Uriah Matson
Uriah Matson, father of J.S.B. Matson, assisted Joseph Curran and others in cutting this Mansfield-Shelby road through the forest. In 1858 Uriah Matson was awarded an ax for having been the champion wood-chopper of the county, at which time he made the following statement: "I came to Richland County the 4th. day of August, 1815, and from that time to October, 1822, I followed chopping exclusively, during which time I chopped about 190 acres of land, and did a large amount of other chopping, such as making rails, sawing timber for frames, getting bark for tanners, etc. Since 1822 I have chipped and cleared upward of 80 acres on the farm I now occupy. I think I have done more chopping, assisted in raising more cabins and rolling more logs than any other man in the county. When I came there were but four families living in Springfield township." Mr. Matson was of Scotch-Irish descent. He was born in 1793 and died in 1873. He resided in Jackson township many years. J.S.B. Matson is now living in Shelby and has a large collection of curios and relics.
From the Mansfield News: July 30, 1899