The History of Wakeman Township, Pages 71 through 80
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Near by the Mills was a log house, which, at that time I came in, was occupied by Mr. John Brooks, living with the mother of Russel Barnes, whose husband was still living. By a little of that diplomacy, for which he was somewhat celebrated, he had led her to think she was released from her husband, and she consented to marry him. The connection was illegal, and after the necessary steps on the death of her husband, they were legally married early in the summer of 1830. That wedding may be worth relating. Mrs. Barnes was a professing christian, and the church with which she was connected in Connecticut, called her to account, through the church in Wakeman, for the manner in which she was living. She confessed her fault and relinquished her relation to Brooks, and just at the time she was restored to the church, intelligence came of the death of her husband. They had not lived together for a long course of years. After his death she was willing to live with Mr. Brooks if they were married. I applied to the Court and obtained a license for them. I called on them towards evening one day after a shower. They lived then where Mr. Camp since lives. She was in the house, and he was in the garden pulling weeds or hoeing, with his pants rolled up for his business. He came in and I told him what I had done, and I was ready to unite them in marriage. I had taken witnesses with me. He thought they were married enough, but to satisfy her conscience he stood up as he was, and they were married and lived together happily.
The house at the Mill was the only habitation in that direction east of the river. Returning, at the north from Mr. Wilson’s about three quarters of a mile, on the River road, was Mr. Woodward Todd and wife, they were occupying an unfinished frame house. At Stone Brook, this road was met by the cross road from the west, which had passed by Dr. Clark’s. At the junction of these two roads on the north east corner Nathan Downs had commenced an improvement, between Mr. Wilson’s and Mr. Todd’s. There was no building, improvement or family between Mr. Down and Dr. Clark. I must stop at Mr. Todd’ s for a little personal history. On my return the second season with my wife, this was the house where we commenced our first housekeeping. After a few weeks among the different families, while we were making the needful preparations, we at length occupied as a family, the front part of Mr. Todd’s house, with privileges of cellar, kitchen and chamber. From them we received nothing but kindness, while we were making our first experiments at domestic economy and family order. Here I would love to draw, if possible, a portrait of that truly excellent and noble woman whom I brought in with me, and who with me shared the labors, trials, joys and afflictions of seven years of pioneer life among you. I despair of doing justice to the picture, but I cannot forbear drawing some of the outlines. Endowed by nature with intelligence and eminent social disposition, yet restrained by a lovely female modesty, which avoided any obtrusion of her virtues, and early brought under the power of religious principle, which led her to take the place of duty at any sacrifice, she came into this new country the eldest daughter of a motherless family of children. She had some peculiar reasons for gloomy thoughts of Ohio; her family were near neighbors to the Seymour family, one of whom, Samuel Seymour, was killed by the Indians near the Huron River, within her distinct remembrance. [Note. Samuel Seymour was killed by Indians in Huron county in 1811.] Ohio was associated in her mind with snakes and Indians. She had felt that the last place she should choose for a residence would be Ohio. But when providence pointed out the path of duty, she forsook all, and prepared to meet all with a christian self-denial, and moral courage which was truly heroic. No one who had not access to her domestic and personal history, could have known the trial she went through, in her short residence among the privations and labors of a new country. The change from the comforts of a well furnished home, easy intercourse with society, and abundant religious privileges, to a solitary home, shut off by woods in every direction from neighbors, and on the Sabbath, either remaining alone in the woods or riding on an ox cart to meeting, it was a trial of her devotion, but it never found her faltering. Her earthly trials were heavenly discipline to her soul. As a wife, as a mother, as a neighbor, her christian principles always accompanied her conduct. Though called to pass through scenes of deep affliction, probably no one remembers a murmuring word, and in all her intercourse with this people, while we received nothing but kindness to be remembered, she has probably left nothing here but consistency to be recalled. In respect to her domestic habits, it was only her prudence and economy, and willing self-denial, which enabled us to live so comfortably as we did, while we were among you. One who knew her well, and who had often shared the hospitality of our board, said to me once: "Brother Betts, your wife with half the means will make double the comfort which some other housekeepers would make, while working in the midst of abundance." Her last end was beautifully sublime. On a Sabbath a few days before her death, I remained at home with her in the evening, after a communion season in the church at Lyme. Alluding to her spiritual state, she said to me, in substance, "If you and the church have had as pleasant a season in christian fellowship at the sacrament, as I have had in communion with my God and Savior, it has been a profitable season." At the close, when inquired of with regard to her peace of mind, she replied in substance, "her work for eternity had been done long ago, and now she had nothing to do but die." As her soul departed, she closed her eyes with a force, which expressed a tear which stood on her face, as it lay quiet and beautiful, as touched by the angel of death. Some of the brethen from this place went out to Lyme for her funeral; but those I distinctly remember have since followed her in the way of all the earth, and I trust have entered with her into rest. I remember especially Capt. Pierce and Mr. Wilson.
