years, and to us, under circumstances which make our hearts bleed as often as recollection calls them up." Mr. Benson moved to Townsend township in later years and died in 1867 at the age of 79 years.
Obadiah Jenney was a son of John and Catherine Jenney and was born at New Bedford, Mass., in 1794. Early in March, 1818, he left Cayuga county, N. Y., with a horse and cutter and made the trip to Clarksfield in a very short time, reaching here March 11. He was a millwright by trade and began work for Captain Husted on the 11th day of April, 1818, at $1.50 per day and worked on the house and mill until Sept. 10, earning nearly two hundred dollars. He had three brothers who lived in Huron country, Benjamin, Abram and Mordecai, all of whom lived in Greenwich township, and Obadiah lived there for a short time, probably from September, 1818, until January, 1821, as indicated by his accounts with Captain Husted. He began to board with Mr. Husted May 14, 1821. On Christmas Day, 1821, he was married to Hester Paul, who, it will be remembered, lived in Captain Husted’s family. She was 17 years old at the time. Some Clarksfield historians have said that this was the first wedding in the township, but Zara Norton and Cynthia Post antedated it by some three years. They lived in Clarksfield until December, 1825, when they moved to Norwalk and lived there the rest of their days. "Colonel Jenney," as he was sometimes called, was a very enterprising man and we find that he took an active part in the history of Norwalk and Huron county. He was interested in the project of building a paper mill on the Medina road; soon after moving to Norwalk he bought the "Mansion House" hotel and kept hotel there; he and Mr. Beebe of Elyria ran a line of stages from Lower Sandusky (Fremont) to Elyria. He went to Washington in a gig to get the charter for the State road, out of Norwalk.
One of Mr. Jenney’s experiences is told in the Firelands Pioneer. Mrs. Miles, who lived in the western part of Townsend township, says: "Our settlement was the only one between Milan and Clarksfield, and there was only a foot path from our neighborhood to the latter place. We were almost isolated from society and the arrival of a traveler was a rare occurrence. One evening after dark we were startled by a knock at the door and to our surprise a well dressed stranger entered the house and requested a night’s lodging. We made him welcome to such fare as we had. He stated that his name was Obadiah Jenney of Clarksfield. He had been to Milan to do some trading, and was belated on his way home. Being alone and on foot, he was afraid of an attack from wild beasts. We all retired to rest, but during the night we were awakened by a crash on the floor, and Mr. Jenney cried out, "I’ve broke down.’ " There were no bed cords to be had, and we had to use shakes instead, and his break down was caused by the shakes becoming misplaced; but the floor was strong and it held him safe till morning." D. H. Pease, the Recording Secretary, in a foot note, says: "Mr. Jenney states that on the occasion referred to, he was on foot and first applied for lodging at Mr. Gibbs’, then living on the farm where the Norwalk cemetery is now located. He was refused on some frivolous pretext, and went on to Elder Barber’s. There he met with refusal again, and continued on to Mr. Miles’, where he found an intelligent and sociable family, and was kindly received. The reception was more grateful to him, as the chances began to look like being compelled to sleep in the woods -- a very venturesome under taking at the time, especially if the traveler was without a horse."
Mr. and Mrs. Jenney raised a family of eight children. The two older ones were born in Clarksfield. Their names are Eliza, Enoch, Cornelia, John P., William H., Frances Jane, Mary and Cecelia. Mr. Jenney died in 1883 and his wife only a few years ago. Some of the items charged to Mr. Jenney in his account with Captain Husted are interesting. 2½ yds. cotton cloth, $1.70. Pair of cotton stockings, .75. Quart of whiskey, July 4th, 1818, 37 1/2c. To part of bear skin, $1.50.
To pair of soles for buckskin shoes, 25 cts. To postage on letter, 25 cts. To going to Black River with team for load of goods, in 1823, $3.75. To cash to pay Military fine, $2.10. To peck of rye for coffee, 25 cts. To whiskey for milk punch,
25 cts. Dec. 6, 1825, to oxen to move, $1.00. Nov. 13, 1826, to one month of Samuel, $10.
