Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1875-02-26
EAGLEVILLE.

JEFFERSON, Feb. "a, 1870.
EAGLEVILLE.
Ed. TeL-In your issue of the 18th
something was said about the early set.
/ tlement of Morgan. The writer says, at
} is now more than sixty years since the
first pair of domestic fowls were brought
into the township" Yes zoe think So "And
perhaps there were not two persons liv-
: ing in the township at this time, and pos
sibly not single person who could tell
of the time when or whence came the
hens that found their way first into this
now somewhat old township"
Perhaps not, but we should think 9th
erwise, and right here let me remark, it
would be desirable, if it could be, that
those who write of the early settlement
of this country, should be well informed,
and write only what's true, especially a
little longer, until the little remnant of
busy actors in those early scenes have
gone to their rest.
Now, we happen to know something
of the early settlement OF this part of our
country, and in order to come at Morgan,
we must begin little back In the sum-
mer of 1898, there came from Delaware
Co., State of New York, six families
Gregory, Harper, Mcfarland, md others.
The following season-'99-ElIphalet
Austin, from Litchfeld, CT, with two
young men-Rosweli Stevens and George
Beckett, and their wives, came to what
is now AustinburG, and began to make an
opening in the forest. In the fall of that
year, Austin returned to Conn, his faml-
ly not being with him. Tue two young
men. with their wives, remained. The
following spring-1S00-Dea Sterling
Mills came with his family to Austin
burg, and settled at the extreme south
part of the town, near the junction of
Mills Greek with Grand River. and began
an opening in the beautiful and fertile
intervale lands along the margin OF said
creek.
In 1901, there came to Austinburg, ten |
families, settling, some in the Austin, and |
some in the Mills neIghborbood. With |
all these men, in after life, we were init
mately acquainted. We have their names
inscribed upon our memory and embalm-
ed in our hearts.
In 1902, the emigrants began to pour
into Morgan. We knew them, and shall
carry with US to our dying day. a sweet
recollection of their lives and virtues
We can mention only the names of heads
of families-Capt. John Wright, Dea
Nath an Gillette, Hosea Wilcox, Stephen |
Knowlton, and, we think the same year, |
Lumsn Beach, Edmund Strong, Timothy |
R., Jesse D.. and George Hawley, Col |
David Wright and his wife, who were
busy actors in those early scenes, and
who were at that time, youth of mature
ages, and are still living. We think they
could tell when the chickens first came
to Morgan, and where from. There are
three of the Knowlton family still living,
Stephen, Laura and Deborah. Colonel
Wright, aforementioned, and sou of the
venerable Capt Wright of 1902, could
tell us all about It. The writer goes OF
to say, at is now more than sixty years
since the first pair of domestic fowls were
brought into the township" This carries
US back TO the year 1915, one year after
the war of 1912 had been fought and fin
ished, and peace restored-a good while
to do without chickens, certainly.
But to return to Austinburg. The old
est building now standing in Austinburg,
and we think in the county, now occupi-
ed and owned by John D. Mills-a barn
of considerable extent, and now in good
repair, was built and filed with wheat,
in our neighborhood, by the Case family,
in 1894. I distinctly recollect of attend
ing the funeral of Capt. Joseph Case, in
that barn, who fell into the creek and |
was drowned, in July, of that year. 1
think chickens were plenty about the logs |
and brush heaps, at that time. The some |
what extensive barn built by my father,
now occupied by his son, was raised in
June, 1911 the boys were on hand tend
ing to the egg and chicken business, long
before that time, and we will say, right |
here, that the emigrants to Morgan had
to pass through the Austin and Mills set
tlement to get there. The wife of Wilcox
being cousin of Dea. Mills, they would |
undoubtedly stop and take tea with |
them, and might have had ham and eggs,
for aught we know. OF one thing we feel
quite sure, they might have obtained |
chickens enough without going to Ash |
tabuls, about as soon as they could have |
the coops ready to put them in. The
writer further-says, "Now that the mRth-
ematicians and book-keepers of the town
have adjusted the account of that agent
for the sale of liquor, with his principal,
and have published the .result to the
world, will not some one undertake to
find out what has been the ratio of the in
crease in the poultry business of Morgan,
in the last sixty years ?" This we have
no means OF doing, as we do not know
when the chicken trade began. 1t is said
that figures wild not lie, but they some
times tell very large stories. They had
good whisky in Morgan at that time, We
know by happy experience, having been
at that time, an occasional visitor at their
log cabins, and having partaken OftheIr
hospitality, we speak from recollection.
Some allusion is made to E. A. Wright,
Esq, and his parents, who are still living
Now we think these three Wnghts, II so
disposed, might write something for the
Telegraph that would be about night, and
If they undertook TO write, we are quite
sure they could write Wright right, and
SO as to stay right. and then it would be
all right. More anon. J.. n.
Eagleville, Feb. "a, 1875.