USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > Cleveland > Early history of Cleveland, Ohio : including papers and other matter relating to the adjacent country : with biographical notices of the pioneers and surveyors > Part 23
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In May, 1809, when I first saw Cleveland city, as it was called even then, there were but few families there-Major SPAFFORD, Major CARTER, Judge PER- RY, Governor HUNTINGTON, and Judge WALWORTHI,
430
THE FIRST PHYSICIAN.
I remember; and there may, perhaps, have been one or two more. DAVID CLARK and ELISHA NORTON, who had lived there, had left the city. SPAFFORD and CARTER kept taverns. PERRY had a store.
June 17th we had a military election at the house of Judge GRISWOLD, to elect an officer-I believe an ensign-of the company that included what is now Cleveland, Newburg and Euclid. It was a spirited contest, and it resulted in the election of ALLEN GAYLORD.
Judge GRISWOLD was absent from home at the time. It was understood he was attending a session of Congress. His wife was there, and appeared to be a very accomplished woman.
Your friend,
JOHN HARMON.
1810.
"GEORGE WALLACE bought out AMOS SPAFFORD, who lived and kept tavern on the MERWIN lot, where the old 'Mansion House' recently stood, at the corner of Vineyard lane, and Superior street. ALFRED KELLEY, the first lawyer, and DAVID LONG, first doctor of the place, came here this year, both becoming useful and honorable members of their respective professions.
"LORENZO CARTER built the schooner 'Zephyr' of thirty tons, which was commanded by captain STow.
431
THE FIRST COURT.
It was built on Superior lane, and launched at the foot of the street on the river. This was the first craft of vessel proportions built within the city. ELIAS and HARVEY MURRAY, who were the first reg- ular merchants, opened a store near WILLIAMSONS on Water street."-[BARR.]
The organization of the county was perfected on the 1st of May, and the machinery of a county court put in motion, on the 5th of June. On that day the Court of Common Pleas held its first session, which was in the store of ELIAS and HARVEY MUR- RAY, and of which, in 1855, the following notice appeared in a city paper :
"The old house lately torn down, which stood next to the Forest City Block on Superior street, was the oldest frame building in Cleveland. It was built in 1810 by HARVEY and ELIAS MURRAY, and by them occupied as a store until the surrender of HULL at Detroit in 1812; many sick and wounded soldiers being brought to this place, this store was converted into a hospital and so used as occasion demanded during the war of 1812-14. Since that time it has been used as a store, hotel, bakery, dwelling house mechanics shop and other uses until now, it has gone, with other relics of Cleveland's early years."
Presiding Judge .- BENJAMIN RUGGLES.
Associate Judges .- NATHAN PERRY, Sen., AUGUSTUS GIL- BERT, TIMOTHY DOAN.
Clerk .- JOHN WALWORTH.
Sheriff .- SMITH S. BALDWIN.
432
FRONTIER TROUBLES.
The grand jury found a bill for petit larceny, and several against persons for selling whisky to Indians, or selling foreign goods without license.
Cleveland was now for the first time in full posses- sion of civil tribunals, civil law and order. Since the organization of Geauga county in 1806, their county seat at Chardon, was nearly as inaccessible as all the previous ones had been, but now, after fourteen years, the administration of justice became a fixed and local institution. The "respectable characters " referred to by Mr. GRISWOLD, began to make their appearance.
The year 1811 was barren of local incidents. Du- ring this year, the valley of the Mississippi was shaken by earthquakes, which extended to the shores of lake Erie, with diminished force. With these tremblings of the earth, there were ominious events transpiring in the Indian wigwams, along the frontier. The British government had never relin- quished the hope of regaining the lost colonies. It had kept possession of the lake country, fourteen years after our independence was an admitted fact, in the expectation that the Indians would extirpate the western settlements. With British encourage- ment they had again become aroused, and were pre- paring to commence another frontier war; when the United States, prefering an open enemy to a secret one, declared war against Great Britain.
433
THIE WAR OF 1812.
