The journal. (Caldwell, Ohio) 1934-1961, 1959-02-19

| " cltlQCii4lSilSll anu SlC 81 oiie.
children in the neighborhood,
while the O'Neil family is repre-
| sented by numerous descendants
of the original family. Samuel
Osborn is still among the few
survivors of original settlers, and
a son of James Osborn lives at
the old homestead.
William Earhart, who mani
| pulated the corn mill and manu-
featured the rolls" (of wooD in
1880, still lives at SteamtoWn,
and the widow and some of the
| children of w. j. Young, who
succeeded him and built the
steam mill, reside in the place
The widow of James Shanklahd
and one of her sons are left to
represent the first family in the
town. The family of Moses Hor-
ton, the founder Of the town so
early planted in the wilderness,
has held its own in and about
the village. Up to 1863, the time
of his death, the tall form and
venerable face of Moses Horton,
| fringed with a beard as white as
snow, was one of the features of
| the town OF his sons, William
was long eminent in the profess
place for the West in 1871.
Thomas, who was an infant when
the family arrived, was in ante
bellum times, one of the conduc-
tors on the underground railroad,
helping many slaves to freedom,
and in 1881 was the Democratic
candidate for Representative of
Noble county. Richard was a
prominent minister of the Wes-
| leyan Methodist church near
Summerfield, dying in 1878. The
whole family were noted for
their hatred of slavery, their
more than average intelligence
| and high sense of honor. The
| younger generation still sustain
the high reputation of the ORR
ginal stock.
The Schools
The most notable event of the
year 1928 was probably the
building Of the first school house.
It was of logs, and is still stand
ing near the depot, but reduced
to the base uses of stable. 1t
| was the typical school house of
the period. Low ceiling. single
log cut out of the sides for Win
doWs, writing desk against the
wall, slabs with no backs to them
| for seats, (there were so high
that the scholars feet could not
reach the floor, large fire
place for burning wood, hickory
shillalah struck up in crack,
! all in approved style. A good
stout stick was in those days an
indispensable adjunct to all
schools. Mr. Thomas Horton is
the only person the writer has
met who claims to be a graduate
of this great institution, but the
writer wishes to record the fact
| that he had his infantile anatomy
: pummelled by the slipper of the
last school marin" who presided
over this hot-bed for the cultiva-
ton Of the minds of the youth of
Summerfield.
! In 1848, this building being too
. small to accommodate the in
creased number of students, a
brick building was erected on the
: bill. which remained in use till
, 1875. Meantime an additional
| frame building had been built
, to accommodate the schools. In
: 1872 the town was Incorporated
, as an independent school dis
trict, and in 1875 built what was
! then the best school-houSe in the
county, and now is excelled bv
, only one. This building stands
on the very top of the hill over
9 looking the town and presents a
fire appearance.
I The first normal school taught
Z in the place was conducted bv
6 William Wheeler and J. C. Clark.
during the summer and fall Of
c 1860, in Temperance Hall, north
, of town The eXcitements of the
wear following proved too much
. for the Youthful institution. Prof.
, | Clark enlisted in the Fortv-
second Ohio and died in the
, army. He sleeps in an unmarked
grave at Stafford. Ohio.
Later Prof Wheeler initiated
, his example and that of most of
his Young men pupils-enlisted
Z in the army, becoming Captain
/, | of Company d. Ninetv-second
Ohio. He is now a minister of the
ME. church in Ottawa, Kansas.
Many of the students of that
!, school distinguished themselves
. for courage on many of the
= hattlefields of the war, return
inc again 70 their homes, while
: others went down in the long
: storm of war that ended in 1865,
{ sealing their devotion to coun-
try bv the last test of patriot
y ism. Since this first normal there
!, has generally been each year a
normal school taught in the town
by persons of experience, while
. the district schools are not ex-
= celled by any in the county,
O The Churches
:, For a short time after the
S building of the first school house
t it was occupied as a church by
e the Methodists and afterwards
o bv society of Radicals, which
s did not prosper and soon faded
! out. About 1929 was built the
d first church--a brack edifice.
II Charles and Jesse Mosely were
l. the builders. 1t stood on the spot
h occupied by the present one, ano
h was Verv good building fol-
IS its time. Shortly after its erec.
a | ton came the great revival tha