In a previous paper we stated that Lemuel Jones and Obed Edwards built the first sawmill, and this must have been in the year l8l7.

During the Summer of 1820 Eli Sanford employed Theophilus Sanborn and John Eaton to dig the race way for his mill, which he built the next year., 1821, Peck Clark being employed to do the work. It was located where now is William Frack's mill, and was the first grist-mill built at South Ridge. Under the same roof was put in operation a saw-mill, which was the second in this place. The first one in town was Aaron Wright's, built on the site of G. W. Rathbun's in 1808. During the Spring of 1826 Ezekiel Benton and son Ira Benton put in both a grist and saw-mill where now is Tinker Hollow. On this mill Peck Clark and son did eighty days work. Not far from this time, perhaps earlier, Jacob Paden, father of Samuel, built a saw-and-grist-mill on Paden Creek about half a mile south of the residence of the late J. W. Shipboy. Later, Joseph Rathbun Sr., bought it and made improvements, Next Erastus Rathbun came into possession and run them for several years.

In the fall of 1826, James and John Kennedy built a mill on the site of the Ohio Furnace, near G. V. Eastman's, about three-fourths of a mile north of Clark's Corners. Peck Clark and sons Abner, Albert, and Aaron did 76 days work on it.

During the year 1826 Obed Edwards sold his share of the Jones & Edwards Mill to Ralph Williams. The new compant made a re-casting of their mill fixtures. They tore down their saw-mill and employed Seymour Stevens to put up a two story frame, 40 x 60 feet, large enough for a saw and grist mill under one-roof. In 1831, Jones & Williams sold to Elisha Farnham and Thomas Gibson. In 1841 Mr. Gibson sold to Mr. Farnham and he became sole proprietor and built the mill now owned by his son P. K. Farnham, one of the best in the county.

After Eli Sanford's death, which occurred April 6, 1827, his mill property, where William Frack is now proprietor, changed ownership many times. His son, Chester Sanford, became his executor. In 1830 Mr. Sanford sold it to Mr. Powers, who came with a family of five sons, Robert, Austin, Thomas, Jesse, and Asa.

Mr. Powers sold to James Hicks, having four sons, James J., Dewitt Clinton, Henry, and Asa. In 1838 Mr. Hicks sold to Elisha Judson, having two sons, Hiram and Isaac. In 1840 Mr. Judson sold to his son Hiram. The same year Mr. Judson sold half of the mill property to Edward P. Clark, and the firm became Judson and Clark. The same year, 1841, Mr. J. sold his half to Asa Shepard and the firm became Clark and Shepard. Soon after, Mr. Clark sold his share to Mr. Shirtiff and the firm became Shepard and Shirtiff. Several other changes followed until the property now rests in the hands of William Frack as sole proprietor. During these exchanges of ownership the grist-mill was removed and only a saw-mill remains.

For their grist-mills they had a mill-stone dresser ready at hand in 1815. Jacob Williams followed this business as an artisan. The huge stones about South Ridge in the hands of Mr. Williams were cut into shape and finish, and. made to do service for the early settlers. After him, his sons Diocletian and Ralph followed the business, a very important work in those days.

Seth Thompson built a cider mill in August, 1823, it being the second one put into use in the town of Conneaut. It was erected on the east side of the Center road near the foot of the Thompson, now Howard Hill. The present indentation of the earth shows the dug-out for the sweep of the horse-power. Barrels of cider by the thousands were made here, which was used in those days for drink and vinegar. The first cider mill was put up by Eleazer Peck in September, 1820. It stood at the top of the creek bank on the south side of the Ridge Road almost half a mile west of Conneaut, across the way from Mr. Peck's homestead, now known as the McClintock farm, west of the borough. Those now in operation are under the charge of A. C. Dibble and Emory Ransom at Amboy, and O. E. Gifford at Conneaut.

CARDING MACHINES AND CLOTH DRESSING.
These were combined by Ezekiel Benton and son Ira in Benton, now Tinker, Hollow in l823. To raise their saw and grist-mill frame, Peck Clark and sons did for them ninety days work at an expense of $159.75.

A carding machine was put into the mill of Judson & Clark about 1840, the present site of William Frack. Another was put into the Farnham and Gibson mill a year or two later.

In these time all families worked up their own wool. Girls who could spin and do their days work were In great demand every fall to turn the big wheel and twist their rolls of wool into yarn fitted for the loom. Forty knots of filling or thirty of warp was a day's work, and girls of great ambition would be up at morning dawn making their wheels buzz as if they relished the exercise more than the sleep. Often their forty knots would be spun and reeled by 10 or 11 o'clock and they could have the afternoons for their personal work. When such spirits held sway in a house the families might as well arise at day-break for there could be no more sleep in the house after the wheels began to run, than when a swarm of mosquitoes buzzed in the ear or stung the face.

A DISTILLERY was started In Benton, now Tinker Holler, by Benton and son about the year 1827. This opened a home market for grain and set the whole county on a stir. Men with teams were sent out in all directions to buy and bring in the grain, while another class of teams were employed to haul away the whiskey. In 1831 Conneaut had five distilleries all in full blast. In the gang of teamsters that went out to buy grain, one was made purser and took charge of the money. To these men the direction of no importance was not to steam up on the way out and loading up, but on their return to the distillery they might imbibe with becoming freeness. The result told on too many of them as they could hardly sit on their loads as they drove up to the alcoholic factories.

A BANK was instituted by Jacob Paden, father of Samuel, at his place of business about three-fourths of a mile south of the residence of the late J.W. Shipboy. Mr. Paden issued his script and sent out his bank-notes for various kinds of produce and set business on a stir all about him.

