USA > Iowa > Warren County > The history of Warren County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics &c > Part 9
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and gravel of similar quality with that which composes the neighboring ground, which is another circumstance quite conclusive of the correctness of the conjecture that the material for the inner wall was brought from a distance. There is but one original opening, or passage, into the circular fort, and that is on the east side, connecting it with the square one. The latter has seven avenues leading into it, exclusive of the one which connects with the circle. There is one at every corner, and one on each side equi-distant from the angular openings. These avenues are each twelve feet wide, and the walls on either hand rise immediately to their usual height, which is above twenty feet. When the town of Circleville was originally laid out, the trees growing upon the walls of these fortifications and the mounds enclosed in the square one, were apparently of equal size and age, and those lying down in equal stages of decay, with those in the surrounding forest, a circumstance proving the great antiquity of these stupendous remains of former labor and ingennity. Of course, the progress of modern civiliza- tion in the building of a city over these ancient remains, has long since nearly obliterated many of their parts. The above is a description of them as they appeared sixty years ago, when Circleville was a mere village, and be- fore the hand of modern vandalism had marred or obliterated any of the parts. A somewhat minute description of these ancient remains is given, not becanse they are more remarkable than many others found in different parts of the Northwest, but as an example to show the magnitude of many similar works. Among others in the same State may be mentioned a re- markable mound near Marietta, which is enclosed by a wall embracing an area 230 feet long by 215 wide. This mound is thirty feet high and ellip- tical in form. This mound, with the wall enclosing it, stand apart from two other irregular enclosures, one containing fifty and the other twenty-seven acres. Within the larger of these two enclosures there are four truncated pyramids, three of which have graded passage ways to their summits. The largest pyramid is 188 feet long by 132 feet wide, and is ten feet high. From the southern wall of this enclosure there is a graded passage way 150 feet broad, extending 600 feet to the immediate valley of the Muskingum river. This passage way is guarded by embankments on either side from eight to ten feet high. In the smaller square there are no pyramidal strnc- tures, but fronting each gate-way there is a circular mound. The walls of these several enclosures are from twenty to thirty feet broad at the base, and from five to six feet high. Besides these, many similar embankments may be traced in the same vicinity.
Squier and Davis, authors of that most elaborate work, entitled "The An- cient Monuments of the Mississippi Valley", estimated that there were in Ross county, Ohio, at least one hundred enclosures and five hundred mounds. They give the probable number in that State at from one thousand to fifteen hundred enclosures, and ten thousand mounds. These estimates are quite likely to be far below the actual number, as their investigations were made many years ago, when large portions of the State were yet covered with for- ests, and before any general interest had been awakened on the subject of which they treated. Among the remarkable fortifications in Ross county is one at Cedar Bank, on the east side of the Scioto river, about five miles north of Chillicothe. It is of a square form, enclosing an area of thirty- two acres. The west side of this enclosure is formed by the high bluff bor- dering the river at this point. There are two gate-ways opposite each other, one on the north and the other on the south side. Inside of the enclosure,
-
Z
MOUNG
Scale 466 ft to the inch
7
BLUFFIE
River
Scioto
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on a line with the gate-ways, there is a mound 245 feet long and 150 feet broad. The form of this work is shown by the diagram on the opposite page.
When this work first attracted the attention of Mr. E. G. Squier, Dr. Davis, and others engaged in archaeological research, it was in the midst of a dense forest of heavy timber. Trees of the largest growth stood on the embankments, and covered the entire area of ground enclosed. About a mile and a half below, on the same side of the Scioto, are other fortifica- tions, both circular and square, even more remarkable than the one last de- scribed, on account of the forms and combinations which they exhibit. Another fortification in this county, in the form of a parallelogram, 2,800 feet long by 1,800 feet wide, encloses several smaller works and mounds, which altogether make 3,000,000 cubic feet of embankment.
A series of the most wonderful and most gigantic of these pre-historic works, is to be found in the Licking Valley, near Newark. They cover an area of two square miles. The works are of such vast magnitude that even with our labor-saving implements to construct them, would require the la- bor of thousands of men continued for many months. "Fort Ancient", as it is called, in Warren county, Ohio, has nearly four miles of embankment, from eighteen to twenty feet high.
