** If you are viewing this (and all) post thru your newsletter, email or social networking – all photos can be enlarged if viewed on the website. Here are photos of the Hawley, Lambert and Tifft homes…
117 N. Front Street was the Charles (1873-1938) and Lena Hawley (1872-1955) Home. This house stood on Front Street between Wetmore Street (that is today Oakwood Drive/Riverfront Parkway) and Wadsworth Ave.
They had six children grow up in this relatively small house – Anna b. 1909, Ruth b. 1905, Bill b. 1902, Dick b.1903, Jim b. 1904 and Joe b. 1900. The house appears small for an eight member family but it shows that in 1920 they welcomed another family, the Showalter’s, into their home for a while. 12 people – imagine the tight quarters!
Charles supported his family as a house carpenter and bee keeper. Ruth became a law office stenographer and Anna was a public school teacher. The boys became a farmer, rubber worker, machine shop supervisor and a hardware salesman.
This house sat in parking lot of Lambert Buick right on the river and just to the left of where Moe’s is now. It was owned by the Kittleburgers and their family tannery business sat on the river behind the home.
This is the old Tifft home that stood at 2546 Front Street, precisely where Front Street now goes over route 8. The home had to be removed prior to the bridge being built.
This house was built by Charles Tifft. Charles, his wife and their four children came to Ohio in 1833 by covered wagon. Upon arrival to Cleveland, they stopped at Dunham’s Tavern, where they waited six weeks for their household goods which had been shipped by boat through the lakes and the Erie Canal. He farmed in Cleveland, later in Norton Township and finally settled in Cuyahoga Falls in 1841. Here he established the first livery stable and stage line between Hudson (where the Pennsylvania Railroad had a station) and Akron, which was then a very small town.
Regarding the house at 117 N. Front Street. Chas. & Lena Hawley were Dale & Ray Leach’s Great -grandparents. Their youngest child Anna was 10 years old when they moved to Cuy. Falls so that their children would get a better education.
Anna Hawley graduated from Falls High and also from Kent Normal School- a teachers college. She taught first grade at Old East until she married Algin T. Leach in 1931. Their only child A. Thomas Leach was born in 1933 and he
graduated from Falls High in 1951 and General Motors Ins. with an automotive
engineering degree, married Irene Sanders and had two sons Dale & Ray Leach who also graduated from Cuy. Falls High School and Akron University. Tom passed in 1978 and his wife and children moved back to Cuy. Falls in 1979.
Irene (Sanders) Leach – Metz is now the Currator of the Cuy.Falls Historical Museum at 2083 Cook Street, Cuy. Falls, OH.
Anna’s sister Ruth Hawley Happoldt worked for Mr. Mots in his law office & then went on to work in every position at Mott’s newspaper until she became Managing Editor of The Falls News Press on Portage Trail.