Pioneer History of Clarksfield, pages 71 - 80
The first distillery in town was built by Henry Barber in 1819. Some entries in Captain Husted’s account book indicate the date: 1819, Sept. 3. To chopping on still yard, $5.00. To paying for brick, $4.12 ½. To 8½ bushels corn, $4.25. To grinding corn and rye, $1.00 To 16 ½ bushels of corn, $8.25. By 6 gallons whiskey, $3.00. By keeping 6 hogs one week, 75 cents. By keeping 1cow one week, 25 cents. This business was carried on by Mr. Barber for a year or two only. Benjamin Benson mentions this distillery and says: "It would have astonished you to see the instantaneous effect produced by the smell of the whiskey jug; every tongue was at once set at liberty (the historian must tell the truth.) It is no exageration to say that you will seldom find a more sober, grave and thoughtful set of inhabitants of Clarksfield; but these virtues were always more apparent when the whisky barrel was empty. A few years after the beginning of the settlement, a whisky still was found in Clarksfield "Hollow." It was got up by Henry Barber and involved a seeming paradox, for the settlers both approved and disapproved of it at the same time. Do you give it up? Why, then, I will tell, you. They loved whisky, and so far approved of the still, but they disapproved of it because it did not make whisky enough, as the following incidents will tend to illustrate. A dance was about to come off rather unexpectedly when it was found, to the great grief of all concerned, that there was not a drop of whisky about the establishment. What must be done? There was no alternative; the grain had to pass through the various operations of grinding, mashing and distilling before the delicious beverage could reach the festive scene, which had to suffer several days’ delay before the pleasing revel could be brought about.
On another occasion, a social evening party was gotten up; there was no whisky on hand, so that as usual, they had recourse to the still. But the liquor had been run so low that day that what came next had scarcely any spirit in it. They contrived, however, to get a sufficient quantity of the stuff together, on which, after heating and sweetening and drinking somewhat less than a gallon apiece of the mixture, they made out to get a little exhilarated." Our readers should not infer from the above that the pioneers of Clarksfield were unusually fond of whisky. They were no more so than their neighbors. Coming from New England at a time when the great majority of people used liquor and when even the clergymen were not averse to taking a drink occasionally, it is not to be wondered at that they brought their custom of drinking the social cup with them. The most of them gave up the habit when the temperance question became agitated and became strong advocates of temperance, if not of total abstinence.
We learn that Alvin Coe, a Presbyterian and William Westlake, a Methodist, were the first regular ministers. Other men visited the new colony and some of these missionary workers saw hard times. David Marks was one of them and in his Memoirs (see p. 22) he gives a narrative of his first journey to Ohio. Finding that a Free Will Baptist church had already been established at Milan, he journeyed on to New London, Clarksfield, and Danbury, where he attended meetings "with some appearance of success." On the 29th and 30th of June, 1822, a general meeting was held at Milan. "Brethren attended from three small churches in Milan, Greenfield, and Clarksfield, which were the only Free Will Baptist churches in this part of the country." In August of this year he attended meetings at Clarksfield in addition to other places. It is probable that the first church society organized in the township was the Baptist, but we are unable to learn anything more concerning it than stated above.
In 1822 a Methodist church
was organized in the south part of the township, but the members were mostly
from New London township. The second class, consisting of Abraham Gray and wife,
Harvey Smith and wife and Mrs. Joseph Nickerson, was organized in 1825 and the
meetings were first held at the home of Mr. Gray. Then the log school house
south of the Hollow was used, and when that was burnt the new schoolhouse north
of the river was used. In 1832, during the pastorate of Rev. Thomas Barkdull,
the first efforts toward raising money for a church edifice were made, but it
was not until 1838 that the building was erected. Smith Starr donated ground
at the top of the hill east of the Hollow and Zara Norton, who was the local
preacher, cut and laid the foundation with his own hands.
Hiel Scott, Peter Starr and others were the carpenters. The building cost $1200
and
the same frame with a new covering stands today. Hiram Cunningham did much toward
building the church. Sheldon, McIntyre, Barkdull, Disbro, the Mitchells, Ennis,
McMahon, Conant, Gavitt, Biggs, Broomfield, Norton, Huestis and Kellam were
among the early pastors. In addition to the church just mentioned there is also
a church at White-fox (formerly East Clarksfield), one at Barrett’s Corners
and another at West Clarksfield.
