Marshall - Shaker Heights

Jacob Russell was 67 years old in 1812a veteran of the American Revolutionwhen he and 19 other members of his family journeyed from Connecticut to northeast Ohio to start a new life. Jacob sold the gristmill he had operated to buy land in Warrensville Township where the Russell family built cabins and cleared the land for farming.

Jacobs son Ralph was a warmhearted man with contagious enthusiasm who attracted people to him. He was also a spiritual seeker intrigued by his introduction to the Shakers while spending the night in the home of a new convert. After his fathers death in 1821, Ralph walked 260 miles to the Union Village Shaker settlement near Lebanon, Ohio, to experience the community for himself. His stay extended for months, and he became convinced that Shakerism offered a life filled with spirit. He returned home to persuade his family to join with him in creating a Shaker community. Ralph Russell reported that as he returned to Warrensville, he was accompanied by a clear ray of light that ended at a spot near his cabin where it became a beautiful tree.

From 1822 until 1889, Shakers of the North Union settlement lived on property east of Cleveland that grew to almost 1,400 acres. At its peak in the mid-1800s, about 300 people resided there, divided into three families, each with its own structures: the Center Family, the East Family, and the Mill Family. Shaker communities sought to create the kingdom of heaven on earth by leading pure lives in which they would be open to the call of the spirit. This involved communal living, confession of sin, celibacy, and ecstatic worship in which music and dance were key elements. The products Shakers sold to support themselves became known for their quality and utility.

During the 1840s, a wave of spiritual enthusiasm swept the North Union Village in which participants heard communications they believed were sent from God directly to them. One such message gave the community a new name, the Valley of Gods Pleasure.

MODEL OF FIRST WARRENSVILLE CABIN. In 1808, Daniel and Margaret Warren moved from New Hampshire to northeast Ohio and built a cabin near the intersection of Lee and Kinsman (now Chagrin Boulevard) Roads. After a day of sleighing, friends from Newburgh, Ohio, crowded into their cabin for a housewarming, and Margaret was asked to suggest a name for their location, then known only as Township 7. She chose Warrensville. (SHS.)

MOSES WARREN HOUSE. Daniel Warrens father, Moses, followed his son and daughter-in-law to Ohio and in 1817 built a home on a ridge south of Kinsman Road. He chose a location near a creek, which he channeled through the cellar to provide refrigeration. Warren family descendents lived here until 1865. Today it is the oldest house in Shaker Heights and the oldest frame house in Cuyahoga County. (SHS.)

RALPH RUSSELL. Ralph and Elijah Russell came to Warrensville Township before their family to clear land on property their father, Jacob, had purchased. The brothers then returned to Connecticut and led a group of 20 family members back to Ohio. They settled along Lee Road near Doan Brook. After his fathers death in 1821, Ralph converted to Shakerism and convinced members of his family to join also. (SHS.)