[Page 425] - HISTORY OF
CLARKSFIELD
By Dr. F. E. Weeks In
dividing the Firelands in 1808, the township of Clarksfield was
assigned to the holders of the original claims of 117 persons, whose
claims amounted to £8,339,
worth then $27,797, but these claims had been scaled down to
$17,924, which was a little more than a dollar per acre. After
the State of Ohio had incorporated the company known as the
"Proprietors of the half [Page 426] -
million acres of land lying south of Lake Erie, called Sufferers'
Land," the directors assessed a tax of two cents on the pound on the
original losses, for the purpose of defraying the necessary expense
of surveying and dividing the lands. Many of the owners failed
to pay this trifling tax and the lands were sold at "Public vendue,"
as the deeds state, in 1808. Comfort Hoyt, Jr., was
one of the tax collectors, and among other claims sold to Zadock
Starr, claims amounting to $747 for $10.06; to Ezra
Wildman, claims amounting to $569 for $7.84; to John
Dodd, claims amounting to $862 for $9.64 and other claims at
like discounts. Undoubtedly most of the original sufferers or
their heirs realized but little from the granted land. When
the drawing for the division of the Firelands was made, on the ninth
of November 1808, the four sections of Clarksfield township were
drawn by the following persons: FIRST, OR SOUTHEAST
SECTION
| |
Acres |
| William Walton |
2253 |
| Timothy Chittenden, Jr. |
1886 |
SECOND, OR NORTHEAST SECTION
| |
Acres |
| James Clark |
698 |
| Curtis Clark |
934 |
| Joseph Trowbridge |
1962 |
| Capt. John McLean |
443 |
| Timothy Chittenden, Jr. |
122 |
THIRD, OR NORTHWEST SECTION
| |
Acres |
| John Dodd |
685 |
| L. Phillips |
685 |
| Philo Calhoun |
683 |
| Zadock Starr |
687 |
| Timothy Chittenden |
586 |
| Daniel Minor |
809 |
Page 427] - FOURTH OR SOUTHWEST
SECTION
| |
Acres |
| Comfort Hoyt |
2902 |
| J. H. Gregory |
26 |
| Ezra Dibble |
1178 |
The township is a little
more than five miles square and hence contains over sixteen thousand
acres. The township was named from James Clark, one of
the original owners.
At the first meeting of the commissioners of Huron
county, held at the county seat north of Milan, near Abbott's
Bridge, on the 1st day of August, 1815, Vermillion township was
organized to contain the whole of the twentieth range, that is, the
townships of Vermillion, Florence, Wakeman, Clarksfield, New London
and Ruggles. It also includes "all of that portion of Huron
county east of the Firelands," which was a considerable of the
present county of Lorain. March 2, 1818, New London township was
organized to comprise the townships of Ruggles, New London and
Clarksfield. Mar. 8, 1820, the commissioners ordered "that townships
number 3, in the 20th and 21st ranges, (Clarksfield and Hartland) be
and the same are hereby organized into a separate township with all
the privileges belonging thereto, by the name of Bethel." The
township records were kept in Clarksfield and deeds and other papers
contain the name Bethel, during this period. In the spring of 1826,
the two townships were organized separately under their present
names and each elected its own officers. Before this the officers
were from both townships.
The first road laid out in the township of Clarksfield
was the one which runs north and south through the village of
Clarksfield. The Commissioners ordered it to be laid out, at a
meeting held in December, 1815, and it was described in these words:
"Beginning at the end of the North and south road which is now laid
out from the lake to the south line of Jessup (now Florence), thence
to continue through the sixth range to the south line of said 20th
range, through the settlement in New London." This road was
cut out during the winter and it is said that the first persons to
travel over it with a team were
[Page 428] -
Hosea and Hiram Townsend, who left Florence with an ox team
on the 28th day of March, 1816. on their way from Massachusetts to
New London, and drove over this road.