In 1822 a Presbyterian church was organized at Clarksfield, and Samuel Husted, who was a member of the Presbyterian church at Florence, and his son, Edward, were among the first members. Services used to be held at the home of Mr. Husted and it is said that a few Wyandot Indians frequently attended these meetings. In 1836 funds were raised to begin the erection of a church building, but it was not completed until two years afterward. The upper floor was not finished off, but was used for different purposes. In 1881 it was replaced by a new structure which is the present Congregational church, situated on the hill south of Clarksfield village. Rev. Xenophon Betts, who came to Wakeman in 1829, was, perhaps the first regular pastor. He was followed by Paine, Wilcox, Todd, Pierce and others.
Nathan Reed came here as early as 1826, and his brothers, Israel and Asa, came as early as 1828. Nathan lived south of Willis Case’s, where Henry Stiles afterward lived. In 1831 he bought seventy-five acres of land on the New London road, north of Ira Starr’s, and south of James Collingwood’s place. He sold it to Ira Starr in 1836. Israel and Asa Reed lived west of Ephraim Day’s, near the river, back from the road, where the Livermores lived afterward. Ira Reed lived here in 1826. He might have been another brother.
Samuel Parker, whose wife was Ruth Root, came from Livonia, N.Y., to Florence township in 1817. His brother, William, lived in Florence for many years. Samuel was a clothier and dyer and used to dress and dye the homespun cloth of the pioneers. He moved to Birmingham and operated the flouring mill for a time, then moved to Elyria and followed his trade. In 1828 he came to Clarksfield and settled on a farm occupied by Allen Mead, on the north side of the road near Upton Clark’s place, now owned by A. Collingwood. He bought fifty acres of this farm of Samuel White, in 1826, twenty-five acres of Daniel Bills and twenty acres of Levi Barnum, in 1832. The children were Sarah, born in 1816, and George, born in 1818. Sarah married Ephraim Day and is still living in sight of the place where she came over seventy years ago. George married Emily Livermore and lived on the old place. In 1850 he sold out and moved to Wisconsin, then to Nebraska, where he died.
Samuel Parker’s wife died in 1849 and he went to Wisconsin, where he died about forty years ago.
In
1815 Henry Bates and Peter Kinsley, soldiers in the English army, deserted and
crossed the Niagara River under the fire of the English and came into the lines
of the Americans. In 1818 they came to New London. Bates married Phebe Hendryx,
a daughter of Anthony Hendryx. His second wife was Phebe Root, a sister of Samuel
Parker’s wife and his third wife was Polly Parker (Crandall), a sister of Samuel
Parker. In 1828 he bought 50 acres of land near the Livermore settlement, but
sold it the next year. He once lived across the road from Dr. McMillan’s house.
He went to Florence and from there to Camden, where he died.
Benjamin Hill was a son of Isaac Hill, of Wakeman, and had six brothers and seven sisters. He was born in 1796. The family came from Connecticut to Portage County, Ohio, at an early day. Mr. Hill was married there to Mary Shanks in 1820. Soon after 1825 (the year is uncertain) he came to Clarksfield. He bought 20 acres of Smith Starr in 1829, on top of the hill east of the Hollow, on the north side of the road, where Charles Harris now lives. He was a blacksmith by trade and had a shop at this place. He paid for this farm $75. His price for shoeing horses was eight cents a shoe. He used to burn charcoal to use on his forge. In 1828 he married Julia Stevens of Fitchville. His children were Jonathan, Hoyt, Alvin and Alfred. All are dead except Alvin, who lives in Monroeville, O. In 1844 Mr. Hill sold to Martin Pulver and bought Albert Seger’s place, east of the Hamlin corners, where Charles Phillips now lives. In 1862 he moved to Fairfield township, where the wife died in 1875 and he in 1876.
Agur Beach Hoyt was a son of Agur and a cousin of Simeon Hoyt. He was born at Danbury, Conn., in 1802, and in 1823 married Melinda Hack of Danbury. In 1828 he came with his family to Sandusky, and from there he journeyed on horseback to Clarksfield to locate a farm. He bought of Dibble & Hoyt ninety acres of land a half mile north of the Hollow, on the river, where Bert Barnum now lives. He lived here until 1832 when he sold out to Lewis Patch. He moved to Norwalk and lived there until his death in 1880. His wife died in 1871. They had nine children, one of whom was Peter B., who became a well known physician.
