The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-06-22
HISTORY OF RAvENNA-
From the Unpublished History of the
Western Reserve, by Gen. l.. "
Hieree. of Akron.

[CoNTINUEDl -
In 1909 settlers began to locate on the town plat
some of whom were representative men. OF these
was Joshua woodward, generally known as Gener-
al Woodward. He was born in Connecticut, Dec.
10. I779 When small boy he was bound as an
apprentice TO a man in Canandagua, n. y. TO learn
the wooden manufacturing business From ihere
he went t. Il neya, n. Y, where he narred re
becca Wooden, who died his widow. at Kent, For
tage county Sept 10, 1864, at the age of "a years
In 1909 he moved from Geneva to RaTenna. In
one-horse wagon Soon after he started he called
at friends house to get some butter for bis jour-
ney. Finding no one at home. he went to the milk
house and took what butter he wanted. and wrote
and left on the door:
Joshua, the son of Nun,
Took the butter and of he run
Arriving at Ravenna that year, he built log shan-
ty on the south east corner of the street. where
stoush,s Exchange" now is, in which James
Woodward, now living in Kent, was born July 81,
lsIO-being the first person born within the town
plat. For this feat of precocity William Tappan, a
brother of Ben gave the little settler village lot
near the old jail south west of the public square
The little fellow '.waxed fat and in 1850 was elect
ed Sheriff ofthe county, and reelected in 1852 His
outstripping every competitor in being the first
natural arriver in Ravenna, presaged success
In Is1I General Woodward formed co-partner-
ship with William Tappan. and bHllt saw mill,
grist mill and wooden factory, on Breakneck creek
where the road to Brimfield crosses it, mile and
half west of the village. The stream above was so
sluggish that the dam required to give these water
power flowed the water back for over mile, max
ing dead slough hole around the southwest and
south east portions of the town. This caused an
immense amount of sickness and death, until the
people could stand it no longer, and in 1878 the
Grand Jury indicted the dam as nuisance, and,
on conviction, the Sheriff was sent with his papers,
to PROSTATE the dam. Profitable as were the mills
and factory to the owners, and beneficial as they
were to the public necessity called for this des-
tructive measure, as sickness and death were so
eommon-the rule. health the exception-that Ra-
VIENNA was called the graveyard of the Reserve.
The destruction of his mills and factory broke
General Woodward up. entirely; but with an en-
ergy undaunted for which he was always charac-
terized, in the same year he formed co partner
ship with Frederick Haymaker, living N Beaver.
Pa TO improve the water power in Franklin, now
known as the Upper village. In the fall of 1919 he
moved on to the premises, then wilderness, and
commenced clearing and building In few years
he built up village-built two gr1st mills, three
saw mills, three wooen factories, i've dry goods
and grocery stores, two hotels, oae oil mill, two
hat factories two glass factor1es three potash fac
tories four blacksmith shops, two wagon shops,
two cabinet shops, tub and pail factory, and
many other improvements. In most, perhaps all
these enterprises he had partners, Dut ne was the
He was an active worker in what was then call
ed 1.-The underground railroad" In connection
with the Quakers of Stark county, he was earnest
ly engaged in aiding fugitive slaves on their way
to Canada. His house was ever open to them his
services and means at taehr M CAL sisd ,or a.
Mills, December A. 1854, at the age of 70 years.
He was representative man of the early days of
Ravenna, and deserves more than the tribute L can
When General Woodward located in Ravenna,
Tappan offered him the lot next east of the 'Ex-
change corner, which the stone building stands
for $40, but Woodward thought the price too Steep
and refused to buy at that figure,
Hezlep and Stephen Mason arrived. They were
the first settlers on the town plat. William Tap
pan arrived the same year, and was appointed the
first Post Master-but he never, personally, dis
charged the duties.
Greer started tavern and he and Hezlep the first
store. The extent of their mercantile stock may
be judged of by the fact that lady day applied
60 Greer to purchase shawl, but he refused to sell
it, as he said it was the only one he had. and it
would break his assortment.
Greer, the latter part of his life, kept the .Black
Horse" tavern at the forks of the road, mile west
of the village against whose license Ham Luther
objected, as he said he put so much water in his
whisky that a man was drowned by the water be-
fore he could get drunk on the whisky. Greer kept
the first tavern and store on the corner where the
Exchange now is, where Woodward first located
On the 9th of March, 1902 Stephen Mason, (more
generally known = Colonel LMasOn,) Bella B. Hub
bard and Timothy Bishop, were appointed a COM
mittee and Robert Campbell Surveyor, to lay out
where the line of Northampton and Portage town
ships cross the river, by the center of town !,
range 10 (now Wadsworth). and then along near
The center line of number l. to the reldnds; and at
the next session of the Commissioners they report
embraced Summit, Medina, Lorain and the north
part of Ashland. The laying out of that road was
then looked upon as an event OF as great magni-
tude and importance the construction of rail-
road to the Pacific Ocean is now-as there were no
settlements on the route west of Old Portage; a
distance of sever ty miles, through dense wilder
ness. IT was big lob at that time.
The spirit OF Improvement thus began TO deyel-
op ITSELF and each improvement brought its com
kept by Frederick Wadsworth in the house of Tap
pan, where the late Lyman Hotchkiss lived. As
way of doing business. Postage letters from a
distance was twenty-five cents. person expect
,ne in charge of the office, and he would send the
etter to Its owner, the first opportunity after its
arrival. There was no north and south road then,
20 the town plat; but one about half mile east
Of the present road to Tappan's, where the late
LYMAN Hotchkiss lived. The exact time the Post
once was established do not know. 1 have an |
original account of the Mails received from April
ID, 1909, to July lst. Down to May Goth MIR. Wads
worth appears to have acted as Post Master. and
June 18th. On the Goth of May, 1909, is entry |
Major Campbell took the Office" From June |
campbell.
There was then weekly Mail. In the week
,ndng April 9th, there were l3 letters received
lext week, IL; next week, 10: next week, 9; next
week, 3; next week. 5. So the duties of Post Mas
er would not seem to have been very laborious, |
md probably not very lucrative.
In the records of the Courts, when they were |
,ept by Judge Pease, it will be noticed that the
modern toady invitation of English aristocracy in
lifting the Judges, sor any other man. 'kte Hon
rd6te,'' lie omitted. When, and by whom it was |
introduced don't know, but it was prior to 1873
s, during that year heard Judge Wilson, in |
Athens county, order the Clerk and Sheriff to omit
hese words. wish Judges, at this day, had |
he good sense of Judges Pease and Wilson. There |
too much hankefing for British title like beg
ars donning old cast off garments.
TO BE Continued