MIDDLEBURY

      This is not a township, but an election district, formed like Cuyahoga Falls, from the corners of four townships—Tallmadge, Springfield, Coventry and Portage. It lies in a beautiful valley, on both sides of the Little Cuyahoga, and was, about 1826-7 one of the most thriving villages on the Reserve.

     The founder of this village was Captain Joseph Hart. He was born in Wallingford, Connecticut, and was bred a sailor. He followed a sea-faring life, sailing from the port of New Haven, until he became captain of a ship. In 1799, he was captured by a French cruiser, and with his ship and crew taken to France. On his return he quit the Ocean, and in 1804 removed to Ohio, settling, at first, in Atwater, Portage county. In 1807, he pur­chased 54 acres of land, including the site now occupied by this village, and removed on to it, and commenced erecting a mill.—He soon after sold the one-half of his purchase to Aaron Nor­ton, and they erected the mill in company ; but scarcely had they got it completed when Hart died, leaving an only son, William J. Hart, now residing near Akron, who subsequently laid out the village ; and a daughter, now the wife of Roswell Kent. William J. Hart was born in New Haven, in Connecti­cut in 1791—Mrs. Kent in Middlebury, being the first white child born there. In the Spring of 1808, Aaron Norton, who was elected Judge on the organization of Portage county, that year, removed from Northampton, where he had previously erect­ed a mill, on the site now occupied by Thomas J. French, and in company with Joseph Hart laid the foundation of Middlebury by finishing the erection of the grist mill where the large stone-ware factory now stands just above the lower bridge, which Joseph Hart had commenced the year before. His house stood just back of where Mr. Henry Rhodes now lives, near a large and permanent spring which has since by the draining of a pond half a mile ,east of Middlebury, entirely disappeared.

     On the 6th of August of that year, Eliza Hart, daughter of Joseph Hart, and now the wife of Roswell Kent, was born—being the first white child born in the village.

     For many years the " Middlebury Mills" did the work of the surrounding country for grinding—as did " Bagley's Factory?" the cloth dressing and carding. Business increased, and it be­came the center of trade and fashion for all the surrounding country. In 1818 the village was laid out by William J. Hart, a son of Joseph Hart, and it seemed destined to become the lead­ing town on the Reserve. In October, 1825, a newspaper was started in this place, called the Portage Journal. As Akron had no habitation, nor even a name, Middlebury was the resort of the enterprising and business men who were bidders and contrac­tors on the Ohio Canal. So great was the business, at that time that there were no less than sixteen stores in the village, and all doing a good business. Mills, factories, and mechanical shops sprung into existence as if by magic.

     On the location of the canal, Akron sprung up with its im­mense water power, and for a while entirely overshadowed Middlebury. Judge Norton, Joseph Hart, and others of its warm friends and founders died ; others looking to immediate effects, became discouraged, and with their capital left the place ; the factories closed, and the "grinding ceased ;" the thronged streets were transferred to Akron, and the epitaph of Carthage was almost inscribed on her monument.

     The friends of Middlebury then discovered that prosperity did not lie in speculation, nor fashion; but in industry, and enter­prise. Mechanical .establishments began to increase—the valuable water power became improved. A company was incorpora­ted by the Legislature of Ohio called the Middlebury Hydraulic Company,- authorized to raise the natural surface of Springfield lake, in which the Little Cuyahoga has its rise, six feet, and low­er it four feet below the natural surface. This gave to the wa­ter power of Middlebury a permanency, and sufficiency that could at all times be relied on.

     Among the prominent manufactories in Middlebury is the car­riage manufactory of C. A. Collins, which turns off manufactured articles to the amount of- $20,000 annually. The carriages 'manufactured at this, shop are of the highest finish and style, and are in great demand in the South and Southwestern States.

     Messrs. Irish, McMillan & Co. have an extensive Machine shop, where all kinds of Machinery is manufactured. Their building is three stories high and about three hundred feet long by forty wide ; and they average in manufactured articles, about $14,000 a year. Their Fire-engines are superior to articles of the same kind from the Troy or other Eastern establishments.— The death of Reuben McMillan, one of the firm, was deeply felt by the community as well as by the immediate vicinity. He was the very life and soul of mechanical business to which ho was devoted with a zeal amounting to almost mono-mania.

