Chapter 1 Lorain at Fifty Years Old

• Western Reserve bought for $20,000 in 1805 from Native Americans

Chapter 2 First Europeans in Ohio

• First family to settle in Black River Township, 1807

Chapter 3 Lake Road Opened

• 1808 Ferriage Rates
• 1810 Building Costs

Chapter 4 Lorain Pioneer's Stories

• 57,000 Inhabitants in Western Reserve, 1820
• Lorain Business District in 1878
• 1880, 1890, 1900 & 1924 Population of Lorain

Poem

Acknowledgement and Sources

Lorain will be 50 years old April 6, 1924.

Its anniversary has inspired the Lorain Journal to print an authoritative account of this district's early history extending back through the days of Charleston and Canesadooharie, the Indian name for Black River.

In the preparation of this work data has been procured from "The History of Lorain County," published in 1879 by William Brothers; "History of the Western Reserve," by Harriet Taylor Upton, published in 1910; "History of Lorain County." by G. F. Wright, published in 1916 and records obtained from Lorain and Geauga counties courthouses.

The territory figuring in this account is in the Western Hemisphere, in the continent of North America, the state of Ohio, the Connecticut Western Reserve and in Lorain County and lies on the south shore of Lake Erie.

Credit for the discovery of this territory according to the earliest authentic history, is given to Herjulfson in the year 986. Fifteen years later, Leif Erickson, an Icelander, came as far into the country as New York harbor and in 1007 Thorfinn Karlsefni sailed along the coast as far south as Virginia. Then Christopher Columbus, about 500 years later, set the world afire by his discovery.

France made large acquisitions through the discoveries and explorations of Cartier, DeMonto, Samuel Champlain, Marquette, Joliet and La Salle. As a result of these discoveries and explorations, France claimed much territory besides the whole of the Mississippi, with its eastern tributaries and the great chain of lakes. It is supposed by some authorities that La Salle actually passed along the south shore of Lake Erie through what is now Black River Township or sailed past Lorain within view of the shore.

After a contest of 50 years between France and England, the territory went to England by the terms of the Treaty of Paris in 1763. This victory gave England control of all lands between the Allegheny Mountains and the Mississippi. It is worthy of note, in passing, that George Washington, who helped England take this territory from France later took it and much more from England.

The Connecticut Western Reserve, which includes Lorain, lies between latitudes 41 degrees and 42 degrees and extends 120 miles west from the west line of the state of Pennsylvania. When other states, after the Revolution, relinquished their disputed claims to western territory, to the United States, Connecticut also released her claims, reserving the territory above bounded. Hence the name, "Connecticut Western Reserve."

If the whole of the Reserve were land, there would be 4,701,600 acres about one-third of this area is water. The Western Reserve embraces the counties of Ashtabula, Trumbull, Portage, Geauga, Lake, Cuyahoga, Medina, Lorain, Huron, Erie, Summit (except two townships), parts of Mahoning and Ashland counties and a few islands in Lake Erie.

In 1795, the state of Connecticut appointed eight men, one from each of the eight counties of the state, to negotiate the sale of these western lands, not including the fire lands. The sale of this great tract was made to 49 different individuals for $1,200,000 or about 42 cents an acre. This company of men purchasing this land organized themselves and were known as the Connecticut Land Co. Before this body lay the task of obtaining a perfect title to their purchase, causing a survey of the lands to be made, partitioning the land and colonizing it.

In April 1800, Connecticut traded her supposed civil jurisdiction over the Western Reserve to the United States government for the government's claim to the soil. This title was then transferred to the Connecticut Land Co.

The Indians, however, had title to and possession of the land and they in turn had to be dealt with.

By a succession of treaties between the United States and the Indians, and by the use of arms to enforce the terms of the treaties which had been made, the Cuyahoga River and the portage between the Cuyahoga and the Tuscarawas became the western boundary of the United States upon the Reserves as between the United States and the Indians.

This boundary was fixed in 1794 and was effective until July 4, 1805, when, by the treaty of Fort Industry, the title to all the lands of the Western Reserve was acquired from the Indians. The price paid by the government was $20,000 in goods and a perpetual annuity of $9,500 in goods at first cost. This annuity remains unpaid because there is no one to whom to pay it.

The dealings of the Connecticut Land Co. with the Indians gained from them the peaceable possession of the land without bloodshed. The price was a few dollars, much whisky, and a pow wow for the Indians.

