THE SOCIETY OF SHAKERS.
RISE, PROGRESS AND EXTINCTION OF THE
SOCIETY AT CLEVELAND, O.
BY J. P. MACLEAN, PH. D.
I. PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS.
The communistic societies of the United
States continue
to elicit more or less attention, and
receive profound considera-
tion from those engaged in sociological
philosophy. Whatever
religious or sociological problem these
communities seek to solve,
their progress or failure is carefully
noted even by those who
have not come in immediate contact with
the advocates, or
their special environments. The careful
observer ever remains
candid, looking for results, although
not necessarily swayed
by the opinions put forth and the
practices adopted. With an
intelligent conception of history he
fully realizes that one fail-
ure, nor even a dozen abortive attempts,
does not prove or dis-
prove the solution of a problem.
Circumstances embracing
leadership have more or less influence
in the ultimate success
or failure.
When communistic societies that have
endured for a pe-
riod of a hundred or more years, and
still retain their position,
practically unchanged, their success,
manners, principles and
prospects become worthy of special
notice. In the investiga-
tion the promulgators should have the
fullest latitude to an-
swer for themselves. The tendency of
this age is to accord that
right.
If a branch of one of these communities
should exist for
a period of years, gain wealth, practice
their precepts, and then
dissolve or become extinct, the position
they maintained should
not be forgotten, and their records
should be preserved.
For a period of two-thirds of a century
there existed eight
miles east by south of the Public
Square, in Cleveland, Ohio, a
community known as SHAKERS, but calling
themselves The Mil-
(32)
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the
Shakers. 33
lenium Church of United Believers. Their
location they called
North Union, and by that name it was so
designated by their
co-religionists. Although the name Shaker was originally ap-
plied as an epithet, yet it has been
taken up by the members of
the United Believers, who now deem it an
honor to be so char-
acterized. It is no longer used as a
term of reproach.
The North Union community has passed
into history. Its
former existence is entirely unknown to
the vast majority of
the inhabitants of Cleveland, and the
greater part of those
aware of such a community know it only
as a tradition. How-
ever, the land owned by them is now
called Shaker Heights,
and as such is likely to be perpetuated.
No one in Cleveland,
so far as I was able to determine, could
tell when the society
was dissolved, and in what year the land
was sold. They could
tell about the time, but not the date.
It was after much perse-
verance I was enabled to fix the time.
These people, who se-
cluded themselves from society, should
be remembered for many
reasons, and especially because they may
justly be denominated
as pioneers of the Western Reserve. It
is also but just, in
what pertained to themselves, they
should be permitted to ex-
plain their position and submit their
narration of events. Ad-
vantage of this will be taken through
the labors of one of the
elders, who has left a MS., now in the
Western Reserve Histor-
ical Society.
It must be admitted that for a community
or sect so small
as that of the Shakers, the literature
has been more extensive
than the results. The believers deserve
great credit in the
enterprise exhibited in the publishing
and spreading of their
views. In point of numbers of believers,
in this respect, in all
probability, they are unexcelled.
It is not the purpose, in this account,
to give a history of
this sect, nor to discuss their
doctrines. These questions are
not hidden from the world. Their
doctrines have been changed
to a greater or less extent, and one
important feature added,
before the close of the first half
century of their existence.
However, in its proper place, the dogmas
entertained by the
Vol. IX-3.
34 Ohio
Arch. and His. Society Publications.
Shakers of North Union, will be given. A
brief outline of
the sect's history, in that particular,
must here suffice.
The Shakers owe their origin to Ann Lee,
who was born in
Manchester, England, February 29, 1736,
emigrated to America
in 1774, and died September 8, 1784. The
first church build-
ing was erected in the autumn of 1785,
and the first formal
organization of the society was in
September, 1787, at Mount
Lebanon, New York, which still ranks as
the leading one.
The Shakers thus become the oldest of
all existing communistic
societies of the United States, besides
being the most thor-
oughly organized, and in many respects
the most successful.
However, it cannot be said, at this
time, they are in a flourish-
ing condition, unless their possessions
be accounted.
While the promulgation of the Shaker
doctrines was taking
root in certain localities in the states
eastward, one of the
greatest religious excitements that ever
was enacted broke out
in Kentucky in the year 1800. It began
in Logan and Christian
counties, on the waters of Gasper and
Red rivers, and in the
spring of the following year extended
into Marion county.
Richard McNemar, who was an eye-witness,
published a de-
scriptive account of the wild carnival.
There is no reason for
questioning his narrative. It was even
claimed that a babe
of six months was spiritually affected.
It is outside our prov-
ince to rehearse what has been written
concerning this revival.
Suffice it to say that engaged in it
were Barton W. Stone, who
soon after founded the sect called
Christians, but generally
termed New Lights. There were other strong men who
changed their views, among whom may be
mentioned Richard
McNemar, John Dunlavy and Matthew
Houston, who became
leaders of Shakerism in Kentucky and
Ohio. When the "Three
Witnesses," from Mount Lebanon,
were sent into the west, they
found the soil partly prepared. Union
Village, in Warren
county, Ohio, the first in the west,
largely owes its location to
Malcomb Worley. He was early converted
and used his in-
fluence over his neighbors. His house
still stands near the
center of the society's estate. Union
Village may date its origin
to the year 1805. The elders of this
community have the gen-
eral oversight of all the societies in
the west.
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the Shakers.
35
II. ORIGIN AND HISTORY OF NORTH UNION.
The history of the North Union Society
is the history of the
elders. If the chief leader possessed
judgment and was full
of enterprise the society flourished.
This is particularly true
during the first twenty years of its
existence. Then came the
stationary period, followed by a rapid
decline that ended in ex-
tinction. The origin, rise, decline and
extinction must be ex-
tracted from the biographies of the
elders.
The origin and location of the North
Union Society must
be accorded to Ralph Russell, who owned
a farm on section 22,
Warrensville township, Cuyahoga county,
Ohio. During the
month of October, 1821, he visited the
Society of Shakers at
Union Village, Ohio, and united with
them with a view of
removing his family there in the
following spring. Although
it is not stated, yet he probably knew
of this community before
visiting them, and the object of his sojourn
was to become
better acquainted with their manners and
doctrines. He was
advised to return home and wait until
spring, which counsel,
received from the elders of Union
Village, was acted upon.
He was filled with the same zeal that
actuated those by whom
he had just been instructed. On his
return he immediately
began to teach the doctrines he had just
espoused, and em-
ployed the remainder of the winter in
proselyting. When spring
opened, the same elders advised him to
remain where he was,
and prepare to start a community in his
own family and on
his own farm. This was an undertaking he
does not appear
to have contemplated. The elders had not
acted inconsiderately,
for they not only had the means to favor
the enterprise, but
were willing to render such assistance
as was necessary. To
this end they sent two of their ablest
advocates, in the persons
of Richard W. Pelham and James Hodge,
who arrived about
March 25, 1822. Soon after
their arrival a meeting was called,
when Elder Pelham "first opened the
testimony of the Gospel"
at North Union. Under the eloquence of
the preacher, sup-
plemented by the influence and private
labors of Ralph Russell
among his kindred and neighbors, there
was a visible result
manifested. Ralph and his wife received
the elders with kind-
36 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
ness and he felt very strong and was
positive that a society
would be established on his and
neighboring farms. As a
reason for the faith that was in him he
gave an account of a
vision he had received since his return
home from Union Vil-
lage, which consisted in a strong, clear
ray of light, that pro-
ceeded from Union Village, in a
perfectly straight, horizontal
line until it reached a spot near his
dwelling, about where the
center house now stands, and there it
arose in a strong, erect
column, and became a beautiful tree.
The first meeting for public services
was held in the log
cabin of Elijah Russell, on the Sunday
following the arrival
of the elders. Instead of delivering a discourse
the time was
occupied in stating the principal
doctrines, articles of faith,
practical life, ending with an
invitation to any one to talk over
the questions in a friendly manner.
Advantage was taken of
this opportunity, and for nearly two
hours the discussion con-
tinued. The arguments continued in a
lively manner, both
pro and con, for the time specified. At
the first lull, a small,
keen-looking man, who had remained
silent, though deeply in-
terested, spoke out and said:
"Christians, you may ground
your arms, you are beat if you knew
it." Elder Pelham's voice
in the meantime had become hoarse,
recognizing which the little
man again spoke: "Neighbors, you
ought to consider that a
man's lungs are not made of brass. This
man has spoke long
enough and said sufficient to satisfy
any reasonable people;
but, if you are not satisfied, you ought
to quit now and take
another opportunity." Instead of
this sound advice being
quietly received it only served to
irritate and caused some to
become factious. A man now arose who authoritatively said:
"Come, neighbors, you have gone far
enough, and it will be-
come my duty to use my authority and
command the peace,
unless you desist." Peace having
thus been restored the meet-
ing was dismissed.
The discomfited people, stung by having
been overcome
by one whom, from his appearance thought
to be a boy, in order
to excuse themselves circulated the
report that "the lad" had
been brought up by the Shakers. who had
always kept him in
Rise, Progress and Extinction
of the Shakers.
37
school, and he had done nothing else, in
order that he might
out argue everybody.
For full six weeks the elders remained,
and held several
other meetings. Ralph Russell's three
brothers, Elijah, Elisha
and Rodney, united with him. The two
former owned farms
adjoining that of Ralph, while the farm
of Rodney was some
distance, but in the same township.
Rodney, being single,
lived with his mother on Ralph's
premises. To these believers
there were added Riley Honey and Chester
Risley, the former
single and the latter married, each of
whom owned land ad-
joining that of the Russells. All of
these men, with their
wives and older children, adopted the
forms, costumes, customs
and doctrines of the Shakers. Of the six
men all remained
faithful with the exception of Ralph.
Immediately the believers commenced to
organize, enlarged
their accommodations, erected log
cabins, cleared lands and in
a short time there was an interesting group
of houses, and the
smoke of their chimneys, in the winter
season, assumed the
appearance, to a distant observer, of a
rich cluster of wigwams.
The general oversight of the infant
community was vested in
the ministry at Union Village. The local
leader was Ralph
Russell, who proved himself very
efficient.
A religion at variance with that to
which people are gen-
erally accustomed, and especially one
advocating radical meas-
ures, must, in the necessity of things,
meet with opposition.
This was true in the case of the United
Believers at North
Union, but not so violent as that
encountered by the society
at Union Village. The first organization
at North Union occa-
sioned much excitement, and their
doctrines and method of
worship were subjected to ridicule, as
well as opposition. In
due time this feeling entirely subsided
by giving way to respect
for the people, who soon became regarded
as honest in their
peculiar religious views and upright in
their transactions with
the community at large.
The United Believers at Union Village
were not remiss
in their obligations to those at North
Union. Soon after the
departure of Richard W. Pelham and James
Hodge to their
home at Union Village, the ministry
there delegated Richard
38 Ohio Arch. and His.
Society Publications.
McNemar, Richard W. Pelham, James Hodge,
Anna Boyd and
Betsey Dunlavy to proceed to the new
settlement and organize
the believers into a common family, to
be known in reference
to the parent as "The North
Union." It was soon after this
organization that public worship, after
the manner of that sect,
was held in a log cabin near the
residence of Ralph Russell,
and these meetings were so continued
with satisfactory results
until near the close of the year. When
the elders returned to
Union Village they were accompanied by
some of the brethren
from
North Union, who desired to study the doctrines and
observances more fully as exemplified in
the usages of the older
community. Their report gave every
assurance that The True
Millenium Church had been fully
established, of which they
had now become an integral part. In the
spring of 1823, sec-
tion 23 of Warrensville township was
purchased by the trus-
tees of Union Village and formally
consecrated. Other lands
were purchased and some received by
donations.
After the society had been in successful
operation for a
period of four years, and was increasing
in strength and good
works, through the frequent visitations
of the elders and
eldresses from the parent community,
without a permanent or-
ganization, early in the spring of 1826,
Ashbel Kitchell was
appointed presiding elder, and came,
accompanied by James
McNemar, Lois Spinning and Thankful
Stewart. The society
now began to assume the appearance of an
organized body
well officered. The established order of
the eldership was now
introduced for the first time. The
equality of the sexes was
brought into exercise in the government
of the community,
which consisted of two of each sex, each
governing its own
side of the house. The one-man power, or
one-woman power,
was thoroughly eliminated, and the
practice was introduced of
all working together and in harmony, as
the head of the body.
It was then and is still claimed that
this mode of government
is founded upon the Gospel of Christ's
second appearing.
In the year 1828 the time appeared ripe
for the signing of
the Covenant. To this instrument no one
was allowed to sub-
scribe his or her name save those of
lawful age and such as
had been "duly prepared by
spiritual travel and Gospel experi-
Rise, Progress and Extinction
of the Shakers. 39
ence," that no undue advantage
should be taken of those who
had not counted the cost sufficiently
before making an entire
consecration. This practical test of
Shakerism was signed Sep-
tember 8 by the following persons:
Elijah Russell, James S.
Prescott, Samuel Russell, Chester
Risley, Return Russell,
Elisha Russell, John P. Root, Wm.
Andrews, Edward Russell,
Wm. Johnson, Daniel N. Baird, Ambrose
Bragg, Benjamin
Hughey, Barney Cosset, Riley Honey,
Ebenezer Russell, Mary
E. Russell, Prudence Sawyer, Emma H.
Russell, Lydia Russell
1st, Lydia Russell 2d, Jerusha Russell
1st. Jerusha Russell 2d,
Clarissa Risley, Clarinda Baird, Melinda
Russell, Hannah Ad-
dison, Caroline Bears, Candace P. Russell,
Mercy Sawyer,
Esther Russell, Abigail Russel, Phebe
Russell, Phebe Andrews,
Almeda Cosset, Adaline Russell and Diana
Carpenter. Later
in the fall of 1828 sixteen more
brethern and twenty-seven sis-
ters signed the same document, making in
all eighty members.
The church was fully organized by the
election of James S.
Prescott, Chester Risley, Prudence
Sawyer and Eunice Russell
as elders and eldresses; Return Russell,
Elisha Russel, John
P. Root, Lydia Russell 1st and Huldah
Russell as deacons and
deaconesses. The duties of the above
officers are mainly spir-
itual, the temporalities being
controlled by a board of trustees,
operating under the ministry.
The signing of the Covenant was not only
consecrating
their own energies to the cause they had
espoused, but also the
absolute surrender of all their
possessions to the church. The
act of September 8, 1828, placed under
the absolute control of
the society a large tract of land,
which, together with some
acquired afterwards, made the sum total
of 1,366 acres, which
continued in its possession until the
final dissolution, all of
which, save 126 acres, is
located in the northwest corner of the
township of Warrensville, in sections II, 12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 24.
32, 33, 34. Of the remaining part 15
acres is located in section
414 and 102 acres of section 422
of East Cleveland township,
and a fraction over 9 acres in section 422 of Newburgh
town-
ship. A plat of this land is given in
the accompanying illus-
tration.
