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HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY 131
The township was not organized until June 2,1834, when an election
was held at the house of William AlcCord, and the following officers
were chosen: Trustees, Nathaniel Chapman, Bishop Stebbins, Nathan
Strong; clerk, Hiram Deyo; treasurer, Stephen Crippen; justice of the
peace, Stephen Crippen; constable, Joshua Lace; fence viewers, George
Cook, Orange Potter, Elaphall Toppen; poor-masters, James Bemiss,
James Alorecraft.
The first settlement Avas made on Pipe Creek by Jonathan Sprague,
Squire Richey and others in 1809. In 1811 Capt. Seth Harrington, for
many years one of the most prominent men of his township, moved in
from Conneaut, Ohio, Avith his family. He was originally from Rhode
Island. He had a family of ten children. Among other early settlers
Avert* Hiram Blackmail, George Furguson, Alexis Jackson, William James
and Phineas Dunham.
Squire Richey felled the first tree and built the first log house. The
settlers' cabins were primitive affairs, but much more comfortable than
those built by the wandering squatters who preceded them. These had
built bark huts, Avith four posts and a ridge-pole. Layers of bark AA'ere
Avound round the sides of the post, overlapping, so as to shed rain, and
the roof Avas laid on in the same way. The trials of the pioneers were
very great. Not only were they in danger from Indians, but they suffered
from scarcity of food and clothing. There was not a family in this
region during the years 1809 and 1810 who did not endure these hardships
in some form. Game was plentiful, but living entirely on wild
meat developed feebleness and disease in everyone except the savages.
For many years after the War of 1812 clothing was made from the skins
of wild animals, and caps of raccoon skin, with the fur outside, jackets
and pantaloons of deer skin, and other garments to match were universally
worn. There were no tanneries to dress leather, and when Avet
these articles became hard as a board. A man in these garments, in
mid-winter, was about as comfortable as if wearing pieces of stovepipe.
Besides all these inconveniences, the season became sickly, and for several
years privation and distress followed the settlers.
Touching stories are found in the ancient records of events in
Ohio during those early days, and Ave read with astonishment and
wonder at the motive that induced those men to take their families to
the new country Avhere suffering and danger awaited them. One young
man Avith his family settled in thick Avoods, cleared his small patch
of ground, became sick and died. Soon after a hunter passing the
clearing saw everything still and mistrusted there must be something
Avrong with the family. He opened the door, and was startled by the
appearance of a AA-oman sitting by the fire, pale and emaciated, holding
in her arms a sickly babe. She burst into tears and at length said,
"There is my little EdAvard," pointing to the bed. "I expect he is
dying. And here is my babe, so sick I cannot lay it down, and I am
so weak I can hardly sit in my chair. Oh, that I was back in my own
country, Avhere I could fall in the arms of my mother!" Tears rolled
down the cheeks of the hunter as he walked away for help.