Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-10-13

Settlements % Reafordi
EDIroR or LEADER:-I send you the fol-
lowing as relating to the early settlement OF
the Reserve, and of tho first settlers in Bed
ford
Elijah NJblo was tho fr,t settler, and came
from Hudson, where ho had some relatives. =
lie first luilt ON the old State road, where II
crosses Tinker creek, near Moses Gleason, and
kept a tavern, afterwards known as the Parker
Tavern lie built the first saw mill in Bedford,
near his house, and was possessed OF fair
property About the year 1912 ho became
surcty.for one Reed for drove Of cattlo Reed
drove the cattle to ononloga to exchange for
salt, which was at that time worth S5 a barrel
When there, or at some place, he sold them iol
money, and left for parts unknown, leaving
| Noble TO pay for the cattle some $1,000; thiI
took all he was worth. Henry CLARK had 4
c'aim against him Tor one yoke Of oxen in th,
druvu, aud agreed with Noble to tako con
rssed judgment and bill of sale Of all Mobiles
personal property, corn, hogs, and cove, worth
about $3.50, with the understanding that b,
was to give all back, or allow them to remain IN
Mobiles possession to use ss before. Once II
his hands he refused to give any part to Noble
who was deprived of all his means of support
for his family for the approaching winter. Thii
was some two years alter the drove was pur
chased, in 1914 or rs.
Noble had previously sold out his farm and
mill to Norton, Adams & Starr, from Tall.
madge, who built soon after the first grist mill
in Bedford, and rebuilt tho saw mill About
this time, 1914 or 1915, there were but three
families in Bedford, Stephen COmstock, Noble,
and Mr.. Abbott on tho Tate farm all on the
old State road Noble was now very poor, and
to help MIN David Hudson articled for one OF
the centre lots in Bedford, paying $50 down,
and was to give Noble one half of the lot FOL
which lie was to make improvements. Hav.
ing been, as before stated deprived of his
means Of support, the neighbors agreed to help
him lulld a house at the Centre. Stephen
Comstock moved the family and goods at one
load; Joseph Comstock drew at one load some
500 feet of lumber for floors; Clark Morton and
George Comstock drew the logs with OK teams;
Benjamin Fitch rived the shakes for tho roof
and VIM Wood and come others chopped OF
sawed off the timber for shakes. The others
twelve men or eighteen in all, Samuel Morton
Wm. Morton, Sllas Wood, Stephen Fraser
Noble, - Hill, two Peter Comstocks, VIM
King, Lewis johnson, Thomas johnson, and
old Mr.. johnson, cut the logs. They took theil
dinners, cut a road up from the creek
cut all from the stumps, or as il was in
the woods, put up the house, put on
roof cut out door, laid the floors
and at night left the family at their new home
some miles from any family. This house wat
built in the hollow or valley near a spring
about half way from the Disciple Church to The
old grave yard This was in November About
three weeks before, Benjamin Fitch had built
q house on another centre lot, on land now own
ed by James Kenyon. 1t stood in the orchard
aud was the first house built away from the
State road in the town. That road Just crosses
| the southwest corner of tny town. Noble,
was the first family at the Centre, and Benjamin
FItch's was the second he moved into hii
house some three or four weeks after Noble.
Andrew Garner Fitch was the first whit,
child born at the Centre. During that fall o
winter the old turnpike from Cleveland through
Bedford was surveyed, and the party passed
I the night part with Fitch and the others will
Noble, They found Noble family very desti
tute, and on their return to Hudson contribu-
ton was raised by their friends aud pack
horse load OF provisions, clothing, &c, was sem
60 them and among them clothes for the expec
ted little one, Tor whom no preparation hat
been made
Noble and Fitch were both good hunters, ,ant
deer were plentiful, but Noble became discoura
ged and thinking the place would never be set
tied gave up his claim and went back to the
Creek near GleasOn's
Hudson went to Judge Elphalct Austin, o
AustintOwn, and gave up his article and got
back his money. Noble left in June He wa,
haTassed continually by his creditors and final
Iy ran away, being aided by his friends. He
womb dow, uio Oiiiv - p;s'..s ..., ueHrIy
the first person he saw was Reed, who had DO
come wealthy. lie pail of Noble, who wal
again possessed of a competence, and sent fol
his family and settled there, and died some
years since.
Fitch exchanged his chance for a lot of !ant
near the old PottibOne tavern, and left the cen
ire for some six months, and went back and
built log house Just back of Cannon's store
lie lived there short time, and not being able
to get good title to his land, removed to the
north part of the town, where he now resides
in his 10th year. Excepting a few months
during the past year he has lived in OLio some
So years, or from 1901, and is without doubt an
old settler
| Prentiss Ross was the next settler on the
Greer farm. The first election in town was
held at his house ThUre were twelve voters.
Before this the town was attached to Indepen
donce.
OF the company who put up the house for
Noble at the centre, only Benjamin Fitch is
known to be living now. II others arc living,
let them tell their story.
must leave the history here and hope this
will call out ADLER pens than mine, and that
many facts of interest may be called out and
preserved. Those who know of them person
ally are passing away.
Said Benjamin Fitch is my authority for the
foregoing account, which is open to criticism
or correction, and wish all who know facts OF
interest to record them, and furnish them for
publication.
The Mr.. Fitch of my story is tho old splint
seat chair man, aud as such may be known by
many WIN. o. TAYLOR.
BEpFoRp o. Oct TO- 1859