The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-03-25
From the Cleveland Herald.
AURORA.
EARLY HISTORY OF TIE
KEMINCENCEs OF PIONEER DAYS.
NUMBER ONE,

NUMBER ONE.
Late in the afternoon of en- autumn
day of the year Of Grace 1901, party
of surveyors might have been seer
pursuing a westerly direction along
the trail from Warren to Hudson. The
trail was hardly deserving Of the name
being scarcely more than line OF
blazed trees to guide the adventurel
who sought his new home in the al.
most unexplored wilderness. The
party had fioundered through the
swamps of the Mahoning valley, across
the higher ground of what is now
Freedom, fording tho Cnyahoga river
at the afterward Mud Mills, and night
found them in the eastern part of town
9, range 3, of Trumbull county. Climb.
ing the steep bank of the east branch
of the Chagrin river, they halted al
the cabin of settler who the year
previously had located his family in
the woods and had quite clearing to
show for his adventurous enterprise.
Two years previously-1799-Eben-
ezer Sheldon, of West Suffield, Con-
necticut, in company with Elias Har-
mon and his wife, young married
couple, set out for Ohio. Crossing the
Allegheny Mountains, they came
through Pittsburgh, then boldly plung-
ing into the woods, taking q north
west direction, they in due time, ar
rived at Warren, then consisting of
two or three log cabins, and thence
went along trail that finally brought
them into range 3, town 9, where, Sc
lecting tract of land along the valley
of the Chagrin river and the high
plateau adjoining they built a cabir.
Two axes soon made break in the
wilderness; little patch of wheat
was sown, and late in the fall Mr..
Sheldon returned to the East for the
purpose of bringing on his family the
next spring, and Mr.. Harmon and his
wife went to Mantua, where they To-
Gated, being among the first perma-
nent settlers of that town, and upon
the organization of the county he was
elected one of the Judges.
Early in 1900 Mr.. Sheldon: and his
party set out for Ohio, reaching here
in June. Retween his land and War
rem was an unbroken wilderness, and
to add to their troubles they were
overtaken by violent tempest that
uprooted trees and finally enclosed
them with a "brush fence" That
necessitated Mr.. Sheldon's going back
to Warren for help to extricate his
family. They were obliged to remain
in the woods that night, arriving al
their cabin the following day.
Aurora then boasted of popula-
ton of eight persons. The nearest
settlers were in Hudson, and very
few Of them, and family or two in
Mantua. The woods were full of wild
animals and wilder men. In Streets
borough a tribe of Seneca Indians
held undisputed possession: few
miles to the West, Sagamaw and his
little tribe hunted and fished about the
Big Pond, while to the North, not
cabin was to be met with nearer than
the lake shore. With the help Of his
five sturdy boys the forest began slow
ly to disappear, and while enduring
many of the priyations of pioneer
life, escaped any real want.
Thus the party of surveyors found
them, and as Hudson was still twelve
miles away, they spent the night with
our hospitable settlers. Dame Shell
don provided them with substantial
meal, the latest news was discussed,
and score of other matters that
would be supposed to interest the host
and guests. During the evening one
of the party, Major Spafford, chief
surveyor of the Suffield Land Com
prny, inquired of Mr.. Sheldon sit he
had any name selected for his town ?"
Upon being Informed that he had
none in particular, the Major proposed
that if he be allowed to select a name
he would furnish gallon of whisky
to further the evenings enjoyment.
The proposition was acceded to and
the tract was named Aurora. in honor
of the Majors only daughter. A
health to the one and prosperity TO
the other were given, and duly hon.
ored by the party, and so town 5,
range 9, was ever afterwards known
by its present appellation. Early next
morning the surveyors left Aurora
and the monotony of an early settlers
life was resumed.
One day year after, young man
called at the cabin of Mr.. Sheldon
Amzi Atwater was a young surveyor
who had located a tract of land on
the rich bottoms of the Cuyah oga, a
few rods south of the present station
of Mantua, and was keeping what
many young man was doing at that
early day ''bachelor's hall" At dim
ner, the subject of his Loneliness came
up and the young man made bold to
say that he shared with them i'll the
opinion, and had come over to see if
Mr.. Sheldon's daughter Huldah would
GO back with him and"cook his meals"
The avowal was duly discussed, and
the blushing Huldah accepted the
hand and fortune of young Atwater.
But here was a new difficulty, no cler-
gyman or jnstice was procurable near
er than Warren, so the father, by vir-
tue of being the only voter in the
township, joined their hands, and by
the great law of the territory of Ohio
in him invested, pronounced them
man and wife. No clergyman could
have tied a mere secure silken knot,