USA > Indiana > Jay County > Historical hand-atlas, illustrated : containing twelve farm maps, and History of Jay County, Indiana > Part 48
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IMPORTANT TREATY.
When General Wayne took possession, for the United States, of Detroit, Mackinaw, and Fort Miami, he constructed Fort Industry, on the left bank of the Maumee, just below the mouth of Swan Creek, and very near the northeast corner of the cession of twelve miles square. It was garrisoned for ten or twelve years, and is distinguished as the location of an important treaty with the Indians, in 1805.
FIRST TERRITORIAL LEGISLATURE.
Tbe ordinance of 1787 provided for a change in the form of terri- torial government when the number of free wbite male inhabitants, of full age, should reach five thousand. Accordingly, in the fall of 1799, the first territorial legislature convened at Cincinnati. The represen- tatives from Wayne county were Solomon Sibley, Jacob Visgar, and Charles F. Chobart de Joncaire.
THE TERRITORY DIVIDED.
In 1800 the North-Western territory was divided into two govern- ments, by a line drawn from the mouth of Kentucky River to Fort Recovery, and thence northward to the territorial line, leaving the Detroit settlement in the eastern division, under the old government. This created a vacancy in the Council-the " upper house " of the territorial legislature-to which vacancy Mr. Sibley was appointed ; and Mr. Sibley's seat in the lower house was filled by the election of Mr. Scheifflin, of Detroit.
FIRST CONSTITUTION OF OHIO.
Early in 1802 a census was taken in the eastern division, which was found to contain over 45,000 persons. By authority of an Act of Con- gress, a convention was elected to form a constitution for the proposed new State, to be composed of the southern part of the eastern division. The convention assembled November 1, 1802, and agreed upon the first constitution of the State of Ohio, before the end of the same month. Wayne county was excluded from representation in this con- vention, which caused great dissatisfaction at the time. Besides this exclusion from the constitutional convention, the Act of Congress, above referred to, reserved the right to attach the northern part of the eastern division to Indiana territory ; whereas the ordinance of 1787 contemplated its continuance as a part of the new State (Ohio), until it (Michigan) should have sufficient population of its own to entitle it to admission as a State. This increased the dissatisfaction, for it was the desire of the better class of the people of Wayne County to remain attached to the new State. It was suggested that this county elect delegates to the convention, and demand the right of representation therein. To this suggestion, in a letter to a friend at Cincinnati, Mr. Sibley replied :
SIBLEY'S LETTER.
" But, sir, supposing the county of Wayne should elect delegates and send them forward to the convention, what security would they have of
a bare protection ? Would they not feel the mortification of personal insults? From the temper of a majority of the citizens of that place (Chillicothe) last winter, I really believe that their persons would be in danger. At all events I am not personally disposed to make the experiment. Yet I will do everything in my power to stir up the citizens of Wayne to claim their violated rights I have conversed with a number of leading characters, most of whom disapprove of the law, and are desirous of becoming a part of the new State, if pos- sible. But nothing frightens the Canadians like taxes, They would prefer to be treated like dogs, and kennelled under the whip of a tyrant, than contribute to the support of a free government."
One reason of the objection of Detroit to becoming a part of Indiana territory was the erroneous opinion that the northern boundary of Ohio, as proposed by the law of Congress, would pass north of the rich settlement at the River Raisin, and thus cut off one of the best por- tions of Wayne county
ONE OF THE DAYTON RESOLUTIONS.
At a public meeting held at Dayton, a series of resolutions was adopted, one of which we append :
" We feel for our fellow citizens in the county of Wayne, who have relinquished their allegiance to the crown of Great Britain, and become American citizens, firmly attached to the interests of this terri- tory; and we hope they may not be transferred against their wishes to · the Indiana territory, at the moment they had expected with us to enter into an independent State government, and to enjoy the privi- leges of a free people."
MICHIGAN TERRITORY ORGANIZED,
But expostulations and petitions were in vain. The Detroit settle- ments were attached to Indiana territory until 1805, when Michigan territory was organized. Nor did Wayne County lose her cherished province on the Raisin, for it was afterward found that the northern boundary of Ohio passed considerably south of the mouth of that river. Two years before the organization of the State government, Trumbull County was set up. Its original boundaries coincided with the boundaries of the Connecticut Reserve, and of course took a part of Wayne County-that part lying west of the Cuyahoga River and within the Reserve.
