OHIO STATEWIDE FILES OH-FOOTSTEPS Mailing List *********************************************************************** USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. *********************************************************************** OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest Volume 99 : Issue 248 Today's Topics: #1 OBIT: MATHEWS, Charles E., 1997, C [Maggie Stewart-Zimmerman <73777.25] #2 WILL: John Pancake, Sr., 1834, Pik ["Lowell Pankake" Subject: OBIT: MATHEWS, Charles E., 1997, Cuyahog Betty Hammer BetHam3335@aol.com April 16, 1999 My father was born in Chagrin Falls, Ohio which I think is in Cuyahoga Co. I am not sure how to submit his death notice since the above info was not in the newspaper article. Following is the article: Wednesday, October 15, 1997, Citrus County (FL.) Chronicle OBITUARIES CHARLES MATHEWS, 92, FORMERLY OF CRYSTAL RIVER Charles E. Mathews, 92, formerly of Crystal River, died Saturday Oct. 4, 1997 in Duck River, Tenn. He was a veteran of World War II and the Korean Conflict. He retired from the U. S. Air Force in 1953 with the rank of M/Sgt. He is survived by a daughter, Betty Hammer of Tampa; and a son, Ivey Mathews of Duck River, Tenn. McDonald Funeral Home Inc., Centerville, Tenn. The obit does not list another son, Steve Anthony Mathews of California. Betty Hammer Tampa, Florida email:BetHam3335@aol.com ------------------------------ X-Message: #2 Date: Fri, 16 Apr 1999 19:29:52 -0500 From: "Lowell Pankake" Subject: WILL: John Pancake, Sr., 1834, Pike Co. Will of John Pancake, Sr. Pike County, Ohio Will Book A, pages 93-95. Dated September 14, 1834, filed February 21, 1835. Transcribed from a photocopy of the original will. In the name of God Amen I John Pancake Senr. of the County of Pike and State of Ohio being in perfect mind memory and understanding considering the certainty of death and the uncertainty of the time thereof and being desirous to settle my worldly affairs and thereby be the better prepared to leave this world when it shall please God to call me hence do therefore make and publish this my last will and testament in manner and form following; that is to say - I give and bequeath my undivided halfe of Paint land in Dimmets bottom to be equally divided between the children of my sons Milton and Abner Deceased. I give and bequeath unto my two youngest children Jane & Harvey two thirds of all my lands in the bottom that is to say the home place the Mounts place the Switzer place & the Hultz place two thirds of all of which for them to be laid off of the upper side adjoining John Foster & Joseph Foster so that the two thirds Tale shall be in one body - and also two thirds of my Bowyer Farm adjoining Joseph Foster all of which real estate I give unto the said Jane & Harvey unto them and their children, which real estate I design for their use not to be disposed of by sale neither by them nor their immediate children, in case that either of the above children should die then the other to possess the whole. I give and bequeath the lower one third together with the one third of the Bowyer Farm unto my sons Isaac & George all of which real estate that is of my lands above named to them Isaac & George and their children and not to be disposed of by sale but for their use and theirs only. I design for them Isaac & George to be equal in said lands by them paying to my Grand children Dlila [sic] Graham, Absalom Graham, Milton Graham and George Graham each One Hundred Dollars one year after my decease also to my Grand Children Lucinda Nichols Maria Nichols & Delila Nichols each One hundred and thirty three Dollars and one third one year after my decease and to my Daughter Elizabeth Hultz two Hundred Dollars one year after my decease. John Pancake (Seal) [End of first page] And whereas I have allready given my sons John & William each farms together with Cattle horses & sundrie articles, I therefore now bequeath to each of them one Dollar to be paid by my Executors. Of all my goods & chattles I wish sold to pay off my debts and of the overplus if any I wish equally divided among my Children (except John) if my goods and chattels should not pay all my debts my sons Isaac & George must make up the deficiency out of their apportionment. And lastly I do hereby constitute and appoint my friends George Johnson & Col. John Foster to be my Executors of this my last will and testament heretofore made and I also appoint them the said George Johnson & Col. John Foster Guardians for my Children Jane & Harvey. In testimony where of I John Pancake Senr. have to this will consisting of two pages of paper set my hand and seal at the bottom of each page this 14th September in the year 1834 John Pancake senr (seal) Signed sealed published and declared by John Pancake Senr. the above named testator to be his last will and testament in presence of Amos Corwine Samuel S Hartine Thomas Day Jr ------------------------------------------------- Submitted by Lowell Pankake, pankake@usfamily.net ------------------------------ X-Message: #3 Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 02:28:18 -0700 From: LeaAnn Rich Subject: Medina Co. History Part 6 Historical Collections of Ohio Henry Howe