Thompson Township, Geauga County, Ohio

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Thompson Township, Ohio
settlement_type = Township
nickname =
motto =

imagesize =
image_caption =


image_

mapsize = 250x200px
map_caption = Municipalities and townships of Geauga County.


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =

subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Ohio
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Geauga

government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
established_title =
established_date =

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =
area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 66.5
area_land_km2 = 66.5
area_water_km2 = 0.0
area_total_sq_mi = 25.7
area_land_sq_mi = 25.7
area_water_sq_mi = 0.0

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 2383
population_density_km2 = 35.8
population_density_sq_mi = 92.8

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes = GR|3
elevation_m = 381
elevation_ft = 1250
latd = 41 |latm = 40 |lats = 28 |latNS = N
longd = 81 |longm = 3 |longs = 27 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 44086
area_code = 440
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 39-76628GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1086161GR|3
website =
footnotes =

Thompson Township is one of the sixteen townships of Geauga County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 2,383 people in the township. [ [http://www.osuedc.org/profiles/population/places.php?sid=41&fips=39055 Geauga County, Ohio — Population by Places Estimates] Ohio State University, 2007. Accessed 15 May 2007.]

Geography

Located in the northeastern corner of the county, it borders the following townships:
*Madison Township, Lake County - north
*Harpersfield Township, Ashtabula County - northeast corner
*Trumbull Township, Ashtabula County - east
*Hartsgrove Township, Ashtabula County - southeast corner
*Montville Township - south
*Hambden Township - southwest corner
*LeRoy Township, Lake County - west

No municipalities are located in Thompson Township.

Name

Statewide, other Thompson Townships are located in Delaware and Seneca Counties.

History

The following are excerpts from the "General History of Geauga County, with Sketches of some of the Pioneers and Prominent Men" published in 1880 by The Historical Society of Geauga Country. The preface indicates that the book was written "by different men in each of the townships" and warns "there may be errors of names and dates."

"Situated in the northeast corner of Geauga county, an average of eight miles from its north line to the southern short of Lake Erie, and its highest point is said to be seven hundred and one feet above the waters of Lake Erie, and one thousand two hundred and seventy-five feet above meantide water of the Atlantic. It is divided into forty-two lots, of some three hundred and eight-five acres each — was surveyed by one Chester Elliot, of Hambden, in this county, in the year 1809.

From authority at hand, its name was by and for one Matthew Thompson, of Suffield, Connecticut, and as the Reserve was mapped out into ranges and tracts, this was designated as lying in range six, tract ten, of the Connecticut Western Reserve, for Ohio was not known as a State till after settlement was commenced in this township. It was incorporated in 1801.

In its geological formation the conglomerate or pebbly sandstone forms the underlying of the township. The well-known ledge at this place furnishes a fine exposure of rock, and gives a rugged and very romantic character to the place, and many visitors are attracted to the place, especially during the summer season. A hotel, with small accommodations, was started as early as 1868, by one William Gilbreath, and the failure to be remunerative arose from want of sufficient funds to prepare suitable accommodations for boarding on a large scale and was abandoned in 1876, and yet there is an opening for a paying business, with the right man in the right place.

Read in his report to Professor Newberry, State geologist says the dip of the ledge here is from four to five degrees to the southwest. Of course a great amount of sandstone is quarried here, and taken a great distance for bridge and building purposes. The Berea grit is shown some in the northwest part of the township, but crops out more abundantly at Footville, southeast from us, where it enters Ashtabula county.

The forests, of course, partake of and mark the geological features along the line, and probably more of the oak and chestnut abound in this than any other of the townships of the county, and the high lands seem, when cleared, to furnish good pasturage, and are good for all purposes of tillage. The clay grounds are not as stiff as those of the more clay townships.

The first public road of which we have any record, was laid and reported by a committee appointed by the Connecticut land company, January 30, 1798, running from Conneaut to Cleveland, through Sheffield, Plymouth, and Austinburg, here crossing a fordable place on the bend of Grand river, near where Mechanicsville now stands, and was marked by an Indian trail, thence through Harpersfield, striking Thompson near the northwest corner of lot forty-two, across thirty-one, southeast part of lot number thirty, the northwest part of lot twenty-nine, rising the ledge on lot twenty, on lands owned by Reuben B. Chaffee, where as late as 1870, he is able to show scarred trees, thence south, crossing east and west center road fifty rods (251 m) east of the village, on to lot number twenty-one, and crossing the road running south, near Roger R. Warner's and Richard Matthew's, across the old farm of Otis Howe, where the trace of the girdling is nearly lost, but scars are to be found on this lot (twenty-one) at the late date of 1876, and both Otis and Rufus Howe report it as a good place for gathering hoop-poles in an early day along this trace. Continuing, it touched the nothwest corner of lot twenty-two, through lot fifteen, corner of fourteen, where the trace is still visible — as reported by Ovando Pomeroy — across the entire lots eleven and two into Leroy, thence along what is now termed the Plan Road, built from Fairport to Warren more than twenty years or more ago, leaving that and crossing Big Creek into Concord, and passing westward to Judd's corners, and still on by the old Perkins camp, so called, to Little Mountain.