WHISKY AND BAD WHITE MEN.
By this time, the British violations of our national rights-by impress- ing our seamen into the English navy and seizing American vessels engaged in commerce with France-had excited feelings of indignation and hostility throughout the country, and intelligent men in Canada and the United States predicted another war between England and America. In June, 1807, the United States frigate Chesapeake had been captured by a British ship, killing three and wounding eighteen. The crew of the frigate was then mustered, and four of them forcibly carried off, on the pretense that they were British deserters. Both nations had for some time been drifting towards unfriendly relations ; but from this time the enmity was rapidly aggravated, until, in 1812, it culminated in open war. During this period, preceding the war of 1812, the Canadians were not idle. The Indians of the Maumee and Wabash Valleys were again visited by Britislı agents, who encouraged the Indians to begin another war upon the western settlements south of the lakes, by pledging, semi-officially, the assistance of their old ally. The old idea of compelling the Americans to abandon the terri- tory north of the Ohio River-of making that river forever the boundary between the whites and the Indians-was secretly revived. Canadians still held almost a monopoly of the Indian trade in this vicinity, and, as a means of retaining their friendship, furnished them whisky in unlimited quantities. Under the old French regime this had been prohibited, and during the British occupation of this territory it had been disapproved; but now the Canadians were under no restraint. Although our territorial and State legislature had enacted stringent laws forbidding the sale of liquor to the savages, it was almost wholly disregarded, especially by the Canadians. It is unde- niable that the free use of intoxicating liquors by the Indians, which began here soon after the Revolutionary war, caused a rapid deteriora- tion of the best traits of Indian character. Another cause of the increasing unfriendliness of the savages was the numerous crimes committed against them by bad white men on the frontiers-the most atrocious crimes committed with apparent impunity ; for such was the prejudice against the Indians, that no white man could be convicted in the courts, of any crime committed against them, no matter how clearly proved. So notorious had this state of affairs become that, in 1800, Governor St. Clair, of Ohio, called the attention of the territorial legislature thereto, and said that, " the number of these unfortunate people who have been murdered and plundered since the treaty of Greenville, is sufficient to produce serious alarm for the consequences." During the same year the legislature passed an act " providing for the trial of homicide committed on Indians," with the following preamble : " Whereas, his excellency the governor, hath stated that difficulties have arisen in prosecuting and bringing to punishment persons charged with homicide committed on certain Indians within this territory, that similar difficulties may be expected in future, and that serious evils are
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NORTHWESTERN INDIANA-Concluded.
likely to arise therefrom, unless a remedy be provided therefor by law ; therefore, to remove those difficulties, and the more effectually to insure justice to the Indian tribes in such cases, Be it enacted," etc. One provision of this law authorized the governor to order special courts of Oyer and Terminer for such cases; and, if necessary, to grant a change of venue. But the most powerful influence operating among the Indians-exciting their hatred and organizing them for another war upon the whites-was that of 'Tecumseh and "The Prophet," two Shawnee brothers. The former, by his eloquence and really noble qualities as a man, and the latter by his " miracles," acquired a remark- able ascendancy over all the tribes along the frontier-from Lake Superior to the Gulf of Mexico. In 1808 they established themselves on the Wabash River, at the mouth of the Tippecanoe, where, during the next three years, they collected a large force of warriors from a number of tribes. A large part of their force was drawn from the Maumee River, the Ottawas, located at the mouth of the river, fur- nishing about three hundred, But Tecumseh's power was temporarily impaired, and the Indians dispersed, by the battle of Tippecanoe, in November, 1811.
GENERAL WILLIAM HULL.
Although defeated in the battle of Tippecanoe, in the fall of 1811, the Indians were not subdued, but began to plot with the English for an invasion of Ohio and Michigan, from Canada, in case of war betweeen Great Britain and the United States. As a defense of tlie northern frontier against the Indians, and as a precautionary measure, in case of war with England, an army was raised in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana Territory, and Michigan Territory. As soon as it was organized and equipped, this army, under command of General William Hull, marched from its rendezvous in the southwestern part of Ohio, directly north through Champaign County to the foot of the rapids of Maumee River, traversing the present counties of Champaign, Logan, Hardin, Hancock and Wood, cutting a road through the wilder- ness, and establishing a number of military posts along the route, which route was for many years afterward known as " Hull's Trace." Crossing the Maumee on the Ist of July, 1812, Hull marched to Detroit, which had been selected as the strategic point of the campaign. After a disgraceful inactivity of a few weeks, on the 26th of August Hull surrendered Detroit, with all the military force under his com- mand, to General Brock, the British commander.
