Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1868-04-15
HISTORY OF GREENE.
HISTORICAL ADDRESS,
On the Fiftieth Anniversary since
the Settlement of Greene. Trum-
bull County Ohio.
BY WALTER BARTLETT.

The early settlers OF Greene not being
wealthy, it has been at a great sacrifice.
that many have given their children
the amount of education which they
have; and perhaps you will now ask,
what have we gained by all this un-
wearied pains 10 educate the youth !?
We will tell you some few things, as
the result of our labor.
First. We have given (separate from
those who have taught, that had re-
ceived their education before coming
here, which number is twelve or
fifteen), from one hundred and forty
to fifty school teachers to our town and
country; and nearly all have been
successful.
Second. We have raised up seven
physicians, viz; Ira Kee, Porter Kee
and Dexter Kee, all deceased. Also,
Seth Sloan, Sidney Wakefield, John
Booth and Kimball Harrison. From
this class of teachers we have able men
in county offices, and sister States /;
have Legislators, Merchants and School
Teachers.
Third. We have had honorable aud
highly respectable officers in our Union
Army, some of whom, if they had been
spared, we have every reason TO believe,
would have occupied high and hono-a-
BILE positions in our government. l
name Dwight and Ephraim Kee, for /
have clsssed the former among our
teachers, for he was born and educated
here; and lent his aid in teaching our
common and higher schools. We do
not wish to rob Colebrook of any of her
SONS, for we know she would be proud
to reckon Dwight among her noble
ones who stood up for our common
country.
Fourth. We have four able and
efficient gospel ministers, pleading for
the salvation of man; yes, for man
before high Heaven. Our lawyers
plead for man, but the blessing is tenn.
poral, and if he gains his clients case,
it will soon perish. But when the gos-
pei minister gains his clients case, his
client stands before the court of
Heaven, pardoned, justified, sanctified
and prepared in the end to wear 8
crown of eternal glory And 1 look
upon it as the grandest, the noblest,
and highest calling with which mortal
man was ever interested. And how
has my soul been panied and my heart
shrunk within me, when have seen
those occupying this high position
Joining the low, and commingling with
the vulgar, and descending from the
pulpit, when the eyes were all sub
merged in tears, striking up some light
and trihing conversation.
Fifth. Some of these teachers have
been, and now are teaching 10 the diff
ferent schools, academies and colleges
of our country. Here, fathers, are
some of the benefits of our. toll, and
scanty living and compensation for
taking our children, with sacks of pro-
vision into our wagons and travelling
through the mud and water to Austin
burgh, Kingsville, Pennington or
Hham; and mothers, too, who have
toiled night after night, to educate
their sons and daughters.
And just here, | would not forget
those other scholars who have not
shared in those honorable callings, of
which We have been speaking. No, |
far from it. They too, many at least, |
have acted a noble part. Some have |
served as Justices of the Peace, some |
as merchants and mechanics, while |
others are doing an honorable and |
mighty work in tilling the soil, which |
lies at the foundation Of all our wealth |
and grandeur. And this makes me
think of ]. R. Giddings, who was
farmer in his early day, with only
common education studied law, be-
came a member of Congress, and moved |
the nation in favor OF humanity and !
equal rights. Yes, and there stood |
Naylor in Congress, from Pennsylvania, |
with his own strong arm, made so by |
swinging the hammer on the anvil, that |
met the hosts of southern aristocrats
when they were talking about the
laborers being only fit for
mud sills" and "boot blacks" Yes,
there he stood, and defended, and sue
maintained the honor and |
dignity of the laborer, who has been |
steadily increasing in wealth and honor,
while poverty, Wretchedness and dis
grace is written on the brow and felt
in the pockets of those southern slave |
holders. And now they are humbly |
US to send them food, and
even money to build their houses of
We would now announce one fact,
those one hundred and fifty
teachers, of which you as well as myself
feel an honorable pride. IL this, that
they have all. male and female, with
possibly one or two exceptions, stood
up and defended the equal rights of
man, irrespective of caste or color.
have now gone through with that
part of our early history, which was
allotted 20 me. and thank you for your
marked attention, while reading it.
But have a few things which l wish
10 say before giving way to Mr.. Church
ill's account of many things of interest
TO us all. What | wish 10 say is to
enforce upon my fellow citizens the
necessity and importance of education.
Here, we say, the politician, the NOR
alist, the christian, and the philan-
thropist, regard the subject of education
rs of transcendent importance to the
individual and social well being of
man. Il in other matters they differ,
in this they all agree; that nothing
with time or sense so
deserves the best thoughts