Mounds and fortifications similar to those in Ohio are found in all the States of the Northwest, and indeed, throughout the entire valley of the Mississippi and its tributaries. In the valley of the Wabash, in Indiana, are many interesting remains of the works of the Mound Builders. Near Kahokia, Illinois, there is a mound 2,000 feet in circumference, and ninety feet high. Many remarkable objects of interest to the antiquary are found in Wisconsin. Scattered over her undulating plains are earth-works, mod- eled after the forms of men and animals. At Aztalan, in Jefferson county, is an ancient fortification 550 yards long and 275 yards wide. The walls are from four to five feet high, and more than twenty feet in thickness at the base. Near the Blue Mounds, in that State, there is another work, in form resembling a man in a recumbent position. It is one hundred and twenty feet long and thirty feet across the trunk. At Prairieville there is still another resembling a turtle in shape which, is fifty-six feet in length. At Cassville there is one which is said to resemble the extinct mastedon. In some instances these animal resemblances and forms are much defaced by time, while in other cases they are distinctly visible. Fragments of an- cient pottery are found scattered about most of them.
Scattered over the surface of Iowa, also, are to be found many of these monuments of a pre-historic race. The mounds especially are numerous, appearing most in that portion of the State east of the Des Moines river, but in a few instances west of it. Groups of mounds are found along Iowa river, in Johnson county, presenting the same general appearance with those in the States east of the Mississippi. Near the mouth of this river, in Louisa county, are the remains of an ancient fortification, with a number of mounds in the same vicinity, which have attracted the attention of the curious. In the vicinity of Ottumwa, Wapello county, are a large number of mounds, several of which have been examined. There is a chain of them in this last named county, commencing near the mouth of Sugar Creek, a small tribu- tary of the Des Moines, and extending twelve miles nortward, with distances between them in some instances as great as two miles. Two of them were excavated several years ago. One of them was about 45 feet in diameter, and situated upon the highest ground in the vicinity. The other was directly
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THE NORTHWEST TERRITORY.
north about one-fourth of a inile. Its diameter at the base was about 75 feet. In the center of this last named mound, was found, at the depth of four feet, a layer of stone, with the appearance of having been subjected to the action of fire. There were also found a mass of charcoal, a bed of ashes, and calcined human bones. A number of relics were also found in the smaller mound first mentioned. These examinations were made by several gentlemen of Ottumwa.
Mr. F. C. Roberts, in a Fort Madison paper, writes of the examination of a mound situated about six miles north of that city, a few years ago. It is located on the brow of a hill, is of an elliptical shape, and small in size, being only about 30 feet long, and fifteen feet wide; its height was about six feet. The mound contained a number of separate compartments, con- structed as follows: First, there was a floor made of limestone, which must have been brought a distance of several miles, as none nearer could have been obtained. This floor was laid regular and smooth, the best stone only being used. Above the floor, with an intervening space of about twenty inches, there was a roof, also made of limestone. The sides of this vault, if it may so be called, seemed to have once had stone walls, but they were more or less caved in. It was also thought that the roof had originally been much higher. The compartments were made by partitions or walls of stone. Each compartment was occupied by a human skeleton, and articles of flint and stone, as well as some bones of animals. All the skeletons of human origin were placed in a sitting position, with the knees drawn up, and the head in- clined forward between them. The arms were placed by the side, and some- times clasped around the knees. Besides the human bones, there were those of some large birds and of some animal. Some of these were charred, and were found in connection with charcoal and ashes. There were numerous flint weapons, and small three cornered stones.
