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 43
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Colonel Wright and others, who witnessed its progress, think it advanced at the rate of a mile per minute, and did not last more than a minute and a half or two minutes. The cloud was exceedingly black, and sometimes bore hard upon the ground, and at others, seemed to rise a little above the surface. One peculiarity was, that the fallen timber lay in every direction, so that the course of the storm could not be determined from the position of the fallen trees.
Many incidents are related by the inhabitants, calculated to illustrate the power, as well as the terror, of the storm, among which are the following. A chain from three to four feet long, and of the size of a common plow-chain, was taken from the ground near the house of John M'Clintock, and carried about half a mile, and lodged in the top of a sugar-tree stub, about 25 feet from the ground. An ox, belonging to Col. Wait Wright, was carried about 80 rods and left unhurt, although surrounded by the fallen timber, so that it required several hours chopping to release him. A cow, also, was taken from the same field and car- ried about 40 rods, and lodged in the top of a tree, which was blown down, and when found was dead, and about 8 feet from the ground. Whether the cow was blown against the tree- top before it was blown down, or was lodged in it after it fell, cannot be determined. A
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LICKING COUNTY.
heavy ox cart was taken from the yard of Col. Wright, and carried about 40 rods, and struck the ground with such force as to break the axle and entirely to demolish one wheel. A son of Col. Wright, upwards of fourteen years of age, was standing in the house holding the door. The house, which was built of logs, was torn in pieces, and the lad was thrown with such violence across the room as to kill him instantly. A coat, which was hanging in the same room, was found, in the following November, in Coshocton county, more than forty miles distant, and was afterwards brought to Burlington, and was identified by Col. Wright's family. Other articles, such as shingles, pieces of timber and of furniture, were carried twenty, and even thirty miles. Miss Sarah Robb, about twelve years of age, was taken from her father's house and carried some distance, she could not tell how far ; but when consciousness returned, found herself about forty rods from the house, and walking towards it. She was much bruised, but not essentially injured. The family of a Mr. Vance, on seeing the storm approach, fled from the house to the orchard adjoining. The upper part of the house was blown off and through the orchard ; the lower part of the house remained. Two sons of Mr. Vance were killed-one immediately, and the other died in a day or two from his wounds. These, and the son of Col. Wright, above mentioned, were all the lives known to be lost by the storm. A house, built of large logs, in which was a family, and which a number of workmen had entered for shelter from the storm, was raised up on one side and rolled off the place on which it stood, without injuring any one. A yoke of oxen, belonging to Wm. H. Cooley, were standing in the yoke in the field, and after the storm, were found completely enclosed and covered with fallen timber, so that they were not re- leased till the next day, but were not essentially injured. A black walnut tree, two and half feet in diameter, which had lain on the ground for many years, and had become embedded in the earth to nearly one half its size, was taken from its bed and carried across the creek, and left as many as 30 rods from its former location. A crockery crate, in which several fowls were confined, was carried by the wind several miles, and, with its contents, set down without injury.
Presbyterian Female Seminary.
Episcopal Female Seminary.
Granville (Baptist) College.
Male Academy
Literary Institutions at Granville.
The village of Granville is six miles west of Newark, and is con nected with the Ohio canal by a side cut of six miles in length. It is a neat, well-built town, noted for the morality and intelligence of its inhabitants and its flourishing and well-conducted literary insti- tutions. It contains 6 churches, 6 stores, 3 academies-(beside a large
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LICKING COUNTY.
brick building, which accommodates in each of its stories a distinct school,-and had in 1840, 727 inhabitants. The Granville college belongs to the Baptists, and was chartered in 1832. It is on a com manding site, one mile southwest of the village : its faculty consist of a president, two professors and two tutors. The four institutions at Granville, have, unitedly, from 15 to 20 instructors, and enjoy a generous patronage from all parts of the state. When all the schools and institutions are in operation, there are, within a mile, usually from 400 to 600 scholars.
The annexed historical sketch of Granville township, is from the published sketches of the Rev. Jacob Little.
In 1804, a company was formed at Granville, Mass., with the intention of making a settlement in Ohio. This, called " the Scioto company," was the third of that name which effected settlements in Ohio. (See pp. 169, 178.) The project met with great favor, and much enthusiasm was elicited ; in illustration of which, a song was composed and sung to he tune of " Pleasant Ohio," by the young people in the house and at labor in the field. We annex two stanzas, which are more curious than poetical.
