YALE UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

ACQUIRED BY EXCHANGE

Amherst's Story

By
Robert Grenville Armstrong

Issued under the auspices of the Amherst Old Home
Week Committee.
1914

JUDGE JOSIAH HARRIS

Dedication

This volume is dedicated to the band of hardy
pioneers who first braved the dangers of the wilder
ness and opened the way for the Township of
Amherst, to their sons and daughters who entered into
their labors and built on the foundations they had es-
tiablished, and to all who have sought to prosper
Amherst by loyal citizenship within her borders.

PREFACE
"Amherst's Story" has never been adequately told
and probably never will be. But the honest effort has
been made to make this story as reliable as sources
would permit. This volume is presented to Amherst
folk with the hope that it may serve to stimulate more
efforts to preserve the history of a town which has a
past to be proud of and a future to look forward to.
The writer of the book desires to express his in
debtedness to many present and former citizens of
Aknherst for material assistance in the task which has
been undertaken. Especially is he indebted tb F. Mel
ville Lewis for the use of the volumes of the Amherst
Free Press which contained a history of Aniherst
Township written at a time when many of the early
settlers were still alive and could tell, first-hand, the
experiences of the early days. Much material has
been taken almost verbatim from these volumes.
Valuable material has been found in the Annals
of the Western Reserve Historical Society and also the
annals of the Ohio Archeological and Historical So
ciety. A speech of Judge W. W. Boynton, delivered
in Elyria in 1876, furnished some splendid material for
the first chapter of this work.
The writer ventures the suggestions to descend
ants of the old-time families that they seek to preserve
in a permanent form the family records and achieve
ments that they may not be lost in time. Such infor
mation, after a generation or two, is very hard to get.
Now is the best time to collect it and preserve it in a
family history.

CONTENTS

I. Roots
II. Some Early Pioneers
III. Some Later Pioneers
IV. Good Times
V. Founded Upon a Rock
VI. Story of the Churches
VII. Story of the Schools
VIII. Amherst and War Times
IX. The "Village"
X. The Story of the Lodges
XI. Business Then and Now
XII. Modern Progressiveness
XIII. An Epoch Event
Conclusion

I.
ROOTS.

A M H E R S T'S STORY
CHAPTER I
roots
There has always been the impulse in man to push
on into the unknown. In the very earliest times man
after man penetrated into places before unknown,
among peoples never before Visited. Columbus was
not the only great explorer. Before him were many
others. Since his day their number has been increased
a hundred fold. There has always been the desire in
the heart of man to press forward and onward, to
know what is just beyond, just over the hill. It has
been true in every sphere of life, science, history, re
ligion, geography, yes, and even politics. Man has
ever wished to locate some "River of Doubt" and put
it on the map. Men have felt that there was still a
higher goal to reach, an unknown quantity which, if a
little added pressure could be brought to bear, would
yield its secret. Even now that the poles have been
discovered, men are not content, but they must seek
them again to discover what geological formations are
there. New England could not hold the early settlers
many years. Men began to wonder what was beyond
the hills and mountains. The unexplored beckoned
them. Dissatisfied with their present surroundings, or
pressed by the lure of the unattained, they packed up
and pushed out intio the unknown west, out into new
lands, out into wildernesses of unbroken forests. The
ox-cart and the prairie-schooner began to follow the
trail to make a new country far to the west.
9

A M H E R S T'S STORY
It took strong, staunch men and courageous
women to start on the long, hazardous journey through
the woods to the great west, the unknown west of that
day. No palatial Pullman train made the journey to
Ohio in a night. The Harvey eating house was a fallen
tree, the menu the product of the gun. Most of the
way a road had to be cleared for the carts to pass. The
oxen were slow. The ground was rough. But the
will of the early pioneer was not baffled by hardships.
Though it took thirty or forty days to cover the dis
tance that one covers in a night on the fast trains of
the twentieth century, yet the trip was endured for the
sake of the new opportunities which loomed up ahead.
It is hard for us of the present day to realize what
it meant to those early settlers to make that long jour
ney. It is hard for us to think of Ohio as being west.
The whole wide nation stretches way beyond with the
rich prairies yielding their magnificent crops and the
mountains contributing minerals of fabulous value. In
an age of automobiles and Twentieth Century Limit-
eds we cannot imagine making a journey of eight or
nine hundred miles in a "prairie schooner" drawn by
slow, laboring oxen.
It was out of men of staunch, courageous stbck
that the foundations of Ohio were laid. These men
feared nothing, and fearing nothing' dared all things.
Good old New England stock, they fought their way
through the wilderness with the same determination
'tot won the battles against heavy odds in the war that
had just closed, battles against King George's best
men. That strong determination made possible many
a great city in this part of our great nation.
The losses of the war drove many men to seek
new homes in the then opening west. Several states
10

A M H E R S T'S STORY
helped their stricken families by grants of land in the
west. Large tracts were thrown open in this way.
The story of Amherst roots itself back into the
story of Ohio's earliest history. Ohio's earhest settlers
came under grants from Connecticut and through the
call of the Western Reserve. The early history of
Ohio cannot be separated from the history of this
Western Reserve and the section of that Reserve
called the Fire Lands. Hence, in tracing the story of
Amherst we find ourselves back in that early period
before boundaries were determined or counties
formed. The Western Reserve has played an important
part in the affairs of state and nation. In general the
people now living in what was the Western Reserve
little understand what the term means or how much
it includes. There is no town in the northern section
of Ohio which can separate its own history from that
of the Reserve. So, though it may at first seem irrele
vant to Amherst's Story, yet it is important for the
ground work of that story that we rightly understand
how and when and why folks came to Ohio in the first
place. When settlers first began to come to the United
States charters were granted which gave indefinite
rights. Boundary lines extended into imaginary terri
tory. Massachusetts, Connecticut, Virginia and other
colonies had charters granting them territorial rights
extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific. But the
Pacific was an unknown ocean thought to be a short
distance beyond the eastern mountains. Many thought
that this newly-discovered country was nothing more
than an island. But as soon as men began to explore
into the interior and to realize the extent of the land
11

A M H E R S T'S STORY
to which they had come, then the disputes as to bound
aries began, each state claiming rights which their
charters gave them, charters from the same king but
conflicting with the charters of the other states. Ohio
was a source of dispute because several of the sup
posed charter lines converged there. These disputes
often brought conflict and bloodshed. Finally the states
gave up their claims to the United States government
in the years from 1780 to 1786.
In 1786 Connecticut relinquished her claims in the
western lands but reserved a section lying west of
Pennsylvania for the distance of one hundred and
twenty miles, and between latitude forty-one and
forty-two degrees, two minutes north. This section
was called the Western Reserve of Connecticut. It
embraced what is now embraced by the counties of
Ashtabula, Trumbull, Portage, Geauga, Lake, Cuya
hoga, Medina, Lorain, Huron, Erie, all of Summit ex
cept the township of Franklin, and Green; the two
northern tiers of townships of Mahoning; the town
ships of Sullivan, Troy, and Ruggles, of Ashland ; and
the islands lying north of Sandusky, including Kelley's
and Put-in-Bay. After the Revolutionary War Connecticut gave to
ahnost two thousand sufferers from that war five hun
dred thousand acres of land lying in the western part
of this Reserve. This section was called then the "Fire
Lands" because most of the sufferers had been driven
out of home by fire, whole towns having been burned
by the British. These "Fire Lands" covered what is
now comprised in Erie and Huron Counties.
But the question came up before the State of what
to do with the rest of this great Western Reserve. The
state had paid nothing for it. She had no use for it
12

A M H E R S T'S STORY
and had little chance to sell it. It was an unknown
wilderness far from the home State. Indians were
supposed to be the only inhabitants. She might eventu
ally lose all claim to it because of the better claim of
the United States. But in 1795 the State sold the
whole tract, without measurement, for one million two
hundred thousand dollars. Thirty-five persons made
up the company which purchased the land. They styled
themselves "The Connecticut Land Company." At the
supposed figure of four million acres they paid thirty
cents an acre for the land. But they were a million
acres out of the way on account of a mistaken concep
tion of the shores of Lake Erie. That such a mistake
could be made goes to show how ignorant they were
of this section of the country.
It is interesting tb note that this money has been
used for many years for the Public School Fund of the
State of Connecticut. It reminds us of the use to
which the Chinese put the indemnity fund which we
returned to China after the Boxer Uprising. The
Chinese used that money to educate Chinese young
men in American institutions.
There are many interesting facts in connection
with this Reserve and the manner in which it was
divided among the purchasers. But space does not
permit more than a passing comment. The whole tract
was divided into townships five miles square. Start
ing from the Pennsylvania side these squares were
numbered according to tiers running east and west and
north and south. Township number one in tier one
would be the southeast corner of the Reserve.
The first company coming into this Reserve came
under the leadership of General Moses Cleaveland,
whose name is perpetuated in the city which sprang up
13

AMHERST'S STOJIY
in the township drawn by the General. There were
fifty persons in this party. They came to survey the
land. The whole task of surveying this immense tract
was not completed for some years. In 1805 the task
was complete and the drawing took place. Each sub
scriber drew according to the amount he had invested.
The land went in township lots. Those who did not
have enough invested to buy a whole township went to
gether and secured a township, which they later sub
divided. Some of the lands in the western section were
taken to equalize the townships which were not con
sidered of equal value with other townships. Lorain
County was in this section. Hence the townships in
this part of the Reserve were of unequal size.
This whole tract was erected into a cCunty in 1800
bearing the name of Trumbull in honor of the Gov
ernor of Connecticut. Warren became the County
Seat. Edward Paine was the first member elected by
this county to the Territorial Legislature.
In 1807 a new county was formed, Geauga. This
county extended west of the Cuyahc^ River and
north of Township No. 4. Hence Lorain County as
it is now was once a part of Geauga County, that is,
that part of Lorain County north of Grafton, La-
Grange, Pittsfield and Camden. Then a new county
was erected in 1810 called Portage. Most of Lorain
County was in this new county. From that time the
county was divided between Huron on the west and
Cuyahoga on the east. Amherst fell to Huron County.
Portage County also possessed part of what is now
Lorain County.
On the twenty-sixth day of December, 1822, Lo
rain County was estiablished. It was fully organized
in January, two years later. It was some time before
14

AMHERST'S STORY
the boundary lines were fully established for the
county, but at last the disputed line to the north was
fixed as being the international line of the United
States. This uncertainty as to county lines prevailed
somewhat as to township lines. Amherst as a town
ship was united with Black River at first. It was at
the mouth of the Black River that the earliest settle
ment was attempted. In 1787 a few Moravian minis
ters, missionaries to the Indians, came with a band of
Christian Indians and undertook to make a permanent
settlement at this point. But other Indians, the tribe
of the Delawares, ordered them to move on. Short
though the settlement was, it was the beginning of
habitation in this section of the country. No further
attempt was made until 1807, when three sections
were united into Black River Township by the people
who had drawn these sections. The first family coming
into this township of Black River was Azariah Beebe
and his wife. Nathan Perry, coming from Vermont,
opened a store in the township for trade with the In
dians. Beebe and his wife were in the employ of
Perry, and Perry boarded with them. They lived east
of the river for a few years and then left. In 1810 an
uncle of Nathan Perry, Daniel Perry, settled with his
family near the mouth of the river. He moved thence
to Sheffield and then to Brownhelm, where he became
an active, useful citizen. During the year 1810 addi
tions were made to Black River Township by the ar
rival of Jacob Shupe, Joseph Quigley, George Kelso,
Andrew Kelso, Ralph Lyon, and a Mr. Seeley. Some
of ithese settled in what is now Amherst. We shall fol
low their activities later.
In 1811 there came to Black River John S. Reid,
15

AMHERST'S STORY
Quartus Gilmore, Aretus Gilmore, and William Mar
tin. Mr. Reid was a man of great energy, splendid
character and progressive spirit. He soon became a
leader in the life of the township. He was one of the
first three Commissioners upon the organization of the
County in 1824; and before then and while Black
River was a part of Huron County, he was a Commis
sioner of that County.
On the 14th of November, 181 1, the township of
Dover was organized by the Commissioners of Cuya
hoga County. It included within its defined limits the
present townships of Dover, Avon, Sheffield, and that
part of Black River east of the river. On the 12th of
March, 1812, the territbry now comprising the town
ships of Elyria, Amherst, all of Black River west of
the river, and Brownhelm, were attached to Dover, for
township purposes. They remained so attached until
Vermilion was organized, when the towns now known
as Amherst, Brownhelm, and Black River, west of the
river, were annexed to that township. At the session
of the Commissioners of Huron County held in 1817
it was ordered that township No. 6, which is now Am
herst, and that part of township No. 7, which is now
Black River, in the i8th range, should be set off into a
separate township with the name Black River. Thus
Amherst, Black River and Brownhelm were first or
ganized as Black River.
The first election of officers in this new township
of Black River was held in 1817. The names of those
taking part in this election are not known. There were
two post offices in the township, one on South Ridge,
now South Amherst, and the other at the mouth of the
Black River. The first went by the name of "Black
River Post Office." The second had the longer name
16

Mr. CALEB ORMSBY

Mrs. CALEB ORMSBY, "AUNT KATE '

AMHERST'S STORY
of "The Mouth of Black River Post Office." The first
postmaster at the Black River Post Office was
Eliphalet Redington, and the first at the Mouth of the
Black River Post Office was John S. Reid. The first
mail west of Cleveland was carried by Horace Gunn
in 1808. It required two weeks to make the trip from
Cleveland to Maumee. The only road was an Indian
trail which the carrier followed, going on foot. As in
habitants began to multiply roads were opened and the
time was shortened which was required to make the
trip. Township No. 6, in range 18, the section now
known as Amherst, was drawn, in the general allot
ment, by Martin Sheldon, Calvin Austin, Oliver L.
Phelps and Asahel Hathaway. Tract No. 5, which
consisted of four thousand acres in Black River, was
drawn to make the township equal in value to the
standard township set up by the Land Company before
the drawing commenced. Brownhelm was detached
from Black River township in 1818. In 1825 Russia
was detached, leaving the territory now embraced in
the townships of Amherst and Black River, which then
formed one township. These two townships continued
as one until January 12, 1830, when a special act of
the Legislature divided them. The first election of
Amherst Township took place in April, 1830.
In this brief survey we have come to see how the
township of Amherst came into existence. Its history
may seem complicated. Amherst has belonged to
many counties 'as well as to several townships.
This sketch of the very beginnings gives the
"roots" of Amherst's story. We can see now how it
comes that so many of the early settlers hail from Con-
17

A M H E R S T'S STORY
necticut and from New England states. We can see
where names of towns in the Western Reserve came
from. We can trace back reasons for many things.
The "roots" of "Amherst's Story" find themselves
deep in the history of the Western Reserve. To try to
write that story without reference to the history of the
Western Reserve would be to ignore the fertile source
from which the best of our beginnings came.

II.
SOME EARLY PIONEERS

AMHERST'S STORY
CHAPTER II
SOME early pioneers
All honor should be given to those who dared the
wilderness and opened up new territory for those who
would come after them. Amherst's Story would be
of little interest without the personal element. It is
the human touch that links the present to the past.
The first known settler in the present township of
Amherst was Jacob Shupe. He was born in Pennsyl
vania in 1778, and in either 1811 ori8i2 forced his
way through the wilderness to Amherst, then un
settled, wild and desolate. He bought a piece of land
about a mile and a half north of the present town of
Amherst, clearing it and making there a home in the
wilderness. Mr. Shupe was not alone in his journey to Am
herst. He had means enough to hire a man who came
with him. This man was a carpenter by trade. This
man built the first mill in Amherst. Beaver Creek was
then a more powerful stream than it is today. On its
banks the mill was placed, the water of the creek serv
ing as the power. This marked a great advance in the
worth of the community. Before this mill was built
all sawing had to be done by hand. Now the log cabin
could give way to a more sightly house. Now lumber
could be secured to make many a useful implement,
shed, wagon or box.
Soon after this first saw-mill was built Mr. Shupe
erected a grist-mill, another step in advance for the
Black River township. This was about the year 1814.
The importance of this step will be more readily seen
21

AMHERST'S STORY
when we imagine a trip to Chagrin Falls or Green
Creek, the first forty miles east, the second thirty miles
west. With poor roads, hardships along the way, no
bridges, the trip in that day would be very hard. And
yet, before Mr. Shupe built his grist-mill all grain had
to be carried that far to be ground. It took often three
days to make the trip. Some went by water but risked
the danger of capsizing in so doing. The new grist
mill must have been welcomed in the township with
greater spirit than the modern age would welcome an
industry. Mr. Shupe's efforts in behalf of the community
did not stop with building a saw-mill and a grist-mill.
He thus provided means for building houses and mak
ing flour. But in that day a community was poor in
deed if it could not get some ardent spirits to lighten
the tasks of the day, to cheer those who were faint
with the tasks of the unbroken wilderness. No church
could be dedicated, no wedding celebrated, no person
buried, no christening performed, without the help of
rum or its equivalent. It smoothed the path of the
pioneer ; it helped to clear the fields ; it stimulated to
new efforts those who had set their hands to hard
tasks. Hence, being human, having come from com
munities where all the blessings of mankind were en
joyed, Mr. Shupe felt the need of providing for his
fellow men that which they felt they needed so in this
new and larger work which they had undertaken.
Therefore, in 1815 he started the first whiskey distil
lery in the township. The success of his enterprise
led others to do the same. Michael Onstine, Ira Til-
lotson, Nathan Edson, each started a mill of the same
description. It is interesting to note in this connection that
22

AMHERST'S STORY
Whiskeyville received its name from one of these
stills, which Elias Mann built there. This was in 1838.
It is hard to shake a name, once it becomes attached. -
Whiskey, in those early days of scarcity of money,
became a legal tender. It served the early pioneer for
money. He could pay his notes in whiskey, provided
the crop of grain was sufficient. He could use it to re
plenish his own diminished treasury. Despite the wide
use of it, we are told, it was not used to excess. Men
drank moderately, not abusing it. It was no disgrace
to run a distillery. It was not even inconsistent with
the teachings of the church. All men drank, but very
few drank to excess.
Mr. Shupe, the pioneer settler, was accidentally
killed in 1832. While busy repairing his mill a timber
fell on him. He was fifty- four years old when he died.
His widow lived to the good old age of ninety years,
being a forerunner of many who would attain that age
in the township of Amherst.
Very soon after Mr. Shupe came to Amherst, then
Black River tbwnship, Frederick Onstine, also from
Pennsylvania, a German by descent, ventured forth
into the wilderness to the west. He first went to Canada,
where he took up a tract of land, intending to make
a permanent home there. But when the war of 1812
broke out between England and the United States he
left Canada, forsaking his tract of land, in order' to es
cape impressment into the English army.
Going to Buffalo, then the starting point of many
enterprises into the new lands, he pushed on to Am
herst. Here many of his sons enlisted in the American
army. It was loyalty to his native land, America,
which induced him to leave the comforts of an estab
lished home in Canada and push on into untried re-
23

AMHERST'S STORY
gions of the new west. Because of this and because of
the loyalty and bravery of his sons, who were in the
United^ States army. Honorable Mr. Whittlesey, then
in Congress as the representative from this district,
suggested giving Mr. Onstine a tract of land. Some
nine hundred or more acres were granted to him. The
father settled on the southwestern part of the tract.
His son Daniel took lands which later developed into
the Clough's quarries. Frederick, George, John and
Michael also took tracts adjacent to their father's or
brothers' tracts. One son, Philip, lived with his father,
working the same tract.
Almost hidden by brush and trees on a small
sandy mound near what is now known as Clough's
South Quarry is still to be seen the remains of the old
Onstine burying ground. It is a quiet, sequestered
spot, hard to locate by those who have never been
there. Here are buried many members of the Onstine
family. Most of the family lived to be over seventy
years old. It seems that the old-timers were long-
lived, that the hardships of the new lands did not
shorten life any for them.
South Ridge received its share of early inhabit
ants about the same time that the Onstines came to
Amherst. Among them were Stephen Cable, Ezra
Crandall, Chiliab Smith, and Ebenezer Whiton. It is
uncertain just where these settlers came from. But
they established families who were a credit to the town
for years to come.
Stephen Cable was one of the early tavern keep
ers. Settlers often left their families at his tavern un
til they could build their homes and get things ready
for their families to move in. He kept a house that
was a welcome sight to those who had plodded through
24

A M H E R S T'S STORY
the wilderness to settle in this new land. We can well
imaginehow good it seemed to arrive under the roof
of that tavern, marking the end of the long, hard jour
ney and the beginning of the stay in the new home.
Ezekial Barnes, a New Englander, from Worces
ter County, Massachusetts, was another of the early
settlers. After leaving Worcester County his family
moved to Berkshire County, in Massachusetts, the
home of many of the early settlers of Ohio. Ezekial
Barnes moved from there in 1815 to Augusta, in
Oneida County, New York, where he lived two years.
But New York state was not good enough. In com
pany -with his son-in-law, Roswell Crocker, he start
ed, in September, 1817, for Ohio. He loaded his pos
sessions on a three-horse team and wagon. Arriving
at Buffalo, he found that a sloop was going to sail for
Cleveland. He decided to put his goods on the boat
and go with the boat himself, but send his family by
land. The name of the boat was "Perseverance." The
boat's captain had requested Mr. Barnes to sail with
the boat in order to look after his goods. But after
the boat sailed Mr. Barnes discovered that the reason
for the Captain's wish was a shortage of hands. Hence
he had to do duty as a sailor. The little boat made
poor progress. Twice it had to put in at Erie. Four
teen days it tossed on the lake. Finding it impossible
to make Cleveland, the boat put in at Grand River,
where it was decided to land Mr. Barnes' household
goods. In the meantime the team had made good prog
ress on its way with the rest of the family. They ar
rived in Cleveland before the boat was heard from.
Soon rumors came that the boat had gone down. Mr.
Barnes hastened to Cleveland as soon as the boat had
25

AMHERST'S STORY
anchored, to relieve the fears of his family. Securing
the team, he returned for his goods. Then the rest of
the tirip to Amherst was made without mishap. Such
were the uncertainties of travel in those early days.
The family of Mr. Barnes consisted of himself
and wife, son-in-law, and eight children. This, family
has also contributed much to the community life of
Amherst. Mr. Barnes lived to the ripe old age of
ninety-one. Ezekial G. Barnes, son of the elder Mr. Barnes,
came with his father from Berkshire County, M'assa-
okusetts. The Amherst Free Press of March i8, 1876,
gives an interesting account of this pioneer, which I
quote :
"On coming into Amherst, he brought with him a
flint lock rifle, which he regarded as of priceless value.
He, like Nimrod of old, became a mighty hunter. At
the time of which we are writing game was abundant.
Wild turkeys, ducks, and deer could be seen almost
any day and were slaughtered by hundreds annually.
For a number of years they furnished a large portion
of the animal food eaten by the first settlers. Venison
and turkey in their season were as common as beef
and pork in the present day. When Mr. Barnes had
disciplined his hand to shoot without a rest, a deer
stood a poor chance of escape when once he drew a
bead on him. A short time since he gave the writer a
sketch of his hunting excursions at that early day and
the success he met with in deer hunting. He stated
that his first day's hunting was on Sunday, during
which he killed two deer, and that he killed during the
season some eight or nine. The next year he was much
more successful, the number killed being eighty-five.
The third year he says he killed one hundred and
26

AMHERST'S STORY
twenty deer. He relates the following incident as oc
curring on one of his hunting excursions. Having
left home in the afternoon, wandering in quest of
game, night overtook him while at a considerable dis
tance from his house. He concluded not to return, but
camp out for the night, as he had frequently done.
Gathering together a good supply of dry fuel, and
kindling a fire, he sat down on a log for his night's
rest. He had not sat long before he heard in the dis
tance the cry of a human voice, as he beHeved. Soon
he heard it again, and then again. The voice sounded
like that of a woman, and he concluded at once to go
in search of her, naturally believing someone was lost
in the woods. Gathering up a large bundle of hickory
bark and making a torch, he started in the direction
from which the voice at intervals continued to be
heard. He wandered over fallen trees and tangled
brushwood, for half a mile or more, where he was
brought face to face with a woman sitting on horse
back, utterly lost in the woods. He thinks a gladder
woman than she he never saw when she became con
scious of a guide to her destination. This woman was
Mrs. Porter, grandmother of Samuel Porter. Her
husband was sick, and she, needing help, had left home
in the morning with the intention of going to Jacob
Shupe's for one of his daughters. Mrs. Porter's house
was in Elyria, but between there was only a blind trail,
and by some means it was lost to Mrs. Porter and she
was lost in the woods. Mr. Barnes, being well ac
quainted with the direction to Mr. Shupe's, gallantly
offered his services to guide her thither. They were
thankfully accepted. Arriving at the house, the horse
was fed, and supper prepared for Mrs. Porter. Hav
ing been refreshed and securing one of the daughters
27

A M H E R S T'S STORY
to accompany her, Mr. Barnes accompanied them to
Elyria, whither they arrived before the dawn of day.
He closed by saying that Mr. Porter lived only a short
time after this event happened."
This first-hand account pictures one side of the
pioneer life which made it hard, the distance to neigh
bors in time of need. But the neighbors were always
ready to help when there was need. Roswell Crocker
came to Amherst at the same time that Ezekial Barnes,
his father-in-law, did. He had three sons and five
daughters, all of whom, except Eliza Ann, wife of O.
Barney, were born in Amherst. He had the distinction
of being the father of the first pair of twins born in the
township. Their names were Alonzo and Lorenzo.
They created no little interest. Soon after they were
born a Captain John S. Reid, coming to see them, told
the mother he would name his new boat, about to be
launched, "The Twins," provided she would bring
them down to Black River and go aboard the boat with
the twins when she was launched. This the mother
agreed to, but when she arrived her fears were too
much for her, and she would not take the children
aboard. Hence the ship went into the waters chris
tened "Ann" instead of "The Twins."
The other children of Mr. Crocker were Arvilla,
who became Mrs. E. A. Turney ; Fanny, who married
Mr. M. Luce ; Huldah, wife of D. Fox, and a son,
Erastus. Mr. Crocker lived in the township twenty-seven
years and then moved to Lake County. His widow
survived him and used to relate many incidents in con
nection with early pioneer life. Often bears and
wolves would disturb the flocks. One time Mr. Crock
er found a bear perched on top of the pig-sty, in the
28

AMHERST'S STORY
act of reaching down to pluck up a pig for his supper.
Often sheep would be missing in the morning, wolves
having come into the flock and taken some.
In 1818 Adoniram Webb and his son, Reuben,
came to Amherst. Settling near Jacob Shupe for a
while, for the sake of company, Reuben lost a child
while there. Wishing to bury the child on his own
land, they built a rude coffin and then' started out with
it to Reuben's land, four miles south. Jacob Shupe
carried the box, and all the way whistled "Yankee
Doodle." After burying the child he again took up the
tune as he started home, whistling all the way. There
was no service, no prayer, no hymn. Mr. Shupe went
on ahead. Mr. and Mrs. Webb followed. This was
the first funeral in Amherst and the beginning of the
little cemetery one mile west of South Amherst, as one
goes towards Henrietta Hill.
Other families arrived at the same time that the
Webbs did. Among these were Elisha Foster and his
sons, Elisha, Jr., and Leonard, and Daniel Cornwell.
Elisha Foster was bom in the rock-ribbed state
of Vermont. He moved from thence to Herkimer
county. New York state, where he remained until 1816.
With an ox team he then started on the long journey
to Ohio, being six weeks on the road. Avon attracted
him first and he settled there. But two years later he
moved on into Amherst township, then, of course,
Black River, and settled on a tract of land which has
since been known as Foster's Corners. His son,
Ehsha, took up a hundred and twenty acres adjoining
the lands of his father. His family consisted of two
sons and two daughters, E. C. Foster, Parks Foster,
Mrs. Samuel Porter and Mrs. Ezra Straw. Leonard
29

AMHERST'S STORY
Foster took up land near by, while Daniel Cornwell
took land that later became the Nichol Quarry.
The life and influence of Honorable Josiah Har
ris will always be a credit to Amherst. He and his son,
bearing the same name, are shining Ughts in the history
of the township. They not only brought credit to the
town, but to the state as well. The following account
of the older Josiah Harris is taken from the Amherst
Free Press of April 8, 1876, and is there partially ac
credited to Josiah Harris, the son. The account is sup
plemented by the obituary published in the Cleveland
Herald, of March 30, 1868.
"The Hon. Josiah Harris, a' patriarch and pioneer,
died in Amherst village, March 26, 1868, after a brief
illness, aged 84 years. He was born in Becket, Berk
shire County, Massachusetts, November 30, 1783, and
was brought up a farmer among the sterile hills of that
region. His limited advantages for an education were
so well improved that he became a successful teacher
of district schools, and well fitted him for a long life of
usefulness. During the war of 1812, Joseph W.
Brown, agent for the sale of certain Western Reserve
lands, originally belonging to the Connecticut Land
Company, was engaged in exchanging those wild lands
in the then far west for improved farms in the east.
In 1814 Mr. Harris made a journey on foot to Ohio,
selected land in exchange for the rough Becket farm,
passing through the burnt village of Buffalo, while its
ruins were still smoldering from the British torch. In
1815 he made a second trip on foot to Ohio tb locate
lands for his neighbors who had exchanged their
farms. As an illustration of pedestrianism,in those early
days a party left Becket on horseback and at the same
time a party on foot, each man carrying a pack, and
30

A M H E R S T'S STORY
these arrived two days lahead of the horses. Pleased
with the farming prospects in Central New York, Mr.
Harris removed to Madison County in the Spring of
1816, with a view of purchasing a home there. He re
mained two years, but noting the cold seasons of i8i6
and 1817, cutting off corn crops in all the section, the
disappointed farmer resolved not to purchase, but to
try the milder climate of the almost unbroken wilder
ness of this lake region. With ox and horse teams the
toilsome journey was made, but nearly ended in the
bottomless Cataraugus Swamp, and the unbridged
Rocky River gulf. On the second day of July, 1818,
the movers' wagons reached the end of the opened
road, still about two miles from the emigrant's future
home. The next day a circuitous wagon route was cut
among the trees to the vicinity of a large spring on the
bank of the Big Beaver Creek, which he had discov
ered on his land in former explorations. Here a log
cabin, fourteen feet square, covered with bark, with
puncheon floor and blanket door, was erected. July 4
he moved his family in, a table from the end board of
the wagon, rough stools for seats, pole and bark bed
steads affixed to logs, being improvised. About noon
two strangers visited the cabin. They lived down the
creek some miles, but hearing falling timber on the
third, they rightly conjectured new settlers had ar
rived, and to welcome them with true hospitality Mr.
Jacob Shupe and Mr. Lyon sought them out with a
bottle of wihiskey in hand. After greetings the party
repaired to the big spring and celebrated Independence
Day in patriotic style, but without cannon or bun
combe. "The humble yet hopeful pioneer life was glad
dened in due time by an opening in the dense forest,
31

A M H E R S T'S STORY
for the summer sunlight, and a log house of more
ample dimensions and household comforts. Roswell
Crocker, who had two years before preceded the com
ing of Mr. Harris, cleared the first acre of Mr. Harris'
land, which embraced the land now occupied by the
public square of Amherst village. The contract for
clearing the acre was taken by Mr. Crocker for four
dollars and the last tree felled stood at the west end of
Blackmer Street. Mr. Harris came out as the last tree
fell, and said to Mr. Crocker, 'Since you have done
your work so well, I shall give you an extra half dol
lar,' and drawing his purse, paid Mr. Crocker $4.50.
The second log house gave place to a frame dwelling.
"Mr. Harris was twice married. His first wife
was Charity Messenger, born in Becket, Massachu
setts, October 6, 1787, by whom he had three sons and
one daughter, namely, Josiah Albert, bom January 15,
1807; Lorenz Parks, born May 13, 1812; Emaline
Charity, born October 9, 1809; Milo, born April 21,
1822. Mr. Harris married for his second wife, Anna
G. Moore, born in Thetford, Vermont, May 20, 1798,
who gave birth to Ann Elizabeth, born June 20, 1840,
and Mary L., later Mrs. Hitchcock, born June 26,
1842. "In public and private life, Josiah Harris was ever
an active and useful citizen. In the new country,
townships embraced territory large enough for modern
counties. The first election in Black River township
was held at his house in 1819. The township consisted
of what is now Black River, Amherst, Russia, Brown
helm and Henrietta. The deceased was elected justice
of the peace in 1821, served three years in succession,
and then gave up the office from choice. He was jus
tice of the peace in the best sense of the word — so
32

THE OLD HILL AND BAPTIST CHURCH

AMHERST'S STORY
justly holding the balance between man and man that
but five appeals were ever taken from his docket, only
one of which came to trial in the court of common
pleas, and in that the judgment of the justice was con
firmed. He was the first sheriff of Lorain County, and
served two terms, the limit of the old constitution. He
was appointed associate judge in 1829, and served
seven years, Hon. George Tod, father of Governor
Tod, and the late Governor Wood being presiding
judges. In 1827, Judge Harris represented Cuyahoga
County in the House of the General Assembly of Ohio.
During the session, Medina and Lorain were set off
from Cuyahoga and part of Huron. Such was the con
dition of the roads and conveyances at that time that
the deceased rode his horse to Columbus, wintered him
there, and returned on horseback in the spring. He
represented Lorain and Medina in the House two
terms, and was subsequently elected Senator from the
Lorain and Medina district for two years. Although
a member of the dominant party in the Legislature, he
successfully resisted the attempt by that party to repeal
the charter of Oberlin College, then obnoxious to many
from the aboHtion tendencies. Judge Harris was prob
ably the oldest postmaster in the United States. He
was first appointed by Postmaster General Return J.
Meigs over -forty years ago, and held the office under
all administrations to the time of his death, except
when a member of the Legislature, resignation be
ing necessary under the old constitution. The re-ap
pointment was made at the instance of the people in
terested in the office, without his solicitation. Indeed,
office-seeking wbuld have been a disgrace in the earlier
and purer days of our political history. Then the office
sought the man, and not the politician the office.
33