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the
Shakers. 41
The land on which the society first
started was owned by
Ralph, Elijah and Elisha Russell,
Chester Risley and Riley
Honey, all of whom owned adjoining
farms. Return Russell
and the trustees of Union Village
purchased farms adjoining
these, already cleared. Other farms, at
a distance, were ex-
changed for lands contiguous to the
community, by John P.
Root, Oliver Wheeler and Rodney Russell,
all of which were
under some degree of improvement.
This land is slightly rolling, through
the center of which
runs Doan's Brook, having a narrow
valley, but of sufficient
depth to afford admirable drainage. It
is located upon the
high tablebland overlooking the City of
Cleveland. When first
bought it was very heavily timbered with
beech, maple, white-
wood, oak, elm, birch, walnut, basswood
and hemlock. On
the border of the creek, between the
site of the Mill Family
and the ruins of the old
grist-mill-notice of which will again
be made-is a grove of native hemlock,
which, in point of
beauty, is not surpassed by any in the
county. The Shakers
left it just as nature made
it,-unadorned and unimproved.
The first settlers on this soil judged
that land capable of pro-
ducing such a growth and variety of
trees, some of which were
from four to seven feet in diameter,
especially of the white-
wood and chestnut, must be of the first
quality for agricul-
tural purposes. In this they greatly
erred and were sadly dis-
appointed. The deception may be
accounted for from the fact
that, owing to the great lapse of time
since vegetation began
to grow on it, the annual decay of the
grass and the foliage of
the trees gradually deposited the top
soil, which varies in depth
from five to ten inches. Below this is
hard clay, resting upon
sandstone. This top soil made the
timber, the roots of much
of which did not penetrate into the
clay, notably the sugar-
maple, which is easily blown over as
soon as the forest is cleared
and the winds have a full sweep, in
consequence of which the
roots run close to the surface of the
ground. On account of
the great abundance of the last-named
tree it was not unusual
during the early days of the society to
make 3,000 weight of
maple sugar annually.
42 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
The lesson was soon learned that the
soil was better adapted
for dairy and grazing purposes than for
raising grain, although
good crops were produced for several
years after the first
clearing of the land; after that it was
figured that there was
a loss of ten per cent. for every year
it was ploughed, unless
highly fertilized. Long experience
taught the Shakers that the
best way to manage this soil was to
stock it down, put on
fertilizers, top-dress it, sow on the
grass seed, under-drain it,
keep the water from standing on it and
keep the cattle off.
Then it will produce two tons per acre
on the average. Noth-
ing is more ruinous to this land than to
let the cattle and horses
tread it up when the ground is soft or
full of water; for every
footprint leaves a hole where the water
settles, and not only
kills the grass, but also the life of
the soil. Hence the people
learned that the ground should be seldom
ploughed, and never
when it was wet.
The leadership of Elder Ashbel Kitchell
proved to be of
great service to the community. He had
an iron will and his
word was law, and fortunately for the
people they acquiesced
in his plans. He was presiding elder for
a period of five years,
during which time the society made a
great access in buildings
and improvements, among which was the
first frame house,
called the Center House, 30 by 40 feet,
two stories high, built
by James McNemar, standing on the very
spot of land where
Ralph Russell saw the vision heretofore
mentioned. There was
also constructed the first grist-mill,
built of wood, 30 by 50 feet,
with two run of stone and all the
apparatus for bolting wheat.
There was erected a frame house, 30 by
45 feet, which was sub-
sequently occupied for a church, or, as
the Shakers call it, the
Meeting House; also an ox barn, 24 by 50
feet; a cow barn,
80 by 40 feet; a grain barn, 40 by 70; a
tan house, 30 by 35
feet, and an office, 24 by 36 feet,
besides clearing off about ten
acres of heavy timbered land at the
grist-mill, and making
various other important improvements.
Nearly all these build-
ings were at the Middle Family, which
was always the principal
one.
Ashbel Kitchell was succeeded by Matthew
Houston, and
after two years he in turn was succeeded
by David Spinning,
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the Shakers. 43
who became presiding elder October 24, 1832, and held the office for a period of eight years, during which time the com- munity continued to increase in numbers and grow and pros- per in all things, both temporal and spiritual. In June, 1834, a new ministry was formed, consisting of Elder David Spinning, Richard W. Pelham, Eldresses Lucy Faith and Vincy McNemar,-all save the first named recently sent from Union Village. A better selection could not have been |
|
made, for all were consecrated to the work, able in their ex- position of the Gospel, of upright example, and could not be swerved from their duties. With such a coterie the impetus received under Elder Kitchell would necessarily continue. But Elder David did not wait for this valuable accession to the ranks. In September, 1832, he caused to be erected a build- ing called the red shop, 30 by 120 feet, two stories high, designed mostly for workshops, which was completed in 1833. It was |
44 Ohio Arch. and His.
Society Publications.
subsequently divided into three parts,
one removed and formed
for a boys' house, one shoved south of
the family house and
used for a work-house, and the remaining
one for a broom-
shop. In 1836 a building was erected for
a sheep barn, 24 by
50 feet, placed on the north hill. In
the spring of 1837 a new
saw-mill was built at the Mill Family, 21 by 43 feet, two
stories
high, the upper part of which was
occupied for a coopershop,
and there was made tubs, pails, churns,
etc., of pine lumber,
shipped from Michigan, from land owned
by the society. Just
above this mill an expensive mill-dam
was constructed across
the creek, forming a pond of water
covering about twenty-five
acres. The same year a barn was built
for the Mill Family, 36
by 50 feet, located by the roadside
south of the creek. In 1838
a dwelling house was erected for the
same family, 34 by 50
feet, two stories high, with an
underground room for a kitchen,
making it three stories on the south
side. It was during the
eldership of David that spirit
manfestations were recognized,
a detailed account of which will be
given under the considera-
tion of religious dogmas.
On September 15, 1840, the leadership of
the society was
conferred on Elder Samuel Russell, who
presided over its desti-
nies for a period of eighteen years,
during which time it pro-
gressed in things temporal and
spiritual, in buildings and im-
provements. Under this administrtion the
community reached
its culminating point, both as to
numbers and material develop-
ment and growth. The advance had been
steady, with but
comparatively few drawbacks. The
membership increased to
nearly two hundred, living at one time
in the three families.
A marked decline set in at the close of
this period which steadily
increased until the final abandonment of
the community. Thirty-
six years saw the community growing in
wealth, developing
spiritually, increasing in
numbers;-thirty-one years marked the
period of decay, slow at first, but
rapid towards the final con-
summation.
Among the first improvements was an
addition to the resi-
dence at the Middle Family of a kitchen 20 by 60 feet, two
stories high, with a bell weighing three
hundred and twenty-
six pounds, purchased in Cincinnati for
$130. It cost an ad-
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the Shakers. 45
dition of $15 for transportation. The kitchen was very con- venient, and later all necessary improvements were added, such as stoves, ranges, bakers, etc. It consisted of a dining-room, with two long tables; twenty-five persons could be seated at each, the sisters on the south and the brethren on the north side. Over the dining-room was a chapel, used three evenings in the week for family worship; also on Sunday. West of the |
|
cook-room was the bake-room, and over these were two dwell- ing rooms and two shops for the sisters. These additions were made necessary, for the society had increased until in 1840 there were one hundred members at the Middle Family, about equal in numbers of each sex, including children, and in each of the other two families there were fifty members, making in all two hundred in this community. In 1843 a new stone grist-mill was built on the north side. |
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the Shakers. 47
of the creek, near the extreme western part of this land and not far from the hemlock grove. On the south end it was four stories high. Its massive walls of the basement story was built of sandstone, four feet thick, quarried on the spot, or near by. The gearing was mostly of cast-iron. The penstock was hewn out of solid sandstone, to a depth of 50 feet. The front was laid with heavy blocks of stone, mitered in, laid with |
|
hydraulic cement. There were three run of stone, cast-iron shafts, 50 feet long, running from the stones above down to the cast-iron arm-wheels below. Besides all this there were two new bolts and screen, smut-mill, and a place for grinding coarse feed. When it was built good judges pronounced it to be one of the best flouring-mills in Ohio. It was a monument of solid masonry and workmanship. In 1848 a new church was erected, 100 feet long and 50 |
48 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
feet wide, large, commodious and built of wood. It was dedi- cated November 29, 1849. It is divided into three parts. At the south end are rising seats for the public, fenced off by a railing, occupying 20 feet of the floor room, used by the gen- eral public. At the north end 24 feet of the space is cut off for the use of the ministry. On first floor are two apartments. These parts are separated by a hallway 10 feet in width. This hallway is entered through a double doorway. The men's apartments have a doorway to the hall, the audience-room and an exit. The same is also true of the apartment of the women. Over these apartments are others for the elders and eldresses, |
|
or ministry, leading to which is a stairway through the hall. Each of the upstairs apartments is divided into two rooms and a closet. At both ends are double doorways, and the same on the west side, the latter seldom ever used. The arrangement gave the worshippers a space of about 50 feet square, surrounded by benches fastened to the wall. Wooden pins abound in the building, used for the purpose of suspending hats and coats. There is also a stairway leading to the attic and one to the cellar. The attic exhibits the massive timber used in its construction. The building was painted white. The building of the church was followed by the erection of a shool house a few rods south of the former, constructed of brick, 21 by 36 feet, well furnished with stationary seats and desks, and teacher's platform on the north side near the mid- |
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the Shakers. 49 dle. It was well ventilated and furnished with the best ap- proved books, globes, maps, blackboards and all other appa- ratus in use in district schools. The times also demanded a kitchen for the office, and one was built 15 by 36 feet, two stories high. About the same time a small two-story building was put up near the northeast |
|
corner of the church, used by the ministry for a workshop, the lower story by the men and the upper for the women. In 1854 the woolen factory was erected, 24 by 50 feet, three stories high on the south and four stories on the north side, including the basement, built of brick. The upper story was occupied by a spinning jack of 160 spindles, two power looms for weaving cloth and a twister. The next story below was used for the carding machines,-the most of their wool being manufactured into stocking yarn. In the story immedi- Vol. IX-4. |
50 Ohio Arch. and His.
Society Publications.
ately under this last named was an iron
lathe for turning broom
handles, and in the basement was a large
grindstone and a buzz-
saw for sawing wood for fuel, which kept
between forty and
fifty fires supplied through the winter.
The entire machinery
was carried by water power supplied by
an overshot wheel, with
water drawn from the upper pond through
an artificial race.
This is a narration of some of the
improvements made
under the immediate supervision of Elder
Samuel Russell, who
went further in this direction than any
one ruling that com-
munity. His attention was also called to
the better stock of
cattle and horses. Of the former he
secured the Durham and
Devonshire breeds, of the most thoroughbred
that could be
obtained in either England or the United
States. The horses
adopted were those evenly matched in
color, size and speed-
it proving nothing whether they were
Morgan, French, Cana-
dian or Arabian.
The withdrawal of Elder Samuel Russell
from the society
in 1858 left his office vacant, which
was immediately filled by
the appointment of John P. Root in the
ministry. In 1862 the
ministry was dissolved.
About the year 1858, on account of some
financial troubles,
vaguely hinted at and their origin,
Elder Richard W. Pelham
was sent from Union Village to
straighten it out. He remained
two years engaged in this work. This
mission did not interfere
with the work of Elder Root.
There is no record of any special
improvement after 1858.
In 1870 the condition had become such
that a rumor was cur-
rent that an abandonment was
contemplated. This met with
an indignant denial. At this time the
three families were kept
up, having a membership of one hundred and
twenty-five.
In 1874 the Novitiate Elder and Eldress
were James S.
Prescott and Prudence Sawyer.
In 1875 there were still three families,
numbering one hun-
dred and two persons, of whom seventeen
were children and
youths under twenty-one years of age. Of
these last six were
boys and eleven girls. Of the adult
members, forty-four were
women and forty-one men. Their number
had recently in-
creased, although during the previous
fifteen years there had
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the
Shakers. 51
been a gradual diminution. Of the
members then remaining
about one-third were brought up in the
society. Of the re-
mainder most of them had been by
religious connections Bap-
tists, Methodists and Adventists. The
majority had been farm-
ers, but there were also sailors,
whalemen and weavers. Some
were Englishmen, others Germans, still
others Swiss, but the
greater portion were Americans. The
buildings now began to
exhibit neglect, showing a want of
thorough painting and the
neatness of shops. They had no steam
laundry, nor provision
for baths. They possessed a small
library and took the daily
New York World and Sun. They had no debts, but possessed
a fund at interest. Their chief source
of income was supply-
ing milk and vegetables to Cleveland, as
well as fire wood and
lumber. Their dairy brought them the
previous year $2,300.*
The Shaker for November, 1876, contains the following
notice of North Union:
"Anticipated development of stone
quarry at this place
looks like a steady source of income to
society. Grist-mill,
built in 1843, has failed for years to
be more than a conven-
ience, and sometimes only an expense, is
now running by steam
and likely to be appreciated as one of
the best in the country.
Nearly 1,000 bushels of oats threshed.
Early potatoes were a
good crop; late ones not so good-bugs,
etc. Roots and garden
products coming in well. A dairy herd at
the center family-
forty cows-are unequalled in the
state."
In 1879 the East Family had twenty-five
members, of which
John P. Root and Charles Taylor were the
elders, and Rachel
Russell and Harriet Snyder the
eldresses. The Middle Family
had thirty members, of which Samuel
Miner and George W.
ingalls were elders and Lusetta Walker
and Clymena Miner the
eldresses. The Mill Family had twelve
members, of which
Curtis Cramer and Watson Andrews were
elders and Lydia
Cramer and Temperance Devan eldresses.
The board of trus-
tees consisted of James S. Prescott,
George W. Ingalls and
Samuel S. Miner, and the deaconesses of
Candace Russell, Abi-
gal Russell and Margaret Sawyer.
*Nordhoff's Communistic Societies of the
United States, p. 204.
52 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
As the society had ever been dependent on Union Village for its ministry, and as there was no ministry resident, those who filled that position were, at this time, William Reynolds, Amos Parkhurst, Louisa Farnham and Adaline Wells. The members of the community, for the greater part, had reached an age when they could not toil as of yore. Hence it |
|
became necessary to employ laborers and the fruits were not of the increase. John P. Root ceased to be presiding elder in 1876 and was succeeded by James S. Prescott, who in turn was suc- ceeded by Samuel Miner in 1878. In 1889, owing to the age of the members and the num- bers decreased to twenty-seven, and the East Family buildings having been abandoned, further struggle was deemed unwise. Matthew Carter, of Union Village, was made property trustee, who afterward turned the office over to Joseph R. Slingerland and Oliver C. Hampton, also of Union Village. On October |
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the
Shakers. 53
24, 1889, the society was dissolved,
eight of the members going
to Union Village and the remainder to
Watervelt, near Dayton,
Ohio. At the time of the dissolution of
the society the elders
were Samuel S. Miner and Clymena Miner
at the Middle Family
and Watson A. Andrews and Temperance
Devan at the Mill
Family. Then came the auction for the
disposal of such chat-
tels as the members did not desire to
take with them. Two of
the brethren remained to look after the
buildings and collect the
rent. Some three years later the land,
by the trustees, Joseph
Slingerland and Oliver C. Hampton, was
sold to T. A. and
Lawrence Lamb for the sum of $316,000. A few years
still
later the same land sold for $1,365,000. The park
system of
Cleveland, with its boulevards now (1900) takes in all
of Doan
Creek that once belonged to the Shakers
of North Union.
