USA > Ohio > Highland County > A history of the early settlement of Highland County, Ohio > Part 13
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The next spring (1800) the party moved up to the place selected by Pope. They had to eut their way through the
was carried to the place of delivery on pack-horses, and the peltry taken up to the French traders at Gallipolis.
During the summer the settlers as- woods pretty much the whole distance. certained that the land on which they a part of the route being on the old In- had settled could not be purchased at dian trail from Oldtown on the North what they considered a fair rate, so, fork of Paint to old Chillicothe on the much to their regret, they determined Miami. They arrived at last, after a to break up their pleasant little com- tedious and fatiguing journey, and munity and move to some point in the camped near a spring on the left-hand interior. The rich valley of the Scioto side of the present road leading front had been visited by some of the settlers Leesburg to William Hardy's fulling a few years previous, and they deter- mill. All hands then went to work mined to seek new homes somewhere and cleared out a piece of ground on on the waters of that river. Accord- the adjoining Lees creek bottom and ingly in the fall of 1793 Pope and John planted corn. Lees creek was named Walter, with their families, prepared for General Charles Lee, of the Reve- to leave their friends on Quaker Bot- lution, whose land warrants, received tom. They sent their. wagons, carts, from the Government for military ser- plows, etc., round by the river to Chil- vices, were located on its waters.
CHAPTER XIV.
HUGH EVANS BETTLES ON CLEAR CREEK- PLANTS THE FIRST CORN, BUILDA A' "SWEAT MILL," AND PROSPERS, WHILE NATHANIEL POPE IS SOWING THE FIRST WHEAT, AND WILLIAM POPE, JOHN WALTERS AND OTHERS ARE HUNTING BEAR, ON LEES CREEK AND RATTLESNAKE WITH THE INDIANS, AND THE FINLEYS AND DAVIDSON FIND SIMILAR EXCITEMENT AND TRIALS ON WHITEOAK.
N the spring of 1800 Hugh Evans, voyagers doubted not were the vicinity with several of his sons and sons- of the dead bodies of emigrants, killed in-law, settled on Clear creek, in and scalped by the Indians. The little the present county of Highland, on a fleet, however, passed on unmolested, three thousand acre tract of land enter- and in due time arrived in safety at ed and surveyed for him by General Limestone (Maysville). From this Massie some years before. Mr. Evans place Mr. Evans took his family and emigrated from George's creek settle- goods to Bourbon county, and settled ment, Fayette county, Pennsylvania, near Paris, where he built some log in 1788, with his numerous family, to cabins, cleared out the cane break for a Kentucky. That locality, being near corn patch, and depended, like his the southwestern border, had, in com- neighbors, on the buffalo, bear and deer mon with the entire frontier of the for meat. Here they were in constant State, suffered much from incursions danger from the ever-watchful and of the Indians; and many were the bloodthirsty Indians, who, during the peaceful homes laid in ashes by their spring, summer and fall, were almost relentless hands, while the inmates daily making attacks upon the border Kentucky settlements, burning bouses. killing the inhabitants, and stealing were either slain or carried into cap- tivity. Evans was, therefore, no stran- ger to the terrors of Indian warfare, horses. These stations were, of course, and hesitated not to avail himself of all fortified ; and whenever the alarm the opportunity to make an early selec- was given the women and children tion from the celebrated rich lands of were hurried to the fort, and the men Kentucky, which land of promise was started in pursuit of the enemy. After then the far west. So he loaded his Wayne's treaty with the Indians ren- household goods on a flatboat, and with dered the prospects for a continued his family started down the Mononga- peace probable, Mr. Evans and his fam- hela river, in company with two other ily started for the country north of the boats having a like destination. They Ohio river, for they did not like to live passed on down to Wheeling, then an in a slave State. But when they reach- extreme outpost of civilization. At ed the river they learned that it was that place they received intelligence still dangerous to cross; they therefore that the Indians were taking every concluded to stop awhile longer. They boat that went down the river. They built three cabins on Cabin creek, therefore deemed it prudent to delay about three miles from the river, and awhile; but in the course of a couple of cleared out corn patches. During their days several other boats came down, residence at this place Mr. Evans and one of which had seventy soldiers on his sons made several trips across the board. They all held a conference, and river to look at the country, and select- the majority being of the opinion that ed the land which General Massie loca- they were now strong enough to meet ted on Clear creek.
the enemy, they determined to set ont
In the spring of 1599 Mr. Evans, with on the perilous voyage. They kept all his sons and sons-in-law, come over and the boats as close together as possible, built their cabins, and the spring fol- the leader taking the middle of the lowing moved their families. When river. Soldiers were posted on the they first came they followed a trace boats with rifles in hand, ready at any from Manchester to New Market. from moment for an attack. As they passed which place to their land on Clear down they saw several places where creek they had to steer their way turkey buzzards were collected on the through the unbroken forest by the trees and hovering round, which the aid of a compass.
