This is a supplement written by Rev. B. S. Taylor brought down to 10/1892

The Smiths, coming from the pilgrims of the historical Mayflower, and the Taylor's coming from the puritans of the Truelove, combine to make a character the type of which any family may well be proud, and we should hold ourselves irreverent and our duty unfinished if we did not at least touch upon a little of our forefathers' history. Our grandfathers and grandmothers exercised the same qualities and instilled the instilled the same principles which exercised the ancient founders of Massachusetts into their children-- the settlers of Dover, Ohio. We at the present time (1905), comprise ten generations from the Plymouth settlers, and in every generation except the tenth, it being just begun, one or more of our sons have served in some war, from the Pequod war to the Spanish-American and Western Regulars. Space will not permit the details of but a very few of the Smith's early experiences. Some of us can remember listening to the oft-repeated stories told us by our grandparents, and even by our parents, hence our narration is authentic, coming from the lips of the same and handed from family to family. Jonathan Taylor and Joseph Smith must have immigrated to Western Massachusetts about the same time. It was then called the far west and considered a wilderness. Mr. Taylor's family consisted of three children at the time they started. The Indians being so hostile at that time they remained a few years in the central part of the state (Hardwick). While here three more children were added to their list, one of which was named Rebecca Jerusha: hence we have the birthplace of our great grandmother. They moved to Ashfield about 1770 where they became the neighbors and acquaintances of Joseph Smith's family. Here Jonathan Smith and Rebecca Taylor were united in marriage and lived until their sojourn into the new Canaan-Dover, Ohio, or New Connecticut- as this wilderness was then called.

The street on which Rebecca's family located in Hardwick still retains its original name, Cape Street, from the number of settlers coming from Cape Cod. One little matter we might consider worthy mention. It is the growth of a little flower whose history is older than the Revolution. It is a native of England but was brought around goods of Mrs. Governor Endicott in 1628. It is found in no other place in this entire country, except Beverly and a few other towns close by in Essex county. This plant bears a little yellow flower and is called Genesta. When our puritan ancestors started to cross the state they thought their journey a dangerous one. They drove their stock before them, but it was only a mite compared with the undertaking of Jonathan and Rebecca when they bid farewell to friends and home to found a new colony and a new home far across the country. If any person to-day thinks lightly of their enterprise let him for a few moments resort to a geography of the present date and through New York State into Ohio, bearing in mind all the time their mode of travel accompanied with conditions of roads and country and decide for himself if he would be eager to accept a like experience. Jonathan buried his first wife, which left him with five children. He afterward married Rebecca, who was a cousin to his first wife. They, with eleven children, came to Dover, Ohio, in the spring of 1811. His brother Abner and wife accompanied them. Abner Smith was the father to Hiram Smith and grandfather to Amos Sperry, Ashel and Betsey Smith. Their trip from Ashfield to Dover was not in an automobile but a touring car. We imagine it was a canopy topped, wide tired, four wheeled, spring less vehicle. The propelling force was neither steam nor electricity. It was simply ox power. After plodding six weary weeks
they arrived at Captain Hall's, in Ashtabula, Ohio, where Jonathan left his wife and seven children for a season, or until he with the four eldest children: George, Sylvenus, Mary and Abigal could erect their mansion in the unsettled forest. They remained long enough to lay up the logs of a square structure, minus a floor or chimney, until their return to Captain Hall's. They then moved the entire family and belongings. After a time they built a puncheon floor and put up a chimney. The chimney and fireplace was composed of flat stones laid up with clay for mortar. Above the roof the chimney was laid of small strips of wood laid across each other in the form of a cube. We are inclined to think that at this period many, except those imbued with the spirit, which characterized these people, would have despaired. But not so with Jonathan and Rebecca, their children, as likewise Abner and his wife Rebecca. They had come for a purpose and to them there was no such word as fail. Jonathan's wife was a large, strong woman, while Abner's wife was small of stature and somewhat frail, so they were distinguished as "Big Becky" and "Little Becky."

The town was a territory five miles square, containing only two families, at the time of their ingress into it. They located near what is now the west bank of Cohoon Creek on the bank of Lake Erie. They witnessed with interest the battles on the lake, especially the famous one of which history tells us Commodore Perry was the victor. Their nearest gristmill was at Cuyahoga Falls, taking three days and nights to go to mill and return. They always drove an ox team, the road being marked by notches on the trees. All streams were forded as bridges were almost an unknown luxury. Cleveland was only a small collection of houses and inhabitants, a city which could boast of only one bridge, called a floating bridge: That is, it was constructed of logs lashed together somewhat like a raft, and when crossing, the bridge was sometimes above the water and sometimes beneath the water: likewise the feet of the traveler or animals driven over it. The public highway to Cleveland was the lake beach. Rocky River was forded as no bridge crossed it at any point in its course. A great deal of light travel was done on horseback, ladies as well as gentlemen being experts in the practice.After the Smiths settled others soon followed, among whom was Mr. Taylor's family. They often held religious meetings at the houses, Jonathan Smith being chosen to read the written or printed sermons. He was called Deacon Smith. After Mr. Jasher Taylor arrived he read the sermons and Rebecca led the singing. So Jonathan might truly be called Dover's first preacher and Rebecca its first chorister.They’re home lay in the unbroken forest, with wild animals and reptiles for their neighbors and dusky warriors for their callers. They took in the weary and sick strangers, Indians as well as white men, and nursed and cared for them until well. They even parted with the leaves of their dining table to construct a coffin for an unfortunate traveler who died at their home. They were friends to the savages and never encountered any serious trouble with them. They brought all their seeds- garden, fruit and field- with them from Ashfield, and waited for crops, herbs and fruit to grow before they participated of the products. A pear tree raised from seed above mentioned is still bearing fruit on the farm of George Standen in West Dover- a tree ninety-five years old. Sugar was made from the sap of hickory tress at first, afterward from the maple sap. The buckets were hewn from short pieces of logs into the form of a trough. The spouts were of elder or some small sticks containing a large pith which was burned out with a hot iron, made pointed at one end and driven into an incision in the bark of the tree. The boiling was done in an open kettle. Their clothing was homemade from the sheep's back to that of the wearer for winter wear, and from the hatchel to the wearer for summer wear. Table linen, towels, bags, bedding were likewise made from woolen or linen thread, hatchelled, carded, spun and woven by the family. Their footwear was made from home-tanned leather with wooden peg hand split, and linen thread from the same manufacturers. After a little time a cobbler was hired who went from house to house making a year's supply for the entire family. All these articles of clothing lasted until they wore out. They barricaded from midnight attacks of wild animals on their stock as well as on themselves. Their nearest drug store was the herbs or medicinal plants and barks of the forest. Their pills were made from the juice of the butternut simmered to a gum and rolled into little pellets. Their pomatum was the true, unadulterated, unperfumed, genuine bear's oil.