CUYAHOGA COUNTY OHIO - HISTORY: Brecksville
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by
Betty Ralph
bralph@HiWAAY.net
March 18, 1999
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About a year ago I transcribed numerous articles on Cuyahoga and Portage
counties, OH, from "Memorial to the Pioneer Women of the Western Reserve"
published under the auspices of the Woman's Department of the Cleveland
Centennial Commission in 1896, edited by Mrs. Gertrude Van Rensselaer
Wickham.  The articles contain many details about the lives of the early
settlers. 
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                   Brecksville


Eighty-five years - that carries us back to the time when 
this section was a dense wilderness.  Before the days of 
steamships, steam car, electric car, and bicycle; before the 
days of telegrams, telephones and X rays; before the days of 
stoves, furnaces, coal oil lamps, gas jets and electric 
lights,  before the days of two cents a letter postage; 
before the days of stenographers and daily papers.  About 
eighty-five years since the first white inhabitants settled 
in this wild forest region.  Old times are they to us, but 
to these gray-headed mothers and fathers, it seems but 
yesterday.

Starting from Cleveland, near the mouth of the Cuyahoga 
river, going by the Valley R.R. and following the river in a 
southerly direction for about sixteen miles, you come to a 
station named Brecksville.  Stopping here and taking the 
road leading westward about two miles, you come to the 
village and center of Brecksville township the northeast 
corner township in Cuyahoga County.  The deed of the 
township is dated April 30, 1807, and was given by the 
commissioners of the state of Connecticut.  It received its 
name from John BRECK, a native of Northampton, Mass., one of 
the original purchasers of the Western Reserve lands, and 
upon the division of the town among different proprietors he 
held title deeds for one-half the territory of Brecksville.

In June, 1811, Seth PAYNE, his wife, two daughters, two 
sons, and Melzer CLARK, a young unmarried man, came from 
Williamsburg, Mass., and located in the southwestern corner 
of the township.  Soon after their arrival Miss Almira, the 
oldest daughter, was married to young CLARK, this being the 
first marriage in the township.  Mrs. CLARK began 
housekeeping on the opposite corner from her father and in 
Royalton township.

In 1810 Lemuel BOURN walked from Savoy, Mass., in about four 
weeks, a distance of 600 miles; selected the place in 
Brecksville for his future home; stayed one year, then, 
because of the sterling worth and highly prized daughters of 
New England, returned on foot to Massachusetts and married 
Miss Delia WAIT.  He bought a horse, and in 1811 Mrs. Lemuel 
BOURN mounted it, taking all she could with her and started 
with her husband, he walking most of the way, for their 
pioneer life in Brecksville, full of deprivations and 
hardships, and beset with many dangers, which were bravely 
met and patiently endured.

She was the mother of seven children, four of whom passed on 
before to welcome her coming.  She was an early and active 
worker in the M.E. church; lived her three-score years and 
departed in the faith of a reunion hereafter.

In the spring of 1811 a settlement was made in the 
northeastern part of the township by the BROWNS, DONALSONS, 
STANFORDS and MORTONS.  In the summer of the same year near 
the center came the BAGLEYS and WAITS.  The following year 
quite a colony settled in the east part of the township, who 
had come to Boston township in 1809.

The settlers were greatly alarmed and in fear of the 
Indians, who roamed through the country, and for a time, a 
garrison was kept at the house of Seth PAYNE.  The settlers 
could distinctly hear the cannonading at the battle of Lake 
Erie and hurried to Mr. PAYNE’s.  Soon a man came from the 
west on horseback and said Perry had had a fight with the 
British, was whipped and they must flee for their lives to 
Hudson.  Panic stricken, they gathered together what they 
could carry, hid some things in the bushes, and some of Mrs. 
PAYNE’s choice china dishes, which she brought from the 
east, put in a kettle, and buried.

Mr. PAYNE having a horse, a yoke of oxen and a cart, they 
started for the township of Boston, where there was quite a 
settlement and a block house of white oak logs, to hold a 
counsel.  They concluded to send to Cleveland to learn the 
truth.  John WAIT volunteered to go.  In the morning WAIT 
mounted the horse, taking his rifle in front of him, and 
started for Cleveland.  He found Perry had been victorious 
and he returned about sunset.

There was a general time of rejoicing and in the morning 
they returned to their homes, but Mrs. PAYNE never found her 
kettle of dishes.  They are supposed to be buried yet on the 
old PAYNE farm.  Mrs. PAYNE was Hannah NASH before marriage.

