The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-10-26
Reunion of the Hoaghton Family,

family not yet sixty, within ten years
four golden weddings have occurred, and
there has been no death among them FOL
twenty-five years.
As four of their wedding anniversaries
occur in October, Friday the 2lst, was
chosen as the date for family gathering,
that being the day Ofthe oldest having
an autumnal wedding, 81 years ago
But this day was one Of the rainieSt Of
the season, and an early message from
Oberlin gave the disappointing intOr'
nation that those expected from there
could not venture in such storm, which
also prevented the representatives frou
Pen6eld being present. Mrs. Ross ant
Miss Clara Ross, Fremont; A. c. Hough'
ton and Charles T. HOughtOn, Columbus
and Mr.. and Mrs. j. B. Pratt, and Mrs. Alta
Pratt, Huntington, were the guests from
out of town. Including Rev. and Mrs. Wag'
goner, and j. C.Dyer, alOng-time friend Of
the family. there were twenty present
Dinner was served at the Stemple house
In the afternoon program was carried Oul
E. W. HoughtOn being chairman. Be-
sides the hymns, in which all Joined,
accompanied by the piano, Mrs. j. b.
Pratt furnished two enjoyable piano
solos, and two more were instrumental
Duets, j. W. HOughtOn playing the
violin.
Miss Ross, in the finely executed reci'
tation "Buzzard Point" gave a vivid
picture of pioneer life, responding to an
encore with one in lighter vein. Z. W.
Houghton paid deserved tribute to his
parents, their example and teaching, theiI
experience calling for fOrtitude, endur'
ance and all the qualities that 60 tt
make up a strong manhood and woman
hood, and dwelt especially upon the
religious influence which descended
to the children as their choicest lnheri'
tanCe,
Mrs, Ross followed, FecOunting with
much imagery the story (tradition to her
of the removal from Batavia, N. Y, leav-
ing a home of comfort and bringing
with them help indoors and out, making
cavalcade of three teams, which
braved the rig0rs of winter, driving
through to reach the home built for them
in Spencer, with a door yard" of theiI
own possessions Of twelve hundred acres
of heavily timbered land. They were six
weeks enrOute, the Gannett family COM
ing with them, having also three teams
One of Mr.. Gannett's horses became
sick and the whole procession stopped
week by the way to wait for its recovery,
but finally had to get another horse be-
fore proceeding on the journey. The de-
pendence of one family upon another
amid mutual perils and hardships, which
is a common feature in explorations ant
! in new settlements, Is illustrated in thit
incident.
The romance of the first cOurtshlp and
marriage among the young people Of thu
family was narrated by Mrs. Ross witt
delicate grace.
Major HoughtOn, Of Columbus, being
called out, spoke Of the first ancestor O
the family in this country. Going bacl
to Herverus, who entered England will
William the COnquerOr. He spoke o.
the name which signifies "high tOwn"ant
was associated with HOughton tower,
castle browning one of the high hills O.
Lancanshire, and being on the route O
King James, |, on his journeys to Scot
land, it was one of his places OF enter
tainment. Later, under King Charles
the strife between church and stat
made state of ferment in the dOminiOni
of these feudal lords. Ralph, s0I
of Sir Richard HoughtOn, sided will
Cromwell and fought against the crown
The speaker believed that he traced II
Ralph typical characteristics of the late
generations of the family. He had tn
courage Of his convictions. He hatet
oppression and wrong, yet his sensitive
soul revOlted from the cOarseness, th'
brutality, the selfish ambition Of CrOm
we'll and his followers. Not even to pre-
serve peace with his father, loyalis
and an aristOcrat, not even to retain
share in the large ancestral estates, AM
secure to himself the favOrs Of the erOwI
would he keep silent and passive wheI
truth, justice and his conscience de
manded that he champion the unpOpula
cause, though to his own social ant
political ruin. He fought in the hattl
of Preston in 1913 and between that an
1646 came to America, and in l647, il
company with nine others, bought
tract of land of the Indians, eight by tel
miles in extent, in Lancaster Co.,, Mass,
and named 1t Bolton. A massacre b.
the Indians broke up the settlement bu
they afterwards went back to thei
homes. From Ralph and John, who wa
one of the incOrpOratOrs mentioned
nearly all the HOughtons in Americ
have decended, now numbering severa
thousands.
Brief remarks were made by Rev. R. L
Waggoner, Mr.. Dyer and others called Of
The storm shortened the daylight an
the company reluctantly said tempOrar