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المجمو
77.102 66r 204259
M. L.
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
GEN
1
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02280 2455
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016
https://archive.org/details/firstcenturyofpi00rayn
THE First Century of Piqua OHIO
COMPILED BY JOHN A. RAYNER
CONTAINING INCIDENTS OF EARLY EXPLORATIONS AND INDIAN WARFARE; CIVIL HISTORY OF THE TOWN TO 1907; CHAPTERS ON ALL SUBJECTS PERTAINING TO ITS GROWTH, AND REMINISCENCES OF MANY OF ITS OLDER CITIZENS.
ILLUSTRATED
THE MAGEE BROS. PUBLISHING CO. PIQUA, OHIO 1916
JOHN H. PATTERSON GRANDSON OF COL. JOHN JOHNSTON
PREFACE
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T is just at this period, when the old life of the town is passing into the new life of the city, and the individuals connected with its early growth are nearly all gone, it seems to me necessary that in order to preserve a rect record of early events-so distorted by various writers, to compile a ume which may be relied upon as authentic.
For many years I have been incidentally gathering up local items of tory, conversing with old pioneers, and searching records and old news- pers, so that I now believe I am in a position to record faithfully nearly all : essential happenings that will make up our "First Century of Piqua, " and ile no doubt some will criticise my literary incapacity, many others will e a deep interest in reading what has been a pleasure in compiling.
I am indebted to so many for information that it would be unjust to me the few for which we have space, but will thank them all collectively d cordially for their willing interest and help.
J. A. RAYNER.
And to those who made possible the publication of this work by their oscriptions to the fund for buying my archaeological collection for the y of Piqua, I wish also to record my personal thanks.
It was Mr. John H. Patterson, of Dayton, O., to whom I was indebted the initial subscription to this fund, and others, not now citizens of qua, have liberally donated toward this object.
Then the Rotary Club, of Piqua, took up the matter and by their liberal- have completed the task, and our city now has the nucleus of a museum ich only needs our combined interest to soon excel others in the State ich had had a longer existence.
Those out of the city who subscribed to this fund are:
HN H. PATTERSON . .. Dayton, O. J. G. BATTELLE. Columbus, O.
G. SCHMIDLAPP Cincinnati, O. JOHN H. YOUNG. Washington, D. C.
W. LORIMER Troy, O. HORACE J. ROLLIN. . R. D., Troy, O
Those of the Rotary Club who subscribed are:
HN P. SPIKER ACTON HALL
A. J. STEVENS
MES L. BLACK
A. W. FRENCH
MASON LYTLE
M. COOK ROGERS L. M. FLESH
JOHN T. NIELSON
LIVER LECKLIDER
GEO. C. DEITRICH
W. K. LEONARD
LLEN D. HANCE
ROBT. M. SHANNON
FRANK SMITH
LLEN G. RUNDLE HENRY KAMPF
LOGAN FRAZIER
. A. SNYDER
FRANK HUBBARD
J. B. WILKINSON
MES BRYAN
G. W. HIGGINS
CLINTON CAMPBELL
€
CHAPTER I MOUND-BUILDERS AND INDIANS
IQUA, like many cities of the old world, is built over the ruins of other towns or habitations. The first known people to take ad- vantage of this excellent location were a branch of that mystical historic race commonly called Mound-builders. These people evidently no regular written language, so outside of picture writing and raved symbolical tablets, have left in their mounds and graves very e evidence from which to formulate a precise theory as to how they inated, how long and when they were here, and of their final dispersion.
However, we know that their mounds and earth-works were built y years after the Glacial Epoch in Ohio. How long these people e here before they built mounds no one can say. Whether their occu- cy was previous to, or cotemporary with the Pre-Columbian Indian question which is now paramount among the students of these races in o. The investigations of the Ohio Archaeological and Historical Society e shown us two separate and distinct cultures, as has also been found other field workers in the state. The dividing line between the two cures has not as yet been definitely traced, but with more field study l scientific comparisons will ultimately be made plain. Our own study the mounds, graves, and artifacts of the Miami Valley lead us to be- e that the Mound-builders were a separate and distinct race, and oc- ied this territory before the Indian made his appearance here. Mounds re built, crops were planted and cultivated, and these people lived un- lested for many years. Then came the more warlike Indian, mas- reing the people on the outskirts of their settlements, and forcing m to take up arms for their own protection. At this period the ts and larger defensive earthworks were undoubtedly built by the rassed people, and the warfare continued for a long time.
