The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1856-04-10
The Early history OF Mantun'
NJ JOHN HARMON.


ness, TO the close Of 1904, at which time
there were about ten families in MSntua, and
at the close Of 1906, but about twelve or
thirteen, all settled near the Cuyahoga, ex-
cept Bssel Windsor, Beh., who, aS ] before
stated, located on the south part OF lot %,
about half mile southeast OF the center OF
the township. Those families were, the two
Atwaters, two JudsonS--G and Sam
usl--two Ponds, Harmon, Edwards, Wind
sor, and William Russell, the last then re-
Gently sett led on the east part Of lot 40
now owned BY the widow OF family Of the
late Patrick Ray--and Wareham Loomis,
who settled about that time on northeast
part of lot 90, since owned by the Pinney
family. Honey had left, and on his place
Samuel Forward, Jr., staid q short time
Also. Capt. Ezra Wyatt lived on the Honey
farm awhile, and was while there, elected the
fret Militia Captain in Mantua. He com.
manded the militia of Nelson, Hiram, Man.
tua and Aurora. and was promoted to Major,
and was succeeded as Captain, by Delaun
Mills, of Nelson, in 1905. Wyatt re-
moved to Hudson, about the fall Of 1905,
and owned the mill on Thinkers Creek--and
afterwards lived at Stow Corners. Samuel
Forward, Jr., moved to Mesopotamiu, about
the same time. and thence TO Warren. and
Afterwards to Mecca, ,Trumbull county where
he died many years ago. There were also,
several single men in Mantua then, to wit !;
Baxel Windsor, Jr, who first opened farm
on the southwest part Of lot %, now occu,
pied by Mrs. jones, Calvin Loomis, who lv-
ed and worked with his brother Wareham,
EnOch Jndson, and Zacheus Harmon.
Rattlesnakes were plenty in Mantua in
those times. The large yellow kind on the
hill lands, bordering on the Cuyahoga River,
and the Black, or Massasauga, in the low
lands; but no death ever occurred by their
b:le in that town. Brother Zacheus Har
mon. in the month of August, think it was
1903, being unwell, lef. the house Of brother
Elias, to 60 to tamarack swamp, for Gum,
to take. to improve his health He took the
old Burton road, north westerly to the town.
ship line, some quarter Of a mile below
where since was MOy's mill, on lot 5, thence
went west, along the town line, to the first
tumarack swamp, on lot 4; and while busiy
engaged cutting of gum with his knife
being barefooted, he felt the fangs of tht
Eshake in his foot, and saw the spiteful Mas
sasauga drawing back for n second bite
He dropped his knife, and run for home, no
staying to kill the snake. On his way; feel
ing faint, he stopped ut the crossing Of the
brooks, and soaked the wound in mud, ant
was just able to get home, about one and I
half mile. Mr. Gershom Judson came there
and the wound was gashed and Mr.. Judson
having a sound sci Of teeth, applied hi
mouth to the wound, aud eucked it. An In
dian. I think it was old Sogimaw, doctore
it seine, using, it was said, sweet oil. HI
was sick and lame with The bite good while
but recovered. Though, for many years af
ter that, he was sure to have sick spell
about the same time every August.
l have been at the Killing of good man.
of the yellow rsttlers in Mh.ntua. We hs'
one venture into our house when we frat set
tied on lot IL, in 1915. In the spring o
1907, while helping Mr. joel Baker, the frs
lone settler Of Shalersviie, rolling logs, OF
lot 46, Shalersville, we turned up an old de
cayed chestnut log, and uncovered pair o
large yellow rattlers, that we had no doub
had spent the winter there. They usual,
went In pairs.
Though game was plenty In those enrl
times, the settlers were too intent on thei
great objects, opening their farms and rails
ing crops, to spend much time at hunting -
Indeed, believe none Of them, except Ed
wards, Bazel Windsor, Jr., and the Loomls
es hunted at all, and they only on the frs
fall and early winter SHOWS. II game came
in their way, they took it, if they could
Judge Harmon rarely eversused gun. A
hawk. one day. came down upon hen, nea
the house, and Mrs. Harmon stepped ou
and spread her apron over and secured him
The bird seemed to scarce know people al
enemies.
| FRoIT.-Man:ua has been famous for up
Piles. ] have before mentionedsthe nurser,
Of Moses Pond, from which the apple tree
were taken for the first orchards of the ear
ly settlers. Peach trees were also earl!
raised, so thpt in 1906. Mcintosh, Edwards
Moses Pond, and the Windsors had plent!
of peaches. In 1905, Zacheus Harmon
planted large apple nurseries in Mantua-'
one on Mclntoshes farm, one on JGtham AT
waters, on lot 4l--and one on his own ia!nd
on lot l2, from all which he raised probably
20 to 25 thousand apple trees He also thu
same spring, planted one nursery, Of near I
half acre. on the land of Judge Forward, a
the Centre Of Aurora, and near half acre
on the land of VIM. w. Williams, in Cleve
land, (now Newburgh) He afterwards. ii
1908, and again in 1914, planted large nur
series on his land, and that Of Seth Harmon
on lot 10, from all which the farmers o
Mantua, and the county and the counties ad
jacent, were supplied with more than one
hundred thousand apple trees.
In 1906. the settlement Of Mantua pro