The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-08-31
BY GEN. L. v. BIERCE.

i
IL, called Hart and Mother-then EdaysburghI
and finally settled down on Edinburgh On
the partition of the Western Reserve it was
drawn bg Gen. William Hart of Saybrook
Connecticut. who was one of the largest pro
prietors in the company. having invested
$40, 900 ard drawn. 10 addition to this town,
Sheffield and Sayhrook, lying near fhe lake
and parts of several other townships He was
very wealthy man. aud, at one time account
ed the richest man in Connecticut. He be-
gan life with but little except his own native
energy, as his father was congregational
minister, with nothing except his yearly sala
ry from which to provide for his family. He
s. at one time, a Major General in the Mil
tia, and during the Revolutionary war served
tour in Rhode Island He was afterwards
settled, lived, and died. at an advanced age,
in Saybrook. .s,.,,. -.
His son, William, in early life chose the
mercantile profession, and followed it with
great energy In politics he was strong JEFF
lersonian Democrat. and was placed on the
ticket, of that party, several times, for Gov
ernor. r.4.e. .-,;l. b; -.s.s5 ..,.....
In his mercantile business he traded large
" with the West Indies-and at the time of
the embargo, in 1908, he had a large number
of horses on hand for shlpping-but as all in
tercourse with the British was prohibited, he
had to wi,lter them, al, great expense-and
when he finally shipped them the vessel and
cargo were captured, aud condemned by the
French. Thi, vessel was the last be ever sent
out Is SD y sBr rs ~ o. 4l4 E
He had but one son-Richard w Hart
who was born, and died in Saybrook.i This
son was alsoa merchant and inherited the vast
fortune left by his father, besides amassing
large fortune himself.
Gen Fart, the owner of the Township, died
in August 1917, at the age of 72. Richard
w. had one son, and two daughters The son
died quite young-the eldest daughter MARI
ried William Jarvis, an Episcopal clergyman,
in Chatham, Connecticut--the other daughter
| is maiden lady of Hartford. Richard w.
died in March 1887, at the age of 72 years
Major Richard N. Hart, of E inburgh, was
nephew of Gen. W illiam Hart, and went to
to live with his uncle when he was about six
years old, and continued with him till he was
21-when his uncle gave him the n E. quar-
ter of Northumberland in May, 1917, he came
to Ohio to see his land He arrived in Edin-
burgh on the first of June, and settled at Sill
yer creek, near the East line of the township.
The South half and n = E. qlarter, we're then
an unhroken wilderness. During the summer
Joshua Heushaw surveyed the N. E. quarter
into lots. and Major Hart cleared off eight
acres, and put it into wheat In October he
returned to Connecticut, and in April follow
/ ing was married, and soon after started for
Ohio where he arrived in June.
The first settler in the town was Eber Alb
bot, who married a sister of Lemuel Chapman
and settled on lot 2-subdivi ion 5, in the s.
w. corner of the N. w. quarter of the town,
4 linl6ll. While clearing up the land tree
fell on his foot, and broke it. which made him
a cripple for life. His wife was afflicted with
scrofolous disease which finally killed her,
He then removed to Ravenna, and settled or
peice of land owned by DIR. DeWolf, North
of Jacob Stough's. He soon after married 6
sister of Jacob Slough. and subsequently re
moved to Michigan, where he died. His widow
is still living there. Lemuel Chapman also
arrived in 1911. and began clearing on lot
sub division 5-being the N. West corner, o
the S. West quarter of the township. Ht
boarded with his father just across the line il
Rootstown, on what is since known as the "olt
O'Nei farm" ....7.....t, 7s ....,s
Mr.. Chapman was born in Colebrook, Tol
land County, Connecticut, September 10, l777
J and died on the lot ip Edinburgh where h
made his first improvement, in Nov. 1851
having resided on the same place 43 years
He was then living with his third wife ant
bad been the father of fifteen children elevel
Of whom are still living. The youngest, at tn
time of his fathers death, was but II years od
!. Mr.. Chapman was a farmer. active. industri
: GUS, and honest-never entered into specula
tion in his life, but waited the slow gains @
, honest toll. In the winter of 1Sll-l2 he re
D turned to Connecticut for his family, but jus
t. before they were ready to start, his wife dice
= ! Soon after. he started with his family of 81
e chidren-all of whom are yet living-and 500
\ after his arrival in Ohio commenced living o
e his land In April 1924 he married wido,
= Waller Of Palmyra who died in 1880, leavin
one ehiid-the first ore born in the township
'e She was born July % 1915. and is now tn
J. wife of Ebenezar Smith of Champion. In Al
y gust 1881 he married Dorothy Bond, Made
II lady, by whom he had five children. Th
" widow still lives on the old homestead.
P In 1912 Mr.. Chapman was one of the "Ohi
!, Volunteers who went to reppljhe expecte
i. attack of the British on Cleveland, after Hull
y, surrender, fer which he received the "Bount
7, landn from government l
ar Soon after he came into Edinburgh he wer
i'd out, in the evening to hunt his cows and &C
lost. An exceedingly dark night came on, 5
: that he could not distinguish anything, exceI
r. by the occasional flashes of lightning T
er began to howl around him. and he was con
T. PEELED "to tree" for protection-as they wer
=, evidently on his track. He had been but
d. short time perched on his roost when he hear
re his neighbors, and family, who were out
a search of him. As they approached the ire
of in which he was perched he heard his olde
ofE son, Joel, who now lives 10 Mautua say, :
er guess the wolves have got daddy" In rela
TO- ing the circumstances forty wears afterwar