Before there was a house in this township, several
persons, who afterward became residents here, purchased tracts of
land. In 1810, Benjamin Stiles, of New York City
purchased of Jonn Dodd, 1,256 acres at one dollar per
acre. In 1817, Samuel Husted, of Danbury, Conn.,
purchased of John Dodd, 782 acres for $1,600. At
this time all of the third section except one tier of lots on the
south side was owned in common by Ezra Dibble,
Comfort Hoyt, Jr., Benjamin Stiles,
Timothy Chittenden, Jr., and Samuel
Husted. On May 14th, 1817, they divided this land, taking;
quit claim deeds of each other. Chittenden received 595
acres. Dibble and Hoyt, 693, Stiles 1,300 and
Husted 752 acres. On the 19th of May, 1817, John
Dodd sold to Nathaniel and Ezra Wood,
brothers, of Danbury, Conn., 126 acres of land in the second
section, in common for $252.56 and a later deed located it on lot
17. Abraham Gray purchased lot 13, in the second
section in 1817. Benjamin Benson, purchased lot
7, in the third section in 1817 for $335. In 1811, Comfort
Hoyt, Jr., deeded to his son Simeon, 159 acres
in lot 6, in the fourth section and to his daughter Dolly,
lot 4, in the same section. She deeded the land to the First
Congregational Church of Clarksfield in 1826, but it was deeded to
the heirs of Comfort Hoyt in 1844.
This year, 1817, marked the first attempt to make a
break in the wilderness of Clarksfield. On the 19th of May, 1817.
Samuel Husted. of Danbury, Conn., and Ezra
Wood, of Putnam county, N. Y., started from Danbury in a
one-horse wagon on their journey to the Firelands. Jonathan
Fitch, of Sherman township tells the story of the journey.
They came to Florence and must have reached there about the middle
of June. They stopped at the home of Major Eli Barnum.
Taking a week's supply of provisions at a time, they came over into
Clarksfield and cut timbers and cleared a place for a log cabin on
the land of Mr. Husted. After six weeks of toil
they obtained the help of four men (probably from Florence), and
raised the house. This house stood by the side of the road
running from Florence [Page 429]
to New London, a few rods south of the road now running from
Clarksfield village to Norwalk, back of the present residence of
Albert Stone. According to the most authentic
accounts this was the first house built by white men in the
township. Husted and Wood went back to Danbury after
the house was built. Soon after this Stephen Post,
who came from the state of New York to New London first, built a log
house in the southwest part of this township, across the road from
John Dunning's present residence and moved in.
This was the first white family to live in the township, although an
old bachelor by the name of Osmer lived in a shanty on the
Baldwin place, but we hear nothing more of him and he was only a
squatter or trapper. Mr. Post and his family
lived here for many years. He died in 1833. His children
were Isaiah, Cynthia, Lucinda, Anna, Stephen, Bushnell,
William F., Ashbell and Almira. With Mr.
Post lived a young man by the name of Zara Norton
and he married Cynthia Post in 1818, and this was the
first wedding in the township. Mr. Norton
settled on a farm east of Barrett's Corners.
In the fall of 1817, after Mr. Post had
settled here, Smith Starr and Simon Hoyt
came here from Danbury, Conn. Starr occupied
Husted's house until he could build one for himself,
which was built on the hill south of Clarksfield "Hollow." His
children were John Taylor, Mary, Rory,
Peter, Deborah, Smith and William K.
SIMON HOYT built a
house on his own land on the east side of the New London road, next
the south line of the township. He had married a widow
Knapp, who had seven children, Lyman, Hiram,
William, Henry, Caroline, Emeline and
Eliza. The latter is still (1899), living in the
township. Mr. and Mrs. Hoyt had three children, J.
Frederick, Dolly and Lucy.
In December, 1817, SAMUEL HUSTED
returned with his family. He became captain in the Ohio
militia, and the title remained with him all the rest of his life.