A M H E R S T'S STORY
"Judge Harris did much to aid the developing and
the settling of the new country. He assisted as sur
veyor a number of road committees in laying out most
of the leading highways of his section, and, as agent
for eastern landholders, helped newcomers to good lo
cations on favorable terms. The lands were generally
sold at from three to three and a half dollars per acre
in four annual payments, and purchasers knew they
were safe from any oppression in default of payments
from sickness or misfortune when Judge Harris stood
between fhem and the proprietors. In later times when
the Germans, by their industry and economy, began to
convert the wet wilderness between the ridge and the
lake into the most fruitful grain fields of Lorain, a
tract of country the pioneer Yankee settlers regarded
as nearly uninhabitable — Judge Harris fostered the
settlement in every way, and for years past enjoyed
the satisfaction of pointing to that so long forbidding
section as the richest 'and most promising portion of
the country. "Judge Harris was eminently a man of peace,
good sense, good will and good deeds. He 'held fast the
golden mean' — and never sought to accumulate beyond
a competency, and devoted much of his time to cheer
ful labors for others. As magistrate, he urged the set
tlement of suits and litigation, and with remarkable
success. He was widely chosen arbitrator in family,
neighborhood, and personal differences, and possessed
the happy faculty of bringing and binding the sepa
rated together in a rare degree, so much so that he was
often spoken of as the great peacemaker. For these
and other services often sought, in making wills, deeds,
agreements, etc., fees were seldom taken. The 'luxury
of doing good' was to him sufficient reward. The
34

A M H E R S T'S STORY
poor, the unfortunate, the widow and the orphan ever
found a true friend in the deceased, and his house was
the hospitable home of the early ministers and mission
aries of every denomination. Schools and school child
ren were his great delight, and the people of the village
which has grown up under his eye and liberality and
of the region round about, loved and revered him as
patriarch father. He lived and died without an enemy.
"The funeral of Judge Harris was attended on
Saturday. Services were held in the Congregational
Church. The old citizens of Amherst and the adjacent
towns were generally present, and listened with deep
interest to the appropriate discourse and sketch of the
life of their venerable associate by President J. H.
Fairchild, of Oberlin, who had known the deceased
from his own early boyhood. Children, grand-children
and great grand-children were among the relatives.
Pallbearers had been selected from the interesting
group of old men, but, these feeling the infirmities of
age too great to bear the body, grandsons of the de
ceased were substituted as active bearers. After the
last look on the face of the dead had been taken by the
people in front of the church, the coffin was closed and
the cortege moved to the cemetery long ago prepared
by the deceased and his neighbors for their final rest.
The grandparent was gently lowered in his narrow
home by his grandsons, and then came the unusual and
solemn ceremony of the bearers passing around the
grave, each stopping and giving earth to earth, follow
ed by the aged bearers, who with trembling hands as
sisted in covering from sight their departed friend,
who, in the closing words of President Fairchild, had
'well finished his work and sunk to a pleasant sleep.' "
This, in brief, is the history of a man who did
35

A M H E R S T'S STORY
much for Amherst in the very earliest of Amherst's
history. The name ought never to be forgotten by Am
herst's sons and daughters.
Another Berkshire County, Massachusetts, man
who came to settle in Amherst was Harry Redington,
Esq. He too, like Mr. Harris, moved to New York
state first and then came on into Ohio, moving into
Amherst in the year 1820. He purchased the lot owned
by Mr. Cable, who kept the tavern in the earlier days.
Mr. Redington came from Chautauqua County, New
York, with three yoke of oxen hitched to a wagon in
which were piled his household goods and farming im
plements. A Mr. Putnam, a brother-in-law, came with
a two-horse team and brought the wife and children.
An incident occurred in the journey from New York
to Ohio which almost cost the lives of some of the
party. At Rocky River a narrow bridge had been
built. One of the wheels ran over the edge, jarring
the wagon so that it almost threw Mrs. Redington on to
the rocks below. She caught her balance, but the baby
that she was holding in her arms was jerked out of her
grasp. Fortunately, the baby was wrapped in a heavy
blanket, which caught in some berry bushes, thereby
saving the baby. Mr. Putnam's fright nerved him to
superhuman strength, for, jumping from the wagon, he
placed his shoulder underneath it, and set the whole
back on to the bridge.
Mr. Redington had ten children, some of whom
remained in Amherst, while others married and scat
tered to different parts of the country. Mr. Redington
was a popular man among his townspeople. He was
elected to the office of Justice of the Peace, and was
triennially elected from 1822 to 1845, holding the office
until 1848, the year in which he died. Some of the
36

A M H E R S T'S STORY
items taken from the docket kept by Esq. Redington
show that some people were as slow paying their debts
as they are in modern times. Small amounts of less
than a dollar were sued for and judgment rendered
against the debtor. One suit was brought for thirty-
three cents.
Snakes were common in those early days. Rattle
snakes were common, it appears, and caused consider
able trouble. Mr. Redington was going home one day
with his brother-in-law, Mr. Putnam. Mr. Redington
thought he would have some fun at Mr. Putnam's ex
pense, knowing his aversion to snakes. So he yelled
ifor him to jump and run, as there was a rattler nearby.
Mr. Putnam started. He had not gone far when he
stepped square on a coiled rattler of tremendous size.
The rattler in uncoiling almost upset Mr. Putnam, who
screamed with terror. This incident so disgusted Mr.
Putnam that he soon left Ohio and returned to Chau
tauqua, whence he had come. At another time Mr.
Redington unearthed a nest of seven huge rattlers that
had made a nest in a hollow log. The rattlers bit the
oxen which were being used in hauling logs.
Berkshire County, Massachusetts, gave another
able citizen to Amherst in the person of Caleb Ormsby.
He was born in Becket, Massachusetts, in 1789. Get
ting the western spirit, he came to Amherst in 1815 and
took up a tract of land which is now the north side of .
Cleveland Street, extending one mile east from Beaver
Creek. Returning to the east, he waited five years and
then moved into the township, building for himself a
log house on his property. Some years later this log
house gave way to a two-story frame house, which
stood until 1873, when Mr. J. M. Worthington bought
it and tore it down to make way for his home. On this
37

AMHERST'S STORY
property Mr. Ormsby set out what was probably the
first orchard set out in the tbwnship.
Mr. Ormsby won the title of Deacon. He was
renowned for great versatility of character. He was
able to turn his hand to most anjrthing, preaching, car
pentry or merchant. He could preach an excellent fu
neral discourse or break the wildest pair of bulls in the
town. He was somewhat of a stock man, keeping
stock on hand to furnish to new settlers. Mr. Ormsby
lived to be seventy-four years old, a respected, able
citizen of the town. His wife, Catherine Stanton,
came also from Becket. She survived him six years.
Thus far we have described some of the earhest
pioneers. These men and women braved the unknown
wilderness to establish new homes in the new west.
They lived, for the most part, to a ripe old age. They
were not given to luxury. They worked hard out in
the open, enduring the cold and the changes of the
weather. They had a determination to win. They
worked hard to win. They laid the foundations on
which later generations have built. They were ever
hopeful of attaining their aims. Discouragement is
not fit for pioneers. With brave hearts they faced the
unknown future as they faced the unknown west. They
cast care and worry aside. These two enemies to vig
orous old age had no chance with the pioneer. Hence
these early settlers lived to a good old age.
It has not been possible to secure material relative
to all of those who first came to the township. In the
next chapter we give some sketches of those who came
after 1820. It is to be regretted that no permanent
record has been kept of all the first settlers. We are
38

A M H E R S T'S STORY
glad to pay tribute to those whom we know about and
to let that tribute stand also for those whose names do
not appear but who bore their full share of the brunt of
the labor that confronted the early pioneer.

39

III.
SOME LATER PIONEERS

A M H E R S T'S STORY
CHAPTER III
SOME LATER PIONEERS
We have divided the pioneers into two groups
somewhat arbitrarily. The first group takes in those
who came up to 1820. The second group takes in those
who came after 1820. This has been done for conven
ience rather than out of any sense of greater or less
importance or iprominence in the life of the township.
In 181 1 Ohio beckoned to Joseph Quigley of
York, Pennsylvania, and he heeded the summons, com
ing to Black River and settling there. His tract of
land which he bought was on the lake shore in the pres
ent township of Black River. He remained on that
tract eleven years and then came to Amherst, purchas-*
ing a farm on the west side of Beaver Creek, half a
mile west from the "Corners," now Amherst. The
land which he purchased was just as Nature had left
it. The hand of man had not touched it. Giant trees,
dense brush barred the way. There was not a building
on the place. The first building erected was a log
house, standing where a good stone house now stands
on the corner, a place well known as Quigley's. Mr.
Quigley's wife, Mary, died at the age of eighty-three,
while Mr. Quigley lived to be ninety-five.
Mr. Quigley served as a judge in one of the earli
est elections. A poll list of that election reads as fol
lows: 'Toll Book, of the election held in the township
of Black River, in 'the County of Huron, on the 14th
day of October, one thousand eight hundred and sev-
41

A M H E R S T'S STORY
enteen, Joseph Quigley, Quartus Gillmore and Adoni
ram Webb, Judges; and Daniel Perry, John Morrell,
clerks of this election, were sworn (as the law directs),
previous to entering on the duties of their respective
ofi^es. I. John S. Reed
2. D. T. Baldwin
3. Jacob Shupe
4. Joseph Quigley
5. Q. Gillmore
6. A. Webb
7. Ruben Webb
8. S. Cable
9. Daniel Perry
10. John Morrell
II. Chiliab Smith
12. Fred. Onstine
13. Dan. Onstine
14. Sam'l Cable
15. Henry Onstine
16. Jas. O'Neal
17. Geo. Kelso
It is by us certified that the number of electors at
the election amounts to seventeen.
Quartus Gillmore,
Joseph Quigley,
Adoniram Webb,
Judges of Election.
Wee do hereby certify that Aren Wheler had sev
enteen votes for seneter. David Abot had seventeen
votes for Representative. Lewis Dells had seventeen
votes for Representative, Ebenezer Merry had fifteen
votes for Commisanar, Leman Farwell had seventeen
votes for Sheriff, Jos. Strong had one vote for Cor-
42

A M H E R S T'S STORY
riner, Ephraim Johnston had one vote for County
Commisanar, Ofsmer Kellog had nine votes for
Cor riner.
Quartus Gillmore,
Joseph Quigley,
Adoniram Webb,
Judges of Election.
Attest: Daniel Perry,
John Morrill,
Clerks.
This quaint document, with its peculiar spelling,
shows up the same loyal American spirit exercising its
right at the polls. Probably the elections were hotly
contested then as now. Probably there was much
scratching of heads before the proper men were decid
ed upon. More settlers began to see the advantages that
Amherst had to offer and decided to locate here. In
1822 and 1823 there came quite a company to this
township. Among the company was Abram Rice. Mr.
Rice, like some of the other early settlers, came from
Pennsylvania. He was born in Fayette County, Penn
sylvania, in 1801. He came to Amherst on the first
day of September, 1822. Buying a tract of land, he
built his log house similar to the other settlers, unpre
tentious, humble. At the best these log houses were
tem'porary shelters from the stormy winds of winter
and the heavy rains of spring. Mr. Rice was not wholly
satisfied with his choice of a tract and moved later to a
mile beyond Webb's corners, where he lived to a good
old age. 'Mr. Rice had seven sons and seven daugh
ters. Mary, the oldest, married O. P. Killmer. Daniel
and Samuel were the next to be born. Ann E. mar-
43

AMHERST'S STORY
ried Hiram Wilbur. Then came another son, John S.
Mellissa married H. Strickler. Adeline married Wil-
Ham Pearl. Margaret married I. G. Hazel. Nancy
married G- R- Barney. Susan B. married J. K. Hazel.
There were four sons more, Abram G., Westley C,
Charies C, and George W. This family has borne an
active part in the affairs of the township.
Closely related to the Rices were John and Henry
Kendeigh. They came to the township the year after
Mr. Rlice did. Henry Kendeigh was born in the same
state as Mr. Rice, but in Westmoreland County. He
married Miss Nancy Rice, who was bom in Fayette
County, Pennsylvania. Mr. Kendeigh was more pros
perous than some of the early settlers. His team con
sisted of four horses attached to a wagon made in
Pennsylvania. He used the horses in this new land un
til they gave out, and then he too, in common with the
other pioneers, had to resort to the oxen for the labor
of the fields.
It took Mr. Kendeigh two, weeks to come from
Pennsylvania here. On arriving he bought some land
east from Mr. Shupe's mills. But the water was not
satisfactory, so Mr. Kendeigh decided to move to an
other part of the township. He moved to what has
been since known as Kendeigh's corners. He bought a
lot consisting of one hundred and three acres, paying
three dollars an acre for it.
Mr. Kendeigh was not as long-lived as most of his
fellow townsmen. He died at the age of forty. He
left a widow and seven children, the oldest sixteen
years old. The farm was uncleared. It was a tremen
dous burden for the mother to carry, but Mrs. Ken
deigh was equal to it and reared a family that was a
credit to her and who cared for her until the last. She
44

A M H E R S T'S STORY
lived to be seventy-three years old. The children were
John Jr., Samuel, Maria, who married Manhattan Gib
son, David, Jonas, Alonzo ^nd Hiram.
One wishes that there were records giving the ca
reers of all the early settlers. Some names are even
unavailable. With others we have the names but can
not secure data concerning their lives and activities.
One early settler of whom little is known is Captain
Redington, who must have come to the town early.
Others are John Kendeigh, Peter Rice and his brother.
Many other early settlers played an important part in
laying the foundations of the township, but it is impos
sible to secure any information concerning them.
Becket, the same town that gave Amherst Josiah
Harris, gave Amherst also Nicholas Stanton, who was
born in Becket in iJ^So. He came to Amherst in the
fall of 1824. His first tract of land was on the west
bank of Beaver Creek, adjoining lands of George On
stine. Later he sold out to Mr. Onstine and moved to
the east of the present town of Amherst. By hard
work he cleared his farm and made for himself and
family a pleasant home. He remained with the farm
until too old to work it and then retired to a more quiet
life. Mr. Stanton was twice married. His first wife
was Jemina Traverse. By the first wife were born
nine children, James, Mary A., wife of Hiram Grif
fith; Eliza G., wife of George Bfobks; Latham,
Nancy C, wife bf Jbhn Wilford ; Mariam, Harriet A.,
wife of Alexander Kline, and Albert. None of the sons
lived to perpetuate the father's name. About ten years
after the deafli of his first wife Mr. Stanton married
his first wife's sister, Rebecca Honsinger.
EKas Peabody came froth Middletown, Massachu
setts. He was bbrn there in 1791. Leaving Middle-
45

A M H E R S T'S STORY
town, his father moved, when Elias was a boy, to New
Hampshire. Elias started for Ohio in 1819 at the age
of eighteen. He came on foot as far as Buffalo, where
he took a sailing vessel to Cleveland, then a frontier
town with nothing to recommend it as the future
"Sixth City," so large and wealthy. Mr. Peabody
worked around for others, helping to clear land and
to farm. But after a few years he bought a farm of
his own in the northeast corner of Henrietta. In 1823
he married Miss Malinda Martin. They were blessed
with five children, three sons and two daughters. Fla-
villa married Charles Andress. Martin was the next
child. Then came Aurelia, who married Henry Royce.
Then there were two boys, Marvin and Elias, Jr. Mr.
Peabody was constable under Harry Redington for
several years and was orderly sergeant for the Am
herst militia for about the same length of time. He
lived to a good old age, retaining a remarkable
memory. John Kendeigh, Senior, was induced to come to
Amherst through his briother-in-law, Mr. Abram Rice.
Mr. Rice brought the family, driving a two-horse team
and wagon. Mr. Kendeigh made the entire journey of
three hundred miles driving some thirty sheep and
three head of cattle. He kept up with the team. They
averaged some twenty miles a day, making the whole
trip in fourteen days. This was a rather remarkable
feat in a day when there were no real roads, and such
as there were were rough and treacherous.
Mr. Kendeig'h purchased land north of the "Cor
ners" and east of Shupe's mills, lands later owned by
the Dutes. He remained here five years and then sold
out to Peter Rice. Mr. Kendeigh's first wife was Mary
Rice. His second wife was Nancy Bates. There was
46

A M H E R S T'S STORY
one son and three daughters by the first marriage. The
son, Henry, died in 1874. Betsy married Stephen
Knickerbocker. Nancy died as a child, and Catherine
married Lot Parsons.
The first real blacksmith in town was George Dis-
brow, who was born in Fairfield, Connecticut, in 1800.
In October, 1824, he moved to South Amherst, bring
ing with him all his father's family, thirteen in number.
He had two ox teams. He was the smith who did the
work on the stages that used to travel the old telegraph
road. He had six children. There were two sons,
Ralph, who served in the Seventh Michigan Cavalry
during the war of the Rebellion, being wounded in the
battle of Gettysburgh, and the other son, Truman. Lu-
cinda became the wife of Warren .Dur'ham, Huldah of
William Durham, while Mary was twice married, the
first time to Isaac Smith and the second time to Ezra
Avery. Freeman Richmond was the forerunner of many
in this township who bear that name. He was born in
Providence, Rhode Island, in 1791. His parents moved
to New York state while he was yet a boy. He lived
there until after his marriage to Nancy Arnold, when
he moved with his wife to Sheffield, in Lorain County.
Be was one of the first settlers in that district. His
child was the first born in Sheffield. Mr. Richmond
came, as most of the other early settlers did, with oxen
and wagon. He had sufficient provisions with him to
last him through the winter. While crossing Rocky
River the ice broke and let his oxen through into the
water. Jumping out, he kneeled on the ice and held the
heads of the oxen up until help came and relieved him
from his perilous condition.
Mr. Richmond's wife died in 1819. He married
47

AMHERST'S STORY
again later, taking the widow, Eunice Fox. By this
marriage he had several children, who established fam
ilies which have been leaders in the community life.
Sylvia married Albert Arnold, Minerva married Jacob
Shupe, Elmeda married James Rankin. There was
one daughter, Jane, who died early. The boys were
Albert-and Milo.
In February, 1825, Mr. Richard left Sheffield and
moved to Amherst, settling two miles northeast of Am
herst village. He felled a few trees, built a log cabin
and thus started his home in the unbroken wilderness,
the nearest break in that wilderness being Jacob
Shupe's, two miles distant. Mr. Richmond labored
day and night to estabUsh his home, his wife being an
able assistant to him in his work. She spun and wove
the cloth that the family used. It is recorded that in
the fall of 1837, previous to the birth of her youngest
son, she spun five hundred yards of woolen' doth
Such industry is worthy of mention. And yet, all the
women of that time were industrious, hard workers,
bearing their full share of the hardships of the pioneer
life. Later this family moved to Middle Ridge, where
the Richmond farm is to-day, still run by the Rich-
monds with the same industry and thrift, though under
easier circumstances than before.
In those days the settlers were often troubled with
wild beasts, especially foxes and wolves. One day two
of the girls from the Richmond's neighborhood start
ed for Elyria on hofseba'ck, both on the same horse.
The road was through the woods the greater part of
the way. When half way to Elyria they saw in the
middle of their path a great wolf, who seemed to be
intensely interested in their approach. The girls, as
48

AMHERST'S STORY
girls do, screamed. That was enough for Mr. Wolf,
and off he started, more scared than the girls had been.
No more was seen of him.
An interesting figure among the early settlers of
Amherst was Captain Stanton Sholes, temperance ad
vocate, church builder, fighter. The following account
of him is taken from the Amherst Free Press.
"Captain Stantbn Sholes was born in Groton, New
London County, Connecticut, in the year 1770. He
was one of thirteen children, eight sons and five daugh
ters. His education was only that obtained in the com
mon schools of the Nutmeg state a hundred years ago.
At an early period he chose a seaman's life, and finally
became a sea captiain. This and that of being a captain
of an artillery company in the war of 1812 gave him
the name of Captain Sholes. After quitting a seafar
ing life, he married, and had three children, two sons
and a daughter. He moved to Pittsburg, Pennsyl
vania, where for many years he kept a tavern. James,
his oldest son, was for many years sheriff of the
county. "About the year 1818, he left Pittsburg and came
to Akron, Ohio, and entered into mercantile business
for a while. From thence he moved to Medina, fol
lowing the same business. From Medina he came to
Elyria and opened a store, and from thence to Black
River, and from Black River to Amherst, in the year
1827. "When Captain Sholes came to Amherst he pur
chased fifty acres of land from Caleb Ormsby and built
the first house on the site where Mr. Heufed's house
now stands. His store stood where Hteuf ed's shoe
shop now is located. In 1829 he quit the mercantile
business in Amherst and erected the first house on the
49

A M H E R S T'S STORY
site where Mr. Aschenbach now lives. This house was
moved off by Mr. Aschenbaoh and now stands a little
to the north.
"Captain Sholes left Amherst for Rock Island,
Illinois about the time of the close of the Black Hawk
war, which must have been about 1833 or 1834. Mr.
Sholes regarded this as a good opening for somebody,
and he concluded to embrace if. Accordingly he sold
out his possessions in Amherst to Conrad Reid, Esq.,
of Black River and left for Rock Island. Arriving in
good time, he located on the very site that Black Hawk
had so recently vacated, and hence, owned at one time
one-half of what is now the city of Davenport.
"Captain Sholes lived there several years and did
much towards developing the place, as he had done in
other places where he lived. He came back to Ohio in
consequence of the diseased condition of his eyes. He
claimed that that vast open prairie country was injuri
ous to his eyesight. Being convinced that he would
certainly lose his eyesight if he remained there, he
came tb see an oculist in Cincinnati, who operated on
his eyes, but under treatment he had the misfortune to
lose one of them. The doctor told him he would lose
the other if he did not abandon the prairie country.
This he did, making Ohio again his home. But he left
Davenport at a great sacrifice, for it is now a city of
many thousand inhabitants. He located after his re
turn to Ohio, about 1840, a little west of Columbus,
where he remained only two or three years, and then
moved into the city and lived for many years, and here
he remained until his death, which occurred in 1865.
"We find the following obituary notice in the
Fir eland's Pioneer for 1865.
" 'Another of the old landmarks of our state has
50

A M H E R S T'S STORY
fallen,— one of the most venerable in years, and who
rendered good service in his day and generation. Cap
tain Stanton Sholes died in Columbus on the 7th inst.,
where he had lived a respected citizen, since about
1840, at the age of 93. He was a native of Connecticut
and in his later years used to relate from recollection
the scene of the burning of New London and the mas
sacre of the garrison of Fort Ledyard (Griswold) by
the British. When the war of 1812 broke out. Captain
Sholes was residing in Pittsburg, or in ifs vicinity, and
at the time the Lake frontier was panic-stricken by the
surrender of Hull, he hastened with a company from
Pittsburg to the defense of Cleveland, then a small set
tlement in the wilderness. He was stationed here some
time, and the surviving early settlers treasure pleasant
recollections of their volunteer defender. Captain
Sholes, we believe, was for some time commander of
Fort Maumee and Fort Meigs.
" 'For many years previous to 1840, Captain
Sholes resided in Medina, then in Lorain County, and
was a prominent and successful merchant. He was a
man of much mental and physical vigor — a devoted
patriot and lover of his country. At the commence
ment of the RebelUon he expressed fervent wishes to
be permitted to live to see the union restored, or at
least the cause of the war forever abolished. He was
spared to realize the latter, and sank to rest in the
midst of the satisfaction of the edict of universal free
dom. " 'Captain Sholes was ever a man of practical
patriotism. When the Morgan raid through Ohio
threatened Columbus he procured a rusty sword from
the state arsenal and had it hung within reach of his
bedside. "Old and feeble as I am," said the veteran,
51

A M H E R S T'S STORY
"I would have used the good weapon to prevent the
pollution of my doorstep by a rebel foot."
This account gives a good description of one of
the most picturesque of Amherst's early settlers. We
shall hear of him again in a later chapter, when his
spirit of loyalty will be seen. He was an ardent tem
perance advocate and was one of the founders of the
first temperance societies in the town.
In 1827 emigration to Amherst Township, still at
this time known as Black River Township, increased
greatly. Many famihes came and settled at or near
the corners, now Amherst proper. Among these fami
lies was that of Salmon Jbhnson. He had a varied
career before coming to Amherst, living in Connecti
cut and New York states, and then in various parts of
Ohio. But finally he arrived, after a hard seventeen-
day journey over the rough roads in Amherst. This
was in 1827. Instead of the regulation ox teams, he
had horses. He lived on his farm, later owned by
Hiram Belden, until his son, Alvah, built a house at
the corners. He died at the age of seventy-three.
Thomas, Alvah and Deborah were the children of the
family. His wife, Mary, survived her husband only a
few months.
Alvah took up his father's work in the community,
making a useful citizen of the community. He mar
ried Fanny Leslie. He was for ten years constable of
the town. For thirteen years he was elected assessor
of the township, so that he came to know every piece
of property in the township as well as its owner. Mr.
Johnson had eight children, Fanny, Lovinia, Alvah
Vernon, Byron, Mary Ann, Ellen Adelaide, Emma
Jane, and Lucius F.
Another Massachusetts man who came to Am-
52

A M H E R S T'S STORY
herst and settled was Ephraim Towne. He was born
in Worcester County, Massachusetts, but later lived in
New York state. In 1816 he moved into Ohio, coming
first to Willoughby, and then to Orange, and finally to
Amherst. In Orange he married Miss Almira Mc-
Mitchel. Here in Amherst he bought seventy-five
acres of Orson Williams. Though the farm had been
partially cleared, Mr. Williams only paid four hundred
dtollars for it. Mr. Towne built a saw-mill on the banks
of Little Beaver Creek, which was then quite a power
ful stream. This saw-mill served its purpose for twen
ty years and then was burned and never rebuilt. Mr.
Towne bought the mills which Mr. Shupe had built
and then sold them, but as the price was never paid,
the mills came back to him, and his son ran them until
he in turn sold them to Mr. Dute. Henceforth they
were known as Dute's mills.
Mr. Towne reared a large family of eleven children,
seven sons and four daughters, Caroline, Lorenzo,
Sarah G., Leonard A., Jeremiah B., Ralph W., Calista
C, Ephraim N., Francis A., Sylvanus A., and Geor-
gina. Ephraim was killed in battle at Acquia Landing,
Virginia, during the war.
Lee, Massachusetts, a small town in Berkshire
County, was the native place of Joseph L. Whiton. He
was born there in 1799. Moving tb Amherst in 1830,
he purchased his farm of one hundred and forty-seven
acres and lived on it the rest of his life. Mr. Whiton
was a man of more than ordinary ability, a fact soon
discerned by the public, who elected him to public
service. He was for a period of seven years Associ
ate Justice of the Court of Common Pleas of Lorain
County. He represented the county in the legislature
of 1851 and 1852. He was justice of the peace for a
53

A M H E R S T'S STORY
period of twelve years. In every office which he held
he was an honor to it, making the office larger and
more dignified because he held it.
Mr. Whiton married Miss Lavinia Wright in
1829. Her former home was in Springfield, Massa
chusetts. She was a woman of generous nature, noble
and good. She had no small share in helping her hus
band to the place of honor and dignity which he held
in the community life. They had three children, Agnes,
Catherine Amanda, wife of M. W. Axtell, and Joseph
Lucas. Mr. Whiton died in 1869 at the age of sixty-nine.
His wife lived a few years longer, dying in 1874.
Jonas Stratton was a native of New Hampshire,
born October 9, 1791. He served as an apprentice at
cabinet-making in Amherst, New Hampshire, becom
ing a skilled workman in the business. In 1819 he
came to Amherst and built a shop near Webb's cor
ners, making furniture and coffins for families miles
around. In 1821 he married Miss Lucy Smith of
Richmond, Massachusetts, then purchased a piece of
land half a mile further east than he had been living
and 'built a log house and shop. These gave way to
more substantial buildings later.
Mr. Stratton had two sons and two daughters,
Amanda, H. Dwight, Lewell B., and Lucy. Amanda
married Alonzo Gaston of Russia. H. Dwight married
Miss Pamela Bryant. Lucy married H. B. Bryant,
who was associated with her brother in the business
colleges which he established.
Mr. Stratton was one of the earliest members of
the Congregational Church of Amherst. He 'was a
man of firm convictions and substantial worth. He
helped to give Amherst a better social tone. It is stated
54

A M H E R S T'S STORY
that it was through Mr. Stratton that the name Am
herst was given to this township. Mr. Stratton died
in 1870 at the age of seventy-nine.
Henry Dwight Stratton, son of Jonas St!ratton,
has become widely known throughout the principal
cities of the land because of the Bryant and Stratton
Business Colleges, which he and his brother-in-law
started. He was born in Amherst, August 9, 1824. He
was not a rugged boy, and so did not take to the hard
work of a farm. He worked about the cabinet shop of
his father and learned the trade. Then he attended
Oberlin for a short time. While there he became in
terested in the art of penmanship, and prepared him
self to go out as a teacher of penmanship. His first
attempts as a teacher were made in Charlestown,
Massachusetts. He worked in different parts of New
England for a couple of years and then returned to
his home. For a number of years he devoted himself
to various kinds of work, selling timber, sheep and
doing other work of that kind. With the capital that
he had accumulated in this way he purchased consider
able land and did a successful business in raising sheep
and other live stock. In 1851 and 1852 he went to
Cleveland and took a course in mercantile training at
Folsome's Commercial College. Mr. Bryant was chief
instructor in bookkeeping. While here the project
came to him to establish a number of schools through
out the country. With Mr. Bryant and a James W.
Lusk, a skilled penman, the plan was perfected, and
the first institution started in Cleveland under the style
of "Bryant, Lusk and Stratton's Mercantile College."
This was in the early part of 1853. During the fol
lowing winter the second school was started in Buf
falo Soon others were started in Chicago, Albany,
55

A M H E R S T'S STORY
Detroit, Philadelphia, New York and many other
places. In i860 Mr.. Stratton moved his family to
New York but spent most of his time in subsequent
years in visiting the various schools which the com
pany had started. He died at the age of forty-two,
after a severe cold which he contracted at the New
York State fair. He died in 1867.
The year 1830 saw material progress and growth
in the township. Business became established, farms
amplified and many settlers came to take up land.
Among these wdre Orlum Winton, Wesley Perkins,
Eli L. Seeley, John B. Robertson, Wilhs Potter, the
two Steele families. Homer Tyrell, and Benjamin
Bivin. I
Mr. Eli L. Seeley was a native of Woodbury,
Connecticut, and was born June 24, 1790. In 181 1, at
the age of twenty-one, he came to Ohio for a stay of
two years, and then returned east. But in 1817 he re
turned to Ohio again, settUng for a time in Bath, Me
dina County. From Bath he moved to Carlisle, Lorain
County, where he built a saw-mill and a grist-mill,
known as Turner's mills. Being a carpenter by trade,
he took the job of getting out the timber for the first
jail in Lorain County. While at this task he had an
accident which split his knee and made him lame for
many years. After this accident he moved to Ridge-
ville, where he lived for about nine years.
In 1834 Mr. Seeley came to Aimherst, buying a
piece of land from a Mr. Traverse. Later he pur
chased another parcel of land from the Hathaway
heirs. Mr. Seeley's family consisted of four sons and
four daughters:- Minerva, born September i, 1814,
whb married E. A. Turney ; David M., born February
56

A M H E R S T'S STORY
4, 1816; Walter, born August 31, 18 18; Maryette, born
July 12, 1821 ; Fanny, iborn June 3, 1823, who died the
same year; Morton, born April 13, 1825; Sally Ann,
born May 4, 1824, and Eli, born September 13, 1831.
Charlotte, the wife of Mr. Seeley, was born in Wood
bury, Connecticut, October 7, 1795, and died Septem
ber 14, 1872. This family has contributed much to
Amherst's life in the way of loyalty and service.
The year 1835 brought Mr. Benjamin Bivin from
Erie County, New York, to Amherst. Mr. Bivin
purchased his farm of Leonard Johnson, one of the
early settlers. His family, which came with him, con
sisted of his wife and two children, a boy and a girl.
Lyman Bivin bought a farm adjoining his father's.
The daughter met a tragic death while attending school
in Amherstville. A young friend of her own age was
attending school with her at a private school in the
village. They boarded with a Mrs. Parsons. While
Mrs. Parsons was visiting in Elyria over night the
'house caught fire in the middle of the night. The up
per rooms were so thoroughly enveloped in smoke and
flames as to render it impossible tb get to the two girls,
who were sleeping in one of the upper rooms. The
fire had gotten such a start because no one was sleep
ing down stairs. Probably the two girls were suffocat
ed before they realized what was happening. One can
readily imagine the gloom that such a tragedy would
cause in the township.
Mi-. Bivin was held in high esteem by those who
knew him. He was a thoroughly upright and honest
man, fair in all his dealings with his fellow men. He
was honored by being elected to various offices, being
Justice of the Peace for several years. He lived to a
good old age, loved by all who knew him. His wife
57

A M H E R S T'S STORY
survived him a few years before she, too, was sum
moned.
Berkshire County, Massachusetts, was particu
larly generous in her gifts to Amherst in the early
years. Another son of that county who came to Am
herst in 1835 was Mr. Tyrell. In 1828 he married and
settled near Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where he
farmed, or tried to farm, among the rocky hills of that
section. Failing to make a reasonable living for the
amount of effort expended, he decided to move to more
fertile lands. He chose Ohio as his future home, turn
ing his back to the Berkshire hills and starting on the
long journey overland.
Mr. Tyrell had an easier trip of it than those who
came before him. The Erie Canal was then open and
thus from Albany on offered a waterway all the way
to Cleveland. So he and his family embarked on a
canal boat. The canal was at its heighth of glory just
then. Hundreds of boat's ran just for passengers. The
trip took four days. But even this advance over the
former modes of travel did not take away all dangers.
The canal ran through swamps that were full of ma
larial fever. One of Mr. Tyrell's daughters was taken
seriously ill. When Buffalo was reached a physician's
aid was secured, and after a few days the journey was
continued by steamer from Buffalo to Cleveland. Mr.
Tyrell bought quite a tract of land, cleared most of
it and farmed it for many years. Then he sold the
farm, moved into North Amherst and settled down on
the corner of Cleveland and Spring streets. He re
sided there until 1875, when he moved to Cleveland.
Mr. Tyrell had four children, Mary, Hannah,
wife of A. A. Axtell ; George, and Lucia, wife of L. A.
Gray. 58