I would gladly stop here, but I may not, without visiting two more families in the settlement as it was when I first came.
A short distance north of Mr. Todd’s was the family and residence of Mr. Lucius Tomlinson; their house was immediately on the brow of the hill which descended to the river bottom. Still north of them, this bank curved to the east with the bend of the river, and at the distance of nearly half a mile, and back from the north road, was the family and residence of Mr. Erastus French. They had a numerous family of daughters. This was the last family in that direction.
This completes the physical and social geography of Wakeman, thirty nine years ago. Those who have in imagination, gone over the ground with me from point to point, with the present condition of roads, and farms, and buildings in mind, will have but a faint impression of the map. Instead of your present well made roads, imagine swails crossed by long log ways; imagine deep mud holes, and shun paths, turning off into the woods; instead of large clearings, divided into convenient lots, imagine small improvements fenced in with rails in front and much of the rear with brush fence; instead of well fenced roads, open woods; and instead of well built; and elegantly painted houses, but four or fives framed houses in the township; and then you may have some idea of what has been passing through the minds of the few early pioneers, while we have been taking this rambling view of this settlement in its early state.
The eight years of my residence here did not very much extend the boundaries of the settlement, though it did considerable towards increasing the population, in the part already open; and improving that which was begun. Frame buildings went up, in the place of log houses. New families came in, attracted by relatives already in the settlement. Lots were taken up, and occupied, between those which had been already improved; and in some instances improvements were sold and new grounds taken up and opened. A few families pressed farther out into the woods. The mill property was purchased by Mr. Jabez Hanford, who built a good frame house near it, while his son, Edwin Hanford, purchased and settled on a lot still east. Hiram Rumsey, a brother-in-law of Mrs. Bunce, after stopping a short time in the log house at the mill, took up land still east of Mr. E. Hanford. Mr. Rumsey was burned out. Erastus French sold his improvement to a Mr. Bostwick, and went still further north. Families settled between Leverett Hill and Mrs. Parsons. Mr. Hall and afterwards Mr. Peck, went south of the farm where Russel Barnes after Mr. Peckham, and then Mr. Haskins lived, on the Clarksfield road. Captain Bell with his son Martin, both with families, went into the neighborhood of Isaac and Kneeland Todd, with whom there were some family connection. Mr. Wilson gave three acres of ground for a parsonage, on which by the joint labors of the Congregational Society, and myself, a house was built, which Mr. Wilson subsequently purchased. A dwelling house was built on the west bank of the River, near by, opposite the mill, by Burton French, and occupied afterward by a Mr. Tillinghast, who built a blacksmith shop. On the same road, south of the center road, Brandy Creek was bridged, a saw mill built near the bridge, and some families settled south of the Creek. Lewis Sherman and Uncle John Brooks made improvements between Dr. Clark’s and Nathan Downs’ improvement. Lemuel Pierce, having married Eunice Burr, built east of the bridge, near where the railroad now crosses the River. A number of families went into the woods north of the mill, and made some openings, but made little progress. They were many of them addicted to intemperance, and they were sadly accommodated by a distillery established near the mill. It did not stand long, but long enough to work much evil in the families whose habits were inclined to drink.