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A HISTORY OF HIGHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.
Hugh Evans, the father, built his low, then a broad stone is dressed, and cabin on the farm where Daniel Duck- a small hole bored in the middle of it. wall afterward lived, William Hill next This stone is nicely fit in the head of below on the creek, Amos next, then the gum, the face about nine inches Daniel, Samuel, Joseph Swearingen, below the top; then another is made to George Wilson and Richard Evans. fit exactly on the face of the first, hav- Swearingen, Wilson and Amos Evans ing a considerable hole in which to did not, however, move out till some throw the corn with the hand. Then a time after. At that time this settle- hand pole with an iron spike in the end ment formed the extreme frontier, to work in a small shallow hole near there being no white man's house to the outer edge of the surface of the the north with the exception, perhaps, top stone. The upper end of this stick of a small settlement at Franklinton.
is fastened some feet above the head,
Richard Evans started with his fam- and as the upper stone is hung on a ily from Kentucky in March, 1800, there spindle that passes through the lower being considerable snow on the ground. one, it can be turned by hand very eas-
The first detachment consisted of a ily, and grind pretty fast. strong team, two horses and two oxen. The Indians were very numerous in the neighborhood at that time, and vis- ited the cabins of the Clear creek set- tlement almost every day. perfectly hitched to a large sled, with a pretty capacious bed prepared for the purpose and filled with such things as were most needed, leaving the remainder to friendly and harmless, but most gener- come in the wagon when the ground ally hungry. got firm. The snow lasted till tirey The act of Congress organizing the reached their new home in the midst of Northwestern Territory provided that whenever there were five thousand free male inhabitants of full age in the Ter- ritory they should be authorized to elect Representatives to a Territorial Legis- the unbroken forest. But little time remained to clear out the bottom and prepare it for corn, and it was a heavy job. But first of all, sugar had to be inade, for there was none to be obtain- lature, who, when chosen, were requir- ed in any other way. They went to sugar for the year, cleared out the
ed to nominate terr frecholders ot live work in good heart, and made enough hundred acres, of whom the President was to appoint five, who were to con- ground, and by the last of May had stitute the Legislative Council. Rep- eight or ten acres fenced in and ready resentatives were to serve two years to plant. By that time the wagon had and Councilmen five. Early in 1798, arrived from Kentucky with a supply the census having been taken, it was of seed corn, seed potatoes and a little apparent that the inhabitants were en- flour, which was a great rarity in those titled to this change in their form of days and mostly came down the river government, which had previously from Pennsylvania. The wagon also been confided exclusively to the Gov- brought a good supply of corn meal, ernor and Judges appointed by the which was the main dependence for President and Senate of the United
bread. The first corn planted on the
States. Accordingly Representatives farm of the late Richard Evans was were elected, and the first Territorial planted on the last day of May and the, Legislature assembled at Cincinnati on first day of June, 1800. The soil being the 24th day of September, 1799, and loose and rich, the corn grew rapidly having organized for business Govern- and yielded an abundant crop, sufficient or St. Clair addressed the two houses. for the family and some to spare, while At this session an act was passed to pumpkins, potatoes and turnips grew confirm and give force to the laws en- in large quantities. When the corn acted by the Governor and Judges, the began to ripen-and that was not any validity of which had been doubted. too soon, for the meal tub was almost empty-the question was how to get it
The whole number of the acts which received the approval of the Governor
ground, for there was no mill. At at this session was thirty-seven. Be- first a tin grater answered the purpose, fore the adjournment William II. Har- but soon the corn got too hard. Rich- rison was elected Delegate to Congress.