AMHERST'S STORY
John B. Robertson was one of the early settlers
who took an active part in the public life of the com
munity. He came to Amherst in 1835, purchasing a
piece of land on Middle Ridge and building his home
there. He was elected Justice of the Peace three dif
ferent times and also served in the State Legislature.
While in Nebraska in 1856 he was elected as repre
sentative to the first Legislature. Under James
Buchanan Mr. Robertson was appointed Indian agent
for the Omaha Indians. After two years of service he
returned to Amherst and settled down to private life.
A good bear story is related about Willis Potter,
who came to Amherst in 1830. Potter settled in the
wilderness, cleared a farm for himself and family and
by dint of hard work made a success of his enterprise
in the new lands. But despite his hard work he found
time to hunt. His son relates the following experience
for the Amherst Free Press.
"When we were living on the farm adjoining
Oliver Moon (it was in the spring of the year, I be
lieve), the subject of my sketch was chopping, when he
heard someone Halloo, Halloo, which arrested his at
tention, and as it continued for a long time, he conclud
ed that someone needed help. The hallooing came from
the big woods north of the ridge, so he shouldered his
axe and started on a run in the direction of the voice
in distress. Passing through a large swamp, he came
upon a dry ridge, and a little way in front of him was
Ohver Moon with two dogs fighting a huge bear. The
dogs bothered bruin so that he could not climb a tree,
consequently the bear had backed up against a tree and
was busy fighting off the dogs. Having no weapons
but the axe, they had to resort to strategy. First they
cut a saphng, and using about twenty feet of the butt
59

A M H E R S T'S STORY
end, they set it up on one end and let it fall on bruin's
head. But they were mistaken in bruin's power pf de
fense, he met the pole with one of his huge paws and
turned the blow aside without (the slightest bruise.
They soon discovered that that mode of attack would
not silence the enemy, and they finally hit upon an
other plan, which proved too much for his bearship and
made him succumb. Moon approached as near to the
front of the bear as prudence would permit, and en
couraged the dogs, while Potter, with axe in hand, took
a circuit and came up on the opposite side of the tree
(against which the bear had backed up for protection
of his rear from the dogs), and watching his chance,
struck the bear a blow on the top of his head that de
prived him of any further power of resistance. Fol
lowing up the blow soon finished him. They skinned
him and each appropriated a hind quarter, leaving the
balance of the carcass for the wolves. Moon was look
ing for a stray colt when the dogs discovered the bear,
and being satisfied with the dogs' hunt, he concluded
to return home and resume the hunt for tlie colt the
next day. Accordingly, the next morning he started
on the same route that he had pursued the day pre
vious. Passing through the swamp, and as he struck
the dry land the two dogs sprang away with the sure
indications that they scented game, and the sequel soon
proved that they were not mistaken. Moon hastened
forward as soon as he could and soon saw the game
and the two dogs in close pursuit. It was a black wolf
which had been taking his breakfast from the carcass
of the bear. WolfUke, 'he had gorged himself to such
a degree that he was not able to run away from the
dogs, and within a hundred rods they overtook him,
and Moon was soon at the fight and the three were too
60

A M H E R S T'S STORY
much for the wolf. He was soon despatched. A $20
bounty, and a valuable black wolf skin was the reward
of that day's hunting.
Willis Potter was the father of thirteen children,
five of whom attained a good age. Many grand-child
ren and great grand-children of this man are living.
Two more men call for recognition before we
close this chapter. It has not been possible to secure
information concerning all the early men who opened
up Amherst and laid the foundations. The first man
was more a son of Amherst than a pioneer settler,
though he was born in Massachusetts and moved into
Ohio very early in his life, when he was ten years old.
He was the son of Josiah Harris, early pioneer and re
nowned citizen of Amherst. This account of his life
is taken, in part, from the Cleveland Herald of
August 22, 1876.
"Josiah Albert Harris was born in Becket, Berk
shire. County, Massachusetts, January iSth, 1808, and
was early taught the studious and industrious habits
of New England boys. In 1818 his parents moved to
the then far west — the Connecticut Western Reserve —
and built a log cabin home in the sparsely settled woods
of the lake region, thirty miles west of Cleveland. Here
he assisted in clearing and cultivating a farm, now the
site of the flourishing village of North Amherst, until
twenty years of age, when he was given his time — the
main gift of father to son. His educational advantages
in Ohio were the district winter school, the diligent
reading of the few books brought from the East, and
the Weekly Cleveland Herald, by evening firelight, fed
by hickory bark, or the primitive lamp of the settlers, —
a saucer of lard or coon oil, with a rag wick tied
round a metal button to keep it erect. The qualifica-
61

A M H E R S T'S STORY
tions of the teachers and the grade of the schools can
be judged from the fact that the winter he was seven
teen young Harris taught in the log school house in
the woods adjacent to his father's farm, — 'wages $io
a month and boarding round' with the scholars ; and
for some winters in other districts at slightly advanced
pay. "With his time for his fortune, and fired with am
bition by occasional attendance at the Lorain Courts,
and hearing the able lawyers who traveled the circuit
with the presiding judge, he entered a law office in
Elyria as a student. A year devoted to preparatory
study, and an office acquaintance with the pettyfogging
local business of the profession in a new country gave
him enough of the law, and he exchanged Blackstone
for the duties of constable and deputy sheriff. On the
death of the sheriff he was appointed to the vacancy,
then elected by the people, and re-elected a second
term. Early in his sheriffalty he married Miss Esther
M. Race, also a native of Berkshire, and commenced
housekeeping in the log cabin jail. She proved a true
wife and helpmeet — an active friend of the poor, the
sick, the orphan — ^and was devoted to Women's Sani
tary work for our brave Boys in Blue during the war
of the Rebellion. To her Mr. H. attributes much of
the happiness and success of his life."
Mr. Harris, in addition to his work as constable
and sheriff, bought out the office material of a defunct
paper in Elyria, and with the help of two partners,
printers, published the Ohio Gazette and Elyria Adver
tiser. The two partners left him and he continued the
work alone. He succeeded where otihers had failed
and made a success of the paper financially.
Mr. Harris was at one time tempted to the south
62

AMHERST'S STORY
where "Cotton was king." There he came near buying
a plantation, slaves and all, but decided first to live on
one for a while to see how he would like it. It was
enough. He returned to the north, resolved to cut
wood by hand rather than to endure the life among the
holders of slaves.
In 1837 Mr. Harris, together with Judge Whittle
sey, began to manage the Cleveland Daily Herald com
bined with the Daily Whig. Both papers had reached
the point where they were ready to be buried. The
work was not easy to resurrect them. At the end of
the first year debts had accumulated so that the Judge
pulled out and left Mr. Harris to sink or swim alone.
Mr. Harris worked the harder and succeeded in put
ting the paper on a firm basis with money in the bank
to back it up. Some of the rules controlling advertisT
ing are interesting. Mr. Harris would not accept ad
vertisements of husbands warning the public not to
trust their wives. He put the ban on advertisements
of owners who had runaway slaves. He would not ad
vertise quack medicines of vicious tendencies. He
made it a rule not to publish a thing that he would not
read aloud to his wife or daughter. A free copy was
given to every minister. Death and marriage notices,
lodge notices, political matter, was published free.
Thus a warm bond was established between the paper
and a large body of people.
Mr. Harris was mayor of Cleveland in 1847. He
was sought out for the office. His fidelity to that office
showed that his friends had trusted him well. Every
detail was administered with a care that makes for
good government.
At the close of the war Mr. Harris gave up news
paper work and bought a farm at Lake Cliff, where he
63

A M H E R S T'S STORY
raised grapes that took prizes in the state fairs again
and again. Mr. Harris died Monday afternoon, August 21,
1876, at the age of sixty-eight. He was struck down
with paralysis, which weakened him. For two years
he made a hard struggle against it, but filially suc
cumbed after t^vo more attacks in the two years inter
vening between the first and his death. He died at the
residence of his daughter, Mrs. F. X. Byerly, in Cleve
land. The whole city feh the loss of Mr. Harris. He
had been a true and loyal citizen, giving of his best to
the city. The other man we referred to at the beginning of
this sketch was also a son of Josiah Harris, the
pioneer. This son, Milo, was the third and youngest
son of the founder of the town. He was one of the
first white boys born in the township. He first saw
the light of day on April the 21st, 1822. He married
CaroHne Stocking. One child was born, Florence
Elizabeth, later Mrs. T. E. Lewis. The mother only
lived about six years after the child was born. In 1853
Mr. Harris married again. His second wife was Mary
F. Tyrell. Six children were born through this union.
Mr. Harris was, like his brother and his father,
sheriff of Lorain County. He was a man of unselfish
life, giving liberally to all good causes, taking a strong
stand for the right and making a staunch citizen of the
town. He was a zealous member of the I. O. O. F. for
over fifty years. He stood with a ready hand to help
the needy, cheer the sad and join in the joy of those
who were glad.
Mr. Harris was eighty-two years old when he
died, a long life going back into the earliest history of
Amherst. But there was nothing in that life to tarnish
64

A M H E R S T'S STORY
its story. It was a life of usefulness and unselfish
ness, a life which did much to build up Amherst and
to establish justice and right.
Amherst has a great debt of gratitude to pay
towards these members of the family of Josiah Harris,
a debt which can never be adequately paid.

65

IV.
GOOD TIMES.

A M H E R S T'S STORY

CHAPTER IV
GOOD TIMES
We have just briefly touched some of the facts
concerning the early settlers in Amherst Township^
We have seen some of the hardships which they had
to endure in order to lay the foundations for this town.
To some it might seem as though those early days held
Httle of enjoyment and much of hard work. But they
had their good times as well as we. There was the
hunting for game which was always abundant. Wolves
and bears were pests who ran loose and on whose head
was placed a bounty. The gun served to make life less
monotonous in this new and sparsely settled country.
Every event was made much of. A log cabin to
be built was the scene of a merry crowd who assisted
in the "raising." The tools of the day were meagre. A
hammer, an axe, a saw and an auger formed the main
part of the settler's tool box. With these tools he had
to make himself his home and his implements.
Having settled upon a spot where he wants to
build his cabin, the pioneer selects several straight,
strong trees, which he cuts down to use in the making
of his house. They are measured, cut, and hauled to
the place where the cabin is to be. There they are dis
tributed according to the side of the cabin for which
they are intended. The clap-boards, rived from the
cleanest white oak blocks, rough and unshaved, are
made ready for the roof. A generous supply of whis
key is then laid in and the neighbors informed that on
such and such a day a "raising" will take place.
When the time comes, and the forces collect to-
67

AMHERST'S STORY
gether, a captain is appointed, and the men divided into
proper sections, and assigned to their several duties.
Four men most skillful in the use of the axe, are sev
erally assigned to each corner; these are the "corner
men," whose duty is to "notch" and "saddle" — as it
were, like a dovetail — ^the timbers at their connection,
and preserve the plumb, "carrying up" the respective
corners. Then there are the "end men," who, with
strong arms, and the aid of pikes, force the Ipgs up the
"skids" and deliver them to the corner men. In this
way the building rises with wonderful rapidity; the
bearers for the roof logs are adjusted; the broad clap
boards laid with skill, the "weight-poles" placed upon
the successive courses, and the shell of the cabin is
completed. The frolic is ended and a good supper
crowns the day's work. Then follow the "puncheon
floor," made of heavy planks, split from the timber
and dressed on one side with an axe ; the big log fire
place ; the beaten earth hearth ; the stick and clay chim
ney; the "chinking" and "daubing," the paper win
dows, and the door with wooden latch and hinges. And
so the log home is made ready, and the family moves
in with as much joy and delight as may fill their hearts
when, twenty years later, they enter their now stately
frame or brick mansion erected on the same spot.
Thus, even at the start, enjoyment was had in the
early pioneer life. Folks from miles around, who sel
dom got together otherwise, came for such an event
and enjoyed the companionship of others. "Corn
husking bees" also formed a profitable and an enjoy
able evening. The old-fashioned country dance On the
rude puncheon floor was held, provided a fiddler could
be secured. Men and women, boys and girls, all entered into
68

A M H E R S T'S STORY
the social life of that early day. There was no such
difference of age when they came together for a good
time. All forgot cares and privations and entered into
the spirit of wholesome fun. Prbbably they enjoyed
themselves with more real enjoyment and merriment
than moderns do in their mad chase for pleasure.
The costumes of the early pioneers varied. The
very earliest wore the buckskin trousers, fur cap, belt
with powder horn and knife, the moccasins made of
deer skin and a rough hunting shirt. But as soon as
the women were established in their homes they began
to weave good homespun cloth out of which the clothes
of the pioneers were made.
The early pioneer of Lorain County was not as
picturesque as the pioneers of some other parts of the
country. There were no hostile Indians to frighten
the settlers. They had no need 'to go so fully armed
as the typical pioneer of the story book. The only use
for the gun was for game, the principal source of pro
vision for the larder. An early settler in Ohio de
scribes his setting up in housekeeping thus :
"With my brother John I built a cabin in the for
est, my nearest neighbor being three miles off. Into
this we moved without horse or cow, bed or bedding,
bag or baggage. We gathered up the leaves and dried
them in the sun ; then picking out the sticks, we put
them into a bed tick. For a bedstead we drove forks
into the ground and laid sticks across, over which we
placed elm bark. On this we placed our bed of leaves
and had comfortable lodgings. The nearest mill was
thirty miles distant."
Another writes of the meal made in a mortar :
"We stretched deer skin over a hoop; burned
holes in it with the prongs of a fork, sifted our meal.

AMHERST'S STORY
baked our bread, ate at, and it was first rate eating,
too,. We raised or gathered from the woods our own
tea. We had sage Bohea, cross-vine, spice and sassa
fras teas in abundance. As for coffee, I am not sure
that I smelled it for ten years. We made our sugar
from the water of the maple tree, and our molasses,
too." The interior of the early pioneer's cabin was very
plain. The great hearth was big enough to receive logs.
In the hearth was a great iron crane, br, if the settler
did not have one, a wooden pole hung high enough so
as not to catch afire. On this crane or pole was hung
a chain with a hook at the end. On the hook was
hung the kettle used for all sorts of purposes. The
other cooking utensils were a skillet, iron tea-kettle,
a wooden tray for kneading bread. A rude table oc
cupied one corner of the room. In the back part of
the room was a bed with a valance around the legs to
conceal the trundle bed in which the children slept. A
few shelves resting on wooden pins driven into the
wall formed the cupboard. A big chest held most of
the clothes except those which hung on large wooden
pegs. Over the door the gun rested on some form of
a rustic rack, often the horns of an ox or the antlers
of a deer. A rough ladder led the way into the loft,
where additional supplies were kept, old garments
thrown, nuts of all kinds stbred and the garden tools
housed for the winter.
The life of the pioneer was full of hard work. He
had to build this little cabin first, then he had to clear
a place to start a little garden to provide the susten
ance for his family. After he had cleared his garden
spot then he could work on clearing the rest of his
tract. Wood was so plenteous that numerous rail
70

AMHERST'S STORY
fences were built, but these, along with the old-fash
ioned stump fences, are fast disappearing. Roads were
cut through the woods to other settlements so that in
tercourse with the outside world could be had. Gradu
ally the new settlement began to take a definite form
under the hands of the early pioneers. The old log
cabin gave way to a frame house, made possible by
Jacob Shupe's saw-mill. Prosperity drove the traces
of the early life to the rear, and those who came with
nothing to start with found themselves comfortable in
the new land which they had helped to open.
At a birthday party, given in 1876, in honor of
Mrs. Isaac Shupe's fiftieth birthday, Mr. J. C. Potter
related reminiscences which showed that boys and
girls were the same in the early days of Am'herst as
they are to-day. He spoke, an part, as follows :
"I have a distinct recollection of her commanding
a tin pail brigade which made a charge on a wood-
chuck hole near the creek bank on Uncle's farm, and
such courage as she manifested while we were drown
ing out the woodchuck was really commendable. But
as discretion is the better part of valor, I noticed that
she always kept Tige (the dog) between her and the
woodchuck hole. But the filial charge came which
was to decide this hard contested battle ; such a charge
can only be appreciated by those who witnessed it; —
yes, but it was the woodchuck that made the charge.
First a troubling of the waters gave sure indications
that something was soon to happen, and our Goddess
of War encouraged Tige to stand firm while our
brigade poured in more grape. The time had come—
aftd so had the woodchuck ! And where was our brave
commander? In the van? Most assuredly, for willow
bushes did not seem to impede her progress in the
71

A M H E R S T'S STORY
least, and like good faithful soldiers we followed
where our commander led. But Tdge was gallant
enough for the occasion, and as soon as our gallant
commander was sure that Tige had silenced the
enemy's guns, she led us back to share the spoils of
Tige's victory  Our homes were simple
and primitive in all their appurtenances and our sports
and recreations were of the same type. The log house
with its huge fireplace and crackling fire of hickory,
was both comfortable and cheerful in winter evenings,
as we congregated to pass a few hours in evening
sports, — blind man's buff, puss in the corner, and old
buzzard, were our chief delight. In these latter days
of conventionalities it would shock the refined sensi
bilities of the modern youth to see a buxom lass of
fourteen or fifteen jump over two chairs at a single
bound, or leap over a dining table, or disappear under
the bed to escape the long arms of the 'blind' man as
he rushed around the room with long strides, regard
less of obstacles, bruised shins or a broken head. No
conventionalities in those days to check the honest and
mirthful enjoyment, no hard names applied to anyone
for giving vent to the honest expressions of enjoy
ment ! All entered into the sport and all seemed bound
to get more real enjoyment of the occasion than an
other. The girls in those days mingled largely in our
outdoor sports. They were not so particular about
soiling their hands or skirts as they are to-day, and
they could play I-spy and even tag-and-goal without
compromising their dignity or forfeiting their right to
be called good girls  The fall of the year
was full of interest to us as being the season for hick
ory hunting. It was the general custom for ten or
twelve of us to go into the woods together and it was
72

A M H E R S T'S STORY
generally business of no secondary importance. The
old creek which ran through our fathers' farms had
great attractions for both boys and girls. We used to
improvise steamboats of slabs upon which we would
try all our skill at navigating the turbid waters, and
many a shipwreck I have witnessed, resulting in wet
crinoline and tow breeches. The old log school house,
with its slab benches and abundance of air holes was
not so attractive to us, I am afraid, as it ought to have
been. But it was not so much its primitive simplicity
inside or rustic exterior which induced us to frame all
sorts of excuses to get the privilege of staying at
home, but it was the dread of being confined for six
long hours out of the twenty-four, without the possi
bility of doing just as we pleased. But we all man
aged to submit to the ordeal and consoled ourselves
that it was not so bad after all, as we got some com
pensation and fun out of drawing the girls to and from
school and dumping them into the snowdrifts as
often as possible."
So it seems that children were the same in the
early days of Amherst as now, that they hated school,
enjoyed the water, frolicked and played in much the
same spirit.
As Amherst grew, public spirit waxed strong. No
national holiday was allowed to pass unnoticed. Many
a picnic was held at Oak Point in celebration of the
Fourth or in honor of someone's birthday, or in behalf
of some organizations. One of those celebrations de
serves special mention because it observed the centen
nial of our national freedom and because it represent
ed the unity of Amherst in the community life. This
day was the Fourth of July, 1876.
73

AMHERST'S STORY
A meeting was called on the seventh of June to
start things going for a big celebration on the Fourth.
E. H. Hinman was appointed chairman and F. M.
Lewis secretary. It was ofi&cially voted that Amherst
should observe the Fourth with a celebration worthy
the day and worthy the special significance of its being
the Centennial year. E. C. Foster, Rev. R. Koestlin,
S. N. Barnes, John Fredericks and E. C. Schuler were
appointed a committee on arrangements, and E. H.
Hinman and Jacob Stahl were appointed a committee
on speakers. At a later meeting, with E. C. Schuler as chair
man and O. N. Steele as secretary, other committees
were appointed. It is interesting to note who were
taking the lead in the public functions of the town
thirty odd years ago. The committee on invitations
consisted of Rev. Mr. Kbestlin, O. N. Steele and E. C.
Foster. The committee to see to building the tables
consisted of G. E. Aschenbach, A. E. Potter and Philip
Sippel. The committee on fireworks consisted of H. C.
Smith, S. N. Barnes and C. Stiwald. The committee
on program consisted of E. H. Hinman and A. L.
Spitzer. The committee on the arrangements of tables con
sisted, one would guess, of most of the ladies in town
who were at all active in the life of the town. Many
of them have moved away, others have passed on to
the next life, while some are still with us. Those who
remain would probably remember many of those who
helped to serve on that one hundredth anniversary of
our national freedom. Their names follow:
Mrs. J. Bans Miss M. Honecker
Mrs. A. Crocker Miss F. Jaeger
74

AMHERST'S STORY

Mrs. F, Barney
Mrs. J. Hildebrand
Mrs. E. C. Schuler
Mrs. J. Stahl
Mrs. Appleman
Mrs. M. Richmond
Mrs. George Bryant
Mrs. Jas. Jackson
Mrs. Chas.Aiken
Mrs. H. Martin
Mrs. 'Wm. Horton
Mrs. Thomas Hill
Mrs. Hanford Aiken
Miss Hattie Clough
Miss Lula Moore
Miss Carrie Jackson
Miss R. Leslie
Mrs. Joe Robbins
Mrs. Philip Lockwood
Mrs. Chas. Lersh
Mrs. Jack Richmond
Mrs. Anthony Ernst
Mrs. B. Hildebrand
Mrs. 'Wm. Lang
Miss H. Kline
Miss Alice Jackson
Miss K. Hagemann
Miss A. Hagemann
Miss A. Hirschlng
Miss Metta Parker
Miss E. Wolcott
Miss L. Shubert

Miss M. Saur
Miss Etta Hale
Miss E. Bailey
Miss C. Barney
Miss B. Hubbard
Miss Elva Stiwald
Miss Ada Faxon
Mrs. Christ Rood
Mrs. Philip Sippel
Mrs. Linderman
Mrs. Frank Seeley
Mrs. E. P. Streeter
Mrs. David Long
Mrs. A. Rupaney
Mrs. Wm. Lapp
Mrs. H. C. Smith
Mrs. Peter Menz
Mrs. Geo.Aschenbach
Mrs. R. Brown
Mrs. Adam Kishman
Mrs. C. O. Hirsching
Mrs. Adam Baumhardt
Mrs. Jos. Trost
Mrs. Henry Hirschling
Mrs. Fred Yands
Mrs. Ben Claus
Mrs. E. Huessner
Mrs. H. Walker
Mrs. Fred Kline
Mrs. E.E. Mussey
Mrs. M. W. Axtell
Mrs. 'Wm. Braun

With such a group of ladies the Fourth of July
dinner in 1876 must have been one of the finest ever
served in town.
Milo Harris was the marshal of the day, with Z.
A. Clements, John Robertson and John Northeim as
assistants. The program of the day was a full one, with
speeches, a big parade, dancing, sports, and a general
good time. The order of the program was as follows :
75

A M H E R S T'S STORY
At nine o'clock a grand parade composed of
Amherst Union Band
Fire Department
Knights of Pythias
Odd Fellows
Ancient Order of Hibernians
St. Joseph's Benefit Society
Lorain Comet Band
Boys' Military Company
Sunday Schools
Orators of the Day and Committees
Industries of the Village, Floats
Citizens in Carriages
Arriving at the Park, the invocation was pro
nounced by Rev. C. C. Park. Then followed some
music. The Declaration of Independence was read by
Dr. A. A. Crosse. Then followed the oration of the
day by Hon. P. H. Kaiser of Cleveland.
In the afternoon pleasures of different kinds were
indulged in by the citizens. In the evening a magnifi
cent display of fireworks drew a crowd of twenty-five
hundred people together. Dancing followed under the
auspices of the Live Oak firemen.
The day was cloudy and in the morning rain fell
heavily. But it did not serve to dampen the enthusiasm
of the people, though it delayed the parade a bit and
changed some of the program. But at midnight, just
as the Fourth was ushered in, the cannon was fired. At
sunrise forty guns saluted the hundredth anniversary
of America's Independence. Bells were rung and can
nons and guns fired for a long time, starting at mid
night and continuing with greater or less vigor until
everyone was up ready to welcome the day.
The fire company came out in new suits. Mer-
76

A M H E R S T'S STORY
chants, farmers, mechanics, everyone, sought to make
the occasion the greatest in the history of Amherst.
And it was safe to say that never before had Amherst
had such a time, despite the rain. Every man felt like
a brother to every other man. Fellowship ran high.
Differences were forgotten in the celebration of the
great event in America's history.
Among the floats was one representing the thir
teen original colonies, a young woman representing a
colony. Each young woman wore a golden crown
upon which was printed the name of the state she rep
resented. Three gentlemen on horseback on each side
of the wagon formed an escort for the so-called "Tri
umph Wagon." Another float was called "The
Martha Washington Wagon." All the characters of
the Washington family were ably portrayed. These
were attended by maids in waiting, all dressed in the
costumes of 1776.
From other accounts it is evident that the "Glori
ous Fourth" was never allowed to go unnoticed. There
was always a picnic, a celebration, an oration of some
sort which commemorated the day. The safe and sane
idea ^d not need to be preached in that day.
"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy," in
any age and in any climate. The early settlers and
their sons and daughters of later years did not let lack
of play bring dullness to them. They enjoyed them
selves to the utmost with what means they had at
hand, at first combining pleasure with profit as at a
"husking bee" or a "raising," and later, as their re
sources increased, in other and more costly forms of
amusement. The street car and the automobile did not attract
them off to other places on holidays. Their holidays
77

AMHERST'S STORY
were spent at home with their- friends and neighbors
in a jolly good time together. And who shall say that
they were not better off than we of the present age of
rush and hurry and impatience?

78

V.
FOUNDED UPON A
ROCK.

A M H E R S T'S STORY

CHAPTER V
FOUNDED UPON A ROCK
The fame of Amherst commercially is founded
upon a rock, a rock that is continuous in its layers
throughout the township. That rock is better known
as sandstone. Amherst Sandstone may be found in
some of the finest buildings in the United States and
Canada. Shipped far and wide, it hag formed a build
ing stone second to none.
Once upon a time, they tell us, the shores of Lake
Erie came up to where the quarries to the east of town
now are. These ledges which overlook all the low-
lying country between them and the lake were once the
shore line when the water of the lake was a hundred
and forty feet higher than it is now. These ledges
were then shore cliffs such as can be seen at Avon to
day. Another peculiar formation seen around Am
herst which bespeaks the activity of the lake in
earlier ages is the ridges which traverse the county.
These are supposed to be the various shore lines of the
lake in previous ages.
The rocks which underlie the surface of much of
Ix>rain County are, with a single exception, portions of
the great Carboniferous system. These rocks form
sheets of different grades, accounting for the different
kinds of sandstone found. The first sheet is called
Cuyahoga shale. Under this comes • the Berea grit,
which is economically important as being the valuable
building stone. "It contributes largely to the wealth
and business of all the country through which it passes,
but its best and most valuable development occurs in
81

A M H ERST'S STORY
Lorain County. Though varying considerably in thick
ness and character in different localities, the Berea grit
is generally a rather fine-grained and homogeneous
sandstone, lying in courses from a few inches to sev
eral feet in thickness and varying in color from a light
drab to a light blue or dove color. Its thickness ranges
from fifty to seventy feet, and it forms a continuous
line of outcrop, except where covered by superficial
deposits. It enters the county from the east in the
township of Avon, and its lower surface is exposed at
the village of French Creek; thence it passes south
westerly to Elyria, where it forms the falls, thence
sweeping around through Amherst to its most north
westerly outcrop in Brownhelm. As it lies so nearly
horizontal, and has a thickness so considerable, the
Berea grit is the surface rock over a very extensive
area of the northern and central portions of the county,
but it is generally overlain and concealed by the Drift
clay, even where it approaches very near the sur
face  The exposures of the Berea grit
which have hitherto attracted the most attention are
those of the Amherst and Brownhelm ledges. These,
as has been before stated, were undoubtedly once the
shore cliffs of Lake Erie, when its waters stood much
higher than now. They owe their prominence and re
lief, however, mainly to the fact that the rock which
composes them is more massive than that which con
nects and surrounds them. Hence, in the erosion to
which this region has been exposed, these harder and
more massive portions have best resisted the denuding
action, while the softer rocks have been more deeply
cut away. The light and uniform buff of the Amherst
stone is undoubtedly due to the fact that these elevated
cliffs, being freely drained, have been traversed by at-
82

A M H E R S T'S STORY
mospheric waters, so that the iron the stone contains
has been thoroughly oxidized. In localities where the
stone is beneath the water level, or is covered with a
considerable thickness of clay, it is found to have a
light blue color, as at Berea. It is well illustrated by
the working of the Amherst quarries, in which a
stratum of very fine-grained, homogeneous blue stone
has been found beneath the lighter beds, and where the
rock was imperfectly drained. This variety is called
Blue Amherst, and is very handsome." (From the
Geological Survey of Ohio.)
This stone was soon found to be of great value for
building and for the manufacture of grind-stones. A
large business was built up at once on the basis of its
durability and beauty. The stone, though found in
many counties of the state, reaches its greatest perfec
tion in Lorain County at Amherst. "Arnherst Stbne"
has a national reputation among builders. The Am
herst stone has been commended by geologists in their
reports generally. The Ohio Geological Survey says
of it: "The Amhetst stone is commended by the follow
ing qualities which it possesses in an unusual degree :
"ist. Durability. It is chemically nearly pure
silica, and is scarcely more affected by weathering
than granite ; it is also very refractory, and will endure
exposure to fire by- which granite or limestone would
be entirely destroyed.
"2nd. Strength. This varies from 6,000 to 10,000
pounds to the square inch ; f rbni two to four times that
of the best brick, and at least sufficient to endure any
weight likely to be imposed upon it by modem archi
tecture. "3rd. Color. This is geniBrally drab, warm,
83

A M H E R S T'S STORY
cheerful, uniform, and unchangeable. The variety
known as 'blue Amherst' is a delicate and attractive
blue. "4th. Texture. This is fine and homogeneous,
without flaws, iron, or clay balls. While containing
¦the quarry water, it works, as the stone-cutters say,
'like cheese,' but hardens on exposure, and retains
every inscription with the greatest fidelity."
When the early settlers saw the outcroppings of
stone, the poor timber and pasturage, they felt that
there was a serious blemish to the lands. Eighty-five
years ^o they little thought that the stone industry
would be worth more than the land. The land on which
stone was found could have been bought for less than
a block of stone would cost today.
But the time came when someone discovered a
commercial value to the stone. It was found to have
a grit suitable for grind-stones. A few stone-cutters
began to fashion rude grind-stones and to send them
forth to be tested in the practical world. It takes time
to create a market, but that market has come, and today
Amherst grind-stones go everywhere.
There was no demand for block stone. Its value
as a building stone had not been discovered and the
cost of getting it out and shipping it was so great that
there was no profit in the business. The only mode of
shipment was 'by boat from the mouth of the Black
River. The roads were bad, so that it made the haul
exceedingly difficult.
About the first block stone shipped from the vicin
ity of Amherst was taken from a Brownhelm quarry,
shipped by boat from Vermilion to Toronto, where it
was thoroughly tested by Mr. Worthington, Senior. It
met the test and the reputation of sandstone as a
84

AMHERST'S STORY
building stone was established. Then a group of men
began to push forward the business until today it has
reached mammoth proportions.
The growth of the businesswas rapid. In the
seventies there were many different companies operat
ing quarries in the township. There were the Ohio
Stone Company, the Nichol and Miller Company, the
Wilson and Hughes Stone Company, Worthington and
Sons, the Turkey Rock Quarry, Haldeman and Son,
the Clough Stone Company, and the Amherst Stone
Company. There seems to have been the practice of
getting out stone only as called for, no large supply be
ing kept on hand to fill immediate orders. The winter
would often shut down the quarries entirely.
Prices for stone then ranged from sixty cents
down to thirty-five cents for block stone, while grind
stones were sold at seven, eight, or nine dollars, though
once in a while an order was filled at five dollars.
Stone was shipped then to England, all over the
United States, and up into Canada. Many men were
employed in the quarries, Worthington and Sons hav
ing seventy in their employ in 1878, this force just pre
paring the quarries for the start of the season's work.
The Clough Stone Company was the owner of a
railroad which many will remember. It was a little,
narrow-guage road that ran from their quarry to Oak
Point, where the company had a wharf. The stone was
loaded on to flat oars and allowed tb run down to the
water, the grade being sufficient to allow the cars to
go under their own weight. There the stone was lifted
off by derricks and loaded on to the boats, which car
ried the stone to various points on the lake. The old
piles of the wharf may still be seen at Oak Point.
At first this railroad used mules for the motive
85

A M H E R S T'S STORY
power to draw the cars back from the water's edge to
the quarry. But business increased, mules were too
slow, and a small engine was secured. This engine
continued in operation until the Lake Shore Railroad
made its rates so low that it was cheaper to ship by rail
than by water. Then the whole narrow-gauge outfit
was sold to a Michigan lumber concern, where the little
engine continued its usefulness by pulling logs instead
of stone. This company had its own boat, named for one of
the Cloughs, I believe. This boat did active service
for several years until, loaded with stone, it sailed
away into a storm and was never heard of again.
These numerous quarries were eventually united
under one control. In 1886 the final incorporation of
the Qeveland Stone Company was made. At that time
it had acquired by purchase all the good quarries in the
Amherst district except the Haldeman, now No. 6
quarry, which was acquired soon after. It was through
the personal efforts of Mr. George H. Worthington
that this company was organized. While touring in
Europe with some wealthy friends Mr. Worthington
interested them in the stone industry to the extent that
they were ready to put up the money necessary to buy
out any whom Mr. Worthington did not wish to in
clude in the company. This enabled Mr. Worthington
to secure all the options for cash. The next move was
to select those who were to make up the company. All
were ready to take stock in the new company in ex-
exchange for their property. On July 26, 1886, the
Cleveland Stone Company came into existence as a cor
poration with the following officers :
President— William McDermott.
Vice President — J. M. Worthington.
86

A M H E R S T'S STORY
Secretary and Treasurer — George H. Worthing
ton, Superintendents — James NichoU, M. McDermott
and F. M. Stearns.
Two years later John Huntington purchased the
interest in the company of Willic^m McDermott. Then
J. M. Worthingtbn was elected President and John
Huntington was elected Vice President. These with
the balance of the officers previously elected held office
for several years thereafter.
In 189s George H. Worthington resigned as Sec
retary and Treasurer of the Company, and withdrew
from active participation in it. In January, 1898, J. M.
Worthington died, and in May of the same year, James
Nioholl, who succeeded Mr. Worthington, resigned,
and George H. Worthington was called back into the
Company and unanimously elected President, in which
office he has continued ever since.
Mr. E. A. Merritt was elected Secretary and
Treasurer of the Company in the year 1896, and has
filled the office ever since. Mr. J. V. Painter succeeded
Mr. Huntington as Vice President in 1897, when Mr.
Huntington died. On the death of Mr. Painter in
1903, Mr. J. H. Wade was elected Vice President, and
still holds that office.
Mr. M. McDermott and Mr. Frank M. Stearns
resigned from the Company, the former in 1887 and
the latter in 1888. Mr. James Nicholl retired from ac
tive work in the Company in 1898, when his son,
James Nicholl, Jr., was elected General Superintend
ent, which office he held until his death, which occurred
in July, 1909.
Mr. P. J. Morrisey, at Berea, was always Super-
87

