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Historical Collections of Ohio

By Henry Howe

Vol. I

©1888

 

Geauga County

 

Page 682

 

            Geauga County was formed in 1805 from Trumbull, since which its original limits have been much reduced. It was the second county formed on the Reserve.  The name Geauga, or Sheauga, signifies the Indian language Raccoon. It was originally applied to Grand river, thus: "Sheauga sepe," i.e., Raccoon river.  The surface is rolling and the soil generally clay. Its area is 400 square miles.  In 1885 the acres cultivated were 62,698; in pasture, 103,077; woodland, 45,541; lying waste 2,703; produced in bushels, wheat, 148,178; oats, 383,891; corn 253,691; potatoes, 171,760; hay, tons, 41,393; butter, 460,807 pounds; cheese 1,550,382.  School census, 1886, 3,984; teachers, 240.  It has 25 miles of railroad.

 

 

 

            The population in 1820 was 7,791; in 1840, 16,299; in 1860, 15,817; in 1880, 14,251, of whom 10,380 were Ohio-born; 1,241, New York; 372, Pennsylvania; 719, foreign born.

 

            This county, being at the head-waters of Chagrin, Cuyahoga and part of Grand rivers, is high ground, and more subject to deep snows than any other part of the Reserve. In its early settlement it was visited by some high sweeping winds or tornadoes, but perhaps no more than other counties around them. In August, 1804, John MINER was killed at Chester. He had lately moved from Burton, with part of his family, into a log-house which he had built at that place. A furious storm suddenly arose, and the timber commenced falling on all sides, when he directed his two children to go under the floor, and stepped to the door to see the falling timber. At that instant three trees fell across the house and killed him instantly. The children remained in the house until the next morning, when the oldest made her way to a neighbor, about two miles distant, and related the sad tidings.

 

            The first settlement in Geauga was at Burton, in the year 1798, when three families settled there from Connecticut. This settlement was in the interior of the country, at a considerable distance from any other. The hardships and privations of the early settlers of the Reserve are well described in the annexed article from the pen of one who was familiar with them.

 

 

Page 683

 

 expense of time, and, in many cases, the only safe guide to direct their course were the township lines made by surveyors.

 

                The want of mills to grind the first harvests was in itself a great evil. Prior to the year 1800 many families used a small handmill, properly called a sweat-mill, which took the hard labor of two hours to supply flour enough for one person a single day. About the year 1800 one or two grist-mills, operating by water power, were erected. One of these was at Newburg, now in Cuyahoga county. But the distance of many of the settlements from the mills, and the want of roads, often rendered the expense of grinding a single bushel equal the value of two or three.

 

            The difficulties of procuring subsistence for a family, in such circumstances, must be obvious. Often would a man leave his family in the wilderness with a stinted supply of food, and with his team or pack-horse go perhaps some twenty or thirty miles for provisions. The necessary appendages of his journey would be an axe, a pocket compass, fireworks, and blanket and bells. He cut and beat his way through the woods with his axe, and forded almost impassable streams. When the day was spent he stopped where he was, fastened his bells to his beasts, and set them at liberty to provide for themselves. Then he would strike a fire, not only to dissipate, in some degree, the gloom and damps of night, but to annoy the gnats and mosquitos, and prevent the approach of wolves, bears, and panthers. Thus the night passed with the trees for his shelter. At early dawn, or perhaps long before, he is listening to catch the sound of bells, to him sweet music, for often many hours of tedious wanderings were consumed ere he could find his team and resume his journey. If prospered, on reaching his place of destination, in obtaining his expected supply, he follows his lonely way back to his anxious and secluded family, and perhaps has scarce time to refresh and rest himself ere the same journey and errand had to be repeated.

 

            Geauga suffered much from the "Great Drouth" in the summer of 1845, the following brief description of which was communicated to Dr. S.P. Hildreth, by Gov.Seabury FORD, and published in "Silliman's Journal."