Benjamin DeWitt and John McConnell both lived here in 1828.
Benajah Furlong was born in 1785 and married Rhoda Calusha, who was born in 1788. They lived in Connecticut until 1828 when they came to Clarksfield with their children, Norman G., born in 1809, Maria Louisa, born in 1811, Orville P., born in 1813, Myron C., born in 1816 and Mary Ann, born in 1819. Mr. Furlong bought a farm about three fourths of a mile east of the Hollow, where he built a fine house afterwards. He was a blacksmith by trade and his sons, Norman and Orville, were wagon makers and they used to work at their trade in the basement of the house. Mr. Furlong built a tannery across the road and a little east of his house, and carried on business there also. This tannery was built about 1836 or ‘37 and Norman D. Waterhouse, a tanner by trade, was interested in the business. He married Betsy Ann Signor and they had a daughter, Frances. It turned out that he had a wife already and he left the country suddenly. Mr. Furlong died in 1849 and his wife in 1867. Norman Furlong married Chloe Maria Hamlin in 1835, and she died in 1844. In 1846 he married Betsy Knapp. He lived in the house just east of his father’s. He was a wagon maker and worked at that trade and was also in company with Martin Pulver and made fanning mills and grain cradles in a shop across the road from his house. He died in 1885 and his wife in 1898. Louisa Furlong married Lucius M. Curtiss in 1831. Orville Furlong married Elizabeth Barnum in 1846 and his history is given with the history of Levi Barnum.
Myron Furlong married Minerva B. Disbro in 1839. They lived at Mt. Vernon, O., then moved to Warsaw, Ind., where they died. Mary Ann Furlong married Francis D. Collins in 1847 and died in 1895.
Allen Mead, a brother of Thomson Mead, was a preacher and lived near Upton Clark’s.
Horace Porter and his family came to Clarksfield from Connecticut about 1831 and settled on a farm on the west side of the road, just south of the Major Smith place, on the New London road. The first wife was Rebecca Northup who died before they came here, leaving four children, Rachel, Elizabeth, James S. and Henry N. The second wife had three children; Horace, born before they came here, Samuel and Persilla. Of the children, Henry and Horace only are living.
Rachel married Richard Freeman; Elizabeth married Michael Shays and died in 1868. James S. lived in Clarksfield for quite a number of years and went to Michigan, where he died only a few years ago. Henry N. married Susan Starr and has lived in Clarksfield ever since. Horace married, first, Julia Morris; second, Augusta Morris; third, Ann Smith; fourth, Mrs. Lizzie Cooley. He lived in Clarksfield the most of the time, but now lives with his daughter at New London and at Grafton, O.
George Gregory was born at Wilton, Fairfield county, Connecticut. Polly Waring was born at Southeast, Duchess county, N.Y., in 1792. They were married Dec. 31, 1810, and lived at Southeast. He was a saddletree maker. He served in the war of 1812. Their children were James L., born in 1813, Mary E., born in 1815, Peter L., born in 1820, Charles W., born in 1821, Abby L., born in 1822, Ann Maria, born in 1826, Matthew, born in 1829, on the farm where he lives. In 1828 the family came to Clarksfield and lived north of the Hollow, while Mr. Gregory worked for Captain Husted in the mill, and in the spring moved to the farm on the south line of the township, on the west side of the road and lived in a log house where the brick chapel now stands. Mr. Gregory afterward built a frame house across the road, where Matthew now lives. Mr. Gregory died here in 1865 and his wife in 1883. Of the children, James married Margaret Patch and they lived at the Hollow, where he worked at the trade of tailor. He died in 1863. Mary married Richard Fanning and died in 1844. Peter married Louisa Tyler and after her death, Mary M. Darling of Sandusky. He lived in Minnesota for many years, but at this writing is living with his sister in Sandusky. Charles married, first, Rebecca Gates of New London, second, Lou (Rogers) Patch. He died in 1889. Abby married Joseph B. Darling of Sandusky and is still living in Sandusky. Ann Maria married Llewellyn Smith in 1850 and died in 1894. They lived on the farm next west of the Gregory farm. Matthew married Harriet Rogers in 1884. George Gregory’s mother married Comfort Hoyt, Sr.
