NORTHAMPTON FROM THE PAST

Northampton was considered an equalizing township and was cut into strips and apportioned out among the properties of the Western Reserve to make the township of equal value. This was almost a death-blow to the township, for "the child whom many fathers share has seldom felt  a father's care." Other townships owned by a single individual felt the influence of their regard, but as no one owned more than a strip of Northampton, it had but little fostering care and came into maturity by its own unaided efforts.

Another fact that helped retard its growth was the fact it was hilly, broken fields with apparent think clay soil. "The Northampton Hills" were proverbial for sterility and number, but a hardy set of farmers, even if they did not convert the hills into valleys, did by hard work change the barren wilderness into productive fields and as a "dairy township," it rivaled any other in Summit County by 1874.

The first settler was Simon Prior, who came into the township in June, 1802 and in August moved his, the first white family, into the township. He had 11 children and died in 1837 at the ripe old age of 84.

William Prior, one of the 11 children, cut out the road from the north line of the township to "Old Portage," which was then looked upon, like Wilmot's Grocery, as "the center of creation."

The Indians that inhabited Northampton Township before the white man's time were Tawas or Ottawas. In the War of 1812 they joined forces with the British, but five of them returned after the war and camped at "Upper Rapids" of the Cuyahoga River.

Captain Delaun Mills, of Portage County, discovered them and, with his troop of Indian hunters, sent four of the five to the fair hunting grounds of "The Great Spirit." The survivor made his escape and was the last of the Tawas of the Cuyahoga Valley. 

In 1807, an early settler in Northampton Township was asked by a hunter what he thought the promise of this area was. He replied that a new road proposed to follow the Cuyahoga River up past the rapids and then southeast to the village of Canton "Is going to be important and I wouldn't be surprised to see a big town someday at the falls." (The road mentioned by the settler was today's State Road, Rt. 8, that started at Northfield southerly into Northampton Township and then connected with Cuyahoga Street into Market Street and then on to Canton.)

Northampton Township became a political unity April 30, 1820 with about 20 families living within its boundaries.

 - Eric Thompson