When rambling o'er these mountains And rocks, where ivies grow Thick as the hairs upon your head, 'Mongst which you cannot go ; Great storms of snow, cold winds that blow, We scarce can undergo ;
Says I, my boys, we'll leave this place For the pleasant Ohio.
Our precious friends that stay behind, We're sorry now to leave ; But if they'll stay and break their shins, For them we'll never grieve ; Adieu, my friends ! come on my dears, This journey we'll forego, And settle Licking creek, In yonder Ohio.
The Scioto company consisted of 114 proprietors, who made a purchase of 28,000 acres. In the autumn of 1805, 234 persons, mostly from East Granville, Mass., came on to the purchase. Although they had been forty-two days on the road, their first business, on their arrival, having organized a church before they left the east, was to hear a sermon. The first tree cut was that by which public worship was held, which stood just front of the site of the Presbyterian church. On the first Sabbath, November 16th, although only about a dozen trecs had been cut, they held divine worship, both forenoon and afternoon, at that spot. The novelty of worshiping in the woods, the forest extending hundreds of miles every way, the hardships of the journey, the winter setting in, the fresh thoughts of home, with all the friends and privileges left behind, and the impression that such must be the accommodations of a new country, all rushed on their nerves and made this a day of varied interest. When they began to sing, the echo of their voices among the trees was so dif- ferent from what it was in the beautiful meeting house they had left, that they could no longer restrain their tears. They wept when they remembered Zion. The voices of part of the choir were for a season suppressed with emotion.
An incident occurred, which some Mrs. Sigourney should put into a poetical dress. Deacon Theophilus Reese, a Welsh Baptist, had two or three years before built a cabin a mile and a half north, and lived all this time without public worship. He had lost his cows, and hearing a lowing of the oxen belonging to the company, set out towards them. As he ascended the hills overlooking the town-plot, he heard the singing of the choir. The reverberation of the sound from hill-tops and trees, threw the good man into a serious dilemma. The music at first seemed to be behind, then in the tops of the trees or the clouds. He stopped, till by accurate listening, he caught the direction of the sound, and went on, till passing the brow of the hill, when he saw the audience sitting on the level below. He went home and told his wife that " the promise of God is a bond ;" a Welsh phrase, signifying that we have security, equal to a bond that religion will prevail every where. He said " these must be good people. I am not afraid to go among them." Though he could not understand English, he constantly attended the reading meeting. Hearing the music on that occasion, made such an impression on his mind, that when he became old and met the first settlers, he would always tell over this story. The first cabin built, was that in which they worshiped succeeding Sabbaths, and before the close of winter they had a school and school liouse. That church, in forty years, has been favored with ten revivals, and received about one thousand persons.
The first Baptist sermon was preached in the log church by Elder Jones, in 1806. The
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LICKING COUNTY.
Welsh Baptist church was organized in the cabin of David Thomas, September 4, 1808. " The Baptist church in Christ and St. Albans," was organized June 6th, 1819. On the 21st of April, 1827, the Granville members were organized into " the Granville church," and the corner-stone of their church was laid September 21, 1829. In the fall, the first Methodist sermon was preached under a black walnut ; the first class organized in 1810, and first church erected in 1824. An Episcopal church was organized May 9th, 1827, and a church consecrated in 1838. More recently, the Welsh Congregationalists and Cal- vinistic Methodists have built houses of worship, making seven congregations, of whom three worship in the Welsh language. There are, in the township, 405 families, of which 214 sustain family worship ; 1431 persons over 14 years of age, of whom nearly 800 belong to these several churches. The town has 150 families, of which 80 have family worship. Twenty years ago, the township furnished 40 school teachers, and in 1846, 70, of whom 62 prayed in school. In 1846, the township took 621 periodical papers, beside three small monthlies. The first temperance society west of the mountains, was organized July 15th, 1828, and in 1831, the Congregational church adopted a by-law, to accept no member who trafficked in or used ardent spirits.
