Eber D. Howe (1798-1885) emigrated from New York , by way of Erie, Pa. to Cleveland in 1819. A participant in the War of 1812, his early post war years saw him become a journalist for the Buffalo Gazette and Erie Gazette. In 1819 and only 21, he started the Cleveland Herald, a newspaper he himself delivered weekly to Painesville. His inaugural edition denounced American slavery and became a lasting platform for his editorial career and beyond. In 1822, Howe moved east to Painesville, Ohio, had a friend Jonathan Goldsmith design him a home, and founded the Painesville Telegraph. It was the fourth newspaper to be established in the Western Reserve and had 150 subscribers. Howe, a staunch Whig, railed continuously against Slavery, Masons, and Mormonism. Howe also used his paper to promote road, canal, and railroad growth in Lake County. Howe continued to expand the Telegraph until 1836, when he sold it to his brother Asahel. The Painesville Telegraph which began in 1822 ended its daily run in 1986.
Eber D. Howe lived in a home on Mentor Avenue in Painesville. While there, he began to harbor refugee slaves. In 1838, he moved his family to the 'Hollow' in Concord. Again, the runaway slaves were sent to Howe. Throughout the 1840's and 50's, "Howe's Hollow" became known as "Liberty Hollow" and history has recognized it as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Howe moved away in 1856, but the 'Hollow' continued to operate under the auspices of Hawley Drake.
Thank you for writing this story. Hawley Drake was my great-great grandfather. The family lived in the house until 1906. Hawley was well-known by the farmers in Lake County as the president of the Lake County Agricultural Society. When he died, the "Telegraph" called him Uncle Hawley Drake.
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