AMHERST'S STORY
intendent of the Berea Quarries. Later, on the death
of James Nicholl, Jr., Mr. Morrissey was made General
Superintendent, which office he held until September i,
1912, when, during a reorganization of the operating
department, Mr. E. Sanderson was elected General
Quarry Manager, with Mr. Morrissey and J. S. Ma
lone as General Superintendents. On December i,
1913, Mr. F. N. Bendelari was elected in the place of
Mr. Malone, who had resigned.
The present ofificers of the Cleveland Stone Com
pany are as follows:
George H. Worthington, President.
J. H. Wade, Vice President.
E. A. Merritt, Secretary and Treasurer.
C. W. McCormick, Assistant Secretary, in charge
of the Building Stone Department.
H. W. Caldwell, Assistant Secretary, in charge of
the Grindstone Department.
J. R. Miller, Assistant Treasurer.
E. Sanderson, General Quarry Manager.
P. J. Morrissey, General Superintendent.
F. N. Bendelari, General Superintendent.
The Cleveland Stone Company, born in Amherst,
has become a very large corporation. Its capital
amounts to four millions of dollars. It owns and oper
ates quarries at Amherst, Berea, West View, Colum
bia, Nickel Plate,' Grafton, Wakeman, Kipton and
Peninsula in Northern Ohio. In Southern Ohio it owns
and operates many quarries in the vicinity of Marietta.
It also operates the Lake Huron Quarries at Grind
stone City, Michigan. And last but not least, it owns
and operates the greatest Oolitic Limestone Quarries
88

A M H E R S T'S STORY
in Indiana, from which its shipments are larger than
all the rest of its quarries combined.
The foregoing account of the Cleveland Stone
Company is of particular interest to Amherst people
because of the part that the quarries have played in
the development of the township. The material for the
account comes from Mr. George Worthington, Presi
dent and founder of the Company.
One other company is producing stone in the
township. The Ohio Quarries Company. Mr. W. A. C.
Smith, President of the Company, has kindly prepared
the following account of the history and activities of
this younger company.
"Many individuals and firms started quarries
years ago. Some of these have gone out of business.
Others are merged into larger companies, until now
but two organizations are producing stone in the town
ship. "One of these. The Ohio Quarries Company, was
organized in the year 1903 by the late John R. Walsh,
of Chicago, Illinois, who at that time had large and
extensive stone properties in Indiana. The well known
Amherst sandstone field attracted his attention and it
was not long until he acquired valuable stone property
in this district. He opened the now famous "Buckeye"
Quarry and built what has developed into the finest
sandstone plant in the United States or Canada, if not
in the whole world.
"The Ohio Quarries Company purchased the Col
lins, Quigley, and Belden farms, located about three
miles south of what was then known as "North Am
herst." In eleven years their business has grown from
nothing to such proportions that they employ about
89

A M H E R S T'S STORY
fbur hundred men, and ship annually approximately
six thousand carloads of sandstone.
"Their Buckeye Quarry is said to be one of the
deepest sandstone quarries in the world, stone having
been taken out at a depth of 212 feet. The quarry is
1350 feet long and varies in width from 150 feet to
306 feet. Fifteen derricks of thirty tons capacity, oper
ated by powers driven by electric motors, serve to lift
the massive blocks of stone from the ledges where cen
turies ago the sand was laid down to form this wonder
ful deposit of stone, which man is now taking and mak
ing tb serve his needs in many useful ways. Sixteen
steam channelers and twenty drills cut and drill the
stone to required sizes.
"Adjacent to the quarry are two large reservoirs
which have been built from the stripping from the
quarry. Water from the bottom of the quarry is
pumped into these reservoirs, which serve as a supply
for the mills, which are located about one-half mile
away. These reservoirs hold approximately ten mil
lion gallons of water.
"Such stone as is not shipped out direct from the
quarry in its rough state, is shipped down to the. mills,
over the rails of the Lorain and Southern Railroad
Company, which is owned by The Ohio Quarries Com
pany. Here the stone is turned into grindstones, sawed
into building stone or sidewalk flagging, planed into
intricate mouldings, turned into balusters, or columns,
or converted into split or machine dressed curbing, as
may be required.
"This company operates four grindstone lathes
and has two saw mills containing twenty-four lar^e
gangs of saws, five moulding planers, one large col-
90

AMHERST'S STORY
umn lathe and one baluster lathe. The stone worked
in the grindstone, sawing, turning, and planing depart
ments is handled by six electric traveling cranes, oper
ated on a steel and stone tramway, which is almost a
third of a mile in length. These cranes vary in capacity
from five to twenty-five tons.
"In addition to the equipment just mentioned, they
have a curbing yard served by two large steel derricks,
under which split rock blocks which, come from the
Btickeye Quarry are worked and split into curbing.
The curbing that is machine dressed is sent into the
curbing planer department, which contains eight curb
ing planers of special type.
"Machine dressed curbing is something compara
tively new. The Ohio Quarries Company were the
first to undertake the practice of planing curbing at the
quarry instead of having it cut by hand on the street.
This manner of. dressing curbing found instant favor
with engineers and contractors, with the result that
most of the curbing shipped out from the Amherst dis
trict today is machine dressed.
"The whole plant of this Company is driven by
electric power generated in its own power plant. They
have a large boarding house on the property and when
the plant was first built they constructed nine fine
houses which are largely occupied by the foremen and
their families. These houses are lighted by electricity,
heated with modern heating system, and are connected
with the company's own sewer system. They are in
keeping with the fine plant which we have. attempted
to describe in a very brief way.
"The establishment of the Ohio Quarries Com-
91

A M H E R S T'S STORY
pany has been of immense value to the people of Am
herst Township and they are proud of it."
These two companies control the quarrying of
sandstone in the township. Hundreds of Amherst men
find employment in the quarries. A train runs up on
the Lake Shore tracks to the quarries taking these men
to their work and bringing them back in the afternoon.
Over a hundred carloads of stone a day go out from
Amherst to all parts of the country for building pur
poses or for sidewalks and curbing, or in the form of
grindstones. In connection with the sandstone industry in the
township must be mentioned the other two concerns
which work with the stone. The Amherst Cut Stone
Company, and the Blum and Delbridge Cut Stone
Plant. These two concerns contract for cut stone work
throughout North America. They employ skilled
stone-cutters, most of the men being Scotch. These
men are artists in the real sense of the word. They
are capable of producing the best specimens of stone
carving for interior work. The sandstone lends itself
readily to this work, as it is soft at first, but hardens
as exposed to air.
Examples of the work of Amherst's stone-cutters
and contractors may be seen in the Detroit Water
Works Building, the Toledo Post Office, and the fine
new Art Museum now being erected in Cleveland. The
stone work on these buildings was done by the firm of
Blum and Delbridge.
The cut stone plants have not been in Amherst
long. It is a comparatively new idea, that of ha'ving a
central shop and sending the work to the contract all
ready for placement. But this arrangement has many
92

A M H E R S T'S STORY
advantages. It permits the use of machinery that could
not easly be moved from place to place. It permits the
men to have a permanent home. Under the old order
the men went from job to job and most often worked
out doors. They were compelled to lay off when the
weather was bad. Now they can work under a roof,
have protection from the storms, and be assured of
work whether it rains or not.
Amherst has profited by these plants. The stone
cutters are mostly Scotch, good stalwart men who are
liberal spenders and who earn good wages. A great
many homes have been established here by these stone
cutters, some of them building neat homes of their
own, others renting their homes. There are very, very
few empty houses in Amherst at the present time be
cause of this increase in the families of the town.

93

VI.
STORY OF THE
CHURCHES.

AMHERST'S STORY

CHAPTER VI
STORY OF THE CHURCHES
The idea has sometimes been prevalent that the
early settlers in the Western Reserve were pious men
because they came from New England and were of
Puritan stock. But from the reports found in the Ohio
Archeological and Historical Society publications that
idea is erroneous. Perhaps the ungodliness of the
early settlers was due to the fact that they were pio
neers and left the old home in a spirit of rebellion
against the restraints placed upon them there. The
spirit of adventure ran strong in their veins. That same
spirit would lead them to dislike the religious rigor of
the early days
As late as 1804 Cleveland was known as a commu
nity of loose morals and conduct. "Few had heard a
sermon or a hymn for eighteen months." Newburg,
then as important a place as Cleveland, did not have a
church building until 1841. Cleveland, though settled
in 1796, did not have a church building until 1829. Re
ports from other parts of the Western Reserve indi
cate that the same laxity in religious matters prevailed.
This was true in spite of the splendid ordinance
passed by Congress after the rights of New York,
Massachusetts and Connecticut had been surrendered
over this western land. In that year, 1787, Congress
passed a famous ordinance for the protection of this
new territory, an ordinance which is recognized today
as a masterpiece of statesmanship. It vindicated the
principles of the thirteen colonies and provided that
95

A M H E R S T'S STORY
neither slavery nor involuntary servitude should exist
in the territory. It contained also the folowing : "Re
ligion, morality, and knowledge being necessary for
good government and the happiness of mankind,
schools and the means for education shall forever be
encouraged." Later ordinances and the later constitutions stood
for morality, religion, and education. But the early
settlers were slow to make religion a big thing in the
community life.
The people of Amherst were not much better than
their neighbors in establishing religion in the commu
nity. It was not until possibly 1833 that the first
church building was erected. There were religious
services, of course, but no definite expression of re
ligion was found in an organization with a building.
Mormonism found easy access to the early life of
the town. In 1830 some disciples located here and
worked among the people. Some forty or more joined
the sect. One of the preachers was a man named
Fuller. Rigdon, one of the arch-apostles, labored here
with Fuller. A few of the followers went west with
the movement, but most of them became lukewarm in
the faith and later left it all together.
The following report of the history of the Metho
dist Episcopal church was prepared by a committee
consisting of Messrs. A. K. Jenne, F. E. Kaser and E.
C. Schuler. "About the year 1835 Captain George S. Sholes
met with an accident while horseback riding; his horse
became frightened and ran away, throwing him off ; his
foot was caught in the stirrup and he was dragged on
the ground. While in this predicament he registered
96

^4f^

.V,.'* A ii

ST. PETER'S CHURCH

AMHERST'S STORY
an oath in a prayerful maner that should God spare his
life he would build a church. As a matter of fact Cap
tain Sholes had been non-religibus and rather rough in
his manner of life and speech. Our Heavenly Father
evidently heard this vow, as Captain Sholes was imme
diately relieved from his serious predicament, and in
1836 he proceeded in the formation of a Methodist so
ciety in our village, then called 'the Four Corners,'
and the erection of a Methodist church on the land
upon which the present Redington block now stands at
the corner of Church and Elyria Streets. The favor
Captain Sholes received at God's hand made a very
deep impression upon him, as he became very religious
and temperate in his habits, which was considered very
sacrificial in those days on account of the intemperate
sentiment, which was very strong. Thus, when the
church building was ready for raising he found it diflfi-
cult to get help enough without a demijohn of liquor
on the job, but was finally successful. One night dur
ing this work. Captain Sholes' temperate sentiment
having spread in the community, an empty jug was
hung on the highest point of the church building. When
Captain Sholes came next morning he saw it at once
and quickly discerned the intent and moral back of the
act. He hastily and- quietly picked up a small stone,
threw it and squarely hit the jug, breaking it into many
pieces, to his great delight, as he had not considered
himself an expert in throwing and hitting a mark here
tofore. "Worship was carried on in this frame building by
the society until about 1874, when the same was consid
ered too small and not properly located on the plot, and
therefore was sold to the Lutheran Society and moved
97

A M H E R S T'S STORY
to their site on the corner of what are now West and
School streets. Here it was burned while being remod
eled, and before services were held in it by the Luth
eran Society.
"About 1875 the Methodist Society completed their
new and second church building on the original site but
facing Elyria street, where they worshipped until 1900,
when fire which originated in the Plato Building across
the street burned the church, destroying it completely.
The society clung together and worshipped in various
places about town, such as the Adams block, now the
German Bank Building, and the Spring Street Public
School House, now the Episcopal Church. The society
immediately proceeded to procure another site on ac
count of the old site's being too public for quiet relig
ious worship. The society purchased the Seeley prop
erty on the corner of Elyria and Spring streets, w*here
the present beautiful edifice was erected in 1902. The
old site was immediately sold to Horace G. Redington.
"The first church trustees to whom Captain Sholes
gave the church and property in trust for the society
were: Isaac Smith, Abner Murray, Charles Phinney,
Abraham Rice and Peter Rice. All these have passed
into that Beautiful Land long ago.
"The present society consists of about one hundred
members and is prosperous in every department and
stands strongly for the moral and spiritual uplifting of
the community." Rev. Mr. Smith is the present pastor
of the Methodist Episcopal Churdi.
South Amiherst, as it is commonly known today, is
the older part of the town. Many of the earliest set
tlers located on the south ridge road. Hence, some of
the earliest churches sprang up in that part of town.
98

A M H E R S T'S STORY
The following account of the churches at South Am
herst comes from the pen of Mrs. H. W. Powers.
"The old town of Amherst was settled by hardy
pioneers from Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachu
setts, Connecticut and New York locating their homes
on the old stage route running from Buffalo, New
York, on to the westward, and on farms within a three-
mile radius. A postoffice and the tavern as a stage post
were necessary adjuncts, and schools and churches
were soon established as an outcome of the spirit of the
people. The Congregational Society was organized
December 2, 1834, and for a period of a few years
meetings were held in the village school house. At an
annual meeting, probably three or four years after the
organization of the Society, it was voted to erect a
house for divine worship, and a committee was ap
pointed to secure a lease of land from Alexander H.
Redington. This was done, and years later the lease
was secured by a warranty deed. In the winter of
1838-39 the First Congregational Church of Amherst
was erected. It was originally built with front raised
in orchestra effect, facing the main auditorium. But
in 1879 in considering plans for enlarging the seating
capacity, it was voted to 'remove the orchestra and
make room for more slips.' The pews were fitted with
doors, as was the custom in 'ye olden time,' and though
the doors have long been removed, subsequent coats of
paint have not removed the marks of hinges from the
seats which are still in use. So far as available records
show the church has had no resident pastor, but the
pulpit has been supplied by ministers from adjoining
towns or under the management of Oberlin Theological
Seminary. Among those who came as supply from the
99

AMHERST'S STORY
O, T. S'. were men who have risen to high places in the
ranks of the ministry. And when under the Oberlin
management a seminary student was not available their
responsibility has extended to the sending of Oberlin's
best. In looking over the records we find the names of
such men as Prof. Henry Fairchild, Dr. Betts, Prof.
Henry Cowles, Prof. John Morgan, Father Eells and
other Oberlin lights. And in more recent times Rev.
John Faris Berry, for many years associated with
O. T. S., was pastor of the Amherst church for a con
siderable time. Dean Bosworth, Prof. Fiske and Prof.
Hultchins have come to the little church at Amherst in
the capacity of a supply. Rev. Philip Harding, for a
number of years pastor of the Second Congregational
Church of Amherst, also had charge of the church dur
ing the last two years of his residence in the town,
holding services in the afternoon. In the spring of
1912 the church was transferred from the Cleveland
to the Medina Association.
'•Of parallel interest is the history of the M. E.
church of the village, which was erected in 1842, on an
eminence overlooking Beaver Creek, the land having
been purchased from Benjamin Redfern. This and
the church at the village or 'Corners' have always
been under the same pastorate. With few changes ex
cept by way of repairs the church has remained as
originally built till in the early years of the present cen
tury. The pastor at that time. Rev. Smith Kirk, per
sonally superintended the work of renovating and re
arranging the pews. But the building was small and
inadequate and early in the year 19 14, under the lead
ership of the pastor, Rev. E. A. Robb, the task of re
modeling and enlarging the church was undertaken.
100

A M H E R S T'S STORY
The pastor toiled with the 'builders, and in July of the
same year the building was completed and dedicated
with great rejoicings. As it now stands it is a model
country church with a cheerful and well furnished
auditorium and a basement equipped with modern con
veniences. "With the development of the quarries the growth
of the town was noticeably influenced by a wave of
Swiss immigration. And in time as these people be
came established citizens, they too felt the need of a
church home. To satisfy their desire and the longing
of numbers of German families to attend services con
ducted in their own language, St. John's E-vrangelical
Church was erected in the year 1901 in the southwest
ern part of the village. The land on which it was built
was donated for that purpose by Mr. George Ludwig.
As with the other two churches, the pulpit of St. John's
has been supplied by out of town ministers. Thus far
the work has been carried on in association with the St.
Peter's Evangelical Church of Amherst, in the corpor
ation. Rev. Mr. Lindenmeyer, beloved by all his par
ishioners, was the active worker who brought this
church into existence. He served the people very faith
fully while pastor in Amherst. Now Rev. Mr. Egli
succeeds him, carrying the work on with success.
"The three churches of the town, as existing today,
are each characterized by some individuality. St.
John's is essentially a German Church. The strength
of the Methodist Church is largely due to the active
support of the English people, who comprise a sub
stantial part of the community, and who in coming, to
this country have naturally drifted into that church as
their church at home. And the Congregational Church
101

A M H E R S T'S STORY
represents the remnant and survival of the old condi
tions and although not a flourishing church, it is main
tained by a faithful few. With the development of the
quarries what was once a pastbral community has been
changed into an industrial one. The influx of popula
tion in recent years has been of all nationalities and al
most entirely of the Catholic faith, so that the estab
lished churdies have not realized any prosperity by the
increased population of the town. Under the existing
conditions, to the credit of the town and the people in
the established churches, be it said that although with
out one resident pastor, three Protestant churches are
maintained, in which regular services are held."
No accurate history of the Congregational Church
at the center is obtainable. Some of the supposed facts
relating to the founding of the church are here set
down. The church came into being soon after the Metho
dists had organized. The latter gave the use of their
building for some time to the new organization which
had been brought into existence through the efforts of
Rev. Mr. Brown of Brownhelm, Dr. Betts, Father
Eells, and Rev. Mr. Goodell of Birmingham. The
original members were John Chapin, Mrs. Chapin, Mr.
and Mrs. A. F. Moffatt, Mr. and Mrs. Freeman Nye,
Nathan King, Miss Bassett, Almond Chapin, Homer
Tyrell and wife, a Mr. Smith, Calvin Harris and wife,
and Miss Harriet Chapin.
The church split at one time on the rock of aboli
tionism and formed two organizations. One part drew
off to the South Ridge and there erected a church of
their own. The other part remained in Amherst and
subsequently built their church. 102

AMHERST'S STORY
The church at the village was built in 1840, after
many a hard struggle. The lot was the gift of Josiah
Harris, who had given so much for public enterprise in
the village. There were two factions within the chtirch.
One wished to be independent and the other wished to
be united with the Congregational Association. The
former were successful but the Church finally went
over into the Congregational denomination after a few
years of independent existence. For a number of years
the church was supplied by professors from Oberlin
College and Seminary. Then came some strong pas
tors who built up the church in splendid shape. Rev.
Mr. Haskel deserves special mention for the service he
rendered the church in the seventies. He will be re
membered by many who enjoyed his ministry.
As one went into the church in the older days one
saw the typical church of the time, box pews with
doors, high pulpit with a flight of stairs leading up to
it and a fine black walnut rail for a support. The choir
gallery and organ loft were back of the pulpit. At one
time, we are told, the minister used to stand in the mid
dle of the church and then keep turning around as he
spoke. There was no pulpit. He stood where all could
see him and where he could be at an equal distance
from all.
In thexry for modern things the old furnishings
of the church have been taken out. There are many
who would give a great deal to be able to replace the
old pews and the pulpit just as they were. But that
day has past. We of the younger generation have
failed to appreciate the really beautiful, quiet dignity
of the plain old churches of our forefathers.
The old churdh still stands. Many changes have
103

A M H E R S T'S S T 0 R Y
been made to it, however. A basement has been put
under the church. New pews have been installed. The
old organ is gone. The old gallery is shut off.
The method of church work has changed, too.
Now the church is recognizing that God gave men
bodies as well as souls and that the body demands as
good care as possible because it is the temple of the
soul. Hence the church has built a splendid gymnasium
on the lot which used to be occupied by the horse
sheds. Here classes are held for all ages, both boys
and girls, and men and women. The rules for mem
bership are entirely unsectarian. Catholic and Protes
tant alike enjoy the privileges of the gymnasium on an
equal basis.
The Congregational Church has enjoyed a rapid
growth in the past year or so due largely to the in
crease in population in the town, which has brought
many good Scotch Presbyterians into the church. The
membership has doubled in the past two years, being
now about a hundred and twenty-five. The Sunday
School has a membership of about a hundred and forty
or fifty. Tholigh the expenses of the church have increased
very rapidly in the past year or so, yet the church has
prospered and met its obligations promptly. The
church is trying to serve, not itself, but the community,
in its work, and so it is aiming more and more to de^
velop an every-day-in-the-week work. It has an Em
ployment Bureau which is serving the people well,
many having been helped to secure work and many
having been directed to where they could find help.
This work is free of any charges. The music of the
104

A M H E R S T'S STORY
church finds excellent expression under the leadership
of the chorister, Bradley G. Bissell, of Oberlin.
Among the pastors of the past have been many
able men. Rev. Mr. Hitchcock, father of Hon. Frank
Hitchcock, was pastor here for some time. The found
er of the Anti-Saloon League, Rev. Mr. Russell, was
ordained in this church. Rev. Mr. Haskell served the
church in an interim in his valuable service on the mis
sion fields of Bulgaria and Turkey. Rev. Philip Hard
ing held the position of pastor for many years. All
the famous old-time professors of the earlier days of
Oberlin have spoken from the pulpit of this Congrega
tional Church. President Fairchild numbered many
friends here.
The leaders of the choir have been men of note as
well. Oberlin has contributed her quota of musical
men to serve the church. But in addition to these
there have been the leaders from Amherst's own sons
and daughters. Many will remember the directing of
Mr. Wolcott and of Mr. Horn. Many will have men
tal pictures of the old choir with the singers of the
past. The present pastor of this church is Robert G.
Armstrong, an Oberlin graduate in college and semi
nary. An old-time church which many will remember
and which still stands, though converted into a dwell
ing, is tile Baptist Church. The Baptists have, prob
ably, the distinction of being the first to hold religious
services in Amherst. In 1819 the Baptist's had an or
ganization at the "Corners," small because of the scar
city of people, but nevertheless an organization. Hiram
Messenger, Thompson Blair, and Elisha Foster, with
105

A M H E R S T'S STORY
their wives and perhaps some others, were the first
members. But a church in the open wilderness had a
hard fight and this one finally lost its identity and
ceased to exist.
(Some of this church resurrected an organization
in South Amherst a few years later. Its first preacher
was Rev. Julius Bement of LaGrange. He kept a good
horse, rode over on Saturday and returned on Monday.
But mud was just as bad then as it is now in certain
seasons. Then Mr. Bement went afoot. Once he had
to make a raft for himself and thus cross Black River
in order to keep his appointment. Preachers in those
days were not barred from their duties by hardships.
They faced the hardships. This church, too, did not
stand the tests of the new land and soon died, its mem
bers being for the most part taken into the church at
North Amherst which was organized later.
In 1853 the North Amherst Baptist Church had
its birth. Luther Owen and his wife moved here from
A'von in that spring. They solicited Rev. G. W. Allen
to come over and preach occasionally in this village.
Application was made for the use of the Methodist
Episcopal Church, which was cheerfully granted to the
company. Shortly after a series of meetings was held
from which resulted the church organization. On Feb
ruary 8, 1854, those who had been members in other
Baptist churches and held their letters, met and organ
ized. The first members were Rev. G. W. Allen, Lewis
R. Cook, Luther Owen, Benjamin Redfern, Luther
Bonner, A. F. Wattles, Reuben Allen, Phebe A. Bon
ner, Emeline Cook, Ruth Crocker, Elizabeth A. Blan-
chett, Eliza Bonner, Mary Wilford, Lucy A. Barney,
Nancy Owen, Hannah O. Allen and Pearly Allen. The
106

AMHERST'S STORY
building was shortly after raised after much sacrifice
and hard work on the part of the good people of the
church. The church prospered for some years but
finally, because of removals, the membership fell off so
that it was no longer possible to support the church
and it was disbanded. Some will remember the old
steeple as it appears in one of the pictures in this
volume. St. Paul's Lutheran Church stands at the corner
of West and School streets. It was established in the
corporation in 1874. Rev. Louis Dammann was the
first pastbr. The present pastor is Rev. Mr. Jordan,
an active, energetic man, who combines with his pas
toral work that of teaching in the parochial school
maintained by the church. The church has recently
been improved. Further records of this church have
not been available.
The St. Joseph's Roman Catholic Church was
originated in 1868. For three years previous to this
time Rev. L. Molon of Elyria had come over and con
ducted services in a room belonging to John Plato in
the old Reuben Wolcott building. There were about
six families who attended. The numbers having con
siderably increased by 1868, it was decided to have a
more suitable place of worship, so a lot was bought on
Tenney Street from Joseph Trost. On this lot a church
was built which was consecrated in August of that
year. In a short time the congregation had outgrown
the building and an addition was built in 1873. In 1872
and until 1875 Rev. R. Rouchy was in charge of the
parish. Father Joseph Roemer succeeded him. The
present priest is Rev. Mr. Espen. The Catholic Church
in Amherst is in a flourishing condition. In addition
107

A M H E R S T'S STORY
to a well kept and attractive church there is a fine rec
tory. Several organizations give opportunities to the
members of this parish to work in the interests of the
church. The following account comes from the pen of Rev.
Mr. Zeigler, pastor of the "Stone Church."
"The Salem Church of the Evangelical Associ
ation, familiarly known as 'The Stone Church,' had
its inception in a class that was organized in 1836.
Early in the thirties of the present century quite a
number of German immigrants began to settle in the
present boundaries of Lorain County. They had re
ceived an excellent religious training in the Mother
Country; but when they began to settle in the dense
forests of the 'Western Reserve' they became as
sheep without a shepherd.
"About the same time that these immigrants began
to hew out homes for themselves and their posterity,
the scouts of the Evangelical Association, those men of
fearless endeavor, undaunted courage and tireless en
ergy, at that time called "Circuit Riders," began to
cross the Allegheny Mountains and resolutely to set
their faces toward the then western wilds of Ohio, In
diana and Illinois.
"One of the first pioneer missionaries to push
through the forests and to look up these pioneer set
tlers was Jacob Lutz. He would visit the scattered set
tlers during the day and in the evening they would
gather in one of the larger log houses, or log churches,
one of which stood on the Lake Road west of Oak
Point, for religious services. The next day he would
push on to another settlement, but would make ar
rangements to return in three or four weeks, aocord-
108

A M H E R S T'S STORY
ing to the size of his circuit. In the following years
J. J. Kopp and J. Lawprecht supplemented the labors
of Jacob Lutz.
"In 1836 Jacob Lutz organized the first society and
called it Lake Class. The meetings were held about
two miles north of North Amherst. In 1848 the first
church, known as Salem Church, was erected. Mr.
Adam Holl, who owned what is now known as the
Hageman farm, about two miles north from Amherst,
donated the necessary land, to erect the building on
and George Dute, John Vetter, Adam Baumhart, Ja
cob and George Keller and others gave the timbers of
the proposed church. The congregation prospered so
that in 1861 it was thought best to purchase or erect a
parsonage in North Amherst, and as soon as deemed
advisable to build also a church. A few years later a
parsonage was purchased which stood on the lot which
the present parsonage of this church occupies. In
1866 a large and commodious church in Brownhelm
Township, near the Vermilion River, was offered for
sale because the congregation had disbanded. This
building was purchased, taken down and then rebuilt
in North Amherst on a lot southeast of the present
Stone Church. Our fellow townsman, Mr. George
Aschenbach, had charge of reerecting the building. The
old church north of town was sold to George Dute. In
1 88 1 the present stone edifice was erected and in 1895
a new and commodious parsonage was built.
"The old Salem congregation was not only the
mother of the present Lorain, South Ridge, Brown
helm and Huron Congregations ; but it also awakened
a camp meeting spirit that is as fervid today as it was
.over fifty years ago, when the first meeting was held.
109

A M H E R S T'S STORY
This first meeting was held in 1859 on the farm of
Adam Hasenpflug in Brownhelm Township. Then for
three successive years the meetings were held in the
month of August on the farm of John Berg in Black
River Township; from 1863 to 1873 they were held on
the George Dute farm north of Amherst; from 1874
tb 1884 on the farm of George Hoehle, two miles west
of Huron, and since 1884 on the grounds of the Camp
Meeting Association in Linwood Park.
"Since 1854 the Amherst congregation and affiliat
ed churches have been supervised by the following
presiding elders : J. C. Zinser, four years ; George
Hoehle, six years; G. F. Sprang, three years; John
Stall, five years; C. M. Reinhold, five years; W. W.
Orwig, four years ; J. G. Theuer, four years ; C. F.
Hegele, four years; J. D. Seip, eight years; W. Linzel-
bach, four years ; C. F. Schoepflin, four years ; J. J.
Lang, four years ; A. Kaechell, two years ; E. Koehue,
four years, and the present incumbent, W. L. Seith,
one year. "The following have served as settled pastors:
1854-55, J. G. Theuer and M. Hoehn; 1856, G.
Behner; 1857, C. Tramer and F. French; 1858, A.
Yambert and A. Dieke; 1859, L. Sheueman and R.
Sfatz; i860, G. Behner; 1861, John Schafer and L.
Seitker; 1862, John Walz and G. Hasenpflug; 1863,
John Walz; 1864-65, F. French and J. K. Pontius;
1866, P. Hehn and C. Ehrhardt; 1867, C. Ehrhardt and
F. Zeller; 1868, J. J. Kopp and A. Woehr; 1869, A.
Woehr and G. Henney ; 1870, J. K. Pontius and J. D.
Seip; 1871-72, J. K. Pontius and G. Behner; 1873-74,
John Honecker and Theo. Suhr; 1875, J^^hn Honecker
and V. Braun ; 1876, C. L. Witt and V, Braun ; 1877,
110

AMHERST'S STORY
C. L. Witt and G. Martin; 1878-79, Jacob Honecker
and C. A. Walz ; 1880, Jacob Honecker and L. Pfeif-
fer; 1881, V. Braun and J. G. Zeigler; 1882, V. Braun
and P. Fowl; 1883, V. Braun and E. Koehue; 1884,
G. Heinrich and E. Koehue ; 1885, G. Heinrich and H.
Fuessner ; 1886, C. A. Mewk and J. E. Moeller ; 1887,
C. A. Mewk and C. A. Walz; 1888, C. A. Walz and
Jacob Wahe; 1889, C. A. Walz and A. Woerner; 1890,
C. F. Braun and S. E. Goetz; 1891, C. F. Braun and
W. L. Seith; 1892, Jacob Honecker and W. L. Seith;
1893, Jacob Honecker and A. Peter ; 1894, Jacob Hon
ecker and M. Kossin ; 1895-96, G. Gaehr and John
Hoffman; 1897, G. Gaehr and A. Peter; 1898-99, F.
Willman and A. Peter; 1900, Jacob Wahl and C. Par-
man; 1901-02, J. Wahl and A. G. Dornheim; 1903-4,
W. L. Seith and J. G. Knippel; 1905, W. L. Seith and
A. Woerner; 1906, H. Fuessner and A. Woerner;
1907, H. Fuessner and W. H. Herkner ; 1908-1910, H.
Fuessner; 191 1 — , J. G. Zeigler.
"Adam Holl, John Holzhauer, George Dute, John
Vogler, Adam Hollstein, John Kraushan, Catherine
Ray and their families and others were charter mem
bers of the Amherst congregation; Adam Holl and
John Holzhauer were the first class leaders. Philip
Ran and George Hasenpflug the first exhorters and
George Dute and Adam Hollstein the first Sunday
School Superintendents. The activities of the church
at present are conducted by the following organization :
Prayer meeting, George Hollstein, Qass Leader ; Sun
day School, George Hollstein, Superintendent; Young
People's Alliance, A. Dute, President ; Ladies' Aid So
ciety, and Woman's Missionary Society, Mrs. George
Hollstein, President. Henry Bechtel, W. Schibley,
111

A M H E R S T'S STORY
Henry Ludwig and Anton Dute constitute the official
Board of Trustees, and H. Bechtel, Martin Springer,
Earl Lipphart, A. Dute, G. Garthe and Mrs. Newton
Holzhauer constitute the Board of Stewards. J. G.
Zeigler is the present pastor. The membership is one
hundred and fifty."
Mr. Zeigler also presents these two reminiscences
which he heard while collecting the material for the
history of his church.
"One day George Dute, still a young man and un
derstanding very little of the English language, was
going north on the present Levitt road when he came
to a school house where a Methodist minister was
preaching in the English language. The subject of his
discourse was 'Man's Duty to God.' Mr. Dute tar
ried at the service and was surprised to hear the min
ister call him by name, for every time he referred to
man's duty to God, he supposed the preacher made ref
erence to him."
"One of the saddest occurrences that ever took
place in Lorain County happened on the 26th day of
July, 1863. At that time Mr. Jacob Harwig lived in a
house about a quarter of a mile west of Oak Point. On
that memorable day the family, consisting of Mr. and
Mrs. Harwig and their five children started for church
services at North Amherst in a spring wagon. When
they were crossing the bridge over Beaver Creek about
a half mile east of Oak Point the horses became un
manageable and backed off the bridge into the rushing
torrents below. Not a single member of the family
was rescued to tell how the sad accident occurred."
One diurch on the South Ridge which was not
mentioned in connedtion with the other churches of
112

