COPLEY TOWNSHIP

      This is Town 2, in Range 12, part of what was originally called Wolf Creek township. That embraced what are now Copley and Norton, in Summit county, and Wadsworth, Sharon, Guilford and Montville in Medina. In the division of the Western Reserve this township fell to Gardner Green, and others, of Bos­ton, and was originally called Greenfield. It was subsequently called Copley, in honor of Green's wife, who was a Copley,—a descendant of Lord Copley of England.

     It was organized into a distinct township, with its present boundaries, in July, 1819. At the first election for Justice of the Peace, Jonathan Starr, and Joseph Bosworth were candidates. Bosworth received seven votes, and Starr six. This election was set aside, and a new one ordered, at which Starr was elected.—His commission bears date June 10, 1820. Starr was also the first Town Clerk, and taught the first school in the township,' in the winter of 1819-'20. The school house stood on the north-east corner formed by the cross roads at the centre of the township. After acting a prominent part in the public affairs of the county, as well as of the township, he was killed by a fall, in Akron, December 18, 1851. He was a native of Norwich, Connecticut, and came to Copley in 1818. He was a man of strong mind, in­flexible in his opinions, and honest in his views.

     The first settler in the -township was Jonah Turner, who came from Pennsylvania, and settled on the stone ridge, east of Miller's Tavern, in 1814. He belonged to Major Croghan's battallion that marched through to Fort Stevenson in 1812-'13. They marched through on the Smith road, and encamped on the ground where Alfred Sweet now lives. While encamped there Turner selected his land on which he subsequently lived, and died.—William Green also moved in this year, from Canaan, Connecti­cut. His son, Leander, is now living in Bath.

     In the fall of 1815 George Hawkins moved into the township, from Vermont; and on the 29th day of December his wife presented him with a son, whom they named George Washington. This was the first white child born in the Township. He is still living.

     In 1816 Lawrence More moved into the Township from Pitts­burgh, where he had been Superintendent in quarrying stone for the United States Arsenal. At that early day, More, seeing the evils of intemperance, prohibited the use of spirits by his work­men in the quarries, and for five years that .he was superinten­dent, he strictly enforced the prohibition.

     He was a Scotchman, from the "Lowlands," and came to America in 1797. He was a seafaring Mall, and soon after he came to America was impressed from an American ship by the British Frigate "Tartar," on board of which he served six years, and he finally purchased his release by paying $1,225. In 1813 he was captured by a British bomb ship and carried to England, where he was imprisoned, in the celebrated "Dartmoor Prison," at the time the American prisoners were fired upon by their British guard.

     More was Justice of the Peace before Copley was organized, and served out his time after the organization. The first law­suit in the Township was before him, between David Point and William Green. Point's wife had lent a large spinning wheel to Green's wife, and after all but the rim had been taken back, a con­troversy arose between them, and Green's wife refused to carry the rim back. Point went to More and demanded a writ, which he refused to give, but went, in person, to Green's, and with official dignity commanded—" hand it out." Mrs. Green, as a law abiding citizen should do, gave up the wheel-rim, which More returned to Mrs. Point, saying—" you keep the grass too well trod between your houses, let it grow thicker, and you will agree better." They took the advice literally: allowed the grass to grow in the path between the houses, and their quarrels ended.

     Esq. More is still living, at a good old age, on the dividing ridge in the northwest corner of the township.

     In 1817 Allen Bosworth, long a prominent citizen, moved into the township from Rhode Island. He settled on the northwest corner, at the centre, where his log shanty yet stands. In thisshanty, on the 11th of January, 1818, was born Delos Bosworth, the second white child born in the township. He now lives on lot 14, on the "Ledge-road," from Ayres' settlement to the centre of Copley. Heman and Aaron Oviatt now own the farm on which Allen Bosworth settled. He died in 1841.

     In 1818 Jacob Spofford, from Chittenden Co., Vermont, moved his family into Copley and settled on Chestnut-ridge, near where Asahel Chapman now lives. Mrs. Spafford was a daughter of Gov. Chittenden. Mr. Spafford was long a prominent citizen of this township, and with Esq. More, held the office of Overseer of the Poor, almost continually till his death: until it formed a district:‑

     "Jacob Spafford, Lawrence More, Overseers of the Poor."

