Geneva, a borough of about 400 people, 346 by the census of 1880, is
situated in the northern part of Greenwood Township. A petition praying
for its incorporation and signed by thirty-two citizens representing that
the proposed borough contained not more than forty-six free-holders;
was filed August 10, 1871. It was approved by the grand jury November 9,
1871, and the report confirmed by the Court January 23, 1872. It was
further directed that the first election be held at the schoolhouse on the
third Friday of March, 1872, and for that purpose William W. Gelvin was
appointed to give due notice of the election. DeWitt Harroun was appointed
Judge, and William Billings and Alfred M. Abbott, Inspectors. The first
officers were Jonathan Smock, Burgess; J. D. Christ, Cyrus Carman, Cyrus
Adsit, D. E. Smith and J. H. Tiffany, Council; J. H. Tiffany, Clerk; James
Hood, Constable. Subsequent Burgesses have been D. W. Harroun, 1873-74;
A. B. Cushman, 1875; W. W. Gelvin, 1876; R. U. McEntire, 1877-78; J. D.
Christ, 1879; W. H. Graham, 1880; R. U. McEntire, 1881-82-83; J. D. Christ,
1884.
In 1863, when the Atlantic & Great Western Railroad was constructed, Sutton's
Corners, as the place was then called, contained seven or eight families. Peter
and Sylvester, in the spring of 1860, had started the first little store, teaming
the goods from Meadville; the establishment changed ownership several times
in as many years. Miller Sutton was blacksmithing in a little shop on the site
of Armour's Hotel, the southwest corner of Main and Center Streets, and several
farmers and laborers were living on the site of the village. John Sutton and John
Gelvin were the proprietors of farms comprising what is now the south part of the
village, Sutton west and Gelvin east of Main Street, while the north part was
owned by C. G. Bolster and J. D. Christ. Since the railroad was completed the
progress of the village has been steady, and it now contains six general stores,
a drug store, a furniture store, three hotels, a harness shop, two shoe shops,
four blacksmith shops, three wagon shops, a stave factory, a planing-mill and
manufactory of horse rakes, washing-machines, picket fences, etc., started by
Alfred and Daniel Hafer about 1873 (now owned by D. E. Smith), two physicians,
a graded school, two churches and two societies.
The first school was a frame one-story building, erected in early times on the
southeast corner of Main and Center Streets. The second was also a one-story
frame, built about 1851, and superseded, in 1866, by the present schoolhouse.
Jonathan Christ was the first Postmaster, followed by John Gelvin, who kept the
office for many years at his residence, a short distance east of the village. Peter
Ross followed, then D. W. Harroun, the present Postmaster.
The Methodist Episcopal Church of Geneva is the succession of a class which
met and worshiped, as early as 1820, in a schoolhouse located about a mile
east of Geneva. A. log church was afterward built just east of the borough,
succeeded by a frame church on the same locality, built about 1843. The
present building in Geneva, a frame 40x50, was completed in 1858, at a cost
of $1,200. It was commenced a year or two earlier, during the ministry of Rev.
Isaiah Lane. Thomas Abbott, Wyram Newton and John Sutton were early
members. In its earliest history this appointment was connected with Salem,
Mercer County, Circuit. It is now a part of Evansburg Circuit.
The United Brethren Church was organized in 1870, with four members: J. D.
Christ, F. D. Gill and T. P. Abbott and wife. The first meetings were held in the
schoolhouse, and in 1871-72 the meeting-house, a neat brick structure, 36x48,
was erected on a lot donated by John Gelvin, at a cost of about $3,000. It was
dedicated October 5, 1872, Bishop J. J. Glossbronner officiating. The
membership is about forty. The pastors of the church have been Revs. P. W.
Ish, Frank Reynolds, Rufus Smith, Charles Evarts, Samuel Evans, G. W.
Franklin, Hiram Bedow, A. Meeker, N. C. Foulk, D. C. Starkey and T. J.
Butterfield.
Geneva Lodge, No. 408, K. of P., was instituted September 27, 1873, with ten
members: W. W. Gelvin, D. W. Harroun, C. McMichael, L. D. Strayer, B.
Sutton, H. W. Sutton, W. A. McKay, W. K. Bolster, A. B. Cushman and J.
Carman. One hundred and thirty-one members have been initiated, and the
membership is now seventy. Meetings are held every Saturday evening.
Ora Fina Lodge, No. 1006, K. of H., was instituted April 2, 1878, with eleven
members: D. W. Harroun, W. W. Gelvin, W. H. Graham, A. W. Brown, F. P.
Scowden, C. A. McEntire, G. W. Foulk, R. B. Clover, James Carman, R. H.
Coulter and F. P. Andrews. Two members have been lost by death, and fifteen
are now connected with the Lodge. Meetings are held on the second and fourth
Tuesday evenings of each month.
Lodges of Good Templars and E. A. U. formerly existed at Geneva, but have
since disbanded.
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