It is thought by many that when the surveyors came, they were the first white men to set foot upon this soil. There is much evidence to show that white men had been here much earlier.

The survey of the Western Reserve was started in 1796 but that part of the Reserve, which lies west of the Cuyahoga, was not surveyed until 1806 as previous to 1805 it was still in the possession of the Indians.

The Western Reserve is the same width as the widest part of Connecticut (71 ½ miles) and is nearly six percent greater than the state of Connecticut.

Originally, Trumbull County embraced all of the Western Reserve including the firelands. This was by proclamation, July 10, 1800, by the governor of the Northwest Territory. Geauga County was cut out of Trumbull County in 1805 and extended as far west as range 14 or 15 miles east of Black River-township and in 1807 that part of the Western Reserve lying west of the Cuyahoga River and north of township No. 4 was attached to Geauga County for civil, judicial and political purposes. That portion of the county remained thus until 1810 when Cuyahoga County absorbed it. Thus for seven years Black River was in Trumbull county and for 3 years in Geauga County.

On January 22, 1811, the eastern boundary of Huron County became in part Black River. On the same day the Western boundary of Cuyahoga County became in part Black River. There was a conflict in these boundary lines but not as affecting Black River Township although that part of the township east of the Black River was in Cuyahoga and that part west of the river was in Huron county. In 1811, what is now Lorain County belonged to Huron, Cuyahoga and Portage counties. Although Huron County was established in 1809 and extended in some places east of Black River in 1811, it was annexed to Cuyahoga County in 1810 for judicial and other purposes and remained so annexed for several years.

Other changes affecting the southern townships were made but not affecting our townships until 1822 when Lorain County was organized; its organization going into effect in 1824. The northern boundary of Lorain County is the northern boundary of the U. S., which is the middle of Lake Erie. The same is true with regard to three other counties this with our regard to the northern boundary of the Western Reserve.

At the organization of Dover, Cuyahoga County in 1811, that township included the territory of Black River east of the river. In March 1812 that part of Black River Township west of the river was also annexed to Dover. The union thus continued until Vermilion was organized, when the latter annexation was changed to Vermilion. In October 1818, on the organization of the township of Troy (Avon) Black River, east of the river, constituted part of that township.

In 1817 the commissioners of Huron County, whose eastern boundary extended a distance east of Black River, ordered that township No. 6 (Amherst) and that part of No. 7 (Black River) in the 18th range, which lay in the county of Huron, with all the lands thereto attached in said Huron county, be set off from the township of Vermilion and organized into a separate township by the name of Black River.

Thus Amherst, Black River, and Brownhelm were first organized as Black River. In June 1824 the corner of the town east of the river was annexed to Black River for judicial purposes. Brownhelm was formed into a township in 1816, Russia in 1825, leaving Amherst and Black River together until Jan. 12, 1830.

By the survey of 1806 Black River Township was divided into three parts. It was not drawn as a township but was used for equalizing purposes, one part being annexed to Olmstead, the second part to Amherst and the third part to Medina. The original proprietors of these townships became the owners of the soil of Black River.

The Connecticut Western Reserve was called, prior to the sale to the land company, "Connecticut's White Elephant." The Connecticut legislature in 1786 appointed a committee of three to dispose of its far eastern lands. The price was fixed at 50 cents an acre. The territory was to be divided into townships six miles square. The general assembly agreed to make a grant of a township to each purchaser, his heirs and assigns, and to reserve 500 acres of good land in each township for the support of the "gospel minister," 500 acres for "the support of the schools forever," and 240 acres in "fee simple to the first gospel minister who shall settle in such a town."

H. T. Goodwin, in a tract of the Western Reserve Historical Society, says:

"The earliest known occupation of the territory embraced within the limits of Ohio by any collective body of white men was by the French in 1680. From that time until the conquest of Canada by the French, whose traders were scattered throughout the territory, building a post, station or store at almost every Indian town, English traders first made their appearance in the Ohio country in 1699-1700. From that time until 1745 we hear of them at various towns and stations."

A diary which gives a very interesting account of the capture, adoption by the Indians and temporary settlement at the mouth of the Canasedooharie, was left by the captive himself, one James Smith who was captured in western Pennsylvania by the Indians in 1755. His white comrade was scalped, but Smith, after running the gauntlet, was adopted by the tribe and taken to a Delaware town.

