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Picturesque Northwestern Ohio
and Battle Grounds of the Maumee Valley
OVERSIZE
Gc 977.1 P589 v.1
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REFERENCE AMERICANA COLLECTION
GEN
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01715 5240
Gc 977.1 P589, v. 1 Van Tassel, Charles Sumner, 1858- Picturesque northwestern Ohio and battle grounds of
-
Picturesque Northwestern Ohio
Battle Grounds of the Maumee Valley AND
AN ART AND HISTORICAL WORK
OF THE
NORTHWEST SECTION OF THE BUCKEYE STATE
Containing Nearly 200 Fine Engravings of Historical Scenes of Value and Interest.
C. S. VAN TASSEL, Editor BOWLING GREEN and TOLEDO, OHIO.
Allen County Public Library 900 Webster Street PO Box 2270 Fort Wayne, IN 46801-227
SITE OF FORT STEPHENSON-NOW FREMONT. Colonel Croghan's old Cannon, "Betsy," at foot of Monument.
The Maumee Halley Historiral
FORT MEIGS, ON THE MAUMEE RIVER, BUILT IN 1812.
OLD INDIAN ELM, Maumee, Opposite Fort Meigs. [See Descriptive Note.]
1195086
A T the close of the "French and Indian War," by the treaty of Paris in 1763, France ceded to England all her American pos- sessions east of the Mississippi river. For more than a century preceding the treaty, these two nations had been struggling for supremacy in America. It was a long continued war of races stimu- lated by the desire to possess a land, the geography of which was almost unknown, and which was supposed to contain rich mines of precious metals hidden within its unexplored regions.
It is a matter of history that even before the landing of the Pil- grinis in 1620, the great chain of lakes were visited by French explor- ers, missionaires and fur traders, and at some period during the first half of the seventeenth century delegates from all the Indian nations in the vicinity of the great lakes met the French in council at the Falls of St. Mary, where a treaty was made by which the Indians conceded to the French the right to occupy the place in the name of the King of France. An exploration of the lakes was undertaken by LaSalle, accompanied by Father Hennepin. At many points in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois they established posts for defense against our commerce with Indians. It is claimed that in 1680, LaSalle built a rude stockade at the foot of the Maumee Rapids, and that he passed that winter there. Even before LaSalle's explorations the Maumee was well known to the Catholic missionaries and French fur traders, who made it a point of exchange with the Indians of the adjacent fur- bearing region. Thus the French extended their explorations through- out the entire lake region and the Mississippi and claimed this exten- sive domain by the right of discovery.
They had a claim of military, trading and missionary posts from New Orleans to Quebec, along the Mississippi and Illinois rivers, along
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PICTURESQUE NORTHWESTERN OHIO.
LOOKING ACROSS MAUMEE RIVER FROM FORT MEIGS, WOOD COUNTY. The embankments noticed in view are the walls of the old Fort.
Lake Michigan and along the South shores of Lakes Erie and Ontario. They also had a line of posts along the Wabash and down the Maumee to Lake Erie. Then for years followed almost
constant turmoil, strife, warfare and massacre between English, French and Indians, which only closed by the treaty of peace in 1763, and by which treaty the beautiful Maumce passed forever from French dominion. During the French and Indian war the French established the Maumee and Western Reserve road as an important military route, fifty years before Anthony Wayne secured the right-of-way over the same route for a military road.
When the English took possession of the posts and fortifications, the Indians were exasper- ated and under Pontiac they commenced a war of extermination and savage butchcries, and merciless massacre followed for two years longer. Time passed and General Clarke entered upon an energetic and successful military expedition, sccur- ing and maintaining military possession of the extensive country between the Ohio River and the lakes chiefly within the present limits of Indiana and Illinois. Then by treaty in 1783, Great Britain ceded to the United States all the territory between the Alleghenies and the Missis- sippi river and south of the great lakes. But England violated her treaties and usurped jurisdiction for many years longer. The Indians disregarded the peace treaty between the United States and England, as they did that between
EAST SIDE OR REAR VIEW OF FORT MEIGS.
