USA > Ohio > Franklin County > Columbus > Centennial history of Columbus and Franklin County, Ohio, Vol. I > Part 4
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF COLUMBUS
Five, Wee-ish. Six, Wau-shau. Seven, Soo-tare. Eight, Aultarai. Nine, Ain-tru.
Lightning, Tim-men-di-quas. .
Earth, Umaitsagh.
Deer, Ough-scan-oto.
Bear, Anu-e.
Raccoon, Ha-in-te-roh.
Ten, Augh-sagh.
Twenty, Ten-deit-a-waugh-sa.
Thirty, Shaigh-ka-waugh-sa.
Forty, An-daugh-ka-waugh-sa.
Turkey, Daigh-ton-tah.
Fifty, Wee-ish-a-waugh-sa.
Squirrel, Ogh-ta-eh.
Sixty, Wau-shau-waugh-sa.
Otter, Ta-wen-deh.
Seventy, Soo-tare-waugh-sa.
Dog, Yun-ye-noh.
Eighty, Au-tarai-waugh-sa.
Cow, Kni-ton-squa-ront.
Ninety, Ain-tru-waugh-sa.
Horse, Ugh-shut-te.
One Hundred, Scute-main-gar-we.
Goose, Yah-hounk.
God, Ta-main-de-sue.
Duck, Yu-in-geh.
Devil, Degh-shu-re-noh.
Man, Ain-ga-hon.
Heaven, Ya-roh-nia.
Woman, Utah-ke.
Good, Ye-waugh-ste.
Girl, Ya-weet-sen-tho.
Boy, Oma-int-sent-e-hah.
Hell, Degh-shunt.
Sun, Ya-an-des-hra.
Moon, Waugh-sunt-yu-an-des-ra.
Stars, Tegh-shu.
Sky, Cagh-ro-niate.
Clouds, Oght-se-rah.
Wind, Izu-quas.
It rains, Ina-un-du-se. Thunder, Heno.
Grass, E-ru-ta.
"The foregoing sketch of the history and language of the Wyandots, though certainly not strictly necessary, will, it is hoped, be deemed not alto- gether inappropriate as an introduction to the following narrative of the cir- cumstances attending the death of a chief of that nation. The particulars have been recently communicated by persons who were eye-witnesses to the execution and may be relied upon as perfectly accurate.
"In the evening of the first day of June, in the year 1810, there came six Wyandot warriors to the house of Mr. Benjamin Sells on the Scioto river, about twelve miles above the spot where now stands the city of Columbus. They were equipped in the most warlike manner and exhibited during their stay an unusual degree of agitation. Having ascertained that an old Wyandot chief, for whom they had been making diligent inquiry, was then encamped at a distance of about two miles farther up on the bank of the river, they expressed a determination to put him to death and immediately went off, in the direction of the lodge.
"These facts were communicated early in the ensuing morning, to Mr. John Sells, who now resides in the city of Dublin on the Scioto about two miles
My Wife, Uzut-tun-oh-oh.
Corn, Nay-hah.
Beans, Yah-re-sah.
Potatoes, Da-ween-dah.
Melons, Oh-nugh-sa.
Bad, Waugh-she.
Child, Che-ah-hah.
Old Man, Ha-o-tong.
Old Woman, Ut-sin-dag-sa.
Fox, The-na-in-ton-to. Beaver, Soo-taie.
Mink, So-hoh-main-dia.
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF COLUMBUS
from the place where the doomed Wyandot met his fate. Mr. Sells immediately proceeded up the river on horseback in quest of the Indians. He soon arrived at the lodge, which he found situated in a grove of sugar trees, close to the bend of the river. The six warriors were seated in consultation at a distance of a few rods from the lodge. The old chief was with them, evidently in the character of a prisoner. His arms were confined by a small cord, but he sat with them without any manifestation of uneasiness. A few of the neighbor- ing white men were also there, and a gloomy looking Indian who had been a companion of the chief, but now kept entirely aloof-sitting sullenly in the camp. Mr. Sells approached the Indians and found them earnestly engaged in debate. A charge of 'witch-craft' had been made at a former time against the chief by some of his captors, whose friends had been destroyed, as they believed, by means of his evil powers. This crime, according to the imme- morial usage of the tribe involved a forfeiture of life. The chances of a hunt- er's life had brought the old man to his present location, and his pursuers had sought him out in order that they might execute upon him the sentence of their law.
The Fatal Council.