He had a family of seven children, Hiram, Edward,
Samuel, Thomas, Hoyt, Betsy and Mary
Jane, and another son, Obadiah, was born after he
moved here. With him there came a young lady, Hester
Paul, who married Obadiah Jenney. [Page 430] -
ELI SEGER and his
family came with Capt. Husted. An old account
book shows that they came by the way of Pittsburg, Petersburg,
Canfield, Rocky River, Ridgeville and Black River. Husted
charged Seger fourteen dollars for carrying a chest three
hundred miles. Seger died in 1822, but his family
continued to live here for a few years. The family settled on
a farm a half mile north of Clarksfield village, on the road towards
Wakeman. The children were Alfred and Albert,
twins, Mary Ann, Amarillas, Lucy and
Ephraim. Ephraim was bitten by a rattlesnake in
August, 1818, and this was the first death in the township.
Early in 1818, or possibly late in 1817, JASON and
ZIBA THAYER, twin brothers, came here and boarded with
Capt. Husted, they were single men. After a time they
bought a farm on the east side of the road leading to Wakeman next
to the north line of the township. After a number of years
they moved away. BENJAMIN
BENSON started from New York City, Oct. 14, 1817, and came to
Florence where he staid until spring, when he moved to his farm a
half a mile south of Clarksfield village, on the east side of the
road. After a number of years he moved to Townsend.
OBADIAH JENNEY came
from Cauyga county, N. Y., with a horse and sleigh and arrived in
Clarksfield, Mar. 11, 1818. He was a millwright by trade and
worked on Capt. Husted's mill until fall, when he went to
Greenwich, where he had brothers. In 1821 he came back and on
Christmas day of that year he married Hester Paul. In
December, 1825, they moved to Norwalk, where they lived until their
death, many years afterward.
BENJAMIN STILES was a saddle tree maker and lived in New York
City. As mentioned before, he owned 1,300 acres of land in
Clarksfield, the west side of the third section. In April,
1818, he started with his family and a sister. He had bad luck
on the way, losing horses and being delayed, so that he did not
reach Clarksfield until July 3, 1818, the trip costing him $700.
He built a log house on his land on the river bottom southwest of
Clarksfield village. Several houses were built near him in
later years to accommodate his sons and sons-in-law, so that the
settlement became known as "Stilesburg." Mr. and Mrs.
Stiles [Page 431] -
raised a numerous family, and they and their descendants were good
citizens. The children who grew to maturity and married, were,
Ann, Henry, Joseph, Lucy, Samuel,
William W. Hannah and Edmund. The last
two were children of a third wife. Mr. Stiles
lived to be 93 years old.
EPHRAIM WEBB, whose wife was a sister of Benjamin
Stiles, came from the state of New York about the same time as
Mr. Stiles, who gave him fifty acres of land for
clearing ten. He lived just north of the railroad at
Clarksfield depot. They did not remain in the township many
years. Their children were Stiles, Horace, Ben, David, Amy,
Ruth, Ann, Delia, Mary Ann, Eunice, Belinda and Phebe.
PLATT and WILLIAM SEXTON,
brothers and single men, came from Carlisle township, Lorain county,
in 1818 and bought 100 acres of land northwest of Clarksfield
village, where Thomas Nestor now lives, and put up a log
house. they kept "bachelor's hall" for some time.
William went back to Carlisle and settled, selling out to
Platt. Platt married Delia Webb and they
lived on the place until their death. Their children were
Mary, Althea, William, Edwin, Hiram, Aaron, Andrew and
Pamela. ASA WHEELER, SR.
AARON, LEVI, ESTHER and NANCY ROWLAND were the children
[Page 432] - SOLOMON GRAY
LEVI BARNUM [Page 433] -
HENRY T. VANDERVEER came here in 1819, having bought the farm
where Upton Clark afterward lived. In 1825 he was
killed by a falling tree.
FREDERICK HAMBLIN was here as early as 1819, but where he
lived or went to, we are unable to say.
About this time JOHN ANDERSON came here from
Florence and settled on a farm on the south township line, where W.
