Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-09-22
MORNING LEADER.
MARREN CORRESPONpENCE.

Death James L. Van GOrder-A Western Re
serre PiORssr-SketeH Of his !ifs and early timer
IA Warren.
WARREN, Sept. Goth, 1858.
EDITOR DAILY LEADER Only a few months
ago sent you 4 hasty sketch of the life and
times of DR.. John B. Harmon, a veteran and
pioneer in the settlement Of Trumbul County
no common man-whO had but then lately
deceased. In that act performed what seemed
to me public duty, as well as to manifest my
respect and veneraton for the memory of q
friend who had performed his DUTY 10 his cOun-
try and fellow men. Well, and at ripe old
age had passed on from the present to future
state Of existence. l did not then suppose that
l would be called upon so soon to report the
death of another of Trumbull's PiOneeTs-5ut
the sad duty now devolves upon me, as your
faithful correspondent, 10 report the death Of
a compatriot of DR.. Harmon, a man whose life
has been grand and noble triumph for high
principles, manly exertions and manly perseve-
rance
While the line of life and duty which he had
marked out for himself was entirely different
and distinct from that of DR. Harmon, yet he
was no less a man of mark-while the one was
great in his profession, the other was equally
great in his calling, was in fact a very NaPo-
leon in business and enterprise. He had TO do
with facts, sober realities, and he was able to
combine, arrange, handle and work them at
will He overcame difficulties which could not
fail to appal men of more than ordinary
strength, and with promptness and energy rare
ly equaled would set at defiance all the known
and long established rules Of approach, to the
Napoleon at Austerlitz, and would win the
victory--a victory none the less glorious be-
cause won in the domain of business and the
quiet and sober walks of life.
James L. Van Gorder was born at Kingston,
Luzerne county, in the State of Pennsylvania,
on the first day of April, l7S5; and died in War
rem, Ohio, September l4th, 1858, aged 73years
5 months and IA days.
His parents were in moderate circumstances,
and be was reared to toll AMI hard labor, and
| had but limited means for education. When
he was thirteen years old his father moved to
the wilds of Virginia and settled in Clarksburg,
Harrison county, in that State. The woods
of Western Virginia, or the society there did
not seem to be congenial TO the sturdy Penn
/ sylvanian and his residence there was but short
In the course of three or four years he went
back into the State of Pennsylvania, and settled
near Pittsburgh.
In 1893 the settlement of Warren had been
commenced, and in 1900 Henry Lane came to
Warren from Luzerne or Westmoreland coun-
ty, and made a permanent settlement He,
or his family, were connected with the Van
Gorders by marriage, and he sent for James L.
to come into the woods in TrumbuIl county to
live with him. In 1902 james L Van Gorder,
the subject of the sketch, came to Warren and
hired with Henry Lane. He was then a lad Oi
II years of age and he probably came here
about the time his fathers family went from
Virginia to Pittsburgh. At this time Trumbull
county was almost an unbroken wilderness, there
was scarce a settlement between Brighton, in
Beaver county, Pa, and Warren. Judge Young
had settled in what is now the village o
Youngstown, as early as 1876, and before the
first surveying party landed at Conneaut, under
the auspices of the Connecticut Land Co.
bat in 1902 few settlers had joined him, ant
on the Salt Spring Tract, where the frs
white man had dweIt upon the Reserve, Perhap.
as early as I7S5, but long before the settlements
were made. had been driven off or killed by tn,
Indians Reuben Harmon, Esq had settled il
D 1893, and in 1900 " arTeu contained l6 person,
all told, SO that in lSO2 young Van GOrder hat
a wilderness 10 face inhabited BY only about lO(
persons, NJ most To the fertile imagination
OF youth, difficulties appear like m0uLtains
which to the mature man would seem no great
cr than mole hills and the wildness of III,
: country-its savageness-filled as it was witt
ferocious animals and savage Indians could no
fail to impress the mind Of lad of II years
B. But few lads of that age could be induced to en-
= ter upon such an undertaking as was befor,
5 Young Van GOrdcr He, however, met the ex
: irency with that undaunted courage which nev
S er forsook him, braved the difficulties and hard
ships Of pioneer life in the wilderness, and be
) came a settler OF Trumbull county within fou
> years after its organization
In 1902. George Parsons came to Warren
- then young man, and having come from tn
land of steady habits where Free Schools wer
\ general, he was supposed sufficiently educate
a to teach school, and the settlers engaged him
.e teach a school in log school house erected b
q them on the east bank Of the Tiyer, near th
spot where the upper bridge now crosses tn
= Mahoning. James l.. Van Gorder attended thi
school in the winter of 1902 and 1903 Nj
Parsons the Teacher IS yet living, enjoying th
: good things of this world-the fruits of an al
tive, industrious, and laborious life, while III
only relation he sustains 10 the business wOrl
is to officiate in the capacity of President Of th
p Western Reserve Bank
Y Young Van Gorder resided with Henry Ian
d. until he arrived at his majority, when Mr.. Ian
fitted hrm out, as was the custom of the tim
with new suit of clothes and a horse, saddI,
AMI bridle-with this he commenced the worll
He struck out boldly for himself and con
menced his life duties with real earnestness, in
mediately manifesting thai power 70 conceiy
and will to execute which characterized hiI
- through his long and useful life His first IN
m portant undertaking was . job of chopping o
the land of Joseph Reeves, lying about thrC
miles up the river from Warren. He made II
first opening upon the Reeves farm. JOsep
- Reeves was a native Of New Jersey, had serve
! in the Revolutionary War as 4 militia m 4
came TO Warren in 1905 OF 1906, drew pei
sion under the act of 1892 and died in lS44--
The land he purchased and upon which jaime
L. Van Gorder commenced the first clearing
still in possession Of the Reeves family-h
4 son John Reeves being now the owner, and
living upon it.
- In 1907 Mr. Van GOrder was married
lie Miss Elizabeth Spear, a grand daughter of De
: Pryor,who was one Of the early settlers of Wa
n rem. Soon after the marriage of Mr.. Van Go
rs DOR his fathers family came from Pittsbug
and settled Ia OF near Warren. Mrs. Van Go
der is now surviving her husband, they hayin
enjoyed the pleasures, the felicity, and shar
ne the trials of married life for ifty-one years