William is practicing medicine in Kansas City. Frances (Lorien) also lives in Kansas City. Miss Cecelia lives at the old homestead in Norwalk which was purchased in 1842.
Mr. Jenney and Platt Benedict planted, with their own hands, many of the shade trees which gave Norwalk its name of Maple City. He is said to have planted the first orchard in Clarksfield in 1821, on the Stone farm. If this be so, he was probably working for Ezra Wildman, for he had an orchard set out in the spring of 1821 and Barnum and Seger set some of the trees, and he owned the Stone farm.
In
April, 1818, Benjamin Stiles, who already owned a large tract of land in Clarksfield,
started from New York City, with his family of a wife and five or six children
and his sister, Ruth Ann, who became the second wife of Willis Case. He met
with bad luck on the road, losing horses and being delayed, so that he did not
reach Clarksfield until the third day of July, 1818. The trip cost him about
seven hundred dollars. The family lived in the wagon, as they had on the road,
until a log house was built, on the farm now owned by LeGrand Gibson. In later
years Mr. Stiles built the house now occupied by Mr. Gibson at West Clarksfield.
The log house was a good sized one with the chimney in the center and a couple
of bedrooms partitioned off. Mr. Stiles was one of the "solid" men
of the township and filled different positions of trust. A little settlement
soon grew up on Mr. Stiles’ land and was known as "Stilesburg." The
land which Mr. Stiles owned when he came here comprised the two westernmost
tiers of lots in Section 3, with the exception of the two lots on the south
line of the section. His farm afterwards contained about sixteen hundred acres
of land. Mr. Stiles did not follow his trade after he came here, but gave his
attention to farming.
We quote some charges from Captain Husted’s account with Mr. Stiles. July 14th, 1818, to gallon of whiskey lent, $1.50. To horse for Seger after butter three days, $1.12 ½. April 3d, 1819. To qt. whiskey when at work at snake den, 32 cts. To ½ bushel of cranberries, 1.
|
To one 22 gallon kettle, |
$13 |
|
To one 18 gallon kettle |
10. |
|
To one 13 gallon kettle, |
8. |
|
To one 10 gallon kettle |
5. |
|
To one large pot kettle |
4. |
To drag tooth lost by Seger, $1, 1827, Jan. 13. To coffin for, $1, 1828, Oct. 25, to fixing patent churn, $5.
Benjamin Stiles was a son of Samuel, son of Isaac, son of Isaac, son of Isaac, son of John, who was the second of the four Stiles brothers, who came from England to Connecticut in 1635. He was born at Southbury, Conn., September 1, 1779. He was a saddler by trade and went to New York City about 1808. He also made saddletrees and invented the method of making the tree out of six pieces, framed together, instead of the clumsy tree hewed out of a solid block. He accumulated a considerable property, as shown by his real estate operations. His first wife was Anna Morris, who lived but a few months after her marriage. He then married Hannah Trowbridge, a widow with two children, J. Benedict and Rebecca.
Their children were Ann, Althea, Henry, Joseph, Lucy, Samuel, (the first white child born in Clarksfield.) William W. and Harriet. Mrs. Stiles died in 1823, at the age of 42. Mr. Stiles then married Rhoda Root and their children were Edmund
M., Hannah Maria and Edmund R. The last wife died in 1851. Mr. Stiles died in 1872.
Benedict Trowbridge did not remain here long, but went back east. Rebecca Trowbridge married John Hough and died in 1827 at the age of 23. Ann Stiles married Ezra Rowland and died in 1841 the age of 31. Althea died young. Henry married Sally M. Starr and they went to housekeeping in a log house just south of the old house on Lewis Johnson’s place. Mr. Stiles then built the frame house mentioned and lived there many years. After he sold that place he moved into his father’s house and later into the house which his brother William had built, and which is now occupied by Giles Scott’s children, where he died in 1866, at the age of 54; his wife and one daughter dying within a week afterward. Their children were Harriet Ann, Starr, Eliza, Lucy, Joseph, Samantha, Ben, Rachel, Henry and Carey.
