USA > Ohio > Richland County > A centennial biographical history of Richland county, Ohio > Part 4
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Thirteen soldiers of the war of 1812 died while doing their duty at the Beam block-house, and are buried on a bluff near to the left bank of the Rocky Fork, three miles below Mansfield. The writer recently visited the
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place of their burial. The weather was fair for a December day; the sky was in misty blue, with the sun's rays shimmering through the hazy atmos- phere askance upon the bluff. Then the mist cleared away and the full sun- shine came in sheens of golden glory upon the unmarked graves of the heroes whose bodies have lain there for well-nigh a century, and where they will continue to repose, "earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust," until the graves shall give up their dead, mortality put on immortality and death be swallowed up in the victory of the resurrection.
OF GREAT PROWESS.
"Oh, it is excellent To have a gaint's strength; but it is tyranous To use it like a giant."
Richland can compete favorably with other counties in Ohio in the records of her giants,-not those of world-fame, but of local renown. The man pre-eminently entitled to be called Richland's giant was Christopher Burns, although he stood only six feet, two inches in his stockings and weighed but two hundred and twenty-five pounds. His title as gaint was not so much on account of his height and weight as in his great strength. A better appellation, perhaps, would have been a "modern Sampson;" but "giant" was what the people called him then.
When the Wiler house was being built in 1828, Burns attended the brick-masons as a hod-carrier, and occasionally gave exhibitions of his strength and athletic capabilities. A man named Johns, a noted foot-racer, came to Mansfield and a match was gotten up between him and Burns. Johns appeared in running undress, while Burns wore his hod-carrier clothes and heavy boots. Burns ran part of the way backwards, and even then casily dis- tanced his competitor. A pole was then placed on the heads of two tall men and Burns jumped over it with apparent ease.
Freight at that time was hauled from the east in heavy wagons, drawn by from four to six horses. A wagon of this kind, heavily laden, was once temporary standing in front of the Wiler, where Burns was working. To show their strength, several men had tried to lift a wheel of the wagon, but were unsuccessful in their attempts. Burns looked upon their failure with contempt. He went to the wagon and had three of the heaviest men in the crowd to add their weight to the wheel, by one standing upon the hub, the others on the spokes. Burns then lifted the wheel, men and all, with apparent
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ease, after which he filled his hod and climbed up the ladder as though noth- ing unusual had taken place.
From the sheriff, who sought to arrest him for fighting, Burns once made his escape by jumping over a covered six-horse wagon. This acrobatic feat was witnessed by our late fellow townsman, Robert Cairns, et al. Numerous other stories are told of Burns' great strength and athletic attainment. It is also stated his strength and activity were occasionally used in pugilistic en- counters.
Burns came to Ohio from Pennsylvania, and married Miss Sallie Pearce, a daughter of the pioneer James Pearce. Burns' second wife was Rachel Magner, who lived near where Crestline now stands, and a few years after their marriage they removed to Indiana. 414972
As was the custom in those days, pioneers often settled upon govern- ment lands and were called "squatters." They would put up buildings and clear land, expecting to bid their tracts in when the land was surveyed and offered for sale. Burns located in a "squatter" settlement, and in time the lands were offered for sale at public auction. The "squatters" had built homes and had their land under cultivation. They had full larders and gran- aries, but as there was little, if any, cash market for their products, they had but little money. Land sharks came from the east to bid against the "squat- ters," and bidding against them was to rob them of their hard-earned homes and to take the roof from over the heads of their defenceless families.
It was in the autumn and upon the day of the sale, in the gray sky the December sun was shining coldly and icicles were pendent from the eaves of the cabins. A wintry haze hung inauspiciously over those "squatters' " homes. The settlers were discouraged and disheartened. Here was Chris Burns' opportunity to become a hero and a benefactor, and he proved equal to the emergency; as Artemus Ward would have put it, he "caved in the emergency's head." Whatever his foibles and faults in the past may have been, his desire to protect the settlers became an inspiration, and, mounting the auctioneer's improvised platform, he addressed the crowd, reviewing the situation and stating that the "squatters" had built homes and cleared fields, intending to buy their several tracts of land when it came into market; that land sharks were present from the east with money in their pockets to bid in the land for speculation, thus robbing the settlers and turning their families out of their homes at the beginning of winter. "My name," said he. "is Chris Burns; and this place will become immediately unhealthful to any non-resi- dent who bids against a settler." Burns' pugilistic reputation emphasized a
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significant meaning to his words, and his style and manner attested his earn- estness and determination.
