Militia of the newly admitted State of Ohio. He was the first to build a vessel for the lake trade, known as the "Zephyr," of thirty tons burden. He later purchased and improved a farm on the west bank of the river. He deserves to be honored as the first pioneer who settled this region and made it his permanent home.

Physically he was of swarthy complexion and six feet tall. It was said of him that "He never picked a quarrel, but he saw the end of any upon which he entered." It was a common saying of the time that "Major Carter was all the law Cleveland had." It was known that he was always at the service of any individual or the public when a wrong had been perpetrated. He was successful in dealing with the Indians and by fearlessness and just treatment he obtained an unbounded influence over them. He was kind to the poor, hos

pitable to strangers, and a good neighbor.

The Erie Street Cemetery is now in the keeping and care of the City of Cleveland. To you, Mayor Burton, as a representative of the city, I deliver this memorial of Lorenzo Carter and his wife, Rebecca, Cleveland's first pioneers.

REPORT ON DEDICATION OF MONUMENT TO
LORENZO AND REBECCA CARTER, AT
ERIE STREET CEMETERY, JULY 22, 1938

This was unquestionably the most important gathering held by the Association in many years. It had many unique features culminating in the parade of forty taxicabs carrying our members from the Erie Street Cemetery to the Public Square. The attached program was carried out in detail excepting the fact that at the last moment our chaplain failed to show up. Your secretary, in the absence of President Rice who was out of the city, and Vice President Dr. Thomas who was confined to his bed with a serious illness, presided.

The speeches made on this occasion are given elsewhere. Stress was laid on the fact that fifty years ago Harvey Rice, president of the Early Settlers in the year 1888, was the dominating spirit in the big celebration of that date and that his grandson, Walter P. Rice, is now president. As an immediate result of this meeting, city officials promised immediate action in improving the cemetery by erecting a handsome fence, making the cemetery a real showplace.

DEDICATION OF MOSES CLEAVELAND MONUMENT
ON PUBLIC SQUARE

The 200 persons who had attended the cemetery celebration crowded into private automobiles and taxicabs and paraded down to the Public Square, escorted by mounted police. Here the Public Works Band of forty-five pieces, the same one that had performed so acceptably at the earlier exercises, gave quite a concert. About 500 participated and because of the presence of loud speakers were able to hear everything.

THE RESTORATION OF LORENZO CARTER'S TOMBSTONE (From the Cleveland Plain Dealer, July 22, 1938) By S. J. KELLY

Lorenzo Carter was more than a pioneer and settler on the Cuyahoga. He was the frontiersman of Cleveland. Building his small cabin on the east bank, he and his family faced a view across the river. The river turned by a great mound where it should have entered the lake, crept through reeds and ponds westward a mile, and trickled over a shallow mouth into Lake Erie. Across the marshy lands of what are now the flats arose high banks crowned with forests. This timber-crested ridge stretched far south along the valley of the Cuyahoga. Behind the cabin was a shelving hill with scrubby oaks, rising to another timbered crest on the east side. In the woods on the western heights could be seen a camp or two of Indians.

Before the cabin at the river bank were tied rough rowboats. Union Lane led up to thick woods where is now the eastern start of the High Level Bridge. Down the hill near the river to the south was another small Indian camp. A mile up the curving stream on a highland was the cabin of the only other settlers, the Hawleys, that had accompanied the Carters from New England.

Up in the woods of what is now downtown Cleveland was the cabin of Job Stiles, his wife and their temporary boarder, Joseph Landon. Across the line of stakes that marked future Superior Avenue to the former surveyor's cabin came Elijah Gun and wife. Samuel Dodge arrived in the fall of 1797. James Kingsbury and family came that year and built a cabin near the site of the Federal Building. Rudolphus Edwards arrived with his family in 1798 and built a cabin at the foot of Superior Hill. Nathaniel Doan and family came with Seth Doan. Nathaniel built a log blacksmith shop on the wide swath cut through the woods, known as Superior Street.

But changes were coming. The Doans went to live in the Stiles cabin. The latter family moved to Newburgh Heights. In the next year and a half, the Kingsburys, the Edwards, the Guns moved to highlands in Newburgh, the Doans removed to Doan's Corners and history says that Lorenzo Carter and family were the only residents of Cleveland, again, during the winter of 1799-1800.

