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New Haven Township, Huron County, Ohio
PictureTownship #1 in Range 23
Early Beginnings

New Haven Township was so named since nearly all the early settlers were from New Haven, Connecticut, and one of the principal landowners, who inherited or purchased a large portion of the land in the township from the original grantees, also lived in New Haven, Connecticut. The first election in New Haven Township was held 17 Aug 1815. The following officers were elected: Samuel B. Carpenter - clerk; Robert Inscho, John Barney, Martin M. Kellogg - trustees; James McIntyre, Chisim May - overseers of the poor; Samuel Knapp, Reuben Skinner - fence viewers; Stephen D. Palmer, Henry Barney - supervisors; Calvin Hutchinson, Samuel Knapp - appraisers; Calvin Hutchinson - constable; and Caleb Palmer - treasurer. Caleb Palmer, later in the election of 24 Nov 1815, was elected justice of the peace.

Early Settlers
​New Haven was the first township settled within the territory of Huron County. Caleb Palmer was the first pioneer to settle in New Haven in 1811, before the war of 1812. He was a surveyor, and as such, had traveled the forests in this area some years before. He bought land in the township in 1810, and settled there with his wife and two children in 1811. Two men, Woodcock and Newcomb, came about the same time, but neither remained long in the township. John Chapman, also known as "Johnny Appleseed," lived for a time with Caleb Palmer and his family, beginning in 1811, and lived there for much of the time during the war of 1812, except for times of pilgrimage to other parts of the country. The settlement increased rapidly beginning in 1814.

​Among those early pioneers were the following, with date of arrival shown for each:
Reuben Skinner 1814
Josiah Curtiss c.1814
James MacIntyre c.1814
David Powers c.1814
Samuel B. Carpenter c.1814
John Barney c.1814
Samuel Knapp c.1814
Martin M. Kellogg c.1814
Inscho family c.1814
Henry Barney c.1814
Royal N. Powers c.1814
Chisim May c.1814
Calvin Hutchinson c.1814
William Clark c.1814
Jacob Speeker c.1814
Joseph Dana c.1814
John Alberson c.1814
George Shivel c.1814
Matthew Bevard c.1814
Prince Haskell c.1814
George Beymer 1815
William York 1815

Stephen Stillwell 1815
Luther Coe 1816
Ezekial Rooks 1816
William Ellis 1816
Isaac Powers c.1816
Rouse Bly 1816
Joseph Darling c.1816
John Myers c.1816
Benjamin West c.1816
Gasper Smith c.1816
Matthew Smith c.1816
John Middleton c.1816
Henry Granger c.1817
Benjamin McFarland c.1817
David Dow 1817
Enos Rose 1818
Thomas T. Mulford 1819
Enos Ayres 1819
William B. Moore 1819
Henry Moore 1819
Judge Ives 1820
Richard Frisbie c.1820
Some First Events
  • The first white child born in New Haven was Ruth, daughter of Caleb and Harriet Palmer. She was born 29 Apr 1813. George Beymer was the first to die, on 24 Jun 1817, after a long illness.
  • James Skinner and Harriet Beymer were the first to be married in New Haven. They were married in June, 1817 at the home of Reuben Skinner, by Caleb Palmer. A rather brief marriage ceremony was reported to have taken place between Charles Hooker and Heimie Johnson, with Dr. Benschoter, justice of the peace, officiating. The following conversation is supposed to have taken place:
    "Charlie, do you want to marry Heimie?"
    "Yes."
    "Heimie, do you want to marry Charlie Hooker?"
    "I do."
    ​"Then," said the squire, "I pronounce you, according to the laws of the State, man and wife."
  • The first school was taught by Sophia Barney (Latham Coe's second wife) in 1815. The school was held in a small log building erected by Caleb Palmer. John N. Taylor, assisted by Louisa Beymer, taught later in a log building which stood near the present school house. Among his students were James, Joseph, John, Alfred and Harrison Skinner; and MacIntyre and Minerva Beymer.
  • Caleb Palmer built the first log house. Royal N. Powers built the first framed building -- a small barn -- and J. K. Partello built the first brick house.
  • Mrs. Joseph Darling, a daughter of "Priest" Edwards of Ripley, taught the first Sunday school about 1830.
  • The first saw mill was built by William Clark in 1816. The first grist mill was built by Caleb Palmer in 1816 or 1817.
  • The first deed of land in New Haven was made early in 1815 to David and Royal N. Powers, conveying the land at the center of the township upon which the village of New Haven was laid out.
  • The first cemetery was laid out on a sandy knoll on John Skinner's farm. The earliest death recorded on a headstone there was in the year 1817.
  • Caleb Palmer was the first postmaster in the township, and one of the first commissioners of Huron County in 1815.
  • The first lawyer was William Clark, Esq., who settled as early as 1815.
  • The first wheat was sown by Caleb Palmer in 1810, before he became a settler, upon the land where he later built his home.
  • Reuben Skinner put out the first orchard on his farm. He took a quantity of cranberries, which he and his son had picked upon the marsh, to Knox County where he exchanged them for 100 very small trees.
  • In all likelihood, Rev. James MacIntyre, a Methodist minister, was the first to deliver a sermon in New Haven. It was given in the log school house.
  • Dr. Samuel B. Carpenter was the first resident physician. He began his practice, with Royal N. Powers as a partner, about 1814.
  • Joseph Dana was the first postmaster.
    ​
Early Population Indicators
  • In 1826, as shown in the clerk's copy of the trustee's report, there were 86 house-holders in New Haven Township.
  • 1840 U. S. Census - 1,270
  • 1880 U. S. Census - 1,807
    ​
Cemetery Locations in New Haven Township
Picture
The numbers of the cemeteries below, correspond
​with the circled numbers on the map above.
  1. Old Greenwood Cemetery (Section 3)
  2. New Greenwood Cemetery (Section 3)
  3. Fullmer Cemetery (Section 2)
  4. Note on Fenner Cemetery, Plymouth Twp., Richland County in Cemetery book
  5. Guinea Corners Cemetery (Section 2)
  6. Maple Grove Cemetery (Section 1)
  7. New Haven Cemetery (Section 1)

Information compiled by Ken Shute.
Maps by Bob Kerner.
Transcribed from the old Huron County OHGenWeb site
© 2005-2014
​All Rights Reserved.

​
Other Links
  • New Haven Ohio History League
Picture

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