A M H E R S T'S STORY
the South Ridge comes in more fittingly here. It is the
South Ridge Evangelical Association church. It is lo
cate in the southeast corner of Amherst Township on
the South Ridge Telegraph road in the Fowl Settle
ment. This church was formerly a part of the old
Lake Circuit including Amherst, Lorain, Brownhelm
and South Ridge. The work was begun about i860 in
the German language and for a time flourished. This
class also had a flourishing Sunday School. But the
old Germans passed away and there was no further
prospect in the said language. In 1907 the work was
changed to the English language and in April of that
year the congregation made petition to the Erie Con
ference assembled at Cleveland that they be taken from
the Lake Circuit and be made an independent mission.
The conference granted this in part. Mr. Wm. H.
Hertner acted then as pastor under the supervision of
Rev. H. Fuessner, then pastor at Amherst. In April,
1908, the congregation again sent a request to the Erie
Conference assembled at Erie, Pa., to be made inde
pendent of the Lake Circuit. Their wish was granted
and they were made a station and then became a self-
supporting congregation. This congregation has a
neat church building, a modern parsonage and barn,
all valued at something over seven thousand dollars.
They support their pastor. The membership at pres
ent is slightly over one hundred. They have a flourish
ing front-line Sunday School with an enrollment of
one hundred and six. The congregation and Sunday
School contributed $264.66 for missionary activities
last year. The average amount for all expenses con
tributed last yeair was $16.59 P^"" niember. The serv
ices of this church are well attended. As can be seen
113

A M H E R S T'S STORY
from the financial reports of the church, this church
is one of the most active in the township. Rev. A.
Peter is the aggressive pastor of this church.
Rev. Mr. A. Egli furnishes the following account
of St. Peter's Evangelical Church.
"During the summer of 1856 a number of German
residents of North Amherst and vicinity met in the
present house of worship of , the Congregational
Church for the purpose of organizing a German Evan
gelical congregation. After an organization had been
effected at this meeting, it was decided to purchase the
lot upon which the present edifice stands and thereon
erect a church. While this was in progress and for
some time before the members had organized, meetings
were held either at the home of Mr. Christian Brandau
or in a hall, which was located on the second floor of
the house now owned by Mr. Wm. Braun, of which
the first floor then served as a store-room. Later on
the congregation assembled either in the Congregation
al or the M. E. Church, where the services were con
duced by the Revs. AUert and Steinert of Cleveland.
"On the 13th day of October, 1857, the church was
ready for occupation and on that day was dedicated by
Rev. Dr. Fischer of Sandusky. Immediately after the
dedication the congregation received as ifs first pastor
the Rev. Mr. Laffler, who after a pastorate of about
two years was succeeded by Rev. Kammerer. During
his service of about six years the present bell was pur
chased. He was succeeded in turn by the Revs.
Brasch, Werner, Hoese, Zwicker and Koestlin, each of
whom served in the capacity of pastor of the congre
gation about two years. In 1875, during the pastorate
of Rev. Koestlin, eighteen years after the church had
114

A M H E R S T'S STORY
been erected, it was found necessary to enlarge it,
which was done at an expense of $1,600.00. In 1877
Rev. J. Vontobel received and accepted a call, and
through his influence the congregation, which had thus
far been independent of any denominational body, be
came a member of the 'German Evangelical Synod of
North America.' That this connection has proven
beneficial to the congregation is generally admitted. In
1883 Rev. W. A. Walter became pastor of the church.
Through his efforts it was decided to build a new
church, but as he accepted a call to Zanesville, O., in
that year, his plans were carried out under his succes
sor, Rev. F. M. Haefele. The church was dedicated
on the 22nd of May, 1892, the cost of the building be
ing about $1,200.00. In June, 1897, Rev. Haefele re
moved to Cleveland, O., when Rev. S. Lindenmeyer
was chosen as his successor. Under his successful ad
ministration of sixteen years the growth of the church
was rapid; it steadily grew in membership from fifty
to over two hundred families. Besides this, many im
provements to the property were made, the present
beautiful parsonage was built and the interior of the
church remodeled at an expense of nearly $10,000.00.
"In June, 1913, Rev. Lindenmeyer accepted a call
to Portsmouth, O. Since July 6, 1913, Rev. A. Egli
has been pastor of this church. In the summer of
19 14 the congregation remodeled the basement of the
church and converted it into a modern Sunday School
with all necessary conveniences for devotional serv
ices and social functions.
"The church today has a membership of 228 fami
lies, a Sunday School of 300 enrollment, a Ladies' Aid
Society of 108, and a Young Peoples' Society of 68
115

A M H E R S T'S STORY
members. The congregation is in a flourishing condi
tion and owns one of the best church properties in
town." An Episcopal Mission has been started in very
recent years under the care of Rev. Mr. Riblet of
Oberlin. This congregation has purchased and remod
eled the Spring Street school house for a church build
ing and there services are held regularly. A Sunday
School is also maintained by the church. Though the
youngest of the religious organizations of the town,
yet it is fulfilling its mission well and promises an
ever increasing usefulness to the community life.
This brief account of the story of the churches is
not complete in any way, since the early settlers
thought that records were a useless thing. At
all events none can be obtained for many of the
churches. But such as have been secured are here used
with the hope that in the future better records may be
kept, that when Amherst's Story is continued in some
future generation the material will be available to make
it complete in every detail.

ne

VII.
STORY OF THE
SCHOOLS.

A M H E R S T'S STORY
CHAPTER VII
STORY OF THE SCHOOLS
The history of the Amherst schools is similar to
that of other communities in the Western Reserve.
There were no state requirements for public schools
in the early days. It is true that in the early ordinance
of 1788 a certain income for the schools was provided
for through school lands. Provisions were also made
for the incorporation of schools or school districts. But
no laws making education compulsory were passed.
Acts were passed regulating the schools and the meth
ods of raising the funds for the schools. But nothing
was mandatory. The laws were simply permissive. It
authorized the doing of a few things for education but
commanded the doing of nothing. It authorized tax
ation for the building of school houses and to pay the
tuition of poor children, but did not make provision
for the furniture or fuel.
In 1825 a step in advance was taken. The Gen
eral Assembly passed laws then that were commands,
not mere pennissions. The people evidently had not
lived up to their privileges, and so the state forced
them to do so by "Thou shalt." The first provision of
the new law provided for the raising of funds by tax
ation. Boards of County Examiners were provided
for and only certified teachers could be employed.
In 1853 the biggest step was taken when the state
definitely entered upon a policy for the maintenance of
good schools throughout the state. That policy has
built up the school system wonderfully and assisted the
119

A M H E R S T'S STORY
public school system in every section of the common
wealth. We have the letter of one old-timer in which he
tells of the old log school house of the very early days.
The logs were not fitted closely together. There were
large holes left. Through these plenty of ventilation
was secured. The benches wrere rude and crude
enough. School kept only in the winter time when
work was slack and the children could be spared from
the homes. Tlie teacher boarded around at the differ
ent homes, taking each in turn as part of his pay. The
children were just the same in the early days. Few of
them liked to go to school. They made the most of it
though, and had a good time coming and going, often
plowing through the deep snows, pelting each other as
they went.
It has been impossible to get a very accurate rec
ord of the growth of the schools in Amherst. Records
have never been very faithfully kept in the township
from all appearance, either in religion, education or
family interests.
School houses were built at an early date in both
the north and the south parts of the township. It is
impossible to discover which school has a prior right to
being the first in the township. A school was built
early on the south ridge. Sophronia Blair taught this
school. Another school was built just beyond the cor
poration line east from the village known as "the cor
ners" at that time. Miss Fanny Barnes, later Mrs.
David Smith, was teacher here in the summer of 1823,
and afterwards Miss Philania Barney, who became
Mrs. S. N. Moore, taught in the same log building.
A semi-church was built by Joseph Quigley for a
120

AMHERST'S STORY
Quaker by the name of Mollenoux to preach in. This
was later purchased and used for a school house until
Henry Walker converted it into a dwelling house.
Miss Murray from Carlisle taught in this school house.
Some doubt is evident whether Mr. J. A. Harris or
Mr. William H. Root was the first male teacher. Both
of them taught at a very early date in the Quigley
school. Joseph L. and David G. Whiton were also
teachers. The township schools have long ago discarded the
old buildings with their inadequate equipments and
have substantial stone buildings in their place
capable of taking care of the children of the various
districts. The township schools have always been feeders to
the Central School at Amherst. The log school houses
were soon outgrown in the thriving little community at
the "corners," and so the old town hall was used for a
school house until 1849. It was then moved to Church
Street, fitted up and again served as a school house
until 1856. In this year the number of scholars was
greater than the building could accommodate. At the
same time the village of Amherstville, as it was then
called, formed a Union School District. Josiah Har
ris, Alvah T. Johnson, Dr. A. A. Crosse, Dr. A. C.
Mbore, Daniel Axtell and M. Wilton were the direct
ors of this district. Judge Harris gave a piece of land
for the school building. The directors, after consider
able delay, made arrangements for the erection of a
brick school house. Charles Leach drew up the plans
and the contract was let to Daniel Axtell and M. Dur-
and. The building erected was two stories in height
and twenty-five by forty feet on the sides. The brick
121

AMHERST'S STORY
was made from the clay dug on the ground and baked
there. The building cost about three thousand two
hundred dollars. In 1874 it was increased in size be
cause more room was needed for the constantly in
creasing numbers who attended school. This addition
nearly doubled the capacity of the school. Plans for
the addition were drawn by L. Dickenson and the
contract was let to Philip Sipple and Adam Holl. The
addition with the improvements to the old part of the
building cost over six thousand dollars. When com
pleted it afforded accommodatibns for over five hun
dred scholars.
Among the early teachers in this building was J.
Newton Brown, who married one of the teachers in
the building, Miss Hattie A. Sparhawk. Miss Spar-
hawk taught what was called the Intermediate Depart
ment of the school. Miss Crosse taught the Primary
Department. Evidently there were only the three
teachers in the old building. These were teaching in
1866. Mr. Henry E. Brown taught for a while in the
fall of the previous year. The first floor of the build
ing was divided into two rooms, a north and a south
room. The south room was used for the Intermediate
Department and the north room for the Primary De
partment. The second floor was used for the High
School, so-called.
As soon as the building was enlarged more grades
were started with more teachers. In 1875 the superin
tendent of the schools was Mr. G. R. Thompson. Miss
Edwards was teaching the Intermediate Department.
Miss Hubbard was teacher of the Second Primary and
Mrs. Merriman taught the First Primary. At this
122

A M H E R S T'S STORY
time there was a German department in the school.
Miss Honecker taught this department.
Early accounts give incidences of unruly children
who threw stones and tin cans around and generally
caused a disturbance. Complaints were made to the
superintendent, as is always the case. Boys are always
the same in every generation.
This brick school house was burned on July 4,
1892. A stone building was erected on the same
ground. But this building also burned on the third of
March, 1907. Another stone building replaced it,
which is still doing service as the Central School.
E. E. Rayman, now of the faculty of the Lincoln
High School, Cleveland, Ohio, came to Amherst in
1884 as superintendent of schools. His main efforts
were directed towards the improvement of the schools
and the systematizing of the work throughout on mod
ern lines. The High School was the main object of his
work. He may justly be called the "Father of the Am
herst High School." He realized that the school sys
tem of Amherst broke down where it ought to be giv
ing something definite to the boy or girl. The so-
called High School of earlier days had not been doing
standard work. It was little more than a rural school.
Mr. Rayman's efforts in behalf of the High School
met with a ready response. Both pupils and citizens
saw the value of the movement for a better High
School and lent their support for it. There were many
of the pupils who wanted to push on into further stud
ies. There were some whb wished to prepare for col
lege. The first move on the part of the superintendent
was to install that ancient but never-failing means to
123

A M H E R S T'S STORY
an end. Public Rhetoricals. The end in view was to
induce the parents to visit the schools and actually see
what was being accomplished. It has always been
strange that citizens would pay large taxes for schools
and yet never go near them to see whether their money
was wisely invested. Mr. Rayman secured the desired
results. The people came in ever-increasing numbers.
He took advantage of their presence to tell them of the
hopes, the plans, the needs of the Public Schools of
Amherst. These talks produced results. The people
took an interest in the work of the schools and gradu
ally the desired plans were carried out. These rhetori
cals resulted in a dramatic society which produced
some plays or public performances in the town hall,
the proceeds being used to buy books for the school
library. A sizable library was well started when the
buildiing burned in 1892, and all the books were con
sumed. As soon as possible Superintendent Rayman ar
ranged a pamphlet giving rules, courses of study and
suggestions for the pupil from the primary grades
through the High School. The High School course in
cluded English Grammar and Composition, Higher
Arithmetic, Physiology and Hygiene, Single and
Double Entry Bookkeeping, American History, Eng
lish and American Literature, Algebra, Geometry,
Physics, Botany, Plane Trigonometry and General
History. At first Mr. Rayman was the whole of the
High School faculty. He must have been a busy man
with all those subjects to manage.
George D. Arndt has the distinction of being the
first to enter upon the new work as outlined in the
High School. But he 'became interested in his mother's
124

A M H E R S T'S STORY
profession and left school to go to the University of
Michigan to study medicine.
In May, 1887, the first class graduated from the
Amherst High School, receiving diplomas and actually
finishing the full course. The town hall could not hold
half the crowd, and, as usual, the town authorities
were scolded for not building a hall big enough. The
class consisted of three stalwart boys, Harvey R. Hart,
Edward A. Huene, and William H. Kinsey. All made
inspiring speeches to an admiring audience. Rev. C. F.
English offered prayer. Music was furnished by the
High School Quartette. The address of the evening
was made by Superintendent H. M. Parker of the
Elyria Schools. Superintendent Rayman told the
audience that the Amherst young people were the equal
of any in the land and urged that this first' commence
ment only pointed the way for many more of greater
magnitude to follow.
Of this class Mr. Huene had the honor of being
the first to enter college with full credits granted from
the Amherst High School. He studied in Oberlin for
two years and then entered the law department of the
University of Michigan, from which school he after
wards graduated. Messrs. Hart and Kinsey subse
quently took business courses.
The following year the graduating class was much
larger. The class consisted of Warren C. Bailey, Min
nie Cotton, Mamie Guilner, Lucia Harris, Katie Horn,
Nellie Kelch, Mamie Scheahan and Matie Wolcott. On
this occasion the speaker was Prof. John Fisher Peck,
of Oberlin Academy.
The Board of Education during these years, which
launched the High School so successfully, included
125

A M H E R S T'S STORY
Lorenz Horn, N. L. Cotton, Henry Plato, J. G. Baus,
Philip Sipple, E. C. Schuler, C. C. Eari and C. E.
Bailey. In 1884 the entire teaching force began the study
of the Ohio Teachers' Reading Course. The contagion
for reading spread rapidly through the town, many
outside the force of teachers taking up the study, even
to the merchants on the street. There was much of
interest and profit in the course that was offered.
Sully's Psychology was one of the books in the course.
In 1905 the High School had forty-six pupils and
the grades had 264. There were two teachers in the
High School besides the superintendent, Mr. Crandall.
The school ranked as second grade at that time. The
second year of Mr. Crandall's term the High School
was enlarged in efficiency by more teachers and new
courses were added. This caused the State Board of
Education to recognize the school as a First Grade
School. Later the State University placed the school
on their accredited list.
Mr. Crandall was superintendent for seven years,
in which time the periods of study were lengthened
from thirty to forty-five minutes, and the commercial
course was added to the High School. The laboratory,
library and the like were bought and installed in place
of that destroyed in the fire of 1907. Phonetic read
ing and Spence number work with blocks were intro
duced. A special teacher in drawing and art, another
in penmanship, and one for music were employed dur
ing Mr. Crandall's term of office.
The High School of Mr. Rayman's day and the
High School of 1914 in Amherst offer a striking con
trast. Whereas Mr. Rayman was the only teacher in
126

A M H E R S T'S STORY
the High School faculty in that day, the faculty of the
High School in this present year of 1914 consists of
the following: John R. Patterson, Ph.B., Superintendent.
Marion L. Steele, A.B., Principal and English.
Mabelle Endley, A.B., Latin, History.
Leona Marble, Special, Commercial Branches.
Stanley B. Freeman, B.S., Science and Manual
Training. Jeannette McBane, Ph.B., German and English.
William O. Smith, A.B., Mathematics and Ath
letics. Angeline Sanders, Special, Domestic Science.
J. Wilbert Sharp, Special, Music.
Miss Talbot, Special, Physical Director for the
Girls. This faculty can hardly be equaled for a school in
a town the size of Amherst. All have had college work
or its equivalent. All are thoroughly trained for their
respective branches.
"The Amherst High School offers today three
courses of study. They are: Classical, Scientific, and
Commercial. "The Classical course meets the requirements
made by the Ohio Association of Colleges, that those
seeking entrance into courses leading to the A.B. and
the Ph.B. degrees must offer four units of Latin.
"The Scientific course prepares for entrance to
any technical school or college offering courses leading
to various scientific degrees, e. g., B.S., C.E., etc.
Higher education in scientific fields prepares for the
greatest opportunities of our day. Boys should by all
127

AMHERST'S STORY
means investigate the scientific fields before choosing
a life's work.
"The Commercial course aims to prepare for use
ful work along commercial lines. Graduates of this
course are qualified to enter upon duties of stenograph
ers, bookeepers, etc. The work in the course not
strictly commercial furnishes the broad foundation
necessary for the comprehension of twentieth century
business activities and the appreciation of the culture
of the age." (Taken from the High School Pros
pectus.) The social activities of present-day life are met in
a number of clubs and organizations. There are two
literary societies, the Adelphian and the Webster. Each
pupil is supposed to belong to one of these. Then there
are a number of special clubs seeking to appeal to the
special tastes of the pupils. There is a dramatics club,
one for music, another for sports. There is a German
Club, and Camera Club, and a Forensic Club and a
Needlecraft Club. Each pupil belongs to two of these
clubs. The athletic activities of the school find expres
sion in football, basketball, cross-country running, field
events, gymnasium work, and baseball. These are all
under the direction of coaches. The girls have gym
nasium work, as well as the boys.
Amherst can say that she has an up-to-date High
School that is doing excellent work.
The superintendents, as far as theiir names have
been obtainable, have been as follows, in order of their
service in the schools : J. H. Brown, Henry Brown, S.
P. Morrel, Mr. Thompson, Mr. Mattson, Mr. Dean,
J. C. Yarick, E. E. Rayman, Mrs. Jame^ Gawn, W. E.
128

AMHERST'S STORY
Schibley, W. C. Morrison, W. E. Crandall, J. C. Bey,
and J. R. Patterson. These are tiie men who have
brought the schools up to their present stage of perfec
tion. Back of them have been numerous teachers and
numerous boards of education. All have worked well
to establish the Amherst schools on a firm and sure
basis. The High School has, in its years of existence,
graduated a long roll of students. These have been
organized into an Alunrni Association, which has
grown large and vigorous. The first meeting of this
Association was held in 1887 at the home of Mr. E. E.
Raymond on Shupe Hill, then known as Mount Pleas
ant. The following year the meeting was held at the
residence of Milo Harris. The usual good times and
lofty aspirations were enjoyed on these occasions, for
they marked the origin of the large, progressive and
enthusiastic meetings which now assemble each year
at the close of school. The numbers attending now
run well over a hundred and fifty.
The interest of former students, as well as of par
ents and citizens of a community, is needed to perfect
a school system. The Amherst schools, both of the
town and of the township, already rank high. But
there is much ahead to be done, and the interest of all
is solicited for that work. Let the love of the early
school days prompt that interest. Let that love prompt
also gifts of scholarships, pictures, statues or other or
naments to the schools. Thus strengthened by ties
linking the schools to the past, they will continue on
their way of progress with a stronger purpose than
ever.

129

VIII.
AMHERST AND WAR
TIMES.

AMHERST'S STORY

CHAPTER VIII
AMHERST AND WIAR TIMES
The failure of the old settlers to keep accurate
records makes it impossible to give a complete account
of any of the history of Amherst, especially of the his
tory of those who served the country in times of need.
That Amherst was not behind in furnishing men for
the army of the United States when the call came from
the President is sure. But diligent search has failed
to recover the lost records of those who went forth to
fight their nation's battles.
Many of the very early settlers served in the wars
against the Indians in the new west, and also in the
war against England in 1812. These men fought for
the nation 'before they came to Amherst and only stray
remarks make it possible to discover that some did
serve. Captain Sholes was only one of the early fight
ers who did valiant service for the nation.
In the Mexican war R. I. Wolcott represented
Amherst's wish to protect the interests of the United
States. There may have been others from this com
munity who went to the front then, but it has been im
possible to unearth their names.
At the time of the great war in 1861 Amherst was
not behind in answering the call of President Lincoln.
It is earnestly to be desired that some day a complete
roll of the men who served from Amherst may be
found. At present it seems impossible to locate such
a roll. One has been in existence, but was loaned, and
the party to whom it was loaned never returned it.
The party is unknown at the present day. However,
131

A M H E R S T'S STORY
from papers and from various sources we can indi
cate some of those who served from Amherst. Many
G. A. R. men who are in Amherst at the present day
did not enlist from here. Many enlisted elsewhere.
There were Mr. Stiwald, Mr. Blovelt, Mr. Hanchet
and others who enlisted in other places.
Some of those who enlisted in the service of the
country did not see actual service on the battle fields of
the south, but were forced to serve as guards at the
federal prison up on the islands of Lake Erie. We can
well imagine that these men chaffed against their lot in
not being permitted to see actual service and to meet
the enemy face to face.
Of those who saw actual service and who died
either in battle or as a result of that service we have a
partial record taken from the Amherst Free Press of
1878. The first soldier brought home who went away
from Amherst to fight for the Union was Henry Cran
dall. He belonged to the 23rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry.
He died in a hospital in Virginia.
George Paff was a mere boy when he enlisted in
the 128th Ohio Volunteer Militia. He was assigned
to Johnson's Island to guard the prisoners. He did
his duty there, harder perhaps than it would have been
in the excitement of battle.
Henry Osborn enlisted in the iiith Regiment of
Pennsylvania, but was taken sick after he had been
out a few months. He was discharged from the serv
ice. Later he re-enlissted in the 128th Ohio Volunteer
Militia and served his time out in service.
Jackson Hoffner enlisted in the 71st Regiment,
O. V. I., and went south. But he died of disease con-
132

A M H E R S T'S STORY
traded while on duty with his regiment near Nashville,
Tennessee. Anthony Ernst was killed at Gettysburg, after
passing through seventeen battles with safety.
Another to lose his life at Gettysburg was Park
Bonnet, member of the 8th O. V. I.
Augustus Neidham was a member of the 41st O.
V. I., Company F. He did good service in the war,
came through safely, but died shortly after he had re
turned home.
William Wetzel belonged to the same regiment
and company as Augustus Neidham. He was severely
wounded in the battle of Shiloh and was sent to Mound
City, where he died. At his own request his body was
sent back home to North Amherst for interment.
John Wait was another in this same Company F.
He contracted lung disease, and so was given leave of
absence. He came home to South Amherst and there
died from the effects of the disease.
Abraham Rice, of the same company, was killed
in battle at Shiloh. He was making a charge with the
rest of the regiment when he was struck down.
Orlando Killmer also belonged to Company F. He
too met disaster at Shiloh. Wounded in the breast, he
was taken to Cincinnati, where he died. His body was
buried there.
Matthias Hagemann, also of Company F, was
wounded at the battle of Shiloh. But he died of
typhoid fever in the city of St. Louis.
Deforest Rood died of a disease contracted in
camp at or near New York.
Eri Bemis belonged to Edgarton's Battery. He
died at Nashville, Tennessee. 133

A M H E R S T'S STORY
Luther Bemis was another member of Company
F. He died at Danville, Kentucky.
Alorado Smith died in the hospital at Franklin,
Tennessee. Frederick Broker belonged to Company F and
survived the tremendous battles that the regiment went
through. But he died soon after returning home.
Theodore Tenney, member of the 2nd Regimen't,
O. V. I., was killed on the day that Lee surrendered to
Grant. He was buried on the field of battle, but later
his body was placed in the National Cemetery at
Gettysburg. Dewitt Swartwood was a member of Company F
of the 124th O. V. I. How or when he died is not
known. Flag Miller was in the same company as Dewitt
Swartwood. He contracted disease at Franklin, Ten
nessee, and was buried there in July, 1863.
O. Story was another of the soldiers of the Civil
war who is remembered here. He survives to the pres
ent day. Mr. Jacobs also was another who enlisted and
who still survives.
Many tried tb enlist in those days but were unsuc
cessful for one reason or another. The spirit was there,
all right. Patriotism prompted the wish to serve, but
physical handicaps prevented.
As much credit should be given the men who
served and came home unharmed as those who died in
battle. All went to war to encounter the same dangers.
Some were spared, others taken. But both had to have
the same courage in the face of danger. All were
willing to sacrifice their lives for their country's need.
'Amherst can be proud of her boys in blue who
134

A M H E R S T'S STORY
were ready and willing to risk all for their country.
Amherst need not be ashamed of her share in the war
to preserve the Union. This partial list of those who
went to the front shows that Amherst was not behind
in her willingness to take her share of the burdens of
war. Since that day Amherst has honored the old sol
diers year by year on Memorial Day, various men
speaking in behalf of the heroes named and unnamed,
processions winding their way to the cemeteries with
wreaths and flowers for the graves, school children do
ing honor to those who, so many years ago, it seems
to them, fought that the country might be whole.
On one occasion not so many years after the war
Rev. H. C. Haskel spoke to a crowd of a thousand or
more who had assembled at the park for the Memorial
Day exercises. His address is typical of many that
have been uttered from time to time in behalf of those
who gave their lives for the Union. He spoke in part
as follows: "We have met today without regard to party, na
tionality or creed, to show our gratitude for self-sacri
fice for others. The self-sacrifice we think of today
first of all, is that of the brave men who suffered and
died for us. Their graves we adorn with flowers and
with evergreens ; — ^the flowers a symbol of the beauty
and the fragrance of the sacrifice they made ; the ever
greens of the imperishable affedion with which we
cherish their memories. Who were they ? They were
sons and brothers; some of them were lovers, hus
bands, fathers — in the freshness of youth, the vigor of
early manhood, and the conscious strength of middle
life ; full of hopes, plans and anticipations. They were
135

A M H E R S T'S STORY
men in whose eyes life was a glorious possession just
entered upon or just about to yield them its rewards, —
men who left their homes with more of anguish for the
loved ones whose lives were bound up in their own,
than for thought of personal danger. And they laid
all these treasures, of present enjoyment, of hopes for
the future, and of precious interests, upon the altar of
their country; — and she, in the hour of her awful peril,
was obliged to accept the sacrifice. Death came to
them, as the poet says :
'To the hero when his sword
Has won the battle for the free.
Thy voice sounds like a prophet's word.
And in its hollow tones are heard
The thanks of millions yet to be.'
"Nor these alone do we honor today. On the
same page with theirs do we write the names of the
many thousands of their comrades who toiled and
suffered and braved death with them; but who sur
vived the conflid and are some of them with us here.
"But were there not, too, other sacrifices involved
with these equally worthy of our esteem and thanks ?
The fathers and mothers who said 'Go, and God go
with you, my boy.' The sisters, the friends, the wives
whose anxiety at the news of a battle drove sleep from
their eyes, who read with intense interest the roll of the
dead, and as they read the familiar names sank back
in their chair  All such unrenowned sac
rifices do we honor from the depths of our hearts
today." These words of Rev. Mr. Haskell only echo again
similar words that have been spoken on similar occa
sions with intensity of feeling. Never will the true
136

A M H E R S T'S STORY
sons of the United States of America forget the debt
they owe to the boys of 1861 to 1865 who fought and
died for the cause of the Union. And never should
Amherst forget to honor the day that has been set
aside for them.
Again in 1898 the call for volunteers went out
through the land. Again thousands of American boys
were ready to respond to that call, not for selfish con
quest, but for an unselfish interest in the oppression
being forced upon a people. Again Amherst's sons re
sponded. Company A, which formed at Lorain, was
the company to which the Amherst boys went. There
were eight of them in all, as follows :
Arthur J. Earl.
Edward G. Bergner.
Jacob Berkline.
Hugh F. Finnegan.
George Leinhos.
Robert E. McMasters.
Frank F. Mischke.
John S. Reichert.
These all enlisted with the strong hope of seeing
active service in Cuba. They hoped to have a chance
to punish Spain for the injustices which Spain had
forced upon Cuba. To quote from a history of the
Cleveland boys in the war, under which caption the
Lorain company was included, written by Paul Revere :
"Company A of Lorain was mustered into the Na
tional Guard only a few days before the President's
call for volunteers. In fact, the company was organ
ized for the express purpose of going to war, and the
men comprising it enlisted with that object in view."
"On the morning of April 26, pursuant to orders
137

AMHERST'S STORY
received the night before. Company A left for Cleve
land, receiving a send-off that rang in the ears of the
boys for hours, and that remained fresh in thein memo
ries for many a long day. Upon arrival in Cleveland
they marched to Central Armory, remaining there un
til orders came to move  Although without
uniforms or equipment of any kind, the soldierly ap
pearance and good marching of Company A attracted
universal attention, and during the march to the depot
on the morning of the 29th no company in line received
more applause, or created a more favorable impression.
Its history after reaching Columbus and being mus
tered into the service of the United States, on May 11,
was identical with that of the other companies of the
regiment." This regiment, the Fifth, was doomed to disap
pointment. Time after time the regiment had hopes of
moving on to Cuba, but time and time again they were
dashed to the ground. Anything seemed preferable to
the daily routine of the camps around Tampa. At first
sanitary conditions were bad, as many will remember.
The commissary department was not well enough
equipped to provide for the hungry boys, who wanted
plenty of nourishment. At one time the regiment was
all ready to move. The transport that was to carry
them was rammed by another ship and hopes were
crushed anew.
The camp moved to Camp Fernandina. Here the
regiment spent a more pleasant time. At no time dur
ing the stay was there a hope of seeing active service.
The sea was about a mile away. Every day a good
crowd would be down there enjoying the water. The
food was better and the service better at this camp.
138

A M H E R S T'S STORY
Life went along pleasantly enough. But the regiment
could not forget the disappointment of not seeing ac
tive service, for which they had enlisted.
The hardest time was when the regiment returned
to Cleveland after peace had been declared. They had
to stay in camp several days until mustered out. It
was in September. The cold nights and the fall rains
had a teUing effed on the boys who had just come from
the heat of Florida. Many men were sent to the hos
pitals in a serious condition. At last the regiment was
mustered out on October 30, 1898.
No one can say that these men were not soldiers
in every sense of the word, though they had seen no
adive service. The hardest part of all is waiting,
hoping and then being disappointed. The hardships of
camp Ufe are not a trifle. These boys were ready to
risk all for their country's need, and they, as well as
those who went to the front, should receive credit for
their patriotism.