Among those families north of the mill, there were some persons, who, in different circumstances, might have been ornaments in society. I shall always remember a sentiment expressed by one of the ladies, whose husband was intemperate. Trying, as best I could, to minister instruction and comfort, in view of her trials; and endeavoring to urge patience, and submission to the providence of God, - she replied with some earnestness, she felt as though she could submit to trials directly from the hand of God, without repining; but when she saw the wicked hand of men in it, it was difficult to submit. These families did not remain long; but the improvements they made were bought, I think, by Minot Pierce, who married a niece of Mrs. Manville, Susan Curtis, and settled there.
Changes took place at the center. Father Minor, and his son Cyrus, sold out to Mr. Bunce, father of Dr. Bunce, and both the Bunce families moved in probably in 1834 or 1835. Some families settled between Burton French’s and Mr. Wilson’s. Woodward Todd sold to a Mr. Wheeler. C. C. Canfield, having married the daughter of Jabez Hanford settled where the mother of Eben Warner lived, when I came in, and another saw-mill was built east of his house on Chapelle Creek. Among the additional inhabitants, I may not forget Dr. Isaac Curtis. He was the father of the second wife of Isaac Hill, and came with her I think in the fall or winter of 1829 or 1830. He was a revolutionary soldier; an intelligent man, especially on religious subjects. I shall never forget his examination, on admission to the church. Understanding something of the habit of his mind, I left him give his own account of his religious views. He commenced, and gave one of the most clear, connected, and practical exhibitions of christian faith and practice which I have ever heard. But he was subject to sad seasons of spiritual darkness from a hypochondriacal temperament. It was sad to dwell in the house with him at those times. I remember a remark of his daughter. She pitied a dog, who dwelt in the house with a Hypochondriac. But in his lucid moods he was a cheerful, consistent christian.
There were two or three seasons of special religious interest while I was here. As I have no record of them, the impressions are not distinct in my mind. A few were gathered in soon after I settled, without any special meetings. A few years after, a meeting, of considerable interest, was held several days, at the center school house. If I remember, the subjects of grace, at that time, were received to the church subsequently at a communion season held in Dr. Clark’s unfinished barn. The last special meeting was held under the tent; conducted by Pres. Mahan. [Of Oberlin.]
Note. The first theological students of Oberlin came from Lane Seminary, in Cincinnati, because anti-slavery discussion was forbidden there. About this time Pres. Finney came to Oberlin. He brought a large tent with him, which was used as a place to hold protracted meetings. The church in Wakeman gave Pres. Mahan an invitation to come here and hold a series of meetings. In the fall of 1835 the tabernacle as it was called, was brought and set up on the four corners a mile west of the center, on the farm then owned by Bela Coe. Pres. Mahan and the Lane Seminary students conducted the meetings.
I left not many months after the meeting, and may not be qualified to give the history of its results. I have neither head nor heart to trace the ecclesiastical changes which have taken place here. For the organization of churches, and the building of houses of worship, I refer to the article in the Firelands Pioneer. For later history, we must look to the observation and memory of younger inhabitants. I rejoice in the marks of worldly prosperity manifest, and in the evidence of a regard to the interests of the cause of Christ.
A grateful tribute of respect is due to the early settlers, for the character for enterprise, intelligence, and morality, which your place sustains. The early settlers were active, industrious men, stirring and thorough. A man riding rapidly, was said to be "riding on a Wakeman trot." As evidence of intelligence, the settlement furnished many school teachers for adjoining townships. Our early schools were taught by persons some of whom were subsequently distinguished in public life. Among them J. M. Root, Esq., afterward a member of Congress; also B. B. Judson, afterwards a minister of the gospel.
