In the Fall of 1815, Seth Thompson found a side-saddle while clearing land for Eli Sanford, where now Is Eber Sanford's orchard. It was claimed to be a saddle which a woman rode over the Military Road a short time before, from Meadville, Pa. to Cleveland, Ohio. At the place of destination the horse broke away from her, and returning, broke the saddle girdle and lost the saddle at this place.

Conneaut means "fish" and the stream bearing this name was so called by the Indians because of the abundance of fish in its waters. Before any dams were thrown across the stream, various schools of fish every Spring would run up stream twenty or thirty miles. David Niles used to tell his later neighbors of the sights of cat fish he had seen by his flats. The rock bottom of the Conneaut, he said, would be black with them. One day with his boys he took his canoe, a boat dug out of a large whitewood log, and began spearing them and loading them into his boat, in the route to Bemus' mill, giving directions to a younger son to meet him at that place with a yoke of oxen. On reaching his destination he had his canoe full, and it made a heavy load for his team home. Turning his sailing craft into a mud boat he proceeded with cheerful spirits, bearing the precious burden, a supply for himself and neighbors. When dams became common all such fish had to be caught in the lake or at the mouth of the creek, for they could not go up to distribute themselves as fresh fish for more distant settlers. Thus nature made provision for man long before he came to take possession.

Caleb Blodgett put on a line of Ohio stages between Conneaut and Kelloggsville about the year 1820 or 21, and at first they ran by Nehemiah DeMaranvllle's, William Brydle's, through Tinker Hollow and past Urban Hardy's. When the Center road became passable, the coach with four horses ran directly south to Clifford's Corners and then west to Kelloggsville, making their trip carrying the mail and passengers every day. There were seats for nine persons and their baggage on the outside. At that time Kelloggsville was more of a business center than either Conneaut or Ashtabula. The shower of meteors that fell on the morning of Nov. 15, 1833 was witnessed by some of the citizens of South Ridge. Miss Celia Sanborn, now the wife of Rev. Rufus Clark, then a girl of 11 years, while watching with her sick father beheld this most wonderful instance of falling or shooting stars. History gives account of such phenomena, but no other instance ever began to equal this. The fire balls flew like snow flakes in a driving storm, some of which were very large, describing circle and straight lines like sky rockets, with the most imposing grandeur. Some were so terrified with the sight that they thought the Judgment Day had come, and cried for mercy.

One thing noticeable in the atmosphere was a change in the weather from warm to cold. The day previous to the meteoric shower was unusually warm for the season, but before the next morning a severe frost ensued, unparalleled for the time of year. Shooting stars are usually taken as a sign of approaching cold weather.

Elijah Poole who came into the country with David Niles in 1802, and who married one of Mr. Niles' daughters, became quite careless or lawless respecting Bible rules or divine things. He often indulged in hunting on the Sabbath and in vain sports. But after his conversion and union with the church in 1825 he became a most devout Christian. He was ready to acknowledged his profession on every occasion and his example was above suspicion. What rendered him especially noticeable by all classes was his odd way of illustrating Christian experience and sacred truths. Desiring to make plain the liability of young converts falling back into the sins of the world, he compared them to young goslings. He said this fowl would catch hold of a spire of grass, twitch and turn, until it would break and let the young gosling fall over flat on its back, and then it would cost an effort to recover its standing. So young converts would begin to read the Bible and at length come to some doctrine which they did not understand, and in pulling and twisting to comprehend its meaning he would lose his hold on divine grace and fall flat on his back. Then it would require no small effort to regain his footing and acceptance with his Maker. He affirmed that he was once overtaken with this fault. Men had taught him the doctrine - Once in Grace always in Grace - and he sought to see how this could be. He had not lost his power to sin and if he sinned he knew he could not be in grace, and fell flat on his back in the mud. But he arose and went on his way rejoicing.