The adoption ceremony consisted of pulling nearly all the hair out of his head, dressing and ornamenting what was left, being scrubbed in the water of the river, which process was supposed to change all the white man's blood to that of the Indian, and then clothe him in rich Indian attire.

In the fall of 1755 Smith, with his adopted Indian brother, started for Lake Erie. They reached the shore some six miles west of the mouth of the Canasedoohari during a storm, which made the lake very rough. After the storm had subsided they walked along the shore at the mouth of our river. On this journey along the shore they saw many large fish left by the waves in little pools on the beach and many gray and bald eagles eating them.

At the mouth of the Canasedooharie, Smith and his Indian brother were hospitably received. During their stop they lived on a kind of rough brown potato, which seemed to grow spontaneously when dipped in raccoon's fat. The remainder of their diet was deer and raccoon meat.

The next temporary settlement was in 1787 by a band of Moravian or Christian Indians under the leadership of David Zeisberger. This settlement was of very short duration. They found here an abundance of wild potatoes, crab apples, and plums.

Of the first settlers, some men walked the entire distance from Connecticut and other places, some rode horseback part way, sharing the horse with others. Some rode in ox carts; some drove oxen; some came part way by land, and the rest by water; some came on sleds in mid winter; some plowed through the mud of spring or endured the heat of summer, some had bleeding feet and some serious illness.

Sometimes it was a bride and groom who started alone; sometimes it was a husband, wife and children; sometimes it was a group of neighbors who made the trip. Children were born on the way and people of all ages died and were buried where they died.

But after they arrived, their experience was almost identical.

A removal into the depths of the Ohio woods, where a man was directly placed face to face with primitive conditions, brought him at once to the practical contemplation of his problem and the solution was in his own hands; food, shelter, raiment. Here was the earth, whose soil was to furnish bread and clothing, but it was covered with a thick growth of great trees to be removed before it could be planted. Their trunks and barks must be converted into houses.

A temporary supply of food was carried by the immigrant with him. In making his way to his purchase he pursued the trail that led nearest to it, and, with his ax, opened the rest of the way. The point gained, the same implement cut down and prepared the tree trunks for the first cabin, which the hands of the whole party, women and children as well, helped to place in the low crude walls of the primitive structure, while the bark of the basswood and elm made the cover. Doorless, floorless, windowless, chimneyless, the pioneer eagerly took possession of his cheerless cabin.

Thousands of them within 70 years were built and occupied in the Lorain woods. Men and women lived in them there; and children - all the elders of the new generation - were born in them. Death came in them there; and there young women became brides and dwelt the happy wives of happy husbands.

Of all the dwellings in the woods, scarcely the site of one can now be identified.

Next to the erection of their own cabin, the most important event was the arrival of another family in the woods and the erection of their dwelling received the joyous help of every male within 10 miles of it.

No one born of later years can comprehend the strength and warmth of the bands of sympathy and fellowship, which united the first dwellers in the woods in wide neighborhoods.

The first family to settle in Black River Township was that of Azariah Beebe, who came in 1807 as the advance agent of Nathan Perry, Jr., son of Nathan Perry of Cleveland.

These people were from Vermont. Perry built a house a short distance east of Black River, in which he opened a store for trade with the Indians. The Beebes lived in the Perry cabin and Perry boarded with them. Beebe later moved to Huron and after a few years Perry moved to Cleveland where he continued trading with the Indians. He accumulated considerable property.

Perry's uncle, Daniel Perry, also came to the mouth of Black River. He settled about a quarter of a mile west of the river in 1810. He afterward moved to his nephew's cabin, located about 600 feet from what is now Glen's rink, still retaining the farm on which he first settled. Daniel Perry was also from Vermont.

The same year, 1810, Joseph Quigley, J. Seeley, George and Andrew Kelso, and Ralph Lyons were added.

Lyons and family came to Black River from Beaver County, Pa. They located about two miles west of the river on the lake shore, (near what is now the Lorain Country Club). He later moved to the farm immediately east of the mouth of Beaver Creek. This he sold and moved to the mouth of Black River, where he died at the home of his son-in-law, Nathan Edison, in 1832.