     A man by the name of Gat Yale also moved in this year.— Gat's morals were rather loose, and one Sunday a bear, proba­bly thinking he was at meeting, came to his house to get a pig. Gat was at home, and shot him. For this he was prosecuted before Esq. More, who, retaining a little of the spirit of " the covenanters o' the land o' cakes and haggis," fined him a dollar for shooting on Sunday. Gat became disgusted with Christian discipline—joined the Mormons, and is now at Salt Lake.

     'Nathaniel Davis and family moved into Copley this year and settled on the ridge North of the center; and in 1819 Chester Orcutt, from Monroe county, New York, moved in with his fami­ly, and settled at the cross roads North of Davis.

     The first marriage was Smith Hull to Rebecca Davis. Hull died in 1824, and his widow subsequently married his brother Ozias, with whom she still lives on the farm of her former husband.

     Thomas Beckwith was the first person that died in Copley.—He died in June, 1820. He was the first "Chairman" of the Township—the town records saying:

     "1st. Voted that Thomas Beckwith serve as Chairman; then adjourned to the barn of Allen Bosworth for the purpose of doing business."

     In April, 1820, he was elected Supervisor, but died in the June following. He was from Hartford, Connecticut, and settled on the first lot west of the center. The night before he died, preach­ers being rather scarce. 'Squire Trescott, of Solon, asked the privilege of praying with him, to which Beckwith assented.—Beckwith, listening awhile, got out of patience, and says, "Trescott, your prayers do no good. If you pray for me, do it openly like a man."

     The population had now so increased that they began to adopt the fashions, and introduce the luxuries of refined life. On the first of January, 1821, a magnificent ball was got up, at which the fashion and beauty of the West appeared in native splendor. Smith Hull furnished the substantials, and all of the luxuries ex­cept whiskey and music, for which each gentleman was to pay him two days' work in chopping. The guests were to furnish their own whiskey, and pay the fiddler. Roswell Barnett "dis­coursed sweet music" to them on cat-gut, and horse-hair, for which each couple paid him a bushel of corn.

     The first Temperance Society in Ohio, with a Constitution, and regular organization was formed at a log school-house on the north-west corner of Copley, on the 29th of January, 1829.— Many had previously engaged in the Temperance cause, and were laboring for its promotion. Several had, before this, began to move in it in Hudson and Tallmadge; and Harvey Baldwin, of Hudson, had gone so far as to refuse ardent spirits on the raising of a cider press. But down to January, 1829, I cannot find that any had gone so far as to organize into a society with a constitu­tional prohibition of its use.

      Near the close of 1828, some ecclesiastical body connected with the Presbyterian church, recommended to those under their charge the observance of a day of humiliation, fasting, and prayer, on account of the prevailing sin of Intemperance. A meeting was held, on the evening of the day recommended, at the school house on the corner of Copley, Sharon, Bath and Granger. After several prayers for a temperance reformation, and when the meeting was about to adjourn, a person present, who was not a professor, asked the following question—"Is it consistent for Christians to pray for the abrogation of any par­ticular sin, or evil, when their actions and influence favor its continuation?"

     To this question, of course, a negative answer was given—when the inconsistency of their position became so apparent that a committee was forthwith appointed to draft and present to a subsequent meeting a constitution for "a temperance society.—No one then present had ever seen a temperance pledge and very few had ever heard of a cold water society. On the 29th of tan-nary, 1829, the committee reported a preamble and constitution, from which the following is extracted:

"PREAMBLE.

     "Viewing with feelings of deep regret the fatal consequences resulting from the intemperate use of ardent spirits, and be­lieving that so far from contributing to health, happiness, or prosperity, the immoderate use of ardent spirits has a direct ten­dency to destroy health, debase the understanding, and corrupt the morals; and that it introduces vice and misery into families; and has a demoralizing influence on community at large.

     " We, therefore, the subscribers, professing to be friends to morality and good order, and being willing to lend our influence to check the progress of an evil so fatal in its consequences, hereby form ourselves into a society by adopting and adhering to the following :

"CONSTITUTION.

