Worden's Ledges Rock Carvings

The area of the ledges is rich with tradition. Hiram Mace Worden was born in 1818 and was raised in Richfield, Ohio. In 1841 he married Betsey Gordon, she was also from Richfield. They had four children, and moved to a farm in Michigan in 1847, but Betsey and their two youngest children died from diphtheria while his older son died while on his way home from the Civil War. Hiram and his only surviving son moved back to Richfield. Around the same time Hiram met Melissa Bissell and they were married in 1851. After marrying Melissa, Hiram purchased land from Judge Samuel Hinckley, where he built a barn and log cabin and began farming the land. The homestead was completed in 1862. In back of the homestead were the sandstone ledges, which the family used for picnics, recreation and quiet reflection. Hiram and Melissa had four children, Cora, Frank, Floyd Lincoln, and Nettie. It was believed that Frank had carved the ledges, but he did not because the family wanted to keep the ledges in their natural state. Frank did own Medina Monument Company in Medina, where he carved cemetery headstones, sculptures, and monuments. The only thing at the homestead that was carved by him is the stone gateposts at the entrance on Ledge Road. He carved the family name and the date that the homestead was built. Nettie, born in 1863, was the youngest child of Hiram and Melissa. In 1882, she married her neighbor, Charlie Rice. They both lived at the homestead and helped care for the farm and Nettie s aging parents. In 1903, Hiram and Melissa died and left the homestead to Nettie and Charlie. They lived at the homestead throughout their 39 year marriage, until Charlie died in 1921. In 1923 Nettie was married again to her neighbor, Herman Batterson. Herman also moved into the homestead, where he lived until his death in 1938. Then, a few years after the death of her second husband, Nettie met Noble Stuart when he came over to fix her broken water pump. Noble also lived just down the road from Nettie at 745 Ledge Road. After a short courtship, they were married on January 19, 1944. Stuart was 64 years old and Nettie was 80 years old. After moving into the homestead with Nettie, Noble began carving the sandstone ledges. Less than two years after she married Noble, Nettie died on November 9, 1945. She left the homestead to her husband Noble Stuart.