I do not propose to go into the details of what followed from 1812 to 1815. Cleveland became an important military station. A small stockade was built on the lake shore near the foot of Seneca street, called "Fort Huntington," after the recent governor, who acted as district paymaster during the war. It was commanded by Major JESSUP of the U. S. Army, but used more as a place of imprisonment for sol- diers under arrest, than for the defence of the post.
Cleveland was the rendezvous of the country mili- tia, who entered the service as a body, following the example of their revolutionary fathers, leaving their homes and farms; to the care of the old men, women and children. Many good precepts are wasted and lost, a good example never. The patriotic conduct of the soldiers of 1812, was not forgotten by their sons of our times when they were called upon to take arms, against the internal foes of the nation.
Much of what transpired during the war will be found in the statement of persons who witnessed those events, and which are here presented.
1846
1810
LAKE
ERIE.
-7857-
7837
27.81 HOTEL
1897
1790
BATH
1827
STREET
-1842
187
191
WATER
a
1
122
13
18
STREET
183
187
190
196
LANE
30
3GO.
37
198
ASTREET
ERIE
19
54
66
72
174
177
OPERIOR LANE
SUPERIOR
STREET
108
VILLAGE
163
OF
207
102
108
154
158
162
210
HURON
STREET
211
109
110
145
149
153
1814.
OHIO
210
. 107
124
220
STREET
126
133
137
-
b
n
LANE
INVT UNVAZVIA
ZUG
73
78
64
3
3
STREET
-
STREET
CLEAVELAND
IN
LAKE
ONTARIO
MANDRAKE
25
178
173
202 +
169
144
1842
435
SPAFFORD'S MAP.
MAP OF CLEVELAND IN 1814.
This is a reduced copy of AMOs SPAFFORD's map of 1801, copied by the late ALFRED KELLEY, Esq. It was informally put upon record, and has been used more than any other map to determine the original streets and lots. Mr. KELLEY put on all the buildings in existence in 1814, which are indicated in black. I have added the harbor and the various shore lines, together with buildings of an earlier date than the record of this map. The different positions of the shore lines are shown by the dates of the surveys, thus, 1796, 1801, 1827, 1831, 1842, &c.
1-Buildings in 1814.
0-Buildings of an earlier date.
a-Fort Huntington, 1813.
b-Trading house of 1786,
C-CARTERS first cabin, 1797.
d-JOB P. STILES' first cabin, 1796,
e-Surveyors first cabin, 1796.
f-Surveyors cabin on the hill, 1797.
y-Cemetery lot, 1797,
h-Jail and Court House, 1812.
i-KINGSBURY'S first cabin, 1797.
k-CARTER'S house on the hill, 1803.
This reputed copy of SPAFFORD's map differs from the one heretofore given, and from the PEASE map in some particulars, but has a general identity. Mai-
436
O'MIC.
den street, which is upon the HOLLEY and PEASE plat, is omitted from this, and Superior lane is added. Miami street is merged in Ohio, which here covers both, making a right angle in its course. Soon after the village corporation came into existence, in the year 1816, Euclid street was laid out, from the square to its intersection with Huron, the Euclid road having been surveyed in 1797, through the ten acre lots. Bond, Wood and St. Clair streets, were laid out at the same time, also a street around the public square.
STATEMENT OF SETH DOAN, 1841.
" OMIc was a fine looking young Indian, about twenty-one, and was hung upon the Public Square in this city, in the north-west corner, near where the old Court House and jail were then being erected. He was convicted of the murder of two trappers, BUEL and GIBBS, while they were asleep, in the night, near Sandusky city, for their traps and furs. Two other Indians, one older, the other a boy of fifteen were concerned with him, the older being taken near Carrying river, in the Maumee swamp, seized a musket from one of the party who arrested him, and putting the muzzle under his chin, pulled the trigger with his foot and shot himself dead. The boy was considered as forced into participation by the others and was suffered to escape, and lived to be the ring-leader of two others, in the murder of JOHN
437
HIS EXECUTION.
WOOD and GEORGE BISHOP, west of Carrying river in 1816, for which they were all executed in Huron county. The family of the murdered JOHN WOOD, are now, (1841) resident in this city. The skeleton of OMIc is in possession of Dr. ISAAC TOWN, of Hud- son, Portage county.