13£;

IX.
THE VILLAGE.

A M H E R S T'S STORY

CHAPTER IX
THE "village"
The nucleus for a village was started very early.
The "Corners," as it was known for many years, was
a logical place for a village to grow. Judge Josiah
Harris had a large tract of land around the "Old
Spring," a portion of which he laid out into lots and
started the village of Amherstville. This village did
not grow rapidly. Through the thirty years following
1830 the growth was very slow. But then the Cleve
land and Toledo Railroad, now the Lake Shore, was
put through, and that gave an impetus to the growth.
The town gradually increased. Then came the greater
demand for sandstone and the production of it on a
larger scale than ever before. This brought the town
many more inhabitants and for several years the
growth was steady and strong.
Milo Harris bought out the interest of the heirs
of his father and added a portion to the village. Then,
in 1873, the people applied for and secured a charter
for the village of North Amherst, the name having
been changed.
The charter was granted in April of that year and
the corporation was organized 'by the election of the
following officers : A. A. Crosse, Mayor ; J. W. Gilbert,
Clerk; Joseph Trost, Treasurer; John B. Robertson,
Marshal; George Fuller, William Brown, and John
Nathan, Councilmen for one year ; F. O. Barney, J. H.
Clouse, and James Manning, Councilmen for two
years. 141

A M H E R S T'S STORY
The first meding of the "village fathers" was held
April lo, 1873. At this meeting the officers were sworn
in and their bonds presented and approved. Another
meeting was held the next night, at which a committee
was appointed to secure suitable rooms for the Mayor's
office and the Council Chamber. The Clerk was author
ized to secure a suitable book and seals and papers for
the Mayor and other officers of the corporation.
The first ordinance passed reads as follows:
"Sec. ist. Be it ordained by the Town Council of
North Amherst, two-thirds of all the members con
curring : That a plank sewer be constructed on the
south part of Church Street, commencing at lot No.
103, now owned by Mr. Kohlmyer, thence south to the
southeast corner of the Union School lot. Thence west
down the alley to a ravine in said alley. Said sewer
to be 451 fed in length more or less, and be 6 by 8
inches in the clear, and construction of oak plank and
sunk into the ground a sufficient depth to drain the
surface water from off said street.
"Yeas, Nathan, Braun, Fuller, Manning, Claus
and Barney. "  Mayor.
"J. W. Gilbert, Clerk."
The town soon got into financial straights. The
second ordinance is the father and grandfather to
many more that have been enacted since that one. It
reads as follows:
"Ordinance 2.
"Be it ordained by the Town Council of North
Amherst, two-thirds of all members concurring : That
in view of the present financial embarrassment of the
Corporation the Mayor and Clerk be and are hereby
142

A M H E R S T'S STORY
authorized to issue a bond or bonds to the amount of
five hundred ($500.00) dollars for six months as a
temporary loan for contingent expenses. Yeas, Ful
ler, Braun, Barney, Claus, Nathan, and Manning.
"  , Mayor.
"J. W. Gilbert, Clerk."
It cost the town the sum of sixty dollars to incor
porate. Fifteen dollars of this amount was for record
ing the petition and the map. Fifteen more was asked
for providing a copy of the same for the Secretary of
State, and fifteen dollars each for two additional
copies, one for the office of W. H. Tucker and the
other for the village.
The first tax levied by the Council was for six
mills on the dollar. The following table gives the use
to which this assessment was to be put :
For streets and roads : two and five-tenths mills.
General purposes : five-tenths of a mill.
Reservoir and fire : six-tenths of a mill.
Sewers, ditches and drains : five-tenths of a mill.
Special purposes : one and nine-tenths of a mill.
Many ordinances were passed in the early days of
the city fathers. These ordinances were passed as need
called for them. Thus there were ordinances against
placing building material in the streets without permis
sion from the Council, against removing stones or dirt
from any public stred or alley, against excessive fast
driving, and against injuring trees, shrubbery and
fences. The fines for breaking the early ordinances
were not to exceed forty dollars.
Mr. H. Belden was made the first surveyor of the
corporation by vote of the Council.
Many regulatory ordinances were passed, among
143

AMHERST'S STORY
them the ordinances restricting the hours for doing
business, restricting the rights of saloons and places of
amusementj putting a ban on gambling of all sorts and
forbidding Sunday selling.
There seems to have been considerable trouble be
tween the Mayor and the Council in appointing a street
commissioner. The first man appointed to the place by
the Council was Henry Plato, but for some reason it
became necessary to appoint another man. The Mayor
appointed several men to the position, but the Council
refused to uphold his appointments. Finally he ap
pointed E. C. Foster to the position, and this appoint
ment met with the sanction of the fathers.
On June 9, 1873, the Council md as usual. At this
meeting Mr. Harris and Mr. Clark presented to the
town the Public Square and certain lands which were
to be used for stred purposes. This dedication of land
to the town was accepted by the Council in the follow
ing resolution :
"Resolved by the Town Council of the Incorporat
ed Village of North Amherst, in the County of Lorain
and State of Ohio, that whereas, Milo Harris and
Frank Clark of said Incorporated Village did this day
present the dedication of said streets and common to
the full control of said municipal corporation to their
full authority and control, we do hereby accept of the
same as above written."
This adion gave to the village the: common on
which the Town Hall now stands, a common which
had been before granted to the use of the town but not
without restrictions. This action by Mr, Harris and
Mr. Clark gave the full control of the common over to
the town. 144

A M H E R S T'S STORY
A village jail was one of the first needs taken up
by the Council. The jail was to have been located on
some property that the town owned on Church Street,
but an injunction prevented the building being placed
there. Then a motion was passed that a temporary jail
be secured, but this failed to be carried out because no
place could be found suitable for that purpose. Finally
the jail was located on a lot secured for that purpose
from Mr. Jackson.
The first mayor of North Amherst was not very
regular in the pursuit of his duties as mayor. Perhaps
his calling as a doctor interfered with his keeping the
appointments of the Council. At any rate Dr. Crosse
failed to appear at a great many meetings of the Coun
cil. The Council finally appointed a committee to wait
on the Mayor and inform Mm that he must attend to
the duties of his office. This had the desired effect for
a while. Then the Mayor failed to appear for several
meetings. A special meeting was called to investigate
the reasons for his non-appearance. The Mayor did
not appear at this meding. A trial was ordered. A
list of charges was made against the Mayor and this
list was sent to him. At the trial the Mayor denied the
first charge, that of wilful negled of duty, and admit
ted the last two, refusal to obey the orders of the
Council and refusing to account for fines which he had
collected. The Council then voted to remove the Mayor
from office. Councilman Hirsching was elected Mayor
pro tem. Due authority was given for issuing notices
for the election of a new Mayor. But upon the results
of the election Mayor Crosse was re-elected. At the
meeting on November 17, 1874, he furnished bonds for
his office. But objedion was made to the election it-
145

A M H E R S T'S STORY
self. It was held to have been illegal and the office was
declared vacant again. Joseph Barber was elected
Mayor pro tem. At the meeting December 8 the Coun
cil voted that Mayor Crosse take his seat through the
first eledion held on the 14th of November of that
year. This motion carried and Mayor Crosse was
again at the head of the town affairs.
The Council met on Monday nights at first, but in
April, 1874, iChanged to Tuesday nights. The hour of
meeting was set at seven o'clock by the same Council.
On April 14, i8;r4, three new Councilmen were
sworn into office, namely, Mr. Worthington, Mr.
Freese and Mr. Hirsching. These three took the places
of those who went out by virtue of being elected for
one year. These men were elected for the full term of
two years. Hence the Council could feel that it was
fully established and in full working order.
A new group of officers took their respedive
chairs in the Council Chamber on April 14, 1875. The
new mayor was A. C. Moore. The clerk was C. O.
Hirsching. Joseph Trost continued as treasurer and
John B. Robertson continued as marshal. The Coun
cilmen elected were E. C. Foster, M. C. Seeley, John
G. Baus, and Joseph Barber. One of these men could
only serve one year. By ballot John Baus was given
the short term.
This new group of officials passed many ads
which have had their bearing on the community life.
They passed several ordinances relating to sidewalks,
as important an, item then as street pavements are to
the present Council.
The first Board of Health was appointed by this
Council. It consisted of I. B. Parker and J. Stahl to
146

A M H E R S T'S STORY
serve three years, Milo Harris and E. E. Mussey to
serve two years, and E. P. Streator and William Jaegar
to serve one year. But some of these men refused to
serve on the board. Some trouble was had in finding
men to serve. Dr. Rockwood was elected in place of
Milo Harris, Charles Aiken in place of J. Stahl and
E. A. Turney in place of E. E. Mussey. But some of
these men declined to serve as well. The board was
finally completed and served its term.
On April ii, 1876, three new members were
sworn into the Council. They were John G. Baus,
Daniel Freese and Daniel Horn. According to law.
Mayor Moore made his annual address before the
Council on this night. The address shows a splendid
spirit and also shows the progressive spirit in the town.
It is worthy of incorporation into this book as showing
the temper of the men w'ho started our community life.
"A Corporation, like an individual, has a birthday,
and has to pass through the stage of infancy and youth '
before reaching full manhood. The law says: 'The
Mayor shall at the first regular meeting of the Council
in April of each year, and at such other times as he
may deem expedient, report to the Council concerning
the affairs of the Corporation, and recommend such
measures as to him may seem proper.' In obedience to
that law I rise before you this evening fully endorsing
the spirit and wisdom of that law. A Corporation, like
a successful busiiness man, should know, month by
month, and year by year, just how the cash book and
ledger stand.
"Were I capable, it would not be necessary for me
to take up the subject of municipal law, farther than to
urge you to consider the importance of having all ordi-
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A M H E R S T'S STORY
nances, all municipal laws and regulations harmonize
with statute law, and then every step taken will be one
in the right direction. We are living in an age of ac
tivity, in the days of centennials and expositions ; vil
lages, cities, states and nations, are lined and interlined
with nerves of sensation carrying the thoughts of the
rising to the setting sun ; returning laden with the news
of distant lands to greet the early mom. Cities, states,
and even nations are becoming more closely cemented
and bound with ribs of iron and steel, exchanging
their products and thus benefiting all. Living in such
an age, let us strive to act well our part, though that
should not be a conspicuous one. Let wisdom, pru
dence and sterling integrity govern all of our deliber
ations, in striving to build up, beautify and adom our
village. "In our intercourse with each other and with all
let us be kind and courteous in all that we may say or
do, and ever keep on hand a fair stock of that thing
called 'patience' ; for by patient continuing in all well
doing, a Corporation, as well as an individual, can build
up a name that will be honored and respected. A name
is like a magazine, it may be filled with the good, the
pure, the truthful, the noble and the exalting; or it
may be filled with the false, the impure and the vile. A
good name is like precious coin, always at par, but an
evil one has the stamp and signature of the counter
feit. A Corporation, as well as an individual citizen,
has to form a character, and character gives the name.
"The wants of a corporation, like our own wants,
are numerous; and wisdom suggests that the most
needful and pressing ones be supplied first. The pre
liminary steps that have been taken in reference to a
148

A M H E R S T'S STORY
Fire Department meet with my sincere approval. But
that department will need your oversight and care year
by year until we have thorough and efficient means for
extinguishing fires  Fire, when not under
control, is a devouring monster. Let us strive to meet
that monster with wisdom and skill. And had we more
stringent laws in regard to the construction of build
ings, requiring more care on the part of the builder,
the carpenter, and the mason, and that would annihilate
the low summer kitchen, or make the party fully re
sponsible for damages, would be a benefit to the subur
ban residence, the village and the state, and lessen the
per cent of insurance.
"That a Town Hall should be on the list of wants
of the Township and Corporation has only been a ques
tion of time with me. That question has been settled
at our last election. Other questions will now come up
for consideration by the Town and Corporation. What
kind of a structure will it be ? Where shall it be locat
ed ? How shall the necessary funds 'be raised ? or how
much annually ? These are questions that require ma
ture thought. All the good ideas want sifting out be
fore final action is taken. By judicious management a
building with rooms that w'ill not only be a convenience
but an ornament to the whole town can be constructed.
Symmdry and neatness have much to do with beauty,
and can be obtained without extravagance, which is a
thing that should be put down in the township, the vil
lage, the city, the state and the nation. A commodious
hall is one of the means which invites lecturers on lit
erary, scientific, and morail questions, and in these the
township as well as the corporation should feel an
abiding interest, for the mind as well as the body needs
149

AMHERST'S STORY
its appropriate food to sustain, nourish and progress.
The mind can be dwarfed; its high and lofty aspira
tions centered on wrong objects and its latent powers
never developed. Let that development be for good
and the community will be the better and the wiser
for it. "Order is written in the heavens above us, and is
written in the vegetable, mineral and animal kingdoms,
and as citizens we should write it about our homes.
Our Street Commissioner, under the committee on
streds and sidewalks, should write it along our streets
by sdting them in order and by judiciously expending
eadi and every dollar appropriated for road purposes.
That these measures would have a salutary and sani
tary influence there is no room to doubt. And I will
say here that I regret to see so much indifference mani
fested in regard to a Board of Health. It requires no
prophetic eye to see that such indifference to an impor
tant subject will be regretted by all who will make it a
subjed of thought. That you, gentlemen of the Coun
cil, are authorized to pass ordinances calculated to im
prove the sanitary condition of our village, no one who
has even a smattering of law can doubt. But that it
would be better to divide up the burden of municipal
regulation seems to me to appear on the very face of
the proposition, for when parties work for nothing and
put in good time, they should not be over-taxed with
business nor unjustly criticized. Again, our Marshal
should write order along the highways, in the public
assembly and place of resort, for order is the result of
law, and law culm'inates in government, and to the just
principles of government we all look for the protection
of life, liberty, and the rights of man, and expect that
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AMHERST'S STORY
it will with its arm of power uphold and sustain the
right, and repress the wrong. It is the right that exalts
a nation, the state, the city, and the village, and it is
right views, right feelings and right actions that exalt
the citizens of each.
"Commendable progress has been made in con
struction of sidewalks on different streets, and I will
venture to call your attention, gentlemen, tb a few
more, which, if improved with good sidewalks, would
not only enhance the value of property on those streets,
but be a great convenience in going to and from promi
nent places of business. A sidewalk on one or both
sides of Spring Stred, from Cleveland Street to the
station, would 'be an improvement of no small magni
tude. One along the north side of Tenney Street from
Church to Spring Street would improve that street
greatly, as well as the facilities for going to and from
prominent points of business. And as soon as the
boundary line of Cleveland Street can be amicably set
tled (and I still am persuaded it can be), a sidewalk
from M. W. Axtell's to Main Street would not only be
an ornament to the stred, but a delight to the pedes
trian who has occasion to pass that way.
"Grading in some of its features is a subject liable
to come up for consideration ; 'but it is no unpleasant
thought, however, to think that there never will be but
few heavy grades to make in our village. The hill at
the south end of Main Street will call for quite an ex
tensive grade when it shall be thought advisable, and
the utility of that grade may be thought greater to one
than tb another, yet it cannot well be doubted that im
provement to streets has its influence and invites
travel, and the facility of travel has its influence on
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A M H E R S T'S STORY
business, and business has its influence in calling out
the energies of the village as well as of the city. Drains
and sewers, with the laws by which they are governed,
should not be overlooked, for they are not unimportant
in the village or cit>'.
"In conclusion, gentlemen of the council. Id me
say, in all our deliberations together let us bring
thoughts well matured to bear on each and every ques
tion of any importance to the corporation, ever rising
far above the narrow vision of selfishness, and ever aim
to advance the greatest good to the greatest number."
This speech might fittingly be given before a coun
cil of the present day. With only a slight change or
two it would be very adequate as a mayor's address.
In 1877 J- W. Gilbert was elected mayor of the
village. The same clerk, treasurer and marshal were
returned to office. Joseph Robbins, Henry Claus,
Jacob Hildebrand, Joseph Barber and Conrad Fey
were elected councilmen.
In 1878 the following councilmen were elected:
L. Horn, William Brown and J. B. Parker. Mr. Parker
resigned the office and J. P. Clancy was elected to fill
his place. A. Rothgery was elected to the position of
street supervisor.
The town was in need of a central meding place,
an auditorium and a Town Hall. In 1876 a vote had
been taken 'but failed to be ratified by a majority vote
of the people. Every now and then in the paper would
appear a letter advocating the Town Hall project anew.
Many reasons were given why the hall should be built.
It would be a building of which the town would be
proud. It would give a place to hold lectures and en
tertainments in. It would serve the town in many ways.
' 152

AMHERST'S STORY
The ones who feared a raise in taxes were the cold
water throwers, however, and successfully prevented
the building of the hall for a long time.
On March 12, 1879, a mass meeting was held at
the old town hall to discuss the matter of a new build
ing and to secure signers to a petition to be sent to the
state legislature. This meeting was successful in win
ning a large number of advocates to the side of the
project for a new building. The matter came up again
to the voters in the election of April 7, 1879. At this
election the records were not kept rightly and the vote
on the town hall question was judged illegal, much to
the disappointment of the advocates of the proposition.
On June 30th, 1884, the ordinance for a new town
hall to be 'built jointly by the township and the cor
poration was passed. This started the series of ordi
nances which made the town hall possible and resulted
in the building which now stands on the ground set
aside for a Public Square by Judge Harris and given
over to the control of the city 'by his heirs. The town
hall was built within the appropriation made for it. In
fact, a balance was reported in the treasury when all
the bills had been paid.
On February 5, 1879, Mr. Hirsching tendered his
resignation as clerk of the corporation. Mr. A. E. Sti
wald was appointed clerk in his place. On the 7th of
April, the same year, Mr. Stiwald was duly elected
clerk by the people of Amherst. Mr. Hinman was
eleded mayor at this election. C. Stiwald was elected
marshal. J. G. Baus took up the duties of treasurer
for the corporation. J. Stahl, A. Riggs and J. Robbins
were elected to serve on the council.
153

A M H E R S T'S STORY
At the election in 1880 Parsons, Braun and Steele
were elected to the council.
Mr. Hinman was rdurned to office at the next
election, held April 4, 1881. J. G. Baus was also re-
eleded to the office of treasurer. S. Crocker took up
the duties of clerk. C. Stiwald continued as marshal.
J. G. Kinsey, L. Horn and J. F. Yarick were elected
councilmen. On February 3, 1882, the mayor resigned,
due to entrance upon larger fields of work. Mr. Henry
Hirsching was appointed mayor to fill out the term of
Mr. Hinman.
At the April electibn, in 1882, Mr. Hirsching was
eleded mayor by the people of the village. William
Braun, Joseph Trost and Philip Sippel were elected to
the council. The clerk, Mr. Crocker, did not finish his
term of office, but resigned in January, 1883. E. C.
Schuler was appointed to fill the place as clerk through
the unexpired term.
In the elections of April, 1883, J. P. Jenne was
chosen by the people for their mayor. A. E. Stiwald
and J. G. Baus were rdurned to office. Thomas Hill
Was elected marshal. Edwin Bivin, O. Barney, E. B.
Aldrich and C. M. Parsons were elected tb fill the
chairs of the council. In 1884 the council included
Braun, Horn and Ludwig, through the election then
held. H. G. Redington succeeded to the office of mayor
in 1885. A. E. Stiwald was again elected clerk. H. A.
Plato succeeded to the office of treasurer. J. H. Fred
erick was elected the marshal of the town. The coun
cil members elected at this election were Edward
Bivin, C. M. Parsons and P. Sipple. On the next elec-
154

AMHERST'S STORY
tion Bailey, Clough and Rankin were elected to places
on the council.
The same mayor and clerk continued to serve by
vote of the people at the election held in 1887. Philip
assumed the duties of the treasurer, J. H. Claus those
of the marshal, and J. E. Plato, Joseph Robbins and J.
Ludwig entered the council. At this election the peo
ple voted to issue bonds for the vault at the Cleveland
Street Cemetery. At the election the following spring
C. Bailey, William Braun and O. F. Bailey were elect
ed to the council.
The services of the mayor and clerk were evident
ly very satisfactory, for they were again returned to
office, together with the treasurer, in 1889. In fact.
Mayor Redington and A. E. Stiwald continued to serve
until 1893. The marshal elected in 1889 was E. A.
Bivin. The councilmen chosen were E. C. Schuler,
J. E. Plato and Justus Ludwig. J. Northeim, C. M.
Parsons and William Braun were elected to the council
at the following election.
The new officials, on the election of April, 1891,
were Adam Jaeger, marshal ; H. J. Sippel, C. C. Mac-
Donald and George Keller, councilmen. The following
spring E. H. Nicholl, John Braun and John Northeim
were elected to the council.
In 1893 ^^ entirely new group of men took charge
of the affairs of the town. The new mayor was J. F.
Davidson. Jacob Baus was elected clerk by the people:
E. F. Steele took over the duties of the treasurer. The
councilmen were C. Bailey, Louis Moebius and George
M. Parker. Thomas Young was elected marshal. At
the municipal election the following spring E. C.
Schuler, George Mohr and Lorenz Holzhauer were
155

AMHERST'S STORY
elected to the council. E. C. Schuler's chair was de
clared vacant at a later meeting and B. A. Purcell was
appointed to serve until the next municipal election.
L. Horn was appointed to fill out the term of C. Bailey.
Another change was made in the administration in
1895. A. E. Stiwald was elected mayor ; F. C. Oehl,
clerk; E. F. Steele, treasurer; J. R. Miller, P. Strahl,
P. Barber and L. Hanchet, councilmen, and J. Sanders,
marshal. Mr. Stiwald was thus started on a long term
as mayor, having been returned to office many times by
the people of the town. In the following election J. G.
Baus, -Louis Hanchet and George Parker were seated
in the council.
In the election of 1897 the new officers were B. A.
Kuss, who succeeded Mr. Oehl as clerk, and the coun
cilmen, P. Strahl, J. Miller and Mr. Hearn. At this
election Homer Wilford was made corporation asses
sor. At the following election Brandin, Gawn and
Kendeigh took the oath of office for the council, and
J. B. Shehan as assessor.
B. A. Kuss was succeeded by F. E. Kaser in the
office of clerk, through the eledion of 1899. Mr. Kuss
inscribed at the conclusion of his records : "To my suc
cessor, 'Vincit qui se vinoit.' " He also added a bit of
home-made German verse expressing regret but good
wishes to his successor. The election gave F. C. Oehl
the office of treasurer, and William Guinan the office
of marshal. The councilmen elected were H. E. Aiken,
A. Filker, J. B. Sheah, and A. Reamer. Frank Decker
gained the office of assessor. George Mohr and George
Dute were eleded to the council the following year. A.
Reamer was returned for another year. J. C. Holz
hauer was elected assessor for the corporation.
156

AMHERST'S STORY
The same officers held over the election of 1901.
The councilmen elected were J. H. Schibley, Phil
Strahl, Henry Arndt and George Hoffner. George
Hoffner and H. A. Plato received a tie vote for the po
sition. The election was decided by a casting of lots
as provided by law. The lot fell to George Hoffner.
George Wilford gained the marshal's staff of office.
J. B. Parker was elected assessor. The following
election put George Hoffner, G. L. Smith and Harmon
Kruger on the council and made Martin McLaughlin
assessor. In 1903 a general shake-up was the result of the
election. Mr. A. Baker took the chair of the mayor.
E. J. Coven was elected clerk. B. A. Kuss took up the
duties of treasurer of the corporation. The marshal
withstood the change and was re-elected. The council-
men elected to serve were J. H. Schibley, Phil Strahl,
A. Filker, J. H. Plato, H. L. Hall and Thomas Young.
John Riley was elected assessor. A Board of Public
Affairs was eleded consisting of P. D. Barber, O. H.
Baker, and G. M. Parker.
In 1904 a change was made in the time of eledion,
the date changing from April to November. On this
election Thomas Young, A. L. Nicholl and Herman
Kreigher were given seats in the council. J. E. Barber
was elected assessor.
At the meeting of the council on March 28, 1905,
the resignation of Mr. A. Baker as mayor was read and
accepted. Mr. Baker was forced to resign because of
a statute forbidding a postmaster to serve as a munici
pal officer. Mr. Philip Strahl took Mr. Baker's place.
George Hoffner was elected by the council to fill Mr.
Strahl's place in that body. 157

A M H E R S T'S STORY
In November of 1905 A. E. Stiwald was returned
to the office of mayor and F. E. Kaser was returned to
the office of clerk. B. A. Kuss was re-elected treasurer.
The councilmen eleded were Adam Filker, Burt Sand
ers, Chris Brucker. The board of public affairs elect
ed consisted of P. D. Barber, L. Mobius, T. E. Gawn.
John Haman was elected assessor. This new adminis
tration took office the first of the new year.
The officials eleded in November, 1907, were the
same except for the councilmen and the clerk. Mr. C.
G. Aschenbach was elected clerk, and Chris Brucker,
A. Filker, L. Moebius, P. Strahl, Jacob Baus and John
Holzhauer were elected to the council. These men
took office the first of the year.
On the next election, held in 1909, the change in
officials affeded the marshal, Charles Miller being
elected. C. Jaeger and B. Sanders were elected to the
council in place of Jacob Baus and John Holzhauer.
Mayor Stiwald and Treasurer F. C. Oehl were re
elected to office at the November elections in 1911.
Charles Miller was re-elected marshal. F. E. Kaser
was elected clerk and served part of the time, when he
resigned, and Henry Miller was appointed in his place.
The councilmen elected were C. Brucker, P. Strahl, L.
Mobius, Carl Menx, George Neiding and A. Filker.
F. O. Delbridge was appointed to take L. Mobius'
place, the latter resigning his seat on the council. The
board of public affairs eleded was composed of P. D.
Barber, H. F. Arndt and J. E. Plato, and A. Plato was
later appointed to take the place of J. E. Plato.
The 1913 elections brought in another group of
men to serve the corporation. J. J. Smythe was elected
to succeed Mayor Stiwald, who had been appointed
158

AMHERST'S STORY
postmaster. Mr. C. G. Aschenbach was elected to his
old place as corporation clerk. E. B. Rogers was ap
pointed as corporation treasurer to succeed Mr. Plato,
elected to that office, but who died before his term had
fairly begun. Mr. Miller continued as marshal. The
councilmen were Christ Brucker, Carl Menz, Harmon
Kreeger, F. O. Delbridge, O. H. Baker, G. R. Wise
man. The board of public affairs consisted of H. F.
Arndt, P. D. Barber, Henry Plato.
This group of men control the affairs of the town
at the time of the writing of this book. The board of
education at this time is composed of F. E. Kaser, H.
L. Hall, Charles Ludwig, Charles Hearn and A. K.
Jenne. J. B. Avery is clerk and treasurer of the board.
This, then, completes the list of officers of the
town from its foundation up to the present day, as far
as those officers were elected by the people. Many will
recall incidences connected with the work of these men.
Amherst has reason to be proud of her citizens who
serve her in various capacities. They have been faith
ful to their itasks for the most part and have built up
the village life as best they could.
Many important ads which these various councils
did are to be seen in the marked improvements around
the town. Some of them will be spoken of in other con
nections. Whatever advance has been made, the counr
cils have been back of them and have supported pro
gressive measures for the interests of the town. Some
times things do not move as fast as we would like to
have them. But it is the slow growing tree that takes
the firmest root. The slower growth of our village in
population, in improvements, in all that goes to make
up a progressive town may only be the firmer roots for
159

AMHERST'S STORY
permanency. Rapid growth does not insure a safe, re
liable growth. Amherst has been sure of herself and
then gone ahead. Her officials have not squandered
her money recklessly. Most of them have been more
careful in the expenditure of the town's money than
they have been in their own expenditures. They have
felt the burden of responsibility resting upon them and
have met that burden faithfully and well. Sacrifice of
a great deal of time has been necessary to push for
ward the interests of the town. The salaries have never
been enough for any of the men to buy automobiles
with. When a man runs for office in Amherst he is not
running for the salary that the office may pay. More
honor and less criticism is due the men who control and
have controlled our municipal affairs.
An important part of the village life has centered
in the post office. In the early chapters we have men
tioned that the mail was carried through on horseback,
somdimes on foot, once a week. A post office was es
tablished at the mouth of the Black River and later an
other on the south ridge. Very early in the history of
the township a post office was started at the "Corners."
The first postmaster was Honorable Josiah Harris. He
held the office for forty-four years and only ceased
when he served the town in other capacities which for
bade him holding the office of postmaster. H. J. Ter
rell was postmaster two years of an unexpired term of
Josiah Harris'. Many can remember the old post of
fice. Some are still living who worked in that old office
and remember well passing out letters to the old-tim
ers. Judge Harris lost considerable money by paying
the amounts due on foreign letters to Germans who
had settled here. The people often did not have the
160

AMHERST'S STORY
twenty-five cents necessary to pay the postage. But
the large-heartted postmaster could never refuse them
the letters, and so he paid the postage himself. In those
days the foreign letters were sent collect.
Some will remember a reproduction of that old
post offite in one of the parades on a Fourth of July.
Some of the children were very much upsd because
some letters that were flung out by the bounteous post
mistress on the wagon were not picked up.
A.A. Crosse was postmaster of the village for four
years. He was succeeded by Alonzo Crocker, who
served for the lengthy period of i6 years. E. C. Schuler
held the office through one administration of four years.
L. Horn and John Riley each served a term of four
years in the office. E. B. Aldrich held the position for
seven years. A. Baker succeeded Mr. Aldrich and for
nine years served the community faithfully and well as
postmaster. On the change of administration bringing
in a Democratic President, the post office changed
hands, and A. E. Stiwald was appointed to succeed Mr.
A. Baker. Mr. Stiwald is now serving in that capacity.
The name of the community has changed several
times. At one time it was known as Plato. Then it
was called Amherstville. At the time of the incorpor
ation the town was called North Amherst, and kept the
name until recent years, when the "North" was
dropped and just plain Amherst retained.
Instead of a mail once a week, and that irr^fular,
Amherst now has seven mails out of the village and
nine into the village. The fast trains of the hake Shore
make it possible for the village to have the best of
service. The post office has moved within the week of the
161

A M H E R S T'S STORY
writing of this paragraph, from the old office on
Church Street to a fine new building erected by Charles
Ebbs a door or two north from the old office. The new
quarters are splendidly fitted up with modern conven
iences and are very commodious and attractive.
One product of the old post office of years ago
must not be forgotten. At the time when Rev. Mr.
Hitchcock was pastor of the Congregational Church, a
little youngster, son of the worthy pastor, grandson of
the postmaster, Judge Harris, used to play about the
post office, making boxes of his own, having letters
come and go, and thoroughly enjoying the life of a
would-be postmaster. That boy later assumed the
head of all the post offices of the United States. Frank
Hitchcock became Postmaster General of the United
States, making one of the most efficient heads of the
postal service that this country has known. He served
during the administrations of Theodore Roosevelt and
WiUiam Taft.

162

X.
THE STORY OF THE
LODGES.

AMHERST'S STORY

CHAPTER X
STORY OF THE LODGES
In the very early days fraternal orders did not
exist in the new west. The community was one large
fraternity. Sick benefits came without pledges and
every man was a brother to his fellow man.
But this ideal state could not exist as the popula
tion increased. Men have always felt drawn to form
organizations and to find therein a closer fellowship
than they might otherwise know. In due time the first
fraternal order made its appearance in Amherst.
Plato Lodge, Number 203, of the Independent
Order of Odd Fellows, holds the distinction of being
the oldest lodge in the township. Plato Lodge was or
ganized in 1852, on the evening of the twenty-first day
of January. The charter members were Mr. Theodore
I. Eames, Orimel Barney, Robert B. Carhart, Milo
Harris and James Walked. The Odd Fellows' first
home was in the building now occupied by the tele
phone company. Judge Harris gave the land upon
which the building now stands* jointly to the town and
the Odd Fellows, the town to erect a building for a
town hall, and the Odd Fellows to have the upper story
for a lodge room.
About 1871 the Odd Fellows secured a second-
story right from Mr. J. G. Baus and built the hall that
they now occupy.
In the sixty-three years of its existence the Odd
Fellows of Amherst have spent thousands of dollars
towards relieving the sick and burying the dead. Be-
165

A M H E R S T'S STORY
sides this they have contributed liberally to the support
of the Odd Fellows' Orphan Home in Springfield, and
towards the support of their home for the aged and
infirm. The Odd Fellows are still working with a strong,
live spirit of helpfulness, ever holding up the three
links of Friendship, Truth and Love. Among th^
prominent citizens of Amherst who have been members
of the Odd Fellows lodge are James Nicholl, Sr., and
James Nicholl, Jr., J. G. Baus, Benjamin Redfern, Dr.
Cross, and Dr. Rockwood.
Stonington Lodge F. and A. M., Number 503, was
organized in 1875. On the seventeenth day of April of
that year a group of Master Masons gathered togdher
in the office of the Worthington Stone Company, in the
village of North Amherst. It was decided to petition
the Grand Lodge of Ohio for a dispensation to work.
This petition was signed by the following brothers of
the Masonic Order : E.E. Mussey, George Bacon,
George H. Worthington, Edward C. Schuler, George
Fuller, H. A. Lewis, Frank M. Shotton, H. B. Linds-
ley, Fred Kleinow, J. W. Gilbert, H. B. Wilber, Chan-
cey Peck, Adam Holl, James Nicholl, L. R. Cooley,
James W. Worthingtbn. On the fifteenth day of June,
1875, ^ dispensation was duly granted by R. W. G. M.
C. M. Woodward. The lodge was then and there duly
organized by the above named Master Masons, and the
following officers were elected : George Bacon, W. M. ;
James M. Worthington, S. W. ; E. E. Mussey, J. W. ;
Chancey Peck, Sec; James Nicholl, Sr., Treas. ; E. C.
Schuler, S. D. ; Adam Holl, J. D. ; H. A. Lewis, Tyler.
It was at the suggestion of Brother George H.
Worthington, seconded by Brother E. C. Schuler, thsEt
i«6

A M H E R S T'S STORY
the name of the lodge was adopted as Stonington
Lodge. The first to be initiated into this lodge was Robert
Paterson. After one year the most worshipful Grand
Lodge of Ohio granted a charter to said Stonington
Lodge, Number 503, and on October 17, 1875, this
Lodge was duly dedicated by the officers of the Grand
Lodge of Ohio. The membership of the lodge at this
time was about thirty-five.
The first meetings were held in a building on the
corner of Main and Tenney Streets. This building
housed the Masonic Lodge for thirty-five years, when
larger quarters had to be sought because of the increase
in membership. The new location was found over the German
Bank, on the corner of Church and Elyria Streets.
This new home was dedicated by the Grand Deputy,
Brother J. D. Hergelberger, of Akron, Ohio, on the
evening of November 22, 1910.
The lodge grew and prospered in all the years of
its existence. It has given thirty members to Lorain,
these members withdrawing to organize a lodge there,
where their homes were. Not many of the charter
members of the lodge are left, most of them having
passed on.
The present membership of the lodge is one hun
dred and three. The officers at present are J. N. Holz
hauer, W. M.; O. H. Baker, S. W.; C. W. Menz,
J. W. ; Charles Ludwig, Treas. ; A. Cameron, Sec. ; R.
L. Menz, S. D.; A. J. Holzhauer, J. D. ; F. E. Kaser,
S. S.; Chas. Ebbs, J. S. ; E. C. Schuler, Tyler.
Robert Paterson, A. E. Stiwald and F. E. Kaser
167

AMHERST'S STORY
present the following report for the Knights of
Pythias. "Pythian Knighthood had its conception in the ex
emplification of the life test of true friendship existing
bdween Damon and Pythias during the reign of Gre
cian King Dionysius, at Syracuse, in the third century,
A. D.
"The order of the Knights of Pythias was found
ed February 19, 1864, at Washington, D. C, by Justus
H. Rathbone. At that time 'war was in the heart of
man in North America and sorrow in his home.' Our
glorious land was engaged in scenes of carnage and
death from ocean to ocean and from lakes to gulf.
Brother was pitted against brother and father against
son, when Mr. Rathbone saw in this Grecian history
the germ of an order that should prove a power in dis
pelling the warmth of sectional strife and restoring the
hearts of men to a basis of universal brotherhood.
"This spirit of true Friendship, Charity and
Benevolence exemplified by Damon and Pythias reach
ed Amherst in 1874, when Amherst Lodge Number 74
was instituted, November 19, with fifteen members, the
required number for a charter, namely : George Asch
enbach, Frederick Buehenberg, J. G. Baus, Conrad
Fey, Peter Fey, Valentine Gerlach, Charles Hirsching,
Charles Jaeger, William Jaeger, George Keller, Peter
Menz, Philip Sij>pel, Jacob Stahl, Joseph Trost, John
Uthe. The original initiatory work and installation of
first officers took place in Odd Fellows hall (located
on the site of O. H. Baker's store), the German lan
guage being used. In 1878 the Amherst ritual was
changed to the English language. In 1888 new lodge
room quarters were established in the Wesbeeher hall,
168

AMHERST'S STORY
now the Amherst Hardware Company building, where
lodge work was conduded until 1896, when a half in
terest was purchased in the German Odd Fellows hall,
over A. Baker's store. The lodge moved into these
new quarters. In 1911 the remaining half of the prop
erty was taken over and in 1913 and 1914 the rooms
were remodeled and redecorated in a most convenient,
handsome and appropriate manner, so that at present
the Pythian lodge is comfortably and permanently sta
tioned. "Our membership has increasjed from 15 to 82,
which is a very good record, all obstacles considered.
Our order consists of the following departments :
"Three ranks of Knighthood, i. e. Page, Esquire,
and Knight. "Insurance."Uniform. "Pythian Sisters, Auxiliary.
"Orphans' Home.
"Pythian Sisters' Home.
"At the present time money is being raised for the
establishment of a home for aged and homeless
Knights. "Our cardinal principle is, and has always been,
to disseminate and practice friendship as it existed be
tween Damon and Pythias, which principle is oblig
atory on the part of every member to pradice so far as
is in his power."
The Amherst Temple of Pythian Sisters, No. 363,
was instituted on April 8, 1909, by Fern Temple of Lo
rain, Francis Hardman, Grand Chief of Ohio, at that
time being present.
There were twenty-seven Knights and thirty-three
169

