USA > Illinois > Stark County > History of Stark County, Illinois, and its people : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 15
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Recruits- Joseph HI. Burwiek, Luther Graham. Henry C. Hall. William J. Hamilton, Peter C. Johnson, J. W. McDaniel, George W. Pate, Thomas Patterson, Elisha J. Taylor, Jesse B. Taylor, Ilenry J. Stone.
In Company G, Joseph Berry, Charles Kezer, George Melbourne, Lonis E. Morton, John A. Tarble, William A. Brown, Ransom D. Foster, Andrew Jackson, Myron Waters and Frank L. Yale served as privates, and the following reernits from Stark County were unas- signed to companies: John Berier, Ciba A. Dunlap, Noah Hidle- baugh, Jonas Johnson, Arnold Volney.
The regiment left Peoria on October 8, 1862, and on the 11th re- ported to Gen. Gordon Granger, at Covington, Ky. It remained in camp at Lexington for about five months, after which it was on guard and scouting duty in Kentucky until the summer of 1863, several times being engaged with small bodies of the enemy. It was then moved to East Tennessee and took part in all the military operations there in the fall of 1863 and the early part of 1864. In May, 1864. it joined General Sherman at Tunnel Hill, Ga., and was in several of the hottest engagements of the Atlanta campaign. When General Hood evacuated Atlanta and started northward, the regiment, as part of the Twenty-third Army Corps, moved back to Tennessee. It took part in the battles of Franklin and Nashville, which virtually ended the war in the West. After pursuing Hood's retreating army to the Tennessee River, the One Hundred and Twelfth proceeded by steam- boat to Cineinnati. Ohio, thence by rail to Washington, D. C., and
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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
was next engaged in the reduction of Fort Fisher. Its last service was in North Carolina. It was mustered out at Chicago on July 7, 1865. Colonel Henderson was in command of the brigade the greater part of the time after August 8, 1863, and on November 30, 1864. was promoted to the rank of brevet brigadier-general.
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FOURTH INFANTRY
Sixteen Stark County men served in this regiment, though some of them were credited to Henry County. Asa Bunton was corporal in Company A at the time of muster in, but was promoted to sergeant. and Daniel S. Adams. Frank Hudson, Levi Leek. Fred M. Leacroft and Asa Smith enlisted as privates in the same company. In Com- pany F. George S. Green was a sergeant; Sanmel M. Likes, a cor- poral; and the following privates: Nathaniel Copper. Walter A. Fell. Alvin Galley, Thomas Murray. Thomas W. Rule, Sylvester Sweet. Andrew Turnbull and Alexander Wier.
The regiment was mustered in on September 10, 1862. with Thomas J. Sloan as colonel. Its first active service was in Tennessee: then it took part in the siege of Vicksburg and several of the engage- ments of that campaign. In January, 1864, it won the prize banner offered by Gen. M. D. Leggett for the best drilled regiment in the division. Its last service was in Alabama. It was mustered out at Springfield, Ill .. August 16. 1865.
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-NINTH INFANTRY
In this regiment. as in the preceding one. some of the men who went out from Stark County are credited to other counties. Stephen V. R. Bates, of Toulon, was a member of the regimental band; Otis P. Dyer was a corporal in Company A: James Swank was a corporal in Company E; Ansel J. Wright was first lieutenant in Company II; Gorham P. Blood and George Dugan were sergeants in the same company: Oliver P. Crowell, Nathaniel W. Dewey and William O. Johnson were corporals. and the following served as privates: Wil- liam J. Barnett, Sammel Burge. Thomas W. Cade. George W. Dewey. Joseph Flansburg, Adam Gardner, Abram HI. Loudenburg, Don C. Lyon, Oren Maxfield, Jr .. Elisha Mosher, William II. Newcomer, Harrison Newton, Joseph HI. Newton, Harvey J. Remington. Reu- ben Rounds. John S. Roof, Charles D. Sharrer, William Searl, Joseph H. Sharrer. Theodore Vandyke, Andrew J. Whitaker. Ben-
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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
jamin J. Witcher, Isaac M. Witter, Benjamin Witter, William W. Wright.
