PORTAGE COUNTY (click Summit button for Summit County)
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP
Frankllin, one of the central townships of Portage county, in which the villages of Carthage, and Franklin mills, are situated, containing about 1500 inhabitants, who like the population of the Western Reserve generally, are emigrants from the New England states and their descendants. The soil of Franklin is, what is generally called oak land, being a musture of clay, sand and gravel, and is better adapted to the raising of grain than grass. The Cuyahoga river which is not surpassed by any other stream in the state of its size for hydraulic purposes, enter the township of Franklin near the northeast corner and passes out at the southwest. The Pennsylvania and Ohio canal, whose summit is supplied by water from this river--falls into it at the glass factory, near the center of the township, by a lock constructed in the rock bank of the river, and passing down the stream through Carthage, passes out at the lower village. The valuable mill sites at the upper and lower villages, have both recently been purchased, including a considerable tract of land, ba a wealthy company, for about 120,000 dollars, and both sites are to be made into one, constituting a fall of about 20 feet, for the better accommodation of the canal, and propelling machinery on a more extensive scale
The company have laid out and surveyed an extensive village, joining the upper and lower villages together, and are now engaged at a considerable expense in grading and forming the principal streets, and constructing a splendid bridge across the river near the site of the new dam.
There are at present in operation in this township, two woolen factories, two grist mills, two saw mills, and one oil mill, besides sevral other establishments of minor importance. There is a post office in this township by the name of Franklin mills, at which the Pittsburgh and Cleveland mail is opened daily. From this office by a weekly side mail, the post office in the adjoining town of Brimfield is supplied.
KENT:
Carthage, a small village in Franklin township, Portage county, on the west side of the Cuyahoga river.
Franklin Mills, the name of a post office and small village in Franklin township, portage county, on the road from Ravenna to Akron. (See Franklin, Portage couny.)
Ravenna, a township of Portage county, in which is situated the seat of justice. It is a singular fact, that in this township, (which is only five miles square,) there are good mill seats on two streams, one of which empties into the Atlantic, through the gulf of Mexico, and the other through the gulf of St. Lawrence. It is a fine agricultural township, and will have the Mahoning canal passing east and west through its center, affording extensive water power. It returns 16,000 acres of land of land for taxation.
RAVENNA, a flourishing post town and seat of justice for Portage county, situated in the township above named, on a small
branch of the Cuyahoga river, 35 miles southeasterly from Cleveland, 25 north by east from Canton, and 135 northeastwardly
from Columbus. It contains 7 stores, 3 taverns, 15 or 20 mechanics shop, 5 lawyers, 3 physicians, 2 clergyment, 3 churches,
1 academy, a splendid court house, (cost $8,000) and a jail. It is expected that the completion of the Pennsylvania and Ohio,
or Mahoning canal, will materially benefit this town.
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