Pioneer History of Clarksfield, pages 81 - 90
Sturges
Hayes was a native of Connecticut, born at New Fairfield in 1797. He married
Anna Wakeman, of the same place. He was a wagon maker by trade. He came to Clarksfield
with his family about 1830 and in 1835 he bought of his brothers seventy one
acres of land opposite Ezra Wood’s place. They lived here for some time, then
sold this place to Ezra Rowland and bought another place on the Butler road,
where the sons of William Barnes now live. Their children were Edward, Lewis,
Lucy, Bradley, Eli, Hannah, Phebe, Maria, Harriet and Frances. Edward married
Sarah Hile of this township and died Kansas. Lewis married Sarah McCord and
after her death, Pamela Sexton, and they live in Kansas. Bradley married Mary
(Wheeler) Hanford of Wakeman and they live in Wakeman township. Eli married
Mahala Hoag and they live in Missouri. Hannah and Phebe died in 1840 at the
age of 14 and 15, respectively. Maria married Ezra W. Stone and she still lives
in this township. Harriet married Abram Harris and lives in this township. Frances
married Henry Holcomb and died quite a number of years ago. Lucy married Wm.
T. Mead and is deceased.
John Hayes was a brother of Sturges Hayes. His wife was Clarissa Wildman, a daughter of Eli Wildman, who was a brother of Ezra Wildman. Mr. Hayes came from Connecticut to Rochester, N.Y., and kept a hat store. In 1832 they came to Clarksfield and boarded with Capt. Husted for a time. Mr. Hayes bought the old store of Capt. Husted the same year and they lived in one part and kept a store in the front. The store stood in front of the present grist mill, near the race. After a few years they moved to a farm a little more than a half mile east of the Hollow, afterwards known as the Fisher farm. In November, 1835, Mr. Hayes bought out Johnson and Oliver Wheeler and moved over to that place and continued the business of milling and store keeping. The settlement around the mill came to be known as Hayesville. In 1838 Mr. Hayes laid out a town plat there and called it Geneva and the town existed (on paper) until 1890. Only two or three houses were built in the town. About 1860 the family moved to Oberlin. Mr. Hayes died at the home of his daughter in Portage county, O., in 1870, at the age of 68. The children were Edward, Eli, Henry, Harvey and Howard, twins, Adelaide, John, and Ann.
Edward married Nancy Palmer
and died on the old place in 1877. Eli died soon after coming here. Henry lives
on the old farm 
in
the Lyman Riley house. Harvey died in 1895. Adelaide died in 1878, John in 1863
and Ann in 1862. Howard died in 1900. The mother died at the home of Howard
in 1891. Mr. Hayes owned a number of farms in the township, at different times.
Levi Rowland was a son of Hezekiah and Grace Rowland and a brother of Aaron. He was born at Carmel, N.Y., in 1788. He was a soldier in the war of 1812. He came to Clarksfield with his family, arriving October 22nd, 1830, and settled on the south side of the road just east of Rowland’s corners. In 1840 he sold this farm to Asa Wheeler and Oran Rowland. In 1845 he bought the Hayes mill property of Albert Seger and ran the mill for a time. He was a blacksmith by trade and followed his trade for some time after coming here, but finally gave it up and devoted his energy to farming. He finally moved to Fitchville where he died in 1874. His children were Oran, Anna, Cornelia, Eber and Sophia. Oran, was born in 1811 and married Betsy Husted in 1835 and they lived on the father’s place. The old house was burnt and they built a new house on the north side of the road, where their children, Samuel and Cornelia now live. The wife died here in 1878 and the husband in 1882. Anna Rowland married Moses Yale and they lived at Rowland’s corners for a short time, then moved to Norwalk where both died. Mr. Yale was a school teacher. In 1832 Levi Rowland sold to Mr. Yale 100 acres of land across the road from his house and in 1835 Nathaniel R. Daniels bought it. In 1836 Mr. Yale bought of John Hayes a tract of land on the north side of the road, east of the Whitefox church.
Cornelia Rowland, born in 1814, married Justin Hill, of Wakeman, and she now lives with her son in Michigan.
