Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-04-25
Township Correspondence.
FARMINGTON.

April 10th, 1866.
EDITOR CHRoNICLE:-We concluded last
week with getting Captain Benton out of the
; woods. The first school house in Farming.
ton was built in the spring of 1876 and locat.
ed near a pear tree, also a spring, all on the
north east corner, at the centre; the pear
tree is still fourishing. Captain Benton and
Josiah Wolcott cut the logs one snowy day
in the winter of 1875 or 1916, and Erastus
Wolcott hauled them with an OK team, Cap
tain Benton wearing, flor want of better
ones a pair of linen pants with holes in the
knees of them.
The first school kept in this house was
taught by Miss Almira Hannahs, of Nelson,
afterwards the wife of Erast2E Wolcott-
There was also the same or the next season a
log school house built at West Pennington,
and located near where the store building
built by Kibbee & Loveland now stands:
and the first school kept in that, was taught
by Miss Nancy Wolcott, now the wife of
( Silas Higgins.
The first church in Pennington was Or
ganized October 8th, 1917, at the centre, on
the Congregational plan, consisting of the
following ten members. Dr.. Abel Jones,
Josiah Wolcott, Nancy >Wolcott, David
Curtis, Elizabeth Curtis, David Belden
Louis Belden, Eunice Hart, Polly Benton
Rebecea Jones. Rev. Joseph Badger and
Abel Jones officiating; and on the I'd
of November following three more were adj
ded, Theodore Wolcott, Rhoda Wolcott and
Cad Hart. About this time Josiah Wolcott
and Theodore Wolcott were chosen Deacons;
and in the years 1918, 30, I'D, and '23, Rev.
Abiel Jones baptised 20 children; and on the
10th of July, 1925, Rev. Luther II. Humph-
rey, NOW living in WIndham,) baptised 40
children.
Tbo GreA Mo4h,I..4 Er,,oo-ol CI,-,l =, /
Pennington, was organized by Rev. Ira
Eddy, in the fall of 1878, at East Farming
ton, in the log school house built that sum
mer. consisting of the following seven mem
bers, Edew Wildman and wife and wife's
mother, Joel Hyde and wife and daughter,
ard Mrs. Mofitt; the congregation sitting on
the sleepers TO the house, aud blocks of wood.
Elder Eddy preached for them some time.
The first physician in Pennington was DR..
Abel Jones, who acted in the double capaci-
ty of Doctor and minister of the gospel.
In early years there resided in Farming
ton, two rather peculiar characters; one was
bold, fearless and a lover of fun and mis-
chief; the other timid, fearful and hesitating.
Lewis, it is said, used to tell Cad that there
were bears about and he must look out for
them. Cad had a log house and kept bach
elor's hall, and was in the habit of fastening
AZ LIS OAC ~ AASAk ~ ACtp IA III Win
beasts. Cad use to occasionally hear some
thing in the night, climbing up on the cor
ner of his house, growing, scratching, snarl- S
ing and rafting the shingles on the roof, 1
which he supposed was a bear, but probably S
was only a two legged bear. Lewis used to I
tell Cad that if, when he was out in the d
woods he saw a bear he must climb tree I
One day when Cad was chopplng alone, and c
thinking seriously about the bear ques- 7
ton, he thought he would see how quick he !
could climb a tree provided a bear should a
come along. He threw down his ak and run I
to a sHpling, caught hold of it, climbed and r
away as hard as he could for a few t
then thought he would see how tar a
he had got; turning his head to look L
1Own, 10! and behold he sat fat on the I
He thought it was of no use for him s.
% try to tree, for be could not climb. L
After a while Cad started back to Con- v
lecticut on foot, for a visit and to get a wife. .
His money was silver and in a bqckskin
,urse in his pants pocket. He went by the
way Of the State road to gainesville, and on
into the edge of Parkman, at Elk
lick hollow, there came up a thunder
hover; Cad was afraid the silver money, in "
Ills pocket would attract the lightning, so o.
Ie stepped into the woods at the side of the Il
Dad and cut him a long slim pole, tied his Ia
iuek skin purse to the top of it, ~shouldered L
rms, and travelled on all right, and in due o.
returned with a wife, who is now living, o.
one of the best women we ever had in l
he township. Continued. Il
Truly, Yours, EARLY SETTLER. ii