III. THE SHAKER FAMILIES.
I have never seen any description of the
three families
that constituted North Union. The
description that here fol-
lows depends almost entirely on my own
trips to the locality.
made March 8, 27 and April 1, 1900.
My first walk was for
the sole purpose of locating the village
and obtaining a general
view. The second trip was for the
purpose of obtaining defi-
nite information concerning such things
as I was unable to de-
termine during my first visit.
Fortunately I learned of Mr.
John Ubersax, who was in the employ of
the society from 1861
to 1869, and he accompanied me and
readily gave me such
information as I required. He was the
peddler for both the
brethren and sisters, carved thirty-four
of the head-stones in
the cemetery, and laid the stone walks
at the Middle Family.
Approaching the lands from the west the
first object that
attracts the eye is the ruins of the old
grist-mill. It is one
corner of solid masonry, rising to the
height of 45 feet. When
the mill ceased to be of value it was
sold. The new proprietor
blew it up with dynamite, in order to
extend his stone quarry
underneath it. The dam is at a very
narrow part of the stream
hard by, composed of heavy beams. The
mill race was covered
from the dam to its junction with the
mill. A part still remains.
A few feet north of the mill may be seen
the foundation of the
54 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
miller's home. The first miller was Jeremiah Ingalls, a mem- ber of the Mill Family. |
Proceeding eastward, leaving the Hemlock Grove, we next came to the site of the Mill Family, not a single building of |
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the
Shakers. 55
which remains; nor are the foundations
in a good state of pres-
ervation, save that of the saw-mill,
close by the great dam of
earth and stone. All this destruction
has taken place since its
desertion by its last inhabitants. These
buildings were all of
wood, with sandstone foundations. The
mill building proper
was removed, while the remaining
buildings were destroyed by
fire. While Doan Creek is narrow at this
point, yet there is
a marked declivity of the land towards
the banks of the stream.
The residence was on the bank, so built,
in all probability, for
the purpose of having a basement
kitchen. The wall for the
cheese house commenced at the bed of the
stream. The never-
failing spring ran through the wash
house. The barns (marked
3, 3, in the accompanying diagram) were
on the south side on
high land overlooking that on which the
other buildings were
placed. These barns were connected with
the residence by a
roadway, now abandoned. The bridge
remains in a ruined
condition. This was the bridge crossed
by the patrons of the
saw-mill from the south. The buildings
were arranged for the
two-fold purpose of health and
convenience. The dam, al-
though well built, at times was a source
of some danger during
freshets. But such breaks as occurred
were repaired without
delay, unless unavoidable. As an
additional protection willows
were planted, which also extended along
the embankments. At
the present time there is a broad space
enlarging the dam,
built as an extension of Cleveland's
boulevard system. Another
arm of the same system extends a bridge
and roadway between
the site of the mill and that of the
residence.
The family sometimes called the North,
also the Second,
but generally known as the Mill Family,
for its existence de-
pended largely on the grist-mill to the
west and the saw-mill
at the dam. When in the highest degree
of their prosperity
they were great sources of income. The
saw-mill turned out
lumber, and vessels of various kinds
that met with a ready and
profitable sale. The water from the
spring was carried to the
residence through pipes, and being soft,
was used for such pur-
poses as cooking, washing and bathing.
In everything the sis-
ters were favored as well as the
brethren, not only in the matter
of convenience, but in the power to
produce and sell.
56 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications. Of the Center or Middle Family the greater number of buildings still stand, a faithful witness of good workmanship and heavy and solid timbers. These have stood for a period of |
more than forty years. All of them show the hand markings of neglect. Decay of the buildings commenced with the decay of the community. With the exception of the broom shop, painted red, there is scarcely a trace of paint on any of the build- ings. Even the white church has the appearance of unpainted boards long exposed to rains. The buildings have every ap- pearance of a long deserted village. Most of the buildings are |
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the
Shakers. 57
not used and those in use are neglected.
Amidst the ruins,
even the unpracticed eye can read the
testimony of former pros-
perity.
My first approach to the village was
from the northwest.
The family residence and office appeared
familiar when I caught
the first distant view. I had seen them
before. There can be
no mistake. The impression was too
vivid. That was my first
appearance in that vicinity. Perhaps
years ago I saw them
in a dream, which dream was laid up in a
substratum of my
brain. I do not know. I only know I had
seen them before.
In this village were two brick
buildings, the woolen mill
and the school house. The former was
blown up to make room
for the boulevard, and not a trace
remains, although the mill
race is practically intact. When the
children were too few
in number to have a teacher the school
building was sold and
the brick removed. The buildings are
connected with sand-
stone slabs regularly laid, so that in
the muddiest season there
was no effort in passing to the school
house, church, office,
nursery or hospital, girls' house, wash
house, etc. With a few
exceptions these stones are still in
place. The buildings that
have been removed, besides those already
mentioned, were dry
house (13), horse barn (14), big square
barn (20), carpenter
shop (21), tannery (22), and woodshed
(28). Some of the build-
ings could be put in repair at
comparatively small expense, no-
tably the church, the office and the
residence; but as there is no
necessity for this, they will vanish in
a few more years, even
as those who erected them have passed
away. A German fam-
ily now lives in the office and a
Hungarian family in the resi-
dence.
Besides agriculture the Middle Family
depended on the
sale of brooms, stocking yarn, leather
and broom handles. The
principal resource was broom making,
which was carried on
quite extensively, the brush having been
bought in Illinois. The
sisters manufactured bonnets, stockings,
mittens, socks, gloves,
etc., besides canning and drying fruit,
making apple butter, etc.
The buildings of the East Family
practically remain intact,
although decay is written over all of
them. The family resi-
dence is of about the same size and
construction as that at the
58 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
Center. When the buildings were erected and when the family retired to the Center I have no record. It was abandoned since 1879, and probably not long anterior to the dissolution of the society. This family was originally the Gathering Order, which con- sisted of four elders, two of each sex, where all were directed to go who desired to join the community, and where strangers |
|
called to secure information respecting future membership. Many called in the fall of the year and when spring opened would withdraw. These were called "Winter Shakers." The principal resources of this family were the manufacture and sale of brooms and the selling of milk at the door. The third and last trip was made with Mr. Ralph Hogan, who accompanied me for the purpose of taking such photo- graphs as I desired, which accompany this work. In the three trips I found the ground muddy and in places almost impas- sable. It is probable that the Shakers improved their own roads, although the evidence is wanting. |
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the
Shakers. 59
IV. MANNERS AND CUSTOMS.
The arts and sciences have already been
indirectly treated
and need not be specially pointed out.
Their dress was not
unlike that of the Quakers. The men wore
their hair long be-
hind, and the women had their heads
enclosed in caps. Their
dress was plain, severely so. In this
that of the women was
more striking and least attractive.
They did not associate with the world,
save in the matter
of gain. They sought no acquaintances,
but lived strictly within
themselves; but having frequent visits
and communications with
the parent Union Village.
The Western Reserve Historical Society
possesses three
MS. letters, which are here inserted,
being of sufficient interest
for preservation. These letters were not
enclosed in envelopes,.
but endorsed on the back, one having a
broken seal. The first
is endorsed, Rhoda Watson.
"UNION VILLAGE Dec. 2d 1828.
Kind Sister Rhoda I received your handsome little pres-
ent by the hand of the Brethren together
with your kind love
&c, for which I truly feel thankful
for I wish to remember
& be remembered every faithful
cross-bearer,--I likewise
was very much pleased to read your good
determinations as ex-
pressed in the conclusion of your little
letter; and I can assure
you if you abide faithful in the calling
whereunto you are called
the end of your faith will be the
salavation of your soul,-I am
glad to hear of any one setting out to
save themselves from this
untowered generation.-
As to any Kindness or charitable feeling
manifested by me
while I was there I can make you
heartily welcome I re-
member very well of paying a visit to
your house when James
was on his deathbed.-I felt willing to
show kindness but I
had but little opportunity that I
remember of If I remember
right you was unwell yourself when I was
there and besides
that and attending on James you had a
young child, & was
obliged to neglect it a little
sometimes-perhaps on one of these
occasions I might have tried to help a
little, but I cannot re-
60 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
member of much, - however it seems that
you accepted a willing
mind-
It is a time of general health which
blessing for one I
enjoy and have since you saw me (in
general)-So as a token of
my well wishes I send you this little
present,-I thought I must
send you something that would be of use
to you as probably
you are in the habit of wearing a cap
before now.-The chest-
nuts are quite a rarity with us, of
course taste very good. -I
have sent you a hymn noted down. -This
may suffice to express
my faith and determination-
Be so kind as to accept of my best
gospel love and give
it to as many as you feel - but in
particular to Elder Ashbel - &
Bro Rufus-Eldresses Lois & Sister
Thankful & Sister Polly,
&c,-for I do love them-
ANDREW C. HOUSTON."
The next is without date, but addressed
to Thankful, Union
Village. It is on paper that bears
greater age than the above.
How it was returned to North Union is
unknown. "Thankful"
is probably Thankful Stewart.
"Kind Sisters Thankful and
Polly I cannot express the
sensations of love and gratitude I owe
you with the rest of my
kind Elders for the blessings the
kindness & good ministra-
tions which I have received from you
ever since my first ac-
quaintance with you for which may I
never cease to be thank-
ful though tongue cannot express As we
are now to be left
destitute for a little season of the
kind care and protection of
our Elders O remember us in your prayers
that we may be
enablled to walk agreeable to your
desires and not leaving a
wound upon so glorious a cause as we are
called to obey I
feel like one among my Brethren and
Sisters that means to be
faithful while you are absent from us
and through life for I
do feel thankful for the privilege which
I now enjoy through
the blessings of the gospel O may we
again have the privilege
of seeing all our Elders that we may be
the better enabled to
make our thankfulness more clearly
manifest be so kind as to
accept of my best love and give it to
all with whome I have
had any acquaintance and all that belong
to the family of Christ
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the
Shakers. 61
and Mother for may I ever esteem love
and union as the great-
est treasure on the earth-In haste.
So kindly Farewell,
RHODA WATSON."
The third letter is of a different
nature and calls up travel-
ing of other days. It had been sealed
and on the back was "To
Sister Rhoda North Union Center
Family."
"SECOND FAMILY UNION VILLAGE, Oct. 6, 1848.
Respected Sister Rhoda.-I now undertake to write a. few
lines to let you know how we got along
on our journey. The
Brethren both turned sick soon after we
left the shore and
could not sit up part of the way.
Elderess Sister did not own
that she was sick.
The swells were so high and rough that I
became sickened
though not so much as to vomit. By
dinner time we were some
better & eat some. after this we
were well enough, with the
exception of a dizziness in the head. We
left Cleveland at 9
o'clock and reached Sandusky half past
2. here we put up
at a carr office, took supper and
learned that the morning train
did not leave until 10 oclock Friday,
and at Springfield stay
over night, then reach Dearfield by 8
oclock Saturday morning.
Rather than tarry so long by the way, we
chose to go along
with the train that ran in connection
with the boat that we
had left. This train had but two
passenger carrs attached to it,
and think there were about 50 people in
the one we were in
and not so many in the other. We left
Sandusky a little be--
fore 6 evening and got to Springfield
half past 3 morning.
Our tickets told us that we were 134
miles from the Lake.
This train runs no farther than to this
place & back again.
therefore we all moved ourselves &
baggage out, and into
another that runs from this place to
Cincinnati. We started I
think, about 4, passed through Xenia
soon after day break and
reached Dearfield* just at 8 oclock Fri
morning. No one
but ourselves stoped here, and at that
moment the Lebanon
Hack drove up and took us in. We had no rain
on our way,
*Now South Lebanon.
62 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
and here we found the roads as dusty as
they were when we
left home, and a great change as far as
the eye could behold
the leaves on the trees were mostly red
or yellow, the earth and
grass seemed parched and dry. The Hack
landed us safe at our
door by 10 Oclock Friday morning. The
Brethren and Sisters
were not looking for us untill next day.
Nothing very especial
took place while we were absent, and we
found the family in
tolerable good health, and glad to see
our safe return. The
next day after we got home it began to
rain and was showery
for. three days. Since that we have fair
weather and a pleas-
ant time for our good friends from
Pleasant Hill,* a carriage
load of them have come to Union Village,
and are visiting the
Second Family to-day. we have learned
some pretty little
songs from them. Their names are as
follows Elder Brother
Joel Shields and Henry Daily Elder
Sister Sophia Vooris &
Elenor Hatfield.
Brother Timothy wishes to send a
pleasant spinner by the
Brethren, and he has not sufficient time
to make one before
they start, therefore he sends one that
has been in use long
enough to be proved very good.
With much pleasure we will long remember
our visit at
North Union, and not at this time return
our warmest thanks
and best love love love.
I would like to have my particular love
given to all the
Sisters, and especially to the young
Sisters. Were it not for
being so tedious I would love to name
them all, one by one,
but I think I have already been tedious
enough so
Farewell in love,
JULIA DARROW.
SISTER RHODA."
These letters are written in a clear,
legible hand, and prob-
ably indicate the general nature of the
correspondence between
the communities of North Union and Union
Village.
It is not to be inferred that their
interests were wholly
within themselves. The general
reputation of the Shakers is
that they are kind to the unfortunate
and needy and never
*A Shaker Community in Kentucky.
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the
Shakers. 63
turn away one empty handed from their
door. Unfortunately,
however, when one leaves them, even
though he or she may
have been a faithful follower for years
and rendered most ex-
cellent service, that one is abandoned
and "given over to the
world, the flesh and the devil."
While this is equally true of
all the religious sects it does not
redound to their credit. It
is not the Spirit of the Great Exemplar.
On the other hand, it must be noted that
while the Shaker
was capable of driving a sharp bargain,
yet in his dealings he
was honest. His wares were exactly as
represented. Shaker
goods have always been synonomous with
honest productions.
Their fabrics were made of the best
material, and always found
a ready market.
As may be inferred, the sexes lived
apart, although in the
same building. In reference to the
Middle Family, the brethren
lived on the north and the sisters on
the south side of the main
building. In the days of greatest
prosperity those who made
brooms lived over the shop and some at
the office. At first the
children were at the East Family; when
removed to the Middle
Family the boys had a house not far from
the office, and the
girls a residence across the street from
the church. The chil-
dren were under the immediate charge of
a keeper. No child
under ten was taken into the family
unless accompanied by its
father or mother, or both.
