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History of Summit County, with an outline sketch of Ohio

Our history of Summit county, after months of arduous toil, is now completed. Every important field of research has been minutely scanned by those engaged in its preparation; no subject of universal public value has been omitted, save where protracted effort failed to secure trustworthy results. The necessarily limited nature of the work, the impossibility of ingrafting upon its pages, the vast fund of the county's historic information, and the proper omission of many valueless details and events, have compelled the publishers to be brief on all subjects presented. Fully aware of our inability to furnish a perfect history from meager public documents, inaccurate private correspondence and numberless conflicting traditions, we make no pretension of having prepared a work devoid of blemish. Through the courtesy and the generous assistance met with everywhere, we have been enabled to rescue from oblivion the greater portion of important events that have transpired in Summit County in past years. We feel assured that all thoughtful people in the county, at present and in future, will recognize and appreciate the importance of the undertaking, and the great public benefit that has been accomplished.

It will be observed that a dry statement of fact has been avoided; and that the rich romance of border incident has been woven in with statistical details, thus forming an attractive and graphic narrative, and lending beauty to the mechanical execution of the volume, and additional value to it as a work for perusal. We claim superior excellence in our manner of collecting material; in the division of the subject matter into distinct and appropriate chapters; in giving a separate chapter to every town, township and important subject, and in the systematic arrangement of the individual chapters. The we acknowledge the existence of unavoidable errors, we claim to have prepared a work fully up to the standard of our promises, and as accurate and comprehensive as could be expected under the circumstances.

Table of Contents

PART I.
HISTORY OF THE STATE OF OHIO.

CHAPTER I. — Introductory — Topography — Geology — Primitive Races — Antiquities — Indian Tribes 11

CHAPTER II. — Explorations in the West 19

CHAPTER III. — English Explorations — Traders — French and Indian War in the West — English Possession 37

CHAPTER IV. — Pontiac's Conspiracy — Its Failure — Bouquet's Expedition— Occupation by the English 48

CHAPTER V. — American Exploration — Dunmore's War — Campaign of George Rogers Clarke — Land Troubles — Spain in the Revolution — Murder of the Moravian Indians 52

CHAPTER VI. — American Occupation — Indian Claims — Early Land Companies — Compact of 1787 — Organization of the Territory — Early American Settlements in the Ohio Valley — First Territorial Officers — Organization of Counties 60

CHAPTER VII. — Indian War of 1795 — Harmar's Campaign — St. Clair's Campaign — Wayne's Campaign — Close of the War 73

CHAPTER VIII. — Jay's Treaty — The Question of State Rights and National Supremacy — Extension of Ohio Settlements — Land Claims — Spanish Boundary Question 79

CHAPTER IX. — First Territorial Representatives in Congress — Division of the Territory — Formation of States — Marietta Settlement — Other Settlements — Settlements in the Western Reserve — Settlement of the Central Valleys — Further Settlements in the Reserve and Elsewhere 85

CHAPTER X. — Formation of the State Government — Ohio a State — The State Capitals — Legislation — The "Sweeping" Resolutions 121

CHAPTER XI. — The War of 1812 — Growth of the State — Canal, Railroads and other Improvements — Development of State Resources 127

CHAPTER XII. — Mexican War — Continued Growth of the State — War of the Rebellion — Ohio's Part in the Conflict 132

CHAPTER XIII. — Ohio in the Centennial — Address of Edward D. Mansfield, L.L D., Philadelphia, August 9, 1876 138

CHAPTER XIV. — Education — Early School Laws— Notes— Institutions and Educational Journals — School System — School Funds — Colleges and Universities 148

CHAPTER XV. — Agriculture— Area of the State — Early Agriculture in the West — Markets — Live Stock — Nurseries, Fruits, etc. — Cereals, Root and Cucurbitaceous Crops — Agricultural Implements — Agricultural Societies — Pomological and Horticultural Societies 151

CHAPTER XVI. — Climatology — Outline — Variation in Ohio — Estimate in Degrees — Amount of Variability 163

CHAPTER XVII. — Public Lands — Early Contest on Bight of Soil and Jurisdiction — The Western Reserve — Origin and Organization— Social and Material Growth 165

PART II.
HISTORY OF SUMMIT COUNTY.

