The portrait gallery showcases many of the photographs and portraits of the Cahoon family and other early Bay Village residents.

In the Victorian era, technology was going through rapid developments, including the new process of photography. With the introduction of albumen prints, photography and portraiture was now cheap enough to become commercially available to the middle class. Instead of spending time and money to sit for an artist to paint a single portrait of their loved ones, families could now take a short afternoon trip to one of many photography studios.

Cleveland had many studios during this time, including the “Studio of Photographie, M. M. Udell,” at 11 & 13 Euclid Avenue. The back of one of their cabinet cards, pictured here, features an ornate advertisement for the studio. The portraits of the Cahoon brothers are some examples of cabinet cards (Frame #25).
Photography had also progressed far enough that cameras could be taken outside of the studio. In fact, a photographer could come out to document important events such as wedding anniversaries and family reunions. Rose Hill’s portrait gallery showcases many of these photographs, such as Joel and Margaret Cahoon’s golden wedding anniversary in 1881 (Frame #10).
Besides photographs, other types of portraits are seen here. Before commercially available photography a few early Dover residents sat for more traditional portraits such as Joel and Margaret Cahoon when they were a young couple (Frames #5 and #6). Large hand-drawn crayon copies of photographic portraits are also on display, likely made so that the portraits could be framed and hung on the walls rather than kept in a photo album.
Portrait Gallery Key
To read about a particular portrait or photograph, click on the frame number and title below. Or start from the beginning with Emma Hackett Cahoon’s portrait.

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Frame #1: Emmeline “Emma” Hackett Cahoon

b. 1808
d. 1876, Elyria, Ohio
Emeline “Emma” Hackett Cahoon was born in 1808. She married Benjamin Cahoon on December 1, 1835. They had at least eight children together. Their daughters can be seen in a group portrait at Rose Hill in frames #8 and #22. She was described by Ida Cahoon, in her book History of the Cahoon Family, as “…a most excellent wife and model mother.” Emma lived to be 68 years old and is buried in Ridgelawn Cemetery, Elyria, Ohio.

Frame #2: Joel Butler Cahoon

Joel Butler Cahoon, along with his family, were the first settlers of Bay Village. He sat for a few different portraits over the years. This portrait was painted in his old age, after he had let his beard grow long. To read more about Joel and view a portrait of him as a young man, go to frame #5.

Frame #3: Benjamin Reynolds Cahoon

b. 14 July 1805, Montgomery County, New York
d. 29 Sept. 1872, Elyria, Ohio
Benjamin Reynolds Cahoon was the eighth child of Joseph and Lydia Cahoon and came with the family to Dover in 1810. Benjamin worked as a stone cutter in Cincinnati and Elyria. He married Emeline Hackett on December 1, 1835. They had at least eight children together. Benjamin and Emma’s daughters can be seen in a group portrait at Rose Hill in frames #8 and #22.
According to Ida Cahoon, in her book History of the Cahoon Family, “…Uncle Benjamin was very fond of flowers, fruits and all the beautiful objects he could have about him and was excellent company among his many friends.” Benjamin passed away at the age of 67. He is buried in Ridgelawn Cemetery, Elyria, Ohio.

Frame #4: Lydia, Laura, and Ida Cahoon

Lydia, Laura, and Ida Cahoon pose with a book for a studio portrait. It was likely taken sometime after 1903, when their sister, Martha, passed away. It appears to be a part of a series of photographs taken at one session. Another photograph from this session is Lydia’s portrait in frame #7 where she is seen reading the same book, likely a prop provided by the studio. Read more about the sisters here.

Frame #5: Joel Butler Cahoon

b. 27 Aug. 1793, Salisbury, New York
d. 28 Sept. 1882, Rose Hill, Dover Township, Ohio
Joel Butler Cahoon was the third son of Joseph and Lydia Cahoon. He moved to Dover with his parents and siblings in 1810. Joel and his brother Daniel started a contracting business building public works such as canals, aqueducts, viaducts, and railroads in Ohio, Indiana, and Maryland.
While in Maryland he married Margaret Van Allen Dickson on July 14, 1831. They would move into Rose Hill in 1842. In 1881, they celebrated their golden anniversary. A photo was taken of the couple with the many guests who visited them at Rose Hill for the occasion. Joel passed away the next year at the age of 89 and is buried in Lakeside Cemetery.
He likely sat for this portrait soon after his marriage to Margaret. You can view other portraits of him in frames #2 and #26.

Frame #6: Margaret Van Allen Dickson Cahoon

b. 8 Feb. 1810, Washington D. C.
d. 21 June 1894, Cleveland, Ohio
Margaret Van Allen Dickson Cahoon married John Douglas Van Allen on August 16, 1827, who passed away two years later in March 1829. She met Joel in Maryland in 1830 while staying with an aunt. They married a year later and had eleven children together, eventually settling at Rose Hill. In 1881, they celebrated their golden anniversary. A photo was taken of the couple with the many guests who visited them at Rose Hill for the occasion. Margaret passed away at the age of 84, outliving her husband and all but six of her children. She is buried in Lakeside Cemetery.

Frame #7: Lydia Elizabeth Cahoon

Lydia poses here with a book for a photography session with her two surviving sisters, Laura and Ida. Another photograph from this session is a portrait of the three sisters reading the same book in frame #4. Read more about Lydia here.

Frame #8: Children of Benjamin Cahoon and Joel Cahoon

The daughters of Benjamin Cahoon (back row) pose with the children of Joel Cahoon (front row) at Rose Hill. The Cahoon Barn (now the Community Center) can be seen in the distance. This group portrait was likely taken at the Cahoon reunion seen in frame #22. Of Joel’s children, only the four sisters and Thomas are seen, placing the photograph between 1899, when John Marshall Cahoon passed, and 1903, when Martha Cahoon (far left) passed. Scroll down to read about Benjamin’s daughters, visit frame #17 to read about Joel’s daughters, and visit frame #25 to read about Thomas.
Daughters of Benjamin Cahoon, back row, left to right: Helen Bullock, Abigail Schneerer, Jeanette Cahoon, and Minerva Hollenbach.
Children of Joel Cahoon, front row, left to right: Martha Cahoon, Lydia Cahoon, Thomas Cahoon, Ida Cahoon, and Laura Cahoon.

Benjamin Reynold Cahoon’s Daughters

Helen Cahoon Bullock
b. 24 Dec. 1836, Elyria, Ohio
d. 19 July 1924, Elyria, Ohio
Helen was the second child of Benjamin and Emma Cahoon. She married Aaron H. Bullock in 1870. They lived in Elyria. Helen lived to be 88 years old and is buried in Ridgelawn Cemetery.

Abigail Frances Cahoon Schneerer
b. 7 Aug. 1852, Elyria, Ohio
d. 13 Aug. 1925, Norwalk, Ohio
Abigail was the eighth child of Benjamin and Emma Cahoon. She married Dr. Frederick W. Schneerer, a Union soldier. She passed away at the age of 73 and is buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Norwalk, Ohio.

Jeanette Rebecca Cahoon
b. 26 Jan. 1842
d. 18 Dec. 1902, Elyria, Ohio
Jeanette was the sixth child of Benjamin and Emma Cahoon. She never married. Jeanette lived with her cousin, Thomas Cahoon, and his wife, Elizabeth, in Cleveland. She lived to be 59 years old.

Minerva Cahoon Hollenbach
b. 1 Mar. 1838
d. 1 Dec. 1915, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Minerva was the fourth child of Benjamin and Emma Cahoon. She married Reuben Hollenbach on September 17, 1863 in Lorain County. They lived in Cleveland. She lived to be 77 years old.

Frame #9: Rebecca Cahoon Griffith

b. 1798, Salisbury, New York
d. 1859
Rebecca Cahoon was the sixth child of Joseph and Lydia Cahoon. She came to Dover with her parents when she was twelve years old. She married Jacob Heath on November 16, 1823. The couple had two children, Silicia Heath and Franklin Heath. However, the marriage didn’t last and they divorced. On November 14, 1850, Rebecca married Ebenezer Griffith. Her daughter’s son, Walter Wright, became the Cahoon family’s lawyer and processed the will that set up Rose Hill as a museum. Walter and his family can be seen at the Cahoon family reunion in frame #22 and their daughter, Margaret Wright Glendenning’s portrait is in frame #16.

Frame #10: 1881 Golden Wedding Anniversary

The Cahoon family gathered at Rose Hill for Joel and Margaret’s golden wedding anniversary on July 14, 1881. In Margaret’s autobiography, she estimates there were 150 guests present. She describes how, that morning, she and Joel exchanged rings engraved with their initials and date of their anniversary. A photograph was taken that day of all the guests. Her children can be seen in the front row, sitting from youngest to oldest.

Frame #11: Leverett Judson Cahoon

This portrait of Leverett Judson Cahoon is a carte de visite or calling card print. This type of photographic portraiture was popular between 1859 to the early 1870s.
A four lensed camera could take eight negatives on a single glass pane. The resulting print would be cut into eight individual portraits and pasted to cards. With eight copies automatically made per session, carte de visite prints could be used similarly to calling cards and exchanged socially. They were mailed, given at holidays and birthdays as small gifts, and collected in albums.
However, in the 1870s the carte de visite cards began to be replaced by the larger cabinet cards as technology improved. Large prints were no longer as labor intensive and expensive as they had been. People jumped on the chance to have larger, more detailed photographs of their family and friends.
This carte de visite portrait of Leverett was likely taken in the 1860s. The back is decorated with the studio’s name, Ryder’s, which was located at 239 Superior Street, Cleveland, Ohio.
To learn more about Leverett go to frame #25.