Eventually the Indian triumphed and the Mound people were kill- driven away, or assimulated by the conquering tribe. This happen- so long ago that the oldest Indian tribes in Ohio at the time of its first asion by white men, had no knowledge or tradition to account for the unds and earthworks. And further; as far back as we can trace, no lian tribe in the state had enough love for manual labor to perform the digious amount of hard work required to erect these immense earthen numents. These Mound people left some very interesting evidences of ir occupancy of this vicinity. In the present corporate limits of Pi- there were at least nine mounds or earthworks. These were mostly the south part of town, and some of them near the river. When canal was built some of these were destroyed, and many graves were
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF PIQUA
uncovered between Young street and Rocky Branch. There was o est, 0 mound near the intersection of Downing and Water streets, and a small o and n at the west end of Mound street. These earthworks have long ago be leveled and forgotten. There were two mounds in the north part be th Piqua just south of Forest Hill Cemetery, one of which we had the go thoug fortune to investigate very thoroughly. It contained many skeletons a: build artifacts of the Mound people. ancy
Across the river on Cedar Hill, northeast of town, are two mounds, al scattered about the country are many more, some in fair condition, b and i most of them disintegrated from the action of climate and plow. I this or a the most baffling remains of these people is the stone wall on the Patte dian
C. B. JAMISON AND E. B. RAYNER SURVEYING OLD STONE WALL AT UPPER PIQUA, 1899
son farm at Swift Run. This wall was originally wooden posts or palis ades, eight or ten inches in diameter with the stones built up on eac side to help support it. Of course nothing now remains but the stone: It is easy to trace, and encloses about eighteen acres. There are als some earthworks on the old Col. John Johnston farm just east of thi wall.
The first survey of these antiquities at Piqua was made by Major S H. Long in the spring of 1823. Many relics of these old original inhab itants of our town-site have been found, but from lack of sufficient inter
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MOUND BUILDERS AND INDIANS
est, our citizens have never provided a suitable place to preserve them, halloand many have gone to eastern museums.
Let us now turn to the next leaf in the history of our town which will be the epoch of the tribes known as the North American Indian; who, though less interesting to the student of archaeology than the Mound- builder, is more important to the general reader from the fact the occup- ancy of our vicinity by these people reach over into historic times.
In the oldest authentic accounts of white explorers, the site of our town, and in fact all the territory in this part of the state was occupied by a tribe, or a confederacy of tribes known as the Miami Indians. Miami, in the In- dian language signifies "Mother", so this name is very appropriate to this
0
SOME INDIAN RELICS FROM UPPER AND LOWER PIQUA
"Mother of tribes." The tribal totems of the Miamis were the Elk and Crane. There were several branches of this confederation, and they occupi- ed the greater part of Western Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and a part of Mich- igan. One of these branch tribes, sometimes called Twigtwees, had their town near the mouth of Loramie Creek, about three miles north of the pre- sent city of Piqua. This village was ruled by a chief called "Old Britain." probably on account of his adherence to the English traders.
This was in 1747, and at a time when the French on the north, and the English on the east, were each endeavoring to control the trade con-
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF PIQUA
cessions of the tribes throughout this territory. The French successfully re- tained their trade relations with all the Miamis except this one village, and sent several emissaries to induce the Old Britain to return to their allegiance,
INDIAN VILLAGE SITE ON MALEY FARM NORTH OF PIQUA
but without result, for the English traders were giving more merchandise for their pelts and furs than the French. In fact, this point became so important that in 1749 the traders erected a trading post, or fort, which in a year or two became the headquarters for about fifty traders.
Not being successful in inducing Old Britian to give up his English allegiance, Chas. Langdale, a half-breed, with about 140 Ottawas and Ob- jibways was sent by the French commander at Michillimakinac to destroy that post, which was done on June 21, 1752. It happened that on this day most of the Indians were away hunting, and there were only eight tra- ders at the post, so the invaders met with little resistance.
They killed one trader and fourteen Indians, among the latter being Old Britian, who was said to have been boiled and eaten by the enemy.
