The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1856-03-20
The Early History of Mantua.
BY JOHN HARMON.

formed in Connecticut, and the members
of which lived in Sufield, Connecticut.
That Company assumed the name of the
"*Sufield, Cuyahoga, and Big Beaver, land
Company" and bought of the State of Con-
necticut portion of the Reserve, for which
the Company drew as their part, in the par.
tition of the lands lying east of the Cuyaho.
ga River and the Portage path, the four
townships Of Warren. MaLiua, Aurora, and
Thompson, with their several annexations,
called equalizing lands, to wit, the annexa.
ton fer Man,ua, was part Of Chester,
| (No. s, Range 81 that for Aurora, was the
north part of Newbury (No. Z, Range 81
and Warren drew Its share in independence,
(No. 6, Range l2.) Thompson drew equal
izing land in Conneaut.
The members Of the "Suffield Cuyahoga,
Big Beaver, Land Company" were the three
brothers, David and Fidelio King. and Ebe.
nezer King Jr., Joseph Pratt, Luther Lonmis
John Leavtt Jr., Martin Sheldon. Timothy
Phelps, Ashbel King, Simon Kendall, Oil.
yer Sheldon. Silvanus c. Griswold, Erastus
Granger, Reuben Bardwell, Andrew Bard.
well, and Matthew Thompson.
In the partition of these four townships,
however, several drew their lands in but one
or two of those townships, ard some of the
members sold out their inter ests before the
lands were offered for sale and settlement;
so that the two Bardwells, Loomis, Prutt,
Phelps, Leavitt and Thompson, were not
known as proprictors OF Mantua after the
settlement commenced, and some tracts
were owned by Gideon Granger Jr., Oliver
LEICESTER Phelps, and Thomas Sheldon;
and EbenrzHr Sheldon came in fer share
of Martin SheIdpn's interest. Tao three
brothers. Kings, and Martin end Ebenezer
Sheldon, owned, the greatest interest in
Mantua.
The survey Of Mantua, dividing it into
lots, was made in 1893 David Abbot, Esq,
who settled about that time at Chagrin now
Willonghby, was the Surveyor; and for Lts
assistants. chainmen aud markers he had
Rufus and Elisha Edwards, brothers, Peter
French, paschal p. MclEtosh, and Garrett
Bra IS. II is understood that Abbott had a
contract to sell or contract and,and procure
settlers in the township. A II of his assist
ants took up land, ard commenced to open
| it, but only Rufus Edwards and p. p. McIn.
| tosh, became permanent settlers there. The
township was surveyed into forty-two lots,
Of about 420 acres each, the township being
81 miles from East to West, and miles
from North to South. The lots number
from West to East, in writing order, begin
ming at the Northwest lot, being six lots
from West to East, and seven from North to
South.
The first improvements, or attempt at i'm.
provement, were made by the several assist.
ants of the Surveyor, and in 1893 Rufus
Edwards, made permanent Improvement
on the Nerth west quarter of lot "a, (now
owned by Samuel NIoor) near the centre of
the quarter. Mcintosh commenced near
the centre oil his farm, which was the South.
east quarter of lot %, on which bis pmiable
widow now resides. Elisha Edwards took
the Southeast quarter Of lot 81, and Brass
the Northeast quarter of lot 33, and they
commenced to make improvements adioin
ing on the lot line between them, on the
farm now occupied by Rev. Mr.. Lee. Pc.
ter French, took the South west quarter Of
lot 30, and commenced to improve il. near
the centre of the West line OF the quarter.
some forty rods West of the corners, where
is now the Brick Tavern. Eiisha Edwards,
Brass and French, abandoned their chopping
the same season, without clearing any land
for crops. But RUFUS Edwards, and McIn.
tosh, persevered and William Crooks who
died in Aurora, within the last year, aud
whose family then lived in Warren. took
Peter Freneh's choppng and cleared piece
and planted it to corn and pumpkins, the
spring Of 1893. None of them however,
wintered in Mantua during the winter OF
1883.
In the spring of 1899, Abraham Honey
and wife, moved into Mantua, from Burton,
and settled near r. Edwards, on the South
west qua' ter of lot "a, now owned by the
heirs of Benjamin Moor Mrs Honey, was
sister Of Rufus Edwards. She had start.
ed for New Connecticut, from East Wind.
sor, Connecticut, with her three brothers.
Rodophus, RUFUS and Elisha, and on the
road became acquainted with Mr.. Honey. a
fellow traveller, and married him. She was
the first white woman settler, and probably
the first that ever set foot in the township.
!. The second family in the township was
my late brother Elias Harmon, and l am
happy to have TO aid me here copy of the
daily journal kept by him in his passage to
this country with his wife. and until May
26, ls0O--he having settled on his farm in
Mantua the last Of September 1899. It
shows persevering struggle with hard
times. He and his young wife, (they were
then but recently marfied), left our family
mansion in Sutiield, (west parish) Connec-
ticut, in February, 1899, and travelled by
two horse sleigh to what was then called
'the Gennessee country. and stopped in Pitts
town, now in Monroe County, few miles
east OF where is now Rochester, New / ork,
| and ,Da;ted fnr tho ice tn leave tha lak AZ tss