Carrolls of Ohio

The Carrolls first lived in East Liverpool. The patent for the lands that Edward Carroll bought was granted on 21 October 1807 and can be viewed at the US Government Land Office website.

The following extracts of published papers give some colour to the early settlement and make reference to Edward Carroll.

Early Reminiscence of Fawcetttown or East Liverpool by Wm G Smith [Pioneer Junior], 1888.

Having received the first number of your modest little sheet – which may be very useful to your citizens, if conducted in accordance with your salutatory – and reading the introduction to your “Rambles through the Schools,” reminiscent occurrences and scenes obtruded themselves upon my decaying memory, that, had they been written in a diary or journal as they transpired up to the present date, would have contained matter for a volume, if published in book form, that would have been as interesting as a romance to the rising generation; provided it had been transcribed and compiled by the talent of a Washington Irving. However, that volume will not be forthcoming but perhaps some of the reminiscences of your town, its pioneers, and those of the surrounding country, might be appreciated by at least a portion of the readers of your youthful journal. If you think so, I may furnish (if my health permits,) something in that way in a series of articles, taking this for number one:

East Liverpool is, for this county, a very old town, and yet very new; paradoxical as this may appear, yet it is true. That portion of the town bounded by Union street on the east, Market street on west, Fourth street on the north, and the Ohio river on the south, was laid out by Thomas Fawcett, Sr., and named on the plat, “St. Clair,” although it was generally called “Fawcettstown,” after the name of the proprietor, and it obtained that name in the list of post towns; also in Cramer’s guide to the navigation of the Ohio river, and on the primitive maps. I think that portion of town was platted about the year 1798; certainly as early as 1800. Thus, you perceive, the town is old, and yet, you know that most of its improvements are new. The place is an apt illustration of human life, having had many “ups and downs” and maintained for many years but a sickly existence, several times narrowly escaping premature death. First it was fortunate in the possession of as beautiful a site as could readily be found on the banks of the river that washed its southern boundary; but it was unfortunate in its paternity – its founder was grandsire to the writer, on the maternal side, and although a good old Quaker gentleman of a very kind, peace loving, hospitable disposition, yet he had not the natural, or acquired abilities for a successful town builder. He lacked the ambition and the go-aheaditive vim that characterize successful proprietors, and for the want of which, at the organization of the county, he lost to his place the county seat by one vote.

Previously, tow or three gentlemen of wealth and influence, residents in Philadelphia, had by proxy, purchased some lots in the town, and had it been fixed upon as the county seat, they would have pushed it ahead with vigor; but when that was lost, they lost all interest in it, paying taxes on their lots for a few years, and then let them be sold for delinquency. The place went into it first decline; a few families of very limited means, who had purchased lots at the first sale and had erected cabins thereon, remained as monuments of anticipate, but “departed greatness.” From the hill all around to the river, it was native forest or open common, and thus it remained for some years. At that day, the first decade in the present century, the place could boast of a postoffice, kept by old Mr. Larwell, father of Joseph, William, John and Jabez Larwell, late of Wooster, Ohio. I expect the statistics of the receipts and emoluments of that office, could they be exhibited to the astonished vision of your present P. M., - Geo. A Humrickhouse, who by the way is a distant connection of that first postmaster – he would bless his start that he did not live to hold office in the previous age. The mail was carried on horseback once per week from Steubenville, through Fawcettstown to Pittsburgh.

In my next I may briefly sketch some of the characters or actors in the scenes and incidents of your place and the immediate surrounding country.

My friend knew the condition of Liverpool at that time was a critical one. He had ignited the embers, and must add fuel or they would die out again. Two or three citizens and himself agreed to bear the expense of carrying a special mail from Wellsville to Liverpool; afterwards, through the courtesy of the postmasters at Wellsville and Little Beaver Bridge, (Matthew Laughlin, Esq. being postmaster at the Bridge,) they obtained from the department at Washington, an arrangement for a mail to be carried on horseback between those points, establishing a postoffice at Liverpool, with John Collins as postmaster, being the first one under the new dispensation, and the only person who would accept the position without grumbling, knowing that it would not pay.

In view of the crisis in Liverpool affairs, and in view of supposed or reported influence that E. Carroll could wield in drawing a forwarding and commission business to Liverpool, should he locate in it, he was told by my friend that he would rent him his warehouse and dwelling, and build a store house on the corner where Messrs. Gaston’s drug store stood, all of which he could have a lease of for two years. During said term Mr. Carroll proposed building to suit himself and subsequently did build the “Mansion House,” and for a time kept a store and hotel in the same. Although he failed in, I think, 1834, and the public lost some money which he, as road commissioner, had collected for the making of a road to New Lisbon, yet he was of some use to the town. He not only built the “Mansion House,” but influenced a number of families to try a residence in the place, one of whom at least, remains a citizen, and a very good, civil one at that, to the present day, and I give it as my opinion that he has introduced more young people into the community than any other citizen of the town; I refer to Dr. Ogden, † and thus speaking of his exhibition of etiquette I mean no flattery, but actually think the doctor deserves credit for his kind attention to “strangers.” He and his father each built a residence for themselves and so far aided improvements.

Although “Pioneer” cannot give dates for buildings and town improvements in their regular order, yet he can say that all the buildings, worth calling such, in the place, up to the introduction of potteries, were put up between 1829 and 1837.

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