The Sabbath was early regarded. Hunting on the Sabbath was considered contrary to the habits of the settlement. The report of a rifle was noticed as a disorder among them. They were a people who went to meeting on the Sabbath, from the beginning. Some remembered well, when children, walking up to Florence to meeting. One Sabbath, Lemuel Pierce and his brother were going in this way, leading their sister, now Mrs. Dr. Johnson, and they walked directly over a rattlesnake, without seeing it till they had passed.
Snake stories might be told to any extent. There was a hole in the roots by the side of the river, not far from the mouth of Stone Brook, where in the spring of the year great numbers were found. They were killed more or less on my place while I lived there, and at one time I found a young one in my front room. The greatest destruction ever made among them at one time, was probably by C. C. Canfield, Lemuel Pierce and another person [name not remembered.] They were at work, not far from the bank of the river. As they were resting with their hoes they discovered several large rattlesnakes on a bank sunning themselves. They succeeded in killing them. They were females, and on killing them the young ones crawled forth, making about sixty in all. There was some foundation in facts for a little dread of snakes in the new comers in the early settlement.
Such, my dear hearers, were your ancestors; and such the circumstances of their pioneer life. But what do I now behold before me? Instead of the fathers, have come up the children, and these bringing their children, and even the children’s children with them. See that you honor your ancestors by handing down, safe and improved, the privileges they have given you, at so much toil and labor. You stand on vantage ground for great good for the future. Dare to do right. Fear God, and honor your parents; and may His blessing rest upon you.
BOOTH, Marcellus – a son of Elisha Booth, was born in 1804, at Stratford, Conn. He was a cabinet maker by trade. He came to Wakeman in 1824 and bought the Brad Hayes farm and cleared land for his home. He walked back to Connecticut where he married Julia Curtiss, August 23, 1826, and brought her out to the Wakeman home. He removed to Berlin, probably, in 1832, to Clarksfield about 1840, and to Birmingham still later. He operated a distillery there but later removed to a farm south and west of Terryville. He was planning to go to California, but took the measles and died March 28, 1849.
Mrs. Booth was a daughter of Eleazer and Anna Curtiss, of Saulsbury, Conn., and had two brothers who lived near her here, Lucius M., in Clarksfield, and Henry, north of Florence. She was the mother of nine children, of whom all but one, Charles, died in infancy. She died at the home of her son, at Terryville, Feb. 8, 1884, having been born March 5, 1806. The son, Charles, born in 1833, died in 1900.
Marcellus Booth dealt in Wakeman lands quite freely. In 1824 he bought the whole of Lot No. 42. He sold the east part of the Stanley Pierce farm in 1825, 60 acres of the Theodore Whitney farm in 1826, and the rest of the lot in 1829. He bought Lot 50 in 1825, and sold the north part [Elver Clark’s farm] in 1829, and the remainder to Justus Wheeler in 1832. He bought 54 acres of Lot 58 in 1839, and sold it to Sheldon Barnes in 1846. He bought Lot 59 in 1839 and sold part to Justus Wheeler in 1843 and the remainder to Dexter Parker, George Parker and Jonas Martin in 1845. In 1837 he bought 100 acres of Lot 1, but sold it the same and next year in two parcels. He bought 10 acres of Lot 31 in 1846, but sold it to Luther Loveland.
BOSTWICK, William – Onlius, Cayuga ["Cihuga", as it was spelled in one deed] county, N.Y., bought of Erastus French 59 acres of Lot 32, where Mr. French first settled, being the west part of the Stanley Pierce farm. Here Mr. Bostwick died in August 1836 at the age of fifty years. In 1837 Silas and Erastus French deed to Zilpha Bostwick the east part of the Stanley Pierce farm. In 1838 the heirs of William Bostwick quit- claimed their rights to these tracts to Zilpha Bostwick, of Weedsport, Cayuga county, N. Y., and she sold the land to L. B. Pierce the next year.
