Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1867-04-10
FROM BURGH HILL.
currcrrs-Gsn,inued.


1t vas in $500 that Mr.. 0bed Crosby. . local
Methodist preacher, came from the State o.
Connecticut TO Vernon and put up . cabin. Mr..
Giddings saws. that during the time be was at
work building his cabin. he made his heme with
him, and that he prayed regularly night and
morning with his family. but is not positive
about his holding meeting at that time. Rev.
Samuel Gregg. in bis very correct and interest
ing history OF the Erie Conference says: Key.
0Bed Crosby. who had the preceding year visit
ed the town Of Vernon. Trumbun county. Ohio.
removed his family to that tow during the
hummer Of 1901. He came from the State Of
Connecticut by the way Of Pittsburgh. Pa. in
an open wagon drawn By an ox-team. and soon
after leaving Pittsburgh one Of his oxen died.
and he was compelled to yoke up, q COW the re-
he found one Methodist family there, and i'm
mediately formed q class. consisting Of 0bed
Crosby and wife. Ewing Wright and wife, and
Methodist society on the Western RessrYe."-
The place Of meeting was near the line Of Yer
non and Hartford. and the members increasing
in Hartford more rapidly than in Vernon. it was
finally removed into Hartford. and bore its
name. Mr.. Crosby sfer laboring hard to estab-
lish the church Of his choice in the country
around him. finally died in peace IL 1914" Mr..
Crosby sometimes held meetings IN Deerhsld.
Hubbard and the Leach settlement. in Mercer
county, Pa. and was the first to hold a Metho-
dist meeting in Gustavus. Bishop Roberts. then
Smith and VIM Yeach, local preachers in Hub
bard, would sometimes come and preach at Mr..
OrosbY's. Noah Fiddler vas nc doubt the fret
circuit preacher, and Thornton Fleming or the
eccentric Jacob Gtuhor. the first Presiding FL
der. Mr.. 9ruber in 1910. held . quarterly
m Getting in Mr.. Crosby's barn. He told thepeo-
pie 10 bring their children. aud leave their dogs
at home. One Of his young preachers on the
Distr let would not visit the people. but would
hunt and esh. and when asked By Mr.. Gruber
the reason, said. the people hal not sent for
him" to which Ar. aruber replied, neither
have the birds and fish. but you 20 after them"
These men must have suffered in their travels
through this. then wilderness country. Jacob
Young. Presiding Elder in 1913, says. And to
heighten our trouble through the country. the
few er broke out in the camp at Black Rock. run
up the Lake. and spread out through the coun-
tn. Tkey sailed 1t the cold plague. There was
no guarding against 1t, i was Oar worse than
either the British or the Indians. 1t was al
most as bad as the cholera in later days. 1t
made its appearance in Hartford, Trumbull
unit Ohio. The FIRST that fell q victim 10 it
in that place WIS q minister by the name of
Crosby" Here Mr., Gregg says; "0bed Crosby
was tho hrSs Methodist HlIpisteE thst fo1pd bis
way to the Western Reserve and FORMED the
first class west ofthe Pennsylvania line. in,lS0l.
near the line Of Vernon and Hartford town
sphis, Trumbull county, Ohio" Mr.. Young
sAs ; II preached his funeral sermon and
buried him l went on to Barton. rstura ed
ps4t yeskto Hartford, apd found another old