"One of the first nurseries of apple trees in this vicinity was from seeds saved by me and my brother, TIMOTHY, Jr., from a basket of apples brought from Detroit ; which we bought at two dollars. Some of the finest orchards in Euclid, and the neighboring townships have their origin from these seeds."
EXECUTION OF O'MIC, JUNE 24th, 1812. BY THE HON. E. WHITTLESEY.
I was present at the execution, and as distinctly recollect the facts I shall narrate, as I did the night of the day they occurred. I was not at the trial, but understood that PETER HITCHCOCK was assigned as counsel for the accused. The custody of the prisoner was assigned to LORENZO CARTER (there being no jail ) because he was a man of uncommon energy, and because he had more influence over the Indians than any other man in the west, or at least in Cuya- hoga county. Mr. CARTER's house was on the high ground near the bank, to the right of the road that descended the hill to the ferry across the river, and . to the left of the street that leads to where the Light
438
THE MILITARY ON DUTY.
House now stands. The prisoner was confined in a chamber of Mr. CARTER's house. Strong irons were above his ancles, with which was connected a staple that was driven into a joist that supported the floor, so that the prisoner could not go to any window. Probably I should have said with more accuracy, that a chain was attached to the fetters, and a staple was attached to the other end, which was driven into the joist, &c. After his conviction, O'Mic told Mr. CARTER and Sheriff BALDWIN, (who was from Dan- bury,) that he would let the pale faces see how an Indian could die; that they need not tie his arms, but when the time came he would jump off from the gallows.
Before Mr. CARTER's house, in the direction of Superior street, was an open space somewhat exten- sive, and covered with grass. The religious exercises were held there. Several clergymen were present, and I think the sermon was delivered by the Rev. Mr. DARROW, of Vienna, Trumbull county. The military were commanded by Major JONES, a fine looking officer in full uniform, but he was in the condition that Captain MOGUFFY, of Coitsville, said he was when he was commanded to perform an evolution by his company and could not do it. His explanation was, "I know Baron STEUBEN per- fectly well, but I cannot commit him to practice."
O'MIc sat on his coffin in a wagon painted for the occasion. He was a fine looking young Indian, and *
439
MILITARY EVOLUTIONS.
watched everything that occurred with much anxiety. The gallows was erected on the Public Square in in front of where the old Court House was erected. After the religious services were over, Major JONES endeavored to form a hollow square, so that the prisoner should be guarded on all sides. He rode backwarks and forwards with drawn sword, epaulets, and scabbard flying, but he did not know what order to give. The wagon with O'Mic moved ahead and stopped; but as the Sheriff doubted whether he was to be aided by the military, he proceeded on- ward. Major JONES finally took the suggestion of of some one, who told him to ride to the head of the line, and double it round until the front and rear of the line met. Arriving at the gallows, Mr. CARTER, the Sheriff and O'Mic ascended to the platform by a ladder. The arms of the prisoner were loosely pin- ioned. A rope was around his neck with a loop in the end. Another was let down through a hole in the top piece, on which was a hook to attach to the rope around the neck. The rope with the hook was brought over to one of the posts, and fastened to it near the ground.
After some little time Mr. CARTER came down, leaving O'Mic and Sheriff BALDWIN on the platform. As the Sheriff drew down the cap, O'Mic was the most terrified being, rational or irrational, I ever saw, and seizing the cap with his right hand, which he could reach by bending his head and inclining
440
NEGOTIATIONS UPON THE GALLOWS.
