USA > Ohio > Historical collections of Ohio, containing a collection of the most interesting facts, traditions, biographical sketches, anecdotes, etc., relating to its general and local history : with descriptions of its counties, principal towns, and villages > Part 35
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Here rest the remains of John Cleves Symmes, who, at the foot of these hills, made the first settlement between the Miami rivers. Born on Long Island, state of New York, July 21st, A. D. 1742. Died at Cincinnati, Feb- ruary 26, A. D. 1814.
Mr. Symmes was born at Riverhead, on Long Island, and early in life was employed in land surveying, and in teaching school. He served in the war of the revolution, though in what capacity is not known, and was in the battle of Saratoga. Having removed to
236
HAMILTON COUNTY.
New Jersey, he became chief justice of the state, and at one time represented it in congress. As early as 1787, and at the same time with the agents of the Ohio company, he made application to con- gress, in the name of himself and associates, for the purchase of a large tract of land lying between the two Miamies. "The price was 66 cents per acre, to be paid in United States military land
Block House, near North Bend.
warrants, and certificates of debt due from the United States to individuals. The payments were divided into six annual instal- ments. His associates were principally composed of the officers of the New Jersey line who had served in the war of the revolution. Among them were General Dayton and Elias Boudinot, D. D. His first contract was for one million of acres, made in October, 1788, but owing to the difficulty of making the payments, and the embar- rassments growing out of the Indian war, the first contract was not fulfilled, and a new one was made for two hundred and forty-eight thousand acres, in May, 1794, and a patent issued to him and his associates in September following."* Meanwhile, in the spring of
1789, Judge Symmes had located himself at North Bend, where he laid out "Symmes' city," the fate of which has already been stated. The residence of Judge Symmes stood about a mile northwest of his grave. It was destroyed by fire in March, 1811, and all his val- uable papers consumed. It was supposed to have been the act of an individual, out of revenge for his refusal to vote for him as a justice of the peace. At the treaty of Greenville, the Indians told him and others, that in the war, they had frequently brought up their rifles to shoot him, and then recognizing him, refrained from pulling the trigger. This was in consequence of his previous kindness to them, and speaks volumes in praise of his benevolence.
On the farm of the late Wm. Henry Harrison, jr., three miles
* Dr. S. P. Hildreth, in the American Pioneer.
237
HANCOCK COUNTY.
below North Bend, and two from the Indiana line, was a settlement made at the same time with North Bend. It was called the Sugar Camp settlement, and was composed of about thirty houses. The settlers there erected a block house, near the Ohio river, as a pro- tection against the Indians. It is now standing, though in a more dilapidated condition than represented in the engraving. It is built of logs, in the ordinary manner of block houses, the distinguishing feature of which is, that from the height of a man's shoulder, the building, the rest of the way up, projects a foot or two from the lower part, leaving, at the point of junction between the two parts, a cavity, through which to thrust rifles, on the approach of enemies.
There are several villages in the county, each containing from 200 to 700 inhabitants. They are Harrison, 20 miles from Cin- cinnati, on the Indiana line ; Mt. Pleasant, on the west turnpike to Hamilton, 10 miles from C. ; Springfield, on the east turnpike to Ham- ilton, 15 from C .; Montgomery, 13 miles from C., on the Lebanon road ; Miami, 14 miles from C., on the road to Brookville, Indiana ; Reading 10, and Sharon, 13 from C., each on the Lebanon turnpike ; and Newtown, 10 from C., on the Batavia road. Elizabethtown, Cheviot, Cleve, Warsaw, Sharpsburg, Madisonville, Cummingsville, Burlington and Columbia are small places. About six miles north of Cincinnati, in a beautiful situation among the hills, has lately been built the Farmer's Academy, a chartered institution.
HANCOCK.