Lorenzo Carter remained. The next summer Major Spafford and David Clark were living in the surveyor's cabin on Superior. David Bryant and his son built their distillery by the river that fall. In a year or two Carter bought all the land from his lone cabin to the corner of Superior and West 9th Street, built on the corner his severalroomed cabin and opened "Carter's Inn."

Things picked up after that. In 1810 the population of Cleveland was 53. Carter had proved the mainstay of the place. His whole career in Cleveland covered only seventeen years, but in that time he had been Indian fighter, hunter, settler, law giver, tavern keeper,

major of militia, road builder, ferryman, protector of the settlement, first prisoner at Cleveland's first court held in Warren, and was fined 6 cents for giving some deserving man a whipping.

Lorenzo Carter is buried in Erie Street Cemetery, at the left of the western entrance. I stood with Mrs. Jessie Carter Martin, his great-granddaughter, before the leaning, worn tombstone of Lorenzo Carter. You cannot read clearly the inscription.

AT THE GRAVE

Beside it is the similar tombstone of Rebecca Fuller Carter, his wife, who survived him thirteen years. On this the words are wholly effaced. Since then Mrs. Martin has had a slanting memorial base built to receive the stones. It is seven feet long by six feet wide. The tombstones will be imbedded in the sloping surface that faces the cemetery entrance.

Along the high end, on an enduring bronze plate, is the line: "They remained-Others fled."

Between the firmly inset tombstones a bronze plate bears the inscription: "Graves of Lorenzo and Rebecca Carter, the first permanent white settlers in Cleveland. Lorenzo died Feb. 8, 1814-Aged 47 years. Rebecca died-1827-Aged 61 years. When others fled from fever and ague, the Carters stayed. Restoration of tombstones effected by a great-granddaughter, Jessie Martin Carter."

Today there will be restoration ceremonies at the cemetery. The program includes Mayor Burton and other speakers, bands and military. Leo Weidenthal is president of the memorial day committee to which Acting President of the Early Settlers Association W. G. Oswald has appointed Mrs. Martin, Dr. J. J. Thomas, Mrs. Anna Day, Mrs. Alva B. Greenly, Mr. Jessie Fenner and myself.

ERIE STREET MEMORIES

Gobles, Mich., Feb. 4, 1938.

Dear Mr. Knight:

My father, A. S. Powers, was born in 1811 at Ferrsburg, Vt., two miles up the mountain from Vergennes.

He came to Cleveland, afterwards going to Elyria. But afterwards came back to Cleveland. He lived there until 1871, then went to Wellington, Ohio. He died in 1883 and was laid away in Erie Street Cemetery. My mother followed less than two months.

Father bought his lot there in 1836. He was a merchant tailor, and had a store on Superior Street for many years.

Often heard him speak of Meyer Goodspeed, Mr. Bolton, E. L. Dodd, L. A. Burton, David Short, J. H. Ryder and others.

I was born in 1857. I am so glad now for I think Erie Street Cemetery will be left as it was before.

Gobles, Mich.

FRANK S. POWERS.

HARRY A. BLISS

Harry A. Bliss, 75, president of the Bliss Supply Co., died shortly after the annual meeting last year.

Mr. Bliss, born in Columbia, Tenn., was a member of an early Cleveland family. His grandparents were charter members of Old Stone Church.

Brought to Cleveland when he was 10, Mr. Bliss had lived here since 1872. He was a student of early Cleveland history.

One of the better known non-professional musicians here for many years, he was prominent in the Hermit Club's early orchestras. He was a member of the Early Settlers Association, the Sons of Colonial Wars, the Sons of the American Revolution, the Rowfant Club and the New England Society; a founder and charter member of the Hermit Club; a director and former president of the Wolcott Association, and a trustee of Erie Street Cemetery Perpetuating Association.

He was

For the last half century Mr. Bliss was in business. still active in his concern at the time of his illness. He is survived by his wife, Blanche Fisher Bliss; a daughter, Imogene, and a sister, Mrs. C. P. Horr of La Grange, Ill. The residence was at 1827 Idlewood Avenue, East Cleveland.