his neck in that direction, he stepped to one of the posts and put his arm around it. The Sheriff approached him to loose his hold, and for a moment it was doubtful whether O'Mic would not throw him to the ground. Mr. CARTER ascended to the plat- form and a negotiation in regular diplomatic style was had. It was in the native tongue, as I under- stood at the time. Mr. CARTER appealed to O'MIC to display his courage, narrating what he had said about showing pale faces how an Indian could die, but it had no effect. Finally O'Mic made a proposi- tion, that if Mr. CARTER would give him half a pint of whisky he would consent to die. The whisky was soon on hand, in a large glass tumbler, real old Monongahela, for which an old settler would almost be willing to be hung, if he could now obtain the like. The glass was given to O'Mic and he drank the whisky, in as little time as he could have turned it out of the glass. Mr. CARTER again came down, and the Sheriff again drew down the cap and the same scene was re-enacted, O'Mic expressing the
same terror. Mr. CARTER again ascended to the platform, and O'Mic gave him the honor of an Indian, in pledge that he would not longer resist the sen- tence of the court, if he should have another half pint of whisky. Mr. CARTER, representing the peo- ple of Ohio and the dignity of the laws, thought the terms were reasonable, and the whisky was forth- coming on short order. The tumbler was not given
441
THE CLOSING SCENE.
to O'Mic, but it was held to his mouth, and as he sucked the whisky out, Sheriff BALDWIN drew the rope that pinioned his arms more tight, and the rope was drawn down to prevent the prisoner from going to the post, and to prevent him from pulling off his cap. The platform was immediately cleared of all but O'Mic, who run the ends of his fingers on his right hand, between the rope and his neck. The rope that held up one end of the platform was cut, and the body swung in a straight line towards the lake, as far as the rope permitted and returned, and after swinging forth and backward several times, and the weight being about to be suspended perpen- dicular under the center of the top of the gallows, the body turned in a circle and finally rested still.
At that time a terrific storm appeared and came up from the north north-west with great rapidity, to avoid which, and it being doubtful whether the neck was broken, and to accomplish so necessary part of a hanging, the rope was drawn down with the design of raising the body, so that, by a sudden relaxing of the rope, the body would fall several feet, and there- by dislocate the neck beyond any doubt, but when the body fell, the rope broke as readily as a tow string and fell upon the ground. The coffin and grave were near the gallows and the body was picked up, put into the coffin, and the coffin immedi- ately put into the grave. The storm was heavy and all scampered but O'MIc.
29
442
STANTON SHOLES.
The report was, at the time, that the surgeons at dusk raised the body, and when it lay on the dis- secting table, it was easier to restore life than to prevent it.
ELISHA WHITTLESEY.
Another old settler who remembers this execution, has said, that the old flint lock muskets and rifles, which the militia escort under Major JONES carried that day, were so thoroughly wet, by the storm, that the Indians would have had no difficulty in captur- ing the place, if they had made the attempt.
In 1812 when real dangers began to gather around the settlement, Mr. KELLEY states that other officers were elected. The Muster Roll of the Cleveland company, during the war has not yet been recovered.
FROM A LETTER OF CAPTAIN STANTON SHOLES, (AGED 87.)
COLUMBUS, July, 1858.
JOHN BARR, Sec'y Cuyahoga Co., Historical Society:
Sir :- With a trembling hand I will state to the Society, that about the 3d of May, 1813, I received orders from the War Department, to march my company (then at Beavertown, Pennsylvania) to Cleveland, Ohio, to aid in the defence of this frontier and to establish a military post. On the 10th, I, with my company, arrived at Cleveland, and found Major JESSUP and two or three companies of militia, called out some months before. I halted my com- pany between Major CARTER's and WALLACE'S. I
443
THE HOSPITAL.
was here met by Governor MEIGS, who gave me a most cordial welcome, as did all the citizens. The Governor took me to a place, where my company could pitch their tents. I found no place of defense, no hospital, and a forest of large timber, (mostly chest- nut) between the lake, and the lake road. There was a road that turned off between Mr. PERRY's and Major CARTER's that went to the point, which was the only place that the lake could be seen from the buildings. This little cluster of buildings was all of wood, I think none painted. There were a few houses further back from the lake road. The widow WALWORTH kept the post office, or ASHBEL, her son. Mr. L. JOHNSON, Judge KINGSBURY, Major CARTER, N. PERRY, GEO. WALLACE, and a few others were there. At my arrival I found a number of sick and wounded who were of HULL's surrender, sent here from Detroit, and more coming. These were crowded into a log cabin, and no one to care for them. I sent one or two of my soldiers to take care of them, as they had no friends. I had two or three good carpenters in my company, and set them to work to build a hospital. I very soon got up a good one, thirty by twenty feet, smoothly and tightly covered, and floored with chestnut bark, with two tier of bunks around the walls, with doors and windows, and not a nail, a screw, or iron latch or hinge about the building. Its cost to the Government was a few extra rations. In a short time I had all the bunks
444
FORT HUNTINGTON.