A M H E R S T'S STORY
Ladies as charter members. Two of these members
have since been lost by death. Up to the present time
forty-two Knights and fifty-two Ladies have been initi
ated. The first officers elected were as follows :
Past Chief — ^Amelia Barber.
Most Excellent Chief— Edith Hoffner.
Excellent Senior — Minnie Sipple.
Excellent Junior — Flora Kaser.
Manager of Temple — Ruth Wiseman.
M. of R. and C. — Cora Gillette.
M. of F. — Ada Braun.
Protedor — Bessie Avery.
Guard — Lula Pauley.
Captain of Degree Team — Alice McMasters.
Pianist — Florence Frederick.
A defunct order which at one time flourished in
the community was the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
It was organized in 1876, with Peter Brady as Presi
dent. When this organization ceased to exist is not
definitely known.
St. Joseph's Society was founded in the month of
December, 1871, by the members of the Catholic
Church. Its objed was benevolent. Sick and death
benefits were provided for. Rev. R. Rouchey was the
first president of this order.
Mystic Hive No. 12 of the Lady Maccabees of the
World was organized February 10, 1893, in Plato Hall
by Lady Luster of RidgeviUe. Dr. N. Cornwell was
elected medical examiner. The following composed
the charter members :
Lady Earl, Lady Boughton, Lady Barber, Lady
Bemis, Lady Paterson, Lady Schuler, Lady Chanler,
170

A M H E R S T'S STORY
Lady Hulbert, Lady Sanders, Lady Nichol. Lady Linn,
Lady Peck, Lady Belden, Lady Cornwell, Lady Dute.
February i8 eleven took the obligation and at the
end of the 'first year the order numbered forty-one
benefit members. Mystic Hive has lost by death eleven
members, nine benefit members and two social mem
bers. The Great Hive has paid out nine thousand dol
lars in death claims. The Lady Maccabees is the only
lodge for women which pays the full amount for which
the member is insured. At the end of this, their twen
ty-second year, the Amherst lodge has one hundred
members. Hickory Tree Grange was reorganized July 21,
1896, in the school house of Sub Distrid No. 2, Black
River Township, with twenty-five charter members.
They held their meetings in this school house until Oc
tober 31 of that year, when they moved to the K. O. T.
M. hall, in Amherst, which has since been the Grange
"home" with the exception of a few months.
The first officers elected were :
Master — N. L. Cotton.
Overseer — Ed. Hildebrand.
Secretary — Robert Hageman.
Lecturer — George Hollstein.
Steward — William Jaeger.
Assistant Steward — John Appeman.
Gate Keeper — WiUiam Schauver.
Treasurer^Martin Fulmer.
Lady Assistant Steward — Carrie Spiegelburg.
Chaplain — Anthony Ehrhardt.
Pomona — Delia Baumhart.
Flora — Tena Hollstein.
Ceres — Mary Fulmer. 171

AMHERST'S STORY
Elias Baumhart, Henry Fulmer and Henry Bickel
were the trustees.
The Grange has a membership now of one hun
dred and seventy-one. It holds its medings the second
and fourfti Tuesday evenings of the month. During
the winter months "all day" meetings arie held, when
dinner is served and interesting programs given and a
general good social time is enjoyed by aU. The present
officers of the Grange are :
Master — E. F. Cotton.
Overseer — George Knittle.
Lecturer — ^George Cotton.
Chaplain — Lydia Cotton.
Steward — Henry Standen.
Assistant Steward — WilUam Jaeger.
Treasurer — George Walker.
Secrdary — Dora Jaeger.
Gate Keeper — ^John Schaub.
Ceres — May Standen.
Pomona — Crete Walker.
Flora — Clara Bechtel.
Lady Assistant Steward — Mary Schaub.
Trustees — C. C. Jaeger, George Cotton, Andrew
Hess. Amherst Aerie, No. 1442, Fraternal Order of
Eagles, was organized and instituted on July 2, 1906.
The charter roll contained the names of fifty-six mem
bers from aU walks of life, business, professions, farm
ers and mechanical trades all being represented in this
list. The first crfficers selected were :
Past Worthy President— B. A. Kuss.
Worthy President — Francis C. Oehl.
Worthy Vice President — ^J. K. Brown.
172

A M H E R S T'S STORY
Worthy Chaplain— C. H. Miller.
Worthy Secretary — E. E. Foster.
Worthy Treasurer — B. D. Bemis.
Worthy Inside Guard — Earl Sanders.
Worthy Outside Guard — George Brown.
Worthy Conductor — R. E. McMasters.
Worthy Physician — G. R. Wiseman.
Worthy Trustees — George Hoffner, H. W.
Strauss and H. A. Monger.
Of the charter members five have died, George
Brown, Charles S. Hbffner, Henry Ferenbach, C. L,
Judd and Robert C. Hageman.
The Aerie has since its organization been active
and one of the foremost fraternal socidies in the town.
Its membership has steadily increased until at the pres
ent time it numbers two hundred and thirty. During
the eight years of its organization it has paid to its
members over five thousand dollars for sick and acci
dent benefits. The sum of seventy-five dollars is paid
for funeral benefits.
Six brothers who became affiliated with the order
after its organization have passed away : George Wil
ford, C. H. Schumauch, WiUiam Grugel, J. C. Nichel,
J. A. Plato and Phil Foy.
Charity is dispensed in a quid manner and the
Aerie makes a practice of remembering the poor and
aged widows of the town on Christmas by sending
them a baskd of provisions.
Officers selected for the year 191 5 at the time of
election in December, 1914, were:
Past Worthy President— H. C. Plato.
Worthy President-^E. H. Jennsen.
Worthy Vice President— W. F. Baker.
178

A M H E R S T'S STORY
Worthy Chaplain^-G. B. Ormsby.
Worthy Secretary — E. E. Foster.
Worthy Treasurer^David Whyte, Jr.
Worthy Inside Guard — C. A. Lauer.
Worthy Outside Guard — Thomas Harris.
Worthy Conductor— R. E. McMasters.
Worthy Trustees— R. E. McMasters, G. R. Wise
man, Ira Lynch.
Worthy Physician — G. R. Wiseman,
Brother E. E. Foster has held the office of secre
tary continuously since the organization of the order.
The drill team of the Aerie took first prize in the
competitive driU during Old Home Week. In their
white uniforms trimmed with red and blue, under the
able leadership of their captain, R. E. McMasters, they
presented a splendid appearance. The Aerie took an
active part in all the activities of the Old Home Week,
helping in many ways to make that celebration a suc
cess. Quarry Homestead, No. 1737, of the Brotherhood
of American Yeomen, was instituted at Amherst, Ohio,
on the sixth of January, 1908, with twenty-four char
ter members. The order has progressed very rapidly,
numbering now over a hundred members. As an insur
ance order it has always paid its death and accident
claims promptly. It has gained the reputation of being
one of the best and safest of fraternal insurance com
panies. R. E. McMasters is the secretary, and Alex
andra Fairweather is the foreman at the present time.
The following account of the Amherst Council
No. 265, of the Knights and Ladies of Security, comes
from Dr. Powers. 174

AMHERST'S STORY
"Amherst Council No. 265, Knights and Ladies of
Security, was instituted at South Amherst in May,
1895, with a'bout forty charter members. The follow
ing officers of the new council were installed by Broth
er Cass Gibson, of Oberlin: President, George Rice;
Vice President, W. L. Stedman; Second Vice Presi
dent, Elizabdh Gibson ; Prelate, Lodi Gibson ; Record
ing Secretary, E. A. Williamson ; Financial Secretary,
E. S. Huessner; Conductor, W. R. Candoo; Guard,
Arthur Engle; Sentinel, Henry Knuth. As this was
the first fraternal insurance organization at South Am
herst, it drew from a large territory, and its member
ship steadUy increased untU it could boast of nearly
eighty members. The new 'lodge' md in 'Gibson's
Hair every week for a long time after it was organ
ized. Uniforms for the officers and regalia for the
members were purchased and a great deal was made of
the social features of the order. But soon other lodges
came into being, viz: the Foresters, Junior Order of
the American Mechanics, with its ladies' auxiliary,
Modern Woodmen of America, and Royal Neighbors,
so that interest in the original secrd society grew less.
Some time in 1906 'Gibson's HaU' burned, together
with all the records, costumes and paraphernalia of
the Knights and Ladies of Security. After this the
meetings were held at irregular intervals and finally
ceased altogether and the council existed only as an in
surance feature. By the fall of 1912 its membership
had fallen to sixty-two. In September, 1912, under
the efficient work of Distrid Deputy Daugherty, of
Mansfield, there was a revival of interest in the old
175

A M H E R S T'S STORY
council. There was a reorganization, new officers were
elected, a campaign for new members started, and
soon Amherst Council was among the live ones again.
The good work has gone on and we now have a bene
ficial membership of one hundred and twenty-five, with
$141,000 of insurance in force, besides there being
thirty sodal members, making a total membership of
one hundred and fifty-five. We have a good degree
staff, of which Brother Engle is captain. The officers
for the present year are as follows :
"President— B. F. Frame (third term).
"Vice President — Alexander Garland, Sr.
"Second Vice President — Elizabeth Ruth.
"Prelate— Kate Pippert.
"Rec. Secretary — Sarah Thompson.
"Financier — H. W. Powers.
"Condudor — Kate Heusser.
"Guard — J. L. Davis.
"Sentinel — Charles Bruce.
"The past presidents of iCouncil No. 265 are G. W.
Rice, Chris Heusser, Henry Ha)rwood and H. W. Pow
ers. Since its founding the council has lost nine mem
bers by death, to whose beneficiaries $14,700 has been
paid. The Knights and Ladies of Security was the
first insurance company to establish a reserve fund,
and with its steady, healthy growth, is one of the safest
fraternal policies to invest in."
There is quite a list of fraternal orders in Amherst
aside from those whose story has been told in this
chapter. More than a passing mention of them is im
possible because no replies were received from them
giving the story of their order. Aside from those men
tioned in Dr. Powers' skdch of the South Amherst
176

A M H E R S T'S STORY
Council of the Knights and Ladies of Security, there
are the following:
The C. M. B. A.
The Eastern Star.
The Maccabees.
The Pythian Sisters.
Woodmen of the World.
The Modern Woodmen of the World.
Knights and Ladies of Security of Amherst.
Aside from these fraternal orders there are sev
eral adive organizations of a social nature. The Gun
Club is an active organization with a good range. Sev
eral interesting meds are arranged for each season
and exchange shoots with Lorain and Elyria are held.
The Kleo Klub is a recent organization of young
men interested in athletics, social times and good fel
lowship. They have furnished some rooms in one of
the blocks where a central meding place is possible.
The Stone Cutters' Union partakes of a fraternal
nature. It serves as a social organization as well as a
labor organization. As it is largely composed of
Scotchmen, one of the great events of the year is the
Burns' Night celebration, when Robert Burns' birth
day is observed with due ceremony.
Several sewing clubs, such as the Needlecraft
Club, the Just-Sew Club, and others, furnish social in
tercourse for the women.
The social life of Amherst is well provided for.
There is scarcely a night in the week when some lodge
is not meeting or some society not entertaining.

177

XL
BUSINESS THEN
AND NOW.

A M H E R S T'S STORY

CHAPTER XI
BUSINESS THEN AND NOW
The business life of Amherst started soon after
the first settlers arrived. We have recorded the build
ing of the first grist mill, the first saw mill and the first
distillery by Jacob Shupe. Several other mills were
ereded throughout the township as needs demanded
and justified the building of them. These mUls were
the nucleus of larger business interests which were to
develop later in the township. We have traced the
growth of the stone industry. In this chapter we wish
to see the growth in other lines of business in the vil
lage and township.
At one time there was an iron foundry in the
township, where plows and other farming implements
were made. This foundry was run by J. J. Rice, Leek
and Cook. It was started early in the history of the
township, about 1842 or 1843.
Cheese making was once a great industry in the
township. In 1878 there were two cheese factories.
One was owned by Eggleston, Braman and Company,
over near the South Ridge road. This cheese factory
in 1878 took the milk from about six hundred cows and
manufactured nearly two hundred thousand pounds of
cheese and about thirty-five thousand pounds of butter.
Eggleston, Horr and Warner ran another factory near
the Elyria line and near the telegraph road. Both these
factories will be remembered by those who lived here
in those days.
The business center of the township, known as
North Amherst, must have presented a typical village
179

AMHERST'S STORY
scene in the earlier days. With unpaved streets, with
little one-story frame stores with a drive up to the door
and a big roof extension over it, with numerous hitch
ing posts and no sidewalks, we can picture to ourselves
a typical country village. Even the past ten years have
brought a marked change in the looks of the business
center. Thirty years must have changed it far, far
more. But the change has not been merely physical. It
has been personal as well. As one looks over the list
of people who kept the business houses of forty years
ago there are few names that have been perpetuated.
In 1876, some will remember back that far, George
Fuller had a flourishing grist mill. A miller and a mill
wright, he had a big business to see to. He was also
an inventor, producing machine parts that improved
the work of miUing. Sanford and Clark maintained a
blacksmith shop, an indispensable business in that day,
as indispensable as a garage is in the present day.
There was the drug store of Hamann and Seeley, the
only one in town at that time. They had a reputation
of having lower prices than found in the neighboring
towns, even though they had a monopoly on the busi
ness. Plato Brothers kept a grocery and provision
house, well stocked and up-to-date. Dr. Hazel took
care of the tedh of the town. His wife, an experi
enced artist, had an Art Shop, where oil and water
color work was done and materials sold, as well as the
regular photography work. Lathrop and Walker con
ducted the hotel in that day under the name of The
Henrie House. M. Jackson and John Baus served the
community by supplying shoes and boois and all that
pertains thereto. The bank was under the name of the
180

AMHERST'S STORY
Spitzer Brothers, who carried on a prosperous busi
ness, not only dealing in the routine work of a bank,
but also carrying lines of insurance as well.
E. R. Huene succeeded Henry Hirsching in a gen
eral business as dealer in hats and caps, dry goods, gro
ceries, wall paper, boots and shoes, and a multitude of
other useful articles. His was the forerunner of mod
ern department stores.
E. E. Mussey had been established some seventeen
years at the time of this survey of the business inter
ests of the town. He was then the oldest merchant in
the trade. He kept a store similar tb Mr. Huene's and
thoroughly well equipped.
The millinery interests of the town found a cham
pion in Mrs. C. M. Fredericks. She also took care of
the dressmaking demands of the town. Books and
newspapers and stationery found a home with A. J.
Wolcott. He did a flourishing business in school books,
papers and the like in his store on Elyria Street.
Fey and Horn were the furniture dealers of the
town and also the undertakers. For several years Mr.
Horn had pradically a monopoly of the undertaking
business, having won the resped and confidence of the
people of Amherst. Many a home remembers his serv
ices in times past.
One of the business men of the seventies who is
still in business in Amherst is H. C. Smith, jeweler.
His store in those early days held many useful articles
and also toys and notions which appealed to the child
ren. Many things were combined with the jeweler's
trade then that are not tbday.
J. B. Parker, another dealer in boots and shpes,
furnishings and notions, had a large business. Most
181

A M H E R S T'S STORY
of his goods were hand made. In those days the ma
chine made goods were not as well knbwn as they are
today. Qothing and merchant tailoring were taken care of
by the establishment of Charles Spitzetiberg, which was
managed by Daniel Freese. The store was well
equipped, had a good tailbr and Cutter, and evideiitly
did a large business.
Mr. Dubroy had a harness shop, where he sold
harness, whips and goods for hotses. He also carried
on the general repair work that pertains to such a
business. Mrs. R. C. Crocker established a bakery in towii,
whiclvmet with success. Jacob Hildebrand was then
an old reliable standby, having been in business for ten
years. He kept a grocery store. Jacob Stahl had the
hardwai-e interests of the town to look out for, selling
stoves and general hardware and doing tinning and the
like. Charles C. Jaeger carried on the store of his
father, known Under the firm name of Jaeger and
Hliessner. The store did a general business, as so
many did in those days. A. E. Stiwald was then in the
cigar business, meeting with success. R. I. Wolcott
maintained a harness shop, the most extensive and the
oldest in town. E. C. Schuler kept a butcher shop.
J. H. Claus maintained a blacksmith shop, building up
a good trade on his thirteen years' experience. C. M.
Parsons kept a meat market.
A machine shop was run by Barber and Steele,
and a foundry by J. E. Kendeigh. Two livery stables
did a flourishing business, one kept by S. N. Barnes,
and the other by George McNeil. 182

A M H E R S T'S STORY
Other business men of that day were M. H.
Streator, dealer in dry goods ; E. P. Streator, dealer in
groceries ; J. W. Gilbert, agent for pianos, sewing ma
chines, dc. ; L. Hanchet, a cooper; Miss M. A. News-
bury, milliner and dressmaker; E. S. Smith, dealer in
hardware, stoves and the like; Charles Flood, miller;
and D. H. Long, confectionery.
Some of these people are still in business in the
community, but not many. Some have been succeeded
by sons. Other firms have gone out of existence. Time
has produced many, many changes. The little girl who
went dbwn to Mussey's to buy a spool of thread in
1876 would not find things the same today, but far dif
ferent. The school child who bought his books at Wol
cott's, coming back to town today, would find a far dif
ferent Elyria Street than he ran down in those days.
There was another mode of business in that day
that met with great favor, more so than in the present
day. Perhaps some of the old-timers who used to live
out in the township will remember the peddler who
brought around many a useful article in his pack. Per
haps they will remember Thomas Radcliffe, for in
stance, who used to go about the country with such a
pack. He came to town, a boy in his teens, in 1830.
He was apprenticed to a Robert Nelson, a blacksmith,
tb learn the trade. After his marriage to Miss Eliza
beth Garone he had the misfortune of having his right
arm blown off by a premature discharge of a cannon on
July 4th. This was (^Uring the celebration of 1848, and
occurred on the public square of the town. With
children to look out for, Mr. Radcliffe could not sit
idle. He took up a peddler's pack and started out. He
met with a welcome everywhere. The housewife Could
183

A M H E R S T'S STORY
pick out what she wanted in a leisurely way. Stores
were few and far between in those days, and the ped
dler with his pack was a blessing.
Business now is considerably changed. The old
wooden buildings have given way to modern brick and
stone structures. The streds are well paved. There
are broad sidewalks. The stores confine themselves to
a few lines, rather than trying to carry everything.
They are up-to-date in appearance. For the size of the
town Amherst can boast of as fine stores as can be
found anyw^here in the state. The office buildings pro
vide offices which are second to none. Large^ roomy,
Hght floor space gives ample chance to display the
goods of the present stores in Amherst without the ap
pearance of crowded space which musses things up so.
Instead of the old-time dark hardware store, we find
the light, airy store, light from front to back, no dark
corners. Instead of the crowded condition of the old-
fashioned country grocery, we find modem cleanliness
prevailing. The peddler is no longer in very good re
pute. The automobile brings the country folk to town
and takes them home again in the length of time it used
to take to hitch up.
Among the hardware stores are those of Frederick
and Sons, George Ruth, the Wesbecker Hardware
Company, and the Amherst Hardware Company. AU
of these stores have up-to-date equipment. The Wes
becker Hardware Company's store, in their own hand
some building, is a model for light and for attractive
ness. The shoe stores of the present generation are run
by Jacob Baus, John Wagner, and John Ludwig.
Jacob Baus is continuing the store that his father ran
184

A M H E R S T'S STORY
before him. Again, these stores present the best tiiat
can be found anywhere.
Two clothing stores cater to the needs of the town,
one run by Baker-Ebbs, and the other by the J. E.
Plato Sons. Several dry goods stores fulfill the need
in that line. C. G. Aschenbach, Keller and Baus, and
W. J. Bodman handle dry goods, notions and furnish
ings. The latter also has a grocery store. Other gro
cers in town are WiUiam Guild, John Lersh, WilUam
Baker, The Amherst Grocery Company, and the
Quarry Supply Store.
There are at present two meat markets, one run by
Frank Mischka, and the other by Fred Roemer. There
are also two furniture stores, O. H. Baker's, and The
Amherst Furniture Store. Both concerns have under
taking establishments in connection with the business.
H. C. Smith is still in business as a jeweler, but in
modern quarters, having remodeled the front of his
block, putting in modem show windows and fixing his
store over generally. His only compditor is J. B.
Avery, who adds to his jewelry interests the agency for
a line of pianos and talking machines.
The millinery business is taken care of in the pres
ent age by three concerns, Parsons and Young, Mrs.
Lauer, and Mrs. Henry Bodman. An Art Shop, where
all sorts of fancy work can be secured, has recently
been opened, a new departure in the business life of
Amherst. Two first-class drug stores care for that end of
the business life in place of the one that was here years
ago. B. A. Kuss is proprietor of the Nicholl Drug
Store, and Mr. F. C. Oehl has a store which he runs
under his own name. Both stores are modern in all
185

AMHERST'S STORY
their appointments. The Nicholl Drug Store is the old
original, having prescriptions dating back before the
Civil War.
Everything seems to run in couples in Amherst at
the present time. There are two newspapers. The Re
porter and The AmJierst Weekly News. There are
two fruit stands, George Brothers, and Kassuth. There
are two garages, The Amherst Garage, and Dute Bros.
A moving pidure theater, a bowling alley, several
pool rooms and game rooms furnish amusement places
for the town, and a business for their owners.
The hotel, now known as the Jackson House, has
improved its building by marked changes in the in
terior. A larger and more attradive dining room in
vites the public to the meals that are served there.
Bennett's Restaurant also seeks to fill the needs bf the
town along its lines. Sabiers Brothers also conduct a
restaurant in connection with their candy and cigar
store. The Plato Coal and Supply Company serves the
community in numerous ways, supplying coal and
building materials, and also caring for the draying,
moving and the like. The Amherst Supply Company
handles coal and buUders' supplies, also farm imple
ments. The Amherst Lumber Company does a thriv
ing business in all kinds of lumber supplies.
Two livery stables continue the work of the for
mer stables in town, but add to their labors a taxi serv
ice. Gillette's Livery and Coburn's Livery provide ac-
cbmmodations for all who need horses or wish to put
up teams. There are numerous contractors, painters, survey-
186

A M H E R S T'S STORY
of S, and paper-hangers who care for the wants of the
community in their respective lines.
Amherst has always been fortunate in h«- doctors.
Several physicians and two dentists care for the physi
cal welfare of the community. Doctors Wiseman,
HaU, McQueen, Saur, and Foster reside within the
corporation, while t)r. Powers resides in South Am
herst. Dr. Rogers and Dr. Purcell are the dentists of
the present day in Amherst.
Numerous barbets, newspaper dealers and cob
blers serve the public in their own way, making Am
herst complete in her conveniences.
In 1908 The U. S. Automatic Company was or
ganized and soon capitalized at fifty thousand dollars
under the laws of Ohio. The rapid growth of the com
pany soon made it possible to double the capital. With
one exception the entire company is composed of Am
herst men. One man was brought into the company
from Cleveland. He has moved to Amherst, makinig
this his home. For two years the property of the old
cold storage plant was used. Then the Percy Barber
property was secured and a modem up-to-date building
ereded. This building was soon doubled in size and
capacity of output to meet the demands of a rapidly
growing business.
This company makes aU kinds of special machine
parts. Its output is not confined to one line of industry.
It makes special parts for automobiles, machinery of
all kinds, washing machines, and the like. Their
products go wherever automatic machine screw prod
ucts are used. Shipments have been made to all parts
of the United States and Canada.
The shop is equipped with machines of from one-
187

AMHERST'S STORY
quarter inch to four and one-half inch capacity. There
are milling, screw, lathes, shapers and otiier machines
installed. A case-hardening plant is part of the equip
ment. The shop has its own heating plant, is equipped
with the best of modern fire protectors and uses gas
power. All grades of steel are used in the making of the
products of this plant. From ordinary steel the qual
ity runs up through to the special Venadium grade.
Brass is used, too, in the manufacture of special ma
chine parts.
This plant employs many men, who find steady
work, as the plant has steady business, and often runs
over-time catching up with the orders that come in.
The organization has been the same from the start.
Mr. W. H. Schibley is president of the company ; Mr.
A. R. Purmort is vice president; Mr. A. G. Menz is
secretary and treasurer, and Mr. A. J. Uthe is treas
urer. It speaks well for Amherst that such an organi
zation could be started and successfully run by men
born and raised here.
Another organization composed wholly of Am
herst men, or men who have lived in Amherst over
forty years, is the Amherst German Bank Company.
The company was organized in 1906, at a time when
prominent business men thought that there was room
for this bank, and that it was needed in the community.
It opened for business January 2, 1907. That the judg
ment of the men was correct has been proven by the
success of the bank in the community.
The bank was organized by men who had made a
success of their respective lines of work in the commu
nity, some farmers, some stock raisers, some mer-
188

A M H E R S T'S STORY
chants. There was a diversity of talents represented
in the company. AU of the men in the company had
lived in the town at least forty years, and all but one
had been born here. This made a splendid basis for a
corner-stone of confidence in the new organization.
From the first these men decided to run the bank on the
principle of safety first, rather than large margins.
Safety of investment took precedence over other con
siderations. On this basis, it is no wonder that the
bank gained a steady growth and a rapid growth. It
has the confidence of the people of Amherst.
The officials of the bank at present are : E. H.
NichoU, President; George Hobtein, Vice-President;
William H. Schibley, Cashier, and A. G. Menz, Assist
ant Cashier. The directors are the President, Vice-
President, and Messrs. M. C. Kendeigh, Jacob Baus
and Joseph Wesbecker.
Another business organization that promises large
advantages to the town is the Amherst Cold Storage
Company. This company has organized with consider
able capital and has built a splendid building on the
site of the old cold storage plant. The buUding is prac
tically complete and will be in operation within a short
time.

189

XII.
MODERN PROGRES
SIVENESS.

AMHERST'S STORY
CHAPTER XII
MODERN PROGRESSIVENESS
The spirit of progressiveness has always been
with Amherst in greater or less degree. But it seems
to have received greater impulse in the past decade
than ever before. Many decided improvements have
been brought to pass which other towns would have
taken much longer to have accomplished.
As each new invention came into being Amherst
profited thereby. The steam locomotive began to
penetrate the new west very early. And in the earliest
years of its being in Ohio, the Cleveland and Toledo
Railroad pushed through Amherst. Many remember
with what strange delight they, as children, watched
the "iron horse" steam and snort through the town.
The first engine was driven through by Mr. Sanford,
an honored son of Amherst, now of Akron. The first
engine was named "Jenny Lind." Today the Lake
Shore, the most modern of America's raUroads, passes
through Amherst, passing over her streds on bridges
raised on concrete abutments. A long fill connects the
east and west sides of town over the ravine made by
Beaver Creek. 'Fast trains, the fastest in America,
thunder through this town, seizing Amherst's maU bags
and carrying her messages to the corners of the world.
Good local service is provided for the town, connecting
Amherst with her big neighbor, Cleveland.
The electric car soon entered Amherst. The Cleve
land, Columbus and Southwestern RaUroad secured a
franchise and entered the town in 1896, thus giving
191

Am HERS T'S STORY
Amherst good connections with Lorain and Elyria.
This road secured a right of way to South Amherst by
way of Milan Stred to the Lake Shore quarry switch,
and thence south to South Amherst, but never built the
road because of difficulties encountered at the over
head bridge on the West Side. Some day this road
may be put through, conneding the township into a
closer unity.
Years ago a need was felt for a central reading
room where young people could spend their evenings
reading. Several such rooms were provided at various
times, often by the temperance organizations of the
early days. But the time came when public spirit as
serted itself for a better building. Through the gen
erosity of Andrew Carnegie, combined with the gener
osity of the citizens of the township, the money was
raised for a library building and equipment which
would be adequate for the needs of the town for years
to come. This building stands on the corner of Spring
and Elyria Streets. A fine lawn with plenty of shrubs
sets off the building to good advantage. It is built of
sandstone, is one story high and very well proportion
ed. Two large columns flank either side of the
entrance. As one enters the building he approaches the
librarian's desk through a short hall. The desk stands
in a room fitted with card indices aqd reference works
of a larger nature. To either side at the rear are sepa
rate rooms for additional book space. There are two
rooms in the front, one well lined with cases of fiction,
and the other with cases of reference and standard
works. The books of this library are well seleded and
up-to-date. The fidion is aU worth reading. The
other books treat of all kinds of subjeds, giving a wide
192

A M H E R S T'S STORY
variety in biography, philosophy, theology, science,
music, art, and every other subject. All the best maga
zines are on file for readers who care to drop in and
spend an hour or two in this cozy building. Every
thing is conveniently arranged. The librarian is ever
ready to assist in the search for any particular book or
the material for any particular line of study. Miss
Neiding is the Ubrarian at the present time.
In the basement of this building is a large room
used for social functions of different kinds by the boys.
The Y. M. C. A. groups used to meet there, and occa
sionally a Sunday School class meds there for a good
time. It serves many useful purposes in this way. Am
herst may well be proud of her library, a better build
ing and better equipped than most towns of her size
can boast. Another convenience which Amherst people have
enjoyed for some time has been the natural gas fur
nished at a low rate by the Logan Gas Company. This
company started operations a dozen or so years ago
and has built up a patronage which numbers almost
every f amUy within the corporation. Many use the gas
tb heat, cook and Hght by. The pressure is always
good. There is scarcely ever any trouble. The gas
comes from the Logan fields in the southern part of
the state, and in West Virginia. It forms a splendid
fuel for heating, lighting and cooking. Few chimneys
of Amherst in this day belch forth smoke.
Electric lights have been in Amherst for several
years. At first the town owned its own plant. But
now they find they can buy the power cheaper from
outside parties and send it through their transformers
at the central plant here. The town uses the electricity
193

A M H E R S T'S STORY
for lights in the streets. The town is well lighted this
way. The merchants of Elyria and Church Streets
have co-operated to light these two streets in the busi
ness section with the most modern and up-to-date sys
tem of group lights. A cluster of lights at the top of
an ornamental metal pole takes the place of the old arc
lights. These are placed every few feet along both
sides of the streets, forming a very attradive lighting
system for the business portion of the town. Many
comments have been made by out-of-town visitors on
the progressiveness of the town in securing such a
lighting system. Even the Mayor of Cleveland took a
lesson from this little town from those lights.
We read in the Amherst Free Press of the first
telephone in town in the year 1878. It conneded that
paper's office with the store of J. B. Parker, and cre
ated no little interest. Another phone was put in by
A. J. Wolcott from his house to his store. It was con
sidered quite marvelous to be able to speak in an ordi
nary tone of voice and be heard a quarter of a mile
away. But today Amherst is connected with the world
at large by the telephone, which has ceased to be a mar
vel, and too often we lose temper because of slow
connections or a buzzing wire. The Amherst Home
Telephone Company has five hundred telephones in
daily use in the township. More are being put in every
day. The telephone has ceased to be a novelty and is
today a necessity. The Amherst service is good. The
office force is under capable management and the same
courteous treatment is accorded to all. Through this
company connections may be made by long distance
with all cities and towns.
Much of the modern progressiveness of Amherst
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A M H E R S T'S STORY
is due to the adivity of the. Chamber of Commerce,
composed of merchants, farmers, mechanics, doctors,
and whoever cares to join in the work of pushing Am
herst to the top notch of civic attainments. The busi
ness men felt the need of some such organization, for
there were many things which might be brought about
if only there were an organization to push things. So
a general call went out for a meeting to talk things
over. This first meeting was held February 13, 1900.
At this meeting the first steps were taken towards a
definite organization. Committees were appointed and
arrangements made for another meeting. At the next
meeting a definite organization was perfected and
further committees appointed for some of the detail
work which any organization needs to go through
to be on a working basis.
The purpose of the Chamber of Commerce is to
push forward the best interests of Amherst. This has
been done in a notable manner. Thousands of dollars'
worth of improvements have been carried through suc
cessfully through the instigation of the Chamber of
Commerce, working in co-operation with the Council
of the village. Most of the decided improvement's of
the town in the past few years have found their birth
in the Chamber of Cbmmerce and have there been fos
tered to fruition.
The business men and the citizens saw the need
for a water supply and a sewer system. This was one
of the first things that the Chamber of Commerce
took under consideration. It was not long before an
adequate sewer system had found a place in the com
munity. And negotiations were soon under way for
the water system. At first it was planned to have the
195

AMHERST'S STORY
eledric light and the water system plants combined,
but this plan was given up, and arrangements made
with Elyria whereby Amherst could get water through
her plant north of town on the shores of the lake. This
plan has proven eminently satisfactory. Amherst is
getting today purer water than any other town in Ohio
with the exception of Elyria, both having this advan
tage. The water is tested as nindy-nine per cent pure.
And as long as Lake Erie holds out Amherst is sure of
her water supply. The old well is fast disappearing.
The "old oaken bucket" only exists in the song. Every
up-to-date home in Amherst enjoys the satisfaction of
a modern bath. There is nothing that the big city of
fers which Amherst cannot duplicate in modern con
veniences today.
A first class disposal plant is located a short dis
tance from town on the banks of Beaver Creek. Here
the sewerage is taken care of by the best of scientific
methods. So perfect is the system that Beaver Creek
suffers no contamination whatever from the water
from the disposal plant. This has made Amherst a far
healthier place in which to live and has added much to
the physical valuation of the community.
The dangerous hills, Johnson and Milan, have
been made safe and easy of travel by much grading.
Tons of dirt and stone have been hauled in to fill these
hiUs up and tb make the road from South Amherst and
from the West Side to the Center safer and more con-
venient. The Old Spring, which used to be on a level
with the road, is now far below the level, and one looks
on to the roof, or what would be the roof if there were
one at the present time, of the old brewery as he jour
neys over to the West Side. Many a team has been
196

A M H E R S T'S STORY
hauled up that long hill. Many a driver has wished
that it never existed. Today the valley has been filled
up and the hill has been made low. Soon there will be
no hill at all, only the reminiscences of it.
The pavements are another evidence of the mod
ern spirit of progressiveness. The older inhabitants of
Amherst did not have sidewalks to walk on. The pres
ent generation have a pavement as smooth as the best of
sidewalks. The principal street's are all well paved and
plans are under way for the completion of the job by
paving the remaining streets of Amherst. The pave
ment is the best that can be had. A solid concrete foun
dation is covered with a layer of asphalt, making a
pavement which will last for many years. With well
curbed streets, beautiful lawns, fine shade trees and the
new pavement, Amherst forms today as attractive a
town as can be found.
Elyria Road has received its share of attention,
too. A fine macadam road-bed was put in this past
fall, the expense being shared by the people interested,
by the Council and by the Chamber. Many of the farm
ers contributed their services for this piece of work.
Now a fine road offers easy access to the town for the
people of Middle Ridge.
The modern spirit of progressiveness has been felt
also in politics. At the last municipal election a non
partisan tickd was elected by a large majority. This
ticket, made up of men of all political faiths, was
chosen with the express purpose of doing away with
party politics in civic affairs. And the result has been
a well administered community. Other administrations
have been worthy of praise likewise, but nevertheless
the spirit of partisanship has entered in. Honest, un-
197

A M H E R S T'S STORY
biased opinions have been the result of a non-partisan
administration. Public pride is ever asserting itself again and
again in the community. The streets are kept clean.
Homes are made beautiful by well kept lawns and fine
gardens. The spirit of the community is against any
thing which would mar the name and fame of the
town. The thought in the mind of all is to make an
Amherst which wUl truly be a good place in which to
live. This spirit of modern progressiveness is going to
manifest itself in many more ways before many years
have passed. Amherst wUl have a Public Park with a
playground for the children, a ball ground, tennis
courts, wading pond and all the rCst some day. The
spirit for modern improvements is in the air and noth
ing can stop their coming. The old town of the Shupes,
the Ormsbys and the Harrises has grown to a man's
estate. The old wooden stores have been replaced by
modern brick and stone buildings of real beauty. The
old hand pump has given way to a modern chemical en
gine. Soon a fire auto truck will be added to the equip
ment of the town. The old fire cisterns have been filled
up, at least some of them. The modern hydrant with
high pressure has taken their place. Even the horse is
fast becoming an anachronism, giving way to the auto
mobile for business and pleasure in this up-to-the-min
ute town. There is probably more gasoline consumed
in summer by the automobiles which go through Am
herst and which belong in Amherst than there is water
consumed by the horses, to say nothing of the hay
which they eat.
Yes, Amherst is moving along with the times. She
198

A M H E R S T'S STORY
«
doesn't claim to be quite a hundred per cent yd. She
wants to have something to look forward to to attain.
But she is high in her percent, nevertheless, and is still
climbing, and will stUl climb as long as there is any ob
ject ahead to climb for. If you want a good place to live
in, come back to the old town and you'll find it better
than ever. Why, we've just gotten the spirit of youth
at the time when some thought us getting old. We can
prove it in the boast of having the youngest mayor in
the state. And we can prove it by the youthful spirit
of our oldest residents, for they, too, are alive with the
spirit of progress which has gripped the town. If you
doubt our word after all the proof contained in this
record of Amherst's Story, come and see. You'll find
the old town young in spirit and pushing up the heights
of civic progress with a rapid stride. Come and you'll
find a cordial welcome home.