John Lyons, son of Ralph Lyons, was the first white child born in the township. (1812)

The late Scott Lyons, whose house was located upon the present site of the Moose Club on West Erie Ave. and Mrs. William Jones, daughter of Ralph Lyons, remained in Lorain. Scott Lyons was for many years a foreman in the Jones shipyard here and afterwards was a master builder, building his first boat, the schooner Magnolia, in 1843. The first boat built here was constructed in 1819 by a man named Church. The boat was the "General Huntington" and was built for Capt. James Day, according to Miss Helen Fox, 1122 2nd Street.

The next family was that of John S. Reid, a native of New Jersey, who came to Black River in the spring of 1810. His original cabin was a double block house - a stately structure for the time. It was used for many years by Mr. Reid as a dwelling, tavern, post office and justice's office combined. It was located near the foot of Elyria St., which would be near 1st St. and Broadway.

Reid's daughter, Elizabeth, came with him and the rest of the family came a year later. This family formed the center around which the little settlement at the mouth of Black River gathered and which settlement soon came to be known as Black River.

Conrad, one of the sons of John S. Reid amassed considerable property, built a hotel where the Wagner block now stands (Spitzer Plaza Hotel now) and owned the farm which was subdivided and is now known as the original plat of Charleston.

The farm extended from the west bank of Black River to the center of Oberlin Ave. and from the lake to a line between 5th and 6th streets.

An interesting story is told of Mr. Reid as a hotelkeeper. In the early days as well as in later times, whisky was considered an essential - especially in connection with the hotel business. On one occasion one of Mr. Reid's guests was a physician who had ridden through on horseback and put up at the hotel for the night. On asking for his bill the next day he was surprised to find that the bill contained an item of liquor.

The doctor protested that he had had no liquor.

"That makes no difference," said Mr. Reid. "It was here - you could have had it if you had wanted it."

The doctor without further complaint paid the bill.

After spending a night at Reid's hotel on his return trip and after receiving his bill, he presented Mr. Reid a bill for medicine, which was not less than the amount of Mr. Reid's bill for the physician's lodging and meals.

Reid denied having had any of the physician's medicine.

"That makes no difference," the M. D. retorted. "It was here - you could have had it if you had wanted it."

Reid allowed the bill.

William Martin came with his family in April 1811, from Pennsylvania. He made the trip with an ox team and went on after trading his farm in Pennsylvania, consisting of 300 acres, for nearly 1000 acres in Black River and Amherst. The Martin family settled on lot 21, which adjoins the present country club on the west. It is said that for "some unknown reason" he never got title to any of his western lands except that in lot 21 in Black River Township.

Martin died in Oct. 1830 as a result of an accident. He had been assisting digging a well on a farm on Oberlin Rd. After the day's work was done, Martin, while indulging in a friendly scuffle with some of his companions, fell into the well. After being lifted out of the well he asked to be raised to a sitting posture. With a motion of his hands behind him, he said: "Get thee behind me Satan," and fell backwards, dead. It is said that Jane Martin, his daughter, who afterward became Mrs. Slater, drove the ox team in assembling the logs for the Martin log cabin. This cabin was built on land which has long since been washed away by Lake Erie.

Out of the graves of some of the members of the Martin family grew two large oak trees. These trees are near the present lake bank, just east of the stream known as Martin's Run which runs through the Martin farm. Mrs. Slater's son, Morrison, asserts that the tribe of Indians, which at times occupied the valley of Martin's Run were the Potawantomies and that one of their chiefs was Massassauga.

I have found arrowheads and skinning knives in the fields above this creek.

The Gillmore family from Massachusetts came in 1811. They settled about two miles west of the river. The children who settled in Lorain were Quartus, Adamson, Quinman, and James Madison. There was one daughter, Roxana.

There is a book in the family which gives an account of the outfit her father gave her on her marriage: a horse, a cow and a calf, a large table, a small table, six chairs, a store of supplies, a great many kitchen utensils, and a great spinning wheel.

Quartus Gilmore, the eldest son, married Elizabeth Reid Smith, the daughter of John S. Reid. Her eldest child was Gen. J. h. Gillmore. They settled on the land, which now is Lakeview Park.

According to the records in the Gillmore family, Mrs. John S. Reid had to watch closely her bake oven to keep the Indians from taking her bread. It is said that she often stood guard over her bake oven, cudgel in hand.

Col. W. E. Gillmore, now stationed at Washington, D. C., and a graduate of Lorain High School, is one of the descendants of the famous Gillmore family.