Frame #12: Henry C. Wischmeyer, Jr.

b. 27 Sept. 1872, Dover Township, Ohio
d. 4 July 1959, Bay Village, Ohio
Henry C. Wischmeyer, Jr. was the fifth child of Henry Wischmeyer, Sr. and Regina Rentschler Wischmeyer. He worked with his father raising grapes. The family had a winery and lakefront hotel on Lake Road near Glen Park Drive. This was likely where Henry gained an understanding of many types of boats, inspiring him to build and design model boats. Blueprints of his boats are at Osborn Learning Center and many of his completed models are displayed in the basement of Rose Hill. Henry lived to be 87 years old and is buried in Lakeside Cemetery.
His portrait and his sister’s are both opaque watercolor over a photographic print. The artist is unknown.

Frame #13: Olga Wilhemine Wischmeyer

b. 19 Feb. 1869, Dover Township, Ohio
d. 27 Mar. 1948, Village of Bay, Ohio
Olga Wilhemine Wischmeyer was the fourth child of Henry Wischmeyer, Sr. and Regina Rentschler Wischmeyer. She worked at her father’s hotel as a cook and was a member of the Library and Museum Committee for the City of Bay Village. She never married. Olga lived to be 79 years old and is buried in Lakeside Cemetery.
Her portrait and her brother’s are both opaque watercolor over a photographic print. The artist is unknown.

Frame #14: Aaron Aldrich III and Elizabeth “Betsy” Aldrich

This daguerreotype portrait of Aaron Aldrich II and Elizabeth Winsor Aldrich was taken on April 27, 1854, on Aaron’s birthday. The case made for the daguerreotype was inscribed “A- Aldrich age 62 / April 27-1854 & Mrs. / E- Aldrich age 60 / December 22 – 1854 / Dover Ohio.” However, this contradicts the date of birth given on his grave (1795), which would have made him 59 when this photo was taken.

Aaron Aldrich III
b. 27 Apr. 1795 (?), Smithfield, Rhode Island
d. 27 May 1856, Dover Township, Ohio
Aaron Aldrich III, was the son of Aaron Aldrich II and Mary (Marcy) Waterman. He married Elizabeth “Betsy” Windsor on September 11, 1814 in Smithfield, Rhode Island. The two moved to Dover Township, Ohio in 1816  with their one year old son, Aaron Aldrich IV, and a year later had another son they named William Waterman (frame #21). The family did not settle permanently in Dover until 1829 when Aaron purchased a 140-acre farm along Lake Erie. There, Aaron set up a tannery and made furniture. He was elected as a magistrate in the township for many years and helped form the First Baptist Church of Dover. Aaron lived to be 61 years old and is buried in Lakeside Cemetery.

Elizabeth “Betsy” Windsor Aldrich
b. 22 Dec. 1794, Smithfield, Rhode Island
d. 28 Dec. 1869, Dover Township, Ohio
Elizabeth “Betsy” Windsor was the daughter of Augustus Winsor and Nancy Waterman. She married Aaron Aldrich III and settled with him in Dover. They had five children together. Betsy lived to be 75 years old. She is buried in Lakeside Cemetery.

Frame #15: Children of Joel and Margaret Cahoon

The children of Joel and Margaret Cahoon pose for a portrait in front of Rose Hill. This was likely taken shortly after June 21, 1894, when Margaret passed at the age of 84, outliving all but six of her children. Read more about Margaret at frame #6, her daughters at frame #17, and her sons at frame #25.

Standing, left to right: Thomas Cahoon, Martha Cahoon, Ida Cahoon, and John Marshall Cahoon.
Sitting, left to right: Laura Cahoon, Lydia Cahoon, and an empty seat likely representing their mother, Margaret Cahoon.

Frame #16: Margaret Fairely Wright Glendenning

b. July 1894, Cleveland, Ohio
d. 16 May 1957, Mount Vernon, Ohio
Margaret C. Fairely Wright was the daughter of Walter Wright and Maria Palmer, and Joseph and Lydia Cahoon’s great-great-granddaughter. She was present at Laura Cahoon’s funeral in 1917, where she opened the service singing, “My Jesus as Thou Wilt.” She married Donald O. Glendenning, son of Amos Glendenning and Luella Osborn (the great-granddaughter of Reuben Osborn), on October 21, 1922. Margaret lived to be 63 years old. She is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Westlake, Ohio.

Frame #17: The Cahoon Sisters

Joel and Margaret Cahoon had four daughters who survived to adulthood. All four of them were school teachers in the Cleveland area and never married. All were active in the Commodore Perry Chapter of the Daughters of 1812 as well as the Dover Lake Episcopal Church. They split their time between Rose Hill and their house at 1916 Broadway in Cleveland.
Standing, left to right: Lydia, Laura, and Ida Cahoon. Sitting: Martha Cahoon.

The Cahoon Sisters

Lydia Elizabeth Cahoon
Frames #4, #7, #8, #10, #15, #17, #22, #29
b. 16 Aug 1835, Frederich, Maryland
d. 29 Mar. 1917, Rose Hill, Village of Bay, Ohio
Lydia Elizabeth Cahoon was the third child of Joel and Margaret Cahoon. She was a school teacher in Toledo, at Cuyahoga County schools, and in the Cleveland School System. She was a founding member of the Ladies Aid Society at the Methodist Episcopal Church. Lydia passed away at Rose Hill at the age of 82 and is buried in Lakeside Cemetery.

Laura Ellen Cahoon
Frames #4, #8, #10, #15, #17, #18, #22
b. 12 Dec. 1841, Cleves, Hamilton County, Ohio
d. 2 June 1917, Rose Hill, Village of Bay, Ohio
Laura Ellen Cahoon was the sixth child of Joel and Margaret Cahoon. She taught at many schools, teaching mainly the first grade. She taught for over 45 years. She once gave this advice to young teachers: “Never go into the work of preparing a child for life simply as a means to make a living. Unless you love children and love to work with children, your place isn’t with them. A little girl or boy is the most precious thing in the world.” Laura passed away at Rose Hill at the age of 76 and is buried in Lakeside Cemetery.

Martha Washington Cahoon
Frames #8, #10, #17, #22
b. 22 Feb. 1844, Rose Hill, Dover Township, Ohio
d. 19 May 1903, Rose Hill, Village of Bay, Ohio
Martha Washington Cahoon was born on George Washington’s birthday, which prompted her namesake. She was the seventh child of Joel and Margaret Cahoon. Martha was a school teacher, getting her start in Toledo before teaching in the Cleveland School System. Martha passed away at Rose Hill at the age of 59 and is buried in Lakeside Cemetery.

Ida Maria Cahoon
Frames #4, #8, #10, #15, #17, #22
b. 17 Mar. 1852, Rose Hill, Dover Township, Ohio
d. 28 Nov. 1917, Rose Hill, Village of Bay , Ohio
Ida Maria Cahoon was the youngest child of Joel and Margaret Cahoon. She received her Teacher’s Certificate on April 15, 1871 and taught in the Cleveland School System and served on the Bay Village Board of Education. She was the president of the Cahoon Family Centennial in 1910 while her sister Lydia, served as vice president. She wrote two books. Looking Backwards detailed the history and events of the Saturday Reading Club while The History of Cahoon Family told the story of her family. Ida passed away at Rose Hill at the age of 65 and is buried in Lakeside Cemetery.

Frame #18: The Broadway House

While the Cahoon sisters were teaching in Cleveland they lived in a house at 1916 Broadway. They sometimes shared the house with other teachers, such as Ada Hine, a teacher who is listed as a boarder at 1916 Broadway in the 1900 census. On the weekends and during breaks, they would take the train out from Cleveland to Rose Hill.

Frame #19: Effie Cahoon Ellis

b. 1861, Cleveland, Ohio
d. 18 April 1888, Cleveland, Ohio
Effie Cahoon was the first and only child born to Thomas and Elizabeth Cahoon. She married Dr. Clifton D. Ellis on October 24, 1883. This photograph was likely taken of her wearing her wedding dress from that day. Her husband had a general practice and was a professor of Osteology and Minor Surgery at the Cleveland University of Medicine and Surgery. She died of tuberculosis at the age of 27 and is buried in Lakeside Cemetery.

Frame #20: The Aldrich Family

William Waterman Aldrich II was the first born son of William Waterman Aldrich I and Martha Bassett Aldrich. He was a farmer, learning the trade from his father. In 1857 he bought land from Christian Saddler and built a house before marrying Jeanette Bates on June 12, 1862. They had ten children, all pictured here. It is said that for each child’s birth, a tree was planted on the lawn and the house was steadily expanded to accommodate the family. All seven daughters were married in the parlor of the house William built, and the funerals of William and Jeanette were held there. The house still stands at 366 Bassett Road.
Back row, left to right: Annabelle, Evalena, Martha Bassett, Howard Vincent, Imogene Rachel, Berthenia Capitola, and Edythe Amelia.
Front row, left to right: Gertrude Florence, William Waterman II, Clifton Irving, Jeanette Bates, and William Waterman III.

