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Early Mecca Settler and Schoolteacher, Noble Mason 

 

Noble's photo from the 1874 Trumbull County Atlas

 

“Noble Mason was born in Madison County, Cazenovia Township, State of New York, October 3, 1810. His advantages for education were limited; his early days passed in farming. At the age of seven, he came with his father from New York State, which was in the year 1817. They then moved into Boardman, now Mahoning County. When eighteen years old, Mr. Mason moved on to the west side of Mosquito Creek, at which place he taught school. No school had ever been taught there before that time. The township was then an unbroken forest, and only one family had preceded them. He has been justice of the peace six years, and has occupied about every office in the Township. In politics he is a Republican. The subject of this biography is a member of the religious society called Christians. He is an elder of the denomination to which he belongs, and was the principal one interested in building their house of worship. Mr. And Mrs. Mason are at present living, and reside on their farm, beautifully situated southeast of Mecca one and a half miles. His son, Cassius N., is a farmer, and lives in Johnston Township.”
-1874 Trumbull County Atlas.

 

Noble was the son of Abner and Priscilla (Gallup) Mason. As the above biography states, Noble saw the need for a proper school in West Mecca and became its first teacher when he was only 18. We do not know the location of this school building, but it was also used for religious meetings and later operated as a granary.

 

In 1830, he installed a sawmill along the beaver dam on the Palmer property. He had the title of clerk for the first regular Baptist church, organized in 1833, which sat on the property now occupied by our current town hall and fire department.

On May 13, 1840, he married Lora Brown, the daughter of Wheeler and Lois (Ray) Brown.

 

“Lora Brown, wife of Noble Mason, was the daughter of Lois Ray Brown, who came from Connecticut. She was a woman of beautiful characteristics, and her influence was far reaching for good. Wealthy Chaffee and herself were the only two women of Mecca who held life memberships in the missionary society of the Disciples. She was the mother of five children, and has left behind three daughters, who imitate her virtues.” –Memorial to the Pioneer Women of the Western Reserve.

 

Noble died at age 69 in 1880, and Lora at age 73 in 1887. They were buried beneath a large obelisk stone in East Mecca Cemetery.

 

Noble, Lora, and daughter Lucy's graves in East Mecca Cemetery. Photos by Ashley Armstrong.

 

Noble and Lora’s property on Rt 46 is now owned by local historian Thomas Kachur. According to Kachur, Franklin Powers first owned the property and most likely built the first house there in 1848. Noble owned it next and sold a half acre of the southwest corner of his property to the board of education. One of the township schoolhouses was built there. That site is now a private home. Noble’s daughter Olive and her husband, Gideon Gault, lived on that farm for many years before it passed into the hands of a few brief owners. Around 1914-15, Albert Baldwin purchased the property and lived there until Thomas Kachur’s parents bought it in 1944.

 

Noble's property on the SE side of 4t 46, as shown on the 1874 Mecca Map

 

The Kachurs lived in that house for four years, with no central heating or running water. They added running water before building a new home on the property. The 1848 house was one hundred years old when it was sold and moved to Mecca Circle in 1948. Unfortunately, that home was one of several near the circle that was razed.

 

The children of Noble Mason and Lora Brown were:

 

– Mariette Prudence, born in Mecca in 1841, married Henry Sadler. He was the inventor and manufacturer of the Sadler cow fetter. Mariette died aged 82 and was buried in East Mecca Cemetery.

 

Ad for H.J. Sadler's Cow Fetter

 

– Cassius Noble Mason, born in Mecca in 1844, married Sarah Jackson. He died aged 39 and was buried in Park Lawn Cemetery in Jamestown, where he has a large, beautiful zinc monument.

 

– Emma, born in Mecca in 1848, married Hermen Love. She died in 1939 and was buried in East Mecca Cemetery.

 

Hermen and Emma Love, from the 1899 Trumbull County Atlas

 

– Olive Lois was born in Mecca in 1853 and married Gideon Gault, a teacher. She died in 1922 and was interred in the Oaklawn Mausoleum.

 

– Lucy was born in Mecca in 1857. She died at 18 and was buried in East Mecca Cemetery.

 

(This post was written for the Mecca Township Historical Society, as part of an ongoing series for Mecca.)

 

Resources:

- 1874 Trumbull County Atlas

– Memorial to the Pioneer Women of the Western Reserve, 1896

– Kachur, Thomas, interview with Mary Beth Hanuschak

– "Mecca" 1970 and 2002 editions by Thomas Kachur

– Personal work with East Mecca Cemetery and Find A Grave

– Vital records and genealogies on familysearch.org