The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-05-01
Pioneer Life in Lorain County. J

N. =, MAKING the Trip Win horses anu
wagon. The condition of the roads is
still fresh in my memory, on account of
their primitive state. Such cities, how
roads. Arrived ct Cleveland place of
of buildings; wood color. We crossed
Just long enough to take on o team and
wagon, the boat being drawn by horse
on the opposite side. We passed on to
Avon township, and stayed there until
February 1881, then removed TO the
northwest corner Of Carlisle, West
Ridge, and one mile west Of the present
County Infirmary. Elyris at that time
was composed of dozen little huts,
and gave small promise Of the beauti-
full town that it now is. We began In
the woods without one acre of improve
ments, built log house with a dutch
fire. place; that is, logs were taken out at
one end of the house epace feet long
and four feet high and filed in with
stone, then q stick chimney covered
with clay mortar extending up through
the roof. The hearth was of common
stone picked up in the woods. Pots
and kettles were hung over the fire by
means of q chain attached to q long
pole placed across the chimney several
feet above. Baking in those days was
done In kettles set on q bed of Goals,
and the cover also spread with Goals.
After few years clay oven was con-
structed large enough to contain six or
eight loaves at one time The great
difficulty was, however, to get some
thing to cook and to wear. MY father
once went on foot from Carlisle to Avon,
then worked to pay for q bushel of corn,
which he took on his shonlder to mill,
got it ground and then carried it home,
a distance of twelve or fourteen miles.
At one time as he was passing through
large piece of woods he saw three
young bears jost before him. His dog
Immediately attacked one of them and
made such noise that the old bear
bounded in from the underbrush and
made short work of-that battle. 1t ap-
pearcd that there would be very little
left Of the dog, and as he could not get
hold of anything to defend himself
with he shouldered his corn meal and
made tracks, fearing he might share the
fate of the dog, he saw no more Of
the bear, but what was left Of the dog
overlook him after he had travelled
about two miles,. He recovered and
helped to kill number of bear after
that, with the aid of rifle we'll manned.
In reviewing these early times l
would not give q dark shade to the ex-
perience Of the pioneers. We were per-
hsps as happy and contented as people
in these days, My father had q large
family to support !; his children number
ing aboat one-half of those enumerated
for school purposes, and he, consequent
ly had to pay one-half the expenses of
the district school for many years.
It looks to me now that 1t would be i'm
possible for man to provide, food and
clothing for such family, and he could
not 4 if the same luxurious tastes and
habits had prevailed then as now.
We raised fax, and the women spun,
wove and made cloth for summer wear.
NV mother would do her housework and
spin two runs in day ON q small or
large wheel. .lss,l- ~ .s.q.. ..s.i.
| : Ny father was q sahrewd hunter of
deer, bear wolves, raccoon, wildcat,
fox, sc. The flesh of the deer answered
in the place of beef and pork, and as he
knew how to tan their skins, he furn.
ished us o large portion of our clothing.
I wore out seven pairs Of leather panta.
looms from the time WIS six until was
fourteen years old. Wolves were very
thick and my father was very successful
in trapping them. The bounty on their
scalps was seven dollars, the hide was
worth one dollar. .-'ai- h''l-'-,-
| We added also to our slender income
by gathering shack nuts. Cranberries
were abundant; knew my father to
sell at one time one hundred bushels for
seventy five dollars. All were picked in
one weeks time by members of his fam
ily.. Ohestnuts and hickory nuts were
worth from 81 cents Ito one dollar q
bushel. Nearly all of these were gath
cred by the children. Black salts was
the currency Of the country, and were
worth from &225 to $2.75 hundred
pounds. -" t!',
Our stock would winter itself with the
help Of about four ears Of corn day to
each snimal. Hogs would get fat on
shack. In favorable seasons we made
large quantities of maple sugar, worth
at that time about five or six cents q
pound, taking four pounds to buy one
yard Of cotton cloth.
The timber was largely chestnut and
white oak. Chestnut made into shin
giles sold readily for one dollar and fifty
cents thousand. Whitewood was
! worth from six to ten dollars thousand
feet. We hauled some OF it with an OK
team to Ashland and exchanged it for
wheat, taking four days to make the
a. u