From The Ohio Gazetteer, and Travelers's Guide --1837--
First Revised Edition by Warren Jenkins
Pub by Isaac N. Whiting Colulmbus
(Capitalization & punctuation as in original text)
PORTAGE COUNTY (click Summit button for Summit County)
ATWATER: Atwater, a flourishing post township in the southeast part of portage county, on the main road leading from Pittsburg to Akron; containing about 600 inhabitants, 1 store, 1 tavern, 1 physician, 8 mechanics shops, 2 churches, 1 congregational, and 1 methodist. Mail passes 4 times a week on horseback on the rout from New Lisbon to Akron; distance, 140 miles from Columbus, 12 miles southeast from Ravenna, 21 miles east from Akron. There are 16265 acres of land assessed for taxation in this township, valued at $58,839.
AURORA:
Aurora, a township having a post office of the same name in the northern borders of Portage
County, on the road from Warren, Trumbull county, to Cleveland, Cuyahoga county; 28 miles
from the former, and 25 miles from the latter place. The road from Painesville to Akron, inter-
sects the roadabove mentioned at this point; distant from Painsville, 30 miles, and from Akron,
23 miles. The township contains 4 stores, 16 mechanics shops, 2 meeting houses, &c. &c. The
post office is supplied by a horse mail, from
Warren, Trumbull county; also, from Painesville, Geauga county, each once a week. A company is
incorporated to construct a rail road from Cleve-
land to the Ohio river, the projected rout of which
passes through this place. This township has been long celebrated for the quantity and quality of
cheese manufactured here; and it is estimted that
upwards of 2000 cows are kept in the township, form which are made about 300 tons of butter per annum. Distance from Columbus, 131 miles.
BRIMFIELD: Brimfield, a post town of Portage County, about 150 miles northeast of Columbus. It was called Thorndike, until the spring of 1850, when the county commissioners changed its name to Brimfield, which is now the name of the post office. The township has a rich and luxurious soil, producing abundantly all kinds of grain and grass, &c. It contains about 200 families and dwelling houses, 2 stores, 9 mechanics shops, 3 houses for public worship, and eight schools. It is eight miles from Ravenna, 4 from Franklin, and 10 from Akron, on the road leading from Pittsbufg to the last named place. There are also good roads leading to this point from all the surrounding villages. The office is supplied by a special mail, going to and returning from Franklin, (4 miles north,) once a week.
CHARLESTOWN
Charleston, a post township of Portage county. Distance, 140 miles northeast of Columbus. At the census of 1830. otpmtaomed 475 inhabitants. It lies 5 miles east of Ravenna, the county seat, on the direct road to Warren, county seat of Trumbull couonty. The post office is called Charlestown. It is a well watered and fertile township and well improved. It returns about 15,000 acres of land for taxation, valued at 63,000 dollars.
Charlestown, a post office in Charleston township, Portage county, 5 miles east of Ravenna, on the road to Warren, 140 milles northeast of Columbus.
COBB'S CORNERS Cobb's Corners, the name of a post office in Mantua township, Portage County, 2 1/2 miles west of Mantua post office, and one mile from the line of Aurora township, 2 1/2 miles from Auburn, and 2 1/2 from Shalersville.
DEERFIELD Deerfield, a post township, (post office the same name,) in the southeast corner of Portage County, on the road from Ravena, to New Lisbon. The Mahoning or Little Beaver river passes through the township in a northeasterly direction.
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.
GARRETTSVILLE:
Garrettsville, the name of a town and post office Nelson township, Portage county. The town returns about 7000 dollars wotth of taxable property, in lots and buildings. The office was established in June, 1830, and is 18 milesfrom the county seat, and in the northeast part of the county.
HIRAM:
Hiram, a post township of Portage county, containing in 1830, 517 inhabitants. Distance 148 miles from columbus. It lies in the north part of the county, east of Mantua and adjoining Geauga on the north. It is a fertile township, much improved, and returns near 16,000 acres of land on the tax list.
