ASHTABULA COUNTY OHIO 
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Transcribed by Cherre Loftus Flynn.

THE HISTORY OF ASHTABULA COUNTY, OHIO 
            WITH ILLUSTRATIONS AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES 
              OF ITS PIONEERS AND MOST PROMINENT MEN  
              Published in Philadelphia by Williams Brothers in 1878

                   "REVERAND ELIAS MORSE

  The birthplace of Rev. Elias Morse was Worthington, Berkshire County,
  Massachusetts, April  6, 1776.  He came to this Western Reserve on horseback in
  1809, to select land for his future home, in company with Ebenezer Webber.

  He selected three hundred acres in section 21, where he lived until his death.  The
  farm is now owned by his heirs.  He was married to Miss Abiah Phelps, of
  Suffield, Hartford County, Connecticut, May 4, 1803, by Rev. Mr. Waldo.  They
  were the parents of three sons and two daughters, two of whom are now living, -
  B.F. Morse resides in Kentucky, and Maria Louisa occupies the old homestead.
   He was the founder of Methodism in this part of the Reserve, being converted at a
  Methodist camp-meeting previous to his coming to Ohio.  After he had made the
  selection of his land he said to his friend, "Let us thank God for all his mercies and
  blessings in protecting us through our long journey to this wilderness."  He knelt
  down there in the forest and poured out his thoughts in prayer to the Almighty for
  his care over himself and friend.  He earnestly prayed that he might be of some
  use in this new country, that he might do some good in the name of his Master.
   He formed a number of classes or chapels in the west part of Crawford County,
  Pennsylvania, and one or two in Trumbull County and one in Williams field.  Those
  classes were formed before there was any ecclesiastical body established
  belonging to the Methodists in this part of the county.  As soon as he arrived here
  with his family in 1811, he commenced preaching in his own or some neighbor's
  house or barn, as the case might be.  About this time a mail-route was
  established on the State Road, and J.W. Brown was appointed postmaster but
  resigned in a few months, and Elias Morse was appointed instead, his
  commission bearing (the) date 1812, and served as postmaster about thirty
  years.  He died December 26, 1856, aged eighty years.  His wife died December
  29, 1872, aged ninety-seven years."