There are but six men now living who came on with families the first fall, viz: Hugh Kelley, Roswell Graves, Elias Gillman, William Gavit, Levi and Hiram Rose. Other males, who arrived in 1805, then mostly children, and still surviving, are Elkannah Linnel, Spencer, Thomas and Timothy Spelman, Dennis Kelley, William Jones, Franklin and Ezekiel Gavit, Cotton, Alexander and William Thrall, Augustine Munson, Amos Car- penter, Timothy, Samuel, Heland, Lemuel, C. C. and Hiram P. Rose, Justin and Truman Hillyer, Silvanus, Gideon, Isaac and Archibald Cornel, Simeon and Alfred Avery, Fred- erick More, Worthy Pratt, Ezekiel, Samuel and Truman Wells, Albert, Mitchell, Joshua, Knowles and Benjamin Linnel, Lester and Hiram Case, Harry and Lewis Clemens, Lev- erett, Harry and Charles Butler, and Titus Knox: which, added to the others, make forty- one persons.
When Granville was first settled, it was supposed that Worthington would be the capital of Ohio, between which and Zanesville, this would make a great half-way town. At this time, snakes, wolves and Indians abounded in this region. On the pleasant spring morn- ings, large numbers of snakes were found running on the flat stones. Upon prying up the stones, there was found a singular fact respecting the social nature of serpents. Dens were found containing very discordant materials, twenty or thirty rattle-snakes, black- snakes and copper-heads, all coiled up together. Their liberal terms of admission only seemed to require evidence of snakeship. Besides various turnouts to kill them, the inhab- itants had one general hunt. Elias Gillman and Justin Hillyer were the captains, who chose sides, and the party beaten were to pay three gallons of whiskey. Tradition is divided as to the number killed that day. Some say 300. They killed that year between 700 and 800 rattle-snakes and copper-heads, keeping no account of the black and other harmless serpents. The young men would seize them by the neck and thrash them against the trees, before they had time to bite or curl round their arms. The copper-head, though smaller, was much more feared. The rattle-snake was larger, sooner seen, and a true southerner, always living up to the laws of honor. He would not bite without provoca- tion, and by his rattles gave the challenge in an honorable way. Instead of this well-bred warfare, the copper-head is a wrathy little felon, whose ire is always up, and he will make at the hand or the foot in the leaves or grass, before he is seen, and his bite is as poisonous as that of his brother of the larger fang. The young men tested his temper, and found that in his wrath he would bite a red hot coal. Very few were bitten by the rattle-snake, and all speak well of his good disposition and gentlemanly manners ; but so many were bitten in consequence of the fractious temper of the copper-head, that he has left no one behind him to sound a note in his praise.
The limb bitten became immediately swollen, turned the color of the snake, and the patient was soon unable to walk. In some cases the poison broke out annually, and in others, the limb for years was exposed to frequent swellings. After all that was suffered from poisonous reptiles, it was proved to a demonstration, that no animal is so poisonous as man. Carrying more poison in his mouth than any other creature, he can poison a venomous serpent to death, quicker than the serpent can him. Martin Root and two other young men, chopping together, saw a rattle-snake, set a fork over his neck, and put in his mouth a new quid from one of their mouths. They raised the fork, and the poor creature did not crawl more than his length before he convulsed, swelled up and died, poisoned to death by virus from the mouth of one of the lords of creation. Deacon Hayes and Worthy Pratt tried the same experiment upon copper-heads, with the same results. Many others
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LOGAN COUNTY.
killed venomous reptiles in the same way, and one man pretended that by the moderate use, he had taught a copper-head to take tobacco without injury.
About three miles northwest of the ancient works in the vicinity of Newark, and near the road between that place and Granville, are numerous mounds and other ancient works. The most curious object is the figure, shaped like and called " the Alligator," on the top of a high hill. Its dimensions are as follows, in feet : length of the head and neck, 32; do. of the body, 73; do. tail, 105; width from the ends of the fore feet over the shoulders, 100; do. hind feet over the hips, 92; do. between the legs across the body, 32 ; do. tail close to the body, 18; height at the highest point, 7; whole length, 210; do. head, neck and body, 105. It appears to be mainly composed of clay, and is overgrown with grass. Visitors have made a path from the nose along the back to where the tail begins to curl, at which point stands a large black walnut.
The noted " Narrows of Licking," are in the eastern part of the county. "This is a very picturesque spot ; cliffs of sandstone rock, 50 feet in height, line the sides of the canal, especially on the left bank of the stream. In some places, they hang over in a semi-cir- cular form, the upper portion projecting and defending the lower from the rains and weather. In one of these spots, the aborigines chose to display their ingenuity at pictorial writing, by figuring on the smooth face of the cliff, at an elevation of eight or ten feet above the water, the outlines of wild animals, and among the rest, the figure of a huge black human hand. From this circumstance, the spot is known to all the old hunters and inhabitants of this vicinity, by the name of 'the black hand narrows.' It is the scene of many an ancient legend and wild hunting story."