     ART. 1. This society shall be called the "first society of Me­dina county, for the suppression of Intemperance.

     ART. 2. The object of the compact shall be the suppression of Intemperance, by doing away the unnecessary use of ardent spirits.

     ART. 3. The members of this society agree not to use ardent spirits themselves, unless necessary for the promotion of, or resto­ration of health, and also to discourage their use by others.

     ART. 4. (Refers to appointment of officers.)

     ART. 5. The members of the compact shall make use of the means in their power to prevent the intemperate use of ardent spirits; and shall use their endeavors to disseminate a knowl­edge of the direful and fatal effects of intemperance upon indi­viduals, and upon society generally.

     ART. 6. (Refers to time of holding meetings.)

     ART. 7. Each meeting shall be opened and closed by prayer. ART. 8. Any person of moral character may be a member of this society by signing and adhering to the foregoing articles.

     ART. 9. This constitution may be altered by a vote of the society, notice being given to that effect at a previous meeting. January 29, 1829."

     John Codding, Esq., of Coddingville, is believed to have been the committee who drafted the constitution. Lawrence More was the first signer, then John Codding, then Burt Codding, then Charles Goodwin; these composed the first society.

     But though temperance took this early root in Copley, it would seem that the old adage, "nearer the church the further from God," was applicable to this also, for Chancey and Wm. Davis, in 1820, erected a distillery, and run it constantly till May, 1852. So flattering was their success that three more were subsequently started, by which the best of Brandy, Rum, Gin and Wine without alcohol, for sickness and sacramental purposes, was manufactured from Akron Mills screenings. The degenera­cy of the times, however, and failure to appreciate "spiritual things" by the people, has quenched their fires, and "we were," is inscribed on their foundations.

The first preacher in the town was Elder Newcomb, a Baptist clergyman, who first dispensed the word here in 1822; but Mr. Pettit, a congregational minister, formed the first church in 1832.

     The surface of the township is strongly marked. There are three principal ridges running through the town from East to West, while the principal swamp is from North to South. The ridges are underlaid with sandstone, which often crop out, form­ing ledges. There are also places in which the conglomerate, or white quartz connected together by sand cement, forms the strong, predominating feature of the rock.

     The township is also diversified with swamps. One in the East part of the township, called Perkins' swamp, contains sev­eral thousand acres. It was originally supposed to be worthless, as it was thought there was not sufficient fall to drain it, but it is found that by extensive ditching the water can be carried off, and the ground made dry, and suitable for tillage. In this swamp have been found white grapes, of size and flavor equal to the best imported.

     Another extensive swamp, some five miles in length, com­mences at Ellis' corners, in Bath, and passes in a South-eastwardly direction nearly through, Copley. From a superficial view of it, I am led to believe it to have been once a lake. The most remarkable feature in this swamp now, is near its Southern termination on lot 14. About equal distances from the East and West sides of the swamp, which is almost impassable, is an island, nearly circular, containing two and one-half acres. This island rises about ten feet above the level of the swamp, and on the border or edge next to the swamp, has a ditch and embank­ment, which, in its ruins, shows it to have been once a strongly fortified position. Neither history nor tradition give any clue by which to unravel the mystery of when, by whom, for what was it erected.  Conjecture is left in place of knowledge, and fancy alone can write its history. Its date probably reaches back to the era of the mounds and fortifications in the south part of the State, which mark the stands made by the original inhabitants against their northern invaders—the ancestors of our present Indians.

     Some fifteen or twenty rods from "Fort Island," in a south-eastwardly direction is "Beach Island," containing one or two acres. A part of this island has been cleared, and now forms a part of the cultivated field of Delos Bosworth. On the south part of this island are slight traces of military works, but it appears to have been chiefly used for burying the dead after a most de­structive battle. In the field of Mr. Bosworth, just south of his north fence, are the evidences, too plain to be mistaken, of the dead having been buried in large pits, which have now sunk in, forming a kind of negative monument of the occupants having lived and died.

     This is fame! This is the object of all monuments. This the goal of ambition—to have posterity know that we once lived and died.