<h4>William and Jeanette Aldrich’s Children</h4>

Imogene Rachel Aldrich
b. 6 May 1863, Dover Township, Ohio
d. 24 Mar. 1931, Dover Village, Ohio
Imogene was the first child of William and Jeanette Aldrich. She married George Alexander Williams on November 10, 1880. They had five children together. George ran a fruit farm on Center Ridge Road, which their son Leonard later took over after George’s death. Imogene passed away at the age of 68 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Westlake, Ohio.

Berthenia Capitola Aldrich
b. 2 May 1864, Dover Township, Ohio
d. 26 Apr. 1894, Carlisle Township, Ohio
Berthenia was the second child of William and Jeanette Aldrich. She married Robert John Smith on June 24, 1885. Robert was a farmer and both of his parents were from England. They had six children together. She passed away at the age of 30 and is buried in Ridgelawn Cemetery, Elyria, Ohio.

Martha Bassett Aldrich
b. 25 Nov. 1865, Dover Township, Ohio
d. 12 Aug. 1957, Chicago, Illinois
Martha Bassett Aldrich was the third child of William and Jeanette Aldrich. She was named after William’s mother. She married Isaac Beaucock on October 27, 1887. They had three children together. At some point between their marriage, and the birth of their son Clarence in 1897, they moved to Chicago where Isaac worked as a contract decorator and painter. Martha passed away at the age of 92 and is buried in Irving Park Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois.

Evalena Jeanette Aldrich
b. 17 Mar. 1867, Dover Township, Ohio
d. 5 Mar. 1956, Lorain County, Ohio
Evalena (Evelyn) Aldrich was the fourth child of William and Jeanette Aldrich. She married George Linsley in 1896 and had a daughter, Grace, in 1898. She then married Heinrich Lade on March 22, 1903. They had a son, Bernhardt Lade. Henry passed away in 1907. Evalena then married John Meister, divorcing him in 1918 before marrying John W. Thomson who worked at a steel plant. Sometime before 1930, he passed away and Evalena and her son went to live with Evalena’s mother. She lived to be 89.

Howard Vincent Aldrich
b. 22 Aug. 1869, Dover Township, Ohio
d. 6 Mar. 1947, Cleveland, Ohio
Howard Vincent Aldrich was the fifth child of William and Jeanette Aldrich. He married Alice McCarty on November 17, 1889. They had two children together. Howard worked as a manager of a seed store in Cleveland. He passed away at the age of 78 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Westlake, Ohio.

Annabelle Hurst Aldrich
b. 30 Oct. 1873, Dover Township, Ohio
d. 9 Oct. 1950, Lakewood, Ohio
Annabelle was the sixth child of William and Jeanette Aldrich. She married Clayton M. Terry on January 25, 1897. He worked as a clerk at a steel plant in 1910. They had three children together. She passed away at the age of 76 and is buried in Butternut Ridge Cemetery, Eaton, Ohio.

Edythe Amelia Aldrich
b. 14 Aug. 1876, Dover Township, Ohio
d. 8 Jan. 1961, Elyria, Ohio
Edythe Amelia Aldrich was the seventh child of William and Jeanette Alrdich. She married Herbert Marcus Barker on April 5, 1905. Herbert had a younger sister, Mary Adeline Barker who married Edythe’s younger brother, Clifton. Edythe and Herbert moved to Elba, New York within a year, where Herbert started a farm. The couple had one child together, Gertrude Barker. Herbert passed away in 1924. By 1930, Edythe had moved back to Ohio where she made a home with her daughter in Elyria. She passed away at the age of 86 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Westlake, Ohio.

Clifton Irving Aldrich
b. 21 Nov. 1878, Dover Township, Ohio
d. 17 May 1970, Avon, Ohio
Clifton Irving Aldrich was the eighth child of William and Jeanette Aldrich. He married Mary Adeline Barker on August 27, 1903. Mary Adeline’s brother would marry Clifton’s older sister two years later. Clifton and Mary Adeline had three children together. They raised their children on the fruit farm Clifton owned. He passed away at the age of 92 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Westlake, Ohio.

Gertrude Florence Aldrich
b. 3 Apr. 1880, Dover Township, Ohio
d. 25 Dec. 1949, Benton Harbor, Michigan
Gertrude Florence Aldrich was the ninth child of William and Jeanette Aldrich. She married Frank Leslie Simanton on March 7, 1907. In 1908, when Gertrude gave birth to her first child, Edith, they were living in Illinois. By 1910 they had moved to Fargo, North Dakota where Frank taught high school. By 1920 they were living in Illinois again, in Brookside, where Frank was working as an entomologist with the U.S. government. Ten years later they were living in Benton Harbor, Michigan where Frank continued his work as an entomologist. The couple stayed in Benton Harbor for the rest of their lives, having a total of five children together. Gertrude passed away at the age of 69 and is buried in Crystal Springs Cemetery, Benton Harbor, Michigan.

William Waterman Aldrich III
b. 4 Sept. 1882, Dover Township, Ohio
d. 30 Sept. 1946, Toledo, Ohio
William Waterman Aldrich III was the tenth child of William and Jeanette Aldrich. He married Florence Mitchell  on December 25, 1906, and they had one child together, Melvern William Aldrich. They lived in Rockport (now Rocky River) where William worked as a clerk at a coal office. The couple later divorced in 1918. William then married Ruby Teasdale on August 16, 1920, and they had two children together, William Waterman Aldrich IV and Norma Jean Aldrich. By 1930 he was working as a manager for a heating company in Elyria. Ten years later in 1940, he and Ruby were divorced and he was working as a timekeeper in Lorain. He passed away at the age of 64 and is buried in Ridgehill Memorial Cemetery, Amherst, Ohio.

Frame #21: Anna M. Taintor Cahoon

b. 1871, Illinois
d. unknown
Anna M. Taintor Cahoon was the adopted daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth Cahoon. She was a painter, designer, and interior decorator in Cleveland from the mid-1880s to at least 1897. She graduated from the Wester Reserve School of Design in 1888 and attended classes at the Cleveland School of Art while working at William Otis’s Household Art Company. She was listed as an artist in the 1893 Cleveland City Directory. In 1896, Anna partnered with Amy E. Smith in a decorating and applied art business that they had at least until 1898.

Frame #22: Cahoon Family Reunion

The descendants of Joseph and Lydia Cahoon gathered for a reunion at Rose Hill sometime after 1899 (John Marshall’s death), but before 1903 (Martha’s death). The reunion included the Wright, Bullock, Hollenbach, and Andrews families. The Wrights are the descendants of Joseph and Lydia Cahoon’s daughter, Rebecca. The Bullocks and Hollenbachs are descendants of Joseph and Lydia Cahoon’s son, Benjamin. The Andrews family is very distantly related to the Cahoons but were considered close family friends.

Top Row: 1-6. Unknown, 7. Walter Wright, 8. Tom Wright, 9. Maria Palmer Wright, 10. Aaron Bullock, 11. Bertha Wilbur Bullock, 12. Mabel Bullock, and 13. Alva Bullock.
Middle Row: 27. Everett Benjamin Cahoon, 28. Thomas Cahoon, 29. Martha Cahoon, 30. Helen Cahoon Bullock, and 31. Jeannette Cahoon.
Bottom Row: 19-22. Unknown, 23. Margaret Wright, and 24. Unknown.

Front Row: 14. Mary Hollenbach, 15. Unknown, 16. Lulu Hollenbach Manter, 17. Reuben Hollenbach, 18. Elizabeth Hollenbach Dougherty, 19. Unknown, 20. Ida Cahoon, 21. Unknown, 22. Jay Collin Andrews, 23. Lillian Spoor Andrews, 24. Edwin R. Andrews, 25. George Andrews, and 26. Unknown.
Middle Row: 32. Minerva Cahoon Hollenbach, 33. Lydia Cahoon, 34. Laura Cahoon, 35. Abigail Cahoon Schneerer, 36. Maria Webb Andrews, 37. Frank Andrews, and 38-43. Unknown.
Front Row: 44. Unknown, 45. Virginia Andrews Hutchinson, 46. William Harron Andrews, 47. Jay Andrews, 48. Dan Andrews, and 49. Louise Andrews Sanders.

Frame #23: The Powell Family

Perry Powell was born on April 29, 1836 to Thomas Powell and Sophia Sadler Powell. He married Sarah Milner in 1867. The north forty acres of Thomas’ farm were deeded to Perry, along with the old Powell house where he resided with his family. The couple had three children, Elvie Powell Dodd (left), Clinton Powell (middle), and Mary Powell (right). All of the Powells are buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Westlake, Ohio except for Mary who moved to Santa Barbara with her husband.

The Powell Family

Perry Powell
Front, right.
b. 29 Apr. 1836, Dover Township, Ohio
d. 16 Jul. 1915, Village of Bay, Ohio
Perry Powell was the first child of Thomas and Sarah Powell. For a time he worked as a carpenter and joiner according to the 1880 census before taking over his father’s farm. After his wife’s death in 1898, he worked the farm before going to live with his eldest daughter and her family on their farm. He lived to be 79 years old.