HANCOCK Was formed, April 1st, 1820, and named from John Han- cock, first president of the revolutionary congress. The surface is level ; the soil is black loam, mixed with sand, and based on lime- stone and very fertile. Its settlers are generally of Pennsylvania origin. The principal products are pork, wheat, corn, oats and maple sugar. The following is a list of its townships in 1840, with their population.
Amanda, 490
Findlay,
1024
Portage, 675
Big Lick,
431
Jackson,
631
Richland,
332
Blanchard, 629
Liberty,
592
Ridge, 479
Cass, 588
Marion,
707
Union,
637
Delaware, 532
Orange,
314
Van Buren,
432
Eagle,
524
Pleasant,
252
Washington,
830
The population of Hancock in 1830, was 813 ; and in 1840, 10,099, or 17 inhabitants to a square mile.
The central and southern part of this county is watered by Blanchard's fork of the Auglaize and its branches. The Shawnee name of this stream was Sho-po-qua-te-sepe, or Tailor's river. It seems that Blanchard, from whom this stream was named, was a tailor, or one that sewed garments. He was a native of France, and a man of intelligence ; but no part of his history could be ob-
238
HANCOCK COUNTY.
tained from him. He doubtless fled his country for some offense against its laws, intermarried with a Shawnee woman, and after liv- ing here thirty years, died in 1802, at or near the site of Fort Find- lay. When the Shawnese emigrated to the west, seven of his chil- dren were living, one of whom was a chief .* In the war of 1812, a road was cut through this county, over which the troops for the northwest passed. Among these was the army of Hull, which was piloted by Isaac Zane, M'Pherson and Robert Armstrong.
W.
View in Findlay.
Findlay, the county seat, is on Blanchard's fork, 90 miles northeast of Columbus. It contains 1 Presbyterian and 1 Methodist church, 1 academy, 2 newspaper printing offices, 13 mercantile stores, 1 foundery, 1 clothing, 1 flouring and 1 grist mill, and 112 families. A branch railroad has been surveyed from Cary, on the Mad river railroad, to this place, a distance of 16 miles, which will probably ere long be constructed. Findlay derives its name from Fort Find- lay, built in the late war by James Findlay, who was a citizen of Cincinnati, a colonel in the late war, and afterwards a member of congress. This fort stood on the south bank of Blanchard's fork, just west of the present bridge. It was a stockade of about fifty yards square, with block houses at its corners, and a ditch in front. It was used as a depot for military stores and provisions.
About 9 o'clock one dark and windy night in the late war, Capt. Wm. Oliver, (now of Cincinnati,) in company with a Kentuckian, left Fort Meigs for Fort Findlay, on an er- rand of importance, the distance being about 33 miles. They had scarcely started on their dreary and perilous journey, when they unexpectedly came upon an Indian camp, around the fires of which, the Indians were busy cooking their suppers. Disturbed by the noise of their approach, the savages sprang up and ran towards them. At this they reined their horses into the branches of a fallen tree. Fortunately the horses, as if conscious of the danger, stood perfectly still, and the Indians passed around the tree, without making any discovery in the thick darkness. At this juncture, Oliver and his companion put spurs to their horses and dashed forwards into the woods, through which they passed all the way to their point of destination. They arrived safely, but with their clothes completely torn off by the brambles and bushes, and their bodies bruised all over by contusions against the trees. They had scarcely arrived in the fort, when the Indians in pursuit made their ap- pearance, but too late, for their prey had escaped.
* Col. John Johnston.
239
HARDIN COUNTY.
The town of Findlay was first laid out by Ex-Gov. Joseph Vance and Elnathan Corry, in 1821, and in 1829 relaid out, lots sold and a settlement systematically commenced. In the fall of 1821, how- ever, Wilson Vance (brother of the above) moved into Findlay with his family. There were then some ten or fifteen Wyandot families in the place, who had made improvements. They were a tempe- rate, fine-looking people, and friendly to the first settlers. There were at this time but six other white families in the county, besides that of Mr. Vance. Mr. V. is now the oldest settler in the county. For the first two or three years, all the grain which he used, he brought in teams from his brothers' mills in Champaign county, about forty miles distant. To this should be excepted some little corn which he bought of the Indians, for which he occasionally paid as high as $1 per bushel, and ground it in a hand-mill.