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.)
MANTUA: Mantua, a flourishing post township, (post office same name,) situated in the northern borders of Portage county, through the southeastern quarter of which runs the Cuyahoga river. It is chiefly an agricultural township, and has a number of fine orchards, producing annually, "50 barrels" of cider each. Besides several common schools, here is a tolerably respectable grammer school, one church 1 grist mill, 2 saw mills, 3 stores, and a variety of mechanics shops.--- Distance, 12 miles north of Ravenna, 33 miles south of Fairport, on the lake and 148 miles northeasterly from Columbus. It contains about 175 families, and 1200 inhabitants.
PALMYRA Palmyra, a populous and flourishing post township, in the eastern borders of Portage county, (post office same name,) about 11 miles south of Ravenna, and 150 northeast from Columbus. Population in 1830, 839.
PARIS Paris, a post township in the eastern limits of Portage county. The office is called Parisville. Distance, 145 miles northeast of Columbus. At the census of 1830, the population was 250.
RANDOLPH:
RANDOLPH, an agricultural post township, in the southern borders of Portage county, 135 northeast of Columbus. It contained 633 inhabitants at the last census; and has some mills. The post office bears the name of the township. Taxable lands, 18,254 acres.
RAVENNA TOWNSHIP
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
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.
ROOTSTOWN Rootstown, a very flourishing post township, (post office same name,) in Portage County, lying south of and adjoining Ravenna. It returns 16,884 acres of land for taxation, and a had a population of 663 at last census. It is 131 miles northeast of Columbus, and five from Ravenna, the county seat.
STREETSBORO:
Streetsborough, a township of Portage county No. 4, in the the 9th range of townships, in the Connecticut Western Reserve, containing 15,279 acres, surveyed into 100 lots of about 1160 acres each. In the year 1825, Titus Street, the proprietor, gave by deed to the township, 4 acres of land at the center of the present township, for a public square, and 2 acres for a public burying ground. At that time the township was ann- exxed to Mantua township. In 1827 it was organized as a township by itself, with about a dozen families; and at present there are 212 families, and 1120 in- habitants. There are about 100 frame buildings in the township exclusive of public buildings. There is one presbyterian and one methodist meeting house, built in good style, 10 school districts, with good houses, 1 merchant, doing good business, one baptist preacher, one doctor, 3 tailors, 2 milliners, one stock maker, 10 shoe makers, 4 blacksmiths, 3 coopers, 8 carpenters and joiners, 1 cabinet maker, 3 house ma- sons, 2 wagon and carriage makers, 3 taverns, 3 saw mills, 3 pot and pearl asheries, 1 reed maker, and 1 post office, (bearing the same name,) at the
center of the township The great stage rout from Pittsburg to Cleveand, on the turnpike, runs through the center of the township. This township is 71/2 miles north- west from Ravenna, the county sear, 5 east from Hudson, 5 south of Aurora, (the great cheese mart,) 5 north from the village of Franklin, 5 west of Sha- larsville, 25 southeast from Cleveland and lake Erie, 134 from Columbus, and 327 from Washington city.
This township is better calculated for raising cattle than grain. In the north part of the township is beach and maple timber. Cuyahoga river runs through the easst part of the township, and Tinker’s creek through the west part: with these and num- erous smaller streams, this township is as well wa- tered perhaps as any township in Portage county. The inhaabitants, for the most part, are respectable and industrious farmers.--The principal religious demoninations are methodists, baptists, and presbyterians; there are, however, a few Campbell- ites, and Mormons.
'Windham:
Windham, a post township, (post office same name,) in the easstern borders of Portage county. The land is pretty fertile, and is principally settled by farmers. The post road from Cleveland to Warren passes through the northern part of this township. It was called Sharon until January, 1829, when it was changed to its pre- sent name. It contains 669 inhabitants. Distance, 148 miles northeast of Columbus.
Modified 2005:1-15,3-20,4-07, 7-08, 7-28,10-14,
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