Sarah Milner Powell
Front, left.
b. 13 Apr. 1847, Mayfield, Ohio
d. 23 Sept. 1898
Sarah was the daughter of Harriet Horn and James Milner. Her father immigrated from East Riding of Yorkshire, England. Her mother was from New York. James passed away a year after Sarah was born. Her and her mother, along with her three siblings, went to live with her uncle, John Horn, on his farm. Sarah married Perry Powell in 1867. She passed away at the age of 51.

Alva “Elvie” Powell Dodd
Back, left.
b. Dec. 1872, Dover Township, Ohio
d. 1954
Elvie was the third child of Perry and Sarah Powell. She married twice, first to Chauncey Stevens and then to Wirt W. Dodd. Wirt’s parents, Charles and Anna Dodd, immigrated from the Isle of Man to Dover and started a fruit farm. Wirt took over his father’s farm for a time where he and Elvie would have two children together. By 1930 the couple took on other jobs, Wirt as a house builder, and Elvie as a dressmaker. Sometime in the late 1930s, Elvie went to live with her widowed daughter, Sarah Wymer, in Cleveland. She passed away at the age of 82.

Isaac Clinton “Clint” Powell
Back, middle.
b. Oct. 1870, Ohio
d. 25 Jan. 1926, Village of Bay, Ohio
Clint was the first child of Perry and Sarah Powell. He married Amanda Wuebker on March 2, 1905. Amanda’s parents were Friedrich and Ernestine Wuebker who immigrated from Buscherheide, Hanover, Prussia. Friedrich passed away when Amanda was young, so she and her family went to live with her uncle in Dover. Her brother, Ernie, was the mailman on the first rural mail route out of West Dover.
Clint and Amanda had four children together who they raised on their fruit farm on Bradley Road. He passed away at the age of 56, leaving the farm to his wife. She ran the farm until her death twenty years later.

Mary Katherine Powell
Back, right.
b. 10 Jun. 1878, Ohio
d. 20 Oct. 1924, Santa Barbara, California
Mary was the third child of Perry and Sarah Powell. She worked as a teacher before marrying William H. Greene on June 16, 1902. William Greene was the son of William B. and Caroline Greene, and worked as a farmer before working as an electrical engineer. The couple lived with William’s parents at least until 1910, before moving to California, where William bought a farm. Mary passed away at the age of 46 and is buried in Santa Barbara Cemetery in California.

Frame #24: Notable Bay Village Residents

William Sadler
b. 23 Sept. 1791, Laurel Hill, Pennsylvania
d. 23 Mar. 1875, Dover Township, Ohio
William Sadler was the son of Christopher Saddler and Sophia Oritz. In the War of 1812 he was a corporal under Captain Harris and participated in the Battle of Lake Erie as a sharpshooter. During the war he traveled through Dover Township and decided to settle there, purchasing Lots #92 and #98 along the Lake Erie shoreline. He arrived in Dover with his father in 1814 where the two prepared a home for William’s family by clearing the land and building a log cabin. In 1815, he traveled back to New York to bring his wife, Elizabeth Tryon and their daughter Sophia to Dover.
William and Elizabeth founded the Dover Lake Shore Methodist Episcopal Church in North Dover Township (today, Bay Village) in June 1827. The church met in their log cabin until William and Elizabeth deeded part of their land to the building of a frame church, providing materials and raising funds as well. William passed away at 84 years old and is buried in Lakeside Cemetery.

Henry Foote
Frame #24, far right
b. 21 Apr. 1844, Dover Township, Ohio
d. 12 Mar. 1919, Village of Bay, Ohio
Henry Foote was the son of Ransom Foote (son of David Foote) and Catharine Porter Foote (daughter of Asahel Porter). David Foote was an early settler of Bay Village. Around 1815, he bought Lot #97 in Dover Township where he built a log cabin and raised his family.  Asahel Porter, Catharine’s father, arrived in Dover the same afternoon as the Cahoons.
Henry Foote, along with his siblings, helped farm the original Foote homestead. Eventually, Henry took over the remaining portion of the farm after part of it was sold. He raised mainly fruits and berries on his farm and also worked as a land agent for the Lake Shore Electric Interurban. He never married, living with his sister at the old family homestead. He passed away at the age of 75 and is buried in Lakeside Cemetery.

Reuben Osborn
Frame #24, middle left
b. 4 Nov. 1778, New Haven, Connecticut
d. 24 Mar. 1860, Dover Township, Ohio
Reuben Osborn and his brother-in-law Asahel Porter arrived in Dover Township on the same day as Joseph Cahoon on October 10, 1810. He permanently settled in Dover a year later with his wife, Sarah Johnson Osborn. He built the oldest frame house between Cleveland and Lorain in 1815. Reuben donated land for the first schoolhouse in Dover as well as the first cemetery. He passed away at the age of 81 and is buried in the cemetery he helped create: Lakeside Cemetery, Bay Village, Ohio.
This portrait, as well as Sarah Osborn’s, are carte de visite portraits. True to the carte de visite form, they were mailed to a member of the Foote family where they were placed in a photo album. Both have a green 3 cent telegraph stamp on the back, dated 10/22/1864.

Sarah Johnson Osborn
Frame #24, middle right
b. 8 Aug. 1779, Woodbridge, Connecticut
d. 6 Sept. 1858, Dover Township, Ohio
Sarah Johnson was the daughter of Eliphalet and Mary Johnson. She married Reuben Osborn in Bristol, Connecticut. Her sister married Asahel Porter. Asahel’s family along with Sarah’s husband and her brother Leverett Johnson, arrived in Dover Township in 1810. Reuben returned for her and waited for spring to settle in Dover permanently as a family in 1811. Her brother, Leverett, married Abigail Cahoon in the Cahoon log house in 1814. He later became the Justice of the Peace and served in the State Legislature.
Sarah and Reuben had three children together, but their only son, Selden, was the only child to survive to adulthood. He had a son named Reuben who would become the first mayor of Bay Village after it seceded from Dover. Sarah passed away at the age of 79 and is buried in Lakeside Cemetery, Bay Village, Ohio.

Frame #25: Joel and Margaret Cahoon’s Sons

Joel and Margaret had six sons, five of which survived to adulthood. Of the five, only Thomas married. Thomas and John Marshall were the only two brothers to outlive their mother.

Thomas Havenner Cahoon
Frames #8, #15, #25
b. 7 July 1832, Fredericktown, Maryland
d. 16 Apr. 1907, Cleveland, Ohio
Thomas Havenner Cahoon was the eldest child of Joel and Margaret Cahoon. He was the only child to ever marry, marrying Elizabeth Hughes on March 27th, 1860. He was a member of the Cleveland City Council, a partner in the lumber firm Cahoon & Hutchinson as well as in the manufacturing firm Moore, Cahoon, & Co. He passed away at the age of 75 and was buried in Lakeside Cemetery.

John Joseph Cahoon
b. 9 Jan. 1834, Fredericktown, Maryland
d. 4 Mar. 1894, Dover, Ohio
John Joseph Cahoon was the second child of Joel and Margaret Cahoon. He grew up at Rose Hill but later moved to Memphis, Tennessee where he worked as a mechanical engineer. He returned to Rose Hill when he contracted tuberculosis. He passed away at the age of 60 and is buried in Lakeside Cemetery.

Daniel Kenyon Cahoon
Frames #25, #30
b. 25 Jan. 1838, Clear Spring, Maryland
d. 15 Feb. 1890, Cleveland, Ohio
Daniel Kenyon Cahoon was the fourth child of Joel and Margaret Cahoon. Little is known about his life including what he did for a living. However, in the 1880 census he was listed as a ticket agent. He never married. Daniel passed away at 52 and is buried in Lakeside Cemetery.

Leverett Judson Cahoon
Frames #11, #25
b. 14 Nov. 1845, Dover Township, Ohio
d. 16 Aug. 1886, Dover Township, Ohio
Leverett Cahoon was the eighth child of Joel and Margaret Cahoon. He took over the farm after Joel became too ill. In addition, he and his younger brother, John Marshall Cahoon, became proprietors of the Cahoon Store around 1860. The brothers also started a fishery, as well as shipped fruit on the Nickel Plate Railroad, which had built a train station adjacent to their store. He lived to be 41, when he passed away of typhoid fever. Leverett is buried in the family lot in Lakeside Cemetery.

John Marshall Cahoon
Frames #15, #25, #27
b. 29 July 1847, Dover Township, Ohio
d. 8 Aug. 1899, Dover Township, Ohio
John Marshall Cahoon was the ninth child of Joel and Margaret Cahoon. He often went by “Pat” or “Patrick.” He was appointed the postmaster of North Dover in 1892. He passed away at the age of 52 when his carriage overturned on his way home from the Cahoon Store. John Marshall is buried in the family lot in Lakeside Cemetery.

Frame #26: Joel Butler Cahoon

A series of crayon enlargements of family photographs continue to be displayed on the walls of Rose Hill. This photograph of Joel Cahoon was enlarged by John Kavanagh of Cleveland in 1881. He studied at the National Academy of Design in New York, studied genre painting in Munich, and studied at the Académie Julian in Paris. In Cleveland he became well known for his portraiture, specifically in crayon as seen here. Kavanagh also painted landscapes, including one of Rose Hill which hangs in the 1818 parlor. In 1889, he became the director of the Art Club in Cleveland, teaching portraiture and figure painting. He passed away in 1898.
To read more about Joel Cahoon, visit frame #5.