BOWMAN, George – in 1845 went on to the Silas French farm, west of Dr. Clark’s corners and lived there for three years. He had a wife and a family of children. They moved to Brighton, Ohio. One son, Clint, married Eunice Draper. The daughter, "Lib", married Homer P. Draper, and had children, Venus [of Camden], Emma Jane, Charles W., Edgar, Cassius M., and Nelson. Nelson Draper married Jennie Pierce, daughter of David Pierce, Feb. 6, 1889, and died Jan. 5, 1899.
BRISTOL, Samuel – born in Roxbury, Conn., Aug. 20, 1787. When thirteen years of age his parents removed to New Jersey, where the father died, and the widow and children soon moved back to Connecticut. Samuel went to live with Joel Pierce of South Britain, Conn., and remained there until of age. At this time he received a suit of clothes and $150 in money. [Note. He had evidently been apprenticed to Pierce, and received what had been contracted to be given him by the terms of the indenture of apprenticeship]. He rented a small farm and so continued until he had saved $1200. On Feb. 12, 1812, he married Eunice Sherman, a daughter of Solomon Sherman, a descendant of Hon. Samuel Sherman. Her genealogy appears in the Sherman genealogy of Justin Sherman. She was born May 19, 1789. They had one child, Nelson Bristol, born April 28, 1814. Samuel and Eunice Bristol were the tallest couple in Huron Co. about 7 ft. tall each.
Mr. Bristol was one of the company who first purchased land in Wakeman in 1817. His first purchase was of 496.85 acres for $992.69, including Lots 3, 31, and 11. A considerable portion of this land has been owned by his grand children, having never been sold by any Bristol, but passing by inheritance.
On the 28th of May, 1817, Mr. Bristol and his family started for Wakeman with a team consisting of two yoke of oxen and one horse. They reached Vermillion July 4th. The wife and boy remained there with acquaintances for a few weeks while he was getting a home ready. He built a log house on Lot 11, west of their later home. Some years later he built a frame house on Lot 21, where his grandson, Samuel Bristol, lived and died, which land he purchased in 1823. [Thus that piece of land has been in possession of a Bristol for 105 years, at Least.]
Nelson Bristol purchased a farm just over the line in Florence and the parents eventually went to live with him and his wife. Samuel Bristol died Aug. 13, 1867, and the wife on Sept.17, 1880.
Nelson married his first cousin, Julia Sherman, June 1, 1853. Her father was Cyrus Sherman, a brother of Mrs. Eunice [Sherman] Bristol. Nelson died June 16, 1881. The wife, born at Woodbury, Conn., July 25, 1828, died March 14, 1908. They had children, Samuel, Cornelia, Edward, David and Willis. Samuel left a daughter, Hazel. Cornelia married but left no issue. The others never married. Thus, the only descendant at this time of the Bristol blood is the daughter of Samuel,
Jr. Hazel Bristol Green.
Nelson Bristol was noted for his immense size, weighing more than four hundred pounds. At his death a special casket was purchased in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Bristols had accumulated a considerable property, invested in government bonds, which were kept in a safe in the house. Some of the neighbors also had some funds, about $35,000 in the safe. On the evening of June 26, 1866, while there was a circus in Birmingham, and many of the neighbors of the Bristols had gone to town, a party of men stopped at Mr. Bristol’s, representing themselves to be government officers in search of some bonds which had been stolen. By their talk and threats they induced Nelson to open the safe and let them see the bonds. They then announced that some of the stolen bonds were among them, and declared the family to be under arrest. They hand-cuffed the entire family, even tying up the hired man in the barn, and proceeded to clean out the safe and made their escape. The robbers were never punished. The loss of the money so upset Mr. Bristol that it probably hastened his death the next year.
Ruth Ann Sherman, a sister of Julia Sherman Bristol, lived here and married Nathaniel Hine of Berlin. They went to Birmingham to live and he was drowned there May 15, 1827. Later she returned to Waterbury, Connecticut and married Ansel Porter of The Waterbury Watch Co., later named and now Scovil Brass, Waterbury, Connecticut. She had one daughter, Julia Sherman. Married Mark L. Sperry, wealthy Brass magistrate. They had 5 children: Ethel, Lem, Roger, Mark II, Ruth Sherman all living.