There are some curiosities in the town and county, worthy of note. At the south end of Findlay are two gas wells. From one of them, the gas has been conducted by a pipe into a neighboring dwelling, and used for light. A short distance west of the bridge, on the north bank of Blanchard's fork at Findlay, is a chalybeate spring of excellent medicinal qualities, and from which issues inflam- mable gas. In the eastern part of the town, is a mineral spring pos- sessing similar qualities. Three miles south of Findlay, is a syca- more of great height, and 34 feet in circumference at its base. Ten miles below Findlay, on the west bank of Blanchard's fork, on the road to Defiance, are two sugar maple trees, 30 feet distant at their base, which, about 60 feet up, unite and form one trunk, and thus continue from thence up, the body of one actually growing into the other, so that each loose their identity and form one entire tree.
Mount Blanchard, Williamstown, Canonsburg, Benton, Van Bu- ren and Risdon are small places, the largest of which may contain 30 dwellings.
HARDIN.
HARDIN was formed from old Indian territory, April 1st, 1820. About half of the county is level, and the remainder undulating : the soil is part gravel y loam and part clayey, and based. on lime- stone. The principal productions are wheat, corn and swine. The following is a list of the townships in 1840, with their population.
Blanchard, 241 Jackson, 260
Pleasant, 569
Cissna, 259 Liberty, 170 Round Head, 564
Dudley, 349
Marion, 177 Taylor Creek, 400
Goshen, 549
M'Donald, 285
Washington, 203
Hale, 267
The population of Hardin, in 1840, was 4583, or 9 inhabitants to a square mile.
240
HARDIN COUNTY.
Col. JOHN HARDIN, from whom this county was named, was an officer of distinction in the early settlement of the west. He was born of humble parentage, in Fauquier county, Virginia, in 1753. From his very youth, he was initiated into the life of a woodsman, and acquired uncommon skill as a marksman and a hunter. In the spring of 1774, young Hardin, then not 21 years of age, was appointed an ensign in a militia company, and shortly after, in an action with the Indians, was wounded in the knee. Before he had fully recovered from his wound, he joined the noted expedition of Dunmore. In the war of the revolution, he was a lieutenant in Morgan's celebrated rifle corps. He was high in the esteem of General Morgan, and was often selected for enterprises of peril, requiring dis- cretion and intrepidity. On one of these occasions, while with the northern army, he was sent out on a reconnoitering expedition, with orders to take a prisoner, for the purpose of obtaining information. Marching silently in advance of his party, he ascended to the top of an abrupt hill, where he met two or three British soldiers and a Mohawk Indian. The moment was critical. Hardin felt no hesitation-his rifle was instantly presented, and they ordered to surrender. The soldiers immediately threw down their arms-the Indian clubbed his gun. They stood, while he continued to advance on them : but none of his men having come up, and thinking he might want some assistance, he turned his head a little and called to them to come on : at this moment, the Indian, observing his eye with- drawn from him, reversed his gun with a rapid motion, in order to shoot Hardin ; when he, catching in his vision the gleam of light reflected from the polished barrel, with equal rapidity apprehended its meaning, and was prompt to prevent the dire effect. He brings his rifle to a level in his own hands, and fires without raising it to his face-he had not time, the attempt would have given the Indian the first fire, on that depended life and death-he gained it, and gave the Indian a mortal wound ; who, also, firing in the suc- ceeding moment, sent his ball through Hardin's hair. The rest of the party made no resistance, but were marched to camp. On this occasion, Hardin received the thanks of General Gates. In 1786, he settled in Washington county, Kentucky, and there was no expedition into the Indian country after he settled in Kentucky, except that of General St. Clair, which he was prevented from joining from an accidental lameness, in which he was not engaged. In these, he generally distinguished himself by his gallantry and success. In Harmar's expedition, however, he was unfortunate, being defeated by the Indians when on a detached command, near Fort Wayne. Colonel Hardin was killed in the 39th year of his age. He was-says Marshall, in his history of Kentucky, from which these facts are derived-a man of unassuming manners, and great gentleness of deportment ; yet of singular firmness and inflexibility as to matters of truth and justice. Prior to the news of his death, such was his popularity in Kentucky, that he was appointed general of the first brigade.
