Historical accounts of the GOSS and ROGERS families coming to Portage County: Part 1 Submitted by: Claudette M. Beerman-Rogers Ebenezer Goss, with his family, from Plymouth, Conn., moved in Nov. 24. The family consisted of his wife, Bede, who died in 1819, aged fifty-six, and children: Polly, who married Abisha Chapman; David, who died in 1848, aged sixty-three; Carver, who moved to Suffield and returned to Randolph about 1837 and died in 1879, aged eighty-three. Mr Goss left Plymouth June 13, taking the southern route, crossing the Hudson River on a boat, and passing through Pennsylvania, crossing the Alleghenies and coming to Pittsburg, and then up the valley of the Beaver, reaching Canfield July 29, having been forty-six days on the road. From Canfield Mr. Goss came to Atwater, and finally to Randolph, and, when he arrived, had one dollar in cash. He was a blacksmith and built a shop near the creek west of the center, where he worked and settled on the southside of Lot 57. (pg. 22) John Goss, a brother's son of Ebenezer, came here from the Wyoming Valley (Luzerne Co.) Pa., one of the Connecticut settlers of the Wyoming, and settled on the westside of Lot 77. He was a great hunter, and died in 1829. (pg. 23) Money was almost unknown. Contracts for the sale of land were drawn up, omitting many technicalities as per specimen: " Nov 18, Franklin. This may certify that I,Bela Hubbard, agreed to sell Mr. Goss 77 acres of land in the southeast corner of Lot 57, in the condition of his paying for said land two dollars and one-half per acre, as witness my hand. Bela Hubbard. To be paid in grain for five years, and yearly payments with interest rated. Bela Hubbard." (pg. 25) Now a grist mill was made near Ebenezer Goss; consisting of the top of a stump hollowed out by fire, and a pestle six or eight feet long, made of a stake of hard wood attacked to a sapling, which served as a spring pole. (pg. 26) Accidents were not inknown. When E. Goss first stopped over night in a cabin near the creek, a shelf was put up, supported by sticks between the logs. During the night these sticks were pushed by cattle rubbing against them, which caused a fall in the crockery on the shelf. (pg. 26) In 1807, William Rogers, of Lyme, Conn., came in and also Isaac Ransom. They commenced an improvement in Lot 89, where Rogers lived and died. (pg. 27) In December, Elnathan Jennings (a brother-in-law of John Goss) and family came from the Wyoming Valley, in Pennsylvania, and settled in the Hollow. He was a carpenter, and, after a few years, left his family, went down the river and was never heard from by his wife, who was left with several children in destitute circumstances. (pg. 27) Springfield township, embracing Randolph, Suffield, Tallmadge, Portage and Coventry, was organized the first Monday in April, 1808. The following named persons from what is known as Randolph voted at this election: Timothy Culver, Ebenezer Cutler, Oliver C. Dickerson, David Goss, Ebenezer Goss, John Goss, Joseph Harris, Bela Hubbard, Eliakim Merriman, Jeremiah Sabin, John Sabin, Abel Sabin, Jehiel Savage, William Thorton, Arad Upson and Calvin Ward. Sixteen out of thirty-four voteeers lived in Randolph. (pg. 28) Richard Rogers, Sr., of Lyme, and his family moved in and settled on Lot 78 where he died in 1836. (pg. 31) Source: Pioneer History 1802-1865: An Interesting Record of Randolph Township By Walter Johnson Dickerson @1853