The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1875-01-21
~ PUBLISHED BY REQUEST.
Early History of Auburn.
Then, while the brush was drying

-
made table and door, put up shelves
against the house, hewed chestnut
plank for the lower and upper floors,
and began to. feel at home. Our near
est neighbors south were John Har-
mon, Reed s. Messenger, ino Mantua,
which was three miles. They had
moved in since was in, the fall be-
fore. Our nearest neighbors north,
were two miles, to Mr.. Jackson's the
place where wejstopped. Those were
onr neighbors the first season, except
some men who kept house without
their wives ~ s-''
Our two little boys, that we brought
in with us, grew up to manhood years
ago., and are still living. Daniel NJ.
Crafts, my son, was 55 years old the
18th day of September or October,
1857 lives in Troy, about a mile east
ofme. Chester G. Hayes is my wife's
son. He was So years old the 4th day
of October, 1867; is proprietor of the
hotel at Auburn Corners, about one
third of mile west of me. We have
had six children since we moved into
this town, three sons and three daugh-
ters, whose names are as follows: -
Jeremiah Crafts was born on the 2Sth
of October, 1916, he being the first
child born in this town. Edward
Crafts and Hosea Crafts are the boys
names, Almira. Harriet and Eveline
are the girls names. Harriet we bur-
led many years ago. Edward is on
the old farm, and the others not far
off, with the exception of Almira, who
is gone to the State of Illinois. Thus
it appears we have lived here more
than a half century, have reared up a
family, gone through all the hardships
and privations incident to the settling
of new country, and, through the
blessings of our Heavenly Father, we
still live and are able to take care OF
ourselves. e4.-a.a H.s 5l5ia
Now have finished what have to
write respecting my own history, for
the present, but shall allude to it again
occasionally as proceed with the
progress of the settlement of the new
town. When 1 moved into the town,
Bildad Bradley had taken down his
house and moved it onto the next lot
west, because he could not hold the
land on the road. There he lived to
the age of S5 years, and died about
two years ago, his wife having died
some years previous. John jackson
and Zadoch Reuwee moved into town
with their families, and Rensselaer,
Granger, young man, came in with
Mr.. Jackson as his hired man. Jack
son built frame barn in the fall of
1916, this being the first frame in town
These three families settled in the
north part of town, 1 think on what
was called the Mills Tract. VIM.
Crafts family was the fourth, and set
tied on the Ely Tract, as before stated.
Perhaps it will be well for me to note
some of the tracts of land in this town
as l shall have occasion to allude to
them in reference to the settlers. And
first, the south third OF the town with
lines running from east to west across
the. town, was called the Atwater
Tract, the owner living East, which
was not for sale for many years after
the town commenced settling. The
middle third was owned by different
as follows: Commencing
with Solomon COwles' Tract of LII
acres bounded on the east line of the
acres next the Kirkland Tract of ., 400
acres. On this tract is the center of
the town, Next the Root Tract of l.
900 acres; next the Miller Tract OF
900 acres, extending to the west line
OF the town. The north third was
owned by Judge Mills and others; l
cannot tell who they were. And now
a little concerning myself. AS l was
not successful in getting men to come
from the East and taking this Ely
Tract with me, as l wished, after had
been in town aw while, L made propo-
sition to Mr., Punderson 10 rescind the
bargain we made the fall before, on
the following terms: First, that L
would reserve 200 acres Oh the south
end of the tract tor Mr.. Keyes, as he
had sent his son in with me; then 1
would take for myself 400 acres, the
north line of which is 81 rods, north
of the center of the east and west
road, now running through the town
of Auburn, this road not being laid
out at that time, but, when laid out, it
brought the four corners on my farm,
which is called Auburn Corners. Pun
dersou having agreed to the PROPOSE
ton, we took up our first agreement
and made new one. Shortly after
this Mr.. David Smith and Mr.. Morgan
Orton came in from the State of Con-
necticut, and bought of Panderson the
Of the Ely Tract. Smith,
L think, bought 100 acres on the
corner, on the east side of
the road. Orton's lay in an L, that
opposite D. Smiths on the west side
of the road, and that joining VIM.
Crafts on both sides of the road
About the same time Ethan Brewer
came in from Massachusetts, and
bought west on the Root Tract, near
where Mays Mill now stands. With
no laid out road, only foot-path
which led to Aurora, the above named
all commenced laboring and planting
for the purpose of raising provision
in this town in the spring of 1876
Nothing had been raised before. Or
ton was not married. Smith and
Reuwee kept bachelors hall at this
time, but think in October, the same
fall, 1916, they brought on their wives
from the East; then we began to think
we had neighbors. benjamin Woods,
came in from Palmyra. New York,
think in the month of November, 1916
and moved in Elihu Mott. He settled
in Newbury. Mr.. Woods came down
with Punderson, looked west on the
Root Tract, but wanted to buy on the
L
town. l told him L thought Morgan
Orton would sell, and went with him
to Orton, They soon made bargain
and Woods returned home to Palmy-
ra, but came back here late the same
fall, and brought four men with him,
whose names are as follows: Charles
Hinkley, Amasa Turner, Philip 1ngler
and James Benjamin. These men all
came to look for land. Mr.. Woods,
although considerably advanced in
years. was very ambitious. He cut,
split, hewed and raised a log house in
a very short time, and then returned.
On the 10Th of February, 1917, Mr..
Woods, Charles Hinkley and Amasa
Turner, all arrived here with their
families, with OK teams, by shedding
MIR. Woods soon put his house in or
der and moved in. Hinkley and Tur-
ner bought north on the Mills Tract,
built their houses and moved in. In
the fore part of the month Of March
following, Gin I'D Amaziah keyes and
TNh a., tIo,. thai,. ia