This regiment was mustered in on June 1, 1864, for 100 days and was soon afterward sent to Columbus, Ky., via St. Louis. Its only encounter with the enemy was in capturing horses and cattle to replace some taken by guerrillas, who had taken some Government eattle from steamboats near Paducah. Some of the stock was recaptured and enough taken from secession sympathizers to make good the loss. It was then in pursuit of General Price in Missouri. It was mustered out at Peoria on October 25. 1864, having served nearly two months beyond the term of its enlistment.
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FIRST INFANTRY
Fayette Lacey, who had previously served in the Thirty-seventh Regiment, was made sergeant-major of the One Hundred and Fifty- first : Lafayette Schamp was a private in Company A ; W. H. Boyer, Allen Gingrich and C. W. Phenix served as privates in Company E, and a large part of Company I came from Stark County.
The commissioned officers of Company I were as follows: Casimir P. Jackson. captain: James Montooth, first lieutenant: Andrew Gal- braith, second lieutenant. James Montooth resigned on June 20, 1865. and Lieutenant Galbraith was promoted to the vacaney, Ser- geant George R. Fezler being made second lieutenant.
Sergeants-George Dugan, George R. Fezler, George W. Me- Daniels. Sanmel Keyes.
Corporals-Rufus S. Jones, Samuel Dixon. Thomas Homer, James F. Thompson, John S. Roof and Herod Murnan.
Musicians-Thomas S. Craig and Charles W. Orr.
Wagoner-Jonathan Rounds, of Goshen Township.
Privates-Atkinson Coe, David Crumb, Austin De Wolf, Joseph Dixon. George W. Gilson, Orson Grant. Edward A. Johnson, Leon- idas H. Jones, Elias B. Lewis, Samuel K. Lowman, Ira J. MeCon- nell, Samuel Masters, John H. Moncrief, Edward A. Perry, Bethuel Pierson. Daniel Roekwell. Seth F. Rockwell, Henry W. Thomas and David Woodard.
The regiment was organized at Quiney and was mustered into the United States service on February 23, 1865. for one year. Two days later the men were armed and equipped at Springfield, and on March 7. 1865. the One Hundred and Fifty-first reported to Gen. James B. Steadman at Chattanooga. Tennessee. It was present at Resaca. Ga .. Vol. 1-10
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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
when Confederate General Warford surrendered his command to 10,400 men in May, and spent the remainder of its term of service in that state, breaking up guerrilla bands, guarding Government stores, etc. It was mustered out at Columbus, Ga., January 24, 1866.
MISCELLANEOUS INFANTRY ENLISTMENTS
In addition to the company rosters given above, a number of Stark County men were scattered through the various infantry regiments sent out by the state. An examination of the adjutant-general's re- ports shows that Reuben Crook and George W. Leighton served in Company A, and Lemuel G. Marsh in Company G, Sixteenth Infantry.
In the Twentieth, William Borter, Zelotas Kendall and Matthew Rounds, were enrolled in Company B; William Keeper and Calvin Vulgamott, Company D; James Farrell. Philip Graves, Finley C. MeClellan. Edward Quirk and Herman Sehrader, Company E; Thomas Graves, Company F: Michael Flynn and William H. Little, Company I.
Jerome B. Thomas, of Wyoming, went to Kewanee and enlisted in the Twenty-fourth, of which regiment he was commissioned assis- tant surgeon on March 3, 1862.
Six Stark County boys served in the Twenty-eighth, viz: James C. Hall and John Waldron, in Company E (later transferred to the Thirty-fourth Regiment) ; Edress M. Conklin, Company F: George A. Armstrong, Jeremiah Ferguson and James M. Paden, Company K.
In the Thirty-eighth Regiment, John M. Cole. Thomas C. Davis and Peter Lane served as privates in Company E. John Timmons was a recruit in Company D, Fortieth Infantry, and Hugh D. Keffer was a private in Company G of the same regiment. James D. Ander- son was enrolled in Company D. Forty-first.
John L. Lee and William C. Grant were recruits in the Forty- ninth, the former in Company B and the latter in Company K, and John Ryan was a private in the Fiftieth.