Eber Rowland, born in 1816, married Jerusha Fowler. They lived in Clarksfield for a time, while Mr. Rowland ran the Hayes mill for a couple of years previous to 1845. They then moved to Savannah, Wakeman, Florence, Birmingham and finally to Michigan, where the wife died in 1899 and the husband is still living. Their children are Oran, Henry, Mary, Edwin and Esther, all living in Michigan.
Sophia Rowland was born in 1827 and has lived in Norwalk for many years. She is unmarried.
Luke Rowland (no very near relative of the other Rowland families here) came from the State of New York to Clarksfield in 1830. He was a soldier in the war of 1812 and perhaps in the war of the Revolutionary also. He was born in the township of Canaan state of Connecticut in 1758. His wife was Elizabeth Knickerbocker, of Saulsbury, Conn. They had nine children, eight of whom were born in Connecticut and one in Ontario county, N.Y. None of the children are living, the last one, Miss Esther Rowland, who lived in Clarksfield and Milan once, died in Toledo in 1894 in her ninety eighth year.
Luke Rowland died in Clarksfield, at the home of John M. Smith, in 1839 at the age of 81 and his wife died at the home of Jacob Clawson in 1849 at the age of 86.
James C. Rowland, a son of Luke, moved from N.Y. to Gallia county, Ohio, in 1814 and to Clarksfield in 1832. He lived in different places in the township and in 1844 moved to Indiana, where he died in 1869 at the age of 85. His children were Harriet, Mahala, William, Luke, Polly, Jane, Sally and Henry. Harriet married Lyman R. Knapp and died in 1896 at the age of 80. Mahala married Sydney Howard of Hartland, and is deceased. William died in Indiana in 1898. Luke lives in Michigan.
Polly married John W. Holcomb and they lived in Clarksfield from 1837 to 1844. She is deceased. Jane married a Mr. Great and is deceased. Sally died unmarried and Henry died young. The wife of Mr. Rowland was a daughter of a sister of Robert Fulton, the famous inventor. Mrs. Rowland’s father died and she married Asa Gleason and they lived in this township in 1839. They lived in the old log house on Pamela Green’s place and both died there, probably. Luke Rowland had two daughters who lived in Clarksfield, Emeline, the wife of John M. Smith and Betsy, wife of Jacob Clawson.
John Wheeler was a son of Johnson, son of Samuel, son of John, son of John, son of John. We find that his great grandfather married Ruth Stiles, a daughter of Benjamin Stiles, who might have been a relative of the Benjamin Stiles of Clarksfield. In 1820 he was married to Sally Burr, daughter of John Burr of New Milford, Conn. They lived on the old Wheeler homestead at Southbury, Conn., two or three years. Some of his neighbors had settled in Wakeman and their reports determined them to move to the Firelands. On the 7th of October, 1823 they started on their journey. The roads were horrible and they were delayed by the serious illness of Mr. Wheeler, but finally reached the home of friends at Wakeman. In the early part of 1824 they moved to Townsend township and bargained for a piece of land. Mr. Wheeler agreed to furnish a certain number of axes, scythes, hoes, etc., in payment. In the fall of the same year they went back to Connecticut, and Mr. Wheeler employed his brotherinlaw, James C. Judson, a blacksmith by trade, to make the required articles, while he assisted him. Five months’ labor completed the job and in 1825 they returned to Ohio, but were accompanied by the family of Mr. Burr. The latter settled in Florence, while Mr. Wheeler settled on his farm in Townsend. There were no schools within reach, so he made a trade and obtained the Barnum mills of Asa Wheeler, in Clarksfield, in 1830, and the family lived here until 1835. Mr. Wheeler, with his brother Oliver, carried on the grist mill, saw mill, store, distillery and farm until they nearly ran themselves under before they sold out to John Hayes in 1835. Mr. Wheeler moved to Florence, and from there to Indiana, where he died in 1870 his wife having died in 1858. In 1850 he went to California in search of gold but found only ill health, so he returned to Indiana and gained a competency before his death.
Nathaniel R. Daniels came here with Johnson Wheeler and lived with him. He bought considerable land at Rowland’s corners, but sold it soon. He was a stone cutter by trade. When Mr. Wheeler went to Florence he went with him. He married Sarah Peck, a sister to the wife of Virgil Squire, and settled in Florence township, where he lived until his death in 1851, at the age of 42. His daughter, Mary, became the wife of George Lewis, once of Clarksfield.