LL.D. Mode of Clearing Off the Virgin Forests When the hardy sons of New England reached the Western Reserve they were confronted by dense forests of gigantic timber, of which the land had to be cleared before it could be cultivated. The first work after locating the farm was to clear away a few trees and build a cabin. Once established therein, the herculean task of clearing the forest commenced. Although inured to hard work, but few of these settlers had had much experience in clearing off virgin forests, and trees were cut one at a time, the brush and limbs piled into huge heaps, trunks cut into logging lengths, and the land thus cleared sown with grain. It sometimes took a single man from three to four weeks to chop down a single acre of hard-wooded forest. Soon after the grain had been harvested and during a dry spell the brush and log heaps were fired. The brush heaps were soon consumed, but the log heaps required weeks of laborious attendance unless the weather remained dry. The logs required constant rolling together and re-piling, which was heavy and dirty work. The second year some attempt was made to plow between the stumps and break off such roots as were sufficiently rotted. These were piled, and when dried were burned. The second crops were generally corn, with sufficient potatoes for family use. After fifteen or twenty acres had been cleared as described, a different plan was generally adopted, namely that of "slashing." This was a more rapid and cheaper plan, but required an expert to manage it successfully. Slashing Described-- The slasher carefully studied his field of operations to ascertain which side the prevailing winds would strike with the greatest force. He then examined the trees, especially their tops, to learn whether they were bushy or not. Depending now upon his judgment as to the width of the strip which he can surely embrace in his "windrow," he commences on the leeward side of the tract, chopping the trees perhaps half, one third, or one fourth off at the stump, the amount of chip or "kerf" taken out depending upon the inclination of the tree. Continuing backward toward the windward side of the tract, he thus cut notches of greater or less depth in all the trees over a tract of about thirty feet in width, deepening the notches as he approaches the windward side of the tract. These notches were cut so that in falling the trees will incline toward the middle of the strip. If, upon finishing the notching of the entire strip, the wind is favorable, the last large tree selected for a "starter" is felled against its next neighbor in line, which in turn falls against its neighbor, and son on until a terrific crashing is inaugurated which commands the instant attention of every living thing in sight or hearing. The indescribable crashing may continue for some minutes, if the tract is a long one. The noise is appalling, and only equalled by that of a terrific cyclone sweeping through an immense forest. When all is still, a marvelous change has come over the scene. Where a few minutes before stood a wide expanse of virgin forest, a mighty swath has been cut as though some giant reaper had been mowing the forest as a farmer does his grain. Rising several feet above the earth, there appears a prodigious abatis, which would arrest the onset of the mightiest army. In this manner the slashing progresses, strip by strip, until the entire tract lays in windrows. The brief time required to slash a given tract seems incredible to those who are not familiar with this branch of forest pioneer work. Two slashers, accustomed to working together, will fell more than double the area of forest that either one can do alone. Good workmen will average about one acre per day, if the timber is heavy, and the heavier the better. Two workmen can in company slash twenty acres in nine days. It was rarely that an expert slasher could be induced to undertake less than ten acres; certainly not without a materially increased price, because it would be impossible to slash five acres in half the time required to slash ten acres. Slashings are usually allowed to lay two or three years, when, during a dry spell of weather and with a favorable wind, they are fired. If the tract is a large one, several men and boys commence firing simultaneously. After the fire has done its work, the remaining trunks of trees are cut into logging lengths. This is sometimes done with the axe, and sometimes they are "niggered" off. Niggering consists in laying large poles or small logs crosswise on top of the large logs, and kindling a fire at the junction. Although the fire soon burns off the pole or upper log, it also eats rapidly into the under log. When the upper one is nearly off, it is slipped along a foot or more, and the process is repeated. By "sawing" the upper piece in the burned kerf of the lower one, the charred portions are rubbed off, and the fire takes hold with renewed activity, rapidly cutting off the lower log. One experienced man can attend to quite a large area, and nigger off faster than the best chopper could do the same work with an axe. cont'd part 7 ------------------------------ X-Message: #4 Date: Sat, 17 Apr 1999 03:13:11 -0700 From: LeaAnn