The Fifty-first was organized in the winter of 1861-62. In Com- pany H were Hugh Donnelly, Eli Elison, Eriek From, Thomas Imes, Cyrus Jacobs, James Kennedy, James Kinneman, Charles W. New- ton, Joseph Pew, David Simmerman, Solomon R. Shockley, Anthony Sturm and Paul Ward. Cyrus A. Anthony enlisted as a private in Company K, but was promoted to quartermaster sergeant and later to captain of Company B.
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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
In the Fifty-third, Francis Bradley was enrolled in Company A; James W. Albro and James Lee, Company C; William Oziah, Com- pany E.
Five Stark County men enlisted in Company G of the Fifty-fifth, to-wit: L. S. Coggswell, George W. Eekley, James A. Eckley, Joseph C. Hier and George E. Witter. Three of these five were promoted to noncommissioned officers.
In the Fifty-sixth, Edward Keffer and Osmand C. Griswold en- listed at MeLeansboro. The former rose to be captain of his com- pany and the latter was mustered out as a second lieutenant.
Thomas J. Blake, James Kelley and Joseph Manning enlisted in Company F, Fifty-seventh Infantry; James Nichols and Thomas C. Nichols in Company K, and William P. Clifford in Company II.
In the Fifty-eighth, Rudolph Shipman enlisted in Company D; Edward Deffleg and Isaac Dudley in Company E; Franklin Maxey and James C. Maxey, Company 1; and John Ryan joined the regi- ment as an assigned reeruit in February, 1865.
Stephen Babb served in the Sixty-fourth, and in the Sixty-sixth were Charles Atherton, Andrew Hamilton and Daniel Holmes.
In Company A, Seventy-second Infantry, were Miles Avery, Jacob Galley, Scepta T. Harding, James D. Heath and Robert Holmes, and George W. Dunbar, Jr., and W. H. Harris served in Company E, Eighty-third.
In the One Hundred and Sixth, Benjamin Williams was captain of Company G, and James W. Berry, who enlisted as a corporal in Company H, was promoted to first lieutenant.
In the One Hundred and Eighth. Richard Lynch was a member of Company C, and James Riley of Company D. Miles A. Coffin- berry was in Company K, One Hundred and Thirteenth, and John C. Copestake was first assistant surgeon of the One Hundred and Fourteenth.
In Company B, One Hundred and Twenty-seventh regiment, were Abram Bevier, Robert J. Dickinson, Uriah Giwitts, William HI. Giwitts and George Kinter.
In the One Hundred and Thirty-second were two privates from Stark County- Charles C. Hotehkiss and Barney M. Jackson-both members of Company G.
In Company I, One Hundred and Forty-eighth (a one-year regi- ment), Moses B. Robinson was a sergeant: Edwin B. Pomeroy, a corporal: and William D. Cundiff', Charles Hester and Luman Himes served as privates.
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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
Four men were credited to Stark County in Company 1, One Hundred and Fifty-fifth Infantry, viz: William Cross, Patrick McGuire, Edward O'Brien and Oliver P. White.
CAVALRY SERVICE
Illinois furnished seventeen regiments of cavalry to the Union army during the Civil war. Stark County was represented in seven of the seventeen regiments, though in no instance did a whole com- pany enlist from the county.
In Company A. Third Cavalry, which was mustered in on Sep- tember 21, 1861. were James H. Chaddock. John W. Highlands and Samuel A. Highlands. After the ranks of the regiment were depleted by a long and arduous service, it was consolidated with portions of other commands and in Company C. Consolidated Third, were Sam- uel H. Aten. George Boardman. Harrison Burkhart. William P. Burns, Hugh R. Creighton, Albert P. Finley. Robert Garner. John Green, John King. Theodore W. McDaniel. George F. Pyle. Henry Simmerman and John Simmerman. Andrew J. Walker served in Company K.
Joseph E. McKinstrey was a corporal in Company A. Fourth Cavalry: William Douglas was a member of Company D, and Wil- liam Crooks, who enlisted in Company K, was promoted to sergeant- major.
In the Seventh, which was mustered in at Camp Butler in August. 1861. Charles Butcher and William Butcher were unassigned recruits credited to Stark County.