Jacob Clawson was born at Wheeling, Virginia (now West Virginia,) April 4, 1792. In 1800 the family moved to Tompkins county, N.Y. In 1813 he was married to Betsy E. Rowland, daughter of Luke Rowland. In 1831 they moved to Clarksfield and settled on a farm on the east side of the New London road, a little south of the section line road, where George Russell now lives. Mr. Clawson died in 1881 and his wife, who was born at Hector, N.Y., in 1791, died in 1878. Mr. Clawson was a mechanic and made chairs, spinning wheels, coffins, etc. He also spent some time catching wild pigeons and hiving bees and liked to tell a good story. He had five children, Eliza Ann, Emeline, John E., Margaret and Luke R. Eliza married Lemuel Case and they lived in New London township, but moved to Michigan, where she was living not long ago. She was born in 1815. Emeline married Worlin Carlton and died in 1857. John F. was born in 1820 and was married to Dorcas Phillips of Hartland in 1843. He lived in Clarksfield the most of the time after his marriage until his death in 1893. Margaret was born in 1823 and married Daniel Bills. She died in 1883. Luke was born in 1830 and lived on the farm next north of his father’s until he moved to Michigan. He died in 1895.
Harvey Town lived here from 1828 until his death in 1833. He lived west of Ephraim Day’s. He was very poor and was buried by the town.
Cyrus H. Livermore from Chenango county, N.Y., to Clarksfield about 1831 and bought out Seldon Freeman, on the New London road where Austin Smith now lives, and built a frame house on the place. The children were Louisa, Emily, Emeline, Laura, George, Ariette, Jackson, Orson, Ezra. Emeline married James Vance, a carpenter by trade and they lived at Mr. Livermore’s for some time then lived in a house near the grist mill of Benjamin Stiles. He was interested in the mill and worked in it. Ezra married Orpha Dwight of Greenfield township, Jan. 2, 1842. Ariette married Samuel Stiles. Emily married George Parker. The mother Arabella, died in 1841 at the age of 48 and the father in 1854 at the age of 64. After the father’s death the farm was sold and the children all went west.
Daniel Livermore, a brother of Cyrus H., came a year or two later and bought a piece of land of Ephraim Day, west of Mr. Day’s house quite away back from the road, and lived there in a log house. His brother Martin, an old bachelor, lived with him for a little time. Of the children, Alanson was married when he came here and settled on the Butler road not far from the Whitefox corners. Abraham married Elizabeth Day, a half sister of Ephraim Day. Zalmon and Alonzo married in the west. Charlotte married Morris Rogers. Another daughter married Achilles D. Gordon. In 1845 Daniel Livermore sold out to Joel Rogers and the whole family moved west. Cyrus Livermore, or "Little Cy," as he was called, was a nephew of Daniel and Cyrus H. He lived west of the George Case place, now owned by Lewis Johnson, on a farm which he bought in 1841 and sold in 1847. His wife was Mary Day and they had sons Abel and Loren and perhaps other children. They moved west also.
William Vanderhoof was a son of William Vanderhoof and Mary Acker and was born in New York, April 22nd, 1799. His father was a soldier in the war of the Revolution. William entered the navy at the age of thirteen, serving on a man-of- war during the war of 1812. He went to Tangier, Algiers, Tunis, Tripoli and other Mediterranean ports. He remained in the navy five years. He then returned to New York city and entered into business, first as a rope maker and later as a furrier. In 1827 he was married to Emma Coon and about 1831 moved to Clarksfield where he bought of Ira Starr 117 acres of land on the east side of the New London road where James Collingwood now lives. In 1835 he sold a small portion of this farm to Elizabeth Rowland and in 1847 sold the remainder to Cyrus H. Livermore. He moved to Amherst, Lorain county, O., and died April 24, 1847. His wife died in 1868. They had three children, William Lloyd, Phoebe Ann and Emeline. Lloyd (as he was called) married Lucy Hoyt and lived in Clarksfield for some, then moved to Terryville, in Florence township, and died there. Phoebe Ann married Zuinglius Ellis and is deceased. Emeline married Philander Barrett and is living in Cleveland with her children, at this writing.
Levi Bodwell’s first wife was a sister of William Vanderhoof.