Dr. Hervey Manley lived here between 1828 and 1832. He was a single, as well as a singular man. He boarded with Captain Husted, Abraham Gray, etc., and loved to hunt turkeys with Fred Wildman and James Monroe. He taught school in the old Husted log house, or a building which stood near there.
Ira Starr was a tailor by trade and was a native of the state of New York. In his youth he had a diseased leg and it was amputated. He came west, first settling in Indiana, then moved to Seneca county, O., and in 1828 came to Clarksfield and bought a farm of Allen Mead, the one now owned by Carlton Clark, and lived in a log house which stood near the site of Mr. Clark’s house. In 1833 he sold this farm to Thomas G. Carlton and he probably lived across the road from Levi Bodwell’s place after this, and kept a small stock of goods in Bodwell’s house. In 1830 he had bought Lot 9 in the 4th Section, but sold it to William Vanderhoof the next year. In 1836 he bought of Henry Potter seventy-five acres of the next lot south and built what was known as the "block house," which stood north of the Lyman Knapp place on the east side of the road. The logs were hewed and covered with clapboards on the outside and matched lumber on the inside, making a warm house much better than the ordinary ones. He followed his trade here and kept a store in one room of the house. The business did not pay and the sheriff sold the farm to Timothy Baker in 1840. Mr. Starr and Francis Barnes afterward lived at Hayesville and kept a store there. The children were Sally, who married Henry Stiles and is deceased; Rachel, who married Francis Barnes; James T., who married Maria Gordon and lives at Berlinville, Ohio; Samantha, who married Avery Arnold; Susan, who married Henry Porter, and Betsy Ann, who married Walter Twiss and lives in Michigan. The wife, who was a sister of Thomson and Allen Mead, died in 1863, and Mr. Starr died in 1885 at the great age of 96 years.
Isaac VanHouton bought of Wm. Hendryx sixty-seven acres of land in 1828, and in 1832 one hundred and seventeen acres more, which is the south part of Andrew Blackman’s farm. He lived in a log house which stood further back from the road than the house afterward occupied by Simeon Blackman. In 1839 he traded farms with Simeon Blackman and moved to Vermillion.
Ezra Wildman was a son of Samuel Wildman, whose homestead is now a part of the city of Danbury, Conn. He was born in 1775, and learned the trade of hatter, which he followed for many years. In 1798 he married Anne Hoyt, a daughter of Comfort Hoyt, Jr., and Eunice Mallory, who was born in 1779. Their children were Mary Ann, born in 1804; Wm. H., born in 1810; Frederick A., born in 1813, and Cornelia, born in 1816. Mr. Hoyt, who owned a goodly portion of Clarksfield township, gave his daughter, Mrs. Wildman, lot 10 in the 3d section, which was the lot next to the north line of the township, north of Captain Husted’s first house, on the east side of the road. In 1820 Mr. Wildman came out here to see his land and make arrangements to have it cleared. His brother-in-law, Captain Husted, must have looked after the matter, as shown by the following items taken from Husted’s account book:
1820, Dec. 1. To three days to Portland for goods with team, $6. 1820. Dec. 1. To paid frait, etc., for hats, axes, & tobacco, $3.50. 1821, Mar. 3. To paid subscription for bridge, $3. 1821, May 1. To paid Eli S. Barnum for apple tress, $6.25. 1821, May. To fetching same from Florence, $1.50. 1821, May 1. To settling same by Barnum and Seger, $1.
Mr. Wildman sent some goods out for Mr. Husted to sell. In May, 1828, he and his son, William, drove thro’ to Clarksfield, arriving June 1st. He made arrangements to have an addition built to the log house which Aaron Rowland had built in 1818, and he then returned to Danbury, leaving William here. He returned with the rest of the family the same fall, arriving Oct. 21st. In that same year he purchased of Samuel Husted and Levi Barnum sixty-two acres of land across from Abraham Gray’s place, where Captain Husted had first lived. In 1837 he deeded to Daniel Stone forty-seven acres of this and in 1844 deeded the remainder at the southeast corner of the lot to Cornelia Seger. Mr. Wildman died on the farm in February, 1858, and his wife died the following June.
