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a 3 i n oaProf. Fletcher Tells Of tetters Of Austin PenfieldBy I. B. THOMASAbout a year ago when several members of the reorganized Lorain County Historical Society were taking an inventory of the collection which had been in storage for many years they made an nteresting discovery. Professor Robert S. 'Fletcher, professor of history in Oberiin College came to -Elyria to help! _ classify the papers. He found a? i box of manuscripts labeled “Letter*,1 of Austin Penfield’’ and marked as coming from the Penfield Historia-cal Society. Apparently the society had gone out of existence but the papers were turned over to the Lorain County Society.Professor Fletcher is the ‘author of a history of Oberiin College which contains many items of interest connected with Elyria. He took the letters to Oberiin and lately found time to examine them.Last evening at the meeting of the Lorain County Society he told of the letters and read many extracts dealing with Elyria mainly from 1830 to 1840. He said that Austin Penfield came from Penfield. Penfield was settled by Peter Penfield in 1819 and Calvin Spencer was associated with him in the sale of land to other pioneers. Austin Penfield went to Cleveland and letters dated about 1820 tell of the young settlement and the few stores. One o£ the Penfields dealt in meats and grain in Cleveland making shipments to the east by way of Lake Erie and the Cuyahoga River.Austin Penfield began the practice of law in Elyria and his letters to faraway New England told of the activities in Elyria. He was the secretary of the Elyria Lyceum and his minutes are intact. They tell of the many debates and discussions of timely subjects. Rev. John Mon* teith and Horace K. Kendall were among the members. Austin was treasurer for a time and the treasurer’s report for October 1, 1834 to October 1. 1835 gives much timely information.Proposed CanalLetters _ telling of a proposed canal were found. This antedated the Erie Canal which became a reality. This was dated 1837.Professor Fletcher stated that many Penfields were students at Oberiin College and all had a high standard of scholarship arid many .went east to fill responsible positions. Emily Penfield graduated from Oberiin in 1842 and while there bad classes in political economy under Professor Walker. Most women students took the more literary courses. Incidentally Miss Penfield. Professor Fletcher said, married her teacher and they moved to Brookville, Mass.Tlie complete collection of letters is a valuable addition and it ss the hope of the Society’to find suitable quarters to house the collection and make it accessible to everyone.In closing his talk the speaker said these letters showed the need to make seracb of all the county for undoubtedly there are innumerable articles of great historical interest and we must not let the historical record fall into discard. The record of the past is a guarantee of the future.At the meeting the old constitution of the society, long outmoded, was repealed and a new and more complete one was accepted.
Newspaper Details
The Chronicle Telegram
Elyria, Ohio, US
Wed, Feb 15, 1950
Page 14
Full Page
Clipped by
Elyria P.
OH, USA 09 Nov 2023
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