Rich Subject: Medina Co. History Part 7 Historical Collections of Ohio Henry Howe LL.D. Logging-Bees-- After settlements were well established it was the custom to hold "logging-bees" in most neighborhoods. These were occasions for rare fun. A keg of whiskey was usually the leading factor in these "bees." The women of the household prepared large baskets of fried cakes and old-time gingerbread, such as none but Yankee women knew how to make. All the men, boys and ox-teams of the neighborhood were assembled in the logging field, and divided into "teams." A logging-team consisted of a yoke of oxen, their driver, two "lever men," and two boys to handle the chain and assist with levers. A first-class logging-bee had two captains, who chose sides, the field was divided and a choice settled by flipping a penny. The captain winning the choice gave the word, and the work commenced in earnest. The captains selected the points for the log heaps, preferably where several logs could be piled without hauling. The teamster sought the nearest log, and as he turned his team to the proper end, one of the chain boys carried the end of the chain to the end of the log, where the other boy seized it three or four feet from the end, and the two drew it under the log, which had already been raised sufficiently for the purpose by the two lever men. The chain was quickly "hitched" and the team as quickly started for the pile. The lever men had properly placed the "skids" before leaving the pile, and by the time the boys had the chain unfastened the lever men had the log rolling to its position on the pile. The large logs were systematically laid at the bottom, the captains keeping a sharp eye out for every possible advantage. Jollities-- By the time the whiskey had passed around two or three times, the charcoal blackening began, especially upon the faces of all. Not a white spot was permitted to remain on man or boy. Even the white spots on the oxen were carefully blackened. It was a part of the program to test the capacity of each side for making a noise. All was bluster and commotion. Even the sluggish oxen entered into the spirit of the occasion and frequently snapped strong chains when their log chanced to strike a root or other obstruction. There were generally among the lever men a few of the strolling, rough element of frontiersmen, who scented every logging-bee in their region. They filled themselves with whiskey and sometimes a fight was the result, but on the Reserve there was generally a constable or justice, or both, present at the gatherings, and fighting was promptly suppressed. The "bee" usually wound up with such recreation as wrestling, jumping and rifle-shooting. The quantity of logs piled at these bees would appear incredible to anyone who had never witnessed the operations. Potash establishments were generally located in most of the considerable settlements, and as soon as the log-heaps were burned, the ashes were gathered and leached and the lye boiled down to crude potash, thus creating a staple article of commerce. Clearing Off Stumps-- After all the fatiguing work heretofore described, the ground was not in proper condition for the plough. Stumps had to be cleared out and this took years. The smaller ones were from time to time pulled out and burned, but the large, deep-rooted ones were allowed to decay or burned during a dry spell and the roots ploughed out when sufficiently decayed. After the year 1900 but few persons will be left on the Reserve who can form an adequate conception of the years of toil required to clear the forests from that vast fertile area. Some years elapsed before crops of grass could be secured. Little progress was made in "dairying" now such an important industry on the Western Reserve. The plan essentially as described by Mr. Pelton had to suffice for the pioneer stock. Mr. Pelton was one of the early settlers in Litchfield, Medina County, and once told me how he managed his cattle. He got a better start with cattle than most of the neighboring settlers, as he drove from the east several head of young cattle with two or three milch cows for immediate use. The first year they lived almost entirely in the woods, but such trees as bore tender shoots relished by the cattle were almost daily felled for them to feed upon. The straw from the first crop of grain was carefully stacked by the cabin and surrounded by an open fence which would permit the cattle to get their heads between the poles and barely reach the straw. A little brine was now sprinkled upon the straw and the cattle allowed to get a good taste of it. In the meantime fresh trees were felled at the edge of the clearing, and the dogs were let loose and the cattle driven to the newly felled trees. One by one they would steal back to the straw stack, to be again dogged back to their browse. The pole fence was from time to time moved closer to the stack to enable the cattle to steal the straw. These operations were repeated while the straw lasted, "and the cattle kept fat." With the possible exception of the last clause this was literally true. -------------------------------- End of OH-FOOTSTEPS-D Digest V99 Issue #248 *******************************************