Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-11-08


liberty to publish it; and if the officers and
members of the Cuyahoga County Historical
Society can make any use of it, or any part o.
it, they are welcome to as much or as little as
they may choose to adopt
CHAPTER I.
The first white inhabitants in the township
were John Herbertson, an Irish refugee, with
his family He settled on the east side of the
river, on the top of the bank, near where the
Lake Shore Plank Road turns down the hill
There was also another Irishman, VIM McCon-
key, who came over from the old country with
Herbertson. He came into the township proba-
bly, in 1907 or 1908, and settled on what is
known as the Benschoter Bottom" He staid
year or two and left
On the 10th of April, 1908, Philo Taylor,
formerly from the State of New York, but at
that time from Cleveland, landed with his fami-
ly from an open boat at the mouth of the river,
and located on the top of the hill nearly oppo
site where Silyerthorn's tavern now stands.
Early in the year 1909, the Legislature of
Ohio made an appropriation of money to open
road from Cleveland to the mouth of Huron
river, and appointed Ebenezer Merry, Esq, of
Mentor, Dea. Nathaniel Doan and Maj Lorenzo
Carter, of Cleveland, to superintend the opening
of said road. Previous to this time there was
no road from Cleveland to Huron
George Peak, who was a soldier under Gene
raj Wolfe, and deserted from the army, found a
black woman in Maryland who had half bush
ell of dollars, married her, raised family of mu-
lattoes in the State of Pennsylvania, and came
to RockpOrt with two of his sons, George Peak
and Joseph Peak, in April 1909 and two more
of his sons, James Feak and Henry Peak. came
in soon afterwards. When the old man reached
Cleveland, the above mentioned road had been
cut out from the Cuyahoga river to Rocky river,
and his wagon was the first one that ever came
through from Cleveland to Rocky river. The
Peaks settled on the farm now owned by John
Barnum, Esq Some of the Peaks built hand
mill. The stones were Is or 90 inches across
This mill was great improvement over the
stump mortar and spring-pole pestle, in use in
those days, in grinding hominy. The elder
Peak died in September, 1927, at the age of los
years.
In 1910, Dea. Daniel Miner, from Homer, in
out PhiIO Taylor, and moved into the house built
by the latter; and Mr.. Taylor bought on the
lake shore in Dover, and kept tavern there for
number of years. Miner commenced te keep
a tavern in 1910 or II. He also kept ferry
at the mouth of the river. He bought out Her
bertson in 1911. Herbertson moved TO Huron
Miner also bought the ''Mill Lot" SO called.
In the spring of 1912 Miner lived in the Her
bertson house, and kept tavern. In the sum-
mer of the same year he built new log house
adjoining, and fitted it up for tavern keeping.
In 1910 or II, DR.. John Turner, brOther-in-
law of Miner, came on from the State of New
York, and settled on the farm now owned BY
Gov Wood. In the fall of 1913 OF IA, while
the Doctor and his wife were in the woods gath
ering hickory nuts, their house was consumed
by fire, together with their two children and all
their worldly effects. The Doctor then left
ROckp'rt and settled in Dover
In 1911, jeremiah Van Benschoter and John
Pitts came in from the State of New York. Van
Benschoter settled on and gave name to the
a. Benschoter Bottom" He staid one year and
then went to Huron.
In the same year (Is1l,) Datus Kelley, and
Chester Dean, his bTotheT-in-law, came in. Mr..
Kelley settled on the farm now owned by Geo.
B. Merwin.
On the 7th of June, 1912, Nathan Alger and
family, with his sons, Henry Alger, Heman A
Alger, Nathan Alger, Jr, and Thaddeus P Al
ger, and his son-iR-law, John Kidney, from
Warren, Litchield county, Connecticut, came
into Rockport and settled on Sections - and
l3, and gave name to the " Alger Settlement"
Benjamin Robinson, formerly from Vermont,
came in on the 9th of June, 1912
Nathan Alger, Sr., died January 2lst, 1918,
which was the first death in the township. He
left his wife with family of four children, the
Oldest sixteen and the yOuns est nine years old
In 1918, Horace b. Alger and Dyer Nichols
settled in the township.
In the fall of 1872, Daniel Miner commenced
building a mill He had got the dam nearly
completed, when there came freshet and car
ried portion of it away.
Deacon Miner died in February, 1918, which
was the second death in Rockport-
In the spring of 1918, Moses Eldred moved
iLtO the township, and kept tavern at the Miner
stand for short time. After that, the widow
Miner kept tavern there for a year or two.
The first white child bonn in the township Of
Rockport was Egbert Taylor, son of Philo Tay-
Ior, in Nov, 1909. The second was Addison
Kelley, son of Datus Kelley, in June, 1912.
The third was Philuna D. Alger, daughter of
Henry Alger, in December, 1912.
The first couple married who were residents
of the township, were Benjamin Robinson and
Amelia Alger, daughter of Nathan Alger-
They were married in Cleveland by George
Wallace, Esq, on the 5th day Of November,
1872. The first wedding IN the township was
at Datus Kelley's, on the 9th day of January,
1914 The parties were Chester Dean and Lu-
cy Smith, daughter of Abner Smith, of Dover
George Wallace, Esq, Of Cleveland, performed
the marriage ceremony. 1t was a splendid we'd
ding for olden times There were no sleigh
bells jingling in Rockport then. Those who
were wealthy enough to own yoke Of oxen
rode on OK sleds, and those who owned no team
went on foot.
In olden times the settlers claimed to be
neighbors if they did not live more than eight
or ten miles apart, and were well acquainted for
ten, fifteen or twenty miles around and could
you have been present when they met each 9TH |
er, from the hearty shaking of hands and friend |
ly greetings you would have supposed them to 1
have been brothers and sisters. But most Of
the old settlers are gone, and also that unbound |
ed hospitality and generous feeling which was
so universal among the first settlers seems to
have departed with them, we fear never TO re-
turn.
In 1914, Samuel Dean, with his sons, Joseph |
Dean and Aaron W. Dean, settled in the town /
ship. Joseph Dean being tanner and currier
by trade, commenced business on the North /
Ridge, near where Lucius Dean now lives
He was the first tanner and currier in the town
ship
CHAPTER ii.