Mr. Poole was remarkable for following his impressions. To him, these were a divine call to duty. One day he was plowing in the field and the impression came to him that Mrs. Ambrose Ford, a very pious woman, almost gone with the consumption; wanted to see him before she died. He stopped his oxen in the furrow and at once started on his way. Mr. Ford' then lived about ten rods south of Gifford's Corners. Reaching about three-fourths the distance, he met Mr. Ford coming for him, when he accosted him abruptly by saying, "Your wife wishes to see me does she not?" "Yes", was the reply, 'Well, the Lord told me so about half an hour ago and I haloed whoa to my cattle and left them hitched to the plow and I have come with all haste.' Are you not afraid that your young oxen will run away with your plow and break it?" "No", said Mr. Poole promptly, "The Lord will not let them. He can control them better than I and He will take care of them until I shall return." Not many hours after his visit and worship Mrs. Ford failed rapidly and could not converse any, dropping away the next night, '"'t really was his lat opportunity to pray with her, and it was a comfort to the dieing woman. Before our county infirmary was established at Kingsville all our towns had what they called the "town poor" and to save each township from taxation from as many of them as they could, the practice arose of warning every new comer out of town. Hence it happened that sometimes the most wealthy and respectable had to submit to this unwelcome admission on entering either Conneaut or Monroe. The practice continued as late as 1854. During this year when our respected citizen Lyman Brewster moved on to the place purchased of Woodbury Hatch, where he now lives, he was warned out of town. Hiram Sargent then constable, served the writ with many misgivings and apologies, begging not to be blamed as it became his duty under the law. This, Mr. Brewster thought, was rather a cold reception.

ACCIDENTS
Asaph Wright, son of Polly and Ralph Wright, a lad of about 11 years of age, was caught under a log drawn by a yoke of oxen and so badly mangled and bruised as to kill the life of his lower limbs and the lower part of his body. For four or five years he had no use of them nor even feeling. He could sit in his chair with his feet on a support and did some needlework, but he did not recover from his hurt. He died June 18, 1830, aged 15 years.

About 1820, Eber Sanford, then a young man clearing land, fell a tree on a hollow stub, breaking the sides and holding it fast. With great courage he went up to chop it out. In the act, the inclined tree slipped and caught his foot, holding it as in a vice. He called long and loud for help but no one responded. He concluded that he must extricate himself or remain in that uncomfortable position till friends should come to hunt him up. He thought of chopping off that part of his foot held by the tree, then of unjointing his ankle. Fortunately he did not drop his axe, and he began to chop about his foot to see If he could loosen It, and finally succeeded; and with much effort he hobbled home where he had a sore job doctoring and nursing for four weeks.

Orvil Bennett, son of Abram Bennett and brother of Isaac and Daniel, was killed on Election Day, being the first Monday in April, 1825. He was logging a mile west of Kent's Corners, on the flats of Paden Creek, tributary of Conneaut, south of the east and west road on land now owned by George Colby about twenty rods south and ten rods west of Mr. C.'s house. His brother went to the town meeting in the morning and he was expected to go and cast his vote in the afternoon. As he did not come home to his dinner at noon, search was made for him and he was found, a log heap lying on his back, a lever by his side, and a log about twenty inches or two feet through lying serous his bowels. It appeared that he had driven his team hauling the log to the heap, and in attempting to roll it up alone, It had got the advantage of him, knocking him down and falling full weight upon him. He is described as a fine-looking young man, engaged to a young lady in Connecticut, and with a becoming spirit he had come to Monroe to clear a little land, build a log house, and return to marry his young wife and move and make his home with the early settlers of this county. But O! how suddenly did his bright sun of the morning go into a cloud. His remains were burled near Kelloggsville, but the site of his grave cannot now be identified.

About the year 1832, David Taylor, who then lived on the Bailey farm south of Mr. B.'s firm on the hill, some two miles east of the Thompson hill, now Howard's Corners, was at a prayer meeting one Sunday evening at the South Ridge schoolhouse and took part in the excercises. The next Monday morning before daylight he went to his saw-mill south of Thomas Gibson's, the present site of the Robert Clark mill, where he was found a corpse about 10 o'clock a.m. It seems that the water wheel had carried up the saw gate to its extreme height and begun its descent when the frozen ice on the pitman, that shut like shears by the side of the floom, caught and. held it freezing more and more from Saturday night till Monday morning. To thaw away the ice and loosen the mill for running, Mr. Taylor had gone with a tea kettle of boiling water and stood with his head between the pitman and the corner of the floom. So that when the ice gave way, the crank dropped and caught his head between the pitman and the floom, crushing some bones and holding him fast, the tea kettle dropping into the water below. This was the condition in which he was found, having probably been killed instantly. The intelligence was indeed distressing to his afflicted, family, that saw him so well only a few hours before.

