Margaret Knight

Margaret Knight, remembered as "the female Edison," received some 26 patents for such diverse items as a window frame and sash, machinery for cutting shoe soles, and improvements to internal combustion engines. Her most significant patent was for machinery that would automatically fold and glue paper bags to create square bottoms, an invention which dramatically changed shopping habits. Workmen reportedly refused her advice when first installing the equipment because, "after all, what does a woman know about machines?"

VERMILION’S WAKEFIELD BRASS: (Note: This article is the first of several that will be written about that which came to be known as the Wakefield Brass Company in Vermilion, Ohio)

IT'S JUST A MINOR INCONVENIENCE: And it was in the late winter of 1906 that local contractor, John Gegenheimer, began to put up the 150x40 foot building that would become the Wakefield Brass Factory. The building stood on a 3 1/4 acre parcel of land just south of the Nickel Plate railroad tracks along the "West River" road. Just four years earlier an old farm house that had stood on the land had served the town as a pesthouse (i.e. a shelter for those infected with a contagious disease) during a smallpox epidemic.

Prior to having this factory in Vermilion there were two other plants located in the village; the Erie Woodworking Plant and the Duplex Stamping Works. Neither were doing much work. As F.W. Wakefield had promised when he proposed building the plant he brought with him five or six skilled workers and then hired the rest from the local population.

By September 4, 1906, less than 18 months after the construction of the brick building began, the factory was up and running strong. A twenty-seven horsepower double cylinder gas engine powered the machinery turning out parts for chandeliers and other light fixtures. At the west end of the building castings were being made using heat supplied by crude oil. The fittings were standard, and there were. five main stems that could be used to make an assortment of designs. The fixtures were of a dull and polished finish. What auto pioneer Henry Ford did some years later when he standardized the manufacture of automobiles, F.W. Wakefield did for the manufacture of light fixtures in 1906.

At this time the plant actively employed twenty-three people. Among those names on the first payroll were: A.W. Copeland, A.J. Copeland, E.H. Wakefield, E.H. McVeen, Paul W. Thompson, Alfred Buell, Lattis Martinek, George Nieding, and Walter Baatz.

In February of 1915 The Vermilion News reported that the company had "perfected a small lighting outfit for the lighting of smaller boats, tugs, etc." Each unit used a small electric bulb "of special design" that would draw current from "a special waterproof dry battery". The advent of this lighting system was directly related to Wakefield's boating interests. And the system was first tested on his new cruiser Tobermory I. It was in anticipation of the government's increasing enforcement of small craft navigation laws.

Later the same year an incident involving a member of the firm whose automobile was stuck on the diagonal crossing of the Nickel Plate tracks just cast of town led to the invention of yet another device. After successfully stopping a passing interurban and borrowing a lantern this person was able to flag down a passenger train before it collided with his auto.

This event led to the development and manufacture of an auto spotlight that could be instantly changed to a red danger signal light. The novelty of this light was such that it significantly increased the business of the factory for the next three years only interrupted by a "100% devotion" to build lanterns for the U.S .. Navy during the first war. It was also to be the origin of the Red Spot name that would be used by the company as a trademark for years to come.

And then, as if all this good fortune had gone without a proper amount of piety, the plant was completely destroyed by fire. The night watchman, John Krapp, discovered the flames at dinner time on Thursday, December 4th, 1924. Despite the fact that Vermilion's volunteer firemen arrived with great dispatch, their efforts were for naught. Their equipment was found to be sorely lacking and the Lorain Department was called in to kill the flames. But it was too late.
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Within an hour of the fire company leaders met and drew up plans to rebuild a 60 x 70 foot fireproof building with :! 2,000 square feet of factory space. The next day nearly all the 60 to 70 men and women employees were on the site cleaning and salvaging equipment. Products and parts saved in storehouses were moved to other plans for assembly. And business offices were temporarily housed at the Erie County Bank and the old Dall plant. It was just a minor inconvenience.

_{Ref: The Vermilion News; 2-15-07; 12-11-24; 6-18-25; Published in the Vermilion Photojournal 4-01-04; Written 3-28-04; Special Thanks to: Amos Feiszli and A.C. Tarrant.}

THE PIONEERS.

NEW HAVEN.