199

XIII.
AN EPOCH EVENT.

A M H E R S T'S STORY
CHAPTER XIII
AN EPOCH EVENT
On May 4, 1914, the following letter was sent to
the CouncU of Amherst.
To the Honorable Mayor and Council,
Amherst, Ohio.
Gentlemen :
May I bring before you for ybur consideration the
suggestion of an Old Home Week to be held some time
in the faU, possibly the first week in October ? Amherst
has many improvements of which she may be proud.
The town shows signs of prepress on every side. It is
well for a town to let these things be known. There
are many sons and daughters who would return for
such a celebration, and the program could be made so
as to attract many visitors from neighboring towns and
cities. Amherst would profit in many ways. Further,
such a celebration would serve to unite the town in one
large undertaking and bring about a stronger spirit of
town loyalty. We have many new families which have
come to us from across the seas. This occasion might
be made a time to make them feel that they have a cor
dial welcome to the community life in this, their adc^t-
ed home. I append a tentative scheme of organization and a
bare suggestion of a program in order that you may
have a basis for your discussion of the project. I do
not consider either organization or program complete
in any way. Respectfully,
(Signed) Robert G. Armstrong,
Pastor, Congregational Qiurch.
201

A M H E R S T'S STORY
This letter met with approval and a committee was
appointed to meet with a similar committee chosen
from the Chamber of Commerce. There was some de
lay in having the two committees meet, but finally they
came together on Monday evening, the sixth of July,
meeting in the Council Chamber. Mayor J. J. Smythe,
F. O. Delbridge, R. E. McMasters, Carl Menz, A.
Baker and Rev. Robert G. Armstrong were in attend
ance, being the members of the two committees ap
pointed, one by the Council and the other by the Cham
ber of Commerce. The meeting was called to order by
Mayor Smythe, who called on Mr. Armstrong to out
line the plan he had in mind and to suggest the scheme
of organization and the method of work by which the
project might be carried through. After hearing the
outline of the project a temporary organization was
effected by electing Mayor Smythe as chairman and
Mr. Armstrong as secretary. By this means the joint
committee was then able to act officially. It was voted
to hold such an Old Home Week celebration on the
twenty-seventh, twenty-eighth and twenty-ninth of
September, nineteen hundred and fourteen. It was then
voted that the temporary organization be made a per
manent one, with Mayor Smythe as General Chairman,
and Mr. Armstrong as General Secrdary.
The next order of business which confronted the
committee was that of appointing committees which
would carry the celebration through successfully. It
was necessary to choose men who would devote time
and thought to the work and who would work hard
for the success of the celebration. It was also neces
sary to choose men adapted to the particular work of
their respedive committees. It was necessary to choose
202

A M H E R S T'S STORY
men who would be full of enthusiasm for their work
and would impart that enthusiasm to others. The suc
cess of the Old Home Week is proof enough that the
committee chose their helpers wisely.
After a long discussion and very careful thought
the following committees were appointed :
Finance — Carl Menz, Chairman; C. G. Aschen
bach, AI Walsh.
Program — WiUiam Schibley, Chairman; Superin
tendent J. R. Patterson, Robert Murray, R. G. Arm
strong, B. G. Bissell.
Publicity — F. O. Delbridge, Chairman; B. A.
Kuss, V. E. McGee.
Decorations — Jacob Baus, Chairman; C. Upp,
Conrad Zilch.
Sports — R. E. McMasters, Chairman; Henry
Wesbecker, B. Webner.
Invitation and Hospitality — A. Baker, Chairman;
Mrs. George Parker, Mrs. Jacob Baus, Frank Foster,
A. E. Stiwald.
Music and Parades — O. H. Baker, Chairman; G.
N. Christian, F. C. Oehl, R. E. McMasters, Harmon
Kuss. Concessions — J. J. Smythe, Chairman; E. E. Fos
ter, William Miller.
Transportation — Henry Arndt, Chairman; E. H.
Jennsen, Charles Miller.
Mr. Menz, as chairman of the Finance Committee,
was made General Treasurer.
The organization being perfected, the committees
appointed by the Council and by the Chamber of Com
merce were automatically discharged and the work of
preparing for the Old Home Week passed over to
203

A M H E R S T'S STORY
these appointed committees. It was voted at this meet
ing that the chairmen of the committees would meet
every Friday night for exchange of ideas and to push
forward the interests of the celebration. This program
was carried out, sometimes all members of committees
joining with this general committee in their meeting.
With such a force of adive citizens back of the move
ment it was bound to succeed.
The work of the Publicity Committee started im
mediately. Leaflets, dodgers, newspapers were used
to present the project to the people. Numerous auto
mobile trips to surrounding towns were made. Signs
were placarded around the county. Everyone was
made to know that Amherst was going to have a big
celebration. The Invitations and Hospitality Commit
tee began at once to get in the names of those who had
once lived here but had moved away. Twenty-five
hundred invitations were sent out to those whom the
town wished especially to see here at this time of jubi
lee. The invitations read as follows:
"To ye Olden Boys of ye Towne of Amherst, in ye
State of Ohio, learned and unlearned, wheresoever ye
be, gredings. "KNOW YE that on ye xxvuth, xxviiith and
X3tixth dayes on ye month of September, in ye year of
our Lord nineteen hundred and fourteen, ye shal as-
sembl in ye towne of Amherst to celebrate ye Olde
Home Week Jubilee thereof.
"KNOW YE, moreover, that at that time, for to
make ye the more merrie, ther shal be those that play
on instruments of musick, strong champions shal per-
forme adventures in ye listes, ther shal be speech-
making by ye celebrated orators, ye teams will disport
204

A M H E R S T'S STORY
at ye game of baseball in ye Athldic Park, ye civic and
merchantile interests will parade, and to welcome ye
right heartily, shal ther be rallies in ye Churches and
reunions of ye Olden Families.
"KNOW YE that to all this ye women are bideen
as well as ye men.
"KNOW YE, too, that the freedome of ye towne
shal belonge to al that celebrate that jubilee, and that
they shal be burgesses of the towne of Amherst.
"THEREFORE, make ye ready and tary not, but
with your wives and your sonnes and your daughters
and your frendes assemble ye at that time and be en
tertained in a manner such as has not been heard of
hitherto. If ye can come inform ye Secretary that he
may provide lodging and make ye comfortable.
"THIS was done in the presence of our trustie
counsellor and messager this first daye of August,
mcmxiv. Witness our hands and Seal of Office.
J. J. Smythe,
General Chairman of Ye Olde Home Week Committee.
Robert G. Armstrong,
General Secretary.
Much was made of the fact that the spring was a
central feature of the town. The slogan for the Old
Home Week was "Back to the Old Spring." The cen
tral figure in the advertising was a picture of a yoke of
oxen drawing a prairie schooner, under which was
written the words of the slogan, "Back to the Old
Spring." Everyone in town caught the enthusiasm of the
committees and began cleaning up yards and making
ready to welcome the home-comers. Business men
hurried through contemplated improvements. The City
205

AMHERST'S STORY
Council forced through needed repairs to sidewalks,
painted trees and telephone poles white, and removed
accumulated rubbish. The whole town underwent a
house-cleaning, every citizen seeking to make things
clean and right for those who were coming back. There
was a united effort to make the celebration a great
success. A week before the dates of the celebration deco
rators began trimming the business houses and streets
of the town. Flags and bunting in great profusion
covered the buildings and swept across the streets. The
town speedily took on a holiday attire. Welcome signs
were conspicuous everywhere. Window decorations
appropriate tb the occasion took the place of mere
trade-getting trims. Everywhere appeared reproduc
tions of the ox team and the schooner headed back to
the Old Spring.
The only uncertainty in the minds of the members
of the committee was in regard tb the weather. It was
a gamble whether at that time of the year the weather
would be good or not. Everyone prophesied rain. Al
manacs predicted it. Gypsies were reported as foretell
ing rain. Wise-heads would shake and look dubious.
But the members of the committee were optimistic and
did not borrow trouble. Before Sunday, the twenty-
seventh of September, the opening day of the celebra
tion, people began to pour in. Every car and every
train brought more and more of the old-timers. The
town began to realize that the old folks were really
with them, that the days so long planned for had ar
rived. Sunday dawned a trifle cloudy, but before church
time the skies had cleared and the sun shone on the
206

AMHERST'S STORY
crowds that made their way to the churches where
they chose to worship. Special services were held in
all the churches. The sermons were appropriate to the
occasion. All the churches were filled to capacity with
the townspeople and the old-time friends who had re
turned. They were happy crowds worshipping togeth
er again in the churches in which they had worshipped
years before. After the services little groups gathered
in different parts of the buildings, exchanging reminis
cences of times past when such and such a one directed
the choir, or so and so was the pastor. The old songs
rang out with a new note as old and young joined in
singing the hymns made all the more sacred by years of
association. Sunday afternoon was given over to visiting.
Friends went about town renewing friendships with
those who had stayed here, viewing the marked ad
vance in the town, noting the progress in every walk of
life. The streets were filled with happy visitors, who
stopped every now and then to exclaim over some old
friend whom they recognized. Greetings of joy and
surprise were on every hand.
The Sunday Evening Mass Meeting will never be
forgotten by those who attended. A big tent, capable
of seating fifteen hundred people, had been secured for
the mass meetings and was erected on the school
grounds. Here fully two thousand people gathered at
seven o'clock Sunday evening. Superintendent J. R.
Patterson presided over the meeting. The Amherst
Choral Union, under the able leadership of Mr. Brad
ley G. Bissell, led the singing and furnished the music
of the evening, ably assisted by the High School Or-
207

AMHERST'S STORY
chestra, under the direction of Miss Edna Bellar. The
program of the evening was as follows :
Orchestra Seledion.
Hymn, "Come Thou Almighty King."
Invocation - Rev. Mr. Egli, St. Peters
Chorus, "Sing Praises" Cruickshank
Male Chorus, "The Heavens are Telling" Beethoven
Hymn, "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name."
Address, "Christian Citizenship" Hon. Earl N. Gibbs
Hymn, "Onward, Christian Soldiers."
Ladies' Chorus, "In Dreams I've Heard" Faure
Chorus, "And the Glory of the Lord" - Handel
Male Chorus, "Sanctus" - Gounod
Hymn, "Holy, Holy, Holy."
Benediction. Mr. Gibbs' address was a ringing, stirring appeal
for Christian citizenship. He made clear that the man
who would take a fore-front place in life must make
the principles of Jesus Christ the principles of his own
life. His address made a deep impression upon the
audience which listened to him.
The music of the evening was especially fine. The
Amherst Choral Union is an organization of Amherst
people interested in good music. They demonstrated
that the best of music can be well rendered when un
dertaken seriously and under good leadership, even
thbugh the town be small and musical talent rare. Much
credit is to be given to Mr. Bissell for his work with
the Union. The Union gave a distinct contribution to
the community life and to the Old Home Week cele
bration. At six o'clock on Monday morning the town was
awakened by the ringing of the beUs and the salute
208

AMHERST'S STORY
from the firing squad of the Eagles. The sky was as
clear and blue as one could imagine. The earth seemed
to be in tune with the spirit of the occasion. Soon peo
ple were out on the streets seeing the sights, riding on
the merry-go-round, inspecting the fakirs' stands,
meeting old friends and "swapping yarns."
At ten o'clock came the mass meeting of the day
at the tent. Mr. A. Baker presided in his usual felicit
ous manner. This meeting was musical and oratorical.
The High School chorus and orchestra furnished the
music. The program of the morning was as follows :
Orchestra Selection.
Invocation — Rev. Mr. Zeigler, German M. E. Church
Chorus.
Address of Welcome - Mayor J. J. Smythe
Chorus.
Address Lieutenant Governor W. A. Greenlund
Chorus.
Address Dr. Dan Freeman Bradley, Cleveland
"A Message for Home-Comers" ^
"America." '
Mayor Smythe's address of welcome brought to
mind many of the incidents of the earlier days. He
made the home-comers feel that Amherst extended to
them a sincere welcome.
Lieutenant Governor Greenlund brought a mes
sage of progress, not alone in national and state Ufe, but
in community life as well. He brought vividly to mind
the advances made since the time the first settlers came
to Amherst, in fact, the tremendous advance made even
in the memory of man. His address was listened to
with deep interest by all.
Dr. Dan Freeman Bradley, the last speaker of the
209

A M H E R S T'S STORY
morning, brought a ringing, cordial message for Old
Hbme-Comers. With keen jest he drove his points
home, clinching them on the other side in an unforget-
able way. He, too, outlined the progress civilization
had made. He paid his respects to the question of suf
frage for women and to one or two other political
points. He made out the horse to be an anchronism
useful only for young couples who desire seclusion
and a minimum of responsibility. With good solid ad
vice, he urged on to future progress those who have
the power to push things forward.
This mass meeting fittingly closed with the singing
of "America." The audience parted to go to the vari
ous homes where they were being entertained.
The afternoon offered a varied program of sports.
Band concerts kept the air full of music. At one o'clock
came a long looked for gun shoot under the auspices
of the Amherst Gun Club. The first prize, a loving
cup, went to Guy Finlay of Elyria, though Henry Wes
becker of Amherst crowded him close for it. There
were six prizes offered in this contest, which made the
contest all the more interesting to those who watched it.
A stirring ball game called the fans together at
Brandt's Park at two o'clock. The Amherst AU Stars
won from the Lorain C. M. B. A. by the score of six
to five. Immediately following the game athletic
events were held at the Park. There were races for
boys and girls, men and women, with prizes for each
event. An automobile parade started the evening pro
gram. Decorated autos in goodly number paraded the
streets of the town, winning applause aU along the line.
Two prizes were offered, a first and a second.
210

AMHERST'S STORY
One of the prettiest features of the whole celebra
tion was the competitive drill. Four societies entered
this drill, the Eagles, the Knights and Ladies of Am
herst, the Knights and Ladies of South Amherst, and
the Royal Neighbors of South Amherst. Each one of
these societies put on a drill so well that it was hard
for the judges to decide. With clock-like precision
each movement was executed. The Eagles won the
first prize. They, under the leadership of R. E. Mc
Masters, presented a splendid appearance in new uni
forms of white with red and blue trimmings. Their
marching was superb. The Knights and Ladies of Se
curity of Amherst won the second prize. Although
some were disappointed, yd none regarded the judg
ment of the judges as prejudiced in any way. The
judges for the events of Old Home Week were Lee
Stroup, W. A. Thompson, and C. G. Washburn.
Tuesday also dawned bright and fair. More ideal
weather could not have 'been asked for. The program
of the day started at ten o'clock with the mammoth
civic and industrial parade. But long before ten o'clock
people began to pour into town by the hundreds, until
it was estimated that pradically ten thousand people
viewed the parade. And even more came in for the
evening. This was by far the biggest day of the cele
bration. Despite the crowds, everyone was happy and
good-natured. At ten o'clock began one of the biggest, if not the
biggest, parade Lorain County has ever seen. Seventy-
four float's, besides a host of marchers, made up the
parade. Business houses were well represented by
floats that depicted the business interests of the town.
Schools and churches had floats representing their in-
211

A M H E R S T'S STORY
terests. Lodges turned out in full force. The Stone
Cutters' Union, headed by bag-pipers, presented the
largest marching body in the parade.
The order of the parade was as foUows : Amherst
Band, city officials, fire department, five wagons, Hen-
ridta Band, W. C. T. U., I. O. O. F., Knights and La
dies of Security, Home Protection, Eagles, K. O. T.
M., Lorain City Band, K. of P. of South Amherst,
Stone Church, Amherst Brotheriiood, Women's Aid
and Musical Socidy, Cleveland Stone Company, Stone
Cutters' Union, Blum and Delbridge, "Knockers,"
"Back to the Old Spring" (oxen with prairie schoon
er), Avery with musical float, H. Wolf's float,
Sdimaucli and Parker's float (a pioneer from the
woods), Amherst Lumber Company's float, U. S.
Automatic's float, Plato Coal and Supply Company's
float, Hickory Tree Grange, Amherst Supply Com
pany's float, Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company's float,
O. F. Hageman's float, Fred Kline's float, Needlecraft
Club's float. Then came a sedion devoted to the schools
with several floats gotten up by the scholars. Floats
representing St. Joseph's Church, C. F. Schmauch,
Ruth Brothers, Cort's Laundry, The American Dyna-
lite Company, S. Dellefield, Frederick and Sons,
George Brothers, Amherst Furniture Company, Baker-
Ebbs Company, Jacob Baus, St. Peter's Church, Am
herst Hardware Company, Wesbecker Hardware Com
pany, O. H. Baker, Harry Freeman, Roemer's Markd,
Studebaker Company, Harry Martin, Southern Plan
tation, Diamond Cheese Company, Chevrold Auto
Company, Reo Motor Company, L. P. Lersh, and the
Empire Theater completed the parade. The floats of
the lodges and societies represented much work. The
212

A M H E R S T'S STORY
industrial floats depicted ¦the business life of the town
in excellent manner, being both attradive and instrud-
ive. All the floats were well gotten up. Perhaps those
attracting most attention were the old ox-cart, the flay
ers of grain, and the country store, with the prices of
forty years ago in prominent view. These carried the
people back to the old times. The judges had a hard
time deciding on the prize floats. They had to ask to
have the floats pass in review a third time before a de
cision was reached. O. H. Baker and Blum and Del-
bridge secured the industrial prizes, while the Public
Schools and St. Peter's Church secured the civic prizes.
Words of praise for the success of the parade
were on every person's lips as the crowd scattered for
dinner. The Music and Parades Committee had done
its work well, much to the pleasure of all. The parade
will long be remembered as one of the big parades of
Lorain County.
At one o'clock activities commenced again with a
band concert. At two o'clock the band escorted the
crowd down to the Athldic Park to witness a sharp
contest at Soccer football between a team from Blum
and Delbridge's and one from the Ohio Cut Stone
plant. The contest resulted in a tie.
Following the football game came more athletic
events, closing with a water fight on Main Stred,
which was witnessed by a good crowd.
The closing mass meding at the tent was held
Tuesday night at seven o'clock. Mr. A. Baker presid
ed. The Amherst Choral Union and the High School
•Orchestra again furnished the music of the occasion.
213

AMHERST'S STORY
The program of the evening was as foUows :
Orchestra Seledion.
Invocation.
Chorus, "Bridal Chorus" Cowen
Address, "Business Forces and the Community"
Mr. WiUiam Schibley
Male Chorus, "Heights" Spohr
Address, "Social Forces and the Community"
Rev. Robert G. Armstrong
Male Chorus, "Battle Hymn" - Wagner
Address, "Civic Forces and the Community" Mayor J. J. Smythe
Closing Song, "Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot"
The addresses of the evening were listened to with
evident interest. Mr. Schibley described the advance
that had been made in the business life of the commu
nity and how the business forces had grown and taken
a larger and larger part in that life. In a prophdic
veiin he pointed out the progress that might be made in
the future with the evident increase in opportunities
which Amherst was offering.
Mr. Armstrong devoted his time to describing the
value of unity of effort in the future in social lines,
educational, social and religious. He advocated a closer
union between existing societies and organizations for
the betterment of the town life and for the furtherance
of public spirit. He voiced the desire to see Amherst
the "Village of Brotherly Good WiU," where the ad
vance of one was the advance of all, and where the faU
of one was the faU of all.
Mayor Smjrthe pidured the growth of the town in
dvic ways and took a look into the future years, in
which greater things might be done by and through the
214

AMHERST'S STORY
spirit of hearty co-operation, the spirit of dissension
and of opposition to every good movement being buried
deep in the earth.
At nine o'clock the streds were crowded with a
happy, jovial crowd, intent on enjoying themselves.
The Grotesque Parade got lost in the crowd, but never
theless everyone had a good time throwing confetti,
wielding the mighty tickler and joining in the fun and
frolic. Dancing was to be enjoyed in Redington's HaU all
the evening. Great numbers availed themselves of
this amusement. It was early the next morning before
the crowds left the hall and turned homeward to dream
of Home Weeks yet to come.
Two editorials in the Amherst Weekly News of
October 2, 1914, are worth quoting in completing this
chapter on the Old Home Week.
"The Old Home Week celebration which just end
ed is the biggest event of its kind ever known in the
history of Amherst. For the past week we have wel
comed back home old-timers who left Amherst when
Amherst was apparently at a standstill. All of them
were surprised to see the progress we had made. Peo
ple in our county who had not visited Amherst in years
were with us and were favorably impressed. One busi
ness man from out of town was heard to remark tiiat
he wished that his business was located in a 'live' town
such as Amherst. Another that he would help move
the 100 per cent sign from Elyria to Amherst, which
are only two of the many favorable remarks made by
men from out of town. Each business man should stop
and ask himself if the money he contributed was well
spent. We had a purpose in the Old Home Week
215

A M H E R S T'S STORY
celebration. Of course, we wished to med our friends
and relatives, but more than that, we wished to impress
them with the fact that Amherst is the most beautiful
town in the country, that it is extremely prosperous and
growing, and that it offers the greatest opportunities.
"Not aU who have gone away can return here to
become citizens. They have found other interests. But
every visitor who spent 'the week with us learned of
the progress that has been made in recent years, saw
again the beauties and opportunities of the viUage and
then spread the good word the country over.
"Little did Judge Harris think, when he built the
first log cabin on Beaver Creek, that he was sowing the
seed from which such a prosperous town would grow.
What would he think if he could see us now? In the
old days it did not seem extraordinary for a man to
waUc in the middle of Elyria Stred. They had no side
walks in those days. Nor did they have sewers and a
sewerage disposal plant, a public library, nor central
ized public schools. They drove through town with
mud up to the hubs of their wagons. We have shown
the people of Amherst what we have. Our advance
has been marvelous. We have gained a great amount
of ground. We have advanced forward. Let us hold
the ground we have gained. There should be no step
backward. . . . Ld this not be the end of the
boosting of Amherst, but the beginning. The New Am
herst was born this day. Let us keep it going."
And in another editorial the paper caUs attention
to this interesting fad :
"With more than six hundred people registered as
home-comers to our big celebration and perhaps fifteen
thousand other visitors here to participate in or watch
216

A M H E R S T'S STORY
the festivities of the Old Home Week, it is most re
markable that there should have been no accidents or
untoward incidents. It is true that some undesirables
were attracted here, and that we had two burglaries
committed during the three days, but this could not be
prevented, and was, in a way, to be expeded. Our po
lice force was adequate and took very good care of the
crowd. The fad remains, however, that with all the
great gatherings of people for parades, displays and the
like, there was not a single accident of any consequence
— ^not even so much as a runaway. And with the deco
rations and special lighting, there was no fire loss. The
police court docket shows one arrest, and that for one
who imbibed too much from 'the cup that cheers.
Whether or not it was a clean crowd or that they were
well taken care of is a question we do not attempt to
answer  At any rate we have done some
thing of which we are iproud. We not only succeeded
in attrading people here and entertaining them well,
but we cared for them in an excellent manner. The
people of Amherst demonstrated their ability to do
many things."
Letters of deep appreciation were received from
those who were able to come back for the celebration,
after they had returned to their homes. Hundreds of
Idters of sincere regrd at inability to be present came
to the Secretary. Hundreds of hearts beat quicker
when the unique invitation came to their homes from
the town that once was their home, telling them that
they were not forgotten, even though years and dis
tance separated them from the town of their birth. Had
the Old Home Week done nothing more than to turn
217

AMHERST'S STQRY
those hearts back to many happy, yes, and sad remem
brances, it would have been worth whUe. One cannot
free himself wholly from the past. It is a golden past,
and ought to be treasured in the mind. "The Old
Spring" of life must never dry up within us, but con
stantly rejuvenate us, quickening our footstep.

A M H E R S T'S STORY

CONCLUSION.
Well, my task is done. Amherst's Story has been
told so far as it has been possible for me to teU it. Much
material might still be found for a larger book, had one
the means of securing the same. But it would seem
that it would take a person's life-time to collect it, for
those who have it seem reluctant to part with it unless
personal visitation is made with much prayer and sup
plication. This account has not attempted to praise any of
the later men of the community, much less the living.
Their deeds speak for them. This story tells the
achievements of the township and the town in the years
of its history. It has not attempted to be a biographical
encyclopedia of all who ever lived within the borders of
the town. The honest attempt has been made to give
the first settlers their well-earned credit for the found
ing of the town. Those who have built on their foun
dations have their memorials written all around them.
The task of writing this story of Amherst has been
an agreeable one. Much pleasure has been gained from
acquaintances made by letter and in person with those
who once Uved here. And much gratification has come
from those who wished the work success and sought to
make it so by every possible means.
Appended is the Patron's List, made up of those
who subscribed for the book before it went to press,
thus insuring the financial support necessary to meet
the expenses of publication. The maiden names of the
wives and married women are given. In this list some
219

A M H E R S T'S STORY
may find addresses of friends long missing. Make good
use of it and renew the friendships of old times, that
Amherst's spirit may circle round the world in the
golden chain of friendship.

220

PATRON'S LIST.

Name. Maiden Name. Address.
C. G. Aschenbach (Louise Plato) Amherst, O.
Noah B. Aiken Box 51, R. F. D. No. 1, Owosso, Mich.
J. B. Avery (Bessie Earl) Amherst, O.
W. C. Bailey 22 Logan Ave., Sharon, Pa.
Jacob Baus (Mary E. Wolcott) Amherst, O.
Mrs. William B. Barney (Emma S. Park)
P. O. Box 125, Carolina, R. I.
George W. Barney 3013 Eagle St., Los Angeles, Cal.
Mrs. Etta M. Barney (Etta M. Christopher) 214 Broad St., Elyria, O.
Mrs. Mary Bassett Amherst, O.
Mrs. J. T. Battcher (Mary Hageman) 517 Oberlin Ave., Lorain, O.
Charles E. Boughton (Julia E. Boughton) Amherst, O.
Mrs. Bertha Baus (Bertha Haker)
R. No. 1, Box 17, Midland, Mich.
J. L. Beesing Amherst, O.
H. L. Beesing Amherst, O.
Philip Braun (Ada Dute) Amherst, O.
Mrs. Earl F. Button (Wilhelmina D. Wetzel)
663 2nd Ave., Detroit, Mich.
Miss Emma Burr 313 Hunter St., West, Hamilton, Can.
Mrs. Z. A. Clement (Ella Crocker) Strongsville, O.
Mrs. S. G. Comstock (Hattie M. Streator)
206 W. Lorain St., Oberlin, O.
Spencer Crocker 157 E. Bridge St., Berea, O.
A. W. Curtis MonroevIUe, O.
Almeron Crandall Brownsville, Oregon
Mrs. Joseph L. Daniels (Minerva Emeline Tenney)
Melrose Ave., Tryon, N. C.
F. O. Delbridge Amherst, O.
H. D. Earl 213 S. Fannie Ave., Tyler, Texas
Mrs. Sarah Engle (Sarah Blackman) Elyria, O.
Mrs. Edward W. Felger (Alice Wilford)
3848 N. Delaware Ave., Indianapolis, Ind.
William Fembach 349 Cleveland Ave., Columbus, O.
Mr. Ed. E. Foster Amherst, O.
Mrs. George A. Frantz (Elizabeth Diantha Swartwood)
3094 W. 101st St., Cleveland, O.
221

Henry Frederick 319 9th St., Lorain, O.
Dr. C. H. Frederick 202 Fifth St., Lorain, O.
Mrs. Amy Freeman (Amy R. Pember) LaGrange, O.
Mrs. Buel Gillette (Carrie Barney) Amherst, O.
Mrs. James M. Gillmore (Lotta B. Walker)
1833 W. 48th St., Cleveland, O.
C. L. Good (Edna Maurer) Amherst, O.
Mrs. C. M. Goodenow (Carrie M. Turney)
303 W. 3rd St., Barberton, O.
Mrs. Lucia L. Gray (Lucia L. Tyrrell)
Mountain View Park, Cape Elizabeth, Me.
J. Ernest Hafele, 270 Randolph Ave., E. Rutherford, N.J.
Albert Hageman 1139 Sth Aye., Lorain, O.
Mrs. P. L. Hageman 301 W. 22nd, Lorain, O.
Mrs. Adam Hahn (Katherine Beller) Amherst, O.
Mrs. Harry Hamilton (Rose M. Jenne), New Smyrna, Fla.
Mrs. W. A. Harman (Alice A. Gilbert)
1389 Fitchland Ave., Toledo, O.
Mr. and Mrs. Harry R. Hazel (Edith Prince)
871 Parkwood Drive, Cleveland, O.
Misses Lucy and Pansy Horn Amherst, O.
B. N. Horn 700 8th St., Lorain, O.
Mrs. Ernestine Higgins (Nee Kuss)
Mrs. Effie Hngent (Elfie Wolcott) 48 N. Gamble St., Shelby, O.
Mrs. Emma May Hunter (Nee Horn) R. D. 1, Yatesboro, Pa.
C. E. Hurlbut Amherst, O.
Mr. John Jackson South Amherst, O.
Miss Ella Jaeger Amherst, O.
Mrs. Thomas E. Jones (Nettie May Wilford)
605 S. 4th St., Aurora, 111.
Lulu Kendeigh 221 W. College St., Oberlin, O.
Mrs. A. H. Kern (Aurelia M. Dute)
99 Chestnut St., Detroit, Mich.
Mrs. V. J. King (Golda Marie Boughton)
641 Hamilton Ave., Lorain, O.
Mrs. C. E. Klotzbacb (Catherine Hageman) Independence, la.
J. L. Krause (Sophia Beesing) 331 West 8th, Elyria, O.
Mrs. John Krugman (Anna D. Dute)
336 West 9th St., Elyria, O.
John Kruick R. F. D. No. 2, Lorain. O.
Mamie Kuss Amherst, O.
Hattie KusB Amherst, O.
Herman Kuss Amherst, O.
B. A. Kuss Amherst, O.

H. W. Leake Duvall, Wash.
Frank Leake Proctor, Minn.
Mrs. F. E. Leslie (Florence E. Harris)
226 Mulberry St., Riverside, Cal.
F. Melville Lewis (Edna C. Bailey)
1230 Summit Ave., Cleveland, O.
Mrs. E. E. Linden (Eva E. Heath)
731 Parkwood Drive, Cleveland, O.
John Henry Ludwig Amherst, O.
Mrs. T. W. McCauley (Miss Jennie Ormsby)
5704 Broadway, Cleveland, O.
R. E. McMasters (Alice H. Earl) Amherst, O.
Dr. McQueen Amherst, O.
T. W. Matthews Hotel Jackson, Box 444, Amherst, O.
Miss Bertine E. Miller 1336 E. 84th St., Cleveland, O.
Mrs. Emma Meinke (Nee Kuss)
Mrs. Henry Neeb (Elizabeth Kranshaar) Dexter, Mich.
P. J. Morrissy 195 Front St., Berea, O.
Mrs. B. A. Nettleton (Melissa Roxena Tenney)
1220 E. 57th St.. Chicago, 111.
Mrs. Lillie A. Nicholl (Nee Lacy)
545 S. Gramercy PI., Los Angeles, Cal.
Frank C. Oehl Amherst, O.
Mrs. J. B. O'Bannon (Lillian Agnes Allen)
Hotel Avonmore, AshTille, N. C.
The Ohio Quarries Company 1306 Citizens Bldg., Cleveland, O.
Hiram Belden Ormsby, M. D.
1927 E. 66th St., Cleveland, O.
Mrs. Lucy Ormsby (Lucy B. Belden) Amherst. O.
George Parker (Lucia Harris) Amherst, O.
George V. Parsons (Ella C. Morris)
3266 W. 84th St., Cleveland. O.
Mrs. D. E. Parsons (Mary A. Reid) Lilac Ledge, Avon Lake, O.
George David Parsons 3268 W. 84th St., Cleveland, O.
Corice C. Pearl 33-35 Benedict Ave., Norwalk, O.
Plato Coal and Supply Company Amherst. O.
Henry L. Plato Amherst, O.
Plato Lodge, I. O. O. F. Amherst, O.
A. A. Plato 1316 Second St., Lorain, O.
Mrs. E. E. Raymon (Grace Rankin)
1614 Mentor Ave., Cleveland, O.
Mrs. Conrad Cornelius Reid (Helen Charlotte Crandall)
36 Knowles St.. E. Cleveland. O.
Miss Robbins Amherst. O.
Thomas Roe 25 Forbes Ave.. Northampton. Mass.
223

YALE UNIVERSITY

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