GENERAL WILLIAM H. HARRISON.
Another army was promptly raised, and placed under the command of General William H. Harrison, which advanced by three routes to the foot of the rapids, with the design of making that a base for the recovery of Michigan and the conquest of Canada. General Harrison, with the right wing, marched by the way of Upper Sandusky, which he made his depot of supplies. General Tupper had command of the center, with Fort McArthur, in Hardin County, as a base, and was to advance by Hull's route. General Winchester marched from Fort Defiance down the Maumee to the foot of the rapids. Without waiting to be joined by Harrison, Winchester moved on to the River Raisin, where he was defeated, January 22, 1813, and where the Indians were permitted to massacre the settlers and American prisoners. Harrison had crossed the Maumee with a part of his force, but, on learning of Winchester's defeat, fell back to the foot of the rapids, and the next day, after destroying his stores in a small stockade on the north side, retreated to the forks of the Portage, opposite the site of the village of Pemberville, Wood Co., O .. where he remained a few days, and on the Ist of February again advanced to the foot of the Maumee rapids, and began the construction of Fort Meigs. It was an "open winter," unfavorable to military movements in this region, and but little was accomplished.
PERRY'S VICTORY.
On the 27th of April, the British and Indians, under Proctor and Tecumseh, invested the fort, and on the 9th of May raised the siege. It was during this siege that a regiment of Kentuckians. under Colonel Dudley, was terribly defeated on the north side of the river. Harrison left the fort under command of General Green Clay, and went to the interior of the State to organize new levies of troops. On the 20th of July, the enemy again laid siege to For: Meigs, but on the 29th again
decamped and proceeded to Fort Stephenson (Fremont), and began an attack on the Ist of August. But there they were repulsed by the gallant Croghan. On the 10th of September, Commodore Perry cap- tured the British fleet at Put-in-Bay, on Lake Erie, soon after which Harrison's army was transported to Malden by Perry's vessels. On the 5th of October the British and Indians were defeated in the battle on the Thames, where Tecumseh was killed. The territory and posts surrendered by Hull were speedily recovered, and the war in the Northwest was virtually ended.
SECOND TREATY OF GREENVILLE.
Soon after this, General Harrison entered into an armistice with the hostile Indians, followed by the second treaty of Greenville. Still, few ventured to settle on the Maumee and Wabash until after the treaty of Ghent and the battle of New Orleans. Those who returned huilt temporary cabins out of the " arks " which had been used as trans- ports by the army, and of the pickets and block-houses of Fort Meigs. Congress made an appropriation for the partial reimburse- ment of those whose property had been destroyed during the war.
At first the settlement of this side of the river was confined to the immediate vicinity of Fort Meigs, or the foot of the rapids, on the twelve miles square, the center of which, was on the large island in front of Perrysburg; and even after the Indian title was extinguished in all northwestern Ohio, the improvements for many years were limited to a narrow strip along the river bank up to the head of the rapids.
In 1815 a town was started near the fort, which was at first called Fort Meigs, afterwards Orleans. At the same time Maumee was started. In the summer of 1815 three large vessels came up to Fort Meigs after the government stores left here at the close of the war. Of these Mr. Hosmer says: " With the exception of a few light vessels used by the British as transports during the war, these were the first vessels of ordinary draft that ever ascended to the foot of the rapids."
THE INDIAN TRADE.
" Upon the close of the war of 1812 the foot of the rapids became an important point in the commercial business of the country. Large quantities of the produce of the western part of Ohio and Northeastern Indiana was brought down the river in flatboats and transferred to the shipping of the lakes The Indian trade was large. The quantity of furs and peltry collected here by the Indian traders, and that of the sngar made by the Indians from the sap of the sugar maple, and put up by them in cases made of bark, each weighing sixty or eighty pounds, and called ' mococks'-these and other like objects of trade and com- merce made up a considerable business. The fisheries of the river also constituted a large item in the then business of the place. The quantity of corn even then raised on the Maumee was very large, and was exported in large quantities to Detroit and other parts of the upper lakes. This was so much the case that it was called 'coming to Egypt for corn.' These objects, and other minor subjects of commerce and traffic, rendered the business of the place far larger than that which would be indicated by the population of the place, and the amount of lake shipping that came up there to meet this commercial demand was quite considerable."