The separate families had their own
dining-rooms attached
to the main residence. In 1870 there
were two long tables,
the brethren served at the one and the
sisters at the other. The
ministry always was served at a separate
table, and the chil-
dren had their repast after all the
others had finished their meal.
It was the practice for all to kneel
before and after eat-
ing; no loud talking was permitted
during meals, and only
such conversation as became necessary
for the serving of the
food. They had breakfast at six o'clock,
dinner at twelve and
supper at six. The signal for rising in
the morning and for
their meals and meetings was given by a
bell. All were sup-
plied with wholesome food in sufficient
quantity. Pork was
eschewed, on the grounds that it was not
wholesome. Some
of the members refused to eat meat in
any form. Alcoholic
64 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
stimulants or ardent spirits was not
allowed to be used, save
when prescribed by a physician as a
medicine, and even that
toleration became almost obsolete.
The children were cared for with great
kindness, and the
government was strict, and the force
usually applied was moral
suasion. At the proper age the child was
sent to school, under
the instruction of one of the community,
where the common
branches were taught. The last teacher
was Miss Elmina Phil-
lips, daughter of Elder Freeman
Phillips, of the Mill Family,
who joined the society in 1841. Miss
Phillips passed so good
an examination before the county board
that it was always
received without further trial. She left
the community in 1875,
and now resides in Cleveland. As the
Shakers had enough
children to form a district under the
law they drew money from
the public funds, but when the children
became few in num-
bers the district was divided and
assigned to others. The salary
for the teacher's services, like that of
all others, went into the
common funds.
Labor was honorable amongst them.
Whatever position
one might hold, still he must labor with
his hands. But the
general spirit was to move slowly. There
was not that incentive
to energy, push and daring
characteristic to the man of success.
In the allotment of labor due
consideration was allowed to adapt-
ability, and when any one displayed an
ingenuity in a certain
line restrictions were not placed on
him. Whatever growth
and development that occurred were due
to the energy mani-
fested by a leader in that line, as
already noted.
As the people lived up to their best
ideas of health, there
was, in consequence, but little
sickness. Among them con-
tagious diseases were unknown. In the
early stages of the
community their mode of practice was
Thompsonian more than
any other, but in later years they paid
more attention to venti-
lating their sleeping apartments and
dwellings, and by the re-
forms instituted sickness became almost
unknown, and hence
there was but little use for drugs and
doctors. Still there were
two doctors among them, one of whom was
a graduate of Yale
College and took lectures under
Professor Sullivan. In ex-
treme cases they were known to take the
Water Cure. A hospi-
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the Shakers. 65 tal, called the Nursery, was provided for the sick, and there all attention demanded was administered with the utmost kind- ness. As already intimated, the hospital was seldom used, but under the laws regulating their manners and customs such a place, when needed, was of the utmost convenience. Under the regulations adopted it must go unquestioned that the whole tendency was towards longevity. During the first |
|
forty-eight years of the society's existence, there were ninety- two deaths, fifty males and forty-two females. The average age was over forty-nine. Nine were over eighty, thirteen over seventy, twelve over sixty and ten over fifty years of age. Be- sides these there were three children under two years, and one boy under eight who was killed by an accidental fall from a steep bank below the grist-mill.
Vol. IX-5. |
66 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
The funerals were attended with but
little ceremony. When
a person died among them the body was
kept from twenty-four
to forty-eight hours, and even longer if
circumstnces so re-
quired. The friends and relatives of the
deceased outside the
community living at a reasonable
distance were notified of the
hour of the funeral. The body was laid
out and placed in a
plain coffin, having a lid at the head,
and was then placed in
the lower hall of the dwelling, just
before the commencement
of the ceremony. The members of the
society then assembled in
their chapel, usually with those from
the other families. The
meeting opened with a solemn song, or an
appropriate hymn
composed for the occasion, after which
the elder stepped out
and addressed those present, in which he
endeavored to impress
the thought that they too were born to
die, and whatever things
were lovely and of good report in the
life or character of the
deceased, they should be imitated by the
living. Short ad-
dresses were sometimes made by others,
in which the brethren
and sisters participated. At the close
of this ceremony all
proceeded to the burial. As they passed
out of the hall they
took the last farewell look at the
remains of the departed by
passing on either side of the coffin
with noiseless tread, until
they formed two abreast, brethren with
brethren and sisters
with sisters, and in this way they moved
slowly and silently to
the grave. Arriving at the place of
interment, the coffin was
carefully removed from a vehicle and
then lowered into the
grave. The brethren then filled
the grave, in which all usually
bore a part. While this was proceeding
there was either sing-
ing or speaking. They claimed, in their
later history, that
the spirit of the departed often
attended the obsequies and com-
municated, through some inspired
instrument, words of cheer
and comfort to the living.
The grave having been closed, the one in
charge, then dof-
fing his hat, dismissed the attendants
in the following words:
"Having performed the last kind act
to our departed friend,
we may all return to our
homes." No badge of mourning was
worn, but the dress or suit worn on
Sunday was donned.
The burial ground is located in the
extreme northwestern
corner of the apple orchard connected
with the Middle Family.
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the Shakers. 67 The space so attached is eighty feet square, surrounded by pine trees. On the east and south exterior is an avenue of thirty- five feet hemmed in by a row of mulberry trees, the leaves of which they used for silk-worms. The burial plat proper is divided into four sections by two avenues, ten feet in width, running north and south and east and west. The females were buried on the north and the males on the south side. The |
|
burial was in ridge rows. The place, while kept plain, yet was attended with care. I visited this spot every trip I made. I found the burial ground fully in keeping with the deserted village. The word ruin, or dilapidation, was written everywhere. The tombstones were in all positions, from the erect to the one flat on the sur- face. One grave had been opened, and others bore indications of the same. |
68 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
They commenced the interments at the
extreme west side.
All the graves had the headstones in the
first row. There were
21 headstones in the first row, 19 in
the second, 17 in the third,.
16 in the fourth. Then came the avenue.
There were 12 in
the fifth, 3 in the sixth and 2 in the
seventh. I counted 13
graves without stones in the sixth and 9
in the seventh. There
were probably other graves, but I failed
to identify them.
With but few exceptions the only
inscriptions are simply
initials of the name. All are made out
of sandstone save one..
In the extreme northwestern corner,
lying flat on the grave is
a marble stone, with the following
inscription: "Our Mother
Lydia Russell consort of Elisha Russell
died June 29, 1839,
aged 63 yrs. 10 ms. 28 ds. This stone
was erected by her
daughters in memory of a dear
mother."
In the fourth row, eighth stone from the
south: "Elisha
Russell died October 15, 1862, aged
83." In the same row,
third grave from the north: "O. M.
T.* died May 23, 1858,.
aged 39 years." In the seventh row,
fifth grave from the south:
"In memory of Sewel G. Thayer who
departed this life Feb.
27, 1881 aged 78 yrs. 7 mo." Same row: "In memory of
Rodney E. Russell who departed this life
Sept. 3, 1880, aged 84
yrs. 3 mo. 3 ds."
V. GOVERNMENT.
The government is a theocracy, all the
various communi-
ties in the United States being
subservient to that at Mt. Leba-
non, New York. The ministry is the
highest order in the selec-
tion of which the general membership has
no choice. The com-
munity is under their immediate
jurisdiction. Then come the
elders. The legal trustee is the one in
whom the land is vested
that the laws of the state might be
complied with. The min-
istry was a higher, spiritual state than
that of the other elders.
To a certain degree it was removed from
the others, and such
associations as occurred was formal.
While the first ministry
in the incipient stage preached openly
to the world, it was not
true when the organization had become
completed. They de-
livered discources to the membership,
but during the religious
*Olive Melvina Torrey.
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the
Shakers. 69
services known as Public Meetings, when
non-members were
admitted to the worship as spectators,
the ministry remained in
the second story of their apartments.
About six feet above
the floor there was in each
apartment-men and women-an
aperture in the wall through which the
ministry could see the
worshippers below.
Their mode of government, as
already intimated, was to
combine everything within themselves.
They were a law unto
themselves. They did not go to law if the same could be
avoided, but sometimes were drawn into
it by seceding mem-
bers. In such cases they defended
themselves by employing the
ablest counsel that could be obtained.
Their standing counsel,
on all legal questions, for nearly forty
years, was Samuel Stark-
weather, of Cleveland. They never lost a
case, for the reason
that he never undertook one for them
unless he was positive
that they were in the right.
An extraordinary case occurred in the courts
of Cuyahoga
county, which was a test one in regard
to the validity of their
Church Covenant. It originated by a
sister, who, after having
been a member of and residing in the
society for the space of
fifteen years, withdrew from it and
married a reckless man,
and they connived together to sue for
the services which she
had rendered during her membership. It
was admitted that
the services had been rendered, but
inasmuch as she had signed
the covenant, in which she had
voluntarily pledged those services
to a consecrated purpose, the society
was thereby released from
all pecuniary obligations.
The interest excited by the trial of
this case was very great,
as manifested by the crowds attending
the hearing, as it pre-
sented for the first time for decision,
in northern Ohio, a ques-
tion which involved a cardinal principle
of Shakerism. Emi-
nent counsel was employed on both sides,
the defendants having
retained Governor Reuben Wood and Judge
Starkweather. The
plaintiffs attempted to avail themselves
of the popular preju-
dice which then existed, but their
arguments were based on
the assumption that the existence of
such a society was against
public policy, by its alleged opposition
to the union of the sexes
in matrimony, and by their advocacy of
celibacy.
70 Ohio Arch. and His. Society
Publications.
Governor Wood, in an able argument,
overthrew the prop-
osition of the opposing counsel by
expounding the law, and
referring to the decisions of the
Supreme Court in the states
of Maine and New Hampshire. He was
followed by Judge
Starkweather, who, in the ablest speech
of his life, showed that
the tree is known by its fruits, that
these people called Shakers,
by the simplicity and purity of their
lives, by their exemption
from the strife of worldly ambition, and
by the consecration
of themselves and all they possessed to
their religious faith,
but imitated the example of the
Christians in Apostolic days
more than any other sect in Christendom,
and that their views
on the subject of matrimony were in no
way variant from the
teachings of the Apostle Paul.
The result of this trial was a victory
for the Shakers, and
settled a question over which they could
never again be dis-
turbed. It is but a matter of justice to
Judge Starkweather to
state that for the valuable services he
had long rendered them
as legal adviser, he never made any
charge or received any
compensation, save what the society
deemed best to bestow upon
him.
They never took any part in politics,
nor voted at elections,
but paid their taxes according to law.
They took no oaths in
the courts of law, but affirmed to tell
the truth of what they
knew concerning the case at issue. They
bore no arms, nor
studied the art of war. During the Civil
War two were drafted
into their country's service. Although a
release could have
been procured by the payment of a
certain sum, yet this they
refused, because, as they claimed, it
was contrary to their prin-
ciples. One of them maimed himself and
thus escaped. The
other went into the hospital service and
took care of the sick,
owing to his scruples about bearing
arms.
It would be unreasonable to claim that
under a system as
practiced by the Shakers all would live
up to their ideals. Every
community has its weak membership; but
those not in harmony
with the ideas promulgated sooner or
later retired from the
organization.
They were very fortunate in the
selection of their legal
trustees, for they never suffered materially
by defalcations.
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the
Shakers. 71
VI. RELIGION.
Public meetings, in the days of their
strength, were held
every Sunday at the church, opening
usually about the first of
May and continued until the first of
September. The services
commenced at half-past 10 o'clock A. M.
Their exercises con-
sisted in singing, marching and
sometimes in dancing, accord-
ing to the movement of the Spirit. They
believed in the Bible
as a revelation from God, but not in
plenary inspiration. They
believed it was a record of God in past
dispensations, but not
the word itself, for they claimed that
could not be limited nor
circumscribed to the boundaries of any
book. They believed
in books as records of the word of God,
of present revelations,
from which they read and expounded
occasionally on Sunday,
in their public meetings, in the attempt
to prove from the Bible
that they had the word of God given to
them in this day, adapted
to the age in which we live, of which
they kept a record.
On such occasions the elders did most of
the reading and
speaking, although others, of both
sexes, were not prohibited
when impressed by the Spirit. They
believed that "where the
Spirit of the Lord is there is
liberty."
Other meetings were held in the family
during the week,
on Wednesday and Friday evenings, at
half-past 7, called Union
Meetings, where the brethren and sisters
met together in dif-
ferent rooms, for the purpose of having
an hour's social con-
versation on temporal or spiritual
subjects, and whatever tended
to promote union, peace and harmony.
On Wednesday and Thursday evenings, at 8
o'clock, they
had family meetings, where they went
forth in their usual man-
ner of worship, in singing and marching,
two abreast, motion-
ing with their hands, and sometimes
toward the close of the
meeting they had a lively dance,
quickened by the Spirit.
Their solemn meetings were not wholly
confined to the
church and the family chapels. When
Shakerism was at its
highest pitch they assembled in the
church and there formed a
procession and marched to the Holy Grove
equidistant between
the Middle and East Families, and in the
woods worshipped
God in His first temple. It must not be
inferred that all their
72 Ohio Arch. and His. Society
Publications.
services were simple, for in the early
history of that ism there
were extravagant performances, but time
gradually eliminated
them.
VII. SHAKER THEOLOGY.
Men are more sensitive in regard to
their religious views
than any other opinions held. Every man
should be accorded
the right to express himself on this
point, if for no other reason
than that, owing to the bias of the
human mind, it is so easily
misjudged or misinterpreted. On this
subject I shall follow
the exact language of James S. Prescott,
their historian. In the
Prescott MS. it is stated:
"First-They hold that God is dual, male and female, Father
and Mother; that these two attributes
exist in the Deity; that
these two principles are exhibited
throughout the universe of
God; wherever we turn our eyes, we
behold these two princi-
ples, male and female, throughout the
animal kingdom; if we
turn our eyes to the vegetable kingdom
we find the same; if
we turn our eyes to the universal
kingdom, we find there the
same two great principles, 'positive and
negative'; if we look
into the Bible we find the same
principles recognized from
Genesis to St. Paul's epistle to the
Romans, where he says,
'For the invisible things of him from
the creation of the world
are clearly seen, being understood by
the things that are made,
even his eternal power and God-head, so
that they are without
excuse,' Romans 1, 20. According to
Moses, among the things
which are made was man: 'So God created
man in his own
image; in the image of God created he
him; male and female
created he them,' Genesis 1, 27.
Thus the duality of God is es-
tablished by holy writ.