Twenty Stark County men were enrolled in the Ninth. Chris- topher Flanagan, Thomas Flanagan. Henry Lewis, Samuel R. Lewis, John C. Shaw. Patrick Smith and John Stokes were privates in Com- pany H : J. O. H. Spinney was promoted to the captaincy of Com- pany K: John Jamison and Francis M. Lamper served as sergeants in the same company, in which the following were enrolled as privates: Fowler Bryant. E. W. Curtis. Frank U. Doyle. Thomas A. Foster. Wesley F. Foster. Francis Griswold. Christopher Handley, John S. Hayden. William S. Luce. Henry MeKibbon. Isaac Moon. Martin Shay (unassigned recruit) . James Sherlock, James M. Stanley, Her- man D. Sturm. C. M. Wheeler. William F. Wheeler.
Andrew Caldwell enlisted in Company C of the Eleventh Cavalry: William A. Glaze was a member of Company MI, and Baxter M. Mahany was an unassigned recruit.
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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
In the Twelfth Cavalry were Corporal Joseph E. Mckinstrey and William Douglas, who were transferred from the Fourth, and Joseph Johnson.
De Witt C. Reece was a member of Company A, and Isaac Dennis of Company M, Fourteenth Cavalry.
ARTILLERY
In Company A, Second Light Artillery, were twenty-three men eredited to Stark County. Harvey Pierce was a corporal and the following served as privates: Morris Ayres, William Beers, Joseph G. Bloomer, Alva W. Brown, Stephen W. Carney, John Cox, Clem- ens R. Defendener, Albert Eagan, Samuel Eagan, Thomas J. Ellis, David N. Hiffner, Charles N. Hull, John Hull, Nathan HI. Hull, Emanuel Kissel, Calvin Rockwell, Hugh Stockner, John R. Stratton, Charles Thomas, Lorenzo K. Wiley, Marshall Winn, Warren Winn.
In the Marine Artillery were: John J. Campbell, Dennis Clark, James W. Dexter, Sammel Dyer, Andrew Galbraith, Marion God- frey, James Hall, John Hotehkiss. John Labarr, Henry Marchant, Charles Maxfield, Jeptha Mosher, John H. Parks, Carleton Rhodes, Isaac Whitaker, Oliver White, Marshall Winn and Warren Win.
The two last named in the above paragraph were transferred from the Second Light Artillery, and William Cross and George Ronse served in the First United States Artillery.
There were also a few Stark County men who served in regiments belonging to other states or in the regular army. Upon the official muster rolls a name now and then is marked as a "deserter." but the percentage of this class is no larger than that of the other counties, and in faet not so large as many of them. In whatever arm of the service-infantry, cavalry, artillery or the navy-the Stark County boys as a rule rendered a good account of themselves, and the people of the present generation hold in grateful remembrance the valor and patriotism of the "Boys in Blue," as is witnessed by the monument erected to the memory of the Stark County soldiers and sailors npon the north side of the publie square in Toulon.
A Stark County Soldiers' Monument Association was organized at Toulon on the last day of October, 1867, by Dr. J. C. Copestake, Capt. J. M. Brown, Andrew Galbraith and others, but no record can be found of its further proceedings. Early in the year 1901 the board of supervisors took up the question of appropriating a sum of money for the purpose of erecting a monument to commemorate the services of the soldiers and sailors who went out from the county during the
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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
dark days of the nation from 1861-65. George T. Oliver, Mordecai Bevier and W. B. Ballentine were appointed a committee to select a design, ascertain the cost, and report.
The committee reported on March 1, 1901, in favor of the design submitted by Messrs. Drummond, of Bradford, and Teets, of Wyo- ming, the monument to cost $3,000 complete. The report was ap- proved by the board and on the same day it was ordered that "the sum of $3,000 be set aside and appropriated out of the county tax levied for the year 1900 for the purpose of ereeting a soldiers' monument for Stark County."