"The council was of two or three hours duration. The accusing party spoke alternately with much ceremony, but with evident bitterness of feeling. The prisoner, in his replies, was eloquent, though dispassionate. Occasionally, a smile of scorn would appear, for an instant, on his countenance. At the close of the consultation it was ascertained that they had affirmed the sentence of death which had before been passed upon the chief. Inquiry having been made by some of the white men, with reference to their arrangements, the captain of the six warriors pointed to the sun and signified to them that the execution would take place at one o'clock in the afternoon. Mr. Sells went to the captain and asked him what the chief had done. 'Very bad Indian,' he replied, ‘make good Indian sick-make horse sick-make die-very bad chief.' Mr. Sells then made an effort to persuade his white friends to rescue the victim of superstition from his impending fate, but to no purpose. They were then in a frontier situation, entirely open to the incursions of the north- ern tribes and were, consequently unwilling to subject themselves to the dis- pleasure of their savage visitors by any interference with their operations. He then proposed to release the chief by purchase-offering to the captain for that purpose a fine horse of the value of three hundred dollars. 'Let me see him,' said the Indian; the horse was accordingly brought forth,, and closely ex- amined; and so much were they staggered by this proposition that they again repaired to their place of consultation and remained in council a considerable length of time before it was finally rejected.
"The conference was again terminated, and five of the Indians began to amuse themselves with running, jumping and other athletic exercise. The captain took no part with them. When again inquired of, as to the time of execution, he pointed to the sun, as before, and indicated the hour of four. The prisoner then walked slowly to his camp-partook of jerked venison-
A GLIMPSE OF THE OLENTANGY RIVER AND PARK
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF COLUMBUS
washed and arrayed himself in his best apparel and afterwards painted his face. His dress was very rich-his hair grey, his whole appearance graceful and commanding. At his request, the whole company drew round him at the lodge. He then observed the exertions of Mr. Sells in his behalf, and presented to him a written paper, with a request that it might be read to the company. It was a recommendation signed by Governor Hull and in compliance with the request of the prisoner, it was fixed and left upon the side of a large tree at a short distance from the wigwam.
The Chief's Sublime Stoicism.
"The hour of execution being close at hand, the chief shook hands in silence with the surrounding spectators. On coming to Mr. Sells he appeared much moved-grasped his hands warmly, spoke for a few minutes in the Wyandot language and pointed to the heavens. He then turned from the wig- wam, and with a voice of surpassing strength and melody, commenced the chant of the death-song. He was followed closely by the Wyandot warriors, all timing with the slow and measured march, the music of his wild and mel- ancholy dirge. The white men were all, likewise, silent followers in that strange procession. At the distance of seventy or eighty yards from the camp they came to a shallow grave, which, unknown to the white men, had been previously prepared by the Indians. Here the old man knelt down, and in an elevated, but solemn voice, addressed his prayer to the Great Spirit. As soon as he had finished, the captain of the Indians knelt beside him and prayed in a similar manner. Their prayers, of course, were spoken in the Wyandot lan- guage. When they arose, the captain was again accosted by Mr. Sells, who insisted that if they were inflexible in their determination to shed blood, they should at least remove their victim beyond the limit of the white settlement. 'No!' said he, very sternly, and with evident displeasure. 'No; good Indian fraid-he no go with this bad man-mouth give fire in the dark night, good Indian fraid-he no go!' 'My friend,' he continued, 'me tell you white man, bad man, white man kill him, Indian say nothing.'
The Final Scene.
"Finding all interference futile, Mr. Sells was at length compelled reluc- tantly to abandon the old man to his fate. After a few moments delay, he again sank down upon his knees and prayed, as he had done before. When he had ceased praying, he still continued in a kneeling position. All the rifles belonging to the party had been left at the wigwam. There was not a weapon of any kind to be seen at the place of execution, and the spectators were con- sequently unable to form any conjecture as to the mode of procedure, which the executioners had determined on for the fulfillment of their purpose. Sud- denly one of the warriors drew from beneath the skirts of his capote, a keen, bright tomahawk, walked rapidly up behind the chieftain brandishing the weapon on high for a single moment and then struck with his full strength. The blow descended directly upon the crown of the head and the victim
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF COLUMBUS
immediately fell prostrate. After he had lain awhile in the agonies of death, the Indian directed the attention of the white men to the drops of sweat which were gathering upon the neck and face; remarking with much apparent exul- tation that it was conclusive proof of the sufferer's guilt. Again the execu- tioner advanced and with the same weapon inflicted two or three additional and heavy blows.