"Second-They hold that 'Christ was the Lord from heaven
a quickening Spirit; created male and
female in the image of
God; that his first appearance was in
the male, in the man Jesus;
his second appearance was in the female:
Ann Lee, born in
Manchester, England, in 1736, on the
29th of February; re-
ceived the revelation of Christ in 1770;
came over to America
in 1774. First church was organized in 1792.
"Third-They recognize two orders of people on the earth.
1st, The rudimental or Adamic order,
where all who wish to
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the Shakers.
73
marry and populate the earth are
required to keep the law of
nature, i. e., have no sexual
intercourse except for offspring;
whatsoever is more than this, cometh of
evil. They do not con-
demn marriage where there are fit
subjects to improve the race,
if they keep it where it belongs, in the
Adamic order. They
say it is not a Christian institution,
but a 'civil right,' therefore
they abstain from it, as Christ and the
Apostles did. 2d, The
spiritual order is where all who enter
it are required to keep
the 'higher law,' 'the law of grace and
truth'; have no inter-
course between the sexes, except social,
and that which can
be enjoyed and perpetuated in the
'spirit world.' They hold
to living lives of virgin celibacy, as
being the highest, holiest
and happiest life a person can attain to
while in the form. They
hold to a separation between these two
orders, and between
church and state.
"Fourth-They hold to a community of interest in all
things, where 'no man has aught of the
things he possesses he
calls his own, but they have all things
common.'
"Fifth-They hold to the doctrine of an oral confession of
sins to God, before living witnesses, as
a door of hope into the
church, and as indispensable to finding
the power of salvation.
This is the first and initiating step
into their order. Not because
the Catholics have derived and retained
the form of confession
from the primitive church; not because
it is written in the Bible
'confess your faults (i.e., sins)
one to another, and pray one
for another, that ye may be healed.'
When souls are laboring
under deep convictions of sin, they want
some confidential friend
before whom they can open their whole
lives, without fear or
reservation, and make a clean breast of
it before God. And
this friend they can always find in both
sexes in the Shaker
order. As Joshua said to Achan: 'Make
confession unto Him
(i. e., God), and tell me now what thou hast done: hide it not
from me.' This was typical of a true
Gospel confession. Here
was a confession made to God before a
living witness. Joshua
VII, 19.
"Sixth-They hold to dancing as an act of divine worship.
The first founders of the institution
were led into it by spirit
influence, and many times by an
irresistible power, which at-
74 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
tended them by night and by day. Hence
they were greatly
persecuted by their orthodox neighbors,
it being so new and
strange, and so contrary to the fixed
creeds, lifeless forms and
ceremonies of the churches,-Christian in
name, but pagan in
practice.
"They say that dancing was the
original mode of worship
of God's ancient people, and that it was
only fulfilling ancient
prophecies that it should be restored in
the latter day (See Jere-
miah XXXI, Psalms and various other
Scriptures). Hence
dancing and marching have become their
established form of
worship.
"Seventh-They believe the resurrection is synonymous with
regeneration; that it is a gradual
growth and rising out of the
death of the first Adam, into the life
and Spirit of Christ,-a
resurrection of the soul and not of the
body. They believe with
St. Paul 'that flesh and blood cannot
inherit the kingdom of God';
'that there is a natural body, and there
is a spiritual body'; that
when they put off the former, the
natural, they put on the latter,
the spiritual; that when the natural
body once dies and returns
to dust, it can never be resurrected,
changed or transformed
into spirit, without counteracting the
immutable laws of nature.
"Eighth-They believe in a probationary state after this
life, that God is just; that the
millions of earth's inhabitants
who have died and gone into the 'spirit
world,' who never had
a chance to hear and obey the Gospel of
salvation in this life,
will have an offer of it there; as it is
written, 'For Jesus Christ
also hath once suffered, being put to
death in the flesh, but
quickened by the spirit, by which He
went and preached to the
spirits in prison,' etc. 1 Peter 111,
18, 19; and in IV, 6; 'For
this cause was the Gospel preached also
to the dead, that they
might be judged according to men in the
flesh, and live accord-
ing to God in the Spirit,' etc.
"Ninth-They believe that Christ is to judge the world
through His people, as it is written,
'Do ye not know that the
saints shall judge the world?' 1
Corinthians VI, 2, 3. Know
ye not that we shall judge angels? They
believe that this work
of judgment has begun on the earth, that
the hour of his judg-
ment is come, Rev. XIV, 7; 'And Jesus
said, For judgment I
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the
Shakers. 75
am come into this world,' John IX, 39;
'And judgment was
given to the saints of the Most High,'
Daniel VII, 22; some
men's sins are open beforehand, going
before to judgment; and
some men they follow after. This work is
also progressive and
is inseparably connected with the
resurrection of the soul.
"Tenth-They believe that every man will have to atone
for his own sins, and work out his own
salvation; that Christ
came to set us an 'example that we
should follow his steps,' and
thereby save us from our sins, and not
in them. They believe
in being saved by the blood of Christ, i.
e., by living his life:
'the blood is the life thereof'; 'this
is eating his flesh and drink-
ing his blood,' John VI, 53, 54: thus
becoming incorporated
into his spirit, and being at-one-ment
will ever avail him any-
thing, and every one will have to become
personally righteous
by doing right. 'He that doeth
righteousness is righteous, even
as he is righteous,' I John III,
7."
VIII. SPIRIT MANIFESTATIONS.
The Shakers claim that communications
from departed
spirits occurred among them several
years anterior to the Roch-
ester rappings. Elder James S. Prescott
was requested by the
editor of the Cleveland Weekly Herald
to write out an account
of these early manifestations at North
Union. His article was
copied into the Shaker and Shakess for
April, 1874, and was
made use of by Nordhoff in his
"Communistic Societies of the
United States," published in London
in 1875. As the Prescott
MS. contains some important features not
given in the Herald
article, I will more closely follow it
than the one already pub-
lished.
During the latter part of July, 1838,
some young sisters were
walking together on the north bank of
Doan Creek, between
the Mill Family and the grist-mill, near
the hemlock grove,
when they heard some beautiful singing,
which seemed to be
in the air just above their heads. They
were taken by sur-
prise, listened with admiration and then
hastened home to re-
port the phenomenon. Some of these girls
afterwards became
mediums. Prior to this manifestation
word had come to the
elders by letter that there was a
marvelous work going on in
76 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
some of the eastern societies, notably at Mount Lebanon and Watervleit in New York, and when it reached those in the west all should know it; and every individual felt that there was a heart-searching God in Israel. These manifestations were the greatest they ever expected to witness on the earth, being more than an ordinary revival of religion. The invisibles commenced their work one Sunday among |
|
the little girls in the childrens' order, while in meeting of their own with their care-takers, the doors were closed, when sud- denly involuntary exercises commenced, such as going with great speed across the room, back and forth, with great ve- locity, nor could they stop, nor be stopped, by any human agency. A messenger was dispatched in haste to the elders, with the message that something uncommon was going on in the girls' department. The elders, then engaged in the regular religious services, brought the same to a close just as soon as |
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the Shakers. 77
circumstances would permit, hastened to the scene to witness the phenomena. They saw the little girls were under an in- fluence not their own. They were hurrying around the room, back and forth, as swiftly as if driven by the wind. When at- tempts were made to arrest them, it was found impossible, be- cause that which possessed them was irresistible. Suddenly they were prostrated upon the floor, apparently unconscious of |
|
what was going on around them. With their eyes closed, mus- cles strained, joints stiff, they were taken up and laid on beds, mattresses, etc. Then they began to hold conversations with their guardian spirits, and others, some of whom they once knew in the form, making graceful motions with their hands and speaking audibly, so that all in the room heard and under- stood, and formed some idea of their whereabouts in spiritual realms they were explaining. Alternately and at intervals they would sing some heavenly and melodious songs, motioning |
|
78 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
gracefully with their hands, which surpassed anything they ever heard before. Sometimes they would appear to be flying, and their arms and hands would go, apparently as swift as the wings of a humming bird; at other times they would appear to be swimming across a river, beyond which was a plain, i. e., the rudimental sphere; beyond this was a beautiful country, far surpassing anything language could describe. They were taken to the cities of the redeemed and to the mansions of the blessed. About the same time the boys began to see visions, and their gifts were similar to that of the girls. These children were, for the greater part, between ten and twelve years of age, and entirely incapable of feigning these manifestations, nor could they have been guilty of collusion, trickery, fraud or any- thing of that description. All they had to do was to be passive in the power that enveloped them. Adults of both sexes, whose physical organization would possibly admit of mediumship, were soon under the same influence. The following is the first song given direct from the "spirit world," sung by a young sister while in a vision, which occurred in August, 1838. Her guardian angel called the poem |
In the year 1843, when the Millerites were looking for Christ to come literally, through the literal clouds, he was |
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the
Shakers. 79
among the Shakers spiritually, in
spiritual clouds of his wit-
nesses, accompanied by legions of the
invisible hosts. He took
up his abode at North Union for the space of three months,
during which time none were allowed to
go off the premises,
except the trustees on public business,
or needful occasion.
During this extraordinary visit he made
himself known through
mediums of both sexes, and by inspired
communications, among
which were brief sketches of his own
life, written by his own
hand, corresponding with what is written
concerning him in
the New Testament. Likewise a short
communication from
each one of his beloved disciples, bearing testimony to the
truth
of what the Holy Savior had written, all
of which they had in
MS. copied from the original.
The most important event to the Shakers
in "spirit mani-
festations," took place at Mount
Lebanon, New York, in 1843,
"which will sooner or later
interest all mankind." It was in
the giving of the SACRED ROLL AND BOOK, as a
word of warn-
ing to the inhabitants of the earth,
that the judgments of God
were nigh, even at the door. Of what has taken place since
that time let the world be judge. They
are called calamities
by the world, and these have not yet
ceased, but grow more
and more serious every year. What will
be the end of these
things no one can tell. As true as God
spake by Noah to the
antediluvians, even so has he spoken to
the world in these days
through the Shakers by the SACRED ROLL
AND BOOK.
The Shakers believe that this ROLL might
be called the
Bible of the Nineteenth Century, adapted
to the day and age
in which we live, and, as such, no doubt
will be handed down
to generations yet unborn,-that in the
ages to come God's
own book, written by His own Hand, may be left as His hand-
prints on the sands of time.
The Shakers claim they have as much
evidence to believe
that the SACRED ROLL AND BOOK were given through a holy
man of God, raised from his childhood in
the church at Mount
Lebanon, who wrote and spake as
he was moved by the Holy
Spirit, as they have that any part of
the New Testament was
so written, and more too; because the
former has never been
80 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
perverted by commentators and
translators from their original
meaning.
In this new Revelation the doctrine of
the trinity is ex-
ploded, and two great principles
established, viz., a FATHER
and a MOTHER in the DEITY. On these two
hang all the law
and the prophets, and are the foundation
principles of Shaker
theology. All others are tributary to
them.
The Shakers did not withhold this new
Revelation from
the world; but performed as they were commanded
at the time
it was communicated. Five hundred copies
were distributed
gratuitously to the nations of the earth
as follows: One copy
each was sent to the president and vice
president of the United
States, the various heads of the
different departments at Wash-
ington, to the governors of the various
states and territories
of the American Union, to all the
crowned heads of Europe
and the heads of all foreign countries,
so far as civilization ex-
tended and access could be had through
their ministers and
consuls at Washington. Of all these sent
out, the King of
Sweden alone responded.
The spirit manifestations continued for
a period of seven
years in succession, in different forms
and phases, in which
nearly all nations were represented by
the spirits of their dead,
taking possession of living mediums,
speaking in their own
language, and acting out all the
peculiar characteristics of the
nations to which they beolnged.
IX. CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL.
Miss Elmina Phillips, at my request,
placed at my disposal
her unpublished MS. entitled,
"Christmas Among the Shakers
in the Olden Time."
Probably the English founders of
Shakerism in America
brought with them the English custom of
celebrating Christmas,
and introduced it among their American
converts. Certainly
fifty years ago, when the congregational
descendants of the
Puritans in New England were going about
their usual em-
ployments on Christmas as on any other
day, their Shaker de-
scendants in northern Ohio were keeping
it as the one great
holiday of the year.
Rise, Progress and Extinction of
the Shakers. 81
There was a stir of Christmas
preparation in the air two
or three weeks beforehand. Individual
members had no money
to spend for Christmas gifts, since all
the purchasing for the
community was done by the trustee
deacons and deaconesses;
but it was understood that it was to be
a day of good cheer and
that the e would be gifts for all.
The eldresses and trustee sisters might
be found occasionally
in private consultation, likely to result
in a trip of the latter to
the little town, now grown to be a great
city, where such things
as they could not raise or manufacture
for themselves were ob-
tained. And sometimes a rap at the
eldress's door would bring
the family deaconess to the door with an
air of Christmas mys-
tery, and through the crack she opened
to receive your message
might be heard the click of shears,
indicating that new goods
were being cut.
The kitchen deaconess was busy
superintending the picking
over of the apples, setting the barrels
of choicest ones conven-
ient for Christmas day, inspecting the
pickles and preserves,
and honey, etc., consulting with the
trustees and the cook and
baker, which consultations were likely
to result in cakes and
puddings and chicken and other pies,
etc., in due season.
You are thinking, perhaps, as is
probably true, that the New
England housewives must have brought
recollections of Thanks-
giving to Ohio, where Thanksgiving day
had not yet been in-
troduced. But this was only one phase of
the preparation-
chiefly the day was kept as holy day.
Much of the worship of
the Shakers consisted of singing, and
they made their own hymns
and tunes; and Christmas would hardly
have been Christmas
if a company of the young people had not
gone around in the
early morning singing a Christmas song
to awaken the family.
So the favorite hymnist was quietly
reminded, now by one young
singer, then another, that a new song
for Christmas morning
would be wanted. And the company of
singers must be chosen,
and copies of the new song privately
written and distributed to
each one, with the music for those that
could read it; for op-
portunities must be caught to practice
it on the quiet, since it
would not be Christmas like if there
were no mystery about it.
Vol. IX-6.
82 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
There were many musical young people
among them at that
time, and I have known one hymnist to be
applied to for a new
song for two separate companies of
singers, neither company
knowing of the other till they met on
their rounds in the morn-
ing.
And, as the day drew near, the elders
did not fail to counsel
the people in meeting that if there were
any differences among
them they should be reconciled, that
there might be nothing to
mar the Christmas good-will.
On Christmas eve, at half-past seven, at
the sound of the
bell, all retired to their rooms, and
one read aloud and the others
listened to the story from John XIII of
the washing of the dis-
ciples' feet. Then each two washed each
other's feet, "and
when they had sung a hymn they went
out," if they chose, to
make any final preparations for the
morrow.
This was the time usually chosen by the
Christmas singing
band for the final, and probably the
only full rehearsal of their
morning song; and, as if casually, by
twos and threes, they took
their way to some shop sufficiently
remote from the dwelling
house that their voices would not be
heard there, and in which
the brother in charge of the building
had agreed to have a good
fire, and to let the members of the
company in by signal. When
they were satisfied that all knew the
song, some young brother
volunteered to waken all the company in
due time in the morning
and they separated for the night. At
nine o'clock all was dark
and silent in the village.