Not long afterward the contraet was formally awarded to Drum- mond & Teets and the work was commenced. On September 3, 1901. the clerk was ordered to draw a warrant for $3,000 in favor of Drum- mond & Teets, to be payable when the monument was completed and accepted by the committee. The monument was dedicated on Thurs- day, June 12, 1902. Gen. William G. Cochran, of Sullivan, Ill., who had been engaged to deliver the address, failed to make his appearance and the principal speech was made by Gen. Thomas J. Henderson, who followed George T. Oliver, the chairman of the board of super- visors, in an address of welcome, in which he presented the monument to the county.
The monument is a handsome specimen of the sculptor's art; an imposing shaft of gray granite some forty feet in height, surmounted by the figure of an infantry soldier at parade rest. On the north side, facing Main Street, is the inscription selected by the board of super- visors: "In Memory of the Soldiers and Sailors of Stark County," and on the reverse is the simple statement-"Dedicated June 12. 1902."
THE WORK AT HOME
While those at the front were undergoing the inconveniences of camp life, the hardships of the long march and the dangers of battle, the friends they left behind them were not unmindful of the soldier's needs. On June 10, 1861. the board of supervisors ordered: "That the sum of $3,000 be appropriated for the purpose of uniforming volunteer militia companies organized or to be organized in Stark County, at the rate of $6 per man, under certain conditions and restrictions. Also that in the event of immediate call of Captain Stuart's company-the 'Elmira Rifles'- the elerk shall issue an order immediately on the treasurer for such amounts as shall be found due them by disbursing agents," ete.
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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
The next day, pursuant to a plan reported by a committee pre- viously appointed, a tax of 20 cents on each $100 worth of property in the county was levied for the year 1861, "for the purpose of aiding and assisting volunteer soldiers and their families." One thousand dollars of the money thus raised were ordered to be set apart for aiding the families of volunteers and the remainder to be used for uniforms and equipment for the men.
David MeCance, Davis Lowman and Oliver Whitaker were appointed a committee to take charge of the disbursements. On December 3. 1861, this committee reported the following disburse- ments :
To the Elmira Rifles (106 men) $ 630.00
To the Lafayette Rifles (76 men) .
456.00
To the Stark County Rifles (77 men) 462.00
For relief-
Elmira Township
86.78
Goshen Township
106.87
Osceola Township 9.00
Penn Township
20.71
Toulon Township
76.62
Valley Township
12.00
1
Total $1,859.98
On June 2, 1862, the committee reported the additional expenditure of $348.45 for the relief of soldiers' families. At the September term in 1862 the supervisors appropriated $4,000 for the purpose of aiding the families of volunteers and at the same time directed the supervisor in each township to report the number of families in his jurisdiction, the heads of which were in the army, when the amount appropriated should be divided or apportioned among the several townships, each supervisor to act as disbursing agent in his township, though the old committee was continued to audit the accounts of the supervisors. A bounty of $50 was authorized to be paid to each man enlisting from Stark County and a tax of 5 mills on the dollar was levied for the purpose of paying bounties and the accumulation of the $4,000 relief fund. At the next session the supervisors reported the number of families and the fund was apportioned as follows:
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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
Ehnira Township 28 families
$ 533.32
Essex Township
33
66
628.56
Goshen Township
20
380.96
Osceola Township
37
704.79
Penn Township
21
400.00
Toulon Township
33
628.56
Valley Township
12
228.57
West Jersey Township
26
495.24
Total
210 families
$4,000.00
Of this sum there was an unexpended balance on September 14, 1863, but during the winter the fund was exhausted and on March 14, 1864, the board ordered an appropriation of $2,600 for the support of soldiers' families. On September 13, 1864, a tax of 30 cents on each $100 worth of property was levied to pay bounties and aid the families of volunteers. Another appropriation, amounting to $2,760, was made on March 7, 1865, for relief purposes and several years after the war was over bounties, the payment of which had been de- layed, were handed over to the veterans. For this reason it is difficult to state just what sum was paid by the county in bounties.
Besides the relief given by the county in its official capacity, there were several organizations formed for the purpose of assisting the families of those who were engaged in fighting the battles of their country. The Soldiers' Relief Cirele of Toulon was organized on November 12, 1861, with Mrs. Oliver Whitaker, president; Mrs. O. Gardner, vice president; Miss E. Marvin, secretary; Mrs. Calvin Eastman, treasurer; Mrs. P. M. Blair, Mrs. S. S. Kaysbier, Mrs. M. A. Fuller and Miss R. White, committee on supplies.