..son of an early settler, who bore the same given name, and came into, the county in 1814, from New York State, being then a young man. He was without other education, theologically, than that which he had secured from reading diligently the few books that fell into his possession. He was awkward, uncouth, illy clad, had a poor voice, was comparatively ignorant, but he was in earnest. The Bible was his great study, argument his forte. His style was dry, plain, but forcible in reason and convincing. He was a Methodist, and the creeds which he combatted most persistently, strongly and successfully, were those of Calvanism and Universalism. His argumentative artillery fired some telling shots into the forts of these faiths. He was never stronger than when doing battle against some advocate of one or the other belief, in debate. In his utter disregard of dress and personal appearance, Maclntyre bore some resemblance to another strange character—"Johnny Appleseed"—of whom an account is given elsewhere in this history. The first impression created by the appearance of Maclntyre was, invariably, one of surprise. Those. however, who were disposed to judge too hastily, from his appearance, that he lacked ability, were soon convinced to the contrary when they heard him speak. Early settlers describe him as a remarkably tall, gaunt, ungainly figure, with thin, peaked face, small, deep set eyes, and sandy hair. He usually appeared at the place where a meeting was to be held, attired in a tow cloth shirt, often worn in the manner of a frock, tow cloth pantaloons, one tow cloth suspender, with a “buckeye" hat upon his head, and barefooted. He was the last man a stranger would have picked out the little group as the preacher. He would begin speaking in a cracked, speaking voice, and those who had never seen him or heard of him before, would imagine that they saw before them some poor, cracked and crazed fanatic. Wonder would soon change to admiration, as the pioneer preacher proceeded with the argument of his sermon. He was, although poorly educated, naturally smart, energetic and earnest. His converts were numerous, and the amount of good he accomplished, great. Apropos, of his extreme carelessness in the matter of dress, it is related that once upon a time, when Maclntyre and some others had sent woolen cloth away to be dyed, that he marked his piece with the initials of his name, and when it was returned, had it made into a coat, which bore conspicuously upon the back the large letters "J.M.I." Although the marking could have been easily removed, the letters being merely coarse yarn stitched upon the cloth, Maclntyre never took them off, and they were visible to the people of New Haven until the garment was worn out. The preacher could plead law as well as religion, it is said, and was frequently employed to do so.

Among the other early preachers who are remembered in New Haven, were Benajah Boardman, Benjamin Wooley and Harry 0. Sheldon, of the Methodist denomination: Revs. Enoch Conger, William Matthews, Alvin Coe. Wolf, and Ludivicus Robbins, Presbyterians. Conger was a resident, for a time, of New Haven, Coe settled in Greenfield, and Matthews in Ashland county.

Presbyterian meetings were held at John Barney's house soon after the period of Rev. Maclntyre's Methodist meetings. These meetings were addressed by Rev. William Matthews, and it is probable that he was the first Presbyterian ministei who preached in New Haven. The church of this denomination was organized, however, by Rev. Enoch Conger, who united with the presbytery of Huron in 1824, and for a time served in New Haven, Greenfield and Plymouth townships. He was installed as pastor. This church had only a short existence. Whether it was organized earlier or later than the first Methodist class, cannot now be determined. No records of these bodies are in existence, and no authentic information can be gleaned in regard to either of them.

The historian presents herewith such sketches of the churches, alive and defunct, as he has been able to glean from records and from interviews with old residents.

M. E. CHURCH.

The Methodists had an organization at a very early day, but owing to the disappearance of the records (if any were ever kept), no facts are obtainable except those which relate to the comparatively recent history of the church. The house of worship was built in the season of 1811 and 1812 at New Haven village, at a cost of about fifteen hundred dollars, and was for that time a commodious structure. Rev. S, M. Allen was the preacher in charge of the Paris circuit at that time. The trustees or building committee were John Ganung, William Howard, Jacob Loar, Le Roy Reed, and S. R. Parker. The present stewards of New Haven circuit (having in charge the churches at New Haven and Plymouth, and one other) are the following: F. M. Chapman. J. L. Young, J, K. Southard, John Emmerson, William Kirkpatrick, Marvin Seaton. George Weaver, William Dawson, and Samuel Hook. The class leaders of New Haven Methodist Episcopal church are F, M. Chapman, J. K. Southard, E. Dickinson: trustees, Erastus Dickinson, George Mead, J. L. Young, J. K. Southard, and George Hough. Rev. D. D. T. Mattison is at present the preacher in charge.

FREE WILL BAPTIST CHURCH.

May 9. 1838, a number of persons assembled at the school house near Josiah Curtis' house, and organized themselves into a church bearing the above name. The original members were ten in number: Josiah Curtiss, Ira Selden, Amasa Blanchard, Elial Curtiss. Reuben R. Curtiss, Ephraim Heller, Jeremiah Woodmansie, Julia L. Seiden, Ann Heller and Calista Loveland. Elder Jolm Wheeler was moderator of the meeting. Reuben R. Curtiss was elected as the first clerk, and Josiah Curtiss and Ira Selden as deacons. Elial Curtiss. became the first pastor of...

_{Excerpts from: The Fire Lands, Comprising Huron and Erie Counties, Ohio; W.W. Williams - 1879 -
Press of Leader Printing Company, Cleveland, Ohio}

REV. GOODELL:PART TWO: Again, If you’re interested in Vermilion history specifically, or American history in general, you might be interested in knowing some about a man whose shadow once fell across the landscape of Vermilion, O. in a yesteryear. His name was Jotham Weeks Goodell (VPJ 4/08/09). As you can see I'm allowing this article to stay in "VV" for a time. I want to make sure that folks know about the good reverend.

In 1837, following their hasty departure from Canada in a rowboat Rev. Goodell and family settled in Erie County, Ohio. Here he served as the second minister of the First Congregational Church in Florence Township.