Frame #27: John Marshall Cahoon

This photograph of John Marshall Cahoon served as the reference for a crayon enlargement by an unknown artist. The enlargement process began with the sun. A camera with an angled mirror captured the sunlight and directed it through the photo negative and an enlarging lens onto a piece of treated paper. This took several hours, and the mirror had to constantly be adjusted to account for the sun’s movement. Between this and any inherent flaws in the image now seen at a much larger scale, they almost always had to be retouched and enhanced using crayons and paint. A skilled artist could maintain the original photograph’s realism, providing a portrait that was worthy of framing and hanging on the wall.
To learn more about John Marshall Cahoon go to frame #25.

Frame #28: Martha Washington Cahoon

This portrait of Martha Washington Cahoon was done by an unknown artist. It may be a crayon enlargement, although the effect is more painterly than Joel’s or John Marshall’s. To learn more about Martha, visit frame #17.

Frame #29: Lydia Elizabeth Cahoon

This crayon portrait of Lydia Elizabeth Cahoon is signed “Tanquerey, Brooklyn, N.Y.C.” A positive identification of the artist is difficult, although an ‘A. Tanquerey’ won a Medal of Merit in photographs and crayon portraits in 1890. However, Tanquerey is also associated with a crayon portrait scam. In a 1891 circular for the Tanquerey Portrait Society, signed by an ‘A. Tanquerey,’ a free crayon portrait is advertised. An interested party would send a photograph to be turned into a larger portrait free of charge.
The deal was too good to be true. After the photograph was sent, the customer would be sent a pamphlet advertising extravagant frames they would have to buy before receiving their original photograph and portrait. If the customer refused, they would receive neither. In 1893, the Tanquerey Portrait Society was banned from using the U.S. mail. A few years afterwards the scam was running in France and Australia, with warnings of the ‘swindle’ being printed in the newspaper.
It appears that Lydia was able to secure a quality portrait from Tanquerey. Maybe she decided the frame was worth the trouble, or Tanquerey had yet to turn his crayon portrait business into an international scam.
To learn more about Lydia, go to frame #17.

Frame #30: Daniel Kenyon Cahoon

This photograph of Daniel Kenyon Cahoon was used to make a crayon enlargement similar in style to Martha’s portrait. To learn more about Daniel, visit frame #25.

Frame #31: Victoria Eliza Clague Tuttle

b. 10 Mar. 1839, Dover Township, Ohio
d. 10 Jan. 1930, Village of Bay, Ohio
Victoria Clague was the daughter of Robert Clague and Margaret Cowle. Her parents were from the Isle of Man, marrying in Lonan in 1837 before immigrating to Dover before Victoria’s birth in 1839. Victoria married Ezra W. Tuttle on May 31, 1873. She passed away at the age of 91 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Westlake, Ohio.

Frame #32: Ezra Tuttle

b. 12 Feb. 1837, Dover Township, Ohio
d. 23 July 1921, Village of Bay, Ohio
Ezra W. Tuttle was the second child of Dexter Tuttle and Amelia Weidner Tuttle. Dexter was an early settler of Dover, arriving in 1823 at age 16. Ezra helped his father build a frame house for the family in 1845. The family’s land along Lake Road was split amongst the children, with Ezra farming a portion by Columbia road. He passed away at the age of 84 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Westlake, Ohio.

Frame #33: Jeanette Bates Aldrich

b. 6 Feb. 1841, Avon, Ohio
d. 27 May 1931, Village of Bay, Ohio
Laura Jeanette Bates was the sixth child of Daniel and Rachel Bates. She married William Waterman and Martha Aldrich’s first son, William Waterman Aldrich II. They lived in a house William II built on land he had bought from Christian Saddler. Many additions were added and Jeanette cared for a large flower garden on the grounds. Jeanette passed away at the age of 90 and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Westlake, Ohio.

Frame #34: William Waterman Aldrich

b. 17 Oct. 1817, Dover Township, Ohio
d. 19 Nov. 1903, Lorain, Ohio
William Waterman Aldrich was the son of Aaron Aldrich III and Elizabeth Winsor. He was born in Dover before the family left for New York. They returned when William was twelve. He was a successful farmer and rancher, eventually becoming a breeder of Hereford cattle in Elyria. He passed away at the age of 86 and is buried in Lakeside Cemetery.

Frame #35: Martha Bassett Aldrich

b. 7 Oct. 1818, Dover Township, Ohio
d. 29 Nov. 1875, Dover Township, Ohio
Martha Bassett was the daughter of Nathan Bassett and Martha Hall. Her father was an early settler of Dover, arriving in 1811 and serving as a town trustee from 1813 to 1839. Martha married William Waterman Aldrich on July 4, 1840 and they had eight children together. She passed away at the age of 57 from tuberculosis and is buried in Lakeside Cemetery.

Frame #36: Miss Prince

b. Unknown
d. Unknown
Miss Prince was a fellow school teacher and friend of the Cahoon sisters. Her first name is unknown.

Frame #37: Thomas Cahoon

This is likely a photograph of a young Thomas Cahoon. To learn more about Thomas, go to frame #25.

Frame #38: Elizabeth Cahoon

b. 19 Nov. 1830, Ohio
d. 4 Oct. 1914, Cleveland, Ohio
Elizabeth Hughes was the first child of Richard Hughes and Elizabeth Elder. She married Thomas Havenner Cahoon in Cincinnati, Ohio on March 27, 1860.
They settled in Cleveland and had one daughter together, Effie, and adopted another daughter, Anna. Elizabeth passed away at the age of 84, outliving both her husband and Effie. She is buried in Lakeside Cemetery.

General References

Photography
“A Brief History of the Carte de Visite.” American Museum of Photography, 2004.
“Cabinet Card.” City Gallery, 2005.
National Museum of Scotland. Victorian photographic techniques.
“Transformations in Cleveland Art.” (CMA, 1996), p. 232.

Crayon Enlargement
Gary E. Albright and Michael K. Lee. “A Short Review of Crayon Enlargements: History, Technique, and Treatment.” Topics in Photographic Preservation, vol. 3, Photographic Materials Group of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works, 1989, pp. 28-36.

Tanquerey Portrait Society
Proper, Forrest. “1891 Circular Letter from the Tanqueray Portrait Society.” Bookin‘!, Joslin Hall Rare Books catalog, no. 10, May 2014, pp. 8-9.
R. “Dear Bulletin.” The Bulletin, 30 Mar. 1901, p. 31. Trove.
Illustrated Catalogue and Price List. Tanquerey Portrait Society (Brooklyn N.Y.), 1891. Winterthur Museum Library, Archive.org.

Genealogy
Bay Village: Way of Life. Bay Village Historical Society, 1974.
Sheldon, Keith M. Descendants of Early Bay Village Families. 5 Aug 1999.
Flament, Catherine Burke. Retracing Footsteps: Lakeside Cemetery, Bay Village, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Bay Village Historical Society, 2006.

In contrast to the 1818 Bedroom, the Victorian Bedrooms for the adults and children are more ornate, filled with decorative pieces, engaging toys, and luxurious furniture.

In the Victorian era, the Cahoons, and families like them, no longer needed to be as self-sufficient as they had been before. City life was close by, and with it came stylish furnishings and expensive toys that starkly contrast with the simplicity of the 1818 Bedroom.

Decorating the Victorian Bedroom

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The parlor had to be outfitted in the most stylish decor to impress guests, however that didn’t mean the rest of the house was any less decorated. The middle-class could afford luxurious furnishings for all areas of life, including the bedroom.

The Eastlake Movement

The Cahoons seemed partial to the Eastlake Movement when it came to their furniture. This style was a response to earlier, more flamboyant Victorian sensibilities. It emphasized simple, shallow ornamentation with geometric and natural motifs that were easy to clean. The Eastlake Movement was triggered by Charles L. Eastlake (1833-1906) when he published his book, “Hints on Household Taste in Furniture, Upholstery, and Other Details,” in 1868. It became so popular that it was reprinted many times and went on to influence architecture.

Although Charles Eastlake emphasized the role and skill of the craftsman, this simple style could be easily created by machines, much to his dismay. Manufacturers took advantage of this new style, turning out furniture that was both affordable for the middle class to buy as well as to maintain. The walnut bed, nightstand, and dressers in the Victorian Bedroom are all examples of Cahoon family furniture in this style.

Less ornate furniture did not mean fewer decorations. The Victorian era called for decorative objects on every surface. Inspired by the French étagère shelves, the Cahoon’s ‘what-not’ shelf in the back left corner of the Victorian Bedroom was the perfect spot to display decorations such as busts, figurines, and other ‘what-nots.’

Ansonia Clock

Decorative pieces owned by the Cahoon family include this Ansonia brand mantel clock featuring a spelter figure of Isaac Newton sitting on a chair.  Ansonia Clock Co. started in 1851 in Ansonia, Connecticut and moved to Brooklyn, NY in 1878. They specialized in novelty clocks such as this one that featured imitation gold and ornate cast figures of everything from athletes to angels.