In Clayton and other counties in the northeastern part of the State, the Mound Builders have left numerous monuments of their existence in that region in pre-historic times. The researches of Hon. Samuel Murdock, of Clayton county, have been extensive and successful in giving to the scien- tific and antiquarian world much information in relation to these works of an ancient people who once occupied our continent. He has collected a vast number of relics from the mounds in that portion of the State. After long and thorough investigation, he gives it as his opinion that in Clayton county alone there are not less than one hundred thousand arti- ficial mounds, including the two classes, the round and the elongated, the latter ranging from one hundred to six hundred feet in length. All of them, so far as examinations have been made, contain more or less skeletons. One which was examined near Clayton was estimated to have contained over one hundred bodies. From investigations made, the infer- ence is drawn that the elongated mounds are of greater antiquity than tlie round ones. The skeletons found in the former are in a more advanced state of decay, and in some of them there is scarcely any trace of bones. In nearly all the round mounds skeletons were found in a remarkably good state of preservation, and can be obtained by the thousand. These facts in- dicate most conclusively tliat the elongated mounds were the work of an older race of the Mound Builders, and that they were erected ages before the round ones were. The fact that human remains have been found in nearly all of both classes favors the theory that they were erected as receptacles for the dead.
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.ORR.N.Y
A PIONEER WINTER.
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While workmen were excavating a mound for the foundation of a ware- house in the city of McGregor, in the summer of 1874, human bones were found, and also a stone axe weighing thirteen pounds. It was embedded twenty feet below the original surface.
As stated, the work of the Mound Builders was not confined to that por- tion of the State embracing the Mississippi drainage. Similar romains, though not so numerous, are observed on the western slope of the water-shed between the two great rivers bordering the State. Some five miles below Denison, Crawford county, in the valley of Boyer river, there is a semi-cir- cular group of artificial mounds. They are situated on a plateau, rising above the first, or lower bottom, and are about nine in number, each rising to a height of from five to six feet above the general level of the ground. Another similar group is located on a second bottom, at the mouth of Para- dise creek, in the same county. Human remains have been found in some of them.
Having noticed briefly some of the various forms in which these stupen- dous works of men who lived far back in the centuries, whose annals have not come down to us in any written language, we can say now that the most learned have only been able to conjecture as to the remoteness of their an- tiquity. The evidences that they are of very great age are abundant and conclusive, but how many hundreds or thousands of years? This is the problem that many an antiquary would freely give years of study and inves- tigation to solve. The length of time which elapsed during which these works were in progesss is another of the unsolved questions connected with them, and yet there is abundant evidence that some of them are much older than others; that the process of their construction extends over a large dura- tion of time-a time during which the Mound Builders themselves passed through the changes which mark the monuments that they have left behind them. It is a well known fact that the manners and customs of rude nations isolated from intercourse and commerce with the world, pass through the process of change and development very slowly. The semi-civilized nations of eastern lands, after the lapse of thousands of years, still cling to the man- ners and customs, and the superstitions of their ancestors, who lived at the early dawn of our historic period. They use the same rude implements of husbandry, the same utensils in the household, the same arms in warfare, and practice the same styles of dress-all with but little change or modifi- cation. The changes are only sufficiently marked to be perceptible after many generations have passed away. Situated as the Mound Builders were, we can but infer that they too passed slowly through the processes of change, and the works which they have left behind them thoroughly attest the truth of this proposition. Their older works appear to be more elaborate and more intricate, showing that the earlier workers were possessed of a higher degree of attainment in the mechanical arts than those whose works are more recent. The inference is that probably after long ages, they gradually retrograded, and were finally subdued or driven southward into Mexico and Central America, by the ancestors of the Indians, who came upon them from the northwest, as the Goths and Vandals invaded and subverted the Roman Empire. This final subjugation may have resulted after centuries of war- fare, during which time these fortifications were constructed as defences against the enemy. That they were for military purposes is scarcely sus- ceptible of a doubt. This implies a state of warfare, and war implies an enemy. The struggle ended in the final subjugation of that people to whom
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we apply the name of Mound Builders-their conquerors and successors being a race of people in whom we recognize to this day, traces of the Asiatic type.
We, another race of people, after the lapse of other ages, tread to-day, in our turn, on the ruins of at least a limited civilization-a civilization older than that of the Aztecs, whom Cortez found in Mexico. This great Missis- sippi valley was once a populous empire, millions of whose subjects repose in the sepulchers scattered in our valleys and over our prairies. While we bow at the shrine of a more intelligent Deity, and strive to build up a truer and better civilization, let us still remember that we tread on classic ground.
SKETCHES OF WESTERN AND NORTHWESTERN STATES.