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BATTLE GROUNDS OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY.
LOOKING UP THE HISTORIC MAUMEE RIVER FROM FORT MIAMI. PERRYSBURG ON LEFT.
France and England. In this they were encouraged by the English and continued their depredations on the white settlements.
Many attempts were made to conciliate the Indians, but all peace negotiations resulted in failure Then followed the disastrous campaigns of General Harmar and Governor St. Clair, after which General Anthony Wayne took command of the Western army. He wintered his army at Fort Greenville, in 1793, leaving there in July, 1794, built Fort Defiance, proceeded down the Maumee with a force of 900 men, arriving at Roche De Boeuf, now Waterville, August 18, met and completely overwhelmed 2000 Indians pitted against him on the 20th, now known as the battle of Fallen Timber. For superb military skill and heroism that battle stands out con- spicuous in Western annals and has but few equals in successful military contests. In this battle General Harrison, then a lieu- tenant, was one of General Wayne's aides-de-camp.
Notwithstanding the treaty of 1783, the war of the Revolution continued in the Maumee Valley and around the lakes. The duplic- ity of the English and their utter disregard of treaties was shown in the building of Fort Miami, a military work of great strength, and in retaining possession of Detroit as a military post. They also established a post at the mouth of Swan Creek where provisions were regularly supplied from British stores to the Indians.
The celebrated treaty of Greenville was negotiated in August, 1795, through the efforts of General Wayne, in a conference with the principal chiefs of twelve tribes of Indians. By this treaty the United States obtained sixteen distinct cessions of small tracts of land for military posts, with the necessary right-of-way through
FALLS NEAR ROCHE DE BOEUF, MAUMEE RIVER.
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PICTURESQUE NORTHWESTERN OHIO
.
VIEW FROM FORT MEIGS. Fort Miami Across the Maumee River in the Distance.
the Indian country to reach these posts. Two of these ces- counties. One of these was twelve miles square at the British Fort of Miami, and the other six miles square at the
sions lie within the present limits of Lucas and Wood
THE EXCHANGE HOTEL, PERRYSBURG. Gen. Harrison, Chief Justice Waite, and Several Presidents and Other Notables Have Been Guests at This Hotel.
mouth of the Maumee where it empties into the lake. The tract twelve miles square has ever since maintained an im- portant part in boundary de- scriptions in Lucas and Wood counties. Until the organiza- tion of Lucas it was wholly within the limits of Wood county. The northeast corner of this tract is in the heart of the City of Toledo and its southeast corresponds with the southeast corner of Perrysburg township. The six miles tract cut into the northeast corner of Wood county, and the military right - of - way between these posts is now the Maumee and Western Reserve road.
Hay's treaty was ratified between the United States and England in 1796, by which the English surrendered to our government Fort Mackinaw, Fort Miami and the fortificd town of Detroit. Immediately after the county of Wayne was established with Detroit as its seat of justice. . This was
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BATTLE GROUNDS OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY.
LOOKING UP THE MAUMEE RIVER From Fort Miami. Fort Meigs in the distance at left.
the fifth county established in the Northwest territory. As then organized Wayne county included about twenty-six of the present counties in Northwestern Ohio, or about one-fourth of the State, the northern part of Indiana and all of the Southern Peninsula of Michigan.
When General Wayne took possession for the United States, of Detroit, Mackinaw and Fort Miami, he built Fort Industry on the left bank of the Maumee just below the mouth of Swan Creek, between Monroe and Jefferson streets, in Toledo, now. This fort was garrisoned about twelve years, and here an important treaty was made with the Indians in 1805, by which the Indians ceded practically all their lands in Ohio, with the exception of a square tract in Northwestern Ohio, which included the entire Maumee Valley, and which for many years was known as the Indian Territory, comprising about twenty counties as now organized.