About 1814 Oriana PAYNE, the youngest daughter of Mrs. Seth 
PAYNE, taught the first school in the township at the center 
in a log house, near where the town hall now stands, with 
the HOADLEY, ADAMS, BRADFORD and WAIT children attending the 
school.  The nearest schoolhouse at that time was in 
Newburgh.  Oriana PAYNE married Symon FROST and settled at 
the center of Brecksville in 1815.

The NEWELS came from the Mohawk Valley to Ohio.  They came 
from Buffalo in a canoe; went ashore for the night, then 
"paddled their own canoe" in the day, landing in 
Cleveland, staying a year or more, then looking for the 
future advantage of their children they removed to 
Independence, Cuyahoga County.  A grandson tell that, while 
living there, Mrs. Rufus NEWEL (Betsy MATHER) when looking 
after her cow heard the report of a gun; heard the bullet 
whiz past her head, then another shot, and a white man came 
and asked her if she knew how near she came being killed.  
The first shot was by an Indian at Mrs. NEWEL, the second by 
the white man killing the Indian.

About 1812 they settled west of the center of Brecksville in 
the Chippewa valley.  Mrs. NEWEL had four daughters.  A very 
curious incident is related in connection with one of them, 
little Rebecca:

For a time she was in the habit of taking her porringer of 
bread and milk, or samp and milk, out of doors to eat it.  
No attention was paid at first to this child’s whim, but 
presently it was noticed that she was growing thin and 
looked pale.

An effort was made to persuade her to eat within doors, 
which she resisted, and seemed so unhappy that again she was 
permitted to go out with her food, but was followed and 
observed and found sitting by a stump with a large 
rattlesnake eating from the same dish of milk.  When he put 
his head in her side of the dish she would hit him with her 
spoon and say:  "Eat on your own side, old gray."  The 
mother went quietly back and the next day kept Rebecca in, 
killed the snake, and found he had thirteen rattles.  Miss 
Rebecca was afterward bitten by a rattlesnake.  She married 
Rusha BAGLEY, of Brecksville.

Mrs. Aaron RICE (Pelonial TOMPSON) and her husband, seven 
sons and three daughters, came from Deerfield, Mass., in 
1813.  Mrs. Joseph EDGERTON (Candace RICE), her husband, six 
sons and three daughters came from the same place a year or 
two later;  Mrs. and Mrs. Bolter COLSON (Harriet WAIT) in 
1815.  These early comers made a home for the families who 
came after or until they could clear a spot, roll logs 
together and moved into their own house, with neither door 
or window.

In March, 1816, Mrs. Carey OAKES, her husband and two 
children, together with Mrs. William OAKES, her husband, and 
two children, came from Hawley, Mass., to Brecksville with 
an ox team, and were forty days on their journey.  Once, 
stopping for the night, an old squaw came in, took up the 
baby, and said she had made many a meal of a white papoose 
like that.

Mrs. Carey OAKES’ first house was made of poles and bark.  
Soon after getting settled in her new home, "Aunt Tamar" 
OAKES took her two children, went through the woods to a 
neighbor’s, Mrs. EDGERTON’s, about a mile away, to warp a 
piece of cloth.  She was so late in returning home that the 
wolves followed her, coming so near she could hear their 
panting at every step.  She hurried along trying to 
determine which child to drop, Mary, the older, or Francis, 
the baby.

Just at this time the hired man, Alvin COOLEY, came to her 
rescue, having been sent by Mr. OAKES to meet her.  She was 
a woman of great determination and thoroughly hospitable; 
glad to share with, and help all who came to her home.

One of Brecksville’s earliest settlers, Mrs. Isaac WAIT, nee 
JENKINS, was left at home over night with a sister-in-law, 
Mrs. John WAIT (Susannah LOTHROP) for company, while Mr. 
WAIT went to Hudson for supplies.  In the night they heard 
the pigs squeal; they knew what that meant; Mrs. WAIT 
determined the bear should not carry off the pig; she got 
up, took the rifle, but found it empty;  she had heard that 
three fingers of powder was a load, so she put in powder 
three lengths of her finger, and as the bear was coming out 
with the pig, fired, then knew no more for some time, having 
been knocked down by the backward action of the gun.  The 
bear could be tracked some distance by the blood, and the 
pig was saved.