The township received its charter of incorporation, March, 1817, and the first election under it was held April 7, 1817, at which time the following officers were elected:

Seth Hulbert, Clerk.

Trustees
Mark Barnes, Leman Copley, Martin Williams

Overseers of Poor
Daniel Pomeroy, Joseph Bartlett

Fence Viewers
Azor B. Sumner, Aretas Clapp

Retire Trask, Jr., Appraiser.
Eleazer Pomeroy, Appraiser and Lister.
Ezekiel Dunham, Treasurer.

Constables
Joseph Bartlett, Jr., Martin Williams

Supervisors of Highways
Aretas Clapp, Abner Stockwell, Eleazer Pomeroy, John C. Chase, Martin Williams

The following received commissions for justices of the peace:
*Daniel Miller, November 13, 1820
*Ira Harding, February 11, 1822
*Rowland Moseley, November 7, 1823
*Charles Goodrich, May 26, 1827
*John Glass, Dec. 17, 1827
*Seth Hulbert, October 26, 1833
*Noah Moseley, Jr., Oct. 20, 1836
*Lyman R. Miller, Sept. 11, 1839
*Wyllis Foot, Aug. 31, 1844
*Matthew S. Green, April 7, 1855
*Augustus Tillotson, November 2, 1859
*Phillip Wilson, Jan. 2, 1863
*S. E. Spencer, Dec. 21, 1870
*Darius Woolcott, Dec. 18, 1873
*A. E. Miller, April 8, 1870
*H. B. Palmer, June 9, 1875

First Settlement

The first settler of this township was Dr. Isaac Palmer, who was born in Plainfield, Windham county, Connecticut, in 1770, and studied for, and commenced the practice of medicine, before he was twenty-five years old. His practice was confined to the region where he was born, as he did not practice much after he came to Ohio. He married Lois Maltby, of Goshenk Conn. — some two years younger than himself — the exact date of which event we are not possessed of, but a daughter they called Anna, was born to them in 1796, who died at Concord, Ohio, in 1875, a widow with several children. In 1799 they were at Buffalo, New York, and lost a child, nine days old.

In 1800 we find them in Thompson, on lot eleven, decoyed thither by the pledge of one King of Connecticut, a landholder, that he should have the agency of all lands in his name. He chopped and cleared some sixteen acres, but, being dissatisfied with his treatment at the hands of the King, "pulled up stakes," and moved to Concord, Ohio, to what was known as "Perkin's Camp," near the south line of the township, where he remained a year or so, and then moved within two miles of Painesville, on the north line of Concord township, where he lived till 1840, when he died, possessed of some four hundred acres of land, and two or more thousand dollars worth of personal property, the accumulation of his forty years of toil.

While in Thompson, in 1802, a son was born to them, which was, of course, the first child born in the township. He was named Isaac, and now (1876) is living in the northwest corner of Concord, with a family of two sons and four daughters living in the vicinity.

The doctor sailed his own boat from Buffalo to Fairport, and up Grand River opposite Thompson, having for company his wife, child, and a man named Sackett. In those days Grand River was at full banks, and, as they were going up the stream, having some fruit trees that he brought with him from the east, stopped and planted them on what is known as the General Paine farm, in Painesville, where they are still growing. In two years, say in 1802, Dr. Palmer returned to Connecticut, settled up Sackett's affairs, and brought on his family. Sackett afterwards went to Windor, Ashtabula county.

Dr. Palmer purchased several hundred dollars worth of provisions, and other necessaries, at Buffalo; so, it would seem, he had some money at this time, and started with his boat; but, part way up the lake, a storm coming up, they went ashore and unloaded the boat, taking everything back on the beach, except a sow and pigs, which were left on board, and made the boat fast to a tree. They camped back in the woods. On arising in the morning, to their astonishment, all their cargo was washed away, the boat tossing on the furious waves, and the sow and pigs were squealing, and subsequently lost. This took the doctor's funds, and additionally, after he had succeeded in reaching home, he was protrated with fever, which well nigh took his life, and conspired to reduce his revenue, so that he had little left when, in 1803, he resolved to abandon Thompson... He was struck in the abdomen by a plow handle while cultivating corn, which caused his death within forty-eight hours. He died in June, 1840.

Colonel Davenport was here about the same time, with Palmer. Davenport came from near New Haven, Connecticut, and owned one thousand one hundred and fifty-eight acres in lots twenty-two, twenty-three, and forty... Subsequently Adenijah Tillotson bought nine hundred and fifty-eight acres of this land for one dollar per acre, and this land was afterward divided btween his boys, Loyal, Marcus, Darius, Augustus, and Ashbel. Ashbel in the only one of the brothers now living (1876), though the lands all remain in the hands of descendants, except the two hundred acres to Augustus. Loyal came in 1819... and lived on the farm here till 1875, when he died. Darius came as late as 1823, and during the first five years cleared over twenty acres. He married a daughter of Noah Moseley.