The Children’s Victorian Bedroom

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The adults of the middle and upper classes weren’t the only ones who enjoyed the new products flooding the Victorian era markets. Girls enjoyed bisque porcelain dolls and accessories imported from overseas. The Children’s Bedroom is filled with period tea sets and doll furniture that would have not only inspired play but reinforced the styles and norms of behavior of the day.

German Armand Marseille Doll

This is a prime example of an imported bisque doll that would have been available around the end of the Victorian era. Armand Marseille made bisque doll heads with mold 390, like this doll’s, being the most popular. Even though the molds were the same, the dolls could have a variety of hair and eye colors to suit the tastes of the customer. Her head would then be fitted onto a body made by another manufacturer, usually composition or stuffed fabric. The body of this particular doll is a ball-jointed composition body also made in Germany, although sometimes the bodies would be made in France or other countries.

Blue Willow China Toy Tea Set

Tea sets for children got their start in the 16th century when sets were made in Germany for the young princesses of Europe. This was before porcelain tea sets, so they were often made of pewter, or even gold and silver. Thus, it wasn’t until the 19th century that toy tea sets were made available for a wider audience. The Exposition Universelle of 1855 appeared to be the turning point, where manufacturers across the world put their latest porcelain creations and toys on display. The two worlds collided and porcelain toy tea sets were now available to purchase by the middle-class.

This tea set is based on the Blue Willow design developed by Thomas Turner in 1779 imitating patterns found on Chinese porcelain, making it the epitome of chinoiserie style. This particular set was made in Japan. It includes a teapot, sugar bowl, cream pitcher, tureen, plates, tea cups and saucers.

References

“Armand Marseille Dolls 1885-1950s German.” Doll Reference.
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Willow pattern.” Encyclopedia Britannica.
Decker, Emile. “A History of Childrens Tea Sets.” Childs-Tea-Set.com.
“History.” Ansonia Clock Company, Inc., 2006. Archived copy accessed 2 June 2021.
LaChiusa, Chuck. “Furniture – Eastlake Style in Buffalo, NY.” Buffalo as an Architectural Museum, 2004.

The early families of Dover Township didn’t have the modern luxuries of indoor plumbing and spring mattresses. Their bedrooms would have featured rope beds and chamber pots instead.

Aaron Aldrich III and Elizabeth Winsor Aldrich settled in Dover Township permanently in 1829. They lived in a log cabin on Lake Road until they could build a frame house. Their early life would have been very similar to the Cahoon’s. The 1818 Bedroom’s furnishings are primarily from the Aldrich family and give a peek into what life was like for them during these early days.

The Long Road to Dover

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Aaron Aldrich III and Elizabeth “Betsy” Winsor Aldrich first arrived in Dover Township in 1816. They built a log cabin on land shared with Henry Winsor, Betsy’s brother, who had arrived three years earlier. However, six years later, Aaron received a letter asking him to manage a cotton factory in Otsego County, New York. The family left Dover for New York where they lived for seven years before finally moving back to Ohio. With the money he had earned in New York, Aaron purchased a 140-acre farm along the shore of Lake Erie. There they settled and built their frame house in 1830. The house still stands today at 30663 Lake Road.

The Aldrich Rope Bed

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The box spring mattress wasn’t invented until 1865. This meant that early Bay Village settlers slept on beds strung with rope and topped with a straw, corn-husk, or feather-filled mattress to provide support and comfort. The poplar and maple rope bed seen in the 1818 Bedroom belonged to the Aldrich family, likely constructed some time in the 1830s alongside the construction of their frame house.

The bed would need regular tightening as the rope would begin to sag in the middle over time. To aid in tightening the rope without having to redo the entire bed, a rope key would be used. This was also called a bed winder or bed wrench.

Indoor Plumbing

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We may take for granted the ease with which we can wash our face, brush our teeth, and take showers without much thought to how the water gets to us. But the Aldrich family couldn’t simply turn a knob back in 1829 and have fresh water to wash with. They would have to haul water directly from the well.
Instead of sinks, showers, and bathtubs, the family used wash basins and pitchers like the white and pink ironstone china set seen in this bedroom. The family would use this set for cold sponge baths in the morning.

The first sewer in neighboring Cleveland wasn’t even built until 1856. This meant that instead of a flush toilet, the family would have used a chamber pot. This would have been preferable to use during the night rather than having to take the long, dark, and oftentimes freezing, walk to the outhouse.

References

Sibley, Willis E. “Water System.” Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, Case Western Reserve. Accessed 1 June 2021.
Studstill, Bobbi. “The Nineteenth-Century Bathing Environment.” Hermann-Grimma + Gallier Historic Homes, 13 July 2020.

In the 1800s, all manner of life revolved around the cooking area, which was the primary source of heat, light, and safety.

For the Cahoons and other families in the area, the work day started before the sun came up in the 1800s. Boys were tasked to split and carry firewood for the stove or fireplace, tend to the farm animals, and carry water to the house. Girls assisted in cooking, collecting eggs, churning butter, preserving foods, making candles, spinning and sewing clothes for the family, and caring for younger siblings.

Making Clothes

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Before clothes were manufactured on a large scale, most families had to make their clothing from scratch. Many times starting all the way from raising sheep and growing flax to spin into thread. The Country Kitchen showcases the spinning wheels used to create this thread. This was a task done almost exclusively by women. Once there was sufficient thread, it might be dyed with plants. Next it would be measured and wound into manageable portions that would be threaded onto a loom. From there fabric would be woven by hand before being cut and sewn into garments.

A Brief History of the Loom

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A loom is a device used to weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of a loom is to hold the threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of threads at right angles. By 700 AD, looms could be found in Asia, Africa, and Europe. The fundamental operation of the loom remained unchanged, but a long succession of improvements was introduced through medieval times, with the establishment of guilds. Colonial America began to weave cloth from locally produced fibers, mostly cotton and wool.
During the Industrial Revolution (1760-1840), weaving was switched from hand to machine-powered. The first powered loom was built in 1785 by Edmund Cartwright. It continued to be refined over the next 47 years until a design made the operation completely automatic. This weaving process sped up production significantly and became a foundation of the Industrial Revolution.

The loom in the Country Kitchen was discovered in the original Cahoon barn (today the Community Center), owned by Emma Kupfer, a local weaver. It is a counterbalance loom. This type of loom is the oldest documented horizontal loom with treadles. Emma used this loom to weave rugs to supplement her income when she wasn’t cooking for wealthy families in Cleveland.

Food Preparation

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Much like ready-made shirts, the Cahoons couldn’t go to the store to pick up butter or bread when they needed it. Instead they had to churn the butter and bake the bread themselves. For a large family, like the Cahoons or Aldriches, this meant food was prepared constantly and in large quantities. Tools were made to assist in this process.

One such piece was the dough box, also called a dough or kneading trough. The angled sides kept the flour and dough contained while being kneaded before leaving it in the box to rise.

Many had lids, like the Aldrich family’s dough box, which kept the dough safe from vermin and encouraged a good rise. The lid could also be used to shape the dough once risen, as well as for carrying the dough to the fire for baking. The Aldrich dough box was painted red, and looks almost like a cradle.

Agriculture in Dover Township

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The Lake Erie microclimate provided excellent growing conditions for farming once the land was cleared. Agriculture in Dover Township evolved into the cultivation of grain, oats, apples, peaches, and grapes. The microclimate provided so advantageous, in the latter half of the nineteenth century, Dover Township was the second-largest area of grape production in the United States.

Henry Wischmeyer Sr. is a notable Bay Village figure who took advantage of this microclimate. He took his knowledge of viticulture with him from Germany and started a successful business in Dover.

Henry Wischmeyer (middle left) was photographed at his wine cellar in 1892 by Erwin Wischmeyer, tasting some of the product with his son Louis Wischmeyer (far left), and friends Mrs. Hirsch (middle right) and Mrs. Jantern (far right).

References

Flament, Catherine Burke. Retracing Footsteps: Lakeside Cemetery, Bay Village, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Bay Village Historical Society, 2006.
Helen. “Using a dough box or kneading trough.” Home Things Past, 19 March 2012.
Tresckow, Sara von. “Understanding the Countermarche Loom.” The Woolgatherers Ltd, 2017.

The Cahoon family once used this room as the informal kitchen dining area but now it serves as a library, honoring the family’s request that their house be maintained and used as a library and museum.

After traveling as a contractor for 20 years, Joel Cahoon, the third son of settlers Joseph and Lydia Cahoon, returned to Dover with his wife Margaret in 1842. He added this room to the original house where it served as the informal kitchen dining area for the Cahoon family.

Centennial International Exhibition of 1876

When Joel Cahoon traveled to the Centennial International Exhibition of 1876 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he brought back with him an unusual Texas Longhorn and calfskin chair.

This was right at the start of horn furniture’s popularity. The art of making horn furniture was brought over from Europe, where elk and deer antlers made up most of the furniture. But now that the art was in America, craftsmen embraced the availability of the large and plentiful Texas Longhorn horns. Horn furniture gained a foothold in American decor at exhibitions and fairs like Pennsylvania’s Centennial International Exhibition.

Pennsylvania’s Exhibition was the first official World’s Fair to be held in the United States, and celebrated the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In fact, this patriotic spirit was used to help raise funds for the Statue of Liberty’s base. The finished torch was put on display at the Exhibition where visitors could buy tickets to climb into the torch by way of a ladder. This generated funds through ticket sales as well as excited the public to help further fundraise for the base.