Up to 1830 little or no settlement was made in the township away from Lake Road. The unsettled portion was a dense wilderness principally covered with white oak timber. In 1833 a number of sturdy Germans arrived who made their mark in the township. Among them were: Feber, Baumhart, Jacobs, Friend, Bark, Haulkauer, Hageman, Hahn, Vetter, Harwick, and others. (The Harwick family with the exception of one girl, drowned in Beaver Creek.)

The first election held in the township was on April 17, 1817. There were elected: a clerk (Daniel Perry), three trustees, two overseers of the poor, two fence viewers, two appraisers of property, four supervisors of highways, and a treasurer.

At the elections of 1817 there were 17 votes cast and 15 men elected to offices.

There were originally two post offices in the township - one at what is now South Amherst, was called the Black River post office, and the other was called the Mouth of Black River Post Office.

The first school in Black River was opened at an unascertainable date in an unoccupied log house of Edmund Gillmore. The first teacher was David Smith, of Amherst. This is said by one informant, Miss Helen Fox, 1122 2nd Street to have been just west of Oberlin Ave. and north of Erie Ave. Because of the "unascertainable date", this assertion is difficult of verification.

The first school house was erected not long after on the farm of William Martin. The first school in this house was taught by Lucian Smith, sister of David Smith.

Prior to 1865 all religious service was held at different houses in the community by itinerant preachers. History of church organizations of an early date is very meager. The Methodist Evangelical Church was organized in 1856 and was the first of which any record is available.

"Petition: To the honorable board of commissioners of Geauga County - Gentlemen:

We the undersigned petitioners beg leave to represent that the great leading Lake road from the county of Geauga to Sandusky and Detroit now terminates at the east bank of Cuyahoga where Superior Lane strikes it and the great necessity of having said road continued onto the west line of the Firelands toward Sandusky is too well known to require comment. It is the prayer and wish of your petitioners to have a committee appointed to view and lay out a road from the termination of the Lake Road at Cuyahoga to the west line of the Firelands in the best and most direct route toward Sandusky.

July 22, 1818. Samuel Jones, Samuel Vail, John Walworth, Robert Warbison, John Thompson, James Strong, Abraham Hickox, Daniel Townsley, Lorenzo Carter, Lathrop Seymour, Nathan Perry, Amos Spafford.

"Report: Agreeable to our appointment, we the undersigned have carefully examined the ground from Cleveland to the west line of the Firelands and find generally very good land for a road and have caused it to be surveyed agreeable to the notes and plans herewith exhibited by Amos Spafford our surveyor all which is humbly submitted by Nathaniel Doane and Mr. Williams, committee."

ESTABLISHED: - which said report and field notes being twice read and having been considered by the board hereupon order that the said be established as public highway and that it be opened 50 feet wide. Attest, Abraham Tappen, clerk."

"At the commissioners meeting in September 1805 ordered by the board that the time for reporting on the road from Cuyahoga to the west line of the Firelands be prolonged to the next meeting of the commissioners and that Nathaniel Doane be appointed one of the committee in the room of Jared Ward.

Attest Abm. Tappen, clerk."

At a meeting of the board of commissioners of Geauga County Nov. 8 1808, the following report and field notes were presented to the board:

"SURVEY: Minutes of the survey of a road laid out under the direction of Nathaniel Doane, Lorenzo Carter and Wm. H Williams committee, by Amos Spafford, surveyor. The courses and distances as follows: Beginning on the west bank of Cuyahoga River opposite Superior Lane, so called, the lane of Spafford wharf bearing east.... Continuing the same course 80 chains and marked the 25th mile (an elm) continuing the same course 80 chains and marked 26th mile tree, continuing the same course 12 chains to Perry cabin. Thence 5.78 degrees w. 7 chains, thence s. 55 degrees w. 5 chains, thence s. 8 degrees n. 4 chains to the east bank of Black River, thence south across Black River 4 chains then s. 73 degrees W. 22.50 chains, thence S. 55 degrees W. 22.50 chains to the 27th mile tree."

There was no means of determining where the river emptied into the lake at that date. There were times when it might have emptied east of the life saving station. It probably did empty at times in the vicinity of the water works as the course given across the river was "south."

This would place Perry's cabin 1056 feet by the somewhat crooked line of the road from the bank of the river and farther north than the present shoreline.

It is the opinion of the civil engineers here that 1st St., formerly Lake St., is a very small section of this very road as the bearings given in other records agree or do not vary more than one degree from that given in the road record.