In 1813 Mrs. John WAIT became the mother of the first white 
child born in the township - a son - who now lives in 
Michigan, and Benjamin WAIT was the first to walk through 
the valley of the shadow of death.

"Granny TIMMONS," Mrs. Mary TIMMONS, with her son Tommy 
came from Pennsylvania early in 1812 and made her home in 
the eastern part of the township, near the Cuyahoga river.  
She purchased quite a large tract of land and gave the 
ground for the Eastern cemetery to the township.  Her 
husband was Thomas TIMMONS.

These New England settlers could not remain long without a 
place for public religious worship.  In the summer of 1816, 
Rev. Wm. HANFORD, employed by the Connecticut Missionary 
Society, began preaching in Brecksville once in four weeks; 
his congregation coming from five different townships - 
Boston, Brecksville, Independence, Royalton and Richfield.  
In July, 1816, he organized the first Presbyterian church.

Chloe, wife of Lemuel HOADLEY; Harriet, wife of Bolter 
COLSON, Hannah, wife of Seth PAYNE, and Zilpha WAIT were of 
the original members.  The first church was a log house 
built on the farm now owned by Irwin EDGERTON; no glass in 
its windows, boards for seats, the means of warmth a small 
foot stove carried from home.

The Methodists organized a class in early pioneer days, held 
their meetings at private houses.  Prominent among the early 
workers in that Society were Delia WAIT, wife of Lemuel 
BOURN; Martha CLAPP, wife of David KING; Mrs. Ezra and Mrs. 
Eliphalet WYATT (Lucinda FRAZEE).

There is no estimating the good to us from these early 
worker in the cause of righteousness.

The home of Mrs. Deacon William OAKES (Sally COOLY) was the 
home of the missionary.  When he came the children were sent 
in different directions to notify the neighbors that there 
would be preaching.

Eliza OAKES being sent toward the center and going through a 
slashing came upon sever young deer playing and skipping 
around.  Being frightened and supposing them panthers she 
gave a fearful scream, which sent the deer bounding away as 
frightened as the child.

In 1832 Eliza married Luman NORVILLE of Brecksville, thus 
the town being her home from a child of one year, for 
seventy-eight years.

Miranda WALLACE was born in Petersham, Mass. 1806, and while 
a young woman came here with her parents to Ohio.  They came 
from Buffalo to Cleveland in the "Walk in the Water."
Miranda fell overboard and was caught by one of the crew.  
Mr. WALLACE settled in Hinkley, Medina County, for a year or 
two, then removed to Brecksville.  Miranda married White 
PAYNE, August, 1827.

Mrs. PAYNE and her mother, Mrs. Daniel WALLACE, nee Mary 
ALDRICH of Massachusetts, pulled flax, hatcheled, spun, and 
wove it into cloth.  Going to the brook to wash, Mrs. PAYNE 
would swing her little girl Ellen, Mrs. Julius HANNAM, in a 
basket for fear of snakes.  She had a barrel sawn in two for 
a tub, and did her washing with a batten board and a batten 
stick made by her husband, proving "Necessity the mother of 
invention."

Mrs. Aaron BARNES (Roxey FENN) with her husband and family 
came from Sharon, Conn. In 1826.  Their journey was by team 
to Alabany, Erie canal to Buffalo, schooner Minerva to 
Cleveland, then by team to the western part of Brecksville.  
In a few years Mr. BARNES died, leaving Mrs. BARNES with a 
family of six children.  She took up her work bravely and 
cheerfully.  Her youngest son, J.J. BARNES tells that he 
never had a suit of clothes until after he grew to manhood, 
and was a teacher in a public school - that his mother had 
not spun, wove and made for him.  Surely it may be said of 
her, "She looked well to the ways of her household and 
eateth not the bread of idleness.  Her children arise up and 
call her blessed."

She combined the character of friend and neighbor, with that 
of nurse and physician.  Was any one sick, Aunt Roxey BARNES 
was sent for, and she would take her bag of herbs, to go 
willingly and gladly.  Many have cause to remember her on 
account of her faithful nursing and her skill in 
administering herbs.

