Lemuel Punderson (1782-1822), a native of New Haven, Connecticut, settled in Burton, Ohio, in 1807. The next year, he became the first permanent settler in Newbury Township, Geauga County. He had learned the carpenter's trade as a youth in New Haven and became a saw mill operator as an adult in Newbury Township. He also operated a grist mill and a distillery, two ventures in which he was joined by his neighbor, Eleazer Hickox. Punderson also maintained his own farm and served as a land agent. By the time of his death, he was one of the most prominent citizens of Geauga County. His wife was Sybil Hickox, the sister of his business partner.
From the guide to the Lemuel Punderson Papers, Series II, 1808-1826, (Western Reserve Historical Society)