While Joel may have seen and even climbed into Lady Liberty’s torch, what he likely didn’t know was that librarians from across the country were also gathering at the Exhibition. At this “Librarians’ Conference” they founded the American Library Association. Forty years later, the house Joel brought his unusual chair home to would become a library of its own.

From Sitting Room to Legacy

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Ida Maria Cahoon, Joel and Lydia’s youngest daughter, was the last surviving member of the Cahoon family. It was her final wish that the family homestead would be turned into a library and museum. Her will reads:
“I hereby direct that the dwelling house now standing on said land and which was built in 1818, shall be forever maintained and used as a Library and Museum.” [Full PDF supplied by City of Bay Village]

After her death in 1917, the family home sat vacant until Emma Paul Pope and Olive Paul Bailey opened Rose Hill as the “Dover by the Lake Library” on May 24, 1921. The majority of the collection was made up of the Cahoon family’s private library, amounting to around 1,000 volumes. This included works written by Ida Cahoon herself such as “Looking Backward,” and “History of the Cahoon Family.”

The next year, in 1922, Julia Osborn Scott, great-granddaughter of Reuben Osborn, became the librarian of Dover-by-the-Lake. She remained the librarian for the next 24 years. In the early years of her tenure, the library was open five afternoons and three evenings each week. By 1935, the collection had grown to over 7,000 volumes.

Soon, the population, use of the library, and size of the collection prompted Dover-by-the-Lake Library to join the Cuyahoga County Library System in 1949. They underwent a remodeling of the Rose Hill, adding meeting rooms on the second floor to accommodate the needs of the public. However, this was not enough for the size of Bay Village, by that time numbering around 13,000 people. Eleven years later, in 1960, a new Library opened at the corner of Dover and Wolf Roads.

Despite no longer being the site of the main library, Rose Hill maintains the spirit of Ida’s final wish. Rose Hill’s reference library still contains Ida’s own published works, original Cahoon family books, letters, early settler journals, and other documentation bequeathed to the Bay Village Historical Society. Additionally, the Local Historical Research and Genealogy Library is housed next to the library room in what used to be used as a pantry in the 1880s.

The Bay Village Reading Club

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The library became one of the many meeting places for the Bay Village Reading Club, a social and literary organization that was founded in 1912.

Ida Cahoon was a prominent member of the Methodist Church, and in 1912 she suggested that the incoming pastor meet with the citizens of the eastern section of Bay Village in order to establish a religious service for the area. The new pastor was reverend W. C. Endly, D.D. of Elyria. Dr. Endly and the superintendent of the Methodist Sunday School, John D. Rumbaugh, set up a Sunday School service in the area just as Ida had hoped.

But that was not all that Dr. Endly and John Rumbaugh established for the people of Bay Village. That same year, Dr. Endly gathered a number of people in the church parlor to create a club “to follow some course of study, the discussion of literary topics and for the cultivation of social features.” The club’s first president was John Rumbaugh who put together a program committee of Clara Thompson, Mrs. Carrie Saddler, and Mrs. Clifton Aldrich.

The initial membership dues were 10 cents and the first club meetings were held at the church. As interest waned, the club decided to transition to meeting at different homes each week. This brought with it a chance for members to prepare and enjoy food during their meetings and provide entertainment such as musical performances. As time went on, the meeting places expanded to the library and the beach.

The Bay Village Reading Club covered almost every subject imaginable, especially in the early years. The topics from the 1927-1928 season reflect the interests of the club members, covering everything from “Atlantis” to “Atheism.” The topics also provide insight into the concerns of the time period, such as: “Should Girls go to College,” and “Should Fruit Trees be Dusted or Sprayed.”

The Bay Village Reading Club lasted into the 1980s, having provided decades of social and intellectual entertainment for its members. By the time the club ended, they had gone on trips to Cedar Point, held yearly banquets, and, of course, debated “Can Jazz Music be Good?”

Link: Next Room: Country Kitchen

References

A Brief History of the Bay Village Branch Library. Cuyahoga County Public Library, 1991.
“A Few Reminiscences.” Speech. Bay Village Reading Club papers, Bay Village Historical Society, Bay Village, OH.
By-Laws of The Bay Village Reading Club. Bay Village Reading Club papers, Bay Village Historical Society, Bay Village, OH.
Flament, Catherine Burke. Retracing Footsteps: Lakeside Cemetery, Bay Village, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Bay Village Historical Society, 2006.
Margino, Megan. “The Arm That Clutched the Torch: The Statue of Liberty’s Campaign for a Pedestal.” New York Public Library, 7 Apr. 2015.
“Philadelphia’s World Fair: Topics in Chronicling America.” Library of Congress.
Remembrance of Things Past. 1948. Bay Village Reading Club papers, Bay Village Historical Society, Bay Village, OH.
Rogers, Alan W. “The Horn Furniture of Herman Metz.” The Alan Rogers Longhorn Museum, 1991.
Tuttle, Edward Arthur “The History of Bay Presbyterian Church.” 100 Years at Bay Presbyterian Church, 2017, pp. 9.

After Joseph Cahoon’s death, Joel and Margaret Cahoon came to Rose Hill and ushered in the Victorian era.

Joel Cahoon left the family homestead in 1813 to join the Ohio Militia. He would return to assist his father in building Rose Hill before working as a mail carrier on horseback, riding between Cleveland and Maumee until 1822. From there, he and his brother Daniel started a contracting business building public works such as canals, aqueducts, viaducts, and railroads in Ohio, Indiana, and Maryland. During Joel’s time in Maryland, he met a young widow, Margaret Dickson Van Allen and the two wed in 1831.

After Joseph Cahoon’s death in 1839, the homestead sat empty and neglected for three years. In October 1841, Daniel, Joel’s brother and business partner of 21 years, passed away in Cincinnati. This prompted Joel to leave the contracting business and return to the family homestead. In 1842, Joel, Margaret, and their children rented a house in Rockport (now Rocky River) and began to fix up the old homestead and mills. Finally it was ready to live in and the old business boomed. Margaret gave the homestead it’s signature name in reference to the copious rose bushes her mother-in-law had planted. With this name, the homestead entered a new era.

Furnishing The Victorian Home

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Joel and Margaret Cahoon made Dover their home at the beginning of the Victorian era. This was the period of Queen Victoria’s reign, from 1837 until her death in 1901. It was a time of rapid change and growth in manufacturing, immigration, and technology. The middle class exploded as did the machine-made goods that they could now afford. More people could now afford the luxuries previously afforded only to the upper class. With an influx of new customers and a manufacturing sector to match, advertising was truly born.
The Cahoons now had access to an expanded world of goods from the new factories and the increased ease of shipping via the Great Lakes and railways. The house no longer had to rely on being furnished by goods brought in wagons from Vermont or from what could be made by hand. Joel and Margaret could decorate Rose Hill in the latest styles, recreated here in the Victorian Parlor.

Victorian era interiors were characterized by ornate velvet furnishing, dark-rich colors, and the appearance of luxury. There was not one dominant style of furniture in the Victorian period. Designers modified many styles from Gothic, Tudor, Elizabethan, English Rococo, and Neoclassical eras.

French motifs are also hinted throughout the Victorian Parlor, characteristic of the American Empire style rooted in the First French era (1804-1814) under Napoleon Bonaparte’s rule. This movement represents the late Neoclassical themes of geometric forms, use of columns, and excessive use of Rococo exuberance.
This walnut and green velvet matching set of settee, chair, and footstool belonged to the Cahoons and was likely made between 1850 and 1870. They are prime examples of stylish and whimsical Victorian interior design, with the footstool bringing “Good Luck” to the house in the form of a horseshoe.

Memento Mori: The Aldrich Hair Wreath

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During the Victorian era, hair art was closely associated with memento mori, an artistic or symbolic reminder of the inevitability of death, as a token of remembrance. It was used in jewelry, love tokens, family trees, friendship keepsakes and hair wreaths. The techniques used to create decorative items from hair varied, with an incredible attention to detail. Clean, flattened hair was woven, dyed, accessorized with beads, looped around wire, and/or even mixed with sap-like material then crafted into shapes and patterns. The finished piece usually went under glass or on top of ivory for jewelry.
In England, Queen Victoria’s mourning of Prince Albert, who died in 1861, included commissioning hair work with the prince’s hair. This in turn, helped to popularize mourning jewelry. This popularity diminished with the outbreak of World War I as people were expected to donate time and money.

The Aldrich family made this hair wreath around 1900. It was passed down through the generations to Marguerite Guthery Drake. It is woven in macrame of human and animal hair. Most of the flowers are of family hair, and the middle flower is from the family horse.

Music and Leisure in the Victorian Era

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Manufacturing and the growth of the middle class also brought with it the rise of leisure and popular music. A parlor such as Rose Hill’s Victorian Parlor would be the site of impromptu performances by family and friends of the latest songs, literally called parlor music. Sheet music publishing flourished as did the manufacture of instruments for the parlor.

Chartola Grand Zither

The Chartola Grand zither is an example of the mandolin, fretless, or guitar zither that was popularized in the late Victorian era.