Joseph Stiles married Betsy Rowland and they lived in a log house near his father’s near Albert Arnold’s house, where he died in 1842 at the age of 29, leaving one daughter, Emily.
Lucy Stiles married Peter Starr Gray and they lived at the Stiles homestead, where she died in 1835, only a few months after her marriage, at the age of 18.
Samuel Stiles married Ariette Livermore and they lived in the frame house now occupied by Albert Arnold, but later moved across the river where he lived until 1872, and then moved to Iowa where he died about 1886, his wife dying within four days of his death. Their children were Joseph, LeGrand, Belle and Eda.
William W. Stiles married Diana Tyler in 1843, and they lived in the log house where Joseph had lived, but afterward built the house where Henry Stiles died afterward. They afterward moved to Clarksfield Hollow, into the Dr. Seger house, where they lived until the death of Mrs. Stiles in 1899. Their children were Murray, Rose, Retta and Vern.
Harriet Stiles died young. Hannah Maria married Alfred Mead and they first lived with her parents until he built the house known as the Samuel Stiles house. After a time they began their migrations and lived in Iowa, Clarksfield Hollow, Missouri, Norwalk and Michigan, where she died about 1887. Their children were Clarence, Edmund, Clarinelle, Edith, Merwin, Clifford and Winifred.
Edmund M. Stiles died in infancy. Edmund R. married Angeline Bruce. He became a Congregational minister and first lived at Brighton, then Lowell, Mich., Manchester, Ia., and finally at Hancock, Mich. He went across a portion of Lake Superior on the ice to marry a couple and took cold, causing his death. His children are Edmund, Irene, Gertrude, William and Frank.
The settlement around the home of old Mr. Stiles was rightly name "Stilesburg."
Ephraim Webb, whose wife was Althea Stiles, sister of Benjamin, came about the same time as Mr. Stiles from the State of New York. He lived in a log house on the Dr. White place, just north of the railroad, at West Clarksfield. Mr. Stiles gave him fifty acres for clearing ten acres. He raised a large family and did not remain long in a place. Some of his descendants live in New London. The children were Stiles, Horace, Ben, David, Amy, Ruth Ann, Delia, Mary Ann, Eunice, Belinda and Phebe.
Stiles Webb married Julia Carman and lived on his father’s place for a while. He died in Licking county, Ohio. Horace Webb married his first wife in the east. His second wife was Sarah Call. He lived and died in New London township. Ben Webb married, lived and died in New London. David Webb married, first, Sophia Lyon, second, Abigail Call. He owned a farm south of Clarksfield, known as the Joseph Smith place, but he died on the Butler road. Amy Webb married James Smith of Florence and died in Illinois. Ruth Ann Webb married, first, Thomas Taylor, second, Terrence Mulligan and lived in Sidney, Ohio.
Delia Webb married Platt Sexton, Mary Ann Webb married Rufus Coats and is now living with her daughter in New London township. Eunice Webb married Thomas Edwards, a son of Aden Edwards. They lived in this town and she died here. Belinda Webb married Samuel Braman and died in Rochester, O., recently.
Phebe Webb married Seymour Foster and died in Clyde.
Aaron Sexton lived in Vermont. He lost his property and moved to Carlisle township, Lorain county, O. He was a shoemaker by trade. He had two sons, Platt and William, who came to Clarksfield in 1818 and bought one hundred acres of land at what was known as Sexton’s Corner, now called Nestor’s Corners. They built a log house and kept "bachelor’s hall." They had no well and used to come to the Hollow after water. One day William came on horseback and was chased by a panther on his way home. William went back to Carlisle, married a neighbor’s daughter and settled down there. Platt married Delia Webb, a daughter of Ephraim Webb. Their children’s names are Mary, Althea, William, Edwin, Hiram, Aaron, Andrew, and Pamela.