The fort, stockade, and village was burned, and the stock of the traders confiscated. Some of the white men were taken back as prisoners, and some of the Indians returned to the French influence, while others joined the Shawanoes and Wyandots on the Scioto. This fort was called Pickawillainy, and was never afterward rebuilt. Its exact location has been a source of much confusion among historians, but the discovery of the authentic site
I
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MOUND BUILDERS AND INDIANS
must be credited to the late Chas. T. Wiltheiss, who in 1880 pointed out to the author of this work, not only the position of the fort, but also the extent of the stockade, which was at that time plainly discernible on the freshly plowed soil. We have both found many relics among the ashes of this old trading post, the nature of which removes any doubt as to its exact site. The fort proper was about 25 by 60 feet, its longer axis being in a direction nearly north-east by south-west, and it stood on the hill overlooking the con- fluence of the Loramie and Miami rivers, just west of the canal lock at the state dam three miles north of Piqua.
Just how much ground the stockade enclosed it is impossible to say, for in digging the canal the trace of the east line was destroyed.
INDIAN RELICS FROM UPPER AND LOWER PIQUA
The destruction of Fort Pickawillainy marks the last permanent oc- cupancy of this vicinity by the Miami Indians, and also records the first battle of the so-called French and Indian War.
Previous to this time however, the Shawanoes and other tribes had been encroaching on the Miami's territory, and had many villages on the Miami and Mad rivers to the south. During the French and Indian War this section of Ohio seems to have been the dividing line between the contestants. Some times it was in the possession of the English in conjunction with the Shawanoes, Cherokees, Delawares, and others; and again the French occu- pied it, having combined with the Miamis, Wyandots, and Ottawas. This
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF PIQUA
fighting was kept up until the summer of 1763, when, according to Black Hoof, a Shawanoe chief, it culminated in a pitched battle on the ground just east of the St. Marys pike, and north of Swift Run Creek, in which the English and their allies were victorious. This is said to have been the last battle of the French and Indian War, and if it occured, which has recently been disputed, then we have within the distance of one mile, the location of the first battle (1752), and the last battle (1763) of that memorable con- flict which decided the future occupancy of all this territory.
After this date the Shawnoes took possession of all the territory in the vicinity of Piqua. Tradition has it that when they first settled here they called their town Chillicothe (meaning head-town, or the council-place of the whole tribe.)
From 1763 to 1780 very little authentic history is known of this place except it seems to have been the headquarters of the numerous expeditions of these people against the white settlements in Kentucky. This border warfare was kept up with such persistence that as a matter of self protection a large expedition of frontiersmen and militia under the command of George Rogers Clark was sent into the Shawanoes country for the purpose of retalia- tion, and for the destruction of the Indian villages and crops.
It was in the summer of 1780 when Clark's army attacked the Shawanoe town of Piqua (pronounced Pe-quaw) on Mad river, about four miles west of Springfield. After quite a battle the Indians were defeated, about 500 acres of corn destroyed, the village burned, and Clark returned to Kentucky.
This defeat so discouraged the surviving Indians, that instead of rebuild- ing their town, they removed to the Great Miami and settled just north of what is now the present site of our city. They named their new town Piqua, in commemoration of their former place of residence.
Geo. C. Johnston, for many years a trader among the Indians, and a member of the Shawanoe tribe, is authority for the traditional origin of the name Piqua. He was told by a member of that tribe, that many years ago the whole tribe was assembled at an annual feast and thanksgiving. They were all seated around a large fire, which on having burned down to embers, a great puffing was observed in the ashes. When, behold: A full formed man sprang up from the remains of the fire, and they exclaimed in astonish- ment; "Otath-he-wagh-Pe-qua," (he has come out of the ashes) and from that time this place was called Piqua. This tradition must refer to the Piqua on Mad River. Instead of Clark's expedition causing a cessation of hostil- ity, the Indians, embittered by defeat, and encouraged by the Frenchman, Loramie, who had (1769) built a trading post near what is now Berlin, be- came more aggressive in their plundering excursions into Kentucky. They not only took horses and prisoners, but killed and scalped the settlers at every opportunity. They became such a menance that in 1782 another expedition under Gen. Clark was organized. This army contained about 1000 men, and
3 1833 02280 2455
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MOUND BUILDERS AND INDIANS
assembling at the mouth of the Licking river in Kentucky, they crossed the Ohio at a little village, since called Cincinnati, but which at that time con- tained only a few log houses surrounded by a stockade.