ard Evans was, however, equal to the
During the fall of 1800 the first wheat
emergency, so he went to work and known to have been sowed in the pres- constructed what was called a sweat ent county of Highland was sowed by mill, which fully supplied the wants Nathaniel Pope on a few acres of for a time. Many, doubtless, are curi- ground where the brick school house ous to know what a sweat mill is. In now stands in the town of Leesburg. the first place a sycamore gum about John Walters, who with his family three feet long and two feet in the hol- accompanied Pope to the Lees creek
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A HISTORY OF HIGHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.
settlement, settled and built his cabin men, and passing down the hill, since on what is now known as the old Pavey occupied by the residence of Beverly place, across the creek from Leesburg. Milliner, Pope gained on the Indian, but The same fall James Howard moved when they came to the ereck the Indian ran straight through, while Pope made a slight curve to a ritlle, after which the in and built his cabin on the hill near the trace to Chillicothe, ou what is now the site of the town of Leesburg. This Indian gradually gained ground, and constituted the entire settlement, ex- finally reached the place where the dogs cept their Indian neighbors, who were had the bear treed about the same time as Pope, but as the Indians like to save powder by getting close to the mark. while he was creeping up to get a good
encamped in large numbers all along Rattlesnake as far down as the mouth of Fall creek. They were almost daily visitors at the little settlement, and shot Pope took rest against a tree and frequently joined the whites in hunt- fired first. The bear came down badly ing. The small patches of corn which wounded, and a desperate fight with the the new-comers had planted having dogs ensued at the foot of the tree. At been gathered, but little remained, af- length the bear canght a favorite dog ter preparing their cabins for winter, and was killing him. Pope signed to but hunting. Some corn was packed the Indian, who was nearest, to rush in to the mill at New Amsterdam and a and tomahawk the bear, but he refused, pretty good supply of meal thus provid- simply saying "White man." So Pope ed, which, aided by the liberal supplies rushed into the fight to save his dog, of hominy pounded of nights and bad days, and the small grists ground on a hand mill, which indispensable instru- ment in those days was found in almost every cabin, enabled them to pass the and by bravery and good luck succeeded in tomahawking and kniting the bear until he was dead. They then skinned him, and giving the Indian as much of the meat as he chose to take, they part- winter in comparative abundance. Log ed on the best of terms, often to mneet again as friends and enjoy the sport which the widespread and unbroken forest of Hardins creek then furnished
cabins at that time were far from com- fortless. As a general thing their in- mates were robust and healthy, and their wants were limited to the absolute in the greatest abundance.
necessities of life, which reasonable in- dustry never failed to supply. Bear and buffalo skins furnished warm and pleas- ant beds; the surrounding forest sup- plied the ample fire-place, and the rich odor of the johnny-cake and the broiled venison was quite as inviting to the backwoodsman then, as is the richest and most varied repast to the votary of ease and luxury at the present day.
Nothing of note ocenrred at the New Market settlement during the fall and winter of 1800. No new-comers arrived, and those who were there had an abun- dance of the substantial necessaries of life. So they enjoyed themselves as backwoodsmen, free from all the re- straints of polished society, usually do.
In the early part of the spring of 1801 James B. Finley moved up from Chilli-
Many of the Indians became quite so- tothe and settled on a tract of land re- cial, and as they acquired a little Eng- cently purchased by his father on the lish, or the settlers learned some words banks of Whiteoak creek. He built his of their language, grew quite communi- cabin near the present residence of. cative. They pointed out, when on Judge Johnson, and resolved to follow hunting expeditions on the banks of the occupation of a hunter. Mr. Finley Lees creek, Rattlesnake, Hmdins and says he had just married, and his father- Fall creek, trees where they had secured in-law being di satisfied with his daugh- prisoners in former times. One day late ter's choice, did not even allow her to in the fall, as the Popes were hunting on the waters of Harding creek, the dogs started a bear, which ran within hearing of an Indian camp. The dogs of the In- dian joined in the chase. The Popes were on horseback following the dogs. The Indian met them on foot, gun in hand, and intimated, half by gestures and half by words, that he would like to thing but a wife, gun, dog and axe. In join in the sport if one of the whites would dismount and thus place himself take her clothes. So Finley, having nothing himself, the couple set out fully prepared to realize the glories of "love in a cottage." With the aid of his brother John he got his cabin built, into which he moved, so to speak, for he says he had neither bed, bedding, bag, barrage, cow or horse, pig, cat, nor any- order to get a bed he resortel to the not unusual expedient in those days, of upon an equal footing with the Indian. gathering leaves and drying them in the William Pope readily necepted the ban- sun, to be used in a tick instead of tor, and he and the shawnee started on feathers or straw. For a bedstead he foot. They soon got ahead of the horse. drove forks into the floor of the cabin.