" The spring work of the Indians was the manufacture of maple sugar, which they generally made in considerable quantities, and it was of a tolerable good quality. As they had no other means of conveying it to market, they manufactured a kind of box, made of elm bark, about eighteen inches in length, and ten or twelve in width, and sixteen or eighteen in height. The bark was bent in proper shape and fastened with a thread of the same material. This was called a 'mowkon ' or 'mocock,' holding from fifty to one hundred pounds each. The Indians conveyed these boxes upon their ponies, each pony packing two boxes, one upon each side.
" The dress of the Indians was, for the most part, of their own manu- facture. They dressed deer skins in the best manner. These they used for moccasins, leggings, mittens, and shirts ; and in cold weather they wore woolen blankets, which they received as presents from the British Government."
The Indians of Northeastern Indiana were chiefly Miamis, and, by treaty, ceded to the United States, in 1846, their last reservation, which laid partly in Wells County, and were transported to the Indian terri- tory, now Kansas.
HISTORY OF JAY COUNTY.
JAY COUNTY, INDIANA.
ORGANIZATION .- The county was named in honor of John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the United States. Colonel John Vawter, of Jennings County, Chairman of the Committee on New Counties, in the House of Representatives of the Indiana Legislature, introduced a bill entitled " An act laying out all the unorganized territory to which the Indian title had been extinguished in the State, into a suitable number of counties, and for other purposes." This bill became a law, and was approved February 7, 1835. The counties laid out and organized under its provisions embraced a strip of territory extending from the eastern to the western boundary of the northern portion of the State, and included Jay, Wells, DeKalb, Steuben, Whitley, Kosciusko, Ful- ton, Marshall, Stark, Pulaski, Jasper, Newton and Porter. At that time Jay County embraced the territory of Blackford County, organ- ized two years later.
The act under which Jay County was organized was passed and approved Jannary 30, 1836. The first section provided that from and after the first Monday of March, 1836, Jay County should enjoy all the rights and jurisdiction that may properly belong to separate and inde- pendent counties. Sections 2 and 3 appointed Judge Jeremiah Smith and Judge Zachariah Puckett, of Randolph County; Jacob Thorn burg, of Henry County; Nathan Coleman, of Allen County, and Philip Moore, of Delaware County, as commissioners to locate the county- seat. Section 4 provided that the first Circuit and other courts should be held at the house of H. H. Cuppy. Section 5 made it the duty of the agent of the county to reserve ten per cent. of the nioney received for lots donated to the county for library purpose. The act further defined the duty of the commission, and placed the county in the Eighth Judicial Circuit and Fifth Congressional District.
With the exception of Mr. Moore, the members of this commission met at the house of H. H. Cuppy on the first Monday of June, 1836, as required by the act, and selected, as the site for the county-seat, eighty acres of land north of the Salamonie River, then owned by Daniel Reid, of Richmond, and ten acres adjoining, which belonged to James Hathaway. Prior to this time the original territory of Jay County had been organized as Salamonie Township, and was attached to Ran- dolph County for judicial purposes. The commission was paid for its services from the treasury of Randolph County.
The records in the history of Portland, the county-seat, show that the titie to the land selected for the county- seat changed ownership about this time and other parties became proprietors.
ELECTION .- Governor Noble appointed Christopher Hanna, Sheriff, to notify the citizens that an election would be held in August, 1836, for county officers. There were three voting places, one at B. Gold- smith's, in Madison Township; one at Daniel Farber's, in Wayne Township, and the other in Licking (or Lick Creek) Township, now Blackford County. The election was held, with the following result : Commissioners-John Pingry, Abraham Lotz, Benjamin Goldsmith ; Associate Judges -- Enoch Bowden, James Graves; Clerk-Christopher Hanna; Sheriff- Henderson Graves. James Graves declined to accept the office of Associate Judge, and Silas Pingry was subsequently chosen.
