Tracing Our Roots…Early settlers of the Western Reserve

Alexander Harper headed the group of 25 who landed at Cunningham’s Creek, later called Arcola Creek. The heads of each family then chose their portion of the land that comprised several townships. Harper’s brother-in-law William McFarland and his wife, Miriam Harper, chose a spot near the present-day Episcopal Church, and Ezra Grogory chose a spot near the river where the Clyde Furnace would be built later.
After the death of the leader, Alexander Harper, the small group stayed together through the efforts of Alexander’s wife, Elizabeth (Bartholomew). All seemed hopeless when the small grain grinder broke preventing them from even grinding their wheat. The settlers had been waiting for son James Harper and one other man to return from Canada with supplies but they had been detained by the weather and ice.
But after, I am sure, much prayer by the Harpersfield party, they were rescued by another early settler who had just landed at the mouth of Cunningham’s Creek. He had come to prepare for settling in Austinburg. Eliphalet Austin discovered the dire need of the settlers and was able to give them supplies preventing them from starvation until the Harper brothers returned.
Life was harsh, and many were not able to withstand the difficult life our early settlers endured. But Elizabeth Harper, a widow, more than survived, she thrived. One morning, her cows strayed into the thick, dark forest. She went in search of them and become lost for an entire day. She followed the banks of the stream and was so far away from the settlement, she could not hear the sound of the alarm horn, which was blown throughout the day. She finally heard the sound as night fell and came upon the township line and followed it to the clearing. Her ability to shoot a gun saved her family from a bear attack at least once.
Many were the difficult encounters of the little party and we are fortunate that the Harper family saved the letters, documents, maps and other items preserved today at the Western Reserve Historical Society.
By the next July of 1799 after Alexander Harper died, his brother Major Joseph Harper arrived to join the party while another relative came with them and settled in Salem, now Conneaut, 30 miles downriver.
During the fall, Judge Aaron Wheeler, who had married the Harper’s oldest daughter, Margaret, came with his family to settle here. The settlers were not disturbed by Indians, but they were observed by them without their knowledge. The winter was especially harsh that winter, with such deep snow the Indians were unable to find meat and were starving.
About 30 of them came to the settlement and asked for help. They were graciously fed and housed for six weeks by the new settlers. When the snow finally melted and game became plentiful, the Indians shared with their white friends.
Elizabeth Harper saw all her older children settle around her and saw the first school open in 1802, most likely the first on the Western Reserve. During the War of 1812, according to the writings of a Harper granddaughter, she saw her grandmother instructing volunteers how to make cartridges. Elizabeth Harper died on June 11, 1833. An extensive obituary praising her was in the Ashtabula Sentinel of Aug. 24. 1833. She was 84 years of age.
From a young bride of 21, Elizabeth overcame obstacles that would have stopped most from going on. Her obituary stated, “By a mind naturally strong, well stored with experience and imbued with Christian piety, Mrs. Harper was well prepared to sustain hardships with fortitude, to manage and direct agricultural affairs with prudence and judgement, and to train her family to usefulness, respectability and piety. She lived to see one hundred and ten of her posterity. She survived three children, 18 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. She left behind her five children, 49 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren. As she lived in the exercise of repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in works of duty and charity; so, she died in the Lord, and now rests from her labors and her works which do follow her.”
You can take a virtual tour of the 17-room Shandy Hall, the former Harper Homestead. It was built by Elizabeth’s youngest son, Robert and his wife, Polly Hendry, in 1813. Go to the website wrhs.org and click on Shandy Hall.
I am hoping the Western Reserve Historical Society will have open hours for the former “Harper Homestead,” Shandy Hall for our 250th Anniversary. You can call and make an appointment for your group to visit. The Western Reserve Historical Society’s address is 10825 East Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio, phone: 216-721-5722.

Information for this series was obtained from the papers of James Harper descendants, “Memorial to the Pioneer Women of the Western Reserve,” 1896; Find-A Grave sites, “Women of the Western Reserve Before 1840” 1875; “History of Ashtabula County, 1985”; “Alexander Harper Family Papers,” Western Reserve Historical Society, 1755-1935 and 1814-1851.