The following are names of villages in this county, with their population in 1840: some of them have much increased since, and are smart business places, containing several stores, churches, mills, &c. The six first named are on the national road. Brownsville 313, Hebron 473, Jacksontown 215, Kirkersville 179, Luray 109, Gratiot 147, Alexandria 200, Chatham 173, Etna 219, Fredonia 107, Hartford 106, Havana 54, Homer 201, Linnville 101, Lockport 125, and Utica 355. Johnstown, omitted in the census of 1840, is a vil- lage of note, in the northwest part of the county.
LOGAN. -
LOGAN derived its name from Gen. Benj. Logan : it was formed March 1st, 1817, and the courts ordered "to be holden at the house of Edwin Matthews, or some other convenient place in the town of Bellville, until a permanent seat of justice should be established." The soil, which is various, is generally good : the surface broken around the head wate 's of Mad river, elsewhere rolling or level ; in the western part are eight small lakes, covering each from two to
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LOGAN COUNTY.
seventy acres of land. The principal productions are wheat, corn, rye, oats and clover, flax and timothy seed. The following is a list of the townships in 1840, with their population :
Bloomfield, 565
Liberty,
807
Rush Creek, 1077
Rakes Creek, 222
M'Arthur, 1673
Stokes, 299
Harrison, 658
Miami,
1423
Union,
832
Jefferson, 1527
Monroe,
1203
Washington, 517
Lake, 1175
Perry, 1014
Zane,
1021
The population of Logan in 1820, was 3181 ; in 1830, 6432, and in 1840, 14,013, or 33 inhabitants to the square mile.
The territory comprised within the limits of this county, was a favorite abode of the Shawanoe Indians, who had several villages on Mad river, called the Mack-a-chack towns, the names and position of three of which are given to us by an old settler. The first, called Mack-a-chack, stood near West Liberty, on the farm of Judge Benj. Piatt; the second, Pigeon Town, was about three miles northwest, on the farm of George F. Dunn, and the third, Wappatomica, was just below Zanesfield.
The Mack-a-chack towns were destroyed in 1786, by a body of Kentuckians, under Gen. Benj. Logan. The narrative of this expe- dition is from the pen of Gen. William Lytle, (see page 98,) who was an actor in the scenes he describes.
It was in the autumn of this year, that Gen. Clarke raised the forces of the Wabash ex- pedition. They constituted a numerous corps. Col. Logan was detached from the army at the falls of the Ohio, to raise a considerable force, with which to proceed against the In- dian villages on the head waters of Mad river and the Great Miami. I was then aged 16, and too young to come within the legal requisition ; but I offered myself as a volunteer. Col. Logan went on to his destination, and would have surprised the Indian towns against which he had marched, had not one of his men deserted to the enemy, not long before they reached the town, who gave notice of their approach. As it was, he burned eight large towns, and destroyed many fields of corn. He took 70 or 80 prisoners, and killed 20 war- riors, and among them the head chief of the nation. This last act caused deep regret, hu- miliation and shame to the commander in chief and his troops.
We came in view of the two first towns, one of which stood on the west bank of Mad river, and the other on the northeast of it. They were separated by a prairie, half a mile in extent. The town on the northeast was situated on a high, commanding point of land, that projected a small distance into the prairie, at the foot of which eminence broke out sev- eral fine springs, This was the residence of the famous chief of the nation. His flag was flying at the time, from the top of a pole 60 feet high. We had advanced in three lines, the commander with some of the horsemen marching at the head of the center line, and the footmen in their rear. Col. Robert Patterson commanded the left, and I think Col. Thomas Kennedy the right. When we came in sight of the towns, the spies of the front guard made a halt, and sent a man back to inform the commander of the situation of the two towns. He ordered Col. Patterson to attack the towns on the left bank of Mad river. Col. Kennedy was also charged to incline a little to the right of the town on the east side of the prairie. He determined himself to charge, with the center division, immediately on the upper town. I heard the commander give his orders, and caution the colonels against allowing their men to kill any among the enemy, that they might suppose to be prisoners. He then ordered them to advance, and as soon as they should discover the enemy, to charge upon them. I had my doubts touching the propriety of some of the arrangements. I was willing, how- ever, to view the affair with the diffidence of youth and inexperience. At any rate, I was determined to be at hand, to see all that was going on, and to be as near the head of the line as my colonel would permit. I was extremely solicitous to try myself in battle. The commander of the center line waved his sword over his head, as a signal for the troops to advance. Col. Daniel Boone, and Major, since Gen. Kenton, commanded the advance, and Col. Trotter the rear. As we approached within half a mile of the town on the left, and
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LOGAN COUNTY.