BRISTOL, Charles – born in Monroe county, N.Y., in 1818, in 1843 married Sarah Kerkum, of Geneva, N. Y. In 1844 they came to Wakeman and bought 40 acres of land at four dollars per acre but did not receive the deed until 1852. This land was the south part of Lot 10, the southwest corner farm in the township, where George Barnes lived later. Three sons were born to them: Monroe E., born in 1845, married Fannie Lefevre, of Huron, went to Defiance county, Ohio, and died there in 1915; Charles K., born in 1850, married Jane Wilcox, of Milan in 1870, and lived at White Cloud, Mich; David, born in 1856, married Nettie Prughty, of Norwalk, and lived at White Cloud. Mr. Bristol married, 2nd, Olive Rogers in 1857, and they had two sons, Cyrus, born in 1858, died in his 18th year, and Orrin H., born in 1865, married Jennie Clark, of Clarksfield, was divorced in 1893 and married again and went to live near Sandusky, O. Charles Bristol, the father, moved to Defiance Co., O., and died there in 1888. The wife died in 1892, in Indiana.
BRISTOL, Reuben – a brother of Charles, lived on the farm next north of his brother’s, having purchased it in 1854. His wife was Hannah Edwards, daughter of Aden Edwards, of Wakeman, and she died March 26, 1844, at the age of twenty-two. He married, 2nd, Lorain Watkins, of Wakeman. He sold his farm and removed to Oregon and his wife died in three weeks. He came then to Indiana, where he lived with a sister until his death about a year later. His children were: Cynthia, born in 1847, married Charles Wood, and spent her last days in West Clarksfield, Ohio; Mariah, born in 1849, married Dan Gates and died in Indiana; Lucy, born in 1852, married Asa Fay and lived in Iowa; Sarah, born in 1858, married Dan Gates, after the death of her sister, and died in Iowa.
BRODERICK, Thomas – bought of Stephen Trowbridge 44 acres of Lot 93, on the east town line road, in 1860. He had no children and he and his wife took a boy and girl to bring up. To avoid the possibility of relatives of the children taking them away, he sold the farm and removed to Missouri. He and his wife are dead. Some of the relatives have shortened the name to Broder.
BRONSON, Abraham - married a sister of Barzilla Hendryx, Polly Ann by name, who had a son, Ebenezer Warner - see page 184. The Hendryx and Bronson families came to Wakeman together in 1819. We do not know where the Bronson family lived, but Bronson bought the C. C. Canfield place. He died in August 1820, aged thirty years. His widow married Asahel Buck. The son, Ebenezer Warner, sold the place to Mr. Canfield. Mrs. Bronson’s mother, Mrs. Jedidah Hendryx, lived with them, and died June 14, 1820, at the age of 67. These two deaths, in the same house, were the first two in the township.
BROOKS, John - lived on the Ben Strong farm, west of Bacon’s Corners. Mrs. Sarah Barnes, the mother of Charles Russell, and William Barnes, lived with him. She received a deed of the northeast part of Lot 24 in 1825. Rev. Betts tells of her life with Mr. Brooks, on page 71, and we will not repeat it here. The farm upon which they lived was sold to David Manvel in 1833.
BROOKS, Thomas – born in Yorkshire, England, May 23, 1816, came to Ohio in 1840, coming first to Cincinnati, and soon after to Akron, 0., where he married Elizabeth Burnell, Jan. 30, 1843. In 1844, they removed to Black River, Lorain Co., Ohio, and to Terryville, near Birmingham, in 1847. In 1850, he purchased a farm in Wakeman and moved there. He first took up land south of the Dereemer lot and commenced to clear it, but sold it to Edward Denman and bought 85 acres of the east side of Lot 62, where he lived until his death Nov. 30, 1903. His wife was born near Leeds, England, Feb. 11, 1822, and came to the United States with her parents in 1841. She died July 17, 1883. They had two sons, William D., born in 1845, unmarried, made his home on the father’s farm; Charles P., born in 1853, married Mary Miller, of Cincinnati, and lived there until his death Oct. 11, 1880.