Throwing out scouts in advance to guard against surprises, and directed by guides, he began his march through the dreary wilderness. Fording Mad river at the present site of Dayton, he marched up the east side of the Great Miami, and crossed the latter stream about four miles below Piqua.
The Indians at this time were congregating at Piqua for a general pow- wow, and among others was a party of warriors coming in from the west. Coming out of the timber at this point they beheld Clark's army marching up from the ford. Terror-stricken the warriors at once fled, leaving a number of squaws and a white woman named Mrs. McFall, to be captured by Clark.
Mrs. McFall had been taken captive near Boonsborough, Ky. some time previous to this, and had been compelled to perform all the drudgeries incident to Indian female life during her captivity. The squaws and the white woman were taken with the army to the Piqua town, but it seems that such was the terror inspired by the name of Clark, that the Indians fled at his approach. On arriving at the lower town it was found deserted, and passing on to the upper town, it was found in the same condition. Halting here, Clark encamped for the night. Straggling parties of Indians attacked the camp that night, but were repulsed without loss to the army, except two men being wounded while out hunting stray horses. One of these men died the next day and was buried at Coe's Ford, four miles south of Piqua, where a white man's skeleton was recently found having a stone arrow-point imbedded in the skull. The other man, a Captain McCracken, lived until they reached the site of Cincinnati, where he died and was buried under the walls of the stockade. Through the aid of Gen. Clark, Mrs. Mc- Fall was restored to her friends in Kentucky.
During this night engagement at Clark's encampment at Upper Piqua, five Indians were killed, and a detachment of volunteers was dispatched to de- stroy the trading-post of Peter Loramie, about fourteen miles up the creek. This party arrived at the place in the night, but the Indians and trader had become alarmed and had fled, so they sacked and burned the Frenchman's store, and next morning returned to the army at Upper Piqua, many of them being well-stocked with plunder. After destroying everything possible at both the upper and lower towns, the army marched back over the same trail to Kentucky. This ended for a time the Indian depredations on the settle- ments along the Ohio.
Incident to this expedition of Clark, was the fact that Geo. Moffett was a captive among the Indians who retreated from the town on the approach of the soldiers. The story of the Moffett boys has been told in many histories, and outside of a slight discrepancy of dates overlooked by previous writers, the following story may be relied upon as authentic.
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF PIQUA
The Moffett Family lived in Greenbrier County, Virginia, and on a bright morning in March 1779, the father sent the two boys to keep the stock from the sugar-camp, which was some distance from the house. John was 13, and George 11 years old. They were allowed to carry a rifle, and had anticipa- ted a fine day of sport among the squirrel residents of the woods. When they arrived at the camp they observed several men approaching who they at first took to be neighbors, but as they came nearer were soon discovered to be Indians. John raised his gun and aimed at the foremost redskin who in turn assured the boys that they were friendly and would do them no harm. Having thus quieted the boy's suspicions it was but a few moments until they were captured and disarmed. This party of marauding Indians belong- ed to the Shawnaoe Tribe north of the Ohio river, and in due time they reached home with their prisoners. John being a healthy, robust boy of 13 was at once adopted by an Indian family and taken to Girtys Town (St. Marys) where he was at once initiated into aboriginal life. But George, being only 11, and of rather delicate build, was about to be slain when a sympa- thetic squaw claimed him for her own child. He was retained at their vill- age on the site of Piqua, known then as Chillicothe, where he was made to run the gauntlet, after which his adopted mother pulled out all his hair but the scalp-lock, and then taking him down to the Miami river, every drop of white blood (in their estimation) was washed out of him. After this he received the kindest treatment during the time of his captivity. The Mof- fett family had in the meantime removed from Virginia to Blackford County, Ky., hoping thereby to be nearer, and thus more easily learn the fate of the boys. Undoubtedly Mrs. McFall's return to Kentucky with Clark's army, and her knowing George while among the Indians came to the ears of the Moffetts, who at once began negotiations with a view to procure the release of the boy. They were in time successful, and George was returned to his parents in 1783. Several years later John was ransomed through the ef- forts of some French traders at Detroit, who had been employed by the father for that purpose. George's Indian name was "Kiterhoo" and among other incidents which occurred during his captivity he used to relate the following: Before his Indian hair grew on his bare head, he and an Indian boy older than himself were playing along the bank of the Miami at a point where north Main street now crosses the canal, and while so engaged the young redskin persisted in pecking him on his bare head with small stones. George became angry, and watching his opportunity he waited until the Indian was stooping near the water for more instruments of torture, when he threw a large stone with all his might, hitting his tormentor fair, and sending him sprawling into deep water below. The Indian was drowned, and as no one had witnessed the deed, George was silent on the subject and was never sus- pected. In their Kentucky home John and George grew to manhood, mar- ried, and in 1808, with their brother Alexander, and their brother-in-law,
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MOUND BUILDERS AND INDIANS
Hugh Scott, emigrated to Piqua and took up land in this vicinity. George entered a tract of land that is now built up with houses in the south part of town, but soon sold this and entered the north-east quarter of section 11, north-west of town, part of this farm still being owned by his descendants. John entered the quarter just south of his brother, and they both kept these homes until their deaths. George died at St. Marys, August 1, 1831, while acting as interpreter for Geo. C. Johnston, and John died August 25, 1863, at his home west of Piqua. Both were buried in the old cemetery on South Wayne Street, and when that was abandoned they were removed to Forest Hill.
