The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-02-15


dog. and yon and will hunt coous togethery
come, Mr.. Owen, take some whisky Owsh
never waited for second invitation, but took
some Now says Hutcheson, l have switch.
ed you some-did not hurt you much How
much do you think I ought to pay you, and
we will be friendsl' Oven says, you hurt me
a good deal. and ought to pay me two dollars
Two collars = SAYS Hutcheson. 'Oh, my
God that is too much. Mr.. Owen, take some
more whisky. Oven took two or three more
nips. when he concluded he was not hurt more
than three shillings worth--whieh Hutchesdn
paid, and all went back happy as bed OF
clans. Oven subsequently went to Parkman,
Geauga Comfy, where he died some ten years
ago, and Hutcheson died in Hiram. in June,
1887 -s.sfes a1s tat
TIE first permanent settler was Richard
Redding, who, witt three SONS, John. Richard.
and George G., and one daughter, Eleanor
the Center, on land now owned by Mace Lu-
her and Carnot Rider. Redding was origin
ally from New Jersey, but came to Hiram
from Washington County, Pa. The old man
died in Hiram. The sons were robust, brave
men. Two of them, Richard and George g.,
were volunteers in 1912 in Captain Campbell's
company, and were lying at Fort Stevenson
at the time of Hull's surrender, and were in
eluded in his capitulation. and taken to NAL 3
den, and then sent home on parol. George
G., while prisoner on parol. went out agais,
as a substitute for Chester Adams who was
drafted. In this tour be went by the name
of Adams. He was in the battle at Mackin-
aw, when Major Holmes was defeated: John.
the oldest, was not in the service, but was
Captain of militia company. and very good
military man.
They left Hiram in the Spring of 1887, and
went to Illinois, where they all died. --
In 1905. Cornelius Barker, William Fenton,
and Jacob and Samuel Wirt. moved into town,
Barker settling on what is known as the
6 Hinckley farm Fenton and the two Wirts
on farm mile south of the Center, corner
ing on the Redding farm. Barker left in the
Spring OF 1906, and went TO Warren. and died.
The Wirts were old bachelors, and settled on
the farm now owned by Erastus Young, which
they subsequently sold to Thomas Johnson
and went to Chagrin (now Willoughby) where
they died.
In June. 1906. Abraham Dyson came, with
the Garrett family from Delaware. and settled
on what is called the Hazen farm, opposite to
the graveyard, near Garrettsville. In 1903
he purchased the Barker farm, and moved on
TO it. He was blacksmith, and the first in
the township.
In 1910, Grin Pitkin came into town, and
settled on the Miles T. Norton farm. where
Honey had made small clearing. He after
wards sold out, and went to Wisconsin, where
he is supposed to be still living.
The same year Simeon Babcock, the father
of Elwin Babcock. of Shalersville, Purdy
Hughes and Ephraim Hacket came into town.
Hughes purchased the northwest corner. at
the Center, where Esq. Young's tavern now
stands Hacket settled on top of the hill one
mile west of the Center and Babcock west of
him, at the foot of the hill, on what is since
known as the Harrington farm. Babcosk left
there many years ago, and the last that was
heard Of him, he was in Dresden, Muskingum
County. Hughes and Hacket left there and
went to the Wabash country.
In 1911, Seth Cole, George Young and
james Young, came ia August-and the sec.
i, ond day of October Elisha Hutcheson came.
They have all been dead for several years.
James Young died in March, 1852, and Seth
Cole in December, 1848.
Il In the fall of 1872 Thomas F. Young ar
rived in town from Wlndhau County. Con :.
uecticut, having married Lydia Tilden,
, daughter of Col. David Tilden, a few months
!, before he left that State. He was relative
, of Guilford Dudley Young. who was Colonel
in the war of 1872 and subsequently entered
the patriot service in Mexico, under General
, Nina, where be was killed by a cannon ball.
Thomas F. Young was elected Justice of
! the Peace in Hiram in 1914, and was the first
:. Justice in the township. He served three
terms and was elected for the fourth, but de.
clined serving.
A Post Office was established at the Center
q October 10, 1916, and Esq. Young appointed
Post Master, which Office be held for thirty
six years, and till the day Of his death. His
mantle has fallen on his son Clinton, who is
e now Justice of the Peace and Post Master.
The first suit in the township was before
: Thomas F. Young, between Abraham Dyson
: and Perley Hughes. Dyson sued Hughes for
poisoning his dog, and recovered Sc damages.
Esq. Young died November 81. 1852, at the
age of 81. a Is
+, The first couple married in town was Ger
> sham Judson. of Mautua, TO Eleanor Redding.
They were married in 1904, by Judge Atwa-
ter She died in Mantua, and he in Illinois,
= leaving large family of children.
l. Judson was more of practical than theo-
p retical man. Being engaged, one day, in a
: discussion with theorist who contended that
d stones grew, Judson said he knew better. for
when he built his house he constructed stone
b chimney, and carried it no higher than the
It ridge Of the house, and if stones grew his
n chimney would have grown and topped itself
t, out, but it wasn't bit higher than when he
built it. ta
" The first birth in the township was Edwin
e Babcock, who was born March second, 1911.
d He is now living in Shalersville. His mother
d was Sabrina Tilden, daughter of Col Tilden.
r, The first death was Mrs. Fenton, wife of
q William Fenton, who died at the birth of a
f. son. John Fenton, in March, 1911. 1t was a
u bad job all round-for John was, after arriv.
- g..