Statewide County OhArchives News.....Tid-bits -- Part 112A: "The Role of Women in the Settlement of the Western Reserve," 1796 -1815. May 11, 2008 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/oh/ohfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Darlene E. Kelley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 May 12, 2008, 12:00 am Historical Collections Of Ohio, And Then They Went West, Know Your Ohio May 11, 2008 Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archves by Darlene E. Kelley http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00026.html#0006374 May 11, 2008 ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Historical Collections of Ohio And Then They Went West Know your Ohio Tid-bits -- Part 112 A "The Role of Women in the Settlement of the Western Reserve," 1796 -1815. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Part 112 A The Role of Women In the Settlement Of the Western Reserve ( 1796 -1815 ) A true history of the Western Reserve is, in a large measure, is the history of its women; there is no famous women in its early history but it is rather the commonplace lives that were well and courageously lived that deserves recognition and praise. The pioneer women in the Reserve were noble women, of the best New England mold with educational and religious spirit and of active intellect, women who were responsible for the foundation of forces that eventually proved world-wide influence. These women did not live for themselves; they did not only preach the doctrine " Love thy neighbor as thyself," but practiced it -- lovingly, sincerely, kindly, and effectively. No concept of the development of the Reserve can be gained without an appreciation of the role played by its women pioneers. They endured countless hardships accompanying their husbands to the West with the purpose of establishing permanent homes in the wilderness. With their presence, civilized conduct replaced frontier lawlessness and peaceful and law abiding communities were established. The lives of the women pioneers had much in common. They all had difficulties en route to the Connecticut Reserve, coming by sled, by cart, wagon, or by walking. Such as the case of Samuel Huntington family ( Huntington's being a relation of mine .) The Huntington family wrote; " We were nine days on the journey, with two wagons, ten oxen, three horses, seven cows, and eighteen persons in my retinue -- We slept seven nights in the open air, with sentinels watching while we slept. Samuel had taken this route before and so we pursued the same route. However this route wanted cutting again because it had become over grown. All the women and children supported the journey with courage and in good spirits in spite of the numerous hardships. Frequent stops, made the journey pitifully slow ---" Once settled, it was the same old story of spinning,weaving, aiding te sick and needy, caring for large familes and in innumerable ways forgetting themselves in trying to give happiness to others. They were, without a doubt, heroic women who left their New England homes of comfort to face the weariness and dangers of a long journey to isolated wilderness. Yet, fortunately for the American nation, they had the strength and courage that came from strong convictions, which were supplimented with Yankee practically and a stern sense of duty. These women were not dreamers, but had inherited strong Puritan, patriotic, and scholarly attributes from their ancestors, that gave them restless energy, versatilty, and patience. They were industrious, alert to virtue, quick to resist oppression and wrong, and they loved learning and had reverance for religion. Embodying such New England characteristics, the earliest woman settlers developed self reliance, resoluteness, and courage in teir new and perilous enviroment. Woman should be granted some of the glory that lay in developing the Western Reserve. They proved their worth in establishing the fundamental elements of civilization on the frontier, in developing the mores of self maintenance, self perpetuation, religion, and self gratification. Christian Influence These women retained their religious convictions. They believed in living earnestly and righteously. They were God-fearing and Christ-loving. Their courage was a christian courage, rooted and grounded in hope of a life that lies beyond. Service was a large part of their religion and they were all earnest church workers. Hence, the early women settlers were a strong influence in establishing and continuing the institutions of religion in the Western Reserve. The majority of them were charter members of churches that were organized. Three of the nine charter members of the First Baptist Church in Warren were women. Of the six original members of te first Congregationalist Church in Warren, four were women. Ten women were members of the committee of twenty which organized the Presbyterian Church at Harpersfield in 1809. When the first Congregationalist Church was founded at Troy, Geauga County, six of the ten charter members were women, When Mrs. Noble H. Mervin, a staunch Presbyterian, accompanied her husband to Cleveland in 1815, the village lacked any form of public worship within the immediate locality. Therefore, she invited her neighbors and led them to the lg courthouse, and opened her bible, leading the services until a missionary was sent to the people. Her christian influence was sincerely felt. In 1809, when the Rev. Joseph Badger transferred his missionary work among the white settlers in the Western Reserve to deal with the Indians, Mrs. Eliphalet Austin of Austinburg, Astabula County, rode to Connecticut on horseback to find a new minister for the church. Soon after arriving at the home of her father, four weeks later, she learned that te Rev. Giles H. Cowles had purchased land in Farmington, Ohio. Mrs Austin visited him, laid the needs of Austinburg before him and finally persuaded him to come to Austinburg, in which he did the following year. Mrs. Simon Perkins ( another relitive of mine ) formally of Lisbon, Connecticut, and later of Warren, Ohio, a devout Christian, who provided for any needs of her pastor's family. She donated a house and lot to the Presbyterian Church for a parsonage. She also cultivated a fruit and flower garden from which a female relative picked streawberries till she sold enough to purchase a solid mahogany communion table for the Warren Presbyterian Church. A Mrs. Garrett held some of the first meetings of the Warren