The sale was then held, but no land shark offered a bid, and at the con- clusion of the sale none of them were present. They had disappeared, and
"It seemed as if their mother earth,
Had swallowed up her shark-like birth."
Thus the "squatters" were enabled to keep their homes at government rates ; and to show their appreciation for the service Burns had rendered them they gave him one hundred and sixty acres of land and assisted him to build upon and improve it, and he became one of their most esteemed and respected citizens. Upon this farm he lived until his death, at an advanced age.
That land sale was the turning point in Burns' career. The tempestuous sea of life upon which he had been tossed during his younger years became as calın and placid as a summer lake, and his bark was finally peacefully moored in the haven of rest.
PLACES OF INTEREST.
On the Leesville road, nine miles west of Mansfield, in Springfield town- ship, is situated the famous (Craig) barn whose roof forms the watershed divide between the waters of Lake Erie and the Ohio river. The rainfall from one side of the roof finds its way into the Sandusky river, and thence to Lake Erie; from the other side, the water runs into the Black Fork of the Mohican, a tributary of the Ohio river.
The fountain-heads of the Sandusky and the Mohican rivers are less than a mile apart. The former has its source in the Palmer spring, and the latter from a pond, near the southeast corner of the Five Corners cross roads, a mile and a lialf north of Ontario. About midway between these river-sources is the Craig barn, the water-shed "divide. The pond is oblong and has an outlet from each end; from the east end starts the Black Fork, and from the west end flows the Clear Fork of the Mohican. The little stream flowing from the east runs in an easterly direction for about a half mile, then turns boldly to the north through a gap in the "divide," and parallels the Sandusky for several miles, but as they near the north part of the township the San- dusky veers to the northwest and passes through Tiffin and Fremont to the lakes. The Black Fork continues almost due north a distance of ten miles, through and north of Shelby, then turns abruptly to the east, laves the south side of Holtz's Grove, makes a graceful turn to the north, then again to the
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east and after pursuing a tortuous course to the southeast turns to the south after leaving the old site of Greentown, then glides slowly through Perrysville and Loudonville, and five miles below the latter, after a crooked, tortuous course of fifty miles, it forms a junction with the Clear Fork.
The output from the west end of the Craig pond runs to the southwest for about a mile, then curves to the southeast, is called the Clear Fork, and, after a journey of thirty-five miles, passing through Bellville and Newville, and flowing through a valley noted for its beauty and fertility, it unites with the Black Fork and forms the Mohican, sometimes called the White-woman river.
The "Divide" passes through the center of Richland county, extending from northeast to southwest. This ridge is broken with gaps and spurs. One of the highest points in the state being at the Settlement church, five miles south of Mansfield, where the elevation is about one thousand feet above Lake Erie. The Settlement church has an elevation of 370 feet above the city of Mansfield. The elevation of Mansfield above Lake Erie is differently, given by the several railroads passing through the city. The profile of the Baltimore & Ohio gives the eleation as 657 feet ; the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne &: Chicago, 592 feet ; the Erie, 581. The calculations were taken from differ- ent locations about the city. It is a safe estimate to give the elevation of Mansfield as 600 feet, and that of the Settlement church as 1,000 feet-in round numbers-above the Lake.
Pipe's Cliff is in Monroe township, nine miles southeast of Mansfield on the Pleasant Valley road, a short distance from the Douglass homestead, now known as "Green Gables." The Douglass farm has been in the posses- sion of the family for three generations and is now owned by S. M. and A. A. Douglass, sons of the late John J. Douglass. The former is now the chief justice of the circuit court of Ohio, and is well qualified to fill the position. The latter served as prosecuting attorney for two terms and is a successful lawyer. The Douglass family is of Scotch-Irish descent, and the lineage may come down from the Douglass whose Highland clansman crossed blades with Stirling's knight at Coilantagle's ford. Samuel Douglass, the father of the late John J. Douglass, bought the Pleasant Valley farm in 1829, and ever afterward made it his home, and there his son and grandsons were born.