Next morning as early as half-past four
the singers met,
perhaps in the kitchen, and partook of
some light refreshment,
set ready the night before just to put
them in voice, and then
started out to sing, first in the halls
of the principal dwelling,
then at every house in the little
village, in which several people
lived.
By the time they had gone all around the
family, if there
was sleighing, a span of horses and
sleigh was likely to stand
convenient, and the company merrily
started off to sing their
song at one of the other families a mile
away. If they met a
sleighload from the other family coming
to sing to them, as
they sometimes did, they hailed each
other and kept on their
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the
Shakers. 83
way, sure of a warm welcome, though not
of surprising and
waking the friends where they were
going.
And after breakfast, as all rose from
the table and kneeled
for a moment in silent thanksgiving
together, the new song
was probably sung again in the
dining-room, the kitchen sisters
coming in to listen to or join in the
singing.
At 9 A. M. the singers met to select and
rehearse the hymns
to be sung at the church meeting at the
meeting house.
At 10 A. M. came union meeting, which
was a number of
social meetings held at the same hour,
the brethren usually going
to the sisters' rooms.
The brethren and sisters were seated in
two rows facing
each other at opposite sides of the
room; doubtless it sounds
more stiff to alien ears than to one
brought up from childhood
in the customs of the community. There
was cheerful chat of
this and other Christmas days, and
singing of new and old
songs, and passing around of pans of
cracked nuts and pop-
corn, etc.
At 11 o'clock lunch was carried around
to the rooms in big
pans by some of the young brethren and
sisters-great quarter
sections of the most delicious cake, if
memories may be trusted,
and slices of creamy, home-made cheese
and whitest bread and
pie.
At 1 P. M. all the families assembled at
the meeting house.
The services were the same as at the
usual Sunday meetings,
except that there were special hymns and
special readings from
scriptures, old and new.
After meeting baskets of choice apples
were carried around
and the gifts which had been prepared
for each one-usually
some article of clothing somewhat nicer
than common.
At 4 P. M. came the principal meal of
the day, and after-
wards a big basket was carried around to
the rooms to receive
offerings of clothing for the poor. All
were expected to give
something from their own store. And the
day closed with quiet
talk, probably interspersed with
singing.
84 Ohio Arch.
and Hist. Society Publications.
A SHAKER CHRISTMAS SONG.
Hail, hail, the beautiful morn hath
dawned
The joy of angels and men;
The star of the east, with beauty beyond
All others has risen again.
Awake, disciples of Christ, and sing,
Your robes of gladness put on,
And precious gifts and offerings bring
Our loved Redeemer to crown.
Not gold, nor myrrh, nor frankincense
sweet
Our Savior asks from our hands,
But hearts that with love and tenderness
beat
To bless and comfort his lambs.
Go seek and feed my wandering sheep,
Forgive the erring and lost,
Thus prove your love for me, and thus
reap
The precious fruits of the cross
X. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
The actions of men make history. In
order to understand
history the lives of the principal
actors in making it must be
given. The history of North Union is
practically summed up
in the lives of a few. Of the following
characters depicted I
confess I have no other knowledge save
that given in the Pres-
cott MS. In fact, I never heard of these
men until revealed to
me in the above record. It is but just
to follow closely what
is therein written of the lives of the
founders of North Union.
Their characters must be presented in
the view held by those
the best acquainted, however fulsome the
praise may be. The
order as given is also preserved.
The Russell Family.-As the origin of the North Union
Family was largely due to the Russells,
both in point of zeal
and number, they naturally stand first
in the record. There
were three brothers, who emigrated from
England between the
years 1730 and 1745 and settled
in or near Hebron and East
Windsor, Connecticut. Their names were
John, Jacob and Wil-
liam Russell. William once lived in West
Windsor, Connecti-
cut. His son Samuel, born about 1714,
died in Windsor at the
age of 65 years, and was buried in the
cemetery of West Windsor
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the
Shakers. 85
Square, Connecticut. He had four
brothers, Ebenezer, Ellis,
Jonathan and Hezekiah. Samuel had six
children, Jacob,
Stephen, Cornelius, John, Elizabeth and
Rachel. Elizabeth mar-
ried a man by the name of Ebenezer
Young, one of the fourth
generation from Miles Standish, of
Plymouth Rock memory.
Rachel married a man by the name of
Cook, who once lived in
Cherry Valley, New York. John, the
fourth son of Samuel,
married Polly Thrall, brought up a
family and died in Rodman,
Jefferson county, New York, June 22, 1844.
Jacob, the eldest son of Samuel, was
born in West Windsor,
Hartford county, Connecticut, April 26,
1746. He married
Esther Dunham, of Hebron, Connecticut,
where he lived about
66 years, and brought up a large family,
consisting of six sons
and six daughters, one of whom died when
about two years
old, named Jerusha. The names of those
who survived were as
follows:
Elijah, born July 18, 1773.
Esther, born October 23, 1774.
Jerusha 1st, born July 7, 1776.
Return, born March 1, 1778.
Elisha, born November 14, 1779.
Samuel, born January 15, 1783.
Jerusha 2d, born February 24, 1785.
Content, born May 7, 1787.
Ralph, born August 3, 1789.
Roxana, born March 10, 1792.
Obedience, born May 23, 1794.
Rodney, born May 15, 1796.
In the year 1812 Jacob Russell, with a
number of his sons,
emigrated to Ohio and settled in the
township of Warrensville,
Cuyahoga county, where he died on August
29, 1821,
aged 75
years. His grave is not far from the
site of the woolen-mill
at the Center Family. It is marked,
enclosed with pailings and
has a pine tree growing over it. His
wife Esther died in Solon,
September 16, 1835, and was buried at
Chagrin Falls, aged
85 years.
On his way to Ohio he was accompanied by
the families
of Elisha Russell and Nathaniel H.
Risley, his son-in-law, in
86 Ohio Arch. and His. Society
Publications.
all about twenty persons. They started
on June 13 with three
ox teams and heavily loaded wagons, and
had not proceeded
far before news came that war was
declared between the United
States and Great Britain, and, if they
did not want to be massa-
cred by the Indians, they must turn
back; but not in the least
intimidated, they continued their
journey under the rays of the
scorching sun, determined to see the end
of their journey, each
one contributing a full share in making
the way comfortable,
cheerful and happy. In many places the
roads were new and
almost impassible, especially after
leaving Buffalo. At Cat-
taraugus Creek, in driving into the boat
one team jumped over-
board, and after much difficulty it was
rescued. The next
morning the party started again with the
same fortitude and
courage that actuated the pioneer,
neither turning to the right
nor left, but determined to accomplish
the object sought. The
roads were in a deplorable condition
from Buffalo to Cleveland.
On their arrival in the latter place
they were informed that
"there was but one frame house and
that was a log cabin."
They first stopped at Newburgh, and
thence to Warrensville,
and settled on sections 23 and 34. After
a tedious journey of
600 miles all arrived safely at the
destination during the latter
part of August, 1812. They set at once
to work and constructed
shelter, making houses out of logs, cut
and rolled together,
notched at the corners. They had
puncheon floors. The houses
were roofed with elm bark. The chimneys
were made of mud
and sticks. Their neighbors consisted of
the families of James
Prentiss, who lived about half a mile
south, and Asa Stiles and
Daniel Warren, about a mile south. For a
whole year they
felt they were in jeopardy every hour,
not knowing what might
befall them, especially when the army,
upon which they de-
pended for protection, had been
surrendered to the enemy at
Detroit. They then believed that the
Indians would be let loose
upon them, and a general massacre would
overtake them. Un-
der this state of excitement the people
were expecting the British
and Indians to fall upon the country
about Cleveland. They
packed up their goods and prepared to
move, but did not know
in what direction. During the excitement
the settlers in and
around Cleveland threw away in the woods
over $1,000 worth
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the
Shakers. 87
of provisions. As provisions were scarce
this greatly added to
their discomfort. Wheat was worth $3.50
per bushel; salt,
$24 per barrel, and mouldy at that. The
only method they pos-
sessed of grinding their corn was to
excavate a hollow in the
end of a log, and placing the corn
therein, pounded it with a
heavy pestle hung to a spring pole. Such
was the fear and con-
sternation brought on by the war that
people were afraid to
work without keeping up a constant and
vigilant watch, day
and night, in order that the alarm be
sounded.
Under such a consternation they worked
as best they could,
cutting down trees, cleaning off land
and fencing their farms.
In 181O, Samuel Russell, son of Jacob
Russell, emigrated
from Chester, Massachusetts, to Aurora,
Portage county, Ohio,
where he lived to a good old age. In
1813, Elijah Russell, the
oldest son of Jacob, emigrated from
Rodman, New York, to
Warrensville, where he lived and died at
the age of 83 years.
Return Russell, son of Jacob, emigrated
from Rodman, New
York, to Warrensville, in 1822, and died
October 5, 1834, aged
55 years. Ralph came to Ohio in 1812. After being
separated
a distance of six hundred miles, most of
them were gathered
together and settled in Warrensville.
Some of them asscribed
this "to the overruling providence
of God, that they should be
the first founders of a branch of a
community of people com-
monly called Shakers."
Ralph Russell.-The subject of this sketch was born in
Windsor, Hartford county, Connecticut,
August 3, 1789. In
1812 he emigrated to
Warrensville. As previously noted, he
visited Union Village in 1821, and became a
convert to that
form of faith usually called Shakerism,
and at once set about
its practice and promulgation. He was
the originator and for
a season the active and efficient leader
of the North Union So-
ciety. It was said of him that "he
was a burning and shining
light, and many were willing for a
reason to rejoice in his light;"
but when a superior light and gift came
from the church at
Union Village in the person of Ashbel
Kitchell, in the spring
of 1826, Ralph could not vie with
Ashbel, and hence Ashbel's
light and gift increased, while that of
Ralph gradually de-
88 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
creased, until he lost his influence and
leadership among the
people.
Ralph subsequently withdrew from the
society, went to
Solon, a few miles distant, bought a
farm, moved his family,
and there lived until his death, which
occurred December 28,
1866, in the 78th year of his age.
Ralph Russell was tall and straight,
about six feet in height,
well proportioned, dark complexion,
black hair and eyes and of
a winning manner, mild and persuasive in
argument, naturally
of a sociable and genial disposition,
and was kind and hospitable
to strangers.
Richard W. Pelham.-Although Richard W. Pelham was a
member of the society at Union Village,
yet he figures so largely
in the formation and history of North
Union that he may be
said to have been a member of the latter
also. He was born
May 8, 1797, in what is now Indiana, two
miles above the Falls
of Ohio. He was the youngest of eight
children, and his
mother dying soon after his birth, his
father gave him to his
uncle, E. L. Pelham, a physician and
Methodist preacher. Not
having any children of his own, the
uncle adopted Richard into
his family and reared him with great
care and tenderness. He
then lived on the east side of the
Chesapeake Bay, called the
"Eastern shore of Maryland,"
in Talbot county. When Richard
was eleven years of age, the uncle
removed from Maryland to
Lyons, New York. At the age of thirteen,
during a religious
revival, he joined the Methodists, but
before reaching his twen-
tieth year, he was dissatisfied with his
church relations. Being
disappointed in not finding that
holiness of life, that purity of
heart, that power over sin and a sinful
nature, which he had
expected to find, he proposed to his
uncle to leave, and seek
his fortune in the wide world; but his
uncle being wealthy,
and unwilling to part with his only
adopted son, a young man
so useful and full of promise, and one
on whom he had placed
his chief dependence and reliance for
support in his old age,
offered to make him sole heir to his
entire estate, and showed
to him the document that would secure to
him this great prize.
All this was no more to the young man
than a blank page in
a book. His religious nature had taken
the turn of an intense
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the
Shakers. 89
yearning of his soul, and he craved
salvation, and nothing short
of this would satisfy him. Go he must,
and go he did. After
traveling hundreds of miles, he brought
up as a weary traveler
to the hospitable roof of Elder Matthew
Houston, who at that
time stood at the door of entrance into
the church at Union
Village. Here, for the first time, he
found that for which he
had desired, a true apostolic church,
where "no man had aught
of the things he possessed he called his
own, but they had all
things common," after the example
of the primitive church.
Here he found a church, consisting of
both sexes, living lives
of "virgin" celibacy." To
him this was more satisfactory than
silver and gold. After being thoroughly
initiated into this or-
der he felt anxious to go out and
proclaim it to the world, which
impulse is natural to all converts to a
new form of religion. On
representing his feelings to Elder
Matthew Houston, and others
of the family, he was advised to wait
for a propitious moment,
with which counsel he readily consented,
believing that his ad-
visers were competent to decide. When
the tidings came he
was sent to North Union. With James
Hodge he was directed
to go to Warrensville, and in March, 1822, set out for
that
place, two hundred and fifty miles
distant, as the roads then
ran. They had one horse and a heavy
Dearborn wagon, and
the roads, at that season of the year,
were almost impassable,
so that they were compelled to walk on
foot the greater part
of the distance, but through their zeal
and perseverance they
overcame all obstacles and arrived in
safety at their point of
destination.
After a six weeks' successful mission
the two evangelists,
in May, returned to Union Village.
"I could tell," says Mr.
Pelham in his autobiography, "of
many thrilling incidents, ac-
cidents and hair-breadth escapes,
through which myself and co-
laborers passed in this and after visits
to North Union and
other places; but the account might seem
tedious, and must
mostly be omitted. Suffice it to say,
that I traveled the road
over twenty times between Union Village
and North Union,
making an aggregate of over 5,000 miles,
besides going to the
State of New York and other places as a
missionary. This dis-
tance seems trifling in this day of
railroads; but in those days
90 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
of mud roads and corduroy bridges, when
the 'rail' laid the
other way, that is, across the road, it
took eight days of hard
labor for man and beast to travel the
road between these two
points. Taverns were then few and far
between, many of which
were mere log huts infested with fleas,
mosquitoes and bedbugs,
so that sometimes we had to lodge in our
wagons, at other times
on the hay in the barn. We carried our
provisions with us and
cooked and ate our meals by the
roadside."
Elder Richard W. Pelham was considered
by the Shakers
to have been an extraordinary man, and
intellectually had no
superior among them. Under the tuition
of Elder Matthew
Houston he mastered the Greek and Hebrew
languages and
translated the Bible into English, which
enabled him to cope
with any of the theologians of his day.
As a critic and author
he had but few equals among his own
order, and as a public
speaker he was among the best, both at
North Union and Union
Village. His discourses were eminently
practical, argumenta-
tive and instructive. But his voice was
feeble and his manner
of delivery unpleasant. As a writer
among his brethren he
ranked high. They point with pride to
his tract on "What
Would Become of the World, If All Should
Become Shakers,"
and allege that "it is generally
conceded to be one of the ablest
productions among believers, on that
subject, and is irrefutable
and unanswerable."