BROOKS, Eliphalet - son of Justus Brooks and Fanny Allison, was born in Orange county, N.Y., Jan. 17, 1806. He was married, Dec. 15, 1827, to Effie Dilliston, born in Sussex county, N. J., Feb. 23, 1810. He came to Milan and worked in a blacksmith shop, then bought a farm in Peru township, Huron county, Ohio, sold it in 1856 or 57, and removed to Maxville [Peru village] and in 1857 bought out Charles Bunce in Wakeman and lived in the Cort Armstrong house. Two years later he sold the ten acres on the north side of the road to Lucius Hall and the 50½ acres on the south side to D. S. Clark, and removed to Townsend, then traded for the "Wakeman Exchange", later the "Bright House", and carried on the hotel business for a year or so, then removed to Fitchville, Ohio, and in 1881 to Gratiot Co., Mich., where his son, Daniel, was living. His wife died there in 1883, and in 1884 he and Amanda removed to Tennessee with Daniel and family and Mr. Brooks died there July 22, 1885. Mrs. Brooks was born Jan. 17, 1810, and died July 12, 1883. Their children were; James, born Oct. 1, 1828, died Jan. 31, 1836; Amanda, born Feb. 27, 1830, died May 16, 1904, unmarried; Justus, born Dec. 20, 1831; Mary Elizabeth, born Feb. 24, 1834, died Feb. 1, 1836; Daniel D., born Nov. 27, 1835.
Justus married Theresa Phillips and went to Leavenworth, Kansas. His wife died there and he removed to San Antonio, Texas. He must have married again and had children, as we hear that he and his wife separated and she brought the children and made her home in Wakeman, part of the time with Eliphalet Brooks.
Daniel Brooks married Adelia Ward, sister of John and Michael Ward, of Wakeman. She died and he married again and lived in Summertown, Tenn. Three children of a brother of Eliphalet Brooks lived in the vicinity of Wakeman. James A. lived with Brad Hayes but later lived at Avon, Lorain Co., Ohio, after his marriage, and died there. Ira H. was a soldier and died at Nashville, Tenn., in 1864.
Emily married Wesley Squire, of Florence, and lived in Clyde, Ohio, after the death of her husband.
BRYANT, Benjamin Franklin, M.D. - a son of Elias Bryant, was born in New Vineyard, Maine, April 28, 1803. He was married to Lucy French, daughter of Joseph French, [not the one of Wakeman], of Chesterville, Maine, July 3, 1832. He became both a physician and preacher. During his life as a Methodist minister he lived in different places in Maine, having had children in Chesterville, Wayne, Rockland, Orono, Oldtown, Searsport and Searsmont.
On account of poor health he left his native state and came to Townsend, Ohio, in 1855, the family following in December 1859. In 1862 he removed to Wakeman and practiced medicine until his death on Feb. 5, 1870. The wife was born July 27, 1805, and died at the home of her daughter in Indiana, Sept. 18, 1886. Their children were:
Joseph, born June 24, 1834, died Nov. 12, 1834,
John E. " Oct. 13, 1835, " about 1899, Mt. Vernon, N.Y.,
Benjamin F. " Sept. 3, 1837, became an inmate of the Veteran’s Home at
Warpaka, Wis., of which he was the founder,
Lucy F. " Oct. 27, 1839, died in Cleveland May 25,1884,
Thomas Chalmers, born Dec. 10, 1843, married Amelia Hanford, of Wakeman, and died at Minot, S. Dakota about 1900,
Mary E. born June 29, 1846, married Joseph Park, of Olena, and died in Oberlin, March 17, 1918,
Luella, " Feb. 18, 1848, died in Wakeman Oct. 12, 1870.
End of pages 71 through 80
Transcribed by Lowell Dunlap