Pipe's Cliff was named for Captain Pipe, an Indian chieftain of pioneer times, from the fact that his sister (Onalaska) was killed upon the summit of those rocks. As the story goes, Captain Pipe's sister was married to a young warrior named Round Head, and that, after the massacre of the Indians at Gnadenhutten (1781), Round Head, with his wife and child, in company
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with several other Indians, left their Muskingum village home for the San- dusky country. The party encamped for rest from their journey in the ledge of rocks, now known as Pope's Cliff, and while there were fired upon by a squad of soldiers, killing Onalaska and her child and wounding two others of the party. It is stated that the squaw was standing upon a perpendicular rock at the south end of the ledge, with her child in her arms, and that when shot, she fell from the cliff and that her body was buried near its base. When viewed from the road, this rock presents a monumental appearance, but can best be seen when the leaves are off the trees. This rock is called Ona- laska's Tower, in commenoration of the tragic death of the Indian woman.
The squad of troops who fired upon the party belonged to Colonel Broad- head's expedition against the village of the forks of the Muskingum, known in history as the Coshocton campaign, and the soldiers were scouts and could not see through the foilage that they fired upon a woman. But, as the warriors of the party were enemies, Onalaska had to share the consequences of war with her friends with whom she was encamped.
Among the names given to different parts of Pipe's Cliff are Dragon's Mouth, Hanging Rock, The Porch, Altar Rock, Frowning Cliff, etc. The cliff rises to a height of one hundred feet above the valley and commands a fine view of the surrounding country. Around the base and sides of this ledge of rocks are caves and caverns, whose depths and lengths have never been explored. There is historical authority to confirm, in the main, the traditions of the valley concerning the death of Onalaska, as described above.
The Douglass farm contains about three hundred acres. Across the valley from the old homestead is Green Gables, the summer outing resort of the Douglass brothers. The Gables is a log cabin with modern improve- ments, and sits at the base of a forest-covered hill, and near by a spring sends forth cool, healthful water. Here the Judge can lay aside his ermine and . the practitioner his cases and take their recreation upon their native heath. And it is a charming spot, where, even upon the hottest August days, cool breezes are wont to come down the valley and coy around in the sylvan shades.
The Douglass brothers keep the farm, largely, no doubt, for the associa- tions that cluster around the old homestead. In appreciating old homes and log cabins one is wont to listen to stories of the old settlers. The actual pioneers are all gone. The oldest residents are merely links that connect the present with the past. People seldom tire of hearing stories of the pioneers, for over their manner of life hangs a veil of romance. Their conflicts with the red men of the forests and the savage wild beasts that roamed the woods ;
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the transforming of the wilderness under their sturdy strokes; the rude condi- tions under which they labored and the grand work they accomplished,-all form an interesting chapter in American history.
Mohawk Hill is two miles southeast of Lucas on the Perrysville road. It is quite an elevation, and the northwestern side is too steep and rocky to admit of cultivation and is still covered with its primeval forest. The road winds around to lessen the grade and at the top of the hill there is a table land of rolling surface, with a dip to the east, extending a mile southeast to Pinhook, from which point the country is more or less hilly until the Black Fork is reached at Perrysville. The hill takes its name from the fact that Mohawk Indians were buried there in the olden time. The road formerly went straight up the hill; and midway up its rugged side, upon the "bench" at the side of the rim of rocks, is the reputed burial place of a chief, while a few rods to the east are a number of graves, from one of which the skeleton of an Indian was taken about forty years ago. While the dates of the death of these Indians are not definitely known, there are reasons for supposing that they antedated the founding of Greentown, in 1782. There is a tradition that a party of Mohawks from Helltown annually made a summer outing on this hill for hunting purposes, and that they had a cave in the rocks, which finally became the sepulcher of their chief and a receptacle for their treasures. While the Delawares and Mingoes predominated in number in the order named, there were a few Mohawks and Shawnees at Helltown, also.