Colonel Hardin was killed by the Indians, in 1792. He was sent by General Washing ton on a mission of peace to them-and was on his way to the Shawnees' town. He had reached within a few miles of his point of destination, and was within what is now Shelby county, in this state, when he was overtaken by a few Indians, who proposed encamping with him, and to accompany him the next day to the residence of their chiefs. In the night, they basely murdered him, as was alledged, for his horse and equipments, which were attractive and valuable. His companion, a white man, who spoke Indian, and acted as interpreter, was uninjured. When the chiefs heard of Hardin's death, they were sorry, for they desired to hear what the messenger of peace had to communicate. A town was laid out on the spot some years since, on the state road from Piqua through Wapakonetta, and named, at the suggestion of Col. John Johnston, Hardin, to perpetuate the memory and sufferings of this brave and patriotic man. A son of his was lately secretary to the commonwealth of Kentucky.
Fort M'Arthur was a fortification built in the late war, on the Scioto river, in this county, and on Hull's road. The site was a low, flat place, in the far woods, and with but little communication with the settlements, as no person could go from one to the other but at the peril of his life, the woods being infested with hostile Indians.
The fort was a weak stockade, enclosing about half an acre. There were two block houses ; one in the northwest, and the other in the southeast angle. Seventy or eighty feet of the enclosure was composed of a row of log corn cribs, covered with a shed roof,
241
HARDIN COUNTY.
sloping inside. A part of the pickets were of split timber, and lapped at the edges : others were round logs, set up endways, and touching each other. The rows of huts for the garrison were a few feet from the walls. It was a post of much danger, liable at any moment to be attacked.
It was at one time commanded by Captain Robert M'Clelland, who recently died in Greene county. He was brave, and when roused, brave to rashness .. While he com- manded at Fort M'Arthur, one of his men had gone a short distance from the walls for the purpose of peeling bark-while he was engaged at a tree, he was shot twice through the body, by a couple of Indians in ambush, whose rifles went off so near together that the reports were barely distinguishable. He uttered one piercing scream of agony, and ran with almost superhuman speed, but fell before he reached the fort. An instant alarm was spread through the garrison, as no doubt was entertained but that this was the commence- ment of a general attack, which had been long expected. Instead of shutting the gates to keep out danger, M'Clelland seized his rifle, and calling on some of his men to follow, of which but few obeyed, he hastened to the place of ambush and made diligent search for the enemy, who, by an instant and rapid retreat, had effected their escape; nor did he return until he had scoured the woods all around in the vicinity of the fort .*
+
Kenton.
Kenton, the county seat, is on the Scioto river and Mad river railroad, 71 miles northwest of Columbus, and 78 from Sandusky City. It was laid out only a few years since, and named from Gen. Simon Kenton, a sketch of whom is under the head of Logan county. The view shown was taken southwest of the town. The railroad is shown in front, with the depot on the left : the Presbyterian church appears near the center of the view. In the center of the town is a neat public square. From the facilities furnished by the railroad, Kenton promises to be an inland town of considerable business and population. It now contains 8 dry goods and 4 grocery stores, 1 newspaper printing office, 1 foundery, 1 grist and 1 saw mill, 1 Presbyterian and 1 Methodist church, and had in 1840, 300 inhab- itants, since which it is estimated to have more than doubled its pop- ulation. There is a house in this town, the rain flowing from its north ridge finds its way to Lake Erie, and that from its south ridge to the Gulf of Mexico. Patterson, 10 miles north, on the railroad, and Roundhead, 14 southwest of Kenton, are small villages. This
* Thomas C. Wright.