"As soon as life was entirely extinct, the body was hastily buried with all its apparel and decorations and the assemblage dispersed. The Wyandots returned immediately to their hunting ground and the white men to their homes. The murdered chief was known among the whites by the name of Leather Lips. Around the spot where the bones repose the towering forest has given place to the grain fields and the soil above him has for years been fur- rowed and refurrowed by the plow-share."
First a County.
The county of Franklin began its political existence, by virtue of a legis- lative enactment, passed March 30, 1803, and taking effect April 30, 1803. The metes and bounds of the county as originally fixed were as follows: "Be- ginning on the western boundary of the twentieth range of townships east of the Scioto river, at the corner of sections Nos. 24 and 25 in the 9th township of the 21st range, surveyed by John Matthews, thence west until it intersects the eastern boundary line of Greene county, thence north with said line until it intersects the State line, thence eastwardly with the said line to the north- west corner of Fairfield county, thence with the western boundary line of Fair- field to the point of beginning." That is, bounded on the east by nearly our present line, south by a line near the middle of what is now Pickaway county, on the west by Greene county, and on the north by Lake Erie. The creation of the county of Delaware in 1808, reduced our northern boundary to its present line; the creation of the county of Pickaway in 1810, reduced our southern boundary to its present limits; the creation of Madison in 1810, and of Union in 1820, reduced our western limits to the boundaries represented by Wheeler's County Map, published in 1842; but subsequently, by an act of the legislature passed the 4th of March, 1845, our western boundary was changed by making Darby creek the line from the northwest corner of Brown to the north line of Pleasant township, as represented by Foote's Map of 1856; and by an act passed the 27th of January, 1857, entitled "An act to annex a part of Licking county to the county of Franklin," there were nine half sections taken from the southwest corner of Licking, and attached to Franklin. This occasions the jog in the eastern line of Truro township, as represented on the maps. Then at the session of 1850-51, a range of sections, being a strip one mile in width and six miles in length, including the town of Winchester, was taken from Fairfield county and attached to the east side of Madison township, in Franklin county, as represented on Foote's Map. The county is now in nearly a square form, and is twenty-two and a half miles in extent north and south, and would probably average a trifle over that from east to west.
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF COLUMBUS
First Judges; First Court House; First Jail; First Court Record.
On April 6, 1803, the legislature, sitting at Chillicothe, met in joint ses- sion of both bodies, house and senate, and elected the following associate judges of the court of common pleas for Franklin county: John Dill, David Jamison and Joseph Foos. The state was divided into three judicial districts. Three presiding judges of common pleas, viz .: Calvin Pease for the first, Wyllys Silliman for the second, and Francis Dunlavy for the third were chosen as such. On the same day Return Jonathan Meigs, Jr., Samuel Huntington and William Sprigg were elected supreme judges. Associate judges were elected in each of the seventeen counties into which the state was divided, so that the state judiciary in all its branches was established at the same legisla- tive session.
The first court of common pleas for the county, therefore, was Hon. Wyllys Silliman, of Washington county, presiding judge; Hon. John Dill. Hon. David Jamison and Hon. Joseph Foos, associate justices or judges.
The first session of this court was holden May 10, 1803. The following is
The First Court Record.
"At a meeting of the associate judges of the court of common pleas, of Franklin county, at the temporary seat of justice of said county, in Franklin- ton, on Tuesday, the 10th day of May, 1803,-present, the Hon. John Dill, chief judge; David Jamison, and Joseph Foos, Esqrs., associate judges of the court aforesaid; Who, having taken their official seats, were attended by Lucas Sullivant, clerk of the said court of common pleas, and they then proceeded to lay off the said county of Franklin into townships, as required by an act of the general assembly of the state of Ohio, entitled 'An act to regulate the election of justices of the peace, and for other purposes,' in the following manner, to- wit:
"Ordered, that all that part of Franklin county contained within the fol- lowing limits, to-wit: Beginning at the forks of Darby creek, that is, at the junction of what is called Treacles creek with Darby creek, running thence south to the line between the counties of Ross and Franklin; thence east with said line until it intersects the Scioto river; thence up the same till it comes to a point one mile, on a straight line, above the mouth of Roaring run; and from thence to the point of beginning, do make and constitute the first township in Franklin county, and be called Franklin township.
