Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1857-07-01
Semi-Centennial Celebration at Tall
madge.

On Wednesday the Gath inst, the ok
Inhabitants, the Pioneer Fathers anC
Mothers of Tallmadge, with their chill
dren, and grandchildren and thei
friends from the neighborhood around
assembled to- the number of four or five
thousand. We make few extracts from
the Cleveland Hrald.
The gay cavalcade, extending three
miles, was escorted by Marshal SPERRY
and his Assistant, TO the chosen spot, tC
the inspiring music of the Tallmadgt
Ccrnet. and the Cuyahoga Falls Band
In the grove a stand for the Speakers
Choir, Surviving Pioneer Fathers and
Mothers, ect., had been erected-cOm'
Portable seats were provided for the thou
y sands, with OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES between,
and broad sisles-and in rear of the
stand, long tables literally groaned with
the weight of choice eatables the good
housewives and maidens of TRllmadge
had prepared for the Semi Centennial
Festival. r s-o-I5r
The Hon. E n. Sill, addressed the
audience, and su~ccinctly skelched the
History of Tallmadge. First he spoke
of the
FIRST SETTLEMENT IN OHIO.
The first permanent settlement in Ohio
E was made on the Ohio river at the mouth
the Muskinsum, in 1888, by Gen.
Rufus Putnam.
FIRST SETTLEMENT ON WESTERN RE
The first settlements Of. the Western
Reserve were made in 1895, at Conneaut,
q Ashtabula county; Youngstown, Mahon-
ing county; and at Cleveland and Bed
ford, in Cuyahoga county.
Trumbull county, originally compriz-
ing within its limits the whole of the
Reserve, was formed in 1900. at which
time the Town of Warren contained two
log cabins, with sixteen white inhsbi-
tants.
Portage county was formed from
Trumbulliu 1907. Ii contained perhaps
some 500 inhabitants, but was almost
an unbroken forest.
In 1907 the first family, hat of the
Rev. David Bacon, settled in Tallmadge.
The report of Mr.. SIPS address, is long
but full of exceedingly interesting de-
tails of the progress of the settlement Of
the township. 1t was laid out under the
direction Of The laie Gen Simon Perkins
ein 1903. The principal proprietor was
Mr. Tallmadge, who omned GAS acres.
The colonists were almost entirely from
the New England States, not only reso-
Lutte men, for that is the ordinary char
acteristic of pioneers. but men of resolute
opiety-decendants of the Puritans.
THEIR FIRST ACTS.
One of the first acts of these coIonists
was the organization of a church. This
was done on the 21st of January, 1909
The Rev. Simeon Woodruff was the
first settled Minister in Tallmadge. He
was installed as the Pastor of the Congre
g~ational Church in May, 1914. at the
barn of Ephriam Blark, jr.
We have Hot space to give more Of
the proceedings. TallInadge has set an
example which should be followed by
every township on the Reserve. Such
meetings would be exceedingly interest
ing in themselves, and not only add to
the stock of reliable information of the
early settlement of the country, but
would create an interest in, and develope
the urgent necessity for, Immediately col
,Iecting the materials for a reliable his
tory. The early pioneers are fast pass
ing away. A few years more and the
last one will be gone. With them will
pass away the only reliable source from
whence such a history can possibly be
made.