William and Elias Bassett came from England to America, the former in 1830 and the latter in 1828. William and his family were on the ocean for more than six weeks. They lived in New York state for six months and then came to Townsend township, Huron county, O., and lived in the old block house for some time, then bought a small farm two miles from the Center. In the fall of 1832 they came to Clarksfield and lived in a house belonging to Johnson Wheeler, at Hayesville until the following spring, then moved to the Hollow and lived in a house across the street from Capt. Husted’s, probably just west from the Hotel. In 1834 they bought the Myron Rogers farm, of Levi Barnum. This was on the Norwalk road a half mile west of the Hollow. In 1838 they bought of Lucius M. Curtis 30 acres of land north of the Hollow and east of the river. In 1846 they bought out George Pelham and built the house which was owned by J. B. Bissell for many years and is now owned by John Gardiner. In 1856 they moved to the Hollow, where Mr. Bassett died in 1862 at the age of 66 years. His wife, whose maiden name was Jane Pelham, died in Michigan in 1879 at the age of 76 years. Their children were Edward, Elizabeth, William and Thomas, born in England. Lucy, George, Samuel, Henry, Maylam and Ellen were born in Ohio. Edward went to Defiance county about 1841 and married there. He now lives in Nebraska. Elizabeth married Alanson Hamlin, a cousin of Noah, and they went west. She died in 1867. William became a blacksmith and worked at the Hollow. About 1852 he married a lady from Ashland county and moved to Defiance county, where he died in 1896. Thomas married Lydia Merrifield in 1856. He went to Defiance county and died there in 1892. Lucy married C. E. Mead, of Bronson Township, in 1853. They lived in Bronson, then Kansas and are now living in California. George was drowned in the Mississippi River in 1855. Samuel married Emeline Case and lived in Clarksfield until about 1868, when he moved to Missouri, where he died in 1888. Henry married Alcie M. Rogers in 1863, and lived in Clarksfield until 1873, following the profession of teaching. He now lives in Lodi, O., where he is a newspaper publisher. Maylam lived in Clarksfield until the war, and after serving as a soldier for four years, went to Michigan, where he married and lived until his death in 1896. Ellen died in infancy.
Elias Bassett lived at Hayesville for a time, but moved to Defiance, O., about 1838 and died in Iowa many years ago.
John Milton Bissell was a native of Saulsbury, Conn., and was born in 1784. In 1807 he married Sally Kellogg and they had three children, Wealthy Ann, born in 1808, John M. born in 1809 and Samuel Bishop, born in 1811. The wife died Nov. 4, 1812 and Mr. Bissell married Sally Birch Jan. 27, 1814. Their children were George, born in 1814, Helen, born in 1816, Walter J. and Rachel, twins, born in 1819, Rachel, 2nd, born in 1821, George, born in 1822, William W., born in 1825, Joshua B., born in 1826 and Sarah J., born in 1828. George B. died in 1816, Rachel, 1st, in 1820, Rachel, 2nd, in 1823, John M. in 1825 and Samuel B. in 1838. In 1832 the family, except Wealthy and Bishop, came to Clarksfield and settled on a farm three fourths of a mile east of the center of the township, where George Brumby now lives. Here the parents died, the father in 1842 and the mother in 1864. Of the children, Wealthy Ann came here later and married Ezra B. Gray, and lived here until her death in 1881. Helen married William Barnes in 1836 and died in 1897. Walter lived on the home farm until his death in 1898. Late in life he married Lucinda Day. George married Sarah Smith in 1845 and lived in this township for some years, then moved to New London township where he died in 1897, leaving no children. William W. married Antoinette Judson, of Florence, in 1853 and they live on the farm next south of the homestead, their only living child, Charles, living near them. Joshua B. married Ann Wheeler, a daughter of Jesse Wheeler, and they lived on the Bassett farm a mile northeast of the Hollow, until the death of the wife. He lives in Indiana at this writing. Sarah J. married Burr Judson, of Florence, and she died in 1853, leaving a son, John, who is deceased. The Bissell brothers did an extensive business in dealing in wool and livestock and at one time owned over five hundred acres of land in this township.
Eliza Titus, a young girl, came to Clarksfield with Milton Bissell’s family and lived with them until her death October 19, 1880.