Richard W. Pelham was not only one of
the first founders
of North Union, but also of the
communities of Groveland,
Livingston county, New York (formerly
located at Lodus Bay,
near Lake Ontario, New York,), and White
Water, Hamilton
county, Ohio. In person he was of the
average height, large
hazel eyes, black hair, also beard, and
weighed about one hun-
dred and thirty-five pounds. He died at
the Second Family,
Union Village, Ohio, January 10, 1873.
Ashbel Kitchell.-The success of North Union, during its
first period, was largely due to Ashbel
Kitchell, who was born
August 21, 1786, in Morris county, New
Jersey. His pane-
gyrist declares that "he was a
noble specimen of humanity and
an honor to his profession. One of
earth's rarest productions;
a gifted man in nature; a man of great
muscular strength, and
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the Shakers. 91
of great executive ability; a Napoleon
of his day, and a giant in
intellect. It was said of him, if he had
received an early edu-
cation he would have made an excellent
judge in the Court
of Common Pleas. But his talents were of
great use in the
church militant in fighting the battles
whose weapons are not
carnal but mighty through God to the
pulling down of strong-
holds."
In person he was above medium height,
large head, self-
esteem quite prominent, veneration
large, large ears and eyes,
deep and broad across the chest and
shoulders, corpulent, weigh-
ing about two hundred and fifty pounds,
and of a dignified and
commanding appearance.
Early in the spring of 1826 he was
appointed presiding
elder at North Union, and under his
administration the com-
munity was organized and greatly
prospered, and his authority
extended over a period of five years.
This growth was largely
due to his practical business methods
and indomitable will.
Decision being a prominent feature of
his mind, he never falt-
ered. His word was law, and when he
willed to do a thing it
was done without question. His wonderful
will-power may be
illustrated in the following special
instance:
Elder John P. Root was sick in a log
cabin and given over
to die. The brethren and sisters
generally had been to see him
and taken their final leave, not
expecting him to live from one
hour to another. Elder Kitchell had just
returned from a visit
to Union Village, and learning of his
illness, immediately re-
paired to his bedside, and when he
arrived the sick man's mouth
and extremities were cold and his jaws
set. Looking intently
on the outstretched form he said, in a
firm voice, 'Pomeroy,
live.' 'I will,' replied he. 'There is
no gift for you to die,'
said Kitchell. Thus uniting his
will-power and positiveness
with Pomeroy's faith and passive
obedience, a barrier against
death was formed, which had to yield its
victim to a further ex-
tension of life. From that hour Pomeroy
began to mend and
soon recovered.
In his discourse his favorite theme was
a Mother in Deity,
which he handled with power, and at
times was carried beyond
himself. Although he reproved sin and
disorder with severity,
92 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
yet he was tender-hearted, sympathetic
and easily touched by
the sorrows and griefs of those around
him. In all his deal-
ings with mankind he was no flatterer,
but open, frank, gen-
erous and candid. He died at Union
Village, March 27, 1860,
in his 74th year.
Matthew Houston.-In the early days of the Shakers, there
were but few, if any more prominent, or
as well educated as
Matthew Houston. He was born in
Virginia, December 25,
1764; educated for a Presbyterian
clergyman and was one of
the leaders in the Kentucky Revival,
which commenced in the
beginning of the Nineteenth Century and
continued for several
years in succession. He was a man of
high standing in society,
of great influence, possessed a
classical education, which aided
his naturally superior intellectual
endowments. He had been
a slave-holder, but subsequently
manumitted them. Under the
spirit of the Revival, together with
others, he embraced the
principles of Shakerism and became one
of its leading founders
in the west, both in Ohio and Kentucky.
He had the rare gift
of entering the hearts of the people and
gathering them around
him. He was a great and good man. His
greatness consisted
in his humility, self-denial and
shild-like simplicity and obedi-
ence to that order with which he had
covenanted.
He succeeded Ashbel Kitchell as
presiding elder at North
Union and continued in that office for
two years. In person he
was of medium height, light complexion,
large head, but well
balanced, small, round eyes, wide apart,
which sparkled with
intelligence and good humor, broad
across the chest, long body,
short legs, fat and corpulent, which
gave him the appearance
of an English nobleman, but by no means
aristocratic. In man-
ner he was affable and courteous, easy
and graceful, naturally
of a mirthful turn, but not vain, social
and generous, warm
hearted and always carried with him the
sunshine of pleasantness
and made all happy around him. Everybody
loved Elder
Matthew Houston. He died at Union
Village, March 18, 1848,
in the 84th year of his age.
David Spinning.-Although not one of the fathers of North
Union, yet Elder David Spinning's work
is a part of its his-
tory. He was born September 17, 1779,
and succeeded Elder
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the Shakers. 93
Houston as presiding elder at North
Union, October 24, 1832,
and held the office for eight years,
during which time there was
a steady growth of the community. He had
been a Presbyterian
layman and took an active part in the
Kentucky Revival.
In June, 1834, a new ministry was formed
consisting of
Elder David Spinning, R. W. Pelham, Lucy
Faith and Vincy
McNemar, all thoroughly prepared for the
duties involved in
their office. When this valuable
contingent arrived from Union
Village, Elder Spinning was greatly
gratified and took courage,
because all were examples that could be
followed. Such an
acquisition would strengthen him in his
purposes.
Elder Spinning was a conscientious and
devoted man. He
was slow in his judgments, preferring to
arrive at conclusions
after thorough investigation. From
principle he practiced self-
denial, curtailed all unnecessary
expenses, lived on a plain, sim-
ple diet, dressed plain and cheap,
refused tea, coffee, tobacco
and all other superfluities. He
condemned excess of every de-
scription, and became a strict
vegetarian. His view of man was
also extreme, holding that all were
universally lost in selfish-
ness, and there was no possible way
whereby the selfish desires
could be so effectually destroyed or
overcome as to place it upon
the altar of self-denial. The principal
reason he assigned for
this course, which he rigidly imposed on
himself and fearlessly
taught to others, was that a portion
might be saved for the poor,
and, further, that by such a practice he
could lay up treasure
in heaven. He held to the idea that when
he entered the future
state the question would not be asked
him what he believed,
but what he had done to benefit
suffering humanity.
In person Elder Spinning was of medium
height, dark
complexion, black hair, dark hazel eyes,
veneration and benevo-
lence large. In manners he was simple,
modest, unassuming,
courteous and agreeable. As a public
speaker he had no equal
at North Union. He was natural in his
delivery, abounded in
figures of speech, in natural
similitudes, and in symbolic lan-
guage. However, his discourses, though
logical, yet were so
simple that a child could understand him.
Such a speaker was
calculated to please and instruct his
audience. It was during
his administration that spirit
manifestations first occurred at
94 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
North Union. He departed this life at
Union Village, Decem-
ber 22, 1841, in the 63d year of
his age.
Samuel Russell.-The successor of Elder Spinning was
Samuel Russell, who was born in Rodman,
Jefferson county,
New York, May 14, 1807, being the son of
Return Russell. He
was admitted in the North Union Society
in the fall of 1823,
being about 16 years of age. On
September 15, 1840, he was
appointed presiding elder, and for
eighteen years continued in
that office. Under his guidance
improvements were introduced
and the character and growth of the
community maintained.
He was a man of rare talents and great
executive ability.
But his genius was better adapted to
that of a trustee than a
Gospel minister, because the spiritual
part of his nature was
subordinated to that of business.
In person Elder Russell was about five
feet, eleven inches
in height, well proportioned, evenly
balanced head, hazel eyes,
black hair, of a quick and active mind,
easy address, a high
sense of order. He withdrew from the
society August 19, 1858,
when in his 51st year, took with him the
Church Covenant and
only yielded it after securing a
compromise.
John P. Root.-Another of the prominent men was John
P. Root, born in Pittsfield, Berkshire
county, Massachusetts,
June 28, 1799, and admitted into the
North Union community
March 15, 1825, and thus may be ranked
as one of its early
founders. He had been a classleader
among the Methodists,
and of the most zealous kind. When he
first emigrated to Ohio
he settled on some wild land in Grafton,
Lorain county, for
which his father had exchanged his farm.
He passed through
all the hardships of pioneer life almost
alone and single-handed.
In July, 1825, he was appointed farm
deacon, which place
he occupied three years and gave good
satisfaction. On the
organization of the church in 1828 he
was appointed the third
legal trustee, which place he filled for
five years. In 1833 he
received the appointment of first elder
in the Middle Family,
which place he filled for many years. In
1858 he was appointed
successor to Samuel Russell in the
ministry, which appointment
was ratified by the members. As the
ministry was dissolved in
1862, he continued to be presiding
elder. Among his brethren
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the
Shakers. 95
he was known as Elder Pomeroy. He was
deeply imbued with
a religious baptism while among the
Methodists, and this un-
diminished he carried into his new faith
and always held the
temporal to be subordinate to the
spiritual. The principle that
actuated him was the golden rule. He
believed in the doctrine
of "live and let live," which
he daily practiced. He would ask
no one to do a thing he would not do
himself. In him the poor
always found a generous friend, and he
never sent away any
one empty handed, but relieved all
whenever it was in his power.
Although a farmer by education he had a
turn for mechanics.
In the Middle Family, where he was first
elder for many years,
he showed his aptitude for mechanics by
making bureaus,
tables, stands, drawers, chests,
joiner-work, etc., etc., which
could have been seen in every room.
In his preaching his favorite theme was
the same that de-
lighted the ear and heart of every
preacher, viz., "A Mother as
Well as a Father in the Deity."
From that he became an un-
compromising defender in woman's rights,
which he did not
fail to impress on his auditors.
In stature Elder Root was about six feet
in height, fair com-
plexion, large blue eyes, high forehead,
language easy and flow-
ing, veneration large, bald head, tender
hearted and an open and
frank countenance. He ceased to be
presiding elder in July,
1876, and was succeeded by James S.
Prescott. Elder Root died
in August, 1881, in his 83d year.
James Sullivan Prescott.-It is with more than an ordinary
degree of pleasure I turn to the
biography of Elder James S.
Prescott, for without his zeal in trying
to preserve the history
of his little colony, it would have sunk
into oblivion. The
lovers of history owe him a debt of
gratitude. He first wrote
out his sketches, placed them in the
hands of Judge John Barr,
of Cleveland, who, over his own
signature, caused them to be
published in the Cleveland Daily
Herald for June 13, 21, 28;
July 5, 11, 18, and 25,
1870. Afterwards
Elder Prescott wrote
another MS., in which he corrected the
typographic errors and
discrepancies which occurred in the
published account. He
wrote that MS. "expressly for the
Western Reserve Pioneers'
and Early Settlers' Association, in
Northern Ohio," The MS.
96 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
is written in a clear, bold hand, in
blue and black ink, and covers
121
pages. Great care has been exercised to
have it go to the
printer and published as written.
Unfortunately he failed to
separate the history of the community
from that of the ruling
elder. As he has recorded it, the
history is simply a series of
biographical successions. Many important
features are left out
entirely. Although living in sight of
the East Family scarcely
a record is made. Why this family was
overlooked must for-
ever be unaccounted for. But, as has
been previously intimated,
the writer of this owes nearly all his
information concerning
North Union to the writings of Elder
Prescott. His MS. closes
with the year 1870. What I have learned
of the community
since that period was secured after much
diligence. That the
recent period is greatly lacking in this
record, is admitted, but
not the fault of the writer.
Elder James S. Prescott was born in
Lancaster, Worcester
county, Massachusetts, January 26, 1803.
In the usual accepta-
tion of the term his father was not
orthodox, but his mother
was a pious, devoted woman and belonged
to the Congregational
Church in Lancaster. She brought up her
children under the
pastoral care of Rev. Dr. Nathaniel
Thayer, Unitarian. She
taught them their Bible and catechism,
and that after the strict-
est manner of the Puritans. On Sunday
her children were not
allowed to play until after sundown, on
which question her
word was law. At the age of ten James
went to live with his
uncle, Brigham Prescott, in West
Boylston, about ten miles
distant. At the age of sixteen he went
to live with Charles
Stearns, of Springfield, Massachusets,
on the border of the
Connecticut River, to learn the mason's
trade. After spending
one season there, he then went to
Hartford, Connecticut, and
engaged himself to Danforth Rogers, a
practical mason, with
whom he continued four years, during
which time he assisted
in the construction of some of the
largest buildings in that city.
The winter of 1820 saw him the
subject of a religious re-
vival, and then connected himself with
the close communion
Baptists, under the pastoral care of
Elisha Cushman. The fol-
lowing year he became a teacher in the
African Sunday school
and so continued for three years. While
still a minor, and
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the
Shakers. 97
serving his apprenticeship, in the
winter season he attended
the "Literary School and Female
Academy," taught by George
J. Patten. At the age of twenty-one he
entered Westfield
Academy, Massachusetts, and there
completed his education.
In 1825 he was employed by the executive
committee of
the Baptist Missionary Convention of New
York to teach the
missionary school at Oneida, consisting
of about forty Indian
scholars of both sexes, instructed on
the Lancastrian plan.
In July, 1826, he emigrated to
Cleveland, Ohio, and there
went to work at his trade. While engaged
as a journeyman,
Elisha Russel came from North Union to
hire a mason to lay
the foundation of a dwelling house.
James Prescott responded,
and leaving his trunks in Cleveland,
took his tools under his
arms and went out afoot and alone. On
arriving at the Shaker
settlement he found them living in log
cabins, similar to Indian
wigwams, but kept neatly and cleanly.
Immediately he set
about the work he was to perform and
laid out the foundation
and started the corners of the building.
The Shakers helped
lay the cellar walls, and in about two
weeks they were ready
for the framework, and in due course the
house for the Center
Family was ready for occupation. That
house still stands and
is given in the illustration.
While engaged with the Shakers, and
looking with great
favor upon them, he received a letter
from Frederick Collins,
an old classmate, requesting him to come
to Unionville, about
ten miles from St. Louis, Missouri, as a
missionary. On that
mission he started to go, but being out
of health he stopped
in Cleveland to work at his trade and
recuperate. While thus
engaged he investigated the doctrines of
the Shakers and com-
pared the same with the Bible, and found
he had no cause to
seek further. When he saw the purity of
the lives the Shakers
led, and the power of God attending
their meetings, the heavenly
inspiration of their singing, and a
flaming testimony against the
licentiousness of the world, he was
satisfied that he had "found
Him of whom Moses and the prophets did
write," and to this
he would hold until he could find
something better. As he
viewed the various sects of Christendom
he could find no people
Vol. IX-7.