"Ordered, that all that tract or part of Franklin county contained within the following limits and boundaries, to-wit: Beginning on the west bank of the Scioto river, one mile, on a direct line, above the mouth of Roaring run; from thence, on a direct line, to the junction of Treacles creek with Darby creek, which is frequently called the forks of Darby; thence south unto the line between the counties of Ross and Franklin; thence west with said line until it intersects the county line of Greene; thence with the last mentioned line north, and from the point of beginning, up the Scioto to the northern
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF COLUMBUS
boundaries of Franklin county, do make and constitute the second township in said county, and be called Darby township.
"Ordered, that all that tract or part of Franklin county contained in the following meets (sic) and boundaries, to-wit: Beginning on the east bank of the Scioto river, at the points where the sectional line between the sections number eight and seventeen, in township four, and range twenty-two intersects the Scioto river; thence east with the said sectional line until it intersects the line between the counties of Fairfield and Franklin; thence south with the same to the line between the counties of Ross and Franklin; thence west with the same until it intersects the Scioto river; thence up the river to the point of beginning, to make and constitute the third township in Franklin county, and be called Harrison township.
"Ordered, that all that part of Franklin county contained within the fol- lowing limits and boundaries, to-wit: Beginning on the east bank of the Scioto river, at the intersection of the sectional line between the sections number eight and seventeen, in the fourth township and twenty-second range; running thence with the said sectional line east, to the line between the counties of Fair- field and Franklin; thence north with said line, and from the point of begin- ning, with the Scioto, to the northerly boundary of Franklin county, do con- stitute and make the fourth Township in Franklin county and be called Lib- erty township.
"Ordered, that in Franklin township there be elected two justices of the peace, and that the electors hold their election for that purpose at the tempo- rary place of holding courts for the county of Franklin, in Franklinton, on the twenty-first day of June next, as provided by law.
"Ordered, that in Darby township there be elected one justice of the peace, and that the electors in said township hold their election for that purpose at the house of David Mitchell, in said township, on the twenty-first day of June next, as provided by law.
"Ordered, that there be elected in Harrison township one justice of the peace, and that the electors in said township hold their election for that pur- pose at the house of Alexander Laughferty, on one Thomas Renixes' (sic) farm, in their said township, on the twenty-first day of June next, as provided by law.
"Ordered, that there be elected in Liberty township two justices of the peace, and that the electors hold their election for that purpose at the house of John Beaty, in said township, on the twenty-first day of June next, as pro- vided by law.
"Ordered, that this court be adjourned without delay.
"Test.
"LUCAS SULLIVANT, Clerk."
The regular courts for several years were held in hired rooms, until the Franklinton court house was erected, in 1807-8-Lucas Sullivant, contractor. A jail was sooner provided, as was shown by the minutes.
The First Jail was a small log building. It was a temporary concern, and remained but a few years. About the same time that the courthouse was erected, a new brick jail was also erected, a few rods northeast from the court-
OLD FOUR MILE HOUSE, COLUMBUS
FIRST RAILWAY STATION, BUILT 1850
THE OLD COVERED BRIDGE ACROSS THE SCIOTO RIVER, AT BROAD STREET, COLUMBUS
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF COLUMBUS
house-Arthur O'Harra, contractor. These buildings remained in use until the county seat was removed to Columbus, in 1824.
First Justices of the Peace.
On the 27th of June, 1803, under the provision of the 26th section of the act regulating elections the following justices of the peace were elected: Zach- ariah Stephen and James Marshall, in Franklin township; Joshua Ewing, in Darby; William Bennett, in Harrison; Joseph Hunter and Ezra Brown.
First Congressman Voted For.
On the same day, an election was held for a representative in congress, being the first election for a member of congress ever held in the state, the state being then entitled to but one member, and his term was to commence from the fourth of March preceding his election. Jeremiah Morrow was elected.
The following are copies of the certificates and abstract of the votes in Franklin county, to-wit :
"On Monday, the 27th of June, 1803, in conformity to the 26th section of an act of the general assembly of the state of Ohio, entitled 'An act to regulate elections,' I called to my assistance David Jamison and Joseph Foos, Esqrs., two of the associate judges of the court of common pleas of Franklin county, and proceeded to open and examine the poll-books returned to me as clerk of said county, from the different townships therein contained, and for a repre- sentative in congress, find the votes as thus stated, to-wit: Michael Baldwin, 50; William McMillan, 34; Elias Langham, 44; Jeremiah Morrow, 2.
"In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name, and affixed the seal of the county aforesaid, this, the day and year above written.