Mary Ann Wildman married Danl. Stone in Danbury, and they came to Clarksfield with Mr. Wildman’s family and lived with them for a number of years. Mr. Stone had left home when quite young and learned the hatter’s trade of Mr. Wildman. After he moved here he followed his trade at Milan for some time, until he had gotten his farm cleared, by hiring it done. Then he built a log house nearer the road than Captain Husted’s old house and lived there for many years. In their old age they moved to the Hollow, across the street from Hoyt Husted’s and died there. Their children were Ezra W., who married Maria Hayes and who is deceased; Anna Cornelia, who married, first, Hoyt Husted, and second, Samuel Gray; Elon A., who married Mary Sexton; Henry A., who married Selina Peck and Demmon C., who married Eveline Husted.
William H. Wildman married Mary Ann Seger in Fitchville in 1831, and she died in 1834, childless. In 1836 he married Fanny Knapp in Genessee county, N.Y. He was a hatter by trade and worked in Milan four years. Then he followed farming, his father having given him fifty acres on the north side of his farm in 1834. He afterward lived on the homestead until he sold it in 1880. He died in Norwalk in 1898. Their children are Frank and Alfred.
Frederick A. Wildman was married to Mariette Patch, Feb. 3, 1835, at the home of his father, and at the same place and time two other couples were married; Alfred Seger to Cornelia Wildman and Warren Cooley to Amarillas Seger. Mr. Wildman lived on a part of his father’s place, where Eugene Stone now lives, at one time and also lived at the Hollow. He was elected Justice of the Peace in 1837 and served until 1851. He was the second postmaster at the Hollow, having been appointed in 1840. In 1851 he was elected county clerk and moved to Norwalk. When his term of office expired in 1858 he returned to Clarksfield and bought the Abraham Gray farm and repaired the house, but moved back to Norwalk in a short time. He was a captain in the civil war and was provost marshal of this district. He lived in Kansas for six years, but returned to Norwalk, where his wife died in 1891 and he died in 1899.
His children are Judge S. A., Charles, F. H., Mrs. C. P. Wickham and Mrs. Capt. Adams.
Cornelia Wildman married Alfred Seger and after his death married Mr. S. G. Wright and died in Kansas City, Kas.
The Fannings were of Irish descent and lived at Hopkinton, Mass.
James Fanning was a son of William, son of James and was born in 1786 and in 1808 married Sarah Westbrook, who was born in 1789. They lived in Ontario county, N.Y., where James was killed in 1827 while assisting to raise a barn frame.
He left a widow and seven children, Richard, John, Benjamin G., William M., Ann, Eliza and Asenath. In 1829 Richard came to Clarksfield and found a home with the family of Stephen Post, whose wife was a sister of James Fanning. He was a ship carpenter by trade and worked in the ship yard at Huron for six years. In 1836 he married Mary Gregory and lived in Clarksfield. She died in 1844 and in 1850 he married a lady who is now Mrs. Bascom, of New York state. He died in 1864 at the age of 50. He had lived in different houses in this township since his marriage. "Col. Dick" Fanning, as he was called, was a man of fine personal appearance, and made an ideal militia officer on "training day." He left a daughter by the first marriage, who is now Mrs. H. W. Townsend of New London. Eliza Fanning married Alfred Stebbins. In 1834 the widow Fanning with her sons, Benjamin and William M., (generally called Mason) and Mr. and Mrs. Stebbins came to Clarksfield and bought of Hessel P. Ryerson fifty-four acres of land near the old Stephen Post farm, where John Ries now lives. Mr. Stebbins bought 85 acres on the opposite side of the road from said Post, but sold it the next year to Mr. Ryerson and moved to Lyme township, Huron County, where his wife died in 1880. Asenath Fanning married a Mr. Palmer and came to Lyme township in 1836. John Fanning married and lived on the home farm until his death in 1871 at the age of 52. Benjamin G. learned the shoemaker’s trade in his youth but did not like it and went into the fruit tree business. After a time he bought a farm in Clarksfield and found employment in Sherman Smith’s shoe store and in 1846 he married Mr. Smith’s daughter, Sabra, and they settled on his mother’s farm. Mr. Fanning afterward sold that and bought another farm next north of Sherman Smith’s where the widow and son, Henry, now live. He traveled for a number of years selling patent rights. In 1852 he took charge of the farm and lived there until his death in 1891, at the age of 68. Mason Fanning went to Monroeville in 1842, where he still lives. The widow Fanning married Jonas Clark, of Sandusky, Co., O., after living here a few years, and died in 1860, at the age of 71.