Orvil Hatch, son of Rufus Hatch, Jr., about the spring of 1843 married a lovely young lady, who, with himself, felt that their fortunes were made. The next August, Geo. Colby invited help to raise his house frame, to whom all with pleasure gave assistance. But no one was more active and ready at every point than Orvil Hatch. At the height of every beat he stood to welcome the advancing timbers. When one of the plates was put up and one end shoved onto the outside bent, Mr. Hatch standing on the frame took hold of it with a will to help it forward, but unfortunately when the lower end was raised from the ground and supported with pike poles, it made a swing around sideways, past the men's control, precipitating Mr. Bent from the bent onto the hard clay below dug from the cellar wat, followed by the plate falling across his body. He was killed so suddenly that he never knew the sense of pain. Placing the corpse on a board it was born home to Hatch's Corners, at the house of his father, to his young wife, who, overwhelmed with grief, fainted and fell before it. It was a sight too painful for beholders and they turned with tearful eyes from the sight. It was a distressing disappointment in the opening of a promising life.

March 29, 1853, Alfred Clark, son of Abner Clark, a lad of 14 years, had the misfortune on the returning from a hunting trip while standing near the wagon rack in front of Wm. H. Cheney�s store across the way from the tavern, of letting his gun slip down and, being discharged, send its whole contents through the palm of his right hand. His hand was placed edgewise over the muzzle of the gun, and the charge entered between the heel of his little finder and his wrist, passing between the cords on the inside and outside of his hand, sweeping away the bones of his fingers and coming out just back of his thumb. The bullet tore and mangled his hand fearfully and fractured some of the wrist bones. Two physicians were called and they pronounced it the worst looking hand they had ever seen. The family wished to save the thumb and first finger if possible. But after being dressed it continued painful, and the danger of inflammation setting in and thus endangering his life, it was decided that amputation must follow. The second day at 9 o'clock a.m., four of our most honored physicians, Drs. D. W. Raymond, L. D. Kellogg, Amos K. Fifleld, and Dr. Bean, were called to perform the surgical operation. The chloroform was administered; Dr. Kellogg took the knives and girdled the wrist, when they fell to skinning the flesh from the bone about two inches below. Then followed taking up the veins and tying them, drawing the flesh and skin over the ends of the bones, and sewing the flesh together. Then the strios of sticking plaster and doing up and the work was done. Poor Alfred had months of the most painful sensations in that hand, as keenly felt as though the hand still remained. But in time it healed and since then he has been obliged to make his way in life minus one hand. His father was counseled to keep the amputated hand in a can of alcohol, which he kept for a while, but it so distressed him that he took it away and burled it wishing never to behold it again. It was a forcible warning against the careless use of fire arms.

Job Brydle, son of William Brydle, Sr., was drowned In Conneaut Creek, in Tinker Hollow, aged four years. This little boy had that evening returned from school and with other children went in swimming below the bridge, down the hill from his father's house, when on venturing in the water too deep was strangled and then floated on the current down stream some twenty rods when his father overtook him and caught him out of the water. Rev. Rufus Clark attended his funeral at the South Ridge Church, July 3rd, 1855.

George Wills, while dressing his pork, slipped and fell into the hot water and was so badly scaled that he died within a few days. His funeral was attended by the pastor of F. B. Church, South Ridge, Dec. 30, 1855.

TRAGEDY
In writing these sketches, one of the most heart-rending events that ever darkened the pages of history, falls to our lot in this connection to record.