31
242
HARRISON COUNTY.
last was named from Roundhead, a Wyandot chief, who had a vil- lage there. Major Galloway, who visited it about the year 1800, says that there were then quite a number of apple trees in the vil- lage, and that the Indians raised many swine. Roundhead, whose Indian name was Stiahta, was a fine looking man. He had a brother named John Battise, of great size and personal strength. His nose, which was enormous, resembled, in hue, a blue potatoe, was full of indentations, and when he laughed, it shook like jelly. These In- dians joined the British in the late war, and Battise was killed at Fort Meigs.
HARRISON.
HARRISON was formed Jan. 1st, 1814, from Jefferson and Tuscara- was, and named from Gen. Wm. H. Harrison. It is generally very hilly : these hills are usually beautifully curving and highly culti- vated. The soil is clayey, in which coal and limestone abound. It is one of the greatest wool-growing counties in Ohio, having, in 1847, 102,971 sheep. Large quantities of wheat, corn, oats and hay are produced, and a considerable number of horses, cattle and swine exported. The following is a list of its townships in 1840, with their population.
Archer,
1009
German,
1349
Nottingham, 1368
Athens,
1435
Green,
1465
Rumley,
1027
Cadiz,
2386
Monroe,
896
Short Creek,
2023
Franklin,
941
Moorefield,
1344
Stock, 826
Freeport, 1294
North,
1090
Washington, 1004
The population, in 1820, was 14,345, in 1830, 20,920, and in 1840, 20,099 ; or 50 inhabitants to a square mile.
In April, 1799, Alex. Henderson and family, from Washington county, Pennsylvania, squatted on the southwest quarter of the sec- tion on which Cadiz stands : at this time, Daniel Peterson resided at the forks of Short Creek, with his family, the only one within the present limits of Harrison. In 1800, emigrants, principally from Western Pennsylvania, began to cross the Ohio river ; and in the course of five or six years, there had settled within the county the following named persons, with their families, viz. :
John Craig, John Taggart, John Jamison, John M'Fadden, John Kernahan, John Huff, John Maholm, John Wallace, John Lyons, Rev. John Rea, Danl. Welch, William Moore, Jas. Black, Saml. Dunlap, James Arnold, Joseph and Samuel M'Fadden, Saml. Gilmore, James Finney, Thos. and Robt. Vincent, Robert Braden, Jas. Wilkin, Samuel and George Kernahan, Thos. Dickerson, Joseph Holmes, James Hanna, Joseph, Wm. and Eleazer Huff, Baldwin Parsons, James Haverfield, Robert Cochran, Samuel Maholm, Hugh Teas, Joseph Clark, Morris West, Jacob Sheplar, Martin Snider, Saml. Osborn, Saml. Smith, and per- haps others, besides those in Cadiz and on Short Creek ; Thomas Taylor, John Ross, Thos. Hitchcock, Arthur and Thomas Barrett, Robert and Thos. Maxwell, Absalom Kent, John Pugh, Michael Waxler, Wm. M'Clary, Joseph, Joel and Wm. Johnson, George Layport, William Ingles, Thos. Wilson, and perhaps others on Stillwater ; John M'Connell, George Brown, John Love. Wm. and Robt. M'Cullough, Brokaw and others, on Wheeling creek.
243
HARRISON COUNTY.