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A HISTORY OF HIGHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.
which, like its lining and roof, was of good mast, and bears were so plentiful bark -- then laid poles across, which he that it was not necessary to go far from covered with bark. On this superstruc- the settlement to find them. About ture the tick full of nice clean leaves Christmas they made their turkey hunt, was placed, which with bear skins for and killed large numbers of them. To covering, furnished quite a comfortable preserve them for summer use they bed. This done, the next thing was to cleaned them, cut them in two. and after provide something to eat. Of meat Fin- salting them in troughs, hung them up ley's rifle furnished an abundant supply, to dry. In summer they cooked them but some. bread was occasionally desired. in bear's oil. The dry breasts stewed in So he went to the New Market neigh- bear's oil became a good substitute for borhood and cut and split one hundred bread, which was then a rarity, the rails for a bushel of potatoes, which he nearest mill being thirty miles distant. carried liome on his back, a distance of John Davidson, when he first settled on six miles. At the same place he worked Whiteoak, had to buy corn and pack it a day for a hen and three chickens, as far as twenty miles. On one occasion which he put in his hunting-shirt and he could find no corn nearer than the carried home. Having neither liorse or Cherry fork of Brushcreek, in Adams plow, he went into a plum bottom near county, which he brought home, then the cabin and with his axe grubbed and he mounted two of his sons, Col. Wm. cleared off about an acre and a half, in Davidson being one of them, with it on which he dug holes and planted corn, pack-horses and sent them to the mills without any fence around it. This at the falls of Paint to have it ground.
When the boys reached the mill they found they could not get grinding under three days. So they returned, and Mr. Davidson went for the meal himself, making the whole distance traveled to for winter quarters. In order to give get the corn and meal 160 miles.
and was rewarded with a crop of nearly a hundred bushels. During the summer he, with the help of his wife, put up a neat cabin, and made it close and warm patch he cultivated as well as he could, additional warmth to it, when he husked
Another great difficulty experienced out his corn he carried and put it on the by all settlers in Southern Ohio at that loft. Thus comfortably fixed, he mark- day, and for many years after, was to ed the approach of winter with indiffer- procure salt, which sold enormously ence, for, although he had no meal for high-at the rate of four dollars for fifty bread, hominy, bear's meat and venison were abundant, and, he says, no couple on earth lived happier or more content- ed than he and his wife in their snug
pounds. In backwoods currency it would require four buckskins, a large bear skin, or sixteen coon skins to pay for it. Often it could not be procured « little cabin in the midst of the woods. at any price, and the only mode by Indians often called on him, and fre- which the settlers could obtain it was by quently stayed all night.
packing kettles on horses to the Scioto
In the fall Robert W. Finley and his Salt Lick, and boiling the salt water family, consisting of John, William, Sam- themselves, otherwise they had to dis- uel and Robert, jr., moved up and set- pense with it entirely. In such cases tled near James, and shortly after Jolin they used strong hickory ashes to cure .Davidson, with his family, weary of the their meat.
sickly valley of the Scioto, left the The opening spring found the Finleys neighborhood of Chillicothe and settled and their neighbors in good spirits, and on Whiteoak in the vicinity of the Fin- the summer's work was entered upon leys. Mr. Davidson had removed from under rather more favorable circumstan- Fayette county, Ky., to Chillicothe in ces than was that of the preceding year 1797. The settlement on Whiteoak now by James B. They had procured plows numbered some fifteen persons, who be- sufficient for their wants, and also some ing of necessity social in their inter- other implements of agriculture. An course, and all the males who were old abundant crop of corn in the fall re- enough hunters, but little rivalry, except in the chase, was known. The generous
warded their toil. The following winter was extremely severe, and the bears all hospitality characteristic of pioneer holed up in the large poplar trees which days was common to all, and when any abounded in that vicinity, so that this one wanted, help all were ready to aid very important source of winter and him to the utmost extent of their power. summer supplies was almost out of the The greater part of the winter wasspent question. The Finleys, however, were in hunting, and a store of summer pro- bold and persevering hunters, and after visions thus laid up. The bear was the considerable search they discovered a most valuable, and therefore most gen- tree in which they supposed a bear was erally hunted, That fall there was a
holed. They and the Davidsons cut the
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A HISTORY OF HIGHLAND COUNTY, OHIO.