     The Pottery business is carried on extensively in this town.—There are three devoted to the manufacture of ordinary stone­ware one to the manufacture of stone pipe and pumps, and one to Liverpool ware. The clay is procured in Springfield, and the ware is of the best quality. The pipe for pumps, or water drains, is made in joints of twenty inches, and by shoulders and cement are put together so as to present an entirely smooth inner sur­face. They are glazed inside and out so as to prevent decay of the pipe, and an unpleasant taste to the .water. They are des­tined to supersede all metallic pipes.

     These potteries furnish some 80,000 gallons of the manufac­tured article annually, which averages five cents a, gallon. There is also a cabinet shop in this town which turns off an im­mense number of, articles in its line. Every operation from jack­ing an oak board to veneering the choicest mahogany is done by machinery.

     Rawson, Goodale & Co., have a woolen factory in this town which employs a large number of hands, and turns off a large amount of broadcloths, satins and flannels. They are taken to the N.Y. markets, the Ohio mark taken off, and then by the merchants returned to Ohio, and sold as European manufacture. The deception is a harmless one, as their manufactures are decidedly preferable to the imported.

     There is also a comb, and button factory—a plow shop, a Manufactory of fanning-mills, a saddle and harness shop, several factories for the manufacturing of lucifer matches, a town library, two stores, a high school, and three churches. It is an incorporated village, with a Mayor and council, and is now in a healthy, thriving and prosperous condition.

     Aaron Norton, one of the founders of the village, was a native of Goshen, Connecticut. He came into Ohio about 1802, and settled in Hudson near what is now called " Streetsboro four corners." In 1803, he erected a grist mill on Tinker's creek, near his residence, which was burned by the Indians in the year following. In 1806, he removed to Northampton, and built a mill, and distillery at what is now known as French's mill, on Mud Brook. He remained there a little over a year, when he remov­ed to Middlebury. In 1808, on the organization of the county of Portage, he was elected one of the Judges. He was a man of fine natural abilities, possessing a quickness of thought, and per­ception, and an irresistible vein of wit, and fun.

     On one occasion, a dandy, speaking of a person who had va­moosed, and wishing to use high flown language, said he had absquandered." That, says Norton, I suppose is catamount to running away.

     Norton kept a tavern for a while, and on one occasion a cock­ney put up with him, and showed off some airs of the aristocratic order. He inquired of Norton if he had any cigars. Norton set out some that would have made the mouth of a Cuban Senorita water. After criticizing them severely, as inferior to what they got in his country, he took one, and inquired if the landlord had a cigar pipe, as he did not like to take the vegetable into his mouth. Norton got an ivory pipe, formerly used in cases of sickness, before the invention of syringes, into one end of which he introduced his cigar, and taking the other end of the pipe into his mouth began to puff away most lustily. A dreamy happi­ness coming over him, which he attributed to the virtues of his ivory cooling pipe, he inquired, "Landlor',' 'ave you hanny ov these pipes for sale in this town!" I think not, said the Judge, as this has been borrowed, and used in every case of sickness in this neighborhood since I have lived here. The cockney " absquandered."

     While the Judge was upon the bench a fellow who had been employed in the Middlebury mills was indicted, and tried, for stealing a log chain. His defense was former good character, to sustain which he called on the Judge—who swore his character was about as good as that of millers in general.

     After the adjournment of the court, General Woodward, of Franklin, who was a miller, took Norton to task, for what he called an impeachment of the millers. I was bound," says Nor­ton, "to swear to the truth. I believe his character for honesty is as good as millers in general, but I believe he stole the log chain." He died in the fall of 1825.

     Among the early settlers in Middlebury were Samuel Newton, and Josiah W. Brown. Mr. Newton was born in Groton, Connecticut, and came to Middlebury in 1815. He settled on the corners, and erected the building known as "Newton's Tavern," which he kept., as a public house over thirty years. After he had passed the age of three score years, be got the California fever, and took the "Overland Route." Having seen "the Elephant," he returned to pass his days contentedly, and happy in the home of' his youth. He is the only early settler remaining in Middlebury.

     Josiah W. Brown was born in Canaan, Connecticut, in 1776, and came to Middlebury in 1816. He was a scholar, and of an investigating, discriminating mind. He was for many years "the Justice" with rotund body, who administered Justice with Mercy, to his neighborhood. He was uniformly foreman of the Grand Jury or of the petit Jury, until it became a common re­mark that Court could not open till Esquire Brown came.

     But, having acted well his part, in the month f January, 1852, he too was gathered to his Fathers.

     In the language of Ossian:- The chiefs of other times are departed. They have gone without their fame. Another race has arisen. The people are like the waves of the ocean; like the leaves of woody Morven they pass away in the rustling blast, and other leaves lift their green heads on high."