LOOKING DOWN THE MAUMEE RIVER From Maumee City. Perrysburg on the right.
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PICTURESQUE NORTHWESTERN OHIO.
FORT MEIGS, ON THE MAUMEE RIVER.
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BATTLE GROUNDS OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY.
EASTERN OR REAR VIEW IN OLD FORT MEIGS, On Maumee River, near Perrysburg.
Soon after the treaty of Fort Industry, Louis Burdo, Peter Navarre and other Frenehmen removed from Detroit to the mouth of the Maumee where a number of French families had lived for many years. When Navarre came there the Ottawa Indians lived in a neat village nearly opposite Manhattan. This village, it is said, had been in existence since the days of Pontiac and marked the site of his encampment when he left Detroit in 1764. At this time there were eight thousand of the Ottawas living on the Maumee, among them the aged widow of Pontiac, who was held in great reverence by the tribe.
Mr. H. L. Hosmer, in his history of the Maumee country, says that in 1810, within a circumference of ten miles above the Rapids, the settlers were Major Amos Spafford, who was sent by
the government to act as collector of the post of Miami and post- master, and about a dozen families. Two years later, in 1812, there were sixty-seven families living at the foot of the Rapids. Another settlement sprang up about the same time where the village of Monclova now stands. The first marriage on the Maumee, solemnized under the laws of the states took place at Perrysburg, February 20th, 1817. The bride was Miss Mary Jones, and the groom was Aurora Spafford, son of Amos Spaf- ford. The officiating justice of the peace was Charles Gunn.
The entire Maumee Valley included in Wayne County, had no representation in the first Ohio Legislature, assembled at Chil- licothe in 1803. That legislature, however, recognized it as being within its jurisdiction and caused that portion of Wayne county known as the Maumee Valley to be divided in two counties and these were known as Green and Franklin. Cham- paign County was organized in 1805, and embraced the south- western part of the State with Urbana as the county seat.
The same year Congress enacted a law that "all that part of the Indian territory, which lies north of a line drawn east from the southerly bend of the extreme of Lake Michigan, until it shall intersect Lake Erie shall constitute a separate territory, and be called Michi- gan." If this line had been established, a strip of land about seven miles in width run- ning from the western bound- ary of Ohio to Lake Erie, would have been included in the State of Michigan. Thirty years later, this strip of land became the bone of contention
LOOKING UP THE MAUMEE RIVER FROM MAUMEE CITY.
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PICTURESQUE NORTHWESTERN OHIO
HISTORIC MAUMEE RIVER AND MAUMEE CITY, FROM FORT MEIGS.
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BATTLE GROUNDS OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY
FORT MIAMI
Built by the French in 1690, and rebuilt by the British in 1785, below Maumee City. on the west bank of the Maumee River.
REAR OF FORT MIAMI. Built in 1680 by the French, and rebuilt by the British, on Maumee River.
between the state governments of Ohio and Michigan, and very nearly resulted in blood- shed. The conflict, however, which threat- ened to be so sanguinary was bloodless, and that which is known in history as the "Toledo War" approximated to the ridicu- lous.
Not until 1820 was the Indian title to this territory wholly extinguished, when fourteen counties were at once organized by the Legislature, the larger portion of the Maumee Valley having been included in Wood county.
The Maumee Valley is fully entitled to the appellation of "the bloody ground." This rich and lovely region, now so well adapted to the highest cultivation, containing all the elements, commereial and agricultural progress, proved to be a theater of a greater number of the bloody battles and the ex- penditure of more treasure, perhaps, than any similar extent of territory in the west- ern world. It was in this region that Pontiac hurled his Indian hordes with sav- age fury. In this vicinity Mad Anthony
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PICTURESQUE NORTHWESTERN OHIO.
BUTTONWOOD ISLAND, In Maumee River, near Perrysburg. Last Camping Grounds of Ottawa Indians in Ohio.
1747-Conspiracy of Nidulas, a Huron chief.
1748- King George's war, occupation of Fort Wayne. 1755-61-French and English war.