The Wyoming Soldiers' Relief Society was organized about the same time, with Mrs. M. A. Holst, president; Mrs. A. G. Ham- mond, secretary; Miss Lucy Butler, treasurer; Mesdames Isaac Thomas, B. F. Foster, W. B. Armstrong, P. Pettit, Mary Butler, J. Wrigley, J. B. Lashels and J. Matthews, committee on collections. On July 27, 1863, the women of Penn Township organized a "Loyal League," with Mrs. J. M. Ricker, president, and Mrs. S. S. Rockwell, secretary. There were also a number of meetings held in different parts of the county for the purpose of collecting money and supplies for the families of the boys in the field.
The amount of aid extended by these societies and spontaneous gatherings cannot be ascertained, and no approximate estimate can
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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
be made of the assistance rendered by individual offerings. When- ever some soldier's family stood in need of aid it was forthcoming. The sum thus contributed ran into thousands of dollars, of which no account was kept. Many a basket of provisions found its way to the home of some soldier; shoes, elothing, school books, etc., were pro- vided for soldiers' children; sons and daughters of volunteers were given preference in the matter of employment by loyal citizens, and in many other ways relief was afforded to those who had sent their loved ones to the defense of the Union.
CHAPTER X INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS
EARLY CONDITIONS IN STARK COUNTY-DIFFICULTIES OF EARLY TRAVEL -INDIAN TRAILS-PUBLIC HIGHWAYS-KNOXVILLE & GALENA STATE ROAD-FIRST ROAD DISTRICTS AND SUPERVISORS-PETITIONS AND VIEWERS-MODERN HIGHWAYS -- STATE HIGHWAY COMMISSION -- STATE INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS-ILLINOIS & MICHIGAN CANAL- ACT OF 1836- LARGE APPROPRIATIONS FOR RIVER IMPROVEMENTS AND RAILROADS -- THE RAILROAD ERA-WESTERN AIR LINE-AMER- ICAN CENTRAL-CHICAGO, ROCK ISLAND & PACIFIC-CHICAGO, BUR- LINGTON & QUINCY-CHICAGO & NORTHWESTERN-VALUE OF RAIL- ROAD PROPERTY IN THE COUNTY.
In this year 1916 of the Christian era, when a citizen of Stark County has oceasion to visit the county seat, or make a short journey into some of the adjacent counties, it is a comparatively easy matter to step into his antomobile and glide along over a publie highway to his destination. Should it be necessary for him to take a longer journey, he can take his seat in a reclining chair ear or a Pullman coach on one of the great railway systems of the country and be transported across the land at the rate of fifty or sixty miles an hour. But does he ever pause to consider how all these convenienees were brought about for his comfort and aeeommodation. Let him for a moment draw upon his imagination for the conditions that existed in what is now Stark County when Isaae B. Essex and his early neighbors came to the Spoon River Valley in 1829.
Then all this region was "fresh from the hands of Nature." Along the stream still known as Indian Creek the Pottawatomi villages were to be seen, the men hunting where now are cultivated fields and the squaws raising some eorn and a few other vegetables in a desultory sort of way. Through the groves and aeross the prairies prowled the wolf, and the only white men were the hunters, trappers or agents of the great fur companies who eame at intervals to eateh the fur-bearing animals or trade with the Indians. No roads had yet been opened for
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HISTORY OF STARK COUNTY
the white man's travel and the pioneers came with the ox teams and "prairie schooners," guiding their way by the sun and "following the line of least resistance." Streams were unbridged, and it was no un- usual thing for a party of immigrants to reach the bank of an ordi- narily insignificant creek to find it swollen by recent rains and wait for the waters to subside before they could continue their journey. Through the forests or over the prairies wound an occasional Indian trail. These trails were the only thoroughfares and they were only narrow paths, the Indians always traveling in single file. A man ou horseback might follow one, but they were practically useless to the man with a team and vehicle. However, the red man's trail possessed some advantages. They led as directly from one point to another as the nature of the ground permitted, and they struck the streams at the best possible fording places.
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