The little borough of Evansburg is beautifully situated at the
outlet of Conneaut Lake, and is well and favorably known as
a summer resort.* It was not until the construction of the
Meadville & Linesville Railroad, however, that it became
conveniently accessible to the outside world. Containing four
large hotels and one or two restaurants, it has ample means
for the accommodation of guests. A fifth hotel, a spacious
brick structure, built in 1843 by Robert Andrews, is located
a half mile east of the borough, on the Evansburg & Meadville
Road. The village in 1870 had a population of 174, and in 1880
of 197, which has since slightly increased. It has two general
stores, two groceries, two drug stores, a hardware store, a
millinery store, and a meat market, a saw-mill, a grist-mill,
cheese factory, tannery, wagon-shop, three blacksmith-shops,
three shoe-shops and a livery stable, three physicians, a dentist,
a school, three churches and four societies. The largest building
is the storing house of the Conneaut Lake Ice Company, Limited.
A building 80x100 was erected in 1881, and a second structure
adjoining, 100x200 feet, in 1882. The schoolhouse is a one story
frame, containing one apartment.
The oldest religious society in the village is the United Presbyterian
Congregation, formerly known as Seceders. An old log meeting-
house was erected at Evansburg prior to 1815, and services held
therein until the construction of a frame church building a half mile
east of the borough. This church contained an old-fashioned elevated
pulpit, and was occupied until the erection of the present frame
edifice in 1864, at the southeast corner of High and Fourth Streets.
Rev. McLean, of Shenango Township, preached until September 20,
1827, when Matthew Snodgrass was installed pastor in a beautiful
grove on the shore of the lake. Since then his successors have been:
Revs. Joseph Waddle, Samuel Black and Joseph McNabb. The
membership is about sixty.
Evansburg Presbyterian Church was formerly known as Conneaut,
or the Outlet of Conneaut. From 1811 to 1817 it constituted a part
of the charge of Rev. Robert Johnston, in connection with Meadville
and Little Sugar Creek.
A petition for the incorporation of Evansburg, signed by twenty-fire
citizens, was presented to the grand jury, who in April, 1858,
recommended that it be granted. In accordance the court confirmed
their report, August 9, 1858.
It was dependent on supplies from that date to April 14, 1841, when
Rev. Edward S. Blake was ordained and installed pastor in connection
with Gravel Run, remaining one year. Rev. J. W. Dickey became
pastor October 4, 1843, and was released in 1847. Rev. James
Coulter was pastor from September, 1852, to 1857 or 1858. The next
pastor was Rev. George Scott, installed June 27, 1860, released June
10, 1862. The church building, a large square frame structure, on the
southwest corner of Fifth and Water Streets, was erected in 1831.
The membership is now about fifty. Recent pastors have been: Revs.
J. W. McVitty, McKinney, Anderson and Boyd.
A small Methodist Episcopal class existed at Evansburg in very early
times. Meetings were held in the old log Seceder Church and in the
schoolhouse until 1840, when the present frame meeting-house was
erected on Line Street, opposite Third. Michael Miller, James Birch
and John Vickers were leading early members. Evansburg Circuit was
formed in 1842 with J. Prosser pastor that year, and R. Parker in 1843.
The circuit was then changed, but Evansburg Circuit was re-formed in
1851, and its pastors have since been: I. C. T. McClelland and T. Benn,
1851; I. C. T. McClelland, 1852; J. Abbott and A. L. Miller, 1853; J.
Abbott and F. Vernon, 1854; I. Lane, 1855-56; J. B. Orwig, 1857-58; J.
Wigglesworth, 1859-60; I. Scofield, 1860-61; S. Hollen, 1862-63; J. W.
Hill, 1864; J. Shields, 1865; J. Crum, 1866; J. F. Perry, 1867-68; G. M.
Eberman, 1869; J. Eckels, 1870-71; F. Fair, 1872-'73; W. H. Hoover,
1874; J. A. Hume, 1875; L. Wick, 1876-77; D. W. Wampler, 1878-79;
L. G. Merril, 1880-81; A. J. Lindsey, 1882-83. The membership is about
seventy.
Conneaut Lake Lodge, No. 105, A. O. U. W., was organized March 7,
1877, with Mathew Work, P. M. W.; W. F. McLean, M. W.; A. L.
Bossard, G. F.; H. C. Jones, O.; C. E. White, Recorder; A. W. Birch,
Financier; R. A. Stratton, Receiver; J. C. Jackson, G.; Joshua Brown,
I. W.; Z. T. Raydure, O. W. The membership is thirty-four, and meetings
are held every Wednesday evening.
Conneaut Lake Union, No. 352, E. A. U., was instituted August 12, 1881,
with thirty-seven members. Its first officers were: E. Graham, Chancellor;
Mrs. M. M. McNamara, Advocate; John D. Heard, President; Mrs. S. A
Stratton, Vice-President. Meetings are held on the first and third Fridays
of each month. The membership has slightly increased.
Conneaut Lake Lodge, No. 980, I. O. O. F., was instituted November 25,
1881, with twenty-two members. Its first elective officers were: John S.
Keen, N. G.; J. F. Stewart, V. G.; Charles McGill, Permanent Secretary;
Henry Young, Assistant Secretary; F. Knierman, Treasurer. The
membership is now eighty-eight, and meetings are held every Saturday
evening.
Alpharetta Lodge, No. 135, D. of R., was organized August 14, 1883,
with sixty-four members and with the following officers: Mrs. Mira Keen,
N. G.; Mrs. Mary J. Stewart, V. G.; Mrs. Josephine Brown, Sec.; Mrs.
Sarah E. Andrews, Treas. Four new members have been received; the
second and fourth Tuesdays of each month are the dates for regular
meetings.
Evansburg is one of the oldest villages in the county. Its founder was
Abner Evans, who was one of the earliest settlers in Sadsbury Township.
He patented the two tracts containing Evansburg and adjoining it on the
east, and settled on the site of Evansburg as early as 1796. He sold all
of his land around 1813-14, and moved farther west to the area that
became Monroe Co., Indiana by 1816.
Joseph T. Cummings started a store as early
as 1816. Willis Benedict, his salesman, succeeded him, and was the
sole village merchant for many years. James Stanford, a cabinet-maker,
Zerah Blakely, a carpenter, and Richard Van Sickle were among the
earliest residents. Alfred Strong kept an early tavern; so also did Rosanna
Mushrush. Her twin daughters, Desolate and Lonely, were early school
teachers at Evansburg and vicinity. James McEntire was another pioneer
pedagogue of the little village. The village grew apace, and when the canal
was built, presented quite a thriving appearance. It was then as large as
now, or larger, and did a greater amount of business, having five general
stores beside a number of grocery stores. When the dam was built at the
outlet of Conneaut Lake, after the canal was constructed and the
surrounding land was flooded, the decomposing vegetable matter filled
the atmosphere with deadly malaria, and to escape its ravages most of
Evansburgs settlers removed from the village. The perils diminishing, in
a few years many returned. The time of greatest sickness was about
1840. Jacob Young was a tailor at Evansburg as early as 1810. George
Royer was a carpenter in the village at the same date. Two tanneries
flourished in early times, one owned by James Stratton, the other by
Fox & DeWolf. Rev. Timothy Alden established the first Sabbath-school.
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