Levi Rowland was a son of Hezekiah Rowland and Grace Wildman and was a brother of Aaron. He was born at Carmel, N.Y., Nov. 12, 1788. He served in the American army during the war of 1812. In 1830 he came to Clarksfield, arriving on the 22nd day of October. He settled on the south side of the road, just east of Rowland’s corners opposite to where S. H. Rowland lives. In 1840 he sold this place to Oran, his son, and Asa Wheeler. He moved away and died in Fitchville on the 13th of December, 1874. Mr. Rowland was the father of the following children, all of whom were born at the town of Southeast, N.Y., and all of whom came with him to Clarksfield: Oran, Anna, Cornelia, Eber and Sophia.
Oran was born May 1st, 1811, and was married to Betsy Husted in 1835. They lived in the father’s place, but the house was burnt and a new house was built on the north side of the road, and here the wife died in 1878 and the husband in 1882. Of their children, Asher died in Norwalk; Levi lives in Michigan; Samuel lives on the homestead; Nancy lives in Bronson; Cornelia makes her home with Samuel; Watson died in the army; Jennie married D. H. Clapp and they went to China as missionaries and were murdered by the Boxers in 1900; Thomas, Eber and George live in Kansas and Eddie died young.
Anna Rowland who was born August 1, 1812, married Moses Yale. He lived in Clarksfield in 1837 and taught school, but spent the rest of his life at Norwalk.
Cornelia Rowland was born July 25, 1814, and married Justin Hill, of Wakeman. They lived at Wakeman and Florence, then moved to Michigan, where she was living, a widow, not long ago.
Eber Rowland was born Oct. 7, 1816 and married Jerusha Fowler. They lived in Wakeman, Clarksfield, Savannah, Florence, and Birmingham, eventually moving to Michigan, where the wife died and where Mr. Rowland still lives.
Sophia Rowland never married but lives at Norwalk where she has lived for fifty years. She was born November 17, 1827.
Levi Rowland was a blacksmith by trade and worked at it by odd spells, but gave it up entirely and devoted his time to farming. In 1845 he bought the Wheeler mill property of Albert Seger and carried on the mill for some time. Eber had operated the mill for two years previous to this.
George Case, a son of Willis, married Phillida Blackman and they lived south of the Ephraim Day homestead. They moved to Michigan, where he died in 1869. The wife died at the home of Mrs. Harland in 1884. Their children were Mahala, who married Rollin Clark and lives in Kansas; Edmond; who married Elizabeth Garner and died in 1899; Sarah A., who married E. J. Harland, and died in 1895; Elbert, who lives in Kansas; George, who died in Colorado in 1899; Sabra, who married George Garner and died in Hartland in 1874; Wilber, who died in Michigan in 1875; Libbie, who died in Wellington in 1884 and Frank, who has been an inmate of the Insane Asylum at Toledo since 1884.
Charles Case, another son of Willis, was born in Ontario county, N.Y., in 1813. In 1831 he was married to Emeline Belden of Cayuga county, N.Y., and they lived there for a few years, then came to Clarksfield and lived on the old Case homestead. The wife died in 1861 and the husband in 1873. Their children were Harriet, Charles Belden, Susan, Adaline, Ruth Ann, Emeline, Dimis, Orris, Olive, Francis and Bradley. Harriet married Minor Sprague and is deceased. Susan married William Sprague and lived in Missouri. Adeline died unmarried. Ruth married James Knapp and died recently. Emeline married Samuel Bassett and died 1883. Dimis lives in Michigan. Orris married Angeline Rounds of Hartland, and lives on the old Case homestead. Olive married George Ransom and lives in Wellington. Frances is unmarried and lives with relatives. Bradley lives in Norwalk. Willis Case’s wife (first) was a sister of Nathan Reed.