William Morris was a son of Amos Morris and Polly Hoyt and was born near Danbury, Conn., in 1812. He came to Clarksfield in 1832 and worked for Benjamin Stiles. About 1837 he married Angeline Sweatland and they settled near Norwalk. In 1844 he bought 84 acres of the south part of the farm owned by William Bissell and they lived on this place. In 1850 the wife died and he married Sarah J. Smith in 1851. About 1853 he sold out and bought a farm on the Medina road east of the Whitefox corner, where Gershom Green now lives. Mr. Morris died there April 4, 1857. The children by the first marriage were Amos A., born in 1839, married Augusta Starr, and died in Alabama, in 1862 while a member of the 3rd, Ohio Calvalry. Samuel G. born in 1841, now living in California; Mary E. (Rodgers) born in 1846, lives in California. Courtland L., born in 1844, married Mary Nickerson, lives in Indiana. Eli, born in 1847, died in 1848. The fruits of the second marriage were Angeline, who died at the age of 20, besides the two who died in infancy.
Charles Lewis Patch came from Danbury, Conn., to Milan in 1831 and the next year to Clarksfield and settled on a farm which he bought of Agur B. Hoyt, a half mile north of the Hollow, next the river. His wife was Catherine Husted, a sister of Capt. Husted. Mr. Patch died in 1835 and his wife in 1859. Their children were William Augustus, Frederick, Benedict, Mariette, Jane, Catherine, Adeline and Margaret. Augustus married Mary Ann Barnum in 1833 and lived a mile south of the Hollow and afterward on the Levi Barnum homestead, where Mrs. Bunce now lives. He died here in 1882.
Fred Patch married Charlotte Lucas and they lived on the Patch homestead for some years, then moved to Milan and Norwalk and finally to Michigan where he died in 1899. Their children were Frances, George, Adeline, Albert and Anna.
Ben Patch married, first, Abbie Husted, and after her death, Phebe Bissell. They lived at the Hollow for a number of years, then went west. The first wife had three children, Lozetta, Henry and Luella. The second wife had a son, Bert. The last wife died in Norwalk a few years ago and Mr. Patch lives with his children. Mariette Patch married Frederick A. Wildman. Jane married Hubbard Darling and they lived at Huron and Milan. Catherine married William H. Couch and they lived at the Hollow for some time, then in Wellington, Norwalk and Cleveland, where Mr. Couch died in 1898 and where his widow still lives. Adeline married Jonas Hinkley and she lives in Norwalk. Margaret married James L. Gregory and they lived at Clarksfield and New London. Their children are Lambert and Frank. After the death of Mr. Gregory she married Ira Liggett, of New London. Of the large family of Patch children three only remain, Ben., Catherine and Adeline.
Hiel Scott was born at St. Albans, Vt., in 1808 and his wife, Mary Bedell, was born at the same place in 1803. They were married in 1823 and went to Stockholm, N. Y., to live. Three children were born to them there and the eldest, Sarah, died there. In 1832 they came to Clarksfield and bought a farm of Manchester and Minkler, a mile west of the Hollow, where Nelson Rounds now lives. In 1845 they trades with Edmund Badger and moved into the hotel at the Hollow. Mr. Scott died in 1850 and his wife in 1882. Their children who grew to maturity were Matilda, Elizabeth, Phebe, Sarah A., and Henry. Matilda married Chauncey Finch in 1848 and died in 1876. Elizabeth married George Potter in 1847 and they live in Michigan. Phebe married James M. Tower in 1856 and she lives in Minnesota. Sarah married R. E. Tillinghast in 1866 and they live in Norwalk. Henry married Mattie Kelley in 1871 and they live in Michigan.
Hoxsie Vincent was born in 1796 and he married Abigail Stone, a daughter of Elon and Esther Stone, in 1828. They came from Dutchess county, N. Y. to Clarksfield in 1832, arriving May 26th. They bought 50 acres of land of John Hayes a half mile north of the Hollow, where George Fritz now lives. The house, a log one, stood on top of the hill not far from the Florence road. Mr. Vincent was a blacksmith and had a shop at the top of the hill, back from the road. They lived here until 1849, when he traded farms with Justus Barns and moved over north of Hayesville. Here they lived until their deaths. Mr. Vincent worked at his trade for many years. He built a cider mill which was largely patronized and the huge wooden screws of which were to be seen not many years ago. Their children were Reuben, Antoinette, Philo, John, William Platt and Henry C. Antoinette married Henry Shelton, of Wakeman and died a few years ago. Platt married Ellen Rowland and they live on the farm south of the old homestead, but which was owned by his father when he was born. Henry married a daughter of Asa Curry. Hoxsie Vincent died in 1876, his wife in 1881. John died in 1876, Reuben in 1890 and Philo, who was a dentist, only a few years ago.
