The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-10-14
MisfeAa'reuns.
NGighb0ring Counties,
TRUABULL, PORTAGE AND ME-
DINA COUNTIES IN 1887.
BY JOSIAH Q. KERN,
TRuMBULL COUNTY.

Trumbull was large and wealthy
county, bounded on the south by Column
biana. and containing thirty-fve town
ships, each five milessquare or 875 square
miles. There were also thirty-fve post
offices. The county had l5,542 inhabit'
ants in 1920, and 26,l5S in 1880. The
most important towns were Warren
Youngstown, Garfield and Poland. The
principal exports of the county were
cattle, butter, cheese and breadstufis
The sales of cattle alone annually exceed
ed twenty thousand dollars.
The town of Warren had been laid out
in 1901, by Ephraim Quimby, and in
1887 contained 15O dwelling houses and
1000 inhabitants. 1t had from ten to
Aheen dry goods stores, two printing
offices, twelve lawyers, two clergymen,
two churches, three taverns, drug store
and large number of mechanics. A
turnpike road extended from Warren to
Lake Erie.
The settlement of Youngstown COM
menced in 1897. 1t was so called after a
Mr.. John Young, formerly the owner OF
the land 1t was the most populous
township in the county, and has more
inhabitants to-day than any other town
ship in either Trumbull or Mahoning
counties. ..t'
Poland, then the southeasternmost
township of Trumbull county, now be
longs to Mahoning. In 1887 the village
of Poland, situated on Yellow Creek, rs
miles southeast of Clevelandand GO miles
northwest of Pittsburgh, contained fifty
dwelling houses and 800 inhabitants,
four stores, two saw mills, grist mill, a
carding machine, an oil mill, an eXten-
siye broom factory, two churches, and
about twenty mechanic shops. 1t had q
daily mail in post coaches from Pitts
burGh and Cleveland, tri.weekiy from
Conneaut, and weekly on horseback
nom New Castle, Penn. In the town
ship were forge and furnace, situated
ON the Mahoning river and the road
from Pittsburgh to Warren.
PORTAGE COUNTY.
Portage county contained 1926 in
habitapts at the census of 1880. 1t was
divided into thirty townships five miles
square. Being exactly 80 by 25 miles in
extent in 1887, it contained $50 square
miles. 1t was drined principally by the
Tuscarawas, Cuyahoga and Mahoning
rivers. Thirty-fOur post offices had been
established. The Mahoning or Penn
sylvania or Ohio Canal, passing through
the central part of the county and con
Meeting with the Ohio Canal at Akron
was in rapid progress at that time. The
company received liberal subscription
\ to it's capital stock from the State. The
canal bid fair for an early completion
The county was one Of the bestimproved
in the State, being very generally, anc
in most places, densely settled, with en-
terprising, sober and industrious farm
ers. who annually turned off an immense
amount of produce. 1t was, however
chiefly celebrated for its dairies and the
excellent quality of its butter and cheese
particularly the butter. The roads anC
bridges are particularly deserving O
mention, they being for the most par
we'll made and kept in good order by the
citizens Ravenna then contained seven
stores, three taverns, fifteen or twenty
mechanic shops, five lawyers three ply
hcians, an academy, court house cost
ing eight thousand dollars, and Jail. i
was expected that the completion Of tie
canal would materially benefit the town
as it was situated in fine agriculture
district,
MEDINA COUNTY.
Medina county, then forming part o
The northern boundary of Stark, was di
yided into nineteen townships, and con
taiued 1850 inhabitants in 1880. There
we're several small villages, but only Me
dina and Seville were regularly laid out
and recorded. The Ohio Canal passeC
through the southeast corner ofthe coun
ty. Twenty post offices had been estab
hshed. Medina township, in which the
county seat is situated, contained only
O52 inhabitants at the census of 1880
The town of Medina contained only
about fifty families and five mercantile
stores, but was rapidly improving.-AM
-oon, Mo1lifOr