Baptists at her home. Before his death, her hsband had given land for a cemetery and she was a prime worker in erection of a house of worship. Another woman solicited snall donations of wool from the women in the vicinity and wove a carpet for the church. In addition, the women who dwelt in the immediate vicinity of the earliest churches, ministered to the comfort of those who came long distances to attend services and prayer meetings. They also prepared meals for the men who participated in the building of churches, during the period of construction. Pioneer women on the Reserve also regarded church going and Sunday observance of the Sabbath as impartitive duties. In 1804, owing to the strict observance of the Sabbath on the part of one woman of Vernon, Trumbull County, " a bear escaped being killed ". Thomas Giddings saw one near the east of where Mr. and Mrs. Sutliff lived, and went to their house to get a gun. Mr. Sutliff was not at home, and his wife would not loan it because it was Sunday. And a short time after the occupancy of the new Baptist meeting house at Warren, the leader of the choir introduced a bass viol. " Upon the first sound of that innstrument, Mrs. Garret left the meeting expressing great surprise at the desecration. Wives of ministers shared te trials and perplexities incident to that station. " What must a minister's wife had to live on in those days, when his salary was paid partly on whiskey that sold at twenty five cents a gallon ?" Frequently, these ministers' wives were cultured and brillian women and because of their marked intellectual traits were not trained in the housekeeping arts so fundamental in frontier life. Yet, such women as Sally White Cowles, wife of the Rev. Giles Cowles, could not have been the help to her husband she was or filled the large place in church and society she did, had her education been after the prescribed fashion of that day. The women on the frontier also seem to have transplanted to the solemn silences of the Western Reserve forest lands, all the mysticism of their nature which was given its greatest play in the frequent camp meetings, especially among the Methodists. One woman in giving her experience years afterward said that "she was working near the roadside ----- when the sound of singing came to her ears...... it came nearer and her surprise increased when, in glimpses among the trees, she saw a procession on horseback.... It was a company returning home from a great Methodist camp-meeting. The class-leader and his wife rode foremost; her bonnet hung b ribbons down her back, her light brown hair lay in loose curls on her shoulders. Her face was lighted up beautifully, it seemed the glorified face of an angel; all their faces glowed with a joy such as she had ever known in her life and as they rode, some horses carrying double, in and out among the low hanging branches, their voices blended in harmony and sweetness as they sang that old hymn ; What is it that casts you down, What is this that grieves you? Speak and let the worst be known. Speaking may relieve you.. " These camp meetings took weeks of preparation on the part of the pioneer housewives on the Reserve. The provision of food and improvised dwelling quarters were the task of the women, in oder to accomodate strangers from far and near Education Also to the efforts of early women settlers in the Reserve, may be attributed the founding of religious as well a elementary schools. In 1813, Miss. Addie Harris of Erie County announced her home open every Sunday afternoon for Sunday School and asked neighborhood children to attend. The first public school in Cleveland was opened in 1802, and Miss Annie Spafford was employed as the first teacher. The school room was the front room of the Lorenzo Carter log cabin and in addition to the regualar curriculum, Miss Spafford taught her dozen juvenile pupils " how to shoot." Previous to June 13, 1817, the school teachers in Cleveland were paid by means of taxes levied on the bachelors of the settlement. " The amount of tax paid cannot be found in any tradition, but from the fact that these gentlemen, not long after changed the estate, we judge that economy may have been one motive." The first school on the Reserve was opened at Harpersfield, Ashtabula County, in 1802 and Miss Elizabeth Harper served as the first techer. Mis Harper's school, however, was open only to tuition paying pupils. The early teachers were usually from the best blood and talent of the New England States and they stimulated educational tendencies in other ways than teaching school and lecturing at evening sessions to adults. The women of Talmadge, Summit County, founded a literary society and library in 1815. Also, in the early days of the American Educational Society, when there came a call to aid young men in preparing themselves for the ministr, a former teacher from Connecticut, who had settled in Wayne, Ashtabula County, gave her dead mother's god beads, being the only ornament she possessed. In addition, many women learned Indian dialects and studied at home during their vey few spare moments. Abigail Root, wife of Dr. Jonathon Metcalf, was an ideal wife as she endowed herself with a rare education and refinement, by using her husbands medical library to get an education, and was read because of the scarcity of books. She became much in use in kindly offices for the sick in other families than her own. The women served,too, in the capacity of teacher within the home. The mothers on the Reserve brought up their sons and daughters to lives of industry, and consequently to lives of usefulnes. They taught their children by precept and example, the necessity and value of useful labor in the development of human character. Upon them to a large extent was imposed the task of the moaral training and education of their children and most faithfully, and with a self sacrificing devotion. As their results, their children were well taught in the rudiments of a common education and in common sense. They taught their children economy, prudence, and frugality, which served them well when making homes for themselves. This was dispite the fact that books were scarce and the course of study limited, thoroughness in teaching and eagerness to learn was very apparent. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Con't in Tid-bits part 112 B. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/oh/statewide/newspapers/tidbitsp109nw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/ohfiles/ File size: 13.2 Kb