STORES OF GOODS were opened for trade in several places. Jacob Paden kept various departments in one: dry goods, groceries, hardware, etc., were trusted out to the newcomers with great freeness. No one then thought of paying at the time of purchase. There was to be a running account of debits and credits for a year, and then once for all an annual settlement.

In 1827 Ezekiel Benton and son made an effort to add a stock of goods to their carding machinery, cloth dressing, saw-and-grist-mill, and distillery, in Benton. Their goods were probably purchased in New York, brought on the Erie Canal, which was completed in 1825, and at Buffalo were shipped on board the "Farmer", Christopher Ford's vessel, Capt. Charles Brown, commander, in company with the goods of other merchants, I. Flagg if Conneaut and Judge Moffitt of Kellogsville, but unfortunately wrecked on Long Point, October 20, 1827, and the goods were so badly damaged that they became nearly a dead loss to the purchasers. A law suit was instituted against the proprietors of the vessel for damages, but it availed them nothing. In those days, says an old resident, "Benton Hollow was almost a village."

In 1834 Major Sanborn built a store across the street from the tavern and south of the post office, and In the Autumn, in company with two brothers, John W. and David Haskell, put in a stock of goods. They ran a thriving business for about ten years. In 1845 Mr. Sanborn sold his share to Edwin R. Williams, and the firm became Haskell and Williams. In 1847 they sold to Maj. Reubin Sanborn and Hiram Judson, and the firm became Sanborn and Judson. The dealt largely in lumber and their trade grew on their hands. In 1850 Mr. Sanborn sold his share to William H. Cheney, and the firm became Judson and Cheney. In 1854 Mr. Judson sold to Ashbel Thompson, and the firm became Cheney and Thompson. In 1855 Mr. Cheney bought the whole interest and continued business alone until his death. Since this time Mr. Thompson has been trade by himself. In the earlier times South Ridge was one of the best points for business, and such men as Hiram Judson of Conneaut, and William Haskell and E. R. Williams of Ashtabula, found employment for their business talent.

The price of a few articles will show us what reason the pioneer settlers had to complain of hard times. If such a season should return to us, their descendants, we should hear wailings of despair. Compared with them our talk about hard times are meaningless terms. Now the country is full of bread and industrious economizing persons can gain a supply. From 1819 to 1824 prices ran as follows; nails per pound, 25 cents; tea, $l; cotton cloth 31 cents per yard; tow cloth 50 cents per yard; pork 20cents per pound; straw,$1 per load; hay $4 a ton; cows $l0 a head; horses $34 and $40; a yoke of oxen, $40 to $45. The year Eber Sanford was married, l822, he drove to the Wilder wharf and paid $6 for a barrel of salt. About the same time John Hutchins paid sixteen bushels of wheat for a barrel.

POSTAL CHARGES were at their highest maximum. Twenty-five cents were charged on a single sheet of paper, making one-half of the sheet an envelope. If a small piece of paper as large as the hand or a dollar bill was enclosed the charge was fifty cents, and this was paid by the person to whom the letter was addressed. If a newspaper, magazine, or other publication was wanted and a dollar bill was enclosed, there was a half a dollar charged. Sept. 17, 1820, Wm. Fowler Clark, of Clark's Corners, had a letter come to him on which there was fifty cents charged and he had to borrow the money to take it from the post office.

A little later, and only twenty-five cents freight was charged on a barrel of salt. With such postal rates it operated almost as an embargo in correspondence and intelligence. Many of the settlers said they could not afford to write to their friends oftener than once a year. Thus, being unaccustomed to write they soon dropped to once in two, five, and ten years and then to dropping correspondence altogether.

Our post office, which was obtained by the agency of Eber Sanford, Esq., Maj, Reubin Sanborn and others, about 1840, and John W. Haskell appointed P.M., was suddenly snatched away from us Nov. 19, 1856. This morning's mail brought a letter from Hon. Horatio King, assistant Post Master General, addressed to William H. Cheney, P.M., saying that the Post Master General, Hon. James Campbell, had removed the office, and that Mr. Cheney' was hereby ordered to convey the post office fixtures forthwith to the Conneaut office. For this we knew no reason unless it was the people were thoroughly Anti-slavery and of course not supporters of that Pro-slavery administration, It could not be removed because of additional expense to the Department from the fact that the mail carrier every day drove past our door and he had no extra, work to do to call and leave the mail. The pastor, Rev. Rufus Clark, immediately addressed a letter to Mr. King asking the reason for such uncalled measure and for its reestablishment, also letters to Hon. J. R. Giddings, Hon. B. F. Wade, and Hon. Ebenezar Knowlton, member of Congress from Me., with whom he was acquainted asking their influence in getting the post office restored to us. The three Congressmen assured us they would do all they could for us. In Senator Wade' s quaint style of language he wrote, "We will help you all we can, but you must remember an Anti-slavery man has no influence In this contemptible administration." Soon word came that we could have the office restored provided we would secure an administration man (Democrat) for Post Master. On looking over our community we found there was only one such man in the place, and it was with us "Hopkins' choice" or no office. Of course we accented the offer and the office was given back to us. But the public feeling arose so strongly against him that the old Post Master was constituted deputy, and after a short time he had the whole control, carrying it on under the new name. The present incumbent, Ashbel Thompson, his filled the office since 1860, to the satisfaction of the Department and our citizens.

Those who have served as post masters are about as follows: John Haskell, seven years from l840; Hiram Judson, seven years from 1847; William H Cheney, two years from 1854; A. J. Cheney, two years from 1856; Daniel Hill, two years from l856; Asa Shepard, ten and one-half years from 1860; Asahel Thompson, the present occupant, nine years from 1871.