In 1810 Elizabeth FARRER was married in Washington, Penn., 
to Andrew DILLOW, and about 1830 came with her husband and 
two children to Brecksville and settled near the Cuyahoga 
river.  She was truly kind and benevolent.  No one could 
look on her face without feeling her perfect sincerity and 
goodness.  A year or two before, in 1826 or 1827, the Ohio 
canal was opened up through the Cuyahoga Valley, and the 
bilious fever raged fearfully; many were stricken by death, 
calls for help were many and urgent.  Mrs. Deacon William 
OATES, Mrs. Jane BREEN and others of those brave women, 
never failed or faltered, going night after night, day after 
day, always ready to say:  "Here am I! send me."

Mrs. MORTON’s father, Daniel McKAY came to Independence, 
Cuyahoga Co., about 1820 with his wife, Catherine COATS and 
five children from Genesee County, N.Y.  They had a team of 
horses and a sleigh, and from Buffalo to Cleveland they 
drove on the ice of Lake Erie.  Mr. McKAY was a fur trader 
and spent much time with the Indians.  Susannah, his 
daughter, when a child, would spend a week at a time in the 
Indian wigwam and could speak their language quite well.  
The Indians would give her fine moccasins to wear, and treat 
her kindly, giving her all sorts of beads and trinkets.  

In 1832 Susannah married David MORTON and came to 
Brecksville, living here for some years.  Her last days were 
spent in the city of Cleveland.

Miss Elizabeth HOLLAND was born in 1789 in Columbia County, 
N.Y.  She was a cousin of Martin Van Buren, President of the 
United States, and was married July, 1817, to Hugh 
STEPHENSON, of Kenderhook, N.Y.

In 1818 they came west and located in Richfield, Summit 
County, Ohio, which was a dense forest; afterward removed to 
Brecksville, 1831.

Miss Lucy BLISS, eldest daughter of Mrs. Ichabod BLISS, was 
married in Brimfield, Mass., May, 1815, to Captain John 
DUNBAR, or Worcester, Mass., a soldier in the war of 1812.  
In the year 1832 they emigrated with their eight children to 
the western part of Brecksville.  Mrs. DUNBAR suffered much 
from homesickness the first year or two of pioneer life.  
She was greatly instrumental in the organization of a church 
at the Corners of the town, which was subsequently 
transferred to the Presbyterian church at the Center.

Of her eleven children, Theresa died unmarried at the age of 
twenty-two years, and three remain in Brecksville.  Lucy, 
her youngest daughter the widow of Burr VAN NOATE; Thomas 
and Charles H. are retired farmers.

Our oldest, if not our earliest inhabitant is Mother Boyd 
HESS (Elizabeth SAILOR).  She was born in Philadelphia, 
1801, and has passed her ninety-fifth birthday.  She came to 
Brecksville about 1840.  She lives on her own place, in her 
own house by herself, and doing her own work, another family 
occupying rooms in the same house.  She remembers seeing 
LaFayette in the great parade in Philadelphia, in honor of 
his visit in 1824.  She married John BOYD of Pennsylvania; 
after his death Tobias HESS.

Mrs. Isaac PACKARD was the first landlady, her husband 
keeping tavern in a log house, where the congregational 
church now stands.  She was a Miss Polly SMITH, of East 
Charlemont, Mass.

Mrs. William BURT (Thankful STRONG) was a native of 
Massachusetts, and an early settler of Brecksville.  She was 
quite a successful horticulturist, having many rare and 
beautiful plants for those early times, her flower garden 
being the admiration of everyone.

Mrs. Elizabeth STOOPS CLIFFORD was captured by the Indians 
during their raid through western Pennsylvania during the 
latter part of the last century, and carried to the vicinity 
of Sandusky.  She was with the Indians four days, then was 
rescued by a daring man named BRADY, who was made famous by 
his great leap clearing the Cuyahoga river near Kent, and 
the place is known today as "Brady’s Leap."  Mrs. CLIFFORD 
came to Brecksville in its early history, and soon after 
married Lot COTTLE of Brecksville.

Mrs. Jason JANES (Wealthy BURT) was a great reader, but in 
later years suffered entire loss of sight; she sweetly and 
patiently endured her affliction.  She was a true, earnest 
Christian, as the lovely character of her daughters testify 
to their early training and her Christian example.  
Elizabeth JANES married Frank FERRY of Brecksville; Abbie 
became Mrs. Chester COGSWELL, of Illinois.

One of our earliest and most efficient teaches, Miss 
Clarinda EDGERTON, came in 1836 from Massachusetts to visit 
and uncle, Joseph EDGERTON.  She was a woman of unusual 
culture and refinement.