well strawed, and the sick and wounded good and clean, to their great joy and comfort, but some had fallen asleep. I next went to work and built a small fort, about fifty yards from the bank of the lake, in the forest. This fort finished, I set the men to fell- ing the timber along, and near the bank of the lake, rolling the logs and brush near the brink of the bank, to serve as a breastwork. On the 19th of June, a part of the British fleet appeared off our harbor, with the apparent design to land. When they got within one and a half miles of our harbor it became a per- fect calm, and they lay there till after noon, when a most terrible thunder storm came up, and drove them from our coast. We saw them no more as ene- mies. Their object was to destroy the public or government boats, then built and building, in the Cuyahoga river, and other government stores at that place. About the middle of July General HARRISON and suite paid a visit to this station. While here he made his head quarters at Major CARTER's. His staff were, Col. SAMUEL HUNTINGTON, Paymaster of of the army, and ex-Governor of this State, and Majors GEORGE TOD and JESSUP, and one or two more. Col. WOOD, who was shortly after killed in battle at Fort Erie was a brave officer. General HARRISON during his stay, took great care to scruti- nize everything that had been done for its defense. After three days stay the General and suite left
445
O'MIC REAPPEARS.
Cleveland as he found it, to return to the army, then lying at the mouth of the Maumee river.
After General HARRISON left there was nothing worthy of note. One thing I ought to have men- tioned, that the General was very kindly received on his arrival at this place, and not a few came from different parts of the country to see WM. H. HARRISON, commander-in-chief of the north-western , army. Citizens and soldiers were hand in hand. There is a debt of gratitude I owe the then citizens of Cleveland, for their kindness to me and my company officers, the few months we were stationed among them. Some time in July, I was attacked with the fever, and as Doctor LONG lived in a small house, about half way from Major CARTER's to the point, near to my camp; I stepped to the Doctor's, he was not at home, and Mrs. LONG seeing me shake, requested me to lie down. I was soon up the stairs stripped of my coat and boots, and fell on the bed. When I awoke and came a little to myself I smelt something very sickening. Turning my face to the wall, my face partly over the bed, I was struck almost senseless, by an object on the floor between me and the wall, my face partly over it. It was a human skeleton, every bone in its place, the flesh mostly gone. I gazed at these bones till I verily thought I was dead, and that they had buried me by the side of some one that had gone before me. I felt very sick which roused from my legarthy and I
446
MRS. DOCTOR LONG.
found that I was alive, and had been sleeping along- side a dead man. As soon as I recalled where I was, I reached the lower floor in quickstep, giving Mrs. LONG a fright, to see me come down in such haste. She very politely apologized for her forgetfulness. The season before, there had been an Indian hung for the murder of a white man, and I had the luck to sleep side by side with his frame, not fully cleaned. I do not remember the death of any citizen while I was encamped with them.
STATEMENT OF MRS. JULIANNA LONG. JUNE 14TH, 1866.
I first came to Cleveland in 1804, and stayed at Judge HUNTINGTON'S. My father, JOHN WALWORTH, moved to Cleveland from Painesville in April, 1806; we came up in an open boat which was wrecked, and my father came near being drowned. He was so weak when he came out of the water that he could barely crawl on his hands and knees. My mother's name was JULIANNA MORGAN, who was born at Gro- ton, Connecticut, Dec. 31st, 1769, and died in Cleve- land, March 2d, 1853. My father died here Sept. 10th, 1812. He was born at Groton, Connecticut, June 10th, 1765.
I remember EZEKIEL HAWLEY, of Cleveland, who removed to Newburg at a very early day. His wife LUCY, was a sister of LORENZO CARTER.