 

                The district of country which suffered the most was about one hundred miles in length, and fifty or sixty in width, extending nearly east and west parallel with the lake, and in some places directly bordering on the shore of this great island sea. There was no rain from the last of March, or the 1^st of April, until the 10^th of June, when there fell a little rain for one day, but no more until the 2d of July, when there probably fell half an inch, as it made the roads a little muddy. From this time no more rain fell until in early September. This long-continued drouth reduced the streams of water to mere rills, and many springs and wells heretofore unfailing became dry, or nearly so. The grass crop entirely failed, and through several counties the pasture grounds in places were so dry, that in walking across them the dust would rise under the feet, as in highways. So dry was the grass in meadows, that fires, when accidentally kindled, would run over them as over a stubble-field, and great caution was required to prevent damage from them. The crop of oats and corn was nearly destroyed. Many fields of wheat so perished that no attempt was made to harvest them. Scions set in the nursery dried up for lack of sap in the stocks, and many of the forest trees withered, and all shed their leaves much earlier than usual. The health of the inhabitants was not materially affected, although much sickness was anticipated. Grasshoppers were multiplied exceedingly in many places, and destroyed every green thing that the drouth had spared, even to the thistles and eldertops by the roadside.

 

                The late frosts and cold drying winds of the spring months cut off nearly all the fruit, and what few apples remained were defective at the core, and decayed soon after being gathered in the fall. Many of the farmers sowed fields of turnips in August and September, hoping to raise winter food for their cattle, but the seed generally failed to vegetate for lack of moisture. So great was the scarcity of food for the domestic animals that early in the autumn large droves of cattle were sent into the valley of the Scioto, where the crops were more abundant, to pass the winter, while others were sent eastward into the borders of Pennsylvania. This region of country abounds in grasses, and one of the staple commodities is the produce of the dairy. Many stocks of dairy cows were broken up and dispersed, selling for only four or five dollars a head, as the cost of wintering would be more than their worth in the spring.

 

                Such great losses and suffering from the effects of drouth have not been experienced in Ohio for many years, if at all since the settlement of the country. As the lands become more completely cleared of the forest trees, dry summers will doubtless be more frequent. In a region so near a large body of water we should expect more rain than in one at a distance. The sky in that district is, nevertheless, much oftener covered with clouds than in the southern portion of the State, where rains are more abundant; but the dividing ridge, or height of land between Lake Erie and the waters of the Ohio lacks a range of high hills to attract the moisture from the clouds and cause it to descend in showers of rain.

 

TRAVELLING NOTES

 

 

Page 684

 

 depot on the outskirts by an old lady, evidently a character. She was seated on a box; an eight-year-old boy was by her side, and she was smoking a pipe. Changes were being made in the gauge of the track, with consequent confusion at the depot, with scant accomodation for waiting passengers. She was virtuously indignant. "All the railroad men care for is to get our money," she said; then puffed away. After a little the locomotive came up drawing a single car; in a twinkling it was filled with a merry lot of rural people, laughing and chatting, exhilarated by the air of a perfect September morning, sunny and bracing.

 

I object—While waiting for the start something was said about smoking in the car, whereupon a gentleman exclaimed: "If any person objects we must not smoke." Instantly came from a distant corner, in the shrill, screaming tones of some ancient woman: "I object." The announcement was received with a shout of laughter, in which everybody seemed to join. It was evident that every soul in that car felt that "I object" had such an abhorrence of tobacco smoke, that if the man in the moon got out his pipe she would know it after a few puffs; that is, if the wind was right.

 

                My sympathy was excited for the old lady at the deprivation of her pipe-smoke, and so tried, as we started, to relieve her mind by conversation. As is not unusual with humanity, herself was an interesting topic. She was, she told me, fifty-five years old; her parents born in Connecticut, she in "York State," but from five years old had lived in Geauga county. In turn I told her what I was doing, travelling over the State to make a book.  "Make money out of it?" inquired she. "Hope so." As I said this she dropped into a brown study, evidently thinking what a grand thing, making money! That thought having time to soak in, she broke the silence with: "My husband died twelve years ago; then putting her hand on the shoulder of the boy, as if joyed at the thought, added: "This is my man; took him at five months – first time seen the