CHAPTER I. — Introductory — Physical Features — Geological Structure — The Different Shales — Coal Measures — Agriculture and Agricultural Societies — Statistics, etc 181

CHAPTER II— Prehistoric Races— Traces and Relics of the Mound Builders — The Indian Tribes — Their Occupation of Summit County — Sketches of Them — The Border Wars 207

CHAPTER III. — Settlement and Organization of the County — Its Civil Divisions — The Early Judiciary — County Buildings — Their Cost and Character — Officials, etc 226

CHAPTER IV. — War Record — Our Struggle for Independence — 1812 — The Mexican War — Our Late Civil War — Sketches of Regiments — Aid Societies — Monuments, etc 249

CHAPTER V. — Religious — The Gospel on the Frontier — A Tax for its Support — Educational — School Statistics — The County Press — Railroads, Canals, etc 271

CHAPTER VI. — The Professions — Early Lawyers — Summit County Bar — The Lawyers of the Present — Medical — Pioneer Doctors — Early Practice — The Modern Physicians 301

CHAPTER VII. — Portage Township — Descriptive and Topographical — Coming of the Pioneers — Their Primitive Life — Development of Resources — Schools, Churches, etc. 321

CHAPTER VIII. — City of Akron — Original Plat — Its Growth as a Village — An Incorporated City — Municipal Government — Statistics — Secret and Other Societies 330

CHAPTER IX. — City of Akron — Its Manufacturing Interests — Their Growth and Development — The Buckeye Reaper — Potteries — Mills — Other Establishments 344

CHAPTER X. — City of Akron — Religious History — Early Christianity and Pioneer Preachers — Advancement of the Gospel — Churches of the Present Day — Sabbath Schools, etc 366

CHAPTER XI. — City of Akron — Formation of the Public Schools — Akron School Law — Present Educational Facilities — Sketch of Buchtel College 381

CHAPTER XII. — Town of Middlebury — Its Settlement — Early Glory and Importance — Water Power — Growth of Manufacturing Industries — Present Business 399

CHAPTER XIII. — Hudson Township — Its Early History — Topography — The Settlement by the Whites — Pioneer Incidents — Growth and Development of Industries 409

CHAPTER XIV. — Hudson Township — Early Society — Organization— The Village of Hudson Laid Out — Its Business and Growth — Religious and Educational 426

CHAPTER XV. — Hudson Village — Educational Institutions — Location of College — Questions of Difference — Officers and Faculty — Library, Preparatory School, etc 446

CHAPTER XVI. — Cuyahoga Falls — Settlement by Whites — Early History — Grottoes, Caverns and Kavines — Organization as a Township — Its Officers, etc., etc 466

CHAPTER XVII. — Cuyahoga Falls — Growth and Prosperity — Manufacturing Interests — Incorporation — Schools and Teachers — Religious — Sketches of the Churches 478

CHAPTER XVIII. — Northampton Township — Descriptive — Early History and Settlement — Development of Resources — Early Schools — Statistics — Religious — Different Churches 497

CH.APTER XIX. — Stow Township — Description and Topography — The Whites — Improvement and Development — Villages — Religious — Educational, etc 511

CHAPTER XX. — Coventry Township — Topographical — Boundaries — Lakes — The Palefaces — Their Life in the Wilderness — Industries — Schools and Churches 521

CHAPTER XXI. — Boston Township — Its Ownership — General Description — Occupancy of the Whites — Unlawful Operations — Towns — Educational, etc 532

CHAPTER XXII. — Springfield Township — General Description — Wealth and Resources — Coal Mines — The Palefaces — Pioneer Industries — Schools and Teachers — Religious 545

CHAPTER XXIII. — Tallmadge Township — Physical Features — Early History — The Whites — Pioneer Vicissitudes — Growth and Prosperity — Schools, Churches, etc 552

CHAPTER XXIV. — Northfield Township — Its Physical Geography — Settlement by the Whites — Growth and Improvement — Statistical — Religious — Villages 567

CHAPTER XXV. — Norton Township — Descriptive and Topographical — White Settlement — Pioneer Industries — Advancement in Civilization — Schools and Teachers — Churches — The Villages, etc 578

CHAPTER XXVI. — Green Township — Physical Features — Original Boundaries — Pioneer Occupancy — The Germans — Growth and Development — Villages — Churches and Schools 593

CHAPTER XXVII. — Richfield Township— General Description — Coming of the AVhites — Growth and Prosperity — Pionneer Industries — Schools and Teachers — Christianity, etc 608

CHAPTER XXVIII. — Bath Township — Boundaries and Topography — White Settlement — Wealth and Prosperity — Pioneer Achievements — Churches and Preachers — Schools, etc 617

CHAPTER XXIX. — Franklin Township — Topographical — Early History — Coming of the Pioneers — Early Improvements and Industries — Villages — Schools, Churches, etc 627

CHAPTER XXX. — Copley Township — Descriptive and Topographical — The White Settlement — Early Industries — Their Growth and Development — Educational and Religious 639

CHAPTER XXXI. — Twinsburg Township — Description and Early Features — The Coming of the Whites — Pioneer Improvements — Anecdotes — Educational and Religious 649

PART III.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

ILLUSTRATIONS
PORTRAITS
VIEWS

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