Robt. Maxwell, Wm. and Joseph Huff and Michael Maxler, were great hunters, and the three former had been Indian spies, and had many perilous adventures with the Indians. On one occasion, after peace, an Indian boasted, in the presence of Wm. Huff and others, that he had scalped so many whites. Towards evening, the Indian left for his wigwam, but never reached it. Being, shortly after, found killed, some inquiry was made as to the probable cause of his death, when Huff observed, that he had seen him the last time, sitting on a log, smoking his pipe ; that he was looking at him and reflecting what he had said about scalping white people, when suddenly his pipe fell from his mouth, and he, Huff, turned away, and had not again seen him until found dead.
Beside frequent trouble with the Indians, the first settlers were much annoyed by wild animals. On one occasion, two sons of Geo. Layport having trapped a wolf, skinned it alive, turned it loose, and a few days after it was found dead.
----
-
County Buildings at Cadiz.
One mile west of the east boundary line of Harrison county, there was founded, in 1805, a Presbyterian church, called " Beach Spring," of which Rev. John Rea is at present, and for more than 40 years has been, the stated pastor. Their beginning was small ; a log cabin, of not more than 20 feet square, was sufficient to contain all the members and all that attended with them. Their log cabin being burned down by accident, a large house, sufficient to contain a thou- sand worshippers, was raised in its room, and from 50 communing members, they increased in a short time to 3 and 400, and became the largest Presbyterian church in the state.
Cadiz, the county seat, is a remarkably well-built and city-like town, 4 miles southeasterly from the center of the county, 111 easterly from Columbus, 24 westerly from Steubenville, and 24 north- erly from Wheeling. It contains 1 Presbyterian, 1 Methodist Episcopal, 1 Associate, (Seceder,) and 1 Associate Reformie ( urch. It also contains 2 printing presses, 12 dry goods, 7 grocery ind 2
244
HARRISON COUNTY.
drug stores, and had, in 1840, 1028 inhabitants, and is now estima- ted to contain 1200.
Cadiz was laid out in 1803 or '4, by Messrs. Biggs and Beatty. Its site was then like most of the surrounding country, a forest, and its location was induced by the junction there of the road from Pitts- burgh, by Steubenville, with the road from Washington, Pa., by Wellsburgh, Va., from where the two united, passed by Cambridge to Zanesville ; and previous to the construction of the national road through Ohio, was travelled more, perhaps, than any other road northwest of the Ohio river. In April, 1807, it contained the follow- ing named persons, with their families : Jacob Arnold, innkeeper ; Andrew M'Neeley, hatter, and justice of the peace ; Joseph Harris, merchant ; John Jamison, tanner ; John M'Crea, wheelwright, Robt. Wilkin, brickmaker ; Connell Abdill, shoemaker ; Jacob Myers, car- penter, John Pritchard, blacksmith ; Nathan Adams, tailor ; James Simpson, reed-maker ; Wm. Tingley, school teacher, and old granny Young, midwife and baker, who was subsequently elected (by the citizens of the township, in a fit of hilarity) to the office of justice of the peace ; but females not being eligible to office in Ohio, the old lady was obliged to forego the pleasure of serving her constituents.
The first celebration of independence in Cadiz was on the 4th of July, 1806, when the people generally, of the town and country, for miles around, attended and partook of a fine repast of venison, wild turkey, bear meat, and such vegetables as the country afforded ; while for a drink, rye whiskey was used. There was much hilarity, and good feeling, for at this time, men were supported for office from their fitness, rather than from their political sentiments.
About one and a half miles west of Cadiz, on the northern peak of a high sandy ridge, are the remains of what is called the " standing stone," from which a branch of Stillwater derived its name. The owner of the land has quarried off its top some eight feet. It is sandstone, and was originally from 16 to 18 feet high, about 50 feet around its base, and tapered from midway up to a cone-like top, being only about 20 feet around near its summit. It is said to have been a place of great resort by the Indians, and its origin has been a subject of speculation with many persons. It is, however, what geologists term a boulder, and was brought to its present position from, perhaps, a thousand miles north, embedded in a huge mass of ice, in some great convulsion of nature, ages since.
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