Mary married Elon A. Stone and lives in this township. Althea married John L. Spurrier and also lives in Clarksfield. William married a Miss Putnam and died in 1853. Edwin married Delany Garner and lived on the next farm south of his father’s, having built the house owned by John Sinclair. Hiram married Adeline Root and lived a short distance north of his father’s. Aaron married Eliza Chamberlain, sister of the wives of Wm. and Ed. Croxford. They lived north of Sexton’s corners, where Thomas Nestor, Jr., now lives. Edwin, Hiram and Aaron live in Michigan. Andrew died young. Pamela married Lewis Hayes and lives in Kansas.
Platt Sexton died in 1877 at the age of 80 years and his wife in 1889 at the age of 84. The Sextons are related to the wife of President McKinley, whose name was Saxton.
Asa Wheeler, Sr., lived
in Connecticut at the time of the war of the Revolution. He was drafted into
the army and was put to 
work
as teamster and helped to draw pork to Danbury after the town had been burned
by the British, a depot of supplies having been established there by the military
authorities. He was only eighteen years old and did not relish army life, so
he managed to slip away one morning at sun rise. He was a noted runner and it
is related that he reached his home, seventy miles away, at sunset. The officers
were never able to catch him again. He came to Trumbull county, Ohio, where
his wife died. His son Asa was married to Olive Minor, a sister of Daniel Minor,
at Vienna, Trumbull county. In 1818 they came to Clarksfield with one child,
Lovina, and the old gentlemen came with them. They settled on a piece of land
up the river from the home of Benjamin Stiles, near the bank of the river. He
raised his house July 13, 1818. Mr. Wheeler set out an orchard there, which
was one of the first orchards in the town, if not the very first. In a few years
he and his brother-in-law, Joseph Bartholamew, bought out Levi Barnum, who had
built the mill, afterwards known as the "Hayes" mill, on the east
branch. The business did not pay well enough for them to meet their obligations
and they were glad to sell out to Johnson Wheeler (not a relative.) Mr. Wheeler
then lived in different places; indeed, some say that he lived in more different
houses than any other man in town. He worked for Captain Husted for some time
running the grist mill and lived in a log house near the residence of William
Stiles. In 1840 he lived in Wakeman and run the mill there. At the time of his
death he lived at the Hollow in the house now owned by Dr. C. H. Foss. His children
were Sally Lovina, who married Wheeler Percy and who died in 1897; Bethia, the
first white girl born in Clarksfield, whose birthday was Nov. 15, 1818. She
died in 1836. Anson W., who married, first, Martha Easterly and second, Amanda
(Johnson) Wilson, and who lives in Pennsylvania at present. Lucretia, who married
Oliver Dunning and lives in Missouri. Mary Ann, who died in 1869. William W.,
who married Martha Prosser and who lives in California. Lucy, who married Cyrus
Dunning and who lives in Nebraska. Lemuel, who is unmarried and lives in Nebraska.
In 1836, Mrs. Wheeler died. He then married Sophia Hill, a sister of Ben Hill.
She had a daughter, Betsy Wheeler, who is unmarried and lives with her brother
Lemuel. Asa Wheeler died in 1875, eleven days after his wife, at the age of
81. Olive Wheeler’s mother came to live with her and the two old people, Asa
Wheeler, Sr., and Mrs. Minor, concluded to get married. They afterward went
to Daniel Minor’s to live. Asa Wheeler was living at "Hayesville"
before 1826 and his wife is said to have taught the first school in that part
of the township, the school being held in their house.
Hezekiah Rowland was a son of Thomas and Tamazon Rowland.