In connection with the opening of the Lake Road the Geauga County commissioners' record shows the following appropriation: "Not exceeding $700 for the purpose of opening the road from the mouth of the Cuyahoga River to the west line of the Firelands, and bringing the brooks, causewaying, digging down the hills where most necessary; Ebenezer Murry to be the agent to lay out the above sum in such a way and manner as to him shall appear most for the benefit and interest of the public work to be done by month or day as to him shall appear most economical; the road shall be opened of not less width than 14 feet; all standing timbers of 18 inches and under shall be cut and cleared out; no stumps of trees to be left higher than nine inches; All Causeways and bridges to be laid of sound timber and to be of not less width than 14 feet; All hills and banks to be so dug down as to be of very easy ascent and safe for carriages. When labor is finished satisfactorily to agent an order shall be issued the treasurer provided all contracts to be finished by December next. Nov. 11, 1808."

When one considers that this road was nearly 64 miles long, we can see the amount of profit there was in the job.

It must have been planned at first to ford some of the streams which afterward seemed impractical for in Dec. 1808 an order was issued appropriating $200 to build bridges over the several gullies between Black and Rocky Rivers.

At the December meeting in 1809 the records show: "Likewise the further sum of $10 for the purpose of cutting a road beginning a little east of Beaver Creek from thence to a good crossing over said creek and from thence either to the road to the west of said creek or to continue from said crossing straight to the south side of a small pond one and a half miles or two miles to the west of said crossing, from thence westwardly to the road on lake shore and likewise to lay two logs side by side flattened on upper side across said crossing and if convenient to be laid so high as not to be endangered by high water. Likewise $5 for laying two logs flattened and laid as above over Old Woman's Creek."

A later report shows that $5 was insufficient to care for Old Woman's Creek (near Huron) and a bridge was ordered laid a little way south of the mouth, cost of the bridge, $91, paid by the county.

Another report of 1810 concerning a road shows 1810 building costs in those days.

The report further shows that the commissioners deducted $5 from the account because sufficient dirt had not been thrown on the logs.

Black River, apparently, was too large a stream to be bridged it is written:

Black River, rates of ferriage - 1808 - ordered by the board that the following rates of ferriage be paid to the person keeping the ferry at mouth of Black River, viz:

The following year, however, rates were lowered slightly.

One story is told of a Mr. Babbit who drove his horse into the water, running a small boat under the cart in which he rode and letting the horse swim the river pulling boat, cart and man to the other side.

In 1807, the Geauga County commissioners, who then had jurisdiction over what is now Lorain, issued the following order:

"Ordered by the board that the bounty for the scalps of wolves and panthers killed within the county of Geauga and agreeable to law at any time from and after the second day of June instant shall be as follows: for every wolf or panther over six months old, $2; for every wolf or panther under six months old, $1."

In August 1812 at the surrender of Detroit by Gen. Hull, the Indians planned a great massacre of the white settlers. Warnings were heralded to that effect. It was reported in this vicinity that the blockhouse at Huron had been captured and burned and that the Indians were coming this way. It was also reported that the British had landed a force at Huron. The settlers started at once for Cleveland. Some buried any treasure they might have, some loaded their effects into ox carts and started; some started on foot; the sick were bundled up and carried in various ways; the lake shore road was lined with fleeing fugitives all listening for the blood curdling war whoop. Before the excitement had reigned for long, however, the fugitives were overtaken by a horseman and told that they might safely return to their homes.

The landing of the British troops at Huron is said to have been the American prisoners taken by the British at the fall of Detroit.

Johnny Appleseed, a unique character in Ohio history, is said to have done much toward quieting the Indians of this time.

Deer were quite plentiful as late as 1835 and wild turkeys, weighing as much as 30 pounds dressed, sold for 25 cents a turkey.

The first valuable product, which the settlers obtained from their land, was the ashes, which remained after the timber was burnt. These were carefully gathered and leached; the lye was then boiled into black salts, which were marketable at the country stores. In many towns asheries were established which bought the ashes or black salts and converted them into pot or pearl ash for eastern markets. Another product was maple syrup and maple sugar.

To show the inflation in land values, the land now owned by the Lorain Country Club (presently it is located near the underpass west of Leavitt Rd.) was sold in 1815 at $3.15 an acre, including the lake front. Try and buy it now.

Brother, William. The History of Lorain County, published in 1879