It is important - as an aside - to apprehend that although both the Florence and the Vermilion churches are now commonly known as “Congregational” churches - both were initially organized as Presbyterian churches. Rev. Goodell was, in fact, a Presbyterian minister. Historically, the Congregational church in the United States is very closely associated with that of American Presbyterianism. This was especially in New England where Congregationalist influence spilled over into Presbyterian churches as they moved west. The “west”, of course, refers to territories in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. It is also interesting to note that some of the first colleges and universities in America, including Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Williams, Bowdoin, Middlebury, and Amherst, all were founded by the Congregationalists; as were later Carleton, Grinnell, Oberlin, Beloit, and Pomona. But perhaps more to the point of the matter was their core belief; an insistence on the autonomy / independence of local bodies. Consequently, it should surprise few persons to learn that these early ministers and their “flocks” were active in many reform movements; including those promoting the abolition of slavery, and women's suffrage. And these are things that lead us back to the subject of this essay - Rev. Goodell.

In 1843 Goodell found himself serving as pastor of a Congregational church in Medina County, Ohio. While there he wrote and published a forty-seven page pamphlet highly critical of an early gospel movement known as Campbellism. Without actually reviewing the text of the treatise it’s probably safe to assume that it would not have endeared him to everyone he met. But, again, Jotham Goodell was a person of principle which, like it or not, is an aspect of character sometimes accompanied by the prospect of potential assassination of either character, body - or both. As the saying goes; If you want to dance you’ve got to pay the band.

In December of that same year Jotham was elected and installed as the 9th pastor of Vermilion’s newly constructed Presbyterian church in the town square. In 1850 he and his wife, Anna, gathered seven of their ten living children together and moved west. His departure, as depicted by the The Ohio Observer (Hudson Ohio) dated June 26, 1850, was deemed by the Elyria Presbytery to be nothing short of scandalous. No precise details were given that might shed more light on this matter other than to say their claims were related to his alleged “pecuniary transactions with different individuals, and the presbytery”.

While church elders suggested in their report that Rev. Goodell’s departure was abrupt - and no one knew where he went (i.e. “Brother Goodell has left this region and gone to parts unknown”) - there are several good reasons this might have been highly unlikely. Among them were the family members who remained in Vermilion. That he maintained contact with them throughout, and well after, his journey westward was hardly a secret. Moreover; a short time before he left he requested, and was granted, a certificate of good standing as a minister of the gospel and a member of the Elyria Presbytery. Additionally he was given a recommendation as such, for the “churches and people where Providence might cast his lot in the future”.

So although it is clear that Rev. Goodell’s character was under siege at the time of his departure - the specific reason / reasons for the attacks are not. Some historians currently speculate that the attacks were related to his antislavery activities and beliefs. That which is abundantly clear, however, is that his inability to hold his tongue married to his demonstrative ability to articulate his beliefs were not always qualities deeply appreciated by his peers nor parishioners.

If this sounds strikingly familiar to the one which preceded his departure from Canada in 1837 it’s probably more than coincidence. And if one follows his journey westward - where he was forced to winter in Utah before moving on into the Oregon Territory - one will again find him in some proverbial “hot water”. This is because his principles and the principles, as well as the princi - pals, of what was then the Mormon “State of Deseret” were a bit less than copesetic. In his 1852 collection of letters published in The Oregonian newspaper in Portland about his winter spent in what some then referred to as the “Mormon Kingdom”, one word pertaining to the departure of his party from Utah stands out. That word is “escape”.

At the end of May in 1851 Capt. Goodell’s party arrived safely at Dalles (i.e. the end of the Oregon Trail) in the Oregon territory. First settling in the Willamette Valley of Polk County Goodell who had lost all his money and livestock to Mormon taxes worked for nearly a year to recover his finances. In 1853, when Washington became a territory, he moved his family to Thurston County and built a large house on a 640 acre plot of land east of Grand Mound. He called the place the Washington Hotel. There he delivered the first Independence Day speech in that territory. Six years later the articulate preacher, writer, scholar, pioneer, man of sincere principle - suffered a stroke and died. He was fifty years old.

One of his contemporaries, David Henry Thoreau, wrote that “Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them.” But such could not be said of the Rev. Jotham Weeks Goodell. His life was neither quiet nor desperate. One hundred and fifty-two years after his shadow was last cast across the landscape of our nation his words, and the principles which guided his life remain.

_{Ref: A Winter With the Mormons, Jotham Goodell, edited by David L. Bigler, 2001; Published in the Vermilion Photojournal 4/07/11; Written 4/03/11 @ 12:43 PM.}

JUST FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS

Marvin found the following ransom note slipped under his front door. "Bring $50,000 to the 17th hole of your country club tomorrow at 10:00 AM if you ever want to see your wife alive again."

But it was well after 1:00 PM by the time he arrived at the designated meeting spot. A masked man stepped from behind a bush and demanded, "You're three hours late. What took you so long?"

"Give me a break!" said Marvin, pointing to his scorecard."I'm a 27 handicap."