The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1880-08-19
The Houehton Reunion.


The ''IIoughtons'' had reunion of
t'ieir clans in the Fair Ground Grove,
on Tuesday last. As the managing, lit
erary, and local editors of this journal
have the distinction OF being members
of that ancient family, and this gather
ing in some sort their funeral,-being
literally buried in the social, historical,
and professional ceremonies of the day i,
the editorial mantle for the occasion
fell incidentally to the shoulders of this
stranger, who took some notes, and can
report them without fesr of praising
his own grandfather, father, or mother,
his uncles, his aunts, or his cousins, or
of bringing the blush of egotism to his
own soft cheek.
The Houghtons that assembled here
were the families of two sons of Nehe-
miah Uoughton, one of the pioneers Of
the state of Vermont. He was born 113
years ago this month, in the state of
Massachusetts. He cleared the virgin
forest from the mountain side and val
ley of a large farm on which he located,
near Brattleboro, Vermont. lie contin-
ued to live there until his death at the
ripe age of 81 years. He reared fam
lily of eight children, among whom was
ASt, thhuy yCaf . ICSiuCub VI
village, and who died In 1875 at the age
the family is Curtis Houghton Of Dali
ton, Ohio.
They were the members Of the fami-
lies Of Asa, and Of Curtis, who were
represented at the reunion. Th3 chill
dren of Asa are well known to most Of
our readers: E. w. Houghton, OF this
place; George and Luther Houghton,
Of Oberlin; willard Houghton, former
ly of Spencer. and who lost his life in
tho late war; Mrs. George Norton, of
Penfield Mrs. Benz. Pratt, Of Hunting
ton; DIR. j. w. Houghton, Of yelling
ton; Ellen and Harriet, deceased; and
Mrs. w. w. Ross, Of Fremont. Mrs.
Clarissa Houghton, widow of Asa, is
still living with her son, DIR. j. w.
Houghton, In eur village. The children
of Curtis are: Mrs. DIR. Snodgrass, of
Dalton; Mrs. Louisa Robinson, of Me-
dina; Mrs. Sarah Rowe, of Wetervilt; |;
Mrs. Lucinds Erect, Edwin Houghton,
and Mrs. Alvirs Harbaugh. All the
families Of Asa, here,-hi widow, and
their children to the second and third
generation, and Curtis and his wife
Eliza, and DR.. Robinson and his entire
family, and Mrs. Rowe,-responded to
the call for the reunion; and when the
roll was made up, it numbered co
present. l
Through the great Kindness of the
officers of the Fair Association, tho
company had free access to the COM
modious dining hall, and the beautiful
grove upon the grounds; and no more
favorable or delightful place with such
conveniences for so great number, ex-
lists in this vicinity.
The Houghtons have evidently at
tanned their great age BY being sub
stantial eaters Of three meals DAY.
Their survivors are apparently true to
the traditions of their fathers, and take
no stock in the Tanner heresies, II we
shall judge by the extraordinary boun-
ty of the tables they spread. The tables
got into the proceedings so early In the
day, because most had ridden many
miles that morning through an appe-
tizing air, and early breakfasts early
ceased to be any comfort. 1t seems
pity to despatch SO soon with the pen
q dinner which was so good, and about
which the fork fingered so lovingly,
but there is less space here than time
there, and the gentle reader cannot eat
our words, however sweet. One pleas
all the patriarchs, grandfathers, and
grandmothers, were decorously seated
at the chief table; then all the cousins,
children. and grandchildren joined in
free-for-all, go-as- -you-please, the only
rule being that no two should sit togeth-
er who had sat at the same breakfast
table. This stranger was, under the
friendly convoy of one of the family,
and perhaps regarded as distant cous-
in, Hospitality cared for. srH
The banquet being over, all gathered
around the old arm chairs by the plat
form, for family prayers. And while
they are assembling we might take
time to say that, SO far rs we could
learn, the altar is as much an institution
among this, people as it was with Abr a.
ham, and in every household its fires
are kept alive. 1t might also be added
In this conpecticn-as here 1t naturally
belongsLthe fact we Learned, that SO
far as known, In all this tribe, present
and absent, there Is but one Democrat,
and he was born one before he married
into the Houghton heritage; but his ba-
bies get enough of the family blood to
make Of them shouting Republicans.
But the minister, Rev. Geo. II. Norton,
has found and is reading the Goth Psalm.
Miss Mary HOughton, Of Oberlin, led at
the organ, Zone Of Vischer's best), and
all Joined in singing "Nearer, NY God,
to Thee. Then we listened to one Of
the ablest and most appropriate prayers
that IL has ever been our profit to hear.
The dong meter doxology closed the de-
votional exercises. l..o .s
d.. Robinson, of Medina, then called
the attention of the family to the fact
that this was the first attempt at a re-
union OF these people; that the notice
of it was so short th at not only were
fha m nr IL I'll
perfect, but the larger number of the
branch to which he belonged, living at
a distance, were unable TO attend. He
proposed thar steps be taken to have n
formal reunion next year, and that they
organize for that purpose. An organi-
zation was effected, E. W. Houehton
made President, ana DR.. Houghton, sec
retary. Through much merrimeut,
many short and pithy speeches, n rattle
OF easy, after-dinner wit and humor, it
was decided to reunite a, year hence,
and q committee Of arrangements, a
historian, a poet, an editor, ETC., ap-
pointed to look after those several de-
tails. Then short addresses, appropriate
to the occasion, were called for, but no
arrangements had been made for those
''impromptu" affairs, and the president
was pounced upon for one anyhow, as
in some sort responsible for the lack.
E. w. Houghton's white beard fairly
blushed ss he stainmeringly tried to say
that never, in all the traditions OF the
family, had q HOughton been known to
make q speech, and he proved ir by an
appeal TO the patriarch of the company
the great-grandfather Curtis. Then
one of the youths rose aud said, "You'd
scarce expect one of our race to make a
speech in any place, or talk at all ut such
a time, unless 1t be In school-boy rhyme !;
and how our fathers did their cour;ing,
was one of those things lie couldn't find
out"-or words to that effect, for he
stopped in great confusion, ahd sat down
beside pretty cousin. Short tslks were,
however, made by DR.. Robinson, Walter
Houghton Of Penfield, Albert Hough-
ten of Toledo, and George Norton.
Among other things twas said that one
of the almost constituent elements o: an
American who would shove his way
fb oh ernu1 m w ir