Legislation in Regard to Ohio-Admission as a State-Description-Climate and Soil-Origin
of Name-Seat of Government-Legislation in Regard to Indiana-Description-Lost River-Wyandot Cave-Seat of Government -- Internal Improvements-Vincennes-Illi- nois-Admission as a State-Description-Productions-Towns and Cities- " Lover's Leap"- "Buffalo Rock"-"Cave in the Rock"-Michigan-The Boundary Question -Admission as a State-Description-History-Towns and Cities-Wisconsin-Descrip- tion-Climate and Productions-Objects of Interest-Towns and Cities-Sketch of Mil- waukee-Minnesota-Description-Lakes-Climate and Productions-Natural Scenery- Red Pipe Stone-Historical Sketch-Towns and Cities-Nebraska-Description-Towns and Cities-Missouri-Organic Legislation-The " Missouri Compromise "-Description- Early Settlement-St. Louis-Other Towns and Cities.
OHIO.
OHIO was the first State formed out of the territory northwest of the river Ohio, which was ceded to the United States by the General Assembly of Virginia in 1783, and accepted by the Congress of the United States, March 1, 1784. This territory was divided into two separate governments by act of Congress of May 7, 1800. Ohio remained a Territorial government until under an act of Congress, approved April 30, 1802, it adopted a State consti- tution, and was allowed one representative in Congress. On the first of November of the same year the constitution was presented in Congress. The people having, on November 29, 1802, complied with the act of Con- gress of April 30, 1802, whereby the State became one of the United States, an act was passed and approved February 19, 1803, for the due execution of the laws of the United States within that State.
The State embraces an area of about 39,964 square miles, or 25,576,960 acres. There are no mountains, but the central portion of the State is ele- vated about 1000 feet above the level of the sea, while other portions are from 600 to 800 feet in elevation. A belt of highlands north of the middle of the State separates the rivers flowing north into Lake Erie from those flowing south into the Ohio river. The middle portion of the State in great part is an elevated plain with occasional patches of marsh land. A large proportion of the State when first settled was covered with forests, but in the central part there was some prairie. Boulders are found scattered over the surface, as they are generally throughout the Northwest.
The bituminous coal-field of the State extends over an area embracing nearly 12,000 square miles. It occupies the eastern and southeastern parts, with its northern boundary running near Wooster, Newark, and Lancaster. There are also frequent beds of limestone, as well as sandstone well suited for heavy masonry. The most important of the other mineral productions is
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iron, which it possesses in great abundance. This is found running through the counties of Lawrence, Gallia, Jackson, Meigs, Vinton, Athens, and Hocking, in a bed 100 miles long by 12 wide. For fine castings it is not surpassed by that found in any other part of the United States. Salt springs are also frequent.
The great river of the State is the Ohio, which forms its sonthern bound- ary, and receives the tributary volume of waters flowing from the Muskin- gum, Scioto, and Miami, as well as those of many smaller streams. The interior rivers mentioned vary in length from 110 to 200 miles. The Ohio is navigable by steamboats of the first-class during one-half the year to Pitts- burg. The Muskingum is navigable by means of dams and locks to Zanesville, 70 miles from its mouth, and at times 30 miles farther up to Coshocton. On the northern slope of the State, beginning at the northwest, are the Maumee, Sandusky, Huron, and Cuyahoga, all flowing into Lake Erie, and all flowing their entire course within the State, except the Man- mee, which rises in. Indiana. The last-named river is navigable for lake steamers a distance of 18 miles. Lake Erie coasts the state about 150 miles on the north and northeast, affording several good harbors.
The climate in the sonthern part of the State is mild, while in the north the temperature is equally as rigorous as in the same latitude near the Atlantic. Great droughts have occasionally prevailed, but the State is re- garded as one of the most productive in the Union. Indian corn, wheat, rye, oats, and barley, are the leading cereals. All the fruits of the temperate latitudes are generally abundant. The forest trees are of many kinds, includ- ing the several varieties of oak, hickory, sugar and maple, beech, poplar, aslı, sycamore, paw-paw, buckeye, dogwood, cherry, elm, and hackberry.