SESSION OF COMMISSIONERS .- The first session of the Board of County Commissioners was held November 8, 1836, at the house of Mr. Cuppy. At this session the following appointments were made : H. H. Cuppy, County Treasurer; Lewis S. Farber, Assessor ; B. W. Hawkins, agent to superintend the sale and conveyance of' lots that had been donated to the county; David Baldwin, superintendent of the three per cent. fund, arising from the sale of State lands appropriated for roads and bridges.
At this session a license was granted to H. H. Cuppy for Sio to retail merchandise for one year. This was the first money paid into the treasury of the new county. The Huntington and Winchester road was ordered to be opened at this session, and Christopher Hanna was allowed Szo for his services as Sheriff, and each Commissioner $6 for his services for the term.
At a special session, held December 5, 1836, it was "Ordered that the county-seat should be called Portland," and D. W. McNeal was appointed County Surveyor.
FIRST COURT HOUSE .- May 3, 1837, it was " Ordered that a house should be erected on some suitable lot in the town of Portland, for the use of the county, and that Christopher Hanna superintend the letting of the same." L. S. Farber was allowed $23.27 for assessing the county. The first levy of taxes was made at this session, at the rate of $1.25 on each Stoo valuation, for county purposes; I cent for road purposes, and 75 cents for each poll.
June 13, 1837, a contract was let to Robert Huey for the construc- tion of a log court-house, and the building was completed and occupied September 4, 1837. This building was paid for out of the proceeds of the sale of lots in Portland.
Settlement was made, at the September session of the Commissioners, with H. H. Cuppy, the Treasurer, which showed that the total receipts from all sources were $411.82. Mr. Cuppy resigned the office, and Hawkins C. Fouts was appointed to fill the vacancy. Christopher
Hanna was appointed to superintend the erection of a county jail building, the contract being awarded to Joshua Penoch for $181 The building was of logs, poorly constructed, and was erected on a lot north of the present jail. Some idea may be l'ormed of what this building was by the report of the committee-Sanford Ackerman and Alexander White-who had been appointed to examine it and see if the contract had been honestly fulfilled. The committee, in its report, says : "We have proceeded, according to order, and find it not made according to contract ; but if the stopple of the locks is made sufficient, and the floor adzed off, and a ring fixed in the floor of the small room, and a bar of iron on each way across the windows of the small room, then we consider it will fill the contract." For making this view and report, Mr. Ackerman wa: paid 50 cents.
At this session Mr. Cuppy was allowed $5.80 for room rent and fuel, which was the first expenditure of the kind in the county. It was also " Ordered that there be a ten-plate stove and pipe procured for the use of the county, and a table three leet long and eight feet wide, and the necessary quantity of benches for the use of the court-house."
At the January session, 1838, Hawkins C. Fouts made settlement for the year, showing the total receipts to be $393.82. A license for $Io was granted to William Haynes as retailer of foreign and domestic goods, and also a license for $5 to sell spirituous liquors. This was the first liquor license issued in the county-the avant courier, so to speak, of civilization. These licenses were granted for one year, com- mencing March 5, 1838.
The following is duly recorded : "February 23, 1839 .- Eli Swallow produced to me the scalp of a wolf, by him taken in this county, which wolf was one six months old, and took the oath as required by law."
COURTS .- The first term of Circuit Court was held at the house of Henry H. Cuppy, April 17, 1837, Hon. Charles W. Ewing, of Ft. Wayne, and the Sixth Judicial District, presiding, with Enoch Bow- den, Associate Judge of Jay County; Clerk, Christopher Hanna; Sheriff, Henderson Graves; Prosecuting Attorney, Thomas Johnson, of Ft. Wayne. Jeremiah Smith, Esq., of Randolph County, was also present, and these two last named gentlemen were then admitted to practice as attorneys and counselors-at-laws in Jay County.
The first Grand Jury comprised the following named persons : H. H. Cuppy, B. W. Hawkins, Obadiah Winters, H. C. Fouts, James Marquis, David Baldwin, John Pingry, S. G. Hanna, Conaway Stone, William Vail, Joseph Wilson, J. S. Mays, D. W. McNeal, William Clark, James Eblin and John Eblin. Foreman-H. H. Cuppy. Bailiff- Anderson Ware.
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