about three fourths from that on the right, we saw the savages retreating in all directions, making for the thickets, swamps, and high prairie grass, to secure them from their enemy. I was animated with the energy with which the commander conducted the head of his line. He waved his sword, and in a voice of thunder exclaimed, "Charge from right to left !"
The horses appeared as impatient for the onset as their riders. As we came up with the flying savages, I was disappointed, discovering that we should have little to do. I heard but one savage, with the exception of the chief, cry for quarter. They fought with despera- tion, as long as they could raise knife, gun or tomahawk, after they found they could not screen themselves. We dispatched all the warriors that we overtook, and sent the women and children prisoners to the rear. We pushed ahead, still hoping to overtake a larger body, where we might have something like a general engagement. I was mounted on a very fleet grey horse. Fifty of my companions followed me. I had not advanced more than a mile, before I discovered some of the enemy, running along the edge of a thicket of hazle and plum bushes. I made signs to the men in my rear, to come on. At the same time, pointing to the flying enemy, I obliqued across the plain, so as to get in advance of them. When I arrived within 50 yards of them, I dismounted and raised my gun. I dis- covered, at this moment, some men of the right wing coming up on the left. The warrior I was about to shoot, held up his hand in token of surrender, and I heard him order the other Indians to stop. By this time, the men behind had arrived, and were in the act of firing upon the Indians. I called to them not to fire, for the enemy had surrendered. The warrior that had surrendered to me, came walking towards me, calling his women and children to follow him. I advanced to meet him, with my right hand extended ; but before I could reach him, the men of the right wing of our force had surrounded him. I rushed in among their horses. While he was giving me his hand, several of our men wished to tomahawk him. I informed them that they would have to tomahawk me first. We led him back to the place where his flag had been. We had taken thirteen prisoners. Among them were the chief, his three wives-one of them a young and handsome woman, another of them the famous grenadier squaw, upwards of six feet high-and two or three fine young lads. The rest were children. One of these lads was a remarkably interesting youth, about my own age and size. He clung closely to me, and appeared keenly to notice every thing that was going on.
When we arrived at the town, a crowd of our men pressed around to see the chief. I stepped aside to fasten my horse, and my prisoner lad clung close to my side. A young man by the name of Curner had been to one of the springs to drink. He discovered the young savage by my side, and came running towards me. The young Indian supposed he was advancing to kill him. As I turned around, in the twinkling of an eye, he let fly an arrow at Curner, for he was armed with a bow. I had just time to catch his arm, as he discharged the arrow. It passed through Curner's dress, and grazed his side. The jerk I gave his arm undoubtedly prevented his killing Curner on the spot. I took away his arrows, and sternly reprimanded him. I then led him back to the crowd which surrounded the prisoners. At the same moment, Col. M'Gary, the same man who had caused the disaster at the Blue Licks, some years before, coming up, Gen. Logan's eye caught that of M'Gary. " Col. M'Gary," said he, " you must not molest these prisoners." " I will see to that," said M'Gary in reply. I forced my way through the crowd to the chief, with my young charge by the hand. M'Gary ordered the crowd to open and let him in. He came up to the chief, and the first salutation was in the question, " Were you at the defeat of the Blue Licks ?" The Indian, not knowing the meaning of the words, or not understanding the purport of the question, answered, " Yes." M'Gary instantly seized an axe from the hands of the grenadier squaw, and raised it to make a blow at the chief. I threw up my arm, to ward off the blow. The handle of the axe struck me across the left wrist, and came near breaking it. The axe sank in the head of the chief to the eyes, and he fell dead at my feet. Provoked beyond measure at this wanton barbarity, I drew my knife, for the purpose of avenging his cruelty by dispatching him. My arm was arrested by one of our men, which prevented me inflicting the thrust. M'Gary escaped from the crowd.
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