The State receives its name from that of the river which forms its southern boundary. It is of Indian or aboriginal origin. It is not easy to determine its real signification in the Indian language, but some writers have claimed that it means handsome or beautiful. This opinion would seem to be some- what plausible from the fact that the carly French explorers called it La Belle Riviere, or the Beautiful River, having probably learned the significa- tion of the Indian name, and therefore gave it a French name with the same signification.
Ohio was first partially settled by a few French emigrants on the Ohio river, while they possessed Canada and Lonisiana, about the middle of tlie the last century. But these settlements were very inconsiderable until the year 1787 and 1788, when the Ohio Company and others from New England made the settlement at Marietta. The early inhabitants were much annoyed by the incursions of the Indians, who had successively defeated Gen. Harmar and Gen. St. Clair, in 1791 and 1792, but were themselves utterly ronted by Gen. Wayne in August, 1794. Fort Sandusky, in the war of 1812, was suc- cessfully defended by Maj. Croghan, then but 21 years of age, with 160 men against the attack of Gen. Proctor, with 500 British regulars and as many Indians. Cincinnati was laid ont as early as 1788, but there were only a few set- tlers until after Wayne's victory. It then improved rapidly, having in 1818 a population of upward of 9,000. Chillicothe was laid out in 1796, and in
1818 had a population of 2,600. Columbus, the present capital, was laid out early in the year 1812, and in 1818 contained abont 1,500 inhabitants. Cleveland was laid out in 1796, and about the same time a number of set- tlements were made along the Miami. Until the legislature met in Colum- bus, in December, 1816, Cincinnati and Chillicothe had alternately enjoyed
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the distinction of being both the Territorial and State capitals. In 1814 the first State-house, a plain brick building, was erected at Columbus, the per- manent seat of the State Government. In February, 1852, it was entirely consumed by fire, and was succeeded by the present fine State capitol, which had been commenced prior to the destruction of the old one. The conven- tion which formed the first constitution of the State was held in Chillicothe, in November, 1802.
The following table shows the population of Ohio at the close of each decade from 1800 to 1870:
YEAR.
WHITE.
COLORED.
AGGREGATE.
1800
45,028
337
45,365
1810.
228,861
1,899
230,760
1820.
576,572
4,723
581,295
1830.
928,329
9,574
937,903
1840
1,502,122
17,345
1,519,467
1850
1,955,050
25,279
1,980,329
1860
2,302,808
36,673
*2,339,511
1870
2,601,946
63,213
*2,665,260
* The above aggregate for 1860 includes 30 enumerated as Indians, and the aggregate for 1870 includes 100 enumerated as Indians.
INDIANA.
Indiana was formed out of a part of the Northwestern Territory which was ceded to the United States by the Virginia. It received a separate Ter- ritorial form of government by act of Congress of May 7, 1800, and William Henry Harrison was appointed Governor. At this time it included all the territory west to the Mississippi river, including all now embraced in the States of Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and that part of Minnesota east of the Mississippi. The seat of the territorial government was established at Vincennes. By act of January 11, 1805, it was divided into two separate governments, and that of Michigan created. Again, February 3, 1809, that of Illinois was created. On the 19th of April, 1816, Congress passed an act to enable the people of Indiana to form a constitution and State government. On the 29th of June of the same year the people formed a constitution, and on the 11th of December, 1816, an act of Congress was approved admitting the State into the Union. The laws of the United States were extended to the State by an act of March 3, 1817.
Indiana is 278 miles in its greatest length from north to south, and about 144 miles in width, and includes an area of 33,809 square miles, or 21,637,- 760 acres. It has no mountains or great elevations, but portions south of White river are somewhat hilly. North of the White and Wabash rivers the country is generally level or slightly undulating. The rivers are gener- ally bordered by rich alluvial bottom lands, sometimes extending for several miles in width. Some of the southeastern counties in places present a rocky surface. The eastern part is generally heavily timbered, while the western is chiefly prairie. The State has a gradual inclination toward the Ohio, and most of the streams flow into that river. Lake Michigan borders the State on the northwest for a distance of about 40 miles, while the Ohio forms the entire southern boundary. In the northern part there are some small lakes. The Wabash is the largest interior river, and with its tributa- ries drains nearly three-fourths of the State. At high water it is navigable
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