Aaron Hoyt, a brother of Simeon, came here with him in 1817. His father deeded him 65 acres of land where B. G. Fanning afterward lived, and 100 acres where Isaiah Post afterward lived, in 1818. In middle life Mr. Hoyt married Miss Martha Coon, a sister of William Vanderhoof’s wife, and they lived on the place now known as the Ben. Fanning farm, but sold that and moved to New London township and Mr. Hoyt died there in 1862. They had a son, Augustus, who married a daughter of Jonathan Baldwin. The widow of Aaron Hoyt and the son are both dead.
Perry H. Bills, the eldest son of Daniel Bills, Sr., whose name was omitted from the list of children, voted here in 1837. He did, not live here long.
Abraham Dayton Hendryx came to New London with his family in 1817 and lived in many different places, but lived in Clarksfield as early as 1828 and as late as 1833. The children were Sophia, George, Sally, Anna and John. Anna married Benjamin DeWitt and we read that "Squire Case, who married them, received as his fee a fine dog pup. Mr. Hendryx and his son, "Devil John," and Benjamin DeWitt were all warned out of this township. This John married Ephraim Day’s sister.
Michael Mead and his wife, "Patty," lived here with their children, Thompson and Allen Mead and Mrs. Ira Starr, as early as 1828, but went to Seneca county, O., to live with their son and died there. Mr. Mead was a soldier of the Revolution. His wife was captured by the Indians when she was sixteen years old, and was bought by a French trader for a silver knee buckle.
Lucius M. and Henry L. Curtiss were sons of Eleazer and Anna Curtiss, of Saulsbury, Conn. Lucius was born in 1801. He came to Ohio in 1822 and remained for a few years then went back and induced the parents and the rest of the family to come out here, which they did in 1829 and settled in Florence township. In that same year Lucius came over to Clarksfield and bought out the Thayer brothers. In 1831 he married Louisa Furlong and they lived on their farm on the road to Wakeman at the north line of the township, the farm being now owned by John Gardiner. About 1843 they sold out and moved to Florence where Mr. Curtiss died in 1870. In 1880 their only son, June, died and the wife died a year or so later.
Henry Curtiss lived with his parents until their deaths in 1837 and in that same year he married Charlotte Eliza Weaver of Berlin, but who was born in Otsego county, N.Y. In 1843 he sold the home farm to his brother Lucius and came to Clarksfield possibly living on the farm which his brother had owned, for a short time, but later buying a farm of Almanza Hamlin next east of Robert Barnes’, where David Fox afterward lived and died. About 1857 he sold his place and moved to Wakeman, then Cleveland, then to Florence, east of Mason’s mills, where he died in 1881 and the wife in 1884. She had been a cripple for many years. Their children are Charlotte, James and Mahlon.
Samuel W. Jennings bought the lot next north of Abraham Gray’s farm in 1829. He lived there, somewhere near where Mr. House afterward lived. In 1834 he sold it to Ira Peck. He had a son Samuel who worked for Mr. Cobb in 1841, and a daughter, Mariette. He moved to Norwalk.
Isaac and Samuel Wellman lived here in 1829.
Soon after 1830 Thomas G. (Elder, as he was called) Carlton came to Clarksfield from the east, as a kind of missionary. He went back but soon returned with his family and his parents, a brother, Worlin and sister, Elizabeth. He bought out Ira Starr in 1833 and lived where Carlton Clark now lives, but sold out to Upton Clark in 1839. He had children, George, Elizabeth and James. They moved to York township, Sandusky county, O., where they died. Worlin Carlton bought a piece of land just south of the section line, on the New London road and lived in a log house, but built the house now standing on the farm which was sold to Daniel Bills in 1852. His first wife, Pauline Cole, died there and he then married Emeline Clawson. He undertook to stop the horses on a threshing machine, as they had become unmanageable, but the large fly wheel burst and one piece struck him on the head and killed him. This was in 1846. He left no children. The sister, Elizabeth married Stephen Post, Jr. She was a sister of Elder Carlton, instead of daughter, as stated on page 35. Her father’s name was Thomas, which caused the error. The parents died at the home of Stephen Post, Thomas in 1848 and Betsy, the wife, in 1853.
End of Pages 71 - 80
Transcribed by Lowell Dunlap