Helltown-town of the clear water-was situate a mile below Newville, on the Clear Fork of the Mohican, in what is known as the Darling settle- ment. Helltown was abandoned in 1782, after the massacre of the Moravian Indians at Gnadenhutten, and a new village (Greentown) was founded on the Black Fork, where a more favorable site for defence was obtained. Greentown was named for Thomas Green, a white man, who was a Tory, and who, after aiding the Mohawks in the Wyoming massacre of 1778, sought retreat and seclusion with the Indians in the west.
The Big Hill is situated in the southeastern part of Weller township, and has an altitude of about one hundred and fifty feet and a circumference of four miles at the base. The hill is abrupt on its several sides, and its top is a level table land, containing a number of valuable farms, the soil being arable and fertile. Geologically speaking, the hill is of sandstone formation and the stone is quarried from its sides in large quantities. The hill was originally covered with a dense forest, remants of which still fringe it like a border. Topographically speaking, the hill is a huge heap, thrown up or dumped down in a level country and stands solitary and alone, and, were it
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not for its immense size and geological formation, one might be led to believe it to be a mound, built by the Moundbuilders,-a race of people who inhabited this country before the advent of the Anglo-Normans on the American conti- nent and who built mounds in different parts of the country, especially in the southwest. But this is nature's own handiwork and far surpasses those made by man. As we stood at its base and gazed at its contour, we thought it would have answered the triple purpose for that bygone race of a fortress, an altar and a sepulcher.
From the sides of the hill about one hundred and fifty springs send forth clear, soft water. A large spring upon the west side furnishes an abundant supply for the water-works of the county infirmary, and there is sufficient fall to throw the water over the top of the main building. This water has been tested and is found to be pure and healthful.
Southwest of the hill there is low, bottom land, which was formerly a marsh, in which was a deer-lick, making it a favorite hunting ground for the early settlers, as it had been for the Indians before them.
THE ROBINSON CASTLE.
Castles are wont to figure in legendary tales, and love in cottages is set forth in sentimental contrast to intrigue, unhappiness and crime in castles. These are often boldly stated, while at other times they are clothed in such ambiguity as to be apparent only in insinuations and inuendoes. But in some phase a hard-hearted, if not villainous, husband and an unloved, neglected, if not abused, wife are the principal characters in these castle dramas and tragedies, and among the dramatis personac figure servants, one of whom is a big varlet, ever willing to aid his master in any nefarious scheme he might wish to carry out. And the lady's maid takes her place at intervals on the stage to try to thwart the plans of those who scheme against her mis- tress. The plots of these stories vary but little, differing only in names and in by-play.
Castles, to come up to the novelists' standard, must have a turreted tower, wide halls, winding stairways, secret passages, underground dungeons, etc., but the castle of which I write had none of these, and thus falls short of those of which dime novels speak and which exist only in the minds of the writers of fiction.
The Robinson castle, on the Big Hill, was a real structure and it actually stood within eight miles of the city of Mansfield, in Weller township, and was seen and visited by dozens of people who are living to-day. This castle not
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only attracted attention and elicited comments at the time of its construction, which were augmented by its subsequent disaster and final fate, but is now looked back to with mingled interest and awe, for as time advances the tales that are told of the castle and its ruins become more numerous and seem to have been multiplied with the years that have intervened until it is rather difficult to discern where the truth ends and fiction begins.
Thomas Robinson, the builder of that castle, came from England and settled on the Big Hill about the year 1820, when he entered a quarter sec- tion of land and later bought sixty acres adjoining it. He was a man of wealth, and his views and ideas differed widely from those held by the average pioneer. He was imperious in his style and lordly in his manner, with no confidant and with but few associates. He adhered to the old style of dress, wearing knee breeches, and was called King Tom. Although peculiar, he was a benefactor in his way, for he gave employment to many people and always paid them cash for their work, which was a great consideration in those days when money was so scarce that the settlers often did not know how else to get means to pay their taxes than to go and "dig out stumps for Robinson," for his notoriety had spread far and wide and men went to him for work from different parts of the county, and employment was given to all who applied, and the number of men in his employ would average, it is said, a dozen the year through. Robinson had not the patience, like the other settlers, to wait for stumps to rot out, but he hired men to dig them out, entailing great expense in clearing his land, causing fabulous stories to be told of his immense wealth.