1761-English fort re-built at Miami.
1763 -- Conspiracy of Pontiac, famous Ottawa chief, capture of Fort Holmes.
1780-Attempt to capture post at Ft. Wayne, by LeBaum ; defeated and entire command massacred.
1790-Harmar's campaign ; capture of Indian village and defeat near Ft. Wayne.
1794-Capture of Indian towns on the Auglaize by General Wayne. Defeat of Indians at Battle of Fallen Timber.
1812-1815-Siege of Fort Wayne ; two sieges of Fort Meigs ; Dudley's defeat and massacre near Fort Miami ; battle of River Raisin accompanied by a massacre ; defense of Fort Stephenson, and Commodore Perry's victory on Lake Erie, were stirring events, all of which took place within thirty miles of the Manmee River.
Within the present limits of Lucas County, among the relics of "grimvisaged war," may be named the old British redoubt known as Fort Miami, opposite Perrys-
Wayne, with his fiery impetuosity dashed his intrepid little army against the savage class at Fallen Timber, and crushed them with a disaster, from which they never wholly recovered. The massacre at the River Raisin, the butchery of Colonel Dudley's command, the two sieges of Fort Meigs, and many other conflicts of lesser note show that this territory was opened up to civiliza- tion through a pathway of blood almost without parallel on the continent.
Look at the summary of the record from the seven- teenth century, when the Iroquois made war upon the Miamis, and claimed to have conquered all the northwest country :
1669-70-French fort built at Swan Creek.
1680-Battle between Iroquois and Miamis near Ft. Wayne.
1687- Frequent conflicts between Iroquois and Miamis.
1697-French forts built at Ft. Wayne and at foot of the Rapids.
ROCHE DE BOEUF. The Peace Grounds and Old Council Grounds of the Indians. Maumee River Above Maumee.
burg ; small earthwork built by General Wayne at Waterville, called Fort Deposit ; Fort Industry, near Monroe street, in Toledo.
There was also a stockade in Swanton Township, on a branch of Swan Creek. The remains were plainly visible in 1835, but when or by whom it was built is not known.
There were evidently a number of earthworks built toward the mouth of Swan Creek at some period of time in the pre-historic past. One of this line of earthworks crossed the neck of land between Swan Creek and the river. It followed substantially the course now occupied by Clayton street, extended to the river. It comprised an embankment six or eight feet high and ten or twelve feet across the top on which quite large trees grew. A division embankment divided the inclosure into nearly two equal parts.
About the year 1807 or 1808, a French settlement was made on the banks of the Maumee, opposite Manhat- tan and among the settlers at that point was Peter
OLD WALCOTT MANSION, MAUMEE. First Frame Residence This Side of Detroit.
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BATTLE GROUNDS OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY.
Navarre, who was born in Detroit in 1786, and who was well-known by the citizens of Toledo and through- out the Maumee Valley. He was a grandson of Robert D. Navarre, who came to this country in 1745. Peter Navarre rendered excellent service to the Americans during his eventful pioneer life. He joined Hull's army and went to Detroit. Afterwards he returned to Raisin and enlisted in Colonel Anderson's regiment. He was included in Hull's surrender, but was liberated with his four brothers on parole. He served as a scout for General Harrison, at Fort Meigs. When the enemy first appeared opposite the fort, Navarre discovered the Indians crossing the river, which he reported to General Harrison, who at once sent him with three letters-one for Lower Sandusky, another to Upper Sandusky, and the third to Governor Meigs, at Urbana. He successfully
"OLD BETSY," The Cannon used by Col. Croghan in the defense of Fort Stephenson. This piece still stands in the park on the site of Fort Stephenson, at Fremont.
TALL SHIP
COMMODORE PERRY'S VICTORY AT PUT-IN-BAY.
accomplished his mission, handing the letter to the Governor near the close of the fifth day. A reward of one thousand dollars was offered by General Proctor for his head, but the Indians claimed it was impossible to capture the wily scout. Navarre received a pension of eighty dollars per month from the Government up to the day of his death.