LUCAS SULLIVANT, C. F. C.
"We do hereby certify that the above statement of the election held on the 21st of this instant, in the county of Franklin, is a correct statement, as appears from the returns made to the clerk's office, from the several townships in our said county.
"Given under our hands this 27th of June, 1803.
"DAVID JAMISON, "JOSEPH Foos."
First Military Execution.
In June, 1813, while the Ohio army of the war of 1812-1815 lay at Frank- linton, a soldier, William Fish by name, was shot under sentence of court- martial on the charge of desertion and threatening the life of his captain. Three other soldiers, whose names were not recorded by the original historian, were also condemned to death, but were pardoned by Gen. William Henry Har- rison. One, however, was placed on a coffin by a newly opened grave, blind- folded, and left under the impression that he was to be shot along with Fish. Imagining that the firing squad had missed him, he was restored to nervous
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF COLUMBUS
equilibrium only when the general's pardon, with an admonition, was read to him by an adjutant.
The First Wedding.
The first nuptial ceremony celebrated in Columbus occurred in 1814, the high contracting parties being Mr. George B. Harvey and Miss Jane Arm- strong. A week or two later, another couple followed suit. They were Mr. Joseph Dallo and Miss Polly Collett. Rev. James Hoge was the officiating minister. These weddings took place on the east side of the river. There were possibly, previous to this date, weddings on the west side of the river, but there are no attainable records thereof.
The First Bank Established.
The first bank to be established in Columbus began business in 1816. In that year Columbus was first incorporated, fuller mention of which appears elsewhere.
The First Ohio Gazetteer.
This valuable publication by John Kilbourne appeared in 1816, being duly copyrighted by the author. So great was the demand for the work that it went through six editions in three years. He died in Columbus in 1831.
The First Almanac.
William Lusk in 1817 published the first almanac at Columbus. To this he added a complete roster of the public officers of the state, by counties, mak- ing a pamphlet of sixty-four pages and bestowed on the work the title of "Ohio Register and Western Calendar," which he copyrighted and published for a number of years. He died in Dayton in 1855. In his Register of 1821, he describes Franklinton as containing a post office, three taverns, a common school and an academy "in which are taught English, Grammar, Geography, Mensuration, Geometry, Trigonometry, Plane and Spherical Surveying, Navi- gation, Algebra, and Astronomy." He was president, faculty and teacher, all in one, of the institution.
He described Worthington as a town containing "a post office, a printing office, four taverns, four mercantile stores, a college, a Masonic hall and a num- ber of large manufactories for woolen clothes, hats, saddles, shoes, combs, etc."
A First Presidential Visit.
In the latter part of August, 1817, President Monroe and suite passed through this county, on their return from Detroit after his northern tour of inspection of the public fortifications, etc. They were met at Worthington by the Franklin Dragoons, commanded by Captain Vance, and escorted to Colum- bus, where proper arrangements had been made for the reception; and the
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY OF COLUMBUS
President was received in the state house, and welcomed to the capital by a neat and appropriate speech from Honorable Hiram M. Curry, then treasurer of state. To which the President made a suitable reply, complimenting the "infant city," as he called it, and its inhabitants.
They traveled on horseback, and were generally escorted from one town to another by the military, or some distinguished citizens. They rode fast, generally in a canter. Mr. Monroe wore the old-fashioned, three-cornered, cocked hat-his dress otherwise was in plain, citizen style. His face was effectually sunburnt from exposure.
This troop of dragoons was first organized in time of the war of 1812, and continued until 1832, or 1833, when they disbanded. They were commanded by the following, successive captains: Joseph Vance, Abram J. McDowell, Robert Brotherton, P. H. Olmstead, Joseph McElvain and David Taylor.
Captain Vance was a fine military officer, and was in the service, in dif- ferent grades of office, during the greater part of the war. He was among the early settlers of the county ; married in Franklinton in 1805, and remained a resident of the county the balance of his life. He was a surveyor and for many years the county surveyor; was one of the conspicuous citizens of his day, and highly respected. He died in 1824.
Captain McDowell was a military officer of portly and commanding ap- pearance. He was afterward promoted to the rank of colonel, which title he bore through life. He was among the early settlers of the county, and held the office of clerk of the courts and county recorder many years. He was after- ward mayor of the city of Columbus. Was a man of free and jovial disposition, and always had warm friends. He died in the fall of 1844, in the fifty-fourth year of his age.
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