Robinson was a widower when he came to America, but, after getting his farm cleared, he returned to England, as he stated, for a wife. He was absent seven years, returning here just after his marriage, bringing his wife with him. He never gave any explanation about the delay and no one dared to question him. His wife, it is said, was a good-looking woman of domestic tastes, who stayed at home to serve her "lord and master," as was the custom with English women in those days. She lived about eight years after she came to America, and her remains were interred in Milton cemetery. In 1843 Robinson returned to England, where he died within a year.
In 1836 Robinson built a large brick building for a residence. The bricks were of large size, and, on account of the size and style of the building and the aristocratic habits of the owner, it was called The Castle. It stood upon the most commanding site of the summit of the hill. Beneath it were cellars, arched with stonework, intended for wine cellars, and not as sepul- chers for his dead, as was alleged. Within a few years after it was built a 3
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wing of the castle was blown down by a storm, and Samuel Robinson, then a lad of seven years, who was in the wreck, was taken out of the debris. He now lives on the Olivesburg road, where he has recently built-not a castle- but one of the finest country residences in the county.
Within a few years after the wing of the castle was wrecked the arched foundations began to give way, and the building in time fell in a mass of ruins, remnants of which can be seen to-day. Parties frequently visit the ruins of the old castle, and sometimes tourists stop over trains to see with their own eyes the locality of which they have read and heard so much. Boy guides are usually employed at the station (Pavonia, on the Erie Railroad) to conduct the party to the hill. As one of these parties stood gazing at the ruins a man remarked, "Down in that vaulted cellar is where old "Bluebeard" buried his four hundred wives."
"No," said the guide, who had an eye to business; "no one is buried there; 'King Tom' cremated his wives, and if you give me twenty-five cents extra I'll show you the exact spot where their bodies were burned into ashes." They paid the extra quarter and the boy took them to a ravine on the east side of the hill, and, finding a place where some stone quarrymen had had a fire a year or two before, pointed to it as the place where the bodies had been cremated and exclaimed, "There are some of the ashes of their remains!"
After they had returned to the station, boarded the cars and the train had sped onward to the coast, the boy told how he had "worked" the men for an extra quarter, and ever since that occurrence other guides have "worked" other parties in a like manner, each telling such tales as his imagination could invent. And thus many of the "Bluebeard" and other stories about "King Tom" originated.
Mr. Robinson had a younger brother, Francis Robinson, and when Francis was making arrangements (in England) to join his brother in Amer- ica, "King Tom" wrote to him to stop in Philadelphia and hunt up "Aunt Jane" Dixon and bring her back to keep house for them. Frank did as requested, but while en route they got married at Pittsburg, and when they arrived at Big Hill "Aunt Jane" was installed as the mistress of the Robin- son home. "Aunt Jane" was the sister of Mrs. Ward, and came to America with that family in 1819, but, becoming tired of life in the New World, had started to return to England and was visiting for a short time in Phila- delphia when Mr. Robinson called upon and persuaded her to return with him to Ohio. To this couple two sons were born: William Robinson, recently deceased, and the late General James S. Robinson, who helped to organize the Eighty-second Regiment of Ohio Infantry, became its colonel
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and afterward changed the eagle of a colonel for the star of a brigadier on his epaulettes. And his regiment-what of it? Of the two thousand eight hundred men enlisted during its term of service, there were but sixty-five left to answer roll-call the morning after the battle of Gettysburg-maimed in the service, discharged for disability, died in hospitals, killed in battle- what a record! Volumes might be written, but the result, which can be told in one sentence, expresses it all, and let us stand uncovered when the names of such heroes are mentioned, to attest our appreciation of their services for our common country and flag.
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