Thomas was a son of Thomas,
son of Thomas, who, with his brother Daniel, came from Scotland in the latter
part of the 17th century and settled in Connecticut. Hezekiah was
born at Reading, Conn., in 1759, and was married to Grace, a daughter of Samuel
Wildman of Danbury, Conn., in 1778. He died at Southeast, N.Y., in 1819. He
was a soldier in the Continental army and served for nearly eight years during
the War of the Revolution. His wife died in Clarksfield in 1846 at the age of
84. Linus Palmer went east after her in a one horse sled
in 1828 and she made her home with her daughter, Mrs. Ezra Wood. The 
children
of this couple were Aaron, Anna, Polly, Levi, Ezra, Esther, Daniel, Nancy, Sophia
and Maria.
Aaron, Levi, Nancy and Esther became residents of Clarksfield. Hezekiah and Grace Rowland have had more descendants living in Clarksfield than any other couple, probably. About thirty of them are now living here. The children of Elmer and Wanda Finch are their descendants in the sixth generation.
Aaron Rowland was born in 1780, in a military camp at Danbury, Conn. In 1799 he was married to Deborah Dean of Carmel, N.Y. They located at Southeast, Putnam, Co., N.Y. Mr. Rowland was a miller by trade and operated flouring and saw mills along the Croton river. On the 10th day of October, 1818, he started from Southeast in a wagon drawn by two yoke of oxen and one horse. His family consisted of a wife and six children. Accompanying him was his brotherinlaw, Ezra Wood, and family. They reached Clarksfield November 18th. Captain Husted’s wife was an aunt to Mr. Rowland and Mrs. Wood, so all hands found shelter in Mr. Husted’s log cabin. This addition must have swelled the number of the inmates to about twenty. The probability is that the Husted family were glad to see some of their own folks and willing to be crowded for a short time. Mr. Husted charged Mr. Wood four dollars for a week’s boards for himself and wife. Mr. Rowland found employment at once in Captain Husted’s new grist mill. Perhaps he had come here with that understanding. He built a log house a little ways north of Husted’s house, where Ezra Wildman afterward lived, near the house of Mrs. Hubbell. He operated the mill when there was water and attended to farming at other times until 1822, when he moved to his own land, which he had bought before he came here. That farm was afterward owned by his son Daniel, and is now owned by Daniel’s son Elmer. Mr. Rowland operated the mill of Levi Barnum for some years, and he was considered the best miller in this part of the country. He raised a large family of children, who became some of the best citizens in the community. Their names were Ezra, Jemima, William, Samuel Wildman, Tamzon, Betsy, Charles and Daniel.
Ezra Rowland was born in 1800 and married Ann Stiles. They settled on a farm next south of Rowland’s corners. Their children were Rebecca, Benjamin, Aaron, Lucy, Jairus and Samuel. Rebecca and Jairus are deceased. The wife died in 1841 at the age of 31. In 1842 Mr. Rowland married Catherine Doren, a widow. The children of this marriage were Deborah, Ida, Ellen and Emma. Mr. Rowland died in 1875 and his wife, Catherine, in 1896, at the age of 89.
Jemima Rowland married Linus Palmer and died in 1880. Their history will be found further along.
William Rowland did not live here, but made his home in New York.
Samuel Wildman Rowland was born in 1810, and married Harmony Blair in 1834. They first lived near Rowland’s corners, but sold to A. W. Seger in 1836 and moved to Rochester, O., where they lived until a few years ago, when they moved to Oberlin. Mr. Rowland died in 1898. Their children are Mary, William, (deceased) Ed, Carrie, Eva and Thaddeus.
Tamzon Rowland was born in 1814 and married Samuel W. Husted. After the death of Mr. Husted she married a man in the east, but they separated in a short time. She came back here and afterwards married Martin Pulver. They lived here until their death. She died in 1894.
Betsy Rowland was born in 1816 and married Joseph Stiles about 1837. After his death she married Thomas Pelton of Florence in 1845. She died in Berlin township in 1898. She had a daughter, Emily, by the first marriage, and a son, Fred, and daughter, Stella, by the last.