447
THE OLD FAMILIES.
When Judge WALWORTH came here there were the following families in Cleveland: Judge HUNT- INGTON, Major SPAFFORD, DAVID CLARK, and PIERRE MELOCHE, a Frenchman.
ABRAM HICKOX came here in 1808. His black- smith shop was on the north side of Superior street, where the Johnson House is now.
NATHAN PERRY, senior, who was generally called Major PERRY, came to Cleveland in the summer of 1807. His son, HORACE PERRY, came the next spring, and NATHAN PERRY, junior, the following fall. Afterwards NATHAN PERRY, senior, removed to Black river, and died there, but he was buried at Cleveland. [He died Oct. 28th, 1813, in his fifty- third year.]
MELOCHE left here, and returned to Detroit about 1808, and ALEXANDER CAMPBELL, the trader, left the place in 1808 or 1809.
ELIAS and HARVEY MURRAY took CAMPBELL'S store under the hill.
The first Postmaster was ELISHA NORTON, appoint- ed October 22d, 1805. He afterwards removed to Mantua, in Portage county, and my father took his place. Doctor DAVID LONG emigrated from Hebron, New York, in June, 1810, and we were married April 7th, 1811.
ASHBEL W. WALWORTH, my brother, was made deputy Postmaster Sept. 9th, 1809.
448
AN INDIAN FRIGHT.
When the war broke out, the following families were in Cleveland :
GEORGE WALLACE,
HARVEY MURRAY,
SAMUEL WILLIAMSON,
ABRAM HICKOX,
HEZEKIAH KING,
LEVI JOHNSON,
ELIAS MURRAY,
DAVID HICKOX, who called
RICHARD BAILEY,
himself HENDERSON,
AMASA BAILEY,
Maj. SAMUEL JONES,
HIRAM HANCHETT.
Also without families :
Mr. BEAVER, JAMES ROOT,
ALFRED KELLEY, MATTHEW WILLIAMSON.
Mr. STEPHEN KING, a brother to HEZEKIAH KING, died here in the winter following. Mr. BEAVER returned to Pennsylvania. I knew JOHN O'MIC and his father very well. JOHN was not a bad Indian towards the whites. When we were children at Painesville, we used to play together on the banks of the Grand river, at my father's old resi- dence, which we called Bloomingdale. This was the place where Governor HUNTINGTON lived and died. O'MIc's father came to our house, on Water street, a short time before the execution. We were very much afraid of the Indians then. I was alone, and my babe, (Mrs. SEVERANCE,) was sleeping in the cradle. He took up a gun which was in the room, in order to show me how SEMO killed himself, after he had been arrested. I thought he was going to kill me or my baby, in revenge for his son. I
449
RESURRECTION OF O'MIC.
seized the child and ran up Water street towards Mr. WILLIAMSON's, screaming pretty hard, I suppose. O'MIc followed after me, trying to explain what he meant. Mr. WILLIAMSON caught the child, and we all went to Major CARTER's house, which was on the corner of Superior street and Union lane. Major CARTER had a short talk with O'MIc, who explained what he meant, and we all had a hearty laugh. O'MIc had lived near Painesville. I was in the crowd on the square when O'Mic was to be hung, and I suddenly thought, "why should I wish to see my old play-fellow die ?" I got out of the crowd as quick as possible and went home. All the people from the Western Reserve seemed to be there, partic- ularly the doctors. I remember several of them who stayed at our house. Among them was Dr. ALLEN, who recently died at Trumbull county, Dr. COLEMAN, of Ashtabula county, Dr. JOHNSON, of Conneaut, and Dr. HAWLEY, of Austintown. When O'MIc was swung off the rope broke, and they were not sure that he was dead, but there was a storm coming on and he was hurried into the grave near the gallows. The Public Square was only partly cleared then, and had many stumps and bushes on it. At night the doctors went for the body, with the tacit con- sent of the Sheriff. O'MIc was about twenty-one years of age, and was very fat and heavy. Dr. LONG did not think one man could carry him, but Dr. ALLEN, who was very stout, thought he could. He
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