tree, and sure enough there was the to take along for supper that night, as bear, which they killed. They contin- they expected to camp out. In the ued searching the timber and cutting course of the ride they shot a fine buck, trees till in the course of a week they which they dressed and hung up out of found and killed eleven bears, four of
the reach of wolves. They also left them old ones. The largest one weighed their bear meat at the same place, in- over four hundred pounds. Thus sup- plied, the winter passed quite pleasant- ly. They spun and wove their own flax
tending to return and camp there. They gathered their bags full of cat-tails, and started about sundown to the camping for shirting, etc., and dressed skins for ground. On their way back they killed moccasins, breeches and hunting shirts, another bear, and having arrived at, the and had to pay tribute to no Cirsar. ground and built a fire, they feasted on They had no musters, no courts, no road the deer, and in the morning breakfast- working, no tax collector, no squires, ed on the bear's feet, which had been constables, doctors or lawyers.
Their roasting in the ashes all night. This is social life was governed by the law of regarded by old hunters as a great deli- kindness, and if a quarrel did occur the cacy. Some, however, prefer a roasted parties interested fought it out fist and bear's tail, and others the marrow from! skull, and made friends when their the joint of a buffalo. wounds healed. It was not often that they had preaching -the Finleys not at
James B. Finley says that in order to repair a pecuniary loss sustained by go- that time being in the church- but if a ing security for a friend at Chillicothe, traveling minister did stop and preach he spent a whole winter hunting on
Whiteoak, most of which time he lay
all went to hear him. If the preaching was on a week day the men would go in out at night before his camp-fire, wrap- their hunting-shirts, with their guns; ped in skins. He slew a large number if on Sunday, the guns were left at of bears, selling the skins in the spring home, but the belt and knife were never at from three to seven dollars cach. forgotten.
In the fall of 1800 Thomas McCoy em- The next fall several of the settlers, igrated, with his wife and chikl on a urged by their wives, went to a swamp at a considerable distance from the set- tlement to gather cat-tails to make beds,
pack-horse and he on foot, rifle on shoulder, from Bourbon county, Ky., to the Cherry fork of Brushereck. Ear- the leaf beds being about worn out. ly the next spring he moved to the west They had not gone many miles toward fork of Brushcreek and built a cabin and the swamp when their dogs started up a settled down on the farm now owned by bear, which soon treed. It remained the heirs of John Haigh, near the site there only a short time, however, before of the present town of Belfast, then in it let go and came down, when a fright- Adams county. There were at that ful fight ensued. One of the Finleys time no inhabitants in that vicinity sprang from his horse and ran in to nearer than the settlement on Flat Run, help the dogs, and forgetting in his ex- which consisted of George Campbell, citement to cook his gun, placed the Stephen Clark, Philip Noland, Levin muzzle against the bear and pulled the Wheeler and William Paris and their trigger, but it would not fire; so he families. This settlement had been threw it down, and taking his tomahawk made some two or three years. Stephen was about to strike, when the bear Clark was the first settler on Flat Run. broke loose from the dogs. They soon Mr. Mccoy, who is now a very old man, caught him again, and this time, being says : "In those days in order to build greatly enraged, it was in the act of a log cabin, we had to collect help from killing one of the dogs, when one of the five or six miles around and could get hunters reached the ground with noth- but few hands at that. Often our ing but his knife. He rushed in and women would turn out and assist ns in thrust his knife in the side of the bear. rolling and raising our cabins. But I At this it released the dog and caught can say that we enjoyed ourselves with the hunter by the leg. In his efforts to our hard labor and humble fare, al- relieve himself he was thrown upon his though deprived of many of the neces- back. The bear then made a vigorous saries of life. I had to go twenty-seven attack upon the fallen hunter. It was a miles for two bushels of corn and pay frightful situation ; but the degs, true as three shillings and six-pence per bushel. steel, though badly wounded, rushed to This was the spring after I settled on the west fork of Brush Creek. The wolves were so bad that neither sheep nor hogs the rescue and succeeded in releasing the hunter, who regained his feet, in- finitely worse scared than hurt, and soon could be raised. Game was, however, dispatched the enemy. They skinned abundant and the settlers could always the bear, and selected the choice parts rely upon that for meat."
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