Sheldon Barnes was a son of Charles and Cynthia Barnes and was born at Southbury, Conn., March 27, 1798. He was married to Polly Wheeler, a sister of Johnson, Jesse and Oliver Wheeler, Dec. 13, 1824. They moved to Wakeman July 7, 1826, and lived in different places in Huron county, living in Clarksfield in 1832. They lived in Wakeman for many years before their deaths, Mr. Barnes dying Sept. 16, 1859 and his wife Sept. 8, 1871. They were the parents of three children, George, (known as "Deacon George," to distinguish him from "Devil George" a son of William Barnes), Rebecca, who married Abraham Phillips of Hartland and died a few years ago, and Victor, who died many years ago.
Truman R. Percy married Abigail Wheeler, a daughter of Asa Wheeler, Sr. They came from Trumbull county, Ohio, to Clarksfield in 1832 and settled at the center of the township, on the northwest corner of the intersection of the roads. Their children were Joseph W., who married his cousin, Lovina Wheeler, Esther, who died in 1835 when just grown to womanhood, Truman, who married a Miss Brainard, Asa, who married Lydia Fletcher, Dorothy Ann better known as "Dotha," who married Lewis Beers, Perry who went to Michigan, and Sally, who married a Mr. Clizbee and went to Michigan. None of them, so far as we know are living. Mrs. Percy died in 1835 in the log house at the center.
Elizabeth Mead, the widow of Thompson Mead, who is mentioned on page 64, lived here until after 1846, and then moved to Indiana and from there to Michigan, where she died in 1872. She had seven children, Miner, who died in Iowa, Caroline, who died at Upper Sandusky, O., A short time ago, Thompson, who died in Iowa, Oliver, who died in Indiana, Polly, Mary, William. Polly married Ariel D. Gibson and died in Clarksfield. Mary (Mrs. Miller) is living in Michigan. William married Lucy Hayes for his first wife and is living in Michigan.
Platt Mead, who died in 1832, was a son by the first wife. The elder Thompson Mead was a soldier in the war of 1812.
Anson Potter, with two sons, David and Major B., came from New York to Clarksfield in 1833. They settled on the Stephen Post farm near the southwest corner of the township. David married Almira Post and they lived in different places in the township. When they were living north of the Hayes mill, their oldest boy was hurt in the mill so that he died from the injuries. They also lived at Sexton’s corners and Mrs. Potter’s mother died there. They went to Fitchville and from there to Nebraska where they both died.
Major Potter was married to Betsy Maria Fellows July 3, 1842, and he bought a portion of the Post farm and continued to live in the same house with his parents until they died. In 1863 he moved to Minnesota, where his wife died, but where he is still living. He was a noted fifer and was in great demand on the annual "Training Day". He was full of fun and made sport for everybody and many of his jokes were told by the people. He was not a drinking man but could imitate a drunken man to perfection and made sport in that way. He was a half brother of the older Potter sons.
Joseph Potter married Olive Webb, a daughter of Ephraim, and first came to Florence and his wife died there. He then came to Clarksfield with his children, Charity, Paulina, Julia and George, and lived somewhere near the Daniel Bills place. He went to New York and married Sally Swan and in 1837 bought a piece of land near Royal Gridley’s on the east side of the road. Here he lived and carried on an ashery for several years, but moved to the Hiel Scott house about 1850 and moved to Michigan about 1855 and died there in 1859, at the age of 60 years, and his wife died in 1900. Julia married Albert Couch in 1843 and they lived near Mr. Potter’s for a time, then on the Butler road, and went to Wellington in 1847 and the wife died there in 1892. Mr. Couch died at the home of his daughter in Wellington, by his own hand, in 1901.
Charity and Pauline Potter went west and are dead. George married Elizabeth Scott in 1847 and lives in Michigan.
When David Potter went to Nebraska he learned that there was a man in the same county by the name of Potter. He hunted him up and found that he was an own brother, who had left home when their mother died, and whom he had not seen since childhood.