Charles Rowland was born in 1820. He married Lucy Seger, who died in 1857. His second wife was Jane Gray, a niece of Ezra B. Gray. He died in 1895 in New London. His daughter died in 1860. The second wife had a son, Francis.
Daniel Rowland was born in 1822. He married Harriet Chaffee in 1843. They lived on the homestead now owned by Elmer Rowland. Mr. Rowland died in 1881. They had three children, Celia, Elmer and Carrie, (deceased). Aaron Rowland died in 1868. His wife died in 1866, after a married life of nearly sixty-six years.
Ezra Wood was a son of David Wood, who was killed in 1795, and Catherine Gregory. David was a son of John, son of Samuel, son of Dr. Samuel Wood, who came from England to Boston and afterward moved to Danbury, Conn., where he died in 1714. Ezra was born at Danbury in 1791 and was married to Nancy, daughter of Hezekiah Rowland and Grace Wildman. She was born in Carmel, N.Y., in 1797. They were married Oct. 27, 1816. Their children were Maria Catherine, David Edwin, William Henry, Nathaniel E., and Daniel Rowland.
Marie Catherine was born in Danbury in 1818, and married Stephen Ransom Day. She died in 1880. David E. was born in 1822 and died in 1825. William Henry was born in 1825 and married Julia Watkins. They lived on the corner near Ransom Day’s for a while. He entered the ministry and died at Litchfield, O., in 1872. Nathaniel Erastus was born in 1832. He married Julia McCord and lived in Wellington. After the death of his wife he married Victoria, widow of John Fanning. They separated and he is now living with relatives in Clarksfield. Daniel Rowland Wood was born in 1838 and married Sarah Jane Ronk. They lived on the old Wood farm until the death of the old people, when they went to Michigan, where they still live. Mr. Wood owned a farm before he came here, the one next south of Aaron Rowland’s. He erected a log house there, near the old house now owned by Philo Stone. There was no saw mill nearer than Florence, and Mr. Wood brought a board from there on his back for a door. He was an influential man and the opinion of "Squire Wood" was often sought. He did some missionary work among the Indians. He was a shoemaker by trade and hired Seymour Johnson to clear his land, deeding him 26 acres in 1821 to pay for the labor. He was an expert hunter. He died in 1875 and his wife in 1878.
Robert W. Betts, who afterward lived in Vermillion township, must have lived here during the summer of 1818, as shown by an old account book.
Henry Barber came in 1818 and lived here for several years, and other men who did not become permanent residents lived here at this time.
Ephraim Barker came from Cayuga county, N.Y., to Greenwich township in March, 1818. He must have lived in this township for a short time. Benjamin Benson says that Alzina Barker, (who was a daughter of Ephraim) was the first teacher in the first school house erected in the township, and that her parents then resided in the township and were reckoned among the pioneers of the place. Alzina married David W. Briggs, one of the greatest hunters in this county, and they lived in Greenwich, as did her father for many years.
Solomon Gray and his wife, (Betsy Benham) with two children came from New Haven, Conn., in 1818. They came with an ox team and were on the road for eight weeks. They first settled on the farm now owned by sons of John Hayes. About 1823 Mr. Gray traded with Levi Barnum for the farm just north of the Hollow and lived in a log house which stood near the river on the west side of the road where he died in 1845. He had three children. Pamela, who was eight years of age when they came here, married James Green and they lived on a farm west of the Hollow, near the township line. She died in ---. George W., who was a baby in 1818, married Mahala Spurrier in 1842 and settled on a farm next west of James Green’s. He died in 1888. His children were Martha, Nettie, Ellen, Mina and Dallas.
James M., who was born in 1822, married Eunice Bissell of Birmingham and lived on the old homestead. His second wife was Mrs. Brewer. He died in 1891, leaving a daughter, Millie.
End of pages 41 - 50
Transcribed by Lowell Dunlap