Wakeman Township, Huron County, Ohio
Cemeteries are listed below this map along with an early history of Wakeman Township.
The numbers of the cemeteries below, correspond with the circled numbers on the map above.
1. Barnes or Dalton Farm Cemetery (Section 3)
2. Canfield Cemetery (Section 3)
3. Denton Farm Cemetery (Section 3)
4. Sherman Cemetery (Section 1)
5. St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery (Section 2)
6. Wakeman Village Cemetery (Section 4)
7. Wakeman Village Cemetery Lot owners (Section 4)
WAKEMAN TOWNSHIP
(Township number 4 in range 20)
Early Beginnings
Wakeman Township was named after Jessup Wakeman. He was one of the original 74 grantees of land in Wakeman Township, pursuant to the enactment in 1792 by the State of Connecticut granting land on the west
end of the Western Reserve to Connecticut property owners whose property had been destroyed by fire during the Revolutionary War. Wakeman Township was attached to Florence Township (Erie County) until Feb., 1824, at which time it was organized as an independent township by the county commissioners. In April, 1824, elections were held in a log
school house near that of Augustin Canfield for township officers.
Early Settlers
The first family to settle in Wakeman was that of Augustin Canfield in
May, 1817. He came from New Milford, Litchfield County, Connecticut with his wife and four children, his brother Burton Canfield, Seymour Johnson, and his hired man.
Some other early settlers, and their dates of arrival in Wakeman, were:
| Amial P. Pierce 1817.
| Samuel Bristol 1817.
|
| Erastus French 1817.
| Dr. Harmon M. Clark 1818.
|
| Barzilla S. Hendricks 1819.
| Abram Bronson 1819.
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| Sheldon Smith 1820.
| Burton French 1820.
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| Silas French 1821.
| Justus Minor 1821.
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| Chester Manville 1822.
| Justin Sherman 1822.
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| Philo Sherman 1822
| Leveritt Hill 1822.
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| Merritt Hyde 1823.
| Amos Clark 1823.
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| Russell Barnes 1824.
|
Some First Events
The first wedding in Wakeman was that of Marshall Johnson and Marinda Bradley in Oct., 1820
The first child born in the township was Burton Canfield on 18 Apr 1818.
The first death was that of Mrs. Hendricks. mother of Mrs. Abram Bronson , in 1820.
Justin Sherman built the first frame building, a barn, in 1823. He also
built the first frame house in 1827.
The first public house was kept by Marcus French.
In 1823, Burton Canfield built a saw mill on the Vermillion (river).
Another was built by Justin Sherman on the La Chapelle (river) in 1823.
The first post office was established 1 Jan 1833, with Justin Sherman as
postmaster, who kept the office in his house.
The first school was opened by Mrs. (Harmon M. ) Clark in her own house,
in 1818. Her students were Calvert C., Royal R., and Sarah Ann Canfield;
Lemuel B. Bennett; and Minott Pierce. She taught for the equivalent of
$1.00 per week, paid in produce, and she boarded herself.
The first election of a school board, of record, was on 31 Oct 1828 when
Augustin Canfield was elected clerk; and Justin Sherman, Philo Sherman,
and Samuel Bristol were elected directors.
Dr. Harmon M. Clark was the first physician to practice in the township.
He had been a surgeon and assistant surgeon in the U.S. Navy in the War
of 1812.
Early Population Indicators
The 1829 Census of Wakeman Township showed 33 white male inhabitants
over the age of 21 living there.
1840 Census-- 702.
1880 Census-- 1,450.
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