Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-07-17
MORNING LEADER.
First settlement of ROckDOrt.
Written for he Cuyshogz County HisioEieal Society,
BYJ D. TAYLOR.



The first wedding in the township was at
Datus Kelley's, in December, 1912. The P2r-
ties were Chester Dean, brOiher-in-law to Da-
tus Kelley, and Julia, daughter of Abner Sr2Eh,
Of Dover George Wallace, of Cleveland, per-
formed the marriage ceremony. Mrs. Darus
Kelley, in writing to the " subscriber a few
years ago in relation to this wedding, says
"The guests came on oI-sleds from Dover
and the region round about-no clergyman to
perform like ceremony, or any other, within
sixty miles Of Cleveland" Tradition says that
this was I" one Of the weddings"
Now, all the world knows that Datus Kelley,
while he lived in Roekport, had good vietuals TO
eat. He has even owned up to this "subscri
ber'' that he used to eat too much, and " hat he
did cat was too good for his health-hurt his
constitution.
The reader may imagine himself at Datus
Kelley's log cabin, on this wedding occasion
Time, o'clock P. n. Table spread for sup
per- Host and hostess at the head of the table.
The customs have changed since that time in
some things; then the host and hostess sat,
both together, at the head Of the table now
one takes the head and the other the foot. But
We were going TO describe that supper--at least
make an attempt In those days ali the yietuals
,s0ra nut on 10 the table right before the face
and eyes of the guests. Didn't have any bell
then to call " servant" from the kitchen to
get this. or that dish. There leaSR'f no servants
then they were either " hired men, or hired
girls, and the hired help ate at the same table
with their employer, and the hired man stood
lust as good q chance to be Governor Of Ohio as
his employers son did. There were lrOmsn in
those DAYS, too. Wonder what has become Of
the women? or is woman and lady synony-
nous In the book of books we read about
GOI's making a being out Of one Of Adams
ribs, and Adam called her woman. There is
but one place in the bible where mention is
made of a lady, and that is by St John; and
it is the opinion of the writer that st. John
was back-slid at the time, and trying to Z" shin
up" to her.
But about that supper. Wa bad the time z
P. NJ. Datus Kelley and wife at the hsad e.
the table. Bill Of Fare :-Sparerib Of course,
for December is killing time" Chicken pic.
(If they had q roast turkey it was a wild One.)
Pumpkin pie Short cake fThe short cake was
baked in a spider before the fire. Mr.. Kelley
will bear me witness that this is the king Of all
eakes) Pound cake Raisin cake. Nut cakes
4" Riz" biscuit A dish of gravy as 6 satellite
to each prominent dish Vegetables, DC, DC.
The whole got up with profusion that would
scare a modern dyspePtic into fits; and Presi-
ded over with that bland, generous. patriarehal
grace which no one but Datus Kelley could
come up to, and was characteristic Of log cabin
life in those days.
The probability is that they had a lance at
that wedding, and "trpt the light fantastic toe"
to the music of Henry Peaks fiddle till the wee
sma' hours" when the guests mounted their
ox-sle1s and " each took of their several way"
for home.
Oh! log cabin life log cabin generosity, log
cabin hospitality Thy days Of purity will
never return never, no, never.
The bride and bridegroom of that wedding,
together with most of the guests, have long
since gone to rest. A few yet remain,-can lift
the vail from the past, and show-nOt how fields
were won, but how fields were cleared can
tell what friendly feeling existed between neigh
bors-what unbOunded hospitality reigned in
their log ea1ins-what pure eonnubial bliss,
when
Married folks IN bed al home
Whose thoughts unhall1sed never rJ-ll,
Slept sound All night"