Ephraim Root

Side A: Ephraim Root (1762-1825), a wealthy Connecticut lawyer, was one of 57 investors in the Connecticut Land Company and served as its secretary and agent. In 1795, this group purchased three million acres of land in the Western Reserve. Root held interest in 100,000 acres, including Township 2 in Range VIII, which he named Rootstown. In 1800, Root traveled by horseback with his helper Henry Davenport and surveyor Nathaniel Cook to divide the township into 48 sections, reserving Lot 6 for his own use. Side B: Ephraim Root returned to Rootstown in 1801 to plant a wheat field and build a log house. In 1802, his brother David Root, with his wife Clara and four sons, moved from Connecticut to Rootstown to establish a home. Rootstown was settled in 1802 and grew into a fruit and dairy community with connection to the early railroads and canals. Rootstown Township was organized in 1810. The town celebrated its centennial in 1902, its sesquicentennial in 1952, and its bicentennial in 2002.