It would have been an acceptable instrument for a middle- and upper-class lady to learn. Her performances would have provided a way to display her attractive qualities to potential marriage matches in the family parlor. Her skill with the zither or instrument of choice was also a reflection of the family’s wealth and security, as only the well-to-do could afford the instrument, sheet music, lessons, and time to practice.

A. B. Chase Walnut Chapel Organ

A cottage organ manufactured by A.B. Chase Organ, Norwalk, Ohio sits in the Victorian Parlor. The company was founded in 1875 by Allen B. Chase.

They offered a variety of case styles for their organs to suit the variety of tastes and styles in Victorian parlors. The organ at Rose Hill is the walnut Chapel Organ in ‘case style 2’ with Eastlake influenced carved decorations. (Read more about the Eastlake Movement in the Victorian Bedroom.)
Rose Hill’s organ can be seen on pages 9-10 in the “A.B. Chase Organ Sales Catalog 1890.” To view a scanned copy of the original sales catalogue and other ephemera visit Antique Piano Shop.

Regina Music Box

Not everyone had the musical talent to play parlor music. That’s where the music box stepped in. When you visit Rose Hill, you can see a Regina table model music box.

Traditional music boxes gained popularity in the 18th century with the French court of Louis XIV. In the 1880s, a new music box style appeared in Leipzig, Germany, the interchangeable disc music box. This new disk-playing machine allowed the player to change discs with ease.

The popularity of these boxes spanned from about 1890 to 1915, with Regina producing more than 100,000 music boxes. The rise of more advanced instruments, like the gramophone and player piano, in the early 1900s, as well as the impact of the Great Depression (1929-1939) on the U.S. economy, led to a dramatic decrease in music-box sales. Only a relatively small number of Regina music boxes have survived from two world wars, scrap metal drives, and other forms of destruction.

References

Flament, Catherine Burke. Retracing Footsteps: Lakeside Cemetery, Bay Village, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Bay Village Historical Society, 2006.
Harper, Siobhan. “Domestic Parlour Music and beyond in the nineteenth century and its literature.” Music Matters, University of Kent, Jan 2020.

After living in a log cabin built in only four days for eight years, Joseph Cahoon and his son Joel built Rose Hill for the Cahoon household in 1818.

The house had two floors with four rooms each. There were two fireplaces on the first floor and a third fireplace under the house for cooking. The 1818 Parlor features one of the original fireplaces built in 1818, with hearth stones sourced from Lake Erie.

Moving House

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Not everything had to be built from scratch like the hearth. The Cahoons, and many families like them, brought prized items with them to Dover Township to start a new life.

Crown Glass
The outside doors are made with glass brought by the Cahoons from Vergennes, Vermont. Called crown glass, it was formed by spinning a hand-blown balloon of molten glass into a disc. The disc was then cut into panes of glass. This created rather small panes of glass by modern standards. The parlor door required nine panes of glass to create the desired effect.

Cahoon Family Cookie Jar
Another prized item brought from Vergennes, Vermont was this cookie jar decorated with papier mache flowers and birds. It was handed down by Mary Cahoon, the oldest daughter of Lydia and Joseph. Mary married George Sexton and came with her parents from Vergennes, Vermont, bringing this cookie jar along with her. The jar was used by five generations of the family before being placed in the care of the Bay Village Historical Society by Mary Cahoon’s great-great-granddaughter.

Flax and Wool: A Staple of Self-Sufficiency

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While the Cahoons brought glass and furnishings from Vermont for their house, they were still living far from the comforts of town life. The family had to be self-sufficient. Joseph Cahoon established a grist mill and saw mill on the creek. Apple, peach, and pear trees were planted on the hillsides and a peach brandy distillery was built. Flax for clothing was also grown and processed before being spun, woven, and sewn into finished garments by the women of the family.

This flax spinning wheel belonged to Hannah Smith Porter, an early Bay Village settler. The flax roving wound on the spinning wheel’s distaff was made by Ada Powell Pepper, the daughter of Sophia Saddler Powell and Thomas Powell. These flax fibers were grown in Dover Township around 150 years ago, which Ada combed with a hatchel to create this roving which would then be spun into thread on the spinning wheel.

References
Free, Simon. “History of Architectural Glass for Windows.” Sash Window Specialist.
Oppenheim, Valeria. “A Common Misconception.” Corning Museum of Glass, 05 Sept. 2013.

Whether you’re following along in person at the Cahoon Homestead, or you’re exploring from home, please enjoy this tour of Rose Hill Museum and learn more about the Cahoon family.

Rose Hill was the home of the first settlers of Dover, now Bay Village. Three generations of the Cahoons lived on this hill for a little over a century, from the time they arrived on the morning of October 10, 1810 until it was put into the care of the city in 1917. Rose Hill Museum shows life throughout this dynamic century for the Cahoon family from the self-sufficiency of the early 1800s to the modern fashion of the Victorian era.

Before the Cahoons

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For millennia, Bay Village was part of a hunting ground for Native American tribes. However, when Europeans arrived, this land was claimed by Connecticut under the terms of its royal charter in 1662.

Following the Revolutionary War, Connecticut ceded sovereignty of some of this land to the United States in 1786 but retained a portion for itself, called the Western Reserve. This coincided with the beginning of the Northwest Indian War as American settlers, the British, and Native Americans fought over ownership of this remaining territory. The war ended through a series of controversial treaties, including the Treaty of Greenville in 1795, which officially ended the war. These treaties ceded Native American land to Connecticut in pieces until the territory was finally sold to the Connecticut Land Company.
The following year in 1796, the Connecticut Land Company sent Moses Cleaveland to survey the territory and portion out 25 square mile townships for development by settlers. Nehemiah Hubbard and Joshua Stowe bought a large parcel along the lake, stretching from Rocky River to Avon and south to Olmsted Township. They named the township Dover, after their hometown in Connecticut. Distributed into lots, the settlement grew rapidly throughout the 1810s.

From Vermont to Rose Hill

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Joseph Cahoon, a miller from Vermont, first visited the Western Reserve in 1799 and it evidently stuck with him. He and his wife Lydia Kenyon Cahoon, along with their children, finally set out 11 years later from Vergennes, Vermont for Lot #95 in Dover Township.

Although they were the first settlers to arrive, they were not alone. Later that same day, Asahel Porter and his family arrived at Lot #94 (present-day Huntington Reservation), along with Reuben Osborn and Leverett Johnson, all from Woodbridge, Connecticut. In fact, Joseph sent his third son, Joel, to a nearby Native American trading post during the first days of their arrival. Through trading, they were able to feed themselves while building their first house in time for the winter. The Cahoon family built a log cabin down by the creek in four days. A reproduction of a log cabin of the same period was built by the Boy Scouts in 1976 to celebrate the American Revolution Bicentennial. Read more about the cabin here (link to Cabin page).
After living in a log cabin by the creek for eight years, Joseph Cahoon and his son Joel built this house for the Cahoon household in 1818. In its first iteration, long before it was called Rose Hill, the house had none of the Gothic and Greek Revival influences seen in its later additions. Instead, the house was simply made by the Cahoons themselves. It had two floors with four rooms each.

Through the Generations

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In 1839, Joseph Cahoon passed. His son Joel Butler Cahoon, returned to Rose Hill with his family in 1842. Joel’s mother, Lydia, had planted rose bushes throughout the property, prompting his wife, Margaret, to name the house and grounds Rose Hill.

The homestead was now in the Victorian era. They no longer lived the life of pioneers. Joel’s children were successful members of the growing middle-class of the industrial revolution fueled Victorian era. Their house and possessions reflected this as can be seen in the Victorian Parlor and Victorian Bedroom.

Thomas Havenner Cahoon ran the lumber business Cahoon & Havenner and was a member of the City Council of Cleveland. John Joseph Cahoon was a mechanical engineer in Memphis, Tennessee. Leverett Judson Cahoon and John Marshall Cahoon built and operated a grocery store and boat house in the area. The four daughters became school teachers across northern Ohio.
In 1882, Joel Cahoon was near the end of his life, spurring thoughts of a lasting legacy. That year a barn was built for Joel and the family decided that upon the death of the last family member, their history would be preserved by giving Rose Hill to the city with the stipulation that it be converted into a library or museum. Later that year Joel Cahoon died at 90 years old but his legacy was ensured. His youngest daughter and last surviving heir, Ida Cahoon, wrote her will to honor the family’s decision. As a result, Joel’s barn is still standing as the Bay Village Community House, the grounds are now Cahoon Memorial Park, and their house is Rose Hill Museum. (To read more about the will visit The Library .)

Today, the museum proudly displays their history and the history of their neighbors, giving us a glimpse into the lives of these early settlers. Enter the museum and visit the 1818 Parlor to begin the tour.

References

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Barrow, William C. “Western Reserve.” Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, Case Western Reserve University. Accessed 25 May 2021.

“Connecticut Western Reserve.” Ohio History Central, Ohio History Connection. Accessed 25 May 2021.

Hemenway, Eric. “Summer 1795: The Treaty of Greenville creates an uneasy peace.” National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, 6 March 2015,

Flament, Catherine Burke. Retracing Footsteps: Lakeside Cemetery, Bay Village, Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Bay Village Historical Society, 2006.

Richner, Al. “Brief History of Dover Township.” North Olmsted, City of North Olmsted, . Accessed June 22, 2021.