Ralph K. Wright, a man of unusual kindness, for a few weeks had shown signs of mental aberration, declaring at times that he had a duty to perform, with defining the nature of it. (He) was strangely exercised on the morning of Tuesday, July 12, l870. He was a man of sixty years and had lived a most peaceful and quiet life. On the evening before, he, with his family, visited at the house of Stephen Daniels, Mrs. D. being a cousin, and on returning home retired as usual. At 5:50 o'clock the next morning he attacked his family with deadly intention, without any previous notice of further derangemeny. With an ax he struck his wife while in bed, when she screamed and leaped out to flee, with him in pursuit. His four girls in the chamber hearing their mother's cry, rushed immediately down and the oldest one ran to her father and catching the ax told him to give it to her, which he readily did. But on surrendering it he rushed to the woodshed and returned with another, and, following his wife out the front door, overtook her in the yard and fetched another savage blow with the edge on her head, which brought her down, weltering in her own blood. The girls fled in fright, as before a demon; to north to call Corwin N. Payne who lived at the foot of the hill, and the other two south to Shelby Smith's and O. D. Shepard's. Milton O. Shepard went to the church and rang the church bell, alarming the whole neighborhood. Messrs. Smith Shepard were the first on the ground to behold the frightful tragedy. Mrs. Wright lay gasping in death in the front yard, the door of the house wide open, a brisk fire burning in the chamber in the south end of the woodshed with a stout south wind blowing. The crazy brain that directed the hand in these deeds did not appear, and fears were entertained at every step that he would leap from some secluded place and attempt the same work of death upon them. With great caution they proceeded in the search of the house, following the tracks of blood from room to room and up the chamber stairs, beholding his bloody finger-prints on the wall and his steps into the girls' rooms, which led to the imoression that he intended to have taken their lives also and did not remember that they had fled.

Neighbors came hurrying in and they proceeded to the outhouses and thence' to the barn, through the stabling onto the bay and scaffolds, but no traces of him were found here. At length, about 6 or 7 o'clock, one of their number climbing on the fence at a proper distance to look into the cow-shed loft, he was discovered) in a kneeling posture close to the roof and motionless. Entering the apartment, he was found with a rope hung up to one of the rafters and a loop about his neck, leaning forward with his weight upon it, where he had lain so long that the blood had ceased to circulate and he had ceased to breathe. His remains were taken to his dwelling and laid out. The funeral services were observed on Thursday, July 14, at the house, Rev. A. F. Bryant officiating. One of the largest congregations ever known in these parts waited on the hour. A more heart-forsaken group of children never followed the remains of parents to the tomb. Both corpses were laid side by side on one grave, and the children, like a flock smitten without a shepard, returned orphans and homeless.

Oh! what is man without reason? He goes reeling under his manhood and raving in his insanity. The kindest husband is turned to works of cruelty and deeds of darkest dye. From a loving protector and supporter, which he heretofore has given, he is changed to inflictions of suffering, the unreasonable acts of the maniac and the destruction of a mad man. The delightful companion is gone, leaving only the wreck of shattered humanity. How careful ought man to be with his health, lest reason should reel on its throne and his hands be stained with the blood of his dearest friends.

CARRIAGE MAKERS
The first wagon and carriage maker at South Ridge was Abner B. Clark. He went to Connecticut, learned his trade and returned and set up business in his father's shop, which stood on the west side of the Center road nearly opposite the new school building. This was about the year 1827. He continued to manufacture carriages until his death, which occurred July 28, 1860, being 55 years. He never put in an unseasoned or brittle stick of timber, and he gained the reputation of making the best work in Ashtabula County. Alpheas Kenny learned the trade of Mr. Clark and set up his shop across the way south of the post office. Mr, Kenny soon sickened and died and various ones have supplied the public, among which, with great credit to themselves, were the firm of Armstrong Brothers, now the accomplished carriage makers in Bradford, Pa. A. E, Woodberry, cousin of Judge Woodberry, is now erecting a wagon shop opposite the post office.

BLACKSMITHS have been so numerous that we could not recall many names, though they are worthy of all honor. Among those who are remembered with much interest are Henry Pierce, Daniel McHoney, William Stutz, S. Wheeler Sanford, Thomas P. Woods, Simon Cheney, Abel and Asa Shepard, William H. Cheney, Horace Cass, Joel Couch, Heman Sanford, and the present skilled artisan, Sylvester Splitstone.