These boys all improved and cleared before settling on them. I think it was as late as 1841 before the last one, Ashbel, became permanently settled, and is still on his place (1876).

One thing that was a serious trouble to these pioneers, as of others of the Reserve, was the want of mills. The first years these had to go to Parkman, twenty miles, to get grinding.

Set Hulburt Sr. and Seth Jr. came in 1808, performing the journey — the father on horseback and the son on foot...

In 1809, one Daniel Pomeroy came with his family, consisting of four or five daughters and one or more sons, and settled east of the others, not more than one mile west of the present center, and father and mother were both buried on a little knoll on the farm, and the place, though desolate from neglect, is still marked by poor marble.

Retire Trask came into the neighborhood with three sons — Retire, Benjamin, and Isaac.

No means are at hand to tell how fast settlers came in after this, until some six or seven years later; but we find reported as soldiers of the war of 1812: Joseph Bartlett, Jr., Abner Stockwell, Seth Hulbert, Retire Trask, Wm. Gee, and Eleazer Pomeroy, who made knapsacks for themselves and went on the call as far as Fairport, but returned without getting a sniff of war.

In 1816 there were but nine families in the township: Wm. Gee, Joseph Bartlett, Joseph Bartlett Jr., Seth Hulbert, Martin Williams, Daniel Pomeroy, Eleazer Sumner, and Mark Barnes. These few settlers were anxious for school privileges and set about securing them by opening a school in the house of Trask, and Miss Lovina Hulbert was the first one to act the part of school ma'am in this wild place, Miss Sylvia Barnes was the second, and by this time a building was given for the use of this work.

1817 — During this year there was a large accession of numbers in the township. In February 1817, Elias Strong, Sr., came on foot from Southampton, Massachusetts...

Noah Moseley came this year, with three boys and five girls;p lived till 1860; died at the age of ninety-three years six months.

Emergy Lane came in the fall of 1818, from Montgomery county, New York, having purchased, before he ever saw it, the whole of lot twenty-nine.

Merchants

A small stock of goods was kept as early as 1830, by one Hungerford, but of short duration. Calvin Church came between 1834 and 1836, keeping hotel accommodation for many years, also a small stock of goods; buying ashes, working and taking by wagon to Pittsburgh and brining back goods; was postmaster a number of years, and died in 1836 — after him his son, George, was postmaster also.

In the fall of 1838 a new store was built by Joseph Bartlett, Theodore Bartlett, James Briscoe, and Noah Pomeroy, the firm name was Bartlett, Pomery & Company. The firm disposed of goods well, but being cattle drovers also, it proved to be a ship with too uch sail, and soon sunk.

A. E. Miller for many years has been successful as a dealer in goods, usually kept in a country store, and the firm is now A. E. Miller & Son, at South Thompson."

Joseph Smith and D. W. Mead succeeded them in 1841, doing a fine business for a few years.*

----

* Notes from Smith family history:

Joseph Smith was born in Ireland on August 22, 1812, the son of James Smythe, who was born in Londonderry Ireland in 1780. James Smith moved to Hartford, Connecticut, in 1819, where his family joined him in 1821. The family moved to Thompson, Ohio, in 1830 and bought the Binning House in 1846. Joseph had 5 siblings: John, Eliza May, Sarah, Ann, and Robert Colwell. Smith's Store, which was begun by Joseph in 1841, remained in the family for 134 years. After Joseph, the operation of the store was continued first by Josephs' nephew, Robert Mead Smith (son of Robert Colwell Smith and Jane Perry), then by R.M. Smith's son Perry Joseph Smith (12/2/1885 - 1/15/1975)and finally by P. J. Smith's son, Robert Tillotson Smith (8/9/1917 - 8/1/1995). Robert Smith, his wife, Evelyn (Corrigan) Smith, and his daughters Jane and Susan owned and operated the store until February 1975.

Government

The township is governed by a three-member board of trustees, who are elected in November of odd-numbered years to a four-year term beginning on the following January 1. Two are elected in the year after the presidential election and one is elected in the year before it. There is also an elected township clerk, who serves a four-year term beginning on April 1 of the year after the election, which is held in November of the year before the presidential election. Vacancies in the clerkship or on the board of trustees are filled by the remaining trustees.

Communication

Thompson Township is the site of WKSV 89.1 FM, a repeater transmitter for the WKSU public radio station based in Kent.

References

2. "General History of Geauga County, with Sketches of some of the Pioneers and Prominent Men" published in 1880 by The Historical Society of Geauga Country.

External links

* [http://www.thompsonohio.org Township website]
* [http://www.co.geauga.oh.us County website]