Washington Curry, a brother of Asa, lived on the farm next west of Asa’s a short time. He went to Ruggles township and died there.
Henry Potter (not of Anson’s family) kept the hotel here in 1835.
Henry G. Towsley, whose mother was a sister of Benajah Furlong’s wife, came to Mr. Furlong’s to live, after the death of his mother. In middle life he married Delia Hinman and they lived in the Dr. McMillan house until his death a few years ago.
Justus Barnes was born in Litchfield, Conn., March 17, 1787. In 1812 he was married to Annie Sedgwick, of Litchfield, and who was born August 27, 1794. They settled in Portage county, Ohio, the same year, while the country was a wilderness and they had to neighbors, except Indians, nearer than a mile, and they had to subsist on pounded corn for a considerable time. Mr. Barnes was drafted into the army during the war of 1812, but did not serve very long. In 1824 he moved to Ruggles Township, (then in Huron county,) Ohio, and came to Clarksfield about 1833, settling on a farm north of the Hayes mill, which farm he bought of John M. Hendryx. The farm is now occupied by John King. About 1847 he traded farms with Hoxsie Vincent and moved to the farm a half mile north of Clarksfield village, where George Fritz now lives. In 1854 he moved to Iowa and died there in 1861 and his wife died in 1873. Mr. and Mrs. Barnes had nine children, only four of whom grew to maturity, Henry Sedgwick, Francis, Edward R., and Louisa.
Henry S., (or Sedgwick, as he was called), married Lydia Gray in 1835 and lived on several different farms in this township, and died at his home on the Butler road in 1894, in the 79th year of his age. His children are Alonzo, Theodore, Frank, Samuel, Ashley and Ida. Francis Barnes was married to Rachel M. Starr in 1837 and lived in this township until 1854, when he moved to Iowa. He lived where William Hofstatter lives and in the old "Mansion House," at Rowland’s corners and also on his father’s place north of Clarksfield. He died in Iowa in 1886. His wife is still living in Iowa. They had three children, Anna, Justus and Henry, all living in Iowa. Edward R. Barnes married Eliza Ann Dutton and lived in this township until after 1851. He now lives in Michigan. Louisa married Lucien Reed, of Oberlin, and died in Michigan.
Hiram W. Cunningham was a son of Layton Cunningham and Polly Way. He was born at Unadilla, N.Y., in 1803. In 1808 the family moved to the Holland Purchase, in western New York. There were eight sons and four daughters in the family. Mr. Cunningham followed the occupation of carpenter and school teacher. In 1830 he married Mrs. Eunice (Brown) Sheldon, who had a son, Jairus C. In 1833 he came to Clarksfield with his wife and two sons, Oscar and Palmer, his step son, Jairus Sheldon and brother, Layton. He bargained for a tract of wild land just east of the center of the township. The family found shelter in the home of Truman Percy for six weeks until a log cabin could be built on their own land. This cabin was without door, windows or fireplace when the family moved into it, but it was summer time and they did not absolutely require such conveniences. The roots of a large maple tree served for a fireplace for some time. The cabin had a roof of elm bark. They lived here for two or three years, but there was no school near and the boys were losing the opportunity for an education, so the family moved to the hill east of the Hollow, nearly opposite to the site of the Methodist church. After a couple of years they returned to the farm. In 1848 Mr. Cunningham traded farms with Sedgwick Barnes and moved into a log house which stood just east of Ransom Day’s. After a few years he built the frame house east of the river on the same farm, on the Medina road. Here Mr. Cunningham died in 1866. Mrs. Cunningham died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Fisher, in 1869. Their children were J. Oscar, Albert Palmer, Orton C., Edwin W., Olive M. and Emma. Jairus Sheldon married Eunice Mead and they have lived at Urbana, Ill., for a long time. Oscar Cunningham married a lady from Geauga county, Ohio, and they live at Urbana, Ill. Palmer married Ophelia Seger and they lived at Urbana, Ill., until they died, the former in 1893 and the latter a few years later. Orton also lived at Urbana until his death. Edwin married Debbie Rowland, of Clarksfield, and they live at Topeka, Kansas. Mr. Cunningham has recently been appointed one of the Supreme Judges of the state.
End of Pages 81 - 90
Transcribed by Lowell Dunlap