K. HOOVER now lives. He became a local Methodist
preacher. He was called "Bub John."
HENRY HOPKINS lived here during the winter of 1819-20, and
taught school. LEVI M.
BODWELL came here in 1820 and settled on a farm a half-mile
north of Clarksfield, near the river. He went away from the
township in 1825, but returned by 1832, and settled on a farm a mile
and a half south of Clarksfield where Essex Call
afterward lived. He moved to Kansas in later years and died
there. His children were Levi, Leslie, Edwin, Joseph
and Munson. In 1821,
JOHN HOUGH came here from New York, where he
had learned the trade of home and saddle tree maker, of Benjamin
Stiles. After he came here he married a step-daughter of
Mr. Stiles. Mr. Hough bought a farm just at the
south side [Page 434] -
of Clarksfield village, where he carried on a quite an extensive
business of making hames, as well as farming. His children
were Charles, Anne, Cordelia, Ellen, William and Frances,
besides some who died young.
With Mr. Hough came Charles or "Nunkey"
Hoyt, a blacksmith, who never married but lived with Mr.
Hough until his death.
OMRI NICKERSON came here as early as 1821 and built a tannery
sometime afterward. He moved to Townsend soon fafterwards.
In 1822, ANDREW McMILLAN, a young physician,
came from Monroeville to Clarksfield and followed his profession
until his death in 1849. He was the first physician in the
township. His children, who lived to maturity were Andrew,
Harriet, John, Lucy, Frank, Mary and Charles.
IRA PECK came to this township in 1818, and settled on the
Dunham farm, but afterward moved to a farm west of the village
of Clarksfield, next to Hartland line. His children were
Harry, Philemon, Amanda, Riley, Alvah, Martha, Calvin, Argalus,
Samuel and Edward.
JONATHAN BALDWIN ZELOTUS BARRETT
[Page 435] -
Barrett married again and lived in New London until his
death. SALMON ROCKWELL
came here in 1819. He lived on the east side of the New London
road, north of the George Carpenter house, nearly opposite
where Horace Porter afterward lived. He was a
half-brother of Porter. He moved to Michigan and died
there. STEPHEN DAY
AUGUSTUS PORTER came here in 1822 and lived between the
Medina road and the next one south, a half-mile east of Benjamin
Stiles' place. His wife was a sister of Daniel Minor.
He moved to Townsend where his wife died. He was sent to the
penitentiary and died there. TOWN CLARK
DANIEL BILLS [Page 436] -
DANIEL MINOR came to Clarksfield, probably about 1819.
After he traded farms with Daniel Bills he built the Minor
tavern on Hartland Ridge.
JOSEPH NICKERSON came to Clarksfield from Connecticut in
1824, and settled on a farm a half-mile north of Clarksfield
village, near the river. In 1836, he moved to another farm on
the Medina road, near Whitefox Corner. His children were
William, Joseph, Ebenezer, John and
Henry. JOSEPH OSYER
came from Hartland to Clarksfield in 1824, and lived in a log house
back of the Daniel Bills farm. Cyrus Waggoner,
who married a daughter of Osyer's lived in a house adjoining.
They moved away in 1827. Marshall O. Waggoner, of
Toledo, is a son of Cyrus and was born in Clarksfield in1826.
In 1825 SHERMAN and MAJOR SMITH came from New
London to Clarksfield. Sherman married Caroline
Knapp and lived on a farm east of the New London road, three
miles south of Clarksfield. He afterwards moved to the
Simeon Hoyt farm. His children were Sarah,
Sabra, Mina and Emeline. Major
Smith married Eliza Knapp and lived on a farm
across the road from his brother's, but moved to another farm on the
New London road, two miles south of Clarksfield. He had a
daughter, Dolly. ABRAHAM GRAY
SELDON FREEMAN [Page 437] -
EZRA WILDMAN GEORGE GREGORY
BENAJAH FURLONG SAMUEL STILES |
Source: