Lake County Ohio GenWeb
The following article is from the Painesville Telegraph-April 14, 1852:
This appeared in "LakeLines," retranscribed by teen volunteer, Casi Dosky and submitted by Sally Malone.
For the following interesting facts, we are indebted to SPENCER PHELPS, Esq. of Kirtland:
In 1802 the township of LeRoy was owned by a company in Massachusetts; in that year two men by the name of CLAPP came on and put up the first house ever erected in the township; cleared six acres and sowed it with wheat. In 1803 SPENCER PHELPS came on and erected the second house. In 1805 three young men by the name of FRENCH, and one KENSIPP took up land and went to work. The first woman in the town was Mrs. CLAPP, who came in 1804 with her husband. In 1809, two families, CALEB and BENJ. BATES, and soon after a son-in-law, with his family, arrived - there were then ten families, all of who prospered until war was declared, when there was a scattering - two families only remaining.
In 1803 there was but one family in Thompson, DANIEL POMEROY; in 1805 four families came there. In Hamden, at that time, there was about six families. In 1803 there was not an inhabitant in Chardon. - In Concord and Mentor, at that time, there were a few settlers.
The first Court in Painesville, was held in Capt. SKINNER'S barn, in 1807 (?), some time after it was removed to the Openings, (now Painesville) where there were but few houses; the jurors retired to the woods to agree upon their verdict. At that time Painesville extended to Chagrin river, to the Lake, to Hamden, LeRoy, and (Mr. P. thinks) to Madison. The place of holding election was at E. MURRAY's, in Mentor, (nor I. SAWYER'S). About 1805, the first frame house was built in Painesville - Mr. PHELPS having the honor of being the man who got out the timber, and framed it - the boards came down the river, on a raft, from Austinburg. In 1803, there was not a house on the place where the village is now located; there was one near where the Geauga Mill now stands, one where Z. Rider now lives, and the next one west was where I SAWYER now lives, (in Mentor).
In 1803 there were no residents at the mouth of the river. Two families by the name of ELWOOD lived at the creek where the brick yard is, having a little Mill and a Still there. The next were Capt. SKINNER and JOSEPH RIDER, on the hill opposite side. Then Gen. PAINE, opposite Col. PAINE and Mr. THURSTON; JOEL and ED. PAINE lived next; Judge WALWORTH and ANSON SESSIONS lived next; JOSEPH PEPOON and JESSE PHELPS near the Mill; then Mr. SMITH above the village; the next was in Perry, where the Furnace was built.
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