St. Teresa of Avila Parish

The first Sawmill was erected by Captains Day and Burrell in 1817, and a log cabin school was built that same year. This was followed by the first distillery which was built in 1822 by Chester Wright. As more settlers moved into the area the demand for more food products increased. As a result, the first gristmill was built in 1824 by Charles Chaney. As to be expected, this beautiful area quickly filled up with settlers as more forest land was cleared for farmland. Because of this rapid growth, Lorain County was established in 1824 and Sheffield became the first Township admitted to it. By 1833 there were 7,000 Catholics, 16 churches, and only 16 priests in the whole State of Ohio.