ATHLETIC SPORTS were among the most interesting things of those early times. Instead of sitting down under the burdens of a new country and suffering in the spirit of the "low-poe", all hearts went cheerily as the merry bell. At the town meetings, the raising of buildings, company trainings, and other secular meetings, some games were to be played, gymnastic-exercises wrought, and other manly sports enjoyed. The playing of

GOAL was one of the most interesting games. It tried the speed and endurance of the contestants. The last one touched with the hand was always the pursuer while the other fled before him, and sometimes it continued for a hundred rods or even half a mile, so determined were the parties on conquest. In these, the young men especially took part. The Durkees, Hatches, Sanfords, and Thompsons were among the most expert. Nimble as an eel, William Durkee could run and leap over any ordinary fence like a deer. At one time when pursued by Mr. S, who might have overtaken him in a straight line, Mr. Durkee outdistanced him most easily by taking his course to a fence, and as fast as his pursuer would change sides of the fence, Mr. D. would leap to the other side as if it cost him little effort. At times, that the crowd might witness his dexterity, two men would draw a line, under witch he would walk and let it touch the top of his head, and with the agility of an athlete he would bound from side to side. Such nimbleness would excel in the foot-races around the goal.

JUMPING was another sport In which boys at school as well as men at the raising of buildings and. town meetings Indulged. Samuel Eaton, Jr., and Samuel Fox were among the most expert in this exercise. Our post master Asahel Thompson usually excelled. It was no difficult task for him to clear a ten foot pole at a single leap. In three successive leaps he would often clear thirty-three feet. That is the best we have known. At a single bound, Eber Sanford at the age of twenty made a leap across his father's race-way from his mill, which was just twelve feet.

He sprang from bank to bank. In this exercise the boys at school would often become so lame as with difficulty to walk. To hop, skip, and jump was another form to this sport.

WRESTLING is one of the most ancient exercises of which we have any knowledge as the wrestling of Jacob with the angel proves. For the purpose off giving spectators the opportunity of beholding the contest, a ring was made around the contestants. With a side-hold or an arms-length the object of each was to bring the other to the ground. Hours would be spent in the struggle while enthusiastic observers stood looking on. Nathaniel Brooks, at arms length, was one of the best of the wrestlers, and at one time was "Cock of the Walk."

At any other time, at side-hold, Ira Barker acheived the conquest. At another, Eber Sanford. Each in his turn ranked first not only in Conneaut but in Ashtabula County. At a general training Mr. Sanford threw Benjamin Naper of Ashtabula in two successive holds. Before this, Mr. Naper stood first, but in this contest he became second and Mr. S. became cheif.

PITCHING QUOITS was indulged in by some, but the play soon grew into a game for rum and the more steady did not long continue the practice.

BASE BALL with usually ten or twelve on a side, was played by the middle aged and the young. The great object in choosing sides was to get one that was an expert in throwing and one who was an expert in catching, the ball. It was a rule that if one could strike the ball hard enough to knock it so far away that he could run the circuit of the four goals before it could be returned and passed through the middle, it was his turn to knock again. If so happened en one evasion that Asahel Thompson, one of the best, if not the best in the game, made five successive trips before missing his turn to knock. At a town meeting where he played with such men as Calvin Appleby and Nathaniel Harmon, Mr. Thompson lamed his hand catching the ball, so as to lay him aside from his business for some weeks. He was one of the best catchers and therefore was chosen with an eye to that.

LIFTING was an exercise of the most robust and strong, rather than the many. At times they would get into a strife and raise some very heavy burdens, and at times one would bear of the laurel and other times another. At John Kennedy' s, where Mr. Bliss now lives, on raising his thirty by forty foot barn several laid out their strength on one corner of the sills, with all the timbers on it, before the bents were put up, and failed. But to their surprise Mr. E. Sanford took his turn and raised the corner. Then different men offered a prize and Ira Parker raised the corner and took the reward. This was a great achievement. One man offered a gallon of whisky, and then another and another, until five and one-half gallons were offered and Mr. Parker took the prize. Mr. Sanford did not choose to lift again. June 1821 at the raising of Apolus Thomson's house, Ira. Parker lifted one of the sills, but could not raise it onto his knee and laid it down again. Eber Sanford took it and raised it onto his knees and laid it down again. These were the Hercules of America but they did not receive the honors of the athletes in the Olympic games of Greece. The athlete of ancient times rode through the streets of their city in splendid chariots drawn by four white horses, but the citizens of South Ridge had no such rewards to give. To those who enjoyed the athletic sports, their exercise inured their constitutions to hardships and strengthened them for the burdens of a new country. With bones, muscles, nerves and natures trained in vigorous action on all sides, it gave the pioneers ability to grapple with the sturdy sons of the forest, removing the heavy timber and opening the rich soil to the warming sun and seeds' of cultivation.