The news of the declaration of war with Great Britain first became known to the settlers of the Maumee Valley, through Peter Manor, and he says the first intelligence the people received of the in- glorious surrender of General Hull came from a band of sixty or seventy Delaware Indians, on their march to fort Wayne in advance of the main army. Manor says that he and some of his neighbors were standing in front of Beaugrand's store in Maumee City, when the Indians came out of the woods, and
were about to fire, when Beaugrand waved a white handkerchief, at which they dropped their muskets. Shortly before one hundred British soldiers and as many Wyandots and
MAJOR GEORGE CROGHAN, Hero of Fort Stephenson.
Potowattonies came up, when the British commander inquired for guides, and pressed Manor into service in spite of the fact that he feigned to be very much disabled by
OLD FLAGSTAFF ON SITE OF FORT MEIGS. Erected in the Harrison campaign of 1840.
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PICTURESQUE NORTHWESTERN OHIO
MISSION ISLAND, IN MAUMEE RIVER, NEAR WATERVILLE. This Island was Cultivated by Indians and Missionaries. [See Descriptive Note.]
TURKEY FOOT ROCK.
REV JAMES B FINLEY, Missionary
REV. MONACUE, Indian Missionary
REV. BETWEEN-THE-LOGS Indian Missionary.
TECUMSEH.
lameness. He guided them as far as the head of the Rapids, when they dismissed him. He returned to Beaugrand's, but on his return met Colonel Elliot in command of the entire British force, who examined him thor- oughly, and then permitted him to go. He started at once to join his family at the mouth of the river, but was captured when he reached the mouth of Swan Creek by a British officer in com- mand of two vessels lying there. He was imprisoned until Beau- grand interposed in his behalf and secured his release.
War was declared against Great Britain June 18, 1812, and again the red savages with their British allies began to wage a merciless warfare in the North- west. General Harrison was com- mander-in-chief of the army of
FORT MIAMI, On the Maumee River, from the rear.
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PICTURESQUE NORTHWESTERN OHIO.
INDIAN ORCHARD, ON THE MAUMEE RIVER, Opposite Mission Island, in Wood County. This Orchard was planted by Indians and Missionaries.
the Northwest. General Winchester, commanding a division under Harrison, arrived at the Rapids January 10, 1813, and reached with his command, the River Raisin on the 19th for the purpose of relieving the village of Frenchtown. On the 22nd his entire force was captured by the British and Indians. After the surrender, a merciless massaere followed by the Indians in which
several hundred Americans perished. This so weakened Genera Harrison's forces, that he destroyed the stockade at the Rapids and retreated to the Portage River, eighteen miles distant. Having received reinforcements by the 1st of February, inereasing his army to seventeen hundred, he again moved to the Maumee Rapids and at onee began the ereetion of Fort Meigs, which became so famous in the history of the Maumee Valley.
The famous siege began in the latter part of April and the combined forees of British Cana- dians and Indians, numbering nearly three times that of Harri- son's little band, with batteries planted on both sides of the river, kept almost an ineessant attack until the 9th day of May, when General Proctor became discour- aged and retreated to Fort Mal- den. In this siege the losses of the British were heavy, but un- known. In Dudley's defeat the losses of the Americans were about eight hundred men. The losses on the south bank were 81 killed and 181 wounded during the siege. Thus closed this cam- paign in triumph and honor to the American arms.
After the siege the fort was
OLD SHAWNEE COUNCIL HOUSE, Four miles southwest of Lima. Built by the Indians in 1831
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BATTLE GROUNDS OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY
T
T
4
T
IL-KECKNEY &OSWALD.
TOLEDO.O.