The desired effect of Clark's expedition, however, PLACED TO COMMEMORATE THE TREATY OF GREENEVILLE DIGHED AUGUST 3,1796 DY GENERAL ANTHONY WAYNE was only temporary, and in a few years the In- REPRESENTING THE UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND THE CHIEFS AND AGENTS OF THE ALLIED INDIAN TRIBES dians were again on the war-path. The pioneer set- OF THE TERRITORY NORTHWEST OF THE OHIO RIVER MCMVI tlers were occupying terri- tory north of the Ohio, and the depredations of the savages became so fre- quent that in 1790 Gen. Harmar, who was stationed at Ft. Washington, (Cin- cinnati) with a small de- tachment of government troops and several com- panies of militia, was or- dered by Governor St. Clair to procede against WAYNE TREATY MONUMENT AT GREENVILLE, O. the hostile tribes on the (Cut from Wilson's "Peace of Mad Anthony")
Miami and Wabash rivers.
On Sept. 30, 1790, with this mixed force of about 1450 men, including a company of artillery, Gen. Harmar began his march north. He followed the trail made by Clark in 1780, crossing Mad river about four miles west of Springfield, and proceeding north-west, crossed the Big Miami at the ford near Upper Piqua, camping on the night of Oct. 10th about 7 miles up the Loramie creek. The preceding night, the army had camped on Rush creek, about two miles south-east of the ford. Proceeding north-west, the army marched through what is now Berlin and St. Marys to the Indian towns on the Wabash at Ft. Wayne. Here they were defeated by the Indians under Little Turtle, and the dispirited army took up its weary march back to Ft.
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THE FIRST CENTURY OF PIQUA
Washington. The expedition of Gen. St. Clair, and his defeat by the In- dians at Ft. Recovery, Nov. 4, 1791, we will pass, for his trail ran up through Greenville and is in no way connected with the history of Piqua.
All efforts of the government in their peace negotiations with the Indians having failed, Gen. Anthony Wayne, who had succeeded St. Clair in com- mand of the army of the north-west, was instructed to proceed against them. He marched from Ft. Washington in the fall of 1793 over St. Clair's old trail to a point on Greenville creek, where he went into winter quarters. While here he built a fort which was named Ft. Greenville. He also built or re- paired a fort on the Big Miami at Upper Piqua, and garrisoned it with a small company, intending it as a base of supplies, which could be boated up the river to this point, and then distributed by wagon to any point desir- ed. This place was called Fort Piqua, and was on the elevated ground of Johnston's Prairie about 400 yards north-east of the Johnston house, and commanded a view of the river for some distance in either direction. A few years ago some of the old logs of this fort were found in the mud at the foot of the hill by workmen who were building a levee, but from the con- tradictory reports of early writers it is impossible to say whether the fort was built prior to, or at the time of Wayne's invasion. There was a detach- ment of soldiers at this point continually from early in 1794 until late in 1795, and it is reported that there was a convoy of supply boats attacked and de- stroyed by the Indians near this place in 1794.
After Wayne's great defeat of the Indians at the battle of Fallen Timbers, Aug. 20, 1794, and the subsequent treaty of Greenville, Aug. 3, 1795, nearly one-half of the present southern and western part of Ohio was opened for settlement, and a flood of pioneers from the south and east began their pil- grimage to procure this beautiful and fertile land thrown open by the govern- ment and land companies.
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