98 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
on the earth that came so near the
Pentecostal Church, in their
principles and practices, as the
Shakers. Under this convic-
tion he did not wait long before he made
up his mind to prove
the work for himself. On making his
determination known
he was admitted into the society in the
fall of 1826. In 1827
he was appointed second elder in the
Cabin Family. The breth-
ren, to show their approval and to
ratify the appointment, took
him on their shoulders and carried him
around the meeting-
room, exclaiming, "the lot has
fallen upon Jonah."
After continuing in the elder's lot for
four years he was
released in order to take charge of the
district school. For a
period of about fifty years, when not
engaged in teaching school,
he was in the elder's lot in the
different families, sometimes
first and sometimes second, and for
about forty years was one
of the legal trustees. He was thus not
only one of the early ad-
vocates, but continued long as one of
the pillars of the com-
munity.
The only notice, "The
Manifesto," June, 1888, gave of this
faithful laborer was as follows:
"James S. Prescott died at
North Union, Ohio, April 3, 1888, age 85
years, 2 months and
8 days. Brother James has been in the
community sixty-two
years. He was a faithful laborer in the
Gospel field. S. S. M."
In the little graveyard at North Union
the body of James
S. Prescott rests in an unmarked and an
unknown grave. There
are none to weep over him or plant a
flower to lessen the mo-
notony of his surroundings. His friends
either lie buried
around him or else have taken their
departure. He saw the
colony in its infancy; he was with it in
its strength and decline.
Had he lived another year he would have
seen its dissolution.
He was spared that sorrow, yet he must
have realized that the
inevitable hour was near at hand. Rest,
sweet saint, thy labors
are over. The society which thou didst
give thy life for its
welfare and promotion, like thee, has
passed away. But thy
life was not a failure, and the course
thou didst pursue will
be an admonition to generations that
must follow.
Return Russell.-One of the important members of the
society was Return Russell, born in Windsor,
Hartford county,
Connecticut, March 1, 1778. He emigrated
to Ohio in 1822.
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the Shakers. 99
He had a wife and eleven children, six sons and five daughters, viz., Luther, Edward, Samuel, Sanford, Robert, Henry, Hul- dah, Abigail, Mary Ann, Roxana and Lydia, all of whom, save Luther, were gathered into the Shaker fold, and out of that numerous family only one remained in the society in 1870, and that was Abigail, otherwise called Rachel, was, in above named year, the elder sister in the Middle Family. |
|
Return had been a Baptist and a highly esteemed member of that church. He did not relinquish his sentiments without a thorough investigation, and when convinced he yielded to the testimony and joined the Shakers in 1823. He purchased a lot in Warrensville, which included the land about the saw-mill, for which he paid one thousand dollars. This land, and that purchased by the trustees of Union Village, on which the cen- ter house still stands, were adjoining the lands of Ralph and Elijah Russell. |
100 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
When the church was organized in 1828
Return was ap-
pointed first legal trustee, which place
he held until 1834. He
was a laborious man, and in constructing
the dam across the
stream at the grist-mill, his zeal to do
good work carried him
beyond his physical powers of endurance,
although of a strong
constitution. He was above medium
height, broad across the
chest, square shouldered, large, open
countenance, high fore-
head, dark complexion, and black hair.
He was of a social
and genial disposition, intelligent and
agreeable in conversa-
tion, possessing faculties by nature
superior to the ordinary
class of men, and eminently calculated
for the position he filled.
He departed this life at the Middle
Family on October 5, 1834,
in the 56th year of his age.
Elisha Russell.-On November 14, 1779, Elisha Russell
was born in Windsor, Connecticut. He
emigrated to Ohio in
1812, and was one of the first pioneers
to settle in Warrensville.
He had a wife and five daughters,-Mary,
Candace, Abigail,
Hannah and Adeline. He was a man of
great activity and
usefulness. In point of muscular
strength he had but few
equals. Unfortunately, when a young man,
he cut his knee-
joint, which made a stiff leg for the
rest of his life. For many
years he was one of the legal trustees.
Although a farmer by
occupation, he was useful in repairing
wagons, carts, buggies,
sleighs, etc. He was industrious, quick
and active. He died
October 15, 1862, in his 83d year.
Riley Honey.-One of the first, if not the first, child born
in the Western Reserve, and one of the
first pioneers of War-
rensville, was Riley Honey. He was born
in Burton, Geauga
county, Ohio, December 31, 1798. He
could wield an axe
among heavy forest timber in cleaning
off land, erecting log
cabins; he could boil down sugar water,
catch raccoons, find
wild honey, and further, was the equal
of any of his neighbors.
His early training gave him an advantage
over those who had
not endured the hardships of pioneer
life. He was prepared
in an eminent degree to become one of
the first founders of a
community.whose principles are based
upon sacrifices and daily
cross-bearing.
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the
Shakers. 101
He entered the society in 1822, while it was
still in embryo.
He came alone and single-handed, without
any family, in the
prime of his activity, and devoted a
long and useful life in build-
ing up the cause of truth and
righteousness. He was appointed
first legal trustee September 15, 1840,
which place he still oc-
cupied in 1874, during which time he
gave general satis-
faction, and at two different periods
was, at short intervals,
appointed second in the ministry. He was
universally known
as an honest man.
In 1835 he was taken sick and given up
to die. He was
emaciated and reduced to a skeleton. The
lingering look, the
parting word, the silent tear, the last
farewell, were reluctantly
given. His grave clothes were prepared
and the funeral hymn
composed. He requested to see the elders
of the church. David
Spinning, then presiding elder,
immediately responded, and ar-
riving at the bedside was moved with
compassion and tender
sympathy. Elder David prayed in spirit,
in low humility, in
deep supplication and silent yearning.
That prayer was heard
and answered, not by any outward
manifestation, but by a deep,
silent, invisible power, and Riley Honey
began to recover from
that very hour, and soon after was able
to take his place in the
ranks of the faithful, and resume his
labors in all his daily avo-
cations. In his old age he began to take
a deep interest in bee
culture. He died August 7, 1884, aged 85
years, 5 months and
6 days.
Elijah Russell.-Windsor, Connecticut, was also the natal
place of Elijah Russell, and was there
born July 13, 1773. In
1813 he emigrated from Rodman, Jefferson
county, New York,
and settled in Warrensville, Ohio, and
thus became one of the
western pioneers. He purchased a farm
heavily timbered, and
at once set apart to clear it for
cultivation. In 1822 he em-
braced the testimony of the Shakers, and
the first meeting of
that order took place in his cabin. His
family consisted of a
wife, six daughters and one son, the
children named Melinda,
Eunice, Esther, Adeline, Caroline,
Emeline and Marcus, all
of whom were gathered into the Shaker
fold. His wife was a
member of the Baptist Church, an
excellent woman and an
ornament to society.
102 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
Elijah was old-fashioned and eccentric,
but made himself
useful in the cultivation of fruit
trees, in which he was success-
ful. After the church was organized he
devoted his time ex-
clusively for many years in planting
nurseries, setting out or-
chards, pruning and grafting in the
proper season, sparing no
pains to procure the best varieties of
apples, peaches, pears,
plums, cherries, etc. When a tree did
not bear fruit to suit
him, or was of an inferior quality, he
would cut off the limbs
near the body with a fine saw, smooth
the top with a sharp
knife, put in one or two scions of some
choice variety, and within
a few years that tree was seen bearing
different kinds of fruit
of a superior quality, size, color and
flavor. All of the old or-
chards, of which there were two quite
extensive ones, at all
the three families, owed their origin
and subsequent cultivation
chiefly to the labors of Elijah Russell.
In times of drouth he
was often seen carrying water from a
distance to moisten the
roots of the young trees. His time for
pruning was in the
spring, after the sap began to flow, and
from that time on
until the fruit became too large to
admit of any further en-
croachments. Although he pruned
sparingly and cautiously,
yet he believed in pruning to some
extent. By close observa-
tion he learned that the best way to set
out an orchard was to
place the trees on top the soil, and
then bank up around them,
instead of setting them down on the
clay, as he had formerly
done. In winter he was frequently seen
stamping the snow
down around the trees to prevent the
mice from gnawing the
roots, and in summer he would remove the
turf from around
the trees.
Elijah Russell was a practical man, and
contributed more
towards furnishing the community with
good, wholesome fruit,
both for the table and the market, than
any other man who be-
longed to the society. He departed this
life February 26, 1857,
in the 84th year of his age.
Chester Risley.-The next after Ralph Russell who started
in the work of the faith at North Union
was Chester Risley,
who was born in East Hartford,
Connecticut, December 6, 1794.
He embraced the faith March 30, 1822, and set out
to obey it.
He had a wife and a daughter Lucina,
both of whom subse--
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the
Shakers. 103
quently became adherents of the same
faith. When the Sha-
kers found Chester he owned a small farm
adjoining that of
Elisha Russell on the east, and lived in
a log cabin.
Chester Risley was a practical man,-a
man of deeds and
not of words. He had no faith in being
saved by grace through
faith, without having corresponding good
works. Hence he
was often heard to say, "We must
work out our salvation. We
cannot talk it out, nor sing it out. An
apostle hath said,
'Faith without works is dead: it being
alone.'" He believed
in being saved by the blood of Christ, i.
e., by living his life-
"the blood is the life
thereof."
After the church was organized Chester
Risley was called
to be an elder, which place he occupied
for many years in the
different families, and was highly
esteemed for his works, for
his devotedness to the cause, and for
his pious and godly ex-
ample. By occupation he was a farmer and
shoemaker. He
departed this life May 6, 1855, in the
61st year of his age.
William Andrews.-In the formation of the society the
founders filled some important station.
Such was the case also
with William Andrews, who was born
January 16, 1776, in
Little Hoosett, or Stephentown,
Renssellaer county, New York.
In July, 1825, he was admitted into the
community. He
had a wife and four children,-Phoebe,
Harriet, Louisa and
Watson-who were subsequently gathered
into the society. He
had been brought up at Mount Lebanon,
New York, and con-
sequently was indoctrinated into the
principles of the commu-
nity. As he had that faith implanted in
him when young he
never got rid of it, and thereby found
no true peace and com-
fort until he was brought under its
obedience. So he put away
a wife, and she a husband that they
might live according to the
principles they accepted.
By occupation William Andrews was a
tanner and currier,
and for many years was useful in this
line. He departed this
life March 22, 1850, in his 75th
year. In 1870 the entire family
was dead, with the exception of Watson,
who was still living
at the time the society was dissolved.
Oliver Wheeler.-Although not a member at the beginning,
yet Oliver Wheeler might be classed as
one of the founders of
104 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
North Union Society. He was born in
Preston, Connecticut,
August 14, 1790. He had been an
exhorter in the Methodist
Episcopal Church. Deeply imbued with the
religious element,
and not finding Methodism that which he
sought, he became
a member of the United Society of
Believers, January 22, 1825.
His three children, William, Sally and
Hester Ann, then living
in Aurora, a few miles distant, chose to
come with him, but
his wife decided to remain where she
was. A mutual separa-
tion took place.
Oliver was a pious, devoted man. He made
himself use-
ful, first as a caretaker of children,
then as an elder, and finally
as second in the ministry. He died from
the effects of a sur-
gical operation for hernia, September
12, 1848, in his 59th
year.
Rodney Russell.-The youngest son of Jacob Russell was
Rodney, who was born in Windsor,
Connecticut, May 15, 1796.
In 1870 he was the only surviving male
member of the Russell
family at North Union. He was a single
man, and owned a
farm a little distance south from the
settlement, which he ex-
changed for land lying north and
adjoining land owned by the
community.
He entered the society with his four
brothers and conse-
crated his property, his time and his
talents and all he possessed
to build up and support his religious
faith. To that cause he
devoted a long and useful life and
blessed many an orphan
and poor widow, who had been brought
into the community
and permitted to partake of the fruits
of his labor. By occu-
pation he was a farmer and shoemaker. He
died at North
Union, September 3, 1880, aged 84 years,
3 months and 7 days.
Daniel N. Baird.-No Shaker was better known in Cleve-
land than Uncle Daniel, as Daniel W.
Baird was usually called.
He was born in Grandville, Jefferson
county, New York, No-
vember, 7, 1801, and was admitted into
the society in October,
1823. By occupation he was a wheelmaker,
was of an inventive
turn of mind, and took out several
patents, among which were
a brace and bit; but none yielded him
much profit. As soon as
the society began to use machinery he
found some soft metal,
supposed to be composed of tin, pewter
or lead. He found that
Rise, Progress and Extinction of the Shakers. 105
this composition was excellent for
gudgeons of the wheel to his
turning lathe to run in without heating
by friction, and sub-
sequently became quite extensively used
at North Union.
Some years afterwards a man by the name
of Babbitt in-
vented a box for this same kind of metal
to run in, and then
commenced a suit against Ward & Co.,
of Detroit, for infringe-
ment of his patent. The defense summoned
Daniel as a wit-
ness, who appeared in court with his box
and soft metal, and
testified that he had invented that box
and composition and
used it for years prior to Mr. Babbitt's
patent. He turned the
scale for the defendants, who, feeling
under great obligations
to him, offered to reward him
handsomely, but he would take
only his expenses in attending court.
However, he did accept
a free pass which they gave him over all
the railroads and
steamboats in their jurisdiction and as
far as their influence
over other companies and conveyances
extended. This privilege
he was not slow to improve; he visited
some of the principal
cities both east and west and was in
Washington a short time
before his death.
Daniel never enjoyed good health, and
was dyspeptic from
the day he entered the society to the
time of his death. He was
a very useful man, and for several years
was acting trustee for
the society. In buying and in selling
and peddling their home
manufactures, in most things he
exercised good judgment and
gave general satisfaction. A short time
before his death he
started to go to Cleveland on foot, and
got as far as the Mill
Family, when taking sick, in a day or
two he expired. He died
June 2, 1867, being in his 66th year.
Sisters.-Among the first founders of North Union were
some pious, devoted, active and
intelligent sisters, whose serv-
ices were eminently successful in the
cause espoused. These
sisters, should have found a biographer
and sketches of
their lives, would have been just as
useful and entertaining as
those of the brethren. The Prescott MS.
states that the data
was not at hand for such a purpose. Such
data as exists is
here given. Those who were most
prominent in the inception
and who lived at Union Village were:
106 Ohio Arch. and His. Society Publications.
Anna Boyd, Betsey Dunlavy, Charlotte
Morrell, Susannah
Stout, Melinda Watts, Lucy Faith, Lois
Spinning, Thankful
Stewart.
Anna Boyd, Thankful Stewart and Lucy
Faith were re-
markably gifted in song. They seemed to
"sing with the spirit
and the understanding." There was
an inspiration about their
singing that would inspire a whole
assembly. The rich melody
of their voices, at a little distance,
could hardly be distinguished
from a well-tuned instrument. Those who
heard them were
extravagant in their praise.
There were other noble souls who
subsequently were called
into the work, who may be justly ranked
among the founders
of the community, but have long since
passed away. They were:
Lydia Russell, Betsey Russell, Jerusha
Russell, Eunice Rus-