The next year after her arrival she began teaching in 
Brecksville.  In 1839 she married Isaac OAKS, a resident, 
and now lives in her pleasant home near the Center with her 
daughter, Florence.  She has passed her four score years, 
but retains more than usual vigor of mind and body for her 
years.  She has lived to see the log school house give way 
to a neat frame house, and nearly all these in turn to 
comfortable, brick buildings.

Among the few early settlers who are still with us are Mr. 
and Mrs. Moses HUNT; they were formerly of Massachusetts.  
Mr. HUNT came in 1833, and Miss Emeline DEWEY in 1834, and 
was married in Brecksville, May 27, 1834 to Moses HUNT.  
They have walked the way of life together for more than 
three score years.  Theirs is one of the homes where 
everyone, young and old, desires to visit because of their 
cordial welcome, and their genial ways.  Both have reached 
an advanced age; Mr. HUNT, eighty-five years, but show a 
lively interest in the works and workers of today.

With Mrs. HUNT I should remember Hermina THORPE, who came to 
Brecksville and married Edward RUST in 1832.  She was a 
neighbor, and one of the closest friends of the HUNTS 
through her life.  She was ready with her tender kindness 
and quick sympathy for all who were burdened or sorrowing.

Mrs. Aquilla WILLETT (Louisa SNOW) was born on the shore of 
the Atlantic in 1812; her father, Henry SNOW, brought his 
family from Maine to Ohio by private conveyance.  The 
journey occupied about four weeks.  Shortly after her father 
settled in Brecksville, a log school house was put up and 
Miss SNOW placed in charge.  She became a very popular 
teacher, and her services were soon sought by the people of 
Hudson and Cleveland.

Her first work in Cleveland was in the Old Academy on St. 
Clair street.  A brief and very happy married life was spent 
in Kentucky.  She afterward returned to Ohio and taught in 
Norwalk Seminary.  At the age of seventy-two she went to 
California, took up a homestead claim of 160 acres in 
Alpine, and now lives on a fine ranch beautifully located on 
the highest point of that region.  Her life is spent working 
for others, and she is always cheery and patient, feeling 
that when the Father considers her work done, He will take 
her home.

She says of herself as a child:

"One day we were visited by the father of our teacher; he, 
the father was himself a thorough, old school teacher.  He 
listened to the reading and criticized, I being the 
smallest, stood at the foot of the class, trembling, for 
fear that he might find fault with me, but when I got 
through reading he said:  ‘There is one who will make a good 
school teacher in a few years.’

"That was the key note to all future ambition.  To be a 
school teacher was the grandest idea of my young life.  At 
fifteen years of age I began, and Andrew FREEZE, one of 
Cleveland’s early educators and superintendents was one of 
my first summer pupils."

Miss Emily MOSES came from Victor, N.Y. to Independence with 
a sister, Mrs. NEWLAND, in 1837, and the next year married 
Samuel WLLACE of Brecksville.  He owned a small farm and the 
canal boat Florida, which he ran on the Ohio canal.  She 
boated with her husband a few seasons, having her children 
in the care of an aunt, Mrs. NEWLAND. 

Mr. WALLACE died in 1850, leaving Mrs. WALLACE and five 
children in comfortable circumstances.
Mrs. WALLACE was a thorough business woman and by her 
capability and energy accumulated a landed estate of 330 
acres, and personal property that made her one of our 
wealthiest citizens.

Among her many good qualities she was pre-eminently 
charitable.  She fully obeyed the scripture injunction "Let 
not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth."  She 
followed all her children down to the mysterious change from 
life to death, only Susanna, Mrs. Edward McCREERY remaining, 
who now occupies her mother’s beautiful home just north of 
the center.

Mrs. Otis POMEROY (Maria SABIN) came from Massachusetts to 
Brecksville in early pioneer days.  Her daughter Ellen tells 
of her mother having killed in all more than forty snakes in 
her house.  She lived a year without either table or chair, 
and one pound of sugar; the sweetening in her home was only 
what her naturally happy sunny temperament supplied.  Her 
husband would have given up and returned to his eastern 
home, but for her determination to stay and overcome all 
difficulties, and make for herself and family a home in this 
grand state of Ohio, and this fine healthy town of 
Brecksville.