DUCK SHOOTING ON SANDUSKY BAY
THE OLD INDIAN SPRING, UPPER SANDUSKY. Site of Fort Ferree. Charles Dickens sat under this tree when he visited Upper Sandusky in 1842.
placed in good condition and Gen- eral Green Clay left in command with a few hundred men, while Harrison started for the interior of the state to organize additional troops. Dur- ing his absence Proctor and Teeum- seh made several attempts to capture the fort, but without success, and on the 28th day of July they embarked their stores and started for Canada.
The repulse of Proctor at Fort Stephenson on the 1st of August, and Commodore Perry's magnifi- cent victory on Lake Erie, Septent- ber 10th, caused Proctor to destroy his works at Fort Malden, and with Tecumseh he retreated into the Canadian interior. Harrison then pursued him to the river Thames and on the 5th day of October gave him battle, utterly defeating the British and Indians. This practically ended the war in the Northwest. With the close of the war with Great Britain in 1814, and the declaration of peace in 1815, quiet was restored to
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PICTURESQUE NORTHWESTERN OHIO
PHOTOGRAPHIC
4346
PERRY'S WILLOW, PUT-IN-BAY. Burial Place of Some of Commodore Perry's Sailors.
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BATTLE GROUNDS OF THE MAUMEE VALLEY
the Maumee Valley and the pos- session of the country was defi- nitely secured.
After the declaration of peace and after the return of the sol- diers to their homes, they in- dulged in the most glowing des- criptions of the beauties and fertility of the Maumee Valley. Accounts of the great forests of giant timber, of a soil yielding the richest agricultural products in abundance, game in the un- broken forests of every descrip- tion while the lakes and rivers abounded in fish, all proved so many alluring attractions to the emigrant seeking a home. Hence year after year immigration in- creased until the Maumee became pretty thickly lined with settlers.
As time went on many em- bryo cities thickly studded the banks of the Maumee for a score of miles from its mouth. Each of these believed it was just the place for a great metropolis.
INDIAN MILL AND DAM, WYANDOT COUNTY. [ See Descriptive Note ]
Speculation ran riot. Lots were held and sold at fabulous prices. Paper cities, with imaginary metropolitan facilities sprang up like mushrooms. Among them were Maumee City, Miami, Perrysburg, Marengo, East Marengo, Austerlitz, Port Lawrence, Vistula, Manhattan, Oregon, Lucas City and Havre. When the bubble burst town lots were offered in open market at three and six cents apiece without finding buyers.
Vistula, laid out by Major Stickney, and Port Lawrence laid out at foot of Swan Creek by some of General Harrison's officers, united their fortunes in 1833, and soon afterward took the name of Toledo. At this time the country was flooded with speculators, fortune hunters from Fort Wayne to the Maumee Bay, but the famous Black Swamp embracing eighteen counties and parts of counties, and also impenetrable in its fastnesses served to turn the tide of immigration to Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. Such was the character of the Black Swamp at this
WYANDOT MISSION CHURCH. Built 1827. Rebuilt 1889.
MILL STONE. From Old Indian Mill, Upper Sandusky.
CANNON TAKEN FROM PERRY'S FLAG SHIP, "LAWRENCE."
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PICTURESQUE NORTHWESTERN OHIO
AN OUTING UPON THE LAKE IN HOVER'S PARK, NEAR LIMA, ALLEN COUNTY
time, that Wood County authorities seriously entertained the proposition to abandon their county organization and give up the struggle.
Lucas County was formed June 11, 1835, and named in honor of the Governor of Ohio, Hon. Robert Incas. Its area is
430 square miles, with fourteen townships at the present time.
The famous "Toledo War" occupied the interest and atten- tion of Michigan and Ohio during the year 1835, owing to the determination of Governor Lucas to re-mark and establish the Harris line making the boundary between this state and Michi- gan. The only bloodshed during the "war" was the wounding of Sheriff Wood, of Monroe County, with a knife by Two Stickney, who escaped arrest by speeding to Columbus. The ludicrous scenes enacted during this famous imbroglio, the proc- lamations promulgated and the many incidents, roman- tie, interesting, amusing and otherwise would fill a volume.
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