Marana MORGAN was born in East Bloomfield, N.Y. 1808.  Her 
father, Dr. Isaac MORGAN brought his family to Brecksville 
in the summer of 1816.  He had about two years previously 
bought a farm in the northern part of the town, cleared some 
land and built a log house ready for the occupancy of his 
family.  The lingering illness of his aged mother postponed 
his plans for two years.  After her death the family started 
on their long journey through the woods to their new home in 
Ohio.

Early in the year of 1830, Marana was married to Thomas J. 
ALLEN.  Mr. ALLEN was the postmaster, and for nearly twenty 
years their home was at the center of the township.  Mrs. 
ALLEN became the mother of ten children, nine of whom grew 
to manhood and womanhood.  Her husband died in 1849, leaving 
her the double burden, to direct and provide for her large 
family alone, and a more devoted and self-sacrificing mother 
never lived.

In 1853 Mrs. ALLEN married Col. John COATES of N. Royalton, 
who soon afterward removed with his family to Brecksville.

With a courage born of her unselfishness, Mrs. COATS entered 
upon the task of rearing the young children of her husband 
in addition to her own.  Her strict sense of justice always 
tempered with mercy added to her kind, sympathetic 
disposition, made it possible for her to fill her trying 
position creditably, and carry her work through to a 
successful close, when death ended her labors.  Her children 
and stepchildren alike "rise up and call her blessed."
She was of a quiet, retiring nature, which added to her many 
cares kept her closely confined to her family, a small 
circle of friends and relatives.  It could be truthfully 
said of her "Those who knew her best, loved her most."  
Col COATES died in June, 1873, and Mrs. COATES never 
recovered from the strain of his long illness, and the shock 
of his death.  After three months of gradually failing 
health, she passed away September 26, 1873.

Mary FENN O’BRIEN was born in 1795 at Charlotte, Vermont.  
She was married to Daniel O’BRIEN in 1812.  In the spring of 
1817 they emigrated to Brecksville; it was long, tiresome 
journey.  They came with a span of horses in a covered wagon 
and were thirty-two days on the road.  The day after they 
were married they adopted two children, Lydia and Joseph, 
who came to Brecksville with them.  When Mrs. O’BRIEN came 
to Brecksville she had three children, aged four, two years, 
and an infant ten weeks old, which she bore in her arms all 
the way.  They settled in the northwest corner of the town, 
which was then a wilderness.  He built a log cabin after the 
usual style, which they occupied a number of year.  Their 
home, like other pioneers, was one of hospitality.  Mrs. 
O’BRIEN was the mother of twelve children, five of whom are 
now living.  She endured the toils and privations incident 
to a pioneer life.  She died in Cleveland in 1876.  

Mrs. Lucy Dwight JEWETT, born in Northampton, Mass., married 
Enoch JEWETT.  They moved to Brecksville in 1830.  She was 
the mother of four children.

Fanny CLAPP CLARK, born in Easthampton, Mass, 1789, married 
Capt. Fred CLARK in 1809.  She was the mother of ten 
children, of whom four sons died in infancy.  In July 1830, 
she with her husband and five children emigrated to Ohio and 
settled on a farm in the northern part of Brecksville, which 
was then a wilderness.  The last day’s ride over the 
roughest kind of road in a journey in a rough, lumber wagon 
completed the journey to Brecksville.  For want of a better 
place they went into a shanty, kindly offered them by 
neighbors, until they could build a cabin.

Soon after they came to Brecksville her husband with 
neighbors was engaged in cutting a road through the woods 
one-half mile from their shanty.  Mrs. CLARK cooked their 
dinner, and with her children started through the woods by 
blazed trees to carry it to them; they got there all right 
and then went to a neighbor’s to spend the afternoon.  When 
time to go home the neighbors went with them to start them 
on the right track; but Mrs. CLARK, so unused to following 
blazed trees, soon lost her bearings and they wandered about 
in the woods completely lost.  It grew dark, and to add to 
the dreariness, began to rain.  Mrs. CLARK cried for help, 
and her shrill wild screams rang out through the deep dark 
woods.  After repeated calls she was heard, and answering 
calls came faintly to them at first, growing louder and 
nearer, until after a while great was their joy to find they 
were at last found by the same kind neighbors they had left 
a few hours before.

                  Mrs. Arminda DILLOW
                  Chairman and Historian

Brecksville Committee - Mrs. Martha CHAFFEE, Mrs. Sarah 
RUST, Mrs. Susan McCREERY, Mrs. Ella BRATTON, Miss Florence 
OAKES, Mrs. Mary BREEN